Some people are really happy for this update... (theredscarf-hina) so here it is!!!

Hinata's POV:

Reporters are the scariest human species in the world, I'll tell you. They're amount of energy and determination is going to kill someone someday. I was just really, really lucky to have escaped.

I needed some advice and my new friends here in Seoul won't be able to help. I sort of lied when I said I cut off all ties with my old buddies in Konoha. Truthfully, I uh, kept in contact with one person and she was able to help me through thick and thin.

Plus she was the one who introduced me to the KPOP stars actually.

Name: Ino or her stage name iKnow here.

Yep, she's a singer or whatever you call it here in Korea. My friend had given me a ticket to go with her to a JYP Entertainment audition three years ago to get me out of my room. Imagine my surprise when Ino walked on stage and started singing.

After her audition, I ran into her in the bathroom. She was angry, hurt about what I did. I didn't apologize, only stood there feeling sorry for them and for me for being so stupid. Ino pulled me into a hug and demanded my number right then and there, saying everybody is going crazy about my sudden disappearance.

Ino was recruited by JYP after that. She along with three other girls, Go Ji-yi, Bubbles, and Hyo made up the popular girl group, See Me Over the Stars or SMOS for short. They debuted six months ago, I got front row seats of course and back stage passes.

Ino and the girls live together in a dorm provided by JYP not far from the building. I always stay over if my own modern house is boring or the hospital is too chaotic for me to handle.

I drove towards the JYP entertainment building to find my old friend. She's supposed to have some kind recording today with the rest of SMOS so I'll be waiting for her afterwards. All the way there, I prayed to all the heavens that at least Ino could help me deal with this situation. I'm not ready to give up my perfect life for a drama filled one again.

I'm not ready to accidentally fall in love with Naruto again. Happened once before, don't want it to happen again.

The security guard only nodded a greeting at me as I made my way up the stairs. I'll never get used to the celebrities roaming these halls. There's the infamous 2PM, miss A, Wonder Girls, and now SMOS! I went up to the first floor, there hanging out were Taecyeon and Wooyoung of 2PM. They waved at me, I bowed. Too hot to exist those two.

The third floor, where the record studio and dance rooms (I think) are located. Through the crack door of the dance studio, I caught a glimspe of miss A practicing for their new album release in a few days. Nobody noticed me there which I was glad. Didn't want to draw too much attention to myself right now.

I knocked on the door of the recording studio once really softly before opening and entering. The girls of SMOS were resting on the furniture outside the recording booth as I entered. Ino, who was spinning around on the computer chair near the controls stopped when she saw me.

"Hinata!" she exclaimed, leaping out and into my arms. "Ugh! Girl, it's been too long!"

I returned the hug, "You've been to busy with your album. Not my fault."

Hyo was next in giving me a hug. She's the youngest and craziest of the group in my opinion but I love her to death. She's my height with constantly changing hair color and dark brown eyes. Hyo is the little bundle of random energy for her group.

"Yo, Hinata," Bubbles, the most mature one of the group, saluted me (?) with her back to me, "Just saw the news, girl!"

Ji-yi was one her feet facing me with a huge smile, "A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!! Under all that crazy

"Ah, thanks," I smiled nervously. "Just doing my job."

Ino threw a hand across my shoulder, "Of course Hina is. She is a legend. Now, why is our legend looking for us, hm?"

"I'm here looking for you actually, Ino," I admitted, quietly.

Hyo grabbed my hand, "Aw, Hina! You're not here visiting us instead you're just here for Ino? That's mean! You're a mean person! I want to know, too! What makes Ino so special?!"

"Hyo," Bubbles groaned. "You're supposed to be twenty-one."

I giggled. Ino's new family is perfect for her. When she told her father she didn't want to become a doctor like me and Sakura instead he was angry and they argued like everyday. I'm happy she was able to escape that life and live it the way she wanted. I'd bet anything her father is proud of her right now. She's an international star.

Ino ruffled Hyo's purple hair, "I'll tell you guys after Hinata finishes, promise."

