Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

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
- 3
- 4
- 5
Chap 4: Flaunting

Sakura woke
up with a gasp in the middle of the night. Neji stood by the window, watching
all the sleeping faces in the room when she sat up, grasping the blanket in the
same manner she had when he tried to wake her in her room at his home.

�Bad
dream?� he asked nonchalantly as he made his way to her side. She was pale
under the moonlight, and showed some signs of distress that made Neji frown
internally.

�The
worse... I need to get out of here,� she said as she threw back the covers and
jumped out of the bed.

�Wait,
you�re under my watch too,� he said, grabbing her wrist to avoid her fleeing.
�I�ll go with you.�

�But
Hinata--�

�She�s my
cousin, yes, but her partner is here. She needs to remain with him.�

Sakura
sighed and her shoulders drooped. �I�m glad you had another epiphany, Hyuuga-san,
but I need to blow off some steam, now.�

�Good idea,
I need to spar too,� he said smoothly. �Your scroll-reading for these past days
didn�t allow me another good sparring partner since Hinata-sama was on this
mission and Hanabi tends to be kind of...
unoriginal.�

She glanced
at him. �Then why didn�t you say so?�

�Because
you said the reading was funny.�

Caught at
her lack of manners, she had to smile sheepishly.

�Apparently
I�m not being good with my hosts...�

�No, you
aren�t, that�s why we�re going to spar now. And no rules apply because we�re
going to the communal training grounds.�

�Then let�s
go to training grounds three, it�s already obliterated because of my shishou
and me.�

�Then it will
be completely demolished by the end of this.�

-*-*-*-*-*-

As they
danced under the moonlight, she felt a lot better about the nightmare.

Crying while running wasn�t a good idea after
all, she thought as she tripped and fell on her face in the middle of the
forest. Knowing she was being hunted, she hauled herself up and kept dashing
away, panting and praying for the gods for a chance, an opportunity to get out
of this mess.

As a sword came down at her and plunged into
her chest, she looked up at the man that had killed her.

Sasuke.

Fucking bastard, I tell you! Inner Sakura was happy to make her
humble opinion known whenever she liked. Sakura shushed her one more time as
she picked herself up from the ground for the sixth time.

�You aren�t
concentrating,� was Neji�s offhanded comment.

�Fuck off,
Hyuuga,� she sneered, picking up a kunai and facing him again.

�I commend
your excellent manners, Haruno, but I really find this kind of boring with you
throwing insults at me instead of doing something to attack for a change.�

With a
growl, she leapt at him and parried his kunai with one of her own. Flipping
back on the ground, Sakura gathered chakra on both of her hands, lashing out at
her opponent with narrowed eyes.

He averted
her hands and deflected them as fast as she lashed at him. Neji didn�t need to
activate his Byakugan to guess that those hands meant business. Sakura emitted
a low hiss as he closed one of her tenketsu on her
right arm, but didn�t remark on it.

Disengaging
quickly, she went for another approach. Jumping high in the air, she made some
hand seals as she fell on the Hyuuga, who parried her kunai armed hands with
both of his again. And then, everything went black.

Neji
blinked, straining his Byakugan to see where she had gone. She was nowhere to
be found, and the training grounds were eerily silent.

Trapped in
one of her finest genjutsu, Sakura went up from under the ground and pulled him
down, trapping him effectively and sealing the soil against further struggle,
something she was sure the Hyuuga was about to make.

With her
contender�s hands bound under the earth and eyes unmoving, she finally allowed
a respite, but a hand grasping a kunai pointed at her jugular while another one
enveloped her neck in a firm but not bruising warm grip.

�Do you
really think I was going to fall for that?� a deep male voice whispered in her
hear, making her shiver. Her seal chose that moment to manifest itself,
releasing a little burst of chakra that made her gasp.

The fallen kunai
clattered next to the log that was embedded into the ground where Neji was
supposed to be, as the real one was still pressing his body to Sakura�s back.

He furrowed
his brows. What was that? He asked
himself as he felt that tingle of chakra on her back. Still holding her, he
pressed his other hand on her back. Sakura gasped as the seal reacted against
his palm with another trickle of her energy.

