I knew she meant well. I did… really. But Ino-san was very, well, stubborn. Once she had her mind set on something, she rarely just gave up. She did not understand that helping me was not going to work, ever.

"Please Hinata-chan," she whined, shoving yet another shirt in my arms. "Just try this one on.

"Ano… I d-don't…"

The shirt was ripped from my hands and I did not need to look to see it was Sakura-san who had done so. She was angry, the green of her eyes turning dangerously black. She was terrifying at times, and at the moment I felt my heart beat faster as I could almost see the smoke coming from her ears.

I was pulled back just before Sakura erupted. There was a long sigh as I looked over at Tenten-san. She shook her head and wandered off to a bench under some trees and away from the squabbling friends.

"We really need to do something about her," Tenten remarked, motioning to Ino.

I nodded a bit and found a seat next to her. "She is… is very dedicated."

A very unladylike snort came from Tenten. "That's being polite about it."

It was not just polite. I appreciated that Ino took time from her day to help me with my problems, even if I had not asked for help. I know I am hopeless, a complete lost cause, so the fact that she still tried meant a lot to me.

"We need to distract her," Tenten continued. "Maybe convince Hokage-sama to send her on a mission… a long mission."

I knew that Tenten did not appreciate the help like I did but then she had little need for it. Amongst us, she was the highest ranked and already catching the attention of the Hokage herself. She had nothing to worry about.

I on the other hand… I had everything to worry about.

If it was not bad enough to have to deal with the idea that my clan, my family thought that I was not worthy of the title of heiress, Sakura-san had arrived today to inform us that despite our successful mission last week, the council had pulled funding for the group.

It may have explained why Sakura had passed so quickly from kunai and shuriken to something that resembled a large iron ball on a chain. Tenten moved quickly, separating them by pulling them apart by their collars like one does with two fighting dogs.

She paused for a second and then with a look of resignation took the shirt. "Hinata'll never fit in this. It's not even her color anyway."

Ino blinked in surprise as the older girl put the shirt against her skin. "You're right! It's more your color."

Tenten nodded. "I'll go try it on."

The sky looked like it lit up around Ino. The prospect of several hours of dressing Tenten up had lifted her spirits and made her forget about what Sakura had done. Sakura in the meanwhile watched in mild shock as Ino pulled Tenten away.

"Ano… she has practice," I whispered. "With Lee-san and Neji-niisan."

Sakura paused for a moment and nodded slowly in understanding. "Sorry, you know Ino brings out the worst in me."

"Sakura-san is under enough pressure already," I added.

She looked at me unhappily. "I just can't believe it's over. I just…" She growled and stomped her feet. "Stupid council. If they only gave us a bit more time."

"It was a very good idea," I continued, trying to make her feel better.

"I feel bad for you the most," she said and it caught me by surprise.

"Why?" I managed, finding most of my voice had stayed lodged in my throat.

"Because I know it was working," Sakura sighed. "Compared to where you were a few months ago… Tsunade-sama wanted you to test for jounin next month."

I blinked, in genuine surprise. "Ano, it's okay Sakura-san, you really don't have to…"

"Are you joking?" Sakura interrupted. "Hinata, you are unstoppable! There's not one thing during the missions we've done together that you haven't done perfectly."

My fingers were twitching and I suddenly had the urge to dig a hole and crawl into it. Why was she staring at me like that? "No… it's not like that… I just…"

Sakura sighed again and I could hear the exasperation in her voice. "I don't get it. You are so confident in the middle of a mission, but around your friends…" She frowned.

"Friends?" I asked.

Sakura blinked and nodded. "I'd like to think that when not trying to kill each other, we were getting to be good friends."

I smiled, genuinely. Before, it had been Kiba-kun and Shino-san and no one else. But to think that maybe now, I had more people who wanted to be my friend…

"INO!"

"It was an accident!"

I watched in surprise as Ino came running back towards us. She skidded to a stop behind me and grabbed on my arms.

"Hinata, don't let her get too close!"

"Hinata, get out of the way!"

"Let Hinata go!" Sakura yelled, adding to the mix of confusion.

There was nothing I could do but stand there and flail my arms helplessly as Tenten tried to maneuver around me to get to Ino. I noticed the source of her annoyance. One of her hair buns had fallen out of place, its ribbon a victim of Ino's meddling.

"But your hair is too nice to be all bound up all day!" Ino complained.

"Ano…" I tried, attempting to get a word in edgewise.

"That doesn't give you license to cut my ribbon when I'm not looking!"

"Hey! You guys are going to hurt Hinata if you're not careful."

