Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Commitment ❯ Resolve ( Chapter 3 )

 

Chapter Three - Resolve

 

 

 

 

The resulting wind caused by the explosion sent Hinata flying forward towards a large tree. It was only thanks to her ninja training that she was able to twist her body and land against the tree in a crouching position. The soles of her sandals clung to the bark with the help of her chakra. Fearing the worst had happened to Naruto she immediately sprung off the tree trunk and headed back the way she came. When she reached the area where the battle had taken place all she found was a crater about one hundred yards wide and twenty yards deep. Looking into the crater she didn't see anyone or anything so she started searching the surrounding area with her eyes. Suddenly she saw what looked like a body slumped against a tree on the edge of the crater on her right. From the looks of the dark mark on the tree it appeared as if the body had hit the tree hard and then slid down to its base. Hinata immediately raced towards the figure praying to any Kami that was listening that the body wasn't Naruto. When she reached her destination Hinata's heart nearly stopped. There before her lay her Naruto-kun, his head leaning to the right as if he was looking at the stump where his right hand used to belong but his eyes were closed. However that was nothing compared to his left side. His left shoulder and arm were torn away from his body as was his left leg. His clothes were in tatters and the left side of his face was disfigured by a massive burn.

 

 

Hinata was in shock! In her mind all she could do was repeat one word “No”. She kept saying that one word over and over until it started to seep from her lips, starting low and building in volume until she realized she was screaming it out loud. Hinata fell to her knees close to him and gingerly reached out to touch his face as if this was a dream and hoping that she wouldn't feel anything when her fingers met his skin.

 

 

When her fingers felt his flesh her fear intensified and she fell against his chest crying “Naruto-kun, please don't leave me! Naruto-kun, please! I don't know what I will do without you!”

 

 

Hinata laid against Naruto's chest, gripping what was left of his jacket, and cried her heart out.

 

 

Hinata cried for what seemed like forever when she suddenly felt a fly brush against her arm. At first she ignored it but when she felt it brush against her face her anguished mind screamed out “No! I will not let you defile my Naruto-kun!”

 

 

Pulling away from Naruto's chest she searched the area for the offending insect but could not find anything. Suddenly she felt her arm being brushed again and she quickly stared at the area of her arm where she was sure she felt it had touched but there was nothing there. Then her mind started to realize there wasn't a sound to be heard in the area. The whole forest was deathly quiet. Hinata started to wonder what it was that she had felt. When she felt it again Hinata froze.

 

 

She thought “Could it be?”

 

 

Did she even dare hope? Slowly Hinata leaned against Naruto's chest and listened. She couldn't hear a thing. As she began to pull away she thought she heard something and then she felt something brush against her cheek. She quickly placed her ear against Naruto's chest again listening carefully and after what seemed like forever she finally heard a heartbeat and again felt something brush against her skin.

 

 

Hinata was ecstatic! It was faint but she was sure she heard Naruto's heart beating and the sensation she felt on her skin was his chakra pulsing.

 

 

Hinata thought “Naruto-kun's alive! He's alive!”

 

 

Hinata wanted to grab Naruto and hug him with all her might but thought better and stood up.

 

 

Hinata thought “I need to get some branches to make a litter so I can take Naruto-kun back to Konoha”.

 

 

As Hinata started to search the surrounding area with her eyes to find suitable branches she noticed small wisps of red chakra coming from Naruto's body. To be specific the wisps of chakra were coming from the stump of his right hand and the damaged parts of his left side. As Hinata stared in curiosity, the wisps of chakra started getting thicker and thicker and coalescing around Naruto's wrist. Soon the stump that was Naruto's right hand began to bubble like the skin itself was boiling and what looked like five small lumps started to form. When Hinata looked at Naruto's left side the damaged sections seemed to be bubbling also and filling in the area that was once his shoulder, arm, hips and thigh. When Hinata returned her gaze to Naruto's right hand she saw what was once a stump was now a gelatinous blob with five slim extensions. Hinata couldn't believe what she was seeing, with the help of the Kyuubi, Naruto-kun was healing himself.

 

 

Suddenly Hinata heard a groan. She immediately looked at Naruto and cried “Naruto-kun?”

 

 

However she discovered that Naruto's face was still in the same position as it was when she found him. Puzzled Hinata thought that maybe she imagined hearing the groan when suddenly she heard it again only this time she realized it had come from behind her. Turning slowly she looked across the crater towards the river hoping it wasn't what she thought it was but to no avail as she slowly spied a head rising from the water. Hinata couldn't believe her eyes as she saw Suigetsu crawling out of the river and he seemed to be dragging something behind him. As Suigetsu got closer to the shore she could see the hilt of Samehada in his hand. Hinata knew that she was no match for Suigetsu and that powerful sword of his but she also knew that if she didn't do something then Naruto wouldn't stand a chance. She knew she would die if she fought him but if she could delay Suigetsu long enough then maybe Naruto will have recovered enough to escape. Since she couldn't use her Gentle Fist taijutsu because of Samehada she pulled out two kunais, one in each hand, and prepared herself for battle.

 

 

Suigetsu crawled to the river bank sore and disoriented. He had not expected anyone to willingly force chakra into Samehada. As his vision came into focus all he could see from his angle was Hinata standing a hundred yards away for him in a fighting stance. Using Samehada as a crutch he tried to stand but found himself falling forward onto the riverbank. Stunned he looked around and then focused his attention on Samehada. What he saw shocked and then angered him. In his hand was Samehada's hilt attached to about three inches of Samehada's body but the rest of the chakra eating sword was nowhere to be found.

