The next day Hinata sent a message to Konohagakure about the contacts she signed. But she did not mention Neji. Now they only had to await the arrival of a team who would take care of the Kinto Family. Both Neji and Hinata feared more attacks might occur so they could not leave the family unprotected. You can never be too careful when it comes to kidnappers.
The fifth night Hinata spent in the household was very hot. She could not sleep, she slipped out the bed to go to the kitchen for a glass of water. Neji's arm held her tightly but she managed to leave without waking him up. Instead of coming back to Neji's room, she stepped into the garden and admired the starry sky. Then she heard a sound, she came back into the house and turned on her byakugan. She noticed the attacker standing over a child who tried to hide in one of the rooms. The child was partially tied up, his mouth covered with tape and his hands tied. The man grabbed the kid and force him out to the garden, but the boy would not give up, he began to run further into the garden and that's when Hinata appeared. She jumped right between the kidnapper and the child. Before he knew it several precise strikes where done by her gentile hands. She untied the Akira and told him to stay close to her. With her byakugan she could see other attackers hidden in the garden and she awaiting their move. She had to protect the child and counterattacking could endanger him. Then she noticed the kunai thrown at them. She skillfully took her position and with swift moves dogged them all.
He noticed she was gone just several minutes after she left. The bed was so empty without her. He guessed that she had gone for some water, but she did not come back. He began to worry, and soon made him move. He noticed the fight in the garden while walking towards the kitchen where he supposed she was. He turned on his byakugan and noticed other attackers. One was already dead in front of her but other where surrounding her and Akira. His moves were a surprise to the kidnappers, he dragged their attention to him by killing several of their members, but not all.
He noticed the attacker approaching her from behind, she noticed him as well but Akira holding her tightly made it impossible for her to move fast enough to avoid the strike. She feel to the ground still trying to hide Akira with her own body. She could hear Neji screaming her name, but then everything turned black.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She woke up in the hospital. She could hear some voices coming from the corridor.
"Fortunately the kunai did not reach her heart. This is the only reason why she is still alive. Her lungs are damaged, and her heart is in a very bad condition. I don't know what happened to her earlier, but she must have serious heart problems from some time now."
"She had a serious heart injury several years ago. But I thought it had been healed." She could hear Neji.
"Her condition is very bad, I heard that in your village there is a great doctor, I think she should be taken home as soon as her condition will allow it." The second voice must have been of a doctor. "She needs much better health care then we can give her here."
"When can she be moved?" she heard Lord Kinto.
"Give her two or three days, and she should be able to travel." The doctor spoke again.
"Then I will organize everything." Lord Kinto replied. "Neji stay here with her, she will need you. And I will take care of everything."
"Thank you Lord Kinto." Neji replied.
"No it is I who should be taking you, you saved my family twice, and that is something I could never repay to you both." Lord Kinto spoke the last time before he left.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neji walked into her room and sat on her bed just next to her.
She looked at him and smiled.
"Don't worry, I've been in worst condition then this" she tried to convince him. "During the battle I was really badly injured, and since then I do not take active part in missions as a ninja."
"Why haven't you told me before?" he demanded.
"I didn't want to worry you, I knew you would blame yourself and the Chunin exam for it, and I don't want that." She replied quietly.
"You shouldn't have risked your life, you should be home not on this mission." He was really angry.
"If I hadn't come here, I wouldn't have found you." She whispred.
"Maybe it would be better if you wouldn't have met me at all, then there would be no fatal Chunin exam for you, so much pain would be taken away from your life… It's all my fault." He leaned down in pain and covered his face with his hands. He was crying. He was crying for her.
"No, don't say that!" she almost yelled at him. "Don't you ever say that you regret meeting me…" she began to cry herself. If she hadn't had met him she would have never know love, she would have never had Hizashi and she would never be happy.
Soon she was buried in his arms, crying her pain and despair out.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two days later a team from Konoha arrived to take care of the Kinto family. And as that duty was finally taken away from Neji they could head home.
Lord Hashobi and Ryu decided to take part in the trip as well. They both had to make sure their friends made it home safe.
The trip was rather slow but Hinata's condition did not allow them to move any faster. Neji felt bad about her state and he was desperate to bring her to Tsunade as fast as possible.
On the fifth day of the trip they finally made it to Konoha. Before entering the town Hinata asked them to stop next to the rocks. She showed Neji all the names of all their friends who died. Only then did he realize the lost Konoha suffered. When he noticed his own name he felt even worst. Hanabi, TenTen, Shikamaru and Naruto, it was like a bad dream you could never wake up from.
Their next stop was at the hospital where Tsunade immediately took care of Hinata. She was really surprised to see Neji, but she did not comment. Soon came Sakura accompanied by Lee. When they both noticed Neji they made a scream and ran up to meet him. Lee simply jumped and hugged him and Sakura had to pinch herself to make sure her eyes were not mistaking her. That moment Sakura came up to Hinata's bed Neji noticed the child she was holding. Hizashi being again in his mother's arms made a loud cry and began to play with her long hair. She simply smiled at him and gently kissed him cheek. Neji did not know what to say or do. Thousands of thought came to his head, hundreds of unanswered questions. Whose was this child? Why did she not mention it? He just stood there starring at mother and child and could not believe his eyes. The child has the byakugan he noticed, it must be her child, it must be a Hyuga. But before he could ask any of his questions in came Lord Hyuga demanding to see his daughter at once.