Danger Ahead

Naruto groaned as he roused into consciousness by the tingling warmth of healing chakra. His eyes were heavy as he lethargically opened them. He was greeted with Sakura’s relieved smile.

“Where’s Pain?” He croaked as he sat up slowly.

“Don’t get up so fast Naruto-baka!” Her tone was tender though. “You killed him…you…Naruto you baka, you used the Kyuubi. Why did you do that? That chakra signature was enormous…bigger than when you went four tails-”

“Six…it was six tails. I…it was because…” He screwed his eyes up as he tried to remember, everything was a bit fuzzy still. “Hinata!” He looked around wildly. “She’s hurt, she needs help-”

“It’s alright Naruto, Hinata’s safe, we found her first. We had to dig you up from under all this rubble. It must have been one hell of a battle. How’d you overcome the Kyuubi’s power?”

“I-I don’t know!” He said hurriedly. “I want to see Hinata, is she okay?”

“We’re transporting her to a secure location. I’ve healed her but she still lost a lot of blood, she needs a transfusion. But Naruto, focus! How did you overcome-”

“I don’t remember! The power could have collapsed in on itself, maybe I was stronger…maybe me and Pain both collapsed but I survived. He’s only being controlled after all. Did,” He looked around at all the devastation. “Did the hospital make it?”

“No, we’re setting up emergency medical services at the Academy. It didn’t get blown up.”

“Of course…”

“Sakura-chan!” The two teammates looked up as Lee bounded on the scene, coming over to them and steadying Naruto as the blonde stood up. “Naruto-kun, you shouldn’t be moving yet.”

“Did you get Hinata to the Academy?” Sakura asked, hooking Naruto’s free arm around her neck.

“Yes, Neji’s with her now. But they took my blood before I left, apparently I have the same blood type as Hinata-chan. She needs more, but I gave all I could.”

“I’ll give some too.” Naruto said firmly.

“What blood type is she?” Sakura asked.

“We’re both ‘A’.” Lee replied.

“Sorry Naruto, you can’t then, you’re blood type ‘B’. Don’t worry, I’ll give blood, I’m type ‘O’.”

“What can I do?” He asked testily.

“Nothing, rest!” Sakura retorted.

“You don’t understand, she got hurt protecting me. She almost died because of me. She said-”

He snapped his mouth shut.

“Yes?” Sakura prodded, wondering why he’d broken off.

He didn’t even respond, completely lost in his own thoughts. She loved him. That was huge. It was…love…someone loved him. No, not just someone. Hinata! Hinata loved him. She’d been willing to die for him. So much was running though his head, so many feelings swimming through him. Nothing made sense, he couldn’t read one emotion from another. He only knew one thing.

He needed to see Hinata.
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Arriving at the Academy and moving down the halls of the very familiar building, Naruto saw that there were many cots set up in each classroom. He noticed that the further they got from the front of the school, less severe were the cases in the rooms. And Hinata wasn’t in any of those rooms.

His heart lifted as they kept moving, feeling happier the more the walked and the closer he got to his destination. Finally entering a room, his throat felt thick with anticipation.

“When we realised the Akatsuki were regrouping we retreated. On our way back we passed some Aburame clansmen, so we asked them to send some bugs to keep surveillance in case they moved.” Said Shikaku, as he, Tsunade, Ino and Inoichi as they stood around Shikamaru’s bed.

“Shikamaru, what happened to you?” Naruto’s tone was light.

Everyone looked over at the newcomers with mixed expressions. Shikaku and Inoichi seemed a bit conflicted, but the rest seemed relieved. Tsunade moved over to and hugged the boy that was like a little brother to her.

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I’m surprised you weren’t down there to stop me Baa-chan, I was a huge threat to Konoha.”

“I was there, but didn’t get there until after you turned back. And then I accompanied Hinata back while Sakura healed you.”

