"Oh!"

Naruto tilted his head to the right, so he could better look at the message in the ATM. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, no." Hinata covered the display, took a deep breath, and uncovered it. "It was just unexpected…" She drew herself in, her hands tight against the other, close to her chest.

His eyes widened. "A bi-bi-billion Ryos?!" He backed up. "This is where our aircon came from?" He had never seen such a large number in an ATM.

Hinata shushed him, her hands trembling. They stared at each other in silence, before Hinata placed her hands in the keypad. "I-It's nothing weird, I promise. I think it's my inheritance… I've been taking money out consistently so I don't have to go inside" She pressed an option in the touchpad and another, and suddenly a whirring started, and a wad of bills jutted out of the cash dispenser that Hinata quickly grabbed and stuffed in her small purse. She waited until the card came out and put that away too.

She glanced up to Naruto's eyes, and tried to get her voice to settle down. "I'll explain properly this time, b-but first, we need to go home."

"Y-yeah, okay."

He followed her without more words, and it was only when they were settling around the table that he spoke again. "Does this all have to do with the money earlier and the fake profile?"

Naruto's eyes were on her, soft, and concerned. Hinata felt like there was nothing she could hide from that look on his blue eyes.

She pushed back some of her hair behind her ear, and let her hands fall graciously on her lap. "Yes." Hinata sighed.

Naruto gave her a hand gesture that said 'go on…', his eyes intrigued, his body leaning forward.

She hid her face from his. "I was pushed by my father to finish high school early and enter the business school in Wave, with a minor in computer sciences." She remembered the deadly look he gave her whenever she dared to disagree. "I had earned a full scholarship in the school of Education here, in Konoha, but my father believed it was a worthless career," She met his eyes with her own. "So he cut me off. He took my phone away, had me followed at all times, deactivated my social media accounts, a-and forbid me from speaking to my friends and my little sister. Because he found out of my wish to drop out and take the scholarship offer, he believed I would corrupt my sister."

Hinata wiped away a few tears that were already escaping and running down her cheek. "At that s-same time, something happened with a product my cousin, my sister and I designed, the Byakugan, and my father told me that it wouldn't ma-matter anymore if I graduated or not. He said I would do a great service to our family, and from there on I would belong to a d-different one. One moment please."

She walked to the bathroom as fast as she could, and cleaned nose. She splashed some water on her face. She felt gross. She tied her hair back in a ponytail, dried her face, and went back to the public area.

Naruto had moved to sit to the couch that faced the balcony. When he saw her looking, he patted the area next to him. He gave her a hesitant smile "Hey, sit over here!"

Hinata gripped the roll of toilet paper in her hands, and moved to sit next to him, her heart hammering in her chest. Her voice came out like a whisper. "Thank you."

He put his feet over the coffee table, and crossed his arms, light spots of pink in his cheeks. He looked at her, her red face, and even redder nose, and her swollen and bloodshot eyes. "You don't have to tell me; you know? If it's too hard for you to talk about…"

She shook her head, her eyes set on the visage of the sunset filtering through the skyscrapers. "You already know bits of the rest, Naruto-kun. I-it makes no sense to hide it. I've lived here for almost a month already. I-it's time."

Naruto put down his feet from the coffee table, turning his torso in her direction. "If you're sure, Hinata…"

She turned to look at him, slightly flustered when she found his eyes locked on hers. "I'm sure." She blushed, and turned her eyes to look to the view out the balcony. "This is only the theory I've come up with, with no m-more information. A few days after my father talked to me, my cousin found out of Father's plans for me, and told my uncle. Together they made a plan to take me out of the country without my father finding out, and then erased the trace behind me. It's them that are providing me with money. That's why I had to create a fake profile."

Naruto was looking at her wordlessly, stunned at all the information. 'This is slightly like a drama' He thought. He couldn't believe all that Hinata had gone through. "That's why you didn't know if Sakura-chan had graduated or not, or in what school she was."

Hinata nodded slowly, bringing her legs up on the couch, leaning her chin on her knees, embracing her legs. "I still don't know what the Byakugan had to do with it all, or what my father meant by doing them a great service." She sighed. Her face exuding hopelessness. "I could tell it wasn't nice though. Not for me. He smiled when he told me"

Hinata kept her eyes on the distant horizon, but Naruto kept his on her.


"I still don't know how they didn't choose you to be queen." Sakura chewed her salad distractedly. "Aren't you the oldest?"

A blonde woman stared at Sakura's salad in disgust while she cut her own steak. "Yes. I'm the oldest. Your elder for three years too, you punk."

Sakura gave her the stink eye "Only for three years, Temari!" She munched on a piece of lettuce. "Anyway, I still don't get why they passed you and Kankurō over."

Temari scowled at her. "Apparently, only guys can be in charge, and Kankurō's reluctant to be King, so little bro Gaara stepped up." She crossed her arms. "Besides, since me and," Temari nodded in the direction of a black haired boy sitting in the booth next to her "-this guy are marrying in a couple of years or so, they decided they needed to protect the 'bloodline'" she mocked, in annoyance.

The boy next to Temari gave a lazy scowl.

Sakura took a sip from her drink, considering her words. "Yes, of course. They're assholes and they sh-wait WHAT?" She set the plastic cup on the booth's table hard. Her eyes turned wildly from Temari to the boy, trying to find the truth in their eyes. They finally settled accusingly on the boy. "Shikamaru! I didn't even know you two were dating!" Her reproachful eyes turned to Temari. "And I've known you both for years."

Temari burst out laughing, while Shikamaru's scowl deepened.

He tried to hide his blush by looking out the window. "…What a drag…"

Sakura blew her pink hair off her face, pouted, and crossed her arms. "Whatever…" a ping distracted her from the conversation. Her features eased when she saw her two latest correspondents' texts. She sighed dreamily, putting her free hand over her chest. "Ah… Young love…"

The girl in front of Sakura scowled slightly and snatched the phone away from her friend. "What's this?" She easily guessed Sakura's new password and opened her text application. "Let's see who you are hurting my feelings for," Said Temari with a completely straight face.

The other girl watched, entertained "I see how much it affects you!", waiting for Temari's reaction. Except it wasn't the reaction she expected. She saw Temari frown. Sakura leaned forward, trying to take her phone back, her movements flustered and her face pink. "T-that's not what you think it is! Sometimes my friend Ino sends…!"

Temari put up a hand in front of Sakura's face. Her scowl fading. "That's not it, Sakura." As Sakura sat back, Temari placed the phone on the table and turned it around so Sakura could see the picture clearly. "What is the Hyuuga's missing daughter on your phone for?"


First, review answers!

From: guest (Guest)
-

guest:great chapter!

Thank you, guest (Guest)!

I might have slightly outdone myself, writing two chapters so closely timed, and i might be getting too cocky, but let me just tell you guys, this is the longest story i've ever done.

Some Shikatema, which I hope the people who don't like it will overlook. I wonder what Ino sends Sakura that could be so scandalous. Any guesses?

Hinata finally told Naruto the story behind her running away, but there's stuff not even she knows.

Fun fact! I based the value of Ryo in the Japanse yen, so a billion Ryos equals 9,542,000.00 US dollars! 177 million Mexican pesos (that makes it easier for me to count tbh)

Anyway, let me know if you liked it or if you didn't, and what character you miss the most!