Hello, hello. It's your number one hyperactive knuckleheaded writer giving you lovely people another chapter in A Cruel Fate…since you know I don't actually own Naruto (which still belongs to Kishimoto-Sensei) this is the only way I can share my love of the series with fellow lovers of said series. Thank you to everyone who wished me well, I'm feeling pretty good at the moment and have been dying to write for a while so here I am.
Previously in A Cruel Fate: Naruto managed to stop a rampaging Shukaku with the help of his summoned toad Gamabunta, even going so far as having a cold heart to heart with his fellow demon hoarder. After making his recovery and dealing with the bitterness he felt at the third Hokage for dying, Naruto joined Jiraiya on a mission to track down and bring back the pervy sage's old teammate Tsunade. After a few hiccups, and a long story that Naruto isn't sure he wants to share with other just yet, they finally managed to convince the princess to return home and take up the mantle of the fifth Hokage.
And now…
Chapter 18: I want to go with you…
Naruto Uzumaki is a lot of things to different people. Some see him as quiet and reserved. Some see a prankster who never stops smiling, but only one person was able to figure out what was beneath the mask. Only one person ever paid enough attention to actually understand that Naruto Uzumaki is a lot of things to a lot of different people, but to Hinata Hyuga, Naruto is just a boy who holds her heart. A boy that holds a lot within himself. A boy that despite his efforts to push her away with his words, his actions, his bloody and visceral actions made her realize that he was still the same boy she met years ago in the woods.
Unfortunately, her father did not see the blond the same way his daughter did. The leader of the Hyuga clan, though he came off as cold and calculated, cared very deeply for his family and clan's wellbeing, and forbidding his daughter from seeing the Uzumaki was in the best interest of his family and his clan. Unbeknownst to his eldest daughter, Hiashi Hyuga saw what the blond boy did to protect his daughter during the invasion of the leaf, and it was precisely for this reason that he forbade her from seeing him again.
Yet, here he was standing mere feet from the boy at the coronation of the new Hokage, the granddaughter of the very first Hokage, and one of the world's most famous kunoichi; Tsunade Senju. What really was beginning to irk the elder Hyuga was not only was his daughter casting side glances at the boy, but the boy was doing the same. Something that others were beginning to notice and whisper about.
"Hinata, mind your focus" Hiashi scolded. Hinata let out a small eep, turning her attention back to the blonde woman addressing the village.
"Y-yes f-father, s-sorry" she mumbled. Yet, she couldn't help but smile. She knew for a fact that Naruto was looking at her too. She didn't know why, but his eyes on her made her feel big and small at the same time. She hadn't had the chance to speak with him, mostly due to her father and his long reach keeping an eye on her. She wanted to thank Naruto for saving her from Gaara. To tell him that she wasn't going to run away from him. To tell him that of all the people in the village, he was the one she wanted to see every day. To spend every moment with.
"So, I wish to thank you for allowing me to step into this prestigious role and give you my word, as fifth Hokage, I will do my predecessors proud" Hinata hurriedly began clapping along with the crowd at the end of the fifth's speech. She was surprised with herself for not having paid attention to it. She felt her cheeks grow red as the idea of her and Naruto lying in the grass under the shining sun nestled into each other's arms swam through her mind, distracting her once more.
"Hinata, I was wondering if you had a moment?" the Hyuga heiress snapped out of her daydream and began to feel absolutely feverish at the sight of her daydream before her.
"You'll have to forgive the abruptness of this answer, but no. My daughter does not have a moment to spare for you" Hiashi coldly replied. The look in his eyes made Naruto's own stare harden. It was the same look as the villagers. Disgust, or disdain. Whichever suited their mood.
"I wasn't asking you old man" Naruto crudely replied. If he was going to be rude to him, Naruto would return the favor without a second thought.
"Hinata, remind your former friend, that when it comes to my daughter, I have final say in who she may spare a moment for" Hiashi turned his back to Naruto, but didn't walk away.
"Come on Naruto, don't say or do anything stupid" Sakura was pulling at her teammates shirt sleeve when he chuckled.
"Don't worry Sakura, the old man is doing both for me" the elder Hyuga turned around with a scowl on his face but Naruto was already walking away, hands in his pockets and chin held high.
