Hinata's feet slapped dully against the pavement, muffled by her thick boots. Her choked sobs were lost amongst the mumble of the crowd. And so, pushing through the Konoha streets, the heiress almost disappeared, unseen and unheard.

This made things considerably harder for Naruto.

A dozen or so clones had been sent across the village, searching frantically for the young woman. Naruto would release the jutsu at ten minute intervals, hoping to learn Hinata's location through a clone's memory, but his efforts were in vain. Naruto finally came to a rest on top of the Hokage's building after three hours of chasing after a missing target. He dropped to his knees, chakra almost spent, and balled his fists.

"Dammit!" Naruto shouted, slamming his knuckles into the rooftop. The jolt of pain was somewhat sobering, and he punched the gray tile again. "Naruto, you idiot." He hissed from between clenched teeth. "You stupid, stupid idiot."

Did you really think you could keep this up? How did you think this would end? You're just a silly kid who got in over his head. You should have known better. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"Stupid."

Naruto straightened and turned around.

"Sa-Sakura-chan?" He stammered, rising to his feet. The kunoichi strode towards him. "Wha...what're you doing here?"

"I had to do some research for Tsunade-sama..." She looked around the rooftop. "I come here on my lunch break when I have work to do here." Sakura slid a hand through her hair, holding her bangs away from her face as the wind picked up. She stared out at the hazy sunset, orange light washing over her. "It's nice." The breeze died away and Sakura let her bangs fall. "I think the better question is what you're doing here, Naruto-kun." She frowned, putting her hands on her hips. "Are you skipping out on Hinata-chan, because if you didn't tell her -"

"I did." Naruto broke in.

Sakura blinked, put off by the solemness of his tone. "Oh...How did it...what happened?"

"She..." Naruto dug his nails into his palm, his knuckles turning white as he tightened his fist. "She was so...angry...and hurt...She didn't believe me at first and when I convinced her...she ran. I've been trying to find her ever since."

"I'm sorry." Sakura murmured.

"No," Naruto shook his head. "I should have seen this coming...I should expected this...I just wanted to protect her. I wanted to make her happy." Naruto stepped back and leaned against the wire fence lining the roof. He curled his fingers into the diamond-shaped loops and bent his head. "I was so stupid."

"I don't think it was stupid." Sakura murmured. She slumped against the fence next to him. "You just wanted to protect someone precious yo you...You wanted to protect them from hurt and heartbreak, and you did everything could." She rubbed her shoulder and bit her lip. "You did more than I could." Sakura gave a trembling sigh and pushed off the fence. "Naruto-kun - you can't give up! I'll do everything I can to help." She smiled. "Hinata-chan needs you. She loves you, Naruto-kun. She knows that, but she's too hurt to accept it." Naruto raised his eyes and met Sakura's fiery gaze. "You need to find her, Naruto-kun. Because you need her too." She smiled. "Right?"

Naruto nodded and stepped away from the fence. "Right." He grinned. "But...I'm going to do this alone, Sakura-chan." He shrugged and put his hands in his pocket. "I dunno why, it just feels that way to me." He straightened, his eyes suddenly bright. "And I think...I know where she is." Naruto walked towards Sakura. "Also..." He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a gentle squeeze. Sakura began to pull away just as Naruto released her.

"N-Naruto-kun?" She stammered, a light flush of confusion crossing her face.

"It's fine...about him." Naruto's smile wasn't beaming, but light and reassuring. "You gave it your all, and that's really amazing."

Sakura put her hand over her mouth. "N-Naruto...kun..." She murmured. Since when do you talk like that...?

Naruto crouched, tensing for a jump. "Thank you, Sakura-chan."

He sprang into the orange-painted sky, and was gone.

:::

Choked sobs cut through the darkening twilight and echoed through nearly the empty streets. They were dry, empty cries that faded almost as soon as they arose, carried only briefly on the encroaching night's weak breeze. The sounds came from a shivering, lean figure seated doubled-over on a park bench. The dark form straightened and amidst the tears and limp strands of deep purple hair hid the melancholy countenance of Hyuuga Hinata. She ran her hands through her hair in an effort to stop picking at her fingers which had turned red and sore from her constant fidgeting.

