A/N: This story was going so well, but then I got distracted writing a NejiHina fic ^_^ I already uploaded that one and as most of it's covered, I tried to give attention to this story again. I hope I still have readers. I had in mind to include some NejiHina in this chapter but because I was getting rusty, I tried getting used to this story again by covering a few previous points. I hope it's enough for now and I really hope I'll update as soon as possible.

Thanks to all those who reviewed, especially A-kun!

Note: This chapter has SasuNaru (or NaruSasu) and NaruHina.


Chapter 5:

What Makes You Happy


"Why?" Sasuke cried, his left arm crackling with lightning as he landed yet another blow on the beautiful face of the boy in front of him. "Why do you go out of your way for me? Why?"

"Because I love you," Naruto repeated simply.

Naruto woke up with a start. He was having a similar dream he had had many times. It was their dirty little secret. In the history books of the shinobi world, Naruto's dialogue had been altered.

"Because you're my friend," Naruto apparently had said, and he let people believe that.

He may not be beside me all the time, but I know he is mine forever, Naruto thought.

He had gone to see him off as he left the village for the atonement of his sins. He had kept out of the way till he was sure he wasn't in sight of the others. It was a kind of relief that Kakashi no longer had the Sharingan.

He stood waiting behind a tree. As Sasuke passed him, he grabbed his arm and pulled him towards him.

"I didn't know you'd come to see me off," Sasuke said softly as they parted their lips.

Naruto scoffed. "Did you really think I'd let you go without something to remember me by?"

He had hold of his good arm. Intertwined by fate, held by destiny, Sasuke said they would always be with each other.

"When you were hurt, I felt pain too," Sasuke had told him. "You were the only one who never gave up on me. Everyone in my life left me eventually, but you stuck on and held on to me always. You never left me alone and you never gave up on me, even when everyone told you I was a lost cause. Why?"

"Because I love you," Naruto had replied naturally. And yes, this dialogue was misinterpreted to mean as friends as well in various accounts. "You cannot let go of the ones you love no matter how hard you try."

"Look up at the stars at night, I'll be watching them with you," Sasuke said now. "And even if I die, I'll be looking up at the same sky as you. I'll always be watching you."

"Bakayaro," Naruto sniffed. Only Sasuke's words ever held any power over him. "Don't you dare ever think again that you'll bear any burden on your own. Like I'll ever let you. That's what I'm here for, to share it with you. In fact, I'm taking over for you."

"What?" Sasuke asked, confused.

"You won't have to remember any of this. You can be happy. You'll be free."

"How is that possible, usuratonkachi? How can I forget you when I have your big, goofy face to encounter every time I'm lost in thought or covered in dreams?"

Naruto smiled. "You'll see."


Naruto looked back at the memory with a smile on his face. He had always cherished it. When Sasuke had not returned for a few years and there was no news of him, he had married Hyūga Hinata. He already knew he had no future with the lone Uchiha. He was beginning to reciprocate Hinata's feelings, and he started to love her simply because she reminded him of how it felt to be loved. He was late in understanding, but better late than never.

He was happy that she did, but incredibly surprised as well when she answered his confession affirmatively.

"I thought you loved Kiba," he said. He had heard that they had spent time together. He was careful not to mention her late cousin.

"That was just a… rebound thing. I realized I did not feel as strongly for him as he did for me," she said softly. Naruto had an idea of what she meant.

After her cousin died, she had needed to get back on track with her true feelings. She was reminded about how much she loved Naruto and regretted having led Kiba on simply because she needed a shoulder to cry on and the tremendous guilt weighing upon her shoulder for not having been wary of her cousin's feelings.

Naruto took her hands. He spoke for the both of them when he said, "Hinata, you're not obligated to return someone's feelings just because they like you. You have to listen to your heart."

It crossed his mind that he was doing the same, but in his life, if nothing, he had been taught that it was better to be loved than love yourself. Hinata had grown up in a sheltered home with many admirers. It was different for any woman of her nature when she had such a wide range of admirers to choose from.

"Kiba and Neji, they both loved you. They did everything for you. But life teaches us to move on and grab on to what you truly desire," he said, thinking about his previous infatuation with Sakura and the dwindling but bright fire he still held for Sasuke.

"I can offer you the same, if not more. I can make you happy," Naruto said softly.

He remembered the promise he had made to her. At that time, he had not realized the high standards he would have to compete against and the barriers already set up before him, thanks to one Hyūga Neji.

And if nothing, he was a ninja who never went back on his word. Apparently, that's what has been bothering her as well, because that was what Hinata admired the most about him. Sasuke made him realize that Neji's sacrifice had changed everything and the fact that someone was not just willing to give his own life for her with mere words, but had acted upon it as well. That was something he could not compete against until he died himself.

He wanted to see Hyūga Hinata happy but he also wanted to share it with her in life. He was selfish like that. He had to stop Neji from making the ultimate sacrifice, and that meant he had to be alive.

He leapt back in time to the point where multiple stakes were falling upon them all. The Hyūgas were moving in perfect harmony in front of him to protect any from landing upon him. He stared in awe, just as before. This time, he was in further awe of the Hyūga genius - still alive - and working hard to protect them all.

Because he already knew where the finishing, pin-point attack would land, he was ready this time. He knew where to land the counter-attack and was not caught off guard as before. He did not waste his two rasen-shurikens as well like he foolishly did before. He made use of them when the attack focused on him, and Hinata leaped to defend him. He always marveled at the fact that Hinata was willing to give her life for him, exactly like Neji had done for them as well.

Jumping over her, he landed furious blows to the falling stakes with his rasen-shuriken. They vanished. Neji leapt over to Hinata and carried her out of harm's way, and Naruto smiled in victory.

He altered history in a way that Hyūga Neji's sacrifice was never made. It was he, Naruto, who ended up saving Hinata. The three Hyūgas looked at him in wonder, Hiashi not realizing that he had been holding his breath. He exhaled, and coughed in relief, drenched in fear of what could have been. Hiashi marveled at Naruto's battle strategy. How had he seen that attack coming, which was sure to take a life? If he didn't know any better, it was almost like the boy was prepared.

Hinata stumbled towards Naruto, tears of fear in her eyes. He held her hand as they looked together at their mutual enemy. Transferring chakra into them all again, they leapt forward together, Hinata never having felt safer as she did with Naruto's arms around her and his chakra enveloping her. In front of the whole world and the raging war around them, Naruto kissed her for luck.