I survived the tug of war that ensued mainly because Sakura had begun implementing the various verbal threats she tossed out normally. I did not wait to see the outcome but instead made my way home as quickly as possible.

It was only after I had shut the gate behind me that I let out a sigh of relief. One that was quickly retracted as I heard the familiar voice boom across the courtyard.

"Hinata, a moment of your time."

I snapped to attention and bowed deeply. "Of course, oto-san."

I quickly fell into step behind him. He had no real destination in mind but instead walked for a bit before continuing. "I am traveling this week," he said. I nodded briefly. "There is a clan head meeting though, tomorrow. You'll go in my stead."

It was not a request, I knew that. But to say I was surprised would be an understatement. Usually he would send one of my elder relatives in his place. To give me this honor… I could barely get through a coherent agreement before he turned and walked away.

A clan head meeting! I had never been to one before. I knew well enough what happened there and the thought of representing my family… I think my stomach just crawled through my toes and ran away.

I headed back to my room and looked in the mirror. I was a mess! My hair was in disarray. My clothing was in no way appropriate for an important meeting. I went to my closet and shuffled through the mounds of things there. A few yukata, but I didn't know if there was anything that would count as just formal enough without being a full blown kimono.

I panicked. For what felt like only five minutes but turned out to be several hours, I circled the floor and desperately thought about what to do. And then it hit me… I knew someone who just might be able to help. I picked up the phone and dialed information. A few short exchanges later and I could hear it ring.

"Yamanaka Flower Shop."

I took in a deep breath. "Hello, may I please speak with Ino… please."

The man on the other line sighed. He bellowed, so loudly that I momentarily lost hearing in my right ear. I suddenly understood where Ino got her energy from.

"What do you want, Forehead?"

I cleared my throat and squeaked first before I could actually find the word. "Ino-san… this is Hinata."

"Oh! Sorry about that. Dad's never good at telling who's on the line."

"It's… fine. Ano… Ino… I have a problem. You see… my father wants me to attend a very important meeting and I… well I don't really have anything to wear. So I was wondering… umm… if you could come out shopping with me."

There was pause. A very long pause. She must not want to come. And now she's trying to be polite about it so I should give her a way to…

"Hinata… how would we be paying for said… purchase?"

I blinked. "Well, we have credit in most stores in Konoha and I'm sure my father won't mind."

Another long pause, followed by something that almost sounded like a squeal of delight. "Of course, Hinata! I'd love to help. I'll be over in a few minutes, okay?

I was about to agree but she had already hung up the phone. Odd, but I guess she wanted to make sure she got here in time. I wandered outside just in time to see Neji-niisan and Tenten returning from their latest training session.

Tenten waved to me but she looked positively exhausted. She was almost completely covered with dirt. I was about to ask them about their day when Ino appeared, dragging a rather irate-looking Sakura behind her.

"Okay, okay," Ino smiled, coming to a halt. "Tell Sakura what you told me."

I was slightly confused. "Ano… I need something to wear…"

"After that," Ino interrupted.

"I asked you to help me look…"

"No, no, get to the part about paying for it."

I looked at Neji-niisan but he gave me a blank stare in response. "You don't have to pay for it," I replied. "We have credit at stores."

Sakura's disposition changed instantly. "Credit?" she asked. "As in… you can buy anything?"

I nodded slowly. Sakura turned to Ino and they had the same sparkle in their eyes. I could feel the mood shift. The happier Sakura and Ino became, the more Neji-niisan glared at them.

"Okay! So shopping trip it is! We'll have to start at the smaller boutiques first because they close earlier then the main department stores. Oh and shoes… hmm… that's almost a trip in itself but I think we can…"

"You needed a new… shirt, didn't you, Tenten."

We all stopped talking. But then, of all the things in the world that Neji-niisan could have said, I don't think any of us could have expected that. Including Tenten-san. And she was not looking very happy about it.

"I what?"

He cleared his throat and looked at her. There was a wordless conversation that passed on between the two. I could see what Neji-niisan was trying to relate. He was not happy with giving Sakura and Ino the chance to bankrupt the family. And Tenten was not very happy at being sent off on an errand to babysit them.

"Oh, THAT shirt," she finally said. "The one you ruined during practice and said you'd pay to replace, right?"

He bristled, slightly, but nodded before turning on his heel and walking away, missing the fact that his teammate swatted at his shin with her foot. "I need to clean up a bit first," she demanded.

"Fine, quick stop at your house and then we're good to go?" Ino asked, grabbing my arm.

I was not even able to reply. There was what sounded like a battle cry from Sakura, a dejected sigh from Tenten and Ino took off.

