Hiashi Hyuga is dead. Now, as the rightful heir to the Hyuga clan, Hinata has to lead. The clan is counting on her, but even so, she refuses to do it alone.

Last chapter overview:


'Maybe later, Hinata-chan.' He whispered to himself.


The funeral was like any other funeral that Konoha had ever thrown, with a few minor exceptions. For one thing, this time around they had people come up to say speeches. First went Hinata's grandfather, and then it was her turn. She said that her father had a major impact on her life, not just as a shinobi, but as a daughter as well. She ended her speech and walked back to where Hanabi and Kiba were. Kiba gave her a worried look, but all she did was smile sadly. Before she could even react, Kiba held her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She hid a faint blush and smiled gratefully at her friend. After the elders of the Village, Neji said his part, since he was representing the cadet branch. After a final farewell, everyone left. Hinata waved good-bye to Kiba and Shino and walked over to the giant stone. She pulled out a small package from her pocket and opened it. She laughed half-heartedly.

"Your favorite snack, Father." She wiped away a tear and took a bite from one of them. She was proud that her father had enjoyed her rice balls, even if they were a little on the plain side. She heard footsteps and she turned around. There was her grandfather, standing behind her, his face a bit sad. She hurriedly stood up and bowed to him. He stood beside her, looking beyond the stone, as if her were remembering something.

"To think..." He started, causing her to look up at him. "Both my sons are dead, even before my time came. This is so discouraging..." He turned to face her.

"Hinata, when you move back in, there is something we need to discuss." With that he left. Hinata just continued to stare in the direction that he left in.

Something to discuss? What's going to happen?

She finished the onigiri in her hand and placed the others near the stone. She said a few prayers. 'Father, please watch over Hanabi and I. I fear we may need it.' She gave him one last farewell and walked away. She noticed that Neji had stayed there, waiting for her. She smiled a bit and ran over to her cousin. When he noticed that she was coming over, he chuckled a bit and started to walk alongside her, talking about nothing in particular. They walked to where Hinata had been staying for a couple of months and she invited him in. When he looked inside, he saw that it was less decorated than the last time he had come over. There were boxes on the floor, some with things in them, some empty, and still some that were already taped up and labeled.

"Neji, do you mind helping me?" She asked and began to raid her closet, stuffing her clothes into a half full box. He sighed and began with the stuffed animals on her bed. He put them all into an empty box and sealed it with tape. Hinata had already finished emptying her wardrobe and tackled the restroom next. She just crammed everything into a bag and closed it. After a few more minutes, most of the boxes were filled up and all of the big things were sealed in a scroll. Thanks to Neji's expertise, the things that were sealed could be brought back with a couple of hand signs. She had kept a few things out. When they were done, Neji was sitting in a chair, and Hinata had called someone.

"Hello, is... Oh hi! Listen, there's something I need to give you. Do you mind..?" There was a pause, then something the person said hit her hard. "Uh... No! D-don't!" She sounded desperate. There was a bye from the other side of the line and the phone went dead. Hinata just stood there, frozen in shock, and blushing like crazy. Neji noticed this and walked over to her.

"What's wrong, Lady Hinata?" She turned to face him.

"N-N-Naruto's coming. With Sakura-chan, I mean." She added when she saw his face. She was still blushing like crazy, and the minute that those words came out of her mouth, there was a knock on the door. She jumped and hid behind Neji before realizing that it was only the door. She slowly reached for the door and with shaking hands opened it. She peeked outside and saw Sakura and Naruto, standing side by side. She opened the door wider and invited them in, the blush still imminent on her face. When they got inside, Sakura looked around.

"Hold on, why is there almost nothing in here?" She asked. Hinata just handed her and Naruto some chairs, while she was preparing the tea.

"Uh... Would you believe me if I told you I was moving out?" She said, not looking at anybody in particular. She placed the kettle on the stove and brought out some snacks. She almost chopped up her finger when she heard Sakura's exclamation. Instead there was a minor cut on it. She put the damaged finger into her mouth and ran for her purse.

"You're moving? After you finally got settled in? What the hell?!" Sakura yelled and stared at the running Hyuga. She pulled out some bandages from her pocket.

"Sorry about that. Here." She tossed them over to where Hinata was currently standing. She caught it in one hand and wrapped them around the cut.

