Sparks Fly

by Lynns

It's been three years since Electricians Naruto and Hinata have seen each other. Will sparks fly between them as they endure the cold up north at the Konoha Energy Oilfield Site? Or will the obstacles they face be too much for them to take? Based on the Characters of the series Naruto and Naruto Shippuden in an Alternate Universe

14. Chapter 13

Series: Naruto

Pairings: NaruHina

Author: Lynns

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi

Type: Alternate Universe/Romance

Sparks Fly

Chapter 13

It felt like he was underwater.

He could hear sounds, but they were muffled. His head felt weightless, but his whole body was heavy, and he couldn't move. It was like a crushing weight was on his chest, and he couldn't breathe, as if he was being dragged deeper and deeper down into the dark depths below with no light in sight.

Blue eyes were unfocused, and the only image that was plastered in his mind was the sight of Hinata face down in the freezing snow, unmoving, not breathing . . . dead.

His hand immediately covered his mouth, the contents of his breakfast on the verge of coming back up. His body jerked with drive heaves as his stomach attempted to clean out its current inventory. Again someone was yelling at him, but he couldn't tell who it was. Suddenly, a garbage can was in front of him, and for a brief moment, he heard Sasuke's words, 'It's okay', before grasping onto the plastic container and giving in to his body's demands.

Naruto's eyes shut tightly as the smell of stomach acid hit his nostrils, which only encouraged him to throw up more. After a few more rounds, he was back to dry heaving, but his body had no more to give. He felt a hand on his back and someone encouraging him to take deep breaths. Naruto tried to listen to the voice of reason next to him; his nose was plugged from hurling so much, and the disgusting taste in his mouth only made him spit into the trash can. People were talking again, and he tried to focus on that while working on getting air into his lungs.

"That fucking son of a bitch! I'm going to kill him! Fuck off, Shino, and don't touch me! That fucking bastard did something out there, and he got Hinata hurt too!" Kiba was shouting, and Naruto could feel his boots pacing on the floor.

Shino didn't argue. "I'm just as angry as you, Kiba! However, there's nothing we can do right now! We can't call Kakashi or Gaara to see what's going on, and we can't use the radios either! So all we can do is wait, and hopefully, Hinata is . . . hopefully Hinata is fine."

A brief silence fell over the room but was soon interrupted by a loud crash as Kiba threw the chair beside him across the room.

"Easy there, Kiba! Calm down!"

"Let me go, Konohamaru! Fucking god damn it! Let go of me!"

Naruto opened his eyes and glanced over to see that Kono had Kiba in a Full Nelson. The young apprentice was struggling to hold onto the raging lead hand, and Shino joined in the effort to calm him down. He hadn't heard Kono come into the office, granted he had been so lost in his own world for the last ten minutes. Sasuke, who was currently kneeling beside him, marched over to where Kiba was throwing a fit and started telling him to calm down and that he wasn't helping the situation one bit.

Turning his head away from the three vs. one wrestling match going on behind him, Naruto still felt lost and could only stare down at his hands.

Less than 24 hours ago, I held her in my arms . . . why did I let her go? Why didn't I just say screw the rules and spend more time with her this shift? Hinata . . . I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Please be okay . . . I need you to be okay!

It was suddenly becoming hard to breathe again. His vision started to blur, and tears threatened to roll down his cheeks. Biting his lip, Naruto suddenly found his strength and stood up. He still felt lightheaded, but the trailer was so claustrophobic that he needed to get out of there now. He headed towards the exit with unsteady steps and hit the door open. Sasuke called his name, but he ignored his friend and walked outside.

The frigid air slammed against his bare skin, and it took a few shallow breaths for him to get used to the outside elements. No one else was out there, but suddenly, all the frustration and anger he had felt from the entire shift came surging forward. An angry cry emitted from his throat, and before he knew it, Naruto gritted his teeth and he punched the side of the trailer with all the strength he had.

Doors started to open behind him, and he knew that some of the crew were checking out what all the commotion was about, but Naruto didn't care. Instead, he pulled his fist back and once again hit the trailer.

"Naruto! Stop that! You're going to hurt yourself!"

Udon was suddenly beside him, grabbing onto his arm so he couldn't punch the metal anymore. A few others came outside and asked him if he was okay, but he ignored them and practically pushed the apprentice holding onto him away.

I can't just sit here and do nothing! I have to see her! I need to make sure she's okay!

His blue eyes fell upon the parked trucks beside them, and an idea suddenly emerged into his head. Without hesitation, he started to walk toward the vehicles.

"Uh, Naruto!? Where are you going?"

He gave them no response. His only goal was to get in one of the trucks and get to Hinata as soon as possible. More banging and shouting were behind him, but he couldn't have cared less. Then, someone was suddenly behind him, and without thinking, Naruto whipped around quickly while trying to take a swing at whoever was attempting to stop him.

Konohamaru barely dodged his fist, and for a split second, Naruto felt terrible for almost hitting his friend, but anger once again took over when Sasuke was suddenly next to him and grabbed his wrist. Then, with quick reflexes, the other lead hand spun him around and slammed his face against the cold window with his arm pinned behind him.

"Fuck off, Sasuke! Let me go now!"

"I'll let you go when you stop acting like a spoiled brat! Just what the hell are you planning to do anyway!?" Snarled Sasuke.

Konohamaru was next to him again and grabbed his free arm before the two men dragged Naruto back to the lead-hand trailer. He tried to break his arms free from their gasps with all his might, but his attempts were useless. More ruckus ensued when Kiba suddenly burst through the door and proclaimed he had gotten the keys to Shino's truck. However, he was just as quickly stopped by Haku and Daichi, who pushed him back inside.

Naruto found himself being literally thrown inside the trailer, his large work boots loudly stumbling across the floor while he attempted to regain his balance. Before he could even stand up straight, Sasuke was once again right behind him and pushed him to the ground. His friend's elbow and knee pinned down his arms, and the next thing he knew, Konohamaru was holding down his legs.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" hissed Naruto, struggling to get out of their grasp. He squirmed and tried to maneuver his body out of their hold, but it was futile. The two men held him down tightly, to the point that after a few minutes, Naruto finally realized there was no way in hell he would be able to escape.

The shouting and anger that had flooded the trailer was slowly starting to die down. Kiba, who had also been thrashing around, was now sitting in a chair. Although, Shino was close by talking to him gently. The rest of the crew had retreated to their lunchroom trailer, aside from Udon and Haku, who acted like bodyguards near the doors.

Gritting his teeth, Naruto attempted to break free from his prison one more time but quickly stopped when Sasuke's knee dug deeper into the flesh of his forearm.

"Give it a rest, idiot!"

Naruto turned his head and opened his mouth to curse at his friend, but he was interrupted.

"Go ahead! Swear and struggle all you want, but there is no way in hell I'm letting you up! I understand your frustration and wanting to be by her side, but right now, there's nothing you can do but wait! I don't care if you're pissed off at me for a week or a month, but I'm not letting you be reckless at a time like this!"

His eyes clenched shut, and Naruto resisted the urge to argue with his friend. Somewhere, deep down, he knew that Sasuke was right, but it was so hard to think straight with the possibility of never seeing Hinata again. It felt like the happiness he was just starting to feel with her was now being taken away, like sand slipping through his fingers. Her smiling face was at the forefront of his mind, and the thought of never seeing that again made his heartbreak.

