Hey guys, thesaiyanjedi back again with the next chapter of Heaven and Earth Together At Last."
This chapter will see the depiction of something I have referenced a couple of times in my past stories. To my fellow NaruSaku shippers, I know that the events of this chapter might surprise you, but don't worry I am going somewhere with it.
Well, with that disclaimer out of the way, let's get to reading!
Chapter 3: Date with Destiny
"Naruto!"
The blonde stopped in his tracks as he heard the voice 'Oh great! Another fan!' He sighed as he turned around. "Oh...hey Konohamaru."
The young Genin ran up to his idol with a huge grin on his face. "Hey boss! Have you heard the news!"
Naruto cocked an eyebrow, "What news?"
"Sasuke is coming back in a few days!"
Naruto's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. "W-What?! REALLY?!"
"Yep, Ebisu-sensei told me that Lord Sixth told him and the other Jōnin in a meeting yesterday. He said it came in via private messenger hawk!"
A large vein appeared on the blonde's forehead, "Really...? You think he'd want to tell me about this first."
"Wait?" Konohamaru stopped in confusion, "You mean that Sakura hasn't told you?"
"S-Sakura already knew?"
"That's what I've heard going around. I'm surprised that she hadn't told you."
"...I'm not surprised."
The boy looked at the young man's sullen expression and took the hint that now was probably not to right time to dwell on this too much further. "I-I'm sorry Nii-chan."
"It's okay kid...The truth is that Sakura and I haven't seen each other since my operation."
"Huh? But that was months ago. Aren't you two getting along?"
"...I don't know kid."
Konohamaru figured that he'd better get out of there before it got any more awkward. "Right...well listen, I'd better get going, I've got an escort mission with my team in about a hour from now."
Naruto merely nodded his head in acknowledgement as the boy waved him goodbye.
The blonde Chūnin sighed out loud. 'Maybe I should go talk to her about...No! If Sasuke's coming back home then she's going to be too busy spending time with him to care about me.'
Naruto's chain of thought was broken when he heard a high-pitched whistle get his attention. He turned to the source of the noise to find a shady-looking man with shabby-looking clothes and a thin mustache calling Naruto over to him.
Naruto looked around at first before pointing to himself to confirm if he meant him, to which the shabby man nodded. With suspicion, he walked over to the shabby man to see what he wanted.
"Hey there kid," the stranger said, "I couldn't help overhearing you're having problems with a lady friend. Thinking she's got a thing for another guy huh?"
"I really don't want to talk about it."
"That's alright. But I just wanted to say that I've got something here that can help you out."
The stranger pulled out a bottle of pills. "Here, take one of these every couple of hours and it will cause all of your problems to go away."
Naruto narrowed his eyes sternly, "Are you seriously pawning drugs on me?"
"I prefer to think of them as 'anti-depressants.'"
"You have no idea who I am, do you?"
"Should I, kid?"
"Yeah, you should! I'm Naruto Uzumaki!"
The stranger looked like the blood had drained from his face as he dropped the pills in panic. "T-The Naruto Uzumaki! The Nine-Tails! The war hero!"
"That's right! And as a shinobi of Konohagakure, I have the right to turn you in for drug trafficking, to minors no less! Ands since I'm pretty much the most respected ninja in the village and the Hokage just so happens to be my old sensei, that doesn't bode well for you sir."
The stranger panicked and ran the opposite way as fast as he could move. But it didn't matter as Naruto merely dashed in front of him with his now inhuman speed, then made a ton of shadow clones that cornered him and pinned him down.
The blonde and his clones escorted the struggling suspect to the village police station and brought him right up to the captain. "Book this guy would you?"
"Under what charge?" the captain asked.
"Selling illegal drug to minors. Here's the evidence." He had one of his clones place the confiscated bottle of pills on the captain's desk.
The captain opened the bottle and examined them. "Hmm...pretty heavy stuff all right. Looks like you're going to be serving some hard time pal."
The captain signaled for two shinobi to cuff the stranger and take him away, Naruto grinning smugly at him all the way.
"Nice work kiddo," a voice said behind Naruto, causing to blonde to turn around to see who it was.
"Kaka—I mean, Lord Hokage!"
"Please, you don't need to be so formal with me Naruto."
"Sensei," Naruto nodded in his trademark enthusiasm.
"So, have you heard about Sasuke coming back in a few days?"
"Yeah, Konohamaru told me about it...Sensei, how come you told Sakura about it and not me?"
"My schedule was full so I asked Saukra to tell you for me...Why? She didn't say anything to you?"
"I haven't seen her all day."
Kakashi frowned beneath his mask, "Interesting...Naruto, when was the last time you and Sakura spoke?"
"Not since my operation to get my new arm attached. Why?"
