Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Special Thanks: goes out to mangetsu no hime, Sachiko Heiwajima, DivineGlory, SasukeXhinataXOC, Tamani, Danish78, Guest, WarFlower, SahelTheWaltzingDinosaur, Break Blade, LaydiiV, CrimsonNight41, and crimsonkira for all your wonderful reviews! Also thanks to everyone who's added this story to their favorites and follows lists!

Author's Note: And finally, we've reached The Chapter: I hope you all enjoy reading about Head Shot's premiere as much as I enjoyed writing about it!

*~Chapter XXXVI~*

~Premiere~

Hinata looked forward to spending most of the day of the premiere finishing reading Sasuke's new novel. However, at four in the afternoon, Jiraiya brought an entire regiment of fashion experts into the penthouse, the vast majority of them intended to assist her in "preparing" for the red carpet.

The leader was a four-foot-ten, chestnut-haired dynamo known as Jelly Woods. She was a designer for the elite, and she'd catered to celebrities all over the world. One of her biggest clients, she told Hinata proudly, was a large entertainment company in Japan.

"My darling," she said, referring to the head of the company, "once called me in from vacation in Hawaii to help his two biggest stars go undercover for big hush-hush roles. Amazing. Simply amazing. Just what you will be when we are finished, yes?" Without waiting for a reply which Hinata was too speechless to give, Jelly pulled the librarian into a whirlwind of fabric, makeup, styling product, and jewelry.

First, Jelly and her hair specialists took Hinata's long, straight hair and pulled it up into an elaborate ponytail just behind her left ear, allowing the curls of various sizes they'd fashioned to drape over Hinata's shoulder and brush her cheek as they cascaded down to just over the curve of her left breast. Then the makeup team took over, artfully applying everything from eyeliner to lipstick in a "stunning but very natural look," to quote Jelly.

The dress came next. Hinata nearly fell off her chair when Jelly pulled it from its protective bag. It harkened back to the golden age of Hollywood, when some of the biggest names of the silver screen dazzled audiences with their gorgeous good looks and larger-than-life personas. Elaborate silver sparkles formed designs from the sweetheart neckline down the torso of the dress, spreading to hug the dress's hips. From there the gown fell in a graceful, crimson silken waterfall to brush the floor, accented by a thick silk belt which came down over Hinata's hips in a vee and ended at the hem of the dress.

It fit perfectly. Hinata stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror in the dressing room just off the bathroom, turning this way and that to admire the unfamiliar but beautiful woman looking back at her. For a moment she felt uneasy about the sheer amount of skin the strapless gown left bared, but Jelly hurried to produce a matching wrap which would nicely take care of the issue.

Finally came a man - the only one in the entire group assigned to her - who entered the room with an attaché case handcuffed to his wrist. Jelly produced a key, unlocked the case, and withdrew three jewelry boxes from within it.

"The finishing touch," she breathed, carrying them over to Hinata. From the first box came a beautiful ring showcasing a huge red marquise-cut gem in the center, surrounded by no fewer than a dozen ice-white diamonds. More extended down the shoulders of the ring in elaborate designs. Next came one of the most beautiful necklaces Hinata had ever seen, with delicate, swirling white gold filigree leading down to a marquise-cut diamond, with another large teardrop-shaped red gem just beneath. Last were the earrings, with more of the same gems forming a design which vaguely looked like the Eiffel Tower.

When Jelly finished, she guided Hinata back to the mirror to get the full effect. For a moment all the librarian could do was stare at her image, wondering where her usual shy self had gone. The woman in the reflection looked beautiful, confident, like a movie star of old. She was the type of person who belonged on the red carpet - who, in fact, would consider it nothing less than her due.

"You like it?" Jelly sounded anxious, her small hands clutched prayerfully in front of her as she looked up at Hinata.

"Yes!" The word came out in a half-sigh, half-squeak. Reaching out, she picked up her phone off the nearby counter and took a picture of her reflection, then sent it to Hanabi and Tenten. Ready for the red carpet! she added before sending it.

