The scent was heavenly.

Hinata smiled. It had taken her a while to find orange flowers with black markings. They were beautiful. Their fragrance was a wonderful bonus.

"Naruto-kun…"

She was feeling very much on edge. That was nothing new. It always had her feeling uneasy, visiting injured shinobi at the hospital. There was even more reason this time, since Naruto was the one who had been badly hurt.

"I can do this…"

When she usually paid a visit to a fallen comrade, Hinata most often came as a part of a group. For a shy girl who hated to see pain in others, things were much easier that way. But, today, everyone else was busy. She had gotten out of practice late, and both Kiba and Shino had obligations elsewhere.

"Hey, Hinata!" It was Sakura. She was dressed in a medical ninja's outfit. "Are you here to see Naruto?" She took a deep breath, smiling at the floral scent. "He's in Room 117."

"Y-Yes…" Hinata said a quick prayer, not wanting to blush. "Wh-What happened to him."

"You know Naruto," Sakura said, grinning. Her eyes looked worried, though. "He was sent out with Asuna's team. They ran into much heavier opposition than anyone would have guessed. He overdid things again, protecting his friends."

"Oh…" Hinata clutched the flowers tighter to her. "Will he be OK?"

"Tsunade and Shizune said that things were very close for a while; but, he has amazing stamina and healing capacity." Sakura sighed, shaking her head. She knew the reason for that. Hinata probably did not. "Unless things take an unexpected turn for the worse, he should be just fine." She grinned, eying her friend. "How about you? Do you need a wheelchair or something?"

"Huh?" Hinata blinked rapidly. "Ummm…"

"You're going in to see him alone, right." Sakura smiled a knowing smile. "You'll be able to walk, I hope. I can give you a Med-Alert badge, if you think you might pass out."

"N-No… I'll be fine… I'm chuunin now." Hinata squared her shoulders some. She didn't feel as certain as she sounded. Although she had grown up in many ways, she still felt like a child when she was around Naruto. "This will be just like a mission."

"If you say so," Sakura said. "I have to hurry to my next case now. Good luck!"

Hinata bit her lip, took another breathe of flower, and put on a very determined look. Practically marching, she made her way up a series of stairs, not wanting to wait for an elevator. When she left the stairwell, she froze. She could see the number '117' over a door across the hall. That number seemed to grow in size, blurring.

After taking a deep breath and letting it out, Hinata walked over to the door. She stopped, hearing two voices from inside the room. It was Shizune and the Hokage.

"It's truly a shame," Shizune said. "But, we really did our best."

"Yes," Tsunade answered. "These things happen. I just wish that it didn't happen to one of my favorites."

Hinata fell as if she was standing naked in a frozen waterfall. Those words echoed inside her ears. The flowers fell from her grasp.

"I suppose we shouldn't give up hope, entirely. This room has a history of bringing things back from the verge of death." Shizune sighed. "But, it's a tricky business with one this unique. It's hard to know when we've given far too much fluids, or not enough."

"True," Tsunade admitted. "We can't let our failures affect us too much. There are always more to care for, and they need attention too." There was a long pause. "It may be that we need to cut more away. But, that could be tricky business, too. Cut too little, and the condition will spread. Cut too much, and…"

Hinata brought her hand to her mouth. Things must have taken the turn for the worse that Sakura mentioned. Why? Why to Naruto?

"For now, I think we have done enough, Tsunade." Shizune said. "We should let things rest, and see if these efforts make any difference."

"Right." The Hokage sounded more upbeat. "If we fail, we fail. Who could have done more than we have?" After that, there was the sound of footsteps.

Hinata scrambled to gather her flowers up again. She was standing outside the door when the other two women walked out. They almost looked cheerful. It was amazing, the resiliency and strength of will that medical ninjas possessed. They had to face Death every day, bringing some people back, and seeing some sadly leave.

"Oh… Hello, Hinata…" Shizune smiled. "Are you here to visit Naruto?"

"I'm afraid he won't be able to speak," Tsunade said. "I guess that's a blessing of sorts, right? But, he should be able to hear your words. Maybe they will help."

"Ummm…" Hinata nodded in answer to Shizune's question. She felt a shock course through her, hearing the Fifth's cavalier remark. But, it didn't fool her. She was well aware how much Tsunade cared about Naruto, even though he gave her more than his share of headaches.

