Things are going to start to go in some familiar directions here. I hope you all enjoy the ride.

Introduction:

The calm before the storm is a deafening silence.


Chapter 14: Bloom

Sasuke's mind raced as he and Naruto stood before Hinata, her blood pooling beneath her. How could he have been so careless? So stupid? He'd been blinded by his faith in his eyes and by his urgency to rescue Hinata. And now she was going to…

"Hoaaaaahh!" Naruto roared suddenly, a shockwave erupting from him as he did.

Sasuke instinctively held up his hands to shield himself from the resultant wind. His eyes scanned Naruto – his chakra color was changing right before his eyes from a bright yellow to a deep red. Sasuke immediately recalled Naruto's showings in the Forest of Death and the battle against Gaara. It's that power again!

"I'll kill you for this!" Naruto howled. In a flash, he catapulted himself toward the transformed Tayuya, fangs bared and claws raised.

She smirked and raised her arms, resisting the force of Naruto's assault. None of the other three tried to help her. With a grunt, she blew him backwards, where he landed near Sasuke. "Aww, did I make you mad?" she asked with sickening faux sweetness.

She blocked an attack from that Naruto? Sasuke was astonished. What sort of power did her new form hold? Did all of them have this power? Was it something Orochimaru gave them? He shook his head; these questions could wait. As Naruto prepared to redouble his efforts, Sasuke leapt in front of him. "Naruto!"

"What?!" barked Naruto.

"Listen and don't argue," Sasuke said in as grave a tone as he could muster. "You can still save Hinata. You need to grab her and take her back to Konoha, to the Fifth Hokage, as fast as you can. You're the only one who can do it." Before Naruto could protest, Sasuke added, "I'll handle them. Just get Hinata out of here."

Naruto clenched his jaw, but nodded nonetheless. With surprising gentleness, he picked up Hinata, cradling her to his chest. Seeing her wound up close made him shake with anger; he decided he'd use it to propel himself back home. "I'll see you later," he uttered, one red eye glancing back, and then leapt out of the clearing.

Sasuke watched the Sound Four; they didn't seem intent on stopping Naruto. "As for you…" he began but didn't have an end to the sentence in mind. He entertained no fantasies of being able to defeat or kill the four of them at once. They'd already demonstrated their strength to him the first time they'd approached him and that apparently hadn't even been their full power. If just one of them was on the level of Naruto with that red chakra, he would be horribly outmatched. Even if he managed to nail all of his Chidori shots with perfect lethality, it still wouldn't be enough to win.

Sakon appeared to read his expression easily. "Don't worry, Sasuke-kun, we're not here to brutalize you like that girl," he said, his voice thick with condescension. "You certainly know what would happen if we were. Lucky for you, Orochimaru-sama has better plans in store."

"I thought I told you already, I don't want any part of what Orochimaru's doing," Sasuke replied.

"Oh yes, you did," Sakon admitted before smiling. "But then we thought of an argument that might be more persuasive."


Naruto raced through the trees, beelining as hard as he could back to Konoha. He knew it was a few hours away by walking. He prayed that at his current pace, he'd be back before…

"Naruto-kun," whispered Hinata.

"Hinata," Naruto replied, gazing down at her. Her skin was even paler than normal, her eyes lacking their usual luster. "It's okay," he said in a hurried, hushed tone. "It's going to be okay. I'm going to get you to Granny Tsunade and she's going to heal you." He begged the heavens that this wasn't a false promise.

"I'm so… sorry." That was all Hinata managed to get out before her eyelids closed. Her head limply lolled off to the side.

"Hinata?" There was no response. "Hinata?" He jostled her gently in his arms. "Hinata! Stay with me! Come on!" Nothing. "Damn it!" Naruto pushed himself as hard as he could to move faster, but he was already giving it his all.

You're not going to make it.

Naruto's eyes widened at the sound of the voice. He knew this voice. He'd heard it just over a month ago during his training for the chuunin exams. It was the Nine-Tailed Fox from deep within him.

That girl is going to die.

Shut up! Naruto raged at the Fox inwardly. You don't know that! I'm going to get her help even if it kills me!

It's not a matter of sacrifice, brat. It's reason. You know how far the village is. You know how fast you're going. You know how much blood is pouring out of her right now. Even you can understand the simple calculus.

Shut! Up! Naruto repeated, but he had no rebuttal.

Enjoyable as it is to watch your pain, I do not tell you this to make you suffer.

Then what's your point?

The girl may live if you desire my help.

You? Help me? I doubt it. You're just tricking me.

You can't lie to me like this, boy. I know your inner heart. I know what you would do to save her. You won't be able to stop me once the door is open.

