Anger, Compassion, and Icha-Icha

Naruto didn't respond as the others left. He was still staring at Hinata, who wouldn't meet his eyes.

"I could've been Gaara," he told her. "I thought about it, once. He's just like me. I'm dangerous like him, too. I've snapped, and almost killed people because of that stupid fox. I'm not sa-fe." Naruto's voice cracked on the last word, and his eyes were bright with unshed tears. "How do you know that people can still love me? No one even looked at me until I became a genin."

Hinata bit her lip. She clenched her hands into her fists, but it didn't stop them from trembling. She had to say something.

"I d-did," she said softly.

"Yeah, maybe, but you didn't know," Naruto argued. Tears were falling down his cheeks now. "It doesn't count."

Anger wasn't new to Hinata. She hated that she cried when she was angry, and it happened more often than she wanted it to, but she'd never been angry with Naruto before.

She was now.

"Y-yes it does," she told him, trying and failing to keep the anger out of her voice. "Because I know now, and it d-doesn't change anything, Naruto!" she shouted.

They watched each other silently for a few seconds.

"Why are you crying?" Naruto whispered.

Hinata scrubbed her eyes with her sleeve. How could she tell him? This stupid, clueless, amazing boy that she'd been in love with for as long as she could remember. But he had to know. He had to know someone loved him.

"B-because I love you."

There, she said it.

The weight of those words that she'd been carrying around her whole life finally lifted off her chest.

Naruto was now gaping at her. Hinata stifled a laugh that was a half-sob. He looked ridiculous.

"You never give up," she told him. And then suddenly everything she'd ever wanted to tell him bubbled up and boiled over, and she couldn't stop talking. "And you want to be the Hokage. You never let anyone tell you no, and if someone says that you aren't strong enough, you don't care, and you always figure out a way to keep going and get stronger. One day, you really will be Hokage."

It was strange, how she hadn't stuttered once.

Hinata glanced toward where Jiraiya and the others had gone. They were long out of sight. She activated the Byakugan and saw them leaving from the lobby of the hospital.

Then, she saw Naruto and giggled.

He looked like a statue, and his face was a rosy pink. Hinata debated with herself for a moment, then reached for his hand and tugged on it gently, pulling him towards the door.

Naruto didn't move, but his blush deepened. "I'm still dangerous, though," he told her nervously. "I can't, I don't know-"

Hinata smiled shyly at him. "I'll get stronger, then."

She had to, to stand next to her Hokage.

Naruto searched her eyes for a long time. "Okay," he whispered.

This time, Naruto let her pull him out of the room.

Naruto had never held anyone's hand, ever. Except maybe an ANBU's, or the Hokage's, when he was very small. Holding Hinata's was weird.

And he was terrified.

Naruto had always held his head high when everyone was looking at him, but right now his cheeks burned, and he kept his head down as he followed Hinata through the hospital.

Everyone hated him. If they saw her holding his hand, they would hate her too. She didn't deserve that. He had to protect her, somehow. He wouldn't let her go through what he did.

Naruto tried to let go of her hand as Hinata pulled him through the hallways of the hospital. She stopped. "A-are you okay Naruto?"

Hinata looked at him with pale eyes that seemed to see straight through him. Her Byakugan was still active, with delicate purple veins that looked like spiderwebs leading to her eyes.

Naruto swallowed and looked away. He shook his head mutely.

Hinata still didn't let go of his hand, and Naruto couldn't bring himself to force her to.

"They'll see us," he muttered, tugging her close to the wall as a nurse walked past them. "No one likes me, and you're…" he trailed off.

Beautiful. Rich. Polite, and nice. And gentle, Naruto thought. Everything that I'm not.

Hinata looked angry again. "I don't care," she huffed, tightening her grip on his hand and pulling him forward. "Besides," she continued quietly, once they'd gotten into the elevator to go to the first floor lobby. "My family d-doesn't like me much, either."

"Like Neji?" Naruto asked her. Just thinking about him still made Naruto angry. Naruto didn't understand how anyone could not like Hinata, much less hate her as much as Neji did.

Hinata shook her head. "No, he's like that all the time. He doesn't like any of us." She fell silent as they walked.

"It's the r-rest of my family," she said finally, avoiding Naruto's eyes and watching the floor. "I used to be the heir, but they m-made my little sister the heir instead. They d-don't think I'm fit to be part of the main family."

