Naruto already told him of their plans for Sunday a few days ago. The plan was simple: to go to the Inuzuka residences, play in the public court just a few blocks away from it, and maybe have a bet with random strangers who happen to play in the same court as they were – if there were any. Though now, it's beginning to feel like the idiot-of-a blond forgot everything about it. Sasuke had been calling at exactly 1:00 o'clock in the afternoon nonstop, and the Uzumaki missed every call. It came to a point where he almost wanted to call Principal Tsunade. . .just to know where the loser was.

The raven haired boy couldn't help but feel the irritation crawling in his skin while hearing the same ringing noise coming from his phone. He may have planned that he would be changing the playback or whatever you call that thing when he had the chance, yet due to his undeniable laziness, Sasuke still hadn't changed it. The Uchiha could almost picture his best pal in the orange room of his with drool falling in the corners of his mouth. A very unpleasant sight. Tossing his phone by his bed, he sighed out of frustration.

"Damn you loser," he mumbled to himself as he dropped onto his bed, making the cushion bounce the phone closer to him.

Rubbing his face with his hands out of frustration, a familiar yet foreign face appeared right before his eyes.

The soft lavender eyes she had were nothing compared to the high school basketball team's captain. Granted the asshole-of-a Hyuuga and the stunning Hyuuga had the same eyecolor, the curve of her eyes were much concaved, giving her such a delicate look that maybe only she could pull off without looking cringey. Her small button nose suited her well, along with lips that may be too pale for her features – but looked lovely nonetheless.

It was only a vision. A memory from the day before. Something he found himself playing in his head over and over again. It was like a broken record, but it wasn't irritating, rather pleasing. The way the dark haired girl reddened at his small gestures, her stutters, the way she walked, and even the way she spoke softly.

That damn gorgeous Hyuuga girl.

How weird it is that she did not have a phone. They were a wealthy family. A very rich one, he might add. Same goes for the fact that Hinata — that was her name — was an eye candy, yet looked very unfamiliar to him. Sure, he immediately knew that she was a Hyuuga the moment he set his eyes on her, but why only now? They looked like they have the same age, so they must've seen each other a lot, and maybe they were even classmates, but Sasuke only saw her yesterday. Was it maybe the first time he really looked at her?

Sasuke had tried to stopped thinking about it, even last night. It was no use. The thoughts about the stunning blue haired beauty kept flashing in his mind.

Thankfully, his phone rang, snapping his thoughts away about that damn girl.

"Oy!" shouted Naruto from the call once Sasuke answered it. The raven haired boy's ear hurt at the sudden sound, but chose to let the blond idiot speak first. "Where are you?! We've been waiting for 30 minutes!"

"The question is: where are you?" Sasuke retorted, his head aching at the thought that Naruto was putting him in an upside down position. "Might I remind you, loser, that you planned everything out. I've been calling nonstop. And whose number is this?"

"If you had a common sense you would've come here without me," muttered the blond.

"Common sense, huh? Coming from you?" deadpanned Sasuke without preamble. He looked at the screen and saw that it was an unknown number. It was probably Kiba's since the Inuzuka had everyone's number. He was not in the mood anymore, but he'd rather go there than stay in their house. "Whatever. Expect me to be there in 10 minutes. Tell Inuzuka, keep his dogs away from me."

Once he got to the Inuzuka residences, he immediately saw the only bright hair in their team. Sasuke could only grunt as the blond flashed his toothy grin. At least Kiba's dog was nowhere to be found. He loved dogs, cats, or pets in general, but Sasuke just did not grow fond of Kiba's pets for a reason.

"Piss off," mumbled Sasuke upon opening the gate, frantically shoving Naruto away. The raven haired started waking towards where a box of pizza was.

"Oh c'mon bastard. What's with the attitude?" Naruto yelled with exasperation. "At least I called you!"

"Again, piss off," muttered Sasuke, taking a bite at the Hawaiian pizza he was holding. He looked at Aburame who was just standing by a post with his arms in his back. Weird guy. "Yo, Aburame. Where's everybody?"

"It's only Neji-san, you, Uzumaki, Kiba, and me," stated Shino. "Kiba's with Neji-san at the Hyuuga residences."

"When will they come back then?" asked Sasuke, bits of pizza bread falling from his mouth. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand before he continued, "I won't stay long."

"They just left," answered Shino dismissively.

Sasuke just munched on his slice of pizza, never minding the blond who was playing Kiba's phone. Naruto's yells from time to time still overpowered the silence Aburame and Sasuke had, even combined. The boy with the sunglasses was still calm and composed while Sasuke glared at the annoying blond.

"Argh!" shouted Naruto. Sasuke could only guess that his character died again.

"Weak," commented Sasuke with a smirk before taking another slice from the box. He was almost pretty surprised that it was not empty yet, knowing Kiba and Naruto. "You call yourself a gamer?"

"Because I am a gamer," Naruto retorted with a grin as his character was respawning.

