Extra Credit

Author's Note: Wow! I'm so glad you all liked the first chapter. I felt like I was taking a big risk by being so bold and tweaking the characters so much. Luckily it was worth the risk because you all loved it. Heck, I loved it! Not to toot my own horn, but I feel like I made everyone more three dimensional, y'know? They seem more real and relatable this way. But that's just my opinion, and you know what they say about those...

You don't? Oh, then you'll like this. My mom taught me this blunt and ballsy saying:

"Opinions are like buttholes. Everyone's got them and they all stink." (Actually the word she used was $$holes, but since the ass gets bleeped when you say it I figured I'd censor myself a little.)

Good old mom. She's a gem. A gem, I tell you. And speaking of gems I must thank my brother Dakyu, as always, as well as my best friend Myst. You two are just the greatest. Also big thanks to my reviewers. It always makes me feel good to know that you like my work so much you stop to tell me just how much. That's a big motivation to keep doing great stuff. Thanks, you all pwn.

Disclaimer: Naruto and it's characters aren't mine. If I did own Naruto it'd be a hilarious shojo starring Hinata and Sasuke as a couple, Naruto would NEVER say "Believe it!", and Orochimaru would be less uhh... "Questionable". Oh! And Haku would be a girl. Dead, but a girl.

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Hinata giggled softly as she set her shoes down in the entryway of Kurenai's apartment. She had been summoned to come by for lunch, though it was more of a request.

"Kurenai-sensei! I knocked a few times but you didn't answer so I let myself in. I hope you don't mind" Hinata called down toward the kitchen, where she could hear the sounds of Kurenai cooking and smell the food. Kurenai's apartment was small, but cozy. She liked candles and flowers, much like Hinata, but Kurenai's taste was for richer and more pungent smells like roses and ylang ylang. It was obvious that Kurenai loved the color red, since she used it to decorate each room.

"Hinata-chan! Come on in!" Kurenai called back from her place at the stove.

Hinata made her way in and began setting Kurenai's table for the two of them without being asked. Kurenai finished up the stovetop curry she was making and got it on the table with Hinata's help. After a quick prayer and a few bites they began to chat.

"So, Hinata... How are you doing?" Kurenai asked.

"I have been well. I've sort of befriended Temari-san from Suna and I'm trying to get along with Sasuke-san" She said.

Kurenai looked surprised. "Sasuke? But isn't he supposed to be...?" Kurenai stopped herself from ending her question in the highly unlikely event that Hinata had not figured out she was Sasuke's target.

"Seducing me? Yes, I know that... but... Well I'd at least like to give him a fighting chance with this mission. And we both know that I am impervious to the attempts of strangers. I just figured if I knew him better and we got along it would be less onesided" Hinata explained with a tiny blush.

"Hinata" Kurenai's tone was of light scolding, "Normally ninja don't even the odds of fights. We strike quickly and efficiently with as little complication as possible. If it is too easy, then it is too easy. You know all that".

"I know... but... Sasuke-san... He's had such a hard time and he strives to achieve perfection. I just... I didn't want him to work harder than he really has to since he's already under so much stress already..." Hinata let out a long sigh.

"You are the most unorthodox ninja I have EVER encountered... But I wouldn't have it any other way" Kurenai said with a warm smile.

"He's been in the hospital four times already this month due to fatigue and severe bruising and fractures while training... It's because of the Itatchi rumors going around he's working so hard. What good will he be in the actual battle if Itatchi strikes after Sasuke has worked himself to the point of illness? Sakura was the one who told me, since she works at the hospital and she cares about him so much" Hinata told Kurenai.

"I had heard a little about it, but I hadn't known he'd taken it so far. I feel for him... Haunted by the ghosts of his murdered family... It must be unbearable" She replied, looking gloomy.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Kurenai-sensei! I didn't mean to bring such misery to the table. Please, may we change the subject and think of nicer things?" Hinata bit her bottom lip, worried that lunch was ruined.

"Good idea. How has your training been going? Have you started anything new?" Kurenai asked, falling into her teacher mode.

"Actually, I've become interested in a weapon Temari told me about. They are fans made of blades that can detatch from each other and be used as projectiles or kept together as one weapon. Plus, the blades are strong enough to block other blades. They're about the size of normal festival fans, but the blades fold up onto each other until it is no wider than just one of the blades alone" Hinata excitedly informed her. Temari had given Hinata a set to practice with, which she handed to Kurenai to admire before taking them back and storing them back in their holsters on her waist. The cases were hidden by the hooded jacket Hinata wore that ended at the tops of her thighs.

"I've heard of those, but they are rare weapons around here" Kurenai said.

"Actually, I spoke with TenTen-chan and she has ordered two sets to be shipped to her weapons shop for me. Plus, I already have good experience with fan dancing and if I were to meld that into my fighting katas I think I could get the hang of it. TenTen-chan has used them before so she offered to help me train as well" Hinata looked as though she couldn't wait much longer.

"I thought you quit fan dancing after you were dismissed as heir" Kurenai stated.

"Actually, father had me expelled from the class, but my sensei kept giving me lessons anyway. She comes from a wealthy clan in the Cloud and since relations with them are so unstable there's nothing he can do without reprecussions" The Hyuuga girl smirked, a rare expression for her, as she thought of how great it was to finally do something against her father's wishes without worrying.

