A/N: Hey everyone!

Thank you so much for all your support and love for this story! I was completely blown away with the number of views, reviews, favs and follows for this story! It really made my day! =) =)

StillABloomingFlower, umnia, .xX, SAMARA-18, Moonlit-Roulette, andnoneforgretchenweiners, hinatafan, Guest (I wish I knew who you really were), ditchmydismay, Sone2765: I officially love you =)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters… Sigh…

"Ah… Hyuuga. To what do I owe the displeasure at this ungodly hour?"

"Give us the wretched woman. We know that she's inside." The first Hyuuga spat.

An elegant eyebrow was raised in response as Sasuke appraised the male in front of him.

Shorter than him by a head, he wasn't particularly attractive or strong and his chakra level was modest at best. He appeared to be rather average and Sasuke was not impressed. It would seem that the only thing he had going for him was his Hyuuga name, and even then he certainly wasn't memorable or prodigal like Neji Hyuuga.

Hn. Now he would have been a worthy opponent.

But this guy?

Che…

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He replied nonchalantly.

"Quit the act, Uchiha, this is a Hyuuga matter and is of no concern to you. It would do you well to not interfere." The other numbskulls with him nodded in agreement.

"It would do you well to remember that you are trespassing on my property." Sasuke retorted unkindly, "I don't take well to unwanted visitors."

"I'm warning you Uchiha. Hand her over," His byakugan now activated, "Or else."

A malevolent grin swept across Sasuke's face, "Or else what Hyuuga?"

The cogs and wheels in Sasuke's head were turning at full speed, conjuring up hundreds of possible ways he could annihilate and humiliate the Hyuuga before him. His forehead was bare of the curse seal, clearly indicating he was from the Hyuuga main house and Sasuke frowned. Not that he cared for Hyuuga politics or anything, but wouldn't that make him an easy target for enemy shinobi?

Then again, who cares?

Maybe the loser had a death wish. Hn, if that was the case, Sasuke was more than willing to 'help' him.

"You'll regret those words Uchiha. And so will she." His words dripped with venom.

Sasuke bit back a laugh as he took a step forward, "Is that so? Shall we see if the little dog has bite to go with his bark then?"

The man presumed to be Hinata's husband actually took a step back in response.

What the hell?!

If Sasuke was surprised, he certainly didn't show it.

What kind of self-respecting shinobi from a reputable clan no less, would back down from a challenge in such a disgraceful manner? Was Hinata seriously married to this trash? Hn. Madara probably would've killed him without a second thought, his ancestor wasn't particularly known for his patience and in this case, Sasuke couldn't blame him.

"Hn. You have just made a powerful enemy tonight, Uchiha. Mark my words." Hiro said finally.

Then, they were gone within a blink of an eye.

As much as Hiro hated to admit it, the byakugan didn't stand a chance against the mangekyo sharingan. The man was dangerous and psychopathic, he wasn't kidding around. Hiro sneered with distaste. The Uchiha were nothing without their eyes and although the sharingan was highly sought after in the shinobi world, to Hiro it was nothing more than a monstrous atrocity that emerged from a defective byakugan. And just like their wielders, the sharingan held formidable strength but no honor. Sasuke and his traitorous brother were sufficient proof of that.

But no matter, Hiro had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

He wouldn't need a single jutsu to take down the Uchiha…

And as for his wretched wife? Well, let's just say that she would pay dearly for her actions.

"A wise choice ladies," Sasuke called out after them, "I'll be sure pass on your brave and noble endeavors to the Hokage and recommend that he assign missions within your limited capabilities."

Cowards.

Now to go and finish off that drink. Che…

When Hinata woke up the following morning, she was shocked to discover that all she suffered from was a mild headache and a generalized muscle pain. The bruises on her arms and legs were gone and the gash on her head had been tidied up with small, neat stitches. She vaguely wondered if it all had been just a dream...

The warm afternoon light streamed in through a small window and she noted that she was in a different room than before. No longer was she sleeping on the couch but resting comfortably on a futon with generous warm blankets and a soft pillow. She pushed back the covers and flinched slightly as she tried to get onto her feet. When she opened the bedroom door, she heard the sounds of muffled chatter coming from near by. She heard a feminine hiss was quickly followed by an angry growl, and then quieted by a rational drawl.

