What If Ino Secretly Likes Naruto || Part-1 ||

hey guys how are you all welcome back to my Channel today we will see what if Eno secretly likes narut if you enjoy then please like share and do comments she wasn't sure when she realized it it couldn't have been more than several years ago if she really thought on it it would make a lot more sense if she put it that way for some reason or another she was now fully understanding everything it was now falling on top of her like a tidal wave this unseen force was slowly drowning her crushing her lungs with such a force that she had to take a step back and recompose herself it was slowly weighing her down causing her feet to drag across the ground feeling that she would crumble into a formless pile she had known that there was something there was this tingling sensation in the back of her mind that led her to this conclusion this realization she was in love all love was such a bizarre concept yet it was ordinary at the same time why well it was simple she easily and freely loved it was not straightforward but it was not complicated either at least not for her because it came so naturally like breathing she knew this emotion all too well she grew up surrounded and engulfed in the warm feeling she gave it out so easily showering anyone with it that is if they were willing to receive it being in love was nothing new to her it was with who that surprised her how could it have managed to be him of all the available options of course there was nothing wrong with him Gods know he was absolutely perfection in her eyes which would have surely caused a disgusted snort from her younger self should she feel so indulgent to tell her forer self from those eyes that held such life and raw emotion just like the Waring waves in the ocean from that once squeaky prepubescent voice that had somehow managed to become such a low bar tone of a purr from that sun-kissed skin that stretched over his if not Flawless muscles built over of years of training and endless determination from the way he carried him self long ago shedding that shell he had once been from how he treated everyone equally never quick to judge another being he was hands down Perfection to her he simply did not follow the guidelines that she had established at a young age as her perfect match he was not calm and mysterious he did not brood in the background figting disinterest with dark eyes he never shut anyone out he never craved the feeling of being alone in his own Solitude seeing how it would go against his virtue and morals he did not defect from his beloved Village that had treated him so scornfully in order to seek the truth in order to gain power he would never hurt those who cared about him he would never intentionally hurt those who didn't know him he would never break bonds because those were so important to him he would never take back the promises that he had given to Hopeful Hearts he was not dark and stoic he was different than the first guideline she had created he was not a genius well maybe he truly was but not to the standard that would have him recognized he didn't think of countless upon countless of strategies in less than a few minutes he was not lazy and didn't prefer to avoid responsibilities by gazing at clowns he never said anything was Troublesome because when it came to things he found important he put his all into the activity he was not a wouldbe lover ruined by a bond that can only be seen as sibling adoration he was not someone who smelled of smoke trying to cope with the loss of a love teacher a second father he was not someone captured and enthralled by a strong willed Foreigner by a woman who commanded his attention and Peak his desires since they were just barely falling into the roles of chunin he was not someone who sought for love in a different village not that she held any form of ill will towards said Foreigner it had taken time but she quickly saw that they were without a doubt perfect for one another he was different than the second guideline she had created he was not socially inep he rivaled her status when it came to knowing the who's and what's that was floating around their Village he was not raised to merely be a toou he was not taught to feeling nothing for his emotions and reactions were so unfiltered and unrefined he was not artistic skilled when it came to matters that involved ink and canvas he did not wear such false emotions upon his face which had taken her a matter of seconds to deduced that they were not genuine however she played along he doesn't call people names that they aren't he he doesn't try to lie to anyone in order to fit in he doesn't lead people along with a string of beautiful and unnecessary words making her believed that she had found love in her perfect match he was not a replacement a replica of her first love he was different than the final guideline she had created she knew however that she had no right to be in love with him she knew that it was wrong to even Pine for him in the silent manner she did she knew that the basis of her affections wouldn't make any real sense because it was so cliche she had joked about falling for him years after the inkling of an infatuation had blossomed after the Casual joke his face and voice began to pop up in her mind more often than not she knew she had no right because in the past although it had been forgiven far too yielding her feelings were negative towards him yes she had fallen for a boy no men that she had been discus to in the past now sure she had been just a child easily influenced by the adult around her she simply followed suit to how they treated him not realizing that it was wrong she had called him names as he acted disruptive in class and throughout the village because that was the only way to show how lonely he was she had chided at him for being unintelligent dead last she had sneered at him for being unable to create a successful and basic clone technique she had done wrong by him simply because she could get away with it like the adults she could not forgive herself her Academy Self as she Grew Older she still held little to no interest for him but her feelings slowly evolved as the flow of time continued on especially during the tunin exams she found a new respect for him and his team as a whole she then found herself curious about him wanting to know more about him she tried to seek him out to become better acquaintances much to his necessary and innate caution she even went on a few low-ranked missions with him and despite their similar temperament and disposition she always had a blast being around him he was like the sun he was different that the moon she had idolized so long ago their budding friendship relationship whatever it was at the time ended all too soon when he left to train with the toad Sage to become strong enough to bring back his counterpart the moon 3 years there was a part of her that didn't care that he left there was a part of her that was disappointed that she couldn't see where they could have gone there was a part of her that was angry that he simply left even though she knew that it was what he needed there was a part of her that cried as fear struck her heart wondering if he would actually come back there was a part of her that was empty lonely but she was digressing she had no right to love him in this pitiful manner why well she knew that his eye would never looked around to seek hers she knew that his eyes wouldn't light up with delight by seeing her face she knew that his face wouldn't turn a slight shade darker when he saw her that the smile that was on his lips lips would never be meant for her eyes only she knew that he would never be hers she was not strong despite the years of training that she had spent underneath the tutelage of for proud and wonderful Shinobi despite what she had been trying to convince herself all this time she was a fragile being she didn't possess that near perfect chakra control she didn't poses the Affinity to heal so precisely she didn't possess the capabilities to keep someone she cared for alive or at least not at that point in her life she didn't have eyes that glittered a Bright Jade when the sun hit them perfectly at High Noon she didn't have eyes that reflected the leaves that caused the name of their Village she didn't have eyes that darkened into hard gems when her emotions were increasing and the stakes were high she didn't have that bond with him that special bond that he would risk his life over and over again for her if it was just to keep her smiling and hopeful she didn't capture his heart at a young age inspiring him to Aspire to become strong just to prove that he was worthy for her she didn't have hair that caused everyone to remember that the trees here looked magical during the Spring yes she was intelligent yes she was loud and commanding yes she was strong in the areas that came naturally to her however all of that was dull in comparison to the person who captured his heart so fully she could admit at least to herself that she had fallen in love with Uzumaki narut who wouldn't have fallen in love with him he had proved himself time and time again that he was worthy to be the proud Shinobi that he was today he had exuberant warmth and affection making it extremely difficult to despise him he had opened his heart and mind to all those around him exposing his hidden secrets he had done it in such a way that she had been unable to hold back her tears guilt from the past began to Bubble Up Inside her chest causing her to regret her decision to follow the examples those older than her had said he had been afraid of rejection yet he exposed himself anyways all she could do at that time was accept him because he deserved it he deserved so much more than what she could possibly ever give him who was she to want him only for herself he wanted to give all of himself to the people that had treated him so poorly he wanted them to love and respect him she had no right to try to take that away from him she had no right to take away the hero of their Village she had no right to try to steal him from his longtime Crush she had no right to wrap him up in her arms when the hyuga arys had proudly confessed her love to him disregarding her own close call with death she yamama nakao had no right to yearn for Uzumaki narut but gods did she she wished it was simple but love was not simple it was not simple but it was not difficult either it was simply something that was and forever will be however she truly wished it was easy for her that this thing that had for her dear friend would away into a love that she had for a sibling yet it remained especially after he had helped to avenge the death of her beloved teacher especially after he had protected not only her but all the Shinobi on the battlefield against uiha obido and MAA especially after he saved the world alongside his former team against otsuki kagaya and especially after the war when they had proper time to mourn for their losses when he had found her staring at the engraved name of her late father when he had so forcefully pulled her into a tight embrace that she forgot how to breathe she forgot that she was Yaman nakao and he Uzumaki narut when he pulled away from her his eyes staring down at her tear stained face wiping away the tears that continued to fall she forgot that she was hiding her feelings for him and simply thought that maybe just maybe that he cared for her in the same manner when he held her for so long that her knees grew weak and he caught her remaining as she fell to ground in despair he remained try as she might she could rid herself of these feelings she was stuck in this platonic limbo unable to find the courage to confess and unable to find the reason as to why it would work she knew that over time she would move on that was simply how life worked that was simply how she worked she had grown over time able to move on from the past encounters she had faced with love but for now she had to swallow the lump in her throat that Rose whenever she watched her friends interact with one another she had to watch him worship the very ground that her best friend walked on she had to hear him call out her best friend's name so affectionately she had to do all of this in the Name of Love because he deserved this happiness this happiness that held no future with her she would never dare try to ruin that for him she would love him the only way she could given that status of their camaraderie she would love him from a distance she would support him and all the decisions he chose to make she would love him right and that was that no matter what happened was it Poss possible to be cursed was it possible that certain convictions and decisions that she made in the past would cause her to end up in this situation was it possible to go back in time and strangle her precious self she recounted the events that had recently transpired as she flipped the open sign of the yamanaka flower shop to closed a frown touched her lips as she rested the palm of her hand on the back of the sign fingers tapping on the piece of board she shook her head slightly as she turned away from the door after locking it she grabbed a clipboard from the counter before she meandered through the store writing down what needed to be stocked and ordered the door Chim clanked together in a messy jingle signaling that a customer had arrived she paused her ministrations her well-trained years picking up the dull sound wiping off the perspiration that dotted her forehead she stood up wiping soil covered hands on the front of her apron how strange Wednesdays were days when she spent most of her time tending to the fickle PL plant life in the greenhouse are potting the new seedlings that had arrived in an early morning shipment in the back room it wasn't often that customers came in during this day but nonetheless she knew that it would be good for business quickly she made her way out of the greenhouse jogging to the open back door she felt a familiar tingle run down her spine normally she didn't try to sense who the customer was for it was rare that a Shinobi would come here unless to give her a mission scroll however there was this low and steady pulse that reached out to her and instinctively she allowed her chakra to expand seeking out who was at the front of the shop she felt her heart flutter and palpate briefly the chakra signature immediately placing a face within her mind swallowing thickly she gave herself a moment to ease her increasing nerve while placing a small smile on her lips as she came through the threshold of the door Naruto she called out as her teal eyes landed on the person leaning against the counter his eyes trailing around the store looking at the new inventory that had arrived he perked up when he heard his name Sapphire orbs flickering over to her a smile coming to his lips she let out a shaky breath his reaction catching her offg guard brief she unconsciously wiped her hands off on the apron once more I didn't expect you of all people to come here today hey Eno he replied to earlier greeting before he squinted his eyes brow crinkled slightly as he took mild offense to her last statement any why wouldn't I want to come here she smirked at the pout that formed on his lips and she let out a small laugh a shrug lifted her shoulders and the back of her hand brushed off the trail of sweat that was racing down the side of her face you have to ask why let's see the last time you came to my humble shop was when you needed flowers for lady Sun's birthday and that was she allowed the sentence to hang tilting her head at an angle before tapping her chin in mocked thought one month ago the darker blonde replied his voice dropping low as the sudden realization hid him right she confirmed so you can see why I feel that you don't want to come here sorry Eno he said with a deep bow of his head she wasn't sure if he was waiting for a blow to the skull or apologizing she was sure he was used to soccer his violent display of affection so she had to hold back the snort that almost left her she reached out and ruffled the top of his head causing him to look up at her in surprise it's fine narut I know that you have many responsibilities to handle as of late she responded with a gentle smile retracting her hand from his hair fingers tingling at how soft his locks felt she had to regain herself she didn't need her true feelings to be exposed she just had to be there for when he needed her and she supposed he needed her right now she followed his earlier stance leaning her elbows on the countertop and glancing up at him so tell me what do you need today flowers herbs or perhaps you need advice on how to land a date with forehead she finished as a Sly grin caused her lips to curl in a feline fashion the male before her was silent for a few moments processing a few thoughts of his own he shook his head and leaned back over the counter as well a low chuckle leaving him his voice dropped down to a softer tone that way no one who came in would hear their conversation actually I was hoping that you could help me get Sakura and sake together it'll never work Naruto she huffed out her own disappointment rising of course he would come to ask her how to get a date with Sakura it made sense she knew Sakura better than anyone else or so she hoped she still did she only has eyes for she paused as her thought process was interrupted as his words finally settled in she slammed the palms of her hands on top of the counter wait God are you serious he blinked a few times wondering if she was feeling well he tilted his head to the side as he watched the surprised expression come to her face a frown touched to face before confusion took hold of him why wouldn't I be are you feeling well Eno I'm the one who should be asking you that Eno side out pinching the bridge of her nose so it is my understanding that you Uzumaki narut want to get the girl that you have longed for for years with your best friend correct her eyes narrowed and she leaned forward towards him studying every little detail on his face wondering if he had something up his sleeve why a slight pink tint touched his cheeks as he scratched Ed one side of his face nervously his eyes glanced off to the side and he found himself leaning away from the intense gaze of the lighter blonde well now that the war is over and I've had more opportunities to think about everything I came to the conclusion that Sakura can only love me like a friend I know that I will never compare to SAS in her he was silenced by the hand she raised immediately a frown touching her lips she didn't want to hear him compare himself to SAS she knew that she wouldn't be able to to control the words that would have left her she knew that all her hard work would be ruined she let out a heavy breath looking back at the confused face of the male before her fine I'll help you she said in an annoyed Huff really he exclaimed with joy though it was only shortlived as his own scrutinizing gaze fell upon her he leaned forward mimicking the exact same stance that she had prior what she snapped out not enjoying having the tables flipped on her aren't you still in love with sake he questioned the question itself had caused her mind to cease working the cogs and wheels in her mind stopped turning and she stood there with her mouth Agape how dare he ask her such a question out of the blue this wasn't about her feelings this was about helping those two boneheads she almost wanted to grab the front of his shirt drag him across the counter and yell at him for even thinking that she still had feelings for that traitorous fool even though she understood that he had changed his ways she still could couldn't forgive all the pain that he had caused to her closest friends she wanted to confess that her feelings were solely focused on the male awaiting her reply she held back however the courage to do so was not found the fear of rejection made her blood run cold what also came across her mind was the question if she still acted like she was in love with him did she truly seem hung up on him or any of the other false hopes that she had had in the past clearing her throat she let out a low and steady breath no I'm not she sighed out I gave up on that sort of thing a long time ago my friendship with forehead is far too important than some dot boy with a wave of her hand she dismissed the topic before any ill feelings began to rise in her chest besides this isn't about you or me right however I am curious why are we doing this if they want to be together then they will be eventually Naruto furiously shook his head eyes narrowing slightly their both too stubborn for that knowing that bastard he'll ask her out when they both lay on their deathbed that's why we have to work together to get them in a relationship as soon as possible or else it'll never happen Eno nodded in agreement knowing that Sakura would never make the first moves not after all those years of professing her love for him and getting no response even if the pink-haired medic had grown in confidence and strength over the years when it came to the male of her affections she was fragile and weak like many in in love why do you care so much she asked her curiosity peeking Naruto blinked before a gentle smile came to his face he leaned across the counter his arms draping over the glass countertop his wrists dangling over on the opposite side he wiggled his bandaged fingers as he continued to collect his thoughts he rested his chin in between his arms before rolling his head to the side resting one side of his face on the right arm his smile never faded away I I've grown up being on a team with the two of them and despite my best efforts Sakura has always loved SAS sure I know she cares about me but it will never amount to what I feel for her he let out a heavy sigh as if he were still trying to recover from such a conclusion as for SAS I know that what he has done cannot easily be forgiven but after all these years I want to believe that he still held feelings for us during our final battle he could have killed both of us but he hadn't he could have abandoned Sakura when we fought against kagaya he could have done more than my arm he could have done all these things but he hadn't he still cared about us and that's why I want to help they deserve it she was speechless never had she heard him speak so calmly about his two teammates watching him speak about the two he cared about was Mesmerizing the way his eyes would Shimmer with affection and fondness the way his mouth would slant into a crooked grin as he recalled the memories the way he seemed to radiate and glow with over overwhelming