Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. I do not make money from writing this story, as I do not own any of the rights to the characters or canon plotlines.

Author's Note : It's been a long time, but I DID say I would never give up on this. As I stated in an A/N on my Bleach story…I have had a rough couple of years. I won't bore you with the sob story of my life for the past few years that led to such scattered updates and eventually the death of my inspiration to write for a long while. But, I'm back and I'm going to do my best to finish what I've started. There will only be this chapter and an epilogue left in this story, so I hope that whoever is still out there reading enjoys them. I do want to say thank you to everyone who has stuck with it from the first book through this one. You guys are what ultimately got my ass in gear to finish this thing.

This is completely unbeta'd so please excuse stupid mistakes.

Title : People Who Are Important: Book Two

Warnings : SPOILERS for anyone not up to date on the Manga, Some Angst, Weaves in and out of Canon so AU

Pairings : Sakura/Sasuke, Naruto/Hinata, Gaara/Shia, Hints of Future Kankuro/Tenten (Past Neji/Tenten), Shikamaru/Temari

Chapter 21

Naruto sat at the main dining table of the Hyuuga Mansion, Hinata on his right side, as he stared down the elders at the end of the table. Now that Hiashi was gone, and Neji with him, the elders were pushing harder for Hinata to wed so that she could take over the clan on more stable ground. Now that Naruto was the Hokage, none of them saw any reason that he was unfit to be her husband. He was happy about that development, of course, but he was not about to force Hinata into marriage so soon after losing her cousin and father in the war. He was not about to force her into marriage ever! If, and only if she wanted to marry him, they would get married. On their own time, in their own way, with no one breathing down their necks.

"I don't see why there needs to be a rush. I know for a fact that Hiashi-san reworked the ancient laws surrounding the leadership and arranged marriage so that Hinata would have no issue inheriting. Why are you pushing marriage now? The war is over. We have just rebuilt the village. This should be a time for healing and settling in, not adding more stress," he said in an even tone.

He was pissed that they were trying to pull this crap, but while training with Tsunade to become Hokage, he'd been taught the finer points of keeping his anger in check. He was sure he'd never be as good at it as all of his advisors, predecessors, or Council would like…but he was a far cry from the boy who'd shouted at the Hyuuga Council over a year ago when he and Hinata first started dating.

"Of course, Hokage-sama, we understand this. We would just feel more comfortable about it if our leader was married. It would seem more proper for Hinata-sama not to be alone at the helm of the Clan," Hyuuga Hitoshi said, his tone logical and calm.

He wanted to try, at least, to convince the two young ones to wed. He was old fashioned, and to him Hinata's presence in the world of Clan Politics as well as international politics would be much stronger with a husband at her side. His wife, however, knew that the decision would not be something they could be persuaded into. If they married, it would be because they both decided they were ready. She had learned from last year that both Naruto and Hinata were very stubborn young people. No one could ever force them to do something they didn't want to do.

"She won't be alone. She's never alone, because I will never leave her. That still doesn't explain why you feel the need to rush us into marriage," Naruto came back with a narrowing of his eyes.

"I hope that you're not trying to force this because of any old fashioned ideas that a woman cannot lead her clan without a man beside her. Because after all Hinata did in the war, I find that idea highly offensive," the blond finished. The older man frowned at having been seen through by someone he hadn't considered all that intelligent before now.

"Hokage-sama, while I agree that Hinata-sama would have no issue running this clan on her own, I do think that a marriage between you two should be planned soon. You are the Hokage now, and while the other nations know Hinata-sama is your chosen partner, that will not stop rich Lords from trying to buy your favor by throwing their daughters, nieces, or granddaughters at you. With a Hyuuga as your wife, no one would dare disgrace our Clan Leader with such show of disrespect for her station in your life," Emiko explained.

Naruto could admit that her stance was true. He remembered when Gaara had become Kazekage and women from all over the place were being offered as his wife. Looking at the two Council leaders before him, Naruto could understand their points…both of them, even if Hitoshi's antiquated ideas of an unwed female leader made him slightly angry. Emiko was the smart one. She knew how to appeal to his protective side by suggesting Hinata may be disgraced by other people's actions he could not control. Besides…he already wanted to marry her. The only reason he was fighting the Council so hard was that he wasn't sure Hinata was ready.

"Well…as I've said before, I would be overjoyed to marry Hinata. It is something I have wanted since before the war started and a wish that only solidified during," he said, turning away from the Councilmembers and to his girlfriend.

