EDIT 2011: Thanks to those who have pointed out typos, and thanks so much for the favourites and reviews, even now~!
Author's Note: This oneshot story was derived from my previous multi-chaptered story "Fortune Cookies of Happiness".
However, this will be somewhat darker. Somewhat.
Part I
Once upon a time, there were two best friends, a fangirl, and an unrequited secret admirer.
Life was great, until one of the friends betrayed and departed the village.
The other was broken, left behind, and ignored. Who would come along and be the knight in shining armour?
Why, the girl hiding in the shadow would do fine…
Naruto's POV
Happiness.
What does it mean to me now? I was always dubbed the "happy" one. The one that smiled like an idiot. The same grin is still plastered on my face. It had become a habit.
But I feel nothing. Empty. Void.
I used to be so cheerful. Always enthusiastic about everything. My unfaltering perseverance drove others over the edge. I even used to think in exclamation marks! Talk in CAPITAL letters. Everything used to be so colourful; oh so bright. Like the future I had once dreamt about…
But a cold breeze froze my insides, my emotions, and most importantly, my ambitions.
My happiness left with Sasuke. That jerkface. My best friend.
He left. Gone. Like my happiness. Why did he leave? Was there something wrong with me?Did I drive him away? I certainly must have, I'm the problem.
I feel like I am in a trance. Stuck. I often find myself thinking, 'What am I living for?'
I will never become a great Hokage. Who am I kidding?
"Believe it!" Sure. It feels like a joke now. Pathetic. I'm a failure. An utter failure.
Hinata's POV
When Sasuke left for Orochimaru, it is almost as if Naruto's spirit did too. Although he pretends to be okay, I can tell that he is most certainly not. Everyone else is convinced that he's fine; they just think I am being paranoid.
I personally don't think asking the people around him how he is feeling, paranoid. Even if I do it everyday…
Or sneaking peaks at him, just to see if he is still pretending, paranoid too.
I want to let him know that there is still at least one person who cares for him. He probably feels unloved and unworthy, as his best friend left him. And what's worse is that the villagers have started blaming him for Sasuke's departure. Seriously, how does that even relate?
I'm so tired of myself. I'm always watching in secret, but how does that help the current dire situation? No. I must act. Stop thinking, worrying and obsessing. Just do something to help. But the biggest question is 'How?'
This poor boy fell into the downward spiral of depression…
'I smile although I feel hollow.
I laugh even though I don't feel mirth.
I yell out "BELIEVE IT!" at the top of my lungs, yet I don't believe it myself.
I am a hypocrite, full of despair.
Where is the light at the end of the tunnel?'
Third Person POV
There was an urgent need to stock up on instant ramen. Naruto only had two cupboards of his favourite food left. Ramen had become the one thing that prevented him from becoming suicidal.
Why? He could not bear to part from his beloved ramen. Thus Naruto headed towards the market.
The man saw him. That good for nothing boy. He man sneered. It was all because of the boy's incompetence that drove the last Uchiha out of Konoha. The man felt a surge of hate towards the stupid boy as he came closer.
A flash of pink.
'Oh, it's the other team mate,' The snarling man thought. 'The one that boy adored.' The man suddenly smiled a toothless grin. He had a plan.
Unknowingly to the hurt boy, an unexpected hero was about to pick up his pieces, one by one.
And what about the fangirl? A betrayal was looming near…
Naruto's POV
"Hey Naruto! I just got this free product from a promotion stand." Sakura cried out, "Here, you can have it!"
Is it just me, or did the word "free" sound louder than the rest? But as I approached, I saw something flit across her features, in the form of a twitch.
"THANKS!" I replied, beaming genuinely. Firstly, it was free free free! Secondly, I wasn't being ignored. Thirdly, this was Sakura whom I thought blamed me for making her lose her Sasuke-kun. Maybe she forgave me…
As I broke the outer crispy shell, a sheet of paper fluttered to the ground. I scratched the back of my head, embarrassed by my clumsiness. I could feel her eyes drilling into the back of my head, prompting me to read the message.
Picking it up, I read the slip of paper. My vision blurred as the world around me took on the quality of a watercolour painting.
I dropped my cookie and ran.
As I left, I could hear her laughing. It was the same laugh that I had once thought to resemble tinkling bells, but now sounded as distorted as nails scratching a blackboard.
Third Person POV
Hinata strolled towards the market, for she had run out of milk. Suddenly a body collided into her.
For a brief second, their eyes met. Quivering Cerulean clashed with startled ivory.
Naruto's eyes looked stricken, like a deer caught in a trap. Then he dashed away, leaving Hinata in a daze. She carried on walking, puzzling over what had just happened, and trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.
Crunch.
Looking down, her eyebrows furrowed together as she realised that she had stepped on a cookie. Sighing, she noticed a flutter from the corner of her eyes. It was a thin slip of paper, which read:
"You will never succeed in anything you do. Your life will have no meaning."
Everything suddenly made sense. Naruto was running away in panic because of these words. Those villagers had always been so exceptionally cruel. But this, this had crossed over the line.
The last puzzle piece clicked inplace. It was these words that had harmed him.
It will be the same method that will heal him.
Part II
That night, the girl who betrayed her friend knelt in a confession box as she cried out her guilt, and repented fo her sins...
Sakura's POV
"I loved him so. I was so infatuated with Sasuke.
"But I couldn't even persuade him to stay. I had woken up on a bench, realising that I had failed. I was alone." I confessed, my tears leaving burns down my face like acid.
