Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
AN: Gomen ne minna-san! Finals have been keeping me swamped, and I somehow managed to crash my computer, which are all excuses for the slow updates. And also, in the last couple of chapters, I hadn't been able to get any of my page breaks to show up. So please excuse me if you can't see them again.
Important: Starting July 1st and until September, I will be visiting family in China, otherwise known to me as "The Land Without Computers or Internet Access". That's right, that means for the next two months there will be no updates!
Spoilers: until about manga chapter…um 180 something…the one where Sasuke goes bye bye.
Optimism
Chapter Six
By: Poison IvyIf Ino had any remaining doubts (which included an evening spent locked in a closet with everyone else while Sakura and Neji ran wild, and the inkling suspicion that Sakura may have invited herself, no matter how hard she tried to deny it) about the trip to the Hyugas (as she fondly called it in her mind) they disappeared when Hinata opened the door.
Her smile was genuine, and her face lit up upon seeing them. "Ino-san! Sakura-san!" she exclaimed (well, as much as a soft-spoken girl--who, after the fateful chuunin exam had actually become more outgoing, which just goes to show how a near-death experience can be a good thing--could). "Have your parents returned yet?"
Sakura smiled. "They aren't expected back for a while. Thank you for inviting us. It beats worrying about them!"
For a split second, her beam slipped and dropped from her face, leaving it open. Ino blinked, as if noticing the worries and fears there for the first time.
I haven't been a very good friend. She realized. After all, in this war, Sakura was probably one he hardest hit, what with Sasuke and all…
The beam was back in place at once, and it made Ino wonder if she had imagined what she had seen before.
The dark-haired girl ushered the others in.
"Ano…I hope you don't mind…" she began, shifting from foot to foot.
Ino peered at her curiously. "What's wrong Hinata-san?"
A servant appeared like magic to take their coats.
"I invited someone else after I called you…"
This time Sakura peered at the girl. "Who?"
"Neji-nii-san was being…Neji-nii-san…so…"Sakura nodded sagely. She knew. "So I thought someone from his team could…"
They had been walking in the direction of Hinata's bedroom, and, suddenly, Sakura's blood ran cold. "Who?" she asked again.
"Hello Sakura-san."
She turned around slowly, and Ino gasped softly. "Hello Lee-san."
When Lee had taken the chance with the 50/50 operation, it seemed as if the whole of Konoha had held its breath.
When he had pulled through, however, it was as if he had come through with a different perspective on life.
He knew what he wanted in life, and he was going to get it. No matter what.
Well, Ino reflected, Hinata-san sure knows how to throw a party.
Hinata looked at the two of them; both transfixed to each other.
The moment turned awkward, and for once, Ino had nothing to say to make everything all right.
A door slammed somewhere downstairs, and as if waking from a spell, everyone jolted out of their respective stances.
"Ano…" Sakura began, "Hinata-san didn't inform me that you would be here…"
Lee nodded noncommittally. "I gathered that."
They were silent again.
Ino felt that it was brought upon herself to say something to get the conversation going.
She cleared her throat. "So--"
Sakura was looking past her, and Ino turned in the middle of her sentence, to hear her say, "Oh. Hello Neji."
Lee's face tightened, and Hinata looked faintly worried.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on that of the boy, as he apparently had just returned from training.
Ino did something that she was not particularly fond of. She let her mouth run off.
"Oh look Sakura-chan!" she said brightly, "You past fling and your new one!"
She instantly regretted it, but it was too late.
Lee's face tightened even more, while Sakura's eyes grew wide and horrified.
Neji's eyes fixed onto Lee's.
Hinata looked like she wanted to say something (perhaps apologize again) but was too timid of the air of electricity that surrounded her friends to attempt it.
"Ino" Sakura hissed, sounding madder than she looked. "That's not true and yo--"
"Hinata-sama." Neji interrupted, nodding to his cousin. He pushed past Ino coldly. "Lee." He nodded at his teammate.
"Neji." Lee managed to choke out.
The dark-haired boy made his way past everyone else without even an acknowledgement.
Hinata, seemingly torn between her friends and her cousin's rudeness, suddenly darted past the opening left by Lee, and after her cousin.
"Neji-nii-san!" she called out, trying to catch up to the fast-striding figure before he closed the door to his room.
To her surprise, he slowed his walk to a halt, turning and looking at her with his cold eyes. "Is something the matter?"
"Why did you leave like that?" she asked, twisting her hands nervously while trying to sound brave.
He looked surprised. "I wasn't aware that they would arrive so quickly."
"Well I think that you hurt Sakura-san's feelings."
He looked down at his cousin, who was obviously nervous.
Yet her last statement caught him by surprise.
Hurt her feelings…?
Before he could dwell on that statement, he said brusquely, "Why should I care?"
She looked troubled. "Ano…"
Inwardly, he groaned.
