This ones for all of you guys who reviewed this fic already!

That means you guys: Unita Vis Fortior, Cookie6, Trutenor, Kashisenshey, Anonymous, LiveLoveLaugh, and Kimmy!

And to answer the widely asked question so far: It is not a Sakura/Lee fic, sorry to disappoint anyone who was looking forward to it! coughKimmycough

To answer your question, Mr. Anonymous dude: Neji and Hinata lost the Taijutsu match because I used the idea that Lee Sasuke and Naruto are top when it comes to fighting, especially Lee in a Taijutsu match. I amde him lose to Sasuke because Sasuke-kun has beaten him before. Naruto lost to Lee because Lee is a Taijutsu master. Naruto beat Neji because Naruto CAN beat Neji, especially seeing as Naruto doesn't lose to those he hates.. And in this fic Naruto hates Neji. Hinata lost because though she is an excellent fighter, she is shy, and does not want to fight Naruto or Neji, so she basically let herself lose.. No big deal, as long as she preforms well on missions it's all good, right?

There ya go.

SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO CRYSTAL HIKARI FOR EDITING THESE CHAPTERS! (excluding my crappy Author's Notes) You rock dude. Word.

If My Heart Had Wings

Lee gazed lazily out over the open field, trees barricading them in... Or rather, protecting them from the outside, keeping them safe from the storm that was life.

The shadows of those trees, they seemed not only menacing; hiding dark and hideous creatures, but inviting; welcoming the ninjas of the hidden leaf into their arms to protect them..

The leaves danced gracefully in the wind, picking up his still untidy hair and tossing it wildly about his head, the colours of summer diving through the air and sweeping the dew-covered grass gently, caressing it like a lover's touch.

"Ano Sa! Lee!"

Lee turned to stare at Naruto, who was approaching with Hinata at his side. His blonde hair swayed in the wind, and he let out a loud laugh at the way Konoha's Proud Azure Beast looked with wind ruffling his normally tidy hair, and wearing rumpled green pajamas.

Hinata giggled slightly despite herself. The way Naruto laughed... Hell, the way Naruto did just about anything made her smile. He was so independent, so... Strong... So different from herself, and it made her want to be better... Just for him.

Naruto turned when he heard the almost silent giggle from Hinata, and smiled that insanely canine grin. Hinata blushed and Naruto scratched the back of his head, blushing in response.

Lee tried not to ruin the moment with his own laughter. They were looking at each other with faces a deeper red than Kurenai's blood-coloured eyes.

"Hinata-chan..." Naruto began, looking away and bringing his hands up tentatively before him. His index fingers began to pent slightly as he looked anywhere but at Hinata's eyes.

Hinata's response was similar, though she had focused her attention at her feet, wiggling her toes over and over. She was counting them, painted a pale blue..

Yup. She sure did have ten toes.

"Naruto-kun..."

"Hinata..."

Hinata looked up, gathering her courage...

Naruto was staring her in the eyes right now, his azure gaze reading her own eyes better than Hinata's Byakuugan's ever could.

Leaning in, he planted a gentle kiss on her cheek, turned and walked off, hoping he was playing the role of handsome stranger that plays with girl's emotions just as well as those guys on TV...

Hinata's cheeks had gone a new shade of red now, one that she presumed her body had just invented.

She watched Naruto walk away from her, the hands stuffed in his pockets as he trudged forwards, looking like the embarrassed pre-teen that he was.

The rumpled orange jacket he always wore, matching his bright orange pants that he wore more has Capri-pants than anything. The messy hair that may have been brushed once in his entire life time... Those bright blue eyes, pools of hope and desires, destiny shining from them... That smile, different from anyone else's...

She let out a small adoring sigh as he walked away.

"Hinata-chan. did I not tell you that he cared about you?"

Hinata's blush faded, but she was smiling widely now. She had just remembered that Lee was standing there..

Watching her dreams unfold before her.

She nodded in response, clasping her hands together before she practically skipped over to Lee and gave him a hug.

"Arigato, Lee-kun!"

"For what? I didn't do anything.." Lee let out a slight chuckle as he embraced one of his newest friends. He felt so happy for her. Had it been a few days ago he might have been jealous of their happy story, but now he felt nothing but genuine happiness. That was the gift of a few true friends, he supposed.

"You helped me believe in myself... I would have been too shy to talk to him myself.."

Lee chuckled once more as Hinata pulled away. She looked so full of energy that she might burst, it was unusual for Hinata, but he admired it.

".. I'm going to go pick some flowers for Naruto-kun.. Do you want to come with me, Lee?"

Lee nodded slowly, following the happy girl across the open field.

Yes, he decided, these trees are protecting our youthful innocence, our happiness.. And those shadows are hiding friends, not foes.. For nothing bad could happen right now.

Sasuke looked across the fire-pit at Sakura, her perfect cotton-candy coloured hair swayed in the wind, not ruffling or becoming messy in any way.. No, it made her look like some kind of model, facing a pre-set fan in order to get that attractive windy look... Not that Sasuke watched those.. No... He did not have time to watch stupid TV shows or commercials, and nor did he read silly magazines... No.. He trained, he would become the greatest fighter in all of

Konoha.. Just to beat his eternal rival, yet friend, Naruto.

