Colors of Life and Death series
Truth in Dreams
by Songbird21

Chapter 37

Naruto was definitely preoccupied as he leapt from tree to tree on his way to meet with the Daimyo. As he moved his thoughts dwelled on his father and the conversation they'd had. He had been so sure that it was real but now he wondered if it were possible that it was just a very vivid dream. Tou-san...was it really you?

He reactivate the genjutsu to hide his teeth and entered the city limits.

Tazuna's throat tightened in worry when he saw only Naruto returning with his grandson nowhere in sight. "Naruto-kun!" he called out as he waved at the blonde.

"Tazuna!" Naruto said with a smile.

Tazuna's face lit up with hope. "You seem happy—does that mean....?"

Naruto nodded. "Inari's alive." His face fell a little. "He's hurt though. One of the enemy ninja cut off his right pinky finger." Ignoring Tazuna's shocked expression he continued. "Sakura reattached it but the finger could still die."

Tazuna pressed his lips together and closed his eyes as he let out a long breath to compose himself. "Where is he?"

"Sakura and the others took him back ta Konoha to let my mom have a look at his finger. You came come to Konoha with me when I'm done here," Naruto said.

Tazuna nodded. "Arigato, Naruto-kun." He smiled. "You're making a habit of saving my family."

Naruto chuckled. "You're welcome. I'll be right back. Gotta make my report and then we can get outta here."

"Arigato, Naruto-kun. You have done my country a great service. I'm pleased you were also able to save your friend. But most of all, you prevented my son from being kidnapped—and now I have the chance to do things right," Kyoha said, his voice filled with gratitude.

"Is he here?" Naruto asked as he glanced around the room.

"He is with his adoptive family for the moment. Once we've concluded our business I will explain everything to him and ask his family to move into the palace." Kyoha picked up a small scroll and handed it to Naruto.

"What's this?" Naruto asked with a curious expression.

"It's a letter to your mother expressing how pleased I am at your diplomacy skills. You did well, and I think you will make a fine Hokage one day," Kyoha said with a warm smile.

Naruto pumped his fist into the air and whooped loudly. "YES!!" He calmed down quickly when he realized how his behavior might look to his host. "Gomen."

Kyoha chuckled. "It's fine. Training or no training, you're still fourteen."

Naruto bowed. "Arigato."

"Narumi-san," Kyoha called out.

Narumi poked her head in. "Hai?"

"Please pay Naruto for his services."

Narumi nodded and disappeared for a moment before returning with an envelope. She handed it to Naruto, bowed to him slightly, and left the room.

"I hope to see you again one day, Naruto. You are an extraordinary young man," Kyoha said with a warm smile.

Naruto smiled in kind. "And you as well, Daimyo-sama."

Tazuna looked sideways at Naruto for the fifth time. His traveling companion had been uncharacteristically quiet and it was starting to unnerve him. "Neh, Naruto-kun. You okay?"

Naruto seemed to come out of a trance. "Hm? Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about some things."

"Anything I could help with?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nah. Thanks, though."

Tazuna nodded. "Of course."

Tsunade looked up from her examination of Inari's finger and smiled. "You did an excellent job, Sakura. His finger will be fine."

Inari breathed a sigh of relief.

Sakura beamed with pride. "Arigato, shishou."

"Gai and Neji are fine. The only one I'm still concerned about is Tenten," Tsunade said with a frown.

Sakura lost her smile. "She still hasn't woken up?"

"Um, I'm gonna wait for my grandpa in the hall," Inari announced just before leaving the room.

Tsunade was grateful for Inari's gesture and waited until the door closed to continue. She noticed the dejected look on her student's face. "It's nothing you did, Sakura. As far as I can see, she should be waking up."

"Is Sasuke still in there?"

Tsunade smiled sadly. "He hasn't left her side."

Ten hours later Tazuna stepped through the doors of Konoha hospital to see his Grandson sitting in the waiting room. "Inari!" he called out.

Inari looked up from the bench he was sitting on. "Grandpa!" He ran to Tazuna and hugged him tightly.

"My precious grandson," Tazuna said as tears made their way to his eyes. He then released the hug and looked at Inari's finger, frowning at the red scar line that surrounded the injury site.

"I'll be okay, Grandpa. Tsunade-sama said I won't lose my finger," Inari said with a reassuring smile. He turned to Naruto. "Arigato, Naruto-nii-san," he said as he hugged the older boy.

Tazuna smiled happily. "We should get home. You're mother is very worried," he said to Inari.

Inari broke the hug and nodded. "Hai. Ja na."

"Ja," Naruto replied.

Once they were out of sight Naruto asked the front desk where his brother was.\

Sasuke looked to the door to see if anyone was coming. Once he was satisfied there was no one around he reached forward and stroked Tenten's cheek. "Please wake up," he whispered softly. He wanted so badly to see her open her eyes. The only girl he had ever been even remotely interested in was potentially close to death and it made his stomach tighten to the point where he felt him sick.

"I...I still haven't told you everything. I haven't told you all my feelings...please," Sasuke said as his eyes misted over.

Suddenly an alarm sounded and Sasuke whipped his head to the side to see the heart monitor had none of the small pulses on it that had been there a moment ago. "NO!!" He bolted for the door and opened it in one swift motion. "HELP!! I need help in here NOW!!"

Naruto was on his way to Tenten's room when his mother and four other medical staff suddenly blew by him. He ran after her and quickly caught up. "What's going on?"

"Tenten's flat-lining!" Tsunade replied shortly.

