Wooooo. Only one more chapter then we can wrap this shit up. :D *dances*

The familiar beeping of the machines awoke Uchiha Sasuke. His whole body felt limp and almost somewhat numb as his heavy eyelids cracked open. For a few seconds, he cursed himself for landing back in the hospital. Sasuke seemed to spend more time here than he wanted. Then it began to slowly sink in why he was in the hospital. He tried sitting up, but there was a terrible pain in his lower back that caused him to lie back down. Damnit… Itachi. His eyes narrowed as they starred angrily at the ceiling. The dream he had was real which meant his wounds were real…and the genjutsu was sealed. He formed a fist and slammed it down next to him.

His mind raced with what he could remember but it was fairly blurry. Orochimaru's scream was the soundtrack to his thoughts, but the one thing that seemed to bring him peace was that knowing his mother and father understood. Sasuke suddenly felt a wave of emotion hit him and his eyes began to fill with hot tears. His room was empty but even if Naruto was in here, he didn't care. The tears began to spill over the edges and flowed freely down onto his pillow. Mother… Father… Itachi… Those dreams were a double edge sword for him almost quite literally. He was able to reconnect with his lost family, but was almost taken by the blade of Orochimaru.

Sasuke regretted not being able to say more to his mother. He never did tell her he loved her or any of the things he always thought to say. Sasuke always wanted one last fight with his father, just to go back to the feeling of having a true authority figure in his life. He almost hated the fact that he unlocked the seals and was able to meet once more with his family. It was like cutting into a perfectly healed scar except this time it seemed to ache even more. Perhaps it was because he had a large wound, and again, would have to be stuck here.

A year ago, Uchiha Sasuke would have embraced the quiet emptiness of his hospital room, taking full advantage of the peaceful alone time he had. There was something that also ached in his chest and it was a feeling he refused to feel for a long time: loneliness. Growing up, that feeling of having no one around made for long tearful nights. He often wept himself to sleep wishing that he would wake up the next morning to his mother's face. After graduating from the Academy, Sasuke made sure to ignore that feeling and put his entire being into finding his brother. There was no down time to dwell which was also another reason why he always excelled. People in Konoha labelled him a genius because of his name, when in fact it was just because he worked really hard. He felt like he was back at square one.

His thoughts moved on to Hyuuga Hinata. She wasn't by his side which meant she was probably busy getting ready to become the leader of her clan. Sasuke always supported her actions, but a sense of bitterness was settling in his throat. Of course he didn't want her to do it—he loved her. Sasuke wanted her near all the time to help soothe the scars of his past and remind him he was more than just a ninja; to tell him that he was loved and needed. Even the cold hearted Zabuza, who murdered senselessly, still found room in his heart to care for his beloved Haku. Yes, he felt selfish and in his case perhaps he had every right to feel that way. Sasuke's life had always been overly complicated with its twists, turns and hardships at such a young age. For once, he wanted simplicity. Sasuke would trade in his sword and adventures if it meant to be with her.

"Well, good morning." This predicament sent him back to a year ago when he had awoken from his coma and his eyes warily looked over to the person at the door. Tsunade smiled as she slid the door shut behind her. Sasuke didn't say anything. She approached his bed and took a seat in the chair next to him. "Silly question, but how are you feeling?" If Sasuke could smirk he would but there was little energy in his body. Tsunade had now learned to be a step ahead of the Uchiha and his smart ass responses. He decided to play along for old time's sake.

"Like shit." He mumbled and the little vein in her forehead twitched. Her expression turned annoyed, but after a small sigh she got over it.

"Yes, that's not surprising. You've been asleep for a few days… dreamless I hope?" She asked as she crossed her legs. Sasuke had to think for a moment and the emotion was beginning to return. He fought like hell not to cry and succeeded. Yes, Sasuke had had a dreamless sleep and it was bittersweet. His mind was able to rest during those days but his heart still ached knowing that the genjutsu was sealed forever.

"What happened?" He asked curious to know. Tsunade's expression was calm and serious as she stared at the Uchiha before her. A lot had happened in just those few shorts days and she thought about how to word it.

"Well, Hyuuga Hinata brought you in late that night. The girl was a wreck and had somehow managed to carry you all the way here. The wound you received was indeed a sword stab, and hit a few vital areas in your body. Luckily we were able to get you stable and well… you are in much better condition than you were a year ago." Tsunade said watching his face closely. As usual, his expression remained stoic. She allowed a small amount of time for him to process it.

