The world was over, before Hinata even opened her eyes. She didn't know it yet, but her life was in the process of crashing around her.

"SOMEBODY GET ME HOKAGE-SAMA!" Shizune screamed in tears as she helped direct a gurney into the ER. Once it was in, she rushed to see Tsunade herself. She sprinted as fast as she could to her office.

"What is it that you want?" Tsunade asked lazily as Shizune rushed in with an urgent look to her body position and posture.

"It's about Naruto, he's hurt… too bad. We can't do anything, and we thought maybe you could." Shizune explained breathlessly.

Hinata whistled as she stripped down to nothing and slipped into the shower. She was having a good day so far. She had even got along really with both her father and cousin this morning at breakfast. They each thanked her more than once for the breakfast, and praised her cooking skills. She found it out of the ordinary, but in a good way, so why would she question it?

"We need a sealed room, STAT!" Tsunade screamed from the ER. Shizune had briefed her on Naruto's situation, and she had rushed down to help. It was worse than Naruto had ever been. This was beyond life-threatening. It would take a miracle to save Naruto.

Hinata got of the shower, humming her favorite song as she began to do her hair, and brush her teeth, and finish her morning bathroom rituals. She was excited about today as well. Naruto was supposed to return from his mission.

"Get THAT scroll!" Tsunade said through several tears. She didn't ever want to use the technique she was about to, it defied all nature. But it was for Naruto… her surrogate son.

"I'm off to meet with my team," Hinata called softly to the other people in the house. "Does anyone need anything before I go?"

"Yeah," Neji called back, entering the room she was in. "I need you to pick up about 4 shurikens and 3 kunai. I'm learning a new technique and it requires more than I have. Hiashi-sensei says we need you to get them for us ASAP so I can begin the training."

"Of course," Hinata agreed. "I'll go get them now, and them I'll drop them off here and go to meet Kiba and Shino."

"His pulse is dropping!" a nurse shouted in surprise and fear. "65… 45… 25… he's flatlining!"

"I know!" Tsunade interjected rudely. "I just need to think on how to fix this… I… I can do it… just give me a second."

Hinata returned about 10 minutes later with the items Neji requested. And a gallon of milk she had remembered they needed.

"Thanks," Neji said when she brought him the items. He nodded to her, and she bowed back. Then as she turned to leave, Neji coughed to get her attention. She turned around and waited for him to speak. He stayed silent for a second and then spoke up. "I'm proud of how much you've grown. You're truly much stronger than you were during the Chuunin Exams. You've worked hard."

"Thanks!" Hinata beamed back at Neji. "That means a lot to me." Then she bowed and quickly rushed away.

"Tsunade-sama, there's nothing we could've done," one of the nurses said as softly as she could, to ease the Hokage's guilt.

"M-maybe you're right…" Tsunade adjusted herself awkwardly on the chair under her. Her leg slipped under her butt… then it slipped out, and the other one went other. She couldn't find a comfortable position. She was feeling so jittery. She was feeling like if she stopped moving… her heart would take the hint and stop working too.

She stood up and moved quickly to the door. She opened it… or tried to. It was locked, so as she twisted the knob it got caught. She slipped off the knob and tried to turn it again, still not realizing it was locked. She yanked at it. Tears streamed down her face as she yanked harder. When she still couldn't open the door, and several nurses and other medical ninja had gathered to help her.

She punched the door in frustration, not limiting her powers, and breaking the door, as well as launching it several hundred feet into hallway. Shikamaru caught the door, having been waiting in the hallway.

Hinata whistled as she walked down the sidewalk. She was happy. She was having a great day, and Naruto was supposed to be coming home today. She thought that her luck was finally looking up, after working so hard. Maybe the God's realized that she did deserve happiness. Maybe today would be the day she told Naruto that she loved him.

They had become great friends over the last few months, ever since the incident in which she saved Naruto from a Sound Ninja ambush. He had begun to trust her as a friend. She was working her way. Now that Neji had told her she had grown, she finally believed it. She was ready to tell Naruto.

"D-dead?" Shikamaru stuttered. "N-Naruto is dead?" He dropped back to his seat. He had never lost any of his friends on a mission before. Even his first mission as a squad leader, Neji, Chouji, and Kiba ended up being okay. They lived… this was the first time.

"Yes… there was nothing we could do," the secondary surgeon explained to Shikamaru. "It wasn't a time thing either, though… that Pein's attack was just too strong. Naruto should've died on impact from that attack. But he held on long enough for one thing."

"For what!?" Shikamaru snapped at the uncaring doctor.

"He told us how Pein's abilities work. He even told us how to defeat him. He didn't die in vain."

"BUT HE DIED, DIDN'T HE!?" Tsunade interjected from behind the surgeon. "I couldn't save him! Again… not again… he…" Tsunade dropped to her knees from behind the surgeon, weeping heavily.

"Naruto's back!?" Hinata repeated back to Kakashi, questioningly.

"Hai," Kakashi nodded. "He got back this morning. He was injured, but I'm sure Tsunade has fixed him up by now."

"That's great!" Hinata jumped a little. "Hokage-sama can fix anything… he must be fine! I'll go see him!"

"Tell him I say hello," Kakashi relayed to Hinata. She nodded, acknowledging the request and rushing off to the hospital.

"How's Sakura doing, about the news?" Ino asked the co-surgeon.

"She's in an empty hospital room on the third floor," he answered quickly. "She said she needed some time alone, so I told her she could take the vacant one."

