Chapter 11-Mature Content

In the afternoon of the same day, not even two days after the battle for humanity ended, Sakura surprised us all by waking up. Ino and Sai were the ones to pass the news along because Sasuke still wouldn't let anyone but them and Tsunade come into their room. The Uchiha man was being incredibly protective of her and I'd usually find that romantic if I wasn't one of the people who desperately wanted to see the young woman.

According to Ino, Sakura didn't even have scars left from the unbelievable amount of injuries she'd gotten in Suna. I hadn't been told about anything except the sword wound, but she'd taken much more damage than just that. She'd been cut from her forehead all the way down to her neck on one side of her face, shot in the shoulder, and even stabbed in the leg with a knife. So when Sasuke said he saw her die, it was easy to believe with injuries like that.

The girl's healing ability must've gotten better, somehow.

Apparently she'd been given some strong medicine to help her manage the pain, so the pink-haired woman was loopy and high, but otherwise seemed normal. The reassurance brought me massive relief and I found myself able to bear not seeing Sakura, at least for a few more days, because Sasuke's undoubtedly going to take great care of her.

Everyone from the haven in Konoha set out to return home except for Shizune, Tsunade, Iruka, Shikaku, Genma, and Kakashi. Obito bid me farewell before they left, thanking me again. It was clear he was eager to return to his family and I couldn't blame him. It's been at least a year since he's seen them, maybe even longer.

I kept telling Neji and Tenten that they should go with them, but they argued they didn't want to leave me behind. I'm not going anywhere until Naruto's awake and able to travel and when I made that abundantly clear, they relented with a promise to take good care of Hanabi, Sinzo, and Konohamaru until we could join them. I wrote a letter for them to give my sister, explaining the situation, reassuring her that I was alright, and apologizing again for putting her through all this.

Once I proved I was able to make it around with the aid of a crutch, Tsunade let me move into Naruto and Matsuri's room. There was a small sofa in there that was going to be my bed for as long as it takes for him to recover.

The doctor healed my leg injury enough that it wasn't bleeding or needing stitches anymore, but couldn't mend my broken arm or rid me of my bruises because it would take too much energy that she needed to reserve for the two who were still unconscious. She could've not healed me at all and I wouldn't have argued, honestly. I couldn't stop her from getting a proper cast on it, though, because she threatened to knock me out if I didn't comply.

Three more days passed before news reached us that most of the humans that'd gone into hiding in each city had reappeared and society was beginning to work together to rebuild, give medical treatment to those in need of it, and organize proper burials for those whose lives were taken amidst the chaos.

The power grid and plumbing was restored to most of the town within those three days, which stunned me completely. I thought it'd take weeks, maybe even months, for it to happen, but it was true that everything else would be easier with those utilities at our disposal. That's likely why they put such a rush on their repair.

Doctors, nurses, and anyone with even a small amount of medical knowledge flocked to the quickly filling hospital to lend a helping hand. Those that were inhabited were lining up at the doors each morning to willingly have themselves removed from the humans' bodies.

I was surprised, but almost no one was against sending the alien-esk creatures back to the sea rather than killing them. There were a few that were, but they simply worked on helping others and distanced themselves from the task of removal, with a hiccup here and there of course.

To my, and everyone else's, surprise, Sai and Sasuke offered to let everyone stay in their family's compound if they have nowhere else to go or simply wanted to remain close with one another. After going through such traumatic events together, it seemed odd to live separate from each other and I definitely wasn't the only one who felt that way because almost everyone immediately agreed and started making plans to relocate.

When I thought about it, though, there was only one place I considered home: the house I grew up in. I don't know what Masumi ended up doing with it when we moved to the newly constructed house, but was determined to purchase it if it'd been sold. So long as the economy doesn't crash as a result of all this, my father left both my sister and I substantial life insurance funds and inheritance that even Masumi couldn't get her hands on so money wouldn't be an issue.

In fact, it's my intention to do my part in helping the others get on their feet. I'd included that information in the letter I sent with Neji for my sister, that way if it takes longer than we anticipated for Naruto and I to return, our friends wouldn't have to wait. They don't know about my plans yet, but that doesn't matter.

Gaara wouldn't leave Matsuri's side for any other reason than to use the bathroom. If his siblings didn't bring him food and water, he'd likely sit there and starve rather than take his eyes off of her for even a second.

In the middle of the night of day five, I woke in the middle of the night and became frozen in disbelief as I heard him crying. It was heartbreaking. For a few minutes, I didn't move so he wouldn't be tipped off that I was awake, but then felt guilty for leaving him alone in his suffering.

