Behind The Veil

Chapter Eleven

Hinata sat in her hospital gown surrounded by her close friends. Tenten had tied her dark blue hair back earlier when she had her outburst. Her eyes where still red and slightly puffy.

"Is he really gone" She asked again.

"Yeah sweetie" Tenten said as she rubbed the girls back.

"Did he say he is coming back?" The hyuuga princess asked. " He did didn't he?"

"He Didnt" Neji murmured " But im sure he will." He was angry at the blonde haired bastard.

Another tear escaped her lavender eyes. "When can I leave?"

"What?" Kiba, Neji, and Shikamaru asked all at once.

"When can I leave? Ill find him." Hinata said as more tears escaped again. Her shoulders sagged and her monitor's beeps rapidly begun to increase. In seconds she was heaving for breath. Her chest was too tight. Her head ached.

Everyone backed away in panic, "Go get Tsunade", Neji yelled.

Seconds later the woman sped into the room, ushering everyone out. Minutes turned into hours before she emerged, her eyes exhausted.

"She's asleep now" She said, her eyes red and tear stains on her cheeks. "She'll be okay. She has to be. I can't let her die. This is the only thing I can do for Naruto."

"What happened?" Shikamaru asked.

"She had a panic attack. I gave her some medication to help her sleep. Try not to get her too upset about anything, especially Naruto. Try to avoid those conversations as much as possible."

Tsunade watched as all of Hinata's loved ones processed the information. How would they be able to deprive the young girl of the information she was so eager for? She spent most of her life admiring Konoha's jinchuuriki.

A growl emitted from Kiba's throat.
He stood and left the room followed by Akamaru and Shino.

"I'll go report to uncle "Neji muttered and dragged Tenten out the room.

"I've got the next shift at the shop. Is someone going to stay here until she wakes up? " Ino said standing up and straightening out her skirt.

" I guess I will. I might as well since ive got no plans for today. Ill call you all when she wakes up." Shikamaru said, stretching his hands above his head a yawn escaping his mouth.

Ino nodded her head and left, Choji following her after sending a chubby smile to shika.

He walked into Hinata's room and stared at her. She was clutching her blanket, a frown on her face. Tear stained cheeks were tinted red. Her face wasn't as filled out anymore and she had lost quiet a lot of weight.

"Ah I just know i'm treating everyone to BBQ after she is well.", He murmmered to himself and plopped himself down in the seat by her bed.

He allowed his eyes to close and the steady beep of the machine guided him to sleep.

***

"Naruto you don't have to do this." Kurama said, staring at the young boy in his mindspace. They have been working on chakra since he woke up. He had finally won His chakra in a game of tug of war, even more so the Kurama had expected him to.

Now the young teen was set on being able to cast kurama out of his body at will, while still keeping their connection.

"Im Aware that it can harm me we have already covered that. I know what im doing Kurama."

"It's not that it can just harm you kit. It can kill you."

"It's my choice. My body. And my life. "

Fine, you bratty Teen! But you are gonna have to listen carefully screw up once and you could very well loose your life. First we can work on sending my smaller self."

"Smaller self?"

"Yes i can be sent out in three different selfs. Smallest is like a baby fox. Medium is a grown fox. Large is my actual size. "

"Okay what do I do?"

"Imagine gathering up all of my chakra. Form it into a small fox. Imagine what it looks like and how it moves. You will decide the appearance of me. If you make me look stupid i will kill you. This will not put such a strain on either of our bodies but it does take a bit of chakra."

Naruto closed his eyes. Red light swirled wildly in his mind. He willed it to compress into a ball. He formed a small fox. It was red. Black fur sat around his eyes and on his ears. His eyes were deep red.

He imagined the small fox running through the forest, jumping over tree roots and running through bushes. He imagined it running through the desert, sand sticking to its fur and it dragging its paws through the sand. He imagined it eating then curling into a ball for a nap in his lap.

"Now cast that image out of your body. Make it real, like it is just an extension of yourself. Let it slip out the same way you use my tails. ''

In a poof of smoke a small fox appeared beside Naruto's real body.

"There we go!", Naruto yelled into his mind, a smile gracing his lips. The stretch felt good Kurama's small body shook, His colorful fur shaking out.

"Well done brat."