Author's Note: almost at the end now! Thank you to my reviewers, you are awesome and amazing and I am glad this fic is entertaining you :) on with the show.

chapter 13

Stunned, Hinata didn't want to know what sort of facial expression she was wearing right now, probably one that resembled an incompetent goldfish. But as her eyes took in his incredibly attractive frame enclosed within a formal black suit and tie, absorbed the warm essence of his handsome wonderful face, she knew that the shock couldn't subdue the happy love exuding out of her every cell. Something she knew was her default mode whenever she was near him, but which she had been careful to mask with professional solemnity whenever they interacted. But now… now her soul was bare to all the elements.

"Na-… I- I mean… erm, Uh.." Oh damn it, what was his family name again? Her eyes lifted to reach his own… big mistake. His blue eyes held a deep heat to them she found too intense to hold, making her look away, "U-Uzumaki-San, wh-what are you doing here?" She was surprised again to hear her father answering instead.

"I invite all the senior civil servants every year Hinata, all senior government personnel attend the Hyuga Gala." His voice held a tinge of disapproval. She shut her eyes in mortification, knowing she'd given her father more reason to be disappointed in her, and feeling foolish for having forgotten that senior government staff do indeed get invited every year. She should have known Naruto would have been invited. Realizing he had yet to speak, she lifted her eyes back to him, only to realize that his twin blue orbs were occupied in drinking her all in.

Quickly Hinata reached for her hair searching for any wayward strands, why hadn't she curled it instead of leaving it in a simple chignon? Did he like her make up? Maybe she should have used the red lipstick instead of the pink? Her hands dropped from her hair to self consciously smooth any wrinkles from the navy velvet of her dress, wishing she had worn a classier sexier number rather than the sleeveless high waisted and high collared ball gown she had donned. If she had known, or rather, realized he would be there, she would have spent much more effort in her appearance in an effort to impress him.

"Wow…. You… you" Hinata didn't know if he was struggling for words or struggling to withhold them, "You look-" he actually ran his hand into his blonde combed locks in frustration, messing it up in an adorable way, and shifted his eyes to the side of the hall, his cheeks coloured pink that made Hinata wish she could kiss them. "I-I…" his eyes returned to hers, but with his trademark warm smile, "I'm going to change the subject!" Hinata was so caught off guard that she laughed despite her piqued curiosity, what else was he about to say? "How are you Hyuga-san?" The return to her formal name helped ground her somewhat.

"I'm well Uzumaki-san, I didn't expect to see you today."

"It was a bit last minute to be fair. Kakashi was going to attend but he had some family thing that came up so he asked me to come for him. He didn't want to upset your father by having no representative from our office." At this something indecipherable flicked past Naruto's blue eyes, perhaps it was the notion of offending the Hyuga that irked him? His eyes shifted back to her own and she fancied they softened considerably, "But I guess you being here could have done that, and very well too. You're a great asset to the team, all your contributions are always valued and appreciated."

The compliment was not lost on her and she blushed heavily despite it possibly being understood in very impersonal terms, "I-I… I'm just doing my job, anyone would do the same. I'm very ordinary like that, Uzumaki-san." The distance between them seemed to have shortened, had he taken a step forward or did she? "Besides, I'm here representing the Hyuga tonight, so your presence is still necessary."

"I really doubt I'm needed to be here." She didn't miss the almost scoff in his voice, perhaps he felt uncomfortable being near her family? Just then his eyes returned to gaze upon her "But I'm glad I came all the same. There are many extraordinary people that I get to talk to here."

Her breath hitched in her throat, she could feel her face coloring, the heat radiating from her cheeks communicating just how pleased she was to have his words directed, no matter how subtly, at her. She held his gaze, hoping it said what her tongue could not, he reciprocated by holding her eyes with his own, a tinkle of hope in them. Wanting to encourage him but not knowing how, Hinata made a motion for a seat at a nearby table, insinuating the potential to sit down together, but just then her father waved at her to sit at his own where Hamada, an almost offensive sight, was already waiting.

"Who's that?" Questioned Naruto quickly, his tone clipped, noticing where her line of vision lead to.

Sighing, Hinata resigned herself, "his name is Hamada-san, he's the son of a business associate of my father's."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, "Wasn't he at the onsen?"

"Y-yes…" had he remembered?

She noticed Naruto's eyes narrow and shift from Hamada to herself. "He's a dickhead."

"Why would you say something like that?" Hinata held no wish to defend him, but Naruto's insult she found rather incredulous.

