Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, never will, oh well.

Acceptance

It was a well known fact that Hinata Hyuuga had loved Naruto Uzumaki for a long time before he even began to notice her as a potential love interest.

His chasing around of other girls, specially Sakura, for the better part of his early and mid-teens did not, however, invoke any sort of wrath within Hinata. Once he had noticed her feelings for him and his feelings for her had changed she was entirely welcoming of his advances of friendship and, eventually, love.

Her father was not by any means as pleased with the situation as she was. To him, no matter what the blonde boy had accomplished, Naruto was still the container of the nine-tailed fox. In fact, most of her family seemed to have agreed that nothing good could come of a Hyuuga, the clan leader's heir no less, being involved with the so called 'Demon boy'.

Not that it mattered to Hinata, of course. She had long ago recognized that no matter what the situation, the clan would find some sort of fault in her and her love. But it did matter to Naruto, who wanted desperately for her father, at the very least, to approve of Hinata's choice in boyfriend and possible, and hopefully soon, husband.

Hinata had told him specifically that it wasn't any use and that he may as well give it up. The clan hadn't found much value in her since they realized that she was rather incapable of being the perfect ninja that her clan valued so much. To be honest, if they tried to keep her from marrying Naruto she was fully prepared to cut all ties with her clan and let Hanabi and Neji, who was being considered to take her place as clan leader anyway, fight over the Hyuuga 'throne'.

She had voiced the thought to Naruto, and while he wasn't opposed to her giving up her place as clan leader if that's what she wanted, he was entirely opposed to her feeling obligated to choose between him and her family. She was appreciative, naturally, but it didn't really change that all in all, she would choose him no matter what.

Neji, who had warmed up to her significantly since the Chuunin exams, had been fairly blunt with her father that he found Naruto to be a powerful ninja and a great asset to the clan in general.

In Neji terms that meant that he liked Naruto quite a bit. Not that he would admit it.

Hiashi had not been impressed. Neither had Hanabi, who more often than not agreed with their father. The conversation had left Hinata hoping that Neji would be the next clan leader. It would be rather convenient for her to have an ally at the head of the clan.

Naruto had set out to prove himself to Hiashi by completing any and every task that the Hyuuga leader set him to. Hinata was convinced that her father had created an unending list of impossible tasks in order to make Naruto fail and give up.

But Naruto always completed the task and came back for more.

The first complement Hiashi ever gave Naruto was that he was 'Persistent at the very least'. Hinata was prepared to take what she could get as far as that went.

The next person or rather group of persons within the Hyuuga clan to accept Naruto as a potential husband for Hinata had been a group of her cousins from the branch house. Hinata had a feeling that Neji had in some manner influenced their sudden welcoming spirit toward Naruto but she was happy nonetheless. After all, in war an ally is an ally.

It wasn't until the elders of the clan decided that Neji would be the clan head that Hinata's relationship with Naruto was finally approved. Or rather, it wasn't until then that the clan entirely stopped caring what she did. Her father stopped making Naruto complete ridiculous tasks at that point too.

It was never about her, after all. It had always been for the clan's reputation.

Hinata was thrilled that Neji had been chosen as the clan head for several reasons. First of all it meant the branch house would be abolished, without a doubt. And secondly, it meant almost for certain that she would be able to marry Naruto without having to cut ties with her clan, which would ease Naruto's conscience even though she had been straightforward about her willingness to give up her life with her biological family to start an entirely new family with him.

Her union to Naruto was formally recognized by her clan almost three years after her marriage had actually taken place. Her father had handed over his responsibilities as clan leader to Neji and Neji had immediately recognized Naruto as not only a Hyuuga but as his cousin.

Hinata hadn't realized how much it meant to her that Naruto be accepted by her family until that moment when she saw how much it had meant to him that he be accepted by her family.

Hinata had been able to accept Naruto the second he came into her life. It just took her family a little longer to warm up to him. Because Naruto was Naruto, and everyone warmed up to him eventually.

A/N: Hey guys! It's been awhile since I wrote Naruhina (I love the couple but honestly I write a lot more Nejiten). I was out of writing for awhile but I got back into it and I've put out a few stories pretty recently. I hope everyone enjoyed my story. This is just my take on the Hyuuga clan's feelings toward Naruto and how they could potentially end up accepting him. I made Neji the clan head because well… I didn't think that Hanabi would be nearly as willing to accept Naruto since she, unlike Neji hasn't spent much time with Naruto in mission situations. Please R&R.