BB: this isn't my best chapter I've ever written, but it gets where I need to go. I let my muses have the day off, so I'm doing the disclaimer and everything. But before that, I have somthing to say.

As far as Shay's past goes, she wasn't raped. A lot of perspective will come if you read the stuff in Italics on my profile. But all I'm going to say, before I make you all wait for Shattering Sand, is that Hinata and Shay have a lot more in common, then just living in the same house.

But, back on topic, I don't own Naruto. please enjoy.


Naruto and Hinata walked through the large doors, arm in arm. Naruto was watching her walk gracefully up the stairs. He probably shouldn't have talked about the house. It was beautiful, but he couldn't stand it. The house was too big, too empty, especially when no one was there with him.

Naruto felt like sighing again. He had been doing that a lot tonight. He didn't want to go into this house. He wanted to go somewhere else, anywhere else.

"Naruto?" Hinata asked softly, looking up at him. He glanced down, his eyebrows rising, a small smile dancing on his lips.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing, you just seemed to be off somewhere else." Hinata glanced around the heavily decorated foyer. "You aren't really happy about being here, are you?"

"Nah, it isn't that." Naruto said, knowing he was lying through his teeth. "I'm just worried about Granny, and what she'll say. She isn't the nicest woman in the world."

"Oh," Hinata's voice was soft and gentle. Naruto felt back about lying to her, and worrying her about Tsunade.

"NARU-CHAN!!" A loud female voice yelled. Naruto let out a groan, and turned to see a woman striding towards him.

The woman was pretty, with dark purple black hair, and black eyes. She was wearing a blood red dress, that had a halter top bodice. The skirt part was short in the front, mid-thigh in height, that flowed down to ankle length in the back. She was walking purposefully towards him, and he fought not to wince.

"Anko-chan, hi." Naruto said with a grimace. "Why must you call me that stupid nickname?"

Anko Mitarashi could be a terrifying woman at best, and down right blood-thirsty at worst. But she had been like an older sister to him, and he wasn't that afraid of her. Only when she was happy though, of course.

"Because it's cute." Anko said with a vicious grin. "Who's this?"

"My date, Hinata." Naruto answered. Hinata removed her hand from his arm, and placed it out for a handshake. Anko nodded approvingly and shook the Hyuuga's hand. Then the older woman turned to Naruto.

"You actually have a date?" Anko asked in a completely shocked voice. She placed her hands over her heart, as if she was having a heart attack. "Naruto Uzumaki has a date! Kami bless the earth, it's a miracle!"

Naruto glared, and Hinata let out a soft giggle. Naruto thought about glaring at her, but instead let out a dramatic sigh. "Yes, I have a date. Ham it up, Anko-chan. You owe me."

Anko stopped playing around, and eyed the blonde. "Owe you what?"

"Who's the one who introduced you to Obito-san?" Naruto asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Um," Anko gave it a mock thought. "Sasuke."

"But!" Naruto drawled dramatically. "Who told Sasuke that it would be a good idea?"

"Probably Neji." Anko said, with a nod. "He seems like the smart one."

Hinata giggled again, and Naruto groaned, and glared at her. "We're going in now." He declared.

"That's fine." Anko said, grinning. She reached up and ruffled Naruto's hair. He nearly growled. He had worked for a long time to get some kind of order to his spiky locks, and she just messed it all up. "See you later, Naru-chan!"

Naruto glared at her retreating back, and reached up to try and fix his hair. But he touched small soft hands, and froze. He looked down to see Hinata looking at his hair, and as her hands played his hair. He watched her eyes, and felt her fingers glide though his hair. It was nice.

Hinata brought her hands down, and looked critically at him, and nodded in satisfaction. Then she noticed that he was watching her and blushed. She took a step back, and her hands went down to her side.

"Thanks." Naruto said with a grin. "At lease now maybe my hair has some semblance to order."

"It looks nice." She said softly.

"Cool." He slipped a hand in one of hers, and led her towards the ballroom, where the party was being held.