"You dropped something, and he didn't help you pick it up, instead he waited for you to get up before flirting with you." Hinata's eyes delved further and further into confusion.

"But I haven't dropped anything tonight. We've just met and he's not flirted with me… yet."

At this Naruto shifted his formidable gaze from Hamada to Hinata where it melted into something sweet but strong, "Not now, at the onsen, it was one of the last days we were there." Her eyes widened to saucers, he remembered that? The day Hamada had introduced himself, had Naruto noticed? She didn't even know he had been present that morning. "And if he wasn't going to help you, which a decent guy would do, then he's a dickhead." And he finalized the verdict by crossing his arms over his crisp suit and glaring at the criminal.

"I.. I'm surprised you remember. I didn't know you were around that morning."

He uncrossed his arms to scratch his cheek sheepishly while addressing her "It's hard for me to forget those days." She coloured in embarrassment, of course, Sakura's accident would make anyone find it unforgettable. Noticing her sudden discomfort Naruto quickly added "I wouldn't want to forget them either, even if some of the times we had were difficult, there were others that were… were… pretty eye opening." Hinata, red as a tomato, was on the verge of asking why, when her father interrupted the little bubble of wonder that clouded her and Naruto, by asking in a voice with no small amount of stress in its inflection, for her to sit down. She looked apologetically at Naruto before following the command, and stationed herself next to Hamada as designed by her father.

"Uzumaki San, please join us." Hinata was shocked that it was her father asking, he couldn't possibly know what she felt towards Natuto. The next few hours were an agony of fluxing emotions for Hinata. It began by extreme giddiness to find Naruto consenting to her father's request and motioning to sit on her other side, then grief at her father orchestrating Naruto to sit three seats away from her on the round table, and then mortification that his seat was directly opposite to Hamada's, giving him a front row seat to the Dickhead Theatre that was Hamada's shameless performance of flirtation.

"Have I told you yet how beautiful you look tonight Hinata-chan?" The suffix infuriated her, but it seemed to please her father which she knew Hamada had invested in. She noted Naruto's knuckles whiten over his fork as he held it perfectly, almost dangerously steady. She replied back with an inconsequential negative, but it did not deter. "You really do, you are as beautiful as a sapphire night, it's a real treat to get to see you all dolled up in your finest." Why did she feel like some sort of candy to him?

"Thank you." Replied Hinata, with a silent prayer that he would stop.

"Wouldn't it be wonderful to see you everyday in all your glory?" She had to force herself not to roll her eyes, she didn't know a man could be simultaneously cheesy and creepy. She decided the amalgamation did not suit her appetite at all.

"I'm afraid it would take too much effort to dress everyday like this evening, and I'd be uncomfortable doing grocery shopping in a ball gown."

But he grinned at her wolfishly, as though he had cornered her and extracted some vital secret from her, "I'm just happy to hear you made a lot of effort for tonight, almost as though you were hoping to impress."

This time Hinata's brows furrowed across her forehead in anger. The insinuation was that she had dressed to impress him, the insinuation was wrong, the insinuation was arrogant! She chanced a glance at Naruto who was glaring open daggers at Hamada, but she parked that thought before turning her full attention to Hamada, engrossed in her intention to set him right regarding her opinion of him, and not for the first time that evening, she wondered how she could have ever found him attractive? His character was hideously arrogant, assumptive and disdainful, making his impressionable features actively ugly.

Just then, her father intervened, "The musicians are playing. Hinata, why don't you take advantage of the music and dance with Hamada-San. I'm sure he won't say no."

But before she could answer in the negative, "only a mad man would say no." Said Hamada, who proceeded to stand up from his seat, and without even asking Hinata himself, took her hand in his, forcing her out of her seat and dragging her to the dance floor.

Naruto was right, thought Hinata, her dance partner really was a dickhead. He tried to hold her close to his body but she forced a distance that inhibited any intimacy, his leading was forceful and inconsiderate that several times Hinata had to wrench herself away from him and they had to commence in a starting position again. Her displeasure was sharpened by the disappointment that she wasn't dancing with the man she really wanted, and due to the selfish demands of the dark haired man in front of her, she was denied the kind presence of the blonde man that she loved.

After several dances she finally managed to escape, and searched the hall widely with a small degree of anxiousness for her colleague. Finally she spotted him near the cloakroom, and quickly made her way towards him. Panting from her breathless rush to get to him combined with her stressful dancing she addressed him thus:

"I hope you're not leaving so soon Uzumaki-san? There should be some desert soon."

