(DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.)

Chapter 1

Inspired by: Thirteen Sad Farewells ~ Stu Larsen

Hinata was tired.

Actually, "tired" wasn't quite the right word to describe it. The young Hyuuga was absolutely exhausted - though, it wasn't simply her body that was feeling so very run-down. No, it was her soul that felt so unbelievably weary.

Three years had passed since the Fourth Shinobi War, and they were the three longest years of Hinata's life.

For most of Konoha, the past few years had been full of nothing but hard work and peaceful content. The progress that had been made in the village since Pain's attack had been almost a waste of time after the war with Madara, and eventually Kaguya. This did nothing to quell the people of the Hidden Leaf's motivation to get the village back on its feet, though; shinobi and average citizens alike had buckled down once again and went to work on rebuilding the village once again.

Hinata couldn't help but admire the effort that the people of her village had put into their home over the years - which showed in the newly built buildings that stood tall and proud all around. Along with the material improvements that had been made, it seemed that any animosity felt among the villagers had faded over the years, as well. There had been little to no acts of evil or violence since the end of the war - something that everyone, especially the newly appointed Hokage, Kakashi Hatake, was grateful for. That just meant he had less work to do, after all.

All in all, life after the war was peaceful. Everyone was tired of fighting for the time being, ready to bask in the post-war peace. Though, they knew someone with evil intentions would come along eventually - as was the way of the world - but that just seemed to motivate everyone to enjoy the current state of the world as much as possible. Yes, life for the citizens of the Hidden Leaf was full of nothing but joy and laughter these days.

If only the same could be said for Hinata Hyuuga.

The kunoichi had tried her hardest to join in on the happiness that surrounded her; she wanted nothing more than to feel the same as her friends and family. So much so that, for the first year or so, Hinata had forced herself to attend the festivals, laugh with her friends, smile - yet none of it was real.

No matter how hard she tried, Hinata couldn't find the happiness that flowed endlessly around her from every direction. Hell, even her father - a man known for his cold demeanor - had become a bit softer in recent years. Though, only those closest to him could really see the difference. Hinata saw it, though; his mouth was slightly more relaxed, his shoulders weren't constantly squared, and his eyes no longer looked at the world with harsh resentment. He had even softened his demeanor toward Hinata, though she wasn't sure if that was due to the times or because she no longer held the clan's future in her fragile hands.

Hanabi, the new Hyuuga heiress, was also reeling in the happiness that consumed the village. Even as she stressed over her newfound duties, which she didn't really want to begin with, she found time to enjoy the festivals and parties that had become the norm among the villagers.

So, in an effort to follow her stoic family's footsteps, Hinata convinced herself that if she faked happiness for long enough, it would eventually become real. If she convinced herself she didn't mind being swept aside so easily for her sister, it would surely feel true in time. If she simply tried to imagine that Neji, her beloved cousin, was still just around the corner - she would one day forget the painful reality, right? Hinata wasn't sure, but she tried, nevertheless.

That came to an abrupt end on the day Naruto and Sakura announced their engagement.

The pain from that sunny day was now nothing but a dull ache deep in her heart, but Hinata couldn't deny the utter heartbreak she felt in that moment. It had happened during one of the many festivals held in Konoha since the war ended, on a day just like any other. Shine and Kiba had once again convinced (or rather, forced) their timid teammate to join in on the festivities for a while. She had barely been there an hour before Kakashi - who had just been sworn in as Hokage a month prior - took to the rickety stage, established an hour beforehand, as to announce "exciting news for the village."

To this day, Hinata wasn't sure how she knew it was coming - but for some reason, as she heard those words, a deep fear struck her core. She recalled taking a step back involuntarily as she watched Naruto join the Hokage on the platform. She had tried to run; but the crowd had gotten so excited, she couldn't move an inch in any direction. She was trapped; on the verge of hyperventilating, yet no one seemed to notice. Everyone in the square had their eyes glued to their hero, Naruto Uzumaki, as he spoke words that Hinata couldn't hear.

