Disclaimer: No way, no how! I don't own Naruto! I think I already said that, but OK!
I got so bored waiting for people to favorite, follow, review, or even view my thing that I decided to get started on the next chapter. I mean REALLY! I was waiting for a whole THREE MINUTES!(Yes, I timed it, just sitting there, reloading my computer over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over again! IT WAS SO BORING!) I MEAN REALLY! THREE WHOLE MINUTES!
Edit: Finally getting around to this chapter. God, I'm so bored with this fanfiction, but I'm determined to rewrite and finished it for you guys! Since I spend so much time brooding over if I should work on this or not, I never get to my other stories that I'm actually interested in, so I'll try my best to work faster without rushing my work... One or two paragraphs a day should do it... When I'm done with rewriting my stories, I can finally start updating all of them normally!... -ish...
Oh, and for those who don't know, Hanabi is around 16 in this story, no matter how childish she comes off as.
Hinata sat in her office, staring out the window at the garden, watching as cherry blossom petals danced in the wind. It had been four years since the death of Naruto, but Hinata could still remember it in crystal clarity, as though it was only yesterday. Every day, she had wished she could let her own wounds heal, and every day, she had cried resentfully at the thought. How selfish of me, she would think, Wanting to forget Naruto-kun's sacrifice... I could never forget. Many things had happened since that fateful day, not that Hinata noticed it much, having withdrawn back into a tight shell and surrounded herself with her many new duties as clan head. About three and a half years ago, Sasuke had come back to the village, completely different from how he had been when he left. After a short adjustment period, he had been signed as the new Uchiha Clan leader(not there were any Uchihas left to lead) and given the lease to the old Uchiha compound. Half a year later, Hinata's father had died from a sickness he had gotten from travelling to other villages to make treaties, leaving Hinata as the leader of the Hyuga clan at only 17.
She was now 20 years old, but the scars on her heart from the wounds it had received four years earlier had never fully healed. Hinata hadn't seen any of her friends since her father's death, and missed them deeply, but she always found an excuse not to meet up with them. She didn't want the pitying glances and apologies that hadn't stopped coming, even after four years. They knew how badly Naruto's death had scarred her, and she knew they just wanted to help her, but she hated how small and weak their pity made her feel, no matter how true that was. She tried to keep up-to-date through Neji, though he wasn't always into the latest news either. If her cousin was anything, it most certainly wasn't a gossiper. Neji himself had finally asked Tenten out, and they had become an amazingly close couple; Hinata sometimes saw them training in the clan courtyard, having picnics, or just sitting together and talking. She was happy for her cousin, but whenever she found them together, she could never stop that slight squeezing sensation in her heart that forced her to shut her eyes and turn around.
Hinata had refused to get over her first love and find a boyfriend, much to the dismay of her clan. After all, 'we need to secure the future of our clan' and 'that can't be done without an heir or heiress'. The Hyuga snorted slightly at her own thoughts. When had she become so snarky and sarcastic as to mock the clan elders?
Honestly, the blunette didn't even really care anymore. She couldn't find any reason for living now, except to lead her clan as best she could. The only time she left the Hyuga compound anymore was for meetings and to visit her father's and Naruto's graves, absorbing herself completely in her new roll. Naruto-kun would be so ashamed of me, if he saw me like this... Hinata thought, for what seemed like the umpteenth time, Too bad he isn't here anymore to tell me so.
A knocking on the door broke her train of self-deprecating thoughts. She turned to the door and called a soft 'Come in!'. Three clan elders walked in and sat down in front of Hinata. "Lady Hinata,"They greeted politely, bowing their head ever so slightly in respect. Hinata bowed fully to them in mutual respect, signaling that they may speak with her hand. "All of us are well aware that if you do not choose a partner, the Hyuga will be left without a successor, yes?,"the elderly female that sat in the middle questioned. Hinata nodded slowly, a feeling of foreboding welling up in her chest. The wrinkled man to the left continued for the woman after a moment, "The elders have received information that you are still unwilling to find a suitor. Is that true?" Hinata nodded again, gulping. They wouldn't have... They couldn't...
