AN: Here it is, Chapter 2 of Unrelenting Hearts as promised. Told you guys wouldn't have to wait long for this update. I started writing this as soon as I finished writing the last chapter and handed it off to 12Ookami12 for Beta Reading.

This chapter may seem like I'm bashing on Sakura and Hinata, but I assure you that I stand by what I said about not bashing anyone. Anyway I hope you enjoy it!

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Kurama/Inner Sakura"

Jutsu/Bloodline

Chapter 2: Confrontations

[Heaven]

Watching from the heavens above, were Naruto parents and Hinata's mom, Hitomi Hyuuga. Currently, they were discussing what was happening with their kids. Though Kushina did find it strange that Hitomi seemed so content with what was going on with her daughter.

"I'm confused Hitomi. You don't seem the least bit upset or disappointed that your daughter seems to be giving up on my son." Kushina said curiously.

"It's not that. I am unhappy that my daughter was unable to find her true love with your son, but I am proud of her all the same." Pride could be heard in her voice. "She realized that while she could try to win over your son, she knows that she would never truly have his heart. Mebuki's little girl has already put her firm grip on him and she doesn't seem to be letting go any time soon."

"You're right about that. I've met Sakura thanks to the Impure Resurrection Jutsu, She reminds me a lot of you dear." Minato said with a small chuckle.

"Oh? So you mean: devilishly charming, beautiful, and as caring as an angel?" The red-head said with a smile that promised pain for her husband if he disagreed.

"Umm... yeah, sure." He said with a nervous chuckle.

"Actually, I can see she has both your good and bad qualities... especially your temper judging from all the times she's clocked Naruto." Hitomi giggled as Kushina's hair started flailing around as if possessed by Kurama.

"What was that...?!" The Red Hot Habanero shouted.

"You're only proving my point my dear friend." The older version of Hinata said nonchalantly.

Kushina pouted in embarrassment, before getting up. "Well then, I think I need to have a chat of my own with my son's Cherry Blossom. And I know just the goddess to send me there." The redhead then left to find said goddess.

"Oh dear... It seems my teasing has prompted her to take action..." Hitomi said while hiding her teasing smile behind her arm.

Minato sighed. "As if you didn't see that coming. You do realize that she's going to fan Sakura's desires to be with Naruto, right?"

Hitomi shrugged, "And that's fine. She'll just be speeding up the inevitable. It's best if Hinata gets over this now rather than later. Besides….judging from her interaction with the current Kazekage, I'm sure everything will work out for her." She explained in a calm voice, getting a nod of understanding from the 4th Hokage.

A few minutes later, Kushina stormed into Kami's throne room. The golden blonde goddess sighed and looked at the Uzumaki with unimpressed expression

"Why have you graced me with your presence at this time Kushina?" The goddess asked in a somewhat stern tone.

"I'd like to speak with Sakura Haruno via a dream." The redhead bluntly requested.

With a raised eyebrow, the goddess asked. "...And why would I allow that? You know interference in the affairs of the living is forbidden."

"Oh don't give me that! You gave that old toad the prophecy that made my son your champion as the Child of Prophecy. You owe it to him to help him obtain his true love since he fulfilled your prophecy and brought peace to the Elemental Nations." Kushina glared at the Goddess. "You can think of it as a reward."

The goddess grumbled under her breath before relenting. "...Very well. However, this will be a one-time thing. Prepare yourself. I'm sending you now. You will have a limited time to say what you need to."

[Sakura's Dreamscape]

Sakura was having a very romantic dream of her and Naruto cuddling on a private beach in the land of the moon. They were watching the sun descended over the horizon, casting the beach in a beautiful orange light. Neither of them said anything, content to enjoy this moment in each other's embrace.

This was the scene that Kushina appeared. The redhead smiled at the scene, not needing any more proof of the girl's intentions with her son. A simple and clean dream of the future the girl wanted with Naruto.

"Seeing this, I guess I don't need to grill you about your intentions with my son." The redhead spoke, startling the pinkette.

"L-Lady Kushina?! What is going on? How are you here?" Sakura said nervously, not once questioning if the red-head in front of her was real or something dreamed up.

"I convinced a certain goddess to let me talk to you. But that's not important. What is important, is the reason you're still holding back on going after my son." Kushina said with a grin.

Sakura's face flushed red and she tried to sputter out a denial, "W-what are you t-talki…"

"Sakura, Sakura, Sa-ku-ra." The redhead interrupted. "I've been in heaven for a long time now, so I've had an ample amount of time to watch you. So don't bother lying. Now give me the real reason, or you'll be waking up with a very real headache, okay." She finished with a sweet smile and her Adamantine Chain peeking out over her shoulder.

