Kennedy: Hello, everyone! Yes, I am alive some how. Let me tell you, school for me isn't the easiest thing out there, but so far I'm doing well. I finished my critique two days ago so I quickly went to finish writing this chapter, which honestly it practically wrote itself for the second time. Yes that's right, second time. I was originally more than half way done with it by the end of August when I lost the file transferring it over from Word to the USB, and let me tell you... I found the inner strength to start rewriting it. There's a lot of mistakes this chapter, but I just wanted to it out so you guys could read it as soon as possible.
Sasuke: Can you please just get on with it...
Kennedy: Ah- that is also true.
Hinata: Are you going to tell us what were the references you used for the last chapter? And is it something you're going to be doing every chapter?
Kennedy: But of course, dear Hinata-chan. Hm, and no, not every chapter. I don't make the chapter revolve around references like the show Gintama does sometimes, but if I do find a good chance to do so, I will.
Party Pooper- DBZ Abridge
No Sasuke, not the vase- Ouran Highschool Host Club
The bitch OD'ed on heroin- Hellsing OVA Abridge
White wig/ Gintoki Sakata host of the reality tv show- Gintama
The two girls behind Neji: Nana and Hachi- Nana
Jar of pickle incident with Kiba- Online word post Pickle Joke
And I would also like to mention one thing, which was totally my mistake when I said football I meant European/Latin America football. So technically Naruto was captain of the Soccer team, not football. My bad, a friend pointed it out to me the other day and I was just like, "Shit... looks like I better clear that one up real quick."
Well, just sit back and enjoy. I tried to make the chapter a little bit long, just for those that had been waiting so long for me to update. I truly am sorry for not being able to do so sooner, but here it is.
Also also, one last thing before I forget, I put up my snap chat and Tumblr for anyone that wants to add me or see what I'm up on my profile here.
Chapter 11: A Time Skip, and A Promotion
"Sakura, oh my Kami. Yes, it actually worked, Sakura. Oh my gosh, I can't. I just can't, he actually pulled me into his office, and he actually asked me about what had happened between Gaara and me! He was jealous, he was actually jealous."
The pinkette stared at her friend in pure awe which quickly switched as they both erupted into a fit of giggles inside the bathroom.
"No way, Naruto? Our Naruto Uzumaki?"
"Yes yes! That same one. He asked if I had any type of physical relationship with him, what we did, and where we went. Obviously, I didn't tell him what had actually happened, and just mentioned that we went out for dinner, had a good time, Gaara kept messaging me, but I didn't reply to him. And towards the end, he got so happy, oh my Kami, Sakura. You don't understand how excited and happy I am."
Sakura grinned and clapped her hands together, "You know, maybe your streak of bad luck is coming to an end, Ino."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the floor, in the men's restroom, Shikamaru and Sasuke were staring at Naruto as if he had grown another head.
"-please, just stop, I think I got the idea. Alright, Naruto, but why did you ask her those questions?"
"Geez, for being so smart, you sure ask some dumb questions Shikamaru. And for a few very very simple reasons. Have you forgotten how woman are? If I don't show I'm hurt, or interested, they'll cut me off, and I at least have to have her on standby. It's not everyday that you find a woman like who looks like Ino, is single, and has her own apartment and car. Besides, I also didn't want her to become a spy for Gaara."
Shikamaru tilted his head, knowing how that little part of his last statement might have resonated a little bit for him. Knowing both their backgrounds, it must be hard for Naruto to deal with his two best friends literally at war with each other, but at the same time having to pick a side.
"I sincerely hope you're right, Naruto." The Nara head continued on and soon turned to leave with both of his companions splitting up their separate ways. On his way back, Sasuke held the door open for Hinata who came in with a stack of papers and folders toppling over her head. Thankfully she had done as he asked and managed to get everything in tact.
"Th-thank you."
"Hm..."
Closing the door behind him, he stared at the folder on his desk that she had somehow organized. Grabbing the pen, he scanned the papers inside and tilted his head up to look at her.
"Is... is there something wrong, Sasuke-san? Did I make a mistake somewhere?"
He clicked the pen so that the tip would retract and hide. "No, no you didn't, Hinata. Do you know exactly what I'm going to be signing right now, Hinata?"
"It's a solicitation to the banks to disperse the amount of credit we require... no?"
Sasuke gave her his trademark smirk, "Not only that, Hinata, but from this moment forward, I'm going to be taking full responsibilities for my actions that I had promised and my life and presidency will be at stake. I just wanted to state that I know fully well the proposition we made is very risky-"
"Ah, y-yes, I understand. If you want, we can go over it again before you sign the papers."
"Do you really believe there's anything else that we need to go over, Hinata?"
She paused, but knew fully well, maybe even better than him, that there was nothing else that needed to be done or to be revised.
He leaned in, slightly enough so he could attempt to look through those thick glasses that reflected the light and almost acted like a mirror, "Hinata, from this moment forward, the real problems will begin. I just wanted to say... thank you. It was because of you that my proposal was able to be delivered on time, and your adjustments took anything that Gaara said down. I trust you...", a short pause filled the air, "So much so, that I want you to take care of the finances of this company eventually, which is why I need all of your collaboration."
Hinata was awe struck at his words and could barely move, his words resonating inside of her, opening a little lock that she didn't know she had shut.
Everything that Sasuke had stated was honesty, but maybe not so for the most noble reason. He needed someone who wouldn't talk back, who could be able to save them from a pinch, and someone he could trust. He couldn't have someone like Kankuro, so high up in the ranks working with Gaara, even if he didn't have anything truly against the man.
"I need you to be by my side at all times."
At that Hinata stood up and nodded, "Y-yes, I understand Sasuke-san. I'm also very compromised with the plan as well. I say, do not worry because everything will be alright at the end."
Watching her leave, Sasuke sighed and wondered if what he was doing was the right thing.
"I can't sway from my path..."
Hinata on the other hand laid her back against the door and covered her face with her hands, taking in deep breaths and trying to calm her erratic heart beat.
Three Months Later
There were opium dens where one could buy oblivion, dens of horror where the memory of old sins could be destroyed by the madness of sins that were new. The moon hung low in the sky like a yellow skull. From time to time a huge dark misshapen cloud stretched a long arm across and hid it. Danzo elevated his eyebrows and looked at the undercover officer in slight amazement through the thin blue wreaths of smoke that curled up in such fanciful whorls from his heavy, opium tainted pipe.
"So what you're telling me is that you know where Neji is?"
"S-sir..."
His voice eerily calm, another puff of smoke followed after as the men were more than nervous and excessively sweating. He sighed, but a grin that could rival even that of Cheshire cat appeared on his face. "It seems I have underestimated the Hyuga. Let's see how far he gets. Either fan will set him on fire, Uchiha or not."(1) He blinked and tilted his head to the side, thinking something through as his eyes narrowed at the moon barely peeking over a cloud. "Go out, and find him, bring him back alive. Do not touch him, and do not come back until you have done so."
