READER INFO:

Hey everyone! Hope you all have been well and that you had a Happy Thanksgiving. I was originally planning on uploading this around then, but I was wondering if I should really release this story on Thanksgiving because it's got a more serious, sad vibe. :( In the end, I think sometime after is a bit better. It is true that the Harvest Season is kinda out and the Christmas season in, but I'm gonna sneak this story in anyway in the hopes of catching a bit of that harvesttime spirit anyway. Now, as I'm sure many of you have noticed, the pairing here is NaruHina. Since my base is mostly NaruSaku I'm sorry in advance T_T. Still, the theme here runs directly contrary to things going the NaruSaku way so there's nothing that can be done. This is just the story you all will have to make do with (if you all make do at all lol). Either way, I do not regret writing this story. I had the idea a while back and acted on it. To paraphrase Captain America, "I can't see a good story waiting to be written and not write it. Sometimes I wish I could." P.S. "No, I don't..." Don't worry yourself though NaruSaku fans. Just like I had the inspiration for this story while I was away, I was also inspired for some NaruSaku stuff. Hope you all will enjoy that when it finally drops. Until then, consider giving this a chance. And if you're a NaruHina fan, please do enjoy yourself.

Looking out to the Horizon

I've been living life for a relatively short period of time, but I've realized by now that everybody has at least one, someone they look up to I mean. Someone they look at and think, "Wow, I wouldn't mind being that guy." Or, "Gee, I wish I could be that gal." They usually say things like that because they think that person's life must be so much better than theirs. But there's a well covered secret very few people know, and a hidden truth I've recently found out. Those people so coveted and those lives so desired...they don't have it all either. It's the sad truth of life, that no one has it all.

Hundreds of people look at me every day and say things just like the things I talked about a few seconds ago. Just the other day, I heard some kids talking as I walked by that barbecue place Choji likes. "Wow, it's Naruto!" they had whispered to each other. I could hear traces of my excitement at their age coating their voices, the "spring of youth" as Might Guy would call it.

"Even how he walks is cool!" they had giggled in glee.

"I want to be like him when I grow up," they had resolved with pride.

I, being the kind soul that I was, had smiled towards them and waved; I think they would've stopped time to sit in that moment if they could have. But time kept going on, and as I looked away, the ground sounding in scratchy echoes under my feet, I considered the sad truth of their desires. They saw the fame, the power, my status as the war hero, the "coolness" of it all. And that's what everyone always sees. But being Naruto Uzumaki came with its fair share of demons. If they knew what I'd lost, everything I had to go through, the pains, the trials, the bitter hurts, the things I wanted and would never have...would they still really want to be...me? Maybe not... Maybe they didn't even really want to be me at all.

As I stood leaning on the railing of the balcony looking out over the decorated training ground, I wondered. How many people would still take it?… How many people really wanted to be Naruto Uzumaki?

Shifting my thoughts, I let my eyes roam over the fall-time wreaths and fruit-filled carts scattered around below. The balcony was right on the edge of a sloped hill so I had a pretty awesome view of the festivities lining the grassy field. I had been looking at them before, but not really looking, you know. I was just kinda giving it that blank stare you give when you're looking at one thing and your mind is somewhere far away. Now that I was actually taking it all in, I had to admit it was pretty beautiful. Some of those fall-time wreaths had just the right amount of fruit and bare leaves, and the wooden, big-wheeled carts were numerous but not so much as to be obnoxious. The way fruits overflowed out of them gave such a lively, festive vibe that even I couldn't stop the grin coming to my face.

With the leaves starting to change from green to orange, Konoha was throwing a fall festival to celebrate the coming season, or more accurately, the ninja population was. The whole of Konoha had already celebrated one a few days ago and everyone was invited to that, but the ninja liked having their own little festival on the side. Kinda like a ninja family type thing. I thought it was pretty cool, to be honest, and a great chance to just relax and enjoy time with friends. It was one of the rare occasions when we were all able to just kick back and enjoy ourselves, you know, without the threat of enemy nin trying to kill you where you stand. I could tell I wasn't the only one who enjoyed our little outing. Even from here, I could tell the conversations were lively and spirited, many of them featuring subtle grins and silent chuckles.

