Hello, boys and girls. I'd like to tell a story.

It's been a while since I've written a Naruto/Hinata story. And this is something that came to me on a slow day at work. So on a day where I was on vacation and it was raining hard, I finally wrote this.

Just a quick thing, this isn't related to the "On Being Brave" series. In fact this is an AU story.

I hope you like it.

Learning to Let Go

Uzumaki Naruto was sitting on a park bench, his head in his hands. The blond just needed to be alone. Today has been a really bad day.

Normally, Naruto was a very happy guy, exuberant even. He loved hanging out with his friends, playing pranks on others and eating ramen. It took a lot to make him depressed. But today was one of those days when he felt awful.

Why was he feeling depressed, one may ask? Well, he just found out that he no longer had a shot at dating this girl he liked. Let me start from the beginning.

You see, Naruto had a crush on his best friend, Haruno Sakura. They had been friends since they were little. They played together and went to school together. Sakura was also the frequent target of his pranks and Naruto was the frequent target of her beatings. Even still, they have been friends for a very long time. Those were happier times, times where he wasn't confused as to what Sakura meant to him. They were best friends.

When Naruto was twelve, he started to see Sakura in a different light. She started to become attractive, filling out her womanly body. And the blond found his pink haired friend attractive. Herein lies the problem. Naruto wanted to date his friend but he didn't want things to be awkward between them. The blond couldn't decide what was more important to him, having Sakura as a friend or having Sakura as a girlfriend. So he waited and waited to see if Sakura liked him in the same way that he liked her. More than three years passed since he realized that he had a crush on Sakura and still he didn't know. And the teenager was no closer to making a decision on whether or not to confess his feelings for his pink haired friend than he was on day one of his crush.

However, before Naruto could make a decision, one was made for him.

It all started this morning, Naruto had just walked into school on Monday morning. For once, he was ten minutes early. It had been a long weekend. He couldn't wait to see his friends and catch up with them. The blond was greeted by Sakura who had news that would devastate him.

"Naruto, Naruto." Sakura cheerfully yelled at the blond.

Said blond waved back. "Hey, Sakura-chan. What's going on?" He greeted with a smile.

Sakura grabbed Naruto's hands, causing a slight blush on his cheeks. "Guess what just happened?"

"What happened?" Naruto asked, almost matching his friend's enthusiasm

"My long time crush asked me out on a date just now." Sakura smiled. "And I said yes."

And that's when Naruto's world crashed on him.

He was completely in shock. "What?" He said breathlessly.

"Yeah, he came up to me a couple of minutes ago, asked me to go out with him after school tomorrow, and I agreed." Sakura twirled around in glee. "I have a date... my first date ever."

Naruto couldn't take it anymore. However, he didn't want to cause his friend any distress. So the blond put up a fake smile. "That's great." The blond said listlessly. "Listen, I just remembered that I left one my textbooks at my place. Can you cover for me?"

Sakura, unaware of his inner dilemma, slapped her friend's chest lightly. "Seriously Naruto, you need to stop being so forgetful." She laughed.

"Yeah, I'll do better next time." He answered in a dead even tone.

"Okay. Hurry back, Naruto." Sakura told him.

With that, Naruto left the school in a hurry.

Naruto didn't go back home. He went to the park. He needed to vent. He needed to stop feeling so crappy. That's when he got an idea to drain the stress from his body. Naruto went for a very long jog. For hours, he pushed his body way past his personal limits. The burning of his lungs, the strain on his legs, the sweat dripping from his body, all of this meant nothing to him. Even after hours upon hours of jogging, Naruto still felt this incredible heartache.

Naruto was mad. He was mad at himself for waiting so long to make a move. He was mad at Sakura for picking that guy over him. He was also mad at that guy whose name he never got because has the gall to ask Sakura out on a date. He was just mad and heartbroken.

Finally, his body gave out in exhaustion. Naruto found a park bench and sat down. At first, it was to collect his breath. But now, as he was sitting on the bench, the one thing he wanted to avoid started happening. He started to think.

Naruto started imagining Sakura with that guy who asked her out on a date. He imagined them eating together, laughing, and having a good time. It angered him.

What made it worse is that Naruto never even knew that Sakura had a crush on someone else. They talked about everything: school, movies, who's hot and who's not. But not once did she mention that she liked some guy. It was like there was this hidden side to Sakura that Naruto didn't know about. And he had to admit that he was hurt by it. Maybe if she did confide in him about this, Naruto wouldn't feel this heartache.

He closed his cerulean eyes so he could meditate on the events of the day. Well, that's what he would have done except...

"Naruto-kun?" A small voice called out to him.

Naruto opened his eyes in the direction of the voice. When he did, he saw the visage of one of his classmates, Hyuga Hinata.

