Hey everyone- I know I took a while to write this chapter, but I hope you like it! Please enjoy :)

If it weren't for Itachi's death, Hinata would have been bored out of her mind. She was stuck in one place, not allowed to leave, which was enough to drive anyone to the point of insanity. Instead, though, there was a sadness, an emptiness, deep in her heart. But Itachi was no longer there to fill that void. He never would be there, again. Perhaps that emptiness would grow and grow, until she felt nothing at all.

Her relationship with the Uchiha felt surreal, almost as if she had waken from a long, amazing dream, only to find herself in a world of despair. But she knew it wasn't a dream. The love she had for him, even after he had gone from her world, was still there, and still just as strong as ever.

When she was alone, Hinata spent most of her time, staring at a wall or the ceiling. Is there an afterlife? she would wonder Itachi... are you with your family again? Are you finally happy? She could only hope.

Thankfully, she got visitors. Neji and Hanabi visited daily, and her other friends also visited on several occasions. As a whole, the village seemed to shun her. Individually, though, she got plenty of visits, as her teammates still thought of her as a friend and felt sorry the whole thing had happened.

"Why do you visit me?" Hinata asked Sakura one day, who knew she was pregnant and cared for her much of the time. "I-I mean... I betrayed the village, haven't I?"

Sakura smiled softly. Hinata lay on a couch, feeling almost too sick to move, and Sakura was in the kitchen, making soup and a medicine out of herbs. "We know you, Hinata. We've known you forever. We know that you're not the kind of person who would really betray your comrades. Besides..." Sakura hesitated. "We know that Itachi wasn't a bad guy after all. He was a hero." She smiled back at Hinata. "You were able to see that before any of us."

Most visits were like this- simple, with kind words. However, one day, she received plenty of weird, unexpected visits.

The first one she received that day was the one from her father. When she opened the door, he was the last person she had expected to see.

"F-father!" she said in shock. Then, with a feeling of dread that he was going to possibly disown her, she let him inside.

Hiashi hadn't even said hello. He just walked inside and faced Hinata as she carefully shut the door and bowed. "I-it's good to see you," she quickly said.

"Hinata," Hiashi said. She looked back up at him nervously. "You've done something terribly wrong," he continued. "But I'm not here to reprimand you."

Hinata couldn't stop the surprised expression that crossed her face. "What?" she quietly said.

Hiashi continued. "You already know that, and you don't need me to tell you. I'm here to say that... I'm sorry."

Is this really my father?! Hinata thought as her mouth fell open. She quickly shut it. "S-sir...?"

"Perhaps if I hadn't been so hard on you, you wouldn't have left to get training elsewhere," the Hyuuga said. "But the reason I've always pushed you is because I know that you're capable of more. You're a very strong young woman, but I've always felt that perhaps it was your kind heart that got in the way of your progress."

Hinata was speechless. This was possibly the most praise she had received from him since she had been alive.

"Everyone knows all about that Uchiha boy now," he said. "I don't agree with your decision to join the Akatsuki, but I'm glad that he was by your side to protect you, if anything were to happen. Although, Hinata, I was worried sick about you. Don't ever run off like that again, especially not with a group of criminals. Understand?"

Still stunned, Hinata gave a sharp nod. "Yes, sir!"

"And," Hiashi put a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I'm sorry. For your loss."

Hinata's insides felt like they were melting at her father's words. She knew he was being genuine, and she was still greatly mourning Itachi's death. "Thank you," she said.

With that, Hiashi nodded and opened up the door to leave. As he stepped out, Hinata remembered that there was something he still didn't know.

"Hey, father," Hinata said through the door.

Hiashi turned to look at her. "What is it?" he asked.

"I-I'm pregnant!" And with that, Hinata slammed the door and hurried off down the hall, facepalming.

I'm such an idiot! Why did I tell him like that?! The Hyuuga girl half expected to hear her father, banging on the door and demanding to be let back inside. However, there was nothing but silence.

Curious, Hinata walked back over to the front room and peered out the window. Her father was still on the doorstep, staring at the door, his mouth and eyes wide open in shock.

"Oh, I'm sorry, father," she said, rushing again to her room.

xXx

Neji and Hanabi were in the Hyuuga's dojo, sparring together. It had been a slow afternoon, and both of them had received quite a good workout.

