Hey all,

See? Friday. Just really, really early, Friday. I must say, this is probably my favorite chapter so far, and I hope it becomes my readers' as well. This chapter just felt like it needed to be written, and I just so happened to be around to write it. Something warm and soft and fuzzy to counterbalance the sad and grim. Alas, the latter two shall return soon enough. Additional reviews would be nice, helps new readers find new stories. That's usually how I pick the ones I read. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy.

Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto

Ch X

There are four questions of value in life... What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love.

Sakura stepped slowly into the room, sliding the door softly shut. Some time during the night Yamato had regained consciousness, but he was far from healthy; the Leaf shinobi had made due and dwelt in the ruined house overnight. Sakura hadn't been able to sleep, and so decided to separate from the others.

She crept softly into a side room. She cursed quietly when she discovered her stealth was for naught; Naruto was looking straight at her. He had been the first to enter the house, doing so without consultation and singlehandedly forming a consensus to use what shelter it provided. He had stalked off into this small side room, Hinata held tightly in his arms, and no one had seen or heard from him since. None were bold enough to attempt to talk to him; he would find them when he was ready. They would all just wait in the interim.

Hinata lay sleeping in a makeshift bed; Naruto had forfeit both his bedding and his jacket to make her as comfortable as possible. As far as Sakura knew, she had yet to regain consciousness, but even still she clung to the jacket draped around her tightly. Naruto sat beside her in silent vigil, eyes locked onto Sakura. The look on his face nearly melted her resolve.

'Naruto…' Sakura whispered,' can I… talk to you? For a moment?'

'Whatever you have to say… You can say it here.' His tone was flat, and he did not blink. In fact, he hadn't blinked since she had entered.

'I don't think we –'

'I made a promise Sakura. Either talk to me here and now, or it can wait.' She thought quietly for a moment, before sighing in defeat. She padded slowly in front of him and sat facing her friend. She took a few moments to steady her breathing and gather her thoughts.

'Naruto… we need to talk about… about Sasuke-kun.' Naruto visibly stiffened at the mention of his name. The first reaction she had seen from him all day.

'Naruto… I think our time's up. I think… I think we have to do something about Sasuke. Something serious.' Naruto bristled.

'And what we've been doing so far? That hasn't been serious?' He pre-empted her. He knew what was coming, but he fought to deny it. She of all people would never even conceive of this, nor give it any serious consideration.

'That's exactly the point, Naruto… We've been doing everything we could to try and bring Sasuke-kun back, and where has that taken us? Death and destruction and anger and sadness and…' She stopped to take a breath, to steady herself. This was not going well, not at all.

'Naruto… We can't stand up for Sasuke any more. I know what happened in Konoha, you and those Cloud-nin. I know what happened here, in Tetsu no Kuni. Sasuke-kun is going to start a war. The largest war we've seen in decades, and we… we can't stand up for him any more. He will bring nothing but ruin to Konoha and everyone surrounding him, whether he's successful in his mission or not.' She searched Naruto's face, gazing into the deep blue of his eyes. They'd always been soft, always been a gateway to his heart. She saw into them, and nearly started crying once more.

'Sakura… I know what's happening, what's going to happen. I know what Sasuke might do. But what more would you have me do..?'

'Naruto…' Despite herself, tears started dripping down her face. That had been happening far too often lately. 'Naruto… Sasuke-kun has to die. And we are the ones who have to do it.' Anger flushed through Naruto.

'Sakura, how can you give up on Sasuke?! He's our teammate, our friend, our… brother! I made a promise to you! A promise to myself! I will not go back on my word, no matter the cost to myself! I'll do whatever I need to shoulder the burden. If this is what you're going to do, then I'll stop you.' Now the tears came down steadily.

'Naruto, Sasuke-kun has abandoned us! If we leave him out there… Konoha will die. Not the village, not the nation… the people, will all die. Everyone. And even if we do somehow bring him back, his heart will never rest there. He'll escape again, or worse…'

'Then if he tries to escape, I'll bring him back! I'll –'

'That's not enough, Naruto. Eventually your guard will drop, and he'll be free. He can't come back to us if his heart won't let him.'

'Sakura… I nearly had him today. He was inches from my grasp, and then fate and bad luck pulled me back… Don't do this now, not when I'm so close…' Sakura felt her nerve starting to crack.

'I'm not the only one who thinks this way… Shikamaru and Ino and everyone else have decided the same. We can't protect him any more; there are others who need that more.'

'Sakura… you can't possibly believe that. If there is anyone who needs their help, than let them go. This was never their job; this was between you, me, and Sasuke. If there's any way I can help them, I will; but not if it means I cannot help Sasuke.' He paused for a moment. His eyes were painful to look at now. Sakura had to lower her tear-blurred gaze to the floor.

'…What happened to the Sakura I knew all those years ago..? Where did she go? Where did you put her? When did you grow so cold?... She would never do this. She would never give up on Sasuke.' Her tears fell like rain, but they now fell for a different reason.

'Sakura… You put your faith in me, and I won't let that faith die. Everyone's put their faith in me, and I've never let them down. What kind of Hokage would I be if I let them down now? What kind of person?... If I gave up on Sasuke, part of me would die. As surely as if you stabbed me in the heart with a kunai… So please… let me finish this… let me do it my way.' Suddenly she felt a pressure around her. Startled, she looked up and saw Naruto's shoulder. Something wet landed on her bare arm.

He was hugging her. He was hugging her, and he was crying. In an instant, she knew he was right. In an instant, she knew he would succeed. In an instant, she knew part of her loved him, but she couldn't put that burden on him, not now. In an instant.

