Chapter 6

Hinata sat next to Naruto, slurping up ramen slowly as she eyed him, inhaling his own lunch before asking for another. The news that her hope of earning his affections still refused to settle in her mind, each morning she had high hopes that it had been a bad dream. And each morning she met with the Hyuga council, their intrusion on her life helping to cement that what transpired was real. The constant questions of how she planned to get along with Sasuke, how it would be best to do so before the wedding. It had been too much this morning, so when Naruto came to get her for lunch, she had been more than thrilled to not just leave the house, but see Naruto. Now, she realized what sort of mistake it was, her feelings for him refusing to fade into oblivion when she knew she could never have him. She was to be given to his best friend, yet her heart yearned for the man to her left as he continued to eat his ramen with such vigor.

"How are you feeling, Hinata-chan?" Naruto finally asked, slowing down after what felt like a lifetime, but had probably only been fifteen minutes.

"Oh, well, I'm okay I suppose. The news hasn't quite set in, yet so I'm hopeful that it will soon. The clan continues to question how I plan to make this union work, but I have no clue how to even begin." Hinata frowned, setting her chopsticks down on the bowl.

"Sasuke can be a little rough around the edges, but he's great when you get to know him. Just don't let his quiet nature deter you from your mission. It's unfair that the two of you were forced into this, but you have to make the best of it, ya know?" He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Sasuke has changed a lot since the war. I know he was lost for a while, but he found himself and I think you'll be good for him."

Hinata blushed, staring down into her bowl of ramen. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. I just hope you are right."

"How about we go pay him a visit?" Naruto offered, but paused when she shook her head.

"I went to see him yesterday, I don't want to impose too much. I'll be doing that enough after we are… married." Hinata frowned more at the thought. "Besides, Sakura-chan was over there yesterday and I'm not sure if he would want to see me."

Hinata recalled that moment, leaving the apartment and hoping that she didn't make it seem like anything had gone on. She recalled how weird it felt to realize that it didn't matter as he would soon be her husband. Hinata found herself gripping her long skirt, the brown material bunched up under her hand. Everything felt wrong about this and she found herself glancing at Naruto who looked as troubled and she felt. Soon, the very feelings she held for him would be considered indecent, yet to consider it such is what felt truly wrong. Hinata knew that Naruto had harbored feelings for Sakura for a very long time and wondered if his concern lay with her.

"You wouldn't impose on him." Naruto started, catching her off guard. "He's lucky that if he had to be in an arranged marriage to someone that isn't Sakura-chan, that he ended up with you."

Hinata gasped, feeling her cheeks heat up at that compliment. Everything in her mind screamed at her to make this it, to focus on moving on, but there was a small part of her that was stubborn. Demanding that she hold onto her feelings in hopes that one day she could act on them. Naruto had always been the one she found herself wanting to walk beside, his bright blue eyes looking at her the way she knew she'd look at him. The idea brought a rush of warmth through her, nearly making her toes tingle with the intensity of that sensation. A cold wind blew through, causing them both to shiver slightly as she watched him pay for their meal and stand, looking at her.

"Do you want to take a walk with me?" He asked, though this time he looked serious.

Don't do it, she instantly thought. Knowing that she would continue to do something that was wrong, no matter how she felt. Yet, she found herself nodding and walking beside him down the dirt road. He took her past the village and into a wooded area she knew would bring them to the lake. While it was too cold to swim, she knew it would be a pretty view, and was not disappointed when she came across it. While the water crashed against the shore due to the wind, the view was still beautiful. Clouds in the distance meant that snow would be falling that evening, which meant that she would need to close her window overnight to avoid freezing. Even on such a cloudy day, Hinata couldn't help but to enjoy it, especially beside Naruto. She also knew that she would need to move from such feelings after this moment with him. It was then that he turned, looking at her seriously, which caught her off guard.

"Hinata-chan, I tried everything I could to stop the marriage, but I wasn't good enough." He grimaced, clenching his fists at his side. "I failed both you and Sasuke."

