Orange, Spirals and Everything Nice

Six: Unspoken Wishes

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.

Hinata held her breath as she stared far into the forest facing the now ruins of their beloved Konoha. The Leaf was completely destroyed by Pain -- leader of the Akatsuki -- in their search for Naruto in order to take the Kyuubi from the jinjuriiki.
However, in the midst of the massacre, the targeted shinobi himself, came to everyone's rescue and saved the village and its people.

Just a while ago, Hinata selfishly jumped into the battlefield, blatantly ignoring Naruto's instructions not to interfere as he fought Pain all alone. Her overwhelming worry for her blonde friend instantly overcame her instincts as she saw him being helplessly pinned down to the ground, clearly worn-out and defeated.

And so she fought.
And she confessed.

Knowing precisely the consequences of her stupid meddling.

She was going to die.

And she'll absolutely regret it if she'd end up dying without even giving herself a chance to convey her deepest, most honest feelings for the boy she admired quietly from the shadows.

As expected, Hinata was completely beaten, a chakra rod piercing her flesh through and through, as her warm blood spilled out of her like a stream... her consciousness drifted away as she forced herself to look at the still pinned and helpless Naruto a few yards away.

She was hurt, in pain... but she was more aggravated by the unforgiving truth that she couldn't help him in the end.
She was just a nuisance after all.

Even in her dying breath, Hinata asked for him to forgive her one last time.
"I'm sorry... for not being strong enough...to save you

...like you always do for everyone, for the village..."
Hinata wished she could've done more.
Her pale eyes were losing their focus just as she heard Pain ask Naruto if the latter hated him for the actions he did.
Hinata had always known that Naruto, -- in his infinite kindness -- could never ever harbor such intensified hate for anyone because he always found a way to forgive them. Even the most unforgivable ones. He always tries to understand what they were going through.

Since he was able to forgive Sasuke for all of the twisted logic that he had; which no one could ever really comprehend. Naruto always said that his friend had his reasons for doing the things he did. Reasons that got Chouji, Neji, Kiba and Sikamaru end up fighting for their lives once, trying to save Sasuke.

That's why maybe he could find some light in Pain, too.

He always does.

Until Hinata heard the blonde ninja's deafening scream as an answer to Pain. Then all of a sudden, Naruto was engulfed in a massive black-crimson cloak of ravenous, blood-thirsty chakra as he roared and spiraled out of control. Six giant tails danced savagely in the massive crater where all the horrors of the village destruction had settled.

To say that Naruto was enraged was an understatement.
He had transformed.
All traces of the hero immediately disappearing as the demon fox inside him completely took control.
Hinata watched in pain as she saw Naruto's form inside the monster's cloak.

His skin was rapidly peeling off, leaving wounds that she could only imagine killing him twice or thrice as fast. His screams reverberated to every inch of the battlefield, and it wasn't just because he was furious.