-In which, people who love each other end up reuniting

Yay! I got the chapter up! Sorry, I didn't keep my promise, but Chinese New Year was just busy, busy, and busy. And then I had my other fanfics, and I couldn't find time for this. Then there were projects and schoolwork, and I couldn't get out of anything to work on this fanfic, so . . . yeah, sorry. Also, just so you know, there is a TIMESKIP between the chapters, kay? (Cuz I told you I was somewhat promoting the Kdrama Stairway to Heaven so I can't put everything into this fanfic or you'll never watch it.) So, yeah, sorry again. And I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Two

Hinata ran out of the house, down the porch stairs and to the beach. It's been three days since she left Konoha with Neji, a week since she had found about her eye cancer. She had only told Neji and begged him to take her away again so that Naruto didn't need to see her die. But now . . . she missed the Hokage-to-be terribly.

Hinata turned around, trying to figure out the way back to Konoha. Neji was out on an errand, and he was the only one who knew his way around in this place. Hinata had no clue which way her home was. She decided to go east, but she was careless. She did not see the ice on the sand and slipped. She fell to the floor. In doing so, she ended up hitting her head. And when she lifted her head, her vision began to blur again as it did for days. But this time, there was this darkness that seemed to grow. She looked to the blue sky, but even that was pitch black. There was nothing but this black darkness.

She took off her glasses, rubbing her eyes, trying to clear them of any dirt, but to no avail. She still couldn't see a thing. And so, she cried. "Naruto-kun! I can't see anymore! Naruto-kun! Naruto-kun! I can't see anything anymore… Naruto-kun! What am I going to do?"

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Naruto ran as fast as possible to the place Neji had spoke of. He could finally see Hinata again. When she had disappeared with her cousin, she had left no note, but he knew something was wrong—hell, he knew something was wrong when she needed glasses. His worry had been confirmed when Neji had come to tell him that Hinata was losing her sight to the same disease that had killed her mother.

When he arrived at the beach, Naruto whipped his head around to a distant cry. He had finally found Hinata again.

"Naruto-kun! I can't see anymore! Naruto-kun! Naruto-kun! I can't see anything anymore… Naruto-kun! What am I going to do?"

Those words verified his biggest fear, and he ran to the girl who was on her knees on the snowy beach.

She grabbed his hands and cried harder. "Neji-niisan," she said, thinking it was her cousin. "What am I going to do? I can't see anymore! Everything's so black, everything's so dark! I can't see a thing…" She started hitting him. "Why did you choose now to come back? There's no way I can see Naruto-kun again! I already can't see anything else!" She wrapped her arms around. "What am I going to do? What am I going to do? I'm so scared! I'm so scared… What am I going to do, Neji…?"

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Naruto carried her back to the house she was staying at but didn't speak to her, afraid that she might be able to tell that it wasn't her cousin she was speaking to.

"Neji-niisan, why aren't you speaking to me?" she had asked. "Is it because I look weird now?" But she quickly dropped the topic. She grabbed his hands again. "Neji-niisan, promise me you won't tell Naruto-kun. You can't ever tell him! Promise me! You've promised me, right?"

But Naruto couldn't find it in himself to hold back the tears. He walked away, trying to think about what to do.

"Neji-niisan!" Her voice gave every hint of the fear she held. "You're not going to leave me, are you? Neji-niisan!" She moved to follow him, but she tripped over her own feet and fell.

It was at that point that the real Neji returned home and helped her up. "How can I leave you like this?" he asked, hugging her. "I won't leave you… Let me bring you up to your room to rest, okay?"

And as they walked, Neji just patted Naruto on the shoulder, unable to console him. The blonde followed the cousins up to Hinata's room, staying just a little bit behind them. Neji put the girl down on her bed and was about to leave the couple alone when Hinata asked him to stay with her because she was afraid. He told her not to worry. And then she started asking about Naruto—if he had changed his appearance, if his hair had grown any longer, etc.

Neji smiled and answered, "It doesn't look like he's gotten a good night's sleep in a long while, but he's still handsome."

