The sun shone down unmercifully.
Soldiers were scorched by the heat of it. Those men who were not shinobi, and were likely to meet their opposites in battle, had taken to wearing armor.
Ninjas from Hidden Leaf village, along with shinobi from the allied nations, perched high in the trees waiting, while the pikemen, archers, and sword bearers waited in trenches, and behind hastily thrown up stonework. Their light clothing served them better in the seasonal warmth.
But, they were no better at surviving the lack of water. Even the most powerful ninjas could not divine water, or pull the aqueous substance from the dry and cracked earth with their jutsus. Everyone hoped that one of the supply wagons would arrive before they had to go into battle.
"I don't like this. Not at all. I don't think I will everget used to it!" Hinata wiped sweat from her brow, standing on a thick bough, high in the crown of a towering oak. She was not referring to the drought. Those came and went across the years. Instead, she referred to the newer way of fighting.
"I know what you mean," Ten Ten said, passing hand signals along the chain of command. "I can see why the changes took place initially." The number of shinobi had grown incredibly low in some villages. "But this gnaws at my conscience. It almost seems as if honor has just disappeared." She broke open a green stick, and sucked at the pulp, unable to make much saliva in her mouth. She and her fellow Leaf warriors, soldiers and shinobi alike, were trapped in a siege.
"We never had to put up with anything like this before," Ino added. "Not unless it was against a whole village." Now that full scale battles depended so much and foot soldiers and horsemen, the unthinkable could happen. In the past, when fighting was done with ninjas, there was no way that shinobi would have been caught up in a siege.
"We can't abandon our comrades," Hinata said with a sigh. "Any of us could slip past the enemy soldiers, worrying only about the shinobi lining up against us."
"But…" Ten Ten adjusted one of her hair buns. "The soldiers couldn't do the same."
"It makes me sick at heart," Ino said. "Not just people who are dying. Look at this forest!" She waved her arms in numerous directions. The three women could easily see the latrines, springing up out of the ground like grotesque toadstools. Trees had been blasted down or cut, used to build fortifications. The earth had been pushed up into great mounds by jutsu, and fire pits dotted the land like a blemishes on a lovely woman's skin.
"I hear that Naruto has plans to bring things back to the way they were, when he is Hokage. If anyone can do it, it's him. I'm sure he'll find a way." Ten Ten watched as the troops below used colored flags to signal one another. "I'm sorry, Hinata. I shouldn't have mentioned his name."
"It's alright," Hinata said. "He's in my thoughts all of the time, anyway." She made a face. "I almost wish he was camped with the soldiers down below. That way I wouldn't have to cross enemy lines every morning, handing Apate's letters to one of the couriers."
Ino looked at Ten Ten, and then frowned. A newcomer had also arrived, and had caught the end of that conversation. She was the first one to voice her opinion.
"That's ridiculous, Hinata!" It was Sakura, freshly back from treating the growing number of wounded. She and her fellow medical ninjas rarely got any sleep. He face bore silent testimony to that fact. "You have an important role here, and that takes up enough of your time and strength." She walked over and placed her forehead against Hinata's taking her temperature. "You don't need to wear down your body, just because you are skilled enough to do what that girl can't."
"She's right,"Ino said. "This style of fighting is trying enough. You don't need to break your heart again each morning before battle, writing those damn letters."
"You are taking your love of poetry too far!" Ten Ten sounded angry. "There will be no moreplays or recitals, if you get yourself killed." She poked Hinata in the chest with her finger. "We won't be there in the audience to watch, if you get us killed too." Her last comment was only partly in jest.
"Thank you for caring," Hinata said. "I'm very fortunate to have such good friends." She shook her head sadly. "I promised Naruto I would do this. I also gave my word to Apate. Do you understand now? I honor my word, no matter what." In a quieter voice she added, "Just like he does."
"Wise up!" Sakura was growing irate. "I don't think that big idiot would expect you to kill yourself over this." She clenched her fists. Opening her mouth to give Hinata a piece of her mind, she grimaced and rubbed her eyes. A soldier down below had raised a particular flag. There was another group of wounded coming back from the front. "Well, I've got to go. It's been fun." With that, she flashed from view.
"She's right!" Ino said. "As much as I hate to agree with a girl with such a big forehead."
Ten Ten nodded her head. "I agree," she said. "About Naruto… not about the forehead…"
"My head hears you," Hinata said. "But not my heart." She broke off a branch, and then began pulling leaves off one at a time, watching them spin and rock on their way down. "I worry about him. But, he worries about her. I doubt he even spares a thought for me."
"Men!" Ten Ten grumped, driving a kunai deep into the wood beneath her feet.
"Tell me about it," Ino said. "You miss Neji, don't you?" Ino already knew the answer. She just wanted to change the subject, for their leader's sake.
"Yes," Ten Ten said. "His squad is fighting against the Rain. That is mainly a shinobi battle for now. From the intelligence reports I've seen, the enemy has no one capable of standing against him one on one, or group against his group." She looked out over the battlefield. It seemed to stretch on to eternity. "I sometimes doubt I will ever make it back myself." Her voice had grown weary, even pessimistic.