Naruto couldn't deny his curiosity or his deep-seated need for help. What do I do?

Nothing, boy. It's already done. Be thankful to me… and to that Fourth Hokage for sealing me in you.

Naruto felt something bubbling out of him. It was warm, just verging on too warm. It coursed through his veins; he felt it pervade his entire body. Suddenly, he felt powerful – more than ever before. With this new power, he sped toward Konoha through the dark night.


Tsunade stretched in her chair in the Hokage's office. Tonight would be a late one. Despite wanting to give into her desires and end the night with some drinks, Tsunade had been worn down by Shizune enough to begin some of the paperwork which had stacked up high since the Third's death. A lot of paperwork can accumulate in less than two months.

Additionally, Jiraiya wanted to talk about something with her. Why he insisted on such a late meeting, she didn't know, but she guessed he had spent the day peeping on the public baths like the filth he was. He stood beside her desk, arms crossed. Shizune stood on the other side, triaging documents as best she could.

"So, what's the issue?" Tsunade asked Jiraiya.

"It's about Naruto," he began. "More accurately, it's about what's inside Naruto."

"Ah," said Tsunade. "Yes. What about it?"

"There is a group of assembled S-rank criminals that have made it their mission to capture Naruto and extract the Nine-Tails from him," said Jiraiya. "They're called the Akatsuki. Orochimaru used to be a member and Uchiha Itachi is a current member. That was his reason for visiting Konoha a month ago."

"I see. How much do you know about them?"

"Not much else," Jiraiya admitted. "I have my sources scoping out more intel as we speak, but I thought you should know about them since they've already made a move."

Tsunade nodded. "Obviously, the village will develop countermeasures against them."

"I think we should take more direct involvement. I think I should take Naruto with me to train."

"He was just promoted to chuunin," said Tsunade, "and the village is in need of more chuunin and jounin following Orochimaru and the Sand's attack."

"I understand," replied Jiraiya. "But I think Naruto needs direct intervention to-"

Suddenly, the topic of their discussion burst through the window behind Tsunade's desk, landing on the window pane.

Tsunade's and Jiraiya's eyes widened, not from the abruptness, but from Naruto's appearance. His eyes were red, his whiskers thickened, and his teeth and nails sharpened into fangs and claws. Most disconcertingly, surrounding his entire body, was a cloak of bubbling red chakra. Beyond wrapping to his figure, it extended past his head to form two long ears and behind him into a long tail. In his arms he carried Hinata, unconscious and bleeding profusely from her side.

He stretched his arms out, offering Hinata's unconscious form to Tsunade. "Fix her!" he bellowed with such force that the documents on her desk went flying around the room. "Now!"

"Shizune!" called Tsunade.

Shizune nodded and immediately retrieved a scroll from her kimono. Unrolling it, she formed a seal and touched her palm to the parchment. A thick syringe containing blue transparent fluid materialized in her hand.

While Shizune did this, Tsunade bit her thumb, formed a series of seals and planted one hand on the ground. "Kuchiyose no jutsu! (Summoning technique)" she called. A puff of smoke preceded the arrival of Katsuyu, approximately the length and width of a twin bed. Tsunade took Hinata from Naruto and laid her on Katsuyu's back, where she sank slightly into the slug's body. "Katsuyu!"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama." A blob of Katsuyu's flesh contorted itself into a patch to cover Hinata's wound. Tsunade placed her palm on the patch; a green glow surrounded her hand and soon illuminated the section of Katsuyu's body.

Shizune passed the syringe to Tsunade's open hand. Tsunade quickly stuck it into Hinata's arm and pressed the plunger until no more fluid remained.

"Is she going to be okay!?" asked Naruto.

"I will do everything in my power to save her," she said. "I need you to calm down and not distract me."

"How the hell am I supposed to-"

"Naruto!" Jiraiya brought out a tag and quickly wrote a complex seal on it. As Naruto looked his way, Jiraiya uttered, "Fuuin! (Seal)" and planted it on his forehead.

"Wha-"was all Naruto managed to say before the energy left his body and the chakra cloak dissolved to nothing. He swayed on his feet for a moment before falling forward, where Jiraiya caught him. Darkness surrounded the edges of his vision and soon he lost consciousness.


Naruto awoke sometime later. "Wh… where am I?" he asked wearily.

"You're in a hospital room," said Kakashi, standing next to his bed.

"A hospital…" Suddenly, Naruto bolted upright. "Kakashi-sensei! Hinata! What happened to Hinata?!"

"She's still in surgery. You've been unconscious for some hours – an effect of the seal Jiraiya-sama used on you. He brought you here and asked me to watch over you. He also told me… about what happened to Hinata," he said carefully.

