Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or the lyrics. End of story.

Claimer: I own the plot, nothing more, nothing less.

She spins and she sways to whatever song plays,
Without a care in the world.
And I'm sittin' here wearin' the weight of the world on my shoulders.
It's been a long day and there's still work to do,
She's pulling at me saying "Dad I need you!
There's a ball at the castle and I've been invited and I need to practice my dancin'"
"Oh please, daddy, please!"

Hinata had just come home from a day at the Academy, Hiashi noted, and about ten minutes after she returned, he could hear a quiet, upbeat music coming from the Main House dojo. Wondering what in the world that girl was up to, and quite irate at being interrupted while working on Clan business. He sighed, as he stood from his desk, exited his office, and made his way to the Main Family’s dojo.

Inside, he discovered, Hinata was practicing her Jyuuken forms, as she silently sang along with the music. She was, however, doing them so bad it was more like a dance, rather than intricate fighting movements. After a few moments of watching his oldest daughter practice, and wondering why he was here when he should be working on his paper-work, Hinata finally noticed him.

Little eight-year-old Hinata came over and took his hand, trying to pull him further into the dojo. “P-Please D-Daddy, I-I need h-help w-with my J-Jyuuken! T-There’s a t-test t-tomorrow, and I-I need t-to p-practice r-really hard!” she begged, as she tugged gently at his sleeve. “Can’t you ask Neji to help you? I’m very busy Hinata.” He said, trying to shake her off him. But she was determined it should be him, ‘and besides, Neji-nii-san i-is b-being m-mean lately’. Hiashi sighed, knowing that Hinata, young and innocent as she was, had out foxed him with her simple and child-like logic. “Alright.” He said, as he began to lead Hinata through the slightly less-advanced Jyuuken forms.

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song,
Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone

As Hiashi and Hinata moved through the forms, Hinata was smiling a small, secret smile, happy inside that her Father had decided to help her train. They moved swiftly, so swiftly in fact, that it cased Hiashi’s long hair to move from its immaculate, and accustomed place. As the forms progressed, Hiashi was almost surprised at how well Hinata was keeping up with him, and then he realized that she was no longer his awkward three-year-old daughter, but that she was now a big girl of eight, and a ninja in training. It seemed only yesterday to Hiashi that she had been so small, and so fragile, that he wished

with all his heart that this moment could be frozen in time, so that Hinata would never grow up, and leave him, wishing that she would stay his little girl forever, even though her knew he had no right to even think of her that way.

She says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of the dress
She says "Dad, the prom is just one week away,
And I need to practice my dancin'"
"Oh please, daddy, please!"

Hinata turned slowly in front of her Father, allowing him to approve her outfit. “I’ve chosen Neji as my partner for the exams, Father. Is this outfit appropriate?” Hinata questioned, as she turned full circle. Said outfit consisted of a tight, short-sleeved black half shirt, mesh covered her from her hips to just below her breasts, and she had on a pair of tight black mid-thigh length shorts, with mesh covering the rest of her legs, and black ninja sandals. Her now waist-length purplish indigo hair was pulled up in a very simple ponytail. Hiashi nodded, not quite trusting his voice at the moment.

Before his eyes, and almost against his will, Hinata had grown up from that small, stuttering eight-year-old girl that had almost begged him for help with her Jyuuken forms for an Academy test the next day, into a strong, sure, and confidant woman, who was now preparing for the Jounin exams. He knew the years between the time she was three and when she was eight had blown by, like a gust of wind, but he hadn’t known that the years between the time she was that shy, stuttering eight-year-old and now would pass in the blink of an eye.

Hinata then looked at him, a questioning look in her large, lavender eyes, and when she spoke, it seemed that she was that eight-year-old girl again. “Daddy, will you help me practice my Jyuuken? The exams are only a week away.” She requested, smiling a bit shyly. Hiashi was slightly taken aback, seeing as she hadn’t called him ’Daddy’ since she was eight. Hiashi let out a sigh, and was about to shake his head, but stopped when he felt her small, calloused and strong hands wrap around his own, as she nearly pleaded, as she had done those ten long years ago, pouting for good measure. “Please, Daddy, please!” Hiashi mentally shook his head and grinned, however on the outside, he merely nodded reluctantly, as he let Hinata lead him to the dojo.

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Ohh-oh ohh-oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song,
Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone
She will be gone.