 

 

Suigetsu couldn't believe it! He had waited all his life to get his hands on Samehada and after getting out of that prison he had spent the next three months hunting for it. He had heard in prison that Kisame had died fighting the eight tailed Bijuu's host and so when he escaped he decided to head toward the closest village in that area. When he had arrived in the village he had heard tales of a strange chakra eating sword that no one could pick up. It seemed that anyone who grabbed any part of the sword received cuts in their hand by the sword. If anyone tried to use a jutsu to handle the sword, the user's chakra would suddenly disappear and the jutsu would fail. After `nicely' persuading a local to show him where the strange sword was located he had found it under a tree all by itself. He had uncharacteristically let the local escape and just stared at Samehada.

 

 

Now Suigetsu had done his homework and knew he couldn't just grab the sword so he had carefully moved towards it and then held out his hand as if he was giving the sword something. After a while he had moved closer and repeated the action. When he had been about one body length away from Samehada he felt the sword pulling on his chakra so he just stayed there and let the sword feed. After about fifteen minutes he had pulled his hand back and moved two body lengths away from Samehada and then he sat down. There he had sat for the next six hours until he again moved forward to one body length and reached out to the sword. Again he had felt Samehada pull on his chakra and he let Samehada feed for another fifteen minutes. He had known that Samehada had to get used to the chakra of its new owner so he had been willing to take as long as it had been necessary to gain his prize. So for the next two days he had repeated his ritual of feeding Samehada and staying by its side leaving only to replenish his food and water supplies.

 

 

At the beginning of the third day he had started talking to Samehada while it fed. The content of the conversation wasn't important as long as he had kept his voice even without any anger apparent and so he had told Samehada about his life. He had talked of things that he would have probably never told anyone else. However when he had spoke of his time as Orochimaru's prisoner, Samehada had started to emit a clicking sound that sounded like annoyance to him. He had realized that he had let his anger enter into his voice while talking about his time in captivity so he had decided to avoid that part of his life in the future.

 

 

After a month had passed he had decided it was time to pick up Samehada so he had slowly made his way closer to the sword and had gently gripped the hilt. Samehada had immediately extended the scales in its hilt which tore into his hand. Normally this would not have bothered him as he would just let his body change into water but since Samehada ate chakra this action caused him considerable pain. However he had not let go of the hilt and after a few minutes Samehada had retracted its scales. When the scales had been retracted he hadn't released the hilt nor had he tried to lift the sword, he had simply held on to it letting Samehada get used to his touch. After about an hour he had slowly lifted Samehada and when the sword didn't protest he had taken a tentative swing. Samehada had done nothing so he had taken a more aggressive swing.

 

 

Again Samehada hadn't protested so he had thrust the sword above his head and had screamed “Yes, Samehada is now mine! With this everyone will recognized me as the greatest swordsman in the world! Now to find and kill that bastard, Uchiha Sasuke.”

 

 

“Uchiha Sasuke,” Suigetsu said to Samehada “do you know that bastard had left me and Juugo behind in Iron Country while him and that bitch, Karin, escaped? They dumped us even after Juugo and I saved his scrawny little neck while fighting the hachibi with him. I spent a year and a half in that stinking prison just waiting for any opportunity to escape and when that one guard got a little too careless I took my chance.”

 

 

“Once outside I vowed that I would hunt that asshole down and strip the flesh from his bones and you're going to help me do it, friend” he finished.

 

 

The new union hadn't been as perfect as he had hoped. He had discovered that if he hadn't fed Samehada a good chakra meal at least once a week then Samehada would start draining him of his chakra. However this had been a minor inconvenience and well worth it if it meant he was now in control of the greatest sword in the land. But now, after only a month in his possession, Samehada had been destroyed. He was going to kill them! He was going to reach into their bodies and rip their hearts out!

 

 

As Hinata saw Suigetsu fall she realized that Samehada had been destroyed and her chances of surviving had improved. However even if she could now use chakra she knew that she had to stay between Suigetsu and Naruto-kun in order to protect him and in the heat of battle being able to move can mean the difference between life and death. So the only option she had left was to use Shugo Hakke Rokujuuyonshou - Guardian Eight Divination Signs, Sixty-Four Palms of the Hand. Using Naruto's good arm she pulled him away from the tree until she had him laying flat on the ground. Next she stood over him with one foot beside each of hips and removed her jacket. Then she started to move her arms in a rotational movement in front of her body and as far as possible behind her body going faster and faster while expelling chakra from the palms of her hands. She increased her speed until her arms were a blur and a shield of chakra encompassed her and Naruto.

 

 

Suigetsu rose from the ground and stared at Hinata and then he noticed Naruto's body behind her. He could tell that the explosion seemed to have mangled Naruto's body and as he stared at Hinata it looked as if she had lost her arms in the explosion as well.

 

 

Yelling at her in anger he said “Bitch, I'm going to kill you just like I did your boyfriend.”

 

 

When Hinata didn't reply and just seemed to be standing there ignoring him he let his anger swell and stated racing toward her around the rim of the crater. As he got nearer and nearer he noticed that Hinata hadn't changed her position and that made him suspicious. Coming to a stop about fifty feet away from her he stared at Hinata and finally noticed that the air was shimmering around her and Naruto. Knowing she was a Hyuuga and deciding not to take a chance he picked up a stone and threw it at her. The stone got within ten feet of Hinata and then suddenly ricocheted off to the right. Now Suigetsu understood what was going on, she was generating some kind of protection field using the chakra from her hands.

