Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Or Japan. I'm saving up for both!!

Sorry for the long gap. I was on vacation and I got back a few days ago. I had already written this story in Maine, where I was on vacation, but I had to find the time to write. Well there you go. Please don't kill me. PS check out my profile and look at the icon. I love it! Please review. (By the way, which side is the driver's side in Japan?)


"I don't see why I was dragged into this," Kakashi stated in a somewhat annoyed voice.

Kurenai glared at him from behind the car wheel. She had persuaded Kakashi to come, saying that if things got rough he could handle it for them, while Hinata retrieved her stuff from her room. He preferred not to go, but even he was curious as to what the day held.

Behind Kurenai, Hinata was freaking. She was twiddling her thumbs non-stop and drawing blood from biting her lips too hard. The thought of disobeying a direct order from her father and returning to a place she never fit in was making her crazy.

"You're the muscle. Should we meet up with a fight, you'll be the away team. Hinata and I will, if we have to, sneak into her room and retrieve her stuff. Now I can stop repeating myself? Got it?

Kakashi shook his head, but Hinata stayed quiet. He watched her, irritated that she wouldn't leak a bit of information to him about what went on within the Hyuuga walls.

"Why won't you talk?"

Surprised, Hinata, "Eeped!" and faced him.

"You brought me along and haven't told me a thing. I think I deserve to know."

"Umm..."Hinata began.

"She doesn't have to tell you a thing," Kurenai gripped the wheel harder as she turned into the drive.

The Hyuuga compound housed almost all of the family, making it much larger than the average house. Built of brick and stones, it was surrounded by a low wall, followed by a higher, metal fence. A small, wooden hut with a forest green roof was placed at the entrance. A guard, dressed a blue security outfit, exited the hut and sauntered to the driver's side. His smile was anything but nice as he said, "What business do you have here, Miss?"

"We're here to speak to your excellent boss, Hiashi Hyuuga, regarding his daughter, Hinata," Kurenai whispered harshly.

The guard took the hint and ignored the intentional mockery of his employer. He leaned on the car and said lowly, "Look her name is dirt around here. We aren't allowed to speak of the former heiress. Lord Hyuuga would fire me for letting you in and I need the money."

In the back, Hinata was paling rapidly. She hadn't known any of the guards personally, but she knew their faces. This one must have been hired within the week, since he wasn't familiar. He ignored her, just like all the previous guards had, since her father ordered it to be that way.

Kakashi sighed and leaned closer to the other side of the car. "Let us in would you? I have other important matters to take care of."

Wearily, the guard shook his head. He re-entered the hut, where he pressed the button to let them in. Slowly, the gates parted, and Kurenai stepped on the gas before the guy could change his mind.

"Thanks," Hinata muttered. She was shaking slightly, but abruptly stopped when Kurenai parked. Gripping the handle, she stepped out, and led the way to the door.

Up close, the compound was even more beautiful. Green grass, neatly mowed, bordered a stone walkway, where a sand colored fountain, spraying out clear water, was the main attraction. Flowers of varying colors surrounded towering trees, whose leaves were starting to change into the warmer, fall colors.

The front door was an inviting shade of brown, the exact opposite of what the house really was. It was rounded, with a bronze knocker and doorknob. Hinata hesitantly knocked.

A second later a short maid, dressed in black like the others, appeared. Upon seeing the former heiress of her employer's family, she attempted to slam the door, but Kakashi was quicker. He gripped the door, walking closer, so as not to lose his balance. He brushed up against Hinata, who shivered at the close contact. Kakashi noticed, and had the urge to smirk, for a reason he didn't understand.

Flustered, the maid tried to send them off, not even bothering to hide the fact that her eyes kept flickering back to Hinata. When she finally realized that they wouldn't leave, she flew her hands up in frustration, muttering in another language. Kurenai openly scowled at her, while she prepared them to meet Hiashi. Kakashi watched Hinata panic out of the corners of his eyes, wishing he could help in some way. Hinata avoided his eyes and walked closer to Kurenai. She was more familiar and comfortable with the counselor than the English teacher.

