I know everyone must hate me or be plain sick of me. I know, I know, I'm awful. I really have no excuse for not uploading anything in so long. Well, the semester is over and I'm back from vacation so I'm hoping to have more time to work on my fanfictions and complete all my outstanding ones as well as post new ones. Anyway, the way I've planned it, this fic should have no more than 18 chapters. Sounds like a lot, I know, but there's just so much I want to say.

To everyone who's stuck by this story since it's first draft, thank you so much. I got a lot of angry messages last time I updated from people who are upset with me for changing everything around. I'm sorry to you all. I hope that this version isn't too shitty.

Thank you for reading

- Rampantt.

Cover My Eyes

by, Rampantt

Chapter Four: Opportunity

Sasuke rolled his shoulders back, studying himself in the restroom mirror of Hyuuga Enterprises. Today was his interview with the corporation for the project in the Hot Springs Country. He had been running around for weeks trying to prepare himself and his team for the possible job. This needed to be perfect; the future of his firm depended on this.

"Ready?" a voice asked by his ear.

His onyx hues shifted to peer at his employee, Suigetsu Hozuki. He was standing there with an expression that matched his own; hardened eyes and tensed lips with creased brows that only barely concealed how nervous he felt on the inside. Silently, Sasuke took a deep breath and nodded his head.

"Ah."

Suigetsu nodded in return and existed the restroom first. Sasuke hung back a while longer and studied himself one last time. He donned a pair of pressed black slacks and a white button down with a black sweater and thin black tie tucked beneath it. After a week of going without, the youngest Uchiha shaved at last, his cheeks smooth and clean –he even spoiled his raven locks that morning by running a comb through it to settle the otherwise dark disaster. Sasuke, glancing at the gold Rolex snapped around his wrist, took another deep breath and excused himself from the restroom –he could only stall for so long.

He let himself out into the foyer where he met with his team, Suigetsu and Karin.

"Are we good?" Sasuke asked, eying the scale model of the atrium Karin wheeled in.

She nodded her head, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Yeah."

A nervous tick started in his jaw as he looked down at his watch once again –they were scheduled to make their presentation in six minutes. Sasuke found himself taking another deep breath as they waited to be called. It was 11:54am and two groups had gone before them. Sasuke had checked out their projects and he had to admit, he was impressed; the competition was stiff it seemed.

"Uchiha & Company?" a voice sounded.

The three of them turned to find the door to the conference room slightly ajar with a brown haired woman smiling them politely. "The board will see you now."

Sasuke bobbed his head and then signaled for his group to follow behind him.

The room was bright with nine men and women dressed in plain black suits seated around a mahogany desk. They all varied in age, some with greying hair at their temples and others with full heads of white silk, one however was different from them all, Sasuke noticed. A dark haired male with familiar white eyes sat at what he assumed to be the head of the table, an even expression masking his face.

"Welcome," the apparent head spoke.

"Thank you for having us," Sasuke spoke for his team, bowing his head a bit followed by Karin and Suigetsu.

After a few minutes of setting up, the lights were cut and the gang was ready to begin.

"For the past four decades, Hyuuga Enterprises had been ahead of its competitors on every level –including entertainment and luxury," Sasuke started out as the power point behind him started up, featuring clips of Hyuuga Enterprises' past endeavors.

"But as time goes on, its hard to stay relevant without branching out into new territory," he continued, watching as the power point moved on. "And I've got to be honest, my associates and I are were glad to hear that your company was ready to branch out into the hotel industry because we were ready to give the world a brand new kind of vacationing experience."

The boardmembers bobbed their heads, few making audible sounds as the power point moved on and an image of a 17 story, sleek building with white stained windows appeared on the screen. Sasuke was proud of himself at their visible interest but he knew the one he really needed to impress was the younger man at the end of the table. He was watching them with an expression that was hard to read; in fact, Sasuke wasn't even sure if the man was paying him any attention at all. He could feel his nerves worrying him but he suppressed those feelings and continued on with the presentation.

