The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

VII. A date with Naruto, part three

It was very dark in the woods behind their park bench. It was the densest woody area in the park. Night noises seemed to be completely absent from that spot, but that might have just been his imagination as all his senses were concentrated on listening for another moan or something more sinister. A younger Naruto would have rushed forward impulsively towards the source of the moan. The older and wiser Naruto considered his options and their consequences before making any move in a direction that could be dangerous.

"I've got great night vision, but I can't see through trees. Your Byakugan is much better than my eyes, Hinata. What do you see?" he asked softly as they stood on the side of the bench facing the woods.

She peered into the darkness before them with her Byakugan engaged. "A meter to the right about 15 meters ahead there's a body on the ground. I think it's a man. His life force is weak. He needs to be rescued—and soon." She started forward, but Naruto barred her way with his arm.

"Wait. Do you see anyone or anything near him? Anything threatening? Anything we need to fight?"

She shook her head. "Nothing unusual or close beside him. Are you thinking he may have been attacked rather than just sick? You think that the perpetrator might still be in the vicinity?"

He shrugged. "Hey, better safe than sorry."

She smiled up at him. "Naruto, you've changed. Shikamaru must have rubbed off on you."

"I'm learning. Even I can sometimes see a need for caution," he admitted ruefully. "If you don't see anyone or anything threatening him, then we aren't both needed here. Hinata, I want you to go for the medics. I'll stay with him."

She held onto his arm this time stopping him from moving forward. "I should stay. I can see any danger approaching in the dark. If he was attacked that threat may return—whatever it might be."

"No, you go. My night vision's adequate for this situation. My hearing's pretty keen, too. I bet you can run faster than me."

She looked at him in surprise as an idea dawned on her. "Naruto, are you trying to protect me?"

He smiled sheepishly. "I don't know. Maybe. I just know I can't leave you here alone not knowing if there's any potential danger waiting somewhere outside your range. Go on, Hinata. You said he needed rescue soon. You'd better hurry."

She stopped arguing. It didn't matter which of them stayed, they both were equally equipped to handle the situation. However, he was very sweet to spare her the dark, lonely and possibly dangerous vigil. "Right. I'll be back as soon as I can. Take care." Her fingers brushed his hand in a farewell gesture before she turned and took off at a run.

Naruto watched her go a moment before turning back to the wood. Great night vision was another perk of the nine-tail's habitation in his body. He could see as well as a fox able to find prey in the dark. He'd learned over the years to make use of all Kyuubi's abilities when necessary.

He walked forward cautiously. It was so dark and quiet in the little woods he felt like an interloper. He could walk almost silently if he chose, however, Hinata had seen nothing unusual in the vicinity so he was probably safe to make as much noise as he wanted, but he didn't go to that extreme. Years of training in caution were not so easily shaken. He may not have been silent, but he was much quieter than the average person as he made his way through the brush towards the reclining man.

He moved forward with a little jog towards the right. As he grew closer the moans seemed to grow further apart, but were louder. He followed the sound as well as his eyes to the prone man lying on his back on the ground. Except for the moans, he was as still as the dead.

There was a slender sliver of moonlight shining through a break in the trees overhead. Falling nearby, it provided a better chance for Naruto to make out the scene before him. After one glance at his face, Naruto knew that he didn't recognize him, but the man gave the appearance of any Konoha resident. He wore workman's clothes typical to many professions, but no jacket in anticipation of the cool evening. Nor did he appear to be carrying a pack or bag. If he'd had anything there was always the possibility that it had been stolen. Perhaps his condition was the result of a robbery.

Even in the darkness, he appeared unusually pale. His skin seemed to glow eerily white in the darkness. Naruto crouched on the ground beside him, and felt his pulse. It was fast and shallow. The man's eyes were closed, and through his slightly opened mouth the moans seemed more involuntary rushes of air between his teeth than an effort at communication. Naruto touched his hand again. It felt very cold.

