891Crowds, crowds, and more crowds.
It was only seven in the morning, but the occupants of Konohagakure tended to be early risers. They were more than happy to hound their revered hero who suddenly disappeared for what felt like a lifetime to them. The scene was not unlike what they encountered early on in their journey at the "Great Naruto Bridge".
Sasuke observed the masses from a safe distance, as she all but left her boyfriend to deal with them on his own. She would never handle big crowds well and many were not eager with her reappearance. That was the complete opposite for Naruto. Teenage girls began to pull at him and point a strange rectangular object in his direction. She narrowed her eyes at it as she heard mumbles about how 'cellphones' were so convenient.
It seemed that technology changed alongside the village. The renowned hidden village was restored after the Akatsuki's leaders attack, and it was better than ever. Buildings were being built up to tower over the civilians now. Television screens with advertisements were stationed alongside the streets, and there was a large increase in population density. Businesses boomed and society thrived.
Sasuke felt slightly overwhelmed by the changes. She hasn't lived here since she was twelve, and her clans district was a pile of forgotten debris after Pain's assault. She could hardly pinpoint locations in the village that she walked through while holding her mother's hand all those years ago.
Her face bore a frown, and in that moment, Naruto locked eyes with her from within the crowd. He grinned at her in a way that made so many of the teenagers around him squeal. He was an icon to these people, despite them treating him like a germ in his youth. It was funny how life turned out.
She was about to smile back before his attention was snatched away by several younger shinobi asking for autographs. Sasuke wasn't jealous in the least, but she knew it would take some getting used to.
As would living in Konohagakure.
"I figured something was happening considering the exams, but I didn't expect to see you two. Things are going to get loud again, aren't they?"
Sasuke slid her gaze away from her popular boyfriend to the yawning man who suddenly appeared at her side. He looked down at her with an arched brow on his usually disinterested face.
"Shikamaru."
"Sasuke."
The greeting was as dry as one would expect from the two of them. She could still recall the venomous glare Shikamaru shot her during the war. He did not take kindly to her claim of becoming Hokage, and she came to learn that he grew fond of Naruto over the years. It made sense, Naruto built bonds with such ease.
"I expected him to return, but this is a surprise." Blunt and straight to the point, the Nara always spoke his mind.
"Sorry to disappoint." Sasuke sarcasm was obvious enough that Shikamaru chuckled under his breath.
"Didn't mean it like that. I figured Naruto would return eventually, considering who he is." Shikamaru gestured to the people that swarmed the future Hokage.
"And you figured I'd prefer staying far away from Konoha." Sasuke spoke flatly.
"Can you blame me?"
"No."
They both watched as the crowd began to slowly die down. No matter how much they wanted to bother their hero, the day had to go on. The Chūnin Exams were coming up and the village was bustling.
Sasuke was usually awful at small talk with anyone that wasn't Naruto. Shikamaru was usually awful at waking up early and being productive. That made for the perfect opportunity to stand in an awkward silence.
Shikamaru eventually groaned and rubbed at his aching neck, he sorely missed the surprisingly comfortable beds in Suna. Which he repeatedly visited for totally normal ninja related reasons. Deciding he couldn't take much more of the tense air surrounding the Uchiha, he spoke again. "Not that it's any of my business, but are you sticking around this time?"
Sasuke studied him before turning her attention back to her boyfriend. "As long as he's here, I have nowhere else to be."
Shikamaru's eyebrows shot up into his hairline at the response. Sure, everyone knew Naruto and Sasuke had a very unique relationship. Yet, many people couldn't understand it. Some of the villagers were happy she left in the first place.
"Don't tell me you plan to become his advisor when he's Hokage or something. I already called that position way before you." Shikamaru responded with a small smirk on his face. He was studying under Kakashi and Shizune to be Naruto's advisor. He wouldn't give that up without a fight.
Sasuke turned to him with a smirk of her own. It matched the ones he used to see from her in their Genin days. He felt a small bit of nostalgia creep up on him.
"I don't need to play as the Hokage's errand runner. I'm aiming for something much better."
"And what's that?"
