What Happens Next?
Author's Note: This was a request story from CharmingKitty. The essential idea is this is an AU where the Uchiha Massacre didn't happen and what happens after the Ninja War. Hinata confesses her feelings to Naruto and demands an answer. When she doesn't get the one she wants, her friends encourage her to move on. Sasuke x Hinata is the main pairing, but there will likely be other side pairings. I hope you enjoy this story and reviews are always appreciated. ^^.
Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no money off of any of my stories.
Chapter Notation: This chapter does start off as sad, but I only write happy endings. Alright, so I guess CharmingKitty wanted a more serious tone for this story. So I reviewed this chapter to edit out the grandparents. So the ending is revised.
Chapter One REVISED
"Naruto?" Hinata calls out softly to one of the main heroes of the war and the man that she had adored since she was a small child.
"Oh hey, Hinata! What's up?" The blue eyed ninja asks cheerfully and heads over.
Today was the day. She was tired of waiting. The Hyuga Heiress understood why he hadn't answered her during the war. Everyone was fighting for their lives, but now peace had finally been restored. The Leaf's efforts to rebuild were largely going well and there was no reason why she should have to wait any longer to hear if her feelings were returned.
"Do you remember what I said to you during the war?" The bluenette summons up the courage to ask.
"Oh…yeah." Naruto says and rubs the back of his head sheepishly and everyone around the current construction sight was watching the two curiously.
"It's been months. Naruto, I think that I d-eserve an answer. Do you return my love?" She asks and felt her heart pounding in her chest.
Naruto gulps. This was the moment he was dreading. Hinata was a great girl. But he just didn't love her the way that she loved him.
He didn't want to hurt his friend's feelings. So he thought if he ignored her question long enough, she'd find someone else that she liked better than him and move on. But it just hadn't happened yet.
"Yeah. You do deserve and answer. Listen, Hinata…" He says and takes her hands into his own, causing he to blush.
"Yes, Naruto?" She asks hopefully.
"I think you are great. I mean you are really pretty, nice, and you're a lot stronger than people give you credit for. You're amazing and all, but I just don't see you THAT way." He says in a rush.
Sasuke watches the entire scene unfold before with distaste. He barely knew Hinata and even he wanted to kick his best friend's ass. Naruto should have manned up and told Hinata sooner that he only wanted her friendship and had no romantic interest in the Hyuga Heiress.
It was one thing not to return someone's love, but it was just unintentionally cruelty to keep them waiting because you didn't want to hurt their feelings. He had just ended up hurting the Hyuga woman MORE in the end. Hinata looks absolutely crestfallen, he noted.
"Oh. Well thank you for finally being honest with me." She whispers softly.
"I didn't mean to hurt you. I mean you are great! You're my friend. You'll always be really important to me!" Naruto continues and Sasuke smacks his forehead in the background.
He was such an idiot. The blonde unintentionally was just pouring salt in the wounds. Naruto really needed to stop saying the F word. Friend was probably the most painful word for Hinata to hear right now.
Hinata was extremely soft spoken at the best of times. So when she whispered, even Sasuke's keen hearing struggled to pick it up. But he had definitely detected more than a trace of bitterness when she said the word finally. Naruto was Naruto though. He likely didn't hear it.
"I understand, Naruto. Well it's late. I'm going to he-ad home. Have a good night." She says and slips off, feeling utterly humiliated.
Hinata started running back towards the Hyuga Estate. She had thankfully managed not to cry in front of the construction crew. So there was just a sliver of her dignity still intact. But now the tears were flowing freely and she was sobbing. She had to get home and as soon as possible.
"Hey, can you stop for a minute?" She hears someone ask and felt that someone lightly grab her hand.
She hadn't turned back yet. But the voice was distinctly masculine. It felt like a silken caress against her ears. His touch was very gentle, as if he was afraid he might startle her further. Hinata feels her cheeks heat up, realizing he had probably heard her crying and that was why he was being so gentle.
