What about us?

Chapter 19: Ladies' ride

"Hinata!! Where were you?!" TenTen got up and hugged Hinata.

"TenTen-chan?"

"I was worried! What happened?! You never miss a lesson!" Hinata hugged her back.

"I… had some problems, but now it is all right. I’m sorry you had to worry about me." Naruto heard it.

"Problems?" thought Naruto.

"I wonder what's wrong with Itachi. He doesn't pick up my phone…" thought Sasuke. Izumi has the date tomorrow, so Sasuke wanted to call him before that.

"Hinata…" Kiba knew what happened. He overheard a piece of conversation. The girls were pretty noisy. He felt guilty for what had happened. Shino noticed.

"Maybe you should talk to her."

"Shino?! Do you advise me?!"

"Why are you so surprised? You are my only friend and I don't like to see you in this situation."

"I wouldn't expect that from you, Shino! Thanks!"

"You're welcome." Mieko just smirked. He also knew what had happened because the girls had told him. He even had a plan to get Naruto out of the game.

"What a drag. They are all so noisy. I just want to sleep," thought tired Shikamaru.

"I feel for you, buddy. I'm out of chips…" Choji's stomach churned. Time passed and now they had the last hour with Iruka. Naruto was not paying attention at all. He had to think about what had happened to Hinata. The geography with Iruka was lifeless again. But at least he could sleep.

"Hey Naruto, this is not a sleeping course!!" He hit him with a book.

"Uhh, Iruka-sensei, why are you disturbing my sleep??" said sleepily Naruto.

"Oi Naruto! You will never graduate with this attitude!"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I’m your teacher! It’s my duty to prepare you for graduation!"

"Really?! You believe that I can graduate?!"

"Of course! You are my student!"

"Oh Iruka-sensei!!" Naruto hugged him.

"Too close…" Iruka may not admit it, but Naruto is his favorite student. Despite all the mischief he does to him. Naruto finally started trying. He remembered his dream, and now Hinata was tutoring him. It was visible. His grades begun to rise from F to D, even C. Hinata giggled.

"That Unsura tonkachi…" thought Sasuke.

"What a drag…" Shikamaru watched the clock and was glad that Naruto was delaying the lesson.

"All right, class! This is all for today! But since I'll let you leave ten minutes earlier, I'll give you a homework!"

"Ehhh?!" Everyone was annoyed.

"You can thank Naruto for delaying the lesson…" Iruka smiled.

"Narutoo…!" Naruto saw the death stares around him and preferred to run away.

"Iruka-sensei, that was mean!" That were Naruto’s last words. Hinata harvested her things and wanted to go see Naruto, but the girls stopped her.

"No, no, Hinata. Today you are going with us!" said Ino.

"Yeah, I don't remember the last time I talked to you!" said TenTen.

"TenTen-chan…" Hinata felt guilty.

"That’s right, Hinata! We won't just leave you to Naruto!" Hinata blushed.

"Let's do a ladies' ride!" suggested Ino.

"That’s good idea!" said TenTen. Hinata was surprised and glad at the same time. She didn’t expect TenTen to be friends with them again.

"Umm!" Hinata agreed. First they went to a cafe. They ordered a cappuccino and a piece of chocolate cake.

"So Hinata, when will you confess?" asked Ino.

"L-like this all of a sudden?" Hinata coughed.

"You have to do it soon or someone else will take him!" said Sakura.

"As I said, it’s not that easy!"

"Hmm, and did you two already confessed?" TenTen didn't want all the attention on Hinata. She doesn't like it.

"Well, Sai is suddenly so far away. I don't even know how to talk to him anymore…" said sadly Ino.

"I've confessed twice and he always sent me to hell. I'd rather wait than ruin it again!"

"Exactly!" said Ino.

"Heeh? So you two can wait and Hinata can't?"

"That's different, Hinata has a nice relationship with Naruto, unlike the two of us!!" both said. Hinata blushed. Do they really think that?

"All right, all right, I was just teasing you!" Ino and Sakura smirked.

"What about you, TenTen? Don't you have someone?" they teased.

"No! And I don't even want to! Our arms store is all I need!" TenTen blushed from embarrassment.

"But Neji-nii-san said he met a very nice girl in the arms store. Wasn't it you?"

"Hinata!!"

"Oh, so Neji, senior and Hinata‘s cousin. You're heading pretty high, TenTen!" they both said and pointed their fingers at her.

"H-he was just an ordinary customer! Nothing more!"

"Right, right, everyone would say that…"

"It’s true!!" They didn’t listen to her.

"You are blushing, TenTen-chan," smirked Hinata.

"Hinata!!"

"Hinata, don‘t you mind if he's your cousin? Your best friend and your cousin…" Sakura was curious.

"Neji-nii-san deserves someone like TenTen-chan." Hinata smiled.

"Stop it already!!"

"You are right, TenTen. Back to Hinata!" said Ino.

"Huh?"

"So… when will you confess?"

"W-when? I never agreed to do it in the first place!"

"Hmm, so tomorrow!" said Sakura.

"T-tomorrow?! That’s too early!"

"Well, if you confess to Naruto, I'll still try to get Sasuke-kun. And Ino talks to Sai. And of course TenTen will greet Neji!"  Sakura said firmly.

"Y-yes!!" said Ino. She was a little afraid to talk to Sai. She was afraid he was no longer interested in her.

"I do not know anything about that!!" yelled TenTen. But Sakura whispered in her ear.

"Play along! I have a plan how to force her to confess to him already!" TenTen nodded.

"Y-yeah, Hinata!" TenTen fake smiled.

"W-what??" Hinata knew they had something up their sleeve.

"So… our relationships are in your hands now…" smirked Sakura.

"I knew it!" thought Hinata.

"What should I do? I don’t want to ruin their relationships… But I’m not ready to confess to him yet…"

"So… Hinata, what’s your answer?"

"I’ll… do it! I’ll do it!!"

"Yesss!!!" They high-fived.

"They agreed on me!" thought Hinata.