Naruto 1. A : Alive

Midnight. Hokage's Tower.

"Tsunade-sama!" A dark haired kunoichi yelled at the blond hokage. "Let me help him!" The young female stubbornly argued with sheer willpower in her voice. "It's his last chance, and I was bonded!" Her white ferocious eyes were pricked with tears. The blond Hokage turned around and faced the young female and gave her a look.

"What bond?" The taller bustier woman stared straight into the face of the dark haired heiress. The smaller of the two looked sheepishly towards the ground, the ferocity in her eyes gone. Her young pale face was torn between crying and frustration that was clearly marring her perfect skin with worry creases.

Hinata took a deep breath and began, "He helped me a long time ago, and we created a seal so I would help him later on." The Hokage looked at the distraught young woman who looked far older now because of so many emotions written across her face. Tired and ready to give up, the Hokage gave Hinata another glance before nodding silently. Immediately, the mixed feelings of her hopeful face bloomed into a variety of expressions of joy. She smiled politely at the Hokage before bowing and leaving.

'Really, I am too old for this,' thought Tsunade.

1 AM. Former Uchiha Compound.

On the ground of the former Uchiha base lay a dark haired boy crippled by war. It was funny, he mused, that even though he was still worshipped like a god by women in Konoha, he was on a tight rope in the eyes of the law. He could easily fall into the pits of their jail cells or climb his way back to being the top and eventually become Hokage. The young man named Sasuke Uchiha simply lay there pondering life and waited for his bleeding to cease.

The war had brought many things to an end, but not the sacred compound of the Uchiha. It still stood, the walls crumbling as if it were sand in the wind, and the ceiling caving around him. He thought it nice to die where his fellow Uchiha's had gone into eternal sleep.

'I can die here.' He thought happily. 'Maybe I will be able to see brother,' he smiled at the thought of his older brother. For a time, Sasuke had hated him, but now he understood. Now, everything was different. The male closed his eyes and pulse began to slow and the wound he was still nursing bleeding more than he thought they would.

A hand, warm and smooth caressed his face with delicate fingers. He was assuming it was Sakura, but remembered the time in the past when he had grabbed her hand in the war. Sakura's hands were rough with age that was not her own. His eyelids tried to flicker open to see the owner of the hand, but he had no energy to do so.

"You're going to stay alive for me, okay, Sasuke?" A young Hyuga heiress whispered to him and hugged his body closer.


	2. B: breathe

CHAPTER 2: Breathe

Swift movement caught her eye. The tall man was in the trees and waiting upon her advance. It was obvious she was the weaker of the two because the young woman was injured and barely breathing. Her eyes flickered to life and the veins burst upon her face causing her white eyes to sharpen in intensity. She cocked her head towards the man in the trees and he died before he knew what hit him.

"Silent kills are the best," she quietly whispered to herself. Her veins receded and her perfect skin was back in place. The young Hyuga heiress wiped her forehead and let out a shaky breath. Her wounds were still bleeding and the village was about a day away by walking. Determined and stubborn, she willed herself to get back in time for Sasuke's ceremony. He was going to become Hokage after all. She still remembers the shock that ran through the little village of Konoha that Sasuke Uchiha, famed avenger of the Uchiha clan and traitor, had received title of Hokage during the Foruth Shinobi War. She freezes, contemplating if her body could make it back.

"Hn, Hyuga, there you are," her white eyes snap up to the source of sound. Well, speak of the devil. "Tsunade told you to be back by tomorrow, not die by tomorrow." He states in a chilling tone that has even her usual calm facade crack a bit. She narrows her eyes in dull amusement."Oh, breathe, Hyuga, I won't kill you," he smirks as if to make fun of her, but she knew he was very capable of tearing her limb from limb.

He surveys her shaking frame. His eyes squint and the irises burn red and three extra pupils appear in a spiral. The young man lets out a noise and moves towards Hinata. She doesn't bother to move because she knows that she's in good hands. Sasuke's mind flickers to the memory of his mother who died looking a lot like Hinata does now. He grows worried she won't make it and compulsion takes over as she starts to fade.

"Come on, Hyuga, breathe, please. I'll be Hokage tomorrow." His voice cracks as her body slumps into his arms. He doesn't know what to do and for the third time in his life, he panics. His jet black hair gets swept in the wind and his eyes reveal a new goal. He needs to save this girl.

Rushing through the trees, leaping and running, he barely makes it Konoha by noon. Marching in, the people gossip about how he was holding the Hyuga Heiress unconscious in his arms. Frantically, he swiftly shoves his way past the crowds and makes it into the hospital. The females surrounding him cry sorrowfully as they watch as he carries the fair girl inside.

He yells something to the head nurse and suddenly, Sakura comes rushing out.

"Sasuke-kun, what's this?" Sakura asks seriously. The bubblegum haired nurse scans over the wounds and her brows frown. "She's been hit by a jutsu I don't know about." Sasuke's eyes widen and he grabs Sakura by the shoulders. She blushes at first at the contact, but shakes it off and immediately stares at him right back. She flinches at the darkness in his eyes, but refuses to look away.