"Naruto–kun, you didn't fail us. Everyone has fought hard to end this, but it appears that they have something more to get from our union. I feel for Sakura-chan as I know how she has loved Sasuke-san for such a long time." Hinata frowned, looking at the ground a few inches above the tips of her shoes. "It's not fair."

"Thanks, Hinata-chan." Naruto grinned, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "That means a lot."

The silence between them settled soon after, both watching the water crash against the shore, the wind picking up. She found herself becoming unfocused as her mind wandered, wondering what she would need to do to make the best of the situation she had been tossed into. The first thing would be to find a way to at least become friends with Sasuke, but the idea gave her pause. Even as children, they had never interacted very much, if at all, so the idea made her a little nervous. As if reading her mind, Naruto turned to her at that moment, his blue eyes looking slightly more dull than she had recalled, even just a moment ago. He looked nearly guarded as he looked her over for a moment, as though trying to memorize her in that very moment. A blush stretched across her cheeks and she saw the slight lift on the corner of his mouth at this. He took a step toward her, leaving just an arms length of space between them as he did so, looking directly in her eyes.

"Just promise me that you'll continue to treat him like a normal person." Naruto finally said, looking at her with a rather serious expression on his face.

"Of course." Hinata said, tilting her head to the side. "I wouldn't consider treating him any differently."

Toneri Otsutsuki was intrigued by the changes to what he had been planning for a few weeks now. His intention had been to propose Hiashi Hyuga with a proposition, wanting to take his eldest daughter, Hinata, as his wife. She, along with her sister Hanabi, were known to have pure Byakugan, which he needed. However, his plans had changed the moment he noticed a new Hyuga had entered into the equation, only to learn that the Hyuga was not from here, but from the future. It would be a while yet before he could begin the process of activating the Tenseigan, but was curious about the new Hyuga. He had been following the man for a while, learning that he was not the direct offspring of either Hinata or Hanabi, which had fascinated him. The man seemed to be traveling aimlessly and had been doing so for a few days until they came across a cave. Toneri was fascinated by this, but realized it was merely a simple cave until she saw the inside of it. Tables filled with various instruments sat inside, bubbling sounds coming from within echoed across the cave.

"You know, you are not nearly as sneaky as you think."

Toneri paused, looking over toward the Hyuga who was now staring right at him, his pale eyes staring coldly at him. The man merely took off his cloak, tossing it onto a nearby chair before he smirked, his handsome features were showcased as the moonlight filtered in through a hole in the cave ceiling. The man then looked around at the room they stood in, Toneri realizing that the man in question had allowed him to follow, but why? Toneri knew he had nothing to fear as this body was merely a puppet, but that didn't stop him from being curious about the man before him. The Hyuga shoved his hands in his pockets, sighing and both watched as a wisp of white flew up into the air. The night had been cold after all, threatening snow in the area, but neither seemed too bothered by it.

"Your plans will interfere with my mission, Otsutsuki." The Hyuga spat. "I demand that you cease them at once. Hinata Hyuga is no longer a part of your plans."

"So, then you must know what happens in the future." Toneri smiled warmly.

"You get your ass kicked by Naruto Uzumaki, but this time, things have changed." The Hyuga turned. "I suggest you stop while you are ahead."

"I don't take idle threats, Hyuga." Toneri responded. "I have my own mission."

"Then consider me an enemy and leave before I blow you little puppet up." The Hyuga smirked. "Lack of breathing is a dead giveaway, you should be more careful."

"Who are you?" Toneri asked, not daring to move his puppet any further.

"Nobody, but you can call me Masaru Hyuga."