"Sorry about him, he's going through some stuff" Sakura hurriedly bowed to Hiashi. She cast a glance at Hinata who caught the slight indication to follow later on. Sakura rushed off to chase after her teammate, leaving the Hyuga's alone to return to their estate.
"Hinata, come" Hiashi ordered, not only was his anger evident in his voice, but it was written all over his face. In his mind, Naruto won that exchange. To think he would be embarrassed by a mere boy, that boy in particular, made him angrier than he wanted to admit. "You will not see that boy at all" he reminded his daughter. Yet, he might as well have been talking to the wall because his daughter was already counting the minutes until she could go and see the blond.
"You really think she can do it?"
"Don't know, but the pervert hermit seems to think she can"
"Would you two shut it back there"
"Sorry Lady Fifth" Sakura hurriedly squeaked. She looked towards Naruto who folded his arms and turned away from the bed Tsunade was standing at.
The three of them including Shizune, who Sakura learned was the personal attendant to the Hokage were standing in Sasuke's hospital room. While Naruto seemed to know some of the details of what happened to the Uchiha he hadn't said a word to her about it. All she knew was that Sasuke had left the village to find someone and the next thing she knew he was being checked into the hospital. On top of that Kakashi was also in the hospital in the room down the hall from Sasuke, and she didn't know what happened to him either.
"That should do it" Tsunade started to walk towards the door before Sasuke even opened his eyes. "Come and see me later Naruto. I want to have a word with you" she said before she and Shizune exited the room.
"That's it? I didn't even see what she did" Sakura complained. Her complaining abruptly ended when she saw Sasuke begin to sit up. "Sasuke-Kun, you're awake" she hurried to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Sakura…where am I?" the Uchiha asked. He placed a hand to his head as if trying to remember something. "Where's Naruto, he's in danger, we have to find him right away!"
"Sasuke-Kun, it's okay. Naruto's here" Sakura soothingly said, gesturing over her shoulder. "Naruto and Master Jiraiya went a mission to track down the new Hokage. She's the one who healed you" Sakura explained, but Sasuke looked bewildered.
"How did…how did you manage to escape?" he demanded, looking towards Naruto as the blond approached the bed.
"Escape? There was nothing to escape. He's lucky he escaped" Naruto answered. Though he was blowing hot air, Naruto wanted to believe that had he and Jiraiya teamed up, they could have taken both of his would-be kidnappers.
"You idiot, you're lucky to have gotten away with your life!" Sasuke yelled, but Naruto shrugged.
"Who are we talking about?" Sakura asked, feeling as if she had just a bit more information, she would be able to understand.
"Do you want to tell her, or should I?" Naruto looked down at Sasuke. He didn't really care either way who told Sakura, all he wanted was to know why his teammate's brother suddenly had an interest in him. When Sasuke said nothing, Naruto took that as he could tell what happened.
"Well, Sasuke's dear older brother decided to pay me a visit while I was on my mission with the pervert sage."
"Sasuke's…brother?" Sakura looked genuinely confused by this information.
"Yeah, his brother. Said something about me going with him and his fish faced friend. You wouldn't happen to know where they were planning to take me, do you? Doubt it was a family gathering considering what he did to you" Naruto's gaze never left his teammates.
"Wait, your brother did this to you?" Sakura looked between the two boys, but neither of them budged.
"What happened after—" "He kicked your ass?" Naruto interrupted, a contentious look on his face. "Jiraiya chased him off" he answered, but Naruto could tell his words stung.
"You're lucky he was there" Sasuke said, leveling his glare at the blond; "Otherwise, you'd be dead" he added, but again Naruto shrugged. "You think you actually would have stood a chance against him?" the Uchiha demanded, pushing himself out of bed.
"Who knows, didn't seem so special to me" Naruto replied, which angered Sasuke.
"You know, I've been wondering for a while now what your deal is, but I see now you're just an idiot."
"An idiot who walked away from an encounter with someone who laid you out cold."
"You guys, come on, we're all teammates here."
Sasuke took a step closer to Naruto so that they were face to face; "Do you think you would have done better against him? You wouldn't even be able to beat me."
"That's a weird way of saying 'thank you for bringing back the only person in the world who could wake me up from the ass whopping my brother gave me' but I guess I'll take it. You're welcome…teammate" Naruto retorted. He couldn't explain why he felt argumentative, maybe he had to do with his encounter with the Hyuga clan leader, or maybe he just really wasn't in the mood for someone to be talking down to him.
