A/N: This is the longest chapter so far and it takes place shortly after the last chapter, namely the Friday and Saturday of that same week. The Sunday is going to be an entirely separate chapter. This chapter is a bit lacking in NaruHina, but hopefully the next one will compensate for it. Hope you enjoy!

"Man, I can't believe that we're actually close to being done. This is the first time I've ever finished something early. Hinata, do you think we'll get an A on the project?"

"I—I really hope so, Naruto."

"It's not like you did that much work anyway."

"Hey, I helped, pineapple head!" Naruto expressed his discontent by scrunching up his face. Hinata let out a shy giggle.

"Whatever. I'm gonna go see if the dictator is done cooking."

"I heard that," came a husky female voice from the kitchen.

After Shikamaru left the living area, Naruto scooted closer to Hinata.

"Say, Hinata, can I help with anything?" Though he was too proud to admit this to Shikamaru, he actually did feel a bit guilty for contributing the least to the group. Hinata had done most of the work, but Shikamaru had done a fantastic job of editing and putting everything together.

"Oh, well, umm..." Hinata wanted to make Naruto feel valuable. But she wasn't sure if there was anything he would feel confident doing. "Oh! You can write the bibliography."

"Great! Um, Hinata, how do I do a bibliography again?"

"Oh, umm, just write down the titles of the books, their authors, publication dates, umm, where they were published, and the publishing company. And then I'll show you how to format it."

"Awesome! Hey, Hinata, you don't think I'm useless do you?"

"N-no, of course not! I'm sure Shikamaru was just joking. You were such a big help Naruto."

"But you wrote most of the stuff."

"Yes, but you did the what neither of us wanted to do. You actually went out and got all the books we wanted. That saved the two of us a lot of time and effort. So thank you."

"Oh. Well, you're welcome, Hinata." He gave her one of his winning smiles and rubber her back.

If she had not gotten the chance to work with him, she never would have known that he actually needed acknowledgement once in a while, and that he did have moments of self-doubt despite his usually boisterous, and sometimes cocky, attitude. Despite the fact that she fell for him because he seemed so sure of himself no matter how much others put him down, she did not like him any less for his insecurities. It allowed her to relate to him better and made her feel closer to him. Maybe she could take a few lessons from him, she thought, and stop thinking that her flaws and timid nature made her less of a person.

In the kitchen, Shikamaru entertained himself by watching Temari chop onions.

"You are helping me?" Temari said. It sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Not really," he replied, though he picked up a knife and started chopping anyway.

"You owe me a rematch."

"I'm always up for chess. But...are you sure you want a rematch? Because I don't think anything will be any different this time around. But it's alright, no one expects you to beat me."

Temari glared at him and mockingly held her knife at his throat.

"God, why are women so violent? And I don't care what you say, you can't use PMS as an excuse for everything. Why do you people feel the need to be so troublesome all the time?"

Temari raised her eyebrow in disbelief, and shook her head. "You only have to put up with me for another month more or less. Am I right?"

"Yeah..." As a rule, Shikamaru didn't like group projects. They were way more draining, since he would actually do work because he didn't want other people's grades to suffer from his natural indolence. For some reason, though, he wasn't thrilled that this one would soon come to a close. It might be the delicious food that came with every Friday. Or because he was glad he found a friend in Hinata, whom he never really knew so well before. Or that he got a chance to spend time with Naruto again. None of these answers satisfied him. Or maybe… Nah.

He had only known Temari for a little more than two months. He wasn't sure if he knew her well, but he knew Ino would say that she wasn't his type. She was too rough, too crude for his taste and often made him feel bourgeois and prissy. Sometimes he felt like he would break under her glare. She reminded him a little of his mother, and that was usually not a good thing. She was not strikingly beautiful, like Ino (Ew awkward), but he often found himself not being able to keep his eyes off of her. He often told himself that it was because he found her so frustrating. She seemed to enjoy picking meaningless fights with him and, unlike Ino, her arguments were often valid.

