Naruto 1. The Beginning

_**How hard can it be?**_

_**Allo peoplez!! This is probably not a much supported pairing thing, but oh well. I like it. So, R&R pplz!!**_

__**She thought it would be the easiest thing in the world. Instead, it turned out to be one of the hardest things she's ever done.**

Neji, Naruto,

Meet me under the Sakura tree in the middle

of the special grove, at 5:30pm tomorrow.

SH

Sakura smiled, her bright emerald eyes glittering with anticipation. She knew they were probably _completely_ confused. Her confession was going to shock them both, especially since they were rivals.

It was almost time, half an hour until they appeared at the base of her tree. The kunoichi was really nervous. What she was going to say to them was going to change _everything _she once knew. There was going to be speculation, slander and name-calling, no matter who she was.

It seemed like it was going to be the easiest thing, _ever_ to say, never mind the fact that it took her _years_ to actually admit it to herself, not to mention getting up the courage to even try and tell them, which was soon here, but oh well.

'**It's almost time! Yeah! We'll be able to tell our boys the truth! CHA!' **Inner Sakura said. Sakura nodded in agreement.

'_Yeah, we'll get to tell 'our boys' the truth, finally.'_

'**Isn't Naru-chan just the cutest teddy bear? As well as is Neji-kun just so sexy?'**

'_Yeah, but what if they don't feel the same, and they hate us?'_ Sakura asked, thinking about Sasuke.

'**Well, we just have to take that chance, one last time' **Inner Sakura sighed.

Sakura drew out of her conversation with her Inner, as she heard wind rushing through the leaves, just as two shapes appeared at the base of the tree. Sakura looked down at them, as she sighed heavily. Would she tell them, or would she rather just be their friend, as they grew up and got married, eventually, like a long, drawn out torture?

Neji and Naruto just stood at the base of the tree, waiting for the person to show up. They didn't know why it had to be them, both ANBU captains, while Neji was next in line for the head of the clan, while Naruto was the next in line for Hokage, as well as being the 9-tailed fox's container. Either way, they were both there. Neji turned on his Byakugan, trying to see if anyone was around, while Sakura hid her chakra by becoming one with the tree.

Sakura had summoned Ai, a little white tiger cub that someone had given her. The petal-haired kunoichi gave Ai a letter, and sent her down to the boys.

Naruto, Neji,

I am sorry for dragging you both out here, but I wanted to tell you both something. I wonder if you know me, because of Ai, but if you don't its fine. I just wanted to say that, I love you both. Not just as a friend, but as in, I love-you-both-so-much-it-hurts, kind of way. I need to know if, first, if you will just ridicule me because I love both a Hyuuga and the jinchuuriki. I know you're both strong, but I fell in love with the little things. Like, how when Naruto is really sweet, trying to help as many people as he can. Also, Neji is a workaholic, not because he wants to get stronger, but because he doesn't want to go home to his empty of life little room, little things, here and there. All I wanted to do was tell you two what I feel. I wish I could've gone through with telling you this myself, but I can't. I can't suffer through that again. Just to answer a question, there is no way that anyone can find me. Oh, and I'm a girl, breasts and all.

HS

Neji and Naruto just stood there, stunned. There was a girl who liked them both. _Both _of them. They had fan-girls sure, Naruto not as many as Neji, but still. Wait, Neji is a workaholic because he doesn't want to think about home where he was basically alone? Naruto and Neji looked over at each other, both noticing the miniscule blush on the other's face. Naruto tore his eyes away first, looking for Ai. When he didn't see her, he realized that she was gone back to her mistress.

"So, do you think it's real and genuine, Neji?"

"Seems like it."

Naruto pressed on. "Do you have any idea?" Neji shook his head.

"I wonder what she means by, I can't suffer again?" Naruto wondered. They started heading towards the village again.

"It probably means that she had her heart broken once before."

"Come on, Neji!" Naruto snapped. "Who could break the poor girl's heart!?"

"Many people," Neji replied. "We break infatuated hearts all the time. The Uchiha had quite a fan club, and most of them tried to get his attention, like for a date or something."

