If you're a fan of mine, you will note that I made mention of a story that included less humor.

I noted this in "One Hit Ninja" a couple months ago.

This is that story. A better synopsis of it would be an AU. I almost exclusively write AU's, but this one is my attempt at building a world whose foundations cannot be altered on a whim. This isn't crack, this is an attempt at me trying to write seriously and broaden my horizons as a writer. I apologize if that is not what you are looking for. If it is humor that you want, "One Hit Ninja" will be updated shortly.

Until then, please enjoy my newest story and let me know how it is.

A Wayward Blonde

Chapter 1:

Removing a Stick

Tiny feet made shaky steps down a dirt road. Every step was a precarious situation, threatening to end in tangled limbs and scraped knees, but three-year old Naruto Uzumaki wasn't bothered. The people at the orphanage didn't bother to help him learn to walk, so he learned on his own. He didn't need soft, unintelligible words or praise. He would do it on his own, and he would do it for himself.

The toddler, barely even coming up to some people's knees, stumbled his way down the road. The adults rushed around him, sparing him nary a glance in their busy rush, and eventually a natural seam in the tide of people was formed.

For all the hustle and bustle of midday in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, it was as if Naruto was all on his own in the Main Street.

Still, the blond didn't mind. He was focused on his task. One foot shakily landed in front of the other, and soon the boy had adopted a steady rhythm. Sure, he wobbled and almost fell a few times, but a half-hearted nudge from passing strangers was all he needed to be put back on track.

Most adults knew who the kid was; the whiskers made Naruto Uzumaki: Demon Container hard to mistake. Still, he was just a baby right now, and adorable at that. They would leave him be. For now.

XxX

The midday sun traced a lazy gait in the sky, and after a while the village was tinted orange by the setting sun. The young Naruto panted, almost out of breath from his long trek, and finally sat down. His chubby legs ached, but he knew that they would be fine in a few minutes. What he didn't know was where he was, and a panicked glance at his surroundings only made things worse.

Naruto had traveled from the orphanage many times in his life. He wasn't hated, just ignored, and a curious toddler had to find ways to entertain themselves. When he had wandered off before, however, he had typically crawled, and a passing adult usually took it upon themselves to return him home before he got too far.

No one stopped him this time and Naruto, too enthralled by his progress, didn't think to stop. He had wandered, and wandered far, and now had no idea where he was. Tall trees with bushy leaves and an endless amount of shrubbery lined great, long walls that extended as far as he could see. The walls were tall as well as long, and little Naruto almost hurt his neck trying to see the top of it. He turned around, hoping to see something he recognized, only to see a distinct lack of buildings for a while. The hustle of people had fallen away long ago, leaving the boy alone.

Naruto was lost. He was confused. He was barely a child. He did the only thing he could.

He cried.

His wails echoed off the great wall in front of him and back into the village proper. It was sundown, however, and the people therein wouldn't be able to hear him over the thoroughfare. Regardless, the child cried, hoping for an answer to appear. He was alone, and hungry, and just slightly cold in the autumn breeze. He wanted food. He wanted companionship. He wanted anything but the gnawing feeling of hopelessness tearing away at his soul.

Then a man was in front of him. He was an adult, quite like the orphanage caretaker. Instead of the cold scowl and fixed frown of the lady who looked after him however, there was genuine confusion in the man's face.

"Who are you?" the man asked. His eyes were white, like a ghost's. His face was angular, and he too wore a scowl. He didn't seem cold, however. Not naturally. He looked like he wanted to be, but something in his eyes told Naruto that he wasn't. "Why are you here? Where are your parents?"

Naruto didn't hear all of the man's questions. He didn't hear any of them really. His cries had barely calmed down and he was mostly relieved that there was anyone there at all. Regardless, he was taught to always introduce himself when meeting new people, so that is what he did.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki," he said amid sniffles. The tears running down his face were warm. "I'm lost."

The man huffed. He glared at the boy, but gave up on that after a while. He crouched, trying to get on eye level with the blond but coming out a few inches taller still.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the Happy Ninja Orphanage? How did you get all the way out here?" It wasn't a secret to the adults, especially the ninja, of who Naruto Uzumaki was. Even if the boy's appearance wasn't well known, his name certainly was. From there, it wasn't hard to find out where he lived.

"I walked," Naruto said, just a little bit of defensive pride eking through his sobs. "I taught myself and walked myself all the way here!"

The man nodded. He chuckled, only once, and rustled the boy's hair. "I'm sure you did. But you are very far from home. You belong all the way on the other side of the village."