"Nonsense!" Hinata said, more life in her voice. "The Leaf has triumphed when it counted most, time and time again. We have a strong ally in the Sand, seeing that Gaara remains Kazekage."
"It doesn't hurt that Temari is married to Shikamaru," Ten Ten said, finding Hinata's attitude contagious. "Oh! I did it again. Sorry Ino…"
"It's alright," Ino said. "I stopped pining over him years ago. You know that."
When they all headed off in different directions to see to their duties, Hinata went to look for Apate. She found the exhausted girl fast asleep in the crook of a graceful elm. Sitting on a branch not too far above the Waterfall ninja, she began to compose the next letter. She no shortage of things to say. The food may have run out, but her feelings for Naruto never would.
Only a few minutes had passed before a number of soldiers began shouting her name. There was talk of mutiny amongst the men. They hoped that Hinata could help somehow. Arriving on the scene, she started off by chiding the men, calling them out on points of honor. After that, she began a soliloquy, a comical turn she had written for an unfinished play. Walking along a tall embankment, she called out her words, causing the men to laugh more and more. Soon, that laughter sounded like a battle cry, coming even from men too weak to stand.
Knowing that a number of musicians had been conscripted into the city militia, she asked if any had brought their instruments. By miracle, some had, even at the cost of fewer clean clothes and provisions. Gathering together, the artists put on an impromptu show. Before they knew it, the men of the army had forgotten about their hunger.
Hours later, a loud whistle sounded.. Ten Ten pointed in the direction of a cut between berms. A carriage was coming. It was Yukihime's. Their commander had returned from a meeting of high-ranking military planners.
An uneasy grumbling began amongst the men, punctuated by a fair number of disgruntled comments. Some statements bordered on treason, and were quickly shouted down. Many of the soldiers couldn't help but wonder if their leader had been sleeping in feather beds, after eating fancy meals and drinking her fill of water.
"Stop your moping around." Hinata's voice rang out. "You're men, not cattle who can't find any grass!" She showed her own good humor, chuckling when a number of men made cow calls.
Yukihime walked up, wearing clean clothing and looking rather refreshed. She sniffed and held her nose high, walking by fragrant men who hadn't washed in days.
"Ahhh-hh-h… Commander… it's wonderful that you can join us again." Hinata bowed to the higher ranking shinobi. "Our spirits drop when you are gone too long from us!" Hinata's claim had the men putting their hands over their mouths. "I think it would do the men's morale a great service, if you can tell us your exploits on last week's battle front!"
Yukihime looked as if she realized Hinata's duplicity. She opened her mouth, about to question the smaller woman's motives. One of the men began to applaud, after nudging a couple of his buddies. Soon, there were scores of whistles and hoots. Applause started at one end of the line, then moved on down like falling dominoes.
"Well, how can I refuse that?" Yukihime preened, choosing to believe the soldiers were being honest in their acclaim. When she struck a heroic pose, she either didn't hear the snickers that arose, or managed to ignore them. Face flushed, she told of her role in the firece fighting. At one point, she brought up something that Hinata hoped she would. "The dead piled up around us. We reaped the Grass as it had never been reaped before. Then, to confuse the enemy, I threw away my scarf!" She meant the colored scarf that marked her as a ranking ninja in the army.
"That must have been it. A clever strategem." Hinata climbed to stand next to Yukihime on the watchtower she had ascended. "To think that the men all questioned your courage, believing that a brave and honorable shinobi of the Leaf would never toss aside the very thing that drew the enemy's attention."
Yukihime put her hand on her sword, fighting an urge to strike Hinata down. She struggled to maintain her dignity, seeing that everyone was watching her.
"If you like, I will wear it in your place when the battle starts," Hinata said, knowing that she was behaving in an irresponsible fashion. At that moment, she was too tired and too emotionally drained to care. "I will direct the ANBU and ground troops too, if you wish more of them to survive." She felt the hatred bubbling up inside of her. Yukihime had put the ANBU squad in the van of the attack on more than one occasion.
"That is an easy claim for any braggart to make, Hyuuga Hinata." Yukihime bristled at the insolence of her subordinate. "It is a cheap way to appear brave." She turned to face the assembled men. "The scarf lay where no warrior on our side could possibly reach it. Your Captain here can easily make such a pledge, as the scarf no doubt decorates some enemy tent or flag pole."
"I think not," Hinata said. Resounding cheers rang out when she held up the very scarf in question.
"Keep it," Yukihime said. "Enjoy your small victory." She signaled to a sentry, speaking with the man when he gave his report. Finished, she addressed the assembled ranks. "We attack the enemy in under an hours. Listen for the signal to advance. Fight with every ounce of bravery you possess, since this will be the pivotal battle. If we can buy enough time for the reinforcement to arrive, we will all earn the gratitude of our villages."
There was no cheering. There were no shouts of eagerness, or great slogans. The men went about their preparations as need be, some buoyed by the knowledge that things might well be over soon, one way of another. Hinata bowed and thanked Yukihime for a chance to die with glory. The other woman couldn't tell whether she was being serious or sarcastic.
Hinata tossed the scarf at her company commander's feet.