"That's it!" Naruto exclaimed. "Maybe the girl was one of teme's fan-girls!"

"You actually said something smart!" Neji said, his voice heavy with sarcasm with a little bit of fake astonishment.

"Than-hey!" Naruto glared at Neji. "You're almost as bad as the teme!"

"No I'm not!" Neji glared right back. Just then, they reached the gates of Konoha, and Sakura was waiting for them.

"Hey guys!" the Hokage's apprentice said, "Want to go spar?"

"Sure, Sakura-chan!" the blonde yelled enthusiastically. Neji and Sakura winced.

"Sure Haruno," the stoic Hyuuga answered. Sakura just grinned, mischievously.

When they got to the training grounds, they decided on a 2-on-1 battle with Neji and Naruto against Sakura. Naruto ran towards Sakura, activating his specialty clone jutsu. Sakura just smirked, and hit the ground, making it split open, the crack ending at the Hyuuga. Many clones fell in, but the ones that didn't, were kicked or punched with chakra-infused limbs. Neji attacked just as Naruto ran towards Sakura with a rasengan in his palm. Sakura just activated a genjutsu for Naruto, which made him think she kept moving so he couldn't hit her.

Neji aimed for the chakra points, so he could shut down her system. The kunoichi kept moving too fast for Neji to get a hit, while she performed hand-signs. She dissolved into pink flower petals, before appearing partially to attack chakra points every now and then.

"Water style; Giant dragon jutsu!" Neji attacked. Naruto broke out of the genjutsu, "Fire style: Grand Fireball jutsu!" With two attacks coming at her, Sakura did a replacement jutsu, and went underground.

The three flopped onto the ground, exhausted. They were all exhausted from fighting, but Sakura still had to heal them.

'_Is this almost what it's like to be exhausted with these two together?'_

'**I'm **_**definitely**_** in if it is!'**

"Tha-at *pant* wa-*pant*-as fu-un. We *pant* sho-uld do-o it aga-ain so-ome-ti-ime." Sakura said, panting. The boys just looked at her like she was crazy.

"No way, Sakura-chan!" the blonde said. The chocolate-haired Hyuuga nodded in agreement.

"Alright, let me tally up your wounds," the medic-nin said, as she sat up, now all business. "Let's see…three broken ribs, fractured kneecap, closed chakra points, gashes, poison and one healing jinchuuriki. Here's the antidote to the poison." Sakura started healing the ribs and kneecap. The gashes weren't so bad.

"Let's go to Ichiraku!" Uzumaki yelled enthusiastically. The other two nodded and followed.

"I'll pay," Sakura said.

"I'm done," Neji said.

"So am I," Sakura added.

"But-but…." Naruto said while still shoveling in more ramen.

"That's your 16th bowl, Naruto. You're done." Sakura cracked her knuckles and Naruto nodded his head in submission and finished the bowl.

"That will be (insert somewhat large amount of money here)."

"Here you go."

"Please sign here," Ayame said. Sakura nodded, signed and left. Neji caught a look at Sakura's writing by accident, and saw it was the same as the mysterious HS.

"Naruto, Sakura has the same writing as HS. She might be HS, considering her initials are HS."

"So, Sakura-chan is SH, and she loves both of us?" Naruto asked incredulously. Neji nodded. Overhearing the conversation, Ayame popped over.

"Sakura-sama came here depressed, a while ago. When I asked her what was wrong. She said that she likes one guy, while her Inner-self likes another, but neither will give. She also said they came to a compromise that they can have both, or find someone they both like." Both boys felt their hearts drop, at that statement. "Either way, I told her to tell them how she feels. Wait; are you two the two she likes?" Amane asked curiously. The boys nodded. They then turned around and walked out, shell-shocked.

_**Comments, suggestions and minor flames welcomed. Neji is supposed to be partially OOC, it wouldn't've worked if he wasn't.**_


	2. What they found

How Hard Can it Be?

Part 2

Sakura sat on top of Ichiraku and listened as Ayame explained to the boys her problem. She knew she needed to give them some time, so she went to ask for a month or two mission either on her own, or with her ANBU team that, thankfully, didn't have either of them on it, as they were both ANBU captains too. Sakura started to jump towards the Hokage tower.

