AN: OOC Sasuke

I can understand why Hinata's crying may become overbearing, but isn't it human nature? Somethings are private, but this story is loosely based on my experience with my current boyfriend. He was the Kiba. Our relationship is better now, but I wished I knew what I knew now back then.

Sometimes I wished I had cried in front of the right person or had a friend like Naruto during that time. Eventually, I did find that person after three years and she left me some good advice.

Enjoy!

-5-

The entire time Tenten and Ino were chatting, Hinata stared at the empty chatbox of her executive manager, Naruto Namikaze. Why? Last night's conversation left her confused. Kiba never cared of any sort to ask her about her day, or whereabouts. It was surely taboo, but in a way, it made her feel… special again.

"Maybe I should ask him about it." Hinata thought to herself. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, but she shook her head. "It's still unprofessional to use our business messenger for this." She chewed down on her lips as she toggled between typing a long lengthy message and erasing it.

-x-

Naruto watched the little bubbles go in and out of Hinata's chatbox. He was tempted to tell her good morning, but he decided against it until he saw her chat bubble indicating she was typing something.

"Oi dobe. You still with us?"

"I think we lost him."

"Maybe if you call out to him politely, he would answer. Naruto you there?"

"What makes you—"

"I'm here," Naruto piped up.

Sasuke could sense the red hair man, Gaara grinning. "Are you still coming down this Saturday?"

"Yes, I am," Naruto answered. His eyes were still focused on her chatbox, and he grew weary as he saw the bubbles fade in and out.

"You should visit Suna again," Gaara suggested.

"So, he can get sand in his eyes again?" Sasuke muttered under his breath which made Shikamaru chuckle.

-x-

Hinata had typed a lengthy message explaining the situation to Naruto, but again she grew weary of possibly interrupting him. She didn't have the right to pester him about her personal life. Hey, maybe Kiba was changing… even if he had sex with another girl a day after their breakup. Thinking about that hurt her a little. She had never seen that girl before, but it's not like she knew his friends, or who he spoke to.

Just as she was about to erase the message, Tenten shouted playfully, "What are you doing?!"

The color drained from her face as she had accidentally pressed enter. Quickly, she closed the chatbox and turned around to face Tenten who wore a playful grin. "We're thinking about eating lunch together. You want to join?"

"No, it's fine. Um, maybe next time." Hinata said, lowering her head. Right now, she was in full-blown panic mode! Was there a way to delete the message before he could see it?

Tenten pouted by Hinata's response. "Are you sure?"

"I don't mind eating lunch tomorrow if that's okay with you?" Hinata said.

"That's fine. Hey, Hinata,"

"Yes, Tenten?"

"I'm here if you ever need someone to talk with." The brunette smiled.

Hinata's eyes widened slightly, but she quickly nodded. "Thank you, Tenten! I will."

Smiling, Tenten nodded before she left with a group of other people. They were on their way to join Ino in a nearby cafe.

-x-

Naruto smiled the entire time as Gaara and Sasuke made remarks and jabs at one another. He swore they could be so comical, not that he was any better.

"Didn't your site send all their agents to work from home because of a sandstorm?" Sasuke remarked.

"Ha. Very funny Uchiha," Gaara replied bitterly. "Your jokes are dry."

"I'll tell you what is dry."

Shikamaru snorted on the phone, and Naruto held his laughter. He was glad he was not in a meeting with the others and their CEO.

While Sasuke and Gaara were going back and forth in the background, his eyes slightly widened when he saw Hinata's name pop up on his screen. She had typed quite a lot. Reading the message, his eyebrow furrowed. Of course. The check-up.

-X-

Hinata was biting down on her bottom lip. How foolish. She wanted to smack her head against the keyboard, and she almost did until she saw his message. For some reason, her heart skipped a beat upon seeing his name.

Naruto N.: Come to my office.

What was she to do? She could ignore it or apologize and said it was an accident. But who was she fooling? She did want to see him.