warmth surely Sakura had to know the opportunity that she was missing surely SAS understood what kind of threat Naruto could have become and of all times she wished that she could be the reason behind his smile the reason behind such an unconditional love I understand she said gently finding that she too was smiling affectionately at his reasons I don't know how much harder I can push forehead but I'll do my best thanks Eno you're a really great person Nar said with a brilliant smile she felt her heart clench knowing that he was wrong she wasn't a good person she was seething and drowning in jealousy she knew that she still had no chance to be with him even though he was giving up on the idea of dating Sakura he didn't understand these tainted feelings that she had he didn't understand that she wished he cared for her in such a way anyways I was thinking that the two of you could go eat at she sighed as she hung the chart she had been scribbling on the back door she gave the front area one final sweep of the eye before she turned off the light locking the back door she slowly ambled up the stairs to her left headed to the apartment above the shop after the war had ended she had built a place above her father's shop her old home destroyed when pain attacked with dragging footsteps she made her way to her bedroom falling into the Comforts of her cold sheets letting out a heavy sigh she supposed that she could live with this watching those around her fall in love while she waited for someone to catch her eye well someone who could love her in the way she wanted to be loved she supposed that this is what she could do for her friends this was what she could do for Naruto no matter how much it stung if today could have gone any worse it would have that's what she had decided the fates were against her she was almost certain now that she was cursed it seemed only right there was this excruciating pain that made it feel like her head was going to split into two halves and some foreign being would pop out it started at the tip of her nose following up the nasal cavity before branching out and stretching into her eye sockets from there it climbed up towards her temples pulsing angrily throughout the day no matter how much Mystic Palm chakra she pumped into her skull to sooth the pain the pulsating Tremors wouldn't leave she supposed it had something to do with the broken nose she had suffered earlier that morning she supposed it had something to do with the chaos during her shift at the hospital she supposed Inda had something to do with running face first into on of the shelves at her store she supposed it was because she was cursed as she apprenticed underneath Morino iiki she had plenty of opportunities to practice an arsenal of her family techniques after the death of her father she rightfully so found her calling within the torture and intelligence Department despite knowing that she was going to be there eventually she was truly comfortable within the department of course it was more than simply interrogation and torture they also looked for research advances with technology the archives not too far from their reaches she knew that that were reconstructing a telepathic communication unit within their labs and she was proud to say that she was heavily involved in its development however this morning she had had different ideas on her training currently she was working on a new technique to add to the mountains of Scrolls in her home this technique would allow her to stay in a semiconscious state throughout an interrogation the idea was to gather information for the mind of her Target without being obvious her mind techniques either required her soul to leave her body which left her vulnerable or she had to come into direct contact with the target this idea was to eliminate both of those two inconveniences especially should she be on a mission alone but she was up with multiple roadblocks when it came to progress such as falling face first onto the tiled floor thus causing her to break her nose of course she had been expecting to have such difficulties so she wasn't as surprised but that didn't lessen the pain radiating throughout her skull what frustrated her the most was the fact that iiki was a harsh critic when she had regained Consciousness he was crouching beside her his eyes full of hidden concern and Mild disappointment it was very rare that he gave her praise and compliments as to how far she had come along not that she minded she didn't need anyone to sugarcoat her failures and success she understood that his teaching methods strayed from the norm so so she had sat up staring down at her legs while explaining what she had wanted to accomplish during that session and why she concluded it was a failure the good thing about training under iiki was that he understood the mind his own techniques dealt with the mind as well which was impressive seeing how it was considered a bloodline technique she often wondered if somewhere in his family lineage there had been a yamanaka it wouldn't have surprised her at all seeing how many bloodline techniques were relatives or a mutation of one however iiki felt that she was being too ambitious which was only right at her given age when it came to creating new techniques it took years to properly mold the perfect amount of chakra it took years to figure out what hand sign to use the mind was a fragile and delicate item for all parties involved should she mess up in the slightest she could ruin her Target's mind or Worse her own she had to be extremely careful when testing out her new techniques or else she could end up with worse than a broken nose she had been chided for not taking a more cautious approach despite his harsh exterior she knew that iiki cared for her taking the role of an authoritative male figure in her life seeing how he had always been close with the yamanaka family she took the critique that was given without fighting back which was quite the feat for the quick-tempered blonde he had teased her appearances and she stuck her tongue out at him before she promptly healed her broken nose like he was one to talk after her morning session at the T and I Department she headed over to the hospital despite the stares at thew she had blood caked and dried down her chin and onto the front of her shirt she had been asked to cover a shift a few days prior which would lead her into the late afternoon arriving at the hospital she scrubbed off her sore face and changed into a different top one that was left in her locker a long time ago sliding on her white coat she was immediately thrown into the chaos that was the konaha hospital a new trainee had been so flustered while it just in to the hectic pace while trying to clean out a waiting room and then immediately heading to watch a non-invasive surgery they had dropped a container of used syringes on the floor in the middle of a hight traffic hallway Code Orange the cleanup didn't take too long but she almost felt bad for the trainee the tears in his eyes were unshed while he was being scolded by his supervisor she knew what it was like to be brought into this crazy life a LoveHate relationship would be formed after a weak fuse of being in the hospital but it was all worth it to see the relieved patience accompanied by the joyful cries from those who cared for them it was certainly worth it Code Orange all clear then while she had been giving a physical to an aspiring Academy student the PA system left out a small alarm causing her to Halt a gentle voice came over the intercom asking for assistance she abruptly left the child along with his mother down to the ground floor an outpatient had gone into cardiac arrest in the middle of the lobby code blw after stabilizing the vitals of the patient she headed back to the room she had previously been in she apologized for the inconvenience of her sudden departure but it had been a medical emergency she continued through the physical before handing over a form of consent which would allow the small boy entrance into the academy she waved off the Happy Boy and His worried mother before letting out a sigh she went through the same motions giving out four other physicals to other anxious children only having to turn down one applicant because they were not of age yet code blew all clear she collapsed into a chair in the mess hall staring down at the lunch that she had prepared for herself last night in all honesty she didn't have the strength to eat today had certainly been extremely hectic and she could only blame her lack of Lady Luck she rubbed her temples with a soothing green chakra trying to ease the oncoming headache she flinched as other being plopped down in front of her teal eyes glancing up to see m in in expression Emerald ones what a day huh she murmured out to her friend the pink-haired medic groaned as she pulled her hair from her updo which meant that she had recently been in surgery tell me about it she grumbled as she ruffled her hair and slowly began to open up her container of food I feel like every code that can happen will happen today and here I thought I was the only one the blonde mused with a small smile munching on the tomatoes in her lunch anyways are you ready for tonight I don't know if I'll be able to make it tonight I'm exhausted Sakura groaned sipping on what was probably her fifth cup of coffee that day oh no you don't forehead Eno chid it out I have suffered too much today for you to back out tonight besides when was the last time we actually had a night off with one another the blonde questioned pointing a fork at the pink-haired woman across from her before digging into the mediocre omelet and meat selection she had the medic tossed her head from left to right as she chewed on her food and thought about what her friend had said it certainly had been a while since they had gone out it was turning into 4 months now she had been surprised when the blonde had asked a few days ago to hand out usually she was the one trying to catch up to Eno's hectic schedule she thought that she was a workaholic but Eno certainly had spread herself thin over the last year taking hold of all the opportunities that came her way she nodded her head in agreement taking another Swig of her now cold coffee you're right besides I'm free until my evening shift tomorrow Sakura stated with a slight grin so we might as well have fun tonight that's what I like to hear Eno said with a grin and they erupted with laughter as they began to recall their last Escapade their moment of Peace Ended as soon as it started the beepers attached to their waists were set off both females snatched up the tiny device before giving each other a similar look they quickly discarded their meals speeding off down the hallways code yellow on the other side of the konaha hospital property they found a small child wandering the hallways crying for her mother a sigh of relief came through the two females as they rushed to Aid the young girl she had wandered off while her parents had been talking with a nurse about an upcoming surgery for her brother she supposed that the conversation had been lengthy since the girl had managed to come all the way here a missing child was not something that they had inexperience with but it was certainly not something that they took lightly especially seeing how the child could have been abducted after returning the child to her fearful parents Eno and Sakura parted their ways promising to meet up later that night code yellow all clear how did he manage to get a coin in his nose Eno asked with an incredulous tone it's like bigger than the nostril itself Sakura let out a laugh and Shrugged I have no idea really children get creative when there are no adults around she shook her head recalling the memory while nursing a cup of sake they sure do Eno muttered under her breath with a huff taking hold of the neck of her beer bottle and gulped down the rest of the contents A Satisfied noise left her as she set the bottle down on the tabletop her eyes glanced over at the clock hanging on the restaurant's wall just how late were they going to be is everything all right she jumped a bit looking over at the concerned face of her friend yeah why you just keep looking over at the clock Sakura wrapped her arms around herself a dejected look coming to her face face [ __ ] was she being that obvious then again Sakura would notice those minute details she reached her hand out across the table wiggling her fingers and gently beckoning for the medic to take hold of her awaiting hand when she did Eno held her hand in a firm grip as a fond smile came to her lips you know it's been a while since we've last done something like this I just can't believe how fast time is passing Eno Sakura groaned out pulling her head free and covering the fested flush coming to her face you're such a sap the two women began to laugh while enjoying their third round of drinks the blonde felt relieved as she averted a small crisis it wasn't she was being dishonest she truly enjoyed spending time with her longtime rival and friend she felt that now their bond was stronger than ever of course Eno had still played the role of fawning over the Uchiha it was only to help fuel the medic's confidence it wasn't for a while that Eno realized that Sakura didn't need that kind of boost and confidence what she needed was someone who would be there when she had her doubts she needed someone to be there to pull her out of her head she needed someone who could help take her mind off things so that was when Eno had let go of her crush even though it really wasn't that difficult she had given up a long time ago pursuing different options not like any of those had worked out for her she had been lost not sure how to feel she had started with an apology to Lady Sun's Apprentice which had brought upon a lengthy conversation about the past there were also many moments of laughter as they thought back to when they were young and naive all in all Eno was happy that things had been resolved between the two of them she had greatly missed Sakura the two of them had been idly gossiping when a familiar sensation tickled her spine coming around the corner she spotted the two men she had been expecting to see tonight a small choke came from the woman across from her as her Jade eyes landed on them she wiped the drink that had dribbled down her chin and smoothed out her hair the medic watched as the two men slowly made their way towards them wondering if they had seen them wondering if he had seen her she felt a drop in her confidence her eyes slowly falling to the fidgeting hands in her lap we s Kura Eno narut exclaimed as he stopped in front of their Booth I didn't know you guys would be here too Eno was glad that the blonde male naturally sounded so surprised and energetic or else everything would seem forced planned her eyes flickered over to his silent companion nodding her head to acknowledge him he responded in the same manner so what are you doing Naruto prodded leaning against the side of the booth we having a girl's night out obviously Eno replied with a roll of her eyes no boys allowed she ended while sticking out her tongue at them girls night out huh and what will you girls be doing Eno had to hold back the inuendo that was at the tip of her tongue She had been spending far too many missions with that mangy dog boy well if you're just dying to know we're going to drink our asses off and maybe get a bit frisky with some lucky guys then call it a night youo Sakura cried out a dark shade of Rose dusting across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose she couldn't believe the devil mayare attitude that her friend had then again they were already heading into their fourth round of drinks the medic knew that Eno became a bit more unreserved it wasn't like she minded that the Mind Walker was vocal about their activities hell when they got together it was no secret as to what they did however in front of the man of her desires she had really hoped that Eno would hold back thinking of him she glanced over towards him hoping that something could rile him up even in the slightest she deflated slightly as his expression remained impassive so you're sure there's no room to join you too narut asked with a crooked grin his eyes narrowing slightly the yamanaka Eris stared at him for a moment her heart fluttering at the hooded gaze that was given shaking those thoughts from her head she glanced over at her pink-haired companion as if asking her if it was all right the medic responded with a Meek nod though her eyes held a bit out excitement and fear Eno sighed and rolled her eyes flicking her hand towards them fine I guess you both could entertain us for a while right Sakura as sure I don't see a problem with that she murmured tucking a strand of hair behind her ear a holler of excitement left the nin Tales hold her before he motioned for Eno to move over she complied immediately a grin coming to her lips as the uch moved to the opposite side to sit by Sakura the medic moved over so fast that Eno swore she almost slammed into the wall she bit her lower lip to hold back the giggle that threatened to leave her well at least this was a step in the right direction oh my bag the Mind Walker exclaimed reaching over Naruto to grab her belongings she placed a hand on his upper thigh giving it a gentle squeeze she felt him Jump Then tense as her chakra infiltrated his system settling back into her spot she smiled sheepishly oblivious to the stairs that she was given from the opposite side of the table sorry the blonde male shook his head waving off her apology before loudly calling the server over for drinks and food took you long enough she chided into his mind it was harder than expected to get the bastard out of the house he replied back to her while delving into the latest of his adventures she leaned forward on the table figting normaly as she listened to his story a smile laying on her lips are you sure about this working we're not forcing this too much are we relax youo you'll see it'll work out just fine she wasn't sure how long they had been there creating a stir in the restaurant but she knew that she was definitely drunk empty plates and glasses were cluttering the table she had lost count after their sixth round teal Hughes glanced over towards her friend who was probably going to regret drinking so much tomorrow morning she looked at the male beside her noting that the tips of his ears were beginning to turn red but that was the only sign he gave off she looked at the male beside his Antics were still boisterous and animated a healthy flush on his cheeks as he calm down from laughing this was going better than expected ever since the men had arrived the convers ation flow had been healthy the U had changed ever since coming back to the Village no doubt that it had something to do with his teammates still he was far more reserved than all of them but he joined in the conversations they had she didn't miss the slight curl of his lips when he found something entertaining this was the first time she had seen the uiha in this atmosphere it certainly suited him better than how he used to be as a child she could understand why Sakura adored the raven-haired male in such manner she could understand why Naruto believed that the U Heir was a good man underneath the facade he put up in that moment she was truly happy for their team however it was only slightly that she felt that she didn't belong with them she didn't share the same memories with them she didn't have that Bond Eno answer the question Naruto exclaimed nudging his shoulder into her own snapping her out of her thoughts oh what was it the Mind Walker asked rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment she couldn't believe that she had been caught spacing out I asked if you were interested in anyone Pig Sakura asked finally gaining more confidence With a Little Help from all the liquid courage she drank the yamanaka AAS felt her face felt up tossing a glare to her smug friend across the table usually they would discuss the people that they were interested in between just themselves it seemed that the medic was getting revenge from earlier she tilted her head to the side tapping her chin in mock thought she allowed herself time to make them believe that she was actually thinking before she shook her head shrugging her shoulders I'm not necessarily looking but no one has caught my attention Eno replied knowing that would be enough to ease everyone's curiosity oh really the medic said her eyes narrowing as she leaned forward no one at all a slender brow twitched in irritation wondering where the medic was going with this yeah forehead no one at all why are you pushing this a smug grin came to medic's lips and she leaned back in the booth Crossing her arms over her chest Eno's brows furrowed further not picking up on what her friend was trying to say normally she would be able to pick up subtle indications as to what someone was trying to tell her after all that was what her occupation required of her she further blamed the alcohol for causing her to fall short what the yamanaka snapped out becoming increasingly frustrated a deep chuckle left the Raven beside the medic turquoise Hughes flickered over to the uiha the back of his hand covering the grin that had come to his lips now the yamanaka was coming close to the brink of anger what was so damn amusing I think what Sakura is implying the UA started off unable to wipe the smirk on his lips is that the two of you look oddly comfortable with one another blinking the Yaman Naka leaned back into the booth only to feel the back of her neck land on the outstretched arm that Naruto had placed behind her to rest on top of the seat she chided internally to herself to remain calm as she glanced over at the Uzumaki he seemed to have the same confused look on his face and when he turned to look at her it was only then that she realized how close they were to one another they were close enough that she could feel his warm breath graze her face slightly their legs were touching slightly she hadn't realized that she' been leaning her body into his thanks to the excitement buzzing in the air and the influence of alcohol it was then that she began to feel awkward but she had to overcome this she had to show them that she wasn't interested she had to change the subject immediately so what of it Eno snapped out that doesn't mean anything unlike the two of you she pointed out a devious grin coming to her lips don't you believe you guys are too quick to judge that was when the two of them noted that they were in a similar position as the opposite blondes a deep red