Hinata smiled with relief. But then the Hyuga heiress realized something. "Neji-niisan, today was so strange. Today . . . it felt like Naruto-kun was right here besides me. It was so strange… It was like he really was with me, and it still feels like he's right by my side."

"It's because he's always by your side, forever and ever more." Neji answered. "Even if you can't see anymore, he'll always be by your side."

Her smile grew at the sound of those comforting words, but suddenly her smile completely fell. It was then that she moved and felt around Naruto's face. She recognized him just by touch. "Naruto-kun…"

"Hinata-chan…"

He grabbed her hands, but she immediately backed away. She told him, begged him, and screamed at him to leave. She even threw pillows at him. She didn't want him to see her like that. She didn't want that, she didn't want him to know how much she was suffering…

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When he returned to Konoha the next day, he went to spar with Sasuke to clear his head, but the only thing he got was a headache. And during the middle of it, barely an hour into it, he gave up. Laying on his back, he confided in his rival about the complications in his life, leaving out the part where Hinata was blind.

And the piece of advice that the Uchiha gave him was . . . well, really something (because you usually don't hear the Uchiha saying things like this). "You know," he said, "if you ask me, there's really nothing that's changed. I mean, you and Hinata still love each other as you did years ago. You're still you, and she's still her. What's there that's different?"

And with this, Naruto got on his feet, a wonderful idea in mind. He thanked the Uchiha, promising to spar with him another day, and ran to the Hyuga household that day to speak with Hiashi. He told him about Hinata's predicament, just to make sure the old man wasn't worrying too much, and left right afterwards to speak with Sakura. But the Uchiha matriarch refused to listen to his words. She was so disappointed with him. He was making a fool of himself, hurting himself. He was even willing to give up the position he had worked all his life for. She couldn't even believe this was happening. In fact, she even wished that Hinata never even came back at all. In the end, Naruto never got a chance to tell her what was on his mind.

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Hinata had a small surgery done. It didn't take place in Konoha, though. If it had then Sakura and Shizune would have found out about her cancer and immediately would have been sent into a crazy worry fest. No, the Hyuga girl couldn't have that. She didn't want to worry anymore of her friends, like she had worried Naruto.

So now, Neji and Naruto waited outside of the room in which the operation was taking place. The two stayed quiet, ignoring the other. But Naruto was intent on changing that.

"I want to marry her," he told his love's cousin. "I want your permission."

It took the prodigy a while to process those words. He didn't know what to make of it and what he felt about it. He had loved Hinata, like a sister and perhaps more, but now . . . here was his rival asking him for his cousin's hand. He wanted to say no, he so much wanted to deny the future Hokage's request. But in the end, he could only say, "I'm not the one you should be asking. I have no say in who she marries."

"Why wouldn't you? You're the man she considers her brother. Of course, I want to hear what you have to say because your opinion means something to me."

Neji could only stare at the blonde. He had never approved of Hinata's relationship with him, thinking that Naruto was never good enough for her. But hearing those words come out of his mouth, Neji couldn't help but think that he was wrong about the boy. After all, Naruto had been the one who snapped him out of the reality that the main Hyuga family was his enemy. If he could do that then how would he not be able to take care of his cousin?

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She heard Neji thank the delivery man before he shut the door. She wondered what the package held as he walked over to the couch she sat on and placed a box on the table in front of her, opening it up.

"Wow! It's beautiful!"

Wondering about the gift, Hinata stretched out her hand and felt the satin and chiffon fabrics that made up the dress. Her eyes widened when she realized what it was. She withdrew her hand, almost as if it were a snake.

"Send it back," she told—no, demanded of—her cousin.

"But—"

"I don't know what he's thinking," she continued. "How could he do this? Send the dress back, Neji-niisan."

"But, Hinata, you want this also." Neji protested. "Why would you—"

"I won't let him tie himself to someone whose future is uncertain. I won't let him do that to himself."

"That future doesn't matter. What's important now is the future you both want. He loves you, Hinata."