"Well done, Hanabi." Neji, his brow covered in sweat, bowed to his younger cousin.

"You as well," Hanabi said, bowing back.

"Well, I'm off," Neji said. "TenTen is waiting for-"

Just then, the door to the dojo opened, and in walked Hiashi, looking as though he had just seen a ghost.

Neji looked at his usually emotionless uncle. "Hiashi?" he said hesitantly. Hiashi still wasn't looking at him or Hanabi. He just stared straight ahead. "Hiashi," Neji said again, approaching him. "Is something wrong?"

"Dad?" Hanabi said, raising a questioning eyebrow. "What's going on?"

After a silence that lasted a bit too long, Hiashi finally spoke. "Children," he said. "Something has happened."

Neji and Hanabi both blinked up at the man. "What has happened?" Hanabi asked flatly.

And then... he told them.

And all hell broke loose.

xXx

When Hinata walked back to her bedroom, she saw a sight she wasn't at all expecting to see.

"K-Konan?" the Hyuuga said in amazement.

Sure enough, the blue-haired Akatsuki member was in Hinata's room, sitting cross-legged in the center of her bed as if it were her own, and painting her chipped, polished nails with a fresh coat of purple. At the sound of the door and Hinata's voice, Konan looked up. "Hey," she said, a little too casually.

"Um... hi," Hinata said hesitantly.

"I suppose you're wondering what I'm doing here," Konan said before the younger girl could answer. "Well, I came to keep you company, I guess."

Hinata blinked. "What?" she said, unable to believe what she had just heard.

"I know I said I hated you," Konan said, turning her focus to her nails again. "but I have to be honest with you. I never hated you," she said, much to the Hyuuga's surprise. "I just really liked being the only female member of the Akatsuki. So, I was kind of miffed when you joined."

Hinata was silent.

"Sasori tried to tell me off." Konan held back a groan at remembering Sasori's little... um... sermon? in the kitchen. "He's so weird. And kind of scary sometimes." She decided to leave it at that, and spare Hinata the strange details. "Anyways, now I realize that I was a selfish jerk. I also just want to say that I'm sorry. About Itachi. It's... it's never easy to lose someone you love." She was now looking at Hinata, a strange, sad look in her golden eyes.

Hinata was silent once again as she took a step closer to Konan. She decided not to ask about her loss. "No, it isn't," she agreed.

Konan smiled an empty smile. "I was shocked to learn about Itachi," she said, her smile disappearing. "He was always so emotionally closed off. I would have never been able to tell that he was so... good. He sacrificed a normal life for this village, huh?" She fell silent for a moment. "Did he tell you?" she suddenly asked, not looking at Hinata.

She hesitated. "He did," she said, her voice hushed as though she were talking about something sacred. "He said I had a right to know. But he didn't want anyone else to know."

Konan nodded her head. "I see," she said. "He wanted his family to die with honor."

Hinata felt a stab of sadness in her heart. Itachi was so kind, up to his death. Yet, no one had known. "He wouldn't be happy that everyone knows, now," Hinata said, mostly to herself.

"No," Konan said. "He wouldn't. He lived his whole life dedicated to hiding the truth. Madara just told because he wants Sasuke to be his pawn."

Hinata frowned. Before their conversation could go any further, there was mad pounding at the door. "HINATA!" It was Hanabi's voice.

"Oh no!" Hinata exclaimed. "Konan, you have to hide!"

"Hiding won't do any good!" Konan argued. "They can still sense my chakra!"

Hinata opened up her closet. "I don't think they care about that," she muttered as the banging continued. "Please, Konan."

"Ugh, FINE!" Konan got off the bed and stamped angrily into the closet.

"Don't listen too closely!" Hinata pleaded.

"Why? What do you-" before she could finish, Hinata slammed the closet door in her face.

"Father's told them," she muttered as she hurried down the hallway to the door.

Outside, Hanabi was banging angrily on the door. "HINATA! Open UP!" she yelled.

"For the love of God, Hanabi, would you stop yelling?!" Neji scolded. "It's giving me a headache!"

"I don't care! I should have been the first to know! I'm her sister, dammit!"

Neji raised an eyebrow. "Does your father know you talk like that?" he asked suspiciously.

