Disclaimer:…I do not own Naruto.
Special appreciation to ikmss 18, noona, LadyCassie, kibagaaralover18, and anlmoon
I want to thank you guys for reviewing; I truly appreciate it.
I apologize for the delay but I'm a college student so my schedule is crazy but I will try to be a little more consistent.
Well, enough of my excuses so without further adieu, I hope you enjoy this chapter…
The theme music could barely be heard over the screaming, cheering, and applauding from the audience as a beautiful blue-haired woman made her way down the runway.
She was wearing knee high black boots over denim skinny jeans and a black graffiti tee with the words, Lover & A Fighter. A silver necklace containing a red sun hung around her neck while her hair fell down her back in waves.
A chained belt swayed around her waist as she walked towards Ino, smiling and waving the whole way down. She was pulled into a fierce hug when she reached the host. They broke apart and turned towards their adoring fans.
"Please welcome to the stage, the lead singer of Playing the Cards, Hyuuga Hinata!" Ino laughed at the feedback while Hinata blushed wildly, smiling widely nonetheless.
"Alright! Alright! Settle down. Wow, we haven't even gotten to the questions yet!"
The audience quieted down as the blonde took a seat in her comfy chair while the singer sat on the couch on the opposite side.
"Wow!" Ino laughed breathlessly, "You're really popular, Hyuuga-chan."
The bluenette smiled shyly, "Please Ino-san, just Hinata."
"So Hinata-chan, this is actually your first interview since winning Shut It Down. I feel honored that you decided to come onto my show. What made you?"
Hinata shifted on the couch trying to get a little more comfortable. "Well, part of the reason was to put a stop to the rumors or to at least set them straight," her smile faded a bit at the statement but she continued, "and I also realized that this is part of the territory of being a singer. As much as I love my privacy and I will continue to fight for it, I understand that this is part of the business."
Ino nodded. "Well, I'm glad you decided to come on my spot first." She smiled before turning to her audience. "As I have said before, Hinata-chan will be answering all questions, no holding back. Anything goes and towards the end, I am going to let you, wonderful people, ask Hinata-chan anything that's on your mind."
The applause was her answer.
"All right! Let's get this started!" the host cried. She crossed her long legs and turned back towards the bluenette. The blonde patiently waited for the crowd to settle down before firing her first question.
"So Hinata-chan, no one really…understands much of what happened to you before stepping on Shut It Down and stealing the show, although we will get to that later." Hinata nodded, she figured as much. "My first question is how did you become the lead singer of Playing the Cards?"
Hinata laughed slightly as she blushed a pretty shade of red. "Well, I actually never meant to become a singer. I mean, don't get me wrong, I really love what I do. I love my band mates; I love writing and performing my music but singing was always just a hobby for me. It wasn't intentional; in fact, I didn't even think I was that good."
Ino's eyes (as well as the audience's) had widened at the confession. "So how did you become the lead singer in your band?"
Hinata smiled sheepishly. "It kind of all started with a bet."
Around 3 years ago…
"Hinata-chan. Hina. Hina-chan? Hinata!"
Said person jumped up startled. She turned around coming face to face with her best friend, Kiba. She blushed slightly and stepped back for more space.
"Ah, gomen, Kiba-kun. Ano, did you need something?"
Kiba sighed dramatically. "I've been trying to get your attention for the last ten minutes." He looked over her shoulder, "What are you writing about anyway?"
Hinata snatched her papers and pressed them tightly to her chest, turning an interesting shade of red. "N-Nothing! What did you need, Kiba-kun?"
He rolled his eyes at her behavior but answered nonetheless. "Shino wanted to know if you wanted to work today. It's gonna get a little crowded in a couple hours and Hotaru called in sick."
"Sure," she nodded absently. She could use the extra cash. "Do you need me to start now or later?"
The brown-haired boy surveyed the shop before turning back to Hinata. "No, it's not that busy right now. I'll come get you in a couple hours." He grinned widely showing off his slightly sharper than normal canines. "You're still gonna be here, right?"
The bluenette pouted slightly but didn't deny it. She spent all her free time here and on occasion, would work for a little extra cash.
Kiba barked a laugh and ruffled her hair. "Can you work until close?" he asked ignoring her protest.
"Hai but I'm going to need a ride…," Hinata trailed off towards the end.
Kiba's smile faded replaced by a serious expression. It made his tattoos stand out making his face fierce. She always wondered why he decided to tattoo his face of all places. "And what else?"
His question brought her out of her musings and back to dwelling on her current situation. She really did not want to have to tell them this way.
She sighed softly putting her head down and letting her hair cover her as a shield. It didn't work when a rough, calloused hand gently moved her hair back. "And what else, Hime?"
"I need a place to stay," she whispered.
