Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I own the lyrics at the end of the chapter, they belong to NEEDTOBREATHE

CHAPTER 29

They spent the rest of the day scouting throughout the lush valley for the small beetle that held the key to finding their revenge bent teammate. Naruto quickly realized that his sensory skills did not cover chakraless bugs, and so compensated with his eyes. Shino became an arthropod sensei to a class of blond clones that blinked and squinted at pictures of the Bikochu before bounding off into the forest under threat of maintaining max stealth.

The Original Naruto struggled to stay focused, the valley was large and his section was on the opposite side from Hime's. He could feel her chakra, but she remained focused on her task, a true shinobi, even under stress. Naruto sighed and did the same, the sooner they found this damn bug, the sooner he could corner her and get this all straightened out. Besides, it was gonna take some time for him to look her in the eye without images of last night assaulting his brain. Once, when he came upon a small pool with a delicate stream dripping into it, he had been mesmerized by the overlaying memory of the way those water droplets had slid over her skin like they were carving a path to glory. Kami only knows how long he would have stared at the ripples in that pond if the Fox's cackling laughter hadn't roused him from his stupor.

After spending hours finding plenty of creepy crawlers but no Magical Avenger Sniffing Bug, Shino had called it a day as the sun sank into the sky. Leaping back towards camp, Kiba split off from the group to check some of the traps Naruto's clones had set that morning. But before he dropped back he paused by Naruto's side and aggressively jerked his chin towards Hinata's straight back, mouthing the words, Talk to her Baka!

Naruto scowled and rolled his eyes. "I will, I will! I just gotta find the right moment!" he hissed back, and Kiba flashed him a fang-toothed grin and waggled his eyebrows before disappearing with Akamaru into the forest. Naruto chuckled and sighed, his gaze settling on Hinata's flowing hair as he followed her back to the campsite. He was certain she was watching him with her Byakugan, and he didn't hide his pensive and hopeful expression as he stared at her leaping form.

As they landed back in the clearing, Shino had quickly claimed the job of collecting more firewood and disappeared, leaving Naruto to fumble around in his pockets for a supply scroll and set to work rekindling the banked flames. Hinata was shuffling around inside the tent, the rustle of her backpack the only sound he could hear over the snap of the twigs he was breaking somewhat over aggressively to feed to the growing fire.

Hinata emerged from the tent and glanced over at Naruto where he knelt by the ring of stones, her shoulders slumped more than usual as she fiddled with whatever object it was that she had retrieved from her pack. She looked like she wanted to say something, but every time she started to open her mouth no sound came out, and she would snap her lips shut.

Naruto was miserable with the tension that had grown between them. He had been looking forward to seeing her again for months and now it was just so fucking awkward and it was all his fault. Why couldn't he have just trusted that she could take care of herself? She had done nothing to demonstrate that she was anything but a strong, powerful, intelligent kunoichi who was comfortable in her own skin and respected by her teammates. And what had he done since showing up? Messed with their team dynamics by insinuating that she couldn't even sleep next to the boys, like they were just horny academy students or something. And then stalked her into the forest in the dead of night as she went about her own private business, obviously choosing a time to avoid any interruptions. His desire to protect her like a precious treasure had overruled his common sense. And he really should have walked away as soon as he saw she was naked, even if he hadn't realized it was her right away. He was no pervert! But his mind had definitely not been thinking rationally. What man could when presented with the breathtaking sight of the moonlight dancing across her wet skin, and the glistening trails of water sliding down in between her...DAMNIT.

Physically smacking himself in the head he darted a look at Hinata to see if she had noticed his blush, and motherfucker he was blushing like an idiot. But her back was to him and she was walking down to the riverbank with her yoga mat that he had given her for her 11th birthday clutched tightly under her arm. Mezmerized by her smooth gait and gleaming hair in the glow of the setting sun, Naruto missed the silent arrival of Shino.

"I will take over tending the fire," he said, startling Naruto slightly as he dropped an armload of wood by his side. "Why? Because you have a more important task to complete." His dark glasses flashed emphatically and despite not being able to read his features, Naruto smiled at the hint of kindness in the deep monotone voice. He slapped the hooded shinobi on the shoulder and mumbled out his thanks as he stood, nervously huffing a sharp breath like a runner at the starting line before trotting to the shore after his friend.

Hinata's mind was a tangle of thoughts and emotions as she trudged down to the river's edge. Today had been awful. Shame pricked her conscience as she thought of how her lingering anger had overruled her good manners and led to the ruining of the surprise onigiri she had put so much work into. Perhaps a good workout would help her settle her mind and then she could have a decent conversation with Naruto-kun, hopefully salvaging what time they had left together. She reached the water's edge and took several deep cleansing breaths, focusing on the soothing ebb of the small waves on the shoreline before bending to lay out her mat on the flat sandy bank. When she heard his footsteps behind her, she smiled a little, knowing that the only reason she even heard the soft earth scuff beneath his feet at all was because he wanted her to. It was his polite way of announcing his arrival. Unlike last night.

Hinata's cheeks burned as she recalled the mortifying moment when she had realized that the interrupting splash was not just some creature of the night but her long time crush and best friend. Her embarrassment had been so intense that she thought her face was going to explode, and she had lashed out with irrational fury on reflex. She was shocked and hurt that Naruto-kun would be peeping on her, and the panicked emotions had completely overrun any coherent thought in the intensity of the moment as she had charged at him with a chakra blazing fist. Hinata had heard Tsunade-sama rant about Jiraiya-sama and his perverted books and peeping habits, but Naruto had always complained about how annoying all of it was in his letters. She had trusted him to avoid the same pitfalls of his mentor.

