AN: Yes, I know I said that a Code Geass Story would be the last story I publish until I finish a story but this has been all I could think about for a while. I am going to try my best to not bash or seem like I'm bashing on anyone. I fully support NaruHina even if I'm not the biggest Hinata fan, however, I just feel that NaruSaku had much more build up, so I apologize to NaruHina fans.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
"Kurama/Inner Sakura"
Jutsu/Bloodline
ONWARDS TO THE STORY!
Chapter 1: Conflict
In the village of Konoha, we find the hero of the world, Naruto Uzumaki, walking through the streets with his girlfriend, Hinata Hyuuga. He should be happy to have such a beautiful woman on his side, but even then, he couldn't remove the fake smile from his face. He had helped her to save her sister as well as the planet from the maniac known as Toneri Ōtsutsuki. During the mission he was shown Hinata's past as well her hidden feelings for him, making him realize the extent of her love for him, so he admitted that he loved her as well.
It's been a few weeks since then, and everything was going great for the most part. However, the blond hero couldn't get over his lifelong love and teammate, Sakura Haruno. He was doing everything he could to get his mind off the pinkette and to make things work with the Hyuuga heiress.
Unknown to him, Hinata had taken notice that her boyfriend's thoughts seemed to be elsewhere whenever they were together. She did have her suspicions regarding his reason for this, she only got her confirmation on one of the occasions when they ran into his old teammate, Sakura. His demeanor would change and he'd become his old vibrant self. His sapphire eyes that she loved so much, would regain their focus and exuberant light, his true megawatt smile would replace the forced smile she knew he would always wear with her.
If it were that alone, she could overlook it and pass it off as him just being happy to see his best friend and old teammate. She could overlook the fact that the pinkette seemed to share the same expression as her boyfriend when they ran into her. What she couldn't overlook, however, was the fact that both her boyfriend and his pink-haired teammate seemed to share the same expression whenever they parted ways. That look of longing that their eyes held for each other as they watched the other leave.
The rumor going around the village was that even though Sasuke Uchiha, pardoned criminal, and former missing-nin, had returned from his self-imposed redemption journey, Sakura hadn't shown any interest in him, like at all, she didn't even ask for one date. Others would notice her conflicted demeanor while she was on duty at the hospital.
"Naruto?" Hinata called out, gaining the attention of her boyfriend as they made their way to Ichiraku's for their date.
Naruto came out of his thoughts and looked at his girlfriend, "Hmm, yes Hinata?"
"Are you OK? You've been in thought a lot lately." She asked with concern marring her features.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Kakashi Sensei has been running me and my clones ragged lately, all in preparation for me to take his place. He really wants to get out from behind that desk and go back to reading his smut as soon as possible." He half lied with a small chuckle. Kakashi was in fact running him ragged, but his mind was not preoccupied with that. 'I know that I should give Hinata an honest chance, but I can't get over my feeling for Sakura. Kurama, any advice?'
"Honestly, you are too honorable for your own good. The only reason you are even with her is that you witnessed her feeling for you through a GENJUTSU! Let me repeat, a GENJUTSU! That alone should prove that your heart will never truly be with Hinata if you couldn't even see her feelings for you on your own. Whether you like it or not, you WILL have to speak to her about this." Kurama grumbled with his head on his paws.
'…I know, but I don't want to hurt Hinata.' The blonde replied with a small frown.
"You're a real headache, you know that. There are only two ways this will go down. One: You talk to the Hyuuga princess and do what needs to be done sooner than later; that way you both will still have time to find happiness with the ones you're destined for. Two: You choose to be a coward and stay in this relationship, not out of love, but out of honor, and live your life as a façade while masking how miserable you really are over the fact that you let your destined partner slip away."The fox growled.
Hinata noticed that Naruto had a frown on his face, she even noticed when it deepened. She knew that he would speak with Kurama from time to time, so whatever they were discussing now, must not be good. For some reason, she had the very strong feeling that what they were talking about involved Sakura and her.
'What do I do? He tries to his discomfort with me but I can also see that he is really trying to make It work. I know that she has his heart and likely always will.' She let out a soft sigh. 'What do I do?' She tried to keep the smile on her face, but with her conflicting feelings, it was becoming more difficult to do.
