Six months later...
As she swung back and forth, her white eyes scanned the crowd of children being picked up by their parents. Her gaze lit up with delight when she spotted her tall, blonde father making his way towards her through the throng of students and their parents.
Naruto slipped by the star-struck crowd and approached his daughter, rubbing the nape of his neck when he finally reached her. "Hima, I didn't keep you waiting, did I?" he asked, his blue eyes scanning her face.
The young ten-year-old shook her head and hopped off the swing, landing on her feet. "Not at all, papa! You're right on time," she replied, grinning up at him.
He smiled warmly at her and held out his hand, which she eagerly took. As they walked together, people didn't pay them as much attention as they did when she was at school. This was likely because her father wasn't wearing his Hokage attire.
Usually he became a tad depressed whenever the citizens didn't recognize him.
She giggled at the thought.
"Hey Hima?"
Himawari looked up at her father. "Hm?"
"I was thinking maybe you and Boruto would want to come spend the weekend with me? I have a few vacation days and I'd like to spend it with you two"
"I want to come! I'm sure he would too." She swung their arms back and forth.
Since her parents' divorce, her father has kept his promise of spending quality time with her and her big brother. She was pleasantly surprised when he took them to the movies, considering he had mentioned it months ago.
Boruto, on the other hand, had low expectations and had already made plans with Mitsuki and Shikadai, assuming their father wouldn't show up. The look on his face when their father arrived on time was so comical that it made Himawari laugh. Even their mother was taken aback, standing at the door with her mouth open and wide eyes.
Although it was sad that her family was no longer living together, there were moments when it felt like they were still a family. Her father visited frequently and she once overheard her mother telling Kiba that her father had even helped pick out their house, which was only a five-minute walk away from his own.
He came to visit them almost every other day just to play with her or train Boruto, but there were moments he'd find her father staring longingly at her mother. It wasn't a secret to her or her big brother that her father wanted to win Hinata's heart back, but would it work?
One night, while everyone was asleep, Himawari was abruptly awakened by a pressing need to use the bathroom. But as she made her way through the quiet house, she heard something unexpected: her mother's voice, engaged in a lively conversation with someone outside. At first, she assumed it was Sasuke, a frequent visitor of late. But to her surprise, it was her father.
As she tiptoed closer to the source of the voices, she caught a glimpse of her parents sitting together on the wooden floor, lost in reminiscing about their childhood. They laughed, joked, and playfully teased each other, revealing a side of themselves that Himawari had never seen before.
Witnessing their bond filled Himawari with joy, and she realized that this was not the only time they had spent together like this. There were other nights, too, when they would sit outside in the same spot, simply talking or enjoying each other's company in comfortable silence.
She assumed Boruto would be through the roof at hearing the news. It showcased the possibility of their parents getting back together, but he didn't even flinch when she told him. He acted as if he didn't hear a word she said.
Looking up at her father, she noticed his gaze was focused ahead, but the faraway look in his sea blue eyes told her he was deep in thought. She'd seen that look before and didn't have the chance to talk about something else when he parted his lips to speak.
"Say," he continued to keep his gaze straight ahead. "Does Sasuke ever stop by?"
And there it was.
"Yes, sometimes he does." She answered before she even gave herself enough time to think of a gentle response. "But not very often!" she quickly added.
It was a small lie...well, maybe it wasn't that small. She just couldn't bring herself to cause him any more stress than he already had when it came to Sasuke. There was something definitely going on between her mother and Sasuke, but she couldn't quite place a finger on what it could be. It was clear they were close enough to call each other friends, but Kiba was also a close friend of her mothers, as was Shino. Yet, what her mother shared with them was different compared to Sasuke.
Kiba and Shino were once her mother's teammates, but their bond was almost like siblings, especially with Shino.
With Sasuke…it appeared to be sacred friendship on a different level. The way he would look at her mother was similar to her father, but without the sadness. It confused her.
Her father and Sasuke were once best friends, but ever since the divorce they hadn't been talking very much.
To be honest, they hadn't been talking at all.
