The war was finally over.
All Shinobi fought as best they could to protect the things they loved and in the end they came out on top.
While each village individually celebreated their victory after parting ways there was a certain ninja who was speacial to everyone. Being the 17 year old gentleman he was he stayed at the battlefield to make sure there was no sign of the enemy having survived.
"Wow..." he thought aloud as he looked at the destruction caused.
There were white Zetsu's all over the place some with trees starting from their stomachs heading towards the beautiful blue sky. Blood stained the dirt and the smell of dead bodies lingered in the air. He couldn't help but think about it. '
"It's October 14th" he said somberely to himself expecting no one else to hear.
"Happy Birthday" he turned his neck in time to see Hinata standing there.
He smiled "Arigatou Hinata" he told her thankfully.
They stood there both looking around in silence.
"Ya know..." he started "I can't believe I had to fight on my birthday...the last thing I expected to do October 10th on my birthday was fight in a war." He finished putting his hands behind his head.
'He's so carefree' She thought.
"Well" she started "Hero's don't get vacation" she smiled.
Many would've thought she was just being brave, but she was just being herself.
She had become a bit bold over time with the war and all, but of course a beautiful shade of red still painted her cheeks every now and then.
She had realized there was no time to regret or worry about what might happen. You have to make a move or nothings gonna change. She knew it was real. The dead corpses of Shinobi scattered across the battlefields, that many things had changed. She hadn't seen Neji, father or Hanabi yet. The only thing she could hope was that they were alive and well.
Naruto chuckled.
"Well how come you get vacation?" He smiled.
"Nani?" She asked quite confused.
"Hinata...I'm not the only hero...you're a hero...Sai, Kiba, Lee,- All of us." He said and he looked down to the ground.
"Arigatou" she thankfully.
Hinata walked to a Zetsu and took out a kunai.
*Slash*
An agonizing scream pierced the air, and she left the kunai lodged in his chest.
Naruto looked at her. He knew the Zetsu was alive he just didn't know how she knew.
He just looked at her.
"Hina-"
"Naruto are you returning to the village now?" She asked inturrupting him.
He was a bit dissapointed. Not because she inturrupted him but because of how she said his name. It was just a plain old 'Naruto' like anyone else would have said if they were bored with him.
He shook his head lightly getting back to reality.
"Sure"
She began walking and he jogged lightly to catch up to her.
When he was standing next to her he walked casually, but he stole glances to his left trying to look at her.
Her hair was getting in the way though, and so without thinking he stopped, took her hair and tucked it behind her ear.
She swung her head to face him quickly and her expression showed confusion.
His mind caught up with his actions and he knew he had to come up with some sort of excuse to explain his gesture.
"...I...I just wanted to see something...I thought I saw...something...different."
"Oh." She said. "Okay..."
Silence Lingered again and they knew that they wouldn't reach the village for another couple of days.
It was getting cold and night was falling. Naruto knew he could go all night, but he wasn't so sure about the girl standing next to him.
"We should stop for now and continue early tomorrow morning" he suggested.
"No...I know you can keep going-so can I." She said.
"Hinata I don't want you to get hurt or become restless if you need a break just tell me." He said softly.
"I said I'm fine" She responded bitterly, and Naruto knew something was wrong.
He suddenly stopped and looked at her.
Knowing that he stopped she also stopped.
"Hinata...what's bothering you."
"...Nothing..."
"Lets take a break" He suggested again.
"I want to talk to you" He finished off.
Naruto had a nice camp fire going and Hinata had just pitched the tent.
They were sitting on the floor around the camp fire.
"Hinata I know something is bothering you" He stated matter of factly.
"Naruto don't assume things... and... how would you know" She mumbled.
"Well first off just now you only called me Naruto instead of Naruto-kun, second when you talk you just sound angry, and third you just told me by asking me how." He said.
She just looked down at her hands that sat on the soil. It was partially lighted by the fire and her hands were clenching into fists gathering some of the dirt and mixing it with her fingernails.
A tear wet the soil and then she began to sob lightly.
"Naruto-kun...I-" She sobbed.
He kneeled down moving towards her and then he looked at her.
"I am so sad." She lied.
"I don't even know if Neji, Hanabi, or Father are alive and if they aren't then..." She sobbed some more.
Naruto had never had family so he doesn't know what it feels like to lose it.
"Hinata...I don't want to make a promise I can't keep. Truth is I don't know if Neji, Hanabi or your father survived and I'm very sorry if they didn't, but the best advice I have to offer you is to just to have hope and faith." He told her sympathetically.
Then Hinata's sobbing died down little by little after a couple of minutes.
He was right she decided. There was no use in crying until she actually knew the truth, and she shouldn't jump to conclusions.
She looked up her eyes red from her light sobbing.
"Arigatou Naruto-kun"
She looked over at him and noticed that he had stood up. He was standing there with a sad look; almost like shame.
"Naruto-kun?" She questioned "Are you alright?"
"Hinata...I'm really useless aren't I?" He said.
Hinata froze.
'What did he just say? He's useless?' She thought 'I'm the one lying and he says he's useless? It's my fault isn't it? I should have told him what was really on my mind, but wouldn't that make him sadder? It doesn't matter anyway he shouldn't feel that way.' She decided.
She stood up and clenched her fists by her side.
"Don't" she started "say that...it's not true"
He looked at her.
"Hina-"
She didn't let him finish.
"Naruto why? Why do you say-THINK THAT?!"
"Because" He said "because...you saved me-three times- and I feel like you've saved me my whole life. You saved me from the dark. You did anything you could even if you weren't sure what you were going to do was going to help. Yet all I can offer you- the only way I can repay you-save you- is by telling you to have hope and faith. It's...pathetic."
"Naruto-kun...you've have already saved me. If it wasn't for you I probably wouldn't be here now. I gave up easily and I never tried my hardest. You saved me when we were younger. When you struggled to be acknowledged I did too, and it made me feel good to know I wasn't alone, but you're my hero-my savior- so I don't ever want to hear you call yourself weak, pathetic, or stupid. Ever. Because the day you start to second guess yourself...It's all over...That's what you taught me."
She smiled.
Naruto looked at her in amazement.
'This is Hinata' He thought.
"Arigatou Hinata-chan" He smiled.
Hinata blushed as she heard him add 'chan' to the end of her name.
Naruto layed in the tent with his hands behind his head and Hinata layed sleeping soundly next to him (having only brought one tent).
He began thinking to himself.
'So this is it. The wars over and we won. Sasuke's back, Sakura's happy- everyone's happy, ...The five kage survived. This is really it. No more Akatsuki, no more Madara, no more Kabuto or Orochimaru. It's just over. We can finally live in peace; It's the end of the past... The end.' He thought.
"The End" He whispered quietly.