Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, characters or anything. This is just a hobby.

Part 4 – Coming home

About three weeks of the revelation, Hinata had been doing her daily activities and preparing lunch for herself and Neji when she heard a knock on the door. She was quite sure it was Sasuke – he sometimes liked to invite himself to lunch because he really liked Hinata's cooking and Hinata thought today would not be an exception.

She walked to the door as fast as she could with her growing belly and opened the door.

"Sasuke, I'm not preparing any tomatoes today you may..."

It wasn't Sasuke. It was Itachi. On his knees. At her door. Her eyes widened from shock. She knew that this day would come but not this soon. Or without warning.

She watched him from head to toe. He was wearing a standard jōnin uniform of Konoha. It was weird seeing him in that. He was patiently waiting for her to react.

She snapped out of her thoughts and the first instinct was to hug him. He, however, raised his hand to stop her.

"I need to say some things first, Hinata"

"Itachi..."

She signed him to come in and he stood up to walk behind her to her living room.

"Hinata. I honestly don't know where would be best to start. I have been a ninja as long as I can remember. I made my first kill when I was six and the only purpose in life was to serve my village. Before I met you at eleven, that is."

He sighed.

"I honestly loved every single moment with you even then. I felt it was like a heaven's way to make amends with my miserable life. I admit I became much more obsessed with you than I should have. Then the hardships regarding the clan started. My only goal was to protect Sasuke, but you were the only one who could occasionally make me forget the stress."

He looked her in the eyes.

"I admit I was selfish when we created the seal. I wanted it all; peace to the village and you to be mine alone. I justified it to myself by saying that I did that to give you a freedom from your father or some extra protection. Both could have been achieved with different methods."

He took a sip from a teacup Hinata had given to him.

"So my Akatsuki mission started. I had shown Sasuke some disturbing stuff to ensure his loyalty to the village and not me. I managed to play a villain so well I got the duty of capturing Uzumaki Naruto, which might be the only reason he is still safe. I have done very disturbing things as a criminal but protecting our jinchūriki was my main objective which was reached and my mission was successful."

"What I totally failed was you. When we first saw after the massacre I was so proud. You were so grown up and strong and wielding the Sharingan, a thing I never anticipated. And you told me you have been protecting Sasuke as well. In my eyes you were perfect."

"The second time I was even prouder, but sad at the same time. You actually gave me a lethal strike with your katana. You talked about duty – just like I had younger. It was like looking the mirror and I'm not talking about your appearance."

"The last time we saw was supposed to be the last ever. Things weren't supposed to go that far they went – I only wanted to see you last time before I let Sasuke kill me and bring the peace to the Konoha. But he was caught and what I recall from Tsunade, he has been happy here, now that the compound is full of life and he feels he has a family to protect. I am eternally grateful to you for that."

He went on his knees again.

"Now, I completely understand that I have no right to ask you anything. I have bound you to myself without your consent, forced you to the years of loneliness and even gotten you pregnant with my baby without being there to help. I beg you that you let me be part of your life again. I will be anything you want; your husband, your friend or even your servant and a bodyguard, but just let me be there. I love you Hinata and from this day on I will dedicate my life only to you."

He seemed to stop and lowered his gaze. Hinata watched at him her mouth open. She rushed to hug him tightly.

"Itachi... I have forgiven anything you think you have done long ago. This seal – as twisted my life has been with it – has given me a chance to a life of my own and it protected me against Orochimaru and his curse seal. I never got the chance to save the Hyuga, but I have managed to change the Uchiha. And even without the seal, I couldn't image my life with anyone but you. It was always you, ever since we met. And nothing makes me happier than thought that you are permanently back here for me and our daughter..."

His eyes widened and he reached Hinata's belly.

"May I?"

Hinata nodded and watched him curiously trying to feel his daughter through her skin.

"She is usually more active at nights, Itachi. I usually think she is sleeping during the day."

There was a rare smile on his face.

"You are so beautiful, Hinata. And I am sure our daughter will be too."

"You are not the only one thinking that. Sasuke and Neji had been planning the ways to scare off her fanboys already."

A thought of fanboys brought a scowl to Itachi's face. Maybe he was more possessive he let on after all.

There was a knock on the door and Hinata walked to open it. There were Sasuke and Neji, right at the time for lunch. She let them in only them to notice Itachi in the living room. It wasn't long when they had pushed him to the wall with murderous expressions on their face.

"What do you think you are doing here after you did to Hinata!?"

Hinata intercepted them, however.

"Back off from my husband. We have talked things through and he will be there in the future so you two will behave."

They clenched their fists but said nothing.

Hinata smiled sweetly and said: "Now Itachi, you maybe should tell the main points."

It was her eighth month when Pein attacked the village. She was watching Naruto fighting him from the edge of the crater Pein had created. Her teammate had become truly strong. They all had, but watching Naruto was something amazing.

He, however, was not enough against the Rinnegan. He got restricted with black poles and it felt like all the hope was lost. For a moment she wished she wasn't pregnant so she could go there and help – but what could she have done anyway?

It was a surprise to everyone that it was Sakura who had stepped between Pein and Naruto and saved the day. She had truly matured from that pathetic girl from the Academy to a strong kunoichi who protected her friends no matter what.

It didn't take long to Sasuke join her and free Naruto. The three looked really good together. Like the new Sannin. They defeated Pein together and helped Naruto to find Peins real body and revive the dead. There was a massive celebration after that, but Itachi brought Hinata soon after that home to rest.

After that Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura had been sent to hunt down the true leader of Akatsuki, before he could start a war. They had succeeded with the help of Uchiha Shisui's eye and Nagato's friend Konan – Sasuke had even managed to come back to witness his niece's birth.

It was the happiest day for the both Uchiha and the Hyuga for a long time. Uchiha Hisana was a beautiful baby – she looked just like Itachi, with pearly Hyūga eyes. Even the usually stoic Hiashi was completely sold when he looked little Hisana's eyes for the first time.

Being a father seemed to be something Itachi really wanted to do so he stayed at home taking care of the baby while Hinata continued her ninja duties mainly on the clan council. She worked long days with the Hokage to clear Itachi's name and investigate the events among the elders.

The new Sannin were doing mission after another – even if Akatsuki had been hunted down, there were always conflict to handle and work to do. Even Sakura had given up searching a boyfriend and focused on her training and her friends right now.

As happy as Hinata seemed to her life, the whole Konoha 12 had realized while watching her that they were still teenagers and while the life of a ninja was short, rushing things that didn't feel natural didn't help anything.

So now, when Hinata was seventeen, a clan head, a wife and a fresh mother, her life was challenging, but she wouldn't give up and she wouldn't have it any other way. She and Itachi had a lifelong mission to make a better life for their daughter after all.