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Chapter Text

Heaven and Earth

Chapter 6

Escaping the Maelstrom

Yakiniku Q was quite packed for an early evening in the middle of the week, but that certainly couldn't have anything to do with the fact several people witnessed the village hero walk inside with his friends.

The young men of the Konoha 11 were greeted eagerly by a hostess of almost the same age the moment they walked in, and she was quick to show them all to a large table in a nice and private corner. The table had two charcoal braziers spaced out for both ends to be able to easily reach, and they had a nice view of the outside from the large windows next to them.

They sat down on the cushions with Chōji, Shikamaru, and Sai on one side of the table, while Kiba, Shino, and Rock Lee sat on the other. Meanwhile, Naruto sat at the end closest to Sai and Kiba.

The hostess noticeably lingered for a few seconds more as they each took a seat, her eyes blatantly taking inventory of the clearly strong and handsome men gracing her presence. She graciously wished them all a wonderful meal and a pleasant evening with a noticeable flush to her cheeks before scurrying back to her post.

Not too long after, less than a minute actually, that a waitress came and took their drink and dinner orders. Since Chōji and Shikamaru were regulars they were able to make satisfactory suggestions that appealed to everyone, so they were able to order everything surprisingly quick.

It was really nice for Naruto to be able to sit and relax with his friends like this again, and while they would usually be at his place playing several competitive rounds of poker he certainly wouldn't complain about or turn down a good hearty meal.

Admittedly, it was pretty hard to hold and manage a deck of cards in just one hand... But holding chopsticks was practically second nature at this point for his left hand, so that was something!

Their waitress returned in what must have been a record time - even from Chōji's standpoint - with the starting portions of their food while another carried a tray of their drinks. As quick as they had been to bring it, however, they sure took their sweet time placing it around them as they moved with an exaggerated slowness that didn't seem natural.

But Naruto couldn't understand how the other guys were being so patient about it when his own stomach was practically screaming from starvation! The others apart from Sai and... well he couldn't tell if Shino was, too, but it didn't change the fact that they were just sitting there watching the ladies work like weirdos.

Finally they left and the group were able to start cooking their food in peace, much to the blonde's immense joy. He was really hungry after a long day of exercise and physical therapy.

Even though he was down half an arm, Naruto still made it essential for him to get some training in to keep his body in shape. As well, he was trying to figure out the best ways of defending himself while he was basically the equivalent to a wounded animal vulnerable to nearby predators.

Yes, the five shinobi nations have reached a very fortunate time of peace in the aftermath of the war, but it would not be surprising for someone to try something by taking advantage of this quiet period. And if they did, Naruto hated the idea of being weak and defenseless...

But Baa-chan had told him that she was on the cusp of a breakthrough with the new arm she was trying to make for him. Something about... the First Hokage's cells and a bunch of big medical terms...?

Sakura was a lot better at explaining it to him; that basically his new arm was going to be a merging of Lord Hashirama's regenerative ability into a puppet-like prosthetic that he would be able to move and use just as effectively as his original. If done correctly, his chakra network would be able to be restored into the prosthetic with the assistance of the First's DNA.

That was all he needed to hear to completely put his entire faith and trust into the both of them, who reassured him up and down that they had done all the necessary ground work and they were very enthusiastic that it would work.

Naruto certainly hoped so... He missed having both arms - he'll certainly never take it for granted again if he regained them.

Over the course of the meal it seemed like they were just getting some really attentive service; the waitress made frequent appearances and she was always asking if they needed anything before they could even think to ask for it. Naruto was truly amazed by her dedication to her job.

If only the oblivious boy knew why she was so attentive...

"Please let me know if there's anything else I can do for you..." She said, though her eyes were strictly on Naruto as she spoke.

Unfortunately for her the object of her affections was completely oblivious to both her suggestive wording and state of dress and just kept eating as normal. A noticeable pout formed on her face when she realized he wasn't paying her any mind, and she sullenly walked off towards the back once more while subtly readjusting her top back to normal.

Kiba watched her go with a smirk on his face.

"Man... You're so lucky to have all kinds of girls chasing after you now, Naruto." The brunette commented, leaning his chin into his palm. This was exactly the kind of thing Kiba used to picture when he dreamed of being Hokage; fame and all kinds of attention, especially with the ladies.

Naruto just looked up, confusion clear as day on his face that was puffed up like a chipmunk as he chewed his food.

"Why is that?" He asked, mouth still full.

Kiba, Lee and Chōji all looked at him as if he were crazy for asking, while Shikamaru just shook his head at them.

Honestly, what were they expecting of the blond knucklehead? Just because he's a war hero doesn't suddenly make him a ladies man.

"Are you kidding? You can have your pick of practically any girl in the village, and they'll almost fall at your feet!" Chōji ranted as a dreamy look came upon his face, picturing a pretty girl lavishing him in praise and compliments while feeding him his favorite foods.

