This is my first plot based fan fiction so I hope you all enjoy this story! Plz read and review!

disclaimer: I'm poor and couldn't possibly be the owner of Naruto... or could I...? mwahahahha lol. I'm not.

Love's Hiding Place

Chapter 1: Reality

Most people hated rain. They would scurry into stores, houses, and even under trees, any kind of shelter from the wet substance falling from the sky. They would curse the Gods for the effect the weather had on their freshly done hairstyles, the wreckage it may have left behind on their beautiful gardens, and the disease they may have been afflicted with after it's passing. So why did the daughter of Lord Hiashi Hyuga, the most prominent family in the Kingdom of Leaves, choose to deliberately expose herself to the rain?

As a child, young Lady Hinata Hyuga was a frail and shy child. She was easy to scare and even easier to cry. Her older cousin, young Lord Neji Hyuga was the complete opposite of his cousin in that sense. He was strong, stubborn and a natural born leader. The Lord Hiashi Hyuga brought Neji to live with his family after the passing of Neji's father and Lord Hiashi's brother. Dealing with the death of his father, Neji acted out. He would taunt Hinata and her younger sister, Lady Hanabi Hyuga quite often as they grew up. Eventually, living with Neji became more bearable as he matured, and ceased to blame others for the death of his father.

Around their early teens, Neji grew incredibly protective of his two younger cousins. He realized that they were the heirs of the wealthiest and most influential family in his Kingdom and soon, because they were women, they would be married off to either a family with incredible wealth that would be able to match their own or royalty. Due to her status as the first born, Neji knew Hinata would be the most likely to be in the running to become royalty. Knowing this, he became her "personal bodyguard." Because he was only a year older than her, it was incredibly easy for Neji to watch over his younger cousin.

As sweet and thoughtful as this may seem, Hinata despised the way her cousin followed her around. She blamed him for her lack of friends and her lack of experience with boys, MEN! Actually she blamed him for the fact that she didn't have ANY experience with men at all! The only men she had contact with were her father, the male members of the lower branches of her family, the male servants, and of course Neji himself. As a child, she became acquainted with the son of a respected dog breeder and the son of a famous scientist, whose work focused on the medicinal chemicals hidden in the venom and blood of incest. Yet, these friendships didn't last long after Neji was through with them.

Now, Hinata Hyuga was a young woman, age 19, who had never hugged a boy romantically, kissed a boy, been in a relationship, been intimate, or even held hands with a boy! Almost 20, and she was a failure as a woman. Not to mention, she suffered from the decade long crush that she had on the Crown Prince, Naruto Uzumaki.

Hinata met the Crown Prince during her 8th birthday. The King requested that Lord Hiashi Hyuga allow his son, the Crown Prince, to attend Hinata's birthday extravaganza. Of course, Lord Hiashi could not refuse, and the Crown Prince was added to the top of the list.

That morning, Hinata's father informed her of the importance of making a good impression on the Crown Prince for as a noble, one day, "she may be in the running for his hand in marriage." Hinata did not understand her father's wishes, but nonetheless followed his instructions. On the day of her birthday, the young Hinata scored the entire compound for this Crown Prince that was of such importance. After realizing that she had be gone for far too long, she began scurrying to the main lobby were most of the guests were being entertained. She inevitably tripped on her own small legs and collided head on with a boy her age. Apologizing profusely, she glanced at the boy whom her head had given a nasty not and paled at his piercing gaze.

The young man was around the same age as Hinata, but she felt as though he was years ahead of her. He began to stand up, still not saying anything. When he stood, he motioned for Hinata to grab his hand. Hinata hesitated, still embarrassed and apologetic. The doubt within her quickly disappeared when she witnessed the most amazing thing in her young life. He smiled. He was, beautiful. Words could not explain how Hinata's heart fluttered at the smile of the young man with beautiful blond hair and sky blue eyes that seemed to sparkle.

"Hey Idiot!"

Hinata snapped out of the trance the smiling boy had put her in. Reality set in as she noticed a dark hair boy walk up to the blond and playfully push him.