Jelly went to the bedroom door, poked her head out, and asked something Hinata couldn't hear. Coming back into the room, she smiled at Hinata and said, "Your young man is ready, too. Oh, I can't wait for the two of you to see each other!" She bounced a little on the balls of her feet, her eyes sparkling as she followed Hinata's progress across the room to the door.

Swallowing back the sudden onset of nerves welling into her throat, Hinata stepped into the main room. Sasuke, who stood next to the window, spun to look at her, his dark eyes widening visibly as they slowly swept from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes and back, his gaze intensifying admiringly. Without looking away, he crossed the room to stand in front of her. Taking one of her hands in his, he brought it to his lips. Brushing them lightly across her knuckles, he said in a low voice, "You - are the most gorgeous woman on earth. And I am the luckiest man alive. Thank you for coming to New York with me, Hinata."

Blushing deeply, her heart fluttering, Hinata replied, "Thank you for asking me. There's nowhere else I'd rather be, no one else I'd rather be with, than here, now, with you."

His fingers tightened on hers as he smiled tenderly down at her, his heart shining in his luminous black eyes. Jiraiya cleared his throat in the background, breaking the moment as he said gruffly, "You and your team have done a great job, Ms. Woods. My kids will be the most dazzling couple on the red carpet tonight."

Sasuke lowered her hand but kept hold of it as he continued to gaze down at her. "You look good in red," he said. "And those rubies look fantastic on you."

Jelly sucked in a great breath of outrage. "Those aren't rubies!" she protested. "Those are Burmese red spinel!" She sounded distinctly offended.

Sasuke glanced at her in consternation. "I thought they'd be rubies," he said, with a vague note of disapproval in his tone.

Drawing herself up to her full height, Jelly glared at Sasuke as if he had personally insulted her. "My dear young man," she said sternly, "rubies only wish they looked as good as Burmese spinel, which is the best quality red gemstone in the entire world!"

Lifting his free hand with a rueful chuckle, Sasuke shook his head. "My apologies," he said. "To you, Ms. Woods, and to the jewelry."

Jelly shook her head again and muttered under her breath, "Rubies, the man says. Hmph. As if I'd let the date of one such as Uchiha Sasuke show up in something so pedestrian." Turning smartly on her heel, she produced a business card from somewhere and held it out to Hinata. "My card," she said. "If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to call me. You have been a pleasure to work with, my dear." She gave Sasuke a chilly look, wished them both a good evening, and then swept out, taking her fashion brigade with her.

Jiraiya chuckled. "You can say what you will about Jelly, but she's the best in the business." Glancing at his watch, he winced. "You two look wonderful. But if you'll excuse me, I need to hurry home and get ready myself. I'll be back in around ninety minutes to pick the two of you up in the limo, all right? Be good, kids." With a wave, he too left.

And then Hinata and Sasuke were left alone in the penthouse suite, ready for the red carpet.

All dressed up and nowhere to go. Hinata swallowed back the nervous giggle welling into her throat and managed a smile. "All that excitement, and then everybody just left."

Tucking his hands into his pockets, Sasuke shrugged his exquisitely tuxedo-clad shoulders. "I'm kind of glad," he said. "I was hoping for a bit of quiet before we have to face that crowd." A slight shudder visibly ran through him, and he avoided her gaze. "I remember what it was like last time, and Jiraiya said there'll probably be even more people there for this premiere. I - I don't know if I'm ready for this."

Hinata's own throat kept trying to close from nervousness, but she knew with absolute certainty Sasuke needed her to be the strong one at that moment. A feeling of fierce tenderness and protectiveness rushed through her, and she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. "Everything will be fine," she said confidently, not letting even an ounce of uncertainty slip into her voice. "Everyone is going to love the movie. And, more importantly, everyone is going to love you."

A small, nervous smile tilted up one corner of Sasuke's mouth. "You really think so?" He sounded anxious, but hopeful.

"I do." Then, feeling bold, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You want to know why? Because that's how I feel. And once they get a glimpse of you, why should anyone else feel differently?"

Jiraiya returned within the allotted time, prompting Sasuke and Hinata to leave their comfortable and safe penthouse to venture downstairs, where Izumo and Kotetsu waited to resume their bodyguard duties.

