Author's Note: Thank you binky-doodle, Byzantea, KurosunanoKazuo, stephen, sunarose and Rose Tiger for your reviews! You guys make me happy! Sorry I haven't posted in a while, anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 6: The End of the Day

Hinata didn't know how she'd gotten into this situation. She really didn't. This morning she'd been Nobody Hyuuga, daughter of Hiashi Hyuuga, a virtual nonentity within the confines of Konoha High School. Now she was the luckiest girl in school, the girlfriend a high school God, envied by every girl in town between the ages of 11 and 18 and currently traveling at 55 miles per hour down the freeway on the back of a flamed motorcycle, clinging to the back of said boy-God. Admittedly her cousin Neji wasn't the most responsible driver (he had on occasion experimented with donuts in the four-way intersections) but motorcycles were well beyond Hinata's traveling experience. It was a tribute to just how safe and happy being around Naruto made her feel that she wasn't screaming her head off.

"Am I going too fast for you?" Naruto called over his shoulder as he picked up a bit of speed to pass a car on their right.

"No . . . I'm ok," Hinata replied with all the volume she could muster.

Rather than making his usual dramatic stop, Naruto coasted gently into the driveway of the large Hyuuga house. He quickly pulled off his helmet and dismounted, helping Hinata out of the spare and off the bike. Hinata straightened her skirt, face pink and hair a little windswept, but when she looked up at him she was smiling brightly. He beamed at her.

"So . . . today was fun," Naruto offered, rubbing the back of his neck, "I mean, I had fun. I don't know if you did, but . . ."

"I had fun," Hinata piped up, softly but firmly, struggling to look him in the eye.

"So . . . today was fun," Naruto repeated awkwardly.

"Yeah, it was," Hinata finished. She bit her lip, steeling her courage. She was about to do something she would never, ever, have dreamed about doing before today, and yet . . . "You . . . you wanna . . . do it again, sometime?"

For a moment Naruto was floored. He had assumed he would be the one to ask, and yet here they were, and it was Hinata that had asked him on a second date. He grinned. "Of course, Hinata-chan, whenever you want!"

"Really!?" Hinata cried, eyes bugging out as they flew up to meet his, "I . . . I mean, I . . ."

That was where Naruto cut her off. He bent down, leaned in close, and kissed her. Not a deep kiss, not a French kiss, there was no tongue and hardly any lip action. He just placed his lips, feather light and hesitant, gently against hers.

That was where Hinata's resolve not to faint deserted her.

She woke up cradled tenderly in Naruto's arms. He grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, I guess . . . I didn't think, hehehe . . . sorry."

"No . . . I . . ." Hinata breathed, trying not to stutter, "I mean, I . . . it was . . . nice."

Naruto's face broke out in a dazzling smile. "Great!" he replied, setting her back on her feet, "I guess, I'll see you at school, then?"

"Yeah," Hinata smiled shyly, nodding, "see you at school. Bye!"

"Bye!" Naruto called as Hinata turned and scampered for her front door. She paused on the threshold, gave him one last shy, happy smile, and disappeared inside.

***

"Oh damn it!"

Ino turned the key again, only to be rewarded with another tired whine from the engine of her car. Sakura sat in the passenger seat, rubbing the dashboard in an effort to ease whatever wrong they'd done the car for it to be so cruel to them.

"Why today?!" Ino wailed, throwing up her hands, "Why today, when Naruto-kun has a date and we need to see where he's going! Why, why, why today of all days!"

"I think its slightly more important that we can't get home!" Sakura pointed out somewhat angrily. Ino had just managed to free her from her increasingly awkward conversation with Sasuke and she'd been hoping for a quick get-away.

"You girls ok?" came a voice from outside the car. In Ino's driver side window appeared Choji, a member of Naruto's pack and naturally someone the girls knew pretty well.

"Yeah, but we can't get the car started," Ino whined, "it wouldn't be a big deal but my parents are out of town, and Sakura's won't come get us from here."

"You need a ride?" Choji asked, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the pack's convertible, "'cause Kiba's walking home. We've got room for one more."

"Just one?" Ino asked, looking worriedly at her friend.

Sakura sighed. "You go," she said, "I'll find my own ride home. If worst comes to worst my house is only about a half-hour's walk."

"I'll come back once I've dropped everyone off," Choji offered, "if you wanna hang around."

Sakura smiled weakly. "Thanks," she said, "but I'll be fine."