"Stop messing around, Naruto. Everyone's looking for you." With that, the dark haired boy lead the blond, Naruto away from the secondly flushed Hinata Hyuga. He turned to face her and said the words she would never forget, "Hey don't be so weird and come on, Tomato. And, I'm Naruto." With that he turned the corner and Hinata heard sounds of pitter-patter footsteps and loud insults being exchanged between the two boys. Naruto, she taught. That was the name of the boy with the wonderful smile. After a few moments, Hinata regained her composure and walked back into her party where she was meet with another surprise. Her father motioned for her to come. When she arrived he scolded her for leaving her own party for so long and explained to her that the hostess never leaves the event. After Hinata was thoroughly scolded, her father introduced her to an "important guest."

Hinata's face paled when her father introduced the smiling boy she had run in earlier as, "The Crown Prince Naruto Uzumaki." His smile was still as bright as the first time she "met" him and she could only manage a small, "hi." Puzzled by her strange behavior, the Crown Prince did the unthinkable. He pulled the red-faced girl into a tight hug and began to shout, "you gotta stop being so weird. Be more like me, ok? I'll make it so you won't be weird anymore, believe it!" Hinata promptly fainted, as a member of the royal guard pried the Crown Prince from her body. The rest of her 8th birthday was a blur. All Hinata could recall was the boy with the golden hair and sky blue eyes. She developed a crush, or somewhat of an obsession, with the boy after that day.

At the age of 19, Hinata was still nothing to the object of her affections. He only knew her as a weird girl who always seemed to go red whenever he was around, and though she hated herself for these seemly conditioned responses to his presence, they made him notice her. Even if she was not the object of his affections, he noticed her. That was enough for Hinata. Besides, she knew that the object of his affections was the beautiful and intelligent Lady Sakura Haruna.

Sakura Haruna became the object of the Crown Prince's affections when her family migrated to the Kingdom of Leaves. They arrived unannounced on a snowy winter day. In their possession were many medicinal herbs, elegant gowns, and rare jewels and diamonds. Kizahi and Mebuki Haruna quickly rose from obscurity due to their medical intellect and soon they acquired a small clinic. About a year after their arrival, a young prince and his right hand, Sasuke Uchiha, escaped the palace and were exploring the kingdom. Prince Naruto despised the constrictions of the palace and just wanted to spend some time with the common folk. In their obvious disguises, they clumsily ran about the kingdom running into things and upsetting peasants. Naruto hadn't had so much fun in his entire life. That fun ended abruptly when he slipped on ice that had congregated atop a hill he and Sasuke were playing on. Naruto fell down the hill resembling a rag doll. If it weren't for a man walking back to his clinic breaking his fall, Naruto would have broken a leg or two.

Equipped with a few bruises and scratches, Kizahi Haruna carried a disheveled and angry Naruto to his clinic, which was less than a block away and treated him for a few cuts and bruises. After his treatment, Naruto was permitted by Kizahi to return home. Unbeknownst to the doctor and the young prince, a royal guard had been lead to the Haruna clinic by a young Sakura Haruna, Sasuke angrily following behind them. The guard entered the clinic without permission from the secretary and promptly arrested the doctor against pleas from Naruto and Sakura. As Naruto watched the small girl scratch away fearlessly at the man who was the size of three of her fathers, his love for her began. There weren't many girls like her in his Kingdom that reminded him of his mother.

After their arrival to the palace, Sasuke explained to the Queen and the royal counsel that in fact, the doctor saved the Crown Prince's life, not put him in danger. When the King arrived, the Queen explained the events that had transpired that day to the King and he thanked Kizahi Haruna profusely and the next day, the Haruna family was named nobility.

Due to the way in which they acquired noble status, the other noble families treated the Haruna family with contempt. Yet, the most respected and prosperous noble family of the Kingdom of Leaves' noble counsel treated them with kindness. Sakura and Hinata became fast friends.

Hinata was envious of Sakura for many things. Sakura was pretty. She was exotic. She was friendly and had attitude. She was strong. Sakura's only flaw, in Hinata's eyes, was her denouncement of Naruto's love for her. Instead, Sakura seemed to enjoy her time with the son of the leader of the royal regency and the incredibly noble family and the Crown Prince's best friend, Sasuke Uchiha. Though Hinata despised the fact that Sakura ignored Naruto's affections, she appreciated Sakura's crush on Sasuke. It gave her hope that she might have still had a chance with Naruto.

