Chapter 4: Last Chance

Neji sat on a wooden bench a short distance away from the hospital that Sakura worked at. Why he was there? He had no idea. Something told him this morning to get up and apologize to her even though Shikamaru had been scowling them to get ready for the mission; he was determined to bring Sasuke back this time. So if he wanted to get the guilt out of his head he had to do it right now who knew how long they'd be gone this time? He kicked the dirt slightly with his foot trying to think of what he was going to say to her. "Sakura…I know you're mad at me so I came here to apologize" he said to himself. "No, no that sounds too weak…umm Sakura I know you-"

"If you want my opinion-" Neji jumped nearly flying off the bench into the dirt. He gasped at the spiky blonde who appeared next to him out no where.

"Naruto" he growled as he held his hand to his chest and panted. "Why are you always popping up in my life?"

"Well I was on my way to the ramen shop but when I was passing by I saw you so I decided to see what you were up to. Thinking of ways to apologize to Sakura huh?" he asked raising an eyebrow. "I knew you weren't going to be able to hold up much longer." He chuckled as Neji made a fist playfully. "If you want my advice-"

"I don't"

"I would get her some flowers or something." He smirked as he picked one up off the ground and tossed one to him. (Not like he was giving him the flower for all you people with negative minds Naruto's not gay or Neji. At least not in my story.)

"Why would I give her flowers?" Neji asked throwing it on the floor and crossing his arms in disgust. "I don't like her…"

He looked at Naruto who had his eyebrows raised. "What are you looking at me like that for!?" he snapped. "I don't like her!!"

Naruto turned around and started to walk away. "Whatever dude you say what you want." He gave a small wave as he disappeared into the fog. "Good luck with your apology"

Neji sighed and slowly made his way inside the hospital.

"Oh Lee" Sakura giggled as he wrapped his ankle in a bandage. "You're always getting into some sort of trouble." Lee had a weird little smirk on his face. Probably because he was in pain but was trying to smile at the same time at the pink haired nurse.

Lee had hurt his ankle early this morning and was brought into the hospital for Sakura to treat him. She didn't mind treating Lee. She was actually kind of happy he came in. 'You should get a guy like Lee he's admired you half your life and still does' Ino's words replayed in her head.

"Ouch" Lee said weakly. Sakura looked down and realized that she had been wrapping the bandages a little too tight.

"Oh I'm sorry" she said smiling sweetly as she un-wrapped the bandages and tried to make another attempt to put them on the right way.

She glanced at Lee as he looked down at his ankle. He certainly has gotten more handsome. He wasn't the bust browed freak he used to be…well yeah he still had busy eyebrows but it suited him now a lot better then it did back then.

"So what have you been up to?" Sakura asked him after a while of silence. "I haven't seen you in a while." She peered at him waiting for a reply.

"Well I've been training a lot lately I think Shikamaru is finally going to let me join his team to look for Sasuke." He smiled proudly.

"I see…" Sakura said looking down at the bandages. She took extra long on purpose so she could have more time to talk to him. "You really wanna help don't you?"

"Yeah ever since the team first started" he smiled. "When I couldn't go because of my injury five years ago I was so angry and upset. But now Shikamaru said that there might be room for me!" he hiccupped in excitement that caused his ankle to jerk and the bandage roll fly out of Sakura's hand and unravel across the floor.

Sakura giggled as she went to go collect the unraveled bandage. Lee laughed along with her.

She sighed at the thought of Sasuke. A picture of him flashed in her mind that made her freeze for a second. "I hope they're able to find him this time" she shook as she gathered up the bandage. Lee detected the shakiness in her voice.

"Are you still upset?" Lee asked from atop the hospital bed.

She nodded. "I know it's been nearly five years but just the mention of him bought up old memories and it just made me think of him." She tried not to tear. She solemnly promised she would not cry over him anymore two years ago after the team's third return of not finding him.

"Well a-are you okay?" he asked her as he tried to get up and comfort her.

"N-no don't get up." She said as she picked up the remainder of the bandage and walked over to him. "It's not good for your ankle." She continued to wrap his leg. "I'm fine thanks for asking. It must be annoying to hear me cry all the time." She looked back at the past at such a cry baby she had been it must've gotten on everybody's nerves.

Lee laughed and shook his head. "Well at least you don't cry as much now." He looked at her and saw that she had been staring at him. He met her gaze.

"Well y-you're all done" she said getting up and heading over to the closet to get him a set of crutches.

Lee glanced over at her as she opened the closet to get him crutches. He sighed. She must've gone through a lot losing somebody she loved so much. He thought to himself. She came back with the crutches and handed it to him.

He took them but was shocked to find that she was crying. "S-Sakura?" he asked getting up while holding himself steady on the crutches. "What's wrong-" he almost fell on the floor as she fell into his arms.

"Sakura?"

"…"

"What's the matter?" he sat back on the hospital bed as she stood in between his legs with his arms around him.

"I miss him so much…" she sobbed. Her whole body shook.

He patted her on the back he knew she had this bottled up inside her. "I-it's okay Sakura" he insured as he put his arms around her and hugged her back. "Let it out."

She took his arms from around him and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry" she said "I'm really sorry. This is so embarrassing" she helped him off the bed.

"It's okay" he smiled. "Look how about I take you to get something to eat…you know just to make sure you're all right" he looked at the smile forming on her face.

"That sounds great" she said. "I get off shift in a few minutes for lunch so you can just stick around until then." She steadied him as he wobbled a little trying to stand up. She gave him a hug. It took him by surprise but he hugged her back.

