Quotes:

Anxiety - You know those days when you've got the mean reds... the blues are because you're getting fat or maybe it's been raining too long. You're sad, that's all. But the mean reds are horrible. You're afraid and you sweat like hell, but you don't know what you're afraid of. Except something bad is going to happen, only you don't know what it is. ~ Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's, 1958, spoken by the character Holly Golightly

Anger - Anger is one letter short of danger. – Eleanor Roosevelt

You were my strength when I was weak

You were my voice when I couldn't speak

Hinata felt light and airless in Naruto's arms, her dress spilling around the polished floor as they whirled around the dance floor.

The spotlights filled the room with hazy, glowing balls, like starlight streaking the night's sky.

Naruto tipped his head back a little to meet her eyes. They enjoyed a shared giggle, a conspiratorial grin, before his arms tightened around her and his smile melted into something a touch more serious.

You were my eyes when I couldn't see

You saw the best there was in me

The band had left the stage and now music was being piped through the room's speakers. Celine Dion sang out as the guests finally started to dance with real enthusiasm, not just out of a sense of obligation.

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach

You gave me faith 'coz you believed

Hinata giggled even harder when she saw her cousin being dragged around the dance floor by Naruto's friend, Sasuke.

Neji was clearly trying to keep the flowers from being squashed and was powerless to prevent Sasuke from forcibly spinning him around, smirking all the while.

Naruto turned his head to see what had amused her, and laughed so hard his breath came out in helpless wheezes.

I'm everything I am

Because you loved me

Naruto held her hands and they stopped dancing, both of them laughing loudly, Hinata not caring that it was rude or unseemly, just savouring how fun it was to laugh out loud without a care, trying to memorise the feel of Naruto's hands in hers.

"Sorry, I'm not good at dancing," Naruto apologised, still giggling a bit. Hinata relished the bright, childish sound.

She flapped her hands awkwardly, smiling, trying to indicate she wasn't either.

His grin widened, he understood.

"I think you're doing great," He beamed at her, "There's loads of people here and you were dancing with some guy – who was that by the way? – I bet you've had to talk a lot."

Hinata swallowed and nodded.

"I know how hard it is for you. I didn't understand before but Sasuke gave me some leaflets – well he threw them at me – and I know it's all sucky and you must feel bad right now but, hey, guess what Hinata-chan!" Naruto's excitement was infectious. She leaned forward, smiling gently, as he spoke.

"I'm gonna help you out!" Naruto declared brightly, jabbing a thumb at his chest, entangling it in the bowtie accidentally, "I'm gonna hang out with you all the time until you can talk as much as me! That's a promise!"

Hinata stared at him, startled.

"You're a nice girl, Hinata-chan, and it's not fair that you miss out on stuff," Naruto said earnestly, "Who talks more than me? No one! So there's no one better to teach you than me. And it means we get to hang out all the time!"

All the time?

Her legs wobbled, then she steadied them, determined to get through this night without falling over or fainting. Even if Naruto was beaming right in her face, beautiful and right there, an embellished, embossed invitation. All the time.

She looked up at him, the spotlights dancing across her vision, leaving sparks in her eyes.

"OK." She said roughly, voice hoarse.

Naruto looked stunned. He recovered admirably fast, grin reappearing in a flash, "Hey, it's working already!"

Sasuke and Neji wobbled past them, Neji trying his best to wriggle free, Sasuke unconcernedly moving through the steps flawlessly, one arm around Neji's waist, the other gripping his hand.

"Sasuke!" Naruto waved eagerly. The other boy nodded at him, smirking, "Careful! Looks like he might bite!"

Neji snarled.

Hinata gave Naruto an anxious look, nodding hard.

Naruto grinned and then did a double-take, "What, do you think he will bite?"

She nodded even harder.

"Aw crap." Naruto rubbed his head. Then he rounded on Hinata, still beaming, "Looks like I got the better Hyuuga cousin, eh?"

Hinata flushed darkly, stuttering hopelessly, "Um – um –"

Naruto threw his head back and laughed dramatically, "Ha ha! Sorry, Hinata-chan, you just looked so cute!"

