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“Did you know?”
Those three words have haunted him from the moment they have escaped from Sakura’s lips.
Naruto locked the door of his apartment and immediately leaned against the door, his hand clutching on the knob loosely. Old and new memories alike flashed in his head: the training grounds, the tree barks, the dark purple threads of hair. It was his first destination as soon as he returned to the village--to visit the place where the heir of the Hyuugas had lifted him from his self-doubts, and propelled him to who he was now.
Fifteen years ago, the World of Ninja was thrown into a state of chaos, but through everyone’s collective efforts, they were able to survive from it. He was hailed as the Great Hero, and he continued his work by travelling alongside his best friend, Uchiha Sasuke, while their other teammate, Haruno Sakura, stayed in the village for the people’s medical recovery. He thought that he might as well understand the world a little more, and reflect on the ravages left by war, like how his master, Jiraiya, had traveled the world and gained the knowledge he eventually passed to his student. The work was tough, and although he was away from the village, he kept on thinking about it everyday, and dedicated the efforts of his travel for the betterment of Konoha, once he had achieved his dream to become a Hokage, and other dreams beyond that.
Finally, he found the chance to return to his home village. He has been ageing, but the feelings and memories he has finally come to realize are continuously being harbored in his chest. Hoping that he hadn’t kept her waiting for too long, he had rushed to the training grounds as a reminder for him to keep himself together and finally confess to her.
He’s 32, but he kept on believing.
But things have changed. The training grounds have kept its solemn ambience, but when he arrived there, there was a boy with dark purple hair that reached the small of his back, and a familiar determined face etched his young features as he hit the bark with a firm, open palm.
Something tugged in him - one of his worries, he guessed - but he clung to his resolve.
Apparently, it was to be crushed for not too long, as a beautiful woman - she - motioned gently to the boy, her smooth, long hair gliding from left to right as she walked.
“Hikari-kun, let’s go home…”
Her voice was still as gentle as he last heard it, but it was more womanly, and a hint of confidence brimmed from it.
“Yes, Mother.”
Naruto stayed rooted on the ground, the burning resolve slowly being extinguished by the scene before him. He wished to move, but he couldn’t, so he wished she wouldn’t see him, but she did, and he gulped the urge to cry.
“Naruto… kun?”
It was as if she had seen a ghost, he noted, and he immediately waved a hand at her. It was a blur--whatever he did after that, but he could remember looking at the boy and asking, “Your son?”
There was a certain glint in her eyes, and whatever it was he could and would never comprehend, would never want to , because she did not even need to say yes to confirm his suspicion.
Naruto grinned at the boy, and for the first time he could never fully sincerely say, “You work hard, okay?”
The next moments were hazy, as Hinata left with her son, and soon enough he found himself dumbfounded while staring after where they left off. If it wasn’t for Sakura and Sasuke who had found him, motionless from his spot, he wouldn’t have breathed in again.
“Didn’t you know?” Sakura asked him while cupping one of his shoulders.
Naruto meekly shook his head, and he listened to Sakura’s unsolicited story.
Hinata had been married for eight years, and while it was initially for the preservation of the Hyuuga family, she eventually had a good relationship with her own.
“But she waited for you…” Sakura said, keeping a careful tone. Naruto knew she did not say it to hurt him, but to tell him a truth he needed to free himself from whether he liked it or not. “Did you know?”
Naruto looked at Sakura and Sasuke, and he knew he did not need to feign the brewing hurt in him. He nodded but as soon as he did, he headed to his apartment, and became the wreck he was behind his door.
Probably, a student really takes a lot after his master, and he wondered if he was influenced by Jiraiya in ways more than he had asked for.