Guilty Until Innocent Chapter 14, a naruto fanfic

"Guilty Until Innocent"

By: Shadow and Janime

The young Rokudaime sighed as he leaned back in his chair. I swear the only reason Tsunade named me her successor is because she got tired of doing the paperwork, the blonde young man thought to himself. It took him most of the week to get through the huge stack of papers and scrolls but he finally did it. Still, everything he had been through this was just a minor annoyance at best.

Naruto Uzumaki had finally achieved his dream of being named the 6th Hokage for the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Konoha was still the same, the mountain cliff side sporting the faces of the previous hokages before him. Nothing much had changed, a few new shops here and there but near the hospital was now a medical school for those who wished to be medics rather than shinobi. It was the Godaime's legacy to the village before passing her title onto him. Naruto just smiled, thinking how two of his best friends--Sakura and Hinata--were the best teachers and medics all around.

Sighing he got up from his desk and decided to get some fresh air. Leaving a note on his desk he did the basic seals and vanished from his office only to appear upon the top of the 4th's head on the monument. He silently sat down and continued to muse.

It had been several years since the day the last of the Fallen Moon clan had been destroyed, the day Nekomata had been killed, and the day he had lost the woman he loved. Once he had been well enough to travel, he and the others left to go back to Konoha. Hidama chose to stay in Suna for a while longer and Kakashi with her. That had been a bit of a surprise but thinking back he smiled.

Never thought there was anyone that could stop Kakashi from reading those perverted books, he thought to himself. Like Gaara he didn't think his old sensei was good enough for his adoptive mother but she seemed happier than he had ever seen her, so he learned to accept it.

During the years Sasuke and Neiji both became highly respected ANBU captains and were now two of his most trusted guards. Shikamaru was his tactical advisor (when he wasn't sleeping or cloud watching). Rock Lee and Tenten became instructors at the academy in taijutsu and weapons training. In fact, most of his friends either became part of the elites or instructors but they were happy. But when the blonde became Rokudaime he remembered the oath he had made during the chuunin exams.

The feud between the main and branch families of the Hyuugi clan had finally been settled thanks to the new hokage. He was already known for bringing peace among the most prominent clan despite certain individuals who were less than pleased. He had everything and anything dealing with the 'caged bird' curse seal destroyed. Never again would someone hold power over another human being like that.

Over the past few years he watched as those around him grew older and started falling in love as well. Some of the couples were obvious to see, others were surprising. One especially was when he got word in Suna that Kankurou had married a young mercenary.

A year after the ordeal he had gone back to Suna to see how his brother was doing. He had decided to check on Taka's garden and was shocked to find a young woman tending to it in place of Temari. She was pretty of average height with a slender build. She looked just like Sakura (though her bust size was slightly bigger) but she had silver hair done in a type of twist with the tips slightly spiked, long bangs framing her face, milky white skin, and pale blue eyes which were enhanced by the midnight blue outfit she wore of a sleeveless shirt, mini-shirt, fishnet stockings with matching fingerless gloves. She had a barbed chain wrapped around her right wrist, a pair of kunais strapped to her thigh, and a skuriken hanging around her neck. She had taken one look at him and with a happy squeal, pounced on him hard enough to send him to the ground.

The young hokage covered his eyes as he laughed, remembering how much he had blushed when the girl was trying to hug him to death with his face buried in her soft chest. He had no idea who this girl was but she seemed to know him very well. It wasn't until much later he realized that this young woman, Shiruba, was his 'sister' Quicksilver. She had briefly explained that after gaining two more tails after Nekomata's defeat she found she could shift her forms from that of her fox self to a human. With her speed she became a skilled assassin, earning her the name Shooting Star. She was a great person to be around as he learned; playful most times but serious when times called, goofy yet very smart, a wit sharper than any blade. When she wasn't on missions she could be seen playing with the children or tending to Taka's garden. Though she was much older than her two brothers she settled into the role of 'baby sister' nicely. She got along well with Temari but Kankurou was another matter.