As she made her way to his office, she couldn't help but look around to see who was watching. The halls were empty, but still… Would they question her? Would they ask why are you going to see the executive manager? Don't you have a supervisor you can report to? Their friendship was risky. She paused. Friendship? Were they considered friends? Could she be friends with someone who was in a higher position?

Hinata hadn't even realized it when she made it to his office. Taking in a deep breath, she knocked softly on the door.

"Who is that?" Sasuke questioned.

"I swear he has supersonic hearing," Naruto mumbled. "I'm out of here. Bye." He quickly ended the meeting before they could object.

Hinata stepped back when the brown door opened. Looking down at her was Naruto who wore that charming smile the office people had come to enjoy. They idolize him and whenever he was in their presence, they doted on him as they always found themselves having a happy day. He did something to them. Mr. Namikaze was refreshing.

"Hey there, Hinata."

"Good day, Mr. Namikaze," She whispered.

He stepped to the side, and she entered the office with ease. A fresh cherry scent greeted her, and it made her a little joyful.

"I got your message," Naruto said, closing the door behind him.

"Yeah," Her voice was so soft that Naruto had a hard time hearing her. His soft blue eyes looked towards the timid girl who stood a few inches away from him. Today, she looked even lovelier. Long natural hair hung down the middle of her back and with every movement she made, her hair would swing back and forth. Sad or not, she always wore a pouty lip that was the right amount of plumpness and pink. They looked almost tempting. He hated when she chewed down on them because he would instantly get jealous that it wasn't him.

His face was turning red. What was he even thinking?!

"Mr. Namikaze?" Hinata tilted her head to the side. "Are you feeling sick? Your face is turning red."

"I'm f-fine! Um- please sit down Hinata." Naruto said, offering her a seat.

Nodding, she made her way to the comfortable cushy chair and sat down on it. Naruto took his seat and quickly glimpse at his calendar to check to see if there were any upcoming meetings. Luckily, there wasn't.

"I saw your message," He began.

"That was sent by accident," Hinata instantly responded. "I didn't mean to send that to you."

"Oh,"

Hinata could tell he was disappointed, especially when he pouted. "I mean, I was going to tell you… I just thought it would have been inappropriate sending it through chat." She played with her index fingers.

"No, I understand if you don't want to tell me. It's fine."

"What do you think? Am I being stupid for having high hopes?" Her bangs covered her eyes as she lowered her head. "It made me feel kind of special."

Naruto leaned back into the chair and looked at the ceiling. "Of course, you would feel special. Someone you loved who never took notice of you, finally cares."

"Do you think we'll get back together?"

"Has he showed you he changed?" Naruto hummed as he looked at her.

"Well, I haven't necessarily been home for me to notice, but last night…" She glanced at him. "It sounded like he cared."

"During the nights you were out, did he attempt to call you?"

"No…"

"If he did care about your whereabouts, why didn't he call? A simple text would have done the trick."

Hinata felt her heart shattered when he said that. The waterworks were about to turn on.

"Do you normally go out?"

She shook her head.

"Do you stay overnight at a friend's house?"

"N-no,"

"There are two theories, Hinata," Naruto said, holding two fingers up. "One, he isn't used to you doing these things, so he wants to know if you're possibly talking to someone else, or if you're going to leave him. Or two, he truly cares about you."

Hinata wiped her watery eyes, then asked, "Which one do you think it is?"

"That's up to you to decide." He shrugged. "Only you can make that decision."

"What if I made the wrong decision?"

"What if he did?" He lifted his right eyebrow. Naruto handed her some napkins from his desk then sighed.

"H-how do you know so much?"

"I've had a few people in my life who went through the same thing, and I've experienced some of it too," Naruto calmly responded.

"Loving someone is hard," She mumbled.

"Loving the wrong person is hard, Hinata. You're a beautiful girl, you're smart, and you seem to know what you want in life. You just need to want it." He replied. "Don't you have any "girlfriends" you can talk to?"

