Chapter Text
A few weeks later
The Rinne festival was coming. Naruto stood knee-high in his apartment with gifts as he stared out the window at the night sky. He was lonely. Truly lonely. Naruto had always felt this way… but something felt extra empty about it this year.
His eyes flicked to a pink and gold-wrapped gift sitting on top. Many of the girls who confessed their love were just that. Girls. However, some were close to his own age. Naruto had thought more than once of casually fucking one… perhaps it would fill that hole that was eating at him more and more each year. Perhaps it would fill that gnawing loneliness just a little bit.
Naruto sighed, and looked back out the window at the falling snow. The moon shone brightly. Even he knew that to do that would feel hollow and empty. It might even make him feel worse. He brought a hand up to his green and white scarf and thought of his mother.
Plus, he had to keep his promise to her. He would try to understand girls feelings and find a good woman like her.
He found himself at Ichiraku the next evening with his friends. When Konahamaru had shown Naruto that old-man Third had been keeping something stored away for him, he couldn’t imagine it’d be a gift from his late mother. Now it was like she was constantly giving him a warm hug on a cold evening. He was so elated, he’d told everyone in his vicinity that dinner was on him.
Then she showed up.
He hadn’t seen her in weeks, and she seemed a little uncomfortable to be there. He wanted her to stay though. Some fan girls showed up, and he spoke to them. He recognized them as the girls who had given him gifts earlier, topped off with more love confessions. It was awkward, but he hoped some free food would satisfy them. By the time he turned to Hinata, she was walking away.
“Walk her home?” Sakura tried to push him. She was giving him that look that she often did when he was supposed to get something. He wasn’t. There was something happening that he was supposed to pick up on, but between eating ramen, and Hinata leaving so quickly, how was he supposed to guess?
”Why would I walk her home? She’s strong. No one around here would dare mess with her.” He hoped someone would offer up some insight on the puzzle piece he was missing. Before that could happen, Hinata sprinted off, and Sakura called him an idiot and took off after her.
Was Hinata upset or something? They hadn’t really even spoken yet. He took a step after them, but a tug on his arm had him remembering he had a bill to pay.
”Naruto the gyoza are ready!” Said the young girl.
“Right…” As soon as he was done with the pleasantries, he‘d find Hinata and figure out what was wrong.
After agonizing for minutes, Hinata decided tonight was the night. She just had to tell Naruto how she felt. Her feelings were torture at this point. If she was brave, and he accepted her feelings, she could be by his side as soon as tomorrow!
She found herself in front of his apartment, rehearsing her confession one last time, but now, with a gift in-hand. She’d thought long and hard on how she would confess… since she’d waited until Rinne Fest season, it seemed only appropriate to give him a gift. It had to be something personal. Something he could use, and something that might make him think of her every time he used it.
Hinata remembered the first time she’d ever met Naruto. They were small, and it was this time of year. Naruto stood up to some bullies for her, redirecting all their hate onto himself. He had to have known he wouldn’t win, but that wasn’t his goal. He’d wanted them to leave her alone, and tried taking on their hate for her. They had to have been five at most. To her, it was the bravest thing she’d ever seen. When Naruto finally left, and she watched him leave until he was a speck in the snowy forest, she remembered his tattered red scarf. Hinata remembered him that way for a long time after that, even though he never wore it again.
That was how she’d decided to knit him a scarf. She hoped he would remember too, but even if he didn’t, it was okay.
“Hinata?” She heard the familiar voice just as she’d finished rehearsing. Her heart ratcheted up into her throat. Had he heard any of it before she’d even get the chance to tell him properly?
”Um, good evening…” She was trying to figure out how to begin her confession after being thrown into the situation so quickly.
First she noticed the green and white scarf he already wore, and then noticed his mouth was moving, but she didn’t hear him. He was wearing another scarf… a hand-made one at that. Someone had beat her to it. Her head felt buzzy, her heart plummeted to her belly like a rock. She felt like crying. Someone had given him a scarf, no-doubt, and he’d chosen them. He was wearing it.
