I Do Not Own Naruto

Chapter 10

Since he didn't live with a medic at the Hyūga compound he found himself going to the hospital with Hinata for his first check up since his discharge six weeks prior. Sakura had already arranged the appointment for him with Tsunade so he couldn't finagle his way out of going, and Hinata had been told about the appointment so he was going. After all, he didn't want to end up being a hole in the ground because Sakura came after him for missing his appointment.

"Naruto, are you alright?" Hinata asked when they got nearer to the hospital.

"Uh…" he didn't have an answer for that as he stared at the building. He didn't really want to be here but he didn't want to get on Sakura's bad side either.

"Come on," she tugged his sleeve and he followed her with reluctance. "I'll wait for you out in the waiting area," she said softly once they were in.

"Thanks Hinata," he mumbled as he walked up to the nurse's station where a young woman looked up at him.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Uzumaki for Tsunade," he grumbled.

"Right, her office is on the fourth floor two doors from the elevator on the right," the nurse said briskly as she walked off. He just walked to the elevator and pressed the button. It was strange seeing how much chaos the hospital was in almost two months after the war had concluded. The elevator dinged open on the second floor and he saw pink walking with green.

"Sakura!" he shouted and slipped off the elevator, he hadn't seen her since last week when he had secured her promise to train with him.

"Hey Naruto! I'll come chat with you about it some more Lee," Sakura informed bushy-brows.

"Thank you Sakura! You are truly the best," Lee announced as he hobbled off on his crutches. Sakura smiled at him as he caught up to her.

"What's up?" she asked.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were with Sasuke," Naruto stated flatly.

"I am, he's here for evaluation," she explained as they walked to a hallway bench.

"Evaluation?" he repeated.

"Yes, Naruto, evaluation," she explained patiently.

"Why?" Naruto demanded. "Why is Sasuke on evaluation?"

"Naruto, he's hurt, and this isn't a pain of the heart or the body, his mind, it's hurting him Naruto. He's here for evaluation," she said calmly and he felt his temper boiling then. Sasuke was fine!

"He's fine!" Naruto argued, Sakura sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"No, Naruto, he's not, he is not fine. He hurts, Naruto, he hurts a lot, but…" she sighed then she looked him in the eye and he found himself stiffening under her penetrating look. "He's healing, Naruto, and don't expect him to be fine or the same as when we knew him as a genin. He's not the same, and you expecting him to be fine or the same is not only foolish but will hurt him a great deal if you can't accept who he is now, Naruto. He's here for an evaluation to make certain his mind is healing, to make certain he's making progress."

"But Sakura, he came to our aid in the war, he's apologized, he's fine. He doesn't need an evaluation, Sasuke perfectly fine!" Naruto argued, the teme had been eating a fucking tomato when he had been yelling at him to stay away from Sakura for Kami's sake! If that didn't say he was alright then he didn't know what did say Uchiha Sasuke was alright!

Sakura let out a bitter laugh then which had him staring at her with wide eyes.

"You know, that's exactly why I didn't have you two together in a room when you guys were recovering. It wasn't because I didn't want you two to be around each other, it's because you get your expectations up and I didn't want Sasuke suffering to try to reach them to try to be what he's not and I didn't want you being disappointed when he couldn't meet your expectations," Sakura said bitterly with a smile which seemed cruel. He flinched.

"I do not expect anything from him! He's my best friend!" Naruto argued.

"Oh? You don't expect anything of him?" she asked coolly which had him doing a double take of her expression. Sakura's temper when it ran hot was painful, but when her temper was ice it was hell.

"No!" Naruto said firmly.

"I don't believe you, Naruto, and you know why I don't believe you? It's because I know you, I know you want him to be alright, to be the Sasuke we knew before he ran off but he never will be. He's not the same man who we hunted, he's not the Uchiha who came to our aid in the war, and he's not the Sasuke we knew as genin. He's hurt, Naruto, and you have to realize he's not going to be alright, right now and to expect it of him is foolish."

"But!" he started.

"Naruto, he needs a friend, I'm not his friend; you are, but if you can't accept who he is now, if you expect something of him, Naruto, you'll hurt him. if you can accept who he is now, Naruto, and you can accept that this Sasuke isn't the same one you knew before, then I think you two can be best friends again. And think carefully about it Naruto, because I think he could really use a friend right about now, because I'm not his friend. I'm his pain in the ass," she said softly.

Naruto frowned and looked her straight in the eye when he spoke his next, carefully thought out, words.

"Sakura, the teme is my best friend," he stated a fact he believed still held true. "And I'm not going to expect anything of him."

"Alright," she sighed. "Then how about you come by for a quiet dinner tonight, Naruto? I think seeing you might relax him."

"Can I bring Hinata?" he asked.

"Sure, it's a quiet dinner," Sakura said softly.

"Thanks Sakura," he said softly as they stood. He didn't think as he pulled her into him then for a solid hug, her arms wrapped around him then in a tight hug.

"Thank you Naruto, now go to the appointment with Tsunade," she said firmly.

"How'd you know!?" he demanded.