[Meanwhile at Konoha Hospital]
Sakura was inside the employee's lounge along with Ino and Shizune after a rather difficult but very successful surgery. Her mind wasn't on that though, or anything medical-related for that matter. Nope, her mind was pondering her feelings for her teammates. One had abandoned the village in search of power in order to kill his brother, tried to kill her on multiple occasions, joined the very organizations that were after her other teammate and would have killed him had they been successful, and when she was younger, believed that she would marry him without a second thought.
Now the other teammate, the very one couldn't stand as a kid, was now one of her most, if not her most precious person. He was always there for her when she needed it, was there to support her when she was down in the dumps, saved her life on multiple occasions, and accepted an unreasonable 'once in a lifetime' request. He had fought tooth and nail when growing up to get on the path to becoming the person he is today. He defeated Neji at the Chunin exams when their own sensei didn't believe him. Took down the maniacal One-tail's host and was the sole reason that he had reformed and was now Kazekage. He left and became stronger under the watchful eyes of the late Jiraiya of the Sannin. He had proved his worth by saving multiple nations from tyranny, to saving the world on multiple occasions of various degrees; be it defeating a demon lord that commanded an army of lifeless soldiers, to defeating a literal goddess with assistance from his team.
In her foolishness, she made the horrible mistake of confessing her growing feelings for him at a very ill time and ended up hurting her teammate. Despite doing this to him, he was still there to rescue her from their traitorous teammate. And even during the war, when he came in like a golden clad Calvary and single-handedly turned the tide of the war, she knew that she was at the forefront of his mind, given that he'd be there to protect her when she needed it the most. She showed her own desire to protect him when Kurama was extracted, using her bare hand to keep the blonde alive until, with the help of Gaara, they reached the 4th Hokage, who proceeded to give the other half of the fox that he sealed within himself on that fateful night.
It wasn't until the mission to save Hanabi from Toneri and when Naruto came to her and confessed how he felt for Hinata, did she truly realize the full extent of her own feelings for him; that she loved him. And what did she do, she stupidly told him that he only loved her as a means of competing with Sasuke, further pushing him into the arms of his now girlfriend, Hinata.
"What is going on with you, Forehead? You've been spacing out since we got here. That ain't like you; I know it was a difficult procedure, it's not anything that we haven't done before." Ino spoke up, jolting the pinkette out of her thoughts.
"She's right Sakura. You've been like this for a while now. Sure, not while you're in the operating room or with a patient, but times like this, during your downtime, your mind seems to be somewhere else, or with someone else." The elder medic said with a knowing smile.
"I can't hide anything from you, can I, Shizune..." The pinkette sighed, earning a confused look from her platinum blonde friend. "I…I've been trying to sort out my feelings….for Sasuke and Naruto."
"I see. I did find it strange that you haven't been pestering Sasuke for a date as of late, or at all for that matter. Come to think of it, the other day when we ran into Naruto; that was the first time that I've seen you so happy. Heh, I practically had to pry you away from him so we could go. I even caught that look of longing that you two shared when we parted." The Yamanaka clan head said with a sly smile.
"You truly love him, but you're letting your past get in the way of you following your heart. The times you used to beat on him and berate him; when you semi-falsely confessed to him in the land of Iron." Shizune said with a solemn smile. "You need to let all of that go. You know as well as I do that Naruto would never hold it against you."
"…I know he wouldn't. Heh, knowing that idiot, he's already forgiven me, even when I've been such an idiot for so long." Sakura admitted with a wistful smile on her face as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"He may have forgiven you, but you haven't forgiven yourself." A female voice pointed out.
The trio of medic ninja looked to the door to see their teacher walking into the room.
Sakura nodded solemnly and said, "And I can't do anything about it, even if I wanted to… He has Hinata now, she's loved him for as long as he's loved me. I can't do that, I can't intrude on their relationship now. I can't do that to Hinata." A few sobs escaped her mouth as she continued. "No matter how much my heart is begging me to do so." She managed to regain her composure. "Besides, there's something that I need to speak to Sasuke about before I can try to move on….something very important."
"You're talking about that day when you, Naruto, and Sasuke became a team." Ino pointed out, knowing the exact moment her friend was talking about. The other two medics in the room nodded in affirmation, knowing the moment she was talking about. It was a fond moment that Sakura held onto whenever she would doubt Sasuke. It was the only good thing that made her keep faith and fueled her driving force to keep going after him.