"Fight me" Sasuke ordered, a smug look on his face. A look that said he was sure he had the victory secured.
"Alright come on you guys, this is ridiculous. You just woke up and—" "Stay out of this Sakura" Sasuke abruptly shut her up. The look of fear on Sakura's face went unnoticed by the Uchiha, but for Naruto, it resonated with what he was already thinking about. She was afraid of him, which meant that that whole thing this morning with Hinata and her father was probably the same thing. If that was the case, Naruto wished Hinata would have just told him herself instead of having her father do it. The idea that after all those years together didn't warrant him the truth from her own mouth aggravated him.
"You're on. And when you lose, don't forget whose idea it was" Naruto said. 'What do I care if they're afraid of me?' he thought, but Hinata's smiling face swam through his mind and he had to physically shake his head to rid himself of the image.
Sasuke led the way out of the room, Naruto followed loosely behind him, while Sakura followed loosely behind Naruto. After taking a few turns and taking the stairs, they were standing on the roof. Sheets were waving in the wind of to the side. Sasuke kept walking to the other side of the roof while Naruto walked to the opposite side.
"You guys really shouldn't be doing this. Please, stop this now" Sakura begged, but her words fell on two sets of ears clouded by two different reasons of anger.
"Whenever you're ready" Naruto offered, he was about to draw a seal from his pouch but decided against it since Sasuke was weaponless.
"You can use whatever you want, it won't matter" Sasuke, who must have noticed the inner dialogue his opponent was having, shouted, but Naruto shook his head.
"It's already not a fair fight, why would I give you an excuse to say you would have won otherwise?" he countered, which sent the Uchiha over the edge. He charged, Sharingan flaring to life as he dashed forward. "Getting serious out the gate? Good for you. I certainly would if I knew I couldn't win" Naruto's words hit Sasuke harder than the punch that connected with his cheek.
"Lucky shot" the Uchiha spat, flipping away from the blond as he readied to charge again.
"Whatever you say."
The two of them were blocking punches left and right, kicks from every direction and the occasional knee. Yet, no matter what was going on, Sasuke still felt as though his opponent was just toying with him. 'Why can't I land a hit? With my Sharingan I should be unmatched? Isn't the Uchiha clan supposed to be a clan of elite shinobi? Why am I struggling against someone who…who…No, Naruto isn't a nobody. He's proven that already, hasn't he?' Sasuke's inner thoughts did nothing to stop him from forming the hand seals for his signature fireball jutsu.
The heat from his technique coupled with the wind already blowing made Naruto realize that Sasuke was unfocused but still highly effective with his ninjutsu. Reaching into his pouch he had no choice but to use a seal, otherwise Sasuke's fireball would engulf the entire roof, including Sakura, who happened to be the only innocent bystander in this whole mess.
"Sealing Technique: Energy Aegis" Naruto threw his talisman directly at the fireball bearing down on him and almost instantly it began to get sucked into the piece of paper.
"W-what? Impossible" Sasuke was shocked that a single sealing tag managed to stop his fireball. "What did you do?" he demanded, landing across from the blond.
"The energy aegis technique absorbs ninjutsu and as an added bonus, it restores my energy as well" Naruto casually explained, he cracked his neck and knuckles; "I could do this all day. Throw whatever ninjutsu you want at me."
"We'll see about that" Sasuke snorted before jumping backwards onto the fence behind him. "Go on and absorb this" he jumped into the air, performing hand seals on his ascent before the sound of chirping birds filled the air.
"Sasuke-Kun don't do this!" Sakura pleaded, but it was too late. The Uchiha formed his Chidori and was ready to launch it. "Naruto get out of there quickly" she shouted to her other teammate but she was surprised to see the blond with a ball of spiraling chakra in his own hand.
"Don't make me do this Sasuke. I don't want to kill you" Naruto tried to bargain with his teammate, but it fell on deaf ears.
"You? Kill me? Don't be such an idiot!" Sasuke rocketed towards his now enemy. Naruto, realizing now that he shouldn't have come up here in anger, jumped towards his opponent. 'Why am I even fighting you?' he thought. Was it really about them, or was he projecting his anger onto the only person he could.
