Sorry about the late update. Midterms are coming up and my AP classes are kicking my ass.

OMGWTFBBQ THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS! ^_^ I cried happy tears when I read them.

I really, really hate how the first part turned out, but expect much much more from the Hyuuga-there's a particularly devious plot twist I've got coming up involving them.

Also, I made a lot of the main branch like Hinata-though there will be the exceptions. There'll be an explanation for that later, fyi, so don't get your panties in a twist. It's mainly the elders who hate her, however.

And I realized that people like to make Naruto break down around Hinata. What about our poor Hina-babe? Who does she get to cry to?

Sasuke and Danzo will probably be making appearances next chapter.

Btw, does anyone have any song suggestions? Something that preferrebly starts with 'dance'.

Onto the fabulous reviews...

someone-Wow. When I get someone to enjoy something they don't normally like, I feel incredible. I'm so glad you like it!

BK-Black Knight-Lolz I wanted it to be kind of different...I'm glad it worked out so that you liked it! And NaruHina is the shiz! My favorite canon pairing. Otherwise...God, I whore Hina out so much! xD And I'm glad to be an inspiration!

Renting-Thanks! And I decided not to use a beta (Leave me alone with a story for more than ten minutes and I'll change something) but thanks so much for the offer!

BundleofContridictions-Your reviews make me smile. I love that someone is looking forward to my story!

Chanmunroe-Holy crap, your review made me spaz. I do my best to keep Hinata in character, though she didn't do it just to be with Naruto...you'll see. I think your going to like the twist I've got planned.

retarded-yet-smart-Lol, and thanks for the review!

Insanely Irish-I'm glad something made people laugh. It's such an angsty story...I'll probably have to do a silly chapter just to keep my self sane!

jamisa27-I think Hinata's a very intense character. She's not really used enough in the manga, but like with her confession, when she decides to do something, she's the coolest character. Period.

DayDreaming0f y0u-KUKUKUKU! Where did Danzo get the eyes indeed? You shall see...And isn't ffmobile awesome? I swear, I'm on my iPhone using that all the frickin' time...

hinatafan711-Thanks! I'm glad you like it!

Phew, that was kind of exhausting. I hope you enjoy the chapter!


"Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love."

~Dance Me to the End of Love by Cohen Leonard


Neji is worried when he's summoned to a Hyuuga meeting. He doesn't go to too many of them, as of late-most concern Hinata's marriage and after nearly killing the suitor last time, he was asked to stop attending.

Not to mention it's about one in the morning. This is clearly an emergency meeting. He prays to Kami nothing has happened to Hinata.

He makes careful observations as he sits completely still on the tatami mat. The elders are muttering quietly amongst themselves. The branch members sit behind him, all as silent as he is. They're just as confused, he suspects. The other main house members are engaging one another in silent conversation, using their eyes to speak. Contrary to popular belief, as most of the main house members are young, they are all against the Caged Bird Seal as well-and therefore in complete support of his Hinata-sama. They too, he suspects, wonder if this is about her, and he can see flashes of anxiety in their eyes.

"Nii-san, what's going on?" A tiny voice beside him asks.

Neji glances to his side, and Hanabi is staring up at him with wide, confused eyes that lack her sister's lavender touch. He hears the question beneath the question, and he nearly cringes.

"Where is my nee-chan?"

"I'm not sure, Hanabi-sama." He admits. He tries to be kind to Hanabi. She's losing her only sister, and even though he knows she'll never be sealed (Hinata would never let it happen), he still pities her.

Hanabi opens her mouth once more and he quickly silences her when Hiashi enters the room. His face is a sickly yellow-white and his eyes stare blankly ahead, lacking the cold wisdom they usually posses. He looks….lost.

He takes his seat at the front of the room and he doesn't bother with the usual formalities, surprising Neji, and no doubt the elders as well.

"Hinata's marriage has been canceled," Hiashi begins. "I have already spoken to the Yushimoro's. There will not be bad blood over this."

Neji feels like a great weight has been lifted off of his shoulders and he lets out a small sigh of relief. He hears similar sounds coming from various Hyuuga, both branch and main, and a "Thank Kami!" coming from Hanabi. Angry words spit out from in the direction of the elders.

