Temari held a sparkly strappy cocktail up, staring at the sequins. "What do you think?"

Ino rolled her shoulders back in her sky-blue sleeveless high-neck top. "I like it. It brings out the blue in your eyes."

TenTen looked up from staring at the floor-kissing hem of her jade green sleeveless dress. "It's nice. But isn't it a little short?"

Temari pursed her glossed lips, cocking her head slightly. "Nah. It's just a few inches past my knees. It would be too short for Hinata."

Sakura and Hanabi giggled as Hinata blushed, pulling down the hem of her black V-neck empire waist dress with three-quarter length sleeves. "S-so? I just don't like to show too much skin." She tugged up the sharp incline of her neck-line. "I feel as if everyone is staring at my chest instead of my eyes."

Ino swatted her hand away, sliding the shoulder of her dress down. "Oh please Hinata-kun. You're way too pretty to be hiding your gorgeous shoulders. I'd kill for your shoulders and hour-glass figure."

Hanabi poked Ino in her rib, one hand on the hip of her mustard-colored long-sleeved trench-dress. "I think you'd kill yourself too."

Temari snorted in laughter and high-fived the younger girl. "Nice one!"

Sakura shook her head, leafing through a rack of bright floral sundresses. "You guys are so mean."

Ino stomped her silver sequined mules. "Jerks! I should tell your father!"

Hanabi slapped her hands to her cheeks, looking mock-horrified. "Oh, dear God, save me! My father is gonna scold me! No!" She and Temari broke into more snorting laughter.

Hinata poked her head out burgundy curtain, her cheeks slightly pink. "You shouldn't pick on father, Hanabi. He's just looking out for us."

Hanabi waved her manicured hand in the air. "Oh puh-lease, onee-san. You said that when you were seventeen and you're saying it when you're twenty-seven. A decade of covering that cold, pruny prick."

Sakura tossed a turquoise long-sleeve mini dress over her shoulder. "I can believe it."

Ino pulled the dress off her shoulder and tossed it in the growing pile of rejected dresses. "Me too. I just can't see Hinata cursing and stomping around the office if something seriously bad came her way." She placed her hands on her hips, her eyes roaming the racks of designer dresses. "Sasuke though, is another story."

Hinata giggled and Sakura rolled her eyes, holding up a dove-colored tea-length dress. "With you, it's always Sasuke. Anything that is even remotely related to Sasuke, you know about."

Ino flicked her platinum blond ponytail over her shoulder, sauntering away. "Well, I do own the country's best gossip magazine. I need to know every little thing there is to know. It's my duty to my readers and subscribers."

Hanabi cocked an eyebrow, now dressed in a figure-hugging sleeveless red dress with a large black belt sitting under her bust and black leggings with red suede ankle boots. "I thought you owned Yamanka flower shops."

Ino shot her a look. "I do. Got a problem?"

Temari picked up a pair of shiny silver-buckled pumps. "Well, isn't that weird? I mean, you own a flower shop and then you own a gossip magazine. Why both?"

Ino crossed her arms indigently. "So? Can't I have a love for fashion and flowers? They're both beautiful things. And they make people beautiful, so I decided I could have both."

Hinata giggled, stepping out in a black V-neck top with three-quarter length sleeves and a purple tiered peasant skirt with black ankle-strap pumps. "I don't mind. Your magazines are fun to read, Ino-chan."

"Thank you, Hinata-kun," Ino pulled a silver sequined miniskirt off a rack with a sleeveless dove-colored cashmere cowl-neck and eyeing Hanabi. "Is that what you're seriously gonna wear?"

Hanabi raised an eyebrow, still in the red dress but new black leather leggings. "So? The better they can see me, the better time they have. I was meant to start trends. Not follow them." She zipped up her suede boots and tapped the toes on the carpeted floors.

Hinata giggles and reached into her purse. "I like it. It's very Hanabi. I can't wait for you new line to come out."

Temari eyed Hanabi as Sakura came out in a tight cerise halter dress that barely grazed her thighs. "You're coming out with a fashion line?"

Sakura tightened the strap on her black sling-backs. "Yeah, you didn't know? It's only been the talk of everyone's conversation. Whenever Hyuga do something, it's always news worthy."

Ino giggled, sitting comfortably on the crescent-shaped sofa in their private dressing room. "I already got dibs on the real story. With this, my magazine will get major raves."

Hanabi smirked at Ino. "My first line will be just for father. A gorgeous line of tailored suits for men and women." She walked up behind Hinata's bench and placed her hands on her sister's shoulders. "I've already made a few for Hinata, who will hopefully accompany me down the aisle of my first fashion show."

Sakura raised her eyebrows. "Really? I'd sure like to get a look at those suits. I've been meaning to get out and buy some more clothes."

