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Refraction	By : Zelha Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1308 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, duh. I only own a pair of sleepers, so obviously I don't make any profit with this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Chapter 12: Refracting

Re�frac�tion
�noun
1.�� Physics.
the change of direction of a ray of light, sound, heat, or the like, in passing
obliquely from one medium into another in which its wave velocity is different.

-X-

Naruto
breathed in much needed oxygen as his pink-haired sister went to stand before
him in a protective manner.

�Sakura-chan,�
he choked. She nodded her head to let him know she was listening.

�Naruto, that is not Sasuke.�

�...What?�

-X-

Gaara was
an intelligent man. That was why he had to come to terms with the fact that
this enemy was dangerous. Even more than that Akatsuki blond he fought once.

Tuning down
his ears to avoid Juugo�s mad screaming for blood,
the red-haired Kazekage displayed a great deal of evading maneuvers, jumping
and ducking at the exact time to see the tall Hebi
member�s fist or foot flying by him.

Gaara had a
hunch about this fight.

-X-

Sakura�s
eyes went wide when he heard Sai�s pained scream. A harsh shiver went down her
spine when she couldn�t feel his presence in the area.

�By Kami...�
she whispered, hearing Naruto scrambling to his feet. His red chakra was
scorching hot, but she did not care.

�What do
you mean he isn�t Sasuke?� he asked without preamble.

�Look
underneath the underneath, Naruto,� she merely responded, with a hollow tone.
This prompted the blond ninja to watch the changes that were happening to his
former best friend closely. Hands that posed as pointed wings, hair that grew
in a grizzly style, face that darkened until the only color that was seen was
the Sharingan red.

Sasuke�s
curse seal was in full view for everyone.

Naruto
absently heard the audible gasp from Kakashi and the others, who didn�t know
about this abhorrence that the last Uchiha had brought upon himself. He wanted
to close his eyes to the situation, but he knew he could not. He had to
release--

�Sakura,�
he whispered with widened orange eyes, detailing a mad, golden glint on
Sasuke�s orbs. �Where is he?�

�Far inside
him, Naruto... the only way to free him is... bringing him down.�

�Stupid, selfish bastard!� Naruto snarled in pain and rage, understanding
what she was implying. �I can�t believe it!�

A gloved
hand slid into his field of vision, stopping him, despite how burning the Kyuubi�s cloak was for its marbled skin. Her eyes showed
nothing but pain and determination.

�We need to
do this, Naruto...� Sakura murmured, not paying attention to a tear that
trailed down her cheek. �This is his last request.�

The red
energy fluctuated for a moment, then a nod of his head. �Tell me what to do.�

�Beat his
ass.�

Both Konoha
ninja split with a jump, one diving for the dark, winged monster and the other
for the red-haired woman who was already making some seals.

-X-

Zabuza�s
former broadsword swung back and forward.

For the
scrawny form that Suigetsu had, it was pretty amazing for the dark-haired
former ROOT to see how easily his enemy handled that enormous weapon.

Sporting
deep gashes but not even thinking what he was doing �so deep ingrained his ninpou was within his brain�, his hand holding the brush
danced over the scroll, bringing three tigers forward. The beasts went
immediately for his enemy, but the broad blade whistled again, slashing the
felines and dripping black ink onto the ground.

�Aw, come
on,� the former Mist ninja said with fake disappointment in his tone. �Is that
all you can do? This is getting rather boring. I want to trade places with Juugo now.�

Sai did not
answer, for a gigantic hawk sprang free from its parchment prison, taking him
soaring towards the sky. Processing his enemy�s earlier motions with the sword,
Sai understood that he had to part him from the blade in order to defeat him.
Better said than done, he concluded as he dived down, allowing Yamato to leap
up unto the bird.

�I�ll need
your Mokuton to deliver the final blow,� he explained succinctly. �I�ll go with
my hawk and divert his attention.�

�That might
be suicide, Sai,� the brown-haired man reasoned. �His Suiton
is impeccable. Your inked animals are not going to hold for long.�

�I�m not
made of ink, Yamato-taichou,� he countered easily,
surveying the battles that raged in the area. �I�ll come up with something.�

�I trust
you, Shisei Sai,� Tenzou
nodded with a warm smile, as he dropped from the bird and landed smoothly on a
tree branch, clasping his hands in the familiar wood-summoning position.