The Puppet Master had meet her and thought nothing special even if she was Hidama's daughter. In fact, he thought her to be too childish to be a mercenary. She retorted that as a grown man maybe he should think about stop playing with his dolls. Since then whenever the two met they argued then fought. He still wasn't sure what happened to make them change but apparently the two went on a mission and when they came back they had changed, acting more civil to one another. Neither said what had happened. Months later the Puppet Master popped the question to the Shooting Star. Calming his laughter the blonde ran his hand through his sunlit strands, remembering the day very well though it still surprised him.

The family had decided to come to Konoha for a visit, talking, catching up and just having a good time. As they ate at Ichiraku's Ramen Stand (even to this day Naruto only ate at the place once a week but had one or two bowls per visit) Kankurou seemed nervous. When Temari asked if he was alright he silently got out of his seat, knelt before Shiruba, and asked if she would spend the rest of her days with him, together. He still wasn't sure he was more shocked but his sister just sat there, staring at him for the longest time. The black clad ninja was beginning to sweat and made to stand, muttering under his breathe to forget what he said but without warning the silver-haired kuniochi pounced, sending the young man to fall flat on his back. Everyone got up to stop her in case she decided to use him for a human punching bag but froze when she kissed him right on the lips instead.

Kankurou blinked stupidly for a few seconds when the kiss broke off. He knew he was blushing and so was his little wild cat. "I take that as a yes," he grinned.

"Yep but only if you do me one little favor," she smiled as she continued to sit atop him.

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what is it?"

"Lay off the face paint and get a new wardrobe."

"What's wrong with the way I look now?"

"Nothing! Except this outfit is seriously outdated and," she trailed a finger along his cheek, smearing the paint, "I want to see what you really look like without this greasy stuff."

He blinked and sat up on his elbows. Was she worth that much of a hassle? His attire was so people couldn't tell the difference if he was real or his puppet until it was too late. Looking up at the woman who had slowly won over his heart, he sighed.

"Fine, but only if you stop calling my puppets dolls," he replied.

Shiruba pouted. "You're no fun but deal."

Just thinking about all those he cared about falling in love made his heart clench. Slowly Naruto folded his hands behind his head. He watched as the clouds lazily drift by before letting his bright blue eyes close, enjoying the peace and tranquility of his village.

Everyone is falling in love and moving on with their lives. Wish I could do that but I'm not ready. Don't even think I'll ever be ready. He felt the gentle winds blow around him, ruffling his long coat and slightly long hair. He still missed Taka and would always miss her no matter what.

"You seem content."

Naruto's eyes opened and he turned his head to the right. There was a shimmer in the space next to him, and then a translucent figure appeared. "Taka…"

"Hello, Naruto," she smiled, "or should I say Lord Hokage?"

Naruto chuckled. "I had a feeling you'd show up today."

"One thing about me is that I have always kept my word. Being a spirit won't prevent me from breaking my record."

"Good to hear. Remind me why did I want to be hokage again?"

"So your village would respect you."

"Oh right. Least I'm making a difference though but..." he fell silent.

Taka saw the pained look in his eyes. She reached out, brushing her fingers along his cheek. "I have to admit, I wish things had ended differently," she said. "But we don't know the future, and we also don't what would have happened had I survived. There are so many possibilities--and several of them are scary to even think about."

"I know," the hokage whispered, "but I always think of the better ones… you and me…"

"You'll find someone, Naruto."

I already had, he thought but chose to smile at Taka's words instead.

Taka had to admit, he had grown up handsomely and how she wished she could be with him but what was done was done. "What have I missed?" she asked.

Naruto grinned and told her what had been going on. She seemed surprised about Kankurou getting married. "Seriously, he didn't seem to be the marrying type but Shiruba just seems to have a positive effect on him," he told her.