"Keep her breathing, please," Sasuke pleads.


	3. C : Care

C for Caring

He had been rotting in his cell for literally hours now. Waiting, listening to that maddening tick of the clock, for the moment that the abusive guard would come back and tell him that his trial was set up now. This man, a devil to most, slunk himself against the wall for the minimal support it offered behind the iron-chakra enhanced bars.

The wooden door slid open and revealed a blonde man with tanned skin. It sounds odd, but the combination suited his bright personality along with the three whiskers on each cheek. He was a monster, too. However, the difference between the man in the cell and the man standing in the doorway was the fact that one had left the village in search of his brother and one did not. No one knew how much of a monster Naruto had become after becoming the hero of the village. He used his power to oppress the Aburame, Hyuga, Nara power and use it for his own. However, the people thought it the best idea since the invention of chakra.

The blonde man stared down at Sasuke and smiled toothily.

"Teme, your finally behind bars," Naruto laughed good-heartedly as if to make a joke. "I didn't think you'd be caught. I'll admit, I had wanted you to live," His smile turned sour and his bright cerulean eyes darkened. "However, you've always come between me and my dreams. Example: Sakura. The only woman I could ever want. She's at your feet! Being the first, too, was yours before it was even thought to be mine!" It seemed unfathomable to Sasuke, but Naruto had become a narcissist. Completely and utterly about himself. "Now, teme, in the eyes of the court, you're a war hero, but also a traitor. Be careful." His cruel eyes dug into Sasuke's chest. None of the brotherly love they had shared before. Absolutely gone and vanished with time.

Naruto glanced down and kneeled in front of the bars. He really looked and scanned over the dark haired man's battered and bruised body.

"Hinata's..." Sasuke whispered through chapped lips and sore facial muscles. Naruto's eyes widened. "She was supposed," his voice drifted off and his breathing slowed.

"Yeah, she loved me. It doesn't change the fact that I love Sakura. I admit, I should have treated her better, but I didn't have much of a choice, teme." Naruto snapped his fingers and guards appeared in front of the bars. "Carry him to the court room. Be sure to show our guest some care, alright? Afterall, he's the last Uchiha." Naruto faked compassion and concern for the dark haired teenager.

The blonde man disappeared. As Sasuke was thrown onto the back of one of the guard's he laughed harshly.

"You dobe, she never loved you. She cared for me." Sasuke's coal black eyes fluttered to a close.


	4. D : Desires

D for Desires

Hinata made it her life long goal to become stronger the moment she met Naruto Uzumaki. However, her goal had not changed, but her perception of the blonde haired man had. He had always been selfish, seeking his own goals first because he never thought anything of it, and his intentions were innocent. However, after the deception of the war and the illusions of becoming Hokage fell in front of his eyes, his view on the world changed. Hinata sighed, thinking that in a couple of minutes she would have to be defending Sasuke and his title as Hokage.

The young woman sighed and sat on the tatami mats staring into the intricate pattern it presented. A breeze swept in and she knew the door behind her had slid open.

"Sasuke-sama, you're early. In fact, almost ten minutes early." She stated blandly, still staring at the floor beneath her carefully folded legs.

"Think nothing of that," he replied in the same tone of voice. After their rescues, as they both had been saved by each other before, and nothing in their relationship had changed.

Dark met light. Oil and water mixed for a moment. Their eyes connected and soon enough, one looked towards the ribbon windows on the left, and one returned to studying the floor. Time and time again, they played a game of sneek-a-peak, occasionally running into each other's overwhelming emotions hidden well beneath smooth irises. The dark haired coughed a little, having only healed the major wounds on his body so far. The heiress nursed her side as the kunai damage stubbornly refused to heal properly. The couple took note of each other's pain and worried for the other unconsciously, thinking it was better to worry over someone else.

Soon enough, the door behind them slid open and their game came to an end. A blond woman of legendary strength sauntered into the room. Close behind Hyuga elders, Nara elders, and of course, the most ferocious blonde haired man trailing behind the groups. Gracefully, the blonde Hokage sat in front of the young dark haired pair and glanced at them. She noticed how they would often exchange secret looks, as if they shared something they wanted no one else to be a part of. The Fifth Hokage also took note of the animosity the young, usually carefree, blonde male was displaying towards the two. She inhaled deeply and began the meeting with a look towards the Nara elders.

"We have come here today to discuss the passing on of the title of Hokage. As encouraged, the Sixth Hokage nominations are present: Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. Hinata Hyuga, you may rise as well. No matter who the Hokage will be, you will serve as their assistant." The Nara elder, Shiro, babbled on about the duties of being Hokage.

A Hyuga elder stood, his grey eyes staring straight at the blonde man. "State your reasoning for becoming Hokage."