Naruto suddenly turned his head to the left. Lying in the bed across the room from Shikamaru, was Hinata. She was sleeping soundly as she received blood. Finding enough strength, he moved away from Sakura and Lee’s assisting frames and walked towards Hinata’s bed. Everyone watched in silence at what was happening before them. Neji, from his place beside Hinata’s bed, saw something in Naruto’s expression and moved away slightly so Naruto could have a sliver of privacy.

Naruto stood over the bed and looked down at Hinata, his eyes shining.

“Naruto, it wasn’t your fault.” Said Sakura from behind him. “Your injuries showed that you were pinned.” Naruto rubbed the back of his hand subconsciously. “There was nothing you could have done.” Suddenly, she was right beside him with a hand on his shoulder, obliterating that one sliver of privacy. “So don’t cry, please.”

He was crying? He lifted a hand and touched a cheek. So he was. But why? He tried now to sift though his emotions as he looked at the unconscious Hyuga. Relief for her safety, frustration at himself, and something…else.

“Because I love you…”

He couldn’t quite place the last emotion running through him. He felt lighter, he realised, fuller…not so lonely anymore. He collapsed into Neji’s chair and rested his arms on her bed. He felt extremely strange and he needed someone to be there for him.

“That’s all Hinata’s ever done. She’s always been there for me, even when I didn’t know I needed someone.” He thought as he looked at her closely. “Open your eyes please.”

“She won’t just yet, she’s still recuperating.”

Sakura’s voice made him jump, he hadn’t realised he’d said that aloud. Silence rolled over the congregation as they watched Naruto watch Hinata.

Ino noticed something strange about the way in which Naruto looked at Hinata. His eyes looked wider…like he was seeing her differently. She smiled, praying that that was true.

“I broke my leg by the way, thanks for asking Naruto.” Shikamaru suddenly said, breaking the silence.

Naruto looked at his friend vacantly, his lips twitching in a smile before he looked back at Hinata when she let out an exhale of breath as she turned her head slightly. He leaned forward and crossed his arms on top of Hinata’s bed, resting his head on his arms as he watched her sleep.

Sakura surreptitiously moved over to stand by Shikamaru’s bed with Ino and Neji. She shared a look with Ino, both not quite understanding what had happened between Naruto and Hinata. Neji still looked on in concern, before he bowed to Tsunade.

“Excuse me Tsunade-sama, I must go talk with Koh, I must find out exactly what occurred.”

“I’ll come with you, I’d like to know too.” She nodded to the adults. “We will discuss this later this afternoon.”

She and Neji left and Shikaku turned to his son. “I’m going to go find you mother.”

“Me too Ino, I have affairs to take care of. Stay at the Academy until the autopsy on the Pain corpse.”

Ino, Sakura and Lee were left beside Shikamaru’s bed.

“What do you think happened?” Sakura asked Ino.

“I can guess but…is that likely?”

“Is what likely?” Lee asked.

“I thought it’d be obvious,” Said Shikamaru calmly. “As you said, Naruto was pinned, and I conjecture that Hinata turned up to protect him. And she told him-”

“But how could you know that?” Ino asked.

“Did you see his face? He was looking at her like he’d never seen her before. Anyway, she told him, and she got injured by Pain. That’s probably when Naruto went Kyuubi, he lost it. Could you imagine? Someone finally tells him ‘that’-”

“What?” Lee asked again, lost.

“And she almost dies. He almost lost what he’d always wanted.”

“What did he almost lose?” Lee said louder.

“Love, Lee. Hinata loves Naruto and she told him today. It’s what he’s always wanted and it was almost taken right before his eyes.” Shikamaru finally answered.

Lee’s eyes were sparkling. “Naruto-kun has found love?”

Sakura smacked him across the back of the head. “Quiet Lee!” She whispered harshly, looking over at Hinata’s bed.

Naruto’s expression was peaceful. And he was fast asleep.
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It was midnight when Hinata woke, drowsy with aches and exhaustion. Looking to her left, rows upon rows of desks rose before her. For one wild, bewildered moment she’d thought she was back at the Academy and thought she’d fallen sleep in class. How embarrassing.