Not questioning their boss's words, they bowed respectfully and turned their back to the two prostitutes that headed Danzo's way fully naked.
Meanwhile a few kilometers down the road, Neji ran as fast and hard as he could. He noted that a car would have been better for such a moment, but he didn't want any traces of himself in the vicinity more than what he had already left. Pausing for a moment, he shifted his back bag, the contents clinking inside, and then went on running once again.
'If I can make it to the train station, they'll loose track of me. Just a bit further.' He thought to himself, speeding up the pace once he saw the station a couple of blocks away from the top of the hill he was at.
Once Neji arrived to Tokyo and set up, the first thing he did was look up information about Danzo. Anything and everything he could find about him, but only ended up finding a handful or articles and pictures. It was more of a mystery to the public why that man had disappeared than why Neji had quit the company and let it all burn to the ground. Originally he wanted to set up his place, but his plans had fallen to the ground once someone had publicized his whereabouts. Ever since then he had been running from hotel to hotel, trying to keep his tracks covered, and if all went well, Shino would be a having a meeting with him next week. Well, not that Shino had known it was him to begin with.
Throughout all the running and confusion, lead on Danzo started popping up, sometimes even more and more frequently to the point where he was stealing some contents inside his home. He knew the objects tied everything together, why blank-san did what he did, and how he could get his company back.
'Hinata-sama...'
By then the doors of the train had shut behind him and the men that had been following him parked their car a moment too late. Neji kept his gaze steady on the leader as the train started and speed away, the leader on the other hand frowned and made a mental note to kill him after Danzo was through with him.
"Sir, getting away-"
"I know he is. Let him, he's wounded. He won't be traveling too far, especially with such a heavy car. We go after him at down." The two men behind him stayed silent, saying and doing nothing until he gave another order.
Taking a sit, Neji placed his backpack next to him and took out his phone. He could only swipe through the picture on his phone with curiosity, still wondering who had sent him all those images earlier that morning before his heist.
Taking in a deep breath, he actually took his time to see them. The first one was of his old team mate, Tenten. In the picture she was smiling fondly at a person who was cut off, and still had her trademark buns on her hair. After a long and deep glance, even though she seemed tired, he knew she was happy. The second one was of his other teammate and long time child hood friend, Lee. The picture itself was a low quality one, which Neji guessed they tried to take the picture of him while he was running, or sort of. The hyperactive man was doing a handstand, but seemed to be carrying weights on top of his feet, the background was a grassy one so there wasn't much he could go with that.
"Hm?" Neji zoomed in on the picture and realized there was a reflection coming off one of the weights, more like a silhouette of someone, probably the anonymous person who snapped the picture.
"Excuse me, sorry." A person walked a little too close pass Neji, forcing him to pull his feet in closer and to not have his phone on display like that.
The third photo was one of Choji and Shino, whom both were giving their backs to the camera, but their profiles and hairstyles gave them completely away. They were located in what seem to be a high end bar, discussing something leisurely. Although, what threw off the picture was the bartender in the background giving an annoyed glance at the two. A lump started to form in this throat, the memory of what he had done to Shino's family still leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He might not have hurt them financially that much, but Neji's actions at that time would have given anyone a migraine.
The next two photos were a blur. A giant mess that intertwined color and motion together to make that abstract design. From the looks of it, the photographer was caught at the worse moment, and for some reason still decided to send him the picture. Nothing could be made out, but it still gave a large sense of importance, as if it were a key puzzle to solving something.
"I dislike pink and white..." Neji mumbled under his breath as he swiped twice to see the next picture.
Of course, without a doubt, it would be one of Sasuke Uchiha with a bored expression on his face, and someone clinging to him, but seemed to be cut off. Nonchalantly he swiped once more, not bothering to stare at the cringe worthy face of his any longer than need be. The next was of Sakura, pulling her long pink hair up into a pony tale while seeming to be talking to someone in the distance. Out of all the pictures he received, that one and the one of Hinata creeped him out the most because of how they were taken. It made it seem like the photographer was close to these people, in their homes, where they hang out, and in their most intimate moments.
The next photo made him sighed and almost face palm. For some reason Ino was clinging to Naruto. She seemed to be annoyed with him about something while Naruto was laughing and scratching the back of his head. "Is that... S&U Fashion?" Zooming in he thoroughly looked at the background and concluded he was correct after all, which made his heart skip a beat again in fear for his friend's life.
'What is going on? Naruto, how are you doing?''
Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro appeared on the following picture, each looking impeccable, seeming to have just finished leaving an event. Not thinking much of it he continued on, the next series of pictures disturbed him in a very subtle way.
The picture was taken in a way where only half of Deidara's and Sasori's face could be seen, but it was good enough to tell that it was the dynamic duo, and that they were arguing about something important. In that picture Deidara seemed to have some crumbled up papers in a clenched hand, while the season's design were on the table. This person was not only infiltrating S&U Fashion, but Akatsuki as well with ease. Or worse, maybe they were working for a third party and was getting dirt on both of them.
In the last picture of that set, the impeccably dressed Itachi was seen walking towards the photographer, but not looking at the camera as he studied some files inside a manila envelope that when zoomed in read, "PROJECT SUSANOO". Neji swiped to the next picture of Itachi, this time the Uchiha was considerably closer and making direct eye contact with the camera. His eyes were a crimson red and a slight hint of annoyance appeared over his features.
"Hm... so Itachi knows exactly who it is. Did you figure our and let them leave, or are you also hiding something as well?"
Taking in a deep breath, he took the courage to look over the next series of pictures that consisted one of Hiashi, three of Hanabi, and the rest ten pictures of Hinata. The ones of Hinata ranged from looking directly at the camera, to having her back turned to it, and the part that set his anger ablaze were that they were in chronological order. From the moment Hinata had her hair in a short bob, to were it was past her shoulders and finally to where she had it now. This person has been stalking them, maybe even for years in Hinata's case.
He wouldn't let this go so easily.
The feeling of his phone vibrating snapped him out of his train of thought, glancing back down he realized it was another message from that same number.
"14118212015? Where is that number from?"
Clicking on the text message icon he then clicked on the number and the picture sent made him almost chuck his phone out of the moving train, but instead he accidentally dropped it and looked around the empty cart frantically, gray hues hopping from corner to corner. It was a simple photograph of him staring down at his own phone, probably taken no longer than a moment before the last stop. That person had been on the other side of the cart and he hadn't notice.
"I can't believe this."
Ding.
He cast his eyes to his phone on the ground, seeing he had received now a text message from the same number. Neji at that moment would have preferred to have gone back and dealt with those men chasing him than deal with the person sending him those pictures.
Picking up the phone from the ground he read the text message out loud, "I can't believe it either."