"Don't worry about it. It happens all the time when your cooking." She said. Naruto just watched intently at the exchange of words between them, until something caught his eye.

"Hey Neji, what's that in your back pocket?" He smirked mischievously. Neji pulled it out and hid it in less than two seconds. Now the girls were interested in the little show between them. Neji tried to run, but then he remembered that there was nowhere to run, unless...

"It's nothing really, just a box."

"What kind of box?" They all asked at the same time. They made him back up into a corner. Neji couldn't help it. He couldn't hit a girl, let alone the heiress to the Hyuga clan. He can't even beat up the Kyuubi, knowing full well that Naruto managed to control it to some extent. He realized that he was in a tight spot, so he did what he knew best. He opened the window and jumped out. They all watched him go, laughing their heads off.

"NEJI! COME BACK LATER! YOU NEED TO HELP ME MOVE THE STUFF!" Hinata yelled back to her cousin through giggles. Sakura just tried to stop laughing, and Naruto was rolling around on the floor. After a few minutes, the laughter finally died down and they all resumed their previous conversations.

"So what do you think Neji had?" Naruto asked them. Hinata placed a tray of snacks in front of them, along with three cups of tea. They both said thanks and picked up different things. Hinata was still blushing like crazy, and only Sakura noticed.

"I bet it was a present for Tenten. Its their anniversary tomorrow. They've been together..." She began counting on her fingers. " Almost two years now."

"Neji and Tenten got together?!" Naruto said, shocked by his newfound discovery. Sakura just sighed.

"You're so beyond helpless. Then again, we can't blame you. You only came back a few months ago." She took a bite of the cookie she was eating.

"You have got to give me the recipe for these cookies, Hinata. They're really good."

"You really think so? It's my own recipe, so I'll give it to you later, once I'm settled in back home."

"Why are you moving back, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked her. She blushed a bit and tried not to look at him, yet still answer the question.

"Before the accident last week, my father had asked me to move back in. He said that there was something I had to do for a treaty or something like that..." She said, quietly sipping her tea.

"Does that mean you'll be leaving soon?" He asked. She nodded and smiled slightly.

" I hope Neji comes. He always keeps me company, plus I'm traveling to the Hidden Waterfall village, and I'm sure that someone's going to attack us." She thought about something for a bit. "Father said that I would be gone for a week or so. I hope that nothing stalls us so that I can come back home quickly."

"The Hidden Waterfall Village? That's not too far from the Land of Waves, is it?" Sakura finally broke in. Hinata nodded.

"Anyways, the reason I invited you over was so that I can return the stuff you lent me." She stood up and ran into the bedroom. When she came back, she held a box in her arms.

"What, this thing? I insist that you keep it. It looks way better on you than it does me." Sakura peeked inside and saw the light lavender material inside. In a matching purse, she could see that some hairpins were inside.

"No, I couldn't. Besides, you bought it! It's yours." Hinata said and placed it on the floor. Sakura looked a bit ticked off.

"Hinata, if you give this back to me, I swear I'll stop being your friend." She said sternly. Hinata flinched and slowly nodded.

"Ok, I'll keep it, if you really insist." She picked it up and put it back in her now-empty room.

"If you really need some help moving, why don't we help?" Naruto asked. Hinata just stared at him and, feeling the blush on her face, turned away.

"N-n-no, I couldn't ask that of you." She said and began to push the boxes toward the door.

"Not a problem, right Saku--" Sakura had left minutes ago, the tray of cookies in tow. "Great. Now I have to do all the work. Well, better get started." He stood up and made a couple of shadow clones. Hinata just blushed even harder and tried to tell him.

"N-N-Naruto-kun, you really don't have to--" She stopped when he silenced her. His finger was on her lips, his grin too much for her to handle.

"I don't think Neji will be coming back anytime soon, plus, I can't just leave you here to carry all of your heavy things." He gave the order to his shadow clones and they all picked up a box. The original stepped away from her. Hinata, miraculously, managed to not pass out and decided to accept his help. Within a few hours, all of Hinata's belongings were in her room in the Hyuga household. She asked him to unseal the stuff from the scrolls, like her dresser and the wardrobe, while she got her belonging out from her boxes.

