DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Naruto" and am in no way associated with it's writers or producers.

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She was feeling very tired. Very dizzy. Her vision very blurry. Slowly coming back. Waking up. Regaining consciousness. Hinata turned and moved her head around several times, realizing she was in a very bright room. Everywhere seeing white and grey walls. A bright yet dim light looming over her.

What happened to me, Hinata thought. Am I dead?

'Try to relax little girl" Hinata heard a voice.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a mysterious lady, all dressed in white. Holding some kind of rag.

"Huh?" Hinata whispered stunned.

And it began dawning on Hinata; she was in the hospital, lying in a bed. Everything began coming back: her battle in the storming forest with Sakura, learning she'd been poisoned, having been stabbed, Naruto trying everything to save her, that last little memory she had laying in the muddy ground and rain before fading away.

All the sudden Hinata felt some strange thing at her face, sniffing and then suddenly licking her check.

"Easy, that's enough Akamaru"

Hinata immediately recognized the voice. She looked up seeing Shino, Kiba and Kurenai in the room with Hinata looking at her. Akamaru had been worried and jumped in the hospital bed with her.

"Wh…what…?" Hinata finally whispered.

"How are you feeling?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah, you had us worried there for quite a while." Shino said.

"Huh…. you guys?........ what happened?" Hinata asked.

---

Meanwhile, in another room, Naruto was lying down in his own hospital bed. He laid sideways with a very grim look on his face, starring out the window at the rain that was still pouring outside.

Kakashi sensei had carried the half-wounded Naruto on his back the entire way from the forest. However, Naruto has passed out along the way. Too hurt, both emotionally and physically. He had been having catnaps and nightmare about Sakura and Hinata all afternoon. The whole time wondering how Hinata was feeling down the hall, wherever she was.

"Are you alright Naruto?" a voice appeared from behind.

Naruto lifted his eyes open. He didn't recognize the voice at all. Some low-toned deep from for an old man….

Naruto turned in shock to see who was there. Hiashi and Neji Hyuga were looming over him in the room with shocked worried expressions. Kakashi was sitting down in the far side of the room.

"What?" a dreary Naruto whispered in surprise.

"How are you?" Neji asked.

But Naruto was in no mood to say he was okay. "Don't ask" he whispered with a depressed tone.

"Listen Naruto" Hiashi spoke again. "My name is Hiashi Hyuga, head of the Hyuga clan of the Leaf village…… and Hinata's father."

"What?" Naruto said lifting himself up in shock.

"We heard all about what happened, so we came down here immediately." Hiashi said.

"Huh?!........ you know about me and…" Naruto said.

"Relax, Naruto" Kakashi whispered.

"We're very grateful for you Naruto" Hiashi told him.

Naruto turned his head back to him and Neji in surprise.

"If it had not been for you, my daughter would be dead right now." Hiashi began saying. "Your sensei Kakashi told us all about what had happened to you guys out there. That was a very brave thing you did. You rescued and saved my daughter Hinata's life. I would've never guessed in a million years anyone of her own comrades would ever go so far to try and kill her for nothing…….. much less it being one of your own teammates."

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I had only known so little about you before Naruto" Hiashi went on. "And although I could tell my daughter always liked you, I didn't know if it would ever amount to anything serious. But after hearing you two fell in love and went to such lengths to rescue one another, I'm very grateful for you now Naruto." Hiashi said with a proud but depressed look.

Neji turned to Naruto feeling just the same way.

"That was a brave and gutsy thing you did out there….. standing up to your own teammate and friend like that, just to save Hinata, our family." Neji told him. "I was shocked when Kakashi told me that's how it went down out there. I'm sorry that had to happen to you."

Neji remembered back to when they were on the mission to retrieve Sasuke and how hard it must've been on Naruto to duke it out with Sasuke in the river. Now the same had just happened with his other teammate.

Naruto was still looking down with a grim face.

"You guys don't even know the half of it." Naruto said.

Kakashi stood up. "Naruto's been through quite a lot in the past several hours you guys. Now isn't the time to be trying to patronize him for what he's done."

"No." Naruto interrupted. "It's okay Kakashi sensei."

Kakashi looked at him surprised.

"We understand, Naruto." Hiashi said again. "I just wanted to tell you thank you personally for helping to save her. The Hyuga clan has its trust and undying gratitude for you and my daughter Hinata….. for now." he finished with a proud smile, yet still knowing how Naruto felt.

And then suddenly the door to the room peered open.

Kakashi and the others all looked to see a nurse at the door. She looked at Hiashi and nodded her head. Hiashi and Neji knew what it meant….. Hinata was starting to wake up again.

"We'll leave you alone for now, Naruto" Kakashi said as he and the Hyugas began to leave. "So get some rest."

---

Moments later, Hiashi and Neji, along with team 8 were gathered again in the room with Hinata. Although she was waking up and seemed okay, she was still hurting from where Sakura tried to stab her. The medical ninja and gotten rid of the poison and healed her, bandaging her stomach. Everyone was very relieved and grateful she had made it thru.