"Y-yes sir, I understand that the interest are accumulating, but we'll be able to finish paying them off by the next payment. Ah yes, that is also true-"
Ino barged in to Hinata's office, "Oi, at what time is Sasuke getting back?"
"One moment, please. Y-yes, yes, thank you..." Hinata directed her attention back to Ino, "Late. He has a lunch meeting with Isayama Yomi and Tsuchimiya Kagura after the tournament ends. Why?"
"Well, the business manager from our main bank called."
"Really, they called? Did they say anything?"
Ino crossed her arms over her chest nonchalantly and shrugged, "I don't really know. He just said it was urgent."
"Where did the call come in from?"
Ino gave her an annoyed smile, "Where do you think? My line of course because you've been so busy chattering it up that the calls just transfer over to me after a while. Seeing as Sasuke isn't here and you're taking your sweet time it seems like I'll have to pass it over to Kankuro-san."
"Wa-wait, Ino. No, pass it to me."
Ino scoffed and held the door open, "Kankuro is the one in charge of that phone call, and as they said it was something urgent, I'm imagining it's an emergency so I'm passing it over to Kankuro-san, not you!"
Hinata stood up, glaring at the blond through her thick glasses, "I'm the one who is in charge now of that part of Kankuro-san's job, so pass me the call... please." Almost taken back, Ino scoffed and flipped her hair behind her shoulder. Not receiving an answer, Hinata kept going. "Fine, you don't want to, don't do it. But once Sasuke-san gets back, tell him to pass over by Kankuro so he can explain what is going on because I'm not going to be here for when that happens."
"Then shut the hell up and hang up the phone so I can put the line through to you. Ug."
"Pass it through line two, the private one then."
Ino rolled her eyes and slammed the door behind her, "Whatever the ugly duckling wants."
Hinata sighed in relief once Ino was out of sight and sat back down, "Hello? Ah yes, sorry about that, but it seems I have to hang up now, but do not worry. By the end of the month we'll be caught up with our payments of interest. Yes, thank you so much."
And right when she hung up, the phone rang again, the light flashing from line two seeing as Ino pulled through.
"Presidency. No, Sasuke Uchiha-san is not available right now, but I can leave him a message. Yes, this is his secretary, Hinata Nagumo. Yes, yes. Ah, hello Shizune-san, how are you?" A short pause filled the air as Tsunade's screams and glass shattering could be heard in the background. "H-hah, I see, I'm doing well too, thank you for asking, so what exactly is the problem?"
Hinata turned pale hearing her old mentors words. "Y-you can't do the deposit? Wh-what? We were expecting the deposit today so we could make business with the investors." A long pause followed as Hinata could feel her hands start to become clammy, "Yes, I know we're behind on our payment of this month, but you can't stop that from the- oh, no Sasuke-san hasn't signed those papers yet. So if he gets those papers signed today before noon you guys can disburse those payments?"
Kin walked in quietly and sat down, waiting patiently for her coworker to finish up on the phone, seeing the look on Hinata's face it was something serious.
"So as long as we get those papers signed and faxed over to you, we're good, right? Really? Thank you so much, Shizune-chan. I really appreciate this. Yes, yes. Thank you."
Hanging up the phone, Hinata let out a deep sigh and gave Kin a weak smile.
"Do you know when Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sasuke are coming back and where they are? I'm also asking in behave of poor Tayuya who is dealing with a shit tone of work."
"They're in the archery competition, in the tournament grounds on the other side of town. They won't be back until after lunch, or around three in the afternoon."
"Okay, that's pretty bad then. We're also having a bit of trouble with some clients as well."
"Oh Kin, I know the feeling. I need to get in contact with Sasuke as soon as possible-"
Kin started to examine the tips of her hair, "Well, good luck with that, Hina-chan. If they're at the yearly archery competition, there's probably no signal, and whatever goes through, is going to be silenced. Not mention, it's a really stuck up event, for the rich and famous type of thing, good luck getting in."
Hinata whimpered under her breath, "Oh no, but I need to get in contact with Sasuke as soon as possible, if not there's going to a great tragedy."
"Not for Gaara I bet." Sadly, Hinata agreed with her friend's words. "Do you think they're with Sakura-san?" Kin locked eyes with the Hyuga and gave a half-lazy shrug. "I can go check with Tenten. I'll give you a call if I find anything."
As she left Hinata heard Kin's sharp, but truthful words, "What type of president leaves his company with no one in charge in a time like this?"
'I know Kin, I know.'
Moments later Kin called stating that Sakura was at the competition, and with Temari as well. Instantly she jotted down the number and called the pinkette.
"Hello?" Sakura stated barely above a whisper.
"Sakura-san, this is Hinata. I-"
"What do you want? Don't you know we're at an archery competition?"
"Well, yes and I'm truly sorry Sakura-san, but I need to speak with Sasuke-san urgently."
"If I'm aware and remember correctly, I believe he gave the order to not be interrupted by anyone," she hissed in annoyance.
"I understand, Sakura-san, but-"
"Look here little secretary, I can't interrupt him, I don't even know where he is at the moment. Call him after lunch." And with that Sakura hung up. Temari was fanning herself gently as she never took her eyes off Sasuke's stance a few meters ahead. The man had hit every single target, no matter how far it was. "Should I dare ask? Who was that?"
"Sasuke's stupid secretary. The imbecile always obeys orders, but on one of Sasuke's most important day, she can't do that. Temari can you believe she wanted me to go around the whole tournament ground looking for Sasuke to pass him the phone."
Sasuke hit another target smack in the center, earning claps from the audience. "Don't you think that maybe Ino had something important to say then?"
"Wh-wait, you thought Ino called?"
"Well you said a stupid secretary, I assumed it was the blonde one."
Sakura rolled her eyes and sighed, "Whose side are you on, Temari?"
Meanwhile, Hinata sighed and laid her head on the table trying to think of a plan, Kakashi walked through the doors, this time, looking almost amused at the girl in front of him. "Are you alright, Hinata-chan?"His voice gentle and soft.
She gently rose her head and gave him a weak smile, "Yes, I'm alright Kakashi-san, I'm just in a bit of a stump."
Telling him what had occurred this morning, he tilted her head and placed his fingers on the bottom of his chin. "Hm, that is quite the dilemma. If this escalates, even our paychecks could be in danger. Why don't you go and give Kiba the instruction, he could go to the tournament."
Hinata stared at the man with a blank expression. "H-huh?"
"I think it's a good idea. You should talk to him, he still hasn't done his rounds to deliver mail and pick some packages up, so it seems like a good idea. Also," he pulled out a manila envelope from inside his black suit. "Naruto needs to rewrite these clauses as they make no sense, I underlined them for him. The banks rejected one of our proposals because of that. Tayuya gave it to me as it seemed she didn't know what to do with them."