Kiba produced a small, humorless smile as he continued to run her hand through her hair. Hinata didn't grow up with a lot of physical contact yet she craved it all the more. "You know you're always welcome to stay at our place, Hinata, and in a couple weeks or months…," he trailed off when she shook her head miserably. "What happened?"
"The decision has been made," she whispered, speaking as if reading it off a page, stiff and formal, "Hyuuga Hinata has been deemed unfit to take over Hyuuga Corporations when Hyuuga Hiashi steps down. She will be renounced as heiress and the title will be handed to her younger sibling, Hyuuga Hanabi. She has also disgraced her Clan with her outside interactions so in addition of the stripping of her title, she is disowned from the Hyuuga Clan. However, we will be merciful. Hyuuga Hinata has three weeks to pack her belongings and find a place of housing -,"
"Damn it, Hinata!" Kiba ignored the glares he received from his shout. He slammed his palms on the table causing her to jump. "Please, please tell me it happened this morning, yesterday, hell, last week instead of when I think it did."
The bluenette bit her lip. She opened her mouth, "I-I d-didn't -."
"Don't even say it," Kiba snarled unintentionally. "I don't know how many times we need to tell you -."
"Kiba!" Fierce eyes turned towards the source of where his name came from and clashed with dark sunglasses. "You are scaring my guests and making the situation worse."
Lips pulled back in a silent sneer. He didn't care that everyone was staring at him but he did care that he scared Hinata. She had stood up from his outburst. Her face was flushed and her bottom lip trembled and though it looked like she was going to cry, he knew she wouldn't. Oh, when she gets the chance to be completely alone, she would…but never in public and rarely in front of her best friends. It was a sign of weakness.
"I'll be back," he stated flatly. Ignoring Hinata's cry to come back, Kiba walked out the front door, hopped on his bike and left. He regretted scaring her but he wasn't going to apologize.
Hinata was still in the same spot, frozen. She felt miserable, humiliated, and really guilty. She knew she should have told them right away. They were her best friends and have been with her through so much worse but she just didn't know how! She felt ashamed that after all of her hard work, she was still a failure to her family, to her father.
The bluenette slowly came out of her dark thoughts when she felt someone take her hand. She looked to see her other best friend, Shino, patiently waiting for her to follow him. She could have cried right then and there though instead, she settled for a wobbly smile.
While Kiba was loud, energetic, and very quick to lose his temper, Shino was the complete opposite; calm, calculating, and patient. He calmly lead her to the back of the shop and into his office, closing the door behind them.
Hinata sat down on his couch while Shino took a steaming mug from his microwave and handed it to her before settling on the couch with her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer.
Hinata, in return, rested her head on his shoulder and tucked her legs behind her. They spent the next few minutes in comfortable silence with Shino patiently waiting for her to speak and Hinata trying to come up with the words to explain.
More minutes of silence passed before the seemingly small girl (she looked completely dwarfed sitting next to Shino) set her, now empty, mug on the ground and turned towards her friend.
"I," deep breath, "I have been disowned and I need to a place to stay," she whispered.
Shino nodded in understanding. "Is it true that you had three weeks in advance to tell us?"
At the question, she tried to turn her head but was unable to due to the hand that was resting gently but firmly on her jaw. He didn't repeat the question but it was clear that he was waiting for an answer. She nodded weakly.
Shino sighed softly. "Why did you not tell us?" He already knew the answer.
"I-I d-didn't want t-to be a b-burden. I'm s-so sick of h-having to d-depend on everyone! I th-thought I-I could handle it. I-I thought I c-could at l-least do this one thing r-right." She didn't realize she was pacing the floor until she sat back down in exhaustion.
The bluenette whimpered softly. "I didn't know th-they emptied my b-bank account. Th-That was my m-money. I-I earned it and they just took it all away from me."
Now I know why she has been taking extra shifts. "You know we would have helped you, Hinata-chan," Shino cut in quietly. "It is okay to ask for help. It does not make you weak."
Hinata didn't respond to his statement. Shino, in reply, sighed mentally as he got up from his couch. "We will talk about all of this later. For now, just relax for the next hour and I will get you when your shift starts. You are strong, Hinata-chan. You are going to be fine." With his final statement said, Shino walked out of his office calmly, shutting the door softly behind him, blocking out the daily noises from the shop.
Hinata slowly laid down on the couch lost in her thoughts. Maybe her best friend was right…maybe she wasn't a complete failure. Maybe, just maybe, she was going to be just fine.
Thanks, Shino-kun. I really hope you're right. That was her last thought before submitting to her exhaustion. A nap before her shift wouldn't hurt.
AN: So reviews are helpful in letting me know what you guys thought. Did you hate it? Love it? Am I giving away too much? Not enough? Is it confusing? Clear?
Don't be afraid to let me know…Until next time =)
Tw33ty JR.