But he had to admit he had a lot of respect for this girl. Woman, he corrected himself. She was tough, practical, and smart. She didn't talk about herself that much. Hell, he'd even bet she knew more about the three of them than they did about her. She preferred to make fun of him than to talk about herself. He felt uneasy at the thought that in a little more than a month, he will never have a real excuse to see her again. He didn't know her well enough to visit her without using Naruto as an excuse. And he wondered if he could change this before their time was up.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"The onions are hurting my eyes," he blinked furiously, embarrassed because he was unsure whether he was lying.

"Oh? Then am I a…what is it that you people say…a sight for sore eyes?"

"Are you…" He smirked wickedly at her, "…flirting with a minor?"

With that, her face darkened. "Thank you for helping. You can wait in the living room. I will tell you when the food is ready." Her words were laced with bitterness.

"I didn't mean—"

"Don't worry. Just…just go wait with your friends."

Shikamaru cursed himself. Too scared to explain himself, too proud to apologize, he shuffled away. "Whatever."

Oh. My. God. Is HE actually calling me?

"Hello."

"Sakura. Did I bother you?"

"NO! I mean, of course not, Sasuke, what can I do for you."

"I would like to try making a truffle risotto on Sunday. Would you like to come over and try it?"

YES!!! "Sure, why not?"

"Okay, I'll see you Sunday."

When Sasuke hung up, she squealed. And then she hugged her knees and rolled around in her bed. When her mother came up to check on her, she wondered if the stress had been eating away at Sakura's sanity.

The following morning at dawn, Temari was surprised to see Gaara already dressed. He had opened the door to the hallway, and the stench of urine and cheap beer wafted inside their small apartment. She grimaced.

"Are you going to the lab?"

"No. I am going to school to take the PSAT."

"What is the PSAT?"

"Another standardized test. Don't worry about it."

Sometimes Temari found it amazing that her little brother, who looked so young yet so tired, had come so far. There had never been any doubt that he was intelligent. But maybe their misfortune was a blessing in disguise for him, she thought. Sometimes he was exhausted, but he was ambitious and had found a purpose.

"Udachi."It was the first time in a long time that she had said something to him in their native tongue. After forbidding her brothers to speak Russian at home in order to perfect their English, she felt a bit hypocritical. And wishing Gaara luck on a standardized test was just as stupid. He had never been bad at anything his whole life. She wanted to take it back.

"Although I have no doubt that you—"

"Thank you, sister." He gave her the barest hint of a smile and left.

Kiba arrived at the Hyuuga Estate at exactly 7:55 am. It was the first time since basketball season was over that he had ever woken up before noon on a weekend. Hinata walked out of her mansion wearing sweatpants and carrying a duffel bag.

"Thank you so much for picking me up, Kiba!"

"Pfft, why wouldn't I? Hey, so maybe we can hang out after?"

"Yes! I want to take you to this really good ramen shop downtown."

"Sounds good. Never knew you liked ramen. "

"Oh…" An image of a certain boy with ramen-colored hair popped into her head. "For some reason I've been craving it a lot lately."

"Cool. So, what are you gonna do today? You said you've been working on some interpretive…jazz type thing with Kurenai?"

"Hm yes, but the one today isn't anything that we choreographed ourselves actually. Most of the kids at the recital will be eleven or twelve, so this is just for fun. But I think you'll appreciate this one."

"Oh, so is it something I've already seen before?"

"You'll just have to wait and see!"

When they arrived at the Art Center, Kiba gave Hinata a good luck kiss on the cheek and went inside the auditorium. He found Kurenai, who hugged him and sat next to him.

"Kiba, thanks for coming. I'm sure it means a lot to her."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he smiled.

"Just to let you know. This isn't really original. This is just a fun routine that she's already had down a while ago. I had her do it because it would be a great confidence boost if she could nail it in front of an entire audience. The girl is talented, but I think she has anxiety issues, you know?"

"She'll be alright."