"How is she?" Sasuke finally asked. Tsunade frowned.

"Physically all right of course. Mentally she is overwhelmed. Not only does she blame herself for not recognizing the genjutsu sooner, but her father now knows of her stays overnight." Sasuke's stomach dropped and he suddenly felt ashamed for feeling bitter towards her. Her father probably wouldn't allow her anywhere near this hospital and probably had Neji watching her every move. Sasuke stared intently at the ceiling. Tsunade continued.

"Tomorrow is her birthday." Her voice was quiet and yet his expression remained the same. He had heard her, but decided his brain was at full capacity of emotion for the day. Tomorrow, she became the new clan leader and their relationship would probably end. Sasuke would continue to live alone in his rebuilt district with no motive or reason to wake up in the mornings. After 18 years of attending his own pity party, he had finally had enough.

"When can I leave?" Sasuke had been silent for so long, Tsunade had stood up to leave him be. Upon hearing that question, she rested a hand on her hip.

"I'd like to keep you overnight but tomorrow you are free to go. Just make sure you stop by and see Sakura daily to make sure that your wound is healing properly." Tsunade said and when he didn't respond, she opened the door and left.

The next morning, Sasuke awoke feeling strangely refreshed and he didn't like it. He knew that a dreamless sleep meant he wasn't waking up every few hours fighting for his life like he had been doing for the past few months. However it also meant that he wasn't engaging in conversation with his mother or father anymore. Sasuke knew it would take some time to come to terms with it. He noticed that sometime over the night, his IV had been removed and his body didn't feel so numb. His wound wasn't as bad as he originally thought and was glad that he was able to leave without having to break out of the hospital this time.

His door slid open and in walked Tsunade with a bright smile. Behind her was an emotionless Hyuuga Neji. Sasuke always figured they were quite similar; they both lost loved ones and had plenty of hardships throughout life which caused them to excel in their ninja abilities but that didn't mean he had to like him. Sitting up, Sasuke followed Tsunade with those dark eyes.

"I can go, right?" He was clearly ignoring the Hyuuga because it only made him think of Hinata and how today was the day she would be sworn in. Neji didn't seem to be fazed by it. Tsunade nodded as she looked down at his chart.

"Yeah, yeah, but first I'd like to remove that nasty chakra from your body." She said referring to the root of the curse mark that remained in his chakra flow. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders not really caring too much about it anymore.

"Does it really matter now that the dreams are gone?"

"Yes, Uchiha… we just want to make sure it's all done and over with. Are you able to stand?" She asked, and he prayed that his legs wouldn't be wobbly in front of Neji. The last thing he needed was to look stupid. Sasuke managed to get his feet slowly keeping in mind it had been a few days since he applied weight to his legs. Standing in front of the Fifth Hokage, he felt a slight twinge of pain from the wound on his back which was of course wrapped in gauze.

"Alright, Neji, can you help me out?" Tsunade said and Neji stepped forward. Without a word, he called forth his Byakugan, and after a few minutes of almost unbearable silence, he seemed to of fallen into deep concentration.

"The chakra begins in the upper shoulder and circulates throughout the main system. It's just one big cycle." Neji said quietly. Tsunade nodded.

"Do you mind taking off your shirt?" She asked, to which he did with help due to his wounds and bandages. "Okay, now hold still." With his back facing her, Tsunade formed several different hand seals.

"Dark Chakra Extraction," Tsunade said before lightly placing her palm down on the exact spot where Orochimaru had branded him so many years ago. Neji was watching with his Byakugan still active, and Sasuke suddenly felt a strange tingling sensation throughout his body. Dark chakra began to ball up underneath her palm as it was being pulled from his chakra streams. It didn't cause any pain to Sasuke, but he began to feel light headed, as if she was taking all of his energy with it. His knees began to shake against his own will and he squeezed his eyes shut.

"How does it look, Neji?" Tsunade said sharply as the ball of chakra had grown to the size of an orange into her hand. Neji narrowed his eyes for further concentration.

"I do not detect any more of the chakra from the curse mark." He said through gritted teeth. Neji had to really dive in deeper into Sasuke's chakra to make sure that all of it was really out. Tsunade nodded as she pulled the dark ball of chakra from his body. Looking over at the Hyuuga, she held it out to him.

"Remember what I taught you?" She asked and he nodded as he released the Byakugan. From the pockets of his pants, Neji revealed what to the normal person would consider a paper bomb. And in essence, it was, but it was a special chakra bomb specifically made for disposing of poisonous chakra such as the kind in her hand. Tsunade held the ball of chakra firmly and with the paper bomb in his fingers, he formed four different seals before slapping it on the roots of the curse mark.