�Thank
you.�

Plunging
down in a dash of breakneck speed, Sai unsheathed his short ninjat�,
while scribbling another creature on his scroll. The snake unrolled from the
masterful drawing and coiled around his own body, as the hawk�s beak aimed for
Suigetsu. The water-made shinobi made a show of mock-yawning before bringing
the broadsword down on the hawk�s neck.

Jumping
above the pale man�s head, Sai parried the blow with his own blade, as the
inked snake shot forward his opponent and tried to restrain him within its
grip. Sai�s eyes went wide when the creature began to melt due to the moistness
that made Suigetsu�s skin shine.

�I told
you, this is getting fucking boring,� he said, gripping the sword�s hilt once
more and raising it savagely towards Sai�s front. The blow sent him sailing
backwards.

Suddenly, a
sharp-pointed tree branch struck forward, nailing the silver-skinned man to a
wooden wall that rose behind him. For once, his body didn�t splash with water.
The branch had hit a major point in his neck, drawing first blood in this
particular battle.

�...Fuck,� Suigetsu
gurgled, eyes searching frantically for a spark of red and purple, until he took
in the image of a certain pink-haired woman with green-glowing hands striking at
her adversary.

He did not
see a short ninjat� driving towards his neck in a
slashing motion.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Evading
surely wasn�t his forte, Gaara recalled absently as Juugo
managed to send him sailing towards a group of trees and smashing him. The man
had strength compared to the Hokage�s, he had to admit to himself as he finally
decided that it was time to act out his strategy.

�Finally,�
he said sternly to a raging orange-haired maniac. �Do you want to know how he
died? He pushed his limits for Orochimaru, but to what cause if he just didn�t
care about his illness. He wasted his life for nothing.�

For a
moment, nothing was heard but a pained scream from another battle.

�YOU�RE
LYING, FUCKER!� Juugo bellowed. �THAT�S NOT TRUE!�

�Is it
now?� the Kazekage asked coldly. �I wasn�t the only one that watched him die
for the sake of a man that left him for dead. He died regretting his association
to the likes of that snake bastard. He died cursing his good heart.�

The broken
gourd was more than enough distraction for the cursed man, as it hit him in the face forcefully, shattering. The gourd shards
soon melted into sand, effectively trapping the winged ninja. Gaara walked to
him, jade eyes unwavering as trembling brown orbs snapped from side to side
nervously.

�I can only
hope that he is resting now,� he murmured. �Away from his
illness, away from the likes of him.�

Juugo�s
eyes followed the finger that pointed at another winged form.

Like a
child without his mother, the tall man started to cry, snapping his haunted
spirit beyond repair.

�This is
awful! I need to leave this place! This world! This has been nothing but
painful! I HATE PAIN! I HATE HURTING PEOPLE!�

�I know.
What are you going to do, Juugo?� the red-head�s
gentle tone startled him. �Maybe there is hope for you. Maybe you can overcome
this curse.�

Gaara�s jade
orbs froze in shock when the man scrambled for one of the kunai that littered the floor, among the bodies of the Sound nins and drove it into his own heart.

The Kazekage�s brow creased in pity, as Temari landed next to
him. He knew he was battered; his auburn clothes tattered and bloodied.

But when
she asked him if he was okay, he closed his eyes and shook his head.

-X-

Neji�s peripheral
vision caught the moment behind his back when the Uchiha transformed into a
winged creature and later on how the Kazekage witnessed the other monster
committing seppuku.

This
managed to distract him for a moment, opportunity that Kabuto took to drag his
hands on his shoulder, the very same shoulder that sported the scar from his
battle against that another Sound freak of nature Kidoumaru.

Hissing in
pain, his hand shot forward, tapping two tenketsu
closed near the elbows of said offending hands. Mentally counting his hits and
cursing inwardly, Neji realized he was running out of time.

One of his
hands was useless; that he knew perfectly from that fight a few days ago, when
Sakura performed that very same technique on him. Gritting his teeth, he stood
again to face the wicked medic-nin.

�And here I
thought you�d had enough, Hyuuga-kun,� he said offhandedly. �The chakra will
render your body immobile and you�ll stop being such a pain.�

A sudden
idea struck the silver-eyed ANBU Captain and he didn�t waste any time in performing
it. His three hundred and fifty degree range of vision noted when Sasuke�s
katana drove into a disguised Kawarimi, discovering
one of Naruto�s shadow clones.