"Hinata . . ." he whispered desperately to no one but thought, for some reason, she would be able to hear his words.

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While Kakashi had been only a project manager for four years, he worked for Hyuuga Electric for almost over fifteen years. However, in his entire career, never had anyone in their company been involved in a man-down incident. While it was true there had been the odd injury; a twisted ankle here, a pulled back there, a cut on someone's hand from not wearing their gloves, none of those occurrences had ever been an emergency.

The main office trailer was deathly quiet. No one knew what was going on or what the conditions were of Hinata and Deidara.

Usually, a man-down incident meant that someone was gravely injured or unconscious. Kakashi tried to wrack his brain on what could have possibly happened to his two employees. Thankfully, Gaara had been in the office when the emergency call had gone through the radio. He said that Hinata had called it in as a possible H2S exposure, but after a few minutes, she didn't respond, and they couldn't get a hold of her.

Did she foolishly run in there and try to get him out? Am I about to get a call that I have two dead on my crew?

It had been over an hour since anything had been said on the emergency radio, just that they had secured the two individuals and that they were being rushed to the small hospital on site. If it was a minor injury, then the hospital here could handle it, but if it was worse . . . then that meant either the Fort McMurray or Lac La Biche hospitals would have to be called. An ambulance from either city would leave and meet them halfway to site, where they would exchange the patients to be taken to a proper hospital, but if the injuries were even worse, a helicopter would need to be called.

The whole site had been given the okay to go back to work, but Kakashi had announced over the radio that everyone with Hyuuga Electric was to stay put in the trailers. Until he heard how Hinata and Deidara were doing, he didn't want anyone else put in danger or distracted while one of their co-workers was injured.

Suddenly the door opened, and Sakura walked in with Ino hot on her heels. He gave the pink-haired safety coordinator a hopeful look, but she only shook her head and pointed towards his office. A little confused, he obliged and walked in where Gaara was sitting at his desk with a blank look on his face. The young project manager perked up a bit when they walked in but frowned when Ino closed the door behind them.

"Anything?" asked Kakashi.

"Nothing yet. I know this will sound bad, but in this case, no news is good news, I believe. If it had been a bad situation, they would have told us they were contacting another hospital to transport them." Said Sakura, leaning against the wall. "Right now, though, we've got a problem on Pad #12."

Kakashi let out a sigh and covered his face with one of his hands. "I'm assuming this has something to do with Naruto?"

Sakura sighed as well, "I just got off the phone with Shino. They overheard the entire conversation on our end and the emergency end, so Naruto knows Hinata is involved in the man-down call. He apparently went into shock for a few minutes, and Sasuke couldn't get him to respond or speak at all, but then he started to go . . ." she paused.

"Crazy?" asked Gaara.

"Irrational is more how I would put it. Naruto actually tried taking one of the trucks so he could go to the hospital and took a swing at Konohamaru, who was trying to stop him. Right now, Sasuke and Kono have him pinned on the floor of their trailer to keep him still."

Both project managers let out a groan but were glad to hear that Naruto hadn't actually hit Kono. Otherwise, that was going to be a completely new incident altogether.

"Does Shino want one of us to head out there and help deal with him?" asked Kakashi.

Sakura shrugged, "Not really. But he did ask that as soon as we heard anything to let him know; apparently, Kiba isn't any better and was trying to help Naruto steal one of the trucks. So I was just going to ask, with permission from the two of you, to go out there myself and hopefully knock some sense back into Naruto and Kiba."

Kakashi started to rub his temples and then glanced over at Gaara. "I think one of us should go talk to him. If he thinks he can visit Hinata at the hospital on site like a normal person could back home, obviously he's not in the right state of mind."

"Well, overhearing that your girlfriend might have been exposed to H2S would have something to do with not thinking straight or taking a few swings at anyone trying to stop him. I think anyone here would have had that same reaction." Ino chimed in.

"We should all stay put for now until we hear from . . ." Gaara was cut off when the phone between his and Kakashi's desk started to ring. Everyone in the room glanced at each other briefly before he picked up the receiver. "Gaara speaking."

After a moment, the front shift project manager told whomever he was on the phone to hold on a moment, and he then placed the call on speaker.

"Go ahead, Tsunade. Everyone can hear you now." Said Gaara.

Kakashi froze, and a chill went up his spine. Tsunade was the head doctor at the Konoha Energy Hospital, which meant if she was calling, that meant . . .

"I'm assuming that everyone in the room is aware of the situation?" Tsunade's loud, commanding voice came out strongly through the speaker.

"Yes. Kakashi, Ino, and Sakura are aware of what's going on, for the most part, that is. How . . . how are Hinata and Deidara?" asked Gaara.

Everyone held their breath as they waited for a response.

Tsunade let out a sigh. "Well, the good news is that the two of them are okay, or at least as far as I can tell. No one is in any critical condition. However, I am pretty much set on telling you guys to take them to the hospital at either Fort McMurray or Lac La Biche when I'm done with them here."

A huge sigh of relief left everyone's lips; Ino suddenly grabbed onto Sakura with a tight hug and wiped a few tears from her eyes.

"Can you tell us what happened? Were the two of them exposed to H2S?" asked Kakashi.

"Well, Hinata and Deidara are still unconscious, so we don't know the whole story yet. However, from what I heard from Toneri, who witnessed the tail end of the incident, what the paramedics saw, and what the Konoha Energy Safety coordinators found, I have a pretty good guess of what transpired. The two tested the transformer on top of a grated platform above two large steam lines. It seems like they dropped something, and Deidara went below to get it. The area is still being tested right now, but it looks like when he kneeled down to get whatever it was he was looking for, he stepped in some water that had dormant H2S in it. And then when he leaned down lower and fully exposed his face to it, it caused him to lose consciousness . . ."

"Wait wait wait! That doesn't make sense! The four head gas monitor he was wearing should have gone off and warned him." Interrupted Kakashi. "Or, are you telling me he wasn't wearing one?"

There was a slight pause before Tsunade continued. "They found a gas monitor in the truck, and when Deidara was brought in here, he didn't have one on him."

A simultaneous large groan filled the room, and Sakura started cursing under her breath.

"Okay, we will deal with that later. But he's going to be okay? What about Hinata?" asked Gaara.

"Since it was a brief exposure, he should be fine, although like I said, I want someone at a different hospital to take a look at him. I just don't have the equipment here as I would at a normal hospital to inspect him. As for Hinata, her injuries are also minor. Frostnip and a minor head injury from slipping on ice."

A brief silence filled the room again before Sakura asked. "How the hell did that happen?"

"Well, it looks like Hinata panicked after radioing in the man down, headed up into the MCC, and put on an SCBA to perform a full-out rescue mission on her own. However, she took off all of her winter gear from the waist up and dragged Deidara to safety with her bare hands. Toneri, one of the operators at the tank farm, saw this and witnessed her slipping, which caused the head injury. I am a little concerned that she may have hit her head harder than what I'm seeing since it knocked her out so easily."

Kakashi let out a sigh. "She's also exhausted, Tsunade. Both she and Deidara are; they have been working long hours trying to test all of these transformers before the end of the shift. Look, give me half an hour, and I will come see you at the hospital. Then we can discuss what to do from there, and hopefully, one or both of them will wake up by that time."

"Sure thing, Kakashi. And if anything changes before you get here, I will give you a call."

