Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!
Well, I've certainly had some drama the past week. Turns out, some girl was plagiarizing this fic - more specifically the first chapter. Here, I'll give you a basic summarization of what she turned it into - she changed Neji to Gaara, Tenten to a prostitute, Ino's love interest was Shino instead of Naruto, it was set in France, and it was a GaaSaku. To say the least, I was pissed. I sent her a PM about it, but she never replied, and I've tried to find her profile again, but I couldn't. I even searched for the copied story, but I couldn't find it either. Maybe someone had it deleted. Thank God if they did. Now I know what all the victims of plagiarism feel like. I would hate to have it happen to anyone else...
Well, anyway, sorry to keep you waiting on this second chapter, and I hope you enjoy it!
Here ya go!
Sketches
Chapter Two: By Chance
His fingers itched to sketch something.
That in particular something was the pretty pink haired girl he met the day before.
Neji settled on drawing something else instead. The beautiful pond beside the bench he was sitting at in the park, located just on the fringe of his lowly neighborhood was a lovely subject. The beams of sunlight shone down onto the glossy surface of the small, but structured pond. A small footbridge arced its way over the middle of the quaint little body of water, and small groups of koi fish swam throughout its shallow waters. Stones and pebbles embedded themselves along the bank, and some were loose, and were usually moved by little kids who loved to play along the edge of the calm surface.
The gentle splash of the pond was heard as a young boy wandered over to the edge, as if to see what was with the water. Neji thought about drawing this little boy, but decided against it, since he did not know the small child, for the kid might have a problem with it.
He pursed his lips and his brow creased as he scratched his pencil on the pad of drawing paper he brought with him to the park on bright, sunny days like this. Neji had long ago decided that drawing outdoor scenes were quite difficult to him, other than his usual subjects - Tenten, and...well, Tenten. Oh, and the occasional bowl of fruit provided him a change. A boring change, but a change nonetheless.
The reason behind deciding that outdoor scenes were the most difficult thing to draw was simple - there were too many details. Details of the blades of grass, leaves of trees, flowers, the way the wind was blowing, how the water looked, and various other variables were held into account when he drew a nature scene.
Nature was beautiful, but beautiful things were complex.
He looked up from his notepad and studied the details of the bridge. It was made of wood, with small carvings of roses engraved throughout, and it arched in a medium height. Looking back down to his paper, he took his pencil loosely between his fingers - his strokes would look stained if he held the pencil tightly, he realized early in his career - and began to sketch the bridge, curving gracefully over the pond he had drawn earlier that morning.
Neji was so engrossed in his work that he didn't hear the crunching of grass as someone approached him and peered over his shoulder, curious eyes observing his work.
Scratch...
It was silent for a moment with only the sound of the pencil scraping against the paper and the cool, mid-afternoon wind making the slightest noises. It remained that way until the person spoke in a quiet, controlled tone.
"It's quite good."
Startled out of his drawing reverie, Neji sat erect and turned his head in attempt to find out exactly who it was who had been behind him all this time, only to be met with a pair of familiar green eyes that were softened and looking intently at the drawing in his lap. "Oh..it's you...from the café."
The pink haired girl gave a friendly, teasing smile, "You don't remember my name, ne?"
"Oh..." Neji mumbled slightly, giving her a glance before reaching back into the recesses of his mind to remember her name, the name that had been plaguing him for the past couple of hours that he had been drawing, "...it's Sakura, right?"
She closed her eyes and smiled brighter, "You're right." Opening them once more, she looked at the paper over his shoulder, entranced by it again, "I was going to feel awfully stupid if you didn't remember me."
How could I forget such vibrant hair? Neji thought, And the fact that she has been on my mind ever since yesterday helps...
He settled for saying something less...creepy, "So...do you remember my name?"
A smirk made its way across his masculine features as he turned his head, catching a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye. "Hm?"
Her pink lips curled into a smile, "Of course...why wouldn't I remember the man who came into my café and just ordered black coffee...which is nasty if you don't put any sugar in it, by the way. I didn't see how you could've drank something so..." She pondered for a moment on what to say, "...so, unappealing to the tastebuds."
