If there are any songs mentioned or performed in a chapter, I will always put a youtube link at the bottom of the chapter so you can listen to the song! Enjoy!

I choose to spend the rest of my evening at the park, a majority of my time spent there on a swing just contemplating my life. I've always been a quiet girl and I suspect that even if I'd had a different upbringing, I'd never end up being very outspoken around strangers. My mother had been the same way when she was alive. Hitomi Hyuga died giving birth to Hanabi when I was just five years old.

The memories I have of her are clear as day despite my young age at the time of loss. She was kind to any and all, much unlike many rich stay-at-home wives. I remember her singing me to sleep very often and feel as though that is the reason I'm so interested in music today. What I remember most about my mother isn't something about her, but about my father. He had been a much different person when she was alive. Hiashi used to smile, if you can believe that. It took him years to accept Hanabi as his daughter since she was unintentionally the cause of his precious wife's death.

It's been years since her untimely death, yet Father hasn't been on a single date. He hired a team of skilled nannies to care for my sister and I and threw himself into his work, which obviously paid off with the current state of the family company. Regardless of a thriving business, he could never get his home-life to be quite as successful. Even though Hanabi still has her teenage rebellious stage to outgrow, she shows mountains more potential than I did at her age. Neji, when around, tries his best to follow in Father's footsteps, but is very much a different person.

He's focused and driven about his career, yes, but when our father isn't around he is actually quite mellow and comforting, if not a little short-tempered when it comes to Hanabi and I getting into shenanigans. He and Hanabi are naturals in our family's line of business and I can't be prouder of them, but also can't help but be terribly jealous of their talents. The eldest daughter that just doesn't have what it takes, that's me.

I am, as Father has said on many an occasion, too soft to fit into the business world. I don't feel as though there's anything spectacular about the compassion and empathy I carry for others, but compared to the majority of the Hyuga Family, I'm a saint. It's extremely common for Hyuga parents and children to have just as professional a relationship as business partners would. The parents look at their children as investments towards their bloodline's future instead of family to love and cherish. Anything less than perfect professionalism is unacceptable.

Before long, the sun starts to set and I begin my walk back home. A few of the maids and I have made a deal for when I need to sneak in and out of the house. They keep things hush if I don't tell my father that they don't wear their uniform shoes while working when he's away from the house. Honestly, I'd never tell on them because it seems unnecessary to wear shoes indoors all day long when you're cleaning and keeping up a house and I'm not that type of person anyway. Don't get the wrong impression. I don't sneak out of the house to get into trouble or anything, but to go to the twenty-four hour rec center a few blocks away to practice piano.

That's how I taught myself how to play without anyone knowing. I pay for the membership with cash under an alias so both the rec center and my father are unaware of the situation. A few of the maids wave casually at me as I tiptoe upstairs and into my room. There is an unspoken agreement between us all that we can act more casual when Father isn't around. After showering and going through my skin care routine, I climbed into bed and set an alarm on my phone for the morning. Hopefully tomorrow goes as planned.

Kakashi Hatake had mentioned they'd been searching for someone who looks like me for a while, which was meant to tell me that I was auditioning to be the final member to a group. Would it be an all-girl group or a co-ed group? Evolution is one of the few agencies that actually does co-ed idol groups. My cheeks warmed ever so slightly at the thought of singing and dancing with or even around boys. My phone vibrated, signalling I'd received a text message. I pulled my Hyuga-Brand phone out and felt the blood in my face fade quickly. A number I didn't recognize had texted me asking what I'm wearing.

I chose to ignore it and not reply. It was probably some random weirdo texting unknown numbers to try and get a rise out of someone. My mind fell back to the audition. He'd mentioned that he wasn't the only person I'd be auditioning in front of. Who else would be there? A groan slipped from my lips and I reached under my pillow for my headphones. Restlessness was keeping my mind active. There were plenty of logical reasons for me to feel anxious right now.

First there wass the audition, of course, and whether or not I was going to do well. Second was the fact that I was going to be in a group, if I did pass, and I hadn't had a single friendship since primary school. Third there was the whole Father disowning me because I was going through with the audition at all thing. Finally, there was Suigetsu. He was last because if this audition goes well, perhaps I wouldn't have to see him ever again and he would no longer be a threat to me.