"Seal," Neji said and the paper bomb grew larger so that it wrapped completely around the ball before imploding. Tsunade looked down at her hand and was satisfied when nothing but a puff of smoke remained. Tsunade smiled and dusted off her hands.

"Good job, Neji." She said and he nodded. Sasuke turned around warily, and began to stumble. Neji caught the Uchiha before he face planted on the floor and he was careful of the wound he had as well. Sasuke would have rather broken his nose in 8 different places then be 'saved' by him.

"Get off… I don't need your help." Sasuke murmured as he struggled and Neji frowned looking over at Tsunade.

"It's normal. His body was relying on the powerful chakra for some time now, and even though it wasn't much, it was strong enough to knock the wind out of him." She said and smiled gently. Neji helped Sasuke over to the bed where he could sit down to recollect himself.

"I need to grab your release forms Uchiha, so if you leave before I get back, I can guarantee I'll give you a reason to stay in this hospital longer." Tsunade warned before opening the door to leave. Neji stood up and looked down at Sasuke who was starting to feel more aware of his surroundings. They were both silent, and he was beginning to get irritated.

"Get out." He said. Sasuke hated Neji and he hated his uncle, too. In fact, he decided right then and there that he hated almost the entire Hyuuga clan. Maybe it was a little of old feelings knowing that the Uchiha's and Hyuuga's always had their differences, but it was mainly because of how they treated Hinata like garbage and were now throwing her into such a position to where she was surely to fail. He knew that Hinata could thrive but only around supportive people. Sasuke knew her spirit would die out if she was constantly under the scrutiny of her father and the entire clan. Hinata wasn't like Naruto, who could work off little to no support systems. Neji crossed his arms at the sudden demand. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't hesitate to leave, but there was something he had to say.

"Hinata-san has formally asked for your presence during the ceremony tonight." He said. Sasuke thought about laughing at that statement. He also thought about punching Neji square in the face but he still felt weak from the extraction. Instead, he rubbed his forehead.

"I'll pass." Sasuke said and kept his gaze firmly away from the Hyuuga's. It wasn't that he didn't want to go because of her, but mainly because he knew that she needed to concentrate on more important things. Besides, Sasuke would feel incredibly out of place. Neji closed his eyes almost out of frustration.

"I understand you may feel it's a waste of your time, however, this is something very important to Hinata-san. For once, stop thinking of yourself and think of her." That prompted Sasuke to stand up suddenly out of anger as he leaned in Neji's face. They were both about the same height, so it wasn't as intimidating as Sasuke thought it would be.

"Stop acting like you know everything about me. I love her more than anyone in that entire fucking clan does and-"

"If you love her, then you should be there for her big day." Neji interrupted calmly and stared him down. "Contrary to what you think about us, we love Hinata-san dearly. She was here every day to see you in the hospital on top of preparing for the ceremony and continuing her daily training. Her spirit is slowly dwindling but every time you are mentioned, her eyes light up. Upon hearing you had awoken yesterday, she smiled for the first time in a week. I hope you can reconsider and be there to see her off." Sasuke was silent as those words sunk in. She came to see me…? Neji's voice seemed sincere enough, not that he needed that to seal the deal. He sat back down on the bed and stared at the floor.

It was the bitter taste of being wrong again that plagued him and he felt somewhat stupid as he had basically 'been told' by Neji. It was true, however, that Hinata had sacrificed a lot for the Uchiha and he in return hadn't done much. There was still a lot for him to learn, and that was part of the problem; Sasuke thought he knew it all hence when he was wrong, it felt so bad. He wondered how his life would have turned out if his clan was still alive. Would he always be so bitter and angry? Perhaps he would be a Jounin by now…maybe even married. It took a lot of strength and will power to look into Neji's eyes.

"What time do I need to be there?"

Hinata's world was a whirlwind of people. The past few weeks had been enough to make even the calm and collected Shino start to sweat. Her schedule was filled to the brim from morning until night, literally; attending council meetings, pouring over scrolls of documents and making sure Sasuke didn't die in his sleep was difficult on her. When she awoke noticing blood through Sasuke's shirt, Hinata went into panic mode, gathering an almost grown adult male in her small arms and bringing him to the hospital.