There, by one of the fruit stands, was Shikamaru and Choji, Shikamaru leaning lazily on the cart like he did on everything, and Choji trying his hand at a green apple. And a few feet away, Might Guy's team stood with the usual theatrics – an energetic Lee, a somehow still energetic, wheelchair-bound Might Guy, and a massively embarrassed Tenten. Kiba and Shino were seated at an umbrella tent not too far away, both of them drinking something I assumed was alcohol in a cocktail glass. Akamaru was seated next to them majestically, his body resting on his paws while his head remained up and alert. Thinking back, I think this was one of the first times I caught him with his tongue not out and panting like he had run a marathon. My grin grew at the sight. He looked a lot less like a slobbery mutt that way. Kiba spotted me before I turned away, raising his glass with a grin. I could tell Shino was looking at me as well, despite the circular, black sunglasses hiding his gaze. I gave a gentle wave back and let my eyes continue their journey.

Finding my next set of friends wasn't that hard, with Ino's sharp platinum blonde hair and Sakura's bright and bold pink, I couldn't miss them. They were both using their backs to lean against a drink bar, a light grin on Sakura's face as Ino whispered something in her ear. A light smile started to stretch across my own face at the sight of her, but I was suddenly struck by something within myself, something familiar and no longer welcome. I could feel my gaze narrow in the sunlight, my jaw muscles tightening as my jaw clenched, and then my eyes drifting down in just the slightest. Only letting them stay on the rail for a moment, I lifted them back up, inhaling and exhaling through my nose as I carried on in search of familiar faces. Maybe Sai was also somewhere around here, hiding in a dark alley or something, drawing up some strange picture of how he saw things. And Kakashi-sensei couldn't be too far away either. Baa-chan too. And Shizune and everyone else.

"Naruto-kun?"

The familiar voice drew my attention and I turned to my left, the Hyuga heiress just having left the final step of the rock-formed stairway. She was dressed in her usual ninja gear like the rest of us, nothing special really. Still, something in me was happy to see her. If there was anyone in the village you wanted looking out over the horizon with you while you were reflecting on the finer details of life, it was probably her. The calmness that surrounded her really lent itself to that type of thing.

"Hinata," I acknowledged, a light smile playing on my lips as I straightened up. "What are you doing here? You're missing out on all the fun."

"So are you," she replied, a light grin on her lips.

I smiled and leaned back down on the railing, looking down to our friends below and not denying her response.

"I saw you standing up here all by yourself and thought you might like some company," she said lightly, leaning on the railing a couple of feet away from me.

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

From there, an odd silence wrapped the both of us, the sun setting gently in the distance and casting us in its warm yellow hue. The silver railing under us felt something akin to a static prop, holding up our silent hearts. The breeze was quiet and tossed my blond locks gently. From the corner of my eye, I could see her silky black hair doing the same, though in a much more elegant fashion; she was Hinata, after all. Everything about her was always so gracious and gentle – slow and patient and not in a rush. Slowing down seemed to somehow be a way of life for her; I couldn't do it to save my life. I reasoned she was stronger than me in that way, in slowing down and savoring the little things. But though she bested me in stillness, I beat her in passion. I could live my whole life with one goal in mind and keep pushing until it happened. That was just who I was. But that wasn't to say she didn't have her own fits of passion, moments where something made itself known in her that had previously not been seen. Like that time long ago when she had stood up to Pain. It was amazing. It was then that she had said those words... I could feel myself swallow without meaning to, yet I kept my gaze casually facing forward. I wasn't willing to really think about what she meant back then, and I didn't want to now either.

"Are you ok, Naruto-kun?"

A few quick blinks, and then I turned to her. "Yeah, I'm fine, Hinata. What? Is something wrong?"