"Where do I place these papers?" She muttered more to herself than the silvered hair man who was studying her in an analytical manner.
"I believe Sasuke left his briefcase. You could put it there and also take it to him." Blinking, she scurried to the briefcase and looked through the contents, "He even left his phone," a small smile adorned her features, "He has no idea where it probably is."
Kakashi chuckled at the scene that had unfolded in front of him. "Thank you so much Kakashi-san. See you soon." Closing the briefcase properly, she almost ran to the elevators.
"Yes, see you later Hinata Hyuga." Kakashi's voice was still as soft and gentle as it was before, a text message jotted him out of his thought and soon disappeared from there.
Analyzing the text message, he smiled behind his mask, "I wonder what Danzo is going to do now..."
Half way down the hall Hinata sneezed, confused and almost freaked out at how it seemed someone had called out for her. A moment later she placed the heavy briefcase over the counter as Tenten stared at Hinata with curiosity.
"Hina-chan? Are you alright?"
"K-Kiba... where is Kiba-kun?"
"Right behind you..." Curiously she turned around, and Kiba was staring at the two woman with a look of amusement, Akamaru snuggling against his firm chest.
"Ah! Good morning Kiba-kun. I'm glad to see you, could you please give this suit case to Sasuke-san and-!"
"Nah Nah, wait a moment right there, Hina-chan. Calm down and speak properly. Its okay I'll listen but you'll need to speak slower. So you want me to take that suitcase to Sasuke, right? And where can I find him?"
"He's in a tournament on the other side of town, but no matter how, you have to give this to him. There's also-"
Kiba glanced at Tenten, who was studding both of them in amusement. "Wait, wait a moment. You mean to say you want me to find Sasuke, who is currently in a tournament, mid way? Look Hina-chan, you're really intelligent, but not crazy. Don't make think of you as the crazy type."
Hinata sighed, "Kiba please, you don't understand-"
"No Hinata, I think you don't understand," he hated talking to someone as sweet as Hinata like that, but she still didn't know everything about this fashion and high end world, "going there could cost me my job. And I'm not saying it because we'll be making Sasuke look bad or something like that, but more for the risk of getting one of those horses nervous. And do you know how much those horses cost? More than your, mine, and Tenten's house put together. Those horses eat better than Sasuke himself. I can bet my bottom dollar that they even have a better healthcare program than anyone in this company. If those horses could speak, they wouldn't even speak to us-"
"Kiba please!" Both of the brunettes looked at her in amazement, "Whether the horse dies or Sasuke dies, he needs to sign these papers immediately."
Kiba took in a deep breath and quickly sighed. "Trust me, they'd prefer for Sasuke to die than something happens to those horses. Fine, give me the instructions."
Hinata gave him the sweetest and kindest smile.
"Really? Thank you so much Kiba, thank you. Tell Sasuke-san that inside are some document from the Konoha Main Branch Bank. I already checked the fine print and everything is good to go. If he doesn't sign them then they can't disburse the money which could even lead to us and the providers to not get paid. Also tell Naruto-kun and Shikamaru-san that inside a manila envelope there are the documents they sent to those costumers two weeks ago, which they didn't sign. They need to rewrite those clauses that are underline. Everything needs to be done and faxed before 11:30 am. Then you're going to go to the Konoha Main Branch Bank where Shizune will be waiting for you there to make sure everything is going as planned. Everything needs to be in order by noon today. Did you get everything?"
Kiba hesitated for a moment, slightly unamused about what his new friend had told him, "Y-yeah, most of it, I think."
Moments like that made Tenten be grateful she didn't have Kiba's job after all. "What did you have a problem with, Kiba-kun?"
"Uh, so what do I do after I get to the tournament grounds?"
Hinata grumbled and gave Tenten a pleading look, the brunette only shrugged and looked at Kiba instead.
"Never mind, I'll go with you, Kiba. Let's go."
The odd pair walked out earning a strange glance from Tenten and Suigetsu. Tenten though was happy that her friend was getting a tougher skin and putting matters into her own hands, especially after the fights she kept getting into with Sakura and Ino. At least it wasn't down right bulling where there were many times Kakashi, Naruto, and even Shikamaru and Sasuke himself had to step in and take her side. It was refreshing to see how barely anything that those woman said made her revert back to her blushing, clumsy self. Mind you, she still had a long way to go, but the stutter was gone and she walked with a bit of more pride in her step and posture.
'Come to think of it, Hinata when she sits down, she has really good posture.' Tenten mused more to herself than anything as she watched the duo through the glass disappear. Giving her a helmet, he placed his on and forced her to wrap her arms around him.
"If you fall, scream okay... so we can go back and pick up the case." Hinata's eyes widened in shock as she only held tighter on him, her breast pushing against his back. He playfully smacked her hands, "Oi, re-release you're gripping a bit. If anyone saw they'd think we're going out or something." Hinata only giggled and did as she was told. Kiba just kept on taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself while at the same time being thankful that she couldn't see the blush adorning his cheeks.
"I'm just kidding, don't worry Hinata-chan, I won't let anything happen to you."
After swerving through traffic at a speed Hinata knew wasn't too safe, they arrived at the entrance and a short man looked at them with a bored expression on his face, a cappuccino on the other. "Can I help you."
"We're here to see Sasuke Uchiha-"
"Are you guests to this event?"
"Well no, but-"
"Then no can do. Besides, if he's in the tournament already participating we can't interrupt him. Also, my cappuccino is getting cold." And like that he turned around, the only thing stopping Kiba from not beating the man to a pulp was the fact that Hinata was literally holding him back.
This time, Hinata took the initiative, "Oh sir, the thing is that I'm Sasuke Uchiha's secretary and we have some important documents for him to sign." He paused and ignored the dog boy, but kept listening.
"Please, we need to go through, it's a real emergency."
"Let me see what I can do..." Hinata smiled gently as the short man went into the tiny cubicle and clicked on the screen.
"Name?"
"Hinata Nagumo." After a quick moment, he shook his head. "Sorry, nothing I can do. You're not in the system, I can't let you in, and all tickets are sold out- Hey! Wait a minute! GET BACK HERE!"
He screamed to an empty plot of land as Kiba sped away while ignoring the man. "K-Kiba-kun! Wh-what are you doing?!"
"You said those documents are important right? Well, we'll get them to Sasuke no matter what."
Sakura on the other side titled her head to the side in confusion.
"Is that a motorcycle I hear?" Asked Temari curiously as she looked off in the distance, seeing a shaggy head of a hair and a woman wearing mixed matched clothing. Both got off the motorcycle quickly and tried to fix themselves up in any way they could.
"Sasuke needs to sign these papers as soon as possible or we won't have time to get them to the bank."
Kiba gave a bitter laugh, "Hah, sure, not if they don't take us out of here kicking and screaming. Even I would feel embarrassed if they took us away in patrol cars in front of all of these people."