"So, Hinata, do you think you're ready to get stuck with me for the rest of your life?" he asked with a slight laugh and a warm smile in her direction.

"Naruto, I would like nothing more than to be your wife. If you believe you are ready, then I will happily accept you as my husband," she said, slipping her hand over his and squeezing his fingers. Naruto's smile went from warm to beaming with happiness as he squeezed her hand in return.

"Right then, we will continue to discuss this matter. Even though we both agree we would like to be wed, possibly sooner than later, I think it's a decision that should not be made lightly and should not be made under any kind of pressure from outside sources," Naruto said, eying the two elders purposefully.

"With that said, I think it is time I returned to the office, and Hina-chan has some meetings to attend to as well," he said, looking to Hinata questioningly. She smiled and nodded, knowing that this was not just a question of their obligations, but hint that her boyfriend would like to be free of the counsel now.

"Indeed I do, we will give you our answer as soon as we have one," Hinata told the counsel. Naruto just laughed.

"We won't need to tell them anything. They'll know when we've made our decision."

With that said, Naruto kissed his new fiancé chastely on the cheek and excused himself to return to the office. Hinata gestured for the council members to follow her to their next meeting. Now that the Hyuuga compound had been rebuilt, there were certain responsibilities to be laid out to its clan members with regards to its new position in the village.

As soon as Naruto arrived he had his assistant, Sarutobi Konohamaru, call in Team Seven. While they were all adults now who did not serve on the same team anymore, they were still often referred to as Team Seven. They'd decided to just go with it. In fact, Naruto had officially retired the team name once he became Hokage to avoid any future confusion. Not five minutes later his old teammates stood before him all looking expectant and curious about his sudden summons. Naruto tried to look as sober and sorrowful as possible, because why the hell not prank the lot of them while he had them here?!

"Kakashi, Sakura-chan, Sasuke-teme, Sai…I called you all here for something extremely important that I am going to ask you keep to yourselves until I give you the okay," he said in a very serious tone. The four of them looked at him with slight worry, and he could tell they were wondering if something was brewing on the outside that they should be worried about.

"Hinata-chan and I…..well.…." Naruto drew out the words as long as possible watching the emotions play on his friends' faces. Well…mostly Sakura's face because Sai, Sasuke, and Kakashi were all doing rather good impressions of statues at the moment. He looked down at his desk as if he couldn't bear the news he was about to give.

"We're getting married!"

Naruto's head popped up and a foxy grin spread across his face as he observed the unimpressed stares of the three males in the room and Sakura's stress stricken face.

"Tch…finally, Dobe," was Sasuke's immediate response.

"Oi! You don't get to tell me finally anything! You're the one who's all shacked up with Sakura-chan for over a year and still hasn't bothered to officially ask her out!" Naruto replied, pointing a finger at the Uchiha who merely rolled his eyes as Sakura went bright red beside him.

"Um…..anyway, Congratulations Naruto-kun! I'm so happy for you and Hinata-chan. She's literally been waiting for this day her whole life, and you've found someone to live the rest of your life with," Sakura said, a quick change of subject to distract the team from herself and Sasuke.

They hadn't exactly hashed out what they were to one another yet. Sasuke was still dealing with a lot of emotional fallout from the war, and honestly so was Sakura. They'd mutually agreed to just continue on as they were and let this thing lead them wherever it planned to take them. Sakura was in love with Sasuke. She had been since they were kids. That feeling had only grown and matured through all of the things they had been through together. There was one night that they sat down together and talked about things a little after a long day of working to rebuild the Uchiha Compound in its new location. Sasuke had admitted to feeling very deeply and very strongly for Sakura, but had also admitted to not feeling ready to rush into anything.

"Now here's why you gotta keep it a secret though….Hinata doesn't uh…know that we're getting married yet. We agreed at the Hyuuga Council meeting that we both wanted to, but I didn't want to propose to her in such a stuffy cold environment. She deserves to be proposed to like the princess she is, with a big old ring and a bunch of people around us to cheer on her happiness!" Naruto said, breaking Sakura out of her thoughts. He might be a prankster and a bit dense sometimes, but he was a romantic underneath it all.

"Pff….dickless," Sai said under his breath causing Naruto to growl in the pale man's direction. Sakura elbowed Sai hard enough to send him into a coughing fit, then eyed Sasuke and Kakashi who were both smart enough to stay quiet.

