Chapter 7: Prosthetic Arm

It's been two weeks since the new prosthetic arm was attached to his right stump, and so far everything worked out just fine. A few days of getting used to the feel and control with basic exercises, practicing doing basic stuff, and some more days of using the arm for basic combat. It was really almost like his old arm and he still couldn't believe it.

'Man, Baa-chan is just a legendary medic nin.'

He was excited to finally get active again with his shinobi career. Kakashi-sensei promised him new missions once he feels one hundred percent confident with his new arm. It's been quite a while, so the world surely missed a kickass ninja like him out on the field.

He was excited as well to train again with Hinata, this time finally with him having no handicap. He missed those days where she would train with him with his left hand. While it was really an inconvenience back then, in hindsight it was a blessing in disguise for him. Not only did he learn to adapt due to a former disability but he got a good amount of time to get closer to Hinata. She knew things about her before and she already knew she was such a kickass person, but the new things he learned about her made him admire her even more to a level where her presence alone made him feel so giddy. He still didn't understand what it meant, but the important thing was that the feeling just made him happier than usual. She was busy with missions and clan duties as of late, but hopefully they can spend time together again so he can finally show off his cool side.

His excitement streak was cut off when he overexerted the usage of his arm. He didn't think anything bad could happen when he tried to do a massive rasenshuriken with his right hand after exerting it just a few moments before. He forgot the warning of Tsunade about stressing his right arm while it's still newly operated…or he just really didn't listen at all. All of a sudden, there's a lingering pain when he pushed chakra on his right arm. Bearable, but can be so annoying. He was thinking of asking Baa-chan for help, or just let it rest and heal on its own. Imagining Tsunade's fury was made him choose the latter. He tried resting it for one day but the pain was still there and bothered his sleep, like the time when he got a toothache. He had no choice but to seek Tsunade's treatment. Hopefully he wouldn't get punched out of the hospital…

"Didn't I tell you not to stress your new arm? You are such an idiot brat!"

"I forgot, Baa-chan! Sorry already!"

"Stop calling me Baa-chan! Seriously, this kid…so what exactly are you feeling right now? Can you describe it in detail?"

"Ummm…right now it felt like my muscles in this area are sore. The pain is bearable. But when I try to perform ninjutsu, there is a sharp pain through the same area then spreading through my hand."

"I see. Well, there is no visible damage or inflammation from the area you are pointing to, nor to any part of your new arm. I can't see anything wrong when I diagnose it either."

"Can any painkiller or other medicine work, Baa-chan?"

"That arm is of a different composition so chances are those conventional medicine may not work to kill pain. How about we do a simple surgery tomorrow? And stop calling me Baa-chan!"

"Surgery? Again!? Why?"

"Can you stop whining!? It's nothing that serious, really. We just need to open it up a little to see what's really wrong and fix it from there. Then we can easily close it up without trouble and heal up for the meantime. You know this prosthetic is so different from a normal arm, right?"

"Can there be any solution that's simpler? And why not now?"

"You just disturb me from my drinking session, Naruto! I'm a bit drunk right now and it's late at night, you know. Besides, I don't have some incredible vision so I need it open or else I can't actually see what's happening inside and do something about it."

"Sigh…I hope there's another way. C'mon, Baa-chan, please! Maybe someone with better eyes is out there to help you."

A few moments of thinking from Tsunade, and her eyes suddenly lit up like a good idea popped out of her head.

"Now that you mention it…wait here, brat! Let me talk to Kakashi."

With a nod, Naruto watched Tsunade leave the room. He wanted to take a short nap while waiting but the pain just bothered him. Well, better be patient about it for once. About half an hour of waiting, two figures arrived. He was surprised and delighted at the unexpected guest Tsunade brought with her.

"Hello, Hinata! What are you doing here?"

Tsunade spoke in Hinata's behalf.

"I asked Kakashi to assign a mission for a Hyuuga with Byakugan to help me diagnose your problem. Good thing Hinata is available right now so we can check your arm right now. Better be thankful to her, Naruto!"

