Star- Alright chickies, sorry be the annoying voice reminding youse that school is starting soonish... uwaaaa, I don't think I can do it!!! ToT (I hope my friends are in the same lunch period of me at least... sigh) Anyhoo, so after this I'll be getting back to (or at least try to get back to) the weekly update I used to do. So I'll be updating at least every Friday night and it'll be ready for you guys in deh Saturday mornings. :3
Let's start the new year together with courage and smiles! As we try to kick ass together in a world that never truly understands us! And we'll all float on Alright already, we'll all float on Alright, don't worry even if things end up a bit too heavy We'll all float on ... ALRIGHT! XD
Listening to: Anna Tsuchiya "Anarchy in the UK" (except the above was Modest Mouse. XP lol)
OMGISH! IT'S THE TENTH CHAPTAH ALREADY! XD and OMG! EVERYONE KNOWS WHO NARUTO-KUN'S PARENTS ARE! XDDD (I wuv Kushina!!! XD Man I hope the series ends with NaruHina and NO part 3, otherwise it's just gunna be too much like DragonBall, and DB: GT sucked, sorry for any hardcore fan that liked that season. Huh... I also hope that Naruto doesn't end up getting his last name changed to Namikaze... I like Uzumaki, it's perfect for him. T.T Oh and you know, maybe if you put red hair on Naruko, you can have a bit of an idea how Kushina looked like. Of course some other people had great original ideas as well. :3 But actually I was talking about in essence. XP)
Lunarangel's Dark Flame: Thank you so muchos! XD
Fang Shinobi: I know... I suck, I don't know how or why I made Hinata the way she is... but then again, I know how to counter that, eheh... And yah I know, I have errors.. half the time it is the website's fault when uploading, and I don't do a very good job at proofreading... X0 But I'll make sure the next chapters are tip-top. :3 Oh, and mostly Hanabi calls Hinata onee-san, I don't think I had Hinata say onee-chan or if I did, then.. oops. :3 But thanks for the CC's, I appreciate them. :3 Hope you continue to review for the other chapters too, eheh. :P (Harajuku Forevah!! XD) (Okay, question... do I need to do a better job at the japanese setting-ness or am I doing well enough? O.o ..Cuz If there's room for improvement, I'd like to know how. :3)
Chronostorm: Alright I getcha... I'll think of something. And you don't like Kiba-kun?? O.o huh, interesting...
Darkewaken: Yay you're back! XD (...eheheh..). Yup Kiba is here, I hadn't mentioned him yet because he has not come into Hinata's life yet. (explanation: Hinata and Kiba never shared a class together until now, their first year of High School. Also they went to different middle schools, though still in the same district. :3) ..Okay, coolz, hope you like this chapter too! X3
Sailor Alpha Tomboy: Sorry if this is rude, but I kinna wish you could say something else... 9.9
Scratch the Surface
Ch.10 - Chira-hora, Fubuki Feelings
"Suuugoi!" Masabo gushed on the otherside of the classroom, staring intently at his laptop screen, as other boys came to gather around him. Other students stared at their direction curiously.
"You got it to work?" a boy asked excitedly.
"Check it out!" Another boy exclaimed, pointing at the screen and grinning.
"Ohhh..." The group of boys chorused, ogling fixatedly at the image of a half-naked woman smiling flirtatiously. Several heads turned to stare curiously and incredulously at the group, some shaking their heads and others simply ignoring them. Hinata suddenly woke up, watching them with half-interest, wondering what was going on, but sweatdropped as soon as she heard their whispers and happy murmurs.
"There's just something about older women..."
"How old you talkin' about?"
"..Such long legs!"
"What a cute smile!"
"You're both wack, look at those melons!" Masabo bickered, eyes glued to the screen like the other boys.
Hinata noticed the shaggy brown-haired boy, who had been sleeping in the back, get up to watch the screen with the rest of the boys.
"Betcha they're fake." He added with a mild smirk.
"Shut up, what do you know?" Masabo glared at him momentarily.
"She's great but..." A boy with straight brown hair started, bringing incredulous eyes to stare at him questioningly. He paused, feeling slightly embarrassed under the scrutiny.
"..I like my girls a little paler..." He finished, glancing behind him subconsciously.
"Whatever." The boys said at once, going back to the laptop screen.
On the other end of the room, a lithe girl with long black hair finished her apple and stood up to approach the gathering of hormones.
"Ooh, whatcha guys lookin' at?" She asked energetically, peeking her head in beside the shaggy brown-haired boy. She tilted her head to the side, looking at the half-stark woman.