”That’s… a nice scarf…” she looked at the pavement, their toes. The moment seemed to last an eternity, the space between them feeling more like a wall with every passing second. She dared a glance back at his expression. It was soft as he caressed his scarf. That surely was love and care in his eyes.
“Oh yeah… my scarf—“
Grrrghh
Her stomach growled. It was the worst possible time! Naruto froze and stared at her, and silence hung in the air.
“I mean, if you’re okay with ramen you can come eat in my room if you’re hungry—“
“No thank you goodnight!” Tears were already falling, and she couldn’t let him see. She couldn’t ruin his newfound happiness with her tears… even though the only thing she wanted was to be comforted by the reason that caused them. She’d waited too long… and he’d chosen a beautiful, confident kunoichi no doubt. One that didn’t wait to tell him her feelings.
“Hinata, hold on!”
Something was certainly wrong. He was going to get to the bottom of it.
Everything happened fast from then on. He searched for Hinata for minutes before sensing her chakra at a park on the opposite side of the village. By the time he got there, strange looking men were huddled around her, restraining her, touching her. A foreign anger coursed through him at the sight, his chest tightening in discomfort. It was a feeling that he’d never felt for his other friends, even if he was worried beyond words. For a brief moment he considered the difference, but didn’t have time to dwell on it.
When Naruto approached, they scattered, Hinata in-hand. She wasn’t fighting back, so they must have incapacitated her some how. He clenched his jaw in anger at the thought. He began tearing through the enemies with his fists, but there were so many— they were like gnats. As the hooded man with Hinata got further away, more waves of men rushed at him. Finally he was able to surpass them with his clones, and a chase ensued among the rooftops of Kanoha.
He overtook the enemy, and was able to save Hinata from certain death when the hooded man dropped her from fatal heights — just barely. As they caught their breath among a rooftop, he noticed a tattered scarf in her hand and felt bad. Hinata was having a bad day, it seemed. He began to ask her about it, hoping she’d open up, but a third voice cut in. A handsome, silver-haired man appeared before them
“Hinata… the final days are approaching—“
”What the hell?!” Naruto tried to punch the man, but his image flickered and reappeared further away.”
The man spoke cryptically and only to Hinata, like Naruto wasn’t there. This pissed him off.
“My name is Toneri,” said the man, “before then, Hinata, I’ll come for you.”
The man disappeared before Naruto could try punching him again, and as he and Hinata stood, a bright fiery light appeared in the distant sky. An asteroid bolted past and exploded into the far mountains of Konoha right before their eyes.
The next morning was a somber one. Naruto did in-fact walk Hinata home after that. She was silent the whole time, and said nothing, and he didn’t want to push her. Though, he badly wanted to ask her how she was feeling.
Immediately upon arriving to her home, it was apparent something was wrong. The gates were flung open, and Hyuga guards and staff were strewn about the courtyard. Hanabi was gone— and they both knew without saying a word who the culprit was. By the time morning came, Lord Sixth had a team assembled with a plan.
As Kakashi briefed them, Naruto tried to focus on his words, and not the worried girl at his side. She’d practically begged Kakashi to let her go, and while many of them opposed this idea for thought of her safety, he allowed it. Naruto didn’t mind though, this way he could make sure she was safe; plus, Hinata was strong, she could handle this mission along with the rest of them.
As they all flew out on Sai’s ink-birds, Hinata was quieter than normal. They were scouting out the area Hanabi was last seen. Naruto looked down across the vast snowy-scape, and Hinata’s sweet scent enveloped him in the cold, thin air from behind. He tried to ignore it, and he also tried to ignore her small hands wrapped around his middle, and why it made him feel so weird. He caught a glimpse of her staring at him from his peripheral vision.
“What is it?”
Her eyes darted away, and he wished she wouldn’t do that. Her gaze snapped downward at something far in the snowy hills that she spotted with her byakugan. Once they landed to investigate, Naruto noticed she was stand-offish, and wouldn’t look him in the eye. It was starting to get on his nerves. He pushed into her space a little more, hoping for more. How had they gone from being so close to this?