"Naruto, is something going on between you two?"
The young man blushed at his old master's question, "W-What do you mean?"
"Its never been like you to stay distant from her, and its not like her to keep secrets from you."
"...She has before," the boy muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing sensei."
Kakashi put a hand on his former student's shoulder, "Listen Naruto, you and Sakura are two of the finest ninjas I've ever trained. I've watched both of you grow and change so much and go through so much together. I realize that a lot has changed recently, but I think the two of you need to bury the hatchet and make amends."
The boy could only look downcast at what he'd just heard. "I...I don't know sensei. Sasuke's coming home soon, and I've fulfilled my promise to her...Maybe it's for the best I just back off. Sakura's made up her mind that she wants him and has no reason to spend time with me anymore. Maybe I was never anything but the rebound guy. A stand-in to be her friend until Sasuke got back. And now that Sasuke is back...maybe she'd rather things between us just go back to the way they were."
"That's not true."
"Naruto actually seemed generally confused. "What do you mean?"
Kakashi actually sighed in irritation, "Still as dense as ever I see. Listen Naruto, I need to get back to the office, but I want you to promise me something."
"Umm...sure. What's that sensei?"
"Whatever is holding you back, find a way to make peace and move on from it."
Naruto didn't do or say anything for several seconds before giving the masked Hokage an enthusiastic thumbs up. "You've got it Kakashi-sensei!"
It's been several hours since his conversation with Kakashi, and Naruto sat on a bench by the street with his head hung back, still deep in thought. He supposed that he should be spending his time on the training grounds getting a good day's exercise in, but his heart just wasn't into it right now.
The poor boy had lost track of time and didn't even notice another presence approaching him.
"N-Naruto?"
He lifted his head up to see a beautiful girl his age with long, dark blue hair, fair skin, an oversized lavender jacket to disguise her impressive feminine form, and a pair of lovely white eyes.
"Hinata?" Naruto sat up in her presence. "Hi, umm...what are you doing here?"
"Oh, umm...I was just doing some errands for my father and I saw you sitting here all by yourself."
"Oh."
"Umm...Naruto?"
"Yeah?"
The girl was nervous...very nervous, but unlike during their youth the blonde was able to recognize it this time.
"May I...umm..." The teenage girl presses her fingertips together in worry about what she was going to ask. "May I...sit next to you."
Hinata was blushing like mad. She could not believe she just asked him that! She felt like she was going to die of embarrassment right there!
"Yeah, sure thing Hinata." He scooted down the opposite side of bench to make room for her, treating it like it was no big deal.
"O-Okay!" Hinata hectically sat down on the bench net to him while she still had the nerve.
A solid minute passed in awkward silence. Neither one was saying anything to the other, Hinata because of her own shyness, and Naruto because he had too much on his mind at the moment.
Eventually, Naruto was the one to break the ice. "So...how've you been?"
"Oh, I've been fine, thank you Naruto," she bowed in respect.
"You don't need to be so uptight around me Hinata. Loosen up! Relax a little bit!"
"G-Gomen!"
Hinata did relax her muscles a bit more, much to Naruto's relief.
"Naruto?" Hinata asked.
"Yeah?"
"I'm proud of you."
"Huh? For what?"
"All you're life I've been watching you, seeing you grow up into a wonderful, strong, handsome young man, and now that the war is over the whole world can see it too."
Naruto actually smiled warmly at the girl's sincerity, "Thank you Hinata..."
But then Naruto remembered the war and couldn't help but bring up an elephant in the room. "Hey Hinata?"
"Y-Yes?"
"How have you been doing since...you know?"
The girl frowned and put her head down, "Since Neji's funeral?"
Naruto, likewise, put his own head down, "Yeah."
"I've been alright. My cousin's in a better place now, and I know he's finally found peace." Tears gathered in the girl's eyes as she continued. "I miss him every day Naruto. It just doesn't feel the same without him."
"I'm sure he'd want you to be happy Hinata."
She looked up a the boy next to her, "You too Naruto. He considered you a true friend."
He noticed that Hinata had actually taken his hand in hers as she said that, though it didn't seem that she noticed it herself.
Something came back into Naruto's memory, something he had to admit that he hadn't thought about for a long time. He thought back to the day Pain invaded the village, when he engaged the Akatsuki leader (or rather, the person he thought was the Akatsuki leader) in the ruins of his homeland, until Pain literally had him pinned to the ground. And then, out of nowhere, Hinata came to his defense all by herself, to a fight she knew full well that she could not win. That's when she said it, the confession that he never saw coming in all the years they'd known each other...She said she loved him.
Hinata almost got herself killed after that, which made Naruto totally loose control of Kurama, turning him into a monstrosity that he almost never returned from, had his own father not stepped in.
