After nearly a half-hour of Hinata insisting she was fine to walk home alone, she was finally reaching the gate of her family's compound with Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru in tow.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking myself home," She quipped, turning back to look at her teammates.

"We know, and we're perfectly capable of accompanying you," Kiba retorted.

Akamaru nudged Hinata's hand. She looked down at him lovingly and patted his head gently. He always had a need to remind her that he was a part of the conversation as well.

"Yes, Akamaru, I know you can walk me home. But it's late, and it's cold. Your houses are even further away now, all because the three of you felt the need to-"

Kiba held up his hand, "We've never let you walk home alone, we're not about to start now," He looked ahead to the gate and nodded, "See we're already here."

"It was a quick walk," Shino added.

"Exactly, super quick," Kiba smiled at Hinata and quickly added, "Say hi to Hanabi for us, we haven't seen her in a while."

"You both know you can stop by for tea when you have some free time," Hinata reminded them.

"Free time is a luxury nowadays," Shino mumbled.

"But, for you, we'll try to stop by more often," Kiba quickly added.

Both boys raised a hand and waved goodbye, watching as Hinata opened the gate and finally disappeared inside.

She took a deep breath before she continued walking down the snow-covered path that led towards her home. Feeling emboldened by Kurenai-sensei, she had spent the whole walk home thinking up exactly what she would say to her father.

She was determined to talk to him tonight, she just had to find the courage to do it.

"Welcome home!" Hanabi called out as Hinata pulled off her boots and jacket in the entryway.

Hinata popped her head around the corner and offered a wave to her younger sister. Hanabi was sitting in the kitchen, eating a banana and casually reading a book.

"You're already done training for the day?" Hinata asked.

"The cold was really getting to otousan today. He told me to study my books instead and we'd have a longer session tomorrow."

Hinata peered at the book on the table and smirked, "Didn't know mangas qualified as study materials now."

Hanabi raised a brow, "It's sort of like you training with Naruto, wouldn't you say?"

Instead of engaging with her younger sister, Hinata asked, "Papa is in his study?"

"Yes, as always."

"Okay, thanks."

Hinata was about to turn and walk down the long hallway to the head Hyuga's study when she felt her sister pull on her sweater sleeve, "Why are you asking?"

"I-I...I need to talk to him."

"About?"

Hinata looked at her sister and took a deep breath, "Everything."

"Everything...?"

"Yes."

Hanabi looked at Hinata up and down, trying to see if her sister had finally lost it, "As in...where you've really been spending your nights?"

Hinata furrowed her brow, "Hanabi, please."

"I'm just making sure..." Hanabi reached out and pressed a slender hand against her sister's forehead.

With a flick of her own hand, Hinata swatted Hanabi away, "What are you doing!?"

"I thought you were running a fever or something."

"What? Why?"

"Why else would you be going to speak with otousan...unless..." Hanabi gasped, "He's proposing...he's officially coming here to speak with otousan and you want to prepare him!"

"How do you do that?"

"So it's true!"

Hinata said nothing, simply turned, and started walking down the hallway to her father's office.

"Good luck!" She heard her sister yell after her. Hinata couldn't help smiling, even as nervous as she was.

She had walked these hallways as a child many a time but never feeling the way she had. She was hopeful, confident. For once, she was looking forward to the future.

For a moment she thought of herself as a proud failure, just as she had deemed Naruto all that time ago. But, she shook that thought away. She had grown since then and knew now she wasn't a failure at all.

So she had not lived up to her father's expectations. That didn't mean she had failed. Hinata still had so much life before her, so much she wanted for herself.
It started with the dream she had so long ago to forever walk by her golden boy's side, and it slowly became the need to be free. Of having the choice to choose what her life would look like, who she would marry, what she wanted to become in the future.

Neji's life would not have been taken in vain. She was going to ensure she lived every moment to the fullest, not bound by imaginary constraints that no longer applied to her.

"Come in," She heard almost immediately after rapping on the door. Her hands shook as she gripped the handle, but, still, she managed to peek her head in and wearily smile at her father. He waved her in with a gentle gesture.

It felt as if she hadn't been in his study in ages. There were newer pictures of her and Hanabi that decorated his walls. But it was the portrait of her mother that hung above the small end table behind him that she always stole away to look at when she was feeling particularly down. After all the years she had passed, her mother still held the most prominent spot in his study and heart, even if he refused to speak of her or the pain he felt having lost her so early on.

Whenever she needed to remind herself that there was some part of him that was human, that felt the same emotions she did, she looked at her mother's photo. The man that had fallen deeply in love and probably felt the same cluster of confusing emotions she did now was in there somewhere.

"Hinata? I thought you would be sleeping at Sakura's again tonight."

Hinata reddened, "Sakura has an early start tomorrow. Besides, I was at Kurenai-sensei's today with my teammates."

"That's nice. How are she and Mirai doing?"

"They're both doing well."