Ino got her stuff out of the car and then locked it up, checking every door once to make sure they were all shut properly. Then she put her backpack in the trunk with the packs' and climbed into the passenger side of the convertible, Shikamaru and Shino in the back. She and Sakura waved to each other as Choji drove off, leaving Sakura alone at the Quad.

"Need a ride?" asked a smooth voice from behind her. Sakura jumped and whirled around to see Sasuke standing just behind her, hidden in the shadows of the stone archway. He stepped forward, a content and vaguely creepy smile on his face.

"Sasuke!" she half yelped, stumbling back a step, "What are . . . I mean, I don't . . ."

"Yeah you do," he said calmly, "your friend's car broke down, and she just left with those boys."

"Choji'll come back," she insisted shakily, not wanting to admit she needed help.

"But I can just drive you, it'll be so much faster, and anyway didn't you tell him not to worry? Its quite possible he thought you meant not to bother."

Sakura bit her lip, thinking. Yeah, actually she hadn't meant for Choji to come back, she'd been planning on mooching a ride of someone else, or just walking. She had to admit to herself that Sasuke was just as valid a ride-mooch candidate as anyone there, and he was much easier. It seemed rather foolish to get in a car with him, all things considered, but . . .

"Ok," she murmured, "if it wouldn't be too much trouble."

"No trouble at all," Sasuke told her, joy-induced adrenaline pounding in his veins.

Sakura picked up her backpack, rather light since she'd only just now gotten her list of class-required supplies and hadn't had the chance to go back-to-school shopping, and put in the trunk of the red jaguar Sasuke indicated. Then, clutching her purse, she got in the passenger side as he held the door open for her, and resisted the urge to throw it back open and bolt in the time between when he shut the door behind her and darted around to his own side, jumping into the car and clicking the seatbelt into place with the speed of slightly disturbing eagerness. Putting on her own seatbelt, she watched with increased foreboding as he guided the car out of the parking lot.

"You know Sakura, you're one of the prettiest girls I've ever met," he commented as he pulled out onto the all but deserted road.

"Really? You don't say," she replied uneasily

He went on, "In my old town we had a cheerleading squad that won more trophies than the football team. They were all gorgeous, but none of them hold a candle to you."

"Thanks but I'm sure . . ."

"No really Sakura," he protested, cutting her off, "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

Sakura glanced out the window, realizing that they were on a street she only barely recognize, and then, suddenly, that he hadn't even asked her where he was supposed to be driving.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"I'm taking you home remember?" he replied easily, not taking his eyes from the road.

"Aren't you going to ask me the way?" she asked, a little nervous.

"I thought we'd take the scenic route. I wanted to talk to you."

Sakura's heart jumped, but she forced herself to remain calm. "Please just take me home."

"What's your hurry?" Sasuke asked unconcernedly, "It's the first day of school, don't tell me you have homework."

Now the street outside the window was not at all familiar, and Sakura started to get scared. "Where are we?" she demanded, trying to keep the panic out of her voice, "Where are you taking me? I've never . . ."

"That's because my family owns this district," he cut her off again, perfectly calm and not in the least threatening. "We just bought this old section of town and had it fixed up last month."

"What?!"

"Oh yeah, did I mention my dad's one of the ten richest men in the country?" he smirked, slowing the car down on an avenue lined with cherry trees. This was an obscure way into the new Uchiha District; to their left was a small strip of forest, to their right a bit of abandoned industrial land, but you could see neither for the ornamental trees.

Sakura however was a bit disturbed by how the trees cast an atmosphere of isolation. "No you must have forgotten," she said distractedly, "It's nice, now please take me home."

"You haven't seen any of it yet!" he protested lightly, slowing down further so that he could turn to look at her without having to worry about hitting anything, "Let me show you."

"No thanks," she said firmly, trying to make sure there was no trace of uncertainty in her voice. The car coasted to a stop.

Sasuke laughed a little, making her squirm as he leaned in close. "What's wrong Cherry, you scared of me?"

"No I just don't wanna see. I wanna go home. What . . ." Sasuke put one hand on her thigh, his seatbelt coming undone as if by magic as he leaned ever closer to her.

"Come on Sakura just talk to me for a little while," his forehead touched hers, and the hand on her thigh moved to the hem of her shirt, "I really like you, Sakura."

His hand slipped under her shirt, fingers spread out against her flat stomach. "Hey quit it!" she cried, trying to push him off, but he crashed his lips onto hers. She twisted in her seat, trying to pull away, but his hand found her seatbelt buckle and grabbed a hold of it, refusing to let her undo the restraint. She let out a small, panicked sob against his mouth, but this only allowed him to force his tongue between her parted lips.

