First of all: Thanks to all reviewers! I love to read them! I was kind of productive the last days, so there'll come two chapters in a row, and both longer. Like always, I hope you enjoy reading and leave me some reviews. :3
I haven't got any mails for my planned project... that's a little sad, but maybe some of you change their minds... :D
Hinata knew that it was crazy, but she also knew that she had to do something. Naruto, or what has to be Naruto, acted completely wild. She heard enough to know that the chance of forcing him back to normal now weren't pretty high, even if Kiba and Akamaru were able to move fast, a small voice inside her told her that they wouldn't be fast enough to come near him now. With her Byakugan she had seen the point from where that other chakra came from, maybe if she was able to hit exactly that spot with a yuuken, maybe that would force this chakra back. She heard Sakura telling that this 'thing' hurts Naruto, the longer it has hold of him and she wanted it to stop.
Earlier, Sakura had told her that Naruto has an enormous self-healing-power, and since she wasn't blind and could clearly see that the attacks those enemy-nin were starting couldn't harm him. Every wound healed nearly the same second it was made. She knew that she don't has to directly touch her opponent to use the yuuken, but she has to have a contact after all. A shuriken and a chakra-string attached to it was an opportunity too, and that was what she planned to do.
But Naruto in his mini-Kyubi form was everything else than a easy target. He was always moving, or at least parts of him. His five, nearly six chakra-tails were waging furiously around, his chakra alone was able to blew her off her feet like a storm. Three times it knocked her off her feet, two times against a tree, but she stood up and continued her way. Only one short moment he was inattentive, and she used her chance.
The shuriken was flying straight at its destined spot, slipping through two tails and the moment she felt that it hit she send some chakra of hers, which caused him to scream like crazy. Furiously he looked in her direction, growling deeply, and jumped into her direction.
"Naruto-kun!" she shouted. "Naruto-kun! Wake up! Come back! It's over!"
His paw grabbed her tight, it hurt her and it was hard for her to breath.
"Naruto-kun, please." She whispered, and he stopped.
Naruto heard Hinata's voice like through thick fog. As he opened his eyes he was drifting behind the lattice the Kyubi normally sat behind. He felt the tight grip around himself, feeling the blood thirst and the killing intend all around him. Loads of the red chakra was leaking out, and he felt numb. As he looked closer he could see through the Kyubi's eyes, and his heart nearly stopped as he saw Hinata in his paw/hand. He pulled back, grabbed what he could reach of the daemon-fox and pulled back hardly.
'What are you trying, you little moron?' he growled.
'I'm going to stop you, you won't hurt her!' he shouted back.
'Why should I? I was just starting to enjoy myself.' The monster laughed.
'I'm not willing to let you hurt her, not more as you already did!' and he pulled again hardly. The beast screamed, in its spirit and with his body.
'You fool! Do you really think you can stop me? I am your big chakra-source! I brought you were you are now!'
'LIAR! You were the source for all my sadness, for the hell of a childhood I had to go through! Because of you my parents died, the people avoided me! I won't allow you to hurt only one person precious to me!'and he mobilised his own chakra, which was bigger as he ever would've believed. With a last hard pull he managed to drag all of the red chakra bag where it belonged to.
'Why do you do something stupid?'
'Because I love her, and I don't want to lose her.' he replied, and he let himself drift back where he belonged, and with reaching that point the pain reached him too.
Hinata already fell on the floor, snapping for fresh air, but she crawled to him, as he sank moaning on the ground.
"Naruto-kun! Are you ok?" she asked, still breathing hard.
"Yeah… Hina… chan… thank… you…" he moaned. "You… saved… my… butt…" he managed a grin, and tears of relief ran down her cheeks.
"Hinata… I…" he started again.
"You shouldn't talk Naruto-kun, don't exhaust yourself more than necessary."
"I… know…" he grinned again. "I… just… wanted to… tell you… that… I… love… you." He managed to say.
She was stunned, and her face must have clearly shown it, because he looked curious. But then she smiled and hugged him.
"I.. I love you too." She whispered. He pulled her a little away, and now he kissed her. First she was surprised, but then she answered his kiss, and both of them didn't care that the rest of their team came running towards them. The only thing that mattered was this moment. As they broke apart the others still had a few meters to reach them.
"Hinata, please don't do something again, it's ways too dangerous." He said, looking concerned.
"Don't lecture me." She replied back, slightly pouting. "I knew that I could do it."
"You did?"
"Yes, I did. And I did it, didn't I?"
"Yeah…" he grinned. "Alright, here they come…" he mumbled, causing her to giggle.
"NARUTO!! ARE YOU CRAZY? YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GO SUICIDAL ON MISSIONS, YOU IDIOT!" Sakura shouted.
"Yeah Sakura, I'm happy too to see you again." He grinned at her.
"AND YOU…" she looked at Hinata. "ARGH! I just don't know what I should say… are you insane? He could've killed you!"
"NO!" Naruto and Hinata shouted back in unison. Kiba started laughing, the faces of the two of them were just too funny.
"Well, both of you shouldn't do something crazy like that again." She said stern, examining Naruto and treating the wounds she found. As she went through the same procedure with Hinata she sighed.
"At least you're fine."
"You just could've asked, I would've told you." Naruto mumbled. Sakura hit him on the head.