 

 

Using the river as a source of ready water Suigetsu decided to test Hinata's protection field to see just how strong her jutsu was. He figured he would start with Suiton Shurikens so using hand signs he caused a number of balls of compressed water to crash against the field but each one just exploded as they came in contact with Hinata's jutsu. Next he decided to use Suiton Daibakufu no Jutsu which cause a column of spinning water to rise from the river and crash against the field but again Hinata's jutsu held. This angered Suigetsu so now he decided to use Suiton Suiryuudan no Jutsu which caused a dragon made from water to rise from the river and attack Hinata. The force of this attack was much stronger than the previous attack and yet the barrier did not fall.

 

 

Even though Hinata's body had not moved from her original position her Byakugan could see everything Suigetsu was doing outside her barrier. She knew that he was testing her and that she had to hold on as long as possible. Since they were near Konoha she was hoping that someone had heard the explosion and was coming to investigate. As Suigetsu's attacks increased in power she felt the strain it was causing on her body but she would not let him get near Naruto. Using her Byakugan to look at Naruto's body wasn't as bad as it had been during the attack on Konoha by the Rock ninjas as it seemed the glow was staying close to his hand and left side. It looked as if he was progressing well and she could now see his left arm and leg forming slowly through the glow of chakra. Suddenly she felt the power of Suigetsu's latest attack and it had hurt. Her barrier had held but she wasn't sure she could hold out through another attack such as that again.

 

 

The fact that Suiton Suiryuudan no Jutsu had failed angered Suigetsu further and he was about fully lose his temper when he noticed the pained expression on Hinata's face. As he stared closely he started to notice the beads of perspiration on her face and he smiled because he realized she wouldn't be able to last much longer.

 

 

He stood in front of her and said “Bitch, I don't even care if you know where Sasuke is or not. You won't last much longer and when I get my hands on you I am going to make you wish that you had died in that explosion like your boyfriend.”

 

 

Suigetsu made the hand signs for Suiton Suiryuudan no Jutsu again and smiled as he saw the worry forming on Hinata's face.

 

Hinata was scared. She knew that she was about to die but that was not what scared her. As a Kunoichi she knew that she could die anytime she went on a mission and she had accepted that a long time ago. No, what scared her was that when her barrier fell she was sure that Naruto-kun wouldn't be able to escape after the water subsided. She was going to die and she wasn't able to protect Naruto-kun as she had hoped.

 

 

As she saw the water dragon approach she said “Goodbye, Naruto-kun. I am sorry I wasn't able to save you. Please forgive me.”

 

 

As Hinata tensed her body in anticipation of the pain of the attack, the sensation that flooded her body was nothing like what she expected. Instead of pain she felt powerful as her body was suddenly flooded with new found energy. She saw rather than felt Suigetsu's jutsu hit her barrier and she was surprised it had held and what's more she hadn't felt a thing. Then she realized that something was holding her leg and looking down she saw Naruto's hand gripping her ankle even though he still seemed to be unconscious. Though fully formed his hand was not complete as she could clearly see the muscles and tendons and the hand was no longer covered in red chakra but was now covered in blue chakra. This puzzled Hinata at first then she recalled the jutsu Naruto had used on Gaara during the attack on Konoha by the Rock ninjas. Naruto-kun was feeding her his chakra! Hinata felt more powerful than she had ever felt before and she knew that if Suigetsu didn't figure out the one weakness of her jutsu she could protect Naruto-kun forever.

 

 

Suigetsu felt like a kid in a toy store as he watch the Suiton Suiryuudan no Jutsu crash into Hinata's barrier with the anticipation of watching the barrier crumble under the force of the attack. His glee was short-lived as he watched the water flow away leaving the barrier intact. Not only was the barrier as strong as ever but he could see the look on Hinata's face and there was not a trace of worry, only a look of pure determination. Suigetsu was shock! The barrier and the bitch behind it were still standing. He threw a third and then a fourth Suiton Suiryuudan no Jutsu at her and still the barrier stood. Suigetsu couldn't believe it.

 

 

“How is she doing this?” he thought.

 

 

As he stared at her he noticed that the ground inside the barrier was wet and though it wasn't a lot of water maybe he could manipulate it to cause her to lose her concentration. Suigetsu tried to force chakra into the water inside the barrier but he couldn't so he figured that maybe the barrier was blocking everything including his chakra. But he quickly ruled that out because if the barrier blocked everything then how could they breathe. Then he had an idea, he quickly created a column of water in front of the barrier and released it letting the water flow freely. The water fell to the ground splashing everywhere including inside the barrier. Suigetsu laughed. He had figured out a way to beat her.

 

 

He said “I got you, bitch. Your jutsu can block chakra and things controlled by chakra but like a net it can't block non-solids like air or water that is flowing freely.” Suigetsu started making hand signs and called out Suirou no Jutsu (Water Prison Skill) but instead of a large ball of water he created a wall of water taller than the barrier which surrounded Hinata and Naruto. Then keeping one hand against the wall so that it wouldn't collapse he used his free hand to cause a column of water to rise from the river and flow over the edge of the water wall where he released it so that it flowed freely filling up the water wall and Hinata's barrier.

 

 

As the water filled the prison he shouted out “If I can't crush you then I'll drown you!”

 

 

As Hinata saw Suigetsu's actions she knew her worst fear had come to pass, he had indeed deduced the weakness of her jutsu. She knew that Naruto-kun was still in no condition to escape by himself and if she released her jutsu and attacked Suigetsu then that would leave Naruto vulnerable to harm whether accidental or intentional. As the water started to flow inside the barrier Hinata could see her chakra strings slicing through the water like a stationary stick stuck in the mud while the river flowed around it. Hinata realized that her only option was in increase the rotational speed of her arms to create a shield that even water couldn't penetrate. But was that even possible? In creating her jutsu she had attained the fastest speed she thought possible without damaging the muscles in her arms. But maybe, with the chakra Naruto was supplying her, she could increase her speed. She had no choice but to try so she concentrated and started going faster.

