Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Hidden Emotions ❯ Let Love Be Your Guide ( Chapter 4 )

DISCLAIMER: Sasuke, nor Sakura, nor Naruto, nor Hinata, nor Neji belong to me. XD

 

Well, I moved the furniture in my room around and now my computer is right next to my bed which means I can right at my convenience which means I can write a lot more which means! I will update more. Hopefully. Comments are greatly appreciated! XD

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Sakura ran this through her head quite a few times until she processed what Sasuke had actually said. It was no secret she had loved Sasuke then. But did she now? She knew the answer and it seemed he did too. She couldn't hide it from him so there was no sense in trying.

 

 

 

Sasuke stared at Sakura's face while she pondered the words he had said.

 

“Sasuke, I do love you,” Sakura whispered softly and surely. Sasuke knew it was true and he really didn't need her to confirm it but it was nice to hear that after all these years something had remained the same. “But…” she continued. She looked up at him with a mixture of determination and sadness in her eyes. “I can't be with you.”

 

“Why not?” Sasuke asked almost as if he were offended.

 

Sakura let out a sharp frustrated sigh. “Because Sasuke! Every day of the Chuunin exams I was there right next to you. Helping you. Taking care of you. Every day after that I was there for you anytime you needed me. On missions, in training. I would have been there for you had you needed me.” Sakura looked away from him. “I told you Sasuke, I would have done anything for you.” Sasuke knew where she was going. This was the same anger she had expressed earlier in the day when they were training.

 

“But you left me. I wasted so many years of my life caring about you, Sasuke. I still do care about you but I don't want to spend any more time acting on it. It's pointless. You never cared about me and you never will. I've accepted that. I've also accepted that I can never love anyone but you.”

 

Sasuke was speechless. Sakura really had changed but here he was. Sasuke Uchiha, in the flesh, ready and willing to give her what she had only dreamed of but she turned him down. Had he really hurt her that much? He knew he had but he had no choice back then.

 

“Things are different now, Sakura. You said it yourself.” Sasuke said this hoping for some change of mind in Sakura although he knew the chance was slim.

 

Sakura seemed to disregard this attempt from Sasuke to change her mind. “Some people can love over and over again. And others…” Sakura sighed. Sasuke knew that Sakura had come into realization with what she was saying long ago but he also knew for her to say it now took it to a different level. “No matter how perfect of a person they find, even if this person loves them with all of their heart and is willing to give them everything… Some people can only love once.” Sakura looked up at Sasuke and slightly nodded as to confirm what she had just said. “I'm one of those people, Sasuke. I can never love anyone but you, even if you never love me back. Even if you leave me 100 times more.” Sakura looked down away from Sasuke and he could see she was ashamed of herself for being so weak to Sasuke. “I will always love you, Sasuke.”

 

 

Sasuke instantly realized who the other person she was talking about was. Even if this person loves them with all of their heart and is willing to give them everything; He thought about what she had said.

 

“So then… that's why…” Sasuke was speaking so softly he couldn't even feel the voice leaving his mouth so he cleared his throat a little. “you and Naruto?” Sasuke felt worse than ever. He felt guilty for the friendship he had stolen from the two. He knew Naruto loved her. But now he knew she couldn't ever love him back. And he suspected sometime in all these years she had told him that.

 

“I told you, Sasuke. You've affected my life more ways than I am able to count.” Sakura said it without looking at him and he knew she was angry at him for more than he had ever expected. He felt the need to think everything through and he wanted to be alone. Sasuke had an extreme amount of sadness in his face and he knew it. He didn't want her to see it but he couldn't get rid of it. The only thing he could hide was the emotion in his eyes. He did this by not looking at her.

 

“Sakura-chan, do you need anything?” He asked politely and softly, still keeping his eyes away from her. “I'm going home for the night.”

 

He knew she understood and was thankful for that.

“No, I don't think so.” She said with a small smile.

