Normal text – "Naruto"

Thought text – 'Ino'

Jutsu/Bloodline – Rasengan

The Hero and The Florist

Chapter 2

[Naruto PoV]

Naruto had spent the better part of two hours figuring out his plan to confront Hinata, and if be, how to let her down without hurting her too much. He knew that if what Ino said was true, that she'd be devastated when he turned her down.

'Just the thought of hurting her makes me hope she's genuine about her feelings. Hell, I'm more scared of what Kiba, Neji, or even her father will do to me if I do hurt her.' he shudders at the thought. 'she's also very close with Kurenai-sensei, and I fear what kind of Genjutsu she'd put me in if or when she finds out I hurt Hinata… man am I up shit creek without a paddle if this doesn't go well…'

He looks out his window and lets out a deep sigh. 'well, can't let "what if's" get in the way of doing this… Hinata deserves an answer no matter what, and the best way to do that is to be honest,' he says to himself as he gets up and grabs Hinata's flowers, which were put in a vase of water to keep them healthy while he worked things out in his head. "Well, time to go find Hinata and see where this goes."

An hour later after wandering around what remains of the village, he notices that there were a lot of buildings already up. "Huh… Captain Yamato must be working hard with his Wood Style to help with the rebuild. Poor guy must be exhausted if the amount of buildings is any to go by."

Finally, after another half hour of searching and asking for directions, he arrived at the Hyuga assembly hall, where one of the branch members stopped him. "Halt! what business do you have here? Even if you are considered 'The Hero of the Leaf' now, you cannot just come here without a good reason!"

'geez… I understand being vigilant, but would it hurt them to be polite…?' He mentally shrugged before deciding to take the polite and formal request approach. "I wish to speak with Lady Hinata about a private matter between her and myself. Do you know where I could find her?"

The guard was shocked that the kid known for being a prankster as well for infuriating beings in authority addressed the clan heiress in a proper and formal fashion. He didn't know what this "private matter" was between the two of them, but it's no secret to anyone that Hinata had a lifelong crush on the Jinchuriki in front of him. "Step inside and I'll go fetch her. Do not wander or enter any other buildings or tents."

Naruto just nodded and did so, deciding to sit down on one of the many chairs in the room while waiting for her to show up, feeling slightly nervous as to which way this was going to go.

After about five long minutes, which felt like an eternity to the blonde hero, the doors slid open, revealing Hinata still in her ninja gear, but cleaned up after the battle with Pain, blushing brightly seeing the object of her affections. Little did Naruto know that she'd been blushing since being told that he was there to see her.

"H-hello, N-N-Naruto. What is it that y-you wished to s-see me about…?"

Naruto mentally sighed at her shuddering 'there's another thing. She really needs to have more confidence in herself, like she did when she stood up to Pain for me.' "Hey Hinata, I came by to thank you for your help earlier today, that was very brave of you. Here I got you these flowers as a gift." He said as he removed the flowers and vase from beside the chair he was sitting at.

Hinata went wide-eyed at the thought of Naruto giving her flowers for anything, was ready to faint on the spot before willing herself to stay conscious and accepted them with a meek 'thank you.'

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, bracing himself for what was to come, he knows that what he's gonna say to her will hurt and/or disappoint her while giving her some false hope. "Hey, Hinata, why don't you sit down? I need to talk to you about you as well."

At this point Hinata looked confused and concerned but acquiesced to his request, nodding signifying for him to go on.

"I came by to thank you but also to talk to you about your confession during the fight with Pain earlier today." He paused, trying to figure out how to word it properly without hurting her too much. This pause seemed to have Hinata even more concerned, she was extremely nervous and anxious to hear his response. "While I'm touched beyond words, and grateful for caring for me so much, I'm afraid that I'm just not ready to date anyone right now. I'm very sorry." He finished in a sitting bow to emphasize his apology.

Poor Hinata didn't know what to say or do… Here was her lifelong crush, having given her flowers as a thank you gift for saving him, but was politely turning her down saying he's not ready to date anyone at this time. While other girls would see this as an "I might have a chance once he's ready," this was disheartening and discouraging. It took her so long to confess to him and it took him almost being killed for her to do so while putting her own life on the line.

However, she did appreciate Naruto's honesty and swiftness, so she wouldn't be worried about it in the future. He came to her, gave his response, and didn't avoid her, whether it would have been purposely or not, unlike what other guys may have done.

