Those words haunted Naruto as he walked up to Hinata's house to tell her he liked her. If she reacted and admitted that she liked him, Naruto decided they would get married.

"I wonder if Hinata is really the girl..." Naruto trailed off when he reached Hinata's house.

"Oh, um, hi Naruto. Sorry about earlier today, I was just too shocked when you came sliding under my skirt... It was, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I promise to try not to do a K.O. Punch if you trip and slide." stuttered Hinata in her shy, lonely voice.

God, Hinata is so good looking! When did she became so, well, cute?

"Hinata, I have a question to ask you. Do you, well, I like you, and well, I was w

ondering if you um, liked me?" asked Naruto in a shy, lonely voice of his own, that he never knew he had.

Stunned at the question, Hinata fainted to the floor. Two hours later, Hinata found herself lying on her waterbed. Naruto was sitting beside her, holding her hand. She saw him looking very concerned and worried.

"Naruto? Have you been sitting there the whole time? You didn't have to stay here beside me. I mean, I..." but Hinata was interrupted by Naruto. He had leaned over and kissed Hinata. "Naruto?"

"Hinata, stop speaking." whispered Naruto. Hinata decided to obey, and relaxed. Pressing her lips harder against Naruto's, they stayed like that for three minutes, until Naruto said,

"Hinata, do you love me as I do you? It is time for you to answer. I must know. Please answer my question."

"Naruto, I, well I, and it have been so long, that I thought I would never see you again. Well, I'm, so sorry Naruto. I loved you yes, but..."

"But what Hinata? But what?"

"I thought you were going to die, and well, Kiba and I are engaged to be married a week from now. I'm so sorry."

"But, Hinata, I, but, I mean, why, you know I would come back. I always do."

"There could always be a first where you don't. Sasuke promised Sakura that he would come back, but he died, didn't he? Is that why Sakura won't speak to me when I came over? Is that why she is wearing all black? Is that why when I mentioned Sasuke's name she burst in tears? Is that why she threw all her pictures and any memories of Sasuke in the trash? Is that the reason for Sakura is acting depressed? Is that why? Tell me, tell me that I was right! Answer me idiot! Speak to me." By then Hinata was crying without any sign of stopping.

Naruto held Hinata for what seemed like eternity. Hinata continued to cry while Naruto stroked her hair. Then he whispered,

"Hinata, you are right, he did die, but don't blame him. You must blame me. I wasn't strong enough to protect him. I can't even sense an enemy. He told me he thought there was danger, but I told him he was thinking he sensed something. I was to blame for his death. I, I just can't..." Naruto couldn't continue.

"Naruto, it isn't your fault, you just couldn't sense the danger. Even Sasuke wasn't sure, because, well, you said he thought he sensed danger. Naruto, I love you. I truly do. I really want to marry you. You're the number one person, the only person. But now that I'm engaged to Kiba... I, want to love you, but because of Kiba, we can't be together. I'm truly sorry."

"I guess this is good-bye Hinata. I wish we could have been. Because you had no faith in me, and that is what ruined anything that could have been. I should be the one who is sorry, sorry for not being able to have you have faith in me. I guess this is the end. The end of anything we had together."

Walking away, Naruto headed toward Ino's house, leaving Hinata crying on the foot of her bed. Walking up to Ino's door about to knock, he decided to go over to Sakura instead. Knocking on Sakura's door, he remembered the letter. He had told her that they would probably not see each other again. He started to run away, when Sakura opened the door to see who it was.

"Kyah! What are you doing here, I mean I thought you were going to leave. You, I, we. What am I saying? It's you. Wait, why am I all excited? Why am I asking these weird questions? There I go again. Naruto, I'm so happy to see you! Oh, Naruto, I love you so much..." stopping as quickly as she started, Sakura stood blushing, not realizing what she said.

"You love me? Is it true?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. It is true. Every word. It sort of just popped out. It is still true though. All Sasuke ever talked about was how he wants to kill his brother. I wished that I married you instead. Now I can Naruto! We can both live happily together! Won't it be wonderful?" Sakura babbled on till she had to take a breath.

"Sakura, what about what about Sasuke? He just died this morning! Are you just going to forget about him. You two were married. You two were about to go on a honeymoon! Oh could you just throw him aside. I just found out that the only girl to ever love me as a kid has no faith in me. I go off training and then she didn't think I would ever come back, she goes off and gets engaged! Then I find out that Ms. Yamanaka likes me. Look I like you and all. I even loved you as a kid. Look, Sakura, I think it is way too soon for us.

'Naruto, what are you doing? A pretty girl like her? And you won't even say let's try a date and see how it goes? Your more pathetic then Garra! The Shukaku tells me everyday how Garra will always kill the girl that likes him. You make them suffer with heartbreak. Say yes to her already!' whispered Kyubbi in Naruto's mind.

'Are you sure? I mean, she literally killed me back when we were kids.' Naruto thought back.

'She's changed right? Come on. Get it together and ask her out.'

'Ok, if you're sure. I'll try it out and see if I like it.'

'That a boy!'

"Hey, um, Sakura, do you want to, go to dinner or something. I mean, only if you want to. Let's see, the best place to go, if you say yes, would be…"

"Naruto, I think the best would be to just go to the ramen shop you like to go to. I mean, I've never tried it, and it might be good."

"Really, Sakura, you would go. It wouldn't be much of a date, buying a 50yens worth of ramen. Of course that is the highest priced amount. Are you sure? Oh, Sakura, really, you would go to the Ichiro Ramen shop?! You make me proud!" Naruto jumped for jpy and landed on Sakura's bed.

"Naruto… calm down. Now you're the one who is taking it too fast. I love you, but aren't you going a little over excited? Naruto, calm down, and let's go to dinner. Come on, we don't want to eat too late…"

"Sakura come here."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

Did you likey? Yeah, I was hoping it would be longer... But I guess I got bored. Oh well. Review, Review, Review!