A/N: Wow... it's so good to FINALLY be back. I REALLY missed being online. Just a few of the things that happened to me while I was unplugged for such a long amount of time are enough to offer a simple explination and excuse for my absence. I met someone very special to me and decided to move in with him. Let me tell you... I must REALLY love this guy to move in with him when he has no cable, no internet, and sleeps on an AIR MATTRESS!!!! Luckily, none of those lasted too long once I was in the picture, but it took me long enough that I have death threats from my rabid readers that are begging me to get my butt back in gear. So I shall. I only had Star Ocean stories starring Albel and Nel, but I've decided to broaden my horizons and bring some of my other favored couples to light. If you check out my profile you'll see that my couples least got tweaked, but it's all good. I have several story ideas for SasuHina, but I wanted to start out slow before I began any of them. I also must inform my fans that there is still no update in sight for "Blind to Heaven" because the script and notes I have for it and other ideas is at my mom's house on my old pc, and I have nothing available at the moment to use to transport the files. This may be a blessing in disguise, however, simply because now I am inspired to work outside the AlNel box. Okay, you're probably sick of my rambling or you've skipped this note entirely, so I'll cut this short. I'm so sorry I was away for so long, but only good can come of it!!! Once again I owe Myst a big 'ol heapin helpin o' thank you's!!!! I love you Myst!!! YOU'RE THE BEST!!!!!! And now... on with the story... After the disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters in it. It's sort of a good thing I don't, though, or the show would be called "Hinata" and it would turn into a shojo anime about her and all the boys in Konoha fighting over her with Sasuke coming out the winner. Hmmm... Although... I kinda like that idea and if I got enough supporters we could overthrow the creators and make a spin-off that dwells entirely on my ideas!!!! Ahem. Yeah, don't own Naruto.

In Time She'll be Happy Too

Lorelai Kline

Hinata looked at him with a sad smile and choked out a humorless laugh as tears leaked from her eyes and mixed with the rain that was washing down on them. She looked torn between joy and sorrow, and the sight of her in this state was bittersweet in itself.

"You never knew, did you, Naruto? You never noticed... Never even gave it a thought." She whispered without a hint of a stutter, just the sound of her voice and the shattering of her dreams.

Naruto looked at her with genuine guilt and sympathy. He could only begin to imagine just how much he had crushed the woman in front of him. He unknowingly brought his hand up and scratched the back of his head in an effort to relieve the bullets of tension that were pelting him even harder than the rain. She just watched him silently with a sad and inquiring expression while she waited patiently for him to respond.

"I-I'm so sorry... Hinata... I... I j-just figured... well... I dunno..." Naruto fished for words and some kind of acceptable apology as he suddenly became the stuttering emotional blunderer.

Hinata's smile became broken and bemused as she held up a hand to silence him.

"Don't give it any more thought. I should've known as much and let it register long ago... I just wanted to be able to finally tell you, to finally get it out there, and not have to let it eat me away anymore. I'm sorry I had such strange timing, and I don't expect you to reciprocate my feelings in the slightest. I guess I just needed to be selfish and put myself first for once. I needed closure." She said as she looked at him apologetically.

Naruto didn't think. He just reached out and captured the trembling woman in a crushing embrace. She tensed at first, but slowly allowed herself to accept the gesture for what it was; A heart-felt apology that came from the very core. Soon she was gently pushing him away and looking into his eyes with a glimmer of her old happiness.

"Thank you, Naruto. You will probably never fully know just all of what I am thanking you for, and I'll probably never be able to fully tell you, but I mean it all the same. Please be happy and know that I'll be happy for you too." She said as she stepped back and began to turn away.

"What about you?!" Naruto nearly shouted. He may not have loved her, but he did care about Hinata.

She turned back and gave him a true smile that made his heart skip a beat. "I'll be happy too... It'll just take some time before I am."

Naruto smiled back at her and gave her a cheesy thumbs-up and a wink. She returned the goofy pose and said "Believe it!" before turning around and walking off toward her apartment, not once looking back and not once planning to.

