I will protect
I stared at the sky in my clearing, squinting at the brightness of the sun. Trees were all around me, swallowing me up in a cocoon of safety; the forest- my favorite place to be.
Because here, I don’t have to worry about anything, here I can just be myself.
I sat on the large boulder, bringing my knees up to my chin and pressing my cheek against the skin that showed.
This was true safety; no one could find me here, well, no one except for one specific person….
There was a rustling – more like a crashing actually- sound and I snapped my head towards its direction. My body relaxed automatically when the blonde haired ninja burst through the trees and into my small clearing, smiling up at me with those laughing blue eyes.
“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you, you know!?” He howled up at me, mouth breaking out into a wide smile.
I smiled down at him, releasing my legs from the vice grip of my arms and letting them dangle against the rock. “Hello, Naruto.”
He chuckled. “Come on! I want you to meet everyone! They’re all waiting. Sasuke, and Sakura, and Kakashi, and Kiba, and Hinata, and Neji, and Shikamaru, and Gaara; everyone! They all want to meet you! Come on!” He jumped up, reaching for my leg.
I wasn’t very fast at the moment and so his hand grabbed my ankle, pulling me down off of my rock.
“HEEEY!” I howled, laughing as I landed on top of him in the grass.
He chuckled, wrapping his arms around my waist while I lay there. “I don’t mind this.” He smirked.
I blushed and bent my head down, gently pressing my lips to his.
“Come on.” I whispered against his lips, “I thought you said you wanted me to meet everyone.”
Naruto chuckled, flying to his feet, still having his arms wrapped around my waist.
“You’re right!” He smiled with tons of animation and happiness laced in that one smile. “Let’s go!”
[PROJECT – CAPTURE. Commence Mission.]
He wrapped one arm around my waist as we walked, slowly leading us towards the ring of trees around the clearing.
He started telling me about his friends, laughing as he explained them to me and told me what they were like.
I enjoyed watching him smile so happily and be the loud obnoxious Naruto that I loved so much. Because, he was also my safety, like this forest, I was myself with him.
Because I love Naruto.
I leaned my head against his arm, listening intently to his talking.
[There’s and extra, what do we do with it?]
[The extra is not needed, eliminate it. We only need the one.]
[All right, proceed to go on countdown. Ready?]
[Count down starting. 10.]
“Kiba can be a bit annoying at times but, he’s really my friend and he can be nice and he’ll like you a lot because he’ll have to. After all you are my girl and because I love you, everyone else will too.”
I chuckled, looking up at him as he waved his free arm around spastically as he talked.
[9]
“I love you.” I smiled up at him, completely interrupting his rant.
He looked down at me, surprised for a brief second before he gave me a squinty eyes smile.
[8]
“I love you too!” He laughed, suddenly lifting me into his arms.
I let out a squeal of surprise.
[7]
“I’ll always love you.” And with that he buried his face in my neck, causing me to laugh because his breath tickled the sensitive skin there.
[6]
With my highly sensitive ears I heard something crack close to our moving position.
“N-Naruto? Did you h-hear that?” I asked, eyes wide with cold hard fear clenching at my stomach.
[5]
He stopped, looking down at me, his eyes caring and warm.
“I didn’t hear anything.” He looked around us, eyes scanning for any traces of the noise. “Don’t worry; I’m sure it’s nothing.”
[4]
I clutched his shirt tightly in my fists, staring up at him. “Right, it will be fine.” Though the fear in my voice was obvious.
I was never cut out to be a Ninja. That much was obvious.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be here, so if it WAS something, it can’t hurt you.”
[3]
His soothing blue eyed gaze gave me some strength back and I nodded, telling myself that it was nothing.
That it can’t hurt me.
Nothing can hurt US.
[2]
Naruto adjusted his grip on me and I chuckled.
“You can put me down you know?”
He scanned the forest ahead of us nervously. His behavior put a slight sense of edge and dread into my stomach. “Maybe I don’t want to.” He smirked, but he wasn’t looking at me, he was looking at the forest around us.
[1]
This time I had to be the one to get the fear out of him.
“It’s nothing Naruto, remember? Nothing.” I used my hands to get him to look at me, forcing his eyes to stare into mine. “Nothing.”
He exhaled with a sigh, smirking at me.
“You’re right, it’s nothing.” He pressed a kiss to my lips as he slowly set me down.
[0]
I had just touched my foot to the ground when a buzzing noise sounded.
Naruto and I snapped our heads in unison as pain exploded though my leg, causing me to collapse to my knees, unable to stand.