Naruto, who had started to calm down, was upset once more. He hiccupped once, then twice, and tears started to pool in his eyes once more. The man, seeing what was happening, acted quickly. He scooped the young boy up into his arms and cradled him close.

"It is fine, young Naruto. You walked very far and did very well." The man then looked out into the horizon. The sun was almost finished setting, and it would be nighttime soon. "However, I think it is a tad late to escort you back home." The man then frowned. He looked pensive, as if arguing with himself, before looking at Naruto. His eyes were determined, as if he had come to a decision and was going to follow through with it no matter what.

"Naruto?" the man asked. The boy had stifled his cries. "How do you feel about staying the night? I'm sure your caretakers won't mind you having a sleepover."

The boy, barely old enough to understand the concept of a sleepover, simply nodded. He wasn't saying yes, really, he was just agreeing to the whims of an adult.

The man smiled. He turned from where he was and started walking along the great wall.

"Excellent, young Naruto." The man was beaming now, and Naruto couldn't help but smile as well. "You've come at an opportune time. We had just started dinner. Are you hungry?"

Naruto was starving. He hadn't eaten since that morning and his stomach was roaring.

The man chuckled, though this time it was much sincerer. "Wonderful. I hope your appetite is as massive as it sounds then, because the Hyuuga's dinners are legendary."

Naruto wasn't sure what a Hyuuga was, but he supposed that free food was free food.

"By the way, I've never introduced myself, have I? My name is Hizashi. Hizashi Hyuuga."

XxX

Naruto wasn't sure what to think of these Hyuuga. They were quite unlike anyone he had ever seen before. They wore all white, for one, and while Naruto didn't hate the color, he didn't think it was something to wear completely. There were so many more vibrant, exciting colors out there to wear!

Adding to their unusual taste, was the way they acted. They all moved stiffly, as if someone had glued a board to their backs. Their faces were all as if they were set in stone, and everyone, bar none, frowned as they took their seats around the dinner table. They sat as stiffly as they walked, and soon the table was full of a bunch of straight-backed adults. Of all the adults, only one or two children dotted the table. They attempted to replicate their parents, what with their pouty faces and almost rigid posture, but they failed, looking almost constipated as a result.

Hizashi took a seat one seat away from Naruto. Between them sat another child. He was slightly bigger than Naruto, and probably just slightly older. Still, his baby fat had already started to melt away, showing the barest hints of high cheek bones. The boy took one look at Naruto, and a small smile came to his face. It vanished almost as soon as it appeared, and the boy was back to looking as stoic as the rest of his family.

"Neji, this is young Naruto. Naruto, this is my son. His name is Neji."

Naruto nodded. He stared at the boy. "It is nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

Their greeting was cut short, however, when the door to the dining room opened once more. A man walked in, and Naruto had to double take. He looked almost exactly like Hizashi. Everything about him, his build, his face, his stiff-backed walking, was exactly the same as the man sitting not too far from Naruto. However...

Unlike Hizashi, who only attempted to look mean, the man who walked in looked genuinely cold. His eyes were calculating, and it appeared as if he cared little for anyone in the room as he scanned over those in attendance. His eyes fell on Naruto, and the boy almost recoiled from the attention. He held his ground, however, and soon the scary man's eyes were elsewhere.

All noise stopped upon the man's entry, and everyone in attendance rose from their seats.

"Greetings, Lord Hiashi," a woman closest to the door said. She bowed deeply as he passed by. The man paid her no attention, sweeping past her with little more than a glance. The woman who followed after the scary man, however, chuckled.

"As pomp and punctual as always, Ariana," the lady said. She waved off the woman's bow and greeted her with a smile. "There is no need for such things here, however. This is a private dinner, no? Close family only?"

The woman, Ariana, rose from her bow with a smile. "It is only about as private as the door is open. Allow me?"

Ariana then shuffled around her friend. She shut the door behind the scary man and turned with a huff. "There, now we have our privacy. You look wonderful, Aranea."

Aranea, the lady who followed the scary man, chuckled once more. A hand ran over her stomach, and it was now that Naruto noticed that it was bulging. "I certainly hope so! Lately all I feel is fat and bloated."

Ariana laughed, this time openly, and those in attendance could only join in. Like a spell, every member of the table relaxed, and all the boards glued to their backs vanished. Conversation continued, and soon there was smiles all around.

All around, except for the scary man. His face twitched, but otherwise stayed scrunched up in a scowl.

"Oh come now, Aranea! There is a certain beauty in being pregnant! Of course, not many women can pull it off... but you... You look fabulous! Isn't that right, Hiashi?"

The scary man turned. His eyes remained hard, but a smirk appeared. "Why, of course. I remind her every night."

