Hey everyone, Grape here ^^
I wanted to be a good writer so I speeded up my pace! Enjoy please .'
She stood up and walked towards the bathroom and began to brush her wavy silky long hair. Then suddenly she realised something sparkly shining on her neck. She bent slowly looking at the mirror. She then realised something. Necklace. It was a necklace. A shiny oval ring shape and in the centre there was pinkish red colour cherry blossom. It was beautiful; Sakura began stroking the necklace like it was a cat. Her eyes widen unable to talk. Then finally she spoke.
''Me to you, this is what he meant….. So he really does care.'' She whispered to herself with a light smile on her face.
''Yeh! He really does care!'' Inner mimicked and teased
She ignored her teasing and walked towards her bed and crawled under her cover, she stared out of the window at the misty moon in the dark sky and eventually fell asleep.
Next Day
She woke up rubbing her tired eyes while yawning. She faced the alarm clock and it was 5:00am.
*So early* She thought.
She took her time slowly coming of the bed and walked towards the bathroom. She walked into the shower rubbing her long pink wet silky hair swaying on her back. She brushed her teeth, came out and got dressed. She wore her backpack and headed for the door, then she realised she forgot something. The necklace. The ruby pink cherry blossom necklace. She walked to her drawer and gently took the necklace from a purple small box. She headed to the mirror and locked the necklace around her neck.
*Not bad* She thought.
The village was quiet, only a few people opening their stools and shops for the morning, Sakura walked towards the gate and saw Neji already there kneeling on the wall. She looks at the watch: only 5:30am.
''Quiet early aren't you?'' She asked.
''I couldn't sleep well, and plus look who's talking.'' He replied smoothly.
''Well, at least I slept well enough. This is a long journey so you should have slept well Neji…'' She scolds Neji. Neji is not the type to listen to lectures; he sighed and looked up at the orange creamy sky then looked back down realizing two figures coming closer. Sakura turned around. It is Tsunade and Kakashi. It's a first for Kakashi, who knew he had the strength to wake up so early since he's so lazy?
''You're both early? That's great, the faster the better.'' Tsunade quotes. They both nod.
''Well then, we have small devices for both of you, clip it onto your shirts and you both will be able to communicate to each other whenever you're not together and danger approaches.'' She explains while Kakashi hands out two small black devices, Neji and Sakura both clip it onto their shirts.
''You can also send letters if there is vital information to say by the hawk'' She also adds. Neji and Sakura once again simply nod at her information.
''Anything to say Kakashi?'' She asked him.
''Nope, I just came to say my bye to you guys since I wasn't able to do it yesterday.'' He says while holding his precious Ichi Ichi Paradise.
''Well that's it, I have a meeting to go to soon, all is left is to stay safe and try not to encounter any danger if possible.'' Tsunade waves her hand while walking away with Kakashi reading his book. Neji and Sakura bow down until their figures disappear. Finally they head out for their long and tiring journey. Sakura, for someone reason, felt a cold breeze gliding across her neck, she felt like someone who was watching her. She turned around, standing, looking at the gate they recently just walked away from. She sees a figure. It is too hard to know who it is since the wind gushing around and leaves flying everywhere. Is it Tsunade? No, this person has black hair however Tsunade has blonde. She looked carefully, it was a spiky head. It's definitely duck butt, with that kind of hair style, no mistake. Sasuke waved his hand. Sakura rubbed her eyes.
''Is it really him? That stupid teme, he is really getting on my back.' She thought.
''Ohhh! It really is him, he doesn't want to go! And you knoooow you want him you-'' Inner yelled happily but was cut off.
''Shut up Inner!''
''Sakura, are you okay?'' Neji finally asked. She looked at Neji and pointed at the gate.
''It's-'' she looked at the gate he was gone, disappeared in a second. She wanted to say it was Uchiha, but couldn't otherwise it would make her look like an idiot pointing at nowhere.
''It's nothing.'' She replied.
''Am I imagining things?'' She questioned herself whispering confused at this matter. She doesn't want it getting to her, so she simply ignores it and walks out getting ready for this troublesome journey.
