Chapter 9

To say that Kenmaru was pissed would be like saying Itachi liked Pocky or Naruto thought ramen tasted ok. It was a massive understatement. Two Genin. All it took to completely stop the first wave of the Sound's planned invasion was two Genin. 'Otokage-sama will not be pleased' he though to himself.

Of the 4 ANBU, 10 Jounin, 15 Chuunin, and 21 Genin, their numbers had been reduced to 4 Jounin, 7 Chuunin and 9 Genin. All 4 ANBU had been wiped out by that… that… thing. The strange phantasm that was apparently a member of the Genin team supporting the border patrol had done most of the damage. How he did so was painfully obvious.

'First, he played off of our fears, what with the creepy fog and that strange shadow that surrounded him. That was almost as scary as Orochimaru-sama on a bad day. Next, he surprise attacked us with Kage Bunshin and those strange chakra attacks. Then, his teammate and him carried off our prisoners and lead us straight into a fuck load of traps. We didn't see them because we were so intent at perusing them. Then, the ANBU disappeared as they were the only ones capable of following them. By the time the rest of us caught up to the battle sight, one was paralyzed from a broken neck, and we never found the bodies of the other two. It appeared that the last ANBU was killed in the initial ambush. Damn it all. By the time we had arrived, they had vanished. Damn it. At this rate, we'll never finish reinforcing our position before the Konoha forces arrive.'

A rather long and colorful string of curses flowed out of the man's mouth. Under his orders, everyone who could make Iwa, Mizu, Kage, or Suna Bunshin were told to make as many as possible to speed up the process of building their outpost. It wasn't as far into the Fire Country as they'd hoped, but still…

Now, if only the Rice Country's army would arrive. Then they'd be set.

Naruto could feel each and every ache in his body. Pain flared up each time he was jolted, which was quite a lot. He opened his eyes, squinting from the light that shone into his eyes. His head was resting on the right shoulder of… someone. The evening sun was shining in his eyes. Naruto raised his head and took a look around. Miho was carrying a still unconscious Hinata. Her face was turned away from Naruto, so he couldn't see her eye, but she had bandages wrapped around her entire head. He was riding on Kagemaru's back. Some sort of solid Bunshin, whether it was Kage or any of the others, Naruto couldn't tell, of both of the Chuunin were carrying all the luggage that Naruto's clones were carrying before Naruto passed out and his clones dissipated.

Naruto groaned at a particularly rough jolt as the pain lanced through his body. It was his over strained chakra pathways that burned. 'Shit, this might take a while to heal.' In the mean time, Naruto racked his memories in search of one little piece of information. 'Did my clones get to the other patrols or not…' He continually searched over and over. Finally, it came to him. Only the two closest to their sector had been alerted, and had probably alerted the Hokage via messenger birds.

The two Chuunin stopped, setting down their passengers. With a nod, Miho took off to set traps so they could rest, while Kagemaru checked over the injured Genin.

'Naruto is doing ok, despite coming out of a ridiculously outmatched battle. His chakra pathways are badly burned, but they should recover. Hinata… it's just too sad. In a clan that values eyesight above all else, she had a high chance of loosing her eye. I can't be sure yet, but… at best she'll have a blind spot right in front of her, even if it heals up. Well, unless Tsunade-hime herself came to heal her, but she hasn't been seen in years…'

Naruto groaned and tried to sit up, only to fail and lie back down. "Water… please…"

Kagemaru held the canteen over the boy's lips so he could slowly drink. After nearly draining the container, Naruto nodded slightly in thanks and drifted back into unconsciousness.

Miho landed next to Kagemaru. "How are they doing?"

"Naruto will recover in about a month, and at least a week of that has to be in the hospital or his chakra pathways could be scarred permanently. Hinata… well… she'll be lucky if she doesn't loose her eye, but even more so if she still has any decent sight out of it. In any case, she's gonna be nearly half blind for the rest of her life."

Miho seemed to whither, remembering her and Kagemaru's original team mate back when they were still on a Genin team.

(Flash back) Warning: This flashback WILL MAKE YOU CRY! Don't read if you don't want to!

"Ohaiyo, Miho-chan."

"Ohaiyo, Kagemaru-kun."

The other person just smirked. His pale eyes were obviously that of a Hyuuga, but surprisingly, his hair was an almost exact copy of his pale eye's color, rare but not unheard of trait in the Hyuuga family. He wore the typical black pants and pale crème colored jacket that composed the Hyuuga training outfit. His left arm and right leg were bandaged. The pack he wore was light, containing only the bare necessities.

