Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto is the creator of Naruto. Maresia Eterna is the creator of the plot and of her own Original Characters.

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Authoress Note: Although I am positive some people will want to murder me after they read this note, I still am willing to take the risk, and warn everyone that this is Welcome Home's last chapter. And before you say anything, yes, I know this sounds abrupt, especially since this follows a filler, but you have not read it wrong. This chapter is going to put an end to the biggest story I have every written so far.

And what journey it was. When I posted the first chapter, back in January, I never thought it would take me almost one year to complete it. In fact, I never, not even in my wildest dreams, pondered about the possibility of having so many people reading this story.

And that is why I want to thank everyone who stuck around, to see this story development. I know some of you did not agree with Hinata's growth, and I am aware that some of you wanted to just exterminate my Original Character, Fuzen Hana, on the spot, but I want to thank you for sticking around despite all that.

You guys were amazing. All of you helped me to keep on going...to keep on writing, and I am really happy to see that all my effort paid off.

I really wanted to write more...I truly wanted to say more, but somehow I have the feeling you guys already know everything. I really hope everyone enjoys this last chapter. As you know, I am planning a sequel for Welcome Home. Even though I have been unable to work on it, I can tell you straight away that it is going to be shorter than Welcome Home. The title has been decided, though, and the sequel shall be named: I Am Home.

Anyway, I have rambled enough so I will finish this long note of mine with a: muito obrigada. Thank you very much.

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Chapter 41

Welcome Home

For a moment, all he did was stare at the woman in front of him, who was busy studying the report he had just given to her. She looked tired, exhausted even, but she still managed to keep her indomitable and authoritative posture. She was someone who knew what she wanted to do, and made no effort to hide her objectives from anyone.

And that was why so many people tended to follow her example.

“So, I take it the reconstruction has started.” Tsunade spoke up after a few minutes in silence, and she slowly looked up from the report. “Ibiki informed me that everything was going all right. I believe this means you'll be returning to your house soon.”

“I will return as soon as my parents’ house is rebuilt.” Sasuke informed with a faint nod, and Tsunade stared at him in the eye. It was easy to spot the question the Hokage was silently asking him in the depths of her golden orbs, “I will not return to that place as it is.”

“That, of course, is your own decision to make.” Tsunade responded as she put the report down, “But you do realize it is going to take a while until the Uchiha Compound is completely restored. Where will you be living until then? Are you going to stay with Kakashi?”

“No, I will return to the Compound.” Sasuke corrected her, “I will not go back to my parents house, but I will still return to that place nonetheless. There are residences that can be used until the reconstruction is finished.”

“Does it not bother you?” Tsunade inquired all of a sudden, but Sasuke did not even blink, “Does the thought of going back to the Uchiha Compound all by yourself not bother you at all? Especially since we're all aware of the history behind your Clan.”

“Someone once said that 'he who controls the present, controls the past. He who controls the past, controls the future'.” Sasuke quoted, but Tsunade simply continued looking directly at him, “I witnessed the past, I lived it, and even though it took me a while, I managed to control it to some extent. Now, it is time for me to control the present.”

“And the future?” Tsunade questioned as she rested her chin on her entwined fingers, but Sasuke did not even show a hint of confusion before answering that question.

“The future is something I shall allow to happen spontaneously.” he responded, and Tsunade stared at him directly in the eye, “It was already hard to deal with the past, and accept it. All of my memories helped me to realize that you should neither live for the past or for the future. You should enjoy the present as it is.”

“So, you will be moving in all by yourself.” Tsunade questioned, though it sounded more like a statement, and this time, Sasuke nodded faintly in reply. “I understand, but remember; you don't have to go there, and live a lonely life just because you feel like that's a punishment you deserve.”

Even though he did not blink at that observation, the truth was exactly in one, slightly twisted way, Sasuke felt like it was his duty to go to the Uchiha's Compound, and stay there. He did not plan to become a prisoner inside his own Compound, but still that did not change the fact he still felt like that was something he had to do.

