A/N: Here are the other two short stories. After this the story will continue with Chapter Five and so on! Please note I moved the current Chapter Five forward to be after these stories. It just made more sense that way.

The Orange Daimyo: Lost Years

Hanabi's Heist

"Match to Hanabi. Good job Hanabi. You are both dismissed."

Hanabi cringed inwardly as her father praised her and not Hinata. It had, in her opinion, been a very close match. The pair of sisters fell into step with one another as they left the training hall. As always after their father's cold demeanor, Hinata had a faraway look in her eyes. Hanabi nudged her sister. "I think you did great, Hina! Your footwork was amazing today; like, I couldn't even track it half the time."

Her older sister smiled weakly. "Thanks Hana. You did great as always!"

The brunette kunoichi let out a slight sigh. Hinata was always so sincere in her praise, even when it was describing her own loss. Sincerity aside, the smile didn't quite extend all the way to Hinata's eyes. Hanabi pouted as her sibling excused herself and hurried off to her quarters. Hinata had been very down lately and today seemed worse than the usual post-spar blues.

The wooden door to her room squealed as Hanabi roughly pushed it open. Her father's attitude annoyed her, and now because of his coldness, she'd probably have to waste the afternoon with extra training instead of relaxing with her sister. Kicking her shoes off, she flopped onto her futon, wishing that there was a way to cheer up her sister…

In a sudden flash of creative genius, Hanabi formulated a plan to punish her father and cheer up here sister in one go! But this plan would require, erm, planning, and it was also require help. With a new mission in mind, the younger heiress hopped off her bed energetically and threw her shoes back on. She ran past several clan members on her way out. "Later guys," she called over her shoulder, "going to go train outside."

No one batted an eyelash as she dashed out of the compound. They were used of this behavior by now, even if they questioned why Hiashi tolerated it. Hanabi didn't really care what they thought though, and for the time being she was too focused on her goal to notice any sidelong glances or whispers.

Her first priority was finding people who would help her pull this stunt off. They had to be decent shinobi and they had to be people brave enough to do something kind of reckless inside the Hyuga compound.

She had a pair of people in mind, and they turned out to be easy enough to find. "Yo!"

Two heads looked up from training, and one let out an immediate hiss. "Hanabi, Hanabi, what are you doing here? How did you find us?" Kiba lamented.

"Byakugan, duh."

"It is likely that if you have tracked us down, you would like to request our assistance in something."

Shino always got straight to the point, albeit with roundabout speech. "Yeah, I need help with something and before you say no," she glanced at Kiba, "it's not for me, it's for Hinata."

Kiba frowned and his eyebrows came together, but he didn't leave. He sat down beside Akamaru and glanced up at his teammate's little sister. "Fine, I'll at least listen."

When both of her sister's teammates were given her their undivided attention, she started outlining her idea. "Hinata has been really down lately. I'm sure you guys have noticed it too. I have a plan to cheer her up, but I can't do it by myself."

Shino tilted his head to the side. "I have noticed that Hinata's mood has been significantly lower than usual these past couple weeks. What do you propose?"

"Well, I think there is a book we have to find. I've tried to get my hands on it before, but as a solo operation it doesn't work out very well. My father's study is too…"

"Wait, wait wait! You want to take something from your DAD?! He's like the scariest dude there is!"

Hanabi glared at Kiba, "hear me out why don't you! This is important!"

Kiba let out an overblown sigh, but stopped talking.

"Now," Hanabi began, "as I was saying, my father's study is too hard to get into without someone keeping guard. I need to get at some of his council notes. My dad is meticulous about keeping notes from all of his meetings, from the Hyuga clan ones to the big-time-our-advice-is-helping-the-Hokage ones."

"I'm not seeing how this helps Hinata?"

"I'm getting to that bit!" the brunette kunoichi huffed.

"Allow to her to speak, Kiba."

"You know who Hinata had a big crush on right?"

"You'd have to be an idiot not to notice," Kiba rolled his eyes, and Shino answered the question for them both.

"Hinata had feelings for Naruto. But Naruto has been gone for two years. I am not sure why this fact can help us in our quest to improve Hinata's mood currently."