"When are you going to ask him about it? Shizune asked.
"Tomorrow. Hopefully this time Naruto won't be there. I…I'm not sure I could handle seeing him right now." The pinkette said quietly, getting nods from her fellow med-nins. 'Naruto you idiot…why did you have to fall for Hinata….? What happened during that mission?'
"I'm surprised that you're actually asking that, given that you practically handed him to her." Inner Sakura spoke up.
Sakura recalled the moment she told Naruto that his love her for was only to compete with Sasuke, so he wouldn't lose to him. She really felt like kicking her own ass for that. '….You're right. I was an idiot for doing that. I shouldn't ha…wait a minute. I thought I was rid of you when I started to train with Lady Tsunade?'
"Heh, you wish. I'll always be here, you can't get rid of me, especially when you're in turmoil." Inner replied with a smirk.
Sakura mentally rolled her eyes. 'Whatever you say.'
"You asked what might have happened to make him love Hinata; I can't tell you, but I can tell that it was something big. Also, did you see the look he had when we ran into him? He seemed lost."
'...You're right… he hasn't been himself lately. At least according to Hinata and Kakashi.' Sakura thought before she added. 'I need to talk to Sasuke…then I can decide what to do.'
"You do that, but here's some free advice. If you see a chance to be with your idiot, TAKE IT! At least then he'll be the only idiot in the relationship."
Sakura scoffed. 'Whatever.'
"Alright. Just be sure to make up your mind soon Sakura, before it's too late." Tsunade said with concern. She loved both of them as if they were her own children. Naruto was like the son she never had… and Sakura was like her second daughter. She knew the two of them loved each other and being with anyone else would lead to them being miserable. Naruto needed someone who could keep him in line, much like Minato had Kushina. Funny enough Sakura reminded her of the Red-Hot Habanero in a lot of ways. 'You'd love her Kushina… I only wish you could have met her.'
Little did both of them know, that Sakura would be meeting Kushina in a unique way very soon.
[Hyuuga Compound]
After a rather disappointing date with Naruto, Hinata was walking through her home with her head down and a dejected look on her face. She wouldn't have been like this had Ayame not mentioned her rival for Naruto's heart, because after that her boyfriend seemed like a man possessed, as he went on and about his teammate with nothing but good things to say.
Neither seemed to notice that she was getting more and more upset until she got up and paid for her meal before quickly excusing herself from the establishment. She had glanced back and seen that Naruto was a little confused, likely asking himself what had he done wrong. Though the look of guilt on Ayame's face told her that she realized her mistake.
It was right after she let out a heavy sigh when the voice of her Father got her attention. "Hinata, come sit with me."
"Yes, Father…" She said in a defeated tone as she sat down next to him.
"Now, would you care to tell me what has my daughter in such a crestfallen mood? He asked, surprisingly with some concern forcing its way out from behind the veil of his stoic facade.
"It's-" she stopped as she wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about it, but the stern and expectant gaze from her father made her decide otherwise. "It's Naruto… He's…he's still in love with his teammate and female best friend, Sakura Haruno."
"I see…" Hiashi responded with a slightly narrowed gaze and a little edge in his tone. "Does Uzumaki not feel that you're good enough for him?"
"...T-that's not it. He's honestly trying, I can tell he is… I-I just have to be careful not to mention her. He's loved her just as long, if not longer than I've loved him…" Hinata said solemnly. "That's what happened this afternoon… Sakura was mentioned and he went off on a tangent about her accomplishments, all the while having that wistful smile as well as pride and love in his eyes."
Her father nodded, understanding the situation. "I see… It's been 3 weeks, hasn't it?"
She nodded in response wondering where her father was going with this. Part of her feared it and another knew what was coming…
"I'm sad to say this, but sometimes you have to let go of the person you love the most so they can truly be happy. I know that this doesn't seem fair to you, but if what you said is true, coupled with the hearsay around the village...Haruno and Uzumaki do love each other, but there's something stopping them from taking that next necessary step. I am unsure of what is stopping Haruno since she hasn't shown any interest in the Uchiha like most of us thought she would. Though judging from Uzumaki's character, I can tell that it's his loyalty to you as his current girlfriend that is stopping him from following his heart." Hiashi said with a look of sympathy on his face.
