Diligence

Having a zealous and careful nature in one's actions and work.

Upholding one's convictions at all times…especially when

no one else is watching.

Hinata was never sent to the office for questioning that day. No, one really talked to her about the event that occurred in the lunch room, not personally at least, but everyone was certainly talking about it. There were several speculations on what would end up happening to Hidan, but never a final verdict. Hinata never saw Hidan for the rest of that school day. And for those last few hours it'd been eating at her.

Why would he do something like that? What he did was just completely stupid, there was no rhyme or reason, he just did it…and the way he looked at her. Hinata shook her head and looked back at the worksheet in front of her.

Question 3:

Who was the President of the Confederate States of America?

Hinata scrunched up her face reading the question over. US History was a class that really frustrated her, but she was able to answer most of the questions before the end of class. Her teacher said that she could finish the rest for homework, and she replied with a shy nod and sat back down at her desk.

"Hey Hinata," said Naruto who sat to her left. She looked up surprised that he'd even acknowledged her, and gave him a questioning look. "Did you hear what happened to Hidan?"

Hinata's heart started to beat a little faster; she just shook her head looking back at the blond boy.

"Well," he said "Apparently he said that he dumped that trash on the girls because he saw that they where bugging you. He still got suspended anyway, but is that true? Do you know him that well?" Naruto's eyes went wide expecting her to give up any juicy news. Hinata after all was a mystery to kids like Naruto, the ones that didn't torment her, but never talked to her.

"Um, no…I don't know him that well," she lied "I don't know why he did that…he must have just made that up so he wouldn't get in more trouble than he is." She'd have to forgive Hidan later for lying, not that he'd mind to much, he'd probably just laugh and tell her what a 'little snot' she was.

"How long will he be suspended for?" she asked quietly beginning to put her notes away so that she'd be ready for the bell.

"Uh a week I think," Naruto replied scratching the back of his head. "He's got an office suspension so he'll still be coming to school and junk. They'd rather not let a kid like him walk the streets unattended for a whole week if you get what I mean!" Naruto laughed and Hinata just shrugged as if she didn't know what he was talking about. She was just glad that Hidan would still be going on the bus with her even if she didn't see him during the day that would be okay, they never saw much of each other anyway.

Hidan was released from the clutches of the school principle when the final bell rang. Having an office suspension would be good for him, he'd be able to get his head clear and hopefully make on work he'd been falling behind on. He had a headache and he just wanted to get home and have the most fantastic nap ever.

"Hey, what happened at lunch man?" Kakuzu asked at the lockers.

"Nothing man," Hidan said with a smile closing the door of his locker. "Just sick of all this bullshit," He shrugged and turned away from his friend who followed just behind.

"What bullshit?" Kakuzu asked but Hidan just shrugged again as they walked together outside. "See you later, man, hope things turn out alright," his friend branched off from him and walked to his bus while Hidan kept walking to his own. He climbed up the steps of the bus and glanced around, the bus was on the almost completely full side. He walked down to where Hinata was sitting her gaze out the window distracted by the music blasting in her ears. Hidan gave a slight smile and seated himself down. She didn't twitch or shuffle closer to the window; she simply gave him a sidelong glance.

Pressing the pause button on her IPod Hinata asked, "Why'd you help me?"

"Because," he said lazily pulling his arm across the back of the chair "I like you."

"Oh," she murmured her cheeks stained "thank you."

Hidan just shrugged at her thanks and a silence fell between the two of them. It wasn't an awkward silence; not really, it was more relief than anything else. Hidan could tell that Hinata was actually very happy, her face was pink and she had a whisper of a curled smile on her lips. That made him smile, she looked cute. Very cute.

"I-I like you too Hidan," she finally confessed and Hidan closed his eyes smiling.

"That's good to know babe," he replied and patted Hinata's soft hair like he always did when she said something especially cute. For a moment she looked worried and he raised a brow at her. "What's eating at you?"

"I told Naruto I didn't know you," she said with a small voice. "I hope you're not insulted for that!"

"Pft!" Hidan laughed at that "Don't worry about it! That loser shouldn't be so damn noisy anyway!" He looked at her as she smiled and the bus came to his stop. Hidan gave a sigh of disappointment he wanted to talk to her more now that she seemed more willing to trust him. "Well gotta run," he said slinging his bag over his shoulder and getting up. She gave him a shy wave and he got off the bus.