The curtains were raised and the recital began. Because Hinata was last, Kiba was forced to endure a string of performances by preteens. Most of it wasn't so bad, but he was not one who appreciated the fine arts. He had nothing to complain about, though. He was sitting next to a beautiful older woman and was going to hang out with one of his best friends afterwards, not to mention something of a date tomorrow. This was going to be a pretty good weekend. No practice, no homework, just kickin' it. I wonder what Ino's gonna wear tomorrow…


Neji couldn't believe he was doing this. It felt rusty because he hadn't done it in years. He still wasn't sure why he bothered. After all, he still had to finish his applications, and there was a chance she might not even be there. He had gone partially out of guilt, but also because of that dream he had.

It started a few nights ago. He dreamt of being hunted. He ran out of the city, and into the jungles, but the hunter was still hot on his trail. His usually quick legs felt heavy and sluggish. His muscles were made out of melting rubber. He did not even dare to look back at his pursuer. After what seemed like hours, he finally lost his battle. He felt a brute force pushing against his back, pushing him down into the moist earth. Two small but strong hands flipped him on his back. And he immediately saw. Tenten. Before he could ask anything, she straddled him, holding his chest down with dainty hands. She leaned into him. A kiss? And before anything could happen, he awoke with a violent jerk. He had been having the same dream each night since, and it bothered him, to say the least.

First, he had never had a remotely sensual or romantic dream. They seemed far beneath him. Maybe it wasn't so surprising for boneheads like Naruto or Kiba to experience sexual frustration once in a while, but not him. No, Neji Hyuuga was a man with important goals that surpassed the human need for food and reproduction. And second of all, he didn't think of Tenten that way. Sure, she was cute—maybe even pretty, but that was all. She certainly didn't have the obvious sex appeal that someone like Ino Yamanaka had. She seemed so nice and sincere that thinking of her that way just seemed so…wrong.

He had carefully avoided Tenten the next several days deliberately coming into the gym after seeing her leave, but could not stop thinking about her. He finally started to feel a bit guilty. It wasn't her fault he kept having recurring dreams of her. Now he wanted to see her again. And that was the reason why he was furiously pedaling Hanabi's bike downtown.

After twenty excruciating minutes of navigating the downtown streets, he finally found the restaurant. Upon seeing the neighborhood, he was glad he left his Bentley behind. Many sidewalks around the block were littered with broken glass from smashed car windows. It was a far cry from where he lived. One of every few blocks would be graced with a "gentlemen's club," which Neji guessed were frequented by scum that liked to think of themselves as gentlemen.

He lingered outside the restaurant, unsure of what he really meant to accomplish by going there. He silently scolded himself for feeling self-conscious. Tenten had never been particularly dignified when she was around him, he though, so why was he worrying now? He straightened his clothes and walked in the door.

"Neji!"

"Neji!"

He was greeted by Tenten and Lee, who were standing behind the takeaway counter clad in faded red polo shirts. Saying that Lee was happy to see him was an understatement. His wide grin revealed braces that seemed to reflect the bright lights of the restaurant.

"Lee, what are you doing here?"

"I promithed to help Tenten at the rethraurant today!"

"Oh."

"Here, Neji, take a seat! You must be hungry." Tenten ushered him to a nearby booth. To his dismay, Lee hastily laid a napkin on his lap before he could protest.

"Since you've finally dropped by, I'll give you the house special for free!"

"Exthelent idea, Tenten! I'll get the thauthe"

A few minutes later, Tenten and Lee served him a brown, crispy-looking duck, with its neck twisted at an impossible angle. The dead duck was smiling at him. Lee and Tenten waited eagerly by his table.

"Is there any way you could…dispose of the head?"

"Oh, of course! Hold on." Tenten quickly grabbed a chef's knife from behind the takeaway counter and chopped off the duck's head. No more dead animals smiling at Neji. He had had duck before, but he had never eaten it while it was still pretty much whole. He usually preferred not to recognize the animals he ate, but he didn't want to be rude. He slowly picked up his fork and carved a small piece of the duck and dipped it in the sauce. He held it for a moment inches away from his face. Tenten and Lee watched him intently with cautious smiles. Here goes…

He put the piece in his mouth and carefully chewed. Hmmm, not too bad. It was crispy, and a bit oilier than he preferred, but it was certainly edible.

