Lord Toneri and I exited the warm café to be embraced by the unwelcoming cold air outside of the small building. Just as I speculated, the lunch was long and I was more than happy that it was over. We spoke here and there as we ate, but the awkward air still loomed over us. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't seem to get us to fall back into the pace we had when we first entered the café, causing me to eventually give up on my attempts to salvage our awkward date. When we parted ways, Lord Toneri kissed the surface of my hand before entering his carriage. I could tell that he was more than happy to escape the atmosphere as well.

"Is it safe to assume that it did not go so well?" asked Ko as he took his place beside me.

I shook my head with a slight frown. "It seemed to be going fine at first, but it took a turn when it came time for Lord Toneri to begin asking me questions about myself." As Ko began to walk with me back to our home, the Hyuga estate, I admitted to him "I do not think that it is going to work out."

"Forgive me for my opinion, Lady Hinata, but don't you think that it is too soon to decide that?" asked Ko. "First dates do not usually go smoothly, especially in arranged marriages. Maybe you should consider deciding that once you get to know Lord Toneri a bit more."

"Your opinion is needed and appreciated, Ko. There is no need to hesitate or apologize for your candor," I said. "I never expected the first date to go smoothly; in fact, I expected a more disastrous outcome. The issue with this is that Lord Toneri and I shared no amount of chemistry. I knew that I should have expected that as a possibility as well since we are arranged to be wed, I just did not see our date falling as flat as it did. I think that I rushed in to this too quickly just to please my father. I had no knowledge of what I was getting myself into, Ko."

Ko furrowed his brows and he frowned. "As much as I would like to tell you to ask your father to call his off, I cannot do that. As a responsible adult who not only serves you, but your father and lineage as well, I must tell you once again to become acquainted with Lord Toneri before making your final decision, Lady Hinata. If you see no progress, or if your relationship becomes worse, then I advise you to go to your father for a chance to choose your own mate."

That was not the answer that I wanted to hear and my face showed it.

Ko smiled warmly at me. "As I said before, Lady Hinata, you are young and beautiful. You do not need an arranged marriage to produce an heir for our clan. There is no need to rush."

"It might be too late for that," I said. "Asking my father to call off the wedding is wishful thinking. Once his mind is made up, there is no changing it. It is unrealistic to have my father adhere to my wishes."

"When it comes to you and your happiness, he might," said Ko. "It is hard to see at times, but Lord Hiashi loves you, Lady Hinata, and your happiness is very important to him."

I smiled despite the murky feeling forming at the pit of my stomach. "Thank you, Ko. I will try to heed your advice. Hopefully my father will-"

"Hinata!" called a voice from behind me.

Ko and I both turned around to locate the source of the voice calling for me. To my surprise, it was Sakura Haruno, a girl with shoulder length pink hair, green eyes, and incredible strength. In the Academy, those who graduate are assigned in teams of three to better their survival. While I belong to team eight, Sakura belongs to team seven, the team that saved the world from the fourth great ninja war almost two years ago. Despite being on different teams, Sakura has been a good friend to me. Knowing about my affection for her teammate Naruto, she tried to push me in his direction for years, resulting in me finally gaining enough confidence to ask him out. Even though Naruto stopped talking to me, Sakura hasn't, and when we hang out together, I often catch her calling Naruto "idiot" much more frequently than she used to.

"H-Hi, Sakura," I said. "What are you doing out this way?"

It is true that the Leaf Café is one of the most popular eateries in the Leaf Village, however, Sakura seems to have a dislike for it, and since her house is on the other side of the village, I found it odd that she was over here. I learned that when upset, she likes to go for walks, but she didn't seem as though she had something weighing on her mind this time. I could only wonder why she was out this way.

"I came to see how your date went," responded Sakura.

I frowned.

"Yikes," she said, "Was it that bad?"

I turned to Ko. "I will see you back at home."

"Of course, Lady Hinata," he said. Ko then bowed to me before walking off in the direction of the Hyuga estate. When I looked back to Sakura after watching Ko walk off, she was smiling mischievously at Ko's back.