touched the medic's cheeks as she pulled her arms towards the center of her lap shoulders shy in away from the ucha there was a heavy sigh from the dark-haired male his outstretched arm moving away from around the shoulder of female beside him during that time she had skillfully moved a few inches away from Naruto and he had pulled his arm away from near her another crisis diverted she thought in relief besides there's a certain hyuga that has caught Our Hero's attention right youo asked continuing to push the conversation away from her interests a small chuckle left the user Maki and he scratched his cheek in embarrassment that seemed to get the attention of his female teammate and Eno grinned to herself the medic began to interrogate her blonde teammate with such Vigor and intensity Eno wondered if she could help out at the T Andi Department she shivered feeling as if someone was watching her glancing up she met dark onyx's eyes she could almost feel him try to prod her for answers but she simply rolled her eyes looking back at the sweating Uzumaki being questioned by the medic no one needed to know thanks for the fun night Eno sang out waving at the two men who returned the gesture while heading off in a different direction she sighed slightly glancing down at the medic who she had resting on her back an affectionate grin came to her lips as she pushed the pink-haired woman up higher on her back tightening her grip further underneath her thighs come on let's get you home Eno said gently there was a slight groan that left the nearly unconscious female as Eno made her way towards her house carrying her friend on her back don't you dare vomit on me Haruno Eno warned teasingly knowing that she really wouldn't mind the medic had drank far beyond her limit there was a murmured warning from Sakura but Eno didn't hear all of it the blonde chuckled under her breath as she walked through the silent Village the moon Illuminating the path home Eno Sakura weekly called out him Eno hummed out waiting for Sakura to continue she felt Sakura's arms hold on to her tighter head burying itself in her hair her legs swung a bit nearly knocking off Eno's balance steadying them Eno continued on their way knowing what Sakura was going to say are you sure that you don't like anyone scratch that she had no idea what the hell was going on in her friend's head yo looked up at the sky as she thought about gushing out her infatuation for Naruto to her best friend she sighed heavily knowing that Sakura probably wouldn't remember much of it so there was no point you know me I can only love myself Eno teased out Eno I'm being serious Sakura whed Eno could feel the pout on the back of her neck I know I know Eno sighed gently look like I said before I'm not interested in anyone right now why are you so concerned about me what about you and the uiha I just want you to be happy for once Sakura murmured this caused Eno to stop walking she glanced over her shoulder realizing that Sakura had fallen into a deep slumber gritting her teeth she wondered if Sakura had noticed that she had indeed been lonely not like it mattered anyways she cared more about her friend's happiness than hers that was why her father had been so proud of her she put others before herself she knew one day that she would find her own happiness but for now she wanted to give Sakura what she deserved how long had she been pining for the uchiha's attention Eno was sure that tonight was the start of him returning those affections she just wanted the medic to be happy no matter how she felt making it to her home she placed the snoozing woman in her bed tucking her friend in and leaving a glass of water on the nightstand she stared at the scene a small smile on her lips Eno could hear Sakura faintly call out to the man of her desires before rolling over in the bed rolling her eyes the blonde headed to the other side of the bed climbing in she stared up at the ceiling wondering what she was going to do now it was obvious that udo's planned had worked there was really no reason to continue to push them she thought back to how natural it felt to be nestled near him it was probably because he gave off that protective Allure that warm glow she hadn't thought that anything had been wrong with how they looked there were many times that Shikamaru had done the same thing when they went out to eat it was for Comfort that's all it was that's what she had to tell herself besides he seemed so embarrassed At The Mention Of The hyuga arys it wasn't like he with any feelings towards her they were simply friends where do you want this she lifted and turned her head to gaze upon a brilliant sight in all honesty this view never got old to her he had been coming by every Wednesday to help out despite her protests she was capable of handling a few cases and trays of seedlings and other plant life however seeing him Milling through her store so naturally while it sort of tugged at the fragile strings of her heart wearing his mesh undershirt and obnoxious L bright orange jacket tied around his waist narut was juggling a few delicate New pieces of inventory his arms flexed and shuddered as he shifted the weight up with his knee to keep a better grip oh those have to go in the greenhouse she replied moving to stand up and get the door but he shook his head from the inside of her shop a clone of his came out with less items and the two headed over to the humid building behind her place she rolled her eyes knowing that he had no idea where to place them getting up from her kneeling position she dusted the soil off her hands and legs following after the pair entering through the cracked door of the greenhouse she inhaled the musty air that was within the acrylic glass building she pushed back some of the dangling Vines reminding herself that she needed to trim them later moving through the Flora she could hear the confused sounds of Naruto and his clone bickering with one another chuckling gently as they came into view she cleared her throat raising a slender brow at the two the pair stopped and turned to look at her sheepishly I need the first two trays over there and the other four on the other side next to the herbs she stated while pointing her fingers in appropriate direction right away boss the Clone chirped out taking the larger Load Away grimacing slightly at the slight glare that was thrown at the real Naruto the blonde male let out a gentle chuckle I thought you said they wouldn't call me that anymore Eno chided as she moved closer to him taking the trays out of his hand and slowly arranging them where they should go like they listen he replied besides being the boss isn't a bad thing the blonde female simply rolled her eyes as she buried her fingers into the warm soil placing each seedling in their proper place on the hydroponic system she had learned a few more things about the Uzumaki now that he was popping up more often all of his clones were connected to him but they sometimes had their own minds it seemed that most of them enjoyed calling her boss whenever they showed up to work under her she had asked him once if it was an insult but he assured her it wasn't now the Yaman Naka knew that she could get a bit ahead of herself especially when she had to deal with Shikamaru for most of her life it was just that she didn't like to be reminded of her Tendencies wow don't you think that you have too many plants Naruto stated in an ailed tone glancing around at the rich and Lush Greenery surrounding them well as you know the Yaman Naka flower shop not only provides a variety of Flora for konaha but we also ship out Goods to other countries she glanced at the fruits of her endless labor we proudly flocked that we have an extremely wide selection that many people want besides some herbs that are needed for antidotes are too far so this greenhouse helps to keep those rare herbs cultivated within the village walls like this one Naruto asked his thumb carefully running over a leaf that possessed a cluster of light blue berries beneath its prickly leaves this one helps to cure do air fatigue right one thing she had also learned about narut was that he knew a few things about plants and flowers it had surprised her that he knew about a few of the plants that she had been growing as not many Shinobi could compare in her knowledge in bodney she also learned that his favorite flower was the sunflower which she found that it suited him in his vibrancy she stood up and glanced over at the plant that he was currently talking about actually that one is a poisonous plant she stated laughing as he quickly let out go of leaf in between his fingers don't worry it's only poisonous if you eat them why you keep something like that here a pout coming to his lip as he realized that he had been tricked as a medic I like to keep my wits about me when it comes to knowing different components to poisons and whatnot who knows one day it might save your life she said throwing a wink at him yeah right Kurama would save me before that happened watch out it may come back and bite you in the ass she teased out turning to head over to where his clone had gone he followed after her exclaiming rather loudly that he was the greatest Shinobi in the whole world and that a poison wasn't something that was going to stop him she could only laugh knowing that he was probably right shaken that was the feeling that was coursing through her veins at this point they had made it back safely to the village that was the only relief that she had felt since his recovery she still wasn't sure how it had happened but she knew that she was definitely cursed first how could she have known that her teasing remarks would have brought upon this Misfortune how could she have known that she was going to be at fault for this latest mission of course she knew he wouldn't see it in that manner but the guilt consumed her there were people waiting for them by the gates concern and fear etched into their features she had managed to isolate and extract the poison from his body but he still needed time to recover she knew that she wasn't proficient in the Arts of healing like Sakura but she knew any and everything about poisons and antidotes she always kept an array of herbs in her medical pouch at all times even though her Shadow user teammate would complained that it was pointless she wished that she could rub it in his face that she had proved him right like she normally did but this wasn't the time or place they had been ambushed from the moment that they crossed the borders an unknown enemy had been plotting and awaiting their arrival it was supposed to be a simple Mission gathering information on the sudden disappearance of Shinobi ranging from all all age groups they needed someone who could easily talk with people and one who could easily make them seem less suspicious that was why the Uzumaki and Naro were placed on her team she simply needed to gather access to a suspicious fuse mines in order to complete the mission they had been outclassed and outnumbered there was no doubt in any of their minds that they should pull back despite having the hero of konaha on their squad he had been ambushed by a few laced blades causing his body to go into shock it had taken them over an hour to get to a safer location while Shikamaru sent out a hawk with a message to prepare the hospital for their arrival Eno had began to tend to the unconscious blonde she had been caught off guard when Kurama had taken over his body telling her what exactly was happening to his container's body she nodded as he listed the symptoms and she made a pile of the herbs that she needed while chewing on the herbs to make it easier for him to swallow when she gave it to Naruto she used her Mystic Palm to find where the poison had collected there was a spot in his arm and two in his side using water from her canteen she created a mold of water slamming it into his body and collecting the water into the sphere before pulling it out she grimaced at the pain we that left the male beneath her knowing that there was no gentle way of doing this procedure once that was complete she placed the chewed ball of herbs in his mouth along with some water in order for it to safely travel down into his system they didn't have to wait around to see see if any lingering effects had been neutralized Shikamaru slung one arm around his shoulder and she did the same to other side they nodded at one another before retreating back to the safety of their Village she swore she would Pummel his brains out for being so moronic she knew that he was unable to control himself when it came to battle by throwing himself in the line of fire but he had jumped out to protect her from a blow from behind the Damned fool she knew that she wasn't necessarily needed for hand-to-hand combat but that was she had been training with Sakura so often she knew that she had to become stronger in order to not be a burden yet he had so carelessly protected her from the laced blades gritting her teeth together she promised herself that she wouldn't allow something like this to happen ever again he had regained Consciousness by the time they were only 10 minutes away from the gates of konaha he could only laugh at the verbal lashing at the fiery blonde had given him he could see the fierce stricken look on her face it was thanks to the is calm and Collective attitude that the Mind Walker had calmed down choosing to bite the inside of her cheek once they made it back to the Village Naruto was immediately taken from their arms the hyuga AIS worriedly following behind his surrogate grandmother and his female teammate she watched as they went feeling the need to follow after them but she knew that he was in good hands she knew that he was in good hands but that didn't lessen the burning desire to run and be by his side but what stopped her was that the people who loved him most were at his side she had no right to follow so desperately after him she sniffed slightly resisting the urge to allow her emotions to crumble she could keep herself composed until she was in the Comforts of her home she glanced over her shoulder watching the interaction of her teammate and his lover the sand kunoichi frowned as she touched the side of his bruised face muttering something underneath her breath he leaned his forehead towards her resting it on top of hers they shared that moment with one another silently thanking a higher power that he had made it out of the Ambush alive teal eyes glanced away feeling this stabbing pain in her chest a sense of longing filling her being turning away to head home she was met with an unexpected person what did he want after that incident she refused to let him live down the fact that he had been so careless whether she was blatantly telling him how much of an idiot he had been or passively stating something that reminded him of his past events there was no escaping The Wrath of the scathing Beast that was Yaman nakao it wasn't until after a while that he began to get fed up with the way she was handling everything it wasn't like he had died could have died her voice would seee out at him he was still walking about as if nothing happened much to her Chagrin she had calmed down after a while but somehow she would bring back up the mission in some obscure fashion that made his blood slowly begin to boil then again Kurama had showed him the Panic look that had come across her face while healing him he had seen a familiar fear fill her eyes as she worked on taking out the poison he could remember the way her hands trembled as she tried her best to concentrate it was almost as if her actions were speaking for her Don't You Dare die Idiot still it did nothing to ease the Wrath that she threw at him one day two weeks ago had happened to be the day that he snapped back at her she had been relatively calm that day working in her garden quietly until he had dropped something she made a in comment of him being careless just like that mission or something like that he had replied in an equally snarky tone which now he realized that was the wrong move to make against the short-tempered blonde thus a screaming match ensued between the two of them one so heated that they ended up breathless had it stopped there of course not because they were similar in not only appearance but temperament normally under any circumstances Naruto would not fight a female especially one that he considered a friend but as childish as it sounded she threw the first punch now he had suffered many of punches in his lifetime thanks to not only Sakura but Tsunade as well this was the first time that Eno had ever hit him or that he could recall and by gods did that punch hurt like a [ __ ] they tussled and scrapped like Academy children in the middle of her garden sure to any passer by they would seem like they were just playing around but the yamanaka arys was out for blood when all their energy had been spent they laid on on the ground covered in Grass soil and blood Whoever thought that the yamanaka wasn't skilled when it came to fighting hand to hand they were dead wrong Not only was she agile but she was flexible which made it difficult to get a hold of her in order to calm her down he wondered how Shikamaru and Choi survived her wrath for all of these years he later found out that they had never physically fought against her when he glanced over at her slightly bruised face and busted lip he could see the tears falling from her eyes he went to question the reason for her tears but it was like she caught second wind and began throwing garden equipment at him he hightailed it out of her property when she went to grab the wheelbarrow telling him to never speak to her again man was she a pain or what her temper and emotions were by far worse than soccer's occasional mood swing as problematic as she be he knew that he should at least apologize two weeks without talking to the yamanaka was ill-fitting for him he missed stopping by once a week learning more in the fields of botney he missed the meals she would occasionally cook after a long day in the greenhouse Kurama missed them too he could hear the sneer in the fox's voice denying that he didn't miss those meals honestly there was no reason to be upset anymore he knew that he had been Reckless but more than anything the guilt for causing her to worry so much was causing him to cave in on himself he knew that she should man up why was it taking him so long to make things right with her he knew knew that he was being an idiot by prolonging it but it wasn't like she had made any effort a sour expression came to his face as he leaned across the table a huff of frustration leaving him Azure Hughes glanced up at his counterpart an uninterested gaze boring into his skull what is it the uch snapped out in annoyance disliking the mood that his friend was in what do you do when someone is upset with you the blonde questioned a droll stare was thrown at him and the Uchiha shook his head in disbelief you apologize [ __ ] what if an apology isn't good enough setting down his cup of tea he did his best to hide the smirk that was coming to his lips then you better pray they don't kill you bastard you're not helping the Uzumaki grumbled out a small grown left him as he flicked away a crumb that was on the table do you think she will forgive me who Sakura she usually does narut threw a pointed glare the underlying message passed between them the UA leaned back in his seat mulling over a few thoughts of his own so it's the yamanaka girl he mused aloud watching his friend nod in confirmation he held back that sigh that threatened to leave him knowing that both blondes were being childish at this point you know she asked about you the other day the blonde shot up from the position of his body halfhazard justly draped across the table in mild despair really he cleared his throat an embarrassed laugh leaving him well uh what did she say rolling his two-toned eyes he shook his head once more she asked if you were doing well eating properly the usual things during idle conversation he Shrugged his shoulders glancing away from the anxious male that's all the Uzumaki nodded in response before his eyes narrowed slightly wait what were you two doing together a bit back a groan knowing that he should have never have said anything when he didn't respond that only seemed to egg on the questions coming from the blonde it's none of concern she felt him along before he had made his way behind the shop she kept her expression neutral as she wondered if he was here to talk she knew that she had gotten far too carried away with her emotions she knew better than to allow her emotions to filter through like that her reasoning was illogical but she had truly been scared of losing him how would she have been able to prove herself as a capable medic how would she be able to face everyone did he not realize that he wasn't Invincible well she knew that he understood that but his impulsive nature was uncontrollable she knew that he was innately like how he was that was why she had fallen for him in the first place but still she couldn't help feel the way she had there was a gentle hesitant knock on the back door inhaling and exhaling a steady breath she made her way down the stairs the windowed back door allowing her to see the fidgeting male a nervous wave was given to her as his eyes danced around their surroundings opening the door slightly a bushel of Wildflower flers were immediately shoved into her vision slowly she wrapped her fingers around the stems leaning around the bouquet giving the male a small smile flowers really she teases opening the door wider welcoming him inside it was the only thing I could think of he stated with a gentle laugh he ducked his head to step inside looking around at the building that he knew all too well a smile of relief came to his face he wasn't sure how she would react to seeing him after 2 weeks she led him upstairs to her apartment heading into the kitchen she rummaged through her drawers finding a pair of pruning scissors after a while she carefully laid the flowers on the countertops her slender fingers picking up the stems and began trimming the flowers the blonde male came to stand beside her after finding one of many vases that she had in the cabinets he filled it with water and took each delicate stem that she prepared and arranged them in the vase where did you find these they're beautiful she commented gently slightly surprised that he found such quality Flora outside of her shop just outside the village he replied with a small smile at her compliment there's a little field where they grow I'll take you there sometime Eno hunged in response enjoying