Now, they were adults.

At the age of 19, Hinata still had not told the man she harbored such a long crush on how she truly felt about him. Things were so much different from what Hinata would have imagined for her life. In her dreams, Sakura would have been married to Sasuke by now, and she would have been betrothed to the Crown Prince, planning her royal wedding with her closest friends. Instead, Hinata was standing outside during a storm. She was watching the most painful thing she had witnessed since the death of her mother. Her Prince, Naruto Uzumaki, had his arms wrapped around a pink haired girl. The girl was hiding herself from the rain in Naruto's arms. After a few moments, the girl lifted her head and lightly kissed Naruto on the lips. Naruto returned this gesture by smiling foolishly and kissing the girl back. The girl began to blush and the couple stood holding each other under an abandoned shed. Hinata watched Naruto and Sakura with tear filled eyes. This was not the dream she had imagined. This was not what was supposed to happen. This was not what she had planned!

She sneezed. Reality was cruel.

"What were you thinking going out in such a storm, Lady Hinata?" Neji motioned for a passing servant to run and fetch a towel for the shivering girl before him. He helped her get out of her shoes and sat her down on the nearest chair.

"Neji, I asked you to stop calling me by that name," Hinata sighed while wringing the rain out from her damp hair, "please just call me 'Hinata.' We are cousins after all." Hinata didn't mean to come off so rude, but she wasn't in the mood to talk at the time.

"My apologies," Neji groaned, "I always forget." Taking a closer look at his cousin's appearance, Neji was compelled to question her emotional state, "Hinata, are you alright? Has something not pleasurable transpired?"

"Oh My, Neji! You sound like such an old man." A petite girl exclaimed while apprehensively approaching an annoyed Neji and a soaking wet Hinata, "and Sis, why are you wet? You look awful."

"Do not talk to your older sister in such a manner, Hanabi," Neji spat at the younger girl.

Hanabi sat herself beside her older sister as she began to make taunting gestures at him. "Hinata what's wrong? Why were you in the rain anyway?"

"Nothing's wrong Hanabi, but thank you for worrying." Hinata lighting tapped her sister as she forced a weak smile. "I think I'm just coming down with something for being in the rain for so long."

"You're lying sister," Hanabi stated as she walked over to the window. "I bet you've heard about Naruto and Sakura. Is that what's wrong?" Hanabi didn't need Hinata to answer that question. The obvious cringe of her face showed her displeasure.

Hinata suddenly got up from the chair she was sitting in, "N—n-no!" Th-th-that's not wh-wha- what's wrong with me." She stated matter of factly as the servant arrived with a bundle of towels to wrap the soaking girl in. She greatly accepted the towels and began to dry herself off as her cousin and younger sister watched her in disbelief.

"Hinata," Neji started, "it's alright if you are upset about the relationship between the Crown Prince and Lady Sakura. I mean though the Crown Prince is a complete imbecile for not being able to notice your-" Neji stopped as Hinata made a move to leave.

"I told you guys th-that's not what's wr-wr-wro-wrong with me."

Neji followed, "he is a complete idiot for not seeing how you care for him, but you cannot beat yourself up over this."

"Yeah," Hanabi agreed, "there are plenty of eligible royals who would climb mountains to meet your acquaintance let alone ask your hand in marriage. You are a Hyuga. We are a family filled with beauty. You shouldn't be upset over that idiot." Hinata fasted her pace to escape her brooding family. What she needed was not their reassurance. She had already lost and she accepted her defeat. The Crown Prince had been attempting to court lady Sakura for many long years now, and she finally accepted his love. Hinata had seen how happy he was in her arms, and that just made Hinata even more upset. she wanted him to be happy, but she would be lying if she said she didn't want him to find that happiness in her.

She was so wrapped up in her worries that she didn't even notice it when she walked into her room. Soon she found herself wrapped up in her kingdom's finest covers, her tears found their way down her cheeks, and the light sound of the rain lulled her to sleep.

