The air howled around Naruto as though the abyss had opened around him and a million tortured souls had screamed for redemption. He had loosened his cloak immediately to reduce any sort of drag he had and it had flew off into the air, now gently floating down towards water. He knew in ten seconds Hinata would fly into the water headfirst and his decisions in the next few moments would influence his life for as long as he drew breath. There seemed to be no way to save her in the first second until he drew upon his training, a vague memory he remembered glimpsing running through the corridors of his mind. He drew two kunai with notes tied to them.
I'm going to save her, Naruto decided, or I'm going to die trying. I won't live knowing I let her die. I won't live knowing I didn't try for her like she tried for me. If these kunai kill me it'll be no different than her dying. If the water kills me, it'll be no different. This is my nindo. I'll die for it. I'll die for another human life, another deserving person, and if I have to die for someone then I'm damn sure Hinata's a good choice. Naruto didn't stop to think. Eight seconds to impact and the kunai had began burning. Seven seconds and Naruto released them with a gentle push upwards. They began to distance themselves from him, yet only by a foot or two.
Naruto felt the explosions cause his feet to burn and pain surged through his body but he didn't flinch. He was suddenly gaining on her. Progress had been made. Five seconds and he was only a second from her. He could tell instantly she was unconscious and incapable of the smallest defense. The violet eyes were closed and blood was slowly coming from the small wounds on her from the scalpel, yet the most notable wound was that half of one pant leg was seared where the explosion from one of X's seals had detonated and the skin was subsequently in the same shape. Without his cloak Naruto and descending towards the ground at such a speed Naruto began feeling his skin burn from a sheer lack of warmth. His hands and face ached but he ignored it and pulled out his last two kunai with exploding notes.
Neji observed Naruto's tactics, reminiscent of something he'd seen Shikamaru do at some point or another when the situation was dire. It was intelligent, far beyond Naruto, and Neji instantly announced what no one else could see as they ran, "He's closing on her!" Their pace increased considerably and no one else mumbled a word for fear that Neji's voice would ring again and they'd miss an important fact, yet Neji's announcement was the only one that would come as the time in-between Naruto's actions was so small.
Naruto whipped two kunai off to the side so they would push him upwards and into the cliff just in time to grab Hinata. He pulled her up by a leg then wrapped two arms around her waist, pulling her body against his own and protecting her face against the wind. Naruto angled his body to take the full explosion and felt their shared momentum drop considerably as the explosions rang in his ears. He was badly burned but he could manage. He slung Hinata over his shoulder before he hit the cliff, and when he did he dug a foot in and grabbed a normal kunai from his holster, using his free right hand to drive it into the ice and cut his way down the glacier. The ocean grew closer and closer, yet now the rate wasn't fatal. It would hurt but it would not kill, yet Naruto didn't want any unnecessary injury.
Naruto pushed the kunai in deeper and channeled chakra into his feet, pushing them both against the ice to increase friction. His pace slowed considerably more despite the fact that the soles of his shoes were being worn down and his hand was aching from holding the kunai. Blood came from Naruto's hand when it slipped from the hilt onto the blade yet he strengthened the grip despite the overflowing amount of the red sticky substance coating his hand. No more than three yards from the water he had stopped thanks to all of his effort, yet he looked upwards in dismay. Now the shadow had blocked light and the massive structure was coming down on top of him. They would be crushed, but Naruto had gone too far to surrender his life without a battle. He gripped the kunai and flung himself upwards, towards the structure.
Now his feet gripped to the ice as he moved and allowed him to run straight up the wall of ice until he was yards from the structure that was at a tilt of seventy-five degrees to the ground. He jumped onto it and readjusted himself to the gravity for a moment. His feet gripped the ice weakly and he began running again, partway upwards to the top of the spire, but mostly to the right side, still holding the limp body of Hinata. Every muscle in his body hurt. The ribs exploded with pain. The gash in his right hand bled violently. The skin on his body continued to work towards crystallization. Yet determination pushed him onward.
By the time he had got to the edge the structure had made it to a tilt slightly over ninety degrees. The very top of the spire would begin to crash into the water before the rest of it followed and Naruto could only spare seconds. He ran to the jagged end where the large sheet of ice had been cut from its parent and leapt, readying a shadow clone at the same time. The copy readied its hands and Naruto kicked off of it, sending it flying backwards and subsequently turning into smoke as the movement sent him back the few feet needed to land on the spire's insides that had been dissected directly in half.
