I own nothing Naruto related, all characters go to Kishimoto. Not me! This is basically from Hinata's POV so her thoughts follow along with the story. I do plan on making other POVs also. so don't worry :)

The crowd was in a chatter, and tension. I look around there were already pairs trading words so comfortably as if it was by their plan. And I'm just here, by myself with Neji, "…" and nothing to say. Why did Hokage-sama have to volunteer this event here? And of all times now. I look around the crowd once more at all the competitors and the prizes. The men varied in size and shape but I honestly couldn't tell age or how they actually looked liked since they were all told to wear the same uniform. the only difference was the masks they wore. The women were dressed nicer but still dressed for active moving along with myself, we also had to wear different masks. Mine was a lion, while I was dressed in my mothers wedding kimono.

" You look like her," Neji finally spoke he was dressed the same as the rest of the men but with a yin-yang designed mask, " Just like from the photos". I felt myself blush and squeeze my lips a bit bashful. But sighed "Thankyou nee-san." I look up again peering through my mask holes to catch a medium leveled man with a mask that was all blank except for the circles wear the eyes should be. He had a skin tight hood on so I didn't recognize him, but that was the point wasn't it? It is exactly like russian roulette, to me it is anyway. I waved to him but he just turned away sharply. "That hurt a little ne?" I thought. He could've waved back.

"Quiet!" The Hokage's voice boomed over the crowd. "Welcome all villages, to this year's Hide and keep. These games, were made in hopes of balancing the clans and our allies and becoming allies with our past enemies and recovering from the fourth great war four years ago." The crowd had cheered though the only one's that didn't see these games fit were the upbrung heirs of powerful clans, I was one of them. "The rules are as follows, The women of their clans and families are prizes for the men of clans and families wishing to make connections to other families. Men, once you find your prize you must then carry her to a designated Priest or priestess in the village. There are also different shrines you may go to depending on your religion. Your also allowed to steal other competitors prizes that is unless her mask is removed. Once the mask is removed this means she has volunteered to be with that competitor anyone violating the rule will be disqualified. As for the women you have a choice to run and fight with the competitors to either bargain with him to not marry at all or to find the man of you're choosing. You are also allowed to put you're mask back on if you change you're mind." The crowd cheered, well the families of the competitors and prizes anyway. Yes, this game became fairly new three years ago but became necessary due to clans not built stable enough, clans diminishing, clan wars and grudges and women and men waiting to long to marry. My father had me be a prize due to the opinion that I was getting old, "I'm only twenty." Though I wasn't alone, Neji had to compete if my marriage meant moving to another village.

" But first Konoha has also decided to make a sub game for those who wish to make early betrothed. So may the competitors be the first to step up." Oh And then there were the betroth games that became new this year. The council wanted to make future precautions.

"Nii-san, wish me luck!" I felt my younger sister come up to hug me. I wanted to tell her "there is no luck". But I just smiled since she was more enthusiastic about being married in the future more than I was. She let go and rushed to the front. " I hope it'll be some one good for you" Neji tried to enthuse her also. I smiled to myself behind my mask, Neji cares.

" You too Hinata-sama." He said quickly. I only nodded "Hai."

The sub games had finished quicker than I thought. As they all lined up on stage in pairs I found Hanabi standing next to a boy from this village, Lucky girl. "Hanabi Hyuuga and Aobi Aburame". Shino's cousin huh? Atleast it is someone I can trust. "Don't worry Hinata- san, Aobi is better tamed than most boys" I turned to my side to a competitor who I assumed to be Shino. "Thank-you, I'm glad-" "But he is not well in expressing affections, they seem to well…" there was something going on up on the stage that caused some of the crowd to laugh.

Aobi had a bump on his head "All Im saying is I hope you grow healthy enough to have children when we're older"

I blushed a bright enough red it could've been seen through my mask. " D-did that B-b-boy just suggest…" all of sudden the air felt tense,…Neji "How dare that little punk." poor Aobi. "Baka." Shino sighed.

Hanabi however was red mad " Well maybe I will, Maybe I won't but if you want a reference of how I might look like," she twitched blushing " You can just look over there at my sister!" She pointed at me.

"W-what!?" I couldn't believe what she just did. " Hanabi!" Neji yelled. God strike me, now with lightning that won't leave any trace of me.

"Thats right, my nii-san Hinata. She's pretty much already built to bare children and just think how I'll look when I get older." Not only does she point me out, she's advertising me. Maybe I could just run away. But it was a little late for that, the competitors were staring at metaling amongst each other.

"Do you think her face is just as nice?"

"If you think about it, underneath some of those layers…"

"I want as many children, why not?"

then the women started crowding the stage and one of them in a flamingo mask asked hanabi " Hey hey, what are the men in your clan like? are they handsome as the women are pretty?"

