I promised myself I wouldn't do this... I promised every God I could think of that I wouldn't go there... I promised my cat that I wouldn't let this happen!

For starters, this has nothing to go towards promoting/encouraging/liking Twilight. I hate Twilight like it's carrots (and I hate carrots like it's a plague); I don't believe in Stephanie Meyer's way of creating the vampires to sparkle in the sun, or to have werewolves be shirtless for most of the time. It literally makes me cry that the generation now and will forever think that vampires would sparkle in the sun when History CLEARLY states that vampires burn and suck the living out of humans for their own pleasure (also having their romance in a sick twisted way). For anyone who enjoys Twilight and wishes to read this fanfiction, please do so and enjoy. I don't want to create any problems in the opinion in which you hold, I'm just clearing the fact that I am not a fan of Twilight... I prefer the old fashioned black and white Dracula myself.

Second, I feel very cliche to make this a vampire-related subject, but I have been inspired by Yuna Kagesaki's Chibi Vampire and Greek/Roman stories that have twists of romance and adventure. For the reason why I am making this fanfiction is because I feel that the pairing, NaruHina, fits the characters quite well. In my opinion, at least. Of course, there is character development and other stuff, but I keep picturing NaruHina then any other anime pairing I hold in my head~.

Lastly, I'd like to point out that I am open to comments and criticism. But, for the fact that I know it could come sooner or later, that you do not judge my grammar or spelling C: I simply make fanfictions for fun and wish to share it with others, not trying to publish a best seller or a all-time-amazing-fanfiction *derpface* I don't want anything near that, please. I know I'm not the best, but my beta reader/very good friend, M0n0chr0meHue, is very helpful and I am thankful for her help. And, if you have any spare time at all, take a look at her profile and stories; they are simply wonderful and I enjoy them myself! Oh, and before I forget... Don't judge my vampires, okay? o_-' I know I'm not the only person out there who would rant about a vampire no-no, but cut some people some slack will you? FanFictions writers have a heart, too ;A; They're trying their creativity.

Please enjoy this story and comment if you wish it! ;D Comments make Kitty a happy fuzzball!

=xxx=

1930s', October

Uzumaki Kushina opened the shouji door of her bedroom to find her husband peering into the cradle with a soft expression across his handsome face. She couldn't help but giggle adoringly, making the blonde man snap his head up with rosy cheeks of his situation; scratching his chin with his index finger and let a soft laugh slip out along with the tune of his wife.

She came in with the cup of tea to pass to him. "Minato-kun, when will you let him sleep peacefully?" She asked in a whisper, careful not to let the little bundle inside the cradle stir. "He's only a few days old, he won't be doing anything special anytime soon."

Minato gulped shyly as he looked into the tea. "It's fun watching him... he's very cute, you know?" He took quick sips to hide the stutters.

Kushina tugged on one of his blonde locks, kissing his cheek. "You have plently of time to see how cute he can be, Minato-kun. Let him be and follow me; our friends will be arriving shortly!" Her small hand gently grasped his large, warm palm, gently tugging him away from the baby set and out of the room. "I heard you singing to him a while ago."

Minato let out a chuckle. "I'm sorry... it was the lullaby my mother sang to me when I was a baby." He pulled his hand away to wrap around his love's shoulders.

"I think it's a very beautiful song, even if I can't understand English... I think our son will appreciate it," Kushina let a smile stretch as Minato finished his tea, taking the cup for him to place by the teapot. "Do you ever miss America, Minato-kun?"

Minato let his thoughts wander a little before replying. "A little, but it's not like Japan... I love it here; the way nature is and the culture makes me feel more... adventurous." Kushina giggles made Minato hide his face in her long, red hair. "Since my mother's passing, I feel like Japan is more of my home..."

"It is home," Kushina agreed softly. She was about to say something in assurance for her husband's mourning when a sound of a bell came from their front door.

They have arrived.

"Ah, right on time," Minato hummed as Kushina's tomato-shaped face practically glowed when she shuffled her feet to greet her friends. Minato followed suited to bow his head to the two figures that stood staight in the doorway. "Welcome to our home, Uchiha-san."

The dark-haired man bowed in reply. "Arigato, Minato... but, like I have said before, please address me from my first name."

Kushina waved her hand infront of her face. "Ne, ne, Sasuke-kun. Minato-kun is still new to the language of addressing friends, Dattebane!"