Whenever she was with her father and they crossed paths, they would act as if the other didn't exist. It disturbed her a bit to see them become what they were now.
"Hm. I see." Naruto said. "Do you want to stop by the ice cream place before I take you home?" He tilted his head down to look at her with that plastic grin.
Himawari nodded. "Yes!"
Behind that smile was anger, but he was putting on a facade for her sake and she might as well go along with her.
Naruto grinned. "Alright! Don't tell your mother I'm buying you ice cream before your dinner," he said with a wink.
"It's our little secret, Papa." She grinned back.
XXXXXXX
Sasuke glanced over at the woman sitting across from him sitting quietly enjoying her oolong tea. For the past five months his friendship with Hinata has developed stronger. He would argue that it had blossomed into the title of best friend. Naruto had been someone he didn't publicly announce as his best friend, but to those that knew of their bond definitely knew Sasuke viewed Naruto as his best friend, if not brother. Yet, Hinata had surpassed that in lights that Naruto would never see.
Hinata was special.
Once the divorced happened, it had been all over media. Reporters had been stalking Hinata everywhere and snapping pictures of her, despite Naruto's anger at the press invading their personal life. If just a single photo of Hinata and Sasuke were taken, it would have caused a scandal.
Things were just fine before. Hinata wasn't used to the public's attention like that and hated it. No. He couldn't risk being around her, so he avoided her for the first month. And things with Sakura had been somewhat rocky during the time. He'd done enough damage as was.
The first month was extremely difficult as selfish as it sounded, Sasuke being away from Hinata. Though depression held him in a grip due to the guilt he had breaking Sakura's heart. Whenever he went to pick Sarada, she'd answer the door with red puffy eyes.
She had been crying because of him.
He made a promise to her that he wouldn't cause her any more pain. But despite his best intentions, he shattered her heart into a million pieces. The guilt and regret that consumed him were almost too much to bear.
It got to the point that Sakura started sending Sarada outside to meet with him because she couldn't bear to see him. Truthfully, it pained him to see her also.
Sarada started to stray away from him as the weeks went on. Now whenever he asks if she wanted to spend time with him there is always an excuse. Did it hurt? It hurt even more than seeing Sakura. His own daughter was upset with him, but he could understand where that pain for her came from.
The night he and Sakura sat her down to explain the separation, Sarada had been devastated. It took a lot to calm her down. Sakura held her in her arms as they both cried while he sat and watched trying to hold back his own tears.
He had trouble sleeping and would wander around the village at night to try and clear his mind. However it only made him think even more about the divorce, Sakura's broken heart, his daughter avoiding him, his broken friendship with Naruto, and his feelings for Hinata.
Depression hit him hard. He lost weight, grew out his splatchy beard that never grew in right and developed dark circles around his eyes. Sakura even looked concerned at one point.
There would be moments when he would wished he could have someone just listen to him. Hinata would come to mind whenever he had those thoughts and it made him realize that his feelings for her were stronger than he initially thought. She listened and had been there, as he had been for her. During that second month of her divorce, he decided he wanted…no, he needed to talk to her. Sasuke put his stealth skills to the test and went to her home and said to her, 'I could really use a friend right now.'
From that moment on, Sasuke and Hinata's bond had developed into something he has never experienced.
Snapping out of his thoughts, his dark eyes glanced at Hinata once more. Their eyes met as they both stared at each other, unspoken words but everything was there. There was one moment when they went out and there happened to be a new reporter there with a photographer. No one had been staring much, especially with Sasuke's glare daring anyone to question their friendship, but when he heard that snap he knew the disaster that would follow.
With a whisper of a threat, the media wouldn't have to worry about seeing anything painting Hinata in a negative light, Sakura and Naruto, even the kids being dragged into the mess that would have followed.
Everything has been rather peacefully, publicly that was.
Sasuke enjoyed her company over the months. He tried not to visit her as much because he didn't want to run into Naruto, but luck hadn't been on his side too often. Whenever he ran into the blonde the only reaction he had was to ignore him. It was awkward. Extremely awkward, especially knowing the history that happened within the span of almost a year in half. Sasuke always had no choice but to ignore him as well.