"W-Why are you smiling like that?" I asked her.

"Oh, no reason," she said as she placed her hands on her hips. "Com'on, let's go to a place where it's warm – it's chilly out here."

"Okay."

Sakura took us to her favorite place to eat sweets – the Amaguriama. Considering that I just ate, I merely ordered a glass of water while Sakura asked for a plate of dumplings. As we waited, Sakura asked me "So, what's wrong with the guy that your dad set you up with? Is it his personality? Is he too old? Is he not cute enough?"

"No, he is young and attractive, though looks do not have anything to do with it. That is more so a trait that you would look for, Sakura." Sakura shrugged in agreement. "We just do not have much in common. It was… awkward to say the least. He seems to be insecure as well."

"Hmm… maybe he isn't used to girls? You said that he's a lord, right? Where's he from?"

"He is…" I thought back to our conversation when I asked Lord Toneri where he was from, realizing that he avoided my question by changing the topic. "I asked him, but he never told me."

Sakura crossed her arms and said sarcastically "That's not suspicious at all. Your dad reached out to him, so he has to know where he's from. You can ask him, right?"

"Yes…" Knowing that Lord Toneri didn't want to tell me where he lived was unsettling. If he did not want to give me information as simple as that, what else would he hide from me?

Sakura studied my face. "You don't have to do this, you know, at least not with him. You're eighteen, Hinata. You don't have to be worrying about marriage right now no matter what your dad says, and just because Naruto is a numbskull and can't see a good thing when it's right in front of him, doesn't mean that you should give up all hope by putting yourself in this situation. There are plenty of fish in the sea and a lot of those fish have been eyeing you."

I frowned again. "You know better than anyone how it feels to have your feelings rejected by the person you like. I feel defeated, hopeless, and unwanted because the only person that I ever wanted does not want me."

Sakura smiled sadly at me. "Yeah, you're right, but that doesn't mean you should give up. Make your own choices instead of having your dad make them for you."

"Yes, you are right, though, despite my complaining and uncertainties, I'm going to give Lord Toneri another chance before I ask my father to call off the arrangement." I studied Sakura's face, noticing that she was thinking deeply about something troubling her. I soon assumed that it was because I mentioned unrequited affection. I said to her "I am sorry. I should not have brought up Sasuke."

Her eyes widened a little once his name left my lips. "No, no it's okay. I'm over him," she said as a forced smile spread across her face. "I haven't thought about him in a while."

I knew that wasn't true, though I thought it as best not to mention that. "Has he sent any letters to you or to Naruto?"

"Not this month. The last letter he sent was about two months ago to Kakashi sensei. I don't know what it was about. Probably had something to do with his investigation. I don't even know where he is right now."

I remained silent for a couple of moments before asking "Have you sent any letters to him recently?"

"No," she scoffed.

I eyed her suspiciously.

"Okay, yes, I have. He never sent a reply back, obviously." She sat forward in her seat. "I worry about him. I know he's strong, but he's alone with no one to have his back if he ever gets into a bind. If he were to die out there, I don't think we'd ever know about it."

I shook my head. "That is not true. Naruto would find him. He has a talent for finding Sasuke when he needs him most."

Sakura smiled, reassured by the point I made. "Yeah, that's true!"

"If you do not mind me asking, what is Sasuke investigating?" I asked.

"Um, I don't know the details. All I know is that it's related to Kaguya Otsutsuki."

Kaguya Otsutsuki was the woman who ate a chakra fruit from the God Tree, making her the first person to obtain the power of chakra, the energy needed to use any form of jutsu. From wielding too much power, Kaguya had become crazy, killing and terrorizing her people, making their reverence for her turn to fear. Kaguya was then sealed by one of her sons, Hagoromo Otsutsuki, also known as the Sage of Six Paths, and she was never to be seen again. Although, that tale was more than a millennium ago, and God Trees and chakra fruit are long since extinct. During the war, a powerful ninja released Kaguya from the seal and she nearly destroyed the world, that is, until team seven stopped her. As to what Sasuke was investigating about her, I was not sure. There were a lot of possibilities.

