Bonjour everyone! Here is the next chapter! I love writing these…even I don't know what I'm going to make happen next. Review please. Aishiteru! 3

Chapter Three xx

"Tenten, maybe you should go home and sleep," Lee suggested. "Neji's going to be awake by tomorrow."

Tenten glanced at Neji as he lay in the hospital bed, passed out. He didn't look peaceful at all. He looked so stressed out.

"No," Tenten said, turning away from Lee. "It's my fault he's hurt. He's the one who saved me." Tenten closed her eyes at the thought. "I'm going to stay here."

"You need some kind of sleep, Tenten," Rock Lee insisted. "You haven't slept since the festival."

Tenten sighed and sat down on a chair right beside Neji's bed. "I'll sleep here. I'm fine, Lee. Thanks for worrying about me." She smiled tiredly at him.

Rock Lee knew that arguing with her was useless. So he sighed and smiled and left, closing the door behind him. Tenten bent over and lay her head down on Neji's bed and closed her eyes.

She urged sleep to consume her, but she was so worried about Neji that sleep wouldn't come. She kept her eyes closed, though, in hopes she would get a few hours of rest.

She dreamt about Neji that night, those pale eyes gazing into hers as if she was the only one he ever wanted, the only person in the world who completed him. She knew, though, that this would never be. Neji was not the type to worry about girls, much less Tenten, who was just a teammate to him.

But you can't help what you feel, right?

XXXXXX

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata yelled. "Naruto-kun, come quickly!"

"What?" he said, rushing to her. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Sakura-chan is gone!"

"What the hell do you mean she's gone?" Naruto glanced at the hospital bed. Sure enough, Sakura wasn't there.

"She left t-this note," Hinata said. "Read it."

Naruto took the note from Hinata and read it out loud. "'Dear Naruto and Hinata,'" he read. "'Please do not worry about my well-being. I am fine. I have gone out because I cannot stand this hospital any more. I am just walking around. I will be back soon. Love always, Sakura.'"

"Walking around?" Hinata questioned. "That's odd."

"Is she stupid or something?" Naruto yelled. "How is she going to go back out after she almost got killed?"

Hinata didn't know what to say. She was slightly frightened by this new anger.

"We have to go find her," Naruto said, turning to leave. Hinata grabbed his arm. Surprised, he turned to look at her.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata began. "Maybe she just wants to be alone. You should leave her for a little while. If she doesn't come back in a few hours m-maybe then we should worry."

Naruto sighed, knowing she was right. "Okay." He moved closer to her and leaned down. Hinata stood up on her tiptoes, trying to ignore the fact that her face had turned into a tomato. Their lips touched and-

"Well, hello, fellow friends!" Rock Lee shouted, causing them to jump apart. "I am here to visit the very beautiful Sakura-chan!"

Cockblocked, yet again.

Rubbing his head in frustration, Naruto snapped, "She isn't here."

Rock Lee gasped. "Where is she?"

"She's…out. For a walk. Go away, Lee," Naruto said.

"I really must be going," Hinata mumbled.

"I'll walk you home!" Naruto offered, following her out.

Rock Lee glanced around, not sure what to do of himself.

XXXXXX

Sasuke-kun is nearby. I can feel it. I jumped from tree to tree, ignoring every pain in my body, pushing myself further and further into the forest. I would find him and convince him to go back to Konoha. Everything would be fine. I stopped and looked down at a lake and a waterfall. I caught a flash of raven hair. Perfect. I leaped down from the tree and called out, "Sasuke-kun!"

He froze and turned around. He didn't look happy to see me at all. His look was a mixture of surprise, annoyance and downright anger.

"Sakura," he said. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," I replied. "It's important."

"I'm busy," he said. "Come back some other time." He started to walk but I ran forward and grabbed his arms to keep him from leaving. He spun around to face me, grabbing my wrists in his hands, not at all gentle. "Don't touch me," he hissed, voice laced with venom.

"I need to talk to you," I repeated, trying to ignore how close he was to me. "Right now."

"I told you I'm busy," he snapped. "Now leave."

"No," I refused, shaking my head. "I need to talk to you right now."

"Fine!" he snarled. "Talk, then. What do you want?"

I swallowed. "Come back to Konoha."

He released me and pushed me away. "Go home, Sakura. I don't have time for this."