Apate walked over yawning. Hinata laughed, hearing that the girl had slept through everything that had taken place after the Commander had arrived.
"I would give anything to have Naruto here today," Apate said. "I won't die before I get a chance to see him again!" There was an odd look in her eyes. "There's something I have to do…" She placed her hands on her chest and closed her eyes.
"Here," Hinata said, handing a folded piece of parchment to Apate. "If you see him again, you can pass this along in person."
"You had time to write for me again?" Apate looked at Hinata with a raised eyebrow. "Even with all of the preparations you were involved with?" She looked down at the letter, and then unfolded it.
"There's a good chance that I will die today," Hinata said. "Our fearless leader has it in for the entire company, but has a special love for me and my ANBU squad." She clenched her fists, filled with emotion. "It's probably the last thing I will be able to write for you." Under her breath, she whispered "There were some things I couldn't left unsaid."
"What's this?" Apate looked up from her reading. "There's a few smeared areas. It looks like water marks and runny ink." She stared at Hinata, close to guessing the truth. It was the work of tears.
"I apologize," Hinata said quickly. "It's my sweat. I should have wiped my brow before bending over to finish my work." She took out a pen. "All it lacks is your signature."
"Hinata!" Ten Ten flashed into view. "We have another carriage coming in." She strained her eyes to make out more details. "I wish they'd send a provision wagon instead!"
"I hope whoever it is spared some room for medical supplies." A blood-covered Sakura walked up, looking even more weary than she had earlier.
"There aren't any flags on that carriage," Ino remarked. "I wonder who might be in this one. Some puffed up big wig, here to spur us on, before jumping back inside and running for safety?"
"I've seen that coach before," Yukihime said, glaring at Ino after hearing her commentary. "It's reserved for special passengers. It could be one of the Ministers… a group of elders… or even the Hokage herself…"
When the horses pulled up, and the door opened, Hinata felt her heart thumping hard against her chest. The first one to step out of the carriage was Naruto. Looking around the encampment, he made an 'OK' signal. Moments later, Tsunade stepped down. A cheer went up from everyone who caught sight of her.
"What is that idiot doing here!" Hinata stiffened. "He's supposed to be on another front. He's not supposed to die here like a dog! And why did he bring the Hokage! That imbecile. That complete and utter moron!"
"It sounds like she's happy to see him," Ino remarked to Ten Ten.
"You think?" Ino smiled.
Sakura ran over and hugged Tsuande. She gave her teacher a detailed run down on the wounded and status of medical supplies. She gave Naruto an even bigger hug when he motioned to the carriage. They had brought medicines and treatment scrolls.
Hinata was beside herself in anger. That had Ino and Ten Ten trying to calm her down. "Don't you want to see him one more time before you die," Ten Ten asked, being brutally honest. "This will give you one more reason to do your best."
"No!" Hinata watched as Naruto walked along one of the battlements, giving one of his impassioned speeches. For a moment, she pictured him as he was, back when he wore the orange and black jumpsuit, raising the spirit of anyone he fought beside. "He won't just stop by for morale sake, and move on. He'll be at the front of things. He won't leave until the battle's decided, or they carry him off the field."
"But, we're stronger for his being here," Ino said quietly. "The enemy will have to divert a lot of resources to deal with one such as him."
"I don't care!" Hinata began to tremble ever so slightly. "If we lost him, the cost would be too high. No victory could be worth that." If the Leaf lost its Hokage, that would be tragic enough. But, if they lost their future leader, that would be catastrophic.
"He won't listen to reason," Sakura said, walking by to see if anyone wanted a light stimulant before battle. She had bundles of fresh herbs that had come in on the carriage. "I scolded him for bringing Tsunade out here. She is too tempting a prize for enemy assassins. But, this is his place." She met Hinata's gaze. "If this is the most important battle of the war, we need our strongest shinobi. He told me that Jiraiya is bringing the remainder of the jounin from the other front."
"They won't make it in time for the initial assaults," Hinata said. "They are reinforcements at best. Replacements." She mumbled "No one can replace him."
"She's right, you know…" Ino said, after hearing Sakuta echo her own thoughts. "If things are as bleak as you think they are, will you tell him your secret?"
"If you're going to die anyway, what harm could it do?" Ten Ten spoke very softly. She couldn't help but think of Neji again.
Hinata stood speechless, like a genin fresh out of the Academy faced by an enemy Kage.
"Here he comes," Ino said. Sure enough, Naruto was making his way in their direction. He brushed past an eager and fawning Yukihime without paying her any notice.
"Naruto!" Apate ran up. "My love, what are you doing here?" She threw herself into his arms.
"I had to see you again," Naruto answered. "It was so important, that I couldn't wait any longer." There was an unmistakable ring of truth to his words. "You were out of my sight much too long for my liking."
Hinata was too caught up in her emotions to catch the subtle catch in Naruto's voice. Having studied him for years, she was the only one who might have noticed. Instead, thinking that Naruto had been so filled with love for Apate that he rushed to the battlefield, she hung her head. Looking up, she summoned up her resolve, and then marched over to him.
"It's sheer lunacy for you to be here!" Hinata's voice was harsh. "You should take the Hokage back to safety this very instant."