"Seal…? Oh, right," muttered Naruto. He bunched the blanket that covered him. "How long will the surgery take?" he asked, voice thick with worry.

"It's hard to say," Kakashi answered. "According to one of the medics, the procedure is so involved it requires them to work in shifts. The damage is severe; there's a lot of internal bleeding. But Tsunade-sama is performing the surgery herself. There are no safer hands for Hinata to be in than hers." Noticing Naruto's crestfallen expression, he added, "I'm still worried about her too." Naruto gave no response. "I was thinking of going to wait outside her operating theater. Do you want to join me?"

"Mmhm," said Naruto, expression miserable.

"Come on," said Kakashi as he opened the door to the room. Naruto hopped off the bed and followed.

The two walked down to the surgery wing of the hospital. Finding the appropriate room, they sat themselves on the benches in the hall outside and waited in silence. After a minute or so, Naruto straightened up, eyes wide. "Sasuke! Kakashi-sensei, I need to go help Sasuke! I left him back on the mission and he's-"

"He's what?" asked Sasuke, walking into the hall. He carried three bags – the team's packs, which they'd left abandoned at their campsite. He looked dusted up, but otherwise unharmed.

"Sasuke," said Naruto. "When did you get back?"

"Just now," Sasuke replied.

"I'm glad to see you're alright," said Kakashi. "Why don't you two give me a mission report?"

"Naruto can tell you. He's our commander, after all," said Sasuke. His tone was flat. "Here're your and Hinata's things." He dropped the two packs at his feet and turned to leave. "I'm exhausted. Tell me when Hinata is out of surgery."

"What did you do with those guys back there?" asked Naruto.

Sasuke looked back at Naruto. His eyes were black, a true black void of light. "Just like I told you. I handled it." His voice held no inflection whatsoever. With that, he walked away.

Kakashi eyed his exit with some suspicion, but decided he could discuss things with Sasuke later. "So, Naruto," he said, turning toward him. "Mission report?"

Naruto's expression grew sorrowful. "Kakashi-sensei… I screwed up." He drew in a shaky breath. "I really, really screwed up."

"Tell me what happened," Kakashi said in a gentle voice.

Naruto divulged the details of the mission's events as fast as he could. "Then we found Hinata and she was being held hostage by some Sound shinobi," he said, talking faster. "And we didn't know it but one of them cast a genjutsu on us. They made us fight Hinata, but we thought we were fighting the caster. And then Sasuke and I attacked her, and I… I…" His eyes grew hot. "I hurt her," he choked out. "I hurt her so bad."

Kakashi watched as tears began to flow from his student's eyes in earnest. Naruto was in true pain, that much was certain, and Kakashi recognized it as familiar. Images flashed in his mind of a boy lying half-crushed beneath a boulder, of a girl impaled on his arm. Now Hinata's life hung in the balance, potentially the latest of the long line of dead he'd left behind, seemingly unable to make it stop.

"I should have seen it coming. I should have been more diligent. I don't deserve this," sobbed Naruto, tearing open his flak jacket and removing it before offering it to Kakashi. "I shouldn't be a chuunin. I shouldn't even be a ninja. I'm worthless."

Kakashi closed his eye and let out sigh, reaching a hand to gently lower Naruto's outstretched arm. "Naruto," he began softly, "I understand what you're going through right now."

Naruto sniffled and looked up at his sensei. "You do?"

Kakashi nodded. "More than you can ever know. People precious to me have died because of mistakes I've made. I've felt unworthy of my position countless times. Somehow, they still let me be a ninja."

"But Kakashi-sensei, you're different – you're an amazing shinobi, while I'm just…"

"A shinobi. Human and fallible. That's all we can ever hope to be. We make mistakes. People get hurt. That doesn't mean we give up, right? Isn't that against your shinobi way?"

Naruto was silent for a moment. He sniffled again and retracted his arm. "Yeah. It is. Mine and Hinata's."

Kakashi nodded. "We carry on for the good of those we can help, those we can protect, and those who will come after us. That's what the Third believed when he gave his life for the village. That is the Will of Fire. So, what will you do?" Naruto thought for a moment before donning the flak jacket once more. "Good," said Kakashi. "That's the right answer."

"But even so," said Naruto, "Hinata is…"

"Fighting for her life in there," said Kakashi, pointing to the door nearby. "She's not dead yet and she won't give up easily, especially when she knows you're – we're – waiting for her. Have some faith in her."

"I will," said Naruto with a nod. "I will believe she'll come through."

Kakashi smiled at his student and the two of them returned to silence. Sound shinobi, eh? Kakashi returned to the thought he'd had during Naruto's story. No doubt after Sasuke. But did they just let him go?