But then his stomach sinks. There's no way Hinata could convince her father of such a thing, not when he thinks it's for her own good.

"I also hereby declare Hanabi to be the official heiress. In case of my untimely demise, Neji will serve as regent until she turns eighteen."

Now angry whispers, muttering of rebellion break out amongst all the younger members. If Hanabi is heiress, what will happen to Hinata-sama?

"Otou-san, what about Hina-nee-chan?" Hanabi's voice sounds utterly young as it rings out.

The Hyuuga silence themselves. They need to hear this too.

The lost look in Hiashi's eyes becomes more pronounced.

"Hinata is no longer your nee-chan, Hanabi. As of this evening, she is no longer a Hyuuga."

Hanabi cries out and the Hyuuga don't speak. They can't process this. Neji can't process this, and for once his heart speaks before his mind.

"You cannot seal her, or sell her off Hiashi-sama!" His voice sounds so loud and it echoes throughout the room. "I will not allow it!"

There are murmurs of agreement, and Hiashi simply blinks slowly.

"I have not sold her nor sealed her. She emancipated herself."

"You cannot simply allow that!" One of the elders demands. "How could you do such a foolish thing?"

Neji wonders the same thing. This is Hiashi, who was more or less abusive to his elder daughter. Why change now?"

Hiashi doesn't respond this time, and instead the sound of a drawer scraping the insides of a desk meets the ears of the Hyuuga. Then he gently places something at the head of his desk.

"It was not up to me." He says softly.

Neji can't see the object over the heads of the elders, but he heard the faint 'clunk' of glass being placed down. He simply activates the Byakugan-

And then runs out of the room into the adjoining court yard so that he may throw up.

Several others join him in a moment, all emptying their dinners and midnight snacks onto the grass. He notices after throwing up twice-he is panting for air and leaning against the wall of the main Hyuuga house.

He can hear Hanabi's faint cries from outside, and after catching his breath he bravely returns and then allows his new heiress to fall into his arms, her small body shaking with sobs.

As he gently strokes Hanabi's hair back and whispers comforting words of nonsense in her ear, he slowly lifts his eyes back up to the jar on Hiashi's desk.

But despite assuring himself it was only a nightmare, Hinata's eyes still float there, and his heart fills with dread.

"Hinata-sama…imouto-chan, what have you done?"

-xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx-

He hears her humming before he sees her.

She has such a gentle voice, and the tune she's humming sounds strangely familiar. He dimly recalls her singing him to sleep once after a terrifying nightmare. And the thought of nightmares is what makes his eyes fly open.

The first thing he sees are the bandages wrapped around her eyes. They seem whiter than he remembered, and more terrifying than facing Madara. There is no way he can put what he's feeling into words.

His head is lying in her lap and he reaches a shaky hand upwards to caress the coarse cloth. It feels rougher than it should and he wonders if she's in pain.

"They didn't take my eyes, Naruto-kun." She whispers, reading his mind like she's prone to do. He remembers their seventh official date and how he realized that the Byakugan must give its user mind-reading abilities.

"Are you alright, Naruto-kun?" She asks softly in that tone of hers that sends shivers up and down his spine.

"Y-yeah." For once he's the one that stutters, and her resulting giggle makes him blush.

"Stop laughing at me!" He whines, only half-serious. He tugs playfully at a lock of her silky hair and that just makes her giggles increase.

"Fine! Then I'll just give you something to really laugh about!" He grins mischievously and then he pounces.

"Naruto-kun!" She shrieks, and then peals of laughter escape her perfect lips. "S-stop! That tickles!"

"That's the point!" He's laughing too as he uses his nimble fingers to tickle her senseless. They roll around in the grass until they're both breathless.

They're lying down now, facing each other. Her chest is heaving, just like his is, but her movements make him gulp. Her lips are gently parted, her eyes lidded. She inches closer to him so that she can rest her head on his chest and soak up his warmth. The sun is setting and the temperature dropping, and he thinks that's a perfect excuse for them both. He wraps an arm around her waist and holds her close. This is the first time they've been so close and he never wants this feeling to end.

Does she know how she's making him feel?

