Neji followed his cousin all the way to the Public Park.
He followed her up the long flight of stairs and finally followed her to an empty bench.
Hinata sat down and looked up at the clouds in the sky.
Neji sat beside her and stared at his hands.

Finally, Hinata took a deep breath, "Neji-niichan…"
"I just don't want to see Naruto hurt you, Hinata!" Neji interrupted, "He's spent so much time pining for Sakura-chan and now I'm supposed to believe he's just forgotten all about her and all of his attention is focused on you?"
Hinata sighed, "Neji… you're a genius ninja."
"…thanks?"
"You're welcome. I say that because I want you to know that I respect you and acknowledge you as someone of high intelligence. But there are times, Neji, that you can be the dumbest boy I know. And I'm friends with Kiba and I know Sai. And I love Naruto but that boy can be dense sometimes, too. But Neji… you take the cake."

Neji gaped at the usually quiet girl.
"H-hinata-sama… did you just call me dumber than Naruto?"
"Not quite, Neji-niichan. I called you the dumbest boy I know." Hinata corrected him, patiently.
Neji sat in shocked silence, "Well," Hinata smiled, "Maybe the second dumbest. I know Sasuke-kun and he doesn't exactly impress me with his common sense, either."

Hinata laughed, "Ne, niichan, you're my cousin and we've been getting to know each other for a while now and I care very much for you. I know you're worried about me, niichan and I appreciate that." Hinata told him, "But you're not my father, Neji. You asked me, when I was in hospital, if I cared for Naruto. What did I tell you?"
Neji rolled his eyes, "You said you loved him."
"Love." Hinata corrected him again, "Not past-tense, niichan. I love him."
Neji exhaled sharply, "You're only fifteen!"

"I've loved him for a very long time, niichan." Hinata said, smiling.
"Hinata-sama…"
"Neji, I'm still talking." Hinata gave him a cool look, "I've made my decision, niichan. My feelings are not going to change."
"You don't know that!"
"Neji – this isn't a discussion about how I should feel. This is me telling you that this is how I feel. The end. I do not want to hear you bad-mouthing Naruto or arguing with him on matters such as these. I know the rumor, niichan, I've already heard it and I know – for a fact – that Naruto did not spend the night with Sakura."
"Why? Because he told you that?" Neji smirked.
"No, niichan. Because he spent the night with me."

For a moment, Neji looked as though he'd just been hit over the head with a sledgehammer.
Hinata grabbed his arm when he jumped up.
"Hinata-sama, please release my arm because I have to castrate someone."
"Gee, I wonder who." Hinata said sarcastically, "Sit down, Neji."
"No… see, no. Because I don't believe you, Hinata-sama. No. I don't."
Hinata laughed suddenly, "Is it such a surprise to find that your quiet little cousin has already…?"
"Do not finish that sentence, Hinata-sama. I'm begging you." Neji shuddered.

"Neji-niichan," Hinata said, "I know you want to protect me because you feel guilty for all the time that you hated me."
"Hated you? I never…!"
"Ne, niichan, I'm not stupid. I was in that fight, just the same as you. I know you would have killed me if the jounin hadn't stepped in." Hinata linked her arm with Neji's, "But you don't have to feel so guilty. It's all in the past, niichan. I don't hold a grudge. You have to let me make my own decisions without second-guessing me every time."
Neji glowered in silence.

"In any case, Niichan, I thought you respected Naruto."
Neji snorted, "I respect his tenacity, Hinata-sama and his willingness to fight for those he cares for…"
"Then wouldn't you want me to be with someone who would fight for me?"
"Fight? He was trembling in his sandals." Neji smiled darkly.
"But he wasn't running. He was going to stand there and take it, whether or not he deserved it."
"But he kept… talking…"
"Neji," Hinata laughed, "You accused him of spending the night with Sakura-chan. He was clearing that up."
"I do respect him, Hinata-sama, but he's not good enough for you!"

"Sama? Not good enough for me?" Hinata repeated before bursting out into laughter, "Neji – I wish you wouldn't be so honorific with me. You call me Hinata-sama, as if I was someone important. You say Naruto isn't good enough for me. Why can't you just call me Hinata-imouto? Or just Imouto? I call you big brother. What's wrong with calling me little sister?"
"B-because… you're not just my little sister, Hinata-sa… uh…" Neji sputtered.
"I'm just telling you that you don't have to be so formal with me. And you are certainly not needed to decide for me." Hinata said, "But that doesn't mean I don't need you, Neji-niichan."

Hinata stood up and began walking towards the stairs, "Oh and one more thing, Niichan?"
Neji looked up at her, "Yes?"
Hinata turned to him, "You won't say one word to my father, Neji, or my good friend, Tenten-chan will hear about Satu Satu."
Neji paled and gasped, "How do you know about…?"
"Why does everyone keep forgetting that I have byakugan?" Hinata asked rhetorically, "I can see through walls, Neji and I know where you keep Satu Satu."
"You wouldn't!"
Hinata smiled and walked to the stairs, "They say it's the quiet ones you have to watch out for, Niichan."

Naruto was standing at the bottom of the stairs when Hinata came down. A few feet behind him, everyone – except Shikamaru – was still standing around, talking.
Sai was rubbing his arm gently and Kiba was cleaning out his ear with a disgruntled expression on his face.
"Are you okay?" Naruto asked when Hinata approached.
"Of course." Hinata said, "What happened to Sai-kun and Kiba-kun?"
Naruto grinned, "Well, with the help of Kage Bunshin and the element of surprise, Indian burn and wet willy."
Hinata wrinkled her nose and laughed.
"I'm not through with them, though." Naruto said, "But I'm going to let them drift into a false sense of security and then I'll launch my attack…"

He shook his head, "But what about Neji? What did you talk about?"
"We got some things out into the open." Hinata said smoothly. Her voice dropped, "I told him about us."
Naruto's eyes grew wide, "You mean…?"
"About that night." Hinata expanded, "But don't worry."
"Don't worry? Neji's going to decapitate me… if your father doesn't get to me first."

"Neji won't say a word." Hinata smiled, "Because if he does his sugar will know about his sugar-sugar."
Naruto smiled in relief, "Oh. Ok."
"Why is everyone still gathered here?" Hinata asked.
"I don't know. They heard a lot of information back there. They probably want the full story." Naruto grumbled, "Wait… his sugar will know about his sugar-sugar? What does that mean?"

I know its short but whaddya gonna do about it?

Um, Satu Satu translated literally is: Sugar Sugar.
I took it from the name of an oldies song by the band, The Archies.

I'm running low on ideas but the next chapter(s?) will be Naruto telling a story.
Can you guess what its about?
I bet you can.

-4ng3legg