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Chapter 4: Another detour

She was moving along hoping that the Nara's didn't think she was too late, when she stepped on a chip with an audible:

CRUNCH.

The next thing she knew, a pair of large arms had grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her over to a bench. The first thing she noticed was that it was Akimichi Chouji. He was still very corpulent. Chouji's hair was finally out of the stupid green cap he had always worn. A red shirt and pants followed, with braces padding on his forearms and shins. He looked the happy image of his father. He started yelling at her saying things like:

"You should watch where you're going Sakura, or: that was my chip Sakura." she rolled her eyes.

'Typical of him to only care this much about food.' she thought.

Acting like she had been paying attention all along, she quickly said she was sorry. Satisfied, he opened up another bag of chips and crunched hungrily. The second thing that Sakura noticed was that there was someone attached to Chouji's arm. Ino stepped into view from behind the bulk of her teammate. She looked as prissy as ever in her purple cutoff shirt. It tied around her neck exposing her shoulders and arms. Her hair was tied back and flowed down the back of her head. Her blue eyes commanded attention and her short purple skirt held it. Blue sandals covered her feet.

She smirked at Sakura, thinking she must have been the luckiest girl in all of Konoha.

"Ino-Pig! What are you doing with chouji?" she asked, trying to make her voice noncommittal as possible.

Ino smiled and said: "Billboard Brow-" Sakura lowered her forehead protector over her forehead self consciously. "-Didn't you know that Chouji and I are going out?"

Sakura was dumbfounded. 'Apparently Chouji is capable of caring about one more fatty thing.' she thought, referring to Ino.

She had been so sure all her life that she would have dated anyone, even if it wasn't Sasuke, before Ino! Chouji burped.

"Let's go to the park Ino-Chan." he demanded in a none-too-subtle way.

Ino nodded her head, turning away from Sakura. As she was leaving with Chouji she said:

"Sakura, if I were you I'd get a boyfriend soon. Do you want to be the only lonely prude in Konoha?"She voiced with a mock sincerity.

All Sakura could hear was the dying laughter of both of them as she slumped to the ground. She felt anger well up inside her. Is that what everyone thought of her? Everyone seemed to be dating, and she was the only one left out. She was just about to smash the anko box in an attempt to vent her anger when she heard the faintest rustling in the tree above her head and by the bench. Then there was a slight whisper and a soft sliding sound as if many tiny things were moving as one. She saw a glimpse of bright red hair that was spiked up. She blinked her eyes, wondering if she had imagined what she had just seen in the tree, but it was gone. With a small laugh to comfort herself, she asked in her mind.

"Who do I know that has red hair like that?" Then her eyes went wide with fear as she clutched the box.

"Sabaku No Gaara."

Chapter 5 the springtime of Youth!

Thoroughly scared, Sakura got up and walked off yet again. All these detours were costing her precious time. Still frightened, she walked by the entrance to the Hyuuga Clan's main house. The huge gate had been opened up to the courtyard, letting in a spring breeze. She was thinking that they could help her find out why Gaara had been in the tree outside their house watching them, so she walked freely into the courtyard. Sakura heard faint giggling and saw a sight that rivaled the one she had seen earlier. Rock Lee [also known as the green beast, was doing pushups. That wasn't even out of the ordinary, considering that he always did them anyway. What really amazed her was that sitting on top of his back, was Hyuuga Neji. Neji sat cross legged and was cradling TenTen in his arms stroking her hair. She smiled and brought her lips to his. They moved with the up and down beat from being on top of Lee's back. Lee must have been holding both of their weight for a extremely long while, because he finally had to collapse after reciting:

"five thousand!"

he puffed and breathed deeply, while in one quick motion Neji swept TenTen up in his grasp and they were both standing upright on top of the roof. Lee had that always determined smile, and it was goofy. He had very large eyebrows that disappeared into his lame looking bowl haircut. His tight green jumpsuit clung to his muscles. They contrasted with his orange leg weights.

Sakura waved up to them to try to gain their attention. They ignored her. Lee was just saying that it was his turn to relax with TenTen, when Sakura, with an annoyed huff, jumped onto the roof with a series of jumps.

"What are you guys doing?" she asked incredulously.

Lee was shocked and embarrassed. Before he could speak, Neji answered.

"We are only having fun."

Lee pushed him out of Sakura's way and exclaimed.

"No! We are enjoying the joys of the springtime of youth!" he brought his fist up in a heroic pose. Sakura looked at him with a bland expression. He looked hilarious.

"Yeah, sure right guys, whatever you say." Sakura laughed. "I was just wondering if you guys knew if the Suna village ninja were here?"

Sakura could feel the stares of TenTen: the other kunoichi that was present. Neji and Lee exchanged glances. Lee spoke up in front of Neji this time.

"Why is Sakura-Chan asking about the demonic Suna-ninja?" his eyes betrayed a hauntingnes that she knew she could fully explain.

He was thinking of the time that Gaara had broken both his left arm and leg in combat during the Chunin exam.

"You might think that I'm crazy but I think I actually saw Gaara in the tree just outside your wall, Neji" she turned her stare over to the Hyuuga.

Lee glanced at Sakura hesitantly, she didn't notice but his gaze wavered on her left ankle. As soon as he sighted her ankle, he swiftly brought his eyes back to Sakura's, rigidly alert and on edge. Neji tried to calm Sakura down, but TenTen got to her first. She brought her arm around Sakura's shoulders and jumped with her off of the roof, a distance away from the ninjas. Sakura looked at her. She had a stupid: I'm-so-great and you-really-aren't-smile on her face. Her brown hair, in two tight buns gave her a panda look. The fact that she wore a white and red kimono only intensified the pandaness.