"Atta boy!" Ariana cackled. She turned back to the pregnant lady. Her gaze traveled downwards. "And what of you, little Hinata? Don't you think that your mother looks very pretty?"

From behind Aranea's legs peeked a little girl. Her eyes were downcast, and she clung to the fabric of her mother's kimono like it was a lifeline. She looked up to Ariana and opened her mouth. She looked like she was to say something, but at the last moment held back. She ducked back behind her mother, earning a chuckle from Ariana.

"Shy thing, isn't she?" the woman said. Hiashi's frown returned.

"She is. That's going to be a problem in the future. She is the heiress to the clan. The elders won't like her passivity."

Ariana scoffed. She waved her hand, and with it seemed to wave off Hiashi's concerns. "Pish posh, Hiashi! Those stuffy old crones' opinions won't matter when Hinata is the next Head."

Here Hiashi raised an eyebrow. He looked geniunely bemused. "And what makes you say that? You know as well as I do that the Elders don't budge on anything. They won't ever change."

Ariana nodded. She approached Hiashi, arms akimbo, with a certain glint in her eye. Naruto saw, and immediately decided that he liked this glint. Hiashi, however, didn't, and he took a step back.

"Aye, you're right," the woman said. "They won't ever change. But they will pass."

Hiashi looked affronted. "Ariana! That's heresy!"

"And it is also true!" Ariana continued. Her gaze turned from Hiashi to those assembled. "I'm pretty sure that I'm not alone in my distaste for the way that those old bats run this place. Who here hates the way that things are?"

Those assembled voiced their opinions. Their accordance was soft, but it rang throughout the room nonetheless.

"Proper posture, constant perfection." Ariana pulled at her kimono. "Stuffy white clothes that were outdated years ago. Face it, Hiashi. The way that things are now is antiquated. It is old-fashioned. It is out of date."

"It is tradition," Hiashi countered, but even Naruto could see that the man's heart wasn't in the argument. His eyes darted from left to right, no doubt looking for a counter-argument that simply wasn't there, even to him.

"What it is, is 'not working.' It stopped working shortly after the Warring Clans era, and it is barely allowing us to trudge along now."

Ariana's words sparked groans, most of them approving, and Naruto found himself joining in. Soon the whole room was a collective groan of assent, and Ariana turned, her grin positively shit-eating, back to Hiashi.

"Aye, cousin. You're the clan head. Aren't you supposed to be changing things?"

Hiashi groaned, but he conceded the point. He raised a hand, and the room silenced. With a long-suffering sigh, he stepped before the room.

"Yes, I am the clan head, but since times immemorial the decisions have been made by the clan head and the elders as a whole. While I may not like it, should the elders decide something overwhelmingly, there is nothing I could do to change it. It is... tradition."

The whole room erupted in moans, the men and women assembled looking aggravated. Even the pregnant lady sighed. That didn't stop her from walking forward and capturing Hiashi's hand in her own.

"Politics are such a stressful affair," Ariana said. Her smile was beautiful, and Naruto couldn't help but be charmed by the aura she released. The room once more fell into silence, and once it did she continued. "Let us not muddy the good times and festivities we arranged for here with such nonsense. We are here, not to talk politics or clan heads, but to enjoy ourselves outside the watchful eyes of our colleagues and subordinates. I for one could use the break."

The room laughed. The mood once more returned to being jovial.

"While I cannot drink, for obvious reasons..." here the lady rubbed her stomach once more. The room was filled with the sound of chuckling. "I don't see why we cannot enjoy ourselves. A toast, to another new year!"

Here, the assembled reached out and grabbed ornate glass cups filled with some kind of clear liquid. They raised their glasses together, before sipping at it.

"Here," Hizashi said. He handed both Naruto and Neji a cup. Naruto recognized the liquid inside immediately. "It may not be sake, but I think apple juice is a fair tradeoff?"

Both Neji and Naruto nodded. Neji lifted his cup as well, toasting like the adults, before sipping at his drink. Naruto downed his immediately. The action caused him to start coughing, and soon the attention was on the only blond in the room once more.

"I've been meaning to ask, Hizashi, but who is that boy?" Ariana asked. She edged around the table and was before Naruto in the blink of an eye. "He looks familiar, but for the life of me I cannot figure out why."

Hizashi smiled, but the act seemed plastic. Fake. Not real. "Ah, right. I was going to introduce him once we'd all sat down. Maybe gotten some more sake in our stomachs?"

And like that, a pin had dropped. Everyone was silent once more. Ariana rounded on the man, her hands holstered firmly on her hips.

"Hizashi Hyuuga. I know that tone. What did you do? Who is this boy?"

