Suna's Kekkei Genkai

Chapter 6: Likes and Blackmails

Kankurou was very proud of himself, thank you very much. Three weeks of training and he was sparring with no handicaps agaisnt Neji's Gentle Fist. Well, it couldn't really be defined as sparring, since all Kankurou was doing was blocking (penalty for not blocking right: he gets hit with Gentle Fist), but it was cool all the same. He'd gotten hit five times, but it still felt good when he blocked the rest of them. Even though Neji said he was only going to be blocking, Kankurou tried to find openings where he might be able to go on offense for a little while. But Neji's defense was incrediably secure and he found none.

"Good," Neji said, letting the Byakugan disappear. Kankurou let out a sigh and gratefully sat down to rest. "Kankurou?"

"Yeah?"

"(mumble mumble)?"

"What?"

"When is (mumble mumble)?"

"Huh?"

"WHEN IS GAARA COMING BACK?!"

"You don't have to yell I couldn't hear you!" Kankurou shouted back. He laid back down. "You asked me that yesterday and the day before. What are you, obsessed?"

"No! (squeak)..shit!" Kankurou gave Neji a look. "I just...he...I...goddamn it..." Neji fidgetted with his fingers and blushed while Kankurou laughed at him.

"Tsunade-sama said the trip could last a month at least. They've still got about a week and a half to go," Kankurou noticed the trees looked a lot less barren then they did when the sand nins first arrived. They also weren't green anymore. "What's up with the trees?"

Neji looked up then around. "It's autumn, where've you been?" he asked. "Actually, autumn's almost over and it's gonna snow soon."

"Really?" Kankurou looked back up at the trees. "I've only seen snow twice and both times were on a mission."

"It doesn't snow where you live?"

"Hello, desert."

"Oh right."

"Kankurou?!" Temari's voice echoed through the woods as she ran up the path towards their training area.

"Over here, Temari," Kankurou called. Temari stepped into the clearing and tried to catch her breath. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just got another letter from Gaara," Temari sat down next to him. Neji inched over to sit behind them and read over their shoulders.

"Man, his handwriting sucks.." Neji commented. "How do you read that?"

"If you stare at it for a while it begins to make sense," Kankurou said.

Temari and Kankurou-We're in Hidden Mist village, but Tsunade says we're not staying fot more then the meeting lasts, she wont tell me why though. This new jutsu thing sucks. I have to keep this bandage on my head until the jutsu 'connects right'.

(there was a little drawing of a chibi Gaara squishing an deformed chibi Tsunade, blood flying everwhere and chibi Gaara looking tiumphant)

She also said we were coming back to Konoha soon. I asked her why cause we've only been to a few places. but she wouldn't tell me and said it was a surprise.

(Chibi Gaara stomps on Tsunade's remains)

It's really cold in Hidden Mist and it rains a lot.

(here note ended for a while as Gaara seemed to have run out of things to write. Instead he drew a few pictures, like a map showing where they had been with a little Tsunade and Gaara standing over Hidden Mist. There was also a list of all the Inns and gambling places they had stopped at, a check list of bets they had on each other (Gaara won all of them), or just squiggles)

What is snow? Someone just said that it would snow in Konoha soon. (Neji: he doesn't know what snow is!?" Temari and Kankurou: "Shh!") Tsunade-obaachan told me the other day the I was vertically challaged..("Thats not nice," Temari commented.) So I said she had big boobs for an old maid. ("Never mind...") Tsunade-obaachan says we're leaving now, (The writing became messier, like he was walking and writing (which he was))but I'm sure we'll stop at every gambling place we come across before we actually get near the end of the water country. She's sure I have money on me (which I do) and she's pissed that I wont lend it to her. I've been to a lot of gambling meetings with her and she's lost almost all her money. She really sucks at gambling.-Gaara

Sakura sat on a bench by the river that ran through the village watching the leaves fall. Sasuke had been a real jerk a few weeks ago, then he was again the other day. She had voiced her thoughts to Naruto during a training session. She remembered his words: "Sorry, Sakura-chan, but not to be mean or anything, but Sasuke's always been like that." He was right, Sasuke had always been like that, she just never bothered to notice. She sighed and looked up. Lee was walking up to her looking worried.

"Sakura-san, is something wrong?" he asked, kindly. He always was.

"Not really, Lee-san," she replied. She noticed a bag in his hand. "What's that?"

"Oh, just some hot dumplings. It's starting to get cold out," Lee commented. "Would you like one?"

"Yes, please," she said smiling.

