Naruto:

Hard Work Pays Off in the End

Chapter 1: For the First Time in Years

Author's Note:

Hey there, all you readers out there! I know that this is a touchy subject for a lot of Naruto fans, but I wanted to do a story (probably more in the future) on Naruto and, more specifically, the ending. Just so you know, I don't hate the idea of Naruto and Hinata (I can't say the same about Sasuke and Sakura…), but I felt like their relationship was shoehorned in towards the end without development or real passion for the two as a couple

Naruto as a whole really means a lot to me and one of those first manga/anime or even really stories in general that changed me. To this day, I credit Naruto to a lot of the philosophies and feelings I've had as well as a butt-load of lessons I've learned. Honestly, this character changed me and my entire way of thinking, the exact same way that he did for countless other both in his world and ours.

I've also been on this site and a fan of it for years, but this is one of my first fics I've posted. Hopefully, you all feel it's pretty decent and can give me some pointers to make my writing better. (Not blatant self-promotion at all) *Thumbs up*

Grawman67

Disclaimer:

You already know this, but of course I don't own Naruto! If I did, there would definitely be a different ending and much different story development in some spots.

Naruto:

Hard Work Pays Off in the End

Chapter 1: For the First Time in Years

For the first time in a very long time, the sun actually seemed to offer some warmth. It had been far too long since he could appreciate it like this. Naruto lay there on the statues of Hashirama and Madara's hands, panting and staring at the sky. It was beautiful.

From beside him came the deep breaths of Sasuke Uchiha. The young man was in equally bad shape as he was. He was also sprawled on the statues' hands, looking away from Naruto.

"Naruto…" his voice came soft and almost harsh at the same time.

The blonde boy turned to look at his friend only to see Sasuke staring at the sky. His eyes looked muddy. There was a complex wave of emotion flickering through the teenager's eyes. Something Naruto noticed, however, was that there was more light in them since before he left that day four years before.

"You won."

Naruto's eyes widened and he gasped. Was Sasuke saying…?

Sasuke didn't seem too keen on admitting, however. Naruto could almost sense some kind of guilt, but, if it was there, it was buried deeply under Sasuke's hard-headedness.

The boy's clear blue eyes showed that he was listening intently to everything he said without a trace of hatred…He would have deserved it and, in a way, Sasuke wasn't sure if he wanted Naruto to hate him or not. Some feeling almost swelled in his chest, but Sasuke could not recognize it and paid it no heed. It could have been guilt, but he wasn't sure and didn't quite care.

"Are you trying to apologize to me, you big idiot?" Naruto interrupted, stupid grin on his face. "Because, if so, I can't believe it! The mighty Sasuke Uchiha admitting that I kicked the crap out of him? It's like the world's ending or something." The Uchiha smirked.

Naruto laughed.

It was like how they used to talk to each other after sparring matches back when Team Seven was whole.

Sasuke was silent for a few moments and Naruto could feel the mix of emotions rolling off of him: anger, flickering hatred, exhaustion, and a few that he couldn't pinpoint. Was Sasuke almost glad this had happened or was he just hoping?

Finally, Sasuke responded with exhaustion. "Shut up, idiot."

A smirk found its way to Naruto's face.

"What's the matter, asshole? You're not getting soft on me, are you?" Naruto asked, feeling tears well up in his eyes.

Sasuke's retort came out as a growl. "If I had my arm…"

Naruto laughed through the leaks of tears coming to his eyes. Sasuke remained quiet, but tears leaked through to his face. Naruto never saw them, though. He made sure of that especially since he wasn't sure why they came in the first place. The pain was nothing he could not handle so why?

The Uchiha gave off an air like something else was bothering him, but he wasn't talking. Naruto knew it may not be smart, but he decided to press it.

"Hey, something bothering you?" he asked.

Sasuke took his time responding, but, when he did, it was something Naruto never expected.

"How will Sakura feel to see me?" he looked at the sky with a blank stare. He added afterwards, "You told me some of your views, but I don't know about hers."

Naruto felt a twisting sensation in his heart.

Sakura…

He could tell she still cared about him, even if she said she didn't. She always said she wanted to bring him back to complete Team Seven and because he was their friend, but Naruto still wrestled with the question of if she was still in love with him. She could get angry so easily…and Naruto wasn't sure if she would forgive the raven haired boy or not. Still, he was here and it seemed like he would come back. What that spelled for the future for the three of them, Naruto wasn't sure, but he sure hoped that Sakura didn't love Sasuke like she used to anymore. He allowed himself a small second of that selfish thought before expelling it from his mind.

If she still loved Sasuke, he would back off. If she was happy, he was happy for her.

After all, even now, he still loved her.

Naruto turned to his best friend. "Y'know…I'm not gonna lie. She was really hurt and, after a while, really mad…" Sasuke faced the other direction. "But, I can tell she still cares about you. When you were gone, she said that we would bring you back and that you were still our friend."

Sasuke tried to sit up before remembering his lack of arm.

Naruto laughed. "That's right, they're gone, huh? I totally forgot about that." He looked down at his stump.

The Uchiha stayed silent while glaring at Naruto.

"Naruto…" he started, still seeming like he was fuming quietly. "You already said it, but tell me again, why did you come after me? Even after this many years, you couldn't let me go. Why? Sakura? You love her."

The blonde was took a moment to articulate what he wanted to say. "Because, you're my friend. We're both shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village Konoha and I could never leave you behind!" He grinned at his friend. "Yeah, I did it for her too." His face turned solemn. "When you left, she cried and begged me for help and I knew that I would bring you back if it meant she'd be happy…even if she would never look at me like she did towards you."

Sasuke seemed to accept this answer as if he'd known it all along.

The sky was clear and Sasuke took the time to appreciate that fact for the first time in a very long time. It was not as if he could do anything else at the moment.

Somewhere else, a far distance away, Sakura Haruno was travelling as fast as she could, knowing full and well what the scene before her could be when she arrived at her destination.