Naruto by this point was worried he had hurt her to the point of shock, rendering her unable to talk. He dared not raise his head till he got a response in kind, continuing to show his respect to the Hyuga Heiress. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long.

"N-Naruto, please raise your head," she started in a sad, low tone as the blonde did so. "T-thank you for your honesty… While I-I am a-admittedly…discouraged, I-I cannot imagine t-the courage it took to t-tell m-me this. I-I hope w-we will remain f-friends in future." She finished with a seated bow of her own, now trying to hide the welling tears in her eyes. She couldn't cry in front of him now…

"Don't worry. We'll always be friends. Thank you for being understanding… I'm sorry if I've hurt you." He said, bowing once more. All Hinata could do was nod her head, still hiding her face from him. At this time, Naruto took this as his cue to leave and headed towards the door stopping to let her know he was leaving. "I'll see ya around Hinata. And once again, I'm sorry." And with that, he was gone, not knowing that as he left, she broke down and started crying.

'Man, that was harder to do than expected… but I couldn't question her about why she loved me. That would have hurt her more than just turning her down. I think I'll head to Ichiraku's and see if I can talk to Ayame about this, not that I can change it now.' He thought to himself, feeling bad about hurting and probably destroying what little confidence Hinata had by turning her down. He could tell she was on the verge of tears, but he doubted that there was anything he could have done to ease her pain.

20 minutes later, Naruto arrived at his home away from home. The smell of ramen filled his nostrils and while that would have normally gotten him excited, he was still upset about hurting Hinata, and still confused as to what to do now. If he was honest with himself, he still really liked Sakura, but there was Ino. She had practically asked him out on a date, or that's what he took it as.

As he walked in, Teuchi and Ayame smiled. "Naruto, my boy! How are you today? You want the usual?" The older Ichiraku greeted his surrogate son before noticing his sullen mood.

Ayame noticed immediately, noticing it was serious because he didn't have his usual grin that he even keeps whenever Sakura had turned him down again and proceeded to find out what had caused her brother figure to look so down. "Are you ok? What happened?"

Naruto gave her a sad smile. "Well I'm not sure if you know this or not, but Hinata risked her life during the Pain Battle to save my life and confessed that she loved me. Which you would think was a good thing… but in truth… I'm very confused." He started as Teuchi prepared his usual order as he proceeds to retell the events that have happened in the last twenty-four hours, leaving both Teuchi and Ayame in awe and shocked.

"Wow. Ino practically asked you out, gave you a special flower, and gave you some decent advice, but you talked to Hinata and turned her down saying you weren't ready to date anyone yet not wanting to hurt her too much. My, you've been busy today…" Ayame gave a sly, teasing grin.

"Yeah… and to top it off, while I know Sakura won't stop loving Sasuke, I can't let go or give up just yet, but then there is Ino, who, as I said, was my first real crush. I just don't know what to do." He groaned and rested his elbows on the counter and had his head in his palms, showing his frustration.

"Well, if I can offer you advice, get to know Ino, hang out with her when you have the free time. Who knows, maybe she'll be the one to get Sakura off your mind. Who knows, something special might come of it."

Naruto just nodded and proceeded to eat his food, thinking on his surrogate big sister's advice. He had already planned to talk to Ino again tomorrow to see if she wanted to just hang out, figuring she'll probably hear about what happened between him and Hinata before morning. So, he finished his food, but as he went to pay his bill when they told him it was on the house for defeating Pain. He shrugged at this and accepted their offer and proceeded to head home, take care of Ino's gift and go to sleep since it had been a long and exhausting day, emotionally and physically.

[Ino's PoV]

While Naruto had arrived at Ichiraku's, Ino arrived at the girls' usual hang-out spot where she spotted the usual crowd: Sakura, Tenten, and Anko. Yes, the crazy Snake Mistress decided to hang out with younger girls of the village. Surprisingly Kurenai-Sensei and Hinata were there at the table, the former seemingly consoling the latter.

'huh, did Naruto already talk with her? If so I'm gonna say it didn't go well for her.'

It was then that Sakura noticed Ino, "Hey Ino-Pig!" A small tick mark appeared on Ino's forehead and shot back her usual nickname for her friend and rival. "Hello, Billboard Brow, how are you tonight?"