"Hn, it is understandable," Sasuke blinked thoughtfully.

"Kushina-chaaan, you look so lovely, my dear!" the shorter figure cooed. Her pink strands glimmered in the sunlight as green orbs sparkled. "I never thought you would look so adorable after childbirth!"

"Sakura-chan, I've missed you too!" Kushina cried as she cuddled into the girl's arms. "I wished you would've visited me at the hospital to see me."

"You know the deal, Kushina," Sakura pointed her index finger and wagged teasingly. "I would have to be invited inside by someone to come in!"

"Speaking of which..." Minato let a toothy smile express his joy," please, come into our home."

The couple bowed their heads low before stepping together across the doorframe, exhaling silently before departing from their line. Minato has grown accustomed to their friend's behaviors, for what it was worth, he thought it was interesting to see how...their kind works.

The pink haired girl couldn't help but jump up and down in her kimono. "Can I see him now? I wish to see the little one! I have waited too long, you know! Cha!" her voice rose a tune higher as Kushina let out a squeal in the same pitch, taking her hand and guiding her quickly away from the two males that stood.

"She has refused to sit still since she heard Kushina-san having labor pains," Sasuke crossed his arms, tugging on his yukata sleeves before smirking at his friend. "I suppose you were the same way when it happened?"

Minato blushed. "Teme, I refuse to answer that question..."

"Hn. It seems that I know the answer anyhow."

Minato growled a little before walking to the table, silently offering tea to his guest. With the reply, he poured in a manner that made Sasuke snicker under his breath. "What is it now?"

"You pour like a true American, my friend. Sakura would have your hands hanging from our wall if she saw you pour like that." Sasuke glide silently over and took the pot away from Minato, gesturing his hand properly. "You must let your pointer finger stick out while the rest clutch to the handle," he spoke easily as he poured Minato's cup, setting the pot facing his blonde friend's way. "Then, you must hve the spout facing the guest, in order to let them know you will serve them again if they ask for another cup."

"Right," Minato muttered with defeat. "I forget."

"You will learn, my friend. It takes time and I'm sure Kushina has all the patience in the world..."

The sound of barefeet echoed, having both men see the two women giggling. Kushina was holding the bundle as Sakura went circling around her friend to eye the little face that tried to watch her every move.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried out as she squished her cheeks with her pale hands. "He's simply adorable! Look at those pretty eyes and his rosy cheeks! He looks so much like his father, it's not even funny!" Sakura couldn't help but coo at the the little baby, poking her fingers onto his soft blanket. "Look at him, Sasuke-kun!"

"I am, love," Sasuke replied cooly, watching Kushina gently hand over the baby to the excited girl. "He looks a lot like his father, indeed."

"Yes, he fits his personality, too," Kushina added adoringly, placing a soft kiss to the baby's faint blonde hair. "They both make the same face when they're hungry, as well."

"Kawaii!" Sakura cooed as she cradled the baby. "What is his name?"

"Naruto," Minato and Kushina both answered with blushes of their cheeks exposing. "Uzumaki Naruto."

"Aa, I think it fits him," Sasuke nodded. "Sakura, be careful with him. He's fragile."

"I know, jeez!" Sakura pouted innocently. "It's not my first time holding an infant, Sasuke-kun! Why can't you just- Oh, look at him! He likes my hair, Kushina-chan!" Sakura squealed as Naruto's baby hand reached for her abnormal pink hair. Gently touching the short, chopped strands, Sakura practically melted. "He's so observing!"

Kushina giggled. "Yes, he plays with my hair as well." She rubbed Naruto's chin to wipe off a strand of spittle the baby bubbled up himself.

"I love him already!" Sakura nuzzled gently as possible to the baby's hair. "And he smells yummy, too!" Her head snapped up to Kushina in shock. "Oh, not like that! I mean, you know, he's so cute that he's yummy!"

"Sakura-san, it's okay," Minato laughed hard, nearly dropping his empty teacup. "We trust you with our kid..."

Sakura made a squinty face and nodded once. "Hai! I have been practicing very hard for this day, it's not even funny!"

Sasuke sighed softly, tugging Sakura's white kimono sleeve. "You must relax, Sakura... It is said that children can sense hidden emotions as well. Don't get the baby over excited."

