disclaimer i don't own naruto.

HINATA

chapter three – birthday bash

"Hinata-sama," seven-year-old Neji began as the two cousins sat together in the backyard, enjoying each other's presence. "Boys are stupid. They are all cheats and liars, they'll do anything to catch the attention of and manipulate girls, and are just generally very bad influences."

Hinata continued to listen to her nii-san with wide eyes as she processed the information for the very first time. Little did she know it would be a lecture that would be repeated to her for the rest of her maiden life.

"… and that's why you never get married." Neji finished off, arms crossed, nodding to himself after ten minutes of non-stop ranting. The six-year-old heiress of the Hyuga clan continued to stare at her sworn protector as she fully registered his words. "But, Neji- nii-san… aren't you a boy too?"

Neji looked at his cousin slightly annoyed. "I'm different! I'll always be here to protect you, Hinata-sama. But every other boy won't, so you should stay away from my kind. They're all stupid."

Hinata nodded seriously. "Okay then!" she chirped. "The only boy I'll ever play with is you, Neji-nii-san!" Neji cracked a small smile at her promise. His job as protector was now at least partially fulfilled.

And what a job he failed. Hinata stared affectionately at the name on her phone and the conversation beneath. Silly Neji. Boys weren't all that bad at all! Of course, she had realised this when she started to hang out with Naruto, but after they broke contact (which very nearly broke her heart), Neji had reinforced those words and she had believed them even more. But now with Sasuke in her life, her opinion of the opposite sex changed once more.

It wasn't only Neji who had told her to stay away from boys though. Her father and mother did too. They only excused her previous friendship with Naruto because it was back when they were little children, but now that they were teenagers, there was bound to be trouble. She didn't see it though, why they would tell her to stay away. Hinata was a good girl, honestly, but everyone had their limits. Even she couldn't be restricted too much or she would snap.

So, she decided, having an online friendship with a boy, even if he did happen to be from rivaling clans/corporations, was really, very harmless. It's not like she would magically fall in love with the guy and suddenly want to go out everyday behind her parents' backs. It was just a harmless friendship.

With all that said, Hinata couldn't deny feeling her heart flutter a little when Sasuke mentioned that he got her a birthday present. It was a very sweet gesture, one that she wouldn't have thought she would have seen a guy like him do. Briefly, she wondered how he would be able to give it to her. School?.. His fangirls would kill her, even if she did have the protection of her family name and her cousin.

The teenager sighed as she locked her phone and rolled over in bed and got up. The air-conditioner was starting to get cold, and she needed to get ready for her birthday dinner. She eyed the pretty blue kimono hanging on her closet door.

"Neji-nii-san!" Hanabi called her cousin over to their side of the table as their parents spoke of some adult matters. The sixteen-year-old rose an eyebrow but said nothing as he complied. Beside her was the birthday girl, whose head was decorated with a pretty blue tiara with the words 'happy birthday!' written on its front.

Hanabi raised her white phone, steadying the camera. Before any of them had time to blink, she pressed the button and three pictures had already been taken. In all of them, Hanabi had three different poses, Hinata's eyes were wide in lack of preparation and Neji was scowling at the camera. "Can you at least tell us what you're going to do before you do it?" the boy requested, the veins around his eyes almost popping in severe annoyance. Hanabi cheekily grinned. It took several tries before they got a proper photo, which was eventually uploaded on Hinata's Instagram.

Sasuke Uchiha you look pretty good in that kimono, hyuga.

Hinata Hyuga oh.. :$ thankyou sasuke-kun.

Hinata couldn't keep the smile off her face. Coming home to such a sweet comment from a supposedly bitter person made people do that.

"Sasuke Uchiha liked the photo. Sasuke Uchiha commented 'happy birthday'. What the hell is going on?" Neji asked, a little annoyed, a little intrigued at the strange things he had noticed on the photo he was tagged in. He was in the heiress' room as his family had decided to come over to their hotel to give Hinata her birthday present and also just to hang out. Currently, his hair was being braided by none other than Hanabi.

Hinata had nearly jumped when he mentioned the exact person he didn't know she was texting, thinking she had been caught. She quickly locked her phone as if she would've been caught committing treason, about to defend her friend's actions when she was beaten to it by Hanabi.

"Don't be jealous," the youngest snickered as she yanked extra hard on the hair she was dealing with, resulting in a pissed off 'ow!'. "She can't help it if she's popular."

"He's just being nice," Hinata said almost a little too fondly. If Neji noticed the tone of her voice he didn't say anything.

He sighed. "I just don't want some creep ogling you. You know how teenage boys can be."

"Maybe she wants to be ogled at by people like Naruto-nii-san; you don't know her life," Hanabi added in like the twelvie she was, causing her older sister to blush tomato red and sputter indignant responses. She ignored her in favour of continuing. "I bet you ogle at her pictures too, my dear cousin with a cousin-comple-AAHHHH!" she suddenly shrieked as she fell off the bed in hysterical laughter.

Even Hinata moved her eyes away from the phone to the horrifically hilarious view of Neji torturing Hanabi to death by way of tickling. "STOP! NO!" she screamed between gasps of breath as she kicked here and there. The girl sweatdropped. It would be a long night.

For the first time in forever, Hinata awoke peacefully. She felt like she had just the right amount of sleep, and so very energised, despite the hellish time she had the previous night. Add that to the fact that it was sunny but not too hot, the heiress felt that today would be her day. Everything would go her way today. She stretched lightly before turning to her bedside table to where her phone lay charging. Her eyes were wide awake, so the brightness of her phone screen had no chance of further ruining her eyesight today! All was definitely great.

But what she saw when she unlocked the screen made sure her eyes stayed more wide awake than any artificial phone lighting could ever have.

Naruto Uzumaki has added Hinata Hyuga to the conversation.

author's note

ohhhhh shnap. i apologise for the late update, but hey, that was a pretty short break between chapters compared to what's gonna happen in the future ahahaha -shoves guilt underneath bed-

is the pace the story going at too fast, slow, or just right? personally it's too slow, but that's because i know what'll happen in the future and i just can't waiiiittttt!

[fun fact: i only update when the next chapter is finished.]

thanks for the reviews, alerts and faves y'all.