The Logical Conclusion

A/N: Hi guys, thanks for the wonderful reviews. They inspire me and prompt me to update faster. This chapter is a bit long so hope you like it! Don't forget to review!
.Paragraphs between the blue lines are flashbacks.

Chapter Three: The Ties of the Past and Present

He was not hearing it.

Nope, he was NOT.

Sasuke tried to convince himself that there were no sounds coming from the room at the back of the house. The Master Bedroom to be precise…Kakashi and Kurenai's BEDROOM!

ARGH!

For a Shinobi, information was vital…but there was also such a thing as TOO MUCH information and this was one of those cases.

"Kakashi! Get your hands out of my blouse!"

"What? I'm just looking underneath the underneath!"

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"Really Kurenai, as an instructor, I thought that you'd understand," came the teasing voice, muffled by the mask and the wall.

"Oh I understand alright. I understand that I'm married to an insatiable pervert."

A deep chuckle of amusement, "Kurenai, Kurenai…I always tell my charges to 'look underneath the underneath'. I won't be a very good instructor if I don't practice what I preach!"

Sasuke damned his keen auditory senses. It was handy on spying and surveillance missions but there were some things he so DID NOT WANT to hear. He tried to just ignore them, concentrating instead on the baby who was currently running a red crayon around and around a piece of paper. How old was this girl anyway? She seemed quite advance for someone who couldn't even walk yet.

As if sensing his stare, Kaori looked up and gave him a happy gurgle before resuming her task.

There was a thud and a small exclamation before Kurenai's voice floated over to them with an exhaled, "Kakashi!"

Sasuke glared at the wall across from him, intent on ignoring the fact that he was probably blushing. His face felt hot from mortification and annoyance that he actually had to stand for this. Kakashi-sensei had planted a seed in his mind and Sasuke couldn't seem to help but think of the future of his Clan.

His home had never seemed so empty, dark or desolate, the silence so full it choked him. At night, he couldn't help but imagine little patters of feet as children ran along the large, spacious halls and corridors of the house he lived in.

His primary goal had always been to kill his brother and then revive the clan.

But…who's to say that the order can't be reversed?

Why didn't he think of that sooner? It might've saved him the trouble of going to Orochimaru and trying to kill Itachi when he was just twelve and it was so freakin' obvious he was strong enough yet. It galled him to have to admit to such a mistake and the weakness that drove him to commit the error driven by the desperate need for revenge, but to get stronger he needed to be honest with himself and admit his faults so he can learn from them. He wasn't so arrogant and bullheaded not to acknowledge the fact that he'd been wrong and now, he had the curse seal to remind him of his folly.

Damn it!

He really should have thought of reviving the clan first, it was a simple enough idea…so why didn't he think of it?

Oh yeah, he'd almost forgotten…

Sasuke had relegated the revival of his clan to something to do in the future because he hated girls.

He HATED them with a passion.

He wasn't gay or anything, despite what Naruto kept on implying with the snake barbs and Orochimaru's seemingly homosexual tendencies, it was just that Sasuke disliked their constant chatter, the yammering, the high pitched voices that squealed out his name again and again.

Couldn't they respect his personal space?

Wasn't it obvious he'd have preferred that they leave him alone?

For goodness sake, the more he scowled at them and told them to go away the more they crowded over him and cooed at how cute and cool he was.

Of course, Naruto said he was crazy for feeling that way, that a normal guy would like it if a girl, especially a lot of girls, liked him. Naruto insisted that only reason Sasuke felt that way about girls was because he was gay.

Gay.

Gay.

GAY.

They were practicing as a team after so long. Since they'd all been busy training for quite some time, all three of them were only at Chuunin rank although their skill levels were most likely that of Jounins. They had all been apprentices of the Three Legendary Sanin after all.

Kakashi had gathered them all together at the Hokage's request. She'd asked him to oversee their training. He no longer had much to teach them, all he was there for was mainly to evaluate their skill and to referee their matches. He leaned against the tree, his book open as he read the latest release of Icha Icha Paradise. It wasn't often he was able to read his beloved books anymore since Kurenai had banned them from the house.

Kakashi was not planning to miss this opportunity to catch up on some reading.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke were squaring off while Sakura looked on, a small smile of reminiscence on her face as she watched her teammates face off in a match to test their skills. It was almost like before…except they were all older now and hopefully, wiser.

After a flurry of exchanged kicks and punches that never landed anywhere because it was always either blocked, dodged or countered, both opponents separated into their own corner of the little sparring ground, glaring and assessing the damage to themselves and their opponent.

Blue eyes clashed on black and the electricity of conflict and rivalry flashed between the two.

"You've gotten better," Naruto said, crouched low and ready to strike.

The black of Sasuke's eyes bled into red as three commas surrounded his pupil, hailing the activation of the Sharingan. He smirked. "So have you, dobe, but not nearly enough to defeat me."

"We'll see. While you were gone I've been training with Jiraiya…I bet Sakura can kick your ass easy too since she's the apprentice to old lady Tsunade."

"You're not the only ones who were training under Legendary Sanin."

Suddenly, Naruto grinned and laughed.

"You're right. Neh, Sasuke I just realized something! Hahaha! You even ELOPED with Orochimaru!"