He noticed the inside of her bag. He lifted a brow at the scarf inside, and then looked into her face, leaning down to make solid eye contact. “Aren’t you cold?”
She shook her head nervously. “I’m fine!”
He clenched his jaw, then sighed. He didn’t have the right to be frustrated. This was his own fault… Maybe she was truly uncomfortable around him now after the incident at her house, and she’d only said that it was okay to be polite. That did seem like something she would do. She was always so kind to everyone, but he wished she would put herself first for once. Even though he swore her eyes were sincere as ever when she said it. Maybe it’d be best to give her space from now on, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do.
They’d made their way to an underground spring with the help of Hinata’s byakugan. There, the water was suspicious, as Hinata could not see through it with her eyes. There would be no finding out what it was obscuring without pushing through.
So they all leapt in.
Naruto was bombarded with memories and feelings… and memories that didn’t seem his own. There was one thing that connected every single memory he had, though.
Hinata.
He looped through these memories and dreams over and over before he started to catch on, but then he started to see things from a different perspective— a young girl’s perspective. A girl who kept trying to speak to him, and tell him…
She loved him.
It clicked. Everything made sense. His feelings, her odd behaviors… why he felt so funny when she was around. Hinata did not love him the way he loved ramen. To Naruto, everything he loved seemed to give him the same kind of feeling. A hot bowl of ramen after a long day, the satisfaction of finishing a mission, or being around his very best friends—he loved all these things. However, whenever he was with Hinata, it felt different. It was warmer, more precious… more complicated.
These feelings always confused him. He could never put a finger on that weird leap in his chest whenever Hinata was around; a fierce sense of protectiveness that filled his being.
He loved her. He loved her in a way that ramen, or friends, or day of hard work could not fill. It was a different kind of love— one that went down deep in his soul; a longing. So that was why… that was why that time with Pain had broken him so badly. He could feel his soul breaking in two, but he didn’t understand why. Everything always felt so different with her.
And she’d told him. She’d told him she loved him… and he didn’t understand that this— This—feeling he now had in his chest was what she meant. Not the way he loved ramen, not the way they loved their friends. She was in love with him; and he’d been a fool. A hot spike zipped up his spine at the realization.
Suddenly, he came-to with the help of Sakura, and he was awake in reality again. They all stood over him, and he noticed Hinata watching him from the back. Her— Hinata—
His Hinata.
When they came about another spring of water, Naruto looked to Hinata before jumping in. She must have had the same crazy dreams, right? Did she know what he’d just realized? He was wondering why she wasn’t eager to discuss these recent revelations. Then she noticed him staring, her round face turning to him.
“What is it?” She said.
“Well, the dreams in the genjutsu…” Naruto stopped. She was looking at him like she hadn’t a clue where he was going with this. That’s right. She’s lived with these feelings for years. He had just now understood them. Her dreams weren’t likely anything new for her. Naruto suddenly wondered how she’d gone even a day feeling what she felt without going mad.
She didn’t know he’d realized his feelings for her yet, or that he now knew how she felt about him. He knew her secret; he’d put the pieces together… but they had to keep going. They were mid-mission. There would be time to speak about it once they were resting, even though waiting until then would be torture. Though, he’d take solace in knowing Hinata had a crush on him all the same. This whole time… It made everything different. Naruto smiled to himself, wanting to give her head a pat just to watch her blush, but refrained. This girl in front of him wanted to be with him, and his heart heated at this.
”…It’s nothing, never mind.” He hated saying it, and so he jumped into the water spring before he began a confession in the middle of who-knew-where.
He quickly realized Hinata was not following behind. In a panic, he shot back to the surface to find her. His chest spiked when he found that bastard Toneri mere feet in front of her. She was bravely poised in her fighting stance, but Toneri was an otsutsuki. If he wanted to grab Hinata, he would.
