Now that I am over writers block, it's time to continue our little tale! Enjoy! Again, I do not own Naruto or any of its characters…DAMN YOU KISHIMOTO MASASHI::weeps::

Chp.5- What does a guy have to do to get a date?

Three months. To think, it had been three whole months since Hinata first came to Konoha High. And yet now, she felt as if she had been there since freshman year. With Naruto and Neji's help, she had created a close knit circle of friends and finally felt like she belonged somewhere.

Naruto was just happy that Hiashi had not come after him again. Hinata had not visited him in his apartment since that incident…but every so often, he'd open his door to find a full bag or two of fresh groceries, with a tiny note attached, saying "So you won't go hungry in school. The cafeteria serves other people besides you, you know. Enjoy!"

He didn't ask Hinata about it, he knew she was the one doing it. He normally didn't accept charity from people; he saw it as weakness on his part. But for some reason… he allowed Hinata to help. What still confused him was why he did in the first place. He knew why he continued to, but what was it about Hinata that had started this?

"Well, think about this baka… it's not like she's unattractive, you noticed that right when you first met her. She stood up for you against the football team, even thought she was outmanned, and definitely outsized. She's the only one that bothered to get to know about you and your family…she's helped you with rent. All because you allowed her to, right? Or maybe, just maybe… she would have even if you didn't want her to?"

Naruto sat alone at his lunch table, as he often did. None of his friends had lunch with him this period, so he was often by himself, napping, trying to catch up on homework he had put off, or scribbling music on scrap paper. So naturally he was a little shocked when Neji appeared and took a seat in front of Naruto.

"Neji? What the hell are you doing here? I thought you already had…"

"Naruto, I need to talk to you… about Hinata."

Naruto did not like the slightly nervous tone in Neji's voice, he felt his stomach drop slightly and how it twisted uncomfortably in his gut. He got up and followed Neji outside, into the small outdoor lounge by the cafeteria. "Neji, what's going on? Is Hinata alright?"

"She's fine… it's me that's in trouble."

"Then why did you say it was her that we needed to talk about?"

"Two reasons: One, it does involve her somewhat. And two, I knew that if I said it was about her then I would have no trouble getting your attention. And apparently I was right."

Naruto blushed slightly but gave Neji an irritated look nonetheless. Neji motioned for Naruto to sit. "Naruto…you know that homecoming is this weekend, don't you?"

"Well, duh. The whole school goes nuts over it every year…I don't know what the big deal is…"

"You only say that because you never had a date before, baka."

Naruto glared at him again and spat, "Do you want to talk to me or mock me? Cause if you're gonna mock me then I'll leave right now."

"Ano…I couldn't resist. You see Naruto…there's…there's this girl…and…"

Naruto's glare became a look of slight shock, and then a sarcastic smirk. "Oh now I see! The great Neji Hyuuga is having girl problems!"

"Shut the hell up, baka! I want to ask her to homecoming, but I don't know how!"

"Well, who is she?"

"That's the thing…she's…err…"

"Do I know her, does Hinata know her?"

"You both do…pretty well…"

"Then who is she?"

"Umm…"

"Neji…"

"ALRIGHT! IT'S TENTEN! I WANT TO ASK TENTEN BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW!"

Naruto merely arched an eyebrow and sighed. He thought this might have been it… it had been obvious to him for a while that the long haired football captain had a thing for the captain of the fencing team, Tenten. Forget fencing, she seemed to be a master with all sorts of weapons and bludgeoning devices. Naruto found that out the hard way when he tried to pinch her butt as a joke back in freshman year.

"Neji, is that all?"

"What do you mean, is that all?! You make it sound as if it were nothing!"

"It is, just ask her out. It's just a simple question, what's the problem?"

"Ah, Naruto, I knew you would say that, well… if it's so easy, then why don't you ask out Hinata, hmmm?"

Naruto's calm exterior broke and he suddenly became very nervous. He blushed impressively, "Wha-what are you talking about?! Why would I ask out…" Neji smirked and gave Naruto a very skeptical look. "Naruto, you can't fool anybody. I've seen the way you act around my cousin, the way you keep looking at her when she isn't noticing. You try to act cool but somehow, someway, you always manage to get your tongue tied at least once around my cousin."

Naruto tried to talk back, but his shock and terror rendered his voice incapable. His mouth moved, but nothing came out. Neji chuckled and said, "It would seem the great Naruto Uzumaki is having girl problems as well." Naruto found his voice and spat back, "Oh yeah? Well I bet I can ask out Hinata by the end of this week!"

"You wanna make a bet?"

"Fine, whatever, I don't care."

"Alright, if you don't ask my cousin to homecoming by the end of the week, then you… will have to clean my team's jockstraps after their next big game."

"W-WHAT?!"

"Hey, you said you were fine to make a bet, so we are."

"Grr, fine… but let me counter that bet with another one. If you don't ask out Tenten by the end of the week, then you'll…" Naruto suddenly got an almost evil smirk and Neji paled slightly. "If you don't ask her by the end of the week, you'll have to pay my rent for the next year."

"SAY WHAT?!"

"What's the matter Neji? Can't handle a little pressure? You can consider it more incentive to get off your ass and ask Tenten to the dance."

Neji growled and mumbled a few choice curses, but nodded his head. "Fine, but you better get to asking Hinata out, or else it'll be jockstrap duty for you, baka." They shook hands and walked back inside, both a little more nervous for the task at hand. Neji was nervous for two reasons:

One, he really did want to go with Tenten, but was afraid she would laugh in his pale, genius face. Two, he didn't want to be saddled with Naruto's rent…for a year.

Naruto was also nervous for a few reasons. One, he really did like Hinata and would love going to homecoming with her, but didn't know how he would be able to speak coherently around her long enough to ask. Two, he shuddered at the idea of having to clean jockstraps for the idiots on Neji's team. Three, he had never gone to a dance before, and had no idea how to act. And finally, should Hinata's rather overbearing father find out about this…well, let's just say Naruto would have to run across the border before Hiashi caught him and strung him up from the highest tree.

They parted ways and went to their separate classes. Neji gulped as he walked into his history class, and Naruto sighed and shook his head as he crawled into Acting and Directing class. Ready or not… these two were about to have a very interesting period…