Chapter IX

Silence invaded the room as they the final sentence escaped his lips. Tell him first you love him before you tell me his name. Frankly she did not know how to make a suitable response to that so she simply smiled meekly and replied, "Okay."

He then smiled in return. "I wish you luck, Hinata. You're a good person who deserves all the blessings life can give."

She blushed at his comment. "A-arigatou, Rokudaime-sama…"

I came, I saw and I conquer. Hell yeah! The Sixth grinned. Suddenly, a pang of drowsiness hit him. He blinked away his fatigue. The Hyuuga heiress saw this though.

"Are you alright, Hokage-sama?" she asked, concern very evident in her voice.

"Yah… Just a little bit sleepy. I think that sleeping pill is taking its effect." He yawned. A brilliant idea hit his head though. "Hinata. Could you do me another favor, please?"

"Eh?"

"Can you sing 'til I'll fall asleep?"

"P-pardon m-me?" Hinata stammered. Surely this was just a dream! The Hokage would never request that thing to her. She could feel her cheeks heating up. Must be the effect of the drugs… must be the effect of the drugs…

The Hokage smiled shakily at her and turned away. His eyes looked a little dim. "You know, don't you? When I was growing up, I never did have a family. Nobody was there to acknowledge me. Nobody tells me bedtime stories before I sleep at night. Nobody tells me to wake up in the morning. What I really want when I was child was to have someone sing to me before I sleep. So… Hinata?" He raised his head and looked at her eyes. "Can you? Please?"

"H-hai…" She blushed, a cute shade of crimson. "B-but my voice is not that good, Naruto-kun."

"I don't really mind," he replied amiably, and rested his head on her shoulder. Hinata shook. He asked when he looked up at her, "Hinata… Starting today, may I call you Hinata-chan?"

"I don't really think I'm in the position to mind," she reasoned out.

He let out a boyish chuckle, and draped her arms across him.

"E-eh?" Her fingers shook. This was certainly distance she ever had with the Sixth. 'Must be the effect of the drugs… Must be the effect of the drugs…' she keeps repeating in her head. Must choose a song. "H-here goes…"

You are sunlight and I moon

Joined by the gods of fortune

Midnight and High Noon

Sharing the sky, we have blessed you and I

She began to stroke his unruly hair, just to calm him, to allow him a little peace for sleep. It was the only thing she could do for him. In all honesty, Hinata was afraid of revealing her whole heart to him. She was afraid to be rejected by the person she has loved for more than three years now. She's afraid that her confession might actually change the current relation they have, a relationship she had so earnestly build for more than three years now. But then again, she didn't really have to worry that much. Hinata hid a secret smile. 'I'll just have to agree for the moment with everyone else that he's so dense.'

You are here like a mystery

I'm from a world that is so different from all that you are

How in the light of the night did we come so far?

He closed his eyes. The motions of her hands were soothing. When he did, he went back in time: the hour before his fight with Neji. She was there, offering him words of comfort. She made him believe that he was more than he actually thought of himself to be. She believed in him when he almost lost all faith he had for himself; his very own angel, ready to rescue him even from himself. Maybe that was when he started to notice her.

She began humming when his breathing became a little more rhythmic and even. She felt as though he was already sleeping. She gently lowered him on the pillows, smoothing a few strands from his face. Gently, she continued her little song, hoping it reached his heart as it did hers.

You are sunlight and I moon joined here

Brightening the sky with the flame of love

Made of sunlight, moonlight

"Arigatou, Hinata-chan," he drawled off. "Hinata-chan… If I told you I like you, what would you do?"

She couldn't believe what she just heard. "W-what?"

"You probably won't notice because you already like another certain someone." He seemed to have not heard her because he persisted on, looking up in the ceiling. He inclined his head to smile at her. "Daisuki da yo… Hinata-chan…" After the last word, his eyes drifted downward. His breathing became rhythmic, even. His grip on her became loose.

Meanwhile, Hinata was still trying to decipher what just happened.

"Kankurou," the feminine murderous voice growled. "Get away from here as far as you can. Understood?"

The puppeteer looked from Shikamaru to Temari then back to the shadow-caster. His eyes clearly said, 'Take care.' He stood up and walked as fast as he can.