Hanabi had a triumphed smile 'Of course, my cousin is right next to her" she pointed again. And all the women look over to Neji's direction.

Neji just stood alert and what seemed to be terrified. I bow my head in embarrassment "Nii-chan, why?"

"Enough!" Tsunade roared, "Now, for the marriage games, One!". "oh god, no."

"Hinata-sama run!" Neji yells as the competitors get a start at me.

"Two!"

I dash through the trees trying to lose as many as the competitors as I could "Must keep running!"

"Three!"

I had lost most of them, I was left alone again only to imagine how Neji is withstanding those women. " Hinata-chan!" a voice spoke, "God kill me now!" I felt a hand on my arm, As I look up it's the man from before. His mask still blank except for the eyes. Then I noticed it wasn't the same one, this mask had whiskers. "Naruto-kun!" Thankyou god. "Hinata-chan, I came to help you"

Oh my God, I was so caught up I had forgotten Naruto was competing since he was the Fourth's son. Then it hit me like a bag of rocks, maybe this is my chance to tell him how I feel. Maybe I could… Im not ready. Im not ready in the least bit! " Hinata-chan, I actually found someone who wants to be with you!"Oh My God, save me from this lovable fool! "Come with m-!" An hand pushed his face aside and I was suddenly seeing the tree limbs pass by. I was being carried away by some one else " Well well Hyuuga, I hope your sister was right." I look up at him recognize the obvious sharingan painted on his mask, "Sasuke-kun?!". Why in the world was Sasuke after me!?"Uh-uhm. Why exactly are you caring me? Y-you do know th-that means-?

" I'm only trying to win you for the sake of my clan, since I haven't been able to compete the last three years in any other villages. So don't mistake me for a romantic." He explained cutting me off, his ambition was a bit of heart break but his motives don't surprise me. That's what these games were for anyway. I could either fight him to get away or maybe I can bargain with him? "S-sasuke-kun, I wi-ish to make a bargain." I had some what pleaded, " No can do.". There goes that plan.

I look over to his arm debating with myself, but against my own morals I had no choice. "I'm sorry!" I yelled as I hit a chakra point in his arm to loose feeling in it for enough time for me to get away. Sasuke let me go letting me fall through the branches below. I landed carefully holding up some of my kimono, Mom's kimono wasn't made for this kind of moving. But I couldn't let that thought linger, I had to find some one that didn't want to get married as much as I did. I start fast walking through the trees again either hiding or running some more and running into some of the pairs intimate moments unfortunately. "I guess those are the lucky ones that had already known and been ready to be together." It made me a little jealous that Naruto wouldn't want to be with me, he said he found someone who wanted to be with me so I really can't run into him again sadly. I started listing all the boys I knew that might have been trying to not get married. "Shino is looking for Hana, Lee is out for Sakura but she'll probably convince him into a bargain. Kiba had already made an agreement with a woman from a diminished clan. Shikamaru is my only option since He IS always on about how troublesome it is." Shikamaru it is.

I search throughout the roof tops of the village, having to dodge other men at the same time. I searched the places and fields he would nap at but he wasn't there. "Where is he!?" Then I see who I recognized to be Ino over at a flower field. I dash over to her only to be confronted with a senbon. "I-ino its me" She lowers the needle and giggled "Oh Hinata-san, sorry bout that. Some of the men were using transformation justsu to disguise themselves as women to capture me. Can't be too cautious." She said sadly. How awful that some men would do that to play with another girl's trust. But I guess I can't blame them for some part. But I can't be side tract right now "Ino-san, do you know where Shikamaru-san is?"

"Last I saw him he was running from a girl in a black Kimono, serves him right. Karma for calling girls troublesome." Ino said amused at her teammates luck.

"O-oh." But there went my luck also." Thank you" Then I ran again listing possible uninterested boys in my head again. But my thought's became interrupted as I bumped into something hard. I look up and see a man with a dog mask, "Oh hello Miss Hinata." He held his hand up and waved,"Hello?" I replied. Who was this again? "It's me, Kakashi." I blushed bait and stood up taking a step back. "Oh Kakashi-sensei, h-how are you?" I bowed. "Come now there's no need for that, plus I'm Naruto's, Sakura's and Sasuke's sensei. Well Ex sensei." He explained to me scratching his head. Then it dawned on me, he was part of the game. "Why are you competing Kakashi-san?" I bravely asked him, Ive never been nosey but From what I heard from Naruto I was curious. He lowered his head bait, "Why? hmm I guess you can say I'm just walking around seeing if any of students would have wanted help out of any possible engagement or marriage." I paused for a moment In my own world, thanking god that there was hope out of this. "Kakashi-san-" As soon as I started reaching for him he vanished. I looked over to see a girl in a pink kimono linked onto kakashi's arm "Sorry but I Kinda need him to help me out of this!" Then they both vanished. "God, just crush me with a boulder under an- "

