A/N: Welp, I've cracked under the pressure thanks to Lems of deviantart ;D It's been a while since I've done any, decent writing, so I apologize for the massacre of grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. In any case, I do hope people will enjoy this, though I can honestly say that I'm completely winging it. Badly. Ah well-cheers!

Chapter One

"Quick, summon Shizune and the other, medical staff!"

"Hang in there, Sasuke-kun!"

"Bastard…! We aren't done yet, so don't you dare die!"

Sasuke cracked an eye open…and instantly regretted it. Fluorescent lights raced over him, blinding him from one moment to the next. There was a brief time of darkness when his consciousness slipped. 'The hell happened?' Again, he felt heavy—his body began to sink past the gurney he laid on, the bloody sheets, and his tattered clothes.

'At last…I can rest,' he thought, and he descended into oblivion. Already the cries of his comrades, Konoha's Hokage, and lingering nurses or bystanders began to fade.

"Please, Uchiha-san!"

'The hell? Who…was tha?' Regardless of the weight that threatened to shut his eyes forever, Sasuke managed to pry his lids apart. Curiosity and wonder mingled together, and his mind tried to retrace previous memories…just to find the owner of that voice. Initially he was confused as he tried to adjust his vision; the world became monochrome for an instant.

'Blind… Have I finally gone blind?' The image before him was hazy, until he realized that a pale face gazed back at him. Dark hair whirled around as the young woman rushed beside him, her clear eyes flashing.

"…Hyuuga," Sasuke voiced until his eyes rolled back into his head once more.

It was a strenuous task, Sakura knew. Idly she swiped an arm across her forehead and sighed. Among Shizune and the others, she was also a key player in Sasuke's survival, tapping into her chakra reserves just to pump it into his body. When at last the sole Uchiha stabilized, Sakura was sent away.

Good timing, considering how her arms were numb and how she dragged her feet across the hall. At the other end, a familiar figure slouched in a seat, black and orange spread out at his side from the jacket he dumped in the seat beside him. His face was shadowed, but Sakura knew…

"Naruto?" Lightly she placed a hand on his shoulder. The man underneath her fingers tensed until he sucked in a breath. He tilted his face to hers, sapphire eyes dark and solemn. Shadows smeared just below them, a contrast to his ashen face.

"Ah, Sakura-chan… How is he?" Naruto made a move to stand, but Sakura's hands stopped him.

"He's stable. It took a while, but hey… It's Sasuke." 'He'll pull through.' She tried to assure him with a smile, but the effect was lost. The room suddenly danced, and Sakura nearly stumbled. An arm latched around her waist, steadying her, and jade eyes stared back at his blue pair.

"Th-thanks," she muttered shakily. Wordlessly, Naruto directed her to the other seat before he returned to his own.

"I'm glad that we have Sasuke again," Naruto started. A pause, and then he continued, "But…but…" He brought a hand through his golden locks. "I'm not sure if—"

A hand crept into his, and he turned to see Sakura's tired smile.

"He will. He'll learn to live again." Sakura tightened her grip momentarily. "Because Team Seven doesn't give up, hm?"

Naruto stared back at her, and then at their hands before her agreed. "Yeah…"

"Um?" The two ninjas jumped, and Sakura withdrew her hand. Hyuuga Hinata stood before the two, bottles of water in her arms. Blotches of pink adorned her cheeks, and her eyes downcast.

"Na-Naruto-kun, here. I got one for you too, Sakura-chan."

Sakura silently watched as the dark-haired girl handed their drinks, the slight tremors in her hands, and the way she'd chew on her lower lip. Pregnant silence loomed over them, and Sakura began to curse herself.

'We looked like…' After a couple of sips of her water, Sakura decided to take her leave then, but Naruto's words froze her.

"Hinata-chan… Thank you." The usually loud, rambunctious Naruto was actually thoughtful and quiet. His full attention settled on the young heiress, causing her face to flood with red.

"U-um, er… It w-was nothing…"

Naruto's expression softened at her before he turned to Sakura. "Um, Sakura-chan, could you give us a moment?"

Dazed from the turn of events, Sakura numbly complied with a nod. Vaguely she recalled herself offering a "Thanks" to Hinata before she walked off. That is, until she turned a corner, but backtracked and crouched low, peeking.

Hyuuga Hinata might go into cardiac arrest. At least, that's what she felt. She was numb, and she all but collapsed into a seat offered by Naruto.

Naruto.

'Oh my, I'm sitting beside Na-na-na—'

Her face warmed, but she shook her head, causing her dark hair to cascade over her shoulders. After a few moments, she finally realized that Naruto was silent the whole time…and watching her.

"Eep!"

"You know, Hinata-chan… You're very odd." Naruto blinked as the girl began to cover her face. "You pass out, your face gets red, and I don't know why, but you always have trouble talking to me." 'I know she can talk normally. I think.'

With each word, Hinata wished she could slip through the chair and disappear through the floor. Embarrassment forced tears in her eyes, and they promised to slip down her face.

"But that's just the way you are." Naruto's tone changed, causing her to blink those tears away. Once she gathered enough courage, she glanced back to see Naruto's grin.

"You're full of surprises…" Naruto added under his breath. He blinked, then turned away to cough into a hand. "Er, since you really helped us out big time. Thanks." He reached the back of his head and scratched, wondering why the sudden embarrassment.

'Great, I sound like a dork…' But Hinata's face brightened, and her smile…

"Naruto-kun is great," she murmured. Naruto felt his brows shoot up, unsure if he heard her right.

"Naruto-kun…is great," she repeated, smiling down at her clasped hands. "You always look out for others, encouraging them, even though there were times when people were…people were against you, or…"

Memories resurfaced of their childhood at the Ninja Academy in which most of the other students would ignore the young Naruto. The young Hinata would watch as the young boy would play alone. 'And yet he would still laugh out loud, joke...'

"Hinata-chan is great too," Naruto cut in. "Even though she panics at times, or acts…weird," he trailed off as he clenched his hands. It has been a while, but the battle with Pain never left Naruto's mind. Too many truths revealed to him, especially from how he nearly lost control, how he nearly gave into hate—

'—How I nearly lost her.' Naruto's eyes widened from that realization, allowing more memories to tumble in. Hinata, her eyes set in determination as she took up a battle stance, and her voice rang clear.

". . . I'm not afraid to die protecting you… Because I love you!"

'Oh…shit…' Naruto stood up, his chair clattering. Hinata jumped in hers as she watched him gather his jacket and fumble with his drink.

"Naruto-kun?" Blue orbs flicked to hers until he turned away.

"Sah—S-sorry, Hinata-chan! But, er… I'm tired—think I'll crash now. See 'ya!" Naruto made a run for it.

"Naruto-kun!" A door within the hall opened, and a sour-faced nurse glared at her. Hinata quickly bowed in apology before she ran after the boy.

Naruto didn't get far since he stood at the other end of the hall, his back to her. As Hinata's steps approached him, he spoke over his shoulder.

"Hinata-chan… Really, thanks for everything."

"Naru—?"

"—also…for that time…" Slowly, he turned to face her, his cheeks tinted pink. "I thank you as well."

Hinata was still frozen at her spot, his words jumbled in her brain. What did he mean? What was he talking about? What? A shadow fell over her form, and Hinata stared up into Naruto's face, suddenly close.

"Hinata…" Something warm pressed onto her forehead, Naruto's neck and collarbone filling her vision. "I'll give you my answer to…to… To what you said," he whispered lamely. Without another word, he flashed a grin before he bolted, red-faced now.

Hinata's forehead tingled as enlightenment found her. Uzumaki Naruto…kissed her forehead.