�What--�

�Release
me, please,� she murmured in a strangled voice. He knew that he wasn�t choking
her with his loose hold, so it had to be something else that made her voice
sound so nervous. Neji deactivated his Byakugan and let her go.

She leaned
forward, panting. This was most unexpected, her analytical mind went on while
Inner Sakura was hyperventilating and flailing. Why did the seal react to
Neji�s contact? She touched Sai and nothing happened. She touched Yamato and
got the same results. She checked on Naruto and nothing either... and she had
brushed Kakashi�s hand while leaving the room with the Hyuuga to this bout, and
no manifestations were registered.

It only
reacted with him. Why? Why is it showing
with--

Like lighting
flashes inside her mind, she gathered the facts. All the times that her seal
had manifested it had been while Neji was close to her, walking beside her or
engaged in a furious spar. Three times with him, and none with all the others
that were closer to her.

Why?

�I don�t
know what are you talking about, Sakura,� he said softly, still standing behind
her.

She
realized that she had been mouthing her why question out loud. �I--I don�t--�

Seeing her
stammering, he walked to the log and sat on it. �I�m aware that you have an
impressive chakra control, Sakura,� he said, looking straight at her eyes. He
decided to be honest with her for the time being. �I�m also aware that you have
something in your back. I felt it going warm when I carried you back to your
room when Tsunade-sama visited you.�

Sakura
froze. He, of all people, shouldn�t know about this. No, there wasn�t any way
in hell that--

Why not? Inner Sakura stopped her ranting to regard the
situation. He has a seal of his own!

�Is it a
tattoo?� he asked tentatively, giving an opening that Sakura took hastily. She
nodded meekly and started to gather her weapons.

�It was a
silly thing that I�ve had made, that�s all,� she said, trying to appear
offhanded and quite sassy, �pulling off an Ino�, as Tenten might have said.
�And no, Hyuuga, you can�t see it.�

�I wasn�t
going to ask for it, actually,� he drawled dryly.

�Good,
because I wouldn�t want to mar that cute face with one of my charged punches,�
she said sarcastically.

�So do you
think my face is cute?� Neji countered easily, watching amusedly as Sakura
spluttered and blushed heatedly.

�Why do I
get all the arrogant asses in all Konoha to spar with me?� she snapped, but
Neji had her by the tail.

�Because
we, the arrogant asses, are the ones insane enough to put up with your
violence, Haruno,� he said, smirking openly. Sakura�s eyes widened at his
outrageous remark.

�Why you, Hyuuga! I�ll kick your ass for that!� she yelled as she leapt on him. The ANBU
Captain ducked her punch effortlessly, letting out a deep chuckle.

�See? It�s
pretty easy to rile you up,� he said, grabbing her arms in a hold, which made the
two shinobi topple on the ground, with Neji sitting on her bottom.

�Hyuuga!
Let me go!� she exclaimed, squirming under his weight. He leaned on her back
casually, having noticed that something moved somewhere behind them.

�Keep
struggling, Sakura,� he whispered on her ear, making her freeze in shock
momentarily. �We have company.�

She decided
to play along. �Neji... you�re heavy...� she whined as she wiggled again under
him and rubbed his lower part. Neji stiffened imperceptibly, then released her
arm and rolled her body under him until they were face to face. One side of her
face was dirty with soil, as she had landed on it.

She blushed
furiously when he dipped his head until their noses were almost touching. �Put
your arms around my neck,� he murmured next to her mouth, letting his hair fall
into a chocolate-onyx cascade around their heads. �Byakugan.�

Sakura
complied and clasped her hands at Neji�s nape. To an outside observer, it would
have seemed that the two ninja were engaged in a heated kiss. Holding her
breath, her inner self pointed out slyly about how comfortable she was under
the Hyuuga�s toned body.

Neji, on
the other hand, was struggling with his rampaging hormones that demanded for
him to claim her lips but his mind was also set
on spotting the person who was spying on them.

�Who...�
Sakura breathed, snapping him into attention. Neji sat up, still straddling
her.

