AN: I am so sorry its taken me this long to get back to the story. I've been busy. BTW: You should check out my deviantART since it has pretty pictures, and stuff. Tee hee hee

If You Love Me

Chapter 8: You will be proud

She wore her ribbon around her neck, so it would be hidden away from the world. Under the headband she was so proud of. But the ribbon was different. Beautiful dark blue and white with a black design covering it. It made her smile softly, but at the same time, she ached inside just thinking about it. Even if she cared about Neji, it didn't mean she was ready to be completely his. She had things she had to give up. Things she wanted to do first.

Taking in a deep breath, she walked into the hospital, ready to do her last round. She had submitted her paper work into the Hokage earlier. Now she just needed to get through today and a few more weeks. The entire Hyuga staff had already started to plan the most traditional wedding ever. Hinata had always dreamed of her wedding to be happy. She did adore the wedding kimono she knew she would have to wear. She loved kimonos. So it didn't bother her too much.

"Hinata!" Sakura ran and jumped at her friend. "So guess what?"

"Neh?" she looked at her friend. Sakura was beyond excited. Her green eyes were shining so much at the moment. Like something amazing just happened.

"Naruto-kun proposed!" Hinata smiled softly. At least her friend was excited for her up and coming wedding. However, Hinata wasn't. Not that she was going to say anything to anyone. "We're going to get married as soon as he makes it to Jounin." Hinata giggled at this news. It was so like Naruto to put it off until he was 'strong' enough to protect them. "Since he is starting to do more B rank missions, think he'll be promoted soon. Tomorrow, Ino and I are going to go dress shopping. Want to come?"

"Um…sure," the Heiress nodded her head. Why not go? She closed her eyes, and could imagine the kind of dress her friend would have. "Well, time to get rounds done," Hinata smiled and waved her friend bye. She didn't want to tell her. She wasn't ready to talk of her own engagement.

"Hinata-sama!" Neji ran over to placed on the little girl's head a pretty lace piece. "There. Now you look more like a bride."

"Eh…? Nejinii-san, we already got married."

"Ottou-san said sometimes people redo their wedding."

Hinata blinked and looked at the chart again. "Ano…..Uchiha-san, if you're going to keep come from missions injured so badly, maybe you should stop for a while." Hinata wanted to run away as the red and black Sharingan eyes glared at her. He was very intense person.

"I can not atone for what I have done to the village, to Naruto until I can say I have gotten rid of all reminisce of the Akatsuki."

"I understand…demo….if you don't stop coming into the ICU, one of these days, you're just not going to leave."

"What are you talking about?"

"…Your chakra is very very weak. You'll need a month away from battle."

"IIE."

"….As your nurse, I will be talking to Tsunade about this." Sasuke's glare made her shake a little, but with nothing else to do, Hinata walked out. She wanted to ask Sakura to talk sense into him, but all her ANBU patients were like him. Impossible to get through to.

"…Hinata-sama," Neji bowed his head as Hinata ran off to get to class. She blushed and ran off. But he wanted to find a way to get her to notice his pain. What more could he do? His heart wracked with guilt, and yet his mind was still burning with so much anger. Hinata was already too gone.

"So, going to go see Nee-san?" Neji looked at Hanabi, who held out a bento. "She forgot this morning." Neji took it from Hanabi.

"I'll take it. I have to see Gai-sensei and lee anyways."

"kay!" Hanabi grinned and waved Neji off.

Each step he made was quiet, perfect. Not a hint of sound or the ground rustling beneath his feet. Skilled, but also in a hurry. Neji didn't want to be late to meet Gai or Lee. He hated being late.

"Ohhh, it's the Hyuga genius…" whispers began and Neji wanted to yell at them to shut up but instead he continued forward. His eyes stealed up as swiftly as possible and soon he was in front of the hospital. He walked in, and again people began to talk. Why would they talk? Didn't they already see the beautiful ribbon on Hinata-sama?

"So Neji-kun," He glared at the blonde kunoichi beside him. "When are you gonna propose to Hinata? I mean, you've been coming bvy almost every day for weeks. Hurry up."

"….Are you blind?"

"What?" Ino froze and stared at him as he continued to walk off. Neji grumbled softly. He wanted to know where his bride had gone off to.