"O-of course! Thank you Hinata…" his usually loud voice went meek, feeling shy and grateful. Even Tsunade was surprised with the behavioral shift.

"No problem, Naruto-kun. I hope I can be of help to you."

"You are always helpful to me, Hinata. Sorry for the late night visit." He scratched the back of his neck, and seemed to avoid prolonged eye contact.

'Huh…so this kid can actually act that way. Interesting…' Tsunade thought with a smirk. If she is right, then Naruto right now is…She will ask Naruto for more details later. For now, it's time to focus on doctor duties.

"Hinata, I will leave for the meantime and will go back soon, but you can start checking his arm for anything out of ordinary. Let me know what you can find."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"Naruto, you tell her the same details of what you told me earlier, so she can understand what's wrong. And also, don't do anything stupid while I am away, got it?"

"Yes…wait, what do mean by that!? Oi!" Naruto could see the faintest of smirks from Tsunade just before she closed the door.

Tsunade had never seen him react like that. How cute. She can finally have a payback for all the times Naruto annoyed her…she can't wait.

Naruto can't help but feel tense at the moment. He was all alone with Hinata, late at night, in a room that's really too quiet. Or maybe because he's not being noisy like the usual. He can't look straight at her for longer than a second. And he's feeling a little bit sweaty.

'Is it just me, or has the room become hotter?'

"Are you alright, Naruto-kun? You are sweating and your face is a bit red."

"N-no…I-I mean yes! Yes, Hinata! I am alright. My arm is a bit painful right now, but nothing serious!"

He explained the details of the discomfort he was feeling right now and the discomfort he felt while performing ninjutsu to Hinata. He showed his prosthetic arm to her and she held it softly, activating her Byakugan to start her inspection.

As he was looking at her observing his right arm, he noticed a detail that he somehow forgot up until that point. When did he..?

That one detail: his right arm had no bandages wrapped around it. He forgot that Tsunade removed it when she was performing her checkup. And now, Hinata was looking at his arm's true form.

That thought made him immediately retract his arm back, surprising Hinata and stopping her inspection.

"N-Naruto-kun, I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make it more painful…"

"N-n-no, no, Hinata. It's okay. I-i-it's not that…"

"Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"…"

He angled his body to hide his right arm away from her, and to hide his shameful expression.

If there is one thing he didn't like about the new prosthetic is its appearance. The skin color looks really unnatural, and its overall appearance is ugly, in his mind. He just can't get used to how it looks, that is why he thought about just keeping it bandaged forever. Whenever he looked at its bare appearance, he felt like he was a monster of some sort, and it reminded him of his dark past where everyone looked at him like he's a monster child. He didn't want anybody to look at him that way…

…Especially Hinata. Just the thought of her looking disgusted at him…he can't bear the pain…

He can't really look at her right now, because he's so scared that Hinata looked disgusted at seeing his prosthetic without the bandage covering it for the first time.

"I-I…I am sorry, Hinata. It's just that…well, you see…I…" He had trouble explaining his insecurities with him. Before, he can easily say these things to her. What happened?

He realized that what she thought of him heavily mattered to him now. That he wanted her to see him as nothing but the best, the coolest, the strongest. That he admired her so much that he wanted her to admire him as much, so he didn't want her to see his weakness anymore, because in his mind, it will just create a gap between him and her and he didn't want that. He wanted to always be by her side.

What he didn't realize is that her admiration of him is so much more than what he can think of, for the longest time, flaws and all.

Hinata reached for his right hand.

"Naruto-kun, don't think of yourself as ugly. You are beautiful just the way you are…"

She then placed his palm on her cheek and closed her eyes. Naruto can't help but keep her stare at her. He was in awe.

