A/N: Okay so checked my traffic graph and now I'm depressed. Apparently interest in my fanfic goes down a lot as the chapters progress. But then I thought, screw it! They don't know what they're missing! Besides, I wrote this for myself mostly, just because I wanted to. And I have at least 91 people who like it enough to follow it, so I'm just gonna keep writing. Anyway, enough of my ranting and on to the story!

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Naruto stood outside of the Hyuga compound, unable to bring himself to knock on the door. He scolded himself for waiting this long, but when he raised his hand he simply lost his nerve and turned away again.

Right after getting some sense knocked into him, Naruto had come straight to the compound. As he got closer, the resolve he had found slowly started to melt away, replaced by a frantic worry. He desperately wanted to see Hinata, but he couldn't bring himself to knock. He was worried she wouldn't forgive him, or the guards wouldn't let him, or that he wouldn't be able to apologize correctly and she would hate him.

All of his fears were completely baseless, but since when did Naruto have fears based in any sort of fact?

Cursing himself, he turned to the door and pounded on it firmly, praying that someone would answer quickly, before he lost his nerve again.

"Foolish boy! You are condemning this girl to death!"

Naruto snorted as the voice rang in his head. "I don't care what you have to say anymore fox! Even if I do what you told me, Hinata won't give up on me. She would die even if I broke her heart, so why would I do it?" he shot back, speaking out loud since he was alone.

"You idiotic bastard! You're going to give up your life, your village, and your friend's lives, all for this one girl?!"

"Your damn right I am. Because Hinata is worth it!"

"You're going to be the death of me. This is why I hate humans."

Naruto frowned, sensing the pure hatred that radiated at the word human. He smiled inwardly, and promised the fox that he would cure it of its hatred someday, which earned only an indifferent sniff and an empty head. Naruto shook his head, wondering at the fox's emotional state, before he was interrupted by the gate opening.

Ko Hyuga had been Hinata's bodyguard ever since she was little. At first, he had simply been doing his duty when it came to the young girl, but as the years passed and he grew more attached to her, it became less about duty and more about love. The Hyuga heiress had become a sister to him, and he felt the same way about Naruto that Neji did.

"Lord Neji has left instructions that you be allowed to enter the estate." The Hyuga said icily. Naruto shivered, feeling the anger towards him in Ko's words. "Lady Hinata is in the garden."

Naruto quickly walked past him, trying to get away from the cold stare. He was grateful when he turned the corner, but couldn't shake the feeling that Ko was using his Byakugan to track him. He quickly moved through the house, making his way towards the garden Hinata had shown him when he had first visited.

Exiting the house, Naruto wandered around the vast garden. In spite of the situation, he couldn't help but marvel at how large and well maintained the garden was. The path was dotted with flower beds and beautifully maintained trees, and the sheer tranquility of the place calmed Naruto's nerves.

Spotting some flowers the color of lavender, Naruto prayed the Neji or Hiashi wouldn't castrate him for this and moved to gather some.

Hinata was sitting at the back of the garden, crying her eyes out. This part of the garden had been her mother's favorite spot, and it always calmed Hinata whenever she was feeling stressed or sad. Not this time though. This time, she felt as if her heart had been broken.

When she had heard Naruto uttered the words that she had heard, her mind had been reeling in disbelief. She simply couldn't fathom why he wanted to break up with her. The last two weeks had been the best of her life, and Naruto's confession had made her happier than ever. Every time the kissed and touched it felt like a dream, and now she thought that dream had come to an end.

When the full impact of his words hit her, her heart had been ripped apart. Breathing had gotten incredibly hard, and if not for Kiba's actions she would have passed out then and there. But of course, her concern for Naruto had gotten the better of her, and while she couldn't stop Kiba from knocking him out, she had at least stopped him from taking it farther. She still loved him, depite the spiraling depression she found herself in. No matter what happened, she would never stop loving him.

