How many years must go by before normality is restored to Konoha? These were the thoughts of every single man, woman, and child. There seemed to never be a safe moment, a time of complete relaxation and peace. Akatsuki was a constant threat to the village, and ever since Uchiha Sasuke left the village, an anxiety hung over everyone's head's, that someday the sound would return. More Shinobi die or go missing every month, and the families they leave behind are always more devastated with each casualty. The Academy was no longer a fun place for children to learn the basics, but a building filled with highly elite ninja, forcing strength and ninja ability down kid's throat. To an un-trained eye, there was no room for love, happiness, and fun any more in the Hidden Leaf Village known as Konoha.

But to those who had the proper eye site and ability, love could still be seen in all forms in this small village. With just a little effort, one could see glimmers of joy in the faces of the families who lost someone dear to their hearts. Small children still found time to play games, despite the academy's harsher standards. And love existed in all shapes, sizes, and forms. TO some, finding the light in these dark times was as hard as finding a daisy in a field of dandelions. But to some, with the proper outlook on things, it was as large and apparent as the sun itself. The person with such eyes as these was a young girl named Hyuuga Hinata.

Two years had passed since Naruto left, and Hinata was putting his time away to good use. She swore long ago to change herself, physically and mentally. She soon discovered promises such as these are hard to keep, and painful on many levels. At the beginning of her training, all she had were her beloved teammates. She of course, had Kurenai-sensei as well, but her job was to focus on the entire team, not just one pupil, even if she enjoyed that pupil immensely. And her teammates were too involved in their own lives to worry themselves with helping Hinata.

Soon though, she made an un-expected friend in Tenten. Neji was training with her father more and more over the earlier months, and it was no surprise that Tenten would come over to observe her fellow teammate.

Hinata stood over a railing next to Tenten, watching with melancholy as her father trained her cousin and sister, instead of herself. Tenten sighed with admiration as Neji skillfully deflected a gentle fist attack to his upper rib cage. Hinata looked over at Tenten a little, and looked back at her "happy" family. "Do you Like Neji-nii-san?" Hinata asked quietly, avoiding the pretty girls eyes.

Tenten looked over at Hinata, and smiled. "I admire his ability to keep on fighting, and do his best no matter what the conditions are. Not all Shinobi are lucky enough to possess such good qualities." Hinata blushed a little at the statement, being reminded of the boy she missed oh so much.

'I never realized how much like Naruto Neji-nii-san really was.' Hinata thought. Tenten took a hard, long look at the young Hyuuga girl. She then smiled, and went back to watching the training. "You know Hinata-chan, you're a very pretty girl. Soon the boys wont be able to keep their eyes off of you."

Hinata fidgeted uncomfortably at the statement, muttering gently to Tenten, "I do not want to be acknowledged for my looks alone, Tenten-san" Tenten laughed slightly at this, and placed a hand on the young girl's shoulder.

"You want to improve your ninja skills as well, neh, Hinata-chan?" Hinata nodded solemnly. "Well, I am no Hyuuga. I'm not even a Chuunin yet, but I can try to help you as best I can."

Hinata gasped, and looked at the pretty brown-haired girl. "R…really?" Tenten nodded, and bent down to get something out of her bag. Hinata watched her curiously, feeling overwhelming gratitude that she would finally have someone to teach her, to help improve her.

Tenten stood up, and handed Hinata a wooden poll, and took one out for herself. Hinata gave Tenten a questioning look, and Tenten just smirked. "This will be your weapon, Hinata-chan. We'll improve your agility ten fold I guarantee it. And maybe you can help me improve my taijutsu." Hinata nodded, and smiled. This was the start of her re-birth, and she loved it.

After that, Hinata slowly improved. And She wasn't the only one advancing due to her and Tenten's sparing sessions. Tenten finally got enough taijutsu skill from Hinata to rank Chuunin, and would be forever thankful for it. As for Hinata, once Neji saw how hard Hinata was working with Tenten, he stepped in to give the girls a few pointers. And since it was after all Neji, he took complete control of her training, claiming Tenten wasn't "Doing it right." And that is how Hinata first started her hard-core training.

