-Hinata's POV-

Soon after our interview was finished, we were ushered back into the backstage waiting room so we could watch the recording of our segment. We all huddled together on one of the couches so we could watch together on one of the fancy tablets that were so popular at the LMC. Konan looked stunning on camera and it was obvious that she knew it.

I tried to put myself in the shoes of someone who didn't know any of us while watching. Sakura came off as a bit talkative but likable regardless, I came off as quiet and polite, Gaara came off as shy and maybe a bit child-like, and Sasuke came off as the ultimate player. There was a section under the video where live comments were being posted, similar to how Youtube was set up, and the majority of the comments were woman fawning over the boys. I couldn't blame them. If I didn't know either of them, I'd probably be doing just the same thing. Now I wouldn't post thirsty comments, but I'd be thinking them.

Tenten cackled as she watched Sakura's face turn red when Konan offered to talk her up to Sasori, "Ha! You know, I know Sasori, too! If you're really interested in him, let me know." Sakura shot the brunette a glare but ultimately didn't argue with her offer. Tenten and I's eyes met and we shared a look of surprise at the lack of objection, but didn't say anything. Without any hesitation, Tenten whipped out her phone to, I assume, start texting Sasori about Sakura to see if he was interested. I refocused on the tablet. It was hard not to think negative things when you're watching yourself on camera and you have a history of low self-esteem.

I felt a grimace slowly start to form on my lips and fought to hide it by putting a hand casually over my mouth as I leaned over to get a better view. I kind of sank into the background during the video. The other three talked plenty and had their own moments that drew a lot of attention, but I felt as though I seemed exceptionally average compared to them. The video soon ended and Sakura started scrolling down through the comments to read a few, "Oooooh! Sasuke you already have fan girls and we haven't even performed yet!"

He snatched the tablet out of her hands to read a few of the comments before scoffing and handing it to Gaara, "So does Gaara, and you two have plenty of fanboys commenting. This is what's to be expected in this line of work." We all gave him a look of annoyance. He was so stuck up sometimes. I continued to silently peek at the screen as the other three scrolled down, but didn't notice too many comments mentioning me and I felt bad about it.

With a deep breath, I decided that I'd just have to work my butt off during the performance to gain some attention! This is what I've wanted to do for the longest time and I wasn't about to miss out on my chance to make it the best it can be!

After we were finished nit-picking the comments on our interview, we headed out with Tenten and Kakashi for a late lunch. We all squeezed into a large booth at some fancy steak restaurant and ordered our orders. While waiting for the food to arrive, Kakashi cleared his throat to get all of our attention. We all waited for him to speak silently, "I'm very proud of how you all handled yourselves during your interview. As the CEO of Evolution Entertainment, I feel as though you positively represented the company and made a fantastic first impression."

We all glanced at each other with various looks of pride and happiness before returning our attention to our boss so he could continue. "Also as your CEO, I want to give you some words of encouragement as the time for your debut nears. Don't be satisfied with a just okay performance. I want you all, and I'm sure you do too, to give it everything you've got tonight. There's nothing wrong with being emotional about your experiences and I want you to make the most of it for yourselves. Regardless of how tonight goes, I want you to give a show you can look back on and be proud of."

I felt tears start to sting the corners of my eyes and fought to push them back as his kind words pulled up emotions that I'd been feeling almost non-stop since my acceptance into the company. He was a smart man and knew just what to say to prepare us for this event. I could feel the anxiety melting away and being replaced with adrenaline. Our food arrived before we could reply to him and he seemed just fine with not getting a vocal reply. Our performance later this evening would be answer enough. Once we were finished with our meal, it was nearly three in the evening and we had to quickly head back to the station to change into our stage clothing so we could have our hair and makeup redone in time for our show.

Sakura's mirror was next to mine and the boys' were on the opposite wall so we could see each other in the reflection of our mirrors. My hair was being straightened and I glanced over to see Sasuke meet my gaze. He, too, was having his hair straightened so his messy hair would seem even fuller. He gave me a flirty wink and I rolled my eyes at him, unable to wipe the smile from my lips. He seemed completely unbothered by our debut, but I knew deep down that he was nervous.

The fingers on his right hand were tapping the arm of his chair absently, a quirk I'd quickly noticed meant that he was anxious. I pulled my eyes from his teasing ones and glanced over at Sakura to see her looking absolutely petrified as she stared down at her lap. She did nothing to hide her nerves. It was clear to everyone in the room that she was freaking out. Sasuke and I were familiar with being in front of many people because of our families, but Gaara and Sakura were completely new to the concept. I glanced in my mirror to catch a glimpse of Gaara.

His sister had come from Lee's salon to do his hair and makeup. LMC's provided makeup artist hadn't taken too kindly to having her orders interrupted and sat on one of the benches nearby with a pout on her face and her arms crossed angrily. Gaara seemed a bit nervous, but it seemed like having his sister nearby helped him cope. Of course I was nervous as hell, too! It's just that I was keeping my mind on Kakashi's encouraging words from earlier. I had to take a leap of faith, trust that my bandmates would have my back during this performance, and give it everything I had. "Move the hell outta my way! Those are my friends in there!" A familiar voice floated into the room from the door and we all looked to see Ino pushing past two bodyguards.

