Hyuuga Neji, Jounin of Konohagakure no Sato was busy, one fine spring morning, writing mission reports that were of the utmost importance. His girlfriend – no, they were not at that stage yet, they were just dating exclusively as she had informed him on five different ocassions – Haruno Sakura, Med-nin extraordinaire, was currently eyeing him with varied levels of distaste. Or to be more specific, the assortment of flowers that were trying their best not to wither from her glare.

"I don't understand"' she began for the third time, "Why would some girl give you flowers when she knows that we are seeing each other?'

Neji looked up slightly irritated but face as impassive as always. "She doesn't know. Weren't you the one who wished to keep this a secret?"

"Yeah, but I told Ino" she said as if it explained everything.

Neji snorted softly. "I doubt they will believe in mindless gossip. They can be rather persistent, you know? Besides I don't think anyone will believe what Yamanaka-san has to say after the whole Lee and the Suna kunoichi fiasco."

Sakura blushed. She knew exactly who he was referring to by 'they'. She too had a bad case of fangirlism in her early teens but she was so over it. But she knew their rather persistent nature like the back of her hand.

"I doubt that. They won't disbelieve anything Ino has to say." she retorted.

It was true too. In the rare occassins that Tsunade actually won any bet, it was soundly backed by the Yamanaka girl. The girl was a veritable encyclopedia of Who was sleeping with Who.

"The story she wove is rather outlandish even though only you, I, Hinata-sama and TenTen know that it was true." He explained as if speaking to a two-year-old.

That was rather true and Sakura would never ever let him live it down. After admiring her from afar and hailing her abilities as a med-nin to all who cared to listen – which was only Naruto since he tended to do that only under the influence of strong alcohol – Neji finally gathered the courage to ask his uncle for permission to court Haruno Sakura. Hyuuga Hiashi was rather pleased with his nephew's choice – it was better than Hinata's any day. But the boy was the prime elect to be the Rokudaime Hokage and he found that he could not complain.

Anyway, back to the point. After gaining permission from a gleeful Hyuuga Hiashi – it wasn't every day that your nephew courted the prized apprentice of the Godaime Hokage – Neji went to gather information discreetly.

Trailing – after - her - like - a - love-sick - puppy – discreet.

Sakura, who had a little crush on him too, was amused at his behavior but absolutely refused to believe Hinata when she told her that her ice-cube of a cousin had a little crush and that she was the object of his long-sought after affections, she nearly cracked a rib while laughing. A confused Hinata made her way to Naruto, taking care not to ever ention her suspicions to him. Comparing him to an enraged bull whenever he heard a rumor regarding his dear Sakura-chan and a member of the male species, would be injustice to the poor bull.

Then taking advice from TenTen (Or more like borrowing her copy of Confessions For Dummies, which she had got in a sale to finally confess her undying love for all things creepy and crawly and subsequently, Shino) he prepped himself with some of that stuff that is known as 'Liquid Courage'. Perhaps he drank a few bottles too many or ended up in a genjutsu – however highly improbable that may be, he was the Hyuuga clan prodigy after all - and ended up crashing the girls' sleepover at the Hyuuga Manor. Sakura was amused, intrigued and a whole lot embarassed when he professed his undying love for her, loud enough for the entire compoud to hear. Turning fire-truck red and clashing horribly with her hair, she accepted, going on a date with him the very next night. Of course, before that, she had to provide a satisfactory cure for hangovers before that.

" But she should notice the change in your behavior! Women pick up on that kind of thing easily! And the note! Kissy-kissy marks on a note! I am telling you, she did on purose! She is just jealous! " Saakura was clearly grasping at straws here, clearly shown by the fact that she had stood up agitatedly and was shaking a chakra enhanced fist in his face. While it was not enough to bring down a mountain, it was more than enough to smash his pretty boy features to smithereens. Some serious temper control was needed if he wanted to live a little longer. But having the personality and emotional perception of a rock, he simply did not censor his next sentence. "Why Sakura, are you jealous?"

Using her brain for once instead of acting impulsively in anger as always, she let the chakra in her fist diffuse, turned around and stalked out of the room angrily just as Hinata and Hanabi came in.

Getting the story from him, Hanabi proceeded to explain to him in no uncertain terms that he was an idiot and that when a girl gets jealous, it means that she usually cares. Hinata cut off her tirade with a gentle interruption. "Then what would you do if she told you that she has been recieving love letters from that chunnin she healed last week?"

Neji rarely got angry. His fits of jealous anger were even rarer. But he saw red here. In a tone that promised painful retribution to any and every idiot who dared to look at his Sakura wrong, he asked "Is it true?"

Hinata nodded.

He was out of the room like a shot, paperwork forgotten.

Hinata sighed.

Hanabi was mystified. "Is it true?" she asked her older sister.

"No" she said.

Hanabi gave a low whistle. "You do realise that their biweekly sparring match is tomorrow right?"

Hinata nodded again, confused.

"Tsunade-sama is not going to be happy when she sees the damage to the training grounds."

XXX

Author's note: How was it? Is the last comment confusing? Do tell.

I have not abandoned 'From friends' ya know? Just a little stuck.

Food for thought:

Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.