"Well… are you going to stand out here all day, Hinata?" Tsunade raised one eyebrow. "If you wait until tomorrow, he might be gone…"

"Yes, Ma'am. I will be going in now." Hinata managed to keep her hand from trembling. She didn't want to show any sign of weakness in front of the Hokage.

"He's a restless spirit," Shizune added. "Maybe you can settle him down some." After saying that, she and Tsunade left to continue on their rounds.

"No…" Hinata shivered. 'Restless Spirit?' Did Shizune mean that Naruto was dying, and his spirit didn't want to let go? She had been told ghost stories as a child. Those who became ghosts had strong feelings about the world. Either they had unfinished business and things they did not want to leave, or they had strong negative feelings towards someone or something.

Naruto would never want to leave his friends. He had never realized his goal to become Hokage. Maybe he felt that no one ever really came to appreciate him. She had seen the way he felt growing up, when she followed him around, watching without his knowing.

"M-Maybe I can help him…" Hinata slowly walked into the room. She had heard stories about how people had helped coma victims recover by speaking to them. If there was nothing that anyone could do to save Naruto's life, perhaps she could at least make his passing calmer and less painful. A pair of tears ran down her cheeks.

Hinata closed the door. She would need privacy for this. Even though Naruto looked to be unconscious, it would be very difficult for her to speak her heart. But, this might be the only chance she got to do that. She owed Naruto so much, seeing how big an effect he had on her life. He probably didn't know that. Therefore, it was her job to let him know.

Looking around the room, everything seemed hazy, as if she were standing in a fog. Funny how the mind works sometimes! The only thing she could focus on was Naruto, and the bed he lay in. There was no way to tell what kind of injuries he had suffered, or what kind of procedure might have been performed upon him. His body was a large lump under the blankets. Only his head was visible.

"H-Hello… Naruto-kun…" Hinata swallowed hard. Naruto didn't move. His face looked so peaceful, the way it could only look when he was sleeping. More tears rolled down her cheek. She walked over to stand by his bedside. Lowering the railing, she took her first bold step. She picked up one of his hands. It was the only physical comfort that she could offer.

His hand was so much bigger than hers! How had that happened? Even though she was short, he had been shorter once. When he went off to train with the Frog hermit, his hands weren't this big. They were warm, too. How much longer would they hold any warmth at all? Feeling embarrassed, she brought the hand up to her cheek, feeling more tears fall and course around it.

"I… I dreamed about holding your hand…" Hinata kept from sobbing. It wasn't easy. "Even though I knew that you would never want that…" She put the hand down, feeling like she had violated Naruto's wishes somehow. "I'm sorry… I will be stronger…"

She sighed. Her shoulders heaved for a moment, and her vision became blurry. This was a fight, in its own way. She was standing up against an opponent stronger than Neji had been before. "This will be the only chance I have to speak with you again, Naruto-kun. I'm ashamed to say that I never could have approached you otherwise. But, it would be wrong to let you die, without telling you wh-what you m-mean to m-me…"

Hinata pulled up a chair. She suddenly felt a building need to speak, to tell everything that she once thought, feared, or wanted. There was a lifetime to share with Naruto, before he left them all for good. If by chance he pulled through, he would never recall her words. But, maybe the sound of her voice would give him something to grab hold of… something to help lead him back.

She started off talking about her childhood. It was easy talking now, easier than it was talking with Kurenai. She spent some time telling Naruto of her happy times, in the days that her mother was still alive, and when being the Heir had not affected her place in the family.

"When my father gave up on me and sent me away, it was very hard." This time, her tears were for her earlier self. "I had nowhere to go, and no one to care about me. I also felt that I was broken. No, I felt I was something that had never been right, and had been thrown out in the trash. I may not be the most confident person now, but I believe in myself. Back then, I had no faith at all, and saw no hope for my future."

Hinata spoke about her earliest days at the Academy. She had been slow in making acquaintances. Her training went poorly, and she was afraid to disappoint Kurenai or any of the instructors. The more she worried, the worse she did. The worse she did, the less confidence she had. There had been nothing to even take interest in. There had been no one to feel any kinship with. But, tat changed when a certain boy joined the class.

