Author's Note: I am sad. I've been reading a lot of forums out there about favourite characters and all that… SAKURA-BASHERS are so mean! They're all saying how they want her to die a horrific painful death or something…Uh! That's terrible! I mean, sure she was totally annoying when it came to Sasuke, and sure she was completely useless… And let's not forget she was so cold shoulder to Naruto who's been trying to get her attention for AGES. But I really think bashers should give her a chance! I did. After all, the series is FAR from over and Kishimoto has A LOT up his sleeve for the girl, no doubt. I admit, I HATED her with an undying passion at the beginning, and I frequently begged for Kishimoto to create a better female character, but as the series progressed, the girl grew on me. She really SHOULD be given a chance. Hello? She was TWELVE when the series first started. I think ALL GIRLS are ANNOYING at that age when it comes to boys. I like her, and I think she's gonna be a total kick butt character in the end. And please don't compare her to Hinata. I like both of them in different ways. Strength-wise, Hinata would totally kick Sakura's bum because HEY! SHE HAS THE BLOODY BYAAKUGAN AND IS PART OF A LONG LINE OF STRONG SHINOBIS! For someone with absolutely ZERO special ability and no family shinobi ties… I think Sakura will SMACK ASS all the way to Jupiter SOON TIMES, my friends, SOON TIMES (Just like Lee did, after he accepted the fact that he cannot mold chakra). Hinata and her are just really different, and I don't think they're really comparable. They're both great characters, so please leave it at that. (I'm sorry, I hate character comparisons. Makes me so MADDDD.) I like Sakura cuz she's the underdog, who will no doubt surpass even the GREATEST (besides Naruto). I'm sorry if I rambled on too long about something as silly as CARTOONS. I just got a bit defensive cuz I was like Sakura when I was younger. She's a late bloomer who was judged far too quickly (like I was). Take it from me, it hurts, seriously.

Just you wait till the end of this series. She will totally rock.

So that was my rambling for the day. The moral is, SAKURA-BASHERS SHOULDN'T BASH UNTIL THEY SEE WHAT SHE CAN DO AFTER THE SERIES IS OVER. If the series finishes, and she is still completely useless, then go right ahead and bash all you want. BUT SINCE IT'S NOT, I think the only one who deserves a SLAP right now is Orochimaru, cuz right now Sakura's just getting warmed up. MIND YOU, She's STILL GROWING UP! So for all you Naruto fans out there, you can have whatever top fav characters all you want, just DON'T bash Sakura. I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN. (not really, but you get what I mean.)

gives five to Sakura

OKAY! Well you can tell I really wanted to post THAT in a forum but didn't have the guts. Ahh, beautiful world of Fanfiction. Where I can find many people who agree with me. THANK YOU TO ALL MY REVIEWERS. You SO TOTALLY ROCK. Seriously. I love you all.

ALRIGHTY! Well, enough doddling for today. Let's get this CHAPTER STARTED!

I feel much better now.

Zarrah-chan

Chapter 6

To his utmost disappointment, Neji found an empty Hyuuga household.

He growled and struck the nearest wall, not hard enough for it to be reduced to rubble, but adequate enough to discharge some accumulating steam. The young Hyuuga had been so ready to give his uncle some lip upon broadcasting unnecessary news to the whole village of Konoha. When he discovered an abandoned mansion, Neji fumed.

Controlling anger had been one of the Hyuuga's greater traits, so he managed not to explode in an enraged frenzy. However, that did not prevent him from feeling the grip of resentment towards his uncle. Mere words could not describe how infuriated he was. The supposed quiet Head of the Hyuuga family apparently had a bigger mouth than the endless chatterbox, Uzumaki Naruto.

Neji felt his face boil and instantly felt childish. Anger wasted too much energy, in which he would later need for ANBU training. Instead, he decided to cool off, and optimism seemed his only alternative.

