Hinata stared at the scroll in her hands, her fingers crumpling the edges of the paper, she was on the bed of Hidden Sand's hospital, pale yellow sandstone walls and a small window were all the decorations the room had, she had been sent here about six months ago to recover from an injury she took when ninjas from Hidden Sound had tried to kidnap her, according to the medic-nin she had been so close to dying that it was a miracle she was going to fully recover, thanks to the alliance between the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Sand she had been allowed to be treated by one of the sand's senior medic-nin, Chiyo-obasan.

Her father had tried to get her to accept an arranged marriage with a shinobi from Hidden Cloud. Some old man named Killer B, Hinata shuddered, he remembered when she saw the photo of the man, and she didn't want to imagine what her life with a man twice or thrice her age would be. For the first time she had stood up to her father, she remembered that day as if it had been yesterday, her father had ordered her to prepare for a trip to Hidden Cloud to meet her fiancé, Hinata had felt something akin to anger.

It was a horrible feeling, like gigantic fireball rising up from her stomach, it burnt her insides until it came out of her mouth

"No!"

Her father shocked expression, and the way his Byakugan activated on its own didn't make Hinata flinch, she made her hands on her fists and stood straighter than ever in her life, she stared directly into her father's stern eyes. She felt proud she wasn't shaking. Her father brows knit together as he stared down his nose at Hinata

"Pardon?" he growled, "What do you mean, no?"

"It means…" she wavered for a second "I'm not marrying him! I'd rather die than marrying someone I don't love" her father smirked at her or was it a smile? Hinata didn't care, the fury she felt multiplied tenfold "Are you out of your mind? That old man is thrice my age! How do you think I would feel when you push this to me out of nowhere? Don't you care about me?" Hinata scoffed "Of course you don't! Maybe being the family's head affected your brain… how …. HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO YOU OWN DAUGHTER! Are you stupid?" Hinata was breathing deeply and heavy, then she realized what she had said; she opened her mouth to apologize but the thundering sound of her father's hand slamming on his desk made her jump and close her mouth.

"Enough!" he said with less bite that Hinata expected "I won't put up with this disrespect!" Hinata's shoulders sagged and her head started hanging low, she was looking at her own feet. Knowing that her father had made a decision

"I have someone I love" she whispered knowing her father wouldn't care, he stayed silent for a few seconds in deafening silence.

"You are dismissed Hinata, stay in your room for the next week as punishment for your disrespect" Hinata's head snapped to her father, he had the most curious expression on his face. If she was going to stay in her room for a week it meant that at least for now she wasn't going to meet her 'Fiancé'. Hinata didn't know why but she started to feel a little bit of hope. She bowed to her father and went to her room.

As the week crawled to an end, Hinata saw them coming, three shinobi wearing Hidden Sound headbands, she tried to ambush them but they were at least jonin level, they were able to overpower her with a jutsu that had ruptured her internal organs, but not before she closed she shredded the internal organs of one of them, she fainted after that, only to wake up in Konoha's hospital a week later.

Father and Neji had heard the commotion, the Sound jonin didn't stand a chance against both Hyuga powerhouses. The three of them were already in Torture and Interrogation being interviewed by Ibiki

A week later the medic-nin had deemed her stable and she was shipped to Hidden Sand to take therapy from Chiyo-obasan.

And now her eyes filled with tears as she read the scroll her father had sent him.

Hinata, you are to return to Konoha within a week's time

You are meeting your new Fiancé,

Once you meet him, I will consider your opinion

Do not disappoint me.

The fourth Hokage has assigned two ANBU to escort you back to Konoha

Hinata cried, her father was marrying her to the Cloud shinobi, the whole 'I will consider your opinion' was his way to making Hinata do what he wanted her to do. She was sure that even if she refused, her father would go forward with the wedding.

She cried until she could no longer shed tears, she fell asleep with the scroll crumpled in her hand.

O=O=O=O

The next morning Chiyo-obasan had deemed her ready for travel, she was almost completely recovered and could return to active duty, even though she knew she would never be a shinobi again.