"The opportunity you have is very envious indeed, Naruto-kun. To have so many youthful beauties seeking your attention..." Lee agreed with an enthusiastic nod of his head.

"Yeah man, you could have a girl for every day of the week if you wanted. Take advantage of the variety." Kiba smirked at him while waggling his eyebrows. Naruto only frowned at him, his own brows furrowing together.

Sure, at the start of it all when things had calmed down after the war it had been pretty nice having so many people showering him with attention. It had been something a part of him craved since he was a child, after all, having their respect and acknowledgment. Now he had their praise as well.

It only got better when there had been shop owners wanting him to stop in and take some of their goods at great discounts or sometimes even free of charge, or when random people had offered to pay for his bowls of ramen at Ichiraku's. It was a complete one-eighty from the way he used to be treated as a kid and he couldn't help but indulge in it for a little while.

But then over time Naruto started growing uncomfortable with a bunch of strangers randomly popping in and gifting him things, even at the expense of interrupting his personal time on occasion. Sure they meant no harm, but it didn't change the fact it was inconvenient at times when they did it while he was working or with his friends.

At times he found himself wishing he could be treated like a normal person again - he didn't want to be put on some pedestal. He wasn't like Sasuke in the Academy, he couldn't handle the constant spotlight with a dismissive attitude... he just wanted people to treat him with a decent level of respect that every human being was entitled to.

It was only now that Naruto actually felt bad about all the bad-mouthing he'd done to Sasuke in those days... Surely he had been tired of it back then too, and for good reason.

"Thanks but no thanks. That may have been Ero-Senin's dream come true, but it's not mine." Naruto said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He never saw the appeal when he was traveling with the old pervert, and he still didn't now as a grown teenager nearing seventeen.

More importantly, though, was that he didn't want just any girl in the village or outside of it... He only wanted one in particular.

Of all the girls to suddenly shower me with attention... why couldn't one of them be Sakura-chan? Naruto wondered with a pout as he picked at his food for a moment.

"And besides, most of Naruto's new admirers are civilian girls. Do you really think they know what they're signing up for by trying to date him?" Shikamaru asked in a dull voice as he jerked a thumb in the blonde's direction, who jolted in offense.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked in feigned indigence.

"Mainly that you're an unpredictable idiot with too far much energy for a poor average woman to keep up with." The pony-tailed brunette replied in a deadpan without skipping a beat.

"Hey!"

Laughter fell over the table for a few seconds.

"Well you gotta admit, since the war is over we can actually start thinking about dating now. So real talk... if you could have your pick of anyone who would it be, Naruto?" Chōji asked while spearing some more fresh meat off the grill.

Naruto almost choked on his drink at the question, not expecting to be put on the spot like this.

"I thought it was obvious." Sai said with a tilt of his head while Naruto coughed up a storm trying to clear his lungs.

"What do you mean obvious? ... Oh. You're talking about Hinata, aren't you?" Chōji asked before shoveling food into his mouth.

Kiba twitched and a tiny, indiscernible frown settled on his face.

"Eh? Hinata...?" Naruto repeated, puzzled. "Why would you think he meant her?"

"You mean he didn't?" The canine master asked with raised brows, his tone only perceptible to Shino's ears. The dark bespectacled man kept silent and nursed his own drink as he continued to listen and observe.

"No, I meant Ugly." Sai clarified before taking a bite of freshly cooked beef.

"Dammit Sai, quit calling Sakura-chan that!" Naruto growled at the pale man who simply blinked owlishly at him.

"I thought guys were allowed to speak freely amongst friendly outings? She's not here to punish me for it, what's the problem?" Sai asked in confusion with a tilt of his head.

"I have a problem!" The jinchūriki snapped while slamming his only fist down on the table, the loud bang rattling some tableware.

"Wait, Sakura...? She's the girl you want to date?" Kiba inquired incredulously.

Naruto didn't like the harsh inflection in his question, so he scowled in response.

"And what's wrong if it is?"

"I understand completely, Naruto-kun. Sakura-san has truly blossomed into a very extravagant flower of radiant beauty recently, all thanks to her hard work and the Power of Youth!" Lee praised as he raised his glass of sparkling water towards him.

In truth, Lee would be quite jealous if Naruto succeeded in asking Sakura out, his own affections for the pinkette still ever present even after all this time. But he had long accepted them to be unrequited, and instead counted his blessings in having her friendship.

"Well... I'm just surprised you still hold feelings at all for her. Especially now. I was always under the assumption you only liked Sakura when we were kids because of your rivalry with Sasuke." Kiba admitted before taking a swig of his drink.

Slowly, Naruto turned more of his body towards Kiba, his blue eyes narrowed slightly and his mouth set in a firm line.