"We have discussed amongst ourselves, and have come to the agreement on a desirable suitor for you-,"The man to the right had begun. "You can't-,"Hinata tried to protest, but she went unnoticed as he continued, his voice now much more forceful. "-The Uchiha clan head, Uchiha Sasuke, has agreed to wed you,"he finished. For a moment, Hinata stared in complete silence and disbelief. They had to be joking, right? Sasuke would never agree to this! But, no, the elders never joked. Hinata felt a stone drop in her chest, and a lump rise into her throat, cutting off her air.
"YOU THINK I WILL BE OKAY WITH THAT? I WILL NOT DO AS YOU SAY! YOU CAN NOT CHOOSE MY SUITOR FOR ME! YOU DO NOT HAVE THE POWER!,"Hinata screamed uncharacteristically, tears pricking her eyes as she jumped to her feet and slammed her palms onto the desk - a combination of stress, desperation, disbelief, and a long-since wounded broken heart finally pushing it's why to the surface after having been buried for so many years. The elder to the right - one who had actually been very nice to her as a child - shook his head, and held up a signed document, "I'm afraid we do, Hinata-chan-" The honorific he rarely used showed through, probably in an attempt to comfort her. "-and the document has already been signed by Uchiha Sasuke, as well as 4/5ths of the elders. You must understand that this is for the good of the clan. If you do not, the other elders will be pushed to use Hanabi-chan instead."
Hanabi?! No... She's so young, she can still fall in love, she still has so much to learn and experience and live before she should be tied down... I won't let them take my little sister's freedom away from her! She closed her pale eyes and nodded, taking a deep breath as she lowered herself back into her chair. "When will the wedding be held?,"She asked quietly, her violet gaze locked on her hands rested in her lap. "April 3rd,"The woman in the middle said, her eyes scrutinizing Hinata's reaction silently. Hinata gasped in shock, her eyes flying up again, wide with surprise. "But that's only two months away!,"She exclaimed, her hand twitching in phantom pain at the thought of all the work that would be required. The elder to the left held up his hand to silence her as he spoke,"The sooner the better. This is all we had to say. Please sign your name at the bottom of the contract, and we will take our leave."
The kind elder to the right pushed the paper forward for her, an apologetic smile crossing his features. Hinata scanned the paper, unconsciously fingering the pen that always rested to the side of the table. She noted absently that the kind old man's name wasn't part of the signatures from the elders, and she wondered if that was part of the reason he was tasked with convincing her to sign it; because he would know the best way to break it to her, if he thought it was a bad thing too.
Hinata frowned as she read the contract's terms. Since this wasn't a marriage to combine clans, but to ensure powerful heirs, neither of their last names would be changing. If in the event that Hinata refused the contract, her younger sister, Hanabi, would be forced to take her place. Hinata, as the female(God, sometimes she wished she could get rid of that sexist mindset of her clan), would be living with Sasuke until at least one child with each doujutsu were born. Any that were born without Byakugan would remain in the Uchiha clan. As soon as a child with the Byakugan and a child with the Sharingan were born, the marriage could be dissolved... Hinata felt her heart twist painfully - give up her own child? How many would it take to give birth to a Byakugan child? How many of her own kids would she never get to watch grow up?
Hinata glanced at the picture frame on her desk.
Without a second thought, the Hyuga signed her name in elegant cursive, just below Sasuke's.
The old woman in the middle swiped the paper from Hinata swiftly, shuffling out of the room without another word, the man that had sat on the left following suit immediately. The kindly man on the right, however, paused as he reached the door frame, twisting around to meet Hinata's defeated, blank gaze. He smiled softly, comfortingly, yet apologetically "Hinata-chan, I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you. You've been so strong. If there is ever anything I can do to make this easier for you, come to me immediately,"He whispered softly, as though to make sure the other elders didn't overhear him. Hinata forced her tears back as the man exited the room, gulping loudly, her body trembling sporadically. She'd been anything but strong. She wasn't strong, and she never would be - not without Naruto standing beside her. Slowly, Hinata lowered her head into her arms, resting her cheek against the cool, smooth surface of her desk as she struggled to bite back the tears already dripping down her face.