Here even the scary man stepped in. He approached the table, and pulled out his chair. He sat in it, but he didn't look concerned. Just... prepared.

"Yes, brother. Who did you bring to our dinner table?"

"Are you sure you don't want some more alcohol? Just a tad?"

"Tell us, Hizashi."

"Okay, fine!" Hizashi pouted. It was odd seeing the look on a man whose face resembled the scary man's. "Boy, introduce yourself."

And then all eyes were on Naruto. He looked around and saw the eyes, all ghost-like and blank, trained on him. His throat locked up, and he was stuck in a weird position of both wanting to speak and not being able to.

Eventually a small hand embraced his own, and the little girl, Hinata, appeared at his side. She wasn't looking at him, but that did nothing to diminish the fact that she was holding his hand.

"I-It doesn't feel good," she started. "When everyone is looking at you, right? I feel better when someone is holding my hand. I could hold your hand for you..."

Naruto looked at the girl. The first thought that popped into his head was that she was weird. Regardless, he did feel better. He turned to the adults and spoke.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. It is nice to meet you all."

And just like that, it was silent, only more. Naruto wasn't sure how things became even more quiet, as no one was speaking, but somehow the silence was more so. Like there was an extra something there.

Then it was broken. Everyone was yelling over everyone.

"Hizashi, what the hell did you—"

"Of all the stupid things you could have done—"

"You're a raving lunatic, Hizashi!"

And more. The assembled Hyuuga all but yelled at the man, and said target took their ire without flinching. The yelling continued for a few minutes before, finally, Hiashi stopped it. One hand rubbed at his temple while the other rose into the air. The chatter stopped immediately, and Hiashi looked to his brother. His eyes drooped, and if he was anything other than exasperated it was hard to tell.

"Hizashi," Hiashi said. The man in question looked to his brother. "You do know how the elders feel about the boy?"

Hizashi nodded. "I also know that all of those assembled here care very little for what the elders feel."

"What if they caught you bringing the boy here?" Hiashi asked. His brother scoffed.

"We would be in hot water for being here at all. Them adding more to my pot would hardly phase me."

Hiashi scoffed. He rubbed at his temple again, but otherwise seemed done trying to interrogate his otherwise errant brother. Ariana, however, saw no such need to restrain herself.

"Hizashi?" the woman asked. She waited for the man to look to her. "You're a fucking idiot."

The man chuckled and raised his glass once more.

"To fucking idiots."

The room toasted alongside him.

XxX

The pregnant lady, Aranea, closed the door as silently as she could. The lights from the hallway still shone through the small crack she used to look in the room with.

"You three sleep peacefully, now," she said. The small smile on her face was back, but it somehow conveyed just as much emotion as a full one. It spoke of warm, unconditional love and acceptance, all without saying a single word.

Naruto found that he quite liked the feeling.

The two children beside him nodded. Hinata was on one side of him. She was small, almost smaller than Naruto, as she wiggled herself down as far as she could into the blanket. On Naruto's other side was the boy he had first met, Neji. He was more prim and proper. The blankets only came up to his chest, and he looked to be trying his hardest to seem adult-like. He was stiff even now.

"Yes, mother," Hinata said. Her words were quiet, little more than a whisper. Still, Aranea heard her, and her smile increased just a little bit.

"Yes, Lady Aranea," Neji said. To this, the woman chuckled. She said nothing else, however, and instead her gaze fell to Naruto.

"You will be nice, right little one?" the woman asked, and for once Naruto felt compelled to answer. He nodded his head rapidly, a strange feeling of apprehension welling up inside of him. He didn't want to disappoint this lady.

"I will sleep well, lady."

Neji turned to the blond, and for a second he looked scandalized. The lady only chuckled, however.

"It is quite alright, Neji. If at all possible, I would like it if you dropped the formalities as well." Neji turned back to her, and his face scrunched up. If Naruto had to describe the boy, he would say he was conflicted. "But I see you were raised far too well. No matter. Just get some rest, you three. Hizashi will be here early tomorrow morning to wake you two up and get you out of here. Since you have to wake up early, you need to sleep early too. No playing. Go right to bed. Understood?"

The three children nodded, all of them tucked into Hinata's bed like three peas in a pod. Seeing their compliance, the woman nodded, and gently closed the door all the way. The room fell into a silence, and Naruto looked around.

The two Hyuuga had their eyes closed, no doubt intent to keep their promise to Aranea. Naruto pouted, before reaching out towards them.

He had seen the other kids in the orphanage do this from time to time, and now that he finally had other kids willing to be around him, he wasn't going to waste the opportunity.