Two weeks went by and it seemed like the best two weeks Hinata had ever had in America. Her and Hidan talked nonstop over the internet, threw text messages, and whole nights spent simply talking on the phone. For once Hinata was happy and it showed.

Hinata walked into the dining room wearing a white knitted dress with black leggings and flats. Her hair was loose around her face and pin straight; she even wore a little bit of makeup. She poured herself a bowl of cereal and sat down as Neji walked into the room fixing his tie. He looked sharp with a white button up, black pants, and shiny black shoes, he'd even gotten a haircut. His hair was now down about his ear lobes and choppy.

"Ready for that interview?" Hinata asked looking her cousin over.

"Yea," he said fixing his cuffs "do I look alright?"

"You look great cousin," she smiled and took a mouth full of Frosted Flakes.

"You're looking nice yourself. What's the occasion?"

"No, occasion," she replied tossing some hair behind her shoulder "just going to the movies with Hidan."

"Just Hidan?" Neji asked raising a brow.

"Well not just Hidan, Kakuzu and the others will be there too," she confirmed rolling her eyes at her protective cousin. She never considered that Hidan and herself where boyfriend and girlfriend, they'd just gone out with his friends, it wasn't like they were dating. Neji however thought differently about the close relationship that his younger cousin and this boy had developed. He wanted her to be careful, but without Hinata's parents yet around it wasn't like he had much ability or authority to better monitor her. He simply hoped she'd make the right choices.

"Alright well when is he picking you up?" Neji sighed making himself a bowl of the surgery cereal as well.

"Well we're going to the mall first then the movies, he said he's going to be here in an hour or so," she replied eating quickly.

He simply nodded and began to eat quietly. Hinata sighed and quickly finished up the bowl, she was annoyed with Neji so much right now! The whole time she'd been angry and depressed he never noticed her or asked her if anything was wrong. It seemed like it had been easier on him before she started to hang out more with Hidan and the other Akasuki, she had been within his control when she was sad, and that made her angry at him.

Hidan called her when Paine pulled into her drive way and she rushed out to greet them. Paine's car was a large black van with red clouds painted on the sides. Deidara slid open the side door for her and Hinata hopped in. She was taken aback by the smell of marijuana and had to cough slightly before getting use to it and plopping herself down in the farthest back seats next to Hidan.

"No, one cop better fucking pull us over Deidara," Hidan growled as Deidara handed the burning joint to Sasori.

"We'll be fine as long as Paine decides to drive the speed limit for once yea," the blonde yelled back. "You want a puff?"

"Nah," Hidan said rolling his eyes before looking at Hinata. "I like your dress," he said politely and Hinata smiled. He was wearing a T-shirt from his favorite band Jashin; it was black with the band's red insignia over his chest.

"Thanks," she replied as he rested his thick arm over her shoulder. "What movie are we going to see?" she asked looking up at him expectantly.

"I dunno yet," he replied carefully monitoring how fast Paine was driving and how obvious the smell in the car was getting. "Assholes look at the fog your making!" He kicked out at the back of Tobi's chair.

"Heeeyyyyy," Toby whimpered in displeasure turning around in the chair to look at Hidan and Hinata. "Hi Hinata!" he finally said waving to her and she waving back in return.

The ride to the mall only took about forty five minutes and lucky for the group they didn't get pulled over. Deidara, Tobi, and Sasori broke off from the group first to go into their favorite comic book store. The rest of the group weaved in and out of stores, none of them holding the satisfactory amount of money needed to buy much of anything.

However when they went to the music store Hidan lead Hinata threw the different ails of music genre till he came a pond his destination. He fingered threw a few CDs of bands Hinata had never heard of before grabbing a hold of the latest Jashin album. He looked at it and handed it to her and she blinked several times in surprise.

"I'll buy it for you," he said in a way that finalized the argument. Again Hinata only blinked at him then looked at the plastic wrapped album in her hands. The cover was white with a graphic of blood splatter going across the top of it then dripping down into the Jashin insignia.

"I don't know if you'll like that kind of music or not," he said scratching the back of his head as they walked together to the cash register. "But I practically worship them."

"I'm sure I'll enjoy it, I'm not picky when it comes to music," Hinata replied with a smile and Hidan shrugged and smiled in return. She enjoyed Hidan's smile, it was a half curl in his mouth and his violet eyes would become sharp and cat like. Hinata wondered if he intentionally smiled like that to her just to look sexy, then she blushed at her own vulgar thought. As promised Hidan paid for the album and they walked together out of the mall and across the parking lot to the movie theater. Together…and alone.