A/N: I appreciate all the feedback for the last chapter! Good messages. Just a warning to you all, there is only one arc left. As they say...WE'RE IN THE ENDGAME NOW.

Time for chapter 40

Enjoy!


Naruto rubbed his eyes tiredly. Stairs had never been difficult, generally speaking, but nearly seventy-two hours of sleep deprivation had a way of lessening one's physicality, as well as any will they had to use what little remained. Most humiliatingly of all, however, was the fact that the stairs he was climbing were a mere three in number, and they weren't particularly steep. The steps to the Hyuga Estate's front door were not daunting in the least, but they certainly did exist, which was all that was required to greatly fatigue Naruto by this point.

After nearly two agonizing minutes of struggling, the Jinchuuriki reached the door and knocked. Thankfully, the wait for an answer was swift, as the door creaked open nearly immediately. To Naruto's surprise, it was not Hiashi that stood in the doorframe, but Neji instead. Finding himself a tad relieved that formality was no longer a priority, the blonde sighed and accepted the following invitation into the house.

"You look like a dead man walking. Not that I'm all that surprised. You've been through the wringer" Neji commented as he gestured towards a pair of chairs in the hall-side room he had led Naruto into upon his entry. The jinchuuriki crumpled down into one of the seats and gripped the armrests to keep himself from shaking.

"I also haven't slept in three days, so I'm kind of running on empty right now. Not that it matters. We managed to get the job done, and casualties were low from what I heard" he said with a yawn. Neji nodded and sat himself down across from the blonde. Naruto frowned as he looked over his comrade, who appeared to be quite troubled by something.

"Something on your mind?" he asked curiously. The Hyuga boy nodded and straightened his posture as a look of solemn consideration washed over his face.

"Given that you've been nomadic the past few days, I would assume you've had no contact with anybody, save for Hinata-sama. Am I correct?" he replied. Naruto nodded and motioned for Neji to elaborate.

"I suppose you should know then that your teammate, Nara-san, was captured by Suna during the invasion. I witnessed him be taken, and I was completely unable to prevent it. For that, I am sorry" the Hyuga said with a defeated sigh. The Jinchuuriki rubbed his temples and clenched his jaw. Before he could be consumed by frustration, however, his exhaustion came storming to his caveated rescue and drained him of the energy required to feel any one emotion strongly.

"Great, just great. Let me guess, he was taken after the genjutsu was cast, right?" he asked tiredly. To his surprise, Neji shook his head and ran a hand through his own hair.

"No, actually. From what Hinata-sama has told me, and based on what I saw, there is reason to believe that Temari, his former opponent and sister of Gaara, was his original captor" he explained. The Jinchuuriki frowned and rested his chin on his closed fist.

"If that's the case, that means that she had the chance to kill him but didn't follow through. Why would she do that?" he wondered aloud. Neji pursed his lips at the blonde's pondering.

"Because, Gaara wants you to follow him back to Suna. Nara-san is bait, and knowing you, you're going to take that bait" he said bluntly, earning a mirthless chuckle from Naruto.

"Damn right I will. It isn't bait if you know the trap you're walking into. If he wants a rematch, I'll give him one. Difference is, now, I actually care" he said. Naruto then furrowed his eyebrows.

"Now that I think about it, Temari being the one who captured him is a little weird. Gaara and I fought for at least a half an hour, and from the sounds of it, you saw them take Shikamaru after I had left. That means she had already beaten him, and would have had no reason to let Shikamaru live. She couldn't have known that bait was needed" he pointed out. The Hyuga boy shrugged.

"I don't claim to understand the girl's thought process or her intentions, which, as you aptly identified, may in fact be quite different from Gaara's in their purest form. What I do know, however, is that you need to tread carefully should you choose to pursue him into the wind country" he said. The Jinchuuriki gave him a thumbs-up and stood up to stretch.

"Yeah, I know. He was holding back almost all of his real power when we fought. I probably couldn't have beaten him, if I'm being totally blunt" he said honestly. Neji raised an eyebrow.

"I beg to differ. The power you displayed at points against Orochimaru was absolutely staggering. Even having sensed what Gaara showed me, I would favor you in a second fight" he said reassuringly. The Jinchuuriki shook his head and glanced at Neji.