But she was shocked at his terse tone and more shocked at his answer, "No, it's time for me to go,it's been a disappointing night." She began to make her apologies but he quickly cut her off with "There's no point staying any longer for me." And without looking at her he took his coat and left, not bothering to remain the few moments longer it would take to wear the coat.

In a daze Hinata returned to her seat, trying to make sense of Naruto's departure. She vaguely registered Hamada sit down by her side before she gasped as understanding flickered in her mind, Naruto was jealous! Jealous of Hamada! She covered her smiling mouth with her hand, as astonished happiness drew through her like a live current.

Naruto was jealous of Hamada, if only he had stayed long enough for her to explain that there was nothing to be jealous of and instead have everything to be hopeful for. He had leaf so quickly that his agitation must have been acute, he hadn't said anything during dinner, which was unusual for his large character and sometimes rambunctious nature. He must have shown restraint for her sake, especially being in front of her father. She wished she had tried talking to him more, reassure him more, encourage him more. Sometimes she felt her shy quiet side was such a curse.

Hamada's voice was unceasingly dying to get her attention, a few times he mentioned Naruto storming off as a childish gesture, but she paid him no heed, his voice was like a blurred radio in the sphere of her attention. All she could focus in was that Naruto had some affection for her, at least enough to be jealous of another man and agitated at his rather inappropriate behavior towards herself.

She remained quiet for the rest of the evening, which finally gave the signal that had failed during dinner, and made Hamada leave her to harass some other poor woman. This was not left ignored by her father who made his disappointment known in the drive home, but Hinata couldn't care. All that mattered was that Naruto had affection for her, thought of her as someone elevated among his friends and colleagues, and was hoping to get her attention tonight. She resolved to set things right the next time she saw him at work.

Hinata had hoped to be able to tell him the first Monday back that there was nothing but designs and strings being pulled by her father between her and Hamada, leaving her as free as a bird, at least when it came to her own intentions. But that opportunity didn't come, until four days later.

She had set aside her anchoring reserve and made enquirers with Kakashi as to where Naruto was and why he was absent from work.

"he's been allocated to the other campus in Sand country as an ambassador for a few days, he should be back tomorrow though." Hinata thanked him and set her mind at ease. She had waited ten years, she could wait one more day.

After a fitful sleep agitated with the excitement of love and hope, Hinata walked into work and was almost overjoyed to see Naruto. But he was very altered, not just by his brown tan which made him look raw and experienced, but by the obviously miserable facial expression and angry glint in his eyes. Had something bad happened in Suna? He noticed her and quickly turned to walk through the double doors that lead to the lift.

"Uzumaki-san!" She cried, "wait! Please wait!" Naruto halted, as though at the mercy of her words, but she also got a few strange looks from some passersbies. It wasn't in her character to cry anything out. Blushing rather profusely she made her way to Naruto who gazed at her with some unfathomable emotion. Patiently he waited for her to begin, but he looked so troubled her resolve turned to concern.

"Are you alright Uzumaki san?"

His trouble turned some slight confusion, " yes, just got back from Suna so a bit tired."

"Oh I'm sorry to keep you."

"That's not a problem." He replied back kindly.

"How was it over at Suna?"

"Hot." He smiled slightly, "and we had some diplomacy issues that didn't get resolved, wish we could have sent you instead, you would have been perfect for the job." She blushed and averted her eyes to the up judging floor, "but head office said you couldn't go." So he had asked for her, she wondered if he had asked for her to join him… the thought sent a shiver of delight down her spine.

"That's because of her resignation." Interjected Kakashi from out of nowhere.

"Resignation!?" Yelled Naruto in absolute shocked disbelief. Hinata quickly looked up to see blue eyes zeroed in on her, as though begging her to make sense of such an upside down statement.

"Oh yeah, you were on annual leave so you didn't get the memo. But it should have been in your inbox."

"I must not have read it." Replied Naruto. His voice, dizzy with confusion. His eyes still on hers, if Kakashi noticed something odd, he said nothing as he turned to Hinata.

"I forgot to ask you yesterday. But would you like a leaving do for your last day tomorrow?"

"Uh… erm…." She was having a hard time comprehending the intensity of the man in front of her, it was difficult to pay attention to anything else, but with all her energy she uttered, "yes Kakashi-san, it would be nice to do something small, so we can all say goodbye." Naruto fist was shaking, but the rest of him stayed almost predatorily still. His eyes were a mask of different thoughts.

"Great. Tomorrow it is, we'll be sad to miss you."

"I'll miss it too." She said as Naruto reminded transfixed in front of her, unable to move or say anything.