There was a soft creaking as the door to the office slide open, followed soon after by a soft gasp. Hinata desperately moved to scrub away her tears, having easily recognized the voice and chakra signature that had entered. She refused to allow Hanabi - or Neji, if the second set of footsteps and the chakra signature were anything to go by - see her like this. She hadn't cried in front of them since Naruto died, and she refused to start now.
However it was too late; the two had already caught sight of her reddened, tear-stained face. "Hinata-sama?!,"Neji hissed out in concern. Within moments, he had bounded to her side, dodging the desk easily and kneeling down on her left to face her better. Hanabi immediately followed suit, tackling her big sister into a hug from her right. "Who did this to you, Nee-san?,"She questioned protectively, tightening her grip ever so slightly when the only response she received was a slight shake of the bluenette's head, her body trembling harshly and her breathing uneven in an attempt to contain her sobs. "What happened?,"her brunette cousin questioned in concern, shaken by her refusal to speak.
Neji frowned when he didn't get an answer, taking his pseudo sister's hand in his own and tracing comforting circles along it. "What happened?,"He repeated with slightly more force, desperation dripping it's way into his words. Hinata glanced up at him, before lowering her pale violet gaze down to her little sister, who's arms had remained tightly wrapped around her waist. She sniffled silently, biting her lip until she tasted blood. She didn't want to tell them - to let them know what she had agreed to so easily - but she knew she had no choice.
"T-the elders...,"Hinata finally gasped out, sharp breaths and shuttering sobs cutting into her speak,"Th-they... They s-said... I..." She cut herself off, feeling bile rise into her throat. She couldn't say it. She just couldn't. She shook her head, burying her nose into her precious imouto's chocolate brown hair. "Nee-san, please,"she heard her sister whisper,"Tell us what they did." She felt Neji squeeze her hand comfortingly, pushing her to speak.
Summoning up the shreds of courage she had left, Hinata gulped, taking a deep, shuttering breath to calm herself. "I will be married t-to Uchiha Sasuke,"she finally whispered, biting the inside of her cheek harshly when she felt a sob rising in her throat half way through the sentence. "T-the certificate... has already been sig-signed,"She chocked, tears breaking through her thin facade and rolling down her cheeks in streams. Hanabi gasped in shock, and Neji's grip around her hand tightened painfully.
"Oh, Nee-san! How could they do that?! The whole clan knows how much Naruto meant to you! I thought they promised to give you time to recover before pushing you to find a new suitor, or wait until Neji or I had kids to start raising an heir!,"Hanabi hissed out angrily, pushing herself off of Hinata to give her a proper hug. Hinata let out a sharp sob at the close contact she hadn't had with anyone in so long. She reached up with her free hand, wrapping it tightly around her younger sister's back, tangling her fingers in her hair. Hinata swallowed, shaking her head and blinking the tears from her eyes. "I guess I just took too long...,"she found herself murmuring.
"When...,"Neji whispered softly, but Hinata could just about taste the killing intent that laced around the single word. Hinata couldn't bring herself to answer, but Neji wasn't having that. "When?,"He spat again, much louder this time. Hinata found herself flinching at his pure, unadulterated rage, making Hanabi sent Neji a pointed glare. The brunette boy noticed Hinata's discomfort, taking a deep breath and reeling in his KI once again.
"April 3rd...,"Hinata finally whimpered, shuttering slightly at the realization of how much time she had left. Neji and Hanabi gaped at her in shock. "Only two months to plan such an important wedding? Are you kidding me?,"Hanabi exclaimed in exasperation. Neji, on the other hand, had taken a different point of view. "It's probably so you wouldn't have time to find a loophole to this, since you'd be so busy working..." Hinata shrugged shakily. It didn't matter why they had given her so little time; there wasn't a way out of this anyway. Not if she wanted to protect Hanabi.
"Look at the bright side! This is going to be your special day, even if it's with the wrong guy, so let's make it happy!,"Hanabi insisted with a smile, jumping away from Hinata and pulling the bluenette to her feet as she did so, "Come on, Nee-san, clear up those tears! Let's go choose your dress now! We can pass out invitations and decorate and I can be your flower girl! I bet I could even convince Konohamaru-kun to be the ring boy! So, please smile, Nee-san,"Hanabi excited cheering broke off at the end, taking on a more desperate tone. Hinata sniffled, rubbing the remainder of her tears off her cheeks and clearing her throat. Her sister needed her to smile now, so that was exactly what she would do. Her lips twitched up in a warm, kind smile, focusing her mind only on her sister's bright excitement and pushing it's reasons as far to the back as possible.