The month had come and gone, time merely fleeting to bring them to the day that so many fought hard against, but lost each and every time. Sasuke and Hinata had been the last ones, working together for a week to come up with arguments they could use, only to be shot down before they could finish. The wedding had been a solemn affair, both parties quiet and refused to utter a single word, though the elders made sure to do so on their behalf. The Hyuga had moved everything into a new apartment, one that the elders had insisted on paying for so as to lessen the blow of the decision they had made. They had just entered, both taking off their shoes as they looked around, seeing that their stuff had been moved during the ceremony. The fact that this entire situation was real was sinking in slowly, starting with the absence of a few people that each of them felt close to. All four of their teammates were not to be found at their wedding, each of them in protest for what it represented and how it came about. Sasuke and Hinata had understood, both silently wishing that they could have done the very same.

Sasuke said nothing to her as he made his way around, looking through a few of the rooms that the apartment had to offer. Hinata noted that there was more than two doors, which meant that there was a chance they could both have their own space. As she decided to follow his lead, she reached up to take the ornaments and pins out of her hair, feeling it cascade down her back in waves. As she looked around, she even saw the symbol of his clan and the clan she married into, prominent on their living room wall. She stared at the red and white image, realizing that this symbol now was a reference to her and something she would be sporting around in the future. Seeing it being showcased proudly didn't bother her so much as what it represented in her own personal life. It now was something meant to describe not only the last remaining Uchiha, but herself. Hinata Uchiha was not a name she would have ever considered having, yet she was now legally just that.

"Looks like we have our own rooms, just need to decorate them up. I'll give you the bigger one toward the back as I'm sure you have a lot more than I do." Sasuke said, interrupting her thoughts, causing her to turn around to eye him. "And it has it's own bathroom. I'll just use the one in the hallway."

"Oh, right. Thank you, Sasuke-san." She said, thankful that her voice seemed to be calm compared to how she felt internally. "So, what do we do now?"

He didn't respond, merely eyed her before turning and heading to his room, closing the door behind him. Hinata sighed, not really blaming him for his demeanor, as she knew that he was one who didn't bother with idle chit chat. It was a habit of her own, especially if she felt awkward in the situation, to ease any tensions. It was something she learned to do when on a team with both Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame. Sasuke was very different, but the closest she could compare him to was Shino. Both were quiet and only spoke when they felt it was important enough, but otherwise preferred to be on their own. It helped give her an idea of how to approach him, which at the moment meant that he needed space. Going to her room, she got dressed in more comfy clothes and made her way back out, seeing that Sasuke was still holed up in his room. She then took that moment to thoroughly look around. The entryway was attached to the kitchen, which was large and would make a great place for cooking and baking. An island in the middle held a sink and some cabinets. Across from the sink was the stove, which was connected to cabinets that nearly made the shape of a bracket, the left side had the refrigerator, which she learned was stocked with various ingredients for cooking. The doorway beside the refrigerator was their dining room. A dark wood table was a contrast to the white and gray colors of the home. She noted that the walls were gray and the walls were white. Pale gray hardwood flooring covered the entire home and the walls had white accents with intricate details that you needed to be near to see. The kitchen cabinets had dark gray marble, which really offset the too bright colors of everything else. It made everything feel airy, which she didn't mind as she made her way to the living room that was immediately to the right of the kitchen when entering the home.

In the middle of the living room sat a dark gray rug, two couches that could seat three sat on either side with a coffee table in the middle of the rug. The couches were a pale khaki color and the coffee table was made of dark wood. She noted a good distance from the couches and table was a fireplace, the mantle the same color as the marble cabinets. A stack of wood sat to the right and a desk that matched the coffee table in color. A black chair sat before it, the leather looking a little more expensive than she would have preferred. The walls lined with random bits of artwork, but the Uchiha clan symbol matched everything well, as she realized that the artwork was pale colors so as not to be such a contrast to the home. Between the kitchen and living room was the hallway that led to three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Her own room was considered the master bedroom, which had its own bathroom attached. The two rooms to the left were bedrooms and the door across from them was the guest bathroom. She only then noticed a sliding door that led to a rather expansive laundry room that sat between the master bedroom and the guest bathroom. Opting to open the guest room that Sasuke didn't occupy, she noted that it was empty, which gave her ideas on what the two of them could do with it later. She made her way back to the bedroom she occupied and noticed it was filled with some of her things. Her rug from her room, which was a white and fluffy one was on one side of the bed and a black one that matched was on the other. Closing the door behind her so that she could have a little time to get situated, she took a seat on the bed

