Walking down the slightly sloping hill that led to the Hyuuga compound, the deeply chilly air was making itself known the young heiress.
After entering she quietly walked into the kitchen. Her stomach made a low rumbling noise as she searched in a vain attempt to find something for lunch.
She then gave up and decided that she should just go out to eat.
When she turned around from the cupboards she was facing her younger sister.
Hinata directed her gaze to the floor and stepped to the side allowing her space between her sister and also space so she could go about her own business.
Hanabi's glare was cold but nevertheless went unnoticed as Hinata raced down the hallway and then entered her room.
A few minutes later she was on her way to the Ichiraku noodle shop with a good amount of money in her small jacket pocket.
She hid closer to the comforting confines of the inside of her jacket as the bone-chilling gusts of winds blew harder and harder with each small step she took.
Her mind was barely troubled and it felt strange and almost out of place for her not to be worrying over something, even if it were something little.
True, she would have to have a talk with Hanabi about a couple things ...
When she reached the noodle shop, she was somewhat suprised that Naruto wasn't there.
The daughter of the proud owner of the establishment took her order and she waited patiently for her food.
"Oh my ... father, are you sure ?"
Hinata looked to the owner of the worried voice which was the young lady who took her order.
"I'm sure of it." The man said firmly.
Hinata decided that her uninvited easedropping would be very much unappreciated so she did her best to stop listening in, but unfortunately stopped to late to tune out the clearly mentioned name of Uzumaki Naruto.
The two exchanged a couple more hushed phrases and Hinata, trying her hardest, could not hear a word of what they were saying.
She hung her head in dissapointment but just as she lowered it she rose it again when she was called on by the sweet female voice which had taken her order.
"Yes ?" Hinata answered politely.
The young lady gave a friendly smile but Hinata could somehow tell she was deeply worried.
"Yes ?" Hinata repeated with the same gentleness as the first time.
"Umm ... You're a shinobi ... I"ve seen you enter the hospital a coulple times ..."
Hinata stared in confusion but shyly nodded for her to continue.
"You know where it is right ?"
"Yes."
"Well could you please take a bowl of ramen to room 236"
o o o o
Hinata carefully stepped away from the nearby noodle shop.
Holding the bowl of ramen as cautiously as she could.
She frowned and cursed at herself for agreeing to do this as her stomach growled the loudest it ever had.
Her anger subsided and was replaced with a smile and blushing cheeks when she thought of her Naruto-kun.
She should be happy to bring Naruto food while he was in the hospital. -but wait. Naruto was in the hospital ...
Hinata was consumed by fear. He was probably fine but still ... what if he were hurt ?
She continued worrying until she was standing in front of the hospital.
She wasted no time rushing in because she knew Naruto would like much more warm ramen over cold.
When she entered Hinata was greeted by a secretary who questioned her intentions but eventually let her enter Naruto's room, but she didn't really enter Naruto's room until she was no longer lost down the narrow hospital halls.
Hinata gulped as she stood in front of a white door that had the numbers 236 painted on it.
"Okay all you have to do is simply give him the ramen. Then you can leave ... that's it. There's nothing to it."
Hinata sighed and looked down at the ramen bowl. She saw her reflection. It looked almost as troubled as she felt.
The door swung open with a loud bang but nobody or anything in the hospital room made a move.
For a second Hinata was posotive nobody was in the room. Then as she took a step foward she heard a low but deep cough.
She turned to a bed hidden by a curtain. She could see Naruto's shadow behind it. He was lying down and made no movements.
"Naru- Naruto-kun ?" Hinata stuttered.
Hinata walked over to the curtain but froze.
"Naruto-kun is that you ?!?!"
The shadow didn't make any movements and Hinata's stomach dropped.
She flung the curtain open but kept her eyes off the bed just long enough to place the bowl on the dresser beside it.
o o o o
Hinata awoke with herself face first on the floor.
She clumsily stood up and rubbed her head which had hitten the floor pretty hard.
When she looked up she had to fight the strong urge to just plain pass out again.
There lay her beloved Naruto-kun. Looking like a machine attached to wires and needles, he stared blankly at the young kunoichi before him.
He had bandages along his arms and his entire neck was wrapped like a mummy. Other than that the only thing that looked bad were the gashes and cuts.
"Naruto-kun ?" Hinata managed to say.
Naruto blinked and directed his attention to the wall on the opposite side of the room.
"Umm ... can you speak ?"
