I know it’s been a while. I haven’t been feeling well; I’ve been really, really sick for the last few months. I’m also having a really troubling time in my life. A few of my close friends are going through so tough times and I’m helping them out. I apologize.

I’ve been working on this story, another Naruto story, and especially on this South Park story called “Never Get Over It”, which will be posted in about a week.

Wow guys, thanks for the ultra support, I needed it. It’s appreciated.

This is, of course, going to be a Sakura/Hinata fiction.

I usually love Ino, and the other girls, but I made them anti-gay bitches for PLOT!

I like having main characters argue with themselves.

I KNOW that Temari is not supposed to be there. She IS! SHE MOVED! X3

This is the final chapter, it was a short fiction. Two-parter.

Naruto © Mashi Kishimoto

This chapter is in the point-of-view of SAKURA!

This is shojo ai meaning girl-on-girl. So don’t bother flaming. If you don’t like it; don’t bother reading. Idiots… X3

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Chapter 2: Purple

Purple.

It’s an interesting color. So… vibrant, unique. It’s not quite red, and not quite blue. I like that it can only be made by combining two gorgeous colors; the serenity of blue, and the fiery hot intensity of red. It’s the color of passion.

Really interesting things are purple. Things that aren’t always happy, but not always sad; a happy medium between negativity and optimism… wonderful things can be represented by purple. Things like… Hyuuga Hinata.

I cannot believe that note I found. I really can’t. I’m just… floored. I didn’t know that… I shouldn’t know that…

‘Hinata’s a dyke?’ My Inner-Self asked scathingly, the bitchy voice ringing in my ears.

‘Don’t call her that…’ I wanted to turn away, but there was no one to turn from. Only myself.

‘She is though, and she wants YOU! Aren’t you just disgusted!?’

Was I?

No. No I wasn’t disgusted at all. I was kind of… intrigued.

- 0 -

The next day, I was hanging out with Ino, TenTen, and Temari in the ramen bar. I hadn’t really spoken, since I didn’t know what to say. Hinata was on my mind, but I couldn’t tell them that… Ino had just started talking to me again recently.

I ignored the incessant girl chatter… the virtual ‘who’s who’ of sexy ninjas on a scale from one to ten. My problem… they were all guys.

“Hey guys?” I asked, voicing the question on my mind. “Why don’t we ever invite Hinata to come out with us?

Ino scoffed. She flipped back her shining blonde hair and glared at me. I could see the answer before she said it. “Because she’s a FREAK.” The other girls giggled.

I froze. It was like all of my worst fears had been confirmed. How was I ever going to get closer to Hinata now? I had no idea that my friends could be so mean. I was quiet, unable to reply.

“Why do you care, anyway?” Ino asked, liking miso juices off of her chopsticks. Why did I care? I had no idea why I was so confused. I didn’t want them to think any less of me, but… shouldn’t I follow my heart?

Yes… but what did it say?

“I… I don’t care. I was just wondering.” I tried to make up a reason. But it wasn’t working. Ino knew my game. Ino knew me too well. She and I had been friends for so many years, I was surprised that she wasn’t already kicking me out of the table… how could someone be so blind?

“Sure,” Ino replied, I could hear her disbelieving tone. I’m so busted. “I mean,” Ino scoffed, “It’s not like you’re in love with her or anything…” she laughed, shoveling ramen into her mouth; something sweet going into something foul.

“Oh, EW!” TenTen grimaced, “That’s so nasty, Ino! Two girls together? BARF!!” she pretended to throw up, and the other girls laughed. I didn’t… they were blind… so blind…

“Ugh,” Temari scowled as she sipped her tea, “the idea of lesbianism appalls me. I don’t understand it, I’m much to fond of men… except when they’re fags.” She frowned, her slender features distorted with disgust.

How could this be happening? I couldn’t understand… what was so gross about homosexuals? WHAT?! What was it that I didn’t see…? What was it that made Hinata beautiful to me? I felt suddenly nauseous.

“Yeah, I know, right?” Ino agreed, snickering, “Like that Iruka guy? He’s a real fag! And he’s Naruto’s mentor? I’ll bet that he’s a little butt-puncher, too! They probably have sex all the time! What freaks!” the girls burst into fits of giggles. I clutched my stomach, the pain intensifying.

I decided to go. I couldn’t be around them anymore… these homophobes… I had to run. I had to get away… their laughter rang in my ears. Freaks…

I stood up to leave, “I’m not feeling well, I’m going to go home and get some sleep.” I lied, twiddling my thumbs, trying to look convincing; my mask was slipping…

“Oh, okay…” Ino frowned. I turned to go and a folded piece of paper dropped out of my pocket. I froze. Ino bent down to pick it up, unfolding it. I saw her eyes widen, and then a devilish smile crept up the corners of her mouth.

