One: Warmth

You're our hero, Naruto!

I hope you don't mind! May I have your autograph?

Thank goodness he saved us!

Constant reminders that he had a role to play. The hero. Hearing that word everyday made his stomach sour and leaves his mouth with a bitter taste. What bothered him the most was that there was no way to tell if these nightmares were ever going to stop. All this time, Naruto had the strength to hold his own. He was able to keep his hopes up when it came to saving Sasuke. So why was it when it came to her...

"Naruto!"

The high distanced voice of Sakura came in the south direction. He turns around, watching her run up to him. She stops before him, snapping forward to rest her hands on her knees.

"Sakura." He blinks a few times. "What's up?"

Catching her breath, she stands back straight and shoots him a warm smile. "Would you like to have lunch with me?"

"Lunch?"

Aside from the lack of sleep, it was also a challenge for Naruto to feed himself. Looking up into the sky, the sun was at its highest. Not one cloud blocked the warmth but for some reason that light didn't reach Naruto. The sky could be engulfed in the flames of Amaterasu and his skin won't be scorched. In the least, that's how he felt. Cold.

Untouched.

"Naruto?"

With a gentle touch to the shoulder, he finally looks at his pink haired friend. Her touch was warm and gentle which seemed to have at least brought him back to reality. A smile appears on Naruto's face.

"Hah, sorry Sakura. Sure, let's go grab something to eat."

\/\/\/\/\

The two find a bench to sit on.

Naruto looks at the bland bowl of stew before him. Not one waft of good scent came from it. It lacked herbs and flavoring. He may not have been hungry but the food hardly seemed edible even if he was in the mood to eat. But it was all the village had. The livestock they once had was gone. No more Ichiraku's, no more grilled meat, no more warm beds, no bubbling baths. All of the necessities to live comfortably was gone. It was a sudden loss but the eyes of those who reside here still are still burning with strength. Konoha stands with their head held high and their fists clenched. With that thought in mind, Naruto felt a moment of peace in his heart.

He gives thanks for the food and takes a bite.

"You seem better already." Sakura suddenly says.

He looks over to her and forces a smile. Was it that obvious that he wasn't himself? Their eyes met for a moment before Sakura turns to stare at her untouched lunch. She must know something is up. Her gentle demeanor had completely given it away.

"I'm very upset with you, Naruto."

Her hands holds the bowl much firmer now and her eyes remains in bowl's contents.

"When something is bothering you, I don't want you to keep it to yourself. You're so used to dealing with things on your own... Putting all the work onto yourself. You have friends, Naruto."

Sakura's eyes turn to him. "I'm probably being selfish right now but... why don't you ever want to tell us anything? You don't have to be the only one suffering all the time, you know."

She wasn't wrong, he thought. But she was right about being selfish. If there was anyone that could read Sakura like a book, it was Naruto himself. Watching her grow alongside him all this time, he knew that besides her tomboy looks and behavior, she was still a woman who is in love. Her heart was big, so getting pounded a few times by her was nothing he couldn't handle. Sasuke was, and still is, everything to her. It must have been painful to keep everything inside. Sakura calls it selfish to be that way but Naruto understood. There was no need for exchange of words if her eyes told him everything.

But he forces out another smile. "I'm fine. Honest! So don't you worry about me, okay Sakura?"

He couldn't bring himself to admitting anything. They were just nightmares, they're harmless, he tells himself. Was he wrong for keeping it to himself? What if she thought it was silly to worry about the nightmares? What if...

The clank of Sakura's bowl hitting the bench caught Naruto's attention. "I see..."

"Sakura-"

"I'm not feeling very hungry after all." She stands to her feet, leaving her food behind. Their eyes failed to connect as she began walking off.

"Don't go, Sakura!"

Naruto stands to his feet as well.

Sakura looks back at him and her eyes widen for a quick moment. The color in his skin had left him and his lake blue eyes no longer screamed ambition. Everything about him was pale. How come it was visible to her now? This was not the Naruto she knew. "Tell me everything, Naruto."

\/\/\/\/\

It's Hinata, I tell her. As I said Hinata's name, Sakura's eyes grew softer as if she knew what the solution to my problems were.

"I keep..." My throat tightened in an attempt to holding back frustration, "I'm watching her die every night in my sleep. I don't get it. It would make more sense to me if I kept having these dreams if she really did die but..."

The more I think about it, the tighter my throat feels.

"What do you think the cause of this may be?" Sakura asks.

I shrug my shoulders. "My only guess was that a part of me felt like I failed her."

"How so?"

I closed my eyes, trying to piece together what little fragments I had from the dream. The image of her body sprawled on the ground appeared in my mind again. She appeared to be mouthing some words to me again. Words I cannot make out... Why did she have to make such a stupid move in trying to protect me? She knew... Hinata knew that she couldn't win. Dammit! Just thinking about it, just makes me so upset!

"I'm so mad at her!" The moment I opened my mouth, I hardly realized that I was yelling. "I didn't think she was going to get involved! I didn't want to see her die... I-I-"

I froze in place as I felt Sakura's hand rest upon my chest.

"Tell me, Naruto. How does your heart feel to you right now?" Quickly, she grabs my hand with her free hand. She places my hand over my heart, her hands resting over mine.

My heart is beating furiously. It was so loud, I could hear the pulse with my own ears. But more than anything, it felt like it was about to rip in half.

"Why does my heart feel like this? It feels like it's going to burst..."

I heard a tiny laugh slip from Sakura. Our eyes met and she shakes her head before removing her hands form mines.

"Perhaps... It's love you feel for her, Naruto."

Love?

I didn't understand. What did love have to do with what I was feeling? Hinata was someone I was in love with? No. I didn't feel this way for her. My knowledge of love isn't something I can include Hinata in. It was love I felt for Sakura, not her.

"I don't love her." I answered. My answer was absolute.

"But she loves you."

I opened my mouth to reply but Sakura didn't want to hear it. "I have told you before that Hinata was always there, just watching you. Because you're so busy being the hero, you have forgotten that you have your friends right beside you. And you have Hinata. The only one that was stubborn enough to step up for you."

Stubborn...

I remember that day just like it was yesterday. Her words were engraved in my memory.

"I won't let you hurt Naruto anymore!" I remember her saying.

Why did you come out here?! Just run! You can't win!

"No!"

Hinata said no to me when I told her to run away from Pain. Why didn't she listen to me?

"I'm just... being selfish right now." It's what she said to me. Selfish.

Maybe I'm just too stupid to understand it. But from what I can fish out from my mind, I found myself in Hinata. My hardheadedness, my stubbornness and my selfishness- they were traits that we shared. You would think that because we share many things in common, I would understand even just a little bit.

Feeling myself becoming overwhelmed, I cut the conversation short with Sakura and headed for some isolation. If I stood there any longer, I might have passed out from it all. I just want to feel like myself again.

So, what can I do to understand...

\/\/\/\/\

A/N: My brain! It's frying half to death! I wanted to squeeze out at least a legit chapter for you guys. I've got nothing else but time on my hands here but I want these chapters to be perfect for you guys so I apologize if I'm ever slow, boring or sloppy. By the way if you didn't catch on, the second half of this chapter was indeed written in Naruto's POV. I wasn't sure if the transition was clear enough but in the next chapter, I'll refrain from doing that ifyou want me to stop. Don't hesitate to voice your opinions on anything. It makes me happy to hear anything from anyone!