Tenten's music played softly into my ears, bringing a small smile to my lips. Tenten is the musical prodigy of her generation. She's twenty-two and debuted at the age of sixteen from Evolution Entertainment as their second ever solo artist. Her success has been phenomenal and she was skyrocketed into super-stardom before reaching the age of eighteen. I don't like her just because she's popular, though. I like her because her music is real. When she performs, there's a live band, no vocal track backing her up, and the lyrics she sings are written by her. It's rare that the world gets it right with celebrities, but I really feel like she's one of the few that have earned and deserves her success. Before I knew it, I'd drifted off to sleep with a dream in my mind that would hopefully become a reality starting with tomorrow's audition.

I woke up a few minutes before my alarm with a heavy weight in my stomach that felt like a physical manifestation of my nerves. Even my insanely comfortable bed couldn't calm me, so I decided to just get up and start getting ready for the day. I'd decided to just not go to my morning classes at all, even calling the school to make them aware of my impending absence. My father will be livid when he finds out that I pretended to be him over the phone, using a high-tech voice changing feature on my phone during the call. Thank you Hyuga Corporation for your fancy electronics!

If there's time after my audition for me to return to school, then I will, but I'm not going to be too upset if I can't. I haven't missed a single day of school in my entire schooling career, not even if I was sick. Father would make me take medicine and tough it out, so pardon me if I'm not too heart broken about missing one day. I groaned as I rose to my feet and stretched out my limbs, a yawn slipping past my lips as I opened the door to my over-sized closet. Deciding not to let myself lose my mind on what outfit to wear, I took a deep breath and pretended I was going to a business meeting with some of Father's friends. My outfit ended up being a deep purple, long sleeved dress that ends an inch above my knees. There was a thin white sash across the waist area and then the skirt was covered with a thin layer of black lace over the purple fabric. My favorite part of the dress was the pockets!

I paired the dress with a classic pair of gray flats and a small white cross-body purse. My hair was brushed out into it's normal straightness, my usually straight across bangs pushed to the side since they'd grown out recently. I wore simple diamond earrings and my silver Hyuga smart-watch as accessories with minimal makeup on my face. I've never been very good at makeup, so I stick to the basics and keep it extremely simple in fear of looking like a clown or hooker by accident. Once I was sure I looked the part as an idol-hopeful, I grabbed a granola bar from the kitchen on my way out of the house. Instead of immediately hailing a cab, I did some vocal warm-ups that I'd researched while I was at the park last night as I walked a few blocks into the business district of the city.

The morning sun shined down on my face and I decided to take a moment to bask in the fresh air. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky and the temperature wasn't too hot or too cold. Before long, the small roads became larger and I felt as though it was time to get a cab for the remainder of my journey across the city. Konoha is one of the biggest cities in the world, having an population of just over thirty million people. It's also one of the most trend-setting locations in the world. Many famous designers and celebrities choose to both work and live in Konoha. A cab pulled over to the side of the road for me not long after I began searching for one and I slid into the backseat with ease. The driver, an older gentleman with bright red hair and a freckled face, turned to greet me and asked where I'm headed. I gave him the address for the agency and he entered it into his phone's GPS. "Would you like to listen to the radio? It's a beautiful day for some music."

I nodded with a small smile on my lips. He was correct. Today's a beautiful day. The drive to my audition was quiet and peaceful, both the driver and I humming lightly along to whatever music came onto the radio throughout our journey. Before I knew it, we'd pulled into the large roundabout that served as a drop off line for Evolution Entertainment. I handed the driver a generous amount of money, more than enough to cover my bill, and wished him a good day before climbing out of the backseat and smoothing out my clothes. My heart rose into my throat as my eyes finally landed on the building my audition would take place in. The building was bigger than most malls and looked similar to one in construction.