Maybe he
wasn�t as skilled as his pink-haired lover in chakra control, but surely he
could do this.

Blocking a
twisted looking kunai and slashing it out of Kabuto�s hand with his right hand,
he drove it towards the male medic, taking him by surprise by leaping on him
and pinning him to the ground on his stomach. Pale blue chakra descended along
the blade into Kabuto�s system, only enough to scramble his control.

Neji�s palm
struck down, starting the Hakke Hyaku Nijuha Sho
with the special hundred-and-sixty-four blows.

Kabuto�s
shriek of rage was cut short when he pulled his ninjat�,
plunging it on the medic�s golden eye.

�There is a
price to pay for everything you gain.�

Those were Neji�s
soft, harsh words, as he assessed his final handiwork. If his Byakugan hadn�t
noticed the nervous tic of that golden, alien eye, he would�ve been the defeated
one.

Finally,
doing what he wanted to do since this whole mad scenario started, he directed
his silvery gaze towards one pink-haired woman that was in that very moment
running towards the dark figure formerly known as Uchiha Sasuke.

�Sakura! Nigero!� Kakashi�s anxious voice rang clearly in the silence
before a million chirps coming from her opponent�s blazing hand encountered her
chest.

�Sakura!�
Neji shouted, as Naruto leapt forward with a howl of impending rage.

-X-

�You sure
are a frigid bitch, aren�t you?� Karin sneered, pushing back her glasses
disdainfully. �That illusion was mild compared to others.�

�I
certainly underestimated you,� Sakura shot back sarcastically, lifting a brow.
�It won�t happen again.�

Karin�s red
snakes were everywhere, she noted. Good thing that she had no qualms to smash
those things to pieces. She�d hated snakes since the day she witnessed
Orochimaru biting Sasuke�s neck in the Forest of Death.

Stomping
her foot down enthusiastically, she cracked up the earthy ground and made Karin
loose her balance. Dashing towards her, the pink-haired medic intertwined her
fingers, molding her favored fighting style: her mentors�.

Shizune had
a great deal of cool things to teach her and she shared the knowledge with gusto,
for she knew that Sakura was the right person to master those secret
techniques. The Senbon Rain was one
of those special gifts. As she developed the jutsu, Karin ran to her, claws
ready to strike.

�I�m going to tear that pretty face of
yours!� the redheaded female snarled, slashing through Sakura�s face, only to
poof away. Karin growled loudly when she realized that she�d gone against a
shadow clone and whirled around, expecting to see her opponent behind her.

The pink-haired kunoichi smirked wickedly as
she sailed down on the unsuspecting spectacled woman, all but whispering the
name of the jutsu.

�Fukumikuchi
Hari,� she said, and metallic needles started to
fall with deadly accuracy.

Karin got hit several times, but that didn�t
deter her from her hussy fit. �Bitch!� she hissed, calling out a chakra whip
that Sakura barely avoided by ducking out of its way. �BITCH!� she raged,
aiming true and striking the emerald-eyed woman viciously.

�Who�s the
bitch that crawls under that monster�s feet?� she snarled back, retaliating by
grabbing the chakra-made whip and yanking her adversary to her, only to send
her back sailing with an energy-packed punch on the face that shattered her
glasses.

�How dare
y--� Karin spat a mouthful of blood as she tried to get all the glass shards
off her face. �How dare you to bad-mouth Sasuke-kun?!�

�Well, I
believe I have the right to do so because I have more history with him,� she
sneered furiously but ironically. �But as much as you want to believe it,
you�re not banging Sasuke, you dimwitted redheaded moron. That is not Uchiha Sasuke.�

�Ha! You
jest!� the other cackled without mirth. �That hair dye surely fried your brain,
girl.�

�Unlike
you, I have better things to do than spend hours in front of the mirror, pining
for an absent man who doesn�t reciprocate,� Sakura began making seals again,
but was interrupted when Karin ran to her, both claws elongated enough to make
anyone gasp. The pink-haired woman lowered her arms and closed her eyes, faking
a sorrowful expression.

�So you
realize he never wanted you?� the red-haired kunoichi cheered recklessly, only
to have her chakra-laden nails stopped by a sudden wave of energy, as Sakura
deflected the force of the blow and channeled it back to her in a roundhouse
kick that made her opponent land near Sasuke.

