Behind the Scenes

Chapter 19

Naruto felt like he had been punched in the gut. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. This was his worst nightmare come to life.

Hinata and Sasuke looked up at him, startled by his sudden appearance. Hinata quickly sat up, pulling the sheets up to cover herself, while Sasuke sat up beside her, a look of annoyance on his face.

"Naruto, what the hell are you doing here?" Sasuke demanded, his voice cold and unfriendly.

Naruto couldn't even form words. He just stood there, staring at them in disbelief. Hinata looked at him with concern, but he could see the hurt in her eyes.

"Naruto, we're done. You and I, we're over," she said softly.

Naruto felt like he had been hit with a ton of bricks. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But Hinata, I love you. I can't live without you," he said, desperation creeping into his voice.

Hinata shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Naruto. But I can't be with you. I loved you too. But you need to let me go," she said firmly.

Naruto looked at her, tears streaming down his face. He knew she was right, but he couldn't bear the thought of losing her. "Please, Hinata. I'll do anything. Just give me another chance," he pleaded.

But Hinata shook her head. "I'm sorry, Naruto. It's too late. I've moved on, and so should you," she said.

Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Hinata. "Then what the hell is going on here, Hinata?!" he exclaimed, his voice rising in anger. "Isn't Sasuke your best friend?"

Sasuke's lips curled into a cocky smirk. "What does it look like, dobe?" he replied, reveling in the fact that he had triumphed over Naruto. The anger in Naruto's eyes intensified as he glared at Sasuke.

"You're a snake, Sasuke. You've always been one," Naruto spat, his fists clenching at his sides.

Hinata held the blacket closer to her, trying to defuse the tension. "Naruto, please calm down. We're not together anymore," she said softly.

"But I still love you, Hinata. I always have," Naruto said, turning to her with pleading eyes.

Hinata shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Naruto. But it's too late. Sasuke and I are together now," she said, her voice gentle but firm.

Naruto's heart sank at Hinata's words. He had lost her for good. He took a step back, his eyes still fixed on Hinata and Sasuke. He couldn't bear to watch them any longer.

"I see," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I understand." He turned and walked out of the room, leaving Hinata and Sasuke alone. As he walked down the hallway, his mind raced with thoughts and emotions. He felt betrayed by Sasuke, but he also knew deep down that it was his own fault for pushing Hinata away.

He didn't know what to do next. He couldn't imagine life without Hinata, but he knew that he had to move on. He had to let her go and find a way to live without her. But how? That was the question that plagued him as he walked out of the building and into the night, alone with his thoughts.

---

A couple days after that day, Naruto became distant from both Sasuke and Hinata. He was still upset about what he had discovered and couldn't bring himself to talk to them. When summer arrived, he decided to travel and visit his godfather and his parents. Despite still loving Hinata and constantly thinking about her, he knew it was time to move on.

Meanwhile, Sakura had gone to America and applied for a hospital job, which she managed to secure. She was living life to the fullest, although she wasn't dating anyone at the time. Occasionally, she would have fun with people she met at the bar, one of them being a man named Gaara.