At least he didn't specify WHO I was engaged too… the young Hyuuga gratefully thought, after remembering Naruto's series of inquiries moments before. If Naruto had known the identity of his supposed fiancée, Neji was sure he'd throw a fit. Although the fox boy had outgrown his long-term crush on the pink-haired kunoichi, he still felt a strong feeling of possessiveness over her. After all, they had been teammates for so long. He felt responsible for her well-being.

Neji immediately cursed the meddling lives of the Konoha citizens. Why were they so suddenly interested in his private love affairs? Not like he HAD any.

Because… he reminded himself. They know I'm not the type to fall in love…

Neji scoffed.

He STILL wasn't in love. He'd been threatened to tell a complete lie in which he would have to sell his soul to the devil before actually having the ability to pull it off. Haruno Sakura was nothing more than a pawn in his 'genius' plot to learn the Hyuuga succession technique. But of course, THEY didn't know that.

And neither did she.

Ahh… This was the biggest mistake of his life.

Neji stroked his temples at the migraine feeding off of his anxiety. He needed SOME sort of relaxation… FAST.

Remembering the initial reason of returning to his humble abode, Neji scrounged the house for a clean towel. Feeling grossly sticky from the work-out, the Hyuuga longed for a bath to recover his sense of hygiene. Cleanliness was, after all, next to godliness.

A towel draped over the edge of his bedroom chair indicated that the maids had already anticipated his wish to freshen up, and planned ahead. Grateful for their forward thinking, Neji slipped off his shirt and exchanged the towel for his damp and musky tunic. In the company of no one but himself at home, the Hyuuga's shame for being indecently half-naked soon evaporated, and his drive for a soothing bath soon dominated over all emotions.

However, instead of taking the usual route to the bathing quarters of the mansion, Neji decided on impulse to retreat outside. At the rate his headache was evolving, the young man desired more than just a bath. He needed a sanctuary out of the hell hole he carelessly created for himself. And there was no place more serene than the Hyuuga Hot springs.

Neji exhaled at the recollection of its blissful features. It wasn't far from the mansion, about five minutes walk into the estate forest. It was a place quite secluded from the motions and stress of everyday life, and it was completely unmentioned to anyone outside the family name. The location was rumored to be inhabited by divine creatures who were rejuvenated by the peaceful regenerating waters. Every once in a while, a Hyuuga member would go there to seek quietude and unravel burdens that rested on their shoulders. The maids often came there only to maintain its natural beauty, untainted by pollution. It was a lovely place to unfold, and for Neji, the PERFECT place to escape.

Taking the towel and an extra pair of slippers, Neji took a stroll to the secret getaway.

Upon entering the sacred clearing where the springs clustered, Neji released a heavy labored sigh. He dipped his feet into the nearest spring and removed his hakama, setting it off to the side. The water was perfectly tempered and calmingly still, and Neji couldn't help but close his pearl eyes in utter satisfaction. In his memory, no length of meditation was nearly as soothing as the magic of these springs.

The young shinobi's whole muscular body was now submerged into the depth of the water, and his head instinctively laid back on a rock at the ledge of the pool. Tension had suddenly unfurled from his muscles like wrapping on a candy bar. The air was still. The waters were still. And if Neji didn't check every now and then, he was sure that his heartbeat had also become as still as a corpse.

Massaging his shoulder blades, Neji then proceeded to remove the last piece of garment that rested on his body…

His forehead protector.

Shining the Konoha leaf emblem, Neji placed it aside, along with the pile of clothes that would have to be washed later. He wiped away the sweat beading along his hairline, and dipped his face into the pool of water collected in his hands. Even the Hyuuga prodigy's insecurities about the curse seal resting between his brows were faded into nothing at the relaxation of the springs.

This was absolutely breath-taking.

After a few silent moments, Neji let his mind drift into the state of enlightenment. He was completely aware that he did not posses a long time at the hideout, but he knew he would enjoy his time down to the last second. Thus, he allowed his genius mind to wander…as far away as imagination could take him. And despite what everyone had believed, Hyuuga Neji had QUITE the imagination.

