Mshinata: -starts laughing-

Sasuke: -looks at Mshinata weird- What?

Mshinata: Anime-rocz-nd-u-no-it loves you being mean, Sasu-chan. –pinches his cheek-

Sasuke: Stop it. –Scowls-

Mshinata: -sparkly eyes- Also…I GOT A DOG CAGE AND A LEASH FROM NinjaDancer! –Insert evil laugh here- Ed-chan?! Aww…I love him. –Hugs Ed- I'll buy him. –Gives NinjaDancer a hundred free cookies- Now I have to bake more cookies. –Groans-

Sasuke: I'm not helping.

Mshinata: I don't NEED your help. You're a bad cook. –Sparkly eyes- ShyAnimeGirl is so awesome.

Sasuke: Mshinata doesn't own Naruto. If she did, she'd make Marshie-chan Itachi's lover.

Mshinata: EVERYONE LOOK AT HER YOUTUBE BACKGROUND! xD –hugs Ed- I love him. xD

Hinata kept running…and running. She didn't care if she was skipping class or not…despite the fact that she started off running towards the school. She didn't want to meet with Neji's eyes.

She definitely couldn't go home. Mikoto would probably start asking questions about what was wrong. That was her, anyways.

She stopped in a nearby park and sat down on a bench. Hinata tried to catch her breath, her fists clenched on her knees.

"S-stop…please." Hinata muttered to herself, tears started to form in her eyes.

"Hinata-hime…I want to protect you!"

Her hands flew to her head, squeezing it hard. She didn't want to remember what happened. All she wanted to think about was the Uchiha family.

The tears started to flow uncontrollably out of her eyes.

He was after her.


"Eh? Hinata-chan didn't come back from the lunch break?" Naruto asked Ino. She shook her head.

"I'm worried. She started running towards the school…but then changed direction. Do you think she went home?" She asked worriedly. He shrugged.

"What do you think, Gaara?" He asked his red-haired, aquamarine-eyed friend who was reading a book at his desk.

"In the park." Gaara replied, turning a page in his book.

"Eh?! How do you know?" Ino asked.

"That's where people go to think." Gaara answered it as if it was really obvious. "She wouldn't go home. It will only cause her family trouble."

"I guess you're right." Ino responded, sighing.

"Class is about to begin, Naruto, Ino." Sakura entered the classroom with her group of friends. Ino twitched.

"I think I know that…Sakura." Ino responded through clenched teeth. "You've gotten more annoying than usual." Sakura didn't answer. Lately (Ino noticed), Sakura had been having an expressionless face. It was actually scaring her.

"You need to stop worrying about Hinata-san." Sakura finally said seriously.

"Why should we take advice from you?!" Ino shouted. Sakura closed her eyes.

"Sasuke-kun…isn't worried about her. You don't need to fake it." Sakura said.

"N-nani…what are you talking about?" Ino stuttered.

"You like Sasuke-kun, ne?" Sakura opened her eyes. Ino's mouth parted but then closed.

"Sakura," Naruto said, defensively getting in between Ino and Sakura. He faced Sakura with very serious eyes (Gaara thought that was a first), "stop accusing Ino of such things. She's over him. She even announced it to the whole school." Sakura's expression changed into a nervous one. She slowly took a step back.

"W-why…" Sakura's bangs fell over her face, hiding her expression, "w-why…why is she the one you're always worried about?!" She suddenly shouted.

"Maybe because…" Naruto started, "…it was love at first sight."


Sasuke's hand was firmly on the door when he was about to open it. He overheard the conversation between Naruto, Sakura, and Ino. His hand dropped to his side. He really didn't care anymore. He had no such feelings for Hinata. But…she worried him. He remembered when she just broke down at the market.

His eyes widened.

Whatever started, Hinata was starting to run away from him…rather than him avoiding her.


The tears didn't stop.

They couldn't.

Hinata wished they would. She promised herself that she could live on her own. But really…she was running away from the truth. She was troubling everyone around her…especially Sasuke.