"Lord Hyuuga is a very busy man, so he won't appreciate the interruption," the maid told them as they passed through the entrance hall, the size of a school gym or larger. "Only one of you may talk to him, and I do not suggest her," the maid lowered her voice, indicating that Hinata's name was not to be spoken. Just like the guard had told them, her name was not spoken in the compound anymore.

The three visitors blankly looked at each other. After a few seconds, Kurenai steeped forward. "I'll do it. Hinata can't and Kakashi hasn't got a clue of what is really going on." Here she whispered, "Try to slip away and get to your room. Take as much stuff as you can," she moved on to Kakashi, instructing him in the same manner. Then she obediently trailed behind the maid, throwing uneasy looks back at them. She mouthed the words, "Good luck," and then turned the corner out of sight.

"Are we going to listen to her?" Kakashi asked, curious. It was obvious the girl wanted to bolt, but she timidly nodded her head and started toward a spiral staircase. Kakashi followed at her heels, trying and failing, not to look at her butt. As Hinata, climbed she had no clue her companion was checking her out like the perv he was.

Bad thoughts go away, come back on a porn reading day. Do I have any decency? The answer, folks, is no, because my thoughts on this girl are rated closer to R than G.

They reached the top and Hinata turned to the left, leading to a series of doors with no distinguishing features. Kakashi counted them, so if they got separated, he could find his way back out. Having grown up in the compound and inventing ways of hiding from her father, Hinata knew her way around better than some of the older adults.

Silently, they took a right, walked down a long hall, and then stopped at the last door on the right. Breathing slowly, she reached out and twirled the knob, pulling the door open. She walked in and her jaw dropped.

"Neji?"

"Hinata?"

Seated on Hinata's bare twin sized bed, clutching a picture frame was Hinata's older cousin. His long brown hair that most girls would die for, was pulled back into a low ponytail. He was wearing a dark tee and jeans, both freshly washed from the smell of them. Hinata could smell it when he pulled her in for a crushing hug.

Neji pulled away first, but kept his arms around her. His face betrayed no emotions but Hinata knew he cared about her. She was, after all, the only one he ever hugged.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"We're here to-"

"'We?'"

Kakashi cleared his throat and gave a half hearted wave. Neji just glared. Used to Sasuke and Itachi's, Kakashi wasn't fazed.

"Who is this?"

"Neji, this is Kakashi-sensei. He works at the same school as Kurenai-sensei does and he came to help me get my stuff."

Hinata gently pried the picture from his fingers. She smiled sadly at her four year old self standing by her mother, both in traditional kimonos. Back then, Hinata had had a boyish cut with her side bangs the longest, but she radiated the cuteness that few can have.

Hating to interrupt, but feeling he must, Kakashi asked, "Shouldn't we get a move on? We don't know how much time we have left."

"You're right," she replied softly. Then she turned to Neji. "Would you help me pack a few things to bring to Kurenai-sensei's house?"

"Of course. What would you like to bring?"

The Hyuuga's started to rummage around the half-cleaned room, while Kakashi stayed on look out duty. It seemed as though most people shunned this part of the building, since no one came or went. Kakashi went back to thinking of Hinata and her body, hating himself for being such a perv.

"Done," Hinata announced. The pack she had found in her closet was packed full. She had packed her clothes, her many notebooks, and trinkets that she didn't want to part with.

"Let's hurry back."

Hinata hugged Neji, this time being the one to pull back first. He came closer and whispered into her ear, "You would have made a much better head than that snob of a sister, Hanabi."

Sadly, Hinata replied, "Some things don't work out. Good-by Neji."

Kakashi felt like he was intruding on a private family moment, but Hinata quickly diverted his attention back to her. She beaconed him to follow her, and they sprinted back to where the maid had left them. Slightly out of breath, they arrived seconds before Kurenai stomped her way over to them.

"Let's go. If I have to spend another moment with the world's most cocky, self loving bastard prick, it might rub off."