Naruto yelled my name, kneeling down with me and grabbing my shoulders, forcing me to face him.
“What happened?!” He all but yelled, his eyes wild and angry with fear.
I looked down at my leg where blood flowed in a stream of crimson, leaking out from a kunai that was painfully lodged in muscle, not allowing me to stand.
He stared at it, eyes hardening and narrowing as he looked around us.
Figures with black cloaks that had signs of poufy red clouds all over them stood in front of us, eyes staring holes through us.
They were here for Naruto, that much was obvious.
I stared at them slowly, a mixture of fear and anger burning in my stomach before I realized what needed to be done.
I had to get Naruto out of here, even if it meant sacrificing myself.
I would NOT let them have him.
Slowly and Shakily I got to my feet, yanking out the kunai from my thigh with a painful spurt of blood.
Naruto gripped my arm, staring at me with wide eyes. “You’re not fighting them.” He almost yelled, his voice strained as if the thought of me fighting them was too much.
“I need to protect you. Like you protected me.” I smiled sadly.
“HELP PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!” The man’s grip was firm on my windpipe, I couldn’t breathe.
“Shut up you little brat!” The man snarled, pressing the pointed edge of a kunai into my stomach. “I’ll kill you if you don’t!”
There was a thunking noise and the man’s eyes widened before he collapsed to the ground, unconscious, a heavy rock just a few feet away.
I collapsed to the ground on my knees, staring up at a boy with striking blue eyes and blonde hair.
“Hey? Are you okay?”
Naruto shook his head furiously. “No, you’re not doing this.”
“Go, please, get out of here. Get help.” I whispered to him.
“I’m not leaving you.” He growled, getting to his feet. “Not ever.”
“Please, if you get help maybe we actually stand a chance.”
His eyes clouded over and he stared at them and then looked at me.
“Please!” I yelled, my voice strained, myself trying not to cry as I held my kunai knife out to them, trying to look brave and strong.
“I will be back in two seconds.” He said, his voice cracking as he quickly disappeared, running out of there.
A few of the cloaked figured tried to follow and I stopped them, landing a kick in one of the figure’s gut.
“HEY! WORRY ABOUT ME FIRST!” I snarled lunging at them and whipping out a shuriken in a fail attempt to hit one of them.
One of them chuckled darkly. “You’re just an extra, you think you can stand up to all of us and live to tell the tale?”
“I don’t need to live,” I smirked. “I just need to stop you from getting to Naruto.”
They glared at me and suddenly I was rushed from all sides.
There was pain that came with getting hit, a blow that would land would cut, would bruise, would be fatal.
But mine were just as bad, and I was sure to let them know that as I created a scar along one’s face, dragging the kunai knife heavily.
“BAKUHA NO JUTSU!!!” I screamed. (Explosion justsu.)
I did a flip, my hands connecting with the ground, activating my jutsu as I twisted in the air and landed on my feet a few meters away.
The explosion was loud and fiery and fearful, it echoed in the forest around us and I heard footsteps, multiple footsteps as Naruto screamed my name, his group advancing quickly towards the sound.
The cloaked figures glared at me with hate in their eyes, some of their skin burned or bleeding and even one of them was on fire.
Though they were quick to put it out.
Fire plumed around us, but not before long before a wave of water crashed towards me.
I had no time to move before it formed a rope like appendage, wrapping itself around my throat.
I kicked out feebly, trying to fight, to delay them from getting to Naruto.
A fishlike cloaked figure approached me, his eyes hard and cold and his teeth sharp.
He held a large scary sword that looked like it was made of teeth and could cause damage.
“We only wanted the boy; there was no need for you to die unless you stood in our way.” He growled, smirking at me. “Though, not that this wasn’t fun.”
He lunged forward.
Pain exploded through my chest, and I felt blood spurt through my lips as the strange sword painfully ripped into my body, slicing my insides to bits and causing me to let out a silent scream, my eyes wide.
I heard Naruto scream my name in the distance.
The fish boy yanked the sword out, and released his jutsu. I let out a small scream of pain, crashing to the damaged ground.
Naruto ran towards me, feet sliding as he kneeled above me.
Tears were in his eyes, wetting my face.
He spoke my name, over and over and over again.
But it was as if it was through a cloudy veil, everything was going dark and I couldn’t hear much of anything.
“I love you.” I managed to say.
I felt Naruto’s hands on my shoulders, lifting me into his lap as he screamed my name, rocking back and forth with wet tears.
“NOOOOOOO!” He screamed, repeating it over and over again like a mantra.
