Hey guys! I was really impressed at how many people reviewed my last chapter! There were around 20 reviews just within the first few hours. I was so happy that I decided to post another chapter ahead of schedule. I think I have filled my quota for action for a little bit so the next few chapters will focus on Naruto and Hinata and their emerging relationship. The Hidiki arc may not have been my best idea but it accomplished exactly what I needed it to. I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please remember to review!
Naruto awoke to the sound of two people murmuring next to him. He opened his groggy eyes and tried to sit up. His body groaned in protest and he fell back onto his bed. It seemed his injuries still hadn't quite healed. He looked around and recognized the blank room as a hospital room. He also noticed that Tsunade and Kakashi were standing in front of his bed. Their backs were to him and they were deep in hushed conversation.
Naruto caught movement in his peripherals and turned his head to find Hinata in a white bed only a few feet from his. She was heavily bandaged, but she was sitting up and she looked to be in better condition than he was. There were still some burns on her arms, but nearly all of the cuts were completely healed. Naruto made a mental note to thank Tsunade for that.
Hinata caught his stare and she turned towards him. Naruto's heart sung as she smiled warmly and gave him a small wave. Naruto blushed and broke eye contact to stare at his lap causing Hinata to giggle.
The sound caused Kakashi and Tsunade to halt their conversation and turn towards the beds. Kakashi had a cheesy smile plastered underneath his mask and Tsunade looked rather irritated.
Naruto frowned. "What's wrong?"
Tsunade folded her arms and sighed. Kakashi laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Well… It's kind of a difficult situation…"
"You disobeyed a direct order!" Tsunade interrupted loudly. "I told you to wait until the morning! You acted upon your own foolish impulse without any thought as to how it affected anyone else!"
Hinata was frightened by Tsunade's fierce countenance, but deep down, she was happy to hear that Naruto had risked everything to come and save her.
Naruto, however, just glared back at Tsunade. "My friend was in danger. I brought her back. That's all there is to-" Naruto was cut off as Tsunade karate chopped his head.
"You fool! You nearly destroyed the entire Kenji estate! What are we going to do if they seek reparation or worse, revenge?"
"Stop them." Naruto said as he rubbed his sore head.
Tsunade gritted her teeth. "It's not that…. simple!" Tsunade said, hitting Naruto's head once again. Naruto grabbed his head and pouted. "Granny Tsunade! You aren't supposed to hit sick people!"
"Fools are never sick!" Tsunade retorted with a smirk.
Hinata couldn't help laughing at Naruto and Tsunade's antics. And even though she was laughing much harder than necessary, she just couldn't stop. The laugher felt good in a cathartic sort of way. It wasn't long before Naruto was laughing as well and Tsunade was simply shaking her head in amusement.
Kakashi cleared his throat loudly and the laughter died down. "That isn't everything, Naruto. I have a bit of bad news." The room was silent as Kakashi took a deep breath. "I got back from my mission ahead of schedule. I came to report to Tsunade as usual and she explained the entire situation to me. I was then assigned to scout out the Kenji estate and possibly find a diplomatic solution. However, on my way there, Pakkun noticed your scent and we easily followed it to the dismantled Kenji compound."
Naruto grinned sheepishly and a vein in Tsunade's forehead flared. Kakashi ignored them and continued his story. "When I arrived, I could immediately sense the chakra of the Nine-Tails. I hurried inside to find Hinata covered with burn marks and your blood all over her. You were stabbed several times and you lost a lot of blood. You both needed immediate medical treatment so I carried you back to the village and sent an ANBU squad to inspect the Kenji estate. They searched everywhere, but there were no bodies to be found."
Naruto froze. "W-What about Hidiki?" Naruto's expression suddenly turned dark and he lowered his face. "And Asuka….?"
Kakashi shook his head.
"Don't worry, Naruto. I doubt they will ever show their faces around here again." Tsunade nodded curtly and headed towards the door. "There are other matters I must attend to so I'll see myself out. Let your body rest for awhile, Naruto. The Demon's Cloak effects aren't something that I can heal by myself. Hinata… Make sure he stays in bed." Tsunade smiled and left the room.
Hinata blushed, but Naruto hardly seemed to notice. His expression was still contorted in deep thought. Kakashi opened the window and stepped up onto the windowsill. "Naruto… I still think you did the right thing."
Naruto snapped out of his trance and looked up at Kakashi with wide eyes.
"A ninja who puts passion above reason is a fool. But a ninja who abandons their friends for any reason is scum." Kakashi smiled once more and disappeared out the window.
