Regrets and Renewal
The hill above Konoha
Naruto Uzumaki watched as the Hyuga compound began to slowly burn to the ground, despite the effort the Hyuga Clan was making to contain the blaze.
They deserve it…they all deserve it. They never even bothered to check her after her fight with Neji…they never thought to check her heart…they should have! They should have checked her heart after that match!
He would never see her smile again…hear her laughter…all because some damned doctor had forgotten to check Hinata's heart after the match.
I could have saved her if I had only gone with her…I know I could have saved her!
Naruto turned back down at the Hyuga estate which was now nearly entirely covered in flames and watched as the members of the Hyuga clan grabbed whatever they could and watched their home burn.
One week earlier.
Naruto watched as the black coffin was slowly lowered into the ground and he had to fight to choke back a sob as the members of team eight watched as their former teammate was lowered into the ground next to her mother.
Her heart…all these years it was her heart…If only it had been checked after the match with Neji…Why didn't they check her heart?
Shino stood next to the coffin, watching the funeral through his ever present dark sunglasses and Kiba was watching from the side, his head was facing away from him, but Naruto could clearly hear his sobs.
If Neji wasn't out in Wave country right now…I would probably be trying to kill him right now…I know he regrets that match those years ago…but right now, I want to kill him so badly.
Naruto watched as the coffin gently hit the bottom of the ground and began to gently sob as the dirt began to cover the black coffin in ever increasing amounts.
I could have saved her…I should have gone with her after that match…I know I could have done something…I shouldn't have just watched as they took her away.
Naruto looked past Shino and Kiba, past the gate that led up to the Hyuga household and stared directly at the man standing in the window.
Hiashi Hyuga…You won't even come to your daughter's own funeral…What kind of sick, twisted man are you?
Naruto took one long look at the people assembled at the funeral, at Shino who couldn't or rather refused to cry despite the time he had spent with her, at Kiba who refused to look down at the black coffin being lowered into the ground, at Kurenai-sensai who watched the entire event through red eyes.
But then he turned toward Hiashi again and he narrowed his eyes.
You should have been here…She was your daughter! You should have been here to say good bye to her!
As if Hiashi was somehow reading Naruto's mind, the Hyuga turned and stared at Naruto.
He'll get his…someday.
Naruto watched and listened as Shino, then Kiba, and then finally Kurenai each told a story they had about Hinata, and despite the grief he was feeling, the anger and the loss, he couldn't help but smile as each of Hinata's teammates and her sensai talked to each other about her determination, her courage in the face of adversity, and her dedication toward her teammates.
Naruto stepped forward slightly and looked down into the hole.
Kurenai noticed him and wiped away a few of her tears.
"Naruto? Do you have something to say?"
"Yeah…If it weren't for Hinata, I wouldn't have been here today. If Hinata hadn't stepped in when I was fighting Pain, I'm sure that Pain would have killed me. She deserved better than this…she deserved so much more."
Kurenai nodded and looked down at the coffin.
"She did…I promise you, she won't be forgotten, by any of us."
"I know you won't forget her…" Naruto shot a venomous glare at Hiashi who was still standing in the window. "It's him that I'm concerned about. He won't even come to his own daughter's funeral."
Kurenai and Kiba both turned to look at Hiashi and then Kurenai turned back.
"Hiashi…never thought that much of Hinata. He always assumed that she was too weak to become the leader of the Hyuga clan. Even after all the amazing things she did, he never thought much of her."
Shino and Kiba both walked away, leaving only Naruto and Kurenai staring down at the coffin.
"Someone…should have gone with her after the fight with Neji. Someone should have made sure that she was safe, that her heart was examined."
Kurenai stared down at the coffin for a few more moments before turning to Naruto.
"You and Hinata became close after Pain attacked the village…Naruto, even with everyone rebuilding and all the work that was required, I never saw Hinata happier than I did in those days, but we have to accept that sometimes…things beyond our control happen. Either by nature or by mistakes, sometimes people die."
"But she shouldn't have died Kurenai-sensai! I know she shouldn't have died! I've lost nearly everyone now…The pervy sage…and now Hinata. And to add to it…that Baka Danzou is trying to become Hokage while Grandma Tsunade is still out."
Kurenai was about to respond when Naruto turned to the window where Hiashi was standing and stared at him with tear stained eyes.
"Kurenai-sensai…If it's alright with you, I'd like to be alone now. I just want sometime to…think."
Kurenai nodded and slowly walked toward the ramen bar. She could go for some ramen with a little sake mixed into it, if only to ease the pain for a little while.
A/N
((End of the First Chapter, please tell me what you think of it.))