Hello and welcome, everyone. It has been quite some time since my last update. I hope everyone is okay in these strange and dire times. And as for my long leave of absence, it partly is due to the fact that I have also made an account on ao3 and I am also uploading this story over their. And I am also working on a couple of fics other then Naruto, but they will most probably be released after this story is over and will be uploaded on ao3.

But anyway, I am thankful for the continued support you guys have given me, especially those who leave supporting messages and words in the reviews, and I hope you will enjoy the chapter.

So with that said, enjoy.

Her arrival back at the Hyuga compound was way less dramatic and tense as she had imagined it to be. Having not seen her home for almost a year, it felt strange stepping back through the threshold. And with the dominating presence of her father, looming just beside her, it felt like she was walking into a cage, a beautiful gilded cage. She had expected punishment for her actions as soon as she had been released from the delivery room, especially after looking at the way Hiashi glared at her.

But to her surprise, her father had just told her to rest and that he would call for her later. After that she was rushed from all directions by aunts and other cousins, all of them gushing over the changes in her appearance, her return from such a long 'mission' and more. And despite the slight aching pains rising over different intervals all over her body, and the exhaustion she felt after giving birth, she tried her best to smile and went along with anything they asked from her.

But out of everyone else, the one person Hinata missed the most was not present upon her return. When she asked one of her aunt's about her younger sister's whereabouts, she was told that she had just left for a mission about a day or two ago and would be back within a week. Although a bit saddened at the fact that she couldn't see Hanabi, Hinata was soon distracted after she was rushed towards the clan's open bathhouse for females of the main house.

Hinata felt like she was in a daze, and was being moved from place to place without her own knowledge. But the moment her skin came into contact with the hot water, she immediately came back to her senses. As if she snapped out of her daze, she looked around and saw nobody except a girl from the branch house, a few years older then her.

"Hinata-sama, do you want me to wash your hair first?"the girl asked. It wasn't the first time for Hinata to be in a situation like this. It was normal for the members of the Main house to have themselves treated to such privileges thanks to the branch house members. But for Hinata, this was not an activity she was fond of, mostly because she did not want to treat her own clansmen as slaves and have them do such trivial tasks.

But, after spending over nine months pregnant in a single room with no other activity, and after giving such a difficult birth, she felt like her entire body weighed a tone, especially whilst sitting in such soothing hot waters. So just for today, she would make an exception and relax.

"Thank you, Isumi-san, I would be thankful." Hinata politely smiled and sat upright against the stone wall of the bath, to allow her hair to be easily accessed by the girl.

Without another word, Isumi got to gently washing and lathering her hair up, softly brushing out all the tangles of her hair that had now grown out much longer then ever before. And it wasn't before long that her skillful hands soothingly massaging her head got Hinata to doze off a little into her own thoughts.

The moment her eyes closed, the picture of a beautiful little new born girl came at the forefront of her mind. A pair of beautiful eyes, with a perfect face. Her heart shook with tremors of sorrow, along with drops of water her eyes shed a few tears. She had gotten only a few moments of peace and tranquility with her beautiful little angel.

The moment she had opened her eyes, she only saw Tsunade and Shizune in the room, who looked at her with eyes that told her how sorry they felt, how sympathetic they felt for her and what she was going through. She had been told that Sasuke had taken their daughter and had left shortly after she drifted into unconsciousness. And once the former hokage and her apprentice had left, she turned over to look at where her daughter slept just a little while ago, she cried once more. She cried as much as she could over her reality, over her future. A future that looked dark and bleak without the presence of her precious little girl and the man who had stolen her heart.

She couldn't believe that she had given birth. A few years ago, she would've never imagined herself lying in this bed, especially not at such a young age. Even more crazy, she had given birth to a child who's father was Sasuke Uchiha and not Naruto Uzumaki, who had usually been the main star of her fantasies as a young girl. And yet here she was, a new mother that already had her child ripped away from her, and their was nothing she could do.

Her cries and weeps were cut short when Hiashi had imposingly snapped the door open and stepped inside with a look that expressed a feeling or emotion of beyond anger. He didn't shout or yell, or scold or even insult her a little. With terrifying indifference, he had only told her in clipped sentences to get dressed and come back to the compound. Not wanting to get on his bad side so early on, Hinata forcefully put aside her aching heart and it's temptations to just run towards where her daughter was. Being careful of her own exhaustion and state, Shizune had helped her get dressed in a standard jonin uniform, since she was technically returning from a mission in the eyes of her friends and family.