I have read about some of the greatest shinobi battles of our time. The accounts spare no detail, graphically portraying the lives and deaths of the heroes of Konoha and their enemies. I thought that would prepare me for any real life battles I would face.

However, the carnage that was once the ladies' formal wear of the Konoha Department Store was more terrifying then anything I could have imagined. Various yukata and suits lay scattered across the dressing room floor, victims of Sakura and Ino's rabid decision making process. A team of six salespeople scurried about, grunts under the command of those two, traversing the the trenches of the clothes racks.

It was the same process over and over again. Sakura and Ino would shove something at me, I would put it on, they would argue about what was wrong with it and then they'd send me back with something new. It should have been exhausting. I should have been frustrated with the whole process.

But I had never been happier. It was the first time I had seen Sakura and Ino act like the best friends they really are. They laughed and chatted about trivial things like fashion and movie stars while I dressed myself with their latest decision. And when they couldn't decide what was wrong with their latest choice, they turned to Tenten who, with her normal deadly precision, would find exactly what they hadn't been able to articulate.

Neither Ino nor Sakura could figure out how she did it. But I caught a glimpse of the fashion magazine she shoved behind her back each time we came out. Tenten just smiled and winked me into keeping the secret.

Three hours later, I stood in front of the mirror, wearing a light lavender yukata with a black obi. All three of the other girls nodded in approval and behind them, I saw the sales staff almost collapse in relief. Taking a look at what remained of the department, I could understand why. We had stripped the racks clean. The place looked like a bomb had gone off.

I signed for the clothing while Sakura and Ino looked on with envy. The cashier bowed very deeply afterwards, though when she said she hoped to see me again soon I could tell it was a bit forced.

"All right, let's go get something to eat," Tenten stated as soon as they handed me the shopping bag. "There's an ice cream shop here. We can get shakes, courtesy of your cousin," she said to me.

"I thought he said you needed a shirt," Sakura asked.

"Shirt, shake. Close enough," Tenten replied, a bit of venom in her voice. Deciding it was best not to debate it anymore, we just followed her to the store.

I don't know where the time went but somehow we managed to close the shop down. Somewhere between the stories from our academy days and various missions we had been on, it occurred to me that Sakura had been right. We had become friends. There was never a lull in the conversation except when laughter had overtaken us so much that we had to stop to catch our breath.

When it came time to go, I realized I didn't want to leave. Because, with the council disbanding us, there might just never be another moment like this. That night, I could only toss and turn in anticipation of my big day tomorrow and intermittent in those worries was the fear that I was about to lose the best thing that had happened to me in ages.

I got numerous compliments on my attire before the clan head meeting started. At least word would get back to my father that I had presented myself well. I was silent for the rest of the time, listening to the various reports delivered concerning the state of Konoha and what we, as leaders of the community, should do about it. Hokage-sama was there, listening intently to the discussion and an elderly woman to her right acted as a representative from the Elder's Council.

"The Council just cancelled funding for reconstruction efforts on fences surrounding public places."

I looked up and realized it was Kiba's mother who had taken the floor.

"The Inuzuka clan can pay for keeping our own grounds up to code but you can't expect us to foot the bill for everyone else too. It's not just our dogs that can be the problem. The Nara deer can do just as much damage."

"We can ask them reallocate some of the funds they put aside for replacing the lamp posts in the main commercial district," someone sighed. I looked over and marveled a bit at Shikamaru's resemblance to his father.

"That decision was made based on the idea that a more attractive commercial district would bring in more revenue," the elder replied.

"What good's a pretty commercial district if all the parks around it have been destroyed by the animals?" Kiba's mother interjected.

The elder considered it for a moment and then nodded. "There should be more than enough in the funds to finish the fences and line at least the main thoroughfare with better lights."

Kiba's mother nodded and sat down. Hokage-sama called for any other suggestions and it suddenly hit me. The council had cancelled something and Kiba's mother had gotten it reinstated by asking to bring it back. If she could ask about fences, then maybe…

No! I couldn't do it. Father had trusted me to sit here and represent the Hyuuga well. I couldn't beg them to reinstate Sakura's group. If they denied it, then my family would look bad.

But I thought of how much Sakura wanted her plan to work. I remembered our missions, the flawless record we had on them, how well we worked together. And I remembered us last night, as friends, something that would never have happened if we hadn't come together as a team first.

And Sakura was right, it was working. If I was growing stronger, it was because the rest of them were too. The thought of it ending now…

"Yes, Hinata?"

My heart stopped for a moment. I looked down at my feet and realized I had stood up without even realizing it. Everyone was looking at me and waiting for me to say something.

I started to speak but my words caught in my throat. I stopped and took in a deep breath, clenching my fists tightly. I couldn't back down now.