Hinata felt faint.

"Oh look, they've got noodles!" Naruto pointed at the buffet and gleefully tugged her over.

Naruto… all the time… she thought, dazed. She might need someone to hold her up afterwards, but the idea of being with Naruto frequently, to have him smile at her, encourage her…

She could do it. She could speak if it was with him.

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She could see stars through the rain-streaked car windows. Huge black buildings loomed at the edges of the road, but between every one, the moon lurked, following them as they made their way.

The moon was full and glowing white, hanging in the dark sky in sharp contrast with the bleakness of the night. But perhaps the night only seemed bleak because it was Hinata who viewed it.

She sat in the back of the car, hands clenched around each other in her lap, knuckles white. Her head was bowed, a bitter twist to her mouth.

Hanabi sat next to her, unable to offer any comfort with their father watching their every move through the little mirror.

He'd insisted on driving his own car back to the house, dismissing the poor driver there and then at the party.

Hinata rubbed a thumb across the skin between her fingers, a repetitive, anxious motion. She felt her legs tremble and was unable to force them into stillness.

The night had been beautiful. The people around her had seemed friendly now, smiles all around, drinks flowing, music pumping a soft beat through the room that had even the grumpiest guest dancing. Even poor Neji had danced, however forced it had been.

And then –

"Hinata, why did you stop dancing with the Kenji boy?" Her father had suddenly stepped out of the crowd, all glares and accusations. The happiness in the room had been punctured, the fear returning swiftly to gnaw at her once more, the smiles of the guests melting into judging sneers, high, drunken laughter hurting her ears, the music a thumping, angry sound.

She had taken a step back, releasing Naruto's hands as though scalded.

"Well?" He demanded, his eyes burning with cold fury.

"Father!" Hanabi called out, releasing Kenji to come and put out the latest fire her father had set, "I'm afraid I was monopolising –"

"I've had enough of your clever tongue," Hiashi said, jabbing his finger at her without looking, closing his eyes against the anger that was surely building in his chest, "I asked your sister a question."

Hinata had looked around for help instinctively then, desperate, and Neji must have heard her silent plea as loud as thunder, for he shoved Sasuke away and stormed over to his cousin's side.

Naruto was staring at Hiashi, suddenly looking unaccountably nervous. He rubbed his hand on his trousers, swallowing, and offered it to Hiashi.

"Um, hello, you must be Hinata-chan's father –"

"And who," Hiashi gave him the barest of examinations before returning his glare to his eldest child's burning red face, "are you?"

"Naruto, um, I'm –"

"Hinata," Hiashi said dangerously, "I sent you to my mother to sort out this silly disobedience. I expected you to actually try for once instead of letting your sister and cousin take care of it for you. It will come to the point one day when Neji will wipe your chin when you eat and Hanabi will speak for you entirely. You are the heir to my company. Do you understand what a responsibility that is? It is not uncommon for such things to be passed down to nephews or younger daughters. However, I was not willing to compromise, not on such an important matter. Where do you expect to be when you grow older? Still messing around at balls with strangers, Hanabi and Neji holding your hand and helping you through every obstacle that comes your way?"

Hinata was trembling from head to toe now. She had never felt so humiliated in her life. Naruto was staring and staring and the guests were all watching and Neji and Hanabi looked so sympathetic and… and…

"Fath – " Hinata gasped out, her hands shaking so badly she had to hide them behind her back, "F- F-"

"Why did you stop dancing with Kenji?" Hiashi glared mercilessly at her, stepping forward until all she could see was his angry face, the eternal disappointment still there, the frustration that this was his daughter, this… mess.

She couldn't even cry. Her throat squeezed shut as though invisible hands were clamped around it.

"My apologies, Hyuuga-san," Naruto said solemnly, sweeping in front of her and giving her father a shamelessly deep bow, "I am afraid I took the liberty of insisting that poor Hinata-san here dance with me and didn't take no for an answer, even when she politely declined."

Hiashi's lip curled.

