Astrocam: Well, another chapter up. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, favourited and followed. I'm glad people seem to be enjoying my story. I don't have too much to say this time around, so without further ado, here's chapter seven.

Chapter Seven – Hostage Situation

Naruto's POV

Naruto felt helpless whenever Hinata talked about her family drama. He knew that her father was strict so she was scared to let him know that Naruto was her friend (well, more than a friend) but Naruto didn't want to be kept secret forever. He wanted to be able to go on public dates with her without fear of someone she knew spotting them. She had to come clean sometime. But the situation with Hanabi wasn't making it any better. There was concern for Hanabi's well-being, as she hadn't been heard from in a week. All Naruto wanted to do was make Hinata feel better and take her mind off of things for a while.

He finished setting up everything just as Hinata texted him, saying she was on the way up to his apartment. He stood in the closed doorway of his apartment, surveying everything.

He'd taken it upon himself to make her a special dinner of pork ramen (it was his favourite food) and had decorated his entire apartment in a Valentine's Day theme. He'd set up his kitchen table with red placemats, nice wine glasses, heart confetti and white, vanilla-smelling candles as the centerpiece. He had a light dimmer on his lights, so he'd dimmed them as low as he could. There were smaller, fake tea-light candles spread out in random places around the rooms.

For his bedroom, there were red and silver glitter streamers hanging from his bedroom doorway. He had put a couple of vanilla-smelling candles in there as well, and again more fake tea lights scattered on his dresser and bedside tables. His comforter was a cream colour, so he'd added a red and white blanket with hearts as the pattern at the foot of his bed. He'd also covered the bed in red rose petals. There was a red rug on the floor beside the bed.

But the masterpiece was on the bed itself. Hinata's gift, a bouquet of red roses was set up nicely, still wrapped in the package in which he'd bought it at the store, beside a medium-sized Valentine's Day gift bag. Inside the gift bag, was her favourite chocolate, a small teddy bear, a cute card, and a heart necklace. Naruto knew that she would somehow have to hide these gifts from her dad, because he would surely get suspicious if she walked into their house with a bouquet of roses, so Naruto had decided to offer to let her keep them at his place. Perhaps the teddy bear and the chocolate she could get away with explaining. Nothing wrong with "friends" giving each other gifts on Valentine's Day, right?

He heard a knock on his door and his heartbeat spiked, as it always did when he knew it was Hinata knocking. Turning around, he took a deep breath and opened the door.

Hinata took his breath away, as she always did whenever he saw her. He'd never seen a girl look so beautiful with such little effort. Back when he'd had a crush on Sakura, he'd been too blind to even look at other girls. Now, he saw it in a whole new light.

"H-hi," she blushed, looking down at the floor.

Naruto grabbed her and pulled her into a bear hug, not caring if anyone came down the hallway and saw them. Seconds later, he closed the door and brought her into the apartment. He released her so she could see all that he'd done.

She stood there silently, as if unsure what to say or do as she took everything in. When she turned to look at him again, Naruto thought he saw tears in her eyes.

"N-Naruto-kun..." she murmured, wiping at her eyes, being careful not to smudge her makeup. "T-this is too much. Thank you."

"Better not thank me until you've had my ramen," he grinned at her, joking around to lighten her mood.

"Oh, I-I'm sure it can't be that bad." she smiled back at him, sniffling a bit before gathering her composure.

"Well, let's eat." Naruto helped her take off her jacket and waited until she took off her boots before leading her into the kitchen. He pulled out one of the chairs from the table and let her sit down before going to get her a bowl of his ramen which was still staying warm on the stove. Once he had a bowl set in front of her, he poured her some wine, then got his own food. She waited until he was seated across from her before starting to eat.

"T-this is really good," she nodded in approval as she tasted the ramen, lifting some noodles with her chopsticks and placing them in her mouth.

"Thanks. I got the recipe from a favourite chef of mine. But I still go to his ramen shop quite often." Naruto grinned, glad that she was enjoying the food he'd cooked.

They continued to eat and talk, and Naruto was excited for her to see the gifts that he'd gotten her. When they were finished, Naruto put the bowls in the sink, then helped her stand and took her hand as they headed to his bedroom.

Once inside, she gasped.

