Since I couldn't update on MY birthday, this one goes out to all the August 8th birthdays! Happy Day of Days!

Enjoy!

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Naruto's hands balled tighter and tighter in his pockets, nails digging into his palms to snap him out of this odd whirlwind of emotion. His brows were scrunched, more confused than angry.

This wasn't right.

He wasn't feeling right.

Sasuke and Hinata were in front of him—staring at him—together.

They were both conscious and aware of him.

They both knew—all three of them knew—what had happened the last time they were in the same space, and how utterly wrong it was to leave and end things the way they did. And the most daunting, Naruto was witnessing a literal representation of Sasuke taking his place—his head lying on her lap as his own had done many times before—but he wasn't feeling right.

He hated Sasuke for what he did. He hated how he himself had sacrificed a whole lot of his time, energy, and mental sanity striving so the Uchiha could have a normal life, only to have his own ruined in a way he never thought would be so terrifyingly difficult to recover from. He still hated all these things and more, and he had hated Hinata for all the same reasons...

But then he saw her.

And now Naruto was seeing him.

And despite all the rage, sadness, and confusion he had experienced throughout his entire life because of Sasuke, he was actually relieved he was here. After five years of traveling and doing who knows what in places even he hadn't see yet, Sasuke was back and breathing and—DAMN—Naruto was so sure his former teammate would actually get himself killed all because he couldn't stay in one place for long.

This was not how he wanted to feel.

He didn't want the sight of these two to make him happy anymore.

They couldn't just do that to him!

"Naruto."

He swallowed, blinking as he struggled to see the two in front of him through blurred vision.

"Say something," Hinata said, calm yet hesitant. "Whatever you're thinking."

And he was strongly tempted to do so, the words nearly leaving his mouth instantly. He wasn't sure what would actually come out—the relief, the blame, or the indifference—but it was laughable to think he'd be able to talk to both of them together and expect him to be okay with it all. It was baffling she could give him looks of worry and encouragement while keeping a comforting, protecting hand on Sasuke. It was horrifying she actually believed he could say whatever he wanted, given that both of them were the problem and the solution, yet they were looking at him like he was the only one with all the unresolved issues!

And he just wasn't sure of anything.

"What is it with you, huh?" Naruto laughed half-heartedly, rubbing at his eyes and sitting in front of them. He locked gazes with the Uchiha. "Always runnin' from me. Always comin' back like you weren't."

"I never ran, and I never came back," Sasuke replied, struggling to sit up, much to the confusion and astonishment of the women. "I had things to do."

Naruto snorted. "All that was left to do was to actually live your life."

"I had to figure out what that meant."

Naruto laughed, short and humorless. "I guess you needed Hinata's help for that."

And there was silence—short and fragile.

Sasuke sighed, not sure what he was feeling. "I kinda did."

Naruto laughed again. "Yeah." But it hurt. "Yeah..." It hurt way too much. "I guess so... I..." He wiped at his eyes again but the tears were obvious. He stood quickly, trying to hide his face. "I gotta go."

Sakura stared after Naruto, stuck in place even after he left, and she tried to understand why her heart ached so much. After seeing him bounce back these last few days, it was extremely alarming to see him like that. Despite having an idea about what Hinata and Sasuke did, she was surprised Naruto could look and act like that while being in front of them. Sasuke was his best friend and managed to cheer him up even when they didn't see eye-to-eye. Hinata was the one he loved, and she had always managed to put him in better moods—especially when they were dating—even after all these years.

"I have to go," Sakura said, not sparing a glance at the two before leaving. Her mind was much more preoccupied on what to say. Should she say anything? Should she try to distract him? Should she let him vent? Should she tell him everything was going to be okay?

Her nerves began to act up the more she thought about it, but she soon was able to see Naruto's retreating figure up ahead. His head was bowed, one arm across his face, and his movements were haphazard.

She exhaled silently, heart pounding, and cleared her throat. "Naruto?"