The boys started to walk. Neji looked up, activating his Byakugan. He saw someone jumping away from Ichiraku's towards the general direction of the Hokage tower. Even if it _was_ Sakura, he and Naruto needed to think about what this meant. So, he didn't say anything.

Naruto was deep in thought, but could still feel Sakura's chakra moving away. He decided to think about it all instead of just asking Sakura-chan straight out. He knew that he felt for her and Neji in a different way than he did every one else. He just didn't know what that meant, exactly. He just knew they were different.

'**You idiot! You love them!'**

'_Huh? Hey Kyuu….._

_Wait, what??_

'**You **_**love them both'**_

'_I don't believe you….'_

'……**.fine. You'll figure it out……Someday….**'

With that, the kyuubi receded back into Naruto's consciousness. Naruto just shrugged, bit started to think about it. Neji tried to rationalize it out.

'_Oh my god, I really do love them both!' _Naruto realized while Neji knew he felt attraction to them. They stopped, looked at each other and blushed. Neji's was miniscule; while you could definitely Naruto's was there. They looked away and started walking again. Naruto scratched his head, embarrassed.

"Well, Hyuuga. It could be way worse. You _could_ be attracted to Lee and Lee alone." They both shuddered. Neji just shook his head to get rid of his thoughts.

"Well, at least we know she likes us too, instead of having to figure it out ourselves. Besides, it was just a coincidence; technically that we even knew it was Sakura. Ai didn't give that many clues, as I've never seen her before."

"I think Gaara gave it to her, because he found a mother tiger once, with a baby beside it. She probably named it Ai, because of Gaara's tattoo. Ai probably means a lot to Sakura, as well as the fact that it's probably taken her years to admit it to herself," Naruto commented.

"Let's go home and think about it." Naruto nodded in agreement and turned towards home, leaving Neji to walk alone. Neji decided to find the true depth of his attraction. He smirked, knowing this would be fun.

Sakura jumped into Tsunade's office. Tsunade was snoring on her desk as usual, so much for actually getting it done. The ANBU medic just sighed, before she whacked the wall, controlling her chakra so the vibrations travelled to the Gondaime to wake her up. The blonde snorted before sitting up and stretching.

"Oh, Sakura. What brings you here?" Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I would like to request a mission to Sunagakure, please," her normally strong voice becoming softer than usual.

"May I ask what brought this about?" Sakura's mentor inquired with some curiosity. Sakura just started pacing as the busty woman just raised an eyebrow at her apprentice's agitation.

"You remember Ai?" At the Hokage's nod she continued. "Well, I knew that since she's grown, they wouldn't recognize her. I gave them a note, confessing my feelings, since I can't do it myself as I am." At this, her eyes took on a haunted look. '_Damn Uchiha.'_

"Anyways, they didn't realize it. I went to train with them both, but then I treated them to ramen. As a fluke, I had to sign, and Neji caught notice. I disappeared, while Ayame told them what I had told her before!" Sakura moved to just in front of her shishou and collapsed to her knees.

"So please, Tsunade-shishou! They need to get used to the idea, to adjust to it all. That and I don't want it to be awkward," Sakura just begged, hoping Tsunade would let her somehow. Tsunade just sighed, shuffling through missions to find an appropriate one.

"Here it is! The mission is to improve Sand's medical training and facilities, as well as learn new methods. You have to visit Mayonakagakure and the border of Higure. Pick up Steph from Mayonaka and she will call Seimei from there, as they are cousins. Seimei is a really good medic with different methods you should be able to learn with your perfect chakra control. Steph has to deliver a scroll, as well as doing some training with Suna's ANBU." Tsunade's eyes watered slightly at the thought of her beloved apprentice being gone for so long. The Gondaime enveloped Sakura in a hug as she handed over the mission scroll.

"I don't know how long you'll be gone. Years, months, I don't know. Good luck, Saku-chan." Sakura nodded as she took the mission scroll and went out the window to pack.

xD


End file.

Naruto, Mystery, Romance