Naruto 1. Chapter 1

Authors Note: Here is the start of a new short story that I have had on the table for a while. I hadn't uploaded it because I wanted to finish the epilogue for Gift of Life but for some reason I can't upload it, so I decided to go ahead and upload this first. I hope you enjoy and I hope to have the next chapter out very soon. For reader of GOL, I will get the epilogue for GOL up as soon as it will let me. On we go!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters.

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Neji couldn't believe his ears. Three weeks in this hellhole with that… bumbling idiot of a nurse. He wanted to curse but the infernal woman was still there clutching her clipboard as if it were a teddy bear. There was desire in her eyes and something distinctly predatory as she gazed at him in his less than mobile state and it was unnerving.

The thought of this woman man handling him and attempting to gain his attention at every turn made the whole idea of staying here even worse. He was already in considerable pain and he hadn't eaten since last night. On top of that this bed was incredibly uncomfortable. To say he was cranky was an understatement.

"Is there anything else you need Neji-san?" The overeager tone of her voice made him want to cringe. This was part of why he hated the hospital. Young nurses often favored him with far too much attention as they did with many of the high-ranking eligible nins. It certainly didn't help that he was a Hyuuga favored by his uncle and his cousins or that he was the infamous captain of ANBU's highest ranking and most successful team.

He saw her move forward with determination and it furthered his conviction. Normally he would have just said 'no, I am fine', but this time was different. His broken ribs and shattered knee cap were not going to allow him to get up and leave of his own accord for at least a few weeks and even if he did manage to escape there was no doubt that someone would drag him back. Thus, with no other options, he decided to do something he would never normally contemplate. He took a look back at the woman, who was now entirely too close for comfort, and finalized his decision.

"Yes, there is." Her eyes widened and she looked eager to please. She nodded energetically awaiting his command. "Please find me a new nurse."

* * *

It had been hours since he had seen a nurse. To their credit each of the nurses on duty had given it their best shot but they were all of the same general demeanor and general fan girl tendencies. Despite these set backs over the last few hours he was determined to outlast the girls and find someone who wouldn't fuss over him too much.

His attention was grabbed by a distinct noise coming from the hall. Someone was wearing heels and walking with even commanding steps as they came closer to his door. Who did he know that wore heels? For a moment his heart stopped and his eyes widened at the thought that the hokage was coming to reprimand him for systematically turning away all of her hospital staff in one day. If he was lucky he wouldn't be punched too hard.

He steeled his nerves for the angry entrance of the busty blonde but the voice he heard from outside the door was not that of Tsunade-sama. He let out the breath he had been holding. There was only one other person he knew that wore heals like that.

Sure enough a moment later, and much to his relief, a pink head entered through the door. Her face was hidden behind a clipboard, but the hair was unmistakable.

"Good afternoon Hyuuga-san," she said as she lowered the clipboard and he was able to take in her appearance for the first time in a while. He hadn't realized how long it had been since he'd seen her. She looked different now, more mature and significantly less gangly than she had in her early teens.

Her hair was longer but by no means long. She had taken to wearing tall knee-high boots that were unique among the nins. Her white medical coat screamed her authority in the institution and immediately made him feel more at ease. A professional smile brought his attention to the face that was no longer covered. He was surprised to find that her green eyes were a very intriguing shade of emerald, something he had never noticed before.

There was a sense of bemusement in the air as she approached him, her hand laden with chakra. "I hear you've been displeased with my staff." The tilt of her head was reassuring and he was almost positive that she was not going to suddenly lash out at him.

"Hn." He redirected his gaze, though still very conscious of the hand that was approaching his rib cage. His examination of her was not over but for the moment he had determined that she would get the job done and that was enough to get him to lower his guard slightly. His arms, which had been crossed up to this point, fell to his sides and exposed his chest.

"I'm going to examine you now. It will only take a moment," she said with confidence, placing the clipboard down on a side table and finally moving to touch his chest with her hand.

A warm tingling sensation spread through him, hotter where her hand was hovering over him than anywhere else. Her eyes were closed with concentration and he wondered if that was somehow part of how she visualized the damage done within him.