As he gestured to his left, Hinata's breath had stopped. She had watched as Sakura made her way to his side, mirroring Naruto's excited yet nervous expression. Hinata didn't need to hear the words to know what was said.

The crowd had gone wild - but Hinata couldn't hear that, either.

The last thing she could clearly remember from that fateful day was the only thing that still stung Hinata's heart just as much as it had in that moment. She wasn't even sure if it had actually happened, honestly. She wouldn't put it past herself to imagine such a thing, after all. Yet, for a brief moment, as the people of the Hidden Leaf cheered on in celebration of the newly-engaged couple, Naruto's eyes seemed to land on Hinata's.

She assumed her face had portrayed everything she was feeling as she looked back at him, for his eyes that had been sparkling just a second before seemed to darken slightly. It took her a moment to realize that the look was guilt. After that, she had torn her eyes away from his sky blue ones as quickly as possible and pushed through the horde of villagers, fleeing the scene at full speed.

At least, that was what Kiba had told her later on. Somehow, she had made her way back home that night, though she couldn't remember a thing. Except for blue eyes filled with pity, of course.

It was after that day that Hinata realized her fake happiness would never become a reality.

At the time, she thought so because of her broken heart - but now, she knew better than that. Though she would never deny that she genuinely loved Naruto, she had used his rejection as an excuse for her feelings for far too long. It took many nights of tears for the brokenhearted kunoichi to realize that her sadness went much deeper than unrequited love.

In fact, two years later, Hinata could honestly say that she had gotten over the energetic blonde. She still held love for him in her heart, but she had accepted her place as one of his many friends and comrades. Of course, she still felt a bit hurt by the fact that Naruto was aware of her feelings, yet never acknowledged them; but she didn't feel bad about not being the one he loved anymore.

Honestly, she wasn't so sure she wanted to be loved by anyone at this point. How could she possibly accept another's love if she couldn't love herself?

This question filled her mind for longer than she cared to admit - she had yet to find an answer.

Eventually, she had stopped looking for it.

She wasn't sure exactly when it happened - or even why - but one day, Hinata had decided she was through living for others. It was time to live for herself.

She started with the one thing she had control over: her body. She wanted to become stronger, as strong as she could possibly be. Of course, she knew that she could never reach the level of someone like Naruto, but she didn't care. She wasn't going to compare herself to any of her comrades. The ex-heiress had yet to reach her limit, and she wanted to find out just how high that limit was.

So, she trained.

Hinata trained every day for as long as her body would allow. She would wake up with the sun, eat a small breakfast, then train until she was forced to stop by her growling stomach once lunch time rolled around. After lunch, she would continue training until the sun left the horizon; stopping for dinner before heading home, showering the day away, and collapsing onto her bed.

The routine had set itself without Hinata noticing and before long, the Hyuga did nothing with her days but eat, train, and sleep.

Needless to say, her friends were not so happy with the kunoichi's schedule.

She barely had the chance to see them since her change of heart; and if she did, it was only just enough time to eat a quick meal in between training sessions. She wasn't avoiding them on purpose, of course - she simply didn't have the time or the attention span to worry about socializing these days. Her mind was constantly flying at a million miles per hour, while simultaneously being absolutely empty. Her muscles had become so accustomed to her schedule, her mind didn't seem to find it necessary to pay attention to what she was doing.

Hinata could only bring herself to feel but so bad about this, though. She had offered for her friends to join her - but, surprisingly enough, the boys had found it quite difficult to keep up with their once-meek teammate's regime.

She supposed that wasn't too surprising, however; she had taken a page out of Rock Lee's book when it came to her recent routine - a shinobi known for his ridiculous, yet effective training habits. The real surprise, to Kiba and Shino, was the fact that Hinata was able to keep it up on a daily basis. It had been quite a while since either of them had sparred with the Hyuuga at this point, but they both had to silently wonder exactly how much stronger she had become in just a few short years.