As Tsunade hung up the phone, a moment of silence fell over the small office before Sakura hissed. "I'm going to kill him. . ."

Gaara stood up. "Now is not the time for that, Sakura. We have a serious situation on our hands. It looks like luck was on our side, and the two of them weren't gravely hurt. However, we still have an incident and need to take care of it. So, Ino, I want you to grab the camera and head over to the Tank Farms. Take pictures and do your own investigation of what happened. Also, take either Itachi or Iruka with you. Someone will need to drive the truck back that Hinata and Deidara were using."

The blonde-haired safety coordinator nodded before exiting the room. Kakashi turned his attention to Sakura, "You and I will head over to the hospital and see what's happening there. We'll have a face-to-face conversation with Tsunade and assess the situation better after seeing Hinata and Deidara. Gaara, I hate to ask this, but can you handle the phones while I'm gone?"

The other Project Manager nodded, and Kakashi started to put his winter coat on.

"What about the other crews? We can't just announce on the radio what's going on, and besides, Naruto is still in a chokehold on Pad #12. I doubt it's going to go over well if he hears Hinata might have a concussion from saving her co-worker." Interjected Sakura.

Gaara placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll call the foreman's individually on the phones, and then I will leave it to them to tell the rest of the crew. However, you're right about Naruto. We need to do something to help calm him down."

Kakashi closed his eyes and bit the inside of his cheek. An internal debate was going on with which role he needed to play right now; the stern boss or the understanding family friend. Each situation had its pros and cons, but ultimately it was his decision on what was best for Naruto in this case. Then, taking a deep breath and hoping this wouldn't come back to haunt him, Kakashi said, "I have an idea. Of course, none of you will like it, but I think it's the best we can do for now. I'll call Shino right now, and hopefully, our boys can behave properly with what I have to offer them."

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The smell of ramen and gyoza still lingered in the small apartment as Naruto stood beside the couch while Hinata finished cleaning their dishes. She had told him to take a seat and relax, but after having such a heavy meal and the giddy feeling he had from just being at her place, he was not ready to sit down yet.

Hinata's one-bedroom apartment was small but cozy and warm at the same time. The kitchen, which was right next to the front door, was a decent size where you could at least fit a table for two in it. A small powder room was right next to the closet, and you could either enter the living room from either the small hallway or the kitchen. Naruto had yet to see Hinata's bedroom, but with the way she had talked about it before, he knew that her queen bed fit perfectly in it, and it had a full on-suite bathroom.

Soft humming and the sound of running water graced his ears while Naruto slowly walked around the apartment while looking at Hinata's interior design choices and the pictures on the walls. Most of the images were of her family, there was the odd one of her with Kiba and Shino, and there were even a few old workgroup photos that had been taken during cable pulls. But, the one that caught his attention was a rather large photo of herself, which was near the television in the living room. Naruto frowned slightly and leaned down to get a better look at it. It was a beautiful picture, Hinata was wearing what looked like a black strapless dress, and she was smiling from ear to ear; it reminded him of how she looked at the Christmas Party last night. He just found it strange. Hinata didn't seem the type to put up a large picture of herself. However, the more Naruto continued to stare at the picture, he realized something was off about it. He was about to ask Hinata about it but stopped when he noticed a small date stamp on the bottom. Curiously, he kneeled down lower to get a better look and seemed even more confused when he saw the year 1989.

Wait . . . that doesn't make any sense. Hinata's born in the same year as me, so that would mean . . . hold on a second here . . .

Realization suddenly dawned on him, and he finally clued in on why the picture seemed a little off.

"Did you want to have some dessert now? Or do we want to wait until a little later?" asked Hinata, poking her head into the living.

Naruto stood up straight and smiled at her. "Ah, let's wait a little bit longer. That ramen you made filled me up completely!"

Hinata returned his smile, but it wavered slightly when she saw the picture he had been looking at. Naruto quickly glanced at it again before stepping forward and placing a kiss on the top of her forehead. "I see what Neji meant last night now. You really do look like your mom."

She continued to look at the picture. "That was taken during her and father's engagement party. It's one of my favourites of her, along with this one . . ." Hinata stepped towards the picture and adjusted the frame to reveal there was another photo behind it. "I usually switch them around every few months."

Naruto felt his throat clench slightly as he looked down at the other photo of Hinata's mother sitting in a chair, holding a baby in her arms and a very small Hinata by her side. He glanced over at his girlfriend, who had a distant look in her eyes.

"Not long after that, she . . . she passed away. I still have very fond memories of her, but unfortunately, Hanabi doesn't remember her at all; she was only four months old when the accident happened."

A sombre atmosphere fell over the room, and Naruto wasn't sure what to do about it. He was usually terrible at comforting people, but acting on instinct, he wrapped his arm around Hinata and held her tightly. Naruto whispered, "She would be so proud of you."

They held onto each other for a few moments before Hinata lightly patted his back and headed back into the kitchen so she could dry the dishes. He followed her and offered to help, saying it would go by much quicker if they worked together. However, Naruto found he was a bit more of a hindrance since he didn't know where anything went in her cupboards and constantly asked her questions. Soon enough, though, everything was put away, and the young couple moved back into the living room and sat down on the couch. Hinata went to grab the remote to turn the TV on but stopped when Naruto lightly grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers together.

"Let's just talk for a bit." He offered softly, moving as close as he could to her so that their shoulders were touching. "Did you know that your cousin invited me to your house on the 30th for dinner?"

At first, when Naruto had entered her apartment, he had felt awkward and sort of anxious, even though she had invited him over; not to mention she had given him a key as well so he could come by anytime. However, once she started cooking and talking to him while he sat at her kitchen table, he began to feel more comfortable and at home. It felt so natural and calming to sit and talk with Hinata on her couch.

They chatted about the upcoming dinner in a few weeks, about hanging out after work during the next shift, how nervous and excited he was for the new job he would be starting in January, but also sad that he would be away from her.

"We can facetime as much as you want, and anytime you are home, just give me a call, and we can see each other right away." Said Hinata, her thumb gently brushing the back of his knuckles.

Naruto smiled. "You're the best, Hinata. Thank you for being so understanding and patient with me."

A few more words were said before Hinata got up and disappeared into the kitchen to get their desserts and a hot cup of tea. While waiting, Naruto stood and looked out her balcony window, watching the traffic lights and falling snow coming down from the night sky. However, after a bit, his eyes averted to looking at the reflection of Hinata bustling around the kitchen while she prepared their small dessert; the long skirt she was wearing swirling around her calves as she walked. A deep blush spread across Naruto's cheeks at the thought of his hands touching those soft legs, and soon he was thinking of their intimate dance from last night. Blue eyes immediately darted down to look at his feet, and he rubbed the back of his head out of embarrassment.

I can't find the words to describe just how incredible it was being with her like that. It's been less than twenty-four hours, and already I want to do it again with her. But is that okay? I'm sure she's sore and would probably like a night alone without me bothering her, but . . . she did tell me to bring a bag over . . .

He had packed a small duffle bag for a night at Hinata's, but he had left it in his truck again. While Naruto was beyond happy that Hinata would give him such an invitation to spend the night at her place, he couldn't help but wonder if she did it because she wanted to or because she thought HE wanted to and would be disappointed if she told him no.

I don't want to put any pressure on her, but god damn it . . . it's so hard. I want to kiss and hold her so badly . . . I want to hear those sounds that are only meant for my ears again . . . I want to feel her against me . . .

