"I couldn't be friends with you, Naruto. Not even if I tried."
He was still in shock, in disbelief. Those words had sealed his fate with the Yamanaka. She had politely asked him to leave after saying those words and he could only nod, speechless as he left her property. He had missed the blonde cursing under her breath, yanking at the end of her ponytail as she realized her mistake. She had meant to tell him her true feelings but her lack of confidence had once again caused her to fall short. He had missed her hesitant steps to follow after him, in order to clear the air around them. He had missed the frustrated tears that had pooled in her eyes. He had missed it all as he wandered the streets of Konoha. He had walked through a daze throughout the Village, ignoring the stares that were given to him and disregarding the concerned calls of his name. He had managed to make it to one of the places that he used often to clear his mind. His eyes stared the Village, silently marveling at how much they had expanded and grew over the last few years. He let out a sigh as he crumpled into a sitting position on top of the Hokage Monument. He rested the side of his face on his fist as he gazed at his beloved home.
Was there a way to fix things now? He was sure that this had been their final conversation, they would go back to their old ways. Casually greeting one another in public then going on about their day. There would be no more bonding moments in the Greenhouse. There would be no late night run-ins at the store for midnight snacks and booze. There would be no more times where he would come to her place, frantically trying to escape the monsters that were within his dreams, all his doubts and insecurities. There would be no comforting and understanding hand that rested on his shoulder, leading him inside to a cup of warm and soothing tea. There would be no conversations of things that continued to haunt him. No more times where they simply sat in a comforting silence, before he fell asleep on the couch and she would gently place a blanket over him. There would be no more of their relationship.
He was sure that he had broken their bond today.
A heavy sigh left him as he continued to gaze at the Village, a feeling of longing gripping his heart in its icy clutch. So this was the other stage of love, she spoke of. He had known that it would hurt (because he loved Sasuke and it always depressed him in the past) but he didn't realize how much it would affect him. Because this love was a different type of love, a love he had never experienced, until now. Letting out a frustrated cry, he ruffled his hair in annoyance between his hands before flailing over onto the ground. What was he supposed to do now? He had always looked forward to spending time with the Mind Walker, she was so vibrant and welcoming. She never questioned why he had chosen to stop by all the time, the Greenhouse had been an escape from his duties and responsibilities. It was also a place where he was able to just simply, Uzumaki Naruto and she, Yamanaka Ino.
It was a very special place to him.
"Ah...um...Naruto?" A gentle voice called out to him.
He lifted himself off the ground, from his unflattering and uncomfortable position, as the voice reached his ears. He turned, not expecting to the Hyuuga Heiress here. A small smile touched his lips and he slowly stood up, brushing off the dirt from his clothes. "Hey Hinata," he said gently. "What's up?"
The lilac eyed woman bit her lower lip and looked at the ground. It wasn't like the Uzumaki to not notice when someone was near him. She had seen him in the Village, a lost look in his eyes. Naturally, she was worried and when she had tried to call out to him, she was ignored. It was only out of curiosity and concern that she followed him up here. Of course, there were still feelings of love towards the Nine-Tails Holder but she was the one who had called an end to their relationship. That didn't mean that she didn't have a right to not care about him, it would be difficult not to care about him after all these years. She kicked a rock gently as she tried to formulate the words she wanted to ask him.
"I'm sorry, Hinata," Naruto said gently. "Right now...it really isn't a good time."
She snapped her head up, looking at him with surprised eyes. He was rubbing the back of his neck with his bandaged hand, the other placed on his hip. He was staring down at the ground, his eyes full of remorse and sadness. A frown was on his lips and she didn't enjoy seeing this side of the man that she loved. She stepped closer to him, her delicate hand touching his arm gently. "That's why I believe you need someone to talk to," she said gently, a faint smile touching the corners of her lips.
He looked down at her with wide eyes before he looked away from her, a small nod coming from him. He pulled her down to sit back on the ground, it had taken him a few moments before he began to talk to her about all that was on his mind. He recounted everything that had been happening internally and externally with him. He knew that, maybe, he was hurting the Hyuuga even more but she had offered to listen to him and he desperately needed someone to talk to. When he finished, he ran a hand over his face, a small weight that was on him and lifted, relieving the heaviness in his chest.
"How long have you…" The Hyuuga inhaled deeply, feeling her hands tremble slightly. "How long have you loved her?"