"As you know," Naruto began, "at a very young age, in fact, I was merely minutes old, when my parents died. At that moment, the Kyuubi was locked inside me. I grew up with resentment and nothing to live on except for packaged ramen, or the occasional bowl at Ichiraku. My only dream was, no! Is! Is to have people have faith in me and accept me. I want to show Konoha I am worthy of trust and love they deprived me of when I was younger. I have even surrendered myself to them for war, so that I could show Konoha my respect and love. I hope to help Konoha grow better after this tragic war and make peace, finally, with Suna." The blonde finished with pure and honest determination set in his ocean blue eyes. Sweat on his brow appeared when he mentioned his past, and Tsunade glanced at him, never truly knowing how hard Naruto had it.

The same Hyuga elder stood back up and began to speak, "Sasuke Uchiha, state your case." With a bow, the old man sat back down, his features loosening at the sight of the Uchiha.

"Sir, honestly, my dearest friend, Naruto Uzumaki desires and deserves this role more than anything in the world. I have nothing to say." The dark haired man bowed low to show his deepest apologies.

"I have something to say!" The young woman with dark hair exclaimed. "I can make a case for Uchiha-san! Please! He was nominated, and should at least have something, anything in his favor." Her pale features pleaded with the audience. "Sasuke Uchiha is a great man who deserves this even more than Naruto-san does," both Sasuke and Naruto's eyes widen. "He has gone through troubles no one in this world could understand. For a while, he probably could not fathom it himself and began searching for answers in the dark! His life became a wreck, and due to a monster's influence, he left the village in search for something he originally did not seek." Sasuke continued to stare at the young woman making a passionate case for him. "His very lively hood was for the betterment for the village. Itachi Uchiha was pronounced dead and so was Danzo-sama, a corrupted man, Sasuke had killed." The elders crinkled their noses at the mention of "killed", but Hinata stayed faithful. "Do not let a simple word sway you! These two were enemies of the village before and they died on his account. It has to count for something. His wish, as he told me long ago, is to bring happiness to someone, anyone, even if it is only temporary. He wished to ensure no one's family is murdered as brutally as his. He wishes to bring safety to children who have nightmares and face reality so early. He wishes this, because he was one of those children, and yet, he had no safety harness to support him." She finished strongly, the entire audience staring in awe at her argument.

Sasuke smiled at her. His first real smile in ages. Maybe someone else deserved to be Hokage, and not just the assistant.


	5. E : Eating

E for Eating

The pink haired medic ninja had never heard someone like the young Hyuga Heiress talk so much. To be truthful, she was sure she liked the younger dark haired female better when she talked a lot and shared opinions. The green eyed beauty stared over at the young woman beside her and realized that the Heiress had ceased her talking.

"Sakura-chan, what do I do?" The blue haired female cried out softly in distress. Hinata sat down on the bench nearby with her elbows on her knees and her hands in her face.

"You should act like you. It would hardly fit the situation if you did something out of character." The young medic nin had been paying close attention to the other female over the years. Sakura was no fool, she knew Hinata was capable of amazing things if her will allowed it. However, in contradiction to Hinata's will, Sakura observed, was her gentle nature. The pink haired female carefully kept an ear strained so she wouldn't space out on the other girl, who was still talking in reply.

"Oh, Sakura-chan, its so difficult! How do I be the Hokage's assistant when its obvious I don't want to be in the same building!" Her cries of desperation shocked the listening companion. Who wouldn't want to be in the same room as the Hokage? The village savior! Who would pass that up?

Sakura gave Hinata a stern motherly look she adopted from Tsunade. "Hinata Hyuga! You are not only Heiress to your clan, but an assistant to the Hokage. It is time you acted so!" With that finishing statement, Sakura stubbornly stood from her seat next to the blue haired female and stared at her for a reply.

A simple nod of the head to acknowledge her defeat is what answered Sakura's motherly scolding. Hinata's eyes ran alongside the dirt road and finally met the shoes of the medic nin before her. Sakura had realized her mistake. Hinata's gentle nature was eradicating her will, practically eating away at it before the pink haired girl's eyes.

Life, Sakura realized, for the Hyuga was twice as hard as Sasuke's or Naruto's. Sasuke had a family that truly loved him and only suffered a large portion of his life. Naruto had Will power that could save him, and the nine-tails as his new friend. Hinata, on the other hand, practically lived her entire life alone with no help because her family hated her more and more each day. Chasing after a boy who would never love her and love only the pink haired medic nin. Having a family who thought her weak. Especially now, when the only person who really talked to the Heiress was her father and cousin. Neji had tragically died in the war and her father had stopped speaking to her since then. Life had swallowed Hinata whole and crushed her in the process. The war had broken this porcelain doll that no one wanted to buy.

"Hinata-chan, if I may, would you take a walk with me?" A voice that obviously did not belong to either girls asked. Both heads turned to face the new Hokage.

'Life, you bastard,' secretly thought Sakura. Hinata got up to walk alongside her new Hokage and boss.

"Hinata-chan, we should go eat. You look hungry." The sixth Hokage took his time with her. He would not let her think he would just abuse her.


	6. F : Final

F for Final

He wasn't going to go back now was he? As if he could go back on such a promise. After taking the white-eyed beauty out for lunch, the young man couldn't help but wonder if they would fall in love in the future since they would work at such an intimate length. They would constantly be in each other's way, but in the helpful kind of way.