"I think that's very romantic Naruto. If you need help with planning anything, just let me know."

"Actually Sakura-chan…there is something that you can help me with," Naruto said, smiling at his friend. "I don't know the first thing about jewelry. Would you help me find a ring worthy of Hyuuga Hinata?"

Sakura couldn't help but smile at that. She nodded her head. Of course she would help her hopeless friend find a beautiful ring to present to his soon to be fiancé. She honestly couldn't be happier for him. After everything Naruto had been through. After how horrible he'd been treated and how much hatred had been directed at him for so many years…he was going to settle down with someone who had never done anything but love him.

"Great! So you can come with me, and the rest of you please spread the word that there will be a 'press conference' outside of the Hokage Tower tonight at nine. That's where I'm going to do it…in front of the entire village," Naruto said. The three male ninja in the room nodded firmly before each shooting off into a different direction. Then he and Sakura went off to find a ring.

Gaara stood at the at the window facing the beautiful west garden of the Akito Main House in silence. He was watching his wife and children have a peaceful picnic lunch together. Seeing the smile of happiness on her face as she interacted with their children filled Gaara's heart with warmth, but also pain. She hadn't smiled like that around him for such a long time. In fact, more often than not, Shia had a very troubled expression in his presence. It was like she couldn't decide how to feel about him anymore. It terrified him more than anything in the world that he may lose his wife. He couldn't imagine his world without her. The problem was, he just didn't know what to do to make it better. Every time he tried to get close to her, she would pull away from him. He didn't want to push too hard and end up losing her for good.

Still, watching his family from the outside like this was very painful. He needed to take the advice that Hinata had given him at the club on the night of Naruto's inauguration. He needed to talk to Shia, one on one and he needed to let her express everything she'd been feeling since the first time he left her for the battlefields of the war. Mostly, he needed to fix the damage he had unintentionally done to his marriage by not being there for his wife when she needed him most. It wasn't his choice to be away, and he knew that Shia probably understood that. But sometimes emotions weren't rational, especially emotions that are brought on from such a serious circumstance as war.

"Daddy!" Senji cried out when Gaara stepped out into the garden. Now a young child at three, almost four years old, the small body collided with Gaara's legs and the Kazekage leaned down to pick up his son gently. Shia's face lost its smile as soon as she set eyes on him, and he would be a liar if he said seeing that wasn't like a dagger to his heart.

"Senji-chan, Miss Keiko is waiting for you children in the dining room. Please guide your sister and brother inside," Gaara said gently to his son. Senji nodded his head and went to take the hands of his two-year-old twin siblings. Within moments, they were all gone.

Gaara and Shia stood alone in the garden, just feet apart, but to him it might as well have been miles. He wasn't sure what to say or what to do, but as he watched Shia turn her eyes away from him, as he watched her rise and start making her way back into the house, Gaara knew he had to do something before it was too late .He only had so much time left in Konoha before he had to return to his village. This might be the last chance he got to fix things.

"Don't go."

Shia stopped walking at her husband's words. His tone made her heart ache it was so lost and hopeless. She knew this was her fault. She knew the way she had been acting towards him was tearing him apart and their marriage along with it. But she didn't know how to fix it. She didn't know how to stop feeling the way she had been feeling. She didn't know how to apologize for treating Gaara so unfairly for doing the job that all ninja were sworn to do, protecting his village. He must hate her. How could he still love her after how frigid she'd been? How could he still want to be with her after all the stress and strain she had caused him?

"Can we…can we just talk? I can't stand another minute not talking to you Shia. I know you're upset. I know you're hurt and angry and I know it's my fault. Can't you just tell me. Tell me how you're feeling. I can't lose you."

For a while still, Shia was silent. Gaara didn't know what to expect in return for his outburst. Then, slowly, she began to turn around. Once she was facing him, it took another few moments for those navy blue eyes to meet his own. He'd almost forgotten how much he loved the depth of that deep ocean color. It'd been so long since she looked at him for more than a second or two.

"You still want me?" was the first thing that came out of her mouth and Gaara was struck dumb with shock for a few moments.

"Of course I do," Gaara responded. He was confused. Was her sustained silence not because of all the hardships he'd inadvertently put her through while he was at war? Wasn't she angry with him?

"How could you after….after all I've put us through? I've been hurting you. I know I've been hurting you but I've continued to do it. Don't you hate me? Wouldn't you rather be with someone less….less complicated?"