Sakura gulped and nodded, not wanting to test the redhead. 'Naruto's mom is scary.' "I don't want to end up hurting them, both Naruto and Hinata. What if I interrupt their relationship and things don't work out between me and Naruto? They'll hate me for ruining their relationship and I'll lose them for good." Sakura gave a dreary sigh, before she added, "You know what's funny? When I went to sleep, I was dead set on confronting them about this, but somewhere along the line, I lost my nerve."

Kushina nodded in understanding before smiling at the pinkette. "Well then, let me put your mind at ease by telling you that, aside from me, Minato and Hitomi, that's Hinata's mom, we've been watching everything that's been happening. We've watched as Hinata come to accept the fact that she needs to be the one to do the breakup. She knows that things won't work out between her and my son, no matter how much she wants it to. She just needs that final push.

And before you start worrying about him being the dense idiot he usually is... Don't be. Naruto still loves you, more than he ever has. And if he continues to be a stubborn, dense moron, show him you love him. Pull him into a kiss and pour into your heart into it."

"Wait...If Hinata's mom has been watching, then how does she feel about this?" The pinkette asked, trying to ignore the fact that the red-head in front of her practically gave her blessing.

"While she is naturally disappointed, she is also very proud of her daughter for being so selfless, even if she is kind of dragging her feet on the matter. And If I'm, to be honest, I am damned impressed. I for one, wouldn't give up my man for anything; especially if I've been waiting my whole life for a chance to be with him. One of many things we seem to have in common, Sakura." Kushina said with a kind smile.

"...I see." Sakura said with a small smile. "Thank you Lady Kushina. I will be talking to Hinata today. I'll invite her out for tea and talk everything out. As I said... I don't want to ruin another friendship over a boy, like how I broke my friendship with Ino over Sasuke."

"That's very mature of you. I have to say that I'd be proud to call you my daughter-in-law." The red-head said with a kind smile before she noticed that her body was beginning to fade. "Looks like my time is almost up."

"Thank you once more, Lady Kushina." Tsunade's Successor said with a bow, only to stand up straight in fear at what she saw in front of her.

Kushina's hair was whipping around like the tails of a pissed-off tailed-beast. She walked right up to the pinkette with a sickly sweet smile on her face. She used her hand to cup the pinkette's cheek. "Don't thank me just yet, deary…" Her hand slipped from her cheek and lightly grasped the pinkette's throat, with a finger hovering right over the jugular. Kushina then leaned in and whispered in her ear, "If you break my son's heart, or put him through an abusive relationship…" the finger pressed into the jugular, making the pinkette lock up in fear, "…not even Kami would be able to save you from my wrath when you kick the bucket. So treat him right. Do I make myself clear, you lady?"

"Y-yes ma'am." Sakura quickly answered. "I promise that I won't hit him again…unless he deserves it." She quickly added.

"Good." The deceased Uzumaki responded with a nod as her hair returned to normal and she let the girl's neck go. "Also be sure to let him know that he should make time for his family when he becomes Hokage, just tell him to use Shadow Clones to get it done quicker. Also if that doesn't clue you in, then, yes, I do want a lot of grandbabies, so don't let me down, ya know?! Bye now."

Sakura was glowing like a street light by the time Kushina had finally faded away. 'Geez, note to self, do not cross Naruto's mom. Man is she scary... At least now I have some small understanding why she was called the Red Hot Habanero.'

[Sakura's Apartment]

Sakura woke up with a fright. She had cold sweat running down her brow and she felt a shiver go up her spine as visions of the terrifying deceased Uzumaki matriarch came to her mind. "Was…was that real? Did I really just meet Naruto's mom in my dream?"

"Sad to say, that was indeed real... you do not, dream up something like THAT." Even her inner self was feeling afraid. "But still, you should know that you have no real reason to hesitate now. You have blessings from both of his parents, plus Hinata's mom."

Sakura nodded as her inner self was making a lot of sense, for once.

"OI! I heard that you know." The inner consciousness complained before continuing. "Anyway, as I was saying, now you know that Naruto still loves you and that Hinata knows that things won't really work out between her and our blonde. All you have to do now is give her that final push."

Sakura nodded once again. 'I hate to admit it, but you are right.' She instantly felt phantom pains from the smack on the head that her inner self gave her. The inner consciousness gnashed its teeth together and grumbled about ungrateful outer personas.

'As I was saying, you're right. Hinata does need that final push from me, so she willingly lets Naruto go. I can't exactly ask Naruto to do it, since he's so loyal to a fault. He'd see breaking up with Hinata as failing one of his precious people. I really hope that Hinata will be willing to hear me out.'

Her inner self nodded at her before Sakura looked through her window to see that the sun was coming up and that the day was about to begin. With her mind made up. She disrobed from her nightwear and went to her bathroom to get ready.