"No." She looked down. "Not really. It's just that...I've noticed you've been quieter around the village."

I could feel my brows furrow slightly. "Have I?"

With a soft smile, she nodded a quick yes and continued. "You also don't joke around and smile like you used to either."

There was a bit of a lull in my response, and my mouth opened in the slightest as I pondered a reply. After fumbling for words for the briefest of moments, I gave up and let it fall closed. There was no use, was there? In trying to cover it up... Resisting the familiar temptation to brush off her comments and act like everything was just peachy, I let out a small sigh.

Letting my lips fall into a light grin, I leaned down on the railing a bit more. "You've got good eyes, Hinata, and I'm not just talking about the Byakugan."

A faint smile crossed her lips.

"Just been thinking about things, I guess."

"What sorts of things?"

My smile faded, and I turned to her, aware of the seriousness my face was carrying. "No one has it all, Hinata."

A few steady blinks and then she turned to me, a subtle tilt in her neck. "What do you mean?"

A light smile flitted on my lips and I turned my gaze back to the horizon. "You're a princess of an esteemed clan, right?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"And you have one of the three most coveted dojutsu in the entire world, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Now let me ask you a question." I leaned down flat on my folded arms. "Do you have everything you want?"

Though much lower than her, I could still see her eyes turning pensive from the corner of my eye, and then her lips pulling to the side before she finally shook her head no.

"That's what I mean, Hinata." I kept my gaze on the setting sun. "People look at you from the outside and they think you've got it made. You're a freaking princess with an inheritance people only dream of, you're a scary good ninja with amazing techniques known only to your clan, and you're easily one of the most beautiful girls I know."

A light smile played on her lips, though she didn't turn to me. "You think I'm beautiful?"

I chuckled lightly. "Is that the only thing you heard out of everything I said?"

"Maybe..." she smiled, one hand now gripping the railing, the other at her side, her gaze with mine's in the distance.

I held my peace for a bit, then let my eyes fall. "I wasn't thinking about it like that, but yeah, you are."

The silence returned and my eyes were somehow pulled back to the horizon, joining hers in the sun.

"I heard it," she finally said. "And I understand."

"Good," I whispered lightly. "At least someone gets it, you know..."

A light smile, a few more blinks, and then her eyes left the horizon, drifting down to our friends below. I could see her pure white eyes coming to rest on the same person I had turned from.

"Those things you want but don't have," she said. "Some of them are down there, aren't they?"

Smiling lightly, I leaned back down on the railing. "They used to be."

I could see her brows furrow slightly and then her head turn towards me. "What do you mean?"

I shrugged lightly and a sort of slanted half-smile found its way onto my lips. "I think I just realized a while ago that things were never really gonna go in that direction. Her heart is already somewhere else... It's been a while now since I kinda let it go. I still love her, it's just a different kind of love, you know, like the love I have for all my friends."

She was silent for a spell, then looked away, a silent, "Oh..." leaving her lips soon after.

"It's alright," I said with a soft smile. "You don't have to feel sorry for me, Hinata. I'm not gonna be a wimp about it."

From the corner of my eye, I could see her turn towards me once again, but this time her smile did not return. "You would not be a wimp, Naruto-kun, you would be human."

I half-shrugged and grunted lowly. "Eh, maybe, but I prefer this actually, and maybe it's better this way. If it's not gonna happen, why keep myself there, you know? I've gotta move forward. I'm learning that more nowadays. That sometimes in life, you've just gotta pull yourself together and be strong, be a man, you know."

Her soft smile returned and her gaze returned to the horizon. "You are more grown than you think, Naruto-kun...but perhaps you've become too grown."

My brows furrowed and I could feel my gaze narrowing into a squint. "What's that mean?"

"Well, I think that being strong is a good thing, but sometimes..." Her gaze lingered on the sky as if looking for what she wanted to say. "Well, sometimes..."

My head tilted slightly and my lips tucked away to the side. "Sometimes what?"