"Lunacy?" Naruto smiled. The way his mouth and eyes looked reminded Hinata of earlier days again. In a quieter voice, he spoke in her ear. "You mean like a man falling from the moon?" He nodded his head, seeing Hinata bring a hand to her mouth. He hadn't been oblivious to her ploy to delay Yukihime that previous evening.
"You can't leave, now that you're here!" Apate grabbed firm hold of Naruto's arm. "Stay with me. As long as you can. No matter what happens."
Ino and Ten Ten grabbed Hinata's arm, holding her back. It looked like she was ready to strike the other girl. That foolish twit of a shinobi was going to get him killed.
"Really? You want me to stay? Even though my life might be at risk?" Naruto laughed. "Well, you must truly love me."
"Yes." Apate placed her face against his chest. Her words were somewhat muffled. "Please don't leave. With you here, I know we can't fail. I know that I can't fail!" She wiggled her way under his arm.
"Well, I will be certain to leave…" That voice had everyone turning and staring. It was Ichigawa. "… But, not before we deliver all of the things I baked." He gave Naruro a Gai-like pose, complete with light reflecting from his teeth. This had been his employer's idea. Together, with other food-smiths, the baker had worked hard to put together a string of wagons filled with fresh food.
"We'll be leaving with him," another man said. "But, we still have some time to do our share." It was the head of the musician's guild. He had come with Ichigawa, accompanied by a large number of men with instruments.
"You did this…" Hinata looked at Naruto. She was so moved, that she almost blurted out her feelings for him then and there. "Ten Ten… Ino… roust all the men… let's see if we can get a good meal in before we fight."
Cheers rang out again, even louder than they had been for the Hokage's arrival. They all began chanting Ichigawa's name, calling him the hero of the day.
As Hinata watched, her heart swelled with pride for the baker. A soldier had limped over to the supply wagon, trying to hide his face. He had trouble walking, looking as if he were weak from a number of treated wounds. It was the very man who had run off with Sada.
"Here… don't hide your face… there's food for everyone." Ichigawa placed a plate of food into the soldier's trembling hands. "We're all members of the Leaf. And those that are not, they are our brothers and allies. The enemy is out there." He pointed in the wrong direction; but, it was the gesture itself that mattered. The soldier fell to his knees and sobbed his thanks.
"The men may be right," Hinata said, speaking to Ichigawa after she walked over to grab a quick bite. "You may be the best man on the field today."
"I'm just a baker, Miss Hinata." Ichigawa blushed, hearing that praise. "I do what I love." He glanced over at Naruto, who was busy running food off to men who couldn't leave their posts. "Look at him. He's going to be Hokage some day. But, he's lugging supplies like the greenest soldier." He smiled. "How can I do any less?"
"Yes…" Hinata followed Naruto with her eyes. How could they afford to lose him today? He was the future of the Leaf. With a heart like his, he could bring accords between nations that no one else could.
"You're pretty special yourself, Miss Hinata." Ichigawa gave her a special pastry that he had been hiding. "I wish I could hide you in one of the empty barrels and sneak you out of here."
"What?" Hinata's eyebrows both shot upward. She looked over at the large barrels that had been holding water and watered-down wine. "You may just have given me the idea I need." She spoke without realizing who stood behind her.
"Don't even think about it, Hinata." It was Naruto. "I grew up a prankster. You're pretty good; but, I'm a natural…"
"I…… ummm…." Hinata was at a loss for words. "You see… I was just…" Looking past Naruto, she saw Ino pantomiming a lovesick confession. Gritting her teeth, she watched as Ten Ten drew a large heart in the dirt.
"Word has it that you've done a magnificent job out here, Hinata." Naruto swept his arm, encompassing the entire countryside with his gesture. "Despite the terrible situation you have been placed in." He looked over at Yukihime, who had put her scarf back on. "I have to go now. Make certain you come back alive. You are more valuable to Konoha than you want to admit to yourself." With that, he handed a stack of empty plates to Ichigawa and hurried off.
Hinata stood wordless, tears coming to her eyes. Seeing that, neither Ten Ten nor Ino had the heart to chide her about missed opportunities.
"Well, if Naruto is staying for battle, then so am I…" Yukihime's statement drew a long series of cheers. To her, it meant that she would seen as heroic. To the men, it meant that she had a better chance of being killed. The fact that she decided to carry plates about the way that Naruto had did not win her any friends.
Later, seeing that there was little time left before the fighting would begin, Apate wandered over some to get something to eat. Seeing Hinata, she walked up and tugged on her sleeve. "Hinata… just how many letters did you write…" She had been caught off guard by a comment that Naruto had made.
"Well… I…" Hinata felt like a kid caught with her hand in the candy jar. "You see…" She coughed, and then began again, sounding more like her usual self. "I wrote at least one per day. Some days, I wrote two or three."
"You're kidding…" Apate's eyes went very wide for a moment, and then narrowed to mere slits. She was about to say something more, but Naruto stepped over again, looking for her.
"So… Naruto… my heart… did you come to this battle because you love me?" Apate nibbled daintily on a small turkey leg.