"Thank you. This is excellent."

"Awethum!"

Tenten broke out a sigh of relief and gave him a warm smile. In that moment, Neji thought she was radiant.

"Hey, Hinata's up."

She walked to the center of the stage in black tights and leg warmers. Kiba suddenly felt himself becoming anxious. Please don't let her mess up, he prayed to whoever was listening. This seemed like a gamble. If she nailed it, it would give her a much needed confidence boost. But if anything else happened…

She sat on her knees, and the music began. Oh shit, is she doing what I think she's doing? Kiba didn't notice he started to grin like a lunatic. It was their song.

First, when there's nothing but a slow glowing dream

That your fear seems to hide deep inside your mind

All alone I have cried silent tears full of pride

In a world made of steel, made of stone

"Whoooooooooooooooo!" Kiba yelled a bit too long and too loud as the tempo quickened, but Hinata did not seem to mind. She seemed to glow as bright as the star he knew she was.

Well I hear the music, close my eyes, feel the rhythm

Wrap around, take a hold of my heart

What a feeling, bein's believin'

I can't have it all, now I'm dancin' for my life

Take your passion, and make it happen

Pictures come alive, you can dance right through your life

Hinata's heart soared. For those three minutes, she was not timid, she was not fat, she was not scared. She was fearless. When she heard Kiba let out a battle cry of encouragement, she became invincible. By the time she was done, the audience applauded her eagerly, and two people have her standing ovations. One of them howled like a werewolf on a full moon. Several of the young female performers envied Hinata for having what they thought was a sweet (not to mention hot) boyfriend there to support her.

After she took a bow, she immediately met her two biggest fans backstage. Kiba gave her a bear hug, not caring that she was soaked in her own perspiration.

"Kid, you were ridiculous! I can't believe you nailed Flashdance! You were wayyyyyy hotter than Jennifer Beals"

"Hinata, I couldn't have been more proud of you."

"Thank you! I love you both!"

At Ichiraku ramen, Kiba ordered tonkatsu udon and Hinata ordered miso ramen.

"So why can't Kurenai come again?"

"Oh, well I think she has a date."

"Nice." The food arrived. "So why haven't you gone on one yet?"

"W-what? What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're working on Hatake's project with Naruto, right? Why haven't you gone on a date with him? If you start going out with him now, you might get to second base before winter break and then leave the V team by the end of the school year, you know?"

Hinata choked on her noodles and Kiba had to slap her back several times to stop her violent coughing. He felt bad for laughing at her during her predicament but she was used to doing embarrassing herself around him.

"Kiba! How could you say that? What makes you think—"

"Aw come on! Anyone who's ever seen you around him knows you're like totally into him."

"Shhhh! Kiba. Let's not talk about this now."

"But we haven't hung out like this in so long! I've been busy with basketball, you've been working on school and dance. This is like the first time since the school year started that we're actually catching up."

"Well, then tell me about what's been going on with you." Hinata felt rather proud of herself by turning the tables on him. "Do you like anyone?"

"Well…pfft no. I mean…why would I?

"So you don't like Ino?"

"What?! Ino? How did you know—"

It was Hinata's turn to giggle. "I see Shikamaru every Friday. He told me you're seeing Clueless with Ino? I wonder, Kiba, when did you start developing a taste for chick flicks?"

Kiba groaned.

A/N: Did anyone recognize the song? If not, I highly recommend looking up Flashdance (What A Feeling) on youtube. That dance is a classic! Oh and sorry if anyone minds Lee's lisp. See, I love Lee's English dub voice. It almost sounds constipated, and I have no way of portraying that in the story, so I gave him a lisp instead. Please let me know if there's anything you don't like about this chapter (or any other ones), so I can take it into consideration for the next one. Thanks for reading!