Ugh, it's been forever. It wasn't intentional, I swear. Life became very demanding and writing had to take a backburner. I have this new resolution where I try not to be an author's note whore, so I'll let you go now.

Dedication: xJustxAnotherxGirlx. Thank you so much for ideas with this one. Uni has turned my brain into a lumpy ball of goop, and you got rid of the lumpy part.

Standard Disclaimer: I, in no way, shape or form own Naruto or any of its respected characters, whether from the anime or manga. They are the property of one Masashi Kishimoto, and I utilise them purely for entertainment purposes. I do, however, own this story and any associated OC characters. So no stealing, please.

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Chapter 1

.:{~}:.

The dawn was soft and crisp as Hinata walked along the front porch of the Hyuuga compound. The sun was barely glinting above the horizon, creating a blue pastel sunrise. A few songbirds had awoken to share their tune with the sparse people who were awake, and their melody lilted along the soft breeze.

Hinata could feel the wind gently twining with the strands in her hair, softly tugging, as if trying to convince her to follow it.

But she stayed.

She stayed, because Naruto and Hanabi were due back from a month-long mission in another hour or so, and she was desperately trying to force courage into her body, so that she could accomplish what she, Sakura, Tenten and Ino had been meticulously planning for the past few months (she smiled at the fact that they'd only been planning for a few months, though she had been dreaming for as long as she could remember).

At nineteen, Hinata was probably the oldest Kunoichi in Konoha who had yet to have any form of romantic partnership with anyone. Sasuke had finally removed some of the stick from his arse and asked Sakura out (Hinata had never seen the roseate so ecstatic), Tenten had started a tentative relationship with Lee and Ino had convinced Sai to explore the frightening world of dating (where Ino had found the patience to tackle someone like Sai was beyond anyone's comprehension).

The indigo-haired girl very nearly smiled at the irony that out of everyone in Konoha, Naruto was probably the only one oblivious to her feelings. She was sure that even the rats must have known by now. And everyone seemed to be behind her in trying to help him figure it out. Ayame from Ichiraku's Ramen, Sakura, Sasuke, Ino, Tenten, Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Sai, Kakashi, Kurenai and even Lee. She didn't understand how Naruto hadn't figured it out after Lee's not-so-subtle proclamation before he left.

"Naruto-kun! Konoha's beautiful Hyuuga heiress, Hinata, has been pining for you since you were small children barely about to embark upon your road of youth! Her love for you is the equivalent of mine for Konoha's beautiful bunned weapon's mistress, and we all wish for you to give her a chance!"

But typical Naruto has grunted out an "Eh?" then smiled and waved as he walked out of the gates.

Hell, they'd even enlisted the help of Hanabi. Hanabi would be on a mission with him for a whole month! And Hanabi, being ever blunt and straight-to-the-point surely couldn't fail.

Hinata prayed that it would work. She prayed that Naruto would finally give her a chance, even if it didn't work out. At least she would know, that way.

Somewhere within the Hyuuga compound a bell struck 6:30am, and Hinata raced towards the front gates, determined to wait for him. She had it all planned out in her head.

Naruto would walk through the Konoha gates, and she would take a deep breath and fight against her frail nerves. She would walk up to him, preferably the image of confidence, and say, "Naruto-kun, I really like you, and I would be honoured if you would go on a date with me."

Surely even one as dense as Naruto wouldn't be able to misinterpret those words? No, not even he could. She'd spent hours that night tossing the sentence over and over in her mind, looking for some kind of double meaning, some way he might not get the message. Hinata had spent hours practising in front of her mirror, trying to get it right, trying to get her actions and everything right.

"N-Naruto-kun."

Blush.

Nervously tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I really like you, and I would be honoured if you would go on a date with me."

No question, as that might give him a bigger incentive to decline. Blush on the cheeks and a slight stammer, slight waver to show nervousness. Smile to show truthfulness. Look him straight in the eyes as she says 'you would go on a date with me.'

She'd posed it to her friends, her teammates, everyone she could think of, and every single one of them had agreed that there was probably no other way to say it bluntly and politely. She just hoped it would work.

Minutes dwindled by, and Hinata could feel her nerves desperately fighting her consciousness. She had to stay awake for this! It was probably one of the most terrifying things she'd ever experienced (not even when she had stood up to Pein had she been so frightened) and now she just wished for him to arrive so that she could ask him.

In the distance, she was barely able to make out two hazy figures walking casually towards Konoha.

Her heart jumped into her mouth as she recognised the signature golden hair and blinding jumpsuit of Naruto. Her sister's raven hair danced in her peripherals, but she didn't pay attention to that. She was focused entirely on Naruto.

It felt like gravity.

She couldn't understand her need to be with him. She spent her days watching his smile, hoping only for two things: that he would smile at her, and she would be the reason it was there.

His smile was probably the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

As Naruto and Hanabi drew closer to the gate, a disturbing sense of premonition washed over her, almost making her knees buckle.

Run, Hinata! Run!

But she couldn't run. She felt as if her life had been leading up to this one single moment. She was rooted to the spot in every sense of the word, unable to take her eyes off those two people.