"Hmmmm-mmm-mm-m… all I can say is I must have been driven mad by those beautiful letters you wrote me." Naruto's smile never faded, even though he caught the quick look of anguish on Hinata's face. "At first… I was captivated with your beauty alone… " He bowed. "But then… when you started writing… I came to love the inner you… your soul…"
"Do you mean you would love me, even if I was ugly?" Apate's bell-like laugh rang out. "Men will say anything to win a woman's virtue."
"Yes," Naruto said. "I could give my heart to the woman who wrote those letters." He smiled and gave Apate a kiss on the cheek. "That will have to be my farewell. I wanted to be certain that you heard those words before I left. I need to go raise the spirits of the younger shinobi."
Apate turned back to Hinata after Naruto had left. "Naruto doesn't really love me," she said. She made no sign of being crestfallen. "He loves what he thinks is my soul, which means that he actually loves you." Watching Hinata's face, she nodded her head. "And you have loved him in secret."
"I have," Hinata admitted. When Apate left to retrieve her weapons bag, Hinata walked one battlement alone. Looking down below, she saw Naruto rallying a group of Chuunin. Head abuzz, she felt compelled to ask him a question.
"Naruto-kun?" She went to join him when he took a moment to check the attachment of his great summoning scroll.
"Ung-ggg-gg-gh…" He made a face, closing a latch on his finger. He put the bleeding finger in his mouth. "Is there something I can do for you, Hinata?"
"I was curious… for Apate's sake…" Hinata rubbed her fingers together. She hated to lie that way. "If she was short, not tall… if she was dark, not fair… if she wasn't so light of spirit…" She swallowed hard. "Would you feel the same way about her?"
Naruto studied Hinata for a moment. "Yes," he said. "My feelings for her wouldn't change in the slightest."
"I see." Hinata tensed up, feeling some need to hide. It was like she was a genin, hiding behind a training post again. Or, a lamp post, on the day Naruto had gone off to train with Jiraiya. Her heart swelling with joy, she fought her sudden shyness, deciding to tell Naruto her secret. "There's something I want to…"
"Captain!" A messenger ran up, breaking the moment. "Captain, the sentries say that they saw Apate charging towards the enemy lines by herself." He looked at Naruto. "She was calling out your name. She wanted us to tell that she was going out to prove her love."
Hinata felt a stab of guilt. Her admission to Apate, coupled with Naruto's words about the letters, had sent the girl rushing towards her death. That would be a terrible blot on her conscience. Worse, Apate was weak-willed and fragile. If she was captured and put to torture, the enemy could extract any battle plans from her before she died.
"I will bring her back!" Hinata moved to leave.
"No." Naruto shook his head. "That is for me. This is something that I must do." He was gone before Hinata could protest.
As Naruto ran off, Hinata realized that she could never tell Naruto her true feelings, not after this. Suddenly, cries of alarm rang out. Looking up, Hinata saw an unbelievable number of arrows in the air. The enemy must have shinobi archers. Not only could such men sneak close undetected, but their powerful jutsus could multiply one arrow into dozens.
Calling out orders, she correctly guessed that the arrow storm was not a reaction to Apate or Naruto, but instead signaled an enemy attack. There was no time for personal sadness or recriminations. It was time to fight. After that, everything seemed a blur for a very long time.
When the melee was finally over, Hinata staggered over to where she saw Ino and Ten Ten. Both girls were wounded, being treated by Sakura and Shizune. Hinata herself was unscathed, except for a shallow gash on one calf.
"Hinata…" Ten Ten looked particularly solemn. "I'm sorry…" She pointed over to a covered stretcher.
Hinata's heart went into her throat, and then threatened to stop beating altogether.
That couldn't be Naruto. She fell to her knees in prayer, before pulling the canvas off of the corpse's face. It was Apate.
The girl's chest looked like it had been crushed by some great blow. Seeing her laying like that, dead, Hinata hung her head. Tears came to her eyes. This was all her fault.
Folding Apate's arms gently across her chest, she felt the rustle of paper. Searching, she found the last letter she had written. Apate had never had a chance to give it to Naruto.
She would do that. And, she would keep the secret.
A messenger arrived in a great hurry. Not seeing Hinata where she kneeled, the man handed a scroll to Ten Ten. She gasped, and then shouted for Hinata. Ino ran off to points unknown.
"What is it?" Hinata asked.
"It's Naruto." Ten Ten looked pale. "He must have come upon Apate's body. Scouts say that he charged the enemy's group of top shinobi on his own."
"WHAT!" Hnata brought a hand to her mouth. Naruto had gone up against the best that the Grass had in the filed today? By himself? If he died, that would be her fault too. Well, if he went down, he would not go down alone!
"No. Don't." Ten Ten's words went unheeded. "Wait!"
Hinata moved as quickly as she could, flashing from one point to another, astounding the common soldiers who saw a mere blur pass them by. Stopping only to find out where Apate's body had been found, and in which direction Naruto had gone, she moved on again, despite concerted efforts to stop her.
At one point, she slowed to a walk, looking around her with a sense of disbelief. It would not be difficult to locate the site of Naruto's personal fight. Huge numbers of trees lay fallen, or split many times up the middle. The earth was charred terribly in many spots. The topsoil was missing over rocks that had once been buried deep beneath the grassy surface.