The
pink-haired medic saw a cat jumping from a nearby tree and let out a sigh.

�I
apologize,� the onyx-haired man said, getting up from her. She heaved a deep sigh
and offered him a trembling smile.

�No big
deal,� she murmured as she picked herself up. �I think we should go back to the
hospital now...�

Neji let
out a noncommittal grunt and started to walk back, with her at his side.

-*-*-*-*-*-

She woke up
the next morning under the effect of a vigorous licking on her face.

�Gah!� she exclaimed, covering her face with the sheet.
�Pakkun, come on!�

�I heard
you were in the hospital,� said the pug with his deep voice. �How do you feel?�

�I would
feel better if you get off me and let me sleep!�

�Sheesh, Sakura, you�re so moody in the mornings,� Pakkun
grumbled as he jumped from his perch on her chest. Several chuckles received
his joke, and Sakura had to open one eye to see who was in the room.

Yamato was
awake and eating an apple; Sai was awake too, but he was only propped up on his
pillows. Kakashi was still out like a light and surprisingly, Naruto was
holding a non-blushing Hinata, whispering something to her while their blue and
pearly eyes were staring at Sakura.

�What,� she
snapped at Naruto, who only laughed softly.

�Thank you
for what you did to that teme over there,� he said,
flicking a thumb at Sai. �I was kinda scared for him
and Kaka-sensei. Good thing that we came back on time.�

Sakura got
up, noticing that Neji was sitting in a chair next to her bed. This was
strange, seeing as he was next to Hinata�s bed when she fell asleep. Ignoring
him, she made her way over to Naruto and her boys.

�Good thing
that you went away,� she said offhandedly as she poured some chakra on
Kakashi�s eye. �I don�t know what I would do if you don�t come back.�

Naruto
sobered up instantly. �Sakura-chan,� he said, but he cut himself off as Kakashi
started to move.

�Okaeri, Kakashi,�
Sakura said warmly. Kakashi grunted as he gathered his bearings. �Hinata-chan, could
you pass me those bandages, please?�

A heavy
silence fell in the room as the purple-haired kunoichi reached what the medic
had asked for. Kakashi seemed alert, and Yamato put away his apple. Sai lifted
his head a bit, his eyes intent on the pink-haired woman.

�Sa...Sakura-chan...�
Naruto murmured, but she didn�t pay attention as she tended to Kakashi�s
Sharingan, wrapping his head securely with the bandages.

�S...Sakura,�
the Copy Nin croaked.

�This is the
last time I heal your careless condition, Hatake Kakashi,� she said in a low
voice but due to the silence it rang clearly in the whole room. �You are to
remain here until Tsunade-sama, Shizune or I say so. This is the last time,�
she continued, snapping her head at Sai. �That you act so negligently in a
battle. If you carry on that demeanor I�ll have you case handled to another
medic.�

Sai opened
his mouth to rebuke her, but he thought it better and closed it again.

�This is
the last time I have you here under my care for such reckless actions,� she was
on a roll now, but surprisingly she hadn�t exploded yet. Her voice was still
soft, but hard. �I won�t have any of my team dying in my arms,� she said,
clenching her fists. �And, if Tsunade-sama wants Team Seven to go retrieve the
last Uchiha, I won�t let another person go on my behalf, because I don�t want
anyone to suffer for me.�

Hinata
lowered her eyes. Neji felt Sakura�s chakra spiking with anger again, but he
chose not to open his mouth.

�If someone
dies at the hands of the Uchiha, it would be the best if it�s the weakest of
the teammates. I promise to all of you, to kill that fucking bastard that did
this to you.�

�Sakura-chan!� Naruto exclaimed, thoroughly shocked.

�I once
punched Sai because he was bad-mouthing Sasuke,� she cut him off. �And now I
regret it... it would have been better if we killed him when we encountered him
in that Sound base.�

�You
don�t...� Kakashi whispered hoarsely. �You don�t mean that.�

�Damn right
I mean it!� apparently those words triggered Sakura�s rage. �I won�t have you
dying at the hands at that... monster!�

�Sakura,�
Naruto�s deep and serious voice resonated in the room. �Stop it. Stop it now.�

It wasn�t
the first time that the loud blond ninja acted maturely, but it was a surprise
for Neji seeing him snap at his beloved best friend in such manner.

