Wanted to drop this one in alongside the other - getting ever closer to the end.
There was a bigger turnout than Naruto was expecting. Despite himself, he got some nerves churning in his gut. He'd be brimming with bravado if he were still twelve, declaring his victory before the battle began. But he wasn't twelve anymore. Nor was this an ordinary fight.
It was a duel for honor.
"You good?" Sasuke asked him. The Uchiha had arrived in the stadium with Naruto. It was the same locale where their generation of genin had fought during the final stage of the Chunin exams. Apparently, the Hyūga clan made arrangements to hold the fight here.
"I'm fine," Naruto replied somewhat stiffly.
"Remember what I told you," Sasuke cautioned, his hand on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto went to the stadium's center, and Sasuke had to stay behind in the crowd. On the other side were Hinata and her fellow clansmen.
The arena was lit with tension rarely seen. At least during the Chunin exams, there was fanfare, but now there was silence hanging above the audience, Naruto and Hinata.
The Hyūga heiress stepped into the center of the arena where Naruto stood. The blonde noted her eyes. They had changed. The weighted abhorrence in them was gone. The anger seemed to have dissipated from her shoulders.
But there was no way she was backing down, not after all the fuss. So Naruto wouldn't walk away, either. He couldn't. Each fighter donned their headbands onto their foreheads, further signifying their intent for this duel.
Yamato came forth and stood at the halfway point between the duelists. He observed each of them as his hand went up toward the sky, ready to signal the start of the fight. "Fight!" He jumped several feet away as Naruto and Hinata charged toward each other at once. Naruto had his kunai. Hinata activated her eyes, hands flat and primed, ready to strike. The blonde dodged her hands, opting to slide under her as she jumped forward, her palms narrowly missing his neck.
Naruto tossed his kunai at the Hyūga heiress, but she dodged it effortlessly by tilting her head. Distancing himself further, Naruto activated the jutsu he was famous for – the Shadow Clone jutsu. The last time he performed the move in the arena, he'd been thirteen and formed five to fifty clones. This time, in the same arena, Naruto summoned one hundred.
This time, Hinata did something unexpected. She took the headband from her forehead and covered her eyes, which were still activated, but her eyelids were closed. Hinata slammed her feet onto the ground and stretched her hands in the iconic Hyūga move – the 164 palms.
Hinata struck all the clones down in a remarkable display, wowing the crowd that watched the counterattack. But that's what Naruto was counting on. He formed his Rasengan - a milder one he hadn't employed in some years. The objective of the deal was to get either one of the combatants to surrender, restoring honor to the victor.
After several years of wielding such mighty wind power, Naruto built a staggering amount of endurance. When Hinata dodged his initial strikes with the Rasengan, the blonde kept thrusting his Rasengan, relentlessly pursuing his foe throughout the arena. It gave Hinata no recourse but to use the palm rotation and hope for the best. Naruto took his Rasengan and pushed it onto the protective barrier Hinata had surrounded herself with. The result was a massive burst of wind, sending both opponents flying in opposite directions.
Sasuke stood rigidly in his chair as he watched the fight unfold, as did Neji, Hanabi, and the rest of the Hyugas in attendance.
"C'mon, Naruto," Sasuke whispered intently.
Hisashi was floored. He had never seen his eldest fight with such spirit, not even on the battlefield. Hanabi and the others were also amazed; this was a new side of Hinata they had never seen before. She was decisive and determined, cautious but fierce.
Where has this daughter been? Hinata's father wondered with pride. He just hoped that the darkness that clearly festered within his daughter wouldn't overtake her as it did Neji years ago.
Naruto and Hinata got up from their respective spots in the arena, each ready and able to continue their match. They charged once more, eager to settle this dispute once and for all. Naruto tried his Rasengan yet again but had trepidation in his heart as he was caught between being unwilling to harm the heiress and longing to win the fight and restore his honor.
Hinata's lilac eyes kept throwing him off. Had she changed her mind? Was she no longer determined to punish Naruto for his adultery? Had the sting of betrayal faded at last?
Naruto aimed his Rasengan, but Hinata dodged it impressively; a wave of gasps struck the audience above them. A gale of wind burst from where the strike landed in the dirt, causing several overseeing attendees to seek cover from the blast wave.
Hinata went forth towards Naruto, who was too slow this time. Palms ready, she struck Naruto in three vital areas in swift succession – his chest and his armpits. His arms were now immobile, and breathing became a challenge. Sasuke shot up from his seat but remembered he could not intervene.
