Chapter 8
The moment she stepped out of the house her team-mates broke trough the still lingering binding-jutsu and ran up to meet her.
"Hinata-chan! Are you alright!" Kiba yelled worried.
Shino followed in his usual calm pace, but even his face couldn't conceal how worried he truly was. He only looked at her, but she knew he was just as concerned as Kiba was.
"Did he hurt you again, 'Cause if he did I swear I'll kill him!" Kiba threatened.
She was overwhelmed by their sincere affections and combined with her worries about everything else she felt like a wreck, and tears shone in her large eyes.
Shino felt the state she was in and slowly pulled her in his arms. He held her shivering frame and gently stroked her hair.
Kiba, who never was very good with these sort of problems, gently stroked her back in an attempt to show her his support.
No words were needed between them. After all the time they had spent together as a team, they understood each other perfectly, even without words.
Suddenly she felt Shino slightly tense up and when she looked up at him she could see that he was looking straight at something behind her. She turned around and saw what had caught Shino's attention; Tsunade, Hiashi and Neji had come out of the mansion, and now stood on the large porch.
She could hardly breath. This was it. This would be the outcome of her future.
Neji walked the few steps down, his face just as indifferent as usual.
She ran over to him, but stopped a few feet in front of him, not sure what to do or say. She started fidgeting again and stared down at her feet.
"Don't do that…" Neji said softly, but without his usual contempt.
Kiba was about to follow her and give Neji a peace of his mind, when Shino stopped him, and waited for what would happen next.
"G..gomen …" she stuttered.
"Don't be sorry." Neji said. "Hinata-sama, look at me." he asked.
"Are you still sure you want to leave this place with me?" he asked, his voice devoid of any emotion.
Her head shot up. Did he mean it? Were the really allowed to leave?
She looked at Tsunade who was now standing just behind Neji.
"That's right. If you really want to be with Neji-kun here, you can." Tsunade said reassuringly.
She threw herself in Neji's arms, for once not caring what others might think of that.
"Does that mean 'yes' ?" Neji smiled.
She smiled right back. "Of course!" she said seriously.
Tsunade clapped her hands. "Great! I guess that's settled then!"
Her team-mates and Kurenai came over to congratulate her and Neji.
When Kurenai was talking to Hinata, Kiba and Shino walked over to Shino, supposedly to congratulate him.
"If you'll ever hurt her, or even make her cry, I swear I will kill you in the most horrible way possible!" Kiba said cold, showing his canines.
Neji looked as unfazed as he always did, but Kiba's words did affect him. Not that he was afraid of what the dog boy could do to him, but because he was grateful for their concern for Hinata.
…They have stood by her, when I should have done so…
"I have no intensions of hurting her, but if I ever do, I sincerely hope you'll fulfil that promise." Neji said calm.
His words confused Kiba for he had never expected such an answer from the stoic Hyuuga prodigy.
"Oh I will! I can promise you that!" Kiba said still serious. Shino nodded in agreement, for once agreeing with his fellow team-mate.
Although Shino had never liked Neji much for ther way he had always treated Hinata, he could feel he was sincere now about his feelings for her.
Kiba walked over to hug Hinata and give her his best wishes.
Shino looked intensly at Neji for a while.
"Take good care of her…She deserves it…" Shino said calm, but sincere.
Now it was Neji's turn to be surprised by the Aburame's words. Shino was in a way just like him, always hiding his feelings behind a mask of indifference, and therefore hadn't expected such a statement.
"I will. I'll protect her with my life." Neji said just as sincere.
Shino looked at him and then nodded.
"Good, or else I would have send the Gekkai after you…" he said neutral before heading over to Kiba and Hinata.
Kurenai walked over to Neji and shook his hand.
"Congratulations to you too I guess…" she said smiling.
Then her grip on his hand tightened and her smile faded. "Hinata-chan, is like a daughter to me, and if you ever hurt her in what way or so ever, I'll kill you myself. Very, very slowly." she said threatening.
Neji had never really knew Kurenai, but she always seemed a nice, calm kunochi. But the kunochi he was now facing showed that she was also a Jounin who could, and surely would kill whenever necessary.
"I won't." he simply stated.
He was a little put out that all her friends seemed to believe that he would hurt her somehow, but he knew he had himself to thank for that. He had never given anyone the impression that he was to be trustworthy or nice, and therefore didn't blame them for distrusting him with Hinata now. But he would prove them all wrong over time.
Kurenai's smile was back again, as if she hadn't just threatened to kill him in a very, very painful way. "Good, we understand each other then, ne?" she said merrily.
While everyone else was talking to Neji and Hinata, Tsunade walked up to Hiashi, who still looked very angry. He still couldn't believe that his daughter was running of with a Branch House member, but Tsunade made it pretty clear that she would have disbanded the Hyuuga Clan if he didn't give his consent.
"Don't look so angry Hiashi-sama. Don't they look happy together?" Tsunade smiled as if nothing was the matter.
Hiashi just smiled slyly, and Tsunade knew he had something up his sleeve.
"Hiashi-sama, I'm warning you. If anything would happen to Hinata-chan, even the slightest accident, I will disband your Clan. You understand?" she added threatening, knowing very well what Hiashi was thinking about.
Hiashi's face grew pale. "You can't do that Hokage-sama! She's a shinobi! She could get killed every day!" he almost cried out.
Tsunade merely smiled. "Then we better make sure she's well protected, ne!" she said sweetly.
"Hokage-sama, how did you knew about this?" Hiashi asked Tsunade almost conspicuously.
