Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto – thus the personages in my story are not of my creation.
For reviewers – please no flames, if you don't like it – then just close this window and leave me and my story alone. Thank you for reading. If you have any comments of suggestions about possible changes – please write. Constructive criticism will be warmly accepted. I want to apologize if I happen to make any grammatical or orthographical mistakes.
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Sadness, that one word could describe all the feelings in the hearts of all citizens of Konoha. Never before had they lost so many in such a desperate fight, never before so many families lost their loved ones, so many friends lost their comrades. The stone at the edge of the village was not big enough to carve all the name that should be on it, two more were standing now next to it, carrying the heaviest burden of the past. Numerous flowers lay in front of them, numerous candles were light in memory. At every time of day and night there was someone there, trying to find peace and loneliness, but to be there alone was impossible so many people wanted to be there.
She came there every night, trying not to be seen. She had two names she cherished on those rocks, her beloved younger sister who died as a chunin, and him who had been killed in such a brutal way that they couldn't find anything to bury in his grave. Her family grieved badly, her father cursed her for surviving the battle, he wanted her sister to be the heir, he wanted her to die in her place. If she could change time she would have died instead of Hanabi, then she wouldn't be feeling all this pain in her heart, then she wouldn't be suffering every night by this stone. Life would have been better that way. She looked at all the names of all the people she missed so much, Naruto, Neji, Hanabi, Shikamaru, TenTen and so many more. She couldn't find the answer why she had survived and the others had died. There was a moment when she thought death was near, but instead of death Sakura came and healed as many wounds on the battle field as she could. She pleaded for Sakura to go and heal someone else, but the response was firm and harsh, there was simply no one else to heal. Few came back, many of those few came back heavily wounded, some will never recover , some might. They all knew fighting a battle like that might bring death to many, but not in their worst dreams did anyone image so many to die, and so many come back wounded.
Days, turned into weeks, weeks into months, before she knew it had been almost four months from the battle that changed everything. Konoha was being rebuild and was slowly regaining its position, but the lost of the best ninjas was a heavy burden. It would take many generations to rebuild the power Konoha once had.
Hinata's life was even more miserable then before the war. Everyday she had to hear her bitter father talking about how he would prefer Hanabi to be in her place. Everyday she brought fresh flowers to the rocks. Her training as a medic nin was not going too well, she had problems concentrating, she had problems sleeping. She felt as if her life had ended with the lives of the people who were lost. Her team ,of which all had somehow survived, tried to make her see the bright side of surviving, they tried to make her happy and regain the strength needed to start over, but she was reluctant to accept the fact. She had no reason to live. It made Kiba and Shino really mad, both came back in very bad condition, Kiba on the brink of death, and yet both men fought hard to live. And she just wanted to die.
One say while training with Tsunade, the hokage looked at her.
"Hinata are you alright? You don't look so well" she asked.
"It's nothing, I just have some problems sleeping, and my stomach doesn't react too well to food.." she replied.
"Can I take a look at you?" Tsunade demanded.
"If you really want to, but it's nothing…" Hinata whispered.
"When did you have your last period?" Tsunade demanded.
"I don't remember, long time ago, but they never are regular so that's nothing new." Hinata replied.
"Hinata I think you may be pregnant." Tsunade said quietly "Let's make a blood test to make sure."
To the surprise of both the result was positive, Hinata was pregnant, but refused to tell the name of the father. Tsunade had told her it must have been at least the forth month, but Hinata could tell which day it was exactly. There was only one man in her life, and it happened only once, so there was no mistaking about that.
She came home with a heavy heart. She was no longer responsible for herself but also for her baby, more important his baby. She could feel her will to fight wake up, finally after all these month she had a part of him, and this time she will not let it die.
She demanded to speak with her father, telling him was a necessity, because his reaction if he found out by himself would be even worst.
When she entered the room she noticed her father was looking sadly out of the window, he was in pain the same as she was suffering from.
"Father, I came here to tell you something important" she began.
"What is it?" he inquired.
"It has been confirmed that I am going to have a child." She said not looking at him but starring out of the same window.
He turned to her.
"Who is the father?"
"It doesn't matter anymore, he's dead." She replied.