"Use that vastly superior intellect of yours and figure it out." Sasuke answered snidely and gave a shrug of her shoulders.
Shikamaru looked between the Uzumaki and Uchiha several times before sighing loudly. "You're both among the most troublesome people I know. It's like you were made for each other."
Sasuke's expression morphed into a rather pleasant one. Whether or not he meant that as an insult did not matter.
He was completely right.
Naruto's apartment was a rather modest living space despite his celebrity status in the village. Sasuke was informed by her boyfriend that he received it after the war, considering Nagato blew his previous childhood one into splinters.
Looking around, she didn't care that it wasn't overly large or lavish, because truthfully, she'd live with him in a cardboard box if she had to.
While he ran out to get some basic necessities and groceries, as it's been some time since they lived in the village, she familiarized herself with the space. The kitchen, living room, and bathroom were all pretty standard, but the bedroom caught her attention. Specifically, because of the lone photograph on his beside nightstand.
She gently picked up a dusty picture frame, which contained the very first photo she took with him. When they became Team Seven. Sasuke hasn't seen it in years, her own copy was destroyed and forgotten.
"What a terrible start we had, Naruto." Sasuke shook her head solemnly. They were butting heads constantly back then, neither respecting each other for their own childish reasons. The sour expressions they wore as twelve year olds were amusing now, but at the time they were ready to rip each other apart. A bitter inferiority complex, heaps of self-destructive tendencies, anxiety, and depression were all Sasuke could see when she reflected on the young Uchiha in the photograph.
It was definitely a sentimental picture for all of Team Seven, the beginning of their hectic shinobi life, but Sasuke didn't particularly love it. Her regrets ate away at her when confronting things from the past, and although she felt she was steadily improving, the memories brought back unpleasant feelings.
When the bedroom door opened, Sasuke continued to stare at the photo with her face scrunched up in heavy thought. A few taps on her shoulder eventually drew her attention away from the old group picture.
"Reminiscing?"
"Big word for you." The dig at him came as effortlessly as breathing.
"It's not a big word, come on."
Sasuke smiled at his response before setting the picture frame back down. "Naruto, what do you remember from that day?"
"From when we took the team pictures? A lot." Naruto chucked to himself. "I was so excited to finally be a shinobi, but I was also pissed to be stuck with that very cute girl who always had a constipated look on her face."
"You're annoying."
"Nope, I'm loser. Sakura is annoying."
"So dumb…" The start of what sounded like a laugh spilled from Sasuke's mouth after saying that. Naruto grinned at her like he won the lottery.
"Ya know, every time I look at that picture, I wonder if things would have turned out differently between us. If we weren't so, uh…"
"Stubborn? Idiotic? Spiteful?" Sasuke threw out some words and Naruto nodded at each one.
"All three."
Sasuke glanced back at the photo one final time before shaking her head. "I wondered that at one point too, but I don't know what life would be like if things changed. I'm very happy about us now." She tried to look anywhere but into his eyes when she said it.
Unfortunately, with Naruto being himself, he didn't allow that. He placed a hand under her chin and gently lifted her face up. The Uchiha bit her lip when she witnessed his sappy and attractive smile.
"I love you."
Those magical words sapped her strength away, and the kiss after killed her. Taking the initiative, she pulled him as hard as she could with one hand and fell back onto his soft bed at the same time.
Right as she opened her mouth to really get into a severe make out session with the only person she ever wanted on top of her… Naruto pulled away.
"What's wrong?" Sasuke stared up at him with confusion swirling in her gaze. He hovered over her, and the position alone made her thighs rub together rather lewdly. Her libido constantly surprised her, but she couldn't suppress it when alone with Naruto.
"Promise you won't get mad?"
"No."
"Damn."
"Spit it out."
"I kinda, sorta, maybe, invited Sakura over." Naruto genuinely sounded apologetic.
"You interrupted our private intimacy for that?"
"Heh. You sound like an old lady calling it private intimacy."
"Oh, sorry." Sasuke paused to apologize sarcastically and narrowed her eyes. "You interrupted me potentially sucking on your tongue and swapping spit with you to talk about Sakura."