It wasn't until the next day, after vengefully devouring his rice ball likeness as he watched in frank horror, that she had calmed down enough to really see Naruto's eyes and the depth of his remorse. She realized that whatever his intentions were as he stalked her down the river in the middle of the night, he was truly sorry. But her relentless humiliation had kept her from bringing the whole episode up again, and their mission tasks had taken priority over any personal drama, so the issue had simmered awkwardly all day long.

Now here he was, obviously as uncomfortable as she, shifting from one foot to another with his hands shoved into his pockets. He was rather adorable with the half scowl on his face, clearly attempting to look anything but nervous.

Hinata nodded to herself with renewed certainty, there was no way this boy—man—would ever do anything to make her feel taken advantage of, nor would he even consider maliciously spying on her in her private moments. He had proclaimed at the top of his lungs on more than one occasion that he would lay down his life to protect her, and she had felt the sincerity of his words in her heart. He was her Naruto-kun, her best friend, and he deserved her trust.

Deciding that acting as naturally as possible would make the following conversation that much easier, Hinata forced herself into a casual demeanor. Her hands only shook a little as she untied her obi and slipped the winding band of fabric off her waist before methodically folding it up. She could feel his gaze boring into her back, nearly burning a hole between her shoulder blades, but didn't cease her deliberate movements. She had done this a hundred times in his presence over the years, last night's fiasco shouldn't be allowed to continue to ruin a lifetime of comfortable friendship.

She bit her lip and slipped the kimono shirt off her shoulders and neatly laid it out by the folded obi, leaving her in a much more comfortable tank top and ninja trousers. Hinata fished a hair tie out of her pocket as she walked back to her mat, risking a glance in Naruto's direction as she threaded her fingers through her thick tresses and pulled them up into a high ponytail. His body had tensed, his hands fisted in his pockets, and he was staring at her, lips slightly parted, with a vacant look in his gaze. Her heart raced a bit at the distinctly not friendlike way his eyes had followed her movement, and her hands faltered. Is he...checking me out? Oh gods if he is thinking about last night…

Slightly rattled, Hinata nervously licked her lips and tried to think of something to say, but all words escaped her and she could only think to follow the familiar stretching routine. Grabbing her elbow she pulled her right arm across to her opposite shoulder and hugged it to her chest to stretch her muscles. The action appeared to have jarred Naruto out of his daze as he suddenly coughed and cleared his throat. Scratching the back of his neck he cast his gaze about the ground as if the words he was looking for were written somewhere on the sand.

"Hime," he started and his voice cracked a bit with nervousness. Aggressively clearing his throat again, he settled for scowling at his feet while he stumbled out his ill prepared speech. "I'm sorry about...about last night. I got nervous when you weren't in the tent, and then you didn't come back, and my clone said you were way upstream and your chakra felt like you were fighting, so I went to see...uh, check! I just wanted to check on you, but then you were...um... and I just kind of...ah, it was only a minute I swear! I didn't see...uh, much, only, well, awww fuck it." Naruto groaned and angrily scrubbed his face with his hands, mumbling all kinds of obscene things about himself as he grabbed the hair at his temples and pulled hard in frustration.

During his rambling apology Hinata couldn't hold back her smile at Naruto's pathetic desperation to explain himself. Her last vestiges of annoyance melted away at the strained expression on his face and the way he danced from foot to foot. The poor guy was an open book, and she easily read the verses on his heart. Tip toeing over to stand in front of him, she pursed her lips so as not to laugh aloud as he raked his fingers through the masses of spiky blond locks until his eyes stretched into slits. He looked down from his distorted features upon her humorous expression with such a dejected look on his face that Hinata had to resist the urge to giggle. Bestowing him with an easy grin, she reached up, so much higher than just a year ago, and smartly flicked his forehead like she always did when admonishing his foul language. But instead of saying the usual word of reprimand, she waited for him to focus on her eyes, to see her inner thoughts through her opalescent windows. The turmoil in his blue gaze began to steady when it locked onto her face, and she knew they had found that point of understanding that was so unique to them alone.

"Forgiven," she whispered, and placed a palm against his heart, the movement conveying the depth of the word and its truth. "Just forget about it, ok?" With a gentle pat she granted him her most magnanimous smile to let him know there were no hard feelings. His hands fell to his sides and he returned her grin with a sigh of relief that ended in a chuckle. "Like that'll ever happen," he murmured. Hinata blinked in surprise and Naruto's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "I said that out loud didn't I?" he squeaked.

The blunder was so comically Naruto, that after all the melodrama Hinata couldn't help but turn her back to the freshly chagrined teenager, snorting with unrestrained laughter. Freely allowing the tension to escape her body, she nearly floated back to her place and planted her feet side by side on the mat, interlacing her fingers in preparation of the next stretch. Pushing the palms of her hands outwards she reveled in the pull of her muscles and popping vertebrae as she bent deeply at the waist. From her inverted position she called out to her friend, "I'm sorry I ate all your onigiri. I have one more box sealed in my other food storage scroll that you can have for breakfast tomorrow."

Coming back up to stand she started to twist her torso but was startled when a warm hand clasped her own. Naruto smiled with a nostalgic expression on his face and pulled her arm around to help her stretch, just like he used to do years ago at the academy after wrapping her hands in preparation for the afternoon sparring sessions.

"Sweet!" he said with enthusiasm. "You always made the best rice balls! Hiro-San was good, but no one compares to you, Hime." Hinata relaxed her core, feeling the tension of the stretch build in her muscles and her heart rate speed up despite her controlled breaths. His hands were large and calloused as much as her own, but the way he threaded their fingers together was gentle and intimate. Her eyes flicked up to his face in an attempt to get a better read on the intention behind his movements. Did he realize how he made her feel when he touched her like that?