Shikamaru looked at Kankurou's back miserably.

It was then that Temari turned to Shikamaru to smirk: smirk an evil, evil, evil smirk. "Any last words before I tear you apart?"

"I was conducting a mission?" It was more of a question than a statement. Temari looked unimpressed. "Really, I was!"

"Liar," she accused. "You've always hated missions. Besides it's a holiday today. Every single ninja should be in front of the Hokage building."

"I have an excused slip! Here!" He handed out a small white sheet of paper with the Hokage seal on it. "Personally signed by the Sixth himself!"

Temari frowned at the paper before she snatched it to read.

To whom it may concern,

I am excusing Nara Shikamaru, Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, Akimichi Chouji, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru for the Peace Treaty of the Fire and Wind Country as these persons stated above are to accomplish a mission assigned by the Rokudaime Hokage himself. I am deeply sorry for their neglecting the ceremony. I hope to have your support and cooperation.

Signed,

Rokudaime Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto

Date of today

P.S.

I hope you try our famous stall Ichiraku Ramen House! Our ramen is the greatest of them all!

The sand kunoichi almost tore the paper. These guys are good at making excuses!

"Am I forgiven now?" Shikamaru grinned brightly at her.

She glared. "No."

"B-but… The letter-"

"If you really wanted to come, you wouldn't mind this letter," she reasoned out.

"It was from the Sixth!"

"The Sixth is Naruto," she replied

"Why? If it had been Gaara would you pay the mission no heed?" he countered.

Temari's glare reached a higher scale. "Do not include my brother in this conversation."

"You're being troublesome again, woman."

"How dare you!" She raised her fan in a deadly arc, preparing to hit him. His cell phone rang.

"Wait!" he held out a hand. "Let me answer my phone first."

Temari stood agape then she lowered her fan very slowly. "Five minutes."

Seeing that, Shikamaru answered the call. "Hello?"

"What took you so long to answer?"

"My one true love."

"Oh." There was a pause before his caller added in a much softer voice. "So is she away?"

"Nope, she was about to kill me when you called. If you don't mind, Neji, let's keep this conversation short. I'm not exactly on the right situation to entertain long conversations."

"Okay. Uh… you see… My mission isn't going too smoothly."

"Let me guess. You pissed Tenten?"

"To put it mildly. It's not as if it was my fault. She has this peculiar taste for food."

"Apologize," he simply suggested. "Then tell her you don't mean it."

"Does that work?"

Shikamaru considered it for a while. "Well, it doesn't work on Temari so it must work on the remaining female population." Said female ninja was pissed off beyond any doubt, but she kept her end of the bargain and stood still. "Okay? Sorry. Love to keep in touch but a kunoichi is about to hit me with her fan. Good luck." With that he ended his phone call. He turned to Temari.

"All done?" she asked lousily.

He nodded and dodged. She almost hit him!

"Prepare to be vaporized!"

Neji stared blankly at the phone, his brain registering Shikamaru's suggestion. He, the Hyuuga prodigy, was suggested to apologize to Tenten, because of a fault he didn't even commit? He considered it for a while before he dialed Chouji's number.

Chouji smiled at the cellphone screen. His 'blind date' texted him that their date will be postponed because she has flu. So now his date will be scheduled next week. At least he had plenty of time to complete the mission.

His cell phone rang. He answered it. "Hello?"

"What do you do when a girl hates you?" The voice sounded just like Neji.

He frowned. "Why? What did you do with Tenten?"

"Why does it sound like I'm the one who did the wrong thing? It's her fault for loving black square objects on a stick!" he defended.

"Oh you mean betamax?"

"Beta-what?"

"It's the black square object on a stick. You boil pig's blood then the part that thickens is the betamax. It's quite tasty when broiled."

He heard the Hyuuga prodigy coughed at the other line. "Pig's blood?"

"Yah! It's edible!"

There was a very long pause. "Anyway, she was eating a chicken head so I somewhat said that it's despicable-."

"You said that food is despicable! How dare you Hyuuga Neji!" Chouji bellowed over the line.

"Chouji, for the sake of the mission, what will I do?" Neji almost screamed.

