Manga/Anime: Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto/Studio Pierrot
Words: 1 970
Publish: 07/08/2020
Summary: They thought eveything was over, but here they are in the middle of another mess.

Naples, Italy

Looking at the pictures on the wall, Hinata told herself that, she was maybe the only one able to make the difference between Naruto's blue eyes and Menma's.

Or should she say, Clone 2.0.

However, for her, he wasn't a clone. His greasy, dull hair, the stupidity in his gaze and the lack of expressions couldn't be compared to her husband's soft and thick hair, bright eyes and genuine smile.

Yet...

There's a time where Naruto had that same mask...

Biting her thumb, Hinata kept staring at her attacker. She could still feel his weight pin her hips, his rough hands on her shoulders and above all, the heat of the pillow on her face.

Instantly, her breathing raced. The more the other night's events flashed before her eyes, the wetter they became. The room became too small. She couldn't focus on the picture anymore. Her desire to get out choked her. Her heart was beating fast, too fast-

Immediately, his hand caught hers.

Hinata emerged from her panic attack to find her one and only support. Naruto laced their fingers to pull hers away from her lips, a fake upset look on his face.

"You promised to not do that anymore."

With her eyes, she followed his lips kiss the back of her hand. His fingers caressed her knuckles. She didn't even realise how tense they were until now. At a slow pace, his thumb traced circles on her palm. Naruto was giving her an anchor point to escape her dark thoughts.

Facing her lack of reaction, he raised one of his blond brows. He still had some plasters on his right cheek and brow bone but overall, his face already healed well.

As always, he managed to prevent the worse case scenario...

She tightened their hand holding to remind herself that he was here, with her.

"Wanna visit Naples after?" he proposed in a low voice. "Did you know Naples was in a partnership with Kagoshime-shi?"

It's her hometown so, of course she knew. He was just trying to distract her. Because, he knew her too well to know, in on look, that she would have prefered to be anywhere else than be sitting in a room belonging to the Secret Services.

She nodded anyway to continue the discussion.

"Hey, do you know what we can see in Naples?"

"There's museums, theaters-"

His chin in his palm, he snorted. As soon as she heard him, she felt better. Unlike that cold and unknown environnement, she was familiar with that sound. And it both squeezed and warmed her heart up.

"Such a nerd, I love it. We can to that if you want but, I was thinking about something else."

Seeing his soft smile, excitation give her skin an electric shock.

"The sea."

Hear the roll of the waves.

Feel the froth tickled her toes.

See the endless horizon.

Try to sunbathe on the beach despite her milky skin.

Flirt with Naruto to make him offer her an ice-cream cone.

What flavour will she choose?

"Mr.Uzumaki, may I have your attention, please?"

Her happy picture was replaced by reality.

They weren't alone anymore. In the cold room, dozen of employees looked at them. Kakashi, still in front of the board, pinched the bridge of his nose and Yamato, the one calling out her husband, seemed to be angrier than his superior.

As earlier, Naruto said nothing. She knew he was uncomfortable as well. His jaw clenched again and his eyes became stormy as soon as he looked away from her. Facing the screen again, he didn't apologise for the disruption.

Once he cleared his throat, Kakashi went back to his explaction. Or rather, his enumeration of informations they had collected during the last few years while his employees took notes. Their moves were stiff, Hinata noticed. And they dared give Naruto several dirty looks.

It had to be said no one would have ever thought that, one day, Uzumaki Naruto, overtrained assassin, would be setting, freely, in the same room as Hatake Kakashi, the head of Japan national security.

Those two shared a history which even Hinata didn't know all the details of.

She knew it all started with the Akatsuki, the Secret Services' number-one enemy.

At that time, this organisation hired hitmen everywhere in Japan. At the beginning, this problem only concerned Japanese people. But when the enemy found the right formula to clone their best recruits, the danger became worldwide.

Naruto was the only one to have survived the Bijuu program. The nine other subjects died because of complications while creating the formula. He then quickly became the favourite among the Akatsuki but also, among the powerful bosses. Rotten bosses all around the world couldn't get enough of him, paying huge sum of money.

Of course, he was so often on the field that his name dropped in the Secret Services' files and a 'catch me if you can' game started between him and Kakashi. But, he was as sly as a fox and could always escape from desperate situations.

In the underground, he was said to have a gift. Kill without hesitation then disappear without leaving a single mark behind wasn't something any one could do. But to a man who only knew sweat, weapons and blood, it's a normal life.

But could you call a man a 'man' if he was living like a robot?

Hinata liked to believe it. Naruto was the perfect example. Even, people who never knew love or happiness could feel powerful emotions such as empathy or compassion.

It's what Naruto felt when he had to kill Teuchi, his superiors' orders.