Damn you, Naruto, he reprimanded mentally. Sasuke believed the blonde was holding back, letting the guilt drive him to be a lesser opponent. Then again, Naruto had gotten out of more precarious situations than this. Sasuke could testify that much, considering the more fatal wounds he's inflicted on Naruto himself.
Hinata created some distance between herself and Naruto, her chest heaving. The strikes had taken a bit of chakra from her body to pull the move off.
Naruto could feel the chakra stoppage within his own body – and at the same time, Kurama's own power at work deeper still. Hinata's attack caused a block for the chakra flow like a dam deep inside that building. But Naruto had been through this before.
Channeling the power of the nine-tailed fox, a visible orange wave emerged from Naruto's body. It was so forceful that it physically pushed Hinata back and had others shield themselves from intense heat as the wave extended to the observant audience above.
The last time Hinata saw this kind of energy was on the battlefield during the Fourth Shinobi War when Naruto used it to protect the hundreds of warriors fighting Madara. Now, it was being used against her.
She should be angry. She had been angry all this time. But no matter how much she willed it, the wrath wouldn't come. Hinata had been tapped out of her fury.
Naruto held her gaze and saw the truth, staring back at him. He wasn't sure if he was forgiven, but the worst had passed. Hinata no longer hated him. He knew that in his heart now.
But they were still in a duel, with dozens watching. There had to be a victor.
Naruto charged a new attack, a Rasengan empowered by the might of the Kyuubi. Hinata steeled herself. She didn't want to lose, but how could she win? Her hate had been fueling her all this time.
Should he do it, Naruto wondered. Should he make the strike? It seemed cruel and unfair.
All of this was.
Hinata waited with bated breath, as did the rest of the crowd.
Here goes everything.
Naruto moved, power bursting at his dominant hand as the Rasengan flew directly at the unmoving Hyūga heiress.
"Hinata move!" Neji cried as the rest of his clan watched anxiously, but she wouldn't budge. The fierce ball of wind landed and caused a grander explosion than the last, but as the dust cleared, she wasn't there. All that remained were tatters of a log.
She used the substitution jutsu.
Naruto was equally as surprised as he felt a kunai at his throat.
"We should talk," Hinata whispered, heaving from behind. Her other arm gripped Naruto's Rasengan arm as she kept the kunai lodged against Naruto's Adam's apple.
The young blonde warrior kept still. "So talk." He replied curtly.
"We need to end this fight."
"I know."
"I can't lose."
"And I can?"
"I didn't say that."
"We could try for a tie." But they both knew that wouldn't be enough. Not for a fight like this.
"I'm sorry."
"So am I." Hinata struck at his arms, his neck, and his knees. Naruto collapsed in a heap as the crowd roared in an upset. Sasuke certainly was.
He could try to fight. He could try to come out of this. He'd come out of worse. But in those times, the world, his village, his people, his life had been in peril. Today, it was just his honor. And hers.
So, he made a choice that others thought unconventional, perhaps out of character.
Naruto conceded by not moving an inch on the ground.
Yamato rushed to the field and made the count. Naruto remained contented with his choice as the numbers flew from Yamato's mouth. A first for him. Part of the reason he fought so hard up to this moment was that, at his core, it was never enough to just roll over. Every day, Naruto had to fight. For a better life. To save the world. To be the best.
He didn't have to fight anymore, he realized. Because the one thing he always craved, he finally gained.
Sasuke. He'd be pissed, but he wouldn't leave. Sasuke wouldn't abandon Naruto. Not now, not ever. Never again. Naruto knew that now, at his core.
Blue eyes found onyx among the audience. Naruto smiled at Sasuke's dismayed expression. He started to laugh, bewildering many in the audience.
Yamato grabbed Hinata's hand, hoisting it towards the heavens. "We have a victor, Hinata Hyūga!"
The crowd went wild, cheering her name.
As the crowds began dispersing, Hinata walked out of the stadium with her family, and Sasuke approached Naruto as he still lay on the ground.
"What the fuck?" Sasuke chided. "You let her win."
"Did I?" Naruto finally pushed himself off the ground, managing his best to beat the dirt off his clothes.
"You've faced off against four Akatsuki members and Madara and walked away with your life," Sasuke said. "And you're trying to tell me you couldn't beat one girl?"
"Hm," Naruto kept smiling.
"Why?" Sasuke was bewildered. "That isn't who you are, Naruto."
Naruto walked up and kissed him full on the mouth. It was welcome but only served to confuse the Uchiha even more.
When Naruto pulled back, he said, "I realized something, fighting her."