I smiled. “I protected you.” I managed to say before I felt nothing anymore.
Because here, I don’t have to worry about anything, here I can just be myself.
I sat on the large boulder, bringing my knees up to my chin and pressing my cheek against the skin that showed.
This was true safety; no one could find me here, well, no one except for one specific person….
There was a rustling – more like a crashing actually- sound and I snapped my head towards its direction. My body relaxed automatically when the blonde haired ninja burst through the trees and into my small clearing, smiling up at me with those laughing blue eyes.
“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you, you know!?” He howled up at me, mouth breaking out into a wide smile.
I smiled down at him, releasing my legs from the vice grip of my arms and letting them dangle against the rock. “Hello, Naruto.”
He chuckled. “Come on! I want you to meet everyone! They’re all waiting. Sasuke, and Sakura, and Kakashi, and Kiba, and Hinata, and Neji, and Shikamaru, and Gaara; everyone! They all want to meet you! Come on!” He jumped up, reaching for my leg.
I wasn’t very fast at the moment and so his hand grabbed my ankle, pulling me down off of my rock.
“HEEEY!” I howled, laughing as I landed on top of him in the grass.
He chuckled, wrapping his arms around my waist while I lay there. “I don’t mind this.” He smirked.
I blushed and bent my head down, gently pressing my lips to his.
“Come on.” I whispered against his lips, “I thought you said you wanted me to meet everyone.”
Naruto chuckled, flying to his feet, still having his arms wrapped around my waist.
“You’re right!” He smiled with tons of animation and happiness laced in that one smile. “Let’s go!”
[PROJECT – CAPTURE. Commence Mission.]
He wrapped one arm around my waist as we walked, slowly leading us towards the ring of trees around the clearing.
He started telling me about his friends, laughing as he explained them to me and told me what they were like.
I enjoyed watching him smile so happily and be the loud obnoxious Naruto that I loved so much. Because, he was also my safety, like this forest, I was myself with him.
Because I love Naruto.
I leaned my head against his arm, listening intently to his talking.
[There’s and extra, what do we do with it?]
[The extra is not needed, eliminate it. We only need the one.]
[All right, proceed to go on countdown. Ready?]
[Count down starting. 10.]
“Kiba can be a bit annoying at times but, he’s really my friend and he can be nice and he’ll like you a lot because he’ll have to. After all you are my girl and because I love you, everyone else will too.”
I chuckled, looking up at him as he waved his free arm around spastically as he talked.
[9]
“I love you.” I smiled up at him, completely interrupting his rant.
He looked down at me, surprised for a brief second before he gave me a squinty eyes smile.
[8]
“I love you too!” He laughed, suddenly lifting me into his arms.
I let out a squeal of surprise.
[7]
“I’ll always love you.” And with that he buried his face in my neck, causing me to laugh because his breath tickled the sensitive skin there.
[6]
With my highly sensitive ears I heard something crack close to our moving position.
“N-Naruto? Did you h-hear that?” I asked, eyes wide with cold hard fear clenching at my stomach.
[5]
He stopped, looking down at me, his eyes caring and warm.
“I didn’t hear anything.” He looked around us, eyes scanning for any traces of the noise. “Don’t worry; I’m sure it’s nothing.”
[4]
I clutched his shirt tightly in my fists, staring up at him. “Right, it will be fine.” Though the fear in my voice was obvious.
I was never cut out to be a Ninja. That much was obvious.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be here, so if it WAS something, it can’t hurt you.”
[3]
His soothing blue eyed gaze gave me some strength back and I nodded, telling myself that it was nothing.
That it can’t hurt me.
Nothing can hurt US.
[2]
Naruto adjusted his grip on me and I chuckled.
“You can put me down you know?”
He scanned the forest ahead of us nervously. His behavior put a slight sense of edge and dread into my stomach. “Maybe I don’t want to.” He smirked, but he wasn’t looking at me, he was looking at the forest around us.
[1]
This time I had to be the one to get the fear out of him.
“It’s nothing Naruto, remember? Nothing.” I used my hands to get him to look at me, forcing his eyes to stare into mine. “Nothing.”
He exhaled with a sigh, smirking at me.
“You’re right, it’s nothing.” He pressed a kiss to my lips as he slowly set me down.
[0]
I had just touched my foot to the ground when a buzzing noise sounded.
Naruto and I snapped our heads in unison as pain exploded though my leg, causing me to collapse to my knees, unable to stand.
Naruto yelled my name, kneeling down with me and grabbing my shoulders, forcing me to face him.
