Author's Note: Hello peoplez! Double and triple thankies to Rose Tiger, preettygabbysz, Byzantea, jenaca, Kurosuna no Kazuo, Kibble Kin Slider, Sandanio and Baka1Chan for your reviews! Goddess, so much has already happened and its only been a few days! The climax of this story is supposed to be homecoming! Gah! I need a time skip. Say homecoming is at the end of the fifth week of school and by the start of this ch we are entering week four, leaving two full weeks before the finale. Maybe. I'm probably gonna tone down the drama for a bit anyway, practice my fluffing, and yes that means no Uchihas for a bit. Also, show of hands, who was left guessing as to why Tenten had a one night stand? 'Cuz I thought I made it pretty clear. Kazuo, if you don't have anything better to say than commenting on my choice of antagonists, don't bother reviewing again.

Chapter 10: Love Story

The next two weeks passed uneventfully. Naruto and Hinata went on three more dates, two at the quad and once seeing a movie. Hinata was almost used to riding Naruto's motorcycle, and Naruto had noticed that Jiraiya was conspicuously absent from the house more and more, hinting that his new relationship with Tsunade was going well.

"I don't know what you did boy," he'd told Naruto upon his emergence from the school, "but I know I have a date on Friday with a E cup, so I'm not gonna question it."

Itachi, meanwhile, had memorized the route from school to Hinata's house, and had obtained Naruto's address.

Lee and Sakura were now staying after school with Gai for half an hour twice a week to practice singing. Since Neji had made it abundantly clear he had no interest in helping them they now sang to Lee playing the guitar. Sasuke had their singing lessons for the next three months marked on his calendar. Neji and Tenten's interactions were still strained, but they were at least talking to each other again, and though Neji seemed more contemplative than ever things seemed to be getting better.

Lee was thoroughly enjoying life at the moment. Not only did he get to see Sakura every day in class, every Tuesday and Thursday he had his crush nearly all to himself. Gai-sensei kept commenting on how much brighter and happier he looked, and how much more emotion he was putting into his music. He felt like he was putting something more into his music. Performing with Sakura, even just for their teacher, somehow made him feel like every note was worth more. Music had taken on a new life and meaning for him, and he was beginning to feel like he was living solely for those rare, precious moments when Sakura would look at him, smile and tell him how well he sang or played. He didn't think he could have sung half as well without her there, her gorgeous voice just seemed to make everything sound wonderful. She was so beautiful, and she sang so beautifully, it made his heart ache. Lee was even starting to . . . consider, things. Things he hadn't considered in a long time.

Things like playing in front of an audience and not just a rock quarry.

Things like performing at a school function, despite what happened last time.

Things like writing a love song.

Lee had not written an original song since the second grade. Even then he'd known that, more than anything, he wanted to play the guitar. He'd practiced endlessly on the old, battered, second-hand instrument he'd gotten for his birthday, using any piece of music he could lay hand on. Deep down he knew, though, that he couldn't keep playing "Jeremiah was a Bullfrog" and fragments of songs he didn't know the names of forever. One day, he'd have to be able to write his own songs.

Unfortunately his first attempt been something of a disaster that had left him with little desire to ever try his hand at songwriting again.

"Oh come on," Tenten scoffed, the third Wednesday evening of the school year at the local bowling alley, "'Angel Poptarts' wasn't that bad. I thought it was cute!"

"It was about breakfast food," Lee reminded her as she bowled her eighteenth strike since their conversation began. It had started as a game, but quickly deteriorated into Lee leaning wistfully over the back of a chair while Tenten bowled every turn.

"You were in second grade," she told him, sending the scuffed up ball sailing down the center of the lane to connect squarely with the kingpin, "you're in high school now. I'm sure you'll be much better at it if you try again."

"I am just not sure if it is a good idea," he worried, resting his chin on his arms, folded over the back of the chair. "What if I completely embarrass myself again, but this time in front of Sakura!"

"If you're writing a love song for her I don't think she'd think any less of you if you sucked," Tenten shrugged, curving her ball so that it twice came inches from the gutter but still managed to knock over all the pins. "Not that I think you will."

"Do you have any advice?" Lee asked hopefully, lifting his gaze to where Tenten was raising her ball for another go. She contemplated the pins over the dirty, rounded surface before speaking.

"Find a song that you like," she told him, tossing her ball almost carelessly down the lane to another strike as she turned to face him, "a love song that you think is good for you and her. Use that as your inspiration. Try to write something you can imagine that artist singing."

Lee thought for a moment. It seemed like good advice. Then again, Tenten always gave good advice.

"What song would you recommend?" he asked, still thinking.

"Well what do you like?" Tenten asked, turning back to the lane. She got another strike while Lee thought for another moment.

"Disney is famous for its music," he said offhandedly. "Especially its love songs."