�Oh, I know
he never wanted me,� she said out loud, walking up next to a red-charged
Naruto. �But honestly? Who would want someone that is not... there,� she
finished, pointing to the winged horror that was the last Uchiha. �Someone who
went for a broken man because he didn�t have the balls to defeat his first
target, Sasuke�s older brother?�

�You talk
pretty words, Sakura-chan,� Sasuke�s raspy voice all but sneered. �Is this how
you repay Sasuke-kun for all the troubles he went through to protect you and
that monster at your side?�

�Monster?�
Sakura snorted unladylike, adjusting her gloves. �Have you seen yourself in a mirror lately, Orochimaru? You surely are a
sight to behold! I deeply regret not having a Byakugan to see you more
closely.�

What
happened next was kind of unexpected. Karin leapt to her feet screeching,
trying to pierce Sasuke�s former body in a fit of rage, but his hand shot to
her neck, crushing it while forcing her to look at his eyes. The redhead�s
resulting scream was heard by the rest of the Allies, except one who was still
concentrated on his own fight.

�I�ve had
enough of your self-righteous speeches, mini-Tsunade. I wonder if you have
hemophobia as well?� Orochimaru asked in a displeased
tone, waving a dismissive hand. �Nonetheless, me being
in this body was something that was bound to be. The Sharingan and my curse...
truly, these are the most powerful weapon a mortal can wield.�

�You are
out of line, Orochimaru!� Naruto growled loudly. �How dare you to take my
brother�s body, you sick monster?�

�Again with
that term!� the snake Sannin exclaimed with a laugh, flicking the Sharingan to
his normal golden eyes back and forth. �I have taught Sasuke-kun many ways to
kill a person. Flesh that burns and rots, bones that break and shatter... but
to break a man's spirit is when you truly destroy him!�

Naruto went
at him, his tails swinging wildly, while Sakura leapt high in the air to launch
another barrage of senbons at the winged man.

Suddenly,
Orochimaru bent his head, seemly distracted from the impending opponents.

�Stay out
of my head!� he roared, clutching said part of his body. Naruto swung one of
his tails at his feet, knocking him to the dirt violently.

�It�s not your head, snake bastard!� he snarled,
slashing at the prone body and scorching his skin at the contact with the Kyuubi cloak. �Get out of Sasuke�s body! Get out!�

Orochimaru�s Sharingan
unfocused momentarily, as he gritted his teeth in anger. �You are still just a mortal, every
bit as weak as the day you begged me to give you power!�

Naruto
leaned back, confused. Sakura approached, hands glowing green. �Put down the
cloak, Naruto.�

He obeyed
numbly, as they watched the Legendary Sannin writhing on the ground. Sakura
healed Naruto�s injuries, a hard frown upon her features.

�Sasuke is
fighting him,� she murmured. �But his soul won�t come out. It won�t, Naruto.�

The blond
closed his eyes, hurt written all over his face. �So...�

�I can--�
Sakura started, her heart breaking at the sight of her brother in pain.

�No,� he
replied immediately, cutting her off. �I will.�

The
Uchiha�s eyes flicked gold, red and black now. Sakura�s hands changed their
glow from warm green to hard, pale blue. Leaning over, she severed the muscles
of his legs. Sasuke�s body snarled in pain, as purple chakra started to gather
in his hand.

Soon, birds
started to chirp loudly. Naruto avoided the glow easily, but Sakura stood,
stunned. How the hell can he stand?
Inner Sakura questioned, horrified.

�Monster...�
she whispered, letting the kunai she was gripping fall from her relaxed hands.

�You have
no idea what a true monster is! Your final lesson is at hand!� Orochimaru
roared, eyes blazing malevolent gold.

Sakura
vaguely heard Kakashi�s warning to run, to escape; but she was having none of
it. Praying to Kami, she started to gather all the chakra she could into her
chest, hoping to repeat the same action she did with Karin but at a bigger
scale.

Chakra, she mused as she watched the Chidori shining
with a purplish light, was a life energy,
but everyone used it to kill each
other. �I want to change that�, she decided, recalling Neji�s defensive
techniques.

The Chidori
hit her chest and everything went silent. Only Naruto�s raging howl and the
loud whoosh of his Rasengan combined with the blow that was channeled from
Sakura�s enhanced fist did the trick.

Sasuke�s
body went down with a sick sound.

-X-

The
pink-haired medic suddenly found herself in a pair of strong arms, while a deep
voice kept calling her name. Groaning softly, she opened her eyes to encounter
another set of anxious silver-colored orbs.