"You were very different, Naruto-kun…" Hinata went on to describe her earliest thoughts about him, and how she had begun watching everything he did. "You had a difficult life too… but, you let everyone know that…" She shook her head, remembering some of his antics. She bit her lip, recalling how most of the other children had treated him. "You never gave up. I watched you train by yourself until you were exhausted, or hurt. But, I never had the courage to tell you that I watched. I was too shy to try and be your friend. I guess I thought that… that… even someone like you wouldn't have wanted to be friends with me…"

She described how she felt when she actually passed her genin exam. Her little bit of joy then had been wiped away, when she saw him sitting alone on the swing, a failure at his own tests. "I heard whispers that you had done something amazing, after doing something very stupid.. I wish I could have found out what happened, but no one would tell me. All I know was that I was very happy when you showed up in my classroom."

Hinata shared her every feeling, as best she could remember them. "I wanted so bad to be in Team Seven," she admitted. "But, I don't know why I even bothered hoping. I do like the team I ended up with, though. It took me a while to become comfortable around them, but they became my friends, as you know." Just as Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had adventures from their early days, her team had run into its share of unexpected missions. With a heavy heart, she told him of her early failures, and the way that she had always held back at first. "I wasn't a proud failure, Naruto-kun. I was just a failure. An ashamed failure."

Hinata got up and borrowed a box of tissue that sat near Naruto's bed. She dabbed at her eyes with one. "I was really nervous about the chuunin exams. I knew that I couldn't possibly pass them. I was afraid that I might be the only one to do poorly..." She tugged at her hair, staring at Naruto's face for a while. "I never would have guessed that those first exams would be the most important thing in my life, in a way. There has always been someone… a person… who has been even more important…" For some reason, she couldn't come right out and say Naruto's name.

She talked about the written test, recollecting how she had felt very brash and brave, offering to let him cheat off of her paper. She mentioned her experiences in the Forest of Death and how her first concern was how safe he might be, rather than being afraid for herself and her teammates.

"When I learned that I had to fight Neji, I was very scared. He was always so cold to me, even though he had done his job as my protector. I hadn't understood yet, just what he had been through." She looked up at the ceiling, reliving the moments of her fight. "Kiba told me that I should forfeit, if I matched up against Neji. I probably would have quit, if it wasn't for you Naruto-kun. You'll never know how much your confidence and encouragement changed my… my… my life…" She began crying again. "If anyone deserves to live, it's you Naruto-kun…"

She went on to tell how she felt after standing up to Neji. Twiddling her fingers, she spoke about her meeting with Naruto at the practice field, as he was headed for his match with Neji. "I was really disappointed when you called me a shy, dark weirdo. But, I stood there amazed after you said that I was someone you could like."

Hinata watched the rise and fall of Naruto's chest. He was alive now. It was hard comprehending how he might be dead, some indeterminate time from now. How could he die? So many times he had fought unwinnable fights, but come out on top. Shouldn't she have confidence in him now? Yes. Even if she didn't, she should give Naruto whatever encouragement she could. "I know you can pull through this, Naruto-kun. You're very strong. You never quit. You still have to become Hokage someday." She stroked one of his arms, blushing when she realized what she had been doing. "I'm not the only one who needs you, Naruto-kun. All of you friends do. The whole village does. Please come back. No one else can do what you can…"

She stared at his face for a little longer. Them she picked up her narrative. "I wish I could have seen all of your fight against brother Neji." She sighed. "I was rooting for you again. I had rooted for you against Kiba, even though he was my teammate. I would have liked… I might have made an effort… you could have used my jar of medicine after your fight with Neji, too."

Hinata chatted some more, never stopping to realize that she was acting in a fashion that was garrulous for anyone, especially her. She told about the sadness that she had felt, learning of Sarutobi's death. She told of her wonder at seeing a woman named Hokage, and how she had wished to hear the story behind her coming back to Konoha. With a sad voice, she talked about the unfortunate business with Sasuke, and how frightened she had been when the genin had returned home in such bad shape. Her feelings had begun changing towards Neji at that time. She had been very worried about Kiba. She had been particularly concerned about Naruto.

"It was very hard for me, hearing that you would be leaving the village. But, I worked so hard over the years you were gone, so that I could truly be someone you might like. All I had to do was ask myself 'what would Naruto do?' My father still thought that I would be nothing but a nuisance to my fellow ninjas. But, he was wrong. Even though you weren't around Naruto-kun, I couldn't have done things without you."

Haltingly, she told Naruto how she had watched him leave the village back then, hiding behind a lamp post, too shy to come out and say her farewells. She told him how difficult her life had been at first, after he had walked off down that long road. Her earlier attitudes and behavior had resurfaced for a while; but, the memory of him quickly helped her turn things around yet again.

