The next morning, Sakura and Ino watched as their friend, Hinata Hyuga, worked silently with a half-saddened half-serious expression on her face. Days passed by, and Hinata had been trying to cheer up and not worry those around her. Still, all her friends knew that underneath that shell, Hinata was still wounded from that day.

It was now Wednesday and the three of them sat outside Ichiraku's at a lunch break, with Hinata still a little serious.

"So, in a few days is the BBQ!" Sakura said cheerfully. "Are you guys coming along?"

Ino nodded. "Naruto and I can't wait! I think he's more excited to play against Sasuke in the games that guys are going to have."

Sakura laughed lightly, and turned to Hinata. "You going right, Hinata?"

Hinata put on a "smile" that wasn't true to her nature. "Yes. I can't wait to go and see all of you guys."

Suddenly, a familiar person showed up next to Hinata. It was Sai, the strange artist.

"Well hello Sakura, Ino and Hinata!" he said with his "fake" smile. "Out on a lunch break I see."

They all nodded and invited Sai to sit down with them, but he had immediately sat down next to Hinata. She fidgeted slightly to the right and the friends kept talking.

"So, you're going to Sakura's then, Hinata?" Sai asked her. When she nodded, "Great, I have read that if a girl is going to a party and you're going there as well, it is the man's opportunity to ask her to go to the party together! Isn't that amazing?"

The three women stared at him, wide eyed, not knowing what to say.

"Now is my chance," he added still smiling. "Hinata, would you care to join me for a walk?"

"Oh umm," she started, unsure if she wanted to either walk with him, or answer yes to his question. But before she could reply, Sai was already pulling her up and leading her out of Ichiraku's. She looked back at her friends for help, but it was already too late as she had walked out with Sai.

"Well, that takes care of how we were going to get Hinata out of here," Ino said.

"Yeah, but where is he?" Sakura asked looking at her phone. "He should have sent us a signal or something!"

"I'm going to get angrier, if he doesn't even show up!" Ino remarked as Sakura sent a message to the person they were supposed to meet.

After about five minutes, the person showed up and sat down with the two doctors.

"Hey," Kiba said, a little scared.

Ino and Sakura watched him for a bit, and they both said at the same time, "What do you plan on doing?"

"I want to apologize to Hinata," Kiba said. "And I want to do it at the BBQ."

"Do you think Hinata is going to talk to you?" Sakura asked as she folded her arms.

"Is it even going to work out?" Ino asked a little coolly.

Kiba looked down at the table for a moment. Finally, he looked up and said, "I know that what I did was wrong. Really, really wrong! I regret it very much; you have no idea how much… I really want to apologize to her. I'll do anything for her to just listen to me and hear me out… I just need your guys' help. Please, help me, I miss her very much."

The two friends looked into the eyes of the architect and saw that he really did mean what he said and Kiba was being sincere about apologizing to Hinata.

"And no more Izumi?" Ino asked him seriously. "You won't believe anymore of her stupid stories?"

Kiba shook his head. "No. I haven't even seen her since then, and if I ever see her again, I'll 'break up' with her, and won't ever believe her again.

"So what's the plan?" Sakura asked, leaning in towards Kiba.

Kiba grinned and began to explain the plan for the BBQ at Sakura's on Saturday, and hopefully, Hinata accepts his apology somehow.