Fortunately for her, it was still quite early, and it was a sunday, so not many people were out and about. And those that were, she didn't know. She was thankful she hadn't run into any of her fellow shinobi, she was afraid of being questioned and frankly, she did not have any energy to do anything.

And for a moment, while she sat, she could just pretend she was free. Free from her father, free from Naruto, from the Hyuga, free from Konoha. For just a small moment, she could just imagine herself getting out of this bath, and walking through those doors and walking into a small room. A cozy little room, a few books littered on a table, a small fireplace in one corner providing warmth, and a bed in the middle.

She could see herself walking forward, and seeing a figure laying on the bed, with a hand-knit blanket drawn over the figure. A warm smile would rise on her lips, as the figure rose and the sight of her lover came before her. He would smirk softly, beckoning her to come closer. And as she would walk closer, she would notice the small child laying in the middle of the bed. A girl, just a few months old. Snoring softly, hands drawn out, she looked perfect.

Hinata's heart shivered, just imagining herself walking next to the bed, taking a seat on one side. Her lover and her, the two would just hold each others hands, and look down upon the life they had both created. With eyes filled love, they would feel the pride of being the parents to such an angelic little being.

And with hearts beating as one, they would tell each other how much they loved each other. How much they treasured each other. And that's all that would matter.

That's all Hinata would ever want. No obligations. No missions. No other connections.

This would be the only bond they would hold, and they would continue holding it till the end.

"Hinata-sama, your hair is done. I'll be close if you need anything else."

Hinata broke out of her fantasies, as her eyes snapped open. And for a moment, tears swelled in her eyes when she realized where she was. Taking deep breaths, she turned to the girl with a broken smile on her lips.

"Thank you, Isumi-san. That will be all." the girl in question politely smiled and bowed slightly before leaving the bath, leaving the princess to her own thoughts and troubles.

Letting out a sigh, Hinata leaned her head back against the rocky tiles of the bath, and allowed her mind to drift back to Sasuke Uchiha and her daughter. She knew it was futile to fantasize now, or to daydream about things that could never be. Her path was now different then that of Sasuke, and their was only one thing left that she could wish for.

"Please take care of our daughter, Sasuke-kun."

Life had a strange way of teaching one a lesson. In ways filled with mysticism and forces that mortals such as him could not understand, life taught one lessons. As he walked through the broken lands that were once home to the proud Uchiha clan, he wondered just what game the gods were playing with him.

All his life, since the day he had been born, his destiny had seemed to be written in blood. The blood of his brother, the blood of his clan, the blood of his friend, and the blood of the shinobi world. The rise and fall of his life came in blood and death. Their was no place for anything else, except for vengeance and a thirst to sate.

And yet, by some godly miracle, here he was. A walking apparition of death, holding a child filled with light and love. Surely the gods were out of their minds by putting him in such a position. Did they not know who he was? Were they not aware of the things he had done? The sins he had committed or the blood of on his hands?

The same hand that was now holding the most purest creature in the universe. What was he supposed to do with this? Was this supposed to be a test? Everything had happened so fast, that he never had the time to just stop and think. Think about what in the hell was he supposed to do?

How was he supposed to raise a child? How was he - a man who's ledger gushed red with blood - supposed to care for and raise such a creature, and not end up ruining her life?

For kami's sake, he was the man who all but a few years ago had vowed to kill every living man, woman, and child in this village! How was he supposed to do this!? He was broken. He was alone and miserable. A ghost that was just biding his time before biting the dust. He was a relic from a world that didn't exist. He knew how to fight, how to kill and bleed. He didn't know what to do with creatures as pure of sin as the one he held.

He had ruined everything he had ever touched. He ruined the Uchiha when he had been born. He ruined his brother by burdening him with such a tragic fate. He ruined his team by abandoning them when they needed him. At every point in his life, he always made the wrong decision. Always the wrong choice. He had abandoned his honor a long time ago, when he chose revenge instead of forgiveness. When he had preferred vengeance over acceptance.

He couldn't do this to his daughter. He would destroy her just by having her near him. He-He would break her. He was a failure in the eyes of the world and now he would be a failure in the eyes of the one he had created.

