Helping Hinata

Naruto and Sakura threw their preliminary matches. They both wanted to start the month again as quickly as they could, as the idea of continuing the loop with Hinata dead left a bad taste in their mouths. Sakura didn't wake Naruto this time, so he was alone as his eyes fluttered open. He sighed.

"Any tips Kurama?"

"I don't think you understand, kit."

"What?"

"I said I'd help you get Sakura into the loop. From here on out, this is all you."

Naruto froze. "What? Why?"

"It's funny. I figure it's only a matter of time until a hilarious mess up occurs."

"Hinata could die again!"

"Kit," Kurama's voice was tired. "Do you have any idea how many people I've killed? The fact that you'll see this girl at the start of every reset makes me care even less about her than I do about most people."

"Then why are you helping me!?"

"Frankly? Boredom."

Naruto was horrified. "Kurama! Imagine the pain that goes through her every time she'll die here. Her heartbreak! Are you really heartless enough to let that happen?"

"Yes. Yes I am. Naruto, I've been around for over a millennium. In all that time, I've never met a truly trustworthy human. You want to talk about heartbreak? Try having the very people you're meant to help, that the man you respect most in the world entrusted you to, call you a demon. A natural DISASTER. Once everyone who's meant to be there for you leaves you, talk to me about heartbreak."

"Like an entire village treating you like scum for having Konoha's destroyer sealed inside of you?"

"You had Sarutobi. Even if you didn't, you need to have something in the first place to lose it. You don't know true heartbreak."

"Fine. Be like that." Naruto closed the mental door to Kurama and stormed off towards the exam center. He was fuming. He needed to find a way to get through to Kurama at some point. Beyond even the help the fox had given with Sakura, Kurama was his friend. That's what Naruto had decided at the start of the loop, and he was far too stubborn to give up on that so easily. The old fox said that he'd never met a trustworthy human? Naruto would just have to be the first one.

Putting that to the back of his mind, he started thinking about what his approach should be towards Hinata. How had he managed to get together with Sakura? He'd started by specifically stating that he didn't want to date her, almost gotten her killed, then held a kunai to her throat. He wasn't sure why, but he had a vague inkling that would be less effective with Hinata than it had been with Sakura.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice his pink-haired partner coming up next to him as he ran through the streets. He jumped a little in shock when she tapped him on the shoulder. She looked at him sympathetically.

"I know it's depressing, but at least she's alive again now. We can fix this."

Naruto sighed. "It's not just that. Kurama's not helping this time."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "This time? Just how much of the month we got together was dictated by the demon fox?"

Naruto stammered for a couple of seconds. "Uh- he- uh- It was mostly telling me to mind table manners! I promise!"

"To be honest, I did find it suspicious that you remembered to chew."

He sobered up. "We should probably stop calling him the 'demon fox'. That seemed like a sore point for him."

Sakura nodded. "Don't worry too much about it though, you've got me here to be your feminine intuition now. We'll work on Kurama once we save Hinata."

Naruto shook himself back to attention. "Speaking of, what's the plan? How do we get through to her? It took the better part of a month with you."

Sakura snorted. "I had you further into the friendzone than Sasuke did me. The only way it could've been harder for you would've been if I weren't into men. Hinata's already obsessed with you. The only issue I can think of is if she isn't willing to share."

With that bout of positive thinking, the couple turned their attention to finding Hinata.

The exam centre had a few groups dotted around the outside, still in the midst of team briefings, or waiting for them to begin. Hinata was in one such group, standing in conversation with Shino and Kiba. Her team had an interesting dynamic, as she bridged the gap between Shino's often standoffish, reserved attitude and Kiba's more Naruto like personality. The result was a long monologue by Kiba in which he occasionally invited Hinata to interject. Shino would speak up if he thought he had pertinent information, but was mostly content to listen. Sakura dragged Naruto up to the group and tapped Hinata on the shoulder.

"Hinata? Can we talk to you for a moment?" The girl's grey eyes went wide.

Her half stammered reply was interrupted by Kiba elbowing his way into the middle of the group. "Hinata, wait! It could be a trap."

"What?" Naruto asked. "Why would we try to trap Hinata?"

Kiba jabbed his finger into Naruto's chest. "You want to get a leg up in the exam. Take out some of the competition. Shino, you agree, right?"

Shino cocked his head. "Not particularly. If they were looking to sabotage a team, they wouldn't choose one from Konoha. If they wanted to sabotage a Konoha team, they would have had Sasuke lure Ino away. They could be imposters, but Hinata would know better than either of us if that were the case. Naruto has never been one to hurt friends. Let her go." His piece said, Shino, turned to study a column of ants marching along a nearby wall.

Kiba reluctantly stepped aside, letting Hinata follow the pair to a more secluded area. Sakura turned to her, then took a deep breath. "So. What are your thoughts on polyamory?"

Naruto rubbed his calf. "Why'd ya keep kicking me when I tried to explain the loop?"

"That'd be way too much to dump on her, Naruto. Look at how out of it she is just from that conversation. Besides, you never know when Shino has some extra ears around." She glanced at the wall, looking for one of the Aburame bugs, not really expecting to see any. If Shino had cared to listen in, he would've taken the care to hide his spies.

Hinata was beaming as she walked back to her team, occasionally giggling. Kiba shot the couple a suspicious look as Hinata returned, but reluctantly turned away. Naruto stared searchingly at Shino, who looked back serenely. Presumably. The man didn't really emote, but he certainly seemed calm.

The conversation with Hinata had gone as well as expected. She'd immediately disheartened as the two had explained that they were together. A spark of hope remained from the way they'd broached the subject. That spark fanned itself into a flame as the conversation continued, leaving her giddy with excitement by the end.

"So when can we tell her?"

"Let's wait until after the forest, I think. That's when we asked for her answer about joining." Hinata, while already enthusiastic about the prospect, had asked to wait until the chunin exams came to a close. Having waited for this long, she had said, it wouldn't be much of a sacrifice to finish helping her team through the exam.

Hopefully, Naruto and Sakura would see her on the other side.