Kurenai looked nostalgic and let out a small but heavy sigh. "Hinata-chan. You have grown so much and yet so much of you stays the same. You still have all that kindness and determination from when I first began teaching you, but you've grown so strong and brave. Plus you've discovered your hidden talent for enemy infiltration and intelligence gathering. I won't lie; You still have a long way to go. However, I am very proud of you".

"Kurenai-sensei..." She blushed a brilliant shade of red and spoke in a whisper.

"You will do great things, Hinata Hyuuga, and you will do them well so long as you never close your heart" Kurenai's voice was serious like her expression.

Hinata nodded solemnly, still blushing intensely.

The two kunoichi finished their meal in silence, both lost deep in thought. However, after cleaning and putting away the dishes they began to speak again.

"Thank you so much for lunch. I always enjoy spending time with you" Hinata said with a bow.

"As do I, Hinata-chan" Kurenai returned her bow.

As Hinata pulled on her shoes and began to head out the door she said one last thing before leaving.

"You may want to put Asuma-sensei's shoes somewhere less obvious in case anyone else visits... I know Kakashi would be thrilled to have proof for his claims" she said with a small smile.

Kurenai stared at the closed door in front of her and then at the worn pair of men's sandals that rested neatly next to her own shoes in the entryway. She grimaced, appalled by her own absentmindedness, and set out to find a good hiding place for her lover's shoes until he returned for them. As she searched she smirked wryly, quite aware of the irony in that she was sporting a Hinata-like blush. It seemed as though, if only for a moment, the student had become the teacher.

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"I don't think that girl will be happy until everyone she comes in contact with is happy as well" Kurenai mumbled.

"She's got a chore ahead of her then, if she hopes to make Sauke happy" Kakashi muttered.

The two senseis were currently hiding up in a tall tree overlooking Sasuke as he trained. They were extra careful to mask their chakra and spoke so quietly that their conversation was more like reading each other's lips.

As they watched Sasuke stop to wipe his sweaty face and neck with a towel Hinata approached the training grounds with something in her hands. The young man turned to her and nodded his head as a silent greeting.

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"I brought you a bento and some herbal tea for lunch. I didn't know if you brought anything for yourself so I made it just in case. I really don't know what kind of foods you like, so I'm not sure if you'll like it or not" she stated, blushing softly.

Sasuke looked toward his things. In his bag he had a few rice balls and some water that he was planning to eat. He looked at the large bento box in Hinata's arms and decided he'd try her cooking and if he didn't like it he could just eat them later.

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"Is it me or does Hinata seem like the one doing the seducing?" Kakashi mouthed.

"Shut up, you lunkhead. She's just being friendly!" Kurenai mouthed back.

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"I guess I'll try it..." Sasuke said, but not making any move to take the bento from her. She walked over to him and held the box out for him to take. He looked into her eyes, trying to find something it seemed, then took the meal and walked over to sit against a tree.

Hinata wasn't really sure what to do with herself. She had hoped to sit and chat while he ate, but it didn't seem like Sasuke was in a chatty mood. She looked at the ground, digging the toe of her left sandal into the earth.

"Hn... Are you just going to stand there?" Sasuke asked with irritation.

"Well, I wasn't sure if... Uhh... Is it okay if I sit with you?" She asked nervously.

"Do whatever you want" Sasuke said, taking a bite from his bento.

She waited for him to look back at her before she walked over and plopped down next to him. She watched him eat, but he didn't give any sign of what he thought of her cooking. He did keep eating so he must have at least found it edible. Unable to take the suspense, Hinata finally asked.

"Um... Do you like it?" Hinata asked.

"It's fine" Sasuke deadpanned before taking another bite.

"Oh... well... uh... That's good. I'm glad you find it... err... satisfactory" Hinata was scraping the bottom of the barrel for something to say, desperate for conversation.

"Have you eaten already?" He suddenly asked.

"Oh, um... not yet. I was going to later" she said softly.

Sasuke handed her the remaining bento and his chopsticks wordlessly then got to his feet and walked over to his bag and pulled out his kunai pouch. As he strapped it to his leg Hinata stared down at her cooking. Her companion noticed this and made an annoyed grumbling noise in his throat.

"I'm full. You eat the rest... Or not... Whatever" Sasuke grunted before begining to punch and kick the post.

Hinata tentatively poised the chopsticks over the food and slowly began to eat, not realizing that Sasuke had glanced her way a few times to make sure she was eating. She poured the last of the tea into the lone cup and took several small sips as she watched Sasuke's movements.

He was sweating and his breathing was getting heavy. Hinata activated he Byakugan and focused on his chakra flow as best she could. It seemed sluggish and weak as it flowed out with his attacks. She deactivated her bloodline trait and bit her bottom lip.

"You need rest" She finally stated.

"I'm fine" Sasuke stopped training and glared at her.

"You're tired" her voice became insistent.

"No I'm not." Sasuke growled, refusing to show any weakness.

"Sasuke-san..." Hinata's voice was pleading and her eyes were worried.

"Will you leave me alone if I agree to rest?" Sasuke asked sharply.