As they practiced, Hiashi wondered if they hadn’t done this just yesterday, when she was eight, but no, during the ten year gap between, he had neglected Hinata because he thought she was weak, favoring

Hanabi over her. Hiashi now saw that he had been wrong, for without his aide, encouragement, or support, but through the love of her friends, especially a certain sandy-blond Suna Kunoichi, Hinata had gained confidence, power, and certainty, he could see it as they moved through the forms, almost in perfect unison. He didn’t want to admit it, even to himself, but he knew he must, sooner or later. Hinata had grown up, and he had had no part in it.

Well, she came home today
With a ring on her hand
Just glowin' and tellin' us all they had planned
She says "Dad, the wedding's still six months away
but I need to practice my dancin'"
"Oh please, daddy please!"

Six years had passed since he and Hinata had practiced for her Jounin exam, and just the year before last she had been promoted to ANBU, she had even requested, and been granted permission, to join the ANBU Black Ops. Hiashi was sitting in his office, as he finished up some last-minute clan paper-work, and he kept absent mindedly glancing at the picture of Hinata on the day she graduated from the Academy. She had been so shy, frail, and innocent back then, but now she had grown and been hardened by all the death, war and carnage she had seen. Hiashi sighed, and, thinking back on the day so many years ago now, took the picture in his hand, rubbing his thumb over Hinata’s small, scared face.

She had changed so very much since then, she even had a scar that ran from the corner of her right eye to the right corner her mouth. Her face has lost its child-like roundness, and Hiashi hadn’t seen her blush since she had taken her Jounin exam. And, probably the most astounding of all the changes she had gone through, she now had a reputation, which spread around the Five Great Nations like wildfire, for killing mercilessly.

He was startled out of his musings by a light and polite knock at the door to his office. Once he offered a curt ‘Come in’, the door was opened to reveal the object of his musings, and the aforementioned woman’s protector and cousin, Neji.

“Otou-sama.” Hinata greeted, as she took a seat on one of the tatami mats, her legs folded beneath her.

“Hiashi-sama.” Neji bowed respectfully, as he took a seat behind Hinata, seating himself in a similar position as the heiress.

“Now, what do you two wish to speak to me about? I am very busy, as you both know very well.” Hiashi said, his tone curt, but polite, his curiosity very well masked.

“Otou-sama,” Hinata began, getting strait to the point, “Neji has asked for my hand in marriage, and I have accepted.” she said, lifting her left hand, as proof to confirm her statement, a simple gold band with a large diamond in the center, with two rubies set on either side of it.

“We have come to ask for your permission and blessing, as we have already settled on a date for the wedding.” Hinata continued, in a complete no-nonsense tone, shifting into ANBU mode.

For a moment silence reigned, as Hiashi was quite speechless, and Neji and Hinata were waiting for the Hyuuga Head’s answer. After a moment, Hiashi regained his calm, composed demeanor, as he faced his older daughter and his nephew.

“Well, as it seems you have already made your decision, far be it from me to try and change your mind. What date did you have in mind?” Hiashi questioned, as he looked the two ANBU over, and for a moment, he could see the small children they had been, nearly twenty-one years ago now, the day Hinata turned three, and the day Neji received his Caged Bird Seal.

“We have chosen the first day in minazuki, Otou-sama.” Hinata said, not even needing to see Neji nod his head to know that he confirmed her statement.

“Alright, I give you both my blessings. Oh, and Neji,” Hiashi said, as the two of them had risen and begun to walk to the door, “take care of my daughter, or you won’t live to regret it.” Hiashi said, his face remaining clam and passive the entier time.

“Hai, Hiashi-sama.” Neji said, bowing respectfully as he and Hinata left.

Once he was alone in his office once more, Hiashi placed his head in had hands, and layed it on his desk, feeling the years finally catch up to him. Hadn’t Hinata just been a shy, stuttering, eight-year-old Academy student asking him for help practicing for a test? And now she was a tall, beautiful, deadly ANBU Black Ops. Captain and soon to be getting married to Neji. Where had the years gone, and why hadn’t he tried to keep her a child just a bit longer?

Oh, yes, he was too busy shunning her for being weak, and obsessing over making Hanabi strong, and look where THAT had gotten him! Hanabi had become so arrogant and self-obsessed, that on her first C-Rank mission as a Genin she had disobeyed her Jounin sensei, and gotten herself killed. Well, he supposed that was no less than he deserved, in light of the fact that he himself had created that monster, and then let her loose, not even bothering to THINK about how arrogant and self-obsessed she had become.

Hiashi sighed once more, as he lifted his head from his hands, suddenly remembering that he had paperwork to do.