"...Well, maybe sometimes we try to be so strong that...I guess we lose ourselves." The pearl white eyes fixed me and in them, I could feel her earnestness. "I mean, aren't our feelings what make us human? It sounds like you're trying to be strong by getting rid of them, or perhaps running away from them in some sense. But if that's how you choose to handle your feelings – by pushing them away and not acknowledging them – well then, maybe... Maybe you'll look at yourself one day and find you've become a shell... A shell of yourself, I mean."

After those words left her mouth, I could not look away. My focus had been pulled to that point where I couldn't see anything else anymore, which was actually something pretty rare for me. There was just the flowy toss of her silky black hair, the gentle curve of her jaw pointing down, the rosy pink lips slightly puckered, the squinting white eyes fixing me with a pained stare I had not seen from her before.

A shell?... Was that really what I was becoming? I thought I was getting stronger, wasn't I? Was it really something else happening inside me? Was I...losing something? A piece of my very humanity? In the sun-soaked silence, my gaze lingered, resting on her for much longer than I ever meant it to. I could tell it was starting to bother her when the white of her cheeks started shifting to pink. Smiling the briefest of smiles, she turned away, letting her gaze fall as she brought her other hand up to grip the railing. A short while after, I could see her throat moving as she swallowed in the sunlight.

"I'm sorry," I finally said, blinking a few times and turning away. "I didn't mean to stare."

"It's ok," she said quietly. "You were thinking about it, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I was..."

A quick smile flitted across her rosy pink lips and was gone; my own chapped lips never left their pensive tuck. The windy silence dragged on for a time I did not know, the wind swirling around us and by us and over our heads. As it did, I pondered more on her words. Perhaps there was some truth to what she said. Maybe I was losing myself. It was like she said earlier. I didn't laugh as much anymore, and now that I thought about it, she was right about me not joking like I used to. And though she didn't say it, I myself was aware of the fact that I sometimes felt dead inside... Life changes people, doesn't it? Even me. The simple realization set in my soul a pulsing of fear I did not like. To think that life events could make me lose myself. That with all my powers and witty tricks and crafty ways, I was not immune. I, myself, could be beaten and bruised in very different ways from the physical and left with scars and wounds unseen. As the realization started to settle in my mind, I realized an even more important truth lingering on the horizon. If life really could change me, make me a shell of myself and whatnot, I should probably be more careful who I change into. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. Today, I was joking less and not really smiling, next thing you know, I'm wearing a gray robe, black pants, and a purple rope around my waist.

But that just left another question, didn't it? If I had so stubbornly chased those feelings away, and become a shell of myself, how would I ever come back? How would I get back to being...me? Or at least some semblance of him? I most certainly didn't want my feelings for Sakura coming back full force; I wouldn't be able to act on them if they did. But Hinata made me not want to stay this shell anymore either. It was an odd state of in-between, and I wasn't quite sure how to solve it.

"I have a question."

"Mhm," she nodded meekly.

"If you're right, and I'm kinda becoming shell of myself...how do I get it back? That part of myself that was hollowed out? I mean, do I just have to let those things come back up to the surface? Deal with 'em in a different way? Or is there some other way that isn't so..."

"...Painful?"

"...Yeah."

Her smile was light, and her answer much the same. "You do not have to embrace the feelings you've left behind, Naruto-kun; you need only realize that you can embrace good feelings too. I know you've suffered loss, and much more than just your chances with Sakura-san. I myself have suffered as well. But you must learn to move forward. And I think one of the greatest ways to do that is to embrace the good feelings. If you can fight so hard to let feelings you don't want go, then you can also fight really hard to enjoy the feelings you do want to have, yes? Think of the time you spend with friends, your love for training," Her smile grew slightly. "How much you love ramen..."

I smiled as well, my gaze falling back to the horizon.