His eyes naturally went to her bedroom door, which was closed to his right, and the thought of carrying her bridal style in there made his groin throb in response. Naruto lightly smacked his cheeks and tried to think of something different, but when he turned around to see Hinata smiling at him while pouring tea, all he could think of was how much he loved the woman standing in front of him. Hinata was only wearing a purple sweater and a cream skirt, her hair was up in a ponytail, and there wasn't a speck of makeup on her. Perhaps she would be seen as plain to some, but she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him.

Naruto glanced down at his attire and couldn't help but frown at how unflattering he must look to her, sporting black sweat pants and a loose orange hoodie with a grey t-shirt underneath. Not to mention he had not brought ANYTHING over for her. She had prepared dinner, gotten him a few cans of his favourite beer, was now preparing dessert, and what had he done for her?

Nothing. He frowned and watched Hinata with a sad expression.

I could have at least brought dessert or maybe gotten her some flowers? But, frick me, I'm already becoming terrible at this whole boyfriend thing. Here she is already spoiling me, and I couldn't even do one thing for her . . .

"Sorry for the wait! The lava cakes are a little hot, but they should cool down soon enough. Um, Naruto? Are you okay?" asked Hinata, setting the cups of tea and plates down on the coffee table.

Naruto shook his head and realized he had just been staring at her with a blank look on his face. "Ah! Sorry, Hinata! I just got lost in my own head, you know?" He quickly sat back down on the couch. "This looks amazing!"

Hinata paused for a moment before following suit and handed him a fork for his lava cake. They ate together silently, and just as he was sipping on the last of his tea, Naruto glanced up at the clock hanging on her wall. It was almost 9 pm, and soon he would probably be overstaying his welcome. He really wanted to stay, but he didn't want to make Hinata feel uncomfortable. However, Naruto knew that just getting up and leaving would be a terrible idea, even with his dense brain. Hinata was almost done with her tea, and he quickly wracked his brain on what he could say or do for her.

She placed her teacup down and turned to him, a light blush on her cheeks. "I-I didn't see you bring a bag in. Did you not want to spend the night?"

Naruto's eyes widened, and he turned to look at her. "No! I mean, yes, I did bring a bag, but I . . ." He stumbled over his words and tried to figure out what he wanted to tell her.

Hinata's small hands reached forward and grabbed on his left one, holding on to it tightly, the blush on her cheeks escalating. "I-I would really like it if you did stay, but I understand if you don't want to. My place is rather small, and you've never slept on my bed before so you might not like it. Also, it is our last night home before work, and I get wanting to sleep in your own bed before. . ."

He couldn't stop himself.

Naruto leaned forward and silenced her with a kiss. A shiver ran over him at the feel of her lips against his and her taste on his tongue. He had kissed her earlier in the day, but to him, it felt like it had been weeks; how was it possible that she had this kind of effect on him?

He pulled back slightly to stare into her dazed, pale violet eyes while his fingers started to run through her hair. "Of course, I want to stay! I want that more than anything . . . I just feel guilty for wanting that." Naruto whispered.

"Why?"

Naruto rested his forehead against hers. "Last night . . . it was, beyond any . . . It was so . . . frick Hinata, I can't even find the words to tell you how it made me feel. Hell, even this morning, it was fucking incredible."

Hinata's face burned brightly, and she closed her eyes out of embarrassment.

"Tonight, you prepared us a nice meal and wonderful dessert. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world right now. You've done so much for me, and here, I feel like I haven't done anything for you. Ever since I walked through that door, I've wanted to touch and kiss you, but I feel like that would be too selfish of me. I want to spend the night and get another taste of you, but I want you to be happy. I wish there was something I could do right now to make you feel . . ."

It was Hinata's turn to cut him off. She pressed her lips gently against his, silencing any words he was going to say. Then, with their lips still sealed, her hands pushed against his chest, and she maneuvered her body on top of his. She was now in his lap, her fingers curling around the material of his hoodie and pulling him closer to deepen their kiss a little bit more. A pulsating throb moved across his entire body at the feel of her legs gripping his thighs while she sat on his lap. It reminded him of last night. Their intimate dance flashed before his mind and caused a husky groan to leave his throat.

All too soon, Hinata pulled away from him, trying to catch her breath. "You do make me happy, Naruto. I was so excited that you wanted to come over and have supper with me. It made me so happy that while I made dinner, you talked with me, and we got to eat together. Little things like that mean the world to me. I just love spending time with you! I know last night was . . . very overwhelming for me, but I-I even made sure to put new fresh sheets on my bed in case we decided to . . . you know. . ."

His cheeks now turned a crimson red.

"You want to make love with me again?" Naruto asked quietly, his hands lightly gripping her hips.

Hinata nodded her head. "Last night, I had been expecting it to hurt, and I had heard stories that sex was not that enjoyable for women. But . . . with you, it felt . . . I felt safe and loved. You even considered my feelings and helped me feel pleasure that I never knew a person could feel. I will never get tired of showing you how much I love you, Naruto."

His breath was ragged, and Naruto could no longer think of a reason not to touch her. "Tell me that you want me," Naruto whispered.

Her eyes widened momentarily before she quietly responded. "I want you, Naruto."

He felt the metal chains he had wrapped around his desires break with a loud snap. He sat up straight and kissed the woman in his arms as passionately as he could. His arms snaked around her waist and shoulders.

I want to hold her . . . I want to touch her . . .

Their lips and tongues danced together while his fingers found their way underneath her sweater, feeling the hot skin of her back and rib cage. His toes curled at the feel of her fingernails lightly scraping along his scalp, and, whether Hinata meant to or not, the slight movement of her hips rocking against his made him burn for her, and she could most likely feel the hardness between his legs.

I want to be in her . . . I want to love her . . .

Naruto broke their kiss briefly, only whispering for Hinata to hold onto him tightly as he stood up, her arms and legs wrapping around him. He headed directly for her bedroom, his trembling hands just barely managing to get the door open before taking the three steps he needed to reach her bed. There were no lights on, but the street lamps from outside were enough to illuminate the small bedroom. Naruto collapsed onto the bed with Hinata in his arms, landing on top of her with a small grunt.

I want to hear her . . . I want to pleasure her . . .

Instead of kissing her lips, Naruto's mouth began to explore her exposed skin, along her chin, neck, ears, and collarbone. While last night had been new and exciting, now, Naruto wanted to know more about the woman below him and how to touch her. The moment when she had reached her peak the other night, it was burned into the back of his mind. He wanted to see it again and again.

His body felt hot; Naruto hated the fact that he still had so many clothes on. With quick swiftness, he pulled his sweatshirt and t-shirt off in one motion, tossing the clothing off to the side of the room. In the dimly lit room, he could see the sight of his upper naked body made Hinata blush even more, her hands moving up to touch his bare skin. However, his hands grasped her wrists, stopping her. He moved his head down and began to kiss the palm of her hand and along her arms.

"The night is young, and we don't have to be at the airport until 5 pm tomorrow. I'm not saying that I'm going to make love to you all night, but I will make sure that you have at least reached your peak three times before dawn." Naruto whispered huskily.

"Ah! Wait Naruto! What are you . . . AH!"

Over the next few hours, Naruto learned that he would never grow tired of her cries of ecstasy or the way her body trembled when she climaxed.