Naruto stared after him for a moment before finally allowing himself to smile. The sun was just beginning to set and the ambient light glittered across the village. Naruto turned towards Hinata and grinned. "It seems like forever since we have been alone together."
A blush lit up across Hinata's face and she began fumbling with her bed sheets. "I d-didn't get a chance to say this before, but t-thank you…"
Naruto blinked in surprise and frowned slightly. "Thank you? For what?"
"For saving me! Hidiki made me watch you die…" Tears started to well up in Hinata's eyes and fall onto her sheet. "I was so convinced I was never going to see you again… I just couldn't bear-"
"That will never happen, Hinata. I will always protect you." Naruto smiled warmly and held his hand out to Hinata.
Hinata felt more tears spill down her cheek as she reached over to place her hand in Naruto's. Naruto squeezed her hand tightly trying to reassure her, but Hinata quickly winced in pain and pulled her hand back.
"I'm sorry…" Hinata whispered as she rubbed her burned hand. "I still haven't completely healed yet."
Naruto eyed the inflamed skin on Hinata's hand and arms and his heart filled with guilt. It was all his fault. He held his hand to his stomach and clenched. He could still sense remnants of the Nine-Tails chakra flowing through his own chakra system.
"Naruto?" Hinata's voice snapped Naruto out of his thoughts and brought him back to Hinata's worried face. "It's okay. It doesn't hurt that bad."
Naruto nodded and smiled weakly before turning to stare out the window. Hinata caught the forced smile and her stomach dropped. The look of pain in his eyes was unmistakable. She was making him feel guilty. Despair griped her and a moment of silence fell upon the small hospital room.
The sun outside finally set and darkness fell upon the silent room. Hinata took a deep breath and dug deep inside her resolve. She slowly pushed her sheets back and climbed out of her bed.
Naruto turned towards the noise and his eyes widened as Hinata stepped towards him and crept into his bed. Hinata turned her body sideways and laid next to Naruto. The bed was hardly wide enough for one person so Hinata had to pull herself even closer to Naruto, but this was hardly an inconvenience to her. Hinata wrapped her arms around Naruto's torso and rested her head on his shoulder.
Naruto was stunned and another moment of silence passed. Tears threatened to pour out of Naruto's eyes as he wormed his arm around Hinata's back and pulled her closer. Naruto kissed Hinata's forehead and affectionately laid his head atop hers.
Hinata didn't say anything to try to comfort Naruto. She just couldn't find the right words. And even if she did she doubted she would be able to finish a cogent sentence laying this close to Naruto. Naruto, however, was deeply touched by Hinata's gesture. She was quickly melting his troubles away and filling his mind with only her.
The two lay there for quite awhile, simply reveling in each other's presence. It was several moments later before Hinata could finally pluck the courage to tilt her face up and give Naruto a quick peck on the lips.
The kiss surprised Naruto. It wasn't the first time they had kissed, but it was the first time a kiss had seemed so…. casual and reassuring. Naruto pulled back and opened his eyes. Hinata still had her eyes closed, but there was a big smile on her face. Naruto's stomach did a back-flip and suddenly he was very aware of Hinata's body pressed against him. Her breasts were being smooshed against his chest and her thigh was draped around his leg. Naruto felt his own desire awaken and his hand started to slide down Hinata's back…
Hinata jumped a little when she felt Naruto's hand grip her butt. She opened her eyes and caught him staring at her body. She felt her heart skip a beat and the shyness in her started to awaken. However, she quickly pushed though her mental barrier and playfully batted at Naruto's hand. Naruto laughed and Hinata felt a surge of happiness. Hinata propped herself up on all fours and arched her back causing her butt to rise and press against the tight fabric of her pants.
Naruto's jaw dropped and Hinata was further enticed by his reaction. She started gyrating her hips from side to side causing Naruto's head to swivel as he stared at her dancing butt. Hinata wiggled her butt quickly and immediately broke out laughing when Naruto's head did the same.
Naruto blinked and snapped out of his trance. A blush lit across his face as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "You look like a cat…"
Hinata raised an eyebrow coyly and lowered her upper body so she could raise her butt higher in an imitation of a stretching cat. She even brought the back of her hand up to her lips and licked it. Naruto shuddered as his skin broke out in goosebumps. His stomach was still doing flip-flops and his breath was becoming ragged.
Hinata crept towards Naruto slowly, making sure to throw her hips from side to side as she moved. She placed both her knees beside Naruto's hips and pulled herself forward so that her legs formed a 90 degree angle at the knee. She placed her hands on Naruto's shoulders and arched her back once again. Her chest was mere inches away from Naruto's face and Naruto gulped loudly. Hinata let him enjoy the view for a moment before sitting back on top of Naruto's thighs so that she was at eye level with him.