After that, it wasn't long till Hiashi finally saw his daughters growing potential, and took over for Neji. They were tough on Hinata though, not allowing any slip ups on her part. Hinata took part in hardcore meditation and mental exercises to strengthen her emotional mind. On the outside, it appeared to work like a charm. The inside though was another story.

She missed Naruto. There was no denying such a thing; Hinata wanted Naruto back home. Despite all the strength she now had in herself, he was still her muse of sorts. When he was around, she felt inspired to improve herself, no matter what it meant. With him gone so long, her need to keep changing just seemed to diminish more and more. She was already a Chuunin, and her clan recognized her as a true Hyuuga. All goals had been met except for one, proving herself to Uzumaki Naruto.

"Where are you…."? Hinata whispered quietly into the frigid night air. She sighed, and reached behind her to unclasp her ponytail. Her now long hair fell onto her shoulders, and she examined a strand carefully. "I liked my old hair better." She stated simply. It had been her father's idea to let it grow, so she could impress the suitors coming to see Hinata. Hinata was not crazy about an arranged marriage, but did not at all know how to deny her father of anything he asked.

"Maybe…when Naruto-kun gets back." She said happily, but still so quietly that if by chance anyone was near, they could not hear. Her eyes searched the night sky, glaring at the moon, and wondering when the blonde haired boy she admired so much would return.

…..

Hinata bit her lip hard, her byakugan in full force. Normally, being surrounded by four ninja's was no problem for her. These weren't just any ninja's though, these were highly trained Jounin. 'This is not good.' She thought to herself. One made his move, and she countered easily enough. All four of them her soon on her, and she was struggling greatly, jabbing and punching at each one, he gentle fist seeming to have little to no affect on their chakra holes. If Hinata were a curser, she'd be swearing up a mile right about now. She had not meant to stray from her team, but it just sort of happened. Now she had fallen right into the enemies trap, and she did not know how to get herself out. The worst part was, they wouldn't have IDed her as a Konoha Shinobi if not for her Hyuuga eyes. She was in her civilian clothes, and forgot her forehead protector at home.

She was fighting off three of the men as best as she could, Tenten's agility training proving to be a very handy tool indeed. It wasn't until it was too late that Hinata realized something was wrong. 'Where is the fourth guy?' it was at that moment a kunai sliced into the blind spot on her back. Hinata screamed as she fell forward, giving way for an open spot for the enemy to hit.

She was still trying to fight, but losing quickly. Soon, she had a broken arm and possibly some broken ribs, if not bruised. It got the worst when one of them men screamed to the others. "Use the new serum, she is an eye based fighter!" A smoke bomb was thrown in Hinata's direction, and she was all but consumed in the mist that protruded from it. Suddenly, her eyes started to sting badly. Hinata screamed, grabbing at her face. She pulled her fingers away to find blood, and then her vision blurred completely into absolute darkness.

Without her eyes, this battle could not last long. 'Without consciousness, this battle will not last long…' Hinata thought this, because she felt herself weakening. Every inch of her body was shutting down, and she started to collapse onto the floor. She trembled against the ground, and coughed up some blood. The taste was terrible, but it was the last thing on her mind. 'I'm going to die…I never proved I could lead my clan. I never made anbu. I…I never told Naruto-kun…I loved him!' And with that, Hinata lost consciousness

….

She was alive. That was Hinata's first conclusion. She was breathing on her own, and was alive. The next thing she noted was the excruciating pain in her eyes, which made her almost want to cry out in misery. She raised her hands to her eyes and felt bandage all around them, and then she remembered what was happening when she lost her vision. Hinata site straight up and started clawing around her, and jumped up and started to try to run off, using all her other senses to guide her. This was, sadly, to little prevail. Hinata was bumping and stumbling over the tree's and debris of the forest, and was shortly stopped by a pair of strong arms taking hold of her tightly.

