Chapter 6: The plan

"They're really making me sick…" Naruto explained to Hinata as they sat together in the Ramen shop the next day. "I mean they both know that they like each other so why don't they just admit it!" he pounded his fists on the table almost making his bowl of ramen topple onto his lap.

"Oh Naruto" Hinata said sweetly "You can't hurry love…" she said as she gazed at the ceiling as if she had fallen in love with it.

That reminds me of an old song that my mom used to prance around singing all the time:

You can't hurry love

No, you'll just have to wait

She said love don't come easy

It's just a game of give and take

For those of you, who know that song but if you don't know then oh well, just don't pay any mind to that part of the story.

"I'm not rushing them…" Naruto said convincingly. "It's just that they keep complaining and If I have to force them to make up with each other then damn it I will!" he face was flushed from yelling and all eyes in the ramen shop were turned towards them.

"Naruto" Hinata whispered under her breath "Keep it down people are staring." She put her hand on his cheek. I caused all the color in Naruto's face to come back as he smirked.

"Why can't Neji and Sakura be like us?" Naruto asked as lead Hinata out of the shop.

"What are we like?" Hinata asked curiously.

"You know…" Naruto was so sure that he had his words down packed but he just didn't know how to explain it. "Everybody says we're the perfect couple. Everybody looks up to us…couple wise" he explained. Hinata blushed.

"I guess we are kind of cute together." Hinata agreed shyly.

"Cute?" Naruto asked. "We're sexy together baby" he put her arm around her and pulled her in close. She giggled. It's good to know that when the person you date really likes you and to hear Naruto say that made Hinata jump for joy inside.

------------

Neji paced back and fourth in his house he rubbed his temples and frustration and anger. He wanted to kill himself he seriously did. It shouldn't be hard since he was already in so much pain from the window accident but he had learned to recover and avoid the pain so he could walk around and stuff but he couldn't do any extreme things like run.

"I know" he said to himself. "I'll slash my wrist with a kunai" he laughed cleverly then shook his head. "That's it I hate the New Years holiday." Neji cursed out the vendor man that was running the matching game it was his fault Sakura hated his guts. But then again he wanted to thank him. If I wasn't for him he would never have realized how much he liked Sakura…how much he loved her.

He clenched his teeth and pulled on his hair violently. He couldn't take it anymore if he couldn't have Sakura then he would go insane he just might have to kill himself to stop the frustration he was feeling. He heard a knock on his apartment door.

"Who's there?" he asked in a frustrated tone as if he was about to attack the first person who came through the door.

"It's me" he heard the shy voice of Hinata as she opened the door. She looked him up and down in concern. He certainly didn't look his best his hair was all out of place and he had dark rings around his eyes. "You don't look so good Neji" she said as she put a hand on his shoulder gently as if not to hurt him. "You shouldn't even be up, you should be resting."

He glared at her for a moment. He knew that if it was Naruto that had put a comforting hand on his shoulder he would have knocked him flat. But Hinata was family he felt that he could trust her better then loud mouth Naruto.

"I know I don't look so good, and I'm fine if I don't move my body the pain won't go away" Neji replied meekly. "Hinata I think I'm dieing" he held her hand and got on his knees. "I'm dieing of a broken heart Hinata please help me…" he begged her. She looked uncomfortable.

"I can't help you Neji you know that" she knelt down beside him. "You have to help yourself. She placed both hands on his cheeks and lifted his head so there eyes met. "Why don't you go and apologize, tell her how much you like her. You do like her don't you?"

Neji was hesitant for a moment but then slowly nodded. "I think I'm in love with her Hinata and all this sitting around without her by my side is making me crazy." He buried his hands in his face.

She started to brush Neji's hair back into place. "I know cousin, I know but I'm not sure that you know. You need to tell her how you feel she's just using Lee to make you jealous"

He nodded slowly in agreement. He found the strength to get up. "But how am I supposed to tell her how I feel. She's draped all over Lee."

"Well" Hinata thought to herself. "All you need to do is find a girl to make Sakura jealous." Hinata smiled proudly like she had just said the best thing in the world.

"I know just the person!" the blonde hair boy exclaimed as he stepped through Neji's narrow doorway.

"What are you doing here?" Neji said as he jumped up in surprise at Naruto's sudden appearance. Hinata put her hands over her eyes.

"Oh Naruto" she groaned. "You were supposed to wait outside."

"Naruto this is all your fault." Neji growled. "You and you're big mouth If your girlfriend wasn't standing here I'd rip it off for you." Naruto hid behind Hinata.

"What's wrong with him?" Naruto asked his girlfriend in a puzzled tone.

"He just he admitted that he was in love with Sakura." Hinata said as she scowled her noisy boyfriend. Naruto covered his mouth in surprise.

"Damn" he said sly voice. "I knew you liked the girl but I didn't know you LOVED her." He smirked stupidly.

Neji waved his hand in an annoying way. "Shut up Naruto. That's exactly why I didn't want you to know."

Naruto started walking to the door. "If you don't want my help then…"

Neji took a hold of his shoulder and stopped him from leaving.

"What did you have and mind?" he asked grumpily.

Naruto's stupid smirk returned to his face again as he sat down to tell Neji his plan.

-------------

"Didn't I tell you my plan was good?" Naruto crossed his arms and stuck out his chest proudly he had an odd toothy grin on his face that cause Hinata to stare strangely. Neji groaned and rubbed his temples something he found himself doing a lot since New Years.