Neji and Hanabi gave Naruto contemplative looks. Sasuke took a casual step forward, eyes on Hiashi.

"Is that true, Kenji?" Hiashi turned on the younger Hyuuga.

The young man shook his head, "Not at all, Hiashi-sama. He barged in for a dance, of course, but Hinata-sama did not refuse him once."

"Not verbally," Naruto allowed, "But she has trouble –"

"Trouble." Hiashi repeated flatly, "You believe it causes her trouble? Her bone idleness?"

"Hey, she's not lazy," Naruto said angrily.

"Naruto." Sasuke muttered, his voice a low warning.

"Hinata-chan finds social stuff difficult and making her do stuff won't help her at all, and blaming her is just stupid –"

"Excuse me?" Hiashi stared at him, icily incredulous.

"W-well, not stupid, but…"

"You come here and insult me to my face –"

"No."

They all, even Kenji, stared at her in shock.

Hinata trembled violently, sweating, but soldiered on, the blockage in her throat lessening ever since Naruto had stuck up for her.

"It's… n-not Naruto-kun's…. fault…" Hinata said, achingly slowly, her father's eyebrow raising slightly with every painful word.

"I- I – " She stammered out, tears finally falling. Neji looked away. Her throat was raw, her voice a breathless whisper, "It's my f-fault."

She burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably in the middle of the ball, so horribly embarrassed and devastated that her happiness had been so quickly and expertly shattered that she just couldn't stop herself.

Her father had then grabbed her wrist and, against a protesting Naruto's will, forced his immediate family to leave the ball, leaving a miserable-looking Naruto behind, surrounded by hostile Hyuugas.

Hinata sat in the car afterwards, pressing the back of her hand against her mouth to stop the sobs from sounding out into the silent car, unable to prevent the tears from spilling out as she replayed the night's events on an endless loop, the awful start, the beautiful, hopeful dance, and the shuddering halt.

Neji and Hanabi sat, pale and silent as ghosts, a look of righteous fury on Neji's face, bitter helplessness on Hanabi's. Tonight had marked the first occasion in which they had failed to spare Hinata her father's full wrath.

Hiashi drove, his jaw clenched shut, his hands tight on the steering wheel.

The moon followed their lonely, quiet journey all the way to home.

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"Is this technically legal?" Sakura asked, raising her eyebrows at Neji.

He didn't spare her a glance, focusing on the road, "Of course it is. I have a license to prove it, in the glove compartment."

She picked up her coffee from the cup holder near the gearstick and took a sip, melting back into her seat, "I believe you, thousands wouldn't." She smiled in a way she knew would be infuriating if he would actually look at her.

"I am seventeen and fully authorised to drive you to the hospital," He gritted out, hands tightening on the steering wheel, "Though I should just make you walk."

"In this weather?" Sakura affected a pathetic, little girl voice, giving his hands an appreciative look. Rain splashed on the windscreen, the wipers making the miserable sight outside just visible. Grey clouds as far as the eye could see and soaked civilians hurrying up and down the streets.

"Why do you even have to go to the hospital?" Neji slowed the car to a halt, the engine thrumming loudly, his tone betraying his annoyance.

"Top secret," Sakura said casually, "And having you as my mother's ward is unexpectedly handy, considering you come with a car." He was in a very bad mood today, she could tell.

The stoplight winked red through the rivulets of rainwater streaming down the window. She took another sip of coffee, savouring it with a little hum of happiness. A real, concrete reason to live, coffee. She would get out of bed in the morning just for coffee. Hell, she'd take it to bed in the first place.

Her phone vibrated in her bag, drawing Neji's curious, pale eyes. She retrieved it swiftly, ignoring his scrutiny.

Red Panda is calling.

She gave a tiny chuckle and answered.

"Hey sexy," She said, purely because she knew it would provoke a reaction from him. Neji stiffened in his seat and turned his cold glare on her, "Oh, sorry, not you Neji."

Neji's glare became a few degrees colder.

"May I ask if you always answer the phone is such a manner?" Gaara asked dryly, sounding amused.