“I expect to see a report about the reconstruction every week, on my desk.” Tsunade continued, and once again, all Sasuke did was nod lightly in response. “Also, I think I should remind you that although you want to stay in the Uchiha Compound, there may be certain people who will try to change your mind.”

“I will deal with those in due time.” Sasuke promptly retorted, almost as if he had been waiting for that observation to be made, and Tsunade leaned against the back of her chair. “Am I excused?”

“Yes,” Tsunade responded as she nodded, and Sasuke bowed slightly before turning around, and make his way towards the door of the office. When he was just about to rest his hand on the doorknob, though, the Godaime spoke up again, “I hope you know that you were freed because of Naruto.”

Silently, Sasuke looked over his shoulder, and Tsunade smiled at him before she crossed her arms against her chest.

“I know you noticed it already. You wouldn't be a genius if you hadn't. The ANBU team was dismissed.” she continued, and Sasuke turned to his side without breaking the eye-contact, “And you have Naruto to thank for. He was the one who said that you were not to be treated as a criminal, and that you, like many others, deserved a second chance.”

Sasuke said nothing, and Tsunade continued.

“And I'm sure Sakura would have agreed with that, had she known about Naruto's declaration.”

Sasuke did not say anything. Instead, he simply bowed lightly again before he turned to the door, and opened it. Then, as silent as a ghost, he walked out of the office, silently closing the door behind him.

As soon as he stepped into the hallway, various pairs of eyes turned his way…Eyes that Sasuke gracefully ignored as he made his way through the Hokage's building in direction of the main doors. He had grown used to people watching him...he knew it was going to take a long time until people finally forgave what he had done in the past. That if they ended up forgiving him at all.

For a split of a second, Sasuke wondered if what he was thinking right on that moment had ever crossed Naruto's mind during his childhood.

After a couple of minutes later, Sasuke was standing outside the Hokage's building, with his back turned to the front doors. He could still feel some eyes on him, but the Uchiha ignored all of that attention by continuing with his walk towards the Uchiha Compound...

...A walk that was interrupted as soon as Sasuke turned on a corner, and found himself staring at a certain pink haired girl, who was making her way out of the library.

Without thinking about what he was doing, Sasuke concealed himself behind a pole, and observed as Sakura stopped by the stairs that lead to the library to speak to another female ninja. During that period of time, the young man just watched as his team mate talked and laughed. He even took in the way she gestured at certain times as if to give emphasis to what she was saying.

And then he remembered what Sakura had told him before he had abandoned Konohagakure.

“I love you!”

Sasuke had never known how he was supposed to react to those words. Love had never been something he had needed...in fact; he had never ached for it. The last time he had felt something remotely close to love had been towards his mother. But still, Sasuke knew that what he had felt towards his mother was entirely different from what Sakura professed to feel for him.

As he continued to observe what was happening not too far from his position, Sasuke pondered about what had happened in the past in about what could happen in the present. He had never truly bothered himself to think about what or how much Sakura meant to him, although the girl never once bothered to hide what he meant for her.

In fact, in the past, Sasuke had found her feelings to be quite bothersome, but now...now Sasuke was not sure. Of course he was never going to openly admit that he was not certain about something, but after his stay back in the security-prison, and after learning about everything Naruto and the others had done to make sure he returned to Konoha...

It was then that Sasuke noticed Sakura waving a hand in goodbye before she started walking towards him. She was pressing two books against her chest while a faint smile was on her lips. She had changed, and Sasuke knew it. There was no way he could just try and deny the fact that Haruno Sakura was not the same girl he had last seen before leaving the village.

Back then, back to the time when they had been but children, Sakura had been nothing more than a little girl, who struggled to gain his affections. Yet after so many years, Sakura had finally grown into a young woman who was certain of what she wanted. She had bloomed into a strong and reliable woman...

It was only when Sakura was stepping in front of him, still completely oblivious of his presence that Sasuke snapped from his reverie. Without thinking about what he was doing, Sasuke gave on step forward, and abandoned the shadows as his eyes followed the girl's silhouette.