Lee inwardly struck a pose. Sakura-san smiled at me! I'm sharing dumplings with her! He sat down next to her and handed her the bag. They each took a dumpling out and began to eat.

"Lee-san?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you so nice to me?" she asked looking down at the dumpling.

Lee was taken aback by this question. Why indeed? Should he tell her that he loved her? That he thought she was the center of the universe? Her hair was the color of Cherry Blossoms that were now falling gracefully to the ground? "Because Sakura-san, I think you're a very nice person and a very beautiful girl." He didn't look at her when he said this, fearing her reaction. If he had he would have seen her eyes well up and her lower lip begin to tremble.

"Arigato, Lee-san," she mumbled taking another bite.

Later, Sakura was walking home from her little rendezvous with Lee, happier then ever. She was in such a good mood that when she saw Naruto stuffing his face with ramen at the Stand she didn't go over and yell at him or pretend she didn't know him. In fact she went over to join him.

"Hi, Naruto!" she greeted sitting next to him.

"Hi, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said grinning, his mouth full of ramen.

"Guess what!"

Naruto swallowed and thought for a moment. Why would Sakura be this happy? "Sasuke asked you out?"

"No."

"He said you looked pretty?"

"No."

"He said he hates Ino?"

"No."

"Is it something to do with Sasuke?"

"Nope."

Naruto over-exagerated a gasp. "No!" he said, clasping his hand over his heart. Sakura socked him over the head. "I give up then."

"Lee-san and I are going to go out," she told him.

Naruto: BARF!!!! "What?! I thought you didn't like him!"

"I didn't..not really. But we just talked for a while by the river and he asked me again and I said sure," Sakura said, taking the ramen she ordered and began to eat.

"Congrates Sakura-chan!" Naruto said clapping.

Sakura smiled slightly.Naruto was always nice to her too. Why hadn't she noticed this? She suddenly remembered that Naruto liked her a lot too, just like Lee. "I'm sorry, Naruto."

"What for?" he asked.

"You wanted to go out with me too, I'm sorry," she said.

"Aw, that's ok! I'm glad your happy," Naruto said smiling wider.

Sakura smiled back and finished her ramen, thinking hard. How could she make it up to Naruto without her wallet getting lighter. An idea came to her and she jumped up. "Thanks for the ramen," she said to the man, placing the amount on the table. "Bye, Naruto!"

"Bye, Sakura-chan!"

Neji sat in his room painting (another SNG reference. from Bozenjishitsu SNG: THAT'S MINE!!! Kyuubi: She just said that...) the scenery out his window. He was almost done, he just needed to finish the falling leaves and he would be done.......ok he's finished. He sat back and admired his work.

"NEJI!!!"

"GAHH!!!!" Neji jumped out of his chair, almost spilling the paint on the floor. He whirled around and saw Sakura standing in his doorway looking amused. "Don't do that!" Neji cried. "Who said you could come in here anyway?"

"Hiashi-san let me in, I need to talk to you," she said stepping in.

Neji broke out in a sweat. He hoped it wasn't about that 'date' they had been on. Please let it not be that, he begged. He didn't feel like telling her that he didn't really like her at all, the sand nins had set him up. "W-what about?"

"About Hinata," she said.

Neji let out the breath he had been holding and turned to face her. "What about Hinata-sama?"

"She likes Naruto doesn't she?"

"No shit," Neji said capping the paint.

"Well, um, would you help me set them up on a date?" Sakura asked.

Neji thought this over. "But doesn't Naruto like you?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm going out with Lee-san," Sakura told him. That poor girl, Neji thought. "I told Naruto that and he was fine with it. And then I remembered how much Hinata likes Naruto and I thought you could help me."

Neji sat back and thought about it for a while. He was at the point of saying no cause it wasn't really any of his business. Sakura however, had a back up.

"If you don't help me I'll tell everyone about your little secret," she said slyly.

Neji's eyes bulged and he broke out in a sweat again. "W-what secret?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"You know, that you like Gaa-"

"OK! I'LL DO IT, I'LL DO IT!!" Neji cried, jumping up and clamping a hand over her mouth. Words were not safe in the Hyuuga house. Rumors traveled faster then Chouji after a piece of barbeque.

"I knew you would," she said sweetly. I can't believe I just blackmailed Neji, she thought. She was such a little demon.

Sigh nother chapter done.

You know, I'm really an easy going person and it really takes a lot to make me mad, or cry, and you know what?!! I've done both in one day! I'm really pissed and feel like yelling at some one. SNG's pissed too at the same person so we had a little thing going on for a little while, but yelling at each other when there's no point gets boring after a while though u know?