A/N: Hey guys, I'm revising the chapters of this story, seeing as how long ago it was started, and the fact that my writing style has changed a little. Hopefully you'll like the changes, as the story will flow better. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any characters herein. This is written for purely entertainment purposes.

Her tears had fallen for so long and so hard that the taste and smell of salt were the only physical senses she could feel anymore. She had long since disregarded the moderate hum of the hospital room's machines. The heart monitor had faded into the background. The sights around her were blurry; her crystal eyes were nearly invisible under the haze of her tears.

She sat in the hospital, recovering from the terrible injuries she had received from the late Pein, whom she had finally learned the fate of nearly a full day ago. The news had been good to hear, as at least her suffering hadn't been in vain. At the same time, however, she was recovering from something much more devastating.

Hinata found herself more broken and beaten on the inside. In her heart, to be more specific. After finally gathering up her courage and deciding on her own feelings, she had confessed her love to Naruto and put everything she had on the line for him, including her life, only to find out that he hadn't even attempted to visit her while she had been in a coma. She felt a fresh batch of tears burn at her eyes as she let her mind linger on it.

What had she done wrong? Why wasn't she enough? She truly wanted Naruto to complete his goal and find Sasuke to bring him home—which was apparently what he was out doing now—but why couldn't he just spare her a glance? That was all she asked for. She just wanted him to give her some kind of clue that she actually stood a chance. That she hadn't wasted all of these years of her life.

She knew now that it was a hopeless, childish fantasy. Naruto would never see what he meant to her, and she could admit that to herself. Or, at least, she could grow to admit it to herself. She laid back down on the hospital bed, wincing at her wounds, and stared up at the ceiling through clouded eyes. She didn't like the idea of trying to give up on her first true love, but now she couldn't see him focusing on anything other than the retrieval of Sasuke.

I guess I just need to accept that what Kiba and Shino have been trying to tell me all along is true after all . . .

And with that, Hinata closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off, mind buzzing with unanswered question. Questions that were likely to remain that way forever.

xXxXxXx

Four days later found Hinata wandering outside of the ruins of the Hyuuga compound. There were several structures still standing, but there was still a lot of work that would need to be done for it to hold its former glory. She was still a sight for sore eyes with her bandages, but she wasn't in as much pain as she had been. She felt as though she nearly echoed the state of the village. Many citizens and shinobi were working hard to rebuild homes and other buildings, and she felt a small amount of pride in her community. Despite the injuries sustained to others, they were still doing all that they could. She couldn't wait to be given permission to do the same.

She sighed as she lost herself in her thoughts, but was quickly pulled out of them as she heard footsteps approaching. She turned immediately, nearly dizzying herself, only to relax as she realized it was only Neji. She offered him a nervous smile. "H-hi."

"Hinata-sama," he nodded, taking in her state. "Still recovering, I see."

"You d-don't seem to be much b-better," she answered sheepishly, gesturing to the man's own bandages. He smirked a little, turning his attention to the ruin that had befallen Konohagakure. Even from their backyard, the damage seemed imminent. Her cousin had clearly not missed this.

"I still can't believe that so much damage could be caused by so few people," he frowned, pausing a moment before turning to his cousin. "Your teammates came by to see you earlier. I sent them away with the intent of allowing you to recover more. I told them you'd send notice when you were feeling better."

"Thank you," Hinata responded gratefully. She really didn't want them to see her in her current state.

"I've heard a few unsettling noises during the evening when I pass your room. Hinabi-sama seems to have noticed as well. It's sounds as though you may be crying. Is everything well?"

Hinata turned away quickly. "It's nothing."

Neji sighed a little at her sudden sharpness, even if it was subtle. "I see. I may not know what happened, but I will not press it."

"T-thank you, Neji-kun."

Neji nodded, offering his cousin a slight smile. He turned on his heel, before tossing a quick glance back at her. "You know, I've learned that sometimes a walk can help ease the mind."

With that, the older shinobi walked off towards the compound. Hinata assumed he was headed off to rest, as often the medications given from the hospital caused drowsiness.

She watched him go until he was out of sight before turning to look at the wasteland before her. She felt her demeanor sour again, but this time it was for a different reason. She wanted to see her home returned to its former beauty. It was possible, that she knew, and she was determined that she was going to help it reach its glory.

Perhaps it would help her return to hers.

It was growing dark now, though, she realized, and although she partially wanted to go on the walk that Neji had suggested, it would have to wait until tomorrow. She'd wait until morning to go, and with her mind made up, she headed off to get some rest.

xXxXxXx

Morning came a lot sooner for Hinata than she had expected. She found herself wide awake before the sun had even risen. She laid in bed for a little while, debating whether she wanted to try and go back to sleep. She knew it would be pointless, though, as lying in bed was more likely to just allow her to delve into her own thoughts, and she wasn't feeling up to that.

She sat up, stretching as much as she could with her injuries before wandering over to pick out some clothing to wear. It was bound to be cool out with the darkness, so she chose a pair of slacks to go with her usual coat and a pair of sandals that would cover her toes. She grabbed her shinobi pouch as a precaution, then slipped quietly out of her room. She made her way silently through the house until she reached the front door, sliding them open and shut carefully. She turned and headed out, remaining wary of being caught.

Upon finally deciding she was far enough away from the compound for no one to spot her, she began to walk at her normal pace as she headed towards the village gates. They had been mostly rebuilt, being among the top priorities among the repairs. She offered the guard on duty a small smile and nod as she passed through the gate, rousing no suspicion. She had been known to go out and train at night, so most of the guards knew her routine well.