And to the
Hyuuga�s surprise, it was his own cousin Hinata, who stood up and went to the
trembling pink-haired medic, gathering her in her arms.

Watching
the two women, one crying her eyes out behind her hands and the other with a
sad face, whispering comforting words, Neji concluded that fate was, indeed, a
bitch.

-*-*-*-*-*-

It took a
while for Sakura to pull herself together, but after that she hugged all of her
teammates tightly, saying in a cheerful tone that she had to take a shower and
change. The Team Seven males understood her need for solitude and let her go without much complaint.

Now, as
Neji walked beside her through Konoha�s bustling streets, he had the most
amazing thought.

She was the
strongest member of Team Seven. The glue that stuck them
together.

Maybe
Haruno Sakura liked to wear her feelings and emotions on her sleeves, but
regarding strength of mind and determination, she and Naruto were the miracles
that the ANBU regarded so highly during their pep-talks.

Truth was, he was starting to see her under a new light. If he
respected her before, now---

What?

Neji
blinked as she looked at him fixedly. �What?� he repeated.

�I asked
you about Hikari-san�s plums, where does she buy
them?�

�Oh,� he
answered wittily. �There�s a greenhouse near the Aburame Mansion that grows them off-season.�

�Ah, I
see...� she said thoughtfully. Neji blinked and decided to challenge fate
again.

�We can
cross through Fall Street and check out the greenhouse. We�re in no hurry to
get back at the Compound.�

�No,
Hyuuga-san, I don�t want to be a bother, it was just�curiosity.�

�I don�t
mind,� he said smoothly. �I�ll go wherever you go.�

They
started to walk again, and Neji had to admit that Sakura�s blush was kind of...
sweet, for lack of other suitable word.

As they
reached the greenhouse, Sakura had pulled another interesting story about a nin she had to heal while hovering on him in a tree branch,
eliciting a raised brow from the stoic Hyuuga male next to her as she laughed
herself silly.

Neji
thought she was rather innocent when it came to some things, but he was sure
she knew more that she let on. Being in a team with three ANBU operatives, a
loud and moronic seasoned jounin and Hokage wannabe
and a well-known broody sociopath A-class nukenin, it was a wonder that she
hadn�t ended up locked up in the mental asylum.

Sometimes,
the pale-eyed genius mused internally while he followed her inside the warm
greenhouse, it was better to not know.

�This was
developed by the Aburame with the Hyuuga�s financial
support,� he explained as they walked to the perfectly arranged aisles with all
kind of vegetables and fruit plants. �They grow plums and peaches twice a year,
since Hiashi-sama and Shibi-sama are very fond of
said fruits.�

�That�s
amazing...� Sakura said, covering her smile with a hand. �But
isn�t too much? I mean, this wouldn�t be exactly called a natural
environment, and yet--�

�It�s
perfectly natural, Haruno,� he countered, leading her to the tables, were
fruits already plucked were being cleaned, bagged and organized by a small team
of people with opal eyes and others with the trademark sunglasses over theirs.
�The gardeners planted the trees at two different times of the year, so their
cycle is the regular one, albeit a little bit out of season.�

�I see...�
she said, bowing politely back at two Branch Hyuuga members who retreated at
Neji�s respectful nod. �So this is like having two birthdays!�

�I fail to
see the cheerfulness of your... statement.�

�Ah, you�ll
see... when I was little, my mother loved the plum�s flowers, which actually
bloomed around her birthday,� she explained, receiving a glance from the
gardeners when she tilted her head and examined the peaches with a critical eye.
�She wanted me to name me Rika, but when she saw my hair all her plans fell obstreperously.�
Sakura laughed softly, straightening a bit. �You see, my mother was a redhead,
but my father was actually silver-haired, so the genes sort of blended when
they mixed,� she finished, tugging playfully a lock of her own hair and tucking
it back behind her ear.