"We at Uchiha & Company, are glad to bring you, the newest trend in the hotel industry," he continued on as Karin wheeled in the model.

A few of them leaned closer, observing with various shades of eyes the scale model of what he hoped to be the Hyuuga's new hotel.

"This hotel not only has the advantage of being in the Hot Springs country, but it offers a multitude in advantages for families," Sasuke offered. "Each suite is outfitted to accommodate a family of four with enough space it'll seem as though they're all on their own private vacations."

The slide switched to show what inside one of the many suites would look like. Karin followed up by pulling from the bottom of the cart, a scale model of a suite and passed it to one of the board members. The group of nine all studied the model with more than mild interest, a few of them stared with raised eyebrows – Sasuke took that as a good sign.

"Then again, if the family should wish to have some quality time together, each suite is equipped with a spacious living area," he continued to speak as the slides changed. "Now I know I said each suite was family orientated, but that was a lie; each wing of each floor is designated for either family or personal suites with combos such as 'singles', 'doubles' and 'triples', all of which with a-joining doors."

The board members seemed impressed, Sasuke noted, as the scale models of each room type were passed around. His focus, however, was still on the man who sat at the head of the table. He studied each prototype with less than mild interest, which was giving Sasuke a sinking feeling in his gut. He knew they would have an equal vote, but Sasuke was sure this man's vote was the most important; he was clearly the more influential board member.

The conference continued on with Sasuke and his team showcasing the many different levels there was to the hotel experience they offered Hyuuga Enterprises; the three ballrooms, the beach, the restaurant port, the cruise dock, the seven different gyms, the two auditoriums, the four pools and finally, the main attraction, the casino.

Sasuke was honestly proud of himself and of his team. Whether they got it or not, Sasuke made a mental note to tell them both that. They had worked hard for countless hours and many sleepless nights. He remembered how difficult it was at first and how they couldn't seem to agree on anything. He remembered the first draft, the second draft, the eight draft and the twelfth draft. It had been a long journey for them. He took pleasure in the fact that it was over now, however. Finally, tonight he could sleep for the first time in weeks. If he weren't so tired he'd take his team out for drinks.

When it was over, the board members clapped politely and Sasuke offered the most friendly smile he could muster up –advice from Sakura he didn't think he would take. He only hoped he didn't look like he was forcing it or some kind of creep. The board didn't seem to notice. Quietly, he thanked them for expressing their interest, himself and his team bowing respectfully –truly it was just an honor that they even considered his small team. There was no doubt in his mind that they only got this interview because of his last name. While he was grateful, he couldn't help but resent it slightly.

"Thank you for your time today," the head of the table spoke at last. He hadn't asked any questions when the time came for that, Sasuke had noticed. The head of the table merely listened to the answers they gave the other board members as they berated them with question after question. Sasuke wondered what the man was thinking the entire time. He had been so silent that Sasuke was surprised he said anything at all now. "We'll be in contact with you."

Sasuke bobbed his head in a slight bow before quietly excusing himself and his team, leaving behind them the scale models at the request of one of the board members. As they emptied out into the hall way, Sasuke felt a weight he hadn't noticed melt away from his shoulders.

"Thank God that's over with," Karin exclaimed, rubbing her hands together nervously.

"Ah," Sasuke agreed.

A sudden wave of nerves rumbled about his stomach. It was going to eat him up until he found out whether they liked his designs or not. Maybe he wouldn't be having such a good night's rest after all.

Hinata chewed at her bottom lip, essentially eating the lip balm she had smeared there earlier in the afternoon. It was Monday, her first day as an intern at Hyuuga Enterprises. It seemed a little funny that she would be an intern at a company her father owned – a company she would own one day too if all went well with this internship. She was seated in a chair against a wall among seven other individuals equally as nervous as she was. Hinata felt a little guilty to be amongst them; they had all probably worked really hard to get where they were, it wasn't easy to get an internship here and she knew it. Hinata wondered vaguely how they would feel if they knew she had been handed a spot they killed for simply because her dad was the CEO. She doubted they'd like it, Hinata barely liked it. She supposed it would be in her best interest not to let anyone who didn't already know, know her connection to the company.

