With You, Forever | Naruhina

Chapter 12: Waking Up

As his blue eyes slowly opened, he saw someone hovering over him. One silver-haired man and one pinknettte. As his eyes registered who they were, he tried to sit up. Sudden wave of panic took over him as he remembered what he saw and he jumped up to see where Hinata was. He jumped out of his bed ignoring the protesting Sakura and rushed towards the door to find her. Just as he was about to step out, he saw her lying on the opposite side of the partition of his room.

"Naruto!!! Get back here!!" Sakura shouted, and then noticed he was looking at Hinata lying unconscious on her bed. "She will be fine, Naruto," she said added, gently. Naruto gave her a weak smile and went to sit beside Hinata only then does he realize that he himself was extremely exhausted. He looked at her fragile sleeping body, all he wanted to do was take her in arms and never let his nightmare become a reality.

"Naruto" came Kakashi's voice bringing him back to reality, "what happened to you? Sakura tells me that you suddenly collapsed while Sai was explaining the genjutsu. Were you trapped in it?" he asked very formally. Naruto just nodded.

"How were you caught? And what did you see?" Kakashi asked again this time in a fatherly voice. Naruto remained quiet, he kept on thinking about what he saw, he was confused why it stopped though.

"Naruto... she will be okay," said Sakura again resting her arm on his shoulder, "she's just exhausted. She shared her chakra with you for almost 6 hours." This caught Naruto's attention and he turned towards Sakura with a confused expression.

"That's why you saw those things Naruto. They were her memories and your feelings mixed together. I hope now you get it" said Kurama.

"I was out for 6 hours?" he asked.

"No, you've been on the bed for a day only" Sakura replied. 

Naruto signed. He really didn't want to talk to anyone about what he saw when he was under the genjutsu but he could see Kakashi staring at him from his peripheral view basically asking him to spit everything out. However, Kakashi suddenly nodded at Sakura and left the room without any word. Sakura came and sat beside Naruto and she started checking him up.

"I really don't want to talk about it Sakura-chan" Naruto said irritated.

"I didn't say anything. You don't want to talk fine. I am still your nurse and checking up on you is my duty. And for your information, we already know you saw Hinata in your dreams or whatever you were trapped in" she said very gently.

"H-How the—H-how did y-you know?" Naruto asked his eyes wide.

"Because you kept saying her name and some other stuff" Sakura chuckled a little, "but don't worry she didn't hear any of it."

Naruto was relieved for a second but then his dream came back to haunt him. Still debating against it, he thought maybe Sakura would be the best person to talk to about this. After all, she is the one who always calls him dense. 

"I saw her die" Naruto whispered his voice shaking as he continued, "during the war when Neji died I saw her sacrifice her life for me and again during my battle with Pain. I saw her die again and again Sakura and I-I couldn't d-do an-anything to save her" he finished tears came running down his face and he subconsciously intertwined his hand with Hinata's. Sakura then suddenly hugged him as she was too shocked to see Naruto like this. Naruto lost all his control over his emotions and cried his eyes out. He told her everything he saw between sobs. As much as it surprised her, she was happy that he finally managed to understand his feelings. 

"Naruto it was a nightmare, that voice whoever that guy was, was just messing with your head you know, that right?" she asked him and he nodded. His head was on her shoulder but his eyes never left Hinata and his grip on her hand only grew tighter. He never wanted her to let go.

"Sakura can I ask you a question?" he said breaking the hug and staring at the green-eyed kunoichi.

"Sure"

"What is love?"