Shameless Love and Sacrifice
Author: HanaChou
Pairing: Hinata x Naruto / Sakura x Sasuke
Genre: Romance & Friendship
Summary: All I can do now is run after you and protect you, because you're a piece of me that I wish I didn't need. But no worries, you're worth it.
Chapter One: Remedy
Sweat beads rolled shamelessly as she jumped branch to branch, her ankle swelling be she kept going. Farther, faster, and nearer, she needed to get closer. Her breathing hitched as her dark violet hair swayed with the noon breeze. The sun was harsh to all of them but harsher to her sensitive pale skin, red rashes popped on her neck but she kept going. There's no failing now, her legs ached for the hours of jumping, walking, running, leaping – no rest. Hinata clenched her fists hard, she can't stop now because she's so near to her goal. The blonde in front of her decreased his speed, making her stop abruptly, almost tripping off the branch. With a little uneasiness, Hinata balanced her weight on the small branch and steadied, her heart pumping of reflex.
"NARUTO! You baka! You stopped jumping and caused Hinata-chan to trip. You dumbass!" Sakura jumped forward and smashed the blonde's head with her over powered fist. Hinata cringed.
"Are you okay, Hinata-chan?!" Sakura asked her hands on the indigo haired woman's shoulder.
"A-Ano, I am fine Sakura-san." Hinata then wondered why the blonde stopped, did he sense something? He must have. Hinata activated her bloodlimit and searched the grounds. Bingo.
"4 o'clock, a mile from here. They're injured." The bluette managed to say without stutter but with a little panting and without furthering their mission, Naruto jumped again before the two women followed.
It has been six years since the Shinobi war, Sasuke is back and is captain of ANBU, Tsunade is back to her position, the village was back to its economic self, the population was down but striving to increase, they are still all active with missions and here she is: bolder, taller, wiser, better, never better. Her heart however was still trapped in struggle for the blonde's attention. Even after the fight with Pain that made her confess, nothing has changed. No one said a thing, no one reminded him – he left her waiting. But that was okay, she would say, that they are still friends and without any awkward space. She can still wait, she can still manage. Unconsciously, the bluette gripped her chest, a great pang of pain pierccing thru her. It has been six years. Been too long.
The mission was low ranked, every missions for the past months has just been all low ranks and it seemed that peace was spreading itself to the villages. Today they're just after a bunch of criminals who stole a jewelry shop from the Wind Village and was reported to be seen near Konoha. Hinata glanced at her teammates, they both looked fresh and all showered and here she was, asked to be a tracker right after her last mission. Light red rims and pale lips donned her face, she hasn't slept for two days and her canteen was still full – hasn't even eaten. She sighed.
Hinata swallowed with dry throat, there is no stopping now.
As they came to a stop, the criminals were half charged from rest, their canteens very much empty and they were all standing startled from the intrusion.
Without any words, all eight large men with knives charged to the three of them. Their skills were not bad and for a while she might have thought that they were also ninjas, swift and agile. There was a strict mission challenge however – they should bring them alive with the jewelries. Hinata swallowed again, dry throat. Her feet swollen but able kicked the man's crotch sending him backwards and then sending another punch on his face. Three more able criminals charged them but she left them to Naruto and Sakura who were doing their job perfectly – she catched the rope that Sakura threw her, gripping together legs and wrists, tying them tight and harshly.
A pang of vertigo hit her as she tied the sixth man's arms – all of them were passed out and Naruto was grinning widely at her as she turned around. Sakura helped with tying two more criminals, Hinata squeezed her eyes shut hoping her dizziness would fade away but before she could even open her eyes again, her senses told her something was coming his way. Trusting her feet, she jumped in front of him her eyes shut close as she felt a sharp metal pierce through her back and there was nothing but a blinding light and his scream of her name...so he was okay.
The room was all white, the lights, the ceiling, the bed, the walls, everything. Her breathing normalized knowing she was alive, taking a deep breath, she felt the tight gauze wrapped around her torso, an IV stuck in her right arm and a small bag of blood dripping down to her wrist. Water. She looked around, normally she would see Neji right beside her when she's sick inside the clinic of their clan compound – but Neji was gone. Neji protected her as she tried protecting Naruto. Neji was gone, and it was because she was selfish – because she throws her life before someone she knows she loves, someone more worthy of life.
