First love, last love

Chapter 3

"After I calmed down, and when I felt her chakra, knowing she was alive was the greatest feeling, but it was also then that I realized I almost killed her along with everyone else. I knew I couldn't be with her... not until I got control of Kurama's powers, so I trained even more."

"..."

"I knew it hurt her but I feigned ignorance and everyone else seemed to accept that...expect it from me even...because I was afraid."

"..."

"When I did get in control, the war started and when I thought to confess to her after we won, after I had proven myself to the world...Neji died...and I just couldn't do it..."

"..."

"It took a lot of time for the guilt to die down, but when it did, I felt lost and looking at her so mature and strong...I thought I had lost my chance to be with her, that she had moved on but on our mission to the moon, we fell into a genjutsu where I saw her memories with mine and I saw that she still loved me...had loved me...for so long and so I confessed."

"..."

"Funny thing was, I got rejected and I concluded that the genjutsu was simply showing me what I wanted to see..."

"..."

"But after listening to Sakura, after really thinking about it and gaining confidence again, choosing to believe what my heart had been trying to tell me, I confessed again and she wholeheartedly accepted."

"..."

"I was a fool, a coward...and you're right...I don't deserve her...but she loves me...Hah...she loves me..."

Sasuke hadn't looked at Naruto through the whole conversation but he heard the tears within his friend's voice and he knew. Since the beginning of the conversation, reflecting on his own awakening to his feelings, Sasuke had no choice but to admit that he had utterly lost in every way. In Naruto's fits of quiet laughter and tears, Sasuke continued to listen. His friend wasn't a complete idiot after all...

After calming down Naruto continued on. "For all the years I made her wait, for all the love she's had for me, I'm gonna make it up to her and give her the world."

"..."

"I'm also sorry Sasuke...As my best friend, there are a lot of things I'd be willing to give up for you but I will never give up on Hinata."

Sasuke had made many discoveries that day. It was a lot to take in but he knew he had to. Not only had his friend also been in love with Hinata, but he had also been aware of her feelings for him. Naruto and Hinata were now together and now it was time for him to honor his promise...

He did not sleep that night.

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

Naruto was set to leave the next morning and as he was about to leave Sasuke spoke to him for the first time.

"Don't fuck it up dobe."

Knowing all the underlying meanings of 'I'll kill you if you fuck this up' and etc., Naruto simply laughed. Turning around and giving him his signature smile he replied, "Of course not teme! Ore wa Naruto dattebayo!"

After his recovery, Sasuke set to leave Konoha again that night and as he took his first step past the border, he heard her voice again.

"Uchiha-san!"

Turning to the direction of her voice he saw her running toward him and so he waited. The distance to her current location from the training field she had been occupying was nothing, but it was only a few minutes ago that Hinata's hours of training were put to a halt as news of Sasuke's departure were made known to her. When she was but a few feet away catching her breath he said, "Call me by my name."