While the love she felt for him was unbending and strong, her confidence and will were not. All it took was a single sentence from him, and she was the shy, meek girl she had been before her relationship with him. Millions of doubts ran through her head; was it because she was weak, was it because of her body, did he still love Sakura? This caused her to sink even deeper into her sadness, and even the hours of crying hadn't done anything to dull the ache in her chest.

Naruto approached Hinata quietly, unsure what to say. He intended to make things right, to tell her everything, then throw himself at her feet and beg for her forgiveness. But as soon as he saw her eyes, and the extreme sadness that shone in them, his entire body froze in guilt. Never in his life had he felt more horrible than he did in that moment. All of the pain he had endured as a child, all of the physical wounds he had endured in his career as a shinobi, even the pain he had felt when Jiraiya had died, none of it compared to this. He couldn't breathe for several moments, and when he finally did his resolve had died down to nothing. But even so, he pushed forward, determined to stop her tears.

"Hinata?" He choked out, barely getting the words past the lump in his throat.

"Na-Naruto?!" Hinata whirled around in surprise. She had never expected this, never expected him to come apologize to her. The blow to her self-confidence had made her believe that he broke up with her because it was her fault, not his. She dropped her gaze, turning away from him. "Wh-What d-do you wa-want?" She asked, her stutter returning.

Naruto's heart wrenched, but he pressed forward, determined to apologize even if she hated him. He walked forward, setting the flowers down on the bench. "Can…can I sit?" He asked hopefully, and relief washed over him as Hinata nodded slightly. He sat down on the bench, leaving about a foot of room between the two. Both of them sat in silence, unsure of what to do or say.

Hinata thought that she should apologize to him. She knew she had dragged him down, her weakness causing him nothing but trouble. During their mission in the Land of Iron, she had slowed him down and he almost hadn't reached Sakura in time. During their fight with Rokuro, she had been too weak to fight and had gotten captured. She had interfered with his training with his cousin, and that had distracted him. When Shirawaka had shown up, she had been captured so easily. Each time he had to slow down or save her, and her weakness was probably why he didn't want her around.

Naruto was trying to work up the courage to admit that he had been a complete moron, and deserved every single beating he had been given, and more. He had been too weak to stop her from getting captured in the fight against Rokuro, and again with Shirawaka and Sanjo. She had almost died against Pain, all because he wasn't strong enough to keep her safe. He wanted to protect her, and he was going to tell her that he would get stronger so that the future the Nine-Tails had shown him would never come to pass.

"I'm sorry I was so weak." Both of them stared at each other, stunned. Neither thought the other was weak, and since Hinata had lost her confidence, she couldn't interrupt Naruto to tell him what she really thought. But the blonde had no such qualms about speaking his mind, and he grasped her hand, scolding her softly.

"Hinata, you're NOT weak! Don't ever think that, you hear me?!" Naruto shouted, mad at himself for making her think that. "You are one of the nicest people I have ever met, and you're really strong too. Even though you don't have as much chakra as I do, you can keep up with me, and even if you can't do it for long, I bet you could still beat me with your Gentle Fist thing! So please, don't ever think that." Naruto's shoulder's sagged, and he released her hand. "If anything, you should be the one thinking that I'm weak." He mumbled miserably, looking at the ground.

"Naruto…" Hinata put her hand on his back, surprised by his sudden change in demeanor. Her own tears had stopped as soon as he had finished complimenting her, and some of her confidence was returning. Her own heart felt a pang of pain as she saw the tears wracking his body. "It's okay…" she rubbed his back soothingly.