Bubbles and Ji-yi both gave me a thumbs up. Hyo pouted but nonetheless agreed, "You better. Otherwise you're going to be finding a whole bunch of spiders in your bed tomorrow."

~~~~~

Ino set my cup of hot chocolate in front of me, "Alright," she rubbed her gloved hands together and made sure her sunglasses and beanie were a good disguise.

I should've put on disguise, too. There are people snapping pics of me now. It's way too uncomfortable.

"Damn girl," Ino laughed. "And I thought I was the celebrity."

"How do you know they're not snapping pictures of iKnow?" I asked, sipping my hot chocolate.

"Last I checked," Ino sighed. "I didn't save someone from being brain dead."

I glanced at the people in the cafe on their smartphones snapping pictures. They didn't recognize Ino yet, but once they do, I'll bet their attention is going to shift.

"Alright, talk, what's bothering you?" Ino asked.

I started from the top. Well, from the thyroid cancer patient to Van's contract to my father's violation of some truce contract to the end. Ino listened shocked with the giant chain of events. She narrowed her eyebrows when I mentioned Van though, didn't seem surprised at all.

I was able to put two and two together, "You knew Van worked for Naruto, didn't you?"

Ino nodded, "Sakura told me. We kept in contact with Naruto. After Naruto agreed on helping Valencia or whatever to raise their daughter, Van and him got along quite famously."

Hurt surged through my veins. So everybody stayed in touch while I just ran away? I'm so brave. I took a sip of my hot chocolate again.

"Anyway, how you should approach this is a good, good question," she pondered for a bit, rubbing her chin.

I let her think for a second by drifting off into my own world. Maybe, just maybe, when I get to whatever hospital location they needed, I could just avoid Naruto altogether! Just work quietly in the emergency room; don't save the lives of people that should be dead... no that's too selfish and I know for a fact that if I were to encounter the patients that were in similar conditions as those today, I would still do everything I can to save them.

So in the end there's really nothing I can do. At least for now I can only hope Naruto doesn't know who I really am. Hopefully, he doesn't watch the news often so he doesn't know who I am. I mean, I did change my last name legally so people don't know my father owns the hospital I worked in.

Who am I kidding? He probably watches the news to get the scoop on his business rival. What to do... what to do...

"There's only one way I think is to completely pretend you don't know him whenever you run into him," Ino admitted. "Otherwise, Hinata you're sort of on your own on this one. I really can't tell you what to do..."

I nodded my understanding. I have to stand alone on this one. I need to be independent! That's what I always wanted. I need to make sure it wasn't a waste to end all contact with my old friends and work this one out.

"I understand, thanks Ino," I smiled.

Ino stretched her arms behind her head, "Glad to be at service."

"So, um," I looked down at my cup, not wanting to let Ino see my embarrassment.

"Huh?"

"H-how is everyone?" I asked looking outside the cafe window at the slowly falling snowflakes. "Any news?"

Ino chuckled, "I haven't heard you shuttered in a long time, I sort of miss it."

"S-shut up!"

"Anyway, they're all doing well," Ino replied. "You already know what's happening with me."

"That's right you broke up with Sai-kun last month, I'm sorry," I apologized. Man, I shipped them so hard and now it's all over.

My friend shrugged, "He's a well-known artist now and I'm one of the top KPOP stars in the world. We had no time between each other. I mean, I'd be in China and he'd be in England on our 'breaks'. So I thought it was best to just call quits. Plus, I have a whole bunch of cute KPOP guys following me," she leaned in a bit so nobody overhears me. "Taecyeon even has an eye on me."

I remembered how obsessed she was with the poor 2PM member back in high school. At least her wishes are coming true.

"You know what's happening to Kiba," Ino laid out her fingers counting off our friends. "The star quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Um then there's Shikamaru is still a professor at Harvard University. Temari is an actress in England somewhere with her brothers. Tenten is getting ready to marry Neji, as you know. Then there's Sakura and Sasuke..."

I urged her on, "Continue."

"Well, Sakura is set to graduate in two weeks to start her internship in one of Naruto's hospitals. She got accepted and everything so you might actually be the one teaching her and showing the ropes."

"I sure hope not, it'd be too awkward," I admitted.

Ino smacked my arm, "It can't be that bad. She misses you too much to be angry with you."

"I wouldn't be too sure..."

"Anyway and Sasuke," Ino started thinking. "He's still under Itachi's training on running the hotels. Itachi's been thinking it's time for him to go into 'retirement' but I think he's just going through a mid-life crisis. Sasuke and Sakura are still together if you're wondering. Sasuke is actually thinking about proposing to Sakura as a congratulatory gift for getting accepted as an intern."

"Ah," I nodded. So everybody has their own way and for some reason they all kept in touch. I'm the only one that drifted away and they have no idea why. I never told any of them except Ino, of course.

"Oh I forgot," Ino made a grab for her vanilla purse and rummaged through it quite loudly. "Dammit where the hell did I put it?! It better not be at home!"

That continued for about five minutes earning a lot of weird looks fro others. I had to shield my face for a bit because Ino is a very, very loud person.

"Found it!" the KPOP star pulled out a white envelope with my name on it in Kanji and handed it to me. "Sasuke mailed each and everyone of us just in case we had a run in with you. It's an invitation for that surprise engagement dinner being held in Los Angeles next month."

"H-he wants me there?"

Ino nodded, "He wants all of us there."

I studied the envelope for a little while longer. If it's true that Sasuke isn't mad at me because I uppen and left without saying anything, then I'm glad. He's the last person on Earth I wanted to hurt. It seemed like my little diaper buddy figured out my motive and left me alone. That would explain why he didn't hunt down Neji or my father for my contact information.

He understood me.

My vision blurred for a bit. Sasuke always knew how to bring me to tears, he knew what I wanted and what I needed. He knew I needed time and space this time so he let me be on my own for eight years.

Sasuke, you never fail to amaze me.

"Thank you, Ino, I apperciate it a lot," I replied. If I could bring her into a crushing bear hug I would but since one of us is a celebrity and the other is a doctor well known for saving every single person that enters the Emergency room, let's not ruin anybody's image here.

Ino gave me a deep warm smile, "Anytime Hina."

My phone suddenly vibrated next to my arm. Picking up the device, I read the message written in Hangul Korean:

Scouter found sleeping in your office. Shall we remove him?

"Crap!" I shot out of my chair. I quickly texted the number back (security) for them to not touch Van and that I'm on my way.

"What?!"

"I left Van in my office! Gotta run, Ino! Bye and thank you again!" I grabbed my own black purse and ran out of the cafe before hailing for a cab.