I'm baaack! So sorry for the long delay! So much happened this summer in my personal life but it didn't stop me from writing a chapter that's over 10K words. 10K! I've put in so much thought into this story and I can see it being at least over 30-40 chapters, with each chapter being just as long as this one so I won't be updating as quickly as my first few chapters. But I won't abandon this fic, mainly because I can't. It haunts my dreams so I have to get it out hahaha!
Thank everyone who's read and reviewed and I'm so grateful for your support :). On to Chapter 11!
Once again, I own nothing but this plot.
Chapter 11: Naruto, Hinata, and Sakura
"Next stop: Konoha Shopping District."
'I really need a car.' Naruto thought with a sigh as he repositioned himself for the 100th time on the hard, train car chair. The train rides from his place to the Shade District were easily the second most annoying part of visiting his girlfriend. The seats were uncomfortable, both for his height and backside, and he spent the majority of the over 30 minute ride squirming and fidgeting, trying to find a comfortable position. A car would make his life easier but with school, utilities, and other needs, it was out of the question.
Naruto squirmed once more before giving up altogether, glad that he was only two stops from his exit. He leaned back against his chair and turned his head toward the train's dirt-smudged window to watch the sun disappear behind the Konoha hills. Sunsets were always his favorite time of day ever since he was a kid; the dying daylight's oranges mixed with the incoming nighttime's purples made an oddly fascinating combination that brought him calm, and he needed all the calm he could get before seeing Sakura again. Of all the failures he'd ever had in his life, Sakura was, in his mind, his greatest success. She was beautiful, brilliant, and had a smile that could light up a room. He'd failed to earn her affections in high school, but when she began to spend more time with him and his friends at university, he finally won her over, and the best part was Sasuke wasn't around to get in the way. Until the night before.
"Oh you'll take care of it? With what? The pittance you get being a waiter at that run down ramen shop?"
He winced at the memory and shook his head to remove it from the front of his mind, but it was too late. He remembered her biting words as vividly as if she'd just said them. The same feeling of shock, humiliation, and rage pumping through his blood once more. All because of Sasuke Uchiha. Unfortunately, and as much as he wanted to blame it all on the smug rich asshole, a dark, bitter part of him reluctantly accepted what the rest of him would not: Sakura was still in love with his nemesis. No matter what Sasuke did to her in high school, Sakura practically worshipped him like a deity while she treated Naruto, who truly loved her, like an afterthought. By high school's end they'd gone from maybe starting a relationship, to barely friends, to strangers on opposite ends of the cool hierarchy. Sakura was beautiful and popular, and he was an outcast, once again forced to watch Sasuke Uchiha get rewarded for existing.
"...Other people are out there doing things, putting in the effort and the work to get more and you just want… bare minimum."
Naruto groaned in frustration then focused intently on the fading daylight, willing his thoughts to change. Reliving Sakura's words before going to see her, despite her "I miss you" text, was a terrible idea. He didn't want to break up with her but the thought of being alone with her while her deprecating voice rang in his head made him second guess his decision. Did she really care about him like she said she did? Was her smile genuine when she looked at him? Her laugh sincere when he made a joke? Did she actually want him or just the idea of him being 'hot' as Gaara said? He didn't know, and not knowing made him slightly afraid.
Naruto never had a girlfriend before Sakura. He'd also never been a magnet for women, especially in his teen years of awkwardness and insecurity. When puberty finally did hit him, it struck with full force and women took immediate notice. Unfortunately, his years of being a social outcast meant he had no idea how to talk to women and his numerous attempts at dating were failures. He wasn't sure what he was doing wrong but the moment they had a chance to know him, their initial lust disappeared and he rarely, if ever, saw them again. Sakura was the only woman who'd stayed and put in the work. She had been by his side for years and the thought of being without her made him lonely, and he was done with being lonely.
'Is loneliness worth staying with someone who treats you this way?'
The thought came before he could stop it, startling him back to his present.
"Fuck you Gaara." he groaned. He turned his head away from the sunset to stare at the train's ceiling, his thoughts swirling. All of Gaara's assumptions about Sakura's motives made him confused and angry and he berated himself yet again for allowing the conversation to happen to begin with. Gaara was never wrong when it came to his assessment of people and what he guessed about Sakura, despite Naruto's protests, wasn't far from the mark. He tried his best not to believe his best friend because if he believed Gaara about Sakura, it would mean he was right about Hinata's feelings for him, but he actively refused to entertain the fantasy of being with her ever again. Not after the last time.
"Next stop: Downtown Konoha."
**Senior Year: Weeks before Graduation**
"Welcome to Ichiraku's! Please sit anywhere and someone will be right with you."
"Thank you." replied Hinata and Naruto in unison before heading toward an empty booth closest to the entrance. Ichiraku's was a small but popular family owned restaurant in the more roughened part of Konoha, and one of Naruto's favorites. It was usually packed diners but that Thursday evening it was almost vacant, allowing Naruto to sit in a booth instead of ordering a to-go container.
"We beat the dinner rush!" he said, beaming at Hinata as he slid into his side of the booth, "I've never been here early enough to get a table."
"Really? It's not too far from school." Hinata replied, sliding into the seat across from him.
"It's not," he responded, grabbing a nearby menu, "but by the time I'm done with practice, it's usually too late so I have to order to-go. But now I get to sit and eat it fresh! Best day ever!"
Hinata giggled at his excitement then glanced around to take in her surroundings. The restaurant would barely seat a dozen people and the decor plus furniture were shabby at best. However the delicious fragrances coming from the kitchen mixed with the friendly homey atmosphere were the true sellers.
"The ramen here is top-notch." said Naruto, smiling at her curiosity.