"Who's there?" She demanded. Hinata stood and took a defensive stance, her knees slightly bent, bangs slicked back against the top of her head. "Show yourself -"

"Hinata-chan. Calm down, it's me."

The stance dropped instantly and Hinata turned to leave, her breathing even more strained and erratic.

"Wait! Hinata!" Naruto hurried forward and grabbed her arm. "Please stop running! I just want to talk!"

"No -"

"Why won't you just listen?" Naruto demanded. Hinata went rigid. He sighed and tugged her gently, pulling her to face him. "Hinata-chan, I'm sorry."

"Why would you do something like that?" Hinata gasped, finally giving voice to the questions that had eaten away at her for hours. "Why would you make yourself look like that? Why wouldn't you tell me?" She gripped his shirt and shook him. "How could you do his to me Naruto-kun?"

"I...didn't want to." Naruto mumbled. He closed his hand over hers. "I just thought...you said you were so happy with Naruko - with Naru - and I...it felt wrong to take it away from you, and then it just grew into something else...something that neither of us could handle." Naruto put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Hinata-chan."

Something shifted in Hinata's chest, a painful twinge of feeling, and the anger rushed out of her. She felt breathless and empty without that fierce burning, and she allowed Naruto to envelope her in a cautious embrace. His fingers wound into her hair; she could feel every lock as it slid through his gentle grip.

"Naruto-kun."

He gave a small start, surprised to hear her break the silence.

"I want to kiss her, one more time." Hinata bowed her head, burrowing into Naruto's jacket. "Please?"

A sound like a muffled explosion made her jump and look up, into the wet, amicable eyes of Naruko. Warm, slender hands carefully cupped her face, wiping away the tears.

"If this is our last kiss," Naruko whispered with a soft laugh in her voice, "don't make it salty."

Their lips brushed once, and Hinata felt a shuddering breath escape Naruko before warmth spread through her. Naruko slipped her arms over Hinata's shoulders and linked her hands behind Hinata's back. Hinata found a fold in Naruko's jacket and gripped it, pushing forward, searching for more of that heat...

"Naru -!" Hinata opened her eyes and pulled back, but the young woman was gone. Naruto brushed the hair from her face and smudged the drying tears on her cheek with the back of his hand. "Naruto...kun..."

Above them, a streetlamp flickered on. They both looked up, almost surprised. Night had fallen. A moth wearily spiraled in front of the dying bulb.

"Hinata-"

"Naruto, don't." Hinata gave him a thin smile, and gripped his shoulder. She rocked her hand back and forth idly, bunching and smoothing the fabric. Naruto met her eyes. It pained him to see the silent agony circulating in their lavender depths, to know that he caused that, to know that only time could take it away. But there was lightness in her face. Not the sickly frailness she had suffered from, but a weightless freedom, as though a burden had been lifted. It seemed as though some obstruction had been removed and she was seeing him in a wholly different way.

"It's quiet." She noted.

"Yeah."

"...I don't know."

Naruto blinked.

"What?"

"I don't know," Hinata repeated, "I don't know if...if we'll be together, after this." A thick knot lodged somewhere in Naruto's throat. He'd been wondering about that. "But..." She smiled broadly enough to make her eyes crinkle up, and the pain all but disappeared from her expression. "But I'd really like that, Naruto-kun!"

Naruto put a hand on the back of her head and pulled her close, pressing her to his chest. "Yeah..." He rested his chin on her head. "Me too."

Briefly, before she allowed herself to doze in his arms, Hinata wondered if the warmth she'd felt during the kiss was Naru's or Naruto's...

But... she added to herself. Aren't they the same?

Author's Note: That's it! The end of And I Liked it! I am so wishy-washy, I know. Just in case any of you hadn't realized, the titles of the fan fiction and this chapter are from the Katy Perry song, "I Kissed a Girl", which this fic is completely and totally based on. Trufax. I figured "I Kissed a Girl" would be a bit too obvious. But you all probably know that.

And now to finish 'Don't Shoot the Messenger!' ...Oh dear.

I'm sorry for all of the long waits. Thank you so much to all of you who have kept with this fan fiction! Really, you guys are the best.