"Oh Neji! Hinata is up with the ANBU unit," Sakura called, seeing the bento in his arms. As Neji went by Sakura stopped for a moment. "Didn't Hinata bring one with her?"

Neji ignored everything as he went up stairs. The ANBu unit. He had been suggested but it fell through since Hiashi said no. Neji knocked on the door, and the door opened. No one could come in usually, but the Hyuga's eyes were important. "Hinata?"

"Ah, Neji-kun. I'm over here," her soft voice was a bit loud, to let him know. Neji kept walking. He didn't look in, as he knew by the smell there were very injured. Blood didn't make him sick or anything, but the wounds did. It made his own body throb painfully.

"I brought your…" Neji froze in his place. Hinata was standing, chart in hand, in a very lovely light blue jacket, and her usually navy blue capris. But what made him froze was the head band around her neck, covering her ribbon. "….."

"Ano…neji-kun?"

"…Nothing," he threw the bento at Hinata, and it fell apart all over her. He simply walked off, angry. How could she cover it up? Was she not the one that forced them in this situation? He was giving up his dreams as well to save them. Could she not be proud just a little that she made this choice with him? Neji's mind raced around in different places from hurt to anger to rage. And still nothing beat the pain of her not being proud enough to show off the ribbon. The ribbon his father gave his mother. The ribbon that Neji had been so proud to give to his bride, and the pain of realizing she didn't care enough to let the world know they were going to be together.

"Hey, are you alright?" Neji looked up to see the pink haired kuoichi staring at him. "I've never seen you so angry before."

"…I'm alright."

"..You know, if its over Hinata, maybe we can talk," Neji stared at her for a moment, as they walked to a part of the wing that made Neji shiver up and down. Critical, where surgeries are done, and more than that, where his life had almost ended. Sakura sat down and waited for him to. He sat across from her. "So.."

"..Hn…"

"Do you know what Hinata is most proud of?"

"….." He looked up and glared at her. In truth, he didn't really know.

"…Okay….Hinata is ver proud of the fact that she is a kunoichi. That she became strong enough to rise above a certain group of people who said she would never rise above." Neji head nodded once before he looked at Sakura. "When she came in, Hinata was very shy, and suddenly very self conscious. It reminded me of when Hinata first got the headband, and she was suddenly self- conscious then as well. She isn't ready to shout it out to the world, but she is very happy to have it. Be patient with her. Soon enough, she'll let everyone know. But it will always be around her neck."

"….Why?"

"Because, its where everyone can see it. One day, she'll take off the head band, and the ribbon will still be there. Neji, she's not the girl that runs around telling people. She lets people know softly."

Neji thought about it. She was right. Hinata didn't tell him she had made it to Chunin. She just simply had it hanging up in her room, softly and happily proud of herself. She looked at it every morning for a month, unable to do anything else but smile happily when she saw it.

Did she do it with his ribbon? Did she look at herself every now and then, smiling about the ribbon?

"Just be patient. She'll come around."

Neji nodded and kept his eyes closed as Sakura walked away. Neji leaned his head back, alone in the waiting area. Not long ago the room behind him, there he fought for his life. There, he had seen his father as he had almost died. "Otou-san, did you have the same doubts?" he whispered. He felt so exhausted. "Maybe..I should let her be free…."

"Ah, Neji!" Hinata came over. She sat beside him. "Ano…I just want to say that…well, I'm just really nervous. I'm not sure how people will react to us. I don't want to be treated differently. I want to first share this with my best friend. And Temari-san isn't always available when I need to talk to her….Ano… And….well, I do…I do not regret having agreed to marry you. If it means your life will be spared then…." Hinata took in another breath. "Ano..Neji…." Hinata looked and Neji was asleep! Hinata pouted for a moment before smiling softly. "Neji…. I do not regret any moments in my life. Because I am very happy right now. I am a Chunin, a great Medic-nin and maybe some day…. We'll make great leaders to our clan. If I can keep becoming stronger then, I won't regret anything." She smiled softly and walked off. She was very happy.

"Hinata-sama, I don't regret it either," Neji looked at the empty hall after she left. "I am very proud to say you are my fiancée."

AN: Sorry that tis took me so long to get out there. So what did you think? Please review!