"I've never had ramen so I'll trust your judgment." she shrugged as she grabbed her own menu.
"You never had ramen?!" he gasped somewhat offended, making Hinata laugh at his appalled expression. "How is this the first I'm hearing of this?!"
"We don't eat out much because Mother frowns upon it. She says, 'why eat out when you have a live-in chef?'"
"Wow.. your own chef." said Naruto, a bit sullen.
"It's not as great as you think." she added hurriedly. "I have to eat what Mother decides and it's rarely anything that smells this good."
"Can you cook?"
"Not really. I can make small things like fried eggs and a sandwich, but I learned that in Home Ec. It's a shame especially with university coming soon. I'll need to know how to fend for myself."
"Well if you're ever up for it, you can come by my place and I can show you some things." Naruto said nonchalantly, picking up his menu. He could feel the tips of his ears burning at the thought of her in his home and made a conscious effort not to blush. "I'm pretty decent at it myself. I mean, at least Jiraiya doesn't insult it and he's an asshole when it comes to bad cooking."
"Naruto! Language!" Hinata chided.
"Oh excuse me Sister Maria." he joked, making her laugh. He loved when she smiled and he did his best to crack a joke, even the most awful ones.
'So cute.' he thought to himself, watching the blush bloom on her cheeks. He chuckled internally at her attempt to hide her face behind her menu.
"Well I won't have long to learn from you since you'll be leaving soon." she teased.
"I know right?! I still can't believe I got into Suna! On a full ride!" exclaimed Naruto with a wide grin. "Jiraiya's gonna lose his shit over this when he comes home!"
Hinata beamed at his excitement and he immediately felt his heartbeat quicken. She was the sweetest person to him, demanding she take him out after school to celebrate his acceptance offer. His grades the first two years of high school were worse than terrible and there was a chance he wouldn't have been accepted anywhere, but Hinata moving to his school and helping him study and organize his life helped him take on everything with ease, culminating in being accepted to a prestigious university on a sport's scholarship. If it weren't for her…
"So sorry for the wait." announced a waitress, interrupting Naruto's thoughts. "What can I get you?"
At Naruto's insistence, they both ordered the ramen, pork for Naruto and beef for Hinata, with two sodas for dine-in.
"Good choice. I'll be right back with your orders." said the bubbly waitress, taking their menus and hurrying off to fulfill the request. Within minutes she was back with their drinks before rushing off to greet more guests who'd arrived.
"You got into Suna too, right?" Naruto asked, taking a sip of his drink.
"I did." replied Hinata with a nod as she stirred hers with her straw, "But Father wants me to remain here so you'll have to have fun there without me."
"Aww really? I can't convince you to change your mind?" he pouted.
Hinata shook her head before giving him an apologetic smile. "If I'm to take over from him after he's gone, I have to be close by to learn. I'm sorry."
Naruto groaned in annoyance but was far from surprised. As much as he liked Hinata for who she was, he couldn't say the same for her family or her traditions. From the little she'd shared about her home life and family background, he was able to piece together why she always looked so sad. On paper she sounded like she had everything: money, social standing, intelligence, centuries of lineage, an actual future. In reality she was just as lost as he was but unable to admit it.
"This whole rich people inheritance thing is so weird to me," he admitted. "Like, you can't even have a life of your own before you take over? That's not really fair."
"I agree. But being a part of the Hyuga main branch means I have responsibilities to uphold and I can't let my family down. Everything matters."
"I guess the grass on the other side isn't as green as I assumed huh?"
"Yea, I guess so..." Hinata sighed, continuing to stir her drink. Naruto could see the sadness creeping back into her eyes and felt like hitting himself for saying as much as he did.
"Well whatever you choose, I know you'll be great at it." he declared, giving her his trademark grin. Hinata laughed at his optimism then smiled warmly at him.
"You always know what to say to make me feel better. Thank you."
Naruto beamed.
"Now that after high school has been taken care of, my biggest problem is finding a date to prom." he sighed before finishing his drink.
"Prom date? You don't already have one?" she asked, surprised.
"No." he scoffed. "I haven't had any luck since every girl worth taking is already taken or vying for Sasuke. I swear that bastard ruins my life even when he's not trying."
Hinata nodded, saying nothing.
"What about you? Who are you going with?" he inquired, trying to sound as unbothered as possible.
Hinata shook her head and looked away from him. "Sasuke's done a good job of ruining my life as well. You're one of the few people in the whole school who even speaks to me. What are the chances I'd be asked?"
Naruto nodded in silence but the butterflies in his stomach returned. He understood exactly what she meant when she said Sasuke ruined her life, but he knew the males didn't dislike her as much as they claimed to, especially when it came to her net worth. He was sure someone would've already asked so he didn't try his luck, but here was the universe giving him a second chance. Before he could talk himself out of it, he took it.
"Well, if neither of us were asked, would… would you like to go with me?" he asked, slightly faltering.
Hinata looked up at him quickly, her large eyes wide.
"With you?"
"Yes Hina, with me." he laughed trying to hide the nervousness in his voice. He could already feel his body preparing itself for rejection but he kept eye contact with her anyway, afraid to show too much.
"Are… are you sure?"
Naruto stared at her dumbfounded before bursting into laughter, startling Hinata and the people sitting across from them.
"Am I sure?! Of course I'm sure Hinata, what kind of question is that?" he snickered, beyond amused.
Hinata blushed deeply and Naruto calmed himself so he didn't embarrass her further. She was just so cute he couldn't help it.
"Well?" he asked, his face still lit with mirth "Will you go to prom with me?"