“What happened?!” He all but yelled, his eyes wild and angry with fear.
I looked down at my leg where blood flowed in a stream of crimson, leaking out from a kunai that was painfully lodged in muscle, not allowing me to stand.
He stared at it, eyes hardening and narrowing as he looked around us.
Figures with black cloaks that had signs of poufy red clouds all over them stood in front of us, eyes staring holes through us.
They were here for Naruto, that much was obvious.
I stared at them slowly, a mixture of fear and anger burning in my stomach before I realized what needed to be done.
I had to get Naruto out of here, even if it meant sacrificing myself.
I would NOT let them have him.
Slowly and Shakily I got to my feet, yanking out the kunai from my thigh with a painful spurt of blood.
Naruto gripped my arm, staring at me with wide eyes. “You’re not fighting them.” He almost yelled, his voice strained as if the thought of me fighting them was too much.
“I need to protect you. Like you protected me.” I smiled sadly.
“HELP PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!” The man’s grip was firm on my windpipe, I couldn’t breathe.
“Shut up you little brat!” The man snarled, pressing the pointed edge of a kunai into my stomach. “I’ll kill you if you don’t!”
There was a thunking noise and the man’s eyes widened before he collapsed to the ground, unconscious, a heavy rock just a few feet away.
I collapsed to the ground on my knees, staring up at a boy with striking blue eyes and blonde hair.
“Hey? Are you okay?”
Naruto shook his head furiously. “No, you’re not doing this.”
“Go, please, get out of here. Get help.” I whispered to him.
“I’m not leaving you.” He growled, getting to his feet. “Not ever.”
“Please, if you get help maybe we actually stand a chance.”
His eyes clouded over and he stared at them and then looked at me.
“Please!” I yelled, my voice strained, myself trying not to cry as I held my kunai knife out to them, trying to look brave and strong.
“I will be back in two seconds.” He said, his voice cracking as he quickly disappeared, running out of there.
A few of the cloaked figured tried to follow and I stopped them, landing a kick in one of the figure’s gut.
“HEY! WORRY ABOUT ME FIRST!” I snarled lunging at them and whipping out a shuriken in a fail attempt to hit one of them.
One of them chuckled darkly. “You’re just an extra, you think you can stand up to all of us and live to tell the tale?”
“I don’t need to live,” I smirked. “I just need to stop you from getting to Naruto.”
They glared at me and suddenly I was rushed from all sides.
There was pain that came with getting hit, a blow that would land would cut, would bruise, would be fatal.
But mine were just as bad, and I was sure to let them know that as I created a scar along one’s face, dragging the kunai knife heavily.
“BAKUHA NO JUTSU!!!” I screamed. (Explosion justsu.)
I did a flip, my hands connecting with the ground, activating my jutsu as I twisted in the air and landed on my feet a few meters away.
The explosion was loud and fiery and fearful, it echoed in the forest around us and I heard footsteps, multiple footsteps as Naruto screamed my name, his group advancing quickly towards the sound.
The cloaked figures glared at me with hate in their eyes, some of their skin burned or bleeding and even one of them was on fire.
Though they were quick to put it out.
Fire plumed around us, but not before long before a wave of water crashed towards me.
I had no time to move before it formed a rope like appendage, wrapping itself around my throat.
I kicked out feebly, trying to fight, to delay them from getting to Naruto.
A fishlike cloaked figure approached me, his eyes hard and cold and his teeth sharp.
He held a large scary sword that looked like it was made of teeth and could cause damage.
“We only wanted the boy; there was no need for you to die unless you stood in our way.” He growled, smirking at me. “Though, not that this wasn’t fun.”
He lunged forward.
Pain exploded through my chest, and I felt blood spurt through my lips as the strange sword painfully ripped into my body, slicing my insides to bits and causing me to let out a silent scream, my eyes wide.
I heard Naruto scream my name in the distance.
The fish boy yanked the sword out, and released his jutsu. I let out a small scream of pain, crashing to the damaged ground.
Naruto ran towards me, feet sliding as he kneeled above me.
Tears were in his eyes, wetting my face.
He spoke my name, over and over and over again.
But it was as if it was through a cloudy veil, everything was going dark and I couldn’t hear much of anything.
“I love you.” I managed to say.
I felt Naruto’s hands on my shoulders, lifting me into his lap as he screamed my name, rocking back and forth with wet tears.
“NOOOOOOO!” He screamed, repeating it over and over again like a mantra.
I smiled. “I protected you.” I managed to say before I felt nothing anymore.