Just to show that I'm still alive and plan to finish this. The next chapter will take a while. Seriously.

Chapter 16

Neji froze the moment he heard the call. It wasn't often Hiashi called one of them specifically for something. He went through the list of things he could possibly have done wrong even as he turned to look at his uncle turned father. He was in his office, the door he was walking past. Neji stepped into the office and approached the desk he sat behind.

"You called?"

"Yes. There is something that has been bothering me for some time now." Hiashi began and steepled his fingers before him on the desk. Neji resisted the urge to swallow hard. "Close the doors."

Neji moved back to the doors to close them while thinking all the time of his own doom. What had he done? He couldn't remember doing anything that would displease Hiashi. Not for a long time now. He closed the doors quickly and approached the desk again. He realised easily that Hiashi had watched his every move. Now he was getting nervous.

"I want nothing but the truth from you Neji." Hiashi began again. His brow was furrowed together. That alone told Neji he was serious about this. "I've noticed some changes in one of my girls and I want to know the cause of this change."

'Shit.' Neji thought.

"Am I correct to assume it is a 'boy'?" Hiashi asked. He said 'boy' in a tone that displayed all his displeasure of the thought. Neji must not have answered quickly enough in his rush to think of what to say because Hiashi continued. "Of course. Boys."

"Would you have preferred girls?" Neji asked before he really thought about the question.

"Boys will give children when it is time." Hiashi answered with a glare but then frowned again. "But it's the before time I'm more worried about at the moment. This boy..."

"Yes?"

"What are your thoughts of him? His goals visions? His goals? What kind of person is he? Is he any good? What kind of grades does he get? Is he good for her of to her? He's not another idiot is he? Is he a good influence?" Hiashi asked frowning even more now. "Would you accept this guy?"

"Yes. I have accepted him." Neji answered since it was the easiest question to answer. Hiashi was silent before nodding a little.

"Tell me about him."

"Well he's not an idiot." Neji began. "He's actually smart. Hinata's confidence has gotten better since dating him. She's happier too, smiles more. He's on the team and a very good player. He's - He has a charged personality. He's charismatic without really wanting to be and hates the attention he gets. He's an alright person and will possibly be the next head of the Uchiha Enterprise."

Hiashi seemed thoughtful for a moment. "The little Uchiha?"

"He's the youngest is his immediate family but he has younger cousins."

"The one around your age with the oddly styled hair." Hiashi clarified.

"That one."

"There is one thing I don't like about Uchihas. They give off a distinct vibe. They attract trouble." Hiashi said and Neji couldn't help the feeling that he was right.

XX

Meanwhile Sasuke was outside contemplating the future in his car. He was still suspicious of Hebi. There was something going on. Nothing big was happening so far but there were some changes. He sighed before getting out of the car and approaching the house. The door swung open before he could knock or ring the doorbell.

"I was wondering how long you were going to sit there." Hanabi said smirking. She stepped aside to left him in and closed the door behind him. "Hinata is in the kitchen. She's making us lunch. Do not disturb, I'm hungry and I'll end you if you interrupt the process."

"Sure." Sasuke said ignoring her statement. He was on his way to the kitchen when he was stopped by her hand on his arm. She levelled an impressive glare at him.

"I'll have you know that I am a master in my own right and I totally believe I can whoop your tiny little rump." she said and he raised a brow at her. He smirked at her letting a bit manic glee slip into it.

"I'll have you know that I can destroy you completely if I wanted to." he told her.

"Not bad." she said looking at him appraisingly. "You be sure to use that to protect my sis. I'm serious about the ass kicking."

"I'm serious about snapping you in two if you try." he said turning to continue to the kitchen. He found Hinata cutting sandwiches into halves. She didn't notice him at first but when she did, she almost jumped out of her skin. "Be careful now, you're armed."

"Don't just pop up." she told him a pout forming on her lips.

"I wanted to see you." he said hugging her. Hanabi was watching so he didn't bother to kiss her. Hinata wouldn't like it. "I have somethings to ask you"

"You two are too cute." Hanabi said walking over to take the food away. "I hope my boyfriend and I never end up like you."

"You don't have one." Hinata pointed out.

"That's because I don't like any of the ones that ask me. Boys at my school are so lame and annoying." Hanabi told them rolling her eyes. These boys were so incredibly childish they weren't worth her time at all and the only person that wasn't a complete idiot had snot dripping from his nose constantly. The guys from Hinata's school on the other hand were a different story completely. She couldn't wait to get to high school! She sighed and took the plate and left the kitchen.

"What did you want to ask me?" Hinata asked when she was gone. She was packing up the things to be washed.

"Right. Your family is one of the traditional ones right? Been here since the beginning and things passed down since forever?" he asked

"Yea. My family loves tradition. It's weird sometimes." she answered.

"Ok. Does your family have a fighting style?"

"Yes." she said slowly then looking at him over her shoulder asked: "Doesn't yours?"

"Good. Yea we're all trained in it. Are you?" he answered with a serious expression.

"Yes." she answered. She was wondering where this was going more with each question.