"Really? That is dangerous," I said.

"I know, but he's not a part of team seven anymore. He wanted to be alone for a while to redeem himself for all of the bad things that he's done so he volunteered to do that." She paused. "I wish that I could have gone with him, yet, knowing Sasuke, he'd just say that I'd get in his way like usual."

I smiled at her last remark. When they were kids, Sasuke would always tell her that she would get in his way whenever she tried to help. Even though Sasuke refused to admit it, it was clear that he appreciated her efforts to assist him in anything he attempted to do. I wondered if he still felt that way today.

Moments later, the waiter returned with my water and Sakura's dumplings. Pure glee wiped away any trace of worry on Sakura's face when the plate was set down in front of her. She immediately began to consume the sweets as I sipped from the glass of water I received.

Sakura ceased eating for a second to ask me "Isn't tomorrow your last mission?"

"Oh, yes…" I responded with a frown. "Kiba, Shino, and I will be tracking down a missing person. Lord Hokage said that he would brief us on it more tomorrow in his office."

"I know that tracking is team eight's specialty, but finding a missing person seems like a job for a group of Genin or even a Chunin. Why does he need three Jounin to track one person?"

"I do not know. Maybe he is important?"

"I guess you'll find out when you talk to Kakashi sensei." Sakura finished off the rest of her dumplings. "When you get back from the mission, how does a retirement party sound to you?" she asked.

"A retirement party?" I asked. "W-When you say that, it makes me seem old."

She laughed. "Now that you mention it, yeah, it does. Ino and I were going to plan it. She wanted it to be a surprise, but I told her that you don't do so well with surprises. I figured I would check in with you to make sure it'd be okay to give you a party."

"I…" Thinking about the end of my ninja career stirred up unpleasant emotions again. It was still hard to imagine my life not doing the same thing that I have been doing for the past six years, especially when the new life that I would be entering involves betrothal to Lord Toneri and leading my clansmen in place of my father. The new life that I would be living scared me. I didn't want to admit that to anyone, not even to Sakura, because from here on I must be strong not only physically, but emotionally as well.

"If it makes you feel any better, the party's not only for you," she said. "It's for us too. We can always visit you at home, but we're going to miss you out on the field, especially your teammates. We want to enjoy spending time with you before you put a ring on your finger."

Knowing that would make me feel selfish if I refused the party, so I told her "Alright, yes, we should have a party."

With excitement, she said "Really? We'll keep it subtle, of course. It'll just be teams seven, eight, and ten, Lee and Tenten, and a few of our sensei. We're going to borrow Yakiniku Q for the occasion."

Yakiniku Q is a self-serve barbeque location that we usually go to after missions or on our days off. The teams that Sakura mentioned are people that graduated with us from the Academy. When we graduated, we were called "The Rookie Nine", but since Sasuke left team seven, that nickname has been removed from us. There are still nine of us in the three teams, however, the person who took Sasuke's place did not graduate with us.

"That sounds great, Sakura," I said.

She responded with a large smile.

We finished our food and drink and then decided to leave the Amaguriama. Outside of the building, Sakura said to me "I don't know how long it's going to take, but I'll see you after you complete your mission, yeah?"

I nodded my head. "Yes, you will."

"Alright then. Be careful, Hinata. See you soon."

We waved each other goodbye as she headed off down the road in the opposite direction of where I had to go.

It did not take me long to reach the Hyuga estate. When I did, I aimed straight for my room. The day that I had was by no means long, yet, my body felt tired and as soon as I was enveloped by the softness of my mattress, I ended up falling asleep. I was not sure how much time had passed since I drifted off when I was woken up by a knock at my door, but judging by how groggy I was feeling, it must not have been very long. I left my bed to open the door to be met by a clan member on the other side.

She bowed to me and then told me "Lady Hinata, Lord Hiashi wishes to speak with you."

"My father wants to speak with me? Do you have any knowledge on what it is regarding?"

"No, my lady."

Curiosity took over me. "Thank you, you are dismissed.

She bowed to me once again before she parted ways with me.