Shia's tone was full of sorrow and uncertainty. Gaara couldn't help but wonder how long she'd been feeling this way. Did she really think he didn't want to be with her anymore? Did she really think he could toss her aside so easily? After everything they'd been through.

"Is that what you think? That I would leave you? That I could leave you? Is that why you've been avoiding me for the better part of a year?" Gaara asked her. Shia's eyes filled with shame and remorse. She was starting to look away from him, but he quickly strode forward causing her eyes to snap back up to his now closer form.

"Explain it to me Shia, because I am very confused. I knew you needed space after the war. I understood that. You went through a lot while I was away and you needed time to sort through everything you were feeling. Now you're here telling me that you think I am through with you. You think that I am the one who wants nothing to do with you when all along I have been trying to bridge this gap that has formed between us," Gaara said.

There was no anger in his voice, only complete and unmitigated confusion. Shia only felt worse. This whole time, it was her that had been pushing him away. It was her who wanted space to recuperate from the stress the war had put on her as a person, a shinobi, a mother, and a wife. This was all her fault, and here she was feeling sorry for herself.

"At first…it was because I was angry. I was angry at you for leaving me behind. I was angry at you for not being there for the birth of the twins, to help me raise them, to help me keep the people of the sand safe and calm while the war raged outside."

Gaara remained quiet, knowing that Shia was not even close to being finished explaining all of the complicated emotions she must have gone through. He was going to let her get it all out because at this point, everything needed to be laid bare on the table for them to sort through.

"But I knew it was wrong to feel that way. It wasn't your fault. You had to go out and fight with the others. If you didn't, we would all be dead or worse. I knew that but I still felt so angry. When you came home I was so happy you were alive, but I was still so angry with you. That's why I asked for time. That's why I haven't been back to Sunagakure more than what was completely necessary during the rebuilding of Konoha," Shia continued.

Even just saying it, Shia felt awful. She felt like a terrible person. A terrible wife. What kind of woman does that to her husband who just came home from war? She could only imagine the kind of things that he'd gone through on the battlefield that she was supposed to have been there to help him work through.

"Then…slowly, rationality started to come back to me. I accepted that the way things happened was not your fault. That's when the guilt started to settle in. I'd been so cold to you, when you probably needed me the most. I don't even know what happened to you during the war. I don't know how you're handling it. I don't know how you feel. What kind of wife abandons her husband like that?"

The self-loathing pouring from Shia's body was like a wave crashing over him. He didn't like it. He hated that she'd been beating herself up over this for so long. Sure, he could've used her support and love during the early days after the war. But if there was one thing that he'd learned to do after the life he'd lead as a demon container, it was how to move on from painful memories. His brother, sister, friends, and even his children had supported and helped him to get through everything. He completely understood Shia's behavior at the time.

"I couldn't face you after all of that. I couldn't even look at you without feeling so much guilt that I became physically nauseous. I thought..how could he ever forgive me? How could he love a woman who could just abandon him like that? How could he still want me?"

With those final words, Shia's head dropped down to look at the floor. Her shoulders sagged, and began to shake as she cried. Gaara didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her trembling form and hold her firmly against his chest. All this time, they both thought they were hated by the other. If they had just spoken sooner…if they had just communicated…maybe this all would have been resolved by now.

"Shia, sometimes I think that we forget how young we still are because we have both been forced to be mature in other ways far beyond our years. Neither of us should be feeling guilty for the way we behaved. We made a mistake that many married couples make in their first few years of marriage," Gaara said, pushing Shia back a little so he could look into her eyes and wipe the flowing tears from her cheeks.

"We forgot to communicate. Our marriage has gone through difficulties and dire circumstances that other couples couldn't even dream about, and that was all within the first two years. I came home from a war, and you waited one out in fear of losing everyone and everything you ever loved. We both were so caught up in our own feelings that we forgot to talk to each other."

Shia looked up at him. She still couldn't believe she was being forgiven, but even through the guilt and sorrow she felt over what she'd done...she could hear the logic in what her husband was saying. Their situation was complicated by the horrors of a world war. If they had just communicated to one another the way they were feeling, this rift that'd formed between them never would've existed.

"I think that we have a lot still to talk about. I think that I should share with you the things I experienced in battle, and I think you need to tell me everything you experienced while I was gone. But I think we both need to forgive each other, and forgive ourselves. I still love you Shia. I never stopped, and I never will stop. When I pledged my life to you in our vows, I meant it. Not even death could keep us apart, remember?" he said, smiling down at her with some hesitance.

