Second Chances.

Chapter Sixteen.

Wonder how she would take it when they let her meet Naruto's supposedly dead parents.

Rubbing her forehead as she could feel a headache coming, Sakura dropped to sit bodies Tenten, who immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"Hinata." She called having the girl's undivided attention immediately.
"Tell me, what made you believe the nonsense Ino ws telling you?. As Tenten said earlier, I love Naruto as my own family, we all grew up together, why would you even doubt that Naruto loves you?."

"I..." Hinata stopped, blinking, trying to get her thoughts together.
"Its still a bit hard for me to believe that.... he returns my feelings... "

"That's not really an excuse." Sakura pointed out.
"Did you know, when Naruto realized his feelings for you, I was the one who encouraged him to go after you, that chicken wouldnt have made a move if I didnt threatened to hang him upside down by his big toe."

"Sakura-Channnn." Naruto whined from where he was leaning against the kitchen doorway with Sasuke, looking like two dark knights in amour.

"Dont complain, you know that's exactly what happened." She gave him a raised eyebrow over her shoulder, watching him pout before turning back around. She had nothing left to say to Hinata and she was certainly not planning to get into details about anything.

"The choice is simple Hinata, you're either with me or against me, that's it."

Neji could hear the commotion downstairs clearly, when the yelling had started, he closed his eyes in mental exhaustion.
He could also hear the questions being thrown back and forth and it was taking all his self control not to bolt up from the bed he was sitting on to go to Sakura's side.

"Neji-nii?."

Hanabi's voice from his side  brought him out of his thoughts, she ws giving him a worried look, though she looked equally as worried.
"What is it, Hanabi?."

She fidgeted briefly, looking off to the side, brows frowning in a way that he found extremely cute. She really was the female version of him, Neji cant deny that.

"When I was kidnapped.... when I had my eyeballs ripped out, I often wondered if it was me my sister came to save...or was it Naruto-nii that she sacrificed herself for." She paused, brows frowning even more.
"I remember bits of it... and it was Sakura-nee who healed my eyes... I'm only coming to realize that my sister didnt give a damn If I remained blind or not..." She pressed a palm to her eyes, willing the tears to not spill.
"All she cared about was Naruto-nii, me, her own blood, she didnt give a damn about."

Neji wrapped his arms around her to pull his younger cousin into his arms. He couldn't rebuke any of that because it was the truth being spoken and if he defended any of it, it would be calling Hanabi's experience a lie.
"I know." He whispered into her hair.
"Hanabi... listen to me... I know you love your family, your father, sister. But me? My family died when I was younger, subjected to be a slave to my own uncle until the moment I died. Now that I'm alive again, I'm never returning to that household, I have people I want to protect here, who will protect me as well. Leave the clan Hanabi." He felt the moment she jolted against his chest, yet Neji tightened his arms around her.
"Leave that clan, come to us.. you know Sakura adores you, everyone here already has a soft spot for you. Hell, you even have Uchiha Sasuke bickering with you." He deadpanned.

She giggled at that, making him smile as well.
"I ..." She stopped, really thinking about it. What purpose did she serve in a clan like that? All her father cared about was power and becoming the so called strongest of the hidden leaf. So really, what was she doing there?.
"I can stay with you?." She asked, looking up at him, Neji nearly squeezed the stuffing out of her at the hopeful look on her face.
"I want to stay with you."