His eyes immediately drew to the way she bit her bottom lip, his heart pounding in his chest. Would she reject him? Say no kindly in that upper class way he saw on TV once? She was light years out of his league and could get anyone she wanted if she became aware of exactly who she was and what she looked like, but he remained hopeful anyway.
After what felt like hours, his heart leaped at the smile she gave him. It lit her entire face and warmed him deeper than any bowl of ramen ever could.
"Yes Naruto, I would love to go to prom with you." she giggled.
It took everything in him not to grab her hands in happiness. Instead he grinned brightly.
"Fantastic!" he cried joyously before his eyes widened at the sight of the waitress carrying a heavy tray of food and drink refills. "And here comes our food! Perfect timing!"
The waitress placed two steaming bowls of ramen in front of them along with chopsticks and refilled their drinks. "I hope you enjoy." she said with a slight bow before rushing off to take care of the rapidly growing customers.
"First time EVER I'm eating this fresh. I'm so excited!"
"Your excitement is contagious." Hinata replied happily.
"This is literally the best day of my life." Naruto declared, placing his hands together in gratitude with Hinata following suit. Suddenly..
"Hinata!"
She jumped, her head spastically scanning the area around her for the deep booming voice , paling when she locked eyes with its owner: a tall handsome man in his mid-twenties with long chocolate brown hair tied toward the ends, white gray eyes exactly like hers, and a scowl so menacing, it actually parted the crowd around him.
"Hinata? Are you ok? Who is that?" Naruto inquired, staring at the man coming steadily toward them.
"M…My cousin.. Ne-Neji." she stuttered, causing Naruto's stomach to sink. He'd only ever heard her stutter when she was talking to anyone in her family, her fear of them evident.
Neji loomed over the two teenagers, his intimidating aura making Hinata recede into herself.
"Hinata. What are you doing here?" he asked haughtily, ignoring Naruto.
Hinata was silent.
"Don't make me ask you again…" he threatened.
"I'm here celebrating my friend." she finally mumbled, her eyes unable to look at him.
"Your friend." sneered Neji. "In this dump. Tell me, where are you supposed to be right now?"
"… at home practicing.." she whispered sadly.
"And you're here, in the worst part of Konoha with.. this person." gesturing toward Naruto without even a glance.
"Hey what gives? I don't care who you are, you don't talk to me like th-.." Naruto gulped at the look the older man gave him and shut up. The soft eyes he loved on Hinata were scary on him.
"How did you find me?"
"Ko." Neji admitted harshly. "You're suppose to meet him out front when you're done for the day but he saw you walk off with this degenerate. Good thing he followed or who knows what would've happened. Uncle Hiashi only let you go to that backwater school because you promised to be dutiful yet here you are, going against your agreement. How can you be this stupid?"
Her head bowed in shame. Naruto looked between the cousins and for the first time in his life, didn't interject on her behalf. He had a feeling if he did, it would only make her situation worse.
"Let's go. We're leaving." Neji grabbed his cousin's upper arm and hauled her out of her seat.
"Wait, Ne-Neji I promise Naruto.. I can't just, just leave him.." Hinata croaked while struggling against his firm grasp.
Neji looked at her with disdain then turned to pin Naruto with the same look. The blond slightly recoiled from the heavy gaze but kept eye contact with the older man, refusing to back down. Neji sneered at his gall. Who did he think he was?
"Hinata Ko is outside waiting for you. Go home." he said, his calm voice betraying the hatred in his eyes.
"But what abou-"
"Now!" he snapped.
Her lips trembled but she didn't move, staring between her cousin and Naruto.
"Hina, it's ok. I'll see you in school tomorrow." he smiled gently, nodding to reassure her everything was ok.
She mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' before lowering her head and rushing out the entrance door. Neji watched her departure with sharp eyes to make sure she did as he'd commanded. The moment the car pulled away he turned his eyes back to Naruto.
The blond maintained eye contact with the older man, refusing to feel intimidated by the unconscious power radiating from him. He looked out of place at Ichiraku's with his handsome clean shaven face and perfectly tailored suit that screamed money. Several patrons eyed him appreciatively while the others pretended not to notice because the Hyugas, with their peculiar eyes and vast wealth, were also known to be quite ruthless, even unprovoked.
Neji kept eye contact with Naruto as he slid into the other side of the booth. He broke it for a moment to sniff warily at the cooling ramen Hinata left behind before shifting it gently out of his face. He turned to Naruto then crossed his arms, silently judging the younger man.
"What exactly were you two celebrating?" he demanded, his eyes like glaciers.
"My university acceptance letter. I got into Suna." Naruto replied, straightening himself.
"Suna? Someone like you?" laughed Neji before leaning back against the booth, an arm draped over the top.
"Full ride," announced Naruto proudly.
"Full ride," he mocked, "You say that like that's supposed to mean something."
"It means a great deal to me." challenged the blond, keeping his composure. He could feel the back of his shirt soaking with nervous sweat but refused to back down. He knew what Neji was trying to do but he'd had practice dealing with Sasuke for years. He worked hard to get to where he was and no one, not even Hinata's rich prick of a cousin, would make him feel lesser for it.
Neji smirked at the man across from him then looked him over once more with a bit more appreciation. "I'm sure it does. How else would you afford it without a handout?"
"We don't all have daddy's money to buy our way through life." he countered. "Some of us work for what we want."
"While others beg for a meal." Neji nodded toward Naruto's ramen bowl.
"And I'd like to eat it before it gets cold. What do you want?" Naruto snarled, fed up with his games.
"What are you doing with Hinata?"
"Excuse me?"
"What are you doing with Hinata?" Neji repeated much slower, as though talking to a toddler. "You miraculously made it into Suna, I'm sure you can answer a simple fucking question."
