Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and its characters. This is not Beta'd yet.
Part I:
After the successful operation and rehabilitation of Sasuke's arm he decided to leave Konoha again, this time not to have vengeance but to explore other places and find whatever he had been missing in his life. He's yet to say goodbye to Naruto, Kakashi and Sakura the girl who will always wait for him despite his lack of interest in her. He will say goodbye to them properly this time before he leaves, but now he will ask for permanent leave until further notice to Tsunade to avoid being labeled as a missing nin again.
Hinata's life after the war was bittersweet, she lost her beloved cousin Neji in exchange for her life and her father and clan finally acknowledge her as the true heiress worthy to lead the Hyuuga clan after showing strength and courage during the war. Naruto her one and only love sees her in a different light he values her as much as he values himself but is yet to say the three words Hinata want to hear from him. She was asked by her father early that morning to deliver a scroll to Tsunade regarding their revised clan policy and her acknowledgement as next in line for the leadership.
Deep within the Konoha district is the tall building of the Hokage tower, the hokage's office is located at the topmost floor it is always a courtesy to use the elevator or stairs going up as Tsunade forbidden the usual way of ninja going to her office by leaping from floor to floor to her window and will only permit such way in cases of emergency. When Sasuke arrived inside the Hokage tower, he saw Hyuuga waiting for the elevator as well. He can use the stairs to reach Tsunade's office but this day is one of those days when he feels really lazy for some unknown reason.
When the elevator rang and the door opened Sasuke let the Hyuuga girl go first before him as courtesy being a gentleman and all. Neither is speaking to one another since they aren't acquaintance they just happen to be on the same batch in Konoha Academy and the fact that both are private and don't usually talk to anyone casually unless they know it. The elevator passed through floor after floor until it suddenly stopped and the lights inside went off except for the emergency light inside.
"Fuck." Sasuke muttered under his breath.
"Cursing won't do anything in our predicament Uchiha san." Hinata said calmly.
Sasuke opened his mouth to say something but opted to remain silent and slumped down to take a seat not bothering to look at Hinata who remained at the back of the elevator sitting with her hand on her knees rocking slowly to keep herself calm.
After 10 minutes
Sasuke can feel the hot temperature inside the elevator and he took off his upper clothing not bothering if Hinata is offended by what he did. He decided to check on her and saw her still rocking herself muttering something he can't hear.
"Hyuuga."
Hinata jerked when Sasuke called her and shook uncontrollably. It was an unknown fact that Hinata is afraid of closed space with little lighting, her abduction by the land of mist when she's young made her afraid of such since they kept her in a small room with little light.
"What?" Sasuke was surprised by her sudden reaction and immediately thought that Hinata's afraid of closed spaces and slowly neared her and did something he never did before by embracing the frightened Hinata. "Calm down Hyuuga, someone's probably doing something to get us out of here now."
"U-Uchiha san?"
Sasuke can only nod, "Are you afraid of closed spaces?"
"H-hai."
Sasuke didn't know what to say and remained hugging the frightened Hinata who seem to have calmed down when she realized that she was not really alone.
"I..I don't mean to impose Uchiha san but you can let go of me now." She muttered softly feeling warm in her cheeks due to blushing to what Sasuke did.
Sasuke let her go but remained seated beside Hinata.
"How long do you think we'll be trapped here?" She questioned while constantly fiddling with her fingers not looking into Sasuke.
"Who knows, there must be a power shortage of sort."
Hinata sighed and buried her face and hugged her knees together again, "I'm scared of closed spaces you know."
"Why?"
She thought if she will tell him about her fear and what prompted it for she never told anyone about it even her family for fear of being looked down and Sasuke and her are not exactly close for her to confide in him her fear.
"If you don't want to tell me it's alright." He grumbled
"Gomen."
Sasuke puffed an air from his mouth thinking if anyone would bother to look for them and possibly rescue her from the elevator, he didn't mind staying in the elevator alone but the girl beside him needs to be rescued or she'll probably freak out again.
After 10 minutes
"I was abducted by the land of mist when I was young." Hinata suddenly said giving a confuse look on Sasuke. "They lock me up inside a room just like this, I don't know how long I was locked up and the next thing I knew my father's already carrying me on his back while he's jumping from one tree to the other."
Sasuke sighed, "So you are afraid of places like this because of your experience in the past."
"Hai, I never told anyone about it but since you and I are the only person here and who knows when we'll get out of here, I might as well tell you."