The door at the end of the carpeted hall opened and they all turned their heads to peer in the direction of the noise. There stood a tall, tanned woman with thick, dark hair and black eyes. She smiled pleasantly at them. "Good afternoon to you all," the woman said. "My name is Anko Mitarashi; I work for Human Resources and as such you should consider me your boss."

The eight of them stood immediately, earning themselves a slight smile from the older woman. "Today should be simple enough," she told the group. "You'll be divided up into groups of two, making four teams, and will work closely in various departments within our company based on your skills as displayed in your applications and resumes."

Hinata already knew which department she would be in, she even knew who her immediate boss would be. The heiress swallowed past the growing lump that had lodged itself in her throat at the very thought of working closely with her cousin for the next eight weeks.

"Team A, Logistics and Planning – "

Hinata listened vaguely for her name, breathing out a soft breath when she heard it. "Team C, Franchise Development, Choji Akimichi and Hinata Hyuuga."

Hinata noticed the stares as she stood to her feet. She supposed it was impossible after all to keep her identity secret from her peers. She told herself to remain calm and that it wasn't like high school or anything – it's not like she had to worry about being bullied; right?

The heiress stood beside her teammate, offering him a kind smile to which he did not return. Hinata decided not to take it personally and stood quietly beside him, awaiting further information. When the teams were all split up they were seated once again and told to wait for their mentors to arrive then Anko disappeared. That's when the murmuring began. Hinata decided it was in her best interest to ignore the petty gossip happening around her. She had been subject to gossip before and it wasn't really as big of a deal as it once was to her. She learned that for as long as she was alive, and even in death, people would talk about her whether it be good or bad. The heiress had gotten used to early.

Ever punctual, Neji arrived right on time, with the other mentors behind him by several seconds. That was Neji for you. Hinata was mentally rolling her eyes. This would be a long day and an even longer 8 weeks.

"Good afternoon, my name is Neji Hyuuga and I'll be your mentor during this eight week process, I look forward to working with each of you. Welcome to Hyuuga Enterprises."

There were several hisses behind them and Hinata figured it was at the introduction of Neji. She supposed by now they were slowly putting the pieces together –she had connections to the higher ups there; clearly her last name had helped her get to where she was. Hinata tried not to let her thoughts get the best of her. Sure, she had an advantage over many others when it came to her position but that didn't mean she was any less deserving. She worked hard just like the rest of them; she wasn't given anything really.

"Before we get started do any of you have any questions for me?" Neji asked both her and her teammate.

She remained silent but her partner expressed far more interest than she did. "What exactly is expected of us?" Choji asked.

"Hm. Not much really, not yet anyway. The first week will be spent mostly observing so expect you to be taking notes, literally or figuratively, which ever you prefer," he explained. "Today is all introduction and what have you. At most you'll be doing some filing and maybe even a few spread sheets by the end of the day."

That didn't really seem like franchising to Hinata but she didn't complain; anyone could do filing and spread sheets. She was glad there wasn't any sort of orientation; she supposed that was because they were a small group.

"Shall we then?" Neji suggested politely as he began leading them to a row of elevators.

Already there were the other interns and their mentors, waiting by the many elevators to go to various floors. Hinata could hear the whispering but kept her head held high. So what if her mentor was her cousin? Had they known anything they were whispering about, they'd know that Neji didn't play favoritism. He was the most professional person there was, only second to her father. Her cousin would have zero problems firing her ass if she did anything to screw up. If anything, things were harder for her because her cousin was her mentor. Neji was not easily impressed. Hinata was envious of her peers that they didn't have to be paired up with him. What was her father thinking anyway?

