Hinata Hyuuga stared at herself in the mirror.

"Hello, Naruto," she said firmly, gazing determinedly at her reflection, "I was wondering if you like to go on a date with me." She flashed herself a dazzling smile.

"What are you doing?" came the voice of her cousin behind her. She gasped and whipped around.

"Neji-san! I..I was…just..um..," she blushed and continued stuttering.

Dammit, Hinata, she thought angrily, Stop being embarrassed. You are smart, you are cool, you are sexy.

Neji rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Just hurry up. Hanabi wants to leave." He turned and left, leaving her still stuttering.

Hinata hung her head and swore quietly. This is how it always was. She was firm and confident in the mirror, but around others she was a nervous wreck. She'd tried everything to steady her nerves: herbal remedies, trips to spas, counselors, none of it seemed to help.

With one last sigh and glance in the mirror, she tied her forehead protector around her neck and went off to find her sister and cousin.

xXxXx

Several long hours later, Hinata dragged herself back into her house; her side throbbing where a man had run into her while being pursued by an angry prostitute. The man had looked very much like Jiraya-sensei, but she hadn't got a very good glance at him.

Neji stalked in behind her, somehow still looking as perfectly together as he had that morning, with an expression of cool disinterest on his pale face. He had spent the entire day telling Hanabi that he was not in the mood to train and he would not chuck a casual kunai or two for her to dodge.

Hanabi was pouting.

"If I'm no longer needed, I'm going to retire for the evening," Hinata murmured timidly. When neither of the other two responded, she quietly slipped away and disappeared into her room.

As soon as the door shut behind her, her shy demeanor dropped and a heavy scowl crossed her face. She stalked about for a few moments and aimed a kick at her bed. Despite everything, she had still been unable to speak up. She knew that if she never told people what she was feeling and made them notice her, no one would ever respect her, but it was so hard.

She paced angrily for a while before giving up on her malice and opening the doors leading out onto her balcony. It was a beautiful, clear night. The air was cool and the sky was cloudless. She couldn't help but smile as a gentle breeze wormed its way around her.

Hinata pushed her hair from her forehead and stared up at the sky. She saw a faint glimmer in her peripheral vision and she turned to see the first star of the evening peering down at her. She considered it for a moment before deciding that she would wish upon it.

"Star light, star bright. The first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight. I wish that I can be more confident and aggressive. I wish that some miracle will happen to make me able to become noticed."

Unfortunately for Hinata, God was in one of those moods. The sort of mood where He grants wishes. Only, He grants them HIS way.

xXxXx

"I swear to God, Hidan. If you complain about your hair one more time, I will kill you," growled Kakuzu angrily. Hidan pouted in the most masculine way possible.

"Look, if I don't have great hair, I have to try a bit to get bitches, and I am not in the mood to try."

"I'm in the mood to shove that fucking scythe up your ass," Kakuzu snarled. Hidan continued pouting.

"Is this about that hooker? Look, man, I told you, I didn't know you were saving that money for food."

Kakuzu rolled his eyes and strode away at a brisk pace.

"Hey! Wait up!" Hidan exclaimed, jogging a bit to catch up, "Honestly, I can't understand what you're so angry about anyway. It's not like we can't steal food."

Kakuzu glowered at him, "What do you think we are? Common criminals? Petty thieves?"

Hidan stared back blankly. Kakuzu fought the urge to roll his eyes again.

"No. We are proud members of the Akatsuki. We do not stoop to the level of immature hoodlums. We pay for the goods we require with the money we have earned."

"Please. Talking like you're a fucking saint. Maybe you need a reminder; you steal people's hearts, Mother Theresa"

"That is completely different, Hidan," replied Kakuzu stiffly, "The fact remains that if you don't lose your overly aggressive attitude, you will end up alone and friendless."

"Whatever," Hidan sulked.

xXxXx

Later that evening, Hidan found himself sitting outside of a cave, staring up at the sky, listening to Kakuzu snore quietly.

He was unsure why, but something about what Kakuzu had said earlier had struck a chord him.

You will end up alone and friendless. Kakuzu's words echoed through his head.

Hidan shifted uncomfortably and studied the full moon.

"So what?" he muttered to himself, "It's not like I need friends. Especially not if they're anything like you, Kakuzu," he snapped, directing his words towards Kakuzu's sleeping form, which was hidden in the darkness of the cave.

For some inexplicable reason, he immediately felt bad about his outburst; even though he knew Kakuzu had not heard it.

"Sorry," he muttered.

Following a few more minutes of staring at the cloudless sky, he saw the first star of the evening glimmer into view. After contemplating it for a while and having a fierce mental battle, he decided to do something he had not done since he was five.

"Uh…star light…star bright -- how the fuck does this go – uh...first star I see tonight…I…uh…fuck…wish I may, I wish I might. Be granted this fucking wish. Um…I'd like to be less aggressive and more...uh…I don't know. Uh…kind? Whatever. Fuck it."

And with that, he fell unconscious.