"Man...that hurt..." Naruto Uzumaki, lay face first upon scorched earth in an otherwise beautiful meddow. The sun beat down on him like fire, and he wondered why things felt so much hotter now then they had at first. He tried to take a deep breath but it only sent a shock of pain through his ribs and lungs, making him erupt into a violent cough. Something wet worked its way from his mouth and down his chin - blood - he didn't have the energy to wipe it away.
He could recall it all in one rushed mess of memory - coming to Hinata's aid - being snapped up by the massive toad's powerful tongue - slamming a ball of pure chakra energy into his foe's forehead at least three times. Eventually, the distressed monster fell unconscious, dropping Naruto nerly a hundred feet to the hard ground below. Of course, he thought, I'm gonna' die...but I can't die yet...I have to be Hokage some day...I can't die... He heard a muffled voice, it sounded like it was coming from hundreds of yards away but something told him that the speaker was actually nearby. So...I'm really dying huh...
"Naruto-kun...Naruto? Please, hold on!" Hinata? He fainted.
The young ninja awoke to a soft bed. He couldn't move just yet, he still felt too sore for that. But from what he could see laying where he was - he was in some sort of cabin. It was morning again, and he wondered if he'd just been out a few minutes, or days before this one particular morning. Drudging up the strength to turn his head he looked out of a window to his right and his question was answered - it was snowing lightly. Months than. It made sense enough - Jiraiya had to increase the seals power that night - it was a quick and sloppy job but it had worked. If he hadn't, Naruto would've surely been taken over. He shuddered at the recollection of the rage he felt that night, not his own, but the nine tailed fox's.
A door in the far corner at Naruto's feet, swung open squeeking on rusted hinges. He couldn't bare to look, but the sweet, hushed voice told him it was Hinata.
"Naruto-kun? You're finally awake!" There was no missing the glee in her voice. She moved closer to him, and as she neared he tried to turn to look at her. A shock of pain went through his neck, but he managed. "No Naruto-kun, you have to stay still right now, you'll just hurt yourself more." She was in what looked like self-made clothes, rags really - a tattered attempt at a kimono or perhaps an ancient kimono she'd found. How long has she been here taking care of me?
"Here, let me help you." She dipped her fingers in a nearby bowl and scooped out what looked like green goo. Then she continued over to him, leaning forward to apply the salve to his neck and arms. He could smell her, a soft but sweet lavender scent, as she leaned over his face, massaging the medicine in.
"This will absorb some of the soreness - you've been lying still for so long your body is stiff. Just wait a while okay Naruto-kun?" He smiled in spite of the pain - this was the most he'd ever heard her talk.
"Okay..." Was all he bothered to muster. She replied with a smile of her own, then started toward the door. "Hinata." Naruto interrupted. "Will you...stay for a while?" He couldn't see her at this angle, but her silence told him she was thinking about it. Eventually he heard her walk back inside the room and assumed she took a seat.
"How long, have I been out?"
"Four months... you woke up a few times, but you probably don't remember..." So it was like he suspected, he would've nodded, but he didn't want to hurt himself anymore than he already had. Onto the next question.
"And, you've been taking care of me?"
"Yes. I found an abandoned shack nearby... I knew it would be dangerous taking you back to the village after what happened..." 'After what happened'? So he was after me...
"The toad...he didn't hurt you did he?"
"No...but he would've if you hadn't shown up." He didn't know what had possessed the toad to act so savagely, but thinking back on it, he seemed different somehow. Like something literally was -possessing- him. Naruto sighed.
"I'm sorry that I got you dragged into all this Hinata." Now he craned his neck a bit to look down at her, surprisingly it didn't hurt that much. She was sitting on a wooden bench in front of a recently used fireplace. The room was a bit bigger than Naruto had first thought, or maybe it was the small and fragile Hinata who in comparison, made it seem bigger. She wasn't looking at him, her head was tilted and she was staring hard at the floor.
"I didn't know you studied medical ninjutsu..." She shook her head in reply.
"I used my jutsu...to increase the chakra flow throughout your body."
"That's right...you can stop or increase chakra flow with the 'gentle fists' jutsu...I forgot."
"I should get back to work."
"Work?" Naruto questioned, now he felt enough energy to pull himself up onto his elbows, the salve was working after all. Still, he cringed a bit from the effort.
"I gathered some firewood...it's very cold at night...I need to bring it inside." Naruto nodded, then sat entirely upright, with little effort or pain. Hinata only focused on the floor even more so, her hands clasped together before her, thumbs twiddling around each other. He found it hard to believe even as she spoke - that such a small girl like Hinata, could ever carry heavy lumber, let alone chop wood. Though surely enough there was an ax propped up in the adjacent corner from her. He made a decision quickly. Alright...
"Let me take care of the firewood, and you rest okay Hinata?" That got her attention, she finally looked up at him, large bug-eyes full of a surprise he didn't quite understand. Normally those large eyes would only creep Naruto out, but today, this time, seeing the girl who'd saved his life and worked so hard to keep him safe and well, she looked more beautiful than Sakura. Finally she nodded.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun." He grinned in a feeble attempt to relax her.
"Hey, I'll need the exercise. I'll have that wood in here in a couple of minutes wait and see!" She gave him that timid smile again - he gave her a thumbs up, and ignored the pain.
It took more than the few minutes Naruto had promised. The months of sleep had weakened him greatly. Lugging the last load of lumber through the door was a painful and tedious task. He trembled under the weight of all the fire wood and at last dropped it into one corner. Finally, all done.