"I don't really blame you. They mean well but they are young girls. Sometimes they get a little caught up in the moment. I will have a talk with them." That slight up turn of her lips was all he needed to see that she was indeed thoroughly entertained by both his and her staff's antics, for what reason he was not entirely sure.

He regarded her again and realized that not once had she ogled him, gazed at him with starry eyes, or managed anything that even vaguely resembled swooning. She was entirely focused on the task at hand and didn't seem to care about who he was or what he looked like. In a sense he was somewhat put off by it, as this was new for him, but the majority of his sentiment was relief.

It was then that he noticed something else. She was wearing her combat gloves and her travel gear was gently placed by the side of the door. She must have just returned from a mission. The sensation of guilt washed over him. He had caused a ruckus and it would stand to reason that someone would have had the sense to get her or one of her colleagues. Presumably Tsunade-sama and Shizune were busy and didn't work in the hospital regularly anyway, which left Sakura. Despite the implications of her dress she did not appear tired and thus some of his guilt was alleviated.

"You're going to feel a slight burning sensation."

The heat on his body increased and his brows knitted together. The pain that had been shooting through his body was dissipating and all that remained was a dull ache. Eventually Sakura straightened up and opened her eyes to look him straight in his.

"Well Hyuuga-san, you appear to have broken three of your ribs and shattered your right knee cap. They have now been mended to an extent. The bones have been placed back together but they will have to fully re-knit themselves over time. The mend will be stronger this way." She grabbed the clipboard and scribbled something down and then attached the board to a small hook on his bed.

"I will be back tomorrow to monitor your progress. Your dinner will be in soon and I will personally make sure that there will be no problems. Is that satisfactory Hyuuga-san?"

She was leaning on one hip with her arms crossed as if asking for him to challenge her in some way. As if he would dare after she had just healed him. There was one thing that was bothering him though.

"Sakura-san," he said, making sure to catch her eyes with his. There was a moment of silence as she gazed back at him. A smile lifted her cheeks and he felt his chest tighten unexpectedly. The glow in her cheeks, the amused sparkle in her eyes and the curve of her full lips was something he was looking forward to seeing again. There was warmth in her smile and in her eyes that he wasn't accustomed to. It was comforting and yet at the same time somewhat exciting.

She turned to towards the door and picked up her pack. He watched her do so with a little disappointment, which puzzled him. Never before he had been intrigued by Haurno Sakura. Why now? Thinking about it for a quick second he realized that he hadn't paid much attention to her since the incident with Gaara. That had been a few years ago.

They had never sparred together and their missions were usually of a different nature. On top of that, he rarely got injured and was not usually drastically, thus he had no need for the expertise of someone as skilled as Haruno Sakura. In addition, he had been so busy in the last few years that he hardly ever managed to meet up with the group and he suspected, with her new appointment at the hospital, that she suffered the same fate. Whatever the reasons were for their lack of meetings, he was determined to get to know Haruno Sakura better now. He wasn't exactly sure why he wanted to, he just knew that he did. And he would have plenty of time to think about it over night as he waited for her return.

She straightened her back with her pack on her shoulder and turned her face to the side. "Tomorrow then, Neji-san." Her voice carried over to his bed and he took a moment to nod in return before appreciating the way her voice was gentle and all together pleasant. She exited the room and he listened to the confident clicks of her heels as they walked down the hallway.

He made himself comfortable in his bed. He readjusted his pillow and found that he would need another in order to be truly comfortable. He was loathe to call someone in to fetch it for him and, even though he could feel that his leg was better, Sakura hadn't said he could walk about yet. With a small smirk he settled in and made due with his current number of pillows. It wasn't often that he was allowed to be lazy and now was as good a time as any for him to use his injury as an excuse to relax.

A timid knock on the door announced the presence of a visitor. A young teenage boy with glasses and a quiet demeanor entered the room with a large sack in his arms.

"Hyuuga-san, Sakura-sensei asked me to bring you these when she was done with the examination." The boy went about opening the sack and pulling out a number of items.

The first was what appeared to be a pile of reading material.