Slowly coming back to center Hinata raised her other hand to meet his, and they twisted again in a coordination so perfect it was as though they were partners in a dance. The life long friends held their pose for several heartbeats, and she delighted in the heady feeling of him continually gravitating towards her. Naruto was so close now that Hinata could smell him, salty and woodsy after crawling through the humid forest all day. Turning her head slightly so as to catch his profile, she gathered her bravery and coyly offered, "When you come home I'll make them for you anytime you want Naruto-kun." Oh my gods, I can't believe I'm flirting with him. I wonder if he'll even pick up on it?

His hand tightened imperceptibly in response, and she dared to peek up at him through her lashes, hoping her cheeks weren't as flaming as they felt. His expression was soft but his eyes were dancing, like he was trying not to react but hiding it poorly. He pursed his lips in thought as he guided her arm back to center, moving to face her squarely before he planted one foot behind him and bent his front knee to lower himself into the next familiar progression of her routine.

Knowing exactly what to do Hinata smoothly raised her left leg and he caught her ankle, dragging it upwards until it rested on his shoulder. Her slender fingers wrapped around Naruto's biceps and he began to slowly slide his back foot across the dirt to broaden his stance as she leaned into his body. Her toes pointed into the sky as the stretch lengthened until she was in a perfect split, nearly resting her forehead against his chest. She felt as much as heard his voice rumble, "I'd like that."

Hinata hummed her agreement, breathless from their intimate position and her trembling muscles. Bracing herself against his arms, she allowed him to gradually bring her back up to standing and lower her foot to the ground. Without pausing their fluid dance Naruto reached out to grab her right ankle as she lifted it from the ground. She grimaced slightly, her right leg was her dominant one and after pushing off tree limbs all day the muscles were quite tight.

"Sore?" He asked softly, tilting his head down to see her face. She nodded, too nervous to speak, as he steadily slid her into a deeper stretch. The strain on her hamstring became a little uncomfortable and Hinata allowed her forehead to fall to his chest with a slight grimace. Holy cow, she thought at the feel of his warm pectoral, how much muscle has he packed on this last year?

"Here, let me help," he murmured gently into her ear, looking down at her trembling leg. Making a fist with his left hand he pressed his knuckles firmly into her hamstring just above the back of her knee. She was so glad he couldn't see her flushed face as he unhurriedly advanced his knuckles up the back of her thigh, kneading her taught hamstring and inching higher and higher towards even more sensitive places. Hinata bit her bottom lip to suppress a whimper as Naruto maxed out his reach and placed his hand on her hip, bracing her as he slid back further on the sand, pulling her deeper into her split.

"Better?" Naruto practically seemed to croon, somehow infuriatingly more calm now than he had been during the apology. And here she was, raggedly breathing into his chest over the subtle delicacy of their position. Hinata was blushing madly but, Kami, if this wasn't the best she'd felt in...ever. Biting her lip even harder she pushed down the childish instinct to shy away from anything awkward and decided to risk her dignity so that she could enjoy this intimacy a bit longer.

"Again?" Hinata breathed. It was just a simple question, nothing more, because she wanted him to agree, not obey. "No problem," Naruto answered easily, as though she had only asked him to pass the salt. Goosebumps rippled down her body as he ran his hand all the way from her hip down the side of her leg and slid his fist back into place under her knee. In another pass of glorious torture he repeated the firm stroke of his knuckles up her thigh.

Completely lost in the intoxicating moment, Hinata accidentally let a soft, deep, moan escape her pursed lips. Panic lanced through her body, tightening her grip on Naruto's arms in white knuckled fear that he might freak out and back away. But his hand did not hesitate in its smooth journey across her thigh. His only reaction was a deep, humming laugh as his reach extended upwards until his knuckles just brushed against her backside before moving again to grasp her hip. Naruto sunk down another inch and now Hinata was fully descended into her split, and she could feel the weight of his chin resting on her head. Her eyes squeezed shut as his warm breath rustled her hair with his question, "Does that feel better, Hime?"

Hinata hazily lifted her face, and found herself to be eye level with Naruto's mouth. It quirked up a bit on one side in a soft smile, his whisker marks giving his gentle expression the air of a conniving fox who was harboring devious designs upon her person. Licking her tender lips where they'd been clamped between her teeth, Hinata found herself rather wishing that he did.

Dragging her gaze away from his mouth Hinata looked up into his eyes, and for the first time in her life could not quite identify what she saw. Their bright blue hue was like the sky after a storm, clear and calm. But there was something else, almost like Naruto was searching her for something, pursuing an answer that was just beyond his comprehension. They lost themselves in each other's stare, the keen awareness of their position making the air feel heavy with delicious stress, until Hinata finally managed to whisper, "It feels perfect."

The instant the words left her lips, Hinata saw Naruto's eyes darken and his pupils start to morph into slits, the grip of his rough palm on her hip suddenly tightened and just when she swore he had started to tilt his head and part his lips, a loud bark interrupted them.

Akamaru came bounding down onto the sandy shore and ran a circle around the entwined pair, wagging his tail happily. The spell was broken and Naruto quickly let Hinata's foot slide to the ground, steadying her for a moment longer than necessary before letting go of her shoulders. "Alright, alright, ya wild mutt, we're coming! Tell Kiba not to start without us."

Hinata had turned to grab her kimono and was slipping her arms into it while trying to shake off the butterflies in her stomach. That had been...intense. But she liked it. A lot.

Naruto was rolling up her mat, and stood up running his hands over it before extending it out to her. "I should get you a new one, Hime. This one is so thin it's a miracle it hasn't ripped yet."

Hinata reached out and took the old gift from him, tucking it under her arm protectively. "It's fine," she assured him. "It has a lot of good memories tied to it. Besides, every time I use it I think of you." She affectionately ran her hand over the flattened texture of the once springy foam the way one would caress the fabric of an expensive gown.