Neji gritted his teeth as he stood by the door peering in at Sakura and Lees little love fest. He narrowed his eyes at Lee.

Bastard he thought to himself. It was kind of hard for him to say that considering that Lee had been one of his good friends but he wasn't happy at the fact that he was in there hugging Sakura.

He threw down the flowers that he had decided to get her and stormed down the steps to the hospital exit.

Naruto sat in the Ramen shop happily eating his BBQ pork ramen with eggs shrimp and other things. This was indeed the best meal he had eaten all week. He decided to stuff his face now because he wouldn't be getting quality meals like this when they left.

Neji stormed into the shop and took a seat next to Naruto. Naruto glanced at him with a mouth full of Ramen and his eyes raised as if he was asking 'How'd it go' of course he didn't ask him because Ramen would be all over his lap but Neji read his body language.

"I'll tell you how it went" Neji growled with clenched teeth. "I didn't go, that's how it went." He slammed his fist on the table that startled the shop keeper and everybody else in the shop.

"Huh?" Naruto said after swallowing his Ramen. "What happened?"

"Well I went into the hospital to apologize" he started to explain. He purposely left the part out about the flowers. "When I got there she was all over Lee hugging him and all that stuff."

Naruto raised his eyebrows. "If you don't like her then why are you so jealous of Lee?" he asked taking another gulp of Ramen.

"I don't like her…" he sneered. He held his head down and lowered his voice to a whisper. "That much"

Naruto spit his Ramen back into his bowl and started laughing like a mad man. "I knew it!" he howled slamming his fist on the table. This caused the shop keeper to glance over in concern.

Neji hit him upside to head to shut him up. "Excuse him" he said to the shop keeper. "He isn't well." The shop keeper rolled his eyes and went back to his business. "What the hell is with you?" he asked him.

"Nothing." He wiped the tears away from his eyes. "It's just that It's so funny." He calmed down. "Oh look here they come" Naruto pointed out the window to the two coming towards the shop.

Neji peered at the flowers Sakura was holding in her hand they seemed familiar. Like the ones he planned to give her. His mouth dropped open. "He gave her my flowers?!" he screamed.

"You got her flowers?" Naruto asked. "Who's idea was that again?" he put his hand to his ear and smirked.

"That dirty twisted bastard!" Neji sneered. "He probably left the room before Sakura had and picked up the flowers I had left there…why I should" he began to get up but Naruto grabbed his arm.

"Are you crazy?" he asked. "If you beat up her date she'll hate you even more." He pulled him back down into his seat as he watched them enter the shop. "Hey Sakura-Chan" Naruto waved.

Neji glared at him. "Oh hi Naruto" Sakura waved back. "…Neji" she looked down to the floor when she said his name.

Lee nodded to Naruto and waved to Neji but Neji didn't wave back. He seemed to hurt on the inside.

"Those are nice flowers Sakura" Neji said loudly so Lee could hear. "Lee did you get them for her?" he asked glaring at him.

Lee looked nervous for a second. "N-no I found them on the floor." He said honestly. Neji wished that he would make up some lie so he would have an excuse to slug him.

Sakura smiled as she smelled the flowers. "They smell so beautiful…" she said sweetly. The flower bouquet was made manly out of cherry blossoms being as how that was what Sakura's name meant. "I wonder who left them lying about"

Me, Me, Me! I left those flowers around, it was me! Neji screamed in his head.

"So Sakura" Naruto butted in. "Are you and Lee on a date?" he peered at them. Sakura blushed a little and so did Lee.

"I wouldn't call it a date…" Lee said. "I was just taking her out to eat to make sure she was okay. She was a little upset earlier." Neji looked over at Sakura who looked a little upset at Lee's words. Was she mad because Lee had said it wasn't a date?

"Upset about what?" Neji asked curiously. He wondered if she had been upset about him.

"Upset about-"

"Nothing" she cut off Lee and gave him a death glare that said 'It's none of their business.' She didn't want them to know that she had been crying over Sasuke.

Lee stared down at his feet "Yeah…nothing" he murmured.

Naruto peered at them curiously.

"You know…" Sakura started to say as she put his arm around Lee's "Suddenly I don't feel in the mood for Ramen. Lets go somewhere else to eat." She tugged on his arm but Lee didn't budge.

"Don't you want to stay here with your friends?" he asked gesturing to Neji and Naruto. Neji curved his mouth into an un-tasteful grin. "No, go its fine with me and I'm sure it's fine with Naruto, Right?" he glared at Naruto with an evil glare and he nodded nervously.

Sakura smiled and gave a small wave as she pulled Lee out of the door. Neji buried his head in his hands and groaned in frustration.

Goof grief…what a day.

"All of a sudden I want to be with Hinata" Naruto said with his chin in his hands. Neji groaned.

"Go be with Hinata" he sneered as he pushed Naruto off the chair. "Just leave me here to rot without anybody that cares." He shoved Naruto out the door but he came right back in and re-joined Neji at the table.

"Oh no don't think I'm going to leave you here" Naruto said wagging a finger in his face. "I'm going to help you get Sakura back." He said smirking. "And besides I don't think Lee has too much of an interest in her."

Neji moved the corners of his mouth as if he was trying to smile and frown at the same time. Naruto patted him on the back "Oh cheer up. You have to tell Sakura how you feel before we leave. This may be your last chance. Who knows when we're coming back this time? Granny Tsuande told us not to come back until we find him this time."

"She's told us that every time we've tried to go find him." Neji sneered. "But we still came back without him."

"But she's serious this time." Naruto stated. "We're leaving in two weeks. You have to tell her how you feel by then." He grabbed Neji's arm and headed out the shop.