Hinata stilled in realization.

Her secret was out.

The Hyuuga would be furious.

Slowly, she made her way to the noise (noticing that she was no longer limping like before) and when she appeared at the entrance of the large modern kitchen, four pairs of eyes turned towards her simultaneously.

A thick, tense atmosphere quickly settled upon the room as no one dared to move or speak.

Suddenly, Hinata felt her eyes begin to water.

It was real.

What had happened to her was real.

Within a millisecond, a flurry of pink rushed over and engulfed the blunette in a tight hug and Hinata's mind vaguely registered who it was. Sakura. She hadn't seen the vivacious medic in years, but in one embrace she managed to make Hinata experience the things she hadn't felt in such a long time that they were almost foreign and non-existent.

Warmth.

Comfort.

Companionship.

It was then and there in Sakura's arms that Hinata decided let it all out.

She had been hurt in the worst possible way and betrayed by the ones that were meant to love and protect her. What had happened to her was not okay, and it was never going to be okay, and things would not get any better with Hiro or the Hyuuga. She had every right to cry and didn't care if anyone thought she was weak. She was exhausted physically and mentally, and she didn't want to pretend anymore. Every tear she shed was a painful reminder of her past, of the horrible things that had happened to her, each tormented memory that she wanted to leave behind.

And for a long time Sakura simply held her.

Hinata clung to Sakura as if she were a lifeline; afraid that if she let go, she would plunge into darkness and despair once again. She breathed in Sakura's flowery scent in gulps as if it were the very air that Hinata had been deprived of.

Sakura returned the embrace with equal fervor.

She was finally free.

And safe.

When they finally pulled apart, Sakura's lovely pink cardi was soaked to the core and Hinata stuttered out an apology and tried desperately to blot her cardi with her sleeve but Sakura stopped her. She simply removed her cardi and reassured her distraught comrade before going into the kitchen to fix her something to eat. Soon after, the men re-entered from the garden (Hinata hadn't even noticed that they had even vacated the room) and took up different positions in the living room. Sasuke leaned against the fireplace with his usual poker face, Kakashi had taken one of the armchairs to her left and Naruto, her all-time crush, took a seat next to her on the couch.

Hinata blushed. He looked absolutely dashing in his Kage robes.

Then with absolute care, Naruto reached out for one of her hands and held it tenderly within the both of his palms.

"I'm so sorry Hinata. I have failed you to protect you as your Kage." For once his cerulean eyes didn't twinkle.

Hinata's eyes began to tear up once more, "N-No! That's not t-true Nar–"

"Yes I have." Naruto interrupted ruefully, "I was so busy trying to protect the village from outside threats that I failed to see the harm from within its own walls. From this day forward, if you will let me, I promise to protect you with my life. I won't fail you again, believe it!"

Naruto hung his head in shame and Hinata let out a choked, pained sob.

Sasuke watched the interaction in derision.

There was no doubt the dobe was blaming himself. Despite his denseness, Naruto had a way of feeling inappropriately guilty and responsible for matters that were clearly out of his control. Protecting his comrades meant everything to Naruto and he was taking Hinata's current predicament as a personal failure.

"This is isn't your fault Naruto or hers. It's theirs." Sasuke said crisply.

Naruto ignored him.

"Sasuke's right, Naruto," Kakashi said, "But now we need to figure out our next move. The Hyuuga are a very powerful and influential clan in the hidden leaf village and sudden, thoughtless actions may disrupt the delicate relationship that the village has with them. This means that if they were to withdraw their support, shinobi troops, funding and resources from the central government, Konoha may potentially suffer financial and economical collapse. The impact on the village council would be additional of course."

Just then, Sakura walked in balancing a tray of food in her hands and kindly handed Hinata a cup of tea before taking a seat next to Naruto.

"So what you suggest we do Kakashi Sensei? Just sweep it all under a rug?! I don't think so!" Sakura answered angrily, "The Hyuuga's have lost all my respect for them when they dared to hurt one of my friends and I won't sit around while you men talk through your politics. I say we expose them."