"...I-I was afraid of that. And you are correct about Naruto… his loyalty and kind heart are what are likely keeping him from breaking up with me because he doesn't want to hurt his friends." She sighed. "But if I may father… I'm honestly surprised you don't seem to want to tear him apart."
"It's because you said he was honestly trying, and that it's his character that is preventing him from doing what most men would in this situation and leave without a second thought." He said firmly. "If he had decided to be unfaithful and started to see Haruno behind your back before he broke it off with you..." the clan head's hand then glowed blue for a few moments, "...he would lose the use of a certain part of his anatomy that all men treasure."
Hinata giggled a bit at that and let a small, yet resigned smile, grace her face. "I suppose… that I'll just have to do what is best for all of us, and break it off with him myself."
[The Next Day – Akimichi BBQ]
Sakura was currently sitting at one of the booths waiting for Sasuke, wringing her hands nervously. Everything hinged on his answer to her all-important question. 'W-what if it was actually him who told me he loved my forehead...and says that he loves me?'
"Relax girl. Even if Sasuke does admit to doing it, we truly love Naruto. This won't change that. It's not Sasuke we dream about, nor is it black-haired kids in those dreams. The blonde...and strangely red-haired kids…"Inner Sakura said trying to calm her outer self down.
'Well, from what Lady Tsunade said, Uzumaki's were most often identified by their gorgeous red hair. Look at Karin, and from the pictures we've seen, Lady Kushina has the same red hair.' Outer thought calming down slightly before giggling a bit to herself. 'Speaking of Lady Kushina…I wish I could meet her, I've already met Lord Minato and he seemed to like me… one good thing about that cursed jutsu I suppose.'
"Sorry, I'm late…" Sasuke said bring her out of her thoughts. "But why did you want to meet so early? Normally we meet in the evening for there was a chance for Hatake and Naruto to show up."
"Y-yeah umm…" She said… her nervousness returning.
"...You didn't want them to be here today…" He said blankly, getting a small nod from her. "Alright...what's up?"
"I need to ask you something…that's had a large impact on my life." Sakura said seriously but her nervousness was still present.
"...What is it?" The Last Uchiha groaned.
"D-do you remember, on the day of team placements, you came up to me and asked how I felt about Naruto. You then told me that I had a charming forehead and that you could kiss it every day." A small blush came over her face as she was about to say the next part. "Right when we were about to umm…kiss, you had a stomach ache and ran to the restroom."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Sakura's recollection. "What are you talking about? I never did any of that. That dobe blindsided me and left me tied up before he transformed into me. I got out of the ropes and the next time I saw you, you were acting even more annoying and weird than normal. As for the stomach trouble, that wasn't me; that was Naruto who was holding his ass and running back forth from the bathroom."
Sakura's eyes widened as she realized what this meant. 'It was you, it was you all along, you idiot. I could have been chasing you if I had just known.' She thought with a small wistful smile on her face.
"Seriously Sakura, you should have realized that it was him a long time ago, like seriously, you know that I'm not the most expressive person and Naruto is the only one, maybe aside from Lee, who would compliment you like that. So you kind of have yourself to blame for not seeing it earlier."
A small tic mark appeared on Sakura's forehead. "Thanks for rubbing salt in the wound."
"I just call it as I see it. Now I'm gonna assume that you brought this up because you love the idiot."
Sakura looked at the Uchiha in surprise.
"Don't give me that look. A blind man could have seen the reason you asked." The Uchiha lightly chided.
Sakura had the decency to blush. "So umm, you're not upset."
"...Why would I be? You might have gotten stronger, but the thought of dating you, much less having a kid feels wrong to me." He said plainly. However, he saw her temper starting to flare he quickly made himself clear. He might be stronger than her, but one of her punches could put him into orbit, literally! "You and the rest of Team 7 are the closest things I have to a family currently. You're the annoying sister, Naruto's the bratty brother, and Kakashi the perverted uncle."
Sakura merely nodded, still kinda peeved off. "Is there anyone that you're interested in then?"
"Not really." He said with a shrug. "Not at the moment anyhow. Ino might have been an option but she's seeing that pasty-faced ANBU that was my temporary replacement. The Byakugan Princess isn't an option for more than the fact that she's seeing Naruto. The Uchiha and the Hyuuga have always been fierce rivals especially since both clans originate from that Rabbit Goddess we sealed away in the war. That weapons user girl isn't really my type, and the Kazekage's sister isn't an option for multiple reasons."