000000000000000

Blue eyes stared blankly out the back window, barely paying any attention to the trees or rivers they drove by with the sun setting on the horizon. Usually, the memory of their last time together was enough to make Naruto uncomfortable from either the bulge between his legs or the heat coming from his cheeks or needing to make a trip to the shower. However, right now, it had the opposite effect on him. Even though Kakashi hadn't given them many details, and he had confirmed that Hinata would be okay, he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong in the pit of his stomach.

Sasuke and Konohamaru had pinned him to the floor for almost over an hour. When his best friend was satisfied that he wouldn't do anything stupid, they finally let him up and even gave him a chair to sit in. Not long after that, Shino had gotten a call from Kakashi on the current condition of both Deidara and Hinata. It was still vague, but his boss had told them that both were still unconscious and would most likely be sent to another hospital for further analysis of their wellbeing. Naruto couldn't deny that he had felt relieved, but with how little Kakashi was actually telling them, it made him feel uneasy and that there was more to the story that they weren't being told. Hesitantly, Kakashi told Shino that he, Kiba, and Naruto could come to visit Hinata in the hospital briefly. Usually, visitors were not allowed at the on site hospital, but they had been told that as long as they were quiet and kept their visit brief, Tsunade most likely wouldn't mind.

Naruto shifted his body to another comfortable position and briefly glanced at Shino and Kiba sitting in the front seats. At first, he had been a little annoyed that the two of them were also coming along to see Hinata. However, those negative thoughts were quickly stomped out when he reminded himself that they were pretty much family to her. She had told him a few times that they were more like older brothers than friends.

They are probably just as worried as I am about her.

Soon enough, the hospital came into sight, and Naruto could feel himself start to feel anxious. Biting his lip, he tried to control his breathing and kept telling himself that everything was going to be okay and that Hinata was fine.

A soft ding sound caught Naruto off guard, and he scrambled to find his phone in his coat pocket. For the last few hours, he had been trying to avoid the electronic device as much as possible. He wasn't sure how, but it had somehow gotten out that he and Hinata were dating, and he had received numerous texts from other co-workers asking if it was true and if he enjoyed rolling in the sheets with the owner's niece. Naruto had ignored all of those texts and had only responded to the ones from his mother and father, who were checking to make sure he was okay. However, it seemed that they were unaware that Hinata was involved in the man down. Otherwise, his mother would have lost her mind and would be digging for answers among the other operators. But the text that he was reading right now made his blood start to run cold.

"Everything okay, Naruto?" asked Kiba, turning around in his seat to look at him directly. "You're not telling people about Hinata, are you? Kakashi strictly told us not to let anyone else know and that he and Gaara would handle it."

Naruto shook his head and almost wanted to snap back at Kiba that he had been there for the conversation but decided it was best to hold his tongue. "No. It's from Konohamaru. Hanabi is worried about Hinata since she hasn't responded to any of her texts, and she's bugging Kono, wondering if her sister is okay."

Shino sighed. "Tell him to keep quiet and that he can't tell her anything yet. Gaara and Kakashi will have our heads if we let it out that Hinata might be hurt."

He agreed and tried as nicely as possible in his text to let Kono know he had better keep his mouth shut and not let the cat out of the bag. Naruto could only imagine her family's reaction once they found out Hinata was involved in a man-down incident.

As the truck rolled into the Hospital parking lot and Shino found a spot for the truck, Naruto could feel his throat start to clench, and his mouth was suddenly dry as if he hadn't drank any water in days. Finally, Shino unbuckled his seat belt with the vehicle in park and turned towards them.

"Now remember, we only have ten minutes. We all need to be on our best behaviour and be as quiet as humanly possible. As much as I want to give Deidara a piece of my mind, we cannot go anywhere near him or speak to him. Our only focus is to see how Hinata is doing and what we can do for her, got it?" said Shino sternly.

He nodded along with Kiba before the three men exited the vehicle and headed over towards the small hospital entrance. The emergency hospital on site was very small and was attached to the fire department hall. Naruto had never been a patient here, only bringing in the odd apprentice who had cut their hand or was not feeling well with the flu. It felt like a typical walk-in clinic with a small waiting room, a nurse at the reception desk, and there were at least three patient rooms when you went in the back.

As they entered, the smell of rubbing alcohol and cleaner hit their nostrils. There was no nurse at the front desk or any other patients. However, Sakura was standing there waiting for them.

"Sakura is everything . . ."

The pink-haired safety coordinator raised her hand, silencing Naruto's words, and she motioned them to follow her. With the swipe of a card, the two metal doors leading to the back opened, and they trailed after her before going into a small side room. All three of them looked around before entering to see if there was any sign of Hinata, but Sakura pushed them inside before getting a good look around. The room was blinding, with everything being white and the bright fluorescent lights. It also didn't help from the sudden change going from one extreme temperature to the other; outside was freezing cold, but inside, the hospital was unbearably hot, making Naruto regret keeping his winter coat and bibs on.

Before any of them could say a word, Sakura cut in sharply. "First of all, none of you have told anyone else that you're here or what you know?"

All of them shook their heads, and Sakura sighed in relief.

"Good. Kakashi and Tsunade are currently talking with Deidara. He just woke up. I don't know what he's told them yet about what happened. Until now, we only had a general idea of what occurred by putting the pieces together with the radio calls, obvious signs at the scene of the incident, and what an eyewitness saw."

Naruto took a step toward his friend. "So, what do you guys think happened?"

Sakura raised her hand again and gently pushed him back. "Easy there, Naruto. Like Kakashi said on the phone, we are turning a blind eye to this and letting you guys visit; normally, this would be frowned upon heavily and not allowed. However, we know how important she is to you all, so Kakashi is pulling some strings to let you know what's going on. Before I tell you anything, no shouting or yelling, and DO NOT approach Deidara. I can tell you that he is in deep trouble right now, and we don't need the situation escalating more than it is already. Got it?"

The blonde lead hand nodded along with Kiba and Shino.

With their agreeance to remain calm, Sakura went into the story and theory of what they believed went on in the South Tank Farms. At first, Naruto felt relieved that Hinata was not exposed to any H2S and even felt incredibly proud of her for being a badass with pulling off a rescue mission with an SCBA. Even during an H2S course, it was challenging when you dragged someone's dead weight across the room in a mock situation. Naruto couldn't even begin to comprehend how Hinata had managed to pull Deidara all the way from underneath the transformer platform to the MCC. However, those feelings were short-lived when Sakura told them she didn't have any winter gear from the waist up, only had her winter bibs on, and had fallen on the ice, hitting her head.

Now, he was starting to see red.

"We don't know if she has a concussion or not. Unfortunately, in her haste, Hinata didn't put on her hard hat after donning the SCBA. Tsunade thinks she's unconscious still from being exhausted for most of the shift, and not to mention she most likely overexerted herself pulling Deidara's lifeless body up the small slope, with her bare hands no less. She has frostnip, and Tsunade has said that if she doesn't wake up in the next hour, we immediately send her to Fort McMurray for further examination. She doesn't have the equipment for a CT scan here and worries that maybe Hinata hit her head harder than she thought." Said Sakura, letting out a sigh as she finished.

The room was deadly silent for a moment, and Naruto had to fight the urge to throw the chair next to him against the wall.

That fucking . . . no good son of a . . . what the hell was he thinking not wearing his four head gas monitor? Does he want a fucking death wish out here?!

