Chp.8- Preparations

Hinata was ecstatic.

No, ecstatic wasn't the right word… Hinata was relieved, really.

She had been dreading about asking Naruto to homecoming, because as much as she wanted so badly to go with him, she always found herself unable to get the words out correctly whenever she was around him. She had resigned herself to the sad conclusion that she wouldn't be going to homecoming at all, and that Naruto would be off with some other girl.

Well, needless to say, she was wrong.

She practically skipped up the stairs and twirled like a ballerina as she unlocked the door to her apartment. She started humming brightly to herself as she dumped her pack on the couch and pranced over to her room to change. She even surprised herself with her own giddiness. Emerging from her room in a white tank top and pale lavender pajama pants, she hopped onto her couch, seeing one message on the answering machine by her phone. She sighed and rolled her eyes, she knew full well what was coming…

"Hinata, this is your father. How many times have I told you to be home in time for my call? I swear, if you're in your apartment right now and ignoring me, then I will personally come over there and…"

Hinata growled at the machine and pressed the erase button emphatically, halting her father's voice. She sighed to herself and flopped onto the couch, her head resting on a pillow near the end. The reason she moved away from her father in the first place was to be her own person without feeling neglected or degraded by her over demanding father. He never seemed to give a damn about her before… and yet the minute she moved away, he was suddenly the most overprotective, paranoid twit that had ever walked the planet.

Hinata sighed, she knew why he was so different, as much as she hated to admit it.

Hiashi Hyuuga was a very affluent business man in Konoha. His company was well known through the whole town, and with that fame, came a certain reputation he felt he had to maintain. When Hinata was fed up and finally moved out on her own, Hiashi did not want word to spread that his own daughter had moved away at only 18 years of age because her father was a jerk. If that word spread, his character would be diminished and his company would ultimately suffer for it.

That was why he was so mad when he almost caught her at Naruto's apartment all those months ago. He saw Naruto as nothing more than a street rat and a thug, much like many of the town citizens who had heard of "the Uzumaki brat." He figured that if his daughter was seen accompanying such "garbage", then his reputation would be all but shot to pieces.

Hinata had come to a decision long ago that big businessmen were assholes. Especially the multi million dollar businessmen like her father. All he cared about was his stupid job and his damn inheritance from his father, which had been passed through the Hyuuga family for generations. Hiashi took the company from his father, who had taken it from his father, and so on, and so forth, back about 10 generations or so.

What was worse, Hiashi had expected Hinata to take over the business when her time came, but after she moved out, she pretty much told him to his face that she had no intention of doing so, for the sole reason of "not wanting to become a mini version of Hiashi (a.k.a. an asshole). Hence was another reason why Hiashi would never let her be, he wanted to make damn sure that if she didn't take the company over like he did, that she would still become important in the economy.

Hinata made a disgusted face and sighed. She shook her head to clear it of such useless rants and thoughts. Her mind then returned to Naruto, and what had happened in his apartment not ten minutes earlier. Her bright smile returned and she did all she could to keep from squealing like a little child. Naruto had asked her out… she felt like this was too surreal to be happening.

She then came to a very frightening realization. She had never, ever, been to a school dance before, so she doubted that she had anything to wear worthy of grabbing Naruto's attention, much less worthy for something like homecoming. She ran back to her room and dug through her closet, rapidly throwing contents all over her once tidy room.

"No… no… NO!" For once, she cursed her shy nature and the effect it had on her wardrobe. She had jackets and hoodie galore, normally used during the day because she preferred not have her figure so closely outlined in front of a bunch of rabid high school guys and impossibly thick headed high school girls. She needed a dress that, for once, would not be so modest that she could drown in her clothing.

She racked her brain, trying to think of someone who could help her with her problem. "Naruto…no, I can't ask him, he isn't supposed to know about how I look until the dance! Sakura and Ino! No, that won't work either… I want to keep Naruto's attention, but I want him to keep his eyes on all of me, not just my body. And if those two attempted to find me a dress… no, can't call them... Tenten! That's it! She knows how to dress attractively, and with good taste!"