Hinata nodded, staring him dead in the eye. He forced himself to look away. When her eyes locked on his he felt like she knew everything about him. It unsettled him. He didn't want anyone to know him or his feelings. It was bad enough Naruto had wormed his way into Sasuke's life.

He walked over and lay down in the grass below the tree she sat against, reclining his head on his arms and closing his eyes. Hinata noticed he had a few bleeding cuts and swollen bruises.

"Would it bother you if I treated your injuries? I still want you to rest, but those cuts... You're risking and infection and-" Sasuke cut her off.

"I have bandages in my bag" he said, pointing in the direction of his things without opening his eyes. Hinata collected the rolls of bandages and pulled out a vial of healing salve she always had with her. As she worked on his wounds she listened to him breathe rythmically. He had fallen asleep, though it was a light sleep without dreams.

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"For the record, your top student is a bastard" Kurenai mouthed to Kakashi, looking at him as though it were HIS fault his student had personality issues.

"Tell me about it... You have NO idea just how much of a bastard he can be" He mouthed back, looking a mix of hurt and angry.

Kurenai nodded sympathetically as she remembered similar complications with Shino Aburame when he had first become her student. Hopefully Hinata could get to Sasuke like she had to the stoic bug-user.

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Ino and Sakura were gossiping about Lee's latest failure to seduce Temai inside the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Suddenly, they both silent and froze. The air had changed and a dynamic shift had taken place in the universe. A gust of wind wafted in through the open shop enterance, ringing the bell above the door as it entered. It breezed past the two girls, rustling their hair and caressing their cheeks. In unison they lifted their noses to the air and sniffed.

Then time started up again and the girls looked at each other with a wild gleam in their eyes.

"My Sasuke-senses are tingling..." Ino said, feeling anxious.

"He's let his guard down... He's vulnerable..." Sakura's voice got higher and louder as her excitement mounted.

"HE'S MINE!!!!" Ino shrieked as she shoved Sakura to the ground and tore out of the store like a bat out of hell.

"OH NO YOU DON'T, INO-PIG!!!! STAY AWAY FROM MY SASUKE-KUN!!!!" Sakura was instantly on her feet and gaining on her blonde rival.

"YOU WISH, BILLBOARD-BROW!!!" Ino shouted back at Sakura from over her shoulder while pulling down her bottom eyelids and sticking out her tongue in a taunting guesture.

In an act of total fury Sakura flung a kunai toward Ino's face that barely missed the tip of her nose. It took everything she had for Ino not to stop out of total shock.

"YOU FREAKING TRIED TO HIT ME WITH THAT!!!" Ino screamed.

"OH LIKE YOU'D MISS YOUR NOSE ANYWAY... THE DAMN THING IS PROBABLY FAKE!!!" Sakura shouted back.

"I DON'T NEED GLAMOUR JUTSUS, UNLIKE YOU!!!!" Ino shrieked.

"LIKE YOU'VE NEVER USED A BREAST ENHANCING JUTSU!!!!" Sakura barked indignantly. She couldn't possibly be the only kunoichi in the villiage that had small breasts.

"NO, I HAVEN'T!!!" If anything she used a butt enhancer. Her boobs were perfect, but she did need a little booty boost on occaision.

Enraged that Ino didn't need any help with chest development Sakura sent out two kunai with a strong thread connecting them out in Ino's footpath, effectively tripping her and giving Sakura the lead in their race.

Ino screamed as she got to her feet and brushed the dirt from her front, thirsty for pinkette blood.

"GET BACK HERE YOU BITCH!!!" Ino began chasing after Sakura with extra speed brought on by her rage.

"Oh... But Ino-pig... I thought pigs liked mud and dirt!!!" Sakura laughed as she kicked up her feet to run even faster.

Something caught the corner of Ino's eye and she stopped to lift up a signboard advertizing a two-for-one sale on fishnet tops. She then raced to catch up with Sakura, hefted it above Sakura's head, and slammed it down over her. The paper of the sign ripped as Sakura's head shot through and the sign stopped when it got stuck around Sakura's elbows, limiting the movement of her arms.

"At least now that billboard brow of yours is actually advertizing something other than worry lines!!!" Ino jeered as she raced ahead.

"TAKE THAT BACK!!!!" Sakura bellowed as she chased after her nemesis.

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Gai and Lee were chatting animatedly in the bath house behind their home. Steam was said to be excellent for rejuvinating youthful energy, and therefore an integral addition to their household. Since it was family owned there was no need for modesty... Not that there was much modesty to begin with in their family.

"And so, to repent for my unforgivable slight against fair Temari I did all my laps fueled by my adoration for her!" Lee finished explaining cheerfully.

"Fine work my handsome student! She'll succumb to your loving energy and charm in no time!!!" Gai gave his adopted son a thumbs up and a cheesy smile.

Suddenly the wall beside them exploded as Ino and Sakura came crashing through, only to fall into the warm waters of the bath. The two girls surfaced, gasping for air as they hollered insults at each other before slowly calming down enough to wonder where they were.

"Sakura! Ino! I had no idea you desired me so violently!!!" Lee beamed, as he stood up, revealing just why he had so much energy.

"OH MY GOD!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!" Sakura screamed as she looked away. Ino was too shocked and mortified to look away, though she wanted to desperatley.