"You mean other than the fact that Gaara would kill you and she's really interested in Shikamaru?" She teased.
He merely gave his traditional "Hn." and ordered his meal, earning a laugh from Sakura as she did the same.
[Hokage Tower]
Naruto was currently helping Kakashi with his paperwork and going over the political books he'd need to be a better Hokage. Kakashi noticed that something was off with the blonde as he absentmindedly read the same page over and over.
"So, care to tell me what's going on? You've been on that page for the last half hour." The 6th Hokage asked curiously.
"It's nothing." Naruto lied.
"You've always been a terrible liar Naruto. Now, what's wrong?" Kakashi said, this time concern laced in his voice.
"...I'm having doubts about being with Hinata." The blonde sighed. "Don't get me wrong, she's great and we were going strong at the start… but… I just can't let go of my feelings for Sakura. Also, Mom told me that she hoped it'd get together a girl like her, and Sakura is almost identical in terms of personality and temperament."
The Silver-haired Hokage shivered at that thought. "I agree that Sakura does remind me a lot of your mother… especially when she's mad. That and she's done a good job at reigning you in when you get out of control."
"I suppose she has…" Naruto said with a love-struck smile.
'He's still really in love with her. I feel sorry for Hinata.' Kakashi thought.
The Former Sensei of Team 7 was about to talk to his future successor further when there was a knock at the door. "Come in!"
"Excuse me, Lord Hokage. Forgive me for interrupting." Hinata said as she came in. "Is it possible for me to borrow Naruto for a moment?"
'Huh… she seems determined. I wonder what's going on?' Kakashi thought before nodding and addressing the blonde. "Naruto take a break. Maybe go get us some lunch while you're at it."
Naruto nodded and followed Hinata out of the office. While he was wondering what she was wanted, they walked in silence while the navy-haired girl was slowly losing her nerve. They continued to walk in silence till they arrived at the Dango shop.
"What's up Hinata? What did you wanna talk about?" He asked, feeling a little put off by her silent demeanor the whole way there.
However, the Hyuuga Heiress had long since lost her confidence to drop the break-up bomb. She wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet, even if she knew they'd likely remain friends, her heart wasn't ready for the pain that would come with letting him go. So she quickly thought up an excuse. "I just wanted to have lunch together."
Unfortunately for her, she forgot that Naruto was more observant than most people give him credit for, even without Kurama's help. "...You know, I hate it when people lie to me. What's wrong?"
Feeling a little miffed by the question, she answered in a rather heated manner. "What's wrong is that the man I've always loved still loves the woman that used him as her own personal punching back when we were kids! And don't even try to deny it! You don't think I didn't notice that you'd look almost uncomfortable when we're together, only to brighten up whenever she shows up and completely ignore me?! Or how when she's mentioned, you go off on a tangent about how great she is, her amazing work at the hospital or her spotless mission record?! You should know exactly what it feels like to be second best!"
Naruto listened to his girlfriend and he could hear how hurt she felt. He closed his eyes and hung his head in shame. "...I'm sorry Hinata. I am trying, I really am… I really didn't mean to hurt you."
Hinata saw the effect her words had on him and instantly felt bad. She didn't mean to make him feel guilty, it's just that her jealousy took over and finally let itself be known. "I know Naruto. I know that you have been trying your best. I know that you still love her, but you know that I love you too and it feels unfair for me to love someone who can't fully commit, so you will need to choose Naruto, who will it be? Me or her?"
Even though she spoke as if she was calm and composed, she was a wreck inside. She knew that she was only delaying the inevitable and it would hurt more the longer it dragged on. She just couldn't bring herself to break up with him. In the end, she didn't say anything else, she just got up and left without looking at his face, though she could pretty much tell what he looked like.
So lost in thought, she didn't even take notice of her boyfriend's best friend walking past her.
[With Naruto]
'I really am a dense idiot… That's why she left yesterday during our date… because I completely ignored her and wouldn't shut up about Sakura… She knows...that I still love Sakura and I'm hurting her by not being honest… Kami, I'm such a hypocrite.' The blond thought with a dejected look.
"What's got you thinking so hard, idiot?" Sasuke asked breaking the future Hokage out his thoughts.