She smiled
wanly when she felt the familiar trickle of chakra from her back flow into his
hand.

�Sakura,�
he murmured, leaning his face to hers. �You worried me for a moment.�

�Gomen,� she breathed, as he leaned her forward to a sitting
position, while she took in the sight in front of her. Naruto held Sasuke�s
body, as he cried silently. Wincing, she crawled from Neji�s arms to her
teammate and the fallen Uchiha, her face grim and full of sorrow.

�Sakura,
Naruto,� the raven-haired man whispered. Looking at him, she noticed that his
eyes had gone back to their normal midnight
black. �Thank you.�

�You
bastard!� the blond Hokage-to-be snapped angrily among his tears. �What are we
going to do without you?! We spent so much time trying to save you!�

�I�m...
beyond saving,� he answered with a little smirk on his pale face. He was
bleeding heavily.

�Sakura,�
Naruto�s azure frantic eyes went to hers. �Heal him, please,� he requested. �We
can still bring you back, Sasuke-teme. We can still
go back to how we were!�

She bit her
lip as she dropped next to Sasuke.

�Don�t you
dare, dobe,� he breathed, coughing up a mouthful of
blood. �My time is up and you know it. Let me go, Sakura, Naruto. Please.�

Naruto
gasped at the Uchiha�s plea. He had never heard him saying that magical word
before.

�I need to
go,� Sasuke continued, feeling for Naruto�s hand that clasped a kunai. �I don�t
know if he�s gone.�

�I can�t,
Sasuke,� the blond said, shaking his head. �I can�t do this to you.�

Sakura
stared at Naruto�s and Sasuke�s bloodied hands on the kunai and placed hers on
them.

�I can�t,
either,� she said with her eyes burning but full with hard resolve. �But maybe
the three of us...�

Naruto
nodded and closed his eyes. Sasuke smiled gratefully, looking at her shining
emerald orbs.

�I�m sorry,
Sakura.�

�I know,�
she said, squeezing their joined hands. �I�m sorry, too.�

�I hope he
makes you happy, or I�ll haunt his ass until he dies.�

She smiled.
�Baka.�

�Aa,� he
accepted. �Naruto, Uchiha do not weep.�

�I�m not an
Uchiha!�

�Yes... you
are.�

The kunai
plunged down, among Sakura�s desperate wail and Naruto�s cry of grief.

-X-

Going back
to Konoha was not an easy matter.

After
Sasuke�s half death half suicide, Sakura and Naruto were in for another painful loss. Sai had fallen battling
Suigetsu, but he managed to defeat him before bleeding to death, as a sad
Yamato had relayed.

Sakura hid
her face in her hands, washing her grief and Sai�s calm face with her tears,
while Naruto pounded the ground in a fit of frustration.

The victory
was a bitter one, for those who had emotional ties with the fallen ones.

Naruto took
it upon himself to carry Sasuke�s body, while Yamato carried Sai�s. Sakura was
exhausted due to chakra overuse, but refused Kakashi�s offer to give her a piggyback
ride. The camp was silent, except for Naruto�s mumbled curses and Hinata�s sad
sighs.

�This was
bound to be,� Sakura whispered, watching the fire that engulfed the battle site,
consuming the corpses of team Hebi and the Sound
shinobi. �After years of suffering, years of endless nightmares, it finally came
to an end. Death was his escape from madness.�

�This isn�t
how it was supposed to happen!� Naruto snarled at her, surprising the rest of
the team. �He should be coming back alive!�

To
everyone�s surprise, it was Gaara who spoke. �Being released from darkness is
more valuable than being granted a life devoid of rest.�

Naruto fell
silent and walked away.

Neji
motioned Hinata to follow him, as he sat next to the pink-haired woman. Dried,
hollowed eyes stared back at him when he offered his hand without a word.

Their
connection told her how much he wanted to comfort her, and she panicked. Offering
him a little, nervous smile, she rose and went to her sleeping bag.

Watching
her retreating back, his thin brows knitted together in concern.

-X-

Everyone
was admitted into the hospital for general check-ups. Sakura had collapsed due
to exhaustion, but Neji had caught her smoothly before she started to fall.

True, her
fear surprised him the previous night. Watching Sasuke die and how Sakura
seemed to grieve for him took his feeling of jealousy down. Seeing a comrade�s
passing was not an easy sight, for even Hinata had cried bitter tears at
witnessing Team Seven�s misery.

