What was Lost, What was Gained

ch. 13

Naruto's POV

My eyes felt like someone was sitting on them and man were they heavy. Pulling myself up so I could sit up was more diffcult than pulling a potatoe chip bag from Chouji.

"How are you feeling?"

"Ahh!"

My heart stopped as I fell off the side of the bed.

"Geez Hinata. You scared the underpants off me."

I laughed. My laughing stopped immediatly when I noticed Hinata's expression hadn't changed. Usually she smiled or blushed when I said some kind of joke like that, instead she sat quietly on the chair looking down at her hands.

"Hey...who died?"

This was the moment I wished I kept my mouth shut and stayed on the ground.

"Is that some kind of joke Naruto!? Have you even considered what has happened since you went out! Do you have any idea what you have put me through!?"

This was the first time I had ever seen Hinata this angry, especally with me. Getting to my feet my body was still kinda sore but it felt better to get up and stretch. I placed my hands on her shoulders.

"Hinata calm down. Now what in the hairball are you talking about?"

Hinata paused for a moment then charged into my arms nearly knocking me back on my butt. Luckily I steadied the both of us, as she cried in my chest.

"Naruto...I am a horrible...person and a...bad shinobi."

I began to rub her back, repeating over and over to calm down. Hinata went on explaining how she decided to leave the village with all the rookies, an act of betrayal. How it was her who led the rookies to find my team. How she tried her hardest to stop our fighting but ended up having to physcally harm Sasuke and I, and finally she told me what went on with Sasuke and Sakura an hour ago.

"Shhh, it's okay Hinata."

She continued to cry. I pulled her away from my chest and brushed the tears away from her cheeks with my thumbs.

"Hinata you've done great, really. This is my team's mission now and I promise you that all of you will be fine. You all will return to the village tomorrow and Tusnade proably won't even care you left. Now it's time for me to step up and help my team."

"I can't leave you."

"Don't worry. This isn't your responsiblity any longer."

"Naruto we're your friends, we should help you."

I leaned in and kissed that beautiful darked haired girl with those memorizing eyes.

"I know, but this is team seven's mission. We need to complete it, this is a mission we can not fail because if we do, we fail at our own friendship. This is more than a mission, to my team it is our life, to each of us like its always been."

Her tears began to fill another round in her eyes.

"Hinata, you know I love you, but my team needs me. It's just like if your team needed you I would not stand in your way."

"But..."

"Hinata, I've been alone all my life. when I was placed on team seven it was literally the best thing that has ever happened to me. If I didn't have Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi-sensei all those times I would have been just has crazy as Gaara during the chunin exams-...and about a million times more deadly."

Hinata nodded herself as her cheeks flooded with tears, I held her for a few more moments, just craddling her against my chest, kissing the top of her head.

When I finally pull away and headed for the door, Hinata latched onto my ear.

"Eowwww! Hinata! Let go!"

"Naruto Uzumaki, you have better come back home in one piece."

I tried to pull away but she tighten the grip on my ear.

"You hear me, B..E.. Care...full."

She release my ear and gave a weak smile. I smiled back, almost laughed really.

"Yes, mother. I'll be extra careful when fighting for my life."

She gave a small giggle in responce as I leaned in and captured her mouth with my own one last time, then took off out of the tent before she thought of something new to hold me by.

Sasuke's POV

I could feel all the rookies staring at me as Sakura charged off into the woods, my knuckles are sore from my fingernails digging into my palms. How could she, just stomp off like that...embrassing the both of us...

I hadn't even realized my sharrigan was active, maybe that's why they all turned their backs when I glared at them, at least all but Ino.

"What are you looking at!?"

I snapped angrily. Ino's eyes looked at the path Sakura had escaped down. When her blue eyes rested back on me she simply nodded her head, almost throwing me off, she smiled.

"Why the heck are you smiling!?"

I shouted again but she continued to smile.

"You guys are more alike then you see, perfect for each other really."

I turned my head away swiftly. So many things I wanted to scream at her, that she didn't know what she was saying. But...I don't want to disagree with her, some part of me wants to tell Sakura she was my biggest mistake but there is always that other part of me... My anger spurred again, I hate feeling weakness. Sakura is my weakness, she has always been one. Even Itachi had seen it and because of that I almost lost the two things my whole life centered around. I almost lost my revenge and Sakura. All I want to do at that moment was to both curse Sakura's name or run after her, but my body couldn't decided.

"Sasuke you are such a dork, GO AFTER HER!"

Ino yelled in my ear, causing me almost to lose my balance. I had to admit I was slightly dazed, no one but Sakura had ever yelled at me like that, at least no other girl had. Ino stood over me her arms folded across her chest.

"Sasuke this is not cool, now you better get that Uchiha butt in gear or I swear I'll jump in your body myself and make you!"

You could see her eyes glow with fire, no matter what I had to keep my face composed, still it looks like I made my decsion.

"Do you hear me!?"

"Yes mother... I'll go after her."

With that I stood back on feet, slide my hands in my pockets and walked after my kunoichi.