The hospital room was completely silent but the voices of the people could be heard from the open windows. The sunrays pooled into the dark room as the sun rose over the horizan.

A soft whimper broke the silence of the room as the beauty sleeping on the bed woke up. She winced as she suddenly felt a throbbing pain in her head.

She sat up and leaned her back against the wall. Thats when she felt another presence in the room. Her eyes shot open and focused on the man beside the window.

"S-sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke stared at her with a stoic expression and appraoched her bed.

"I left you with the others where you could be safe then why did you go there?" he said with a steady tone but Hinata could hear a hint of anger in it. She turned her head away from him and looked at her hands in her lap.

"I am s-sorry," she said quietly and her voice broke slightly but she continued, "I-I was so w-worried that I c-couldn't just let it go. I-I wanted to b-be there... to help and... a-and now Naruto-kun i-is kidnapped."

She finished and now her tears were running freely down her cheeks but she then wiped them away and said, "I a-am sorry. I was so s-scared that something h-happened to--"

Hinata stopped talking as she felt a warm hand on her cheek. She looked up and saw Sasuke gently wipping her tears away. She just sat there and stared at him as her heartbeat raced at his touch.

Sasuke then met her eyes and said, "Naruto isn't dead yet. I know where he is and I am going to bring him back."

At his words, Hinata felt relieved to hear that her dear friend was not dead.

"So stop crying. Nothing will happen to him." Sasuke said but this time he didn't meet her eyes, he looked away from her and withdrew his hand from her cheek. Hinata looked at him confusingly but then she realized what he meant.

He then looked at the window outside and said, "I have to go now. The other Kages are already here and waiting for me."

He said and started to walk towards the door but halted when Hinata suddenly said, "Wait!"

He turned and waited for her to continue. Hinata played with her fingers in nervousness but then looled up at him to meet his eyes, her cheeks flushed red.

"I... I wasn't worried about Naruto-kun. I rushed there to... to help you. I was worried about you."

Sasuke's black orbs widened at her words and he was shocked but that shock soon turned into happiness and relief. His heart wanted to brust out of happiness but he was scared that she might have meant it in another way.

Nevertheless, he smiled at her and said, "Then say something optimistic for me to hear."

Hinata reamined silent for a moment, thinking what to say to him. He shook his head at her and stepped out of the room then Hinata blurted out quickly for him to hear.

"Then... I-I will wait for your return!"

Sasuke smiled as her words reached his ears. He said nothing, he kept walking and soon he was gone. Hinata blushed at what she'd just said.

Hinata then sighed and layed back. She couldn't help but worry about Sasuke. She just wanted him to come back safe and sound.

She wanted to stop him but she knew that he have to do this all and bring back Naruto to the Village. She knew all this but still her heart ached that Sasuke was again going to face them. She sighed and closed her eyes. Soon after she drifted off to oblivion.

After some hours of sleep, she was fully awake and her wounds had also healed. Then a nurse came in and informed her that she's been discharged. Hinata was happy to know that, she wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.

Although she wanted to meet with Sakura and console her about all this but she knew that Sakura was keeping herself busy with the patients so she didn't seek her, instead she got ready to go home.

When she got dressed and went out of the hospital, a guard from the branch family was waiting for her at the gates. She went up to him and the guard bowed.

"Lady Hinata. Your father ordered me to wait for you here while you recover and then escort you back to the compound."

"Did he say anything else?" she asked. She really found it a bit odd that her father had sent an escort to bring her back. He surely did it before when she was younger but he stopped doing that once he appointed Hanabi as the heir.

The guard nodded at her question and said in a low voice, "He doesn't want anyone to find out that you were admitted in the hospital," he paused but then continued, "and injured at all."

Hinata's brows furrowed in confusion but she nodded nonetheless and followed the guard straight to the compound. When she reached the compound, she immediately went to her room but she was stopped by the thin arms wrapping around her waist.

"Hinata-nee!" Hanabi cried out as she held her sister within her grasp and buried her face against her sister's chest.

"Thank god, you are alright! I thought..." she sniffed and continued, "They wouldn't let me out, I wanted to come to your rescue!"

Hinata looked at her little sister with a tender smile and held her close. She then led Hanabi to her room and locked the door behind them.

They both sat of the bed near the window which overlooked her mother's little garden. She then wiped the tears from her little sister's face and smiled.

"Don't worry, Hanabi. Look, I am alright," she said softly to her sister. Hanabi wiped her tears and looked at her big sister as she apologized for being such a cry baby.

Hinata laughed lightly at her sister. Then they both talked about their missions and other household stuff. But after some time, Hanabi stopped talking and looked at her big sister with a promising gaze.

Then she took Hinata's hands in hers and said, "I won't let anyone harm you. I promise!"

"Hanabi..."

"I won't let them seal your eyes!" she said in a firm voice. "I will do everything in my power to stop them."

Hinata looked at her, her eyes full of sadness and worry for her little sister. She knew Hanabi wouldn't let this happen but she didn't know how to keep her away from this. Her father would know for sure and before they sealed her byakugan they'll surely won't let Hanabi to stay with her.

Hinata looked at her sister and smiled but Hanabi could tell that it was a fake one but she didn't say anything and just listened to what her sister had to say.

"Hanabi, I know you don't like it but I will be okay. We both knew that the day would come when one of us will become the member of the branch family. It is bound to happen and no one can do anything about this."

Hanabi stared at her with a pained expression and said, "So you have accepted defeat. You will not fight for it and you are ready to break your promise. How could you do that?"