When the doors slid open, the three of them stepped inside and Neji pushed the button for the 18th floor. The ride was slow and the room quiet as both Hyuugas stood beside Shino. Their matching clear eyes stared blandly at their reflection in the stainless steel doors before them. Hinata could practically feel the tension. Being Hyuugas, the both of them ignored it. The doors slid open once again and Neji lead the way, steering them around the corner to his office.

The walls were white and clean, his desk neat with a stack of papers on one side and a Mac desktop on the other. On one side of the room were two smaller desks, each with a white Mac laptop and few pens and pencils as well; didn't take a genius to guess where they would be sitting. At his instruction, the two took their seats at the desks, Hinata opting for the one closest to the door and furthest away from her cousin.

"Here are a few documents I want you all to sort out," Neji said, separating a stack of folders in half and handing them each their own stacks. "Start by typing up the spread sheets, when you're done, print them out, stable them to their documents and file them away in the cabinets over there," he continued, pointing to the filing cabinets on the other side of the room. "In your desks you'll find flash drives, please save everything to those as well. When you're done you can get started on your next task."

Hinata and Choji both nodded their heads and quietly began their work. The heiress stared at her reflection in the black screen as she booted up the computer before her. It was hard just being in the same room as her cousin, Hinata realized. She was far too aware of him sitting behind his desk and honestly she felt like she were suffocating. The nerves in the pit of her belly began rising up her throat, forming a large rock there. Hinata swallowed past the lump and tried to focus on her task. With a resolved sigh she set to work. She separated the folders by alphabetical order first then began to work through them, cranking out spreadsheet after spreadsheet; it wasn't long before the quiet calm of the office was disrupted by the sound of her finger nails clacking against the keyboard, followed by the printer every few minutes or so.

The heiress worked quietly as she could for about an hour or so before she came across a document that greatly interested her. The Lily Hotel in Hot Springs Country. She opened the folder, her clear eyes scanning over the documents inside. There were various reports from several contractors and architect agencies with proposals for the future hotel. Hinata read over each of them carefully before she came across one that stood out amongst them all. She read the report, impressed with the detail and thought that was put into the proposal. The heiress turned the pages, silently reading over the rest of the document before her opal gaze slid over images of what the hotel would look like and was even more impressed. She studied the sleek exterior design before moving onto the interior; she was impressed by the high ceilings each suite had as well as the massive skylight in the lobby, already she could envision the hotel in real life. The others had been good, but if she had a say she would definitely be pushing for their money to go towards this design. She flipped to the last page and her eyes widened at the name printed there: Uchiha & Company. Hinata blinked a few times as her mind brought her back to a conversation she had with a certain Uchiha a while ago; he did mention designing for Hyuuga Enterprises, the heiress had been under the assumption it was just an atrium.

Her teeth caught her bottom lip as she flipped back to the front page, rereading the proposal again. She had recently learned that her acquaintance was an architect but she hadn't imagined he'd be this good. He had finished school much earlier than she did; she remembered Sakura going on and on about how proud she was of her boyfriend. Hinata supposed she should have known he was good at whatever it was he did for a living but she still hadn't imagined this. She was honestly impressed; if she got the chance, she told herself, she would definitely commend him for his work. She knew she had zero pull in the decision making process but she wished for his project to be chosen. Compared to his, the others were mediocre and forced; Sasuke's design was innovative. There weren't any hotels that looked like this one.

Hinata had been rereading the proposal for the third time when she felt someone staring at the side of her face. Discretely, she looked from the corner of her white eyes to find her colleague studying her with a slight frown. Heat bubbled beneath the skin of her cheeks and she quickly looked away, concentrating on her work once again, she didn't want anyone to think she was a slacker, especially on her first day. Quickly and with determination, she typed up the spreadsheets for the hotel projects and printed them all out, stabling them together. It wasn't long before she worked through the two remaining folders and set to work on filing them neatly into the cabinets behind her, finishing well ahead of her colleague. The heiress smiled a little to herself, proud of this small victory.