"Yes, but," Neji paused for a second, before smirking wider and asking, "do you remember my name?"
He could hear the slight hitch in her breath when he said that. So...she can place faces, but not names...heh.
Sakura gulped and sighed, feeling defeated, "Um..."
"So, you don't remember my name?"
The emerald eyed girl gave him an apologetic smile, "I'm really sorry..."
Neji smirked, "Well, then...I think I feel offended."
"But, I didn't...I just...ugh, dammit..." Words fled Sakura's mind. "Don't get mad at me! God...I just wanted to be friendly and..." She trailed off, "Ugh..."
So she has a temper too... Neji thought, his eyes scanning over her face, which was twisted into a frustrated expression. "I'm not mad, I..."
Neji was cut off by the carnation haired girl, who clapped her hands together in achievement, as if she had just thought of something brilliant, "I know!" She chimed, moving from her position behind Neji to in front of him. "How about I treat you to ramen?"
Pearly eyes widened, "I...wait, what?"
"To make it up to you for not remembering your name!" Sakura said childishly, clenching her arms together in front of her chest. "Besides, you look like you're hungry."
"I'm not - " At that moment, Neji's stomach betrayed him by letting out a loud growl.
Sakura giggled at this, grabbed his hand, and pulled him up from his seat on the bench, "So it's settled!"
"But I can't..."
"Ugh." Sakura stated, removing her hands from his and placing them on her hips, "And why not?"
"I have a girlfriend." Neji replied in a quick intake of breath.
Sakura looked at the Hyuuga boy with a blank stare before bursting into a fit of giggles.
Neji gazed in awe at the girl in front of him. Did he say something funny? Was he some hideous fucking loser that looked like he couldn't get a girlfriend if he tried? Was that why she was killing herself laughing?
Sakura bent over, a hand clutching her flat stomach, still laughing her ass off.
"What's so funny?" Neji asked, quirking a brow in interest.
The bubblegum haired woman gathered herself before stating, "Who said I was asking for a date?" She winked, "If anyone asks about why you're with me, we can just say I'm a high school friend and we were doing some catching up."
"Um...I..."
"Nice plan, ne?. Now, do you want to get some ramen or not? Remember, my treat."
Neji sighed deeply before meeting emerald with pearl, "Fine."
A smile crossed her features, "Good."
She grabbed his hand once more and lifted him off of the bench. Sakura, he found out, was quite strong for such a slender woman. Forest green orbs smiled up at him as her mouth formed into a sheepish, yet endearing smile, "Oh, um..."
Neji looked down at her, wondering what she was going to say next.
"...what is your name?"
His name was Neji, she found out on their way to the ramen shop.
"Ah..." Sakura said, smelling the fragrance of ramen wafting from the small stand that stood in front of them. "Smells like something good."
"Aa..." Neji acknowledged, giving a slight nod of his head.
"Let's go order!" Sakura said to the Hyuuga man, racing over to the stands and immediately taking a seat.
Strange...how she can be so like a child, and yet...
His thoughts were interrupted by Sakura's voice calling out to him. "C'mon, Neji!"
Smiling to himself, he walked over by the suddenly energetic girl and took a seat beside her, and immediately, the owner of the shop asked who he was. It was a tall man with spiky blonde hair and crystal clear blue eyes, three whisker marks adorned each of his cheeks. "Oi, Sakura-chan who is this?" A smirk crawled across his tanned features. "A new...boyfriend? I didn't think you'd get over Sasuke-teme so quickly."
"Naruto, if you want to be able to have kids with that girlfriend of yours, you'd better shut the hell up." Sakura growled, and Neji took note that her mood seemed to change on a dime.
The man, Naruto, Neji figured his name was, just chuckled and raised his hands in a gesture of defeat, "Now, now, you can't do that to a man, Sakura-chan. That would be too cruel. And you know Ino-chan wants kids..."
"Just ix-nay on the asuke-Say, comprenday?" Sakura said, glaring at him.