Hinata frowned but continued head first, "I understand, but we really don't know anyone here, nor are we friends with these people. We just need to get this over and done with as soon as possible, or they'll really kick us out of our own company. Where is Sasuke-san..."
"Simple Hinata-chan, just stand anywhere and scream his name out, when he start walking over here angrily, we've found him."
Not catching the sarcasm, Hinata did exactly that. "Sasuke-san! Sasuke-san!"
Sakura covered her face, as Temari closed her fan and smirked. "This can't be happening, Temari. It just can't. She actually came. Sasuke's ugly duckling, Hinata actually came."
"Well, she's got guts, I'll give her that much." She gave a small laugh attracting some side glances and looks from the group of people around them.
"Sasuke-san!"
This time the Uchiha on the field heard her and stopped his bow and arrow stance mid way, earning a few gasps from the judges. He calmly analyzed the situation from the distance he was at, but even though he was bothered that someone was interrupting him, once he saw who it was, it was forgiven at the moment. Hinata was his lucky charm, and indispensable tool, whatever she did had solid reason in his eyes. Eyeing the disheveled woman, without another word he made his way to the now pair of woman.
Kiba had somehow disappeared into the crowd once security was behind him, and Sakura having had enough of the embarrassment shoved her to the side.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Her voice barely above a whisper and hand gripping Hinata's forearm so she wouldn't escape. "This is one of Sasuke-kun's most important moment of the year and-!"
"I know Sakura-san, but I truly need Sasuke-san to sign the documents as soon as possible."
"Look here, I hope once all of these is done and over you not only disappear from these grounds but from Sasuke and my life as well! Sasuke came here to win, to show what he is truly made out of and finally break Itac-"
"I understand, w-wait. Did you say-"
"Excuse us Uchiha-sama, but we need to escort this woman out of the premises right now." Sakura rose an eyebrow as she eyed the security guard, then turned to look at Hinata. "Wait, what? Why?"
"She came into the tournament unauthorized, broke through security, and also disturbed the tournament rules and game."
The pinkette eyed the Hyuga as if she was about to pounce on her, such things were below her but the amount of rage and anger she felt was almost palpable to everyone surrounding them.
"What's going on?" Sasuke voice instantly cut through Sakura's anger and conversation.
Sakura's mood and demeanor instantly switched, "Oh Sasuke-kun, your little secretary broke all the rules to get in here, and not only that but managed to ruin your chance at victory. I am honestly so embarrassed about all of this, I humbly apologize, please just take her away."
Hinata tensed considerably, "Please, Sasuke-san, hear me out..." Her voice sped up, "Business manager of one of our banks called to say they weren't going to disburse the funds if we don't get these papers signed and faxed to them before noon while at the same time meeting them in person for any finalized details."
Sasuke's eyes slightly widened as he stared at the suitcase she carried, "And you brought it so I could sign it... Good job, Hinata." He took the documents and quickly scanned them as Sakura somehow managed to not scoff at the exchange she just saw.
"Excuse me, but could you please let me go?" Sasuke darted his dark hues up to stare of the man not relinquishing his hold.
"You heard her. Let her go."
"I'm sorry sir, but I can't do. She entered this private tournament without a ticket and didn't even pay the-"
"I said let her go. She is my guest." His eyes swirled to a deep red and instantly shifted back to normal. Any other moment Sakura wouldn't have caught that, but this time it would be a cold day in hell if he thought she wouldn't mention something about it.
"Take this to Kiba, go."
She nodded not before Sakura gave her one last glare, "Keep over stepping your boundaries, Nagumo."
Ignoring her, she swiftly started to search for Kiba in the sea of people.
"Keep giving your dog little treats for peeing on the carpet, Sasuke."
Sasuke sighed, knowing full well that when it came to Hinata his future wife had no filter nor control. As the months past by the situation only seemed to get worse and worse. "I guess I will keep rewarding her, Sakura, especially if she's coming to give me such important documents."
45 Minutes Later
"How could you allow for that woman to make such a huge scandal, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura stated as she shoved Naruto out of the way, Shikamaru and Temari closely behind with Hinata barely keeping up.
"Please Sakura, give it rest," started Temari and gave her sister a knowing look, "It's Sasuke fault for not having signed those papers sooner. To be fair, she did save Sasuke's life, isn't that right, Hinata?"
The Hyuga just stayed silent as Temari only ended up shrugging once she realized she wasn't going to receive a response.
"Well, if you're right Temari, then what's Sasuke problem?"
Sasuke gave Shikamaru a knowing look, one where the Nara head could tell Sasuke's patience was running thin. "My problem is not with the bank but with you Sakura."
The pinkette looked like she had just been slapped across the face multiple times.
"M-me? W-what? Me?!"
"Sasuke has a point, Sakura. You're just mad because Ino wasn't the one that came. If it were her, it wouldn't have been a problem for her to interrupt. But because it's Hinata, you're against her. How troublesome all of this is at the end of it all." Shikamaru then proceeded to yawn.
Naruto, on the other hand, waited a moment for Hinata to catch up, "Here, that suitcase looks heavy. I'll carry it."
"No really, it's not- ah, wait. Naruto-!"
"It's fine, really." He gave her a lopsided grin and took the suit case in one hand with ease. "And hate to say it, Sakura... But I'm agreeing on Shikamaru with this one, picking on Hina-chan like that."
Hinata could only blush and sigh in dismay.
Temari shrugged, "Actually if you think about it, would having had Ino come be such a bad idea? Now that I think about it, she already had the yearly pass bought, allowing her in and out access to the vicinity at any given point. Not to mention she's known around here as a very lady like persona. So wouldn't have gone through security and disturbing it at least made it somewhat acceptable? Well, that is if she were to have even stopped the tournament."
Shikamaru smirked and gave her a pitiful glance. "You can't be serious Temari, right? Ino wouldn't have stopped the tournament, Sasuke wouldn't have had any credit, we'd be completely screwed with our next ten business plans, and we'd probably be filing for bankruptcy in a few weeks."
"Please Shikamaru, we wouldn't have made it that," Sakura stated back, glaring daggers at him.
"I'm s-sorry to interrupt, but now that everything has been settled and Kiba has left, is there anything you'd like for me to do, Sasuke-san?"
Without hesitation, he replied, "I want you to stay."
"Excuse me?! What? You can't be serious, Sasuke."
Sasuke just ignored his fiance's loud words and continued on, "I think it would be in our benefit if you help us seal a deal with the sisters, which is why you'll be joining us to lunch from 12:30pm to 2:30pm. We'll meet you in the main dinning area in 25 minutes."
Before Hinata could say anything, Sakura intervene. "Hah, excuse me..." Shoving Hinata out of the way, she roughly pulled Sasuke away from the group. "You can't be serious, Sasuke. She's not even dressed properly for the occasion. Especially with people like Yomi and Kagura."
