Well addict-07, my classmate, has managed to persuade me to update this fic before my others so here it is. Thanks for the the wonderful reviews guys. Keep 'em coming.

Deemed to be forgotten

Second chances

He stood there startled as Hyuuga Hinata questioned him with her white eyes. He was startled but he didn't show it in his face. He just stayed calm hoping that he could get out of this situation. He was a bit irritated by the way that Hinata looked at him. Her eyes questioned his existence. He thought, if she asked why he was alive, what would he answer to her?

He cursed himself for absentmindedly standing in that corner. If he was just paying attention, this wouldn't have happened.

Hinata squinted to make sure that what she was seeing was real. It could be just a figment of her imagination after all. She became teary when she had a good look on him. It surely looked like him...like Uzumaki Naruto but just older. What Hinata didn't like is that he looked sad and there was somewhat and aura of darkness, loneliness and mystery. Oh God, this was all a figment of her imagination. She missed him so much. Did she miss him that much that she can imagine him as an older Naruto? But what puzzled her was his darkness. She never did think about a dark, sad and mysterious Naruto before.

She believed that it wasn't a spirit because spirits don't mature and grown through time.

She was now crying...

'Damn it! Why is she crying?' He asked inside his head. He resisted the urged to grit his teeth and he remained calmed. 'Damn Naruto, you have to think this through calmly...yes, calmly..." He reminded himself. He wanted to ask her why but he was afraid that it would make things more complicated. He resisted the urge to comfort her too.

And then, almost by cue, the dark clouds came again and shadows covered the corner again.

Hinata blinked a few times after the dark clouds left.

He wasn't there...

So it was true, it was just a figment of her imagination but...

She still could not stop crying.

Tsunade walked to the graveyard slowly. Shizune was following her with Ton-Ton in her arms. Pretty soon they reached the entrance to the grave. They passed the high pillars of the open gate.

On the path to his grave, Tsunade saw an anbu member whom she knew staring at a corner which was illuminated by the sun. The woman who she was observing was trembling and crying.

Tsunade approached the woman and she lightly tapped her on the shoulder. The woman gasped slightly after she snapped of from a state of trance. She blinked a few times before she fully regained herself.

"Ho-Hokage-sama...!" She stuttered.

"Hinata, what is wrong?" The Godaime asked.

"Hokage-sama...I...I..." Hinata was only able to say that.

Tsunade raised her eyebrow and she sighed. "Whatever it was...you better get over it... you still have work to do, right?" Tsunade flashed a warm smile.

Hinata wiped away her tears and she straightened her posture. "Hai, Hokage-sama...!" She replied. Hinata then bowed down. "I'll go now, Hokage-sama..." Hinata said shyly.

Tsunade patted Hinata in the shoulder before she let Hinata go. "You take care of yourself ok? If Naruto was watching you and you're that sad, he won't be happy..." Tsunade smiled.

Hinata had a faint blush in her cheeks she bowed down again and then left.

Shizune and Tsunade watched the Hyuuga heiress walk away.

"That's the girl who likes Naruto-kun, right?" Shizune asked.

Tsunade nodded and said, "But she doesn't have to be crying like that...it's been ten years..." Tsunade said. She approached Naruto's grave. She kneeled down and traced his carved name on the stone. "I understand her though... anyone who knows him will miss him..." She dropped her head. "The sun has set and shall never rise again..." She mumbled.

"Tsunade-sama..." Shizune said.

Tsunade raised her head. She stared at his name quietly. "Uzumaki Naruto, the one who made me believe in Konoha's fire, Konoha would be brighter if you would still be living today...the fire of this village would have burned fiercer if you were it's guardian..." She once again traced the engraved letters. Her sad expression turned into a serious one. "Uchiha Sasuke will pay for this...he shouldn't have taken Konoha's sunshine away. (1) for you, Naruto....this village shall not falter...." Tsunade said and she stood up. "Well Naruto...sorry for disturbing you..." She said. "I have to go now..." She added. She turned around. "Come on Shizune...I still need to finish my paperwork..." Tsunade yawned.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama..." Shizune followed her out of the graveyard.