"Believe me when I say that she still likes him. I'm sure of it." Hanabi didn't say so, but she had looked through Hinata's journal once, and she found the small note that her sister had left on the back page.

Kiba whistled. "Wow. I never thought she liked him that much to still be pining for him after two years. Not sure what she sees in the weird goofball either."

The youngest shinobi nodded. "Yeah that makes two of us. But anyway, I'm sure that my father knows where that Uzumaki boy went. He was at the council meetings in the couple days before the announcement that Naruto would be leaving. I'm sure that he must have the location written down somewhere in his top secret council notes!"

The two older boys pondered this for a moment. Like always, Kiba was the first to speak. "Okay, I see your point. That would definitely put Hinata into a good mood. But how are we going to get the notes?"

"Hmm. Well I'll need a distraction, and a guard. Someone is going to have to take my father's attention away for several minutes and someone else has to guard the room and watch out for signals from the distracting person that my father is headed back to his rooms. I'm probably the best candidate for sneaking into the rooms."

"I believe that I can distract your father for a long enough length of time for you to find your notes."

Kiba ran a hand though his wild hair. "I guess that just leaves me to be a guard. Ugh."

Once everyone's roles were decided, the trio began discussing and refining Hanabi's original roughed in plan. It only took about an hour for the three shinobi to have a solid plan of attack on how they were going to get the book from Hiashi's study.

Hiashi was sitting in his study writing up his notes from the latest clan meeting. The head of the Hyuga clan liked organization, and he liked to be able to go back and reflect on what had happened in previous meetings if the topics were coming up again. Overall, he found them to be a necessary tool in running the clan and being an important member of the Hokage's council. He was just finishing up his latest round of notes when a serving man knocked on the door. "There is someone in the front hall to see you, Lord Hyuga."

"Hmm. Who is it?"

"An Aburame child. One of Lady Hinata's teammates, I believe."

The clan head frowned. What would one of Hinata's teammates want with him? Hiashi pushed himself up from the chair and headed toward the entrance hall. As the servant had said, Aburame Shino stood in the hallway. The child stood somewhat stiffly, but this one unsurprising. Hinata's teammate was certainly an odd adolescent.

"What is it that I can do for you, Shino, is it?"

"Yes sir. I have come here today because I would like to ask you a question, namely, what your requirements would be for a person from another Konoha clan to court your eldest child."

Hiashi's face hardened. This child had a very odd way of speaking. "Do you mean to ask me what my requirements would be for you to date Hinata?" he asked the young ninja, incredulous.

"It would not be expressly for my benefit, although I do admit that I would like to have a clearer understanding myself on the off chance that any affection I feel for my esteemed teammate arises."

Hiashi wasn't sure where to begin in addressing this utterly strange request, but he attempted to make it clear that Hinata would be a very difficult kunoichi to court. This was of course, because she was mostly likely slated for an arranged marriage, but this wasn't information that he could give out randomly, and especially not to his daughter's closest comrades. The Aburame ninja didn't seem to fully understand what he was saying and Hiashi began to get frustrated as he explained himself a second time to the younger man. In his agitated state, he didn't notice a small sliver bug slip away from behind his visitor's leg.

Kiba watched from outside Hanabi's window as a bright silver-ish light flashed three times from outside the front door of the compound. "That's Shino's signal! I guess he's got your dad occupied, so let's get going."

The Inuzuka followed the petite brunette through the Hyuga compound. Between her Byakugan and his nose, they were able to easily avoid being seen by anyone else in the house. Despite his best efforts, Kiba was finding this little 'mission' to be fun! You could even say that he had infiltrated the Hyuga compound…

If he was completely honest though, he wanted to know what happened to Naruto as much as anyone else in their Konoha. He had gone from the dead last of their year, to someone that had made it through to the main event of the Chunin exams and then had been offered some gig to help a bunch of foreigners? Like who wouldn't be super curious about that? And besides, Hinata was one of his closest friends. He wanted to help her out.

Hanabi glanced around a corner and turned back toward him. "Coast is clear. We're almost there!"

Kiba nodded and followed Hanabi down a hallway. It was a quiet hallway, probably because people wanted to avoid the wrath of disturbing Hiashi. "Okay, we're here. Stand guard and lemme know if anyone's coming."