"Why hello there girls! Come to join us for a bath? I must say it is usually improper to bathe in mixed company, but you are friends so there should be no issue!" Gai grinned as he too stood up.

"MY EYES!!! SOMEBODY CLAW OUT MY EYES!!!!" Ino wailed as she and Sakura fled in terror and disgust, smashing through the opposite wall from the one they came in through.

"Those two are admirable in their youthful spirit! It warms my heart to see such devoted kunoichi..." Gai said as tears leaked messily from his eyes. "Learn from them, my son." He whimpered.

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Hinata had finished cleaning and binding Sasuke's injuries, but allowed his head to continue to rest in her lap, mainly because she was worried that if she moved he would wake up. Still, even though she had a good reason for not moving him she held a steady blush anyway.

The sound of high pitched screaming and the occaisional crash distracted her from her embarassment. It sounded like some kind of human stampede to Hinata and out of curiousity she allowed herself to activate Byakugan. Through her enhanced vision she could see Ino and Sakura racing toward her current location. The two girls looked very beat up and were currently pulling each other's hair and scratching one another as they sprinted forward at an even pace while soaking wet. There were traces of dirt and vegtables on Ino and Sakura had a sign situated about her middle and messy paint on her forehead that read "Space for Rent. Interior Completely Gutted."

Hinata let out a gasp when she realized that they had probably come to see Sasuke and the thought of them finding her with "Their" Sasuke made her blood run cold.

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"This is bad... This is REALLY bad..." Kurenai worried as she started to get to her feet, ready to jump own and protect her favorite student at a moment's notice.

"Calm down, Rosy. Hinata's a sweet girl, she can handle those two." Kakashi said, pushing Kurenai back into a sitting position.

"If she gets hurt..." Kurenai warned.

"I know, I know... Tsunade will hear about it..." Kakashi sighed.

"And don't call me Rosy!" Kurenai snapped.

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The screaming girls came to a screeching halt when they saw Sasuke and his companion. They had frozen mid-fight, with Ino's hands tangled up in Sakura's hair and Sakura biting Ino's elbow. Hinata was looking up at them wide-eyed with fear like a deer in headlights. Meanwhile Sasuke shifted uncomfortably in his sleep on Hinata's lap, probably sensing fangirls were near.

"H-H-Hinata?!" Sakura said in disbelief.

Hinata blushed brightly as Sasuke's hand reached up and squeezed her thigh. She gently removed his hand and then gave her two female friends a sheepish wave.

"HOW COULD YOU!?!" Ino shrieked.

"I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!!!" Sakura said with outrage.

"I-I'm sorry... He j-just needed to rest and I m-m-made him lay down... A-a-and he's really grabby in h-his sleep" Hinata stuttered fearfully, her pearly eyes looking tearful. Sasuke was really not helping.

The two homicidal fangirls forgot their dispute as they retrieved all manners of weaponry from their person and took aim. Hinata whimpered and bent her body over Sasuke to sheild him as she covered her head with her hands. "I'm s-s-sorry..." She whispered.

Instead of feeling the pain of sharp and pointy weapons ripping through her being she heard several metal items drop to the ground. Hinata cautiously looked up at her attackers and became very confused. The bloodthirsty wild look in their eyes was replaced by a starry gleam and their cheeks were slightly pink. Sakura's hands were clasped together and Ino was bouncing on her heels.

"AWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!" They cooed in unison.

"I can't kill her... She's just... too CUTE!!!" Ino whined as she hugged herself.

"I know... It's weird! I'm totally jealous and angry... but seeing them together is so perfect!!!" Sakura exclaimed. In her clasped hands was her poisoned tipped kunai that just moments before had been aimed directly at Hinata's heart.

"I hate to say it... but they make a good couple..." Ino mused. Between her fingers were several senbon, which she clapped together to make a musical tin sound.

Hinata stared at them, not sure just what to think. Sakura and Ino continued to gawk at her and Sasuke and compliment them. It was weird and a little scary.

"We'll let you have your time with Sasuke for now, Hinata... But once the project is over..." Sakura started to say.

"Watch your back." Ino finished for her.

Hinata nodded dumbly and watched as the two girls walked away, still fawning over the idea of Sasuke and Hinata together. Once she was sure they were out of range she stowed the bladed fans that she'd secretly hidden on the underside of her wrists back in their cases. She had planned on using the weapons to defend herself should her female friends overlook her innocent act.

"Impressive..." Muttered a male voice.

Hinata jumped with mild fright and looked down into Sasuke's open eyes. "Y-You're awake!" She said.

"I would hope so. If I could actually stay asleep while those two harpies were screaming I wouldn't be a very good ninja." He stated.

Hinata stared at him, feeling puzzled. Had he just tried to make a joke or was he just stating the obvious? It was kind of hard for her to tell when his demeanor remained so guarded. She decided not to give it too much though as she got to her feet along with Sasuke. While she was brushing herself off he began to say more.

"So I guess I should keep you around. You make a good fangirl repellant." He said, his tone still flat.

"Err... uh..." Hinata wasn't sure how to respond. All she could think of was him grabbing her thigh while Sakura and Ino prepared to rip her to shreds. Had he been awake then, too? Hinata decided to drop the matter and just tell herself he had still been asleep when he groped her. If she dwelled on it she knew she'd get a headache.