The second was a bento box. The boy placed the box on the tray in front of him and opened the top to reveal a very elaborate and well-prepared bento. He wasn't sure who had made it but he intended to find out.

The next thing to find it's way onto the tray was a thermos. When the boy opened it the smell of tea reached his nose. Neji's wanted to close his eyes in joy. Not only would he not have to deal with fan girls, but he wasn't going to have to eat hospital food either.

Before he could revel in his dinner, which he was hard pressed not to dig into right that second, the boy pulled out the last item and arguably the most important; another pillow. Neji leaned forward and graciously took the pillow from the boy and placed it behind him.

With an eager smile the boy bowed to him and then stood up straight as a board. "My name is Udon and Sakura-sensei has deemed that I am to be your nurse. Please be patient with me. You are my first independent charge." Normally such an admission would have bothered Neji, but this time he was grateful. It was apparent that Udon would only do what Sakura instructed and wouldn't bother Neji unless it was necessary or he was called. Neji nodded to the boy amicably and then watched as he turned to leave the room.

When the door closed he began to eat and make himself comfortable. With the pillows supporting him and a large piece of sashimi in his mouth, he knew one thing for certain. Haruno Sakura was an angel.

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End Comments: Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it. It is a small introductory chapter and I hope to have another longer chapter out very soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Authors note: This chapter was slow moving for me in terms of writing but I think I finally like it. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters.

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He wasn't sure exactly why but when he had woken up this morning he was in a very good mood, despite the fact that his uncle had paid him a visit after his dinner the night before. The lengthy lecture on mission safety that his uncle so graciously bestowed upon him had not been appreciated.

At the time he had wanted to roll his eyes. Was safety ever truly relevant in a profession such as theirs? He didn't think so. One could only insure their safety with superior strength, which was not always possible, or the support of an extraordinary medic. Thankfully he had the best on his side.

Speaking of his medic, he'd been awake for some time and had yet to see her at all. Udon stopped by earlier with basic breakfast and tea. The young man had asked relevant questions about how he felt physically, scribbling down some notes as he went and left quickly, which Neji couldn't help but appreciate. For once he wasn't dreading the return of his nurse.

He reached over to grab some reading from the side table and decided to occupy the next hour. Udon's impending arrival with his lunch was greatly anticipated. Normally he would have blanched at the thought of eating at the hospital, but both his dinner the night before and his breakfast this morning were beyond reproach.

He suspected that it was Sakura's way of getting difficult patients to be more accepting of being bedridden under her care. He knew she must have had trouble with previous patients, some of whom had a notorious hatred for stays in medical facilities. He knew for a fact that Kakashi and Sasuke were both particularly stubborn in this way, always escaping only to be dragged back by an irate Sakura. It only made sense that she would have come up with some means of dealing with their childishness.

What troubled him was that she had seen fit to use such tactics on him. He knew he had previously expressed a vehement dislike for prolonged medical care, but that was mainly due to the attention he garnered from the female medical staff… and the food. Sakura had removed both of those issues in one fell swoop. Though he had no complaints about his accommodations or treatment, he had no intention of allowing Sakura to continue with the impression that he was going to be a difficult patient. He smirked to himself with pride. He had been nothing short of docile since she had entered into his room and he would continue to be the most compliant patient she'd ever had.

The reading, which up to this point he had only partly been paying attention to, caught his eye and the following minutes passed by quickly.

A passage on chakra sealing had his full attention when a particular smell drew close to the door and made him put down the scroll. The door slammed open and a pair of searching eyes locked on him.

"Looking for something Kiba?" his voice was dry, as was the look he was sure he sported. Kiba for his part came out of his search mode looking deflated, hunched his shoulders and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Sorry to barge in Neji. You haven't seen Sakura have you?" The Inu-nin was attempting to be casual but there was a strain in his voice and Neji could tell he was feeling quite anxious about something; most likely something to do with Sakura.

He looked at Kiba carefully and sat up fully in bed. "No. Why?" He tried to catch Kiba's eye but the other man was too busy looking around the room.

The brash nin must have taken it as an invitation to enter the room because before Neji knew what had hit him the man was sniffing around his room. "Well, I caught her scent and it led me here."

