A/N: okies im online again...i mad a few spelling mistakes in the previous chapter...and i'll fix them when i get the time, it was 3 am i was tired i guess i didnt pay attention so anyways enjoy...
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Winning Isn't Everything
Chapter 9
By AngelzGrace
Tenten sighed, she couldn't sleep, she glanced at her clock it read; 02:58. She turned around and tried to get some rest, her mind lingered on other stuff. She smiled as a memory of earlier on came to her.
(Flashback)
"I'm home," Hinata said smiling as she dropped her bag onto the coach, "Ohayou Temari Chan, Tenten Chan,"
"Hey Hinata" Tenten said smiling
"Hi, Hinata, how did it go? Did you study or…" Temari trailed off watching as Hinata blushed
"W-we studied!" she said embarrassed.
"Which reminds me Temari, whats with Shikamaru calling you 'Tem'?" Tenten said teasingly.
"Hmph, he does not, Tenten," Temari had said crossing her arms as Hinata sat next to her.
"Tenten Chan, didn't you say he did call her that at the café?" Hinata asked softly
"Yup," Tenten said she couldn't get out of her head what Kin wanted her to do and she couldn't tell Temari or Hinata, they would go on and on about…Tenten didn't want to think of it.
"We're not together though," Temari said smirking then she lent closer to Hinata, "Hinata, you smell of a scent that's not the one you wore when you went out, there's two scents on you,"
"Eh, n-no t-there isn't…" Hinata trailed of embarrassed as Tenten came towards her eying her beadily.
"You're right Temari, it's not one of her perfumes," she said grinning
"Tenten Chan, T-Temari Chan is trying t-to get away f-from answering her q-question," Hinata said timidly
"hehe," Temari said
"Aren't you doing that too Hinata?" Tenten said laughing as her friend blushed.
"So what happened?" Temari asked
"Nothing, he only t-touched me when I couldn't get up the slope from the Sakura tree, m-maybe that's what you can smell," Hinata said her face so red now.
"Ooh, sakura tree, helped her up, so romantic," Tenten teased falling onto the opposite coach in a fit of giggles.
"Ooh Hinata, are you in love?" Temari teased laughing
"No!" Hinata said pouting slightly as her blush seemed to grow darker.
(End of flashback)
'Argh, what am I gonna do…' she thought sighing as she turned in her bed again, she felt so restless and didn't know what to do. She rolled over and; THUD she landed on her back flat on the floor,
"…that's it, I cant sleep." She said sitting up she turned on her lamp, 'maybe I should clean my room up' she thought, grabbing her mp3 she turned on some songs and went around the room gathering her stuff up.
Three hours later, her room was sparkling, her clothes were all ironed and hung in her wardrobe and she had even color-coded them. Her footwear lined the bottom of her wardrobe, her jewelry hung neatly in her jewelry box. Her make-up was set out neatly.
"Wow, it's actually clean," Tenten said to herself then. "Now to start the day, I guess I should dress nicely…" she said her eyes falling on a pair of black trousers they had slits on the back from the knee's down. Small gems rimmed the slits. She grabbed an off-hip silver belt.
"Perfect…I wonder what Temari would say if she saw me wearing the pants that she had chose for me?" Tenten said grinning as she looked for a top. She found a black halter top after a few minutes of searching through the clothes.
"Hmm, now for shoes" she said leaning down and grabbing a pair of black toe-post sandals with a 3-inch heel. "Jewelry," she said going over to her jewelry box she took out a black ring, black choker with a clear crystal heart, black bangles, black earrings that read 'forever' on each and a silver bracelet with a black star charm on it. She went and had a bath emerging in her outfit and jewelry.
Sneaking to her room as not to wake the other two she applied a little make-up,
"I got to still look and feel like myself, so…" she looked around "hmm…ah yes!" she spotted her black jacket and added it, "Now I'm me," she said smiling. She did her hair in buns and made her way out of her room. Just as Hinata emerged wearing denim hipsters, denim sandals with a wooden heel and a purple long-sleeved top.
"Ohayo Tenten Chan, your early today," she said with a smile.
"Hi Hinata, yup I couldn't sleep,"
"That's a first Tenten," Temari said smirking as she came out of her room dressed in sleek light blue jeans, and a black halter top, and high heeled black shimmering sandals.
"I guess so," Tenten said smiling. The three went downstairs, had breakfast, cleaned up and made their way to school in Temari's car.