Hinata's mind instantly went to Tenten. She was kind, sweet, and a good motivator. "I do, but I don't want to trouble her."

"Maybe it'll be best to get it from a female's perspective. If she's a trusted source, it'll be best to confide in her."

"You don't want me to come to you anymore?" She laughed softly.

"If I could keep you all to myself I would." He grinned which made Hinata blush. "Just be cautious, Hinata. Don't set yourself up for failure. Be consistent. Be focused." He said in a more serious tone.

"You sound like such an old man," She placed her hand near her mouth as she giggled.

"Do I sound that old?"

"Maybe," she said playfully. "T-thank you again, Mr. Namikaze. I guess I worked myself up for nothing."

"It's okay Hinata. Everything in life is a learning experience is what my father always says."

"Your father sounds very wise."

"He is!" Naruto's eyes brightened. "He's smart too! Unfortunately, I only inherited his eyes and hair, but not his genius." He groaned loudly.

"I think you're smart," Hinata said, smiling. "You're an executive manager. That means you have a lot of knowledge about the company, protocols, and procedures. That's a lot to remember."

Naruto scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "Awe~ You're just saying that."

Hinata shook her head. "I mean it!"

A faint smile made its way to his lips. "Thank you, Hinata."

"Mr. Namikaze, tomorrow is payday a-and I would like to repay you for all you've done for me. Is there anything you specifically want?"

"That isn't nec—" He noticed the look in her eyes, and his smile widened. "I would like to go to a restaurant."

Hinata nodded eagerly. "I can take you!"

Grinning, Naruto nodded. "This Friday then?"

"Yes sir!"

Hinata felt all fired up, but suddenly it died down. What if someone were to see them?

"The restaurant is an hour away. Would that be fine?" He mentioned, almost as if he had read her thoughts.

Now she felt repump! She nodded enthusiastically. "You can get anything you want."

Hearing that made Naruto's eyes twinkle. "Can't wait!"

-x-

During that week, things had changed. Kiba was attentive, doting, and even brought her something to eat. These were things she wished he would have done while they were in a relationship, but then he would ask her things like: "Who are you talking to?" "You didn't sleep home for the past two days. Were you with someone? How did you get a ride home? Who's dropping you home?" "Is it that Tenten girl?"

The questions were becoming unbearable, but his actions made up for it in a way. Was theory two, right? Hinata decided to keep this to herself and not bombard Mr. Namikaze with what was happening. She laughed more, glowed more, and she was happy. Kiba stopped asking questions, but his actions didn't stop. Work was good, and her newfound friendship with Mr. Namikaze was blossoming. Tenten noticed how happier Hinata looked, so it made her worry less.

It was officially Friday afternoon, and Hinata had taken a nice long shower to freshen up for her night with Mr. Namikaze. She owed him and having dinner wouldn't be so bad, especially if they were going to be an hour away.

Her reflection stared back at her and she paid close attention to her face, hair, and the light makeup she applied. Suddenly, she stopped applying her mascara. She was just going to eat with a friend… who so happened to be her manager… why was she paying so much attention to detail? A long time passed since she had put on a nice attire. It wasn't something grand, but it was her.

There was a knock on her door before Kiba's voice rang out, "Hey Hinata."

Hearing his voice made her heart skip a beat. "Y-you can come in," She tried her best not to stutter.

Slowly, the door opened and Kiba poked his head into the room. A sexy smell conquered his nose, and he gazed at the lovely girl, his ex, Hinata Hyuga. "I was going to ask if you wanted to grab something to eat. Are you going out tonight?" His eyes slightly widened.

Having dinner with Kiba would be nice, but she owed Mr. Namikaze this. "I'm going out with a friend. I wanted to repay him." She replied nervously. She had tried her best to hide who she had been with or who had been dropping her home. Kiba didn't know her new manager, nor the situation that happened and she didn't want to stir the pot per se.