Sakura
retreated into a silent behavior, not talking to anyone, not even Kakashi when
he offered to ease her worries with a gentle tone. This troubled the Hyuuga
ANBU Captain more that he was willing to let on, for he felt how deep her
distress and sorrow was.

The news of
Sasuke�s demise spread throughout the village like a fire in the middle of a dry
forest. Everyone wanted to say something to Naruto and Sakura, but they drove
them away. Only the Godaime Hokage knew how painful this situation was for them,
hoping they could cope with the loss soon enough.

Gaara had
gone back to Sunagakure with his sister when they�d reached a crossroad. The
red-haired Kazekage had whispered some words to the blond ninja, who nodded
numbly before shaking his proffered hand.

Behind
them, a certain pink-haired medic didn�t pay attention.

Two days
after their return, someone told Tsunade about the sudden acceptance that the
Hyuuga Clan had taken regarding Naruto as a formal suitor for their Heiress. She
smiled wistfully, nodding at her informant.

�What about
Sakura?� she had asked.

�She hasn�t
come out from her apartment yet,� Kotetsu reported, lowering his voice. �Only
Yamanaka Ino and Naruto have been allowed entry. However, Hyuuga Neji has been
spotted surveying her apartment.�

Tsunade
furrowed her brows. �But I revoked the Hyuuga�s protection order on her.�

Kotetsu
nodded. �According to Hinata-san, he is to be left alone, for his interest in
Sakura�s wellbeing is entirely personal.�

Tsunade
understood clearly. �Withdraw the surveillance on Sakura�s apartment. She is
going to be alright.�

-X-

Sakura knew
he was outside, watching at her window from the street.

But for the
life of her, she just didn�t know why she�d backpedaled so suddenly at his open
display of concern. True, they indeed had a certain liaison that was better more
satisfactory. His intense eyes and his muted support when she needed it the
most were blessings for her scarred heart.

But remembering
Sasuke�s words made her realize how wrong she had been. The Uchiha had turned
on a hundred-watt lamp on some hidden feelings she was desperately trying to
squash under all her thoughts of independence and assertive teachings.

Sakura
wasn�t sure of his true intentions. He had been nothing but a gentleman with
her; even in the heat of passion Neji had placed her pleasure before his own.
He had listened to her stories attentively, and tried to rebuke some of her
sayings with a good-natured banter that kept her brain working. He never
wronged her, nor did he try to belittle her, not even a single time, not even
in anger. He seemed to respect her greatly.

Why, then,
was she so scared to come to terms with these feelings she didn�t want to
analyze just because of sheer cowardice?

Shut up, she whined at her mental roommate when she
called her a coward. Burying herself in her couch cushions, she tried to think
about the scroll that Naruto had given her, but when he said it was from
Sasuke, she merely placed it on the coffee table, not even looking at it twice.

But now her
eyes seemed to stray at the neatly wrapped piece of rolled parchment. Sighing
heavily, she sat up and grabbed it, unrolling it.

Her eyes
widened with every word.

Then, she
started to cry.

-X-

Neji sighed
heavily. His vigil on Sakura�s apartment took a toll on his nerves as he
perceived her feelings quite clearly. She was in turmoil, but he didn�t dare try
reassuring her through their connection by fear of her clamming up shut again.

Hinata had
entered his room that morning, telling him a story about the legal matters of
the now completely deceased Uchiha Clan. By having new heirs �even if they
weren�t related by blood�, the Clan Council had to acknowledge the former
members of Team Seven as the legitimate owners of what had been rampaged �to
put it bluntly� by some villagers and even members of his own Clan.

He let out
a darkly amused snort at the thought of his uptight relative Hyuuga Hideki
having to refund his very own political nemesis to make them up for the newly
approved Law of Heritage.

�What�s so
funny?� a female voice asked, startling him. Wide white-snow eyes met shy
emerald ones, and he suddenly felt better.

She had
finally come out of her shell.

�Hideki, he
is quite hilarious,� he explained softly. Her little smile told him she had
understood the karmic sarcasm that now turned the tables and placed the old
manipulative Hyuuga Councilman into little but certainly strong, feminine
hands.

�Neji...
I...� she hesitated. Feeling her sudden fright, he nodded, offering her a tiny
smile.