Sasuke did not say anything and just muttered his usual hn.
After 10 minutes
Sasuke was banging the elevator door screaming, "Can someone hear me out there?! Fuck!"
Hinata slowly approached Sasuke and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Uchiha san."
He stopped his banging and said calmly, "I want you to get out of here seeing how uncomfortable you are right now."
Hinata stared at Sasuke surprised to hear words of concern from him.
After 10 minutes
"What did you come here for?" He asked opening the conversation for the first time.
Hinata looked at him who was sitting beside her, "I was asked by my father to deliver a scroll to Tsunade sama. How about you?"
Sasuke haven't discussed to anyone of his plans to leave Konoha again but Hinata also told him about her fear so he should discuss something private to her right? Pushing all arguments in his head aside he said, "I was going to ask Tsunade sama to let me be a free lancer Konoha ninja to travel anywhere."
"Like Jiraiya sama?"
"Yeah but not exactly the same. I want to travel so I can see other nations and learn some of their techniques to improve myself more and to look for something missing in my life…,(he trailed off) besides I am itching to get out of Konoha as soon as possible."
Sasuke didn't know why he said about his plans so casually with Hinata of all people, he could have said it to Naruto, Kakashi or maybe even Sakura but why her? Maybe it's because he trusts the Hyuuga girl to keep it to herself unlike Naruto and Sakura who will probably broadcast it to all rookie 9.
Hinata on the other hand can't help but feel amazed at Sasuke who seems to have changed after the war. Although Hinata loves Konoha she also wanted to go places and however with her duties as a Konoha ninja and Hyuuga heiress, such privilege can't be attained.
"That is nice Uchiha san, I would also like to go places however…I have a duty to Konoha and clan as heiress."
Sasuke thought that despite his past he's still lucky to live freely unlike someone like Hinata who's tied to her duties without much of a freedom.
After 10 minutes
"Uchiha san, are you bringing Sakura san with you?" Hinata suddenly asked catching Sasuke off guard.
"Where did you get that idea from?"
"No one I just thought about it since Sakura san waited for you, maybe she will not let you go on your own again and join you instead on your journey since waiting for your love to return is hard."
"Is that how you felt when Naruto left you?"
"The truth is I am still waiting for him until now."
Sasuke faced Hinata and said, "He's stupid to make you wait so long, and to answer your question no, I will not let her or anyone to join me in my travel."
After 10 minutes
The lights and fan inside the elevator finally went on and the elevator started working again, much to Hinata's relief and Sasuke immediately wore his clothing as well as Hinata who wore her jacket.
"After an hour the elevator finally started working again." Hinata said.
"Hn."
When the elevator finally reached the floor of Tsunade's office, Hinata bowed in front of Sasuke and said. "Thank you for keeping me company inside the elevator or I would probably have a panic attack inside."
Hinata was about to walk ahead of Sasuke but he called her, "Since you can't leave Konoha, I'll send you letters of my travels so you will have an idea of the places I've been to."
"I appreciate it Sasuke kun that means a lot to me and I look forward to it. I will also send you letters about what happens here in Konoha." Hinata said smiling before walking ahead.
Sasuke can't help but smirk since Hinata called him by his name for the first time, "Hinata san, I also look forward to your letters!"
Part II:
2 years later
A lot of things happened to Hinata during the past 2 years since her talk with Sasuke. She's the current clan leader of the Hyuuga clan due to the untimely death of Hiashi to natural causes. Her ruling of the clan is being called as the best by clan members citizens of Konoha and other ninja countries. Among the changes she made in the clan was to dissolve the rift between main clan members and branch members by abolishing the dreaded cursed seal among branch members, Hinata instead taught branch members a special justsu she developed they are to perform to seal their byakugan. Another change she made was to have the Hyuuga clan actively participating in the betterment of not only Konoha but the whole ninja community by conducting medical missions, providing ninjas when needed, helping in the rehabilitation among damaged ninja countries.
Hinata is well respected on any ninja country, she also mastered all secret Hyuuga techniques and can even summon the lion protector of the Hyuuga clan to aid her whenever she needed it. Her jutsu skill level are that of a sannin level, despite her feats Hinata will always be Hinata the down to earth kind and shy girl everyone know. She walks with only one bodyguard, her bodyguard since her youth, Hyuuga Ko. Every day after visiting Neji's grave she walks around Konoha lake to calm her mind especially when she has a decision to make.