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"So Temari, you got detention…wow that sucks," Tenten said as she walked in between Hinata and Temari to class.
"It's fine really, I don't care," Temari said smiling at her.
"But I care," Tenten said lowering her head slightly "It's my fault,"
"Ah, don't worry about it, I don't remember you telling me to slap Tsuchi,"
"I guess so," Tenten said laughing slightly. Hinata smiled softly at her friends. Suddenly someone pushed her roughly to the ground. Hinata let out a gasp of pain.
"Hinata!" Temari said leaning down to help her. Tenten looked up as someone said
"Oops, I guess I didn't see you there,"
"I-I'm fine" Hinata said rubbing her knee. Temari smiled at her.
"Haruno," Tenten said frowning.
"What?" Sakura said raising a perfect shaped eyebrow at her. Tenten sighed and felt disgusted at herself. 'I dressed smarter then usual because I wanted to look better, but that's not me it's totally fake.'
"Well, I was just thinking how fake you look," Tenten said with a shrug. "I didn't know plastic was in fashion" with that she took Hinata's arm and Temari's and stormed off thinking 'if I'm going to win this bet, I'm going to be myself'
Temari went off to chemistry and Hinata and Tenten went to their language class.
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Tenten sighed as she looked at the clock; she tapped her pen absently as Morino sensei was giving out their assignment.
"Stop that Arisawa!" he snapped jolting Tenten from her reverie.
"Hai, hai," she said lazily, the fact of not sleeping was finally hitting her
"Stand up!"
"I can't bother too," Tenten groaned dragging herself from her seat.
"You should have more manners then that!" he shouted turning back to the wall; Tenten pulled a face just as he turned back to her.
"Arisawa! Detention!" he roared Tenten winced a small smile on her face. 'Perfect' she thought, 'now Temari won't be alone'
"Thank you sir" Tenten said giving a small bow. "Er I mean…Detention, please sir forgive me?" she said trying to cover her slip up
"No, report to detention at lunch!" he said frowning at her weird behavior
"H-hai" Tenten said making sure to keep her face glum.
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"Temari! I have detention" Tenten said as if it was something amazing as they met up outside in the hall at lunch.
"Tenten, that was stupid, now we're going to have to leave Hinata alone and you know how she is," Temari said sighing
"Oh yeah…" Tenten said now glum
"No, it's fine, I'll be fine, i-I'm sorry you got detention though" Hinata said softly giving them a smile, she waved and walked off to the cafeteria.
"Bye Hinata!" Tenten said as they made their way to the music room, it was where their detention would be held. As they neared the room they could here someone's voice echo down the hall, it was male but soft and calm.
"Wow, that guys great at singing." Tenten said quietly
"I agree, maybe you two should do a duet after all you're a great singer too," Temari whispered back.
"I guess…but I'm more of the rock type, his voice is mellow," Tenten said making a face slightly as she pushed open the music room door. The boy who was singing had his back to them; he was alone in the room apparently apart from Kurenai sensei the music teacher who stood next to him. He was dressed in a pair of white baggy pants a white jacket and a leather belt. He had long brown hair that fell down his back. Tenten and Temari just stood there listening.
"No, stop," the teacher said calmly "you have to hold that note," she said pointing at some sheet in front of the boy.
"Got it," the boy said quietly. It sounded strangely familiar.
"Try again,"
"Okay," it was then when he tossed his hair over his shoulder that Tenten recognized him.
"Neji! You sing?" Tenten said breaking into giggles. Neji turned startled the teacher too was surprised to see the girls. "How cute, the smooth calm Hyuuga likes singing, I knew you were a pretty boy," Tenten said oblivious of everyone watching her. Temari sweat dropped as Neji blushed slightly turning away so no one could see.
"We're here for detention," Temari said breaking through Tenten's laughter.
"I see," Kurenai, said "not a day goes by when a kids not in detention, take a seat,"
"Hn, I'll be off," Neji said with a toss of his head.
"You don't want to continue?" Kurenai said surprised
"Hn, it's not possible with such a loud girl around he said glancing in Tenten's direction," he said smugly as Tenten pouted.
"I see, well, Well done for today Neji, you were great, just work on holding that note," Kurenai said with a nod.
"Fine," Neji said with a nod then turned and left. Kurenai took a seat sighing as she gazed out of the window.
"Miss Kurenai," Temari said.