"You can hardly beat me at Daybreak Battles," countered Sasuke.

Maybe it was the boredom, but damn, Sasuke really wanted to just talk to someone. He was left with Naruto, of all people. Then again, there was no way he would be talking to the weird boy with sunglasses. Sure, Sasuke was not the type to talk to people randomly, yet he gets bored from time to time.

"Because duh, you buy gems," Naruto commented in a matter-of-factly manner. The blond stuck his tongue out before shouting again. "Gah! I'm dead again."

"Noob," Sasuke said with a mocking smirk. "Yes, I buy gems. So what? I only buy those for skins and icon borders."

"Skinner!" shouted Naruto, putting his eyes off the game since it would take him several seconds before his character would go back to life once more. "So what if you beat me in Daybreak Bats? I can beat you in every game I know."

"Wake up, loser," said Sasuke, munching on the pizza. He tossed the crust to the nearest dog he could find. When the dog caught it, Sasuke smirked. "Good boy."

"What was that?"

"I was talking to the dog, idiot," mumbled Sasuke. Going back to the game, he continued, "You can't beat me even if you tried."

"Oh yeah. Out of topic. I streamed last night," Naruto started. "Guess who decided to watch?"

"Why would I?" asked Sasuke, earning a small huff from the excited blond.

"Fine. Don't guess," Naruto said flatly. His mood suddenly changed when he continued, "Sakura-chan!"

"Should I be impressed?" Sasuke deadpanned.

And then he remembered. The blond had a huge crush on the girl who had a crush on him. It never really mattered until now. Especially now. He remembered what happened the day before that. How Sasuke went out with Sakura because he had no choice but to go out on a 'date' with the pink haired girl.

"Aren't you?" asked Naruto, giving him a small glance with furrowed eyebrows before putting his blue eyes on the game. "Well, but anyways, she watched the whole streaming session and I just got so inspired, 'ya know?"

"Good for you," mumbled Sasuke before grabbing himself a plastic cup with orange juice on it. "Did you win?"

"Yeah I won, and yeah it was nice, 'ya know?" continued the blond. "I mean, she never commented anything but it's good to know that she watched. Which kinda reminds me. . ."

"Hnnn?" asked Sasuke, having no choice but to listen at the blond.

"Well, you see, when I asked Sakura-chan for dinner yesterday. . .'cause 'ya know? Dinner with Baachan and all," started Naruto. "But she told me that. . .she had a date with you. . ."

The blond's voice kept trailing. In every word, Sasuke could feel a small hint of betrayal and somehow sadness. But then, Sasuke did not feel guilty or anything close to that. After all, he did nothing wrong. He would just explain to the blond and that's that.

"And. . .I just want to clarify some things," said Naruto with an almost shaky voice as he scratched the back of his head. The raven haired body already knew that his best pal was trying his best to compose himself. "Are you dating Sakura-chan? I mean, I kinda understand if you do because she's amazing and she's just one of the coolest people I know."

"No," Sasuke answered shortly. "I'm not dating anyone."

"But Sakura-chan wouldn't lie, would she?" asked Naruto. The Uchiha did not miss the fact that the blond's voice almost cracked. "Did you go out on a date w-with her?"

Sasuke let out a breath before massaging his temples. It would be a long ride if he would explain everything to the Uzumaki. But then, if he didn't, the blond's play would probably be wonky again. It has happened several times whenever the pink haired girl does something that would hurt Naruto. Deep down, Sasuke knows that the Haruno does not know much about her effect on the blond, but it's not like he could do anything about it

"I wouldn't count it as a date," Sasuke started. Upon the phrase, Naruto let out a frustrated yet sad sigh. At this, Sasuke cleared his throat before saying, "Yes, I did agree to eat with her in a restaurant that she picked, but only because she aided me in our last official game last year."

"It's normal for her to aid us but wh—"

"It is, and I don't care, honestly. I just didn't want her to keep texting me about going on a date. It was one time, and it won't happen again," concluded the Uchiha with a grunt at the end. "I don't like her and she knows it. So I suggest you stop worrying about it, loser."

"Hmpf, bastard," commented Naruto. Sasuke could see that his mood had changed as there was assurance in his words. And it's not only about assurance, it was the truth. "So did you answer the Journalist girl? I mean, 'ya know? If 'ya didn't, we —"

"The Hyuuga girl?" asked Sasuke, cutting Naruto off. "'Course I did."

Sasuke did really want to stop thinking about her, but now that someone opened a topic about her, why the hell not?

"Oh you did?" said Naruto with an almost surprised look. "How come? Weren't you with Sakura-chan yesterday?"

"Idiot," mumbled the raven haired boy. He didn't want to explain, but he was bored anyways. "I just ate dinner with her and went back to Hyuuga."

"No lies?" asked Naruto. "'Cause if you haven't, we can go to their place. 'Ya know? To answer her questions."

Sasuke's eyes widened. He didn't care if Naruto or Shino saw the way he reacted. Naruto know where she lives — well, it's not like he would go there every day, Sasuke just knew to himself that there was something quite interesting about it.