She attempted to jab at the man with her palm or elbow, but the person holding her just caught them with ease, which scarred her even more. She was strong now, and someone who could restrain her had to be very powerful. It wasn't until she heard him speak that she calmed.

"It's OK, those guys are gone now, me and my Sensei took you here, you are in no danger." Normally, Hinata would not trust a stranger's words so easily, but this man sounded….'Nice.' And that was all that mattered to Hyuuga Hinata. He did not sound at all familiar to her though, and she wondered who he was.

They sat back down at the campsite where she was resting, and the man helped her to eat some soup. "W…what is this?" Hinata asked, giving it a quick smell to attempt to detect any poisons.

"It's ramen, good neh?" Hinata laughed very quietly at this, being reminded of Naruto.

"I…Is it alright if I asked….who you are?" Hinata said shyly, placing her chopsticks down. There was a long silence, one that she desperately wanted to fill. "I…I mean, you do not sound familiar to me. Are you not from around…here?" Hinata did not want to let the man know she was from a ninja village. In the off chance he was an enemy who didn't realize who she was, she did not want to take the chance. Although, she heard the man laugh slightly, and could almost feel his smile.

"In different conditions, I would tell you who I was and where I came from with no problem, really! But I am in an awkward position, where if certain people knew where I was, who I was, I could be in a lot of trouble." Hinata nodded a little, and just smiled. She did not want to press the matter, and did not want the man to think her ungrateful for what he had done.

Later that night, Hinata was laying in a sleeping bag. Apparently, the man taking care of her and a much older man thought she was asleep, because they were talking about her.

"Will she be able to see again?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know? I wasn't the med nin out of the three of us!" "Gah you're as useless as ever!"

"Say that to my face ya little runt!"

"Your just an old pervert!"

"Why you-!"

"Seriously though. Her eyes were bleeding so badly when we found her. They didn't stop till just this morning. I don't want anyone hurt!"

"Relax, I'm sure her team will find her soon, then she can go home, and get proper treatment, instead of these dumb herb remedies."

"Why can't we just ask where she is from, and take her there ourselves!"

"What if she is from the sound? Or even Konoha! We have to stay out of the light for now, or you can be in danger!"

"Urh…what ever pervert."

The man walked over to Hinata, and she breathed in and out deeply, simulating sleep. The man touched the bandages over her eyes gently, and then slowly caressed her cheek. Hinata's heart rate started to beat rapidly, and tried desperately to control her breathing. "Who are you?" The man said softly, in hopes of not waking her. Hinata shivered under the man's touch, feeling almost a craving for more of it.

The man shook Hinata a little, and she pretended to wake up startled. "Hey," The man said, "Are you cold? You were shivering just now." Hinata nodded, to avoid getting caught. The man crawled into the sleeping bag with her, and rubbed her back. "I uuh…am I making you uncomfortable or anything?" Hinata shook her head, blushing rapidly. She crawled closer to this strange man, a man who saved her life, who is taking care of her, who smells wonderful. "You are very stiff lady. Is something wrong?"

She pressed her head into his chest, and he held her close to him. "I…I have never been this close to someone…." She said quietly. She could feel the man nod, but she could feel everything. Every breath and heart beat, she could hear, feel, almost touch.

"I know how that feels actually. I was alone for most of my life. It was only in the past few years that I've made friends, and actually started to know what feelings such as love, and happiness are. Before that, all I knew was pain and loneliness. But, ever since then, I've changed greatly. The special people make me want to try my hardest, and not give up no matter what! I'd do anything to protect those people, even if it meant dieing for them. That is my way of the ninja." Hinata just nodded, and smiled softly to herself.

"You …sound like someone I lost…. long ago." She said quietly, remembering how long it had been since she'd seen Naruto. "He…was very special to me. He is still close…to my heart."