In a blink Naruto was between them, pushing Hinata safely behind his body. Relief flooded him at once that he’d not been too late. Him and Toneri fought, and Naruto was suspicious of how weak his opponent was. His theory was confirmed when he blasted Toneri with a single punch, and the feeling was similar to punching a flower-vase.
He was just a puppet.
Naruto was coming down from his adrenaline when he realized he couldn’t let Hinata out of his sight for even a moment. Toneri could appear anywhere, it seemed.
After finally finding the exit to the seemingly endless water spring; they came upon land. The place was some sort of abandoned village built into the mountainside. It sported a fake sun as a source of sunlight, and mimicked an Earthy, desert-like ninja-village. Old kunai and skeletons littered the corridors of the stone walls and temples. Walls crumbled with age and ivy-damage, and few fountains were found to still run water.
He refused to leave her side from then on, constantly on edge that Toneri would show up again. Strangely, he didn’t.
In the meantime, Naruto felt like he was living in a beautiful dream. Spending time with Hinata now that he knew she loved him set his blood ablaze. He was going to kiss her. He was surely going to grab her and kiss her deeply before either of them knew what was happening. Luckily he did no such thing. Hinata deserved a proper confession first. Until then, Naruto allowed himself to indulge in her looks. Really look at her. He committed to memory every beautiful thing about her he’d ever missed: Her silky hair, her clean berry scent, her fine features and pink parted lips, doe-like eyes and porcelain skin. Those supple large breasts and lean delicate legs. He briefly imagined his calloused hands running up and down her silky skin, what her lips would taste like in his mouth— the sounds they’d make for him. His thoughts were rushing in too fast; his new feelings crashing into him like hard waves as if making up for lost time.
Little Hinata was his, and nothing felt more empowering or blissful as this.
At some point during their stay Naruto decided to remove his mother’s scarf. The genjutsu had revealed her true intentions with the scarf. Now that he knew the scarf Hinata carried around was for him, he worried it was the reason she was acting strangely. He inwardly apologized to his mother for this, but swiftly made it known it was because he’d finally found that girl. His mother would be proud. As soon as she’d noticed the missing scarf, she seemed to brighten. To keep her happy, he made sure to take extra care of her. He wasn’t exactly sure what it was about the scarf that had bothered her, but he wanted to make it right.
They traveled in bliss for a couple days after this as they investigated the old village. He was sure to dote on her the whole way, and he reveled in her bright smile he so rarely got to see. Once he’d found the fountain water safe to drink, he cupped it in his palms and they drank together. He gently cleaned her hair of debris like sticks and cobwebs when the chance arose, savoring the moment to touch her silky locks. He promised to catch her if she fell when they jumped large distances and she trusted him. They joked together and laughed together, and his cheeks began to hurt from smiling so much.
This feeling of protectiveness only swelled as his feelings came to a mounting peak. He needed to touch her— feel her, see every part of her. It was becoming hard to stave off his insistent erection during nights as his body became impatient to claim what was his. His dreams were lewd and his conscious thoughts were worse. He was drunk on this love.
Love. He thought warmly to himself. This is it. He could hardly wait any longer or he’d burst. He needed to confess soon.
Hinata had gone into the forest again to knit his scarf in privacy. Naruto had made the habit of following and watching Hinata the past few nights. She did the same thing each time. She knitted and knitted and knitted; the scarf seemed to go on forever, making him wonder if she would ever be finished. He felt a bit creepy, watching her like that; but he told himself it was to protect her. Though, he knew better.
This night was almost no different from the others; however, this night Naruto would confess. His heart thumped in anticipation. He wondered what might follow. A tearful embrace? Lovemaking under the moon? A passionate kiss? He would be ecstatic with any of them.
The moon shone proudly over the lake, fireflies flitting through the night air. He leaned up against a tree, crickets singing. Hinata was just a few feet away, knitting. His guts were tying into knots… the thought of a girlfriend— he’d never had one. He only hoped she could forgive him for being such a fool. How sad he felt for his younger self who had no one, who could have had someone. He would have been truly happy.