That was a long time ago now...and he just realized that he never did get to talking to her about it.
"Hinata?"
"Yes Naruto?"
"Do you remember what you told me that day Pain invaded the village?"
The bluenette blushed as red as a tomato. Of course she remembered, but she wasn't expecting him to be the one to have to bring it up. "Y-Y-Yes, I remember."
"Well, I was wondering...would you...?"
"Yes?" Hinata asked curiously.
"Would you like to go out with me tonight? You know, like on a date?"
Hinata thought she was going to pass out. Finally, FINALLY, the boy of her dreams was asking her out! 'Don't faint! Don't faint! Don't faint! Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!'
"Hinata?" Naruto asked in reaction to her odd behavior.
"Yes."
"I asked if you'd—"
"No, I meant yes, I'll go out with you!" Hinata yelled, as if she was gathering all the courage she had and letting it all out at once just for this one thing.
Naruto smiled as he got up off the bench, "Great! I'll pick you up at your house at 8 o'clock!"
"Gomen Naruto!" Hinata said in an uncharacteristic amount of excitement.
As Naruto started walking home, he was excited for tonight—Who wouldn't be? Hinata was a very beautiful woman after all!—But he also frowned, hard, as he made it to his apartment.
'I'm sorry Sakura...but you've moved on...and now so do I.'
Naruto arrived at the Hyūga Estate by 8 o'clock, just like he'd promised. He was dressed in the nicest clothes he had and was ready to show Hinata a good time tonight.
Two clan members stood guard at the entrance, but stood aside upon recognizing who he was—yet another sign of how much respect the boy now had within the village...That, or Hinata's father knew about their date and ordered the guards to let him in when he got there.
After going through the garden and training area, Naruto knocked on the door. He waited patiently until Hiashi Hyūga slid it open and stared at him, sternly.
"Naruto Uzumaki?"
"H-Hai sir. I'm here to see—"
"I know why you are here. She's waiting for you. Just promise me that you won't do anything to break her heart tonight...or I will find you boy. Do I make myself clear?"
Naruto actually gulped. Hiashi's threat was so monotone, so cold, that it scarred even him. "H-Hai sir."
Without saying anything else, Hiashi opened the door all the way to let Naruto in. Thankfully, Hinata's mother was a lot more polite to him, as was her sister Hanabi.
Eventually, Hinata was ready to go. She came out in a very nice, but not overly formal, violet top and light violet skirt. "I'm ready to go Naruto."
"Great, let's go have fun!" He took her hand, which Hinata reacted to much more calmly this time. And with a last wave to her family, the two kids were off on their date.
They had a great time. He took her to dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in the village (that was still within his budget of course), where they talked, laughed, and caught up on old times. Then they watched the stars together on top of the Hokage Mountain, enjoying the beautiful sky that overlooked the busy village that lay below.
Hinata was having the time of her life...but she couldn't shake her gut instinct that Naruto wasn't. He'd been noticeably less talkative than she'd expected him to be all night, and he always looked like he had something on his mind that, try as he might, he just couldn't shake.
"Naruto?"
"Yes Hinata?"
"I had a great time tonight."
"Yeah, me too..."
"Then why haven't you been acting like it?"
"W-What?"
"I'm a lot of things Naruto but I'm not foolish. You've had something on your mind all night. You can share it with me if you want."
"No, no don't worry about it Hinata. It's just something I need to work out on my own—"
"It's about Sakura isn't it?"
Naruto was totally taken aback. How could she possibly have known...?
"I told you I'm not foolish. I've always known how much she means to you."
Naruto let out a very deep sigh as he hung his head. "I'm sorry Hinata. I don't know what I'm thinking. I'm trying to move on from Sakura now that Sasuke's coming back."
Hinata looked like she'd just heard a ghost whisper in her ear, "What do you mean 'move on?'"
The blonde swallowed his pride and laid everything out in front of Hinata. "I made Sakura a promise of a lifetime, to bring back Sasuke, and even though it took me all these years I finally kept that promise. Sakura can finally have what she's always wanted. She doesn't need to spend anymore of her time with a blonde knucklehead like me, she can move on with her life now. I mean..." he looked straight at the Hyūga heiress, "I mean what chance did some loser like me ever have against the great Sasuke Uchiha? He was a genius, the last off a great clan; I was just some poor moron who got really lucky. Why would I have ever thought that Sakura would want to be with me, when she's got him...But yeah, that's all in the past! Whatever my feelings for her might have been, I'm ready to move on now and—"
SLAP!
In an instant, Naruto's rant was interrupted and he found himself on the ground. He looked up with his hand cupping his now reddened cheek to see a fuming angry Hinata Hyūga.