"You better keep that promise, granny..." Naruto said while he sat in a bough faraway from his grave. He was able to hear all Tsunade's words because of his enhanced sense of hearing. The fox had made him into a powerful ninja. If he would focus charka in his eyes, his eyes could see what the Byakugan could and even predict the next movements of the enemy like the sharingan does.

That was a close one kid...

The fox said.

"I didn't intend that..." Naruto sighed. "You know how much I've tried to keep my existence in secrecy."

But your purpose here is to warn them about outside forces.

"I know, I know... sooner or later, they will all find out..." Naruto said. "The problem is; I don't know how they could handle the truth that I am still alive...It's your entire fault...If you didn't keep me alive...things would have been easier..." Naruto said.

Kyuubi snorted. My survival is not the only reason why I kept you alive... you know it but your denying it... you still want the acknowledgement of the brother you never had...and you want to die? I gave you a chance to pursue your dreams by giving you life. With the second you chance I gave you, you can have that acknowledgement sometime in the future. Life isn't easy, kid...

Naruto hated to admit but Kyuubi was telling the truth. "I thought I told you to shut up?" Naruto asked.

Kyuubi snorted and didn't reply.

"Good fox..." He said.

A member of the branch family named Hyuuga Neji was searching for the Hyuuga heiress. After minutes of walking, he found her sitting quietly at a bench in the park.

"There you are..." He said and approached the Hyuuga heiress. "I've been looking for you... Hiashi-wants to talk to you" Now he stood in front of Hinata. She didn't reply. It looked like she was in a state of trance while she looked at her hands resting at her lap. "Hinata-sama...?" He called out.

She winced and she looked up. "Neji-nii san..." She whispered. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

Neji sighed. "I just said it awhile ago...."

Hinata raised her eyebrows. "How long have you been here?" She asked.

"For a few minutes..."

"But...but...I wasn't listening..." She said looking down on the ground.

Neji sighed again. "Hiashi-sama wants to talk to you..." He said. "Is something troubling you, Hinata-sama? It's been a long time since you acted like that. If my memory serves me right, you act like that for the past ten years when you are in trouble only." He said.

"Iie, nothing is wrong...you know how sad I can get when this day comes..." She whispered.

"Ah, right it is the day after all..." Neji remembered. "Hiashi-sama won't be pleased if you keep him waiting..." Neji said. Hinata stood up.

"Oi, forehead girl...!" Ino waved her hand at the approaching pink haired kunoichi.

"Hey Ino-pig...!" She greeted back.

Ever since they were younger, they started teasing one another with these names. They have grown accustomed to it. It would only serve as a friendly greeting between these ex-rivals-slash-best friends. Sakura approached Ino carrying a bouquet of flowers in her arms.

Ino grinned. "Is that flower for me?" She asked.

"Is this for you?" She echoed. "Hah, is Shikamaru driving you nuts? I bought this from your shop so why must I give it to you?!" She said. "And besides..." her voice softened. "This for Naruto no baka... for the fool who left us ten years ago..." She said with sad eyes.

Ino furrowed her eyebrows and she pumped her fists. "First of all, Shika-kun is not driving me nuts, ok? And second...we better not keep Naruto waiting..." Ino said.

"Ok..." Sakura said.

"She calls me Naruto no baka, eh? "Naruto raised his eyebrows. "Well let's see what she's going to say..." He slouched.

"Well, Naruto...it's been ten years...I'm wondering how you are doing up there..." She smiled. "Or did you end up all the way down?" She joked. "Well you are a person that should end up in heaven anyway so you must be in there...you sacrificed yourself...you suffered for us...you are a hero...our hero...so you must have ended up there..." Sakura said after she laid the flowers down.

Ino smiled. "He's up there, trust me..." Ino said. Sakura smiled at her.

"Hey, there are no red roses yet..." Sakura said.

"Hinata didn't come by our shop to buy this morning maybe she will later..." Ino said. "She will...I know... there is no way she could forget what day it is!" Ino added.

"I know...I know...the day just started... are the others going to visit him later?" Sakura asked.

"I think so...Shika-kun and Chouji will be visiting him before they leave..." Ino said.

"They have another mission? They just arrived from their previous one yesterday!!!" Sakura exclaimed. "How about you, have you been assigned for a mission?" She asked.

