Author: Jardia
Pairings: NejixHinata, IkuraxKakashi, SasukexSakura
Warnings: Contains shonen-ai (boys falling in love with boys) as well as het (boys falling in love with girls). Hell, I might even add shoujo-ai . . . so if you have a problem . . . go away now please.
Notes: Just a little thing I thought up after watching Naruto. New Chapters every Monday. If you like it, please drop a quick review and let me know. If you don't, leave a quick review and let me know why not. I need attention desperately, can you tell?
Reviews: I'm a lazy prat and I didn't feel like using my email. Doesn't help that this has been the week from hell but eh... I wanted to say thanks to the people who reviewed.
Kawai Rosh - No worries. Updates every Monday so you won't have to worry about when I'm continuing. And the update will happen every Monday, even if I have to post half a chapter. I know how frustrating it can be to wait forever. Thank you for the review.
Kasiree - Well thanks. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Who knows, maybe you'll start liking Neji and Hinata... perhaps not together in a couple, but maybe you'll like them? Thank you for the review.
Morien Alexander - I have been told before that I'm best at conversation, so thank you. I like giving characters little quirks and I try to make them as close to the anime as possible and yet... with little differences. Since they have grown up a bit and in that time I'm sure they've been through a lot. Anyway, thanks for the review.
sir omes - Well, I can tell you Naruto will find someone. I have a bad habit of writing rather epic fics. I like to include everyone. But I won't reveal my secrets just yet. Thank you for the review.
Mana Angel - Hey! A stalker. Are you a cute stalker? Here, I'll just open the curtains so you can stalk more efficiently. Don't be shy now... ;) And btw, thank you for the review.
****
Chapter Two - Early Morning Plans
He had never known love. From a very young age he had only been exposed to hatred and fear. A few years ago, however, he had seen love for the first time. That encounter had changed him. The change was not immediate, of course. It happened over an extended period of time. Slowly he began to appreciate Kankarou and Temari more. They had never been very kind to him, but they hadn't been as cruel as some people. They were his siblings, and they were the only people who looked at him with something other than disgust.
He wanted love though.
He wanted the kind of love that made you give your life freely. The intense, burning, aching need to protect kind of love. That's what he wanted. He wasn't sure how one went about getting it, but he wanted to look for it. He needed to find it.
"Gaara?"
Gaara lifted his head, looking at his sister, Temari. She and Kankarou had gotten ahead of him. He had stopped walking while he thought, gazing sightlessly at the ground. He studied them for a moment, then turned on his heel and headed into the trees, off the path they'd been following.
"Gaara!?"
"Where are you going!?"
They had a mission, but Gaara had decided he didn't want to do it. He was tired of missions. He was tired of death. He knew where he'd seen love before, and so he would go to that boy . . . or man? And he would learn.
****
It was the sunlight on his face that woke Shikamaru, though, in reality, it should have been the person leaning over him, staring intently into his face. Slowly but surely Shikamaru blinked his eyes open, yawning and seeing Chouji leaning over him but not really paying any attention . . . at first, anyway. Then a crumb from the chocolate bar Shikamaru was munching on fell on his cheek and he scowled.
"Chouji . . . what ARE you doing?" Shikamaru growled.
"Eating."
"Yeah, but why are you eating on me?"
Chouji grinned, "Ino asked me to wake you up."
"Why, exactly?"
"She has a plan. She needs your help."
Shikamaru groaned loudly, "What a bother."
Chouji shrugged, finishing his chocolate bar and getting to his feet. He needed new snacks. He headed for the door. Shikamaru watched him walk out, and he couldn't help but marvel. For the amount of food Chouji ate, he was surprised Chouji wasn't much bigger than he already was. Shikamaru sighed, rubbing his face and yawning loudly.
A lot of his classmates, who had actually passed the ninja exams, lived with their team members from childhood. He, Chouji and Ino were the exceptions. Shikamaru couldn't imagine actually living with those idiots. He was quite certain they would drive him insane. Chouji wasn't too bad, except for the messes he left behind, but Ino was loud, and obnoxious. If they weren't friends already, he wouldn't hang out with her at all.
