The hospital in Suna was quite large, with several different wings and an attached wound clinic for the various mishaps that occurred regularly to ninja on missions. The main building was a block of sandstone, the plain facade hiding the many wards and floors inside. The staff handling everything from maternity to chronic illnesses.

Hinata gripped her bag and walked through the doors, cool air a stark contrast to the stifling heat outside. Few people were in the lobby, someone waiting on a bench another using the payphone. She gave them no mind as she went up to the reception desk, "Excuse me?"

The girl looked up, "Yes? What can I help you with?"

"I would like a visitor's pass, please."

"No problem," she said, pulling out a blank I.D. clip, "Name?"

"Hyuuga Hinata."

"A leaf ninja?" she whistled, "I heard we got in a few last night. Pretty messed up from what I heard- oh sorry!" she quickly apologized, realizing what she was saying.

"It's fine," Hinata assured her. Sakura-san had given them the news late last night, Chouji-kun was physically exhausted with a broken arm and a deep puncture wound high on his shoulder. Kiba-kun and Akamaru had mirroring injuries from being merged at the time, but all three would make a full and quick recovery.

Naruto-kun would too, Sakura-san had said without her usual zeal. By the time they had found him, his injuries had halfway healed but the blood loss and severe dehydration had left him delirious and weak.

However, that wasn't the worse news. Shikamaru-kun was the worst off, his chakra already low and his ankle sprained. When the roof had collapsed on him, he was crushed under the heavy material, many ribs broken and his lung punctured. He would have surely died if not for the collapsed wall- the majority of the roof sliding ever so slightly to the east saved his life.

"Here you go," the girl handed her the badge, "The only one well enough for visitors is..." she glanced to a sheet, "Uzumaki, Naruto. Sixth floor room 618. The elevator around the corner will take you there."

"Thank you," Hinata said before she clipped the badge to her jacket, picked up her bag and rode the elevator. The sixth floor was painted sky blue, the cheery color somehow sterile. She flashed the badge to the medic at the nurse's station before counting the numbers near the side of the doors, 614... 616... 618...

"Where the hell are my pants?! You took them so I wouldn't leave, didn't you!" Naruto accused as she walked in the room. She stopped, her eyes wide. He dropped his pointing finger when he noticed who came in, his mouth working for a few moments before he squeaked out, "Sorry! I thought you were the nurse!" he pulled up the blanket to his chest, even though he had a hospital gown on.

"Ah," she paused, not quite knowing how to respond, "They won't let you leave yet?"

"Uh, yeah," he said rather sheepishly.

Silence...

"May I-"

"You can-" they started at the same time, "You can sit down," he said, motioning to a chair nearby.

"I brought some snacks," she said, settling herself.

"Great!" he reached over, taking the bag from her, "The hospital food is horrible," he muttered, rummaging through the bag and taking out several things, "Thanks."

Hinata appreciated his warm smile for a moment, "Sakura-san told us she'd try and get you discharged tonight."

"She was here earlier," he said around a mouthful of cupcake, "Couldn't stay for long, but it'll probably be tomorrow."

Already here? she thought frowning, but of course she was. She had spent most of last night here, doing what she could for her fellow leaf ninja.

"She's always coming and going," he continued, opening another package, "Not like you, at least you stay and visit for awhile."

She smiled a bit at that, liking the flutter in her chest.

"But what happened to Sai?" he asked, "Wasn't he there?"

"He went back to clear the area and see if he could find the enemy's trail. You don't remember?"

"Uh, not really. Everything just kinda blurred together," he shrugged, "I remember wrapping my arm and trying to force myself to walk, but that didn't work. After that..." Naruto trailed off, his gaze somewhere between the end of his bed and the wall, "Just a few things, like a shrub and chips and..." he glanced at her, flushed, and looked away, "And then you guys showed up."

She watched curiously as he shoved another cupcake in his mouth, avoiding looking at her. What could he...? Oh, she realized, her fingers starting to fidget. She remembered running through the desert, her mind halfway on their position, the other on their target. She remembered cresting that hill and seeing him, laying limply on the barren ground, covered in blood.

She had went to him, her limbs moving by themselves it seemed. Hinata had never seen him like that, pale and trembling. It unnerved her to see him so devoid of his usual vitality, and she had called the others desperately, not able to help the note of anxiety in her voice.

And then he had looked at her like he was sorry.

She had froze, vaguely noticing Sakura and Sai appearing. Sakura had started shouting for a sedative, while the glow of healing chakra covered her hands. She remembered he had called out and winced, prompting Sai to hold him down while she took out a syringe with too still hands.

He seemed so hurt. It was strange and worrying to see him like that, and her hand reached out without her knowing. She touched his feverish cheek, ignoring the sweat and grime and just enjoying the tiny moment before sticking him with the needle.

Hinata sighed, the moment had been brief and fleeting, and he was delirious at the time.

He finally turned towards her, "I'm glad you showed up. I was in pretty bad shape, we all were."

She nodded, the twinge of remembered helplessness and worry fading as she looked at him now, "You're lucky you heal so quickly," she said softly, "Without the extra chakra you'd still be in intensive care with the others."

"Extra chakra?" he asked suspiciously.

"From Kyuubi."

And she knew she said something wrong when he froze, one cupcake filled hand stopping halfway to his mouth. His blue eyes were wide, and his brow furrowed and he tried to scoot away on the narrow bed, "Where did you hear that?" he asked darkly, not looking at her.

"I didn't," she started, confused as to why he was acting this way, "I saw it," she answered.

"What? How?" he demanded.

"On the mission to bring Sasuke-san back," she replied quickly, trying to explain herself, "With Byakugan."

He didn't say anything, crushing the cupcake in his hand and throwing it at the wall. She could see the tension in him as he ran a shaky hand through his hair.