Him?! Kiba chewed down on his bottom lip. "Oh, who is him?"

"A friend. He should be here shortly," She mumbled.

"How did you meet him?"

"He saw me one day…" Her voice softened. Why was he asking these questions?

"So, you're going on a date."

"No!" Hinata whipped her head towards him. "We're just friends."

"If you're friends, why are you dressed like that? And why are you putting on makeup?" Kiba questioned angrily.

"I want to look nice." Hinata tried to defend herself.

"Why the hell do you need to look nice for a guy? We just broke up and you're already seeing someone else. I should have known something was up!" He exploded. "You broke up with me because you were probably messing around with someone else."

Hinata felt like a fish out of the water as her mouth was agape. "C-cheat? I would never!" She stood up.

"Who is this guy then? Has he been the one dropping you home this entire time? Did you stay by his house when you didn't come home for two days?" The questions were endless, and it made her head spin.

"I didn't cheat on you! We're just friends unlike you who had sex with another girl on the second day of our breakup!"

"What did you expect me to do?" Kiba threw his hands up. "Y-you left me, and I was drunk she was here and… this is all your fault!" He pointed at her. "I still don't know why you broke up with me?"

The tears were threatening to fall as she squeezed her trembling fists. "I broke up with you because of how you treat me. You disrespect me, you don't talk to me, everything is about you! You left me out there in the rain for hours and… and someone else had to drop me home!"

"I already told you why!" Kiba shouted back. "What if I had gotten in a bad car accident? Huh!"

"It wasn't raining when I was off!" She glared at him. "You're so fucking selfish!"

Kiba almost gasped. "I knew you were cheating on me. You don't curse. You don't come home late, and you don't go out. Now all of a sudden you're doing this to me? To us?"

"I feel so stupid for thinking you changed." She chuckled bitterly. Her mascara had already smeared due to the tears.

"Maybe it's you who needs to change Hinata." Kiba sighed. "The only selfish one here is you. Why don't you just admit you cheated on me? You wasted five years of my life. We planned a future together. I even wanted to marry you."

"If you wanted to then you would have proposed already. I haven't cheated on you. I haven't done anything to you." She grabbed her purse and phone and marched past Kiba.

"Where are you going!"

"Out!" She slammed the front door behind her and took a deep breath.

Shakenly, she went downstairs and walked outside. The air was crisp and clean, but what did that matter? Her night was ruined. It wasn't fair to Mr. Namikaze… it just wasn't.

"Hinata?"

Leaning on the passenger side of the car, there he was. The handsome, and well-dressed man, Mr. Namikaze. He wore long khaki brown pants, with a black shirt and jeans jacket. His hair was unruly as always, but somehow it looked different like he was playing with it until it was perfect.

"Hinata, are you okay?"

"W-why didn't you tell me you were waiting?" She questioned, her voice trembling.

"I just wanted to give you more time to get ready. You were crying. Is everything okay?" Naruto felt as if someone punched the wind out of him when Hinata ran into him and cried into his chest. He was sure the girl would have a noticeable bruise on her forehead once all of this was said and done.

"There, there," He patted her gently on her back.

"It isn't fair, Mr. Namikaze," She sobbed.

"I know it isn't," He whispered. "You look very beautiful tonight."

She slowly tilted her head back to look at him. Her mascara had completely smeared down her cheeks, and under her eyes and nose was a dark red color. Hinata almost laughed. She knew she looked like a hot mess, but when she saw the look in his eyes, she knew he told the truth. She looked beautiful to him.

"T-thank you. I'm sorry I've ruined your night. We're probably late and—" Suddenly, she jumped back when she realized she was holding onto him. "I'm sorry, sir!" She bowed profusely.

A slight chuckle escaped his mouth. "You're fine, Hinata. My night hasn't been ruined." He said, shaking his head.

"B- but what about the restaurant?"