For him to see her crying…was something she didn't want him to see again. When she thought he was avoiding her…she was wrong.

Hinata really was running away from him.

"Hinata-chan?" A voice approached her, coming closer with each quickened step. She was startled and looked up at a concerned Itachi. "Hey…what's wrong?"

"Y-you…aren't concerned…a-about school for me?" She tried to wipe her tears with her uniform sleeves. He worriedly smiled and knelt down to meet her eyes.

"There are some things that are more important than school…like…you." He slightly smiled. She blushed from embarrassment. "It's not like you're an heiress to a huge company or something, so there's no need to worry." Her hands were trembling. Her crying was only worsening.

"I-is…is Sasuke-sama in pain?" She managed to squeak out, her hands covering her face. Itachi's eyes darkened.

"Sasuke is to do what he's supposed to do. I really don't know what he's feeling. He let go of his emotions a long time ago." Itachi replied, looking the other way. "So…you know then?" She uncovered her face and nodded, her face flushed from crying. "Okaa-san…she took you in as an abandoned child…and yet we know nothing about you. I guess…the reason why Okaa-san gave you to Sasuke was because…you reminded her of the old Sasuke." Hinata looked through her tears at him with a confused look. He slightly smiled and took her by the arms. "Cute girls aren't supposed to cry." She blushed from embarrassment. She faintly smiled.

"I guess…there are some similarities." Hinata mumbled when Itachi and she started to walk home.

"Nani?" Itachi turned to her. She shook her head.

"Iie. It's nothing that you-no…anyone should worry about." She responded.


"Eh? Where's Hinata-san?" Neji asked as he waited by the school gates.

"N-Neji-senpai." Ino walked towards him. "Were you waiting for her?"

"She didn't look too good today either, so…I was worried." He replied, scratching his head. She smiled warmly.

"You really care for her, don't you? Even if she's a person you just met?" She asked. He blinked and smiled.

"Iie…we were…childhood friends." He said.


Sasuke walked home alone. He thought about his mother's words before he had received Hinata as his personal maid.

"Sasuke," Mikoto was about to leave his room after explaining that he was getting a maid. Her back was facing him as he looked at her weird, "this maid…is different from the others."

"How so?" He asked. "They all want to rape me." His mother sweat dropped.

"What I see in her eyes…are very similar to yours." She faced him. He raised a brow.

"Okaa-san…what-" Before he could finish, she closed the door.

Not to mention, he found out that Naruto loved Hinata. What was this love-at-first-sight crap? He sighed. It was going to be the same as the Sakura situation.

"Oi, Sasuke!" Ino called from behind him, running towards him.

"If you're going to pester me about Hinata, then go away." He replied coldly, returning to walk. She had an angry mark on her forehead.

"You are such a bastard." She sighed, catching up to him.

"Do you think calling me a bastard will affect me when Naruto has called me that a thousand times?" He closed his eyes.

"Listen," She ignored his comment, "do you know anything about Hinata-chan?"

"Iie." He replied bluntly.

"Eh?! You don't?!" She was shocked.

"Nope. And I'm not planning on playing "Therapy" with her." He said coldly.

"Eh…?" She slightly smiled. "Then I guess you wouldn't care if I told you that Neji-senpai has a connection to her past." He stopped in his tracks.

"Nani?" He raised a brow at her. "What do you mean?"

"Oh so you do care!" She squealed. "Is this a spark of a new romance, Sasuke-kun?!" Her eyes sparkled. He sweat dropped.

"Like I said before, I barely know the girl, so why should I bother?" He said, turning his back from her and walking away.

"Hyuuga Neji to be exact." She caught up with him again. "He's a year older than us."

"Tch. He bumped into me the other time…" He mumbled.

"But yeah." She stopped in her tracks and gave him a smile. "That's all I wanted to say! Ja ne! Say hi to Hinata-chan for me!" She said, running the opposite way. He sighed.

He arrived at the Uchiha estate.

"Tadaima." He called out as he removed his shoes and set them aside in the closet near the front door.