He remembered Orochimaru's words from just after the chuunin exam prelims, "Sasuke will eventually seek me out for power."

If that's his view, reasoned Kakashi, they must have needed Sasuke to come with them willingly. Which means the purpose of using Hinata was… He didn't like the dark conclusion he reached. But Sasuke must have refused. Hmm. I'll have to talk to him soon.

An hour passed, then two. Naruto grew visibly more anxious but, to his credit, gave no outburst. Kakashi couldn't help but grow more worried about Hinata as well. She was his student too, after all, and it was on the first mission without his supervision that she'd gotten grievously injured. Despite what he told Naruto earlier, he carried a feeling guilt as well and hated the helplessness he felt alongside it.

In the middle of the third hour, the door to the operating room opened to reveal Tsunade and Shizune.

"Granny?" Naruto asked softly. "Is she…"

Nodding, Tsunade replied, "She's stable."

Naruto exhaled like he'd been holding his breath for five minutes. Then he began to cry again, but less violently than before. "Thank you, granny…" he muttered through the tears, "Thank you."

Tsunade smiled. "It took a lot of work; she had lost a lot of blood and we had to reconstruct a great deal of her damaged and missing tissues using her hair as a medium." Naruto looked confused at this, so she continued, "The point is, even though she still has a long way to go before the procedure fully sets and she's going to need a good while to recover because of it, her prognosis is good."

"Thank goodness," said Naruto.

"Thank you for your efforts, Hokage-sama," said Kakashi with a bow. "You've taken good care of my student."

"All in a day's work," Tsunade replied coolly.

"Can we see her?" Naruto asked.

"During visiting hours," said Tsunade. "I recommend you get some rest; no doubt you've exhausted yourself with worry."

Naruto wanted to protest that he already felt energized from his earlier bout of unconsciousness, but now that the anxiety had mostly subsided he could feel just how hungry he was. "Yeah… I'll be back to see her soon," he uttered, leaving Tsunade and Kakashi behind him.


Hours later, Sasuke awoke in his bed. He didn't feel that rested, but some sleep was better than none. He'd gone to bed feeling hollow, unable to contend with the reality before him, still feeling the crushing guilt of what had happened the day before. If only he hadn't relied on his Sharingan alone. If only he'd been more thorough in his analysis. But no, he'd let his fear of losing Hinata cloud his judgment and in the end, it had only led to her getting horribly wounded. If only he'd known better.

Worse than the lack of rest, thoughts of what had happened after Naruto left with Hinata ate at Sasuke.

"You think I'd want to join you after what you bastards have just done?" Sasuke's anger was rising.

"After what you did, technically," said Sakon. "And yes, in fact, we thought you might start to see things our way after this little event. We've come to understand that you very much want to protect your little playmates. But now, it should be painfully clear… you can't. You simply don't have the power."

Sasuke couldn't help but acknowledge Sakon had a point. Even if they hadn't been using genjutsu, they could have killed Hinata any number of ways and Sasuke would have been helpless to stop them.

"One way or another, those precious bonds of yours will be severed. Whether it's us, or Orochimaru-sama, or Uchiha Itachi…" Sakon let the last linger. "Orochimaru-sama will be back to crush Konoha one day. Wouldn't you rather be by his side than crushed beneath his foot? You'll never be able to stop it, nor will you be able to avenge anyone, unless you gain strength. More strength than lies in Konoha. This isn't a threat. These are facts."

"So, what, you're saying it'll be my fault if they get hurt?" asked Sasuke.

"If you had a chance to stop it, what would happen if you didn't?" retorted Sakon. "You've already failed to stop one massacre because of your weakness, do you really want another on your conscience?"

Enough was enough. Rage pervaded Sasuke's expression. The curse mark radiated outward from the back of his neck. Forming three seals, he cried, "Chidori!" and launched himself at Sakon. He'd take down one of them at least.

But his attack never reached. Sakon had grabbed his wrist in mid air – and, Sasuke realized, he had transformed similarly to Tayuya, with reddened skin and a horn growing out of both of his heads. "Do you see the problem yet?" asked Sakon. Sasuke tried to wriggle out of Sakon's grip to no avail. "Here, let me help." Reeling back, Sasuke delivered a devastating punch to Sasuke's gut as he let him fall, sending him spiraling backwards.

Sasuke landed in a heap, stunned at the force he'd just been decked with. Picking himself back up, he leapt again at Sakon. "Raaaahh!" he roared, managing to dodge his next strike and land a punch of his own square in Sakon's face. Sakon, however, did not flinch. Instead he sighed and backhanded Sasuke, who fell to the ground.