 

 

When she increased her speed she could see the chakra string causing the water to splash as they moved through it but she hadn't stopped it yet and the water had risen to her ankles. So she went even faster. The water was still rising and now Naruto-kun was in danger of being submerged as the water level reached his cheeks. In desperation Hinata moved her arms even faster and as she watched she started to see what seemed like a seam forming between the water inside the barrier and the water outside. As she continued watching she noticed that the water level outside was rising but the water level inside the barrier stayed the same.

 

 

“Yes, I did it!” she thought but now she had another problem.

 

 

By increasing the density of the barrier to block the flow of water she had also blocked the flow of the air they needed to breathe. So now she needed to adjust her rotational pattern to lessen the density at the top of the barrier to allow air to enter. Concentrating hard she started to change her pattern so that she skipped every other overhead pass and she knew she had it right when a gust of fresh air hit her from above.

 

 

As Suigetsu smiled while watching the water level rise he stated to notice that the level inside the barrier had stopped while the outside level continued to rise. He couldn't believe it! She was stopping the water!

 

 

“How is she doing this?” he thought.

 

 

In the beginning she hadn't shown this level of strength before and now she was unstoppable.

 

 

“Well” he thought, “She has to have an opening somewhere to let in air so if I raise the water level until the barrier is covered then she will either pass out from lack of air or collapse the barrier to escape. Either way I will have my chance to kill her.”

 

 

When Hinata saw the outside water level rising she knew what it meant and in fact she had anticipated this move because it is what she would have done. She knew she had two options: the first option was to increase the size of the barrier but that would decrease the density of the shield letting the outside water inside. The other option was to change the shape of the barrier so that the top extended pass the outside water line. Keeping the rotational aspect of the jutsu intact that left only two possible shapes: a cylinder or a cone. The cylinder option was out because even though it would have allow a lot of air to enter that aspect would have made the top too difficult to defend so the only true option was the cone.

 

 

The cone had the benefit of a large base to protect Naruto-kun and her and a small area at the top for air which would be easier to defend. Now the rotational demands of a ball is much different than that of a cone and the cone shape would be easier to maintain if she could spin. However if she were to spin her body she would lose contact with Naruto-kun's hand and thus her chakra source so she had to create the cone using only her arms. So Hinata started slowly changing her pattern again in order to maintain the present density while the shape moved from a sphere to a cone.

 

 

Suigetsu started to smile as he saw the shape of the barrier begin to change. At first he thought that the barrier was starting to collapse but then he realized that it was just changing shape from the sphere to a cone. His frustration really intensified when he realized the top of the cone would be higher than the walls of his water prison. If he were in the river then he would have enough chakra to create a higher wall to ensure the barrier was covered in water. Hell, if he could move the barrier into the crater then he could release the prison walls and fill the crater with water.

 

 

Suigetsu was livid. These two had ruined his chance to be known as the greatest swordsman in the world and even though the boy was dead this little whore was preventing him from making her pay. He was going to destroy that barrier no matter what. Turning into water he melded into the water prison wall and with his chakra keeping the prison in tact he began hand signs to increase the pressure of the water. When the barrier was a sphere it was well suited to withstand an increase in outside pressure however a cone shape was more susceptible to pressure from the side.

 

 

Hinata had done it. She had successfully changed the shape of the barrier from a ball into a cone and the look on Suigetsu face when he realized what she did was priceless. But now Hinata was puzzled.

 

 

“What is he doing now?” she thought when she saw Suigetsu pass through the water walls.

 

 

Then she got her answer though she felt it as oppose to saw it. Suigetsu was trying to crush the barrier using water pressure. She wasn't sure how much pressure he could exert but with Naruto-kun's chakra flowing in her she felt she could handle anything. And then she noticed it, a dull throbbing pain. At first she though it was being cause by Suigetsu's attack but it didn't feel like the pain she ever felt before when someone attacked her barrier. No, this pain was originating in her shoulders and moving down her arms. Then she realized her mistake. Naruto-kun's chakra was giving her the power to go forever but her body wasn't used to this kind of stress. She turned her attention to Naruto to see if he had healed well enough to escape. To her horror she discovered that his condition hadn't change since she last checked.

 

 

“Why had the Kyuubi's chakra stopped healing him?” she thought.

 

 

Then it dawned upon her that Naruto-kun was diverting the Kyuubi's chakra to her instead of using it to heal. If she didn't do something quickly her arms were going to fail and then she and Naruto-kun would be helpless.

 

 

Hinata had an idea, it was risky but under the circumstances it was all she had left however first she had to locate Suigetsu. Suigetsu may have change his body into water but he had to be totally separated from the rest of the water otherwise his organs would separate and he would die. So Hinata search the water for the chakra system that had to be holding his body together, keeping him alive. Once she located him she began to search for two specific clusters of chakra in his body.

 

 

“Ahh, there they are” she thought, “Now to lure him closer.”