Only then did she realize how it fit the two of them, but merely gave off a yin and yang vibe. She then noted the lavender bedding and white pillows that went with it. Hinata felt that the Hyuga must have known that the two of them would not be sharing a room, which had surprised her somewhat. The decor felt more like her, but some of it was darker, which amused her as she knew that it was meant more for Sasuke than herself. The feeling of yin and yang felt much more accurate when she sat and thought about it, even if the two of them were fairly quiet. As Hinata looked around, she realized just how lonely she would feel in this home, even if there was someone else. It was then that a knock was heard from the front door. Just as she was about to walk toward the door when she heard Sasuke's open. His footsteps were quiet, but she heard their front door open and immediately knew who it was.

"Hey bastard!" Naruto's voice rang through her room and she felt her cheeks heat up. Opening her door slowly so as not to make them any more aware than she could, she could see that Sasuke was standing somewhat to the side as Naruto came in before taking off his shoes. He looked happy, which in some way bothered her a bit, but she knew that he had no reason to be upset just as she had no true reason to be bothered by his appearance. Then their eyes met and she felt her own widen as she didn't expect him to see her. He gave her a cheeky grin, "hey Hinata-chan!"

Then she saw her cousin, Neji, which surprised her somewhat. He had also refused to attend the wedding, telling her beforehand that he wasn't going to give the Hyuga clan the satisfaction. However, she noticed all sets of eyes on her after Naruto's greeting and felt nervous all over again. His eyes squinted when he took her in and she felt that something was off about that. Hinata had a feeling that it wasn't directed at her, but something about her made him think there was something else going on. Did she look miserable? She'd have thought he would understand why if that was the case. She then watched as he turned and studied Sasuke the moment he had set his shoes to the side and the door was closed behind him. Naruto had been talking about something with his friend when she heard something that shocked her.

"What have you done to my cousin?" Neji suddenly asked, causing everyone to look at him, yet his eyes were fixed on Sasuke.

There was no response other than a thin, black eyebrow raised in question. Silence sat between them for a while until Neji realized that Sasuke wasn't going to respond to that question outright. She watched Neji sigh and then straighten himself up, his height nearly the same as Sasuke's as the two stared each other down in that very moment. Hinata wasn't sure what Neji was trying to get at as she didn't care if Sasuke talked to her or not, but then she realized maybe she did in a way. Not that she wanted anything from him, but didn't want to feel like she was walking on eggshells in her own home, wherever that home would be. That would be the only reason that she would have hopes of being able to coexist with Sasuke in some way. Perhaps Neji had caught that sort of feeling from her, but it bothered her that he wouldn't allow her to handle it on her own.

"I get that neither of you asked for this, but make the best of it. My cousin doesn't need to be walking around you wondering if any little thing she does is going to upset you. I'm not asking you to go out of your way for her, but don't just ignore her very existence."

Those words hung in the air between them all, no one daring to say anything as they took in what Neji said. Hinata's first thought is how much her cousin had her figured out, which she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Perhaps he had discussed things with Hanabi, someone she had slightly confided in right before the wedding, her worries of being shut out stated. It would make sense with what he had said and how he said it, but she did wonder just how much Hanabi told him after the wedding that had just ended a few hours prior. Hinata had worried about the very thing that had already started and she was torn on how it was approached. While she had been working on standing up for herself more and trying to vocalize her needs, a part of her was thankful that Neji had been the one to say something.

"I have to agree with Neji. I know how you are and you are better at shutting things out rather than dealing with them unless they are a focus of yours. I know Hinata isn't a focus, but you can at least learn to be friends. You just had a mission together not that long ago, so I'm sure you can figure it out." Naruto chimed in.