My father does not like waiting so I hurried over to where I suspected he would be. Sure enough, when I reached my destination my father was where I hoped he would be – the training room.

"Father, you wished to speak with me?" I said to him once I entered the room.

My father was sitting in the middle of the large room on a cushion facing in my direction, which immediately put me on edge. As a child, my father would wait for me in this very room whenever I did something to displease him. As punishment, he would have me spar with him, knowing that I could not possibly win against him. He covered me in bruises, and I would wake up sore for days on end. Seeing him sit here now unsettled me even though if he were to spar with me currently, my strength would rival his.

"Yes," he said. He then gestured to the cushion on the floor opposite of him. "Please, sit."

Hesitantly, I approached my expecting father, sitting down on the spot he offered to me. Once I took my seat, I soon realized that I had not done something to anger my father, causing me to relax.

"Ko informed me on the date you and Lord Toneri had. He told me that you did not enjoy your time with him," said my father.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Ko told you? It was not his right to tell you that."

"He only told me because I asked. If I had not, he would not have told me otherwise. Do not be angry with Ko. He respects your privacy, but he must respect my wishes more. When you are leader of the Hyuga Clan, it will be the same for you."

My father may have been right, though it still irritated me. I admitted "Yes, the date did not go so well, Father. I expected there to be differences in our opinions and the like. I just did not expect for our date to be as terrible as it was. It was awkward."

"You cannot let one bad encounter discourage you from your duties. As a leader, you will come across many encounters much worse than a simple date. Do not allow this to alter your path. If you do, then life in my position will be very difficult for you."

"I understand that, Father, but-"

"If you truly understand, Hinata, then you will not use words such as 'but'."

"Y-Yes, Father."

My father studied my face for a few seconds. He said to me "You do not want to marry Lord Toneri, do you?"

I thought it as wise to tell him the truth despite the urge I had to lie to please him. "No, Father, I do not. I thought that I could do this, however, I cannot bring myself to marry a stranger, a stranger that I have no attraction for nonetheless. I was reminded today on more than one occasion that I am still young. I am only turning nineteen next month and I do not need a marriage to secure my position as heir to our clan. I wanted to wait to try to grow closer to Lord Toneri before I brought this to your attention, but I do not believe that is going to happen. Father, I wish to ask you to call off this arrangement." I placed my hands on the tatami floor in front of me and I leaned over to bow before him. "Please give me more time, Father."

I remained in that position for what seemed like hours as I waited for my father to give me an answer. I felt his eyes on me, which left me guessing as to what he was thinking about. Under the pressure, I began to sweat and my throat ran dry. I wanted him to say something, anything, at this point. Just when I thought that I could not take the tension any longer, I heard my father draw a breath.

He said to me "I knew that you have grown, Hinata, I just never knew how much. You are beginning to sound like a leader." I looked up at my father who was smiling down at me. He then gestured for me to discontinue bowing. "I feel as though I must apologize. I rushed into this without considering how you felt. True, it is an arranged marriage, but we are no longer living in a time where the child has no say. With Hanabi exhibiting affections for other girls, I began to worry where our line would end. I am not saying that you are like your younger sister, but I became afraid when I saw how depressed you became after going on a date with Naruto. You adored him for so long, I feared that you would not want to seek another. That was when I reached out to Lord Toneri, or rather, he reached out to me."

"Lord Toneri reached out to you?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes. I took that as a sign and when you were able, I encouraged you to accept the proposal he offered to me." He smiled at me again. "I see now that I made a mistake. You are not the girl that you once were – you are strong now; physically, mentally, and emotionally. I will call off the wedding."

A mixture of happiness and disbelief overtook me. "R-Really?"

"Yes, really."

I bowed to him again. "Thank you, Father! Thank you so much! I will assure you that I will lead our clan with as much power and passion as you and the leaders before you. I will not let you down."

"I know that you will not fail, Hinata," he said to me. "Now, you should get some rest. You have a mission tomorrow, correct?"

"Yes, I do." I stood up from the cushion and bowed once again to my father prior to exiting the room. That night, until I feel asleep, the annulment felt too good to be true.