“Sakura...”

The girl stopped as soon as her whispered name reached her ears. Confusedly, she looked over her shoulder, and Sasuke watched as her eyes widened in realization.

“Sasuke-kun!” the pink haired girl exclaimed in surprise at same time she twirled around, but the Uchiha did not move an inch. “I didn't even notice you were there! Did something happen? Did Naruto annoy you again?”

Sasuke did not know what lead him to ask the question he uttered next. He guessed it was one of those moments when the body appears to move faster than thoughts, making it too late for him to regret the words that quickly escape from his lips.

“Come with me.”

Curious enough, the silence that followed his order was anything but uncomfortable. Instead, Sakura simply tilted her head to the same as she continued walking towards him, an eyebrow raised in suspicion. She was still pressing her books against her chest.

“And where are we going?” she inquired, but Sasuke did not even blink. Instead, and much for Sakura's embarrassment, the girl's stomach took the cue, and roared in hunger. Arching an eyebrow, Sasuke continued staring at Sakura, who blushed as a reaction to that awkward moment.

“You like anmitsu, correct?” Sasuke questioned as he folded his arms against his chest, and when the girl looked at him with a surprised mask on her face, the Uchiha had to stop himself from smirking. Then, without saying another word, Sasuke walked past Sakura only to look over his shoulder, at the girl.

“Y-You...how do you know that?” Sakura asked, and this time, Sasuke did allow for the corner of his lips to curl upwards into a knowing smirk. Still flabbergasted, Sakura increased her grip on her books before she rushed after Sasuke. “Sasuke-kun, wait for me!”

And even though he did not stop walking, Uchiha Sasuke did just that.

Faint raindrops were running down the window as a rather strong wind continued howling outside. The grey clouds had appeared from the horizon, and had steadily made their way towards Konohagakure where they had decided to settle down, and simply cry out.

And it seemed that their tears were going to fall for a long time...

Sighing, Hana looked away from the window, and sat down on her bed before she reached out for the letter that had been placed in the middle of the mattress. Carefully, Hana read its contents all over again, but before she could even think about finish her reading, there was a knock on her door.

“Come in.” Hana said as she folded the letter, and hid it inside the drawer of her bedside table.

It only took a few seconds for the door of the bedroom to be open and for a familiar voice to echo through the room.

“I'm sorry for coming here without any warning.”

“Hina-chan!” Hana exclaimed as she practically jumped off her bed, and rushed to her friend's side. “You're soaked! Don't tell me you didn't even bring an umbrella!”

Before Hinata had time to speak up, Hana walked out of the room, and made her way towards the bathroom. After taking a dry towel, Hana returned to her bedroom, and handed the fluffy material to her friend.

“Use this. And take off your jacket; it's wet. I'll give you one of mine.”

“Ne, Hana-chan, you don't have to worry about me.” Hinata started to say as she reached out for the towel, “My clothes are fine; it's not raining that hard.”

“Just take your coat off, please; I don't want you getting sick.” Hana ordered as she opened her closet, “And please, dry your hair as well.”

With a faint nod, Hinata approached the bed, and took of her jacket. Then, with gentle movements, she started cleaning her face with the towel before she decided to rest it on her shoulders, underneath her damp tresses.

“So, what brought you here?” Hana decided to ask as she put a dry coat on her bed, next to Hinata's, and her friend stopped arranging the towel for a second before she looked down. “Does it have anything to do with Naruto-kun?”

“Yes...” Hinata answered a little dejectedly, and Hana tilted her head slightly to the side, “I... I mean, Sasuke-san and I actually talked to my father today, to persuade him to annul the engagement, and Naruto-kun showed up...”

“Really?” Hana asked a hint of disbelief on her voice, “What happened? Did your father accept to annul the engagement?”

“Yes...” Hinata hesitated about proceeding, and Hana raised an eyebrow slightly at the hesitation. “He really did not have much of a choice when Naruto-kun showed up with another contract.”