"What did he do to deserve a place such as your heart?" The man said, with what sounded like remorse.

"He..." Hinata gulped. She had never shared her feelings with anyone, much less a total stranger. "When I am fighting, and I think of him, I want to do better. He makes me want to prove I am worthy of my name, and him. When I watch him, I feel like I can do…anything…." She blushed profusely, and sort of turned her head away from the man.

It was at this second, that she felt his lips touch hers. At first, she did not know what to think of it. She did not know this man, and yet…. 'I feel for him how I feel for Naruto-kun' She kissed back, and wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms pulled around her waist, and he turned them so she lay on top of him. Neither of these people knew who the other was, just that there was something in the other they longed, craved, and loved. The man's kiss was sloppy, and his hands did not know where to go on Hinata's body. At the same time, Hinata was shy, and did not know how to kiss at all.

Soon though, the man's tongue found its way into her mouth, and she shuddered atop him. Her hands wove their way up to his hair, where she tugged at it gently, and the man rubbed at her back soothingly. Hinata took in a deep smell, that wonderful smell of his. It was so familiar to her, like she'd known it her entire life. She could feel her old self-shedding away as she kissed this almost stranger under the stars, where anyone could see. This made her want to be passionate, to be bold and sexy. This made her want to be better, to train, to fight, to prove to everyone she was worthwhile. This man made her feel how she hadn't felt in years.

It was at this moment she heard her team in the distance, and snapped out of the passionate kiss. The man Sat up, her on his lap. He kissed her on the cheek, and whispered into her ear, "Goodbye pretty lady, I hope to meet you again." And with that, the man got up. She heard footsteps retreating from where she was, and then heard some in the opposite direction coming towards her. She heard Kurenai scream when she saw Hinata, and grab onto her, hugging her tightly. Kiba also held her close, and Hinata knew if Shino were more extroverted, he'd show just as much emotion as the other two.

Shino walked to her, and patted her shoulder. "Your lucky my bugs saw you here, Hinata-chan." Kurenai placed Hinata up on her back, and the three of them started to head back to Konoha, tree hopping as fast as they can. "Don't worry Hinata-chan, we will get you home fast and save your eyes" Kurenai-sensei re-assured her with these words, and Hinata sighed happily. Kiba laughed a little, and made a comment that changed Hinata forever.

"It's just a good thing a sannin was with you!" Kiba chuckled at this, and Hinata gasped.

"Wh…what..do you mean?" The other three were quiet for a moment, but then Shino spoke up.

"My Bugs…they saw you with-"

……

Jiraiya was about half a mile away, giving Naruto his peace with the girl. He heard the footsteps, and looked up at his young pupil.

"Wellp, her team found her ok. Man…was she something else…." Naruto sat down, his cheeks still pink from her session with the young beautiful girl.

"Yup, that Hyuuga girl sure has matured." Naruto looked up a bit startled.

"Hy…Hyuuga?" He spurted out, eyes going wide.

"Oh come on ya idiot…you really didn't know? I thought I was just pullin your leg about that 'she may be a sound nin!' crap. You seriously didn't realize?" Jiraiya laughed at the stupidity of his pupil, and tended to the fire.

Naruto never saw the girl's eyes. He defended off the ninja's while Jiraiya tended to the girl, apparently Hinata. All he had seen were red orbs, covered in blood. Beyond that, her hair was long, and she did not look so pale and young, but matured and…. "Beautiful…" Naruto whispered.

"What'd ya say Naruto?" "Just that you're a pervert, ya damn pervert."

………

To an un-trained eye, there was no room for love, happiness, and fun any more in the Hidden Leaf Village known as Konoha.

But to those who had the proper eye site and ability, love could still be seen in all forms in this small village. The person with such eyes as these was a young girl named Hyuuga Hinata. And although on that night, she did not have her eyes, she still saw the love she felt for a certain blonde haired, blue-eyed ninja.