"What's your issue with me, asshole?!" hissed Naruto finally enraged.
"My issue, Naruto Uzumaki, is you don't know your place."
His jaw dropped. How the hell..?
"How do I know you?" Neji correctly guessed his thought. "You think we wouldn't keep tabs on the people the heiress surrounds herself with at that poor excuse for a school? Now I ask again, what are you doing with her?"
"We're friends. She can't have friends?"
"Not friends like you."
"Why? Because I'm not a rich prick like you?"
"Precisely."
Naruto's brows furrowed in suspicion. He didn't expect such a straight answer, especially after calling him a prick, but Neji's face no longer held amusement. He was serious.
"You're joking. I can't be friends with your cousin because I'm not rich? That's idiotic."
"But you don't want to be just friends with her, do you? As I said earlier, we keep a sharp eye on the heiress: where she goes, what she does, what she's with…" Neji sneered at the blond, "and when we watch her, we watch you, and we've seen the way you look at her."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Naruto denied.
"Oh come now," he grinned devilishly, "Don't betray your feelings, let them out. You want her don't you?"
Naruto pursed his lips, trying hard to find some way to hide, but the smile on Neji's face all but said he was caught. If he tried to deny it, he was sure his interrogation would go on for longer than he wanted to take.
"So what if I like her? How is that wrong?"
"You actually admit it." exclaimed Neji, impressed. "Usually idiots like you fumble around until I drag it out of them. Good choice, this will be less painful for you."
"Can you get to the fucking point already?" sighed Naruto, exasperated.
"Perfect, I will." began Neji. He leaned forward from his previous position and clasped his hands together. "Hinata is a Hyuga and destined to become the head of our clan. You, are a destitute orphan born from nobodies and fated to die with nothing. How could you possibly care for her in the manner she's been accustomed to? You think your 'love' will be enough? Hardly. She is far above your station and the sooner you realize it, the better."
Naruto was momentarily stunned at the dismissive speech, then burst into laughter, confusing the other man.
"What's so amusing?" he pried.
"I'm seventeen on my way to one of the most prestigious schools in the world on a full ride scholarship." chortled Naruto, "Not just anyone can do that. If I put my mind to it, I can be and get anything I want. I don't have much now but one day I will have plenty and if I want to be with Hinata as more than a friend, there's nothing you or your clan can do to stop it."
"Nothing we can do, hmm?"
"That's right." Naruto affirmed. He was sick and tired of the snobs who surrounded Hinata telling him who he was.
"Not even have Suna rescind your acceptance at the last minute?" Neji said with a raised brow.
"Yea right," he scoffed. "You don't have the power to control that."
"The President of Suna University is a great friend of the family." Neji stated. "In fact he's married to my aunt, and Hinata is his favorite niece. Just one phone call from me about you and your plans and dreams end before they can begin."
"I don't believe you." Naruto growled defiantly. "Your threats won't work on me."
Neji stared at him for a second, sighed, then pulled his phone from inside his suit's breast pocket. He scrolled through it looking for something then smiled smugly, showing Naruto what he'd found. Naruto squinted at the phone and felt his stomach sink at what he saw: A photo of a teenage Neji and child Hinata with two adults grinning in front of a massive Christmas tree. Hinata was being held by a woman who had her eyes, while Neji stood comfortably beside a man Naruto recognized instantly as the university's longtime head.
"Believe me now? I'm sure you recognize him from the Suna U website." he smirked, enjoying the horror on Naruto's face.
"You.. you can't do that. I worked hard for this!"
"I don't care if you sold a kidney for it." Neji shrugged, putting his phone away.
"There's no way this is legal! I can report you!" Naruto cried desperately.
"Go ahead and try," Neji chuckled, "You'll find out just how influential we really are."
"I'll tell Hinata about your threat!" he proclaimed. "Tell her you're trying to take away my future because we're friends. If she's the future head of your family she has more power than you do and I have a feeling your uncle would listen to her over you!"
Neji's bark of laughter shrank Naruto's already depleting confidence and scared many of the people in the restaurant. The once packed venue emptied quickly as sit-in diners decided to take their meals to-go, not wanting to be around when Neji was done with the naive blond in case he turned on them.
"Is that what you think? That Hinata would do something to change your fate?" Neji sniggered.
"That's right." he defended, albeit a lot less bravely than before.
"Hinata can't even keep her younger sister Hanabi in line, and she's 5 years younger than her. You really think she can stand up against me?"
Naruto gulped in apprehension as Neji cocked his head and looked at him with contemplation.
"Do you know why we allow the Uchiha to intimidate her as he does?" he asked softly.
"U-Uchiha?" Naruto rasped, his throat dry. "Sasuke?"
"Yes, him. You see," Neji said feigning seriousness, "we already know what he does to my dear cousin, and… we don't care. Actually no that's incorrect,.. we actually do care. We care so much, we allow it."
"You allow it?!" spat Naruto, aghast. "You know what he does to her on a near constant basis and you allow it? What kind of people are you?!"
"The kind that need the future of our clan to toughen the fuck up! She's weak and grows weaker each time you come to her defense! How can a head of the Hyuga not keep an Uchiha at bay? The spare no less? Allowing him to dictate her emotions and confidence. It's sickening."
Naruto fell silent at his rant. This whole time her family knew how Sasuke treated her, how he wheedled at her self-esteem almost daily. They knew he was tormenting her, and allowed it, thinking it would make her stronger. It was beyond cruel, it was downright evil. He'd heard the things Sasuke said to her, seen the way he looked at her, watched him drive anyone who could possibly defend her away, and it broke his heart each time.