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

There was a resounding thunk as something, or rather someone, slammed full force into Sakura's side of the car, making the whole thing rock to one side. The door opened and Sakura fell backwards a little, caught by a combination of her seatbelt and a pair of strong hands. One arm hooked around her waist and the the other hand smashed down on top of Sasuke's, jamming his fingers against the button that released Saukra's seatbelt. Sakura tumbled out of the car, landing on top of . . .

"Lee!" she cried in shock and amazement as she recognized her savior. Sasuke let out a curse as he tried to crawl over Sakura's newly vacated seat out of the car, but Lee kicked at the door, making it slam shut in Sasuke's face.

"This way!" Lee called, pulling her to her feet and taking off between two cherry trees. Lee never released her hand as he pulled her down a small incline by the side of the road, then down an alley created by what looked like an abandoned construction site. Lee pulled her around several turns before they finally wound up in front of a large mechanical rig, now rusted with age. Skirting this, they slid down another, steeper incline into what looked like an abandoned rock quarry.

Here Lee released Sakura's hand, both of them panting. "Thank you!" Sakura puffed out a few moments later, leaning against a large boulder.

Lee grinned, still panting, "You are welcome, Sakura-san. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sakura reassured him, regaining her breath, "Thanks for saving me from that creep."

Lee frowned. "It's no problem, Sakura-san," he said, "But may I ask, what were you doing in a car with someone like him?"

Sakura straightened, looking sheepishly off to one side. "I probably shouldn't have been," she confessed, "but my friend's car broke down and he offered me a ride home. Teach me to get into a car with a stranger."

Lee glowered at nothing. "What a terrible thing to do!" he cried, clenching his fist in the air, "To trick an innocent young girl like that, that is the most despicable thing I have ever heard of!"

Sakura looked at Lee for a moment, watching him rant against the awfulness of sexual harassment, then glanced around. They were indeed in an old rock quarry, a large pit dug into the ground, dust and rocks as far as the eye could see. Over in one corner, however, sat what looked like Lee's green guitar, propped up against a wide, flat rock.

"What were you doing out here?" Sakura asked, turning back to Lee.

He blushed slightly. "I . . . I came here to practice, Sakura-san. The acoustics here are perfect for practicing to perform in front of an audience."

"Really?" Sakura asked, blinking, "You came all the way out here for the acoustics?"

Lee beamed, "Anything to get better, Sakura-san!"

Sakura giggled and Lee blushed, smiling even brighter.

Suddenly Lee looked off to one side, thinking. "Um, Sakura-san?" he asked, quietly and a little slowly, "Would you um . . . I mean, that is, if you wanted to . . . would you . . ."

"Would I what, Lee-kun?" she asked interestedly. She hadn't even noticed the suffix she added, but Lee did.

"Would you like to practice with me, here?" Lee asked, looking up at her hopefully, "I have the sheet music for the duet Gai-sensei wanted us to try. Would you like to try it again, Sakura-san."

Sakura paused a moment, then grinned back at Lee. "Sure!" she said, "why not? It should at least take my mind off of Sasuke!"

Sakura and Lee sat side by side on the large flat rock. Lee picked up his guitar, laying the sheet music out so they could both see. He strummed a few notes experimentally on his guitar, then nodded.

"It's hard to believe,

that I couldn't see,

that you were always

there beside me.

Thought I was alone,

with no one to hold,

but you were always

right beside me.

This feeling's

like no other.

I want you to know,

that I've never had someone,

that knows me like you do.

The way you do.

And I've never had someone,

as good for me as you.

No one like you.

So lonely before,

I finally found,

What I've been looking for."

Sakura stared, wide-eyed, around the quarry. Lee hadn't been joking, it really did sound like they were in an enormous auditorium, singing into microphones in front of a voluminous room filled with a breathless crowd. She turned back to Lee, grinning.

"Lee-kun, that was amazing! How did you find this place?!"

Lee shrugged, never taking his eyes off her face, "I really do not remember. But suddenly I am very glad I did."

Sakura giggled. "Hey, Lee-kun?"

"Yes, Sakura-san?"

"Can I come here again, with you?"

Lee swallowed. "Of course, Sakura-san."

Author's Note: Are naruhina and leesaku not, like, the two cutest couples in naruto!? Yes yes, I'm turning Konoha High into HSM, but hey, the first one was pretty good, it was the last two that ruined the name. Plus, they all have some pretty good musical numbers in my opinion. Hehehe, sorry this is my first post in, like, forever. I'll do better, I pwomise!