Author's Note: Well, here I am again! Are you enjoying my story so far? I wish you are hehehe.

Disclaimer: I so do not own Naruto. Sakura does… I think. Or probably Hinata. Or maybe me! wistful smile

"Hinata, I'm going to train Kiba and Shino, all right? Are you going to be all right here? Or would you rather I stayed here?" Kurenai asked Hinata.

Hinata smiled and shook her head. "I'm going to be fine, Kurenai-sensei. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine here; there are nurses coming to check up on me anyway." She glanced at the clock. It was only a quarter to seven. She wished they didn't leave early, but she understood that her teammates needed training also.

"All right, just send word if you need anything," Kurenai said, and she, Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru went out.

The door closed and she was alone. She sighed, staring out the window. Why can't Naruto-kun notice me after all these years? Why can't he see that I care for him? Sakura and Naruto were moving on to becoming a pair right in front of her eyes. She didn't need rumors to know that Sakura was accepting Naruto's love for her. She remembered the time that Sakura told her Naruto had asked her out on Valentine's Day, and she was giggling, giddy and excited. That was the ultimate sign that she knew she never would have a chance to win Naruto. How can I move on if nobody's there to take his place? She sighed again and studied her hands.

Shino and Kiba were just her teammates. Although she knew they would willingly eat fire to protect her, they were like brothers to her. Same as Neji. He no longer hated her, but rather, he had grown to be an overprotective cousin who would also protect her. Shikamaru and Chouji were only friends… Shikamaru and Ino were together now, and Chouji… Well… he was married to his junk food. This just leaves Uchiha Sasuke… She shook her head. She did not want to like Sasuke just because she had no one else. That wasn't fair to him, or to her. Kami-sama, please just give me a sign… She wanted love to take its own time, but she was getting impatient all the same. She just wanted to be loved.

A knock came at her door, and she got out of bed, slipping her feet into fuzzy slippers provided by the hospital. She walked to the door and opened it. It was Neji.

"Neji-niisan! Come in," she said.

"Hinata-sama, are you sure it's all right for you to be getting out of bed now?" Neji asked her, worry etched in his eyes.

"Nonsense, Neji-niisan. Of course it's all right," she said. Smiling at him. She sat on the edge of her bed, and he took a chair opposite her.

He gave her the bouquet of flowers he was holding. "These are for you. And… from Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama as well."

Hinata sighed. "Don't bother about including them, Neji-niisan, I know these are from you only."

Neji looked away. "Have they visited yet?"

Hinata laughed bitterly. "Them? What do you think?"

He didn't look at her. "They haven't."

"Very good." She sighed. "I'm getting cynical for my age. Seventeen is only very young, don't you think?"

"Yes, Hinata-sama."

She walked to the window on the other side of the room. "I wish I had the courage to defend my decisions. Or make them."

Neji looked at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

She played with the petals of one of the flowers for a moment. "Naruto-kun. I wish I'd have told him what I felt much earlier. There were many opportunities, but I passed them all."

"You don't need him," Neji said darkly. "I'm sure someone is waiting for you."

Hinata smiled wanly and faced her cousin. "I wish I could think that way, Neji-niisan. But I'm beginning to think that no such idea exists at all."

Neji shook his head. "I think there's someone for each of us, Hinata-sama."

Hinata smiled ruefully. "You have changed, Neji-niisan. Listen to you! What have you been doing? I mean, what has TenTen been doing to you?"

He chuckled. "You don't want to know, Hinata-sama."

Hinata widened her eyes in mock horror. "Neji-niisan!"

Neji laughed. He stood up and went to Hinata. "Hinata-sama, just take your time. Don't rush things. Love finds you, not the other way around." He ruffled her hair.

She smiled. "Thank you, Neji-niisan," she whispered. Tears were forming in her eyes, but she didn't dare show them in front of Neji. She smiled at him bravely. "I'll keep in mind what you've said.

"Good," he said quietly. "I have to get going now."

"Bye," Hinata said. "Take care."

Neji left. She was all alone again. She briefly considered pulling one of the nurses into her room so she would have company, but she decided against it. They had a job to do, anyway.

She lay spread-eagled on her bed. Even Neji-niisan is content now. What about me? Everybody seems to have found someone now. What about me…? She thought about how alone she was, and the tears that were forming earlier let go. She buried her head in her pillow and cried, caught up in a tempest of her own emotions. The world seemed drab to her. She thought about Naruto's smile and incredible enthusiasm. She cried harder. I'll never have him.