The whole front of the building was covered with black glass that reflected almost like a mirror and the crowds coming and going from the building were larger than I could've ever expected they'd be. A large amount of paparazzi photographers could be seen in the grass to either side of the walkways, cameras snapping away directed at the crowd. It wassn't surprising to me that they'd be here. Evolution has been the agency to discover many a star since it's opening about ten years ago. Each person that I could see was very attractive and professional, making me feel slightly uncomfortable as I slipped into the mayhem heading toward the towering front doors. My hands clutched my handbag firmly since I'm nervous someone may try to swipe it off me in the crowded area.

My eyes danced around the room once we're past the threshold of the doors. Trendy yet comfortable furniture decorated the enormous lobby and awards from the agencies most famous members dust the modern gray walls. I stumbled into the line in front of the desk that had a large sign that said auditions. A handful of young hopefuls were both in front of and behind me. I couldn't help but compare myself to a few of them, wondering if perhaps they deserved to get in more than I did. Sweat began forming on the back of my neck due to my anxiety. It's a rare occasion to find me in such a crowded place, surrounded by people I don't know and it's putting me on edge. A pretty brunette girl standing behind me in line tapped my shoulder and smiled brightly when I turned to face her, "Hello! Aren't you Hinata Hyuga?" She spoke in just above a whisper so I could hear her clearly.

I nervously nodded and put a finger to my mouth, motioning for her to please keep it quiet and hoping she wouldn't announce it loudly to the room. Her smile fel; slightly and her tone became annoyed, but she thankfully speaks in a voice just loud enough for me to hear, "Don't you think it's kind of unfair for you to be auditioning? You're already famous. How do you think that makes the rest of us feel?" My mouth opened and closed again, trying to find the proper reaction to her jarring questions and finding none. Unsure of what to do, I simply turned my back to her and faced the front of the line, stunned to find that it's my turn to check in anyway. A younger woman with shoulder-length dark hair and pretty brown eyes smiled up at me, "Welcome to Evolution Entertainment! My name is Shizune. Do you have an audition scheduled or are you here to schedule one?"

I gasped quietly and quickly fiddled through my small purse until I found the card that Kakashi had given to me, handing it over to her with a shy smile and a red face. The girl behind me, thankfully, didn't do or say anything else to me, most likely in fear that acting unprofessionally will affect her audition. The secretary, Shizune, studied the writing on the card before rising to her feet and motioning for me to follow her, also motioning for another employee who was behind the counter to take over checking in those here for auditions. I followed her quietly and listened as she gave me a few hushed tips. "Make sure you make eye contact with Kakashi as much as possible when singing, he really likes that. Also, just ignore Tenten being there. Her presence tends to throw people off, but she really is just there to judge you like all the other judges." Wait, Tenten herself is going to be watching my audition?!

My head started feeling a little dizzy and I chose to bite the inside of my cheek instead of having an outburst. If my favorite singer is going to be watching me sing, then I'll just have to do my best to impress her. After walking through hall after winding hall, Shizune finally stopped us in front of a heavy white door and shook my hand with a small smile, "Go in when you feel ready. Good luck, Miss! Do your best!" I gave her a thankful smile and watched her leave until she turned a corner and I could no longer see her. Turning to face the large door before me, I took a deep and calming breath. This is it. You can do this, Hinata. You've managed to mess up almost everything you've tried doing all your life, but you can not mess this one up. This is the one that really counts.

My face started to heat up again slightly as my nerves grew and my hand touched the handle of the door. Suck it up, Hinata. Suck it up long enough to ace this audition. With yet another calming deep breath, I pushed the door open with all of my weight. The room waiting for me looked similar to that of the music rooms at school, with a grand piano positioned in the corner of the room and sound proofing panels on the walls and ceilings, it was just quite a bit larger. On top of that, the music rooms at school didn't have a row of chairs near the piano that sat four very important people. My eyes shot straight to Tenten, whom I'd never seen in person despite being a massive fan of hers.