He was referring to the incident that seemed to be ages ago now, where he had died and been brought back to life. That was the day they'd become engaged, and also the day that he found out he was going to be a father. It was the day they'd both come to realize they couldn't live without one another. For a few moments, Gaara was worried he'd screwed up, but then he saw Shia's lips slowly turn upward as she stared at him with a watery smile.

"No..it couldn't…" she said, her voice a little shaky. "I love you Gaara. I don't think there will ever be a day in my life where I don't love you."

Gaara pulled her close again, curling his arms around her tightly enough that she let out a little huff that told him it was too tight. She didn't complain at all. He stroked her hair and kissed her on the forehead, the bridge of her nose, each tear track, and then her lips. As they fully closed the gap between them, Shia's arms came up to wrap around his shoulders and her hands pushed through his hair. It was like coming home. Even after the kiss ended, they spent a long while just standing in a warm embrace. Shia's head against his shoulder, face tucked into the crook of his neck as Gaara's head laid atop the softness of her hair.

It wouldn't be easy, and it might take a while….but they were going to be alright…

Sakura stood in Konoha Jeweler's with a poorly disguised Naruto (to avoid the press following them), and Sasuke for some reason. He hadn't said anything, but something told Sakura that this was a moment in Naruto's life that Sasuke wasn't willing to miss. Despite the way he acted, which was mostly just to piss Naruto off in the first place, Sasuke considered the blonde his best friend, his brother, and Sakura could see why he would want to be here when Naruto bought the ring.

"They're all so nice…I have no clue what I'm gonna do," Naruto said, his blue eyes staring down at all the shiny things with wonder and slight anxiousness.

The shopkeeper recognized the Hokage immediately and shooed the regular sales people away so he could help Naruto himself. It was almost as if he were a ninja considering how quickly he was before them taking a few rings out of the case for closer inspection. When the Jeweler made eye contact, Naruto placed a finger to his lips and then mouthed 'incognito'. Hopefully the man wouldn't start blabbing Hokage-sama all over the place and call attention to what was happening. Naruto didn't want anything to ruin that beautiful look of complete and utter surprise he could already imagine on Hinata's face when he got down on one knee and asked her for her hand.

"Sakura-chan, what do you think?" Naruto asked, turning to his pink haired friend.

The pinkette looked down at the rings with narrowed green eyes. They were all nice, but none of them really stood out as unique. Sakura knew that after everything Naruto and Hinata had been through there was no way he was going to give his bride to be a run of the mill ring. She looked at the Jeweler with a slight frown on her lips.

"Don't you have anything more…unique. I think my friend is looking for something less common," she said. She looked to Naruto, who nodded in agreement.

"Yea, Hina-chan isn't just any girl ya know…I want something that's one of a kind. Just like her," he said. Sakura could swear she heard a slight gagging noise from Sasuke's direction, but when she looked at him he was completely expressionless. Naruto, of course, was completely oblivious focused only on the task at hand.

"Well Hok_ uh Sir, we do have a few one of a kind pieces in the safe, but they will cost a pretty penny," the shopkeeper cautioned.

"I don't care how much it is, I'll pay for it for the rest of my life if I have to as long as it's a ring worthy of Hina-chan," Naruto said with conviction.

He may be the Hokage now, with all the perks and benefits of said position including its high salary, but he still only had so much money in the bank. He'd refused any monetary reward that any village may have given him for his role in the defeat of Madara. That money was better spent rebuilding what was left of the Ninja World after the war. He'd been on several high class missions that paid pretty well, but most of that money went to paying his bills.

"Well alright then," the shopkeeper said with a brighter smile than before.

"Naruto, are you sure?" Sakura asked as the man practically pranced away to go find the even more expensive rings. "Hinata would be happy with anything you gave her."

The blonde turned around and smiled at her in such a way that he didn't even need to answer. He'd already made his decision. That much Sakura could tell. Anyone who knew him was well aware that once he made his mind up about something, there was no talking him out of it. It wasn't that she really wanted to talk him out of buying the ring. She just knew that Naruto had struggled to save as much as he had up to this point, and even though he'd be making more money in his new position, this purchase could end up costing him all of his savings.

"Here we are," the Jeweler said as he returned with three rings set in black boxes lined with velvet. "These are three rings I carefully crafted to be one of a kind pieces. I have made no others like them in all my years."