"Pile of ice," Sakura hissed like a animal; realizing that the baby tensed with the unknown vibration, she cuddled Naruto. "Sorry, Naruto-chan! Nee-chan didn't mean it to you, honey!"

Naruto made a soft gurgle before cuddling to Sakura's soft cheek, clinging to her pink hair with little fists and she poked her nose with his with affection.

Kushina clapped her hands softly together. "Sakura-chan, why don't you carry Naruto on our walk? I'd do it, but I'm still tired, Dattebane... If Sasuke-san doesn't mind it, that is." She looked at the young looking man with black eyes.

"As long as she is careful," Sasuke hummed quietly.

"See, Naruto-chan? Nee-chan is going to carry you for our walk! Don't worry, your mother will be next to me just in case!"

=xxx=

"And that over there is where Sasuke-kun meets the ducks he summons with his ice attitude!" Sakura pointed a pale finger to a small pond where a mother duck tend to her ducklings, having them follow her across the water. "And over there is where they have yummy ice with fruit syrup! When you're older, I'm going to have to spoil you with... Sasuke-kun, stop looking at me like that! I want to show him everything."

"The kid is going to be smothered by her until he developes your personality a lot more, Minato," Sasuke muttered softly to his companion. "There will be two Dobes in the picture now."

"Teme," was Minato's only reply.

Kushina smiled with pure joy as she and Sakura linked hands, looking around their neighborhood that they grew a strong bond over the course of a year; being like family that Kushina never really had... a loving sister and brother-in-law, per se. She enjoyed every moment with the couple... even if they weren't the kind they would expect finding. She knew what they were, and so did Minato, but that never stopped their friendship.

"Kushina-chan," Sakura tugged at their linked fingers, "can you show me how you feed Naruto-chan?"

"Why?"

"Because I never knew how to properly feed a baby..." her friend's green orbs sparkled with a hint of hope that Kushina knew all too well. "I want to know what it is like to feed a baby when I have mine someday, cha!"

"Alright, I don't see a problem with that," Kushina smiled softly as she watched Sakura bounce Naruto gently in her arms while making 'poot' noises with her cheeks puffed up. "You can also help me give him a bath and settle him into bed, if you wish."

"I want to!" Sakura squealed.

"So, Sasuke," Minato shoved his hands into his pockets as he strolled by his friend behind the two women with the baby,"isn't it near that time when you have to go to the next town for..?"

Sasuke nodded to cut him off. "Yes, by next week, Sakura would be unable to come outside during the day... as would I." He kept his hands within his yukata sleeves while peering at the pink haired woman; watching her hold Naruto's small form like she has done it for many years. "Would you mind it if Sakura would accompany your household until I get back?"

"Why?" Minato looked at Sasuke's pale features. "Is something wrong with Sakura?"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted. "Sakura said she saw a few random vampires she didn't know a few days ago. She was in the forest outside of the village when she came across them; they didn't communicate, but Sakura concluded that they weren't... normal." He stopped walking, forcing his friend to stop by him. "Sakura isn't much of a fighter, nor is she the kind to become vicious when she hasn't eaten... I don't want them to get near her or anything. Do you understand?"

Minato looked down to his toes, reminding himself of what happened to his pink haired friend...centuries ago. "Hai, Sasuke. It won't be any problem at all to have Sakura-chan stay over!" he raised his chin and performed a toothy smile. "Kushina needs a another lady to hang around when I can't keep up."

"I see," Sasuke mumbles amused. "Arigato, Minato... Just make sure that Sakura isn't too rough around your home; I don't want to come back with your house barely standing."

"I heard that, you asshole!" Sakura's scream echoed throughout the entire village they lived in.

=xxx=

Uchiha Sasuke dropped the pedistran in the alleyway, letting the limped body make a 'thud' noise as the passed out human groaned quietly. He swiped his thumb across his chin, removing the small trail of blood that was spilling from his perfect lips; he could still taste the sweet liquid of blood on his decreasing canines. Sasuke let out a soft sigh as he flicked his hand outward, letting his black yukata sleeve drag down to hide his pale hands.

'Easy drunk,' Sasuke hissed within his thoughts. 'Stupid enough to help a bystander with red eyes? Pathedic.' He strolled through the patch of woods in the dark night, only seeing tiny candles that were lit in people's homes and in lanterns outside of their doors: some printed with japanese writing to fend of evil spirits, or the names of their lost loved ones to find their way home. He ignored most of those decorated lanterns for his own sake and hurried in inhuman speed to reach his home village, where his loving wife was waiting for her own meal to come.