"...Women trouble, I suppose." Naruto said solemnly.
"Let me guess, your relationship with the Hyuuga Heiress is conflicting with your feelings for our pink-haired teammate. Is that it?" The Uchiha asked, though he already knew the answer.
"...Yeah. It is." The blonde nodded, earning a sigh of exasperation from the lone Uchiha. "I'm really trying to make things work with Hinata but…" He paused as rubbed the back of his head.
Sasuke watched his blond friend and saw the same wistful smile that Sakura had the last time he saw her.
"I still love Sakura...my feelings for her never diminished and they are even stronger than they have ever been."
Sasuke palmed his face and said, "That Nara friend of yours was right. You really are troublesome. You've loved this girl since we've been in the academy, and instead of going after her, you chased my ass around the five nations for years. Kinda makes me question what side you play for." The raven head said with a mocking laugh.
"What's that I hear? The bastard cracking a joke? Remind me to check for a blue moon tonight." The blond shot back.
Sasuke flipped off his friend before continuing. "The point I'm trying to make is, I know that you were keeping a promise to her, but you should have at least tried to make things work with Sakura. Now you're with a girl that's loved you just as long, if not longer than you have Sakura, and now you're finding it hard to let go of your first love."
Naruto lightly growled at the Uchiha, "You know as well as I do, why I never went after Sakura."
Sasuke was seriously feeling the urge to slap the blond upside the head. "Idiot. I'm really not seeing what Sakura sees in you."
"...What do you mean?" the blonde idiot asked, proving he was just as dense as ever.
"I forgot who I'm talking to…" The duckbutt haired emo said dryly. "...I mean I had a little chat with Sakura yesterday and wouldn't you know it, a certain interaction came up; I helped her figure out that it was you that morning that complimented her about her charming forehead."
He sighed as he saw the one person he considered a brother, looked shocked, and started to blush like a fool. "You really screwed up there Naruto… did you know that those words were what kept her faith in me all those years while I was on my dark path? You could have been with her a long time ago if you didn't decide to play 'secret admirer'. Listen, just… figure things out with Hinata then, just find Sakura and kiss her… I promise you, she won't resist."
Stunned, Naruto just nodded and remembered he needed to get lunch. "Well, I better get going Sasuke. Kakashi Sensei wanted to pick up lunch, so I'll see you around… and thanks."
"Whatever… just don't take too long." Sasuke said waving him off as he walked off to go about his day.
The blonde just chuckled as he ordered the Dango and made his way back to Hokage Tower.
[A few minutes later with Hinata]
Hinata had been walking aimlessly through the village streets after her confrontation with Naruto. So lost in her thoughts, she bumped into someone and fell to the ground. She looked up and saw that it was the Kazekage and quickly scrambled to her feet and bowed. "I'm so sorry Lord Kazekage. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
"It's quite alright. Raise your head." Gaara said in his usual monotone voice. When she did he saw who it was. "You're...Hinata if I'm not mistaken yes? Naruto's girlfriend?"
"...Yes, for now, anyway." The Byakugan Princess said solemnly.
"For now?" Shukaku's host asked curiously. "Obviously something is going on… Would you tell me? Perhaps I can be assistance."
"I'm afraid there isn't anything that can be done to help our relationship. He is still in love with Sakura Haruno, and I believe she loves him as well…" She replied.
"I see." He said thoughtfully. "I had heard Sakura has not been pursuing the Uchiha like we all thought she would… and not just from Naruto, but my sister as well."
Hinata just nodded in response. Gaara cupped his chin, adopting a thoughtful look. "If I may be honest Lady Hyuuga." He asked in an official tone shocking her but she nodded all the same. "While Naruto saved me from my psychotic self, I'll be the first to admit he's a bit dense and stubborn. Loyal to a fault and will do what it takes to make everyone happy, even at the cost of his own happiness."
"Yeah… I know… I was going to break up with him just now… but I'm just not ready…" She said quietly. "I need to be the one to do it… I know that… I just...can't… not yet."
"I may not know much about love myself, I do understand not being ready to let go… as you may know, my sister is interested in the Nara Clan Head. And while they both may deny it. I can see the faraway look in her eyes paired with the goofy grin I've seen others have when they are truly in love." The redhead said sympathetically. "While I am in the village, I can offer my support in this endeavor in whatever way I can."