Naruto made a turn around the tree, and swiftly approached Hinata, who sat near the lake, knitting. At first she didn’t notice him, and when she did finally look at him with her moon-like eyes, his knees almost buckled.
“Oh! Naruto!—“ she seemed to notice herself, sitting a little straighter. He noted she seemed strange… less comfortable than before. Her gaze dropped from his and down to the scarf in her hands. His scarf. “My sister is missing… and all I can do is knit a scarf… what an awful sister I must seem like…”
”No way!” Naruto said. “I mean, the whole reason you’re even here is to save her, you’ve been more worried than anyone!” He took the moment to step closer to her, “Don’t worry… I’ll make sure we save your sister.” He gave her a genuine look. He would be there for her. He hoped she sensed that from him.
She stopped knitting and looked at him with a smile. That pretty round face… so innocent and cute, he wanted to touch it so badly. How had he missed this adorable face looking after him?
”Thank you Naruto-kun… you’ve always been so kind to me…”
Naruto’s heart dropped at this. Kind, right. To Hinata, her feelings are still unreciprocated. To her, he was only being kind because he was a nice person, while she had to live on with her feelings. How, Naruto wondered, had she ever lived with these feelings for so long? He could barely stand a couple days. No— he was not just being kind, it was more than that. She had to know that!
”Well I’m not just being kind to you… I mean, I really want to help Hanabi…” He sighed, his point wasn’t coming out right. Naruto scratched his neck. “Listen, I’m not being nice just because I love you. I really want to help your sister!”
That wasn’t right either. No… what he really meant was I’m not just helping you because I’m kind. I—
“What did you say?” Hinata said, eyes bulging.
Naruto gulped. Now he’d done it. He ruined his own confession. He said it before he meant to say it… but now that it was out, he had to tell her properly. Hinata deserved that much, and more. Hinata deserved a man who could convey his feelings, not a boy who ignored them like he’d been all these years. He looked down at her, a firefly illuminating her pale face in the moonlight, making his heart skip a beat. He took a breath. This was it.
”I said, I love you, Hinata.”
Her eyes widened like pearls, her pink lips parting; but silence followed.
And more silence.
Naruto gulped. Her eyes shone like they were telling him something, but her lips didn’t move.
Naruto opened his mouth to speak.
“Hinata,” said a third voice, “I’ve come.” Both Naruto and Hinata turned to look behind them at Toneri, standing atop a floating dais above the lake. “Have you thought of your answer?”
This fucking guy… Naruto’s blood began boiling with rage. He would smash this bastard to pieces here and now. Now, not only was Toneri threatening the earth and Hinata’s family; he was also ruining the most important moment in his life. Naruto was almost glad, though, because he was too late. Naruto had confessed right on time. Toneri wouldn’t stand a chance against them both.
”Hinata isn’t going anywhere with you. So beat it!” His fists clenched, ready to beat the man until he gave up or died— but small hands were pushing something into his chest. Hinata’s hands.
”Hinata… what are you doing?” The red scarf was now cradled in his arms, and without looking him in the eye, Hinata swiftly moved past him and into Toneri’s embrace. He watched in shock as her inky hair carried on the breeze. This was surely a ploy, right? She wasn’t truly choosing to be with Toneri…
However, she didn’t pull away when Toneri draped his long arm around her middle and pulled her to his side. She looked at the ground.
”Farewell, Naruto.” Those were her last words to him. With a smug grin, Toneri commanded their dais away, floating up and into the sky.
Naruto’s mind went blank. This wasn’t happening. Surely Toneri was kidnapping her and she wasn’t thinking right. Hinata was in the hands of the enemy! His life with her flashed before his eyes. All his recent hopes and fantasies started to blur and crash like falling stars, spurring him into action.
”Hinata!” He screamed. Then he attacked. As Toneri took shots at him, Hinata did nothing. He was utterly confused, but he wouldn’t let it distract him. His clones kept him afloat through the air, one after the other tossing him higher and higher to reach the dais.
”You let Hinata go you sick bastard!”