Neji
grunted noncommittally as he took a fruit bag from one of his relatives with
another nod of thanks. �Let�s go back then, if you�re finished,� he said
smoothly.

�Sure,� she
said, bowing to the gardeners and hurrying to his side.

That was
unexpected, his mind said as they crossed the main gate of the Hyuuga Compound.
She offered a piece of her past willingly, despite the obvious unattachment
that went between him and the Godaime�s prot�g�. He decided to mull about it in
another occasion, for Hideki the Councilman was waiting for them in front of
the Main House.

�Haruno-san,�
he greeted coldly. �Neji. You two are to report to
Hiashi-sama immediately.�

�Hai,� he answered, seeing that Sakura wisely kept her mouth
shut and followed him inside the mansion. This seemed to infuriate the old
Hyuuga, slamming the fence that lead to the trail to the next house.

Sakura
sighed. �No matter how polite I am with that man, he always took the opposite
vote than mine in the Clan Council reunions. I�m starting to think he doesn�t
like me,� she whispered with sweet sarcasm.

�He doesn�t
like many people,� Neji surprised her by saying; �He always picked on me when I
was little, but my father gave him an earful that he never forgot. And after
my--�

He fell
silent. Sakura didn�t press on the matter, but she knew what that forlorn look
he had meant. Loneliness. Mourning.
Sorrow.

�We should
meet Hiashi-sama ASAP,� he completed in a detached tone. Sakura�s face fell,
but she didn�t dare to rebuke him.

Following
him through identical hallways, she found herself in front of a pair of wide
shoji doors. Neji knocked softly and a stern voice called out.

�Come in, nephew.
Sakura-san, please join
us.�

The door
opened and she blinked. Hiashi Hyuuga was seated behind what seemed like a huge
desk, with scrolls and books blanketing the whole space in a rather messy
looking arrangement. But this illusion broke when she witnessed the Hyuuga
Leader close the book he was reading and place it third in a pile next to his
left hand.

�I was
informed of Team Seven�s arrival,� he began with a firm tone. �I take the
mission failed?�

�We haven�t
been briefed on their results, Hiashi-sama,� Neji answered. �But several
members of the team were brought to the hospital due to severe injuries.�

Sakura saw
a glint of concern in those pale eyes, so she decided to put the man out of his
secret misery. �They�re out of danger now, though. Hinata and Yamato-taichou were the ones who came out more or less unscathed,
general weariness for him and a mild concussion for her. They�re resting with
the remaining members of my team at a private ward.�

�I see,�
the Hyuuga Leader spoke. If Sakura hadn�t been watching him so closely, she
would have missed the relief washing minutely through his pale fa�ade. �I trust
the others were treated accordingly to their rank?�

�Hatake
Kakashi was treated by the Hokage herself, while... Sai and Uzumaki Naruto were
treated by Haruno-san. They�re safe and sound,� Neji relied truthfully. Sakura
was amused at Neji�s lack of grip when mentioning Sai, but it was pretty
obvious to her that he didn�t know that the artist had picked out a last name
to match the rest of his team.

But ROOT
didn�t know about that, and Team Seven didn�t see fit to inform others about
that little piece of their life. And what happened after Sai�s and Yamato�s
blunder, it was only understandable.

Also, the
deep frown that marred the man�s face when Naruto�s name was mentioned was
painfully obvious. Sakura fisted the hem of her skirt, using all her
self-control to not snap at her host more that she already had.

�Are you
sure Hinata is okay, Neji?� Hiashi asked again. Sakura figured that he needed
another reassurance. His nephew nodded and showed a ghost of a little smile.

�She had a
good rest thanks to Haruno�s sleep jutsu and she will
probably be released soon.�

�Good.
Please pick her up and escort her back to the house after the briefing,� he
ordered in a soft voice. �Haruno-san, I must thank you for taking care of my
daughter.�

�No thanks
needed, Hyuuga-sama, it was my pleasure,� she answered truthfully. Apparently,
the indoors match against Neji gained some sort of new respect in the pale-eyed
Clan Leader. �She�s one of my dearest friends. I was bound to help her after
she took my place in my team. I should be the one grateful for her kindness
towards me.�

�I�m sure
she�ll be happy. You both are dismissed now.�

As Neji
closed the door behind her, she let an amused smirk grace her features.