She blamed herself for falling asleep. Normally she would wake up every few minutes to make sure Sasuke was alright or if he needed to be woken up. This time there were no signs of anything wrong until she woke up seeing the blood. Hinata would have lost her mind if he had died on her watch. When Neji told her he had woken up a few days later, she felt a sudden wave of relief. She had visited him every day when she could; between meetings or training sessions Hinata would stop in and just watch him sleep like before. Tsunade mentioned that they were keeping a close eye on his brain waves and were unable to detect the genjutsu. A nurse was in his room for 24 hours straight just monitoring him, but Tsunade had a hunch that the genjutsu was sealed.

Unfortunately, she didn't have much extra time to think of Sasuke as the Hyuuga clan was preparing for a huge ceremony to retire Hyuuga Hiashi and name Hinata as the leader. Aunts and cousins and even her sister Hanabi were frolicking around her in a room, running brushes and combs through her long dark hair.

"Ahh, Hinata-san you're going to look so beautiful." One of her aunts remarked as her hair was rolled up in a bun. She tried to smile politely, but another aunt was already beginning to put color onto her lips. Hinata wasn't used to all the attention or all of the beautifying processes that she was going through. Even though her life had always been under a microscope as the heir and Hiashi's daughter, she never thought much to be anything other than herself. Hanabi always poked fun at her saying she had such an opportunity to flaunt herself since everyone was looking. However, anyone who knew the Hyuuga girl would say that she was anything but attention-seeking. In fact, when her admirations were still on the jinchuuriki, she would even avoid him just to save herself the embarrassment.

After almost an hour of this, Hinata began to feel claustrophobic. There were too many people surrounding her at once, their voices getting louder by the second at how beautiful Hinata looked in her ceremonial kimono, which was longer and less colorful than the one she wore to the wedding. She stood awkwardly in front of her aunts and cousins almost completely outside of her comfort zone. Hanabi smiled as she approached her.

"You look beautiful." She whispered and reached up to smooth down a stray hair that had gotten out of the bun.

"Um… do you think I could get some fresh air?" Hinata asked as she fidgeted. Hanabi raised her eyebrow in surprise. Had it of been her, Hanabi would be soaking this up with every last drop. However, she understood her sister's uncomfortableness and grabbed her hand to lead her to the wooden walkway outside.

Before Hinata could welcome the cold breeze, both girls were surprised to see small snowflakes falling from the clouds above. Hinata watched the flakes slowly dance in the breeze and she looked over to her sister.

"Wow… it's snowing!" She said. They stood there for a few moments, just watching and listening. The sound of the snow always calmed her, which Neji teased her about once as children. Snow doesn't make sound! But Hinata always thought the howling of the wind and the beauty of the emptiness around them was nice. She remembered as a little girl the one time it did snow in Konoha; she had looked up at the sky as the snow swirled around her. Everything was so crisp, fresh and clean. Hinata recalled Neji trying to catch a snow flake on his tongue, and she followed suit. Pretty soon, all of the younger Hyuuga's were standing outside trying to see what snow tasted like, much to the disappointment of the elders.

Hanabi grinned as she reached out to watch a snow flake flutter onto her open palm. Hinata bent down to pick up a small amount of snow that hard formed on the walkway and tossed it over at her sister. She squealed in surprise, and scooped some snow up herself, threatening to throw it on her ceremonial kimono.

"Watch it, sis! You wouldn't want snow to ruin your big night, do you?" Hanabi said with a smirk. Hinata laughed, but that smile slowly faded as the realization of how the rest of her life was going to be sunk in. Hinata would no longer be able to go on simple missions, as she would have plenty to do at home. She would no longer be able to see Sasuke or many of her friends whenever she felt like it. Life was going to be changing for her drastically and she wondered if it was for the better. Maybe the top position would help with her lack of confidence. Hanabi watched her curiously, as she dropped the handful of snow.

"Are you nervous?" She asked suddenly and Hinata looked over at her.

"C-Can you tell?"

"Just a little." Hanabi laughed lightly, her breath fogging up in front of her. "You'll do fine."

"Yeah, I suppose, but that isn't w-what I'm really worried about." Hinata confessed before rubbing her lips together, not used to the lip stick. Her thoughts had wandered back to Sasuke and the unknown status of their relationship. He was the only familiar and stable thing that she had to cling onto, and he might not even be there rooting her on. Hanabi frowned.

