Midsummer Afterglow: Hey guys! I'm really glad to be updating this story again! I really enjoy writing it. Um next chapter will go back to Hinata's POV and also in upcoming chapters more characters from Naruto will be introduced. ^_^ Please enjoy this update!

Thanks to all my new readers and subscribers! I love you all so very much! Your encouragement keeps me writing!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO


The last time he could remember ever having to be personally escorted to a meeting, was when he had first joined the company. At that time, things had been run very differently. Neji was partly annoyed by this instance because he clearly recognized that the higher ups were taking precautions with him on purpose. It was not as if they didn't trust him to fulfill his duties. No, in that respect, they could always rely on him. But when it came to executing business in the order they wished him to do so, that was easier said than done. Neji had always refused to operate in the manner of the other directors.

Neji was his own person and as director of his own team, he could run things the way he chose to. He hadn't needed the advice of the other directors, nor did he need a baby sitter. This entourage of flies escorting him to a meeting, he himself had been perfectly willing to attend, was extremely ridiculous and unnecessary.

He followed, grudgingly, behind the four men in black suits and pretended not to notice the looks others were giving him as his party made their way through the maze of secretarial cubicles. At the far end of the room stood two large doors made of fine cherry wood. The red tint in the door's appearance made it seem out of place in a building where every wall and piece of furnishing was painted in either black or white. Like a sore thumb, Hiashi's office stood out from all the others. Just nearing the place gave Neji the chills.

He had never been afraid of Hiashi or his power, but he had feared one thing, and that was Hiashi's overly attentive nature. Despite how busy he kept himself, the man knew everything. And it was his ability, to gather information on people, which made him a very dangerous man. Not only was he the CEO of the company, but the head of the Hyuga family. He had eyes on each member of the family and not a single hair fell from someone's head without his knowing of it beforehand.

None of the others around him seemed to realize this, or if they had, they refused to acknowledge it. Hiashi was like a god to them. His word was as good as gold and his orders were carried out no matter how unreasonable they seemed. The members of the Hyuga family were wary of Hiashi and as Neji had witnessed time and time again, they had every right to be. Hiashi made all the major decisions for the family and unless the elders were around to speak out against him, anything he decreed was instantly expected to be complied with. There were few who could stand their ground against the man. Just being under his watchful gaze would make most men fear to open their mouths.

Neji on the other hand, was different from most men. He too was wary of Hiashi, but not because he feared for himself, but because he feared for Hinata. If anything ever happened to her because of his lack of good sense, Neji would forever feel guilty. Hiashi was not the type of man to be easily forgiving, nor did a person earn his trust without first undergoing a sort of extensive trial. When one worked for Hiashi, failure was unacceptable.

As the four men in suites came to a stop at the double door entrance, Neji halted as well. He took in the massive office before him and waited patiently as two of the four men made to reveal the way inside. Sighing to himself, he prepared for what lay behind the wooden doors.


The green tea tasted very bitter compared to usual, and I opted to setting the cup down after having, unfortunately, taken a long sip of it. The group of men sitting straight backed at the round conference table shot uneasy glares in my direction. A muffled sigh escaped my lips as I decided to pay the primped men no mind, but their pale eyes only bore into me further. Watching the small clock that hung on the far wall, I began to tap my foot restlessly. We had been gathered in silence for nineteen minutes and still, Hiashi had not arrived. As the group was waiting, a woman with short black hair had made an appearance to set fresh tea before each of the directors. Many had refused the offering, but I, kind as I tended to be in public, allowed the nervous girl to graciously serve me.

It was strange to see a petite girl, such as the one who had quietly served the tea, working in the company; and from observing the girl's careful movements, I assumed that she was relatively new to her position. Hiashi was famous for letting go of his secretaries. There were rumors that stated that he fired one every two months, but I had always regarded the gossip as false information. Now that I was finally getting a glimpse of Hiashi's taste in women, I had to admit that the man chose his workers for their looks, rather than their personalities. The raven haired girl, no matter how sweet her features were, was certainly uncomfortable in the presence of so many. Just by looking at her, I could practically feel her discomfort emanating off her body.

Focusing once more on the clock, I noted that another two minutes had passed. There was nothing more irritating than having to wait on a person; especially, when that person was the head of the entire company. Assholes like Hiashi took advantage of the fact that he could make people wait on him. I began to wish that someone would take a moment to survey the empty seat at the far end of the table but no one seemed to mind that clear vacancy. Waiting on god was far too normal around the place. I loathed the accepting, submissive nature of the men around me. In the secret of their own homes they bashed the Hyuga's and yet here they were, quietly minding their own business, too afraid to voice the impatience which was building up inside of each person sitting at the table.