"Yes?"
"If you want you can go get your lunch, we won't be going anywhere," Temari said feeling sorry for the teacher to be stuck in on her lunch break.
"Eh, no it's fine; it's my turn to watch the detention students,"
"Fine, your loss," Temari said resting her hand in her head. The room was silent for a while as Kurenai watched both girls.
"Are you in any of my classes?" she said suddenly to Temari,
"Er, no," Temari said glancing at the teacher her chin still on her hand. Tenten was slumped in her seat half asleep if Kurenai had not kept telling her to sit up straight.
"Ok, I just think I've seen you before… have we ever met before in a shop or something?" Kurenai said a small frown on her head.
"No, never, but umm maybe I just look like some one you met," Temari suggested
"Hmm…maybe," Kurenai said slowly.
At the same time 'I wonder what Hinata's doing?' Tenten wondered….
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Hinata walked out into the school grounds, letting the wind blow through her hair. Sakura saw Hinata come out.
"Well, well, she's without her bodyguards, perfect," she said a small smile curling on her face, she set down her bottle of mineral water, tossed her hair over her shoulder gracefully and made her way over to Hinata. Her gang of tittering friends walked behind her in a line, all six girls waiting to see what their leader would do.
"Hinata Hyuuga? Right?" Sakura said looking at Hinata up and down scornfully. Hinata took a step back slightly afraid of the girls who had crowded her in a semi-circle.
"H-hai," Hinata said trying to smile.
"Pathetic, look at you, can you even say one word without stuttering?" Sakura said smirking, the rest of the girls started laughing, their cue to throw insults at Hinata.
"Look at her, her top is so last month," one girl said cruelly, as the others agreed.
"Or her pants, they are definitely last year," another one said giggling
"Her hair is so dull and limp."
"She doesn't deserve to be called Hyuuga; she's not equal to Neji kun"
"She's so ugly"
"Her eyes are barely colored"
"She looks like a freak,"
"Long hair was outdated a century ago," Hinata started shaking slightly as the insults hit her; she felt tears well up in he eyes.
"Aww, can't defend yourself Hyuuga?" Sakura said, her voice echoing above the others. All the other girls fell silent. "Shame your pathetic friends aren't here for you," she added her voice cutting though Hinata.
"P-please s-stop…" Hinata began as a tear fell and the girls laughed.
"S-stop ? What's that? Talk properly, we don't understand your 'p-p-p-p-please s-s-s-stops!" Sakura said nastily. "Look at you! You're so ugly, what's behind your jacket? Hiding your weight? We all know your fat," Sakura said clicking her fingers, two girls moved forward and pulled Hinata's jacket off, Hinata barely resisted she was terrified. The girls gasped, as they saw Hinata's figure in her tight top, her nicely endowed chest, her narrow waist and shaped hips. Sakura was the first to recover. "Like I said 'fat, what size are you even ugly!'" She said pushing Hinata, Hinata was about to fall to her knee's but she felt an arm go around her waist, holding her up on her feet, she saw Sakura look shock. She didn't need to turn to see who held her….the scent was familiar…
"S-Sasuke kun!" now it was Sakura's turn to stutter. "N-Neji kun" she added seeing the one who stood next to Sasuke.
"Sakura, what were you thinking?" Sasuke said his voice dangerously calm as he let go of Hinata who had her arms hugging herself, her eyes shut as she tried to control the tears.
"w-we were just-" Sakura began looking around for an excuse; her gang was now standing quietly behind her.
"Just what Haruno! What did she do to you?" Sasuke said a frown on his face as he resisted the urge to smack Sakura.
"W-well, you don't know her Sasuke kun!" Sakura said as she put a hand on Sasuke's chest, he pushed it away in disgust, "She's sly and-"
"Haruno," Neji spoke for the first time, Sakura turned "I would appreciate it if you do not lie about my cousin," Hinata opened her eyes in shock did Neji just say 'my cousin?'
"I'm not lying!" Sakura said angrily now. Neji frowned
"You're meant to be class president, I wonder what Tsunade Sama would say if she saw your behavior," Neji said coldly Sakura frowned
"I'm not lying, she's a-"
"-Hyuuga and you will do well to treat her like one," Neji said his voice as sharp as ice. Sakura didn't know what to say, both Sasuke and Neji were on 'her' side she felt anger boil inside of her.