Naruto gulped when she described it in such a way. That wasn't fair at all. "I ran into Sakura, and she was pretty pissed about us not contacting her while we were away. So, I invited her over to hangout."
"You felt the need to tell me this right now."
"She's coming over in an hour and I wanted to give you time to get ready!"
"Do we have to?"
"We are Team Seven, right?."
"No, I was replaced by Sai." Sasuke dropped her head back onto Naruto's bed and stared at the ceiling angrily. "I hate you."
"You don't."
"Let me say that I do."
"Okay, well I hate you too."
Sasuke reached up and poked Naruto on the forehead. "You're not allowed to say that to your girlfriend."
"Huh? Who made that a rule?!"
"The girlfriend society. You better say I love you again." She gave him a mock glare.
"I'm not a dog you can just command to do things."
"What if I offer you an incentive to say it?"
"What can you possibly offer me?" Naruto played along with their little game.
…And then he froze when his girlfriend's soft hand traveled from his chest to the waistband of his pants. She tauntingly ran her fingers across the fabric.
"I love you."
Sasuke smiled triumphantly. She didn't even need her Sharingan to put him in a trance.
Haruno Sakura was over the moon when she saw them again. However, she was torn between beating them over the head with her chakra enhanced fists or hugging them to death. The pink haired medic cherished what she had with them, specifically with Naruto.
Sure, they had very rocky moments in their friendship. She had a terribly bad habit of putting her foot in her mouth when speaking to Naruto. She never meant to hurt him because of her own stupidity, and she still beat herself up for the failed confession she made. But she would have liked a letter at least!
Deep down, Sakura loved Naruto. The confession she made to him, in an attempt to stop him from risking his life for Sasuke, wasn't entirely false. There was no way she could spend so much time with Naruto from when she was twelve and not feel anything for him. He was infuriatingly endearing.
"I swear to everything, if you keep giving me this bullshit about some immortal guy… You two can shatter a fucking meteorite in seconds, I'm sure you dealt with that in the blink of an eye."
Naruto chuckled nervously while he sat extremely close to Sasuke on his couch. Sakura was seated on a very large chair in front of them, and she leaned forward with narrowed eyes.
"Okay, fine. We owe you a better explanation…"
"We forgot. That's all there is to it." The Uchiha cut in abruptly and Sakura was reminded how Sasuke's visage alone can be considered intimidating to almost everyone on the planet.
Naruto rubbed his hair awkwardly but nodded in agreement. "We really did, I'm sorry. We spent a lot of time dealing with bounties, and I even received some Kage training from Gaara and Mei. Then there were all these tiny villages we visited, and traveling in general takes time. So…" He trailed off.
"I mean, I get it. I just wish you would have thought to let me know what was happening. You know I care about you both." Sakura admitted to them with a cute pout.
"Aww~ she really missed us! You hear that?" Naruto nudged his girlfriend with his elbow before resting his hand on her thigh. Sasuke huffed at him but didn't try to move his hand. In fact, she smiled at him for a few seconds instead. Sakura blinked at the casual physical contact. It wasn't unusual for Naruto to be touchy with Sasuke, but it was never accepted so happily.
"What have you been up to, Sakura-chan?" Naruto questioned while Sasuke moved to press into him just a bit more, which fueled Sakura's curiosity.
Now that she took a good look at her, Sasuke seemed different. Yes, her tone that screamed disinterest for those around her did not change, but the alterations to her physical appearance were hard to ignore. No longer did her messy bangs cover her face like a spiky mop, instead she actually put effort into styling her long hair. That worked in her favor, as it revealed just how sharp and regal her features were, similar to a princess. Her body language was no longer stiff and rigid. The Sasuke that Sakura used to know was always on edge.
While her attire only consisted of black and grey colors, Sakura was surprised at how her clothing was so form fitting. Sasuke did not show off like Ino for example, with skirts designed to draw attention and crop tops revealing enough for maximum cleavage. Instead, the tight long sleeve compression shirt and leggings she wore clung to her skin to reveal her curves. Sakura fought down some jealousy when she finally noticed how Sasuke's chest was pronounced. That was a sore spot for Sakura's self-image, one Ino picked on for years.