Temari ran her hands over her cocktail dress, watching them in the mirror. "I'd like to see what she's making period. If they're anything like you dress, I'm sure they'll be just fine."

"Just fine?" Hanabi placed a hand on her chest, looking horrified. "Just fine, Temari-san? Just fine does not cut it. My ideals are better than the slackers of this day and age. Soon, they'll be yester-season!"

Hinata giggled then blinked, looking around. "Where's TenTen-chan?"

"Here-oomph!"

They twisted around to see her falling towards the floor in a dress with a mauve corset-looking top and leg-hugging skirt. She sighed as the girls laughed around her, Hinata worriedly helping her up. "I thought it looked better on the mannequin."

Hanabi brought a hand to her glossed mouth. "I'm sorry, girl. I'd hate to break it to you, but everything looks better on the mannequin. And some times, it should stay on the mannequin!"

-

Sasuke exhaled, smoking lifting in the cold fall air. He crossed his arms and starred out from the balcony of his condo. It was a perfect fall night, with the street lights below glowing like embers. The soft sound of cars drifted to his ears and the corner of his full lips quirked up in half smile.

Normally, he didn't get to enjoy this, since whenever he was home, it was to shower, sleep, eat and then shower again. There was the house keeper, but she wasn't really worth looking at.

He inhaled from his cigarette, watching Tokyo below him. There really hadn't been time for him to just sit back and relax. In fact, since the month he had been back home, he hadn't really been "home". He was constantly running between Naruto's (he didn't know why, but he just crashed there whenever he needed to) and his office.

He ran a hand through his hair and paid no attention to his ringing telephone. The cool crisp fall air was comforting and a phone call from the office was just going to bug the hell out of him as of the moment.

"Pick up, Uchiha. I know you're there." Gaara's voice hit his ears and he scowled.

He stood from his deck chair and dropped the cigarette to the ground. He grinded it out with the toe of his dress shoes and ducked inside. Some times, you just couldn't escape your work.

-

"Oh god!" Hanabi snorted, looking to Ino, who was laughing just as hard. "Are you serious?!"

Hinata giggled into tumbler of scotch, leaning against TenTen, who was refilling Temari's tumbler. "That's very wicked, Ino."

Temari toasted her. "Oh man, you gotta teach me that!"

TenTen shook her head, then shook the almost empty bottle of scotch. "Hey, I think we're running out."

"Don't worry!" Ino said brightly, crawling across Sakura, who was lying on the floor, convulsing with giggles. "I brought like six bottles."

Hinata took a tiny sip of her scotch and indulged in the burning feeling going down her throat. "Normally, I wouldn't be this drunk."

Hanabi pointed to her, her cheeks tinged pink like the rest. "If you can tell you're drunk then you ain't. Trust me on this."

Sakura sat up and chugged the rest of her drink, closing her emerald eyes at the burning. "I don't think I've ever laughed so hard."

TenTen kicked off her mules. "Me either." Her head lolled onto Hinata's shoulder. "Have you, Hinata-kun?"

Hinata giggled, shaking her head and pouring herself another glass. "No. but it's nice."

Temari pulled the shoji doors open and all five stared out into the dark night. "Shikamaru likes looking up at the sky, no matter if there are clouds or stars."

Ino added more lemon juice to Sakura's drink, her sky-blue eyes glazed with memories and scotch. "I know. I remember we went on a camping trip and the whole night, he was just staring at the stars."

Hinata crawled over to the doors, leaving TenTen to fall to the ground. "I like the stars. They're kind of just sitting there, minding their own business, you know? They don't have to worry about anything, just staying bright enough for us to see them."

TenTen propped herself up on her elbows. "That's deep."

Sakura broke into more giggles and leaned on Ino to hold herself up. "So true!"

Hanabi leaned forward on the table, her elbows resting on the table and her cheeks in her hands. "She means that the stars are just like us. Only different, you know? Am I right?"

Hinata nodded and looked back to the sky, holding her tumbler. "It's kind of like; they don't have to worry about bad rumors. They don't have to deal with the economy. They don't have to worry about their father's kicking them out of their will because of one misstep. They . . . just . . . don't . . . have . . . to . . . worry."

Temari leaned against the shoji door. "Sounds nice."

All five nodded. "Mmm-hmm."

The only kind of alcohol I've had was from my dad's beer can, his champagne and his white wine. And I can say this, don't ever try that shit. I was washing my mouth out for days after those sips.

Anyways, did you like this chapter? I know I did! :3 Keep reading my faithful readers! (And I still don't know what business is going on between Gaara and Sasuke, but it's important, okay?)

Ja Ne! :D R&R Please and Thank You!