"Aw, Kenji-sama is in a bad mood?"

"…"

"Man, I knew you were good at the Hyuuga Grimace no jutsu, but to be able to maintain it 24/7 is nothing short of amazing! Its true that the Hyuuga are really great, aren't they, Miho-chan?"

Miho giggled "Of course. At least he isn't doing his signature move, the Hyuuga Monologue no jutsu. That one is truly scary!"

The two burst out laughing while Kenji just sat there, leaning against the building he was standing by, his face completely emotionless. Apparently the Uchiha and Hyuuga had something in common other than black hair, a doujutsu, and sticks up their asses. They also had that annoying emotionless face that was either annoyed, apathetic, or in an arrogant smirk. It must be true that they were related…

"So, you guys ready for the Second Exam?"

The Jounin that had landed near the three Genin was very… typical. He wore the standard Jounin uniform, and wore his forehead protector on, so uniquely (sarcasm…) on his forehead.

"Daisuke-sensei, you're the one who trained us. You of all people should know we're gonna kick everyone's asses!" An exited Kagemaru nearly shouted. He did shout and carry on when their team was first formed, but they had 'broken' him of that particular habit. It's a shame that the Hyuuga was too far gone… Oh well.

"Well then, it's almost 9 o'clock, so get going!"

(8 hours later)

Kagemaru was lying on the ground, his body partially covering Miho's. Kenji stood in the typical Jyuuken stance, Byakugan activated, staring at the three Rock Nins that were facing him.

"Give up your scroll and we'll leave… after we have our fun with the girl…"

"SHUT UP, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

Miracle upon miracles, Kenji spoke. "Its ninja like you that give us a bad name. Why don't you just run along and play with that microscopic thing you call genitals in the bushes."

"Why you little…"

The three attacked. Each and every attack was blocked by the Hyuuga, and several quite deadly counter attacks were flung back at them. Two were down, but the team captain was still standing.

He pulled out a kunai and attacked. Slash after slack was dodged. For nearly 5 straight minutes this went on, until finally Kenji was off balance. He was in a position that he couldn't correct and would either have to fall, making him an easy target, or completely stop to correct himself, which would make it easier to attack him. The Rock Nin's attack had just slashed diagonally down to his left. With a sudden reversal, the knife flipped from a reverse hold to a traditional hold. Before anyone could do anything, the backslash sliced clean across the Hyuuga's face. Blood flew through the air in little droplets, almost a mist, as the Hyuuga's right eye was sliced completely through. The ninja pulled his arm back and plunged his kunai deep into the Hyuuga's chest. Hyuuga Kenji, one of the more talented of the Branch members, was dying.

The Rock Nin spat on the Hyuuga's now prone form. "Pathetic. Wasn't even worth my time."

Rage overcame Kagemaru. Despite the kunai in his leg that made him wince in pain when he stood, it didn't stop him from activating the most powerful jutsu he knew.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!"

The fireball caught the Rock Nin off guard. His screams of pain could be heard through out the Forest of Death.

Kenji was barely alive. His blood was slowly seeping out of the hole in his chest, and it coated his lips, running down the side of his face. It flowed freely from the gash in his pulverized eye. He coughed, tasting the metallic tang of his own blood, spitting it out as best as he could. Kagemaru was kneeling over him trying to reassure the dying Hyuuga.

"It's gonna be ok, Kenji. We'll get out of this. Don't die on me!"

"Where…cough are your insults cough now, dobe…"

"Dammit, don't die on me! You were rookie of the year, you can't die! Hyuuga are supposed to be invincible! I swear if you die on me I'll pull you back from the afterlife and kill you myself!"

"Cough cough cough. Will you do… one last thing..cough… for me, Kagemaru."

"Yeah, I'll do it. Just don't die on me."

Kenji reached his hand up and grasped Kagemaru's. He pulled out a kunai and slit both his own palm and his friends, grasping his hand. He let their blood mix.

"When I die… tell my cough family… the color…cough… of my eyes…cough brother…"

With one final fit of coughing, Hyuuga Kenji, top of his graduating class, smiled. Not a smirk, not a grimace, but a true and genuine smile. His eyes closed for the last time, and for the first and last time, Kagemaru saw tears slide down his friend… no, his brother's face.

His own tears were dripping off his chin and onto the dead boy's almost peaceful face. With one finger, he lifted the eyelid of his friend's unmarred eye. He was staring into a lifeless golden brown, a far cry from the pale lavender he was used to seeing. Slowly, he closed the eye again before crawling over to the unconscious form of his other team mate and sobbing himself to sleep.