Hinata was a girl from school who was in the same year as him. They shared many classes together, including math, which was one of his worst subjects. The two of them shared a casual friendship. They weren't as close as Naruto was to some of his other friends but they weren't distant enough to be just classmates. It was kind of that in-between where a person knows somebody and can strike up conversations with that person but not enough to invite that person to one's house.

Naruto thought Hinata was a nice person but there was something off about her. Not in a bad way, mind you, but just off. For one, anytime he would talk to her, Hinata would sometimes bow her head to avoid looking him in the eyes. And sometimes, when they were in class, he would feel Hinata's eyes on him. But when he turned around to see, the girl would be facing the teacher and not him. Maybe it was just his imagination.

"Oh, hey Hinata." He greeted without his usual enthusiasm.

Hinata regarded Naruto curiously. "Are you okay, Naruto-kun?" She asked. "I didn't see you in class today."

"Yeah, I wasn't feeling too hot today." Naruto responded.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you feel better soon." And the way that Hinata said it made Naruto believe that she really meant it.

"Yeah, thanks." Naruto said somewhat dismissively. He didn't want to be mean to Hinata, especially because she had nothing to do with his problems.

"Is there something wrong?" Hinata asked. "You seem so sad."

Naruto sighed. "Nothing's wrong, Hinata."

Hinata nodded, but she wasn't convinced. "Okay, Naruto-kun." She told him in the same quiet voice. "But if you ever want to talk, I'll listen because that's what friends do."

Naruto gave Hinata a curious look, which made her look away in embarrassment. "You consider me a friend?"

Hinata nodded without looking at him. "Y-yes, Naruto-kun. Aren't I a friend to you?"

Naruto took a deep breath. "Yeah, you're my friend." For a second, there was a pull at his lips, as if he wanted to smile.

Hinata took that opportunity to sit next to Naruto. Naruto's eyes widened at this move. He was not expecting Hinata to do that.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked. It wasn't the most tactful question, but the blond was confused by Hinata's move.

Hinata immediately shot up. "I'm sorry. I just thought I'd keep you company." She said with tears in her eyes.

Naruto panicked. "No. I'm sorry, Hinata." He apologized. "I shouldn't take out my frustrations on you. You can sit down next to me."

Hinata sighed and took the empty space on the bench.

There was a very suffocating silence between the two. Naruto didn't want to talk about what happened to him today and Hinata didn't know how to broach the subject. The two teenagers couldn't stand this feeling.

Naruto was the first to break the silence. "Hinata. Have you ever liked someone before? I mean like like someone."

Hinata's cheeks turned red at a furious pace. "Wh-wh-why do you ask?" She stuttered.

Naruto put his head in his hands and sighed. "I do. And it sucks."

"Why would you say that?" Hinata asked.

"I liked this girl for a long time." Naruto began. "It started out when I was twelve. I had this crush on her. But she was my friend. I wanted to go out with her but I didn't want to lose her friendship. So for three years, I waited to see whether or not she felt the same way. But I guess I waited too long."

Naruto took a self-depreciating sigh. "Some guy asked her out on a date. I couldn't deal with that. So I skipped school today. I started running, doing everything in my power not to think about it. But it hasn't worked."

Hinata didn't know what to say. What could she do to make him feel better?

"I hate this, Hinata." Naruto mumbled. "I hate feeling like this."

Hinata was about to put her hand on Naruto's shoulder but she hesitated. "I don't what to say, Naruto-kun."

Naruto sighed. "It's okay."

"Naruto-kun, can I ask you a question?" Hinata asked.

"Sure, I guess." He mumbled.

"Do you hate your friend for liking someone else?" She asked.

Naruto hesitated. Did he really hate Sakura for liking someone else? I mean, it wasn't like he said anything about his feelings. How was the pink haired girl suppose to know what the blond felt for her?

"I guess I don't." Naruto sighed.

"You guess?" Hinata asked.

"No, I don't." Naruto reaffirmed. "I suppose I am really angry at myself for not saying anything to her."

Now Hinata placed her hand on his shoulder, feeling him tremble beneath her fingers. "The pain you feel now will go away soon, I promise."

Naruto turned to face Hinata. "How do you know that?" He asked.

Hinata, unable to take Naruto's intense stare, turned away blushing. "Because I was kinda like you."

Naruto regarded the girl next to him curiously. "Really?"

Hinata still didn't look at Naruto but she nodded. "You asked if I like liked someone and I do."

"Really?" He asked in surprise. "Who?"

Hinata shook her head. "I'd rather not say."

Naruto looked away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. But go on."

"You see, there is this guy I like at school." Hinata explained. "He's really nice and always has a smile on his face. He always has a nice word for all of his friends. Oh, and he's really handsome." Hinata's face was so red that Naruto thought she would pass out from the lack out of blood circulation.

