Chapter One

Prologue:

They say that high school relationships don't really last too long after the speeches end and the caps soar through the sky. I beg to differ on that. It's not that I'm ignorant to the fact that many relationships - be they romantic or platonic - are apt to fade away when the people don't see one another on a daily basis. However, I believe that my experience is an exception.

It's been seven years since I had graduated from high school with the man who would later become my husband, and with the couple who agreed to be our first-born son's godparents. In other words, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and I had graduated seven years ago, and pressed on with our lives. Of course, the day after graduation, I was secretly engaged to Naruto, who saved up enough money five months later to buy a diamond ring and make our engagement public and official. I was so happy when we were engaged, because it was like living the dream that I thought would never come true.

Before we got married, Naruto and I moved into an apartment of our own, he leaving his parents and I leaving Neji and Tenten. Before the summer was over, though, Sasuke came to me with a proposition: he told me about his future plan to major in business with a minor in music, and to open his own instrumental store and studio. Then, he told me the part most relevant to my life; he told me that he wanted me to be the strings specialist, and that - if I agreed to it - he would send me to America to attend Julliard, a high-ranking college specialized in the arts. He told me that he would want me, regardless of my college education, but the college was his thanks to me for staying with him when Sakura was having complications with Senri.

I wanted so badly to go to college, but this was terrifying - to have a friend pay so much money for me to go, and in another country, at that. Naruto and I talked it over with him, and we decided that I would go, but I would not stay on campus. Naruto would come with me, and we would rent an apartment there while I studied. Because the semester had already started, we decided that I would begin next year.

So, in between that time and the time that I was supposed to ship myself over to America, Naruto and I made our vows to be together forever, sealing our promise with golden bands that decorate our left ring fingers. Our wedding was small, nothing flashy, which best suited us, I believe. We were not ones to show off or spend a handful of money that neither one of us had.

Sakura and Tenten had a blast organizing the moment that every woman dreams about, and they were with me every step of the way. Sometimes, Kushina would tag along with us, especially on the days that we would go dress shopping. Sakura was so thankful for Itachi during the planning period, because he had agreed to take Senri off of her hands. Sasuke, of course, was with my - at the time - fiancé.

As the days drew nearer and nearer to the day where Neji would escort me down the aisle, I remember feeling myself growing dizzy and nauseous a lot. I was so nervous, because I wanted Naruto so much and I loved him to the point of no end. He was the person who kept me going, even when hell shot up from the ground, and there was no way that I would ever be able to repay him for everything that he had done for me. The only thing that I could even begin to do was be a good wife. I would take care of him, and we would have beautiful babies one day.

The nerves that bubbled inside of me seemed to make me weightless, yet my feet continued to remain on the ground. But the day that I had to walk down the aisle, even though I felt like I was going to swoon, Neji was there. He let me squeeze his arm so tightly, that I believe there may have been indents from my fingertips in his skin. Though he didn't say anything about it, so I didn't bring it up.

"I will never let you fall," he had murmured in my ear so lightly before the doors had opened, and, because he was there, I felt better. In all honesty, I didn't know what I would have done, had he not been walking by my side the entire way. A part of me thought that I would become so nervous that I would turn and run away, while the other part of me was convinced that I would have lost consciousness.

But I didn't. Rather, Neji handed me away to Naruto, and we exchanged our vows and placed rings on one another's finger, and we kissed and strolled happily up the aisle. People threw rice and flower petals at us, and I tossed my bouquet of lilies over my head before leaving the room. Of course, Sasuke had told me what he was planning on doing, and so I intentionally threw them in his direction. Luckily, he was the one who caught them, and he fell down to one knee and bestowed upon Sakura the bouquet and a rather large diamond ring.

I have had so many moments in my life that have made me blissful to the point of endless tears. That was one of those moments. Sadly enough, though, we could not stay behind for the newly engaged couple. My new husband and I were off to Shuzenji for our honeymoon, where we stayed for almost a month; the only reason we could was due to the wedding present that the Uchiha family had given us. They told us that if we wanted to stay longer, all we had to do was call.