 

 

The ache in Hinata shoulders was becoming unbearable but she ignored it was she started her plan. She slowly started to ease the barrier in front of her letting water seep in. As the water started to form a small stream into the barrier she noticed the chakra system moved closer. The water level around Naruto was starting to rise again and she hoped she would be able to execute her plan before he drowned. When Suigetsu drifted in front of Hinata he reformed his face to give her an evil smile to show her she had lost. It was at this time that Hinata forced chakra into her feet to grip the ground tightly and then she let her jutsu collapse in front of her while leaning back as far as she could. This sudden influx of water washed over her carrying Suigetsu over her body and that is when she reached up and grabbed her target. There are two places in the body where the chakra system clusters are the largest, the brain and the heart, and right now Hinata had Suigetsu's heart in the palm of her hand.

 

 

Hinata knew her plan had worked when she closed her fingers and felt a lump of fibers that felt like Udon noodle. Once she had his heart in her hand, Hinata closed her fingers and began squeezing with all her might. She heard a noise which she would best describe as a muffled scream and then she felt something pulling at her wrist but she kept squeezing. Then Hinata felt something repeatedly striking her face but the blows was ones of desperation and thus the force wasn't focused. Hinata continued squeezing with all her might until she felt the mass in her hand squish between her fingers. It was at this point that the water prison walls shuddered and then collapsed with all the water surrounding her rushing away in every direction. She soon found herself flat on the ground in the open air.

 

 

Hinata took a gulp of fresh air. She had done it. She had beat Suigetsu and save Naruto-kun.

 

 

“Naruto-kun!” she thought, “Where is he?”

 

 

In a panic she tried to sit up and then it hit her: PAIN! Hinata's arms felt as if they were on fire. Every nerve ending cried out from the top of her shoulders to the tips of her fingers. The rush of battle had blocked out how injured her arms truly were but when everything was over the full extent of the damage was evident as she discovered she couldn't move her arms. But she couldn't think of that right now because she had to find Naruto-kun so she turned her head to the right and then to the left in desperation however she couldn't see him anywhere.

 

 

Panicking she thought “Kami, did he get washed into the crater or the river by the rushing water and drown?”

 

 

Gritting her teeth she forced herself to roll to the right, the pain shooting through her as her bodyweight fell upon her right arm. Ignoring it as best she could she was about to somehow get her feet under her and check the crater when she noticed a pair of boots above her head. As she looked up she saw Naruto above her head, lying on his side, facing towards her. At first she thought he might have drowned until she noticed his chest slowly rising and falling. Smiling she let gravity rolled onto her back and, as exhaustion overtook her body, she slowly drifted into unconsciousness. She wasn't sure if it was a dream or not but as her consciousness faded she thought she heard someone yell “Hinata-sama”.

 

 

Hinata awoke to find herself in one of the private rooms of the Konoha Hospital. As her eyes came into focus she spotted her sister Hanabi sitting in the chair next to her bed watching her. In spite of what some people thought Hanabi did not hate her sister. Though they weren't really close Hanabi actually liked Hinata, to the same degree that she liked all the Main family members, but she felt that Hinata was foolish to fight against Hyuuga traditions. However because of Hinata's demeanor Hanabi felt it was obvious that Hanabi would make a better Clan Leader and therefore not be placed into the Branch Family. Things had changed now since Hinata's skill had improved greatly the last couple of years and her performance two days ago had impressed their father.

 

 

What Hinata didn't know was that someone had noticed the explosion of Samehada and had come to investigate, a Hyuuga party consisting of Hiashi, Hanabi, Hyuuga Zinan and their bodyguards. Hiashi and Zinan, one of the Hyuuga Clan's top negotiator and a clan elder, had gone to the Rice Country to negotiate a trade deal for Konoha and Hiashi thought that this would be a good learning experience for Hanabi. While they were returning to Konoha the explosion had occurred and focusing their Byakugans in that direction they were able to make out a battle occurring between two fighters but were too far away to identify anyone. It wasn't until Hinata had change the shape of the chakra barrier from a sphere to a cone that Hiashi's interest was peaked. When they arrived at the opposite side of the river he discovered that the occupant of the barrier was Hinata.

 

 

Whether Zinan could tell or not was not clear because it was Hanabi that said “Father, that's Hinata in there.”

 

 

Hiashi stood there keeping his eyes on the battle with his Byakugan activated, watching intensely and answered “Yes I know”.

 

 

This answer caused the bodyguards to become concerned because many of them like Hinata since she never talked down to them. Hiashi's personal bodyguard said “Hiashi-sama, shouldn't we go help her?”

 

 

Without taking his eyes off the battle Hiashi said “No, let's see how she handles this”.

 

 

Hiashi's bodyguard did not like this answer but he knew his place and replied “Yes, Hiashi-sama”.

 

 

Hiashi was not condemning Hinata to death but was in fact curious. He had heard tales of Hinata's improvement in skills however he had never had a chance to witness it with his own eyes. Whenever he watched Hinata's practice sessions he did indeed see improvement but nothing to suggest that she was able to perform the Juuho Soushiken (Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist) as was reported during the invasion by Pein. Now he had a chance to see her fight in a real combat situation and he wasn't going to interfere.

 

 

Hanabi was born with a lot of the traits that were prized in the Hyuuga Clan and foremost among those traits was her ability to read body language. It was said that she was the best of her generation and right now she was using that ability on her father. Hiashi was known to be able to hide what he was thinking but having lived with him all her life gave Hanabi special insight to Hiashi's subtle nuances. At this moment all of Hanabi's skills were telling her that Hiashi was impressed by Hinata's fighting skills. As Hanabi turned her attention back to the battle something seemed off. In her opinion there was no way Hinata had the kind of chakra reserves to pull off this kind battle and as she watched closely she noticed that Hinata's chakra field stronger at her right leg than her heart or brain. It was then that she noticed the second body on the ground of the barrier. The second body's chakra field was low all over except for its right hand which was attached to Hinata's leg.