Hinata woke up the next day extremely late and extremely wet. She felt shivers all through her body, but she felt as though she was on fire. She heard a knock, and servant entered her room and put breakfast on her table. "Lord Neji instructed me to bring you your breakfast in bed today milady." The servant lifted her head and gasped, "Oh my milady, you're soaked in sweat! You must change out of those clothes before you catch a cold."

Hinata answered the servant's worries with a sneeze, "I think I've already caught a cold, Martha, and thank-you so much for the food." Martha bowed and left the room as swiftly as she had come. Hinata looked at the food before her, toast with jam, a few sausages, and a boiled egg cut into an intricate design. Next to her food was a cold glass of orange juice. Hinata, who would usually be pleased with juice, cringed as she watched the ice rise and fall in the glass. Her sore throat would not allow her to enjoy this meal.

After performing her usual morning routine, Hinata ate what she could of the food and toke the rest down to the kitchen. As she began to wash her plate, another servant, Laverne shyly asked to refrain from doing such chores. Hinata apologized, but insisted she didn't mind doing such small tasks and asked Laverne not to report her. Laverne would have probably agreed if Hinata didn't fall into a coughing and sneezing fit.

"Hinata, are you ill?" Hinata spun around and met the stare of her father. "This would be a terrible time for you to become ill."

Hinata put down the freshly washed dish and gave her father an apprehensive smile, "It is merely just a small head cold father. It will pass soon."

The head of the Hyuga household walked closer to his daughter and motioned for her to come. When she reached him, he laid his palm on her forehead, gauging her temperature. He noticed her flinch as he reached for her and grew angry. "Why do you still behave as though you are afraid of your own father, Hinata?" Hinata did not answer which fueled her father's anger even more. "Are you afraid of me?" he screamed at her.

"N-n-no, father," Hinata stammered, "I wo-would never dr-dr-dream of fearing you."

Hiashi scowled at the obvious lie. "I was made to believe that the physician had rid you of that annoying stutter. I hope it is your sickness that is causing you to behave in such a horrid manner."

"Yes, father, it must be my sickness that is causing me to behave in this manner. I apologize for my behavior." Hinata bowed her head down and waited for her father to continue berating her. Living with her father for 19 years, Hinata had grown accustomed to his constant disapproval and eventually realized that agreeing with him was the only way to avoid his scrutiny. When Hinata heard footsteps, she looked up and saw that her father had begun walking to his office. He motioned for her to follow and she did as told.

When they arrived at his office, Hiashi toke a seat at his desk and told Hinata to sit down as well. After she sat down he began pulling out a multitude of documents and flipping through them. Hinata grew nervous. Her father's silence never meant anything good. It either meant he was preparing to lash out at her or he was planning a way to make her life just a tad bit harder. As Hinata watched her father flip through pages and write things down, her index fingers instinctively began to bump with each other. She would have rather tapped her foot, but her father brought an end to that habit.

When Hinata couldn't take the silence anymore she spoke, "Father, is there a –"

"So you failed to woo the Crown Prince?" Lord Hiashi asked in a benevolent tone. Hinata, caught off guard by his question, began to stammer as she shifted her uneasy body about the chair.

"What do you mean, Father?" In truth, Hinata knew exactly what her father was talking about, but she needed a bit of time to regroup and comprehend why her father would ask such a question.

"I believe you are quite aware of the reason of my questioning. I was made aware quite some time ago that you harbored a strong liking for the Crown Prince, Naruto Uzumaki." Hiashi rose and began to put the documents back in their rightful places leaving only one, "this is a list of affluent men about our kingdom and many others that awaited your 18th birthday so they may have a chance to woo the heiress of the Hyuga lineage." He set the paper down on Hinata's lap so she could get a look at the long list of names. She could not believe all of these people were waiting… for her?! Why was she so important? This question was quickly answered when she looked up at her father and realized her position.

Hinata never thought of herself as nobility. She always treated others with equal respect and kindness, and she did not approve of the mistreatment of others no matter their social standing. Her mother taught her to behave this way. Yet, the other nobles were not pleased with Hinata's behavior, and neither was her father.