Naruto took a glimpse at his watch, then shrugged. "We still have time. Would you like to stop at my place to freshen up? Maybe you can tell me what got you in tears during the ride there."

"You're too kind," Hinata replied quietly.

Self-love. She knew she needed it, but it was so hard to find it within herself. Maybe it was true. She did love Kiba more than she loved herself, and that's why she ignored or remained quiet about some of the things he did. Even when there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that he was doing something wrong, she chose to ignore it. Who would love her? Was she pretty enough? She was barely surviving. Her family was dirt poor, and they lived in the slumps of Konoha where all the fishers worked.

After classes, she worked part-time to help her family out. She didn't have the time to socialize with her friends after classes or go out with them. Eventually, she lost a great deal of them, and her esteem plummet.

Puberty was a disaster. Instead of clear, perfect, glassy skin, hers was covered in pimples. She always wore her hair in a short bob because it was easier to manage and time friendly. Soon enough, she was teased for smelling like fish and having a pizza face. Some of her friends even joined in on the picking.

Then, she met Kiba who came to visit his grandmother one day, and that was the start of their supposedly love story. Kiba looked past all of that, and he still "loved" her.

"Hinata," Naruto said. "Earth to Hinata~"

Startled, she jumped. Why did she think of such a thing now? Her childhood was something she was trying to forget.

"I'm here!"

Naruto covered his mouth to hold in his laughter. "I'm here too." He removed his hand from his mouth and smiled. "Would you like to freshen up?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yes please!"

-x-

This was her second time in her manager's home, and each time it looked lovely. Her reflection stared back at her, and she was slightly satisfied with her fresh face. When she entered the bathroom, she was mortified to see how bad the mascara looked smudged on her face.

"I wished I hadn't stormed out without my makeup kit." She looked at the red pimple on her cheek. Her acne had cleared up much better than before, but there were still one or two red spots there.

The door creaked as she pushed it slowly. A nicely made-up bed was in the center of the room, and… the blanket she had indulged herself in was there. The boss was a tidy man is what she could conclude. As she walked past the black dresser, she spotted the black picture frame.

In it, there was a young Naruto dressed in his school clothes, and an older red hair boy who had his arms wrapped around Naruto's neck. The resembles were uncanny and they wore the same bright smile in it.

When she walked out of the bedroom, Naruto was sitting by the table looking down at his phone.

"I'm finished, Mr. Namikaze,"

Upon hearing his name, he looked up and he felt flustered. She looked gorgeous standing there. It was never supposed to get this far… It was just supposed to be a simple ride, a few encouraging words, but somehow, he felt attached. Maybe it was her face and cries in the car that made him get this way. It was all too familiar.

"All fresh and ready to go?" He smiled.

She nodded.

"And try to call me Naruto, Hinata. There is no need to be formal after work hours."

Her face turned red, but she nodded slowly. "M- Naruto, who is that red hair man? You two looked so much alike."

"That's my brother, Kurama."

"Kurama? What a lovely name!" She exclaimed. "It reminds me of Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho." Naruto's smile dimmed down. "Do you speak to him often? You two looked close in the picture."

"Sadly, he passed away."

Hinata felt her heart shattered when he said that. She bowed. "I'm sorry!"

"It's fine," Naruto said, standing up.

She chewed on her bottom lip. "Why did I have to say that!"

Naruto ruffled her hair and grinned. "You ready?"

"Y-yes."

"Let's go," Naruto grabbed his keys from the countertop then suddenly he turned himself. "Hinata?"

"Yes?" She squeaked.

"Promise me… just promise me you'll love yourself more than you love anyone, okay?"

Those words sounded so sad coming from him, that it almost felt foreign. Mr. Namikaze was the sun that made everything bright in the workplace. Hearing him sound like this was so… weird.

She was still trying to figure out self-love but seeing his eyes… she could only nod.

Smiling once more, he turned around and opened the front door. "Let's have fun!"

-Review-