"Maybe forever," he replied after a few moments of silence, his voice barely rising above a whisper. He pulled his legs close to his chest, wrapping his arms around his limbs. "I'm sorry, Hinata."
The dark haired woman closed her eyes, she knew that he had been occupied by someone else for quite sometime now but never had the courage to ask him. "I knew," she whispered. "I knew that you didn't belong with me."
The blonde winced at the pain that was in her voice. "I tried," he blurted out. "I tried to love you the way you deserved to be love, I promise you that."
"I know that too," she said with a weak smile. "And I thank you for that, Naruto." She let out a shaky breath as she slowly stood up, glancing up at the sky that had fallen into the darkness of the night, stars twinkling above them. "I think that I knew that she was the one you loved that night and I knew that I needed to let you go, so you could figure it out yourself."
"You deserve someone better than me, Hinata." The blonde said, looking up at the sky as well. "All I ever did was decieve you."
"No, I think that it was...good that we were together, I've learned a lot about myself being with you." She wrapped her arms around her waist. "And I am no better than you. I want to say that I am happy for you but it is...still much too soon for me to acknowledge it. I have loved you for such a long time, Naruto."
He nodded his head, feeling the guilt of leading her own weigh him down once more. "But," she said, causing him to perk his head up. "I believe that she loves you too. Just like you, she may not know it or she's hiding it from you, you'll have to find that out on your own."
He blinked, face full of surprise. Ino...could be in love with...him? That couldn't be possible, it shouldn't be possible. Well...maybe...She was in love with someone, that much he knew. He also knew that it wasn't with the Uchiha or the Nara. He was certain that she still couldn't be fawning over Sai. That short flame with the Artist had died a long time ago or so she had said (which he knew better than to not believe her). What other options were there? He had never fathomed that he could possibly be on that list of potential suitors. She was right, he had to find out for himself.
"Thanks, Hinata," he said in a gentle tone, a small smile touching his hand reached out to ruffle the hair on top of her head but he pulled his outstretched hand back. He simply nodded his head before turning to head back down to the Village.
"Come on, I'll walk you home."
Apprehensive eyes followed her, she could feel them boring into her back. As much as she tried to ignore people staring at her, she knew she would have to deal with whatever was on her company's mind. She moved around the shop in a flurry of movements, grabbing a variety of items. In between her teeth there was a ribbon the color of a nauseating pink (ten shades brighter than Sakura's hair). Strapped to her waist was a belt with scissors, wires and measuring tape. Her fingertips were taped up because she had a small accident while hastily cutting tulle, ribbon and flowers. As mush as she loved creating and designing floral arrangements, she hated last minute projects, much like this one.
She was supposed to have gotten the order five months ago via Carrier Pigeon however the damned bird had been killed by a territorial hawk that frequented its habitat within the borders of the Fire Country. This was why she preferred trained Hawks but she was getting off track now. One of her customers in the Land of Honey was getting married and requested her floral arrangements for the ceremony and reception. As elated as Ino would normally be about hearing a client getting married, she was two steps away from drowning in her contained rage.
He was an imbecile! He should have been more adamant about keeping her updated. Who the hell sends only two letters? The only reason she was informed of doing these floral arrangements was because she received an invitation to the wedding itself because he had been a long time client of the Yamanaka Flower Shop. She recalled dropping the invitation on the ground and stomping on it when she read the little note to her on the back of the card, asking if it was too late to change the flowers' colors. A snort left her as she cursed under her breath as she continued to work. He was lucky that she had plenty of his requested colored flowers in stock (and he paid very handsomely) or else he would have received a huge 'Fuck Off' from her.
She had had to cancel all her prior plans in order to dedicate her time and effort into this hell of a project. Her eyes flickered over to her company, who seemed rather impatient at this point. It was unlike her to be like this and that only caused the Yamanaka to worry. "I'm almost done and then I'll be yours for my entire lunch break," she called out, ducking into the back room to grab a few colored stones to fill the bottom of the vase on her front counter. She moved so fast that she tripped over a few boxes that had been thrown about her store, she ignored the slight ache in her ankle as she continued to work. She swore that she had finished the pink and yellow Rose arrangement in record breaking time as she tied that obnoxiously pink tulle bow around the vase. Placing in a few Baby's Breath in certain parts of the arrangement, she used the back of her hand to wipe off the sweat that dotted her forehead. She smiled in accomplishment before grabbing the vase and a few other ones to place it in a cooler area, to keep the flowers fresh and from wilting.
