Welcome to my second fan fic. This is a Naruto/Hinata fic. It begins after the prelim rounds of the Chunin exams and branches into an alternate universe than the original. Now, don't throw a fit. I am not going to give them jet packs and stuff. I just intend to change what happened after the prelim rounds and how that affects the rest of the story. Naruto visits Hinata in the hospital and saves her life while learning of her crush on him. After that event happens then we skip ahead to when Naruto comes back from his now five year training with Jiriya. He doesn't have a blood line, but he knows about his lineage. He does develop his physical body into one more powerful then Lee's. Hinata, on the other hand, is suffering from emotional trauma. Also, just to note, I don't do lemons. I do do blood, which is why this is rated M. I don't want to get in trouble for too much blood. This is good with the manga up to volume 15, which is the latest to come out in America as of 8/11/07. I do not own any characters of Naruto, or Naruto in general.

Chapter 1: Coming in Handy

"Quick, I need a heart specialist NOW!"

"No good, I need someone working on her lower intestines also. Man, this girl took one hell of a beating."

"No chit-chat! If we don't get her stabilized in a minute than she is as good as gone! I need a soldier pill, stat!"

"Damn… that bastard struck her kidneys. I don't know if we can save them…"

"Kidneys! Concentrate on the vitals! Her lungs are going to quit unless you start pouring more chakra into them NOW!"

"Alright…damn."

It had been a very long night. The med team had been working overtime to ensure that this young girl stayed alive. The most gravely injured out of all of the potential Chunin had been undergoing surgery for hours. The internal damage had been tremendous. At first it had looked like a textbook case of internal hemorrhaging, nothing easy but not too hard either. But as they tried to get the blood stopped and the chakra started they found that they could not do it. The blood stopped easily, but without her chakra flowing the blood would only be held as long as the doctor held it. Her body wasn't healing fast enough for her to survive.

"What now? It is almost like her chakra died before her body."

"I think… I think we should call it a night. She doesn't have a chance."

"Does she have any family that might see her before she goes?"

"They live on the other side of the village, and, strange as it sounds, none of them bothered to come. It's like they don't care. There is this young boy who has been waiting outside for hours now. He might want to see her."

"It may be a breach in protocol, but this girl deserves to be remembered by someone. Let the boy in."
The other doctor left for a moment as the head surgeon began to wash his hands. There was no blood on them, but it gave the man some peace. All his work was done with chakra. Suddenly the door burst almost off its hinges as a blond headed kid ran in.

"Hinata?" The youth looked around the room before locking eyes with the surgeon. "Is she going to be ok?"

All the doctor could do was shake his head as the youth's eyes started to brim with tears.

"NO!"

The blond kid ran to the girl's side and buried his head into the operating table. "It was my fault! I encouraged her to keep going and now it killed her!" The boy was weeping now. The surgeon was almost ready to call the time of death when a surge of chakra came from behind him. He spun around to she the blond haired boy surrounded in a red glow. The boy was completely unaware of the red chakra pouring from his body. Suddenly, the chakra began pouring into the body of the girl. "What the hell?" The surgeon ran to get the other doctor. The young boy continued to weep. It was my fault… I killed her… Yes, yes you did. And now I will bring her back. What? You don't think that I would, do you? Well I am not all bad. After all, you and I were bonded together and if it will end this damn emotional pain then I will heal her. Please, do it. If you do then I won't call you stupid anymore. Agreed.

The doctors ran back into the room only a minute after the last had left to find the boy kneeling at the side of the girl. The girl appeared to be breathing heavily, but was obviously not dead.

"What the hell? Everyone get back to work, she might pull through now!"

The surgeon who had gotten the rest of the group walked over to the young man.

"Kid, I don't know what you did, but you are one hell of a lifesaver. What is your name?"

The kid didn't even look up. The doctor looked more closely at the boy and saw that he was asleep.

"Hey, Granz, get this kid to a bed."
A young orderly picked up the boy and took him from the room. The surgeon watched as they went. Amazing, that kid is just amazing.

Naruto awoke the next morning in a bed that wasn't his. He jumped from the bed with a kunai drawn nearly startling a nurse passing by to death. Then he remembered what had happened. Kyuubi, the doctor, Hinata… at that thought he ran down the hall to where he instinctively knew Hinata would be. "Hinata!" he shouted as he burst through the door. He was immediately stopped by a tall woman with black hair. Naruto knew this was Kurenai, Hinata's sensei. "Naruto, what are you doing here?"

"I came to make sure Hinata is alright. I was here before, so let me in; the doctors know me."
Naruto tried to push past Kurenai, but he wasn't able to get past the Jonin level ninja. "Naruto. Hinata is going to be just fine, so maybe you should just go home. Or start training. I know Hinata would be happy to hear that you have started training."

"No. I want to see Hinata. I was the only one to see her last night so let me in. I need to know that she is ok. In case you didn't know, she was dieing last night and I was the only one out here."
Kurenai didn't know what to say. She had thought her apprentice to have no chance of survival. She had gone home to morn, but when she had come today to collect the body she had found out that Hinata had healed an astounding amount. Naruto… did you have anything to do with this. "Naruto, she isn't even awake. She won't be for at least a week. You will be the first one we contact when she does, ok? Man, you would think you had a crush on Hinata or something." Kurenai smiled slyly.

"What?! I don't have a crush on her. I just felt kinda responsible for her injuries. I…"

"Naruto, that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. You can't possibly tell me you care nothing for her at all. If you didn't than you wouldn't have been here. As for you being responsible for her injuries, that is just as absurd. Neji almost killed her and even if you cheered her on that doesn't change on thing. I know Hinata, and I know that if you had stood by and just watched her she would have still fought to the death. The only way you could have prevented Hinata's injuries would be if you had never existed. If you hadn't been there, she might have forfeited at the beginning. Instead, she fought her hardest. Do you want to know why?"

"Yes…" But Naruto wasn't sure he really wanted to know why.

"It is because she wants to be able catch your eye. She is trying her best so that she can be like you. She has always admired your courage and self confidence. She has never had either of those and she loves you for it. She was attempting to make you look at her with respect at least, if not affection."

Naruto was stunned. Someone loves me? She admires me? She has guts because she just wants to be like me?

"Kurenai, you know why everyone hates me, right? Does Hinata know?"

"No, but I doubt that it would change her opinion of you. There are still many people who see you as the Fourth wanted you to be seen."

Naruto looked down at the ground. Now what? Fool, boy! Go train. Beat the fool who injured your vixen. Train so you can avenge her and fulfill your oath. Naruto raised his head and looked Kurenai in the eyes.

"I am going to go train. Find me when she is awake. I am going to kill Neji for injuring Hinata." Naruto ran off in the general direction of the exit. Kurenai stared after him before closing the door to Hinata's room. You have guts. I see what Hinata likes in you.