Kakashi regarded Sakura impassively.

He understood where his female student was coming from but that would only make things worse. Naruto and Sakura were extremely temperamental people who often acted impulsively based on their emotions with little regard for the future consequences. Of course, Sasuke was guilty of those things too, but to a much lesser extent and Kakashi had unconsciously let out an audiable sigh of relief when he found out that Hinata sought shelter with Sasuke and not with the other two.

"No Sakura." Kakashi continued, "If the truth were to be revealed, the Hyuuga would lose what they treasure most: their pride and honor. This will have serious repercussions for Konoha too and we need to think of the bigger picture. Right now, time is of the essence and when the Hyuuga make their move, we need to be ready."

Everyone was silent.

"What if you s-send me a-away? To another v-village?" Hinata asked suddenly.

"Hmm, I don't think so." Naruto replied regretfully. "The only other place I would be comfortable sending you is Suna and even then, the Hyuuga would still be able to track you down. Gaara is one of my best friends and I don't want him involved in a dispute that doesn't concern him or his village."

Hinata's heart sank.

She would have to stay here. With him nearby.

Sasuke turned to Hinata. "A divorce would be for the best, followed by a restraining order if necessary. You can base it on the grounds of incompatibility, but you won't receive a ryo of your inheritance and you will probably be disowned."

Hinata nodded. Divorce was practically unheard of among the Hyuuga clan but she never wanted to see Hiro again. She had thought about it so many times before but wouldn't save her from the isolation, harassment and ridicule from her own clan.

"Hinata, I think it would be best for you to stay in Konoha where we can protect you and keep an eye on the Hyuuga. Sasuke-teme, can Hinata stay here for a little while? This will be your next mission." Then he began to head for the door.

"Hn."

Kakashi also stood up and followed suit. "Naruto, Shikamaru and I will look into the terms and conditions of your marriage to Hiro Hyuuga. We'll try to find a loophole in your marriage contract but it's not going to be easy." Then he paused in the hallway. "We're so sorry Hinata." He said sincerely before leaving.

Sakura put an encouraging hand on her shoulder as Naruto and Kakashi exited the house while Sasuke muttered something about finally getting some peace and quiet.

"They won't get away with this, honey." She said kindly. "You'll be safe here with Sasuke. If you need anything at all or someone to talk to, you know where to find me."

Naruto bit back a foul curse as he read the most recent threat he received from the Hyuuga council. It was the forth one this week and frankly, he had quite enough of this bullshit. He wanted nothing more than to march over to the Hyuuga compound and rasengan Hiro Hyuuga's sorry ass into the next dimension. Anyone else foolish enough to get in his way would be collateral damage.

A week after Hinata had escaped, Naruto and his advisers drew up a divorce settlement for Hinata and Hiro Hyuuga. It surprised absolutely no one when the Hyuuga rejected it. They claimed that the situation was a clan matter and that they would deal with it in a way they deemed 'appropriate'. Hiro wanted his wife back and the Hyuuga wanted their heiress (presumably to seal her eyes and punish her for daring to leave in the first place) and Naruto shuddered to think what their definition of 'appropriate' was.

Normally, the Hokage office would not interfere in clan matters provided that they did not go against the laws of the village and the best interests of the general public. In this case, this unwritten 'understanding' had been severely breached and Hinata's personal safety and wellbeing took precedence over social norms.

As the divorce was being filed based on incompatibility to save face for all parties, it meant that there was a three-month stand down period before the divorce was actually legal. Under normal circumstances, this enabled the husband and wife time to work through their issues and attend compulsory counseling sessions with the ultimate aim to reconcile and continue with their marriage.

In Hinata's case, this wasn't possible.

If the divorce had been filed for domestic abuse, as it should have been, it would have been effective immediately and only required one signature: Hinata's. Hiro would have been arrested immediately and undergoing a thorough investigation and heavy interrogation. He would most likely be serving a very long time in jail without bail. But unfortunately this option would cause significant turbulence and uproar within the village, public trust and opinion of the Hyuuga would be shattered and Hinata would be victimized further.

It was a tough cake anyway you sliced it.