"Well that's good. How's Gaara and Hidama?" she asked.

"Same as always. Gaara is still the same but having Shiruba around made him seem more human. He actually smiles and laughs when she's around. Mom is good, still the same, but she nearly killed ero-sensei for catching him in the women's baths. Shiruba even tried to remove his reason for being a man when she caught him peeping on her while changing and when he tried to grope her a few times. When Kakashi heard about that he swore that if the old pervert tried that ever again he'd tell Tsunade and even help her track him down." He smiled when he heard Taka laugh. He had missed that sound a lot. When she calmed she sighed, looking up at the sky.

"Everything seems so peaceful..." she looked down at him softly. "I'm glad to see you living up to your dream."

"It is a lot different than what I thought it would be," Naruto confessed.

Taka smiled. "I better get going. Death is very strict when it comes to letting spirits return to check on their loved ones."

"I wouldn't doubt it. Hey, Taka," Naruto looked into her eyes, "when my time comes…"

Taka nodded. "I'll come for you, promise." She faded away as the wind blew past.

Naruto smiled lightly, and touched the symbol on the chocker he wore.

Authors' Notes:

Janime: Aw, poor Naruto and Taka. But at least she was able to visit him one more time.

Shadow: Yeah, it's like she said, you can't predict the future.

Janime: And what a time we had deciding on the end of this fic.

Shadow: I'll say. We came up with three different endings but settled on the one you've just read.

Janime: However, we still like out other two endings and decided to share them as well. So without further ado, we present the first alternate ending.

Alternate Ending #1

Nekomata was dead thanks to the combined effort of the three demons: Naruto, Gaara, and Quicksilver. But Taka had taken a blow to the chest meant for the blonde by Goro. Needless to say that man didn't last long as he was reduced to ashes in the blink of an eye. Naruto held the young woman tightly, telling her not to dare give up. What no one seemed to be aware of was that the caves within the mountain had been carved and protected with the two-tailed demon's chakra and with her gone, the mountain was slowly crumbling.

Sasuke blinked as he heard a rumble and his eyes went wide. He looked at his teammate who refused to move. He and the young woman were too close. "Naruto, get out of there!" he yelled at him. "The mountain is collapsing!"

"What!" Sure enough chunks of it were starting to fall, narrowingly hitting several of them.

Gaara frowned as he tried to use the sand to protect them but he was weak. His chakra was almost completely depleted. "I can't protect us. We need to get out of here now," he told them all.

"Naruto!" Iruka shouted. "Hurry!"

The blonde rose to his feet, cradling Taka in his arms. He turned and started towards the rest of the group then stopped. Naruto looked at the woman he held then to his teammates and adopted family. He smiled and closed his eyes. The chakra from Kyuubi surrounded the couple and in a fiery flash, they vanished.

"Kit!" Hidama shouted.

Naruto… Kakashi shook his head. He grabbed Hidama and pulled her back moments before a large boulder fell where she had been standing. "We have to get away from here!"

"Then move it!" Gaara yelled.

Everyone ran to the woods as Gaara used his sand wall to deflect the falling rocks. Once they were safe they turned and watched the rest of the mountain crumble and the dust float into the air.

"Why did he leave?" Sakura asked after a long period of silence.

"I think... he had to choose..." Quicksilver told her.

The medic looked at her. "Choose?"

"Taka... took a critical hit to the heart, I could smell it. Not even your skills could have saved her long enough to get back to Suna."

"He's going to use Kyuubi to heal her," Hidama summed up. You've accepted her as your mate; if she dies, so do you. Oh kit...

No one knew what to say but they were nothing they could do. They had no idea where the blonde could have gone but they had no choice but to go back to Suna. But there was one thought on their minds. Where the young man was, they hoped that both he and the young woman who had made such an impact in his and everyone else's life, were alright.

Has it been five years? Gaara thought as he looked out the window of the Kazekage Tower.