"I know what he showed you. I felt it from across the village. What you saw was only a sliver of what he's really hiding. I probably still have more raw power than him at my peak, but I can't maintain that strength, and Gaara is damn near unkillable" he said, a tinge of frustration creeping into his voice. The boys then lapsed into silence as Neji sat and Naruto stood. Eventually, the blonde yawned.

"It's almost midnight. We should probably sleep if we want to do any kind of planning tomorrow" Naruto said tiredly. Neji nodded in agreement and groaned as he stood to his feet.

"I'm assuming you guys have a guest room somewhere, right?" Naruto asked, rubbing his eyes repeatedly. The now equally exhausted Hyuga gave a gesture of confirmation and began to speak, but before he could finish his infantile sentence, the sound of footsteps interrupted him.

"That won't be necessary, Neji-san" Hinata, who was now peeking through the doorframe of the side room, said. Both boys watched her intently as she delicately made her way into the room and up to the Jinchuuriki. She was wearing a set of pajamas and it was clear that she had staved of sleep against her body's wishes for this opportunity.

"As he indicated, we do have guest rooms, but they're a tad musty. Given your recent heroism, I think it's only fitting that you be given proper hospitality" she said vaguely. Naruto frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked skeptically, both completely oblivious to her implications and far too tired to even begin searching for them. Hinata sighed and gently took hold of one of his hands.

"Follow me. I'll show you to your sleeping quarters for the night" she said as she led him out into the hallway. Neji watched the scene unfold and chuckled to himself as he began making his way to the branch house.

'One is a completely insensitive, but well-meaning social wreck while the other is a traumatized and exhausted wreck of every sort. What a fine pair'


Naruto stumbled a bit as the heiress pulled him down the hall. Despite his still-extant conversational energy, his physical being was completely and utterly spent. The simple action of keeping pace with Hinata was taxing, and would likely cost him his consciousness given another minute or so. Fortunately or unfortunately, they reached their destination within thirty seconds.

"Where are we exactly?" he asked exhaustedly. Hinata fidgeted a tad before opening the door to the room she had brought him to and corralling him inside. Once they were both within the space, she closed the door and gave him an uncharacteristically shy look.

"This...is my room. You'll be sleeping here with me tonight" she said meekly, her face burning an obvious red that was somehow visible in the dark conditions. The Jinchuuriki stared at her blankly for a moment before asking a simple question.

"Why?" he inquired, his consciousness having been slightly restored by the subject matter. The Hyuga girl looked on like a lost child momentarily, but quickly found herself.

"Because, you deserve a warm, clean bed to sleep in, and because I want to hold you in my arms and vice versa" she said directly. Naruto sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Short and to the point. Thank you for that" he said. Hinata pursed her lips and released his hand from her gentle grip.

"I understand if you wish to simply take a guest room. I won't force you to share with me" she said dejectedly. Much to her surprise, the blonde shook his head and smiled tiredly.

"I'm way too tired to make it that far without dropping dead on my way there. Besides, I don't really mind at this point. I usually get cold at night" he said reassuringly. The heiress relaxed a bit and gripped his arms to steady him.

"In that case, lets get situated. I'm not as tired as you are, but I would still prefer to get a reasonable amount of sleep" she said. Hinata then guided him another ten feet to the edge of her bed where the blonde finally collapsed and squirmed to the left side. Hinata soon joined him, positioning herself on the right side of the mattress.

"This bed isn't quite large enough for two people, so we'll have to be a bit economical with our spacing" she said as she closed the gap between them and latched onto one of his arms. Naruto tensed a bit at the contact, but forced himself to calm. Despite his efforts, Hinata noticed his discomfort.

"Whether it's your fear of me taking advantage of you or just a lack of past positive interactions, I want you to know that your comfort is my priority. I won't do anything that you aren't okay with me doing. If you want, I'll touch you as little as possible" she said softly. The blonde shook his head and threaded his fingers through hers.

"No, it's nothing like that. I trust you, but...are you sure that you want to be sharing a bed with me? I cleaned up, but I'm still covered in bruises and cuts. I look even worse than I normally do" he said. Hinata giggled and propped herself up on an elbow. She then laid a hand on the side of his face and turned his head to face her.