She could tell that Hanabi was showing anger at the surface but deep down she was really hurt. So she decided to be honest with her sister. She rested her hand on Hanabi's shoulders and made her look in her eyes.

"Look Hanabi, I am sorry. I know you are hurt but I chose this, I chose not to be the head. Infact, I never wanted to. First, it was because I wanted to marry Naruto but now I don't even have feelings for him anymore. But I still don't want to be the head. The reason is because I want to protect you. Because I know that you are the most suitable for this and I know that you can do what I couldn't."

Her voice broke but she continued, "S-s-s-so please... Please let me protect you." Hanabi was surprised but only for a split second because she clearly knew her sister and that's exactly what she'd do.

Hanabi could only look at her sister with sadness and sorrowful eyes. She at last hung her head down in defeat. It was no use to convince her sister now. She couldn't do anything for her nii-chan.

A knock at the door broke the silence between the two sisters and they both turned to the door. A maid's voice was heard tellimg them that their father wanted to see his younger daughter in his office. At that Hanabi nodded and walked out of the room without saying anything. Hinata only stared at the door in front of her.

She spent the whole day in her room worrying about Sasuke. When it was the time for dinner, a maid came to get her but she refused. After few hours, she really couldn't stop worrying about him. She kept pacing back and forth in her room. It was now nightfall and the sound of crickets implified by the quietness of night.

She then decided to go and train to keep her mind distracted from Sasuke. She knew she had started to to develop feelings for him and they were growing by every passing second. Whenever she thought about him, her heart would swell with happiness --and fear.

She was afraid that he might not feel the same way. She was afraid and feared that she will never be able to place herself in his heart and just like that he will be gone out her reach forever. She really didn't want to lose him.

She changed into her training attire and headed to the training hall. The corridors were dark and quiet, only some of the moonlight that came through the windows illuminated the path ahead. She walked to the training hall but as soon as she turned the corner, she heard someone speaking.

She took few more steps ahead and foumd that the voices were coming out of the training hall. It was her father who was speaking. But then the other voice interrupted him. Her grandfather, also known as the Hyuga elder.

She moved close to the door of the hall and leaned against wall to conceal herself in the darkness. She now could listen their words clearly. They were arguing about something.

"How dare you, Hiashi!?" the Hyuga elder said in a loud voice. "You have been the head of this clan for more than 20 years now. You clearly know how important this is and yet you still refuse to do it!"

Hiashi remained silent, just stating at his father with a blank expression. When he didn't say anything, the elder continued.

"When she was defeated in the sparring match years ago, I told you to perform the seal but you refused. I didn't say anything at that time but now I won't listen to you. She should be branded with the cursed seal as soon as possible."

"She is still the member of the main family," Hiashi said in a stern voice.

"And she is weak!"

"She is not weak!" Hiashi snapped, "She is even stonger than me. And Hanabi."

His father looked at him like he had grown two heads and said, "What?"

Hiashi's brows furrowed when he realized that he wasnt suppose to say that so he turned away from his father and said, "It's late, father. You should go and rest."

He then started apraoching the door, so Hinata hurriedly backed away and hid behind a pillar. Her father then came out and headed to his bedroom. Soon after, the hyuga elder also left the hall and made his way to his room.

Hinata came out and headed toward her room. She now didn't want to train anymore, her head was full of their conversation. She entered her bedroom and changed into her nightclothes and then layed on the bed. Her eyes fixed on the ceiling as her mind raced with her thoughts.

Her father didn't want to brand her with the seal. But he clearly said that she will get the seal soon before Hanabi becomes the head. Was he just pressuring her to become the heiress again? What's going on?

She sighed as she kept thinking about this all. She kept turning in her bed as she could keep her mind away from all these thoughts. Eventually, it was morning now and she couldn't sleep a wink.

But then, not long after the sunrise, her eyes got heavy and she drifted off to sleep. Then she was awoken by a loud knock on the door and soon it brusted open.

"Big sister!"

Hinata jumped and sat up in her bed as she quickly held her palms in front of her, ready to attack. But then when she came to her senses, she heard Hanabi's voice.

"Big sister! Wake up!" Hanabi said as she shook her sister and held her hand to drag her out of the bed.

Hinata rubbed her eyes then said, "What's the matter Hanabi? Is everything alright?"

"Yes! Naruto and the others are back! He is alright, nee-chan!" Hanabi said with a big grin on her face. At that, Hinata perked up and immediatly stood up.

"What? When?" she asked as she held her sister shoulders. Her eyes twinkling as a happy smile made its way to her lips.

Hanabi grinned at her sister's reaction and said, "They came back in the middle of the night. So not many people knew about it. But now the whole village is happy that their hero came back home safe and sound."

"Where are they right now?"

"I don't know. Maybe at the hospital."

Hinata then grabbed her cloths and whoosed to the bathroom to freshen up and to get dressed. Hanabi could only giggle at her.She then left her sister's room and made her way to the dinning hall.

Meanwhile, Hinata quickly got ready and ran out of the compound, staright to the hospital. Her mind was racing with the thoughts of her friends, especially about him. She wanted to see him as soon as possible, wanted to know if he was alright.

She reached the hospital and asked the nurse about Naruto and others, she quickly went to the room the nurse told her about. She then knocked and opened the door, a soft smile grazing her lips. But when she opened the door, she saw all of them; Naruto, Sakura, the Kages, and even shikamaru and Temari.

Her smile dropped when she didn't found the one she was looking for.