"The father?" Hinata asked, looking around idly at the concrete side-walk she sat on as her pink-haired friend comforted her from above. Sudden shock overwhelmed her. The father? It was almost impossible to tell! Between the man she loved and the man she loved to hate, there was no telling.
   "I... uhh..." Hinata began to stutter.
Then, as Sakura thought of her dear friend's delima, she finally came to the one possible solution (as seen in her eyes).
   "Did Lee-? Hinata? Did you and Lee-?" Sakura asked slowly. Hinata, hiding her troubles with a sweet smile, looked at Sakura and nodded a silly nod.
   "Y-yes... we did..." Hinata stuttered.
Sakura, in a mix of pity and euphoria, stood from the duo's seat on the side-walk to hop up and down and clap wildly.
   "OH, HINATA! That's so... weird..." Sakura frowned, sitting back by her friend. "But I AM very happy for you!" She continued.
   "I... I can't... tell him..." Hinata stated plainly after a moment of awkward silence.
   "Why not?" Sakura asked.
   "Its not his burden to bare..." Hinata explained. Her blank stare was alien to Sakura. But to the fighting mind of Hinata, it was all too familiar.
Neji? Lee? A dream? A war was raging in her mind. So many painful times with Neji. But the timing fit perfectly with Lee. Hinata silently cursed herself and furrowed her eyebrows softly, grinning her teeth behind her lips. She felt the world go silent for a few choice moments. Was she going to be shunned? Beaten? And only God knows what would happen in her father found out! Was she to be banished? And what of the father? If it were Neji's, would Lee's normally gentle heart be able to except his rival's child? Or would be strike fault upon Hinata as well and banish her? If it were Lee's, would her family strike blame upon her and her so-called "wild ways?" What would Gai say? Or Lee? Or Neji? Or Father? Or her comrades!? Whatever the cost, Hinata thought, she was not going to let the secret of her pregnancy out! This child was either to go, or to be born in secrecy. And she was not about to take the unborn child's life! So, then, she decided, it would have to be born in secrecy and adopted by a kind and loving family! Yeah, that's what she'd do! That would work! Yeah...
   "Hinata? Hinata?! HINATA?!" Sakura's voice faded in.
   "Huh? Wha-?" Hinata asked. She looked at Sakura, worry deeply fixed into her green eyes, and blushed profusely.
   "Sakura?" Hinata asked.
   "Yes?" Sakura replied.
   "I think we should be getting home right about now..." She added. Sakura smiled a little and nodded to her friend.
As they retreated from the Konoha Hospital's grounds, Sakura murmured words of encouragement to her friend. Those words of encouragement were very needed and graciously accepted. And Hinata was glad she had them.

Hinata returned home, a smile of relief on her face. She had been concocting a fool-proof plan. No one would EVER find out about the baby! She was going to make sure of it!
She walked through the gates to the Hyuga Manor and, upon entering, threw her coat onto the floor and ran up to her room. She slammed the door behind her and ran to her bed. She jumped onto its springy goodness and heaved a sigh of regret, relief, pain, and worry.

The only set back to her plan:
If anyone else found out besides Sakura, it would be completely ruined.

                                                                           ...to be continued