Author Note:
I hope this update would make up for that hiatus label. I already removed it, change it with slow update.
Thank you for being patient with me.
Disclaimer: All characters in Naruto and Boruto series belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Ukyo Kodachi respectively.
This chapter is not beta'd.
Enjoy!
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Hinata quietly watched her sleeping husband as she gently caressed his left hand, minding the IV port attached at below of his elbow pit. The clock at the wall shown the time already past three in the morning, and yet she didn't feel like to sleep, not after she witnessed Naruto being rushed in an emergency surgery to remove the seals and repair the damages on his chakra nerves which it took almost two hours before he was wheeled back to his room afterwards. The exhausted Sakura explained that they managed to remove the seals and repair the damages to his chakra nerves, but his partially-healed chakra coil was burned again by Kurama's chakra as soon as the seals were removed. Despite the new injury, Kurama's chakra would managed to balance with Naruto's chakra again and his recovery time would be estimated to be at least a week after the surgery for him to use his chakra properly, now that Kurama was assisting in the healing again. He wasn't yet to wake up after the surgery, Sakura said it was normal and he was expected to sleep until tomorrow morning.
The former Hyuga continued to caress Naruto's hand, noting the chills that she was feeling before she pulled the blanket around her shoulders a bit closer with her free hand. The room was illuminated by the moonshine through the window by the gaps of the drawn curtains. She was tired, physically and emotionally yet she still refused to sleep. She was scared, no, she was actually terrified by the sight of unconscious Naruto and Sakura's urgent shout for emergency surgery. She would break in tears if not the fact that Himawari clung unto her and Boruto slumped silently on the floor with his back against the wall, his face buried in his arms. Both of her children already being escorted by Sai to her father's house for the night, promising to them that they can visit their father tomorrow morning. Boruto mumbled that he would take care of Himawari and give his mother a quick hug just before he followed Sai who carried the sleeping Himawari off to the Hyuga Compound, an act that he felt embarrassed to do ever since he had became a genin, and that quick hug let Hinata knew that Boruto was affected enough for him to seek such comfort from her.
Hinata quietly stood up and walked towards the small pantry at the corner of the room to make herself a cup of tea, since she can't sleep she better warmed herself up with some hot tea. She returned to her seat with a steaming cup in her hands, relishing the warmth radiated from the cup before she a voice whispered weakly, "Hinata...?"
"Hey..."
She put her cup on the bedside table, giving her full attention to her disoriented husband on the bed, "How are you feeling? Do you feel any pain?"
"No... Just tired..."
"Sakura said it's normal, you need a lot of rest. Go back to sleep."
Naruto blinked slowly, the last thing he remembered was Sakura's voice calling out for him before he lost consciousness. Ah, the seals... He can felt Kurama's chakra surged wildly inside him, reminding him the feeling when he used the tailed beast's chakra for the first time. It was like intense fire burning inside him, literally. Naruto stifled a groan, breathing though the pain that for a few seconds before the pain decreased to the familiar aches. Hinata looked at Naruto's pained face in alarmed.
"Naruto-kun, are you okay? Do you want me to call the nurse?"
"It's...fine. I am fine." He took a few deep breaths before asking, "What happened? Where is Boruto?" He remembered his son was with him before he lost consciousness.
"Boruto and Himawari already at Father's house for the night, Sai escorted them for me. They will come visit you tomorrow with Hanabi."
"And you? Why you aren't at Hyuga Compound?"
Hinata held Naruto's left hand gently. "I need to be at your side, the last I saw you, you were unconscious with Sakura closed the door at my face. I... I am scared."
"Sorry..."
Hinata smiled softly, "It's okay, nothing to apologize. Shizune-san has removed the seals and Sakura-san treated the damage on the chakra nerves. She said you would be able to return to the office at least after a week of recovery since Kurama's chakra would heal your chakra coil completely."
Hinata saw Naruto closed his eyes again, and just as she thought he fell back asleep, he opened his eyes again and looked at her before he asked in hesitation, "Do... Do you regret, being married to me?"
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Naruto closed his eyes after Hinata finished her words about his recovery, though that not why he apologized in the first place.
"Go ask her! Tell her your feeling! I refused to waste any more of my chakra to heal your chakra coil because you are too coward to tell your own wife about your pathetic irrational guilts!"
Naruto grumbled internally at Kurama whom practically growled loudly in his head, which not helping with his pounding headaches. He closed his eyes, searching for the right words how to begin before he opened and asked, with a pause in hesitation, "Do... Do you regret, being married to me?"
