AN: In response to Shadow Owner's review I will provide some background information that may help you to understand the last chapter a little better. Naruto is more worried about what Hinata said before she fainted than her well-being because while he knew Hinata was badly injured he greatly underestimated the severity of it because of the blood she had lost earlier from her arm. It wasn't until he asked her again and realized she was truly out of it and the bad guy saying he killed her that he truly realized how bad it was.

As for Tsunade promising not to let Hinata die, even though she can't promise that we know Tsunade has a soft spot for Naruto. After seeing Naruto so depressed she wanted to give him at least some hope.

Here's the new chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

Naruto obediently followed Sakura home after changing out of his blood-stained clothing. Sakura tried to make conversation but Naruto seemed to be deep in thought. After making some food for Naruto, Sakura turned to leave.

"Hey… Sakura?"

"What is it Naruto?"

"Does… well did Hinata ever say anything to you about me?"

Sakura was stunned.

Has he finally gotten it through his head she likes him? But how?

"Why do you ask?... Don't tell me… she was injured protecting you?!"

Naruto looked at the ground. The silence grew until Sakura was about to ask another question when Naruto started speaking again.

"The people we were after, they… they were smarter than we thought. When we first found them I just wanted to go right in but Hinata wanted to plan a strategy. It made me angry because Hinata… Hinata never argues with me so… I ran off. The criminals… they had hired ninja and… one of them transformed into me and… tricked Hinata into thinking it was me… Her left arm was badly hurt. I got away and tended to her but the ninjas caught up… they were going to take her hostage but I gave myself up instead. The boss was angry when he saw me. He knows… well how the village hates me and was going to go after Hinata again… I was just so angry… at myself at them… I had gotten rid of all but one ninja and the boss… I… there…"

"Naruto, what happened?" asked Sakura gently. He looked at her. She could see pain and hurt but anger as well.

"It should be me in surgery right now," he whispered.

"She protected you." It wasn't a question. Naruto nodded glumly.

"With her defense technique… but the… the last kunai… she couldn't get it because of her arm… it…" Naruto trailed off. Sakura was about to comfort him when his head snapped up, his eyes blazing. He crossed the distance between them and grabbed her.

"Is she going to die?" he demanded.

Sakura was dumbstruck.

Why did it have to take this to open his eyes? He finally understands how she's always felt about him.

"Tell me!" a hint of pleading entering his voice as he shook her.

Sakura looked away.

"It's most likely… she will die."

"That's not true. Why are you lying to me?" but the fight had left Naruto's voice. He let go of Sakura and started backing away from her, as if distance would make her words not true.

"I'm so sorry Naruto."

Naruto just stared at her.

Why? Why Hinata? Why now? WHY?!

Naruto whirled and threw his fist through his kitchen wall.

"Naruto!"

Naruto slipped to the floor cradling his hand.

"I'm sorry Hinata. So sorry."

How will I find out if she really said 'I love you' before she passed out now?

Sakura just stared at the boy that had always cheered her up. The boy she had never seen sad for longer than a couple minutes. And that boy was slumped on his kitchen floor on the verge of tears.

What am I going to do? I've never seen him like this. Not even when Sasuke left.

She reached down and helped him to his feet.

"Come on Naruto. I'll take you back to the hospital and fix your hand. Then we can wait for Hinata to come out of surgery. Tsunade-sama won't let her die that easily."

Naruto didn't move.

"Hey don't you want to be there to help if you can. She really admires you, you know. She won't give up that easily. Remember her nindo."

Naruto looked up. Sakura was ecstatic to see hope in his eyes.

"Hinata? She can be alive?"

"Yes. Tsunade-sama's the best," Sakura nodded. As they walked towards the hospital, Sakura looked briefly to the sky.

Please be alive Hinata. I don't know if Naruto will survive if the hope I gave him is shattered.

Naruto fingered the bandages Sakura had put on his hand, while waiting outside the surgery room.

Hinata's always been there for me ever since the chuunin exam. I wasn't there for her. I got her hurt not once but twice. She can't die. What if she does love me? I have to know. Could I love her? She believed in me before anyone else did. She can't die. Hinata…

The operating light above the door telling the people waiting that the surgery was still in progress flicked off. Naruto was on his feet in a second, his heart beating faster and faster.

Please be alive. Please be alive. Please be alive. Please be alive.

Tsunade stood behind the door observing Naruto.

Something really did happen that he blames himself for. I'm going to need him to tell me what happened. Might as well get this out of the way now.