Shino finally broke the silence. "When can we see her? Are we even able to with her not being awake?"

Sakura frowned. "We can't stay in here, so I'm going to take you all out, and together we can go see her. If she happens to wake up while we are there, I don't want any of you questioning her. Just say hi to her, voice how worried you are for her wellbeing, and then say goodbye. Leave the questions and talk to Kakashi and Tsunade, okay?"

Once they were all in agreeance, Sakura opened the door and led them outside before turning to the right down a small hallway. There were three rooms, two on the right and one on the left, with two of the doors opened and one being shut with voices coming from behind it. Naruto slowed down slightly and immediately recognized Kakashi and Tsunade talking to someone on the other side, presumably Deidara. He couldn't exactly hear what they were saying, but Naruto felt his body tense up again as they approached the last room. He tried to brace himself for what he was about to see, but as he walked into the room, Naruto felt as if someone had hit him in the gut with a baseball bat.

Hinata was ghostly pale and had an oxygen mask placed over her face. Her body was completely covered in blankets, she was lying propped up in the hospital bed, and it felt even hotter in this room than in the previous one. The lights were also dimmed down, and the only sound that could be heard was the heart rate monitor attached to Hinata's hand, somewhere underneath the covers. The last time he had seen Hinata, she had looked drained, and right now, maybe it was because of the dim lights; she looked as if she hadn't slept in weeks with the bags under her eyes.

Sakura pointed at the small clock on the wall. "You can stay until 4:00 pm, but unfortunately, I will have to ask you guys to leave after that. So take your time, and I'll be outside the door if you need me.

Once she was outside, Kiba and Shino stepped toward Hinata, gently talking to her about how worried and concerned they were for her. Naruto, on the other hand, felt like he couldn't move. It felt like there was a hand clamped tightly around his throat, making it feel like it was a struggle to breathe, not to mention the sickly feeling like he was going to throw up again. He had felt somewhat relieved that technically speaking she was okay, but seeing her still form only made him feel restless, and the fear that something was still wrong with her would not leave his consciousness alone.

A few minutes passed, and Naruto was brought out of his stupor when Kiba placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Shino and I are just going to step outside and give you some alone time with her. But if anything happens and she wakes up, you tell us right away! Got it?"

Naruto only stared blankly at his co-worker but managed to nod his head that he understood.

"Take some deep breaths, Naruto. Hinata's a tough girl, remember? She's going to be just fine." Comforted Kiba, giving his shoulder another few pats before stepping outside.

Even though he felt completely numb, Naruto took the few steps he needed to be at Hinata's bedside. He suddenly felt light-headed and noticed a stool in the corner for him to sit on. Once he was seated, Naruto tentatively reached underneath the blankets to find Hinata's hand, holding her smaller fingers tightly in his much larger one. Her skin felt like ice to the touch, causing him to slip his other hand in, trying to warm her with the heat of his skin.

Naruto's eyes darted up at the clock briefly, realizing that he didn't have much longer to be here with her, and soon, he would have to return to Pad #12 to finish the day off. His mouth opened and closed several times, finding it hard to express how worried he was for her safety and health. Then, deciding to keep the mood light as Kiba and Shino had, Naruto voiced what he was currently thinking. "When . . . when we get back home. I'm coming over to your place, and I'm bringing you an entire box of cinnamon rolls, all for you. And while you're eating them, I'm going to run you a hot bath with your favourite bath bomb, and then we can watch any movie you want."

The time was now 3:59 pm, and Naruto knew he didn't have much longer before Sakura came back in and told him it was time to leave. Finding his strength, he stood up and leaned down, gently placing a kiss on Hinata's cheek and whispering how much he loved her in her ear. Just as he was pulling back, he felt Hinata's hand twitch in his own. Naruto gasped as he watched Hinata begin to move; her body shifted on the bed underneath all the covers and her brow furrowed after letting out a small groan.

"H-Hinata?" Naruto called her name gently, praying to any god, listening that she was actually waking up and would be okay.

Pale violet eyes slowly fluttered open, followed by small noises of discomfort and confusion. She wasn't looking at him yet, even though he still had a firm grip on her right hand, but she seemed more focused on taking in her surroundings.

The lump in Naruto's throat made it hard to swallow and breathe. He knew that he needed to call for Sakura and the others, but right now, he was just so relieved that she was awake. Before he could stop himself, he moved down to hug her just as her eyes fell on his form.

"Hinata, you had me so . . ."

The sound of a loud smack filled the room, the stinging sensation against his cheek and the shock that Hinata had just slapped him. It caught him so completely off guard that Naruto let go of her hand and took a step back, his hand coming up to touch the skin that had been struck. At first, he thought that maybe he had deserved it, catching her completely by surprise and not letting her take in her surroundings first. But the way her eyes darted around the room, the scared and confused expression on her face, and the way she had pushed herself against the back of the bed as if she was a frightened animal backed into a corner, she was clearly terrified right now.

"N-Naruto? W-what are you doing here?" Her voice wavered, and he could hear the distress behind it.

Before Naruto could ask what she meant, Kiba, Shino, and Sakura came bolting into the room.

"Hinata? Oh, thank goodness you're awake! Are you okay?" asked Sakura, pushing Naruto out of the way and reaching forward to grab her now exposed hand.

"Sakura? Kiba? Shino? What's going on? Why are you all here? Aren't you all supposed to be working up north at Konoha Energy?" asked Hinata, her head turning back and forth to look at everyone in the room while simultaneously pushing herself away from Sakura's reach.

Naruto froze.

"What are you talking about, Hinata? You . . ."

"Kiba, shut up!" hissed Sakura before switching her voice to a softer and calming tone. "Hinata, can you tell me what day it is?"

The young Hyuuga woman looked down at her legs for a moment and then back up at Sakura before answering. "I don't know."

Sakura frowned. "Okay. Do you know what your last name is?"

Hinata looked even more confused now. "It's Hyuuga."

"Good! Do you know who we all are?" Sakura asked, pointing at herself and the three other men.

"Kiba, Shino, Sakura, and Naruto." She answered hesitantly. "I don't understand. What's going on here?"

"Easy, Hinata, try and stay calm. One last question, can you remember what month it is? Or what you were doing last before waking up?"

Hinata opened her mouth to speak, but she paused. You could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to think of an answer, and then, tears suddenly began to slip down her cheeks. Her hands clutching her head as she sobbed. "I-I don't know . . . is it November? I remember helping Hanabi set up a meeting with . . . with, I can't remember who. Where is Hanabi? Or Neji? Are they okay? What happened to them?"

The panic in her voice broke Naruto's heart, but more so was the fact that she didn't seem to know where she was or why they were there. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her, but Sakura whipped around and gave them all a death glare when he took one step forward.

"Get. Out. Now." Sakura said authoritatively.

"B-but, Sakura . . ." stammered Naruto.

"I said, now!" growled Sakura, pushing all of them outside while still gently talking to Hinata and telling her everything would be okay.

Just as they all stumbled out into the hallway, the door next to them popped open, with Kakashi and Tsunade stepping out.

"What is all the commotion I'm hearing out here?! Kakashi, I told you to make sure they behaved and stayed quiet!" snarled Tsunade, waving a finger in the project manager's face.

Before Kakashi even had a chance to answer, Sakura cut him off. "Hinata is awake, but she doesn't know where she is or what day it is; she's under the impression that it's still November."