The young man walking in Konoha's streets admired the work he had done for it. The streets were cleaner, the people much happier, and best of all, the world was not being threatened by war. However, the young man worried for the future. He didn't have parents or siblings to carry on traditions, and he certainly was in love, but was unsure of how the young woman felt about him. It scared him; to be in love. There was one decision he had to make before becoming Hokage, though. He wanted a wife. To live with a family that was so unfairly taken away from him. Maybe, that assistant of his could fill in. It wouldn't be a crime to fall in love with her, but it would get messy. Maybe, another girl, maybe a girl like her. How in the world was he to meet a girl anything like her?

The sixth Hokage kicked the dust on the road and sighed almost dramatically.

Suddenly, a little blonde girl with piercing blue eyes came running up to him, her breath coming puffs and her cheeks flushed with youth.

"Hokage-sama! I wanted to give you these!" The little girl laughed and turned bright red while handing the young man a lili crown. "My okaa-san said it would be nice to can... can... con? I forgot what it was, but it was a big fancy word for good job!" She giggled when he took the crown from her and placed it in his hair on top of his head.

"I feel like a king! My, what is your name, little princess?" He knelt down before her and smiled graciously.

"Hana Yamanaka! My cousin is Ino-nee! She said she was in Hokage-sama's class!" The playful Yamanaka smiled toothily before responding to a noise the Hokage took as a yell from somewhere near the ramen shop, Ichiraku. "I have to go now Hokage-sama, but I hope you feel like a king everyday!"

'I guess even little ones know the decision. This makes my life and the course it will lead final.' He thought with a smile. He truly felt like king thinking of all the wonderful things he could do for the village.


	7. G : Gracious

G for Gracious

It was a formal party. Heavy and exhausting, shoes that were killing her, make up that weighed down her face, and people who stared at parts that weren't her face. The young woman never felt so violated by fellow citizens, but she was simply there at the request of the sixth Hokage. He was convinced that she would follow him like a puppy. He was so sure. However, he was also had illusions that she would come to trust him more than she did, which was little.

"So, a famed Hyuga," the man hiccuped, "has attended such a humble party," His breathe lingered in the air, stinging her senses, screaming at her that he was intoxicated.

"Sir, I think you need to sit and take a break from your drinks," she informed him with power that belonged to her and herself only. He backed down with a smirk.

"You Hyuga are all the same. Look, the Hokage hasn't even come down yet, why are your panties in a bunch?" He laughed with drunkenness that annoyed her to no end. Suddenly, the unshaven drunk yelled out, "Hey! Aren't all the Hyuga's just a bunch of job-stealing-panty-bunched-freaks?" He laughed heartily. Had the man been sober, such thoughts would have been hidden under the wolf mask he wore on a daily basis.

The rest of the drunken masses laughed and agreed. The men and women, all confused and smiling, began pushing the Hyuga around.

Finally, a familiar face came to her rescue. The pink haired medic nin took Hinata by the shoulder and held her firm. In a loud voice the pink haired woman announced, "I bet you she sleeps with the Hokage! The no-good man stealer!" The hand on Hinata's shoulder gripped Hinata with a force that reminded her of her father from when she was younger. Therefore, the young woman did not flinch. The blue haired nin remained calm as the masses drew in and continued their jest of her family and name.

"She's no-where near the sun! She's a," the young pink haired medic did not even get the chance to finish her sentence before she was smacked into a wall.

"I suggest you finish that line, Sakura, and find out what consequences come from it," A young dark haired man narrowed his dark eyes at her. She laughed drunkly and draped an arm around his neck.

"But," she giggled, "why protect a girl like her? What would anyone want with her? She doesn't appreciate her position," Sakura stopped, a sudden change look in her eyes occurred. "A position that should be mine! Mine!" The pink haired woman pulled a kunai and slashed at the dark haired man, slicing his cheek with precision that was too good for a drunk. Or so thought the crowds.

"Sakura-san, you're drunk. Too drunk, I might say. You've hurt Shika-kun." Hinata stared at Sakura. Hinata really soaked her in. The messy pink hair, the blood-shot emerald eyes, the dress crumpled slightly at the waist. The woman was totally wasted. The kunai was tossed to a man, a long time anti-Hyuga-activist, named Matsu Hiroshi.

"Matsu-san, you get the first slice of the Hyuga. We'll all get turns!" She laughed and fell over a chair. The medic nin laughed slightly, wondering what in the world she drank. Or when she started drinking.

Hinata stood there, calm. This wasn't going to be the first time she would be hit and made fun of. What was the point of running? She closed her eyes in acceptance and waited for the blades to touch her skin, a sensation she learned to drown out long ago. The tip of the blade never came. The young woman's eyes fluttered open to find Shikamaru pinning the man to the ground.

Shikamaru shook his head, stood up, and grabbed Hinata's hand. He dragged her outside of the rowdy Hokage Tower. Hinata kept on glancing back to the tower everyone once in a while until it was behind the red gates.

