Blossoming love

As Naruto looked at Gaara, he could see himself as well. They were both cursed with a heavy burden, one that they both wished they never had to bear.

"I then came to a conclusion. I live to kill. I finally found relief in the fear of death by killing the assassins sent to kill me. I found the meaning of my life, my reason to live... I fight only for myself and I love only myself. As long as there are people in this world for me to kill, I will never vanish."

'What is this guy? This is very bad,' Shikamaru was out of ideas and had to think of one fast because his time was running out.

'I was also alone. I had no reason to live. Only when Iruka-sensei acknowledged me did I experience what it felt like to be alive, but unlike me, Gaara remained alone and had to live by taking the lives of others.... We may be the same, but our situation couldn't be more different.' Naruto felt the pain locked away in Gaara's heart. 'He was deprived of love even more than me.'

"Now, let me feel alive again!" Gaara's sand rose and charged towards Naruto and Shikamaru.

'Wha?! He shouldn't be able to do that.' Shikamaru didn't understand why Gaara could still control his sand even when he was under the effects of Shadow Possession.

"That's enough!" Guy-sensei jumped in out of nowhere and stopped Gaara's sand once again, getting in his way a second time. "No need to rush. The final's tomorrow."

"Ugggh..." Gaara clutched his head in pain. He made his way out of the room and stopped at the door, looking back at the Leaf ninja. "I'll definitely kill you all," he promised them a brutal death.

'I'll save you from your pain. I'll make things right,' Naruto made a promise of his own in his heart.

---

The next morning

*YAAAWN* "It's here. The final round, and first up, I'm up against him."

Naruto's first opponent was Neji Hyuga, the number one genin in the entire Leaf. He was a master of taijutsu and possessed the Byakugan, one of the three legendary dojutsu. Naruto got up and got ready for the day. He left his house with time to spare and decided to visit the training field on his way.

When he got there, he saw someone familiar. "Hinata... are you better now?" It was Hinata Hyuga, heiress of the Hyuga clan. Surprised by the voice behind her, she quickly hid behind a wooden post.

"N...Naruto, what are you doing here? Isn't today the finals?"

"Well, I thought I'd visit the training field because it's the place I became a genin."

"Oh, why?"

"I just came to think a little."

"I see."

*Sigh* "Hinata, Neji is your relative, right?"

"Y..Yeah."

"Is he strong?"

"Y..Yeah."

Naruto fell into silence. He had seen firsthand how skilled Neji was. Whether it was long-range or close-range, he had no weaknesses.

"B...but you might be able to beat him, Naruto-kun, because... I'll be cheering you on, so do your best." Her face glowed with a blush of shyness.

"When you cheered me on, I felt like I got stronger... Even though I lost, after the prelims ended, I...began to like myself more. To others, it might not seem like I've changed, but...I...felt like I was able to change, and it's...all thanks to you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto couldn't help but smile. "Thanks to me, huh? I'm glad...."

Silence fell, and Naruto spoke once more. "Hey, Hinata, do you mean it? Will you cheer me on? I might look strong, but it's all an act... I just get frustrated every time I fail, so I end up pretending I'm strong"

"That's not true. In my eyes, you're a proud failure. When I look at you, I get this intense feeling in my heart because you're not perfect. Because you fail, yet you always get back up... I believe that's what true strength is. I think you're an incredibly strong person, Naruto." Hinata wore a kind smile as she stared at the ground, her voice slightly above a wisper.

Naruto had never been praised so much in his entire life. "Thanks, Hinata... EARLIER I WAS FEELING UNCHARACTERISTICALLY DEPRESSED BUT NOW I FEEL GREAT!!. You know about you, I..."

"Huh?"

"I thought you were a plain-looking dark weirdo."

Hinata's face fell, as if Naruto's words had pierced her heart. Her dreams of making a good impression seemed to slip away. Naruto turned away from Hinata, the sunlight casting a warm glow on his retreating figure. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves around them, carrying the faint scent of cherry blossoms. "But...a person like you, I really like."

As Hinata stared at Naruto's back, her blush grew ten times as intense as before. Naruto took a step forward, the sun highlighting his silhouette, an image that would be forever etched in her memory. He didn't turn back; he didn't want Hinata to see the blush on his face. "Make sure to keep your promise and cheer me on, It'll make me stronger for sure." Naruto's figure drifted further away, and Hinata never took her eyes off him. The blood rushing to her head threatened to make her faint.

Kiba walked up to Hinata and apologized for being late. Yet Hinata heard nothing. She was in her own little world, and all she could see was Naruto's silhouette fading into the distance.

---

Chunin Exams Arena

In the stadium, genin were lined up facing the audience, but there were a few of them that weren't present.

'What's Sasuke doing?' Naruto looked around for his teammate. 'That Dosu guy isn't here either,' Shikamaru was looking at his competitors and found that two of them hadn't shown up yet.

"Hey, stop looking around and face the customers. In this tournament, you're the stars."