"I wonder if they're right... Do you think we'd make a good couple?" He asked, turning to look at her.

Hinata's face turned the darkest shade of red known to man as his eyes locked on hers and she could see that he was being serious. She fidgeted, playing with her hair, tapping her fingers together, and could only seem to say "Uh" repeatedly. It only got worse as he walked toward her, never loosing eye contact.

"Well? Do you?" He asked, his voice suddenly deeper and playful as he began to smirk.

Hinata took two steps back for every step he took toward her until her back was pressed against the tree they'd been sitting against earlier. Sasuke closed in on her and gently grasped her by her shoulders, still looking deep into her eyes.

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"Oh my God!" Kurenai whispered as she chewed her nails nervously.

"This is intense... Sasuke has it in him after all..." Kakashi muttered as he watched the scene below.

"She can't actually be buying into this... He's playing up on her innocence... This doesn't count!" Kurenai fretted.

"Shhhh! I wanna hear what they're saying!" Kakashi hissed, ignoring the glare Kurenai sent him.

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Sasuke ran the back of his left hand lightly across Hinata's cheek and then brushed his fingers through her long hair. He leaned in dangerously close and paused when his lips were only a centimeter away from hers. "Because... I think we'd make a very... nice... couple" He whispered as he closed his eyes and started to move in for the kill.

Hinata let out a very unladylike snort of laughter right before their lips could touch. "Oh... Oh I'm s-sorry..." She stuttered, though it was more due to stifled giggles than shyness.

Sasuke stepped back from her looking murderous. "What the hell is your problem?! I thought girls ate that stuff up!!! If you were Sakura I'd be worried she'd try to rape me by now!!!" He barked.

"I'm s-sorry... It's just... I kn-knew you were faking... And you were t-trying so hard..." Hinata could no longer contain her merriment and she laughed softly while trying to appear apologetic.

"How could you possibly know I was faking?!" He growled.

"Y-You were cringing... And y-you'd NEVER say something l-like that... And you barely know me..." Hinata gasped between giggles.

Sasuke was not expecting to hear such a poor evaluation for his performance from someone he thought was weak and timid. He snarled and crossed his arms over his chest, frustrated and embarassed. He couldn't look at Hinata out of shame. His pride had been wounded greatly.

"I'm sorry for laughing, Sasuke. Is it okay if I call you that? And you can call me Hinata... It's just that I'm not like other girls. I don't care about how you look or how cool you are. I want someone who I know loves me, or is at least interested in me. I know that you don't desire me that way and... Well... You're not very good a pretending that you do. Sorry." She explained, trying to be kind.

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"Your girl is in for a world of trouble now. She injured his pride. For Sasuke that's like declaring war." Kakashi said.

Kurenai was too busy chuckling at Kakashi's star pupil having botched his seduction so perfectly to even hear him. "I should have never doubted Hinata-chan..." She said.

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"I was just testing you..." Sasuke muttered.

"Oh... I see. To see just how you would need to go about accomplishing your task, right?" Hinata said, brightening up. "Of course. It was foolish of me to underestimate you." Hinata laughed at herself and blushed.

"Hn." Sasuke growled. In all honesty what he'd just done had been his entire plan. She was unintentionally making him feel worse by talking him up and he couldn't bear it.

"Uh... If you want I can give you some hints. Well, wait. You could probably get hints from everyone who knows me..." Hinata was trying to help.

"I don't need any help from anyone. I can complete this mission on my own. Just try not to act like all the other fangirls when you fall for me." He smirked, covering up his embarassment with arrogance.

Hinata gaped at him, looking as if he'd just slapped her. Slowly her eyes narrowed to slits and her fists curled at her sides. "You... You... You are TERRIBLE!!! I've been nothing but nice to you and you still treat me with total indifference!!!! I'm a person with feelings!!! I'm so tired of everyone underestimating me and looking down on me because I actually care about others!" Hinata was fueled by righteous fury and years of holding her temper. Sasuke had picked the wrong day to be... Well... himself. "WHAT IS SO WRONG WITH HAVING A SOUL!?!?! Seriously, you should try it! It's great! REALLY!!! Like helping Hima-sama without expecting a tomato!" Hinata was livid and possibly going insane.

"Uh... Okay... Just calm down" Sasuke tried to appease her, more than a little disturbed by the normally sweet and soft-spoken Hyuuga princess losing her mind.

"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!!!! You need to hear this!!!" She screamed. She then broke out into a tirade on just how messed up the world was and how people like him were only making it worse. Sasuke just sat there, dumbfounded, as she ranted and raved. Finally she began to wrap up. "And just so you know, Naruto was right,! You are a bast- A VERY BIG JERK!!!" She shrieked.

"Hn... W-whatever..." Sasuke finally said, backing away slowly. By the look on Hinata's face that was NOT what she wanted to hear. Sasuke could only blink at the shorter girl in front of him boiling with rage, crumbling self restraint and bottled-up emotions. It seemed this girl was out to get him, her eyes screaming rather unwomanly comments at him, eyes that also appeared to want to murder him.