"... Why would you think that?" The blonde asked, trying to keep his voice calm. It was incredibly hard, though, as Kiba's words had unintentionally struck a hidden nerve.

"With the way she treated you when we were kids I figured it was either that or her looks. So if it's neither of those, what is it about her that really piques your interest to make you want to date her?"

Naruto didn't like at all the way Kiba had delivered that question - his tone signaling that no matter what answer he gave it wouldn't change his opinion.

"It's none of your business. There's a lot more to our relationship than you know, Dog-Breath, and it has nothing to do with Sasuke-teme." He responded, surprisingly calm.

"Kiba raises a fair point, though, Naruto. Sakura always had eyes for Sasuke, she hasn't exactly given you any reason to like her as anything beyond a friend." Chōji said through another mouthful.

Naruto's fist tightened over his chopsticks in his lap under the table. He hated that his feelings for Sakura were being dissected and scrutinized like this, and it was taking everything to keep his temper from rising.

It was bad enough having to deal with them in private, trying to silently keep them in check so they wouldn't run rampant and cause him more pain in the end... Now he was being put in a spot where he felt he had to actively defend them.

"I've liked Sakura-chan since before we became Genin." Naruto admitted strongly, leaving no room to doubt him.

The Akimichi's brows shot up in surprise. "That long?"

"If you've always liked her then why didn't you make a move on her in all the time Sasuke was gone?" Kiba challenged him with a raised eyebrow.

"It was because of her feelings for Sasuke, obviously. That and his promise to her." Sai answered in his stead, causing the blonde to grit his teeth in annoyance.

"Would you quit spouting my business on my behalf, Sai?!" Naruto snapped with a scowl.

The artist had the decency to shrink a bit under his ire before going back to eating, having realized he might've overstepped. An improvement, to say the least.

The irony of Sai being the one to point out the "obvious" of someone else's feelings was not at all lost on the other men.

"And anyway, if you must know, Kiba... That would've made me the biggest jerk in the world if I tried to take advantage of her while she was feeling vulnerable from Sasuke's leaving. What kind of man do you take me for?"

"You are a very noble man indeed, Naruto-kun. Putting her happiness before your own..." Lee said with sympathy as he lowered his head in respect.

"Yeah, sure..." Kiba scoffed at him with a deep frown. "I just thought you'd eventually grow up and get over your crush on her, you know? All the women you've met throughout the years and she's the one you're still hung up on?"

This made Naruto scowl firmly at the brunette, wondering why he was being given the third degree right now over something Kiba never cared about before now.

"What's your problem all of a sudden, Kiba? What does it matter to you if I still like Sakura-chan or not?" Naruto demanded.

Kiba recognized the confrontational tone in the blonde's voice and leveled him with what could only be described as a snarl.

"You really wanna know? Okay... My problem is you being hung up on someone who considers you her second choice!"

Naruto's face fell instantly at hearing those words. His whole body froze in place and simultaneously he lost the strength in his hand as his utensils fell uselessly to the floor by his knees with an audible clatter.

The rest of the table held a mix of shocked and disapproval. Though they all didn't know the reason for his choice of words, they still didn't think it right to attack their friend's heart in this manner.

"That was a low blow, Kiba..." Shikamaru said in a stern voice with a scowl to match.

But Kiba didn't back down despite the dirty looks he was receiving. He doubled down.

"... But it's the truth, isn't it?"

The tension around the table was building as the conversation went on.

"It isn't." Shikamaru responded tightly. "Ino had an obsessive crush on Sasuke once, too, but no one made as much of a scene when she got over it. Why is it so surprising that someone's feelings on a person can change with time, age and maturity?"

No one had to know that he was speaking with a bit of experience, of course. While Shikamaru still maintained the same opinion that women and marriage were troublesome, he had grown to see a little of what his father had been talking about years ago when he asked why he married his mother of all people.

"Thank you, Shikamaru." Naruto said quietly, though his fist was shaking under the table.

"Still doesn't change the fact Sakura didn't give you the time of day when we were in the Academy; she treated you like gum that she couldn't scrape off her shoe..." Kiba reminded them all, remembering the days when most the girls would be annoyingly loud before class started.

They would always be giggling and fawning over Sasuke even when he was just sitting quietly doing nothing, keeping to himself. And Sakura was always among them.

Kiba simply couldn't understand how Naruto could have gotten a crush on Sakura of all people in the first place, to be honest. As kids she practically ignored his very existence unless it was to yell at him, which happened a lot since Naruto was always trying to compete with her precious Sasuke whenever he could in their mostly one-sided rivalry.

Naruto had enough and spoke up for himself then.

"Just because she's made mistakes in the past it doesn't mean that's how she is now. We were kids who didn't know better. You think I hold anything against any of you for avoiding me like the other kids did at the time before we became friends? No, of course not."