"Oh...my..." she hesitated, as if unsure what to say about the gifts on his bed.

"Well, come on, let's open them." Naruto pulled her over to the bed and they sat. "I know we haven't been dating for long, but I thought I'd do this anyways, since it's my first Valentine's Day with anyone."

Hinata grinned widely, and Naruto could see her cheeks were turning red. He leaned down to give her a kiss before picking up the roses and giving them to her.

"Naruto...t-these..." she choked up, as if trying not to cry. She sniffed the roses and held them close to her. "I l-love them. I have never gotten flowers from a guy before. Or, anyone, really."

"I know that you probably can't sneak those into your house, so you can keep them here. The other stuff should be able to be passed off as gifts from a friend." Naruto shrugged.

Hinata nodded. "You've thought of everything. Here, put them in water." She handed the still wrapped bouquet to him. "I'll wait until you return to open the rest of the gifts."

Naruto took the roses, headed back to the kitchen and quickly found the vase he'd bought specifically for the roses. He filled it with water, unwrapped the flowers and placed them gently into the vase, then stepped back to admire them. Yes, they looked beautiful. He took the vase back into his bedroom where he set it with the flowers on his dresser.

Hinata was staring at the other gifts as though she wanted to jump right into them, so Naruto sat next to her again and gave her permission. "Go on, open the rest."

When the gift opening was finished, Hinata had put her heart necklace on immediately, and they sat on the bed while sharing the chocolate, eating it as dessert. Hinata told Naruto that she would just explain to her father that she'd picked out the necklace herself, and the rest of the gifts were from Tenten.

Suddenly, her eyes went wide as she reached into her pocket to pull out her vibrating phone, then read who was calling. She answered immediately, and Naruto guessed it must be important since she never touched her phone during their time together.

"Father...I-I'm with Tenten...yes, we are at her place now. Why? O-oh!" she gasped, lifting a hand to her mouth. "Oh, my God, I'll be there right away!"

She hung up the phone and there were fresh tears in her eyes, only this time, not tears of joy. Naruto's heart began beating fast, anxious.

"Hinata? What's wrong?" he asked, reaching over to take her hand.

Hinata stood up, and Naruto stood with her, still holding her hand. "I-I have to go. They found Hanabi...but she's...in trouble."

"She's still alive?" Relief washed over Naruto, but he remained calm.

"Yes, a-alive, but not sure for how much longer." Hinata wiped at her eyes. "I'm so sorry for having to cut our evening short. I will update you on everything as I get the news, okay?"

Naruto nodded, giving her a hug. "It's okay, I understand. We can reschedule this for another time," he assured her.

"It's just that...you put so much work into everything, I feel so bad for leaving...I really wish you could come with me..." Hinata sobbed into his shirt.

"Hey, shh, calm down, you can't drive when you're crying like this. Is Hanabi in the hospital?"

"No, t-they found her...b-but she's been kidnapped. And tortured all this time. They haven't been able to get into the house where she's being held, because the guy who's holding her is waving around a gun. It's a stand off right now." Hinata clutched onto Naruto's shirt, as if she didn't want to let him go. "But...I'm sorry. I'll take my gifts." She released him to grab the bag of her gifts and they went out to the entry way so that she could get ready to leave. She put on her jacket and boots, then turned to hug Naruto again. "T-thank you Naruto, for everything. I will give you your gift the next time I see you."

Naruto nodded, stunned at the news that Hanabi had been held hostage. He hugged Hinata back, hard, and gave her a passionate good-bye kiss. "It's okay," he murmured, brushing her hair from her face. "Hanabi will be okay. Text me ASAP."

Hinata nodded, leaning her face against his hand for a second before breaking away and backing up towards the door. "I will. I love you."

"I love you, too." Naruto gave a small wave and she left, closing the door behind her.

The empty feeling tugged at his heart again, as it did every time she left. She was going through a family crisis right now, but he felt helpless. He wanted to be over at Hinata's place with her, to be able to comfort her as the news about Hanabi came in.

He glanced around the kitchen with the Valentine's Day decorations still up, sighed sadly at the failed evening, and proceeded to clean up everything, lastly blowing out each candle one by one, letting the room fall into darkness.