(End Flash back) Ok, it's safe to continue reading now.

Before either of them could react, a large group of Medic Nin and two ANBU squads jumped into the clearing. They tensed up for a moment before recognizing the Leaf emblem all over their various items.

One ANBU approached them and said "Report?"

They explained the situation to them while the medics patched up a still unconscious Naruto, Hinata, Ibiki, and Chouji. They loaded them onto stretchers and jumped into the treetops, making as much haste as possible to get them back to the Konoha General Hospital.

"I see. You are ordered to return to Konoha and await further orders from the Hokage."

"Hai." The two Chuunin took off, passing another two squads of Konoha ANBU as they met up with the others. They followed after the Medic Nins, anxious to see Team 7's fate.

Naruto woke up to an annoying beep. It kept beeping and beeping. His eyes were attempting to adjust to the darkness while he reached over to where his alarm clock should be, trying to turn it off. His hand only hit air. Looking over, he saw wires and tubes coming off his body, and a heartbeat monitor. 'So that's the beeping I hear…'

Feeling too tired to try to stand, but too awake to go back to sleep, he drew out a little chakra from his surroundings, testing his chakra pathways. They were still stinging in a couple of places, like his palms, but for the most part were in working order. They were much larger than before, but they still worked. Dropping into a trance, Naruto extended his awareness, slowly building links to his body, a trickle of chakra coming from each link into his seal, keeping him alive. Slowly, it would fill, but at this rate, it would take a very long time. Not in days, or weeks, but more in months. Around 16 at this rate, and that's if he didn't use any between then and now. He sighed and drifted off to sleep. The last thought that ran through his head before he finally fell into its kind embrace was 'I wonder if Hinata is ok…'

Naruto finally woke then next morning, the doctor came in and gave him a check up. The doctor was at first puzzled as to why Naruto had no chakra, but Naruto explained to him about his bloodline and the empty (or nearly empty anyway) seal. The doctor was rather surprised, but eventually released him from the hospital on strict orders of bed rest for the next week and a half. No training, no chakra molding if at all possible, just the life of a civilian until his chakra pathways had sealed and he has a decent amount of chakra stored up again. So, naturally, the first thing Naruto did is… if you thought training you're wrong. He went to see his team mates.

Sighing, Naruto slowly and quietly pushed open the door to Ibiki-sensei's room. His Jounin instructor, although rather intimidating and very verbally abusive, had grown on the three, and Naruto wouldn't trade him for the world. He found him to be, surprisingly, awake.

"Ibiki-sensei, how're you doing?"

"Oh, I'm still rather sore, Naruto. The knock out poison they gave me wasn't really that potent, but it turns out that I'm allergic to it. So, my chakra is messed up for the next week or so. I'm stuck in bed till the day after tomorrow at least."

"At least you're alive. I'm glad…"

Ibiki smiled, something he really only did since accepting this Genin team.

"It's good to know someone cares…"

"…Ibiki-sensei, do you have… any family?"

Ibiki smiled sadly. "Not really. My parents were killed when I was a Genin, my brother ran away from Konoha and became a messenger, and my wife…" Here, he paused. The most feared man in Konoha was on the verge of crying.

"I'm… sorry. I didn't mean to pry…"

"No…no, it's perfectly ok. I'm… glad to know… that at least three people accepted me for me… not for my title. Being Chief Interrogator and Captain of the Torture and Interrogation Squad gives you a nasty reputation. I'm more than glad I gave that position to Anko. She's even better than I was…"

Silence slowly fell in the room. For a half of an hour, they sat in silence, just enjoying each other's company. Finally, Naruto spoke up.

"Ibiki-sensei… I'm going to go check on Chouji and Hinata. I hope you get well. I'd bring you some flowers, but something tells me that's not your style…"

Ibiki chuckled. Naruto stood and walked out of the room. Slowly, he wandered the halls, finding his way to Chouji's room. He slowly opened the door, again not wanting to wake his team mate is he is sleeping.

Chouji was still asleep. True, Naruto didn't get a good look at him while he and his clones were moving him from the ambush spot, but now, it was painfully obvious that Chouji had fought the group with Ibiki. Almost all of Chouji's fat had disappeared, and his well toned muscles stood out underneath his skin. Naruto smiled knowingly at the flowers and get well cards that were marked as being from Shikamaru and Ino, and a large basket of junk foods from his family. Naruto smiled at the BBQ Pork flavored chips that made up of most of the basket, knowing that was his favorite. 'I'm definitely gonna have to take him out to BBQ when he's out of the hospital. He'll enjoy that…'

Naruto again stood up after spending a few moments with his team mate… no, his friend. He walked towards his final destination for the day, hoping and praying that she was ok.