Neji rolled his eyes. Obviously it was the scent that he was tracking otherwise the man wouldn't be sniffing everything in sight. "I meant why are you looking for her."

Kiba heard the agitated sound of his voice and looked up from sniffing the pile of reading next to the bed. "Oh, right. I've been trying to convince her to go out with me again, " he said moving on the end of the bed.

Neji wanted to frown at the word 'again' but he wouldn't give Kiba the satisfaction. "I see." And then a thought occurred to him. "Having trouble?" he asked, with a hint of mischievousness laced in.

Kiba let out a long breath and scratched his chin. "Yeah, like you wouldn't believe. It's not that she's turned me down… I just can't seem to find her." The irony that the formidable tracker couldn't find the medic caused the corners of his lips to turn up ever so slightly. Though the thought probably had escaped Kiba's notice, if he hadn't found Sakura it was probably because she didn't want to be found. If it had dawned on the other man it would have answered the question he was seeking an answer to.

"Hn." Despite the knowing tone in his monosyllabic response Kiba continued in his search.

"You're in her care right?" he asked as he approached the window. What ever scent had been there must have dissipated because Kiba frowned and walked back towards the door. "When you see her, tell her I'm looking for her."

Neji allowed an amused smirk to grace his features for a split second, which caught Kiba's attention. "I'm sure she's aware," he said flatly.

Kiba locked eyes with him and the two stared each other down for a moment. Neji had never been one to loose a staring contest and soon enough Kiba's eyes began to waver. It became clear that he had no intention of holding out when his eyes shifted to the corner. "Tch. Later." He waved his hand behind his head on his way out.

Kiba had only been gone for a minute or two when a cloud of smoke formed in his room. When it cleared Sakura was left standing at the end of his bed. Neji activated his byakugan and saw that the reason for her unusual entrance was the man staking out the hospital lobby. "Good afternoon Neji-san!" she said cheerfully as she pulled the curtains further apart to let in the light and opened the window to let in some air. "Let's open the window. The smell of wet dog tends to be quite pungent." Neji nodded, having though of getting up to do so himself. Kiba had always had a signature smell and at times it could be overbearing.

"He seemed eager to see you," he said as he watched her walk around the bed and take his clip board off the hook, looking over Udon's notes quickly.

"Indeed." Her hand lit up with bright green chakra and she signaled for him to pull up his legs. "Let me see your knee."

He continued to stare at her but it didn't seem to dissuade her in the slightest. He was going to have to say something if he wanted any information. He did his best to sound as casual as possible, but it was apparent that he was intrigued and perhaps a little cross. "He said you'd been out before."

Her brow arched and she looked up from his leg with an impish smirk. "Curious?" she asked, in a teasing tone. She let out a small chuckle and shrugged before getting back to her examination. "It was very casual on my part. It turns out it wasn't on his," she said stressing the word 'very'.

The answer pleased him but he was having a hard time letting it go. There was still more he was curious about, such as when it happened and why. He was determined to find out a little more. The idea of her dating Kiba was new to him and frankly quite unexpected. Last he had been made aware, Sakura was more interested in the dark brooding types like the Uchiha. "I see." He watched her absentmindedly take down more notes on the clipboard.

She was still jotting things down when her voice carried over to him. "The healing process has started and looks like it will progress nicely."

"Hn." He fixed his eyes on her and waited for her to look up at him. He wasn't disappointed. A few seconds later she was staring back at him waiting for him to continue. "He seemed very anxious," he pushed gently, hoping she would indulge him with more information.

She smiled and sat on the doctor's stool next to his chair. She set the clipboard down and faced him fully. She leaned her elbow on his bedside table with her head in her hand. Her other hand absentmindedly twirled her pen as she began to explain. "We went on a few dates about a year ago but it didn't work out. I thought we were on the same page but apparently we weren't. A month ago he asked me out again, but I didn't think it would be a good idea. Ever since he's been trying to get me to change my mind." Her head sunk further into her hand in frustrated exhaustion.