that proposal as they were falling into a comfortable silence her hand flinched when his fingers brushed across her knuckles as she placed down a flower the faint touch caused a shiver to crawl up her arm and travel down her spine she recoiled from the touch as naturally as possible going back to finish trimming the last few flowers once they were done she stared at the arrangement a small smile coming to her lips he was a quick learner when it came to botney and flower arrangement she was impressed however her thoughts shifted as they continued to stand there she had the words she wanted to tell him at the tip of her tongue She had been so carefully planning on how to execute them but her nerves were getting the best of her I'm sorry the fact that they had shouted it at one another simultaneously caused a loud silence to come between them she stared up at him with wide eyes his expression matching hers soon the corners of his lips twitched upwards a low laugh rumbling from the depths of his chest and stomach it soon began to fill her kitchen and she too found herself joining in with his laughter she rested a hand on her chest as she continued to laugh realizing how ridiculous they had been about this situation what had surprised were the arm that pulled her into his chest the ones that secured her in a protective cage her laughter had abruptly stopped and she glanced up at him questions swimming in her eyes he rested his chin on top of her head a smug grin on his lips I didn't mean to make you upset youo he said gently I just couldn't bear the idea of a friend of mine getting hurt there it was like the final nail in the coffin a small nod came from her but her smile faltered slightly a friend that was all all that she would ever amount to in his eyes nothing more than that she had no idea why she thought that just maybe after all the time they were spending with one another he would start viewing her differently of course she hadn't given him any reason to view her in a romantic fashion he already belonged to someone else she just had to keep to her own devices she pulled herself out of the Embrace fearing that she would get too comfortable in his arms she eyes the man a faint smile on her lips just don't let it happen again she stated giving him a gentle punch in the chest or else he raised his hand up defensively I get it youo rolling her eyes she moved away taking the vase in her hands and placing it in the center of her dining table would you like to stay for dinner as much as I'd like that I've got to with hanata soon her shoulders tensed slightly a reminder that she was getting too aggressive in trying to capture his attention she was getting comfortable having him around all the time she immediately turned around throwing a glare at him well leave you idiot you better not be making her wait by coming here fine fine he walked over to her ruffling her hair gently I'll catch you later Eno don't ruin my hair she hissed out rushing to fix her now messy locks she watched as he rushed down the stairs the door slammed behind him and she let her hand drop from her head idiot she muttered as she glanced down at the floor her cheeks and tips of her ears turning a deep shade of red he wasn't sure why but he found himself Restless as of late he knew that he wasn't the brightest of Shinobi and despite the favored nickname given to him by the Uchiha he knew he wasn't dead last aside from popular belief he noticed the subtle changes that happened around him he had always noticed and felt the stares that he had been given even though the emotions behind those gazes had changed over the course of a few years he had always known that people didn't necessarily want to be around him he could the fear and hatred that was within them he knew and yet he knew that he could change their minds about him he knew that he could do it and the only way to do so was to become Hokage he decided at an early age that in order to gain everyone's love and respect he had to do something huge something that could take a lifetime to achieve those days of hopeful thinking weren't for nothing he had helped save the world now he was certain that wasn't what he had had in mind to make everyone change their minds about him it was just that he had been the one to take the call not that he liked to think about it in that manner in reality he only saw it as a journey to retrieve the lost to chiha engulfed and shrouded by hatred and darkness it wasn't like he had made this grand scheme to save the world while doing so life was unexpected and that just happened to be one of the paths that he had chosen that path had lead him straight to the man that he had been chasing after since his days as a jenet many would say that he was too humble unable to fully accept the title as hero however he saw it differently he was simply one of many that had helped to save the world all the Shinobi that had been part of the world war Were Heroes in his mind they had willingly fought alongside one another in order to protect what they felt was important they had cast aside all former misconceptions of one another and became one that was what he saw as a heroic act he simply could not accept that he was the only hero especially after all the lives that had been taken from them he could only thank the wonderful friends and family that had graced him he had people who he could trust without doubts filling his wary mind he had people that he would easily put his life on the line for and vice versa he had surrogate parent figures that taught him valuable lessons throughout his life he had been able to met his deceased mother and father as they lived on inside of him he was able to fight alongside his father sharing a feeling that he had always longed for he had a home a place that loved him and he in return a place that he finally felt like he belonged a place that loved and respected him he was a happy man despite the happiness and joy that had come into His Life currently he was confused a nagging feeling was in the back of his head his stomach continued to roll and flop throughout the days his body was clear and open but his mind was more often than not in a far away Place making it increasingly difficult to focus on what was happening around him every day he woke up energized and ready for what was to come however by the end of the day he would collapse onto his bed wondering why it felt like he had been the lucky receiver of soccer's punch he was wondering why it felt like he was continuously missing something he was not the brightest but he was far from dull he had asked granny sunade to give him a small physical making sure that he wasn't suffering from long-term effects from the war when she had given him the all clear he immediately poked and prodded Kurama about what was making him feel off the fox huffed in annoyance though there was a grin on his snout kuram told him that there was nothing physically wrong his chakra balance was as normal as it could be while being his host the vague answer that had been given to him was slightly frustrating and when he tried to get more out of the fox he was ignored the caoi falling back into a light Slumber smirk and all something was off and he couldn't figure out what it was the heat was unforgiving today the thick rays of sun shine broke through the trees casting Shadows through the foliage a few certain areas opened up allowing the sweltering heat to expand across the ground there would be a much needed storm that much he knew the Summer's heat was still lingering in the land of fire Autumn would be here at the end of the month but this summer had been Relentless a few scattered showers here and there but it wasn't enough to moisturize the brittle and crack training grounds ah yes the next storm would probably be closer to a typhoon he noted at the sudden change of wind with a heavy grunt he rolled over onto his back gasping for oxygen in this humid air the back of his hand wiping of the thick layer of sweat that coated his forehead his muscles tensed slightly beneath his tan skin his body protesting at being thrown hazardously against the dry ground training was one way that he let out his pent up energy and frustrations he dedicated three to four days out of the week to training not only his body but his mind it was hard to break such a habit as he spent three long years with a pervy Sage that saw nothing but endless amounts of sculpting of the Mind and Body despite the occasional trip to the bath house or brothel jariah had been very adamant about his training regimen not only had it kept the blonde occupied but it had also taught him many things about himself his tongue slid out from his mouth wetting his dry lips as he grazed up at the vast Azure expanse that was the sky not a single Cloud was out to help lessen the sun's burning gaze he chuckled to himself reaching out to grab one of the many canteens that he had brought with him the cool Rush of water down his throat caused a slight shiver to roll throughout his body as he could feel the cold liquid Rush down his esophagus and into his stomach sitting up he poured the water over his head and down his back shaking off the excess amount a frown touched his lips no matter how hard he tried to concentrate on training it only worked for a few moments that feeling always came back to him chewing on the pad of his thumb his brows furrowed in frustration as he tried to reach into the furthest parts of his mind meditation seemed like a good option but he always ended up becoming irritated as nothing seemed to pop out at him his senses flared up as he felt something approaching from behind and at a rapid Pace he immediately rolled out of the way as a body landed on all fours in the spot where he had been their nails and heels dug into the ground to stop themselves from sliding any further he felt his mouth run dry at the sight the female body was nothing new to the Uzumaki after all his three-year training session with jariah had shown him the Wonders that the opposite gender had in their possession he knew the difference between a civilian and kunoichi's body he knew the gentle curves and the soft flesh that women had in their Arsenal some who used it to their advantage especially against his weak-hearted Sage he knew of the smooth and subtle muscles that hid beneath akuno ichi's flesh coiling in tensing when they were prepared to attack he knew the difference in tone of voice that they used in order to obtain what they wanted he knew the sensual purr that came between Lush lips when climax was close he knew of how skilled a woman's hands could be he knew how addictive how their body could be he knew all of these things yet he felt like he was gazing up the body of a woman for the first time skin gently kissed by the Sun glimmered and glistened in the sun's harsh light a thin layer of sweat covering her flexible limbs each muscle was tensing and flexing from exertion as she held herself steady harsh breathing could be heard causing her chest to rise and fall dramatically a motion that catch his eyes for more than an acceptable amount of time slender arms were firmly holding onto the ground and he could feel a slow and steady pulse of her chakra reaching out into the ground or maybe that was the sound of his own heartbeat in his ears her long what seemed like endless legs were stable and taut holding her in a feline like Crouch her posterior settling as a slight turn into the air her entire body was like an extension of a graceful yet deadly animal he caught the slight shudder of her muscles Ripple beneath her as she jumped out of the way of an incoming fist the ground trembled and shook as her opponent glanced over his way Emerald sparkling with determination during that moment of distraction her opponent was caught off guard a leg connecting with her midsection causing her to shoot back into the direction that she had come from the leg settled on the ground a hand placed upon her wide hips her exposed stomach flexed slightly she wiped off the smudge dirt and blood that was at the corner of her lip before her Oceanic Hughes landed on him if he wasn't at a loss for words prior then surely he wouldn't find any now there was a slow curl to the corner of her lips that reminded him of a grin that Kurama would give him she was dangerous that was what he could conclude from this encounter the way she held herself was incomparable to the other women he had been around she had discarded her normal Shinobi attire just like her opponent only in the garments that they wore beneath them a mesh tube top covering her chest and a pair of black shorts he had always wondered if she had a weird tan line due to her oddly-shaped top he supposed that was one mystery solved a dainty hand reached to toss her hair over her shoulder the flax and locks looking like gold spun strands in the sunlight sorry for interrupting your training Naruto she said in a low tone probably due to the increasing exhaustion from sparring with her pink-haired rival the gods did it sound like a sensual purr with a Curt nod she dashed off into the direction she had come from leaving behind the speechless Uzumaki behind what the hell had just happened there were a lot of things that he had to focus on as of late of course he was not suited to be hok as of yet or so that was what he had told granny sunade much to her shock he knew that he was far too W behind the ears to start commanding a village he knew that that responsibility would be far too much for him to handle at such a young age he had all the faith in his former Jenn and teacher to command The Village until his time was ready besides he wanted to enjoy the life that he had right now after the world war had ended he was finally able to settle down for a while unlike being thrown back and forth in a chaotic life he finally had time to breathe and think about all that had happened and that would happen he needed to figure out a few things before he took on the task of being hok despite his desires to see his face on the hok mountain prior to the war and all the way until the very end he had been chasing after the man that he could see as a brother a lifetime friend it had been a gruesome journey to get to the point that they were at now but the blonde knew things would fall into place he knew that the ucha had many unresolved feelings that needed time to work out he knew that sake was still unsure of himself that was why he wanted to dedicate this time to help his friend on the right path this time around when they were younger they were Rivals a love hate relationship had blossomed between them and as hard as Naruto tried to keep SAS on the path of happiness and light SAS defected the more he thought about it narut knew that it was likely the best option for the to take it the time here within the village sasek would have never discovered the truth about the uch massacre he would have never known of A's sacrifice he would have never understood what it meant to be Shinobi as much as the people in the village thought of him as traitorous Naruto knew that his time away from the village had certainly benefited sasak the blonde knew that if he didn't continue to support and uplift the ucha then he would follow the similar path as MAA had he didn't want that to happen so he was sure to keep an eye of his friend not like it was difficult most of his time was spent with the UA helping him readjust to life in the village helping him reconnect with those that he had disregarded and Cast Away in the past pushing him to repent for the damage that he had caused in his naivity and self-destruction that was all that he could do for SAS he could only guide him along hoping that he had truly changed sure he put all his faith into believing that the UA had changed he had seen his heart what he truly wanted however Naruto was not a complete idealist he had to be wary from time to time when a farway look came to sake's eyes he had to be cautious when memories of the past caused the raven-haired male to still fingers curling into a tight fist only time could heal Old Wounds only a strong will and determination could change a person he believed that SAS would overcome his past one of these days and Naruto would be by his side every step of the way stepping away from his male teammate he thought of the girl now woman who had had his heart for all these years was it really his heart that she had was he ever truly in love with her he was sure that the younger version of him did truly love her he could hear his younger self yelling at him but maybe he loved the idea of her Sakura had many perks about her she was everything that he wasn't at a young age she was loyal and intelligent her chakra control was so precise and smooth that he had been surprised during their first training exercise she was a kind and compassionate woman however she had a downfall her eyes only saw SAS the UA was all she could ever speak about think about not matter how hard he tried to gain her approval she only has the red and white Crest in her eyes still as a naive boy he pursued her until the end of the war when she had said that she loved him in the land of iron a small part of his heart had fluttered and skipped but he knew that that love was different than the one she had for theha he knew that she was lying and as much as he wanted to loathe her for giving him false hope he couldn't find it within himself his trust in her had faltered slightly he caught himself wondering how far was she willing to go for the chiha he knew that he could only be loved like a sibling he knew that he could never compare to the love that she had created for only sake he spent many hours laying in bed staring up at the ceiling wondering what was so great about the UA he had done nothing for the pink-haired girl he hardly acknowledged her when they were jenin he ignored her cries and pleas without feeling any source of remorse or maybe he was wrong he was looking at this out of spite and jealousy SAS had protected her in the forest of death unlocking his cursed seal in order to protect her he had knocked her unconscious to protect her from chasing after him when he chose to leave the village to keep her out of Harm's Way he had never intentionally harmed her well aside from the time that he nearly killed her and she had tried to kill him Naruto was sure that there was a specific reason why that fight had happened but he wasn't sure if it had to do with love or the resolve to end sas's destructive path of self decay during the World War they all had fought alongside one another as a team should they were all in Perfect Harmony they were all one during the their final faceof he had placed Sakura in a genjutsu to keep her from doing anything Reckless he even went as far as to apologize for all that he had ever done to her and she happily forgave him so he supposed that SAS still had contributed somehow he Shrugged not truly understanding a woman's love for a man a woman's love huh he mowed over the thought thinking of the hyuga arys due to the chaos that had come after the battle with pain he had had little time to actual figure out how he felt the Bakugan user had professed her love to him mid battle which was not something that he had expected from her he knew that if he had noticed her sooner then things would have been different instead he spent all his time following after Sakura idolizing everything that she did he should have known that she had feelings for him by the way that her speech impediment increased when he was near or how her face would turn as red as a tomato and occasionally she would faint around him he had always thought it strange but after a few conversations with jariah he understood Gods how could he have been such an ignorant fool how could she be in love with someone like him a small smile touched his lips as he remembered the words that had been so confidently said on that Battlefield he had to admit it truly did touch his heart while they were young she had never once scorned him she had accepted him for who he was despite not knowing that he was the holding Kurama within him she gave him unconditional love he in turn had given her strength or so that was what she had told him she truly was a woman that he could see himself with years down the road she was everything that Sakura wasn't and that was what made her a suitable partner hell even Kurama liked her enough however try as he might he couldn't reciprocate those feelings for the Hy he had gone on several dates with the Quiet Woman and he had to admit he had a great time with her but he was unable to bring forth those same feelings he often asked himself what was wrong why couldn't he happily fall head over heels with her he was trying to figure out for quite sometime he didn't expect love to hit him full force make him dizzy and out of sorts he supposed that it would take a longer about of time to fall in love that was why he had given up on soccer a long ago because she had years and years of love for theha built up hanata too had years and years of endless love for him but he simply couldn't hold a match to what she had for him he didn't want to love her in a half-ass manner she deserved so much more that was why he was trying to give it his all in falling in love with her but it was too forced it felt unnatural it didn't feel right it had been almost 2 years since the war had ended and yet he still couldn't produce any results for the awaiting hyuga he felt wrong he felt like he was leading the B cougan user along like some lovesick puppy that wasn't what he wanted he wanted her to find happiness and love but maybe that person wasn't him perhaps she loved the idea of him they barely knew one another and had only recently began to learn more about one another she had admitted to watching him constantly as a young girl but she was still surprised to find out things that she had missed while idolizing him he had learned many things about her as well and there was a small connection between the two of them but he wasn't n sure if they could move any further he knew that he would have to talk to her soon when the topic of his current relationship had been brought up he felt uncomfortable he had tried his best to reply to all the demanding questions given to him by his female teammate but he was uncomfortable he didn't enjoy talking about a relationship that was going nowhere it didn't feel right what had felt right well during their night out the feeling of a warm body near him had felt right her warmth was addictive and Al learning when she was around those she cared about the way she smiled at the conversations was mesmerizing surely she knew that she smelled like fresh soil and