Why did he get the feeling he was about to feel abrupt and comical pain?

She let out an unholy scream as she lunged at Sasuke, channeling all her rage into her attack. Her shoulder rammed into his middle, right below his ribs, and sent him flying backward into a large tree. All the chakra and emotion that she shot into Sasuke lunged him right through the tree's trunk and onto his back in the clearing behind. The tree toppled back and fell with a loud crash, narrowly missing landing on top of his battered form.

Hinata stood there huffing and puffing, still seething with anger and hurt. It felt good to actually be able to let go for once instead of keeping it bottled up and letting it eat away at her. Suddenly Hinata was herself again, though very drained from sending out so much chakra and feeling at once. Her head was throbbing and she felt slightly sick as she stumbled over to where Sasuke was gripping his stomach in pain. The moment he saw her coming he tried to act as if her attack hadn't even phased him. He even had the audacity to send her a weak smirk, as if saying "That's all?" with his eyes.

Hinata had enough energy left to throw a jar of healing salve at his head so hard that it bounced off his forhead. In just seconds a yellowish bruise was starting to form on his pasty white skin. He let out a yowl of pain and a string of curses while reaching for the jar.

"You almost made me use vulgar language!" Hinata snapped at him. "Get well soon and I hope you are able to get some help with this mission. I don't like hurting people!" She explained angrily, though her words were kind.

Sasuke winced as he nodded his head slowly.

"Okay then. The directions for the salve are on the jar. If you have to, use two coats before wrapping bandages over the injury loosley. Too tight and you could cause strain." Hinata made sure that he knew just how to properly heal himself. While still sore at him, she didn't really wish him any more pain. "Have a nice day, Sasuke" She said with a bow.

She she walked off a ways but stopped at the top of the downed tree and bowed to the green foliage. "And I hope you have a nice day as well Kurenai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei. Please make sure that Sasuke gets proper medical attention for me, if it isn't too much trouble" She requested softly.

The leaves of the tree rustled violently and Kurenai and Kakashi's heads popped out of the greenery with twigs and leaves sticking in their hair. The two professional ninja nodded dumbly at her.

"Thank you" Hinata said with a sweet smile, acting as if everything were back to normal and she hadn't just downed the class prodigy in one blow.

After the shock wore off the two adults clawed their way through the branches of their supposed hiding place, (a.k.a. the recently downed tree). Kurenai set to work removing sticks, leaves, and a few bugs from her person, but Kakashi had paused to ponder something.

"You think Sasuke knew we were here too?" Kakashi asked in his normal volume.

Kurenai groaned and rolled her eyes before kicking Kakashi back into the tree's leaves and storming over to Sasuke.

"So, what did you learn?" She asked sarcastically as she nudged Sasuke with her toe and put her hands on her hips. The wounded male grumbled indiscernably, making Kurenai smile wickedly. He wasn't through with regretting treating Hinata badly just yet.

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"Hinata, call him off! I don't think I can keep myself from murdering him much longer!" Temari growled as she looked up at Lee. She was currently holding him at bay by shoving the end of her folded gigantic fan into his stomach. Still, Lee was trying to reach over the length of the fan to get at Temari. His arms were waving around comically and his legs continued as if they were running. Hinata looked up at her new friend and sighed. Deep down Lee was quite endearing; It just took some time to adjust to his quirks.

"Lee-san, I honestly think you are going about things in the wrong manner. Perhaps this delicate mission is more of a female specialty. I know that Gai-sensei is wise, but in matters of the heart I would think that a woman's touch is more appropriate" Hinata said softly, gently resting a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"But surely Gai-sensei would know!" Lee gasped.

"I know, but you cannot argue that he isn't a man" Hinata stated.

"Yes, once again you have proven to be both beautiful and intelligent, fairest Hinata-chan" Lee said sadly. "I shall go and consult a woman in these matters. Perhaps Anko-Sensei would help, farewell..." He said with a lackluster wave as he trudged off to find Anko.

Temari openly gaped at Hinata. "You must be suicidal for sending him to bug Anko! She'll make your life hell!" She cried.

"Temari-chan!" Hinata lightly scolded. "Anko-sensei is as used to Lee-san as I am. Besides, she likes me" The shy girl giggled.

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"HYUUGA!" Sasuke barked as he marched toward the only other Hyuuga member that he knew. Neji turned to see who had called him and instantly frowned when he saw Sasuke approaching, though he did get some pleasure in watching the Uchiha limp.

"Forget it" Neji deadpanned.

"Look, just hear me out" Sasuke managed to growl as he stood before Neji. The two of them stared each other down.

"No" Said the male Hyuuga.

"Hn... I'm about as willing to use whatever you tell me as you are to give it, but this is a mission. I have no choice but to use my resources, and unfortunatley you seem to know Hinata the best" Sasuke started to explain with annoyance.

"That's Hinata-SAMA to you. And do you honestly expect me to help you seduce my cousin just because you fed me your lame sob story?" Neji hissed.

"No. I expected you to be an utter ass to me and force me to make threats" Sasuke grumbled.

"Threats?" Neji looked amused by the idea. "What? Do you plan on fighting me?" He asked mockingly. It was obvious Sasuke was still healing from his prior incident.