He placed a hand on the man's forehead. It, too, was cold. "Hello, I'm here to help you. Can you tell me your name? What happened? Are you hurt? What can I do to help you?" he asked not expecting an answer, but trying to reassure him anyway.

The man gave no response to his questions or the hand on his forehead—nary a moan, flicker of eyelids, turn of the head or twitch of the hand to indicate that he heard or felt Naruto's presence. He could have been in a deep sleep, unconscious or drugged. Naruto couldn't tell.

He studied the prone form looking for any sign of a wound. Not knowing the nature of his injury, he was loath to move him. He might do more harm than good if he moved him in the wrong way. He gently felt down his arm, side and leg, but there was nothing obvious on his left side to indicate an injury. He moved around to the right to follow the same procedure. That was when he saw the trickle of blood on his neck showing black against the pale skin. He bent closer to study the area.

There appeared to be two small wounds in his neck not more than a few centimeters apart with a small trickle of blood from each opening. The blood was still slightly wet reflecting in a thin ragged band the meager light of the moon. He could smell it with his fox senses now that he was relying on them to help him scan the area. He wondered that he hadn't scented it before. His sense of smell could be quite acute at times.

It was an odd wound in an odd place. He wondered if the man had been bitten by an animal—a poisonous one would account for his extreme inertia. Perhaps it had been a snake which was the only animal he could think of that could make a mark with just two puncture wounds. Any other animal would make a mark with a bottom and top indentation of teeth. Another possibility struck him—if not an animal then a large insect or possibly a large spider could have made a set of punctures. Maybe the snake or spider had fallen from a tree branch onto his shoulder and had bitten him in the neck. He didn't like spiders. He almost shuddered to imagine the size of the spider that could have made puncture wounds so large. Surely, Hinata would have seen such a creature lurking in the woods? Since she hadn't it was probably a really wild idea. Spiders just didn't get that big—did they?

He dismissed the spider theory and returned to the snake idea. He still wondered why the man hadn't called out, thrashed about more so he and Hinata could have found him sooner? Could the attack have been so quick the man hadn't had time to make a sound? Maybe he'd just crumbled to the ground rather then fallen. If that were the case, wouldn't he be in more of a heap instead of spread out so freely on the ground? He didn't look like he'd put up a struggle at all.

He remembered hearing a small scuffle in the woods just before he'd kissed Hinata. It hadn't sounded loud or prolonged enough for a man being surprised by an animal attack. How long could the man have been lying there? With his wound still bleeding, if only slightly, it couldn't have been long. Why hadn't he and Hinata heard him sooner? How had this attack taken place so quietly and neatly within such a short distance from two fairly experienced ninja?

He sat back on his heels. There wasn't much Naruto could do for the man since he hadn't any medical skills, but he'd do what he could. He took off his jacket, leaned forward, and tucked it around the man to try to keep him warm. Periodically, he checked his pulse, and spoke to him. He watched for signs of venom, but the tell-tale red streaks never appeared on his neck. For most of his wait, he simply sat back again, and anticipated a rescue party.

It took about thirty minutes before Hinata, two medics, and the Fifth arrived on the scene. Naruto could hear them, and see the torches they carried to illuminate the darkness before he actually saw them.

"Naruto!" Tsunade called out.

He stood up and took a few steps away from the man. "Over here!" he called, and waved his arms.

He watched as they made their way through the brush to where he stood. There was nothing silent or cautious in their approach so they arrived more quickly than Naruto had earlier. Hinata didn't hover in the background as usual, but came over to stand closely beside him.

"Look on the right side of his neck. There's a wound there," he pointed out to the Fifth. He stayed back where he was with Hinata, and left the field to the experts. He hadn't expected the Fifth to show up. He wouldn't have considered this to be the kind of situation to bring out their topnotch medical expert. Perhaps the Fifth was just being overly cautious in the precarious situation the village was in with their most experienced ninja out on assignment.

Tsunade hunched down on the right side of the man, and began her examination before she allowed the medics to place him on the stretcher. She was quick, checking his vital signs, and the wound Naruto pointed out to her. She stood up when she was finished. "Take him to the hospital quickly. Type him as soon as you get him there. He needs a blood transfusion immediately," she ordered, standing up after her hasty examination.