They walked half way. It was getting dark, really dark. They both decided to take a rest and sleep for the night. Sakura brought out her sleeping bag and a small tent. Neji simply brought a blanket. Who knew for a smart guy, he only brought a large brown blanket? Sakura sighed.
''Neji, are you really going to use only that?'' She says.
''Why not.'' He replies while opening the blanket. ''Really, Neji, really?'' she thought tiringly.
''Even if you think your big and strong, you need to think about your health you know.'' She lectures, once again, while giving her sleeping bag and tent to Neji.
''Why are you giving me this? What are you going to sleep with?'' He questioned confusingly.
''Didn't I tell you, there needs to be night watch, who knows what is going to pop up if were both asleep. So I'm going on watch first since you didn't get enough sleep last night.'' She explains. Neji nods without any objection; even he knows he didn't get enough sleep last night. He tucks in sleeping with the tent zip unzipped and falls asleep in seconds. Sakura pulls out her kunai from her pouch and leans on the tent and stays on guard.
The sky began to light up a small bit, shades of dark blue appearing. Neji woke up; he yawned and rubbed his eyes. He saw Sakura sitting down with a kunai. Not moving an inch.
'She's still awake?' He thought. He crawled out of the tent and shook Sakura shoulder.
''You should sleep a bit too.'' He suggested. Sakura nodded and walked into the tent.
''Wake me up in an hour or so.'' She says and dozed off.
Neji began to shake Sakura arm. Sakura could hear murmurs. She began to turn left and right, sweating. Suddenly, she jumped up and squealed while holding her palm on her mouth.
''Sakura? Are you okay?'' He shook Sakura's arm violently for her to snap into reality. She nodded in reply.
''Nightmare?''
''Yeh…'' She replied silently. They stood up, packed up the equipment and food and left for the Sound Village. After half an hour or so they starting seeing buildings. They are finally here.
''Were here.'' Sakura noted.
''Yeh, I know.''
They walked into the village, it was quite busy. Sakura began fixing her device on her shirt.
''So we know where were working right? I'm the hospital and you suggested somewhere?'' She cleared out.
''Yep I'll look for a place to work and we meet in the forest inside this cave we found by this tree every time?'' He says marking the cave with an 'x'.
''Exactly, so I'm heading off now.'' She waved her hand and left. Neji left for the opposite direction.
Sakura's direction
Sakura walked around looking for a satisfying stable hospital to work in. Who knew it could be so difficult to find a hospital in this place? She looked left and right, finally it was there: The Sound Hospital. She walked into the building; the condition wasn't bad for a hospital. She went to the reception and asked for a job.
''You need a job? Great! We were just looking for a new doctor.'' One reception says. ''Can we have your name?''
''Yeh, its Haruno Sakura.''
''The Haruno Sakura?'' The brown hair receptionist gasped.
''Um, Yes?'' She says confused at these two receptionists.
''Really? You're the only thing everyone talks about, since you're a medical ninja!'' The brown hair complimented while the blonde receptionist pulled a phone to hear ear.
''Oh really? Well it's an honour if I could work with you guys.'' Sakura smiled in return.
''Sure thing! I've called one of the nurses to tour you around.'' The blonde one said.
''Ha ha, thanks.'' She replied with a smile scratching the back of her head. ''Well, that was easy, onto the next stage.'' She sighed.
A nurse with brown golden hair in a bun with two stick grasping hold onto the hair, she is quite tall with a dark blue tunic and short black skirt also with her name tag. She looks quite elegant.
''Haruno-san? My name is Akira Miyuki. It's quite a surprise for you to come to our hospital, taken interest in helping our patients?''
''Nice to meet you Akira-san, you can call me Sakura and yes I've found interest to help these helpless fragile patients.'' Sakura explained shaking Akira's hand. ''More like taking interest in Akatsuki.'' Sakura corrected in her mind.
''Well Sakura-san, I'll show you around and we can get started.'' Akira says and walks off, Sakura simply nodding.
Neji's Direction
He walked through the blazing sun thundering downwards. Neji couldn't stand the heat. He, still unable to find a suitable working place.