"Does it really matter? We just need to close this deal and we'll be-"
"Excuse me... sorry to interrupt again, but I didn't know Sasuke-san would have wanted me to accompany you guys to the luncheon. I would have dressed for the occasion."
Naruto just grinned and wrapped his free arm around her shoulder loosely, "Geez, don't worry about it Hinata. It's not like we knew something like this would happen, we didn't even get to tell you in advance. I say go wash up, fix your makeup or something and you'll be good to go."
"Naruto has a point, besides the sister's, aren't that materialistic," Shikamaru added in at the last moment.
"And where is that?"
"When we head over then we'll give you the directions." Hinata only nodded as she watched Sakura kiss Sasuke tenderly on the lips, to which he didn't really reply much towards. For some reason, she was becoming satisfied Sasuke wasn't that interested in returning the favor.
"So I guess Temari and I will be taking our life then." Sakura began and fixed the obi on his kimono properly. "And also, please remember your parents are coming back from London tonight. Please try to be prepared for the meeting."
"I haven't forgotten. I've been preparing for the meeting for a while now, my love."
"I hope everything goes well in your little lunch, love of my life." And with that, the pinkette and blonde walked away from the trio of men and a Hyuga.
Shikamaru sighed once more and lead the group into the general direction of the places they were heading. Dispersing their separate way Hinata went to the females wash room and was struck in awe at the size, and grandiose appearance the place had.
'Oh whoa, I haven't seen something like this since the Hyuga estate.'
She thought as she made her way to the area meant for touching up. Taking out a light nude lipstick she examined it with curiosity, seeing as it had been forced upon her from Hanabi once she arrived home a giant wreck a few weeks ago.
A blonde girl bumped into Hinata next to her on the mirror and quickly apologized, "Oh no, I'm so sorry. I really am."
"Geez you dumpling head, can't you watch out with what you're doing?" Her blonde friend stated and too apologized. "Sorry about that, Usagi is a bit of a klutz."
"Hey! I am not- oh, whoa- hah, caught it!" Usagi cheered at the end before almost dropped her eyebrow pallet on the floor. Minako only sighed and just took out her purse to go through her belongings.
"No no, it's fine, don't worry about it." They two girls just gave her a smile and continued on.
"Oh Minako, look, I've gained weight again," cried Usagi and grabbed a hold of her nonexistent fat that was on her side.
"I don't see anything, Usagi. I think you're overacting, but maybe you shouldn't be eating so many sweets right before bed then."
Hinata had to agree with her friend, if she was considering herself fat, then what was Hinata to her? Quickly she destroyed that train of thought knowing full well there could be nothing to gain out of such negative thoughts or comparing yourself to others in such a way. Hinata loved her body and the flexibility it had, just as she was sure the other girl loved her rosy cheeks and how nice her long legs were.
"I-I think you look just fine. Don't worry about it."
Both girls stopped what they were doing and looked at Hinata in surprise, Minako's grin bigger than ever. "See meatball head, I told you you looked fine." Usagi wiggled her nose and instantly wrapped her arms to the bluette. "Oh why are you so sweet," Minako sighed and pulled her friend away.
"Sorry about that... haha. We're here to see our friend Rei compete, she won first place in the Woman's Archery division. And you?"
Hinata hesitated for a split moment, "Ah, just for a meeting."
The two blond's exchanged a knowing look and gave her a soft smile, "Ah, I see. Well I'm sure it'll go just great for you! I mean, with such flawless skin, it's like nothing can go wrong!"
Minako silently agreed, this girl had great posture and great skin. That was one compliment Hinata still kept receiving, no matter how she dressed or looked, her skin was pretty good. She wanted to say how not all of it was like they thought, and all the imperfections she had, but decided that genuine sweet moments like these didn't need to be ruined.
"Yeah, I think you're right, thank you very much. Ah, I must be going, good bye."
The two girls stood there almost dumbfounded, "Hey Minako, how do can I get such a nice smile like that?"
Minako only sighed once more, "You idiot, you do have a smile like that, hehe. Except it only shows when Taxedo Mask comes in to rescue you." Usagi pouted and placed her hands on her hips, cheeks tainted red.
"J-Jerk!"
Hinata walked over to the dinning area and gave the men a small smile, to which each replied back with a nod, and Naruto included a smile as well. Quickly seating down they spotted the two young woman headed their way.
"Here they come."
Seating in a traditional Japanese style, all but Hinata looked dignified in their Kimono.
"Yomi, Kagura, you have already met Naruto and Shikamaru, and here is Hinata Nagumo, my assistant." Hinata perked up at the sound of her name and gave a curt bow to which the two girls did the same. They were wearing simple traditional black kimono's, but the material was the finest anyone in that table had seen. It could very easily rival even that of the Aburame clan.
"Ah, it's very nice to meet you Hinata-chan. I'm Tsuchimiya, Kagura." Stated the younger sister with short hair and almost a sweet nature to her.
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Hinata-chan. I'm Isayama, Yomi." She quickly directed her attention back to Sasuke, "But was Ino not to come? At least that is what Sakura mentioned."
Naruto and Shikamaru exchanged a glance that ended with all eyes on Sasuke.
"No. Ino is nothing but a secretary."
Now the glances were exchanged between the sisters, simple nods of understanding followed. The waiter quickly arrived with the menu's. "Would you like some time or order at once."
"Some time please." Replied Kagura and Naruto unanimously in a nervous tone. Hinata had seen menu this extravagant before so it was more of a simple manner than anything. Feeling brave, especially after that encounter she had with the young woman.
"May, may I give a recommendation?"
All eyes stared at Hinata, Sasuke was filled with amusement.
"Shouldn't we try the modern Kaiseki?"
"Hm? What's that, Hina-chan?" Naruto fixed his eyes on the menu looking for it through the number of pages.
"It's a thirteen course meal, with an optional wine pairing. The portions may be small, but because there are many courses it allows for ample time to discuss or negotiate anything while we eat..." Her voice trailed on as they looked at her in amazement and surprise. She had a fabulous point, not to mention there were meat, grilled, sashimi, vegetarian, and even a dessert course.
"That seems like a good idea to me." Shikamaru stated, but making a mental note of the situation, and Sasuke just turned to Hinata with an approving smirk. The waiter quickly jotted down the orders and as quickly as he left, he came back with the first course.
"Alright Sasuke, let's get down to business. We've read over the terms of negotiation that you've sent to us, but for us, it's not really a good deal." Yomi began, and from that instant forward Hinata was thankful that this would take so long because it seemed Yomi wasn't going to back down without a fight.
"You're practically saying that we should give you our money and you work with our fabrics, and not only that but you're talking about a very high volume. Besides, is not what the Aburame's giving you enough?"