The secretary was setting a cup of tea onto the empty table top, where Hiashi was soon to be seated, and I silently counted the passing seconds in my head, wondering whether or not it was a good idea for her to assume that her boss would take any of the odd tasting liquid. I figured it might have been thoughtful for one of the directors to let her know that she should wait for Hiashi to arrive before leaving a beverage that not only had a sour taste but would surely become cold, depending on how long it took him to make his way here. Sadly the gathered men stared indifferently at the short girl and not a single one was kind enough to offer her this bit of advice. I too kept silent so I was just as guilty as the rest; but keeping my mouth shut was more of a precautionary tactic than a way to avoid helping out the poor girl. If I had even dared to say a word to Hiashi's secretary, I'd be reprimanded by at least one of the cold hearted pricks, who still sat uncomfortably around the large conference table.

Just as I was beginning to think up a new set of insults to mentally pin on each individual director, the door to the room swung inward loudly. I brought my head up quickly and turned in the direction of the obnoxious noise. It was just like Hinata's father to make an annoying entrance. Walking in proudly was the great god himself, Hiashi Hyuga, with the fakest smile I'd ever seen him wear.

"I apologize for running late gentlemen. I had a bit of business to attend to," Hiashi relayed lightly.

"What kind of business keeps you away from a meeting that's been planned for nine on the dot?" One of the more confident men at the table asked suddenly, startling me.

I suppose there are some men with guts working for Hiashi. This outburst made me a bit more confident myself and I decided to side with the daring man.

"The kind with long legs and a pretty face perhaps?" I teased amusedly. The directors began to chuckle and I smirked at my own boldness.

Hiashi though, did not find my joke even the tiniest bit amusing and he immediately shot me a glare from across the room. I simply cocked my head as if to let him know that I was only lightening the mood when in fact I was blatantly insulting him.

"That kind of business, though far different from my own, is most attended to by easily distracted men like you Neji; isn't that right?" Hiashi threw back seriously. At this, the entire room went silent. Each of the directors, including myself, recognized the tone in Hiashi's voice and quickly had taken the hint to quite our foolish banter.

I on the other hand did not want to let this one go. Hiashi and I were always at odds and I usually would let him take the win but, probably because I was still angered over having to be escorted by body guards to a work related meeting, today I was not going to pass up a chance to challenge the man.

"What I do on my own time is no one's business but what you do on our time certainly raises some questions Hiashi," I retorted angrily.

Hiashi simply stared at me, while the entire room remained silent as a graveyard, his pale eyes burning holes into my face. The man was seething inside but due to having his most trusted partners in the same room, he was refraining from biting my head off.

I took this as a positive sign to continue my accusations. "Since when did it become necessary to send a military fashioned escort to get me to attend this little gathering? I'm one of your chief directors am I not? If you call a meeting having to do with our work on the new product, you can be assured I will show up."

The heavy silence, which filled the room after I had voiced my complaint, was broken when Hiashi finally spoke.

"Point taken Neji," Hiashi stated, quite defeated by my words.

The emotionless look on his face gave nothing away but somehow the tone in his voice suggested that he almost felt embarrassed that I had brought up this sort of petty issue at all. Well, it wasn't my problem if he happened to look like a fool in front of the directors. They all knew that Hiashi distrusted me but still they never thought he would feel threatened enough to have his own personal militia escort me to and from company meetings.

Hearing him admit that he was wrong, wasn't exactly enough to satisfy my thirst for justice but I decided I had said enough. Hiashi took a seat at the table and the directors each sat up and prepared their notes. Even without saying so, we all knew that the meeting had now come to order. Having already prepared my notes before coming, I sat back and observed. Much to my dislike, the first thing Hiashi did was make a quick call to his secretary.

The moment the dark haired girl walked up to the table again, her burgundy heels clacking against the tiled floor, I knew what was coming. Hiashi, not bothering to waste a single breath on her, simply pointed to the porcelain cup and waved his hand, irritated by his employee's lack of sense. The girl nodded and quickly took hold of the item. Bowing respectfully, she gingerly shuffled out of the room with a look of trepidation on her face.

I wasn't surprised by this occurrence, but hell, it sure did piss me off. Even in this way, Hiashi still needed to show that his authority was absolute.


Neji pursed his lips as he unceremoniously dumped two plastic bags, filled with groceries, on top of the kitchen counter. After coming home exhausted from working on an empty stomach, Neji had been looking forward to eating just about anything. Little did he know that he had come home to a fridge that looked about as empty as his stomach felt. Groaning in frustration, he had forced himself to make a midnight trip to the liquor store near his apartment complex.

Now that he had acquired some cheap snacks and a new six pack, Neji immediately pulled out a can of Bud Light, eager to fill his mouth with the alcoholic liquid. Taking with him, the one bag which held the snacks he had gotten, he sauntered over to the living room and all too happily sunk himself into the couch cushions. His phone hadn't rung at all during the day and as much as it bothered him to admit it, he was very disappointed. Hinata was the type to message or call at least several times a week and yet, he hadn't heard from her in over two!