He clutched the two children to him, wrapping them up in a deep hug under the blankets. Neji stiffened, but otherwise didn't move to escape the boy's clutches. Hinata stiffened as well, but unlike Neji cuddled closer to him once she got over her shock. The light of the moon just barely trickled in from the window beside her bed, and illuminated her face just enough to see her cheeks turn pink.

Naruto, however, noticed none of this. All he noticed was the warmth he got from their bodies.

Naruto decided that he liked this warmth.

XxX

Naruto awoke not to screaming, but to something far less pleasant. The warmth the lulled him to sleep, or at least half of it, was almost wrenched from his arms. Naruto, however, was quite a stubborn child. From years of having his toys stolen from him in the orphanage, the boy had learned to keep an iron grip on his belongings, even when he was knocked out. It was for this reason that when something attempted to snatch Hinata from him, that something suddenly had two more children along for the ride.

In case it wasn't obvious, Naruto's iron grip extended to his grip on Neji as well. Like a chain the blond boy kept all three of the children linked.

The something that snatched Hinata, a man dressed all in black, panicked as the chain of children woke up. He had the physical ability to maybe steal one child, but all three of them measured up to almost eighty pounds together. He could lift that, easily, but all three would make for a less stealthy getaway. Also he wasn't expecting the boy to hang on so tightly. When he pulled he hadn't accounted for the added weight, and as such toppled over, out of Hinata's window, and onto the front lawn.

Neji was the first to understand what was happening. He was on his feet in mere seconds, and in a rudimentary fighting position.

Hinata was the second to find out what was going on. She wasn't even three yet, and as such did the first thing that came to her mind.

She cried. She howled and screamed and cried.

The crying Hinata finally roused Naruto. He was already awake, but he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. Upon seeing that someone had brushed him from his sleep, and his warmth, the boy zeroed in on the unforgivable criminal. Upon seeing him, the boy's eyes narrowed. The kidnapper was able to make out a faint purple tint to his previously blue eyes before the toddler latched onto his arm with abnormally sharp teeth.

The kidnapper yelled, the boy having broken skin, and was shocked just long enough for Neji to rush forward. The boy's movements were clumsy, but for the purpose of the attack it was enough.

"Two palms!" the boy yelled, and deft little fingers hit the man's thighs. The young Hyuuga boy reared back to attack again, but his foot slipped on the freshly watered grass, and he tumbled to the ground. Still, his job was done, and the kidnapper also collapsed. He attempted to regain his posture, but before he could he was surrounded by more blank eyed people.

The gathered men and women were furious, if the veins surrounding their eyes meant anything. The kidnapper swallowed, and attempted to speak.

"I plead clemency?" he asked in a shaky voice.

The assembled clan did not answer with words.

XxX

"Naruto? Wake up!" a cheery voice called. Before he could answer he was being shaken by tiny hands. He rose from his nap on the Hyuuga lawn reluctantly, and turned to his assailant with a grumpy face and even grumpier words.

Then he saw Hinata's beaming face, and suddenly he couldn't keep himself mad. He reached out and grabbed her hand, as he was wont to do whenever they hung out, and together the two sat on the grass and enjoyed the afternoon sun.

It had been two weeks since that weird man attempted to kidnap Hinata. When the adults stripped the man of his mask after thoroughly knocking him out, they started saying something about clouds or whatever. Naruto didn't particularly care. He dragged the other two children with him back to bed, calmed Hinata down, and forced them close to each other. He fell asleep shortly after with both of them snuggled possessively to his chest.

He hadn't heard about the incident since, so it probably didn't matter much anyway.

Since then Naruto had been invited back to the Hyuuga mansion multiple times, and every time he was there he coddled the two Hyuuga children close to him like oversized teddy bears. With a nightly ritual like that, it was hard not to become friends, and thus the trio of kids was formed.

Sure enough, soon after Hinata had run out to greet him, Neji came ambling out as well. He either didn't hear or ignored his father as he crushed countless blades of grass to reach the two. He skidded to a stop as gracefully as he could before collapsing onto the grass. He extended both his hands, as did Naruto and Hinata, and soon they were all linked.

"It is going to be another nice day, isn't it, Naruto? Lady Hinata?"

Here Naruto grimaced.

"Didn't she tell you to call her Hinata?" The blond then pouted. "Idiot."

Neji pouted back, and soon Hinata did as well, if only to be a part of the group. They pouted for about a minute before they couldn't hold it anymore. They collapsed into gasps and giggles, and rolled around with each other on the grass.

The three of them had training with Hizashi later, then dinner with Hiashi's family, but for now they only had time with each other.

It was going to be another nice day.