Ino shook her head. "Shika-kun insists that I should not accept any mission. 'Times today are dangerous' he told me yesterday. He said I should just stay here and take care of Konoha..." Ino's face saddened.

"You are worried are you?" Sakura asked.

"Of course I am! Who knows...maybe the next time he'll come home...he'll end up just like...like..." Ino stopped speaking.

"Ok you stop that now and pray for his safety... I trust that he'll come back alive, ok? You should trust him too..." Sakura said.

"But...we can't be too confident..." Ino said.

"Then if you are not sure...you better go and see him now...go and tell him all you want to say... go and cherish all the hours he is with you..." Sakura said. "You better do that all you'll regret it...in my case...I wasn't able to cherish my friendship with Naruto that much...I never even told him how much I appreciate his existence and friendship!!! I was so Sasuke-centered..." Sakura said.

Ino stayed silent.

"Well, Naruto..." She turned her attention at his grave. "I better go now..." Sakura said.

"Sakura...I understand...don't worry..." Naruto whispered in his seat.

"Hiashi-sama, Hinata-sama is here..." Neji said.

"Good work; let her in then..." Hiashi said.

"Hai..." Neji said and he went out of the room.

The door opened and the Hyuuga heiress went in. "Father, you called?" She asked in a graceful manner.

"Yes, sit down, my child..." He said while patting the tatami beside him. Hinata approached him and sat down beside him. He laid his tea cup on the ground and he pushed a tray with a teapot and another teacup was placed towards Hinata. "Help yourself." He said.

Hinata nodded. She gently held the teapot in her hands. Gracefully, she poured tea on the cup.

"Hinata..." Her father called out.

"Hai...?" She asked.

He brought the teacup towards his lips and sipped a small amount. After that, he put it down. "When would your duty start today?" He asked.

"It would start later father." She answered and she took a sip from her cup.

"Ah, do you have any missions?" He asked.

"The anbu team I am assigned to has currently no missions yet. We have been assigned to keep a lookout for any suspicious outside forces. But... there is still a possibility that Tsunade-sama will assign us on a special mission." She said.

Hiashi nodded and his eyes looked down at his now empty teacup.

"You did quite well on your past mission..." Hiashi said.

Hinata then recalled how dangerous her previous mission was. They had to deal with A-class missing Nins on that mission. There werethree of them and she took out two single handedly. Neji was on her team and had reported her achievement to her father. Her father didn't show much interest to it though. She stayed silent.

"My daughter, you have grown well and strong." He smiled. "I, the Hyuuga Head, am old and you, the heiress, are young. Do you get what I mean? I think that you are more than ready for it..."

She stared at her father in disbelief. Does this mean he would be passing the duty to her? But the last time she checked, her father still doubted her.

"Why do you look at me like that? Do you doubt yourself, Hinata?" He asked. He then sighed. "Forgive me for doubting you in the past. It was an action that I thought would push you to work very hard...well it did...but everything has a consequence. My actions resulted to a wound in your fragile heart... I should have known that you're emotions were as fragile as your mother's..." He sighed.

"But father...! It is all in the past...I forgive you!!!" She said after hearing the tone that Hiashi used. It was a tone of his that was not commonly heard by anyone. It was a tone that seemed to say that the Hyuuga head was degrading his self.

Hiashi smiled. "Then I am happy. He spun a little and he was now facing his daughter. He planted his hands on her shoulders. "I am proud of you. You make good choices, you are strong, and you know what is right and wrong...and most of all I trust you..." Hiashi flashed a "father's smile" to Hinata. Hinata in turn smiled at him warmly.

"Well the only thing missing now is a good son-in-law-to-be..." Hiashi smiled in a manner that teased Hinata.

"What...what do you mean, father?" She asked.

Hiashi returned to his previous sitting position. He rubbed his chin. "Well, Uzumaki Naruto would have been a great suitor, ne my daughter?" With this Hinata blushed.

"Father..." She merely whispered.

"If only he was alive..." He said.

"You...you knew?" She asked.

"I know how to read my daughter, Hinata. If I didn't it would surely be shame that I would have carried to my grave." Hiashi said. "But...you understand what being a Hyuuga head is, right?" He asked.

"Yes father..."