"Stop this!" Sakura was rushing forward to get in the middle of them but there was no stopping now, Sasuke was falling too quickly to change direction and Naruto had already jumped with enough force to crack the ground beneath him. "Sasuke-Kun…Naruto!"
There were three explosions; the first was Sasuke's arm being swallowed up by a water tower as his Chidori tore through it like it was made of paper. The second was Naruto's Rasengan colliding with the water tower next to Sasuke's and the third explosion came from in front of Sakura.
"N-Neji?" Sakura was dumbfounded to see Neji Hyuga standing in front of her, the remnants of his rotation around him. "Hinata?" Sakura looked to her left to see the Hyuga Heiress covering her mouth as she watched Sasuke pull himself free and Naruto standing up right.
"Now what do you two think you're doing?"
"Kakashi-Sensei?" Sakura had never been so relieved to see her Jonin instructor before, but there he was standing right where Naruto and Sasuke had begun to collide. "What happened?" Sakura, who shut her eyes out of fear of what would happen, missed the actual events that played out.
"My rotation was barely able to hold them both off. If it wasn't for Kakashi-Sensei, I don't think it would have turned out this way" Neji explained. From the sound of his voice, Sakura guessed he must be surprised that his perfect defense wasn't enough to stop both of their attacks.
"Sasuke, what do you think you're doing using the Chidori on a comrade? That's not why I taught—" Kakashi didn't even get the chance to finish scolding his student before the Uchiha jumped over the fence and disappeared to the streets below. 'That kid' Kakashi was glad that Neji was here. He was just a second too late and had Naruto and Sasuke managed to fully collide with one another, he wasn't sure the resulting outcome would have been so easily managed.
"N-Naruto-Kun, a-are you o-okay?" Hinata had rushed over to Naruto the moment he jumped down from the water tower. Her hand extended out to him but she immediately withdrew it.
"Yeah. It was reckless of me to underestimate Sasuke. I wasn't thinking clearly" Naruto admitted. Just her being there made him feel guilty for attacking Sasuke like he was an enemy.
"Reckless is an understatement. You could have killed each other with that much power" Neji said, but it was the look that Hinata gave him that made Naruto feel the guiltiest. It wasn't fear or anger. It was disappointment.
"Naruto. Did Master Jiraiya teach you that technique?" Kakashi asked, recognizing the jutsu the moment he saw it. When Naruto nodded, Kakashi sighed. 'Of course, he did' he thought. "Listen Naruto, that technique is dangerous. You shouldn't go using it just because you can."
"I would have used Fuinjutsu but I figured blowing Sasuke off the roof was the better alternative to sealing away his chakra or taking his soul" Naruto looked at everyone present and shrugged; "Those are the only other seals I have on me."
Kakashi, realizing that he shouldn't have underestimated the fact that Naruto would have chosen the path of least destruction, sighed. "I'll go talk to Sasuke. You—" he said pointing at Naruto; "and you" he said now pointing at Sakura; "Stay out of trouble."
He vanished in a swirl of leaves leaving the two Hyuga's alone with his team; "How did you know we were here?" Sakura asked Neji, who just pointed at Hinata.
"I was told to accompany lady Hinata into town. She insisted coming here for some reason. As we approached though, we saw a fire above the roof" Neji explained. "I don't suppose Hinata was coming here to stop a fight, but I can guess she was coming here for Naruto."
"Y-yeah…sorry about that Neji. I kind of told her he'd be here" Sakura admitted. She laughed nervously. For some reason, despite Neji not being quite as stuck up as he was before, he still kind of scared her. "Uh, come on, we can visit Lee. He's still here" Sakura suggested, and before Neji could protest, she was already ushering him towards the stairs.
Naruto and Hinata were left alone, neither one sure of what to say, nor what to do. They decided to sit, but aside from that, neither of them said a word. Silence settled between them for a while, both of them just content to be near one another. Much like when they were in the academy. After the silence started to become too much for her, Hinata turned to look at Naruto, who was busy staring at the clouds above him.
"Uh…N-Naruto-Kun?" he turned to look at her, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. Those piercing blue eyes made her freeze. Hinata had to dig deep to break free of her nervousness, in order to say what it was that she wanted, she couldn't freeze up.