She leisurely made her way into the more wooded area, allowing her feet to wander on trails that weren't often used. She let her mine explore some as well, using the scenery around her to grant her some sort of calmness. She smiled softly to herself, feeling more relieved than she had in a long time.

She was surprised when she realized where her feet had taken her. It was a small part of the forest that had been mostly forgotten about, and one that she used to visit. Once set up for what she assumed was a wedding ceremony was a large trellis that had long since been covered in floral vines, and a gazebo-style structure that provided weary wanderers shade. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of it. She could hear the soft trickle of water as she recalled the koi pond that was nearby. She remembered it well from the days she'd ventured here for some peace after a few times of awkwardly running into Naruto. The place offered her some much needed tranquility.

She strode over to the side of the pond, her eyes lighting up as she realized the koi were still alive, albeit bigger than the last time she had seen them. She grinned, making a mental note to bring food for them soon.

She looked around the area, memories of younger, more innocent days swimming in her head. Her eyes trailed the trellis nearby, spotting a place where vines hadn't entirely taken over it. She walked over, taking a seat and leaning back against the wood. She looked up at the sky as the stars danced above her, sighing softly. It couldn't have been later than three in the morning with the position of the moon, she guessed.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Hinata jumped a little, the voice having come out of nowhere. More importantly, however, was the fact that it sounded like it was right next to her head. She moved to stand, her fingers already reaching into her weapons pouch, but was stopped as the voice spoke again.

"Please don't get up. I don't intend to do any harm to you."

Hinata frowned, still stiffened as she argued with herself over what she should do. Why would she listen to someone whose voice didn't even sound familiar? When she hadn't even been able to sense their presence?

Still, the voice had a very soothing tone to it, and she forced herself to swallow enough of her nervousness to speak. "W-who are you?"

She heard a sigh, as well as a slight shift against the trellis. "Please, don't ask that either."

Hinata felt her brow furrow. This person—who was obviously a man, as his voice was too deep to belong to a woman—wasn't making any sense. Why would he even speak up when he was clearly masking his presence, only to ask that she not wonder who he was?

"W-why?"

"Because it isn't something that's important," the stranger replied, a weary tone lacing his voice. She frowned, mulling over her options once more. The silence and stillness was nearly suffocating, but finally decided that maybe this person really did mean no harm. She knew that if they did, she easily could have been killed without ever knowing they'd been there. Still, she grabbed a kunai out of her pouch before apprehensively leaning back against the trellis, turning her attention back to the stars.

"Why are you out so late?" the voice asked after a good, solid silence. Hinata flinched in surprise at the sudden break in the stillness.

"I . . . I needed to c-clear my head," she responded quietly, frowning a little as she thought back to her troubles.

She heard a soft hmph, and turned a bit to see if she could spot him.

"Don't look at me," the person stated sharply, causing Hinata to turn away almost immediately. Well, at least she'd located him—apparently they were sitting directly behind her, almost in the same position as she was. As tempted as she was to use her Byakugan to see if she could tell who it was, she decided against it. So far, this person had been no threat, and she didn't feel like straining her eyes when it was unnecessary. Hinata frowned, staring up at the moon. Finally, she shifted.

"W-why are you out h-here?"

Her question was met with a quiet breeze before she finally got an answer. "Why do you ask?"

Hinata felt her face flush with embarrassment. Still, she had answered his question and felt like hers deserved an answer as well.

"Because you asked m-me, and I answered . . . I was just c-curious, too."

An almost inaudible chuckle didn't escape Hinata's ears.

"I'm out here because I needed to clear my head, too," he replied quietly, an undertone of sorrow in his voice as well. "I wasn't expecting company."

Hinata smiled a bit. "Neither w-was I."

"You stammer quite a bit, don't you?"

She felt her face redden again. She wasn't used to people flat out mentioning her stutter, if for nothing more than most people realizing it only made her more self-conscious about it. "Y . . . yes."

"I see," they answered quietly, only to change the subject almost immediately. "I'm sorry to have disturbed your walk."

"N-no, I'm sorry that I walked out w-while you were resting."

"It's fine. The change of atmosphere is nice," he sighed. "I like coming here. I do so occasionally, but I've never run into anyone."

Hinata frowned. "You s-sound like you don't want to be f-found."

"I don't, but you seem nice enough," he replied as she heard him shift and climb to his feet. "I don't mind as long as you can keep my coming here a secret. I'm not supposed to be here, so I could get into a lot of trouble."

Hinata resisted the urge to turn around and look at the figure. She couldn't tell how long they'd been talking, but it looked as though the sun would be fully out in about an hour or so. She figured the man was planning to leave due to the light. "I won't s-say anything as long as you don't t-threaten the village."

"I never intended to harm the village," he replied, although there was something in the way he said it that gave Hinata pause. She heard him shift once more. "Perhaps we will meet again, but for now I must go."

And with that, Hinata's companion left. She could hear his footsteps fading as she sat there, watching the sun start to rise.

On her way back home, Hinata's brain was buzzing with a ton of questions. She wanted to know who that person had been, why there had been so much secrecy, and why their mere voice had been enough to persuade her to not even look at him. By the time she got home, she had thought through it enough times to nearly forget what she'd been concentrating on. However, as she collapsed on her bed, more exhausted than she remembered being when she'd woken up, she fell asleep easier than she had since she'd been in her coma.