Neji walked along the dirt road, idly listening to the merchants lined along the street calling idly for customers to show up to buy their goods. The shouting was annoying to his senses and he walked into a book store where he would be assured peace and quiet. Inside the book store he found Naruto. The blond haired blue eyed orange wearing ninja was flipping through some manga and looked up only when he noticed him.

“Hey Neji!” He called over as if he were a friend that he saw everyday. Naruto’s voice was loud like it always was and he knew that he would not get any peace and quiet in here and so he exited. Or at least, he would have, had someone not been blocking his way. His pale white pupiless eyes set one the familiar Sakura. He told her to move to the left or right so that he could pass.

“No.” Sakura told him, looking at him with stern eyes. Neji’s eyes widen at the remark. Not many stood up to him like this and Sakura had no reason to be angry at him; that he knew of at the very least.

“And why might that be?” He asked coolly, looking at her sea water eyes which seemed to hold behind them something that wasn’t seen.

“I need to talk to you about Hinata.” She answered, the look in her eyes had a certain demanding presence about them. Neji pulled his mouth unwillingly into a thin line.

“That is none of your concern.” He told her icily, pushing her harshly away. By this time Naruto has paid for his manga and had been waiting patiently behind Neji, not listening to the conversation taking place until his teammate was shoved unceremoniously out of the way.

“Hey Neji! You get back here and apologize to Sakura!” Naruto shouted after him. The Hyuuga stopped and turned around. If Naruto hadn’t been so loud he would have kept on going. Sakura was walking towards him and people where stopping in their everyday activities to just see what was going on.

“You’ve no need to apologize. I will talk to you later Hyuuga Neji.” She told him dully, turning around in a direction that lead to the training grounds. Neji stared at her back before not taking anymore thought and leaving to go back to the estate.

Sakura waited patiently for Hinata to show up. She was trying to help Hinata become stronger at the Hyuuga’s request. At the same time she was trying to know more about the girl, why she was shy all of the time. It had been a month since the first training session and things were going well for Hinata. She improved a little but that was a good sign, not a bad one.

She didn’t know why Hinata wished to have her train her but she accepted. She was looking at a career in teaching young Shinobi and this might help and be good practice. Over that month she and Hinata had become somewhat friends. Hinata had been confiding some things to her but not much. Everyone had to keep their secrets but Hinata had many. Whenever she reached the subject of her family she said that she loved her family and that everyone was alright. There was sadness concealed in her voice but she caught it always and Sakura never pressed further but rather switched to what her teammates had done that day. These conversations were specifically on Naruto, of whom Sakura knew Hinata liked.

So as she had given up having Hinata quench her curiosity about her past she had tried to go to Neji who had shot her down within the instant that she spoke to him. She hated people like that but wither way she wasn’t about to go the estate itself and ask for the information. It was intruding and the Hyuuga were very protective. The training sessions with Sakura were most likely kept secret from her family. At least, that is what Sakura figured.

Her thoughts were broken by soft footsteps walking along the dirt towards the training ground. She looked up to see Hinata, who was a little nervous about being here. She hadn’t seen Hinata nervous like this since the first week of the training. She wondered if Neji had anything to do with it. She frowned to herself.

“Hinata, are you sick? If you are you are free to go home.” She told her in kind words. Hinata looked up at her. Her usual pale cheeks were flushed with fever. Sakura sighed to herself, she would have to escort Hinata to her home or else she held the possibility of fainting. Then Sakura would be in trouble.

“Come on Hinata, we’re taking you home.” She told her gently taking her arm and going slowly to the Hyuuga estate.

“I…I’m sorry…Sakura-san.” Hinata whispered.

Neji was at the gate of the Hyuuga estate. He had seen Hinata sneak out and instead of following her he had decided to wait for her to question her. He saw two figures coming up ahead and with closer inspection saw that is was Hinata and Sakura. Hinata was leaning on Sakura who was giving her support. He rushed to the heir’s side.

“What happened?” He asked Hinata. Sakura decided to answer for her, so that Hinata could get some rest.

“She tried to meet me with a fever…I brought her back home.” She muttered to him. Neji’s mouth pulled into a thin line.

“Hinata that was so stupid of you.” He told her, picking her up from the ground. He looked at Sakura.

“Thank you for bringing her back but I forbid you to see her anymore.” He told her. Hinata’s sharp intake of breath was a sign of protest but Neji ignored it. Sakura widened her eyes before they became seeped with anger.

“If Hinata wishes to see me still when she is well she can do so. She does not need you to run her life. You have a life and so does she. Let her live it the way she wishes to.” Sakura at him. Neji’s eyes darkened at this remark.