Lee and Sai could be excused from that, seeing as they didn't meet til after the fact, but the rest of the table knew the depth of Naruto's words just now. He had always been a person who believed in forgiveness - it was a key element to his core being.

Why should Sakura be condemned by others for what she felt in the past regarding him if he didn't bear a grudge against her? Especially if she wasn't that same person anymore?

"She's grown into a way more amazing person now, both physically and emotionally! Sakura-chan's ability to love those she cares about is unmatched by any I've ever seen." Naruto said while placing his hand over his heart.

But then Kiba got this dark look on his face and he asked a question no one saw coming, least of all Naruto himself.

"So is that why she lied to your face in the Tetsu no Kuni?"

"..."

His heart skipped a beat beneath his hand.

A heavily pregnant pause came over the table, the silence so deafening despite the lively ambience of the people around them.

Lee began to sweat a bit, since he had also been present for the event that had just been brought up, while Sai maintained his perfect poker face.

The rest just kept quiet in anticipation of Naruto's next reaction since they didn't know what all Kiba was talking about.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I think it's really shitty for a girl to take advantage of someone's crush on her and use it to her own advantage... And yet here this guy is... Pining for a chick that told him she loved him so she could go on a suicide mission!"

The food still cooking on the griddle was left completely forgotten by now.

"K-Kiba-kun-!" Lee gasped while hand-signaling to stop.

But Kiba was having none of it at this point, "No! He needs to hear this and really think about what he's doing, not just to himself but to others!"

Shino's head sharply rose at that.

"Stop now, Kiba..." Naruto hissed. This was not the place to be having this discussion - they shouldn't even be having it, period!

"I told you it's none of your business!"

"The hell it's not!" Kiba exploded back. "I was there that day, remember?! We told her to just suck it up and tell you the truth but she insisted on doing things her way, and look what happened!"

Everyone was stunned by the sudden outburst, none more so than Naruto himself, who was trying his very hardest to keep his temper in check. Even if Kiba had a right to his opinion having been a witness to that event, it still didn't give him the right to pass judgement on something he didn't know the full story on.

"Did you two just happen to forget the fact that she knocked us all out with sleeping powder?! Left us defenseless til Kakashi found us?!" Kiba demanded while looking between Lee and Sai, the former appearing conflicted while the latter remained impassive.

"Sakura put so much in jeopardy that day just to be selfish and cruel, you know as well as I do she was just saying what she did so you'd quit chasing after Sasuke! And I don't see how you can still talk so highly of her when she's been nothing but a total bitch to you!"

"Kiba!" Chōji growled, aghast at his callous words.

"I was also there, too, when she begged you to bring Sasuke back, in case you forgot. It seems a little too convenient that she just switches between guys like that if you ask me!"

Naruto saw red begin to bleed into the edges of his vision at the disparaging remarks being made about his teammate, his hand clenching so tightly into a fist that his knuckles started turning white.

But Kiba wasn't done, either oblivious or uncaring of Naruto's building anger.

"And you know what, I bet she's over the moon that Sasuke's back and going to be walking free soon. Just simply waiting for the moment he can be released from prison so she can keep degrading herself for his atte-!"

His words cut off as a single hand roughly grabbed the furred collar of his jacket and yanked him up to stand.

"SHUT UP!" Naruto roared into his face, his eyes remaining their bright blue color but getting dangerously close to turning feral as his pupils sharpened like they did in his tailed form.

It did nothing to intimidate the canine master, as Kiba bared his teeth to match the furious expression on the blonde's face. Meanwhile the others gathered around the table stood up and stepped closer to pull them apart.

But before anything more could happen, a stern voice came from behind them.

"Hey! If you're gonna start fighting then take it outside! Now!" The manager of the restaurant shouted, looming over the group with a deadly glare and crossed burly arms.

But it didn't escalate any further than that, because Kiba snarled and shoved Naruto off of him before reaching into his pocket.

"It's all good, I'm outta here anyway..." He growled lowly, then he slammed a few ryo down onto the table to cover his share of the meal and proceeded to storm out of the restaurant without looking back.

People all around them glanced back and forth between Kiba and the group that remained standing awkwardly around the table, hushed whispers filling the tense air.

Slowly, the guys started sitting back down one by one, trying to decide the best way to try and salvage the evening.

Naruto took several deep meditating breaths to calm down, his shoulders trembling some as he stared at his half-empty plate. His appetite suddenly lost.

"Forgive Kiba, please." Shino suddenly spoke up, reminding everyone that he was still present.

"What made him snap all of a sudden...?" Chōji asked quietly. "I've never seen him get like that, especially over something that doesn't really concern him. It is Naruto's life after all."

"In a way, to Kiba, it does concern him..." Shino stated ominously.