Hinata, herself, wasn't sure how much she had improved, either. Since she no longer had her teammates to spar with, it was almost impossible for the ex-heiress to gauge her progress. Not only that, but due to the peaceful post-war society, high-level missions were nearly nonexistent.

Plus, even if there were any good missions that would allow her to test her abilities, a low-ranking ninja such as herself would never be considered for duty. Hinata was still widely viewed as the timid kunoichi from years' past among the villagers; and as the disappointment to her clan.

If she had given herself the time to think about all of this, it would most definitely have caused her heart to sink. However, Hinata thought of little most days - except for where to go to dinner.

You see, Hinata had changed quite a lot since the war; and since Naruto and Sakura's marriage. Not only had she gotten more serious about her physical capabilities, but her personality had changed in subtle ways, as well. Though most would say she was the same; anyone who even remotely knew Hinata before the war could tell the difference. She wasn't really sure whether that was a good thing or not, yet.

She had changed in a variety of ways, but the most palpable of them all was her feelings toward the village - her home. It wasn't that the soft-spoken girl held any animosity for her birthplace, of course. She still loved the Hidden Leaf and its people, and she was proud to call it hers.

The problem was that she no longer felt like she belonged there.

Every day, as she walked down the dirt roads of her village, she felt increasingly dejected from everything around her. She knew it was because of no one but herself - but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to feel at home any longer.

The kunoichi didn't realize just how bad this feeling had gotten until she noticed herself constantly imaging what was happening outside.

Hinata had been outside of the village many times throughout her life, but she had always been ready to return to the Leaf. To come home. Now, she wondered, if she ever did have an excuse to leave the village on a mission - would she even want to come back?

The answer to that question both scared and excited her.

It was because of these thoughts - the imaginings of beyond the horizon that had slowly come to consume her mind as the days passed - that Hinata found herself perched on top of the village gates. She gazed into the abyss of trees before her, the restless feeling that had taken refuge in her gut raging as she remained still.

The Hyuuga had found herself prolonging her walks home in recent months, distracting herself with dreams about all the possibilities beyond the looming gates.

As she sat atop those very gates, with the moonlight shining in her dark hair - Hinata's heart ached. This ache was different than anything she had felt before; different than the aches of rejection and heartbreak she had so often felt in the past. This was an ache for change, an ache for adventure. An ache that she knew would never fade until she gave what it yearned for.

It was in that moment that Hinata's mind sparked, an idea pushing itself into the forefront of her thoughts. An idea that had been reeling in the back of her mind for months, but that she was too afraid to acknowledge.

She could leave.

Right then and there - Hinata could follow that path and finally see just how far it led. God, how she longed to know where that path would take her.

Hinata tried to use her wits, she tried to remind herself of all the reasons she should put such an idea to rest. There were so many, she knew.

Yet, as her heart continued to scream at her, Hinata found it impossible to recall any of them.

However, even in her most emotional moments, the girl couldn't bring herself to forget at least one good reason to calm her desires.

She would be breaking the law. If she were to leave the village for anything other than Hidden Leaf business, the kunoichi would forever be branded a rogue ninja. A traitor. If any of her friends came looking for her, they would be forced to treat her as a criminal, rather than a friend.

Then, there was her father. Hinata shuddered slightly as she imagined what he would do if she were to abandon the village in such a way. Though, she was sure anything she could imagine would be nothing compared to what he would actually do.

Hinata sighed.

It was useless to entertain such ideas. She was a kunoichi of the Village Hidden in the Leaf, born and raised. Just like her friends and family, she would remain in the village until her dying day. Her father would find a suitable husband for her, as to carry on the legacy of the Hyuuga; and she would raise her children just as she had been raised.

That was just the way it was.