"Sure,"Hinata agreed with a nod, the first smile she had shown in four years slipping across her face,"Are you coming, Neji-niisan?" Neji, who had released her hand when Hanabi had pulled her away, stood up and brushed himself off. "No, sorry. I think I'll stay here." Hanabi shrugged nonchalantly, grinning and skipping ahead. "Suit yourself, Neji-nii!" Just as Hinata moved to follow her, Neji caught her arm tightly, turning her around gently.
"Hinata-sama, why did you agree to this?" Hinata stiffened; she'd hoped they wouldn't ask that. After realizing Hanabi had already skipped too far ahead to hear them, Hinata relaxed, a small frown returning to her face as she looked back at her cousin. "Because I'd rather them take the happiness of a woman who already lost most of her's than take the future of a teenage who hasn't even had a chance to live it yet."
Neji was left in stunned silence as Hinata pulled her arm from his grasp, a slightly forced smile itching it's way across her face as she ran out to catch up with her sister.
A strong breeze blew in through the window, knocking over a single picture frame from the desktop. The once-perfect picture of three grinning faces, each one donning pupil-less, pale eyes and dark hair, cracked down the middle upon impact with the ground, shattering the glass above the young, sixteen-year-old bluenette.
XXXX
Hinata gripped her younger sister's hand tightly as they walked down the street of Konoha. She had purposely avoided Ichiraku's - the memories far to painful to relive - and taken the long way through the more popular streets to the wedding dress shop. As they headed down through the crowded streets, Hinata's pale eyes caught a glimpse of cherry-blossom pink hair just a few feet away. She ducked her head, not wanting her friend to see her today; it had been years since she'd talked to any of them, and she knew she would have to at some point, but that point was not now. Not if she could help it.
Sadly, luck was not on her side today. "Hinata-chan!,"Sakura called, jogging up to her joyfully, her emerald eyes gleaming brightly,"It's been so long since I saw you last! Where're you headed that's so important you'd leave your house for the first time in nearly four years?" Before Hinata could reply, Sakura had continued talking, obviously excited to see her old friend. "I heard from Tenten, who heard from Neji that you're the head of the clan now! How is it?" Hinata let out a small, shy smile, admittedly happy that her friend wasn't angry with her for refusing to meet them for so long.
"I-it's been okay... A lot of work, of course. I don't have a lot of time, usually,"she answered honestly, hoping her friend had forgotten her first question. Yet again, luck wasn't exactly the most abundant thing for her as the pink-haired medic tilted her head in curiosity. "If you don't usually have time to do anything but work, what are you doing out here, in the marketplace?" Hinata silently cursed her friend's intelligence and intuition, glancing away. Sakura had had a crush on Sasuke for so long... She couldn't possibly tell her...
Or course, her sister didn't seem to get the hint. "We're going to pick out a wedding dress for Nee-san! Her wedding is April 3rd!,"Hanabi exclaimed excitedly, pale eyes glowing. Hinata winced at the reminder, thankful that the brunette had at least left out Sasuke's name. Sakura gasped, her emerald eyes widening. "Why didn't you tell me? I got to gather the other girls!,"The pinkette squealed in excitement, hugging Hinata tightly. The bluenette yelped in surprise at the sudden contact, but Sakura ignored it. "Oh, congratulations, Hinata! You can tell the others yourself when we meet up, okay? I wish we could talk more, but I'm supposed to be delivering this medicine for a house call we got, so you've got to give me all the details tonight. Deal?" Hinata nodded, slightly dazed by the speed of everything. Had Sakura always been this hyper?
"Meet us at the BBQ place we always used to go to tonight! See you there, Hinata-chan, and don't you dare skip out again!,"She called as she spun around, disappearing into the crowd once again. Hanabi waved good-bye, before continuing to pull her sister along through the streets. "Wait up!,"Hinata cried, speeding up to match her younger sister's pace.