“It is her destiny to be the heir of the Hyuuga and therefore her safety and her health is a priority. If she is willing to put herself in danger by seeing you then you are a danger to her. Good by Sakura.” He said darkly, turning around to bring the girl in his arms to the main house so that she could be properly medicated. Sakura’s eyes followed him until he was out of site. She kicked at an idle stone at the road. Sometimes she hated that guy.

THIS IS GETTIN' GOOD !!!!! UPDATE

I will as soon as I can ^^ thanks for pushing me on here....not many comment on my stories

Sakura peeked her eyes through the soft trees that surrounded the Hyuuga estate. She had to see Hinata and in order to do so she decided that the right thing to do would be to sneak through the main houses window. Sakura had only been inside the estate three times in her life but never inside the main house herself. When Neji took Hinata away she had merely pretended to go away when in truth she was actually going to follow him with her eyes. And she did and after writing it on the edge of a scroll that she would tear off later she knew exactly where her friend was. She was about to invade the estate had it not been for an interrupted that she had not been aware of.

“What are you doing here?” A voice called quietly from behind her. The voice had a hint of menace in it, warning Sakura to choose her words carefully. It didn’t help that the ‘guard’ was someone she knew; the someone that had reduced her to hiding in the tree in the middle of the night instead of knocking on the front of the door at a reasonable hour. She clenched her fists and didn’t look behind her.

“I’m not an assassin. I am not out to harm anyone. I just am here to see someone.” She said under her breath but loud enough for Neji to hear. She could just imagine his narrowing eyes as he realized exactly who she was. It was a well-known fact that her hair turned a dull silver when in the dark.

“I told you to stay away from Hinata.” He told her angrily. Sakura couldn’t help but turn her head to look at him, placing her upper body at an odd tilt as to succeed in doing so without falling out of the tree.

“Did I tell you I would listen? Or did you assume that? Hinata is my friend. You can’t have her to herself. Besides, you seem to cause her more harm that I do.” She shot at him without thinking. She paid the consequence; he pushed her out of the tree so abruptly she barely had time to position herself to land on her feet. She looked up at him and saw something that she couldn’t see in the shadows. A mark on his forehead that made her looked up at it carefully. Neji was quick to cover it up with a white ribbon that he just so happened to have at ready. He jumped down from the tree and looked at her.

“I won’t report you to the main house if you forget what you saw and don’t ask questions. Don’t ask Hinata either.” He ordered her angrily. He had taken a kunai to her throat and she gulped as its sharp but slightly dull point grazed just so slightly across her skin. She nodded at him but only just, not willing to give the kunai the favor of tasting her blood. He released the weapon from his neck and placed it back where it belonged in his beigish pouch.

“Now…you wished to visit Hinata?” He asked, smiling slightly. She looked up at him quizzically.

“Y-yes.” She said, placing her hands into fists and nodding greatly.

“Good, you can see her tomorrow at your little ‘training session’” Neji told her, turning to go back to her room. She stared back at him in disbelief and shook her head. She decided that she needed to get some sleep and would have to sneak back into her house before her mom found her missing and would wait for her in her room in the shadows for her return. She could not get over the mark that had adorned Neji’s forehead. The importance of finding out more information of the Hyuuga had taken to a whole new meaning. She had never heard of a head protector used to hide something. She didn’t know what kept drawing her inwards to knowing more about her new friend. It was probably the curiosity that had come with the confidence that Ino-Pig had helped her find. Whatever the reason she hoped it didn’t get her into much trouble.

Neji looked at her, making sure that she was actually leaving without the intent to come back. He pulled at on end of the ribbon and let it fall to the ground. His fingers lightly brushed it and he was mentally beating himself for forgetting it was there that small moment. Normally he was sent to watch over the main entrance of the estate he wore his head protector to shield it like he did during the day. This time however he had caught her before everyone else and to spare the trouble of having to give explanation after they were caught he decided to give the intruder a heads up. He had hurriedly climbed stealthily out of his window and had forgotten his head protector on his dresser.

He hoped she did what he had requested of her or else he might have to do some type of harm to the person that caused his cousin some happiness. He had never heard of Hinata going out of her way to meet something. He had merely heard of her trying to impress the clan, her father, and perhaps Naruto which he didn’t really want to fix if it was so he let that one pass his radar. He sighed to himself as he climbed into his bed and looked at the ceiling. He knew that Haruno Sakura would cause things to stir within the clan and he knew that the clan would not take it well. Heck, even he didn’t like her butting in on other peoples’ problems. But he had to admit that she was doing a good thing for Hinata and therefore would keep everything a secret from the main house. Love for his cousin might have something to play in this decision too but the prodigy didn’t think of it as he slipped into sleep.


