Disclaimer: Naruto not mine.

Hinata gaped. Repopulating the village? Then that meant... She glaced at Sasuke again, as the last link clicked into place. She had an ominous feeling when the Godaime started talking, and now this was the confirmation.

"But... But..." She sputtered, and looked again at Sasuke. He was leaning on the wall, his expression unreadable. He would be no help. "Hokage-sama... I must apologize if... If... This... You might construe this as me speaking out of turn, but.. I would have to disagree. I would have to decline this."

"Oh?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

Hinata looked helplessly at the older woman. How could she explain that she liked the life she was living right now? That she relished the freedom of living away from the Hyuuga compound, that she wanted to test the limits of her strength, that she resented this impingement on her freedom? She had been locked away for so long by her low self-esteem and her shyness and she was now feeling and enjoying her newfound power and confidence. She liked herself. She liked free Hinata. She did not want to be married Hinata, mommy Hinata - that will come, but not just yet.

She tried to wipe her sweaty palms on her pants discreetly. "I-I am not ready, Hokage-sama. I am not yet prepared to raise a child, and... And... In these conditions, it will not grow... Not thrive..." Why am I thinking of my garden now, of all moments! "I mean, the child will, um, it won't be cared for as much."

Tsunade looked serious. "If you are not ready now, then when? A shinobi's life is uncertain, Hinata. Remember that. If you do not take this chance, you may not be able to leave your legacy to your clan and to Konoha. We need all the help we can get."

Hinata turned red at this. How could she decline this request, if it was for the good of the village? She was willing to die for the village, but was she willing to give birth for it? Was she being too selfish? Tsunade made very logical points, but... Where are the feelings? She felt like crying out. Have they not considered hers and Sasuke's feelings? They were indifferent to each other. How could they raise a baby, let alone make it? Making a baby... She turned even redder. "But..."

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea after all." Sasuke said from behind her.

Thank you, Uchiha-san!

The Hokage ignored him. "Come, Hinata. Your village needs you." She put forward a sheet of paper with two dotted lines at the bottom, and a kunai. One of the lines already had a bloody thumbprint.

Hinata whipped around at him. "Uchiha-san, you already..." She turned back to Tsunade and the contract with wide eyes. Uchiha Sasuke agreed to this? Even before she did? Was he sick? She walked over to the taller shinobi and put her hand on his forehead. She had to know. He started at her touch. "You're not sick," she said, almost an accusation.

Her thoughts were in a whirl. Is this my future? Am I inevitably going to be shipped off to a marriage, because I am a Hyuuga? I thought moving out would give me the power to choose my own partner, but it seems like it actually is futile... If it isn't council, it would the Hokage. Maybe it's time to bow to a higher power.

She looked up again at Tsunade who was patiently waiting for her. "Take the kunai," the Hokage said, almost kindly. If Uchiha Sasuke was willing to do it, why not her?

She took it with trembling fingers, and made an incision on her thumb. She pressed on the wound to make it bleed. She held out her thumb and looked away, not wanting to look at herself signing away her fate. To her surprise, Sasuke stepped beside her and she felt him press her thumb over the contract. It was done. And in under half an hour.

Fifteen minutes ago, I had no idea was going to be married. And now I am.

Tsunade squealed and threw up her hands. "My two best ninjas! I'm so... I'm sorry, this is such a proud moment for me." She wiped away imaginary tears from her face.

Hinata was in a daze and did not register much of the Hokage's gleeful speech, until she was recalled to the present by the Hokage putting her arms around their shoulders.

"You're going to make me so proud. You can make preparations for the ceremony later - I can even be your godmother! Wouldn't that be great, ne, Hinata-chan, Sasuke-chan?"

"Get off me," she heard Sasuke mutter.

Ceremony... Godmother... This is it? I'm already married? Hinata thought. Somehow she had imagined it would be more romantic and grandiose, with doves flying into the sky, people clapping, sake corks being popped... I'm married, Hinata thought again. She thought she would feel happy, but at the moment she just felt disoriented.

Tsunade was steering them out of her office, chortling about being 'Godmother Tsunade.' They were nearing the door.

Once I step out of that door, I'm going to be Uchiha Hinata, she thought in a panic. She dug her heels in, and Tsunade stopped. "I... I..." I'd like some of that sake now, please, she wanted to say out loud, but it would mean spending more time in Tsunade's office and that was equally unbearable, too. "No, I'm sorry, we're going," she said breathlessly, wincing at her behavior. She must have seemed strange to Tsunade and Sasuke.

"All right then, have fun, you lovebirds!" Tsunade sang out. With a final push, they were out in the late afternoon sunlight.

Lovebirds, Hinata thought, outraged. She has no right to call us that. She looked away and exhaled sharply. She suddenly remembered Sasuke was beside her, and hastily gave a bow. "I apologize for my frustration, Uchiha-san." She straightened up and looked him in the eye. "I'm sorry we're in this predicament."

He held her gaze for a few moments, then his eyes roved her face, as if memorizing her features. She felt her cheeks turn hot at his scrutiny. Finally, to her relief, he nodded. "Now that we're married, I don't see anymore the point of honorifics, Hinata."

"I understand, Sasuke." It feels so intimate, she thought, slightly shocked at the feel of his name without the suffix. I'm married. No, she corrected herself, we're married. "Ano..." She bowed again. "I really am sorry."

"I don't see the point of bowing, either," he gave her a one-sided smirk.

She took a deep breath and mastered herself. Sasuke was not helping the situation. It was up to her to make the logistical arrangements. "I understand, Sasuke." She jerked her head to keep herself from bowing again. "I just wanted to say again that I'm sorry, and... um, I'll do my best not to, um, get in your way, I can assure you that. Now that we're... married," - weird! - "I suppose, um, I'll be moving into your compound since my apartment is too small. So I... I'd better get going, then, ne? I'll probably see you in the morning. Good night." She nodded at him, and because she desperately wanted to have a moment alone, turned on her heel and fled.

Good night? What were you thinking, Hinata?

Can you blame me?