"So I had blamed it on the other boy. My friend, Naruto." I continued, "I blamed it all on him.
"Not wanting to face my own grief and so-called failure, I started to hate Naruto for making me lose Sasuke. In my sadness, I became blind to the fact that Naruto also felt like I did.
"So when a man asked me to help him hurt Naruto, I agreed. And what I did to him this afternoon drove him to the breaking point.
I. I- want to take it all back. He m-may take h-his l-life…" My voice trembled as I realised what I had truly done. I had killed him inside.
Moments passed, until I heard a voice from the other side reply:
"Don't worry child, God will forgive you. He will find a way to save him. Remember that God loves you both."
With those words, I let out a sigh of relief. I may not be able to take back what I did, but I can live on knowing that even though I had made a huge mistake, I was forgiven.
Hinata's POV
I waited as Sakura's footsteps grew fainter until the diminutive sound disappeared.
I had originally knelt in this box for the quiet atmosphere to clear my mind. However, I did not expect Sakura to confess her guilty actions in one next to me. As I heard her broken regretful words, I couldn't blame her for what she had done. So I had told her what I truly believed.
However, I just pray to God that my plan works out…
In desperate times, one must make desperate measures. And this is what the heroine did.
Naruto's POV
Days had gone by since that incident with Sakura. I sat on a bench in the park, looking up at the languid dotted clouds drifting across the sky. A lone teardrop trickled down the side of my cheek as I wallowed in self pity.
All the insults, all the cruel actions directed to me, since Sasuke left, replayed over and over again in my mind, like a messy collage.
Play, Click, Rewind. Play, Click, Rewind…
The fake smile Sakura had given me, the venomous gossip among the villagers which hushed when I came near, the way I was isolated and ignored…
This was the end. No one, not even Sakura, believed in me anymore.
Goodbye cruel, cruel world.
Hinata's POV
I had decided to find Naruto and execute my plan. I knew he would either be in the ramen stand or the park by it.
'Stalker!' the word flashed in my head, and I denied it.
He's just...really predictable...
I took my basket, loaded with the necessary items which I had prepared in the past days. Last night, I had met up with Sakura for the finishing touch.
First I went to check the ramen stand, however, he wasn't there. So I headed out to the park, the sunlight was filtered as I walked underneath the shade of the trees.
It was a typical scene in the park. Sparrows were hopping about, Kiba was taking Akamaru out for a walk, a blond boy was moping about on the bench, and children were swinging on the playground equipment like monkeys...
Wait, rewind. A blond boy moping about on the bench?
As I walked towards him, his head snapped up and looked at me in a disbelieving manner.
The heroine was an angel. An angel of hope.
Naruto's POV
I looked up when I heard the sound of twigs crackling. I squinted my eyes as the sun's harsh rays glared directly at me.
There, standing in front of me, was Hinata. The light illuminated the outline around her, creating the illusion of a halo. Without words, she slowly extended her hand towards me, holding out a basket. I opened the lid, only to see a whole basket full of fortune cookies.
My eyes widened.
Painful memories rushed back into my head, giving me a strong sense of nausea.
"Don't worry Naruto. Just pick one," Hinata softly whispered, "Please."
My hand quivered as I gingerly reached in the basket. Closing my eyes, I picked a random cookie.
'What if this was a replay; an extension of that cruel mockery?' doubts plagued my mind.
However, Hinata's gentle smile reassured me, and I cracked it open.
Third Person POV
Reluctantly opening his eyes, Naruto peered at the fortune message:
Reach for your dreams and don't ever give up. Eventually, you will achieve it, because others care for you. Don't stop smiling, and remember that the sun is always shining.
A tear fell onto the thin piece of paper.
Hinata gave him another cookie, which he broke tentatively.
Naruto, I'm sorry. I believe in you, and I will always be your friend. Sakura.
He felt a genuine smile tug at the edge of his frozen lips. Looking up, Naruto saw Hinata with tears in her eyes too.
"I, too, believe in you. And I love you." She confessed in hushed tones, holding his shaking hands.
Two simple words, full of heart-felt gratitude escaped Naruto's numb lips.
"Thank you."
There was light at the end of the tunnel after all. In the form of Hinata.
Epilogue
In one fortune cookie, the fangirl had written her apology.
However, this boy did not know of the secret behind the other ninety-nine.
The heroine did not intend for him to find out, so he never will.
On each, she had lovingly written the same message of hope, ensuring the beginning of a happily ever after…
Dedicated to:
Simmering-Tofu, who created the original idea.
Special Mentions to all known readers:
Rose Tiger, linksword01, Jam Bread, Slyefoxfury, LazyNinja, I bashed Voldie's head, elias, luvakatsuki3, lil and spring, Amentrine Iolite, Angelito Soldado, CattyGothLoli, diff-r-ent-1, Nafsi-chan… [new names will be added when I am notified...]
My utmost thanks to:
The Anonymous reviewer 'Henna Gaijin', who bothered to edit every chapter of the original! I'm proud to tell you that with your corrections of my mistakes (such as the terrible past and present tense confusions), I have become a better writer ^^ At least that's what I hope…
Special Mentions to all the reviewers of 'Fortune Cookies of Happiness':
Radion, Anihilus, HikariKetsueki, Cat-Fluff, Moon Spirt, MoroboshiA
AN: Thank you for reading this. And to those who read the original, I hope you liked the edit.
I spent quite a long time on this, so I would really appreciate any feedback.
Squeals, teary eyes, nice reviews, not-so-nice reviews, constructive criticisms, and even flames are all Accepted. ^^