It was amazing how time had passed without realizing it. So many changes and unexplained things--his marriage to Sakura was one of the unexplained.

Gaara couldn't help smiling and he turned around, looking at his wife sleeping peacefully on their bed. Sakura stayed in Suna for a while before asking permission to join the medic unit and assisting Teijo until he found a new apprentice.

He wasn't sure when they fell in love but Gaara knew it had to be when he let down the sand barrier around his body when he had first kissed Sakura.

He wasn't sure who was blushing more. Several months later he asked her to marry him and she said yes. Thinking back he couldn't remember being that happy, knowing that she loved him as a person and not because he was the leader of the sand village. She helped open his heart. But before he could join his lovely wife he caught the sight of something outside the window. Looking out he saw a figure slowly walking towards the tower. By all rights everyone should have been asleep but there was something about this person. Before he could stop himself, he was silently closing the bedroom door behind him.

I have a weird feeling, a sense of deja vu, he thought to himself. He waited a bit impatiently in the living room but soon he could hear footsteps outside the door. Before the person could knock he had opened it and stared into pale blue eyes nearly hidden by snow white bangs. He knew those eyes. "Mother..."

She didn't say anything but silently entered. She wore a long coat, her long hair hidden but she had a bundle in her arms. "Gaara, I wish I could say this was a reunion, but I need you to do something for me," she said softly.

"You know I would do anything for you," he said immediately. Why did she feel so much older than he remembered? He watched as she silently turned to him and gently placed the bundle in his arms. He nearly dropped said bundle when it moved. Carefully, he pushed the blanket back to reveal a baby with brown hair, blue eyes, and whisker-like scars on both chubby cheeks. For a moment, the eyes reflected fire red. "This is..."

"Kyuubi," she said softly. "He was born close to a month ago." She couldn't look up at him, feeling his eyes upon her. "Don't ask questions you know the answer to, pup."

He closed his mouth slowly and swallowed the grief. "Why me?" he asked instead.

"You are the closest to what Naruto considered a brother," Hidama said, "and you never turned him away. Taka begged me to bring him here with her last breath. Her loyalty was always to you for allowing her to live here when she lost everything."

"Gaara? Are you down there?" Sakura came down the steps. "Why are you… Hidama…" Then the pink-haired woman saw what was in her husband's arms. Slowly she walked over to him and her eyes widened at the child.

"He needs you both," said Hidama. "Raise him well, and tell him that his parents loved him."

"But-" he wanted to ask why she couldn't care for him but Sakura gently took the baby from his arms and held him close. The baby looked up at her, yawned, and curled up against her chest with a contented sigh. She smiled and held him close, gently rocking him.

"He'll know nothing but love," she told the older woman.

Hidama smiled, hugging them both and gently kissed the baby's head. "Use this life given to you for the best, kit." Looking at his new parents she continued to smile softly. "I'll try to visit when I can." Without waiting for a reply she left on silent feet.

The kazekage still wasn't sure what happened but looking at his new adoptive son... well how could he say no? He was so small but also so strong. Wrapping his arm around his wife, pulling her close he reached out and gently caressed the baby's hair. Sakura was right though. This child, regardless of who he was, would know nothing but love in this family. Never again would a child be born with hatred surrounding him.

Naruto... Taka... wherever you two are, I hope you're both happy. And thank you, for letting us care for your son.

Authors' Notes:

J anime: Tissue?

Shadow: The whole box please.

Janime: I'll give you half. I need some myself.

Shadow: Thanks blows nose That was so touching.

Janime: At least their son will have loving parents.

Shadow: Yeah. And here is the other alternate ending.

Alternate Ending #2

"What!" Sure enough chunks of it were starting to fall, narrowingly hitting several of them.

Gaara frowned as he tried to use the sand to protect them but he was weak. His chakra was almost completely depleted. "I can't protect us. We need to get out of here now," he told them all.