Hinata glanced over at Sasuke who was glaring, but his focus didn't seem to be on any of them, but rather somewhere far away. It was then that Naruto smacked his upper arm and gave him a cheery grin, catching Sasuke off guard slightly before he shifted his glare to Naruto before a smirk spread across his face. It was then that she saw a different side of him as this smirk felt more genuine as he gazed at his best friend. Neji came over to her and she gave him her own hopeful smile as he embraced her. Hinata felt herself relax in his embrace and realized that he wouldn't be around her as much as he was. Looking up at him, she saw that his face had softened in that moment as well.

"Will you still train me, Neji-kun?" Hinata asked, feeling hopeful, especially as his eyes seemed to light up.

"Of course, Hinata-sama. Just tell me when." He gave her a smirk of his own and she felt her own face light up before giving him a hug. "Just give me a week as I have a mission tomorrow."

Hinata noticed the private backyard they had the following day, training dummies and various other things littered the area, yet she did find a spot that would work for gardening later. Veins bulged around her eyes and she stood in the Hyuga stance, facing a dummy as she did so. Her hands would merely come within inches of the dummy, but the effects of her chakra filled hands were evident as her chakra would bite through the wood. She was about to continue when she felt a presence heading her way and turned to see it was Sasuke. Her husband. The term still felt alien in her mind, it felt unreal and as though this was a bad dream she would wake up from soon enough. He stood several feet away from her, eyeing her curiously and she instantly felt her cheeks redden, her chakra faltering until it disappeared around her hands. Was he judging her? He said nothing, but was watching her, the only thing showcasing emotion was the twinkle in his eyes.

"You could do so much more with your Byakugan than you have been trained to do." Sasuke finally said when he realized she wasn't going to continue.

"I believe Neji-kun has done a great job training me." Hinata huffed in response, her arms now at her side.

"Neji also utilizes his skill set in a far superior way. I feel it hinders your abilities and you could utilize your chakra control in a much better way." Sasuke shrugged and Hinata felt her eyes narrow.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hinata was surprised by how low her voice came out, but she tried not to let that show.

"It makes you weak."

She took a step back, his words stabbing into her like a kunai, heart beating wildly in her chest as she realized what he had said. Sasuke had called her weak and that bothered her on an extreme level. Her first instinct was to attack him and prove to him and herself she was far from weak, but she also knew who he was. It would be like taking on Naruto, a losing battle that not many would take on unless they had a death wish. She thought back to how Sasuke was choosing to see her and realized that the person he had feelings for was known for her own strength. She had trained under Tsunade, her fist a force to be feared, her chakra on a range that even Hinata could not fathom. And it brought her back to how Naruto had felt something for this woman as well. It made sense why he never saw her the way he saw Sakura, she was far weaker in comparison to the other woman.

"I see." Hinata said, choosing to be done for the moment and walked past him in a near hurry until she felt a hand grab her wrist, stalling her in her mission. Hinata tugged and she felt his fingers tighten around her until she stopped, huffing in embarrassment and anger. He didn't look at her, but stared at the dummy in front of him. She knew it was useless to try to get away, so she stood there while he looked to be thinking. Hinata had to fight back tears, which bothered her as they were not from sadness, but merely frustration at what he had not only said, but was now doing.

"Spar with me."

She whipped her head up and stared at him as though he had grown two heads. As if that statement meant it was time, he moved to create distance between them and she heard the whistling of metal flying in her direction. Activating her Byakugan, she saw them just in time and made a dive toward the ground, rolling herself into a ball so she could get back on her feet with ease. The shuriken he had flung embedded itself in a tree in the backyard, proof that he would have caused damage had they hit her. She then saw that his visible eye was red, his Sharingan visible and staring right into her soul. He was studying her and then she heard the sound of chirping that seemed to echo ten-fold in the air and saw that his right hand was enveloped with lightning. Her eyes widened and she looked around for a way to get away from the attack just as he started to make a beeline toward her. She stood her ground, her own hands enveloped in chakra as he neared at a speed that she would have to be awestruck of later. She spun herself in place, knowing that this would be the best option for her as streams of chakra shot from her palms, creating thin, sharp blades as she did so.