Sasuke smirked, his direction turning to Kagura. "I knew that if you were to bring Yomi, you weren't going to make things easy for me." The girl just gave him a sheepish smile.
"It's fine, I also came prepared. Hinata, explain to them how our installment plan to pay them back will be."
After an hour and a half of confrontations, Hinata got the upper hand and Yomi could do nothing more but listen because the young woman made everything seem simpler than it all truly was.
"... Alright, Nagumo-san. Then the price of the Yen will be stated the moment our ships from China make land on Japanese Territory."
Hinata shook her head. "No, that would be something unnecessary and time consuming for the workers on our part to have to do conversion or rely on something to keep tabs on. The price of the Yen should be set on the contract."
"I'm sorry, but we can't do that. The Yen is too unstable and we have obligations with banks nation wide as well."
"I understand, us as well, but as the Yen can roll in our favor, it can also be in yours."
"That is fair, but you guys can adjust your finances to the Yen immediately while we would have to do our finances to the Chinese Yuan."
Hinata looked at the untouched dish in front of her and just gave Yomi a smile. "It seems so, but you would have to take a risk somewhere."
Yomi was about to say something else but Kagura held her back slightly, speaking in Chinese for brief moments. The conversation between Yomi and Hinata continued onto the last course, Naruto watching the two in awe, while Shikamaru not taking his eyes off Hinata. As for Sasuke, as cool and composed as he looked, inside he was almost ecstatic that his assistant was holding her ground so well.
"Well, what do you say then, Kagura?"
The youngest heir to the Japanese/Chinese textile company gave her older sister an approving nod. Yomi sighed in defeat, "You didn't lie when you said you came prepared, Uchiha. We'll sign on Thursday."
"YAHOO!"
Shikamaru grabbed Naruto by the obi and dragged him down, "Shut up you idiot." After the festive celebrations were over, the group left the premise and headed towards the parking area.
"Hey Hina-chan, how are you getting back to work?"
"Oh, I was going to take the bus."
"What? No way. I say you're going to go with me."
"No she's not." Hinata's eyes traveled to Sasuke's face as he looked at both of them with a small sign of disgust. "She's going with me."
"Wh-what? No she's not- hey Shikamaru, stop dragging me. I'll see you at work later, Hinata-chan!" Naruto screamed over to her.
"Geez what the hell was that for, and my mom just bought me this kimono."
"Naruto, please just be quiet. All your Kimono's are the same, except in different variations of orange." The blonde pouted. "Yeah, but I still could have taken Hinata-chan home."
"What, do you like her or something, Naruto?"
His ears turned red, "Wh-what? Me? Why would I? I just think she's a fun person to hang out with, and she's super smart too. Sure, she was wearing an over sized pink blazer and green baggy pants, but it suits her."
Shikamaru stared at his blond friend while contemplating something else, "No Naruto, it doesn't. She doesn't know how to properly dress, or she's doing it on purpose."
Naruto was now walking over to his Ferrari that was parked next to Shikamaru's Audi, "Why would she do it on purpose, it's not like she has something to hide."
Quickly, the Nara head changed the subject as he opened the door to his car, "Anyways, the reason I pulled you away is because now he's going to officially give her the title of personal assistant." And with that, the brunette shut the door, started the car and left a bewildered Naruto holding the car to his door open.
"That's not fair. First he get's Sakura, now he get's Hinata-chan. Why can't I have Hinata-chan as my assistant. That teme is going to work her to death or something." Closing the door, he took his phone out of the glove compartment and turned it on to look at the missed messages and calls. Seeing as they weren't anything important, he put on his seat belt and decided to go out for a drink.
On the other side, Hinata was still in shock to what Sasuke had said, "Ano-"
"Just get in the car."
Not hesitating what so ever, she did so and put on her seat belt, while at the same time admiring the intricate details of the Mercedes, which was drastically different from his Ferrari. Although her thoughts kept going back to some specific moments, "Sasuke-san..."
"Sasuke, Hinata. Just Sasuke."
She looked down at the pants she was wearing, "Sasuke... I was wondering what I should call myself."
The Uchiha stayed silent and observed her from the corner of his eyes, unsure of what she meant to say with all this.
"For the past couple of months you've sometimes introduce me as your secretary, other times as your personal assistant and I was wondering what I should really call myself in that sense. For convenience..."
Sasuke for some reason relaxed considerably, unsure as to why he had tensed up as much as he did.
"Personal assistant, Hinata. It's not 'correct' for a president of a company to be delegating so much work to a secretary, and it's not believable that a secretary knows as much as you about finances."
Hinata slowly tilted her head to look at him, "Ah, alright. So I'll be your personal assistant to the people we will meet for businesses, but for the people in the company I'm your secretary."
For some reason, the way she worded that made his skin crawl, not used to having a woman bend that way for him. Sakura was a different case, as well as the other woman he had been with, but it was the way Hinata did it that just didn't stop irking him.
"No, Hinata. You're my personal assistant for everything. I didn't give you a proper title until now so I wouldn't have to deal with Sakura and Ino."
Her hands instantly went up, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "Oh-oh no, Sasuke. I didn't ask so you could promote me or anything like that. I was just genuinely curios. Besides, I don't want you to do such a thing if it's going to implicate any problems with you and Sakura-san."
Sasuke stopped the car, parking it as well when he realized they were on an isolated part of the road. His body shifted lightly to not only be closer to her but also to meet her gaze head on, "That's a problem between Sakura and I." His words were almost icy, "You've done everything you needed to do, from now on, I'm declaring you my personal assistant. The only thing left to do would be to state it to the board and it'll be set-!" He froze completely once he saw the young woman begin to cry. Tears after tears dripping down her cheeks.
"Th-thank you so much, Sasuke."
The great and mighty Sasuke Uchiha always turned into a ball of discomfort whenever he saw a woman cry, especially in a moment like this. He quickly shifted and grunted lightly, not even being able to make eye contact with her.
'Did she always have such nice skin?' He thought as he watched her through the reflection in the window. She used the back of her hand to wipe away tears and move her messy bangs out of the way, one hand holding her glasses.
Swiftly, he threw a handkerchief at her and took the car off park, and started to drive.
"Clean yourself please."
Hinata only mustered a giggled as she shakily grabbed a hold of the red and black silk cloth and dappled away her tears.
"Thank you, Sasuke. Truly thank you."
"Hm..."
"Ah, just one more thing, Sasuke."
He stayed silent.
"Where were the horses?"
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN INSIDE S&U FASHION
Sakura walked over to Ino's desk and stared at her friend's crying form. "I-Ino? Are you okay? What happened?" The young woman, if it wasn't because she had her hair and makeup done, Sakura would have described her as a hot mess.
"The same thing that happens to me every month, Sakura. I didn't pay my credit card and they canceled it."