"Hinata sama I am one call away anytime you'll need me." Ko said bowing before Hinata and left in a puff of smoke.
Hinata walked in peace until she felt a familiar chakra, a chakra she last felt 2 years ago. Smiling she looked up at the biggest tree along the lake.
"Since when did you arrive Sasuke san?"
Sasuke laughed before jumping down looking at Hinata and saw the change in her look. Hinata's hair are longer, it now runs to her lower back she wears a black kimono and a white overcoat with the Hyuuga symbol on her back, her Konoha forehead protector is wrapped on her left upper bicep.
"Just now, but you are the first one who felt my presence, well done Hinata san and nice change you have." Sasuke said with a smirk.
"You don't look bad yourself Sasuke san and thanks for the compliment." Hinata said seeing the new hair of Sasuke that is now up to his shoulders not his duck tail hair he had the last time she saw him and wears a black poncho covering his upper body.
"Who said anything about me giving compliment I am merely saying the truth." He returned.
Sasuke's travels are a life changing experience for him where he got to meet different kinds of people, learned new things and most importantly found himself. The truth is that his letter conversations with Hinata helped him move on to a better path in life and he learned to fall in love for the first time with her, however when he's about to tell Hinata about his new found feelings he received a letter from her saying Naruto and they are together. And the reason he rushed back to Konoha was to say his feelings for her before leaving for good and stopping whatever communication they had since Hinata's getting married in a month according to her last letter.
"If you say so Sasuke san, since you've returned already I am assuming you finally found whatever was missing in your life."
Sasuke walked closer to Hinata looked into her eyes and said, "Yes, I'm just blind to not see it before."
Hinata looked down at her fingers since she knew what Sasuke meant, his letters sent to her are full of clues of his true feelings for her even if he doesn't say anything about it. Hinata's only waiting for him to admit it openly in one of his letters since she learned to like and love Sasuke as well, however Naruto admitted his feelings for her while she was waiting and she accepted Naruto's feelings and now they are engaged to be married in a month.
"It could have been us you know, getting married in a month." Sasuke said thinking about a lot of what if, could be, if only, regretting being a coward on his feelings.
Hinata looked into his eyes and said before leaving, "It's not too late."
Sasuke remained standing to where he was when Hinata left thinking of what Hinata just said.
Part III:
5 years later
Sasuke hurried back to Konoha after he got what was asked to him to retrieve. He carries a large sack on his back full of powdered medicine that will cure the epidemic spreading among citizens in Konoha, he dropped them off to the medical center in Sakura's care.
"This will save a lot of people Sasuke kun, thanks."
"I know that's why I hurried back."
Sakura smiled, "If I knew you any better I am thinking you rushed back to return to your family."
Sasuke nodded and said his goodbye and left.
Hinata's walking along Hyuuga garden with her 4 year old twins Ryou and Akane.
"Okasan, when will otousan come home?" Akane the spitting image of Hinata when she was young except for her obsidian colored eyes with shades of red whined.
"I miss him already okasan it's been days." Ryou the spiting image of Sasuke except for his eyes which is opal like Hinata's added.
"I miss him too, but your father left to get medicine to save people suffering from the epidemic."
"Why does it have to be otousan to do that can't uncle Kakashi send anyone?" Ryou asked with a pout.
"Because I am the only one familiar with the place the medicine is being produced, it will be dangerous for anyone to go there without knowing the area." Sasuke said smoothly and the twins immediately ran to him.
"We miss you otousan." Akane said embracing her father's leg.
"Okasan can't sleep without you otousan, you shouldn't leave ever again." Ryou said with his arms folded in front of him.
Both Sasuke and Hinata laughed and Sasuke kissed his children's forehead
"I miss all of you also have you been good with your okasan?"
Both children shouted, "Hai."
"That's good, how about you both go to the dining room I bought cake before coming home."
"Cake?" Both children asked and immediately ran off to the dining room.
Sasuke embraced his wife lovingly missing her embrace for the month he'd been away.
Hinata lingered to his embrace and said, "I miss you so much anata."
Sasuke nodded and kissed his wife passionately on the lips until the need for air arise, "Me too omae."
Hinata playfully hit Sasuke's arm, "Did you buy the cake on purpose to distract the kids away?"
"Maybe, how about I show you how much I miss you in our bed?" Sasuke whispered to Hinata's ear and nibbled it before leading her to their room.