"Good. How good are you?" he continued ignoring the questioning look she was giving him.

"...Not very." she answered thinking about her dismal trials at defeating her own sister. Yea, she wasn't that good but Hanabi was good. Coming back from her thoughts she saw Sasuke giving her a calculating look.

"I'd like to test that." he said and Hinata frowned.

"Why?" she asked.

"You know what I'm caught in Hinata." he said referring to Hebi. She nodded getting the message. "You have to be able to defend yourself very well."

She nodded again. She understood what he meant. This was important. "When?"

"Now would be good. Do you have a place?"

"Of course. The dojo." she told him only thinking fleetingly of how many times she had lost there. Her father was still disappointed at her progress or rather lack thereof.

"Lead the way." Sasuke said and she nodded again. She put the last plate to dry before drying her hands and leading hum out. They walked out of the house and to the outside dojo building ignorant of the eyes watching them from the second floor den window.

Hinata lead him in the building and stood to the side as he took in the floor. She was suddenly nervous. She sucked at this. Sasuke stood on the floor watching her where she was still standing.

"Come on." he told her. He watched her hesitate for a moment before stepping onto the floor with him. "Relax. I just want to see your strength and make you stronger."

"I know. I just really suck at this." she said and Sasuke walked closer to her.

"Then we'll make you better." he said giving her the motion to get to it. "Let's do this. I just want to make sure you'll be fine."

"Yea." she said nodding. She slipped into the well-practised stance of the Byakugan. Sasuke stepped back and assumed his own stance. Hinata showed him her best. She was ok but she could be so much better.

"You need to calm down, focus and push. Think clearly and attack with precision."

"You don't do that."

"No but Itachi does and it works for him. Brute force works better for me." Sasuke answered not mentioning that Itachi always won. He settled into his stance again. "Let's do this again."

From by the door, out of view, Hiashi watched as this boy tried to make his daughter stronger. He was obviously going easy on her but hard enough to push her. If he was really trying to make her stronger then he was alright. It helped that Neji approved of him. But damn it she was his daughter.

XXXXX

"I can't believe this shit!" Kankuro's voice could be heard from under the hood of the Sabaku truck. It had stopped working yet again. Kankuro was busily trying to fix it with small help from Gaara. Hinata was seated on their veranda watching them work with a smile.

"Ignore them. They'll probably be cursing that thing ten million ways before they fix it." Temari said when she returned with four glasses of chocolate milkshake on a tray. She handed Hinata a glass before bringing two to her brothers. They drank it thirstily and handed her the empty glasses before she was able to step away. She glared daggers at them but took the glasses and headed in anyway. She returned with her own glass and sat beside Hinata on the veranda.

"What were you saying about Sasuke?" she asked after her first sip.

"He's training me."

"In what? For what?"

"Fighting? To get stronger?"

"Why?"

"The world is dangerous."

He's not beating you up is he

"No. I wish he was." Hinata Sid and Temari gave her a look over the top of her glass. I mean I wish he was a little harsher with me. I'd probably learn more."

"Your dad used the harsher method and you didn't learn much. Maybe a lighter method would be good for you." Temari offered resting the half-finished milkshake on the small glass table nearby.

Hinata giggled. "You have a milkstache."

"You know them girls love my 'stache." Temari said fanning her face with a grin. She licked her lips. "Bet you wanted to lick that 'stache."

"Do I even want to know what you two are talking about?" Kankuro asked giving them both weird looks as he passed them to get into the house.

"You would die to know the juicy tales we have." Temari told him moving to hug Hinata to her with a seductive look.

"Ew Temari. Your weird." he said in a disgusted tone before smiling widely at Hinata. "Don't worry Hinata, Temari's cooties are not contagious."

"And you're an idiot." Temari called after him as he left. Hinata giggled some more at their antics. Temari's face suddenly lit up as she remembered something. "Hey! Did I tell you about the date I have next Friday?"

"No."

"I've got a date with the goalkeeper!" she said happily and Hinata smiled with her. "I asked him at Naruto's party."

"That's great. Shikamaru is a really nice guy." Hinata said as Temari reached for her glass again.

"Yea and cute."

"The Nara? Seriously?" Kankuro asked snatching Temari's drink. He finished it in one gulp before Temari even realised he snatched her glass. He might have succeeded in returning the glass to her hand if she hadn't jumped up and slapped him topside the head before snatching her glass and stomping back into the house. Kankuro rolled his eyes and reached over to tug Hinata's hair a little. "She's sooo an alien."

"That's not nice." Hinata told him. He shrugged.

"Your hair is cute by the way." Kankuro told her smiling. He started to head back out to the pick-up. "Don't cut it or at least don't cut it any shorter than that."

"Ok." she muttered. Her hair was longer now since it hadn't been cut in practically two months. It probably needed a trim now.

"Jerk." Temari grumbled as she returned with another glass of milkshake. "We are entering the party season Hinata."

"We have exams to study for."

"No way." Temari said instantly.

"You have to study." Hinata told her.

"I will if you ask nicely." she said pouting.

"Please study."

"...Fine."