The days following the conversation with Hinata had been difficult for Naruto. He couldn't escape the feeling that something had shifted—something important. Hinata's words had stayed with him, echoing in his mind long after the conversation ended. She hadn't demanded an immediate answer, but her quiet vulnerability had left him with an overwhelming sense of responsibility. She had given him space to think, but that didn't mean she was waiting forever. And that thought gnawed at him.
He had spent days alone, his mind racing as he tried to sort through his feelings. Each time he thought he had come to a decision, something would pull him back into uncertainty. Was he truly ready to choose? Could he bear the weight of one choice over the other? And most of all, did he even know what he wanted?
His interactions with Sakura and Suzuka had been strained in the days that followed, too. Sakura, as always, was direct—her challenge still hung in the air like a shadow over their conversations. Suzuka, on the other hand, had been quieter, more reserved. Her usual teasing nature had disappeared, and her smile seemed forced whenever they crossed paths. It was clear that she, too, was waiting for him to make a decision—waiting for him to acknowledge what had been building between them for so long.
But none of that seemed to matter anymore. Naruto's thoughts kept drifting back to Hinata. To the way she had stood in front of him, calm and patient, offering him the chance to make a decision without rushing him. She had given him space, yes, but there was an undeniable sense of finality in her words. Her patience, while unwavering, had a limit. And Naruto knew that he couldn't keep her waiting forever.
It wasn't just about choosing between the women anymore. It was about understanding himself, his feelings, and his future. What did he want for himself? What kind of life was he ready to build?
He stood by the window in his apartment, gazing out at the sprawling city below. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the rooftops. It had been a week since his conversation with Hinata, and the weight of the decision still pressed on him, harder with each passing day. The faces of the women who had played such important roles in his life—Hinata, Suzuka, and Sakura—flashed in his mind.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the cool evening air brushing against his skin. He needed clarity. He couldn't keep running from the choice in front of him.
The door to his apartment creaked open behind him, and he turned around to see who had entered. It was Suzuka, her usual confident stride somewhat subdued. She had always been someone who could read him—someone who could tell when he was hiding something, even when he tried his hardest to pretend otherwise.
"Naruto," Suzuka said, her voice softer than usual, "we need to talk."
Her words sent a jolt through him. Suzuka was no stranger to confrontation, but this—this was different. He could see it in her eyes. There was something fragile there now, something raw. She was no longer the playful, teasing Suzuka he had grown accustomed to. She was someone who had been hurt, and it was evident in the way she carried herself.
Naruto hesitated, but the silence between them was suffocating. He knew what was coming—she deserved answers, and so did he. "I've been thinking," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Suzuka crossed the room to stand in front of him, her eyes searching his face for any sign of what he was thinking. "I know you have," she replied, her voice steady. "But have you made any progress? Have you figured out what you really want?"
Naruto ran a hand through his hair, exhaling in frustration. "I don't know. I don't know what I want. Or maybe I do, but I'm too scared to admit it."
Suzuka's gaze softened, but there was a hint of something deeper in her eyes—sadness, perhaps, or resignation. "I'm not asking for some grand gesture, Naruto. I'm asking you to be honest. Not just with me, but with yourself. Because you can't keep pretending that everything's fine when it isn't."
He looked down, his heart heavy with guilt. "I'm sorry, Suzuka. I never meant to hurt you."
Suzuka reached out, placing a hand on his arm, her touch gentle. "I'm not asking you to fix everything, Naruto. I just want you to choose—because if you don't, we'll both be stuck in this limbo forever. And that's not fair to either of us."
The words hit him hard. He had been avoiding this moment for so long, hoping that things would just fall into place. But they hadn't. And now, with Suzuka standing before him, the reality of his indecision was staring him in the face. He couldn't keep dragging this out. He couldn't keep letting them all wait.
"I know," he whispered. "I know I need to make a decision. But how do I choose? How do I know which one of you is the right one for me?"
Suzuka let out a small sigh, her eyes filled with a mixture of frustration and sadness. "You don't need to know right now. You just need to stop running. You need to stop hiding behind your confusion and take a step forward."
Naruto's mind was racing. He thought of Hinata, who had been so patient with him, so willing to wait. He thought of Sakura, whose sharp, confident exterior had softened in recent days, showing him a side of her that he hadn't fully understood. And then there was Suzuka—her fiery spirit, her passion, her loyalty. Each of them offered something different, something unique. But which one was the right choice? Could he choose?
Before he could respond, there was a knock at the door. Suzuka glanced toward it, her expression unreadable.
"I guess we're not the only ones who have things to say," she said, her voice tinged with bitterness.
Naruto nodded, feeling the tension rise once more. His heart was beating faster now, the pressure building inside him. The decision was approaching, and he could feel it in every fiber of his being.
Suzuka turned to leave but paused at the door. "Just remember, Naruto—whatever you choose, don't do it out of fear. Don't do it because you think you have to. Do it because it's what feels right."
With that, she stepped out, leaving Naruto alone once more with his thoughts.
He walked over to the door and opened it to find Sakura standing in the hallway, her expression unreadable, her arms crossed over her chest. Her gaze softened when she saw him, but there was still an undeniable edge to her stance.
"You're still trying to figure it out, aren't you?" she asked, her voice quiet but firm.
Naruto nodded, feeling the weight of her scrutiny. "I don't know what to do, Sakura. I don't know how to choose."
Sakura's eyes met his, her gaze intense. "You don't need to have it all figured out. You just need to be honest with yourself. And with them."
"I know," Naruto whispered. "But how do I do that? How do I stop running from what I'm feeling?"
Sakura stepped closer, her voice low. "You face it. You face your feelings, no matter how hard it is."
Naruto felt the pressure building once more. The moment of truth was fast approaching, and the path ahead was unclear. But he couldn't wait any longer.