"Wait," he paused. "You know where the Hyuuga girl lives?"

"Yuh, duh," the blond responded. "She lives with our team captain, Neji-san. Cousin. Duh. Family. Duh."

"I don't even know where that goody two shoes live," Sasuke mumbled. Grunting, he continued, "And can you stop saying 'duh?' It irritates the hell out of me."

"We've been there a couple of times bastard," muttered Naruto. "I'm not surprised you dunno because well, it's you. Anyways, the Hyuuga compound is just around the corner. Once you see this big traditional mansion, yah, it's that."

Even if he tried, he wouldn't remember so he just shut it all off.

"Yeah I don't remember," said Sasuke, trying his best to sound uninterested.

"Bastard." It was a long time before Naruto spoke again. "They have a court all for themselves. I believe Hanabi — that was her name — 'ya know? The kid with a large forehead who would always watch us play? Yeah, the youngest Hyuuga loves to play basket, too. Neji-san might've mentioned it a few times, and it sorta remained in my mind. So the father, Hyuuga-san, was very supportive of it and have decided to build their own court."

"I don't remember whoever the hell she is," Sasuke muttered, now losing interest as there was nothing about Hinata anymore. He tried to sound uninterested as he spoke again, "Any more about the Hyuugas?"

"Bastard, if you're just gonna mutter sarcasm, I'm no longer at your service," mumbled the blond. Sasuke found Naruto's way of speaking a little bit sassy, but he was never going to admit that. "Anyhoo, so this girl from yesterday. Yeah, that shy Hyuuga, well, I dunno much about her but I do hear she's nice."

"Ya think?" mumbled Sasuke sarcastically.

"Nah nah, she's really nice," he said. "The Fall promenade for a cause last year was her idea. The Hyuuga submitted it to Baachan. Baachan didn't like the idea because conservative chuchus and whatnot, but Hyuuga said that the collected money will be donated to charity."

The worst part was: Sasuke did not even attend the said event. It was because A) girls would keep asking him to dance and B) angry boyfriends would threaten him once again. Not that he would be threatened, it was just a pain in the arse.

"And why do you know this?" Sasuke asked, raising a brow.

"Perks of having a principal relative." The blond grinned. "We've met last year. Dunno if she remembers. She seems like the type who would instantly forget the people she talked to because of studies."

"I doubt she'll forget what happened yesterday," whispered Sasuke with a small triumphant smirk.

"What was that?" asked Naruto who obviously did not hear what Sasuke just asked.

"I said, how come you remember everything when your memory sucks?" lied Sasuke.

"Ah look who's talking," Naruto said with a small laugh. "You wouldn't be impressed 'cause, 'ya know? You have a court in your home, too."

The Uchiha didn't like the way Naruto said those words. It was like he was pointing out that they were rich, when in fact it was only his father who was rich. Well, that's what you get when you have good looks, you're a prodigy in basketball, and you also happen to have a business.

"That's what happens when your father is a millionaire who doesn't have anything to do with his money," mumbled Sasuke. "I'd rather play in a floor-less or roof-less court than play there."

"Which kinda reminds me, 'no?" said Naruto again. "We've never tried playing in your house, like as a team. I've been there several times, yes, but not as a team."

"Why the hell would you think that I'd call everyone in the team just to play in my father's house?" asked Sasuke without preamble, raising his brow at his friend. "It's not like they'll agree."

"Oh come on," Naruto muttered. "Your father's nice."

"Maybe some other time," Sasuke said, finally taking an account to what Naruto said.

He would always think about it. How his father would leave him alone in their house, together with some of the maids because he'd be going to business trips or interviews all across the globe. There were even times when Fugaku would just be home and Sasuke would not even know.

It was barely a home, but he didn't mind.

"Oy, Aburame!" called Naruto, facing the boy with sunglasses. "'Ya know where Kiba's charger is?"

"Ask him, he's by the gate," said Kiba flatly.

At this, though bored, Sasuke's eyes went over to the gate. Nothing extraordinary. It was just Inuzuka and their good-for-nothing team captain. But there was someone behind Neji. Tilting his head to get a better view, Sasuke failed to look at who it was. But he was not stupid.

It was that damn Hyuuga girl. Blue haired girl, creamy skin, was shorter than Neji, and kept her head low. Yes, it was Hinata.

"The gods must've blessed me," he thought out loud.

"What was that, bastard?" asked Naruto.

"None of your business," Sasuke replied absentmindedly, mouth agape while still waiting for the journalist to show herself. When the gate finally opened, he thought he would get a better view, but Neji was blocking the Hyuuga girl behind him.

When Neji finally got out of the way, Sasuke suddenly wanted to thank the guy — even if he found the dude annoying.