Naruto titled his head at her when he realized she wasn't responding. Sasuke made a small grunting noise to express her annoyance, because she could see the way Sakura studied her body. There was no subtlety to it at all. A tiny part of her felt flattered.
"See something you like?" The question broke Sakura out of concentrating on Sasuke. The medic shook her head furiously with a deep dark blush.
"S-Sorry! I just… um… you look really good, Sasuke." Sakura was embarrassed but felt the need to compliment her female teammate.
"You look okay." Sasuke's extremely poor 'compliment' in return made Sakura's head drop. At least she tried.
"Okay. Just okay…"
"I like your hair, Sakura-chan. Your outfits cute too." Naruto gave her a cheesy thumbs up.
"Thanks, but I didn't brush my hair, it's a damn mess. My outfits something I've been wearing for over thirteen hours now because of my hospital shift."
"Well now I don't know what else to say!" Naruto kept giving her a thumbs up, taking a page out of Rock Lee's handbook.
Sakura groaned loudly before slumping in the chair. She kept glancing at the duo as they practically melted into each other on the sofa. Her mouth opened a few times before closing rapidly, she clearly struggled with continuing the conversation.
"You look like a trout." Sasuke commented before her nose was flicked. She scrunched her face up at her boyfriend soon after. "Ow."
"You deserve it, y'know."
"Don't do that again."
"Oh yeah? Why not?"
"You really enjoy testing me today."
Naruto and Sasuke got lost in their own little world while they leaned closer and closer. Sakura watched them owlishly as their faces were only inches apart. The way they acted…
It was far too similar to how a boyfriend and girlfriend would be when play fighting. Sakura fought down a tight uncomfortable feeling in her stomach.
"H-Hey…" Sakura stuttered and broke the staring contest they had with each other. "Are… are you two, you know, together? A couple?"
"Why do you-"
"Yup! We started dating not too long ago. This broody Uchiha is my girlfriend." Naruto was very proud to announce it that he cut Sasuke off from whatever she was going to say.
Sakura found her lap more interesting than the couple in front of her upon learning that. She knew she shouldn't feel bitter about Naruto and Sasuke dating. Anyone with a brain could tell the two were obsessed with each other ever since their youth.
It still stung.
Sakura was a young woman, with a fragile heart that was prone to breaking with the slightest of ease. Tsunade may have beaten how to be a powerful kunoichi into her mind and body, but deep down Sakura knew she'd always be too sensitive. It took such little effort to make her emotional, and finding out that the only guy she ever looked at in a romantic light was completely out of her reach now…
She took a few seconds to compose herself before a closed-eye smile blossomed on her face. Shizune taught her how to smile like that when presenting difficult information to patients at the hospital. "I'm so happy for you both." It wasn't a lie.
Naruto matched her smile with a far more authentic one, but Sasuke merely stared at Sakura in confusion. Before the conversation could continue, a series of loud knocks sounded from the door. Knocks that could not come from only one person.
"I'll get it…?" Naruto stood up while both women waited patiently in silence. There wasn't much to say to each other at the moment because of the dating revelation.
As soon as Naruto opened the door, he almost fell over due to a giant white dog that barreled into him. One that could only belong to a certain Inuzuka. A plethora of laughs echoed in his ears as Akamaru licked his face happily.
"I couldn't stop him once he recognized your scent, sorry."
"You told him to do it."
"Sai, shhh!"
Naruto took in the appearance of the group that appeared at his door. A group of six individuals that he cherished deeply. Kiba and Sai stood in the front, but they were quickly pushed aside by Ino. The blonde Yamanaka was bursting with energy.
"Naruto! We found out both you and Sasuke are back, so I decided to host a small impromptu welcome back party at your house. Not all of us could make it but look what I got~!" Ino presented a huge bag to Naruto that held several large bottles of alcohol.
"Naruto, you seem to have gotten taller. You know what they say about tall men. They often have big dic-!" Sai's mouth was swiftly covered by Ino's hand.