“Eh? There was another contract?” Hana gasped, her eyes widening a little bit, and once again Hinata nodded before she crossed her arms against her chest, “But then...that means...”

“Yes, Naruto-kun...his contract was the real contract...” Hinata continued Hana's trail of thought as she raised her eyes to stare at her friend, “Sasuke-san's contract was a copy of the one my father held in his possession, but Naruto's...it was real.”

“What happened next?” Hana asked, and Hinata looked away.

“Naruto-kun...he....” the Hyuuga paused for a moment before she let out a sigh, and look at her friend again, “He said that he would never force me to marry him, and...he ripped the contract...in front of all of us...”

“Oh my!” Hana gasped as she raised a hand to her lips, “But then that means that you were supposed to get engaged to Naruto-kun! What did you do after he ripped the contract?”

“I went after him...” Hinata confessed, and Hana noticed the pink shade that conquered her friend's pale cheeks as she recalled the moment. Then, before she could stop herself, the medical-nin gave one step forward, and reached out for Hinata's hands.

“But Hina-chan, regardless if he ripped the contract or not, don't you think it's time for you to be honest with him?” Hana asked as she stared at her friend in the eye, “In fact, if you think about it, when he ripped the contract apart and said that he refused to let you marry him because of a contract, Naruto-kun showed how much he respects you.”

“I...I actually went to find him, and....” Hinata licked her lips, “I kind of told that I'd like to...know him better...”

“Then, what are you doing here?” Hana inquired all of a sudden, the Hyuuga heiress blinked at the question. “You should be fighting with all your might! Hina-chan, if you love Naruto-kun as deeply as I know you do, then go! Go chase after him!”

“But—”

“You don't have to be afraid anymore!” Hana interrupted her, and Hinata widened her eyes at that, “Your engagement to Sasuke-san is off! You're finally free to do what you want to do so, please, Hina-chan, don't wait! Don't wait or it might be too late!”

“Hana-chan...”

“Hana!” a voice called out all of a sudden, and the two girls turned to the door of the bedroom only to see it being opened by non-other than Choji himself, “Hana! It's Shikamaru! He's leaving for Sunagakure right now!”

“Eh?” was all Hana managed to let out at same time she dropped Hinata's hands, and when Choji nodded, the brunette stared at her female friend. A sad smile suddenly graced her features, and Hana reached out for Hinata's arm, silently telling her friend to look her way.

“Ne, Hina-chan,” the medical-nin started, and Hinata gazed at her, “Trust me when I say this; don't wait for too long because if you do, then the chance of him still being available will grow slim.”

With that said, Hana turned to her cousin, and nodded.

“Please, excuse me.”

With those words, Hana rushed past Hinata and Choji, and left the bedroom as quickly as she could.

In a matter of minutes, Hana was running through the streets of Konoha, ignoring completely the fact that the rain was now falling harder then before. Looking around, the medical-nin pushed her wet locks away from her eyes before she decided to rush in direction of the village's West Gates.

Clenching her hands as she ran, Hana forced her legs to move faster. Quickly, she brushed her hair away from her face again, and felt her breath get stuck on her throat when the gates appeared in front of her.

Overlooking her burning lungs and aching muscles, Hana kept the same pace until her eyes landed on the figures that were slowly making their way out of the village. It was only when her eyes found the person she had been looking for, though, that Hana stopped her tracks, and took a deep breath.

“Shikamaru-san!” Hana shouted at same time the wind blew harder, swallowing her words. Clenching her hands into tighter fists, Hana tried again, “Shikamaru-san!”

When, once more, the wind devoured her voice, Hana decided to run after the boy. It was only when she was standing a few feet away from the Gates that the brunette tried again.

“Shikamaru!”

As soon as the name escaped from her lips, the wind died down. Even the downpour appeared to call down to some extent, but all that went unnoticed as Hana nervously waited for Shikamaru to look over his shoulder.

When their eyes finally met, Hana let out a shaky breath. Temari, who was standing next to the Nara boy, also turned to her side while holding an umbrella over her head.