"I still can't believe how big your room is, though." Indeed, her room was not only a bedroom, but a living room as well.

"This is the west wing. But why I get all of this, I'll never have any clue." She said. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and proceeded with the task at hand. A few minutes later, there was a loud barking sound, followed by footsteps. Hinata's face brightened a bit and when she opened the door, a dog jumped into her arms with such force that it made her topple to the floor.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked, then shook his head. The dog was licking her face, happy that her owner had come back.

"Sora! Cut it out!" She giggled and pulled the dog away from her face. The little dog just barked and wagged its tail happily. In came Hanabi, out of breath from chasing the dog.

"S-s-sorry, sis. I tried to keep her away from here, but she managed to find you." Hanabi managed to say in between mouthfuls of air. Then she noticed that Naruto was there, in her room. A thought flashed through her head as she put two and two together. She grinned evilly.

"Grandfather! Hinata brought a boy home!" Hinata stood up, dog under one hand, blushing furiously. Naruto was also blushing.

'If Hiashi is like that over Hinata's and my friendship, how will her grandfather take it?' He shivered at the memory. He recalled it so vividly, as though it was yesterday, even though it was two months ago. He was walking Hinata home, late at night. He had invited her to eat ramen with him and some of the other guys and girls they both knew. Unfortunately, Lee got a taste of sake and Neji had to help Lee calm down. Everyone else left before they could what happened. So Neji and Tenten decided to take Lee home, and Hinata was going home by herself. He felt bad, so he decided to walk her home. When they got there, Hiashi was waiting, a stern look on his face. With him leering at him, Naruto said goodbye and left.

'That was just scary how he leered at me just for walking her home. I don't want to find out how her grandfather is going to take it.'

Speak of the devil.

There he was.

Almost as scary as Hiashi.

He appeared behind Hanabi, wondering why she was yelling. Then he saw Hinata, with her dog in her hand, and Naruto off to the side, holding in his hands the scrolls Neji had used to seal the big things. Naruto gulped and tried not to look at his eyes.

Scratch that.

Scarier than Hiashi.

"Hinata, when you are done, please come to the conference room. If you see Neji, tell him to come as well. Hanabi, you are to be there along with them. This involves the entire family, main and cadet branches." He said and left. Naruto and Hinata both collapsed onto the floor, each completely shaken up.

"So that's..?" She nodded and began to pet her dog.

"Don't take it so hard. He's not all bad." She smiled at him. Hanabi had disappeared, leaving the two of them alone. Hinata finally realized this and a blush spread across her features. Naruto took one look at her, then walked over to where she was.

"Hinata, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." He said quietly, making sure to look her in the eyes. She blinked a few times, the blush turning deeper and deeper red with each passing moment.

"Y-y-yes, Naruto-kun?" She asked, wondering if after all of these years of hinting that she liked him were finally paying off. He inched closer, as though he wanted to whisper something to her...

"Hinata, I--"

"Sis! Let's got! Everyone's waiting for us!" Hanabi tapped her foot outside the door, not sure if she was interrupting anything. The two of them jumped in surprise, the blush showing in each of their faces.

"M-m-maybe you can tell me later, Naruto-kun." She said. She stood up and left the door open behind her. Naruto punched the floor in anger.

'Damn... And I finally had the chance too...' He sighed and left, making sure to close the door behind him. Outside, he stared at the cloudy sky.

'Hinata... I wonder what you think of me..?'


Eesh... This is one hella've a chapter stares at its giantness Sorry it was so long, folks, but I kind of got carried away with it. Anyway, this next little dialogue bubble is a spoiler for the next chapter.

"W-W-What?" Hinata said, frozen in shock.

"The clan has come to an agreement. You are the rightful heir to the clan, and since Hiashi has passed away, you are now the leader. I hope that you will be as fine a ruler as your father was before you." The Elders of the Hyuga clan said.

'This can't be happening!!'

Ok ppl, I took time out of my stupid homework time to re-check everything, and I have so that it makes a little bit more sense. both of the chapters have been changed, so shaddup! Bye Bye!

Oh, and its been a year since Naruto came back, and he may have changed love interests as far as you ppl know, but that may or may not be the case in my mind...

Ja ne,

Hinata-chan16