''So troublesome.'' He sighed. Then a colourful shop with lots of costumers inside caught the corner of his eyes. The colour was bright and contrasting it would at least take a small glimpse of everybody's eye.
''Seems like a busy place. I'm sure I'll be able to get information out of them.'' He whispered while walking towards the shop that was labelled 'Sound's Hunters' it's a quite weird name to be called but he ignored the fact and walked in. There are a lot of people in there, warm and awkward atmosphere. There are men sitting and eating their meal, laughing their head off. Women's having their chats and laughing. Not such a bad place, for now. Neji walked up to the counter and asked for the manager.
''Excuse me, is the manager here?'' He simply asked to one of the cashier. The people working there seems to be big, muscular strong people. Even the women working there had arms so strong you're able to see the vein popping out of their arm. How come?
''Yeh, why?'' The cashier with dark brown spiky hair reaching till his shoulders asks curiously with a sharp deep voice.
''I want to work here if it's okay…''
''Sure thing, one minute.'' He walked into the staff room and came out. He pointed at Neji and gave a 'come here' gesture with his arm. Neji, without hesitation walked into the room. There was a door that says 'Staff room' and the other corner which lays a big staircase leading towards upstairs. He went up and knocked the door that was labelled 'Manager's office', opening it at the same. The room was massive, the size of a terrace, in fact it was actually a terrace. In the corner of the room lays a huge brown desk with a gold card that says 'Hiro Takumi'. The room has been neatly laid out. The opposite corner has two massive black tall cupboards neatly placed paperwork, medals, trophies and certificate. This guy must be really successful. The most of all, in front of Neji was not a wall but a balcony with two huge slide doors opened with benches and tea tables. The view was a clean green forest filled with chirping birds and who knows what else. He faced this Hiro man.
''My name is Hiro Takumi, nice to meet you.'' He greeted while walking up to Neji shaking his hand. Hiro seems young for his job. He looks 20.
''The name is Neji, nice to meet you.'' He replied and shaking back.
Hiro walked towards the window of his balcony.
''I see you are motivated to work here.''
''Yeh, I am.'' 'That's what you think...' Neji chuckled in his mind.
''I bet your wondering why I have a massive terrace in my window with the view of a forest.''
''Well yeh, it did cross my mind.'' Neji admitted.
''You see, we want to satisfy our costumers so we also get fresh animals from this forest that you see.'' Hiro explained.
''Really? Interesting.''
''And I believe you would be great help to find and kill those animals, since I've noticed you like to carry such weapons.'' He says looking down at his kunai on his pouch.
''Well, can't be unprepared.'' Neji says.''
''Well, I will show you around and then you will start by hunting down those animals soon. I have a few weapons in my cupboard for my hunters.'' He says walking opening his cupboard full of guns, swords etc.
''Sure thing.'' Neji replied.
''Let the information hunting begin.'
Hours has passed since they started their job. The sun was going under its horizon, It was getting dark. Neji laid down out their secret location cave. The cave wasn't in bad condition, big and strong. He noticed someone coming; he grabbed his kunai and stood still. It was Sakura.
''Oh, it's you.''
''Yeh, I'm so tired, who knew I could have so much patient to operate, help give birth, look after… So tiring.'' She sighed with a sweat drop.
'' 'My job is annoying as well, hunting down animals all the time, did you get any information?'' He asked.
''That's the worse part, I didn't get any…'' She sighed in miserable.
''You're not the only one, I wasn't able to get anything as well…'' he sighed too.
'' You seem pretty tired worse than me, you better rest first. I'll stay on guard.'' He suggested.
''Thank you, I really needed it.'' She replied and crawled under the tent and warmed up into the cover.
Few hours passed and Sakura got up giving Neji time to sleep and rest. Hours later, the suns come to its horizon and they headed out for their job.
Neji heads out first, he reached to his place grabbed his weapons and heads out to the depth of the forest. There are a few dudes and women already there shooting down harmless animals. This was Neji time to ask.