There, he got a better view of Hinata. Indeed, she was the most stunning girl Sasuke has ever laid eyes on. She still had the pink tinge in her cheeks just like yesterday. For someone who fits perfect in trendy clothing, the Hyuuga wore the weirdest combinations he had ever laid eyes on. Who wears multiple layers of clothes in this time of the day? Apparently, Hyuuga. Her eyes weren't anywhere in particular but the papers she was holding onto.

Wait, papers?

"Uzumaki," Neji called, his eyes glaring at Naruto. At this, Hinata stopped looking at the paper she was looking at and turned her soft eyes to look at her cousin. "Come here."

"Sure thing, capt!"

The enthusiasm of Naruto didn't irritate Sasuke. It may be because his attention was somewhere else. Still, the shy girl was only looking at Neji. It was both a blessing and a curse. He didn't want her to look at him and catch him looking, but he also didn't want her eyes to be just on her cousin.

"What is it capt?" asked Naruto, smiling brightly.

"You answered your questionnaire wrong," Neji said, grunting. "Now answer it."

"I did?" asked Naruto.

"Why would I even talk to you if you didn't?" asked Neji, raising a brow at the blond.

"Well, you talk to me when you're irritated," muttered Naruto, loud enough for everyone to hear. Kiba laughed at the remark before walking over to Shino. "Well, I'm not wrong?"

While everyone was making a fuss, Sasuke just stared at the girl. How come is she not looking at me? He thought with furrowed eyebrows. Well, Sasuke never really looked at other girls, so he would not know if they also did not want him to look at them. Still, when someone stares at him, he would feel it. So why would this Hyuuga not even glance at him?

Deciding not to mind the small question Sasuke had in mind, he just stared at Hinata.

"Damn it," he whispered to himself once Naruto blocked his view.

"Let's go now," Neji said, turning his back away from everyone before walking out of the gate. Hinata did not walk nor do anything, she just stood there which made Sasuke's eyebrows furrow more. "Come, Uchiha. We don't have all day."

That was when Sasuke noticed Kiba and Shino were already outside the gates of the Inuzuka's residences — along with Neji who was leading the way. Scanning the pretty Hyuuga briefly, Sasuke caught a glimpse of Naruto. Why again?

Shaking it all off, the raven haired boy walked towards the exit. All of them started walking, and when he noticed that Naruto was not with them, so was Hinata, the Uchiha decided to speak.

"Where's the loser?" he asked, trying to keep his voice as monotonous and as uninterested as possible.

Sasuke was not an idiot. No Uchiha was. He knew that Naruto was alone with Hinata. Even if he was not listening at all because he was busy staring at the stunning Hyuuga, he still knew that it was about that damned interview for the school papers. That's the reason why Naruto was with Hinata right now, and Sasuke needed to think fast. A plan, a plan that would make them come back to the Inuzuka. There was no way Hinata would stay alone with the loser for a long time. Nope. Never gonna happen.

The plan was simple: get Hinata away from Naruto.

"He's with Hinata-chan," answered Kiba who was holding the ball.

Sasuke did not miss the endearment. Why though? Was the dog boy close with Hinata? No, that would be impossible. She did not seem to be the type would love dogs. The Hyuuga girl was a probably a cat person.

"Hinata did not notice it yesterday," said Neji with a startling grunt that almost hurt Sasuke's throat. "Uzumaki answered the inspiration question wrong."

"What do you mean wrong?" asked Kiba.

"As in wrong," Neji grumbled. "He wrote, 'I am always inspired.' Tsk."

"He won't be with us then," muttered Sasuke, taking a look at Neji who was still up front. They were still only a few turns from the Inuzuka residences, so Sasuke knew he could still make his way into catching them with his plan. He clicked his tongue, "So the journalist is alone with the loser."

"Yeah, they'll prolly catch up," said Kiba, tossing the ball in the air for Shino — who was just trailing before him — to catch. "One question and they'd have to be alone together."

It was good. Kiba was doing something that could potentially force Neji to come back to the Inuzuka.

"Tch," the Uchiha clicked his tongue again. "I wonder if she could bear the loser."

"My cousin can," Neji grumbled. Sasuke could only roll his eyes.

"Oh yeah," agreed Kiba before Sasuke could even speak. He could almost feel his eyes wanting to roll themselves out. "If she faints around him, he'll probably just panic and wouldn't know what to do."

Kiba said it with audible amusement that made Sasuke flinch. Neji stopped walking, but did not look at them. Instead, the captain started walking towards the opposite direction without even sharing a glance back at his team.

But with Kiba's words, Sasuke noticed something. Fainted. It was not normal for someone like Kiba to use such a word like it was something that happens occasionally. And Neji. The words of Kiba urged Neji into walking away.

"Where are ya going?" asked Kiba, his hands by his cheeks to somehow put an effect.

"I'll be back," Neji replied while still walking. "You go ahead. I'll catch up."

"We can go with y—"

"Just go, damn it!" Neji shouted, now walking faster than his normal pace.

Sasuke could only smirk. His plans always worked. It did not happen the way he briefly imagined it, but at least it happened.