"You parade around in unfashionable and old clothing like a commoner. You associate with hoodlums and the poor. You are a spitting image of your mother, but you carry yourself with the grace of deer." Hiashi fell to his chair rubbing his temples, obviously irritated. "Yet, I thought allowing you to carry about this way would be beneficial in the end, because you would be able to woo the Crown Prince. Yet, you allowed some low level noble girl to woo him? A girl without noble breeding, a girl not from this kingdom, and heard, a girl with a terrible attitude. You let this kind of woman defeat you, Hinata. For this, I am incredibly disappointed in you. You have brought irreconcilable shame to the Hyuga name."

Hinata didn't know what to say. She couldn't say anything. What could she have said? That he was wrong? She was worthy of the Hyuga name? As much as she had wanted to believe it, Hinata knew she was a failure. She had no skills, she had no talents, and she wasn't incredibly smart. She was just the first daughter of the noble Hyuga dynasty, and she couldn't even get the attention of the Crown Prince, let alone woo him. Since she was young, she had been told she would marry royalty. She was never allowed to do many things and was trained in the art of home making and watched intensely. This was all in the efforts to make her the perfect Crown Princess. Yet, she failed miserably.

Having nothing to say, Hinata looked down at the ground, hoping her father was through with her.

"Since, you've proven yet again to be of no use to the gentry of the Kingdom of Leaves, I will look into the prospect of giving you to marry a royal from another Kingdom.

"What?" Hinata's small voiced squealed. She had never lived away from her Country, or her family at that. What was her father thinking? Was he getting rid of her because she was useless now? Hinata rose, but soon fell to her seat at the mercy of her father's cold glare.

"I believe my hears have deceived me. What was that?"

"Nothing, father," Hinata whispered under her breathe.

Looking at his daughter in disgust, Hiashi walked back to his desk and toke his seat. "You should be thankful that I informed you at all. I have the right to make these decisions as your father. Now that you know, leave."

Hinata was dumb struck. She didn't know what to do.

"Get out of my sight."

That snapped her back to action and Hinata rose and left the office, closing the door behind her.

Still In the office, the head of the Hyuga clan read the letter he received a week ago over again. The Kingdom of Sand is incredibly wealthy. This might be a most rewarding choice; he thought and began to write a reply.

Hinata couldn't think clearly. Give her away to another Kingdom? How could her father make such a suggestion? Then again, who was she to argue with him? If she had been able to express her feelings to the Crown Prince… well, whom was she kidding? He probably wouldn't have returned her feelings either way. Her mind in a daze, Hinata didn't realize she walked into her sister's room. When she finally snapped out of it, she burst into tears. Hanabi, who was in the restroom, came into her room. She was immediately startled by her crying older sister and rushed to her side. Wrapping Hinata in her small arms, Hanabi told her everything would be all right. After a few more tears, Hinata stopped crying and stuttered out an explanation to Hanabi.

"H- hi- Hanabi," she started, "Father is going to marry me off to another Kingdom, and he says it's my own fault for not winning the Crown Princes heart." With the last words she began crying, yet again.

Hanabi, annoyed by her sisters crying, shoved her away. "At much as it pains me to say this, sister, father is correct in his accusations. I mean, saying he'll marry you off if a horrible treat, but he is correct in accusing you of not being able to win Naruto over."

Hinata sniffling, couldn't believe her ears. Her sister was taking her father's side!

"I mean, Hinata, you never even told him how you felt!" Hanabi screamed, "You just sat around stuttering and blushing every time he came around. That man is dense; I'll let you have that. However, you knew this and still did nothing!"

Hinata had enough. She was tired of everyone blaming this whole situation on her. "S- s- so what if I n-n-never told him? It wouldn't h-ha-have made a-a-a difference! He's in love w-wi-wi-with Sakura!" realizing she was screaming, Hinata calmed down, "he never even saw me. I didn't exist to him." Hinata started to realize her sister was right. She should have told Naruto how she felt. She should have at least done that. She had spent her whole day sulking and crying over a love that hadn't even been given a chance. "Now Father has plans to send me away to marry in another Kingdom. You're right Hanabi, this is my entire fault. If only I was stronger."