an array of flowers lies were the strongest scent that had come from her what had felt natural was resting an arm behind her while they enjoyed their time with their closest friends leaning a little closer to her subconsciously what had felt nice was the way her chakra mingled with his curiously and gently as she connected their minds in a telepathic link what had caused his heart to skip was when she leaned across him her hair tickling his chin faintly and her body sliding across his causing a small blush to appear on his cheeks the way she looked up at him to apologize caused a knot to form in his throat his lungs felt like they would burst so he drank in order to keep himself calm she made him feel like he was a wobbling toddler unable to stand up on his own two legs being around her had felt just and wholesome she captured the attention of all those around them her beauty was of a goddess and she should be easily partnered with one who matched I.E iiha sake but she stated that she had no interest in anyone and he could only wondered if it was because she hadn't found anyone to match her standards who would be far greater suited for her than the Uchi he wondered he didn't wish to believe that she was shallow for if she was then he was as well he knew a lot about the yamanaka knowledge and information that he had gained over the years she cared about making connections with other people as he emotions heavily influenced and swayed her decisions that would make the U an unlikely candidate as he chose to keep everything to himself for the majority of time ever since the question had been asked he wondered who could possibly capture the Mind Walker's interest they had become friends not too long before he had left on his journey he had always liked being around her bright and intuitive personality she had apologized for the way she had treated him he later on in the course of time apologized for for being the reason for her father's early departure from this world which she vehemently denied through her tears she was similar to both the women that he had had interest in she was strong willed and determined while having a short temper just like her best friend she was also compassionate and caring placing everyone before her she was ideal but also far from his clutches despite becoming closer to her he felt that she was in a league of her own the way she carried herself so confidently the world was her oyster and she would see to have anything she wanted and would devour it whole who was he to even think about her in such a manner never in a million years would he have thought of her in such a light perhaps it had something to do with the alcohol he had drank that night that caused him to view her in such a manner perhaps it had something to do with the way she looked today those eyes Primal and sensual perhaps it had something to do with his testosterone racing through his veins that began to see her more than simply a friend but as a woman letting out of frustrated eye he ruffled his messy locks disregarding the cool gaze of His companion for the rest of the day one thing was for certain he was not lusting after his close friend Yaman nakao as the days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months he knew that was wrong there was no excuse for what he was doing he was a pig he was trash but he didn't know what else to do as stated before he wasn't the smartest of men and it was beginning to show that being said the guild was beginning to to eat away at him for almost 2 years he had been casually dating the hyuga arys for almost 2 years he had been forcing himself to fall in love with her hell he had even imagined taking her to his bed making love with her until they were spent after indulging and exploring one another's bodies the furthest they had gone was an intense session of lips meeting and tongues clashing exploring hands but it stopped before clothes began to disappear the kisses shared between them were enjoyable but those kisses lacked the fire behind them to make him willing to advance even further with the hyuga there was no burning claws of lust pulling at him there was no heat that rushed and coursed throughout his body when they touched and kissed surely the B kugan user had noticed his hesitance well hesitance was probably the wrong word his unwillingness to progress anymore Gods he felt like an [ __ ] scratch that he was an [ __ ] he knew that she should have ended this a long time ago but there was a sense of obligation within him he felt that he should put time and effort to making things work because he never did anything halfast after all she had risked her life for him she had confessed her love for him wouldn't it be wrong of him to ignore her words and affection wouldn't it be wrong of him not to try no what was wrong was the fact that he had continued to be in the courting stage with her for so long it was obvious to probably both parties that they were simply supposed to be friends the male just wasn't sure how to end it he didn't want to hurt her but he knew he was hurting her by stringing her along like this another sigh left him and he flinched when he heard an annoyed Huff of air come from across the building I swear if you don't stop I'll kick you out of here threatened the yamanaka the mindwalker was currently watering a few hanging pots while standing on a ladder her hair was pulled into a messy knot on top of her head a few strands falling around in Wiss of gold and white thanks to the glittering sun rays she wore her tip iCal orange shirt and black shirt when gardening her apron secured around her waist stuffed with gardening tools she pulled the hose out of the pots and climbed down the rungs of the ladder she was perched on turning off the hose she crossed her arms over her chest glaring at him it's obvious something is bothering you so spit it out your mood is affecting the plants too he knew that her temper only became like this when she was concerned it was a roundabout way of showing that she cared he smiled faintly nodding his head knowing that he was dampening the mood she moved closer to him a hand resting on his arm giving it a gentle reassuring squeeze Naruto she said gently you know you can tell me anything there it was again there was that Infamous spell that she put on him causing him to be mesmerized by her had she always been like this towards him well they do spend the majority of their time with one another or simply around one another they had been opening up to one another revealing secrets that that they feared other people would judge them on there was this connection between them beating like a pulse say youo he breathed out she tilted her head slightly and raised an eyebrow to indicate that she was listening and waiting what's it like to be in love for a fraction of a second her mask cracked a surprised look coming to her face as a light Rose Hue dusted her cheeks and the bridge of her nose clearing her throat she looked away from him unable to calm her frantically Beating Heart was this a subtle way of him telling her that he held some sort of feeling towards her no he was dating the hyuga he was just seeking out advice because she was his close friend that was all nothing more than that she Shrugged her shoulders turning away from him as her fingers reached out to faintly trace over the silk and Petals of her flowers I don't think I have an absolute answer for that Naruto she started off gently love she paused biting her lower lip and thought she tilted her head slightly as a smile came to her face love can be wonderful it can take your breath away suddenly leaving you gasping for air it can feel like you're falling into an unknown Abyss Love Can Happen immediately or it can take time regardless Love Is Never when you expect it to happen love can be patient or anxious it can make you laugh and cry all at once and you'll have no logic or Reason to explain why love can be happy if you allow it she let go of The Petal a heavy sigh leaving her as her eyes narrowed slightly she lifted her gaze up to peer through the foliage and up through the glass ceiling love can be painful it can eat away at your heart and soul leaving you to become a hollow shell it can make you wait in a world of limbo waiting for that one person even if they aren't detainable love can be your enemy making you sacrifice your own happiness she looked away from her upwards gaze a frown tugging her lips and brows furrowing her own words causing her to shudder faintly the yamanaka wrapped her arms around herself swaying her body slightly as she continued to ponder the male's question but more than anything being in love is exhilarating it can make you feel things that you never thought possible she turned to look at him her gaze softening as she looked at his face when you're in love you will do silly sometimes Reckless things for that someone you always want to be near them your thoughts are consumed of them you start to feel for them you cry for them you fear for them and so on you dedicate yourself to their happiness and life she exhaled heavily realizing that she was becoming overly excited and the world becomes so much more vibrant around you you'll see colors that you thought never existed and it's all because that someone brought it to life for you she looked away from him and nodded her head I think that's the best answer I can give you love is different for everyone it's unpredictable he stood there watching when she spoke about love the way her eyes shimmered from the color of the sky to a deep turquoise the apples of her cheeks were round from her smile and gently dusted with a soft blush the Wisps of her hair dangled around her face brushing against her shoulders she would idly fiddle with the ends with delicate fingers her bottom lip would get sucked in between her lips when she paused to think about her response it seemed so natural for her to speak to him about love and it HD him full force knocking the air from his lungs he was confused as to why his reaction to her was like this she was in love he could see it clearly on her face as her guard had slowly melted away the way it danced and twirled in her eyes how did he not notice before maybe because she had stated with certainty that she wasn't interested in anyone she was in love and he didn't know with who a foreign feeling tugged at the back of his mind a small frown touching his lips the sprinkler system chose to set off at that time causing him to lose track of his thoughts Eno let out a surprised yell saying that this certainly had killed the serious mood she raised her Palms up capturing the thick drops in her hand before a gentle laugh came from her filling the air with a mixture of her Delicate Sound and the falling water he inhaled and exhaled deeply as he watched her before him her eyes were closed as she continued to laugh her nose crinkling slightly he would later tell her that he could see why Sakura called her Eno Pig it was truly one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen with the Mind Walker involved he felt a burned t touch his cheeks when she opened her eyes there was this content look on her face as her laughter died down her words sounded muddled in his ears as he was captured by her the affectionate warmth that was held in her eyes caused his heart to flutter rapidly her face clung to her face and she would casually wipe away the wet strands for some reason he felt like he was at a loss for words he could see her speaking to him but he couldn't hear he couldn't think he watched the way the sun traced her skin causing it to glow while the Shadows contrasted against the bright light what compelled him to move forward he'll never understand at least not right now she eyed him with mild caution she had yet to elicit a response from him he had simply been staring at her and she wondered if he had put some pieces together in his head she wondered if she had been too obvious on how she described everything she couldn't recognize the expression he held it was uncharacteristic of the Uzumaki he continued to move closer to her and she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do should she move away should she snap him out whatever trance he was in she glanced away from him staring down at the feet that refused to budge from their spot she bit her lower lip as his feet came into her view stopping just in front of her her eyes slowly trailed up his body taking all of his features from his broad chest that expanded from steady breaths to deep Cerulean Hues that stood out against his tan complexion she took it all in noting every detail about him she studied the whisker-like birth marks on his cheeks giving him the Foxy look so she liked to call it she could see faint pale lines of old and healed cuts that dotted his face and other areas of Exposed Skin she gazed in awe at how the water clung to his hair how it dripped from his chin rolling down his neck and into the collar of his shirt she didn't budge or Flinch when his warm Palm cuted the side of her face she raised a brow slowly wondering what was going on in that head of his his thumb brushed away a droplet of water near the corner of her mouth the rough pad of his thumb touching the Supple flesh immediately her tongue darted out wetting her lips and his eyes following the movement of that pink muscle swallowing thickly she cleared her throat Naruto she breathed out secretly praying that he would kiss her because she wasn't sure if she could wait any longer another part of her wished that he wouldn't because she was already so deeply in love with him that she didn't want to she was fearful plummet any further than where she was a hitch in her breathing filled the air as his other hand slid up her spine cradling the back of her neck her hands clutched the front of his shirt fighting between pulling him closer and pushing him away he leaned down close enough for his breath to Fan out across her lips she was nearly at her limit she was shaking she knew that her knees would give way any moment now she swore if he kissed her it would all be over for her it felt like a crack of light shot down her spine as a chakra signal set off she immediately shoved the blonde male away from her gasping for air she wiped off the water from her face as she quickly made her way out of the greenhouse to meet her visitor she wasn't sure if she would thank them or kill them she' decide when she saw who it was she couldn't muster the courage to look back behind her feeling that he did gaze follow her she didn't want to reject him in that manner but it had all happened suddenly he clearly wasn't thinking prop she shook her head trying to will away the redness on her face rounding the corner to the front of the shop she met with a familiar face oh Shikamaru is it that time already I lost track of time she exclaimed with a Meek smile hoping that Naruto would stay behind his dark eyes regarded her in a silent manner she knew that he was trying to figure out her flustered appearance Troublesome he muttered under his breath everyone else is waiting for you so you better hurry up all right I'll meet up with you guys in a bit she said waving a hand at herself I'm a mess right now so just go ahead and order without me the Naro rolled his eyes and turned to walk away she waved at him before running back to around the house she reached out her chakra only to find the uzumaki's residual signature a hand flew to her chest and she fell back against the side of her house she knew that she should have told him off or something along those lines she inhaled and exhaled deeply Rec counting at how close their lips had been to touch she ran a hand over her face she would have to tell him it wouldn't work that he was wrong for betraying the trust of hanata gods she felt vile on the inside she had wanted it too much that she blindly cast aside the hauga eris's feelings what kind of friend was she what kind of person calmly down her weak heart she headed back inside of her home to get ready she had a group date to attend and she didn't need to be distracted especially not around her calc ative teammate Naruto are you all right Azure eyes blinked and glanced over at the pale-eyed woman walking beside him a that was the third time tonight that she had caught him in a days she tucked a few pieces of hair behind her ear as he reassured her that he was in fact all right however the hyuga knew better than to believe his words if anything the Uzumaki male was honest with his feelings even if he never spoke about it immediately being around him for nearly two years she had picked up of small quirks that he did like when he was upset he would would become Restless needing to go blow off steam at the training grounds when something was on his mind his brows would pinch together in thought and he would fall silent he was not perfect but she nonetheless adored him however for nearly two years they had been stuck in this limbo of sorts neither one of them had made the effort to call what they had between them a relationship their commitment to one another was barely there she often wondered if she had done something wrong he had approached her a few weeks after the world war had ended hesitant and shy he had told her that he couldn't possibly convey the same amount emotion towards her that she had done during the fight with pain but he was willing to try it was the first time that she had seen narut in such a mature manner the war had definitely changed him for better or worse she liked to think it was the former not the latter ever so slowly he eased his way into her life asking questions about her life her childhood and so on she had to admit it was strange when they had finally started to be around one another more she had never thought that he would actually chose to pursue her in a romantic fashion that hope and love that she had clung to so desperately throughout her childhood was finally being brought to life she had been ecstatic every date with the blonde male was fun entertaining there was never a dull moment with him even if they simply went on a walk much like what they were doing now she enjoyed the Uzumaki flaws and all however it didn't take her too long to notice that things were off with him he was uncertain when it came to personal displays of affection he only held her hand when they were alone she had never pegged him to be secretive in a relationship he only kissed her after 6 months of seeing one another she had figured it was because he wanted to take things easy to make sure that there was something blossoming between them she appreciated his patience however she found herself growing in impatience she had built the courage to bring them back to his apartment initiating intimacy between them she was sure that he would understand her intentions and feelings during this point she took it as embarrassment when his eyes glanced away from hers when she straddled his laugh she took it as restraint when he gripped her shoulders pulling away from their locked lips she took it as a show of respect for her when he muttered a heavy apology to her she took it all as this because she saw him as her ideal partner she had pined for him for so long she had put all her faith and adoration into him he was simply being respectful towards her how wrong she had been after that moment he had made sure never to return back to his cluttered apartment after that moment he made sure that they were in the public eye more often than not it stung that sudden realization but she had to accept his feelings like he had accepted hers this was both their first relationship with another person there were bound to be roadblocks and hurdles to conquer she understood this mother but as the months continued on she couldn't feel but feel this resentment towards his chalous act eat away at her she was finally understanding that they would be nothing more than what they were now she wished that it would end but she also felt her ideals of him making her cling to him she was pathetic in that sense she knew that she loved him maybe loved the idea of him more but she knew that those feelings had yet to lessen she had wanted to bring up this conversation for a while now but he was practically distant with her nowadays she hardly saw him anymore disappearing every time the middle week day came around then he would throw himself in the throws of dedication when it came to training she too had little time to see him her Ascension to becoming the clad head was nearing maybe she was just trying to hold off the inevitable clinging onto her childhood crush it stung to think about things not working with him but she couldn't hate him because of it all she could have hoped for was that he had least acknowledged her feelings for him and he had done more that extra mild that made the blonde male lovable he had put all his effort into wooing and courting her while lacking those same feelings he took the time to further know her better to understand her he had been there in her moments of weakness and strength he had come to Aid her while she lay ill in bed despite hannaby and the other hyuga family members taking care of her he had tried all of this in order to show that he truly appreciated the love that she had always had for him but she could see it he was captured by something else she dared not think someone else because that was too soon for her heart to handle she bit the inside of her cheek feeling her emotions starting to well up in the depths of her chest she knew what had to be done they rounded a corner on one of the many streets of their Village taking in the Ethereal illumination that was given off by the buildings and restaurants lanterns they continued to walk in an awkward silence between them as most of their walks ended up like this it was obvious to those around them that there was an impending conversation looming over their heads weighing down what should be a loving atmosphere the male rubbed the back of his neck chewing on his lower lip trying to figure out what to say the Lilac Eyed Woman simply stared at the ground a frown tugging at the corners of her lips she knew that she needed to grab his attention somehow glancing up she opened her mouth to speak but her voice caught in her throat his gaze was directed somewhere else his jaw clenching slightly Sapphire Eyes hardened immediately and she couldn't help but follow the direction of his gaze sitting close to the outside of a restaurant she caught a glimmer of flax and colored locks pulled into a high ponytail cascading like a river down her back the color purple slowly filled her line of vision before turquoise eyes closed while a laugh floated into her air she thought