"No... But I could tell TenTen that you are assigned to persue her and that she really means nothing to you" Sasuke smirked.

Neji did a double take. As Sasuke's threat sunk in he realized there was no way to worm out of his predicament. There was no way he was going to let Sasuke ruin his chances of succeeding at this mission. Prodigies did not fail. Ever. "Fine. I'll tell you five things" Neji agreed.

"Deal, but everything you tell me must be true and important" Sasuke was all business.

"So, you've been spying, huh?" Neji asked Sasuke after telling him what he wanted to hear.

Sasuke just shot him an infamous smirk and walked away. Neji watched him and held his own smirk. It was obvious that Hinata had him stumped if he had come to his rival for help. The thought made Neji smile to himself and feel a swell of pride for his kind-hearted cousin.

"Give him hell..." He whispered. Little did he know that she already had.

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"And they were just SO cute together! It was freaky!!!" Sakura finished up her speech and took a sip of her green tea as Naruto yawned from his seat next to her.

"That's great, Sakura. I'm glad Sasuke-teme isn't giving Hinata-chan any trouble" Naruto said as he pretended like he was paying attention to everything. In reality he was bored and kind of irritated that all Sakura seemed able to talk about was Sasuke.

"Stop calling him that!" Sakura snapped as she slapped the back of Naruto's head.

"Sorry, Sakura" Naruto mumbled as he rubbed the back of his head. This whole thing was going horribly wrong. First Sakura was acting super nice to Naruto, which was just weird, and asked him on an actual date. He'd been so excited and had high hopes that maybe Sakura had actually come to see him as something special. He actually took the time to shower, shave, and he even put on an outfit without a hint of orange in it! Instead he wore a blue shirt Hinata got him that she said brought out his eyes and a pair of tan pants with his usual sandals. His body had matured to where he was muscular and his face was devoid of his old baby fat. He was ruggedly handsome and even had a few female fans. However he still turned down any girl that tried to persue him; Holding out for Sakura to one day get over her Sasuke obsession.

He was expecting her to look nice too, since it was supposed to be a date they were going on, but she had on her same red and white shirt and a black skirt. Her hair was up in a side ponytail and she didn't look like she put on any makeup or made any attempt to make herself look nicer for him. Naruto felt a little guilty for thinking that Sakura had to dress up, but at the same time she ALWAYS went overboard when they went anywhere with Sasuke. Even on casual outings Sakura had on at least some sparkly lipstick and perfume.

"Oh, hey Naruto. You look good. Did you have some special occaision planned? We can always reschedule our date" Sakura had said, oblivious that perhaps a date was a special occaision.

"Hey Sakura... Uhh, nah. I'm just wearing this cuz I needed a break from orange" He lied, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Oh, okay. Well, you want to go to Ichiraku?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah... Sure" Was all Naruto could manage. He had thought they might go somewhere new and fancy for their first date. Was this really even considered a date anymore? He had to wonder. "Oh, I got you flowers..." Naruto weakly stated as he handed Sakura a bouquet of beautiful pink and red roses. He'd forgetten about them in his shock.

"Aww, thank you" Was all she said, not even bothering to smell the expensive roses, let alone look at them again for the entire night.

They arrived at Ichiraku and Sakura instantly told the chef that their meals would be paid separatley. Naruto tried to argue that he should pay for the whole meal, but she dismissed him and then started her rant on Sasuke. Naruto had tuned her out in favor of trying to smother his dissappointment and hurt with ramen.

"You know... I'm kind of tired. I think I'm gonna head home now" Naruto excused himself.

"What? Really?! But we were having such a good time!" Sakura said in bewilderment.

Naruto looked up at her, not bothering to mask the hurt that he was feeling. "Actually, Sakura... I think you were the only one having fun. It's kind of hard for me to enjoy a date when I know that my companion really isn't interested in me at all. Have a nice night" He said sadly before walking away.

Sakura stared after him in shock. He was supposed to be blindly devoted to her, wasn't he? He always seemed to like her before when she didn't give him any idea that she felt anything for him but disgust. Slowly it dawned on her that maybe giving him false hope was a really stupid idea.

"Great... Now I feel guilty..." She whined, looking at the arrangement of flowers he'd given her and wincing.

"I don't have the heart to even get pissed that he forgot to pay again. Poor kid. You did a real number on him, girly. Good luck fixing that broken heart" The chef said as he collected Naruto's one half-eaten bowl of ramen. The Kyuubi vessel hadn't even bothered ordering a drink and there were still naruto noodles floating in the broth. "I never seen him eat less than four whole bowls... And that's on bad days..." The chef shook his head sadly.

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It was late into the night when Hinata awoke to the sound of something tapping against her window. She groggily rose to her feet and shuffled over to her window to let a very lage beetle into her room. It landed on the back of her outstretched hand and displayed its open wings for her. Her team had set up writing on the wings of beetles as a form of sending messages to each other and from the small look of the characters she could make out in the moonlight it looked like Shino had written this particular note. She switched on her desk lamp so she could read the words after her eyes adjusted to the new light.

Hinata,

All is well on mission aside from Kiba's sinuses getting clogged from Asuma's cigarette smoke. Should be done within a month. Hope you are well.

Love,

Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru

P.S.