He looked sternly at her "Pray for this child to have the byakugan otherwise it will not be accepted into the family."
"I know father, but you shouldn't worry about that…" she whispered and walked out of the room.
She knew who the father was, and she knew her child would have the byakugan, and probably a stronger byakugan then hers.
She still could remember that night. It was the night before leaving Konoha to go and face the Atatsuki. She stayed up late, not being able to find comfort in sleeping. She walked around the garden and thought that it might be the last time she sees it. She wondered it anyone would take care of it if something happened to her. And then she noticed him. He was standing there looking at her. He did not say a word of greeting. He simply started talking "A ninja must always live his life as if there is no tomorrow. Because every mission can be deadly, and all of our friends and loved ones might not come back home. You have to live with it, you have to accept it."
"I can live with it, but that doesn't mean I have to accept it." She replied. "I will not watch my friends die, I will fight for them will all my strength." She replied.
"Look at yourself, your hands are not those of a ninja, you might want to change it badly, but what I said before is true, you are too kind, too gentile, those are the hands of a mother, a person taking care of gardens like this, not those of a warrior." He continued. "Stay home Hinata, don't take part in this mission. The Hyuga family needs you."
"I will not run away, that is my nindo, even if I can't win the battle on my own, I will do everything to save my friends. EVERYTHING."
"Would do everything to save me?" he whispered walking closer to her trying to catch her eye sight. "Because I would do everything to protect you" He came really close to her, slowly took out his hand and lifted her chin to look in her eyes.
"Would you?"
"Yes I would." She answered.
What happened next was a surprise to her. Before she knew it, she was in his arms and in his bed. Before she knew it she had become his, and he had become hers. It was her first time with a man, and yet she somehow felt it was right. It could only be him. He demanded her and he got all she had to offer. They held each other as if there was no tomorrow.
And there was no tomorrow, not for him. The battle took place four days from that night, and in seven days his funeral took place.
That night she gave him all she had to give, but he gave her something more precious, something that will be with her even when he is gone. His child, their child, her reason to live after his life ended. The future of their clan and the future of their village.
Most of her friends were surprised with the news about the baby, most wondered who was the father, but no one dared to ask that question. Sakura helped her a lot, she kept her company, she helped her prepare the babies room and everything needed. With the help of her friends Hinata started living again, she slept better and soon her stomach problems stopped. Her father stopped commenting on the past, and reluctantly observed her growing belly. He kept wondering who the father was, but he did not dare ask again, if he did ask she would knew he is interested in the child, and he prefer her not to know.
She kept dreaming about him, in her dreams he was with her, impatiently awaiting the baby just as she was doing now. He would sleep with her, talk with her, he would help her with the baby. She thought a lot about him, and she wondered to who the child will be more alike to him or to her. She kept wondering what name he would have suggested for the child, and if he would have married her. She wondered if he had loved her, because she could feel that with every day her love was stronger. Their baby made it stronger.
The day her son was born was nice and sunny. The labor was long and painful, but the final cry of her baby made it all worth it. She felt pride when Sakura told her it was a boy. She looked at her tiny beautiful son, and finally made her decision, Hizashi Hyuga. The perfect name for him, the name his father would want him to have.
Lord Hyuga ran quickly to the hospital as soon as he heard that Hinata was in labor. Then he waited endless hours waiting for the end of it. When they finally let him into her room saying it was over he was scared. Scared of what he was about to see. She was laying on the bed with a little baby in her arms. He slowly walked up to her, Hizashi chose that particular moment to start crying again and then it happened he opened his eyes for the first time to take a look around the world. Lord Hyuga started at his grandson, into his perfect byakugan eyes. He felt relief, so this child was a Hyuga after all.
"Father, met Hizashi Hyuga, Hizashi this is your grandfather." She said carefully giving the child to her father.
"Hizashi?" he asked.
"Yes, Hizashi in honor to your dead brother." She responded.
He nodded his head. And she did not say more, especially the fact that it was not only his brother's name, but also the name of Hizashi's second grandfather. It was too early to tell him. She feared he might not understand, and that he might not accept the child if he knew. She also knew that the laws of her clan were unforgiving, and a child born from a branch family member must be branded, and she would do everything to protect her child.