"Listen..." she said soothingly. "I know you're scared because you thought that freak Gaara was watching you, but don't you think your just imagining what you can't have?"

Sakura looked perplexed.

"What I can't have..." she pondered then understood what she was talking about.

"Y-you mean... him?" she smiled wearily.

"As in Gaara?" she tried to clarify what the other girl was saying.

TenTen nodded happily. "Yeah, you just are imagining guys that aren't yah know…there, so they can comfort you. You must have realized by now that you're the only one in our age level who hasn't gotten a lover yet haven't you?" she exclaimed.

"I understand you want to be experienced like me. Believe me, I'm flattered" she praised herself immodestly. "You must be jealous because Neji and Lee are both competing for me. I mean, when you're a kawaii kunoichi with an artillery to rival the ANBU and FBI, then you get special things."

She winked. "I guess its cause I'm so caring: like the time I gave Lee flowers and visited him when he was injured in the hospital." She said with her annoying sympathy.

Sakura flinched. She had been the one to visit Lee everyday during the Chunin exam, never seeing TenTen.

'Why did Lee choose TenTen over me? Is it because her hair makes her look like a baka panda?' she wondered.

"Face it Sakura" she exclaimed "You'll never get a guy because you have no jutsu. You can't do anything. You're just a hindrance, and you know what? You really are annoying." She scoffed.

Sakura couldn't take it anymore. She pulled out a shuriken with a scream of effort. TenTen likewise unfurled a scroll.

"That will be no match for what's hidden in here" she smirked placing her thumb on the paper. Sakura didn't care. She just wanted to hurt this kunoichi.

"You Bitch!" she yowled, with fury written in her eyes. Neji and Lee, hearing the sparks litterly flying between them, ran over, separating a girl each to themselves.

"This is about Gaara isn't it?" Neji spoke forcefully, assuming totally wrong.

He had a stern face, with his white puplil-less eyes identical to his cousin's: Hinita. His hair hung in two separate strands on either side of his face. They were parted by his forehead protector, and presumably under that was his branch-family mark that all lower Hyuuga's received at birth.

"Sakura look, I'll use my Kekkei Genkai to show you that Sabaku no Gaara really isn't there." He said exasperatedly.

Even though he sounded forceful, he was hiding his inner fear. Before she could protest he had preformed the hand seals.

"Byakugan!"

His white eyes scanned the wall, and up it towards the tree trunk, and all the way up to the highest leaves. There were chakra traces just as he suspected there would be, but Sakura didn't have to know that...

"He is nowhere to be seen." He said shakily.

While they had been watching the Hyuuga, Lee had whispered to TenTen about the presence surrounding Sakura. Lee started taking TenTen to the back of the main house, a green-clad arm protectively around her.

"Were going to bed-I-mean…uhh the going to… the banzi garden, yeah that's it… I've been practicing long and its hard now, so I might be exhausted soon." Lee said, trying to sound convincing yet not succeeding in the least.

TenTen giggled. She understood what Lee was implying. He finally had the girl while Neji was being distracted. Neji faced the pink-haired-girl with a scowl and fear clearly being half concealed.

"I'm sorry Sakura-Chan but you must leave."

He paused for less then a second.

"Now." He added firmly.

Sakura, feeling like they weren't telling her something other then that Lee was waiting to get TenTen by herself, walked out of the gateway. It was immediately shut behind her, almost on the back of her dress. The Nara's house was next door. Thankfully.

It was getting late, and she was glad that her destination was finally in reach. But the events that had unfolded just then didn't make complete sense. Why had Neji and Lee gone all quiet and jumpy around her? It didn't seem like them to completely ward her off. Was it because she had mentioned Gaara? No. She knew Lee forgave the Suna-nin. Did it have something to do with the fact (as everyone continued to remind her) that she had no boyfriend? Possible. She would think about that later. But why Had Lee told her that he was tired? Lee never got tired. Well, he never showed it at least. She swore that that boy would work until his arms broke, which actually, that had happened once. He had also mentioned that "its hard now" what the hell was that supposed to mean? She took a moment to stop and think, racking her brain. Her eyes grew wide, realizing what he had been referring to.

"That effing pervert, I didnt know that he acted that way!" she huffed. "I'm glad that green geek isn't my boyfriend." Why did people care so much if she had a boyfriend or not? It wasn't like she had a disease or anything… TenTen and Ino thought so. She was on the verge of crying.

"You have no jutsu. You can't do anything. You're just a hindrance."

The words played over and over in her mind. That's what her team had said when she had failed to act in times of danger.

"Why am I so useless?" she exclaimed, her eyes releasing salty tears.

A questioning voice called out to her breaking her sorrow.

"What is this? Sakura-Chan? What's wrong?" it was a male voice.

A hand was placed upon her shoulder, comforting and warm. She quickly tried to wipe her tears away as to not be embarrassed, and faced the owner of the hand. She turned around in his grasp. It was Nara Shikamaru!

So...reviews would be extremly noice, if I could just get more. heh heh heh.

I'll tell you what.

If I get 10 reviews that dont have the words "when are Sakura and Gaara going to meet" then I might just upload all the rest of the chapters that I have on the comp.

Think about that people. You can give me constructive criticism, or laugh at somthing I wrote: or even be slightly weirded out.