Toneri chuckled smugly. “Sick? Hinata’s come to me of her own free will. She’s answered my proposal to be my wife.”
All the breath whooshed from Naruto’s belly at the words. He looked at Hinata, compelling her to look at him.
“Hinata… that’s not true is it? You want to marry him?”
She still would not look at him, and in that lie her answer. The next blow that Toneri hurled Naruto’s way, he allowed to hit him full force before fading into unconsciousness.
Shikamaru and Sai watched Naruto’s unconscious form. They’d relocated to a cave, where Sakura spent days pushing healing chakra into him. His reserves were so high, it seemed like it would never be enough. She was pushing herself; desperate and weak. Shikamaru had to force her to rest right before she finally passed out from exhaustion.
Today, Naruto was doing something he hadn’t done for three days. He was talking in his sleep. Of course, they had to monitor him in case he took a turn for the worse— or better. Talking was a good sign. His voice was hoarse, but seemed healthy. It was a relief, but then it became troublesome as the words became personal. Sai had taken to writing some of Naruto’s ramblings in his journal. It was mostly about Hinata— some a bit inappropriate. Shikamaru gave him a look, but Sai merely smiled and said it was just for research purposes.
”Oye! You know how he is. He’ll make a fuss if he finds out you wrote down all that.”
Sai didn’t react, his eyes sliding from his journal over to Naruto. “Who knew Naruto was so mushy and soft.”
Shikamaru sighed. “Yeah… well, I suppose everyone gets lonely. Naruto might just be the loneliest person I know. I’ll admit, it’s strange to hear him talk about it. I don’t think he would otherwise. Seems too personal to be writing in a journal…” Shikamaru lifted a brow at Sai, “you know?”
Sai didn’t say anything for a while, but looked back down at his book, and finally closed it. So he understood then, Shikamaru thought.
The sounds of Sai’s scribbles on paper, along with the crackling fire had Shikamaru nodding off, his eyes opening and closing.
”Hinata!”
Shikamaru jumped. Naruto was sat ramrod straight with sweat on his brow. The word Hinata echoed through the cave. Once Naruto set his eyes on his two friends and then his surroundings, he seemed to sink into himself at some realization.
This was bad, Shikamaru realized. They absolutely depended on Naruto to finish this mission. Whatever was going on with him needed to be fixed—quick. Time was running out.
“What happened with Hinata…?” Shikamaru asked carefully. He knew that look on his comrade’s face. Something was terribly wrong.
“Nothing.” Naruto looked away, clearly not wanting to talk. Shikamaru sighed. It would be like this, then.
”You kept calling her name… Hinata, Hinata…” Sai smirked as he mimicked his friend, “and some other embarrassing things.”
Shikamaru knew Sai was taunting him on purpose, but he let him. Naruto didn’t even react to that as he normally would. This was bad. He remembered back to the time his late master died… how depressed Naruto was. It seemed nothing could cheer him up then, but it seemed his more adult self might be even harder to shake out of it.
Naruto still said nothing. Sai and Shikamaru looked at one another. They needed him to finish this mission, or the world would be destroyed. Now wasn’t the time to be depressed over a girlfriend.
“So, you’re one of the strongest shinobi, but all it takes is love to defeat you? Now I know your weakness.” Sai tried, but Shikamaru elbowed him, worried they’d get decked instead.
Naruto didn’t want to hear it. He turned on his side and laid back down, putting his back to them.
“Point taken…” Shikamaru muttered. “Come on Sai, let’s give him some space. We’ll try again in a bit.”
Hinata had rejected him. The memory of Hinata telling him farewell kept playing over and over. His eyes stung as the realization slammed into him that she was gone. All of those wonderful moments, and all of the future moments to come were crushed and dead. There was no point saving the world if he wouldn’t be happy in it. He’d been so close to achieving true happiness, only to have it yanked away at the last moment. For this, he was bitter. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. And there was no one else besides Hinata. No one else could know him as she had, and so no one else could love him as she had. No one else would ever do. In his heart of hearts, he knew she was his soulmate.