Kicking his shoes off, Neji pried open a bag of chips and began stuffing his face. Damn he was hungry. How the hell he had a gone the whole day without a bite to eat, was still much of a mystery to him. He was always busy at the lab but even when the work load was heavy, he still managed to get one of the interns to bring him some food when they went on break to get their own. Neji wasn't a slave driver compared to the other directors but he was strict with his team, and more so now than before, due to the fact that time was limited. From what he understood, Hiashi had gathered another group of test subjects. Each team was to evaluate a single subject over the next four weeks and gather as much data as possible. Neji's team had not yet been assigned a subject; but in the mean time, he had taken to writing up a schedule that would perfectly fit the single month that they had ahead of them.

Certain tests were required to be performed on all test subjects but Neji had also instated a few of his own that would determine more accurate results than the mandatory ones would. On top of forming a set of new lab instructions to follow, Neji had also prepped his team for their upcoming assignment. So far, each team was made up of an assortment of lab men who had undergone different levels of scientific training before applying to work at the H.S.C. Neji's team, though not as large as the other's consisted of diligent and determined men and women. The one lab tech he most respected was a man by the name of Shikamaru. The guy was a bit of a lazy ass but he sure as hell had a mind that even Neji couldn't rival. The one lab tech he despised more than anything was some young kid, who had introduced himself as Lee, with the most annoying emphasis on the final "E" at the end of his first name. Neji wished for nothing more than to punch the ugly looking kid through the roof, but he had to give credit where it was due and Lee, despite pushing just about all Neji's buttons, was a hard worker. Then there was Temari. She was, out of all three lab techs, the most infuriating! She disagreed with Neji on just about everything and despite knowing full well that he was the team's director, she never failed to talk back and add in her two cents when no one had asked for them.

Just thinking about the women pissed him off, and Neji, as a way to drown out his annoyances, gulped down another swig of beer. The refreshing liquid settled his mind and Neji briefly wondered why people bothered to take pills at all when alcohol worked far better than any prescribed meds. Fumbling for the television control, Neji grabbed hold of the slender black device and switched the T.V. on. A news program came into view and Neji tiredly gazed on as if he was actually interested in what the newscaster was reporting inside the station. It was then that a second news anchor came into view. The setting altered to a reporter who stood outside a large campus, which Neji only slightly recognized as Konoha University, and was preparing to interview a rather cold looking woman. The woman was of average height and had blonde hair that was tied into two pig tails that hung loosely over her shoulders. Neji would normally not have stared so intently at her but his eyes bulged when her breasts came into view. They certainly weren't normal sized. Most women he had been around hardly even had breasts to begin with and yet this straight backed woman was packing in jugs that must have weighed more than the rest of her body!

It was a bit pathetic to be ogling an older woman but Neji had been taken quite by surprise. If the women who lived around the university were all blessed like the one on screen was, with enormous boobs, Neji might have done better to have gone to work over in the same area. Pressing down on one of the changer's buttons, Neji turned the volume up louder. The big breasted woman, whoever she was, stood gazing at the camera while the reporter reiterated some story about Konoha University having been funded by several corporations in the past. The blonde haired lady nodded her head in assent occasionally and when the reporter quite speaking, the older woman placed a dainty hand upon one of her hips and waited a moment before answering the reporter's questions.

"The university is very grateful to the yearly funding of public corporations but we have come to a point in time in which the school requires more secure financial aid," The woman began seriously.

"The university has been growing ever since it was first opened and with the turn-out of applicants during the last spring semester, the board of directors is certain that this upcoming fall semester will see an even larger increase in students. Keeping this in mind, as chief of school operations, I took it upon myself to look into private companies willing to fund educational facilities. It is with a grateful and humble heart that Konoha University thanks the H.S.C. for donating over five hundred thousand to our fall programs this year."

Neji spit his beer out the moment the woman finished speaking. Fizzy liquid stained his shirt and jeans. He could hardly believe his ears! The Hyuga's had donated money to Konoha University? Neji was appalled. Why the hell had Hiashi gone and done that? What relationship did the man have with the university and when the fuck was Hinata ever planning on telling him that her father had up and lent over five hundred thousand to the board of education?

No wonder things had been hectic at work lately. Hiashi was making side business deals without letting any of his employers know of it beforehand!

Over five hundred thousand did she say?

Neji was about ready to jump off a self created balcony. Hinata wasn't answering any of his calls or texts. She had been avoiding him more than ever before and even Hiashi himself had seemed preoccupied at the morning meeting. It was all because of this! Neji wasn't stupid. There would only be one reason the greedy bastard would give up his own money to some damned school and it certainly was not because he was a charitable person. No; Neji knew that better than anyone. If Hiashi was donating money to Konoha University, the leading college in education, it was because he was planning on sending his daughter there.


A/N: To be continued...