She was introduced to her escort, they were two men about a head taller than Hinata, one had blond hair that Hinata found familiar, he was wearing a ceramic fox mask with red whiskers marks, and the other had longish black slick hair and was wearing a ceramic crow mask. They both were wearing the standard ANBU uniform with the gray flak jacket, black slacks, and shirt. They both bowed lowly at her.

"Hinata-sama," said ANBU-Fox "We are here to escort you back to Konoha" Hinata bowed back, imagining the face her father would make if he saw her bowing so low to mere ANBU.

"Thank you ANBU-San," she said in a polite voice, she looked up to see both ANBU staring at each other before ANBU-Crow took her bag and ANBU-Fox motioned her to follow him.

They didn't waste time, they set out to Konoha, with a warning from Chiyo-obasan not to overexert herself, both Fox and Crow were silent the whole way, they communicated between themselves with hand signs to indicate possible threats or alternative routes they should take.

Hinata thought they worked as a well-oiled two-man-team, they probably were used to work with each other.

Just before the sun started to set they stopped by a small cave near an oasis, they hadn't yet left the great desert of the Land of Wind.

"We'll be staying the night here Hinata-sama," said ANBU-Fox as he retrieved a scroll from his flak jacket, he released the seal to reveal several camping utensils and three sets of sleeping bags, Hinata took the bags and started setting them up. She noticed Fox looking at her his head cocked to the right

"I- Is there a problem Fox-san?" ANBU-Fox shook his head and turned to start a fire pit, a few minutes later ANBU-Crow came into the cave, from his hand hung a pair of brown rabbits. Crow started skinning one of the rabbits with swift kunai movements, he then stabbed it with his sword and up it over the fire.

Hinata frowned, was he going to eat burnt rabbit meat? Didn't he know how to properly clean an animal or at least add some salt? Crow grabbed the second rabbit and before he could start cleaning it Hinata spoke

"Umm, Is… Is it okay if I prepare the last rabbit?" both Crow and Fox turned their masked faces to look at her.

"Is that ok Hinata-sama?" said Fox, Hinata had the sensations that she had heard his voice before.

"We don't want to get yelled by Hiashi-sama because he thinks we forced his daughter to cook for lowly ANBU" Said Crow, his deep and calm voice dripping with sarcasm. Hinata flinched at his tone. But she didn't really want to eat unseasoned burnt meat, she took a step forwards and took the rabbit from Crow's hands, he turned to Fox and shrugged.

"I actually enjoying cooking." she said with her own tint of sarcasm, It looked like crow was going to answer something biting but Fox but a hand on his shoulder, they looked at each other for a beat, then Crow stalked away to sit on a rock, he pulled out a kunai and started sharpening it.

Fox looked at her and made a 'go ahead' motion with his hand, Hinata pulled a kunai from her weapons pouch and started working on removing the rabbit's skin, then she sliced the rabbit's meat deboning it, she took a frying pan from her own scroll, she looked around and saw greenery growing near a stone, she examined it and recognized it as an edible plant with strong oregano-like aroma. She added everything into the frying pan with a bit of olive oil salt and pepper.

Hinata turned to look at what the other was doing, Fox's masked face was looking at her and Crow was absorbed sharpening his Kunai

A few minutes later she had a frying pan full of sliced meat cubes, the smell filled the cave enough to make Crow look up from his Kunai, he stood up and pointedly grabbed his burnt rabbit sword skewer, moved his mask a just enough to let him eat without revealing his face

Fox's shoulders were shaking, was he stifling a laugh? He sat in front of Hinata and procured a small energy bar from his pouch. His shoulder sagged a bit and he let out a sad sigh.

They started eating in silence, Fox moved his mask just like Crow had done, not revealing his face to Hinata. Fox finished his bar in a few seconds before drinking from his canteen, just as Hinata was going to take a bit from her food, Fox's stomach growled, loudly, his shoulders tensed and he sat straighter than before. Hinata could hear Crow's stifled laugh.

"Do… Do you want some?" she offered her plate to Fox he hesitated a moment before he shook his head, but then his stomach growled again. Hinata heard Crow stomp out of the cave silently, laughing. "It's ok, I don't eat that much, and It would be a waste to throw away this food, right?" she said trying her best smile, Fox hesitated for a moment but then grabbed a pair of chopsticks and started eating the sliced meat. Hinata blushed as each time he ate one of the slices, he made a sound of pleasure. She thought he was exaggerating. It was just seasoned meat in olive oil.