He couldn’t help it, but the thought of Toneri and Hinata consummating the marriage turned his gut. It made him so angry he cried, and then he forced himself to feel numb. He wanted to disappear. The worst part of it was that he deserved it. For being such a fool, for letting sweet Hinata down so many times… he hated himself.
She’d chosen Toneri, and it was all his fault.
A tear rolled down his cheek, and he quickly smeared it away when the echo of footsteps sounded near. He knew it was Shikamaru, as he waited before speaking. It wouldn’t matter what it was, though. There was nothing he could say that would change anything.
”I know it’s tough, being dumped eh? But we’ve got to keep going.” Shikamaru tried the light-handed approach.
“Mnh…” Naruto grunted, not bothering to turn and look at him. Though Shikamaru didn’t want to scold his friend, he sighed, knowing he would have to get nasty.
”Fine,” Shikamaru began, knowing full well he may get decked in the face for what he was about to say, “give up everything— give up on your woman. Hell, how about giving up hokage while you’re at it. Who cares, right?”
In seconds Naruto was on him, eyes feral, fists clenched around his collar. He was terrifying, but Shikamaru knew he was only lashing out. Despite the possible threat of a beating, Shikamaru felt relief that Naruto had finally said something.
Shikamaru gripped Naruto’s wrists, looking him straight in the eye. He needed someone to tell him like it is. “I know you’re upset about being dumped, but you’re a shinobi!”
Naruto stared at him hard for a moment, and Shikamaru couldn’t tell what his friend would do next. Naruto let go of his collar, looking like he’d sink back into his depression. Before he could do that, Shikamaru nodded behind him.
”I need to show you something.”
”No, no, I get it, it’s fine.” Naruto said.
”Just come look.” Shikamaru said. So Naruto followed him down the cave until a small, fire-lit area glowed dimly. It was Sakura— she looked dead.
”Wait—“ Naruto began to panic. Had his precious friend been dying this whole time he’d been wallowing? Why hadn’t they told him sooner? “What is she—“
”She passed out from exhaustion, trying to save your sorry ass. Still want to sit and do nothing?”
Naruto pushed past him, guilt riddling his insides.
When Naruto approached her, her eyes peeled open. Sweat shone on her face as she smiled up at him.
”Thank goodness…” she said with a shaky breath.
”Sakura… I’m so sorry I did this to you. I didn’t know.”
She smiled and closed her eyes, and asked him about what happened with Hinata. When Naruto said he didn’t want to talk about it, she said suddenly,
“Remember when you said you loved me?” This caught his attention, but he said nothing. “It’s silly to think about compared to the real thing, right? You were trying so hard to compete with Sasuke… and now you really feel it this time, huh?”
“Yeah…” he wanted to cry again. “I’ve never felt this way before… I had to tell her how I felt, and she just left with him. I just can’t stand the thought of her with anyone else…”
”Hm.” Sakura said, “I’m surprised it was you who confessed first. I thought you’d never figure it out.”
This made Naruto feel worse. That was exactly why he’d lost her— because he was too dull to figure it out. Now it made sense why Sakura always called him so dense, or shook her head in disapproval when Hinata was around. He swallowed thickly.
”Yeah… and now she’s with Toneri, so…”
”You idiot!” She rasped, and Naruto jolted. What was he missing this time? “Hinata doesn’t want to be with Toneri. Obviously she felt like she had to act without telling the rest of us.”
”Huh? But how are you so sure?”
“The way Hinata has felt for you all these years is the same way I feel about Sasuke. You don’t just stop loving someone; feelings don’t change that easily. They can’t… I would know.” A look of sadness subtly changed her features.
Suddenly, Naruto understood. Sakura was right. Hinata had these feelings forever, just like Sakura. There was no way Sakura would ever give up on Sasuke— he’d seen it first hand. Hinata was the kindest, gentlest, best person he knew. He knew in his gut she was just like him— she never gave up. She wouldn’t just give up her feelings for someone.
