Hinata's Bravery Chapter 12

In the middle of the night Hinata woke up with a pain in her side. It had been aching since lunch but it had gotten a lot worse. Naruto stirred and threw an arm around Hinata. She bit her lip to keep from crying out but a small whimper escaped. She tried to get out of bed without waking up Naruto. However he had different ideas. When he felt her pull away, he tightened his grip around her middle. This time Hinata did yelp in pain.

“ ‘S the matter?” mumbled Naruto.

“Nothing Naru-kun. Go back to sleep.”

“Mmm k,” he murmured. As Hinata got out of bed, pain flared in her side. She quickly realized it was a lot worse than just some stiffness like she had thought earlier. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor, crying out. Naruto fully woke up this time. He was at her side in an instant.

“Hina-chan what’s wrong?”

She looked up at him. He could see the pain in her eyes.

“I’m sorry I woke you up.”

Naruto shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Now tell me what’s wrong.”

“My side where I was injured…”

“Let me see,” said Naruto as he slid her pajama top up far enough to see where she had been hurt. He gasped. There was a large bloody bruise surrounding the scar. Hinata whimpered again.

It hurts when I’m not even doing anything.

“We’re going to see Tsunade-baa chan.”

“But Naru-kun it’s the middle of the night.”

“I don’t care what time it is,” said Naruto sharply. Hinata was taken aback.

“Are you angry at me?” she asked quietly.

Naruto didn’t say anything as he picked her up gently but she still cried out. He pressed a kiss to her hair as he left the apartment. As they jumped through the night Naruto looked down at her.

“Why did you try to hide it from me?”

“Huh?”

“You tried to hide the pain you were in from me. Why?”

“Is that why you’re angry at me?”

“I’m not angry at you Hina-chan. I could never be angry at you. I’m just… I don’t know.”

Hinata could see the frustration in his face. She decided to drop it until later and answered his question.

“I wasn’t trying to hide it from you. I didn’t want to bother you. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I got out of bed.”

Naruto sighed.

“Just tell me next time. It was my fault you were hurt.”

“Naru-kun…”

“I love you Hina-chan. So much,” he said nuzzling her hair. “Please don’t keep things like this from me.”

“I’m sorry Naru-kun. I just didn’t want you to think I was weak.”

“Never,” said Naruto fiercely. Hinata whined at the pain in her side. Naruto looked down at her worriedly.

“We’re almost there. Just hold on.”

“I’m sorry for trying to hide this Naru-kun. I promise I won’t do it again,” grimaced Hinata through the pain. Naruto frowned.

“I hate seeing you in pain like this.”

“I don’t enjoy it that much either Naru-kun.”

Naruto chuckled dryly.

“Let’s just get you to Tsunade-baa chan.”


Naruto burst through the Hokage’s window. This time she wasn’t there to yell at him. Shizune, however, was staring openmouthed at him.

“What?”

“Shizune, where’s Tsunade-baa chan?”

“She’s asleep. It is the middle of the night.”

“Wake her up.”

“What?! You don’t wake up Tsunade-sama after she’s gone to bed.”

“But Hina-chan-“

Hinata squirmed in Naruto’s arms and whimpered from the pain. Shizune’s face hardened into the medical ninja she was.

“Let me look at her. I’m the second best you can get to Tsunade-sama.”

Naruto laid Hinata gently on the floor and lifted her pajama top to reveal the bruise. Shizune moved in to examine her. Naruto looked a little closer then drew in a breath.

“It’s bigger already.”

Shizune looked up sharply.

“What do you mean?”

“I looked at it before we left our apartment and it wasn’t that big.”

“Are you sure it’s gotten bigger since you left?”

Naruto nodded. When he looked up Shizune was in the doorway.

“Follow me. We need to wake up Tsunade-sama.”

Naruto picked up Hinata and followed Shizune.

“Is it really that bad?”

Shizune looked over her shoulder as she continued down the hallway.

“I think she has internal bleeding. Since the bruise has visibly grown within five to ten minutes, it is beyond my ability to heal by myself. It is serious enough that without treatment she could die.”

Naruto slowed slightly and tightened his grip on Hinata.

“Hina-chan will…?”

“No. You got her here early enough,” replied Shizune, stopping in front of a doorway. She knocked.

“This better be good,” came the mumbled reply after a minute. Shizune opened the door and beckoned for Naruto to follow her. As he entered, Naruto saw Tsunade sitting on the edge of her bed rubbing her eyes.

“Tsunade-sama-“

“Tsunade-baa chan heal Hina-chan.”

Tsunade sighed.

“What happened this time?”

“She has internal bleeding Tsunade-sama. I can’t heal her by myself.”

Tsunade looked up and crossed the room in an instant.

“Put her down.”

Naruto did so but stayed close to Hinata. Tsunade pulled up Hinata’s top to examine the bruise. She looked at Hinata.