"I didn't ELOPE with him you idiot. I ran after him."

Naruto whooped with laughter despite Sakura's reprimands for him to keep his mouth shut. "Oh dude, running after Orochimaru isn't any better than ELOPING with him! In fact that's even worse!"

Sasuke's face turned beat red and a tick developed in his right eye. "Shut up dobe! I ran after him to gain power!"

"Kind of sheds a whole new light to Orochimaru wanting to use your body!" Naruto guffawed as he bent to the waist and slapped his knees in amusement.

Sakura's eye bulged and her face became about a hundred shades pinker than her cotton candy hair. "Naruto you idiot, shut up!" she said as she fanned her face, trying to dispel the images of Sasuke and…Euw, NO!

Kakashi smirked at the exchange. It was almost proving to be more entertaining than the book he was reading…almost.

"Oh come on Sakura-chan…what's a guy supposed to think? Come to think of it Sasuke, I saw you talking to your snakes last time I dropped by your house. Is that why you were so grumpy? Was I interrupting your date?"

Sasuke turned purple and launched himself at the blonde, tackling him to the ground and ready to pulverize his face in.

"Geeze Sasuke bastard, sure I'm your friend and all but I don't swing that way. We can't be friends with benefits like you and Kabuto were!"

"NARUTO!" Sakura said, on the verge of fainting.

A small chuckle vibrated from behind Kakashi's mask.

Sasuke saw red and his Sharingan activated, the black dots spinning. He formed hand seals, ready to Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu Naruto's ass into the next life.

"That's enough," Kakashi said as he touched Sasuke on the arm just before the Jutsu activated.

"Sure, now you intervene," Sasuke muttered as he stood up and dusted his clothes, glaring at his sensei who he could see was obviously very amused about the whole 'Sasuke is gay' thing.

Sasuke grimaced at the memory. If Naruto didn't stop making fun of his summons and his relationship with his summons as well as his stint as Orochimaru's 'apprentice', Sasuke swore he was going to order one of his snakes (one of the bigger ones) to slither up the blonde's ass.

Let's see who's laughing now, dobe!

He smirked.

Another thud and a giggle could be heard from the Master Bedroom.

You'd think they'd be discreet seeing as I'm here but no, they just foist of their offspring on me and head to the bedroom…I kind of expected that from Kakashi-sensei but I thought Kurenai-sensei would be a bit more sensible.

"Kakashi!" Kurenai's laughing voice sounded from the bedroom.

That's it!

If Sasuke could have closed his ears, he would have but sadly all he could do was stand up, hitch Kaori up higher in his arms and make way for the door that led outside and to safety.

OOO

When the front door shut after Sasuke, Kakashi and Kurenai appeared in the just vacated living room in a puff of smoke and grinned at each other from amusement.

"I can't believe it worked…again," Kurenai said as she shook her head in amusement.

"I told you it would," Kakashi said with a smug smile.

"I wonder when he'll catch on that we're playing with him?"

"Hopefully not for a long, long time…" Kakashi said with a smirk.

Kurenai smiled and traced her husband's lips with her fingertips.

He wasn't wearing a mask.

She'd asked him not to when he was alone with her and Kaori. Kurenai loved looking at Kakashi's face because she knew that she was the only one allowed to and it was a sign of his trust and his love: a complete giving of himself.

"We've been doing that to him on a semi-regular basis, one of these days he's bound to figure it out." she said traced his scar. "Poor boy, we might be traumatizing him, do you think?"

"Nah…not after that time he spent with Orochimaru."

Kurenai laughed. "Naruto's still insisting that Sasuke's gay, huh?"

"Yeah and Sakura's just about had it…I guess it'll be extra incentive for Sasuke to start seeing someone, that'll prove he isn't gay."

"Hn…he's been visiting Kaori every week now…I guess he's thinking about your suggestion, which is good. It might keep him from seeking out Orochimaru again. There are still some people who find it hard to forget he betrayed Konoha."

"Everyone makes mistakes. He was so young then, I think he's grown a bit. His relationship with his team is better now and he's good with Kaori," Kakashi turned his face in her hand and kissed her palm. "Besides, with Sasuke taking care of Kaori, we have more free time to be together. The Hokage has asked me to take in new trainees. The Academy students will be graduating soon…"

"You won't pass them anyway. You're a hard taskmaster, you know that?"

"I want them to be ready, really ready. Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto are the only students I ever passed and look where all three ended up…" Kakashi trailed off and a faraway look glazed his eyes.

"Sasuke's back in Konoha, anata," Kurenai said as she touched her cheek to Kakashi's chest. She knew how much he'd blamed himself when Sasuke had left. She knew he blamed himself, thinking if only he'd been a better teacher to Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke, if only he'd been able to reach them more, to connect with them…if only…

OOO

Kakashi held Kurenai in his arms. When he was still a child, he was already a killer. He'd never really had the luxury of holding someone for the sake of touching them, just because it feels nice, it feels right. The only times he'd ever been close to a human being was in the throes of a fight, violence or lust.

With Kurenai, it had been different.

