I'm really pumping out these one-shots ya know! Anyway, this one is a bit darker than all the other ones and by no means will this one be the only darker themed one-shot. There'll be a lot more of these when they're teens.
Anyway,
~Enjoy~
She had heard the stories.
People talked, kids whispered, shinobi gossiped.
Hyuga Hinata had heard the rumors, that the entire team sent to receive Uchiha Sasuke had all come back half dead or suffering from severe exhaustion save for two.
She had heard that Akimichi Choji, a member of team 10, had nearly died had it not been for Lady 5th.
She also knew that her cousin, Hyuga Neji, had also gotten severely injured, with only Tsunade-sama's medical expertise and a team of seal specialists being able to save him.
Her other comrades, Inuzuka Kiba and Nara Shikamaru, had come back with rather minor injuries compared to the other two.
A stab wound and a broken finger was what they had, which was relieving to Hinata since Kiba was her teammate and Shikamaru was her friend. She would hate to see them hurt, it was already bad enough.
And then there was the village's most unpredictable ninja, Uzumaki Naruto.
He had been an anomaly when he returned to Konoha and was rushed to the hospital.
There was nearly no outward physical evidence of him being injured, or in any type of fight for that matter. He had come with only a few cuts and scratches here and there. Nothing that showed he had fought with all he had... but his clothes and his internal injuries showed differently.
His infamous orange jumpsuit was in tatters with a very noticeable whole the size of a fist piercing through the jacket cleanly, exactly where Naruto's right lung would be.
His internal injuries weren't as bad as Choji or Neji, but they were still very worrying.
His head showed signs of trauma that was supposed to be there, but wasn't.
His ribs were littered with microscopic hairline fractures, as well as his arms, while an x-ray on his neck and back revealed that there was newly healed bone in various places of his vertebrae. Meaning that it had been broken-no, not broken, shattered, at some point recently.
How Hinata knew all this? Simple, she had come to the hospital earlier than she was supposed to and had unintentionally eavesdropped as Tsunade informed the head nurse of the blond's condition.
Pushing aside the rising confusion on how the genin could've possibly healed that fast in order to ponder on it at a later date, another emotion rose from the depths of her chest.
It was red and hot, boiling beneath her skin like acid.
To say that Hinata was mad would be the understatement of the millennia.
Hinata was furious.
Or, as a more colorful way of saying it, royally pissed.
She was incredibly angered at absolutely everything.
The Uchiha, for even leaving in the first place and putting all her friends in danger.
The Hokage, for thinking it was a good idea to mash 4 genin and a newly minted chunin into a makeshift team against the snake sanin's henchmen.
The world, for having to be so cruel every single day.
And, last but not least, herself.
Hinata had no idea how she was angry with herself, nor did she know why, but all she knew was that she kept blaming herself for something she had no part in and it was frustrating her to no end.
Sighing in defeat, the teen sat alone in Naruto's hospital room at his bedside, watching over him as he slept. (In a totally non-creepy way)
Her pale eyes wandered all over the body parts that weren't shielded by the thin white blanket.
His arms. Bandaged.
His head. Bandaged.
His torso. Bandaged.
And to think not even 2 weeks ago, they were taking the chunin exams.
Eyes narrowing and fists clenching, Hinata made an oath.
'I'll get stronger. Strong enough where I can stand beside you on the battlefield. Strong enough where I can assist you. Strong enough where you won't have to fight on your own anymore. I swear on my byakugan, I will.'
The sun has the audacity to not show itself today. Opting to hide behind an infinite blanket of light grey clouds.
The wind that blew wasn't gentle, nor was it warm or welcoming. The breeze was chilly, strong and ominous. Promising a dim future as it blew through the open hospital window.
Getting up and sliding the glass pane shut, blocking the wind any further entry, Hinata looked back to the sleeping blond.
His eyebrows were furrowed slightly and his lips were parted and turned down in a slight frown.
'Even in his sleep, he remains uneasy and restless.'
Glancing at the clock on the wall to the left of the door, Hinata noted that it wasn't even 3 pm yet.
Walking slowly back to her spot beside the resting Uzumaki, Hinata brought her knees up and into her chest, hugging them tightly.
She wasn't even sure if she was supposed to be here, but it didn't matter, she was here now and she wasn't leaving until someone dragged her out by her hair.
'I'll get stronger. I promise you that. So just watch me, Naruto-kun.'
And so, Hyuga Hinata sat there in that dull, white room until the moon was high in the sky, the dark clouds scattered sparsely throughout the inky blackness. Only going home when someone finally caught her sleeping in a rather uncomfortable position in a plastic chair.
Pretty short compared to all the others, but I don't think I really had to say much to get my point across with this chapter.
Anyway, have a nice day my honeybuns!