Tsunade's eyes widened, and she pushed past all of them while saying. "I want all of you in the waiting room! Stay there until I come and get you!" And with that, she closed the door to Hinata's room behind her.

Naruto remained motionless, and his mind was blank. It took both Shino and Kiba to guide him back to the waiting room, where they managed to get him to sit in one of the chairs. He was aware that Sakura had at some point placed a cup of water in his hands and that Kakashi was by his side trying to talk to him, but Naruto was oblivious to it all.

She didn't . . . does this mean she doesn't remember that we're together? If she thinks it's still November, then she wouldn't remember coming up here and . . . no no no no . . . this can't be happening . . .

In what felt like an eternity to everyone in that waiting room, Tsunade finally emerged and had a troubled look on her face. "Well, it seems that my fears were right."

"She has a concussion then?" asked Kakashi, standing up and walking towards her.

Tsunade nodded. "It's either a minor or moderate one. She has short-term memory loss, along with a headache, and she mentioned that her vision was slightly blurry. I wish I could say she doesn't have a traumatic brain injury, but I have seen damages less severe, and they had an internal brain bleed. Hinata isn't vomiting or showing any other signs, but I want her taken to the Fort McMurray hospital as soon as possible."

The normally laid-back project manager suddenly switched over into serious mode and turned to his four employees. "Right. Sakura, make sure you and your truck are prepared to leave as soon as possible. I need you to take Hinata and Deidara to the Fort McMurray hospital. Shino, I need you to get on the phone and inform Hiashi about what is happening with his daughter. You know him pretty well, so I'm sure you can break the news to him more gently than I can. Meanwhile, I will call Hizashi to let him know about our incident today.

"Tsunade, I would like to send one other person with Sakura. However, I'm afraid that my other Safety Coordinator is busy investigating this incident. I know Deidara will be fine, but I would like to keep Hinata as calm as possible for the hour-long drive to the hospital and have someone with her. I don't suppose she mentioned anyone here on site she is okay with being by her side?"

The blonde-haired woman nodded and pointed at both Kiba and Shino. "Hinata did say she was okay with either of them seeing her right now."

Kakashi turned to look at Kiba. "Do you mind? I would greatly appreciate you keeping an eye on her."

The backshift lead hand nodded. "You can count on me."

Naruto felt like he was completely ignored, and anger was slowly rising within him. His hands were clenched, and his teeth gritted together, he was about to demand that he be the one to help Sakura with Hinata, but Kakashi silenced any words he had been prepared to spit out.

"Not a word Naruto. I know what you're thinking, and I can clearly see it from the look on your face. I understand your deep concern for Hinata, but right now is not the time for you to play the hero. There are things I need you to do right now that are just as important." Kakashi said strictly.

"But I . . ." Naruto tried to voice his opinion but was immediately shut down when Kakashi grabbed him by the front of his coat and started to drag him outside.

"You all have your orders, so get to it!"

Sakura briefly followed after them before running towards her truck. Shino pulled out his phone, and Kiba followed after Tsunade into the back rooms again. Naruto attempted to fight against his mentor, but as soon as they stepped outside, Kakashi pinned him against the cold brick wall. He was quickly reminded of how strong the back shift project manager could be while he was angry, both of his fists now grasping the front of Naruto's jacket.

"Kakashi, I . . ."

"Zip it, Naruto! I don't even want to hear it right now! I've got a thousand things that need to be done, and dealing with your childish temper tantrums is not one of them!" His mentor's black eyes piercing deeply into Naruto's blue ones. "It was embarrassing enough to hear that Sasuke and Kono had to pin you to the floor of the trailer to prevent you from stealing one of the trucks! You had better count your lucky stars that your fist missed Konohamaru, or I would be contacting Konoha Energy right now to ship your ass home on the next possible flight! Is that what you want?"

Naruto couldn't remember the last time he had seen Kakashi this angry, especially at him, but the way his grey-haired mentor was talking to him left no room for argument. All he could do was bite his tongue and shake his head.

"I didn't think so. Now, can I believe in you to be the reliable worker I know you are and do a task that only I trust you with?"

He gave a single nod, his eyes staying focused on the ground.

"Good. When Shino is off the phone, I want him to drop you and me off at Tin Town. I just got a text from Itachi, and he has brought the truck back that Hinata and Deidara were using. Your job right now is to gather up everything that belongs to Hinata. Her tools, work gear, and any other personal items she had at the office. Then, find her room card and pack up her room up. I know I can trust you not to steal anything of hers and that you will be professional when packing up her clothes. Understand?"

Once again, he didn't respond verbally but gave another nod.

This time Kakashi sighed, released the front of his coat and pulled him in for a brief hug. "It's going to be okay, Naruto. I've seen this happen before when my father whacked his head hard a few years back; he couldn't remember a few things like what month it was or what he had done that week. But within a few days, he was back to normal, and I know it will be the same for Hinata. I know you want to help her, and right now, the best way to do that is to keep your distance. So let us handle it."

"Let you handle it, huh? Keep my distance . . . that's all I've been doing this whole fucking time!" Something snapped within him and he pushed the grey-haired project manager away from him. "Fuck you, Kakashi! This wouldn't have happened if you and Gaara hadn't worked Hinata to the bone! And what the hell made you think Deidara was a good choice for her partner? I admit I was pissed that you wouldn't let me work with her, but I understood the reasoning behind it. But what in god's name made you guys pick Deidara? Out of the entire plant crew, there are so many others you could have chosen, but you selected the most incomprehensible dumb ass we have on site?"

Kakashi took a step back from him, his hands up. "Naruto, look, you need to . . ."

"Calm down?! I'm supposed to be calm after not seeing my girlfriend for over eight days, hearing she was in a man down incident and now has a concussion?" Naruto gritted his teeth and pointed towards the doors of the hospital. "I will do as you say, but I will not leave without saying goodbye to her!"

"Naruto . . ."

The blonde electrician walked past his boss and headed straight back inside without another word. Sakura, who had just returned from her truck, opened the metal doors, and he followed closely behind her. She gave him a bewildered look and tried to stop him.

"What do you think . . ." Sakura attempted to talk to him, but he cut her off.

"Not now, Sakura." Naruto brushed past her and immediately headed toward Hinata's hospital room. As he rounded the corner, he watched as Tsunade slipped out and gave him an odd expression. It looked like she was going to say something, but he interjected. "I just want to say goodbye; that's it, I promise."

Tsunade eyed him up and down, but then she let out a sigh and placed a hand on his shoulder. "She's going to be fine, Naruto. Jiraiya told me how close you two have gotten the past few weeks, and I know you are worried for her. Just remember that she's not herself right now, and keep it brief."

Naruto softly thanked her, and when she was gone, he took a deep breath and gently knocked on the door. After a moment, Kiba poked his head out and gave him a questioning look.

"Uh, Naruto? What are you doing?" Kiba whispered.

He raised his hands up as if he were surrendering to the police. "I just want to say goodbye. I won't ask you to leave or to be alone with her. I'm fucking well aware that Hinata is in a delicate condition right now. But, please, just let me see her and say goodbye from here." Naruto kept his tone low and tried not to sound desperate, but near the end, his voice cracked, and he had to evert his gaze from Kiba's.

At first, he was sure the other lead hand would tell him no, but his co-worker gave him a sympathetic look and nodded. "Just keep your voice down, okay? I've calmed her down, but she still has a headache."