Shikamaru sat up, stretching and rubbing the back of his neck. He really didn't want to know what sort of plan Ino had. The girl had been going crazy since hearing the news that Sasuke and Sakura had moved in together. She was being even more obnoxious than usual about the whole deal. Shikamaru couldn't understand it. If Sasuke and Sakura were in love, then leave them be.
He slid his legs off the bed and stood up. The trick was, to move as slowly as possible. Maybe Ino would get impatient and leave before he made it down the stairs.
But knowing his luck she'd be there, and he'd have to listen to her stupid plans while he ate his breakfast. That is, if there was any food left in his house. He wondered how long Chouji had been around.
****
Tenten had fallen asleep on the couch. Neji found her shivering lightly, so he grabbed a blanket and lay it over her. He stood over her, just watching her sleeping face for a few moments. People weren't normally very attractive when they slept. Tenten was no exception. He shook his head and left her there while he made breakfast in the kitchen. He wasn't the best cook, but he could at least make some oatmeal.
He needed to eat before he left to train. In a few months the newest academy members would be graduating and he, as a jounin, had been asked to take on a team of genin's. He had agreed. It paid well, and he wanted a break from the A missions he had been taking lately.
As he prepared his breakfast, he found himself thinking about Hinata. He was worried about her. She really hadn't looked very good last night. He didn't want her to be hurt. He really hated the idea that she was allowed to go on dangerous missions alone. She was only a Chuunin, and from what he'd heard not a very good Chuunin. Though that wasn't surprising. Hinata never had been very good at being a ninja. It just wasn't her thing, but as a Hyuga she had been pushed into it.
Neji was just boiling the water to cook his oatmeal in when Rock Lee strode into the room. "Morning, Neji." He said, cheerfully enough.
Lee had a few problems. Since being seriously injured, years back, in a battle with Gaara of the Sand village, Lee had been training to become a ninja again. But no matter how hard he worked, the Hokage refused to reinstate him as a genin. It was very frustrating for Lee, who's only dream in life was to be the best ninja he could be. Tenten had told Neji a few days ago that she was worried Lee was drinking, so Neji found himself watching Lee very closely.
"Lee." Neji poured the oatmeal into the pot, putting enough in for Tenten, Lee and himself.
"Tenten still asleep?" Lee asked, hopping up onto a counter and watching Neji.
"Yes." Neji stirred the oatmeal a bit, then leaned against a nearby counter.
"You heard about Sasuke and Sakura?"
"I did." Lee had a crush on Sakura for a long time, though it seemed there were many people crushing on the girl. Neji didn't understand the attraction. Sakura was intelligent, but in all honesty she wasn't very cute, strong or even interesting.
"Everybody was a little surprised by that. I never really thought Sasuke would ever notice her." Lee murmured, but he seemed more baffled than upset.
"Public faces rarely reveal the truth."
"Eh?" Lee blinked at Neji, looking more baffled than ever.
Neji sighed, glancing up at the ceiling. He noted, idly, that it was yellowish in areas and probably needed to be washed, "We all wear a public face. Sasuke's hid his feelings. He might have cared for Sakura all along, but he hid it behind his mask."
"Oh. I never understand stuff like that."
"You have no public face." Neji said quietly, and it was true. Lee had always shown the world exactly what he was. He never hid his true nature. Neji could respect that, in some way people who hid behind masks were just afraid.
"I didn't have the energy to make one." Lee murmured, hopping off the counter, "I'll go wake Tenten. She promised she'd train with me today."
"Lee?"
"Yeah?" Lee looked back at Neji curiously.
"I will join you, if you'd like."
Lee smiled, "Yeah. I'd like that."
****
Iruka had a bad habit of drooling in his sleep. Now, some might find this unattractive, but Kakashi just found it amusing. He leaned down, pinching Iruka's cheek, "Hey."