Then, in a voice almost too soft to hear, "That I'm too weak."

"You're not weak," Naruto told her forcefully. "You got up and kept fighting Neji even when he knocked you out! And you said it yourself, you're gonna get stronger, right? I'll help you, and Sakura will too. I bet even Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei would. Then you can show everyone how strong you are in the finals!"

Then, he grinned widely. "I could even fight you, maybe. I bet it would be awesome!"

Hinata didn't respond, but her face looked bright red beneath her hair.

The aches in Sakura's body came back in full force as they walked through the village, but she barely noticed. Instead, she was hyper-aware of Sasuke next to her, and the looks they were getting from what seemed like everyone in Konoha.

He held her hand tightly as she led him toward the Tower behind Jiraiya. More blood was slowly leaking from his eyes, and he was holding his other arm stiffly beneath the seal.

Sasuke's hand was warm. It wasn't burning with fever, like in the Forest. He'd stopped shaking, too, the way he'd been earlier in the hospital.

And he was trusting her completely.

Sakura tried to tell herself that it wasn't any different than in the Forest or Wave, but more people were staring at her and Sasuke than when she'd walked into the village with a full-sized Kubikiribocho on her back. Some girls they'd known in the academy were even glaring at her.

Sakura desperately tried not to blush. Sasuke was her teammate. And he was injured, too.

But she knew that wasn't what the village thought.

Sakura, Sasuke, Jiraiya, and Shikamaru were nearly at the Hokage's tower when Ino appeared in front of them, blocking their path. She had her hands on her hips, glaring at Sakura. Her jaw had a giant purple bruise that she left uncovered.

Jiraiya stopped walking, looking interested. Sakura tugged gently on Sasuke's hand. He stopped too. (Shikamaru, however, disappeared into the shadows. He knew to avoid Ino on a rampage.)

"It's Ino," Sakura whispered to Sasuke. He grunted, and she had a feeling he would've rolled his eyes if he could.

Sakura felt the too-familiar pang of anxiety rise up again. It didn't matter that she'd beat Ino so easily, yesterday. It didn't matter that she'd been angry, either.

Ino still seemed like a giant wall, standing in front of her.

"Asuma-sensei said you carried me out of the arena," Ino said, flipping her hair back. "Why?"

Sakura swallowed hard, trying to ignore her rising nausea. "I, um…" Sasuke squeezed her hand. Sakura took a deep breath. "I wanted to be your friend, a long time ago," she replied quietly.

"Oh really?" Ino said mockingly. "Because it always seemed like you thought you were too good for me."

Sakura's eyes widened as she felt the anger and jealousy in Ino's chakra surge. "I never thought that."

"Don't lie," she spat. "From the first day I met you, that's how you've felt. You act like you care, and then you pretended I never existed," Ino spat. "Now you're taking Sasuke away from me, and everything that I want just seems to disappear because of you!"

"I'm sorry," Sakura whispered.

Ino gave her a bitter smile.

"Too late."

Suddenly, Ino was inside of her head.

Now, Ino snarled. I want to see exactly why you decided I didn't exist.

Sakura watched in dread as Ino delved into her memories. She didn't try to stop her, either.

Ino deserved to know.

"Hey," a beautiful blonde girl, about 6 years old, appeared sideways in the side of Sakura's blurry vision. Sakura sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I'm Ino, what's your name?"

"S-Sakura," she hiccupped. Ino smiled, and it made Sakura feel a little better.

"That's a beautiful name," she said. "Were those girls making fun of your forehead?"

Sakura nodded. "And my hair," she whispered.

Ino glared at them, but then turned back to Sakura. "Stay right here, I've got something for you. I'll be right back, okay?"

Sakura nodded again and watched as Ino took off running toward the classroom.

"Sakura!" Uncle Shin called. Sakura stood up as quick as she could and wiped her eyes as she ran to him and bowed.

"Uncle," she said. He frowned at her.

"Who was that girl talking to you?" he asked.

"Ino," she answered him, looking up curiously. His expression hardened.

"Stay away from her," he said. "Her clan is dangerous, they can get inside your minds and control you." Then he glanced down and let out a snort. "You aren't worth her time anyway, she wouldn't care about you if she really did know you." Sakura choked back a sob and nodded. Her uncle sighed, then held out a hand to her. "Come on," he said, "I'll take you home today."