Shutting the door, she spun around, yanking off all the gardening and decorating equipment that she had on her and tossing them onto the front counter. A meek smile touched her lips as she walked around the counter to the person waiting for her. "I apologize for the wait, Hinata. You happened to catch me at an awkward time," she breathed out as she guided the lilac eyed woman out of her shop.
"It's fine, I had no idea that you would be so...busy." She bit her lower lip. "I didn't mean to rush you but I needed to speak with you today."
The blonde waved her hand as if it wasn't too much of a big deal, which it wasn't, she tugged on the door of her shop, making sure it was locked before turning to her friend. "So, where would you like to eat, I'm starving," Ino said with a small laugh. "I've been so frantic about this order that I skipped out on breakfast."
"Is it not interfering with your Shinobi career?" The Hyuuga asked, glancing up at the taller woman.
Ino tiled her head to the side in thought. "Some days, it does but it's something that I've learned to handle. Besides, it brings in good profit most of the year and…" Her eyes softened with a mild sadness. "I wouldn't be able to stand shutting this place down."
"Do you not need help? Running a shop by yourself seems...taxing."
Ino let out a gentle laugh. "It can be a pain but I do get help from time to time." She bit the inside of her cheek, realizing that she probably wouldn't receive any for a while. She didn't want to think about it him for right now, she needed to focus her attentions of others things.
Like food.
They found a spot in a nice little cafe that had just opened up. She hungrily stared at the menu, trying to decide when she would be able to eat again and how many calories was in the 'Konoha Special Omelette,' but she was also watching the Hyuuga carefully. She could tell that there was something bothering the reserved woman, the way her eyes would watch her, the frown that tugged at the corner of her lips and how her fingers would fidget with one another. There was something up and the blonde was simply waiting for the Byakugan User to speak up. After placing their order and sitting in silence for a few moments, Ino decided to make the first move.
"It's not often that you come to speak with me, Hinata. Not that I mind, you're busy with learning all the rules and regulations of your Clan for your ascension, right?" She received a small nod from the woman across from her. Her eyes closed and she let out a sigh. "So it must be pretty big that you, who is normally patient, to be so persistent to speak with me today, when clearly I have a full schedule." She noted that the Hyuuga winced slightly, probably not realizing that the Yamanaka had picked up on her body language.
Of course she had, the Yamanaka was an exceptionally perceptive individual. Hinata let out a slow and steady breath, trying to formulate the words that she had been struggling to sort out since she first walked into the Yamanaka Flower Shop.
"It's about Naruto, isn't it," Ino stated in a low voice, idling taking a swig of her water.
Hinata's head snapped up, eyes wide. Had she used her Mind Techniques. She watched a small smile touch Ino's lips as she shook her head. "Your thoughts are easy to read without my Techniques, Hinata," Ino murmured gently. The blonde set down her glass, placing her hands in her lap. How were they supposed to talk about that knucklehead?
"How do you feel about him," Hinata asked hesitantly. Well, that was certainly a step in the right direction.
Ino leaned her chin on a supporting arm as she mulled over the question. "Some days, I'm not sure," she murmured. "He annoys me because he's always bothering me but I guess that's just the kind of guy he is. Then again, I wouldn't want him any other way." A fond smile came to her lips. "But overall, he's an idiot."
Hinata watched Ino speak about her previous love, watching her face fill with an affectionate emotion, contrasting to all the remarks she said about the blonde male. So, she really did care for him. The Hyuuga wasn't sure why she was putting herself through this. Maybe it was because she needed absolute closure about ending things with the Uzumaki. Maybe it was because she wanted to be sure that he found happiness with Ino. Maybe it was because she wanted to make sure that Ino was truly in love with him. She knew that she still loved the Uzumaki but more than anything, she wanted him to be happy. She wanted him to be in love with someone that shared the same feelings. That was all she had ever wanted for him, ever since they were younger. "Do you love him?"
The question caught her off guard. Ino fell silent from her ramble on all this things that she disliked about the Uzumaki (which weren't really things that she disliked about him). She felt her face heat up slightly and she glanced away from the woman across from her. She had had an inkling that this would be brought up today. She knew that Hinata had been there that night when Naruto barged into the restaurant. She knew that anyone might have been able to put the pieces together (except for Naruto). She tugged at her ponytail, biting her lower lip. "Yeah," she breathed out.