On their way to the public court, Sasuke could not help but whistle a familiar melody. Indeed, he was in a good mood. He even walked with little bits of enthusiasm as if he was walking on the clouds. The happy sighs Sasuke gave from time to time was not something he could prevent, so he just let it all out. Kiba was looking at him strangely, but the Uchiha did not mind.

"Ah finally," Sasuke said, his smirk widening as he dropped foot in the court.

There were a few players in the place — most are children or in their early teens. He would not mind them. They're just little kids he would not mind playing with. Until, of course, they say the magic words, 'Are you an Uchiha?'

"Who are you and what have you done with the Uchiha?" asked Kiba, raising a brow at Sasuke.

"None of your business," Sasuke said, smirking without looking at him.

Sasuke sat in the nearest bench he could find to tie his laces. While he could hear Aburame and Inuzuka, he chose not to mind them. They were just talking about the 'Gaara' of Suna High.

Did that red head frighten them? Thought Sasuke, a small disbelieving look displayed in his face.

Not that he was arrogant about basketball, it was just that — even if Sasuke would never admit it out loud — Konoha Academy's basketball team is actually one of the best. From generations to another, the Academy was known for their basketball games. Especially now that were complete.

"What do you think, Uchiha?" asked Kiba.

"Tis just an exhibition game," said Sasuke, shrugging his shoulders just a bit.

Yes, he was not paying attention, but Sasuke knew what they were talking about. Teachers would call him out for that, especially during their classes. There were times when he would stare at the window or something that could be distracting, and their lecturers would call him and ask him questions. He could answer them all anyways. But why would they think that he was not listening.

"Still. . ." started Kiba. "We should win it."

"Doesn't matter," Sasuke said, looking at the boys in their early teens who were playing.

"Doesn't matter?!" echoed Kiba, his voice echoing in the court.

"Uchiha's only saying it does not matter if we win or lose in the exhibition game," said Shino which surprised Sasuke since he rarely hears the man's voice. Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes, but he just averted his eyes from them to look at nowhere in particular. "If we lose, they would not treat us differently. If we win, they would still treat us differently because it's always expected of K.A. to excel in basketball."

Finally, someone who makes sense, thought Sasuke. He would never admit it out loud, but he loved it when people made sense. They were all just nonsense, and he could not do anything about it. For now though, he could not help but appreciate Shino's argument.

"Neji-san's taking too slow," Kiba said with a small huff.

"I'm right here," said Neji.

Sasuke did not bother to look, as he heard the small surprise Hinata gave. He could only smirk. Neji brought Hinata with him. It was enough. The plan was to get Naruto away from the gorgeous Hyuuga, yet the gods must have been blessing Sasuke to let her see the very same day and at the same time: to let her come with them.

Still, Sasuke tried his best not to look at her.

After quite a while, their team started playing with the teens on the court. Again, just applying the basic rules. There were about ten teens in the same court as they were, and Neji let the kids play with them. To simplify it, it was 10 vs 4 since Naruto was still with Hinata.

While they were playing though, Sasuke was mostly distracted. He would steal glances at the loser and the stunning Hyuuga, but it was as if they had their own world. And though the Uchiha was running and his focus was on the ball, he still caught snapshots of Naruto and Hinata.

And well damn. Every time his dark eyes would fall to his friend and that girl he was undoubtedly head other heels with, Sasuke could only frown. They were talking to each other like they have known each other for a really long time. What sucks was that Hyuuga was blushing. And that loser seemed to like it!

It was after a few minutes when the teens asked for a timeout. It was barely even a game, but Sasuke figured that these teens were battling against a group of dudes who are much older than them. In addition, they were also much trained so Sasuke understood.

"Tee-hee," Naruto approached them with a grin, his hand on the back of his head. "Interview with Hinata-chan right there is done."

"Hinata-chan?" questioned Neji, raising a brow.

"It should've been done eons ago," said Sasuke, only to trigger Neji more. If he triggered their grumpy captain, Neji would never allow Naruto to speak with his cousin ever again. Great plan. Great plan indeed. "It was only one question."

The male Hyuuga looked at Sasuke briefly as if he took the words into consideration before looking back at Naruto.

"Uzumaki," called Neji, his voice sterner. "It took you several whole minutes to just answer one question?"

"Hey hey, it's not my fault I got into other stories," said Naruto defensively. "Besides, I would not want to leave Hinata-chan all alone without any musings, so yeah, I entertained her."

"Oh so you're an entertainer now?" asked Neji, his face stamped with annoyance. Just before "Uzumaki. Do I need to remind you that we need to practice?"

"Yeah, sorry Capt," said Naruto defeatedly. But then, he smiled again and said, "Okay. I'm ready!"

"Warm up first," Shino said. The boy in sunglasses started walking towards the nearest bench which is actually close to where Hinata was seated. "Then we'll play."

"Awwe but you didn't warm up," said Naruto.

"Who said we didn't?" lied Sasuke before walking towards where Shino sat.

"Hinata-chan," called Shino.