"What do you mean by that?" Shikamaru asked inquisitively, though he was already leaning towards an idea.

"... I shouldn't say anymore than that." The bespectacled man said quietly.

"Does it have something to do with Hinata?" The genius inquired. He'd noticed that the conversation quickly took a sharp turn the moment Chōji brought her into it and he had a suspicion why that was.

"..."

"Why are you guys bringing Hinata up again?" Naruto asked in genuine confusion. "What does she have to do with anything?"

The table grew quiet once more.

"Naruto..." Shino began after several agonizing moments of silence. "May I ask why you have been suddenly spending more time with Hinata lately?"

Now Naruto was even more confused by the sudden turn in questioning.

How did we get from talking about my feelings about Sakura to hanging out with Hinata?!

"I don't understand... She's my friend, of course I don't mind spending time with her. Especially recently, she's helped me a lot to come to terms with Neji's sacrifice. I was hoping I was doing the same for her..."

"I see." Shino said softly.

"But I don't understand what any of that has to do with Kiba getting upset over Sakura!" Naruto felt like tearing his hair out and felt he would if someone didn't stop being vague and just spell it out for him.

"It's because Kiba cares very much for Hinata, and his protective nature for her sometimes overrules his empathy for others."

"I can understand that, but it doesn't make him any less of an ass for what he just said! He had no right to say those things when he doesn't know a damn thing of what he's talking about!" Naruto seethed, doing his best to not let his voice rise to invite eavesdroppers.

Shino slowly nodded his head in agreement.

"No, he doesn't... But you must understand that Kiba has been there to witness all of these events take place and he was unable to do anything to properly help like he wanted to. He's had to keep quiet throughout everything and put aside his own feelings out of respect for the knowledge that it wasn't his place to get involved. I'm sure you of all people can understand that, Naruto."

Naruto sighed heavily through his nose, and then he nodded once.

"Understanding it may be... But it seemed to me like Kiba was projecting some of his own frustrations onto Naruto." Shikamaru pointed out.

"... You are not incorrect." Shino admitted.

Kiba was projecting...?

"Will someone please just tell me what me hanging out with Hinata has to do with Kiba-?! Wait..." Naruto suddenly stopped as a dawning expression came over his face.

The others grew curious as they watched the little wheels of thought turn in Naruto's thick skull.

Did he finally realize what the rest of them had been able to pick up on at some point or another...?

"Kiba's just jealous of me hanging out with Hinata because he likes her! Is that it?!"

...

...

It was only at the behest of preserving Hinata's own emotional privacy that nobody said a word to the contrary and just sat there while the one-armed blonde looked back and forth between them all. Even Sai kept his mouth shut, properly reading the room for once.

After that, it quickly became pretty clear to all of them that dinner was officially over... if the untouched burnt and nearly blackened meat on the grill was any indication.

Even the flirty waitress had picked up on the tension and swiftly delivered the bill soon after.

Naruto ended up leaving the restaurant feeling more frustrated and stressed than he was when he went in as he walked home. Thankfully no one bothered him along the way, because he really needed the space.

What right did Kiba have to bring up Sakura and the... the proclamation she made to him in Tetsu no Kuni? Why did he feel the need to insert himself into Naruto's private affairs like that?!

The blonde kicked a rock hard enough to watch it bounce off multiple walls before spiking through a garbage can and leaving a gaping hole that spilled out a bit of garbage.

Dammit...!

The part that angered Naruto the most was the fact that he was being forced to be confronted with it just when he felt he had finally started to heal from it!

He'd worked so hard to show Sakura that he was doing okay and she didn't need to worry about him in that way anymore...!

Naruto knew the reason she had told him that she-... Told him what she did was because she had been trying in her own way to protect both him and Sasuke from their deadly clash.

After what she witnessed to be the aftermath of their final confrontation Naruto couldn't blame her for being scared that they would have killed each other - she couldn't have possibly known he would succeed despite his many proclamations to do so.

And if he were being honest, losing an arm was a fair trade-off for fulfilling what he'd set out to do: He had kept his promise to her just as he always wanted.

... And yet he didn't feel as happy about it as he wished he could be.

Of course he was ecstatic to have his brother back and his old team made whole again - in a sense... But a part of him felt anxious about what would happen going forward now that the time of war was over and Sasuke was highly likely to be released soon.

And that conversation with Kiba and the guys didn't do anything to ease that anxiety either, instead filling him with more questions that just muddied the waters even more to make it harder for him to prepare for the future.

Naruto thought he had mentally prepared himself for this during the years he had spent chasing that stubborn idiot all over the place, for the day he would be back among them and how things would change as a result.

But now the day was practically here and he was still as lost in the dark about what would happen next as he was almost two years ago.

Would Sakura and Sasuke... grow closer now?