When they had finished eating, Fox bowed lowly to her and gave her his thanks. Crow returned and he extinguished the fire, they all went to sleep in their sleeping bags.

O=O=O

During the night Hinata had a nightmare, the old man that was her fiancé transformed into a gigantic monster with octopus tentacles during their wedding ceremony. He tried to eat her but Naruto-kun came to her rescue. But her fiancé beat Naruto-kun, she woke up with a start. She realized she had been crying in her sleep. She stood up and silently as possible trying not to wake up her escorts.

She went outside the cave to the lake. She sat on the lake's edge and removed her sandals letting her bare feet touch the water's surface. The water was cold but it relaxed her spirit.

Until she remembered why she was doing this trip. She was getting married to some old man from another village, she probably would never see Naruto-kun, Hanabi or Neji again.

She started sobbing, her knees pulled all the way to her chest and her arms warped around her legs. She cried for longer than she had cried since her mother's death. She cried until there were no more tears. The only sounds on the cold desert night were those of her sobs and the insects that dwelled in sparse vegetation that surrounded the oasis.

When she had enough of feeling sorry for herself she decided to take a bath in the cold lake water she removed her lavender jacket and pants, before removing her mesh shirt and her underwear. She walked over the water remembering that she once had done this before, to her embarrassment Naruto-kun had caught her dancing naked over the waterfall. Thankfully he hadn't made the connection between the beautiful dancing waterfall girl and her.

Hinata blushed, he had called her beautiful. She remembered the dance, it was one that was used to introduce one to the gentle fist style of taijutsu, she started spinning, being careful of maintaining the correct chakra levels on her feet, the movements that looked like she was reaching for a dancing partner were actually basic juken strikes, just when she was about to make the final pose of the dance she heard a sound. She stopped the chakra flowing on her bare feet allowing herself to fall into the water. She let out a small yelp as the cold water hit her skin, it was drowned by the big splash her body made as she sank down.

She looked around to see ANBU-Fox staring at her, she stared back at his expressionless mask. And Hinata pushed down her breasts as they started floating up. The movement made Fox turn around giving his back to Hinata.

"I'm Sorry, Hinata-sama, it wasn't my intention to peep, y'know," he said nervously his ANBU-like diction completely forgotten, Hinata frowned but by the way his shoulders slumped and how his arms were rigid to his side Hinata believed in the ANBU

"It's fine" she sighed "I was just taking a bath to relax" then Hinata did something she never expected herself. "Don't turn around" she ordered with as much command as she could muster, Fox's shoulder's squared even more and his hands became fists

"Y-Yes!"

Hinata swam to the lake's shore where her clothes lay folded. She started dressing after drying her body with a chakra pulse. As she put on her jacket she could see the tension on Fox's body shoulders.

"It's ok you can turn around" he slowly turned to look at the fully dressed Hinata. He let out a sigh and bowed as low as his body allowed him

"I'm sorry Hinata-sama" Hinata let out a sigh

"How old are you Fox-san," she said, she didn't know why but it was really easy to talk to ANBU-Fox, Fox looked taken aback if Hinata's body language reading skills were as good as she believed they were.

"Eighteen" he answered puzzlement clear in his voice

"Oh, just like me," she said "Please stop calling me Hinata-sama" Fox nodded "what were you doing here fox-san" Hinata sat at the edge of the lake turning her back to Fox, a moment later Fox sat beside her, for some reason Hinata smiled.

"I heard you cry," he said his ANBU-Like diction back in full effect, they both stayed silent for a few minutes, Hinata watched as small ripples in the lake distort the reflection of the moon and stars. She wanted Fox to know why she was crying and before she could stop herself she started talking

"I'm meeting my fiancé once I return to Konoha," she said in a small whisper "I don't want to get married to an old man I have never meet" she saw Fox's shoulder's slump "and… and I have someone I love she said" if it was even possible Fox's shoulders sagged more, he turned his expressionless mask to her and tilted his head in a questioning manner.