"No, it's not. Because I was weak, you were nearly killed. You had to come save me because I wasn't strong enough to beat Pain on my own. Even when I found out you were okay, I still couldn't live with myself. I promised myself that I would train every day so I could get stronger, so I could protect you and everyone else. Even then, it wasn't enough. I couldn't protect you when we fought Rokuro, and I couldn't stop those two Minamoto bastards from taking you." Naruto gripped Hinata's hand again. He clung to it desperately, as if she might disappear if he let go. "If I don't get stronger, if I can't get strong enough, then during the war, you're going to die." Tear laden blue eyes met lavender, and Naruto threw his arms around her. "I was so scared when the fox showed me that. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. So I did what the fox told me, and I almost made a huge mistake." Naruto pulled back from the embrace, his tears gone. He looked deep into her eyes, and spoke in a firm, confident voice. "Hinata, I won't ever stop loving you, and I will never give you up, if I can help it. But before I do that, please forgive me for being such an idiot, and hopefully we can still be... together." Naruto let go of her, sliding off the bench and prostrating himself before her. He clasped his hands together as if he were praying, and it would have been funny if Naruto hadn't been so serious.

Hinata was so shocked by his admissions. He thought he was weak for not being able to protect her? To her, he was the very embodiment of strength. Not for his skill, or his physical strength, but for the strength of his will and heart. He had been alone for most of his life, but he had still been the most positive and relentless person she had ever met, and it was that strength that drew her to him. That, and his adorable whiskers.

"Naruto, of course I forgive you." She said softly. Naruto looked up, surprised that she had forgiven him so easily. Then he mentally slapped himself, remembering that this was Hinata. "And I promise you Naruto, I will get stronger too, so that way I can be by your side always."

"Thanks for forgiving me Hinata. I know I can be an idiot, but I want to be your idiot." He grinned, pulling her back into a hug, this one loving and tender. Hinata wanted to know what Naruto had seen to make him give up on their relationship, but the hug melted away all of her worries. She would ask him later. But for now…

Hinata reached up, caressing Naruto's cheek. Her thumb traced the whiskers on his cheek, and she moved in for a kiss. Naruto obliged, capturing her lips with her own. Sparks flew and shivers ran down both of their spines. They poured all their love into the kiss, and all the pain and sorrow from earlier vanishing as they expressed their devotion to each other in a single moment. They pulled away, leaning their foreheads together and simply looking at each other.

They sat together for what felt like minutes, but turned out to be hours. They chatted and laughed as they fixed the holes in their relationship, the ones that Naruto had created. Naruto continued to beat himself up over his mistakes, but Hinata assured him that she forgave him for his 'stupidity.' Naruto pouted at the word, and Hinata giggled at the expression before snuggling closer to him. They were interrupted by a voice that rang out from the back of the garden.

"Hinata? It's getting late. You should come inside, and Naruto has to leave so he can rest for his departure. Come on young lady, I know you can hear me." Hiashi called softly, not wishing to disturb the clan members that were asleep. Hinata's face lit up as she discovered her father was home, and she pulled Naruto along with her to greet him. Her blonde boyfriend was less enthusiastic, wondering if he knew about recent events. His face paled at the thought of an angry Hiashi Hyuga; Neji was scary enough, but her father? The thought sent shivers down his back, and not the good kind.

The man in question simply stood on the porch, hands tucked into his sleeves, smiling softly at the sight of his daughter and the man she loved. He actually had heard of the past few hours, but when he had snuck up on them to kill Naruto, he had found the talking and laughing. The blonde had obviously fixed his mistake, so Hiashi let it go. But ONLY this once.

"Hello Father, I trust your meetings went well?" Hinata asked politely. Even if they were acting more like a family, there was still a certain… distance to be maintained.

"Yes they did. The Minsmoto's have been convicted, and will spend the next twenty years in prison." Hiashi stated cheerfully. The men had threatened his daughter; they got off lightly, as far as he was concerned.

"Only twenty years, Lord Hiashi?" Naruto asked through clenched teeth. The mere thought of the kidnappers made his blood boil, but he managed to contain his rage enough to address the man properly.

"Yes. Unfortunately, they managed to avoid life in prison. However, they are no longer allowed in the Leaf Village after their stay, and Sanjo has been replaced as clan head. So there is nothing to fear from them."

"I see." Naruto said, his anger subsiding. "Well, I think I should go. I have to leave tomorrow, ya know, so I gotta get my sleep or Granny will kill me."