“Hana? What are you doing here?” Shikamaru asked, a confused expression on his face, and the brunette smiled sadly at his question.

“Shouldn't I be the one asking that?” she asked back, but the boy did not answer. Hana, at his silence, decided to continue, “I'm really sorry for interrupting your journey, but there's something I need to tell you...in private.”

Glancing at the girl next to him, Shikamaru nodded.

“Mind giving us two minutes?”

“Fine,” was all Temari said before she walked away. It was only after she was gone that Shikamaru turned to Hana again, and rested his hands inside his pants' pockets.

“Listen, if this is about me leaving the village without informing you then let me tell you that I didn't do it because I'll be back in three days.” Shikamaru explained, and once again Hana smiled sadly at him before she shook her head.

“Actually, I won't be here when you return.” she announced, and Shikamaru blinked in confusion, “You see, I received a letter from my mother a couple of days ago, and I'm to return to Takigakure tomorrow. My father and a friend of mine were injured on a mission.”

“Hana...”

“To be honest, I was planning to go today, but I still have a few things to take care of at the hospital,” the brunette proceeded, ignoring the way Shikamaru had uttered her name, “And there's also another thing I need to tell you before I go.”

“There's more?” Shikamaru asked, and Hana started chewing her lower lip before nodding. “What happened?”

“I...” Hana paused for a moment before she crossed her arms against her chest when a cold breeze blew from north, “If there was something I learnt from Hina-chan was that you shouldn't be afraid of speaking your thoughts, and so...well, I...”

At Shikamaru's inquisitive gaze, Hana stopped talking, and looked down at her feet before she started chewing on her lower lip again. Curious, when had the rain stopped? Hana had not even noticed when the raindrops had faded away...

“Shikamaru,” another female voice spoke all of a sudden, and Hana closed her eyes. “We have to go. We have lost too much time.”

“Yeah, yeah, just a sec,” Shikamaru answered as he looked behind him, right at Temari, “Give us another minute.”

“I...” Hana tried again as she raised her head, and she felt a lump form on her throat when Temari walked away, this time brushing past Shikamaru. They looked perfect for each other... “I just...since I won't be here when you return, I felt like I had to be honest and...and...”

As Hana trailed off, Temari glanced at Shikamaru with a serious frown on her face.

“Listen, I know we're late. Just give us one more minute.” the Nara said, but the ninja from Suna said nothing in return. Instead, Temari simply walked away, leaving Shikamaru and Hana alone once again. Shaking his head, Shikamaru turned to the brunette again, “Hana, w—”

“Shikamaru, I love you.” Hana blurted out, and the boy widened his eyes in complete shock. Hana, on the other hand, bit her lower lip before she closed her hands into tight fists. “I-I love you, Shikamaru, and I...I just wanted to tell you that before I left.”

“I really miss...being your flatmate. I hope that one day we'll be able to spend some time together again and also... Although I am happy for not having to marry Sasuke-kun, I...I...I hope that one day we'll find the time to get to know each other better because I would really like that.”

Sighing, Naruto run his hand through his wide locks, and stared down at his feet. He was currently standing on top of the Hokage's Monument, more exactly on top of his father's head. One day had passed ever since he had heard Hinata's voice, and one day had passed ever since he started to think about the girl's words.

He had never planned to not open the door to Hinata, but on the last minute he had decided against. Instead, he had sat down, and leaned his back against the front door. He had closed his eyes as soon as the girl had started speaking, and had opened them when he had felt Hinata leave.

To not chase after her had been a very tough decision to him.

“Ah, I bet I look like an idiot.” Naruto muttered to himself as he ran his fingers through his blond tresses one more time, and he then glared at the top of his father's head. “Man, was it this hard for you too? I mean, how did you know that mum was the one?”

“That depends on each person.” a voice said all of a sudden, and Naruto looked behind him only to blush lightly in embarrassment when his eyes found a pair of mismatched ones, “Each person has its own way of finding out who's the one they want to cherish.”