nothing out of the ordinary until she viewed who was sitting across from her he had changed over the years but he still held that ominous air around him his hair fell over his spiraled eye only showing his normal dark one he was covered in his preferred color black it didn't seem out of the ordinary but she noted the small smile that was on his lips as he continued to converse with the yamanaka arys since when had they become so close she glanced back over to her date only to see that he was making his way through the crowd towards the restaurant and Naruto she called out but her voice fell to death years pushing back the entrance flap of the restaurant he wasn't sure what was happening in his mind at this point he had seen the two of them and all thoughts had ceased everything had fallen silent to his ears watching the way the two of them interacted had caused his blood to come to a low simmer to hear her laugh at the UA spiked his temperature to just under boiling the frown that etched into his features wouldn't fade away he couldn't look away from the two of them the only thing that popped into his head was why why were they together didn't sasak want to be with Sakura didn't Eno say that she wasn't in love with Thea anymore love the image of her face previously that day flashed into his mind had she been lying to him this entire time was she using this as some ploy to take SAS away from Sakura he knew that it was wrong to think of the Mind Walker like this but the questions wouldn't stop coming forth in his mind why was she in love with him there were better people out there than the uiha like who he paused briefly in his navigation wondering who was better suited for the yamanaka than the UA a small small part of him whispered a muffled name he shook his head in disbelief there was no way that that was an option so why was he so hellbent on finding out the truth why did it matter so much to him narut he snapped out of his thoughts as Eno's voice called out to him in a mixture of surprise and hesitance his eyes landed on hers and they shared a gaze with one another before she looked away was that guilt on her face he looked over at the impassive expression of the UA trying to understand the situation trying to understand his own motives what do you want idiot SAS the blonde woman hissed out throwing a glare at him before looking up at her friend what's going on narut did something happen the way she said the uchi's name so familiarly only caused IR to rise within him he clenched his jaw and bald his hands into fists how could they do this how could they so casually be in public with one another he heard the sound of a chair being scooted across the floor a and touching his arm cautiously turquoise eyes were looking at him in concern hey are you all right she asked in a gentle tone one that he was all too familiar with why are you here with him he asked but his tone held hostility in it she took a step back at the sudden tone a confused look coming to her face she glanced down at the Uchiha who simply Shrugged his shoulders not knowing what was going on with his friend what are you talking about Naruto we're just having dinner so you're on a date with with him he scoffed out unable to control himself the words were just formulating like word vomit as he pulled his arm away from her and what about Sakura does she know that you're doing this behind her back where are you getting this from Eno seeed out venomously we're not on a date like I said we're eating dinner with one another because we're friends friends are you sure about that you know Gods he wanted to stop but this ugly beast within him couldn't it wouldn't stop a low growl left him as he saw saw movement from the corner of his eye caused by the UA soon you'll be falling in love with him all over again wait no you're still in love with his words were cut off by the sudden strike to his cheek the pain radiating throughout the side of his face had he seen it coming then maybe he would have dodged but somewhere in his mind told him that he needed this the force of the impact caused his head to snap in the opposite direction so quickly that he pulled something in his neck the restaurant fell silent at the commotion he slowly turned his wide-eyed gaze back to the Misty Eyes woman a hand reaching up to cover the red mark that was angrily pulsing she was breathing evenly trying to control her temper as she glared at him with watery eyes IO I'm leave she breathed out she glanced over at the uiha flicking her head towards the Uzumaki take him out of here I'll foot the Bell there was a heavy sigh that came from the uiha as he stood up hooking an arm around the blonde male's neck he tugged at him dragging him out of the restaurant the Uzumaki could only watch the hurt and confusion that crossed over the yamanaka's face as she crumpled back into her seat burying her face in her hands he had messed up [ __ ] up was the more proper tone he allowed his confusing emotions to get the best of him he hadn't meant to say the things that he had but he couldn't help it jealousy that is what it was he had felt that green Beast sink its teeth into his flesh when he had first spotted them to see Enos so easily laugh with another man his best friend nonetheless had caused something to snap inside of him could it be that he was falling for her for Eno no they were just friends right he was released of his hold once they were outside of the restaurant he stumbled forward rubbing the back of his neck he was hesitant to look over at the male who had escorted him out of the building he looked up at his friend who was frowning at him they shared a silence between them before Thea shook his head muttering under his breath as he walked away from the scene that the Uzumaki had caused rubbing his wrapped hand over his face he turned only to see the hyuga arys waiting patiently for him there was no way that he could explain his actions they had been done without thought instinctively he opened his mouth to apologize but the Lilac eyes woman shook her head she inhaled deeply lifting up determined eyes to meet his a small faint smile touched her lips and she exhaled slowly Naruto I believe we need to talk the inevitable happened after that night he wasn't sure if he was surprised or not that the hyuga had ended things with him she had known for a long time that they were not going to progress in their relationship they both had a part of them that wanted to make things work but unfortunately the fire between them and faded into glowing Embers he had spent the next hour apologizing to the hyuga for the lack of effort he had put into their relationship he had apologized for leading her to believe that something would happen if they stayed together together he apologized for ruining their final date he continuously apologized and she she accepted his words he knew that there was nothing more that he could do for her he could only support her decisions as she turned and walked away out of the Romantic aspect of his life he watched the tears that silently rolled down her cheeks his eyes casting towards the ground knowing that it wouldn't be right for him to console her it was never his intention to hurt her she was a sweet and compassionate woman he had just been stupid [ __ ] things up with not only one person that night but two he sighed heavily as he thought about that night knowing that the blond woman had yet to forgive him not only had he caused a scene out of jealousy but he had embarrassed her in front of numerous people he knew that yamanaka did not like to lose her composure in front of people she hardly broke down her walls around him she was a vulnerable woman when the doors were closed he almost wished she would be vulnerable all the time because he was selfish he didn't like being caught off guard by her emotions when they finally showed he didn't like seeing the expressions of hurt and sadness form in those Oceanic eyes of hers however a part of him didn't want her to be vulnerable to others he felt that he was special being one of the few to see the real her not the kunoichi mask she wore in public not like his thoughts mattered anymore he had ruined their relationship that night he continued this cycle of self-loathing as he went on with his days how could he say such things to her how could he have caused her that kind of pain they were friends closer than most people in the village he had opened up to to her at the drop of the Hat without hesitation that was the kind of person she was she easily broke people's guards intentionally or not her alluring warmth and compassion was what Drew people in her quirky habits and short temper was what made people stay her freely showing emotions and comical remarks was what made people fall in love his breathing hitched and his head felt dizzy falling in love with Eno sure he had pondered the thought quite frequently they had been friends for a long time they had shared things between one another and they had bonded with each other it was a logical question but was this really love he had thought of it as lust for quite some time who would not lust after the yamanaka arys she was by far the most beautiful woman that had ever graced his life not only an appearance but her personality was something that any man would lust after sure she had a short temper and she could banter back and forth with u inuendos and dirty jokes but her heart was always warm she was never quick to judge at least now that she had grown older and she was always there to listen and dish out advice when it was necessary she was an allaround good-natured woman despite the flaws that she had but that was what made them human however he knew that he shouldn't even begin to fall in love with the blonde woman she was far out of his reach at least she was now besides why would she even give someone like him a chance especially after what he had done he was a pathetic fool allowing his emotions to take control of him and making him cause her grief that was all he had done for her he had made her cry on more than one occasion and made her see out venomous words at him there was no way that he could make a suitable partner for her there was no way that she could see him more than a knucklehead more than a jerk his point was only solidified by the fact that she had been avoiding him much like their last argument he had only caught a glimpse of her what seemed like endless hair leaving the scene as soon as he would appear he almost wished that she wasn't a sensor that way he could easily track her down well if he truly tried he could track her down easily but he couldn't why he was a nervous wreck lately terrified even what would she say to him what could he say to her aside from apologizing profusely she was an enigma most of the time switching between the role of being a kunoichi and just being herself he never knew what went on in her mind even though her emotions shown through easily within her eyes he supposed that it was something that she learned over time using her mind techniques she was truly unreadable once again he was stuck in this place a limbo of sworts he wanted to go apologize and talk with her but another part of him wanted to crawl into a hole and hide for all eternity it was pathetic and childish that much he knew but he was not a smart man he now understood why he had been Restless as of late those nagging feelings that he had unsuccessfully ignored for the last few months he understood them it was love it had crept upon him and not for the person that he had been dating but for his friend the woman that he had been seeing every Wednesday spending time with her in the seclusion that came with the greenhouse he had been falling for her all this time and it was only now that he recognized those feelings why couldn't he have felt these feelings for the woman who had been PID patiently waiting for him to shower her hand why did it have to be with the woman who was out of his lead why did it have to be Eno was this what it was like to be in love she had explained it to him but now he was fully grasping the concept he thought back to the greenhouse that day that he had seen that expression of love on her face he had been so compelled to her that he had nearly kissed her he had been sure why he had felt so moved to do so but now he knew the weight of the situation he had always been in love with her probably since they were younger but it was finally blossoming right before his Bright Eyes the love that he had for her when he was younger was a love for a friend now that he had been spending more time with her he knew that that love had evolved into something far stronger than friendship she had not judged him for coming so close into her personal space she did fudally try to resist his advances though he wasn't sure if she was lost in the sudden moment as well she had flown herself away from him so quickly that he was sure that he had offended her that was why she had avoided him she had been confused by his actions he could see the questions swimming in her eyes he could see the warning that was there but also something else it was almost as if she were daring him to kiss her and he probably would have had it not been for outside interference a part of him was thankful that the shadow user had appeared giving him an opportunity to escape to clear his suddenly clouded mind however another part of him was disappointed that they were interrupted he wanted to know how far she would allow him to go or was that crossing the invisible boundaries that they had set up around one another he was a mess she had spent a lot of time collecting her thoughts she went through fits of anger and despair on a daily basis she knew that he deserved her anger but she couldn't muster up the courage to seek him out and tell him what was on her mind she would give herself away at that point she spent most of her time running away from the places that she was at once sensing that he was near she had yet to recover from that night her thoughts were all jumbled what made it worse was the news that he and the hyuga had ended their relationship All Too Soon afterwards she had been tempted to seek out the Lilac Eyed Woman she wanted to investigate why she chose to end their relationship she wanted to know if the hyuga knew about her feelings she wanted to make the woman swear that she would never tell a soul she wanted to do all of these things but she couldn't because he was out there knowing the blonde male very well as soon as he spotted her he would either look away or try to work things out between them she wasn't ready for the latter of the two so she could only hope that he would disregard her she knew that he wasn't perfect he had his flaws but that was what made her fall for him his emotions were uninhibited and Rough Around the Edges he was like her in a sense letting their emotions do the talking for them even if the words stung she curled her hand into a fist feeling a residual Sting from slapping him she knew that both of them knew that he had deserved that blow to the face but it still didn't lessen the guilt that she felt why the hell did she feel guilty he had deserved that slap more than anyone he had mortified her in the public eye he had called her a liar he had crushed her heart with his words freezing her blood with such a hateful gaze he had done all these things and she was the one who felt guilty she knew that he was the one who should feel guilty but she knew that she was partially at fault for causing him to see her in such a light it was all because of one Man Too iiha sake how could she even begin to explain how they started speaking with one another on casual terms well the beginning would be a good place to start she sniffed slightly resisting the urge to allow her emotions to crumble she could keep herself composed until she was in the Comforts of her home she glanced over her shoulder watching the interaction of her teammate and his lover the sand kunoichi frowned as she touched the side of his bruised face muttering something underneath her breath he leaned his forehead towards her resting it on top of hers they shared that moment with one another silently thanking a higher power that he had made it out of the Ambush alive teal eyes glanced away feeling this stabbing pain in her chest a sense of longing filling her being turning away to head home she was met with an unexpected person what did he want she hadn't expected him to be the one who was waiting for her she glanced over each shoulder making sure that his gaze wasn't on someone behind her she had tried to walk past him but his hand caught her by the wrist and she paused to look up at him raising a slender brow was he here to scold her for not caring for his friend properly was he here to belittle her medical talents she shrug her wrist from his grasp which he willingly allowed her to do so and she turned towards him Crossing her arms over her chest ready to argue if that was what he was looking for a dark eye regarded her silently before he let out a heavy sigh I need you to come with me yamanaka why should I she replied back in a hostile manner a frown touched his lips and he glanced around she sensed that he didn't want to cause a scene so he wasn't here for an argument he turned his body towards her his broad chest shielding her from any wandering eyes behind them he gazed down at her silently and they held eye contact with one another as if they were having a silent conversation and she let out a heavy sigh can it wait she asked feeling her exhaustion catch up with her but he simply shook his head walking away from her and she found herself following he had taken her to a secluded area away from the eyes and ears of those around them it was then that he had been to interrogate her feelings she had been taken aback at how quickly his calm demeanor had shifted into that of hostility she felt her own ey grow at his questions a snarl forming on her lips she didn't like it when her profession was used against her and the uias certainly understood that much she knew that if they were to engage in a physical altercation she would lose but that didn't stop her from grabbing him by the front of his shirt pulling him down to her height and giving him a piece of her mind he had questioned her endlessly about her feelings towards the Uzumaki and she had given him the answers that he wanted she had given him all the reasons why she had fallen for that idiot and why she wanted to keep it a secret she had threatened him with turning his mind into a pile of mush should he feel so inclined to utter a single word to the hero of the village she had made him swear that this was something that could only be known between the two of them he agreed that was the beginning of their unlikely friendship after all the years of chasing after the uch male she had to say she liked the one that he had become in this time when she wasn't busy with her training and spending time with Naruto she had found out that he was suitable companion to spend her time with she had never really gotten that chance to know him simply idolizing the idea of him however their friendship was not as simple as it may seem on the outside she understood the risks of being seen in public with him when it was simply just the two of them she knew that she was digging her own grave as rumors would more than likely spread she thought one day as they walked by a shop gazing into the windows reflection that they looked nice together but there was no lingering feelings that she elded for him and since Naruto had suggested that his two teammates should be with one another she liked the idea of that more all they could be was a NIC looking pair but emotions were disconnected in the romancer of their minds they simply enjoyed the company of one another besides she soon uncovered a secret within sake he was not in love with Haruno Sakura the moment that he had told her that she was pretty sure that she decked him in the jaw the memory was hazy because as many arguments that were created by her they usually ended in hand-to-hand combat they had laid flat on their backs each suffering from minor cuts and bruises gazing up at the darkening sky she wasn't sure why she had attacked him maybe she had always wanted to do that since he returned she was sure that he too understood her need to vent out all her Anger from her childhood onto him he willingly accepted the altercation though he did his best to not hurt her while defending himself she had been out for blood and he wasn't sure if he wanted his life to end so soon soon she began to cry because she was overly emotional at this point and she couldn't understand her feelings after all these years was she happy to hear that he didn't love Sakura or was she saddened by the fact that the medic would be devastated Eno knew that it would take a long time for her best friend to recover once the ucha finally told her sitting up she quietly healed their wounds that way no would question them once they went on their separate ways the uiha then opened up about why his feelings for Sakura were that way he explained that although there was a part of him that did love her it was not in the same way she loved him socer isre quited love would continue to be just that and the uch felt remorse over it he explained that while he accepted her love there was no part of him that could return it he appreciated that she spent all of these years loving longing and waiting for him he appreciated that she had risked her own life for him on multiple occasions but it was impossible for him to love her in return in a sense the Mind Walker understood the ucha she understood when he explained that he thought that he was in love with the medic she understood when he explained that he thought that he could spend a lifetime with her this was how they had connected he didn't mention if he had feelings for anyone else but Eno knew that in time he would find someone that he cared for it was only a matter time he stated that he would tell Sakura about this but he had felt that it was necessary to tell Eno first that way she could be better prepared to comfort and console the medic and he wanted to get this fight out of the way prior he added with a slight smirk that had earned him a punch to the gut as they they made their way back to the Village but the blond smiled nonetheless yes she really did like this new SAS did that mean that she was falling for him no her unresolved feelings for him had been settled that day after she expended it all through fighting and crying she felt at peace with the uchan now she had admitted that she had loved him for a long time but it was simply the idea