It had taken him so long to finally be able to even touch her hand. He was faster than her and yes, he could have taken her by surprise and just grabbed her hand or any other part of her he liked and she wouldn't be able to do anything about it, but he didn't want that.

To his consternation, he'd found that he wanted to reach out for Kurenai's hand slowly and be able to touch her because she wasn't moving away, because she allowed him to hold her.

He wanted to clasp her hand in his and feel her hand open to receive him. He wanted to squeeze her hand and feel her squeeze back in acknowledgement.

At first, when Kakashi had realized his feelings…he'd wanted to bash his head in against the wall.

Kurenai!

Kurenai!

She was the rookie Jounin, forever on time, responsible, classy and by God she was gorgeous. She also seemed to hate him…well his books anyway. He always saw her giving him a glare whenever he had his book out…and didn't she and Asuma have some sort of thing going on or something?

He was surprised when she'd asked him out for coffee.

That had been several weeks after Sasuke had left and Kakashi had been feeling particularly low. He'd failed his students, just like he'd failed his friends. What was the use of being called a 'genius' when he always botched the most important tests in his life? Of course, he hadn't accepted her offer to go for coffee. He didn't want her pity or whatever it was he saw in her eyes.

Even Gai's insane antics failed to cheer him up. Anko had said she'd tie him up and use his balls for piñata practice but he couldn't even work up a smile. Asuma said that nicotine was a good stress reliever but Kakashi didn't want to suck on a cancer stick enough that he'd actually pull down his mask from his face. It was surprising how many of his colleague rallied against him. They didn't blame him for being a failure of a teacher.

"We're there to show them the paths available to them but ultimately, it's their choice whatever path they take. All we can really do is to help them become strong enough to stay alive as they face the challenges ahead."

Kurenai asked him out for coffee again.

This time, he accepted.

OOO

The sun was shining brightly that day and Ino was in a good mood. She was humming a popular tune that her female students at the Academy were crazy over as she bustled and busied herself preparing for the day ahead. She didn't have to teach a class today, it was the weekend and Ino was only asked to help in the shop until lunchtime, after which she planned to take a long, luxurious soak in the newly installed bathtub at her apartment.

The tiny bell at the front door of the shop tinkled musically.

"Irasshaimase! Nani ka otetsudai shimasho ka?" she said as she turned to greet the customer. Ino smiled when she saw who it was. "Good morning Hinata! Ohisashiburi desu neh! Good to see you've dragged yourself away from the hospital and whatever else has been occupying your time lately."

The slight Hyuuga girl smiled and bowed. "Ohayo Ino-san."

"No need to be so formal Hinata-chan!" Ino said with a shake of her head. Ino had been friends with Hinata for a long time now but Hinata was remained unfailingly polite, even though it was not really needed among friends. It must come from being a Hyuuga since Ino had noticed that Neji was the same way as well. "Hey, you're wearing the ribbon! Looks really good neh? You should just let your hair grow longer."

Hinata colored as she remembered Naruto's compliments from the other evening and his suggestion that she keep her hair long. In the past, if he had told her this, she probably would have fainted from sheer bliss. "The ribbon is really pretty, Ino-chan, thank you for giving it to me." She brushed back her bangs from her face and sighed. It was a good thing Ino's ribbon kept her hair from her face, but she really needed to get it cut and soon too. It was getting to be too much of a bother to fuss with every morning. "I think I will need to cut my hair soon though, its too much trouble to maintain."

"That's cause you're not used to it. You always wear your hair short." Ino smiled teasingly. "You Hyuugas are as well known for your beautiful dark hair as for your Byakugan. It's a shame not to flaunt it and besides, statistics show that most guys like long hair on girls…" she winked at Hinata who blushed, prompting Ino to laugh good-naturedly at her friend. "Wait here while I get your order from the back, okay?"

Hinata nodded and watched as Ino disappeared towards the backroom of the flower shop, considering what Ino had said.

Hinata had never thought much about her hair and she honestly preferred it shorter because it was easier to manage and more practical. Besides, Hinata had never really been interested in attracting guys.

When she was younger, she'd been too focused on Naruto to notice anyone else.

When she got older and outgrew her crush on the blonde, Hinata found her self engaged to Neji.

No, being attractive to men had never been much of an issue for her so she'd never really felt the need to grow her hair long…or wear tight sexy clothes that followed the lines of her body. Just the thought made Hinata want to faint from the sheer mortification of being caught out in public dressed that way. The Hyuugas were a conservative family and dressing provocatively was severely frowned upon.

Hinata reached up to touch her hair.

Neji had long hair and she knew that her hair would never have the same soft, silky texture as his did.

She had brushed his hair once for him.

It had been a several years ago when she had just turned thirteen and started training to become a medic-nin under Shizune.

Kiba was allergic to the synthetic kind of medicine massed produced by pharmacies and so Hinata, who had learned to make medicinal ointments and creams at a young age, always made several batches for him to help with his injuries. When Shizune had examined the wound Kiba had received from a mission and had noted that it was healing particularly well, especially for such a nasty gash, she'd asked who had made the medicine that Kiba had treated his wound with and he'd said it was Hinata. Shizune had gone to see Hinata and asked if she'd had any formal training as a medic.

