What do you say when someone confesses that they love you?
Naruto had pondered over this question repeatedly while trudging back to Konoha. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he operated on autopilot, allowing his feet to carry him home as he ruminated on Hinata's confession declaration to him during Pein's attack on Konoha.
Trapped, pinned, and unable to move, Hinata had come to his rescue. He remembered the sinking feeling in his gut when Hinata had attacked, even though she knew it was doomed to fail. She had faced Pein boldly while telling him about her own insecurities and how Naruto had inspired her to become a better person. She had told him that it was his smile that had made her strong enough to keep going, and that she wasn't afraid to die to protect him.
She told she loved him. Then she attacked. She had moved with such skill and precision, and for a moment Naruto believed that maybe things would turn out alright.
They didn't. It hadn't mattered how graceful or powerful Hinata was; Pein crushed her like every other Konoha ninja he'd faced so far. Hinata hadn't backed down even as Pein's attack smashed her to the ground, nor did he hear her whimper as he moved to deliver the killing blow. Naruto's memory failed at that point, because his anger had overcome his reason and the Kyuubi's chakra took control.
He hadn't had a chance to see her in the aftermath of the battle. Duty had whisked him away before he'd had a chance to talk to her, even if only to make sure he hadn't been hallucinating when she'd said that. He really hadn't even time to reflect much on what she had said, as he was going from one important mission to the next with barely time to breath between them. First was the Hokage's summit. One thing led to another, and before he knew it he was fighting Itachi, then Sasuke, then whisked off somewhere to learn how to harness the Kyuubi's chakra without letting it's intentions influence his mind. In short, he'd been unable to return to Konoha since his fight with Pein.
His thoughts cycled back to the original question as the forests around Konoha became visible. What do you say to someone who loves you, particularly when you didn't even know that love was? Naruto had a lot of precious people, but then again, the whole of Konoha was precious to him, even those he didn't even know. For example, Sakura was one of his precious people, but then again, so were the children in the academy that he didn't even know.
But in Sakura's case, he was pretty sure he loved her. For the longest time, he'd thought his love for Sakura was more than platonic. He was ready for her in a heart beat, but over time he realized that he didn't want to kiss her so much any more. He still thought she was attractive, he didn't feel anything remotely similar to the sensation Jiraiya wrote about in Icha Icha Paradise. So, if what he felt for her was love, than what did Hinata's confession mean? Did she mean it was like he had with Sakura – a deep abiding affection between two people who'd suffered a lot together and come out stronger for it – or something else?
The love Naruto felt for other people – like Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the rest – was different again than what he felt for Sakura. The real problem was that he really didn't know what love was, exactly. He knew he wanted to protect those people and keep them safe, and that when they were hurt he hurt, regardless of if he was physically injured or not. But beyond that…?
But what made a precious person into someone you loved? And how could you even love something you didn't know? He was slowly coming to realize that love had as many flavors as Ichiraku's ramen.
He wished he could still talk to Jiraiya. Jiraiya's death was still hard. Naruto missed the pervert, even if he was sometimes annoying. But he'd give his left arm to be annoyed by the old pervert again, and to ask for his advice on this stuff with Hinata. Jiraiya had talked a lot about love when they were training together. Naruto knew that when Jiraiya spoke of love, he really meant lust. But, then again, Jiraiya was remarkably knowledgeable about this sort of stuff. You didn't get to be a spy master without knowing about people. Jiraiya, of all the people he could ask, would have been most capable of helping him sort all this stuff out.
The gates of Konoha drew nearer. Naruto's pace slowed. While he was eager to see his precious people again, he wasn't sure he was ready to face the village just yet, because that meant he'd have to figure out what to do about Hinata. He wasn't scared, or anything. It was just… What was he supposed to say? Thanks? I'm glad that you didn't die?
He couldn't face her yet because he still didn't know exactly what it was he felt for her. He owed it to her. She was one of his precious people, and he'd failed to protect her from Pein. And yet, she'd been willing to sacrifice herself for him. Plus, she'd said exactly what he always had wanted to hear.
That he was loved.
He just wasn't sure if he was ready for that yet. Confused, and more than a bit wary, he slipped through the gates with a nod to the guards and headed to the Hokage's office.
Tsunade gave him a hug when he came in the office. He hugged her back. Like Jiraiya, Naruto knew that she was precious to him, and that he felt love for her like he felt for Sakura. But even with her large boobs, he had practically zero attraction to her. Jiraiya always said there was an element of attraction in love, but it didn't make sense in Tsunade's case. She was his baa-san, plain and simple. His report to the Hokage was brief. She knew most of what he needed to tell her, anyway. It was more just an excuse to see her and let her know that he was alright.