The ground under her foot squished. She began to sink. One large tract of land had been converted into an enormous swamp. That could only be the result of one of the jutsus Naruto had learned from the Frog Hermit.
Hinata brought a hand to her mouth. Countless body parts decorated grass, weeds, and other types of ground cover. She had known that he had grown strong. But, there had been no way to judge just how powerful he was. Now there was.
She heard a sound. It was a faint one, but she knew it for a moan. She ran to the area.
Skidding to a halt, she saw what she feared she might see. Laying in the center of a deep depression was Naruto. There were no survivors anywhere near him. Looking across the distance, straining in the decreasing light, she could see enemy forms gathering. No doubt they were preparing for another strike.
Walking down the slope of the crater, she let out an involuntary gasp. Naruto's clothing was red, from head to toe. It had stated out beige. Blood. Every single inch of his body was covered with blood. "You… you…you idiot…" Hinata came close to sobbing, cursing Naruto.
"Hinata…" Naruto's voice was faint. "Hinata…. is that you…" He coughed, sounding terrible. " I can't move at the moment. Things are getting dark…."
Hinata threw her self down on the ground, and then cradled Naruto's head in her arms.
"Naruto-kun… Naruto-kun… I am so sorry…." Tears streamed down her face. "This…… this is all my fault…."
"Nonsense," Naruto said, trying to sit up and failing. "You didn't start this war…." He groaned. His muscles felt as if somewhat had set them ablaze.
"That's not what I mean," Hinata said, putting her fingers over his mouth. "Don't speak any more. There should be medical ninjas on their way any time now." She hissed her next words. "Enemy soldiers are approaching too, but I won't let them have you." Looking over at the distant line of soldiers, Hinata swore that they would all be dead men if they came anywhere near Naruto.
"I don't need medics, Hinata." Naruto breathed in deep, and then gasped. His ribs hurt. "There is nothing they can do for me." He coughed. " I'm exhausted… that's all…" He coughed. "I just want to rest…. I need to rest…." His voice ran down. "My chakra is gone."
"No!" Hinata sobbed. "Don't close your eyes, Naruto-kun. Please don't leave me." Her tears fell on his face.
"Geee-ee-ez… does it look like I can get up and go anywhere, Hinata?" Naruto frowned. "It feels like it's raining. Owww-ww-w… it hurts to talk…" His face was terribly swollen. "Damn fox needs to do his job better…"
"Naruto-kun…." Hinata wiped away her tears, touched by how Naruto could still joke, even at a moment such as this. "Why did you do this? No. Never mind." Her heart felt as if it was fracturing. "How many men did you face… you great buffoon…" She ran her hands through his clotted hair, caressing his scalp.
"Well, it was more than a mere thirty," Naruto answered. "And it was less than one hundred." He coughed again, grimacing with pain. "Just barely." He tried to spit, but the saliva landed on his chin. Hinata wiped it away. "There's no excuse. I shouldn't have ended up like this. Not against them."
"Shhhh-hhh-hh-h…" Hinata began crying again. "You did wonderfully, Naruto-kun. I doubt that anyone could have done better. I'm very proud of you." She leaned down and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead.
"Of course not," He tried to chuckle. "And thank you." He looked up at the sky, watching the explosions from signal rockets fired by both sides.
"Would you like to read the farewell letter that Apate wrote to you?" Hinata looked around, feeling somewhat easier. A large number of Leaf shinobi were heading towards the enemy, Ten Ten at their head.
Medical ninjas stopped by, but Naruto asked them to leave. No one short of Sakura or Tsunade could make a difference for him. They were needed for the other men. Hinata waved away the ninjas and soldiers who wanted to see Naruto.
"Letter?" Naruto tried again to get up, unsuccessfully.
"Yes," Hinata said, taking out the letter. "Stay still, Naruto-kun. Unless you want me to use the Jyuken on you." She sighed. "I found this next to Apate's heart."
"Hand it to me." Naruto reached out his hand. With his other hand, he tried to wipe the caked blood away from his eyes. His efforts to read were also confounded by the fact that darkness was falling quickly.
"Here… Naruto-kun… let me…" Hinata began speaking, her voice cracking now and again. She had put her very soul into the writing, and did so again with the retelling.
Naruto closed his eyes, but told Hinata to continue, saying he was not dead. Hinata continued reciting the words until she was through with the letter. Her last words were "I love you," but she never spoke Apate's name, even though the other girl had signed the note.
Once again, Naruto sent a group of medical ninjas away, even though Hinata ordered them to approach. Naruto's orders superceded hers, and they still had many men to treat. Hinata swore to talk to Sakura about that, not to mention Tsunade and Shizune.
"At the end there…when your voice changed some…" Naruto opened his eyes again. "It reminded me of a voice I heard under my balcony that day." That had Hinata biting her lip. " I'm amazed at the eyes a Hyuuga has…"
"The Byakugan… why…" Hinata took Naruto's hand in her own.
"Not that," Naruto said, moving his head from side to side. "I never noticed before…" he managed a smile. "Can all of the Hyuugas read in the dark?"