The answer was no, Hinata had learned on her own from books and by trial and error. Shizune had been surprised by the news and had immediately asked Hinata if she would like to start training to be a medic. Hinata had readily agreed but she'd had to ask her father's permission first. He'd granted it and that had been the start of Hinata's training as a medic-nin.

She had just gotten home from one of her sessions with Shizune when she'd learned that her Neji-niisan had gotten back from a particularly long and hard mission that had taken him away from Konoha for a good month and a half. Hinata had gone up to her room to retrieve one of the herbal creams she made.

Neji was a skilled Shinobi and Hinata trusted his skills but there was always a possibility that one would incur damage and injuries during a mission, especially one as dangerous and long-winded as his had been. With medicine in hand, Hinata had gone to the house Neji shared with his mother in the Hyuuga compound.

Namiko-san had let Hinata in and told her that Neji was upstairs in his room, resting. At Neji's door, Hinata had hesitated. At this point in time, her relationship with Neji had still been a bit volatile. He was no longer as angry with her as before and his eyes no longer reflected hatred and accusation whenever he looked at her but the difference was still fairly new and Hinata sometimes wondered if she was just hallucinating but that was unfair to Neji.

He was beginning to change; she knew that.

He'd started training with her father and he was also starting to help her improve her taijutsu as well. They hadn't had very many sessions yet but though Neji was strict and he demanded a lot out of her, he wasn't mean spirited any longer.

However, the years Neji had spent instilling fear in Hinata had taken its toll. They were too ingrained in her system for her to not feel nervous when she was around him. She didn't begrudge him his earlier behavior towards her, but he still made her nervous. A small motion from his hand made her flinch automatically away before she could help herself. She could tell that her automatic reaction to his presence disturbed her cousin but it was hard since her instincts had dubbed Neji as 'dangerous' and she was always unconsciously wary when around him. She did try to keep from flinching though, she tried really hard and as a result thing ended up even more awkward that before.

Hinata looked down at the jar of medical cream in her hand and wondered if her cousin would appreciate the gesture or not.

Tentatively, she had reached out a hand to knock on his door.

"Come in," came the muffled reply.

Hinata carefully slid the door to her cousin's room open only to blink and turn scarlet at the sight of him. She was too shocked to voice out the words 'gomen-nasai!' even as it ran around and around in her head, getting louder with each passing second.

Neji, for his part, apparently hadn't expected anyone to be at his door other than his mother and when he saw Hinata, he froze in the act of bandaging his left arm, the end of the bandage caught in his mouth as he was tightening it.

"N-niisan…"

"Hinata-sama…" Neji said starting to stand.

"N-no, y-you don't have to!" Hinata said, fighting the urge to shrink back and hide from his gaze. He'd always managed to frighten her with his eyes. Sometimes, it felt like he saw too much of her, all of the bad things about her, her weaknesses, insecurities and fears. In the past, he hadn't hesitated to use the knowledge and insight gained through the Byakugan against her. Hinata had to forcefully remind herself that Neji was changing and that things weren't the same as before. He wasn't going to rush to her and Gentle Firs her to death. "A-Anou…gomen nasai…" she managed to squeak out as she bowed and thrust both her arms out presenting him with her 'offering'. "I…I made this c-cream. It's good for general injuries a-and would prevent most wounds from scarring."

"Arigato, Hinata-sama," he said a bit stiffly as he sat back down again.

Hinata stood at the door, unsure what to do next. His dark, coffee colored hair was still wet and Hinata realized he'd probably just finished showering. The wet strands dripped moisture down his bare chest and darkened some sports on his black pants. Why didn't he put a shirt on?

Hinata forgot about her discomfiture about seeing Neji bare-chested when her eyes zeroed in on the reason. There were several dark splotches on his porcelain skin, patches where the skin was bruised an angry eggplant color rimmed with red. There were some scratches there too and a deep gash that needed some attention.

He was still struggling with the bandage for his arm.

Hinata stepped inside the room and took the chair from Neji's study table, pulling it closer to the bed so she can sit and examine his wounds better. She took his arm and finished bandaging it, surprised that he'd managed to do such a good job while only using one hand.

Well, maybe it wasn't such a surprise.

He was Neji after all.

"Niisan, I'll apply the salve to the bruising and scratches on your torso, but we have to do something about your hair…" Hinata said.

Neji shifted as he raised his arm to try and gather the damp locks over his shoulder.

Hinata saw the rivulet of moisture escape the strands and drip down to his pants and chest. It would surely get the bandages wet and might dilute the salve. Neji seemed to have come to the same conclusion since he stood up and took a towel from his closet, slung it over his shoulder and picked up a brush before sitting back down. He tried his best to absorb the wetness from his hair with the towel but it was hard to do, his hair was long and he only had one hand. Hinata, blushing, reached for the towel and stammered, "M-may I…?"

Neji frowned at her. "It's not necessary Hinata-sama."

"P-Please niisan…" So we can get this over with quickly!

Neji's eyes narrowed and he seemed to read her thought because with a frown directed at her, he relinquished the towel and turned his back. "Fine, go ahead."

