Chapter 13: A Choice:
Well you can probably guess what's gonna happen by the title. Hinata's gonna make a choice between Sasuke and Marui. I originally intended to take a couple chapters to have her spend more time with Marui but I'm probably getting impatient for everyone to get married and have the children I've been thinking about for so long. Or at least one child in Naruto and Sakura's daughter. I think I will go with Kasumi Uzumkai, then maybe I'll have Shinachiku or whatever the popular name is for their son as the younger brother, maybe another little sister as well. Hope you guys don't mind me just cutting to the chase but I went longer than I intended in this part that takes place before that. I just want to get a move on.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, if I did then he would have gotten together with Sakura in the end. Just giving my fellow shippers an alternative ending that I believe should have been canon.
A month went by as Hinata spent time with her new suitor from the Hidden Cloud. She felt they could be happy together if they did indeed become official and tie the knot. But every so often when she was out and about, she saw Sasuke being eyed with hateful glances here and there by the villagers. It reminded her of Naruto's life when he was a child, maybe not as bad since she had helped to make them feel guilty by telling off for their treatment of the Uchiha as well as Naruto.
She'd gone on dates with Marui and they'd begun talking more comfortably after overcoming their shyness. But she had to make a choice now.
Both Sasuke and Marui had similar backgrounds to her own. They'd been born into a clan with a Kekkai Genkai and had to live up to the standards of the family. Marui had needed to work hard to build up his skills, just like Sasuke and her. But Marui had never been hated by the village he came from, and that was something she took into great consideration.
Hinata sighed as she made up her mind. She'd choose Sasuke. He needed someone to be there for him and make him happy. He wanted to redeem the Uchiha Clan from its dark past that Naruto had finally pulled him out. He and Sakura were there for their friend, always. But there was no such thing as too many friends to watch your back, no matter how skilled you. She had also truly enjoyed their date together.
Hinata walked out to where she'd agreed to meet Marui.
"Good morning Hinata," the boy from the Hidden Cloud said. "You wanted to speak to me?"
"Yes," she said. "Its about my decision."
Marui took a breath. He'd known this day was coming. He looked hopeful at her but when she spoke her words filled him with disappointment.
"I'm sorry Marui, you seem like a nice man but I've decided I like Sasuke," Hinata said. "He needs someone close to him. Especially now with more then a few people against him."
Marui looked down. "I-I understand. I-I wish you luck."
He walked off with a neutral expression that hid his sadness.
"Don't give up!" she called after him. "I know its hard being rejected. But there can always be another love."
He looked back and gave her a small smile. Hinata was glad he at least accepted her choice and wasn't being a sore loser. She watched him leave then began to walk to Sasuke's house. She knocked on the door and he soon opened it.
"Hinata," he greeted.
"Sasuke," she returned the casual greeting in imitation. He smiled a bit at it.
"So, how are things going with your prospective husband?"
She shook her head. "I decided I want to be with you."
Sasuke's eyes widened.
"That makes me… happy," Sasuke said a little nervous and blushing slightly.
His heart beat quickened, as did hers. There was silence between the shy girl and the stoic man.
"I know I'm not the number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja you dreamed about in the past. But I hope I can make you happy," Sasuke said.
"I do feel joy when I'm with you," Hinata said. "You and I both had our lives greatly influenced by Naruto, even if we did suffer loss and hardship with our families."
"That's true. Naruto gave you the resolve to keep going, even when things looked hopeless," Sasuke said. "I wish I could have seen your fight against Neji. That probably would have been something. Did you ever manage to make peace with each other?"
She nodded. "Yes. After the Chunin Exams he became kinder to me and wasn't as harsh."
"That's good," Sasuke said. "At least you had some time with him as a proper family member should. I only got that after Itachi had died."
"What do you mean?" Hinata asked with a shiver at the thought of speaking to someone already dead.
"I met Itachi as a reanimation, we fought Kabuto and ended the jutsu that brought back all the dead shinobi puppets. It was him that made me start to rethink my path of revenge. But it took Naruto to pull me back into the light."
"I'm sorry," Hinata said.
"Its not your fault, none of it was," Sasuke said. "Kagauya, Madara, Black Zetsu, and Obito did it. I wish things could have been better. But there's no use dwelling on what we can't have anymore. All we can do is try to make the future better."
She nodded. "You're right."
She looked into his eyes and he looked into hers. He then stepped forward, his face a few inches from hers. She knew what he was thinking.
"If you're willing," he said.
She nodded once again, blushing heavily. "Yes."
He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Their heart beats grew even quicker. They remained locked for several seconds, or perhaps it was an eternity. But then they broke apart. Sasuke's one visible dark eye not covered by bangs looked into the white ones, like Yin and Yang. Sasuke only hoped she was the right woman for him to not only love, but set a good example for any children they might have so that the curse of hatred would be gone for good.
Sasuke looked at her. "Well… that was nice."
"W-was it your first kiss?" she asked with a small stutter.
He nodded. "Yours?"
She nodded with a soft smile.
"Well, I should probably be on my way home now," Hinata said. "My father might worry."
He nodded.
"You should go to your family then."
"Would you care to join us for dinner soon?" she asked.
"I might like that," he said.
She turned and he closed the door. Leaning against it he could faintly hear her walking away for a few seconds. He then returned his room where he had the photographs of his family and Team. They'd been dug out from the ruins after Pain's attack and later given to Sasuke. He'd once turned the photo of Team 7 down when he left the village. But now it stood as a proud and happy time in Sasuke's life that he wished he never turned his back on. He looked at for a moment then to the picture of his parents, Itachi, and himself. His naïve seven year old self looked back at him, unaware of the dark man he would become. But now the darkness had passed and Sasuke hoped that with Hinata he would have a much brighter future in the years to come.
Okay so Sasuke and Hinata are together now. I felt like I just wanted to get a move on and flashforward a couple years to when everyone gets married then it will be to the families in a decade or more. Though I still feel like there could be more to it like maybe more stuff with Sakura and Naruto. I'm considering going back and adding more chapters maybe. What do you guys think? Would the story benefit from that? I'm open to ideas and we'll see. I just feel like the story might be losing its umph. Tell your thoughts whether they be your opinion, ways to improve, or anything else (besides being an asshole like someone else was recently).