He was happily married to his highschool sweetheart before she died two years later of cancer. He was broken and grief-stricken and in his misery, he met a woman going through the same thing he was going through by his side with two children.
Sharing the same pain, they understood and comforted each other and before he knew it, they both fell in love. He loved the kids as if they were his own and the kids loved him as if he was their biological father. Life was good and all before he learned they were after his money and the love was all fake.
They succeeded in duping him and he was left all alone again never to hear from the woman who told him she would always be by his side and the kids. In his suffering, he met Shimura's mom and they had a rocky start but once again, a woman wormed her way into his heart and this time around, she had a kid… Again. He was skeptical and unwilling at first but married her nonetheless and then, he decided to neglect the four-year-old Shimura back then.
At some point, his heart told him to give the boy a chance and not to let the experience with the other kids define Shimura but his brain told him to ignore the child he wasn't related to. Shimura was someone else's child, he repeated. But now, he knew he was making a big mistake as his wife truly loved her son. He tried his best to make her forget about Shimura only to realize he was a monster for trying to separate mother and child.
"Shimura… I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry for neglecting you." Takeshi worked up the nerve to apologize which made John smile.
"So I guess my work here is done."
(Scene Change: Uzumaki Mansion)
Gaia watched Martha intently as she helped her in the kitchen with the finesse of a full-fledged housewife. The little Hunter grew on her after they started living together and it's only been a week. She was well mannered, bright, and innocent. The trinket on her neck moved around as she shifted her weight. Talking about trinkets, the mother goddess remembered the conversation she had with John and Naruto on the night Naruto fought the demon that ultimately led to the blonde agreeing, reluctantly, to letting the siblings stay in the Uzumaki Mansion.
(Flashback)
"Pffffffff-"
Naruto spat out a mouth full of water.
"Oi, oi, oi! What do you mean 'stay with us'?!" He yelled greatly perturbed.
"What do you mean stay?" John questioned.
"It all makes sense now, the increase in crime rates, the sinister signature I've been sensing… He's escaped." Gaia said staring into the distance.
"Oi," Naruto snapped his finger in Gaia's face. "You haven't explained yourself. Why should they stay with me?"
"Naruto, maybe it's fate but the fact you've saved John & Martha once, and dragged the demon out of a host means you're the only one capable of keeping them safe."
"Well, I beg to differ. I've looked after my sister all these years just fine! We're better off alone." John said.
"Guys-"
"You heard the pig, case closed,." Naruto added.
"Listen-"
"Fine!" John bark!
"He's-" Gaia tried to talk but was cut off again and her frustration rose to extreme heights.
"Yeah, I have better things to do than fight off a demon!"
"Shut up both of you!" Gaia screamed uncharacteristically making both men quiet down. Naruto went silent instantly because of the look on Gaia's face. Gaia stared at Martha. Such a young, innocent girl burdened with a fate beyond her was cruel. The one with power wasn't even using his power to help and it was frustrating. Maybe if he knew of her fate, he'd change and start caring for the girl. After all, Naruto's a sucker for a sob story.
"A word with you two?" Gaia said, inclining her head towards Naruto's room.
John nodded, if only reluctantly, and walked towards Naruto's room. The blonde glared at Gaia before he sighed and followed nonetheless.
After locking the door behind her, Gaia raised an eyebrow at Naruto. The blonde huffed and went through three handsigns. A faint glow surrounded the room and he flopped on the bed.
"John, do you even know what's after you and your sister?"
"Something dangerous?" He stated, more like asked.
"You guys are the last Hunters left so I can't blame you for being ignorant," She sighed.
"What's with this whole danger thing anyway? I killed the demon. Problem solved, threat neutralized. A simple thank you would suffice," Naruto added the last part, glaring at John.
"You're strong Naruto but if you fought with Ashirok, I would have sensed a fight of that calibre and other go-" Naruto coughed stopping her from revealing her identity. "Other powerful beings would have sensed it too." She finished beating herself mentally.
"That thing was pretty weak Gaia."
"What kind of ability did it display?"
"It could stretch its arms and use magic circles," Naruto remarked.
"I see… Maybe you might as well have added to their problems."
"Hey, what did I do?"
"Ashirok is an old demon, as old as some of the most powerful beings out there." Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. That thing was as old as some gods? "It was so powerful it was deemed immortal and indestructible. Only powerful beings in the supernatural world could go toe to toe with it so they split it into four, with each body possessing a portion of its full power and if a body is killed, the power moves to the closest body making that body much stronger. An unwritten rule was made not to kill it so the best action against it was to either capture it or seal it. Now, that demon is after your sister and he now possesses half of his power in a single body all thanks to him." She pointed a finger at Naruto.
"I didn't know something like that would happen."
"You're not at fault here, you just did what anyone in your shoes would do without prior knowledge on the demon."
"So what you're saying is that an ancient demon is after me and my sister… Why?" John inquired.
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