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ate it? Like it? Love it? I am afraid if I went a little out of character here...I'm not exactly sure so...tell me if I did and I can keep note of it in chapters still to come

The subtle sound of rain drops hitting the glass pane of a window would sooth most to sleep. For Sakura this was not the case. She rose her upper body from her bed to a sitting position and looked around her small narrow room. A breeze that came from the slightly opened window grazed over her bare arms and she temporarily shivered. She stopped for a moment, thinking. She distinctly remembered closing the window. If that was the case how did it open?

She looked around her room, looking for anything else that was not right. She didn’t see anything but the window until she laid her eyes on her bedside table. It held a letter that was kept from blowing away by a kunai that did not belong to her. Confused she picked it up and opened it.

Sakura,

I really do not wish to press on the importance of keeping some things to yourself. As you further your friendship with Hinata you will continue to gain her trust and she will eventually tell you things. This letter is only for the purpose that I know that you will keep any secrets you might be revealed to and do not act rash at anything you here or observe. Do not question Hinata further if there is something that you do not understand. Come to me and I will answer your questions the best way possible if you prove to me that you can be trusted enough to know. Meet me at nine this morning at the abandoned field. You won’t have to wait, I will already be there.

-H.N.

Sakura folded the letter neatly after looking at the initials of that who sent it. She understood the letter perfectly. Neji was simply making sure that she could handle any information given to her. He worried for Hinata’s happiness, worried about her deserting her if she knew too much. She sighed to herself as she put the letter away in a drawer she held for what she felt were important things. Moving to close her window after making sure that none of the falling liquid found its way inside she soon went to bed afterwards, falling into an easier sleep.

The pink haired Kunoichi made her way to the abandoned field that Neji had mentioned to her. As he had written she didn’t have to wait for he was already there, a look of seriousness etched in his face. She slowly made her way to him and stopped, taking a bow. For some reason she decided to show him some respect and would not argue unless needed. Neji nodded his head to her, taking a breath before speaking.

“You are determined to make sure your friendship with Hinata lasts…” He start, soon stopping. She nodded at him.

“Hinata has always been the shy one. When she came to me for help I was surprised with the request but accepted it. She tended to keep to herself during the academy and was no different afterwards. I was really surprised at the way she performed in the Chuunin exam. It was as if you could see the real her after it had been put away.” Sakura told him, thinking idly to herself. Neji frowned, remembering that day with a scowl. It was before he started to see things differently, before Hiashi told him what truly happened to his father. Before Naruto had beaten some sense into him...

“So you don’t understand her very well do you?” He asked, looking at her with his milky eyes. Her sea green ones met his as she shook her head.

“She has a fierce determination to become stronger. ‘To change’ she told me. What I am guessing she wants someone’s acknowledgement. When she’s training it is as if nothing can deter her away from it. I see that you really care about her and her safety; to sneak into my room in the middle of the night whilst it was raining.” Sakura said once again.

“I don’t consider that an accomplishment. Sneaking into the room of a younger girl is not anything to be proud of. However I do care about Hinata and her safety. She is my cousin and calls me her brother. In return I look at her like a little sister that needs to be shielded. In this way I have grown over protective, my reasons for snapping at you these past few days.” The Hyuuga explained, smiling slightly to himself.

“It seems that you too care for Hinata. You came here and did not yell at me for being a hypocrite but instead listened to what I said and asked and answered without hesitation with careful words. For that, you are trust worthy to know at least some things about our family. For now I will tell you as much as Naruto knows and then some.

I have not always liked Hinata. I blamed the main house for the making my father take the place of hers in death since they were equal in appearance. This was because he was as the second born of twins placed into the branch house of the Hyuuga family and when my father and he turned three he was given the same mark that resides on my forehead. The mark that resides on every branch member’s forehead. It is given when the youngest of the main house turns three years old. I resent the mark so much. It is too make sure than when I die that the secrets of the Hyuuga will disappear with my life. It also is a way for the Main house to control us. My uncle uses it seldom though I did see it on my father when I was young.” Neji explained, stopping his flow of information. Sakura nodded at him.

“I see…your family seems complicated.” She said, trying to make sense of the information.

“In many ways it is…in as equal of many ways it isn’t. Depends on what one’s point of view is.” Neji told her, looking straight ahead at nothing. Sakura moved and softly hugged him before releasing a few moments later.

“I’m sorry you lost your father. I still have mine and therefore I can’t fully understand. If you don’t mind I have to meet Naruto and Kakashi for an upcoming mission. I will see you when I see you Neji.” Sakura said, looking at him for a moment before slowly walking away, leaving Neji speechless and staring.