"He's just a guy. He'll get over it… besides, this is way more important. It's your clan… your family. Some of us would kill to be in your position." Hinata looked over at her sister at that last comment and stiffened her stance. She wanted this… It did cross her mind a few times that perhaps Hanabi would have been a better candidate to take over, but it never really occurred that Hanabi would even want it. She always talked about missions and adventures, so Hinata never thought much of it. To her, Sasuke wasn't just a boy… He was someone she could talk to about anything and get a truly honest response in return. He was someone who she could just lay with and not have worry about coming up with small talk. He was also someone she could spar with, without having to worry about looking weak. Before she could say anything, the door behind them slid open.

"Hinata-san… it's almost time." One of her aunts warned and her stomach began to tie itself into a knot with nerves. She nodded going back inside.

The next few minutes were blurry. Hinata had never felt so nervous in her life. Of course passing the exams at the Academy was always something to worry about, but at least she could prepare herself for it by going through her notes and past experiences. Hinata had no idea what to expect or if her wobbly legs would even make it to the large banquet room in the mansion. She vaguely remembered going through the practice run the night before and the things that she was supposed to say. As they approached the two big doors to enter into the banquet room full of people, Hinata suddenly forgot everything she was supposed to do or say. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I can do this… Mother… I hope I can make you proud. Deep within her body, a new wave of confidence seemed to surge through her and she stood up straighter almost embracing the following few moments.

"Ready?" Hanabi whispered to her and she nodded.

"Yes." The big doors were pushed open, and the room seemed to take her breath away. The decorations around the room were so beautiful and traditional, with red Japanese lanterns and cherry blossoms. However, the decorations couldn't keep her eyes away from the amount of people in the room, who were all kneeling on pads, waiting for Hinata to arrive. Using some of her newly found courage, she pushed forward, seeing her father Hiashi and the entire Hyuuga counsel at the front of the room. The room was silent as she walked, with Hanabi behind her. It was so quiet that the beating of her heart was getting distracting, but Hinata didn't show it on her face.

As she reached the front of the room, Hinata stood in front of the sitting counsel before bowing gently. She then turned to greet her father, who had stood up to tower over her. Hinata could feel the confidence in her fighting to retreat as the stern eyes of the clan seemed to watch her every move. For a small moment, she decided to see if there was a certain person in the crowd. She had requested Uchiha Sasuke to be there and Hinata almost hoped he wasn't. He would be able to detect her nervousness right off the bat. Her eyes scanned the faces; she saw Neji sitting down in the group of the Branch House who were staring intently at her. However, there was someone who looked very out of place: The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade with her bright blonde hair, sat in front as well. She gave a supportive smile to Hinata who only nodded gently.

Hinata suddenly felt his presence. Sasuke stood in the back of the large room, leaning up against the back wall with his arms crossed. His dark and mysterious eyes seemed to be staring right at her and she even noticed he had put on a nice set of robes. Her heart ached in her chest and the only thing she wanted to do was run up and throw her arms around him. The last time she saw Sasuke was in the hospital from almost dying in his sleep.

"Hyuuga Hinata." One of the elders snapped her from her thoughts as she looked over. Hiashi frowned, knowing that she wasn't fully paying attention. Hinata turned her back to the crowd and bowed.

"Hai." She had never been so happy in her life than knowing she was able to suppress a stutter at such an important time. The main elder stood up, and walked slowly over to both of them.

"As the heir to the Hyuuga clan, you have been summoned to take over the position of the leader for the clan. As today marks your 18th birthday, you are now of age to take your father's place."

Sasuke did show up, just like he had promised Neji. With arms crossed, he wasn't really paying any attention to what was happening at the front of the room. The urge to just walk out had weighed on his mind for the past 10 minutes. This wasn't what he wanted. When Hinata had entered the room, he noticed a new confidence in her that he'd never seen. She was beautiful, graceful, and something about the way she walked made him seem like this was what she truly wanted. Sasuke watched gloomily as her father turned to look at crowd. Hinata also turned, her eyes staring directly at him. He mustered up the strength to smile at her, which he noticed even prompted a blush on her cheeks. Well, she deserves this. Hyuuga… you worked damn hard. Congratulations… Sasuke pushed his weight from the wall and quietly slid open the door to exit the room. The voices of the elder's began to blur in Hinata's head as her eyes watched Sasuke leave. Sasuke-kun…

Sasuke walked slowly from the Hyuuga mansion, deciding that it was too hoity-toity for him. All of the hallways were the same, decorated with such traditional ways. Things were too different there, and he needed a breath of fresh air. He certainly felt out of place, and more than one Hyuuga had given him dirty looks, to which he only returned. The air was quiet as he stood outside of the mansion, just watching the snowflakes fall. She doesn't need me there. She's got everything she'd ever need… what can I offer her?