Sasuke smirked silently of the thought of his flower...how jumpy she would always be whenever he would return home, nuzzling his neck so lovingly before asking for permission to bite his pale neck. Her fragile looking hands cling to his clothes, or his soft hair, as she drank the blood he gathered for the both of them. For centuries, he feared for Sakura's health in regards of feeding off of humans...

His thoughts of the subject instantly snapped when he smelled a strong scent of iron and other natural minerals, just lingering in the air -blind to human senses- settling in the damp air near the district where his home and the Uzumakis' live.

In a instant, he made his way through his own home, dashing through every shoji door and every hidden room where Sakura would hide incase she was incapable, but found nothing of evidence. With the worst idea in his mind, he slowly turned his head to look out the window.

Up the grassy hill, where Kushina and Sakura created a small flowering garden a few months before, there the tanned wall held the front door that the couple were at hours before...

There, sitting in the doorway, was his dear Sakura. What he saw first was her green orbs were no more; they were now black with no sign of any white under her long lashes, black beads wide open as her lips trembled horribly, noticing the tiny sharp teeth that pricked her bottom lip. Her pink hair was disleved and stained with red patches near her scalp. Her beautiful kimono that he had gotten specially made for his love was torn and bloodstained to the degree that it barely looked like normal attire.

He made his way over to her in a nanosecond, running his long fingers through her hair in a attempt to soothe her body from trembling any longer. He noticed that not a single drop of blood lingered on her lips, like it usually would after she fed off of human anatomy. His thumb press on her ice-cold cheekbone as fresh tears fell blindly as she finally met his gaze.

"Sasuke-kun..?" she opened her mouth to reveal her razor sharp teeth. "Sasuke-kun, I didn't... They came back..!"

"I know, I know," he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead. "What happened..?" Sasuke pushed her pink hair away from her black eyes, having it stick to the blood patches as his wife shivered under his touch.

"K-Kushina-chan told me to bathe Naruto...like she showed me..." her throat bobbed as she swallowed dryly, "and...and I did it carefully, and she left me to get something to dry Naruto with..."

"Then what, love?"

Sakura tried to moisten her dry lips, exhaling in a horrid manner. "Kushina-chan screamed so loud... and Minato cried out -he was resting in their bedroom!- I tried to see, but Naruto was in the water... I couldn't leave Naruto!" she pressed her palm to her kimono, where her chest lingered, asking Sasuke to follow his gaze. "I couldn't leave him!"

Sasuke looked down then; seeing a small head within her kimono cloth, a baby's face resting on Sakura's pale skin, with the kimono shielding him from the cold. He was sleeping soundly, as if nothing horrible was touching his fresh and pure soul.

"They tried to get me-" Sasuke's nostril flared "-I was able to... let out my inner hunger, but... they took off before you came home..! It's too late, Sasuke-kun! They're both dead. Dead! Dead! Dead-!"

Sasuke silenced her cries by kissing her, telling her in his way that she needed to calm down. When she whimpered as he let go, she brushed her fingers on the baby's faint hair, sniffling as tears dripped out of her beady eyes. She felt his palms press on her cold cheeks.

"Sakura, are you sure they are..." he trailed of, his eyes reading pain to continue on any longer.

She simply nodded. "I-I tried t-t-to change them... but I couldn't find a heartbeat." She let her gaze peer to the sleeping infant in her arms, hiccuping quietly while sucking on his itty bitty thumb. She closed her eyes slowly. "Naruto is an orphan, Sasuke-kun..!"

"I know, Sakura," Sasuke hissed under his breath, pressing his lips back to her forehead as he pulled her into his arms (minding the sleeping baby is fragile compaired to his dear love). "You tried, but now we must take care of Naruto... like siblings, you see?"

"Humph!" Sakura whimpered, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "I want to be Naruto's big sister..! I don't want Naruto to be lonely."

"He won't be alone, Sakura," Sasuke whispered softly, his black eyes bled to a bright red with three commas swirling. He scanned the area to find any disturbance in the human's homes... there was none. He carried the two in his arms with ease as he walked barefoot into the forest.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn."

"Where will we go now?"

"Somewhere to hide, Sakura..."