Sniffing the air, Kiba shook his head. "Get going then Hana-shrimp, I don't smell anyone close by."

Hanabi jiggled the handle to her father's study; it was locked. "Hurry up Hanabi!" Her guard said, irritated. The young Hyuga rolled her eyes at Kiba antics and summoned a pair of chakra needles. She fiddled with them in the lock until there was a very satisfying and loud click.

Kiba raised his eyebrows at her. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

The young kunoichi shrugged. "Hinata taught me how to use chakra needles."

"Um, I was talking about the lock picking."

"Konohamaru."

"What?! Where'd that weird little ankle-biter learn that?"

"Don't know, why don't you quiz him about it? Anyway pay attention to the hallway; you're not doing a very good job of guarding!"

Kiba scowled and crossed his arms as Hanabi opened the door and slipped inside. She grinned. She was so close! Now which book would hold those notes? Her heart thumped in her chest as she looked around the reasonably sized study. It was very organized but it was packed to the brim with scrolls, books and stacks of papers.

She started with the far wall, and flipped though all the papers searching for the dates. She frowned. Most of these were from before she was even born! She needed something more current. She dashed to the other side of the wall, but the newest thing on this wall was around a month prior. It was far too new to be of use. Frustrated, Hanabi turned to the desk.

Hiashi's desk was a massive wooden carving filled with many drawers and small compartments. Scrambling now, Hanabi opened and closed every drawer she could get her hands on. The drawers seemed to contain everything that she didn't need to find: pens, ink wells, plain scrolls, and even the occasional kunai and shuriken. That's when she spotted it. It was a spot on the desk that was large enough for a drawer, but didn't have a handle. Instead, it had a very ornate part of the carved art covering the portion of the desk. Peering at in intensely, she found a small nook the she could barely get her fingers into. With a fairly heavy yank, the dusty secret door came free.

Hanabi's heart surged with excitement! This had to be it! This had to be where her father hid all his best secrets! She so insanely curious that she put her face right into the dust plume and was rewarded with…an empty drawer and a vicious sneeze. Hanabi almost shrieked in frustration. She didn't have much time left before her father sent Shino away, she was sure of it!

Before her irritation got the better of her, she noticed something off about the compartment. She peeked around the corner and noticed that the drawer wasn't as deep as the desk was. Excitement renewed, Hanabi summoned another chakra needle and began fishing at the end of the compartment for a false back. After a minute or two of struggle, the needle gained purchase and she pulled the back off the compartment.

She held her breath. There was only one thing sitting in the hidden compartment, and it looked like it could be a book. Whatever it was, it was wrapped in thin white paper. She reached in and grabbed it, feeling victorious and rebellious all at once. This victory was short lived however, because just as soon as she'd placed the hidden wall back in the right spot, she heard Kiba's worried voice through the door.

"Get out of there Hanabi! I just got a scent signal from one of Shino's beetles! Your dad could get back at any moment, hurry up!"

Heart in her throat, Hanabi all but slammed the drawer shut and slipped back out of the office. "I got it, come on, let's go!"

Kiba followed Hanabi down the corridor in a mad rush to get out of sight of Hiashi's office door. They turned a corner and then jumped out an open window into the garden grounds. "Well? What'd you get Hana-shrimp?"

Hanabi pulled the white-wrapped book out of her jacket's hidden pocket. "I found this in a hidden compartment in a hidden drawer! It's gotta be secrets right?"

Her older friend scratched his chin. "You're probably right. I mean, if it was that hidden, it's got to be important. Maybe it's a book of village secrets?" The pair stood awkwardly for a moment before Kiba broke the silence. "Are you going to read it and tell her? Or are you going to just give her the book?"

Hanabi pondered it for a moment and decided that she would give Hinata the whole book. "Hinata is way more trust worthy than us if there are other village secrets in here. I'll just give the whole thing to her."

Kiba's disappointment showed on his face but he grudgingly agreed with his teammate's sister. "Well I better go meet up with Shino. He's probably sulking that we've been chatting about this without him."

Hanabi nodded. "Thanks for the help Kiba. Thank Shino for me too, okay?"

Kiba's hard expression fell. "Yah, I'll do that Hanabi. I look forward to training with a cheerful Hinata, kay?" he ruffled Hanabi's hair before jumping off branches to get over the Hyuga compound wall.