Naruto finally understood why The Fifth drank so much.

In the days that followed, Hinata slowly started to adjust to living with Sasuke in the Uchiha manor.

She was terrified at the thought of living with another man after everything she had been through, regardless of whether she was married to him or not. The Uchiha wasn't exactly the most accommodating person and she had been scared of him back when they were at the academy. An intensely cold aura always accompanied him wherever he went and Hinata couldn't understand why women threw themselves at him.

But he had saved her life and that had to be accounted for.

If it weren't for him, she would still be stuck in Hyuuga manor at the mercy of Hiro.

Sasuke's house was very much like her old home in the sense that it was a traditional Japanese dwelling with spacious rooms and elegant living areas. Each room was tastefully decorated with antiques, portraits and expensive furniture and extremely well maintained; there was not a speck of dust in sight and it was almost as if everything was preserved in an intimate memory of its former past.

Hinata had expected it to be cold and distant, just like its sole occupant and remaining heir, but this was surprisingly not so. A quiet lingering of homeliness filled the air and a sense of hushed love emanated throughout the household and extended to the compound. It was something she had never felt in all her life while living in the Hyuuga compound and it made her queasy.

Sasuke was a very private young man and liked to be left alone. No surprises there. He spent the majority of his time training, eating or sleeping and occasionally he would hang out with his teammates. He provided her with food, shelter and protection from Hiro and the Hyuuga and the only thing Hinata didn't like about him was his questionable drinking habits.

On the first day, Sasuke had shown her around the house speaking to her as little as possible and told her (quite bluntly) what she could and could not do. She was allowed to go anywhere within the compound including the gardens and training grounds and she was free to use the library and the communal living areas as she pleased. If she wanted something from the market or 'whatever', she just had to ask him and he would take her provided he wasn't busy.

However, she was forbidden to enter any of the rooms in his house apart from her own and she was strictly instructed not to touch anything that didn't concern her. He didn't want her to bother him over anything trivial and pointed out that although he was required to guard her, he was in no way expected to keep her company.

Hinata had tried her best not to cry at that comment.

She was by no means a conversationalist herself but she wasn't used to being blatantly ignored. She had been through so much and found herself craving his company despite herself. Hinata understood that Sasuke wasn't obligated to befriend in the least but would it hurt him to actually talk to her? A simple hello would have been just fine.

Still, he was nothing like Hiro.

He ate whatever dish Hinata put in front of him without complaint (although he seemed to eat any dish that contained tomatoes with a fierce gusto) and didn't shout at her or hit her if she got something wrong. He stood by his word and said exactly what he meant with no hidden agendas or meanings. He accepted her simpleton blunders and treated her with a polite indifference. He didn't talk to her unless completely necessary and kept his distance from her as he did with all females.

In other words, he was the perfect flat mate.

The only time Sasuke seemed to let down his guard was when he was around his old team. Naruto and Sakura had no problem barging into his personal space (and house) and demand what they wanted from him. Usually this would be an outing or training session, which Sasuke rejected outright saying he had better things to do with his time but attended without fail anyway. They were the only ones that could get under his skin and make him do things he clearly didn't want to do and somehow live to tell the tale.

At the age of twenty-three, Hinata was still incredibly shy and socially awkward. She tried her best to stay out of his way and spoke only when spoken to. She desperately tried to engage him in conversation but when she opened her mouth, the words never seemed to come out and then she would internally berate herself for being weak for not even being able to simply ask him how his day had been no matter how much she wanted to.

She wondered what Sasuke must think of her.

Maybe he hated her.

Maybe he thought she was weak and stupid.

Maybe he thought she was beneath him.

Maybe, he was ashamed of her…?

Hmm, I wonder what Sasuke thinks of the situation…

Let me know what you guys think! Plot line, future events, characters, Hiro … anything!

A/N: This chapter took me so long to write and I must have re-written it about four times! .' I'm so sorry that this update took longer than expected.

Thank you so much for reading. Please review! I really love hearing your reactions and constructive feedback.

P.S. I don't have a beta, but I do try my best to not to have any grammatical or spelling mistakes by proof reading a dozen times but I'm only human and its very likely I may have missed something.