Quote of the Day: It's very easy to feel someone's pain when you love them. -Salma Hayek

Chapter 9: Can you Feel Me?

She felt cold. Despite the warmth her room provided she was cold inside. Every beat of her heart pained her. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the tears that she had shed in the past few days. Now she laid on her side on her bed, her love's backpack gripped against her chest as she stared at nothing in particular. She had returned to the village two days ago. When her sensei brought her home she went straight to her room. It was like she was in a trance as she had removed her rain soaked clothes. She dried herself off and dress in her sleeping attire which were a purple pair of silk pajama pants, and the silk button up top that matched with it. After that she just laid on her bed and refused to do anything. The Hyuga servants would bring in her meals, but they were always left untouched. She even refused to talk to her father when he summoned her, and Hinata would always go to him when called upon, but now she could care less if even God himself was calling her.

A new set of tears were beginning to form. They silently rolled off her face onto her pillow and absorbed into the fabric. A knock sounded from her door, but she didn't acknowledge it. She just wanted to be left alone with her sorrow.

"Hinata it's me." a female's voice sounded from the other side.

Hinata recognized the voice. It was Kurenai. Hinata still chose to remain silent. She heard muffled voices. She guessed Kurenai was talking with someone, she guessed it was her father. But right now she could care less.

"Hinata I'm coming in." Kurenai said as she opened the door.

Kurenai looked around the room. It was neat as it always was. A tray of cold food sat on Hinata's bed side table. She turned to Hiashi.

"Could you send up a warm meal if you can Hyuga-sama?"

Hiashi nod stiffly as he turn and made his way down the hall and disappeared around the corner. Kurenai frowned, she never really liked Hiashi. He was cold, even toward his daughter. He would even belittle her at everyone of her faults. He even made it clear that he favored his youngest daughter, and he would remind Hinata every time he had the chance. Kurenai turned her attention back to the young heiress. She slowly made her way toward Hinata's bed and sat down on the side that was closer to her. She reached out and place a comforting hand on Hinata's arm.

"Hinata." she was met with silence.

"Hinata." she tried again.

Hinata slowly raised her head from the pack and looked at her sensei. Kurenai looked at her student. Her hair was a mess. her eyes were puffy and an angry red color, her nose was red as well.

"Why?" Hinata asked her teacher.

Kurenai knew what she was asking about. Kurenai had used a great deal of her time thinking of ways to answer that question. Now she hopes that she thought enough on the matter to help her student.

"Hinata... there was nothing that you could do."

"But.. h-he said t-that it I c-c-could tell him t-that someone l-loved him he would stay.." Hinata felt new tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Hinata.." Kurenai started until Hinata interrupted her.

"I just n-needed to tell him I loved him. But I couldn't. I could have brought him back!" Hinata sobbed and buried her head back into the backpack.

Kurenai remained silent and let Hinata cry a bit, gently rubbing her arm comfortably. Slowly her sobs died down a bit. Kurenai guessed that Hinata was running out of tears.

"I-I had a d-dream last night." Hinata said looking up at Kurenai.

Kurenai said nothing letting Hinata take her time.

"I was in a white place. Nothing around me. T-then I saw Naruto-kun. He looked at me with a smile. Then I saw a shadow rise behind him. I tried to warn him but I couldn't move or speak. Then the shadow consumed him. I could here him cry out in pain but I did nothing. All the pain that he was feeling I could feel it, his pain was my own. Then I wake up." Hinata fnished gripping the backpack more tightly to her chest.

"Hinata let me tell a little story." Kurenai said after a short silence. "When I was a little girl I found a bird in my back yard. It was hurt, it's wing was broken so it could not fly. So brought it in and took care of it. For weeks I took care of it. I loved it like it was a member of my family. But I would always come home and find it looking out the window. I was selfish I wanted to keep it forever. Then my mother told me something, she told me 'If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, its yours forever. If it doesn't, then it was never meant to be.' So I let him go and he never came back." Kurenai let out a small chuckle.

"I know this isn't the most comforting story be there is a point. And the point is if you love someone or something you can't keep them caged. If you did bring Naruto back the village would just be a village with no bar. He would be chain to Konoha."

Hinata sniffled. She thought to herself that she would have been keeping Naruto in the village against his will. She also didn't take into account that the village elders night treat him like a missing ninja and execute him. She would have brought back Naruto for his execution. The though made her stomach turn.

"Hinata I want you to tell me the truth." Kurenai told Hinata.

Hinata turned her head to look at Kurenai and nodded.

"Do you truly love Naruto?" Kurenai asked.

Hinata wondered why she would ask her such a question, she already knew the answer. Hinata chose to stay silent.

"Hinata I need you to answer me. Do you see yourself with anyone else? Can you see yourself marrying anyone else other than Naruto?"

The thought of marrying Naruto always made her blush, and now wasn't the exception. But she tried, she tried to envision herself with other people, but no matter how hard she tried only Naruto entered her mind.

"No." Hinata answered.

"Do you really truly love him?"

"Yes." Hinata answered without hesitation.