But something didn't add up. Something was wrong with the picture. Something was very wrong with the picture. She couldn't see it, but she could sense it. Something apart from nerves had her heartbeat speeding up and had her breath catching in her throat. Something was wrong, so why couldn't she see it? She scoured his image, looking for fatal wounds, lack of colour in his cheeks, a dark look on his face, trying to figure out what was wrong.

But he seemed perfectly healthy. There, his rambunctious laughter had just wafted over to her, and she could see a smile lighting up his face at something Hanabi had said.

And then, she realised what was wrong.

His hand.

His hand was linked with Hanabi's. Not in the 'supporting you' or the 'leading you' sort of way. It was the fingers threaded through each other's way. It was the 'I'm holding on to you and not letting you go' kind of holding hands. It was the way she'd seen Sasuke and Sakura hold hands as they walked down the street. It was the way she'd seen Ino teaching Sai, and the way she'd seen Lee dragging Tenten. It was the holding hands she'd seen old married couples do, or newlyweds, or love-sick teenagers who were holding on to that one little moment.

Hinata felt her heart drop and fear lodge itself in her throat. She felt her teeth chattering, though it wasn't really cold, and a weird feeling of hollowness devour her. She felt numb.

"Hey Hinata!" She vaguely registered that Naruto had called out to her, and was dragging Hanabi with him. Kami, please have him let go of her hand. Please let it be a joke. Please don't do this to me. Please please please please please please please… "Are you alright, Hinata? You look a little pale."

She felt her head nod of its own accord, knowing that if she opened her mouth she would probably puke.

He leaned closer towards her ear, but Hinata was still so shocked that her mind didn't even register it. "I hope this doesn't become awkward, Hinata-chan. I mean, I know she's your sister, but over the mission we really got to know each other and I really like her."

I really like her.

I really like her.

Not you.

Never you.

Some part of her brain registered that they had walked away, and a huge gasping breath was hauled into her lungs as pain lanced through her chest.

Hanabi, what have you done?

Why?

Tears pricked at the rims of her eyes, and she venomously rubbed them away, willing her legs to stay up. What was happening? Why had Naruto done this to her? Why had Hanabi done this to her? She had known of Hinata's feelings for Naruto since they were little girls. So why had she done this? Why would she be so cruel?

She felt her legs move of their own accord and flee into the trees where no one could see how much she was hurting. Her chest felt like it had suddenly imploded, and it was all she could do to keep breathing.

Eventually her legs wouldn't take her any further, and she collapsed on a sturdy branch, curling in on herself and gently rocking back and forth, desperately trying to hold herself together.

She couldn't help but wish that the arms clamped around her middle were Naruto's arms.

.:{~}:.

Strength

.:{~}:.

People often described Hinata as weak. Her father had described her as such when she trained arduously with minimal results. Fellow ninjas described her as such when she got overly emotional during a mission.

Hinata, you are a ninja! Stop giving in to your emotions and toughen up!

Hinata had never really felt weak until that moment. When she got overly emotional, she felt closer to her mother, who had been described as too caring. She didn't feel weak just because she had to train harder to achieve something. That just meant that when she did achieve it, it was through hours of work and dedication, not prodigal enhancement.

But there on that branch as her tears slipped through the crevices in her fingertips, she felt weaker than a newborn against a pack of wolves.

It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that she felt her tear reserves had dried up and she was able to walk back to the compound. Hopefully Kami would take a bit of pity on her and allow her to walk through the village without seeing anyone she knew.

It seemed Kami was having an absolute field day.

"Hinata!" She cringed as Sakura's voice called out to her, and desperately tried to ignore the voice of her upbringing demanding that she acknowledge the roseate. She just wanted to be alone for the day.

"Hey, Hinata, wait up!" Sakura was far closer than Hinata had anticipated, and within a few seconds Hinata was looking at Sakura's feet: she refused to look up and meet her eyes.

"Sakura-san," Hinata acknowledged quietly, then tried to push past her.

"How'd it go, Hinata?" Sakura asked and fell into step beside her indigo-haired friend. Hinata felt a shudder crawl up her spine as unwanted memories came back to her.

I really like her.

Hinata shrugged and kept walking, fighting to push down the rush of panic that threatened to overwhelm her. She could not fall apart in public!

They made it back to the compound without another word said between them, though Hinata could feel Sakura's emerald eyes watching her carefully. For all the anger that Hinata felt at having someone watch her whilst she was being so weak, she felt grateful that it was Sakura, and not someone who would ridicule her for it. At least Sakura understood. At least she would know what to say.

Her room was dark when she entered, and she didn't bother lifting up the curtains to allow sunlight in. She walked straight to her bed and collapsed on it, not caring what Sakura may think. A moment later she heard the door close quietly and felt a slight dip in the mattress as Sakura sat down.

"What happened, sweetie?"

Hinata let out a muffled groan and turned away. Seems she had more than one tear reserve after all.

"Sakura," Hinata eventually whispered. "What did you do when Sasuke started dating Karin that time?"