"I'm glad to hear it."

There was an awkward lull, but Hinata tried to push forward anyway.

"Father, I was wondering if you had a moment..."

He motioned to the seat behind Hinata and he had her sit down. She willingly accepted, taking another deep breath before sitting down

Hiashi did not look at her head-on. Instead, he put the document he was diligently working on down and began to rub his tired hands.

"You're working too hard," She quipped.

"There's no such thing."

She smiled, letting it go for the moment. She knew he would forever be too proud to admit he was tired.

"You wanted to speak to me?" Hiashi asked, finally meeting his daughter's gaze. His face gave nothing away, it was as impartial as ever.

Hinata stuttered, "I-I did. I, um, I wanted to ask..."

"Does it concern Naruto?"

Her eyes widened, "Y-yes."

"He hasn't come to see me yet. Should we be waiting until he does to have this conversation?"

Hinata was floored, this was not what she had been expecting at all, "W-why?"

"He is...planning to ask for your hand, isn't he?"

She tilted her head, as if she was hearing of this for the first time, "I-I don't..."

Hiashi looked at her, the same even expression as always, "Tell him to visit me when he's ready."

Hinata bowed her head, "Y-yes. I will."

"I thought I had made myself clear when I mentioned to him he should stop by...not very perceptive is he?" Hiashi muttered, grabbing the folder he had been working on and placing it on another pile of official-looking documents he had before him.

Hinata cocked an eyebrow as she looked at her father, unsure of what to say next. This was not how she had anticipated this conversation going, not even in the slightest.

"Was there anything else?"

She was speechless, couldn't find the words she had spent so long planning to say.

"Is it the matter of who will become heir?"

Hinata nodded.

"I want to make it perfectly clear. If you were to marry Naruto, you would be giving up the position of heir."

She cleared her throat, "I'm still heir to the main branch?"

Hiashi shifted uncomfortably, "On paper, yes," he sighed and managed to finally say, "But being heir was never your plan, was it?"

Hinata looked down, trying to bite her tongue. She couldn't help herself though, she managed to mumble, "Nor was it yours," before regretting it immediately.

Hiashi turned to look at her mother's portrait as if gathering the strength to continue the overdue conversation, "It wasn't a matter of stripping you of your title simply because I thought you weren't strong enough. You're just...so much like her."

"Like mother?"

"Unlike your sister, kindness is your guiding force. It fogs your decision-making, influences your every move" He took a breath, "I've come to realize, though, that perhaps that isn't as bad a thing as I once thought it was."

"Oh?"

"The years have brought with them much hardship and loss, and maybe that has made me a little softer. Daughter, I understand that being the head of our branch is not what is in the cards for you. Although I did not want to accept it, and although I was, perhaps, too cruel to you because of the fact, I know now that it's better to pass the duty along to someone who wants it."

She knew he was referring to Hanabi, and she nodded to let him know she understood

"I am not opposed to a marriage between you and Naruto, Hinata, as long you understand what it means."

Hinata's head was spinning. She had been expecting an argument, yelling, maybe even being disowned by her clan. Her father accepting her and Naruto's marriage from the get-go? It was a wild daydream, an impossible scenario. Yet here she was, listening to her father tell her he was not against her marrying Naruto. That he was waiting for Naruto to ask for her hand.

It felt as if she was going to faint. It was as if all the blood in her body was rushing in her ears. She could barely hear what her father was saying as she got up from her seat, wanting to leave before he could realize what he was saying and change his mind.

She pulled on her long skirt as she stood up before him, bowed, and mumbled, "T-thank you, Father."

Hinata set her sights on the door, one quick step in front of the other she made her way to the other side of the room only to hear Hiashi ask, "Daughter?"

"Yes?"

"At least until the wedding, can you do me the favor of sleeping in your own bed?"

Hinata reddened, hating that everyone was right. Hiashi did know...of course he did. She really had thought she was pulling one over on her father.

She was so incredibly embarrassed she couldn't even dare to look him in the eye. She knew Naruto would be having some feelings of his own when he found out her father had put his foot down on the subject of their sleepovers.

"Y-yes. I'm sorry."

Hiashi nodded, "I'll be seeing Naruto soon then?"

"I imagine so."

"Alright. Tell Hanabi to finish her reading—the one that was assigned—by tomorrow."

"Of course, father."

"Goodnight then."

She smiled slightly and finally slipped out of her father's study without any further incident. It wasn't until she reached her room, though, that she dared breathe out.

It almost seemed too good to be true. The stars were aligning for her and Naruto. Their future was so close, so very real. She couldn't help the flutter in her chest or the tears welling in her eyes. After everything they had been through, the war, the deaths, the destruction, good things were unfolding for the pair.

She held her hand to her chest as she tried to hold back a happy sob. It appeared that even her relationship with her father had an opportunity to be mended. Perhaps it would be as Naruto had said long ago to Neji: he would be the one to change the Hyuga clan after all.