"Naruto-Kun, I think you're amazing" she blurted out. The heiress's face turned red as the realization that she had as much tact as a paper bomb going off silently. 'This is it, Naruto-Kun is going to think I'm so weird. He's going to tell me—' "I think you're pretty amazing too, Hinata" 'I knew it. I knew he was going to tell me he thinks I'm amazing too.' "Wait what? Y-you t-think I'm a-a-amazing?" did her ears deceive her, had she really heard what she thought she heard? She couldn't have, there's no way he would have said that.
"Yeah, I think you're absolutely amazing Hinata. In fact, it's because of you I was able to come this far" Naruto admitted. Hinata wanted to say something but she could sense there was more that Naruto wanted to say, she just needed to wait. She needed to let him get this out, she just knew it.
"You see, I know that you've noticed I'm…different. That first time I met you in the woods, I was…running away from my home, where I grew up at. I saved you by accident, really. I'd never even seen the sun before, let alone a girl. You were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Even now I think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen" he paused for a moment before standing, he kept his back to her because if he didn't, he didn't think he'd be able to say what it was he wanted to.
"That day in the arena, what you saw…that's the real me. I'm nothing but a weapon. A killer. I was raised to take life without regard for anything else" the image of Naruto's face looking pleased as he killed their attackers crossed Hinata's mind but she shook them from her mind's eye.
"I-I don't care. I know you N-Naruto-Kun. I k-know you would n-never hurt me" she defiantly stated, standing to be next to him. 'Breathe Hinata, you can do this' "I'm not going anywhere because I like you!" she shouted. She hadn't meant to shout, but it was the only way she was going to be able to say what was in her heart without giving up half-way through. She kept her eyes closed shut out of fear that she had pushed it too far, but when Naruto hadn't said a single word to her, she opened her eyes to see him with a concentrated look on his face.
"N-Naruto-Kun?"
"What do you mean you like me?" he asked, making her want to fall over and die.
"W-what do y-you mean w-what do I m-mean?" she countered, unsure of what to make of the situation.
"Well, everyone kept asking me if I like you and I kept telling everyone yeah. I do like you. But then they all look at me weird. Am I missing something? I tried asking what it was they meant and no one really gave me a clear answer. Am I not supposed to like you? Sakura asked me if I like you as more than just a friend…Is there a special way you're supposed to like someone as more than a friend? What does that even mean? I just don't get it" Naruto explained. He looked Hinata in the eyes and couldn't help but feel that maybe he shouldn't have said anything since Hinata now looked like she was thinking about something deeply.
"Guess that's not the response you were hoping for" he said, but when Hinata closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his, he was stunned into absolute silence.
"That's what it means" Hinata said, her pale skin stained with a deep red from cheek to cheek. She kept her hand pressed to his cheek and Naruto was still stunned. No one had ever put their mouth to his, but he liked the feeling of her lips and he couldn't help but pull her close to him and do the same. Just as she had surprised him, he had managed to do the same when he returned the gesture. After a moment of a haphazard attempt on his part, he stepped away.
"Y-you k-kissed me b-back" Hinata asked, though it was more a statement.
"Kiss?" Naruto tilted his head to the side; "is that what you call it?" Hinata smiled in disbelief before nodding. Her face felt like it would melt off at how hot it was growing.
"So, you kiss people that you like?"
"Yes. No!" Hinata quickly corrected.
"Yes-no? That doesn't make any sense" Naruto's confusion on the matter made Hinata giggle.
"You k-kiss people that you l-like as more t-than a f-friend" 'Why am I so nervous to say that?'
"See, there it is again. 'More than a friend' what does that mean?" Naruto demanded, annoyed that everyone seemed to know what this meant but him.
Hinata thought about it for a moment. Her head started to spin at the idea of explaining this to Naruto. "M-more t-than a-a f-friend is s-someone y-you c-can't l-live w-without" she stuttered out. She started to hyperventilate at having to say those words out loud.
"Oh…well why didn't anyone say that before? You've been that person since I was eight" Naruto casually said. To him it was an innocent admission but to Hinata it made her heart skip two beats. "Say Hinata, this kissing thing, do friends do that, or is only people that are more than friends?"