"Please let go." Hinata pleads.
"I don't think that's a good idea. If you run home with your face covered in tears like that, your family is going to ask what happened. And I don't think you want that to happen." He tells he softly and Hinata winces.
He had a point. Whoever he was did raise a valid concern there. If any of her family members saw her this way, they were going to ask what happened. It was only natural and she knew that she wouldn't be able to explain without breaking down sobbing again. He was right.
She simply nods and turns around. Her eyes widen in surprise when she saw who was the owner of that silky voice. Sasuke Uchiha. One of Naruto's teammates.
"Sasuke?" She asks in surprise.
Hinata didn't know what was worse. The fact that Naruto's teammate had seen her cry or the fact an Uchiha had. The Uchihas were a powerful clan. The only one that could actually rival the Hyugas. They were also an isolated clan, not much was known about what happened in their District and that made them dangerous.
"Yeah. What you did back there was really brave." He murmurs and uses his sleeve to brush away her tears in a shockingly tender gesture.
"Brave?" She asks in confusion.
"You love him. He wasn't giving you answers. So you demanded it. You could have just waited forever and clung to the fantasy. But you didn't. He's such an idiot. It's not his fault. Personally, I think he was dropped on his head a lot as a baby or maybe I hit him too hard during training a few times." Sasuke offers.
Hinata blinks. Sasuke had called her brave. She didn't even know the Uchiha knew who she was. Why was he being so nice?
It didn't fit with her image of his Clan. His Clan had played a major part in the war. They were almost like demons in their ability to cut through their enemies. But here he was wiping away her tears with such kindness?
"Thank you. But I wasn't brave. I should have asked sooner. I wasted so much time." She mumbles.
"You're far more patient than I would have been. But there was a war going on and reconstruction efforts took priority over our love lives. You had some valid reasons to put it off. Don't hate the idiot. He didn't mean to hurt you. I know that he didn't. Though if it makes you feel better, next time during training, I can Chidori him in the nuts. He's clearly never going to use them anyway." Sasuke says with a smirk.
Hinata didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that. She wondered if he was actually serious about that proposal. It was hard to tell. He was an Uchiha after all.
"Would you really do that?" She asks.
"If you want me to. Besides, like I said he's clearly never going to use them. Naruto is pathetically oblivious when it comes to women." Sasuke says with a shrug.
"And you're not?" Hinata inquires.
"I can at least tell when a woman wants me. He can't even do that much." Sasuke says scoffing at his teammate.
"HINATA! HINATA! There you are! Are you okay? I heard what happened!" Ino says as she comes racing towards them.
"I'm okay. Thank you for coming after me." She says, offering a forced smile to her blonde friend.
"Of course! That's what friends do. We look out for each other. I can't believe he just said that in front of everyone. He should have at least lead you off or something!" Ino says and for the first time in his life, Sasuke found himself agreeing with the flower lover.
"Well I'm going to go. My family will wonder where I am if I'm late to dinner. I see you are in good hands here." Sasuke says and slips off.
Ino blinks. She had been so worried about Hinata, that she hadn't noticed Sasuke was there. Which was highly unusual for her, because well Sasuke Uchiha was fucking gorgeous and she had had a crush on him since her Academy Days.
"What was Sasuke doing here?" She asks in confusion.
"I think he felt bad for me. He was being…nice." She mumbles.
"Oh well that was nice of him. Come on, Hinata. You need a girl's night out. You wait here. I'll go tell your father that you are staying at my place for the night." She says with a smile and races off before Hinata could object.
Soon enough, Hinata is dragged to Ino's home for a Girls Night. Somehow, she got all the female members of the Rookie Nine there and even Kurenai, Anko, and Tsunade in under 30 minutes. It was quite impressive and even a little scary.
"Here, Hinata. I heard what happened. You could definitely use a drink." Tsunade says and pours the bluenette a glass of sake.