Slowly, I sat up from the sofa I was laying on and wordlessly came over with a chair to sit next to him at her bedside. He didn't try to hide his tears, but his teal eyes did harden into a glare when I turned to look at him. I couldn't find the right words to say, so I simply averted my eyes to Matsuri's pale face and we sat in silence for a very long time.

Out of nowhere, maybe fifteen minutes after I came to sit at his side, he suddenly buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he quietly loosened the reins on his stoic facade. Tears welled up in my own eyes at his break in character and I hesitantly raised a hand, pausing for a moment before softly rubbing his back. He didn't show any reaction to my attempt at comforting him, but I got the feeling he appreciated it.

I looked down at Matsuri again in an attempt to keep the aura from getting tense by staring at him. She was even thinner than usual and her usually tan skin was almost as white as paper. The injury on her forehead had been healed by Tsunade, but that didn't ease my mind so it definitely wasn't easing Gaara's either. In just a few days, she's going to be taken off of the medicine that's kept her unconscious and we'll find out exactly what was internally going on with her.

After maybe another half hour passed, Gaara fell asleep with his head resting on top of his crossed arms and I carefully laid a blanket over his shoulders before moving my chair over to Naruto's bed. Tsunade assured me multiple times that his not waking up yet wasn't anything to worry about. She said his body's keeping him in that state to restore the energy it'd expended keeping him alive while he was bleeding out on the ground in the town hall.

Her constant reassurance gave me the courage to at least hold his hand so that's what I did as I lay my head on the edge of the bed and focused solely on the warmth of his skin. It reminded me of the morning I woke up in Otogakure after jumping out of the window of a burning house. Is this what he felt when he was waiting for me to wake up? I should apologize when he wakes up for making him go through that, too.

My mistakes were starting to pile up. The things I wanted, needed, to say to him were also beginning to get overwhelming. I wiped the few tears that managed to slip down my cheeks onto the sheet before closing my eyes and holding his hand more tightly as I told myself we have the rest of our lives to talk.

Sleep took me over without me realizing it. When I woke next, my back was sore from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position. A groan rumbled my chest and I squeezed the hand in mine. It squeezed back lightly and my eyes shot open.

Slowly, just as afraid that he was awake as I was that he wasn't, I sat up and raised my gaze onto Naruto's face. Beautiful blue eyes looked weakly back at me. Before I could react or even manage to take in a breath, the door to the room opened and I heard footsteps approach behind me before someone gasped in shock.

Then Tsunade was on the other side of Naruto's bed checking his vitals, "Hinata, you need to step out for a moment."

I looked between her and the blonde man's face a few times, tears already falling quickly down my face before nodding. I pressed a kiss into his hand before begrudgingly letting it fall back to the bed and stepping outside. She was likely going to remove some of the tubes and wires hooked up to him and was correct in assuming I didn't want to see that.

The longer I stood out there, the harder it became to breathe. So much so, in fact, that I had to crouch down with my back against the wall to keep myself from passing out. My head became hazy and I closed my eyes, my good hand over them as I focused on taking slow breaths.

A hand suddenly touched my shoulder and I jolted, nearly toppling over. Tsunade got a firm hold on my uninjured arm and helped me upright before giving me an encouraging look and aiding me back inside.

"Hinata…" His voice was so hoarse and barely understandable, but it was enough to almost make me faint with relief.

Tsunade's grip tightened substantially.

The moment I was able to reach the edge of the bed, I did and held his hand in both of mine as I pressed my forehead to it and cried with all my might. The doctor left after a few moments once she was confident nothing was going to go wrong in her absence. Gaara was silent and likely kept his gaze and attention on Matsuri behind me.

Naruto tried to speak again and I somehow managed to shush him through my sobs. It took a few minutes for me to catch my breath enough to look up at his face through my tears and press my lips to his hand, "I-I'm so sorry, Naruto. I love you. I'm sorry." He was crying, too, and that only made it harder for me to calm down.

By the time night fell, I was completely exhausted from riding an emotional roller coaster and fell asleep at his bedside without meaning to. I tried so hard not to because I was scared this dream would end, I'd wake up, and Naruto would really be dead.

The next day, he could still barely talk and I was much too emotional to do so as well, but the day after that it became much easier for us both. "How's your arm? Does it hurt?"

I froze mid-motion as I fed him some soup, a massive wave of disbelief overcoming my senses. My hand lowered, letting the food fall back into the bowl and I closed my eyes and took a calming breath.

Kiba snickered from where he sat on the sofa nearby, "It's rare to see her get angry."

I ignored him and picked the spoon back up to feed Naruto once more, "Please focus on your own condition. I'm fine."

The blonde man glanced at Kiba before hesitantly lowering his voice, "What happened after I…"

I shook my head quickly, averting my gaze from his handsome face down to the bowl in my lap, "I-I can't. Not yet."