�What is so
funny?� he asked in a whisper.

�How
someone can be so blind, even with those eyes of yours,� she responded,
starting to whistle. Neji frowned as he led her to her room, but she didn�t elaborate
more.

I�ll do everything in my power to help you
reach the ANBU position you want, Hinata, she promised mentally while she winked at
Neji, sliding the shoji door in his face.

You�ll show them, like I showed mine.

-*-*-*-*-*-

The next
morning was less than pleasant in the Hyuuga household, as Hanabi
and Neji weren�t around for breakfast. Only Sakura and Hiashi sat at the table,
with the servants fussing around them.

Sakura
didn�t feel so cocky this morning, for she had another nightmare that kept her
up the remaining of the night. Several
times, she mused inwardly. How many
times will I have to endure Sasuke�s killing pursuit?

�You look rather
un-rested, Haruno-san,� Hiashi observed in a blank tone. She noticed that the
usual coldness of his voice was absent, which made her furrow her brows a
little.

�Yes. I
didn�t rest as much as I wanted,� she offered, without looking up.

�Allow me
to escort you to the Hogake Tower
today,� he said, putting the tea cup back in its little plate. �Neji went ahead
because he needed to meet up with his team.�

�Of course,
Hyuuga-sama,� she answered, feeling a little bristle on her general mood. �I�m
grateful for your gentleness towards me.�

�No, you�re
not, but that is fine with me,� he rebuked her with a little smirk.

She blinked
at his lack of manners and sarcastic tone. Why was he behaving like that? Maybe
he heard something about Hinata�s exam? No, that�s impossible; Ibiki told Kakashi that he wouldn�t tell a soul about it...

�If you�re
finished with your meal, let us go,� he said, allowing Hikari
to drape a haori over his shoulders. �It�s a little early, but my guess is that
the Tsunade-sama will receive a blind man and his charge.�

Blasted Hyuuga! Inner Sakura raged. He heard me yesterday!

Sakura
stood wordlessly and followed him outside. Damn it, she thought as she walked a
little behind him. This Hyuuga following
needs to end now, I�m getting restless with all those hypocritical manners and
stuff.

Then she
remembered that her shishou said that she was going to review her status. Maybe
she could go back to active duty, if she pestered Tsunade enough.

This is damned torture, Inner Sakura whined. And she could
only agree with her other self as they reached the Tower in a silence that had stretched since they left the Hyuuga Compound.

�Hiashi-sama!� Shizune greeted the man with a deep bow. �It�s a little early, but
Tsunade-sama is already expecting you. Please follow me.�

Sakura
pursed her lips, annoyed. Her shishou looked up from the desk as they entered
her office, arching a perfect brow at the Hyuuga Leader.

�Hinata is
still at the hospital, Hiashi, she will be released at any moment for the
briefing,� she said. Sakura noted that she was perfectly sober. �And I must add
that this doesn�t concern the Clan Council or the Elders.�

�I�m aware
of that, Tsunade, I�m not as blind as your apprentice kindly labeled me,� he
replied, with the cold tone back in his voice. �I�ll wait outside for her.�

And to
Sakura�s utter surprise, Tsunade snorted. �Oh please, Hyuuga, don�t be bitchy
with me. You know I can�t make you wait outside like a customer. If you want to
remain here for the briefing, I�ll hold your word that you�re not going to
speak through it.�

�You have
my word as the Hyuuga Clan Leader.�

�Tch, those
Clan things are totally futile for me. But again, Sakura, now I understand why
you dread those meetings,� the Hokage finished with a devious grin.

The
pink-haired kunoichi had to let out a short laugh. �I�d rather not comment on
that, shishou.�

�Bah, you
can speak freely, Sakura. Hiashi knows about my lack of manners and he learned
to endure them. He knows that those ridiculous things are useless with me...
and now he addresses me as bluntly as I do.�

�I believe
it�s the only way to make you understand some issues, Tsunade.�

Sakura
pressed her lips to force back the laugh as the blonde lifted her eyebrow
again.