He gasped, quickly wiping his eyes before turning towards her. He waited for her to catch up, blinking and exhaling multiple times just for him to calm down.

"Naruto..." she began as she stopped in front of him, "I... I know it hurts, but..." She huffed, a little flustered, and gestured behind her. "I mean, they're right there. They're both there, and they're both awake, so you should... You should talk to them—about everything."

"We all know what happened."

"But what do they know? They don't know how this all impacted you. They don't know how this all made you feel. Hinata came back and didn't explain herself at all, did she? Sasuke saw you and didn't even try to make apologizing his first priority, did he? Are you really going to let them go on treating you like this?"

"Treating me like what?" He laughed, looking at anything but her. "They didn't have to acknowledge me at all, but, look, they did."

"Are you kidding? Naruto, your ex-girlfriend and your ex-best friend-"

"You don't understand!" Naruto thrust his hand in his hair, grabbing his bangs, and groaned as the tears started all over again. "I-it's not...just them. It's me and it's this and it's- I just- I can't do this with them! I don't want to know why it happened, and I don't want to know why they left, and I don't want to be reminded that they're leaving again because...because...!" He looked at her, face taken over with a fear and realization she didn't know he had. "They left me! They're not here for me! They didn't come back because they wanted to see me, and they're gonna leave again and I'll be stuck here again!"

Sakura stared, at a complete loss for words. Naruto looked away again, and it was then she realized what the five years of pining had actually been about. It wasn't just about a romantic relationship, and it wasn't just about being betrayed. It was about being abandoned—about being alone. It was about being put back in that dark place in his life, and no amount of pranks, laughter, or nonchalance could make it go away.

Sakura's guilt engulfed her, but before she could do anything, Naruto was rushing off again, the tears coming with full force.

She should have chased after him.


He could see fine.

If his vision was blurred, that would mean he was doing a good job at keeping it all in, but Naruto's vision was relatively clear, and his face was wet.

He rubbed his eyes again, not wanting anyone on the nearly vacant street to see him this way, but he couldn't keep it together. It frustrated him that he had been rational about this situation for a while; he had been able to convince himself to be angry or motivated rather than sad, but now he could only feel pain. Everything in his torso hurt, and the only thing his mind could think to do was turn around to find comfort with them.

And it was driving him crazy!

It was because of them he had emotions like this to begin with, and it was because of them the feelings had all come back! Why couldn't his emotions realize that? Why couldn't his emotions realize he no longer needed them and there were more important things than to yearn for people who were just going to leave him again?

If they cared for him, they wouldn't have left.

If they cared for him, they wouldn't have hurt him.

If they cared for him, they would be the ones aching for him. They would apologize and wish to be in his good favor and regret they ever left him behind.

But...why didn't they?

Why wouldn't they?

"What did I do?" Naruto crouched, hunched over, yanking on his hair as his heaving began to slip from his control. "What... What did I do?!"

"Naruto?"

The blond looked up, eyes adjusting to the moonlight. He was crouched between a bench and a trashcan, and Iruka was looking down at him, highly rattled, with a grocery bag in his hand.

"What in the-? That really you?" He stepped closer, leaning in. "Hey-" His eyes widened. "What's the matter?"


It was embarrassing.

Too embarrassing.

Naruto found himself strongly hoping a village-wide disaster would occur so he didn't have to face his sensei in this pitiful state, but there had been nothing of the sort to bail him out, and he was escorted back to Iruka's place. To add on to his embarrassment, Naruto had cried harder—almost sobbing—the whole way, and it was only after Iruka had gotten snacks and drinks out that he was finally able to calm down.

Still...

Naruto was bundled in a light blanket on Iruka's couch. The blond's cheeks were burning, and his eyes felt heavy. He glanced to the single armchair across from him, where Iruka sat and was eating a stuffed bun as he watched him worriedly. Naruto quickly looked away, drawing more into himself, and found himself hoping for another disaster.

A big one.