Hinata couldn't help but giggle, and the more Naruto's face changed in confusion the more she laughed. 'Where did you come from Naruto Uzumaki?' It took awhile for her to be able to stop laughing and it was only because Neji and Sakura came back.
"Lady Hinata, I think it would be best for us to return, otherwise Lord Hiashi may send someone out to retrieve us" Neji said, to which Hinata sighed and nodded.
"Bye N-Naruto-Kun, I h-hope to s-see you soon" Hinata whispered. He smiled at her before pulling her close and kissing her again. Hinata hadn't expected this nor planned to do so herself with Neji or Sakura there, but the moment their lips met, she melted into them. When he finally let her go, both Neji and Sakura were wide eyed at the exchange. Hinata had to physically pull Neji through the door and the entire time they were walking away, he was dumbfounded and silent. Much like Sakura.
"Sakura…hey, Sakura?" Naruto was waving a hand in front of his teammates face. "Are we going? Do you want to talk to me too?" he asked, but when she didn't answer he made his way to the door.
"What the hell did I miss?!" she shouted running after him.
"Why should I?"
"Because, after your humiliating defeat against your brother I would think you would want more power. Power that you can get from him."
"Get lost, before I show you my power"
"Let him go…he'll seek us out in time."
Four figures watched as Sasuke Uchiha departed from them. They would be waiting for him to return, which they knew he would. They just needed to be patient and eventually the boy would realize they were right. Sasuke, however, was thinking about his brother. About Naruto. About his conversation with Kakashi. How did things spiral so quickly down this path? So lost in his thoughts he hadn't realized the mess of blond hair sitting in front of his door.
"You're finally back" Naruto said, getting the Uchiha's attention; who scoffed.
"What do you want?"
"To talk to you. If you'll listen."
"Get lost."
"It's about Itachi Uchiha" Naruto knew that would get his teammates attention. Sasuke motioned for him to follow and after a door or two, they were sitting in a dimly lit room. Sasuke hadn't said anything but Naruto knew he was waiting.
"Your brother wasn't there to kill me. In fact, he asked me politely to go with him somewhere" Naruto explained. He looked out the window towards the night sky. "Honestly, it didn't seem like he was all too enthused to be kidnapping me" he added, remembering the look in Itachi's eyes. He'd seen that look before, many times actually. The eyes of someone who was wearing a mask. What the elder Uchiha was hiding, Naruto didn't have the slightest idea, but he knew that something was definitely not adding up.
"So what? Because he asked you politely instead of forcing you, I should be jumping for joy?" Naruto expected this reaction, he wasn't even sure why he was bothering, especially since Sasuke did just try to tear him to pieces earlier.
"No. Just thought you should know. Anyway, your brother's stronger than you are. If that's the person you were talking about wanting to kill, you got your work cut out for you" though he meant it as innocent banter, Sasuke didn't take it that way as he flipped the table between them to the side.
"What would you know? Huh? As if you have any idea what he's capable of!" Naruto wanted to ask what the deal was with Sasuke and his brother, but something told him that he wouldn't get an answer.
"You're right" he said, opting to just let Sasuke have this one instead of provoking him. "What would I know about being haunted by someone from the past" the idea that both he and his teammate were tormented by someone who, in his own case, tortured and tormented him for years on end, made Naruto understand why he always felt like Sasuke understood him. Even if neither of them knew why.
"Just go away" Sasuke ordered, skulking off to some other part of his home and leaving Naruto to let himself out. 'Maybe, you and I aren't as different as you think, Sasuke.'
A few days had passed since Naruto visited with Sasuke, and though they didn't have any missions to go on, he at least thought he would see him around the village. Which he hadn't. You barely saw Kakashi for that matter, but Sakura was always around for some reason. Always bringing up Hinata, or always asking if he was going to see her or if he had seen her already.
"What do you mean he kissed her!?" Ino shouted as Sakura slapped a hand to her forehead.
"Way to keep it quiet, you idiot" Sakura grumbled as Naruto looked over his shoulder at the two of them walking behind him. They were on their way to see Lee when they ran into Ino. Naruto didn't really care that they were talking about him, but he was curious as to why it was a big deal that Hinata kissed him and he kissed her.
"It's like I said, they said goodbye and Naruto kissed her. Right in front of me and Neji" Sakura whispered. Ino's eyes were wide and her mouth was open.