As she came through the door, Naruto began pestering her with questions.

Not questions, question, thought Tsunade.

"Is Hinata alive, is she alright?"

Every single question was some form of Hinata's well-being.

"Naruto! You need to give me room to breathe first."

Naruto snapped his mouth shut and looked expectantly at Tsunade.

"Hinata lost a lot of blood…"

Naruto took a step back, fear in his eyes.

"Tsundae-baa chan you promised… you promised…"

His mind finished what he couldn't say out loud without breaking down.

You promised she wouldn't die.

"Naruto she's not dead! Just calm down for one minute."

She's not dead. Hinata's alive. Hinata's alive. Hinata…

Naruto sat down heavily in his chair. He'd never felt so happy in his life.

"I need to see her," he muttered. He stood up quickly.

What if Tsundae-baa chan is lying to me?

The thought made a chill run down his back and the happiness he'd felt seconds before disappeared.

Why do I care so much? Why does the thought of Hinata dead make me feel like my heart is breaking?

"I want to see her," he almost demanded.

"Naruto she just came through surgery."

"I NEED TO SEE HER! I NEED TO KNOW SHE'S ALIVE!"

The tone of his voice, commanding but on the verge of breaking, told Tsunade there wasn't anything she could say that would persuade him otherwise. She sighed.

"Very well. Follow me."

As Naruto followed Tsunade, his heart wouldn't stop pounding.

Is Tsunade-baa chan lying to me? Is she doing this because she's angry at me for letting Hinata get hurt? But what if she's telling the truth? Could she be alive?

As Naruto caught sight of Hinata all thoughts fled from his mind. She was on a hospital bed covered in tubes and wires. She was pale.

So pale.

Hinata… his heart cried out.

"Hinata…" Naruto whispered. It broke Tsunade's heart to see Naruto like this. He slowly walked towards the bed. His hands were shaking. He raised one hand and slowly put his fingers to the pulse on her neck where a constant pressure assured him.

She's alive!

Tsunade almost left to give them some privacy but her role as Hokage came first.

"Naruto I need you to come back to my office and tell me what happened."

"I'll tell you what happened here. I'm not leaving until she wakes up."

Tsunade hesitated. She had wanted to keep this little bit of info to herself.

Do I really want to tell him this now, if at all?

"Well Naruto… there… may be a problem with that-"

"What are you talking about? She's alive she'll wake up," Naruto interrupted. He was getting angry very quickly. Tsunade knew she had to choose her words carefully.

"We don't know if she will wake up," Naruto's eyes widened and he stared at Tsunade while she continued. "As I said she lost a lot of blood and… her heart stopped for a significant amount of time during surgery." Naruto started shaking his head, trying to ignore her words.

She has to wake up. She will wake up. Hinata…

Tsunade continued, "While yes, she is technically alive there is a significant chance she won't wake up again."

As the words finally sank in Naruto turned back to face Hinata.

Her hands are still so cold. Will she really never wake up again?

"I'm so sorry Hinata…" Naruto trailed off as his voice cracked and a tear rolled down his cheek and fell on Hinata's head.

"It's not your fault you know."

Naruto whipped his head around, anger building again.

"Yes, it is! I-"

"Naruto! I don't know what happened yet but if you hadn't gotten her here as quick as you did she wouldn't even be alive right now."

In fact if you didn't have the demon fox inside you, you wouldn't have even made it to the village before she died. Tsunade had never been happier about the demon fox in her life.

Naruto's eyes grew wide at her words.

"You… you mean that?"

Tsunade nodded. Naruto sat down in a chair beside Hinata's bed.

"I'll tell you what happened but I don't care if she never wakes up. I won't leave her side until she does."

Tsunade sighed. She had kind of seen this coming. He at least deserved a week at the least off to stay with her.

"Very well. Now… tell me what happened."

Naruto began recounting his story, all the time keeping a firm hold on the still girl's hand lying next to him.

I updated a little sooner than I thought because yesterday when I sat down at 2:30 to start writing a little bit I looked up at the clock to find it was 4:45 and I had written 10 more pages to my story. :P I will start updating a little bit more frequently because there is a lot of story between this chapter and where I finished writing. I'm a little iffy about some of my ideas but I will sort them out. This story is going to be a lot longer than I ever immagined it would be. My story is over 6,000 words long and I haven't typed the 10 pages I wrote yesterday onto my computer yet. So please be patient. Thanks for reading.

I don't own Naruto.