Hinata reminded him of Gai-sensei before he started on another "uplifting speech" disturbingly so, in fact.
"After all," he continued, trying to cut in before he was lectured on "caring". "We are barely acquaintances. If her feelings are hurt, then she is trying to find something that doesn't exist."
"Demo…I thought you two were friends…"
Unbidden, an image of her sprung into his mid. In it, her green eyes were dark and sad and accusing, and her entire body screamed "hurt!" as he walked past her.
Roughly, he pushed it away. He didn't have time for things like this.
"Did she tell you that?"
"Ano…"
"Then she's an idiot."
She really is. Baka.
/Then you must be too. To care/
He willed the voice to leave him alone, that nagging voice that sounded entirely too much like his own. It only disappeared when he was training.
"No one told me!" his cousin shouted at him suddenly.
He was startled. It wasn't a feeling that he was particularly fond of.
While Hinata had lost most of her stutter over the years, he had assumed that she would always be quiet.
To find out that she had it in her to yell, especially at him, was surprising, to say the least.
And that was the only reason he stayed. Though, in the interest, (his interest) of things, it might have been better if he had turned on his heel and left, as he had fully intended to do.
Her voice (when she spoke next) was softer, but not quite back to its nonexistent pitch. "No one had to tell me. It was obvious."
"What was?" he had to ask.
"You like her a lot, Neji-nii-san. Forgive me for saying this, but is true. You like her more than you like me. More than you--"
"If," his voice was low, dangerously so, "You are suggesting that I "like her" as you so put it, in a romantic--"
She shook her head, interrupting him. Neji was once again surprised. "I'm not. It doesn't matter. Either way, it's obvious to me, to everyone that you two are friends."
"We're--"
"And." He voice was fierce, enough to make him stop in mid sentence, enough to leave him with his mouth open, gaping and flabbergasted. He closed it slowly, feeling like a fool. "And friends don't hurt each other Neji-nii-san. Not intentionally. And I know that you are so unused to having friends that you don't know what to do, but being alone is bad, and--"
She stopped herself abruptly, ashamed at her babbling.
He regarded her with a bemused look on his face, apparently humoring her.
"And what," he asked, "do you suggest that I do, Hinata-sama?"
She took a breath. "Apologize. She'll understand."
"Hn."
He was ready to end this conversation now, ready to turn back around and walk away. Ready to pretend as if nothing happened. After all, they weren't the answers that he wanted.
Again, the image of her rose in his mind. And he couldn't quite seem to will it away.
"Hinata-sama." He said harshly, "I'll say this once. Sakura and I are not friends. No one is my friend. And," he added, interrupting Hinata, who looked ready to talk, "I don't need any."
Baka…
/No more that you, Neji-sama…/
The voice took control of his body and mouth, and managed to add in an off-handed way before he retook control of it again, "By the way, what exactly happened between Sakura and Lee? They weren't--" and here he stopped.
Hinata's eyes sparkled craftily, in a way that he did not like. "I guess you're going to have to ask Sakura-san about that."
Then, before he could, she turned and walked away. He found that he was really tiring of surprises. And he still had that god-awful voice in his head to deal with.
/You may not need friends, Neji-sama, but, you do need her/
I don't need anyone. And that includes an extra voice in my head.
/Ouch/
In the hallway left behind, silence reigned.
Ino wished that she were dead.
Sakura's eyes darted nervously between her friends, and past Lee, to where the other two disappeared.
And Lee…
Surprisingly, Lee broke the silence first.
"So, Sakura-san," he said grimly, "the rumors are true. You and Neji are--"
"No!" she broke in loudly. Then lowered her voice as she repeated, "No. It isn't like that."
But Lee seemed to ignore her.
"I just want to know one thing." He continued, "Why him? Why not Naruto or…or me?"
"Lee-san--"
"I know that I couldn't compete with Sasuke. But I was content to wait. So why does he get you and I get--"
"Ino doesn't know what she's talking about. She's--"
"Don't give me that crap Sakura-san" he interrupted.
She looked hurt.
"Lee-san," she pleaded, "why can't we just be friends? It was a long time ago and--"
"It may have seemed that way for you," he broke in, "but to me…" here he trailed off. "Why don't you complain to Neji?"
She flinched visibly, and her eyes were full of sadness. "Lee-san" she whispered.
He almost softened. Almost.
Hinata came down the hallway, looking more cheerful than all the other three put together.
"Where's Neji?" Ino asked, decided that that, at least, should be safe.
Apparently, it was not. The level of intensity returned to an all-time high.
"He needs to go and get ready. He'll be along shortly."
"I'm sure he will." Lee sneered.
Hinata glanced at him sharply, then at Sakura's face.
There seemed only one way to repair the situation,
"Dinner!" she announced brightly.
It's done! Sorry if any of the characters were OOC.