of him that she loved she had began to loathe him for taking away her best friend at such a trying time in their lives however she thanked him for it contradicting her previous statement thanks to the Uchi betrayal Sakura had grown and blossomed into a beautiful flower she had grown so much over the Last 5 Years thanks for her determination and Adoration of the uch but Eno feared that it may be lost once he broke the news to her but there was no reason to keep leading her on like this that was how it all started her friendship with sake they would meet up typically in the evening discussing anything and everything under the sun he would tell her about his other team and the hilarity that would be involved with the bunch she found herself laughing at a few Tales sometimes their conversations would turn serious and she would interrogate him extensively wondering if her would the village again it wasn't like she didn't trust him it was just out of habit if he could do it once he could do it again each time he would give her a simple no as an answer and she would accept it it never seemed to ruin the mood between them but she brought it up more often than not even a few times it would get under his skin however they continued on with their friendship well for right now they were not speaking with one another but it wasn't because she was mad at him she only wanted things to settle down with the Uzumaki she knew that she needed to explain all this to him she grunted as she lifted up a few boxes from the storage room it was about time that she threw out all the old equipment she struggled to carry the heavy box listening to the clinking noises of metal hitting one another with each step she took here let me help thanks she breathed out before her lungs ceased functioning and the air became stuck in her throat the weight was lifted from her arms and she stood there watching with wide eyes as he carried the Box away she watched him so casually bring out of the storage room she internally chided herself for not realizing that he was here how could she just so calmly say that to him well she had been lost in thought which greatly hindered her Shinobi ability where do you want this how could he act as if nothing was wrong how dare he so casually come here and expect her to welcome him with open arms she felt her temper flare and her eyes narrow on him why are you here he paused his steps his head dropping slightly as he looked at the Box in his hand with a heavy sigh he sat down the box and she silently begged that he wouldn't turn to look at her slowly he turned to face her Sapphire Hughes looking at her with a mixture of emotions she was unaccustomed to not knowing what emotions were swimming in his eyes she didn't like that she was unable to read him a frown touched her lips and she crossed her arms around herself in an insecure manner why are you here this time she repeated the question the hostility in her voice fading into a weak tone I came to apologize about the other night Naruto said gently he ran a hand through his unruly locks a heavy sigh leaving him I I have no explanation for why I acted that way a small snort left her as she rolled her eyes that's not helping your case she shifted her weight on her feet biting her lower lip gently I'm not over it I'm not sure when I'll get over it I can't believe that you would accuse me like that I know you know I don't know why those words left my mouth it's just his voice trailed off it was as if In This Moment he could hear the pounding of his heart within his ears his mouth felt dry and there was no way he could speak he had no right to tell her about his feelings she deserved someone better than him him however the thought of her being with anyone else was unsettling realization dawned upon Him perhaps he had known for a while now but just didn't want to admit it he had fallen for the yamanaka he cleared his throat as he tried to piece together his thoughts and she watched him expectantly she was waiting for him to say something anything to ease the hurt that he had caused her when he had yet to formulate an excuse the Mind Walker let out a heavy sigh her guarded arms falling from their hold around her she tugged at the end of her ponytail pressing her lips together in a thin line her eyes studied him briefly before she looked away look I get it both Sakura and SAS mean a lot to you she said gently trying to hide the bitterness that threatened to fill her tone you three have been through a lot and it's only right that you want to see them happy but sometimes things like that don't work out life never goes according to what we plan out Naruto what do you mean she bit the inside of her cheek knowing that it wasn't her place to tell of the uia's feelings she knew that she was known for letting information slip through her lips but that was just for the gossip group that was in the village when it came to people she cared about in missions she learned it was best to keep her lips sealed you should seek out saus he'll have the answers you're looking for she reassured him why can't you tell me Naruto asked he could feel his hostility grow as she continued to refer the uiha in such a familiar way it isn't my place to tell you Naruto she shook her head slightly gazing at him with somber eyes I don't know what made you think that the uiha and I were in a secret relationship but I can tell you that you were wrong he and I are nothing more than friends that's all it will ever be I don't get it he muttered out a growl rumbling from his throat we tell each other everything you know no matter how big the secret is we've always found comfort in one another he ran his hands roughly through his hair once more his clenched fists settled on on his hips as he glared down at the ground and he shook his head in disbelief but when it comes to SAS you can't tell me I told you I just can't she said in an exasperated manner why can't you just take it like it is if you want to know so bad just go ask him she threw her hands up in the air feeling her temper beginning to rise from a simmer to a boil you're in love aren't you it was like the air suddenly chilled around him her eyes narrowing on his face her expression matching his own frustrated one what are you talking about Uzumaki he flinched at how I see her tone suddenly become her eyes turning into glacial shards pitting him with a dangerous glare the way she spat out his last name warned him he had stepped over his boundaries who is it he questioned the warning that he felt from her was not enough to deter his determination you said that you weren't interested in anyone but I saw your expression you're in love with someone and it's killing me to not know he thought to himself is this why you're like this you want to know who I'm in love with she asked slowly feeling her voice slowly begin to rise and you thought that I was in love with the you chiha so you went and caused a scene do too she paused her brows knitting together in a mild anger due to jealousy when she said that word he felt a pain of guilt hit him he hadn't meant for her to so easily pin down the emotion that he had been internally Waring over in his mind however when it came to reading people no one compared to the yamanaka the female across from him shook her head as a dry laugh left her incoherently words were muttered under her breath clenching her teeth together she let out a heavy exhale knowing that she could easily lose herself over how idiotic he was being or was it disbelief you thought that I was lying to you all this time even though I had blatantly told you that I held no residual feelings for that man a snarl tore across her face and he could feel the blood lust rise in the air why is it so important to you be because I he paused clearing his throat gently we're friends youo he managed out in a tone that betrayed what he had wanted to sound like he sounded weak and unsure of himself weren't they friends he knew that deep down that he wanted to be the one that she saw in such a romantic light but he was digging his own grave at this point friends she breathed out her heavy breathing becoming louder now he watched as her face went through varying states of emotions the first was shocked it caused her eyes to widen and for her to take a fraction of a step away from him her hand rested on her chest before curling into a fist as anger touched her features her whole face slowly turned a light shade of red her cheeks puffing out slightly as she held back the words that threatened to explode from her disgust caused a sneer to curl at her lips and her eyes to narrow suddenly then there was a sadness that took over her face her expression softening as the creases of anger faded from her angular face she sucked in her lower lip biting into it viciously as she was battling silently with herself then ever so slowly her eyes lifted to him softening into a solemn expression I couldn't be friends with you narut not even if I tried the final Arrow to his heart had been struck I couldn't be friends with you narut 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 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 pulled in her eyes he had missed it all as he wandered the streets of konaha he had walked through a days throughout the village ignoring the stairs 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 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 SAS 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 a 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 hyuga AIS here a small smile touched his lip lips and he slowly stood up brushing off the dirt from his clothes hey hanata 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 did 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 Tales 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 hanata 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 hyuga 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 hyuga 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 hanata the dark-haired woman closed her eyes she knew that he had been occupied by someone else for quite some time 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 love you the way you deserve to be Lov 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 hanata the blonde said looking up at the sky as well all I ever did was deceive 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 narut he nodded his head feeling the guilt of leading her own way 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 youo could be in love with do 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 UA 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 hanata 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 10 Shades brighter than soccer'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 tul ribbon and flowers as much as she loved creating and designing floral arrangements she hated lastminute projects much like this one she was supposed to have gotten the order 5 months ago VI a 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 Eno 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 longtime 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 [ __ ] 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 tul bow around the vase placing in a few baby 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 an 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 hanata you happen 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 youo 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 hyuga asked glancing up at the taller woman Eno tied her head to the side and 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 Eno let out a gentle laugh it 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 konaha special omelet but she was also watching the hyuga 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 bouan user to speak up after placing their order and sitting in silence for a few moments Eno decided to make the first move it's not often that you come to speak with me hanata 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 hyuga 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 hanata let out a slow and steady breath trying to formulate the words that she had been struck struggling to sort out since she first walked into the yamanaka flower shop it's about Naruto isn't it Eno stated in a low voice idling taking a swig of her water had Nat's head snapped up eyes wide had she used her mind techniques she washed a small smile touch Eno's lips as she shook her head your thoughts are easy to read without my techniques hanata Eno murmured gently the blonde sat down her glass placing her hands in her lap how are they supposed to talk about that knuckle head how do you feel about him hanata asked hesitantly well that was certainly a step in the right direction Eno 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 hanata watched Eno 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 hyuga 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 Eno maybe it was because she wanted to make sure that Eno 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 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 Eno fell silent from her ramble on all these 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 hanata had been there that night when Naruto barged into the rest restur 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 hyuga 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 Eno 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 hanata 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 hyuga stated solemnly though she was surprised that the yamanaka Aris 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 SAS 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 H not a 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 Eno 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 hanata I am a self 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 afar and merely be content with being his friend but you did take him away from me Pata stated in an absolute manner watching the blonde win slightly the hyuga let out a sigh knowing that she was partially wrong no he hasn't been mine for years now en know I knew that he would never be mine but I held on to 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 hanata o 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 too a small smile came to her lips and she nodded slowly you're right but I do have one request youo Hinata said in an increasingly determined tone promise me that when you do reveal your feelings to him do 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 hanata 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 Eno in that moment she wanted to be the one who had captured nut's eyes and heart the way the blonde woman had she wanted to be everything that Eno is and what she wasn't hanata 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 hyuga 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 blonds would find happiness and she prayed that it would last for an eternity I promise hanata Eno reassured placing a hand over the one that rested on her arm giving it a gently squeeze I promise you're not serious are you the Mind Walker glanced up from her packing a frown on the corner of her lips she knew that this would be the reaction that was given yes forehead I am when did this happen why didn't you tell me sooner the pink-haired woman exclaimed collapsing onto Eno's bed kicking her feet that dangled over the edge of the bed I don't know the blonde stated she frowned once more knowing that she should have said something sooner but there were complications maybe it's because I wasn't so sure that I was in love with him [ __ ] Sakura spat out lifting herself with the support of her elbows I know you pig you fall in love easily and get your heartbroken in return see that's why I was hesitant she cried out while tossing her hands in the air I don't want my heart to get broken again so I just hid away my feelings for him the medic's eyes fell realizing that she had stepped on thin ice with the blonde she knew that the Mind Walker was sensitive about love she had been there every time the blonde decided to throw away those ideas of Romanticism she was there when the blonde would cry asking if there was some sort of undesirable trait about her why couldn't she connect with the men that she idolized why was it always someone else in all honesty Sakura had no idea what to say to the blonde during those times Eno was beautiful beyond that maybe she was compassionate and she could hold her own in a fight she was funny when she saw the opportunity to joke around and she was Stone Cold when someone upset her all in all she was human just like the rest of them she wasn't someone who wasn't unobtainable because the blond so desperately wanted to be in love with someone who loved her that someone just hadn't shown up yet sakur a bit her lower lip with Naruto huh a low groan left the blonde as her head fell forward onto the side of her bed I know I know she moaned out her brows pinching together I just don't get it sakur amused out I mean I guess it's not the kind of man I expected you to fall for Eno let out a laugh and she nodded her head that's exactly how I felt she pulled away from resting on the side of her bed licking her dry lips she inhaled deeply deciding to tell her best friend when she had first fallen for the ninet tales holder she explained how it all started she told of the feelings that she kept to herself all these years she described all the ideal men that she had created in her mind and how they all failed her except for narut who strayed from the path that she had created she told the medic how much time she had been spending with him the way he was around her and how her heart couldn't handle how deep it had fallen for him she recounted every argument that they had every word that went back and forth between them she described how in the greenhouse they had almost kissed for reasons unknown Sakura squealed at that recollection she said everything that came to mind about the Uzumaki for years Sakura breathed out you felt this way about him this way for years Eno slowly nodded her head going back to folding and packing away clothes yes forehead a snort left the pink pink-haired woman as she rolled over onto her back well it's obvious that he has feelings for you a hum of acknowledgement left the blonde as she stood up to grab a few items from her bathroom wait you know he does saker's brow furrowed slightly then why the hell aren't you doing anything a dry laugh left the blonde as she came back into the room like I said I'm scared of being hurt again so I'm waiting for him to make the first move you both are idiots Sakura muttered not understanding her friend's thought process if anything you're just delaying the inevitable who says the results won't be worth it though the medic rolled her eyes chucking an easily dodged pillow whatever don't come crying to me when that idiot takes forever to confess to you I am very patient Eno mused out with a smirk on her lips she had been patient for years now what harm could a few days do anyways what were you doing with SAS Sakura asked cautiously pulling at a loose string on her blanket youo let out a sigh deciding to tell her how her and the ucha had become friends after their night out of course she excluding the part about his secret knowing that he'd get his ass in gear soon the wedding had been a beautiful ceremony set in one of the vast fields that was within the land of honey of course she didn't Pummel her client into the ground not wanting him to know that all the floral arrangements were done in the last minute because that could lead to more lastminute projects that she despised doing instead she greeted him with a smile and hug before heading off to make sure that the flowers had kept well and proceeded to help set up the ceremony and reception area she couldn't help but Smile as the guests and bride gushed over the arrangements that fit well with their pink yellow and orange wedding colors she couldn't help but shamelessly promote herself when the reception came and the groom introduced her to Future clients overall this small Mission personal mission was a success and she knew that she would be able to gain more monetary value for her shop and also she could probably afford higher priced seedlings and buds there was no one to rival her in the garden and bodney field back at home hell there was no one in the Shinobi world that could it may not be a huge accomplishment but it struck a cord within her she was happy with how far her late father's hobby had come and she would continue to invest and dedicate herself to see that it flourishes properly aside from the Shameless plug for herself she enjoyed being away from konaha sometimes it was simply nice to away and not to have to worry about life or death situations despite popular belief Shinobi didn't always go out on the field to see if they could survive those missions were usually reserved for high-ranking n or ano she was proud of her status of Jan and soon to be promoted to head of T and I whenever that scarred bastard chose to retire but she didn't have any desire to move any further at least not now she was reaching her 20th year and she felt as if she shouldn't enjoy it properly working looking at the TNI Department brought in money when she wasn't on missions and the shop did as well she was financially stable which was quite the feat for someone her age Sakura still lived at home with her parents and she didn't have to rely on anyone else to help support her despite the yamanaka Clan's funds that were in a vault in the bank she was truly happy with how far she had come she was sure that her predecessors would feel the same way hopefully when she had returned to her room at the Inn she had been staying it she indulged in the public bath house that they provided she felt her stress melt away as she sunk lower into the water this was actually more of a small vacation for her she didn't have to worry about any of the responsibilities that she had left behind in konaha more than that this gave her time to contemplate all that had transpired over the course of the last week or so after her lunch with the hyuga arys she felt this strange lightweight feeling coursing through her body it was as if the heaviness in her chest had been lifted now that had revealed her true feelings she knew that Sakura was correct in saying that they were idiots and she was sure that the medic was upset to find out after soam she felt a little guilty that she confessed her feelings to the hyuga before the medic but the dark-haired woman had been looking for