"Hinata you did the right thing letting him go. Now all you can do is wait. It may take a while but if your patient Naruto may comeback to you, and if he does then you'll know that he is yours."

Hinata thought for a moment. Her teachers words were true. There wasn't really anything that she could do but wait.

"Also you can't just wait for him."

Hinata looked at her teacher, confusion clear in her tear stained eyes.

"You have to get stronger. If Naruto, no when Naruto does come back you have to make sure that you are strong enough to hold on to him."

Hinata let her word sink in. She had to get stronger, lest someone else come and try to take him from her. There she made a promise. When Naruto returns she will make sure that she will be strong enough to be worthy of his love.

A knock came from her door, and a Hyuga branch member came in with a tray of food. She placed the tray at the foot of Hinata's bed gathered her uneaten food, and with a bow left with out saying a word. Hinata frowned she hated the way her family would treat each other. She wished that there was something that could be done about the curse seal that plagued the branch family. But from what she learned once if was placed on a person's head only death can remove it. Kurenai reached over and pulled the tray closer to them.

"Hinata you need to eat. I can't promise that the pain you feel will leave anytime soon, but if you want to get stronger here is the first step." Kurenai said to her student.

Hinata didn't move for a moment, then she slowly sat up. The backpack still clutched to her chest. She reached for the chopsticks and properly arranged them in her hand. She reach over and picked up some rice with her sticks. She placed the rice in her mouth and slowly chewed. She slowly realized how hungry she as her stomach let out a small growl. Hinata blushed in embarrassment, Kurenai smiled as she watched Hinata slowly eat the her food.

"Well it's a start." Kurenai said to Hinata.

Hinata said nothing only continued to eat.

"Naruto, I promise that I will become stronger, and when I do find you I hope that I can convince you return to the village... and me. I'll do everything that I can, I won't give up, because that is my way of the ninja."

(Wasteland around the same time)

Naruto felt like he was floating. Naruto saw nothing, only darkness. Naruto try to move, but found that he could not. Naruto wondered what had happened to him after he lost consciousness. Was he dead? Naruto couldn't really tell.

"Maybe this is what happens when you die." Naruto thought to himself.

Naruto just remained in the darkness, he couldn't tell how long he was there when he started hearing voices.

"What can you tell me, has there been any changes?" one voice said it sounded like a man, an old man.

"Well sir, his tenant decided to finally aid in his healing. I guess he saw that his jailer wasn't going to perish any time soon." another voice said, this voice sounded like a man as well only a lot younger.

"They know about the Kyuubi? How?" Naruto thought.

"His wounds have healed, and the poison has been removed from his system, but there will be a scar on his arm, lucky him." the younger voice chuckled.

"How long before he wakes up? I would like to begin the work on his seal." The old voice asked the younger one.

There was a moment of silence, Naruto guessed that the younger voice was thinking.

"To tell you the truth I'm not sure Shikyokage-sama." the young voice said.

Naruto then noticed that the darkness around him was getting lighter. It was getting lighter and lighter until he was almost blinded.

"Sir it looks like he is finally coming to."

Deep blue eyes slowly opened. His eyes opened and closed battling against the brightness of the lights that were shining at him. After a moment his eyes finally adjusted. He was looking at the ceiling, they were white. He head a faint beeping sound coming from his right. He guessed that it was a heart monitor he had woken up to that sound a great many times. He turned to his right, there was a window, the curtains were drawn blocking the view. Next to the window there was a chair, and in that chair was person. He had on leg draped over one of the chair's arms, the other leg touched the floor. His right arm was hanging off the edge touching the floor, his other arm rested on his stomach, his head rested on the other chair's arm, his blond hair hanging off the side, drool ran down his cheek as he lightly snored.

Naruto turned his head and came face to face with the voices. An old man, in what looked like a black version of the Hokage robes the third would wear, stood next to a younger man. The younger man wore a white doctor's coat over black standard shinobi pants, and a regular grey shirt. His brown eyes looked at his behind some glasses, the mans hair was short brown and look extremely unkept, like he had just awoken from a long nap. But what caught the Naruto's attention the most was what looked like horns coming out of the man's head. There were two horns, but they were small, about an inch and a half each. Naruto thought one of two things. One his injuries have him hallucinating. Or two he was in hell.

Naruto tried to sit up, despite the protest of his muscles. The old man came to the side of the bed and place one of his big hands on Naruto's chest, and lightly pushed him back down.

"Calm down young one. There is no need to push your self right now. No one one will hurt you here, you are safe." the old mans voiced was calming and Naruto relaxed slightly.

Naruto swallowed a few time trying wet his throat so he could speak. The Shikyokage noticed and reached over to the small table that had a jug of water and a cup. He poured some water into the cup and raised Naruto's head to allow to drink.

As soon as the water touched his lips he greedily drained the cup of all it contents. The Shikyokage refilled the cup a few more times before Naruto felt he had had enough. After being out in the wasteland for as long as Naruto was he was sure that that was the best cups of water in his life. After a few moments Naruto was finally able to speak.