The medics moved efficiently, one to the head and one to the foot, and carefully picked the man up and placed him onto the stretcher, lifted it then rapidly moved out of the wood. Tsunade stayed behind to search the area where he was found, and to question Naruto and Hinata. She shone her torch over the ground vacated by the man.

"Tell me about how you found him," she commanded them after she'd thoroughly scanned the area.

They exchanged a glance then Naruto began. "We were sitting on the bench looking up at the stars when we heard a moan. Hinata used her Byakugan to find out where and who the moan was coming from. She saw a man alone on the ground. There was nothing threatening near him. She went for help, and I stayed with him until help arrived," Naruto explained succinctly.

"You didn't hear any attack?"

"No." They both shook their head.

"Did you hear anything unusual?"

They looked at each other again. Hinata gestured for Naruto to do the talking. "Well, we heard something in the wood, but it didn't sound alarming or significant. We thought it was just an animal. It didn't sound like someone falling down, did it, Hinata?"

She shook her head. "No, it didn't."

Tsunade rubbed her chin. "It's a very strange situation. That man is missing a great deal of blood. The wound on his neck is still fresh, yet there's no blood here on the ground where he was found. So either whatever attacked him took the blood or his body was simply dumped here after the attack. Yet you both heard nothing. Are you certain you weren't too distracted to hear anything?" she asked shrewdly. She'd assumed looking up at the stars to be a euphemism for something more distracting. They might have been too absorbed to hear anything significant.

This time they looked everywhere, but at each other or the Fifth. It was too dark to see that both were quite flushed. "I'm sure we would have heard an attack or a body being dumped in the wood—unless it wasn't an ordinary attack or a ninja," Naruto answered after thinking back furiously for a few seconds. All he could remember was Hinata's soft breathy response to his kiss, his own heavier breathing, and the embarrassing-if-heard-by-others sounds of their kiss. If he'd heard anything that hadn't sounded natural, he was certain he'd have stopped whatever he was doing immediately. Of course, he'd never been in that particular situation before, so he might be wrong about his reactions.

"I see. Well, we'll check out this area in the morning, but if neither of you can see anything out of place here then there probably isn't anything to see. Hinata, why don't you give the area a once over before we leave?"

Hinata used her Byakugan to search the area. "I don't see anything unusual. I don't see any blood at all."

Tsunade slapped her hand on her thigh. "Okay. Let's hope the man recovers enough to tell us what happened. You two can go on home. I'll know more tomorrow. There's no sense in alarming the patrol until I know what to tell them. Remember to report to me at least thirty minutes before guard duty tomorrow night. If I learn anything new, there may be more instructions for you at that time," she told them brusquely then stalked off towards the hospital.

"I guess we'd better call it a night," Naruto said regretfully as he and Hinata picked their way carefully out of the wood.

"I guess so," she responded just as regretfully. It had been a wonderful date while it had lasted. She couldn't have asked for a better one until that last bit.

He took her hand as they walked slowly back towards her house. They were silent for a few minutes until Naruto said, "I'm sorry."

"Why? You didn't do anything," she asked in surprise.

"I think I must be unlucky. What were the odds that we'd have an incident during our date? That's just the kind of luck I have."

She tilted her head, and put her free hand thoughtfully to her chin. "Naruto, don't be silly! Think of the circumstances. You and I are ninja. We can't help but notice anomalies. If we were an ordinary couple would we have noticed anything out of the ordinary? After that first moan, we would have claimed it to be the wind, and high-tailed it out of there."

He grinned. "When you put it like that—it would have been strange if nothing unusual had happened on our date."

She continued. "Plus, it might have been lucky for that man that we found him. Considering the massive blood loss, he would probably not have survived a night in the woods. Hypothermia would have overtaken him very shortly if we hadn't found him. Instead of unlucky, you might actually be very lucky," she reasoned.