In the end, Hinata hadn't managed to choose her dress, heading home that evening empty-handed. Her mind was clouded and exhausted from the day's events, and she just couldn't keep up with it all. She had only just found out she was getting married, after all. She didn't want to make a decision on her wedding dress so carelessly and hurriedly - Hanabi had been right about this being her special day, and she wouldn't let who she was marrying get in the way of that - so she had simply tried on a few for her sister's sake and left.
Upon returning home, Hinata and Hanabi had been immediately swarmed by worried clansmen. Hinata felt a small smile cross her lips at their concern for her. This had been the first time in so long that she'd gone out into the village; it must have been a shock to them when they couldn't find her in the estate. After calmly explaining that she had simply gone out to get something and she would be giving a clan-wide announcement soon, Hinata trudged up to her own room, collapsing tiredly onto her bed for a nap, not even bothering to pull herself under the covers as the world faded into a peaceful, empty black.
When the bluenette woke up, she found herself laid out properly on her bed above the covers, her head rested on her pillows and an extra blanket pulled up to her chin. Blinking in confusion, Hinata rubbed her eyes groggily, sitting up to look around. Neji was sitting on a chair beside her bed, dosing off lightly, his arms crossed in front of his chest. She found herself giggling lightly as her cousin's head tipped forward, before bouncing back up in an attempt to remain awake. Neji, hearing her laugh, woke up immediately, his eyes snapping to full wakefulness.
As his pale gaze landed on her light smile, it softened slightly, his body relaxing. He moved his chair to face the bed before speaking. "Are you feeling better, Hinata-sama?,"He asked with concern. Hinata looked down, her eyes growing glassy as the memories of what had happened that day flashed across her mind. She forced herself to meet her cousin's gaze, a forced smile on her lips as she nodded. He frowned again, but didn't question her more on it, moving to leave her to herself.
With a jolt, Hinata remembered what Sakura had said to her earlier that day, checking her window to make sure it wasn't too late yet. "Neji-niisan!,"She called out before the man could leave. The brunette paused in her doorway, turning around to look at her once again. "Tonight, I'm going out to meet up with the rest of Konoha 12 for dinner. Sakura caught me walking to the dress shop, and Hanabi let it out that I was getting married, so now she wants me to meet up with everyone again to tell them about it myself,"Hinata explained, catching the slight flicker of surprise that passed through her cousin's eyes, followed by hope.
"It's a good thing Hanabi let that out. I know you wouldn't be able to bring yourself to tell them on your own, and I don't exactly see Sasuke as the talkative type. How would you feel if you missed, say, my wedding, or Kiba's, or Sakura's, because they didn't want to tell you?,"he questioned pointedly. Hinata found herself flinching slightly at that; she couldn't even imagine the betrayal, loneliness, and self-loathing she would feel if she missed that sort of thing. How could she even think about doing the same to them? Hinata gulped, drooping her head slightly.
A rough hand plopped on her head, ruffling her hair comfortingly. Looking up in surprise at the uncharacteristic gesture, Hinata found herself smiling slightly at his uncomfortable expression(She had no doubt this new 'affection-showing' Neji was Tenten's doing) he held. "Just tell them, Hinata. You need their help now, more than ever,"he insisted, before turning and leaving the room, closing the door softly behind him.
"Thank you, Neji-niisan,"Hinata whispered softly, standing up to get ready to leave.
XXX
Hinata walked slowly to the restaurant, enjoying the peaceful quiet and cool air in the evening light, trying to ignore the nagging feeling of foreboding budding her chest. A lump as rising in her throat, and she could feel butterflies fluttering nervously in her stomach. She felt like she was forgetting something seriously important, but no matter how hard she grasped for it, she could never get a hold of what. She paused as she reached the BBQ place, taking a deep breath and slapping her cheeks lightly. "Come on, Hinata, you can do this,"she whispered to herself aloud, shaking her head clear of thoughts before stepping into the building.
The powerful scent of grilling meat washed over the Hyuga as she pushed past the curtains at the entrance, scanning the stalls for her friends. "Hinata!,"A familiar voice called, pulling her attention to the middle stall on the right, "Over here!" A certain - much older - brunette dog-lover waved over to her excitably, emphasizing his words. Hinata felt her lips tug up in a smile at his unchanging personality despite four years having gone by since they last met, weaving her way over to their table without protest, all thoughts of her future marriage leaving her mind.