[Meanwhile Hyuuga Compound]

Hinata woke up and it was clear from the dark rings around her eyes, that she did not get a good night's sleep. Her mind was all over the place, from her confrontation with Naruto to her encounter with Gaara. She didn't know why but there was a feeling of dread hanging over her, and somehow, she knew that today would be the day that she would lose Naruto.

"I suppose that I should get up and get ready for the day." She said with very little enthusiasm in her tone.

She heard a knock on her door, so she answered and ushered the person to come in. It was her servant, Natsu.

"Good Morning, Lady Hinata, shall I draw your bath for you." The servant asked.

"Yes, I'd like that." The heiress replied. "And please inform the guards to inform me should anyone come looking for me. Well, someone other than Naruto, that is." She added with the ghost of a smile on her face.

The handmaiden giggled. "Yes, Lady Hinata. I'll be sure to do that. Lord Uzumaki isn't one for formalities and usually just walks in and completely ignoring the guards."

Being reminded of boyfriend's tendencies, caused a tear to roll down her cheek.

Unaware of her mistress's distress, Natsu took the silence as her cue to carry out her duties.

'…I have to do what is right, but it's difficult to let him go.' She did her best to keep her tears from falling, not wanting to worry her Natsu.

By the time lunch came around, one of the gate guards approached her as she was about join her father and Hanabi. "Pardon me Lady Hinata, but Miss Haruno is at the gate asking for you."

Hinata sighed and nodded. "Very well. Thank you. I will be there shortly."

"So, it's time is it?" Hiashi said as he approached from behind, shocking his daughter. She, however, recovered quickly and merely nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. "Stay strong, be firm, and do what you know is needed to be done."

"...Yes Father." She said barely above a whisper. 'So, it's your true love that makes the first move. I guess I should have suspected as much. You're probably still beating yourself up over unintentionally hurting me.'

[A few moments before]

Sakura approached Hinata's home full of determination and confidence. She knew this had to be done and wasn't going to let anything get her down or lose her resolve. When she arrive at the gate, the guards did their duty and stopped her.

"Halt! What business do you have here, Miss Haruno?" The one guard questioned.

"I would like to speak with Lady Hinata. It is a personal matter between the two of us." She said politely.

"I believe Lady Hinata is about to have lunch with her father and sister, but she did order us to inform her if anyone came looking for her." He said before looking at this partner who nodded and walked off. "Very well, wait here."

Moments later, Sakura frowned when she saw that state Hinata was in. She could see that the Heiress didn't get much sleep and seemed troubled, even more so when she greeted her.

"...Hello Sakura. I have to say, I was expecting you to come to me sooner or later. I assume you wish to talk?" The Navy-haired heiress said, sounding very much exhausted.

"Are you OK? You look terrible. I can come back another time if you'd like." The pinkette said, voicing her concern for her friend.

"Thank you for your concern, but the sooner we sort this out, the sooner I can try to move on." Hinata said with a small smile in appreciation. "Do you wish to talk here or somewhere else?"

Sakura nods in understanding. "Let's go to the Dango shop for tea, my treat."

The Byakugan Princess nodded and moved to leave, but not before addressing the guards. "Please inform Father that I must step out and will be unable to attend lunch."

They responded with the standard "Yes, milady" as Hinata and Sakura walked off. The two women walked in an awkward silence, something noticed by the villagers as they gave both of them a wide-berth.

Off in the distance, a certain purple-haired Special Jonin noticed the two walking towards her favorite place in the village and decided to follow, especially since she heard the rumors flying around about those two and a certain blonde she shared a similar past with. She knew a fight was likely to break out, and she had the means to restrain them if it got physical.

[Dango Shop]

The two young ladies sat down at one of the tables and soon Hinata spoke up. "So… let us get straight to the point and not let this drag on any more than it needs to. We're here to talk about Naruto, my relationship with him, and your desire to be with him." Hinata quickly said, feeling the need to speed things along.

Sakura sighed, hoping to at least catch up with her friend before getting down to the nitty-gritty. "Alright then…let's get this over with. I was stupid and foolish. Naruto loved me ever since we were going to the academy. I held his heart in my hand and for so long, the only thing I ever did was stomp on it. I didn't know it at the time, but he was an irreplaceable part of my life. He was a source of confidence for me, and for you as well.

It wasn't until he left for those three years did I really start to realize my feelings for him. Guess the saying is true, absence does make the heart grow fonder. Even though I started to see my feelings for Naruto grow, I still held on to those I had for Sasuke, for I still thought that he was the one that had genuinely complimented about what I thought was my worst feature, my forehead.

