Hinata hummed lightly while she walked, and Naruto hung back so he could think. He was rudely interrupted by Hinata's voice.

"You okay back there? You've been quiet for the last five miles."

"What was that thing you did with your chakra?"

"Oh, that huh? Well, you try living in the same house with Neji-nii-san when he's the one training you and see if you don't come up with a method of healing." The matter was dropped and wasn't picked up again. It was just after nightfall, Hinata spotted an inn, and that's where the two of them would be staying for the night.

"One bed or...one bed?" The woman at the counter asked, a knowing smile on her face. Hinata and Naruto stole a glance at each other before screaming simultaneously, "TWO!"

Hinata walked around the room, her head bobbing to an old rock classic. She sung along with the music at times, but she mostly danced, rather provocatively. She was waiting for Naruto to get out of the shower, so she was dressed in a big, fluffy robe. Her MP3 sat in her pocket, and she paced, and danced happily.

"I was spinning free whoaa, with a little sweet and simple free loving me. What a dizzy dance, whoaaa. But the sweetness will not be concerned with me!" She sang out as Naruto came walking out with a towel around his waist and another around his neck. He watched for a minute as she danced in front of him, singing smoothly with her own body.

"Shower." He said softly, his eyes closed as he walked by. Hinata jumped at the unintentional touch she felt. He had touched her bare leg with his own. It sent unknown chills up her spine, and she walked quietly into the bathhouse.

She sighed as the water passed over her body in a warm wave. It felt good to be clean again, and she was completely relaxed when the door softly opened. Her whole body became tense as she saw a figure pass by the shower, stoop down by the sink, and not move for a moment.

"N-Naruto-kun?" She whispered, silently praying he would answer.

"Guess again." A cold voice said as the curtain was snatched aside with a loud rasping sound.

"NARUTO-KUN!!!!" Hinata screamed from the bathhouse.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled, his voice dropping yet another octave as he became consumed with fear. He burst into the steam filled room. He ran to the shower, and saw the only thing that could have caused that scream to rip from the newly brave Hinata.

"Kiba." He growled, before tackling him from Hinata's bare form. He pinned the other boy to the ground, his vision becoming tinted with red. A surge of power ran through him in the first punch. A tsunami of chakra ran through every pore in his skin with the third and forth. By the sixth, the Kyubi had awakened with roaring force.

Hinata watched stunned as the Naruto she had known all her life transformed into the Nine Tailed Fox. He became a monster, but passed that, she saw Naruto, who was struggling to come back to reality.

"Stop!" She cried, and threw herself on Naruto. By this time, Kiba was either dead or had major brain damage.

"Stop, Naruto-kun! Enough!" She yelled in his ear. He spun around, his red eyes fired by fury, and clawed at Hinata. She caught the hand, and grabbed him by the hair with the other.

"STOP!" This, with a solid yank, brought Naruto back almost immediately, and his face turned beat red.

"Get my robe and med-kit. We need to get him back to Konoha alive. If we can." Naruto nodded numbly. He had screwed up, big time. He knew that he should have knocked him out, then helped Hinata, but for some reason...this feeling of utter terror came over him when he saw Kiba on Hinata. It was something that he never felt, and he had wondered why he wanted to kill the guy so badly. Why did him hurting Hinata rip the shred of humanity out of him, leaving nothing but the monster he had almost allowed to consume him? Why Hinata? Why not Sakura, or Temari? Why did the thought of this one, raven haired vixen being harmed scare him so? He knew the answer, but her also knew that she could never understand. Not now, five years later.

He walked back in, and handed Hinata her robe. She put it on, and stood, her eyes lingering on the ground.

"He's dead." She whispered, pausing for a moment, then continued to walk into the bedroom.

Hinata sat on the bed, and proceeded to shake uncontrollably. It wasn't that she didn't want Kiba to die, but the way he did was just...strange. What was even stranger was the fact that Naruto had done it for her. She struggled to grasp the concept as Naruto walked out to her, and sat next to her.

"Do you want me to leave?" He asked softly.

"Please stay."

"Why would you want me to?"

"You are truely dense, Naruto Uzumaki." She mumbled, a sweet smile on her face.

"Yeah, I know." He said, no humor in his voice whatsoever.

"Look, if you can send one of your froggie friends to the Hokage with Kiba on their back or something, then we won't have to carry a body all the way back home. We can stay here a few days, let all the havoc blow over, and then we can go home. Unless you want to go. I'm gonna stay right here." She plopped back, putting her hands behind her head, and crossing her legs at the ankles.

"I'll send one of Gama-Bunta's smaller counter parts." Naruto said, still no emotion in his voice.

That night, both Hinata and Naruto lay in their beds, each pretending they were asleep so the other wouldn't worry. When Hinata was almost sure that Naruto was asleep, she got up, and stalked over to his bed. She sat on the edge of the bed, and used one hand to push the bangs out of his face, and he quickly shut his eyes. She smiled and leaned forward slightly, and kissed his temple.

"You did the right thing. I still have hope, you know. That you could love me one day, too." Then she stood, and walked over to her own bed. Naruto thought frantically over what she had just said and done.

Too? he thought. What did she mean, "Too"? Does that mean she still loves me? Even after all these years? Even after she witnessed what that demon does to me? Why?! Why is she so damn...trusting? It's almost like she doesn't care at all! She's so different than when we were kids. And if she did love me back then, why didn't she say something? Come on, it's not like I'd I turn her down, or anything. Really? Who are you?! I'm your heart, you moron. Oh, butt out! You were so caught up in chasing Sakura-chan that you didn't realize that someone was chasing you. Huh? The whole time you liked Sakura-chan, Hinata-chan was trying to get your attention! She was too shy to just come up to you and ask, and even if she did, you would have turned her down to take another shot at Sakura-chan. She's right! You are dense! You don't even realize that you're in love with her too! I realize it, I'm just... Scared? YES!!!!!!!!! So was she.

Suddenly, this insane fight with himself didn't seem so crazy. His heart was making sense. Better sense than his mind ever had, frankly. He was starting to grasp the fact that he was in her position when they were twelve and thirteen. The only exception is that he was going to something about it. He had all night to plan it.

satisified?