Her smile faded quickly however as she took her seat at her desk. It would take more than small victories to win her father's favor. She was frustrated by his lack of faith in her, how was she supposed to prove her worth in eight weeks when she had been trying for the past twenty-one years? Hinata didn't let it show however, she couldn't afford to let her emotions get the best of her, especially not in front of Neji. She tossed a quick glance his way, noting how his opal eyes that matched her own squinted behind a pair of glasses as he stared at his computer screen, seemingly unaware of her gaze. Her heart clenched. She knew it wasn't necessarily his fault and he wasn't trying to steal from her, but she couldn't help but feel resentment towards him. He had always been her father's favorite. No matter how she tried to gloss it over for others when she talked about their relationship she didn't believe any of it. Yes, her father didn't know how to raise a girl, but that didn't matter – he didn't try.

Years ago she might have cried but now she felt almost nothing. The heiress had done as best as she could to harden her heart in matters where her father and Neji were involved. Instead of pity and self loathing, all she felt was anger and determination. She was determined to prove the both of them wrong if it killed her.

"Hyuuga-san," she said suddenly, breaking the silence in the room.

Neji looked up from the screen, surprised to hear his cousin's voice. He hadn't expected her to refer to him so formally but he supposed it was more appropriate than "niisan" given their current company.

"Yes?" he answered her, sitting up a little straighter.

"Are there anymore files that need sorting?" she asked.

"Hm, just a second," he said to her, pulling open one of his desk drawers and pulling out another stack of folders. "You can work on these until lunch."

Hinata stood and took the folders from where they were on his desk. Neji watched as she sat down with them, alphabetizing them into need piles. He sighed. She might have appeared fine but Neji knew that his cousin was suffering and he hated to be the cause of such turmoil. Growing up, it hadn't taken him long to figure out how she felt towards him from her small crush to her resentment. Honestly, Neji had no clue what he needed to do to fix things between them. She had to know none of this was his fault, right?

He turned his gaze away from her, redirecting his attention to the reports glaring at him from behind his computer's screen. Honestly, he'd do anything to help his cousin but her pride rivaled her father's; he knew perfectly well she would not accept any assistance he might offer. Neji wondered continuously why Hiashi had assigned her to work beneath him. The man was not an idiot, he knew how his daughter felt about him and the company as a whole, so why then would he push her into being around him? After a while he figured he was testing his eldest child. Neji looked to his cousin again. She was flipping through the documents, sorting them out and retyping reports. She could pretend to be fine, but Neji would always see through his cousin's facade. He turned his focus to his work again, the situation between his cousin, his uncle and himself picking at the back of his mind.

Sasuke had been a wreck in the days since his proposition to Hyuuga Enterprises. He thought he'd be able to finally rest but he was terribly mistaken – he might have slept worse since the interview than any time before. His nerves were so bad that he had nearly chewed his nails down to their beds. Just when he was ready to announce himself a failure, he received a phone call from Neji Hyuuga's assistant inquiring about a meeting.

He had been seated in his office, sketching idly in a notebook when the call came in. When they had finished setting up the meeting time he sat back in his chair and stared up at his ceiling fan. Sasuke felt a breath he didn't know he was holding escape from him. Finally, he felt that everything was working out for him, things were finally looking up. All the hard work he and his team had put in was finally paying off. He could relax now, he could afford to pay his team properly now. He could look his family in the face now without feeling like he was a failure, he had proved himself when none of them believed in him. The feeling in his chest was incredible and he was certain he would never feel like this again. He closed his eyes and let it sink in. After a few moments of silent meditation, he called his team in a broke the news to them, their excitement was nearly tangible. He smiled. That night they celebrated over drinks, getting themselves drunk to the point where they each had to leave their cars at the bar and take cabs home.