Unable to look away from her gaze, Sasuke smirked when he noticed the familiar blush that crept across her cheeks. A flustered Hinata was a cute one.
"Are you going to keep staring at me?" She sat her teacup down, pouting.
"You were staring too, you know." He smirked.
She turned her bright face away, frowning, clearly embarrassed to be caught in the act.
Though, he had to admit, he was a bit unclear on how Hinata felt about him, but appreciated that she agreed to getting to know him better. The day he confessed to her had been abrupt. He was so straightforward with his words that Sasuke felt it could have come across as not much meaning behind the words. Yet, that could be further from the truth. Still, if he could go back to the past, he would have said something different.
"I should be getting back home. Naruto will be dropping Himawari back home soon." Hinata stood from her seat, grabbed her cup to place it in the sink and prepared to wash it and his remaining dishes.
He shook his head and immediately approached her and placed his hand gently on top of hers.
"There's no need to do that. You wash enough dishes at your house. I don't need you my dishes too. You're my guest." He took the cup out of her hand. She looked mildly disappointed that he denied her. "You don't have to look so dejected. Thanks for the help, but I'll wash my own dishes." He flicked her forehead, admiring the way her face turned a dark shade of red.
"If you say so," she grunted.
"Don't tell me you're sad because I won't let you wash my dishes?" He raised one eyebrow, amused.
She smiled awkwardly. "I just assumed maybe you might need some assistance," she said glancing over at his nonexistent arm.
To say he was caught off guard by her response would be absolutely correct. It was true that it was difficult to do things with only one arm, but at the time when he rejected the idea of receiving one like Naruto it was to atone for his sins. Over the years it became somewhat of a hassle. There were times he couldn't help carry the groceries for Sakura, properly wash his hand, sex was difficult in the beginning among a long list of other things.
Even though he has gotten used to it, that doesn't mean he was comfortable.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to…"
"Do you think I'm that incapable of doing simple things on my own because I only have one arm?" He asked.
Embarrassed, she shook her head. "No! That's not what I'm saying at all! I'm sorry if I offended you in anyway. I didn't mean it."
"But you did imply it. I'll have you know that there are many things I can do with one arm." He took a step closer, noticing that she took one back, her white eyes stared at his chest with wide nervous eyes.
"Sa-Sasuke!" She blushed.
He lifted her chin and studied her face. "You aren't thinking anything perverted are you, Hinata?" He smirked.
She quickled pushed herself away from him, even redder than before. "I am not!"
"If you say so, princess." He glanced down at her lips momentarily, watching the way she bit her lip nervously. He wondered if her lips were as soft as they appeared. It was becoming harder to push the urge away to ask if he could kiss her.
He placed his hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair. "I was just teasing you. You don't have to look at me like that." He chuckled. "Sometimes it is a bit annoying having one arm, but I've been managing just fine."
"If you ever need assistance, don't be afraid to ask me."
"You're too kind." He said, not really speaking to her more so thinking aloud. "I'll keep that in mind for future references." He winked.
"You'll probably never ask."
He couldn't believe how pouty she was being about it. It highly amused him to see this side of her. Then again, she's very motherly and is probably used to doing things for her children. Sometimes he wondered if Naruto ever got the chance to see her like that, but he liked to think he was granted special privilege to see that side of Hinata.
"We'll have to see what the future holds then, won't we?" He smiled.
"Sasuke...I've been wanting to ask something." Her bright white eyes shifted to the sink.
"Go on." He urged her to continue.
She slowly lifted her gaze up towards him. "Do you ever regret your divorce?"
Interesting. That wasn't expecting to hear, but then again he shouldn't be too surprised. Kakashi had asked him the same question, even Ino. He didn't regret the separation, but how it was handled was poor on his end, especially with the timing. It was something that should have been taken care of months, if not years ago. Sakura deserved the truth, but the heartache that came with it did make him feel guilty. The only way he could think to make up for all the neglectful moments was to spend more time with Sarada and help Sakura with any house work that was needed.