''Well, I heard there was this group of guys ruining your neighbourhood…'' Neji says casually acting like he hasn't heard of anything of such before.
''Yeh, their called the Akatsuki.'' One of the guys replys
Jackpot, this is exactly what Neji wanted.
''So what are they up to?'' Neji continuing the conversation.
''They've been destroying crops of farmers and stables, it's horrible you know. They make you do and say anything it's like they hypnotise you. They kidnap people for information about some scroll and they return them ages after all beaten up, worrying families and friends. They don't care about anyone or anything.'' One of the lady explain while cleaning her sword from the fox blood.
''A key?'' Neji questions, this caught his attention even more.
''Yeh, some scroll key, you know I saw it once, a blonde guy and a shark face grabbed this old man demanding the whereabouts of the key. The oldman refused and they killed him. It was scary and horrible. Everyone stays away when their there. But they've moved somewhere…'' She explains easily spotting shivers in her sentence one a while.
''Oh..'' Neji replied acting uninterested but quite the opposite.
''She must be talking about Deidara and Kisame. I've heard about that scroll from guy-sensei before, I wonder what it is…' he thought curiously.
Neji waved bye to his team workers and walked through the streets of the Sound. He reached their hideout and sat down grabbing loaf bread from his bag next to Sakura who was drinking.
''Any new information? He asked
''Yeh, well not good enough, but, Akira told me how they destroyed belongings and kidnaps people bringing them back several days after, in not such a condition.'' She says leaning on then tent.
''Well I got useful information, they kidnap people in order to get to a scroll.''
''I've also keep hearing murmurs about that. Kakashi told me, they hid that scroll thousands years before underground, why do they need it now anyhow we should write to Tsunade-Sama'' She suggested. Neji grabbed a pen and paper wrote down the information and scrolled it up putting it in a sachet. Sakura whistled a 3 tune note and the hawk came flying by sitting on Sakura arm. Neji simply and gently clicked the sachet around the hawk's neck.
''Give this to Tsunade-Sama.'' She ordered and the hawk flapped away. Neji looked down at the grass and realized there are a black bow and about twenty black arrows.
''Since when do you use bows and arrows?''
''I didn't use to, Akira taught me how.'' She smiles looking at the bow.
''Well I'm going to go and get something to buy.'' He stands up
''Be quick, it's getting dark.'' She lectured
Neji ignored the lecture from Sakura and waved off his hand while walking away.
Hours has past and the sun has disappeared from its position, not night time yet but close enough to be. Sakura began to worry.
''Why hasn't he returned yet?''
''Sakura I don't have a good feeling'' Inner mumbled. Sakura for once listened to Inner. She grabbed her bow and arrows and left.
''Good time to try out my skills.''
She quietly sneaked around the village. No one was there. It was dead silence as if everyone in this village is dead. Not a single sound only the cool breeze brushing across her face. She was feeling troubled by this dangerous atmosphere. She looked left and right walking around.
''Neji, Neji?'' She whispered trying not to catch any attention. Then there it was, Sakura saw a figure lying on the ground helplessly on the corner of her eye.
''Please don't be Neji'' She begged in her mind. She turned around and wish has been rejected. Neji was lying there with blood oozing out of his stomach. It seems there has been an explosion there, mostly everywhere was black. His hair scruffy and messy, parts of his body was severely bruised. He looked half dead. But worse of all there were 3 men there. Sakura knew who they were: Deidara, Kisame and Itachi…Itachi! Why is he here? Kisame and Itachi were leaning on the wall and Deidara kept his foot on Neji's head. Sakura got her bow and arrow in position facing Deidara ready to shot. She shot at the kunais hole that Deidara was holding. The kunai was slammed stuck on the wall. Sakura moved her arrow position to Deidara again.
''Woah girl, I don't think that's a really good idea…. You don't want your friend to die do you?'' He smirked while holding clay that looks like a bomb.
''Just don't hurt him, exchange.''
''Exchange?''
Yes…. him for me.''
DumDumDum! What do you think…. I don't think it's that good -.-''
Please r +r! otherwise me really sad T_T
Grape xx ~