"A rage-filled charge only clouds your mind; your skills are duller than before," said Sakon. Picking Sasuke up by his ankle, he explained, "We have been ordered by Orochimaru-sama not to kill you. That's the only reason you're alive right now. What happens when you find someone as powerful as us who does want to kill you? Someone like, say, your brother? Will you rely on that blonde boy every time?"

Sasuke ceased wriggling in Sakon's grasp. Even now, he had indeed relied on Naruto to save Hinata, helpless to do it himself. How am I this weak? As Sakon dropped him, Sasuke righted himself to land on the ground. What have I been doing all this time?

"So," said Sakon, reading Sasuke's expression, "What do you say?"

Sasuke clenched his fist and gritted his teeth at the memory. He felt so frustrated, so helpless. Taking a breath, he sat up in his bed, letting his legs hang off the edge. He'd be meeting with Kakashi today. He'd get more information then.


Naruto ambled through the streets of Konoha. It was a bright and sunny day, far off from Naruto's current mood. Kakashi's peptalk had helped, but he still felt immense guilt for what had happened to Hinata. Now he was going to visit her, but he almost felt like he shouldn't, like he didn't deserve to be in her presence after what he'd done to her.

He powered through the feeling, knowing he owed it to her to see her. He recalled how he hadn't visited her after her brutal bout with Neji during the chuunin exam, so wrapped up in his training had he been. That made it doubly important for him to visit now. If only there were a way to improve his visit, add some meaning to it besides just his presence.

That was when he spotted the sign to the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Flowers! People got flowers for the sick and unwell, right? Naruto decided then he'd pick the best flowers he could and bring them to Hinata's room.

Unfortunately, flowers were more complicated than Naruto anticipated. There were countless breeds, all different colors and shapes and sizes. Naruto had no idea which ones were best. He was overwhelmed by the sight of them all as he approached the counter, behind which he saw Ino.

"Well, if it isn't Naruto," said Ino with a surprised smile. "I never thought I'd see you in here. You know this isn't a ramen shop, right?" she teased playfully.

"Yeah, I'm here for some flowers," Naruto answered evenly.

"Oh really?" An intrigued grin bloomed on Ino's face. "Might I ask who they're for?"

"Hinata," said Naruto.

Her grin grew wider, her eyes bright with delight. "What's the occasion?" She was excited, she would be the first to hear him say it!

However, Ino thought his subsequent expression looked a bit off – perhaps he was embarrassed? "Well," he said with a pause, looking away from Ino, "she's in the hospital."

Ino's face fell immediately. "Wh-what?" she asked.

"She…" Naruto's shame grew deeper. "She got hurt on the last mission. It was… my fault," he confessed. "So I thought I would get her some flowers."

Ino had heard Naruto had been promoted from Shikamaru. Surely he was just feeling guilt at having failed to fully protect his squad against some enemy shinobi, or something. Her smile returned, this time soft. "I think I can help you there."

"Really?" Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, because I don't know anything about this crap."

Ino let the vulgarity about her profession slide. "You might not know this, Naruto, but flowers have a language to them."

Naruto tilted his head to the right. "Eh? Flowers can talk?" He cupped his ear and tried to listen to the plants around the shop.

Resisting an eyeroll, Ino replied, "Not quite. I mean that people can use flowers to say something to another person symbolically. For example," she gestured to some purple flowers, "these wisterias mean 'Welcome.' You might want to get them for someone who's just moved in. Or you might use lavender to convey loyalty, devotion, or love." She looked for Naruto's reaction to the last; if he had any, he hid it well. "Kunoichi have to learn these things as part of our flower arrangement education, so it's not surprising you don't know. What is it you want to tell Hinata with flowers?"

"Hmm…" muttered Naruto. "Are there any flowers that mean 'get well soon'?"

Ino nodded. "We have just the thing: cowslip – it symbolizes healing. In fact, we have a custom breed with pink petals. Pink symbolizes health, you see."

"Nice," Naruto remarked before his expression fell again. "Do you have any that say… 'I'm sorry?'"

"Purple hyacinth," Ino said gently after a second. "The pink and purple will go well together."

"Thank you, Ino."

"Don't mention it."


At last, Kakashi arrived at the training ground. He'd sent Sasuke a message to meet him there but naturally would go on to be extremely late. It wasn't much more to Sasuke than additional annoyance on top of his already bad mood.

"Sasuke," said Kakashi.

"Kakashi," returned Sasuke.

"Before we begin, I want to talk to you about the mission."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Did Naruto not give you enough details?"

"He did. That's why I want to talk to you."

"What do you want to know?"

Kakashi paused for a moment before answering. "I know you encountered Orochimaru's minions."

Sasuke was remarkably impassive. "And?"