Ino muttered and whipped a few tears with the back of her hand.
"Tell me, what am I suppose to do without a credit card in my life, Sakura. Look, the tournament grounds only send me insults and are sending me letters through lawyers because they couldn't give me this years annual tickets because there was no money in my bank account."
Sakura took the documents hesitantly as she read over the contents of the letters and only sighed.
"The company discounted a huge chunk of my paycheck because of all the clothes I picked out. I can barely afford to pay the apartment. I can't do this Sakura, I just can't." She whipped her tears away once more, "Poverty is literally breathing down my back Sakura. You have to help me or something, or with Sasuke even."
"Why don't you talk with him and ask for a raise- shit... you haven't even been working here for a year. And I don't think he'll give you another loan as he already authorized two."
Ino sat back down and played with the tips of her hair, "Actually I did the calculations and even if I did get a raise on this secretary salary, it would be like the water was reaching my chest instead of my neck."
Sakura now was starting to get mad at her friend, "Come on now, Ino. You know you can't ask for more, especially for what you do. You already earn three times as much as Hinata doe-"
"I know. And I'm glad I do. The wasn't just the fair thing to do, but the minimal of things. I took seven semesters- don't roll your eyes at me Sakura, and I'm still on a secretaries salary. That isn't enough for me Sakura. It isn't. And... I'm aware they can't give me that much a raise, but what if they promoted me."
The pinkette tilted her head, "Hm? What do you mean?"
"Well yeah, you know, promote me. I'm sure you can get Sasuke to promote me as his personal secretary or something. If you can convince him to do that I might actually have a chance at fight off absolute poverty."
Haku who was conveniently passing back heard Ino's words and just sighed, 'I wonder if that woman has ever taken a government or economics class before...' Not thinking any more on it, he disappeared behind a corner.
"Oh really now? It seems like you're going to have to look for another option Ino because our sells aren't doing too well, and even though Sasuke doesn't tell me, I can tell when thing's aren't going well. Can't you find another option or something? Don't you have a boyfriend or something, where's Naruto?"
Ino's demeanor instantly changed as she slammed the table harshly with her fist, causing Sakura to take a slight step back.
"That's not a boyfriend, Sakura, that's an apparition. Sometimes he appears in my apartment, we kiss and make out for a bit, he leaves me with no food, and disappears again. Do you think he has ever told me, 'Hey look here Ino, don't worry about anything, I got the food today', or maybe 'Don't worry, let's go out to eat I'm paying tonight'? Of course not! He's like a damn fox, he comes whenever he wants to, and at the most unexpected moment."
'Sakura no Sabaku, do not laugh. This is not a moment for laughter, control it.' Was the only thing going on through her mind as it seemed like a perfect description of Naruto.
"Aha, go ahead Sakura, keep looking at me like that, I know you think I'm an idiot or something, but I'm sure sooner or later Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze will want to strike a relationship with me. I know him."
Sakura sighed, "I know him too."
Ino whined once more, "Please, Sakura, help your poor friend out. I can show Sasuke I can be as effective as that ugly duckling as well. Like see, today is a good day to talk to him. That ugly duckling left early this morning and its already past noon and she still hasn't arrived back."
"Don't stand up Ino, you'll want to be sitting down for this. She's not going to be coming back anytime soon either because she's having lunch with Kagura and Yomi."
"WHAT?! WHY?!"
"Because she went to deliver some papers to Sasuke and he asked her to stay with them."
"No way! You are lying to me Sakura. That can't be happening, it just can't. How could someone like her be having lunch with people like them? But it's not just any people, its Kagura Tsuchimiya, the youngest woman to ever come to power as an heiress to any company in Eastern Asia, not even Neji Hyuga at his young age. Not to mention her half sister Yomi Isayama who is- I just can't. I can't. Sakura why do you tell me these things... I'm already miserable. Why would you permit something like that to happen Sakura?!"
"Ino please! Stop screaming, and what am I suppose to do? You know how Sasuke get's when you even say anything about his little ugly duckling."
"Oh, so you think it's perfectly fine for a woman like that to be eating with those sisters in such a dignified place?"
Sakura scoffed, hands crossed over her chest, "But that's not all, Ino. She broke into the tournament ground, security had to escort her out, and she even stopped Sasuke in the middle of his trial run. Do you know that he literally could have broken Itachi's record this year if it wasn't for her? The only damn reason why Itachi doesn't even go the tournaments anymore is because he knows no one can beat his record but his little brother. And to top it off, Sasuke just doesn't even take it as a bad thing and tells her to stay for lunch."
Ino looked almost worse than how Sakura had found her a moment before.
"Sakura, why does Sasuke do things like that? What does Sasuke have against me, Sakura? I'm the one that should have been there. That's my job! I'm the one that's pretty and took two years of etiquette classes. I should be in that luncheon, not her..."
Green eyes darted away from blue ones, 'It wouldn't have mattered, you didn't have enough money to buy the ticket to enter to begin with you idiot.'
"You... you don't think she's into voodoo or something, is she?"
A shiver ran down Sakura's spine, "Please Ino, just stop with talks like that."
"What? Don't give me that look. You know it's weird. Sasuke even seems more whipped around her than how you have him." Her friend just rolled her eyes. In actuality if looked from a third persons perspective that wasn't Ino's, Sakura was the one eating out of Sasuke's hand.
"Sakura, now more than ever, especially after all that is happening you have to get my back on this. You have to make him name his personal assistant before he names her that, because if not, can you believe she'll be above me. Besides, better seeing me in private occasion and meetings than her."
Thinking about it, the pinkette flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave a small wave of the hand, "Yeah, I'll see what I can do once Sasuke gets back."
Ino on the other hand just pouted and let her forehead rest on the stack of papers below it, staining them with her make up.
Kennedy: Neji lives an exciting life, no? I think so. Lets see if you guys can guess who the perpetrator/ stalker is! -drumrolls for about 20 more chapters-
(1.) Uchiha or Uchiwa means fans, so what Danzo was trying to get at was that either way Neji was going to suffer. By Danzo's hands, his own, or the Uchihas.
I know, I know. There are a lot of mistakes and the chapter feels rushed, but bare with me. I'm just trying to get this chapter out to you guys as fast as I possibly can. Let me leave you with these questions you should be asking yourself as you read through the chapter:
Why did Danzo leave?
Why does Danzo want Neji alive?
What did Neji take?
Why did Neji give a fake identity to meet with Shino?
Who is this person stalking everyone?
How and Why does Kakashi know so much about Danzo?
Who does Kakashi keep texting?
Does Naruto have a crush on Hinata?
Is Sasuke developing feeling for Hinata?
What are Ino and Sakura going to do once they find out about Hinata's promotion?
These are just some question to keep you guys guessing for the next chapter.
Again, I'm sorry for taking so long to update, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I can't wait until I can read your reviews.
