Special thanks to all of you who reviewed!! After a lot of thinking, I have finally come up with a pairing and a STORY!!! I just hope you all like what I have come up with.
This will be an eventual Neji/Saku pairing. Right now it's a bit of a Naru/Saku but we'll see what happens later. Sorry to disappoint those who wanted different but I hope you will read and enjoy my story anyway! Well, here goes.
I'm not sure if you've heard this or not but when I was a Genin, I was quite the weakling. Not to mention an all out crybaby. See, you're probably thinking, "You? A weakling?? NEVER!!" but believe it or not, it's true. Well, not anymore!! I haven't heard the word weak directed towards me in a long time unless the word not was in front of it and everyone in the village knows it. And even if someone called me that, I'd totally kick their ass.I know I'm being a bit full of myself but after all those years of hell people put me through about being weak, I'm not just going to forgive and forget.
There's only one person I allow to call me such an insult. This person has trouble accepting the fact that I am no longer that little weakling who always got in the way. This person...is not Sasuke. Oh no, Sasuke realized my true strength when I kicked his sorry butt back to the village. I'm talking about the one and only (thank goodness) Neji Hyuuga.
I've never really talked or associated with him in any way until I became a Medic. That boy has some serious nonstop training issues. And we also got along pretty well at the mission to retrieve Sasuke. Well...if you call 'arguing with each other and senselessly brow-beating the other until one of us got our way' getting along then yes, we got along. Putting the arguments aside and also the major differences in opinion, I actually consider us as friends. Well more so, acquaintances than friends but that alone is still an amazing feat to accomplish when Neji is the one you're trying to get buddy-buddy with.
Ok, enough talk. All this talk about Neji is making me feel hungry for some reason. I think I'll take a visit at Ichiraku. It's around two in the afternoon so Naruto should be on his...5th bowl I think? Somewhere around that range. When Sasuke left, it gave me time to get to know Naruto a lot more. Up to the point where I know his ramen schedule. Speaking of Sasuke, I hope Naruto didn't drag him into Ichiraku with him. I really don't feel like seeing him right now but I suppose it has to happen sometime, seeing as we both live in the same village and all.
I'm walking towards Ichiraku and notice how long it's been since I last ate there with Naruto. I've been so busy lately it seems that I barely have time to eat. I'm almost there and the coast is clear of Sasuke much to my delight but I see someone else with Naruto. A girl. A twinge of jealousy overwhelms me and I start walking faster. Wait. Did I say jealousy? What I meant to say was...HUNGER! Yea, hunger. A twinge of HUNGER overwhelms me and I start walking faster. Why would I be jealous? Of all the emotions I should be feeling, it should not be jealousy. I mean, so what if Naruto has a little girlfriend? It doesn't bother me...
...Does it??
Nah, I must not be thinking straight after all the busy days I've been having. Yea, that must be it.
"Sakura-chan?"
Being deep into my thoughts, I hadn't noticed that I already reached Ichiraku. I turned to Naruto's surprisingly handsome face. Why surprisingly? I guess I just never noticed how good he looked until just now. He looks so cute with his head cocked to the side. Oh, right! I'm supposed to answer him!
"Oh! Hey Naruto! Sorry I dazed off there. Mind if I join ya?"
"Of course not, Sakura-chan! I'm already on my seventh bowl!" Ooh, so close.
"Hey Naruto, who were you talking to just now?" I had to know.
"Hm? Oh, that was Hinata-chan! We were just talking."
"Oh, ok. Just wondering." Whew. It was only Hinata-san. Wait...why am I relieved again?
Naruto went back to his ramen bowl and then it seemed like he just realized something.
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto has a weird look on his face. I can't seem to recognize it. Hmm..oh wait! SMUG. Now's the time to be suspicious, Sakura.
"You wouldn't happen to be jealous, would you??" Damn. How could he catch on that fast?! It wasn't THAT obvious right? Definitely not obvious enough for Naruto to figure out.
"What? Of course not, Naruto. Why would you think that?" I hope I was convincing. Did he buy it?
"Sakura-chan finally has the hots for me. Sorry to break it to you but I don't think it's gonna work out." Naruto was getting a big kick outta this.
"Naruto!" I gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder.
POOF!
"I'm sorry to interrupt this pleasant moment, but I have some news for Sakura." Well, well, look who it is.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto and I said in unison.
"What is it?" I asked. It's probably lazy Tsunade wanting me to do her work for her.
"You're needed at the hospital." Right now? There's lots of skilled medics in that hospital. Why do they need me?
"Ugh." I looked back at my bowl full of untouched ramen. "Got it." And I took off towards the hospital.
"Well, no use in wasting perfectly good ramen!" Naruto exclaimed and started attacking my ramen. His chopsticks, the weapon. And Kakashi just sat down while reading his mystery book but anywho, back to me.
