Hello everyone! I am so incerdibly sorry for the late update. I have been quite busy lately. This chapter was also relatively difficult to write. I wanted to strengthen the emotions that both Naruto and Hinata are feeling. This chappie is more reflective. I am pleased with the results though, and I hope that you will enjoy it too! XD

Also, I am so lucky to have such wonderful and loyal reviewers! Thank you so much for being patient, and for inspiring and motivating me: remnantsofsanity, warprince2000, GhstPhantom3, Universal Hope, Crazyyy, mikeee, Jim-Beam's-my-Buddy, Keikun4283, inu-youkess, Hidatsa-san, Rasengan2theface, A Crazy Girl of Many Names and Majia!


Thousand thank you's! Now, on with the story:)

Chapter 12 - Mutuality

Naruto woke up and automatically turned his head. His hand slowly swayed down the bed. He was expecting to feel someone beside him. It was just natural. No one was there. She wasn't there. Naruto narrowed his sapphire eyes.

Two people he cared about were not by his side. One of them had gone against his will, the other he had pushed out of his life. He did it for her though, because he only caused her pain. When Naruto figured out things, he would go back to her.

Figure out what? Why he doubted in himself. Why uncertainty took over when he saw her face.

Why he could still see Sakura.

Hinata sat by her window, staring longingly at the distance. She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them. It was cloudy. The sun had vanished. Where had it gone? The thickness of the clouds was almost suffocating, and it was so grey. No rain yet. However, she was expecting it, because she could sense it in the air.

He sat on the soft grass, letting a sigh escape from his lips. His golden locks fell over his face as he lowered his head.

"Naruto?" He heard a voice say. He raised his eyes, and saw a friend.

"Chouji." He whispered, smiling as strongly as he could. When Chouji was around, he could not help but grin a little. His presence was so warm.

"You look kind of blue, what's on your mind?" Chouji asked, sitting down next to him with a concerned look. Naruto remained quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say to his friend. He felt rather closed, which was rare.

"Is it about Sakura?" Chouji asked, carefully.

"Yeah, but it's also about Hinata." Naruto began, quietly. Chouji did not say anything. The rare silence between them stretched, before Chouji patted him quite hard, yet amiably on the back.

"Hang in there, Naruto." He said, flashing him a bright grin. Naruto smiled back, warm and true. He knew that Chouji was not the comforting type, but his encouragement skills were overwhelming. He did feel soothed though, no matter what.

"Thanks..." Naruto said, staring strongly ahead.

Hinata bowed before her leader respectively. The Hyuuga raised her head and watched Tsunade nod, before displaying several scrolls. Then, her brown eyes glowed with a strange graveness.

"...Mission for you, Hinata." She said, after releasing a sigh. Hinata nodded as she outstretched her hand and grasped one of the scrolls given to her with politeness.

"I have a bad feeling, so be careful." She said, gently. Hinata nodded and bowed again, before stepping out of the office. She let a deep breath escape from her lips, before carefully examining the scroll which consisted of the mission's details.

For some reason, she felt nervous, as she raised her head and stared contemplatively at the blank ceiling. Hinata felt her heart beat quickly, and everything around her seemed to fade away.

She held the scroll by her heart. Hinata was afraid that the mission would split her and Naruto fully apart. As they were now, she was at least close to him, near him. Now she had to forcefully go away.

Despite everything, she was so saddened by his abrupt decision, that she felt like telling him was no point. It would only give him more weight on his heavy shoulders. And lately, he had been shouldering everything by himself. Letting things out was not so easy anymore for him. She wanted to open up a way for Naruto, but it was very difficult for him to see that path, shining. Maybe leaving was a good thing, so it could open his eyes, and give him time and space.

Naruto walked along steadily. His mind was drifting away, and he let his thoughts take over.

Suddenly, he saw a pair of white eyes. She was sitting on a bench, eyes staring unfocusedly at the ground. She lifted her head slightly, naturally feeling a raw and familiar chakra wrap itself around her. With her keen eyes, she could practically sense anything. She fully looked up, and met Naruto's gaze. She moved so smoothly and delicately, it felt like everything was proceeding in slow motion. Again, he could see the hurt in her eyes.

"Hinata..."

He came over to her. She tried to give him a smile, but realized that it was futile and instead looked away, nervously clasping her hands. He understood that she was upset, and that he had to approach her carefully.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"M-m..." She managed, with a small smile. She continued to stare at the ground. Naruto noticed her uneasiness. Hinata was trying to pretend that everything was alright, when the circumstances were different. Trying to be strong.

"I'm sorry, Hinata. Just give me some time." He said, sitting down next to her. She did not answer immediately, and for a moment Naruto thought she was angry, but he knew that Hinata did not possess those emotions.

"Hinata..." He whispered, and touched her cheek so that he could look at her pale eyes. They were wide and revealed everything to him. She was still only for a moment, before she gently pulled away, standing up and looking directly at him. Hinata held his hand, squeezing it tenderly.

"I was happy when I was with you. It is only now that I feel..." She could not find her voice. She was trying to look strong, but Naruto could see the pain in her eyes.

"Naruto... I hope you understand this." She whispered, softly. She gave him one last saddened look, before letting go of his hand and turning around. She began to walk, slowly, because she did not know if what she was doing was right.

Naruto abruptly stood up.

"Hinata!" He called. She turned around, her hair swaying gracefully in the wind.

"I'll wait for you, Naruto." She said, with a weak smile. For the first time, she seemed so far away. The distance between them seemed unbreakable. At the same time though, there was a mutual understanding; they figured out that when the times come, she will take him away. He just had to say the word.