"I don't believe it. There's just no way that Naruto, your teammate Naruto, kissed her. No way" Ino protested. Though she was trying to keep her voice down, she was really bad at it.
"I did kiss her" Naruto confirmed. He had stopped just ahead of them and they both walked into him. "What's the big deal?" he asked, looking between the two of them.
"What's the big deal? Are you kidding me!?" Ino's head looked like it was about to pop. "Naruto you idiot, kissing is an intimate exchange between lovers. It's romantic and hot" she explained, but Naruto's raised eyebrow made her groan. "Please tell me you're both joking. There's no way you kissed her and don't know this already."
"Hinata told me that a kiss is something you share with someone you can't live without. Which by the way Sakura, had you told me that that's what liking someone as more than a friend meant when I asked you, I would have told you that I do like Hinata like that" though he was admitting more than he realized, Naruto's voice was annoyed that Sakura knew what it was that he was asking before and chose not to tell him.
"Did you just say that you can't live without Hinata?" Sakura asked, and when he nodded in response both her and Ino let out an aw.
"That's so sweet."
"I wish I was there to see it now."
"Such a beautiful thing."
"To think Hinata had her first kiss."
"Well, too be fair, Hinata kissed me first" Naruto shrugged. He turned to start walking again.
"She did what!?" Sakura and Ino shouted, rushing to cut him off.
"She kissed me first" he repeated. "Why? Is that a bad thing?" he looked between the two of them.
"I can't believe Hinata managed to do that." Ino said, shocked that the Hyuga managed to overcome her shyness.
"To think I missed the first one" Sakura whined, as if the idea of missing it was like missing the birth of a child.
"You missed the first two" Naruto corrected causing both kunoichi to squeal in both anger and delight. Their words became incomprehensible to the blond as he pushed passed them to make his way towards the hospital once more. With the two of them in tow, he wasn't sure they would make it before their heads exploded.
By the time they made it to Lee's room both girls seemed to tire themselves out on the topic of Naruto and Hinata and instead were busy talking about the surly Uchiha boy. Something that Naruto wanted no part of considering his last two encounters with his other teammate went miserably. Naruto stopped outside of Lee's door and knocked, there was no answer and so he pushed the door open. Lee was sitting by the window, looking longingly at the outside world with what looked like unending sadness in his eyes. Ino had disappeared with Sakura somewhere but Naruto could still hear them and assumed they would eventually catch up, so he let himself in. Shutting the door behind him.
"Hey Lee, how's your recovery going? I heard the surgery was a success. I thought you would be happier about it" Naruto took the seat across from Lee who remained quiet. He slowly turned to face the blond and half-heartedly smiled.
"I'm very well Naruto, thank you. Lady Tsunade managed to repair the damage to my arm and leg and she says I'll be better in no time" he explained, which sounded like good news and Naruto wasn't sure why Lee didn't seem happy about it.
"Well, I guess I'll have to kick the old lady's ass" Naruto said, making Lee look at him funny. "You don't seem too happy that she fixed you right up."
"Oh, I am quite thrilled that Lady Tsunade was able to heal me, especially considering the success rate was give or take a hit or miss" Lee replied but still he didn't seem happy about it.
"Then what's wrong?" Naruto asked, not sure why Lee was making him jump through hoops just to find out what his issue was.
"Neji and Tenten came to see me recently and they told me that it was you who managed to defeat Gaara of the sand."
"Yeah, he was tough."
"But still you managed to defeat him. Someone that I could not" and right there Naruto understood what the issue was.
"I really only won because of Gamabunta, uh…my toad summoning" Naruto explained. Though it didn't seem to cheer Lee up.
"I am not sad that you managed to defeat Gaara, especially in a time of crisis. I am sad because I could not defeat him…and more importantly, I didn't get to see it at all" Lee frantically wiped away tears as they continuously formed. "I can only imagine the hot-blooded battle you two had and I missed the whole thing" he continued, which made Naruto sigh. Of course, Lee was sad about missing the battle.
"Oh, Naruto, I wanted to thank you as well" Lee extended his hand to him.
"What for?" he asked, taking Lee's hand in his own.
"It's because of you that the leaf village has Lady Tsunade here. And if it wasn't for you…well I would have to give up being a shinobi. So, thank you Naruto."