"How could you do that to your own blood?" he seethed. "How can you claim to care about her when you watch her suffer daily? You're no family! You're a sadistic cult that torments the innocent! You terrorize the people in this city and all over the country and one day, I swear it one day, someone will stop you!"
"Stop us?" snickered Neji beyond amused "Who will do that? You?"
"Yes! I will stop you! I'll work hard and one day, I'll... become mayor, maybe governor and shed light on all the shady things your family does!" Naruto announced with much confidence.
"How will you do that without an education from Suna hmm?" Neji teased.
Naruto was flustered for a moment but regained his steam. "I'll find a way! I don't care! You can take away everything from me and I'll still find a way! You may have more money than I do and sure your future might look better than mine, but Hinata and I are actually friends. Good friends. She cares about me just as I care about her, and if I told her about all of this, I know she'll help me do everything she can to stop you!"
Neji scrutinized the blond boy as though seeing him for the first time, his eyes unreadable. Naruto's heart pounded in his chest rapidly as the two men stared each other down. It was a last ditch effort using Hinata against her own family but he had no other option. His life was on the line.
"You really believe your own hype don't you?" he murmured gently, staring at Naruto with fascination. The air around the booth was thick with tension, both waiting for the other to speak.
Naruto's eyes bulged when the older man suddenly moved. Neji stood from the booth and brushed imaginary lint from his immaculate suit, then reached inside his breast pocket again and pulled out a wad of cash. Naruto had never seen so much at one time, especially not carried around that part of the city.
"You may keep your handout. You can also keep your friendship with Hinata, for now. In fact, I'll even pay for this little dinner she promised." he said as he rudely flung some bills into Naruto's face.
Then he leaned in closer to Naruto who finally flinched back in fear.
"I look forward to seeing how this plays out." he whispered, righted himself, and left without so much as a fuss.
Naruto was finally able to breathe, his breath shuddering. He closed his eyes and took several deeper breaths to calm himself. Of all the things he'd planned to do that day, verbally sparring with fucking Neji Hyuga didn't even come close to being on his list.
He opened his eyes and looked down at the ramen he was so happy to eat not even ten minutes ago and sighed sadly.
"It's to-go again I guess"...
**Present Day**
"Next stop: Shade District."
'Oh shit!' Naruto leaped from his seat and ran out of the train exit before the doors closed, sighing in relief when he made it. Recalling his first run-in with Neji completely distracted him and he almost missed hearing the last stop. He looked down at his belongings to make sure he grabbed everything from the train, then threw his large pack over his shoulder and started his trek to Sakura's building. The sun was fully set and the glittering Shade night lamps were on, guiding him forward through the darkness while his thoughts continued to swirl. He still had no idea what he wanted from his relationship with Sakura. All he knew was, he was tired of feeling inferior.
'Do you even like her?'
That was the ultimate question he pondered as he inched closer to his fate. Sakura was everything he felt he wanted in a woman, but he was starting to wrestle with himself especially now that he'd accepted she was still in love with Sasuke. Did he like Sakura for who she was or for what she represented? The idea of her or the reality? If he broke up with her, what if he never found anyone else and was alone forever? He was a complicated man with baggage and from his college experience, most women couldn't handle someone like him. Finding a partner would be tough. Unfortunately the only woman who never ran from him nor made him feel worthless was one he knew he couldn't have.
Neji kept his word and didn't interfere with his friendship with her, but there was an unspoken rift between them that never healed, and it came mostly from him. He cancelled going to prom so she wouldn't feel bad that he dumped her, using Jiraiya as a cover. He also didn't tell her what the conversation with Neji was about nor did he repeat Neji's confession at all, but he encouraged her to finally stand up to Sasuke without revealing why.
"It's long overdue." he shrugged.
When she did, when she finally told Sasuke off in front of the whole school, she ecstatically announced her father would allow her to go to Suna after all. It seemed her display of a backbone and several low blow were just the show of ruthlessness she needed to learn to one day be able to lead the clan. Her father was impressed and allowed her a request which she used to change schools. Naruto knew she thought he would be excited to finally be just them without Sasuke around and normally he would've been, but the way Neji spoke to him, spoke about Hinata and their power and influence, it rattled him. A lot more than he let on even to himself. He'd announced he'd be mayor and governor in a weak attempt at a power move, to make Neji scared, and it backfired. Now he'd made himself more of a target to a very powerful family, all because of a sad girl he couldn't ignore.
It wasn't fair what he was doing, keeping her at arm's length when she'd done nothing wrong, but for both their sakes, he had to let the idea of them go. Fortunately, Sakura visited whenever he and Hinata planned on hanging out. She was a pleasant distraction from his predicament with Hinata, and possibly the perfect excuse for Neji and the rest of the Hyuga to leave him alone, but his relationship with his actual friend suffered. He hated being in her home and barely speaking to her. They had some pleasantries here and there, but it wasn't the same after that one day at Ichiraku's. Now, Gaara put in his head that Hinata always had a thing for him, which made him feel even more like shit. This whole time he thought his crush was one sided. If Hinata liked him too, did Neji know?
By the time Naruto came up from his thoughts, he realized he was less than a block away by the way the passersby glared at him. He sighed and ignored them the best he could but their snide remarks and whispered insults were definitely the worst part of visiting his girlfriend. He could see their large luxury building, brightly lit against the dark sky, a beacon drawing him.
'Almost there.' he chanted to himself, anxiety rushing through him. It was now or never.
He turned a corner and walked up the slight incline of smoothly paved road leading to the hotel-like entrance, its large glass doors sparkling. He moved out of the way for an expensive car to drive past, envying being able to drive around in a car worth 3 times his salary while he had to take the train.
"I really need a car." he sighed, shaking his head.