Sasuke had had his fair share of predicaments in his life, whether it was breaking bones in his body or mastering a very difficult jutsu. He had never had such a problem that involved a woman, so it was very confusing for him. There was always a solution to everything—broken bones get splinted and jutsu's do eventually get learned to perfection. He was never good with his feelings so maybe it was a good thing that they went their separate ways. They never did discuss that part, mainly because they were so focused on Sasuke's dreams.

He knew that he would never find anyone else that was comparable to her; Hyuuga Hinata was a woman all her own. There were many Sakura's and certainly many Ino's around the village just begging to spend the night in his arms, but there was only one Hinata. Sasuke wanted something he really couldn't have, and in retrospect, he had no right to tell her otherwise. He knew that she was heir, and he even agreed for her to take it, but that didn't mean he didn't feel depressed about it.

Sasuke reached out to catch a snowflake in his open palm and looked at it closely. He didn't have much time to observe it as it melted into a droplet. Sasuke decided it was time to go; time to rip off the band-aid to make it quick and painless. He began to walk away from the Hyuuga mansion and down 'their road', which only made it worse. His thoughts carried him back to when they first began to spend time together… back when his district was nothing but crumbled rocks. She stuck with him from the foundation up, and here he was giving up. He angrily tried to think of something better; something more productive like training or how he needed to sharpen his ninja tools.

Snow was beginning to collect in his hair, but it didn't seem to bother him. He stopped walking, and put his hands in the pockets of his robes. Sasuke just listened to the sound of the snow falling and how everything was so quiet. Suddenly he thought he heard something.

"Sasuke-kun!" He turned around to see Hinata sprinting down the road at him, her long kimono dragging in the accumulating show beneath her feet. Surprised, he opened his arms as she leaped into him, her small arms wrapping around his neck loosely. Not even the pain in his wound could stop him from wrapping his arms around her.

"Hinata!" He said as he held her close. Sasuke could feel a small sob coming from her chest as she cried into his shoulder.

"What are you doing here!?" Sasuke said, pulling her back and gripping her shoulders. Strands of hair were falling from her bun and the make-up was beginning to get smeared as tears ran down her porcelain cheeks. He decided that she could look beautiful no matter what she did.

"I…I couldn't do it." She whispered as snowflakes began to land on her hair and eye lashes. Sasuke stared at her dumb founded.

"What? Why!?" Sasuke asked almost angrily. She looked away as if she was embarrassed for her actions. He wasn't sure why he was angry; because she ruined a perfect opportunity to learn a lot or because Hinata actually settled on someone like him.

"I couldn't bear to b-be without you." He wasn't sure if it was the cold or the softness of her voice that sent goose bumps up his arms. Sasuke never would have guessed in a million years that she would have just left an official clan ceremony just for him. They stood there for what seemed like an eternity before Sasuke pulled her back to him. Her arms wrapped around his body as she rested her head on his chest. Hinata, of course, was wary of the wound that he had suffered just a few days before hand.

"You shouldn't have done that," grunted Sasuke. He figured he was on the 'hit list' with Hiashi again and could only imagine the looks Neji would now shoot him, but Sasuke just simply did not care anymore.

"I-It was my choice… I should have realized sooner." Hinata said gently, before pulling back to look up at him. "I love my clan, but…" Her voice trailed off and Sasuke cupped her cheek in his hand just staring into her light eyes. His stomach felt strange like he would burst from the seams in anticipation.

"Well?"

"…I love you more." Sasuke had heard those words 'I love you' before, from his family members and from Sakura. When a family member said it, it wasn't very sentimental because it had always been implied. When Sakura said it, it was loosely based on childish infatuation. When Hinata said those words, it erupted a feeling from the bottom of his toes that seemed to shoot straight to his brain and warmed his cheeks.

"You have no idea, Hyuuga…" Sasuke mumured then leaned down to kiss those lips that he had missed so much. She leaned up on her tippy toes to push into the kiss harder and all the weight of the past few weeks came crashing down. In her mind, the Hyuuga clan would have only suffered with Hinata as a leader; she knew her strengths and her weaknesses. She might still be a child at heart, always looking for the puddles in the rain to dance through. She might even still be too innocent to know that Sasuke was who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, but the one phrase that looped in her mind was something her mother told her many years ago: Happiness often sneaks through a door you did not think was open.