Kiba is making me add that he says "Hi". I may kill him since you aren't here to stop me.

Hinata laughed as she finished reading and set to work on a message to send back. She cleaned the beetle's wings and then took out an ink brush and some purple ink. She slowly and carefully wrote her message, mindful that she was not hurting the bug in her care. She looked over her flowing writing and nodded to herself.

Shino,

I've been given an interesting mission to keep me busy while you are away. It's pretty detailed so I'll just leave you in suspense until you get back and Kiba demands that I tell you both everything. Give Kiba something very spicy to eat so his sinuses will drain and tell Asuma that Kurenai made him promise to quit smoking. I miss you guys.

Love,

Hinata

P.S.

Don't kill Kiba, and give Akamaru a good bellyrub for me.

She had been forced to squish her lines of characters together so that everything would fit on the beetle's wings, but it was still legible and if Shino had wanted a longer note he would've sent a bigger beetle. She gave the beetle a large leaf to chew on for the night and decided to let it rest its wings before sending it out in the morning. Bugs had never really bothered Hinata since she had to deal with them in her garden all the time. She just learned to peacefully co-exist with them and respect their right to live.

She turned off her lamp and crawled back into bed, whispering goodnight to her teammates as well as the beetle happily chowing down on the leaf it was given.

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Hinata bolted upright from her bed. A look of wild panic was etched accross her face as she sprung out of bed and scrambled to get dressed.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!!!" She chanted and she pulled on ther clothes. She didn't bother with showering, brushing her hair, in fact she hadn't even glanced at a mirror. If she had she might have noticed her hair was tangled and sticking up on one side of her head and her jacket was wrinkled and only halfway zipped. Hinata seemed unconcerned as she flung open her window, gently carried the messenger beetle to the sill, and wished it a safe journey as it flew off. Once she was sure it was on its way she rushed through the halls of her home and into the kitchen.

She set to cooking several dishes as if possessed, still chanting "No" while gathering all the tomatoes in the kitchen to be used. Neji had been training in the courtyard but stopped once he heard the commotion in the kitchen. He cautiously walked in and stared at Hinata as she darted back and forth.

"What are you doing, Hinata-sama?" He finally asked.

Hinata looked up at him with wide sorrowful eyes as she paused in chopping some vegetables. She had yet to notice that she was chopping them with a spoon. "I-I did something t-terrible!!! I h-h-have to make i-it up t-to him!!!" She sniffed as her eyes got watery. As Hinata had woken up her mind replayed her violent encounter with Sasuke the day before. She felt sick as she realized how mean and unreasonable she'd been. "I-I lost my temper!" She explained, as if she'd committed some horrible crime.

"What!?" Neji almost laughed as he tried to imagine Hinata losing her temper. The idea was unfathomable for him. "What did you do?" He asked, trying to sound supportive.

Hinata broke down into big messy tears of guilt as she blubbered out the story. Neji listened, trying to stifle the urge to kill Sasuke for mistreating his cousin as well as the need to laugh at the idea of Hinata launching him through a tree. "A-and I gave him s-some salve, b-but I threw i-it at his h-h-head..." She whimpered.

It was at that point that the stoic Hyuuga prodigy made a hasty retreat outside. Loud guffaws could be heard for several moments before Neji came back in looking as composed as ever. He cleared his throat uncomfortably as Hinata stared at him and avoided her eyes. "You were saying?" He prompted with a slight squeak in his voice.

"I... I told him h-how to put it on p-properly and th-then left..." She said softly.

Neji sighed and smiled as he patted Hinata on her head like a child. "You had every right to be upset, Hinata-sama. You don't need to do all this." Neji explained, feeling fond of his sweet, yet sometimes unpredictable cousin.

"I-I really sh-should apologize... I th-think I hurt his feelings..." She whispered, looking around at all the food she had out to prepare.

"Okay Hinata-sama... If it will make you feel better... But... Go clean up first. You look like you just rolled out of bed" He said.

She nodded and quickly retreated back to her room. Neji used his Byakugan to make sure she was in her room before he burst into another round of laughter. "Uchiha... hahaha... go-got his ass k-kicked by m-my cousin!?" He spluttered as tears of mirth leaked from his eyes. "Oh... Oh I c-can't wait to bl-blackmail him with this..." He grinned. It seemed that Sasuke Uchiha was really going to suffer for upsetting Hinata. That and for daring to threaten his chances with the TenTen mission.

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Author's Note:

I would've made this longer and added SO much more but I am time crunched. I have a new job, a wedding to plan, and jury duty. God help me. It would've taken me forever to update this enough and you have all waited so patiently... I don't have the heart to do it to you. Therefore, I hope this is enough to satisfy you until I can get back to work. Believe me, it's killing me just as muchg to be unable to write as it is you to not be able to read. Please just bear with me. This chapter is probably addled with typos and grammatical nightmares, but my editor is on a school break; I love you Myst!, and needs some time. Therefore try not to twitch too much. I will update as soon as I possibly can. So, until then just try to enjoy this, be patient, and please review. I could use the inspiration and joy of reviews since I'M STRESSED OUT!!! Thank you for understanding.

P.S.

If you are on Gaia and you'd like to talk to me my screenname is SunnyHinata.