I can't, Neji.
Hinata was slowly walking back to the resort.
I don't have confidence in myself anymore.
She sighed a little at that. Confidence? Did I even have confidence in the first place?
"Hey, Hinata!"
"Huh? N-Naruto-kun?"
Hinata blinked and blushed.
"Hello… Have you seen Sakura-chan and Sasuke?" Naruto asked cheerily.
Hinata's eyes fell. He's looking for Sakura. "N-No, I haven't." She shook her head.
"Oh, well…" Naruto scratched his head. "See you later!" He ran off.
Hinata bit her lip. It's no use. I should just forget him and move on. She continued walking.
------------------------------------------------
"He likes me, he likes me not…" Tenten muttered, plucking off the petals of a daisy. "He likes me…He likes me not…"
After two petals, she was down to one last petal.
"HE LIKES ME!" Tenten yelled happily, throwing away the stalk. Then, after a couple of minutes, she felt stupid.
"Why am I doing this anyway?"
"Love can do funny things to people."
"I suppose you're right… Wait! I'm in love?" Tenten blushed. "And who said that?"
She turned around. It was Lee, grinning.
"It must be the love season around here," He said, sitting down beside Tenten.
Tenten looked away. "It's not."
"You like Neji, I take it?" Lee asked, picking up a daisy.
"I-I-I-' Tenten couldn't get the words out of her mouth.
"I'm right." Lee sighed, plucking a petal off the daisy. "It seems that I'm the only one who isn't attached around here."
"You're wrong." Tenten said hotly. "Only Sasuke and Sakura are attached. We're not."
"But all of you like someone else." Lee said, plucking the second petal. "I mean, at least you like someone."
"Well, you like someone, don't you?" Tenten asked. "Don't you like Sakura?"
Lee blushed a little. "It was a crush. And I got over it. Besides, she's attached."
"Are you're just going to let her go?" Tenten said.
"Yep. I wish her happiness." Lee shrugged, throwing the petal stalk away. "Lunch is ready. Where are the others?"
"Around… Somewhere." Tenten replied, standing up. "Let's go back."
Lee followed suit.
----------------------------------------------------
I wish her happiness. Lee's words rang in Hinata's mind.
Hinata watched as Lee and Tenten walked away.
Can I wish Naruto happiness, too?
But he's not attached. You shouldn't give up.
Naruto had already made it clear that he doesn't like me in that special way.
Hinata took a daisy, and continued walking.
-------------------------------------------------------
"Let's go back." Sakura said, wiping her face furiously. "It's almost time for lunch."
Sasuke was staring at her. "Are you okay?"
Sakura nodded, blushing.
"Do-Do you mind if I…" Sasuke looked at the ground.
"Yes?" Sakura asked, curious.
Sasuke grabbed Sakura and kissed her again. Then he pulled back, blushing.
Sakura wasn't looking at Sasuke, however.
"N-Naruto…" She gasped as she saw the blonde staring at them, his mouth open with shock.
Sasuke turned and noticed.
"N-Naruto." He said, a little shocked himself.
Naruto, however, didn't yell at them as Sakura expected.
He smiled.
"Let's go. Lunch is ready."
Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other wearily, and followed Naruto.
"N-Naruto…" Sakura started.
Naruto grinned. "Don't worry, I didn't see anything!"
It was obvious that his grin was forced.
Sasuke covered Sakura's mouth.
"Mmph-Sasuke?"
"Sssh."
"…"
Naruto…
-----------------------------------------------------
"I'm eating." Everyone said at the dinner table and began to eat.
Naruto wasn't gobbling up all the food like he used to.
Sakura and Sasuke… were… kissing…
He felt dizzy.
Of course they should… They're a couple…
Are you JOKING? Hello, don't you like Sakura?
So what?
What do you mean? Didn't you say that you won't give up on her?
…
Naruto looked at Sakura's forehead. He'd kissed her there and told her that he won't give up on her.
Then he remembered the mirror incident.
His look-alike had told Sakura that he loved her and even kissed her forcefully.
Was that my true feeling? Do I love her?
Naruto looked down at the food and felt like throwing up.
"I'm done." He said quickly, and ran off.
"What's up with him?" Lee asked.
Sakura looked down at her food guiltily.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Do I love her? Naruto pondered as he ran to the river.
He remembered that the other Naruto said that he was him. The other Naruto was him.
He stared at his reflection. Then he knew.
Yep. You do. The reflection seemed to talk back to him.
But Sakura belongs to someone else now. This is wrong. I shouldn't even have told her that I won't give up in the first place. That kiss was…
What you've wanted to do all long?
Naruto backed off.
Was it?
"WAS IT?" Naruto yelled, punching the ground. Then he winced in pain as his fists began to bleed afresh.
I wanted Sakura all to myself, so I threatened death… I even told her to kill Sasuke, the guy she likes so much! … How despicable! How despicable can I get?
He glared at his reflection.
How low can I get?
He thought of all the things that the other Naruto did.
The other Naruto was an alter ego. Another side of him no one had seen before. He knew it all too well.
I… should just disappear.
He placed his fists in the water, watching as his blood flowed downhill, along with the water.
"Naruto! What are you doing?"
Naruto halted and spun around.
Sakura…?
Sakura hurried over and started to clean his wound. "How did you get your fists…"
Her voice trailed off when she noticed the marks on the ground, then she bruised herself bandaging his fists with a piece of cloth.
Naruto stared athis hands, dazed.
Sakura finished the job and looked at her feet.
"I-I understand that you want to be alone now and that you don't want to see me. I-I just wanted to check where you went, that's all." After that she started to hurry away.
"WAIT!" Naruto found himself shouting.
Sakura stopped, but didn't face him.
"Please sit." Naruto's mouth said. I… don't feel like myself anymore. Someone has taken over.
Sakura did.
"T-To tell you the truth, Naruto…" Sakura said awkwardly, playing with her fingers.
"Tell me what?" Naruto, but not yet Naruto, said.
"I… have…developed feelings for you."
Suddenly Naruto appeared. He was in control again.
"S-Say what?" Naruto gasped.
Sakura looked away. "I-I'm still not sure about my feelings about you two, but…"
Naruto thought of Sasuke instantly upon listening to her.
…Seeing Sasuke grab Sakura like that was a first for me. And he'd told me himself that Sakura was his… Sasuke must like Sakura very much.
Then Naruto felt angry.
"Sakura!" He snapped, standing up.
Sakura looked at him in surprise.
"Stop beating around the bush, will you?" He shouted.
"W-What?"
"If you can't decide, then leave both of us!"
"W-What are you…"
Naruto was getting very angry now. He continued shouting.
"IF YOU KEEP BEATING AROUND THE BUSH LIKE THIS, YOU'LL END UP HURTING EVERYONE! YOU'LL HURT ME, YOU'LL HURT SASUKE, YOU… YOU'LL HURT YOURSELF, TOO!"
Sakura blinked. Something rang in her mind.
E-Even if Sasuke said that he was okay… Even if he said…
Sakura stood up.
… He must be hurt, too. He must be hurt by what I'd said. I've… I've only been thinking of myself, and not Naruto or Sasuke. I didn't care about their feelings at all.
I didn't care at all.
Author: Please comment on this chapter! And thanks to the readers who'd reviewed my other fic as well :)