Damn inspiration striking me at this ungodly hour of the night! It's been bugging me though.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did I wouldn't be writing this fanfic to explain exactly why the hell Kishimoto didn't pair the two up right after the Pein incident. Or even address it. Or mention it in passing. Grr.

The revelation hit me harder than one of Pein's gravitational attacks.

She loved me.

Hinata… the weird, quiet, Hyuuga girl with the silver eyes loved me.

The pain in my body was forgotten as I stared at her in shock, not believing what I was hearing. Of course it had to be true, otherwise she wouldn't be standing in between me and that psycho with a god complex right now. She had no chance in hell against this maniac. And that's what I told her, but she shut me down.

Only something really powerful could force this girl to abandon all reason and risk her life for someone as insignificant as me: and apparently that reason was love.

Why she loved me? Honestly I couldn't figure it out. As I watched her fight against that asshole I felt an overwhelming sadness come over me. She had just barely confessed to me, and yet I didn't even have time to even consider what it meant, or if I felt anything in return. Why was she fighting now? Why wouldn't she stop so we could talk later, her still alive and breathing?

Now she's walking towards me, blood dripping down her already pale face, a determined grimace replacing the otherwise calm mouth. I could only watch from where I was on the ground, pleading with my eyes for her to run away and save herself.

She stumbled. She kept crawling. I bowed my head, the sorrow making it too hard to lift it any longer. I felt the vibration as she grasped the rod impaling my hands, but I knew it was pointless.

"Why would someone weak like you try to resist? Why fight me, knowing that you'll die?"

The rod shook with her hands.

"I stand by what I say, because that's my ninja way."

And then she was gone, soaring up into the air. Her body was even graceful as it was being thrown skyward, but all too soon she came crashing back down, vibrating the ground beneath me.

I watched in horror as Pein summoned another rod, and with godlike finality brought the rod and death down through Hinata's heart.

Blood rushed through my ears, muffling out the world like cotton. Pein was saying something, but it didn't register. A pool of red gathered on the rocks beneath her, and that was when everything went black and I knew no more until I met my father.

A second chance. I was grateful for the opportunity. My father knew I had unfinished business, and Hinata's face unconsciously entered my mind. I would not let her sacrifice be in vain. I was going to save her, no matter what.

And I did. Everyone who died was brought back to life, and although we had lost everything we still had our lives, our friendship, our love.

As I was tossed into the air in the arms of the ecstatic villagers, I searched the crowd and met Hinata's silver eyes. They held nothing but love, happiness and admiration. Why hadn't I ever noticed before? I could have kicked myself in the head.

As I stared she walked away from the edge of the crowd, soon disappearing from view. I wanted to follow, but the crowd was so urgent that I be there in the afterglow of our miracle I just couldn't say no, and it wasn't until the middle of the night that I was alone once more.

The skies were clear and bright, and the wind nonexistent. It seemed as if they weather knew what we had been through, and decided to leave us be for now. I sat in a hard-to-find intact tree, breathing deeply with my legs crossed before me. As the energy flowed smoothly through me I felt the change, and opening my eyes I saw the world through my newly acquired sage eyes. But seeing with my eyes wasn't what I wanted.

Closing them once more I stretched my consciousness to the fiery blurs that now made up the world.

'Too harsh, too bitter, too blue… there!'

Her chakra was a robin eggs' blue. It was soft, serene, peaceful- yet strong at the same time. It was a wonderful sensation, and I unwittingly let out a sigh.

It didn't take long to track her down. Just like me, she was still awake at this ghastly hour of the night. She was wandering in the middle of the destruction, where she had fought with Pein.

I watched as she bent down to the crater where she had died, and touch the dried blood that had now congealed in the dirt. I walked up silently behind her.

"It must be strange, to know you died and then come back to life again."

She wasn't even startled. She simply stood up and looked at me, her silver eyes reflecting the moonlight.

"It is, but I never actually left." She answered, her gaze unflinching.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

She finally averted her gaze.

"It's true; I died. But… but my spirit stayed with you."

At this she blushed, and I felt myself relax at the familiar Hinata action.

"Hinata… you said you loved me. I don't doubt that it's true but… why?"

Two moons, dancing with silvery light. They pulled me in yet pushed me away, making me feel like the tide.

"Because you are my sun."

The pull won the duel, and suddenly she was in my arms. Her serenity swallowed me whole, and I couldn't leave if I tried. It felt great. It felt right.

But something wormed it's way into my peaceful bubble. A thought- no, a revelation. It needed to be said.

"Hinata."

She just held me tighter.

"You know too, don't you?"

It took a while, but eventually I felt her nod. It was small, but still there.

"You died once for me, I won't let it happen again. We're lucky we even got a second chance."

"I know." She whispered.

Yet we still held each other. We had this moment, and we had the future. We would wait.

After all, the sun and the moon always rise again.

Please review :)