"Sexy, but guys.." She trailed off with a slight warning.
"... her breasts are definately false." She finished feeling a bit triumphant as she pulled her head away from the screen and crossed her arms.
"See? I thought so." The shaggy haired boy grinned, all of this causing Masabo to stand up from his chair and glare annoyedly at the two.
"Arrgh! Screw you both! What do you know, huh?!" He shouted pointing angrily at them.
"It's blatant, Masabo.. and besides, I'm a girl afterall." Tsukumi smirked then stuck her tongue out at him.
"Che, oh really? I couldn't tell, you being so flat-chested an' all." Masabo smirked, still glaring and immediately getting a rise out of her.
"What?!"
"Unless you want to prove it, that you're female..." Masabo finished slyly, grinning with discreet perversion.
"Freak! Just go back to ogling those fake ta-ta's!" Tsukumi shouted red-faced, pointing pissily at the screen.
"Feh, you're just jealous you can't look like that, Tsukumi-chan." Masabo turned the laptop around, mocking Tsukumi with the lingerie-clad image.
"Oh please, stop bragging! Everybody knows you have the biggest boobs in school!" Tsukumi threw back, ending with a zealous smirk, as she looked down her nose at the shorter boy. Everyone in the room was watching the altercation intently, mostly because there was nothing else half as interesting going on in the relatively quiet room.
"You twig! I'll break you in half!"
"I'd like to see you try, dough-boy!"
They stood at a standstill, just glaring at one another, the lightening crackling between the two.
Hinata was about to turn her attention to the world outside the window when a voice called across the room.
"Ne, Naruto! Wanna take a look?" one of the boys offered, catching Naruto off guard. Hinata swiveled her head around to stare expectantly at him, wondering what he was going to do, as she watched him sit there somewhat embarrassed and bewildered. He look around the room, all eyes on him, waiting for a response.
"Uhh.. maybe some other time." Naruto replied, smiling sheepishly with a sweatdrop.
"Alright, suit yourself." The boy replied going back to the laptop screen. Naruto let out a small breath of relief and the rest of the room settled down into their own business, with the exception of Masabo and Tsukumi who were still glaring.
Pin-pon Pan-pin!
The bell rang, going somewhat unnoticed, as the classroom door opened revealing Imahada-sensei with briefcase in hand.
"Alright puppies, put your tongues back in your mouth and take a seat." She announced pointedly to the boys surrounding the laptop, groaning reluctantly. As soon as they pulled away and took their seats, the classroom looking more organized now, Tsukumi huffily walked away from Masabo and took her seat. Masabo began to sit down, shutting off his laptop slowly, when he was confronted by Imahada-sensei.
"Okudachi-san, you know you're not supposed to have that in school."
"Maa maa, I'll put it away, just don't confiscate it."
"Alright, but it's fair to warn you that next time I will."
"Hai, sensei."
With that she walked back to the chalkboard, pulling out her textbooks, and started seventh period.
Bluish-grey and darkened clouds covered the sky, a chill filling the school courtyard. Hinata shivered slightly as she wrapped her unusual scarf around her face, covering her nose. Students were slowly filling out, and a cold breeze passing through the trees and her clothes almost constantly, causing her to shiver more and feeling aggravated in the winter weather. She sighed slightly, her warm breath radiated against her scarf and onto her face, but making her cheeks and lips moist and colder afterwards.
"So you got work again?" Naruto asked simply, walking out the gates with her, hands in his pockets and shoulders shaking every now and then.
"You need to wear something more than a sweater, Uzumaki-san.. it's supposed to snow again tonight." Hinata stated matter-of-factly, causing Naruto to smile and laugh.
"Haha, you're worried about me?" Naruto stated more than asked, teasing her as she blushed embarrassedly under her scarf and shook her head.
"If you get sick, I'm not taking you're notes this time..." Hinata warned walking calmly past him. Naruto's expression suddenly turned worried and panicky.
"Oh no wait! C'mon, Hinata-chan don't be like that!" He pleaded, jogging to catch up with her pace. He was somewhat taken aback when she giggled and looked at him with smiling eyes.
"I was just kidding.. well just a little bit.." Hinata smiled lightly underneath her scarf, returning her eyes back to the horizon. Naruto chuckled in response.
"Ne, I might get something later in Shibuya." He replied simply, as a pleasant silence fell over the two of them.
"Um.. Hinata-chan?"
"Hm?"
"...Don't you usually go the other way for the cram school?" He glanced curiously at her, her eyes suddenly wide with realization.