"Maybe going to another Kingdom is a good thing sister. You will be able to have a fresh start. You'll be able to forget all about old dumb Crown Prince, and the best part is you won't have to deal with father or see Naruto and Sakura all lovey-dovey."

"But, isn't that just running away?" Hinata asked her sister skeptically.

"No, you're just taking bad situation and finding the best option." Neji answered from a crack in Hanabi's door.

"Jeeeeez. Can't a woman have any privacy without you creeping around, Neji?"

"Woman? Be quiet little girl." Neji sat down next to Hinata and put his hand over her shoulder. "Hinata, you should have known this was coming. I mean you are 19. Most heiresses of noble families get engaged at 18 or even 16. Yet, with my suggestion, I convinced Lord Hiashi to wait just a bit longer for you. Many influential families have been asking for your hand in marriage for years. We tried to prolong this as long as we could."

"You knew?!" Hanabi asked her cousin in disbelief.

"Yes, I've known for some time."

Hinata was tired of all this talk about her as if she wasn't in the room. "It's o- o- okay everyone. I've made my decision."

"And what decision is that?" Hanabi asked.

"I'll move to another Kingdom. I mean it can't hurt, right?" Hinata looked to her family for support, and they both nodded. "Thank you for talking some sense into me. I should have been prepared for this. There's just something I have to do before I go."

With that, Hinata left the room and quickly disappeared into the long hallway.

Back in the room, two cousins were discussing the event that just transpired.

"Don't you think you were a bit too hard on her, Hanabi?" Neji asked getting up from Hanabi's bed.

"Jeeeeeez, you left a dent, big man." Hanabi screamed, straitening out her bed, "and no. Things are about to get more difficult for her. Didn't you see the royal seal on the letter that father received last week?"

"Yes, it was from the Kingdom of Sand." Neji had heard that the Kingdom of Sand was an incredible and wealthy nation, and that engaging in a marital alliance with them would be extremely beneficial. Yet, he couldn't help to think that his cousin was being sacrificed in the deed.

"I've heard many things about them. Apparently the citizens want to end the monarchy. I heard it's corrupt. Do you think Hinata knows any of this?"

"I care for Lady Hinata dearly, but she's barely the political type." Neji answered. "However, I do believe she can handle this. She's stronger than we give her credit for. I mean, remember what happened when you mo-" Neji stopped when he saw the alarm in Hanabi's face. The late matriarch of the Hyuga noble family was not an easy subject to bring up in conversation.

"Yes I remember. I just hope whatever she has to do before she leaves doesn't get her in trouble." With that said, Hanabi escorted Neji out of her room and returned to her bath. Turning on the water, she began to weep. she knew this day would come. It was expected for the heiress of the Hyuga noble family to marry into royalty. Yet, knowing this didn't ease her pain. She would miss her sister dearly.

The next day, the Hyuga noble family received an invitation to a royal ball to announce the engagement of the Crown Prince and Lady Sakura. As she read it, Hinata swallowed hard. It's in two days. Well it's now or never. Hinata, everything will be okay. You can do this. You have to do this.

AN: This is the background and some fun facts to make reading this story easier!

Setting and time: This story is set in another dimension. It is set in a world reminiscent of the late English Victorian Era. Naturally, there are no ninja in this world (no chakra and powers). However, this story does contain elements of fantasy. There will be dark magic, witches, and warlocks. However, the characters will be predisposed to certain tendencies and habits. For example, Sakura's strength is still quite evident in this world, just not as pronounced. The two main Kingdoms that will be relevant in this story are The Kingdom of Leaves (a kingdom surrounded by a deep and flourishing forest. The Kingdom of Leaves is not the largest kingdom, nor is it the wealthiest, but it is the kingdom in which its people have the highest standard of living. The Monarch and aristocrats live in luxury, but the people are not starving, and they are happy with their rulers. It's capitol city is Konoha.) and The Kingdom of Sand (located in a vast desert, with hot arid nights and cold nights. However, it is the largest Kingdom because it is one of the wealthiest. Along with the capitol city, Suna, it has a number of smaller areas and villages that surround it. These areas are colonized by the Kingdom of Sand, and though the citizens contribute greatly to the wealth of the Kindom of Sand, they are not allowed to have seats or representation.) Lately, the Kingdom of Sand has been plagued with citizens who are calling for the cessation of the monarchy, due to the current King's growing corruption and the uneven distribution of the city's wealth.

