NaruHina: Technical Difficulties

Chapter Seventeen: Forgotten and Found

Naruto and Hinata walked out of the Hokage's tower and down the street.

Hinata took a right after they walked for a while.

"Hinata," Naruto caught her wrist, "your house is this way," he pointed to the left path.

"I told you yesterday I was going to see Inoichi or Ino or someone," she smiled.

"Oh you were serious?," he walked over to her closing the gap between them.

"Yeah now come on," she pulled him down the street twards Ino's house.

Kanai sat in Sakura's guest bedroom with her phone in hand.

She was snuggled up in the corner and a fort of pillows surrounded her knees and feet.

She was looking out the window when Sakura came in.

"Hey Kanai are you hungry yet?," the pink haired chunin sat at the edge of the bed.

"No. Thanks anyway Sakura," her phone rang.

She picked it up in an instant, "Hello? Really! Thank god I'll be right there don't let him move!"

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah come on. I want you to come with me," she jumped out of the bed. Kanai ran over to the closet and slipped on a pair of jean shorts, a short sleave shirt, mesh leggings and her jacket. She wanted to wear something clean when she went to see him.

Sakura waited and stood by the door when Kanai picked up her jacket and put her shoes on.

"Ready?," Haruno asked.

"I'm always ready to see Shika!," Kanai ran out of the house and Sakura had to use chakra to keep up.

Hinata knocked on the door to Ino's house. Her dad, Inoichi, answered, "Hello Hinata, Naruto. What can I do for you today?"

"Hello. I was wondering," she paused, "Can a memory be removed without erasing everything?"

Naruto only listened to them talk. He wanted her to be happy, so if it was possible he would let her do this.

"I guess so. But of course it will take a while longer than normal," he stepped aside letting them in.

"Great. And time isn't a matter. I have all day to waste," she smiled.

"Okay then I would need to know what it is you want erased," he sat her down on a cushion on the floor while he sat across from her on his own little cushion.

Suddenly something crossed Naruto's mind, "You have to swear the Hokage will never hear of this."

"Naruto?," Hinata looked at him, worried.

"You have to swear!," he shouted.

After a minute of silence Inoichi spoke, "Alright. I swear on my life. The Hokage will not know about...well whatever it is I'm about to erase."

Naruto nodded and Hinata and Inoichi continued with the process.

Hinata told him to erase the walk home from Shino's party but not the party itself.

It took him an hour or so, but hat's what he did.

For Naruto's sake, he left the part where Naruto carried her alone.

Once the process was complete he understood why the Hokage should not know. As Hinata stood she stumbled a little and Naruto caught her.

"You might want to help her home. With as little memory as I erased the brain needs time to catch up or fill in the blanks," he said walking the kids to the door.

"Thanks. What did you erase?," Hinata scratched her head.

"Don't worry about it Hinata," Naruto laughed at her.

"Okay," she sqiunted her eyes thinking.

"Thanks again Inoichi. Tell Ino we said 'Hi'," Naruto called as he jogged to keep up with Hinata who was already walking away.

Inoichi smiled and then it faded.

He should tell the Hokage but he knew Naruto was serious. Yamanaka walked back into the house and closed the door.

Kanai ran through the hospital doors and over to the counter, "Could you please tell me what room Shikamaru Nara is in?"

"Lets see. Room 213," the woman at the counter said after looking on the patient charts. Sakura came in panting.

"Sakura room 213, catch your breath I'll see you there," Kanai dashed off down the hall leaving Sakura in the lobby.

Once she got to the room she looked through the glass. Shikamaru was setting on the bed looking out the window. Kanai slowly opened the door and he turned to look at her.

"Shika," she walked over to him and threw her arms around his neck, "I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered into his shoulder.

She didn't know at what point but she started crying.

"Hey come on," he wrapped his arms around her, "Don't cry. We all know I'm too smart to die."

She laughed and so did he. Sakura stood in the doorway smiling at them.

"So when are you getting out of here?," Kanai sat down next to him.

"Two days. They said you did amazing work healing everything," Shikamaru smiled at her and brushed her hair from her eyes.

Sakura knocked on the wall, "How ya feeling?"

"Not bad. I get to lay around all day."

"You do that anyway," Kanai layed back on the bed.

"You know I haven't heard you complain about what a drag something is for a while Shikamaru," Sakura said taking the seat by the bed.

"Not much that bothers me these days," he replied and laughed.

A knock at the door gathered the teens attention and Kanai sat up.

A nurse came in and looked around, "Sakura, we need you to help us."

"Okay," she stood up and followed the nurse out.

Once the door was closed the nurse and a few others crowded around the glass window.

On the other side of the door Kanai wrapped her arms around Shika again, "I thought I lost you there for a moment. I almost gave up, but I'm glad I didn't."

"Me too. I might not be alive right now," they laughed, "and you'll never lose me. I'll always be right here," she looked at him and then moved very slowly towards his face. She closed her eyes and he did to. Then they closed the space between their lips.

The nurses outside the door all squealed with one another and Sakura just shook her head. She had a date and needed to get ready for it.