Hinata quickly picked up the phone and dialed Tenten's number, hoping to god that she would respond. Hinata jumped when Tenten's voice actually did respond.

"Hello?"

"Tenten-chan! Oh thank goodness… it's Hinata, I need your help!"

"With what?"

"I need a dress for homecoming."

"Wait… you're going? I thought you said you weren't going unless…"

"Yes, yes, unless I had a date. I do now, and I need a dress! I don't have anything good here!"

"Oh, okay then… I'll be right over, Hinata-chan, where do you live?"

Hinata quickly rambled off her address and apartment number. "Ok then, I'll be there in a flash! See ya Hinata-chan!" Hinata hung up the phone and twiddled her fingers nervously. And just as Tenten said, about five minutes later, she arrived at her door.

Upon hearing a knock, Hinata opened the door quickly and pulled in Tenten, shutting the door and locking it quickly. Tenten looked at the flustered Hyuuga with mild amusement and said, "We a little nervous, Hinata-chan?"

"You have to help me! If I can't get a dress for the dance, then I'll…" Tenten rested her hands on Hinata's shoulder and pushed her back down onto the couch. "Slow down Hinata… and breathe, you're turning blue. Now, I want you to tell me when you suddenly got a date to the dance."

"About ten minutes ago."

"And who's the guy?"

"Well, ummm…."

"C'mon, you can tell me! It's not like you'd go with a total creep, right?"

"Right… my date… is… is… N-Naruto."

"… Naruto? As in Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Y-yeah…."

Tenten smirked and thought, "Well, well… maybe he wasn't as lost as Neji thought…" She smiled warmly and said, "Hinata, this is actually very good for you. I know you're not a huge fan of being social, and that's okay. But you managed to hook a guy for a dance, that's good news right there. Now, I need you to tell me the truth… how much do you really like Naruto?"

Hinata could not imagine a worse question that Tenten could've asked. She blushed profusely and mumbled something unintelligible. "What was that, Hinata? You need to speak up."

"I… I…"

Tenten smiled once again and said, "I'm going to take that as a "Hinata is head over heels in love with Naruto." Am I getting close?" Hinata blushed even further and her eyes darted to her feet, but she nodded nonetheless. "Tenten… please understand, I know this is an awfully troublesome thing to call you for, but I couldn't think of anyone else! I would've called Sakura or Ino, but…"

"You didn't want them to dress you like a whore?"

"Y-yeah…"

Tenten laughed and said, "Believe me girl, I can sympathize completely. Sakura and Ino are good people; they just have a few screws loose, if you catch my drift. Now, we need to get you a dress that'll be a little less modest than your usual wear, but not so bold as to make you seem… err… loose. We need to go shopping, c'mon!" Tenten grabbed Hinata's arm and dragged her out of the apartment, Hinata barely managing to grab her keys and purse on the way out.

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"Tenten-chan…I don't think this will work…"

"Aww, nonsense, why not?"

Hinata stepped outside her changing room and Tenten immediately saw why. Pink, at least, hot pink, was definitely not Hinata's color. "Eh-heh… sorry 'bout that Hinata-chan…. How many dresses you got left?"

"J-just one, but I…"

"No more buts, Hinata-chan. Try it on and don't take it off until I get a good look at you!"

Hinata did as she was told, not wanting to irritate her friend. After putting on her last dress, she looked into the mirror and her jaw dropped. Not because it was too revealing… it was perfect. Tenten's eyes darted to Hinata as she emerged from the changing room, and her eyes went wide as dinner plates.

"Hinata-chan… I think we've found your dress!"

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A/N: Hinata's all set, let's hope Naruto doesn't make himself look stupid on their date!

Naruto: HEY! I'm not an idiot, believe it!

Hinata: Y-yeah… he's just e-enthusiastic.

Cenedarprime: Alright, I retract my last statement for your sake, Hinata, just because I like you

Hinata: Arigatou, Cenedar-sama….

(author bows)

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