"I love him, too, so that's why . . . I can't let him do this—to himself and to Hanabi."

The boy sighed, knowing that the girl wouldn't give in. "Alright, alright… I'll return the dress," he said. "But at least let me take a few pictures of you wearing it. It's too good an opportunity to pass up."

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"Wow! I had no idea it'd be such a grand party!" Hanabi exclaimed, looking around her. Indeed, Naruto had gone all out this time. He had gotten a large room of sorts—a large ballroom, perhaps—for this gathering. "I wonder what Naruto-kun's got planned. Shizune-san, Sakura-san, do you have any idea of what he has in mind?"

"I'm afraid not. In fact, both Sakura and I are here at his insistence. We don't have any idea what to make of it." Shizune smiled, but it wasn't wholeheartedly. Recently, Naruto had shirked off many of his responsibilities. In fact, a lot of his actions seemed to be on impulse. If you took his engagement for an example, it was easy to see why both she and Sakura were a bit worried. After all, tomorrow was the day he'd be getting married to Hanabi and, right afterwards, it'd be his coronation as the new Hokage. Who knew what the dobe had up his sleeve this time?

"Let's just go inside, shall we?" Hiashi said.

And though Shizune and Hanabi thought nothing of the Hyuga's rushed suggestion, Sakura wasn't as blind. Hiashi was a collected and calm man. Never before had she seen him act so pressured and anxious. And so, when the rest were inside of the room and out of hearing range, she tugged on her husband's arm with the hand that didn't hold her young baby.

"You know something, don't you?" she accused him. She knew very well that the only person Naruto confided in these days were the Uchiha.

Sasuke sighed, caressing his wife's hand. "Don't worry so much. The wedding's tomorrow, and the coronation's the next day. What's there to worry about?" he said, trying to ease her fears.

But she continued to push on. "What's he got planned this time, Sasuke-kun?" She'd be damned if Naruto made a fool of himself just before he became Hokage.

The Uchiha sighed once more. "Quit worrying," he told her. "Naruto has always pulled through, hasn't he? He's not a kid anymore, Sakura. He knows what he's doing. Trust him a bit more. After all, with every horrid thing he's done in the past month, he's bound to do at least one good thing."

Her lips pursed but, nevertheless, she gave in. "Fine…"

He stroked her cheek. "Good," the Uchiha said. He kissed her on the same cheek. "Now, come on. Everyone's waiting."

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"Is everyone here?"

"Of course."

"Even Sakura-chan?"

A small huff. "Even though it was troublesome to keep track of everyone, yes, she's here. Sasuke's just walked in with her, but she's a bit suspicious."

Silence.

"Don't get cold feet now. You've worked too hard to give it all up at this point."

". . . I know… But Sakura-chan—"

"She'll understand once you've explained it to her. She'll listen to you since there are so many people here. She won't dare to make a scene. Plus, even if she's co-ruler of Konoha, she's still your teammate first and Hinata's friend. She'll be happy with your decision as long as the both of you are happy. If not, I can always sic my wife and Sai's wife on her."

The blonde laughed. "I don't think Sakura will appreciate it much if Temari and Ino will be bothering her, what with the baby and all." Seriousness again. "And what about her?"

"Neji's bringing her as we speak."

Now the blonde nodded, placing a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Thanks for being my wingman, Shikamaru."

"No problem. Now go out there and win some hearts."

Again, a nod from the blonde before he pushed opened the doors into a sea of flashing cameras. (After all, without the paparazzi, how would this event even be recorded?) There was a small round of applause as Naruto made his way to the small stage in front of the room. The clapping stopped and the flashing dimmed a bit once he was behind the podium.

"Thank you for accepting my invitation and coming here on such short notice," he started. "The reason I asked you all here today is to ask for your blessings."

Again, a round of applause.

"Today, right here and right now, Hyuga Hinata and I plan to wed."

Okay, so this chapter's done! Hopefully, I can get the next one out soon. (But don't get your hopes up.) So yeah, please review cuz this fanfics got no reviews and all that. Thank you!