"Where...a-am..I?" Naruto asked, his voice still adjusting to being used again.

"You are in the hospital, you gave us a scare a few time when you first came in ya know." this time the doctor spoke as he walked around the bed to check on the equipment that was monitoring Naruto.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Your heart stopped a few times. So technically you "died" a few times." the doctor explained as he started to write on a chart.

There was a short silence before Naruto spoke again.

"Why didn't.. you let... me just.. die?" Naruto asked as he returned his gaze to the ceiling.

The doctor stopped writing mid letter. He turn to his leader with a look that said he didn't know how to answer. The Shikyokage was not confused, but rather he was sadden by the fact that Naruto had accepted death, and now that it had eluded him he was upset.

"Because you where not ready for death." the Shikyokage said.

"Yes I was. I had excepted..it. I was ready... to die."

"Look at me little fox." the Shikyokage said in a firm voice.

Naruto turned and stared at the village Shikyokage reached out poked Naruto's head.

"You may have accepted death here." the Shikyokage removed his hand and poked Naruto's chest, right above his heart. "But here you refused to die. Those times your heart stopped you came back because you simply refused die. You have strong heart, you are fighter, even though you where practically in death's clutches you continued to fight." the Shikyokage removed his hand from Naruto and returned it to his side.

Naruto remained quite, this man, this stranger spoke to him like if his death would hurt him. Like a parent would speak to their child after the child did something wrong. Naruto felt shame filling him. He opened his mouth to apologize, but the Shikyokage raised his hand silencing him.

"There is no need to say anything more. I know you have questions but they can wait till morning. Right now you need to rest. Your wounds are healed so I can show you where you are and answer all the quests you may have."

Naruto slowly nodded his head. The doctor finished checking all the different things that required his attention, and made his out the room bidding a good night to Naruto and his leader.

The Shikyokage turned to leave as well. He stopped at the door way.

"Don't worry you'll be fine, good night."

Naruto watched him dim the lights from a switch and close the door. Naruto remained awake for a while. The darkness in the room was getting to him,and soon he felt his eyes getting heavy. Naruto was about to fall asleep when he heard something from the window. He turn and say that it was just the person on the chair. He had forgotten that he was there.

"mmm. I swear it wasn't me. mmm" the blond mumbled as he shifted on the chair.

It looked like he was having a bad dream, because through the dim light Naruto could barely make out a frown on his face.

"mmm. Ow damn . Yuuga I think I'm bleeding." the sleeping teen mumbled.

After a moment Naruto saw him raise the arm on his stomach and rub his head before returning it back.

"Yup.. I'm bleeding."

Naruto chuckled lightly at the other blond's antics. He then closed his eyes awaited to for sleep to claim him. But before he could fall asleep a sharp pain flared in his chest. Instinctively he clutched his chest right above his heart. Tears formed in his eyes. The pain lessened to a dull throb. The tears ran down his cheeks. Naruto wiped his eyes with his other hand. He stared at his tears in confusion. The Shikyokage had told him his wounds had healed. Could it be that they missed something? The throb lessen until it was gone. Naruto remained still.

"What was all that about? Is there an injury that they missed? And, why do I feel so empty?"

Naruto didn't move. Tears continued to fall down his face as he tried to make sense of the matter. He tried to ignore this feeling of emptiness within him, It was difficult but after a few moment he managed to stop his tears. When he finally calmed down closed his eyes and tried o go o sleep. Hoping that the horrible feeling of emptiness would not plague his sleep.

3203 words. Sorry for making all of you wait for such a short chapter. These past few months have been a bit strange for me. Again sorry for the long wait this chapter ws harder to write than I thought. I'm no that great at projecting emotion and stuff. I just wanted to get this one over with. On a lighter note:

Happy New Year

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. And I am going to make a New Year's resolution. I am gong to focus more. So I'm going to be putting more effort into my story. And I hope you all make a resolution to review my work. Seriously guys I only got 4 reviews. I like that I get so many hits, but I would like to here from you. So please R&R guys.

Alright about the fic. Naruto I now finally in the Wastes. I think the story should flow more smoothly now. The fic will mainly be split between Naruto and Konoha in general, main Hinata. There will also be a series of time skips before I get to the main time frame. And in the next chapter the identity of the Shikyokage will be relieved! If someone can tell me who he is. I could write the whole story without relieving his name. So come if you know tell me in your review. And I you get it right you will be able to see how he looks like and better understand the story. Also like I mentioned before I will be including many characters from across the gaming and anime universe. So you may see your favorites from different series, also if you think I should add certain characters to the fic PM me and I'll tell you what I think.

On one final note I'm thinking of asking for a BETA reader. If you want to be my BETA PM me and I'll see. I do have two requirement though, I live on the West coast of the US, so would like my BETA to be no more than three hours in difference. And the second I feel that an extensive knowledge of anime and video games would help to. As my my BETA reader you get early looks at my fic, and have more of a direct impact to the story. Hope to hear from you guys.

Well See Ya Squall Leonhart Out.