"You have to sink back in your jounin position. No more meetings with the anbu squad because you are no longer with them. I will give you a letter later and you shall deliver it to the Hokage. Is it clear my daughter?" He asked. He had lost his fatherly tone and he was now using his "resolute and serious" tone.

"Hai." Hinata firmly responded.

Minutes after, Hinata found herself walking to the administrative building where the Hokage's building was. She was no longer wearing her anbu uniform. She wore her jounin vest paired with a fish net shirt and a black jacket with the Hyuuga crest at the back which concealed her figure. She also wore black pants that felt comfortable.

She was holding in her hands a plain white envelope sealed by the Hyuuga crest.

Minutes later, she was now inside the building.

"Anou, miss..." She said to the lady at the reception desk. The lady looked up at her. "Is the Hokage in?" She asked.

The lady smiled at her. "Yes she is, Hyuuga-san..."

"Is she doing anything? Can I talk to her?" Hinata asked.

"Fortunately, Hokage-sama is only preoccupied with her paperwork. I think she'll gladly leave it to talk to you..." The lady said.

Hinata smiled. "Thank you." She then went up the stairs and then she passed the hallway. She now found herself in front of the door.

"Hmmm...not him...he's too self-centered..." She crossed out a picture of a young jounin.

"What about her?" Shizune asked.

"No...she's too busy with her family..." She said and crossed out a picture of a female.

Shizune sighed. "Tsunade-sama, why won't you pick one?" She asked.

"Shizune, it isn't as easy as you think it is... Even though they are qualified...they...ugh...lack the fire I am looking for..." She said.

"No one can rival Naruto-kun's fire..." Shizune said and pouted.

Tsunade frowned and her face saddened.

Shizune mentally slapped herself for saying that. She shouldn't have said it. Of course no one can rival Naruto's fire! But it was just not the right time to say it.

Tsunade looked down in the folder.

No one could rival Naruto-kun's fire...

Shizune's words echoed in her head. In Tsunade's opinion, Naruto was the only one that could possibly fill in the Hokage spot after her. She wasn't playing favorites, but he was just the best out there...

After a few minutes, they heard a knock.

"Who is it?" Shizune asked.

"It is Hyuuga Hinata; my father has sent me to deliver a letter to the Hokage." Hinata said at the other side of the door.

"Let her in, Shizune." Tsunade said.

Shizune then opened the door. "Come in, Hinata-chan..." Shizune smiled.

Hinata then approached Tsunade's table. Before she was able to reach the table, Tsunade closed the folder for the Hokage candidates.

Hinata then held out an envelope. Tsunade took it. She opened it in silence and she read its contents slowly. After reading it, she laid it won on her table.

"So you are to be announced as Hyuuga head tomorrow. Prior to that, you must be removed from your anbu squad to lessen the ninja duty on your shoulders. Do you know this already, Hinata?" Tsunade asked.

Hinata nodded. "Good, Hiashi told you. I'll send a note to your squad leader containing that you shift back to a jounin. Another ninja shall fill in your spot. You will have to take lesser or no missions at all because of your duties as Hyuuga head, understood?" Tsunade asked.

Hinata nodded. "Then you may go now, Hinata-chan...no...Hyuuga-sama..." Tsunade said.

"Ugh...Tsunade-sama, are you alright?" Hinata asked.

"Ah, don't worry about me...it's just stress...I'll get over it later..." Tsunade said.

Hinata took out a small white pill.

"What is that?" Tsunade raised her eyebrows.

"Stress relieving pill. I made it..." Hinata smiled.

Tsunade took it and examined it. "Well, thank you."

"It's very effective, Tsunade-sama..." Hinata said.

"I reckon it has been tried and tested..." Tsunade said. Hinata nodded with a sweet smile. "Konoha will sue you if I die you know..." Tsunade then took it.

After that, Hinata made her way to the Yamanaka flower shop.

"Ah, welcome Hinata-chan." Ino greeted her. She greeted back with her usual sweet smile. Ino raise one eyebrow. "Eh, no anbu mask and uniform? Are you in a day-off today, Hinata-chan?" Ino asked.

Hinata shook her head.

"What? Don't tell me you got demoted?" Ino exclaimed.

Hinata shook her head. "Well it's not purely demotion..." Hinata said.

"Then what is it?"

"Father has stepped down..." Hinata whispered in a shy manner.

