Chapter Nine: A Naruto and Hinata Moment

Yellow roses the colour of friendship.

Naruto handed the flowers to Hinata and gave her cheeks a kiss. How she wished his lips would land on hers instead, but she understood that even up until now. 'He only regarded her as his friend.' The thought pierced Hinata's heart; she really wanted to chuck his friendship flowers and step all over it. After all she had done for him, was this all she deserved?

"It's beautiful thank you," she lied.

"Look I even got you a bumble bee toy," he laughed and added, "If you get lonely at night, you can just hug this to sleep."

'Can I hug you to sleep instead?' She thought.

"Is something wrong? You don't look too good," Naruto demanded and became very nervous so he grabbed onto her arms. He asked slowly and softly, "Did your tests results come out bad?"

"No." She lied again and waved her arms and legs to prove it to him.

"My legs are moving, my arms are moving, I don't feel any pain at the moment and most of all there's no scars on my face. Thank goodness! The results were all positive and the doctor said I can go home tomorrow." She acted happily; she didn't want him to feel guilty. She wanted his love and not his pity.

"That's great; I was so worried for you. If you didn't fully recover, I swear I would take care of you for the rest of my life." He said sincerely.

Liar!

"I've fully recovered now does that mean you will still take care of me for the rest of my life?" Hinata tested with a forced smile.

"Let's not get so serious into that topic yet. We'll talk about it again as you monitor your health progress."

See, you liar!

'What difference does it make whether I am a cripple or not? You would still leave me once you find the one you love.' She cried in her thoughts.

"Let's get inside and find a vase to put the flowers into some water." He said and stretched out his hand to grab onto Hinata's.

"Wait, dinner's not going to be any time soon. I heard this hospital is built next to an Observatory; can you please take me there? I want to be able to see the scenery below this hill before I leave tomorrow. Maybe I can catch a sun set."

"It's a fair walk; I don't think that your newly recovered body can handle it." He said.

Hinata looked really disappointed.

"What the heck, let's go." He cheered and pulled her hand.

...

The light was getting dimmer and the surroundings were starting to become a dull grey, except Sakura's lips. Gaara thought her cherry tomato lips appeared luscious and ripe against her pale make up less face. He wanted to kiss those lips and taste the fruit of the forbidden tree, but he knew those lips did not belong to him. He still could not control his face from leaning ever so closer.

Sakura stared into the horizon and wondered what life would be like if she was not human. 'Maybe I will reincarnate into an animal in my next life,' she thought.

She watched a rabbit hopping towards its friends and wondered what it would be like if she was one of them. Perhaps she would not need to think and be in so much pain. She sighed as she watched the sun set past the lake and thought, 'every person, every animal and every plant in this world has their own place, where was hers?'

A change in temperature caused Sakura to feel the moist hot air coming from Gaara's mouth. She quickly sprung to the side of the edge of their bench. As if there was a timer for this awkward moment the road lights started to flicker. The lights came on and so did Gaara's mind, he returned back to the cold reality that she could not return his love.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. My mind was lost staring at your beautiful face," he apologised.

"Just don't do it again, ok? I don't know why but you creep me out sometimes. What have I done to deserve your love?" She asked.

"I don't know. It's just a feeling I can't seem to shake off." He replied.

"I can't love you," she mumbled and added, "I can't even love myself. I'm sorry but I cannot return the love you have for me."

Her words hurt him and if Gaara could block his ears he would.

"Then I will wait for you no matter what. It's getting late; let me give you a ride home."

...

The hike to the Observatory was further than Hinata had expected. She was getting a shortness of breath; she underestimated the health of her newly awoken body. She realised the mistake of her selfish request but it was too late to head back now. She released Naruto's hand to stop and catch her breath. She felt a little dizzy and her right hand couldn't hold the bumble bee anymore. It toppled onto the ground.

"We should head back." Said Naruto as he realised how fatigued Hinata's body had become. He blamed himself for agreeing to let her go on this hike.

"No, I can do this. Please. A little more..." Hinata replied. She could see that the entrance was just a few hundred meters away.

Hinata really wanted to see a sunset with Naruto, 'just once, is all I ask for,' she thought. They had been walking for about forty minutes and the time was getting closer to 5pm. Very shortly the sun would be setting. She stared at the entrance and ran; she didn't want Naruto to take her back. Her chest felt really tight but she was determined to reach the top of the Observatory.

'A memory that belongs only to you and me,' the thought gave her the courage to charge on.