When he aimed towards his target, he saw his daughter, Ayame, and something grew in his chest. He couldn't kill that man. He knew what it was like to not have a family, to be shocked because of violence. He couldn't - didn't want - to be the one taking away a father from his child before her eyes. Then, he thought about killing them both. But, the idea of killing that girl made him sick.

So, he fled.

And when he would wake up, panicked and sweaty, thinking he did killed that innocent child, Hinata was here to remind him how brave he had been to have broke the hold the Akatsuki had on him.

Feelings were scary, that, Hinata knew it better than anyone. So, when Naruto refused to obey to orders and called Kakashi to say he surrendered, he created terror among the organisation.

They couldn't control their centerpiece anymore.

Meanwhile, they had created eight other Naruto and they had been order to get rid of the original.

They attacked him the day he left China by boat to return to Japan. The combat was raging between them but Naruto killed four out of eight clones before being shot twice in the back and falling off the boat.

Saved by the sea, he washed up on a beach.

It's there that Hinata found him.

As an angel, she came to save him from the darkness, he would often say with gratitude in his eyes.

But, how could he look at her like that when it was her who was feeling the most thankful?

Today, she knew her decision was pretty stupid but at that time, when she saw his wounds, she took him to the hospital without questioning herself. Never had she thought she would have run into assassins because she helped an injured man.

She rapidly found herself in the middle of a big mess but Naruto protected her, even though she was an stranger. She, who had always been manipulated by her family, couldn't help but admire his desire to be free.

Unthinkingly, she proposed him to share her small room on campus while his wounds were healing. It too might make his pursuers think he's dead, which was a good point for the duo.

It's during that period of time they got to know each other. Or rather, Hinata and Naruto got to know the real him. Little by little, he opened up to her. He was so kind, his innocence was adorable and he had affection for so many things, important or not important. Inevitable, she fell in love with him.

Unfortunately, it's only when Kakashi cuffed him that she confessed. Red cheeks, bright eyes, she never had been so sure about what she was feeling. But, Naruto remained quiet. Too shocked to know that someone like her could have that kind of feelings for someone like him.

Hinata wasn't mad at him. She understood he didn't know what to say. She already said it to him but, still today, he would call himself an idiot for not have said something at that moment even though he too, had developed feelings for her.

She understood it the day she saw him at the university's gates. In exchange of his informations and his help for stopping the Akatsuki, Kakashi agreed to let him go free.

Despiste the years, he came back to her.

He promised to her to never leave her ever again. To always be there for her.

Until now, he never got back on his words.

They dated. They got married. They were expecting a child.

Everything could have be a happy ending but Hinata never forgot the sword of Damocles hanging above their heads. They were moving all the time for Naruto's peace of mind because he didn't like to stay on the same place for too long.

The reason was that he always said to her he didn't trust the Secret Services and today, she realised that maybe, he was right since the beginning...

Without warning, which was unusual here, the door snapped open, bringing Hinata back to reality.

"Hatake-sama! The prisoner just woke up!"

"Now it's not the time." the man said.

"But, he asks to speak to you personally."

Every person in the room trembled, even Naruto. She felt him tighten his hand on her thigh. He had something in mind. She understood it by the way his eyes were looking at the room, analysing every employees making their way out to listen to the interrogation between Kakashi and the man who fought against him.

Kakashi stopped beside them and asked "Please, wait for us here."

"We have our own business to do." Naruto voice was flat.

"It won't take long."

The security director was the last one to leave the room, leaving Naruto and Hinata with guards.

This change in the situation quickly made her uncomfortable. Her throat tightened and she fidgeted on her chair.

Something was off.

"Hey, Hina. Look at me." He caught her chin in between his fingers. "I'm here, ok? Everything's fine."

"I have a bad feeling." She too lowered her voice.

"I know, babe. I know."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders to bring her closer to him. To pretend they were cuddling. His hand still on her thigh, he put his head against her shoulder. His lips now a few inches away from her ear, he whispered his instructions.

"I don't trust Hatake."

"How is it possible clones still exist?"

"That guy", he pointed Menma. "Isn't from the Akatsuki."

"But..." she shivered.

"Yeah, Hatake's babbled to save time. I still don't know why though but, we're getting out of here, okay? I'll take care of the guards", he said after her small 'uh-huh'. "You get us a ride and communication, okay? Like I showed you."

Keeping eye contact, they let go of each other.

"I love you."

His eyes were so calm, they relaxed her. He knew what he was doing. She believed in him.

"I love you."

She took a deep breath in and no sooner had she exhaled than Naruto was already up on his feet.

This chapter gives away a few clues about the movie which inspired me but I feel like no one will find out the title haha