"Shino-kun!" greeted the girl with much adoration.

At this, Sasuke's ear perched up. They knew each other? Who knew that the weird boy who always wore sunglasses were friends with the shy journalist. Seriously though, was Sasuke the only guy in their team who knew nothing of the pretty girl? Damn. He had been missing.

"Your cousin's pretty mad by the way," said Kiba who was suddenly in front of Shino. He had his hands on his waist and shook his head. "Uzumaki couldn't get a clue of what's happening. Dumb. Literally dumb."

"He's not dumb," Shino said. Seriously, every time the guy talks, Sasuke could not help but jump a bit. He was always quiet, a man of few words, really. "It's just his nature to not analyze everything."

"Sounds pretty dumb to me," said Kiba.

"Kiba-kun, that's not nice," commented the Hyuuga.

"Oh Hinata-chan, there's a lot of not nice things in the world," Kiba said with a small laugh. He ruffled with her hair and said, "But yeah. Stay precious."

Sasuke could feel her frown and could not help but smirk a little at the thought. Of course he still had not looked at her, just to make her miss him. It was not proven, nor tested, but Sasuke just wanted to know if it was true. Yet he did not want her to feel uncomfortable, just uneasy.

While Sasuke wanted to somehow say a word that would remind Kiba that Naruto was his friend and Sasuke was right there, he did not. It was insulting if other people talked about your best pal in a negative manner. It was just wrong. Anyways, Sasuke chose not to mind. He would only speak if they got out of their boundaries. Sasuke was the only one who had the rights to insult Naruto. That was an unspoken fact.

"When will we be reading the masterpiece?" asked Kiba.

"Kiba-kun, wh-what masterpiece?" asked Hinata shyly. That was when Sasuke noticed that it was her first stutter of today. Why?

"The article thingy," answered the Inuzuka. "The thing you have written about us!"

"Oh, that," the girl said. "It'll be published as soon as I have written it because it's the only missing piece for our newspaper. I- I just missed one detail about N-n-naruto-kun."

N-n-naruto-KUN.

What the actual. . .

And then just like that, break was over but Neji had to excuse himself away. Just like that, Hinata was gone with Neji. Neji must have brought her home. She did not even say good bye to the team. He did not even talk to her!

"Damn Hyuuga," muttered Sasuke when both of Neji and Hinata's shadows were gone.

Damn it, no. That was just so wrong of Neji to do so.

So instead of having someone to impress, Sasuke just played like his normal days. But then, he could not help but grieve in the gorgeous Hyuuga's absence. She was just right there! And their arrogant captain took her away! Sasuke never hated Neji more until that very moment.

The day went on like normal days when they had their time to play. Sasuke was a bit unmotivated, but he just played along. His mood may be a bit sour, but it was still not bad enough to affect his game.

When they were done playing — thank goodness they were done playing — Sasuke left the court without saying goodbye to the team. What sucks was, that, even from afar, he could hear Naruto's loud voice. And Sasuke knew that the blond was catching up.

"Don't talk to me," said Sasuke coolly as he walked with his eyes straight ahead. He rarely blinked. And it was probably because it would show Naruto that he was irritated.

"Jeez, both you and Capt Neji are in a foul mood today," commented Naruto, losing his grin. For a second, Sasuke was guilty but lost it when Naruto smiled again. "Eh, it's not like I'm not used to it. I'm your best friend."

"Tsk," he clicked his tongue. "Best friend."

"What was that?" asked Naruto who was still on his great mood. "Oh you're probably just gonna say nothing. Whatever. Oh which sorta reminds me, Hinata-chan asked about you."

Sasuke almost stopped walking, thankfully he was still in the right mind.

"Why would I care?" Sasuke retorted, trying his best to compose himself into a grumpy one.

"Fine," Naruto said as if he was enough of the Uchiha's bullcrap.

Immediately, Sasuke wanted to take back what he said. He should've asked what the heck Hyuuga asked about Naruto. As much as he wanted to scream, Sasuke's face remained as stoic as his usual. Wrong move. Bad choice! A really bad one.

Damn you Sasuke and your stupid plans.


"Hmp!" Hinata could not help but whimper out of frustrations as she could not bring herself to write the paragraph about the Uchiha.

Whenever boys talk to her, it bothered her. It bothered her so much that she just wanted to walk away most of the time. The only boys she could talk to was Kiba and Shino. They were just. . .nice. Maybe someday she could add Naruto to the list, but for now, it was kind of impossible.

But then, Uchiha Sasuke. He did not even talk to her this day, or just simply look at her. She did not like him, nor know him. Yet why was she bothered that he did not?

It was almost anxiety inducing. What was even more anxiety inducing was the fact that she asked Naruto something that could mislead her.

"W-why did I even ask N-naruto-kun of Uchiha's relationship?" she softly asked the wind.