"Maybe a little . . . young for someone trying to get away from 'Angel Poptarts'," she told him gently over the clacking of pins.

"I do not know," he mumbled dejectedly, burying his face in his arms once more.

"Well I do," Tenten told him, glancing over her shoulder as she picked up her ball. "I know you'll do great. You'll write a wonderful love song and Sakura will be wildly impressed. Trust me, I know these things."

"What makes you so sure?" he asked doubtfully.

"Because I know you," she stated matter-of-fact-ly. One of her pins flew off and somehow managed to knock over all ten in the neighboring lane. She turned to face him, wearing her best encouraging, big-sister smile.

"I know that you're the type of person who doesn't give up until they succeed. You keep trying and working at it until you get what you want. You're a great musician and a great guy, if you just write from your heart I know you'll come up with a great song."

Lee's face brightened, and Tenten grinned. She knew that expression.

"Hey Lady?" came a voice from behind Lee. They both looked up to see a scruffy haired manager standing by their lane.

"Can we have your name and a picture for the wall of fame?"

Hinata was also thoroughly enjoying life at the moment. She was going out with Naruto, the boy every girl in school would kill to have, the object of her affection since she couldn't remember when and, apparently, the boy who was crazy about her as well. On every date he'd been absolutely perfect, by all indications she was the only thing on his mind and he'd lavished her with attention at every moment. The way he looked at her made her feel like the only girl in the world, the way he held her made her feel more safe and protected than she could ever remember, and his kisses were, well, completely mind-blowing in a way she hadn't thought possible. Indeed, there was nothing in the world that could shake Hinata's happiness.

Except for the fact that her father was beginning to notice that nothing in the world could shake her happiness.

"I haven't told him we're going out yet," she told Naruto over lunch one day. "He's very old fashioned. I'm just not sure he would be alright with me seeing someone he hasn't approved."

The weather had decided to be unusually warm for autumn, so to enjoy the rare sunshine the Pack had decided, like several other students, to eat outside at one of the round wooden tables on the lawn behind the school, and to Hinata's great surprise they had invited her to come along as well. At first she'd been a bit nervous about sitting alone at a table with five boys, but Naruto had smiled so reassuringly and the others had been so nice that it had taken her all of five minutes to completely forget that she didn't sit there every day.

"So get his approval," Choji shrugged, systematically devouring his cafeteria lunch. "Naruto's dad is the freaking mayor, and his mom is rich. He can't possibly be that strict."

"She's probably afraid he'll say something moronic and make a bad impression!" Kiba laughed while he let Akamaru wolf down his chicken patty.

Hinata shook her head. "It's just . . ." she trailed off, unable to find the words.

"He's not old stock."

The whole table turned to look at Shino, who now seemed to be ignoring his own interjection in favor of a beetle that had settled on his lunch tray.

Naruto glanced at Kiba, and his friend shrugged. "I suppose he's right," said Kiba, stretching, "your family's just recently gotten all rich and powerful. The Hyuugas descended from god knows what blue blood family that's been around, and rich, since the beginning of time."

Naruto frowned. "You think that matters to her dad?"

"Probably," Shikamaru yawned, "you know how these upper class twits can get. That's why I'm glad my family are all engineers. We make plenty of money, but we don't really belong in high society, so we don't have to deal with a lot of dumb snobbery and boring parties."

"Doesn't your dad own stocks all over the world?" Choji asked, looked up from his dejected contemplation of his now empty lunch tray.

Shikmaru grinned slyly. "Yeah, but no one has to know that. Least of all the damn press and all the rich social climbers in town."

Naruto glanced at Hinata, who looked down at the table. "I-I-I'm sorry, Naruto-k-kun," she stuttered, sniffling slightly.

Naruto put one finger under chin and tilted her face up to look at him. "Do you think that way, Hinata-chan?" he asked earnestly.

"N-no!" she cried hurriedly, eyes wide, "of course not! I-"

Naruto cut her off by leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. Hinata blushed furiously, looking down at her hands twisting in her lap.

"Hinata-chan," said Naruto, smiling, "if you don't think that way, then what should it matter to me?"

Hinata's face broke out into a beautiful smile, and she threw her arms around Naruto, laughing with a sound like the ringing of a silver bell.

"I'm sorry I advised you to ask her out," Kiba moaned, covering his eyes with one hand and shaking his head in disgust, "you two taste like diabetes."

Author's Note: Can you tell I've really been getting into Glee lately? Yes, I actually wrote a song called "Angel Poptarts" for an imaginary band of ridiculousness that me and the rest of the Lit Mag staff at my high school made up. Their first single is "Supernatural Reconnaissance" and other hit songs from their debut album include "Infamous Tricycle," "Celebrity Metaphors" and "Pigskin Malaria." This is the second time I've used Shino for random jolts to the plot. He's just good for that sort of thing, since he does usually wait to talk until he has something important to say.