"Ah..A beautiful butterfly flew by my office and told me…" she answered cryptically, and smiled.
Hiashi thought it was just her way of avoiding his question and went back inside the mansion, not even looking back at Hinata.
Tsunade caught Shino's glance and winked. Shino just nodded.
Neji waited patiently until she had said goodbye to all her friends and other relatives who had came out of the mansion.
When she saw him ready to leave she walked over to him.
"You're still sure you want to leave with me?" he asked her softly, still hardly able to believe she actually loved him after all he had done to her.
She nodded "I have never been so sure about anything in my life before." she said soft but determined.
"I will do my best to make you happy Hinata-chan.." he said honestly.
She could only nod, too overwhelmed by his words.
"Then lets get out of this place…" he said and turned around. She followed him and took his hand.
Neji guided her to a part of Konoha she had never been before, and it was obviously not the best part of it either.
"I'm sorry Hinata-chan, it's not much, but when I make it into ANBU I'll make more money and I'll buy you a nice house." he said.
"Oh, I don't mind Neji-kun. I bet the people here will be really nice!" she said. And he could tell she'd meant every word of it.
They climbed the stairs of an old apartment complex that looked like it was about to fall down. When they reached the right floor they could hear a lot of noise coming from behind one of the doors.
Suddenly the door flew open and a blur of orange collided roughly with Neji's chest.
"Oops, sorry! I didn't…" a very familiar voice started but then stopped when he realised who they were.
"Neji? Hinata-chan! What are you guys doing here? Were you going to visit me!" he asked eagerly.
Hinata, who had been standing behind Neji blushed.
"Na..Naruto-kun…uhm…we..we are going to live here."she stuttered shyly.
Naruto's face fell slightly when he realised they weren't here to visit him.
"Ano sa..Ano sa…You're going to live here..with him!" Naruto asked obviously doubting her sanity.
"But he's so..so cold and creepy! What if he hurts you?" Naruto yelled seemingly not noticing that Neji was standing right next to him.
Hinata nervously looked up at Neji, afraid he would get angry at Naruto for offending him. But Neji just frowned and kept quiet.
"Neji-kun is not creepy, and he would never hurt me." she said. "He..he makes me happy…" she added hesitantly.
For a moment Naruto frowned since he couldn't quite see what Neji and happiness had in common, but then he shook his head as if clearing his thoughts.
"Well, that's a good thing then, I guess.." he said still a bit doubtful. But he also knew how lonesome one could be without someone to love, and if Neji was the one who could make her happy, who was he to doubt such a thing?
"But if he ever hurts you, just tell me, and I will kick his ass!" he said.
Neji just raised his eyebrow since he knew he was far more stronger than Naruto was, but again he kept quiet.
"Hey! Then that means we're going to be neighbours!" Naruto suddenly cried out happily, totally forgetting that he had threatened to kill his 'neighbour' only seconds before.
Hinata smiled. By now she had gotten used to Naruto's sudden topic changes, and she had to stifle her laugh at seeing the bewilderment on Neji's face.
"Yes we are Naruto-kun." she said in her usual soft voice.
"That'll be great! We could hang out together more often and,…oh hey, you guys want something to eat? I have ramen if you want!" he interrupted himself.
"That won't be necessary. I think we will settle in first." Neji said calm.
Again Naruto's face fell "Oh…okay… I see.." he said still trying to keep smiling.
Hinata felt sorry for him. She knew that deep down Naruto was just lonely.
"Tomorrow would be nice though, Naruto-kun…" she said quickly.
Naruto's face lit up again "Great! I'll even get us some Sake too then!" he exclaimed happily.
"We will see you tomorrow then" Neji said before walking towards their own apartment two doors down.
Suddenly Neji stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Oh Naruto? Arigatou.." he said calm as usual.
Naruto frowned "Ano sa..Ano sa…What for?" he asked confused.
"For showing me that sometimes we can outrun our faith…"
Naruto grinned. "Finally woke up, ne?" Naruto said.
Neji just smiled and nodded.
"I didn't knew you owned an apartment…" she asked when he showed her around in the small apartment.
"It was my mothers'. She left it to me when she died…" he answered softly.
She walked over to him "I like it here." she said.
He smiled and held her in his arms. "I'm glad you do. It's nothing compared to the Hyuuga mansion, but at least here we can be together…" he said.
"Neji-kun..that was nice of you to say to Naruto-kun…" she said remembering Neji's words earlier.
"Yeah well, I guess he's not such a dumb person after all. And he seems genuinely concerned for your wellbeing…" he answered.
She smiled happily at him.
…Yes, things will finally work out for all of us…
AN Although it seems like this is the last chapter of the story, I still have a short epilogue in store for you guys! So stay with me just a little while longer:D
Thank you all sooo much for your encouraging reviews, you really have no idea how much these reviews mean to me. They really brighten up my life, and I could sure use that!
naruto's babygirl: Welll it seems like Hiashi doesn't have much choice.
Princess Lady Subaru: Yes, she came just in time to save the day :D (well with a little help from Shino though) I don't know what the title will be of my kakasaku story, since I only just got started (I write them on paper out first) but if it's done I'll surely put it up here, or if you give me your email adres I can mail it to you.
kaitenkenburokuren : I don't think an agravated Kiba running around loose in the Hyuuga Mansion would be such a wise thing for the whole situation P so I just made them wait outside.
But most of all I want to say a special thank
you to my dear friend Shang! (check out his story, it really is funny!)
for he is the one that motivated me to put my story up here on FF, and
always gave me the courage to keep writing! Thank you so much Drak!