Hinata purred softly before slowly pressing her lips against Naruto's. Naruto was motionless for a few seconds as the sexual shock wore off. He then wrapped his arms around Hinata's back and pulled her closer, taking control of the kiss.
The kiss started to heat up and Hinata let herself be pulled into Naruto's grasp. He kissed and held her with such pure animalistic need that Hinata's own arousal and pleasure intensified greatly. It was practically impossible not to become submissive to his commanding hands and lips.
However, just as Hinata was about to lose herself in the moment, a sharp pain shoot through her arm as Naruto roughly grabbed her shoulders and deepened the kiss. Hinata tried to pull back, but Naruto's fierce grip kept her from moving. The burns on her arms screamed out in pain and Hinata grew desperate. She placed her palms on his chest and pushed with as much force as she could muster.
Naruto reeled back from the shove and he deftly threw his arm behind him to catch himself, but the hospital bed was shorter than he had anticipated and he went tumbling off the side of the bed.
Naruto's sudden impact against the hard, cold floor put him in a surprised daze. It took him a few seconds to gather his composure and sit up. Hinata quickly leaped off the bed and helped him to his feet.
"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Hinata shouted as she led Naruto back to his bed and sat down next to him. She softly searched the back of his head and found a fairly large goose egg on the back of his skull.
Naruto, however, paid no attention to his injury. He turned to Hinata with a frantic, guilt-ridden look in his eyes. "Please forgive me, Hinata! I went way too far! It won't happen again!"
Hinata blinked in surprise before vigorously shaking her head. "N-N-No! That's not it! I… actually sorta…. enjoyed it…." Hinata's face turned a deep crimson and she turned to stare at her trembling hands.
Naruto frowned. "Then why did…" Naruto trailed off as Hinata slowly rolled up her sleeve and showed him an irritated burn mark on her shoulder. Guilt washed over Naruto once again as he recognized his actions.
"It wasn't your fault!" Hinata quickly covered the burn and locked eyes with Naruto. "You couldn't have known!"
"I'm the one who put those marks there in the first place." Naruto said flatly.
"Naruto…." Hinata whispered softly, reaching for Naruto's hand. However, Naruto quickly pulled away and laid back in his bed. "Actually, Hinata… I'm kinda tired. I think I'm going to go to sleep."
Hinata was hurt, but she hid it well. She knew Naruto was blaming himself, but she didn't know what to say…
Hinata stood up and started walking over to her bed, but stopped halfway. She turned back towards Naruto and strode over to his bed. "I don't blame you for anything." Hinata whispered and leaned over his bed. Naruto opened his mouth, but before he could utter words of protest, she darted in and kissed him. Naruto seemed resistant for a moment, but Hinata refused to back down. She wasn't going to let this night end with negative emotions.
A few seconds later, Naruto finally gave in and returned the kiss. Hinata pulled back and smiled before giving him one last peck on the lips. She turned back to her bed with a bounce in her step and a smile on her face. Naruto laughed quietly to himself. Hinata sure was something amazing…
A few hours later, brilliant moon light shone all across the village outside Naruto's window. Hinata was sleeping peacefully, dreaming of pancakes shaped like Naruto. Naruto, however, was still wide awake and was staring out at the moon.
Naruto turned to gaze at Hinata. The moon light did a wonder on Hinata. Her skin glimmered with an ambient luminescence. The light also contrasted brilliantly with Hinata's lavender hair. As Naruto examined Hinata's radiant body he couldn't help noticing the faint burns and scratches across her arms. A new wave of guilt crept up on him and he sighed heavily.
Suddenly, Naruto's window was thrown open and a large, dark figure stepped inside. Naruto felt a surge of panic flow through him but it was quickly replaced by relief as he recognized the figure in front of him.
"Pervy-sage!" Naruto whispered loudly, taking care not to wake Hinata.
Jiraiya couldn't stop a grin from spreading across his face. He was here because of bad news, but he just couldn't help it. His disciple had such an infectious smile.
"Man! Your fiancée sure is beautiful! I wouldn't mind using her for my research!" Jiraiya pulled a notebook out of his pocket and pretended to draw Hinata.
Naruto quickly grabbed his pillow and threw it at Jiraiya's face. Jiraiya saw it coming, but he let it hit him in the face earning a small smile out of Naruto. Jiraiya then threw on an indignant face and pouted. "I'm just saying that she is quite attractive. I could make her famous…"
Naruto quickly shook his head to prevent him from imagining what that would involve. There was an awkward silence as the jovial atmosphere turned serious.