Neji looked at her and a measure of sympathy crept onto his features. She had probably spent the better part of the month avoiding Kiba and the Inu-nin had made it clear she had been doing a very good job. While he wasn't overly fond of Kiba there was one department that the man could not be outdone in, not even by a Hyuuga. Kiba's nose was hardly ever wrong and to have outrun it for so long was incredibly impressive. "I see," he said catching her eye and showing her he fully understood the situation. "I'm sure he'll get over it eventually." He was hoping to assure her, but he was new at this and he wasn't positive it had come off the right way.

It seemed that his words had done the trick or at least that she had understood his intentions because a playful smile made her lips turn up delicately. "Sooner rather than later I hope," she said, then waved her hand dismissively as she continued. "We had some fun but I really didn't think he was that attached."

The sun peaked through the curtains and a ray caught the side of her face lighting up every strand of her pink hair and illuminating her porcelain skin. Her eyes, usually bright, seemed to glow from deep with in. The light also brought to his attention something he had never noticed before, but shed light on her time in the field. The lightest spattering of freckles graced the small portion of the top of her wrists that her combat gloves didn't conceal. The freckles faded out to a slight tan on her arms. Neji was hard pressed to think of any woman who was so uniquely beautiful. The contrasts of her delicate features to the evidence of her fieldwork was endearing and he found himself oddly fixated.

He had thought about his interest in Haruno Sakura for quite some time the night before and he had come to a startling conclusion that had just been further cemented into his awareness. He was attracted to her. She was refreshing, interesting, and surprising. Before her arrival the day before he thought he knew Haruno Sakura, or all the basic things, but she had surprised him a few times already. The girl he remembered was short tempered, constantly crying, starry eyed and completely focused on Sasuke. That description didn't suit the woman in front of him. He finally understood what had some of the other men in the rookie nine and team Gai so enamored of her. Now he wanted to discover exactly how far this attraction went. "It isn't hard to imagine."

The words were deliberate and took Sakura off guard. The obvious surprise shot through her eyes, which he was watching intently. "Oh, thank you Neji-san" she said with a tint of pink dusting her cheeks. It thrilled him, more than he had expected, to find that under her surprise she was very pleased and obviously flattered. She smiled and looked over to the charts, seemingly to stop blushing, and change the subject. "Well, everything seems to be going very well. You should be out of here in no time."

"Hn." That's wasn't something he really wanted to think about just now. As odd as it sounded leaving the hospital wasn't even close to his top priority at the moment. Of course he would take her advice and follow it to the letter but there was a small part of him hoping he would get to stay in recovery longer.

She spun the pen around a few times on her palm causing him to put his thoughts away for the time being. When he looked back to her it was obvious she had regained her composure, the tiny bit she had lost, and was back to her more professional outlook. He did notice that she was a little less formal in her posture. He wondered how much more he could push while still allowing her to keep up her professional demeanor. He didn't know she was going to give him the perfect opportunity.

"Do you need anything else? Have any other questions?" She teased gently, crossing one leg over the other.

One dark brown eyebrow raised and he found himself teasing her in return. "Kiba?"

She could hear the subtle humor laced into his question and took it in stride. "Well, I was attempting to go for a different kind of guy," she said with a shrug and an amused glint in her eye. "Why are you so curious anyway?" her question was suspicious but in an amused way.

He tried his best to sound casual but when the words came out he found that he needn't have worried. He usual calm demeanor was firmly in place. "No reason."

She chuckled before moving past it, but she knew he was aware that she didn't fully believe him. "Sure. Any questions about your recovery?" she asked, with an emphasis on the last word.

He paused for a moment thinking back to his earlier thought process concerning his stay. "How long to you think the re-knitting will take?"

"If I assist with chakra about a week. Longer if I don't. The best way is to do a bit of both. Plus it will give you some down time." Her last statement had an element of knowing to it, as if she wanted to tell him to take it easy and rest more often but she knew he wouldn't listen. After all he was Hyuuga Neji and even if she did tell him that it would have been a bit hypocritical seeing as though he was fully aware she worked just as much as he did.

He nodded lightly, assuring her with the tiny movement. "Whatever you think is best."