"Naruto!" Iruka shouted. "Hurry!"

"Kit!" Hidama shouted.

Naruto… Kakashi shook his head. He grabbed Hidama and pulled her back moments before a large boulder fell where she had been standing. "We have to get away from here!"

"Then move it!" Gaara yelled.

Everyone ran to the woods as Gaara used his sand wall to deflect the falling rocks. Once they were safe they turned and watched the rest of the mountain crumble and the dust float into the air.

"Why did he leave?" Sakura asked after a long period of silence.

"I think... he had to choose..." Quicksilver told her.

The medic looked at her. "Choose?"

"Taka... took a critical hit to the heart, I could smell it. Not even your skills could have saved her long enough to get back to Suna."

"He's going to use Kyuubi to heal her," Hidama summed up. You've accepted her as your mate; if she dies, so do you. Oh kit...

"And just where are we going?" Sakura asked.

"You'll see soon enough," Hidama replied.

Kakashi looked at Hidama, even though she was keeping a slow pace, it seemed forced--as though she wanted to take off in full sprint.

No one among the group said anything. During the past seven years since Naruto and Taka disappeared, Hidama had traveled to other places. From her latest trip, she returned to Konoha looking like a huge weight had been removed from her shoulders and she seemed rather pleased as well.

A few weeks after, Iruka, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, and Gaara had all been "invited" by Hidama for a walk in the woods. This walk had turned into a three-day hike and they camped with everyone taking turns for the night watch.

Iruka sighed as he looked at their surroundings. "Where are we?" he asked.

"We aren't lost if that's what you're wondering," the pale woman said.

"Then can you tell us where we're going?" Sasuke asked sourly, earning a glare from the kazekage.

"You'll see." No one said anything else but before anyone could think to complain they stopped at what looked like a path leading into a village. It was simple and quaint, children playing games, adults running errands, even family pets running loose. Hidama sighed happily and lead the group into the village. Almost immediately people looked up and warmly greeted the woman, staying wary of the strangers with her though. An elderly man dressed in what looked like clerical robes slowly approached them and bowed. The pale woman bowed back.

"You've returned, fox of the moon," he said softly.

"I never break a promise, holy one," she answered back then gestured to the group. "These are the ones I told you about."

"Ah your family." He bowed to them in greeting. "A pleasure to meet you all but I know the lady has brought you here for a reason. They have been waiting for you." Hidama just smiled and bowed once more. He bowed and watched as they began walking down the path to a house that was located near the edge of the village.

There was a man in his mid-twenties with a young brown-haired child in the front of the house. The child was running after the man ad the man in turn was just evading the child at the last moment. Finally the child caught the man's leg and the man let out a mock cry of pain and collapsed to the ground.

The child walked up the man and patted his chest, and then the man scooped the child into his arms as he jumped to his feet and spun around a couple time, squeals of laughter filling the air.

"Beautiful sight, isn't it?" Hidama said. "Father and son."

Before anyone could ask what she meant, the little boy reached up and pulled the bandana off his father's head, releasing blonde hair into the sunlight.

It took the group a few moments to realize who the young man was. "Naruto!" came the chorused cry.

Said young man looked up and smiled. "Hey everyone," he said calmly.

"Aunt Hidama!" the little boy said happily, stretching his arms to her. Once within reach the older woman took the boy into her arms, letting him give her a tight hug. "Did you bring me anything?" She just smiled.

Iruka was the first to move as he looked over his former student. "Naruto... you're alive... how?" he asked.

"Long story short, after the mountain fell I used Kyuubi's chakra to teleport us somewhere safe. It was a miracle we came across this village. Been living here since with my family."

Sakura blinked. "Family? You're married?" she asked, clearly surprised.

From the house a young woman came out, her belly swollen with child. The little boy, having found his present, ran towards her. She smiled as he excitedly showed her the new gift. Gaara was the first to notice who it was when he caught sight of the black chocker with silver horizontal eight stitched into the material. "Taka." When she looked up at him it just confirmed his thoughts.