Sex came easily to us during that month, and I couldn't help but laugh and remember the comment Naruto made a while ago about Sasuke and Sakura's sex life, about how they were always doing it. It was easy to understand, now, especially since we both had more experience with one another. Not to mention the fact that we were alone and didn't have to concern ourselves with disruption.

It was April by the time we had returned to Konoha, and we got to see everybody again; it felt like forever since I had seen my family and friends. It was funny, though, to think of Minato and Kushina as my parents. I had gotten better at video games, and so that was a favorite pass time whenever we visited.

When the summer faded in, I started getting really sick, and I couldn't explain why. Originally, I thought that I was just a bit scared to be leaving the country to go to college in America. However, in July, I found out that I was pregnant. Everybody was so happy, and when I told Naruto, he immediately constricted me in one of the most irresistible hugs. We were having a baby.

So, I ended up not going to college, but Sasuke still wanted me to work in his business, so when he got his degree and opened up the store, he hired me right away.

That was six years ago.

OoO

"Bad ass!" Suigetsu Hozuki shouted out after I let my viola fall to my hips. Lowering myself carefully back onto the stool below me, I couldn't help but to smile and laugh a bit, yet the blush in my cheeks still had not gone away. Despite the fact that I've been with so many wonderful people over the past decade, I still couldn't stop myself from getting nervous over the little things, and I concluded that the blood in my body must have a one-way course leading to my cheeks.

"Suigetsu," Sasuke leaned on the wall opposing myself and took a sip of water from a plastic bottle. "How many times to I have to tell you: just because we can't see or hear the people outside doesn't mean that they can't see and hear everything that we do."

"Pfft," he blew air out of his mouth rudely, but all of us within the studio knew that it was all in the form of a good-humored joke. We were always like this: work was not really work for us, because we enjoyed doing it.

Mikoto's Music was home to all of its employees, and Sasuke really connected with us. In the back of the store, there was a studio that we often migrate into when we aren't busy. In this studio, we cannot see or hear anything that is going on outside of the room, but anybody within the store can see and hear us. This studio was designed by Sasuke himself, in order to attract the public to try their hand at an instrument. If the community sees local people playing beautiful music, then they may become curious and wonder if they, too, can be as good as we are.

I have been working here for three years, starting the very first day the store opened. Originally, it was just Sasuke and me, who were trying to get it started. While we worked on ordering a vast variety of different instruments, Sakura and Naruto aided in putting out employment articles around town, trying to get the word out that we needed musically talented individuals, especially those with college educations. Because of the hard work of ourselves and our spouses, we were able to hire a decent staff that quickly became a second family to us.

Suigetsu is a loudmouth guy who is very critical of the things going on around him. He came here in search of the job, wanting to specialize in the stringed instruments, specifically guitar and bass. Suigetsu is our age, and he had graduated from Toho Gakuen around the same time that Sasuke had graduated from Meiji University. When it came to the bass, he was a genius, despite the fact that he was lazy and did almost everything halfway. When we all gathered together in this studio, he switched off between the bass and the guitar, depending on what the piece of music called for.

Yahiko Hashimoto was a man that we had hired who specializes in percussion who had come to Konoha looking for a job like this with his girlfriend, Konan Teruya. The couple had gone to Shobi and had graduated in the same year, and Sasuke and I believed that it would be nice to hire both of them. After all, they both had graduated with a degree in music and were looking for jobs, while we were searching for people with such a degree to hire. In the studio, Yahiko generally took over the drums, claiming a set that we had ordered at the beginning of Mikoto's Music's story. Konan, on the other hand, was a very classy lady who could play the cello exceptionally well. She, however, typically took the role of watching the store when we all went back in the studio.