"I guess we'll see the Hokage later then." He sighed. "You are going to get me in a lot of trouble, you know?" He laughed heartily. The most she had ever seen him do in almost all the years she's known him.

As the heir of his family, he got to see her quite frequently as children. They were kind of like secret friends. No one knew. It would stay that way for a long time, too.

"You were very calm when they started bullshitting your family. Why is that?" Shikamaru asked aloud.

He led them to a shop and bought her candy. She laughed because it was the exact same candy he gave her when they were children: a sweet honey-flavored lollipop.

"I wasn't calm. I was too scared." She unwrapped the candy and popped it in her mouth.

"What? I can read your like an open book, Hinata-chan, don't give me that." He deadpanned. He knew she wasn't scared of the people. She was frightened of the memory. "Look, Ino's your friend now. Let it go. It was an accident. Everyone forgives you. It happened so long ago, too." He gave her a worried look.

"Shika-kun, I destroyed five houses and light pole. Tell me that it isn't supposed to haunt me for the rest of my life." She looked him square in the eye. Shikamaru stared into her pearl eyes and saw the same thing he did all those years ago, all the way back to the Chunin Exams even: fear. The very thing that consumed her will and overrode her own nature. The feeling of being pushed into the ocean without knowing where the hell you were and not knowing how to swim.

"You didn't fight anyone. You fight yourself." He whispered in her ear and gave her a hug. She pulled him closer. Storms raged inside her and oceans fell from her eyes. Anyone passing by could've thought her boyfriend must've dumped her or something of the nature. However, the scars and pain ran deeper than a simple heartbreak.


	8. H : Hokage

H for Hokage

He walked downstairs and found his leading medical ninja passed out in an armchair, the crowd laughing at nothing, and his top ANBU tending a bruise on his elbow.

"What the hell happened? I was gone for twenty minutes!" He angrily reacted, noticing the absence of his assistant as well. The crowd fell silent, each one feeling guilty as hell.

"Hokage-sama! It was the Hyuga and the Nara." Said a stumbling blonde Yamanaka. The young man was startled with the formality Ino regarded her friends with. Wasn't she on good terms with Hinata and Shikamaru? He paid close attention to her. The young woman's purple dress was wrinkled at the bottom and her eyes were full of tears. She was too drunk to notice her formality pertaining the two.

He glanced around and caught sight of his enemy. The handsome blonde with whiskers on his face. His former best friend, Naruto Uzumaki, his subordinate, and yet his equal. Naruto had taken his time with his apology, and though Sasuke knew he was lying straight through his teeth, Sasuke accepted Naruto's plea of forgiveness. The blonde man pinpointed his blue gaze at the sixth Hokage and the depth of Naruto's eyes swallowed his like an ocean that was doing its best to drown him to death. As quickly as the feeling of drowning washed over him, the retreated along with Naruto, who made his way out.

The young blonde man knew that his mission was to find the only two guests that were directly invited by the Hokage himself. Even he, the Hokage's former best friend, was not directly informed by the Hokage of the celebration that was forced upon him. Naruto sighed, feeling regret for causing his only really deep friendship to break and fall apart. Maybe he could back to the Land of Ogres, and just live out his days helping Shion. It sounded nice to him. However, his heart lied with Sakura, the exotic pink haired medic ninja.

In his contemplation, he stumbled upon a hairpin that could only belong to Hinata. It was lavender and a relic of the Hyuga family, as small and insignificant as it looked. It belonged to the Hyuga-Senju-Uchiha creator's wife. The Senju inherited a will of fire, the Uchiha a curse of jealousy and pain, and the Hyuga received a hairpin that enhanced skill in every aspect the family associated themselves with, which was fighting techniques that could only be passed down by someone of the same blood.

Naruto looked around, only to find a wrapper and a cigarette butt. The young man called upon his demon to help him track his friends. The kyuubi decided it would be fun to hunt for a small bunny and a lazy wolf. Naruto rolled his eyes at the nicknames his demon gave his friends, even if they were sometimes good representations. The kyuubi stopped his jest and quickly concentrated on the chakra signatures resonating from the the two targets. They were in a bake shop in the southern corner of Konoha. It was well known as the Amegureama, a place prized by the Akimichi family.

At top speed, Naruto floated among the tops of buildings, lightly grabbing edges or corners to swing his momentum in the direction he wanted to go. In no time, the blonde man found himself at the entrance of the bake shop and proceeded to walk in.

"...for right now, I think it should be kept under wraps," Shikamaru said, his voice softening like butter towards the Hyuga.

"That's what I thought as well. Thank you for the advice, Shika-kun." Hinata's quiet shaking voice ceased and a smile graced her lips. "We better get going, the Hokage will be looking for us," her features changed from sweet innocence to worry before his eyes.

"Remember, you don't have to tell him right away, however, I suggest you say something before the next big clan meeting," Shikamaru softly reminded her. The young woman before him bent her head towards the ground and nodded.

Naruto coughed awkwardly and the two's heads snapped up immediately.

"The Hokage is upset that you two weren't there when he came back down stairs." Naruto told them bluntly. Hinata's eyes widened, knowing that Naruto knew exactly why she chose to leave.