The scarf… she’d given him that scarf without a word, hoping he’d understand she still loved him, and he almost let her down again. How had he even wasted a second not going to rescue her. She still loved him.
Naruto stood, looking down at his friend. “Thank you, Sakura.”
He would face Hinata again— but this time as a man who knew exactly what he wanted, and he would get it.
After regaining their strength, they were able to bait Toneri’s henchmen out of hiding. With Shikamaru’s expert strategizing, they were able to follow the retreating enemies back to their lair on Sai’s ink-birds.
Toneri’s domain was confusing, like a maze. Castles and rocks floated everywhere, but Naruto was able to sense Hinata’s chakra using sage mode.
His castle was nothing short of extraordinary, and Naruto relished every second of damage they did to it as they bashed their enemies in. They split up; Naruto and Shikamaru toward Hinata, Sakura and Sai after Hanabi.
Eventually, they were both able to find their marks.
While Shikamaru held off the hooded henchmen and evil puppets, Naruto beelined for Hinata down a secret passageway. There, Toneri was attempting a rushed marriage, and it looked like Hinata was about to accept.
“Give Hinata back!” He yelled to Toneri.
Toneri faced him and smirked. “Fine. I’ll give her back.” With a wave of his arm, Hinata was on Naruto, lashing out with pinpoint precision. Though deadly, her movements were mechanical, her eyes held no emotion. Toneri was controlling her.
”Do you like my wife’s moves?” Toneri taunted, but Naruto didn’t let it jostle him. He could easily overpower her… but he needed to do it without hurting her— which meant he had to choose his time wisely between her deadly jabs. To fight a Hyuga was to be on your gaurd. He couldn’t afford to lose any strength or chakra right now.
Once there was an opening Naruto was able to secure her offending arm and swiftly pierce her chest with his other free hand. His hand radiated with intense orange chakra that allowed him to reach through her to find the virus that was Toneri’s chakra lodged inside her.
Her eyes widened in surprise as his hand made contact.
“Just bear with it for a moment Hinata.”
He was able to safely remove it, and upon destroying it in his angry grip, he saw into her memories. The way Toneri had been treating her, shouting at her, manhandling her, and imprisoning her made him sick.
He glared at Toneri. “How dare you.”
Toneri only smirked again and said, “I’ll be taking her back now. Hinata belongs to me.”
Naruto began to rush him but he was struck with a powerful force, hurdling him into the stone wall behind him so hard he became lodged in the rock.
Toneri quickly took the moment to try replacing his missing chakra back into Hinata’s chest, but his eyes pulsed in pain. It was the Tenseigan, growing in power and almost ready to use. It would make him so powerful, no one could stop him from destroying the Earth. He bowed in pain, and Hinata took her moment of consciousness to flee toward Naruto.
Seeing him like that pained her beyond words. She felt so guilty leaving him that way, and now he’d come to save her. She’d tried to act on her own and she failed. He’d come just in time.
“Naruto-kun… I’m so sorry! I—“
“No” he cut her off softly, “I completely understand. I should be the one apologizing. I almost let you down again.”
With his eyes, she saw all that he wanted to say and more, and he smiled gently after looking into hers. They both understood, it seemed.
She touched his chest with her hand, wanting to say more, but there was no time. “The Tenseigan— we have to destroy it now!” She warned him. His eyes widened in alarm and he followed her to its location.
Together, they were able to destroy the Tenseigan, which turned out to be a making of millions of byakugan eyeballs. After this, another battle broke out with Toneri and his creatures of destruction. This would be the last battle that would decide the fate of the Earth.
Naruto was able to crush Toneri, and contemplated killing him for good measure. His treatment of Hinata was still fresh in his blood; but as he contemplated this, Toneri took another final form.
This form included millions of byakugan eyeballs that had made up the Tenseigan. He became a monster, the eyeballs overtaking him and devouring him. In this moment, Naruto felt the fear in Toneri’s heart. Naruto truly felt he could save him, instead of having to kill him.
Despite his comrades pleas, Naruto took a leap of faith toward his enemy, and saved him.