"Lady Hinata." I froze and looked over my shoulder to see what I believed to be the competitor from the beginning. There weren't any whiskers so It wasn't naruto. "Take off your mask." I felt my face redden. Is he threatening me, is he gonna help me? But I dismissed the last thought, these competitors are here for a reason why would they help out a prize if it meant shame to their clan or family. " It's either me or a competitor that won't treat you as you wish. Though if your desperate…" His pause was very uncomfortable, maybe he is willing to bargain my freedom from this horrible game? " I don't mind bargaining to postpone a marriage with you. Cause I'll tell you now, most of these computers will only be after you for what your sister advertised you to be." Those words stung, but it was true. I'm a Hyuuga heir, I was raised to have a healthy body for such things for the future of my clan. All I am is a prize. "But I am at least allowing you a prolonged time till you are ready to marry. That's my final offer, if you don't like it Ill leave you alone."

What should I do, this man is right. Yet I kinda have some hope for some of the competitors to be reasonable. But could I really trust my own opinion when I don't understand all that goes on in a man's head? Or if that's the head they are listening to? I felt the competitor's gaze through his mask, waiting patiently. "I would like t-"

With quick movement I was carried off again in another man's arms, " I'm not losing you to an outsider, so don't even try another stunt." It was sasuke again. Why hasn't he given up just yet? There's many women still free in the game. " I really don't want to risk picking a dud out of all of you, Sorry for how rude it is but I really need to restore my clan." I can't blame his motives but I can resent him in the future if it means popping out children year after year. I was about to punch when all of a sudden someone did it for me and Knocked him into the trees. For a brief moment I was falling again and then falling into someone else arms. It was the competitor that was wanting to bargain with me. "Have you made your decision?". He waited for my answer, caring me bridal style, "If you want I could just hand you back over to the Uchiha."

Right now anything to end this madness and I definitely did NOT want to go back to Sasuke." Ill accept your bargain." I told him bluntly, do I have choice anymore? "Take off your mask and tell me that." he ordered gently. I felt myself blush at his request. Is this his way of making me promise? What do i have to gain to make a fool of him. "It's the only way I can makes sure no one else will come after you." He had a point there. And Sasuke was right behind us "Get back here!" he yelled, he sounded mad and I didn't want to deal with that.

I stayed quiet for a few seconds realizing we were headed towards priestess of the area, I heard she was fairly new to the village. I looked back at him at his emotionless mask. After thinking a little longer, I sighed defeated, took off my mask and held it onto my chest.I looked over the competitors shoulder to see Sasuke stop on a top of a small tree and then leave the other direction. I looked on to the eyes of his mask, took a deep breathe " I will accept your proposal." with that he sped up his pace over the tree's to the priestess.

We landed in front of a woman who was also wearing a mask with the kanji for priestess written on it, a priestess part of the games perhaps? " Hello I am Shion, is this a marriage or Bargain?" She had blonde hair and dressed in ceremonial robes made for the occasion. "This is a proposal." The man spoke up. She tilted her head to the side but shrugged. "And what is this proposal for?" she asked again only waving a man with pen and paper to come and write down our agreement. Shion moved her head towards me as if asking for my verification, "I Hinata Hyuuga have accepted this man's proposal to prolong mine and his marriage." she then looked over to him "And you?" I heard him breathe in to talk until...

"Hinata!" I hear naruto from behind, "Naruto-kun, Im sorry but I already accepted this man's proposal. Tell your friend I'm sorry." I kinda felt bad for who ever that might've been but I'm already here, and already made my promise and I'd be defying myself if i didn't keep it. Naruto tilted his head to the side, "What do you mean?Gaara is right next to you." he said.

"What?!" I look over at the competitor. He sighed "Baka." He whispered as he slid off the hood to reveal the familiar blood red hair. It still brings back memories of the chunnin exams. But that was years ago before naruto would talk to me about about him and how he changed. So i guess it's at least better now than it would have been before.

He then slipped of his mask, his cyan eyes were a lot softer, slightly stoic but not blood thirsty like they use to be. His skin was still the same pale tan I remembered being painted in blood and sand. "I Gaara vow to her a promise of our agreement." Shion then stamped the scroll. "If ever this proposal is broken, may you suffer the consequences." she then handed Gaara the scroll to hold onto. "May we go, I believe we should talk things over." He said as he started walking ahead of me, I look back at naruto but he just waved telling me he'll catch up later. As I walk away I could hear Naruto and shion talking but didn't mind it and just tried to keep up with Gaara. Hopefully whatever it is he wants to talk about it isn't too dire. Well in this situation it most likely is...