"No. I don't regret it. Do you?" He asked.
He was almost afraid of what her answer might be. Hinata had always loved Naruto for as long as he could remember. A love like that doesn't go away overnight.
Her eyebrows furrowed. "I don't think I do."
"You don't think?" He tried to ignore the way his heart pounded hard against his chest.
"Naruto has been spending a lot of time with the children...and me. It's the life I always wanted to have with him for so many years. Of course it's too late now, and I'm not trying to mend things back together. After all, I'm the one that pushed for the divorce, but it feels good to have what I missed out on."
He should have known she'd say something like that. The blonde would probably do anything to woo her back.
Hinata's gentle touch on his arm pulled his focus back on her.
"I did what needed to be done. Although…spending time with you has been nice." She blushed. "If you're considered that I might go back to him, don't. I won't take a step backwards."
She didn't verbally tell him that she had feelings for him, but just hearing those words let him know that she definitely thought of him more than a friend. Inside his chest he could feel his heart doing jumping jacks, but on the outside, he maintained his stoic expression as not to reveal how happy it made him to hear those words.
He cleared his throat. "That's good to know."
"For future reference, right?" She teased.
Touché.
"Exactly. You're learning, Hyuuga." He smirked.
Straightening her hair, her eyes shifted to the clock hanging on his wall. "I have to go."
"Can you come by tomorrow?" He rubbed the nape of his neck, trying his hardest to maintain eye contact but he felt embarrassed. He's an Uchiha. Uchihas aren't supposed to be this damn shy. Why did she have that affect on him.
She smiled. "Sure. Same time?"
He nodded as he walked her to the door. Her birthday was approaching soon and he wanted to do something special for her. He knew her children would want to spend time with her and he wouldn't be surprised if Naruto tried to do something for her as well. The blonde still loved her and it wasn't hard to tell Hinata still had lingering feelings for him as well. Even if she was trying to get to know him better, love is love. She has loved him ever since they were children. That love isn't going to just disappear.
It would take time. Possibly even years.
It wasn't a competition, but then again everything between he and Naruto had always been a competition. He wanted to hold a special place in her heart, but it would take time obviously.
She was worth it.
"Hinata," he called out to her before she walked out of the door.
She looked over her shoulder. "Yes?"
As Sasuke's eyes met hers, he couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat. It was a feeling that he had grown accustomed to whenever he was around her. Her presence had a way of making him feel at ease, yet at the same time, it stirred up emotions that he couldn't quite explain.
He gathered the courage to express his feelings, however small they might be, and the words left his lips, "I...enjoyed your company."
Her smile illuminated the room, making it feel warmer and brighter. It was a smile that he had come to love, and it made his heart swell with happiness. "I always enjoy your company as well, Sasuke," she replied.
The sound of his name on her lips sent shivers down his spine, and he couldn't help but wonder if she knew the effect she had on him. He kept his expression stoic, as he often did, but inside, he was bursting with emotion. He appreciated the time she took out of her day just to be with him.
As she walked towards the door, he followed her, leaning against the frame. He observed her for a moment, admiring the pinkish hue that slowly started to appear on her cheeks. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed some of the ends of her hair, twirling it around his fingers. Slowly, his hand reached up to cup her cheek, his thumb caressing her skin and marveling at how soft it felt.
"See you tomorrow," he said with a smile.
She stood there, her eyes wide with surprise, until she snapped out of her stupor and nodded. He watched as she took a step back, and his hand dropped back to his side.
She nodded in return, "Tomorrow."
As she closed the door behind her, Sasuke couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. He wanted to be with her always, but for now, he would have to settle for tomorrow.
XXXXXXX
"I seriously don't get what her issue is? I haven't done anything to her!" Boruto fumed, kicking a small rock on the ground.
Mitsuki watched in silence, trying to fully understand his friend's current feelings. For the past few weeks (months time be more exact), Sarada has distanced herself more and more from the blonde.