"Haruno Sakura had a great plan," I said, my voice even and steady. "One that has already proven itself it viable and successful. But it is also one that has been cancelled because the Council pulled funding. And that is a real tragedy, something I hope we can correct." I looked around the room and realized they were still looking at me. But it wasn't with mild curiosity over what the Hyuuga heiress could possibly have to say. They were actually interested now. I looked over at the Hokage and saw her smile.

A few hours later, back in my normal training clothes, I was walking down the road when I barely managed to brace myself against the impact of a running hug. Sakura was attached to me, bouncing happily, and somewhere in her excited ramblings I got the message clear enough. Hokage-sama just told her we were reinstated.

She took me to Ichiraku for ramen to celebrate and I was surprised to see so many people there. Apparently Sakura had told Ino earlier and she turned what should have been a quiet celebration into a rather loud party involving almost everyone I knew. I found a seat… no, Ino found me a seat and then two minutes later, she found Naruto a seat next to me.

Crawling under the table was not an option so I just reverted to my normal state of trying to fold in on myself. To say I was glad when Tenten suddenly appeared in the seat next to Naruto would be an understatement. I didn't really need to know who had shoved her there. The irate look on her face spoke volumes.

"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed happily as she sat down. "I haven't seen you since we got back."

Tenten smiled. "Yeah, been a bit busy. I still owe you that bowl of ramen, right?"

He shook his head and turned a bit pink. "Nah, it's okay. I know you were just saying that to try to help me calm down and keep the mission going."

"Well, if someone hadn't messed with my dress, it wouldn't have been a problem," she replied, making sure that Ino overheard her.

I listened a bit more intently, somewhat curious about how her dress translated into free ramen for Naruto. It had been a bit confusing at the time as well. Not to say that Tenten didn't look stunning in the remodeled dress Ino had made her. It had, in fact, made the mission easier. Naruto had been able to retrieve the scroll while most of the party's attention had been on Tenten.

"I shouldn't have gotten so nervous," Naruto countered. "I just… wow, you were really hot."

I blinked and looked over at Naruto. Tenten had turned a bit pink and waved him off. Ino was looking over with interest. And Neji-niisan had just taken the seat to my left. I watched Ino's gaze shift to him and I looked at her in surprise.

No way. There was no way she seriously thought that that was going to work.

"No really! I mean, I knew you were cute, but that dress, with the legs…"

"It wasn't anything that special," Tenten said, finding some hair to tuck over her ear.

"It was! You have great legs! Ero-sensei would probably pay you lots of money to model for him," Naruto added sagely. "And the back… man, that was the best part."

Did Ino really think that this was going to make someone jealous? I mean, yes, there was a part of me that would have loved to have Naruto stare the way he did at Tenten that night but… it's not like it actually meant anything. It was a mission!

Tenten laughed, though it was something more like a feminine giggle. "I thought that was your least favorite part."

Naruto put a hand on his head. "Eh, only because I felt bad having to hold you there. What with the sweaty palms and all."

I might not be able to control my nervousness around other people but jealousy? Hyuugas were much too emotionally restrained to fall victim to something like that.

"Oh, so that would explain why your hand kept slipping lower than it should have?"

Something attracted my left ear's attention so I looked over.

Oh… dear. I was not aware that you could crumple a metal spoon with your bare hands in such a small little ball.

Ino's face flashed a bit of triumph and I saw her entire plot unfurl. I stood up quickly, knowing that I had to do something before she executed it. "Neji-niisan, my father's coming home soon and we should report to him."

I did not wait for a reply, assured in the fact that he would follow me out of familial duty, and quickly waved goodbye as I left the stand. I didn't want to be bossy about this but for whatever reason, Ino's constant plotting must have finally gotten under my cousin's skin. And having seen what happened to Lee when he did the same…

I shuffled quickly down the road, determined to put as much space between us and Ino as possible.

"Neji!"

I looked over my shoulder and saw Tenten coming up quickly towards us. I looked over at my cousin and found him regarding her impassively. "Neji, listen I need to ask you…"

"Ino, get out of Tenten's body," he interrupted.

Tenten blinked and was about to say something more when Neji spoke again. "I'll amend that. Get out of Tenten's body and then I suggest you put at least 200 meters between you and her, or need I remind you about her aim"

Tenten huffed and put her hands together. She slumped towards the ground but Sakura appeared and caught her before she hit it. A moment later, Tenten woke up. Before Sakura could do anything, she hissed something that, needless to say, is not something to repeat in polite company. Or any company for that matter. They both disappeared a second later.

"Your friends are… odd," Neji stated.

My smile grew broadly. "Yes, they are, aren't they?"