Chouji calmed himself for a while. "Tell her you're sorry."

"Shikamaru already suggested that."

"Tell her you didn't mean it."

"He said that as well."

"Tell her that her choice of food is amazing."

Pause. "But it's despicable."

Chouji ended the line. He had no patience for those who think food was despicable.

Grr… So much for help… He wracked his brain cells for people who could help him. The only person who came to his head was the weapon's mistress. He sighed. It was hard when they're not talking. She was the only one he turned to when he has socialization problems.

He looked for Uchiha Sasuke's code and started connecting.

"So that's the reason why you were hugging Lee?" the Uchiha asked, one eyebrow drew upwards.

She snorted. "Yes, I have this weird jinx for en with black hair and eyes. It runs in the family."

Sasuke looked unconvinced.

Ino was taken back. "You want proof? Alright, I'll list all of the women in my family who suffered from dark-haired men."

It wasn't until she was three-quarters of the way through her roll that Ino realized that there was something wrong. Sasuke had turned his face away from her and odd sniggering noises occasionally escaped him. Ino began to watch him more closely, and it seemed to him that Sasuke's shoulders shook once or twice. Her suspicions were confirmed when she finished her pathetic inventory and Sasuke could no longer contain himself, but broke into a loud guffaw.

"That was the joke of the day," he exclaimed between chuckles, forcing himself to stop laughing.

Ino was not amused. She glared at Sasuke who in return patted her on the shoulder, still not quite able to contain his mirth.

"Sorry. The Uchiha clan doesn't believe in that sort of riffraff. We believe in much simpler things."

She raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

"Destiny," he answered plainly.

Her eyebrow hitched higher. "What does Kami-sama's will have to with this?"

"Well, if you pursue a relationship and you two end up breaking, it only means that person is not what you're supposed to be with. You forced yourself to be the one for you."

She scoffed in a light-hearted manner. "I didn't know you believe in soul mates."

"I don't," he clarified. "I believe that in this crazy world, there's this certain place where I would meet the one meant for me."

"What if you meet her when you're old?"

"Ah? Oh… I made a pact with God. If I don't meet her before I turn twenty I'll look for another person. The Uchiha clan must be revived!" he replied dramatically.

She looked away grinning and started attacking her ice cream. After sometime, he spoke up. His voice carefully modulated. "Ino?"

"Hmm?"

"If… in such a way… If I didn't leave do you think there is a possibility that Sakura and me will be together?" he asked the question that had been wrenching his brain… And his heart…

Unexpectedly, Ino just turned to him and laughed out loud. "What kind of question is that? Of course you two would be together! You're teammates!" He stared at her to let her know exactly what he meant. "Oh… That's what you meant…" Her voice trailed off. "It didn't happen so what's the point of worrying?" She pointed out.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "It's just that… Why be happy with Lee if she could be happy with me?"

"Why be happy with you if she could be happy with Lee?" she countered. "It's not your problem anymore, Uchiha. They're both old enough to handle a relationship. If they're not meant to be together, it's they're decision. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Uh-huh…" Sasuke went into thinking. Wow. Team Ten sure has a lot of talent about the ways of love. He tested her. "Well then, if I didn't leave… Do you think that there is a possibility that you and me will be together?"

She eyes widened for a moment, unsure of the thing she heard, a blush forming on her cheeks. Then she grinned at him, "Nice try."

Kring… Krang… Kring…

The Uchiha sighed, and fidgeted his radio. And Team Gai has a lot of talent with regards to 'perfect timing'. He smiled convincingly at her. "Excuse me. I need to answer my neck contraption." He stood up and walked away from her. "What do you want?"

"Didn't you know you had to ask for your caller's name before you could ask such question?" The voice sounded irritable

"What do you want, Hyuuga?"

Silence. "How do you, that is, tell a girl you're sorry?"

"The best possible way is to eat your pride and kneel. Then tell her you're sorry and that that you didn't mean it."

"You expect me to do that?"

"You needed a suggestion right?" he countered sarcastically. The line was dead. Sasuke gritted his teeth. 'So much for thanks.' He took deep breaths to calm himself.

Ino screamed.

"What?" He turned around so quickly to ensure she was alright. Ino looked fine, though.