He turned away from the car, back toward the apartment entrance and stopped, his eyes wide.
"Hinata?"
She jumped at his voice then snapped her head in his direction, looking terrified to see him.
"N-Naruto!" she squeaked as he drew closer, her arms wrapped tightly around her coat.
"Are you okay?" he asked, puzzled by her behavior. "What are you doing out here?"
She looked at him oddly, then shook her head.
"Naruto! Hi!" she tried again. "Sorry I was, um… nevermind. No I.. I'm just coming back, um, back from brunch..."
Naruto raised a brow at her behavior. "Pretty late brunch. It's almost 8pm."
Her eyes widened at his words, then she closed them and tilted her head to the dark sky. "8pm… fucking asshole..."
"Wow, that bad huh?"
"You have no idea." she sighed bitterly.
Naruto stared at her quizzically. She was fidgeting in her high heels, her face was flush, and she looked like she was having a silent conversation with herself.
"Anything you wanna talk about?" he asked, voice filled with concern.
Hinata turned her head to him and stared as though seeing him for the first time, then gave him that gentle smile of hers.
"No, it's ok. Thank you for your help."
Naruto laughed loudly, "Not sure what I did but you're welcome. Glad I could help."
She beamed at him and his stomach twisted in a knot. He noticed the redness of her lips and the hints of makeup on her eyes, then took a good look at her for the first time.
"I've never seen you so dressed up before." he remarked taking her in.
"It's not too much?" she squirmed under his gaze.
"Not at all.." he breathed, his eyes racking over her entire form. The floral dress was more revealing than anything he'd ever seen her wear with its bare shoulders and short hem. The top accentuated her upper body and its curves and he was a bit surprised at how busty she actually was. He always had an idea since her chest shape was still visible over her oversized coats but he'd never actually known Hinata had a figure, and a very nice one. The dress was modest yet elegant, just like her, and coupled with the heels and slight makeup, she'd never looked more appealing.
"Beautiful..."
Hinata's eyes widened at the compliment and Naruto realized what he said… and how he said it.
"Sorry, sorry," he laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "You don't usually show so much of yourself it's kinda throwing me. But you look very nice."
"Thank you.." she blushed brightly. "Hanabi bought it for me but I didn't have an occasion to wear it until today."
"Must've been a special brunch. With…" he paused, "with anyone I know?"
Hinata pressed her lips together, then looked away from him, the guilt on her face obvious.
"Brunch with Sasuke… right?" he answered. She remained silent, still unable to look at him.
"Hina, I meant what I said this morning. What you do in your personal life is your business. I won't butt in."
Hinata's head turned slowly back to him, the guilty look now mixed with relief. She exhaled as if she'd been holding her breath for hours.
"I really appreciate that." she replied more visibly relaxed.
"But don't get me wrong," he continued, "I still hate the bastard but… I will try to tolerate him. Emphasis on try."
"That's all I can ask for." she laughed genuinely and he joined in. For the first time that day, he felt light.
"Can we go inside now? I'm fucking exhausted." he yawned stretching his free arm. His other arm was going limp from holding the heavy pack for so long and he needed to put it down and relax.
"Naruto! Language!" she giggled as she turned to enter the sliding glass doors. The beautiful apartment lobby was just as chilly as outdoors so she moved her hair to one side and put her coat back on. But not before Naruto's eyes caught a glimpse of her bare back, and gulped. Her seemingly modest dress was actually more risqué than he'd realized. Her long hair hid the large opening well but without it in the way, he saw that the dip in the dress was low. Very low. A sudden spike of adrenaline shot through his body, stopping his walk.
"Naruto?" Hinata called ahead of him. "Are you ok?"
"Yea, I'm coming," he croaked before jogging to meet her.
They walked to the residential elevators and Hinata pressed the button for it to come down. As many times as Naruto had been in that building, he didn't have a key and had to wait for either Sakura or Hinata to come down to get him. He wasn't allowed one for safety reasons but he had a feeling it was because he didn't look like he belonged.
"You're here so that means Sakura is home, right?" asked Hinata.
"Yea she should be, she's the one who called me to come by."
Hinata hmmed in response.
"Everything ok with you two?" he asked concerned.
"I don't know..."
"Should I have a talk with her?"
"No it's nothing really. I'll talk to her later about it."
"Ok, if you say so."
The elevator dinged and opened to let them in.
"After you." he said chivalrously extending an arm for her to enter first.
Hinata giggled at his playfulness. "Thank you sir."
"You're welcome." he said stifling a laugh, following her in. She pressed the button for her suite's floor then leaned against the back wall of the elevator. Naruto leaned next to her and they stood silently while watching the numbers flash above the door.
"You know," she began when they were halfway up, "this is the longest we've spoken to each other in a while."
"No way, really?"
"Yea. I mean, we talk when Sakura is around but we don't joke like this, and... I've missed it." she finished shyly.
"I've missed you too." he responded with no hesitation because it was true. He missed his friend.
"But you're always busy with school, or work, or Sakura so I get why you wouldn't have time for us."
"I'll make time." he stated.
Hinata looked at him with surprise. "Just like that?" she asked.
"Just like that. I care about you so I'll make time. But will you have time for me while dating Sasuke?"
"I'll always have time for you, and if he doesn't like it, tough shit." she grumbled.
"Hinata! Language!" he mocked feigning shock, and they both laughed heartily.
Sakura paced her large bedroom dressed in her scrubs, checking the time on her phone periodically. It was getting late and she had to leave soon for her rotations at the Konoha Hospital, but he was on his way, and they needed to hash out their fight last night. Nervousness coursed through her body as she thought of the inevitable confrontations with her boyfriend and roommate but she tried her best to remain as calm as possible, because there was a high chance it wouldn't end well. Especially with what she'd realized about all of them earlier.