"You're all already so loud and nobodies even started drinking yet." Shikamaru bemoaned from behind the group, as he stood at Chōji's side.
"Don't worry Naruto, I'm ordering plenty of Ichiraku's to your apartment. Think of it as a welcome home gift." The Akimichi clan member had to mention food.
"Welcome back, Naruto-kun…! Thank you for letting us into your home." Hyūga Hinata was the last to speak, and she bowed deeply to him with a hint of red on her cheeks.
Kurama creaked an eye open when sensing the overwhelming emotions that radiated from Naruto. Ever since he was a lonely little boy, he could only dream of friends to hang out with him like this. Sleepovers, parties, all those worthless human gatherings. Now, he finally had it, and he was stunned into silence. Pathetic…
'Thank them.'
"Thank you guys, really. It means a lot." Naruto's regular grin was infectious as the entire group mirrored it. Kurama snorted before making an attempt to sleep again. Even now, the Bijū had to help him. During the war, Naruto compared Kurama to a parent watching over their child. The fox would never be that disgustingly sentimental, but the comparison wasn't entirely false.
"Sasu~! It's been forever, we gotta catch up!" Ino practically shoved Naruto aside now to look for Sasuke.
"Are you trying to tell the whole neighborhood you're here with that loud voice, Ino-pig?!" Sakura called back from the living room and Ino gasped.
"Doctor Forehead is not working for once?! Good, maybe your patients won't be blinded by how shiny that thing is!" Ino hurried ahead to bother the poor women, while Naruto happily let the guys and Hinata in.
"I'm really glad to be home."
Life couldn't get better than this for Uzumaki Naruto.
Sasuke's poker face was forced to work double overtime ever since the small party started in Naruto's house.
Not only was her intimacy with her boyfriend cut short, but she was not at all in the mood to deal with multiple people. She did not hate them, but she did not share a true connection with the group outside of Sakura.
She burned her meager bridges with these people when she abandoned the village years ago, and truthfully she was not in a rush to repair them.
Ino was a thorn in her side ever since their childhood. The girl was mouthy, and a real 'in your face' kind of person. Whereas that was very similar to Naruto, Sasuke actually enjoyed his presence for more than five seconds unlike with Ino. Having the Yamanaka talk her ear off and go on about her budding relationship with Sai of all people had Sasuke wanting to reach for alcohol.
In fact, she did reach for whatever mixed drinks Kiba made for the group. Sasuke grew to enjoy the slight burn of alcohol as the drink smoothly went down her throat. She had no idea what it was, but it managed to be sweet and bitter at the same time. The alcohol content must have been extremely high.
She scanned the room from behind the large red cup filled with a dangerous concoction of liquid. Akamaru lounged peacefully on the couch, and the dog was the least annoying person in the room, even though Sasuke was more of a cat person.
The group all crowded around Naruto's apartment while they listened to him excitedly ramble on about their venture outside the village. Spirits were extremely high, even though Sasuke could tell one person was extremely anxious…
A pair of Byakugan occasionally glanced in Sasuke's direction.
Hinata seemed to be actively avoiding her.
That was fine. She could not recall a single instance where she properly interacted or had a conversation with Hinata. The Hyūga was irrelevant, insignificant, and not even a threat on Sasuke's worst day.
However, the way Hinata stared at Naruto like a lovesick puppy…
Sasuke's grip on her cup tightened, which made the poor plastic strain and crack.
"Did ya end up meeting any hotties out there? I mean you're the big hero now, they are probably throwing themselves at you." Kiba's question made Sasuke zero in on him. She saw Hinata perk up as well.
"I bet you're reallllly jealous of that, aren't you?" Ino's drunken comment made Sakura giggle at her side.
"I can get any woman I want, thank you very much!" Kiba huffed and took a big gulp from his cup.
"Why would I care about them throwing themselves at me? I already have a girlfriend." Naruto furrowed his brow at Kiba and Sasuke shook her head in amusement. He really would tell the entire world about them if he had the chance. She wasn't complaining, it felt oddly good to be shown off proudly by him.