"Oh no!!" Hinata shouted, turning around and running down the sidewalk, as Naruto watched her disappear bemusedly.
Hinata sat in aggravated concentration in an otherwise quiet classroom. She had told the younger students to study on their own for the day, so she could work on her own homework. The fluorescent lights were suddenly making her eyes hurt, and she just want to push her geography homework to the side and sleep. But she knew she couldn't do that because then she'd still have to finish after she stayed late again to help Kinosaki with learning english.
She pulled her eyes away to look outside the window. It was dark and the windows were slightly glared but she could see that it was snowing lightly already.
'..I want to buy a new dress...' Hinata thought dreamily, thinking back to the pages of her magazine as she looked outside the window slightly dazed.
'One with a lot of lace ribbons.. and chiffon... maybe a pink one... or white and dark purple... or a new headress... with silk ribbons, pearl in color... and blue embroidered roses..'
Pin-pon Pan-pin!
The bell rung, bringing Hinata out of her daze. The younger students began filing out of the door, one lone boy in the back remained seated, eyes glued to his textbook pamphlet. Hinata sighed to herself, putting away her unfinished homework, knowing now she'd have to stay up late again. As soon as she got up, she noticed that Hanabi stood by the doorway already, glaring behind her at whom Hinata wasn't sure. When she turned back around, Hanabi looked up at her questioningly.
"Anou.. I have to stay after again Hanabi-chan, gomen..." Hinata replied, recieving a nod from her little sister.
"That's okay, I'll see you later then." Hanabi gave a small smile, waving her goodbye and walking away from the doorway. Hinata moved to sit in the desk next to the younger boy Kinosaki.
"Kinosaki-kun?" She approached softly, startling him, which suprised and somewhat startled her too.
"O-oh.. um.." He darted nervous eyes between her and his textbook pamphlet.
"What do you need help with specifically?"
"A-anou.. th-the whole thing.. I guess..." He mumbled, arranging and moving around his stuff on the desk.
"Really? All of it?" Hinata looked at him surprised, wondering how he expected her to help him with all of it.
"Mm." He nodded curtly, his glasses slipping off his nose as he pushed them back up. Hinata sighed lightly again.
"Well... what about in school? I mean, you're learning English in school right?"
"I'm ...f-failing that class... I-I'm not doing too well in any of my classes right now..." He whispered ashamedly, eyes dimming as he stared glumly at his desk. Hinata looked on with sympathetic eyes, sighing to herself while trying to muster some resolve to help him out. It was her job anyways. She pulled out her textbooks and lesson sheets and placed them on her desk.
"Should we start with the basics then?" Hinata encouraged with a smile. Kinosaki turned to face her slightly, eyes hopeful.
"H-hai." He nodded curtly again, smiling.
"So you got that?" Hinata asked, pointing at a word in a sentence. Kinosaki nodded again curtly, his former glumness lessened over the past hour, a small sincere smile on his face.
"Hai."
"You did pretty well Kinosaki-kun, I think you'll have no problem with the Eigo segment of the exams." Hinata replied matter-of-factly, pulling her lesson sheets and stacking them into a pile beside her.
"You really think so?" He mumbled insecurely under his breath.
"The questions should be similiar to the ones I just showed you.." Hinata got up, packing her things and shrugging on her randoseru. She looked at the younger boy curiously to see that he wasn't getting ready to leave like she was.
"Kinosaki-kun?"
"I-I'm um.. going to st-study some more.."
"You're 'Kaa-chan is working late again?" Hinata assumed with concerned eyes.
"She always works late... " Kinosaki trailed off in a small voice, closing his textbook huffily and glaring at the back cover.
"She has to, so she can pay for the cram school tuiton.. but if I were smarter she wouldn't have to.. or if I didn't need a tutor.. I could get a job too and help her with the bills... I want to help my mom, because I d-don't see her anym-more.. b-but passing the exams are all I c-can do for 'Kaa-chan.." Kinosaki sighed with dim eyes, opening up his textbook again, just staring at the pages. Hinata stood there with a sympathetic face.
"Is that why you're here too, Hyuuga-sensei?" Kinosaki asked casually, peering though his large square glasses. The simple question caught Hinata off guard, not knowing how to answer it or what he meant by it exactly.
"You have this job so you can help your family, right?" He added, not seeing her faltering demeanor.
'To help my family?'
"Otou-san, I w-want to get a j-job..." a younger Hinata announced, heels dug in the floor of the living room, as she tried to muster up some courage to stand in front of him. He looked up from his paperwork, eyes blank and poker-faced, making her feel like he didn't take her seriously.