It was Monday the next morning, so Hinata had no choice to get the article done. Then again, she was uninspired and unmotivated to get it done. There were still a few paragraphs left to be written. Hinata wanted to waste no time, but seeing as she could not bring herself to write one single word about the Uchiha, she could only sigh.

Deciding to write her other pending articles first, she found herself feeling refreshed. Writing was her escape. It was therapeutic to say the least.

After writing around two feature articles and one literary piece, the unfinished one was still pending. The unfinished paper was of course about the basketball team. Hinata enjoyed writing about Neji, Kiba, Shino, and Naruto. The rest was somehow in average. But Uchiha, that was another thing.

"Hinata?" asked her father from the other side of the door.

Her eyes widened in shock, but before she could mutter a reply, Hinata immediately grabbed the bottle of water by her desk and drank its contents.

"Come in, Otou-san," Hinata permitted, grabbing her other stool from the corner of her room for her father to sit at. When the door opened, it revealed Hiashi. Hinata gave the stool to Hiashi which he gladly accepted. "How was work, Otou-san?"

"The usual," answered Hiashi with a small shrug. "And you? How was your day?"

"Nothing m-much happened, Otou-san," the daughter confirmed, cheeks reddening. "Neji-nii's teammates were here earlier."

"In here?"

"Oh, I meant in here. Neighborhood." Slowly, Hinata regained herself. "They practiced."

"Ah yes, Neji has mentioned about the practice game with Suna and their exhibition game in the next week," said Hiashi, nodding his head lightly. "How about you? Are you done with your articles?"

"Not yet, Otou-san," admitted the daughter with a small tightening smile. She turned her back on her father and grabbed a piece of paper and handed it over to her father. When his father brought out his reading glasses from his pocket, he started reading its contents. "What do you think?"

"You have one error there," said her father, pointing at one of the words. "The rest is good. Well done."

That was their only bonding as father and daughter. Hiashi would read her works and point out her mistakes. There were even times when he would help her with her vocabulary as she is very limited in it. It was one of the disadvantages of being a newswriter.

All in all, it was a nice bonding.

In fact, in their family, Hiashi would check on everyone. He would check on Hinata's articles, then with Hanabi's basketball, and then with Neji's basketball.

Then again, Hiashi was not always like this. He used to be so distant from his own family. There was even a time when Hinata did not see her father for more than six months. It was unusual, but when he came back, he was never the same. The father was much closer to them all, and it was nice. At first, it was scary, but Hinata got the hang of it after some time.

Some of the maids even joked her that they were probably getting a stepmother, but after months of waiting, there was none. He just. . .changed. And it was a good thing.

"Thank you," she said, taking the paper back. Running her correction tape over the error, she continued, "Otou-san."

"Hm." There was a small sigh that Hiashi let out before he continued. "I booked an appointment with your principal the other day."

"What is it about?" asked Hinata as her curiosity started to perk up.

"Eye tests," said her father simply. "Reading glasses. Check ups. Symposiums. For free. It is Konoha Academy we are taking about. Every student must have the privilege of knowing about their eyes."

"Oh, that's good to hear," replied Hinata with a soft smile.

Indeed, her father was a little too passionate about his work. That was why it was ensured that everything around the Hyuuga household is approved by her father. It was to protect their eyes. Unfortunately, even if Hinata's eyes were pretty sharp, she also had to take sharp breaths every now and then. Funny.

"Ko told me you didn't join them for dinner," stated Hiashi. "Any reason why?"

"It's nothing, Otou-san," assured Hinata with a small smile. Well, it was really nothing if you think about it. There was no big deal. It was only her own musings that made it a big deal. "I was just not in the mood."

"Was it a boy?" asked Hiashi blankly.

Hinata tried to look for something in her father's features that would help her figure out if it was a joke. There was none. His father neither looked negative nor positive about his own question. Either way, Hinata will never take the risk and agree.

"No, Otou-san," said Hinata, silently thanking her own mind for helping her speak straight.

"Stress?" asked his father.

"You're doing it again!" yelled her little sister who was suddenly by the door, making Hinata jump from her seat. Her heart suddenly started beating fast, and it took her several seconds before she could calm down. "You're acting doctor inside the house again! I thought we had an agreement you'll only speak doctor outside?"

"Hanabi! You should not shout like that!" scolded her father. Her father stood from his chair and helped Hinata compose herself — even grabbing the nearest folder to fan her. "Especially when your sister is around."

"Uhm sorry. . ." apologized her sister, walking closer to rub Hinata's back. "Sorry."

"F-forgiven," said Hinata, reaching for the bottle of water before drinking. When she has finally composed herself, Hanabi walked a step backward while her father took his sit once more. "Please don't d-do it again."

"I'll try. . ." Hanabi said, pouting, making Hinata smile. "What?"

"Don't just try," Hinata said with a sweet smile. She ran her fingers down Hanabi's hair and smiled widely when her little sister showed no signs of walking away. "Practice it."

"Hmm okay," said the child. "But can we play basketball tomorrow after your school?"

"You know your sister can't," intervened their father. "You can call Neji."