Now today was the day and the three of them walked through the doors of Hyuuga Enterprises, feeling more confident than when they first walked in days before. Of course they were, this time there were no uncertainties.

The team traveled to the fourth floor as instructed by the front desk and made their way down the long expanse of the hallway until they came across the conference room. Sasuke pushed opened the door, his onyx orbs scanning the room briefly before allowing his team inside with him. They sat around the table beside each other, waiting for the second party to arrive.

"This is so exciting," Karin exclaimed, drumming her fingers against the mahogany surface of the table.

Suigetsu grinned wildly, nodding his head in agreement. "I can't believe we're here..."

"Me either," Karin continued, her tapping growing faster.

Sasuke remained silent, he could hardly believe it himself. He knew he and his team were good, hell, he knew they were the best, but there was still that little bit of doubt at the back of his head, nagging him until he could no longer stand it. It was such a relief to have his faith in his team confirmed. They were really here and they were really in the midst of an opportunity of a life time. Sasuke could only imagine what this would mean for him and his team.

The door on the other end of the room opened slowly and a figure appeared. Sasuke recognized him instantly. His long black hair hung down his back between his shoulder blades and his clear eyes seemed void of pupils – Neji Hyuuga. At their first meeting the man seemed stoic and calm, much like how he appeared now, making it damn near impossible to figure what he was thinking. Given his place at the table now, Sasuke assumed the man had been impressed with his work. The young Uchiha felt pride swelling in his chest.

"Good morning," Neji spoke to them, forcing them all to their feet. "Did you wait long?"

Their meeting had been scheduled for 10:35am but Sasuke and his team had been so excited that they didn't dare chance being late and had arrived twenty minutes early instead. "Not at all, we just got here ourselves," Karin spoke for the team.

Neji nodded his head. "Please, take your seats," he said to them, extending his arm in welcome before taking his own seat at the head of the desk.

Uchiha & Company seated themselves once again, the nerves they assumed to have disappeared resurfacing in the pits of their bellies.

"My team and I were thoroughly impressed with your presentation last week," Neji said, starting them off. "It wasn't a hard choice in all honesty."

Karin and Suigetsu both smiled proudly, their egos swelling no doubt, Sasuke imagined. However, he himself remained stoic, mirroring the man across from them. "We're glad you decided to go in our direction."

Neji nodded his head, opening his mouth to speak but was cut off by the sound of the door behind him opening. A brow arched, he turned to find his cousin there, white paged, black rimmed spiral notebook in hand.

She bowed her head politely, her curtain of black hair falling over her shoulder slightly. "Excuse me for interrupting," she said softly, stepping inside, followed by Choji who closed the door behind them.

Neji left a message for them with his assistant that morning, informing them to come to this room when they finished their assignment but he never imagined they'd be done so quickly. In the past week his cousin had worked hard, he had noticed it and reported as much in a small log he kept to record hers and her colleague's progress. The boy hadn't been bad, but slightly mediocre when compared to Neji's cousin. It might have been unfair to compare him to Hinata, Neji figured. However, the two were paired to work beneath him based on their skills and resumes. Neji supposed their quiet, serious nature made them more suitable for this line of work but when compared side-by-side, Hinata outshone him by far. There was no doubt in his mind that Hinata had finished most of the work herself, leaving two or three files for her peer to do on his own.

Hinata and Shino seated themselves beside Neji, with Choji on his left and Hinata to Choji's.

"We were just beginning our discussion," Neji told the interns who both nodded their heads before turning their attention to their guests.

Hinata's eyes widened only slightly when she noticed Sasuke there. He wore a similar expression; one brow cocked slightly but his face otherwise void of emotion. Hinata supposed she shouldn't have been surprised to see him there, she said herself that his designs had been the best of the bunch – it didn't take a genius to see that he and his team were the obvious candidates.

"We'd like to begin production in the Hot Springs Country as soon as possible," Neji informed the group, pulling from the folder he had with him a calendar with notes scribbled all over it. He flipped through a few pages before settling on December. "We'd like to begin the first week of December, somewhere around the 3rd and the 5th," Neji told the team of three.