Reluctantly, Hinata tore her eyes away from the welcoming landscape and hopped down from her perch. She landed gracefully on the ground, pausing slightly before continuing her departure.

Hinata looked back, feeling as if something, somewhere was calling to her. She could hear it in the chirps of the crickets, could feel it in the breeze that grazed her skin softly. There was something out there, something waiting for her.

Hinata swallowed hard, feeling as if this very moment was a turning point in her life. Whatever decision she made that night - it would change everything.

It was then that the Hyuuga's mind reached a sort of clarity, as if she could see the world again after years of being blind. She saw the answer before her more clearly than she ever could have with her all-seeing eyes.

With newfound confidence, Hinata turned away from the gate and made her way to the Hyuuga estate.

She knew what she had to do.

Hinata woke up the next morning with a feeling she hadn't felt in years - purpose.

After a surprisingly peaceful night of sleep, the Hyuuga awakened with the sun and decided to skip breakfast this morning (which was a very big deal, she loved breakfast). Nodding to the many servants as she briskly passed them, Hinata was having a difficult time remaining at a reasonable pace. As soon as she reached the door, Hinata was gone. It didn't take long for her to reach her destination, and she was a bit dizzy at her own speed. I wasn't even going full speed..

Biting her lip to keep the pleased smile off her face, the determined kunoichi looked up at the tall building in front of her. With a small nod to herself, Hinata made her way up to the Hokage's office.

Her momentary confidence began to waver as she found herself in front of the Hokage's door. She honestly had no idea how the conversation would go; actually, she hadn't even thought of what she should say. Hinata gulped. The still-timid girl almost took a step back, but her heart made her feet stay planted to the ground.

As she raised her arm to knock gently on the door's surface, she blinked as it swung open suddenly.

"Hello, Hinata," Shizune greeted sweetly, holding the door open and gesturing inside. "Come on in!"

A bit taken off guard, Hinata's cheeks dusted pink as she stepped into the room.

"What can I help you with today, Hinata?"

The girl in question raised her head toward the Hokage, Kakashi Hatake. He was seated at his desk in a relaxed manner, lazily scribbling away on a piece of paper. Sensing the girl had something important to address, Kakashi quickly finished his sentence before putting down his pen and smiling up at young Hyuuga before him - not that she could see it, of course.

Hinata gulped once more as she looked at the Hokage's smiling eyes, clenching her fists in determination. It's now or never.

"I w-would like to go on a trip," she stated, sounding resolute despite her everlasting speech impediment. She remembered herself quickly, however, as she lowered her head slightly and added, "Lord H-Hokage."

If she had been looking up, Hinata would have been greeted by a look of pure surprise on Kakashi's half-covered face. He blinked. "A trip?"

Hinata nodded, doing her best to keep her head up despite her nerves.

Kakashi was understandably confused. He looked to Shizune, who was doing a poor job of pretending she wasn't listening, then back at the timid girl in front of him. "Like," he drawled hesitantly, "a vacation?"

Hinata blushed slightly, "N-not exactly."

Realizing she would need to clarify, the kunoichi forced herself to keep her back straight as she looked the relaxed Hokage in the eye, "I..think I need time, Lord Hokage."

"Time," he repeated, trying to decipher the girl's thoughts.

She nodded again. "Yes," she began. "Time away from the village."

The level of the former-teacher's surprise was unable to be seen by those in the room - but he honestly hadn't been expecting that. At all.

Before him stood Hinata Hyuuga; a girl who could barely speak for the better part of her childhood, a daughter who was deemed too fragile to carry her clan by her own father, a kunoichi who had gone from weak and afraid to determined and brave. Kakashi couldn't imagine how much courage it had taken for the shy byakugan-wielder to come to him that day.

