Hello, I have had some time now. If you are a reader of my previous fics, I am updating them again this week. Life got crazy and busy, but now I finally have the time and focus. I love Naruto, after all. So this fics will always have a space in my heart. I usually write Sasusaku, side couple NaruHina... but weirdly I wanted to do something different this time, yet still a bit realistic with the same timeline that Naruto and Boruto follow.

Since this first chapter is a sad episode, I decided to post 2. I will update by next Monday. Hope you guys enjoy this, it is a tough read sometimes, but I promise it is worth it. I loved this fic and how it turns out. (I was inspired by a real life event, so it is about moving on and finding love, hence the title "Love is Different" because many times you find different types of love...)

Without further introductions, here it is. Enjoy!

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Love Can Be Different

By Nena-uchiha22

Chapter 1: Late Spouse

He was shaking, his knees trembled. He knew he had to get through this, it was only appropriate. But why did it seem like he was doing it for the rest but not for himself, this was not helping him grieve, putting a strong face in front of hundreds of people. Their sympathies didn't matter to him, their hugs, their gifts, their homemade food… nice gestures, sure, but not what he needed.

Regardless, that's where he stood. Surrounded by his sensei, his ex teammate, and the other nin's who had loved and met his wife. Hinata.

Hinata was gone.

Naruto frowned at the thought, he was left by himself. To be the pillar on which his son could lean on, and to raise his small Himawari. He was not ready, she didn't prepare him for this. Now who was going to greet him at the door when he arrived home after long hours of working as Hokage. She was not there anymore. She won't be there.

His wife had already been put in the ground, last ceremony finished. But everyone stood there still, because Naruto hadn't moved. Because he couldn't move. Everything felt too surreal for him, he was still waiting to hear Hinata's voice telling him it was time to go home.

"Dad" Boruto said, grabbing his arm. "It's time" he said. And Naruto moved to stare at him, there he was his brave son. Braver than he had ever been at his age. He was hurting, but he handled it with grace, as opposed to him. He wondered for a second if this was Hinata's side on him, after all, he knew Hinata was one of the emotionally strongest person he met.

Naruto nodded letting him being dragged away. Himawari walked beside him, many people approached the Hokage and offered his condolences, but after Kakashi indicated that nobody approached the blonde—something Naruto appreciated—he finally was able to reach home. Sakura, Tsunade and Iruka walked with him and his son and daughter to his house. Nobody saying a word, mainly because they didn't know what to say.

Iruka offered him his sincerest condolences and left after they reached Naruto's gate. Tsunade walked with Himawari to her room, they had become close when Hinata fell ill. Hinata spent a lot of her last months in the hospital, Himawari knowing the definitive outcome her mom would have spent a lot of time in the hospital, where Tsunade and she bonded. The blonde sat on Himawari's bed, the little one finally letting herself cry and Tsunade comforting the little one. Tsunade wouldn't leave until she knew Himawari was asleep.

Boruto walked straight to his room, no word came out of his mouth. Naruto thought of going after him, thought it was his duty to talk to his son. But he didn't have the strength, he was hurt in his own way, the reality hadn't hit him fully, he instead chose to walk to the kitchen where Sakura had walked straight to. He observed her as she rapidly got the kitchen clean and put everything the villagers and friends of the family had given them in the fridge, she made sure to leave notes on what could be eaten straight away, and what could be kept longer in the fridge as well as instructions to heat up whatever needed to be warmed before eating.

She felt his stare and stopped what she was doing. She looked at him, his eyes were not there, her heart ached looking at her best friend that way, without saying a word she grabbed his hand and pulled him closer. And she hugged him. And then, just then, Naruto let himself cry.

He put his whole weight on her and started to cry, she had enough strength to keep him standing, and so she did. She cried as well, no words said. She hated that her best friend was hurt… she had been there. And never in her wildest dream would she have thought of experiencing it on the other side. After a while she felt him sleep on her, with the strength driven by chakra that characterized her she picked him up and walked into his room, she made sure to leave him comfortable in his bed. She gave a quick check on Boruto, and she left. She would check on them tomorrow.

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Two years before

"No! No! NO!" Sakura cried as she saw Sasuke's body brought back by her friend. Kakashi held her as she was plumbing to the ground, her legs were shaking she couldn't keep up, her hands covering her mouth not believing what she was seeing. Because that was Sasuke, Sasuke Uchiha. He couldn't be killed, he was of the strongest shinobis of Konoha, of the world, she survived a war and sealed Kayuga. He wasn't meant to die, because in her mind he couldn't.

But there he was, no chakra emanating from him. She knew he was gone, as a doctor she perfectly knew, and yet she denied the possibility repeating that it couldn't be. Kakashi started to break down, he couldn't hold her any longer and she got heavier as her knees no longer kept her standing.

Tsunade ordered some of her doctors under her command to take the body out of Naruto's arms. Absently he let go of his friend, he couldn't look at Sakura it was too painful. He did however walk to replace Kakashi to hold her up. Sakura grabbed his head.

"He said he would be back, this is a genjutsu. He can't be dead, Naruto. H-he can't" she cried. Naruto started to break down and cried while still looking at her.

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan" he said. And then, just then Sakura realized that her husband was gone. As if the ultimate assurance of it ever happening was her best friend admitting it. And she screamed. Because what was left to do, the only man she ever loved was gone, the father of her only child.

The following days had been the toughest Sakura had to endure, after telling the news to Sarada, she received help to arrange the funeral from Tsunade and Shizune. She had been given absent days in the hospital but she wished Tsunade would let her run her Children's hospital as usual, even though she was no longer her boss she still respected her petition to not work right now. She however thought her mind running wild was the worst idea for her right now, she wished she was busy and not at home just thinking about her late husband. It was too painful and too real still.

She was visited constantly, everyday by a different person but still everyday by Naruto. Ino came and brought her flowers and food, Hinata came with her delicious homemade dishes not knowing what to say she would only smile and leave the food, Kakashi would come and offer to play chess with her and she deeply appreciated that distraction, and Naruto came and they would only sit down next to each other not saying anything. Because out of all her friends, Sakura knew Naruto was hurting just as much. Because in a way he was his soul mate, not in a romantic way, but Sasuke completed Naruto just as much as Naruto completed Sasuke.

As days became weeks, and weeks became months everything came back to normal, for everyone else at least. She resumed her work at the hospital and keeping herself busy kept her sane, her friends stopped dropping by as much, but Naruto kept visiting everyday after work. It became a habit and before they would sit down only, but later they would talk about Sasuke, and eventually instead of a sad memory it became a happy one… and Sakura looked forward to that moment of the day—just as Naruto—she loved keeping her husband alive even if it was just by sharing stories. And by talking to the blonde she learned so much about her husband, she learned how much they talked and how much Sasuke loved her and Sarada. And by sharing stories of her late husband, Naruto learned Sasuke's very soft side and even could be his corny side that he only showed Sakura. And by that day by day, they got better and days got brighter and they helped each other cope. Because when you are lost, you need help and when things get tough, you need a friend.

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Thank you for reading the first chapter, let me know what you think on the reviews.

I promise it will become sweeter and yet very real, I hope you enjoy this ride with me.

With love,

Nena-Uchiha22