Nagato Uzumaki - who I later found out was a cousin of Naruto's on his mother's side - came into the store, looking to specialize in brass instruments. He had graduated from Tokyo College of Music, and it was almost too good to be true for him; he had attended the same school as Konan and Yahiko since middle school, and had separated for college. The three of them were reunited, thanks to Sasuke, and he knew that he was going to hire Nagato, along with the young couple from Shobi. When we go back into the studio, Nagato acts as a backup guitarist, or, if the music calls for it, he plays any sort of brass instrument.

"Even still," Suigetsu continued, not listening to his superior's scold; what else was new? "You can't help but yell out and catcall whenever Hinata tears it out on that viola!"

"You're setting a bad example for the baby," Nagato reprimanded our outspoken bassist, his eyes flashing to the large bulge that took over my entire abdomen. "Do you really want that poor child to come out with a sailor's mouth?"

Yahiko's drumsticks clinked together as he rested them on top of the snare drum. "Speaking of the baby, when are you due, Hinata?"

Oh no, all eyes were on me. You would think that I would be used to this by now, after three years of standing out as Konoha's delicate violist. I guess that old habits won't die as hard as they say; I don't think that I will ever become as confident as I want to be. Even still, I will work hard, because I will never give up.

"She should be coming any day now," I murmured, touching my left fingertips to my stomach and stroking my baby daughter's home. Within my belly, I could feel her kicking, and I could remember Sakura's complaints when she was pregnant with Senri: it's like they're practicing to be a kick boxer. While she isn't so bad, her older brothers gave me a terrible time.

"Have you and Naruto decided on a name yet?" Sasuke set his guitar down, leaning its head on the wall at an angle to where the instrument wouldn't come toppling over.

I bit my lip a little bit, almost too excited to greet my daughter into the world. "We're thinking Megumi, because both Naruto and I were hoping to have a girl this time, and her name would mean 'blessing.'" Yes, she definitely was a blessing, whether or not she was a boy or a girl. First and foremost, I would pray for the safety and health of our baby.

Sometimes I can't help but think about what I would do if I had a complication, like what Sakura had gone through, and I just...I don't think that I would be able to bear it. The fear that I would have for my child, if he or she was in such a terrifying danger. Not to mention that I'm not as strong as Sakura is, and I don't think that my body would be able to hold on if I had gone through exactly what she did. I never tell anybody that these thoughts slip into my mind from time to time, but I can't help but wonder if Sasuke can see it in my eyes - see the exact same pain in my eyes that he recognized from his own suffering. He hasn't said anything to me, but sometimes, it's not about the things that people say that make a difference.

"We're going to have to talk about maternity leave, then," Sasuke spoke up, breaking me from my horrifying thoughts, of which I internally thanked him for. When my mind wandered in such a way, I found it hard to break my conscience from the topic. My eyes flickered to him, and they perceived him nod his head at me only slightly. A bit dazed, I unconsciously nodded back at him, pursing my lips only for a moment before turning my attention back down to my baby belly.

"You know, Hinata," Yahiko spoke up, clearing his throat and scratching the back of his head, his fiery spikes flopping around in an unruly manner, "you're really glowing right now. And not with that usual red tint." He laughed out loud, causing that "usual red tint" to flame up into my face again in embarrassment.

"It's the glow of motherhood," Suigetsu lowered himself onto the floor and fell backwards onto his backside, reaching to the side of the studio for his abnormally large travel cup. That boy drank water like a whale. "I sure hope that hubby of yours is taking good care of you."

I smiled at the thought of my husband and almost turned away so that I could stifle an exuberant chuckle. Every day, Naruto would bring our two sons - Usui and Tadashi - with him and the three of them would walk from our apartment to Mikoto's Music to come pick me up. On the days where weather was not so great, I would tell Naruto not to worry about me, that I would ride home with either Sasuke or Yahiko. I can tell, though, that when I do catch a ride with another man, Naruto becomes consumed in jealousy, as if I would even be attracted to another man. In my world, the only man that really and truly exists is Naruto. The rest of them are all people to me, their gender not really mattering to me. A part of me acknowledged the gender of others, while the other part really didn't care. When it came to people, I have to say that I spend the most time with guys, and have done so since Sasuke and I became friends in high school. But that doesn't mean that Naruto has any competition. As far as I'm concerned, none of them can ever make me feel the way I feel about my husband, which is why I married him.