Naruto turned his neck so he could see Hinata more clearly and flinched as his whole body was shot through with a sharp stinging pain.
Hinata gasped and gently moved his face back to his original place.
"Don't try to move if it hurts."
Hinata blushed and pulled her hands away. She looked down to hide her red cheeks.
"It doesn't hurt that much." Naruto said while smiling at the ramen out of the corner of his eye.
Hinata smiled.
"The man at the Ichiraku noodle shop wanted me to bring it for you, you can have some now if you want."
Naruto frowned and looked down at his bandaged hands.
"Oh, can you move them ?"
"If I could move them do you think I would still be laying her watching a bowl of ramen for me get cold ?"
Hinata tensed up and looked back at the ramen.
The first thing that came to her mind was feeding him. That would be very ... umm ... Hinata couldn't think of a way to describe it.
Hinata's thinking was interrupted as a grumbling noise overpowered her inner voice.
"I'm so hungry." Naruto said while longingly looking back at the ramen.
Naruto's stomach growled again.
"I could go get a nurse to ... umm."
"But Hina-chan !!! I'm so hungry ..."
Hinata blushed and looked down as she heard the new nickname. Hina-chan. She liked it.
"I'll go get a nurse." Hinata stated again more strongly than before with her head still down.
"THE NURSES AREN'T GOING TO DO A DAMN THING FOR ME !!!" Naruto snapped sharply.
Hinata gasped and rose her head.
"THEY DON'T GIVE A SHIT IF I DIE !!! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THEY'RE GONNA DO A THING FOR ME ?!?!"
Hinata's eyes started to water as she started backing up. Naruto-kun had never screamed at her before like this.
"NOBODY CARES ABOUT ME !!!"
Hinata stopped backing up and slowly stepped closer until she was knelt beside the hospital bed.
"Your wrong." Hinata said with one tear sliding down her pale cheek.
"No I'm not." Naruto said firmly, a little bit more calm than before.
Hinata burst into tears and flung her arms around him. It was exceptionally difficult since he was lying down on a bed but when she embraced him it was just as difficult to let go.
Naruto went wide-eyed and didn't know what to do, it's not like he could really do anything though. The pain seemed nonexistent as Hinata tightened her grip on him.
"Naruto-kun ... If I ... If I didn't care about you ... why would I hold you like this ?"
'Hina-chan."
Standing up on her feet again, Hinata sniffed and wiped her eyes. She then picked up the bowl of ramen along with the chopsticks.
"Are you still hungry Naruto-kun ?"
Naruto who was still in shock didn't say anything but Hinata took that as a yes.
She gathered some noodles between the thin wooden chopsticks and held them up to Naruto's mouth.
He blew on them a couple times and slurped them down quickly.
Naruto smiled up at Hinata ... or was he smiling at the ramen ? Hinata wasn't sure. Anyways he was smiling.
"Do you want some more ?" Hinata asked.
"Yes, please."
Hinata got some more noodles but as she bent over Naruto her jacket sleeve slid down far enough to where Naruto could get a look at the scar mark on her wrist.
He frowned and looked away.
Hinata wondered why Naruto had closed his mouth but before she could really ask him her stomach growled as loudly as before.
"Eat much ?" Naruto said jokingly.
Hinata didn't laugh but moved the chopsticks closer to Naruto's mouth.
"Hinata-chan, when was the last time you ate ?" He said seriously.
Hinata looked at him confused. Did he think she was starving herself ?
"I ate yesterday. I didn't get a chance to eat breakfeast and I left my lunch to bring you this."
Naruto frowned and completely shut his mouth.
"Naruto-kun ... open your mouth, you haven't eaten much yet."
"You haven't eaten at all." He said.
Naruto didn't think Hinata was starving herself but then again ... he didn't think she was cutting herself either.
Hinata sighed.
"I'll be fine." She said.
"No, you eat some then I'll eat."
Hinata moaned.
"Please eat. I'll be fine."
Naruto closed his mouth and looked at Hinata.
She rolled her eyes but then took a couple bites out of the ramen bowl.
"There, now you have to eat."
Naruto smiled and opened his mouth.
o o o o
Hinata placed the chopsticks in the empty ramen bowl.
She looked back at Naruto who was snoring. She giggled at his sleeping cap.
She picked up the bowl of ramen and looked back at him one last time before stepping away.
"Hina-chan ?"
Hinata froze with her back facing Naruto, she remained silent.
"Will you visit again ?"
Notes : Okay another chapter done. Hope you guys like it. Please Review.