Iruka jerked, eyes snapping open, "OW~!"
Kakashi grinned, patting Iruka's now red cheek. "I'm off to work."
Iruka pushed Kakashi's hand away. "What time is it?" Kakashi grinned, "Time for you to be at work."
"Why didn't you wake me!?" Iruka sat up quickly, face flushing with his anger.
"I wasn't awake?" Kakashi chuckled, "I have to run. I'll see you later, Umi." He patted Iruka on the head, then walked to the door. "KAKASHI! You turned the alarm off! Didn't you?!" Iruka shouted, throwing a pillow at Kakashi's retreating form.
Kakashi was the only person in the world who could so easily make Iruka lose his temper. For the most part Iruka was a fairly calm person. He'd wasted most of his energy during his childhood. But Kakashi made him feel like a kid again, and he really couldn't decide if that was good or bad. He was leaning toward bad.
He hopped out of the bed and ran around the room, hurriedly pulling all his clothes on.
****
"You're seriously screwed up, you know that, don't you?"
Naruto paused in devouring his ramen noodles to look at the serving lady, Anne, oddly. "What do you mean?"
"Noodles? For breakfast?" She responded, smiling.
"Heh," Naruto grinned right back at her, "I didn't feel like cooking."
"And now that you're a Jounin you can afford to buy it, right?"
"EH? Something like that." Naruto muttered. In reality he had woken up with a strange craving for noodles. Probably because he'd spent most of the evening thinking about them. It was true that as a Jounin he made more money and as a result could actually afford to eat what he wanted, when he wanted.
Anne shook her head and walked away, leaving him to it. Naruto finished the noodles and pushed them aside. When Anne moved to refill the bowl, he shook his head, "No, that's okay."
"You feeling all right, Naruto?"
"I'm fine." Naruto smiled, hopping off his chair, "I need to run."
"Wow! You're even going to be early for something!?" "Nope. I'm already two hours late."
Anne laughed, waving at him as he walked out. She shook her head, smiling. She was fond of him. Things just wouldn't be the same around here without him.
****
Hinata woke to a pounding headache. She knew immediately that she had a cold. She could tell by how blocked her nose felt and the thick, heavy, gunky feel of mucous built up in the back of her throat. She groaned, rolling to her side. She dimly remembered last night, but by now it was really fuzzy. She was glad to be home, and yet at the same time she was a little unsettled. She didn't feel comfortable in Konoha. There were too many people here who made her feel bad.
People who made her doubt herself. She sat up, running a hand through her hair. She really felt like someone had put her through the ringer. Something soft brushed her hand and she looked down, smiling when she saw the big white teddy bear sitting beside her on the bed. "Kiba." She laughed, picking it up and placing it in her lap. "Hello. My name is Hinata Hyuga . . . who are you?"
"My name is Teddy." A high, squeaky voice murmured.
Hinata gasped, then glanced up and glowered at Kiba, who was standing in the doorway. "Hey cute cheeks! About time you woke up!"
Hinata laughed, "Kiba! What is this?" She held the teddy bear up with one hand, shaking it in his direction.
"A get well teddy, for a real bear." Kiba grinned, "C'mon. Shino made breakfast. You'll break his heart if you don't at least try to eat it."
"Hey, Kiba. Be nice. Shino is a better cook than you." Hinata said, putting the bear on her pillow and then sliding her legs off the bed. She stretched, getting to her feet. "Ah . . . I feel horrible."
"I bet you have one nasty cold. Just stay away from me chickie, I don't want to get sick as well." Kiba left the room so she could get dressed.
He'd left another fuzzy critter behind though. Hinata laughed as Akamaru barked at her heels. "Sorry, guy, I forgot about you for a minute." She crouched down, petting his head, "You look well."
Akamaru licked her face and she smiled, letting him hop onto her head. Her sides protested as she stood back up. She hugged herself as she made her way carefully to the dresser, "So . . . what should I wear today, Akamaru?"