 

 

Looking back on this day Hanabi didn't know why she said it but at that moment she said “She has someone with her feeding her chakra.”

 

 

Without taking his eyes off the battle Hiashi replied “It's not the amount of chakra one has that determines a battle but how one uses it otherwise people would not have able to capture the Bijuus.”

 

 

Hanabi kept her eyes on the battle and did not reply but she knew she had failed an important test in her father's eyes.

 

 

After the battle had ended Hiashi's personal bodyguards expected an order to go help but as he awaited the command from his master Hiashi just kept staring ahead.

 

 

Hiashi had seen Hinata try to rise and search the area for the second body and wondered “Did she do all this just to protect him? Is that when she shows her true strength when fighting for someone else?”

 

 

When he heard his bodyguard asked “Hiashi-sama?” he answered “Yes, go see to their needs.”

 

 

When Hanabi noticed that Hinata had awakened she said “I am glad you are well, Hinata nee-chan”.

 

 

Hinata turned her head to look at her sister and replied “Thank you, Hanabi-imouto. How long have I been asleep?

 

 

Hanabi replied “Two days”.

 

 

Then Hinata asked “How did I get here?”

 

 

Hanabi answered “Father and I found you in the forest battling someone and after the battle had ended he had you transported here.”

 

 

“Oh” Hinata replied softly.

 

 

As she turned her face towards the ceiling Hinata thought “I was fighting for my life and all Father did was watch?”

 

 

Then Hanabi added “Father was very impressed by your fighting skills.”

 

 

Again, in retrospect, Hanabi wondered why she said it, maybe she felt guilty for her earlier comment to her father. Upon hearing that Hinata's eyes widen in surprise as she turned her head to look at her sister.

 

 

Hanabi answered her look by saying “He did not say it in words but I could tell he was impressed.”

 

 

Hinata's eyes softened and when she tried to sit up she discovered that her arms still did not work. Looking down at them she discovered that both her arms were bandaged from her shoulders down to and including her hands. Seeing Hinata trying to rise up Hanabi rose from her chair and helped Hinata to sit up, propping the pillows behind Hinata's back.

 

 

In answer to Hinata's unspoken question Hanabi said “Tsunade-sama said that you tore the muscles and ligaments in your shoulder and arms using that technique and your hands were covered with chakra burns. She said that with therapy you should be fine in a month.”

 

 

“Thank you” replied Hinata and then she asked “Where's Father?”

 

 

Returning to her chair Hanabi replied “He had to attend a Clan meeting and said he would come by later. Neji hasn't returned from his mission yet.”

 

 

Hinata said “Oh, okay”

 

 

There was a minute of complete silence as Hanabi stared at Hinata and then she asked “Is he worth it?”

 

 

Hinata looked puzzled and replied “Is who worth what?”

 

 

Hanabi replied “Uzumaki-san, is he worth all the damage you have done to your body?

First you were stabbed by Deva Pein, then you damaged your eyes fighting that rock Nin and now your arms were hurt fighting that Suigetsu character.”

 

 

Hinata looked at Hanabi surprised that she would ask such a personal question but then she smiled and answered “Yes, he is.”

 

 

Hanabi seemed as if she was going to ask another question when there was a knock at the door and in walked Tsunade.

 

 

Hanabi rose from her chair and bowed saying “Tsunade-sama“ while Hinata just bowed from her sitting position and also said “Tsunade-sama”

 

 

Tsunade nodded at Hanabi and replied “Hanabi-san” and turning to her patient said “Ah, I glad you are awake, Hinata. I was just coming in to check on your injuries.”

 

 

Hinata said “Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I am feeling much better. It doesn't hurt as much as it did when I was injured.”

 

 

“Well, let me be the judge of that” Tsunade replied and then her hands started glowing with green chakra as she passed them over Hinata's arms and shoulders.

 

 

“You're lucky, you know”, Tsunade said as she continued her scans, “The tears in your muscles and tendons are the same type one gets from exercising too much however yours are more extensive. Though the repairs will take a lot longer there shouldn't be any permanent damage.”

 

 

As a matter of fact you may come out of this stronger” she continued as she finished her scans.

 

It was at that moment that Hinata asked “Tsunade-sama, how is Naruto-kun?”

 

 

Tsunade answered “Well, he had some extensive tissue damages to the skin on his left arm and leg but he should be fine in a couple of weeks.”

 

 

“So his arms and legs are okay?” Hinata asked a little apprehensively.

 

 

Tsunade noticed the tone of Hinata's question and said “Yes, they should be okay. Why?”

 

 

Hinata glanced at Hanabi and then back at Tsunade.

 

 

Tsunade then said “Hanabi-san, could you please step outside?”

 

 

Hanabi wasn't stupid so she knew that there were some secrets about the battle she shouldn't hear but she also understood that a lot of mission ninjas undertook never became public knowledge.

 

 

So Hanabi rose from her chair and bowed saying “Yes, Hokage-sama” and turning to Hinata she said “I'll return with Father later, Hinata nee-chan” and left the room.

 

 

When the door was closed Tsunade performed a hand seal and then turned to Hinata and said “The room has been sealed. No one can hear us speaking.”

 

 

Sitting down in the chair Hanabi had vacated Tsunade said “Now what is it you wanted to tell me?”

 

 

At that point Hinata went into a detail explanation of the beginning of the battle, what had caused the explosion, the extent of Naruto's initial injuries and his incredible healing powers. After Hinata had finished her report Tsunade considered what she had heard and then said “Wow, that beats anything I have.”