I thought I was going to die. I wished that I could melt into the floor, to disappear and become the creature that I was, the one without a backbone to say what she really wanted. I watched in horror as she handed to note to TenTen, who read it and passed it onto Temari. They looked at me. Freak…

Ino spoke first, the evil grin making her eyes glint. Something told me that it wasn’t good… “So, Hinata really is a freak, huh? A real carpet muncher…” the words stung, even if they weren’t directed at me… if I had feelings for Hinata, and that made me just as awful.

It was coming… the end of my friendship with all three of them; my dismissal from all social statuses in the Village. I was going to be an outcast… a freak.

“This is perfect, Sakura, now we have the evidence we need to ruin that little lezzie’s life!” she smiled. I sat back down, my legs unable to hold me up anymore.

TenTen played with the pink ribbons tying her buns together, “She deserves it too, for being abnormal, like that. Nasty people like her deserve to be punished.” Temari nodded in agreement. Ino laughed, evilly.

Deep inside me, I heard my Inner-Self laugh too. I was appalled… this was nothing but a game to Ino. A game Hinata was going to lose…

As if things could get any worse, the small tinkling of a bell signaled Hinata’s entrance to the ramen shop. Ino looked as if Christmas had come early. My stomach dropped to my toes as I realize… for Ino, it had.

“Speak of the dyke,” Ino sneered, suddenly, she changed her entire disposition. She waved, calling in a sweet voice, “Oh Hinata-chan! Come over here!” she gestured to the table where they were seated. The girls pushed themselves up to meet her.

Hinata looked confused, anyone would, and Ino had never spoken to her before. In my mind, I was screaming, RUN, HINATA-CHAN! RUN! But Hinata walked timidly over to our table. Her steps were light on the wooden floor of the ramen bar; as if one wrong step and the entire floor would fall through and she would plunge into hell… oh how right she was…

She looked down at her fingers as she pulled anxiously on a stray thread in her sleeve. She was blushing heavily. She was so cute, I felt myself beginning to blush too. I didn’t understand my feelings, but they were similar to the ones I had felt once for Sasuke.

“Why don’t you sit with us?” Ino asked, amiably, “You know, next to your love, SAKURA-CHAN?!” Hinata looked up, shocked. I could see the fear in her pale eyes. RUN, HINATA-CHAN! I pleaded, silently. Ino’s voice changed slowly as she spoke, from sugary and sweet to cold and sardonic. “That’s right, we know!” she growled, “You disgusting worm! You’re a disgrace to the kunouchi, you nasty dyke!”

Hinata’s eyes began to well up with tears, she backed away slowly. The girls closed in on her, their words striking Hinata like bullets to her unprotected flesh. She flinched as the onslaught continued.

“Dyke!”

“Queer!”

“Carpet Muncher!”

“Lezzie!”

“FREAK!”

She looked at me, her gorgeous violet eyes pleading with me, shining with tears. What could I say? Ino glared at me… she expected me to say something What was more important? Her… or my social life?

I whispered, “You disgust me…”

I could see the betrayal as she turned and ran from the shop, the laughter of the girls braying at her like a pack of hyena who had just completed their kill.

A clatter startled us; we turned to find Kiba, who had pounded his hands on the table to push himself up. His eyes were narrowed into slits. His anger radiated from him as he walked forward.

The laughing stopped.

He faced Ino, TenTen, and Temari, not saying anything, just holding a glare. “You should all be ashamed,” he glared at me, I knew that he hated me for what I had done, “You don’t know anything, you ignorant bitches.” Kiba growled at us in his rough, dog-like voice, “You’re the disgusting ones…” he stalked out of the bar.

Oh my God… what have I done?

- 0 -

‘Ugh… don’t tell me you’re actually thinking about this shit!’ the nasty whine of voice intruded into my thoughts. It disgusted me that that voice belonged to me. How could something so rude and cruel be another side of me? It wasn’t fair.

I began to cry. My Inner-Self was the source of all my hostility. All the mean things I’d ever said. To Naruto. To Lee. To… Hinata? I was as bad as Ino and those guys… no, I was worse. At least they were comfortable with themselves. They could admit who they were. What was I? A coward! A coward that had hurt Hinata!

What’s wrong with you?

I think I did the wrong thing… I hurt Hinata.

Why do you care?

Because I shouldn’t be like that, I shouldn’t hurt people.

She’s a dyke, she’s not a person.

What!? That’s so cruel!

Who gives a fuck?

Me! I do!

Then why did you say that to Hinata?