Hinata's POV

Hinata felt horrible as she drove away from Naruto's apartment. Not only for her sister, but for ditching Naruto after he had gone through this trouble for her. She had lied about a gift – she had not gotten him anything. But now, after seeing what he had done for her, she felt more compelled to try and do something in return. She had not expected him to go all out like that.

Her phone vibrated against her leg again, and she thought that was odd. Normally her father didn't call her twice in a row. It must be more news on Hanabi.

Even though texting and driving, as well as calling and driving were illegal, Hinata reached into her pocket and grabbed her phone, answering it. "H-hello?"

"Hinata! It's a disaster! The guy is shooting up his house and the officers are nervous to go inside. I don't blame them, and I don't want them to get hurt, but my daughter is in there!" Hiashi sounded as panicked as he did before.

"H-how did they find her?" Hinata wanted to know.

"A tip from a neighbour, who said she saw a girl who looked like Hanabi being escorted to and from this house by this guy for the past week. She didn't realize it until we posted the photos of Hanabi saying she was missing. I'm going to the house right now, you should meet me there."

"But father, it's dangerous!" Hinata pulled over to the side of the road so she wouldn't be caught talking on the phone while driving.

"The guy is inside the house, not outside. Hanabi's life is in danger. Neji is coming with me"

"W-where's the house?" Hinata asked for the address, starting to feel scared. Why would her father want to put his family in more danger? Surely the cops wouldn't let them close to the house anyway.

Hiashi told her the address, and then hung up the phone. Hinata followed the roads until she came upon what was obviously the house. There were four cop cars, all with their lights on, outside the house, parked on either side of the street, along with an ambulance. Some curious bystanders were watching the action, and Hinata saw neighbours peeking their heads out of windows. She spotted her father's car already there.

Hinata parked a bit farther down the road, so she had to walk for a minute before reaching the scene. She stayed on the opposite side of the road from the house, standing on the sidewalk, hearing a couple of gunshots coming from inside the house made her jump. Any one of those gunshots could end Hanabi's life at any second. She'd never felt so helpless.

The cops were holding their guns towards the house and shouting.

"Release the girl and you won't get hurt!"

"Put down the gun and come quietly!"

"You have the option of not ending this violently!"

Hinata shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. It was chilly outside, and she wished Naruto could be here to comfort her.

More gunshots. This guy was not going to come without a fight.

"Please, Hanabi, stay safe," Hinata murmured to herself, praying for her sister's safety. This was like a scene straight from a movie.

"Hinata! Thank God." Hiashi and Neji finally found her, and in a surprising move, Hiashi hugged Hinata.

Hinata just blinked in surprise but hugged her father back. The hug was quick and he released her.

"Hanabi's still inside, I have no idea if she's alive, the officers haven't seen or heard her. Kakashi is there." Hiashi pointed to a silver-haired man who was near the front of the house, holding his gun towards a window, and Hinata recognized Kakashi.

"This is insane," Neji mumbled, but again he showed no emotion. Hinata knew he cared for Hanabi, he just had a different way of showing it. As it was, he was staring at the house with eagle eyes, as if thinking of a way he could get in himself.

"If something doesn't happen soon..." Hiashi folded his arms across his chest. "I don't know how the outcome of this will be."

Suddenly, another gunshot rang out, and one of the officers shouted, "He's shot himself! Get inside now!"

Immediately, five of the police officers, including Kakashi, barged into the house, kicking the door down. Hinata waited anxiously, and, after what seemed like forever, they escorted a small girl out.

"Hanabi!" Hiashi cried, running across towards the house. Hinata and Neji followed.

One of the officers outside the house stopped him. "Sir, she's injured and scared, she needs to get to a hospital right away. You can meet her there, okay? Are you her father?"

"Yes, I'm her father. This is her older sister Hinata and cousin Neji."

"You are the ones who reported her missing. Alright, I'm glad she's safe and the outcome was good for you. But she's getting into an ambulance right now, you can go to the hospital." The officer said kindly. "The man who had her is dead."

Hiashi didn't like this, but he nodded and watched Hanabi get into the ambulance before heading off towards his own car. Neji decided to stay with Hinata.

"Thank God she is okay, but what is the extent of her injuries?" Neji wondered aloud.