Karin nodded her head, taking notes on her iPhone.

"Of course we'd have to do a few more examinations of the site and make corrections or additions to the designs before anything is cemented," Neji continued, flipping back a few pages. "Next week, October 16th, we'd like to schedule a meeting at the site with the contractors and secure proper zoning."

Sasuke nodded his head. "Alright," he responded, making note of it in his own phone.

Hinata looked across the table to him, her clear orbs studying his expression. She was happy for him, honestly. They weren't very close but she knew it wasn't easy to get this kind of job; it took real talent. The young Hyuuga reminded herself to congratulate him at their next encounter.

Clearly noticing her, Sasuke looked up from his phone, his onyx gaze settling on her face. They both had taken turns staring at each other since she entered the room, Sasuke only assumed his gaze had gone unnoticed since she never looked up once. It surprised him a little to catch her gaze now. She looked away quickly, turning her attention to her relative on her side, her black hair obscuring his view of her face.

Vaguely he wondered why she was there. He didn't claim to know much about her but he didn't think she worked for this department of her father's company. Surely she would have mentioned it before when she learned of his interview? Not that it mattered anyway; she hadn't been in attendance at the board meeting last week so it was safe to assume that whatever position she held wasn't a very important one. By the looks of it, Sasuke could only assume she was an intern. It was a bit odd that she would intern at a company she would undoubtedly own in the future. Sasuke decided not to concern himself with it, he had more important things to set his mind to.

"Has the budget been set yet?" he inquired.

Neji looked up from his calender and spoke; "Not yet; we can probably discuss that next week in the Hot Springs country, or rather after the second or third drafts have been approved. As of now, the accountants and marketing teams have already approved the project for one hundred million, however, we're confident the budget will increase after everything is settled with the contractors."

Sasuke nodded his head at that. He didn't like the idea of such a low budget, especially for his first project. He wanted everything to go as he had planned for it; he had put a lot of thought into each an every tiny detail, to take away from his art, is masterpiece would be criminal. He didn't voice said opinion however. "I see, alright then, that's understandable."

Hinata listened carefully to the discussion that unfolded around her. At first she had her doubts about being assigned to the same department as Neji but on the other hand she was glad she was. Her father never did anything without a reason or purpose and now finally she could see what that was. Hiashi wanted to test her management skills. If she were to be the heir to his company then he would need to be confident in her ability to oversea future projects for the expansion and development of Hyuuga Enterprises. He already had confidence in his nephew which is why he had been assigned as head of Hot Springs project. Hinata supposed her father wanted her to see first hand what the job entailed.

Her opal hues glanced to her cousin. She felt it in her chest then, that determination to beat him. No matter what it took or how hard she had to push herself, she would show her father that she could do this. There was not a chance in hell she was going to let her cousin steal the one thing she had ever really wanted from her. Not a chance in hell.

"Alright Uchiha-san, that seems to be about it for today," Neji said to team of three. "Thank you for coming; I look forward to working with you all in the future."

The six of them stood to their feet, exchanging polite bows and handshakes. "We'll be in contact withing the next few days, I'll see you next week in the Hot Springs," Neji said to them, shaking hands with Sasuke.

The team bowed politely once again as Neji and his interns excused themselves. Karin could hardly contain herself, smiling wildly. Suigetsu wore a similar expression, the two of them giggling and chatting excitedly to one another.

Sasuke only smirked, proud of himself and his accomplishments. Things were definitely looking up.

It is my honest opinion that this chapter was unnecessarily long and sort of boring, however, it's necessary in order to set up a few things for future chapters. I figured this chapter might help explaining both Neji and Hinata's views on what's happening to them.

There weren't many SasuHina moments if at all, but don't worry, the next three or four chapters will be more focused on their romance, I promise.

Reviews would be lovely.

- Rampantt