"I've told you before, a job will take up all your time, in which you should be studying." He stated simply, giving her a pointed look at the end. Hinata averted her eyes to the side momentarily, before looking back up again.
"Besides we're well off, what do you need a job for?" He glanced up at her once, paying more attention to his work than their conversation.
"T-to buy stuff..." Hinata trailed off in a whisper, worried he'd easily find her reason to be petty and selfish. She heard him make a a sound of disapprovement, making her hands ssweat a little with worry.
"And where exactly do you expect to work?" He prodded with an arrogant tone.
"A-anou.. I c-could work at a restaurant or a clothing store--" Hinata was interrupted by another grunt of disapprovement, startling her when she had been feeling a bit more confident.
"All low wages, and too far from home." He stated with finality.
"B-but, Otou-san..!"
"No, none of those vocations!" He fought back aggressively, causing Hinata to flinch and whimper softly. He relaxed the grip he held on a sheet of paper and placed itback on the table, smoothing it out. He sighed.
"Do you still want to work?" He asked, his tone back to its usual indifference.
"H-hai.." She affirmed, none too confidently. She brought her eyes up to see her father pull out a newspaper from underneath the pile, and folded it. He then turned it over, presenting her with a page that had an ad on it.
"Then you will work here."
Hinata shook her head slightly at the minor memory. She had wanted to work a normal and easy job, not this. In hindsight of the conversation, Hiashi's reasons were pettier than hers for working.
'We're not poor at all, I didn't even care if I had a high paying job or not. I just wanted to buy more dresses, I'm not here to help provide my family at all...'
Hinata smiled slightly, giving Kinosaki a bit of advice before leaving.
"Just don't fall asleep again, Kinosaki-kun."
Hinata slipped inside the doorway, taking off her mary-janes and rolling her tired shoulders. The kitchen and living room lights were still on in the otherwise still house. Hanabi had fallen asleep by the kotatsu, several textbooks still open around her, her studying unfinished. Neji wasn't in the room she noted but shrugged it off. She noticed that Hiashi however was sitting by the kitchen table, paperwork spread out as usual. He had stopped momentarily, not to notice or greet her, but noticing at his displeasure that Hanabi fell asleep at the books. With a grunt of disapproval, he went back to his spreadsheets, paying no more mind, but the disgruntled scowl still remained.
Hinata sighed to herself, walking into the threshold, as she headed for her bedroom to finish her homework.
"Don't fall asleep like you're sister, Hinata-chan." He spoke up, making Hinata pause mid-step. She glanced at him curiously and cautiously, hearing her name from his mouth making her nervous. It wasn't often he addressed her directly. Hinata turned away without words, only to be stopped again.
"Hinata..?" He warned, expecting a response from her.
"I won't Otou-san."
Star- Well this was a bit longer than chapter 9, and not entirely filler-ish. :3 I'm really not into fillers yo, I want to make every chapter significant in some way. But anyhoo, I'll try to get the next chapter done in time for next saturday okays:3 Hope you wonderful people enjoyed this chapter. I could have made it longer I guess.. but oh wells, I'm sure this is alright. 6.6
Translation Notes:
- Chira-hora: Onomatopoeia for snow falling softly.
- Fubuki: Blizzard.
- Sugoi: Wow; Amazing; Wonderful; Terrific!
- Eigo: English Language (yah I know, it kinna sounds like 'L'eggo my Eggo!' 9.9)
Liner Notes:
- Obviously Tsunade has the biggest ta-ta's in the school, but being a staff member she didn't count in the silly squabble.
- Many devices are prohibited in Japanese schools I think... but usually students sneak their junk in. ;P (Then again, maybe that was just the 90's when Japan was having a surge of teen violence and yankis and such that many devices were easily confiscated... hm, something to think about. Well don't critique me about it so much, it's not that big a deal.)
- I don't know when 'Exam Hell' actually takes place, and I don't know exactly the contents or details of the exams. But I'm pretty sure they are studying for all classes, and that english language is simply one of them. So yah, Hanabi, Kinosaki and the others of their grade are taking mad exams for majority or all of their classes. Um.. yeah.. feel free to correct or critique me if I got this all wrong. Even I prolly only got at least half of it wrong. 6.6
Okay so I guess that's it. :3 Good Luck everybody, Live well:D And we'll all float on Alright already, we'll all float on Alright, don't worry even if things end up a bit too heavy We'll all float on ... ALRIGHT! XD