"See Hinata! No problem!" He declared - but no one was around to hear him. Huh? Where'd she go? "Hinata?" He stepped back outside. She hadn't passed down the trail out of the snow covered forest, he would see tracks, no, he would've seen -her- if she came that way. He moved around the shack. There was still a lot of brush and weeds to work through, but when he did, he found that behind the shack, only a few feet off, was a secluded hot spring. And surely enough, there stood Hinata. His eyes went wide, and for a moment, he nearly turned away. Was she naked!? He couldn't tell from where he stood, and from how deep she was in the steamy spring, but he was almost positive that the small, off-white bundle near the shore of rocks was in fact her clothing. She looked even more frail without the baggy kimono draped over her, but from what he could tell, she looked a bit stronger than he'd given her credit for - though her porcelain, baby soft skin downplayed her fitness even now. Dainty hands washed soapy water down her back, which was all Naruto could see from where he stood. Her hair was wet, and looked a bit longer somehow - dragged down by the heavy water it touched her shoulders, and some strands even reached further down her back.
Naruto nearly started to walk over to her, to get a better look at the lonely-looking beauty. But he thought better at the last second. This was Hinata he was looking at after all. Hinata! His strange, and slightly creepy acquaintance from the leaf village. The cousin of his wanna-be rival Nejii, and a competitor in advancing in the ranks. She had always been so distant, he'd never seen her in the way he was seeing her now. He smiled to himself and thought - not many probably saw her the way he was seeing her -now-. Then she turned to him. Not completely, only slightly, enough to peek at him from the corner of her eye - not that she'd have any trouble seeing him like that with those eyes.
He stood frozen in shock, and she too seemed surprised. Her face went red, eyes went wide with fear, then quietly, she sank deeper into the water until only her head was poking out. He turned away then, his cheeks felt hot.
"S-sorry," he stammered, "I was just - looking around and - I didn't mean to walk in on you." Silence...then at last her soothing voice reassured him.
"It's alright Naruto..." He nodded, still feeling like a jerk, then headed back toward the shack entrance. "Nice one Naruto..." he mumbled under his breath. He cringed - his pain was returning it seemed, and he figured it was best to start a fire, and lay down.
Only a few minutes after Naruto lay down to rest, Hinata Hyuuga returned, fully clothed and looking cleaner, more vibrant - lovely. She didn't look at him, but she didn't look angry, timid more like it - as usual of course. She was carrying a huge bowl in her hands.
"I brought you some food Naruto-kun." His stomach lurched, then groaned. He hadn't even thought about food up until now, but now that she mentioned it he was starving! He must've survived off liquids alone while he was out of it for so long. She reach for a small cabinet on the wall near the door and revealed two small bowls. She scooped them both into the larger one, and brought one to him. Rice. It wasn't ramen, but he didn't think twice about scarfing it down. In a matter of seconds he practically inhaled all the contents of the bowl, and Hinata, without being asked, kindly refilled it for him. He started at it again, this time talking between each mouth full.
"So Hinata...why didn't you go back to the village and get help." He asked while swallowing a large bite of rice. He choked a little, but after a cough or two, he forced it down.
"I don't know..." She replied quietly. She wasn't eating much, just poking through her food with her utensil.
"You don't know?" She didn't reply to that, she just waited. He tried again. "Hinata?"
"I..." She stopped again, never once looking up from her bowl. After a few seconds of silence she continued. "I didn't want to leave you, I didn't want anything to happen to you is all." She peeked up from her bowl for a second as if to see his reaction. It wouldn't take her byakugan to see he was surprised. He found it strange that anyone would work so hard, and sacrifice so much just for his well being. He knew that Sasuke would, and Sakura perhaps, but this girl who he hardly even knew at all?
"Why would you...care?" He sat up now, and set the bowl aside. Pulling back his sheets he stood - wavering a bit as the room pivoted dangerously around him. Soon it steadied and he was able to move closer to the girl. She was looking at him still, now directly, doing nothing to hide her timidness. He sauntered closer.
"I...I just..." Now he was right in front of the chair by his bed, where she had been sitting. He tumbled forward and caught hold of the chairs back. Hinata flinched with surprise. Naruto felt the force of gravity baring down on him, he wasn't even near full recovery even now, not without the Nine Tailed Fox's chakra to nourish him. The room started to waver again, and his legs trembled under his own weight. Hinata, calmer now, reached a dainty hand out and carefully tapped his chest. Gentle hands. He felt his energy increase a bit, enough to stand up from his crouched position, but he didn't just yet. He breathed in the scent of lavender and took a while to rest, arms around his caretaker, head right over her shoulder.
"Thank you, Hinata."
"Naruto-kun..." He pulled away to face her, still crouched to her sitting level. She looked so helpless, yet the strength she had was undeniable. She'd saved his life and he was deeply grateful. Her cheeks were still flushed red, an amazing contrast to her usual, pale tone. He removed one hand from the chair, lifted it to one of her cheeks, brushing the smooth skin there. She didn't try to move from his reach, but her eyes were now looking away. They skipped over his in an attempt to quickly look the other way, but his own caught them. Blue and intense, hers bright and soft.
"Naruto-kun..." She sighed, giving up now. He leaned in, close enough to feel the warmth of her breath against his lips. His legs failed him and he collapsed again - she caught him. He was out cold.
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