****
"You want to what?" Shikamaru groaned, looking at his carrot stick with a frown. Somehow he'd just lost whatever appetite he'd had, which wasn't much.
"I want to kill Sakura!"
"No! The part before that."
Ino grinned, "We're going to break Sasuke and Sakura up, before he does something stupid like propose to her."
Shikamaru took a big bite of the carrot, chewing slowly before he spoke. He swallowed, licked his lips and looked at her, "You're serious?"
"And you guys have to help me. I need you, Chouji, to get her away from Sasuke for a while, and then Shikamaru, you can bind her and then I'll enter her and I'll go to Sasuke and-"
"No way." Shikamaru shook his head, "There is no way I'm having any part in this."
"You have to help me!" Ino cried, "Sasuke and I belong together! He's just been blind sided by that bimbo!"
"Ino! Dammit! Wake up and smell the coffee! Sasuke really likes Sakura. He hasn't been blind sided!" Shikamaru snapped, tossing the last of his carrot at Chouji, who gladly caught it and ate it.
"That's not true! He loves ME! He just doesn't know it y-"
Shikamaru got to his feet, "You're an idiot, Ino. They're together, get used to it, and get over him already. He's not that great anyway." With an angry snort he turned and left the room. He'd gotten up for that? Geez. That Ino really could be an idiot sometimes.
Ino stared at Shikamaru then she looked at Chouji, "Wow."
Chouji looked a little startled as well. Shikamaru was one of the calmest people he knew. The guy was usually too lazy to get upset about anything. He finished the last of Shikamaru's carrot, then went back to eating his chips, "I'll help."
"It's no good. My plan won't work without Shikamaru."
"Sorry, Ino, but I don't think he'll do it."
"We'll have to find some way to convince him." Ino said, sitting back and pulling her ponytail over her shoulder. Her hair had finally grown back. She loved it long and really didn't want to go short ever again.
Chouji looked at her oddly, wondering what she was thinking now, and then he shrugged. He didn't care. Ino was usually up to no good, and he'd gotten used to her mad schemes by now.
****
Tenten's back hurt. She had slept in a very uncomfortable position. She sat up slowly, carefully. She could smell oatmeal, and she could hear soft voices nearby. She rubbed her eyes. She really shouldn't have allowed herself to fall asleep on the couch. It was a nice couch to sit on, but like most couches it just wasn't made for sleeping on.
"Neji?" She called, wondering whom he was talking to.
A few minutes later Lee walked in and she smiled at him. Lee, Neji and she were best friends. They'd been together since they were just kids. "Hey Lee."
"Hey Tenten." Lee smiled, sitting down beside Tenten, pushing her over a little. He wrapped his arm easily around her shoulders.
"Oh man . . . I'm sorry, Lee. I can't train with you today. I have a mission. I have to leave later this afternoon." Tenten said, "I forgot to tell you but I just got the mission yesterday, before coming home."
Lee nodded, "That's fine, Neji and I are going to train."
"Neji and you . . . ?" It had been a long time since Neji and Lee trained together. Lee hadn't wanted to train with Neji, because he didn't want Neji to see his weakness. She wondered what had changed his heart.
"Yeah."
Neji walked in, carrying a tray with three bowls on it. "Oatmeal." He said, putting the tray down and handing a bowl to Tenten.
"Thanks, Neji." Tenten smiled at him, taking the bowl and sniffing it. "Um . . . "
"It's not undercooked." Neji said, seeing her expression and just knowing what she was thinking.
Tenten nodded, "All right, I'll trust you."
Lee chuckled, grabbing a bowl for himself and sitting back so he could eat. He released Tenten, trying a spoonful of oatmeal. "Hmm . . . yeah, that tastes good. You put raisins in here?"
"Neji has a thing with raisins." Tenten said with a smirk, "He puts them in everything."
Neji looked at her sharply, shaking his head, "I don't."