Still, Hinata was very upset and sad. 'How could I have let this happen to me' she thought to herself. Feeling like it was all her fault it ended up like this. Feeling like she failed again.

However, since waking up, Hinata had been wondering where Naruto was all this time? If he was okay. The others had told Naruto was just fine, but he to needed to rest for a while. But that wasn't Hinata's concern.

"Wait?! Where's Naruto?" Hinata began to ask.

"Don't worry?" Kurenai told her. "He's another room healing as well."

"I know" Hinata said. "But I need to see…."

"No you don't" the nurse said. "You're still healing and have too big of injuries right now. You need to stay her for the time being my dear."

"What?" a shocked upset Hinata gasped.

"Just lay down and relax Hinata." Hiashi said putting his hand on her shoulder. "You and Naruto are gonna be just fine. Trust me."

"Yeah" Kiba said. "You already gave us all quite a scare today. We don't need to get anymore right now."

Hinata sighed depressed. Then finally laid her head back down.

"Alright then." Hinata sighed. "I understand."

"We'll leave you alone to let you rest up and heal for now." Hiashi spoke. "Come on guys."

Having had all there visits and relieves, Hiashi, Neji, team 8 and the nurse left the room to leave Hinata alone. Hinata could still hear the rain outside her window. She looked up at the ceiling and saw a small flicker of lightning from outside reflect. They left the door slightly open.

Still feeling sorry for herself, Hinata just couldn't stop thinking about Naruto. Where is he? What happened to him? How is he holding out?

Hinata began rising up from her bed again. Slowly and carefully, she began lifting her legs up and off to dangle. She clutched her stomach, knowing she was in fact still hurting and couldn't let the wound get worse.

Carefully and quietly she got out of the bed. With her bare feet and wearing her white hospital gown, Hinata walked a crept up by the door.

She heard the footsteps of another nurse walking by, and quickly jumped back behind the door.

The nurse walked on and the footsteps disappeared. Hinata sighed in relief.

Hinata had to see Naruto.

She was too worried about him and in love to care if she was alright herself or not. Of course the doctors and nurses wanted her to rest first, so if she was gonna find and see Naruto, Hinata had to be stealthy.

"Byakugan" Hinata said to herself.

With her byakugan, Hinata skimmed the hall outside. There was one nurse by the other room but looking another direction. She could see several other nurses walking in the other halls all around the hospital building. Still scamming the building she looked thru all the rooms, finally spotting the one Naruto was in, located on the otherside of the building a ways down.

Slowly and quietly, Hinata walked out of the room and crept down the hall to the next corner. The nurse never noticed her.

The next hall was completely empty, so Hinata ran down it as fast as she could before someone could walk by. Just as she was about to turn the next corner, she spotted another nurse with her byakugan about to walk around. Fortunately, there was an empty closet next to her with the door open, so Hinata hid in it. The nurse walked past unsuspecting.

With her byakugan, Hinata snuck all around the hospital unnoticed. Finally reaching the room they put Naruto in.

---

Naruto was out of the bed as well. He was sitting on one of the chairs in the room. The window open, laying his arms and head on the opening, gazing outside at the dark sky and the rain that was still coming down, trying to hold back all his pain….. all his sorrow, his disappointment, his heartbreak.

He heard her footsteps and noticed her shadow suddenly walk in.

Naruto turned around utter surprise.

Hinata came in, standing in the doorway like a ghost, in her white hospital gown, her barefeet, the light from the outside hall glowing off her.

They both just stopped and starred at each other. Both with hurt depressed looks pouring from their eyes.

Naruto immediately stood up.

"Wha……. Hinata..?" he gasped.

"Hi….. Naruto…" Hinata whispered with her head down.

They both took a couple steps slowly toward each other……. And immediately ran into each other's arms, grabbing and hugging each other as tight as they could. They'd both been thru too much. Both Hinata and Naruto had a couple tears fall onto each other's shoulders.

"Hinata" Naruto whispered. "What are you doing here? The nurse told me you were still badly hurt!"

"It's okay Naruto" Hinata looked up trying to smile. "It's not as bad as everyone thinks. I'll manage."

"But……you….. I mean…." Naruto was whispering in confusion.

But Naruto wasn't at all about to say otherwise to Hinata. He loved her too much right now.

"I had to see you again Naruto." Hinata said. "I mean, you went thru so much out there, just to try and save me." Hinata sniffed rubbing her eyes. "And I mean….. I just couldn't bear the thought of knowing all this happened to you…….. and all just because it was my fault….."

"What?" Naruto yelled. "That's not…."

Hinata sniffled depressed. "Yes it was……. This all happened because I was too stubborn. Because I should've told you before….. about that day Sakura challenged me to a sparring match…… where you found us both on the old roof…."