"Look at her! She hides like a freak behind her jacket, she's simply-" everyone's eyes turned to Hinata who wished she had her jacket, she felt someone put something around her shoulder, she looked up to see Neji's jacket round her shoulders.
"-modest, Haruno, unlike the likes of you, she has self esteem she doesn't go around flaunting herself," Neji said coldly cutting through her words once again. Hinata slipped her arms into the jacket. She felt strange and happy at the same time.
"Modest?! Yeah right she's-"
"My cousin and you will do well to remember that," Neji said turning away, "we're finished here,"
"B-but!" Sakura began as Sasuke nodded at Hinata to move, "bitch! You'll pay!" Sakura yelled her anger finally breaking through. Sasuke turned back a frown on his face, he opened his mouth, but a smaller white one placed itself on his arm. Hinata shook her head slightly,
"Che, you're not worth it Sakura," Sasuke said following Neji with Hinata next to him. After a moment, Hinata stopped, wondering what to do.
"Arigatou Uchiha san," she said softly
"Hmph it was nothing, it's cos of me she said something to you," Sasuke said as they continued walking to where Neji stood against a tree.
"S-she was right though…" Hinata said softly "I a-am everything s-she said. U-ugly, fat-"
"You're not ugly, and girls with meat on them are cool," Sasuke said without thinking. He had no idea what he was saying he was thinking about what would happen between the two cousins. Hinata blushed wondering why Sasuke was saying stuff he normally didn't.
"A-arigatou Neji Nii san," Hinata said bowing to Neji upon reaching him, terrified of what he would say,
"Hn, Hinata, you shouldn't be put down by others," Neji said just when Hinata thought he was going to ignore her,
"H-hai," Hinata said ashamed
"You're a Hyuuga, act like one," Neji said glancing at the sky.
"Che, you want her to behave like you, that's kind of impossible no one's more of a rock then you, Sasuke said cockily smirking at Neji.
"Hn," Neji replied as he now glanced at Hinata, "you haven't changed much have you," he said quietly. Sasuke glanced at him not saying anything wondering what he was thinking, he then glanced at Hinata who he was surprised to see was crying.
"Neji Nii san," Hinata said tears falling, then she shocked both Sasuke and Neji "I missed you, please forgive me, please…" Hinata said and she surprised both of the boys by closing the distance between herself and Neji in two steps sand hugging him tightly. Neji looked shocked whilst Sasuke smirked at the scene. He decided to give the cousins some space so he walked away waving at Neji. Earning himself a glare.
"H-Hinata," Neji began wondering what to say to her. He gently put his hands on his shoulders,
"H-hate me forever, Neji Nii san, demo, demo p-please understand I-I didn't mean to h-hurt you," Hinata said not letting go of him incase she broke upon seeing his face.
"Hinata, I never did blame you," Neji said calmly, "but I wasn't happy with what our families wanted and yes I hated your father for it, but not you Hinata,"
"Arigatou," Hinata said softly. "thank you…t-thank you so much,"
"It's nothing Hinata…" Neji said finally, unsure, hugging her back.
And it was this scene that Temari and Tenten walked out to, Neji pushed against the tree, his hands around Hinata's shoulders, Hinata's arms around his waist and Hinata wearing his jacket.
"Hinata!" Tenten said first running up to the two, Neji pushed Hinata away quickly and gently.
"You're crying! What happened?" Temari asked Hinata as Tenten glared at Neji.
"What did you do to her,?"
"Nothing," Neji replied turning his head away.
"Where's her jacket?"
"I don't know," Neji, said crossing his arms
"Why were you touching her?"
"I wasn't,"
"You're annoying!" Tenten said turning and giving Hinata a hug, "don't cry, I'll kick his girly butt,"
"Hn, what Arisawa? Been staring at my ass?" Neji said haughtily making Tenten blush
"No!"
"hn," Neji said, Hinata was trying to tell them something but Tenten was louder then all of them.
"I'm telling you the truth Hyuuga, your not that good looking!" Tenten said pouting
"'That' good looking? So you think I am good looking?" he said cockily as Tenten did not know how to respond to that.
"No..." she said lamely.
"Hn," Neji said walking past them, "I'm glad you made good friends Hinata," he said softly making all three girls glance at him in shock.
"Wow, what happened? Fill us in," Tenten said as she tried to comprehend what Neji had just said.
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A/N:ok so hope you liked this chapter, XD ja'ne everyone.