 

 

Puzzled, Hinata said “Excused me, Tsunade-sama.”

 

 

Realizing she spoke out loud Tsunade said “Nothing, nothing, just thinking out loud.”

 

 

Then she said “You haven't told this to anyone else, have you?”

 

 

Hinata replied “No, Tsunade-sama.”

 

 

“Good, consider this a state secret, okay” Tsunade said.

 

 

“Yes, Tsunade-sama” Hinata replied.

 

 

Then Tsunade rose from the chair and released the seal on the room saying “Well, I have other patients to see so I should be going.”

 

 

As Tsunade turned to leave the room Hinata called out “Tsunade-sama?”

 

 

Tsunade looked over her shoulder and said “Yes, what is it?”

 

 

Hinata looked down at her bandaged hands for a few moments and then looking up said “Will this information prevent Naruto-kun from becoming Hokage?”

 

 

Tsunade turned towards Hinata and saw the concern in her eyes and said “I don't see how as I am not telling anyone about it, are you?”

 

 

Tsunade could see the relief in Hinata's eyes as she smiled and replied “No, Tsunade-sama.”

 

 

Once again Tsunade turned to leave when Hinata called out “Tsunade-sama” a second time.

 

 

Wearily Tsunade turned around and said “Yes, what is it?”

 

 

Hinata replied “Um, when can I see Naruto-kun?”

 

 

Tsunade replied “Not today because he's still resting but he should be ready for visitors tomorrow, okay?”

 

 

Hinata smiled and said “Yes, and thank you, Tsunade-sama”.

 

 

Tsunade smiled and turned to leave praying she could make it out the door before that girl called her name again. When the door closed behind Tsunade Hinata smiled knowing that Naruto-kun would be all right.

 

 

The next day Naruto woke up in his hospital bed and, realizing where he was, groaned “Oh no, not again.”

 

 

He vaguely remembered barely waking up before with Tsunade and Sakura hovering over him but he thought that it had been a dream. The last firm memory he had was fighting Suigetsu and telling Hinata to run. As he started to sit up he suddenly stopped. He didn't know why but for some reason he had to check his hands and legs to see if they were alright. Finding everything intact he continued to sit up in bed and looked around.

 

 

“Yep, Konoha hospital, fourth floor, west side” he thought tiredly as he looked at the view outside the window.

 

 

The hospital maybe new but since it was built on the same site as before the view had changed very little. While Naruto was debating whether he should get up or not there was a knock at the door.

 

 

Shizune stuck her head in and said “Naruto-kun, it's good to see you up. I was just coming to give you a checkup.”

 

 

Shizune entered the room and walked over to his bed with Naruto's chart in hand.

 

 

“Hey Shizune nee-chan, how long have I been here?” he asked quickly.

 

 

Shizune replied “Three days” as she looked over the chart.

 

 

“Hinata! Is Hinata here? Is she okay?” he asked.

 

 

Shizune replied “Relax, Naruto-kun. Yes, Hinata is here and she will be okay. As a matter of fact she is right outside the door waiting to come in. I told her that if you were awake she could visit after I had finished my checkup.”

 

 

Naruto didn't like the term `will be okay' because that meant she had been hurt but since she was well enough to visit him Naruto visibly relaxed. He leaned back against the head board while Shizune's hands glowed with green chakra and she started to run her diagnostic scans.

 

 

When she was finished Shizune began writing something on his chart so Naruto asked “When can I leave?”

 

 

Shizune smiled and replied “You should be able to leave tomorrow.”

 

 

Actually Shizune's scan showed that Naruto was healthy enough to leave the hospital now but she thought that if she could get him to rest another day then all the better.

 

 

Placing her pen in her pocket Shizune said “I will tell Tsunade-sama that you are awake now because I know that she will want to debrief you on the battle. Hinata can visit you until then, got it?”

 

 

Naruto grinned and replied “Thanks, Shizune nee-chan.”

 

 

When Shizune opened the door to let Hinata enter Naruto saw that both of her arms were in slings which were tied around her neck. His stomach dropped because he knew that somehow he was the cause of her injury.

 

 

As Shizune closed the door behind her as she left Hinata walked towards Naruto while saying “Hello Naruto-kun.”

 

 

Naruto looked down at his hands and said in a quiet voice “Hey, Hinata.”

 

 

Wondering what was wrong Hinata sat down in the chair beside Naruto's bed and asked “What's wrong, Naruto-kun?”

 

 

Naruto did not look up and asked “Hinata, how did you get hurt?”

 

 

Hinata was puzzled and asked “Don't you remember, Naruto-kun?”

 

 

Naruto shook his head from side to side while looking at his hands and answered “Not really, all I remember was pumping chakra into Samehada and then an explosion but nothing else.”

 

 

Hinata replied “Oh” and then told Naruto what had happened after the explosion.

 

 

After Hinata was finished Naruto was quiet for a while and then said “Because of me you got hurt again.”

 

 

This puzzled Hinata even more so she replied “Naruto-kun, because of you I'm alive. I would have died if you hadn't helped me.”

 

 

“But you would not have been fighting ninjas like Pein or Suigetsu if you weren't with me” Naruto countered.

 

“Maybe you shouldn't be around me” he added quietly.

 

 

Finally Hinata understood what was going on; Naruto was trying to protect her again. Hinata was happy that he wanted to keep her safe but she was also irritated that he thought she couldn't protect herself.

 

 

Making sure to keep her voice calm she said “Naruto-kun, first of all, Suigetsu was not after you. He was after Sasuke-san.”

 

 

Naruto was about to say something when Hinata interrupted “Please, Naruto-kun, let me finished.”