Sasuke stood back to let Hinata into the limo first. He hurried after her when he heard her squeal, banging his head on the doorframe in his haste. Rubbing his head, Sasuke slid into his seat and saw what had prompted Hinata's reaction.

Senju Tsunade sat on the seat across from Sasuke and Hinata's, next to Jiraiya, who was grinning broadly. "Surprise!" the blonde said, spreading her hands as she smiled sheepishly. She wore a long-sleeved black dress with a slit up to her mid-thigh on her left leg, her heavy hair pulled up in a stylish, sophisticated bun at the back of her head instead of her usual twin ponytails. She also sported a tasteful necklace, bracelet, and earrings set (featuring green stones Sasuke thought might be emeralds, but was afraid to say after his ruby/spinel faux pas earlier in the afternoon). He thought she looked years younger than her actual age. The excited sparkle in her amber eyes added to her sudden youthfulness.

Hinata leaned forward in her seat to squeeze Tsunade's hand. "When did you get here?" she asked, smiling broadly at her boss.

"My plane landed late last night." Tsuande glanced at Jiraiya out of the corner of her eye. "I wasn't going to come, but this old coot charmed me into it. Like he said, how many opportunities does one get in life to walk down the red carpet?"

"And on the arm of such a handsome man," Jiraiya added with a grin.

Tsunade rolled her eyes eloquently but refrained from commenting.

"I'm so glad you're here," Hinata said. She glanced out the window as the limo slowed, pulling into line behind several others waiting to drop off their passengers. Even with the tinted windows, the flash of hundreds of cameras joined with the bright lights of the Ziegfeld Theater to illuminate the interior of the car. "This is going to be an incredible night."

The two librarians caught up on news in Konoha as the limo inched its way forward. Jiraiya turned to Sasuke and, with a tilt of his head, inquired, "Are you ready for this, my boy?" Genuine concern glowed in his eyes.

Undoubtedly Jiraiya, like Sasuke, was thinking about the premiere of Metronome. Sasuke had managed to hold it together through the red carpet walk, but once inside, he'd headed straight to the men's room and lost the contents of his stomach. Though he did feel nervous, Sasuke felt far more in control now. "I'll be fine," he assured his agent. "Things are different this time," he added softly.

Jiraiya's eyes cut sideways to Hinata, then he nodded in agreement. "Good," he said. "But if you need me to interfere, just give me a signal. If it gets to be too much, we'll get you inside quickly."

"Thanks, Jiraiya." The car stopped again, this time at the end of the carpet, and there was no more time for discussion.

Izumo opened the door, and Sasuke drew in a deep, steadying breath before sliding out. Turning back, he held out his hand to assist Hinata, feeling the tension in his shoulders ease as soon as her small, cool fingers slid against his. Though the flashing lights and screaming crowd battered his senses, he didn't feel utterly overwhelmed like last time. Hinata's hand in the crook of his arm, her calm, quiet presence at his side, helped ground him.

"Sasuke, Sasuke!" His name beat the air from all around him; the surging crowd swelled along either side of the red carpet, partitioned off by swagged crimson velvet ropes, like waves on the sea. He smiled and lifted his free hand in a wave, proud to see it trembled only slightly as he and Hinata all-too-soon approached the familiar reporters from television the other night.

"Sasuke," the blonde reporter (Chiharu?) greeted him as they stopped alongside. "It's great to see you here! How are you feeling tonight?" With a wide grin for the camera, she thrust the mic toward Sasuke's face.

He fought the urge to jerk his head back and managed another smile. "Excited," he admitted. "And a little nervous, too. Head Shot is one of my favorite books, so I'm really hoping everyone will like the movie."

Chiharu pulled the microphone back to herself. "This will be the first time you've seen it as well, right?" she asked.

"That's right," Sasuke confirmed. Gazing into the camera and trying not to think about how many people were sitting in front of their televisions all over the country (world?) at that very moment (including his and Hinata's families), he smiled. "It's exciting for me, though. This way I get to experience the same thing as my fans do, at the exact same time!"

Laughing throatily, Chiharu turned her sharp gaze to Hinata. "And we're all dying to know, Sasuke: who is this lovely lady on your arm?"