"What?"
"One: she doesn't hate me anymore, so she and I are good. Just like that, which I'm thankful for. Two: I lost the battle and my standing in this village, but it's worth it."
Sasuke shook his head. "How could it possibly be worth it? You fought your whole life to get where you are now."
"I know," Naruto said, staring into the eyes of the man he loved so much. "But it's worth it because I have you."
Sasuke looked guilty.
"You don't understand Sasuke. I wanted to be Hokage, I wanted to make something of myself so that people could love me, respect me because of how small I felt every day when I was a kid. Of how little I was cared for then. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could ever love someone the way I love you."
Sasuke's gaze softened.
"But you know what's better than that?"
"What?" Sasuke asked again.
"Being loved by you. That is worth everything. Even if I won today, people are gonna hate me. So what? Fuck 'em. Fuck the whole world. I saved the world, and you were there at my side like I always wanted. And you're here with me like I always wanted. We're together, and we're happy. If I never become Hokage…I could live with that. I think I might even prefer it at this point. It frees up my life to endless possibilities. We could travel together, you and me. We could see the whole world together without a war hanging over our heads. Besides, do you really see me hanging out at a desk all day…with," the blonde made a reluctant face, "paperwork?"
Sasuke smiled at Naruto so warmly it took the blonde's breath away. "Usuratonkachi."
Some ninjas kept looking at him like they felt sorry for him. Some villagers still looked down on him, but Naruto let it all roll off him like water. It got easier every time. He'd struggle with it, every so often the insecurities would return like tiny daggers to the heart, but the blonde would stand up to it. He let the love blooming inside repel it away, comfort him like a salve.
Shikamaru shared his sympathies, but Naruto told him it wasn't needed.
"I'm good Shikamaru," Naruto would say. Shikamaru believed him, which befuddled the lazy genius even more.
"So, you lost," Kakashi said, the day Naruto entered the Hokage office after his duel.
Naruto shrugged. "I did." A smile stretched across his whiskered face.
Kakashi returned the grin in kind, though it was somewhat difficult to see given the mask he never took off.
"So, am I…disqualified from becoming an official Hokage candidate?" The protégé asked.
"That's up to you," Kakashi said. "Do you still want this?"
Naruto exhaled.
"Hm…I mean…"
"Perception can change over time Naruto," his former sensei noted, "yours certainly has over the years, and that was all because of your merits. You can certainly come back from this. Now, you're very young, thus you'd still have many years before you'd be considered suitable for the role. If you wanted to travel to other villages as a liaison and do needed work to help us build goodwill and maintain our relationships with our allies, you could certainly do that in the meantime."
"Yeah?" Naruto said hopefully.
Kakashi nodded.
"Could Sasuke come with me?"
"That would take some work and convincing so I can't say yes, but nothing's impossible."
Naruto could work with that. He was bursting with happy energy the rest of the day, reminiscent of his younger self. It was a pleasant sight for the ones who knew him well enough, certainly to the eyes of those like Shikamaru and Rock Lee.
When Naruto returned home, he didn't find Sasuke alone. Hinata was waiting. Sasuke was less than thrilled but knew better than to attack her at this point.
"Okay, he's here." Sasuke said irately. "Say your piece, then get the fuck out."
Naruto frowned slightly but Hinata was unfazed by the Uchiha's attitude. She stood up, approaching her ex-boyfriend.
"Hi," Naruto said with an awkward smile.
"Hi," Hinata said softly, resembling the sweet young woman she used to be.
"What's up?"
"I thought I should come and apologize for my actions," the heiress said, running her hands down her sides.
"You don't have to –"
"But I should," Hinata insisted.
"Damn right," Sasuke muttered, narrowing his eyes.
Hinata grimaced as she overheard Sasuke's comment. "The way I've treated you Naruto…it was unfair. You deserved better than that. I spent most of my life loving you, hoping you would look at me one day and be with me. I would yearn for the day we would be together. I thought everything would fall into place. I should have known better. I should probably have suspected back when I confessed to you during the Pain invasion but didn't talk to me afterward, but I wrote it off thinking, 'oh Naruto must have a lot of things on his mind; I won't bother him.' Or right after the war, when people were settling down, but no, you didn't talk to me back then either. I should have suspected that someone else pushed you to it when you finally asked me out."
"I'm sorry," Naruto said, voice dripping with sincerity.