"This hand may look different, but it has the same warmth that I can remember, Naruto-kun. Just holding it right…it makes me feel safe…just like what you make me feel before, Naruto-kun…"

This image will surely burn in his memory forever…his hand that he thought of as ugly, holding Hinata's beautiful and serene face, feeling the warmth of her cheek. The warm and fuzzy feeling just erased all the insecurities he had felt earlier. He can't help but smile so wide. Her words and her actions just made him oh, so happy.

Somehow, his thumb moved on its own and started to caress her cheek.

'Oh wow…is this how her cheeks feel?'

He just continued to move his thumb.

'So soft…so smooth…I can't get enough of it!' He was put into a trance just feeling her face like that.

He was snapped out of it when he saw pearly white eyes stared back at him.

"Are you feeling better Naruto-kun?"

"I…ah…uh…yes! Yes! Thanks Hinata! You really know how to lift my spirits up!"

'Oh shit! Did she catch me doing…what exactly?' His heart was racing, like he got caught doing something…illegal.

"Can I look at your right arm again?"

"O-oh yes! S-sure! Here, Hinata!" 'Stop acting so nervous, dammit!'

Hinata began checking his arm again with her Byakugan. What she saw was some "burnt" chakra pathways that caused nearby muscles to feel extreme pain due to leaking hot chakra, especially when exerting chakra when using ninjutsu. She used her Gentle Fist to momentarily block the chakra flow through certain parts of his arm. She then injected chakra to the damaged pathways like she was massaging them.

Well, she was actually massaging his arm, her thumb doing a circular motion while holding him in a solid grip. And Naruto was feeling so good…

This was such a sweet torture, and as much as he tried to contain it, a moan escaped his mouth…

"Ahhhh…!"

He stared at her. She stared at him. Both were blushing. In Naruto's case, however, he was burning.

"What are you doing, Naruto? Hmmm…"

"Whaaaa! B-bbaa-chan! How long have you been there!?"

"You didn't answer my question, brat. Well?" Tsunade was looking smug.

He was sweating bullets, like he was caught doing…inappropriate.

'But I didn't do anything!'

His mental torture was ended luckily by Hinata intervening.

"Ummm…Tsunade-sama, it looks like some of the chakra pathways on his prosthetic arm got damaged due to sudden stress, but I blocked the chakra from certain areas temporarily to subside the pain. I treated the damaged pathways as well, but it will take a few hours with no chakra flowing to fully heal."

"Thank you, Hinata! I am glad you're here to help this brat!" Tsunade said while aggressively patting his head.

'Why can't people stop embarrassing me in front of Hinata!?'

"You heard her, Naruto! I hope you listen this time!"

"Yes of course, Tsunade-sama! Thanks again Hinata! You're really the best!"

'Naruto, being polite? That's new. Maybe the kid still has a chance, with Hinata around.' Tsunade mused.

"You're welcome, Tsunade-sama. Ummm, Naruto-kun, would you like to help you with the bandage?"

"Sure Hinata. Thanks again, really, hehe…"

Tsunade felt the sweet tension in the air.

"Ahem…I guess I am not really need here anymore. After you finish, arrange the things here and scram, understood?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" The teens said in unison.

Before she closed the door behind them, she took one last glance at the pair who seemed to be in their own world, with Hinata happily wrapping up the bandage in Naruto's arm while Naruto looked longingly at an unaware Hinata.

'Jiraiya, can you see this from where you are? Your student looks to be in love, finally. He has grown up a lot. I hope you taught him something useful for this type of situation.'

Time for Tsunade to drink one up for the kids' happiness.

Naruto just can't forget the feeling of his hand and brushing up his thumb against Hinata's very soft face…

"Naruto…"

"Hmmm? What is it Sakura-chan?"

"Can you stop wiggling your fingers like that? It's annoying!"

He should stop having weird thoughts and doing weird things while on a mission, or Sakura will send him flying to the skies.

"And what's with that look? Are you imagining something disgusting?"

"He's probably thinking something perverted. I have read it somewhere recently. Your face matches the description." Sai butted in, looking at him with an eerie smile on his face.

"N-no, I'm not! Sh-shut up Sai!"

-Chapter 7 End-