“When did this start hurting?”

“It woke her up like ten minutes ago,” said Naruto. Tsunade didn’t look away from Hinata.

“When did it first start hurting?”

Hinata looked away.

“Right after lunch today, well yesterday,” she mumbled quietly.

“Hina-chan!” Naruto was shocked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I thought it was just sore. I had a little bruise before I went to bed so I just thought I had accidently hit it getting the stuff to tend to Neji-kun.”

“What happened to Neji?” asked Tsunade while working on Hinata. Naruto was still staring at Hinata.

“Naruto! Have your relationship issues later. Stress is the last thing Hinata needs right now.”

Naruto sighed.

I know she’s right but… How can I get Hina-chan to open up to me?

He grabbed Hinata’s hand.

“Hina-chan asked Neji to get her clothes and stuff from her room. Hiashi discovered him and used the curse seal on him.”

Tsunade’s medical jutsu broke.

“He did what!?” thundered Tsunade. Shizune flinched.

“Tsunade-sama you don’t want to wake up the whole village.”

“Yeah. We were gonna come to you tomorrow… well today to see if you knew anything about removing the curse seal,” said Hinata.

“Now isn’t the time for that. We’ll talk later. I need to finish up healing Hinata. I’ll also want her to stay in the hospital until the morning to make sure nothing happens again.”

“How did this happen?” asked Naruto.

Shizune answered while Tsunade was concentrating.

“Hinata’s side is still very tender. A moderate force could have opened it easily and very minor things could have made it worse.”

Naruto’s face fell.

“So I could have contributed to this by just hugging her or something?”

“Uhh…” Shizune didn’t know whether to lie or tell the truth. If she lied, Naruto could accidently cause a problem. If she told the truth, Naruto might separate himself from Hinata to protect her. Neither option was that good. Naruto seemed to know from her silence. He looked at Hinata sadly.

“This is not your fault Naru-kun,” said Hinata fiercely.

“There,” interrupted Tsunade. “That should hold. Just don’t do anything too strenuous.” Hinata and Naruto ignored her.

“But-“

“No! No buts Naru-kun!!” yelled Hinata sitting up quickly, then wincing at the still fresh bruise. “You heard Shizune. Any little thing could have caused this.”

“Yeah but what if I was that little thing? I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”

“Naru-kun you’ve never hurt me! Never!”

Tsunade and Shizune stood awkwardly watching the two fight.

“Maybe we rushed us,” said Naruto quietly. Hinata’s jaw dropped.

“Maybe you should move in with one of you girlfriends.”

“…Do you really think that?” she asked tears gathering in her eyes. Tsunade couldn’t take it anymore.

“Naruto you’re being ridiculous.”

Naruto opened his mouth.

“Let me finish!” yelled Tsunade. “While yes you may, MAY, be responsible for causing this you’re forgetting something. This same thing could have and probably would have happened even if she hadn’t lived with you. If this had happened at someone else’s place they may not have found Hinata until it was too late. You and Hinata have benefited by living together. You already know that you saved her life once.”

Naruto lowered his head.

“I just don’t want to hurt her,” he whispered. Hinata crawled over to him and raised his head.

“Hey. I don’t blame you for any of my physical pain but if you kick me out, if you push me away,” her voice cracked. “That emotional pain cannot even be compared to the physical pain, and that I will blame you for,” she finished her voice hardening.

A tear trickled down Naruto’s face.

“I was being stupid again wasn’t I?”

Hinata let out a sigh of relief then hugged him.

“I forgive you.”

Naruto hugged her back gently.

“I don’t deserve you. All I do is stupid stuff and you still love me.”

“Nope. Stop right there. That is the line for mushy stuff in my bedroom,” interrupted Tsunade. “Come on we need to find Hinata a room in the hospital,” she continued as she herded the couple out into the hallway and towards the hospital.

“Geez baa chan. You get us to make up but you don’t want us to make out. What’s up with that?”

Hinata giggled. Naruto smiled at her and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Tsunade growled.

“Keep it up Naruto and I won’t let you stay with Hinata at the hospital.”

Hinata stopped giggling immediately and Naruto’s shoulders slumped.

“Yes Tsunade-baa chan.”

Tsunade smirked as they entered the hospital.

The rest of the night went without incident. Naruto was allowed to stay with Hinata but wasn’t allowed to sleep in the same bed. He fell asleep in the chair next to her bed. Hinata stayed awake a little while longer.

I didn’t realize how easy it would be to injure myself seriously again. I’m gonna have to be more careful if I want to get fully healthy soon.

She looked at Naruto sleeping soundly.

He can be so ridiculous sometimes. Our first fight was because he thought he was hurting me. How am I going to convince him that I am not a fragile person?

She fell asleep running through ideas in her head.