Hooray for Naruto!
The cheers echoed around him and the world swirled as he was lifted up by the excited crowd. He felt his stomach plunge with the next drop but he was, for once, caught by reassuring arms of random villagers and was lifted up again.
The Hero of Konoha!
When the villagers finally put him down, he stood on his own two feet and saw Sakura coming towards him with tears in her eyes.
The hug she gave him surprised him.
"Thank you, Naruto," she whispered. "But you went and did something so reckless again! And all by yourself!"
The sniffle she tried to hide revealed all the worry she'd kept at bay when she'd seen his fight with Pain—afar, and narrated by Lady Katsuyu who'd hidden inside his pocket.
But he only had one thought in his mind when the medic-nin finally looked him in the eye. "Sakura, where's Hinata? Is she okay?"
Sakura quickly wiped away her tears and nodded, called back to work. "She's badly hurt but alive. She's at the hospital, Naruto. Before you go, I need to check your injuries first just to make sure you're really fine. Were you—"
But he was already gone, leaving her and the rest of the shinobi staring at him in surprise.
"Should we go after him, Kakashi-sensei? How bad are his wounds?" Sakura asked when he came to stand next to her and they both watched Naruto running towards the hospital.
Kakashi shook his head. "No, Sakura. He's fully recovered from his fight with Pain. Let him go. I think he just needs reassurance that Hinata will be fine, all thanks to you."
Sakura nodded in understanding. "Yeah, she needs it, too."
Pain. Hate. Death. War.
His conversation with Nagato was still fresh in his mind as Naruto ran towards the hospital.
But there was also light behind Nagato's words.
This path he'd chosen, this road against hate, was long and hard—but he didn't have to go through everything alone.
Hinata had known this when she'd jumped in earlier to try to help him. She'd told him and she'd tried to show him with her words and actions.
She hadn't wanted Naruto to fight Pain all by himself.
And Naruto was finally understanding what it all meant—for him and for her.
When he got to the hospital, Neji and the rest of the Hyuugas were standing by the door to Hinata's room. All of them were in deep conversation.
Naruto's heart beat a little more worriedly.
Why was everybody looking so grave and serious?
"Neji! I thought Sakura said Hinata was fine?!" he burst out, unable to hold in his anxiety.
Neji looked at him. "She's alive, but it's going to take a while for her body to recover. We're just trying to figure out how to help her."
"I want to help!"
Neji smiled briefly. "Oh, don't worry, Naruto. We were going to recruit you for that specific reason. She needs lots of chakra infusions. Luckily, you've got lots to spare."
But Naruto was only half-listening, ignoring Neji and the rest of her family when he'd walked the few steps towards the window of Hinata's room. His eyes were pressed against the glass but he still couldn't see her. His view was blocked by the doctors and the medical staff busy running around checking machines and tubes.
He could only see a vague figure covered by white sheets.
"Whatever you guys need, Neji," Naruto murmured in response, still straining to find her, still unable to believe that Hinata was hurt and lying in a hospital bed.
Behind him, Neji nodded gratefully.
Hiashi Hyuuga took a step forward and extended a hand. "I heard from everyone what you did. Thank you for saving us, Naruto."
Naruto finally tore his gaze away from the window and shook the hand before him, but his head was shaking a denial. "No! Old Man Hiashi, I don't want your thanks."
Hiashi frowned, but it was quickly erased by Naruto's words when he asked, "Can I go inside and see her?"
Hiashi relented. "Go."
Naruto didn't wait.
The machines were beeping, and the medical staff had frowned at him when he'd first entered the room. But the sight of Naruto, weary and worn from a fight that saved everyone, made their annoyance melt.
They finally finished checking Hinata and left the two of them in the room.
Naruto took a deep breath and walked forward, finally able to get a glimpse of her.
Was it really so long ago that he'd seen her? It wasn't really, but it felt like forever.
Her face was pale underneath the clear oxygen mask. Her breathing was shallow, and for some reason, he felt like he couldn't breathe, either.
But he was finally able to see her and he grabbed the stool by her bed and sat. He was content to watch her, pray for her to recover, unable to take his eyes away from her.
He didn't know how long he stayed, he vaguely heard and saw people coming in and out of her room. He was hovering between obsession and exhaustion, and he knew he should probably go home and rest, but he just didn't want to leave her side, fearing that if he left, she would disappear again, and he would be lost.
The reassuring hands that gripped his shoulder, patted him on the back or on the head, the murmured suggestions to get some rest barely registered in his mind.
Still, people came and went. Naruto thought he might have heard Kiba's and Shino's voices. That might have been Kurenai-sensei's voice asking if everything was fine. Shikamaru might have stopped by and touched his arm to offer comfort. Hanabi might have been the one who'd left the tea by the bedside for him.
Still, he didn't want to leave just yet.
The hours stretched on, until Naruto blinked and was startled awake. He'd fallen asleep exactly where he'd sat. He looked out the window and saw that the sky was dark, the moon was shining, and the stars were out.
How long had he been here?
He was surprised that not only was he still by her side, but somehow, his hand had wandered over to her bed and was gripping her smaller one.
A muffled rustle made him tear his gaze away from her hand and look at her face.
And his heart burst to see her eyes flutter and finally open.
Lavender.
Her eyes were lavender.
He knew that, of course. But today, it was a new discovery. There was a flutter in his stomach. Something was different.
Naruto saw her blink her surprise at seeing him and he didn't blame her. She probably hadn't expected to see him when she finally opened her eyes.
He could see her take in a deep breath, and even to him, he could tell it was difficult for her to do it, but she let out the breath slowly, causing her oxygen mask to fog up.
When it cleared again, she attempted to smile, one corner of her mouth was lifting up, trembling with the effort.
And he knew that she was trying to thank him. It was so like her, so much a part of who she was as a person.
She didn't need to, shouldn't have to.
He leaned in abruptly. "Hinata! Stop! It's okay. You don't have to do that with me."
Again, for the second time that day, Hinata ignored his directions and did it anyway. Her lips slowly stretched until the smile reached her eyes, which were now shining with joy because she realized it was Naruto who was by her side.
"Hinata…"
And Naruto finally did what his mother had done, what Ero-sennin had shown him despite not ever saying the words out loud.
What Iruka-sensei meant when he'd praised him and believed in him.
What his teammates, including his captain, felt for him but never expressed so openly and so honestly to him.
What her fight—and his fight—with Pain revealed all so clearly.
Naruto could still hear his mother say it clearly, her eyes so blue, bursting with love. He could still feel the warmth of her chakra, the certainty of her feelings.
The same way Hinata had shown him.
The knowledge that it was so easy to say it, to feel it for her.
"I love you, Hinata."
And the hand gripping his tightened briefly, but there was no doubt she'd heard him.
She blinked, nodded, and swallowed. Then she smiled again, took another deep breath, and tried to say his name.
Naruto watched even as he gripped her hand again, wanting her to finally stop ignoring his instructions.
He grinned at her, relief filled him, but he wanted to reassure Hinata that he knew what she wanted to do.
"No, Hinata. It's okay. I understand."
The light shone in her eyes brilliantly and they held each other's gazes, both of them making a promise to each other. But her eyelids were slowly dropping, exhaustion claiming her again.
She sighed, and Naruto hoped it was a happy one.
"I'll be here when you wake up."
And whenever she needed him, he would be there, too.