Naruto watched her go and knew deep in his heart that she would indeed be just fine with time. He bowed to her back in a rare display of respect and manners, before jogging back to the home he and his bride-to-be shared. He would one day wonder about what could have been with the shy yet brave Hyuuga, but would quickly dismiss the pondering when his thoughts turned to Sakura, the love of his life.

When Hinata knew that Naruto could no longer see her and that he wasn't following her, she stopped and leaned her back against a nearby building as she was overcome with heaving sobs. She let the rain pour over her and soak her to the bone as it washed away the tears from her eyes and the pain in her heart. She let it clean her and heal her in the way only rain could. Eventually her sobs died down and her tears stopped falling and she took a deep breath.

Footsteps approached her and stopped nearby. Hinata could feel eyes watching her and had been aware all along that she was being observed. She didn't care anymore, though. She wasn't going to stop herself from letting go just because she was self-conscious. She needed the release too much to let her character flaws get in the way.

She wiped her eyes free of both raindrops and old tears and looked up at the person who had been watching her cry. A man her age with dark clothes, pale skin, unruly hair, and deep black eyes looked back at her from beneath the shelter of a large blue umbrella. He nodded at her in acknowledgement and waited until she nodded back before approaching her and shielding her from the rain with his umbrella. They just stared at each other and absorbed the connection that silently budded between them.

"Sasuke..." Hinata whispered and let silence trail behind his name. It took him a while, but he finally spoke.

"What you did... It made you stronger. You knew it would hurt and you were afraid, but you did it anyway." He said evenly.

Hinata looked away from his eyes and smirked. "Stronger, but not strong enough" she whispered.

Sasuke frowned and grunted in disapproval. "Others may think that you are not strong enough, some will even think that you will never be strong enough, but..."

He paused as he watched her flinch from the brutal honesty of his statement and emotional pain flash through her features.

"But there are different kinds of strength, Hinata."

She looked back up at him with surprise and confusion. The Uchiha tried not to show any of the emotion that he was feeling inside as he continued to speak, but his voice came out with an echo of warmth and sincerity that betrayed his outer impassiveness.

"You may not be a strong fighter, but what you lack in combat skills you compensate for with intense emotional strength. Your capacity to care and empathize with anyone about anything, your ability to forgive, your courage and compassion... Those are true strengths. No amount of ninjustu can mend a broken heart or stop tears from falling."

Sasuke stared past her with a far-away look in his eyes. "You are strong. Stronger than most people will ever know or give you credit for." He stated calmly.

Hinata felt something inside of her die slowly only to be reborn again, like a phoenix rising from its own ashes. Finally, someone said the words that she had longed to hear for so long and understood and appreciated her in a way she thought she never would be. She looked at Sasuke and their eyes locked once more and she smiled at him as both of their faces became slightly pink.

"Thank you..." She whispered breathily as she wiped at the corners of her eyes with the heel of her palm, her smile never faltering.

Sasuke simply nodded and waited for her to move away from the wall she was leaning against. He walked her home in comfortable silence and when she began to walk up the steps to her apartment and away from him he whispered "You're welcome".

As he walked away Hinata watched him and before he was out of hearing range she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted "What you did... It made you stronger!!!" before running back into her home as she laughed softly and blushed madly.

Sasuke stopped as soon as he heard her words and smiled knowingly to himself. He would have to do many more things to get stronger... and to get to Hinata's heart, but he had a good start.

It seemed that Hinata would be happy again in less time than expected.

A/N: THANK YOU FOR READING!!!!!! I know it's short and kinda weird, but I luffs it!!! I want to write more SasuHina... and all I need to fuel my inspirational fire is lovely reviews!!! PLEASE!!!!!

Just hit the button, tell me what you thought, resist the urge to flame and criticize instead if you dislike, and submit. It's not hard, PLEASE DO IT!!! FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN, REVIEW!!!!!!