"I'd give a 'sorry' or something along that line, but frankly, Sasuke-san's a big boy, he can handle two people being missing from the party." Shikamaru's bored tone bore into Naruto, who was used to it now.

"The Hokage requests you back at the Tower." Naruto challenged back, knowing that Shikamaru would win the argument anyways.

"Well, the Hokage should apologize for the guests' treatment of Hinata." Shikamaru bit back at the other young man who coiled back in surprise.

"Its okay, I forgive them. They're all drunk. I'm so sorry, but going back to that treatment is just not who I am now. I will report to the Hokage tomorrow, but I won't go back to that party." Hinata's soft words held a backbone that was ready to strike, if need be.

The blonde man did not hesitate to return to the Hokage and report what the two guests had to say about returning.


	9. I : Invitation

I for Invitation

The next day, Sasuke woke up startled by the appearance of his newly remastered Uchiha compound. Of course, the dark haired man had fits throughout the night about his brother, his family, and surprisingly the lazy Nara. The last Uchiha couldn't say why Shikamaru kept popping up in his dreams with a storybook for children in the Nara's hands, but the thought was gone just as it formed.

Suddenly, the Uchiha could no longer remember his dreams like every morning before that one. He shrugged to himself, feeling it strange why he cared for the disappearance of two guests, but he felt slightly lonely when his two friends weren't within his line of sight. His eyes were watery and Sasuke made his way to the bathroom down the hall of his large haunting compound.

The last Uchiha didn't remember when he started crying, but all he knew was that today he would begin real work as Hokage and couldn't look like he had been wasted and crying rivers. He frowned and seriously stared in the mirror searching for the answer that kept on avoiding him. The dark haired male's frown turned more into a scowl when he realized that if he didn't hurry, he would be late for work.

Quickly placing on his new attire that consisted of his older brother's training uniform and his old, but resized, blue Uchiha high collar jacket that hung down like a trench coat and opened like a regular jacket. 'How does anyone fight in this?' Sasuke quietly curses the altered-clothing lady who decided to charge him full price for altering the length and size of his old jacket.

Sasuke threw himself outside of his house and began his short walk to the Hokage Tower. The people of Konoha either stared at him with admiration or hatred, to which he gave a smile. As soon as he arrived to the Tower, the morning sun settling in. A breeze swept in as he opened the door to the Hokage's Tower. Stepping onto the stairs, he muttered something about how he didn't give a damn about stairs and transported himself to his room.

A squeak was heard, and suddenly, fierce white eyes cloaked in veins stared at him. Hinata immediately lowered her guard and sighed frustratingly. This was the moment she was dreading.

"Hinata, I don't want you to do too much today. Just help me file some papers." Sasuke called from his side of the room. He glanced at her and she scurried to grab two files and the papers that went with them. "We don't have too much work today because we just finished the war, but when we start rebuilding other parts of Konoha, expect there to be lots of work for us." His monotone voice said while he grabbed a file and the papers adjacent to it.

"Sasuke-sama, those are the wrong set of papers," she laughed as his cheeks turned a shade of pink and Sasuke quickly swiped up the other set of papers. She snuck glances at him and began realizing that it wasn't too bad being next to him. Hinata was still conflicted with her job, much preferring Naruto to be by her side, but would settle with his best friend who wasn't as mentally unstable as she once thought. The young heiress wondered how she would come to work everyday knowing that he had taken someone else's place in her life. Not to say Naruto was less important! However, the feelings for the blonde had been diminishing after her confession to him when she went toe-to-toe with Pein.

'Hyuga marriage paper?' thought Sasuke as he read a paper that was about to be filed under 'Hyuga'. The date on the paper matched Hinata's birthday. 'Requested meeting for July 10' he silently stared at the paper. This was the summer before the war. Sasuke justified that another inter-clan marriage had been arranged and placed the paper in the file.

"Sasuke-sama, that should go under the Nara's file." She gently pointed out the file name which was "Nara Marriage File". How had he missed that? The dark haired man rolled his eyes and sighed, his cheeks were once again dusted in pink, and Sasuke placed the file into the proper place. "Sasuke-sama, I am finished." She bowed and gave him a small, shy smile.

"Have a good lunch then," He said returning her smile. The last Uchiha quickly bowed to her and wondered how she was taking a lunch break at eleven in the morning.

"I hope so. The Aburame Clan, the Akimichi Clan, the Nara clan, and the Yamanaka clan will be present. We wanted to invite you as well, but since you are Hokage, we felt you might need some space for the moment." Hinata's words softened at the end, and his heart mourned for her gentle soul. She truly was meant to be an heiress, gentle and soft, but also fit right in with ninja, determined and stubborn. The young heiress left the room, leaving Sasuke in silence.

Moments later, the door opened once again to reveal the blonde Yamanaka. She looked the same way she did at the party not too long ago, disheveled and crying.