It was late afternoon when Sakura returned from her parent's house. After a delicious meal of beef curry over rice, her favorite, and some pleasant conversation with a bit of prodding and nagging, she left them to head back to her apartment. Everything was quiet when she arrived home meaning Hinata wasn't there, calming her down a bit, but not by much. She dropped her things in her bedroom without care, then walked to the kitchen for a drink. She poured a glass of water from the fridge and as she drank, she looked over her apartment with new eyes: the expensive furniture, the tasteful but minimal decor, the big floor to ceiling windows that overlooked all of Shade. She lived in luxury compared to the shabby two-story of her parents, but she didn't own any of it. Hinata did, along with the heart of the man she truly wanted.
Sakura didn't expect Sasuke to go after her roommate so soon, especially when she'd been keeping him occupied for years. She always suspected he only allowed her to be around him so he could keep tabs on Hinata and for a while she didn't mind because the perks that came with it were vast, some of which allowed her into the Konoha Hospital intern program despite her abysmally average grades. But she didn't want just the perks. She wanted him, the person. She couldn't pinpoint exactly when her infatuation with Sasuke turned to love but she knew it concretely the moment he entered her home looking for another woman. A woman who happened to be in love with Sakura's devoted boyfriend.
Sakura blinked, then placed the glass down on the kitchen's marble counter with a soft clunk, her eyebrows furrowing at the puzzle her mind was piecing together. It was a laughable thought, but it made all the sense in the world. The awkwardness between them, the strange aura when they were all together the night before.
She was in a love triangle! Love square? Whatever.
She was in love with Sasuke, who was weirdly fixated on Hinata, but her rich roommate pined for Naruto, her devoted boyfriend.
"You've got to be shitting me." she murmured when it finally clicked. She was trapped in a web of unrequited longing where no one had who they wanted and if everything stayed the same, no one would.
Unfortunately, the realization did nothing to help her current predicament because there was a flaw in their quartet's dynamic. Naruto. He was still emitting subtle repressed feelings for Hinata and it was more obvious than ever the night before. His level of anger wasn't something someone did when they were indifferent. There was passion behind his words. She felt it, and if Sasuke was as smart as she knew he was, he probably felt it too. Now she and Naruto were in a precarious place with their relationship and the slightest tip in the wrong direction could land him in Hinata's arms and their weird square would turn into a triangle, excluding her completely.
She ran back to her bedroom for her phone, leaving her water behind, and immediately sent Naruto a text to come over when she found it. He simply responded with a "..k." some minutes later and her heart sank. He was willing to meet with her to talk but the lackluster reply was a bad sign.
"What a shitshow…" Sakura muttered, before falling into her bed face first.
She remained in her room thinking of what she would say to both Naruto and Hinata when she confronted them. She thought of texting him again an hour after his last text then swiftly changed her mind. Anything she sent him could be used as an excuse for him to break up with her and that was, weirdly, the last thing she needed. She wasn't in love with him, but breaking up with Naruto meant giving up her Hinata leverage, which meant moving back in with her parents and away from the rich circle she'd become accustomed to. The girls weren't exactly friends anymore because of what Sakura had done, but if it weren't for Naruto being included as an incentive, Hinata would've fought her mother's choice of roommate and Sakura would still be sleeping in her old bedroom. The thought of making it as far as she'd come only to end right back at the beginning made her heart quicken and breath become short. She immediately closed her eyes and took a large deep breath to calm her nerves. She already had one shit night, she couldn't afford for her anxiety and worry to give her another. As much as she wanted to end things with the handsome blond, she couldn't, not until she claimed his gorgeous counterpart for herself.
She reached for the TV remote to play something, anything to stop the silence and distract her when she heard the front door open. Her head snapped toward the sound and her already twisting stomach knotted more.
"She's back."
Taking another deep breath, she chanted calming phrases to herself before making her way toward the sounds in the living room area. She released her breath when she heard her roommate's giggle, meaning she was in a good mood, but stopped her approach when a rougher, more masculine voice chuckled with her. They hadn't noticed her yet because her hallway leading to the shared living area was darkened, but from her vantage point, she could see Naruto and Hinata speaking amicably. As though the night before never happened, enraging her.
"Naruto." Sakura called, her face blank.
Naruto turned toward her voice and she noticed immediately how his body stiffened.
"Hey." he replied tensely, walking over to her for an awkward hug.
"Sakura, hello." murmured Hinata trying to be friendly.
"Hinata." spat Sakura, unable to hide the loathing in her voice. She eyed the shy girl up and down, taking in her prettier than usual appearance, and burned inside at how nice Hinata could look when she made an effort.
"If you two are done flirting, do you mind if I borrow my boyfriend for a moment?"
Hinata gasped then blushed at the statement. "I-" she stuttered "We-we weren't…"
"Sakura stop it." Naruto interjected firmly. Sakura looked up at him and their eyes silently fought before she huffed and walked back to her room.
Naruto watched her go, then sighed while rubbing the back of his neck. He turned back to Hinata with an apologetic grimace.
"I need to go handle this. We'll talk later yea?"
"Yea of course." Hinata confirmed nodding.
He sighed again then followed after his fuming girlfriend.
"What was that?" demanded Sakura the moment Naruto entered her room and shut the door behind him. He dropped his things on the floor but didn't move in further.
"What was that?" he repeated back to her, agitated.
"I see why you haven't texted me in hours. Were you with her the whole time?" she huffed as she sat on her bed.
"I just ran into her downstairs!" Naruto objected, his temper rising. "Sakura what the actual fuck? You practically summoned me here to try and make up just to start another fight?!"
