I Do Not Own Naruto

Chapter 28

Naruto's nervous energy was getting on her nerves today, and she could tell it was tensing Tenten and that was not good for her pregnant friend. Hinata knew Tenten needed to relax and Naruto's nervous behavior wasn't helping as he joined them for breakfast.

"Is there something happening today? He's awfully nervous," Hanabi whispered to her and Hinata sighed.

"Sasuke's being sentenced today," Naruto snapped. "He shouldn't even be on trial! I mean, he helped save the village and the world!" Naruto argued and she sighed as she shook her head to Hanabi to leave it be. She knew that this talk was pointless to try to have with Naruto because he was so stubborn on the matter. And very mopey, it was rather difficult to cheer him up or distract him.

"We do not discuss village on goings at the Hyūga breakfast table," her father snapped and she saw Naruto sink a little which had Hanabi chuckling. "Tenten, when is your next appointment with the doctor?"

"Uh… next week," she answered.

"There will be an escort with you as the Cloud remains in the village," Hiashi said and Hinata relaxed a bit.

Just because the Cloud claimed to be their ally did not mean they were to be trusted. After what happened to her as a child, and the price of that being her uncle she sincerely doubted her father was going to let the Cloud near Tenten or any of the prominent members of the Hyūga House.

"Uh… alright?" Tenten surrendered when Hinata nudged her reassuringly then. She would explain to Tenten later just why she would have an escort. This was not a discussion to have at the table though.

"Naruto, would you like to go sparring!?" Hanabi demanded eagerly. Naruto looked baffled for a moment and she smiled a bit, she knew Hanabi was irresistible once she decided to look and act cute. Hinata also thought it would be good for Naruto, perhaps having to teach someone to spar would help him with his one arm problem; at least that was one of the tactics she and Sakura had discussed.

"Sure," Naruto grinned and she smiled as she quietly continued eating. Breakfast was a quiet affair in the Hyūga house; as were all the other meals, which was why she was enjoying it as she finished her meal and left to get ready for a sparring day with Naruto and Hanabi.

"Why don't you talk to him?" Tenten asked, she spun when the door rattled to her room and she saw Tenten tentatively move her growing bump.

"About what?" Hinata asked as she pulled her hair out of the back of her shirt.

"About your feelings, I think your father saw them this morning," Tenten chuckled, she blushed a bit and smiled shyly remembering Naruto showing up at breakfast time asking to join. Her father had no doubt seen her blush, it was inevitable.

"I think… I think there's a time, and a place to admit to him I love him…" she said shyly. "And right now, it isn't the right time, he has too much on his mind, and his best friends could be executed, I just… not right now."

"Well you had better tell him Hinata, just because he's oblivious doesn't mean even he won't eventually notice them," Tenten smiled. She smiled in return. "Why am I not to be unescorted why the Cloud is here by the way?"

"Because they tried to kidnapped me, my uncle was killed in my father's place because my father killed my would be kidnapper, and they want a Byakugan. All of us would feel better if you were protected," Hinata explained softly. Besides, not even Hanabi was allowed to walk around here without an escort. It was better if they were all protected so as to not have another incident like that. Also, she didn't know how her family would handle having Neji's baby snatched. Probably not well.

"Oh, alright," Tenten conceded as she rubbed her growing belly.

"Twenty-two weeks right?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah, Sakura said to trust the growth measurements, she doesn't know why the chakra and growth rates are different but she doesn't think it's anything to worry about when my baby's growing fine," she said with a soft smile and Hinata chuckled.

"You're really happy about the baby now," she said softly.

"I am, it's my baby too, and once that sort of occurred to me it was… it was real," she admitted and Hinata smiled and nodded when Hanabi threw the door open.

"Come on onēsan! We need to go!" Hanabi declared excitedly.

"Well, duty calls," Tenten chuckled, Hinata squeezed Tenten's shoulder as she passed. "I'm going to Kurenai's, she's been… kind to me and Mirai's adorable."

"Have fun!" Hinata smiled genuinely and jogged after her little sister then. She saw Naruto waiting for them, he grinned, and she felt her heart skip a few beats as she jogged up to him and they left to go to training. It was rather nice to listen to Hanabi chatter away with Naruto and she found herself envying her little sister.

Not everything was easy for Hanabi, she knew this, but still, it was hard not to envy Hanabi when she was such a gregarious creature and wasn't shy about talking to anyone or being up front about her thoughts. Which was what Hinata envied because Hinata found she still had trouble conversing her thoughts with her friends and teammates.

"Alright, now, can you teach me the Rasengan!? You taught it to Konohamaru!" Hanabi demanded.

"I can try, I haven't been able to do it since I blew my arm off…" Naruto shrugged as he scowled at his flapping sleeve.

"Why'd you do that anyway; why not just kill Sasuke? He's a traitor of the Leaf," Hanabi asked and Hinata tensed at her innocent enough statement.

"Well… he's my brother in every way but blood," Naruto said. "Could you kill Hinata if she was the traitor and killer?"

"No."

"Then I think you've answered your own question," Naruto said softly.