"Welcome home, Sasuke." Mikoto smiled at him.

"Okaa-san." He said in acknowledgment. "Has Otou-san come home?"

"Iie. But…Itachi has come home…if that helps." She added on quickly.

"Hn." He replied and went down the hallway to his room.

"Eh? It's so small!" A small voice shouted from surprise from Itachi's room.

"Ehehe…Hinata-chan you're so judgmental." Another voice whom Sasuke hated replied.

"Gomenasai…" Hinata mumbled. Sasuke was interested and came up to his brother's door. "Do you think it's okay for us to be doing this?"

"Hai, hai." Itachi said happily. Sasuke twitched at this. "No one will ever know…not even Sasuke."

"Eh? But…I feel so uncomfortable doing this…" She said.

"It's alright. With me protecting you, no one will ever-" Sasuke couldn't take it anymore and slammed the door open.

"I-Itachi…" He said darkly. "What the hell are you doing to Hi…na…ta…?" He saw the two sitting on the ground, looking at old photos.

"Eh?" Itachi blinked and stood up. "I didn't know you thought that like Sasuke! Ugh…did Naruto buy you those "inappropriate" magazines, again?" He knocked Sasuke's forehead with his knuckles.

"NO!!" Sasuke shouted, blushing from embarrassment. Hinata sat there blinking. She quickly stood up.

"Welcome home, Sasuke-sama." She slightly smiled. Her face was still flushed so she must have been crying…at least that's what Sasuke thought.

"Itachi," Sasuke started, looking menacingly at his brother, "what were you two doing if it wasn't…that?"

"Eh? Why should I tell you…aniki?" He smirked. Sasuke got an angry mark on his forehead.

"Don't…call…me…BROTHER!" Sasuke shouted back.

"But I am your brother." Itachi replied.

"Unfortunately…" Sasuke muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"Well anyways…" Itachi started, "I've been skipping class lately because of you so…I have to go make up some work now." He said.

"Nani, Itachi-sama? You're going in the afternoon?" Hinata asked.

"Hai. I kind of have to. Ja ne." He curtly waved at Hinata and left his room.

There was an awkward silence for about twenty seconds when Sasuke finally decided to break it.

"What were you doing?" He asked coldly.

"U-um…" She gulped, "w-we were…l-looking through…some old photos." She nervously smiled, holding up a small picture of a miniature Sasuke. He twitched and snatched the photo from her. "Gomenasai…for looking through your photos and also…" She took his free hand and held it in her hands, "I…I failed to be a good maid." She bowed her head over his hand and tears started dripping on it. "I…I shouldn't be allowed to know so much about you, Sasuke-sama…also…the way you're acting now…is it…is it because of me?" She started to cry again.

"Actually, yes." He stated bluntly.

"I…s-see…" She weakly responded.

"But…not in the way that you think." He replied.

"Eh?" She looked up to him as she still held on to his hands.

"Make me a promise." He commanded.

"U-um…hai!" She responded.

"Never fall in love with me." He said quietly. She slowly registered the information into her mind and slowly started to blush from embarrassment.

"N-now…why w-would I l-love my master?! That's forbidden!" She squeaked and quickly let go of Sasuke's hands.

"Good." He put his hand on her head. "Then…I forgive you. Both you and I won't have to get hurt." He smiled genuinely.

That was the first time that Hinata had ever seen her master smile like that.

"Hai. I understand." She smiled back, the tears still flowing out of her eyes.

"Hey…w-why are you crying?" He started to panic.

"I was…j-just so h-happy that Sasuke-sama wasn't m-mad at me…" The tears started to flow out of her eyes even more.

"Tch. Girls…I swear…they'll be the death of me." He said as he tried to wipe the tears out of her eyes with his fingers.

Itachi stood outside the door, listening to everything. He felt…a mix of emotions. He was happy that they made up…but…he wondered how long Hinata could keep that command of not falling in love with Sasuke. He scowled.

Their father will not be pleased if she did or rather…if Sasuke fell in love with her.


