Intertwined Destinies-Memory 9

The Hidden Leaf Village was in shambles- boulders and debris stacked as high as the buildings they used to come from. It was as if a devastating earthquake struck, only it was worse since the destruction was manmade. I remembered now- this was when Pain attacked the village and destroyed it, before the Fourth Great Shinobi War.
Katsuyu's slug clones healed us and I stood next to Ko-kun. I used my Byakugan to see that Naruto-kun was in the middle of fighting Pain. He was in his Sage Mode, fighting alone.
"Naruto-kun is fighting Pain right now," I announced to Ko-kun. "Naruto-kun is fighting alone," I thought remorsefully.
Pain used his Universal pull jutsu to pull Naruto-kun towards him, grab his throat, and thrust him to the ground. "Naruto-kun," I thought out. It felt like I was able to connect to him now.

Suddenly, it was the second part of the Chunin exams and Genin me was offering my ointment to Genin Naruto-kun. "Naruto-kun," I addressed as I bowed my head and stuck out my hands holding the ointment. It was really embarrassing when I offered it to him; I couldn't look at his face. "What is it?" Naruto-kun asked. "It's ointment," Kurenai-sensei stated for me. "Why're you giving it to me?" Naruto-kun continued. "Just accept it, Naruto," Kurenai-sensei suggested. "Thank you, you don't have to do this at all," he submitted.
Pain did his Universal Pull jutsu again. After he did, Naruto-kun floated in the air, was dragged towards the wall, and screamed as he was smashed into it. Genin Naruto-kun became the Sage Naruto-kun and he was thrown into the ground again, with the ointment flying to the side.

Pain had several poles staked on Naruto-kun's body. "You're about to die now," he stated.
As he was about to perform another jutsu, I jumped towards them, aiming at Pain. He dodged and my Gentle Fist hit smashed the ground.
"Why did you come out here? You're no match for him!" Naruto-kun shouted. I stood my ground. "This time, I'm going to save you, Naruto-kun. I was always crying and giving up before trying. I made so many wrong turns." A flashback of the younger me trying to give Naruto-kun's scarf back came.
"But you helped me find my way and take the correct path, Naruto-kun." Another flashback of Genin Naruto-kun slapping his hand on the table and me being surprised came.
"I always chased after you. I wanted to walk beside you all the time." I pictured young Naruto-kun's determined face.
"I want to be by your side, always." Naruto-kun cheered for me as I fought Neji-san in the Chunin Exams.
"You changed me, Naruto-kun." I remembered a younger me standing in front of a tree while Naruto-kun was smiling and took off.
"Your smile is what saved me." I closed my eyes and Naruto-kun's backside when he walked off was shown. I opened my eyes.
"That's why I'm not afraid to die, if it means I can protect you. Because... I love you, Naruto-kun." I ended with a smile.

After I finished, Sakura-chan came running towards me and told me to wake up.
Kurenai-sensei surprised me by showing me Naruto-kun's genjutsu after Sakura-chan woke me up.

Uzumaki, Naruto-Age 19

I stood in the back of my classroom at the Leaf Academy. Iruka-sensei was making a ridiculous assignment about who we'd want to be with at the end of the world. Kid Choji made a joke and everyone laughed.
"Not Iruka-sensei again," I sighed. I don't know why I'm seeing this, nothing big happened that day. Thankfully, nobody seemed to notice the tall guy in the back. I should get out. I took a few steps forward but stopped when I saw a paper airplane fly past my knees.
I looked to the right and saw Iruka-sensei walk towards kid me. "Hey, Naruto! Don't throw out your paper!" Iruka-sensei scolded. "But there's no way that the world's gonna end," kid me remarked with my hands behind my head. "I'm just saying 'if' it does," Iruka-sensei emphasized. "Well, it ain't gonna happen," kid me shrugged. I smiled from seeing my mischievous self; I don't know how Iruka-sensei was able to handle me back then.
I heard a soft giggle from the left and turned. Kid Hinata held out her paper and I looked at it. My name was written on it. "Huh? Me?" I stated incredulously. Why would my name be on her paper?