Within those moments, Sasuke figured out in his head that his best friend is dead. His only real friend who was human and married to a human that his wife befriended for the first time since he got her into the world of the dark, was now dead. Their only child, not even a few weeks old, was now an orphan. To him, Minato was like a brother and Kushina was a sister...the baby that his wife now held was a combination of both of them.

From that moment, Sasuke knew that this combination of his two closest human companion... was now his next companion in the world of the Dark.

Wilting Roses

Chapter One- Just Another Story

Hyuuga Hinata is one of the most hard-working students in her High School, the top academic female student for the past two years; she will one day inherit the Hyuuga Tech., a company that creates new phones for the growing population and is very popular in the Asian region of the world. Hinata had long, dark blue hair with pale eyes of the shade of lavender- a very pretty girl, most may say, others would say she would be different, unique, or one-of-a-kind. She's a very sweet seventeen year old girl, who never talks back to anyone who tried to tease her. Everyone knows her family to be strict and demands order, but Hinata is so much more passive and carefree when it comes to taking charge of anything. Unfortunately, Hinata does not possess many friends, or communicates with anyone at the lunch tables.

Yes, Hyuuga Hinata is a popular girl, but is an outcast in school.

Hinata opened her locker to gently place in her Geology textbook next to her notebooks that are color coded for her classes. She always made sure she had things in order because she tends to misplace things very easily without proper instructions on how to find it all by herself.

"Did you order the next book?" a female voice reached Hinata's ears from behind.

"Hai, I have to wait two weeks for it to arrive at the store. I can hardly wait for it!" Another female voice squealed as she pulled out her Mathematics textbook and closed her locker loudly. "Oi, Hyuuga-chan, are you reading this series, too?"

Hinata looked at the book one of the girls was holding, noticing the popular font and cover design that left a clear answer of what it was...

Another vampire love story.

Hinata shook her head with a smile. "I-I'm afraid I haven't read it... Uhm, I-I have been very b-busy lately." Of course, she knew she was giving the lie she has used for years now, afraid of admitting that she had no interest at all in it.

"Ohh, but you must find time to read it! The vampire boy in here is just to die for!" the redhead flipped her hair with starry eyes. "It says his eyes are like looking into heaven!"

"Tch, the werewolf is totally better; he's mysterious for the main character and you could tell that he wants her to be safe!" the blonde companion whined while cuddling her cheeks.

"Dogs are stinky," was the redhead's reply.

"Take that back, you blood-sucker lover!"

Hinata just bowed her head before the battle between the two classmates became deadly, leaving them behind to enter her math class.

Hinata settled in her desk, which stood in the back, where she sat alone without a seatmate. She didn't mind it. She really wasn't the best at starting conversations or helping people out with their math problem (being that she was the best in her class), so she simply settles herself out of people's way and pay attention to the whiteboard and the teacher's words.

The bell went off to signal the start of next period. She opened her notebook and began to doodle butterflies with her favorite purple-inked pen, giving the wings adorable details of hearts and bubbles when the young teacher called the class into order.

-xxx-

Class was into the deep conversation about a heavy equation and a loud knock intrupted the teacher's speech about using the long formula, which Hinata solved less then five minutes just by using her head.

The door opened to show that an office woman sticking her head in. "Excuse me, but your new students got lost trying to find you in the other building." Her cheeky smile and faint blushed let Hinata know that this particular office lady, who is well into her twenties, has a fling for the math teacher, who is around the same age.

"Aa, it's alright," the teacher scratched his neck, tugging the tie a little. "Let them in and I'll take them out of your hair."

The door increased to open as three figures strolled in to cause silent gasps in the room. Hinata stopped shading in her butterfly to see what the fuss was to blink in surprise at the sight she encountered in the back of the classroom alone.

The first one to walk in was a young man with seductive features. Short, spikey hair that stuck behind him with black eyes to match under his bangs. He was fairly tall and skinny, having long legs to make him move fluidly into the room; the faint echo of the girls in the classroom swooning over the first glimpse of the young man as his blank face was nowhere looking into anyone's eyes, but face the floor. He had a perfectly sculpted face, a perfect nose to blend in so nicely with his model-like lips... If Hinata didn't know any better, she would've though the young man was a model for an expensive clothing line.