Naruto ran up quickly and grabbed her arm, "Wait a second ok."

He bent his knees and ushered Hinata to hop on his back. She understood his intentions and obediently climbed on. Hinata was very short and light, she had a very petite figure, and it was perhaps because of her coma that had caused her minute stature. She rested her chin on his broad shoulder and sniffed the nice perfume he had on his neck. This was one of the happiest moments of her life.

She couldn't stop smiling; she was in a truly blissful state.

Finally Naruto and Hinata had climbed up the steps and reached the top deck of the two storey Observatory building. Hinata jumped off his back at once and gazed at the beautiful scenery ahead. She enjoyed the view of the city sketch and she could see some flickering lights in the distance. The sky had already darkened as she watched the sun slide past the horizon. She jumped up in excitement and was glad she had made it on time.

"Look the sun is setting in the ocean to the far west, can you see it?"

"Yea I can. It looks amazing; I've never seen a sun set before."

One of Naruto's first?

Her heart fluttered. As the sun set, she prayed to God that Naruto would one day grow to love her.

"Do you have a pen on you Naruto?" She asked.

"Yea, here." He replied and got one out of his back pack.

Hinata quickly scribbled a message on the wooden planks of the Observatory floor. She stood up and grabbed Naruto's hand to head back to the hospital so that she could eat her dinner. She had written, 'Naruto was here with Hinata xoxo.' Naruto had wanted to see what she had written but she had pulled him away.

...

When they got out of the Observatory, they decided to plant the roses in the flower bed surrounding the structure as Hinata would no longer be in hospital. Earlier in the day Hinata had called Neji to help her apply for the high school Naruto was in, except she would be in a grade lower. She wanted to be able to be near him often and perhaps make him fall in love with her.

Naruto being the gentleman he was continued to piggyback Hinata all the way back to the hospital. He did not mind at all because she was very light and the hike back was downhill. The only thing that bothered him a little was her bony flat chest. Halfway down Hinata had fallen asleep and dropped the bumble bee, Naruto had picked it up and slipped it in between his back and her chest.

He wondered what it would feel like to piggyback Sakura. ^.^

"Hnn..." Moaned Hinata as Naruto dropped her gently off his back and supported her onto her bed.

Hinata's body jerked in a panic when she felt two hands grabbing her thighs. Her hands automatically clutched onto the arm of her intruder. She opened her intense eyes and gazed into the soft pools of blue. Hinata realised it was just Naruto putting her on the bed, her expression softened up.

"Sorry, I thought you were... Nothing. I'm sorry for falling asleep," She stated.

"That's ok I must have frightened you. Your dinner just arrived so eat it before it gets cold." Naruto said.

"Ok."

Naruto watched Hinata peck at the food and it didn't seem like she had any appetite. She tried scraping the food to the side to give the illusion that she was eating. Perhaps it was because of the stress of thinking about her right wrist or the fact that Naruto had just stirred up some locked up emotions that she had tried so hard to forget. Naruto saw how worried Hinata looked so he grabbed the spoon from her hand.

"Here let me feed you," said Naruto spooning some mash potato.

"Naru-" Hinata couldn't finish her sentence as Naruto had already stuffed her mouth with a spoon full of potato.

"You have to eat more! Do you want to stay in a little girl's body?" Naruto expressed his concern.

"It's be-" Another mouthful of food was spooned into her mouth.

Hinata crossed her hands together and placed it over her mouth to prevent Naruto from force feeding her. She really couldn't eat anymore but decided to tease him a little. She grabbed the plate of food and yanked the spoon out of his hands.

Hinata bargained, "If you will let me feed one spoon of food into your mouth. I will eat everything off this plate."

"Sure but you must promise me you'd eat everything."

Hinata nodded and scooped some mash peas and placed it inside the currently opened mouth of Naruto's.

"Oh this stuff is horrible; no wonder you didn't want to eat it!" He choked.

She smiled, an indirect kiss.

Hinata was in a very happy mood so she fulfilled her promise and ate all the food on the plate.

"Stop it! You don't have to be serious about the promise. The food here is really nasty." He pleaded.

"A promise is a promise," Hinata said and added, "I saved your life right? Would you promise to grant me one wish?"

"Huh?"

"Forget it."

After Naruto had watched Hinata eat every single item off her plate, he asked her if it was alright for him to leave her. His mind was actually split in two directions. He was still worried about Sakura and he really wanted to give her a call. Naruto also felt obliged to look after the girl who saved his life. Hinata smiled and gave him the permission to leave.

