Naruto still didn't entirely know how it happened.

He remembers... a glint of the blackest flame right between his eyes, quickly covering his sight. He remembers seeing Sasuke's face, the strangest mix of emotions on his face.

I hit him? I hit him! ...Did I want to hit him?

In the end, it came down to him and Sasuke. Naruto can accept this. Welcome it maybe. But he really didn't expect someone else to get in the way.

Through his rapidly disappearing vision, he can see Sasuke being torn apart by a Rasenshuriken that was way too close while a wave of chakra surging toward him, he looks back at his enemy (rival? Friend?), and hopes he can read the look on his face as he readies himself to enter the void with Sasuke at his side.

He really didn't expect anyone to get in the way. But Naruto could admit it to himself, he is kinda dumb sometimes. He should have realised by now that he finally has people who care for him, and after all that he's sacrificed for them, more than a few would be willing to return the favour.

Especially her. After all, she's done it before. The last his eyes see is a flash of lavender and blue.

He's an idiot.

Seconds go by, seconds in a dark world. When thirty pass and Naruto suddenly realises that he's still alive, and he can no longer feel Amaterasu eating his flesh, nor sense the overly charged chakra, he suddenly realises he's going to stay that way. Blind, of course, he's not stupid enough to think Kyuubi can fix that.

That's when he feels her. Someone's weight pressing against his chest. Someone warm and soft whose body fits very well against his, almost as if she (he's very sure of that) was made for him.

He feels a hand against his face, an intimate caress.

And then he feels hot blood splash on his feet, and it all comes back.

"Naruto...kun."

He can smell ozone (and flowers), the former the familiar result of the Rasenshuriken. He should be dead, at least horribly wounded. But he's not, because she took it all for him.

"H-hinata..."

Against everything, she smiles. He knows this, because all of a sudden he can feel her lips on his.

An eternity has passed when she pulls away, and he can hear her saying something to someone.

He hears Sakura's voice reply, but he doesn't hear it. The pain is finally coming to him, and it's beyond agony.

Then Hinata's lips are on his again, and it vanishes. Then, just as quickly, he passes out.

When he comes to, it's weeks later.

Everything is dark, but he expects that now.

"Naruto? Naruto! He's awake! Kakashi, get Tsunade!"

There is a rush of footsteps, and he feels Kakashi's chakra leave the room. Sakura's is still there though, but he recognised her from her voice. He feels some others too. Fuzzy brows, Neji, Kiba, Shino, Iruka, Shizune and (oddly enough) Kurenai-sensei.

Then everyone talks at once, and he can't make anything out.

And then he sits up, and for once, nobody stops him.

"Hey guys." His throat is dry, rasping. Someone forces a glass of water into his hands, and he drink greedily.

"Naruto..." Sakura's voice again. "Naruto... I..."

He cocks his head sideways. "What is it Sakura-chan?"

She doesn't reply. She just doesn't know what to say.

"Naruto!" Tsunade this time. He feels arms circling around him, and he's caught in a crushing hug.

One painful minute later, she finally lets up, and he feels her chakra examining his body. His head gets the biggest focus. Unusual. Normally she spends seconds on it whenever he ends up in hospital. She's that good, after all. But this time it gets a whole thirty seconds.

On hindsight, he did take Amaterasu to the face. He still didn't know how he survived that.

"Naruto, how are you feeling?"

He scratches slightly at the bandage over his face, but she slaps his hands away. Then he remembers, and his mood goes downhill.

"Granny... what happened? Shouldn't I be dead?"

There is a silence that lasts far too long then... "Naruto... what do you remember?"

He prods his fingers together. ...He remembers Sasuke, he remembers Amaterasu, and he remembers the Rasenshuriken. He doesn't remember the rest... yet.

Then Tsunade begins unwrapping the bandages around his face, and his skin feels itchy. That's familiar. Either they've been washing the bandages in itching powder, or he's gone through some serious Kyuubi-enhanced healing recently. He's bets on the latter, and he presses his fingers together with more force.

And then the world is bright again. Slowly, everything comes into focus. Everyone is looking at him. Half look utterly relieved.

The other half look like they've seen a ghost.

Amaterasu.

His hands move to his face, and he blinks.

Apparently he seriously underestimated the Kyuubi. His hands go back to his lap, and his forefingers push against each-other together again. He watches them for a moment, unable to figure out why it looked so damn familiar.

"You took a lot of damage." Tsunade was never one to mince words. "A lot, and then some. You suffered irreparable damage to both your eyes. Hinata Hyuuga... was able to neutralise the flames. We're still not sure how. However..."

Tsunade looked him squarely in the eyes. The expression on her face made her look her age. Her real age.

"...She died protecting you from the backlash of your attack."

And then it comes back. He remembers it all. The touch of her chakra. The kiss. The look on her face.

His fingers are getting sore now. He can feel wet heat running down his cheeks. His eyes wander around the room, and it all makes sense. Neji, Shino, Kiba, Kurenai. Anger and sadness, sadness, sadness.

He can't look them in the face, knowing he got her... Hinata... killed.

His head droops, and the tears flow.

It takes a long time before he looks up again, but when he does, he gets the biggest surprise of his life.

Hinata's eyes, staring back at him.

He never realised before, just how recognisable those eyes are. Maybe it's just him, but he sees the unique lavender hues in them, setting them apart from other Hyuuga.

They're beautiful.

...But why... are they on his face?