A snore to her right caused her to realise that she was in the Academy, but it was dark, the only light being provided by moonlight filtering in through the classroom windows. She looked to her right and blushed.

“Naruto-kun.” She whispered.

Everything came back to her. The explosion, the overwhelming desire to help Naruto and…ohtheconfession. Not now, even in his presence, with his blue eyes gazing at her, did she regret her words or her actions. Yes, she would have died for him. And, she thought with a slight frown, that she had.

Wait a minute.

Blue eyes?

She had been so focused on what had been, that she hadn’t noticed that Naruto had woken, or that he was looking at her with bright, blue eyes, brimming with…what was that? But oh, it made her warm all over. Or was that her blushing?

“Are you okay?” He asked softly, looking at her intently.

She couldn’t quite find her voice so she nodded, meeting his gaze with an ease and confidence she didn’t know she’d ever possessed.

Until today.

“Are you-”

“Thanks to you.” He cut her off, seemingly trying to skip this bit.

Hinata felt empowered, despite her fatigue, pain and low blood count. She felt lighter and stronger and happier and…more womanly. Whether it was because she’s willingly sacrificed herself for the man she loved and survived or because she’d told him she loved him, she didn’t know. But standing before Pain, wanting so desperately to protect her Naruto-kun, she’d gained the strength to do things she’d never been able to do before. She liked this change.

“Did you mean it?”

Tactful, Naruto was not.

“Yes.” She loved this…this freedom.

“Do you know about…about the Kyuubi?” He wanted to clear up this stumbling block before this…whatever this was…went any further.

“Yes, I researched it after we,” We! “Met up with Kabuto. Apparently, some of the Hyuga elders weren’t very concerned with the Third’s law in the Hyuga journals. It actually…it actually wasn’t hard to find.”

“And…” He swallowed. “You still…you still love me?”

She suddenly felt small again. Him saying it made it all so real. She’s said it. He knows. He knows!

Naruto Uzumaki knew Hinata Hyuga loves him.

She willed herself to be strong again. He knew, she couldn’t take it back (even if she wanted to), so she may as well make it so abundantly clear while she felt this amazing power and femininity.

“Yes Naruto-kun, I love you.”

She’d said it again! Her face felt warm and light with joy. Hinata Hyuga, woman of the world! Not Hinata Hyuga, burden of her clan, not Hinata Hyuga, watcher of Naruto. Woman. Full and free and alive.

Brimming with pride of her own petite self, she didn’t even feel the fear of rejection. There wasn’t room. The worst he could do was reject her, the strong, proud woman being born within her said.

But this woman, this happy and brave and gorgeous and intelligent woman, could see that he wouldn’t reject her. Not return her feelings, maybe…of course, because he’d never looked at her that way before, but never reject her.

Naruto was watching her carefully, not to see if she was lying, he knew she wouldn’t (probably couldn’t), but just to watch her…to learn her. She looked beautiful, he concluded. Not because the moonlight caressed and brightened and danced within her eyes. Not because her small, shy smile was stunning and uplifting. Not even because one would hope that a woman that loved you was so gorgeous that it made other men jealous because she loved you and not them. But because she was happy. She was happy and free. He could almost see the protective shell fall away from her.

She still wore, and probably always would wear, those baggy clothes, her fringe still skirted her eyebrows, forming a curtain around her eyes, and she still blushed. She was Hinata, after all. He wouldn’t want her to change. But it looked, from the way she seemed to almost exude confidence and happiness, that she would no longer worry about what her clan thought of her. She looked like the future Hyuga clan Head.

He suddenly felt breathless and light-headed. This girl…this woman, beauteous in her personal development, loved him. And she was Hinata, still Hinata, always Hinata, as the blush dusting her cheeks reminded him.

He suddenly laughed, giddy in a moment of his revelation. “You always do that,” He smiled at her. “Always know how to make me better. Why…no, you’ve already told me why…‘when’ did you…” He trailed off, as if he could not believe his own words.