"I like your logic, Hinata. I'm lucky to have you as a girlfriend."

She blushed. There—he'd said it—the words she'd never thought to hear. Not tonight. Not ever. "Am I?" she asked softly, longingly.

Naruto couldn't pretend he didn't understand her question. He'd opened the door deliberately. As usual, he couldn't help rushing things. He didn't know why he thought a rejection would be easier to take if he didn't ask the question directly, but he did. He thought this way would cushion a blow better than to come out and ask. She could have ignored his implication. She could have strenuously denied it. She could have laughed in his face. She didn't do any of those awful things, but she still had the opportunity. Bravely, he persevered.

"If you want to be," he said simply.

"Well, I wouldn't want to take your luck away," she answered hesitantly holding back her joy. She was afraid that exposing her true and utter enthusiasm would scare him off.

That wasn't quite the answer he was expecting. It didn't really tell him how she truly felt. He had to have a real answer. "Forget about that. What do you want, Hinata?" he asked urgently. He stopped walking. He turned to face her, and took her other hand in his. He wished he'd stopped under a street light, and not in a darkened spot the fingernail of a moon couldn't even light up adequately. He had to trust to his fox senses to make out her expression.

She raised her eyes to his dear face. "You. I want you," she whispered hoarsely. Her voice wouldn't come out. She was revealing the secret she thought she would never utter to the one person she thought would never hear it or care to hear it.

He gave a heartfelt sigh of relief. "You've got me. I've got you, too" he said, and drew her into a warm enveloping hug.

They stood like that for several minutes. Her head rested against his shoulder. His chin rested atop her head. His arms were wrapped completely around her. Her arms circled his waist. They leaned against each other.

Naruto wanted to just hold her forever. There was so much more he could say, but this was enough for now. This was a beginning they could build on. He didn't want to rush things any more than he already had. He wanted this to be perfect. It was too important to go too fast.

Finally, he awkwardly cleared his throat, and slowly released her. "I guess I'd better get you home. We're on guard duty tomorrow night—it is still today, isn't it? We haven't been out that long have we?" He took her hand, and started walking again in the direction of her house.

"I don't think it's midnight yet," she said. Her voice didn't sound normal to her ears. Her throat still felt constricted. She wanted to cry tears of joy and relief. Naruto couldn't possibly know how happy he'd made her with his simple declaration.

They walked along silently again. Naruto wasn't sure what to say next. Before he could think of something that didn't sound too mundane, they'd reached her house. They lingered outside her door both feeling a little awkward and unsure. It was a situation neither had been in before.

He suddenly remembered his new cousin, and the lunch he'd promised to have with Sakura tomorrow. He had to at least fulfill his promise to Lee before he could concentrate on his own romance. "Hinata," he said in a rush. "There's some stuff I have to do tomorrow—I don't know if I'll see you before our guard duty."

She reached up, and lightly touched his cheek. "It's okay, Naruto. We don't have to be together all the time."

He grabbed her hand. "I know—but I want to—I want to be with you as much as possible. I feel—I don't know—I miss you when you're not with me."

She looked at him in wonder. "I miss you, too."

He cradled her face between his hands, bent down and kissed her. He didn't make it a deep kiss. He'd never want to leave if he did that—and it was hard enough as it was. He couldn't believe how settling the question of whether she was his girlfriend had made him feel so connected to her now. He still felt a deep longing, but he felt at peace, too. It was very strange. Maybe his feelings would become less jumbled and tenuous as they saw each other more often on dates rather than missions.

He reluctantly drew his mouth from hers. She had her hands over his holding them to her cheeks. He turned his hands to envelope hers, and lowered them to hang between their bodies.

"Sleep well, Hinata. I'll see you tomorrow." He gently squeezed and released her hands then stepped back from the door.

"Good night, dear Naruto," she said softly. She opened her door, stepped inside. and gave him a little wave before finally closing it.

Dear Naruto. He grinned. Putting his hands in his pockets he sauntered home with his usual cocky walk. He had a girlfriend! Hot damn!