Main Characters

Lady Hinata/ Crown Princess Hinata: The first daughter of Grand Duke Hiashi Hyuga. She is 19 years of age and does not know the reason why she is being married off to the Crown Prince of another Kingdom. This aside, she is eager to serve her Kingdom and her people.

Crown Prince Gaara: He is the 20 year old son of the King of the Kingdom of Sand. He Is not only despised by his people, but most of his family is also weary of him. However, he has somewhat of a good relationship with his mother, the queen. He is not eager to marry Lady Hinata, yet due to his extremely lonely life, he is "willing" to deal with her.

Crown Prince Naruto: He is the friendly and well liked crown prince of the Kingdom of Leaves. He is 19 years old, and seems completely oblivious to Lady Hinata's crush on him.

Lady Sakura Haruno/ Crown Princess Sakura/ Queen Sakura: The only daughter of Count and Countess Haruno. She is 19 years of age.

Grand Duke Hiashi Hyuga: He the leader of the most wealthy family in the Kingdom of Leaves. He is aiming for the position of Minister of the Crown, and knows that aiding his Kingdom in the alliance will help him reach his goal, even if it means sacrificing his daughter.

Lord Neji Hyuga: He is the 22 year old cousin of Ladies Hinata and Hanabi Hyuga. He, along with Sasuke Uchiha are members of the Royal Order. However, he is a commander. He cares for his cousins deeply and does not want to see them harmed.

Lady Hanabi: She is the 13 year old younger sister of Lady Hinata Hyuga. She is known for her stubbornness and rash behavior. However, when its called for, she is an extraordinary noble young lady.

Lord Sasuke Uchiha: The 20 year old son of the Knight of Grand Cross of the Kingdom of Leaves. He is the most trusted best friend of Prince Naruto and a Lieutenant of the Royal Order.

Princess Temari: She is the 23 year old sister of Crown Prince Gaara. She does not treat him as badly as her brother and father, but she holds animosity towards him for unknown reasons.

Prince Kankuru: Even though he was the first born son and rightful air to the throne of the Kingdom of Sand, he is not the Crown Prince. He has hated his brother, Gaara for unknown reasons. He is 22 years of age.

The King and Queen of the Kindom of Leaves: Minato and Kushino Uzumaki are the King and Queen, their only son and the heir, Naruto. Kushino's family has owned the royal throne for ages, however there are a few who were against her marriage to Minato, and feel as though he is not the rightful King.

King Yondaime of the Kingdom of Sand: He is the King of the Kingdom of Sand. His family has ruled for many years, and he intends to continue their rule. He also despises his son, Gaara, for reasons unknown. That is why is baffles the Kingdom that he insists that Gaara take the throne after his reign. He is believed to be losing grip on his mind.

Queen Kurura of the Kingdom of Sand: She is the Queen loving mother. She only wants the best for her family, and blames herself for all the hate surrounding the royal family. She adores Hinata, and hopes Hinata will be able to reach her son, who has shut himself away from they world and their family.

Fun Facts: the money used in this story will be a runy. A runy is the fictional world's pound.

This story is based on Naruto Shippuden, but I've changed some things around for the characters, background wise. My characters will also stay pretty close to character. That begin said, I'm progressing Hinata's personality to late war time Shippuden but Gaara's character will progress from pre-shippuden.

Waywardgal: ok guys I hoped you liked the first chapter! Stay tone for the next chapter. It should be up next week! And I drew a picture to go with my fic on DA, To get a glimpse of the characters... but fanfic don't let links so... :( just get on DA and search for me! "waywardgal" there should be an image titled "Sakura vs Hinata" or you can click on the pics to go to my page and it'll be on my page!

And… I hope you guys like it so far! And what's Hinata planning to do anyway? And why is Hiashi in such a hurry to marry Hinata off? Something's not quite right. Stay toned for chapter 2!

Reviews are the fruit of my labor :)

Review plz?