“Eh, how long have you been there?” Naruto asked as he tried to mask his awkwardness by crossing his arms against his chest, “Don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop?”

“I apologize, but I didn't plan to overhear your monologue.” Mesi responded as she continued walking towards the boy, a smile on her face, “However, when I saw you here, I thought you'd most likely be thinking about the traineeship.”

“Ah, that...” Naruto said before he made a face, and Mesi smiled slightly at his behaviour, “No, I was actually thinking about...err...someone...”

“Is that someone a certain heiress from a certain Clan?” the woman decided to ask as she clasped her hands behind her back, and Naruto immediately felt his cheeks warming up. And that, much for his horror, was something that did not go unnoticed, “Ah-ah, it seems to me that I am correct.”

“No, I was not thinking about Hinata.” Naruto retorted only to wince when the name of the girl he had been thinking about escaped from his lips. Mesi, on the other hand, revealed a mock surprise as she raised a hand to her lips.

“Oh my, you were thinking about Hyuuga Hinata? Now that's a shock.”

“Ah man, quit teasing me.” Naruto groaned tiredly, and once again Mesi smiled amusedly at his antics. “If you want to help me, fine, go ahead, but if all you want is to tease me, then please...”

“Sorry, I just thought you looked cute.” Mesi confessed, and Naruto froze at her choice of words. Had she just said he had looked cute? Since when did Mesi even have that word in her dictionary?

“Now that was plain scary.” Naruto said as he backed away, and Mesi raised an eyebrow at his antics, “Since when do you even use the word cute? Is there something going on? Are you ill or something?”

“I blame the hormones.” Mesi promptly retorted, and Naruto titled his head to the side in confusion. At his perplexed stare, the woman decided to wave a hand as if to dismiss the current topic, “Anyway, we were talking about you thinking about Hyuuga Hinata.”

“Ah, please, drop that subject already!” Naruto requested in a loud voice, his whole face now glowing a deep shade of red, “Why should I tell you anything? It's not as if you'll be able to help me, so just forget it!”

“I never said I was going to help you,” Mesi stated as she crossed her arms against her chest, and Naruto looked away, trying his best to ignore his burning cheeks, “However, I thought that perhaps I could give you an advice or two. But, if you don't want it, then fine, I'll just leave you alone.”

Silently, Naruto stared at Mesi through the corner of his eyes, and watched as she turned her back to him. She had just given two steps forward when Naruto looked away, and let out an inaudible sigh. Then, he crossed his arms against his chest.

“What do you think I should do?” he asked, and Mesi stopped her tracks before she looked over her shoulder, and Naruto stared down at his feet. “I mean...what do you think I should do about...well, Hinata and...her father?”

“Just do what you always do; face the problem head on.” Mesi declared, and Naruto blinked at that, “I hardly doubt you'll back off just because this is Hiashi we're talking about. I mean, you never gave up until you found a way to bring Uchiha back to Konoha, and you put your life at risk while doing so. I'm sure that convincing Hiashi that you're the best there is won't be much of a trouble for you.”

“Although that might sound reassuring, it's not.” Naruto said as he shook his head, “I mean; this is Hiashi we're talking about. That guy just hates me! And besides, I kind of told him I'd never let Hinata marry me because she deserves someone better than me.”

As soon as those words escaped his lips, and before Naruto could even comprehend what was going on, Mesi appeared in front of him, and punched him on top of his head.

“Ow! Hey, what's that all about?” Naruto hissed as he rubbed his abused head at same time he winced in pain, and Mesi glared at him before she folded her arms against her chest one more time.

“You're an idiot.” she pointed out, and Naruto continued rubbing the top of his skull, “You know what? Just forget about Hinata. What's the point in trying to support you when you're so stupid? You're clearly Kakashi's student.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Naruto asked as he dropped his hand, and Mesi shook her head.

“Listen, and make sure you pay attention to what I am going to tell you because I won't say it again.” the woman ordered, and the boy immediately nodded in understanding. “If you like Hinata, then go for it. Even if people tell you that is impossible, if you want to be with her then do something about it. Don't wait for her to do something because that's not going to happen.”