Hinata's body locked up like she was dunked in ice cold water.
"Your hand doesn't count, Naruto-kun." Sai's commented with an easy-going smile. Shikamaru almost choked on his drink when hearing that.
"Oi! When the hell did you grow a personality?" Naruto rounded on Sai with clenched teeth.
"My boyfriend has plenty of personality!" Ino slammed her hand down on the table, her own cheeks red from the alcohol. "Who's your girlfriend?! I'm the gossip queen of this damn village and I need to be the one to spread this." She slurred her words, showing how she was a rather light weight drinker.
"Who the hell do you think, Ino…?" Sakura idly played with her nonalcoholic beverage while muttering that. She quickly sent a look of pity to Hinata, but the girl was only focusing on Naruto. His next words would probably break her.
"Sasuke is!" Naruto pointed his bandaged hand in Sasuke's direction. The Uchiha raised her cup slightly and stared blankly at the group. There was silence for about fifteen seconds before it broke.
Shikamaru snorted and leaned back in the chair. "Wow, I am truly shocked."
"Yeah, that should have been obvious." Chōji chuckled at the look of shock on Ino's face.
"Oh, what the fuck?! I thought you two couldn't stand each other?" Kiba expressed his surprise before his head dropped sadly. "You even got a girlfriend before me, totally unfair dude…"
"Oh my god~! We can like double date! Imagine that!" Ino clapped her hands happily and immediately grabbed Sasuke's dangling sleeve to pull her towards the table filled with tall bottles of liquor.
"Absolutely not." Sasuke shut that down while Ino pulled her into the chair at her side.
"I wanna hear all, all, allllll about it, every detail. Please, please, please~!" Ino told her and pulled out a bright purple rectangle with a screen. Sasuke recognized it as one of those cellphone things. To make Ino shut up, she did begin to talk about how it happened. She idly noticed how she was sitting in the chair Sakura previously occupied.
Kiba eventually pulled Naruto into a headlock and expressed his jealousy once more at the Uzumaki surpassing him. Chōji and Shikamaru watched the scene in amusement, and Sai was already mentally crafting new ways to mess with Naruto.
Hinata and Sakura's disappearance wasn't questioned as the room exploded into chatter.
Hyūga Hinata truly loved Uzumaki Naruto.
There was nothing Hinata was more certain of in her life. She loved him ever since she was a little girl. It was hard to pinpoint when it changed from a schoolgirl crush into what it was today, but her feelings were real.
She'd die for him, as she's shown in the past.
Most people would probably look at her like she was an obsessive freak for how deeply in love she was with him that she'd throw her life away. Unrequited love at that. But she couldn't help herself. She'd accept ridicule and judgment for her feelings.
After observing him since their youth, Naruto was selfless to a fault, always throwing himself into harm's way for others. That rubbed off on her, and she would die a hundred times over if that meant the man she loved was able to live.
That is precisely why she hastily exited Naruto's apartment. She had to calm herself down or risk hyperventilating.
Hinata hated herself. She was too meek, too cowardly. She'd never change. She should have confronted him about her confession years ago, but life was chaotic and busy back then. The Akatsuki, the destruction of the village, the war… they never had time to speak or hang out.
She leaned against the side of Naruto's apartment building and tried to control her breathing and her tears. If she looked up, she would have realized that Naruto's bedroom window was wide open.
'Sasuke. It's always her. Always her.' Hinata didn't even know who to be angry at. Sasuke? Herself? It didn't matter. She saw how Naruto's eyes sparkled when he looked at the Uchiha. Did she ever stand a chance?
Truthfully, she felt inferior to Sasuke. The woman had a presence that Hinata never could match. Sasuke exuded an aura, which many deemed as arrogance, and she's been like that since they were children. Not to mention, she was able to steal Naruto's attention away without even trying.
Whether that be because of their volatile rivalry or their friendship, Naruto would put his full attention on Sasuke even if a room was filled with people. They always seemed to be on each other's mind.
What chance did she have against that?
Hinata sunk to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest. She cried quietly as she continued to berate herself.