He began to feel a familiar sense of pride in his chest as he looked on at the person in front of him. The silver-haired man had watched his own students grow up before his eyes, and now he was seeing that they were not the only ones who had become new people over the years. He could see in her eyes that she came to him with a sense of duty to herself; he was sure that she had gone down a very long and difficult road to come to the decision she was presenting to him.

"I see," the young Hokage sighed, leaning back in his chair and suddenly feeling not so young, after all. "May I ask why?"

"It's…something that I d-don't quite know how to describe," Hinata admitted, feeling her face heat up once again.

"I've...felt like something is m-missing, recently," she tried to explain. "I'm not quite sure what it is; but..." she hesitated, shifting slightly where she stood.

"But..I-I don't think it's here."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. Though he couldn't possibly understand all the things Hinata was feeling, he felt he knew a bit of what the girl was going through. Another head of dark hair crossed his mind, causing the man to smile slightly.

Looking at the lost girl in front of him, Kakashi remembered the last time he had disregarded such a lost soul; seeing him as a confused child, rather than a suffering human. A sigh rested on the tip of his lips. Though things ended in a positive light, the silver-haired Hokage would always harbor some guilt for the things his former student had gone through.

Kakashi would never allow such a thing happen again.

"I see," he said once again, looking Hinata straight in the eye as he leaned forward.

Hinata held her breath as the Hokage's eyes gleamed at her. "Well," he said nonchalantly, "I don't see a problem with it."

Kakashi didn't miss Shine's jaw drop from the corner of his eye as he watched Hinata's face light up. "R-Really?"

With a smile, Kakashi waived his hand absently, "Yeah, sure. I don't think I need to worry about you plotting to destroy the village or anything while you're gone, after all."

He paused and raised an eyebrow at the smiling girl, "Or do I?"

Hinata shook her head, a grin set on her features. "T-Thank you so much, Lord Hokage!"

The man waived his hand once more as he chuckled slightly, "Please, no need for the honorifics. Just Kakashi is fine."

A smirk found its way to his hidden lips as he watched Shizune bring her hand to her face in exasperation, "In any case, just because I don't mind letting you venture off on your own for a while - doesn't mean everyone feels the same."

Hinata's smile faltered slightly; he had a point.

"So," Kakashi continued casually, pulling a sheet from his left and giving it a few scribbles. "You'll need an excuse."

He finished his quick work and offered the paper to Hinata; she hesitantly took it from his hands, confused as to what he meant. However, it became clear as soon as she studied the paper in her hands.

A mission…

"It's a high-ranking one, so you won't be able to disclose any details to your friends or family," Kakashi said with a knowing smile that went unseen.

Hinata couldn't express how grateful she felt in that moment - and when tears threatened to fall, she excused herself after giving the man at the desk a deep bow. As soon as she was in the solitude of the hallway, the tears came paired with a smile she couldn't control. After a moment, she willed herself to calm down enough to leave the empty hallway and make her way down the stairs, clutching her now prized piece of paper to her heart.

Meanwhile, Kakashi's heart clenched as he listened to the girl on the other side of the wall make her departure. Though he was happy that he could grant her wish, the scarred man hated to think about the feelings that had driven her to feel she needed to leave the village.

The man assumed her elder cousin's death had some part in all of this; Neji was known to be the young Hyuuga's most loyal companion in years prior to his death, after all. Kakashi knew what loss felt like - his heart ached once more for the girl.

Not only that, but war itself was a traumatic thing for any teenager to experience; so it was understandable that the timid kunoichi would be feeling the effects. The Hokage decided to make a note to look into the village's mental health services; it was probable that Hinata wasn't the only one going through such things after the war.

"Lord Kakashi-"

"Please, drop the 'Lord', Shizune," the silver-haired man kindly reminded his assistant for what must have been the thousandth time since he took the position.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Shizune continued, ignoring her boss' statement once again. "Any ninja that leave the village for any reasons other-"

"Yes, I know, Shizune," he interrupted again, causing her to huff slightly. Kakashi looked to her calmly, "Just trust me."

