Legend:
-Thoughts-
Narration
"Talking"
(With Certain Character or Scene Change)

I hope everyone enjoys! Please review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything relating to it, but I do own this plot!

I Always Knew

Chapter 7: Tea Party With The Hyugas!

Naruto arrived with only one second to spare and still breathing normally and not a hint of sweat at the front door of the main Hyuga mansion, which he took to quickly smooth down his clothes and take a deep breath to try and calm his nerves. As soon as the clock struck one (A/N: I think that's when tea time is if not please let me know when it is) he knocked on the door as calmly as he could even though his nerves were still on edge. The door was immediately opened to reveal a glaring Neji. Naruto sweat dropped and greeted him with a smile, "Hey Neji, what's up?" -Just my fucking luck, her cousin Neji answers the door and it looks like he wants to kill me-

"Hello Naruto, you don't know how much I've been looking forward to this and Hinata-sama was so kind as to allow me to be the first to greet you when you came over," Neji replied almost sinisterly -I swear I'm gonna kill him if he so much as thinks about hurting Hinata again-.

"Is that so, well we mustn't keep her waiting now must we?" Naruto replied wanting to get though the afternoon without getting maimed.

"No, Hinata-sama would not like that at all, won't you please come in? I'll show you to the room in which tea will be held this afternoon," Neji asked much to Naruto's relief though he still didn't let down his guard.

Naruto quickly removed his sandals at the front door then followed Neji through the long and elegant corridors of the mansion. Neji then crouched in front of a pair of ordinary sliding redwood doors and knocked gently before announcing his arrival. A second later came a confirmation to let him in and while still on his knees Neji slid open the door to admit him. The first thing he noticed was it was that there was another pair of sliding doors, but these were open to a view of a tranquil garden. The rest of the room was just as impressive as it seemed to take the tranquility of the garden and bring it inside. In the middle of the room was a single low square table with four red sitting pillows around it and one of them was occupied by Lord Hiashi in his usual garb. "Lord Hiashi-sama," Naruto greeted respectfully with a bow as he heard the door slide close behind him -Great, I've just voluntarily walked into the lions' den. If I remember correctly Hiashi doesn't take a liking to anybody and probably least of all me after what I've done-.

"Naruto-san," Hiashi greeted in turn -So, he came after all. I wonder what he'll do now-, "Have a seat," he instructed waving his hand at the empty seats beside him which Naruto nervously accepted.

"I apologize if my being here is any inconvenience to you," Naruto said as he took a seat to the left of the Hyuga -I have to make a good impression, this is going to take all of the training that I've had over the years. I just hope that it's enough-.

"Not at all, actually it was you being gone that was the inconvenience," Hiashi informed him as he narrowed his eyes -He is nothing like how he was when he fought my nephew in the chuunin exams. Instead he's turned himself into one of high nobility; he's just as Hinata said-.

"I became aware of Hinata's state the night that I returned from Sakura Haruno, my old teammate. However, the full consequences of my decision hadn't become clear until I met up with her yesterday. My only wish was to make her safe and happy, but nothing I do seems to work," Naruto answered shaking his head in defeat.

"HAPPY! HAPPY! You thought that leaving my daughter alone and going off Kami knows where would make her happy! Have you lost your mind Naruto Uzumaki or did you even have one to begin with?" Hiashi shouted enraged -Is he still so lost on the ways of women even after all this time? This is beyond ridicules-.

"With all due respect neither you and your clan nor the rest of the village gave me a whole lot of choice in the matter; I was just looking out for Hinata's well being. I know that she is strong, but I just don't want her to have to go through all of the prejudice that I have to go through every day," Naruto explained respectfully and calmly catching Hiashi off guard -I thought that the byakugan was supposed to be like an all seeing eye or something! How can all of the Hyugas be so blind to everything around them then?-.

"Who are you? I don't know who you are, but you are definitely not the boy my daughter fell in love with. What happened to that boy? What happened to Naruto Uzumaki?" Hiashi questioned -That is the boy that Hinata needs, that is the boy that we've all been waiting for to return-.