"Lady Tsunade!" Kurenai protests.
"What? If they are old enough to kill and fight in a war, they are old enough to drink." The busty blonde reasons and Kurenai sighs, she couldn't really argue with that logic. (Still she didn't want the girls to get the idea that all of life's problems could be solved by drinking!)
"I know how you feel, Hinata." Sakura says sympathetically and Hinata thanks her.
"Well at least Sasuke never let you have false hope." She mutters and shocks even herself by doing so.
Sakura blinks. Hinata had just defended Sasuke. She wasn't aware that they were friends. Still she couldn't disagree. If there was one thing Sasuke Uchiha was, it was honest. Sometimes brutally so.
"That's true. Lady Tsunade, can you please pour me a glass? " The pink haired woman asks her teacher, who does so.
"Here's to new beginnings and finding men who will appreciate us." She says with a smile and makes a toast with Hinata.
Hinata smiles and clinks her glass with her friend. Maybe this was for the best. At least now she wouldn't end up an old maid, pinning for an answer that would never come. Besides, she had lots of friends. She'd find the right guy eventually.
"So what happened with you and Sasuke?" Ino asks out of the blue and Hinata chokes on her sake.
This got everyone's attention. Their sweet, innocent Hinata with Sasuke?! They all look at her expectantly and Hinata gives Ino a dirty look for doing this to her.
"Nothing. He saw what happened with Naruto. I guess he felt bad for me and went to check on me. He did offer to Chidori Naruto in the nuts though…" She mumbles rather quickly.
"I hope you took him up on that offer." Anko says cheerfully.
"ANKO!" Everyone else says scandalized.
"I'm just saying, the boy could have let her down gently years ago. But he didn't notice her and when he did, he didn't have the guts to tell her how he really felt. That caused our little princess over here a lot of unnecessary pain. I think a Chidori to the crown jewels might even it out a little." She says with a chuckle and reaches for the sake.
Sasuke meanwhile heads back to the Uchiha District. Since the Second Hokage's reign, his family had lived in the District and run the Police Force. He knew that Tobirama had probably meant well. But it just made things worse.
It inspired equal parts awe and fear amongst the rest of the villagers. Sasuke could feel trouble simmering just underneath the surface. Sooner or later tensions were going to boil over and how he could stop it from happening.
"Mother, father, I'm home." Sasuke calls out once he was inside.
"Welcome home, sweetheart. How is the reconstruction going?" Mikoto asks with a soft smile as she walks over and hugs her youngest son.
"Well we have the most important things done. Now it's mostly finishing touches and some shops." Sasuke answers and returns his mother's kind embrace.
"Excellent. Mikoto, my love, if you don't mind I would like to have a word alone with Sasuke." Fugaku says and caresses her cheek affectionately.
"Of course. I'll go check on dinner." She says, happy that her husband was going to attempt some father-son bonding time.
"You fought well in the War." He begins as Mikoto heads to the kitchen.
"Thank you, father." Sasuke says and wasn't at all sure where the Uchiha Patriarch was going with this.
"You have earned a good reputation for your efforts and I would like to see you use that asset wisely." He continues.
Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Now he definitely didn't know what his father was talking about. Use his reputation wisely?
"You are of age now, even if it is only just. But we ninjas have always tended to marry young. Our occupation is so dangerous, that is to our benefit to start families as soon as possible." Fugaku says.
"I know that. Every ninja does." Sasuke replies.
"Good. Which is why I do urge you to take advantage of your good reputation. Surely, there must be at least one girl who has caught your eye. Itachi is already married to Izumi. She's a fine woman, but she's another Uchiha." His father continues.
"Yes, I know. What's wrong with her being another Uchiha though? It's common practice to marry within your clan, as long as you aren't too closely related." Sasuke says.