"Uh…no problem?" Naruto wasn't sure why he was asking his answer instead of stating it but Lee didn't seem to mind either way.
They spent a few moments in silence before Lee began to ask how everyone was. Whether or not he'd been keeping up with is training, and if he would want to train together once he was free from the hospital. It felt like him and Lee were actually friends, and it reminded Naruto of Sasuke. He wondered if this is what it would be like if Sasuke wasn't always to himself and shutting everyone out. Then again, was he any better?
After chit chatting for fifteen or so minutes, Sakura came in to bring Lee flowers and they too shared idle chit chat. Ino must have gone home because she hadn't shown up at all but she did send Lee flowers with Sakura that he was grateful for none the less. Eventually a nurse came in to tell them that visiting hours were over and that it was time for Lee to get some rest. He thanked them for coming by and wished them a goodnight before watching them be ushered out the door.
Naruto was going to offer to walk Sakura home, but she said she had something to do and left him alone outside the hospital, leaving him to walk back alone. He thought about Hinata most of his way home, wondering if he would see her again anytime soon or if their meeting on the roof would be the last he would see of her. Though the more he thought about her, the more he thought about her lips. The way they felt pressed against his. The smell of her breath in his mouth. It's warmth. He didn't quite get the whole kissing thing again, but he knew he wanted to kiss Hinata again and again. All he knew for certain was that he liked the idea of this more than friend's thing if it meant it was Hinata. By the time he got home, Naruto was actually pretty tired. Having helped with reconstruction of the village and then training, he wanted to just fall asleep the moment he hit the bed, where he could hopefully have one night without having a nightmare wake him up.
Sasuke Uchiha is a lot of things to different people. Some see him as quiet and reserved. Some see a too serious, uptight kid. Only one person thought she figured out what was beneath the mask. Only one person ever paid enough attention to actually try and understand that Sasuke Uchiha is a lot of things to a lot of different people, but to Sakura Haruno, Sasuke is just a boy who holds her heart. A boy that holds a lot within himself. A boy that despite his efforts to push her away with his words, his actions during the chunin exams made her realize that he was still the same boy she knew all those years ago. Unfortunately, Sakura also knew that Sasuke Uchiha would be leaving, that's why she was standing on the path leading to the exit gates.
"Please, don't go" she said to him as he approached.
He walked past her without a word. Not so much as goodbye, or questioning why she was there. Had he asked he would have discovered that she'd known for days now that he was planning on leaving. She could feel it in her heart that he was going.
"I can't stay here" he said, and the certainty in his voice made her heart ache.
"You can. You can stay here and I'll be here with you. Whatever you want from me I will do my best to give to you" she replied, but Sasuke didn't seem to believe that. "I've always watched you Sasuke-Kun. I've always had my eyes on you. I've always admired your strength and your resolve. That's why I'm begging you, please don't go. Don't leave me" she pleaded, but still he looked unfazed.
"I have things I need to accomplish and I can't do that here in the village. I need to leave this place in order to gain more power. I realize now that even if it means I have to give my body to the devil, I must gain more power because I am an avenger. Nothing will stop me in my pursuit of more power" he explained, and Sakura knew then that there was no stopping him.
"Then…I want to go with you" she hurriedly said, he looked back at her; "Where I'm going, you can't follow" he replied, but she shook her head in desperation.
"I can if you would just let me. I've always followed behind you, but I want to walk by your side. You just have to let me" she begged. Her eyes were drowning with tears and she missed the slightest of smiles that passed the Uchiha's lips.
"Sakura" she looked up to look at the boy whose grip on her heart was unrivaled. "You're annoying" he said, and those words, though meant to be insulting, stirred something inside of her as she realized only moments too late that she was already blacking out.
It was over…Sasuke Uchiha was leaving and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
AN: I really hope you guys enjoy this one. The next chapter will more than likely (I wanna say like 80%) be the final chapter before the final time skip where we jump to Shippuden stuff. And just because it'll be Shippuden doesn't mean that it'll be exactly like Kishimoto's.
Naruto is finally understanding what it means to love someone. Sasuke is leaving the village and Sakura is the only one that knows what's going on, and maybe, just maybe…Sasuke leaving is the wrong choice and he knows it.
Until next time.