Anything was possible to occur... Sasuke had shown quite a bit of a change in the times Naruto had paid him a visit in his prison cell.

He was far more quiet, and Naruto would be quick to admit he wished Sasuke would open up to him a bit more like he did while they were laying together bleeding out from their respective injuries to each other... But he also knew that his friend had always been the kind to try and figure out his own path for himself.

And whether or not that path was going to have Sakura traveling alongside it... Well, that was up to the two of them to decide for themselves.

It's what Naruto worked so hard for, after all.

But he wasn't dumb. He suspected that even with Sasuke being allowed to walk free, he wouldn't actually stay in the village. Certain things he'd said in confidence hinted towards such...

Would Sakura want to go with him...?

He couldn't help but wonder what kind of things they talked about in the privacy of Sakura's nursing visits to Sasuke... Were they making amends in their own way?

Sakura never gave Naruto any insight into said visits... She just always told him that Sasuke was doing well physically and she made sure he had decently balanced meals provided or whatnot.

And Naruto desperately wished he didn't want to know so bad, that he didn't care this much... but he did.

He did and his heart ached because of it.

Naruto knew he was never the greatest at thinking things through to the fullest. He'd plan for the future without actually thinking about what all goes into the process of getting there.

Or what happens when you do finally get there, it seems...

Now that he had arrived at the point where his role had been fulfilled and things were left in Sasuke and Sakura's hands... He had no idea what he should do now.

The only thing he knew he had to do was keep moving forward and do what he always did best...

Improvise.

Two days later, Naruto was approached by none other than Hinata herself.

She had caught him just as he was leaving Ichiraku, looking almost as if she had been waiting for him.

"Hello, Naruto-kun." She smiled sweetly. "It's wonderful to see you."

The blonde paused outside the entrance, genuinely surprised to see her.

"Hinata, hi... How have you been?"

The pale-eyed girl fidgeted somewhat as she took a deep breath, trying her hardest not to stammer like she used to when she was a child. Then she let it out slowly, and lifted her shy countenance towards Naruto.

"I... I actually wanted to talk to you about something. If you're free, that is?" Hinata asked softly, her lashes fluttering slightly under his gaze.

Naruto blinked a couple times, before he slowly nodded his head.

"Okay, sure. Let's walk this way then." He pointed in a random direction, and Hinata didn't object as she tagged alongside him.

They wandered the streets of Konoha side by side, a companionable silence stretching between them as they made their way to the quieter outskirts of the village. Naruto waited patiently for Hinata to feel comfortable enough to tell him what she had on her mind, but the minutes seem to tick by and they still had yet to speak a word to one another.

They were starting down a path that followed the river when he felt like he should be the one to try and break the ice.

"So... we've been walking for a while but not really talking..." Naruto began awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head in his nervous habit.

Hinata's eyes widened as she looked up at him.

"Oh! I-I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun... I didn't mean to take so long."

"No, no! It's fine!" Naruto quickly said. "I don't mean to sound like I'm rushing you!"

"No... It's just that I thought I had everything I wanted to say prepared but..."

The dark-haired woman took in another deep breath and let it out slowly once more.

"Umm, you see Naruto-kun... Something important has been pressing on my mind recently... and I need to get it off my chest."

Naruto grew concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Oh I'm fine! But... Shino, he... He told me about what happened at the restaurant the other night. With Kiba-kun..."

The blonde nearly stopped walking, but somehow he kept going though he couldn't find it in him to meet her eyes at the moment.

"Oh... Ah-"

"It's okay, really. I think perhaps... it was meant to happen in order to give me the confidence to speak with you now like this."

"What do you mean?"

Now Naruto was really curious where this was going. If she was aware of what happened at Yakiniku Q then maybe she had an explanation for Kiba's behavior?

"Naruto-kun. Do you remember that day... when Pain attacked the village and I came to help you?"

... Well that certainly wasn't what he was expecting her to say.

What did all of these completely different things have anything to do with each other?!

But she asked him a question, so he tried to think of an answer to give. What did he remember of that day...?

"Only bits and pieces, really. It was kind of a blur after he pinned me down with those stakes... But I do remember Kurama taking over. After that not so much."

Perhaps it was something his brain did as self-preservation against the trauma of being under the influence of Kurama's uncontained power that had been full of hatred and a yearning for cataclysmic violence. But he never remembered most of what came before he entered the tailed state during that time.

During the moment in question, by the time he really came back to his senses - with the help of his father - he was immediately back in the fight with Pain.

"I see... That does make perfect sense given the circumstances." Hinata acknowledged his explanation with a small upturn of her lips, the faintest hint of a smile.

"But, what I really wanted to speak to you about... is I said to you during that time."

A soft breeze carried across the river just then, blowing softly over the two of them and causing Hinata's long hair to flow gently along with it.