The next figure was a girl. She had very green eyes that sparkled with curiosity and joy as she walked adoringly into the room with her hands behind her back, her long legs seem to move in a slow motion as she settled to stand next to the black-haired boy. The most odd thing Hinata would point out straight away was her pink hair that was short and wavy around her cheekbones, giving shape to her heart-shaped face and light pink lips. She had slightly more color then the first boy, but she stilled exposed a pale skin tone. She was slightly skinny, small curves that seemed to fit well with her small chest and a smaller height compared to the boy (who Hinata noted was as tall as their teacher). She wore a smile that distracted many of Hinata's classmates in a instant.

A voice of a male seemed to come from outside the door as the office assistant was recieving a thank you. "Thanks a lot, lady-! Kurenai, right? We could've sworn the building was the right one!" The voice was very energetic and loud, causing the dark boy to twitch once under his left eye and the pink-haired girl to offer him a small nudge and a whisper of something Hinata couldn't pick up.

A blonde boy with tanned skin came jumping into the classroom as the door was shut behind him; a toothy smile that revealed white, shinny teeth as his whiskered cheeks bubbled as he waved to the teacher. "Sorry, Mister!"

The teacher waved his hand. "It's nothing. New students get lost all the time," he said with ease as he looked at his class list to check of three names with a blue pen. "Why don't you start with your name and something you like for the class to get to know you? It's sorta of a tradition I have for this class." The teacher smiled warmly to the dark-haired boy first, as if giving him encouragement to go first.

The guy looked up from the ground to meet every single set of eyes in the class as he spoke in a cool tone of no interest. "Uchiha Sasuke."

"Something you like, Uchiha-san?" the teacher beckoned politely.

"Hn...nothing." Hinata jumped a bit in her chair as every girl in the class 'kyaa'-ed with hearts in their eyes as Sasuke looked back down with no interest as before.

"He's too cool to like anything!" a girl screeched with her hand over her heart.

"I think I'm in love!" the girl Hinata sat behind whispered while her boyfriend of two years popped a vein in his temple.

"R-right. How about you, miss?" the teacher gulped as he changed gazes to green orbs.

The pink-haired girl replied to the teacher with a beautiful smile, making him flush a little, as she spoke with a perfect voice of a singer. "My name is Uzumaki Sakura, and I enjoy learning about medical courses," she said with a glittering twinkle in her eye. "I hope to become a doctor one day and help out in developing countries!" She tucked a pink lock behind her ear as Sasuke made a grunt for her attention. "Oh yes, I am also engaged to Sasuke-kun as well...he wished for me to mention that."

"Nooo!" the girls cursed with their heart eyes bursting into flames, making Hinata giggle a little to herself. Sure, someone has to break the hearts of the new heart-throb of the school, but not this quickly.

The teacher didn't even get the chance to motion for the blonde's turn as he thrust up a fist and a laugh. "Name's Uzumaki Naruto, everybody! Sakura-chan is my sister and I love ramen, martial arts, sleeping, video games and so many other things! Dattebayo!" He was going to continue with his introduction speech as Sakura, as fragile as she seems, smacked the back of Naruto's skull, causing the tanned teen to let out a cry in pain. "Oww! Sakura-chan, that huuurts, Dattebayo!"

The class roared with laughter as the teacher let a sweatdrop appear on his head. "Well, thank you for your names, you three! Uhm, I have your seating plans sorted out already." he peered at another sheet of paper as he pointed to an empty table in the middle of the classroom. "Uchiha-san, Uzumaki-san -if I may call you Sakura?- you will be seated there together..." he let the two walk down the aisle with their peers examining every little detail they could look at as Sasuke pulled out a chair for Sakura before he took his own seat and kept silent the whole time. "Uzumaki-san, you will be sitting next to Hyuuga-san in the back. Raise your hand, Hyuuga-san!"

"Huh?" Hinata's face flushed as she met the blonde's blue eyes, causing Hinata's heart to hit her ribcage as she raised a shaking hand while stuttering. "H-h-h-here!"

The teacher smiled at the blond before saying his last conversation line. "You may call me Asuma-sensei, by the way. I don't think scheduels at the middle of the year doesn't state the name."

Naruto bowed his head to the teacher and practically jumped his way to the back of the room, hopping over books and limbs of the classmate's legs to kick himself back onto the seat and rest his feet on the table. He let his hands rest behind his head as he winked at Hinata friendly-like. "Heya, you can call me Naruto. Uzumaki makes me feel like a stranger!"