"Protecting Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" Hinata cried out.

"Chidori!" Sasuke yelled at the same time, both hitting at the same time, causing a small explosion that blew them both a few feet away from each other.

Hinata managed to land on her feet, breathing hard as she saw him do the same, except he looked calm as though they had just been chatting idly over tea. And it was then that she realized she would never be on a level with him or Naruto, let alone Sakura. Grabbing her knees, she attempted to catch her breath, veins receding as she decided to admit defeat. Her long hair hung in front of her to cover her face and she allowed it to do so. Her embarrassment of being winded while he wasn't bothered at all made things even worse. It had been no wonder that Naruto had never reciprocated his feelings when he had teammates as strong as he does. She found herself slightly jealous of Sakura at that moment, knowing that she would never measure up to such a wonderful woman and kunoichi. She then heard footsteps, but chose not to acknowledge it, keeping her head down and hands grasped on her knees.

"Not bad, but could be improved." Sasuke said above her head, Hinata sneering at the comment but choosing to ignore him. "I'll help you to improve."

Hinata looked up at him in surprise to see how serious he was. "Why would you help me?"

"Whether we like it or not, you're my wife. You're going to have to learn to protect yourself from ninjas far stronger than yourself." Sasuke shrugged, ignoring her shocked expression.

"I'm not like Sakura-chan. I can't be as strong or as wonderful as she is." Hinata looked off to the side as she said it.

"Hn." Sasuke responded, smirking as he took in what her meaning was. "Not with that attitude."

"Do you see potential, then?" Hinata asked, curious this time.

"I'm not going to sit and tell you what you want to hear to feel better about yourself. I feel you are hindered by focusing on what the Hyuga teaches you. It can't hurt to continue being trained by them, but I think you need to develop your own moveset and if you can do that, you'd probably surpass your own father." His response was toneless, giving her no idea on what he really felt.

"My father was hard on me growing up for failing him. I don't see that anything I could learn now would change that."

"My father was also hard on me, Hyuga. You work hard and prove them wrong and that's what I did. From what I have heard about you from Naruto, you fear hurting others. To be a kunoichi, you can't fear it. Your goal should be to protect yourself and knock your opponent out to be interrogated later. You can't allow your personal feelings to get involved or you'll get killed. I can guarantee you the very people you will fight outside of these walls and the few within have no issue killing you. Kill or be killed, Hyuga. Even your cousin knows that."

"Uchiha." Hinata decided to take the last bit of boldness she felt and use it against him. "I'm legally a Uchiha now."

Sasuke's eyes widened for a split second before he went emotionless once again. "I see. In that case, have your ass out here when the sun comes up tomorrow, Uchiha."

AN: Well, so much has happened in my personal life that I'm afraid this chapter showcases that, but gave it a try all the same. Thank you for the continued reviews, follows, and favorites! They mean a lot. My updates may continue to be sporadic due to real life and the holidays, so be patient with me!

I-Love-Trunks1: I'm glad you are still enjoying this story!

Hashira1989: I will go ahead and say that there won't be any cheating in this story at all. It's very against their characters. Unless I outright state that cheating will be a thing in my summary, you can be well assured that there won't be in my stories. While reading about cheating isn't something I don't read, I just wouldn't want to write it unless the story is centered around that. And agreed, their situations are sad, but I promise happy endings for all. Honestly, I'm not too sure if anything was done with them as I do feel they turned a blind eye toward Danzo in canon. I may have missed it and anyone can be like "PST OVER HERE", but I agree with you. I have so many feelings and opinions on everything about that. xD

Currently reading Itachi's story and so that's been an interesting ride.

Guest: Thank you so much! And we shall see how I go about that (coughs), but I do agree that it always feels that way with Hinata.

Guest: Sorry I didn't make that a thing, but I can assure you it will be worth it in the very end for her!

Guest: Thank you! I hope you continue to do so!