"This is truly awful," Ino muttered, sadly. "I didn't know him as well as most people… but even I'll miss him. Which room is Sakura in?"

"Room 312."

"Thank you."

"Where's Naruto?" Hinata asked the nurse sitting behind the counter at the front desk.

"I don't know if he's out of surgery yet," the nurse lied. She knew Hinata couldn't hear it from her. She had to play dumb. "You should ask the fellow he came in with. That Chuunin, Shikaku's son, Shikamaru I think."

"Thank you," Hinata smiled, bowing and continuing down the hallway outside the operating room.

"Nara!" a young medical ninja called. "There's a young woman who'd like to speak with you."

"Who the hell is it!?" Shikamaru snapped angrily from another room. He was still busy blaming himself for Naruto's death to be polite.

"Excuse me, miss, can I ask your name?" the medical ninja inquired.

"I'm Hyuuga Hinata, I was told that Shikamaru could tell me what's going on with Naruto." Hinata answered as politely as possible.

"It's Hyuuga Hinata!" the ninja called to Shikamaru.

"Uh… I'll be out in a second." Shikamaru answered from the other room again.

"H-he's… dead!?" Hinata asked, shaking slightly as she sat down. "That can't be! Where is he… really?"

"I wish I was lying," Shikamaru said sadly. The look in his face was terrible… like he was trying to not cry, mainly because he was.

"H-how'd it happen!?" Hinata asked hysterically. "Who did it TO HIM!?"

"It was Pein," Shikamaru answered hesitantly. "But Naruto found a way to defeat him… so he died for a cause."

"Don't give me that, you don't even believe it!" Hinata interjected. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Shikamaru… I… I just can't believe he's gone. I shouldn't have snapped."

"It's fine," Shikamaru said as comfortingly as possible. "I only somewhat understand what you must be feeling… but we all miss him. He was a great ninja."

"HE WAS A GREAT MAN!" Hinata burst out. She took a deep breath again. "He… loved this village with all his heart."

"That, he did," Shikamaru agreed. "I'm requesting he be rewarded with the rank of Jounin, and be placed among the other's who have died protecting our village."

"I…" Hinata suddenly burst out into tears. Before she was just angry. Angry at Pein, at Shikamaru, at Naruto… but mostly at herself. Now she was dying. Her life felt hopeless. She had lived for Naruto, but he died… what else was there to do for her, but to die?

"Sakura?" Ino asked as she slowly opened the door to Room 312.

"I'm here…" Sakura coughed at the door before turning back to her pillow.

"Are… you doing okay?" Ino asked, concerned.

"N-no…" Sakura stuttered as she sobbed into her pillow. "My best friend is dead! He's dead!"

"I know," Ino said soothingly as she found a seat next to Sakura on the bed. She put her arm around her.

"I'm sorry…" Shikamaru said softly, placing an arm around Hinata. "Please, blame me. It's my fault. I should've made sure he had the backup. And… we should've gotten back faster."

"It… it's not… your… fault…" Hinata sobbed through her steady streams of tears. "It's nobody's fault… I… just…" She burst into louder tears. "What am I supposed to do, now?"

"What am I supposed to do?" Sakura whispered desperately as she turned her head to Ino. "He… he was my best friend…"

"He was… a good friend to everyone." Ino agreed. "I know I didn't know him very well—"

"—THAT'S RIGHT! You didn't know him well!" Sakura interjected. "You, and me, and Sasuke, and Kiba, and Shino, and everyone…" She burst into tears again. "I did this to him! It just took 10 years!"

"I don't know what the best think to do is," Shikamaru admitted. "I'm having trouble too… but I have one thing I know I have to do."

"Wh-what is that?" Hinata stuttered through her tears.

"I have to kill Pein," Shikamaru half-smirked. "He gave us the way to do it… that was the legacy of his death, that's what he gave his life for. I have to make sure it wasn't in vain."

"C-can… I help!?" Hinata begged. "I… need some reason to live. I wanna catch Naruto's killer!"

"You didn't do this," Ino explained. "Pein did this to him."

"Why do I feel like this!?" Sakura practically yelled.

"Like what?" Ino asked, confused.

"Like… like the only thing left for me to do… in my life… is to kill Pein?"

"I think that's called determination," Ino chuckled a little bit.

"I feel like I would give my life to protect the village… to kill Naruto's killer. To protect his pride." Sakura trailed off at the end. Even she realized what was going on at that point.

"That's how Naruto used to talk."

"This must be how Naruto felt all the time." Sakura chuckled a small bit too, through her tears. "He's passed it on to us…"

"Passed what on?"

"He's given it to me!" Hinata smiled at Shikamaru, while still begging. "He's given it to us all! His will! His will of fire!"

"I feel the same way," Shikamaru smirked. "We have to avenge him… and we have to protect this village. That's what he died for. To give us the information… and his will."

Hinata stood, tearful on the top of the Hokage faces. She sobbed uncontrollably for a few minutes, remembering her true love. But then she sucked up her sniffle. She looked up at the sky, and smiled.

"Thank you, Naruto!" She shouted. "You have given this village the only thing that could've saved it! I'll always love you, and I will avenge you! I will protect Konoha in your place!"

All over Konoha, people were having similar experiences. Naruto's death had been a trade. One knuckleheaded ninja, that loved nothing more than this village, for an entire village that loved the village for than anything. Everyone would protect the village. Everyone, now… they had the will of fire.