"Don't belittle yourself, Sasuke-kun...the world doesn't know what you have been through. The pain and suffering you have been through...everything you did in the past, everything you meant to do...maybe it was done in the wrong way but it was done with the right intentions...the people will learn...that you are not what they think you are...that you have so much more to offer to the world other then your strength."

The soft voice that rung in the air around him jolted him out of his troubling thoughts. The smooth tone of the way she had said those words to him that night came tumbling back in his ears. A small murmur of her name went through his lips as he turned around, hoping she was here. A small cooing from his arms turned his attention to the child that now held the title of being the daughter of Sasuke Uchiha. A terrible, terrible burden and fate in his opinion.

She stared back at him with eyes filled with curiosity and familiarity. She's so small, yet in her eyes, he can almost see the way she tries to soothe his pain and his worries. Almost as if she knew what troubling thoughts were plaguing him. He knows she can't understand him, that she barely understands anything right now but he can't stop his words.

"I'm sorry...I-I'm sorry for everything, Akeno...You deserve better. You deserve the world. You don't deserve someone as broken as me as your father, my daughter." As he stands in the forlorn lands of his family, holding the bright light that could bring life to his dead clan, a tear escapes his eye and falls on the soft skin of her face. But with the fall of that tear comes resolve, as the voices of ghosts he once knew befell his ears.

"I've … always lied to you and asked you to forgive me … deliberately keeping you at a distance by my own hand … because I didn't want you to get caught up in any of this … but now I think that perhaps 'YOU' could have changed mother and father and the rest of the Uchiha … if I had only come to you from the start … looked straight into your eyes and told you the truth...And this time...you can, brother...You can change everything...You can show your daughter how to be better. Better then we were."

"As your mother, I am sad to see you like this, Sasuke...But I have faith, that you will not make the mistakes we made...I have faith, as your mother, that my granddaughter will be proud to have you as her father."

Those voices that once belonged to his loved ones reminded him of the pain he had felt when he had lost them. And he would be damned if he let anyone cause the same pain to his daughter. Bringing her closer, he gently pressed his lips against her forehead before looking into her eyes of black and white.

"You deserve better then me, Akeno...But I will drag the stars to your feet until you claim me worthy of being your father. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, and show you the love I was robbed of."

With those words, a change arose in his strides. He had made his decision. He had no-one but his daughter. The love of his life had left him, but the parting gift she had left was still with him. And till his final breath, he would do everything he could to keep her happy and safe.

With his head held high, Sasuke walked in the direction of the long abandoned Uchiha temple, which was now the resting place to his family and clan.

It still brought the nightmares back before his eyes no matter how many times he had seen this, or how much he had grown. The tombstones of dozens of his brethren all in one place, he could feel the shivers that ran across his spine just imagining their final moments before meeting his brother's blade.

Standing on holy Uchiha ground, Sasuke felt the morning wind pass through his hair and caress his face. The Uchiha temple, which was once the designated place for clan meetings, and the place which held the stone tablet that had set the course of shinobi world into motion, was now an abandoned waste, just filled with overgrowing sprouts of plants and weeds. The temples colors that were once bold and confident were now dull and lifeless.

For Sasuke, it was not a place he visited very often. As a child he came with his mother a few times that he could remember, but after the massacre, on the orders of the third hokage, it became the burial ground for all the killed Uchihas. After that, coming back to this place physically scared him. And once he had left for power, the thought of ever coming back had completely fled his mind. For him at that time, paying respects to his fallen clansmen was not leaving prayers or flowers on their graves, but by burning the village that condemned them, to the ground.

It was foolish, he understood that now, and he was assured that his parents would be quite disappointed at the choices and path he took in his life. But now, after everything had been set and done. After getting a second chance to set things right. He felt compelled to come the place where his life once ended.

So here he was, behind the giant temple, a huge clearing in the woods, and the countless tombs filled with the bodies of his people. At the front were the two tombs of the people he had come to meet. It felt right that the first people his daughter would meet were her grandparents.

Getting down on his knees, he held Akeno in his hands, while he locked his eyes with the tombstones that read his mother's and father's names.