Hinata had squeezed the water from his hair as best she could, trying to keep her hands from touching any part of Neji's exposed torso lest he knock her over and glare her to death. When she was done, she had stuttered and blushed painfully as she asked him if it would be all right for her to brush his hair.

Neji had given her a faintly befuddled look and asked why she'd want to do such a thing. Hinata had thought she would faint then and she couldn't formulate an answer and just kept on mumbling 'A-anou…A-anou…'

Finally, Neji had handed her the brush and turned his back to her. "Go ahead, Hinata-sama," he murmured.

Hinata smiled as if he'd given her a gift and carefully brushed her cousin's long strand of hair. It was so much longer than hers. Thick and full and silky, it was like a coffee colored waterfall. It was a pity when she was done and Neji's hair was as silky and perfect as it always was. She hurried along with putting salve on his skin and bandaging his torso before taking her leave, her face as red as a tomato.

Just before she left the room, she'd heard him say softly, "Arigato Hinata-sama."

It was the first time he'd said thank you to her in a long time and sound like he actually meant it. Instead of ducking her head and scurrying away as fast as she could like she normally did, she turned and acknowledged his words. "Do itashimashite, Neji-niisan!"

Neji blinked and then nodded at her.

Hinata smiled.

Ino emerged from the back carrying a basket of flowers filled with poppies, her voice distracting the Hyuuga from her thoughts. "Here you go Hinata, just like you ordered."

"They're beautiful Ino-san."

Ino grinned. "Of course, I'm an expert after all," she said with a wink and a laugh. "Neh, Hinata I just remembered we've been receiving lots of orders in advance for white flowers from the Hyuuga House. Is something going on?"

"Well the family will be hosting a gathering but I'm not sure when the exact date is," Hinata answered. She'd tried to distance herself as much as possible from the preparations for the upcoming festivities. She didn't even have her speech prepared yet but Hinata had decided she'd most likely go with what her aunt had suggested.

"Oh. Is it going to be like the one they threw for your fifteenth birthday?" Ino asked.

Hinata couldn't stifle a smile. "I'm not sure," she said. She knew it was hard for other people to get used to the austere formality of Hyuuga gatherings.

Ino and Kiba and Ten-Ten had declared that it was 'No Way To Party' and had held an impromptu birthday party for Hinata at Kiba's house. The food had been simpler, chips with dip, popcorn, chocolate and simple to make sandwiches instead of the gourmet food that had been served at the Hyuuga House but Hinata had enjoyed it better than her first party.

Ino, along with Ten-Ten were actually Hinata's closest female friends. It didn't seem likely as all three of them were so different personality wise, but a bond had formed between them years ago as they stayed in silent vigil at the hospital praying that their teammates and friends would be all right. Hinata was worried about Shino, Akamaru, Kiba and her Neji-niisan. Ten-Ten was there for Neji and Lee. Ino worried over Chouji who was in critical condition and Shikamaru who although only broke a finger, was still quite worse for wear and blaming himself for failing as the leader and getting his comrades hurt.

The three girls saw each other at the hospital everyday and over time, they all formed a sort of kinship.

In the years that followed, it developed into a deep friendship and even their male teammates were drawn together as friends as well. In the beginning, Neji had sighed and muttered whenever Ten-Ten dragged him off after practice to 'hang-out with the others'. He'd actually tried to refuse until Gai stepped in and urged him to take advantage of the glorious springtime of his youth. Lee had cried tears of joy and declared that there was nothing more beautiful in the springtime of youth than the flowering of friendship and he and Gai had hugged and cried and went after Ten-Ten and Neji for a group hug.

Kiba was game and so was Akamaru and Shino didn't seem to care either way, they had wanted to accommodate Hinata who rarely asked anything of them.

Shikamaru had thought it was troublesome but he'd tagged along and Chouji had been happy as long as there was food. That was how it started and now that they were all older and busier and had duties to perform, they no longer had much free time to get together anymore but the bond they formed had stayed with them through the years.

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke hadn't become close to them because at that time, Team 7 had been embroiled in their own issues to deal with. Naruto had left the village for training, Sasuke was gone and Sakura had buried herself in her apprenticeship with the Hokage and trying to be stronger so she won't be a burden to her teammates anymore.

"Hey Hinata, you okay?"

"Uh, sorry Ino-san, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Uhm, Naruto-kun and Uchiha-san and Sakura-san…Neji-niisan and I saw them a few days ago."

"Oh yeah, how's Neji? Haven't seen him for a while either."

"He's doing fine. He's out on a mission right now," Hinata answered. Neji-niisan had been accepting more missions lately, probably trying to do the same thing Hinata was, keeping his mind off of the eventual announcement of his engagement to Hanabi. The though always left a pang in Hinata's heart but she resolutely pushed it away. "Neh, Ino-san, Naruto-kun liked the ribbon you gave me. He said it was pretty."

"Well, he has good taste!" Ino grinned, "Hey, finally he's got his blinders down and sees how gorgeous you are!"

"Ino-san!" Hinata said blushing. "It's not like that, I don't like him that way anymore…besides, he's still very much in love with Sakura-san. I can tell."

"You train with Sakura a lot right? You're both the Hokage's apprentice. How's she doing? Sasuke's been back for a while now."