He wasn't exactly sure what happened, and it seems Boruto was just as lost as he felt.
"Maybe she is going through women problems." Mitsuki said with a smile.
"Woman problems? What do you mean?" Boruto questioned.
"Did you not pay attention during sex Ed class?"
Boruto's face turned a lovely dark red. "Geez, why did you even have to mention something like that?"
Mitsuji only shrugged, his smile still in place. "It's a natural part of a female to go through. It's possible that…"
The blonde held both of his hands up, shaking them along with his head profusely. "Enough! I don't want to hear another word about it. Just drop it."
"Okay." Mitsuji said.
Boruto shoulders dropped, as his pace slowed down a bit. Sarada always wanted to hang out with him, Himawari and his mom, but lately the young Uchiha seems like she had an attitude whenever she saw them.
What could the issue be?
Was she mad that he beat her during training? That couldn't be it considering how long ago that was.
Maybe she was feeling down because of her parents divorce? Whenever he tried talking about it Sarada would glare at him something fierce and tell him that it was none of his business.
Seriously! What did he do wrong?
He would never understand girls.
"Hey Mitsuki, I'm going to go to the training grounds for a bit. I need to clear my head. I'll catch you later, okay?" Boruto looked over at his light colored haired friend.
Mitsuki nodded. "See you later, Boruto."
Waving, Boruto walked off with his hands stuffed in his pockets and his blue eyes glued to the ground. Spending all the time that he had with Sarada he was beginning to look at her like a part of the family, but now that she's been distant, it's been strange.
Sasuke still came around to spend time with them, but each time he asks the whereabouts of Sarada, there was an excuse. It's tiring.
Did she not like them anymore?
"You should watch where you're going."
Boruto looked up to see the person he was just thinking about.
"Sensei!" He beamed.
Sasuke smirked.
"I hope you've been keeping up with your training." Sasuke said.
Boruto nodded. "I've been training every day. Hey, is Sarada okay? She's been avoiding me like the plague lately."
"She's fine."
The reply was short and the tone to match. Something was definitely going on and apparently he's the only one out of the loop.
"Sensei, you can be honest with me, ya know? Sarada isn't talking to me and whenever I ask you about her, you avoid my eyes when you answer." He curled his fingers into a fist, his blue eyes flashed with determination. "Tell me what's really going on. Did I do something that hurt Sarada?"
Sasuke's eyes widened. "What? No. You didn't do anything wrong," he paused for a few moments, shifted his gaze to the side as if contemplating to continue. "She's upset with me. Just give her some time. She'll come around."
The more he thought about it, Boruto realized that he should just go to Sarada directly. It's been far too long without knowing the reason and judging from Sasuke's expression, Sarada wasn't just upset at her father.
Boruto stuffed his hands deep into his pants pockets. "I'm going to head home. I'll see you later, Sasuke-sensei."
Any other time, he would want to hang out with Sasuke and train with him, but today he needed to think.
XXXXXXXX
Later that night…
"You never told me that you finished a manuscript for Jiraya." Hinata laughed.
Naruto rubbed the nape of his neck, ears turned red as he leaned back on his hands. "It wasn't like it was actually published or anything. I only did it so Jiraya-sensei would train me. Romance was something I don't think I was ever good at," he sheepishly said.
Hinata frowned. "I wouldn't say that. Your priorities just wasn't…"
"It's okay Hinata. I've accepted that I wasn't a good enough husband to you or a good father for our children. I'm not saying that we never had our moments, but you and I both know what the truth of the matter is. If not, we wouldn't be divorced right now." He tilted his head in her direction. "But I've learned from my mistakes and actively working to make things better."
The way she was looking at her was a look she was all too familiar with. That look of regret, sorrow and yearn. Each time she had noticed that expression from her ex, she tried her hardest to notice it, but the gaze always seemed much more intense than the previous one.
Naruto parted his lips. "There's something that I need to say."
Her heart started to pound. "Naruto, please."