Naruto reached up to finger the worn red scarf around his neck. She had offered to knit him a new one more times than he could count, but he always refused. He said this one was perfect, because it was his first gift. The moment he had opened it was when he had known without a doubt that they were friends, his first friend. "I understand," he murmured, then grinned widely at her when his stomach growled.

"What would I have to do for you to let me have that onigiri tonight instead of tomorrow, huh?" he teased, as Akamaru sprinted back and forth between them and the campfire. Naruto sidled over as he watched Hinata dramatically tap her chin in contemplation of what massive favor she could possibly barter from him, and leaned in to tug on her ponytail.

"I'm really good at back rubs too," he whispered lowly into her ear. Hinata gasped and blushed bright red as Naruto waggled his eyebrows cheekily, snickering at her glowing face. "Aw Hime! You're too easy sometimes!" Busting out into a full belly laugh he took off as she brandished her rolled up yoga mat like a club and swung at him.

"Stop teasing Naruto-kun! I know where you sleep!"

That night when he was rudely awakened by Kiba's inhuman snoring once again, Naruto reflexively reached out next to him to feel for Hinata. This time, his arm landed clumsily across her warm body, eliciting a small grunt out of the exhausted kunoichi. Smiling sleepily, the mostly incoherent blond rolled onto his side and pulled her into his body. The two sighed in their sleep, both unaware of why the hard ground suddenly seemed much more pleasant.


The mission had rapidly gone to hell in a handbasket.

Naruto struggled against the stone hard shell of chakra enhanced honey that encased him up to his chin, cursing himself all the while for allowing this mess to happen in the first place.

It was all his fault, he had let his guard down, and by doing so put the team at risk. He hadn't been using his sensing abilities, instead focusing on using his clones as extra eyes to locate the Bikochu, all the while hanging around Hinata as she scanned the forest with her Byakugan. Ever since they had made up, Naruto couldn't stay away, his arms ached to hold her again and all he could think about was making her laugh. Hinata had tried to scold him, reminding him to focus on the mission, but it was as if his mind was incapable of doing anything other than concoct excuses to stay by her side.

Despite his interference Hinata had managed to locate the elusive beetle, and it had been during his somewhat overly affectionate congratulatory embrace when they had struck. Naruto hadn't been paying any attention to the slowly increasing number of bees in their vicinity until it was too late, and he and Hinata had both been stung with some kind of poison that had caused their bodies to go numb. The last thing he had seen was a man's arms groping her limp body as he lifted her off the dirt, and heard the snarling of the Kyuubi within his mind before the world went black.

Now he was separated from them all, bound, and unable to weave even the most basic hand signs, as the unusual substance he was trapped within slowly leeched his chakra. At least I got plenty more where that came from.

The Fox was working on reversing the effects of the poison, and as his mind cleared Naruto focused on sensing his teammates. Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino were in a separate part of the network of caves he had awoken in, they were unconscious but alive. He pushed further and his teeth ground together as he located Hime, somewhere above ground and in the presence of three jonin level shinobi. He writhed furiously, his frustration overwhelming his focus as all he could think about was getting to her side.

Baka, she isn't so weak, you need to get your priorities straight.

Naruto growled at the reprimand, hating to admit the Furball was right, but going against all his instincts was tearing him apart. Hime needed him, they needed each other, they were a team, partners, he couldn't lose another friend, he couldn't lose her. Ignoring the inevitable injuries he would suffer from this technique, Naruto used all of his building anger and anxiety to do the only jutsu he could manage with one hand. The chakra swirled together in his palm where it was trapped behind his back, and he grimaced through the pain as the orb shredded the skin it was pressed against as well as the chakra shell. "Rasengan!"

The sounds of shattering stone mixed with his screams of pain as Naruto rolled away from the destroyed prison of honey, and laid face down and panting for several minutes. When the nausea slowly subsided, leaving only the throbbing and stinging sensations to deal with, he forced himself to his feet and staggered through the labyrinth to his teammates' aid.

They were all still out cold, encased and strung up from the ceiling like human sized cocoons. Naruto braced himself against the wall as his clones cut them down, each bunshin as unsteady as himself, but still managing to ease the others safely to the floor. There was no way he could carry them all out, the poison was still coursing through his veins, making his vision blur, and now the wound on his back was redirecting his chakra towards a second healing effort. All he could do for now was leave his clones to guard them and hope that they awoke sooner rather than later. Naruto tossed a three-pronged kunai to the nearest clone, who nodded at him solemnly when he snatched it out of the air. "Go save her," the bunshin commanded, collapsing into the dirt by Akamaru. The others shouted their cheers of agreement, and Naruto smirked as the echoes of their shouts followed him into the darkness.

It felt like hours before he reached them. He had to pause twice, once to finally vomit from a combination of pain and poison, although he felt immensely better afterwards. The second time to attempt Sage Mode, which failed miserably, his body and mind much too unstable to maintain the delicate balance of Nature Energy in a safe way. His anger bubbled over and he punched the tree he was sitting under, cursing his weakness. What good was all that training if I cannot save my precious people? How can I ever live up to my promises if I cannot even save the person who is more important to me than my next breath?

Abandoning the meditative effort to three clones that he left under strict instruction to keep trying until they either turned into frogs or dispelled, Naruto hurriedly bound the wound on his back and charged forward as best he could, following the magnetic pull of his Hime's chakra.

Now the bastards were in his sight, his own debilitated chakra was muted completely, and he had managed to crawl along a tree branch to obtain a decent view of the shinobi below. When Naruto had seen the way they had strung Hinata up over the river rapids in such a way that any false move would send her hurdling over the edge of the nearby falls and into an abyss, he had nearly combusted in his fury.