"Exhausted if I'm to be honest, as well as worried about Lady Tsunade. She hasn't woken up since the end of Pain's attack. She used too much chakra using Katsuya to heal the wounded." Sakura said in a concerned tone.

"Is it just Chakra Exhaustion? Any idea when she'll wake up? Does Naruto know?" Ino's mind now completely off Hinata's depressed state for the moment as she fired of a list of questions, knowing how close both Sakura and Naruto were to the fifth Hokage.

"No, Shizune is working around the clock, doing everything she can to help… but we have no idea when…or if she'll wake up… every time she uses Ninja Art: Mitotic Regeneration, it comes with a price of shortening one's lifespan… So, we can only hold out hope that she'll recover. As for Naruto, no I doubt he knows yet. If he did, that knucklehead would rush over to where she's being kept and loudly ask two of the same questions you did." The pinkette let a small laugh out at that.

"Yeah, knowing him, that's exactly what he'd do." The florist joined in the laugh, only to blush ever-so-slightly with a content smile and faraway look in her eyes as she thought of her fellow blonde.

This was picked up by Anko, who decide to take this chance to speak up with a teasing grin and tone. "Oh? What's this? Does someone have a crush on The Hero of the Leaf?"

That snapped Ino out of her thoughts, only to deepen her blush at being caught daydreaming about him, even momentarily. "W-what? No, come on! We all know Naruto will always love Billboard Brow here! Even if he confessed I was his first crush earlier today…" She shouted out, only to think the last part to herself.

The Weapons Mistress spoke at this time. "That's for sure, but maybe not. Hinata came here with Kurenai-Sensei mumbling about Naruto turning down her confession earlier. Something about not being ready to date? I dunno, I couldn't hear her very well… but she definitely looks like her world came crashing down around her." Pointing to the Hyuga Heiress while looking concerned for her teammate's cousin.

"What?! Hinata risked her life to finally confess to him and he has the nerve to turn her down?!" This pissed of Tsunade's apprentice to no end. The shy girl that has always had a crush on him, putting her life in danger to not only save him but confess after how many years, and he turns her down?! Because he's not ready to date anyone?! Then why the hell was he asking her out every chance he got?!

Ino looked over at Hinata, a mix of concern and sympathy for her that he turned her down and did it without following her advice of questioning her reasons. However, she thought it'd be best to change the subject and tell her friends what happened at her family's shop today.

"Speaking of our hero, you'll never guess who showed up at our shop today, with a plant no less."

"Wait, Naruto gardens?" questioned every girl/woman of the group, including the depressed Hyuga and her Sensei/surrogate big sister.

"Yeah, it was a shock to me too… but apparently, I was the one who gave him the suggestion of taking care of plants when we were kids…"

This took them even more by surprise, however, the now interested lavender-haired kunoichi, decided to speak up. "W-what do you mean Ino…?" looking at the female blonde with some suspicion, asking the question that everyone was thinking.

Ino looked at them, feeling a bit embarrassed by the story she was gonna tell, and intimated that the way Hinata was looking at her, but told them the story of how she met Naruto, and he said that she was her first friend, purposely leaving out Naruto's confession in the company of the heartbroken Hyuga.

Afterwards Sakura looked confused. "Wait, if you were his first friend, then why didn't you hang out with him after that? Why did you treat him almost as bad as I have?"

"Oh, shut up Sakura! At least I didn't hit him all the time! I'm surprised he continues to chase after you after the abuse you've put him through!" She yelled furiously at her best friend before calming down and put her head down in self-disappointment. "And I wanted to, but… after that, I started hearing what we all heard about him. 'stay away from that boy, he's bad news, he's a troublemaker,' yatta yatta yatta. So, painfully, I decided to listen to the hearsay like the good little girl I was, listened to my parents, and wanted to remain popular… but since he told me that today, I've regretted that childish and selfish decision…"

The pinkette was taken back, by both her reasoning and her defending Naruto by snapping at her, while all but Hinata looked at her with shock. The Hyuga Heiress didn't know what to think. One on hand she was furious that her lifelong crush could have had a friend all this time, but on the other hand, if the Yamanaka Heiress had chosen to continue to be his friend and not go with the flow, Naruto might have been crushing on her instead Sakura, only Ino might have returned his affections. She didn't know how close to the truth she was with that analysis.