Shikamaru had been gone a long time. The sun had set and stars now shone, and he had simply kept walking. His mind was working as fast as it ever had, analyzing a thousand different threads of thought and each one ending in the same massive tangle. He stopped momentarily to ease his sore feet, but instead just stood. Just barely, he could see the waxing moon through the smallest of gaps in the foliage. He stared for a long time.

'Not a lot of clouds to watch, I guess?' Shikamaru nearly jumped at Kakashi's voice. Looking down, he saw Kakashi wander nonchalantly from behind a tree, stopping beside Shikamaru and staring at the object of his former fascination. Shikamaru just stared at Kakashi a moment longer before his gaze drew back onto the glowing moon. It was silent, not even the animals and insects disturbing the quiet. It stayed that way for quite a while.

'You shouldn't blame her, you know,' Kakashi stated, still staring at the moon,' there was nothing she could do to-'

'I know, Kakashi. All this time together, and you still don't know all that much about me, eh? I know there is – was – nothing she could do to save him, and I don't blame her.'

'… Does she know that?' Shikamaru turned his head toward him abruptly. For once, there was something he had not considered, had left out of the equation.

'She's still awake, you know. She's waiting for you to come back.' Shikamaru swallowed and nodded his head once.

'Thank you, Kakashi.' Spinning quickly, he took off at a run toward the ravaged house. Kakashi finally looked down, watching Shikamaru fade into the darkness.

'No problem.' Don't let her slip away. Don't make my mistake.

Naruto was left alone once more; well, not quite alone. He returned to his quiet vigil at Hinata's side. She was still asleep, her soft breathing somehow melodious to Naruto's ears. Sakura had left as quietly as she had arrived. She had been smiling when she left.

Warmth flowed slowly into Hinata as consciousness returned. She opened blurry eyes to see a familiar paneled floor. She was in a bed. Did I…? Did I dream the whole thing? … Hinata shifted, to roll over slowly. Of course I must have been dreaming… Naruto-kun would never choose me over Sasu-! Her eyes alighted onto the figure by her side, who had until a moment been to her back, and instantly snapped awake. What?! I-! Naruto! That means-! Naruto-kun chose me! He chose me! She moved to prop herself up, but pain sifted through her torso. Naruto noticed the movement and pulled himself closer.

'Hello, Hinata-chan…' A slow smile creeped across his face.

'N-Naruto-kun…' As she pulled herself up at last, she saw what she had been laying under: Naruto-kun's jacket. Shock swept through her.

'Uh- Umm… T-This is yours…' She blushed fervently, handing the jacket back to Naruto. Naruto grasped the jacket in one hand and looked down at it, before sweeping it back over Hinata's shoulders and cinching it tight.

'I think you'll need it a little more than I will.' Hinata could feel the warm blood flushing her cheeks, her ever increasing heartbeat.

'W-What time is it? H-Have I… been out long..?'

'Most of the day… I carried you back here, and I've been watching over you ever since. The sun went down hours ago.'

'Naruto-kun… What h-happened to S-Sasuke..?' His smile never left his face, but somehow it seemed hollow. His eyes betrayed him; they always had, and always would. Hinata knew the answer before he gave voice to it.

'He's… gone. He escaped after… well, after what happened earlier…' Sorrow flowed through Hinata, but it was overwhelmed by the happiness she felt. She felt as if she could fly. Suddenly, she plummeted.

'N-Naruto-kun… w-why did you choose m-me over… over…'

'Because, well…' He stammered, and his eyes revealed him to be searching for a lie. 'Because… I couldn't bear to have someone die over me. Sasuke can wait. I'll find him again.' Because I… love you, his eyes screamed. He looked uneasy now, shifting his weight around and playing with his hands. Hinata's heart nearly burst, warmth and bliss and elation consuming her completely and radiating out. She wanted to cry, to shout, to sing, to dance; anything to try and release what she felt, but at the same time she wanted to hold onto it forever. All her pain was swept to the back of her mind, completely buried under the weight of emotion.

A singularly beautiful smile blossomed on Hinata's face. Naruto drank in the image, subconsciously writing this moment onto the core of his soul. As much as he wanted the moment to last forever, he knew he had to leave. Hinata was tired, and injured, and the last thing she needed was a distraction from rest and healing. He stood up slowly and padded over the door. He stopped in front of it, hand outstretched.

'…I should probably leave you to rest now, I guess…' He turned slowly to face her one last time. Abruptly he felt a warm body wrap around his own. Hinata was hugging him, face buried in his chest. He could feel her heart beating; a glorious sensation spreading through him.

'…Please don't go…' She whispered.

Shikamaru could see the house fast approaching. He reached the edge of the small clearing and stopped; true to Kakashi's words, Ino was waiting for him. She sat curled beside the door. She had been crying again. He dearly wished it wasn't because of him, but his unfathomable intellect told him otherwise. The knowledge viced his heart savagely. Looking up, she finally noticed him standing, watching her as she watched him.

He started walking toward her, each step increasing his heart beat. He didn't know what he would say. All he knew was he would say it. As he drew near, Ino stood as well. She wobbled at first, but regained her balance and jogged toward him. They met, and Ino's arms wrapped around his neck as his wrapped around her waist.

'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…' She sobbed.

'I'm sorry I- '

'I'm so sorry about Chouji… I… I tried everything I could and it still wasn't…'

'I know…'

'I tried everything and I still couldn't –'

'I know… I know, and it's not your fault.' Shikamaru felt more tears run onto his neck. ' I'm sorry I let you think otherwise.'