"It's ok. I'll be alright for now. Thank you for today. You go and grab some dinner too."

Naruto kissed Hinata's cheek and left. Also left on her cheek was an icy cold feeling.

"He's going to see her isn't he?" She whispered to herself as she could sense that Naruto had an urgent place he wanted to be at.

'Has he already made a girlfriend while I was asleep?' She wondered with tears rolling down her eyes.

...

Naruto glanced at his watch to read 7pm.

He quickly rushed out of the hospital entrance and dialled Sakura's mobile. Her phone was dead once again. He didn't know why his heart was beating so fast; he just wanted to know whether she was safe. It pained him to think that something might have happened to her yesterday because he wasn't there to protect her. There was something about her face that attracted Naruto to her and for one second he wished he had never released her hand.

Her face seemed to be crying out for love.

Sakura's house was not too far from the hospital and it would only take him 15 minutes to get there by train. He decided to find her even if it meant smashing one of her windows. He really wanted to see her. No. He needed to see her to calm his mind. He ran to the station quickly and hopped onto the next incoming train.

When the train doors opened he squeezed out of the door before it became fully opened. He ran towards Sakura's house without taking a stop to catch his breath. His heart was pounding really hard and his body was extremely deprived of oxygen. He bent his body and pressed his hands onto his lower thigh to support his balance. He ran so hard his head was spinning.

Just as he had arrived, he heard a motorcycle's engine from a distance. Naruto watched the bike enter Sakura's driveway and eventually parked up next to him. He watched the bike owner toss off his helmet to reveal a spiky array of red hair. Naruto studied his face a little closer and realised he had a ghastly long scar. He looked like he didn't have any pupils inside his grey blue eyes. Naruto could only describe him with one word, 'freaky.'

'But his bike is so nice.' Thought Naruto sidetracked.

Naruto then watched the man help a female passenger off the bike, he helped remove her helmet and Naruto recognised the girl at once. It was Sakura! He felt like he could breathe again, thank goodness she was ok but what was she doing with this scary man? The man escorted Sakura towards him, when she shifted her head upwards; she was surprised to see Naruto standing in front of her.

The bike ride home was long and uncomfortable and she tried really hard to not fall asleep in case her grip on Gaara slipped in the process. It was partly true that she was not afraid to die but she didn't want to die in a mess. She didn't need to feel the pain of broken bones and torn ligaments, tissues and skin. Worst yet she didn't want her organs to spill out on the road.

"About yester-" Shouted Naruto.

Before he could finish his sentence Gaara had punched the side of Naruto's beautifully sculpted face. Gaara didn't know what had gotten into him but the fact that this boy had left Sakura to rot in her grave pissed him off. He also hated pretty boys; he wanted to smash his handsome face until it was no more. Gaara gave another punch towards Naruto's nose.

Thank goodness it wasn't broken! Naruto now had a cut on the left side of his lips, his nose was also bleeding. He couldn't respond in time to defend himself as he was not expecting the scary man to be punching the daylights out of him. Naruto gave the man a really dirty glare which infuriated Gaara so much that he had kicked his shin into Naruto's stomach.

Naruto knelt down in pain and he felt like he could not breathe.

"That's enough Gaara, could you please just leave." Sakura pleaded with a resentful look.

It was the first time Gaara had heard her use the word 'please,' she was pleading him for this man. He didn't want her to start hating him, he understood her words perfectly. He didn't want to leave her with him. He didn't want her to like him either, Gaara was jealousy hurt because he knew she was crying for this man the other night. He grunted, grabbed his helmet and left angrily.

"Sakura what happened yesterday?" The injured Naruto murmured.

She wanted to hurt him the way he had hurt her. She wanted him to feel a fraction of how much pain she had felt the night before. She wanted him to feel guilty and apologise for leaving her yesterday. Even more so, seeing his worried face outside her front porch made her want his love and kindness purely for herself. She didn't want to share. Everything that belonged to him, she wanted it all.

"I only just went to hell and back." She answered, yet again; her cold barrier had taken control.

TBC

The red string of fate will tie two people together even if they are separated. Like the two sides of a coin, destiny has already predetermined your other half. You just have to wait your time. Udon

I shall leave you all hanging on this cliff now and not update for a while. I need to plan out how the next section will develop, usually I write two chapters in advance.

Ch 10: The Red String of Fate