Fugaku sighs. That indeed was true. He certainly would have preferred Sasuke to marry inside the clan, rather than out. But tensions were growing by the day. One way to soothe that would be by marrying someone outside the Clan. Hopefully, Sasuke would be able to see this.
"Nothing is wrong with her being an Uchiha. I prefer it actually. But I'm sure you are aware that things are growing increasingly tense between our Clan and the rest of the village?" He inquires.
"I'm aware of it. It's making me uneasy." Sasuke admits.
"One way to help soothe that would be for you to marry outside the Clan. Your role in the War means that you would have more options available to you than many in our Clan, if they tried this." He says.
Sasuke blinks. His father wanted him to marry outside the Clan? That thought had never occurred to him. He had always assumed that he would marry some very distant cousin.
Uchiha women were strong and beautiful. Marrying another Uchiha was perhaps the best way to ensure their children would have the Sharingan. And now, his father wanted him to marry outside the Clan.
"It has to be done now and then to prevent inbreeding. It's not that unusual." Fugaku says.
"I know that. I just haven't…really thought about it before. I always just assumed that I would be like Itachi." He mutters.
"As did I, but the situation being what it is…" He trails off.
Sasuke nods. He understood. He bit his lower lip. It was a nervous tick of his that he had never outgrown. Hinata had her hand gestures. Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Sakura talked to herself. Everyone had a nervous tic. Some were just better at hiding it than others.
"I'll think about it." Sasuke says.
"Good. I would prefer it if you were to marry for love. But if the situation continues to get much worse, I'm afraid that we won't have that option. You are my son. I am the Head of this Clan. Your marriage could be a powerful symbolism." He says.
"I understand." Sasuke says and sighs, crossing his arms as he looks at the clock.
Well Sasuke was taking this better than expected. A resigned wistfulness was far better than an angry tantrum, begging, or even denial. Still he did not like doing this to his son. But it was for the good of the clan. Sacrifice had to be made.
"Do not look upon this as a punishment. On the contrary, marriage can be a wonderful thing if you find the right woman. There is nothing better than waking up beside the one you love or holding your children in your arms. Even if you do not love her in the beginning, the bond between parenthood generally does help people grow closer and usually results in love." He says.
"Yes, father." He says.
It would be nice to have someone. He saw how Itachi was with Izumi. Those two were deeply in love. He knew that despite his father being at best standoffish to nearly everyone else, he adored his wife above all others. He wanted that for himself.
He had just always assumed he would find it with another Uchiha. The thought of going outside the Clan had never occurred to him. That was a large part of the reason why he never considered anyone like Sakura.
Alright, so in Sakura's case it was mostly because he didn't want to risk having pink haired sons and her personality was more abrasive than he would have preferred as time wore on. She had started off as a giggly Academy girl. Just another face in the crowd. Now she was a very talented ninja and a war hero, marrying her would be a strategically smart move…
"It is good to see you at least in deep contemplation over the matter. If you should desire any counsel, I am here to listen. So is Itachi. And while, I sincerely hope you don't go to your grandfather for advice, he is as well." Fugaku says with a chuckle.
He couldn't do it though. Sasuke just couldn't imagine being able to have children with her. He just wasn't physically attracted to her in the slightest. She was strong, smart, and loyal. Those were all good qualities. But god damn it when it came down to it, he wanted at least find his wife desirable!
"What about Sakura? She has always been fond of you and she is close to the Fifth Hokage." He offers.
"Not a good idea. I've told her for years that I didn't return her feelings. If I tried anything now…" Sasuke trails off and Fugaku nods understandably.
"What about Ino? She's quite pretty and her Clan's mind justu is formidable." He tries again.
Sasuke makes a face. Yeah, he found himself more attracted to Ino on a physical level. But she was still so high maintenance. She'd probably be resistant to the idea of children because she'd be worried about her figure. (In her defense, it was a pretty nice figure…but still.)
"Not to your liking either." He chuckles.
