Hey, hey!

So this setting is a week of travel so far with Naruto and Hinata.

Be prepared. Hinata is trying to push Naruto away, so she isn't very nice in this chapter.

Hinata was a bit annoyed.

It has been a week and Naruto was still traveling with her. Showing no signs that he was going to leave.

Currently the duo was traveling near Bath Village. It was popular for their hot springs and waterfalls. Hinata always wanted to venture out and see the place. Neji always talked about how much he wanted to finally relax and vacation at the soothing place.

So, in honor of Neji. She'll do it for him.

Naruto looked at Hinata as she walked off the pathway and into the wood line. He followed her of course. He's been on her tail for a week and had no ambition of leaving. He could tell at first Hinata thought he'd grow bored with her. Like she was some pet or something. However, he started to see her grow more frustrated the longer he stuck around.

He'd rather Hinata to be frustrated with him instead of walking around like a ghost. Besides Hinata should look at herself differently. She wasn't boring. Even if she was quiet most of the time. Hinata was rather intriguing.

She could make nothing into something. She came out here with no food to cook with and was able to literally use nature to make a good meal. Hinata tried to hide it, but she enjoyed collecting flowers and Naruto would catch her pressing them from time to time.

He liked watching how fascinated Hinata was with life around her. He felt like she held a lot of her excitement in because he was around.

Honestly Naruto just wanted to know why Hinata was pushing everyone away. What did they do to her? Why couldn't Hinata pull herself from this depression of losing Neji? Naruto understood it hurt. It hurt him. Losing Neji impacted Naruto as well. Of course not on the same level as Hinata, but still, he understood her pain.

Finally they reached an opening and Naruto saw a massive waterfall. He thought back to how happy Hinata was when she walked across a river and was starting to realize Hinata liked these sort of things.

She dropped her travel bag and walked to the bank of the river. The waterfall was a couple of feet away, but Hinata was going to take her time getting to it.

Naruto noticed how the past few years Hinata wore dark colors in the village. However, since leaving the village her kimono's have been bright. Today she wore a lavender colored one.

Naruto's face looked concerned for a moment when he saw Hinata take her sandals off and walk to the river. She sat on the ground and put her feet in the water. It wasn't warm. This wasn't a hot spring. Still Hinata ended up sticking her feet into the water and slid in all the way until she was under the water.

Naruto jogged over to Hinata and saw her pop out the water and lean her back on the ledge. He put his hand in the water and felt that it was cool. Hinata was going to get sick playing around in this water.

He looked at her with a frown on his face. Her clothes were soaked. She pulled her bangs out her face because they were getting into her eyes. Why would she do this? What was Hinata thinking? "You're going to get sick staying in this water Hinata."

She ignored him and leaned her head back. Resting it on the ledge and closed her eyes. Like she was relaxing. "How can you be away from the village for so long Uzumaki? Surely Konoha needs it's savior there to protect the village. Who will protect Konoha while you are gone?"

Naruto sat on the ground near Hinata and crossed his legs. His elbows rested on his knees and he looked at Hinata not amused at her ignoring him. He wasn't getting through to Hinata at all. "You answer me first Hinata."

Hinata smiled with her eyes closed. "I'm cold all the time. This water doesn't bother me. My blood is cold. My heart is cold. I am just a cold person Uzumaki."

Naruto scuffed at Hinata's melodramatic words. "No you're not. You don't have a cold bone in your body Hinata. Still, I believe you do get cold easily because you always dress like you're cold."

Hinata finally frowned and looked at Naruto. Appearing upset that he noticed something factual about her. She was always cold and did like to dress heavily because of it. It annoyed Hinata even more that Naruto was looking at her with an amused grin on his face. "To answer your question. Sasuke is coming to the village tomorrow. So typically when I'm not in the village. He's there."

Hinata hummed in understanding. Closing her eyes again. "I get it now. You do not wish to be in the village at the same time as Uchiha-san. To see him with someone that you love, it must hurt."