Kakashi narrowed an eye at Sasuke. "He's after you, isn't he?"

Now it was Sasuke's turn to pause. "What do you mean?"

"Orochimaru has you as his goal," Kakashi stated. "At least as a secondary goal to destroying Konoha." He could see Sasuke stir at this. "Don't lie. I know the truth."

"Fine," said Sasuke, "He sent some goons after me. I chased them off."

"After you and Naruto were deceived by their genjutsu?"

"Right." Sasuke stopped for the space of one breath. "Let's just say my Chidori came in handy."

"I see." Kakashi gave his one-eyed smile. "Well, protecting one's comrades is what that jutsu is for. I'm glad you used it that way." Sasuke seemed pleased by this until Kakashi added, "After all, if you'd given Orochimaru what he wants, the village would have no choice but to brand you a criminal and I wouldn't want that to happen to one of my precious students."

"Right," Sasuke said again. "Can we get to training?"

Kakashi nodded. "If you want to be powerful as quickly as you can, then we need to strengthen the Uchiha's specialty, and I don't mean fire." Sasuke activated his Sharingan. "Exactly. It's a powerful tool, but you've just seen firsthand how it doesn't always guarantee victory even against genjutsu. If you strengthen it, you may still be susceptible to auditory illusions, but you'll be able to notice inconsistencies and details within a genjutsu to more quickly realize you're in it."

"Fine," said Sasuke. "But before we start, there's something I want to know."

"Which is?"

"When Itachi came to the village, he defeated you and then encountered Naruto in Tanzaku. That's the order of events as I understand it. Am I right so far?" Kakashi nodded. Sasuke continued, "I don't think the latter was a coincidence. I think that Itachi was after Naruto, who wasn't in the village at the time." He paused. "And I think the reason he was has to do with that power within Naruto that comes out when he gets really angry. Am I wrong?" Kakashi was silent. Sasuke scowled. "Don't lie to me."

"You are not wrong," said Kakashi. "Naruto is burdened with some extraordinary circumstances. Your brother is involved with them. What do you think about that?"

"I think you need to train me so that I can be strong enough to protect him," said Sasuke, expression still dark.

Kakashi blinked at this. "Very well," he said. "Let's begin."


Flowers in hand, Naruto made his way back to the hospital, where he asked which room Hinata's was. As he opened the door, he was surprised to see three people already there. Out of the three of them, he recognized Neji. The others were a taller man and a smaller girl.

"Neji," said Naruto as the three turned toward him. "And…"

Neji held up his palm toward his family members. "Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama, Hinata-sama's father and sister, respectively," he said and then smiled. "I see you've come to visit, Naruto. Bearing flowers, no less."

Naruto, meanwhile, frowned. Hinata had mentioned during one of their earlier conversations that Neji had apologized to her and that things were better than they had been during the chuunin exams. But she had just told him about her father's cruelty the night before. It was the last thing they'd spoken of before… "What're you doing here, old man Hiashi?" he asked.

A pause. "I am visiting my daughter," Hiashi replied calmly.

"Oh, so now you care?"

"Naruto," Neji interjected, but Hiashi raised a hand, silencing him.

"I can't believe you did that to her," Naruto continued, feeling his rage building. It felt good to be angry at someone besides himself. "Your own daughter. You called her a weakling and disowned her! What kind of parent does that?! And for what, some stupid bullshit about who gets to inherit the clan's leadership?"

Neji felt that perhaps he should intervene at this, but Hiashi still gestured him against it. Meanwhile, Hanabi glanced between her father and the boy accosting him, the boy she had watched defeat her cousin, whose name had been spoken in whispered rumors around the Hyuuga complex for over a month. He was so passionate about her sister, challenging even her father in her name. It was mesmerizing. Her heart was racing watching it.

"Do you know what she's been through? Do you know how many times she's helped me in a bad situation, how ferociously she's fought against the likes of Orochimaru and Gaara, how she almost died against them? You never once acknowledged her, did you?" Hiashi gave no reply. "And only now when she's fighting for her life, alone, do you think to visit her. I bet Neji was the one to suggest it because you didn't give enough of a crap!" Neji and Hanabi winced. Naruto was dead on about Neji's suggestion. "I guess it's better than what you've given her up until now, which is nothing."

"Naruto," Neji started quietly, "Perhaps you should take a moment outside to-"

"Neji," Hiashi cut him off. "It's alright." His face bore no emotion as he spoke. "Boy… Naruto… It is as you say." Naruto blinked. He hadn't expected this. "I have done these things you accuse me of. I offer no rebuttal. I can only say I have acted in what I believe to be the clan's best interests."