He sat up, turned his body towards hers. The wooden floor slightly creaked under his weight as he faced her. "Do you think we could ever get back together?"
"Mom! Sasuke's here!" Boruto's voice interrupted.
Hinata immediately sat up and greeted Sasuke as he walked outside to the garden where they were. She noticed Sasuke's warm gaze when he looked at her, but those dark eyes changed once he realized Naruto was also there.
Suddenly the atmosphere felt tensed.
Naruto remained seated. "It's kinda late for you to be visiting, don't you think?"
"I could say the same." Sasuke responded.
Naruto glared. "I'm visiting my kids."
Sasuke smirked. "Funny. One of your kids is sleep and the other one is watching television and you were nowhere to be found. It's okay to say you're visiting Hinata, you know?"
It was at that moment Naruto stood to his feet. Hinata tried to get in between them and lessen the tension, but either male paid her any attention.
"That still doesn't answer why you're here, Sasuke. What would bring you here this late to see my wife?"
"Ex. Your ex wife." Sasuke corrected.
"Why you…" Naruto grabbed Sasuke's collar.
"Naruto!" Hinata warned as she pulled on his shoulder, but the blonde ignored her and kept his hardened gaze on Sasuke.
Both males continued to glare at each other. "You were my brother and you did the one thing that betrayed any trust that I had in you. You don't think I was that dumb not to notice it, did you? Before the divorce even happened, I noticed the way you'd look at Hinata. Hell, even Sakura noticed it, but I didn't think you'd stoop so low to even consider the idea, let alone entertain it." Naruto's grip tightened on Sasuke's collar.
"I knew you loved Hinata before you knew it your damned self. My best friend. My brother. Falling in love with the mother of my children, waltzing around, acting as if it's okay to cross that line. It pisses me off. But now, I see you have the audacity to come visit her so late." Slowly Naruto let go of Sasuke, took a step back and slowly turned to look at Hinata.
"Are you two a couple?" He asked.
"Naruto…" Hinata started.
"If she were my girlfriend, what business would it be to you? You two are no longer together. You can't control her personal affairs." He reached out and grabbed Hinata's hand. "Besides, I wouldn't do anything that would hurt her." He continued, keeping his gaze on Naruto as he squeezed her hand gently.
She felt embarrassed. Sasuke was holding her hand in front of Naruto, when moments before Sasuke entered Naruto asked her if they could basically start over. Yet, that wasn't what troubled her the most. It was the fact that the entire time Boruto was lurking somewhere near and had been listening the entire time. It was only seconds ago when she felt his chakra disappear.
"I see." Naruto said nothing more to Sasuke and turned to Hinata. "I'll see you tomorrow, Hina." He walked past them and headed out the door.
"I'm sorry." Sasuke mumbled.
Still in her mind trying to figure out how to deal with Boruto, Hinata barely caught what Sasuke had said. "For what?" She absentmindedly asked.
"My jealously."
That surprised Hinata. "Jealously?"
He looked away ashamed. "I couldn't stop thinking about you after you left today. I knew there was a possibility Naruto would have been lingering around, but I didn't care. 'If he were going to be here, I wanted to make it known that my intentions are to make you my girlfriend.' That's what I thought to myself as I walked here. Despite what you reassured me earlier, I have doubts he could change your mind and then you'll…"
Hinata gave his hand he never let go of a squeeze. "Moving forward I need you to have better faith in me."
His expression softened as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead, which caught her off guard. "It's nice to hear you say that." He murmured against her forehead.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow, it's been so long since I last updated this story. I feel so guilty that it has taken me so long, plus with my other stories that have yet to be updated. I tried to make this chapter as long as I possibly could. I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter.
It amazes me that I still get tons of favorites, likes and comments after all these years. Thank you!
As a sidenote, my original plan was to way even longer for Sasuke and Hinata to get together, but I'm going to speed things up a little bit and maybe end this story sooner than I planned. Don't worry, the next chapter won't be the last. Possibly 5 more chapters or so until we reach the finale.