Naruto's grin fell off his face and he looked at Hinata confused. "What?" Hinata had her eyes closed, but still lazily turned to Naruto like it was obvious. "Sakura. She is an item with Uchiha-san now. Seeing them together, after pouring your heart to her must hurt. She chose him. After everything he's done."

Naruto was now frowning at Hinata. She was being nasty for no reason. "You don't even know Sasuke. You don't know anything about him. You don't know how his relationship with Sakura is."

Hinata opened her eyes and looked at Naruto. Her gaze looked uncaring and he could tell Hinata was on a path of just talking reckless. She was trying to push him away. Get him to leave her alone since he was being so stubborn with staying with her.

"He was supposed to be your best friend. Almost a brother to you. Yet he broke your heart. Sakura has loved Sasuke for a very long time. Odd, because he has done and said numerous things that would make any female run from him. However, Uzumaki. You're right. I do not know Uchiha-san, or anything about his relationship with Sakura. I just know that she chose him, and for you to have to see them together. After having such strong emotions for Sakura. It must hurt."

Naruto shook his head as he looked at Hinata. "I'm happy that Sakura is happy. I'm happy that Sasuke is happy. It's great that they can be together finally and that Sasuke can open his heart to her."

Hinata smiled. Even though there was absolutely nothing to smile about. "What about you? Surely it must hurt to see them together. To know that Sakura knows about your deep desire for her and she rejected it for the Uchiha. He must know you love Sakura as well."

She shrugged her shoulders as she sunk further in the water. "As long as they are happy. That's all that matters. Right Uzumaki?"

Naruto blinked at Hinata. Flabbergasted at how low Hinata was willing to go to hurt him. To get him to leave her. "I cared for Sakura. I've desired her. We've been through a lot. Ups and downs. I do have strong feelings for Sakura, but it's not love. I don't love her. I never told Sakura I loved her."

Hinata's smile slid off her face and for some reason Naruto felt a little victorious. She thought she struck a nerve there. "You don't know about love, Uzumaki. Of course you loved her. You have strong emotions for her, but do not love her? You just don't realize you love her and that you're miserable that she chose Uchiha-san."

Naruto looked at Hinata with that amused grin again as he arched his brow at her. Was she trying to convince him he should be upset? Heartbroken and miserable because Sakura didn't choose him over Sasuke. It hurt somewhat, but Sasuke was the love of Sakura's life. Naruto wasn't. That's all there was to it.

Hinata turned her head from Naruto and closed her eyes again. "Either way. I pity the woman that falls in love with you now. You'll never be able to properly love her. The first person that broke your heart will always be on your mind. The desire and affection you have for her. The fact Sakura knows all of this. It's a connection the two of you will have forever and it will isolate your future wife. She would resent you."

Naruto looked at Hinata like she lost her mind. That was the most opinionated thing he'd ever heard in his life. Maybe not his life, because he's come across some insane people, but this was pretty wild to come from Hinata. "WHAT?! That's crazy. People have first crushes all the time. Heartbreaks all the time. Life goes on Hinata. People heal and move on. There is someone out there for everyone."

Hinata was silent and this made Naruto curious. He had to ask. "So. You're telling me you never cared for someone greatly Hinata? Like I did for Sakura. You're saying you never got your heart broken?"

Hinata dipped her head into the cool water before she emerged back up. Sliding all of her hair to the back. Blinking as she looked straight ahead into nothing. Her long dark lashes almost hiding her eyes from him. "I've been in love once before, but I have never had my heart broken because I never told the person how I felt."

Naruto felt a little jittery talking about this with Hinata. The two never had a conversation like this. It was interesting. Exciting a little because he felt like he was really starting to know Hinata on another level. "So. Basing this off your words you just said moments ago. You won't have a relationship with another, because of your heartbreak. Right? That's what you're going to do?"

Hinata nodded her head at this. "Correct. I'll never try to pursue another. I will never marry. I will not have children with another man. I will be alone. I loved that person very deeply. I couldn't possibly love another on equal terms. That would be selfish and unfair to the other person. What you're willing to do Uzumaki, is selfish and unfair. You wouldn't give that new woman in your life all of you, like you were willing to give Sakura."