She is even more beautiful when she's really in front of you. Her thick dark brown hair has slight highlights in it and falls in simple waves over her toned shoulders and down her straight back. Big, bright, and brown eyes are accentuated by simple yet effective eye make up and plump lips are tinted with a soft pink lipstick. My feet felt nearly stuck to the ground as the door shut quietly behind me and I was unsure of what to do until Kakashi rose from his seat next to Tenten and approached me with a handshake. I accepted his greeting with as confident a smile as I could muster, allowing him to lead me to where I'm supposed to stand which is a yard or two in front of those who would be judging me and the piano. He turned to face the others sitting in front of where we stood, "Everyone this is Miss Hinata Hyuga, whom I've invited here to audition for the final position in Prestige."

Tenten's eyes lit up at her words and she spoke up before he could continue, "I'm supposed to be choosing the final member since it's my group, Kakashi!" My confidence fell ever so slightly at her words, but her next words did well to perk me back up. Her eyes moved from her boss onto me and a smile dusted her perfect lips, "That being said, I do like the way you look. If you can sing, babe, I think you'll be perfect!" Kakashi motioned for her to quiet down so he can introduce the other two sitting to her left. She did as asked, giving me an encouraging smile before he can start talking. He motioned to a busty blond woman with a stern grimace on her full lips, "This is Tsunade. She is our award-winning choreographer and has worked with every single idol that is or has ever been signed to Evolution."

I bowed respectfully to her, to which she showed no reaction other than a curt nod of acknowledgement. Kakashi didn't dawdle and gestured to the final person in the room, "Finally, this is Jiraiya. He is a world-renowned vocal coach that works with our idols. He also does one on one training for those he feels have the potential to do amazing things. Both of these people, should you be accepted, will be working with you to help you grow and hone your skills. Tenten will also be a large part of your training because, as she mentioned, the idol group Prestige is hers. She single-handedly came up with the idea and even chose the other three members. We've been looking for the final member for a while now and you physically fit the part perfectly."

I bowed to Jiraiya and Tenten as well, both of which offer me a smile in return. Jiraiya rose to his feet and strode over to sit comfortably at the white grand piano, "Let's begin your audition, shall we?" I nodded, swallowing nervously as we all wait for Kakashi to take his seat next to Tenten. Tsunade then spoke up, "State your name, age, and what you believe your talent is." I clasped my hands together in front of me to keep them from fidgeting anxiously, "M-My name is Hinata Hyuga and I am e-e-eighteen years old. I want to be a s-singer."

Tenten jotted my answers down on the clipboard in her hands before smiling back up at me, "I notice you're stuttering a bit. Are you nervous, Hinata?" A small laugh slipped past my lips and I nodded. Her light laugh sounded like bells in the air and she tossed a hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it. If you pass this audition, that's something we'll work on. Let me ask you another question. What is your favorite song right now, today?" My cheeks heated up even further and I averted my gaze to the white linoleum floor, "If No One Will Listen by y-you, Tenten."

The idol in question let out an excited squeal, "You're kidding! That album just dropped a few days ago and it's already your favorite? I'm flattered, Hinata!" My gaze rose to meet hers and I did my best to smile, "Y-Y-You're my favorite a-artist." Tenten looked at the other three in the room haughtily, "I like her." Jiraiya and Kakashi let out chuckles and Tsunade just rolled her eyes. Jiraiya spoke before anyone else could, "If you're such a big fan, why don't you sing that song for your audition today?" All the blood in my face drained. They wanted me to sing Tenten's song in front of her? What if I messed it up and she gets insulted? Tenten let out another excited squeal, "Oh, I'd love to hear that! Good idea, Jiraiya! Before you sing, though, I have one final question for you, Hinata."

I nodded absently at her, still shaken by the fact that they want me to sing her song. "Why do you love music?" The room fell silent for a few moments as I tried to find the right words to describe my emotions. Soon enough, I answered honestly, emotion rising in my throat as a glimpse of my passion seeps through, "M-Music has been there for m-m-me when no one e-else was. If I c-c-can be there like t-t-t-that for just one person, I'll c-consider myself a success." For the first time since I'd begun answering questions, Tenten didn't offer a vocal replay and just nodded seriously as she jotted my answer down.