Hinata blushed deeper at the fact that he was holding her hand, but the blood in her face drained as they walked into the main part of the party. He noticed that way she looked, and dipped his head to whisper in her ear. "It's not going to bad. Calm down. Anyone wants to bother you, they have to go through me first."

Hinata looked up at him, surprise showing in her eyes. He had the stabbing thought that she had never had anyone stand up for her, and mentally shook it off. She was probably just surprised that he was being so supportive.

"Come on, I see Granny." Naruto said, and led her to where a tall blonde woman in a green dress was standing. The woman caught sight of Naruto and Hinata, and her eyes widened. Naruto sighed, knowing he was going to get the same treatment he had from Anko.

"Granny Tsunade." Naruto said with a grin, when they reached the woman.

"Naruto, don't call me Granny." Tsunade snapped, glaring at him.

Tsunade Hashirama was an intimidating woman. Six feet tall, barefoot, she had sharp wood brown eyes, and long blonde hair. She was wearing a green dress that brushed the floor. The bodice was form fitting, the skirt falling straight down with no slit. Tsunade, in her entire life, was asked if she had had plastic surgery. She looked as if she was thirty, but was really fifty, and she looked as if she had had three breast jobs.

"But, you are my Granny." Naruto said with a cocky grin. "Not to mention, you are like, a hundred years old."

Tsunade glared, and Naruto knew that she was wanting to smack him on the back of the head. That was what she always did when he exaggerated her age.

"I see you've got a date." Tsunade said, deciding to ignore his comments.

"Yes, this is Hinata." Naruto said, with a flourish. Hinata smiled, even though she was obviously nervous, and Tsunade shot him an exasperated look. "Hinata, this is my Grandmother, Tsunade."

Hinata gave a small nod of the head, which Tsunade returned. The older woman seemed to be studying Hinata.

"Hinata Hyuuga? Oldest daughter of Hiashi Hyuuga?" Tsunade asked slowly.

Hinata blushed and winced, but nodded. "Yes." Her voice sounded miserable. Naruto felt the need to protect her, but he wasn't sure from what.

"Hmm." Tsunade seemed to be thinking. "I knew your mother. It's terrible what your father did to you. I would hate to think of what your mother would do if she was here."

Hinata didn't say anything. But Naruto felt her go stiff beside him. She seemed shell-shocked by his grandmother's comment.

"Naruto, Shizune also wanted me to tell you that you're invited to dinner on Friday." Tsunade shot him a vicious smile.

"Granny, when do I ever come to Shizune's dinners?" Naruto asked with a grin.

"Never, that's why she said you don't have a choice."

"I'm not going. We have a dinner like that, and Kakashi's always late, you get drunk half-way through, and somebody gets knocked out. Nah, I'm good."

"I'll have you know, we went through three dinners without anyone losing consciousness." Tsunade snapped.

"Only because Jiraiya's in China, advertising his new book!" Naruto said, almost throwing his hands up in annoyance.

"Shizune misses you." Naruto grimaced as his grandmother said that.

"Stop trying to guilt me into it, Granny. I'm not buying it." Naruto glanced down at Hinata, and noticed that she was staring at something across the room. He lifted his head to see what she was looking at, but she turned quickly, and nearly buried her head in his chest.

Naruto scanned the room, and realized what Hinata had been staring at. Hiashi Hyuuga and Hanabi Hyuuga were sitting in chairs across the room, speaking to someone from Cloud Co. Hanabi was looking in this direction, but soon she turned away too.

Naruto turned back to Tsunade, who was watching them with interest. Naruto almost scowled at her, but instead gave a brilliant smile.

"We're probably leave soon." Naruto said. "I forgot to get something to eat before we came here."

Tsunade nodded, understanding the real reason behind his lame excuse. "Go say hello to Kakashi and Rin before you go."

Naruto nodded, and led Hinata away from his Grandmother, and away from where the Hyuugas were. He knew that Hinata had been staring at where she could've been. If she hadn't made that single mistake.

But he knew that she wouldn't trade Lena for the entire world, let alone a father who barely even loved her.