"But he's so ruthless!" said Hanabi, pouting. She stomped her feet and said, "He does not even care if I get injured."

"Of course I do," said Neji who peeked through the door. "With all due respect, Uncle, your daughter can be bratty at times."

"I am not bratty!" defended Hanabi, looking at their father in disbelief.

"I said 'can be' bratty," said Neji, crossing his arms and looking at Hanabi with a cocked eyebrow. If it was Hinata he was looking at, she would have broken the eye contact before it even started. But Hanabi was not intimidated, she just competed with the staring contest. "Know the difference."

Hinata saw the small flicker of amusement in Hiashi's eyes as he looked back at Neji and his youngest daughter. Indeed, it was an amusing sight to see. Neji and Hanabi were always like that. The boy was obviously having fun with their exchange of words and Hanabi would never back down. There was even a time when Hanabi did not talk to Neji for days just because she lost in their fight.

"I know," agreed Hiashi, nodding with eyes closed. "Having two daughters who took after their mother, it is normal."

And then, Hinata's mother was mentioned. It was almost taboo, but not really. There would be no violent reaction towards it. It was just something Hinata, Hanabi, nor Neji could not speak of. Same goes for Neji's father.

"Come here, Neji," said Hiashi, motioning where Neji would stand which is only a few steps away from his own. Once Neji was there, he continued, "I know you love your cousins, and your cold image is your way to show them. That was how I was, too. You know it. I know it. But do please remember that Hanabi is still a child."

Neji only nodded, taking his Uncle's words seriously.

"Then again," the father continued. "It is fine if you left her injured. Let it serve as a lesson that she's not invincible."

"I'm right here! It's not always my fault. Neji-nii san is just too harsh on me when we play," murmured Hanabi. "He would play with me and he'd show off these cool tricks like he invented them. Pft. If I know, he just copies tricks from Uchiha Fugaku."

At the mention of Uchiha, Hinata let out a cough. All of their attention turned to her so she grabbed her bottle of water once more and drank the remaining contents.

"The Uchihas copy other moves, too," said their father as if it was a known fact. "Everyone does, Hanabi."

"Neji-nii has no originality," concluded Hanabi. The young girl clasped her hands together and rubbed them. "Tomorrow, I'll practice tricks."

"Basketball isn't always about tricks," said Hinata, smiling at her adorable little sister. "It's about —"

"Sportsmanship, I know," continued her little sister, pouting. "Please just play with me. I'm getting tired of playing with him. Otou-san wouldn't let me play with the boys in the neighborhood, so it kinda sucks."

"Language, Hanabi. Remember your speech lessons," warned her father. "I couldn't simply let you play with the boys in the neighborhood. At a young age, they already have their girlfriends. You are, after all, too young to have a boyfriend."

"Like I care about those," puffed Hanabi. Her thumb pointed at Hinata, making Hinata giggle lightly. "How come she does not have any boyfriend? You won't let her still?"

"Hinata?" asked her father, earning a small nod from Hanabi. If Hinata was being honest, she didn't want to know why. "Your sister is almost in the legal age, Hanabi. As for you, you are only 12."

"So Hinata can have a boyfriend?" asked Neji, cocking a brow. Hinata did not like the way Neji asked the question. It did not help with the fact that her cousin was too overprotective in terms of flirting and whatnot.

"Of course," answered Hiashi, looking at Hinata and then at Neji. "We need to know who the lucky guy is, of course. And if anybody asks her on a date, he would have to go through me first."

And then Hinata remembered that time with the Uchiha.

"If I ask you out, will you go out with me?"

"If I ask you out, will you go out with me?"

"If I ask you out, will you go out with me?"

The question rang through her brain like it was an echo that never fades. Her heart started beating wildly once more. Nope. There was no way. Not at all.

Uchiha Sasuke was not asking her out. There was no way. Not really. Especially now that he has proven that he was just messing with her mind yesterday. The raven haired boy did not even look at her today. And when Hinata thought he did, she probably was wrong.

"Now let us leave Hinata with her work to do," instructed the father of their family, holding onto Hanabi's hand and onto Neji's hoodie before walking out the door. Before the elder has completely left the room, he continued, "If you get hungry, just ask Ko."

"Thank you, Otou-san," Hinata said with a smile.

Hinata did not know what has gotten onto her, but she found herself looking for favorite pen. And just like that. . .Hinata found herself writing Uchiha's paragraph.


Hello. So, I'm sorry for not updating this one. I would say no excuses, but I had to keep up with my chapter board to ensure that everything will go according to plan. Yet, rest assured that I will continue my stories. I know what it feels like to be abandoned lol.

Anyways, thank you for reading. Also also, I hope this chapter's okay? I wanted to try a much nicer Hiashi, yet at the same still strict but still kind. You know? The one who understands his daughters. Ya get me? If it doesn't make sense, I'll try to add more substance to it in the following chapters. It's an AU for a reason anyways. So yeah.

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine. I own nothing.