Oh. So Neji was the prude, Gaara was just impossible to rile.

"Only for you," She purred, trying not to laugh at Neji's darkening expression, "What do you need?"

"We never set up a time for our next meeting."

"This couldn't wait till Monday?" Sakura frowned.

"Not if you wanted to meet before then."

"Ooh, alright eager beaver," Sakura laughed, pointedly ignoring Neji's staring, "When's good for you?"

"Eager…" Gaara made a noise, half frustrated, half amused, "I don't know if you are sincerely a very strange person or good at pretending to be one. Where are you now?"

"In a car with a strange man." Sakura drew a frowning face in the condensation on the mirror, to match Neji's.

"I am not strange," Neji protested, "I don't –"

"How strange?" Gaara asked.

"In an adorable kind of way." Sakura smiled at Neji, enjoying the way he blushed.

Gaara gave a quiet, contained laugh, "So you don't require saving?"

The light changed and Neji pushed the car forward so quickly Sakura nearly spilt her coffee down her front. Glaring at Neji in a way that promised swift retribution, she said, "Not yet. I'll let you know if the situation changes. Wanna say hi, Neji?"

If looks could kill, she would have died and been resurrected for Neji to kill her all over again with those icy, death-glaring eyes a thousand times.

"He says hi," Sakura informed Gaara, "He's really very shy so he won't say it himself."

"He's lucky to have such an outspoken friend to assist him." Gaara said, and she could hear the amusement in his voice now.

"Gaara says he thinks you're lucky to have such an amazingly attractive and witty friend to assist you." Sakura told Neji, watching the trees and buildings zoom past as the car rumbled down the road.

"Gaara?" Neji frowned, turning his head slightly, "From Sunagakure?"

Sakura felt a twinge of unease at the look on Neji's face.

"Hey Gaara," She said, not taking her eyes off of Neji, "Are you from Suna?"

Silence. She couldn't even hear him breathing.

"Gaara?" She repeated.

Neji was sat bolt upright in his chair, hands on the wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead of them, but his attention completely on Sakura's now one-sided conversation with Gaara-who-may-or-may-not-be-from-Suna.

"Who told you that?" Gaara replied carefully, his voice sounding measured, "Who is in the car with you?"

Sakura felt her skin prickle in agitation, "Does it really matter? It's just a question."

"Sakura, I would request that you would not listen to anything about myself that that man you are with may try to tell you. It would be detrimental to –"

"Hey, when did you start speaking robot?" Sakura asked accusingly, "What's he going to try to tell me, huh? Give me a reason to believe you over him."

"I don't have one," Gaara said without missing a beat, "I can only request that you trust me, and respect my privacy. My past, my background, it might not be of interest to many people, but I do care how it is reported by second parties. Any falsehood or misunderstanding – "

"So people talk about your past but they get it wrong and you don't want me to believe some misapprehension about you." Sakura said, interpreting his bullshit fancy talk with ease. It annoyed her so much when people danced around the issue with long words or advanced terminology. Bah.

Neji gave a little 'tuh' sound, rolling his eyes.

Sakura shushed him.

"I am not who I once was," Gaara said matter-of-factly, "I have withdrawn myself from the inflammatory situations that were exacerbating my issues. I see no point in rehashing old events and attributing old traits upon myself where they no longer exist."

"You don't want me to judge you for how you used to be," Sakura translated, making a face, "Hey, we're supposed to be fellow students, teacher and student, even, so we have a professional relationship at least. Relationships are based in trust. How am I supposed to trust you when you refuse to tell me about your past?"

"Would you trust me enough to tell me why you use a cane to walk and why you have a psychosomatic limp?" Gaara asked pointedly.

"Now take me to that heaven I once defied, Thy presence, thy embrace!' - He spoke, and died!" Sakura quoted, examining her fingernails.

Neji was now staring at her as though contemplating forcibly ejecting her from the car.

"…Excuse me?" Gaara said, sounding truly baffled.