I… I…

You don’t know why, because you have no idea who you are.

She was right. She was absolutely right. I had no idea who I was. I was simply a coward that couldn’t admit to herself that she was gay… that’s when it hit me, I WAS GAY!! I was a big, fat dyke! And I should be proud! I had to be myself!

I understood finally… my hostility. My Inner-Self! Her anger, her words, it was that I couldn’t come out!! She was my fear of my homosexuality. It had personified itself in the depths of my mind to torment me; to distress me into coming to terms with myself. I was just like Hinata-chan.

HINATA! Oh, Hinata-chan, what had I done? She was so beautiful… I realized, then, that I was in love with Hinata. She was gorgeous and sweet… and I had pushed her away! I stood up and ran out of the house. I needed to save my relationship with Hinata!

Go… be yourself. Just go.

Thank you.

- 0 -

I found Hinata in the forest outside of the village, the one where I had taken my very first exam with Kakashi. She was sitting in the middle of the grassy clearing, picking the petals off of a daisy, talking with Kiba.

I walked over. I was so scared I was shaking… I couldn’t screw this up. This was my last chance to save things with Hinata.

“Excuse me?”

They turned, Hinata’s eyes filled with tears immediately, I felt my stomach twist, what kind of person was I? Kiba’s eyes formed into slits. He moved himself in front of Hinata to protect her. I couldn’t blame him… I’d try to protect her from me too.

“Please, let me speak to Hinata…” I begged, I swallowed my own tears. Hinata looked so pitiful, the tears streaming down her face… tears that I had made.

“Why? So you can just insult her more?!” Kiba snarled, Akamaru, who was seated on his head, growled. I felt like shit. How could I have let things go this far? Why was I so afraid of being different? Different was beautiful. I only had to look at Hinata to see that.

“Please, Kiba-san… Please…” my voice was weak; I was trying to implore him… I needed too. I needed to make things right.

Hinata touched his shoulder. He turned to her, and growled. She nodded. Kiba stiffened, then sighed, and shrugged. He moved aside and walked away. Akamaru turned around to stare at me. I felt all my emotions well up inside of me. This was my chance… Hinata was giving me my chance.

I bowed my head and said, “I’m sorry.”

She nodded, showing that she heard me, and said, indignantly. “What else do you have to say for yourself? Are you just pretending… o—or do you r—really care?” she was trying to stay strong, but her voice shook with sadness.

I felt tears form at the corners of my own eyes. I looked up into her translucent eyes and whispered, “Hinata-chan… I don’t know why I was so scared to admit this… but… I’m gay.”

Her eyes widened. She was caught off guard, “Y—you are?!” she gasped, her shy voice was so cute, I nearly swooned. I nodded slowly, blushing, embarrassed… our personalities felt like they had switched.

It suddenly became too much, I sat in the grass. Hinata looked down at me, confused, then followed suit. We sat across from each other and I placed my hand on hers. I felt her body tense. I stared into her eyes… trying to read her.

“Look,” I sighed, “I found your note in the classroom. I didn’t know why I felt about it at first… I was scared… but I was never disgusted. I did not understand how to deal with the situation; I didn’t want Ino and those guys to hate me… but I see now, that’s not who I should care about. I should care about you, no, I do care about you.” I laced my finger with hers.

Tears began to drip down her face; she smiled. “Sakura…” she whispered… leaning forward into me. Our lips connected.

All my fears melted away with that kiss. Her lips felt warm and soft on mine, and it somehow felt right to be kissing her. I let my lips slide open, let my tongue meet Hinata’s, let the kiss take me away. It was my first kiss with Hinata, and it lived up to all my fantasies. Fantasies of out life together swirled in my head.

I broke the kiss and we stared at each other.

“What about Ino and those guys?” Hinata asked; her voice husky.

“Fuck them…” I laughed. Hinata joined me and I leaned into her for another quick kiss.

“Enough! Enough!” Kiba yelled, running out to break us apart. “Save it for the bedroom!” We grinned and giggled.

Kiba held out his hand, and pulled me up. I leaned down to pull Hinata to her feet. We smiled at each other. We began to walk across the field in a group; Hinata’s hand in mine, Akamaru trailing after us; nipping at butterflies. “So, wanna go to the Ramen Shop?” Kiba asked us.

“Oh hell no,” I laughed. Hinata gripped my hand.

“Yeah, let’s go to a Sushi Bar instead; I’m in the mood…” Hinata beamed.

In the distance, we spotted two figures moving behind a tree; obviously making out. We stopped in our tracks. We didn’t want to interrupt; but we definitely wanted to know the identities of the participants.

Kiba squinted, “HEY! Is that… Naruto and Sasuke?!”

END