(Flash Back)

Hinata looked up at Naruto's face as he crouched over her. She could only see half of what she usually could. A strange calm came over her. Her voice was wracked with pain. She shuddered and reached out a hand, cupping Naruto's masked face.

"Naruto-kun…Ashiteru…" Her body went limp. Naruto grabbed her hand and held it to his face. His tears were soaking the front of his mask, but he didn't care. He could only watch as his closest friend died in his arms

(End Flash Back)

'Did she really mean it? Did she really love me? I know she liked me, and I know she had a major crush on me, but… was it truly love? And why do I feel like I do when I think about her… What do I feel for her? What do I truly want from her? Friendship or love?'

Naruto continued to ponder this as he slowly approached Hinata's room. However, just before he entered it, a doctor stopped him.

"Hyuuga-san, Hinata-san is awake, but… I'm not sure if you want to see her. She… is rather depressed. I don't know how she'll handle visitors."

"Sir, she is my team mate, and more so, she's my friend. She needs me, and I'll be damned to the seventh layer of hell before I leave a friend in need."

The doctor recoiled at the killer intent and incredible intensity Naruto spoke those words with. He slowly nodded, lowering his head in defeat. Naruto slid open the door so see Hinata sitting up in bed, her head hanging down, bandages covering nearly half her head. It was painfully obvious from the dampness of the bandages and blankets and from the swelling around her eyes that she had been crying for quite a while.

"Hinata-chan…"

She looked up as Naruto walked over to sit in a chair next to her and sat down. She looked at him for a moment before looking away. 'He'll never accept me now… if I couldn't get him before now, then I sure as hell cant get him now that I'm…disfigured…'

She burst into another wave of silent tears. This did not slip past Naruto. He leaned in and gave her a warm, comforting hug.

"Hinata-chan…"

"Naruto-kun… What…what will father say? I co…could barely pa…pass his tests be…before, but now…"

Hinata leaned into the hug Naruto had not broken, crying into his shoulder. He just sat there and held her, not quite sure of what to do. So he did what just felt natural to him. He softly patted her back, trying to comfort her while whispering to her.

"Shh, Shh, it'll all be ok… I won't abandon you. Trust me. And if Hiashi-sama tries to do anything about a wound you honorably received in battle, I'll shove his marriage bed so far up his ass that he'll never find it again. It's ok… just let it all out…"

Hinata cried for another couple of minutes before finally sitting back, only hiccupping every few minutes or so.

'I wish… I wish there was something more I could do for you…'

"Hinata… if there is anything you want me to do for you, just ask. I'll do anything so see you smile again…"

Hinata's eye widened at this statement…….no, this promise. She thought back to what she said just before she passed out. 'I have to ask him… Kami-sama, if you have wished good fortune on me, please let me have the courage to tell him…'

"Naruto… I need to know…"

She paused. Her un-bandaged pale lavender eye looked deeply into his. Naruto could see the pain and the yearning in them.

"Naruto… I need to know… how do you feel about me? Will… Will you ever love me, or… are we forever fated to remain…just fiends…"

"Hinata…"

Everything that had happened in the past few days rushed through his mind. He felt the anger, the rage, he felt how much he wanted to protect Konoha, his team and… Hinata… and when he was passing out, he remembered… he remembered how angry he felt that she had 'died', and when he had killed her attackers, he remember feeling… it was something he couldn't describe. It was something like his desire to protect her, but… also… it was more. A longing to make her happy, a need to make her smile, even if it cost him his own life… There was only one word he had ever heard that could describe something like this… Love.

"Hinata, I would go to the darkest pits of seven hells and back again to see you smile… All I ask is that you never leave me again…"

Hinata's eye widened. Despite her pain, her feelings of inadequacy, despite the fact that she only had one working eye and would be scarred for life, she felt pure, untainted joy well up inside of her. The tight yet gentle embrace Naruto pulled her into after that nearly brought tears to her eyes. She hugged him back, and although they were gently, they could feel the pressure of each other. Hinata was on cloud nine. It didn't matter that the tears were stinging her bandaged eye, it didn't matter that the doctor was watching them this whole time, and it certainly didn't matter that she caught a glimpse of her father standing in the doorway, one of his few genuine smiles playing on his lips before he slowly and quietly closed the door.

