The sun streamed in cheerfully from the large windows facing the door. All the curtains were drawn back and the entire room was neat and orders as the Konoha hospital always was. The only colors that broke the white monotony of the room came from the bright bouquet of flowers, lighting up the room with splashes of reds, oranges and yellows. The girl would have loved them if she had been aware of the visitors that had just dropped by to deliver them and talk to her - even if she couldn't respond.
The nurse looked over at the machine as it solemnly sounded a beep; the girl's heart beat was calm and regular, as though she were merely sleeping, but they knew better - even Tsunade-sama had said that she might never wake up again. Despite that, her teammates and family kept visiting her. Hyuuga Hinata - she certainly was important to everyone.
A loud knock at the door drew the nurse's attention. Without waiting for an answer, the door opened, admitting a brown-haired boy, a large dog and another male mostly hidden by a large jacket and dark glasses - Inuzuka Kiba, his companion Akamaru and Aburame Shino - Hinata's teammates. The nurse nodded to them and exited, closing the door behind her and giving them some time alone.
Akamaru padded up to the bed, nudging the pale girl with his nose, whining and turning to Kiba as he didn't receive any response.
"Yeah, I know Akamaru," Kiba dropped into the chair beside Hinata's bed, "but we can't do anything now."
"Why? Because we failed to protect our teammate from the enemy." Shino said.
"Dammit!" Kiba's fist collided with the armrest frustratedly, his face twisted into a scowl. "This is all our fault!" If only he had used the last of his stamina to help find her! They could have broken the genjutsu and saved her from the coma!
"No, it was mine." A calm voice admitted from the door.
Kiba looked up, catching sight of the jounin and chuunin at the door. "Neji... Ten-Ten..."
"I should be the one almost dead by now, dammit! If I had noticed earlier, Hinata-sama...!" Neji's hands were balled into fists at his side.
The kunoichi at the Hyuuga's side put a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. "Come on, Neji! You did your best!" She consoled him. "And so did you guys, Kiba, Shino." She added, turning to the others.
Neither felt that they could answer Ten-Ten in the awkward atmosphere; it seemed that Hinata was the only one unaffected by this, eyes closed and resting peacefully. The only way to really tell that she was alive was the constant beep... beep... that the machine muttered.
No one was really sure how to break the silence and it almost seemed as if they would stay that way until the cry was heard.
"Hinata!" All five occupants of the room were drawn to the faint but obvious shout - it was Uzumaki Naruto! "Hinata!" He yelled unceremoniously as he shoved the door open, narrowly missing Ten-Ten.
"Naruto..." Shino greeted him as Naruto rushed over, standing over the coma-stricken girl. He was breathing heavily and had probably just run all the way from the Hokage's office. His blue eyes were trained on Hinata in desperation.
"Damn it! Hinata, why?" Naruto's fist hit the white covers on the bed. "Wake up! Hinata!"
Having recovered from the shock, Kiba blinked and grabbed Naruto's shoulder. "Hey! Are you trying to kill her? Be a little gentler, idiot!" He told Naruto, frowning. Akamaru barked in agreement.
The blond shinobi turned around and opened his mouth, shooting back a retort and sparking another argument between them.
"W-wait, this isn't the time to be arguing!" Ten-Ten attempted to talk some sense into them.
"Don't bother, Ten-Ten." Neji sighed, shaking his head.

"Kyaa!" Hinata was thrown back onto the ground, skidding back from the impact of the kick. "Ugh!" A terrible pain made itself known, spreading from he back to her chest. Involuntarily, Hinata doubled over as her blood forced itself out of her mouth. Just her against the five of them was bound to get her killed, but she couldn't give up! That was exactly what they wanted; that and her Byakugan.
Although she was breathing heavily and every cell in her body hurt, Hinata forced herself up, painfully raising a hand in front of her in the classic juuken stance. Naruto-kun wouldn't forgive her if she gave up!
"Still willing to fight? Hmph! I'll finish it with this, we don't need you alive!" The shinobi in front of her started molding chakra; water nature chakra, her eyes told her. "Suiton: Suiryuudan no jutsu!"
Hinata braced herself, but the five meter wall of water swept her against the rock and crushed her against it, making unbearable agony blossom throughout the Hyuuga's entire being. As the water subsided, she fell forwards, crumpling onto the wet ground.
Ah...Even without the Byakugan Hinata knew she was dying. I wish... I wish that I could hear Naruto-kun's voice... just one last time... Hinata thought, trying in vain to picture her crush's warm grin in the chilly blackness. Naruto-kun... I'm sorry...
"Hinata!" The strong, familiar voice called. From the darkness, a beam of light shined onto her face.
This voice... Naruto... kun...? Hinata's eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the foreign-looking light. Was that really...?
"Hinata! Get a grip on yourself! Hinata!" Those blue eyes... tanned skin... blond hair... right over her!
"H-heh?" She mumbled, confused. "Naruto... kun?" Just now, that blackness... could it be a dream?
As he saw her eyes open, Naruto grinned and grabbed Hinata, bringing her to a sitting position and gaining a protest from Kiba. "Hinata! You're ok!" He cried, hugging her joyfully.
Realizing that she was in her crush's arms, Hinata blushed, realizing how warm he was. "N-Naruto-kun!"
"Hinata!" Kiba-kun's voice! Looking to her left, Hinata caught sight of everyone else: Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, Neji and Ten-Ten!
"Kiba-kun... everyone..." She managed to say softly.
"Oi! Hinata!" Naruto's voice drew the Hyuuga's attention once more as he pulled away, keeping his hands on her shoulders and holding her at arm's length. "Promise me you won't ever do that again! You were asleep for a week! Everyone was so scared! Really, causing that much trouble..."
Hinata looked down, truly touched by Naruto's lecture. "I'm sorry..." She mumbled. "Neji nii-san, Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, Akamaru..."
Kiba waved away the apology. "It's nothing! All that counts is that you're awake!" Akamaru barked in agreement, wagging his tail happily.
Naruto laughed and slapped Hinata on the back, earning a slightly flustered cry and everyone else's laughter. Hinata herself smiled timidly. I got to see his smile again... I'm so happy! Thank you, Naruto-kun!