She hurried to him. "Sasuke-kun, can I borrow your cell phone? This is an emergency! Please, please, please!"

He mutely nodded, thinking she lost her head, and gave her the device.

"Thanks!"

'Damn! This is not the right time for recharging!' the prodigy thought miserably. He took large gulps of oxygen to calm his raging emotions. This really wasn't turning out to be his day.

He, Hyuuga Neji, would frop on his knees to apologize to a girl? The horror! The terror! The sheer atrocity of the thought! The abomination that is beyond everything in this world!

The front door opened. The sand-nin came in who Akamaru and Kiba faced a little while ago. The ninja moved slyly towards Kiba.

"Hey," the ninja started. "You okay?"

Kiba raised his head. Apparently his tears haven't yet disappeared. "Haven't you done enough?"

"Well, you did breakinto a secluded government property and almost murdered half of the Kazekage's bodyguards so at least we have the right to torture you. What are you doing here anyway?"

Kiba barked, "Like I'll talk! Could you just please untie us? I promise I won't kill you!"

"I don't know about the second part but as far as I know, Shizune-san asked if you could be released," he assured the posted ninja. "You should be thankful to her."

"WAIT! MY FRIEND HERE IS ALREADY DEAD! HELP! I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE WITH A DEAD PERSON! HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The ninja shut the door close. "Oh the drama…" he mumbled.

Uchiha Itachi was sautéing garlic and onions when he sneezed. 'Someone must be talking about me.'

"Ne, Itachi-san. You okay?" asked his shark-finned companion, Kisame, who was carrying loads of vegetable.

Itachi glared. "Don't call me by that name. We might be recognized." They are not really the real thing. They are malfunctioning clones created by the Akatsuki boss in order to replace the original members in the case that they fail. He and Kisame were part-time employers of Ichiraku Ramen Restaurant; restaurant because ever since the Sixth was inaugurated more customers started going to the stall. Within three years it grew and became a restaurant though the Rokudaime still thought it was stall.

"Sorry Inori-chan." A knife almost hit him.

"Quit with the honorifics."

Itachi and Kisame, for fear that they might be recognized, changed their appearance (not to mention sexes) just to work. So in short, both he were now she. Itachi was now Inori while Kisame was Kaoru.

"Anou sa, Inori-chan," Ayame entered the kitchen. She sweat-dropped at the imbedded knife.

Inori gave a gay laugh. "Kaoru-chan is a little bit depressed today. She hit the wall with the knife too hard. Ne Kaoru-chan?"

Kaoru smiled shakily. "Hai… Sorry, Ayame-chan…" With that, she drew the knife from the wall and joined Inori in laughing.

"Ah… Ok… Anou, Inori-chan," she called out on the person holding a spatula. Twelve orders of beef ramen for table two."

"Twelve?" Inori asked sweetly.

"Yes twelve."

'God, the person who would eat all these ramen sure is desperate,' Itachi commented silently. He inwardly snickered at the customer. 'Maybe the customer is a big, fat, ugly and single lady!' He stopped at table number two.

"Konnichiwa. Here are your twelve orders of beef ramen." He gently placed the tray on the table. He then gave a smile full of sugary sweetness at the customer. And then he sweat-dropped. 'Haruno Sakura.'

Eyes puffy, pink hair askew, the medic-nin sure looked down right miserable. "Thanks."

"No problem. That would be 1620 ryuu all." He wished this order to be done with. He wasn't really good around crying women. "Can… can I have the payment now, miss?"

"Sit down and eat with me." It was not a request but a full-out order.

"Hah?" He wished he heard it wrong.

"Join me first in eating or else I won't pay for that damn bill!" Sakura hollered on the top of her lungs.

"H-hai…" Well, he wasn't good at angry women too. He hastily sat down. "Anou… Oneesan, what's your problem? Did you break up with your boyfriend?"

Sakura stared at him before she broke down crying. "Is it written all over my face?" she screamed over her whimpers.

He could but only stare. "What did he do?"

"He… he told me… he told me he wouldn't… he wouldn't leave me alone… That he'll always… stay with me… that he'll protect me always… for life! And then… And then… I saw him with another woman… WAHHHH!!!!" She wailed. "What should I do?"