Sasuke looked down into Hinata's pearlescent eyes, which glowed in the brilliant lights of the walkway. A sense of rightness, of completeness, like nothing he'd ever experienced before, settled over him. His heart seeming to expand to fill his chest, with his free hand he covered her hand where it rested in the crook of his elbow.

"This," he said, his voice resonating with sincerity, "is Hyuuga Hinata. I only met her recently, but it feels like I've known her all my life. She's my friend, confidante, muse, and the absolute one and only love of my life." Though indisputably the mushiest speech he'd ever made in his life, it was also the truest. Perhaps even he hadn't realized how much he loved Hinata, despite their short acquaintance, until that very moment when he announced it live on national television.

For a moment it was like someone hit the mute button on the entire world. All the noise and clamor went away. Only he and Hinata existed, caught in a timeless moment: just the two of them in their own little bubble, surrounded by a crowd of people who couldn't touch them or their happiness. He watched her cheeks turn an even deeper shade of rose pink under Jelly's expertly applied makeup. She gazed back at him, her eyes saying everything he wanted to hear, her smiling lips parting slightly. He wanted very badly to lean in and kiss them, but somehow managed to restrain himself.

It only lasted for a blink of time, though it felt much longer. Then Chiharu drew her mic back to herself and fanned her face with her free hand. "That is, I think," she said hoarsely, "the most romantic thing I have ever heard in my entire life." After that, it seemed she wasn't sure what to say, so she just stood there watching Sasuke and Hinata with a happy little smile on her face.

Her companion, who up until then had remained silent, jumped in to fill the quiet void. "Thank you so much for the interview," the dark-haired man said with a smile. "We'll let you continue on."

A round of thank-yous passed among them, and then Sasuke and Hinata resumed their walk. The pretty blush lingered on Hinata's face as she waited patiently while Sasuke paused every few steps to sign autographs.

At last, they reached the front doors and were ushered inside. Security and theater employees milled around the crowd of celebrities who had already walked the red carpet, then parted into little groups once they got inside the building.

Sasuke and Hinata moved away from the door to clear the way for Jiraiya and Tsuande, who were talking to the reporters. The author and librarian found themselves next to a tall, dark-haired man and slender honey-haired woman, the latter of whom immediately engaged them in conversation.

"You're Uchiha Sasuke, right?" she asked. Her midnight-blue sheath perfectly matched her dusky eyes, and the hand she held out to shake Sasuke's sported a tasteful sapphire and diamond ring. "I'm Tsuchigumo Hotaru, and this is my husband, Utakata." She inclined her head toward the serious-looking man hovering at her side.

The names sounded vaguely familiar to Sasuke, but it wasn't until after he'd shaken hands with the couple that it clicked. "You play Haruki and Ogata, right? I remember when I heard about the casting how amazing it was that they tapped a real-life husband and wife to play the couple from Head Shot."

Utakata slipped his arm around his wife's shoulders when she stepped back next to him after shaking Hinata's hand. "That's right. This is only the third time Hotaru and I have been able to work together on set, so it was exciting for us, as well." Though his long dark hair hung over one eye, his visible one shone with such warmth and affection as he looked down at Hotaru, Sasuke felt the need to look away, to give the couple a moment of privacy.

Jiraiya and Tsunade joined them, and a fresh round of introductions ensued. The three couples made small talk before filing into the massive room housing the Ziegfeld's single screen. It was the last theater of its kind in New York, and often hosted red-carpet premieres because of its history and lavish interior, done in old-time Hollywood style. Hinata's dress actually matched the red and gold color scheme, not to mention the Golden Age Hollywood theme, so well, Sasuke wondered if Jelly had designed the librarian's look that way deliberately.

It was apparent from the very start of the movie that the same painstaking care to stay true to the novel had been given to Head Shot as to Metronome. Even though some changes had been made out of necessity, Sasuke approved of all of them. Beside him Hinata swayed forward in her seat several times, her eyes widening and her hand clutching his tightly through some of the more intense moments of the film. Eventually, he had more fun watching Hinata's reactions than the movie itself.