"Ohayo gozaimasu, Hinata-chan!" Naruto greeted her usually with his famous dazzling smile that melted some of the girls in the class.

"Why do you always have to be so damn cheery in the morning?" Sasuke complained, standing right next to Hinata. His eyes were clearly dark and tired. Naruto chuckled.

"Why do you always have to be so damn emo in the morning? Those are all the questions that are left unanswered!" Naruto announced to the class. Hinata smiled nervously while Ino twitched.

"Quiet down, Naruto." Ino scolded.

"Eh?! But mornings are filled with sunshine and happiness!" Naruto sparkled.

"You're really freaking me out…" Gaara suddenly said, appearing beside his best friend, Naruto. He had one hand stuffed in his pocket while the other holding a book.

"Ah! So you finally side with Sasuke-teme, Gaara?" Naruto pointed at him.

"Iie…I'm just saying you're weird in the morning." Gaara bluntly answered. Naruto was offended and turned into a statue.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata worriedly said.

"He's fine, Hinata-chan." Ino said, walking herself and Hinata to their seats.

Sakura watched this little "play." It really disgusted her. Why did Naruto and Sasuke have to always be all over Hinata? She sighed.

"Honey, get over it. Naruto's not worth your time." One of Sakura's group of friends said, waving a finger in the air.

"She's right you know." Another friend said. Sakura sighed again.

"But you know…Sasuke-kun and Naruto are still interested in her. Naruto said he loves her. Not to mention…if we hurt her in any way, Sasuke-kun will get mad at us. I'd rather not have that." Sakura said technically.

"No wonder you get good grades." The first friend said. "You really are smart." Sakura sighed once more.

"Save it."


"Gomenasai, Sasuke-san. It seems like we started off in the wrong direction. I'm Hyuuga Neji. Nice to meet you." Neji said politely. Sasuke twitched. This guy was lying through his teeth!

"Haha Neji-senpai, you're so cool." Ino said admiringly. "Sasuke-kun, you should be more like him." She whispered and nudged Sasuke.

"Shut it." He darkly muttered back. Sasuke, Hinata, Neji, and Ino were sitting in the courtyard in a circle, eating bentos that Hinata made that same morning. Hinata giggled from everything that was being said. Even if Neji was…

"Hinata-san," Neji said suddenly.

"W-what's wrong, Neji-senpai?" She replied, surprised.

"You have a bit of rice stuck to your face." He said.

"Ah…really?" She said.

"Here." Neji leaned over and cupped her face. He wiped off the piece of rice with his thumb and licked it with his own tongue. Ino squealed while Sasuke was disgusted. "It's sweet."

"A-arigato, Neji-senpai." Hinata said casually.

"What are you going to do, Sasuke-kun? You have a rival." Ino whispered to Sasuke.

"What are you talking about?" He whispered back.

"You still haven't properly introduced yourself, Sasuke-san." Neji said, returning to the earlier conversation. Sasuke inwardly scoffed and averted his gaze.

"Uchiha Sasuke." He said.

"So…you and Hinata-san are cousins?" Neji asked interestedly.

"Yeah." Sasuke replied.

"How close?" Neji asked.

"Very."

"How are you guys related?"

"Our mothers were sisters."

"Do you guys live together?"

"That's none of your business."

"Hn." Neji replied, smirking.

Hinata watched the conversation progress. She really didn't like where this was going…but…Sasuke was a natural liar and Hinata thanked the heavens for that.

"So…are you single, Hinata-san?" Neji asked her.

She couldn't believe her ears when he asked that.

To be continued…

Mshinata: Blah…the pestering Neji-niisama!

Sasuke: Your fault.

Mshinata: Eh? But…Neji-niisama is kawaii!

Sasuke: No. He's not cute at all.

Mshinata: Well…guys never think things are cute.

Sasuke: True.

Sai: Give her lovely reviews. –Smiles-

Sasuke: That reminds me…when do you show up?

Sai: Ah Sasuke-kun…I didn't know you cared for me.

Sasuke: I don't.

Mshinata: SAI! –Hugs-