"No, William Cowper's poetry is not relevant to this discussion," Sakura said dryly, "Much like my limp and my cane."

She saw Neji's eyes flick to her cane and back to the road rapidly. So, even Mr Stoic was curious about her limp.

"I promise you there is no great scandal or trauma in my past," Gaara said evenly, "I am ashamed of how I used to be. I want to forget the past."

Sakura could relate.

She made a humming noise, weighing it all up, and nodded, "'Kay. You don't need to tell me anything, oh-mysterious-sensei. Neji, don't tell me anything about Gaara. I don't wanna know."

"Sakura, he's dangerous." Neji said incredulously.

"I'm not so helpless myself." Sakura gave him a wicked grin, "If he ever gave me any trouble, I can always whack him with my cane."

"I'd rather you didn't." Gaara said mildly, "I take it you are too busy for a tutoring session?"

"Always," Sakura agreed, sighing, "But I'll see you when I see you. That means bye, you poor, misguided fool."

Gaara hung up, cutting off his chuckle.

Sakura looked stubbornly ahead at the stormy clouds rolling over the horizon, pointedly ignoring the way Neji's rage was tangible, sparking in the air.

"You… are… incorrigible." Neji gritted out, too angry for words.

"Big word," Sakura commented, taking another sip of her coffee, "Hmm, this is good coffee."

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She sat on the bench, staring into the room opposite her. There was a giant pot plant obscuring half her view, great green leaves littering the floor at the base of the pot due to some careless cleaner, the earthy smell overpowering the traditional hospital smells.

A doctor walked past in a hurry. She gave his swishing white coat a dirty look.

She hated the antibacterial gel they forced you to wash your hands with. It dried unnaturally quickly and the alcohol inside stung any scratches or cuts like a bitch.

That sounded horribly obedient, she thought mournfully.

"Sakura-chan." Kabuto called, sounding pleasantly amiable for such a creepy guy.

Sakura flicked him a look and slowly got up from the bench, gripping her cane. Kabuto did not offer to help, just stood there and smiled vaguely.

"Kabuto." She said coolly, "You're late."

"Two minutes and forty seconds is hardly late." Kabuto said genially, "Shall we be off, then?"

She shrugged and joined him, matching his casual, unhurried pace thankfully, her legs not up to long-distance sprinting at that point.

"Sakura?" Neji came out of the office and stared, files in his hands.

"Can't talk, Neji, incredibly busy right now." Sakura said smoothly, brushing past him.

Kabuto smiled politely at him as they passed, but Sakura thought she saw his body tense as though anticipating a fight.

Hmmm. Interesting.

Neji had kindly enough dropped her off at the hospital since he had to go there too (to be her mother's lackey), and she had lost him by ducking into the girl's bathroom where he was far too proper to follow.

"Sakura, what should I tell your mother?"

"Don't say anything." Sakura stopped walking and turned to glare at him, "Not a word. I'm just going to hang out with a friend."

She saw Kabuto preen a little at that.

She raised a withering eyebrow at him and he smirked in response.

Neji gave Kabuto a doubtful look, "And how old is your 'friend?'"

"Old enough," Kabuto said solemnly, "She's not taking advantage of me, I swear."

"Funny." Neji looked at them both disparagingly, leaving no doubt just how funny he found it. To Sakura's alarm, he looked like a big brother might if he'd caught his little sister about to leave the house in a skirt as short as a belt.

"Don't make me regret covering for you." Neji met Sakura's eyes with a stern look.

For all his blushing and blustering, Sakura thought resentfully, he was a lot tougher than he looked.

"You won't." She said confidently. She was just going to work a little on the side, that was all. It was hardly enough to qualify getting the big brother act from someone she hardly knew.

"I assure you, Neji-san," Kabuto said, suddenly whipping out a respectful voice, his expression becoming serious, "Sakura won't come to harm in my care."

"Care?" Sakura repeated indignantly.

Neji did not look appeased, but he did back up into the office a little, "If your mother asks me where you are, I will say I don't know."

"Thanks." Sakura smiled at him sincerely.