Even after my colossal screw-up in Iron country, when I mistimed my confession to him, he was still there to save me from the person I thought I loved. During the war, when Kurama was taken from him; I was so scared, I had never felt so scared in my entire life. The only reason I didn't freak out was because I had to focus on keeping him alive, I had to focus on keeping his heart going." Tears were now forming in the corners of her eyes. "It wasn't until after the mission to save your sister and I saw you two together, did I realize that the person I loved the most, was him. Even when I knew where my feelings stood for him, I let it go to let him be happy with you. It wasn't until recently, when I learned that it truly was him from the very start, that it was him the whole time, did I fully accept my feelings for him, and I'm not ashamed to say it… I love him… I love him so much that it hurts when I see him walk away, it hurts more than one of my punches, to know that I let the best thing that could have ever happened to me slip through my fingers." Sakura finished her confession and wiped the stray tears from her eyes.

Hinata listened as the pinkette bared her heart to her and confess that she was truly in love with her boyfriend. She didn't need her Byakugan to see that the medic was being genuine with her confession. She should be happy and this should have made it easier to let him go, but at the moment, the only thing it did, was to dig up the anger that the heiress had kept buried.

"Do you have any idea, how unfair it is for you to do this now? I've loved Naruto even before we started the academy. I admired him because of how fearless he was when he saved me from bullies when we were kids. I wanted to be like him, he became my inspiration and my confidence. Even then, I still couldn't muster up the courage to talk to him and could only stay at a distance and watch him. Thinking back to it now, I can't help but blame myself for being so meek at the time, where I would pass out from just being too close to him. If I had been bolder, then we wouldn't be here now. But right now, that's beside the point.

You have no idea of the joy I felt when I learned of the oath he made for me against Neji. I felt that he was actually starting to see me in that light, for him to defend me like that." A small wistful smile came to her face as she recalled that.

"Then he left. For three years, the man I loved left, and like everyone else, I felt the urge to improve myself, to get strong enough to become someone worthy of standing beside him when he returned. Any courage I had built up over those three years, completely dissolved when he returned, he was so handsome… I couldn't handle it, especially when he came to me saying he needed me. I even learned that he wanted me to join his team. Even with all of that said, I knew that he still loved you, just like he always has…" Hinata could feel her contempt for the pinkette rise as she continued her monologue. "…even after you broke his heart with your so-called, 'mistimed confession', he still loved YOU!"

Sakura could see that Hinata's temper was starting to flare, but she stayed quiet, since she said most of what she had to say, however she was ready to defend herself if need be.

"When Pain had Naruto captured, I didn't think, I just acted because I knew that I had to defend him, to give him a chance. When I went out there, I knew that I had little to no chance of leaving alive, so I did it; I confessed to him because I didn't want to die with the regret that I never told him my feelings. He couldn't even give me an answer after that because of everything that happened afterward. The Kage Summit that your crush crashed, how Naruto went there to defend him and ended up fighting him almost to the death. And then the war happened right after that, leaving neither of us with any real-time to discuss what happened. Even then, during the war, he may have been fighting to protect all of us, but you…you were always at the forefront of his mind. He never stopped thinking about you!"

She closed her eyes that now had a few tears at the corners, and took a deep breath through her nose to calm herself. "Then the mission to save my sister came. When Naruto and I were put under that genjutsu, it showed him my feelings, it showed him how much I loved him, and after that, he confessed to me. It felt like a dream come true to hear him say those words, and it killed me inside to have to leave with Toneri right after that, For unfortunately at the time, my sister took top priority. Even then I never stopped smiling while being held captive… I knew he'd come for me, just as he's done for you countless times… That kiss upon our return to earth while being enveloped by the light of the Moon was the happiest moment of my life… only it seems it wasn't meant to last.

I don't like it, but the fact is that you still have a firm hold on his heart and it pains me to admit it but I know that I will only ever be second best in his heart….That is why I know that I need to let him go…But-"

"-You're not ready yet." The pinkette finished for her before she realized the actual reason why Naruto confessed to Hinata. "W-w-wait, hold up. You said that it was a genjutsu that showed him that you loved him?"

Hinata responded with a slow nod, already figuring out where this was headed.

"Did it ever occur to you that it wasn't out of love that he confessed to you but out of honor and obligation? Since he saw your feelings for him, he felt obligated to return them since he's not going to know that someone he cares about, is hurting inside and not do something about it?" The pinkette asked, starting to lose her temper.

Hinata felt a little irked at the accusatory tone that the medic was using against her. "Yes, that did occur to me. But please remember that it was you who encouraged me to go after him and practically pushed him into my arms during that very same mission." Hinata replied heatedly, her Byakugan activating.

Sakura saw this and channeled some chakra to her hands, "Yes I did….one of my many mistakes." The pinkette replied in an equally heated tone.

Before anything could happen, two snakes coiled themselves around the young ladies and hissed threateningly as they positioned their fangs near their necks.