A flash of white teeth was all he needed to realize that she was immensely pleased with how accommodating he was being when it came to his condition and the treatment she was giving him. "Alright then. Udon will be round with your lunch in a few minutes and I'll be back later to help you keep your muscles moving." She stood quickly and stuck the pen she had been holding behind her ear.

"Hn."

She waved before she opened the door and began to step out. "See you in a bit," she called out brightly as the door slowly closed behind her.

* * *

When she had said she'd be back in a bit he hadn't expected her to be away until the sun had fallen. When he'd finished his reading he found himself lacking entertainment and was looking forward to her return. When it had become apparent that her visit was going to be later in the night he had called for Udon. The boy had been confused at first but after a few minutes he had started talking about how the hospital worked and the medical details of the recovery process that Neji was currently undergoing. When he had asked Udon how he knew so much about the microscopic attributes of his recovery the boy had stated that Sakura had gone over all of it with him when the boy received the appointment.

The intricate details fascinated Neji and he wondered how much knowledge had been packed into Sakura's head and how much of it she would explain to him over the next week. Thus when Udon left Neji was more eager than ever to see the medic and pick her brain. It had been a few hours since then and his disposition was becoming a bit sour.

He was tempted to get up and walk around when the increasingly familiar sound of her heals reached his ears. He straightened up in his bed and waited.

She knocked on the door and when she didn't enter he sent her a small grunt to show it was alright for her to come in.

The door opened and Sakura entered but something was different this time. The medical coat was gone. She was wearing what appeared to be one of her field uniforms without the flack jacket and without the skirt to cover her shorts. The dark long-sleeved shirt was tucked into the tight fitting but flexible shorts and Neji tried his best not to stare at her long legs as she made her way towards him.

"Hungry?" She asked with a smile. She held up a white paper bag and placed it down on the table next to his bed. She turned to get a chair but found only the examining stool she had used earlier in the day.

"Starved," he said, watching her pull the small seat over to the bed. He re-adjusted the pillows so he could sit up completely in the bed and by the time he was comfortable she was sitting with a bag on her lap.

She blew some hair out of her face and placed the bag she had been holding on the bed next to his legs. "I meant to come by earlier but things got hectic," she said, somewhat apologetically.

"I understand. An emergency?" He was somewhat concerned. An emergency that required her attention couldn't be a good thing. Most likely someone was gravely injured.

She let out a long breath, bent over, and he heard the sound of two zippers being pulled down. He saw a look of relief cross her features and heard the sound of something being pushed under the bed and came to the conclusion that her boots had become uncomfortable during the day and had found a new home for the moment. "Yeah. A jounin squad got ambushed by rouge nins. Only one serious case, but it took a while to bring him around. Sorry about the shoes, I'm breaking in a new pair." She smiled, reached over for some of the hand sanitizer on the bedside table, and pulled out two matching thermoses from the bag, oddly similar to the ones he'd been using previously.

He took them from her and placed both of them on the table and removing the tops to use as cups. He poured some tea into her thermos top before moving to his. "Are these yours?"

She was busy un-wrapping some containers that she pulled from inside the bag as she responded. "Yep. Tea helps me relax. And I've been told you enjoy tea as well so I figured you'd appreciate it." She cheerfully glanced at him out the corner of her eye while she began to open the containers. She handed him some utensils and signaled for him to start while she retrieved hers.

"I do," he said before taking a bite. He savored the taste making sure to not inhale the food in a manner that would be unsightly as he was so tempted to do. Years of Hyuuga manners hammered into his habits wouldn't allow that.

She seemed pleased as she nodded sharply. "Good. And Udon told me you liked the bento yesterday." She took a large mouthful and swallowed before continuing. "I either make them myself or get them from the store across the road."

He placed the bite he was about to take back down. "Which is this?" he asked before continuing with his meal.

"I made this one myself," she said watching him take in a mouthful, before asking, "What do you think?"

He was fairly sure that she knew how much he liked the food. Unless he was very much mistaken it was showing on his face. "Wonderful." Both bentos were delicious but they tasted different obviously the work of two different chefs who had slightly different preferences. "The one you gave me yesterday was meant to be yours," he said, matter of factly leaving no room for argument.