My fluctuating emotions were probably confusing the hell out of him and I was beginning to wonder if he'd been aware of them while he was unconscious. I hope not. If that's the case then he was aware of how unstable I am at present and I needed him not to be so I have a chance of keeping it together.

To my surprise, he requested to be moved into his own room for some privacy and Tsunade easily agreed. Normally it'd take weeks, maybe even months, to bounce back from an injury like his, but there wasn't anything normal about the woman's healing abilities so he was making a swift recovery. He could even walk already.

So, that night, we were in the room across the hall that I'd originally woken up in on our first day at this hospital. I refused to sleep on the bed with him because I was terrified of disturbing his still-healing injury, to his dismay, so I opted for the couch.

In the middle of the night, he woke me, "If you don't come up here, I'm coming over there."

I sat up with a frown, "Naruto, you're still hurt. What if I-"

"Please, Hinata." His brilliant eyes shined even in the dark room and I could see the desperation in them from this far away.

A soft sigh passed my lips as I gave in and made my way over. I still had a bit of a limp, but didn't need to use a crutch to get around anymore. He didn't have a shirt on so I could see the gauze layered around his chest and upper torso and the sight made my chest tighten.

The moment I was within an arm's length, Naruto grabbed my wrist and pulled me down beside him, turning onto his side so he could wrap both arms around me tightly. My hands pressed against his warm skin and my eyes widened when it made me recall feeling his hot blood coat them as he lay dying underneath me. It became hard to take in a breath and my fingers trembled as tears rose in my eyes.

Rather than pull back and ask me what was wrong, Naruto seemed to know this was going to happen and tightened his hold further, "It's alright. I'm here, Hinata." Slowly, I understood this was his intention the entire time and eventually gathered the strength to return his embrace as I began to calm down. Lips pressed softly into my hair and fingers danced comfortingly up and down my back.

My voice was barely a whisper when I finally managed to speak, "I was so scared you were-" I couldn't get the rest of it out.

His voice rumbled into my hair, his chest vibrating against mine, "I never want to see your face look like that again."

Immediately, I knew he was talking about the short moment after he was shot where he was able to keep his eyes open. Who knows what I looked like then? Not me. In fact, I can only recall ghosts of how I felt and what I did anymore. It was too traumatic and I think my mind was unconsciously trying to protect me from it.

"What happened after that?"

It took a long time for me to respond, but he was patient and didn't rush me. Eventually I was able to fill him in on the details I could remember. By the time I was finished, both of us were trying not to cry again.

For a long time, maybe even an hour, it was quiet. Then words were suddenly leaving my lips before I could realize what I was saying, "I-I'll do anything, whatever you want, but please don't leave me like that again."

Finally, he pulled back enough to look into my eyes and shook his head before pressing his lips softly into mine. His nose brushed against mine as he pulled back slightly a few moments later, "I'm so in love with you," then we were kissing again.

I don't know what happened, what caused the change in the air, but he somehow ended up on top of me. All I could think about was how relieved I was that I was still able to be with him like this.

Long fingers slowly and steadily untied my robe and pulled it open so they could caress my bare skin. I didn't bother stopping him even though I was worried he was going to overexert himself doing something like this because I knew it wouldn't do any good. The look on his face said it clearly. Right now, what he needs is to get physically closer to me and I honestly needed it too.

He removed my underwear and his clothing before slowly making his way inside, blue eyes searching my face with a look of adoration. This was so different from the other times we were intimate. The first time had been drunken and frantic while the second time had been rushed and hot.

His hips rolled at such a lulled pace that the sensation was completely unfamiliar. My fingers danced up to his jaw and my thumb brushed against his bottom lip. Everything was so warm and inviting. It was reassuring. Feeling him move so steadily inside me, press so intimately against me, proved that this was real.

Naruto's alive and we're in love and I'll do whatever it takes to keep things that way.

Words of love and affirmation left his lips every so often as we worked our way closer to climax and I returned them with vigor. I didn't care that the door to our room was unlocked because it was the middle of the night. No one was going to come in.

After another few minutes, I finally met oblivion and he tore his lips from mine to study my face as I writhed beneath him only to swiftly pull out so he could release on my skin rather than inside. Once we both came back down to Earth, he kissed me deeply once more.

Tears rose in my eyes as I muttered my love for him between each touch of his lips to mine. And they were all sincere. I never want to be separated from him again.

After cleaning up the mess we'd made, we redressed and finally laid back down with the intent to actually go to sleep. It was likely we'd be leaving soon to travel home to Konoha, so we needed to get as much rest as possible between then and now.