"Personally, I find you to be quite handsome when you remember to take daily showers. Although, some of that could be attributed to your building's faulty plumbing. As for what you look like now, I actually find the minor injuries to your face and arms to be nicely rugged. You have nothing to worry about" she said kindly. The Jinchuuriki gave her an odd look.

"Oh, so you thinking I'm hot while injured wasn't a curse mark-only preference?" he asked only half-jokingly. Hinata turned red, but smirked.

"I have my odd tastes and so do you. My eyes are lacking pupils and I have an atrociously short haircut, and based on what you said in your sleep a week or two ago, those are your two favorite things about my appearance" she countered playfully. Naruto sighed.

"Two different things, Hinata. Not that I care. My point still stands. You sharing a bed with me is insulting to you. I'm kind of a loser" he said quietly as he rolled over and turned his back to the heiress. Hinata frowned and studied his body, which was shaking a bit.

"You absolutely are not. You just saved this village from near-certain destruction. You're further from that distinction than just about anybody in this sovereign nation" she said firmly. The blonde chuckled bitterly.

"Half the population would disagree with you. I can sense human emotion while I'm using the fox's Chakra, Hinata. A huge chunk of people were more afraid of me than Orochimaru. Even when I'm up against a monster, I'm not the guy people are rooting for" he said, a rare break in his voice. Hinata felt her blood boil and her heart break at the revelation. She then flattened herself against his back and hugged him from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"They're all fools. Every single one of them. They don't understand. You're of a quality that I didn't think existed in people. People like you, truly selfless and forgiving beacons, are diamonds in the endless rough of society. Never forget that. Never" she whispered in his ear lovingly. The Jinchuuriki gently separated Hinata's hands, which were clasped at his waist, and rolled over to face her.

"If somebody had told me that you would make me cry a little when Team Seven was formed, I would have believed them. But, not because I expected you to touch me like this" he sniffled as he squeezed his eyes shut. The heiress wiped a few tears from his cheeks and caressed his face gently.

"And if somebody had told me that I would come to feel strongly about you, I would have believed them. But not because I expected to love you more than I love even myself" she replied in kind, closing the distance between their mouths as she spoke. A split-second later, Hinata delicately fitted her lips to his and closed her eyes. The Jinchuuriki flinched initially, but quickly relented and returned the gesture. Roughly fifteen seconds later, the heiress removed her mouth from his and kissed the Jinchuuriki's forehead.

"You're precious to me, and I'll protect you. Maybe I don't have the strength to back it all up, but I'll make the promise regardless. As long as I have breath in my body, you'll know just how much you're loved. You'll be safe and sound. I swear it" she said sincerely. Naruto then opened his eyes and gazed at the heiress.

"What did I do to deserve you?" he asked. Hinata smiled and slid her way on top of him with her chest aligned against his own.

"You gave me endless chances for redemption. You never left me out in the cold, and you saved my life numerous times. Beyond that, I really do love who you are as a person. A more-intelligent-than-advertised comedian with a strong will just so happens to be my type" she replied. Naruto embraced the girl lying on top of him and allowed a smile to creep onto his face.

"All good reasons I guess. Now, I think I'm ready to sleep. You might want to move" he said. To his surprise, the Hyuga girl shook her head and let out a contented sigh.

"No, I like this position just fine. This way, I can be lulled to sleep by the sound of your heartbeat. Both by its rhythm, and by the knowledge that you're still right here with me, alive and well" she said through a yawn. The blonde shifted a bit and ran a hand through her hair.

"Goodnight, Hinata. I...love you" he whispered, sure of his feelings, but unsure of his words as he uttered the phrase for the first time. The heiress rested her ear over his heart and took hold of one of his hands.

"Goodnight, Naruto-kun. I love you too. More than you'll ever understand"


Shikamaru's eyes creaked open slowly at the stimulus of an antagonizing light. His head hurt, his body ached, and now his eyes were burning. In total, he felt absolutely abysmal. As he straightened his posture to properly awaken, he noticed something strange. He was not seated on the ground, but in a surprisingly comfortable chair of some kind.