Hanabi was then left standing in the rapidly darkening garden, holding a very precious book in her hands. Tucking the book back into her jacket, Hanabi headed back inside. She'd have to find a way to get the book the Hinata…maybe later tonight? She pondered the next step of her scheme as she headed back towards her rooms, feeling confident that she'd be giving her sister the best gift ever.

The Orange Daimyo: Lost Years

Letters to the Darkest Sea

Hinata lay awake with her mind churning, unable to sleep. Most nights, missions or training left her exhausted and able to fall asleep instantly, despite her anxious nature. Today had been a rare day off aside from one spar with Hanabi and while it had been a comfortable, restful day, she was now plagued with a very alert brain. She had retired to bed over an hour ago, and she was still wide awake. She flipped onto her side and watched the light streaming in from under the door begin to fade. The beam of light broke as the occasional servant walked past the closed door. Her eyelids began to get heavy.

She was only moments from sleep when she saw another pair of footsteps go past her door. There was a muffled noise, and a small, flat package was slipped under the door. This shocked Hinata back to wakefulness, and she watched warily as the light footsteps faded as they got further down the hallway.

Lying still in bed, Hinata waited until she was relatively certain that the footsteps were not returning. She slowly peeled back her blankets and padded barefoot to the doorway. The package was small, rectangular, and covered in a few thin sheets of white paper. The raven haired kunoichi picked up the package with great care before returning to the comfortable confines of her bed. She stared at the package for a moment or two before deciding to tear off the white paper. She began to gently peel back the paper, revealing dark blue leather. It was a book of some kind. Curious, she turned the book over and then dropped it with a quiet squeak. There was only one word inscribed in the front cover, in golden coloured inlay: Hanako. This book at belonged to her mother.

The heiress swallowed thickly as she peered at the book now resting peacefully on her pillow. Further investigation showed that the book was a diary or something similar. Hinata had only a few clear memories of her mother and even fewer objects that had belonged to her. She had always wished she could have just one conversation with her loving, kind mother now that she was older, and now she had her diary. Any drowsiness that had fallen over her earlier was completely washed away.

Wrapping herself in her blanket, Hinata flicked on a lamp, and turned to the first page of the diary. In the shaky lettering of a young child there was a small introduction by her mother:

This diary belongs to Hanako! Nobody else is allowed to read this!

The message made her smile, but the smile fell slightly as she thought more about it. Had her father read these pages? She wondered again who had slipped this package under her door. Pushing these thoughts to the back of her mind, she flipped over the page to find the first real entry:

Hi diary, I'm Hanako and I'm going to write in you all the time! Today my mommy took me to the market and I got to shop with her. I saw this pretty blue book and mommy bought it for me. I think you kinda look like the sea, diary. After shopping we had dinner with granny and dad. I showed them this book and told them that they can't ever read it! I hope they listen. Goodnight diary!

Hinata smiled at the childish entry and flipped the page again. The writing on this page was quite a bit more stable and this time, it was dated. Deftly doing the calculations, she figured her mother was about eleven years old for the next entry.

Hello again diary, I'm sorry it's been so long. I haven't been as diligent as I thought I would be. Today my teacher explained to us why deep water always looks navy or black. She said that the ocean is so deep that the light from the sun can't reach the bottom and that's why the ocean is full of secrets. For some reason, this made me think of you diary: an ocean blue book full of secrets. I'm probably still not going to write to you all the time diary, but I promise I'll come to you when I have things to say or secrets to tell to the darkest oceans.

Hinata's smile widened with this entry. Some of the more outspoken branch family clan members had spoken to her about her mother – far more than her father ever did – and they told her that her mother had been a quiet but eloquent woman. To see it in writing was almost overwhelming. The entry itself had almost a poetic quality to it, especially when ink itself was woven into such lovely, looping handwriting.

Gently closing the book, Hinata stretched in her bed. It was very late by now, but she was wide awake. She debated trying to sleep once again, but she doubted that she'd be very successful with that plan. She was far too excited. With a slight smile, the dark haired girl climbed out of bed and slipped on a robe and slippers. She padded to the kitchens and soon returned with a hot cup of herbal tea. She flicked on the lamp closest to her bed again and settled in for a night of reading.