Sakura took a swig of her tea and shrugged her shoulders. "Well, the staff caught me as I was heading home from a mission with Kakashi-sensei's team," she explained with a cheerful tone. "Don't worry I got another one when I left."

He looked down at his food and remembered what an ass he'd been only just the day before and wondered why she had gone through the trouble. "You didn't have to do that."

She leaned back slightly and closed her eyes in an attempt to relax for a moment. "Seriously, don't let it bother you. I was happy to."

There was quiet for a few seconds while he thought of the best way to word his next question but it was something he was wondering about. "Do you share your dinner with all of your patients?"

Her eyes opened and she graced him with a look of mock outrage. "Most certainly not Hyuuga Neji. That is a privilege given to only a select few. To date, only Naruto, Kakashi and Sai."

"Not even the Uchiha?"

Sakura wrinkled her nose in apparent distaste. "Lord no. He is such a fussy eater. And besides, he's too busy having dinner with his potential brides to have dinner with an old friend," she explained in a slightly saddened tone. As he thought back he recalled Naruto in an angry huff about exactly the same thing. The conversation had something to do with the loud blonde being stood up by his old friend at Ichiraku's one too many times. Naruto was never at the ramen stand alone for long though; one of his friends would inevitably go there to find him, usually Sakura and Sai.

"You're not on that list?" he asked genuinely surprised. He had thought that she would be. She certainly fit the Uchiha's criteria, which was almost solely based on physical strength.

"Thank the heavens I'm not. Sasuke and I have very different views on the roles of women," she said with a dark grin, implying that the Uchiha had previously said or done something that had landed him on the wrong side of her fists.

The thought of Sasuke being punched out made him want to laugh but instead he opted for a more polite response. "I see."

Sakura's inane grin faded away, leaving the glimmer of gentle merriment behind in her eyes. She had let her guard down a bit more since the afternoon and he guessed it had a great deal to do with the fact that she was not currently working. "He's a good friend but we'd never be able to venture into that territory now, not after everything that happened. I wouldn't want to."

"That is understandable," he said before sipping at his tea. He understood exactly what she meant. It was apparent to him that this woman had changed a great deal since her teen years and admittedly independence was not high on Sasuke's list of qualities in a mate. But that particular quality made Neji respect her even more. He took a few bites of food and then decided to broach another subject. "I spoke with Udon this afternoon."

"Oh?" She asked, her hand covering her mouth and the food that was within it.

"Hn." He placed the top back on his bento and put it off to the side. "He explained some of the more intricate details of my recovery." He watched her finish off her bento and place the container next to his.

"I hope it was comprehensive," she said finishing off her tea and pouring herself another one. She allowed the steam to drift up to her nose and let the heat warm her hands on the cup.

"Very, but it did pique my curiosity." He didn't bother to mention that his curiosity had been piqued before that.

She looked down at her lap and smiled before looking up at him again. She pushed some air out of her face and tilted her head to the side. "I didn't know you were a such a curious individual Neji-san."

He let loose a deep almost inaudible chuckle. "When it comes to certain things."

She pulled her knees up and placed her feet on the metal border of his bed and while that might have normally bothered him, in this situation it made things feel more comfortable. She was clearly at ease in his presence and was making a point to be physically more relaxed. "Ask away. I was told to take a long break, so we have plenty of time to talk and when my break is over I will change your bandages. Oh, and I brought some dango."

He didn't think he'd ever told anyone but he had a weakness for that particular treat. But when he had the chance and knew no one was looking he would quickly drop by his favorite stall and pick some up. He looked down at the bag that still lay near his legs. "From the stall on Cherry Street?"

She grinned knowingly. "I wouldn't go anywhere else."

* * *

End comments: Don't worry Kiba is not going to form some sort of love triangle. I just wanted to make this version of Sakura a little less inexperienced then some of my other versions have been. Sasuke will make an appearance soon, as will Naruto, Hiashi, and Hinata. Thank you so much for reading. I'll try to make the next chapter longer.


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