Hinata shook her head as they made their way down the sidewalk towards his car. "I don't know. I'm sure we'll find out. I have to text Naruto. I feel bad because I had to leave him. He understood but..."

"Well, if you'd like, I can stall Uncle and you can go back to Naruto's after you see Hanabi in the hospital," Neji offered.

They reached Hinata's car and got inside. "R-really?" Hinata turned to Neji. "I'll see what father says about me staying with Tenten for the night. Since I know father will likely stay at the hospital."

"Well, we can 'both' stay at Tenten's. I don't want to be in the mansion by myself all night waiting for news." Neji winked at Hinata. "I'm sure if I am there as well, he'll agree to it, and you can go off to Naruto's."

Hinata reached over to hug her cousin, in another rare display of affection. "Thank you Neji, for having my back. I owe you. I'm going to introduce Naruto to father soon, but as a friend."

Neji shrugged, patting Hinata on the back. "Don't mention it. I also see that Naruto got you gifts for Valentine's Day," he gestured to the Valentine's bag on the back seat.

Hinata pulled away from Neji to show him the heart necklace as well. "Yes, he even decorated his apartment and made me some wonderful ramen. He gave me roses as well but I obviously can't bring them home, so they will stay with him. Before we head out, I'll call him."

Naruto's POV

Just as Naruto was cleaning up the last of the Valentine's stuff in his bedroom, his phone rang. He checked it, seeing it was Hinata. He hadn't gotten an update from her since she'd left to go deal with the Hanabi situation.

"Hey, Hinata, is Hanabi okay?" he asked, sitting down on his bed with the streamers from his bedroom door still in his hand.

"Yes, I will tell you what happened later, but she got out and is now at the hospital."

Naruto sighed with relief. "Whew. I'm glad. How are you?"

"Fine, u-um, I was just wondering if I would be able to come back – and spend the night with you tonight."

Naruto went silent for a few seconds. "Did you tell Hiashi about us?"

"N-no, that's not it. I know that Father is going to be at the hospital all night with Hanabi and Neji and I don't want to be stuck in that mansion waiting for news. So Neji told me that he could more than likely go to Tenten's, then we will tell my father that I am going there as well. Surely if Neji is going, father will let me stay the night too. Anyways, Neji said that as he's going to Tenten's, he'd cover for me if I wanted to stay the night with you."

Naruto's heart began to beat faster at this news. "Well, obviously that's fine with me, if you can convince your father to let you go to Tenten's."

"I'm sure it will be okay. I'm going to the hospital first, then will pack some overnight things and meet you at your place. It may be a bit late, around ten PM or later. It's already going on eight PM right now. I was only at your place for an hour earlier."

"That's fine with me." Naruto agreed. At least this would give him time to get the decorations back up in his apartment so Hinata wouldn't feel worse about leaving him earlier. "So, just let me know what Hiashi says, and we'll go from there."

"Right. I'll ask him when we are at the hospital, which is where we are going right now. Depending on when we hear the latest news on Hanabi's health and when we are able to see her, we could be an hour or so there."

"Okay. I hope everything will be good, with you and Hanabi. Tell Neji I said thanks for having our backs." Naruto got up from his bed and began to attempt to hang the streamers back up using one hand, as he was talking on the phone with the other.

"Will do. I will let you know as soon as possible."

"Alright. I love you, babe."

"I love you, too."

They hung up and Naruto rushed around to get his apartment back in order. Hinata called about a half hour later to say that she would be on her way soon, and that Hiashi had agreed to letting her and Neji stay the night at Tenten's. She'd also gotten to see Hanabi, and her sister was quite beat up, but she would make a full recovery. Right now she had fallen unconscious, which was why Hiashi was staying the night, so he could be near her if she woke up during the night.

Naruto began to feel excited again. Hinata would be staying the night for the first time. He'd have her all to himself. Even if she wasn't up for sex because of what was currently happening with her family, at least he would be able to spend more time with her than just a few hours.

His mind raced and he couldn't wait to see her again. Maybe their evening wouldn't be a complete disaster after all.

Astrocam: Poor Hanabi. At least she was found alive. Sorry for the lack of lemons in this chapter, I felt it wouldn't be too appropriate considering the situation that was happening, plus I wanted to focus more on the drama. Anyway, hope you enjoyed.