Even three years after, Hinata couldn't really make out how the events went by as soon as she came back home. Those first nine months passed just like that, with her hiding away more than anything. And right after, everything went hectic for more than a year. She was forced out of her mind, forced to be strong. And she was thankful for that. It's been tough, but it has made her grow in her own eyes.

"Things may have not turned out as you'd expected, eh, otousan?"

Placing the flowers gently, she looked down at her right hand, one of her fingers carrying something shiny and something golden not since long ago.

At first, she kept them hidden, wearing kimonos with long, large sleves. Being married, she was was more happy than ever before, but she hated to have answer to everyone's same questions: "What? When? Who? How?" Only a few close ones had known about their relationship and even fewer had found about their marriage immediately. But none of them had been there when they married.

Being public figures, it was harder for them to keep and have their private lives, but they managed it just fine. But Naruto had always been innovative and carefree. He always made everything seem simple, making her feel everything could be and was perfect. He supported her through anything, advicing her, yet letting her take the decissions. Naruto may not have been the perfect man, but he was perfect FOR HER. They completed each other. He was loud and she was quiet. He was easily outbursting, while she kept her calm anytime. He was playful and she was tender. They kept each other confident and strong. Even before becoming a couple...

At their arrival, those three years ago, in Konoha were already being made preparation for the conference with a delegation of Grass and for the Hokage inauguration.

Hinata heard from people close to the Mizukage of the high impression Naruto had made in his first meeting as official Hokage of Konoha. She was very proud of his naming. Though, she may have been the last to find out.

At that time, they were at the beginning period of the tea invitations. She wouldn't dare to go and talk to him directly. However, she was excusing herself, repeating 'there was no time for that'. Indeed, he entered that hospital door, helped Sakura, given Tsunade's instructions and was out right after, heading for the meeting, while Hinata rushed outside to her patients. Still, as she was hurrying down the corridor, they crossed paths and, for no more than a second, exchanged a glance. She could swear there had been a slight nod and a shadow of a smile from his part.

While she and the others were still been kept busy with the patients, he came back in Kiri once more to check on Sasuke and left a few hours later towards Konoha. Hinata only found out about his presence from Sakura, after he had been long gone:

"He wears those robes with so much pride, I didn't know whether to be proud, too, or hit him to get those fumes out of his head," Sakura joked afterwards with them.

"So I guess you did both," Ino said from the other side of the room, while measuring some of the precious tracking plant in a graded can.

"Are you serious?" Sakura laughed, "Have you ever read the penalties for even attempting to injure a Hokage?"

But she hoped that, even though he'd be much busier now, she could restart inviting him over for tea, so she could speak to him in private. Well, hear HIM speak, mostly. But that was everything she needed, really. Between the hospital work and the missions, it was the only thing that made her pleasure nowadays. At home, she was usually more than ignored. Hiashi and Hanabi had been all occupied and kept so the entire family. Not even Neji had time for her nowadays. He had a wife now and a lot of work. In their remaining free time, Neji and Tenten would work on decorating their new house.

At least, Hiashi had nothing against Naruto's visits. Hinata guessed it was because he, as anyone else, knew Naruto would be Hokage one day. He'd want to keep the family in friendly relations. Welk, at least that made her have an input within the family.

Sometimes, she'd think of how would things have turned out if she had been the heiress. She didn't know if she could deal with the work, with taking decisions and having all that power. Yet, that was not the scary part. The worst was having other people's lives in her hands, taking decisions concerning other people's lives, destinies. And that...

She shivered, recalling that sound... the sound of someone she had known brain's explode. In the war. To keep the secrets of the family. Secrets within a Hyuuga's body. That. That was something you wouldn't want to have on your shoulders. There had not been blood or exploding flesh, which she was thankful for. Of course, as a medic nin, she wouldn't have normally minded that, but this was a whole new level. There had still been the sound. The sound which she had known moments before, seeing her father performing the seals over the corpse, was the sound of brains exploding inside a relative's head. And that was a family member she had barely known... But what if it had been Neji then? No, no, she wasn't made for that!

But what was she made for, really? Sometimes, she couldn't help but wonder. Everyone else walked before her, with a target in life, with the answers of who they were, what they had to do, what their destiny was, it all lied in their open hands, visible in the horizon. And where was she going? Did she have her place somewhere there, next to them?

These thoughts invaded her head, not for the first time, as they aproached Konoha's gates. They were waited. All of them. Hinata, Ino, Shizune, Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto, the Tsuchikage, the Kazekage and the Mizukage with their guards, followed by all the shinobi who had been poisoned and sent to Kiri.

Their families were there. And a few of curious ones. At first. Then some more came. And others. And a lot more. Because they didn't recognize the one wearing Hokage robes as the last head in the Hokage monument. Instead, it was their well-known hero, Uzumaki Naruto. And it took no long for his name to be shouted out loud by the civilian crowd. Of course, they knew some conference between the countries would take place. The Hokage inauguration had been a less known about event. The shinobi knew about it. The oldest wouldn't care much - they'd lived to see three or four Hokages. The mid-old ones were proud of his achievement. The ones that were also his friends were happy, but carrying that bit of amusement anyone would at finding out their silliest and loudest of their old friends became president, the big boss.

Neji was also at the gate. But something about him didn't seem alright. Not at all. And why was he wearing black?

No. That couldn't be...

A/N: As LadyOfMist92 pointed out, this story is supposed to be Hinata centered and, indeed, in the last chapters there has been more SasuSaku than anything of that. But, as I told her, too, from now on the story is moving back around Hinata. So, for the ones who followed this story for SasuSaku only, the Unfollow button is… Wha… What am I even doing?! No, wait! Know what? I have NO idea where that is. Pppfff... you wouldn't want that! It's a creepy place, though. It's a virus… yeah, yeah… Don't try that, it's dangerous! Know what? I can do it, actually… If you want to, I can get Sasuke or Sakura walk randomly and with no special purpose in and out the room/place where the action is taking place. How about that? Sasuke and Sakura everywhere!