"Yes." I turned back to Suigetsu and nodded, nibbling on the inside of my cheek. "He takes great care of me, and he's such a loving father to our children." Seeing Naruto interact with our sons always gave me a beautiful and warm feeling inside, because it was clear as day that he truly loved them with everything he had. He actually cried when Usui was born, because that was the day that he became a father.

"Wasn't he spending the day with Sakura today and helping her out?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow and folded his arms, turning his attention to me. Yeah, he was right, and a part of me completely trusted Naruto, but the other part couldn't help but remember that Naruto used to have the biggest crush on the pinkette who had become my best friend in our junior year at Konoha High.

"Yes, I believe he mentioned that to me this morning. He said that Sakura wasn't feeling too well, and that he was going to help her take care of Takumi."

Takumi was the cutest little thing; he is Sakura and Sasuke's second son, who was born about three months ago. The way that Senri interacted with his baby brother was precious, because he was old enough to know the fragility of a baby. Senri was proud of his little brother, and he loved to hold baby Takumi whenever his parents were around to watch and make sure that the baby wasn't dropped.

"Did he say that he was going to pick Senri up from school?" Sasuke asked, attempting to be nonchalant, but I could tell that he was concerned that Naruto forgot about his first son. My eyes rolled upwards to the ceiling as I thought back to this morning, before Naruto and I parted ways.

"I think your brother was going to pick him up," I said, vaguely remembering Naruto mentioning something about Itachi. For some reason, I couldn't remember our exact conversation this morning. I'm suffering from pregnancy brain. For a quick moment, I glanced at the hands on my watch and noticed that it was almost time for the store to close, so Konan would be invading us sometime soon to let us know.

Sasuke stood up with his cell phone in his hand, his fingers punching away at the keys as he typed a text message to somebody - probably either Naruto, Sakura, or Itachi; somebody who would know the whereabouts of Senri. At his lead, the rest of us pushed ourselves to our feet, me, of course, moving at a more gradual pace, due to the extra weight breaking my back. All of the guys passed me in their trek to the door of the studio, but Sasuke waited for me to lay my viola on the stool securely and follow the rest of our family out the door.

Not paying any attention to where I was going, I ran into somebody, and that person grabbed onto my forearms securely as I almost stumbled backwards. I turned my eyes to the person that I had collided with, and it was like staring into a mirror. Neji held me securely as I planted my feet firmly on the ground and regained my balance.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, nostalgically remembering all of the times that he would come to pick me up after the guys finished practicing basketball in high school. Thinking about it now, that was the last time that he had been somewhere, waiting for me to arrive so that he could drive me home.

"Naruto called me and asked if I could come pick you up. He said that Sakura was asleep, and he didn't want to wake her up," my mirror-image cousin explained to me, and I nodded, wondering what the purpose was. I could have just gotten a ride to the Uchiha house from Sasuke, and Naruto and I could have walked home together.

"Why would he make you come to get me?" I questioned, not entirely understanding the logic of my husband. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, I'm just asking out of curiosity." My face burned as I attempted to explain myself, hoping that Neji had not taken offense to my interrogation.

"Look down," he told me, and I did, but I could barely see the floor; Megumi was in the way of that. I didn't see the point of my eyes being adverted to the floor, despite the fact that Mikoto's did have very nice, smooth slate tiles. "You shouldn't be walking any sort of distance right now."

"But our apartment is only a mile from here," I argued, believing myself capable enough to walk the mile, so long as Naruto was with me.

"But you're thirty nine weeks pregnant, Hinata." Neji reached behind me and touched the small of my back, leading me through the assortment of pianos lined up beautifully in the front left of the shop. "I swear, you're developing the hardheadedness of that husband of yours."

If Neji's words were true, and I was becoming more like Naruto, wouldn't that mean that I was coming closer and closer to perfection?