You forced me into this."Naruto pou

You forced me into this."

Naruto pouted before trying again, "You guys have to at least see the shrine performance this year! I heard this year it's going to be really different!"

"Who's performing?" Gaara asked interestedly.

"So this is what's taking my dango so long. You guys are holding up the line." Sakura frowned as she stopped the trio of boys. Naruto flashed a cocky grin. "Hey there, Sakura-chan. What's a pretty girl like you doing out here all by yourself?"

Sakura glared daggers at his mock flirtation. "I was here with Hina-chan, actually."

"Do you want dango? I'll get some for you." Sasuke offered her. Sakura ignored him, sighing before her expression quickly morphed into anger and surprise, jade eyes lingering on the Jinchuuriki before they narrowed into slits. "Naruto!? Wait, what the hell are you doing here!?"

"Um…enjoying the summer festival like I always do?" The blonde responded, confused. Jade eyes widened. "You idiot! You lied to Hina-chan?!"

Gaara unnoticeably stood a bit straighter at the mention of the name.

"What?! When!?" Naruto's brow creased as the pinkette jabbed her finger at his chest accusingly. "When you told her you couldn't bring her to the festival because of a special friend!"

"Look!" Naruto grabbed Gaara and pushed him in front of him to barrier himself. "This is my special friend! You know Gaara, don't you?"

Sakura gave a sincere, happy smile, "Good evening, Gaara-kun. I like your yukata. Very pretty. Excuse me, would you mind moving out of the way now?"

He smirked. "Gladly,"

Sakura's eyes glinted dangerously green as the other two watched on with amusement. She grabbed the collar of Naruto's sleeveless outfit. "You jerk! Do you realize how much she needs you today!?"

"What do you mean!?" Naruto shrilled, feeling a punch coming soon. Sakura dropped him, glaring down at the Jinchuuriki flat on his butt with her hands on her hips. "Hinata-chan's performing the shrine dance tonight and she's a nervous wreck."

"Hinata's performing tonight…? At the shrine…?" The jinchuuriki's eyes widened before he slapped his forehead. "Oh, no! I have to see her before she goes on!"

Sakura "Well, we better hurry! It's almost about to start!"

"It was really weird," Temari stole a bite of one of Shikamaru's dripping dango as they sat under a cherry tree, not quite huddled together but certainly together. The performance to the shrine was going to begin soon, and the two decided to eat beforehand before all the action started. "Gaara just randomly decided two days ago that he wanted to come here."

Shikamaru arched a brow as he wiped off a bit of syrup that fell on the corner of Temari's mouth. "What exactly did he say?"

"He seemed pretty distracted after the war ended," The dirty blonde kunoichi looked thoughtful before she snapped her fingers together. She deepened her voice, mimicking Gaara's baritone, "'We're going to Konoha. Pack your bags. We leave in two hours.'"

His eyebrows rode further up his face. "That is strange."

Temari nodded, her quadruple pigtails bouncing. "Kankuro and I didn't even have a choice…we had to go." Her mouth mashed into a suspicious line, "I don't think Gaara's here for a friendly visit though,"

"You're right, it doesn't seem like him at all," Shikamaru agreed thoughtfully. He paused. "Do you think…maybe he's here to see someone?"

"Someone like…a girl…?"

"Yeah…"

The two shinobi looked at each other for a fill minute, processing this possibility before their jaws dropped simultaneously.

"Oh my Kami! We're visiting because Gaara has a crush on someone!"

"You ready, Hina-nee?" Hanabi adjusted the tiara pin on her sister before adding a few pale pink and purple flowers to the underside of her bun. Hinata cracked a nervous smile. "A bit antsy…but I know I can do it."

Hanabi grinned as she handed her sister her fans. "I'm glad you're doing it instead of me. I looked like a fool trying."

"Not at all, you just needed a bit of practice," Hinata shook her head lightly, trying not to mess up her perfectly placed hairstyle. The two sisters grinned as the sankyoku band began setting themselves up on the marble floor of the shrine, decorated with intricate pillows.

"Looks like it's almost time for the show," Hanabi commented. "Good luck nee-san. I'll be rooting you on!"

