In the days that followed Sasuke's departure, things were different in the Leaf Village. Naruto vowed to be the one to defeat and kill Sasuke unless he returned, pledged loyalty to the Leaf and got down on his knees, weeping, to beg for forgiveness. In doing so, he rejected Sakura's request of a lifetime. He had only two goals now - to win the acknowledgement of the people of Konoha, earning the title of Hokage in the process - and to slaughter Sasuke. With this in mind, he applied himself to his training with Jiraiya, who invited him on a journey out of Konoha.

Two years passed before Naruto returned to his hometown. By this time, he had added Rasenshuriken and Sage Mode to his arsenal of moves. Sakura melted at the sight of him. Who was this tall, serious, confident young man, and what had he done with the chubby-faced, clumsy, loud-mouthed moron who had begged for crumbs of attention from "Sakura-chaaaaaaan"? She'd believed that Sasuke had been the cool, calm, brooding man for whom she longed. Had she been mistaken all along? Was Naruto actually the dark knight of her fantasies?

Of course, Sakura wasn't the only one who swooned when Naruto returned. Hinata also did, but she simply couldn't muster up the courage to approach "N-n-n-n-n-n-naruto-kun!" She couldn't, that is, until the fateful day when Pein attacked and destroyed the Leaf Village. Naruto lay in the center of a pit, pierced in several places and nailed to the earth by Pein's black rods. Hinata, having assessed the situation, decided that this was as good a time as any to make her confession.

"Hinata!" Naruto roared when he saw her launching herself at Pein with no hope at all of winning or even causing him damage. "What the hell are you doing? Why are you getting involved when I told you to stay the hell out of it?"

Hinata gave him her answer. "Because I love you, N-n-n-n-n-n-naruto-kun."

"You love me?" Naruto managed out through the pain. "THAT'S why you're trying to commit suicide? You can't be serious! Out of all the girls in Konoha, why the hell would I be into a fat, pasty-faced, pale-eyed, creepy weirdo like you? This isn't the time for your stalkerish antics!"

Hinata was stunned. Though she'd had a feeling Naruto probably didn't see her in a romantic light, she hadn't expected to be rejected so harshly. As Pein drove his blade between her ample silk-clad breasts, tears filled her lilac eyes, then fell to mingle with the blood upon her chest. She slid free of the blade and collapsed.

We all know the rest of the story. Naruto was upset to see one of his comrades-in-arms dying, so he began to unleash the Ninetails. Thankfully, his dad stepped in to help him to control it. Naruto went on to defeat Pein, who sacrificed his life in order to revive all of those he'd killed, Jiraiya included, after Naruto answered his challenges regarding the right way to achieve world peace with the legendary words, "I'll never give up!" Best of all, Sakura embraced him for the first time upon his return.

Unfortunately, Hinata, who would have preferred not to be revived, went home and drove her own blade into herself. Her last words came out through a mouthful of bubbling blood.

"N-n-n-n-n-n-naruto-kun."