A few hours later, once everyone else in the Hyuuga Complex was asleep, Hiashi heard a quiet, almost hesitant knock on the door to his office. He murmrued a quiet ‘Come in’, and the door opened, to once more reveal Hinata. Unlike the previous time she had visited with Neji, she was no-longer wearing her full ANBU uniform with her otter mask set on her right hip, but she was merely wearing a pair of dark blue training pants, and a black shirt, which had a small triangle shaped section of mesh at the top. Her shoes were gone, and her waist-length purplish indigo hair hung unbound.

She came over to his desk, and sat on the arm of the chair, staring at him, and for a moment it seemed she was the little, twelve-year-old girl in the picture on his desk again. He blinked, and she was once again the battle-hardened ANBU Black Ops Captain, and no-longer in need, he thought, of a father, as she had been so desperately back then, those twelve long years ago.

“Daddy, I k-know the w-wedding is s-still six mo-months aw-way, b-but could y-y please he-help me w-with my Jyuuken f-forms?” Hinata whispered, as a faint blush crept across her high, and well-defined cheek bones.

Hiashi was taken aback for a moment, wondering why in the world she would need help with her Jyuuken forms for her wedding, and also nearly completely thrown off balance by the stuttering and blushing, neither of which Hiashi had seen Hinata do since she took the Jounin exams. Then it hit him, and like a ton of bricks at that, why she would want him to help her with her Jyuuken: Whenever the heir is a woman, on her wedding day she and her husband-to-be must have a sparring match to see which of them will lead the clan, regardless of which House the man is from.

“What are the two strongest techniques you can perform?” Hiashi questioned, by way of assent, and as he saw Hinata return to her normal, stoic and emotionless self, he realized that the blushing and stuttering had simply been a ruse to get him to agree.

“The two most proficient techniques I can execute are Shogohakke Rokujyu Yonshou, a technique of my own creation which is based off of Neji-kun’s Hakkeshou Kaiten, and the second is Hakke Rokujyu Yonsho.” Hinata said, completely ANBU-like once more.

“And what, pray tell, do you which me to teach you?” Hiashi asked, raising an eyebrow in question, seeing as Hinata knew two very powerful techniques already.

“HakkeHyakunijuu Hachishou.” Hinata stated simply, naming the one technique that only Neji had EVER used in combat, however Neji had never mastered it, as Hiashi had, so he could see how teaching Hinata to master this technique would make completely sure, without a doubt, that she would win the fight. Hiashi smirked, knowing full well that boy’s arrogance needed to be taken down a peg or two, and Hinata beating him with the technique that he himself first preformed was the perfect way to ensure this.

He then stood up and, with Hinata following him, made his way out of his office, and to the dojo.

As they moved through the forms, Hiashi was again struck by how much it looked like Hinata was performing a graceful, but deadly dance as she practiced. And, in the back of his mind, Hiashi knew that this would be one of the very few times he would get to spend with Hinata, just as father and daughter, so he put his all into helping her, wanting to savor the time they had, until she was married, he stepped down as Clan Head, and she assumed her rightful place as Leader of the Hyuuga Clan.

So I will dance with Cinderella

While she is here in my arms

Cause I know something the prince never knew

Oh, I will dance with Cinderella

I don't want to miss even one song

Cause all too soon

The clock will strike midnight

Before Hiashi knew it, it was May 31, the day Hinata fought Neji for the title of Clan Head, and after a long, grueling hour-long match, in which the ground was dug up, tenketsu’s were closed, and blood was spat, Hinata emerged victorious, ready to take her proper place as Hyuuga Head the next day.

And, as if he had merely closed his eyes, it was time for Hiashi to walk Hinata down the aisle, he couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked in her white wedding kimono, with her purple/indigo hair pulled up in a bun, with lilies in one hand, and the other looped through his arm. He then led Hinata down the aisle, and he placed her hand in Neji’s. He then returned to his seat, knowing full well, as did everyone else in the room, that he had no right to say ‘Take care of my little girl’, because she had never been his little girl.

He felt tears burning at the back of his eyes, but he held them back, knowing me might shed a few tears once everything was over and the newly-weds had been seen to their chambers, but for now, he was still the Leader of the Hyuuga Clan, Hinata was still the heiress, and she was not yet Neji’s wife, meaning he still had to be strong, if not for himself and the Clan, but then for her, because he owed her at least that much.

And she'll be gone.

(A/N: Did you like?! Did you hate?! Did it make your eyes bleed?! TELL ME!! I NEED TO KNOW!! IT TOOK ME FOUR DAYS TO WRITE THIS!! And alongside tree others as well….. I think I made Hiashi a bit OOC, what do you guys think? Ah well, done is done, can’t really change the past, now can we? PLEASE REVIEW!!

Ja ne until next time my lovely readers!

Sincerely,

Temari Sabaku Nara.)