"Hinata…?" Her name was called out gently, and Hinata looked up through tear filled eyes to barely make out Sakura. She didn't respond, and after a few moments Sakura sighed softly before sitting at her side.
Sakura put her hand on Hinata's back to rub it as she continued to let the tears flow. She did not need to explain, Sakura understood her reaction. Hell, she could relate to it.
"Why? Why her?" Hinata questioned through small sobs and Sakura's heart went out to the Hyūga.
"We can't help who we fall in love with, right?" Sakura gave her a sad smile before shaking her head. "Naruto and Sasuke… they are connected in a way we'll never get. I was there during the war at their side, and the way they move together is scary. They are perfectly in synch when they need to be, I've never seen anything like it." Sakura applied a small bit of soothing chakra to her hand on Hinata's back to potentially calm her.
"Even so, I don't understand. She hurt him for years and turned her back on him. He held his hand out to her, and she caused him to lose it. He cried for her and would have given up everything to save her." Hinata wiped her face with the back of her hand. "She doesn't deserve him. At all."
"It's really not our place to say who deserves who." Sakura shook her head negatively. "We can't control Naruto and who he loves. He's always wanted to save and help her."
"I'd never try to control him! It just hurts to know that he will never love me like her…"
Hinata's response led to silence as they sat and listened to the soft wind blowing around them. Fortunately, her crying was subsiding slowly as they spoke.
"Maybe not." Sakura was holding back a little. Internally, she knew the answer was definitely not. The pair of shinobi were completely smitten with each other. Nothing would break that up. "But you care about Naruto, right?"
"Of course I do!"
"So even if it hurts, and it will trust me, try to be happy for him. I'm not asking you to be thrilled that he's dating someone else, but rather just be happy that he's happy. You don't have to stop being his friend because of this." Sakura was speaking to Hinata, but she was definitely talking for her own sake too.
Her feelings for Naruto were not something she ever wanted to address with others.
"I want to be happy for him, I do. I… I don't like Sasuke though." Hinata admitted it with a whisper. Sakura resisted the urge to laugh at the comment about disliking Sasuke.
"You don't have to." Sakura shrugged, and the medic was very used to people saying those very same words about her antisocial teammate.
"Why do you like her, Sakura?"
The question was unexpected, and it caused Sakura's face to drop. "Sasuke is… my friend. I know it doesn't seem like it, and we never had the same connection she has with Naruto, but deep down I like to think she cares about me. Besides, the Sasuke that she presents to the world isn't the same one Naruto fell in love with. I mean come on, he's an idiot, but would he really fall for a girl that's full of only hate and nothing else? No, she's just got personal demons that she's been dealing with for years."
Hinata simply listened, and she didn't voice her opinion on their supposed friendship or Sasuke's true nature. She didn't need to upset Sakura after she helped her. "I don't think I can go back tonight. I need time to think about all this." Hinata felt guilty about running out of Naruto's home, and there would definitely be questions in the future about it.
"Take as long as you need. Heartbreak is the one thing us medics can't heal." Sakura gave her a melancholy smile before standing up and reaching a hand down to her. "You can always talk with me or that blonde pain in the ass about this stuff." She was of course referring to Ino.
"I think… I'd like that. Thank you Sakura, for being a good friend." Hinata was grateful, even though she felt like she was stabbed through the heart. She gingerly took Sakura's hand and stood up on shaky legs.
Having to come to terms with not being able to be with the man she loved was something she'd struggle with for a long time.
"Don't mention it." Sakura waved her off and reached out to grab Hinata's hand again. "Come on, I'll walk you home before I go back."
Hinata let herself be pulled along, because she was fighting off a sadness she never prepared herself for.
Neither of them noticed the figure that sat on the windowsill of Naruto's bedroom.
Hours went by before Sakura actually returned to Naruto's apartment. Walking Hinata home took way more time than it normally would.
Periodic stops for crying breaks should have been expected.
As she turned the handle to Naruto's door, it opened suddenly, and she was surprised to see Sasuke standing there.
"Hey."
"Hi…" Sakura responded dryly, as she just spent an evening dealing with Hinata's despair because of the woman in front of her.