From near the beginning of the movie, Ogata and Haruki - a husband and wife team who were known as the king and queen of the fashion design world - secretly suspected each other of murder. Models working for them kept turning up dead. Since neither of them were with the other at the time, that made them both prime suspects, to each other and the police. As their business and their marriage began to unravel, they worked separately on finding evidence to prove the other's innocence or guilt.

Sasuke admired the way Utakata and Hotaru brought the pair to life on screen. Their natural chemistry sparkled, adding depth and meaning to each scene they were in together. And their individual scenes, where each acted so torn up at the thought the other might be a murderer, were played to perfection. It wasn't hard at all for Sasuke to believe Utakata and Hotaru were Ogata and Haruki.

Several gasps rippled through the theater when the true killer was revealed. When Sasuke wrote the book, the identity of the murderer had surprised even him. He'd been so caught up in the story itself, he had inadvertently woven clues throughout the story which brought to light an entirely different person than the one he'd originally intended to make the villian. But when Haruki's quiet, shy assistant burst out of the closet and came screaming after the couple with a pair of shears in hand, both in the book and the movie, her reveal felt so right: the natural conclusion. Too short and plain to be a model herself, Kanae had gotten her job for the express purpose of causing the deaths of as many models as she could, before she killed the designers (the people who held her back from following her dream of being a model, at least to her twisted and insane mind), and moved on to cause terror in yet another company.

At the end of the movie, Head Shot and everyone involved received a standing ovation. The stars of the film, as well as Sasuke, Jiraiya, the producer, writer, and director, were called to the stage in front of the screen to take a bow. Sasuke focused on Hinata's face in the crowd, where she stood smiling widely and clapping vigorously, her eyes glittering suspiciously in the overhead lights.

It was one of the best moments in Sasuke's entire life, and one he would always be grateful he got to share with Hinata.

*~To Be Continued~*

Author's Note: I loved writing this chapter. I spent hours researching red carpet etiquette, fashion, and locations so I could give it as much an air of authenticity as I could. And after all that prep work, writing the chapter itself was kind of like a dream. I just had so much fun! Most of you probably recognized Utakata and Hotaru from filler-arc episodes in Shippuuden - I loved them so much, how could I not work them in somehow? Also, a few of you might also recognize Jelly Woods - she's not my character, but instead from the manga series Skip Beat! by Yoshiki Nakamura (my second fave manga series!). She's such a dynamo, I adore her, and I couldn't resist working her in here. And Sasuke finally said those three little words - on live international TV, no less! How will this play out? (It's going to be a very fun, very interesting ride from here on out!) Thank you all so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope to see you again for next week's chapter!

Fact or Fiction: I just wanted to slip in this extra little note, to share some things with you from this chapter, and the one before it, if you're curious to know which parts are real, and which are purely fiction (if not, you can skip over this part, I won't be offended!). While both the Ziegfeld and Majestic are real theaters in New York - and the former is the only single-screen theater left in the city, and is where most New York premieres occur - Gaara's restaurant doesn't actually exist. I created it myself, with bits and pieces from other Japanese restaurants I've been to. (Sorry you can't go eat there!) But the chopsticks Hinata use do exist - I own a pair with that pattern. As for the ruby/spinel incident, that's true. Burmese red spinel is one of the highest quality red gemstones in the world, and spinel has a clarity and depth of color rubies don't normally achieve. Burmese and Songea rubies are close, but the spinel is much better. And no, Tsunade wasn't wearing emeralds (good job keeping silent, Sasuke!). She was actually wearing a gemstone known as chrome (or Russian) diopside. It's mined in Siberia only 3 months out of the year (and there's rumors it's mined out now), and it's known as the Million Dollar Emerald because, like spinel and rubies, chrome diopside has a depth of color and the kind of clarity emeralds can only dream of having (emeralds, like rubies, are Type 2 gemstones, and are typically very heavily included, so sometimes their color and usually their clarity aren't that great). I encourage you to look up samples of all four natural (not lab-created) gemstones online and see the differences - it's incredible. Thanks for reading this extra little portion, and I hope it answered some of the questions I've gotten!