Tenten quickly ran over to shoo the guards and let our blond friend in, "Ino! You made it!" My hair and makeup were finally finished and I walked over to accept Ino's waiting hug. She squeezed me tightly, "I'm so excited for you all! There's no way I'd miss this!" Sakura was quick to join in on the hug, squeezing Ino as tight as she could to get a rise out of the super model. Ino pushed us back and held Sakura at an arms length, "God DAMN, girl! Lee really did a good job on you!" Sakura smacked the girl's hands away and pretended to model a few poses for her, "Oooh, thank you baby."

The boys waved from their places in their chairs. Ino was quick to greet Gaara and Temari, but ultimately passed them to stand behind Sasuke, who had been finished for a few moments but had yet to get out of his seat. She snaked her arms down over his shoulders to cross them over his chest. You could tell that she was just teasing him, but he couldn't hide the slight red tint on his cheeks. She stared deeply into his eyes in the mirror, "You're looking fine, as always, Sasuke. When are you going to take me out? After that first night meeting you, I've been waiting for your text!"

The young man pretended to check his calendar on his phone before speaking calmly, "How's tomorrow night?" Ino planted a big kiss on his cheek before removing her arms from him and messing up his hair, "As if, babe. Besides, I've got my eyes on a little somebody right now anyway." Sakura and Tenten were quick to bite onto her bait, "Really! Who?" Ino waggled her finger at us with a cocky grin, "You'll find out soon enough, but I will give you a hint!" She whirled around and pointed the same finger at Gaara, "YOU know him very well!" Gaara deadpanned, "Not Kankuro."

He said it as a statement, but meant it as a question. She shook her head, "You'll all find out before the night ends!" With that she head back towards the exit she'd come in from, "Well I'll be in front row! I can't wait to see you guys! Break a leg!" Sakura's makeup artist, who was the only male makeup artist in the room, clamped his mouth shut as her slim figure left his sight. She snickered at him, patting his back as though she understood what he was going through. He shook his head, "She's so beautiful..." Sakura nodded, "I know, buddy. I know."

The door to our waiting room once again opened, only for a crowd of people to arrive. I caught sight of familiar long dark hair and realized that these people must be our friends and family. Tears nearly rose to my eyes at the sight of Neji. Even while he was away at college we hadn't gone more than a few days without talking to each other, and it'd been over a week since we'd last spoken.

I bravely pulled him into a hug the moment he was past the others. He awkwardly patted my back. He was never one for much hugging, but I just wanted to express to him that I'd missed him. When I pulled away, I immediately took notice of Tenten dipping out of the room so Neji wouldn't see her. The poor girl was still so ashamed of how badly their last date went that she couldn't bear to face him. After tonight, I'd have to be sure to get her a second chance. I looked up at Neji's stern face and smiled, "Thank you for coming, Neji. It means a lot to me."

His face seemed more annoyed than usual and I gave him a questioning look. He muttered out in a bothered voice, "I didn't come alone. Someone else insisted on joining me." I looked behind him to see familiar brown eyes and messy dark hair. My face immediately went bright red and I took a step back, "K-Kiba! Long time no see! How've you b-b-b-been!"

The surgeon in training was a remarkable six foot three with noticeable muscles and tan skin. If I didn't know him personally, I'd think he was a basketball player or something. He smiled the same toothy grin that he always has and opened his arms for me to come hug him. I would never admit out loud that I was more than happy to accept his invitation, but I thought it quite easily as the feel of his muscular torso against my chest brought butterflies to my stomach. He pulled away and pulled out his phone so we could take a selfie together.

I smiled brightly and when we were finished he laughed, "I've been alright, Hinata. I'd ask how you've been, but I can see you've clearly been doing well! I saw your interview earlier and couldn't help myself from asking Neji if I could tag along. We haven't seen each other in what, a year or so?" I nodded and could feel my blush deepening. I was so hoping that he hadn't seen the interview where I'd mentioned that he was my celebrity crush. Honestly, I'd never thought about him that way since my eyes have always been on Naruto, but now that I was officially over the blonde I could see that Kiba did have some very nice qualities. Before I could reply to him, Sakura pulled me away by my arm.

I managed to give Neji and Kiba a pleading smile before allowing myself to be dragged away. When we came to a stop, I was facing an older and much more sturn looking Sakura. It could only be her mother. The woman had tan skin with the same pale pink hair, only hers was in a short pixie cut. She also had many more curves than her daughter, dressing in a skin tight cocktail dress for the concert. I smiled and shook the woman's hand, "My name's Hinata. You have a wonderful daughter!"