answers which Eno was sure that she needed to hear speaking of the pink-haired woman she wondered when the ucha would break the news to her or maybe Sakura would realize it soon enough she shook her head knowing that Sakura wouldn't even dare begin to think that SAS didn't have any feelings for her she would still love him regardless she groaned knowing what a headache this could be but she knew that it had to be done things that had to be done huh blowing air bubbles from her nose into the water she thought of the man that had been occupying her mind for years now it was ironic how she was known for occupying other people's minds and yet someone was constantly on hers Uzumaki narut she knew that she would have to speak with him soon but she also knew she needed time to herself she had spent the last several months constantly in his presence she had given herself little time to think about everything that had happened between them the blonde knew that there was something there there had to be he had almost kissed her back in the greenhouse he may not have understood it then but she did he was attracted to her rightfully so her younger self would yell out but he didn't see it yet she could vividly remember the confusion on his face when she pushed him away she could see him look down and thought hell even at the restaurant he was confused he didn't understand what was happening with him it was instinctive she had spent all this time hoping that he would finally realize his feelings but he wasn't the brightest and she was doubtful she had had obligations towards hanata that made her stay in the dark with her feelings but that had never stopped the fantasies that played in her mind she knew that she had messed up with the Uzumaki as well he was not the only one at fault when it came to how they were at this point she had sent him a cryptic message saying that she couldn't be friends with him friends oh how she loathed that damned word that day she was positive that he would tell her that he had feelings for her she could read it in his face but his mouth betrayed his feelings much like hers did he had uttered that word and in her mind she snapped she hated that he couldn't see her as a woman as a potential partner only a friend friends didn't barge in on dinner with another friend friends didn't almost kiss one another however she now understood that he didn't mean to say that stupid words but still the residual stab achd when she thought about it but what she had told him was true there was no possible way that she could be merely friends she hated the fact that she had been stuck on the sidelines for all these years but she had done it to make sure that he found his happiness she had done so because that was what friends do but she was tired of that way of thinking she wanted to be selfish with him she wanted to be the only thing he saw when the sun came up and when the moon peaked in the night sky she wanted to know the feel of his body against hers she wanted to feel his breath in the crook of her neck his teeth nibble her ears aside for the more Primal images she wanted to feel his body Ripple in a shiver when she reached out for him while they slept she wanted to feel his arms wrap around her behind her while she cooked she wanted to be the reason he smiled so brightly she wanted to return all the feelings and the life that he had given her she wanted to take him away and have him Al to herself in due time she would let him know of these feelings that she had but she also wanted him to process his feelings as well she wanted to make sure that his feelings were true because she wouldn't be able to handle rejection not after this long in a way she felt guilty for being the reason why narut and hanata didn't work out if she had never began to hang out with narut then they would still be together but the hyuga Aris had even stated that they were doomed for a while now so some part of her thought that it was a good thing that she had intervened but that was simply a small part of her she sank lower into the water letting out a heavy sigh as she looked across the steaming surface she would change things when she got back is it true in the middle of a demolished training field two men laid there worse for wear articles of clothing had been burned and ripped Blood Sweat and dirt covered every inch of their Exposed Skin a pair of chests Rose and fell dramatically as each tried to regain their lost breath it was kind of funny to him they had been in this position before but last time resulted in each losing an arm at least this time they still had all their other limbs the only thing that truly hurt was his pride yeah his counterpart wheezed out wincing at the feeling of his broken ribs digging into his lungs TCH bastard that was all that the blonde was able to manage out as tears pricked the corner of his eyes rolling down the sides of his face he clenched his jaw trying to hold back the SOB that threatened to leave him all he had ever wanted was to make the uch happy happy with himself and the life that he lead he was sure that their pink-haired teammate would be the one to help him as well however when Naruto had confronted him about the Mind Walker they began to Plum it into a heated argument when he finally questioned his feelings for Sakura because despite what Eno had stated he was still curious about where the uchi's happiness lay the Raven had fallen silent in the middle of their punching match to confirm one of his worst fears he didn't love her somewhere within his large heart a tiny dark place caught flame within him and he could no longer control his emotions he had attacked the ucha immediately unable to put what he wanted to say into actual words he let his body do the talking a part of him was happy that the Uchi didn't love Sakura his childhood self because Sakura deserved more than what SAS could offer her if only she would open her eyes to world around her another part of him was enraged Furious because what the hell had this been for he had spent so many years chasing after the ucha promising the medic to bring back the man that she truly loved and the brother that he had never had sure he and the uch shared a bond that had withstood all the trials and tribulations that the uiha and the world had placed against him but more than anything probably because he claimed that he loved Sakura he wanted to bring back SAS for her he wanted to see her smile happily again he wanted to see her laugh more he thought that he was doing the right thing but God had he the uias slowly sat up allowing the blonde male to sort through his conflicting feelings he clutched his side in pain wheezing slightly look idiot I love you he paused to spit out blood that had cooled in his mouth and I love Sakura you both are the only family that I have in konaha but that's his far as I can manage to go with my feelings for the two of you family the tears had ceased their falling as he rolled his head to the side to stare at the UA it was strange but he was elated to hear that SAS thought so fondly of them the Raven licked his Split Lip hissing slightly I wish that I could love Sakura in the way she loves me but I have been in the darkness for too long he let out a gentle sigh there is no possible way for me to understand her endless devotion and adoration as much as I hate to admit it I have had others there in my time of need than the two of you although I know you both tried the blonde could understand what sasek was trying to convey because he had gone through those same emotions with the hyuga however the blonde was still upset how could the UA whom he claimed to be a brother with not tell him of all people he instead chose Eno to confin to that stung his pride a bit he thought he understood the uiha more than anyone else I wouldn't have tried to push you two together had I know Naruto whined with a small pout I wanted to do try s muttered not sure if that was the proper response still he exclaimed in an exasperated manner why didn't you tell me bastard the uiha let out a faint laugh because idiot I knew how youd react this had caused the blonde to laugh knowing that the U knew him all too well he wondered how Eno had reacted and he was sure that she had done that same after all they were similar in many ways he and the UA spent hours there talking about anything and everything they talked about their missions they talked about the past they talked about friendships they talked about relationships at first the Uzumaki was wared to talk about the feelings that he had towards all the females in his life he talked about how he had been so madly in love with socer and that it hurt him to hear that SAS didn't feel the same she truly was amazing but she had her faults he delved into the time that SAS was gone from the village he told him of how he had held out as long as he could with Sakura before finally giving up he detailed the years that followed when he was with the hyuga trying to force himself to believe that they were in love then he spoke of the yamanaka how she had changed over the years how she had easily welcomed him into her arms and heart how she made the most amazing food sometimes it was even better than his beloved Ramen how he had fallen in love with her before he even realized it how Kurama knew before him the bastard Fox that he had feelings for the Mind Walker how she took his bre breath away with all the compassion and love that she gave to him and those around them how her temper got on his nerves but she always apologized how sometimes she cared more about her flowers than herself how she had this annoying habit of being unable to let go of past mistakes how he hated the smell of the face masks that she claimed were good for her skin type he knew that he could talk about all of her Perfections and flaws if he was given the chance but the U had stopped him mid rambled to let him know that he got the point he felt himself flush in embarrassment and chuckled nervously though he winced in pain at the cut on his stomach they both decided that today had been rather successful there was no more tension between them however he made the uiop promise that he would tell Sakura soon or else they would have a different kind of outcome to their Spar the humor left the uchiha's face and he nodded his head and hunged in reassurance they both knew that there would only be more pain if he held off any longer leaving the U to figure out himself Naruto headed back to into the village most of his wounds healing as he went thanks to kurarama his thoughts were LED back to the blonde woman that was constantly on his mind as of late she had left shortly after their last conversation she had had a huge order for flowers and a wedding to attend he found out with a little help by bribing some of Eno's close friends he had wanted to set things straight with her immediately but he supposed that her time away had allowed him to sort out his own emotions he could confidence L say that he had feelings for her hell he was in love with her that was why he had had those Restless feelings and why Kurama seemed so full of Mirth spiteful thing that fox he didn't know how long he had had these feelings they could have been there forever but now they were starting to bloom in full force it was a strange feeling in all honesty he knew the love of a family and of friends but intimately it was new to him he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do he wasn't sure how to approach her now that he had h his Moment of clarity Naruto well that was one way he blinked looking around at his surroundings he had unknowingly found his way to the front of the yamanaka flower shop while he was in his thoughts seruan eyes glanced over to his left whitening for a fraction of a second before he cleared his throat there in the flesh was the woman of his desires it seemed as if she had just returned from her time away from the village by her formal attire a sleeveless white blouse covered her torso which was neatly tucked into a long black skirt fitting her form like a second skin her hair was led down from her usual ponytail cascading down her back and the tips brushing against the back of her knees what the hell happened to you she asked in concern immediately running over to him her eyes surveying the damage oh da da he let out a laugh as he rubbed the back of his head with one hand and the other scratching his cheek gently SAS and I got into a fight she rolled her eyes immediately taking hold of his hand and leading him around to the backside of her place she was muttering under her breath how stupid men were as she unlocked the door and practically dragged him upstairs IO I'm fine he said in a feeble manner to protest her actions as she shove him onto her couch and proceeded to heal him what did you two argue about this time the yamanaka asked ignoring his prior statement it was weird the air was weird between them he could sense it he was sure that she was still Adam ly avoiding him much like last time but she had so casually spoken to him as if nothing had happened he found himself easily responding to her question telling her that he had to force the uch to tell him about Sakura oh and of course he won The Spar he watched her lips curl into a smile as she responded to his tail telling him that he was so reckless when it came to his friends while she continued to heal his minor bruises and cuts that he could have seriously been hurt if the two men had decided to brawl without holding back he felt his heart well up with a familiar emotion realizing that she wasn't trying to ignore her feelings that she was openly expressing herself to him since they were alone she sat down resting her weight on her knees as she moved to heal the bruises and cuts on his chest her Mystic Palm felt more comforting than granny sunad and soccer combined the concern that had been etched into her features had long ago faded away replaced with a look of content as she watched him being healed she shift Ed trying to get a better position though the skirt was a bit restrictive he sighed happily feeling the warmth of her healing chakra seep into the side of his face as she cued his swollen jaw his hand fell over hers as she healed the bruise her eyes flickered up into his a slender brow raised in question you know about the other day I wanted to tell you that he felt his heart flutter rapidly and his throat run dry he felt his resolve to tell her how he felt falter as his courage began to run out it was just do she just looked so beautiful too beautiful his doubts about her returning his feelings began to fill his mind although Hinata had suggested that Eno was in love with him as well he was unsure he cleared his throat trying to find his words he was never good at speaking though he reached out the Tucker bangs behind her ear it's just that I I I already told you Naruto I can't be friends with you she stated gently her eyes looking away from him her head dropped in slightly it isn't possible for me that was when he understood previously her words had confused and stunned him he had been unsure why she would say such things but he realized what she had meant she couldn't be friends with him because she he couldn't stop the grin that touched his lips causing him to chuckle slightly he knew that he caught the yamanaka off guard with his laugh her head snapping up to glare at him his grip around her hand tightened and he looked into her confused and mildly annoyed eyes he spread open his legs his other hand snaking around her lower back to pull her closer leaning his head down he rested his forehead against hers rubbing affectionately against her I'm not asking to be friends youo he muttered gently her eyes widened as she gazed up at him he pulled away slightly to watch her reaction a blush crept up from her collar bones painting across her cheeks and nose all the way up to lightly dust the tips of her ears he could see her mind spinning and turning as she processed the words that he said her lips parted as she took a sharp intake of breath she blinked a few times as the realization settled and the blush began to fade away her tongue slid out wetting her lips as she cleared her throat slightly her eyes gazed into his and they stared at one another the silence was pleasant as if they were sharing this moment together their minds as one I swear to God Naruto she breathed out her warm breath Fanning across his lips and Chin if you don't kiss me soon oh her threat was never finished as he leaned down to gently place his lips over hers her eyes fluttered close immediately as her wish had been granted she sighed into the kiss enjoying the feeling of his lips over her own it was shortlived however as he pulled away and she slowly opened her eyes gazing up at him they looked at one another for an instant before the blonde woman moved closer to him this time she initiated the kiss the arm around her waist pulled her closer to him causing her hands to rest on his chest his other hand cued her face gently tilting her head back in order to deepen the kiss her lips parted and he gained access to her mouth their tongues meeing and battling for dominance her hands slowly moved up from their resting spot on his chest sliding into his hair slowly and gripping his soft locks when she nibbled on his lower lip he let out a small growl and he could hear the small chuckle that left her the feeling of her body pressed up against him sent a wildfire rushing throughout his body from head to toe he groaned as he wanted to feel more of her against him he knew this feeling all too well he knew that this was what he should have felt when kissing the hyuga he knew that there were only certain reasons why he felt this with only Eno he knew that this was partially because he had lusted after her like any normal human being and that he had true feelings for the blonde in his arms and she had feelings for him as well it was an amazing feeling my my she purred out sending shivers down his spine we haven't even had our first date he blinked pulling away from her realizing that their position was different from when they first began kissing she was gazing up from beneath him with hooded eyes that shimmered like rolling waves her hair was in disarray around her there were red marks littering her collar bone her lipstick smudged and one side of her blouse was falling off her shoulder he felt his face heat up with embarrassment and shame not wanting her to think that he was simply trying to undress her she propped herself on her elbows pulling up the strap of her blouse and she brushed back the bangs that fell in front of her eyes a koi grin was on her lips as she breathed heavily youve got something she murmured wiping away the lipstick at the corner of his mouth there you go Eno I'm sorry I didn't a slender finger pressed firmly against his lips and she shook her head as if reassuring him that she had been fine with what had happened it's fine I promise she smiled gently as they removed themselves from one another they sat side by side on the couch Eno leaning against him and his arm around her shoulders it was familiar and she smiled to herself you know just because we kissed doesn't mean that you get to skip the wooing stages of this relationship I expect dates and presents she smiled as she heard him chuckle his hand tightening its grip around her shoulder and I also expect you to properly ask me to be your girlfriend youve got your work cut out for you Naruto it'll be worth it he stated in a matter of fact tone that caused her to feel embarrassed which she wasn't used to she swatted at his chest laughing gently knowing herself she would probably get impatient with the cing stages after all she had been waiting for this moment for a while now but she was a hopeless romantic she just wanted to experience what she had wished for as a child and what she long for throughout her teenage years she wanted to enjoy this moment a little longer but she knew that even she would easily lose her self-control if they stayed like this all right how about I make dinner I'm sure you're hungry after that fight the blonde woman stated while getting up from the couch she tossed a look at him from over her shoulder I'll make anything you'd like the Uzumaki beamed brightly and he crossed his arms over his chest in thought he opened his mouth to reply to her but a tap on her window caused him did not respond she walked over to the window opening it a scroll was handed between them and bowed as she turned looks like dinner will have to wait she said with mild disappointment as she handed the scroll over to the man sitting on her couch they always have the worst timing he muttered taking hold of the scroll with a flick of his thumb he popped open the seal his eyes scanning over the contents before he let out a sigh how long will you be gone Eno asked leaning against the counter in her kitchen just a few days we leave tonight he replied another sigh leaving him he was sad that he wouldn't be able to eat her food Kurama too he got up from the couch smoothing out his clothes and he walked over to the yamanaka she looked at him with gentle eyes her fingers reaching out to brush his hair from his eyes before they caressed the side of his face gently be safe or else she muttered in a mock threat he chuckled gently always he leaned down giving her a chased kiss knowing if he kissed her any longer he wouldn't leave I'll come see you first thing when I get back okay she scrunched her nose slightly a devious grin touching her lips take a shower first it's bad enough that you're filthy now I don't want your stench to mess with the plants his hand touched his chest as he feigned being hurt by her words and she rolled her eyes nudging him away from her go on she said with a gentle laugh right he leaned back in giving her a kiss on the forehead I'll be back soon youo he moved to head down the stairs but paused looking at her from Over the shoulder oh and you look really beautiful like that leave she exclaimed with a laugh shwing him away with a flick of her hands he called out his Farewell as he bounded down the stairs she let out a sigh as she heard the door close running a hand through her hair she felt her face heating up idiot she murmured under her breath biting her lower lip gently but he was her idiot that's all for now if you enjoy then please like share and do comments

Channel: The Kestral

Views: 6,886

Keywords: what if ino secretly like naruto, ino secretly like naruto, what if naruto x ino, what if naruto, #naruto what if, ino secretly likes naruto fanfiction

Id: 8OzQjn4xQ9k

Length: 192min 45sec (11565 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 08 2024