"Now, now girls, let's settle down before things get out of hand." An older feminine voice said.

The girls looked to where the voice came from and saw Anko standing beside their table with the snakes coming out of her sleeves.

"Anko! Let us go right now!" Sakura commanded.

"...You do realize that if I wanted out of this I could tear these slimy pests apart with my chakra right?" Hinata stated plainly.

"Yeah, I know." Anko said without care. "But hear me out. Blondie wouldn't want you two to be arguing over him much less to actually physically hurt each other."

Both of them took a moment took a moment to look at each other and calmed down before releasing their respective techniques.

Anko saw this and released them before scooting in a sitting beside Sakura. She ushered one of the waiters over to her, who came over and took Anko's order. A few more minutes of silence later, and the waiter came back with Anko's order.

"Now that you've had a few minutes to cool down, time to talk. I'm gonna add my two ryo to this conversation." She said as she took a bite out of one of her Dango. "The way I see it, both of you have your reasons for loving blondie, but you also have some faults that put into question whether or not either of you actually deserves him."

The girls did not like where this was going.

"Let's start with you pinky. You love him simply because he was a constant in your life, always there to pick you up when you fell, he was there to give you support when you needed it and he was there to protect you when you couldn't protect yourself."

Sakura gave her a nod.

"Now you, princess. You love him because he protected you when you were kids. He became your inspiration and your confidence, and even if he didn't think of you that way at the time, he defended your honor against your cousin and would be there whenever you needed him."

Hinata responded with a nod.

"So both of you love him for pretty much the same reasons. Now here are the faults. Pinky, you have abused him for a vast majority of the time that you have known him, always hitting him for little to no reason, just to make yourself feel better. This is something you did regularly. Heck, the only time he escaped it, was when he left to train with Lord Jiraiya.

And that's not speaking of how you emotionally abused him. You made him make a promise to you, to bring back the boy you said you loved. Let me rephrase. You manipulated someone who you knew was head over heels for you, into bringing back someone who you thought you loved. You did this without taking into account how that would make Naruto feel. But because he loved you, he did it anyway, it took him what, almost 4 years, but he did it. But now that someone else…" she gestured to Hinata as she said that, "…finally managed to reel him in, that's when you decide to take your head out of your ass and realize the feelings you have for him. Now looking at it from her point of view, she does have reason to be pissed at you." The Snake Mistress pointed out.

Sakura couldn't help but hold her head down and nod, for everything that was said was true.

Hinata couldn't stop the small smirk that appeared on her face, but the look Anko sent her, made her drop it immediately.

"Wipe that smirk off of your face. I'm done with her, so now it's your turn. You've stalked the brat for pretty much all of his life. So you knew of the crap he was dealing with long before pinky did. And instead of using that confidence he gave you to approach him and offer him friendship, you stayed at a distance and watched him suffer. Trust me when I say this if you had done that, you would have earned a lot of points with him, heck, he wouldn't have even looked at pinky as a possible friend or a love interest, since she was still in the crowd that was abusing him at the time. The only person he would have seen would be you and you alone." She said heatedly.

Hinata looked down and solemnly nodded in agreement.

"But you didn't do that and instead, you continued to be a coward and watched him from a distance. It took the Akatsuki, a group of S-ranked terrorists, to pin him down for capture before you finally made a move to confess to him, and even then nothing came out of it. I will admit that this part is on both you and the brat since neither of you followed up on it." Anko saw that Hinata wanted to speak but cut her off. "I know what you're gonna say, with everything that happened, neither of you had time, but I'm not gonna buy that. If it was so important to you, then you would have made time to speak to him as soon as you were able and the same goes for him. So don't give me that crap."

Anko took the time to bite into her final stick of Dango before starting again. "Now we come down to the last of it; the genjutsu that showed him your feelings for him and made him realize that he should give you an honest chance. When you think about it if that hadn't happened and if pinky didn't push him away, we wouldn't be here now."

Realizing that once again Anko was right, they both looked discouraged and depressed. However, the special Jonin wasn't done yet. "Hell, judging from everything I just said, neither of you really deserve him."

Their mouths hung agape at that statement. "Now hold up, Anko. I'll admit that you were right about everything you just said, but you have no right to say that." Sakura argued.

"Oh really. Cause judging from the tales of his exploits, he has options." She then held up her hand started to count off. "The Priestess from the Land of Ogres, the Kunoichi from Nadeshiko, or even that actress/Feudal Lord from the Land of Spring. And those are the ones off the top of my head. Don't even get me started on his fan base located right here in the village. Hell, if he was a little older and I wasn't seeing someone, I'd be all over him. So you two should be grateful that he cares about you enough to give you the time of day, because I can give you a one hundred percent guarantee, that had some other girl had been there for him during his childhood, she'd be with him now and you two would have missed out entirely."