�You are a
damned sneaky bastard, Hyuuga. Don�t make me say things that�ll put you to
shame.�

�Please, do
tell about shameful things,� he countered easily, showing nothing but ironic
amusement in his pearly eyes. �Everybody in the village knows about your
penchant for gambling and drinking, my esteemed Hokage.�

�Shut up,
old bat,� Tsunade sneered. �At least I don�t hide my vices like you.�

�I believe
you�re wrong, Tsunade-sama,� he sniffed. �I do not have any vice.�

�Keep
telling yourself that when you stuff another chocolate down your throat, Hyuuga.�

A choking
sound made them stop for the time being. Both elders turned their heads at one
med-nin that had both of her hands pressed in front of her mouth, attempting to
stifle the laugh that was bubbling in her throat. Hiashi snorted and Tsunade
grinned back.

�I need
banters like this more often,� the blonde sighed, contented. �Sakura, let�s go to
your office, I need you to check something for me. Hyuuga, you wait here.�

�Like I�m
going somewhere,� he shot back, sitting in one of the chairs in front of the
desk with a graceful movement. Tsunade pushed Sakura into the small space that
was the pink-haired medic�s office, closing the door behind her.

�Tsunade-shishou--�
she cut herself off as the Hokage lifted a finger to her lips. Sakura nodded. Motioning
her to take off her shirt, she pressed a hand on the seal, feeding it a trickle
of chakra. Sakura�s vision blurred and went back to normal.

She turned
her head at her teacher and pointed at her eyes. Nodding, Tsunade fed another
chakra burst on her mark. Promptly, Sakura�s sense of touch felt numb for a
moment.

Seeing her
apprentice clench her fists, Tsunade release a repeated burst of chakra that
made Sakura tremble and buckle her knees, but she saw how her pupil caught
herself, leaning on the desk.

�Just as I
thought,� she finally said softly. �Try to concentrate your chakra around it.�

Sakura
blinked and did as she said. Tsunade�s eyes went wide then the seal started to
glow with a faint green light that dimmed after an instant.

Without
warning, she pushed a large burst of chakra into Sakura�s back, only to be
forced back by the strength of the seal, nearly sending the busty blonde
crashing to the wall.

�Sakura,�
she said after regaining her breath. �You have received a marvelous gift.�

-*-*-*-*-*-

It took a
few moments for Tsunade to write the whole explanation to Sakura in a scrap of
parchment. Having a Hyuuga lord in the next room was troublesome, but she knew
that Hiashi wouldn�t try to peer behind the wall. He was too much of a
gentleman, like his nephew. Now that Tsunade watched Sakura�s emerald eyes go
wide as saucers while reading the message, the blonde smirked with a stray line
of thought. Too bad that Neji didn�t pay attention to other
things than his ANBU Captainship, his skills and his family.

After the
�Sasuke blunder�, as she referred to the Uchiha�s defection, it was deep wish
in Tsunade�s heart for Naruto and Sakura to find happiness. Naruto fell in love
with Hinata after a particular difficult mission, in which he realized �by
himself! � that she was the very one he caught dancing
one night under the waterfall in that mission with her team.

It only
took a week for him to confess his feelings to her, but that was a damn amusing
week, she remembered. Poor lovesick lad, watching her in
secret pretty much like she had done when he wasn�t looking.

And her
personal project was Sakura. Tsunade didn�t want her to be jaded and bitter
after they realized that Sasuke wasn�t coming back. Sakura steeled herself with
an attitude that she praised, but it was time for her to move on, in the
blonde�s opinion.

She prayed for
Sakura to fall for another man soon. She wasn�t getting any younger, damn it.

Hmm,
Tsunade mused, remembering Shizune�s amused gossips
about the bickering between one pearly-eyed ANBU Captain and her very own pink-haired
prot�g�.

Why not?

Oh boy.
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Refraction