Hero's Heart

Chapter 5

Not So Happy Ending

After their shared their very first kiss, they decided to spend the rest of the day together. They didn't really care where they went or what they did. The swarming crowd of girls couldn't even distract the two of them. With a year away from each other, they had a lot to talk about and they managed to get through everything they needed to say. Unfortunately, time continued to go on and night fell upon them. That's when they knew that it was finally time to say goodbye for the day. Naruto walked her back to the Hyuga temple, but when they got there, they were greeted by dozens of Hyuga people.

"Uzumaki Naruto… It seems as though you have returned."

"I did. And it was training that was well worth the time."

"Hinata." Out of nowhere, the head of the group directed all of his attention at her. "What have you been doing all day?"

"I-I've been with Naruto-kun."

"We did not authorize this time of leisure. You must return to your quarters at once." Two men broke from the group and walked to Hinata. They grabbed her by the arms and dragged her into the temple grounds.

"Hyah!"

"Hinata!" Naruto reached out his hand, but was immediately cut off by more Hyuga members. "Oi, what's going on here?"

"Sorry, Naruto-san, but we just can't let this go on."

"What are you talking about? I'm bringing no harm to Hinata."

"You may not think it, but you are. The Hyuga is an ancient power and we cannot allow someone like you to take it away from us so I suggest you leave." The Hyugas who were surrounding him lowered their bodies with the intent of striking if he tried anything. Although Naruto knew he could take them all on, he decided that it was best not to make a scene. He took a step back and started to walk away while still keeping his eyes on them.

Once the Hyuga temple was out of sight, Naruto turned around and walked through the town. When he did, many of his friends spotted him and called out to him. Unfortunately, he wasn't in the mood to talk. He kept his head down and continued to walk by himself. The longer he walked, the more attention he got from his friends. Naruto's strange behavior made them follow behind him. He knew that they were following him, but he just let it go. His wandering lasted until he made it into the forest just outside of the village. That's when Naruto went crazy.

He created Rasengans in his hand and started to destroy the forest around him. Luckily, this didn't go on that long as Sakura emerged out of the shadows to try and talk to him about what was bothering him.

"Naruto-kun, what are you doing?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Well, I kind of have to be worried about it. You just got back after being gone so long. You usually never act like this so something has to be up. You know you can tell me."

"It's fine. I don't want to talk about it."

"Excuse me for being nosy, but… Is this about Hinata?"

Naruto was about to destroy another tree when Sakura said that name. This made him stop and turn around.

"You know, I thought that after the Great War, people would be able to understand each other. They would be able to look at each other and say that we are all the same. It's unfortunate how that's still not true."

"What are you talking about? The shinobi is better than it's ever been, and you're the one we should all be thanking."

"I'm not talking about that though."

"Then what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Hinata!" His sudden change in tone made Sakura take a step back. "It's the Hyuga clan. They don't understand that evil is no longer a thing and yet, they still believe that there are people out there who seek to use their gift for selfish reasons. All of the shinobi saw how incredible the Hyuga were during the war. Everyone respects them as people and ninja. I just don't see why they choose to remain in their temple, protecting such a small thing."

"I know it sounds bad, but the Hyuga have a history. You know this."

"Yeah, I know…" Naruto bowed his head and lowered his arm. It appeared as though he was finally done with his little temper tantrum. "Sakura-chan."

"What's up?"

"I confessed my love to Hinata… and she accepted them."

Right as Sakura was about to congratulate him, he came back with another comment that knocked her back from her sudden burst of happiness.

"That's when she was taken away from me. The Hyuga believe that I have ill intentions towards Hinata." Naruto tightened his fist and banged it against a nearby tree. "How could they think that?"

Naruto has been hurt numerous times in his life, but this was the first time Sakura got to see a new kind of hurt. This involved his heart and the contents that were inside of it. Yes, his parents were a big part of his life, but now that he's parted ways with them, there's only one thing left inside and that's Hinata. After all of this time, he's finally realized it and now, it pains him to think about it.

"Naruto-kun, you remember how you always talked about being Hokage?" She came up next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. That's when she nodded. "You can still accomplish that dream. And when you accomplish that dream, you can tell the Hyuga how you really feel. I think that would be the best way to go about this."

Naruto was silent for a few seconds before raising his head and turning to head home.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan." He waved to her with a smile on his face as he ran off like he always did in the past.

…

"Why are you doing this?"

"Hinata-sama, you know the rules of our clan. Non-Hyugas cannot be a part of us. We have been entrusted with the responsibility of honing the Byakugan and keeping it out of enemy hands."

"But the enemy has been defeated. It's all thanks to Naruto-kun…"

"That's enough. This conversation is over. Cool off for the night and I'm sure you'll be thinking straight in the morning." The man exited the room while slamming her door shut.

Hinata couldn't believe this was happening to her. Of course, Naruto never had a great relationship with the Hyuga clan, but the Great War should have been a turning point in their relationship. Naruto brought people together when it didn't seem like it was possible. Unfortunately, the Hyuga are very stubborn in their beliefs and still believe that the Byakugan is something that must be protected. All Hinata could do was remain in her room and wait.

…

When Naruto returned to his room, he rummaged through his drawers until he found something wrapped with cloth. He pulled it out of the drawer and revealed what was underneath it. It was his father's kunai. The legendary weapon that made him the Yellow Flash amongst the shinobi world. He held it tight and took a deep breath.

"Looks like this will be a bit of a test run. Let's see how this goes." At that moment, Naruto disappeared and suddenly reappeared in someone's closet. It was a horrible landing that caused him to crash into the ground with clothes falling on his body. "Great. Good going, moron."

"Naruto-kun?"

He heard a very familiar voice as the crack in the door frame of the closet lit up. It only took a few seconds for the door to open and reveal whose room it was.

"Hinata."

"Naruto-kun, what are you doing here?"

End of Chapter 5