Sakura nodded her head, for she had to agree with the snake mistress. She really should feel lucky that Naruto still loved her after all the crap she put him through.

Hinata however, was in deep thought. 'I guess there's no other choice for me, for she's right. I knew that this was going to happen sooner or later, I just hoped that I could have held on a little longer.' She then sighed, 'It's time for me to find Naruto and end this… Sakura is who he truly wants and it's time I accept that.'

"Hinata?" The pinkette asked, breaking her out of her thoughts. "...I want to apologize. I shouldn't have lost my temper."

"It's fine… I, too, lost my temper…" The Navy-blue haired girl said quietly. "...Just… promise me something."

"Hmm? What is it?" Sakura said curiously.

Hinata got up and went to leave, but not before looking over her shoulder. "Promise me that you'll take care of him…"

Being one of T&I's best, Anko already figured out what the heiress was off to do. She looked at the pinkette and she could see the understanding and acceptance, but she had to be sure. "You know what she's going to do, right?

Sakura nodded.

"So have you accepted what you need to do?" The snake mistress further question.

"Before I even got here." The pinkette answered without missing a beat. She then looked at her watch and saw that her time was up. "I suppose I should get going back to the hospital. Lady Tsunade only gave me the lunch hour off." Sakura then shook the special Jonin's hand and thanked her again.

"No problem, pinky. Just be sure to name one of the kids after me." The elder kunoichi teased.

Sakura's face heated up and that before she quickly excused herself and left the Dango stand, leaving a laughing Snake Mistress.

[Ichiraku Ramen Stand]

Naruto sat with the chopsticks in his hand, mindlessly stirring the broth in his favorite food. The ramen was untouched and had already gotten cold but right now, he was too deep in thought to care about that.

Ayame watched as her little brother, sat there with a scowl on his face. She knew what he was thinking about. "Come on Naruto… cheer up. I'm sure you can make up with Hinata."

Naruto shook his head no, "You weren't there for our fight yesterday. She knows that I still love Sakura… I don't like the fact that I'm hurting her because I can't let go of my first love. It's not fair to her that I failed to be honest with her and myself." Naruto really didn't like himself right now. "I just don't know what to do."

Ayame saw the blonde's distress and placed her hand on his shoulder, to give him some measure of comfort. "You'll figure out something soon, you always do." She reassured with a sisterly smile.

However, before Naruto could thank the woman, Hinata walked in with a sad but determined look.

"Oh, hey Hinata. What can I get for you today?" Ayame said professionally. 'Wow, talk about "speak of the devil."'

"Hello Ayame, Can I get a moment alone with Naruto?" The busty young woman asked with an edge of authority in her voice.

"Uhh… yeah sure. I'll go wash up some pots in the back or something." The Brunette said, knowing this must be serious if Hinata of all people would use that tone.

Once Ayame was in the back, The Heiress used her Byakugan to make sure she wasn't eavesdropping before steeling her nerves. "Naruto… we need to talk."

He nodded with a sigh. "Yeah. I know."

"I think it's time we were both honest with each other. I know you love Sakura… So much so that there is no more in your heart for me, or anyone else." She said. Seeing as he was about to say something she raises her hand and continued. "Don't deny it. She's the one that has held your heart since Day one…"

Naruto's frown deepened as Kurama piped up. "She's right you know… the only other two females you've ever shown interest in were that actress from Spring and that Priestess, you naively said you'd give her an heir. Oh and let's not forget that busty black-haired Kunoichi from Nadeshiko that you turned down. This just proves how loyal you are to your pink-haired mate. Like c'mon, she was offering you a place to rule beside her in a paradise filled with beautiful women. Any regular man would have jumped at that."

'Oh shut up fuzzbutt… You know why I turned that one down. Shizuka was only doing it out of tradition, not because she loved me.' The blonde countered before addressing his girlfriend. "You're right, I haven't been honest with you… I did want to give you a chance and try to move on from Sakura… but I just couldn't… Despite everything she's put me through, I still love her."

Naruto looked at Hinata and could see the unshed tears in her eyes. He cupped his hands in his lap and bowed his head. "I'm sorry, I am so sorry Hinata. I never meant to hurt you. I should have told you from the start that I hadn't gotten over her."

"You're right, you should have… but I understand why you didn't." She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "That's why… I think it is best if we went back to being just friends…"

Naruto lifted his head and nodded in agreement. He knew that this was coming sooner later, his only regret was not being the one to do it. "That's alright with me." He then got up and hugged her. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry that I put you through this."