As I barged in the hospital doors for dramatic effect, there was an anxious nurse waiting for me to arrive. I followed her to the designated room and she explained to me the details of the situation. I just sighed as if this whole incident occurred to me as an everyday task. And it technically is.
I entered the room. Not a surprised bone in my body was present at the moment as I saw the seriously wounded patient before me. No matter how injured or hurt or unconscious he may look, seem, or appear, his wounds will never shock me. You want to know why? Because I've seen and healed so many different injuries on this guy that I expect these things to happen. He's the most stubborn and hard-headed ninja I have ever met and there's just nothing I can do about it. And believe me. I've tried practically EVERYthing.
I ordered the nurse to fetch me a couple items while I heal the larger wounds first. While I was concentrating chakra to my hands a greenish glow began to take place, mending the cuts and gashes. His pained expression turned to one of calm and relaxed in a matter of moments. About an or two later, his major wounds were all healed and he was all bandaged up. I was exhausted from the large amount of chakra I used but I was relieved. I took pride in my work and this one was a masterpiece for it was a tough fight but in the end, Haruno Sakura won.
I left him to sleep and went onwards to Tsunade to tell her the outcome of what happened.
Sigh. That boy just doesn't know when to quit. I do admire his looking out for his teammates like that but if he keeps getting hurt like this every time he has a big mission or is out doing intensive training, then I'm gonna have to do something about it. And he's not gonna like it.
I arrived outside her door and knocked. A muffled "Come in" was said and I did just that. The sight of scattered papers, empty bottles of sake, and a fatigued Tsunade appeared in front of me. Typical.
"...hmm?" Tsunade looked up at me while I had a slightly impatient look on my face. "Oh! Sakura! It's you. So how did it go?" Tsunade said while frantically straightening herself up.
"Well, he has a minor concussion, a couple fractures here and there, and several deep cuts and open wounds but I've already healed most of the major ones. He should stay and rest for a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks but it'll be hard to say if he'll even stay for the first." I rolled my eyes with annoyance when I remembered all the times he had escaped.
"I see..." Tsunade closed her eyes and put on her thinking face. I'm curious as to what she has in mind. You never know how things will turn out when one of her ideas are put to the test.
"Sakura, how do you feel about making Neji your permanent patient? Until I say otherwise, of course," Tsunade said with a straight face.
I just stared at her, mouth agape. What did she say? Neji? As my permanent what?
When I found my voice I replied with a simple, "No. Way."
Tsunade smirked and I began to worry but I didn't show it, of course.
"I knew you were going to say that so instead of asking I'm assigning him to you from now on." Oh, so that's what she was all smirky about.
I tried to decline once more but my mouth just couldn't perform the task I had asked it to do. All that came out were incoherent words that aren't even considered words. And when I was able to talk, all that came out was a desperate 'but'.
"Oh no, you don't have to thank me. I'm happy to do you a favor. And here's an idea! Why don't you check up on him every week or better yet, everyday, after he's fully healed? Just to make sure he doesn't overdo it like he usually does," Tsunade said with that evil grin of hers. This "suggestion" of hers had woken me up.
"N-Now wait a second, Tsunade-"
"Well, then you better go check on your patient, doc. He's waiting for you." Tsunade pushed me out before I could retaliate.
A minute or two had passed and I came out of my short state of shock and glared at the door where behind it, there's a diabolical Tsunade.
I can't believe that just happened. I don't even talk to him! Nor do I wish to speak to that apathetic Hyuuga. Now I'm forced to. Well, that's just great. A perfect way to top off my already crappy week.
I reached my destination and entered the dreaded room. Neji was already awake, much to my dismay. He looked up and saw that it was me and, as expected, he glared.
"What do you want?" Geez, can't he even attempt to smile or something?
"From Tsunade's orders, I am to be your permanent...nurse and you, my patient." I wouldn't be able to hold back the hesitation even if I wanted to. The whole thing was much to insufferable for the both of us.
And for one second, which I happened to take note of, Neji's face showed the most open expression he's ever exposed in front of someone.
Stunned...
This'll be interesting.
Yaaay it's finished! The chapter I meant. I feel so...ACCOMPLISHED!
I've been so lazy with all my stories but I whipped my butt into updating this one! Why this one? Because it's my proudest one. My own ORIGINAL idea [minus the characters, the setting, etc...I think. But if someone else out there has a similar story then I didn't know and I'm sorry!!
Well, I'm pretty sure it's my own but who knows? I hope you all liked this chapter! Tell me your thoughts!! x)
WARNING: JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THE NEXT CHAPTER PROBABLY WON'T COME OUT TILL NEXT MONTH OR SO. WHY? BECAUSE I'VE GOT THE CASE OF THE LAZY ASS WRITER SYNDROME AND I'VE HAD IT SINCE DAY ONE. o.o