"So I guess I'm just trying to say..." Her lips puckered slightly, and then her smile returned, the silky black hair jostling as she turned to me with a liveliness and spirit I could feel. "Enjoy your life, Naruto-kun. Really enjoy it." Leaning a bit closer with a sly smile, she continued, "Try to enjoy it." Her voice fell silent as her head returned to its normal place, a soft smile still on her lips. "You may be surprised what happens when you start to count your blessings and not your losses."

Her words seemed to linger in the air for longer than they did, and I know they lingered in my mind the same. It was such a jarring revelation to me, that I might have had it wrong all along. I had been trying to solve it all by being strong, but maybe I only had half the equation. Maybe she could give me the other piece. Maybe she already had... Whatever the case, trying her advice was definitely worth a shot. It had all sounded right as it rolled off her tongue, focusing on the "good" and not the "bad". Now it was just a matter of being able to actually do it...

"Do not worry yourself, Naruto-kun." The voice was gently spoken and carried with it a reassuring strength. "You will be ok."

It took me a moment to process her words, but when I did, I blinked away my daydream and turned to her. "How do you know?"

"Because I know you, Naruto-kun, and I know your heart. You are one who bounces back." She smiled softly at me. "This will be no different."

The confidence I could hear in her voice stalled me for a bit, and, for once, I could sense that my brain was falling a little behind. I could also feel the weight of the moment building despite her soft smile. Her eyes were so honest... This time I stared on purpose, letting myself get lost in the sea of white, looking to see if I would find any trace of doubt, but I couldn't. Yet, I could sense a trace of something else building, something I hadn't really expected. And not something in her, something in me... Finally, I looked away, swallowing a bit and letting a light smile play on my lips as I tried to hide the unexpected reversal of roles. "I think you have more faith in me than I do, Hinata."

"Maybe," she said, turning away to smile at the horizon while eyeing me from the side. "But I've never been wrong..."

For just a moment, the two of us fell quiet, the warmth of a tortured sun enveloping us from the horizon so far away. Finally scoffing a chuckle, I straightened up a bit. "Forget being a ninja, you shoulda been a guru or something."

The giggle in her throat was nice to hear. "You really think so?"

"Yeah. You may not know it, but you're very wise, Hinata. Now that I think about it, it'd probably help me to talk to you more often."

Her smile grew and then faded again, her eyes shifting oddly downwards. "I'm not wise, Naruto. I just live life too..."

As the truth behind her statement resonated in my mind, I could feel my smile start to fade, and I never realized when it had gone completely away. Her gaze was on the horizon and appeared oblivious to mine's, but mine's was on her nonetheless, and for the first time, I saw something different. Something I hadn't noticed before. It almost made me laugh at my stupidity, or rather my lack of perception, especially as a ninja. I had been talking to her and looking at her this whole time, but the truth had gone completely under my radar. Classic idiot me. Behind the shyness and reserve, beneath the quiet and stillness, shrouded in the mystery and silence...was a kindred spirit, full of let-go desires and unmet expectations.

As I watched her standing in the sun-soaked silence, I could feel the corners of my lips turning downwards, and in my stomach something churning. I had mentioned her being the Hyuga heiress and still not having it all in passing, but I hadn't truly considered the weight of what she was feeling. I couldn't really see it then because it wasn't on display, but now I could see more clearly – even beautiful Hinata had unspoken desires that had gone unfulfilled and hidden wishes buried deep inside. Exhaling through my nose, I looked away, that churning feeling in my stomach bothering me all the more. Seems the world was a hard place to live in for all of us sometimes…

It didn't feel right to break the silence for a while after that, so I didn't. I just leaned down on the rail on my folded arms, the two of us standing calmly in the warmth and silence. But, being Naruto Uzumaki, I couldn't let her stay down for too long...

"Alright," I said. "Out with it. What do you want?"

"Me?" she said, blinking a few times as she turned towards me.

"Yeah, I shared with you. It's only fair."

Her mouth opened as if to say something, but then she looked away, the glow of the sun almost hiding the deepening pink on her cheeks...almost.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "So you do want something! What is it? Come on, tell me."

