AND BACK AGAIN [ NARUTO ]

[ 12 ] memorial service

Naruto never knew what to think of funerals.

While he understood they were important and respectful, he also strongly wished they would cease to exist. Even when they were being held for someone he hadn't truly known well, the entire atmosphere served to squash the warmth he worked so hard to preserve. The sun could be shining, but it was like an eternal cloud of grief loomed over the area.

A funeral within the Hyuuga compound was no exception. It was eerily quiet, and almost everyone Naruto passed bore no expression. He could easily pick out those who had been closest to Haruhi, sadness seemed to radiate off of them and few tears were shed.

Naruto had approached Tsunade-baachan with his request to be at the funeral, if only to be respectful. She'd immediately agreed, mentioning that Hinata's father would expect to see him there and most likely pull him aside to discuss details. The Hokage also told him he was free to keep things to himself -- as if he hadn't known, pfft -- and should feel no pressure to budge if he thought he was making a good decision. Naruto had no intention of spilling his life story to the head of the Hyuuga clan, at least not any time soon, so there was no room to worry for that.

Hyuuga Hinata was wrapped in black garments of her own, silent and polite. She didn't smile, she didn't frown, she was kind of just an in-between right then. She stuck close to her younger sister for the majority of the time, leading her through the crowded bodies taking turns paying their respects.

Generally, Naruto had enough self control to keep his mind at ease during a memorial service. Someone had passed, after all, it was the right thing to do. He might've run around the village, slapping graffiti on monuments as a child, but they'd been long dead. And as far as he'd known at the time, they were the reason for his misery. Either way; he did those things, but funerals were one of those events he knew better than to act up during. Not that he went to them often, but Iruka-sensei used to dress him up and make him comb his hair to pay some respect to people he'd never known here and there, and those were the times he fought the smile off his face and kept quiet.

Unfortunately, he couldn't quite call that tranquility to the surface this time.

Was one expected to be at peace with themselves when they'd stepped away from a war and plunged into a whole other mystery to unravel? He supposed not. There was an excuse for his mind-wandering, not being able to keep his eyes on the focus of everyone else's attention, his ears trained on the voices around him. Naruto was worried, and there was nothing he could do about it.

And then Hiashi slipped in beside him. Speeches had been given, flowers deposited, and now it was time to talk.

There was a small crease between the elder man's brows, a sign of his internal distress. It was mild, but apparent. Especially to someone like Naruto, who'd learned to notice the little things, to sense familiar feelings when he saw them in another. Years of turmoil, apparently, gave a man a good sense of who's who and what's what.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he said in an undertone, "a word."

Naruto nodded in response, allowing Hiashi to lead him away from the grieving shinobi and average villager alike. It felt like cheating, in a way, to step away from such a heavy, private matter, especially when the one thing on his mind was to get out of there and start figuring things out. It was a welcomed cheat, then.

"I understand you've appointed my eldest daughter to aid you in your. . ." Hiashi blandly searched for a word. "Hinata didn't quite know what was going on herself, so you can understand my confusion. I think we're all a bit displaced with your arrival."

Naruto nodded. The sudden, random realization hit him then for some reason, the realization that Neji could be milling about somewhere in the courtyard. Naruto didn't know what to do with that thought, and so he pushed it aside. "Confusion is one word for it."

"Oh?" Hiashi tilted his head. "And another?"

Naruto opened his mouth to give a few more words to describe his predicament, but he hesitated. He was confused and he was angry, he felt nostalgic and guilty, too, he even carried a bit of excitement for what was to come in this once in a lifetime opportunity. He was a lot of things right now, which meant it was time to do what he did best––take action.

"Nevermind that." Naruto let a small smile set into his features. "Hinata will be a great help, ya know. I need her eyes, see, to pick out any bad guys trying to hurt the village." He pointed to his own crossed eyes for effect.

"I see," Hiashi said. "It will be good practice for her."

Naruto nodded. For a moment, the only sound was the hushed exchanges between the Hyuuga around. The crinkle of the plastic holding a bouquet of flowers together. The drip, drip, drip of the melting water, slipping off a nearby roof and landing––

"You met Haruhi," Hiashi said. "And he gave you a headband. You believe an outside organization is responsible for the Leaf's current troubles, and you have unwavering courage in another village. Am I missing anything?"

Naruto shrugged. "Nope, not really! I only intend to dig up some proof for Tsunade-baachan so we know who's behind all this for sure, and then I can go back. . ." His voice slowed at the last part, an unspoken unsurety dangling from each syllable, but neither man paid it any mind.

Hiashi turned to look out at the somber crowd of his clan with a face of stone. "Uzumaki Naruto. . .do you have any idea how you are going to reverse this?"

Naruto went rigid, though he hoped it wasn't too obvious. Here he was, thinking he could read this man, when really it was the other way around. Hiashi could see right through him, and he didn't even have to meet his eyes to do it. He knew, before anything else, Naruto was anxious to return and make sure things weren't in disaster back home.

"I don't," Naruto said, truthfully. "But I'm sure I can find out." He turned, giving the Hyuuga clan head a determined nod. "I just have to set things right here. Then I can return."

Hiashi glanced at him. "Very well."

What he did next was almost surprising to Naruto, but at the same time it felt natural, as if this was what the man would've done often in another life.

Hiashi set a hand on his shoulder, turning fully to face him. "I will help you to the best of my ability. I want to see you return to where you belong. . .I also need to know what Haruhi was doing that day. Do your best, Uzumaki Naruto."

Well now you can't screw up, can you?

Naruto grinned. "Yes, sir!"

///\

a / n

this is such a wordy chapter but nothing actually happens askjdfskjdh

hopefully you made it through lol, thanks for reading! i know it's been a hot minute since i've updated, i have no excuse for that oof. i welcome all the new readers, and i hope you're enjoying!