"...Thank you, Lord Kazekage." The navy blue-haired woman said tearfully.
"Please, address me as Gaara." Gaara said with a small rare smile with his hand stretched out to her.
She accepted his hand, and when she did, something she never experienced happened. A spark of warmth shot through her, causing her shyness to return full force as her face goes so red, tomato's would be jealous. The same could be said of the young man who was holding her hand. They immediately let go of each other's hands and looked away from each other shyly.
'Wh-what was that…?' Hinata thought, a thought shared by Gaara.
"I...must be off. Lord Hokage is expecting me…" The Kazekage said as he coughed to fight down his blush.
"Y-yes, of course. S-sorry for keeping you." She said shyly as she took off for her home to sort out what was happening.
[Hokage Office]
When Naruto returned he noticed the second person he considered a brother in the room. "Gaara! It's good to see you."
"Naruto… it is good to see you, my friend." The redhead said with a small smile despite his encounter with Hinata early. "I hear things have been complicated for you as of late."
"Uh… yeah I guess you could say that." The blonde said sheepishly.
The Kazekage nodded before turning to continue his meeting with Kakashi while Naruto joined in on the conversation as the future 7th Hokage while wondering why he is feeling tension coming from his friend. However, the dense idiot merely shrugged it off as stress that comes with the job. 8 hours later, they call it a day and go their separate ways.
[Naruto's Apartment]
After a long and draining day, Naruto didn't even bother taking off his clothes as he collapsed on his bed. "Man… what a day…" He sighed as he reviewed his day. "Hinata and I had our first fight, Sasuke telling me that I could have been with Sakura all this time had I been honest about that day, then there's Gaara… He seemed to be acting weird today. Come to think about it… How did he find out?
I mean sure, Temari could have told him, but something tells it's more than that…"
"Maybe Shukaku's host ran into the Byakugan Princess after your little fight while you were talking with that accursed Uchiha."Kurama suggested.
"...That's possible. But if so, I wonder what happened?" The blonde pondered before sighing. "Bah… I'm too tired to worry about that now… I'm sure whatever it was might actually help in time."
With that Naruto let his exhaustion take him to a night of blissful sleep, full of dreams of the future, none of which seemed to involve Hinata at his side. Funny enough, he saw Hinata standing next to Gaara with his arm around her waist, both with matching smiles. What threw him off was Hinata wearing clothing designed for the desert and her skin was more tanned than usual.
[Meanwhile with Hinata]
The Hyuuga Heiress had been lost in thought throughout the day, wondering what happened with Gaara. She never felt anything like that spark or warmth before, especially not with Naruto. Speaking of her lifelong love, she was wondering how or when she was going to do what was needed and break up with him.
However, something told her that she wouldn't have a choice in the near future and that something was going to happen to force her hands or have the decision made for her. All Hinata could do was hope that whatever happened, it ends on a positive note and she, Naruto, and Sakura could remain friends.
[At the same time as Naruto and Hinata, with Sakura]
Sakura couldn't stop smiling since her talk with Sasuke. She felt free, enlightened, and completely certain about what she wanted and her feelings for the man that had been a constant source of light, warmth, laughter, and positive encouragement throughout her life. The only problem was confronting both Hinata and Naruto. She didn't know if she should talk to them together, or separately.
However, the pinkette knew she had to act and soon. She wasn't about to give up and let her feelings go unanswered. Sakura didn't stop fighting for Sasuke when she thought she was in love with Sasuke, she sure as hell wasn't going to give up now that she knew for certain that Naruto was the only one for her.
"I need to figure out how to approach Hinata in a peaceful manner… She might be the only thing standing in my way of being my blonde idiot, but she's still my friend. I want to avoid hurting as much as possible. I know hurting her is unavoidable… but I love him too much to let her have him." She said to herself as she was getting ready to turn in for the night.
Little did she know that she was about to have a fateful encounter in the most unorthodox way possible. One that will light the fire under her ass she needs to confront the love of her life and one of her friends.
AN: That's it for the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review to let me know how I did. Be sure to follow to get notified when the next chapter comes out!
I want to thank 12Ookami12 for proofreading and their help in editing the story, please be sure to check them out. Now, unlike my other stories, I will not make you guys wait long for the next chapter. I will however say that the trade-off will be that I can only see this being a 3 – 4 chapter long story.