"When you returned, you were so much taller. It was you, but it wasn't you. You were so much stronger too; but, you were still Naruto." Hinata sniffed, and used the tissues to blow her nose. "I kept hoping that I would have reason to train with you, or that or group of friends would do things together. But, everyone is always so busy, and I'm still too afraid to approach you. What would someone like you want to do with someone like me?" She closed her eyes. "Maybe it's best that I never told you how I felt. But, part of me had to speak out now. I didn't want you to be alone. If you are dying, I didn't want you to leave this time, without knowing the truth." She shook. "You've meant so much to me Naruto-kun. I don't know what I would do, if you die…"

With that, Hinata could no longer hold back. She stood up, leaned over, and began sobbing onto Naruto's chest.

The door opened. "What's this? Hinata?" It was Tsunade. "What's going on? Did something suddenly go wrong? Why didn't you call for help?" She hurried to Naruto's bed side, placing a hand on his chest, and then his forehead. "When I left, everything was fine. I know I gave him a very strong Chuusuusei Biribiri, but that was only because he was harassing the medical staff and making a very big pain of himself."

"B-But…" Hinata stumbled backwards. "I thought he was very ill… maybe even dying… you and Shizune said…" Her eyes went wide when Naruto moved ever so slightly.

"See…" Tsunade sighed, relieved. "It's finally wearing off. He couldn't move or talk for a while. But, he was very much aware of what was going on around him."

"I… I…" Hinata felt her knees go weak. "But he… you… Shizune…"

"Hmmm? What are you talking about, Hinata?" The Hokage wondered just what had the young woman looking so flummoxed. Maybe it was the fact that she had mistakenly thought that Naruto's condition was worse than it truly was.

"I heard Shizune say 'It's truly a shame; but, we really did our best.' You said 'These things happen. I just wish that it didn't happen to one of my favorites.' I thought that… ummm… I thought. But Shizune… she said 'I suppose we shouldn't give up hope, entirely. This room has a history of bringing things back from the verge of death. But, it's a tricky business with one this unique.'

"Oh," Tsunade said, her eyes going wide. "Naruto certainly is unique. There's no denying that." She smiled hearing Naruto manage a grunt. "But, so is that rare plant over o the windowsill. It was a gift from an earlier patient, one who had brought its seed from a distant Nation."

"H-Huh?" Hinata felt as if she were going to pass out. "Pl-Plant?" She looked over at the windowsill. Sure enough, an odd looking plant sat there in a decorative pot. Its foliage was turning brown, and a number of stems were wilting. "B-But…"

"Why are acting that way, Hinata?" The Hokage tapped one finger against her cheek. She froze, hitting upon the likely answer. "You didn't give Naruto a deathbed confession, or something… did you?"

"I… ummm…" Hinata couldn't bring herself to look over at Naruto. She couldn't even meet the older woman's eyes. "When Shizune said that he was a restless spirit… I thought that…"

"Oh my," Tsunade said. She couldn't help but smile. "Who knows? Maybe it will end up doing some good."

When Tsunade left, Hinata suddenly felt as if she was standing at the Third's big funeral ceremony, and some great wind blew every scrap of her clothing away. All those things that she had told Naruto! He had been listening! She could never show her face to him again. Biting her lip, she started to hurry from the room.

"Hey… Hinata…" It was Naruto's voice. He could speak again. "You're not running away again… are you?"

"I… but…" Hinata stopped. She couldn't turn back and look at Naruto.

"That was really stupid, thinking that I was dying instead of that plant." Naruto noticed how Hinata hung her head and slumped her shoulders. "But, it was really nice the way that you… well… talked to me…" He paused. "I mean, if you really did think I was dying and everything…"

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata turned slowly, finding it hard to believe what she had just heard. That was better than his thinking she was an idiot entirely; but, it still didn't make her feel any less embarrassed and foolish.

"Yeh… well… we all do dumb things, right?" Naruto said. "Me especially." He put both hands behind his neck. He tried to look as brash and confident as always, but his face took on a strange look. "Someday, I'll tell you about my life…"

"R-Really?" Hinata's eyes went impossibly wise. She found that she was holding her breath.

"Sure," Naruto said, getting his usual spunk back. "So, go out and get injured or something!" He smiled, happy with his joke.

Hinata smiled and rubbed her fingers together.

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THE END