"Then that means--!"

Hinata nodded. "Hai, effective tomorrow, I will be the Hyuuga Head." Hinata said.

"Are you ready for it, Hinata-chan...err...I mean Hyuuga-sama...?" Ino said.

"Father said I was more than ready so I think I am..." Hinata smiled.

Ino grinned at her.

"Naruto would have been proud if he was still alive."

"What's up with all of you saying 'Naruto this and Naruto that' all around me?" Hinata asked.

"We miss him too, Hyuuga-sama..." Ino said.

"And please stop calling me Hyuuga-sama; I am not accustomed to it. Hinata-sama is fine but I don't want to be called like that by my friends...Hinata-chan would be ok." Hinata said.

"Hai, hai, do you a bouquet of red roses then?" Ino asked.

Hinata nodded.

Hinata then made her way to the grave for the second time today. Now, she was carrying a bouquet of red roses. A part of her visit to Naruto's grave which she have grown accustomed to all these ten years.

She looked down at the ground while she walked towards where his last resting place was. When she arrived there she saw the same man she saw awhile ago.

After Sakura and Ino left, came the others who just looked at his grave. After they left, Naruto jumped down from the tree and he approached his grave.

He raised one eyebrow at the sight of it.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha's true and unsung hero..." He read out the engravings. He snorted. "I am their unsung hero, eh? Truly deemed to be forgotten..." He said.

I am the unsung hero, eh? Truly deemed to be forgotten...

She heard that. Did the man say he was Uzumaki Naruto? She asked after hearing the "I am" part.

"Naruto-kun...?" She called out.

He was startled. He turned around at once when he heard that. She saw Hyuuga Hinata holding a bouquet of red roses. Her eyes were wide and he could tell that if she wasn't raised up as refined citizen of Konoha, she would have dropped her jaws open now.

"Hyuuga Hinata..." He said.

She now dropped the bouquet. The man that was standing there caught it. She was shocked, he knew who she was? Was it really true? Was it really Uzumaki Naruto?

She asked all of those things.

"Why have you dropped it? I thought it was for me?" He asked in a calm tone like nothing extraordinary happened.

She covered her mouth with her hand.

What the hell are you doing kid?

Kyuubi asked.

'Fate...' Naruto thought while he held the bouquet of red roses.

What? I thought you don't believe in fate.

'Baka, what I don't believe in is predestination...' Naruto thought.

She removed it from her mouth. "Na-Naruto-kun...you are...you are alive?" She stammered.

"It's too hard to believe, ne?" He asked.

Hinata couldn't reply.

"Are you...really...alive?" She asked. Naruto approached her slowly. His big hands grabbed one of Hinata's small hands. He placed it over his chest. Hinata could feel his heartbeat.

"Yes." He simply answered.

Hinata then raised her head. Her eyes were saying something that Naruto could not decipher. He could not tear his eyes away form her eyes because he wanted to know what they were saying. There was silence as Hinata became teary. She then embrace Naruto and buried her face in his chest. Naruto then wrapped his arms around her to comfort her.

"Why? Why didn't you tell us you were alive? All these years, you were!!! Tell my why?" She asked and she pounded Naruto's chest gently with her hands.

"I did it to protect all of you..."He said in a soft voice.

Hinata continued to sob in his arms.

"Naruto-kun..." She whispered. She then raised her head again. Naruto saw the same eyes that he could not decipher. What was it? He asked himself. "Are you going to tell everyone...that you are...alive?" She asked.

"I need to..." He said.

"Will you stay?" She asked.

"That, I could not answer...I am unsure..." He whispered. She still stared at him with her white eyes.

"Why do you stare at me like that?" He asked.

Hinata broke away form the embrace when she noticed. She looked away with a blush.

"I...I...missed you..." She stammered.

"You were the only one who missed me?" He asked her.

"We all missed you..." She said.

There was silence again.

"How did...you live...?" She asked.

"I guess God gave me a second chance..." He said while looking at the sky. It was once again blue.

Maybe God has given me another chance too...

Hinata thought as she looked up at the blue sky too...

Author's notes:

1. Forgive me Chibi but I wanted to use it. p It fits Naruto. :)

Next chapter: Smile

'Till next time! And don't forget to review!!!

-ximena