It's Sunday, exactly 2 days after making up with Naruto and getting caught by SasuSaku for spying on them.

Huh, SasuSaku... Guys, I think I just got Konoha's brand new couple their couple name.

But that's not the priority right now...

Where is he when I actually need him? I scanned the Student Hall lounge from the top of the railing. Shikamaru and Temari were making out on the coach (gross!), Tenten was sitting alone on the other single sofa, looking just as disgusted as I was.

I descended the steps and quietly walked of to Tenten, who acknowledged me with, "I'm so glad your older cousin had a lot more class than that."

"E-even if he d-didn't, I'd make sure h-he does," I replied, eyeing the couple. Geez, get a room!

"Speaking of N-Neji nii-san, w-where is he?" I asked.

Tenten replied, "He go so uncomfortable and awkward that he just ran outside, leaving me alone."

I nodded.

"Check the benches," continued my cousin's girlfriend, "I'd bet he found some random book and reading."

"T-thanks," I smiled before leaving her to find Neji.

As promised, Neji was just hanging out at the first bench closest to the Student Hall reading The Hunger Games with intense focus. I walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He jumped out of his trance, completely surprised with my presence.

"Hinata," he gasped. "What do you need?"

I sat down on the bench next to him, "I n-need to talk to y-you."

"Shoot."

I gathered up all the air I could get as Neji watched me with curiosity. Word of advice: never talk to older male cousin who sees you as his sister about boys. It's nerve wrecking...

"It's about N-Naruto-kun, " I started.

Almost like that, Neji's face crinkled in almost disgusted, disapproval written all over his features.

"I heard from F-Father that you told h-him about everything about u-us," I didn't dare meet his own pale eyes, afraid the anger was too intense for me to handle.

"I just don't trust that bimbo," Neji said, surprisingly calm, which makes the whole situation all the more harder to handle. "It's more of on a personal note for me."

"How personal can it get when you don't even know anything about him?" I was getting angry that shuttering was completely forgotten. That or Naruto is somewhere in the room. Hopefully not... I don't want him knowing the reason our friendship nearly crashed and burn was because of my family.

Neji's eyes shot into mines, new found rage sparked in his eyes, "Oh, I know him quite personally. At least, I know the dark part of his past."

"That doesn't m-mean you can go on hating him!" I snapped. "And he... he makes me happy."

My older cousin's eyes widen, "Do you love him?"

I chuckled, humorously, "I'm sixteen. So what the hell is love. That's not my point though! Can you please try to g-get along with him, please? For me."

Neji ran a hand through his long black hair. During Christmas break, he's getting a haircut... his hair's getting too long...

"I won't tell your father anything," he sighed. "Because for some reason this boy makes you happy. But I will keep a close eye on him... if he does one thing to make you misearble-"

"I get it, I get it," I smiled. "Thank you, so much!"

~-~-~-~

Naruto's POV

"You hear that, idiot?" I barely heard Sakura's voice.

I was too shock to even comprehend the meaning behind her words. Sasuke looked a little annoyed with the situation but with his new girlfriend sitting next to him, he's doing a good job in concealing it.

I, on the other hand, cannot believe what I just heard. Over the years, I burn countless love letters and reject thousands of others confessions except one. I've only been in love once and after that, I got so freaken hurt I just shut up those emotions and never let them out again. Even here at Konoha, I have be rejecting and throwing out love since I thought I only had eyes for Sakura.

Then Hinata... all this time?

"Do you get it now? Why she rejected you all day on Friday?" Sasuke asked, taking a sip of his own mocha. "Hisashi is a pretty bipolar man. He can be mean, he be nice but he never forgets to keep an eye on his children; especially Hinata since he thinks she so vulnearble with life. You must've had the same last name of some kind of criminal and he thought it'd be best that she steer clear of you."

No, Hinata's old man can't know, can he? What happened two years ago... his name is Hisashi...

"Hisashi Hyuga is his name right?" I asked, subconciously.

Sasuke and Sakura nodded.

Shoot...

"Your theory might be right, Sasuke but I have never heard of that guy's name before," I lied. "But Hinata..."

"You don't feel the same?" asked Sakura.

"I don't want to feel the same," I replied.

Sasuke and Sakura exchange a look of worry.

"It's not I don't apperciate Hinata! All she did for me and everything, it's amazing but I've only been in love once and that ended pretty badly for me," I sighed. "I don't want to get hurt again. I'm weak, I know, but I think Hinata should love someone else."

"You're right when you say Hinata doesn't deserve you," Sasuke scoffed.

Sakura shouldered him.

"I just don't know yet," I got to my feet and left the student lougue without another word.

Hinata... and me.... it's a nice picture, really. But can I really? No, I can't. Especially if her father is Hisashi Hyuga, a man out to get me killed because of some stupid misunderstanding.

Hisashi and my father were business partners for so long until my dad's company had to move. My dad then had to cut all ties with the Hyuga Corps. but Hisashi took that as the wrong idea and that Dad had betrayed him...

"There he is," I heard a murmur by my ear. I whipped around in bewilderment. No, it's just the winter wind playing tricks on me...

I continued walking through the courtyard in silence but a branch cracking stopped me completely in my tracks.

"Who's there?!" I snapped at the trees. None of the students have returned yet since it was still early on Sunday.

"You better stop walking, Uzumaki," out from behind the tree, a man in black stepped out. My eyes widened... how... how did they find me?!

"You can win so many fights," the man in black said, his face completely covered. "But can you win any against a gun?"

I hadn't noticed the little silver weapon in his hand. A pistol?!

"You can stop running now," the man snickered. "And so can you're little girlfriend?"

Hinata?

"Don't you lay a single finger on her!" I snapped, without much thought I was charging.

Seconds later, on the floor but that's all I could remember.