Maybe one even he couldn't overcome.

"So..." Naruto reluctantly sniffed, heightening his anguish, "it's been a while."

Iruka blinked. "Yes. With...your training as Hokage and my missions, we haven't properly spoken in some time."

Naruto looked up at him, frowning. "I meant since you saw me cry."

"Oh." Iruka laughed but quickly stopped. "Right, well, the nostalgia did hit me hard." He paused. "I imagine things have been stressful."

Naruto shrugged. "It's been...something." He glanced to the small table next to him where his snacks were left unattended. He reached for the bun and took a bite. "Wish I had better news for ya."

Iruka was silent for a moment, finishing his bun. "Ya know, I am available whenever you need to talk, Naruto. You're never too old to rely on me."

Naruto hummed, unable to meet his gaze.

"I'm not sure what got to you tonight," Iruka went on, "but maybe you should talk about it. The life of a Hokage will be stressful, so it's best if you let out what's on your mind."

Naruto's shame made him feel very small. He wondered if Hokage related despair would have been more favorable than this. "You know about Hinata, right?"

"Ah..." Iruka looked to the side, rubbing his neck. "Hinata... Yes, her kidnapping was very big news. Entire nations were on the lookout for her."

"You know..." Naruto looked at him, frowning further, and looked away again. "You know...she wasn't kidnapped."

Iruka's eyebrows raised. "What do you mean?"

"Sasuke... He didn't kidnap her. She left with him. She wanted to."

"Left with him? Are you saying they meant to come back but something happened?"

"No... I'm saying they left together. They left to be together."

"But she was with you. Uh, that is, I suspected it was supposed to be a secret, but the two of you were da-"

"Sensei." Naruto looked at him, eyes dull. "She wanted to."

Iruka stared at him for a moment, stumped, but realization slowly crept up on him. "Oh... Oh, so... I mean, I had no idea. I never would have thought that the two of them would- Er, I-"

Naruto laughed, agitated hands messing with his hair. "You're surprised? Imagine my surprise. I mean, he was my best friend, and she was my girlfriend, but I never suspected a thing." His smile dampened. "And it's crazy, ya know? T-to look back on it and have things finally make sense—like why she...why she started looking at me different. Why she looked s-so guilty and why being with everyone made her so uncomfortable." He laughed again, rubbing his eyes. "But I didn't even know she had feelings for him until the two...th-the two were..." He leaned back, head falling on the sofa head. "Until I saw them leaving."

Iruka got up and carefully made his way over to him, patting his shoulder as he sat down. "It's okay," he said, noticing how Naruto was trying to hold it all in. "It's okay."

And within seconds, Naruto was crying again, not masking the pain or the sobs. He covered his face with the blankets, and Iruka could make out words that broke his own heart.

I don't understand.

I tried.

I loved her.

Iruka found his own eyes stinging. He used to have all sorts of solutions he would one day convey to the blond when he experienced his first heartache, but he had no idea the situation would have turned out like this.

Hinata and Sasuke ran off together?

Hinata wanted to be with Sasuke?

Naruto had known this for years and suffered through it on his own? Iruka found everything about this situation hard to take in, but he supposed it wasn't his place to understand.

Minutes passed before Naruto had calmed down enough where his sobs were the occasional hiccups, and Iruka debated on what he should say next. He wondered if he should be saying this at all.

"You know, Naruto... It's not exactly the same thing, but I remember my own emotions when you were assigned to Kakashi's team. I was a little afraid, if I had to be honest, and I wasn't sure if you would be treated right." He laughed. "Despite my reservations, you did well, and then Master Jiraya eventually came and took you under his wing. As happy as I was for you, I had to admit I was a bit jealous."

"Jealous?" Naruto mumbled. "Of what?"

"Well, I was used to being the only one who saw the good in you. The more others saw what I saw, the further you got away from me, but I always knew where we stood. Letting you go and grow in ways I couldn't be part of was hard, but I never felt like it was the end of what we had. If I was unsure about our bond, I'd imagine I'd have felt similar to what you're feeling now."