His injuries kept him from moving as quickly as he wanted to, but he summoned all his lifetime's worth of stealth to stalk closer to the group undetected. Their words reached his ears over the rushing river. They wanted to ransom her, recognizing her bloodline and knowing that her Clan possessed considerable wealth. The lone kunoichi was claiming the right to torture and kill Shino, apparently to satisfy some vendetta she held against the Aburame for crimes Naruto's teammate had nothing to do with. His internal sense of justice flared. These people were the kind that tipped the scales out of balance, the ones that sent the pendulum swinging hard the other way in their malicious attempts to avenge themselves by punishing anyone they could lay their hands on in lieu of the actual perpetrators. He couldn't ignore their threats, any more than he could ignore the rage building within himself.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. He jumped. His pain became his power and in a gust of wind, two of the shinobi were down on the grass and bleeding out from gaping wounds across their throats. Naruto's blazing red eyes darted around, looking for the last kunoichi, only to see her poised upon the rock that was Hinata's only anchor to safety. She was awake, her lavender eyes wide and intensely staring at him, trying to tell him something, but his mind could only see her helplessness. Blood was seeping through the makeshift bandage on his back, and he weakly fell to his knees despite the mighty growl that ripped through his fanged teeth.

"Let her go! I won't hesitate to end you just like your sorry ass minions!" Naruto hoped the violent killing intent that poured from him, combined with the demonic timbre of his voice was enough of a bluff to convince the enemy kunoichi to heed his warning. "If you hurt her, I will not be so quick about it either!"

"She is that precious to you? Hmm, I see." The kunoichi raked him over with a flat glare, tightening her grip on the small case that contained the Bikochu and its freshly laid egg. "I guess one prize is enough for me. I'll give you a choice. Her, or the beetle. And I walk away with whatever you discard." Her fingernails shot out like blades and she let one gleaming spike hover over the fragile strand that tethered Hinata's cocooned body as it bounced on the choppy rapids.

Naruto could sense Hinata's chakra building, her head thrashing to free her mouth from the sticky gag of her prison. He began to panic, dispelling the clones he left behind only to curse freely at their failure to properly channel the Nature Energy he desperately needed to overcome the miasma of the poison still flooding his network. His mind raced over his options, with his poor control, another blast of wind chakra could cut Hime's ties, and he wasn't sure he could make it in time to catch her before she was lost over the falls. His fingers gripped a Hiraishin kunai, but he knew that was also a dead end move that would only allow him one chance to grab Hime, and then the kunoichi and the beetle would inevitably be lost. It's not a hard decision. I choose her…

Hinata's chakra suddenly pulsed powerfully, startling the foreign kunoichi who had not realized that her captive was awake. "Stop whatever it is you are doing!" the woman screamed, her arm pulling back to swing at the thin strand of honey as she crouched to leap away, readying herself to escape.

"Stop! Hime! I'm gonna save you, just don't move!" Furball! Gimme a tail!

Baka! You'll kill yourself if you try to use my chakra with this shitty level of control. Calm down and look at her!

What the fuck!? I've never asked you for anything, you stupid Fox, but if you don't help me save her I'll make your life a living hell!

Shut up and watch, stupid human!

"I can do this Naruto-kun!"

Naruto's head snapped up from his internal fight with the Kyuubi to see that Hinata had freed her mouth, which was set in firm determination as her chakra pulsed once more. That was enough for the alarmed kunoichi to know that her best time for escape was now or never, and she slashed at the tether.

Water shot out of the river with such speed it would seem that something had exploded beneath the waves. But to a trained shinobi such as Naruto, the sight was an amazing display of precision and power. Hinata's chakra shell shattered under the impact of a hundred perfectly placed droplets. The waves lashed out like possessed whips and wrapped around the screaming kunoichi, engulfing her in a water prison that drowned out her cries. Hinata landed lightly upon the boiling surface, and instantly twin surges of purple chakra flowed down her arms, coalescing into a pair of roaring lions over her fists. With a powerful cry that stole Naruto's breath and nearly liquified his heart, Hinata charged the enemy, who could only gape at her impending doom. The collision sent water crashing over the clearing with the strength of an ocean storm, and Naruto was barely able to clamor up a tree to escape being washed away.

The devastating move left Hinata's already taxed body weakly sprawled out on the newly purged beach. She had used a huge chunk of her chakra to overcome the poison the way that Tsunade-sama had taught her, and it had left her with barely enough to execute the new technique that she had been working on for months, her Hakke Sōjishi Hōgeki. Her control over the new jutsu had left much to be desired, but the euphoria of actually executing it in battle for the first time was intoxicating.

Sloppy footsteps scuffled over to her side and Naruto collapsed onto the ground next to her, scooping her exhausted body up into his arms.

"Hime, that was amazing!" He breathed into her neck, sending goosebumps down her dripping arms. She couldn't respond, but grinned proudly as she tightened her grip on his shoulders. "No Hyuga could ever pull off what you just did, believe it!" They sat in the wet sand, panting and laughing as they regained their bearings and their chakras slowly stabilized each other. Naruto tapped his forehead against hers, water running down the limp strands of his blond hair and across her cheeks, basking in the comfort of holding her life in his embrace. "Kami, Hime," he whispered hoarsely, "I was so scared." The confession struck her heart with its naked honesty. This strong man, this powerful shinobi, he was afraid for her. But he needn't be.

"I've been getting stronger too, believe it," she huffed gently, pinching his whiskered cheek without force and bestowing a gloating smile upon his hovering face. He chuckled at her fatigued teasing and shook his head at her well earned bravado, his eyes falling to her lips that curled up so invitingly on the sides. Their breathing slowed and they slowly started to lean forwards, drawn like moths to the flame of one another's joy and relief.