Hinata now wanting to cry sat down in the chair facing the window. Naruto looked puzzled and sad.

"This happened because Sakura was jealous or me Naruto" Hinata went on. "I did everything I could to calm her down and make it feel better, but I was just too stupid!" she cried. "If I had told you why she wanted me to fight her, I could've prevented this from happening…….. but I was too stupid, and let myself think she wouldn't take it so seriously……. That's why she succeeded in leading me into her trap in the forest…….. and why I almost let her kill me…..!"

"Hinata….." Naruto spoke hurt. "That's not true at…."

"It's true Naruto!" Hinata yelled crying. "I failed out there. I beat Sakura was once before on the rooftop…… I had her beat in the forest, but I let my guard down…… I underestimated her, thinking she had already forgiven us. And if I'd never let any of that happen, you wouldn't have to go thru what you did out there!"

Naruto couldn't believe Hinata was feeling this way.

"Hinata please!" he yelled. "That's not true at all. And you know it."

Hinata looked back up at him still feeling blue.

"You said yourself…." Naruto spoke. "Everyone makes mistakes, Hinata; even the best of us. Which just have to be there for each other whenever that happens…. To pick one another back up…… That's what happened to us during the Bikochu mission!"

"Huh?" Hinata whispered rubbing her eyes.

A grim and hurt Naruto came and sat down in another chair with Hinata, facing the rain outside as well.

"We were there for each other Hinata." Naruto whispered. "And we're all that we ever had……. Or at least, all I ever had."

Naruto was letting out a few tears himself. Hinata curiously glared at him.

"Cause you know……" Naruto said. "You should consider yourself lucky, Hinata…… to still have such great friends and guys like Shino and Kiba on your team. To still have them around, for them to be there for you when no one else is…."

Hinata gasped outloud.

"I mean I knew all along……" Naruto rubbed his eyes. "..that me, Sakura and Sasuke weren't going to get along very easily…. And that we'd all hit several bumps in the road at each other. I just never realized that road would be a dead end. The three of us…… I guess we always had different goals…….. we hated each other so much…….. and unfortunately…….. we all loved each other too much as well…..… and that's what destroyed us!"

The rain was still coming down some outside. Naruto was shaking trying to hold back his sorrow.

"Now…….. I don't know we'll ever be the same." Naruto whispered. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to pick up the pieces…… of team 7 ever again."

A sad Hinata leaned her head on Naruto's shoulder. She was hurting for him just as well.

"You shouldn't blame yourself…… for any of it, Naruto." Hinata tried to tell him.

"I'm not." Naruto said trying to relax. "It's just ridiculous you know……. to think the whole time when Sakura did every thing she could to show she hated me and loved Sasuke…….. then suddenly turn around and tell me she loves me after it's too late……. I wonder now……. what would've happened to us otherwise……. if I hadn't woken up before..…?"

Both Naruto and Hinata looked down, still feeling each other's pain. Both emotional and physical.

"I know the answers probably don't come easy, Naruto" Hinata began to say.

"Maybe it was just destined to happen all along." Hinata said. "I mean…… nothing good can ever happen when you love someone who doesn't love you back……. Right?"

Naruto sighed, wipping his face again.

"I guess so………… but I guess that's what you and me for." Naruto turned back to Hinata trying to smile.

Seeing his eyes in hers, Hinata tried to smile as well. They knew it was gonna be a long healing process for both of them.

"We are……. And I love you to… Naruto" Hinata whispered.

Immediately, Naruto and Hinata leaned forward and kissed each other. The comforting rain still outside, the two kissed with each other for a good long minute. Then finally let go and held one another in each other's arms, hugging and leaning their head to each other's shoulders.

---

Kakashi was standing just outside door to the room out of sight. Having seen Naruto and Hinata, with and sorrow yet comforted look in his eye. When word got around the hospital that Hinata was missing, Kakashi knew exactly where. He saw Naruto and Hinata together, comforting each other…… and that was all he needed to know.

"Hang in there you guys…" Kakashi thought to himself. "You two will be just fine."

And one of the nurses appeared around the corner.

"So there she is." The nurse whispered. "Hinata's in there. I gotta go and take the girl back to her….."

The nurse was about to walk to the room door, and Kakashi immediately jumped in her way, starring her down with and angry guarding look.

"No." Kakashi whispered with warning. "Both Hinata and Naruto are just fine right now! Now leave them alone, and back off!"

Shocked, the nurse just starred at Kakashi.

"They're okay and you know it." Kakshi said with a low dark whisper. "If you know what's good for you, or them, you'll walk away. I'll watch them."

The stunned scared nurse finally nodded her head and walked away.

---

Still holding each other, Naruto and Hinata relaxed in the chairs in loving comfort. Naruto was looking outside at the rain. The storm was finally beginning to calm down…… but Naruto knew all too well, there were still many dark clouds over their head.

TO BE CONCLUDED