The One He Loved
"N…N…Naruto?" stuttered Hinata as she knocked on his door.
Naruto got up from where he was sitting to answer the door, "What?"
Hinata blushed shyly and asked, "Are you okay? You didn't show up for class this morning."
Naruto sighed and walked back to his bed. Hinata followed, closing the door behind her. "N…N…Naruto?"
"Hinata, I…I couldn't…I couldn't go back there today. It's too much for me to handle."
Hinata frowned and looked around his apartment. It looked like a war zone. Scrolls, weapons, and other equipment was everywhere, much of it embedded in the walls. Naruto had had a rough night.
"Naruto, about yesterday…. They didn't mean what they said. At least, most of them didn't." She reached out to take his hand. "What I…what I mean is...they really don't hate you….they're just….afraid."
But Naruto didn't hear her. He was looked out his window toward a lone statue at the edge of the forest. He watched as a bird landed on it, but he wasn't paying attention anymore. His eyes were glazed over, like he was recalling some pleasant memory.
Hinata sighed. He wasn't listening. His thoughts were of happier days. It was no use trying to talk to him now, but she didn't care. She stayed, talked to him, and waited.
He got up, grabbed his kunai pouch, and ran out the door. Hinata followed as best she could. He was fast, but that didn't matter. She'd follow him forever.
He ran until he reached the statue at the edge of the forest. He stood there and stared. Tears streamed from his blood-shot eyes. "Why…." he whispered softly.
Hinata watched him. She wanted o comfort him, but didn't know how. "N..N..Naruto?"
He looked around, started at the faint voice, 'Hi..Hi..Hinata?" He froze, afraid that if he moved he would wake from some dream.
"N..Naruto?" Hinata reached up to touch his face, but was unable too. He moved just as she would have reached him.
Naruto bolted, afraid, sad, confused, angry. "Why did it have to be this way???" he screamed at the peaceful pearly sky.
He ran to the center of town. He ran until he reached the town prosper. The villagers started at him, confused and angry.
"What's he doing?"
"Monster!"
"Freak!"
"Demon!"
"Mommy, I'm scared…"
Naruto fell to his knees, crying bitterly. He reached into his kunai pouch and pulled out.
"What is the matter with you people? Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?"
"I'm not a monster!"
"You who have hated me.."
"You who judge me, with out ever getting to know me…"
"You are the monsters…."
"Not me…"
He raised the kunai to hi chest and placed the tip over his heart.
He whispered,
"I'm coming my love. I'm coming Hinata…"
and plunged the kunai deep into his heart.
Villagers screamed as his still bleeding corpse fell onto the stones. No one came forward. No one cared. They were too afraid and ashamed to do anything for him. No one, but one sad, lonely girl, that had loved him always, and befriended him many years ago.
"N..N..Naruto?"
"Hello Hinata."
The village, in its one, and only show of compassion for the boy they hated, buried him next to the girl he loved, next to Hyuuga Hinata, the only one to ever love him too.