 

Sasuke lightly took hold of her hands and pulled her away from the door. He stood there holding her hands with his and stared downward. He kissed her gently on the cheek and released her hands. As he opened the door to leave he said something quick, “Make sure to lock your doors, Sakura-chan.” He looked up at her for a split second and felt his emotions race out of his eyes to hers. “Stay safe.” He pulled his face from hers quickly and shut the door behind him. He stood in front of her house for a second gathering himself. He took a deep breath of the now crisp chilly air hoping it would release some of the emotion rushing through his head. He walked home with his eyes to the ground, hands in his pocket, without making a sound.

 

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Hinata walked towards the hospital with Sakura's words running through her head. She desperately wished Naruto would be okay. Sakura was right, Naruto was strong and Konoha had two of the best medical ninja around. Still, she was worried. She tried not to think about it. She walked in silence until she reached the hospital. She headed for Naruto's room and quietly opened the door. The lights were off in the room and it was dark. She silently closed the door behind her and walked to the side of Naruto's bed where she sat in a chair. She stared at his chest moving up and down slowly. He looked peaceful. She thought about how much he had grown over the years. Naruto was much more mature now. She couldn't lose him now. She had watched him for so long over the years wishing to be with him, now that she was, she just couldn't lose him. He meant so much to her and now she meant just as much to him.

 

Hinata lifted her hands to his arms. She felt his smooth skin underneath her fingertips. His arms felt stiff and lifeless. They were completely relaxed yet completely tense. She remembered what Sakura said and was thankful that his paralysis was only temporary.

 

“Hello, Hinata.”

 

Hinata was startled by the voice. She instantly knew it was Naruto's but because his head was turned away from her, she second guessed that she had even heard the voice at all. She realized that it was Naruto when he turned his head her way and smiled towards her.

 

“Naruto-kun, how did you know I was here?” Hinata knew there was no way he could have heard her because she had perfected being stealthy on her missions since she became a Chuunin. Naruto put his eyes towards her hand and smiled as to answer her question.

 

“You can feel my hand, Naruto-kun? Sakura-chan said you couldn't feel in your arms or torso.”

 

Naruto closed his eyes still with a slight smile. “I don't need to be able to feel to know you're touching me, Hinata.

 

Hinata blushed. She was going to respond when Naruto continued speaking.

 

“Did Sakura-san say how long I would be like this?” She saw he was staring blankly at the ceiling now. It made Hinata a little sad to hear Naruto call Sakura, Sakura-san. She knew he did so because they were no longer close and he didn't consider her to be a close friend anymore, otherwise he would have called her Sakura-chan.

 

“Sakura-chan said that between her and Tsunade's medical experience and your… the… kyuubi it shouldn't be too long.”

 

“But I'm going to be okay?”

 

Hinata smiled. “Sakura-chan said you should be.” Hinata hoped Sakura's words would comfort Naruto.

 

“What did Hokage-sama say?” Naruto said this in an almost mean way like he had no interest in what Hinata was saying at all. She knew it was really that he had no interest in what Sakura had to say. He didn't want to hear her name ever again if it was possible. To ease the pain, she knew.

 

“I haven't spoken with her.” Hinata hadn't thought about how Naruto would feel about Sakura's words realistically. Of course, she knew she was most likely right as she did train under Tsunade but Naruto wouldn't see it that way. He would see it as useless words from a girl who caused him pain. She didn't really blame him either.

 

“So you don't know if I'm okay?” Naruto said distantly.

 

Hinata didn't know exactly what to say. “Well… I'll speak with Hokage-sama in the morning. I'm sure everything is fine.” She tried to smile her usual sweet smile hoping it would make him feel a little better and he seemed to loosen up a bit. She was grateful for it.

 

Naruto stared up at the ceiling for a long time and Hinata just sat there and let him. She didn't want to interrupt him. After a very long while, Naruto let out a soft voice which seemed infinitely loud after the long silence.

 

“Hinata-chan?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Lay with me.”

 

 

Hinata blushed a little. Her and Naruto had been close for a long while and she had layed with him before but her heart still skipped a beat when she heard words she only dreamed of hearing years ago. She was grateful for him. He was better to her than she could have ever imagined. So she did, she layed with him in the hospital bed. She linked her fingers in his even though his hands didn't know it and he couldn't tighten his fingers around hers. She didn't care; she knew he could feel it. Naruto loved her. He didn't need physical feelings; he had their love to feel for him.