 

 

“Suigetsu didn't come after you until you got between him and Sasuke-san” she added.

 

 

“Secondly, Pein had attacked Konoha while you were away and still destroyed it after learning you weren't even there. He did it as revenge against Konoha for killing his parents. So even if you never lived in Konoha it would have been attacked sooner or later” she said.

 

 

“Naruto-kun, I know that, with what you have inside you, you will face powerful opponents in the future that perhaps only you can handled” Hinata said.

 

 

“I understand and accept that. As a matter of fact, it is kind of nice to know that the most powerful shinobi in Konoha is my boyfriend” she added.

 

 

Naruto looked up at her at that statement.

 

 

“And I am willing to stand back while you fight these powerful enemies but I will not be sent away in order to be protected. If you are willing to risk your life to protect me then I should be willing to risk my life to protect you.” she continued.

 

 

“I am a Kunoichi of Konoha but more importantly I am your girlfriend so I will willingly standby and watch your back in case something unexpected happens during your battles and in return I expect the same from you. I don't want you interfering with my battles unless something comes up that I can't handle. Okay?” she finished.

 

 

After talking to Hanabi, Hinata realized that Naruto didn't need a girlfriend to stand beside him fighting side by side; he needed a girlfriend who would watch his back, to protect him. No matter how good a fighter was, he or she always had a weakness or blind spot. The best fighters understood their blind spots and either knew how to protect them or how to use them to their advantage like Neji did. Naruto's blind spot was his willingness to expose himself to danger in order to protect others. Hinata had decided that it was her job to cover Naruto's blind spot whether in battle or in politics where Naruto was sure to find himself once he became Hokage.

 

 

A grin slowly come to Naruto's face, then he said “Deal!” and stuck his hand out in an effort to shake Hinata's hand however he felt embarrassed when Hinata looked at his hand and then down at her bandaged hands.

 

 

Realizing his mistake Naruto sheepishly said “Oops, sorry about that”.

 

 

Hinata smiled a shy smile and then, with blush tinting her face, said “Uh, Naruto-kun, we can also seal the deal with a kiss.”

 

 

Naruto's eyes widen slightly and he replied “Uh, yeah, that would work too, I guess.”

 

 

Then Hinata closed her eyes, leaned forward and after a moment she felt Naruto's lips as he closed the distance. It was a simple kiss, no more than three seconds but to Hinata any time her lips met his was wonderful. After they separated Hinata sat down on the hospital bed next to Naruto and laid her head on his shoulder content to just be next to him. Naruto was going to place his arm around Hinata's shoulder to hold her closer but he figured that it was a bad idea so he just leaned his cheek against the top of her head and smiled knowing that he had the best girlfriend in the world.

 

 

Then Hinata said “My arms aren't as bad as they could have been. Tsunade-sama said the damage to my muscles and tendons are the same type one gets from exercising too much. She said that even though mine were more extensive it was the type of damage Guy-sensei or Lee-san might receive during their training regime”.

 

 

“She even said that I maybe even stronger when I fully heal” she added.

 

 

Suddenly a vision of Hinata sporting arms like Guy-sensei entered Naruto's head and it caused him to shudder.

 

 

This made Hinata pull away from Naruto and ask “What the matter, Naruto-kun? Are you cold?”

 

 

Naruto looked at Hinata with pleading eyes and said “Hinata, please tell me you won't have arms like Guy-sensei.”

 

 

Hinata giggled and returned to her place on Naruto's shoulder saying “No, Naruto-kun, it doesn't work that way. Female muscle tissues are different from male muscle tissues.”

 

 

Naruto sighed in relief and said “Thank the kamis.”

 

 

After a while Naruto said “Hey, Hinata, with your arms like that you won't be able to train too soon, huh?”

 

 

Keeping her eyes closed she replied “Yes, that's true, Naruto-kun.”

 

 

“So, I guess you won't be able to defend against my new jutsu then” Naruto said.

 

 

Hinata's eyes shot open because she didn't like the tone of his voice as he said that. Slowly she pulled her upper body away from him and turning towards him said apprehensively “What new jutsu?”

 

 

Naruto just grinned and brought his hands up in front of him. Then forming his hands into a claw like shape he started wiggling his fingers and said “Uzumaki Naruto's Awesome Tickle no Jutsu.”

 

 

Hinata slowly rose from the bed and keeping her eyes locked on his fingers said “Naruto-kun, you wouldn't.”

 

 

Naruto didn't say anything as he slowly pulled away his bedcovers and placed his feet on the floor.

 

 

With her hands bandaged she couldn't leave the room so slowly backing away Hinata said “Don't you dare or I'll tell Neji nii-san.”

 

 

Naruto rose from the bed then slowly began walking towards her while wiggling his fingers and replied “Cream Puff! I can take him.”

 

 

Still backing up Hinata's mind raced for a larger threat and then said “I'll tell Sakura-san.”

 

 

Naruto kept coming forward and said “In Sage Mode, I won't feel a thing.”

 

 

Finding herself against the hospital room door Hinata said “I'll tell Tsunade-sama!”

 

 

This cause Naruto to pause and say “Well, that would hurt”, but then he added “but I'll take my chances” and continued to draw nearer.

 

 

With nowhere else to go Hinata cried “Naruto-kun, DON'T YOU DARE!”

 

 

The next thing everyone on the fourth floor of the hospital heard were piercing screams of laughter. Who knew that quiet shy Hyuuga Hinata could be so loud?

 

 

 

A/N - It seems the trilogy has turned into an anthology. I may write more if a good idea hits me.