Author's notes: I made reference to a SIGNIFICANT conversation that happened in canon material. Hope you can find it, though I have modified it slightly to fit the context of the fanfic AU.

Hinata's struggle in the center work was slightly better than her barre work, though she struggled by lacking core strength to keep her balance. This resulted her falling out of her pirouettes and other turn sequences.

After ballet class, Hinata spotted Naruto as he stretched in the lobby doing an oversplit with his front leg extended resting on a chair and his back leg extended from his back . She shuffled close to where he was sitting, her heart was pounding and her mouth was dry. Taking a deep breath, she managed to talk in a small voice.

"I remember you too." Naruto turned around to face the short white eyed girl

"You mean at JUMP Phoenix? Last season?"

"Yeah you're the boy Travis* called out during the scholarship audition."

Flashback to JUMP Dance Convention in Phoenix, Arizona last season

Unlike Hinata, Naruto considered his achievement at the convention a personal achievement. Though he lacked technique with his sickled feet and bent knee, he had the energy, confidence and stage presence. Even the teacher and competition judges acknowledged this. His musical theatre solo, though didn't place top 10 in the awards, it was the most captivating for Hinata as she watched from backstage.

After the awards ceremony, fellow students from the studio shared whispers of gossips among themselves

"Didn't Naruto say he's going to place top 10 in this comp?" snickered a young girl long blonde hair with the name Ino sewed onto her dance studio's uniform jacket

"But he didn't." snickered a boy with short messy black hair with the name Kiba on his jacket.

"Well if not today, then the next competition"

The other boys and girls began laughing and looked down on the short boy.

"Believe me one day I will place and I'll make sure I'll get first overall and a national title! Believe it!"

"Sorry to break it to you Naruto, the trend with national title winners is that they already start placing top 10 even top 3 in competitions younger than we are now."

"Believe it I will win a title, sooner or later"

That conversation was in range of Hinata's earshot. She doesn't know why, but his dancing captures her eyes more than anybody else's. his smile and facial expression either onstage or offstage were so endearing

I could never forget that smile … she thought to herself.

Back to the present

"I heard you're having a solo this competition season, and you're going up against my cousin Neji when our studio is going to JUMP at Los Angeles, are you scared?"

Naruto took his front leg off the chair and repositioned himself to a normal sitting position. Naruto knew, in fact every dancers who are active in competitive dancing knew what a prodigy Neji is. He was 1st runner up for the title of Mini Best Male Dancer, only losing to a dancer a year older than him. In fact he saw Neji taunting Hinata backstage, calling her a complete failure and that she should stop dancing. His taunting only got worse when she forgot her solo and ran offstage.

"I heard about your cousin, he's an amazing dancer. He has the technique, he could probably make it to a company like New York City Ballet or even The Royal Ballet."

Hinata sighed, she knew Naruto was right, but Naruto has the energy and passion that Neji has.

"Naruto, you're a really great dancer. In my eyes you're a proud failure. When I watch you dance, I feel a fire inside my heart"

"Fire!" Naruto exclaimed

"No don't take it in a bad way. I mean it in a good way. Because you're not perfect…because you make mistakes. You have the strength and passion to strive to be a better dancer… Because I believe that's who true dancers are"

"Thanks Hinata you're right, great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion. I was feeling very upset and not myself, but now I feel great. You know about you...I always thought that you were just a plain looking, dark weirdo"

Hinata slumped her head down at the comment, taken aback.

"...But a dancer and person like you...I really like!"

Hinata lifted her head again. She wondered if she heard him right. He liked her as a dancer?

"Oh gosh, I'm late for my private class for my solo. I'll see you tomorrow in ballet and acrobatics classes!"

"Bye!" Her voice was almost high as a squirrel, still surprised at his revelation.

"You better watch me when I slay Neji on the dance floor at the competition!"

Hinata promised that she would watch as they compete. Hopefully she can at least participate at the convention.

Author Notes:

*JUMP is a dance convention that holds workshops and competitions for mainly young dancers. They tour around different cities in USA, Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica. Visit their website here for more info.

**I'm referring to Travis Wall who is a faculty member at JUMP Dance Convention, he is also a choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance USA