The woman smiled brightly, reaching over to ruffle Sakura's hair with nothing but adoration on her face, "I always knew she was destined for greatness! I'm so proud of you, baby. You've made me so happy, seeing you do what you've always dreamt of." Sakura hugged her mother tightly. I could tell that she'd missed her a lot. The moment seemed personal and I was tempted to back away to give them some space, but the two pulled apart before I could act on that urge. Two very tall and built men standing to the side of the pair suddenly drew my attention. How had I not noticed them before?

The first was obviously a soldier just by the way he carried himself. Once our eyes met, he shook my hand with a firm handshake and a small smile, "Nice to meet you, Miss Hinata. Take good care of our girl, will ya?" This had to be Sam, her mom's new boyfriend. His country accent gave it away instantly that he was a foreigner, but he seemed to have adjusted to living in Konoha in every other way than that. I nodded, "Of course!" I turned to the last person, who could only be Garrett, the main reason for Sakura's questionable actions for the past few weeks.

He was decently handsome, being very muscular and blonde, but knowing what he was really like ruined everything about him. I gingerly shook his hand. "The name's Garrett, Sweetheart." My blood started boiling and before I knew it, Sakura was laughing awkwardly and pulling me away from her family, "Well, we've got a few others to meet! Thanks for coming guys! I'll see you later!" I blindly ran into someone and took a step back to apologize only to come face to face with the one and only Itachi Uchiha, "A-ah! S-Sorry!" The older Uchiha brother smiled calmly, taking my hand and kissing it lightly, "No worries, Miss Hyuga. It's always a pleasure to see you."

He remembered who I was? We'd only met briefly on a few occasions, the latest being at least two years ago at some dinner party. I politely pulled my hand away from the extremely handsome man. If he kept ahold of it, I'd surely be overwhelmed by my anxiety. Sasuke scoffed, interupting whatever reply I was about to think up, "Step off, Itachi. She's not interested in you." Itachi let out a rumbling chuckle, "I was merely exchanging pleasantries with your friend, Sasuke. You don't need to be jealous."

Sakura was quick to try and muffle her laugh, but not quick enough that Sasuke didn't notice. He shot daggers at her before rolling his eyes, "Fine, exchange pleasantries all you want. You'll be disappointed to find out that she's harder to flirt with than a brick wall." The anger that was previously boiling in my blood came back just slightly as he turned to head back to his mirror to have his stylist fix his hair since Ino had messed it up. I didn't let him get to me. He was just nervous and didn't know how to properly convey that.

Sakura offered her hand to Itachi, "My name is Sakura. It is very much a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Uchiha." I physically took a step back from her. She was laying on the charm thicker than peanut butter. The handsome man accepted her hand and planted a kiss on it the same way he had mine, "Wonderful to meet you, Sakura. I must apologize for my baby brother's behavior. Our parents raised us better than that, I can assure you." He released her hand and she clasped both of hers in front of her, "I'm sure they did. He's just trying to come off as tough, that's all."

The two shared a laugh and I backed away so as not to interrupt their conversation. I headed over to meet Gaara's brother, who I'd been told was named Kankuro, since he was the only one in the room I hadn't become acquainted with. When I approached, the man stood at a remarkable height and let out a wolfish grin, very similar to Kiba's, "You must be Hinata! Bring it in, family!"

He had a cast on one of his forearms, but I still nervously accepted the strange man's hug. When we parted, Temari slapped him on the side of his head, "Don't creep on Gaara's friends. She's way too young for you, pervert!" My face turned about fifty shades of red as the man sheepishly rubbed the back of his head that had been hit, "Ha ha, well it can't hurt to try, can it?" Gaara gave me an apologetic look and I shook my head at him forgivingly. Sakura soon joined us and Kankuro stood up to give her the same speal he had me, but Temari and Gaara both stopped him, "No Kankuro!" Sakura looked confused, but I just let out a small laugh. The man, who had to be in his mid to late twenties, sat back down with a childish pout on his lips, "You guys are no fun."

Once all of the introductions were finished and our friends and family were escorted back to their seats, there was a low pitched beep played throughout the whole station. That beep signalled to us all that we needed to get to our places because the show would be starting in ten minutes. Sakura stopped us all before we could head towards backstage to be fitted with our microphones, "Hey guys, hold up a second. Let's group up real quick."

Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes, but stayed anyway. She looked each of us in the eye as though she were memorizing everything about this moment, "Thank all three of you for putting up with me this far. I'm so happy that I'm in a group with you guys and not someone else." A smile slid onto my lips and I didn't try to stifle it, "Yes, thank you guys for everything so far."

Gaara was quick to add onto our little love fest, "I'm grateful for all of you for the hard work you've put in." We all looked at Sasuke expectantly, but he just stared at us like we were stupid. Sakura let out a small laugh, "Let's just do our best, okay?" We didn't honestly expect Sasuke to say something so cheesy, but we did feel like he felt at least a little bit happy that he was with us and not some other group. We then wordlessly headed off to perform our first ever live concert!