"There, there oneesan" Itachi patted her back. "Men who are polygamous should be stripped naked, be tied to the nearest road and have a disabled life." Homicidal genes activated, he continued. "Skin him alive and throw him to the nearest lake. Then fish him up and roll him in a mat of flour. Then… Then… Place him in boiling oil and deep-fry him! Afterwards, let a pack of wolf eat him!" He stopped because the customers were looking at him; even Sakura was looking at him in a peculiar manner. He gave out what he thought as a convincing gay laugh. "I was only joking!" They all nodded in understanding and continue in their meals.

When Itachi recovered, he added, "Oneesan, you should talk to him first. In a relation, open communication is must in order to overcome the trials that come your ways. I believe that if you truly love him, you will listen to him."

"Gee… Thanks…" The green eyes were now shining and shimmering with tears.

"That would be 1620 ryuu for the ramen. Ayame-chan would be the one to get the payment. Happy eating." With that, he stood up and left.

"And that's what happened…" Lee wailed. They were at a video bar, a video bar recommended by Maito Gai himself. The Green Beast of Konoha said that it was the best videoke bar in the entire village, the entire continent.

Kakashi poured him another glass of milk. Why Rock Lee got somber with fresh milk, Kakashi does not know. "Lee-kun, I'm sure Sakura is just confused…"

Lee drained the glass in a single gulp. "But it hurts so much!"

"Could you excuse me for a moment, Lee-kun? I have a phone call to make." Kakashi smiled apologetically and stepped out of the room. At this rate, all his savings would disperse. Lee already drank seventeen liters of milk. He immediately dialed Sasuke's number.

"What am I gonna do?" Lee whined miserably. Then his cell phone rang.

One message received. Opening… Opening message…

---------

From: Sasuke

Subject: It's me, Ino!

To: Lee

Lee! 012607. You do know what I mean, right?

----------

Lee read it for a while then read it again.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHHH!!!" screamed Lee.

Kakashi came barging in. "You alright, Lee-kun?"

"This is it," he said softly. "This is it..."

"What... What is it?"

I thought the outside is huge. The inside is even bigger. If the Kazekage was gifted with eyebrows, they would have creased his forehead now, no matter how hidden it was behind his sensei's forehead protector.

The great house, strengthen by adobe walls, was filled with simplicity yet class. Eerie silence filled the whole compound. It was not soothing. He was sure there were eyes in every corner. He smirked. Of course, the Hyuuga's are famous for their Byakugan. Silently, he made his way across the building, unmindful of the steadfast gazes.

'The combination of white and blue surely is quite pleasant to the eyes,' he mused. He would definitely get his house repainted.

All of a sudden, he felt a presence behind him, one of that chakra he did not know. Male? No. Female.

"Who are you and how dare you step into the main house?" the light voice said behind him.

He turned around. He stared at two very white, pupil-less eyes. The girl was blessed with dark hair, contrast to her very pale skin and eyes.

"Answer me."

Gaara made no reply.

She withdrew a deep breath. "I am Hyuuga Hanabi; daughter to the clan head," she said proudly with equal sternness. "Be a snob in front of the Main House member, will you? You should be ashamed of yourself."

For the first time in many years, a girl was courageous enough to question the authority of the Kazekage.

"Still no answer?" The girl seemed to be unpleased. "At least be responsible enough to give me your name." She looked squarely at his forehead protector. "Or is it that the Sand ruffians are to dense to answer such question as simple as this?"

Thankfully, the Hyuuga prodigy taught the Godaime some useful calming techniques! Else this girl would be dead by now. Gaara was forced to answer. "My name is Yashamaru. I'm here under a direct order from the Fifth Kazekage himself."

"Naruto-kun… I guess the only time I could say "I love you" to you is when you fall asleep. But I promise… I'll tell it to you… One day…"

It was then that the door opened, revealing the Hokage advisor. "Konnichiwa, Hokage-sama. I was wondering if…" His voice trailed off because he stared at the Byakugan mistress.

"Konnichiwa, Sai-sama," Hinata greeted him.

"Konnichiwa, Hinata," Sai greeted back. He looked from her then to the figure sleeping on the bed.