But right now, he was watching Sakura.

He was not sure WHY he was watching Sakura, it was not as though it would help him in his own Sensei's stupid game, no, he already knew almost everything about Sakura...He was just... Watching her anyway.

He raised his pented fingers up before him, propping his elbows on his knees and hunching voer so he was simply gazing over his fingers at her. He knew she liked that.

But WHY he would do that if he knew she liked that, he did not know.

Sakura turned to face him now, catching his gaze with her own... Pools of turquoise, shimmering like... Well... Shimmering pools of turquoise... Sasuke never was that good at coming up with metaphorical statements... So, shimmering pools of turquoise would do.

He tilted his head downwards, shading his obsidian eyes with his bangs, how did Sakura say that made him look? Angsty? Mysterious? Whichever it was, it made her blush when she said it.

He hoped she would catch that look, perhaps her smooth, milky cheeks would blush pink? It looked so good when she blushed...

He coughed slightly when he thought that, turning his dark gaze from her. A loud sound had caught his attention..

He found himself staring instead at a verbal war between Kiba and Akamaru.

"I DO NOT LIKE HER!"

Barks were the only response.

"You're joking, right? That's just gross.. EWW! COUTIES!"

Sasuke glared darkly at Kiba who continued to shout. That had possibly ruined that perfect moment between himself and Sakura...

Wait a second.. Why did he care if a moment between himself and Sakura had been ruined? He didn't like her. He didn't like ANYONE.. Girls were a waist of time, far too clingy, and weak...

But she was so smart... If it weren't for her they might have died several times on missions that turned out to be far more dangerous than those assigned to young gennins....

And then there was that time against Gaara she had put her life on the line to rescue him...

.. Okay... So, maybe he liked Sakura just a LITTLE more than as a friend... No big deal. Still not worth telling her. No.. Then she'd become like Ino and Tenten again. That would be VERY bad.

"Asuma, is this another one of your brilliant plots to get groups of students together?" Kurenai asked sarcastically, gazing through crimson eyes at her fellow jounin.

"Yeah, sure.. That means my turn gets skipped, so let's go with that." Sarutobi Asuma leaned back in his chair.. He loved these chairs, those ones in the bags that you can fold up... They were comfy, and took up so little room... He also loved the fact that the cup holder was big enough to hold an ash tray for his cigarette as well.

Kurenai shook her head as she instead looked towards Kakashi.

"Our teams will have to gather more often, if Naruto and Hinata's relationship keeps budding as it is.." She said slowly, gazing over the crowd of students at the two aforementioned students. Hinata was handing a bouquet of wild roses to a blushing Naruto, who was declaring that the women should not be giving flowers to the men, and that it should be other way around.

"I guess I'll have to pick an even bigger bouquet for you to make up for it!"

Kakashi chuckled behind his mask at this, watching The Fourth's Legacy go running out to the field to pluck even more flowers for Hinata.

"Perhaps.. They both may pass the chuunin exam next month, then they will either be forced closer together or farther apart.. We will see."

Asuma turned his head towards Kakashi who had already turned his all-knowing gaze down to his hamburger... How the HELL was he supposed to eat this thing without taking off his mask?

The Prodigy of Konoha was very preoccupied now, he had his chance to bother Kurenai to the breaking point once more...

"You should stop staring at him like that, you know.." Asuma said after a moment.

"Huh?"

"Kakashi.. You should stop staring at him like that. He may be busy, but he sees a lot more than what his Sharingan allows him."

"I'm not staring at him.."

"Oh really? There's a bit of drool in the corner of your mouth there."

Reflexively Kurenai lifted her hand to touch and wipe away said offending spittle.

She found that there was none, and turned her deadly gaze upon the lazy Sarutobi.

"Baka."

"You know I'm teasing, love."

"... I hate you."

"I love you too, darling."

Kurenai looked away in anger, standing and storming off towards her own tent.

"It's true though, ya know.. I love you.." Asuma muttered to himself. How he WANTED to say it to Yuuhi Kurenai, but his reputation as a jerk had to be maintained.. That and he would be far too embarrassed to do such a thing.

Asuma sighed, stood, and decided to go to the forest, possibly to... relieve himself or some other such thing, whichever.

And Hatake Kakashi, after his last hour of pondering, suddenly came to the only conclusion possible for eating WITHOUT removing his mask.

"Aww crap."

And he threw the hamburger over his shoulder. He couldn't completely destroy that air of mysteriousness that floated about him NOW! That mask was the only thing that was still intriguing about him. Everyone knew he had a Sharingan eye and an awesome scar... Maybe they'd think he had some sort of... Snake tongue or something...

He liked keeping people guessing, and a hamburger would not destroy that..

Until dinner time comes around and he realizes he hasn't eaten in about 3 days in order to protect that air of mysteriousness.

But until then, he would convince everyone he had a snake tongue.