"Naruto-kun!" Genin Hinata's voice shouted. I was watching the Chunin exams, after I beat Kiba and Hinata gave me her ointment. I was surprised to see Kurenai-sensei encouraging Genin me to accept it. After Genin me was asking why I should accept it, "current" Sakura replaced Kurenai-sensei and she blurted, "So dense." Huh?

"He can be so dense!" Sakura-chan exclaimed. I was leaning on a lamp post in the village and just stared at the snow, not able to face her. "You were going to give him that scarf, weren't you?" she asked someone. Who wanted to give me a scarf? "Uh-huh," a gentle voice affirmed. "You can do it, Hinata. Be confident," Sakura-chan encouraged. So Sakura-chan and Hinata were walking past here? "Thanks," Hinata returned. Would I have been able to accept the scarf, since I had this one on? I'm not sure what I'd do if it happened.

Hinata's face during my fight with Pain appeared as she proclaimed, "Naruto-kun, I-" Sakura-chan, Ino, and I were eating at Ramen Ichiraku, like the other night. "You really like ramen, don't you?" Sakura-chan noted. "Yup, I love it," I agreed as I separated my chopsticks.
"Naruto-kun, I-" "You really like it," Ino affirmed. "Yup, I love Hinata," I agreed as I separated my chopsticks.

Sakura-chan was sitting in a dessert shop. "He's so dense. Maybe he doesn't know what love is," she bluntly put out there. Why does she keep saying I'm dense? "What do you mean?" Hinata inquired from across. "It's like knowing the difference between loving sweets- like shiratama dumplings, fruit gelatin, and love," Sakura-chan compared. "Huh, they're not the same?" I doubted as I was eating ramen across from Sakura-chan.

We went back to the night when I treated everyone at Ramen Ichiraku. Hinata was about to leave when Sakura-chan told me to walk her home. A girl held my arm and I didn't know why she was telling me to go with her when Hinata was really strong and didn't have to worry about something small like walking home. "Oh, you're such an idiot," Sakura-chan chided and left. "Why'd you call me an idiot?" I called back to her. Something's up.
"Senpai, the gyoza are ready," a different girl announced and brought them to my face. It smelled so good. "Let's eat," the first girl suggested and grabbed my arm again. Last time, I didn't go, but I can't miss this chance again. I ignored their suggestions and walked off towards Hinata. "Hinata," I called out.

I ran towards her, past that same lamp post from a little bit ago. She disappeared and I stopped to catch my breath. A piece of paper flew around me and I caught it. It was the same one Hinata had when she wrote my name for that assignment. "Hinata," I murmured as I looked at the paper. I think I'm understanding Sakura-chan's words a little better now. The light turned off and I heard Hinata's voice. "That's why I'm not afraid to die-"
A new light spotlighted on her as the snow blew and she continued, "-If it means I can protect you, because... I love you, Naruto-kun." I finally get it. "Hinata," I whispered. All this time, Hinata had loved me from the moment I saved her when we were kids... and I came to a warm realization-I love her too.

I've grown to respect the patient Hinata that never gave up on me after all these years whether I was shunned or acknowledged, admire the enduring Hinata that never stopped fighting against all odds, adore the stunning Hinata that had the light illuminate her fair complexion and eyes that contrasted her shadowy hair swaying in the wind, and revere the astounding Hinata that had ultimately won my heart.

She disappeared again and Sakura-chan ran towards me. "Naruto, wake up! This is a dream."

Responses to anonymous reviews:

To Diana: I do acknowledge that "The Last 30 Memories" is very parallel to the "Naruto: The Last Movie." I intended this story to be an unofficial novelization of the movie, as I have stated in the summary, like how people publish novelized versions of movies and video games. In a way, movies that were based from books are reflected in this manner, just flipped with different media. However, I have added details that were excluded in the movie that either were omitted for sake of time or added to enhance the written story, though I try to write as close to the movie in Hinata's perspective, as it is canon to the Naruto manga. It also helps with copyright issues. Some of Naruto's viewpoints will be added to the story, as I attempt to highlight important moments between him and Hinata. Also, I have plans to add more Naruto stories that may or may not be canon. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review for this chapter! :)