Kiba opened the door a bit more, and Naruto poked his head inside. Hinata was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at her hands, but she finally looked up at them when Kiba gently called her name. As soon as her eyes found his, a deep blush dusted her cheeks, and she averted her gaze again.

"O-oh, Naruto. I um, I . . ." Hinata stammered, shifting uncomfortably on the bed.

"It's okay, Hinata. I'm not here to bother you; I just wanted to say I lo . . . I mean, goodbye, and I hope you feel better soon." He tried to keep his face cheerful, and he even gave her a small wave. Then, just as he was turning to leave, Naruto paused when he heard her voice.

"T-thank you, Naruto, and please, take care."

He didn't want to leave her side. More than anything, he wanted to be with her and make sure she would be safe. However, he grimly reminded himself that she didn't know they were dating right now with Hinata's mental state and only saw him as an old co-worker she hadn't seen in three years. Dejectedly, he started to walk back to the waiting room.

"Don't worry, Naruto. I'll contact you when we get to the hospital, and I'll let you know what the doctors say. Try and have a decent night." Kiba quietly told him before shutting the door again.

Naruto released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding and rubbed the back of his head. He was still angry and upset with what was going on. Not to mention he needed to apologize to his mentor for yelling at him, even though it had felt good to get what he was feeling off of his chest. He suddenly felt exhausted from the week and day's events, wanting nothing more than to slump to the floor, close his eyes and drift off to sleep.

However, he knew that there were things he needed to do.

Naruto took a deep breath and marched back into the room where Shino was waiting for him.

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The rest of the day seemed like a complete blur to him. Naruto remembered Shino dropping him and Kakashi off at Tin Town, where he was then greeted by Iruka, who hugged him and asked if he was okay. He couldn't even remember what he had told his longtime friend, before walking into the trailer and finding all of Hinata's belongings. Gaara even spoke to him, but for the life of him he couldn't recollect what had been said; something along the lines of which unit he would be taking for the evening and possibly meeting up with Hinata's family to give them her stuff in the morning.

Naruto felt like he was on auto-pilot. Only acknowledging others when being spoken to, but otherwise, he was silent and kept to himself. He could tell that Kakashi wasn't impressed with him the entire time he loaded Hinata's work gear and tools into the back seat. However, just as he was about to head to camp a bit earlier than anyone else, his mentor came over and asked how he was doing.

"I will be a lot better when this is all over. By the way, I'm sorry for . . ."

Kakashi held up a hand. "No need for an apology this time. I understand. Drive safe, and I will talk to you tomorrow."

With no more words needed to be said, Naruto climbed into the driver's seat and continued on with his task.

It was only 5:20 pm, and with quitting time for the day shift being 5:30 pm, the parking lot at camp was completely empty. Naruto took full advantage of it and parked in the closest stall he could. He marched towards the boot room doors, removed his footwear, and then headed down the hallway towards the girl's section, where he would collect Hinata's clothes and possessions.

And here he was . . . standing outside of Hinata's room.

He placed his hand on the metal door, almost wanting to knock and expecting to hear her voice on the other side. Shaking his head and letting out a sigh, he swiped the card and entered the darkened room. As the door shut behind him, Naruto froze as he stared at the two suitcases that were piled up on the bed; all of her belongings were already packed.

Ah, that's right . . . tonight we were supposed to get together and head to the hotel . . . so much for that, huh?

Naruto had finally reached his limit.

Everything he had been going through this shift, tonight was supposed to finally be his night to relax with Hinata. He had been looking forward to it all day, and now, his girlfriend didn't even remember that the two of them were dating.

I can't this take anymore . . .

Naruto kicked off his indoor shoes, moved Hinata's suitcases off her bed, and collapsed onto the mattress. As soon as his head hit the pillow, an overwhelming amount of sensations crashed into him, and Naruto squeezed his eyes tightly shut in an attempt to stop the tears that were just on the verge of spilling over. The wall he had put up around his emotions was now cracking, and the dam was about to break.

He felt helpless as silent sobs started to wrack his body, and tears were streaming down his face. Naruto felt a little embarrassed that he was crying, but with everything that had been going on, he just needed to let it out. He clung to Hinata's pillow, wrapping his arms tightly around it and pretending it was her that he was holding in his arms.

Once again, he was alone, and he really despised the feeling for the first time in his life. But, on the other hand, being by himself was something he had grown accustomed to since he was a teenager.

From the day he was born till his fourteenth birthday, his father always worked away on shifts while his mother had remained home to raise him. To say he didn't miss his dad would be a lie, but he at least got to see him half of the year, and most of the time, he did get holidays off at home. That all changed though when he got older though. And it wasn't like his parents dropped a bombshell on him out of the blue. Instead, they had sat him down and discussed it with him like a real adult. Konoha Energy was asking for Kushina to come back to work. However, she was very hesitant to leave her teenage son at home alone. Deep down, Naruto had been ecstatic; no parents at home meant he could do whatever the heck he wanted . . . which mostly meant eating ramen every night for supper and playing video games till 3 am on weekends. He had convinced his parents that he would be fine by himself, and friends of the family even offered to check up on him, like Kakashi, Iruka, and Jiraiya.

Naruto couldn't deny that it had been a teenager's dream come true for the first year of his mother going back to work. One week was happy and blissful with his parents, but then the next week, he had the house entirely to himself, and he didn't even have to put on clothes some days. But as the years went by and he was starting into High School, Naruto quickly realized that he was now dreading the week his parents would be gone instead of looking forward to them. He missed seeing his mom in the kitchen, greeting him with a smile and a 'Good Morning'. He missed his father asking him about school and welcoming him home at the end of the day.

He missed them.

A small laugh parted his lips, and he wiped the snot away from his nose. He couldn't help but feel like a little cry baby. It was true that they were gone a lot in his early adult life. However, they never missed a day if it was important to him. They had both taken a shift off for his High School Graduation and had even been generous in getting him his truck as a present. Naruto had to admit that he had it good his whole life; loving parents who worked hard to support him, never worrying if he would have a meal the next day, and always had a bed to rest his head on.

In all honesty, I really should have nothing to complain about . . . not like my mom who lost all of her family at such a young age . . . I just hate being by myself. Perhaps that's why I always went out drinking on my days off . . . I just hated being in that cold, lonely, dark house.

It was also why he had been so giddy to go over to Hinata's place after the Christmas Party. Even if it meant he had to sleep on the couch, Naruto would at least wake up with someone in the same facility as him.

A drowsy feeling took over, and Naruto wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and dream this nightmare away. But, while he was anxious to hear from Kiba about Hinata's condition, he knew there would be no word from the other lead hand at least for an hour.

Just for a little bit . . . I want to close my eyes and dream of happier times . . .

He pulled out his phone and set the alarm to go off within the hour and then placed it on the desk nearby, but he kept the ringer on silent. Ever since he had left the hospital, his phone had been going off nonstop with texts from his friends and co-workers asking if he was alright, to phone calls from his parents and even Jiraiya. In all honesty, he felt terrible for not responding to his parents, however, he didn't want to talk to anyone until he got an update on Hinata's condition.

Thankfully, sleep did find him quickly.

As he lay snoring in Hinata's bed, his phone lit up again with another phone call. It silently rang and rang, with the name Neji appearing at the top.

To Be Continued . . .