"What?" Hinata froze. She had recited the letter by memory, not by reading. It had gotten too dark to see the words.
"You wrote that letter, didn't you Hinata?" Naruto squeezed her hand. "I would bet that you wrote each and every one of them."
"Why?" Hinata pulled her hand free. "How?" She looked down at Naruto's face, trying to make out details in the low light. "Apate…" She didn't want to cheapen the love that the other girl had felt for him.
"I didn't love her, Hinata," Naruto said. "She didn't love me." He coughed again. "But, each of us had reasons to want others to believe that we loved one another."
"But…." Hinata sat stunned. Just what was Naruto saying?
"You are not the only one who plays at being an actor now and then." Naruto tried to grin. "Sometimes, my assignments require me to do so professionally. I'm pretty good, I think. Maybe better than you."
"I don't understand." Hinata couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"You are well aware that spies are constantly being sent into Konoha," Naruto said. "They are usually easy enough to sniff out, thanks to the network of contacts that Ero-sennin has." He smiled. He stilled called his former sensei that from time to time. "The old pervert caught wind of a rather special spy, one we would normally have no reason to suspect."
"Apate…" Hinata was too shocked to be angry at the dead girl. The whole sequence of events was getting to be too much for her to wrap her tired mind around.
"Yes," Naruto said. "Apate. Either she was truly raised in the Waterfall, or she took the place of someone who had been." He asked fore some water. Hinata gave him what little she had left. "No doubt she was a trained assassin, just waiting for the right moment to strike. But, she had a more important mission."
"Over here!" Hinata called out to a soldier carrying a number of lanterns. "We could use one of those." She set the light in front of Naruto. Another soldier brought by a bucket of water she had asked for, along with bandages and a clean cloth.
"Ouch!" Naruto jerked away when Hinata began wiping the blood away. "You'll never make a medical ninja."
"Don't be such a baby." Hinata felt much better, even as she cursed herself as a fool. Naruto may be covered with blood, but it was not his own. Removing the blood showed no sign of wounds. She doubted that Kyuubi could have healed everything that quickly.
"When Apate ran out towards the enemy, she wasn't rushing out to do battle." Naruto splashed some of the water from the bucket on his face. He was still terribly weak, but was feeling a little bit better. "She was trying to escape back to her own side, taking the last bit of information that she had gathered. She was under the impression that it might turn the battle in their favor." He paused. "I was the one who killed her…"
"You…" Hinata sighed. Naruto had certainly played them all. He had always been crafty, but she never thought he would be good at keeping secrets. "There was an awful lot of kissing going on…" She almost fainted, hearing those words coming out of her own lips.
"I couldn't help myself," Naruto said. "She did write me all of those beautiful letters, didn't she?" Not hearing a reply, he asked "Right, Hinata?" There was still no answer from the ANBU squad leader. "Hmmmm-mmm-mm-m…as you said, there was a great deal of kissing. It was rather nice, even though she was a spy." He chuckled.
"Eep!" Hinata immediately grew warm in the face after that utterance.
"Huh?" Naruto tried to scratch his head through hair stiffened by dried blood. "I never thought that I would hear one of the mask-bearers squeak like a mouse." He was referencing the animal mask that Hinata wore when she was on patrol. "Is that something they teach you?"
Hinata bit her lip. Damn that man! She thought that he was dying. Before that, he let her continue to think that he cared about that damn spy. Now, he was comparing her to a mouse.
"She had to think I was besotted with her, Hinata." Naruto sounded much more serious now. "Between kisses, I acted like I would slip up every once in a while, giving away village secrets by accident." He winced after coughing a number of times. "Everything I gave out had been approved by Tsunade or Jiraiya. Each bit of information could easily be verified as being true."
"And after a while, you began giving out false leads," Hinata surmised. "Things that might seem real, but would fool the enemy in some crucial way, at some important point in time." She nodded her head in admiration. That was truly well done. She sighed.
"Yes, it was a very complicated deception," Naruto admitted. "But, it brought me a great deal of information."
"Really?" Hinata made a face. "How could you learn anything from Apate, without giving away the fact that you knew she was a spy."
"Did I say it was about Apate?" Naruto tried to stand but wasn't ready yet.
"What are you saying, then?" Hinata froze again. She knew that Naruto was aware that she had written Apate's letters for her. Had he guessed the reason that those notes had been so filled with passion?
"I'm too tired for any more intrigue, Hyuuga Hinata." Naruto said. "And I'm in too much pain to sit around here much longer." He looked at her face, glowing red in the lantern light. "Is there something you want to tell me?"
"What?" Hinata flinched. "There isn't…" She clenched her fists. She had been ready to confess her feelings earlier, so why couldn't she do it now? No one could have gift-wrapped and handed her a better situation than this one.
"Mmmm-mmm-mm-m…" Naruto held his side, but kept his eyes on Hinata's face. "Is this the same woman who walked up on stage… in front of the finest of Kohoha's finest citizens… and then chastened poor idiotic Konohamaru… before leaving the hall and giving a more serious lesson to thirty thugs?"
"I…." Hinata hung her head.
