Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 10: An Invitation

"Sasuke?" Sakura held the door open, waiting for Sasuke to come in.

"I don't like the hospital smell." It was a childish excuse, and Sasuke knew it, but Sakura played along.

"Okay, then, you can wait outside while I get my check-up done."

He gave a light nod, and watched the pink of her hair disappear inside. Standing there awkwardly, Sasuke realized he had no idea how long her check-up would take, and what he could do in the meantime.

There were several benches though, and he strolled over to a bench the furthest away from the hospital building. It would be nice if he could get some training done…

His hand dove into the depths of his pocket and felt around the small paper. He considered reading it again, but there was no need to. So why –

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke nearly jumped at the voice, and silently cursed at the chakra-restraining accessories he was required to wear. However, chakra or not, he should have sensed a presence near him, and that frustrated him further more.

"Hyuuga Neji." There was a hint of surprise in Sasuke's voice, confirming that Neji was the last person he expected to meet.

A small silence passed, and then Neji spoke.

"I see they have two ANBUs to watch you."

'Two ANBUs? How could I have failed to notice that?' As if reading his thoughts, Neji answered. "Those chakra-restraining accessories are extremely powerful. And to force five of them on you… you must have become really strong."

Sasuke gave him a suspicious look in reply, wondering what his business was.

"I have gotten stronger too, though not from revenge." Neji's words hit him right on the spot, and knowingly, Neji smirked.

"If I didn't have these accessories on…" Sasuke growled, his eyes a dangerous black.

"An excuse." Neji cut him short. "But I do admit you have great power. And I assume this power brought you your revenge?"

Sasuke's eyes darkened, glaring with malice.

"And… what has your revenge brought you?"

This guy sure seemed to know all the right words to annoy Sasuke, and it didn't take long before Sasuke clenched his fist, a desire for a punch barely kept under control.

Noticing this, Neji steadily held Sasuke's gaze. "I do not mean to cause a fight. I've come to talk to you for…"

There was nothing the damn Hyuuga could say to calm Sasuke, or so he thought, but he was in for a full surprise when Neji finished.

"my birthday. I'd like to invite you and Haruno-san – I'm aware that Haruno-san has lost her memories, so we thought this get-together would be helpful."

'We?' A picture of a blonde flashed in his mind, and Sasuke stopped himself from asking, 'Do they know I'm back?' Instead, he only replied, "Hn."

"It's on the 3rd of July, so come to the Hyuuga mansion at five in the afternoon." There was a pause. "I don't need gifts." With a smirk, Neji walked off, leaving an irritated Sasuke behind.

a/n: Thank you readers & reviewers :D Aha I love putting Sasuke and Neji together for some reason xD