The others nodded in a similar fashion for a moment before Jiraiya motioned for me to come stand at the piano on the side opposite of the judges, facing them, "Well, here we go, my darling. I wish you the best of luck." I smiled gratefully at him and closed my eyes as he started playing the accompaniment on the piano. My face was burning red as I began singing, but I just did my best to pretend I was in the shower at home singing along to my Bluetooth speaker.

Maybe no one told you

There is strength in your tears

And so you fight to keep from pouring out

But what if you unlock the gate that keeps your secret soul

Do you think there's enough to that you might drown?

I chanced a peek and was shocked to see Tenten smiling at me calmly as I nervously opened my eyes the rest of the way as I headed into the chorus of the song with just more confidence in my vocals.

If no one will listen

If you decide to speak

If no one is left

Standing after the bombs explode

If no one wants to look at you

For what you really are

I will be here still

Jiraiya's playing slows down exponentially, signally to me that he wanted to skip the second verse and head straight into the bridge.

If you find your fists are raw and red from beating yourself down

If your legs have given out under the weight

If you find that you've been settling for a world of gray

So you wouldn't have to face down your own hate

He then picked the pace way back up, shooting me an encouraging smile to try and urge me to attempt a big finish similar to the one Tenten does on her recorded version of the song. I squeezed my eyes shut again and decided that I would give it my all.

If no one will listen

If you decide to speak

If no one is left

Standing after the bombs-!

Kakashi motioned suddenly for Jiraiya to stop playing and I clamped my mouth shut. The room was silent and all the possible rejections they could serve me started flowing through my mind and tears started to form in the corners of my eyes. Self-deprecating thoughts started to seep in. They didn't even let me finish my song. Am I so bad that they couldn't stand to listen to a few more lines? Kakashi and Tenten looked at each other before looking back at me. "Do you mind waiting in the hallway while we talk over a few things, Hinata?" I shok my head and walked as normally as possible out into the hallway, feeling four pairs of eyes burning into my back until the door shut behind me and I fell exhausted to lean against the wall.

I couldn't hear anything they were saying since the room was sound-proofed. With my back against the wall, I leaned down to rest my elbows on my straight knees and put my face in my hands in panic, wiping away a few stray tears. I did it! I have absolutely no memory of what my voice sounded like while I was singing, but what's important is I went for it! Even if I don't make it, at least I can say I overcame my anxiety and tried my best. My heart was beating so loudly in my throat that it's all I could hear. It seemed like ages before the door to the room reopens, though it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes, and I jumped to stand straight for whoever was approaching me.

Tenten motioned for me to come back into the room and I did as asked with no words. Once again, I was stood near the chairs and piano, only this time the other four were also standing. For a few moments, each of them had a blank face until Tenten erupted with a bright smile, "First of all, how're you going to waltz in here and show me up with my own damn song, Hyuga?!" A small laugh of disbelief slipped past my lips and my hand moved to cover my mouth, tears forming in my eyes once again, but falling immediately down my cheeks this time instead of staying there. She liked my singing? My heart soared as she stepped forward and pulled me into a tight hug, "You'd better be ready, Hinata, because you're in!"

The tears continued to overflow and I let myself hug her back. Mom, can you see me? I did it! Once our celebratory hug was complete, Tenten returned to her spot between Tsunade and Kakashi with a wide grin on her flawless face. Kakashi said nothing, yet gave me an encouraging smile. Jiraiya reached forward to shake my hand, "I look forward to working with you, Hinata. You have much to learn, but I think we'll make a star out of you, yet." He gave me a friendly wink and I smiled up at him, wiping at my tears with my free hand. Tsunade finally uncrossed her arms and offered me a smirk, the closest thing to a smile she'd given since I've met her, "I just hope you can dance."

I really, honestly, made it in! All of the drama and negativity in my life seemed so small compared to the happiness I felt in this moment. It was all worth the validation. I'd gladly go through it again if it meant that I'd end up here once more with this feeling of finally not being useless. Tenten spoke excitedly, pulling me by my hand towards the door, "Awesome! Let's go see if we can find the other members of your group so you can meet them!" Oh yeah! I'd forgotten about the rest of my group!

As promised, here's the link to the song that Hinata sang:

watch?v=8dNDCu3eK_8