"He grew up the best he knew how in a world that deemed him a demon, shunned him, and tormented him for crimes he did not commit without mercy. I had always feared not for my life, but for the lives of my tormentors; if the Kyuubi ever got out of control I would never be able to forgive myself or show my face to Hinata. These qualities that everyone sees now have always been there. Before I left and Hinata forgot these were recessive qualities to our natures, but the change only took place so that we could cope with something so monumentally excruciating. What we did was extremely painful for the both of us and had you lived either of our lives you would not have hoped to live so long," Naruto informed never leaving his respectful tone.

"The two of you are exactly like we had always wished you to be, only now that we have it do we realize that we prefer how you were before," Hiashi sighed in shame.

"That is often the way of wishes," Naruto confirmed -I just hope that the rest of the village follows your view-.

Just then they heard the sound of sliding wood and they both turned their heads to the door to find Hinata coming in with a tea tray dressed in a soft lavender colored kimono. As she made her way to the table it seemed as though she were gliding; then with all the grace in the world she sat across from her father, set down the tea, and poured some first to her father, then to him, and lastly to herself. After they had all taken their first sip of the tea Naruto spoke, "Hinata-sama you truly are a rare gem. Not only are you the most beautiful woman that I've ever had the honor to lay eyes on, but you move with such grace, as though you were a gently flowing river. To top it off you make an exquisite cup of tea; if there is any such man out there that you deem worthy of you I would like to meet him as he must be the luckiest man alive."

"You give me too much credit Naruto-kun," Hinata replied staring down at her tea and when she noticed what she had said she snapped her head up to see a smiling Naruto and she began to blush almost unperceivablely, but Naruto caught it, "I meant to say Naruto-san; I apologize if I offended you."

"Not at all, in fact I would prefer you to call me that, that is if you father doesn't disapprove of course," Naruto encouraged -She is so beautiful when she blushes and it gives me great pleasure to know that I'm the only one that can cause such a phenomenon- causing her to blush even deeper so that now Hiashi noticed.

Hiashi smiled at this -It would seem that Hinata is still in love with him, and by the way he is treating her I would say that he has fallen for her himself. Hinata hadn't told him of her feelings before he left because she was so shy, but now it's because she has locked away her heart. Naruto on the other hand wouldn't have anything to do with her before because he thought that by staying away from her, he would protect her against the prejudice aimed at him, but had that changed now? Is he going to stay and be with my Hinata and make her happy? And his eyes, they seem to soften and sparkle with life when they are on her- "I will approve of anything she wants to call you, but what I want to know is how long you are planning to stay in the village?" Hiashi asked.

-So the old man wants to know if I'll be taking off again like I did last time and why I'm still in the village. Is he expecting me to stay?- Naruto almost smirked at this revelation. "Tsunade-hokage-sama has granted my request of a three-week stay before I make my decision, I want to see what's changed and what's stayed the same," he answered plainly, knowing that Hiashi would understand his meaning while at the same time not rouse Hinata's curiosity.

"That seems fair, how are you enjoying yourself so far?" Hinata inquired innocently -I've heard stories of how he was treated for being the Kyuubi's container, but was it really so bad that he would consider leaving the village forever? I don't want him to leave-.

"The people have changed that's for sure, especially the one that I love. She's not herself anymore and it's all my fault. To be honest I don't know what I expected when I returned, but it definitely wasn't this," Naruto answered solemnly -And I only have myself to blame-.

"I'm sure if you just explained things to her she will understand," Hinata suggested, trying to be helpful -So he already loves someone, I wonder who it could be-.

"I know she would, but it is the persecution that she will receive upon being with me from the villagers that is holding me back," Naruto explained not looking at her, but past her -Why is this so difficult for me? I can't even look at her I'm so ashamed of myself-.

"Then tell her everything and let her make up her own mind of what she wants to do. If she believes you are worth it she will stay by your side and the only thing you need do is to stand by her through all of it," Hinata advised.

At this Naruto looked into her eyes and saw a spark of love and recognition, but it was quickly extinguished before anything could become of it. He smiled slightly at this and replied, "You are very wise Hinata-sama, thank-you for the advice I shall take it into deep consideration. Now enough of this business, let's talk of more pleasant things."

So the tea went on as such. Hinata talked of her training and Hiashi talked of politics, but not another word on Naruto's life was spoken. In the end he ended up staying for dinner before taking his leave and heading over to his own apartment not even bothering to turn on any lights as he made his way to his bed and flopped face-down on the pillow.-What have I done?- was the last thing that went through his mind before slipping into a dreamless sleep.