"Hime…" He murmurs. She lets out a small "Hmm?" in response and he presses his nose to her hair, inhaling her vanilla-lavender scent.

"I-I…I need to tell you something."

"I'm listening, Naruto-kun."

He takes a deep breath. He thinks this is the first time he's ever said this-and meant it.

"I-I…" He takes another breath. Damnit, why can't he get the words out?

"It's alright, Naru. I love you too." Then she tilts her head up and presses her soft, warm lips to his.

His first thought is that no one has ever called him Naru before, and he doesn't want her to call him anything but that. His second is that she's never taken the initiative to kiss him before, and it makes him shiver in want. He hopes to see her become a little more…direct in their relationship, if only because he knows she has the potential to be a total dominatrix and he can't but think that'd be hot (though he'll always love her submissive side better. It's nice to have someone want your touch).

His third is that she just read is frickin' mind and he's totally ok with it. That just made his life that much easier.

He almost chuckles at the memory, but the seriousness of the situation makes him keep a emotionless face on.

"Then what happened?" He keeps his voice uncharacteristically low. If something-if something happened, she's going to need him to be the one in control.

"I…I couldn't marry him, Naruto." She casts her eyes-her bandages-away from him and continues to stroke his hair. He grabs her wrist gently and sits up so that he can be the one with her in his arms.

But she pushes him away. "You need to hear this first, Naruto." The watery smile that comes with the words makes him frown.

She takes a deep breath and bows her head. The movement is familiar and he knows if the bandages were off, she'd have her eyes closed.

"I started looking for ways to get out of the clan. Someone…noticed my situation and gave me an offer I couldn't refuse. I voluntarily gave up my eyes so that I no longer belonged to the Hyuuga. I spoke to Ot-to Hiashi and gave him my eyes. He signed an emancipation scroll-he won't have claim to our children, either, if you decide to stay with me-"

"Why the fuck wouldn't I stay with you, Hinata?" His tone is bitter, edging on angry but they both know he's angry at the Hyuuga for forcing her hand, and at himself for not protecting her.

She does that adorable little lip-biting thing she does when she's nervous and her hands go up towards her bandages.

"I d-don't know h-how you'll handle t-this." It's the first time in years he's heard her stutter and it makes his throat clench up. What could be so bad that she would doubt his feelings for her?

Then the bandages fall to couch cushion between them and her eyes open.

He doesn't know what to say. He wants to freak out, at first, but he knows she's just a victim of the circumstances and he'd be just like every bitter villager that ever hated him if he was angry with her.

"They're kinda silver colored," He comments lightly, his voice returning to its care-free tone. He reaches up a hand and caresses the side of her face. She grabs onto it the moment his skin comes into contact with hers and she holds it there, as if she's savoring the way his calluses feel against the silk that is her cheek. "Not like Sasuke's at all. I think they've got flecks of white or something in them-they remind me a bit of the night sky or something. Like you."

Her new eyes can see the truth in his calm smile and the love in his eyes. He watches as those night-sky eyes begin to fill with tears until they spill over, stars falling from the sky.

"It's alright, Hinata." He pulls her flush against his chest and this time she doesn't fight him. This time he cradles her in his powerful arms as she sobs, feeling the loss for the first time.

"I-I was so a-afraid you'd be angry a-at me," She sobs, and his heart skips a beat inside his chest.

"I'd never be angry at you, Hina." He says soothingly, softly. The roles are switched and this time he's the one gently stroking her silky hair that smells of vanilla and amber if he's not mistaken. "Not for this. You did what you had to do. It's alright, let it out…"

A heartbreaking wail escapes her lips and she clings to him, her lone sanctuary in a world that seems too bright. He used to freak out every time Sakura cried, but somehow it feels so right to practically encourage her to break down on him, to let those final walls crash down around them.

"It'll be alright, hime."


Eh. It's not my best work, I'll admit.

Next time: Sasuke makes an appearance and Danzo monologues. (That should be a word if it isn't.)

Reviews are my muse's drug of choice. Give them and she'll be less of an uncooperative bitch.

It wouldn't be so bad if you checked out any of my other fics, either. :)

Ah, the joys of self-advertisement...

~Dreameratheart