"I know. I only have one thing to say to you. Naruto, I forgive you. I see now that you never wanted to hurt me. You just got in over your head caring about me and Sasuke's feelings and what everyone would think of you. Let me give you some advice. Let me teach you a lesson you taught me long ago. Stop caring what other people will think of you. Don't let them tear you down. Be who you want to be; follow your heart. We cannot help whom we love, but we can help what we do about it. You and I tried to have a relationship, but it didn't work between us, so there is nothing more I can ask of you. Be happy."
Hinata slowly walked to the door, but she paused at the doorway before exiting the apartment.
"But there is something I must ask of you, Sasuke." She said to the Uchiha. "Make him happy. Make him smile that smile that makes the world bright."
She turned around and walked to the door. Then, just like that, she disappeared like a phantom that was never truly there.
Hinata walked up to her fellow squad members of Team 8 at their typical meeting spot, by the tree in the square of Konoha. It had been some years since their sensei Kurenai led their missions as she devoted most of her time to caring for her four-year-old daughter. The three members of the ninja squad would visit from time to time, helping their leader whenever needed.
Hinata's eyes met Kiba, who struggled to maintain eye contact. He coughed awkwardly and looked away quickly. The Hyūga heiress was at a loss for a second, while the ordinarily outgoing shinobi was standoffish. The events of the prior evening came rushing back to her. She blushed furiously and could no longer bear to look at her teammate. Shino stood between them, unnoticed as usual, and spoke for once, "So, you finally slept together." He said, adjusting his glasses.
"What, no!" Kiba sputtered. "And what do you mean finally?"
This made Hinata blush even harder.
"Since Hinata was so fixated on Naruto, I figured Kiba would never get a chance," Shino explained. "But then you stopped seeing Naruto, and Kiba finally decided to be brave enough to make his feelings known to you."
"Hey!" Kiba remarked. Indeed, after Hinata saw Naruto for closure and to bury the hatchet, Kiba was her next stop. Perhaps she acted too rashly, as did he, but once she visited the Inuzuka and Kiba escorted her to his bedroom, passion, and desire got the best of the two as they fell into one another's arms and made love for the whole weekend. They had the time, and Hinata and Kiba made the most of it.
After the match, Hinata gained the respect of all her kinsmen, even the elders in her clan. All were impressed by the strength and courage of the Hyūga heiress not so long after facing down the terrifying wrath of the likes of Madara and Obito Uchiha. It appeared that Hinata had finally come into her own, just as her father had always hoped for, and was at last ready to lead the Hyūga for the next generation.
In about five years, there would be a formal ceremony held in the compound, with Kiba, Shino, Kurenai, and others as esteemed guests to witness the ascendancy of Hinata from heiress to the leader of her people, Neji, Hanabi, and Hisashi bursting with pride. In another fifteen years, after countless arguments – she broke the cursed tradition of branding the branch class Hyūga with the marks that tortured them at will. The renowned leader of the Hyūga even removed the mark from her cousin, Neji, successfully, putting the last of the tension lying dormant amongst the Hyūga to rest.
Hinata would be remembered as a strong leader who always put her clan first – and that meant all clan members, no matter what station they were born from or what function they served. Ultimately, all were treated equally and as members of a remarkably extensive family. The Hyūga stood as a pillar that held up the Leaf Village for years to come.
about the chapter - yup, that's right! Naruto threw the match because lets face it - when you've faced off against half the Akatsuki and the legend Madara Uchiha and walk away - Hinata - as well as she could've trained couldn't beat him on her best day. that's not to say she can't put up a fight, she certainly can but Naruto has the Kyuubi inside him still, which is basically like a well of infinite chakra so while she can render Naruto immobile she can't actually stop him, merely slow him down.
but as said in the chapter Naruto conceded because for better or worse he's changed - he can live with people disliking him, he can live without the Hokage title. Because before he didn't have Sasuke or his love but he has both now and that's enough - not to say that he won't become Hokage but he can live without the title if it ends up playing out that way. Through Sasuke Naruto has gained more pride and comfort in who he is and who he's become. it's not the first/original instance of Naruto accepting himself but I figured this was a nice way to arrive at such a conclusion.
while I spelled out Hinata's future - as I wanted to give her a happy ending of her own that didn't revolve around a man because honestly it would've been cool to see Hinata become the leader of her clan but I understand that it was Hanabi who took on the mantle in the official manga/anime(s). maybe i'll right a side chapter about KibaHina's hookup if there's any shippers out there ;)
chapter 24 - man i'm gonna be a wreck when I finish this fanfic! i know I keep saying it but i'm almost done. I think I'm gonna wrap it up with just one more chapter. see you next time and happy holidays if you celebrate.