"How's it going, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked even though he knew the answer. Tsunade had explained everything to him and had asked him for a personal favor.
The question caused Naruto to sink into his bed and turn towards Hinata. "Not so good…"
Jiraiya's expression softened and he laid a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I know."
Naruto voice trembled as his eyes brimmed with tears. "I hurt her, Jiraiya…. I was so angry and she got caught up in it. I don't know what to do…."
Jiraiya squeezed Naruto's shoulder reassuringly. "I think I know what you can do. You can do the one thing no one else can do better than you."
Naruto wiped his eyes and looked up at Jiraiya. "What's that?"
"Train. Train harder than anyone else could. Train every day until you have complete control over that demon inside you."
"B-But that would take…"
"Years." Jiraiya nodded, finishing Naruto's sentence. "It's not going to be easy, but Tsunade has already given me permission to take you outside the village for awhile. I planned on leaving in the morning, but I will understand if you aren't ready to leave just yet…" Jiraiya trailed off as he directed his gaze towards Hinata.
Naruto stepped out of his bed to stand next to Hinata's. He stared at the slumbering girl beside him for a moment before shaking his head. "No. I'm ready. I don't want to hurt her, but she will always be in danger around me. I have to learn how to control this." Naruto said placing a hand on his stomach. "Still…. I don't think I can say good-bye to her."
Naruto reached out and stroked Hinata's cheek. Hinata smiled faintly and let out a small moan that sounded exactly like his name. Naruto felt his heart speed up and he quickly turned away from Hinata's bed.
Lucky, Jiraiya was sensitive to the moment and decided it was time to leave. "If you're ready to go then I will meet you at the village entrance in the morning."
Naruto was barely listening, but he gave Jiraiya a faint nod before watching him leap out the window. Naruto then turned back to watch Hinata sleep. The peaceful look on her face kept him still for several minutes, but eventually Naruto ended up removing his bandages and jumping out the window.
The next morning, Hinata woke up to streaming bright sunlight and a fresh breeze. The crisp air felt incredible against Hinata's warm skin and Hinata stretched happily. Suddenly, something clicked in her head. Why was there a breeze inside?
Hinata opened her eyes and immediately found that the window was wide open. She frowned and her gaze continued downwards until it fell upon Naruto's empty bed.
Hinata quickly swiveled her head, searching the room for Naruto. Sadly, he was nowhere to be found. Hinata sat up and walked over to Naruto's bed. The sheets were still pulled back and there were tiny strands of cloth near the foot of the bed. Hinata picked a stand up and gasped. They were Naruto's bandages.
Hinata's stomach dropped as the bandage slipped from her hand. She wanted to believe Naruto was simply out buying breakfast or something, but her gut disagreed. Deep down, she knew this was something else.
He was running away.
Hinata shook her head violently. No! That wasn't right. Naruto would never run away from anything! But then why….
Her mind flashed back to pain she had seen in his eyes and the guilt that was written all across his face and suddenly it all became clear.
"He's trying to protect me from….himself…." Hinata whispered to no one.
The realization bought many complex emotions with it, but there was one that surprised Hinata. Anger. All her life, she had been told to avoid Naruto. She had been ordered, threatened, and even bribed to never associate with Naruto. But now that things were finally starting to look up, Naruto was telling her to do the same thing?
Hinata clenched her fist with silent determination. She was not going to let it happen this way! She activated her Byakugan and starting searching for Naruto. It wasn't long before she spotted him walking towards the village entrance with a pack on his back. She quickly turned towards the door and threw it open. However, a calm breeze blew past her and Hinata stopped midstride.
Hinata turned towards the open window and she impulsively stepped towards it. Suddenly, before she could think twice, she took off running and dived through the window. Hinata felt her stomach plummet as she fell head first out a three story window. The wind blew through her hair and she felt a burst of adrenaline surge though her. She dexterously tucked her legs and front-flipped so that her feet landed nimbly on the ground.
Hinata smiled faintly to herself as she noticed several bystanders staring at her. Is this how Naruto feels all the time? Hinata shook off the head rush and went running towards the village entrance. Once she got close she activated her Byakugan once more and chased after Naruto.
"Naruto!" Hinata called out as she pushed past several villagers.
Naruto's ears perked at the sound of his name. He turned towards the sound and saw Hinata charging through the crowed street behind him. Naruto gulped. A part of him hoped to avoid this, but another part of him knew that it had to happen.