She set the steaming mug on the floor beside the futon, and cautiously flipped pages until she was at her previous spot. The next entry was dated for several months after the last one had. She guessed that her mother hadn't been kidding about not writing all the time…

Guess what diary? Today I was officially made a genin! I'm so excited. I was one of the youngest graduates this year and mother was very proud. Father said he was proud, but he seemed so stiff about it. This doesn't really surprise me though. He's been growing more distant this over the course of this year. Mother says this is due to rising tensions and that there might be another war, but I feel like there is something else…Anyway, I was placed onto a genin team today. I'm disappointed that Takara and I weren't placed on a team together, but I'm trying to look at this as a new opportunity to make more friends. I do think that I'm the most skilled of my teammates though. I know this sounds very egotistical, but I can't help it. I'm certainly calmer than Kushina is and Souta just seems too big and slow to be a good ninja. I look forward to training with them, however. Mother and father are calling me down for dinner. Until next time diary!

The next few entries were about how basic genin training was going and how Hanako was getting along with her teammates. Hinata found herself laughing quietly while her mother seemingly recounted stories to her. But the lighthearted nature of most of the entries took a turn for the more serious with an entry that was dated for about six months after Hanako had become a genin.

I promised you that I would use you to keep secrets diary, and oh my, diary I have a one for you. Kushina couldn't train today because she wasn't feeling well, so Souta and I ended up sparring in the forest training grounds by ourselves. When we took a break, he got really red and said that he liked me. I hadn't really thought of him that way, but when he looked at me with this really soft expression I felt a weird tingle in my chest. Pretty soon our faces were really close together and then we kissed! It was pretty odd feeling, but it was also sort of nice. We both got very embarrassed after, and ended up stopping training early. I can't stop thinking about it diary. Do I really like him? I hope Kushina doesn't find out. That girl is nice, but she can't keep a secret. Thanks diary, talk soon!

Hinata sighed and reread the page. It was strange to think of her mother liking someone before she had fallen in love with her father, but she supposed that it was like that for most people. She wondered if this Souta that had stolen her mother's first kiss was still around in the village. With a suppressed yawn, Hinata flipped into a new position in the bed and had a sip of her now lukewarm tea. She wanted to find out what happened between her mother and Souta…

The next few pages spanned a few months, and were mostly secret dates that Hanako and Souta went on. Reading about her mother's dates almost felt intrusive, but regardless, her mother seemed happy while she was writing. Hinata carefully flipped a page and let out an almost silent gasp. The next page has all sorts of cross outs and smudges. It looked like it had been written quickly and with heavy emotion behind it. With some deciphering, the heiress figured the date to be almost a year into her mother's genin career.

Father pulled me out of active duty today. I can't believe -. At first, I thought that he had found out about me and Souta and that he was punishing me for it, but this doesn't seem to be the case. He was the most hard and callous he has ever been to me today. He said that I needed to undergo different training and that my role and duty was no longer that of being a village protector. I can't believe that he would –I'm very disappointed with my father's actions. I think this is why he's been acting so withdrawn. He must have known this was coming. How long had – It doesn't matter. I don't know what training they have planned for me. I need to talk to Souta.

Anxious to know the rest of the story, Hinata turned over the page to find that only a day had gone by between entries, a very short time for her mother.

I got the news today diary. I'm to learn how to run a noble household; I'm to learn how to be a proper wife. I begged my mother to stop father. It's always been my dream to be a kunoichi. I also highly doubt that my being a proper wife is going to be for Souta's benefit. I can't begin to describe how furious I am diary. I've heard rumors that my husband to be has already been decided and that he's from a very prestigious clan. Father's ripping everything from me to attach our family to some larger clan? I'm disgusted with his priorities. A parent's planning should only be for their child's benefit. I swear that I'll never let this happen to my own children!

Hinata flopped back against the bed with tears stinging in her eyes. She had never longed for her mother to be alive more than this very moment. She knew that rationally her mother may not have been able to stop her father from marrying off Hanabi or herself, but it would have been nice to have someone that was on their side; someone who knew how much heartache 'going into the service of the clan' was. She also wondered what her mother had told her first love? It hadn't been mentioned in the entry.