The Hyuuga inhaled sharply at the resolute answer, her brows furrowing slightly. "Then why are you hesitating?"
A dry laugh left the blonde which caused the dark haired woman to frown. "That is the question, isn't it," Ino murmured to herself. She ran her fingers through the tangled knots of her hair. "I hesitated because I knew that you two were together. I hesitated because I figured that it was the best course of action, Hinata." Her teal eyes lifted up to look into pale ones. "More than anything, I wanted Naruto to find his own happiness, I thought it would be selfish of me to try to pursue him while he was with you."
"But things didn't work out between Naruto and I," the Hyuuga stated solemnly though she was surprised that the Yamanaka Heiress had the same thoughts as she did about Naruto's happiness.
"I know that but even before then, when I had first fallen for him, he still idolized Sakura. So I thought that if he chose her, I would be content." A heavy sigh left the blonde woman. "But Sakura only has eyes for Sasuke, so I knew he would move on. You know, everyone knew about the feelings that you had for Naruto, except for him." She smiled as she watched Hinata blush furiously. "I thought 'What right do I have to interfere with that kind of love.' And so, when you confessed to him, I thought that you two would be perfect for one another. You had given him unconditional love for all these years, you never judged him. You saw him for what and who he was. At that point, I also thought that I would be content with the idea of you two being together…"
"But," Hinata chimed in, knowing that there was more to what Ino let on.
A smile came to her lips and she nodded her head. "But as the years passed on and the more time I spent with him, my feelings continued to grow. I felt...like I was betraying not only my decision but you, so I tried my best to keep him away." She cradled her head in her hands as she allowed herself this moment to convey her feelings. "I have only ever wanted him to be happy, with his life and with the person that he loves. I never once thought that I had any right to love him in the manner that I do. I've always pushed him away from myself. I have sacrificed my own desires to see that he succeeds. I've given him countless of hours of advice on how to woo you, despite a part of me wishing that things ended between the two of you."
"Because you see, Hinata. I am a selfish woman. I want him all for myself. I don't want to share him with anyone. I began to hope that if he spent enough time with me, he would understand that I loved him. I thought that he would confess his true feelings for me but…" Another dry laugh left the blonde. "All we ever do is argue over trivial things. All I can ever do is push him away from these selfish impulses that I have because I didn't want to be the one who took him away from you, from anyone. I had decided that I would support him in any manner that I could. That I would love him from a far and merely be content with being his friend."
"But you did take him away from me," Hinata stated in an absolute manner, watching the blonde wince slightly. The Hyuuga let out a sigh, knowing that she was partially wrong. "No, he hasn't been mine for years now, Ino. I knew that he would never be mine but I held onto those childish fantasies of mine. I have loved him for so long and to come to the conclusion that you have feelings for him too. It is painful."
"I'm sorry, Hinata," Ino said while bowing her head to the woman across from her. "I never meant for any of this to happen."
She flinched when a delicate hand rested on her arm, teal looked up into lilac. "Love is unexpected, it doesn't do what we want it to do, no matter how hard we pray for it to."
A small smile came to her lips and she nodded slowly. "You're right."
"But I do have one request, Ino." Hinata said in a increasingly determined tone. "Promise me, that when you do reveal your feelings to him...and should return those feelings…" She paused, knowing without a doubt that the feelings would be more than mutual. "Promise me that you will love him in a way that I couldn't. Promise me you will love him in a way that he couldn't manage for me. Promise me that you will love him right."
A slow smile came to the blonde's lips and Hinata felt her voice get caught in her throat. She could understand why people were jealous of the Yamanaka's appearance. She could understand why anyone would be wrong if one part of them didn't fall in love with her. She watched the apples of her cheeks become rosy and round like the fruit. She watched her eyes shimmer to a deep aquamarine, reminding her of the waves rolling into the shore. She wanted to be Ino in that moment. She wanted to be the one who had captured Naruto's eyes and heart the way the blonde woman had. She wanted to be everything that Ino was and what she wasn't.
Hinata watched herself fall for the woman across from her. The woman who was in love with her first love. There was a little resentment within the Hyuuga, mixed with jealousy but more than that she was...content. She knew that the Mind Walker would uphold those promises, even without confirming it. She knew that the two blondes would find happiness and she prayed that it would last for an eternity.
"I promise, Hinata." Ino reassured, placing a hand over the one that rested on her arm, giving it a gently squeeze. "I promise."