"Who are you?" she asked him.
"What?"
"Who are you?! I don't know who you are, but you're not Naruto!"
"Yes I am—"
"No you're not! The Naruto I know is committed, determined, knows exactly what it is he wants and would never give up on anything, especially those he loves!"
"Hinata, I—"
"I hate people who lie to themselves!"
That did it...that snapped him. Everything he'd been telling himself, everything he'd convinced himself, all of it...undone in one familiar line.
"The person," she continued, "the thing I'm looking at now...you're not the same boy who never gave up on his dreams. You're not the same boy who always held onto his unbridled sense of optimism and joy and courage no matter how bleak the world got. You're not the boy I fell in love with! You...are...not...Naruto Uzumaki!"
As Naruto stared at her, Hinata steeled herself for what she was about to say next.
"And if spending the rest of my life with you means having to see you live a lie for the rest of your life..." she paused, "then I'd much rather let you go."
Naruto was dumbstruck. Hinata had just broken up with him, and yet that wasn't even what was on his mind at the moment. His mind was focused on everything else she was saying.
'She's...she's right. What the hell am I saying?! I once threw Sakura away because I thought she was lying to herself, and now here I am doing the same thing...Well, screw that! I can't just throw mine and Sakura's relationship away! Not after everything we've been through! All those years weren't for nothing, I know they weren't! So what if Sasuke's coming back home?! I can still tell her how I feel! If she doesn't want me, fine! That's her choice! But I'm not going to settle for never being a part of her life again! I've never given up on her before and I'll be damned if I'm going to give up on her now! Not without a fight!'
Hinata noticed the gears turning in Naruto's head as he continued to lay there on the ground, taking in everything she'd just beaten into his skull. She saw the wide grin of determination appear on his face.
'That's more like it,' she thought proudly to herself as she kneeled down to his eye level. "Now let me ask you again: Who are you?"
The blonde-haired boy stood up, pumped his bandaged, artificial hand in the air, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "I am Naruto Uzumaki, ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village and soon to be Seventh Hokage! And I never give up on my dreams, that's part of my nindo, my ninja way!"
Hinata smiled with pride as she stood back up, "Now you're the Naruto I love."
Naruto quickly embraced Hinata in a huge, almost bone-breaking hug. He told you "Thank you" over and over again, and Hinata merely closed her eyes and embraced the hug. Even if they were never going to be together, she could at least cherish this moment.
Naruto finally let her go, "I'm sorry Hinata. You must think I'm the scum of the Earth for all this—"
"No Naruto, quite the opposite. I'm happy."
"Happy?!"
"Yes, I'm happy because I was able to help you get back to who you really are. To help you realize your true feelings. To help you remember how much Sakura really means to you."
"But Hinata—"
"Naruto, does Sakura make you happy?"
Naruto paused, thought about it just for a moment, and smiled, "Yes."
"Then go get her. Go get whatever it is that makes you happy Naruto. You never deserved anything less."
Guilt crept back into Naruto mind, "But Hinata, what about you?"
She then gathered all of her courage, wrapped him in a soft hug...and kissed him right on the lips. Naruto stood there stunned as she did this, while Hinata closed her eyes and savored the kiss...the first and only one they'd ever share.
When she eventually broke the kiss, she smiled and answered his question, "Don't worry about me. I'll be by your side always Naruto. Whenever you need me, I'll be there for you. And when you and Sakura do get together, I'll support you two. If I have to loose you to anybody, I'm glad it's her."
Naruto, after finally getting over the shock from that kiss, touched Hinata's cheek gently, "Arigato, Hinata."
The two shinobi finally broke apart, facts accepted, heartbreaks forgiven, and a friendship solidified forever...Still, one does have to wonder whether, in another life, things maybe could have been different...
Hinata suddenly saw Naruto's face get pale, "What's wrong Naruto?"
"It's just...you know your dad's going to murder me when he finds out about all of this, right?"
Hinata chuckled before putting on an uncharacteristically evil smirk, "That's alright, if my father has a problem, he can take it up with me!"
And with that, Naruto's feelings for Sakura are renewed! I hope you all enjoyed that chapter.
About the NaruHina date, this is something I had planted as far back as the first chapter of "Shinachiku's First Adventure." I wanted to show that I mean no disrespect to the NiaruHina fans by offering them a NaruSaku ending that nevertheless could provide them the closure that I felt that we NaruSaku fans didn't get from either the final two chapters or "The Last: Naruto the Movie." I felt that using Hinata in this capacity would be very honorable and respectful of her, and still be in character despite, in this universe at least, she doesn't end up getting the guy she wants.
Well, not much more to say other than I hope you all liked it, and I hope to see you back for the next one!