"Oh, It's a childish crush" she said "but it's more real than anything else in my life" she started drawing a spiral in the desert's sand "I meet him when I was five, he protected me from some kids that were bullying me, we meet again during the academy but I was never brave enough to become his friend" she sniffed a bit

"He was really popular, and was always surrounded by friends, I have been always been shy and introverted. It was impossible for me to approach him" she sniffed twice and "now I regret it" Fox was staring at her

"Do you really love him?" Hinata turned to Fox, tears dripping down her face.

"Yes" she buried her face in Fox's chest and felt a little bit calmer when he stroked her long hair, "I love him so much It's painful" she whispered "I love Naruto-kun" Fox tensed for a moment and his hand stopped stroking her hair, Hinata wanted to tell him to continue to stroke her hair

"M— Th- the Hokage's son?" he asked incredulously, Hinata nodded in Fox's chest, his hand started stroking her hair again "My father has been trying to get me into an arranged marriage" he let out a dry laugh "at first I thought he wasn't being serious but now it's becoming harder and harder to say no" then in a whisper she wouldn't have heard hadn't she been so close to him "much harder now" Hinata relaxed in Fox's arms, for some reason his body warmth and the way he stroked her hair made her feel serene, Hinata despite herself she warped her arms around his body, she rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. The beating of his heart and the rise and fall of his chest lulled her into a deep sleep

She didn't have any nightmares that night

She woke up next morning in her sleeping bag, she felt completely rested and her body felt light, then her face went deep red as she remembered what she had done yesterday

After getting caught dancing naked in the lake she had hugged a boy she had just meet and told him one of her deepest secrets. Her face burned with shame. He heard Crow return to the cave while Fox was packing and resealing all the things they had used last night to set up camp

He turned her masked face towards her

"Good morning Hinata-san, please get ready today we will reach Konoha" Hinata eyes went wide with shock, she could only nod to Fox.

O=O=O

After a long and awkward trip, she was able to see Konoha's gates, both Fox and Crow had been silent the whole way, but she couldn't stop thinking that they had been having a conversation with the glances they gave each other, even thought they were wearing ceramic masks.

As soon as they reached the gates she saw her father and the Fourth Hokage waiting at the main gate, her shoulders slumped and she felt as if someone had thrown her into the desert's cold lake again, her head started hanging down and she stared at her own feet until a warm hand touched her shoulder

"Hinata-san, I know this may sound like empty words, but…" he gently squished her shoulder "…but you must believe that everything will be alright… believe it!" Hinata felt better for some reason even though she had not reason to believe in the ANBU's words, she wanted to… she wanted to cling to the tiniest ray of hope.

She smiled back at Fox "Thank you"

After they reached the gates, both Fox and Crow bowed deeply to Hokage-sama and her father.

"Hokage-sama, Hiashi-sama, we have completed our mission and bought Hinata-sa… Hinata-sama back" then they stood to attention allowing Hinata to step forward, she bowed not as deeply as she usually did in front of her father

"Father, I'm back" Her father stared at her with his normal stern expression but said nothing, the cold silence was broken by the voice of the Fourth Hokage

"See, Hiashi, I told you Crow and Fox would bring your daughter back safe!" her father looked at the Hokage with an unimpressed expression

"It is as you say, Hokage-sama" he said then turned to Hinata "Hinata/" her father turned on his heel and started walking towards the Hyuga main house, Hinata bowed to Crow and Fox and once more to the fourth who gave her a mischievous grin.

Hinata wondered about that.

O=O=O

Preparations for the meeting with her fiancé were done by a member of the branch family, the woman had helped Hinata put on a beautiful pure white Kimono with red hems, her hair was done in an intricate bun that let waves of her it fall down her back like strips of dark blue silk, the woman had put a big white flower with an orange throat to decorate her bun. She had masterfully applied a light layer of makeup, to accentuate the natural beauty of her smooth skin. She applied a deep red lipstick that made her lips contrast with her porcelain skin.