“I’m…I’m not quite sure,” She was soft as she spoke. “I’ve always admired you N-Naruto-kun,” Her stutter joltingly reminded him again that it was his friend Hinata speaking. “And it just seemed to grow.” She shook her head, seemingly to clear it. “Ages, years…forever…always. As long as I can remember.”

“Do you know, I’ve always, always wanted to be loved! I never thought it’d happen because of the Kyuubi. And then…you…Hinata Hyuga…you said it and,” He looked down with a frown. “I almost lost you. I thought I had. I went beserk. I went crazy and the Kyuubi took over. That’s the only reason I’m alive, because I lost control. You saved me today Hinata.”

“I’ve only ever wanted to help you Naruto-kun. But…but you beat the Kyuubi, you got control back,” Her smile made him feel invincible. “You saved Konoha.”

Konoha. Oh. His eyes widened as he realised the power she had over him. She made him forget about all the death, pain and destruction going on around them. For one glorious moment, they had only been Naruto and Hinata, boy and girl. No ninja, no destiny, no Sasuke, no Akatsuki and no loss. Only teenagers.

“You make me happy Hinata. Honestly, I can’t say I love you. This is too new but…I like this, I like that it’s you and I like that it’s us.” A gaping hole inside his heart closed with those last words. “But I would love,” He rolled that word around in his mouth. “I would love to try with you. You mean a lot to me Hinata-”

“Naruto, you’re awake.” Naruto and Hinata both jumped at the sound of Tsunade’s voice. “I’m sorry to interrupt whatever you were talking about, but Naruto, we really need to talk about everything that’s happened and what’s going to happen.”

Naruto looked at the woman was his mother in everything except blood. “I-okay.” He turned back to Hinata with a soft smile. “Okay?”

“Okay Naruto-kun, I’d love that.” She couldn’t get enough of that word.

“And Shikamaru, as soon as the nurse brings a wheelchair, I want you in Iruka’s office.” Tsunade said.

The figure in the bed opposite Hinata’s sat up without even pretence of tiredness. Hinata and Naruto both blushed.

There was a Naruto-like grin on Shikamaru’s face. “Of course Tsunade-sama.”

“Get some sleep Hinata, you need it. You did good today.” Tsunade said.

“I did, didn’t I?” Hinata told herself, feeling empowered and not the least bit tired. “Yes Hokage-sama. Goodnight Naruto-kun.”

He grinned his normal, foxy grin. “Goodnight Hinata. And hurry up you lazy-ass.”

Obviously directed at Shikamaru, but his blue eyes didn’t leave Hinata.

Naruto and Tsunade left the room, and Shikamaru waited patiently for his wheelchair to arrive. He looked across the room at Hinata.

He was smirking. “My damn leg, every time I turn over, I wake up.”

“And…” She asked, suddenly shy without her…boyfriend? “And when was that Shikamaru-kun?”

“Just as you gave Naruto all he ever craved.”
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“According to our information, the Akatsuki have moved. The Aburame bugs have all been destroyed, so I think they know we followed them, but the battle is over. Naruto,” Tsunade rubbed her tired eyes. “You did a great thing today. We now have the head puppet in our hands, so it won’t be hard to find the Akatsuki again. But more than that, you overcame the most powerful form of the Kyuubi you’ve come across so far. Today was very important, it will go down in history.”

The corner of Naruto’s mouth twitched. “I know.”

“Though, no matter how important today was, we have to look at the bigger picture. This isn’t over. I hate the saying, but we may have won the battle but we are yet to win the war. You are strong, but I need you to get stronger. I’m sending you back to the summons world with Gamabunta and,” She smiled tenderly. “Ma Toad-”

“They’re alive?” Naruto beamed.

“Yes. And I need you to keep training. There’s still danger ahead. Sasuke and the real Pain are still out there. It’s going to be long, and it’s going to be hard but if we all do our best, we’ll win.”

“You can count on me Baa-chan, I’m the Chosen One.” He was boisterous and loud. “Because,” He suddenly quietened, speaking to the one he considered his mother. “I have something great to look forward to.”