Hinata broke past the final group of people and ran up to Naruto. She took a moment to lean over and catch her breath before standing up to look Naruto in the eyes. Once she did, she realized that her vision was blurry. She hadn't noticed before, but her eyes were filled with tears.
Hinata opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her words got caught in her throat and the only sound she could make was a feeble sob. Suddenly, she threw herself at Naruto and wrapped her arms tightly around him.
A thick cloud of emotion caught in Naruto's throat and he struggled to swallow it down. He managed to lift his arms and envelop Hinata in a firm embrace. Naruto felt Hinata lay her forehead on his shoulder and he brought his hand up to cradle the back of her head.
Hinata stood there for awhile before she finally gathered the strength to speak. "Please… Don't go." Her voice was hardly a whisper, but she was speaking directly into Naruto's ear.
Naruto felt his bravado collapse and emotion swelled up within him again. "I have to, Hinata." Naruto pulled back and looked Hinata in the eyes. However, the sight of Hinata crying was almost too much for him to bear. Her eyes were pink and puffy and tears were streaming down her face. Naruto suddenly saw himself kissing her and walking back home, hand in hand. He wanted to do anything to make her smile again…
Naruto shook his head to clear his thoughts and as he did so he felt a single tear slide out of his eye. Hinata reached up and wiped the tear from his face and gave him a pleading smile. "Stay with me…"
Naruto's heart broke inside, but he remained stoic. "I can't. You saw what I did to you. I'm a demon… That's why I have to go train. I need to learn how to control it. That way I will never hurt you again."
Hinata, however, refused to lose hope. "If you…h-have to….go…. then I'm coming with you!"
Naruto reflexively shook his head. "You can't! It's too dangerous! And…. I don't want you to see me in….that form." Naruto darkened and averted his gaze from Hinata. "I don't want you to be afraid of me…"
Hinata froze. She slowly reared back and slapped Naruto. The slap was barely harder than a love tap, but it made Naruto step back in pure shock.
"Don't underestimate me, Naruto. I'm not afraid of you. And I wasn't afraid of your demon form either." Hinata said with a strong conviction. Then her expression softened and she rubbed Naruto's pink cheek. "The only thing I'm afraid of is losing you."
Naruto smiled softly and pulled Hinata into another close embrace. He was just about to pull Hinata back and kiss her when he heard Jiraiya's voice from behind him.
"Naruto? Is everything okay?"
Hinata's cheeks burned with a crimson blush and she pulled away from Naruto to wipe her eyes. Naruto turned towards Jiraiya with a determined look. "Hinata's going to come with us."
Jiraiya smiled as he reflected on Tsunade's words. "We need to get the Nine-Tails under control. We can't have Naruto destroying another clan just because he loses his temper. I want you to take him outside the village and teach him some self control! And make sure to take Hinata with you. Her father has already consented."
Now he could see why she wanted Hinata to come along. The Nine-Tails only came out when Naruto was under extreme emotional duress. By the look of things, Hinata was going to be a great help in that area.
"That's fine, Naruto." Jiraiya shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant. "We will probably need her help anyways."
Hinata beamed, but Naruto was having a rare moment of clarity. "Wait a minute… If you thought we were going to need her then why didn't you tell me to ask her before?"
"Because you needed to be the one to make that decision." Jiraiya replied smugly.
Naruto fumed for a second, but it quickly wore off. As much as he hated to be tricked by Jiraiya, he couldn't deny that he was happy to have Hinata come along with them.
Jiraiya then turned to Hinata with a serious look on his face. "I do have one condition though. This training will be extremely dangerous so I expect your complete cooperation. Naruto is bound to lose control at some point and when he does, I don't want you to be anywhere near him."
Hinata nodded earning her a smile from Jiraiya. "Good. Now then, I think it's about time we set out." Jiraiya turned away from the couple and headed towards the giant gates of the village.
Naruto and Hinata followed after him, side by side. Hinata looped her arm through his and smiled brightly. She just couldn't contain her excitement. She didn't know what kind of trails faced her ahead, but she knew that as long as Naruto was beside her she could face them without fear.
Well guys I really hoped you liked that chapter! I actually had to work pretty hard on this chapter because this is the second time I have written this scene and I wanted it to be original from my Sunflowers one. Plus I had to avoid the black hole that is the Sasuke leaving and Sakura crying scene. I hope I was able to bring a lot of you back into the story after the Hidiki train wreck. Please leave your thoughts in a review! I really do try to write this story around what you guys ask for so please don't be afraid to leave your opinions or thoughts in a review or even a PM!