Recovering from her shock, Anko stepped up, seething at the blonde in front of her, having some sympathy for the young Jinchuriki, having lived the life of an outcast due to her own past. "So, you didn't listen to your own desires, and listened to, and treated him like everyone else…? Just to remain popular?"

"I said I regret that decision alright!?" Ino replied in tears, clearly showing her remorse. Meanwhile, Kurenai was ready to hold back her friend, knowing how quickly she can get volatile, especially when it came to the topic of outcasts and mistreatment of others.

However, this wasn't needed, the interrogator, as well as everyone else, could hear and see young Yamanaka's sincerity and remorse. Surprisingly it was Hinata that gave her a comforting hug, which surprised everyone, mostly Ino. 'is Hinata comforting me, even knowing I could have been a rival for Naruto's affections?'

"Ino, as long as you truly mean what you said, you should try to patch things up with him, get to know the real Naruto." The Hyuga said surprisingly without her stutter before it returned as she continued. "A-and if t-things go w-well, y-you should f-follow wherever t-that leads… I – I don't think I can p-p-pursue him anymore since h-he rejected m-me…" she finished that last part just above a whisper but could still be heard by everyone around her.

Everyone looked on at their poor broken-hearted friend, seeing that his polite rejection shot her confidence to hell. Kurenai was silently planning to pay the boy a visit and have a word with him, maybe teach him a lesson for hurting her student and surrogate little sister. However, it was Sakura that stepped up this time. "Come on Hinata, he didn't outright reject you, right? He just said that he wasn't ready yet. Don't give up hope."

Everyone but Ino and Anko nodded in agreement, Anko because she had a suspicion that Naruto's affections may have shifted from Sakura to a certain blonde if said blonde's story and behavior was any indicator, while Ino was floored, not having heard Sakura's words of encouragement.

'wait a minute, did…she just give me permission to pursue the man she's been crushing on since the academy? Wow… Naruto, if you learn about how badly your polite rejection has hurt her, you're gonna feel worse than scum.' She thought, knowing how he'd react to this news. 'still, I was planning on doing as she suggested anyhow if he had turned her down. Sakura, just you wait till I tell you that I was Naruto's first crush.'

After socializing and having a few cups of tea, alcohol in Anko's case, they all decided to call it a night and head back home.

"Ino wait up! I'll walk with you. My place is in the same direction as yours." Sakura ran up to her.

"Sure Sakura, I still wanted to tell you something anyhow now that we're alone."

"Ok…? Sure. What is it?" the pinkette looked at her friend curiously.

"oh…just that I managed to beat you at something before our rivalry over Sasuke started…" she trailed off with a sly grin on her face, knowing how she'd react.

"What?! What do you mean you beat me at something?!"

The young florist couldn't wait to see her expression. "Just that, not only did I give my first kiss before you did, but it was to Naruto, who said I was his first real crush."

Sakura froze in place, completely flabbergasted, Naruto told her that she was his first crush? Would that have meant that not only would she retained her friendship with Ino, but she might have lost out on her constant source of encouragement from her blonde teammate? The young medic started to picture Ino in her place, only seeing her accepting Naruto's request to go out for dates. She didn't even know how to respond to that, only started walking again, only this time on auto-pilot.

Ino sees this and mentally cheers for that reaction and for being able to shut up the girl known as the Banshee for how loud her shouts were… even if they were toned down a fair bit from when they were younger. However, she decided to be the good friend. "Sakura, you alright?"

Sakura didn't reply, still being lost in thought at the revelation her friend had brought forward. While Ino continued to internally cheer while hoping to see Naruto tomorrow, not knowing the chaos that was to ensure in the near future.

End of chapter

Original Fen AN: Well that's it for Chapter 2 of The Hero and The Florist. I apologize for the quick dismissal of Hinata's feelings, but I felt it best not to string her along. Originally, I did plan having Naruto let her down in such a way that would been mean to poor Hinata and likely have caused the NaruHina community to hate me even more than they already might but decided against it. Please leave a review. If you're gonna leave negative comments, please make it at least constructive criticism as I will ignore blatant flaming. Hit the follow and favorite if you enjoyed it. See you again soon I hope. Reviews might motivate me to write sooner.

New FAN AN: Found out that the transfer of documents has done some format changes so it will take a bit longer to upload chapters. Will upload to chapter 3 before waiting till the next day