Naruto worked all day, Hanabi had left after lunch because she had duties to attend to at the Academy and her escort had come for her. So that was why he spent the afternoon working with Hinata which was fun, he actually laughed a few times despite everything on his mind. Hinata was… soothing, to be around. He rather liked her quiet presence.

Still, he wasn't happy today, at least he wasn't until just now as he whipped around at that voice and saw them jogging towards them; he grinned.

"Hinata! Naruto!" Sakura shouted as she jogged towards them, Sasuke a beat behind her and he caught her in a tight hug then.

"He gets to live!" Sakura gleefully whispered.

"Thank Kami!" he shouted as he spun her around and set her down. Sakura was grinning and he smiled in return; if he didn't happen to know she'd kick his ass through a mountain he'd have kissed her in his joy. But he didn't dare to, because this was Haruno Sakura and she would kick his ass.

"Yeah, he's been sentenced to a life of redemption," she explained and the teme appeared behind her, Naruto watched at how Sakura seemed naturally fit against the teme as she stepped back to him.

"Well that's great! You can teach the Academy and we can run missions together again!" Naruto said gleefully as he leapt to hug the teme. Sasuke sidestepped him and he ended up tackling Sakura.

"Get off me Naruto! You're heavy!" she shoved him.

"I do not work for the Leaf dobe," Sasuke said as Naruto sat up on his heels.

"Huh?"

"I am a shinobi of the Allied Shinobi Forces, I am no longer a Leaf shinobi," he admitted and Naruto blinked.

"What!? What does this mean!? Of course you're a Leaf shinobi!" Naruto argued back and Sakura stood by Sasuke again, he looked them both over.

"No, I was sentenced to a life of redemptions working for the Allied Shinobi Forces, I am to rebuild civilian villages, hunt terrorists, and to do any mission assigned to me from any village," Sasuke said carefully.

"well, I guess that's alright, but hey, you'll be here," Naruto grinned.

"Actually Naruto… he's leaving, tomorrow morning," Sakura said softly and Naruto stiffened.

He felt like he had just been creamed by a Tail Beast Bomb now, it hurt. It was crippling. He had just gotten his best friend and practically brother back and now he was… he was… he was leaving! Again! The pain of that was staggering as he stared between the teme and Sakura who was standing there looking at him. Naruto couldn't believe this, he felt a slim hand on his shoulder and felt Kurama relax a bit. It was clearly Hinata touching him, trying to calm him, but the rage he felt boiling up in his veins was explosive. There was no containing it as it hit the surface now.

"YOU'RE LEAVING!?" He roared in disbelief.

"Aa," Sasuke said.

"Even After Everything We've Been Through You're Leaving! AGAIN!? What the hell is the matter with you teme! We just got you back, you can't just fucking up and leave us!" Naruto shouted. He was feeling betrayed as the pain from the first time Sasuke left filled him. the bastard had left, he had broken Sakura's heart and Naruto could never forget that! And the pain of that first leaving and every encounter afterwards was not something he had forgotten either.

"Aa, it is… it's for the best Naruto," Sasuke said uncertainly.

Naruto's frame was shaking with rage as he glared at the teme who was looking sincere in this.

"I thought you had changed, I thought you were different this time teme, I guess I was wrong. You're still just some fucking asshole who doesn't care about anyone but himself!" he shouted. Sasuke flinched, and Naruto snarled. "What about Sakura!? Did you even think about how this was going to hurt her!? Or me!? I thought we were friends again, brothers again! I thought you understood what that bond meant! But you're leaving us again!"

"Don't drag me into this Naruto!" Sakura shouted, he blinked as he looked at her. "This is something Sasuke needs to do, and he is alright with this. This has nothing to do with you!" she shouted back.

"Sakura," the teme touched her then.

"No, he's going to hear this because you're not hurting me by leaving this time! You're not and I won't let him make this about him!" she snapped at Sasuke. Naruto blinked and he felt Kurama tremble a bit when Sakura's green gaze settled on him with an angry fire lighting her eyes. Now was a good time to run.

"This is NOT about you Naruto! Not everything in this world is about you or what you want, Sasuke has decided this is something he needs to do and as his friend you should be supporting him! It's been just as hard; if not harder, on him than you and you've continuously turned this around to be about you! I'm done with it! I love you Naruto, I love you like a brother, but Kami are you acting like a spoiled brat!" she shouted. "Sasuke feels he should do this, and this is a lenient sentence compared to him dying! Did you ever think about that! can't you just be happy he's alive!?"

"He's just running away again!" Naruto roared back at Sakura for her every word had hit something him him and had hurt.

"Enough!" Sasuke shouted and he flinched as he looked at the teme then. "I see that this was a mistake, I'm going home, I have to leave tomorrow."

"I'll go with you," Sakura said.

"YOU COWARD!" he shouted after Sasuke as they walked away from him. "YOU'RE JUST RUNNING AWAY AGAIN! I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT!" he screamed.

"Naruto," Hinata whispered. He growled as he stalked the other direction away from Sasuke and Sakura. Part of him knew Sakura was right about this, but it didn't stop his anger as he started running away from the training field. Was it supposed to hurt this much? Losing both Sasuke and Sakura again?


That's all for now folks!

Enjoy Until the Day I Love! =)