“Eh? Why not?”

“Does she even know that you like her?” Mesi asked back, and Naruto parted his lips to speak when the woman's voice hit him straight on the heart. Instantaneously, the boy grabbed the front of his jacket, and felt his blood rushing at full speed towards his cheeks.

“L-Like her?” he repeated, and when Mesi nodded, Naruto almost swore the world spun around him. “A-Ah, I-I don't like her. I-I...I just care for her as a friend, and...and...”

“Oh dear, you're so hopeless...” Mesi interrupted Naruto's ramble, and the boy looked away, his face bright red once again. “First of all, don't let time go by without doing anything. If you take too long to act then it may be too late. Someone can show up, and take Hinata away.”

“What? Who would ever do that?”

“Just shut up, and listen.” Mesi ordered, a stern mask on her face, and Naruto immediately nodded. “Secondly, you'll deal with Hiashi when time comes. But first, make sure you and Hinata know where you two stand.”

“But...”

“And thirdly,” Mesi proceeded, and Naruto closed his mouth, “About your father...he just knew your mother was the one for him. No matter how hard you try to explain it, the truth is that there's no logic in love so don't try to figure it out.”

Fifteen minutes after his conversation with Mesi, Uzumaki Naruto could be spotted making his way towards his temporary home. Mesi's words were swirling around inside his head, along with his own thoughts, but there had been one particular question that had confused Naruto.

“Does she even know that you like her?”

For Naruto the correct question would be; do you even know that you like her? But then again, not even that question appeared to be accurate for him. After all, he had never thought about Hinata that way. Sure he had told Hiashi he would never force his older daughter to marry him, but still to go that far...

“Ah man...” Naruto groaned as he covered his face with a hand, his feet still leading him to his house, “What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

“Meow...”

Dropping his hand, Naruto found himself staring at the staircase that led to his apartment. And on top of the stairs was a familiar white cat moving its tail around as it stared back at Naruto.

“Ah, you're back.” Naruto stated as he started going up the stairs, but the cat did not even move. Instead, it simply meowed again, and the boy smiled faintly at it. “C'mon, I think I may have some leftovers from today's lunch.”

Scoping the cat in his arms, Naruto made his way towards the front door of the apartment. Gently, he put the cat down after opening the door, but before Naruto could even think about taking his shoes off, the cat run off in direction of the kitchen.

“Hey, wait up!” Naruto called-out, and it was then that he noticed the fragrance that was coming from the kitchen. For a moment, the boy just sniffled the air, a finger resting on his lower lip, and Naruto reflexively gave one step forward.

It smelled of...

“Rice omelette...” Naruto muttered to himself, and ignoring the fact he still had his shoes on, the boy slowly made his way towards the kitchen. There was supposed to be no aroma floating around in his house, mostly because he had not prepared anything for dinner so why...?

Carefully, Naruto peeked inside the kitchen, and his eyes widened when he saw the white cat sitting next to someone's feet. Silently, Naruto started gazing upwards, and his mouth dropped when his eyes fell upon a pale face.

“H-Hi...”

It was then that one pair of pallid lavender orbs turned his way, and as soon as their eyes met, Naruto lost his balance, and fell onto the floor. Smiling faintly at his antics, Hyuuga Hinata turned his way, a faint blush now tainting her cheeks; in her hands was a plate filled with two rice omelettes.

“Naruto-kun,” the girl called out in her tranquil voice, and Naruto stared at her in the eye, surprise and shock written all over his face. Elegantly, Hinata's smile grew wider, and the girl continued, “Welcome home.”

FIM!

And that was it everyone. With this chapter I put to an end the longest story I have ever written, with its 320 pages (if I am not mistaken). Thank you very much for sticking around, and we shall see each others again (or so I hope) when I Am Home is finally posted.

Thank you for all of your support!!!

Muito Obrigada!

Maresia Eterna

26/10/09