"Hokage-sama, you have to stop it! You can't pass the next marriage. Please! I beg you!" Ino began sniffling and mumbling her words just above a whispering sob. The Yamanaka heiress' voice shook as she began her next sentence, "Come to the meeting and say 'no'. Join us. I belong with Shikamaru! Veto their choice!" Her big blue eyes pained him, and though he considered it weak, Sasuke consented to the blonde's wishes. "Great, I reserved an invitation for you. The meeting starts in half-an-hour," Ino's voice gained a little more strength and volume, but it was still only a shadow of the confident voice he was accustomed to. The Hokage was handed to envelope that "Uchiha" written in fancy letters.

"Thank you, Ino-san, I'll be there and see what I can do," His voice was cold, but Ino knew he was honest.


	10. J : Justify

J : Justify

"Give me one good reason as to why blending family jutsus would be good for Konoha!" An outraged Akimichi began calmly biting at the Aburame and Nara elders. "It would mean a new generation that cannot be taught or cultured correctly. Their functions completely different of our own. They would be foreign and treated like guinea pigs! Or worse scorned just like Naruto-san was." His cold brown eyes scanned the room for debate, whether it be with him or against him.

"I must agree with Kin-san, the future of these next few would be experimental, but isn't it troublesome to try?" The leader of the Akimichi Clan spoke up. "The next generation would have to be monitored strictly, if there is to be a cross-breed."

Eyes challenged each other in silence before a Yamanaka, not surprisingly, asked for Sasuke's opinion. He merely looked at him and shook his head. Sasuke did not feel like meddling until he absolutely needed to make a decision. He rolled his eyes and motioned for the meeting to continue without his input.

"But, Akimichi-sama, think of the great things those few could accomplish. Maybe even finish what my comrades have started: world peace." The soft voice came from none other than Shino Aburame, who was a politician by nature. The bug trainer's ways of thinking and acting were foreign to those outside his family and close friends, but they also were full of meaning and reasoning. Shino never said anything he didn't mean or couldn't use.

"I agree with young Shino-kun, they could bring a means of international wonder!" Came the words of a Nara elder who agreed much with the young Aburame. The two clansmen looked at each other in understanding.

"They could be a liability if not trained properly! Besides, there are too many males to even consider pairing and matching only two females. These children must raised under supervision, and having two high positioned clansmen would do it." A stubborn Yamanaka said, his eyes matching up with a Nara. "Hokage-sama, here is where the line is drawn. Please, make a decision." The blonde male said, his blue-green eyes appearing before him like Ino's.

The last Uchiha stood up. "It is obvious that under right circumstances, these new experimental children could be hazardous. However, I will let up if only two clans from opposing sides step in and make this easier." He glanced across the room.

"I will. Ino-chan deserves whomever she picks. I will be the mother of these children." Hinata Hyuga stood up. She looked her father in the eye as to say 'I have chosen this on my own, and you cannot change my mind.' Her look of determination overpowered her nature and in that moment, Hinata Hyuga had looked as fierce as she did on the battlefield.

"Then I will father them." It was the voice of Shikamaru Nara. Sasuke's eyes popped right open. Ino was crying at the party, she wasn't drunk, she was depressed. The document was made on Hinata's birthday. The meeting was before he was Hokage. Sakura accused Hinata of being a man-stealer and a woman who sleeps around. Shikamaru and Hinata disappeared during the party. They refused to come back.

Sasuke remembered his promise to Ino. "Justify why you should." The dark haired man stared at the two.

"I have always cared for children, and the Byakugan is a very strong dojutsu, it will for sure passed into my children, or at least my first child." Hinata's argument was indeed irrefutable, and Sasuke could not find a way past her reasons. It was for sure that her children were to carry the Byakugan. It was not something he could speak against, and so, he nodded his head. "Also, I am need of an heir or heiress. Hokage-sama, you above anyone else, could understand the importance of having children in my clan," the young heiress bowed, showing Sasuke that she was done.

"My reasons are the same. However, my jutsu is not an active dojutsu. It would however, be interesting too see what would happen with the mixing of these family jutsus." Shikamaru gave Sasuke a smirk, knowing that Shikamaru could have just planned the next 200 arguments, Sasuke looked to Ino, and gave a sigh.

"As Hokage, I claim,-" His eyes played to Hinata who wanted nothing more than to take her eyes off him. Their moment of concern for each other was interrupted by Ino.

"Shikamaru-kun! You're making a mistake! Please, hear me out! I've loved you for so long," The end of her sentence was mumbled so only the closest people could hear her. Her blonde hair swayed in front of her face and her eyes became dark and dull.

"Ino-chan, I want to do something useful with my life, and I want to do this." Shikamaru put on a brave face. Sure, he had loved Ino and Temari, but honestly, his life had come to secretly revolve around Hinata. Her welfare became the reason he got out of bed. She was soon his reason to stop smoking, his only attachment to Asuma besides the knuckle knife. Their friendship as children was a memory that could never be wiped. "However, I can't. Hinata, I think this will take time," Shikamaru gazed at Hinata sorrowfully.

The young Hyuga heiress glanced at Shikamaru confused. They had discussed this since her fifteenth birthday. They had gone through so much and he was backing out on her now? The meeting hall became quiet. The blue haired beauty nodded and the meeting was concluded.