She swallowed a lump in her throat and reached under her pillow for her own notebook. She rarely wrote in it, as she preferred to sketch, but she knew that the two words she had written on the last page of the notebook were still there. In her already emotional state she didn't dare to look at them but for some reason pulling it out made her feel closer to her mother. Her pain was so similar.

'Well, not exactly the same,' Hinata thought, sniffling a bit as the tears stopped coming. Her mother had been separated from her lover by force and made to marry someone else. The boy she loved had left their village and her feelings had definitely not been returned when he had gone. Perhaps she was luckier than her mother was after all? Perhaps she could forget Naruto and live a pleasant life as a rich man's wife? Even as she thought the words, she discounted them. It had been two years since he had gone, and the fire in her chest hadn't lessened yet. No, her eventual marriage would not be one of love. Her heart ached.

Thinking of Hanabi was like a balm on the wound. Hinata's and Hanako's dreams would live on through her as she became a strong kunoichi and a clan leader. Hanabi would be able to choose her own destiny and choose her own husband. Hinata would make sure of this. Their mother's sacrifices wouldn't be completely in vain; one of her children could be saved.

Reading the previous entry had stirred up Hinata's emotions into turmoil, and she found herself dwelling on the dark subjects she tried very hard to keep buried. Digging through a bedside table, Hinata placed a piece of ribbon into the book to mark her spot and flicked off the lamp. She lay still in the early morning darkness for a long time, mulling over the similarities between her mother's story and her own life. The sky had just been starting to hint at daybreak when she finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

Hinata awoke to one of the serving women knocking on the door. She realized that the sun was already well past the horizon. She sat up and winced; her head ached terribly. Hinata shuffled to the door with her hand on her pounding forehead. She slid the door open and instructed the women to let Neji know that she would be unable to train today. The woman was observant enough to note that Hinata was feeling unwell and kind enough to offer to bring her a food tray. Grateful for the woman's kindness, she turned around and got back into bed. She had almost fallen back asleep when the serving woman returned with breakfast.

Sitting up in bed, she picked at the food provided. She didn't have much of an appetite, but she did drink the tea. She wrinkled her nose as she sipped it. It was very hot and quite bitter but she was sure this was due to the willow bark, and she certainly couldn't refuse that. After a couple more forced swigs of medicinal tea, Hinata glanced down and saw the midnight colour of the leather bound book on her side table. Her heart sped up a bit.

Hinata was torn. On the one hand, she wanted know what happened next, but she was kind of worried about what she might find out. She had known that her parent's marriage had been arranged, but they had always seemed to care deeply about each other in her memories. Could she trust the memories of a young child? Now that the circumstances of the match had come to light, she found herself doubting them.

With a heavy sigh, Hinata placed the book on the mattress beside her and had another sip of harsh tea. She decided that she did need to know. Even if it turned out to be painful, she needed to know. Somehow, she felt that if her mother had turned out happy in her arranged marriage perhaps she could find happiness in her own. Opening the pages to the frayed pink ribbon, she began to read.

The next several entries were spaced apart by a several months at a time and they seemed somehow flat. It was as if the emotion behind the entries had been sucked away, leaving only facts without feeling. Even the loopy handwriting seemed sharper and more subdued. The short entries mostly described the new training and occasionally spoke of the tension that was ripe within the household. Much to Hinata's disappointment, Souta wasn't mentioned again. It seemed to her that perhaps some secrets couldn't be trusted to anyone, even the ocean.

The next long entry was dated for a couple years after the one she had read the previous night. This one seemed to have the emotion restored, even if that emotion wasn't exactly positive.

The day has finally come diary. I met the man I'm to be betrothed to today. It was a meeting of sorts between our two families. It was framed as some type of a friendly get together, but it wasn't hard to tell that Hyuga were there to assess whether I would be a worthy choice for their oldest son, Hiashi. I suppose my 'training' must have paid off, since they left the meeting seeming pleased. I didn't get too much of a chance to speak to Hiashi, but at first glance he seems very…serious. I suppose that he could be seen as good looking, but it was hard to tell since he kept his face so expressionless. Maybe he is being forced into this too? Father says the engagement will be announced sometime next week and that there will be a party. As unhappy as I am with the situation, I will try to make best of the engagement party. Perhaps my husband-to- be will be more interested in talking if he has some sake in him? I certainly hope so. I don't want to marry a complete stranger, after all.

