Rivals For The Hokage's Love

A New Life & A New Chapter

It was almost a week since Naruto had told Neji everything, and nothing had happened since.

Neji, after all, wasn't about to allow anyone, except maybe a certain raven, to hit on the blonde. Shikamaru seemed to have relaxed greatly, thanks to the lack of unwanted attention.

But by now, the Hyuga ANBU was getting furious. He could see that Sasuke truly loved Naruto. Naruto had admitted that he had always loved Sasuke, and that he would never confess. That meant that the stupid Uchiha had to take the initiative, so why wasn't he waking up?!

"SHIKAMARU!!" Naruto, Shikamaru and Neji jumped as Ino ran in, Choji puffing behind her.

"I-Ino?" Shikamaru looked dumbfounded. "What's wrong? Why are you yelling? Hey, Choji?"

"GO. To. The. Hospital. Now!" Ino commanded. Shikamaru paled, and he seemed to freeze.

"Hurry up, Shikamaru!" Choji said urgently. "Temari-san is in labor, and she needs you there."

"Shikamaru!" Naruto snapped, and his number one advisor came back to the present reality.

"I'm going. Sorry, Naruto! I'll come back in tomorrow night!" he shouted, as he ran out.

"Drop by the hospital at lunchtime, Naruto!" Ino called, as she and Choji followed Shikamaru.

"I suppose I'll inform Gaara. Temari is his sister, he deserves to know," Naruto said to himself.

"Is that idiot ever going to suck it up and confess to you?" Neji grumbled. Naruto sighed.

"Honestly, Neji, what even makes you think that he is in love with me?" the blonde queried.

"You both aren't equally good at hiding your feelings. And you really are denser than lead. I mean, how did he react in that Otsutsuki battle? He was collapsing, but didn't get healed, unless you were fine. Then comes the time Anko kissed you. Did you hear him? I bet that's the first time the useless brat ever stuttered in public. Also, how does he only ever lose control when he's around you? Everyone else, he never shows a crack in his obnoxious face, but he freely yells, curses, snaps and goes utterly nuts around you. You'd have to be blind not to notice all of that, but then, you two always were like this," Neji sighed, shaking his head.

Naruto didn't comment, but the Hyuga tagged along when he went to the hospital at noon.

"Whoa!" The boy looked exactly like his father, except that he had Temari's mulled jade eyes.

"Congratulations, Shika, Temari," Naruto was quick to congratulate the beaming couple.

"What are you going to name him?" Azuma asked. The whole crowd, their gang, was there.

"We decided on Shikadai," Shikamaru said, and Temari nodded as Hinata took the little boy.

"Hello, my youthful friends!" And with that, Gai, Lee and Gaara came into the crowded room.

"Gaara!" Temari squealed, as she engulfed her youngest brother in a bone-breaking hug.

"Temari..." Gaara whined, but he didn't look displeased, as he put one arm around Lee.

"Oh~!" Ino immediately noticed the gesture. "Are you two together? That's so cute!"

"C-Cute? It's youthful!" Gai roared, making Neji and Tenten roll their eyes at once.

"Well, now everyone is here," Sakura said, smiling. "I have an announcement to make."

"Go ahead, Sakura," Naruto said curiously, while everyone else quieted down instantly.

"I'm really glad, today we welcomed a new member into both Konoha and Suna. So that's why, I want today to mark not just the beginning of a new life. I want it to be the beginning of a new chapter in my life as well. I'm getting married in a month, maybe two, to Sai. We've been in a relationship for a week now, and we've finally decided to get married," Sakura said calmly.

"Wow, Sakura, that's great," Shikamaru said. Honestly, the kunoichi were really strong.

"I'm really happy for you, Sakura," Ino said, as she cuddled up into her fiance's side cutely.

"That's good news," Naruto said, feeling a little out of place. "I'll be looking forward to it."

"How youthful!" Lee yelled inappropriately, but Gaara smacked him in the head right away.

"T-That's wonderful!" Hinata blushed fiercely, while Kiba just grinned at the happy couple.

"Good to see that, Sakura," Kakashi said, proud of how smoothly his student had moved on.

"We'll be looking forward to it too," Azuma said, and Kurenai had tears in her surreal eyes.

"Indeed!" Gai roared, followed by his untimely trademark, "it's the springtime of youth!!"

"Sensei!" Tenten reprimanded. "Honestly, you two should stop talking like that all the time."

"Good job, Sakura, Sai, Shikamaru," Sasuke said, in his usual cold, monotonous voice.

"You kids are like family, it's good to see you all growing up," Itachi said, more warmly.

"I'm a grandfather, eh?" Shikaku looked like he still hadn't come to terms with that detail.

"You got that right, Dad," Shikamaru grinned as he looked at the slightly shaken older Nara.

"Your mother is going to throw a fit," Shikaku sighed. "After all, I haven't told her yet."

"Tell her, then!" Shikamaru snapped, wondering whether he would still be alive after he heard through his mother's lecture-cum-rampage. Nope, he'd be hospitalized for sure.

Naruto announced that he was leaving, panicking that he had spent an hour at the hospital. Neji hurriedly followed him, knowing that there was more to his hurry than just work.

"Naruto? Naruto, what's wrong?" Naruto stood in front of the deserted training ground.

"Neji... leave me alone for a while, please." He couldn't bring himself to yell at the Hyuga.

"No! I won't! You're getting depressed about something, and I know it!" Neji protested.

"Why?!" Naruto didn't push away the strong arms that wrapped around him, pulling him into a well built, powerful chest. "Why did I have to fall in love with that complete moron?!"

"Naruto..." Pure fury built in the Hyuga's chest as he witnessed what his friend had come to. "Naruto, please..." Tears had started to fall on his ANBU wear, and he pulled off the metal vest.

Naruto cried openly in Neji's arms, wanting to feel the love everyone felt. Hating that he was resorting to taking advantage of the man who vowed to be there for him. But it was only around Neji that he could truly... let go. Sasuke, and the pain he brought. It was that very pain that Naruto had fallen in love with. Letting go of Sasuke hurt, he could die of the pain. Neji was like his rock now, the current that dragged him back to sanity, when he didn't want to.

"I'm sorry... please... just for a little while... let me stay like this." And Neji's tears fell only then.

Kakashi had followed them, and he had had enough of seeing Naruto suffer. Icha Icha could wait. He was going to hunt down, tie up, and give a good lecture to a certain someone.