Ninja Karaoke

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.

I think I may be beginning to write better…I wonder if it's true of just my imagination!

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"NNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEXXXXXXXXXTTTTTTTTTTT UUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPP…" Tsunade slurs drunkenly. "HINATA (HIC) HYUUGA!"

Said Hyuuga blushes as her friends (Kiba and Shino) wish her luck. The young heiress hurries shyly to the stage and picks the mike offered to her by the drunkard. She walks to the machine and selects the song she had practiced when she heard about this whole thing. Everyone is taken aback at the kind of music that spills from the speakers.

"I-I c-cannot f-find a w-way to d-describe it
its th-there inside; all I d-do is hide
I wish that it w-would just go away
what w-would you do, you d-do, if you knew
what w-would you do?" she sings, stuttering slightly. The stuttering diminishes slowly, though, as the song progresses. Everyone is surprised to hear clear sentences in the next verse. She's a quiet, but average singer.

"All the pain I thought I knew
All the thoughts lead back to you
Back to what was never said
Back and forth inside my head
I can't handle this confusion
I'm unable; come and take me away…"

'Hinata's really good!' Naruto thinks, smiling over at the stage. Luckily for the girl, she doesn't catch gazes with him or her new-found courage would go right down the drain. 'Yes…she is good, no?' Kyuubi comments slightly. 'But I could do much better! If only I were given the chance…' Naruto gets an image of a very sad Kyuubi in his mind and feels that sometime he will HAVE to convince Tsunade to let him out for a little while…he's so pitiful and annoying right now!

"I feel like I am all alone
All by myself I need to get around this
My words are cold, I don't want them to hurt you
If I show you, I don't think you'd understand
Cause no one understands"

"Wow…Hinata-chan's really good!" Ten-Ten comments, looking over at the stoic Hyuuga branch member. "Don't you agree, Neji-kun?" A she gets in reply is a terse 'hn' from the destiny-following ninja. "Come on, Neji-kun!" the weapon-mistress whines. He glances at her momentarily and then goes back to watching his cousin.

"All the pain I thought I knew
All the thoughts lead back to you
Back to what was never said
Back and forth inside my head
I can't handle this confusion
I'm unable; come and take me away"

"Go Hinata!" Kiba cheers quietly. "You can do it…"

Shino glances over at the dog-boy quickly. 'Hmm…Kiba seems a bit…off…right now. I wonder what's wrong…' He turns away for a bit and goes back to looking at the heiress. 'Keep it up, Hinata.'

"I'm going nowhere (on and on and)
I'm getting nowhere (on and on and on)
Take me away
I'm going nowhere (on and off and off and on)
(and off and on)"

Kurunai hums softly in pride. "She's doing excellent isn't she, Asuma-kun?" the red-eyed woman questions to the smoker. She watches the young, shy girl sing her entire heart out into the song. "I'm impressed."

"Yup…she's great…unlike my pupil Chouji!" Asuma laughs out. He smiles down at the black haired lady.

"All the pain I thought I knew
All the thoughts lead back to you
Back to what was never said
Back and forth inside my head
I can't handle this confusion
I'm unable; come and take me away" Hinata blushes under Naruto's gaze slightly. 'N-Naruto-kun's smiling! H-he likes my singing! H-he l-likes it-t!' She turns and smiles softly at Kiba. 'Thank-you for helping me pick this song out, Kiba-kun…'

Kiba smiles back at her, mentally telling her, 'I'd do anything to help out those important to me, 'Nata-chan…' He averts his gaze slightly, staring at the floor silently.

"Take me away
Break me away
Take me away!" Hinata sings out, coloring as the audience applauds.

"Th-thanks!" she squeaks out and hurries over to her teammates. "I did it, Kiba-kun!" She lunges and tackle-glomps him roughly. "Thank-you for helping me pick the song! I…I hope Naruto-kun liked it…" she whispers as Kiba set her down after nimbly catching her.

Kiba colors very subtly. "N-no problemo, 'Nata-chan…" he murmurs, inwardly cursing his inability to speak. "No problem…" he whispers out.

"NEXTTTTTTTT UUUP!" Tsunade says, a drum-roll hitting right on cue. "Ino Yamanaka!" she belts out, giggling hysterically randomly.

"YES!" Ino cheers brightly.

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Ok! Ino-chan is next! Cheer her on!

Hinata's song – Take Me Away – Avril Lavigne