Hanabi rolled her pale eyes and said nothing. "HINATA!" she cried again, giving the door a final bang before it suddenly opened and Hinata appeared.

"Dammit, Hinata! You didn't tell me you were pregnant!" the youngest Hyuuga yelled after Neji shut the door.

At hearing her sister speak in such a way, Hinata covered her mouth with her fingers. "D-does father know you talk like that?"

"Oh my hell, I'm not a baby!" she exclaimed in frustration. "But that's not important right now. THIS is!" She pointed a finger at her older sister's stomach.

"H-Hanabi!" Hinata said, covering her stomach with her arms.

Hanabi frowned up at her sister. "Byakugan!" she suddenly said, and veins crawled through her temples as her byakugan was activated.

"Hm, looks like you're starting to show," Hanabi said, nodding her head. "And oh! Is that its profile?"

"Hanabi, please!" Neji grabbed his cousin's shoulder and pulled her away from Hinata. "You are being completely ridiculous!" The young girl fell to the ground from Neji's forceful push.

"Ouch!" she squealed from the floor.

"Wait! You could see his profile?" Hinata said, going from embarrassed to joyful.

"I think so." Ignoring Neji, Hanabi got back to her feet. "Byakugan!" she said again, and looked at Hinata's stomach. "Yep. Yep. That is definitely a boy."

"My goodness..." Neji covered his eyes with a hand. "Hanabi..."

Suddenly, Hanabi perked up and turned around to look at Neji. Suddenly, she grabbed the hand that was covering his face, only to reveal Neji's eyes in Byakugan mode. "Y-you're looking with your Byakugan too!"

"N-no!" Quickly, Neji's Byakugan turned off. "I wasn't!"

"Yes you were! I saw it with my Byakugan!"

"Oh, dammit," Neji turned his face away from the two girls to hide the blush that rarely, if ever, crawled into his cheeks.

"Really, how do you expect me to have clean language when you're always- Neji, you're blushing!" Hanabi suddenly exclaimed.

"Shut up, Hanabi!" Neji hung his head.

"Neji," Hinata said, joining in on the fun. "You're so cute!"

"Hinata, you too?!" Neji said angrily.

Hanabi laughed loudly. "So you do get embarrassed!"

"Oh, fine," Neji looked back up at his cousins, his cheeks still flushed. He turned to Hinata. "I just didn't want you to think I was being as invasive of your privacy as Hanabi was."

"But you were, so stop accusing me!" Hanabi said, crossing her arms.

"Guys, guys!" Hinata waved her hands with a nervous laugh to get their attention. "It's alright! I'm happy you came. A-and I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I just wasn't sure how everyone would react."

Neji and Hanabi's faces softened. "Well, people will find out sooner or later," Hanabi said. "Like I said, you're starting to show."

"Hinata," Neji said. "No matter what, you're still family to us. You're the same Hinata we've always known."

"But..." Hinata started.

Neji walked over to her and grabbed her shoulders. "You're back in Konoha now," Neji said. "I know you've suffered a great loss, but when you're ready to move on, you must move on completely. That includes forgiving yourself."

Neji's words struck her hard. "N-Neji..." she said, not sure what to say to him.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. All three Hyuuga's snapped their heads up to look at the door. There was another impatient knock. "One moment, please!" Hinata called out. She turned to look back at her older cousin, who had dropped his hands from her shoulders.

"Remember that, Hinata," he said.

Hinata blinked at him, then gave one nod. "Thank you," she said. There was yet another knock.

"You'd better get that, sis," Hanabi said, nodding her head towards the door. "before Buddy over there busts the door in."

"Hanabi, don't be rude," Hinata scolded. She briskly walked to the door and opened it.

It was Kiba.

Thanks again for reading! :)

Review Responses:

Fire of Snow: So sorry about that! It has been a while, hasn't it? If it makes you feel any better, I had to reread it myself, because I had forgotten every single thing that happened... and I wrote it :\ thanks for being patient with me!

Hinatta: I was just looking for my readers to review, because that's how I know they're interested :) Thank you for adding me to your community! I appreciate the exposure :)

Guest 1: Thanks! Sorry this chapter took a while to upload- as for Itachi, you'll be seeing him again real soon ;)

Guest 2: Hm, interesting idea... I hadn't thought about it before. I will definitely consider it :) Thanks for reading!