Hinata picked at a pastry on the breakfast tray, feeling uncomfortable. It seemed that perhaps both her parents didn't approve of their match, at least to begin with. The next entry was dated for a week or so after the previous one.

The engagement party was tonight. The first hour or so was extremely tedious. Several members of each clan gave speeches and worst of all I had to hold Hiashi's hand the whole time. For someone with such a cold demeanor, he has very warm hands. We spoke more than I imagined we would, and it didn't even take any drinks to happen. It seems that Hiashi is pleased with the match. Perhaps it makes it easier if you've always known that you will have an arranged marriage. Regardless, he seems a decent man. It is the very least I could hope for. Our wedding will be in the next half year. I don't really know what to say about this.

It was after this entry that Hinata realized that there were only a couple pages left in the diary. She was suddenly struck by a strange terror that she might not know the end to her mother's story. With fear driving her, she quickly flipped the page to find a couple small entries describing some dates between her mother and her father as well as wedding preparations. They were short and relatively emotionless entries. She swallowed thickly. One page left.

Today was my wedding day. It was a beautiful day out, and the Hyuga spared no expense making it a grand affair. I couldn't help but be excited- what girl isn't excited at least a little bit on her wedding day? I spent nearly the entire day getting prepared with several of the Hyuga's serving women The effect served me well; I could tell that Hiashi was more than a little smitten by my bridal looks. The thing I was most afraid of was the kiss, diary. I have been worried about this moment for quite some time. I was so nervous, far, far more nervous than the time in the forest with Souta. All with worry turned out to be for nothing. I was pleasantly surprised diary because there was a still a weird tingle in my chest. It wasn't the same as the first one with my former teammate but it was a deeper, slower sort. I suppose that I've been so wrapped up in how unhappy I was with my father's decision that I missed the plain fact that I do in actually care for Hiashi. I wouldn't say that I love him, but I do respect him. He is not exuberant but he is at his core a kind man. I feel that I still have hope here. Perhaps I will find love after all.

Hinata felt tears start to form in her eyes. She gently wiped the tears in her eyes away and flipped to the backside of the page. There was a final entry there, dated for a few months after the wedding.

I am writing this note to you diary, to say that it had taken some time, but I'm very happy. I have one last secret to tell you: I'm with child. I haven't told Hiashi yet, although I'm sure that he will be as thrilled as I am. I have a very deep feeling that this child will be special. I don't think I had known the meaning of love until I learned of her existence. Oh, silly me: I feel strongly that the child is a girl, although time may still prove me wrong. Perhaps the biggest secret of them all is that this perfect child within me will have parents who love one another. I haven't yet told my husband of this either. I suppose he can find out all the good news at once, so that even his steady demeanor will be shaken up! This is my final entry diary, as after this I will have to find a new leather-bound writing companion. Thank you for being a constant friend. I shall treasure you always.

A few tears escaped Hinata's light lavender eyes and landed on the back cover of her mother's journal. It meant a lot to her that her childhood memories weren't falsified with youthful idealism; her parents had really cared about one another. She wished that her mother could see that she had given her daughter the one thing she needed right now: hope for the future. Her mother's situation seemed so much less fair than her own, and she had still found happiness within her life.

A smile crossed Hinata's face as she thought of her crush. She didn't think that she would ever forget about him, and she still felt as if her heart couldn't be shared by another man. But she did feel that she could perhaps find happiness despite these things. Her mother's story was a fantastic reminder that the world works in mysterious ways and that she really didn't know yet what her life would hold.

For the first time in many weeks, Hinata felt at peace. Placing her mother's journal onto her table and the breakfast tray on the ground, the kunoichi lay back on her bed as the late morning sun washed over her. With the sun filtering into the room, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep with a wide smile still etched on her face.

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed these shorts! Now onward with the story proper! It shouldn't be long for an update. I'm almost finished the next chapter, and would like to have it up before New Years!

I hope everyone had fantastic holidays so far! Mine have been great! :D