Naruto's eyes widened. "What?!" He joined Tsunade in making short work of the lengthy hallway and they burst through the door of Tenten's room to find Sakura already working feverishly on healing her friend.

"What happened?!" Tsunade demanded as the medical cart was quickly rolled up to Tenten's bed.

"I don't know! I can't find what's wrong!" Sakura replied in a panic as she moved out of the way to allow Tsunade access.

Tsunade's expression twisted in confusion as she moved her glowing hands over Tenten's body. This doesn't make any sense! What the hell is going on?!

Sakura grabbed the defibrillator paddles and put them on Tenten's chest. "Clear!" she said. The paddles charged to life and Tenten's body jumped from the shock. A faint heartbeat bounced on the green line of the heart monitor.

Tsunade turned to one of the nurses. "Get me Hyuuga Hinata! NOW!"

A minute later Hinata came running into the room, her byakugan already activated, and looked Tenten over. Suddenly she pointed to her stomach. "There! Her chakra veins in her stomach have been pinched closed!"

"How in the hell...?" Tsunade questioned in shock.

"Can you fix that?!" Sasuke asked desperately, his eyes wide pleading with the teenaged Hyuuga.

"I can try!" Hinata said quickly. Her hands glowed green and she got to work. How did they do this? When did they do this?!

Sasuke paced impatiently. He was furious with himself for not being able to help and the wait was making it worse. He couldn't look at Tenten. He was afraid if he did he might lose it.

Sweat rolled down Hinata's forehead as she pushed herself as hard as she could to pull off something that she had not been trained to do. She pushed her Byakugan further and suddenly noticed that the reason she could not open the chakra veins was that they were sewn closed...with microscopic black tendrils.

Naruto kept an eye on Sasuke, watching for any signs that he might crack. He put a hand on his shoulder. "Just hang on Nii-san. Hina-chan can do this. I know she can."

Sasuke barely heard his younger brother. Kami-sama, please.

Hinata had set to work on snapping the tendrils. It was slow going but she was making progress. Once the tendrils were gone she re-inflated the veins with a bit of her own chakra. Finally she stood up and faced the group of onlookers. "She...should be fine...now...." she said in-between heavy breaths before collapsing to the floor unconscious.

"Hina-chan!" Naruto cried as he ran to her. He cradled her in his arms as Tsunade checked her pulse.

Tsunade stood up with a smile. "She's alright. Just exhausted."

Once Sasuke saw Hinata was alright he walked over to Tenten, scooped up her hand and held it tight. He looked with grateful tears in his eyes at Hinata's sleeping form. "I wish I could thank her," he said softly to Naruto.

Naruto smiled. "You can when she wakes up," he said as he stroked Hinata's forehead. He was so proud of her. "I'm gonna take her to an empty bed till she wakes up." He lifted her and smiled at Sasuke before leaving the room.

Everyone turned their head in Tenten's direction when they heard a faint moan. Sasuke sat down on the chair next to her bed. "Tenten?"

Tenten managed to force her eyes open. "Sasuke?" She looked at the group of people around her. "What happened?"

Tsunade fielded the question. "Apparently at some point one of your attackers closed off the chakra veins in your stomach. Somehow Hinata managed to repair the damage. She's resting in another room."

"How did they do something like that?" Tenten asked.

Tsunade shook her head. "I have no idea. We'll have to wait until Hinata wakes up and ask her." She clamped a hand on Tenten's arm. "Glad to see you awake," she said with a smile.

Tenten returned the smile. "Arigato."

Tsunade stood straighter. "Alright everyone, let's leave so she can get some rest."

"May I stay a little longer, Tsunade-sama?" Sasuke asked, his eyes pleading.

Tsunade smiled. "For a few minutes."

Once they were gone Sasuke turned back to face Tenten. "How do you feel?"

"Like hell, but I'll live," she said with a bemused smile. "Sorry for scaring you like that."

Sasuke was surprised. "How do you know what happened?"

"I don't, but I do know there wouldn't have been so many doctors and nurses in here if I hadn't almost died," Tenten replied with a grimace.

Sasuke swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I couldn't help you. All I could do was stand there and wait," Sasuke answered with a frown.

Tenten smiled. "You're not a medic. I wouldn't expect you to be able to heal me. It's okay."

Sasuke looked out the window for a moment and then turned back. "Tenten, there's something...." He sighed. "Something I need to tell you."

Tenten cocked her head a little. "Hm?"

"You remember what we talked about after I punched Neji?"

Tenten's cheeks took on a slight tinge of pink. "Yeah."

"I didn't tell you everything. And when I thought you could die the idea that I hadn't bothered me. I'm not really good at this kind of stuff, but I love you." He ignored Tenten's wide eyes. "If you want me to leave I understand. I'm not exactly the most sensitive guy in the world and I have problems keeping my anger under control and...." His words were cut off when Tenten pulled his head down to hers and captured his lips in a crushing kiss.

Tenten's mind was spinning with delight as she kissed Sasuke the way she'd been wanting to for weeks. Her body was alive with electricity. She felt happy and warm. Finally she pushed his head back and smirked. "You talk too damn much."

Sasuke smiled and kissed her again. For the first time in his life he looked forward to the future and saw how bright it could be.

.........TO BE CONTINUED

They are so fun to write. :)

Well, it could have been worse. It could have taken me 2 months to get this out again. ((Sweatdrop)) Sorry this is so short but it was this or make you guys wait another week. :(

Please review. I love reviews. :)