He turned around to leave and I ran to him and jumped on his back, forcing him to stay. "You have to listen to me!" I cried.

"Sakura!" he shouted, obviously angry. "Get the hell off me!"

I didn't think he could throw me off, but within a few minutes he managed to release himself from my grip…

By accidentally throwing me into the lake.

At least, I hoped it was an accident. The water was freezing, and I hated every second of being in there. How could I not know how to swim? I mentally slapped myself. My whole body stung with sharp pain, but it eventually faded into numbness. Did I swallow water? Exasperation overwhelmed me. I closed my eyes.

A few moments later, I felt someone grab my wrist and lift me out of the water, carrying me back to land. I didn't have to open my eyes to know it was Sasuke. I knew it because of his familiar scent. I knew it because of the way I was pressed up against him, and the way my heart was racing because of how close we were. No one could make me feel that way. No one but Sasuke-kun.

I heard him grumbling something about me being such a burden.

He set me down on the ground and I was instantly cold again. "Wake up," he ordered. "Open your eyes, Sakura."

I opened my eyes slowly and bolted upright once I started gagging and coughing. "T-thanks Sasuke-kun," I said, coughing again.

"Hn." He paused. "You're still annoying. And a burden."

"Come back to Konoha," I whispered. "Please."

"No," he said. I threw my arms around his neck.

"Sasuke-kun, please," I begged.

"Let go of me," he demanded. But he made no move to push me off.

"Please, Sasuke-kun!" I shouted. This time, he untangled my arms from around him and stood up. I stood up as well.

"You should go home, Sakura," he said. "What you are trying to do is useless and a complete waste of time. It won't work."

"S-Sasuke-kun…"

"Leave. Now."

Tears spilled down my cheeks. "S-sasuke, please…"

"Tears do nothing but make you seem weak and pathetic."

"But I love you."

"I almost killed you a day ago," he snapped.

"Why didn't you?" I countered. "You couldn't! There's still some good left in you, Sasuke-kun, if you'd just open your eyes and see how many people love you…"

"Love is nothing. It's weak. Useless. Love does nothing but bring you pain."

"That's not true!" I cried. "Love is what kept me going for so long, and love is the reason why I'm not going to give up on you!"

He shook his head and brushed past me. "Go home. Go back to Naruto. Be with that other new teammate of yours. You and I won't ever happen. It will never work. I've broken my bonds with everyone. I'm alone. So go, and do yourself a favour and never come look for me again."

I gaped and turned around to say something. But he was already gone.

XXXXXX

"Tenten."

Tenten opened her eyes immediately and shot straight up, pain shooting up and down her spine from being bent over for so long.

"Neji!" she cried, and before she could think twice about it, she had her arms wrapped around him in a bear hug.

Neji's throat went dry. He had no idea what to say. Tenten wasn't one to touch him this way. What was he supposed to do? He had no clue, so he just sat there and waited. For whatever reason, he was very content and comfortable in Tenten's warm embrace.

She pulled away. "Neji, I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Hn," was all Neji said in response. He was not one to exchange cheesy, heart-warming words.

Tenten grinned. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." He swung his legs off the side of the bed. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"A day," Tenten replied. She began to fidget with her nails and hair, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "Neji?"

"What?"

She blushed. "I just wanted to say…thanks. For, you know, saving me."

Neji looked at her and wondered why the hell she was blushing. "Hn. Tenten?"

"Yes?"

"How long did you stay here?"

"A day."

He stared at her. "You stayed the whole time?"

"Was I not supposed to?" she asked.

"What? No…I mean, I'm just asking, Tenten."

She shrugged. "Okay. But do you-"

Neji stood up. "Where are you going?" Tenten asked.

"The lake," he replied. "I need to relax in the lake."

"Oh. Okay…be careful."

Neji looked at her. Since when did Tenten become so worried and protective of him? And why was she always so nervous and fidgety every time he got close?

"Come with me," he said. Startled, she glanced up at him.

"To the lake?"

"Yes."

"You want me to go to the…?"

"Yes, the lake, let's go."

Tenten felt like Hinata around Naruto. She turned beet red and followed him out the door.

Ooh, Neji is so completely clueless! I'm doing a lot more of NejiTen and NaruHina than I was planning on doing, but don't worry, there will be plenty of SasuSaku soon. Review please. Love xx