Looking down at the rings, Sakura felt her eyes go wide. They were gorgeous. Each clearly crafted with great artistry and passion. She was a little too dazzled to focus on deciding which one would be the best fit for Hinata, but Naruto wasn't.

"That one," he said, pointing to the last one in the lineup.

It was rose gold with what looked like braded bands of diamonds on either side of a large opal center. It was absolutely beautiful, and it would look no less than stunning against Hinata's pale complexion.

"That's perfect Naruto," was all Sakura could say. He turned around and beamed at her.

"Sakura-chan, would you mind trying it on before I buy it? You and Hinata have a similar skin tone and I want to see how it looks on someone before I get it," he said.

"Of course," Sakura said as the shopkeeper took her hand and gently pushed the ring on to her left ring finger. She was a bit speechless looking at the priceless piece of jewelry sitting on her hand. She'd never worn anything like it in her life.

"What do you think Sasuke-teme? Is that a good one?" Naruto asked, and Sakura couldn't believe she'd almost forgotten that he was with them. He'd been so quiet the whole time.

As both she and Naruto turned to their friend, Sakura noticed that Sauske's face had been quickly tamed back into his usual expression although she had not seen what it looked like before. The change was too fast. She did, however, see a strange light in Sasuke's dark eyes that she couldn't quite read no matter how hard she tried.

"I think you've got yourself an engagement ring, Dobe. You ready to buy it?" Sasuke replied, looking only at Naruto and avoiding Sakura's gaze.

"I'll take it!" Naruto cried out triumphantly. Sakura couldn't help but smile, she'd worry about Sasuke's strange behavior later. Now was a time for them both to just revel in their best friend's happiness.

"Great! The price of this ring is_"

"The price is unimportant, send the bill to the Uchiha Compound," Sasuke said, cutting the Jeweler off.

"I can buy it myself, Teme, you don't have to_"

"Don't worry about it, Naruto," Sasuke said, using Naruto's name which meant he was serious about what he was saying. "After all you've done for me, I would be happy to keep you out of lifelong debt. Consider it a wedding gift."

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. A part of him wanted to tell Sasuke no, because he wanted to be the one that bought the ring that he proposed to Hinata with tonight. At the same time, he didn't want to throw his friend's gift in his face. That would be rude, and if Sasuke was offering to do this, it was something he really wanted to do. Naruto knew in his mind that he didn't have the money to buy the ring outright, but like he said he was more than willing to pay for it for the rest of his life. Here Sasuke was offering to pay for the whole thing.

"Don't think too hard, Dobe, it's not your strong suit. Just use your manners for once and accept the gift that I'm giving you."

Sakura watched as the two men stared at each other in silence before her face broke into the widest smile when Naruto couldn't contain his happiness and promptly glomped Sasuke down to the floor. The pinkette laughed out loud at the decidedly horrified gleam shining from Sasuke's eyes in the midst of an otherwise blank face. Though Sasuke's demeanor projected irritation with the blond man clinging to his form, Sakura could tell how happy the Uchiha was that Naruto had finally found happiness.

Hinata stood in her normal spot on the balcony of Hokage Tower waiting for Naruto to arrive and give the surprise press conference she'd been ushered to by Shia-chan and Temari-chan. She was a little confused considering that Naruto usually told her about any conferences scheduled about a month in advance because he liked her to be standing at his side when he addressed the public. He knew that as head of the clan now, Hinata had a very busy schedule and Naruto was usually very considerate of this fact. She wondered if she should be concerned. Was there an emergency situation somewhere out that that needed to be addressed right away? She couldn't help but worry. Hinata was jostled from her anxious thoughts by a gentle elbow to her side.

"Relax Hinata-chan, everything's going to be alright," Shia said to her with an assuring smile.

The Hyuuga smiled back at her, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Of course. She needed to calm down. Things were fine. The world was at peace. They had all made sure of that. Naruto was probably just updating the village on a new ordinance or law being put into place. Hinata was just psyching herself out. Focusing her attention on Shia-chan, Hinata noticed the other woman looked much happier than she had in months.

"You look well, Shia-chan," Hinata said, causing the brunette to laugh and smile.

"You would pick up on that," Shia said. "Gaara and I talked. We still have some things to work through, and we decided to see a marriage counsellor when we return to Suangakure, but our love for each other is stronger than it has ever been. I think we are going to be alright."