I noticed the corners of her lips stretching out a bit, though her smile was still a bit shy.

"Come onnn," I nudged at her side. "I won't tell anybody."

Her gaze remained away from me and, finally, she shook her head to the sides.

"Aw, come on." I emphasized my whine. "I told you."

The cogs seemed to turn in her mind for a bit before she inhaled briefly. A brief smile and then she opened her lips. "I... I..."

"Come on..."

"I..." Her lips pursed and her smile returned. "I am content, Naruto-kun."

If I could've squinted at her any harder, I would've. "Yeah, yeah, say something to me that basically wrecks my soul and then just stand there talking about, 'I'm content, Naruto-kun.'"

Another giggle left her throat as her smile grew, and I could see that the only reason she had not laughed was because she had very consciously forced herself not to.

"Come on," I said seriously, though still smiling. "Stop being shy for once and just say it."

There seemed to be a moment for which she considered it, but then a sort of sad smile came to rest on her lips, and she let her gaze fall to the floor, silently shaking her head no. "No. Not today."

I nearly opened my mouth to protest again, but this time my perception didn't fail me. The changes were subtle, but didn't escape my notice. Her eyes turned away and to the side, her body fell slightly rigid as she gripped the railing just that little bit harder, and on her lips settled a smile that didn't really stretch that far. Seems whatever she wanted was a more sensitive subject than I realized... Finally letting the dog lie, I smiled. "It's alright."

"I'm sorry," she said softly, turning to me with a light smile.

"Hey, I said it's ok."

She nodded.

"Hey," I chirped. "Wanna just stand here leaning on this rail and doing nothing?"

Thinking about it for just a second, she nodded up and down. "Yes."

I watched her for a bit from the corner of my eye, slightly displeased at how her lip had gone into a straight line and her eyes lost some of their light. Her face had grown more serious after my question, though I could still see traces of warmth from our conversation. It all made me wonder just what the Hyuga princess was so disturbed about, but like she said, it was a question for another day. Leaning over a bit, I nudged her with my shoulder. "Smile a bit, Hinata."

Letting her body sway from my nudge, she let the corner of her lips facing me turn upwards, then her eyes settle on the horizon.

My smile grew with hers and wasn't much more; a subtle grin that barely touched my whiskers. In silence we stood, watching the deep yellow sun as it took up the entire western border, its impossible reach seeming to engulf the land as it started to set. I don't really know how to describe what standing there with her in that moment was like, but it was something I don't think I've ever experienced before, and as we stood the two of us in the setting sun, I felt as if we had somehow transcended the moment, both of our hearts no longer in our chests, but somehow dancing in the sun.

Author's Note:

Ah, a nice, quiet ending to finish things off. Perhaps a bit bittersweet, perhaps not. Either way, let me know what you thought in a review if you're so inclined. I would appreciate it very, very much. :) This had a more serious tone than my usual works, but I think it worked in the end.

As an aside, I feel like if NaruHina was gonna be a thing in the end, this is one route that could've been taken, at least to start things off between them. Kind of shoving Naruto's feelings for Sakura under the rug wasn't the best way of going about things. Even if it wasn't dealt with extensively, it could have been touched on like it was here, that way NaruSaku fans didn't feel like their ship got trashed without any reasoning behind it. I'm sure the ending also infuriated NaruSaku fans due to the fact that Naruto's feelings were made to appear a simple manifestation of his desire to compete with Sasuke when throughout the show that was obviously shown to not be the case.

Now, that being said, I am thinking about releasing a second chapter for this story. Maybe it will end there, maybe it won't. Not quite sure yet. Either way, that's likely coming out around Christmas as it will also carry a Christmas theme within the story. (Note: Though another chapter is planned, I have marked this story as complete because it can stand on its own as an open-ended one-shot.) Anyway, hope you all stay safe. Happy Thanksgiving once again, and I hope you all have a blessed holiday. Peace.