Staring up at her window, he could see her bedroom light was on. He put his phone in his pocket and began climbing the tree. 'I need to get her to see how I feel- about everything she's going through. She's been able to tell me her feelings and considering she's in the situation, it has to be harder than it seems… I said I was going to stop being scared. So I need to do what she's done and open up.' He stepped onto the balcony and opened the window to go in but met Hinata face-to-face.

"Why are you here?" she demanded, clearly upset not letting him come in further.

"Can I come in?" Naruto asked.

"Tell me why you're here and I might let you…" she replied staring him in the eyes.

He could see the anger her eyes. "I need to apologize to you Hinata and I want to tell you how I feel about what you're going through. I want to open my heart up to you..." Naruto answered, then looking away sadly.

Hinata studied him her anger dying away slightly. "Alright but I-" Naruto jumped inside, slamming the window closed. "Quiet!" she hissed, going to her door and peeking out.

Naruto sat down on her bed and waited for her to join him. "Hinata, why are you so angry? And what's wrong? Is your father still upset-"

Hinata shot him a glare that shut him up. "Didn't you want to apologize?" she wondered.

Naruto gulped, never realizing Hinata could be this way. "Umm… Yes! I'm sorry about what happened Tuesday in the car. I… it wasn't really right of me," the anger completely disappeared from Hinata and she sat next to him. "To do that to you. I wanted to keep going too but I had a moment of doubt or something and it just made me… not-"

"You're forgiven." She informed with a smile.

Naruto gasped. "Just like that? No scolding or yelling at me?" he asked.

Hinata shook her head. "No, I just wanted to hear an apology and what happened- why you did it." She put a hand on his cheek. "You brighten up my day." She told him making him smile.

"Me? That's funny… You're name means-"

"I know what my name means Naruto but I don't… think I deserve it. I mean, look at me. Look at where I am!" she exclaimed. "My ex-boyfriend is an abusive drunk, my husband of three months died not even a month ago, my father is keeping an even tighter leash on me, and now… I hear Hanabi might take over my job and she barely knows anything about this company! How is that supposed to work? And where will I go? What's going to happen to me?" she wondered upset.

Naruto could see the tears that threatened to spill. He pulled her close and kissed her, trying to comfort her. "Your father isn't that stupid is he?" he asked Hinata.

"What do you mean?"

"You know everything about the company. Why would they put someone in that doesn't know squat? Especially as CEO? Your sister isn't even sixteen is she?" Naruto told Hinata defensively.

"No… You're right. They're rumors but I heard Ko talking to another co-worker about it."

"Why don't you ask your father-" Naruto suggested.

Hinata shot up, frantic and angry suddenly. "He is still upset about what happened! He has only said one thing to me since then and it was that I disgust him even more. He thought that I had a chance at doing something for this company but showed him that the only thing I could do was-"

Naruto knew what she was going to say and he already hated everything Hiashi had said to Hinata. "Hinata just stand up to him!" he yelled, standing in anger. 'Why can't she do it? He might be a little scary but he-' Naruto understood as he looked at Hinata from her position. 'He has her so scared so she can't do a thing when she needs to- when she wants to defend herself. Almost like Tekashi.'

He swallowed the rest of what he wanted to say and said instead, "I'm sorry… I see the reason why. Well if you can't, then I will."

Hinata jumped off the bed and held him in place. "Don't Naruto. If he sees you here-"

Naruto gave her an icy stare, making her back away. "Hinata, I want to do this. Will he hurt you if I do?" Hinata shook her head. Naruto made his way to the door. "I'll be ok Hinata. Sure he may hate me but his hate won't keep me away."

Hinata nodded and sat down, watching Naruto go out into the hall. 'Now, where did we go last time I was here? His study…' Naruto thought, trying to quietly make his way downstairs.

"Naruto?" he heard from the top and looking back he saw Hanabi. She looked like she had just woken up as she rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes.

"Yeah Hanabi, it's me. Just go on back to bed." Naruto replied quietly.

"What are you doing here? Your yelling woke me up-" she jumped when Hinata tapped her on the shoulder.

"Just come on back to my room. We can talk there." Hinata whispered to her, relieving Naruto.

Now that he no longer needed to worry about waking anyone, he walked down the stairs and through the hall, stopping to look at the picture of Hinata, her mother, and Hiashi. 'I wonder if he was always like this… Probably not. I wonder how someone can be with somebody like Hiashi… They'd have to extremely compassionate, kind, and forgiving. Put up-' he stopped, realizing Hinata did that. He sighed, going to Hiashi's study.

He grinned and saw the light coming from inside. He placed his hand on the knob and was going to turn it when he heard a very familiar voice inside. One that made him pissed off. He frowned, his grip on the handle tightening.

"Why are you doing this to her?" the voice asked.

Hiashi grunted. "Don't you read the paper?" There was a second of silence then Hiashi said, "The papers said my daughter was a harlot, a whore, slut... However you wish to say it. Somehow that little elevator incident got out." His voice rose slightly.

'What could Hiashi be doing with Takeshi? I thought Hiashi hated him?' Naruto thought, straining to hear more.

"They aren't far from the mark Hiashi." Takeshi told Hiashi. There was an irritated growl. "Your daughter cheats on me then still after she learns she's engaged, she goes and cheats on Satoru too. Let's not forget that he hasn't been dead a few days and she's all-"

Something crashed and Naruto flinched. "I will not allow you to talk about my daughter way! I might hate her for who she is and what she has done but she deserves a little respect." Hiashi said.

Takeshi chuckled, the chuckle turning to a laugh. "Oh please! You talk about giving her respect? You have never thought of her as more than a tool. Maybe you should just hand her over to me."

Naruto wanted to burst inside but knew both he and Hinata would be in trouble if he did. Listening closer, there was a sharp intake of breath. "Never. After my daughter came back from being taken, she was stranger than before and I knew you did something. I couldn't get her to talk until we were in England. She broke down, crying. At first I thought it was because she was forced to leave everyone and everything behind but after hours of demanding and coaxing, she finally gave in. Do you know how much I wanted to kill you? I wanted to kill you a thousand times over… I would have if I wasn't vice president." Hiashi informed.

It surprised Naruto that Hiashi felt that way but even then, he still cared about his position at the company more. Takeshi just laughed, like always- pushing things aside. "That's the downside isn't it? Everyone is watching you, just waiting for you to mess up." Takeshi replied.

There were footsteps that seemed to get closer to the door and Naruto let go, backing away. "It happens to everyone. That's the way the world works- the way society runs itself and because of that, the individual waits for itself to screw up. We, as human beings, are so... weak. Well, most of us. That is until we get the courage to stand up for what is right." Naruto froze, realizing it was Takeshi coming to the door.

'Move Naruto! Move! Stop it… You aren't afraid of him.' He shook his head. 'We got over this, right? Yeah we did!' Naruto finally was able to move and began running down the hall but light flooded the hall.

"Right Naruto?" Takeshi said, making Naruto turn around.