'What...where…?" he wondered to himself in confusion. While he pondered the oddity of his situation and his frustrating lack of knowledge regarding his location, the sound of someone clearing their throat became audible. The shadow user turned his attention directly in front of him, freezing at what he saw.

"Finally awake. Took you long enough. I was just about to take another water break" Gaara said with a smirk. Shikamaru scowled and attempted to stand from his chair, but stopped when the Jinchuuriki stood up first. The Nara begrudgingly sunk back into his seat and pursed his lips. Gaara laughed out loud at the short exchange of bravados.

"I suppose the rumors of your intelligence aren't false after all. You have no power here. None whatsoever" he said, a tone of menace clinging to the underbelly of his words. Shikamaru tightly gripped the armrests of his chair.

"Speaking of which, where is 'here', exactly?" he asked curiously. The redhead reached down and picked up the lantern at his feet. He then held it out to his left to illuminate that side of the room, revealing the insignia of the Village Hidden in the Sand imprinted in the wall.

"Sunagakure. And before you ask the obvious question, you're a hostage. Plain and simple. Naruto and I were unable to finish our little scuffle before we were rudely interrupted. I don't intend to let him escape with anything resembling a draw" he explained. The lazy genin sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Well, he's definitely going to come after me, so you'll get your wish" he said tiredly. Gaara nodded and began to file his nails with a kunai. After a few moments of silence, Shikamaru spoke once more.

"So, why am I not tied up? Hostages usually are" he asked skeptically. The Jinchuuriki ceased treating his nails and shrugged.

"I have no reason to keep you imprisoned while you're here. You have no way to escape regardless. Perhaps, you may even enjoy your stay in this estate should you forget why exactly you're here" he replied. Shikamaru frowned at the response and glanced back over his shoulder, where a door lay.

"What would stop me from just slipping out at night and ditching this place?" he countered. Gaara gave him a dark smirk and tossed his kunai just to the left of the genin's neck, lodging it in the wooden structural support of his chair.

"I never sleep, Shikamaru. The night is my domain, not yours. You may manipulate shadows, my friend, but I live in them. You'll find yourself buried and silenced should you try exit under the cover of darkness" he said. Shikamaru flinched as the cold of the blade radiated into the side of his neck.

"So, in other words, I'm trapped in this building" he said. Gaara nodded his head in confirmation and cracked his neck.

"Yes, you are. The most spacious prison cell you'll ever have the misfortune of being trapped within" he replied. The shadow user lapsed into contemplative silence at his words. After nearly two minutes of mental gymnastics, he came upon a piece of perplexing information.

"Maybe I hit my head a bit too hard, but I remember Temari being the one who knocked me out. You and Naruto were still at each other's throats when that happened. There's no way she could have known that you two wouldn't get to finish your fight" he pointed out.

"Perceptive. Your memory serves you well, Shikamaru. Yes, it is unusual, and if you want an answer as to why she did what she did, I don't have one, although I do have my hunches. It is, however, clear to me that she only made the suggestion to take you back to Suna as a hostage in order to play to my agenda" he Gaara replied. The Nara twitched a bit, a miniscule movement that was easily detected by the Jinchuuriki.

"I smell discomfort. You dislike uncertainty, especially pertaining to yourself. Your current situation is defined by its uncertainty and lack of clarity. Will I grow impatient and abruptly kill you? Will Temari reveal herself to be your benefactor, or will she simply be an instrument of your torture? So many questions, so few answers" Gaara said ominously. Shikamaru shuddered a bit as his new, if temporary, overlord stood up from his seat and headed for the door.

"This is your room of residence for the time being. There's a bed in the rightmost corner" he said as he stepped out into the hallway. Before he could fully exit, Gaara glanced back over his shoulder.

"If you wish to solve a bit of the mystery that haunts you, Temari is awake. Her room is three doors down from yours on the left side" he said. Shikamaru lumbered his way over to the corner bed and fell down onto the mattress.

"I'll pass" he yawned as he turned his back to the Jinchuuriki and faced the wall of his new prison. Gaara barked a short laugh and began to walk down the hall.

"A wise choice"


A/N: Well, now that the world is ending, I have the time to make these chapters a tad longer. This one played with a few different tones, so I hope it worked out well.

See you next chapter! Read and Review!