"Otou-san, Okaa-san...I-I...I d-don't know what you would say...if you were both here today...I know Okaa-san would scold me for how I turned out...I-I brought shame...shame to myself, to my family, to our clan...I have failed to become a son you could be proud of...I tried-I tried to honor the Uchiha...To restore our clan's name." His words were slow and gentle, filled with angst and anguish that had been accumulating for years.

"I only succeeded in being a failure...But-But I am not here to confess my sins...I have come to accept my faults and my flaws, and I will better myself...now more then ever because I have someone who depends on me." As he looked down for the tombs at his daughter, her eyes were closed once more, but a smile formed on his lips as a few tears slid down his face.

"Otou-san, Okaa-san, I would like you both to meet your granddaughter...Akeno Uchiha...She...She is my daughter. She is the one beacon of light that is guiding me right now towards the right thing...And-And I want you to know. I will not disappoint you this time...I will become a son that you will be proud of...I will be a father who Akeno can be proud of. That I swear to you on the Uchiha name." Slowly getting to his feet, he looked down at his parents with eyes that were now devoid of the familiar pain and heartache, and instead held relief.

"You both bestowed me with the Uchiha name and now, I will honor it by raising my daughter, who will fan the flames of our clan for generations to come."

As the day progressed, Hinata quietly slipped inside her room. It felt strange to be back. Especially since her room no longer held any of the warmth it once had, nor the possessions and decorations that made it so comforting for her. It seemed like her father had everything stored and locked away, almost every single thing. Her small trinkets, her sewing kit, her small mirrors, her pins and hairbrushes, and much more.

She could hardly call it her room any longer. It no longer held any of it's familiar charm. Now it seemed like a standard room, with a bland grayish wallpaper covering the walls, a dull vanilla colored futon laying perfectly wrapped on one corner and a small table placed on the other. It looked more like a moderately priced hotel room, and not her own room.

On the other hand, she couldn't really blame anyone for this. She was aware that her father was also given strict orders from the hokage to make sure her secret remained a secret. And it was obvious that some changes would be made considering she had been absent for more then nine months. And besides, she thought to herself, she had decorated it once so she could most definitely do it again.

But before that, she could still feel the post-delivery exhaustion weighing her down. So without bothering to change anything, she tiredly laid the futon out and rested her body. The softness and comfort of the futon was enough to make her doze off in a couple of minutes. With the sounds of her clansmen shifting outside her room, the patter of feet walking around the wooden floors, and the chirping of birds right next to her room, she lost herself to the land of dreams without any waiting.

"-ata-sama."

"-inata-sama."

"HINATA-SAMA!"

She woke with a yelp, sitting up in an instance. In a room filled with darkness. Looking around in a brief moment of panic, she calmed down when she switched on the light. Considering the absence of sunlight, as she looked outside, it seemed like she had slept the whole day. A small knock on her door immediately snapped her out of her thoughts, as she heard the voice of her long trusted caretaker and friend, Ko.

"Hinata-sama, I am coming in." she heard him say before the door slightly swiped open. She appreciated the fact that he didn't open the door in it's entirety and just enough so that he could see her.

"F-Forgive me, Ko-san, I was asleep so I didn't hear you." Hinata said with an apologetic smile on her lips as she looked up at the older man. She was still under the warm cover of the futon, and she really did not want to get up.

Her caretaker gently smiled as he shook his head before speaking in a polite tone. "It is quite alright, Hinata-sama. Being away on such a long mission can surely tire out even the strongest of shinobi. And I am sorry for waking you up, but I come with a message for you." Hinata immediately knew who he was talking about.

Being the heiress meant that she was second only to her father, and the elders. So it was quite clear to her that it was obviously the head of the Hyuga clan that must've called for her. Hinata remained quiet as Ko spoke.

"Hiashi-sama is calling for you in his personal chambers. He says it is an urgent matter." The tone of his words told her that it was most definitely something serious, and she could only hope he had not called her to discuss the consequences of the actions that she took, especially those that she took in clear defiance to him.

"Of course, Ko-san. I'll be there in a few minutes." Hinata said as she gave a small nod. Ko took that as his cue, as he smiled softly before sliding the door close and walked away, giving the princess her privacy.

Hinata stopped to wonder just what he could be calling her for, but realized that she would only get on his nerves the more she made him wait. With that, she quickly washed her face and changed out of her clothes, and dressed herself in a soft but beautiful lavender shaded yukata.