�Allow me
to invite you for tea,� he murmured, trying to convey his sudden urge to encase
her in his arms and kiss her senseless. Her abrupt blush told him she had
picked up his feelings quite accurately through her connection. He sighed
uncomfortably.

�Tea might
be a suitable option, yes,� she whispered, taking in how his tall and lean form seemed so ridiculously out of place sitting on the
front stairs of her apartment building. �Let me get my coat.�

And so they
walked side by side to the nearest tea shop, the uncomfortable silence melting
into a complete companionable one; his tall figure seemed to tower over her,
but he seemed to radiate calmness upon her, making her feel safe at his side.

Their tea
session was actually quite relaxing, as he had concluded when he walked her
home. Their conversation was mostly concerning the news about the Uchiha
properties and how bad Hideki had taken Uchiha Sasuke�s last will coming out to
the light from one of the most renowned legal advisors of the village. Standing
in those same steps he had sat a while ago, his eyes sought hers as the day
disappeared completely from the sky, lanterns providing the usual light for the
streets of Konohagakure no Sato.

�So...� she
trailed off with a soft smile. �I guess I�ll see you around?�

�I�m afraid
I can�t,� he replied with a dejected frown. �I have a mission tomorrow with my
former team.�

Her eyes
blinked, pupils suddenly shrinking in surprise and a hint of fear � fear for
his wellbeing.

�Oh... and
where you�ll go?�

�Lee has
been entrusted to carry a message for the Kazekage,� he explained, stating the
rank of this particular task with his words. �Gai
said it was a good opportunity to catch up with our lives since the mission to
Sound. And I have to remark that I did not think that was as funny as he
alleged, but Lee and Tenten insisted on having my company.�

Her smile
was more than relieved. �It�s good, then... I bet three to one that Lee-san
doesn�t know he is carrying an invitation for the upcoming appointment of
Naruto as Rokudaime Hokage.�

�You know,
it is not wise to bet against a Hyuuga, as you might know by now,� he shot back
with an amused smirk.

�I�m quite
aware of that, thank you very much,� she replied with ease, crinkling her eyes
when her smile widened. �But I think Lee-san doesn�t know about this or he
would have yelled it throughout the village by sunset.�

He
chuckled, stopping momentarily to activate his Byakugan and deactivate it to
lift an eyebrow. �Point taken, but you see... I think you just lost
spectacularly, again.�

True to his
words, Lee rushed by her building, screaming something about how the blond
ninja was the owner of a thousand springs of youth. Sakura bent over laughing
at the hilarious imagery, as Lee promptly was decked by the very same
Hokage-to-be, who appeared out of nowhere to subdue the loud green-clad
shinobi.

�Konoha
will never be the same when that idiot dons the red robes,� Neji commented, as
they saw Naruto waving at them before throwing Lee unto his back like a sack of
potatoes and walking away with a smug whistle.

�Yeah, I
agree... his journey begins here.�

The
silver-eyed ANBU Captain grunted, as he turned back to watch her. Her smile
faltered a little when she encountered those intense, silvery orbs fixed on
hers.

�Sakura,�
he murmured, seeing her blushing at how smooth her name sounded in his deep voice.
�I cannot ask you to wait for me... but I would be most pleased if you do.�

There it
was, her panic started to rise again. Without missing a beat, he leaned in,
brushing her lips with his.

�I also
would be most pleased if you trusted me,� he continued, letting his feelings do
the talk as he poured part of them through their sealed connection. �My best
guess is that we can carry on a better relationship if we learn to listen and
see each other.�

Her eyes
shone with unshed tears, face full with emotion.

�I know
that I wouldn�t be saying this at such short notice of your grieving period,
but I found that I just could wait no more. Especially if I
will be gone tomorrow.�

�Hai,� she whispered, sliding her hands on his chest. �I�ll
wait for you... to come back to me. But I�ll have you know, I�m not a good
person in the mornings.�

He smirked
mischievously before extending a hand to the apartment door and pushing it open,
while his other hand was placed in his favorite place: her seal.

�It seems I
will need to see that for myself... but I am certain
that a treat of plum jam can do wonders for foul moods, if I recall correctly.�

-XxX-

Yosh!
It�s finally over! �grins proudly� Well, except for a
little epilogue that my dearest Celtic Oak requested for this story.
Greetings to
everyone, thank you so much for your support to this story and much love to
Celtic Oak for her awesome beta work!
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