"BAKA! Don't always joke with that! You should be glad we're caring!"
"Yosh Sakura-chan." He grinned sheepishly, rubbing his head.
"Ne, Shino, are we finished? Have you caught some?"
"Yes we did, I send a hawk to the ANBU, they should show up in one day, fetching them. They have better methods to handle them."
"Huh? Where are they?"
"Akamaru and Shino's bugs taking care of them. But I think we should go back, taking them to our camp with us." Kiba stated.
"By the way, I'm starving." Naruto whined, holding his stomach.
"At least that show's that you're back to normal." Kiba laughed.
"Can you get up?" Sakura asked.
"I think so." He said, and tried to get up. With the third try he finally made it.
"Three's a charm." He grinned.
"We're going straight to our camp, if you don't mind." Hinata said.
"Go ahead, we'll catch up to you soon." Shino said, turning round and walking back to where they left their hostages.
"Have you seen Sakura-chan's face? I was afraid that she'll beat the hell out of me."
"Of us." Hinata corrected. "She was worried, she really cares. She can't take losing another friend, you should understand that."
"I know, but after a certain point the fox is taking over, and I have no control over my body and its chakra."
"Why do you use it?"
"Well, mostly if I think I need it. It makes me ways stronger and I'm able to take down enemies I normally wouldn't stand a chance against. It protects me from harm…"
"No."
"Nani?"
"No, it doesn't protect you from harm. Maybe from harm from the outside, but it hurts you from the inside. I saw you bleeding, and that's not good."
"Really?"
"Yes. Why should I lie? It puts a big strain on you, you shouldn't do that. But how have you managed to force it back?"
"Because of you. I felt a little sting here." He said, pointing at his belly. "And then I've heard your voice. It woke me up and I started pulling it back."
"Naruto-kun?"
"Nani?"
"That's the beast that attacked the village, isn't it?"
"Yes." He said silently.
"Oh." She just said. "I see."
"What?"
"Now I know why you were alone."
"Hmm." He made and nodded.
"But I think my voice wasn't all, right?" she said.
"What?" he asked. "That doesn't bother you?"
"Why should it? You're still you, no monster or stuff." She replied in a matter of fact voice.
"Hinata, you're truly wonderful." He grinned and she blushed. "I found the strength to mobilise my own chakra. I never thought that I had that much of my own."
"See." She smiled. "That's a good example for 'you-don't-know-unless-you-try', right?"
"Right. But same counts for you, that was brave."
"No, it was insane. Sakura was right. But someone had to do something, and as I said, I just felt that I can do it."
"If you keep that self-confidence at home, no one will doubt your abilities."
"You think so?"
"Yes, I do. Believe me." He grinned.
"We will see, right?" she smiled. "First thing I'll do when I'm at home is looking for a solution of the family-thing."
"If you need help, just say it." He stated.
"I'll remember that." She replied, and helped him to sit down as they reached their camp.
It didn't take long until the rest appeared, the two hostages in tow, tied up better like a Christmas-present, a little swarm of Shino's bugs constantly around them.
"Better don't start any crazy things, unless you want us to become unfriendly." Shino stated, as they sat them down next to a tree. Akamaru lay down near them, just in case they start anything stupid
"Kiss me ass." Yuuto said weakly.
"I'd rather kick it." Kiba grumbled.
"If I were you I wouldn't make threats." Sakura warned him.
"What will you do then?" he bit back.
"Believe me, you don't want to find out what she does to you if she's angry." Naruto told him.
"Best thing for you is to shut up man. If you cause us any trouble, ANBU will let you pay for it." Kiba yawed.
"Haven't you said you were starving?" Hinata asked Naruto.
"Yeah." He nodded grinning.
"Me too." Kiba said.
"Alright then, I'll cook something." Sakura sighed.
"Hinata, could you get us some fresh water?"
"Hai."
"I'll join." Naruto said.
"No you won't." Hinata told him. "You'll stay here. Don't overdo it."
"Naw, you nearly sound like Tsunade-baa-chan and Sakura-chan." He whined and the rest laughed.
"Kiba, I need some fire-wood."
"Already on my way." He grinned.
"Ok, then let's see what we have left." She said, rummaging in the bags, looking through the stock.
A few minutes later Hinata and Kiba returned and she started cooking. The stomachs of their hostages grumbling with hunger as soon as the smell of the meal was circling around.
"You can have a little water, that's all." Shino stated.
"Are you sure they won't…?" Naruto asked.
"Positive. My bugs sucked them dry, and if they start something crazy, we still have the Byakugan."
Hinata nodded.
"If we're lucky ANBU will arrive in the morning hours and take them."
"Yosh." Naruto yawned. "I think I'll doze a little." He went over to another tree, sitting down leaning against its trunk.
"Me too." Kiba mumbled, curling up in his sleeping bag. Hinata helped Sakura to clean the dishes and put them away, then she went over to Naruto, sitting down next to him, leaning against him.
"I see, that leaves us again watching those two."
"For now. Later we'll wake them up."
"But let them have a rest, Naruto and Hinata had quite a lot of stress today."
"E… so desu. I never thought to see Naruto in this state."
"I hoped I never would again. But Hinata forced him back to normal faster than Yamato."
"They match really good."
"Yes, they do. Let's hope the best for them."