On soft steps, she tread across the Hyuga compound, whilst politely greeting any cousin or other relative she came across on the way, but never stopping. With the night sky out and the stars shining bright, Hinata's heart trembled just thinking of what her lover and her precious daughter were doing.

One thing she continuously told herself as she walked towards her father's room, was the fact that the people she considered the most precious were finally safe from her father, no matter what heinous threat he gave now, it would not bring harm to anyone else. Now it was only between Hiashi and her, and she only felt anger at being reminded of being so helpless and weak in-front of him in the last nine months. She felt anger that was directed towards the man she called her father, for acting so cruel and evil towards his own flesh and blood. And she vowed to herself, that she would never be so helpless ever again, not even in-front of Hyuga Hiashi.

But her musings were cut short when she realized she stood in-front of her father's private room. As she raised her hand to knock, she heard his voice clear through the door.

"Enter."

Wasting not a second, Hinata walked into a room doused in darkness except two candles placed on her father's table that burned with wicks lighting up the room in a soothing golden glow.

She took her place from across him quietly with a small greeting.

"Ko-san said you called for me, Otou-sama." She said in a voice that was small but sharp with lack of any sort of hesitance.

Hiashi sat with his eyes fixed on her, with arms crossed over his chest and an unreadable expression on his face.

"I did not call you here to waste my time, nor did I call you to waste yours, Hinata. I called you because the elders and I, have finally made our decision." He said in an unwavering and steeled voice. His words sending shivers across the princess's skin.

"Decision? I-I do not understand, Oto-" Her words were cut off, when Hiashi spoke and overlapped her.

"Do not play coy with me, daughter. Surely you did not think your actions would go unwarranted." Her eyes trembled with a bit of uncertainty and anger when she realized what he was talking about. "The Hyuga elders and I have been discussing your matter ever since your whorish acts came to light."

There it was, now she could see his rage and anger and it chilled her. But it also angered her when he referred to the love she shared with the Uchiha as an immoral and sinful act.

"It is not a whorish act in my eyes, Otou-sama. You may call it whatever you want...But I am not afraid to admit that I love Sasuke Uchiha, nor am I ashamed to admit that I am the mother of his daugh-" Hinata knew her words would have repercussions, but none of them could result in the harm of anyone other then herself.

Hiashi slammed his hand on the table with ferocity that made Hinata flinch. "Silence! I am not in the mood for any of your defiance tonight, Hinata! I suggest you hold your tongue, before I silence it myself!" Hinata ignored the fear she felt when she heard his words, and looked straight into his eyes without wavering one inch. With her heart aching with pain and anger and frustration, she let out everything she held without caring for what the head of the Hyuga would do.

"Then do it, Otou-sama! You have taken away everything else from me! So take away my voice as well! But it won't change anything that has already happened! You can do whatever you want to me but it won't change the fact that my daughter lives! She is alive and she is safe! Even if you don't admit it, even you know that she is with a man whom even you won't dare to cross! And that's all that matters to me! The people I love are safe! And if my life is the price for my daughter's safety, then it's a price I am more then willing to pay!...So go ahead, and do whatever you wish to do, Hiashi-sama." Hinata felt light and free, even in the face of danger she only felt peace at that moment. Panting softly, she slowly calmed her nerves before staring into the eyes of her father.

The underlying rage beneath his calm exterior was now visible, and when he spoke, he almost held himself back from growling. With eyes now shadowed with hate and burning anger, he looked down at the papers placed in-front of him.

"You have made your bed, Hinata. I will enjoy watching you lie in it." When he looked up, Hinata felt fear creep inside her heart when she saw the malicious grin on his lips. And the words he spoke made Hinata truly realize that her fate was set in stone, and nobody could change that.

"By the orders of the Hyuga elders and I, in two days time, Hinata Hyuga, you will be branded with the curse seal."

It's a tough situation for Hinata, that's for sure but let's hope for the best. Still, things are gonna get a little bad before they get better, especially for Hinata.

And as for Sasuke, he will be help from different sources and places.

We might also see how their friends will react to the new changes in their lives, and we might also see what Naruto is upto. Plus, Sakura will also be making regular appearances in the story from the next chapter, and I am pretty excited about that.

So with all that said, I hope you guys stay tuned and let me know what you think about the story so far in the reviews.