Which could perhaps explain why he suddenly opened his eyes at the faint sensation of another being entering the sanctuary.

Imagination? Neji wasn't quite sure.

The white-eyed shinobi lifted his head and quietly activated his Byaakugan. Perhaps the stories of wandering divine creatures were actually true…

The bloodline limit scanned the ground around him, trying to locate the graceful presence of the intruder. Taking moments, he finally pinpointed the trespasser's site.

A soft wall of chakra had curtained her aura well, but nonetheless, she was still spotted by the Hyuuga's sharp eyes.

Neji peeked from his cover of thick bushes and instantly erected a genjutsu barrier that erased any detection of his presence.

What the Hyuuga saw almost made him scratch out his eyes in disbelief. Stress and delusion had him overwhelmed beyond comprehension.

"Tennyo?" he breathed in mixed surprise and skepticism. The creature before him had the grace of a divine being, and Neji had so easily mistaken her for a heavenly maiden.

Ridiculous, his mind debated in hypothesizing a better conclusion. There has to be a logical explanation for this.

Illusion was definitely toying with his mind and getting the better of him.

A bathing water goddess?

With pink hair?

The moment the maiden's face was revealed, Neji nearly choked at the sudden closing of his throat. A rush of hot blood pumped his heart like a Gatling gun, and his breath staggered erratically like a rattling tambourine.

Of all places, WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS HARUNO SAKURA DOING HERE!

Here. On his property. In his springs. Of ALL PEOPLE!

It took all of the Hyuuga's brute strength to keep him from walking over to her and demanding a reason of why she was here.

Neji stifled an aggravated sigh. Was there absolutely NO PLACE in the world for privacy anymore? The man could barely take a single step into solitude before being interrupted by the next complication that threw itself into his path!

He tried to silence his racing heart while attempting to conjure up his next move. What in God's name was he supposed to do?

Neji shifted as quietly as he could in the water to relieve his stiff craned neck. He was surprised that in all his restlessness, she was completely oblivious to his existence. On top of that, she wasn't even aware of the barrier he had summoned. Wasn't she the genjutsu specialist of team seven?

The Hyuuga gazed upon the kunoichi's sun-stroked face and suddenly realized her obvious expression.

Haruno Sakura was sad.

With keen observation, Neji examined her emerald eyes, which were now lowered in a mild state of distress. He watched as she rubbed the back of her neck, as if she had just finished straining herself in a vigorous work-out, all while stroking a spellbinding violet flower. Tear-stained cheeks told the Hyuuga that she had been crying over an issue that she preferred to keep to herself. And for her to find herself in a getaway like this, he knew she was desperate for a mental escape rope.

The kunoichi stirred, breaking the white-eyed shinobi from his gawking state. He immediately jerked his head away to avert his gaze. A pink hue spread across his face, tainting his rather stubborn and arrogant demeanor. Embarrassment had stained his cheeks at the fact that he had been staring so intently at a naked woman.

…Well, almost naked.

Neji was grateful for the blue towel wrapped securely around her underarms, covering areas not meant for the male eyes. Actually, for a woman evidently bathing, she was quite conservative with her body, and kept adjusting the towel higher, as if conscious of peeping eyes…

…His peeping eyes.

Neji brushed off that thought. He wasn't REALLY peeping. The Hyuuga had NO interest in seeing a full-grown woman bathe. She just happened to be there the exact same time as he.

Regardless of Neji's inner persuading that tried to convince his lack of fault, the man felt terribly filthy at even having set eyes on the young (and attractive) woman behind him. The Hyuuga suddenly found himself perspiring along the temples, and boiling in the face. As distant and aloof as he appeared to be, Neji was still a man, with raging hormones pumping through his system, reacting violently to the appearance of a smooth-skinned, gorgeous-eyed, curvy and attractive girl. Managing restraint was mandatory for him not to disgrace the Hyuuga family name by irrational thoughts and actions.