"Okay, Okay!,"Hinata called, swallowing the lump that rose in her throat as a sudden wave of nostalgia engulfed her when she caught sight of the rest of her old friends. Had it really been that long since she'd last seen any of them? Sai, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, Sakura, Tenten, Lee, and even- As her eyes fell on the raven-haired member of Team Seven, the memories of her future wedding rushed back to her, and Hinata felt her lips desperately twitching downward, unshed tears stinging as she forced herself not to cry. Shaking her head before her friends could notice her distress, the bluenette forced a grin, sliding into the seat farthest away from Sasuke, at the very corner. Now was a time to be happy, and celebrate with her friends for the first time in so long, not to mop over her unchangeable fate.
Immediately, her friends' conversation stopped, all eyes trailing up to her as she took her seat at the table. Hinata shifted uncomfortably beneath their gazes, her face heating up slightly. Had she done something wrong already? However, before she could continue fretting over her nonexistent mistake, the silence broke all at once, identical grins spreading across most of their faces as they greeted and questioned her loudly.
"Hinata! You're okay! I was starting to think you'd been kidnapped or somethin'!"
"It's been so long! You still glow with the Springtime of Youth, Hinata!"
"Hina-chan, I never even see you in the gardens at the Hyuga Clan estate anymore! Where have you been?"
"Why haven't you been coming to our get-togethers for so long? We were worried something had happened!"
"It's good to see you again after so long!"
"What have you been doing for four years?!"
"We missed you so much!"
"So, Hinata!,"Sakura interrupted before anyone else could ask more questions,"What's this I hear about you getting married?" The whole group fell silent, jaws dropped in shock. Hinata couldn't stop her eyes from trailing slightly to Sasuke, expecting him to have continued to ignore everyone in that same cool-guy act of his. Surprisingly, the raven was shifting uncomfortably, purposely turning his head away from the group. Was that... blush?
"You're getting married, Hina-chan?!,"Ino gasped, jumping up and down with a sharp squeal,"Oh, congratulations! Who's the lucky man?" Hinata felt her own face heat up abruptly as her female friends pushed closer to her, their faces intense. Hinata pulled back slowly, the lump in her throat rising uncomfortably. "I-I... I mean, I-,"Hinata tried to stutter out, but her mouth felt like it was filled with cotton, and her tongue just wouldn't obey her. However, her friends didn't seem to notice, and even the males, who had finally snapped out of their stupor, were moving closer to hear her better. Even Sai looked interested. No one seemed to notice the raven pushing himself further into the corner, out of sight.
"Well?,"Tenten insisted, moving even closer, her eyes glowing scarily. Hinata eeped, unable to back up any further without falling off the chair. "Spit it out!,"Kiba shouted impatiently. Hinata averted her eyes, gulping. "I- well, you see... I-I... I'm m-marrying S-s-s-sa-s,"Hinata tried to stutter out, but her voice failed her, fading off until it was nearly inaudible, even to her friend's highly-trained ears. Despite that, they only moved closer, their breath now brushing her skin, eyes wide in anticipation.
"Who?,"Lee questioned, cupping his ear rather childishly to hear better. Hinata tried to continue, but all that came out was an awkward squeak. She could feel herself growing lightheaded and the world was beginning to spin and- wait, was she going to faint again? But she hadn't done that for years! "It's-,"She finally began, trying to force the lump in her throat to go away long enough for her to speak.
"Me,"A deep, smooth voice interrupted, making the remainder of Konoha 12 stiffen in shock. All eyes jumped to Sasuke, and Hinata barely kept herself from letting out a sigh of relief as they took a few steps back, their attention now redirected away from her. If that had gone on any longer, she'd've passed out right then and there. Unlike the bluenette's own flustered stutterings, Sasuke's voice and disposition remained it's usual calm, cool self, despite the many people now gathered around him. That thought made her stomach squeeze uncomfortably; she would be marrying this unemotional, cool man, so different from the lovable, passionate blond she had long left her heart with.