Naruto looked at Hinata and shook his head again. A sarcastic smile on his face. He couldn't believe what she was saying. This sounded utterly insane. "Well, who hurt you Hinata? It's only fair you tell me who broke your heart, since you know who broke mines."

Hinata turned and looked at Naruto as he sat on the grass beside her. She smiled at him, but he could see it was an empty smile. A very dark and unhappy one. "I looked up to this person since I was six years old. He was a superhero to me. With big beautiful dreams. When I was 11 in the academy, I realized I had a crush on him. A very big crush. We had a day in class where Iruka-sensei asked us to write down who we would spend the end of the world with. I wrote down his name."

Naruto blinked at Hinata. He remembered that day perfectly. He threw his paper out the window and got a tongue lashing from Iruka. "Was he in our class?"

Hinata nodded her head and Naruto inched closer to her. He had to know who this person was. His guess was Sasuke. "When I was 13, I realized I thought about this person all the time. He had left the village and I missed him greatly. I always prayed for his safe return. That was when I realized I loved this person. When I was 15, during the Pain invasion. I risked my life for this person and went against Pain. Losing in seconds. I told him I loved him as I thought I was going to die. If you ask him though, he had amnesia on that exact moment, and nothing else. I'm glad now."

Naruto's eyes widened as he was slowly starting to connect the dots. "We went to war together and I risked my life for him again. Just to end up losing someone very dear to me for my immature decisions. I still fought on. I still tried my hardest. However, at the end of that war. I realized that day. I lost two people I loved."

Hinata turned her head from Naruto and looked at the waterfall. "I lost Neji and I lost you. I was in love with you Uzumaki, and I'm thankful every day that I am no longer in that position where you have that hold over me. I don't love you anymore, but I won't hurt another person by trying to force love them. It would never equal out to all the years that I cared and loved you."

Hinata sunk back into the water and relaxed. Enjoying the silence from Naruto. She felt his chakra elevate and even felt a mixture coming from the nine tails. She didn't care. Everything she just said to him. He would leave now. It would be too awkward for him to stay.

Naruto didn't love her. She wasn't Sakura. He wasn't going to stick around for too much longer and take this emotional abuse from Hinata.

"How dare you."

Hinata looked at Naruto with an arched brow. "Excuse me?"

Naruto was glaring at the ground as his face was scrunched up in anger. "You can't just casually sit in some cold ass water and break this news to me like it's nothing of importance. That you had these feelings for me, and just decided to withhold them from me, for years. That you were selfish enough to do that. You…you had no right. Hinata, you know that you had no right!"

Hinata looked completely confused. "I had no right? You do remember that you desired Sakura? That I was not even in the scope of your mind in that way Uzumaki. You don't remember anything we did while growing up, or even as ninja's, because you don't care about me to that level. You wanted me, to tell you, my feelings so I would know how it feels to be rejected? Like you?"

Naruto finally looked at Hinata and his rage didn't settle. He looked even more livid. "You don't know what I would have said! You saw me struggle every day growing up. Hoping someone could be there for me and yet you kept these things to yourself. You sit here on your high horse and say I'm the selfish one, because I'm willing to seek love from another. When in reality you're the selfish, evil one!"

He shook his head at her. Still in disbelief. "How could you do that Hinata? How could you just deny both of us something like love? You..You had absolutely no right."

Hinata pushed off the ledge and swam in the middle of the river. She turned to look at Naruto and looked completely unsympathetic about the situation. "You didn't love me Uzumaki. You didn't love me then, and you do not love me now. We barely have a solid friendship. You followed me out here because you thought an adventure would come with it. Besides, you should be happy you don't love me Uzumaki. Everyone that loves me dies."

With that Hinata started to swim towards the waterfall. Naruto's heart was beating so fast. He felt like he was going to have a heart attack. He couldn't breathe normal. His hands wouldn't stop shaking. He felt disheveled and all over the place. He couldn't think straight right now.