Another arrow of guilt and sadness struck her heart, she was risking herself again. But no one would protect her anymore, Neji wasn't here anymore.
Tears roled down her cheeks this time, the air was cold and she was only with a hospital gown with needles struck in her. Her heart ached for reasons she would only know. Neji died because of her. She injured herself because of him. And after more than six years of adoration – Naruto hasn't even seen her. She was that greedy, but they can't blam her. All she wanted now was someone she could get strenth from because heaven knows Neji was gone and she looked up to him. All she wanted was to be stronger for more reasons, she wanted to be more – but here she was, back to her comfort zone lying on a hospital bed crying alone reminising how she again threw herself for him.
But she needed to know that Naruto was okay. If not for her gladness, then to give justice to Neji's death. With her blurry vision, she watched as her hands shiver and her nailbeds shiver with her horrifying thoughts.
And then the door opened. She didn't look who it was but knew instantly as she heard a voice concerned for her. A familiar baritone voice, Naruto with a bunch of sunflowers at hand. Sobs came heavier, he's okay. Naruto's okay, he's not hurt. He's okay.
"Hinata! W-what's wrong?" His face was furrowed, brows together and a frowning lips. Her torso ached as she felt her wound slightly opening up, but she didn't budge, she stayed curled her hair hanging as a curtain on her flushed face. Hinata felt a warm hand on her shoulders, straightening them a little.
"I'm so so sorry, Hinata-chan! Does anything hurt? Tell me!"
Her trembling cold hands reached his warm large ones, "I'm glad...Y-y-you're okay"
Her shivering torso, her sobbing eyes, her stuttering, her red rim eyes and her lips frowning downwards sent him another sharp pain of guilt in his stomach, feeling like his gut was punched deep...and hard.
"No, Hina-chan. I am sorry. I've caused you a lot of pain"
Memories tracked down to when he would see her grieving on Neji's grave but his guilt would fill him to the top that he couldn't even dare to bring her to a hug, comfort her, tell her it's ok...because he was the reason Neji was gone. Hinata had given him more than he could ask for, she had given him her life three times already – or more. She had confessed to him but the guilt had eaten him and can't bring the topic of romantic feelings with a woman whose sacrifices were too extreme. Naruto swallowed, his throat dry and vomit hiking up from his stomach.
More tears sprung on the pale eyed beauty in front of him, her hair soft and long, her lips chapped yet red, her red rimmed eyes and nose raw from crying and then he let his palms down to her shaking arms, containing her closer to him. Her heart beat was fast and through his black konoha shirt he could feel how her breathing heaved. His chin rested on her chilling shoulders, his lips parting to tell her he's sorry, all over again.
Then she turned to him with a sorrow smile painted on her face, looking at his sad face with eyes almost teary. And she remembered why she brought herself to sacrifice for this man, once a boy most loathed by everyone, this big bundle of joy. His blonde hair shining from the sun rays, blue bright eyes wet with threatening tears, lips frowning from his once cheerful grin...She loves his smiles, it gave her the hope to stay strong. She loved his endurance, his passion, his freedom...She loved him and that's enough a reason for her to sacrifice everything, even without the assurance of him feeling the same for her. She loved him for everything he was, is and will ever be.
Hinata shook her head, a sad smile still painted on her face. "It's al-alright, I-I am okay." She mumbled between deep hiccups and sobs.
With the look he gave her she almost melted, how worried he seemed to be, how guilty he feels...but she was feeling alright now. Now that she saw and realized again why he was worth the wait, worth the life, worth the sacrifice.
"It's alright, I am okay. Don't worry N-N-Naruto-kun, I-I am okay. You're okay, I am happy"
And for a moment she prayed to the heaven above her thanks that this man was okay, that this man was worth everything. That he was worth everything.
A/N: This is a long story of Hinata and Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura about love and sacrifice. I hope you enjoyed reading! It would really save my heart from breaking if you'd review. HanaChou