"This is a stupid plan" Neji snarled as his heart beat at an inaccurate rate. "If I'm going to win Sakura over I don't want to do it by using jealousy." He glared at Naruto to see if he understood.

"Why not?" he asked stupidly. "She's doing the same thing with Lee" he pointed out.

"There she is now" Hinata said pointing down the road at the figure that was coming up. Neji turned around and stared at the girl coming down the road.

"Hi guys" the girl said as she grinned widely. She smiled at Naruto and Waved to Hinata and looked up at Neji with glistening eyes. "Hey Neji" she smiled willing at him.

Neji snorted quietly so he wouldn't sound rude but it doesn't matter how quietly you snort you're still snorting which makes you rude. "Ten-Ten" he greeted her as quietly as he snorted.

"So are you two love birds ready to go?" Naruto asked as he nudged Neji but as soon as he did it he knew it was a mistake Neji gave Naruto a look so scary that caused Naruto back away behind Hinata.

"Where are we going Neji-Kun?" Ten-Ten asked as she clung onto his arm. Neji shrugged coldly.

"Somewhere I guess." He said simply. Naruto and Hinata led the way to the Raman shop where Hinata double checked to see if Sakura would be there with Lee. It was truly a well thought out plan.

Hinata had been right. Sakura and Lee had been sitting down at a table outside the shop. Sakura looked pretty content as she sat close to Lee with his arm around her, this made Neji peer at them curiously.

"Hey Sakura-Chan" Naruto said as he took a seat at the table pulling a chair out for Hinata first. Neji was a little hesitant to sit down but she felt Ten-Ten tug on his arm as she pulled two chairs up to the table.

Sakura looked a little aggravated that everybody had intruded on her date with Lee especially since Neji showed up.

"Hi" Lee said to everybody he seemed to stiffen a little at the sight of Ten-Ten. "Neji are you well enough to walk around?" he asked in concern.

"Yes" he snorted. "How do you think I got home yesterday?" he snapped. It caused Lee to jump back in shock.

"Well" Sakura said in a stuck up voice as if she didn't care on bit. "I don't think you should be here right now. You should rest before something happens to you that causes you more pain." He glared at her with an eyebrow raised. Sakura was right it was dangerous to be outside in the condition he was in.

"I'm not going anywhere" he snorted. He awkwardly put his arm around Ten-Ten. "I'm here on a date with Ten-Ten and I'm not going to disappoint her." Ten-Ten blushed while Sakura glared at her and Lee frowned a bit.

Sakura smirked a little as if she understood the game Neji was playing. "Well guess what everybody" she said as she rested her head on Lee's shoulder. "Me and Lee are together now." She smiled evilly as Neji's eyes widened. Naruto looked over at Neji then Sakura then back to Neji and Hinata did the same.

Neji glared at Sakura with an evil look. Okay if that's the way she wants to play… he thought to himself. He turned to face Ten-Ten who looked a little confused at all that was happening. "Ten-Ten" he said. Sakura peered at them with an eyebrow raised as if she waiting for Neji to make his move.

"I have a confession to make" he said as he grasped her hand. "I've always admired you ever since the day we were placed on the same team." Ten-Ten blushed a dark red.

"Neji…" she started to say.

Lee snorted loudly.

"Oh but it's true!" Neji exclaimed. "And I want you to be my girlfriend." She gasped as she peered into Neji's eyes.

"Of course Neji!" she chimed. Naruto's mouth dropped open.

"This is so entertaining" he whispered to Hinata.

"I know" she whispered back.

Lee stood up. "Hold it!" he cried. Everybody at the table stared at him. "Ten-Ten you can't" he pleaded.

"Lee…" Sakura said in an uneasy voice as if she thought he was going to do something stupid.

Neji couldn't help but hold back a laugh.

"What is it Lee?" Ten-Ten asked.

"You can't go out with Neji" he made his way around the table and pushed Neji out the way. He grasped her hand.

"Lee!" Sakura shouted at the sight of this. "I can't believe you!" her brow furrowed and her jade eyes seemed to be turning a flaming red.

"I'm sorry Sakura" Lee turned to her to show her he was sincere. "But my love for you has faded." Naruto's mouth dropped open. Neji crossed his arms and grinned. He couldn't believe what a day this was turning out to be.

"I am in love…with Ten-Ten" he grinned at her and Ten-Ten blushed again.

Sakura stood up. "You twisted backstabbing bastard I can't believe this!" she balled her hands into a fist. Hinata stood up to comfort her but it was clear that she was about to crack and start rolling on the floor with laughter.

"Sakura clam down." She said trying her best not to show that she was laughing. Unfortunately Naruto didn't hold up as well as Hinata, he was already on the floor rolling with laughter.

"I will not calm down" she barked. All eyes darted in the table's direction and people stopped to watch the argument. "I'm tired of this!" she screamed. "I'm tired of people betraying me and I'm sick and tired of you" she pointed her well polished finger at Neji who stared blankly at her.

"Tired of me?" he asked. He stood up and walked over to her so there eyes met. "What the hell did I do to you?"

"You've acted nasty to me and you've spied on me you're as much of a bastard as he is!" she pointed at Lee.

"I didn't do anything to you!" he screamed back at her "All I ever did was love you!!"