Hinata loved him for years? She had feelings for him since they were single digits. When he was alone and thought the world hated him. She didn't. She loved him, but never told him. Hinata decided to tell him when she felt as if she moved on.

She never even gave him a chance. She just automatically assumed he would reject her and still pursue Sakura.

Maybe he would of, but if he did at least that was a decision he could of made. She took that from him. She took something as precious as love from both of them.

What if he did give it a chance between them? What if he did stop chasing after Sakura and started to grow something with Hinata? All the sadness in Hinata, Naruto would have fought those inner demons away. They could have been something. A team. Hinata took that away though. She didn't even give him a chance.

Hinata was down the bank, at the waterfall. She looked up at it, in all its glory. "You're beautiful." She mumbled this as she looked at natures creative work.

"You're a coward."

Hinata turned around and saw Naruto directly behind her in the water. When did he get in the water and swim towards her? She didn't hear any of this. She looked at Naruto confused and blinked at him. "What?"

Naruto had taken off his shirt and jacket before getting in the water. His hair was short, so he didn't have to keep messing with it like Hinata. Naruto was close and invaded Hinata's space so she moved back to create distance, just for Naruto to move and close it in again. "You heard me. You're a coward Hinata Hyuga. I never thought I'd say this about you."

Hinata almost laughed at this. A coward? All those times she risked her life for him and others. Yet he called her a coward. Like he could read her mind Naruto elaborated. "You didn't keep your feelings from me because of Sakura. You did it because you were scared of being rejected. At least I had the balls to tell Sakura I liked her. I took the rejection. You were so scared of being rejected, you just decided for me and you. You made a decision for me without even confronting me. You were being a coward. Even now. The way you told me. It was such a cowardly way to do it."

Hinata looked into his eyes and saw nothing but hurt. Hinata has never hurt someone to this caliber in her life. "I can admit that. I was a coward."

Naruto continued to stare Hinata down as he called her out. "Everything you just said back there was a crock of shit. To cover up the fact that you did something really fucked up Hinata. You KNOW it was messed up. You never gave me a chance. You just wrote me off, like everyone else in the village."

Her eyes widened and Hinata looked appalled. She wanted to tell him that what he said wasn't true, but then she would be comforting him. Assuring him that she was worth sticking around for and Hinata just wanted to be alone. Forever. "Think what you want Uzumaki. I take it that you'll be leaving now."

Naruto grinned wildly at Hinata. "No. I'm not leaving. I like being around you." He watched in enjoyment as Hinata's nostrils flared and how she attempted to get her emotions under control.

Since they've been out here Hinata has cooked for only herself. She didn't make Naruto anything and he was fine with that. She didn't even want him here. Why would she cook for him?

However, after the waterfall earlier. Naruto saw Hinata catch a rabbit and make a stew big enough for both of them. They sat under a large tree and had a good size fire going. Hinata was a tent person and had one set up under the tree so bugs wouldn't get on her. It was a pretty decent size tent.

The two had changed from their soaked clothes. Hinata had on a black long sleeve shirt and black sweatpants. Her bang back on her face and her hair pulled up into a high bun. Naruto was in a black V-neck shirt and black loose lounging pants.

While Hinata was checking her stew she pulled out two bowls. She poured herself a bowl and made an extra one, that she ended up silently handing to Naruto. "It is too much for me to eat. So, if you wish. You can have this."

Naruto silently took the bowl, because in reality. He was still upset with Hinata. What she confessed earlier was huge. It was heavy and he felt like she did it just to spite him. Just to hurt him because she was hurting right now.

Hinata said some very messed up things. Naruto was sure she took none of it back too. He picked with the hot food as he was stuck in thought. "I know you don't like bad language around you, so I'm sorry for cursing at you earlier like that Hinata."

Hinata shrugged her shoulders as she ate. Avoiding eye contact with him. "It is not a big deal. Nothing to dwell on."

Naruto smiled at this. "Everything from earlier is nothing to dwell on? Why, because you no longer have these feelings? So it's fine to freely talk about it now?"

She nodded her head nonchalantly. "Yes. Exactly."