"I knew you would be…the war took its toll on us all, but I always knew you and Gaara would find your way back to each other," Hinata said.

"Well, that makes one of us. I am very glad we did, because I was beginning to think I was going to lose the single most important person in my life, besides the kids of course. But enough about me, because here comes yours right now," Shia said with a knowing grin.

Hinata looked away from Shia just in time to see Naruto striding up to the edge of the balcony, Hokage robes billowing out behind him as he addressed the cheering villagers who were staring up at him from the streets. He looked so handsome in that moment with the light of the setting sun hitting his golden blonde hair, lighting up his sky colored eyes, and gleaming off of his beautifully tanned face. She couldn't help but smile as he spoke in as animated a tone as ever, though her thoughts had distracted her from what he was saying. She was a bit shocked when he beckoned her from her position with a gesture of his hand. Her cheeks flushed as she moved to stand in front of him, the crowd below going completely silent as she did. He was smiling at her anxiously, which made some butterflies take flight in her belly.

'Naruto-kun…what is going on?'

Naruto felt his heart pounding in his chest so hard he was sure the whole village could hear it. As Hinata glided forward, her beautiful face looking at him with love, confusion, and concern all at once, Naruto felt like he might vomit. He pulled his shit together really quick though, because there was no way in hell he was about to screw up possibly the most important moment in his life.

"Hyuuga Hinata, Leader of the Honored Hyuuga Clan, Hero of the Fourth Ninja War, and the most beautiful, kind, and compassionate person I have ever met," Naruto began, thanking whatever gods were up there that he was actually putting words together and they were coming out the way he wanted them to sound.

"Naruto-kun?" was her breathless response, then a gasp as he got down on one knee producing a ring from inside the depths of his esteemed Kage robes.

"You're it for me, Hina-chan….will you marry me?" Naruto asked, his own tone going a bit horse and breathless as his nerves became more and more frazzled.

The world was silent around them, as if time was frozen. Naruto could hear his heartbeat loudly in his ears, his breaths short and staggered as he anxiously awaited the response. Hinata's expression was everything he had hoped for, even though her shocked silence was making his stomach twist around violently inside of him. Her big pearlescent eyes were wide and round. Her mouth hung open in a surprised gape that was very uncharacteristic of her usual elegance. Her cheeks were flushed a brilliant red as her long dark hair danced around her face in the wind. The ring glinted between them in the dwindling light of the day. After what seemed like an eternity, Naruto watched as Hinata's face transformed into one of complete and unfathomable happiness.

"Naruto-kun! O-Of course I will! I can t-think of nothing more wonderful than l-living the rest of my days at your side as your wife!" she exclaimed, her excitement pulling out the old and almost extinct stutter that had not been present since before the war.

With that, she catapulted herself into his arms and the embraced tightly before breaking apart so that Naruto could slip the one of a kind engagement ring onto her beautiful tapered finger. Just as he imagined in the shop, the ring gleamed against her pale skin perfectly like it was made for her. As soon as it was on, he pulled her in and kissed her soundly on the mouth not caring at all that the entire village was watching. Let them watch. Let them see his happiness in full force. Quite suddenly sound returned to the world as all the people present let out a roar of joy, screaming, clapping, and whistling all at once. Naruto broke the kiss, both of them laughing slightly at the jubilation surrounding their engagement. Linking his fingers between Hinata's, Naruto thrust both their hands up displaying the shimmering opal on his new fiancé's finger to the crowd.

"She said yes, believe it!" Naruto exclaimed the crowd, eliciting a wave of chuckles among the cheering.

Naruto turned to look at Hinata, who was looking right back at him. He felt his heart swell with happiness at the sight of the pure love shining from his fiancé's eyes. Never in his life did he think he would one day have someone look at him the way Hinata was looking at him in that moment. Never in his life did he think he'd ever be this happy, but here he was standing on the balcony of Hokage Tower holding the hand of his soon to be wife, surrounded by his precious ones, and beloved by the village that had once scorned him. For once in his life, Naruto Uzumaki was truly looking forward to what the future had in store for him…

A/N: Well, here it is…the second to last chapter in this fic. I'm sorry it took so long. Adulting is hard XD I'll do my best to get the epilogue up in a decent time frame. I am SO sorry for my terrible update rate. Time has just moved so quickly lately. I blink and the year's over. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this! Please review and thank you truly for sticking around even though I'm slower than evolution at updating!