Sakura rested her hand on Hinata's shoulder and sighed. "It felt like my gut had been wrenched from my body. Every time I saw them together I felt like I couldn't breathe properly. What did I do? I didn't do anything, really. I thought to myself: 'If Sasuke finds happiness in her, then who am I to try and ruin that?' I just tried to be a friend to him. Lucky for me, he dumped Karin and chose me instead. He said something like 'she was too demanding'. Hinata, what happened?"

A sob choked itself from Hinata's throat and she sat up to face Sakura, her eyes puffy and red-rimmed with tears. "He… he chose…" Hinata gulped, knowing that saying it would confirm its reality. "He's dating Hanabi. During their mission they… they must've gotten close or something, because he's dating her." She rested her head against Sakura's shoulder and let the floodgates open once more.

She felt Sakura tense up as soon as she finished speaking and a growl ripped from her throat. "I'm gonna beat that baka into the next fucking century," she hissed, then pulled Hinata around into an embrace. "I'm so sorry, Hinata. He's such a clueless idiot, and your sister… I don't know what the hell she's thinking, but I'll slap her or something for you, alright?"

"Please don't," Hinata said. "I want to talk to her."

She felt Sakura sigh again, then nod hesitantly.

.:{~}:.

It was nearing midnight when Hinata finally braved Hanabi. She quietly crept into her room and sat on her bed, shaking her awake less gently than she generally would have. A sleepy groan fell from Hanabi's lips, and she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Hinata, what are you doing here? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Why did you do it?" Hinata questioned, cursing the slight waver that still resonated in her tone. "Why would you do that to me? I've been in love with him since before you could even walk. I just… I can't comprehend why you would be so nasty and take him from me. I never even got a chance, Hanabi! Why couldn't you have helped me – just once? Why?"

Hanabi groaned and fell back onto her pillows. "Geeze Hinata, let it go."

"Let it go?" Hinata hissed. "I begged you to help me. You know how much I've loved him. You know how badly I wished that I could just get a chance with him. Why would you go off and… and date him, steal him, right under my nose? You've never even looked twice at him before now. You've sneered at him, called him names, classified him as a stupid moron with too much chakra and not enough brains to control it. Remember that? That's what you described him as when I asked you to help me; when you said that you didn't even know why I loved him. What the hell are you up to?"

Hanabi groaned again and sat up to stare her sister right in the eye. "Maybe now you know what it's like to have something you deserve taken from you because of something as stupid as I got there first."

Hinata blanched, at first unsure about what Hanabi was talking about. "Are you talking about you being a branch member?"

"What was your first clue?" Hanabi bit back.

Hinata tried to sift through her thoughts. "Gods Hanabi, I didn't choose to be the Head. I'd give that title to you in a heartbeat if I could, just please don't do this to me."

"When you become Head, they'll force you into an arranged marriage anyway, with someone else from the Clan. You should thank me: I'm saving you from more heartbreak in the future."

Hinata closed her eyes and forced back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her, before standing up and leaving the room. She couldn't handle any more. She couldn't bear it! She couldn't bear the idea of Naruto holding another girl, kissing another girl, being with another girl. It was too much; too painful; too real.

The next morning, Hinata made a bee-line straight for the Hokage tower.

"Kakashi-sama," she said politely upon entrance to the Hokage's room. "I was wondering if there were any long missions, preferably one that goes for at least a month, and one that is far outside of Konoha."

Kakashi stared at the young Hyuuga girl with his lone dark eye, curious as to what had caused her to ask such an odd question.

"I do have one," he said slowly, and reached down to retrieve a folder from beneath his desk. "It's a solo, and not so much a mission as being a helper. You have basic medic training, don't you?"

"Hai."

"I was going to send Sakura on this one. Suna is requesting a medic to help train the influx of new trainees."

"I can do it, Hokage-sama. I don't know many of the more advanced techniques, but I know how to learn them."

Kakashi narrowed his eye. "The mission is for six months, Hinata. Solo. You barely know anyone in Suna."

"I really need this, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi quelled his curiosity. If the Hyuuga girl wanted to go to Suna, then she was within her rights to. Sakura was more qualified, sure, but Hinata had the ability to teach and learn. Plus, she had the patience which Sakura unfortunately lacked to deal with annoying, pubescent teenagers.

"You leave at midday. Dismissed."

If you happen to favourite this story, I would love you forever if you could please leave a review. Novel-sized or one worded; praise or constructive criticism; good grammar or scarce grasp of the English language – I'd love to hear it! That is my one request of you.

Before anyone mentions it, I am completely aware that Hanabi is five years younger than Hinata. Unfortunately for this story it is necessary that she be three years younger instead, so let's just pretend that she's sixteen instead of thirteen, yeah? Thank you :)

One last bit of information, this story is set in a Narutoverse where The Last movie didn't happen. So though everyone is at the appropriate age, Toneri won't be randomly rocking up.

I'll be updating on Sunday every fortnight. I wish I could give you more, but I honestly don't have the time anymore, so I apologise for that.

Much love, Sapphire xox