Orange, Spirals and Everything Nice

Eleven: Bruised. Broken. but... Breathing

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters or the setting of the story. They all exclusively belong to Mr. Masashi Kishimoto in all its rights.

(A/N: (Hey there) Thanks a lot for reaching this part of the story. ^_^ I just wanna say that the next few chapters will be set during the blank period before The Last happens. There will be a few angst but also more fluff along the way. So, yeah... Enjoy reading as always! Hee-Hee.)
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Hinata slowly blinked a few times, her pale eyes curiously staring up at the clear blue skies. The Infinite Tsukuyomi had been dispelled, which only meant one thing.

The war is over.

The scrambling ninjas all around the distorted battlefield were all either as dazed as her or as cheery and emotional, now that the world had been saved. The surrounding chatter of disbelief and astonishment were getting louder as moments passed. Hinata slowly looked around her and quietly watched as reality fill her with answers.

Yes.

Her dream was over.

The war has ended.

The enemies have been defeated.

It was now time to get back up on her feet once more.

Hinata took a long, deep breath before forcing herself to stand up. She was still drained from all the terrors of the previous night. Her mind racing with all the unfathomable experiences she had miraculously managed to survive.

Of course.

She survived.

Hinata felt a sudden burning sensation in her gut.
An immense shot of pain that made her freeze on her spot.
She aimlessly walked around the blood-soaked rubble, her feet leading her to an unforgiving spot. The pain in her system crushing her like raining stones.

Rain.
It was an all too familiar vision.

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The Juubi, pinpointing an attack towards Naruto who could barely stand up — exhausted from the extraneous use of his chakra — and was lying breathless on the ground. Hinata was immediately horrified by the fact that the next attack could instantly end is life — and the war — in an instant.

So she did the only thing she could possibly do at that moment — to shield Naruto from the raining wood slats — with her body. Because she had also drained her own chakra to its last drop.
Hinata gritted her teeth in regret; hating herself once more for not being able to do more.
But as she was getting ready to face death, Neji suddenly jumped before them and caught two of the slats — precisely piercing his body through and through.
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Hinata stopped on her tracks when she reached the spot where it all happened. She closed her eyes tightly as her mind painfully replayed the memory over and over. For some reason, she couldn't find her all so familiar tears, which always accompanied her whenever she's at a loss for words or when the scene before her was too much to bear.

Just like right now.

Hinata glanced at her feet and was startled to see Neji's discarded hitai-ate when he fell helplessly from the attack. She bent down, her knees meeting the cold pavement once more. She didn't really care what was happening around her or if anyone was searching for her. Hinata reached for the hitai-ate and felt the cold metal plate brush against her skin.
She picked it up and raised it carefully towards her chest, hoping to find even a little, if anything, left of Neji's signature in it.