"Sensei... I don't see how the two are similar at all."

"My point is, you need to find her."

Naruto didn't say anything for a few moments. He wiped his face, turning tired, red eyes in his direction. "What?" he croaked.

"You should find her," Iruka repeated. "There's a lot you need to say, and you're not going to move on until she knows it."

Naruto stared at him longer, brows slowly knitting. "Iruka-sensei... I doubt she cares about what I have to say about us."

"That's not the point, is it? The point is you need closure, and the only way you're gonna move on is if you go out there and find her. Sasuke, too. It's been five years, so they may not even be traveling together anymore, but if you're not over what happened by now, trying to handle this and running a village is just going to burn you out."

Naruto sat up straighter. "You think...? I mean, I can't just...do that."

"Yes, you can. Maybe you shouldn't, but you're under the impression that this is your fault, right? You think she left because it's something you did or didn't do? It's not. Hinata made that decision, and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you can realize you did everything you could. That doesn't mean you're lacking in anything, and Hinata would tell you that."

"She didn't before she left."

"No, I imagine she wouldn't... Honestly, I imagine Hinata would have found it very difficult to leave you, but she wouldn't have done it out of spite. If she really did leave you for Sasuke, it wasn't an easy process at all."

Naruto huffed. "So I shouldn't blame her, is what you're saying."

"No, you can blame her. You can blame her for everything, if you want, but I am saying... There are things in life that cause us to hurt others, and when you hurt people you care for, it's not something a person wants to confront. There's no way to know the main reason she decided to risk everything and leave, but I bet you part of it is because she couldn't bear to see the damage she did to you. You need to make her see that."

Naruto's eyes were slightly wide, his body feeling a dull buzz throughout him. "I... I mean, are you serious?"

Iruka shrugged. "I am, but even I have doubts about this. I guess the real question is what would you be better off doing?"


By the time Sakura got home, she didn't feel right. She wanted to keep looking for Naruto, but he could be extremely difficult to find when he didn't want to be found.

When she walked through the door, Keita was standing there, holding a rice ball on a plate and a cup of steaming something. She raised a brow, slowly stepping out of her shoes.

"Don't," he said, a sigh following. "You're going back out, but you should eat something. I don't think you took a lunch today."

She stared at him for a moment, one shoe halfway off. "I had a hospital lunch."

"Those ration pills?"

"They get the job done." She shook her head. "And why do you think I'm going back out?"

"Because I think you owe Naruto an apology."

"An a...? Wait, was he here?"

"Yes. He came over to borrow a hammer because somehow his door and windows were nailed shut."

"Ah... A-and you think I did that?"

He stepped forward, raising the rice ball to her lips. "I know you did. I don't know exactly why, but I'm familiar with your odd ways of getting what you want."

"But I-"

He pressed the rice ball closer, causing her to bite down. "Sakura, I worry about you. From your job to your status to your friendships. You can handle two out of three really well, but you're still getting used to all of them."

"You're trying to make a point here," she said, taking the rice ball from him. "And, trust me, I get it. I haven't had my mind right lately."

He nodded, his gaze becoming a bit concerned. "Why did you nail his door shut?"

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "My mind. I'll get it back." She turned out the door, stepping back into her shoe and finishing her snack. "I'll apologize."

"Ah, drink up please," he said, offering the cup.


Naruto sat in front of his door, jacket flung over his shoulder, and focused on taking out the last few nails. His door frame looked pretty messed up now, but even if it posed a problem for closing or locking properly, he could have it fixed in a few days. Besides, there weren't many people around who would dare break into his home.

When he was finished, he gathered the abundance of nails and stood, wiping his brow. He looked down the hall, hearing footsteps approaching, and saw Sakura stepping onto his floor.

"I'm impressed," he said, turning to face her. "All these nails and I didn't hear a thing."

