36
Late at night, the little cabin was empty, and the big house was silent and dark.
A man walked into the door, stepped not on the road, but straight cross the courtyard over the snow, grass and soil.
The man with golden hair stood on snow. The moonlight mended the snow more chill and reflected on his face, changing his always-warm face into a cold blue color.
Sasuke stood on the porch with his hands clasped behind his back, blocking the paper door in shadow. The charcoal fire inside was extinguished long before, so no one could see what was in there.
He asked, "who are you looking for?"
He replied, "... You, Sasuke."
"Oh? So you are here," With his eyes swept across his friend's face, some ironic showed in Sasuke's voice, "to let me confront with you?"
However, Naruto looked at him seriously and sighed slightly, replied with a steady voice, "No, I'm not, Sasuke. I know you and I know her, too. Do you really think I will doubt you two? I... did not come here for such things."
Silent for a moment, Sasuke lowered his blade eyes, looking back at the snow in the courtyard, saying indifferently, "Then what do you want?"
"...I've decided that I can no longer see Sakura go on like this." Naruto frowned, sighed deeply and continued, "I now understand giving up her was my biggest mistake ever... It was me deceiving myself and others all these years. From now on, I must take good care of her even it means another fight with you."
His voice fell and a silence raised. In this unpredictable tranquility, Naruto stared at Sasuke nervously yet determinedly. From the corner of his eye, he saw the silent room concealing in shadow, which made his heart tighter. There was a part in his heart guessing Hinata was in there even though he trusted them both.
But Sasuke just used his elusive eyes to look back and asked very slowly: "So what are you going to do with Hinata?"
This guy is still like this: Point out what someone wants to escape most by only one sentence. Naruto thought like this and suddenly wanted to laugh, but that smile was nothing but bitter. It was too sad to be seen on the face of optimistic Naruto.
He changed at last. In the azure eyes, there was once light of simply warmth, making a woman seek for her lifetime though sometimes hurt her. It was now different kind of sky, filled with overcast clefts after the rain. Who was able to assert this maturity right or wrong? Maybe only the one beyond the fate.
"... When Hinata's with me, she's not happy, and I was probably the same. I used to pretend that I didn't find the truth. I avoided her by work. But it's unfair for her. From beginning to end, I let her down... That's why I must stop and correct it right now. "
"She told me today that she wanted to escape from the cage with me... So I finally made up my mind to tell you my decision."
His one and only friend was constantly talking in front. People all teased that the seventh Hokage was the world' best speaker who didn't good at speak.
However, this was the first time that Naruto has really solved Sasuke's heart knot by talking. Sasuke was moved by him and conceded to him, but never got enlightened and dawned like by his words like this moment.
"This is it..." Sasuke murmured, "This is... the reason."
"What do you mean?" Naruto never saw such a strange look from Sasuke, so he could not help asking.
-I see. The goal she hid all her weaknesses, ground her teeth hard and put all her efforts for... is to achieve this. She just hoped her husband could get rid of her.
It is too ridiculous, too humble and too arrogant. He would almost laugh at her harmful pride.
But he did not laugh at the end, but suddenly looked at Naruto with extremely sharp eyes, "Have you really have made up your mind and won't change no matter what happened?"
Naruto stood in the courtyard. He felt icy cold at his feet because the pearl white snow. But still he clenched his fists, straightened his back and looked back, "Yes... I have decided to leave Hinata."
With his answer, Sasuke laughed unexpectedly. He picked up this hurting smile like holding an icicle, which also numbed his own hand, to congratulate someone's wish coming true.
Then he took a step to the side and gave a way to the door behind him: "Good. Then come in. She's in here now. "
"Come in, Himawari." Uzumaki Boruto unscrewed the home door and said gently, "It's way too cold outside."
The girl with black hair blue stood outside the door, wearing only a light yellow sweater. Her soft black hair over the shoulder was blew by the wind, making Boruto's heart ache more.
There was a cold winter night outside. At the end of the sky, moonlight reflected the glittering and shining snow mountains, and countless warm lights of the whole Konoha were burning like a birthday cake celebrating for this venerable village. Near by there was only an empty road, tarnish and desolate after sweeping away the snow.
"I am not cold," the figure of the Uzumaki Himawari was motionless, "Nii-san, go back. Don't let Sarada nee-san stay there alone."
Boruto looked back at the direction of the living room. Thought of Sakura and Sarada sitting inside, he couldn't help sighing.
At that moment, Sarada came to him. She put her hand on his arm, and her beautiful face showed a strange melancholy and calm: "Could you go back first, Boruto? I'd like to talk with Himawari."
Boruto entered the house and closed the door. Himawari did not turn around: "So what's your speech now?" Her tone was surprisingly impolite, far from her usual gentle and respectful manner.
Sarada stood at the door with her eyes gazing at the warm light in the distance: "You once said that if someone was happy, it is because another person was suffering. I sneered at your words before, because I thought you and Hinata san had obviously got the happiness but you didn't cherish it."
Himawari did not answer, standing still.
"... But now, I can't see it through. "
"I can't see where the root is of today's situation. The only thing I know is that you and me, your mother and mine, even our fathers are all in misery."
"If they are unfortunate, why were they together from the beginning? If they want someone else, why did they choose each other before?"
Her voice was sentimental, and those questions floated to the horizon of the vast white sky and faded away. There were too many people having the same doubt and seeking the same answer, yet the heaven and earth returned only the silent snow and moonlight always.
Himawari looked at these snow and moonlight, revealing a bitter smile on her lips.
-How could the fruit of remorse, no matter how unlimited it was, in the world win the original vine of love and hate tightly wrapped around people's heart?
"I think maybe it's because they were too hard to choose carefully when there was a chance."
"They only thought their hard work would naturally bring happiness even if the choice was wrong."