"Naruto… I've never been good with words… I can barely… make two sentences… without stuttering. But… if I could say it in any way that truly described how I felt about you, I would, but in the end… the truth of it is… I love you, Hyuuga Naruto. I wouldn't leave you for the world…"

Naruto felt… warm. Her heartbeat could be felt even through is thick jacket. It thumped in time with the beeping of the machine. Naruto, unable to find words for what he wanted to say, broke the embrace.

Hinata took this as a sign of rejection, and immediately she dropped her head, letting her posture sink into a dejected husk of what she was just a moment before. She didn't even register the fingers she felt under her chin, and didn't seem to notice Naruto lifting her head. What finally brought her out of this fall was when she felt something on her lips.

Hinata's mind went completely blank when she felt Naruto's lips on hers. The action she had been dreaming about for as long as she could remember had happened, and the only thing she could do was freeze up. Finally, when her mind had caught up, she let her arms wrap around her love, gentle yet assuring. New found confidence flowed through her and she leaned into him as best as she could from her semi prone position.

After a minute or two, they split and stared into each others eye(s). Their hands found each others and their fingers interlaced. Naruto scooted his chair up closer to the bed. He rested his head against the pillow Hinata was laying on as she scooted down to get more comfortable. They lay there, in complete silence, completely contented with just each other's presence. The small squeezes they gave each other's hand and the snuggling on the pillow was enough for each of them. Slowly, yet inexorably, Hinata drifted into a deep, peaceful slumber.

Naruto watched his newly proclaimed love. The happiness, despite the inescapable war waiting on the horizon, overflowed. It wasn't the plastic mask he had donned each day as a child, nor was it the contentedness he displayed at the Hyuuga house. This was a true feeling of unconditional love. Love without bounds, willing to do anything for her. Slowly, Naruto started to succumb to sleep, his mind replaying yet again what had happened at the battle site.

Suddenly, without warning, he sat up straight. Replaying the memory of the ANBU he killed with his Amatsu Tenshi no Senshu Hakke, Hyakunijuu Hatchiya, he saw the plants literally grow instantly. A blast of inspiration flooded him. He quietly stood and left to find Hinata's doctor. After half an hour of searching, he brought the rather confused medical professional to Hinata's room.

"Sir, I think I know a jutsu that can save her eye. I don't know exactly how it will affect her. I know that it will cause the cells in her eye to rapidly reproduce. I need to know… if I do this, can you limit and control the growth so that her eye heals properly?"

The doctor thought for a moment, playing any and all possible scenario in his mind. 'If what he says is true, then, yes, it's possible. However… if it gets out of control, there may be uncontrollable and irreversible side effects…'

"Hyuuga-san, how exactly do you expect this jutsu to work?"

Naruto explained to the man about the juiced up Life Force he can create. The doctor thought for a moment before finally saying "I believe it's possible, however I want at least 4 other doctors here for the operation, and I want Hinata-sama and her father's consent before we do anything."

"If there is even a 25 percent chance of this working, you have my consent as long as Hinata agrees."

"Hiashi-sama!" both Naruto and the doctor said in unison.

"What… what's going on?"

Hinata sat up, and her hand half way to her head from rubbing her eye. Naruto, yet again, explained the situation.

"Hinata, it's possible that you could completely loose your eye if this fails. As of now, you will only have partial vision. Do you want to go through with this."

Hinata sat there, mentally debating. She seemed to be wavering in the middle. After a moment, she managed to finally give her answer.

"You…have my consent."

"Then it's settled." The doctor said, before running off to get the most skilled doctors in Konoha.

Half an hour later, they were in a prepared operating room. The five doctors and Naruto stood around Hinata's unconscious form. Naruto was out of his training outfit and into a doctor's uniform. All the medical professionals around him nodded, and Naruto pulled out some chakra from one of the nurses who volunteered for the honor, and mixed it with a fair amount of Nature Chakra. Naruto experimented with the mix, slowly balancing it into a mixture only twice as strong as normal Life Force instead of the insane 500 times as strong life force created in the woods. Slowly, he lowered his glowing white hand over Hinata's eye…

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MU HU HO HA HA HAH! Fear my cliff hanger of DOOM! lol, I'm really hyper right now, sorry. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for the reviews! I'm starting to thing I've created a cult! I've even got bodily threats on me if I don't update soon! It makes me have the warm fuzzies inside! Kinda strange that a threat would do that to you, ne? Anyway, I don't have a lot to say right now, so… ill see you next time! Oh, and before I forget, no one has voted against a Lemon as of right now, so I will have one. I'll just put a warning ahead of it so you don't have to read it if you don't want to. Anyways, I gotta go to bed, school in the morning and all…. Laters!