She shrugged, making her way over to him. "When you've been trained by Tsunade, you don't really need things like hammers." She stopped in front of him, frowning a bit. "I'll...pay to get this all fixed."

He shook his head. "I have money to spend, anyway. Besides, most of my time is gonna be in the Hokage office soon enough."

She tried to smile at that. "I'm really sorry for...these past few years. These last few days, too. I left you alone thinking you could deal with all this, and now I'm acting like you can't deal with anything."

"Yeah, well... Ya know. You were right about some things."

She cocked a brow. "Which things?"

"I should talk to her. I should talk to both of them, but I really need...to talk to her." He huffed, ruffling his hair. "You guys think this'll help me get over her, but I have no idea what it'll do." He rubbed his chin, looking over the railing. "I mean, I wouldn't exactly say I'm holding on to anything, but, ya know, I'll admit I still feel things." He looked at her. "Not tryin' to drag you into this, but you still feel things, right? For Sasuke?"

Sakura's breath caught for a second, her heart nearly bursting from the shock. "Well... That it is to say..." She looked to the side, thinking intensely. "Seeing him again was kind of...confusing for me, emotionally speaking. Everything I used to feel suddenly came back, and I remembered how in love with him I thought I was. I was in love with him... I just...felt so much for him, and maybe I'll never forget that, but," she looked at him, seeing if any of it made sense, "I have Keita now. When I think about how I could have easily missed out on getting to know him, it makes me a little afraid how much old feelings could impact me."

Hesitance was prevalent on Naruto's face. He scratched his cheek, face twisting as he tried to process that. "Sounds like...you lucked out then."

"Things like that can happen. To anyone."

"I don't know about anyone."

"Anyone."

"Yeah, but... I don't think I-"

"Yes, you can. It's really up to if you want to or not. If I didn't decide that I wanted to move on from Sasuke, then, believe me, I wouldn't have. What would have been the point of that, though? It got to a point where not being at a certain level of sadness over him made me feel guilty—like my feelings for him were somehow invalid because I wasn't devastated—but do you know how tiring it is to keep yourself that sad for so long? It's exhausting. There's only one Sasuke, and there's only one Hinata, but they aren't the only people who can make us happy. As hard as it is to believe, there are people who could make us...happier."

Naruto bit his lip, doubtful. "Uh...huh. Would have been more uplifting if this side of you was there a while ago."

"Ah... Yeah, well, sorry again."

Naruto sighed heavily. "Yeah... Yeah. Kinda hard to picture this luck happening for me."

She snorted. "Considering all the luck you've had, this isn't that huge, but that's more down the road, isn't it? What matters more is that you're going to talk them. Do you need me to go with you?"

"Ah... No." Naruto shook himself. "No. I'm going to do it tomorrow. I think I'm gonna need to be well rested for this."

Sakura nodded. "And then what?"

"And then...we'll see what happens."


Maybe it was all a sign.

Maybe they already over-stayed their welcome—not like they were welcome anymore.

Hinata and Sasuke sat near the cave's entrance. Sasuke was leaned against Hinata, stubborn to give in to the drowsiness or the pills or the fatigue. Even if he wasn't fighting it, Hinata wasn't in a jovial mood; she had a lot on her mind.

"You didn't tell me about him," he murmured.

"Mm." She shifted a bit. "I mostly forgot, but I know how you are. You wouldn't have rested easy."

"Mm."

"We can't have...both of us getting emotional."

"Not emotional," he said. "But..."

"I know." Neither of them could push it away forever. "Sasuke," she said, staring at the filtered light of the moon, "I think...I'm ready."

He wanted to nod, but he couldn't force out that much. "You're going to talk to him?" he asked, his low voice sounding oddly soft to his ears.

"Yes."

"I see." He paused. "Right now?"

She shook her head. "Tomorrow." Hinata shifted so she could look at him. "And you? Are you going to talk to him?"

"Aa," Sasuke said, tired. "Tomorrow."