"What do you mean?!,"Sakura gasped, her voice shifting suddenly to anger as she continued,"Why didn't you tell me? I'm your teammate!" The group, which had once again begun bombarding Sasuke for questions, fell silent as Sakura's accusation, and Hinata felt tears sting in the corners of her eyes at the sudden jab. She knew Sakura would get angry; she'd loves Sasuke for so long herself! She'd hurt her own friend, and she hadn't even been able to give her a heads-up beforehand...
Before she could continue down this train of thought though, Sakura noticed her tear-filled gaze and jolted, covering her mouth in embarrassment and turning to Hinata with a smile. "I'm sorry, Hinata! I didn't mean to get angry, and I don't blame you at all! I know you wouldn't keep something like this from us unless something kept you from saying anything, so don't look so sad! I'm just hurt that Sasuke didn't trust me enough to tell me something as important as you two dating."
"A-actually, w-we-,"Hinata began, but was cut off before she could continue.
" It's on April the 3rd. It was decided today,"Sasuke added quickly. The bluenette turned to look at him, surprised to see his onxy eyes boring into her own pale ones meaningfully. Did he not want her to mention anything? Deciding to trust him and question him on it later, Hinata nodded quietly. Seeing that she had understood what he was trying to say, he returned to eating silently, looking away.
The entire group gasped in shock. "That's not enough time!,"The girl's shouted in sync. Hinata sent a worried glance toward the boys, who still seemed shell-shocked that she was marrying Sasuke, of all people. She was starting to get concerned about how quiet they were... "Don't worry!,"Ino reassured,"We'll help you plan everything out! We've gotta go pick out the dress, and choose the flowers, and we can help make the invitations, and oh, this is going to be so amazing!" The blonde seemed to drift into her own little world, making Sai, who sat beside her, let out a tiny chuckle.
Hinata looked over her friends, blushing a slight red. "I hope you all will come...,"She murmured softly, because, honestly, even if this wedding wasn't with who she had dreamed of for so long, this was still her wedding, and she wouldn't want her friends to miss it for the world. The boys and Ino snapped out of their trances at that, looking up to meet her eyes.
"Of course, Hinata!,"Kiba reassured, each of the boys showing a similar sign of affirmation. "We wouldn't miss it for the world!,"Sakura added with a grin. Each of them turned to her with a beautiful, blinding smile, as though it hadn't been four years since they'd last seen each other, and Hinata could feel tears welling up in her eyes as they spoke.
That night, all of them laughed and talked and cheered for hours, and, for the first time in four year, Hinata felt her worries evaporate into the wind. Standing there, joking with her closest friends, whom she had fought and trained side by side with, gone through war and bloodshed and heartbreak with, was the happiest place in the world.
YEAHHHHHHHH...So I was kinda goin' crazy last chapter... And so I calmed myself down by torturin- I mean writing about Hinata! Should I make it so she still believes Naruto is alive somewhere? Do you think Hinata will start to like Sasuke? Or was she just moved by how much he cared for Naruto? I was ACTUALLY CRYING when I read it over again, ya know... WHY DO I KEEP SAYING THAT! LOOK AT ME! I am a Blond Girl with Blue eyes. I had an animator draw me with my hair tied up on both sides of my head, and I look JUST LIKE NARUKO! My cheeks are slightly chubby, like Naruto. I have a habit of saying 'ya know' at the end of my sentences, ya know! *hits forehead* SEE! I got long blonde hair and unnaturally big eyes, or so says every one of my friend. I am super hyper and talkative, and often make rash decisions. I also talk a lot. Wait, did I say that already? Well, anyway, Finally, I am super loyal to my friends! I AM A FEMALE VERSION OF NARUTO! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AND TOGETHER WITH THE POWERS OF A NINJA, I SHALL RULE THE WORLD! Ok, I am fine now. What do you guys think? Is that ironic or what?!
Edit: I decided that I needed to change the story - a LOT - because Sasuke's personality never stays the same, and he is way too OOC throughout it all. One moment he would seem super cold-hearted and not care they were getting married, then he would seem like he didn't want to either, than he would act like he liked Hinata and wanted her for her, but then would act like he only wanted her for her clan status. Most of this story was written on a sugar rush in Elementary School, so I never even wrote out a plot line, and just threw stuff in as I went! -.- I hope I can make up for it with this (much longer) chapter.
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