Author's note: Please forgive me for hinting in any way towards a Naru/Saku fic. I must've had too much sleep or something (I write almost all my fics at night), this is a true blue Naru/Hina fic. I'm sorry for any misleading writings!
True, Astly Hinata-chan, Ch. 3 was relatively the same, but the result will not be. The way Ch.3 was written really bugged me. I had to rewrite it somewhat.
Chapter 4 new and improved everyone!
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Ch. 4 – Redemption
The next morning came soon for at least two of the young Genins. Kiba and Hinata weren't getting the most of sleep the past couple of days. Naruto woke up early to an empty house. Naruto sighed and got up to cook himself some ramen. He dreaded everything that happened yesterday and the day before. Wishing he didn't have to remember the day he lost Hinata to Kiba. He didn't care that Sakura warmed up to him. He lever looked at Sakura the same way after she hurt, despised and humiliated him so much. He remained forever depressed because no one ever openly acknowledged him. All that magnified the day Hinata chose Kiba over Naruto. It seemed Naruto would never be happy again, not after this. 'Sigh' Hinata-chan, a world with only you is too much for someone like me to ask for... Naruto heard a knock at the door. Naruto noticed that the water his ramen was boiling in was beginning to evaporate. Had Naruto been his cheery self, he might've thought to turn off the stove. What does it matter? He left the noodles to burn and went to answer the door. He opened up the door to a blushing Sakura. She had a bouquet of tulips neatly wrapped in a nice decorative paper, with patterns of the Konoha leaf and various flowers. "Sakura, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked.
Sakura looked a little surprised, as she looked into Naruto's sad blue eyes. "You invited me... remember?" Sakura wasn't surprised he forgot about asking her to come over last night. He was so distracted because of Hinata's rejection; he probably didn't care about anything else. Naruto carried a strange silence, so Sakura decided to speak up. "H-here Naruto, I brought these for you." Sakura held out the tulips in hopes that it would cheer Naruto up some.
Naruto stared at the tulips. The enthusiasm gone from his once cheerful eyes, he looked up at Sakura. The expression on his face pleaded for something lost. He motioned Sakura inside so he could close the door. Sakura sat down on a chair that was sitting beside the dining room table. "Naruto... are you alright after last night?"
Naruto looked at Sakura again, through his dull life-less eyes, then stared at the floor. To recall any moment from last night was a knife through his heart. Naruto could hardly hide the affect that particular event had on him. Naruto found it hard, and almost impossible to answer Sakura's question. "I'll... live through it... I've made it this far in life, why would it be any different now?" Naruto faked a smile, but still lacked any other facial expression to indicate he was even the slightest bit happy. Naruto sighed and picked up the tulips that Sakura had brought for him. He stoked the petals as if they were the only precious things left to him. Naruto picked one flower from the numerous that were there, and smelled its sweet fragrance. He began to pick off the imperfections on the stem and parts of the flower. Naruto began to speak softly, still maintaining concentration on the flower. "Sakura... have you ever lost something truly special to you?"
Sakura looked at Naruto. Tears started in her eyes, as her gaze began to wander in thought. No...no, I've never lost anyone truly special to me... Why would anyone care for me that much? I'm just an ordinary girl with an extraordinarily big forehead... Sasuke was...just a stupid childish crush. He never meant anything. He only insulted me, teased me, humiliated... just like I did...to you... Naruto...Why did you forgive me?! How could you forgive me? After all these years of torment!? Tears began to roll down Sakura's cheeks and off her chin. "Naruto! Why?! Why did you forgive me?! After everything I've done! Why?!"
Naruto stopped picking at the tulip, and placed it on the table. His expression hardly changing at all. "I forgave you because you were willing to apologize... It doesn't change anything between us Sakura. It doesn't mean that we're any closer, or any further apart. If the apology was only to clear your guilty conscience, it doesn't matter, it was done for your own reasons. I don't care if the village hates me, it's when they regret it, and aren't willing to come forth and give a simply apology. It's not too much to ask for is it Sakura? For a simply apology?" Naruto looked at Sakura, then back at the flower on the table, pruned of its leaves, and its stem. Like Naruto, seeming to have lost the vital parts it needed to live. "Whether people seek redemption to ease a guilty conscience, or through true sincerity, the skin can never appear the same even when the wounds are healed over. But what about when someone has shown you no hatred or malice? When one was never been the cause of any infliction of pain? Yet, in the end, causes you the most pain of all? Apologies are empty and hollow, those who do not wish to harm you in any way are the only ones who can break your heart. Until you understand that, how can you ever understand what's meant in an apology? Hinata never ...she wouldn't..." Naruto fell silent. He stared at the bouquet. Sakura, meaning cherry blossom. How ironic that she would bring him tulips as a sign of apology. Naruto picked up another tulip. He admired the tulip silently. "Sakura...I'd like to be alone..."
Sakura sighed as she got up from her chair. She slowly walked towards the door. She paused as she walked by Naruto, wiping away a tear before she continued to the door. She paused again at the door, leaning on the frame, holding a finger to her chin, and nearly biting her lip. "I just want you to know Naruto... I really am sorry." With that, Sakura walked out onto the street. She appeared to be the only gloomy thing on an otherwise cheerful and sunny day. Her posture slouched, and her walk sluggish. She dragged herself down the street until she was out of sight.
Naruto watched Sakura as she left. He stared back at the tulip and admired its imperfections. It reminded him somewhat of Hinata. Quiet and beautiful, but not without it's flaws. Naruto sighed looked back outside the window. Is it really too late Hinata? Does your search stop at Kiba? Naruto walked towards the door. Some fresh air would do him good after being locked up in the house for so long. Hinata must be home by now. He thought. It was already mid-afternoon, and Hinata probably went home so her family wouldn't be so worried about where she was. Naruto wasn't concerned about where he was going, he would go wherever his legs took him. It can't be too late. He thought. She loved me once right? Naruto looked up at the sky. The birds were singing and the sun was shining bright. The contrast in moods hardly affected Naruto's thoughts, which probably wasn't the best for Naruto. For his thoughts brought him to the one place he'd rather stay away from at the moment. Naruto's thoughts brought him to the front steps of the house of Hyuuga Hinata...