Hinata didn't say anything but kept her gaze down while the teacher went back to talking. She stumbled her purple pen in her fingers as she tried to start a new doodle of another butterfly with swirls within its wings. She could feel the presence of Naruto's eyes on her as he made noises of his chair scooting closer to look at her paper.

"Gee, thats a very good drawing," Naruto said politely, making Hinata gulp thickly with her nerves going out of wack. "Your name is Hinata, right? You're good at drawing, Hinata."

Hinata nodded fast. "A-arig-...arigato, N-Naruto...-kun."

Naruto's head tilted to the side, slowly reaching his index finger to gently poke her shoulder. "Ne, ne. You don't have to be scared with me, Hinata. I'm a good boy!" He tugged her uniform sleeve to have her look at his dashing smile. "I want to be friends with you, Dattebayo!"

She could feel her cheeks growing to a deeper shade of red as she tried to force out a smile, nodding slowly as she turned her head back to watch the teacher...

Although, it was a difficult task with Naruto asking her to keep drawing her butterfly.

=xxx=

Class ended after another half hour, the bell signaling the students to have their social break to chat, eat their lunch, and study for the last minute. The students in Hinata's math class swarmed out quickly, noting that Naruto hasn't even risen from his chair as his eyes were glued to Hinata's purple doodles.

"A-Ano..." Hinata mumbled shyly.

"Ne?" Naruto's blue eyes looked up. "What's wrong, Hinata?"

"C-class is over now, Naruto-kun..."

The blonde sat up in his chair, having a confused look before giving himself a facepalm on his forehead. "Right! Thats the bell for lunch, isn't it? Haha, I wouldn't have known if I wasn't paying attention... Wait, I wasn't paying attention!" He stood up from his chair to stare a little frightened. Out of curiosity, Hinata followed his gaze to see Sakura and Sasuke standing by their desk, facing them. "Uhm... Sorry guys! I-I was just-"

"Not paying attention," Sasuke muttered coldly. "You're such a dobe."

"Am not! I was just watching Hinata draw in her notebook!" Naruto defended himself weakly, waving his hand at Hinata's paper she still had out in plain sight.

"She was paying attention as well as drawing, Naruto," Sakura said. "It is called multi-tasking, which is something you don't possess very well." Sakura's green eyes lingered to Hinata's pale ones, giving her a kind smile as she walked over and stuck out her small hand. "It's nice to meet you, Hinata-chan. Please, excuse my brother's stupidity and if he bothered you in anyway from learning."

"Oh, n-no! He was no trouble at all, Uzu-"

"Please call me Sakura," she smiled bigger.

"S-Sakura-chan... N-Naruto-kun was no trouble," she continued. "Actually, h-he was fun to be around." She gave Naruto's sister a small smile.

"See? I'm behaving!" Naruto cried out as scratched his head.

"You're still a dobe, Dobe," Sasuke said flatly, wrapping an arm around Sakura's waist. Hinata notice that she didn't see him make his way over here. "We're going for lunch."

"Can Hinata-chan come, too?" Sakura asked with loving eyes as she glanced up to him. "She seems very nice."

"U-uhm, I don't want to be a bother!" Hinata held her hands up to protest, but Sakura's giggle made her silent.

"What bother would it be to have you join us for lunch?" Sakura giggled cutely, making Hinata blush shyly. "Unless you have other plans, I would like to get to know you. You seem like a very polite and fun person!"

"Yeah yeah!" Naruto nodded quickly, in a excited stance to face the Hyuuga heiress. "Come on, Hinata. Please? I know Teme looks like a scary guy, but he's actually a pu-" He got Sakura's fist to land perfectly ontop of his head, making another cry of pain. "That hurt, Sakura-chaaan!"

"Don't call Sasuke-kun mean names, Naruto!" Sakura said calmly as she snuggled her way into Sasuke's waiting arms, having him smirk at the blonde in victory. "Your brother-in-law is a very brave man in my life!"

"Pfft, whatever," Naruto choked as he looked at Hinata with pleading eyes. "So, what'cha say, Hinata? You could show us around the school, if you want! We're pretty much new to town and we don't know anybody! You can be our first friend ever!"

The word 'friend' echoed in Hinata's mind thoughtfully and invitingly. She enjoyed having Naruto as a seatmate, and she already liked Sakura's warm presence. She didn't know what caused her to reply in such a way, it just happened.

"Okay."

What is she doing?