Akamaru's barking was absurdly energetic as he burst out of the forest accompanied by a pale, but upright, Shino and a sheepish looking clone carrying Kiba on his back. Hinata bit her cheek at the grumbling curses that tumbled from Naruto's mouth about stupid mutts and their terrible timing. But it was hard to be angry for long as they gladly greeted their teammates, and everyone was filled in on the details of the day.

It seemed that Shino's personal hive had been working to combat the effects of the poison, and had finally succeeded in helping him regain consciousness and eat away the hardened shells that trapped him, Kiba, and Akamaru. The chakra boost his beetles fed back to him after the meal was enough for him to walk out of the cave while the remaining bunshin took charge of Kiba. They listened in awe at Naruto's dramatic retelling of Hinata's magnificent defeat of the enemy, as she sat blushing but beaming by his side.

"And where is the Bikochu egg?" Shino asked, still the captain of the mission and focused on the prize now that his team was safe and accounted for. Hinata blinked and then activated her Byakugan, having forgotten about the caged insect.

"There," she pointed seconds later, "it washed up over by those—"

The hammering buzz of massive wings rose out of the tree line from across the river. A bee summons of immense proportions dove out of the sky towards the group of Leaf ninja. The enemy kunoichi had somehow managed to drag herself back to the edge of the clearing, despite a gaping wound across her chest that would be lethal within moments, and cried out, "I will never forget the Kamizuru Clan! The Aburame will remember my name as the executioner who balanced the scales of their sins!"

Without hesitating Naruto placed himself between the screeching bee and the others, bit his thumb and slammed his hand into the ground. His renewed chakra coursed through the seal that flashed across the dirt. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

Gamakichi burst onto the scene with a billowing cloud of smoke that disoriented the dive-bombing bee and allowed the toad to snatch the insect clean out of the air, no questions asked. Shino never flinched as he brought his hands together and commanded his hive to finish off the bee kunoichi once and for all.

The exhausted group of shinobi breathed ragged sighs of relief, as Shino confirmed with his hive that all threats had been thoroughly neutralized. Naruto grinned up at the toad he considered a friend and partner, who had also done plenty of growing and now stood twice as tall as his summoner. "Thanks Gamakichi! I guess this means I don't owe you a snack for this one, eh?"

"As if!" The large toad grimaced as he shuddered. "That thing tasted like shit!"

"SHH! Look!" All eyes turned to Shino, whose insects were buzzing in agitation as he pointed to the cracked glass cage a few meters away, and they all watched in wonder as the precious little beetle they had fought so hard to find, delicately made its way out into the open air. Naruto frantically began pawing at the pockets of first his own pants and then Hinata's, looking for the forehead protector that was the key to the success of the whole damn mission. Hinata squeaked as he briskly ran his hands over her legs but he was too focused to notice anything, all he could think about was finding that blasted—

The wet slap of a long tongue hitting wood had them all frozen in horror as the warty orange toad inhaled the freshly emerged beetle, and then had the audacity to let out a long belch.

"Oh, 'Kichi..." Naruto groaned, his mind unable to process what he had just seen. Behind him, Hinata's hand was poorly covering her gasp, as her nails dug painfully into the back of his neck. Only the sounds of Gamakichi's smacking lips broke the stupefied silence.

"I. Hate. FROOOOGGGSSS!" An absolutely irate Shino screamed like a banshee as he and his insects stormed the instantly confused and frightened amphibian, who leapt backwards in panic. "I'm not a frog, I'm a TOAD you crazy bastard! Get away from me!"

Kiba sat, staring dumbly at the apocalyptic sight before him of a raging Aburame, which he thought was genetically impossible. "I will never forget this mission for as long as I live," he whispered to Akamaru, who only whined in response.


Stars twinkled overhead as Naruto jumped from the branch he had been sitting on for several hours, landing lightly on the ground and shuffling towards the waterline. It was the end of his watch, but he had no intention of waking up the exhausted kunoichi for her shift. None of the teammates had felt much like setting out for Konoha after all that had occurred, and the group had unanimously decided to camp one more night and leave in the morning. Sleep, however, was the furthest thing from Naruto's mind as he struggled to process everything he had seen.

Today was the closest he had ever come to thinking he might lose his Hime. The fear had nearly choked him, and he still felt a bit queasy if he dwelt on it too long. She was his best friend, of course he didn't want anything to happen to her. But fear had overlapped with a more potent emotion in his heart, a deeper, stronger sensation that made him feel like if he lost her, he would lose a part of himself. The connection they shared was becoming so much more than ever before, and seeing her again, in all her multifaceted complexity, had only solidified this for him.

He paced restlessly up and down the sandy banks as his mind reeled with all the things that had happened between them and the emotions that now grew in his heart. His feelings for her were becoming clearer by the minute and there was no way he could relax now. Hime was more than just his friend, more than one of his precious people. She was part of his existence, embedded into his heart and soul, the balance of his worth as a man. He craved her, pined for her, adored her…he saw her.

The minutes ticked by, and Naruto knew what he needed to do, but had no idea how to do it. How to say it. How, and when, would he ever be able to put this life altering epiphany into words? Sighing harshly he stalked over to a tree whose branches reached out over the river and sank down against its trunk to stare at the water that moved as restlessly as himself. He closed his eyes and opened his senses, feeling for her presence and immediately latching onto it. Even from this distance she calmed him, and he smiled at the soothing familiarity. But the longer he allowed himself the luxury of combing over her chakra in his mind, the more his body responded as well as his heart. She triggered his baser instincts as well as his devotion, and when he sensed her stirring from her slumber, he felt his mind settle in decision. He could never be anything less than completely honest with her.

Hinata emerged from the tent rubbing her eyes, clad in one of his old t-shirts and a pair of boxers from his genin days, a sight which he found especially satisfying. Coming to his side she started to take a seat next to him, but as she collapsed he tugged her to sit between his legs instead. Everything within him wanted her close.