Hinata shook her head and looked up at him. "Don't be. The time we were together was some of the happiest times in my life. Finally being with you, even if it didn't last, made me feel like the most important woman in the world." She then let go of him and regained her composure. "I guess that this is it. I hope that you find your happiness with Sakura, just take your time, please."

Naruto heard the hidden meaning behind that loud and clear. He nodded at her and responded, "Don't worry, I will."

Hinata nodded at him. "I should be going…Father is likely worried about me." She then put down some money on the counter. "To pay for another bowl since that one is cold and soggy by now."

Before Naruto could refuse, she left the money and body flickered away. He looked at the spot that she was before looking at the money she left. "You can come out now Ayame. For someone doing dishes, you were rather keen with your listening."

Ayame blushed in embarrassment at being caught. "Sorry… I was just listening in case things got a little too out of hand." The ramen chef said sheepishly.

"Nah… don't worry about it. Thanks for always looking out for me sis." Naruto waved her off. "Can I get a fresh bowl? I'm feeling a little too light after that conversation."

"Sure thing." She answered with a giggle, before handing him a new bowl that she had already prepared. a steaming hot bowl. "What do you plan to do now? You agreed with Hinata that you'd take things a little slow before asking Sakura out."

"I'm gonna ask Kakashi Sensei to give me a month or so off… Take a trip and make some overdue visits to some people around the nations. Perhaps even take a trip to the Hozuki Castle and visit Ryuzetsu." He said as he slurped down his meal. "But not before I let Sakura know my plans. Don't want her to be pissed at me for disappearing." He said with a small chuckle as he could already picture an irate Sakura chewing him out for it.

"Oh I wouldn't worry about that…" Ayame said with a grin. "Just go say your farewells and then go request that time off lover boy."

He chuckled as reacted for his wallet, but she stopped him with a wink. "She already paid for you, remember. Just remember to come to us for part of the catering to your future wedding."

"Thanks Ayame, see you in a while." Naruto said with a genuine smile. "And I think that'll be up to her. She has been trying to get me cut back on Ramen after all."

The ramen chef just laughed as he left to take care of his business.

[With Hinata Moments after the break up]

Hinata didn't go home right away for she didn't want her clan to see her in such a state of distress. She was happy that they would still be friends, but it was still hard to not think about the times they spent together. So she decided to numb with a drink; which is why she was now in a bar with a shot glass of sake in her hand and the bottle on the table in front of her.

"Hinata…? What are you doing here?" A male voice asked, causing her to look around to see Gaara walking in.

"...Gaara?" She asked quietly. "I should I ask you the same. I wouldn't except to see the Kazekage to be in a bar."

Gaara chuckled and pulled up a seat beside her, "I can say the same. I wouldn't expect to see the Heiress of the Hyuuga clan in a place like this."

Hinata shrugged and downed the shot glass of sake in one go, before asking. "So what brings you here?"

"I came here to unwind." He then ordered a bottle of sake from the bartender, "The peace that your boyfriend created, isn't all sunshine and rainbows as one might believe." The bartender came back and handed Gaara the bottle. Gaara thanked the man, before popping the cork off and taking a drink. "There are constant debates and meetings to attend to keep things moving in this direction."

Hinata had deflated a bit when he mentioned Naruto as her boyfriend. She couldn't blame him since he didn't know.

Gaara had realized her crestfallen expression and figured that it was something he said, likely about Naruto. "So if I may ask, why are you here?"

Hinata sighed before pouring herself another shot, "The same as you, I suppose. Do you remember what we spoke of yesterday?"

Shukaku's host nodded.

"Well, I went through with it. I broke up with him." She admitted before once again downing the shot glass of sake.

"I see." The redhead said before he went quiet. He had honestly believed that Naruto and Hinata would have worked out. Seems he was wrong and that Sakura was a fixed point in the blonde's heart. He had to suppress a chuckle. His friend chose the woman who could clobber his ass to the moon with a single swing, over a woman who would sooner choose silence over violence. 'Never took him for a masochist.' A small chuckle escaped his mouth.

"Is there something funny, Lord Kazekage?" The heiress asked with a small glare.

Gaara halted his amusement and answered. "Apologies, it wasn't you that I was laughing at, but your ex-boyfriend. He seems to find pleasure in getting clobbered since he chose his teammate over someone as gentle and beautiful as you."

"Oh." A small blush came over Hinata's face. "T-thank you for the compliments, but don't waste them on me."

"They're not a waste if they are true. Ever since I've been coming to this village, I have never seen a woman that could compare to you in beauty. I wouldn't say this in front of Naruto, but in my honest opinion, you even outshine Sakura in that field." Gaara said sincerely.

For the first time in a very long time, Hinata fainted from embarrassment with her face as red as a ripe tomato.