"Comprenday, cause I want to keep my alls-bay." Naruto chuckled, turning to stir some ramen that was bubbling in a pot. Smiling in a dopey manner, he changed the subject, "I guess it's your usual chicken ramen that you want, ne?"
"Of course." Sakura said as if it were obvious.
Naruto turned to Neji, "And for you?"
"I'll just have the beef ramen." The brunette said simply.
"Ah, good choice." Naruto turned to the food that was cooking and began stirring, "Coming right up."
Sakura smiled, but it seemed forced. The subject of this Sasuke person must be a sore spot for her. Neji concluded not to ask her about it.
"So...is that all you've been doing all day? Drawing that pond?" Sakura attempted to start idle conversation.
Neji looked to the notepad that rested on his lap and sighed, "Yeah. Took me all day to get it just right. I actually just got done when you showed up."
"It really was a gorgeous drawing." Sakura complimented, looking Neji in his silver depths. The brunette smiled at her in thanks.
"Nature? Why do you want to draw that? It's just a bunch of birds and shit. It seems so boring!"
Neji shook his head, trying to rid what Tenten said to him before he left the apartment that morning. Sakura must've noticed, for she gave him a weird look, "Are you alright?"
"Hm?" Neji turned, looking into Sakura's eyes, such gorgeous, forest green eyes...
He wanted to paint her portrait.
"Neji, you're staring."
Laughing it off, Neji realized her cheeks were tinted with a slight pink blush, matching the color of her hair. He then focused his gaze onto the bowl of ramen that had just been placed in front of him. Taking his chopsticks in his large, slender hand, he began to dig into the steaming bowl of beef flavored noodles.
But, even as he ate the savory food, he couldn't keep his eyes from wandering to the cherry blossom seated next to him.
"Thanks for the ramen..." Neji offered lamely as the two walked down the sidewalk. It had become night a while ago, and both he and the pink haired girl were walking calmly through the district where Sakura lived, their only light was the pale gleam of streetlights, helping them see in the dark night.
"No problem." Sakura said simply, waving a hand at him as if it weren't a big deal.
The two walked a little bit further, and they came upon a large apartment complex. The pink haired girl stepped in front of him and walked up the sidewalk to the large glass door that led into the lobby. "Here's my apartment." She stated simply, turning to walk in, but before she did, she turned to Neji, "Ya know, I had a pretty damn good time...it helped me get my mind off of a lot of things that have been bothering me. Thanks."
"Don't thank me. You're the one who treated me." Neji said realistically.
"Well, that's right. But, I'm just glad you accepted the offer. I was going to be bored all day otherwise. Haha..."
Neji smiled back and saw Sakura turn to go into the lobby, "Hey..." He called out.
"Hm?" She looked at him in wonder. "What?"
The brunette Hyuuga walked up to her, "You really liked that drawing, ne?"
"Um...I..." Sakura struggled, "...yes, I did."
"Well, then," Neji said, taking the aforementioned drawing out of his notepad, scribbled something in the corner of it before handing it to the girl in front of him, "here you go."
"But," Sakura was at a loss for words, "I...I couldn't. You spent all day working on this and...to just give it away seems silly..."
"Now...you're the only one who seems to like my work besides my girlfriend...why shouldn't I give it to you?"
"But - "
"Besides, I owe you for treating me to ramen."
Sakura finally gave up the struggle and looked at the drawing in her hands, "Thank you, Neji." She said gratefully, opening the door to the apartment complex.
"Goodnight, Sakura."
Turning her head to smile at him, she returned the gesture, "Goodnight."
Sakura shut the door behind her and walked to the elevator, where she pressed the button that would deliver her to her floor. She was just halfway there when she saw it.
Her jaw dropped when she saw, printed in fine, airy cursive...
Hyuuga Neji
555-3310
End Chapter Two.
Well, I hope you enjoyed that little bit of NejiSaku action. I know I enjoyed it while I wrote it! Haha. You're lucky because I was determined to finish this chapter in one day, and I DID! Haha, beat that, peeps!
Don't do that, I was joking...
Anyway, I hope you like the chapter, and I hope even more that you will review with your comments!
Ciao, everyone!