Hinata squeaked a bit at the yank on her arm but giggled and settled her back onto his chest without complaint. He studied the way her eyes sparkled and wondered if it was because of him or the dancing moonlight reflecting off the water.

"You were amazing today, Hime," he said mostly into her hair. She shyly poked her fingertips together in a childish reflex at the genuine praise. "I was only doing what any shinobi would do, protecting my team."

"I'm sorry I ruined our mission," Naruto mumbled, head tipping down in shame, but not missing the chance to inhale the scent of her. Hinata fidgeted at the tickle of his bangs on her neck, and he drew his knees up a bit, bracing his arms across them and giving her a cocoon to settle into.

"It's not your fault," Hinata sighed, and her breath stirred the hairs on his arms, sending goosebumps rippling up his limbs to the base of his neck. Naruto shuddered involuntarily and she mistook his movement as a sign of being cold and snuggled backwards into his chest, unconsciously bringing her backside into contact with his groin, and suddenly his mouth went completely dry.

"I know 'Kichi didn't understand. He'd never do anything like that on purpose," Hinata said consolingly. She felt Naruto's breathing turn shallow as he pulled his face away from her, and she frowned, worried that he was overly upset with the innocent mistake of his summon, and started to turn around so as to see his expression better.

But when she shifted her position, Naruto's arms instantly snapped to her waist, wrapping around her tightly and pinning her flush against his chest. "Don't...move," he said rather hoarsely. The strain in his voice now had Hinata's concern mounting. Perhaps he was more angry than she realized? Or hurt? She had healed most of the shredded skin on his back before he had demanded that she stop and save her chakra. Even so, he shouldn't be in pain. Was he that upset over missing a chance to find Sasuke?

Unable to move her body in his tight grasp Hinata twisted her head around to see his face in profile. Naruto's eyes were shut rather tightly, and his mouth was set in a hard line that looked like he was definitely trying to hold his emotions inside. His nostrils flared with each breath and the warm exhalations brushed down her shoulder where the loose t-shirt had slipped down from her squirming.

Hinata did not like the tension that ran rigid through his body, and gently demanded, "Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" His face didn't change but he shook his head tersely and lowered it until his bangs hid his eyes and his chin planted upon her shoulder. She managed to free a hand and lifted it to brush the hair from his eyes, the gesture was gentle and at her touch he growled lowly. The response was lacking in explanation, but even so made her gut twist in automatic response. There was something rather feral about the way it rumbled against her back, and she dared to admit to herself that it was more than pleasant.

So she did it again. More firmly this time, raking her fingernails across his scalp, and his whole head dropped helplessly to her shoulder. Feeling the strain of his muscles curl into her back, Hinata threaded her fingers purposefully along the back of his head, just like she used to do when the nightmares would haunt his sleep. Naruto's breaths panted across her pale skin and she felt her own blush burn up out of the heat of her gut at the sweet sensation. Her mind chided her selfishness, now wasn't the time to get all mushy, something was upsetting Naruto-kun and she needed to understand what that was. His heart was pounding against her back despite her ministrations, and she could feel his arms tightening around her waist more and more with every pass of her hand through his hair.

Naruto wasn't responding at all to her attempts at soothing his stress and Hinata began to worry that perhaps she had lost her touch after all the time apart. He just couldn't seem to relax, and in mild frustration she cupped his cheek and forced his head up off her shoulder. "Naruto-kun," she demanded softly into his ear as she tried to turn her head to face him within the confines of his tight grasp, "are you alright?"

Naruto jerkily shook his head 'no', then nodded, then shook it again firmly. Hinata was thoroughly confused by the conflicting messages as she watched his hair thrash back and forth out of the corner of her eye. She braced herself to throw his arms off of her so she could twist around and get a better look at him, when he asked, in that deeper voice that she had not quite gotten used to yet, "Hime, would you do that thing for me, like you used to, please?"

Naruto dared to meet her searching eyes, simply so that she wouldn't keep fretting over his incongruous body language since detailed explanations were impossible for him at the moment. And when his dark blue gaze locked onto her pale lavender one, he did the only thing he could ever do with his Hime, and let her see his soul and the desire that was flooding his heart. Hinata stared at his face and her eyes widened, her fingers pressing into the angle of his jaw, and her mouth opened to speak but no sound came out. Then she blushed, hard, and he thought his heart might burst when she gave him a small nod of acquiescence and understanding.

Naruto forced himself to loosen his grip on her waist, and she turned around in his arms until both her legs were draped over his right thigh. Hinata tentatively slipped one hand up his shirt and felt his abdomen tighten as she covered his seal with her palm, and then placed trembling fingers to the bounding pulse of his neck. Her mind hazily wondered at the raspy stubble of his square jaw, what would it feel like against my cheek? Does he shave with a kunai? Perhaps in the river…in the morning…shirtless…

As the tantalizing images rebelliously floated through her mind despite Hinata's attempts at reigning in her wild thoughts, she poured her chakra into Naruto through her palms, and he drank it up like rain over a parched desert. His mind was flooded with her, and it sent his body tingling from head to toe. He could not contain a hum of satisfaction as he pressed his lips to the crown of her hair, the smooth silky strands cool against his heated face.

His arm snaked around her back, anchoring itself around her with the firm grasp of his large hand settling on the flare of her hip, and he ventured to allow himself to draw slow circles down her side. Naruto craved the contact of her skin, needing to telegraph his feelings with his touch, and gradually he worked up the hem of her loose shirt until his rough fingertips brushed against her maddeningly soft skin. Hinata gasped softly, and Naruto blearily wondered if he should stop, but the increasing pressure of her hand on his neck only pulled him closer, enveloping him in her warm scent, and his ability to wonder at all, crashed.