Naruto's rage reignited. "Your clan-"

"Which means," Hiashi continued, "I have neglected to take care of my eldest daughter. I am grateful that you have been there to do so." He gave a slight bow. "Thank you." Neji and Hanabi were wide-eyed. This was unprecedented. Unheard of. It took everything they had not to gape at either of them.

Naruto exhaled through his nose and looked to the side, lips still pursed. "Yeah, well," he muttered. "She's taken damn good care of herself."

Hiashi nodded, turned around and drew his index finger down Hinata's cheek. "Be well soon, my child," he whispered. "Neji. Hanabi," he said at normal volume. "Let's go."

Naruto watched as Hiashi left the room followed by a red-cheeked, still wide-eyed Hanabi, who gave him a quick bow, and Neji, who flashed him a grin. As the door closed, Naruto placed the vase holding his flowers onto the windowsill by Hinata.

This was the first time he'd gotten to see her since last night when he'd deposited her in Tsunade's arms. The sight of her here wasn't nearly as horrible as it was when she was bleeding out, but still, it broke something in Naruto.

He sat down by the chair near her bed and sighed. In truth, he wasn't mad at Hiashi – well, he was, but Hiashi wasn't his concern right now. Hinata and, by extension, his failure, were. It had felt good to vent, though.

He looked at her lying there. She looked so weak and frail, so unlike the strong girl he knew. The breathing mask covering her nose and mouth added to the effect. "Please get better, Hinata," he pleaded softly. "Please."


A while later, the door opened again. Naruto thought it might be Neji returning sans Hiashi but this time it was none other than Sakura who walked through the threshold. "Sakura-chan?" he asked.

"Oh, Naruto," said Sakura. "I didn't realize you'd still be here. Not that I mind, that is," she added quickly. "Um, I mean, I heard from Ino that Hinata was in the hospital and I thought I'd come visit her."

"That's really nice of you," said Naruto. His eyes traveled down to her hands. She had a flower. "Is that for Hinata?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," said Sakura. "Ino told me that she helped you pick out some flowers." She smiled as she recognized the breeds and their corresponding symbolism. "Do you mind if I put mine in your vase?"

"Go ahead," said Naruto.

Sakura did. "This is a camellia," she explained. "It stands for gratitude. That's what I feel for Hinata."

Naruto smiled at this. "It's pink," he noted. "For health."

After a moment of surprise, Sakura grinned. "Very good."

Another while later, after Sakura had left, Sasuke arrived in Hinata's hospital room. Again, he looked dusted up, but otherwise none worse for wear.

"Sasuke," said Naruto as he walked in.

"Hey," Sasuke replied tonelessly. "How is she?"

"Better than last night," Naruto answered. "What happened to you? You get in a fight?"

"Training," Sasuke explained. He'd parted with Kakashi earlier, as Kakashi said he'd had some things to take care of, though Sasuke had protested he could keep going. "How long have you been here?"

"Pretty much all day," said Naruto. "A part of me keeps thinking that if I just wait long enough she'll wake up…"

"She will eventually," said Sasuke.

"Yeah."

A moment passed. "Naruto," Sasuke said with an edge to his voice. "Fight me."

Naruto was taken aback. "What? What are you talking about?"

"We didn't get to fight during the chuunin exam, did we? Let's fix that."

"Right now?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Yes, right now. Or are you scared?" Sasuke's voice held no hint of playfulness.

Naruto clenched his fist. "Not at all," he replied, voice no more playful. "Lead the way."

Sasuke exited the room. Naruto took one more look at Hinata, brushed a strand of her hair out of her face, and then left her behind.

The two made their way to the training ground where they'd first become genin. "Here's fine," said Sasuke.

This didn't seem like the time for a sparring match. Naruto was nervous; he had no idea what to expect. Sasuke's attitude was worse than usual. He didn't seem angry or annoyed, more frustrated than anything.

"Nostalgic, eh?" Naruto replied, then chuckled.

"What's so funny?" asked Sasuke.

"Nothing," said Naruto. "I'm just glad I can blow off some steam by finally beating you."

Sasuke remained quiet for a moment. "We'll see."

The two assumed fighting stances. "Whenever you're ready," said Naruto. Activating his Sharingan, Sasuke rushed at Naruto. He's fast! Naruto had briefly forgotten that Sasuke had acquired Rock Lee's unweighted speed during the chuunin exam. If anything, he seemed even faster now. Naruto avoided a kick he recognized as the lead-in to Sasuke's Shishirendan, but seemingly instantly, Sasuke was behind him, kicking him in the back and sending him flying forwards.

