The Willow Maiden [Naruto]

{56} Forever With You

"Stop, Naruto!" Shinsuke warns Naruto as a thorn is pointed directly to his eyeball. "Remember, this is still her ultimate form! She cannot recognize anybody!" 

Ruka glares at Naruto with her hand held out, controlling the thorn. 'That same human again. . . Why is he so concerned about me? Who is he?' Ruka thought with hatred. 

"Is there anything we can do to help Ruka turn back?" Sakura questioned. 

"No. She swallowed her own seed before she fought Madara. There is no way we can bring her back to her original form." Shinsuke replied and looked back at Ruka. 

"Ruka. . . It's me. Don't you remember?" 

"You are the human who I met in the forest. You use to have my brethren, but you do not have it anymore. Do not take another step closer to me like you know me." 

"But, I do know you, Ruka. You have to remember." 

"Tch." Ruka glared and wrapped the thorns around Naruto's body, but not too tightly. But, her thorns were cut so suddenly. 'What!?' She thought, shocked. Sasuke was in front of Naruto with his katana in hand. He was the one who cut Ruka's thorns. "You dare interfere!?" She shouts and goes to attack, but is stopped by a voice. 

"Wait, please." Orochimaru walked over to her with a smirk. 

"Orochimaru?!" Naruto exclaimed. 

"A snake." Ruka stated. "What do you want?" 

"To help you." Orochimaru answered her. 

"Help me? With what?" Ruka slowly lowered her hand down. 

"Are you not aware of your other form, Willow Maiden? You defeated Madara. It's time to go back to your other form now." 

"My other form is forever gone. It cannot be done. As if the likes of you can make that happen." 

"It is possible." Orochimaru smirks. "If you think this is a trick, then it's not. I want to help you." 

"Help me? Why?" Ruka narrowed her eyes. 

"Because I know how much you mean to Naruto." Orochimaru turns his head at Naruto, then back at Ruka. "You can hear her voice, can't you? The other you." 

"Because we are the same person. She took our seed and knew the price she had to pay in order to defeat the likes of Madara. She can never come back even if you tried." 

"We will see." Orochimaru walks closer to the maiden. "I can turn you back into your original form, but I need your word if you want to go through with it." Orochimaru holds out his hand to the maiden. 

Ruka stared at him and her eyes became watery. 'What. . .is this?' She thought as she brought her hand up to her eyes. 'A tear? I am. . .crying? Why? . . . Why do I want to be with that human? . . . Naruto Uzumaki. . . Do I really. . .love him?' Ruka looked at Naruto and stared at him for a moment before Orochimaru spoke up. 

"Will you accept my offer, Willow Maiden? I can change you back to the person you once were." Orochimaru said again. 

Ruka looks at Orochimaru then gently places her hand on top of his. "I accept." She says. 

As the war ended, Orochimaru took Ruka to the operating room that Tsunade allowed him to use. It took a few hours, but he managed to change her back and extract some of the ultimate maiden's green blood into a smile vile. 

Ruka stepped out of the operating room and everyone was waiting for her. "Ruka!" Naruto shouted, running over to her. 

"Naruto!" Ruka ran over to him and jumped in his arms. Naruto hugged her close and tightly with his eyes closed. 

"Did we win the war?" Ruka asked, pulling away. "Is everyone okay?" 

"Yeah. Everyone's alright. And it's all thanks to you, Ruka." Naruto smiled at her. "You did it. You saved everyone." 

"But it was not me. It was the other me. She saved everyone and defeated Madara. . . Wait, how am I here? What happened to the other me? Where is she?" 

"She's right here." Orochimaru walked out of the operating room and held up a vile of green liquid, known as the Ultimate Maiden's blood. "I extracted the blood from your ultimate form. I placed it in here in case you want to use it. Here. You should keep it with you for safe keeping."

"Thank you, Orochimaru." Ruka bows her head to Orochimaru and takes the vile. 

"And we would like to thank you for all of your help, Ruka." Tsunade steps forward with the other Kage's, bowing their heads.

"Lady Tsunade. . . Thank you. Thank you, everyone." Ruka bows her head to the Kage's.

"So, now that you are back, what will you do know, Ruka?" Shinsuke asked with a smirk.

"You are not going to be around, Shinsuke?" Ruka askes as she turned to him.

"Oh, I will. I do plan to stick around. You know, to continue to look after you and such. After all, you are my sister. I think I will make this village my new home too while I am at it. These humans amuse me. And for you?" Shinsuke smiled.

"Well. . . I will continue to stay here because this is my home, and I am with the person I love. . ." Ruka shyly smiles and grasps Naruto's hand. "I am with people who love and care about me, and I will do the same for them. After all they have done for me, I plan to stay here."

"And we love having you, Ruka." Tsunade smiled.

Afterwards, the other Kage's returned to their village, Sasuke left the village once more, and Shinsuke began living in a apartment that Tsunade provided him with. And, as for Ruka, she was now living with Naruto.

That night, Ruka stared out the window, looking at the stars with a smile on her face. "You're still up, huh?" Naruto walked over to her.

"I am looking at the stars. . . Because my mother is up there. I can feel it. . ." Ruka replied with a soft smile. "I am sure everyone is up there right now. . ."

"I don't get it." Naruto rubbed the back of his head and looked up at the stars.

"Mother once told me that when people die, they become one with the stars, shining the brightest. They look down on us, watching over us. And I am sure she is up there as well, watching over me, depsite her being the flower back in the Willow Forest. . ."

"You miss her, don't you?"

"I always think about her. But, I know that she is up there watching me, and she will always be in my heart. I am no longer alone now that I am here in my new home, with you, Naruto." Ruka looks at Naruto with a smile. Naruto smiles back and holds her hand, then looks back at the stars with Ruka. "I do not ever want to let go of this feeling."

"Neither do I." Naruto says back and look at Ruka. "I love you so much, Ruka."

Ruka looks back and says, "And I love you, Naruto."

The two of them lean in, Naruto's hand cupping Ruka's cheek, and kiss each other passionately while closing their eyes.

The End

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Thank you all again for reading one of my stories and I really appreciate all of your voting, views, and your commenting. I can't wait to create another story like this very soon! Thank you all so much for your support and I hope to see you again, my lovely Darlings!