	11. K : Kindness

K for Kindness

**Author's Note: This update is really short. Too short for my tastes. I will update either by tomorrow or the next day. I hate not updating in such a long time, but I neither had time nor ideas to work with. I was having terrible writer's block. Again, really sorry.**

It had been a full week in Konoha when Sasuke decided to treat Hinata out to lunch again. The white eyed beauty peeked at the last Uchiha from under her lashes. He smirked, knowing that she was looking at him, and quite obviously staring. His black eyes found her white orbs and she blushed at being found out. The rice slipped from her chopsticks and she laughed at herself for being so silly.

"I didn't know you and Shikamaru wanted to get married." The dark haired man said stiffly all of a sudden. He had sat there awkwardly waiting on her answer. Her white eyes widened at the question that was more like a statement.

"Yeah, our parents wanted to experiment in family jutsus. I always knew Shika-kun, and no one really knew we were close except for Ino-san, who, we had assumed, was interested in you or someone else." Hinata's eyes shifted down to the rice she was picking at. "I like him and understand my place enough to accept the marriage. I think we could work and then suddenly, he said we should wait. What did I do?" Sasuke couldn't answer. Frankly, if he were Shikamaru's place, he would marry Hinata in a heartbeat. It was undeniable that she would make a great mother and co-clan leader. Marriages in clans were almost never about love. It was about power, combining, and pulling ahead.

"Look, Hinata," his lack of 'san' or 'chan' unsettled her a bit, "this marriage is political, if anything about economics. If anything, I think you'll end up liking each other and that's what matters in this. You two need to decide what to do in order to work it out. Go talk to him, speak your mind, get his opinion, and do what your heart tells you." The dark haired man knew he sounded sappy and cliche, but he knew it was what the reality was. The shadow-possessor and young heiress needed to work together and learn to live with each other.

The blue haired beauty stared at the man who had just delivered a small speech of his mind to her. She mused that most people haven't seen this side of their Hokage. He was a fearless leader who said few, but meant a lot. Hinata saw only the surface. The white eyed female thought she saw deep down, but even with her Byakugan, she was pretty blind.


	12. L : Love

L for Love

Shikamaru woke up that morning dazed, as usual. The shadow-possessor stared out the window to his left and contemplated what happened yesterday. His brow knitted together, because what happened the day before was fuzzy. Lazy as he was, Shikamaru couldn't help but feel that his memory was fuzzy for a reason. Shikamaru could not recall if he was half-asleep in the meeting of the clans or heatedly debating, which was unlikely. To make his current situation worse, he almost felt a sense of dread or suspense because all he remembered of the meeting was Hokage-sama asking for his opinion and it went blank. The dark haired man shrugged and untangled himself from the sheets.

The doorbell resounded through his empty apartment in the Nara district. A small sigh escaped his lips and his eyes found a shirt in his closet to put on. Shikamaru wasn't an idiot, quite obviously, and knew it would freak whoever was at the door out if he answered without a shirt on. On his way to the closet, he picked up miscellaneous items that created a distorted path to his set of folding doors, and tossed them into the hamper in the corner.

Pulling on his Konoha insignia shirt, he made his way downstairs. Checking the kitchen with a quick scope to make sure it wasn't too dirty, Shikamaru pulled open the door to reveal his blue haired friend. Silently, the genius nodded and she made her way inside.

"Is this serious?" He wasn't going to beat around the bush, since he was blunt by nature. The girl with white eyes looked to the floor and coughed a little.

"Shika-kun," she began and his gut sank, "about yesterday," she trailed on but ultimately was cut off there.

"Hina, I don't even remember what happened yesterday." He exasperatedly explained, and tears were already pricking her eyes. "Was it bad?" He sheepishly asked while leading her to the humble table in the kitchen where the sat side-by-side.

"Yeah, I can't believe you don't remember it. It was unbearably embarrassing. Y-You said you wanted to wait, and I wanted to," her sentence was drowned out by the sound of a fist hitting the table. Frustration, anger, and something unknown to him hit Shikamaru hard. Hitting the table again and again, Hinata flinched with the sounds of the creaking wood beneath his fist.

"Wanted to wait? Bullshit!" His dark eyes bore into hers to see if she was lying or joking... Something. Her eyes widened and the first of the tears spilled onto her high cheek bones and the rest of her royal features. No, she most definitely not lying. "I didn't say that," Shikamaru paused, "I didn't." He repeated it like a mantra, but he can't shake the feeling that it wasn't the truth. Finally giving up, "I did, didn't I? Yeah, I did, but it couldn't have been 'me'." He deducted.

Taking Hinata's face into his hands, Shikamaru absorbed her scent of strawberries, his favorite fruit, and soaked in her white eyes that were reddening at the edges from the tears.

"What are we to do?" Her quiet shaking voice begged for an answer. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and grabbed a jacket that was sitting on the counter.

"We ask the Hokage for a marriage right today." His fiercely determined eyes reassured her that he wasn't going to change his mind this time.


End file.

Naruto