( Alright, so I know it has been a long time since my last update. It wasn't that I didn't want to write the story, it was just that I had other problems along the road. Just moved to Texas, so I didn't have a computer to write on but now that I had time. I have finally finished another chapter, I hope that my readers are still around and enjoy the chapter! Plus I finally got a beta reader, a shout out to AnimeGirl 144! So review if you still want to read more! )

Chapter 4: The Hyuga's magical all Seeing Eye!

I had entered the compound trying to not get caught by my own father; it was surprising to me at that very moment that I slide the door open. My father was kneeling on the wooden floor staring at me with a disappointed glare that meant that I was in trouble. I froze up in his presence and feared for the worst that could come out of his mouth.

"Hinata, where have you been all night?" He asked sternly.

I couldn't find the right words to answer him with. Even if I did, it would only end up causing trouble for Neji for what he did.

"Answer me, NOW!" It was an unexpected outburst that had made him look like a demon.

I only stared towards the ground, trying to avoid the subject. He would find out anyway.

"I was training, father."

"You were training all night? How stupid can you be!"

"Father, I need to become stronger. Isn't that what you want?"

"Don't change the subject; you knew that what you did was wrong!"

The words in my mouth had faded from existence at his second outburst. I could only hang my head and take the punishment.

"Now that you seem to have some common sense, you are to go to your room. Do not come out until I say that it is okay to do so."

I nodded to him and reached my room without a word. Closing the door behind me, I crawled under my covers to rest. He had banned me from doing anything else, so I decided to recap what had happened to me during my training with Neji and the Nara's taking me in.

It had all started with my goal to become stronger for myself, to grow past my shy limits and also for the people that I cherish. It was my goal since the day that I had found Naruto training hard to become a ninja, always trying and never giving up. Even when Naruto was shunned, he still rose to the challenge to become something great and realize his dream of becoming hokage. It had always given me hope to follow in his footsteps.

When I had fought Neji in the Chunin Exam, it had opened my eyes to new lengths that needed to be improved. Despite almost dying, it had showed me that the goal alone would not help me. To grow, one needed a rival and I had chosen Neji because he was always the one that stood in my way. Even if he was a part of the branch family, it didn't stop his progress. What he wanted was to live his life and not be told what to do.

I had taken the time to ask Neji to train with me, so that we could both improve. At first he didn't want anything to do with me but later on he had agreed to it because he was watching me train for a week. It wasn't much but we had chosen to train at night away from the compound to not upset my father. We had worked on my style of the Gentle Fist and decided that it was more of a defensive art then an offensive one. So we had forced on that sort of trying in the beginning, over a span of a month. Our skills in combat had approved, which lead to this night in the forest. I had challenged Neji to a rematch since the Chunin Exam, but the outcome had not changed at all.

I had lost to Neji badly and ended up fainting from the pain because I couldn't take it. Even as I tried to get up from the attack, he had kicked me in the chest to make sure I was out. Had he done it for pleasure? Or was it for my own good? I knew my cousin…he wouldn't try to kill me, right? I pushed that thought to the back of my mind. I had expected myself to be found in that forest by a patrolling ninja, but instead someone had rescued me. That someone was Shikamaru; he had brought me back to his home and healed me. If it wasn't for him…I don't know what could have happened to me if he wasn't there.

He had tended to my wounds around my body….he had touched my body! Oh my god! I felt my cheeks start to fluster a very bright red color that looked like a tomato. The very idea of him touching my body was beyond me, yet the feeling had started to give off a tingling sensation down my spine. I shrugged the ideas in my head quickly, so that it wouldn't be awkward. Shikamaru couldn't have been a pervert right? He was always a kind gentleman to women and went on about his code of chivalry was proof of it.

I had awoken in his bed on that night and he was watching over me. We spoke a few times, but I knew that he must have wanted to get some rest as well. So I told him I was fine and he was able to get his rest then and I decided to stay in his bed a bit longer before leaving. It was about an hour later that someone had come into the room and carried me to the kitchen. It was there that I had a chat with Shikamaru's mother, Yashino.

When I woke up, she was starting the stove and getting ready to cook breakfast. The smell of cooking oil was in the air and she had turned around to face me with a frying pan in her hand. There was an expression on her face that looked like it was meant to kill and to honestly say this now. I was really scared of his mother. I wondered what she wanted from me; could it be that she would think that we were together?

"So tell me, Hyuga. Are you seeing my son? If you are how long has it been, because I never knew that Shikamaru was this good at keeping secrets?" She said demanding an answer from me.

I gulped at the barrage of words that she had branded me with for this moment in time. I had to be truthful with her, since it was woman to woman.

"No, we were just…..I mean he was helping me out."

"Helping you out? Is that slang for something else, hmm?" she said with a coy smirk on her face.

I felt my cheeks turn bright red at her comment, but I didn't internally understand what she meant by her words at all. She only smirked brighter at the sight of my cheeks and I turned away from her.

"Please, I was just training in the woods in the night. I fainted from exhaustion, if it wasn't for Shikamaru. I might have gotten in a worst condition, maybe ev…"

"Relax! I was only kidding around with you. I can tell you're a really nice girl and wouldn't do those types of things with my son," She said with a bright smile instead of her smirk. It had looked like she had changed out of mid-air.

"What's your name by the way, dear?"

She wanted to know my name?

"It's Hinata, Hyuga…pleased to meet you."

"Oh so polite, Hinata. As you can see, I am the leader of the household and this kitchen is my stronghold."