"How was the trip?" Taka asked with a grin.

"Interesting," Kakashi answered as he took a better look at the boy noticing that the child didn't have the whisker marks like his father.

"Kyuubi's still with me," Naruto spoke.

"But didn't the Fallen Moon say that he could be born as a human if you two…" Sasuke motioned his hand not wanting to say everything in front of the little boy who had now discovered Iruka and was enjoying the attention from the older man.

"Kyuubi decided it would be better if he stayed inside me," the blonde said simply. "Let's just leave it at that."

Since it was a nice day out the group decided to sit outside. The teacher looked quiet happy as the little boy listened to the stories about his father from his childhood. Turned out Hidama had known where the duo had been for quiet a while but never said anything to anyone. The two had asked her to please keep it a secret and only then once the commotion with Nekomata was gone did they say she could tell the others. It was clear to see that both were good parents as the little boy was loved. In fact, there were no negative emotions directed at the blonde.

"Naruto, do the people here know about Kyuubi?" Gaara asked in a low voice.

The blonde was silent but nodded. "Yeah they know, but that was after our son was born. This village is hidden but one day we got unexpected guests. Bandits tried to steal everything we owned, threatening our lives. A lot of the men here knew how to fight but it wasn't enough. I didn't want these people who had helped us out since we arrived to suffer so..." He took a deep breathe and closed his eyes. "I unleashed Kyuubi's chakra and killed them all in a single attack."

"Oh Naruto," Sakura said softly.

"They didn't turn their backs on me though. Yeah they were scared but, they knew I only did that to protect them." He looked up and smiled. "They respect me. No one gives me dirty looks, they don't talk behind my back, and I don't have to be ashamed. Even Kyuubi seems to have mellowed out a lot."

"What about your dream of being Rokudaime?" Sasuke asked with a slight frown. When his long time friend and teammate looked at him he saw his eyes were so much older and wiser then when he first looked into them. The dobe had grown up.

"I only said that because I wanted everyone to respect me. Even if I did become hokage and demand their respect it wouldn't be the same. Besides" he smiled at his wife as he held her close; "we're happy."

"That's all that matters," said Kakashi.

The blonde nodded, and then turned a cheeky grin to Gaara. "And what's this I hear about Kankouru getting married?"

"Has married," the kazekage corrected, "to Quicksilver."

"That's an interesting match," Taka said as she looked at Hidama.

"Believe me," the pale woman looked at her, "you aren't the first one to say that."

"How'd that happen?" the blonde asked.

"You know the saying opposites attract? They're living proof of that," the Hound said with a grin.

Hidama gently jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow. "Behave."

"It's really good to see you happy, Naruto. Konoha seems so quiet without you there but Konohamaru is making up for that," Iruka said with a sincere smile. Sure enough the grandson of the third hokage was a smaller version of the blonde and was striving to achieve his goal on becoming the next hokage, in memory of his mentor.

The blonde smiled. "I know he'll be the best the village has seen." If the young man knew back then what he knew now, who knows how his life would have turned out but he was happy. He had married a beautiful woman, had a wonderful family, and had the respect of a village than knew who he was. Life, could not get any better. Well, maybe it can, he thought as he gently rubbed his wife's stomach. I hope it's a girl this time.

Authors' Notes:

Janime: And there ends the second alternate ending.

Shadow: Kinda sad but hey, he finally got the respect he wanted. Who said it had to be from Konoha though?

Janime: True.

Shadow: I am glad that Naruto found someone to share his life with.

Janime: I'm glad they're both alive. And they have a village that respects them.

Shadow: Yep! This is great. Everyone is happy and the enemy is gone.

Janime: Another story to cross off the list.

Shadow: Yet so much more.

Both: Thanks for reading and we hoped you enjoyed it! Ja ne!