Gaara used his sand to keep her head from hitting the tabletop. "I guess I overdid it… I do remember Naruto saying she used to do this…" He sighed as he paid for both of them, picked her up bridal style and then asked for directions towards the Hyuuga compound before taking the passed-out heiress back home.

[Hokage Office]

"…So let me get this straight. Hinata just dumped you and now you are requesting a leave of absence when we are three quarters of the way through with your training. Did I get that right?" The 6th asked in an almost deadpan tone.

"Yes Lord Hokage." Naruto said, showing proper manners for once, showing how serious he was. "Once I take that hat, I won't have the time for a vacation. There are some people I'd like to see, and pay my respects to those who have helped me become the man I am today."

"And this has nothing to do with your failed relationship?" The Masked Kage asked bluntly.

"Well a little, and not in the way you may think. I'm not running away because she dumped me, I'm just giving things some time to settle down between us and for her to heal. I figured that the best way to do that is by not being here." The blonde explained.

Kakashi pondered on this for a few moments. He could see where his student was coming from with this impromptu vacation. He did make a good point about not having much vacation time when he eventually took the hat, so taking a small one now did make some sense. He also couldn't fault him for wanting to give Hinata some time to fully get over the break-up, so in the end, he relented and allowed it.

"Okay, I'll allow it. I'm giving you two months to settle your business. That's it, if you're not back by then, I'll personally send Sakura to drag your blond ass back here." He said with a knowing look.

Naruto laughed, "That's the last thing I'd want." He then turned to leave, "Well I'm off to tell Sakura that I'm leaving."

Kakashi nodded at his former student, "Just be ready to work even harder when you get back. This hat is rightfully yours. I'm just your stand-in until you're ready."

Naruto threw the man a thumbs up. "You got it, Kakashi Sensei."

[Konoha Hospital]

Sakura was just coming out of a patient's room when one of the nurses came looking for her. "Lady Sakura, Mr. Uzumaki is here to see you."

"Naruto? Did he say what he wanted?" The pinkette asked curiously. 'Surely he's not here to confront me already.'

"No milady. He just said that he needed to see you." The nurse informed her superior.

"Alright thanks. Where is he?" Sakura requested.

"He's waiting in the lobby for you, judging from his duffel bag on his back, I'd assume that he is going somewhere." the poor nurse said as she took a step back in case the young woman blew up.

"What?!" The slug summoner shouted with her fist clenched tightly and stormed her way down to the lobby.

In the lobby, everyone looked frighten as they heard the sound of a very pissed-off kunoichi. "NA-RU-TO~~!"

"Uh oh…" Naruto looked nervous. 'Maybe I shouldn't have come with my travel supplies…'

"Where the hell do you think you're going?!" The irate pinkette asked.

"I-I asked Kakashi Sensei for some time off for a little downtime since when I take that title from him, I won't have as much time to spare." He quickly explained.

Sakura believed him, but she knew that he wasn't giving her the full truth. "Naruto, you can tell me, what is the full reason you are leaving?"

Naruto looked at her before sighing, "Hinata broke up with me not too long ago. I figured that I'd let things settle down a bit for her, so I decided to take this trip to help with that."

"...Oh. I'm sorry." She said quietly, wanting to hug him but thought better of it. "I didn't think she'd do it so quickly after our talk at lunchtime."

"You two talked…?" He asked in surprise.

"Yeah… We almost got into it too. If Anko hadn't stepped in, our fists would have likely met. After that, she sat us down and talked to us. I think that was the push Hinata got to go through with the break-up." The pinkette said honestly.

"I see… well I'm glad neither you got hurt…" Naruto said with a smile.

Sakura was relieved he wasn't mad at her. "So how long will you be gone?"

"Two months. Gonna go to Wave, spend time with Inari and his family for a bit. Pay my respects to Haku and Zabuza, then head over to Hozuki Castle to visit Ryuzetzu. Maybe check in with Koyuki along the way." The blonde said rubbing the back of his head.

"So what about, you know, us? We still haven't talked yet." She asked and was pulled into a tender hug.

"...We can talk about us when I get back." The future Hokage said loud enough that only she would hear getting a subtle nod in return before he let her go. "I'll be sure to send you and Kakashi updates on my travels so you don't worry too much."

"You idiot… you better." Sakura said with a smile. "You better not keep me waiting."

"Wouldn't dream of it, ya know?!" He said before he turned to leave. "See ya soon Sakura."

AN: That's it! Next Chapter will resume after Naruto's 2 month travels. I won't include the actual travels since they have nothing to do with the actual story. However, the seeds have been planted for GaaHina and NaruSaku. I wonder if people will catch the subtle reference I included in Sakura's Dreamscape. And yes, I did channel a bit of Miya from Sekirei into Hitomi. The next chapter is already in the works! Please leave a review to let me know what you thought! See you soon for the Finale!