She looked at the mirror, even though she knew she looked gorgeous, she only wished for one man to look at her like this. She pushed her tears back not wanting to waste the woman's hard work. Someone knocked at the door

"Hinata," the gruff voice of her father said before opening the door, Hinata turned her body to look at her father, he looked at her with a small smile on his face, Hinata narrowed her eyes

"You look like you mother" Hinata closed her eyes biting back the first sarcastic response that came to her mind she bowed

"Thank you, father" Hinata wasn't able to remove the bite from the tone of her words, she heard her father sigh.

They soon walked to the meeting room in the Hyuga compound, they entered the room from a back entrance. The room was divided in two by a curtain, on the more elevated side of the room lay several sitting cushions, a tea set let out vapor in front of them

Her father took his place sitting in seiza, Hinata followed suit by sitting beside her father. A white veil covered her sad face. Her father touched her shoulder and Hinata looked at him, he had a smile.

Her father had never smiled since her mother had died, Hinata frowned, then Hinata heard the door open and through the curtain, she saw two figures approach and sit in the seiza position in front of the curtain.

None of them looked like the burly tanned man she had seen in the photo, Hinata turned to her father and he smiled back. Hinata stared the silhouettes as the curtain started to be pulled up by a branch family member.

Hinata's heart stopped. Her eyes widened and her cheeks took on a red tinge

As the curtain was completely pulled up, it revealed Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage sitting beside his first son Uzumaki Naruto, Hinata's childhood crush. The boy that had inspired her to become better was sitting there

His face looked as confused as Hinata felt, she stared back at her father, his attention was completely on the Hokage, she looked at the Hokage and saw that he was talking, but the only thing she could hear was her own heartbeat. She locked eyes with Naruto-kun, his confused expression, which had mortified Hinata for a second was gone, and a huge grin had taken its place. Hinata couldn't stop from smiling back at him

As they were let alone to talk to each other over tea. Naruto seemed to fidget a lot as Hinata poured him their first cup of tea.

"Naruto-san" she said trying to remember the etiquette lessons a branch family member had taught her. "please accept this offering of tea" Naruto stared at Hinata dumbly and nodded he grabbed the tea, with the wrong hand and drank it in one gulp, Hinata giggled covering mouth with the sleeve covered hand, but then sobered a bit, she needed to say something that may ruin everything, but she considered it something that needed to be said.

"Naruto-kun" she allowed herself to use the more familiar term "If you feel like you are being forced into this, or you have someone else you love we can call this marriage out" she bit back her tears not wanting to embarrass herself but if Naruto wanted to be with someone else… Hinata would be happy as long as he was happy.

Naruto stared at her, he set the glass on the low table between them and let out a sigh, Hinata heart went to her feet as she felt the rejection coming. But she steeled herself.

"Hinata," Naruto said, and Hinata's eyes widened and her cheeks burned at the lack of Honorific "you don't get it?" Hinata was now staring at Naruto-kun who smiled warmly at her, he made a hand seal, and after the smoke cleared, Naruto had something gray and oval-shaped in his hands. He lifted his hand and put the object on his face

It was a very familiar ceramic fox mask

"I feel in love with you two days ago"

TL: Ok for those of you who don't know WTF is this, this is a one-shot I came up with yesterday the original story was actually quite different and it was more about Hinata falling in love with ANBU!Bodyguard!Naruto but then it evolved into this: an arranged marriage goes completely right

Some back story I wasn't able to introduce naturally but may be important:

There was no Kyuubi attack in Konoha, no Uchiha massacre as the tablet wasn't tampered with, Naruto grew up as a happy kid with tons of friends, Sasuke is Naruto's childhood friend. Sasuke personality is more similar to his RTN persona but not as lecherous. Sasuke is ANBU-Crow. Initially Hiashi was going to get Hinata to marry Killer B but when she stood up for herself and told her she had someone she loved he investigated it after he found out that her daughter's crush was Naruto (an Uzumaki, jinchuuriki and the son of the fourth Hokage) he changed his plan and spoke to Minato, Minato knowing that the life of an elite ANBU didn't allow for much romance sent Naruto and Sasuke to retrieve Hinata in hopes that they grow little closer. Things went better than expected.

I may or may not write other one shots in this universe if you have any ideas drop a review and if they are cool I may write them or may not who knows.

I will continue writing her eyes were green don't worry

Hiashi: Just as Keikaku
Translator: Keikaku means plan