"He does." Tenten said softly to Lee, behaving as if Neji couldn't hear her if she kept her voice low. Of course, he could, "Raisins on the oatmeal, raisins on the pancakes . . . "
Neji ate his oatmeal quietly, not bothering to argue with her. His silence didn't bother Lee or Tenten. They were used to it. She was exaggerating and he knew it was just her way of teasing him. She tried, as much as she could, to make him smile. That was her thing. There was the odd time her teasing actually succeeded but it wasn't often. Neji hadn't had much reason to smile, especially not lately.
Life seemed to get more complicated with age, rather than easier.
The current source of all of Neji's stress was none other than Hinata Hyuga . . . his young cousin. The problem was, he knew there was no way to ever fix things between them, and he wasn't sure he'd ever stop caring for her. He just didn't know what to do. He glanced at Tenten. He wasn't giving her what she deserved. Tenten deserved to be dating someone who actually cared for her as something more than a friend. But he knew she cared about him, and he just didn't want to push her away.
****
Naruto had a small mission, if it was a real mission he would have classified it as a D-class, but it wasn't a 'real' mission so to speak. It was more of a favor. The Hokage had a small problem with his grandson, who had been disappearing for hours in the evening. Konohamaru was up to no good. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. So Naruto had agreed to follow the little brat around and figure out what he was up to. Not that Konohamaru was little anymore. He was just about ready to graduate from the academy really. But he would always be a little brat in Naruto's head.
Naruto munched on a chocolate bar as he perched on a branch, watching Konohamaru talk with his friends. He'd follow Konohamaru around all day, and then hopefully he'd find clues as to what the kid was up to. He'd probably have to follow him around tonight too, but he didn't mind. It would give him something to do, other than sleep . . . and dream.
****
"Sasuke?" Sakura murmured, sliding her arm through his.
He stiffened slightly but he didn't pull away, "Yeah?"
"Why is Naruto perched in that tree?"
Sasuke looked up, frowning when he saw the blond idiot munching on a chocolate bar high up in a tree. Now, Naruto was a jounin shinobi, so he was hidden well, but not well enough to hide from other jounin. "I don't care." Sasuke muttered.
"Eh?" Sakura looked at him, walking with him as he continued down the street toward the academy. She was a teacher there, and he was considering a position. There were only so many A-class missions and after awhile you had to find some other way to keep yourself busy. Not that Sakura was a jounin, she had never passed that test, but shinobi at Chuunin level were allowed to teach, so that's what she did. She was better suited to teaching. Missions had never been her thing. "I'm just curious. I haven't seen him around lately. Maybe we should go say hi."
"He's obviously on a mission. Leave him."
Sakura didn't say anything else. She could tell by his tone that he wasn't keen on talking. She glanced back at the tree, sighing. She missed Naruto. Sure, when they were younger she'd just found him to be irritating and a huge nuisance, but she'd gotten used to him. She would have to go by his house tonight, and maybe she'd drag Sasuke along. She wasn't sure why those two had stopped talking, but she knew they could get over it.
No matter what they were still friends.
Nothing would change that. Right?
****
"Hi Shino." Hinata sat down at the table, gladly accepting the plate of pancakes Kiba pushed in front of her, "Thank you, Kiba!" Shino nodded, "Hinata." He had no food in front of him, but Hinata wasn't surprised. In all the years she'd known Shino she had never seen his face. He never ate in front of her and never removed his jacket. "Who made these?"
"I did." Kiba said, "With Shino's help, so they are edible." He grinned.
Hinata laughed, "I was just curious. Last I checked you didn't even like pancakes."
"Shino changed my mind."
Hinata nodded, "Well . . . thank you Shino." She said cheerfully.
Shino nodded, getting to his feet. He headed across the room and out the door without saying a word. Hinata smiled, "You guys had a nice time without me?"
"Yeah, it was fine, but we missed you Hina."
"I'm back now. No need to miss me anymore."
****
End of Chapter Two