"Naruto-kun?"

He breathed in and out, "Sorry," he muttered quietly, "I didn't know... you knew..."

Hinata frowned, the room suddenly seemed rather claustrophobic, but he seemed rather far away nonetheless. Confusion welled in her, that and insecurity. She felt the urge to fidget, to hide behind her oversized jacket and blend into the background.

"Thanks for coming," he said without inflection, "The cupcakes were good."

And it occurred to her that he was giving her a way out. If she wanted to leave, she could. She could walk out now, and never look back. Go back to being weird shy Hinata, who couldn't speak up and who hid from the world.

But she didn't want that. She had never really wanted that. And, with a smile coming to her face, she realized that she had come a long way from that. She had made the decision to change so long ago, it took this long to see the progress. She could have laughed, she should have seen it before.

She must have laughed out loud, because Naruto was eyeing her wearily, "What's so funny?"

"I just," she waved helplessly, "I want a cupcake."

"A cupcake?"

"Yes," she reached into the bag and pulled out a prewrapped confection, "It doesn't matter, you know," she said softly, nervousness still making her fumble with the wrapper.

He finally turned towards her, "What?"

"Kyuubi," she replied, delicately taking a bite of the cupcake, "It doesn't matter, you're still Naruto-kun."

He looked at her like she had grown a second head.

"Even after I found out," she continued, feeling her face flush, "You're still someone I admire," this last part came out softly but with conviction.

Naruto was staring at her when she finally looked up, his expression blank for a moment before he got one of those ridiculously happy grins, "Really?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah," she smiled in return, feeling those foolish butterflies fluttering in her stomach, "I'm glad it was sealed in you, otherwise you'd still be in intensive care or worse. If anything, the Kyuubi has given you something no one else has."

"It's not that great," he said despondently, his gaze suggesting he was far away from the present, "It took a long time for anyone to acknowledge me."

"But they did," she replied, her voice intense, "I did," she added her voice growing soft, "I always did."

"Hinata-chan."

"It never mattered that you were dead last," she said with conviction, "It didn't matter. Not at all," a pause, "I was relieved when I found out about Kyuubi, at least you would never be hurt too badly. You would always get back up."

He looked at her with a sense of comfort, like he needn't hold up a charade of bravado. She continued, her voice growing stronger and weaker at the same time, "I'm glad," she said simply at his dumbfounded expression, wondering how she could possibly have that effect on him.

He smiled, "Hinata-chan."

She came forward, leaning on the hard mattress of the hospital bed and hugged him. A simple gesture of comfort and humanity and dare she say love. She wrapped her arms around him, he was so solid and real underneath her fingertips she could have died, but she just breathed.

He froze for a moment, then hugged her back, his arms tight and firm around her. She relished the moment, he was awake and conscious and knowing and she was hugging him. She gripped him, unable to express in words how she felt, and he gripped just as tightly back.

"Am I interrupting something?"

They sprang apart, Hinata's heart was pounding so hard she was surprised no one else seemed to notice, "Kankuro-san," she said quickly, "What are you doing here?"

The puppet user walked in and leaned against doorframe, "I came to let you know your dog friend is up," he explained before adopting a wicked grin, "But this is good too."

Hinata glanced at Naruto, but he had a red stain across his face and he wouldn't meet her eyes, "Kiba-kun?" she asked rhetorically, determined not to let her shyness get the better of her, "When?"

"Not too long ago," he answered, "I was... I had run into Sakura-sama," a pause, "It wasn't like I was looking for her or anything," Kankuro added, "She, uh... well I ended up at the nurse's station and I overheard the news."

Naruto snorted at that, trying unsuccessfully to hold back his laughter, "She turn you down, huh?"

Kankuro scowled, "I just came to let you know," he studiously avoided the topic of Sakura, "Dog boy is waiting, he's always good for a laugh," he said, heading out with a wave.

Hinata stood up, realizing she was still sitting on Naruto's bed, "Are you allowed to visit?" she asked.

He looked up at her, "Probably," he answered with a shrug, "I want my pants though," he frowned, pressing the call button rapidly.

She picked up her bag, "Then I'll meet you there."

"Hey, Hinata-chan!" he called as she reached the door. She turned, "Wait a sec, okay? I'll walk with you."

A smile, "Sure."

They left Suna two weeks later, when Shikamaru was able to make the journey. Sai had gone back to Konoha a few days earlier to make a mission report and to debrief the Hokage on the information found from the Pein copies, namely nothing more than they already knew. The jutsu used to hold the ninja was still not understood, perhaps a more thorough investigation could produce some results.

Kankuro and Temari had seen them off, as Gaara had an emergency meeting to attend. The event wasn't unusual, Kiba and Kankuro good-naturedly bantering, Chouji and Sakura fussing over an exasperated Shikamaru until he waved them off.

Of course, that was until Temari decided to stop his complaining by kissing him soundly on the mouth, much to everyone's shock. It didn't last very long before she pushed him away, threatened him and went back through the gates.

She had brought a hand up to cover her soft laugh, while next to her Naruto went through varying degrees of shock, surprise, confusion and exasperation, before giving up trying to understand with a shrug.

The seven of them started back to Konoha, eager to get back home.

Disclaimer: Nothing familiar is mine.

A/N: So this is my birthday present to all of you. Waiting so patiently for some Naruhina, when I'm taking my sweet time. I probably won't put up a chapter next week, instead I have a oneshot I've been working on that would be very appropriate for Friday. A few notes:

Yeah, I injured Shikamaru the most. He always seems to get off the best, and I love to torture characters I love.

I could see Kankuro developing a crush on Sakura. After all she did save his life. I have a soft spot for Kankuro/Kiba as well, maybe in the future?

Temari is so forward.

As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!