"Well, I don't really get to talk to Sakura-san much. I've already finished learning most of the jutsus Shizune-san is teaching her since I started earlier than her and now I'm concentrating on creating herbal medicines. We don't really get to socialize together that much, but she seems quite happy now. She seems to be still like Uchiha-san."

"Uhm…"

"You used to be quite close with her once, right Ino-san? Maybe one time we can invite her to go with us when we have lunch together. Ten-Ten doesn't really know Sakura-san that well…and neither do I…"

"Maybe," Ino shrugged. "Sakura and I aren't really on very good terms."

"B-Because of Uchiha-san? But Ino, you don't like him anymore, right?"

Ino nodded. "You're right, I don't." She'd stopped liking him the moment he endangered Shikamaru and Chouji's life. Sometimes, when she thought about how close their friends had come to dying, she still got angry with Sasuke but since none of the guys held grudges against him, Ino felt she shouldn't either.

Ino could feel Hinata's questioning gaze. She knew the Hyuuga heiress was too polite to question her further but Ino could tell that Hinata was confused. She sighed and played with a petal.

"Sakura and I were friends when we were younger. Sakura was pretty much like you, she was so painfully shy and people often teased her about her large forehead. No one teased you because, well, you were a Hyuuga and since Sakura didn't come from a noble family, she was pretty much fair game to the mean kids. One time I saw her being bullied and I defended her and we became friends.

One day, she came towards me and our other friends and she said she met the coolest most amazing guy in the world. It was Sasuke and she said she liked him. I already liked him at that time but I didn't say anything. I think it was a day or two after that when she asked me to meet her at the park. I was waiting for her at one of the benches when she arrived and sat at the other end and she asked me if I liked Sasuke too. I said yes.

I…I gave her a ribbon once too…and she returned it to me and said she didn't want to be friends anymore. Since we both liked Sasuke…she said we would be rivals from then on." Ino smiled slightly. "You know the funny thing Hinata? I didn't really care so much about Sasuke. I was thinking about actually giving him up or letting Sakura try to get him first. That's why I didn't say anything to her when I found out she liked him. When Sakura ended our friendship…I couldn't believe Sakura betrayed me like that…all for a guy. I was the first one to befriend her. She had no other friends before I came. Looking back now, I think the main reason I tried to go after Sasuke so hard was just to get back at Sakura for hurting me. I gave her my friendship and she threw it back in my face."

"Why didn't you ever tell us?" Hinata asked, feeling somehow overwhelmed by the information. She had no idea…Ino had never ever let on about her feelings towards Sakura.

Ino shrugged. "I'm over it now, it was a long time ago, but it still hurts to think about. Sakura said she wanted to shine on her own, to get away from the shadow I cast on her. I didn't mean to, you know. I just wanted to help her. I never wanted to compete with her and see who's better. That's why it's so nice to be friends with you and Ten-Ten. I know, no matter what, you guys will stick by me. We're all so different that we don't compete for the same things. No matter how much Shikamaru complains about how troublesome I am and how Chouji always complains about me taking his food away, I know they'll never let me down. The others too, it's good to know you have friends you can count on forever."

Hinata nodded in agreement.

Ino laughed, "Well enough drama for one day! Are you going to visit Kurenai-sensei right now?"

Hinata nodded as she took out her wallet and paid for the flowers. "Hai," she showed Ino the small basket of toys and clothes that she'd brought from one of Konoha's shops, "I saw these at the shop and couldn't help myself. I hope Kaori-chan likes them."

"How cute!" Ino gushed as she spied that frilly dresses, the cat pajamas with furry ears. "Kurenai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei's combination turned out great huh? They produced such a cute baby!"

Hinata smiled. "She has Kurenai-sensei's eyes."

"I wonder how they'll react if Kaori starts showing a fondness for reading the same kind of books Kakashi-sensei does?" Ino mused.

"I think Kurenai-sensei would not be very happy," Hinata said, amused. "She's banned any Icha, Icha Paradise reading in front of Kaori-chan. Kurenai-sensei says it might corrupt Kaori-chan's innocent young mind."

Ino laughed. "They make such a cute pair neh? I have to admit, at first I thought Kurenai-sensei would end up with Asuma-sensei but I guess you just never know with love huh? Asuma-sensei's happy with Anko-san even though she throws a shuriken at him every time she catches him lighting a cigarette."

"Will they get married anytime soon?" Hinata asked.

Ino shrugged. "I'm not sure. They're relationship's still pretty new."

"It's fun visiting Kurenai-sensei at her house. You should come one time, we can go together and you can meet Kaori-chan."

"I want to, but I don't know when I can," Ino confessed, "the shop's keeping me busy on my free days and I never thought teaching at the Academy would be so exhausting."

Hinata smiled. She and Ino were both still Chuunin, Ino declining to take the Jounin Qualifying Exams. She said she wasn't really too eager to be a Jounin and she preferred being a teacher at the Academy and helping out in the family business.

"Well I think that's because you put in more effort than you're required. You really like your students, neh Ino-san?"

Ino winked. "You bet. By the way, Kaede-kun was asking when you're going to drop by in class again. He was really taken with you. He asked me when 'The Hyuuga Medic' would show up again and teach them some first aid jutsus."