Feeling selfish for greedily consuming her affectionate chakra without giving anything in return, Naruto laid his other hand on her bare knee, and began to gently swirl his chakra into her through his palms as well. The threads of his essence were as tentative as a frail beam of sunlight as it peeked between the rain clouds. He could feel Hinata smile against his chest where she had buried her burning face, and he increased his flow, searching for that perfect harmony between them that his thirsty spirit yearned for.

As their chakras whirled and knit together Naruto could feel his heartbeat unite with hers, their souls aligning like stars in a constellation, together completing a cosmic portrait worthy of display in the heavens.

This time, the euphoria of their blending auras was more intoxicating than Naruto had ever experienced before, and he knew his Hime felt it too. It was as if she exposed her inner self to his perusal, and in return he held nothing back of his own. He opened the furnace of his feelings to her, bathing her in his burning desire, and sensed her reciprocate by demolishing the dams that contained her oceans to meet his inferno with the breathtaking iciness of her waves.

Hinata lifted her face, and Naruto tapped his forehead against hers in awe. He couldn't explain it. He couldn't put it into words. His feelings for her, for the future, for everything. But he didn't need to. She knew. She saw him.

Their natures merged into a storm of wild winds blowing over ocean waves. Hinata crashed into his soul like a tsunami and Naruto pulled her whole being into him with the force of a tornado. They were chaos. They were harmony. They were each other's destiny.

The dance built higher, they were in the eye of their own storm. Hinata's lavender eyes glowed with an intensity that could pierce the armor of his demons, and he was lost. He never wanted to be found. Her spirit called to him, and he did not hesitate to answer.

There was no uncertainty in the press of his mouth into her eagerly awaiting lips, as assured as the rise of the sun. She let her head fall back in full supplication and he curved his shoulders to catch her. They moved as one to find the connection that would satisfy the longing ache that demanded more. It was as if all of nature held its breath, waiting to exhale as it was charged up with the vibrant electricity building between them. She was soft where he was sharp. She was strong where he was weak. She was gentle where he was rough. He craved her balance; she was the reconciliation of his existence.

She pulled him down into her, and he angled his mouth to kiss her deeper, his hand sliding from her knee to her thigh, bunching up her shorts and fiercely palming her flesh. They fit like they were made for one another, and Naruto knew it was true.

Hinata pulled away gasping for air, but now the eye of the storm had passed, and their tempest raged around them with mounting ferocity. Naruto couldn not get enough, his hand groping up from her hip to her ribs, his lips pressing eager kisses down her neck, her moan a siren song keening out into the night.

Her chakra pulsed like never before, engulfing him until he drowned. Her hands gripped his hair, yanking him back to her face, ensnaring him with her tongue as she thrust it deep into his searching mouth.

The surge built to its peak, and he matched her passion, tangling his tongue into her warmth, needing to taste her as well, needing her to fill all of his senses until he couldn't tell where he ended and she began. She met him eagerly, giving back everything and more, not losing an inch of ground.

They tangled together, limbs entwined, chakras morphing into a maelstrom such as they had never experienced before. A majestic contradiction of chaos in perfect synchronization. The centrifugal balance of their throbbing energies twisted around them and held for a powerful heartbeat, only to warble under their wild euphoria and shift out of control. Suddenly, something snapped and the chakra vortex careened and discharged with an eruption of power that shook them to their bones. Like a top that abruptly lost its rotation, they were roughly thrown away from each other and sent tumbling across the earth. Left sprawled out and gasping, they blinked up at stars they had forgotten existed.

Naruto pushed himself up onto his knees and crawled over to Hinata where she was slowly sitting up, rubbing her head where it had thumped against the ground. He had somehow been thrown a good way from her and fear lanced through him as he hurried to reach her side.

"Hime! Are you ok? What happened?"

"I-I have no idea," she murmured as she blinked away the pain. "It was like one minute everything was moving around us, and we were sucked up into the pull. Then it all just...stopped, but our bodies kept going..."

Naruto was only half listening, more concerned with checking over her body for injuries. He ran his hands down her shoulders and arms, then up her back before cupping her face in his palms. Her clothes were dirty but not torn. Her hair was messed up a bit, but it actually looked pretty cute, and through his fear a small measure of smugness glowed in his chest.

Hinata looked into his face and saw the slightly mischievous gleam of his eyes and bit her lip to hide her own grin. She swatted playfully at his knowing smirk.

"Don't look so pleased with yourself," she giggled. But tilted her head up to him when he pulled her roughly back into his embrace.

"What?" he drawled with mock innocence as he pecked her cheek. "Can a man not gloat a bit when his first kiss is so amazing it literally blows him away?"

They chuckled together as they nuzzled into one another and Hinata sighed in bone deep contentment.

"Stay," she breathed, wrapping her hand around his wrist the way he had done to her on their last night in Konoha, sitting atop the Yondaime's stone head. His thumb brushed back and forth across her cheek. "Just for tonight?"

Her voice is more vulnerable than she wanted it to be, but the emotions of their passion were still raw in her heart. She wished she could freeze this moment and never leave. But time carried on without regard to anyone, and so Hinata contented herself with greedily gathering up its dropped treasures. Naruto slid his fingers into her thick hair and pulled her flushed face to his own.

"For always," he murmured against her lips.

I wanna hold you close but never hold you back
Just like the banks to the river
And if you ever feel like you are not enough
I'm gonna break all your mirrors
I wanna be there when the darkness closes in
To make the truth a little clearer
I wanna hold you close but never hold you back
I'll be the banks for your river

Baby, I ain't saying that you need my help
But you don't have to do it all by yourself
So baby when the current gets strong
And you need somewhere to rest your bones
I wanna be there for you
I wanna be strong for you

-Abridged lyrics of "Banks" by NEEDTOBREATHE from their album Out of Body