She wanted to retort, but she knew better. The Sixth Hokage, though a wise man, was nothing but stubborn. Holding back another agitated sound, the assistant turned away from the now-smirking Hokage and made her way to her own desk.

Let's hope this isn't a mistake.

The events that occurred after her meeting with the Hokage had been a blur to Hinata; which, she supposed, she felt sort of bad about.

She had run home from the Hokage's office in a flash, barely remembering to contain herself before knocking on her father's door.

"Enter."

With practiced elegance, the elder Hyuuga daughter addressed her father respectfully, "I've been given a mission by Lord Hokage, father."

The slight surprise on her father's features did not go unnoticed, but rather, ignored.

"Of what kind?"

Hinata took a slight breath, "I'm a-afraid I cannot disclose any information, under the Hokage's orders."

She could see the distaste, but her father knew he couldn't push the issue further - so he simply nodded. "When are you to be expected back?"

Another breath, "I'm…not sure."

That caused Hizashi to raise his brows, "You're not sure."

Hinata nodded.

A moment of silence passed, and the younger Hyuuga was more than ready to get out from underneath her father's heavy gaze. Eventually, he spoke.

"Very well."

That was it. She was dismissed with those words, and she was grateful for the second time that day.

After she left her father's study, the memories all blurred together. She had told Hanabi, who was extremely unhappy with the news - but tried to act undeterred. Hinata felt guilt for making her sister upset, but she knew she would see her again. No matter how she felt about living in the village, the elder Hyuuga sibling would always make time to see her beloved sister.

Hinata had then made her way to her room, deciding she would leave the very next day. She was aware that she was being hasty, but she just couldn't help it! The timid girl hadn't been this excited in, well, ever. Wanting to get a move on with packing her things, Hinata grabbed her money pouch and made her way into town.

She had two plans for that day: buy supplies, and say her goodbyes.

A giggle escaped her lips at the thought, that rhymes.

Hinata cleared her throat, trying to calm her giddy nerves. She decided to get the supplies first.

The pearl-eyed kunoichi spent a good amount of the day in the shopping district, making sure that she had everything she would need for a long journey. She even splurged on a new outfit, since her current clothes weren't quite appropriate for such a trip. Since training became the majority of Hinata's day, she had taken to wearing an old pair of grey capris with a purple t-shirt; both of which were sprinkled with holes and stains and definitely not durable enough for her trip.

After about two hours of wracking her mind for what she would need, how much she could carry, how long it would be until she was in another village - Hinata was done.

She examined her bags and nodded to herself, deciding she had done well with the amount of money she allotted for the occasion.

Her bubbly excitement had faded into a subtle feeling of content during her shopping trip, so the impending events were beginning to catch up to her.

She had to say goodbye.

As excited as she was, Hinata couldn't deny that it was bittersweet when she thought about her friends. Saying goodbye to them was going to be much harder than she had previously thought.

In less than an hour, the kunoichi had found herself in front of the village's most popular barbecue place - and her teammates favorite place to get dinner after a long day of training.

Hinata wasn't sure what she was going to say to her friends as she approached their table, smiling as they greeted her heartily. She decided to order before broaching the topic of her "mission," mostly due to her nerves but a bit because she was quite hungry after shopping all day.

Shino hadn't said anything, of course; but he could sense his friend's anxiety as soon as she approached them. She was quite good at hiding it to others - Kiba included - but the bug whisperer had watched his innocent friend for years and had learned how to pick up on her subtle changes. Which was why he wasn't very surprised when Hinata finally found the courage to tell them about her prolonged mission, though he was saddened, nonetheless.

Kiba, on the other hand, had reacted as one would expect.

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YOU CAN'T GO BY YOURSELF! WHY DIDN'T KAKASHI SEND US WITH YOU! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!"