Hinata let her smile fell from her face before she looked down at her lap, and that's all Naruto need to see. He knew a disappointed look when he saw one, he experienced that same look of disappointment throughout his life after all. Disappointment from the villagers when he was young, probably because he was still alive despite being the demon that killed many people, disappointment from his teachers because of his stupidity in academy, disappointment from his teammates when he screwed up in missions, disappointment from his own children when he broke his promises, and disappointment from his wife, the love of his life, because he chose his work over his own family. He was such a failure. He was-
"Why you asking me that?"
Naruto was confused by the question, "Because I disappointed you, I hurt you and I hurt Boruto and Himawari. I am probably the worst father in the world if my own son wished me gone in the first place."
Hinata's eyes widen in shock at the Naruto, though he didn't noticed as he continued with his eyes closed, not wanting to see the disappointed look from his wife, "I wasn't angry, I understand why he felt like that. Sometimes I am too..."
He swallowed bitterly at the reality, he understood why Boruto said that, he was a failure and a disappointment. He understood, because he too sometimes wished that he...died back then. Maybe his parents would still be alive, Grandpa Third Hokage, Neji... Heck, maybe Kurama wouldn't be controlled by Madara if he wasn't to be born...
"Hey Naruto, what are you thinking? Quit those pathetic thoughts!"
But it's true, right? Madara got you under his control with Sharingan as the seals were weakened because my mother gave birth of me. I always reluctant to celebrate my birthday, because to me it's a cursed day.
Kurama growled loudly, "You don't choose to be born, you idiot!"
"You been thinking about that all these times?"
He opened his eyes at Hinata's words, keeping his sight on the ceiling as he grimaced at her soft voice, like she was accusing him.
"I know...I am such a disappointment husba- Arck! What the-?!"
Naruto was taken aback as Hinata suddenly pulled him into the sitting position and hugged him. Pain flared through his body yet he didn't register any of that because he was too stunned by the damp on the shoulder of his hospital shirt. Panic flooded his system as his wife buried her face on his shoulder, continuing to damp his shirt. "H-hinata? Don't cry... Please don't cry... I am sorry... I am sorry... Please... I understand, okay? I understand if you want to... I meant... I can visit you and the kids at the Compound... If you want... Maybe you wouldn't... I-"
"Do you love me, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto paused in his words as Hinata whispered, "Do you still love me?"
"Of course! I love you, I know I don't deserve to say that after what I did, but I do love you...more than my own life."
"Then please... Stop saying wanting me to leave... Naruto-kun, you are the best husband for me and the best father for our children..."
"No, Hinata I am not..."
Naruto felt Hinata's arms curled tightly around his chest, "I am sorry..."
"What? Hinata, I am the one who-"
"I am sorry I didn't notice... That you are hurting all these times..."
Naruto shook his head, "No, I am the one who hurt you! I..."
He then heard her chuckled, "Then let's compromise... That we both wrong."
"Hinata... It's not your fault!"
Hinata released her hug, cupping both his cheeks with her hands, tears still falling from her face, "I should have known... That you have heard Boruto's words. I am sorry for not firm with him, I supposed to defend you... Naruto-kun... You never hurt me."
His eyes widen as Hinata proceed with a smile, "You never hurt me, I know you would never hurt me and you didn't. You never a disappointment, you are the best thing ever happened to me. I would never regret marrying you."
"Hinata... I-"
She met her forehead with his, closed her eyes as new tears fell to his face. "I love you Naruto-kun, I will always love you till the end. I want to share everything with you, including pain."
"I... No... I can't... Why you-"
"I love you..."
Naruto can't hold it anymore... Each time she repeated those sacred words, the words that he wanted to hear so badly when he was a kid, that he was to be loved by someone. Naruto buried his face into her chest as he hugged her, clutching her tightly with tears fell on his face.
"I am sorry I hurt you... I am really sorry... I love you... Please don't hate me..."
Please don't hate me...
He repeated those words again and again, he didn't even realize when he fell asleep as he cried himself to exhaustion, unaware that Hinata gently laid him on the bed to his back and tucked his blanket around him, her hands continued to soothingly caress his hair with soft murmurs.
"I love you, Naruto-kun..."
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Three days later ...
"No strenuous exercise, no running, jumping, training, sparring, don't even thinking to mould your chakra for at least a week. Shikamaru will only come to you for verbal reports and that's it. No signing documents, no meeting whatsoever. I am serious Naruto, do not make me tie you on the bed if you have setback in your recovery because you are too stubborn to go to work, got it?"