Hiashi arched an eyebrow at the word 'Granny' being used to refer to the Hokage, but he didn't comment. But one subject had come up with the clan elders, and he thought it only fair to inform the 'object' of said discussion. "One moment young Naruto, I would like to discuss something with you and Hinata. Come with me."

The couple shared a confused glance. Neither of them knew what Hiashi might be referring to, but they both followed his retreating form. Curiosity was written all over Naruto's face as they were pulled into Hiashi's office, and while Hinata was just as curious, she managed to hide it better. They sat down on the cushions in front of the low lying desk. Hinata sat on her shins and feet gracefully, but when Naruto tried to emulate the action he fell onto his side. After two more attempts, much to the amusement of Hiashi and Hinata, Naruto gave up and plopped onto his butt.

"Now, aside from dealing with the Minamoto clan, the clan elders and I discussed an arranged marriage with another clan." Hinata looked completely surprised by the statement, but Naruto just became extremely angry. "Some of the elders thought it would be a good idea to accept one of the many offers from one of the clans, but I refused. I did, however, put forward one name. He is the heir to a very prestigious lineage, and all of the elders agreed wholeheartedly to my decision."

"WHAT?!" Naruto exploded. "How can you do something like that without talking to Hinata?! Did you even think that she might not want to marry him!?" the blonde seethed, and only Hinata's hand on his leg kept him from reaching out and throttling the Hyuga clan head.

Hiashi betrayed no emotion at Naruto's outburst, but both of the younger children in front of him were shocked when a small smile crossed his face. "Oh, I know with absolute certainty that this young man will be correct for my daughter. After all, she has been in love with him since they were both children."

Hinata eyes popped out of her head, and a moment later Naruto's did the same. Both of them knew what he had just said, but was he actually implying…

"I put forward Naruto Namikaze as a future husband for my wife, as the only one I approved of for my daughter, and the council was unanimous in it's decision. You are the one my daughter is going to marry Naruto, if you will accept this proposal." Hiashi smirked, SMIRKED, at the reactions on Naruto and Hinata's faces. Hinata gazed off into space dreamily, and Naruto simply stared at the Hyuga head as if he were insane.

"WHAT?!" Naruto shouted for the second time that night. "I'm only sixteen, I can't be married yet! Uh, not that I don't want to be married to you Hinata! It's just that-" Naruto continued to babble, before he was cut off by Hiashi.

"Why don't we discuss the details after you return, and the looming war has been won? And do not be afraid of marrying so young; it happens to most clan heirs and heiresses." Naruto simply nodded dumbly, as if accepting this line of thinking. Hinata was jerked out of her daydreams, and she turned a deep red as she realized what was happening. The knowledge became too much for her, and with a squeak she fainted.

Hiashi gazed at his daughter curiously before raising an eyebrow at the young man beside her. Naruto quickly assured him that this was a regular occurrence before bowing and showing himself out.

Naruto couldn't believe how this day had started. He had passed Rokuro's 'exam', nearly given up on the only girl he had ever loved, been beaten senseless, scolded for being so stupid, then beaten again, apologized to his girlfriend, then learned that her father wanted him to marry her. The last thought caused a goofy grin to appear on his face. While he was still young, he had no doubts he wanted to marry Hinata and spend the rest of his life with her. Nothing on earth made him happier than she did, and he made up his mind.

He was definitely going to accept that marriage proposal. Even if he had to become related to a bunch of people like Neji, the thought of having a wife made him giddy. Hiashi had just given the blonde shinobi some of the happiest memories he would ever had. Reflecting back on the many times he had been improper around the clan head, Naruto couldn't help but shake his head in wonder.

"Man, what a weird family!"

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A/N: I finished this a lot faster than I thought I would. Not being able to sleep also contributed to the last three chapters speed. Whatever, I hope this chapter doesn't seem to cliché, but what the hell, I like it. If you did too, or even if you didn't, review please!