There were other choice words mixed in there, but Hinata couldn't bother to remember them. He stormed out after that, much to her dismay. Shino had comforted her a bit, though - by simply telling her, "Be careful."

After that, she made her way to her instructor, Kurenai.

The sun was beginning to sink below the horizon, so Hinata worried that the woman would be busy putting Mirai to bed; but her worries were washed away when the red-eyed woman greeted Hinata warmly upon opening the door.

As Shino had just an hour before, Kurenai could sense that Hinata was visiting her for more than just a cordial visit. However, unlike Shino, Kurenai was quite surprised to find out that her student would be going on a special mission for such a long time. Though she knew she had no business knowing the nature of the Hokage's orders, the older woman couldn't help but feel worried for her sweet Hinata.

Yet, she knew that the Hokage was a smart man, and he must have seen potential in the young Hyuuga in order to bestow such a duty on her. So, willing herself not to cry, Kurenai gave her not-so-young student a hug and wished her well.

Hinata also tried her best to ignore the stinging behind her eyes as she waved goodbye to Kurenai, the woman who had been like a mother to her for years. As she walked away from her instructor's home, Hinata inwardly vowed to make Kurenai proud. I'll make myself proud, too.

As the kunoichi made her way down the dirt road, she found her mind wandering. Would she regret this? How long would she stay gone? Would she ever want to return? Was this the right thing to do?

Questions swam around in her mind, she found it difficult to even register one before another popped into her head. Her mind raced and raced, yet she felt as is she was forgetting something. What was she forgetting?

The world seemed to answer Hinata's question as she suddenly became aware of where she was. Naruto.

Hinata's feet had subconsciously led her to the house shared by the Uzumaki family; she had avoided this spot for years now, yet her body seemed to know exactly where it was. The Hyuuga girl's cheeks began to redden, feeling extremely awkward now that she was just standing in front of their house, staring.

She turned to leave but stopped in her tracks as soon as she turned around.

"Naruto.."

The blonde shinobi looked just as awkward as Hinata felt as he stood across from her, seemingly coming home from a long day of future-Hokage duties. "Oh, hey, Hinata!"

He plastered a smile on his face, but Hinata could tell it was forced. The two of them hadn't spoken since the day his engagement was announced; for they both had been avoiding one another, afraid of this very moment becoming a reality.

Neither spoke for several moments, and Naruto was preparing to make some excuse to leave - feeling anxious in their loud silence - but Hinata spoke up before he got the chance.

"I'm leaving," she said quietly, yet he could hear her perfectly.

Naruto blinked, furrowing his brows. Leaving? What was that supposed to mean? He was about to voice those questions when the girl across from him spoke up once again.

"I'm not sure when I'll be back," she said calmly, suddenly forgetting about her nerves. She looked into Naruto's blue eyes for the first time in two years, and realized that they didn't sparkle anymore. At least, not in the way Hinata used to see - not in the way that used to make her heart skip a beat.

As she realized this, a small smile graced her features involuntarily. Naruto watched the girl's face with quiet awe; was this the same Hinata he had known? He was sure she was, but as he looked at her in that moment - she was somehow completely different.

He had harbored a deep guilt toward Hinata for years, due to his own stupidity. The hero had been so consumed with his own problems that he had never once opened his eyes to what was in front of him. It was because of his own short-sightedness that he allowed one of his closest friends to hurt for more years than he even knew. Not only that, but he hadn't even had the guts to confront her about it all. No, instead, he just let her watch from the sidelines as he announced his love for another woman.

He couldn't feel guilty for loving Sakura, but that didn't mean he wasn't guilty for hurting Hinata.

Yet, here she was, smiling at him. Naruto felt his heart pang in his chest; he didn't deserve that smile.

Hinata, on the other hand, was feeling a weight slip off her shoulders. She was over him, she was moving on - she was saying goodbye.

"Thank you," Hinata said suddenly.

Naruto just stared at her, unable to respond. 'Thank you'?..