"Stronghold?"

"Yes, it's a beauty isn't it?"

I only nodded to her out of respect, when an idea had formed inside my head.

"Miss Nara?"

"Hinata, you can just call me Yoshino."

"Umm, Yoshino…"

"Yes, what is it?" She questioned sweetly.

"Do you mind if I help you in the kitchen?"

"Not at all my dear, just make yourself at home."

It was strange to be cooking in someone else's home like this, yet it felt welcoming to me. I had started to cut some vegetables, when Shikamaru walked into the room. He was rather surprised to see me here, but I was even more surprised at his mother's outburst at my side. Her very voice was like a demon had reaped the soul from innocent children, Yoshino was someone not to mess with.

Soon after that, they had started to talk and I wondered if all mothers were like this. The memories of my mother were coming back at that time and it only caused me to become depressed about the matter. Shikamaru was lucky to have a mother, even if she yelled at him all the time and he just responded back with his annoyed tones.

They soon decided to bring me into their fight, which really scared me. Because if I said the wrong thing, Shikamaru would be pissed and Yoshino….I don't even want to know what she would do. I had become timid about the subject, until something inside of me had snapped like a twig. I picked up my head and spoke the truth about the matter. That I was hurt, Shikamaru had saved me and I had someone else in my life. It was after those words, Yoshino had praised me about my efforts and for once it felt good to be congratulated from someone other than my team.

Maybe the whole me getting stronger thing wasn't a bad idea after all. One day, I will have the courage to do what I always wanted, but now was only a stepping stone in the process. I had thanked Yoshino for allowing me to stay and promised to pay her back. Shikamaru had walked along side me with a calm expression on his face; he was watching clouds as usual.

It had given me time to think of what I would do once home. Father would be angry, and Neji would not say a word about the incident. So it would be all be up to me, how I would go along with this problem. I didn't want Shikamaru to get involved with my family issues. He was a nice gentleman that cares about his friends….that's all. I was staring at him for a long time, while he was deep in thought about something and I could feel myself smile at him.

Mentally I slapped myself for my staring; he was just helping me out was all. When we reached the end of the road, I thanked him once more before we went our separate ways. This brings me back to my current location, stuck inside a tower. My father the evil king and umm….Naruto my knight in shining armor. I was stuck here until the day I could stand up to my own father, or someone else saves me from this tower.

I read too many fairy tales to think that life can be treated like one of those stories. It was the only thing that connected me to my mother, since she used to read me a fairy tale every night to bed. Anyone could be the hero, even Shikamaru if he wanted to. I wouldn't mind him being my knight in shining armor for a chan…NO, Naruto is the one I should be thinking about!

Yoshino words had started to play back in my head; I knew that she was only playing around. Yet, those words had started to make me think differently for a change. Shikamaru was an outstanding guy but I couldn't end up with him? Could I? No, Naruto is the one I want…he was always the one to push me on. It was just that Shikamaru had saved me; we didn't talk much in the academy. So we weren't friends; he was only helping a person in need right? It was just a one-time thing is all?

My thoughts were cut short, when Neji had opened the door to my room. He quickly closed the door and looked over to me. I was looking back, and wondered what he could want at this time of day. We never talked during the day, sometimes when we passed each other, but this was a first that he came into my room.

"Hinata, are you alright?"

I simply nod his head at question.

"Did you tell your father about our training last night?"

I shook my head to him.

"Good, I didn't want to get in trouble with him. He is finally training me, and I don't need something to screw it up."

My eyes grew at his words, since he had referred to me as something.

"Neji, you shouldn't be so mean to me. What about our training? You promised to help me grow stronger."

He looked at me with a blank expression on his face for a few moments, before he finally came back to this world.

"Yes, I know. Of course, you're still injured from our last fight. So until you're fully healed, we will not train."

He left my room after that and I felt that he was hiding something from me. I didn't pay much mind to it for now. I had decided to take a nap for now, until my father will allow me to leave the room. Trying to have good dreams was what I wanted.

….

Neji's Pov

I had talked to Hinata to make sure she was okay; I didn't want to have killed her. She deserved better than that but I knew that she was with Nara. When I had defeated her, I had stayed behind to check if she would be alright. Of course, Shikamaru had to come into the picture and watch our fight like it mattered. He was rather smart, but he might say something unwanted.

It was when my uncle had called me into his chambers to speak of an important matter. He was kneeled down on a cushion, sipping some tea. He didn't look troubled, but something had to be on his mind.

"Neji, can you do me a favor?"

It was odd of him to speak like this.

"Yes Uncle, I can."

" Good, my daughter was with the Nara kid last night "

I felt my throat go dry for a split second because of those words. Had he found out that I had harmed Hinata badly and now wants to deal with me?

"Yes, Uncle. So tell me, what do you want me to do?"

"It's quite simple, I want you to keep an eye on the young Nara. Why my daughter was with him. So I want you to report to me what you find out."

So he wants me to be a spy?

"Why would you want to know about that, Uncle?"

"That is none of your business at this moment, just do the job."

"Yes, Uncle. I understand you."

"You may now leave. Good luck Neji."

I bowed to him, and left his chambers only to think about what he said. This must have been troubling for him.

"Nara, what have you gotten yourself into now?"

I had walked away from the compound and off to do this favor. All I thought about along the way was about how long would it take to find out the info from him. He isn't known for being very active and always watching clouds, this could just a wild goose chase on my part. What has the Nara done to deserve the Hyuga's all seeing eye of the clan?