"Because, despite being exhausted I know what the date is, now move it Uzumaki or I'll punch you up to her office!" Sakura barked, he darted off before she followed through with the threat.

After being here for three hours Hinata was eagerly awaiting for Naruto to come out of his appointment so they could leave because she didn't particularly like hospitals.

"Hey Hinata, what are you doing here?" she turned at that brash voice and smiled.

"Hey Kiba, Akamaru, Shino! When did you get back!?" she asked as she was hugged by Kiba.

"Yesterday, dumb Cloud-nin wanted to take the long route here!" Kiba snorted.

"Why, you ask? Because they did not know how to get to our village quickly," Shino said softly.

"We heard you were reinstated as the Hyūga Head Family's Heir!" Kiba announced giddily as he cut off Shino. She smiled at her friend's exuberance and at seeing that things hadn't changed at all since she had last seen them before the war.

"Yes, what about you guys?" she asked.

"My family named me as heir, Hana's unable to be the head of the family," Kiba announced.

"My family also named me the heir," Shino replied softly. Akamaru barked then and she scratched the dog's ears then.

"That's wonderful," she murmured earnestly. She was happy for her friends, even though the Inuzuka and Aburame Clans were not as old or as noble as the Hyūga Clan they were a prestigious set of Clans for the Leaf. "Why are you two here?" Hinata asked finally.

"Oh, my sister," Kiba answered.

"What!? Hana's hurt?" Hinata demanded in shock.

"Yeah, her knee was pretty ripped up apparently, anyway, she's got the best surgens fixing her up but we came to say hi," Kiba announced. Hinata saw the slight blush on Shino's cheeks before he further hid his face behind the collar of his coat. She had always suspected that he had had a crush on Kiba's older sister.

"Alright, tell her I said to get well soon," she said softly when she heard the ding of the elevator doors and saw Naruto walk out of them and walk over to her.

"Will do, hey, maybe we can all go to dinner sometime and catch up about the war," Kiba suggested.

"I'd like that," Hinata said softly.

"Sounds fine," Shino mumbled as they walked over to the elevator.

"No dogs allowed in the hospital," the desk nurse called out harshly. Akamaru whined but he stayed in the lobby as she walked off with Naruto who just seemed distracted for a bit.

"Hey Hinata, would you like to come to Sakura's for dinner tonight?" Naruto finally asked.

"Sure," she replied with a smile. She didn't really want to spend an evening with Sakura and Naruto together, because she always felt like she got cut out of their group but she liked Sakura enough to want to go with him and see how the pinkette was doing after the war. She hadn't seen Sakura since Sakura had asked her to take Naruto in and she did like Sakura. But there was that small, petty, jealous part of her which didn't like Sakura for holding Naruto's attentions and affections.

"Thanks, Sasuke's going to be there too," Naruto grinned.

"That's wonderful, Naruto," she smiled softly because she didn't know what to expect as they walked into the Hyūga compound together. There was a girl's scream which had had her Byakugan pulsing to life as she an Naruto raced through the corridors of the Hyūga main house. She threw open the door of Neji's old room and ran in, Tenten was screaming as blood streamed down her legs.

"Quick! Get Sakura!" Tenten screamed. Hinata was running past Naruto.

"Naruto, stay with Tenten!" Hinata shouted desperately as she raced out of the room, out of the main house and onto the street as she scanned for Sakura's chakra signature. Seeing it she ran across the town, running through the construction sights and on the built rooftops as she skidded to a halt at the door where Sakura's and Sasuke's chakras were residing. Desperately she pounded the door.

"Coming!"

"Sakura!" she screamed, the door was open and she looked at the frazzled pinkette.

"What is it Hinata?"

"It's Tenten! She's bleeding really badly," Hinata cried out.

"Shit! Sasuke stay here!" Sakura shouted as they ran back to the Hyūga compound. Sakura threw open the door of Neji's room, Hinata was a step behind her.

"Naruto, I need you to get me the following," Sakura said and blasted off a list of things which had the panicking blonde running out of the room. "Alright, Hinata, I need the following for you to collect, and then stay out in the hall if I need you," Sakura said and suddenly listed off things as Tenten sobbed hysterically on the tiles and pressed a blood soaked towel between her legs.

"Alright," Hinata nodded as she ran out of the room and left Tenten with Sakura. Upon return she rapped a closed door, it was yanked open, Sakura grabbed the stuff and the door was shut again. Hinata stood there trembling when Naruto came crashing through the hall with his arm filled with stuff.

"I got the stuff Sakura!" Naruto shouted. the door was again yanked open, Sakura grabbed the stuff and without another word shut the door. Hinata felt tears slip past her guard then as she sunk to the floor trembling.

"No," she whispered.

"Hey, Hinata!" Naruto gasped and he came to her level.

"No! No! No!" she sobbed and before she knew it she was clinging to him as she sobbed so hard her body was shaking hysterically.

"It'll be alright, Hinata, it'll be alright," Naruto was whispering as he awkwardly held her. she just couldn't stop crying.

That's all for now folks!

Enjoy Until the Day I Love! =)