Naruto gave a dark chuckle as he started to eat Hinata's cooking. She still cooked amazing as ever. "So. Is Neji the reason you're out here? Willing to separate yourself from the village forever. Or is it me? You hate me now so much, you just can't even stand being in the same village as me."

Hinata was silent before she looked up at Naruto. He still looked hurt from earlier and he had every right to be upset with her. The things she said was utterly vile and disgusting. It wasn't who Hinata was and who she wanted to grow to be. Neji would be disappointed in her right now.

She was just so lost.

Hinata rubbed the back of her neck as she looked away from Naruto. "I don't sleep well. I sleep very little and it is hard for me to focus. It gives me headaches. I have nightmares. I can't get my thought's to become clear and I feel stuck. I feel stuck in the past. I feel stuck in this world right now and everything is changing. Everyone is growing. Becoming happy. While I cannot remember how to be happy. I cannot remember how to live appropriately. Living is a chore and I hate feeling this way."

Hinata shook her head as she looked back at Naruto. "I can barely eat. My passion for things have dwindled and I am just not happy with who I've become. Doctors say I am fine. Perfect health. Nothing is wrong with me, but I can't stop the feeling that something IS wrong. In my mind. No one needs to see me fade away like this. This isn't about you Uzumaki. I…just want to find my joy again."

Naruto put his bowl down and looked at Hinata. What she said, was how she looked. Defeated and hopeless. Yet, this was a big progress he was making with her. Hinata finally opened up to him. "You can't find that joy in Konoha?"

Hinata shook her head and let out a wet smile. "No. I can't think of anymore good memories associated with Konoha anymore."

That hurt to hear. That hurt Naruto a lot to hear. Konoha is their home. The people that care about them the most live there. Hinata had her family back home and yet, she was so miserable being there. Naruto's been paying attention. Hinata looks more alive now, than she has the past two and a half years. The week they've been traveling. She was mute, but she looked somewhat better.

"You should go Uzumaki. I rather you not see me like this. I rather you not sit here and take more of my temper tantrums and vile words. I…am speaking from a dark place and I apologize."

Naruto nodded his head as he started to eat again. "Speaking from a dark place, but it's what you truly feel. You're not sugar coating things anymore or keeping it all bottled in. That's not bad Hinata. You told me how you really felt after all these years. With Sakura. With Sasuke. With the Pain invasion, which I am not finished with that yet. We will be talking about that very soon. Anyways, everything you said today, was how you felt and you have a right to feel that way. Even if it hurts people."

Hinata put her bowl to the side even though she barely ate it. It was still full. She just couldn't stomach food at the moment. In a year, she has lost weight. She wasn't skin and bones, but she was reaching a very thin line of being malnourished.

She let her hair out it's high bun and let out a tired sigh as her hair fell down and wasn't weighing her head anymore. She did have dark circles under her eyes and Hinata just looked so faded away from reality. Like a hollow ghost, just taking up space. That's how she felt.

Naruto crawled over closer to Hinata and she was so burned out emotionally, she didn't even give him a harsh look or move away. He pushed her bowl back over to her as he sat by her side. "Eat Hinata. I told you earlier that I'm not going anywhere. I'm where I want to be. Besides. I want to see you find this 'joy' thing you talk about."

Hinata furrowed her brows together and looked at Naruto curiously. He was looking at the fire and looked to be in thought. "Maybe we can find it together? This venture isn't about me Hinata, but I think it could benefit us."

He finally looked back at her and smiled. "Let's find your joy."

End of chapter.

So, this chapter is titled 'Stuck', because when you reach a certain depressive state. For some that is how you feel. You feel lethargic. Like a blob and you might be a menace to the outside world. Hinata feels stuck. Like she's just living until death consumes her and it's a grey feeling.

She confessed to Naruto though! It was a gut punch for him, that's for sure. This will be the meanest thing Hinata does in this story. Naruto nips it in the bud pretty early.

Next chapter. Hot springs resort! Fancy hotels and one on one time! Plus, Naruto decides to whip out his boyish charm to challenge Hinata's outlook on life.

See you Friday!