Naruto caught himself, facing Sasuke. "Not bad," he said. "Try this on for size: Tajuu Kagebunshin no Jutsu! (Multiple shadow clone technique)" Dozens of Naruto clones materialized around them. In response, Sasuke formed the seal of the tiger, gathered up chakra in his chest, and blew a massive wave of fire over the clones. He managed to snuff most of them, but as he finished the technique, several moved to flank him. Naruto grinned. I've got him!

To his surprise, Sasuke simply started tearing the clones apart. Naruto had been right in his earlier assessment: Sasuke was definitely faster than he had been during the finals; his clones were unable to put a hand on him. He must have been training while I learned the Rasengan.

"This isn't enough to stop me, Naruto," called Sasuke, ricocheting off a clone. "Show me your real power!"

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, puzzled. Sasuke hurled a clone at the original Naruto, who moved to dodge it, only to be met with Sasuke's fist in his face. Naruto reeled in shock, stumbling backwards. Hand raised as in Lee's stance, Sasuke stood before him.

"I want to see the power you used on Gaara. The power that let you save Hinata then and last night. Your true power."

The Nine-Tails… so he's figured it out. I haven't been able to pull out that form on command, but… Naruto focused. He tried to recall the training he'd gone through with Jiraiya, the sensation he felt when he summoned Gamabunta. It was taking more than a moment, but apparently Sasuke was keen to let him take his time. He watched with an inquisitive expression, to what end, Naruto didn't really know.

Finally, he felt it: the rush of chakra emanating from his abdomen, surging through his body. "You want to see my power, Sasuke?" He took a step forward. "Here it comes."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Naruto's eyes were still blue, his hands, teeth and whiskers the same as ever, but there was no mistaking the red of the chakra that radiated from him. Now we'll see. Naruto came charging at him fast, almost too fast for him to react, leaving him just barely able to dodge to the side. This time, however, Naruto was too fast. Pivoting abruptly, he sent a kick into Sasuke's abdomen that knocked the wind out of him. Sasuke doubled over; this was a mistake, as Naruto followed up with a punch to his face that sent him flying.

Sasuke fell on his back. He tried to recover quickly but his body was moving sluggishly; those two attacks had taken a lot more out of him than he'd thought. Naruto gave chase; soon he was on top of Sasuke, knee on his chest, and his fist aimed straight at his face.

Silence fell. They both knew it was over.

After a moment, Naruto stood up. He turned around, frowning. Why didn't this feel good? Beating Sasuke had been one of his dreams for years. Now he'd done it quite handily and he felt nothing but hollow. What was happening?

Sasuke got up as well. "Good fight," he mumbled tonelessly, and then he sped off. He didn't even use that new jutsu of his. Sasuke recalled the technique Naruto had unwittingly used on Hinata in tandem with Sasuke's Chidori. It must have been powerful to overcome Hinata's kaiten.

Anger rose within Sasuke, not at Naruto or at the Sound Four or anyone else, but at himself. Time after time, he appeared to never have enough power to overcome his struggles. He hadn't beaten Gaara. Itachi had ignored him. And now Naruto had defeated him resoundingly.

With bitter rue in his mouth, Sasuke recalled what he'd told Kakashi – he wanted to protect Naruto? What a joke. Kakashi should've seen through the obvious lie. The way things were, Naruto would be the one constantly protecting Sasuke. Hell, if not for his Chidori, he might even be weaker than Hinata.

He couldn't face away from it any longer. The truth pressed him down with irresistable force. I am simply too weak.

The words echoed in his head. Again, he recalled the conversation with the Sound Four from the night before.

"Give me a week," said Sasuke.

Sakon frowned. "We gave you a week last time. Orochimaru-sama's timeline has moved up considerably since then. We don't have a week."

"Then Orochimaru won't be having me," replied Sasuke. "I know you need me to come willingly. Otherwise, you would have just beaten me and dragged me to him. It's your call."

A moment passed. "Very well, Sasuke-kun. One week. We hope you make the right decision."

With that, the four vanished, leaving Sasuke alone in the clearing. He turned his head. Hinata's blood was still fresh on the ground.

A week, thought Sasuke. A week is all I need to say goodbye.


So, here we have it. Sasuke is bound for a familiar fate. Things start to get messy going forward. I'll be honest, I foresee a few possible ways this plays out, some closer to canon than others. Let me know what you think and I'll see what I can do.

As an aside, I've gotten a few nasty reviews on some chapters, which I've hdad to delete. I try to take constructive criticism, but there isn't any actual criticism in them, just insults like calling me a loser virgin and telling me to kill myself. These reviews all seem to hinge on the same thing: they don't think Hinata would be good on Team 7. I understand if you disagree with the premise, but it's just hurtful and unproductive to leave reviews like that.

If you enjoy the story or if you have genuine constructive comments, please leave a review!