Naruto barely heard her soft-spoken voice as she fully turned herself to look him in the eye, pale-lavender staring into wide blue ones.

Then she spoke in a confidant voice that struck a tone of familiarity within Naruto's memory.

"I actually... I had confessed my feelings of love for you, Naruto-kun."

Silence followed that admission save for that of the wind and the rushing current of the river streaming past.

Naruto swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat at her words, his heart suddenly feeling like it was going to run out of his chest.

The blonde cleared his throat gently, knowing there was nothing he could say other than the truth.

"I'm so sorry, I honestly don't remember hearing you say... If I had known that's what you had said back then I would have tried to find a way to speak to you so much sooner..."

Kami, he felt like the biggest jerk in the world right now...

But Hinata gently shook her head as a smile began to grow on her face, appreciative of his guilt but not wanting it.

"It's alright, Naruto-kun, I have to take responsibility as well. I admit my timing was very reckless - jumping into the fray like that against an enemy such as him... But in that moment I just desperately wanted you to know my feelings before..."

She paused, looking down at the ground between them for a moment.

"Well, in case I would never get another chance to tell you." She finished softly.

Naruto understood the obvious meaning behind those words; She had been scared of the possibility that one or both of them were going to die that day, and she didn't want to live (or die) with that regret tied to her soul.

"I wanted to tell you that I still care very much for you... The feelings I revealed to you that day haven't changed, if anything they've only grown stronger. I just wanted you to know... that I'm still in love with you, Naruto-kun."

It suddenly all clicked into Naruto's head; Kiba's irrational anger, Shino asking about Hinata, her asking to meet with him like this...

Did everyone somehow know this was coming from Hinata?

Everyone... but him?

"I've loved you for quite some time, you see..." Hinata continued, a delicate flush coating her ivory cheeks as she maintained eye contact.

"Ever since we were young, I always saw how people treated you but you still kept on fighting. Whereas I was always so weak... Like you, I was bullied too. I allowed people to walk all over me - unable to stand up to anyone the way you did. I was always so mesmerized by your courage... and yet I had never been able to replicate it until I grew older."

Hinata... Naruto felt his own cheeks grow warm the more he listened to her confession.

"It's mostly in thanks to you that I have been able to grow as strong as I am now, Naruto-kun. So, thank you for that."

Naruto stood in stunned silence for several minutes after she finished, her words resonating deep within his heart as he processed them and their meaning.

His palms suddenly felt cold and sweaty, his breath came a little faster...

He'd never expected something like this to come from Hinata, he was completely blindsided by this sudden turn of events.

Naruto smiled gently at her, an innocently shy look on his face befitting of a boy who was just told by a girl that she was in love with him.

"It makes me happy that you feel that way about me, Hinata, really it does." He told her honestly. "In fact I think you're the first person to ever really say those words out loud to me and truly mean them..."

Hinata watched as his face took on a sudden faraway look while his eyes displayed sadness, appearing to be remembering something that haunted him deep inside.

Naruto sounded very sincere, and he was, and yet she already sensed the word he was soon to utter.

But...?

"... But I can't reciprocate your feelings. I'm so very sorry, I know that's not what you wanted to hear." The blonde lamented as he rubbed the back of his neck in his habitual fashion.

He really hated hurting people, especially ones that don't deserve it like Hinata... But he couldn't lie to himself nor the sweet woman pouring her heart out to him, it wouldn't be right to either of them.

Hinata smiled softly in response though it didn't quite reach, the pure sadness in her heart clear as day in her pale eyes. She sensed that he still had more to say, though, so she kept silent.

"Please understand, Hinata, it's not anything to do with you as a person. You're a wonderful girl, and you deserve to have your feelings returned by someone who-... Who doesn't-"

He paused, unsure how to finish that sentence...

"You already have someone in your heart." Hinata finished for him in understanding.

Blue eyes widened and he gaped at her like a fish as his mouth dropped open.

"H-How did you know...?"

Hinata's smile brightened just a bit. "Just a guess. It appears I was right."

Naruto lowered his head shamefully.

"I'm very sorry, Hinata... It's just... I'm honestly having a bit of trouble with my own feelings and what to do about them from here on. I thought I had come to terms with them already but now it's clear that I haven't and I just... I can't give my heart to someone else, not until I know for sure."

"You need closure." The Hyūga heiress provided helpfully.

"Yeah... Yeah! That's the word; closure! I need that, but... I don't really know how to go about seeking it."

"Why not just go and talk to her like we're doing now?" Hinata offered patiently.

Naruto frowned and awkwardly kicked his foot at the grass as he confessed the truth to her, "I guess for the obvious reason... I'm afraid."

"That's a feeling most anybody can understand. I know I certainly can - seeing as that's what held me back for so long..." She admitted with a small chuckle.