The shinobi then decided that disengaging his Byaakugan was the best option he had at the moment. He knew that his special bloodline limit would still be able to see the girl, despite a 180 degree turnaround on his behalf, so he immediately blinked his normal eyes back into play.

Neji hushed his rapid breathing and listened for her departure…silently pleading to God that it would occur soon. With perked ears that were elevated in the sense of hearing, Neji predicted her movements by their sound.

At first, he heard nothing, but listened long enough to hear soft sniffles. The girl had begun to shed tears once again.

"I'll be ready…" the Hyuuga found her muttering. "It won't be that bad."

Neji was a bit confused at her outer ramblings, but chose not to dwell on them. This was supposed to be her private time alone and he vastly respected isolate thinking time (since he apparently received NONE). He had no need to investigate on what she was talking about, nor any desire, really, to find out what was upsetting her.

…Still, her anguish concerned the Hyuuga a bit….At least, more than he was willing to admit. Tears just didn't belong on her regularly cheerful face, and he found it odd to have experienced first hand her change of mood.

Neji was again, broken from his train of thought by the rousing of the pink-haired kunoichi. Like a bat's sonar vision, he envisioned her every move by the sound that she made. This time, Sakura got out from the hot spring and slipped on wooden clogs.

"I'm late…" he heard her sigh. That seemed to be a common phrase from the girl lately and Neji began to question her rumored sense of responsibility.

The kunoichi then rustled to wrap herself in prepared robes, and then proceeded to trot off to her awaiting destination.

At her disappearance, Neji released his chakra curtain and normalized his breathing pattern.

That was just too close for comfort.

The Hyuuga shook angry fists at himself and his recent reactions to her appearance. He'd never perspired so many buckets of sweat around anyone before, other than his uncle who made him immensely terrified for his life at times. Why did she intimidate him so much? It wasn't as if the girl were strong or anything… Well, from his perspective. There was gossip that she had the mirrored strength, beauty, and intelligence of the fifth Hokage but he couldn't acknowledge that fact yet primarily because he hadn't witnessed her in action. But even still, he was NOT intimidated by her. Why then did he feel like such a coward in her presence?

Neji peered at the sky and its brightening light. He kissed his teeth at his time-conscious carelessness, upon calculating his time line. The sky read that he should have been on his way to the ANBU training grounds as of that moment. And yet, there he was, doddling and wrinkling like a prune in the hot springs.

Reluctant to leave the comfort of his sanctuary, Neji finally stood up and dried himself off. He wrapped the towel around his abdomen and slithered into his extra pair of slippers.

Neji flung his clothes over his shoulder and hurried in the opposite direction of the kunoichi, towards his home. Brushing off any remaining thoughts of the girl, the Hyuuga resumed his icy poker-face ritual, all while growling at his tardiness for his shinobi training.

As the young man rushed off to report to his duties, he was completely oblivious to the rows of devious fates, smiling down upon the match they had just discovered.

Strings were ready, cords were set, and little Miss Destiny was ready to play.

Author's notes: Oy, vey. I very much hate school. Blame IT for the delay of this chapter. Again, I'm terribly sorry for the shortness of this chapter but I had to finish an assignment. Haha. I hope you all understand.

Anyway, I hope I didn't disappoint you. Really, even though this is moving a lot slower than I had anticipated, I really like the detail I put into their thoughts. Please have patience. I rather like this story and I do plan on continuing it. I've grown to LOVE this pairing, just cuz their characters are so…… compatible. UBER cute, I admit. For the Gaara/Saku fans, I'll be sure to add their stuff later, but right now I wanted to focus on Neji/Saku, primarily because I had originally intended it to be so. But don't you worry. Everything will unravel soon times, duckies.

Oh, By the way, Tennyo refers to mythical divine maidens who often bathed in hotsprings much like Neji's. Haha, I got the idea from the Inuyasha second movie, and I thought it would be nice to put that into play on Neji's part.

Anyway, thanks for reading! And You know what makes me SMILE! winks

ARIGATO!