Title: Frozen in Memories
Author: aussie girl1990
Rating: PG ( K+ )
Challenge: Memories
Pairing: NaruHina

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It had been years.

Longer than 'years' it had been decades since Naruto had stood in this spot, this place that caused him to remember memories he would rather have buried.

Buried along with her in that cold wooden coffin and forget completely about everything. Their past, his present, and the little amount of future he had left.

Naruto stares at the grave and felt a sick tightening grip around his heart. The grave was covered with weeds but he knew that it was hers.

Her grave, the one he had put her in.

Bending down with a grunt of unspoken pain he tore the weeds from her headstone.

Hinata Hyuuga

Beloved daughter,

Friend,

And Comrade

"They certainly summed you up well," he whispered in his roughly aged voice. "You were more than all that though. Much more."

This finger traced the bumps of her name.

"Neji use to keep your… resting place well kept." Naruto couldn't bear to say the word grave, something about it upset him. "I guess he can't do that anymore. I guess now it's his childrens' turn to keep his resting place kept."

"Forty-or-so years it's been now." The grip on his heart tightened and Naruto let out a choked breath. His old wise blue eyes welled up with tears. "I never said good-bye, never even been to your resting place." He bit his lip as a tear dropped down his wrinkled cheek.

"I avoided you Hinata." The hand that had been tracing her name came to his lips and smothered a choked sob. "I couldn't face you, even when you had died. I couldn't bear knowing that the last time I had seen you I hurt you."

"If I hadn't snubbed you, if you hadn't been there, if we had been different people none of this would have happened. You would be alive and have lots of baby Hinata's running around." He gave a sorrowful chuckle at the image of tiny Hinata's blushing and stuttering.

But that would never happen.

"It was because of me you got in the way of that attack, I don't think you knew that. I was shoved and you were right behind me. They were trying to me, me Hinata, not you. And yet I'm the one standing here today."

The tears that slowly dripped down his face fell slowly among the weeds and disappeared into the hard dirt, Naruto hoped, he wished, that his tears would soak into the coffin. Soak in there and fall upon her body and she would wake up just as she was forty years ago.

But that only happened in stories. And this was not a story.

"You know Hinata, Kakashi once told me 'Comrades stay with you, in life and in death' I hope he's right." Naruto whispered.

Naruto sat there on her resting place, not wanting to move, not wishing to leave.

"Naruto," the voice was soft but it commanded his attention.

Naruto's head whipped around and he saw a tall brown haired man.

"Who are you?" he asked as he pushed himself up, "What are you doing here?"

The brown haired man looked at the aged man in front of him and spoke softly, "I'm here to take you to the hospital." The words were like magic to Naruto as his eyes lit up.

"Has Sakura gone into labor?" Naruto hurried passed the other graves as he walked towards the man, "I have a feeling it's a girl." He whispered as he came shoulder to shoulder with the man.

As Naruto laid on the hospital a medi-nin came up to the man and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hokage, Naruto's getting worse." There was fear and worry laced through her words.

"Don't worry, let him do what he wants. He hasn't much time left." Konohamaru kept a void face, "He was the greatest man to have been Hokage and," his voice cracked slightly, "And he will do as he pleases."

"Of course." The medi-nin left him staring at the grey haired old man.

"I'm sorry Naruto." Konohamaru whispered and he left.

He wasn't ashamed to admit it, Naruto scared him. It had been more than twenty years since he had first visited Hinata's grave and even now he still replayed the sense every weekend.

And every weekend Konohamaru would go and get him.

Yes he was scared, he was scared that he would end up like Naruto.

Frozen in his memories.

-

The End.