"Most of them are stupidly drunk." Sasuke began to speak, and she opened the door wider. "Rock Lee and… Tenten, as that's supposedly her name, showed up some time after you left. It only got worse from there."
"You let him around alcohol?!" Sakura's eyes went wide. She intentionally ignored how Sasuke somehow did not know Tenten's name.
"I didn't do anything. Naruto could deal with the consequences, that's his friend." Sasuke shrugged before she looked off to the side, suddenly avoiding eye contact. "Where'd you go?"
"I walked Hinata home, she wasn't feeling well."
"I see." They stopped speaking after that, as Sakura slowly took off her shoes. The only sound they heard was Naruto's drunken Karaoke skills with Ino and Chōji.
Sakura hated how many awkward situations she found herself in today.
"Hey, Sakura."
"Yeah?"
"You look really good too."
"Eh?"
"I am not repeating myself." Sasuke stated firmly and briefly made eye contact with her. Sakura noticed the tint of coloring on her cheeks.
Tsunade's prized apprentice processed the actual compliment before a satisfied smile bloomed on her face. That meant a lot coming from Sasuke. "Aww~ Sasu-chan, you do care."
"You're really pushing it."
"I'll keep pushing until we are besties that stay up at night doing each other's nails and hair."
"Ugh, besties." Sasuke's grimace only made Sakura giggle more and more. "I dislike when you do that."
"Laugh?"
"Giggle..."
"It's a type of laughter. Try it sometime!"
"I don't care, the word itself repulses me. Stop it at once."
"Nuh-uh." Sakura wagged a finger at her. "I'm gonna make you just like me eventually, shorty." The dig at the slight height difference made Sasuke grunt in a very unlady-like fashion. She could handle Naruto's comments about her height, but not Sakura.
"You're annoying."
"I've been annoying since we were about seven, it's kind of a cute nickname now."
Sasuke did crack a smile at her reply, which prompted more laughter from the medical ninja.
A lot of people didn't care for Sasuke, and rightfully so in some cases, but Sakura wasn't one of them. She had sympathy for Hinata and any other women that may have expressed genuine interest in Naruto, but she realized she'd never want to jeopardize the bizarre relationship Team Seven had because of her own feelings.
Was bottling things up for the rest of her life healthy? Absolutely not. Maybe those feelings would fade with time. Maybe one day she'll have a conversation with Naruto, just like Hinata might in the future. However, that day was not today.
"Do you want to have a drink together? There's this one made with tomato juice according to Kiba, and I love tomatoes." Sasuke asked her as she turned to walk towards Naruto's living room.
"Yuck! I'll drink with you, but don't dare put any tomatoes near my alcohol."
"Judgmental."
"Pot calling the kettle black."
"Tch, whatever…"
Sakura's giggles began to annoy Sasuke slightly less after that night.
A/N: As always, thank you for sticking around. I'm truly sorry I'm not quite able to find time to write and update or interact much with you all anymore. But I still do love fanfiction AND all my readers, that will never change.
I felt that I dealt with Hinata here in a decent way, as I wasn't going to have Sasuke antagonize, degrade, or threaten her. Shion for example, was the opposite as she brought it on herself with the comments towards Sasuke. Outside of Sasuke's thoughts, she's not going to be making Hinata's life hell or doing anything malicious towards her. She doesn't deserve that. I'm doing my best to make characters mature here and write them in somewhat realistic ways. I hope I'm doing a good job with it + the dialogue. Oh, also in canon, Sasuke hardly ever interacted with Hinata. There are practically zero scenes shared between them.
One final thing I want to bring up is Sakura. I understand a lot of people dislike her, some for valid reasons, some for silly reasons. I like Sakura, I wish she did way more, but I do like her. I apologize if her presence here bothers you, but it is my story, and I enjoy writing her. She was the best option for talking with Hinata, considering her own feelings for Naruto. So, she will be featured a bit more in the story, as Naruto and Sasuke have a natural chemistry with her when I write them.
Thanks for reading, and no this story is not over yet. I still got a few more chapters to go ;)