Sakura took his hand and walked with him back to their house.

Even if she didn't have any friends ever, she'd still have Uncle Shin. Maybe she'd get him to take her to see the stars on top of the Hokage Monument again tonight.

She wished she could bring Ino.

Ino's emotions flashed from anger to shock.

This, she said, … You didn't just ignore me?

How could I? Sakura thought back, fighting back the tears the memory had brought up. I wanted to be your friend.

Ino sifted through some of her other memories, more gently this time. Sakura let her.

She saw the spar with her uncle when she'd become a genin, of his genjutsu, of her fighting Zabuza, when Team 7 walked around Otaki, Kakashi-sensei putting a Chidori through her uncle's shoulder, Sasuke fighting Orochimaru, and then of Sasuke in the forest, unconscious with fever. She saw them face Gaara in the hospital, and then Sasuke with his eyes dripping blood as he gripped onto Sakura's hand, trembling.

Then, Ino was back in her own body. She stared at Sakura for a long time.

Sakura watched her nervously.

"Fine," Ino said. "You can have Sasuke. I won't fight you anymore."

Sakura choked.

That was not what she'd expected Ino to say. Her face felt like it was sunburnt, it was so hot. (Sasuke snorted, but he didn't let go of her hand.)

Ino smirked, then dug into one of her pockets and pulled out a long red ribbon. She held it out to Sakura. "This is what I was going to give you, that day. To tie your hair back."

Sakura took it carefully with her free hand and tried not to cry.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Ino studied her, then gave her a small smile. "You're welcome. And your uncle is an asshole," she said.

Sakura bit her lip. Sasuke snorted again.

Then Ino turned around with a toss of her hair and sauntered off. Before she was completely out of sight, she paused and looked backward. "You'd better not lose pathetically in the finals, Sakura! I don't want to get beat by someone weak!" she shouted.

Sakura swallowed hard and blinked away the tears blurring her vision. "I won't," she called back. A shiver of thrill ran through her.

Could she make that promise yet?

Ino grinned. "I guess I'll root for you then, forehead-girl. Sorry, Sasuke-kun."

"Fine by me," Sasuke muttered as Ino disappeared into the crowds again, just loud enough for Sakura to hear him. "Good riddance."

Sakura couldn't help it. She started laughing.

Upon seeing the potential for some romantically-driven drama to unfold, Jiraiya had quietly stepped backward to watch the events. And he had not been disappointed.

Now, he was hunched over a notebook, taking notes at high speed with a lecherous grin on his face.

"I can definitely use this as source material," he mumbled to himself. "Shame I didn't see the middle or the beginning, but the ending is perfect." He glanced up at Sasuke and Sakura, rubbing his chin pensively with a pen in his hand. Then he grinned even wider and went back to his notebook. "No, no, no, this isn't the ending at all!" he said. "This is just the beginning of a beautiful romance, perfect inspiration to write my next Icha-Icha book! I'll have to increase your ages and a few other features, but that's not too difficult, so-"

Sasuke's entire face turned bright red faster than if he'd had boiling hot water dumped on him. Sakura's mouth fell open.

"You what?!"

"You write those books?!"

Jiraiya stood and puffed out his chest. "Of course! I travel far and wide, signing thousands of books for my devoted fans, and gathering source material all over the world! And you two are-"

"Can we please keep walking," Sasuke snapped, still resembling a tomato. His hand tightened around Sakura's. "I can't see anything, in case you forgot."

"Fine, fine," Jiraiya sighed dramatically. Then he winked at Sakura. "I'll even sign the next book just for you two, once it's published."

"I'll burn every single one I see," Sasuke growled. "And then you'll be next."

(Sakura blushed so hard that she was half-worried that the wound on her jaw would reopen.)

Jiraiya, personally, thought the whole thing was adorable. Such endearing little deadly lovebirds, threatening him.

He grinned widely.

Perfect source material.

Shikamaru had reappeared from somewhere by the time they got to the Hokage's tower, and Naruto and Hinata had also caught up to them. They were holding hands, too, and both looked faintly embarrassed and happy at the same time.

Sakura smiled at Hinata, happy for her, but her heart was still beating nervously as she led Sasuke through the basement doors.

It was a good thing he couldn't see her. Every time she looked at him, her face felt like it was on fire.

Stupid Icha-Icha.