"Hinata..."

"I'm sure you have your own reasons to feel scared, Naruto-kun. It's part of what makes love a slippery slope at times - it can feel like it's impossible to rise to the task of confessing because of the fear that you'll end up falling painfully back down to the bottom..."

Naruto's eyes widened once more as she described exactly how he felt a lot more eloquently than he ever could.

"But even if you fall... I know you'll be strong enough to pick yourself back up. That's just the kind of person you are. But I do hope it all works out for you, Naruto-kun. You deserve it."

Yes, she loved him very much... Yes, she would have loved for him to have accepted her feelings...

But she also recognized that it was selfish of her to try and keep him for herself when he was clearly yearning for someone else.

And this was enough for her. To have finally been able to tell him and know that he knew for himself after all these years of watching him from afar... Yes, that was more than enough for her.

"You think too highly of me, Hinata... but thank you. That makes me feel a bit better." Naruto said, his smile a little sad.

"Of course. Thank you for hearing out my feelings, and letting them down gently."

The blonde nodded, and a heavy silence passed for a few moments before he felt the need to tell her one more thing.

"For what it's worth, Hinata... I genuinely think things could have ended up so much differently if I knew how you felt sooner, especially back then."

Now it was Hinata's turn to be stunned by his words as she looked up at him in surprise.

"I know you had your reasons for keeping your distance, but... But I really wished you had reached out to me back then..."

His voice trembled a little, his vulnerability clear as day as tears filled the corner of his eyes.

"I was so lonely. Everyone hated me and I just had no idea what I did wrong..."

Naruto quickly raised his arm over his face to hide into the crook of his elbow, and Hinata's heart clenched tightly at the pain in his voice.

"If just... one person..."

Had she actually came and reached out to him when he was so desperate for just one friend... things could have ended up so drastically different.

... Perhaps it would have been Hinata that he grew to love so unconditionally, had she just taken the chance on him to make her presence known.

And perhaps then he wouldn't feel so terribly for not being able to accept her love now...

Hinata, herself, also realized that exact thought pattern in this very moment... If she had only tried to be there for him when she had wanted to...

But... it was too late to change the past, wasn't it?

"I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun... I was always rooting for you, even if I was too quiet to hear. But now... Now I just want you to find the happiness you deserve... no matter who it's with."

The blonde's tears slowed underneath his arm, and he took several calming deep breaths.

Finally, he lowered his arm and looked the dark-haired woman in her eyes.

"Thank you for being there in your own way, Hinata. Even when I was too blind to notice."

Hinata smiled with tears of her own in her eyes.

"Thank you... for being my light. Naruto-kun."

And with that, they slowly parted ways. Well, Hinata was the one who left to go on her own while Naruto stayed lingering by the riverside.

He stared intensely into his reflection in the water - taking in the emotionally exhausted look on his own face...

It really did hurt that the moment he finally heard the words "I love you" from a woman, he didn't feel like he was in a position where he could accept them...

All three times now...

The first time apparently he didn't remember. The second... Well that goes without saying.

And the third... Probably the most genuine and picturesque confession one could picture from a girl... and he couldn't bring himself to accept them.

But he had been so firm in telling Sakura how much he hated people who lied to themselves, he would be a complete hypocrite to go back on those words now.

So he won't, not for anyone.

No matter what others said with their opinions, how lonely he felt, or whatever life dealt him he wouldn't do it.

Hinata deserved better than to be a 'second choice', as Kiba put it... Naruto never wanted to hurt her like Sasuke had done to Sakura so many times, even if their circumstances were vastly different.

He suddenly found himself hearing Shizuka's voice the day he departed Nadeshiko for the Land of Lightning.

"When your mission is over... When you return to your village, will you tell that person you love her?"

He didn't have the ability to do that back then, and it still felt like nothing had changed... Even though he knew deep down that everything had.

Naruto knew he couldn't go on like this... that something had to happen now. One way or another he had to confront these feelings head on, even if that only resulted in his heart being shattered again.

Because if Sakura chose to leave with Sasuke after everything they've been through... he would respect her choice. However painful it may be, no matter how hard it would be to accept... he would do it for her, just like he always had.

He would still continue to watch over her, and her happiness.

Then he'd be free to let his heart move on as well.

And if Hinata somehow still found it in her to give him a chance after he had healed... Perhaps he would be ready to try and pursue something real with her.

Maybe then he could fully pay attention to her and find out what more there was to her that made her so special, see what he couldn't when he was blinded by love for another.

But if she, too, had moved on by then... Well, perhaps that was a sign from the universe that he was meant to be alone.

"Sure, nothing would make me happier if she chooses me someday. But it's okay."

... Did he still believe that? Would it really all be okay...?

Naruto held onto the hope that it would.