"Not really." Sasuke mutters.
He was hit with the realization that he would have to marry and likely soon. Sasuke mentally starts going through a list of all the Leaf women he knew. So far he was coming up blank. There had to be someone.
"It won't be immediate, unless tensions get worse. Which I'm afraid they will. There must be someone?" Fugaku urges him.
Sasuke shakes his head. He was seized with a feeling of dread. He wanted to be a good Uchiha. He knew that his father was right. His marriage could really help the Clan. But there was no one.
"What won't be immediate and dinner is ready my love?" Mikoto asks as she heads out of the kitchen.
Fugaku goes pale at the sight of his beloved wife. She would likely not take this well. She was a romantic. The woman would likely be furious that he had even suggested a marriage of convenience to Sasuke.
"You didn't tell mother?" Sasuke asks in disbelief.
"Well no. I wanted to speak with you first." The Uchiha Patriarch says.
"Tell me what? Fugaku, what is going on?" Mikoto demands and places her hands on her hips and Sasuke ducks out.
He was glad he had. Because a few minutes later, the sounds of fireball jutsus and kitchenware being thrown could heard.
His parents were fighting. They were fighting because of him. Damn it! He takes off running. Fortunately for Sasuke, Itachi saw his brother's form racing past his window. He follows him.
"Sasuke, what's wrong?" He asks.
"Father wants me to get married. Mother isn't happy about it. They are fighting over me now." The younger Uchiha says with a sigh.
"I did have concerns that something like this would happen. I should have warned you. For that I am truly sorry, Sasuke. I had hoped I would be wrong. Is there anyone that you find suitable?" He asks.
Sasuke just shakes his head. There was no one. He hadn't even had a crush. Sure, there had been women he found physically attractive. But it had never been deeper than that.
"A tremendous burden has been placed on you. I wish I could take it from you." Itachi says with a sigh.
"But then you wouldn't have Izumi." He says.
Itachi nods. He couldn't imagine a life anymore without his beautiful wife. But seeing Sasuke like this, it cut him to the bone. Sasuke was not meant to be a creature of such melancholy. This wasn't right.
He frowns. For years, tensions had been allowed to build. The elder Uchiha knew that it was a miracle that they hadn't already boiled over into violence. He supposed it was just a matter of time before they did. There had to be a way to stop this. Clearly, Fugaku Uchiha thought that a marriage would be the best way to do so.
"That is true. But I loathe seeing you like this. You shouldn't have to even be considering marriage now. You aren't even twenty. You should be flirting with whatever pretty girl happens to catch your eye, not trying to find a wife." He mutters.
"It doesn't matter. I'm an Uchiha. I will do whatever I have to in order to protect our Clan. If that means getting married, then I will do it. I just don't really know how to…" He trails off.
"Love someone as you should love your wife? It should come naturally Sasuke. When you find the right woman, it comes as naturally as breathing. I do wish for this for you more than you will ever know." Itachi tells him.
"Exactly. And she would have to the Uchiha District. It's a likely a completely different culture than the one she's used to. She'd feel isolated. How can I possibly make her happy, if she feels like an outsider?" Sasuke says with a sigh and looks up at the Full Moon.
It was beautiful, yet so far away. Sasuke supposed that on this night that was very fitting. It was a lot like love. He saw the love his brother and father had for their wives. He wanted that for himself. But for the life of him, he didn't see how to grasp it. Sasuke realized he might as well have been trying to reach out and grab the Moon itself in his hand.
"She would hardly be the first wife to marry into the Clan. They all adjust if given enough time. You just have to love her through it. Be there for her. Show her that you care. Such arrangements are difficult enough for the woman without an inattentive husband." He tells Sasuke.
Sasuke nods. He'd find someone. The younger brother would do his best to do exactly as Itachi said. He did want to make his wife happy. He just didn't know who she was yet. He'd just have to find a way to capture the Moon.