"I'll be happy too. He was such a fast learner, I remember he picked up on it right after I demonstrated."

"I think my student has a crush on you Hinata. He's the heartthrob of the class you know. Number One Rookie, kind of like how Sasuke was. All the girls were jealous when he paid so much attention to you! He's usually indifferent in class. So quiet and keeps to himself, but he always excels. He's very talented. In a couple of years, he'll be a great Shinobi. Do you mind dating younger guys?"

"Ino-san!" Hinata said, placing her hand on her hot cheek, embarrassed. "D-Don't say such things!"

Ino laughed. "You've got to admit Hinata. He's very good looking for a twelve year old. With that dark brown hair of his and those light green eyes; that kid's going to be a looker when he finishes growing up."

Hinata agreed, but saying so might only prompt Ino into teasing her more. "He's too young Ino-san."

Ino lifted an eyebrow slyly. "The difference is only six years. When he's eighteen, you'll only be twenty-four." She giggled when Hinata's blush deepened from rose to a bright scarlet. "So will you drop by in class some time?"

Hinata nodded, "I'll drop by on my free time next week," she promised as she took the flowers she ordered. "I should be going now, thank you Ino-san."

"No problem," Ino said waving Hinata's gratitude away. "What are friends for, right?"

Hinata nodded and smiled, relishing the word.

Friends.

She had friends.

There was a time in her life when she hadn't had anyone at all.

"Hai. See you later Ino-san." Hinata said as she turned to leave.

Friends you can count on forever.

OOO

On a hill overlooking the village of Konoha were two lovers enjoying a secluded picnic. It was rare that they had any time alone together with their duties as Jounins and as parents and the two were taking advantage of this rare reprieve. Kakashi leaned his head against Kurenai's, his eyelids drooping more than usual.

He'd had diaper duty last night and Kaori had kept him awake.

He yawned, about to drift completely off into dreamland.

"Kakashi…Kakashi…!"

The Copy-nin glanced down at his wife and saw her red eyes staring at him in consternation. He lifted an eyebrow, "What's the matter?"

"I just remembered, we need to get back to the house..."

"Why? We already have Sasuke unknowingly babysitting for us…"

"Yeah, but Hinata's coming today for a visit. I can't believe I forgot!"

"Reschedule?" Kakashi suggested hopefully, though he knew Kurenai wouldn't even consider it. She loved that girl like a daughter and Kakashi had spent many a day nodding in agreement as he listened to Kurenai rant about the Hyuuga Clan and their unfair treatment of their heiress.

"I can't. With Kiba and Shino as ANBU, I don't get to see my old team as much anymore and Hinata's rarely had time to visit us."

Kakashi dropped a kiss on Kurenai's forehead before he pulled his mask in place, tugging his hitai-ate down over his eye. "Okay then, want me to get anything for your guest?"

"Uhm…we still have some tea in stock, Hinata's big on tea."

"All Hyuugas are from what I've noticed. I think it's water to them or something."

Kurenai smiled as she started repacking their things.

"Sasuke's there at the house, he'll keep Hinata company for a while so you don't have to hurry."

Kurenai snorted disbelievingly. "Can you imagine the conversation between those two?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Only too well."

OOO

To Be Continued

OOO

Glossary:

Irasshaimase! – Welcome

Nani ka otetsudai shimasho ka? – What can I do for you today?

Ohisashiburi desu neh! – Long time no see! It's been a long time!

Ohayo – Good Morning

Do itashimashite – You're Welcome

Arigato – Thank You

Review Responses:

Zivanka – Wow, thanks for the awesome review and the encouragement. I really appreciate it. Yup, I love angst too but you can only sustain it for so long before it gets tiresome to the readers so I think its good to put in some humor here and there. There's more to the characters than just their angst and hopefully, you enjoyed this chapter!

Kai-himitsu – I think Sasuke would be a funny father. He would look all cute and befuddled and wouldn't know what to do! Hehehe.

Kanamey – Wow, I'm glad you like my story! First time reading something about Sasuke and Hinata? Well, hopefully I can manage to bring them together realistically but as for the end pairings for this fic, whether Hinata ends up with Sasuke or Neji is still undecided.

Chou ni Natte – NejiHinaSasu rocks! I think, any pairing with Hinata rocks. She's just like a lovable character and you can expand her character in fics because not much is really known about her.

Atropa13 – I'm glad you like it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter also.

ShikaruTo – I'm glad you find it logical. (grins) I hope the characters are believable!

ABC Otaku – I get the episodes from TV. Most of the advanced stuff I know comes from the Internet. The fish guy is Kisame. Itachi's gorgeous if a bit deranged.

HiEi JaGaNsHiS FlAmE – SasuHina rocks, but there aren't that many good ones. Hey, check out Era by uncreative pseudonym. I think a link is in my Favorites so look at my profile, click on Favorites and check it out. It's a HinaSasu story and it's very good!

Toorikosu – hi there! Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. How about this one? Did you like it too? Comments, criticisms, suggestions please! Thank you! Oh and hopefully, I will be updating Back Home To You next, if you also follow that story.