With that, Hinata continued on her way - passing Naruto and not turning back. That bittersweet feeling from earlier returned as she made her way home. She was grateful to no longer feel weighed down by her feelings toward Naruto, yet saying goodbye to those feelings was proving to be the hardest of them all.

Nevertheless, she knew they were fading quickly and would soon be gone altogether - and she had to admit that she was proud of herself for that fact.

After a blurry walk back home, Hinata found herself unable to sleep as she rested under the covers that night. Though her body was exhausted, her mind was wide awake; as was her heart. A flurry of emotions kept her from drifting off to sleep; excitement, fear, sadness, determination, giddiness, anxiety. Yet, the most prominent feeling was what finally helped her succumb to her drowsiness. A feeling that had planted itself the moment she saw Kakashi's smiling eyes, and had grown more and more with each step she took since then. A feeling that would lead her to places she had never been, places she wanted to see oh-so badly.

A feeling of hope.

So, as the night lulled her to sleep, Hinata smiled a hopeful smile - ready for the day ahead of her.

The morning greeted Hinata with newfound excitement, the hope in her heart having brought a smile to her face as soon as she awakened. Before she could even think about it, the Hyuuga was up and dressed. Her bags having been packed the night before, the girl was out the door in a flash.

With great difficulty, Hinata tried to maintain a calm exterior as she bid her father goodbye before speed-walking to her sister's room. As expected, the girl was still asleep. The eldest sister gently shook the girl's shoulder; Hanabi's groggy opal eyes opened to meet her sister's matching pair, though hers were much more awake.

Without her sister having to say a word, the younger Hyuuga knew what she was waking her for - it made her want to go back to sleep.

Instead, she just wrapped her arms around Hinata, hoping to distract from her teary eyes. She held on for a moment before mumbling into her sister's shoulder, "Don't stay gone too long."

The barely audible words pierced Hinata's heart, and she began feeling her own tears come to the surface once again. She held her sister close and whispered, "Be good."

With that, Hanabi quickly turned back to the safety of her covers as Hinata made her way to the door. She didn't look back as she closed the door, knowing that her proud little sister wouldn't want her to witness her in such a way.

Hinata did her best to channel her little Hanabi's ways in that moment as she held her head high and exited the Hyuuga estate. She didn't look back.

As she made her way out of the village, Hinata had come upon a group of people in front of the gates. Kiba, Shino, Kurenai, Mirai, and - most surprisingly - Lord Kakashi were all waiting to bid the kunoichi goodbye.

She was once again willing herself not to cry as she hugged her friends one by one, giving Mirai a kiss on the forehead, and a deep bow for the Hokage. He had blushed slightly at the sentiment, though no one could see.

"Do the Leaf proud, Hinata," he said, a hand resting on her shoulder encouragingly. She gave a stout nod, intending to do just that.

Turning toward the open gates, Hinata was suddenly hit by the sudden realness of it all. She was leaving - just like that. She was going on an adventure - all for herself. A smile found its way onto her lips once again.

Hinata turned back to her friends, giving them a final wave with her smile in place. She turned back once again and took a step forward, then another. Another. Each faster than the next, her steps carried her forward until she was running. With every push of her legs, Hinata flew forward - faster, faster.

All the while, her wide eyes were trained ahead of her at the vast horizon. As she sped through the trees, not taking note of how far she had gotten or how long she had been going - Hinata kept her eyes set straight ahead, running faster than she ever had before.

In that moment, Hinata knew she would never look back again.

A/N: Okay! So I'm really excited about this story! I'm gonna let y'all know now: this is pretty much purely a romance/self-discovery story. So, lots of character development and lots of rjwefnsdkmoefim.

Each chapter will be based off of a song, and I do recommend listening to them as you read if you're into that sorta thing~

So yeah I really hope you guys like this story as much as I do and thank you for reading if you did and hell yea SasuHina and bye 3