"Is this the same woman who brazenly pretended to be a man from the moon… to delay the approach of an insufferable twit of an officer… protecting the privacy of one she had sworn to serve?" Naruto rubbed his chin, and then checked to see if any of his teeth were loose.
"But…." Hinata began rubbing her fingers together,
"Is this the same woman who gallantly wrote letters for a girl… while she herself…" Naruto purposefully left the end of that question open.
Hinata was silent again. Finally, after a few moments more, she spoke. "Yes."
"Well then, I have an even more important question." Naruto tugged at one of his ear lobes. "Who is more stupid…me for never realizing the truth…or you, for never telling me how you felt?"
"You," Hinata said. A shy smile formed on her lips.
"I had to ask, didn't I?" Naruto said. After that, the two of them sat quietly for a while, neither knowing just what to say. Sakura and Tsunade walked up, but moved on seeing Naruto shake his head.
Hinata found her emotions cresting, almost hoping that Naruto would profess his love for her. But, she knew that wasn't very realistic. "Naruto-kun…."
"Yes?" Naruto made his way to his feet. He was somewhat wobbly, but he could stand.
"You said… and I quote…" Hinta coughed. She joined Naruto in standing. "'I must have been driven mad by those beautiful letters you wrote me. At first… I was captivated with your beauty alone… but then… when you started writing… I came to love the inner you… your soul…'" She couldn't look at his face, even though the light of the lantern didn't carry that far. "Was that all part of the act, too?"
"Well…" Naruto looked up at the moon. For some reason, it looked cheerful that night. If they were all lucky, the war would be over, with victory on the side of the Leaf and her allies. "Just as a magician never gives away his secrets, an accomplished actor never gives away his muse." He grinned. "You should know that."
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata's heart was in her voice. This was not the time for jokes.
"What question did Apate ask, after I gave that answer?" Naruto closed his eyes, feeling the evening breeze blowing against his swollen face.
"She…" Hinata tried to clear her thoughts. " Apate asked 'Do you mean you would love me, even if I was ugly?'"
"Mmmm hmmm… and I said…" Naruto picked up the lantern.
"You said…" Hinata shivered, but not from the breeze. "'I could give my heart to the woman who wrote those letters'. You kissed her and said 'That will have to be my farewell. I wanted to be certain that you heard those words before I left'."
"Yes," Naruto said. "Now… did I really have any reason to direct those words to Apate?" He paused, letting Hinata think on that a while. "If not her, then who?" He moved his arms in circles, and then moved his head this way and that, loosening tight muscles.
Hinata didn't answer. It was her turn to stare up at the moon. She almost wondered if she had been struck hard on the head, and was dreaming all this.
"I know that you Hyuugas need a lot of time to think, sometimes." Naruto laughed. "According to the records, one of your ancestors took over a year to figure out how to open a bottle. Turns out it was an empty." Naruto smiled.
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata made a face.
"Then there was the Hyuuga war leader who kept trying to put his saddle on a chicken." Naruto put his hand in front of the lantern, trying to make a chicken shadow. "When a month passed, and his advisors finally got him to realize that poultry did not make good steeds, he turned his attention to the koi pond."
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata frowned. That big galoof was having too much fun.
"The funniest of them all was once a very small and shy girl. She used to hide behind anything she came across, twiddling her fingers and talking very quietly. You think she would have been clever enough to know that someone who was going to be Hokage wouldn't be fooled by some second-rate spy the way that she was…"
"NARUTO-KUN…" Hinata shook a fist at Naruto.
"My… my… my…" Naruto smiled. "Can't take a joke? No wonder they made you head of ANBU!" He brushed dirt and leaves off of his blood-soaked robes. "Have you ever thought of getting a new mask? Koi? Maybe Chicken?"
"Baka!" Hinata began stomping away. It could have been a special moment, but that moron had to go ruin it with his usual nonsense.
"Apate would have treated me better than this," Naruto said, moaning when he began walking. "Then again, she wanted something from me."
"Ooooo-ooo-oo-oh… I'm going to hate myself in the morning... but I can't just leave you out here" Hinata came back to give Naruto a hand. "I'll wait until you're feeling better before I give you what you deserve."
"Really?" Naruto laughed. "Do you mean a kick… or what Apate wanted to give me…"
Hinata stumbled. Where had that question come from! And just what did Naruto mean? "I'll let you wonder about that." She smiled, having found the perfect reply.
"Who says I will?" Naruto chuckled, having found a better answer.
Hinata stopped. She found herself filled with doubt. "Naruto-kun?"
"Huh?" Naruto stopped too.
"You said that you would love Apate if she were ugly." Hinata almost couldn't get the next words out. "Do you… do you think… do you think that I'm ugly…"
"I'll let you wonder about that," Naruto said, aping her words.
"You!" Hinata pressed her lips tightly together. She wanted to scream.
"Ask me again when I've recovered," Naruto said. "From under my balcony."
THE END
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A/N Postscript:
For those who never caught on, the story was a Naruto-ized version of Edmond Rostand's verse drama 'Cyrano de Bergerac' (1897), itself loosely based on the French soldier, satirist, and dramatist, Savien Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655).