Naruto looked at Sakura in annoyance, grumbling about demonic doctor while Hinata smiled, "I will make sure he wouldn't do any of those, Sakura-san."
"I am right here, you know... Seriously 'ttebayo... You made me sound like I have no self-control. I know my own body and limits."
"Yeah, you know your own body like back then when you fainted after just an hour you was discharged because you think running up the waterfalls was a good idea when I stressed that you shouldn't mould chakra yet for at least a few days. Way to go to scare everyone half to death."
"I was fine, you overeating like it's the end of the world."
"You hit your head and almost drown, you idiot!"
"Hey, I am still your Hokage 'ttebayo! Doesn't anyone give me any respect these days? Sheesh..."
"Naruto-kun, please listen to Sakura-san..."
Naruto closed his mouth before he mumbled, "Fine."
Sakura sighed tiredly, it been a while since she had to argue about his health. She was worried with his stoic attitude for the past couple of days and that with her mistake worsening his condition which Naruto dismissed her apologies with the promised of an outing just the three of them at the Ichiraku later, but for the last three days, he seemed to be back to his usual self. He began to eat more and asking for ramen, and any sign of stress seemingly disappeared from his face. The pink-haired medic observed her patient who was squirming impatiently on the bed, he was still look exhausted, but better than before. The bags under his eyes also almost disappeared. He still frequently took naps, but it was expected given his initial level of exhaustion that was frightening severe, any normal person would fall into coma but then again her Hokage wasn't a normal person to begin with.
"Well, I need to give you the final check-up then you can go home. Hinata, can you go to my office? Since Naruto aren't registered in the hospital record per protocol for his safety, so the paperwork is in my office. There are a few documents that you need to sign for his discharge, just ask my assistant, she would know which one is it."
Hinata nodded and turned to Naruto, "Be good, okay? I will be back. The children are excited waiting for you at home."
"Yeah, okay."
Naruto watched her retreating form exited the room, his eyes went unfocused in his lost thoughts before Sakura's voice snapped him back, "Come on, you need to lay down so I can check."
"Okay."
Sakura's coated hands with green chakra gently hovered over his stomach and chest, the familiar comfortable warmth spread across his body. His eyes were getting heavy as Sakura kept her jutsu for a few minutes, mumbling about something before she dispelled the jutsu all together and wrote some notes on her small paperboard. She noticed him blinked several times to clear the drowsiness from his eyes and chuckled.
"Tired?"
"No, just thirsty." Naruto sat up and took a glass of water from the bedside table. He took a few gulps before returning it on the table, a yawn escaped from his mouth.
Sakura rose an eyebrow at the big yawn, "You should rest now. Go to sleep."
"I am *yawn* not tired. Hinata is not *yawn* here yet. I want to go home."
The pink-haired medic-nin walked to the small cupboard at the other side of the room where the nurses kept extra blankets. The weather was a bit chilly today and Naruto was still healing. The last thing he need was a cold attacked his weakened body.
"You are yawning. That's pretty much saying that you are tired. Go to take a nap. Hinata wouldn't be here for at least another hour, you would be less tired on the way home if you take a nap now."
Sakura blinked as no reply at her comment before she turned around to see Naruto already asleep against the pillow in semi-sitting position, soft snores escaped from his parted lips.
"Not tired, huh?"
She chuckled at the sight, gently moved him into more comfortable position and covered him with blanket.
"Is he asleep?"
Sakura turned and saw a man entered the room. Sakura looked at the visitor unsurprised.
"He just fall asleep. Where is Sarada? You shouldn't be walking around yet, you know."
"I am fine. She went to the training field with Boruto earlier. I met Hinata at your office. I thought I can speak with him about something. Shikamaru said that you are banning him from giving reports to Naruto since he was admitted."
"Yeah, he is being discharged today. And yes I did, you know how Naruto would be if he hear those reports. He would want to go back to work right away. Anyway, I still need to check you too. Just because you aren't in the hospital doesn't means you are fully recovered."
He sighed, "I tell you that I am fine."
"Who is the doctor, you or me? Both you and Naruto are unreasonably stubborn. Go to my office, Hinata did say she wanted to speak with you about something. I will be there shortly."
He sighed again, giving the sleeping Hokage another look before exited the room. Sakura gathered her papers, took a look at Naruto to ensure he was still sleeping before she exited the room herself too.
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Can you guess who is that man? Hope you enjoyed the chapter.