"Oh, then why don't you tell that guy that you like him?" Naruto asked.

Hinata sighed. "Well, he doesn't see me in that way. And also, he likes someone else."

"Oh I'm sorry." Naruto apologized.

"Don't worry about it." Hinata replied. "I'm actually fine with it."

Naruto gave Hinata a strange look. "How can you be fine with it?"

Hinata took a deep breath and looked Naruto dead in his eyes. "My mother used to say that liking someone means that you want the best for them, even if it means that they aren't with you."

"But I don't get it, Hinata." Naruto said, still confused. "Wouldn't you want your crush to like you back?"

Hinata nodded. "Of course. I would love to be the one he takes out on dates or just hangs out with in general. Nothing would make me happier. But, to me, the most important thing is that he is happy. And if the guy I like is happy, then that's enough for me."

When Hinata was finished, she gave Naruto a beatific smile, reminding him of a saint. Naruto couldn't believe it. She's still happy even if though that guy doesn't like her back.

"Wow. You are a better person than I am." Naruto told Hinata. "So being happy for the person you like makes you happy."

"Yep." Was Hinata's simple answer.

"So what do you do with your feelings when the person you like doesn't like you back?" Naruto asked.

"Well, for now, I am happy just being in his presence." Hinata admitted. "Perhaps one day, if I don't have a chance to be with the guy I like, I'll move on and find someone else who will accept my feelings. But that day is a long way off. Right now, I'm going to focus on the here and now."

Hinata's words resonated powerfully with Naruto. And it was at that moment that he felt foolish. Sakura is his best friend. He should be happy for her. The guy that she liked asked her out on a date. And although the blond felt a bit sad that he wasn't that guy, Naruto could still support her and be a great friend.

Naruto held the torch for Sakura for almost three years. He pined after her. He liked her. But she never reciprocated. Perhaps it was best that he let go of his crush. He was Sakura's friend and that was enough.

Naruto smiled at Hinata. "Thank you, Hinata. You were right. I did feel better after talking."

Hinata blushed furiously. "You're welcome. I'm just glad that you are okay."

Naruto chuckled. "Man, that guy you like doesn't know what he is missing. I mean, you're smart, you're pretty, and you really are a good friend."

If possible, Hinata's blush became more profuse.

Naruto jumped off of the bench and thrust his fist in the air. "I feel so much better now." He turned to Hinata. "Hey, are you doing anything right now?"

Hinata shook her head.

"That's good." Naruto smiled. "I want to thank you for getting me out of that funk. There's this place I know that sells some good ramen. How about I treat you as thanks?"

Hinata was just stunned. "Uhh, okay Naruto-kun." She whispered.

Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand to pick her off of the bench. However, when he did so, the strangest thing happened. It was like he felt this sort of - it's hard to explain - tug. There was something inside of him that inexplicably pulled him towards this girl. It wasn't very strong. But it was enough that the blond could register the feeling. Perhaps this feeling was worth exploring.

"Come on, Hinata." Naruto said as he pulled her off the bench. "The ramen isn't going to eat itself."

"Naruto-kun." Hinata shouted, but in a not so serious tone. "You don't have to pull me."

Naruto just laughed and continued to pull her along. There was ramen to be had and he was going to eat his fill.

Naruto knew he wasn't 100 percent happy. Perhaps after tomorrow or a few days he would be. But Hinata helped him lift a giant weight off of him and quickened the process. She was a very nice friend to do so. That guy that she liked really didn't know what he was missing.

Naruto would be okay. He will still be friends with Sakura, even though she's going out with that guy. And now, he had a good friend in Hinata with whom he now felt this tug. Things may not be perfect but they were on their way to getting better.

And that was enough for now.

Word Count: 2691

Well, that's done.

A couple of things.

One: I don't want you to read this as a bashfic. I hate those fics, especially for someone as nice as Sakura. She may not be in my top five favorite Naruto characters but she isn't in my least favorite either. She's a nice girl and I hate stories that malign her just for the sake of putting Naru/Hina together. I accept that other authors can and have every right to bash her because it is their story but I won't read them. It's just my choice.

Two: Why didn't I give a name to Sakura's date? Because it isn't important to the story. Plus I allow the reader to imagine whomever they want, whether it be Sasuke, Lee, any other pairing or even an OC. It's their choice. That's not important. What is important is the way it makes Naruto feel and how it influences his actions in the story.

Three: Why didn't I let Hinata confess? That's simple. It would make him the rebound girl. And I like Hinata way too much to make her the rebound girl. Rather, I would want them to get to know each other better and then she'd confess.

Anyways, Liked it? Hated it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review. I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading.

A. Angel