DISCLAIMER:
Me: :) *ignoring a project for this*
Neji: She's going to fail soon.
Me: :P Am not
Gaara: Please note, as she does not own Naruto, she is able to twist the timeline.
Haku: *pops up from the dead*
Me: YOSH! *tackles*
Neji: *faceplant* Just a note, this chapter isn't funny in the haha way, its one of the few serious parts in this unplanned out story.
Deidara: Its funny in the sadistic way, un.
Itachi: *cackles*
Dedicated to: The Black Rose 1995 who was the only person to ask a very good question about last chapter, what did Gaara say that calmed Sakura down. :D Thats gonna be explained in this chappie :)
Neji was deathly quiet and eerily calm as he tied his headband, sitting at the edge of his bed, watching his every move with a sort of worry, was a semi-nervous kunoichi-turned-feline. The shinobi were about to launch an attack on the Sound nin who were stationed just outside Suna, regrouping. The Konoha ninja was the center of the attack force. He would have to find Sasuke and engage him in one-on-one combat. Gaara would be attacking Orochimaru while Temari attacked Kabuto and the other ninja of Suna fought with the rest. In the short bit of time that concerned the Sand siblings going to Konoha, talking to Tsunade, getting a ninja familiar with the sharingan, and returning to Suna, Orochimaru had ensembled a large army, prepared for a full scale takeover.
They were badly outnumbered so they planned to take out the heads and weaken the other side. A messanger, the only person they could spare, was sent to Leaf to inform the Hokage that Sound had expanded and more ninja had arrived in their absence.
Sakura sighed, she would never admit it if she were in human form as it would damage the proud branch members pride, but as a cat, she was able to communicate the fact that she was worried without fear of retribution. Cherry brushed her lean body against his leg as he took a deep breath and made to walk from the room. She mewed her discord and looked at him with fear in her eyes. He sighed and knelt down to pet her. "I know its a suicide mission. But I have to Cherry-chan. I will come back to take care of you, I promise." Sakura felt a warmth spread through her heart at his words and knuzzled his hand then licked it in goodbye. He nodded and left, leaving the kit to her own thoughts.
'This is not going to end well. We're horribley outnumbered.' Inner could only nod her agreement, not a snarky comment able to pass through their thoughts. 'We... Could do something. Afterall, we still have some of our chakra reserves and we most definatly have our brains.' 'Good point... But what?'
=^.^=
Neji stood in front of the youngest Uchiha with deathly intent in his byakugan eyes. This man who had caused so much pain to so many of Konoha. This spoiled brat had betrayed his village and broken many for his childish need for revenge. This boy needed to pay. The chocolate haired ninja threw himself into his attack, with his bloodline activated, he aimed for several chakra spots. He only hit three of the intended five before having to retreat backwards to dodge the pheniox fire jutsu shot at him. His finger tips were lightly singed.
The Sound nin disapeared from view, chakra trace hidden. Neji froze, allowing his trait to hone in on the signal. He spun around, his foot reaching up to kick the other male. A block of stone fell to the ground at his kick and Sasukes substitution jutsu dispersed. He narrowed his eyes and forced down a growl. Sasuke darted forward and punched the Hyuuga prodigy to the ground. Neji bounded back up in rapid fire, his foot knocking into the 19 year old.
"Hello Hyuuga." Sasuke said, his breathing even as he bound away from the man whod gotten back into his fighting stance.
"Uchiha." Their clans fueds held no fire compared to Neji Hyuugas hatred of Sasuke Uchiha and everything he'd done. He still remembered the way Sakura and Naruto had fallen apart. And thanks to Narutos depression, Hinata fell to the same black despair. The two members of Team 7 had turned their depression into fury and determination. Both were the prodigal students of two of the greatest sanin. How anyone could abandon their teammates, their village, their friends, was beyond the loyal 20 year old. All three had grown closer, along with the others of the Rookie 9 and team Gai as well as Team Baki.
"What a surprise, I imagined the blond idiot or the weakling would be here." Uchiha sneered, running his eyes distainfully up and down the male. A snarl sounded from somewhere above the two. Sasuke dismissed the sound.
Neji used his special trait to find the sound and fought a frown. "Your the weak idiot. Naruto is next inline to become hokage as decreed by Tsunade and Sakura is the head medic nin." What was Cherry-chan doing here?!
"Ha!" Sasuke threw a punch which Neji easily dodged before responding with a roundhouse kick, also dodged. Both lept apart. "The idiot I can believe, the kyuubi in him would aid in that. But Haruno? HA!" Neji threw three kunais at the ex-Konoha shinobi and struck with one that was hidden in the shadow of the second.
His pearl gaze narrowed with anger and disgust. Naruto had beaten all those who disbelieved his abilities with his kindness and risen to the place of next in line. Sasuke had not reached his dream while the blond kyuubi container had. Sasuke had not seen Sakura in years, who was he to judge the female who had captured many hearts in the Village Hidden in the Leaf? Sakura had triumphed over the heartbreak caused by the blue black haired ex-team member, she had shown everyone how strong she was. How brave. His mind twitched slightly, Sakura Haruno, beautiful and courageous. Perfect. "You are a sad soul Uchiha. You who are blinded by your rage and revenge, you have formed your own destructive fate." The two engaged in a match of simple tiajutsu "You will bring yourself your own death. You are pathetic, you haven't even beaten Uchiha, Itachi."
Sasukes red eyes narrowed in blind fury and he rushed at the Hyuuga with an unmatchable rage. His fists and feet flew, striking the other with a accuracy only born of blind hatred. Neji simply blocked the blows, knowing it would be fruitless and dangerous to do much else.
From above the two fighting males, Sakura was hissing with her fur standing on end. Sasuke Uchiha would pay. She pushed open a small cloth bag with her nose and picked up a rock with her mouth. She pushed her chakra into the pointed arrowhead and with the aim given only to a feline-ninja, she shot it to at the Uchihas shoulder, peircing the skin and causing him to falter in his attack.
Neji pushed back his shock at his cats actions and took the advantage. He sent forward a flurry of attacks, knocking the Sound Ninja back several feet. Cheery-chan above continued to send chakra-infused stones into the softer parts of Sasukes body with a terrifying accuracy. He finally looked up and caught sight of a pink blur. His sharingan eyes narrowed, his thoughts were forced back to his battle rather then the mysterious image above.
"Eight Trigrams: Mountain Crusher!" He called out, jabbing his fist into the Uchiha, his long brown hair flying at the speed of his attack. Sasuke coughed up blood as he was knocked back several steps onto his rear end. Cherry sent a single final point-sharpened stone into his head. His body fell to the ground, blood running down his temple, unconcious.
'DIE YOU STUPID BASTARD!!! DIEEEEE!!!!' Sakura cackled out loud, Inner had taken control temporarily with terrifyingly destructive results. With the grace of a neko, she fell from the ceiling and into the tanned arms of Neji. Her body shook with the force of her purrs and Neji petted her and placed a kiss on her head.
"Thank you Cherry-chan." He breathed in her scent and kissed her head once more. Without her, he would probably be the one on the ground unconsious now, not him.
Gaaras earlier words flashed through her mind. "If the Hyuuga shows worthy of you, I will find a way to turn you back. Otherwise, you will become mine without a complaint. And I will fight." Did Neji care about her? His words said he did, even if it was a minimal friend-amount. He had left her with a warm feeling as he defended her, she'd only reacted naturally at the Uchihas attack of the only one who stood up for her. And she didn't mind the kisses either.
I actually liked this one. The fight scene actually kicked ass some-what :D And it was definatly longer.
~Julieann