Tami – Thanks! I think chibi Sasuke is cute. I found this pic of him where Sarutobi was ruffling his hair when he was little and he was pouting. Kawaii! Hope you liked this chapter!

Noname – Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy this fic. Thank you so much for reviewing, I'm a review hog and each review inspires me! Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Lkady SilverRose – I don't think I'm very eloquent but that you for saying so. I love Hinata with Sasuke and Neji too! I think Hinata can be partnered with most guys because of her personality. Or maybe I'm just biased cuz my fave female character is Hinata.

Kisekiyume – Hehehe, thanks for the review, I appreciate it. This chapter is long huh? Hopefully it was also worth the wait. I love Hinata with Sasuke and Neji both!

NanamiYatsumaki – Thanks. Writing Kaori was fun because of Sasuke's reactions to her. Babies are super cute, I love them!

- Thanks for the review! I hope you liked this chapter!

Helena-Jeanne-Chibi – Thanks for the offer as beta-reader! Can you E-mail me? I'm glad you like Kaoru and yup, Kakashi has to get his attention away from those books and onto real women. I'm a firm believer that he's gorgeous underneath that mask of his.

Arte73 – Yay, can't wait for your update. Thanks, I'm glad you like the bald joke! No one else seemed to. (sniffles) Hehehe.

A.L.S – Thanks! I'm glad you like the story so much and I hope you keep on reading and reviewing. I love reviews, they inspire me. (hint hint) Hehehe! So did you like the chapter?

Hokai Amplifier – I'm glad you didn't think there were any OOC. I'm trying to keep them as much in character as possible and still have them interact to move the story along. What did you think about Ino's take on Sakura? I always thought it was bad of Sakura to just cut her friendship off with Ino for a boy.

SpEcIaLxDoRk – Glad you like it! Did you enjoy this chapter?

Fractured Wings 01 – Oh you're writing a Neji/Hina/Sasu? Go, go and write and post so I can read and enjoy the goodness that is the love triangle of those three! (grins)

Ah-choo – I know, kind of hard to decide if it should be Neji or Sasuke, they both need Hinata. As for characterizations, well I am trying very hard to keep them in character as much as possible. I am sometimes turned off when writers make Sasuke fall for Hinata so suddenly and out of the blue. Especially when he sees her 'all grown up'. Neji too. I think the beauty of pairing someone up with a quiet and shy person like Hinata is that you get to explore the character's thoughts and the meaningful silences and looks. That's just my opinion though. As for Ino's little Sakura tirade, I hope it wasn't too much out of character for her.

Crystalline Tears – OMG! Thanks so much for your review! I do try to keep them in character as much as possible. As for the realism within each character and their relationship with others, thank you so much for feeling that way. I'm so flattered. My favorite part about writing is creating relationships between people and making those relationships develop gradually and in a realistic pace. I hope you also enjoyed this chapter and wasn't disappointed!

Frosted Shadowz – Thank you! I'm glad you like the flow of the story so far! As for Sasuke and the little baby in his lap, isn't it just precious? I think Sasuke would make a cute dad. He would try hard to be a good and perfect dad but he wouldn't have any idea how and that' where the cuteness kicks in.

Kenshinlover2002 – I was actually watching the first few episodes of Naruto and Sasuke doesn't really seem so bad. He was actually pretty nice to Naruto, offering him food when Naruto was tied up. Sakura would so not have given Naruto food if Sasuke hadn't offered first. As for finding a wife, it would be fun to write him looking at girls with an eye for the future. Hehehe, he's got a lot to consider, that's true and it would be so hilarious!

Deity of Roses – I know, the series is so freaking long. I'm only up until the first Chuunin Exams. Most of what I know in advance come from the internet. Make SasuHina, I'm not much of a NaruHina fan. Sasuke would be better for Hinata than Naruto I think, because Naruto is too loud, boisterous and he annoys me at times. Besides, he's so in love with Sakura who is so mean to him. Why does he even like her? Because she's pretty? (sigh) Hinata's so much better and has much more class. Thank you for saying that my fic is beautiful, I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks so much for the lengthy, extensive review.

Lady of Genesis – Hehehe, I'm glad you liked the fic. Yeah, I kind of got a lot of review so I decided to continue this fic. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the little NejiHina moment!

Random Reviewer – Thanks so much for the review. Sasuke with little Kaori is a cute picture! I wonder what Hinata will think when she sees those two? It would be fun. As for the plot, well I do have a plan and hopefully you will enjoy the journey of this story! I hope you liked this chapter too!

Zytka – Who will Hinata end up with? You have to read to find out! But don't worry, this fic will be filled with both NejiHina and SasuHina goodness! Thanks for the review and I'm glad you're liking the story so far. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Lidiana – Sasuke's adorable! I was watching the first few episodes of Naruto and Sasuke wasn't really so bad. He's actually a lot nicer to Naruto than Sakura ever was.

THANKS FOR REVIEWING GUYS, reviews inspire me!

The more reviews, the more inspiration, faster updates!

If you like SASUHINA fics, go check out ERA by Uncreative Pseudonym, it's a very good fic so give it a try! I think I have a link of it in my profile under Favorites, go check it out! Also go see The Heir it's a bit AU but its good.

PLEASE REVIEW!