Kabuto pushed his glasses up a little and the tension in his body melted away.

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"So, what are you a doctor in, anyway?" Sakura asked, getting into the car with only the slightest flicker of unease that she always felt – Kabuto only increased the feeling – no, she wouldn't think of it today. Today she was going to finally pursue her interest in science and the teachings of her idol. She refused to be the one to spoil it.

Kabuto slid into the driver's seat and started the car without a word, glancing all around them before beginning to reverse the vehicle.

Sakura watched the hospital car park blend into the road with a sour look on her face, "I kind of asked you a question."

"I kind of ignored it," Kabuto said, tilting the mirror slightly, a little frown appearing between his brows, "But my answer is this: I am a doctor in several areas."

"Bullshit." Sakura said incredulously, "You have a baby face. There's no way you've studied long enough."

Kabuto actually stopped the car, disbelief and amusement mingling in his expression as he gazed at her.

"Baby face? I'm twenty-three." He said, adjusting his glasses with what looked like an actual smile on his face, all vagueness gone.

"Oh really?" Sakura sat back in her chair, regarding him with her own cold smile, "It occurred to me, Kabuto, that for you to be talking to Orochimaru-sama himself on the phone, you must be pretty high up in the company."

Kabuto started the car again, ignoring the furious bibs of the car horns from behind. He sighed, "I suppose you could call me Orochimaru-sama's right-hand man."

"That means so many different things," Sakura observed, "But I'm guessing you're just a tiny bit too important to be recruiting students for Orochimaru-sama, picking them up and driving them yourself to the lab."

Kabuto gave a little chuckle. "Important? I work hard, I guess. You seem to be a smart girl, Sakura-chan –"

"I get by." Sakura said, idly batting at the little tree air freshener hanging from the mirror.

"- So I assume you don't put any stock in what the newspapers say about Orochimaru-sama?"

"Obviously," Sakura scoffed, "They have no idea what they're talking about."

Kabuto gave a secretive little smirk at that, patting her on the head once more, ignoring her venomous glare.

"You should," He said lightly, "At least a quarter of what they say is almost true."

"For example…?"

"What we do at Orochimaru corp. is not always strictly what you might refer to as 'legal.'" Kabuto admitted.

Sakura considered her cane, running her fingers along the metal surface. After a moment of brief reflection, she tapped it in the rhythm Gaara had, as she'd memorised it automatically.

"I don't always follow the law to the letter, myself." Sakura said, meeting Kabuto's eyes with a bold stare.

Kabuto gave a little sigh, "You aren't like most sixteen year olds I've met."

"Then I assume you've only met a few," Sakura rolled her eyes, "I assure you, I am the epitome of sulky teenager."

"May I ask what Orochimaru-sama did to inspire such loyalty in you?"

"Ask away," Sakura said dryly, grinning when he sighed once more, "I won't tell you either way."

"I'd like it if we didn't have any secrets between us, Sakura-chan," Kabuto said gravely, "Orochimaru-sama insists on his employees being completely open and honest with him."

"Doctor of what…?" Sakura countered.

For such a young guy, he sure did sigh a lot.

Thanks to Achlys for the song choice :) It really does fit Naruto and Hinata!

A fairly long chapter to make up for the HUGE WAIT :) Sorry about that…

So, Hinata's happiness could not last. Not with her darling daddy there to spoil things. Naruto did his best, though, the poor little dear.

Neji's worried about Kabuto and Gaara, but one must wonder which one Sakura should be worried about?

This. Took. FOREVER TO WRITE!

I wrote it backwards, lol. Well, sort of. I wrote it in jumbled bits and pieces, knowing where it would all fit in later on, then threw it all together. Just took ages to meld the bits together.

Ooh, I forgot to mention, I started back at uni and I ONLY HAVE TWO DAYS A WEEK NOW. WHAT THE SHEEEEEEEEET.

Yay! :)

Quick poll for fun: Is there anything in the Naruto manga that really annoyed you?

For example, Sakura's character derailment pisses me off.

Warning, reviews may have spoilers :)