Hinata passed her sister one more smile before she ran through the routine in her head, waving and smiling to each member of the sankyoku. She could hear the sounds of the excited crowd behind the curtain that separated the heiress from them, immediately feeling her heart begin to accelerate twenty times as she took a deep breath, and stood poised to her opening pose just as the curtain parted.

The crowd fell deadly silent as two heavy beat drums doled out a slow, heavy beat, silencing the four teens that had pushed their way up to the front, where the shrine sat like a pedestal. The curtain began opening, and the Jinchuuriki held his breath until he saw what was hidden behind it.

The silhouette of a young woman with her hair put up elegantly stood poised with one fan extended and opened, while the other was raised to cover her face despite the fact no one could see her face. The drum beat continued to be played before the young woman began moving, dropping each hip to the beat as she turned around, exposing an alabaster-painted face with smoky eyes, the other half shrouded behind her gold and dark blue fans teasingly.

Naruto exhaled, unaware that he forgot how to breathe momentarily as his eyes widened when the shakuhachi began playing a soft, yet haunting, melodious tune. The young woman extended her bare right foot, elegantly swiveling it around her as she followed the movement to complete a full turn before she crouched, her opposite foot out and head facing her lap before she looked up slowly, opening her mysterious eyes and meeting directly with Naruto's. The Jinchuuriki's eyes widened furthermore as the corner of her mouth seemed to smirk at him.

She got up once more before she finally snapped both fans shut, her hips still moving to the beat, her legs still waving and gliding as the haunting vibrato of the flute-like instrument controlled her, arms controlled by the equally sorrowful song that the shamisen began playing. She rolled her shoulders back, tilted her head back, twisting and turning as her fans gently glided through the air before she threw the fans down with a flick of her wrists, halting all the music.

The crowd was captivated with the young woman as she slowly untied the large obi behind her, undoing it to reveal two separate long ribbons that she held at arm's length, the top of the kimono stitched to cover her bosom, but opening up the bottom to reveal capri trousers, her feet still bare.

The crowd gasped as she reached up to pluck out the tiara that sat on her head, instead letting down a waterfall of silk hair cascade down her back before the music started up again, this time, the beats dropping faster and the koto joining in the fray to produce high pitched notes and spelled out a happier tune.

The young woman raised her hands up in the air, the ribbon weaved through her fingers as she danced on her toes, leaping on one toe before twirling, her hair, kimono and ribbons all swirling around her before she raised her hand into an arc over her head. She began traveling down the stairs, twirling and leaping delicately before she reached the base, the entire crowd moving back to give her space as she glided through the air, teasing the front row with her ribbons.

She took care to drive Naruto crazy as her eyes glittered, her dark blue ribbon ticking his nose and caressing his face playfully before she did a backflip, twirling once more before she dropped into a crouch with her legs crossed behind her, hands planted firmly on each side as the beat drummed one last time before ending, with her face looking dead ahead at the Jinchuuriki.

Silence. Ten whole seconds of deadly and shocked silence as the crowd came out of their hypnotism. Sakura was frozen in disbelief. Gaara's eyes almost seemed like they were going to pop out of their sockets. Sasuke cleared his throat, taking deep breaths to control his blush. Naruto jaw flapped against his chest before he wiped off his drool and he exploded into applause, the entirety of the crowd quickly following suit and breaking out into a cacophony of cheers.

Hinata got up, smiling from ear to ear triumphantly as she traveled back up the stairs to bow before the curtain closed once more.

"You did it! Oh my Kami, Hina-chan, that was beautiful!" Sakura cried as she threw her arms over her friend, laughing the entire time. "Did you see the way the crowd reacted to that?! Everybody was hypnotized!"

Hinata smiled in disbelief as she shook her head shakily, the adrenaline wearing off of her. "I'm still in shock I did it."

Sakura and her hugged some more, squealing, as Sasuke stared at her before turning his nose to the side, "It was pretty good, Hyuuga."

Hinata grinned at the brooding man. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun. Ano, where did Naruto-kun go?"

"He'll be here shortly," A deep, masculine voice rumbled behind her. Hinata turned, finding herself chest-to-face with the Kazekage.

"Kazekage-sama!" She gasped before bowing. "It's an honor to see you here!"