"I didn't summon you." she mumbled, looking away from him, unable to voice what she actually wanted to say.
"Sakura. I'm trying here. Trying my best to understand. What is actually going on with you?" he pleaded.
"With me? What's going on with you? Yesterday you bite her head off and less than a day later you're bests again?"
"I apologized for that and she forgave me, but that doesn't explain your behavior. Why are you always so mean to her?"
"Here we go." she laughed mockingly. "Always running to her defense. The poor little rich girl doesn't need you as her knight anymore you know? She has a boyfriend now or did you forget?"
"How could I when you cut me down for love of him?"
Sakura's face snapped up to him. "Excuse me? Excuse me?!"
"Are you still in love with Sasuke Uchiha?" he blurted, unable to hold it in anymore. "Be honest with me for once Sakura!"
"I can't believe you're asking me this."
"Because I think you are and you're lying to me!"
Sakura's mouth formed hateful words to spit back at him but her mind held her back, reminding her of what she had to lose if their conversation didn't end well.
"Naruto," she said softly trying to defuse the situation. "I care about you deeply, but I'm tired of having to prove my loyalty at every turn. Did I want Sasuke at one point in time, yes I did, and you already knew that. Why do I keep having to say it? It hurts me that you don't believe me."
"I want to believe you Sakura" he sighed sitting next to her on her bed. "I do. But what you said to me yesterday just from seeing him? How can I?"
"What I said to you was awful and I am so sorry for it. You're the best thing that's happened to me in a while, and I mean it. I guess... I was just jealous."
Naruto looked at her, confused. "Jealous? Of what?"
"Of you and Hinata." she confessed. "I know how close you two are and seeing you yelling at her like that for a dating choice that shouldn't be your business made me feel like there was something there."
"So you insulted me because you were jealous of Hinata?"
"I.. I wanted you to feel the pain I felt. I went about it completely wrong and I should've just talked to you instead of what I said and I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"
Naruto and Sakura stared at each other, this time with less animosity. He loved her with much of his heart, and she'd never given him a reason to believe she was unfaithful, but there was a part of him that doubted her loyalty. A part that believed she still longed for Sasuke and was trying to hide it. The part of him that wanted someone else but was afraid to admit it. He didn't want to break up with Sakura, at least not without concrete evidence of a lie or infidelity, but he also needed his space to think of what was best for him.
"Of course I forgive you Sakura," he said gently, grabbing her hands, "I love you so much, and I would do anything for you.."
"...but?" she continued for him.
"But.. I've been doing some thinking and, I think we should take a break for a bit. For both of our sakes."
"You're dumping me." she choked, tears forming. "I knew it."
"Babe, we've been together for so long I don't know who I am without you and that scares me. I need to be able to be on my own and be happy about it, not so co-dependent that I lose my temper at the thought of you with someone else. If you say you have nothing for Uchiha, I'll believe you. But I need time to build up and believe in myself. Am I making sense?"
"Not really." she sniffed, allowing him to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"Yea I'm not entirely sure of this decision myself," he chuckled mirthlessly. "All I know is if we stay together and pretend nothing's happened we might end up worse and I don't want to dislike you. I love you."
"I love you too." Sakura replied without hesitation.
"Let's try this for like 3 months. Your rotations are gonna pick up at the hospital and I need to work on my dissertation anyway so time off can help us concentrate on our own personal lives. After we can meet up again and see where we are. Does that sound ok?"
Sakura sniffled but said nothing.
"I don't want to end us completely babe, but we need to figure each other out separately before we can see if us together would work. I'm doing this to save us in the run long. Please believe me."
Sakura looked at him and smiled half-heartedly, then leaned her head against his shoulder. They both sat in silence holding each other, their breathing the only sound between them. Naruto's decision for a break wasn't what she wanted, but he didn't hate her, which meant she wouldn't have to fear Hinata kicking her to the curb out of loyalty to her blond friend.
"I only have one request." she said suddenly.
"Name it."
"This stays between us. No one else can know we aren't officially together. I don't need the competition right now."
Naruto laughed genuinely with her for the first time. "I agree. While on this break no one will know we aren't together. We focus on ourselves and don't date anyone else. But I also have a request."
"Name it." she parroted with a soft chuckle.
"Stop being mean to Hinata. I know you feel a way about our past friendship but we're just friends. She's done nothing to you so don't be cruel to her."
"I'll be nicer, I promise."
"So are we ok? Everything sound good?"
"Sounds good." she said with a small smile, her mood lifting. "I love you."
"I love you." he repeated then leaned down for a kiss. Her lips were slightly chapped but warm and it felt nice to have her in his arms one last time.
The blare from Sakura's phone broke them apart and she stood to grab it from its place on her nightstand. She stared at it, her expression unreadable then she locked it and grabbed her overnight hospital bag and purse.
"I have to get going." she announced. "My rounds start in two hours but I have to head in early to get ready."
"Ok I'll leave you to it." he said standing up.
"No don't go. Stay. You already made it this far, can't have you going all the way back home."
"Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly.
"Yea. I ordered some food for you, it's in the fridge if you're hungry. We also haven't had break-up sex yet. Can't break up without it right?" she added with a wink.
Naruto smirked at her cheekiness and stood to kiss her forehead.
"I'll walk you out.
The end of the beginning! Oh finally! Now I can focus on more than just the last two days of their lives lol. So much happened right? A lot more is about to unfold I promise ;). Please note, because these chapters are getting longer, I won't be updating as fast as I did the earlier chapters. I want to take my time with this semi-slow burn but I've outlined EVERY chapter up to the very end so this will have an ending. We've finished the beginning so on to the middle!