He did not know how long they stared at each other, feeling the wind against his face did not even wake him up. Hinata broke their intense lock, and finally proceeded forward. Naruto however, continued to stare at her, reaching out.

'Hinata...'

He was sorry for putting her through this. Maybe, separating himself from her only caused her more pain, and it seemed like it was getting to him too. However, he remained uncertain, and he was still seeing emerald eyes in crowds, and pink hair for a fleeting moment.

But, another feeling crossed his heart. It felt like he and Hinata were saying goodbye. Not a prominent one, but it was there.

Naruto walked endlessly through the streets, diving into his thoughts and trying to sort them out. It felt like he had done this already today. His head still felt heavy though. In fact, it felt even heavier than before.

The greyness was growing darker and darker. Amongst the thick haze, he could see a familiar silhouette breaking it. He recognized it as Kakashi, and he greeted him with a small smile. He nodded softly back.

"Yo, Naruto." Kakashi greeted. "Have you heard?" He asked. Naruto narrowed his eyes with question.

"Many ninja have departed for a tough mission, including Hinata." He informed, seriously.

"What?" Naruto asked, shock painted on his face. Instinctively, he looked around for eyes a pair of snowflake eyes, but found none. He had just seen her. Why didn't she tell him? He felt confused. That was the only feeling that swirled within him. Not hurt, because he knew that her silent departure was well-intentioned and reasoned. It did not shock him that she kept it to herself. Hinata was merely acting selflessly. After all, it was him who had craved separation, so she was just giving him that space.

He lowered his head, finally letting the tenseness take over. He felt like running after her. He wanted to. He felt his heart being pulled to the gates, where she was. Naruto did not know why, but he wanted to run.

Hinata turned around and stared longingly at the distance. She had been doing that often. The village was her view, and she wanted to see a certain someone chase after her. He was not there. It was alright though. She knew that what she was doing was right. If she was close to Naruto, it would only hurt her. Distancing herself from him while he sorted out his thoughts was something she needed to do. He needed space, and she needed to be spared. However, she still longed for his touch, his kisses, and his content smile. Naruto... She still felt that same warm feeling every time he approached her, and she missed that feeling already.

She looked down, as she proceeded onwards. Closing her eyes for brief moment against the world.

Naruto ran through the streets, running as fast as he could, so fast, he could recall stumbling and bumping into people. Maybe, if he was quick enough, he could catch up to her; manage to say "goodbye" and "be careful". A strange feeling dominated within. He feared for her, despite how strong he considered her to be. He did not want to let go of her like this.

He could see the red gates breaking masterfully through the greyness, and he desperately searched for her, but she was not there. Naruto abruptly stopped, looked one last time, before reality sunk in. She had already left.

Hinata finally looked up, after wiping away her weak tears. There was only a wall of grey covering the sky, but she realized something at that moment. Even though the sun may not shine everyday, it was still in the sky. It was eternal. Whether it was behind the thick clouds, or behind the blanket of night, it was still there. She just had to look beyond. And of course, be patient. Hinata could manage. He was worth it. She knew that the sun would break through soon. Just like Naruto would.

Naruto suddenly felt a single raindrop kiss his nose and he looked up. The rain grew quickly in quantity. It plastered his hair down as he stared at the empty path. He could not remember how long he stood there, gazing at the distance. Eventually, his heavy breathing ceased and he decided to go back. Home was the only place left to go back to now.

He threw himself in bed, burying his head in the soft pillow. His eyes grew heavy, and he dreamed.

Naruto was bathed in a warm light that seemed to consume the world around him. Everything was white and empty. He walked through the endlessness, looking around.

'Where am I?'

He caught a glimpse of breaking emerald.

She was standing there, smiling. He was just like he remembered her, pure and true. However, she was veiled in an eerie aura that streamed from her.

"Sakura...?" He asked, stopping, He tried to move, but he found himself stuck in her trance.

"Naruto... I want you to forget me." She said, her smile inerasable. Her eyes were hard though.

"What?" He questioned. Naruto was sincerely confused. Then, he suddenly realized.

"This is a dream, isn't it?" He asked her. She nodded, coming closer to him. He still could not move.

"I..." He began, but could not find himself to continue. He felt completely immobilized by her presence. She came closer, and touched his cheek. She felt real against him. He could not feel his touch though.

"If you look hard enough, you will find happiness." She whispered.

"What?" He asked, gently. She gently pulled away, taking a few steps back.

"It is already there." She said, and her tone was determined. She was smiling brightly.

And he saw solid tears breaking, and Hinata's smiling face, soft, welcoming hands and dark hair. It came so quickly, he could not even blink. The whiteness swallowed him.

Then he woke up.

Naruto gasped slightly, as he abruptly opened his eyes. He remembered every single detail of that dream.

Hinata was...

He got up, shifting so he was sitting on the ledge of the bed.

She was...

He could not feel Sakura's essence anymore. He stared at the ceiling, and it did not give him loneliness, but a feeling of longing; for her...

Hinata...

Hinata kept on walking, even though her feet felt tired already. All she could think of was Naruto. She looked up and stared firmly at the sky, feeling the calming rain against her skin. She suddenly stopped, gathering all her courage. Naruto's face made her stronger, so she tried to picture him in his mind.

And they longed for each other, even though they needed the space and distance. Naruto stared at the wall, Hinata stared at the sky. All they wanted was mutuality.

So, what do you think? Was it very heavy? I think the lines looked better in Word, but maybe it's just me. I sincerely hope you liked it. Please review and tell me:) I will try and update much faster next time. Thank you for sticking with me. Lots of love!

-Curlybear