The spire hit the water and began to crumble and behind Naruto water flew into the air. The snow was suddenly mixed in with rain and Naruto ran towards the ice shelf where the sheet of ice he was on hinged. If he made it in time he would be spared the freezing water. They would be spared the freezing water. Naruto was running again against the structure which was plunging into the depths behind him. Suddenly the ice sheet broke off of its hinge and the entire body crashed into the water, causing a wall of water to rise between Naruto and his objective, land. Naruto dashed, avoiding the random rises in ice that were once platforms inside the spire and jumped. He protected Hinata best he could from the water and pushed through it.
He hit the land running and avoided the spray of water from the wave by inches. Now he was drenched and his breathing was as violent as ever. On his tongue he could taste salt water and the mixture had caused his clothing to become slightly heavier. The spire had left the one region he sat on just above the water by a score of feet or less, where it had hinged off and broke. Above him Naruto could see the top of the newly formed cliffs that had once simply been fused with the chasm, yet the distance was seemingly impossible.
Neji was shocked and dumbfounded. He wasn't sure what to say and how to say it. Nothing quite could. He stuttered a few moments before he managed to finally call out to the crowd around him, "I… don't know how… but… he made it, with Hinata." Lee cried audibly for joy. Gai did the same thing at the same instant. Kurenai managed to laugh happily. Despite this no one stumbled once. Yet again the pace increased and they were all on an outright sprint to intercept their allies.
Naruto carefully placed Hinata's cloak underneath her before setting her down. He made certain her broken leg was straight. The young girl laid peacefully, breathing steadily. Naruto continued to huff heavily, every part of his form aching, certain areas more violently than others. His mind wanted to stop the self destructive actions but Naruto was willing and ready to ignore them. He sat down on his haunches and looked at the gash in his right palm. Adrenaline had, only minutes ago, told him nothing was there. Now the pain was welcomed for one reason. I saved someone, Naruto said to himself, by suffering for them and nearly dying for them, for sharing their pain.
To say it was not one of the most exhilarating experiences Naruto had ever experienced would be a lie. Yet nothing in him was exhilarated, he simply felt now a sense of accomplishment. He couldn't help but smiling warmly. No more foolish grins for now, that'd just be stupid. Naruto's left hand descended and pressed against Hinata's cheek. He gently nudged her and she stirred somewhat. He spoke softly, "Wake up, sleepyhead. It's over. We won. We won together thanks to you."
Hinata's eyes opened and the pupil hidden by her violet eyes was dilated improperly causing her only image for her first waking moments to be Naruto and small flecks of snow in front of a pure white canopy of blazing light. He looked like an angel, his headband having gone missing sometime during the ordeal, the blonde strands covered with white snow and curling in front of his face. His skin was ghostly pale and his smile was not that of an arrogant boy. His voice was not that of an impatient student. He looked like a savior. He was a savior, she realized without knowing the full version of events.
Seconds later she was turning red from the cold hand against her cheek and she had began to panic. Naruto simply removed the hand and smiled a little more, "I know what happened, a little bit, when I was on the floor. You gave me a chance to do it… to… be capable of beating him. This would've been worthless without you, Hinata. I guess… I would owe you my life, but I saved you afterwards. I think that makes us even. Or maybe it doesn't. I don't mind owing you a favor."
Hinata giggled a little. Naruto was obviously joking despite their conditions and Hinata raised up to sit using her upper body alone. Her broken leg was too damaged for her to risk movement of any of her lower half. She mustered all the courage and felt the blood of all her body drain into her cheeks but she managed to wrap her arms around Naruto, pull him in closer, and squeeze him for a moment. She realized after a second Naruto had returned the gesture. On a scale of average society such actions were purely insignificant, but to outcasts like the two sitting at the bottom of the ice shelf it was a welcome gesture that symbolized the end of something. It hadn't just been Naruto who had changed at the very least.
Neji faltered for a moment and sighed heavily. Kurenai glanced at him awkwardly. He stared back at her and stated in a disappointed fashion, "Instead of tending to their damn wounds they're hugging. What a stupid thing to do. I nearly admired Naruto there for a moment." Kurenai simply rolled her eyes and muttered something that Neji didn't quite catch. Gai laughed loudly and a minute later they were at the cliff edge.