A/N: Wow, you guys are really liking this one, aren't you? Hehe. I must warn you that this chapter ended up pretty long, since I refused to cut it in half and I didn't want to make this story any longer. There's one chapter left and I promise I'll put it up ASAP.

Nothing much to say except that a hormonal Neji can be extremely fun to write! XD

Disfruten!

MISSION

The situation he had been dreaming of for months was actually turning out to be something close to a nightmare. As he sat on top of a tree after having volunteered to take the first watch, Hyuuga Neji breathed deeply, a little more than concerned with the way things were progressing.

He had promised himself, damn it. He had vowed to himself that he wouldn't give any of his emotions free reign or to let them disturb the duties he needed to perform. After exercising such tight control over himself for such a long time, he was certain that he would've been able to handle it for the 5 days or so that their mission was supposed to last.

But Sakura's closeness was a factor he had naively overlooked and having her at such close proximity for extended periods of time was wreaking havoc on his senses… and on his mind.

Neji had never thought himself a jealous man; he had never thought of things in terms of possessions and he certainly did not think of other people in such a way. But the ease with which Sakura interacted with Garu, the casual way in which they spoke all day long to each other as they traveled, the way the young male chuunin looked at her… it had opened a whole new perspective to life which Neji had been previously unaware of.

He had glared. Behind his ANBU mask, the Hyuuga clan's number one prodigy had explicitly glared. As they journeyed through Konoha's extended forest all through the day he could not help but glower at Garu's back as he joked and laughed with the pink haired kunoichi. Something had sparked inside of him and it had grown as the hours passed. At first, the Captain had no idea what it was; he only knew that he was feeling the worst kind of irritation he had experienced in a very long time and it was directed towards the male shinobi traveling in front of him.

It was only when the team stopped to have a quick midday meal that the Hyuuga finally realized what was wrong with him. They were settling down around a small clearing and Sakura was rummaging through her pack as she looked for her food. As she stood up, Garu had been standing behind her without her noticing it and she bumped directly into him. The chuunin caught her as she stumbled forward, mumbling all sort of apologies for being so careless.

But Neji's silver eyes had clearly observed the way in which his hands had lingered overly long on the skin of her arms and how he seemed reluctant to let her go. The scene caused such an intense and furious rage to ignite inside his stomach that his Byakugan activated without him having any control over it. Glad that he still had his mask on to cover his reaction, the prodigy forced himself to calm down, to analyze the situation.

There was absolutely no reason for him to have reacted in such a way and it was probably due to the fact that his treacherous emotions were getting the best of him. He took his food and sat down at a small distance from the whole group, intent on thinking things through. After contemplating the circumstances for a few moments, he was reluctant to admit that he had just experienced what people called 'a fit of jealously'. He had always thought himself above such petty emotional responses but it seemed that he had been wrong. Wanting nothing more than to bury Garu using his juken until he was sprawled like a rag doll on the ground, Neji envisioned the scene perfectly and managed to calm his anger somewhat.

In truth, he was disgusted with himself for sinking to such low levels. He had absolutely no hold over Sakura and she could be friends with whoever she wanted… she could be with whatever man she chose to and he didn't have a say about it. It was as simple as that. What he needed to do was to control himself or else this mission would be a failure. There was no point in wasting his time over such useless things.

Having reached a satisfactory decision, Neji took off his mask and proceeded to dig into his meal. But he was unexpectedly interrupted a few moments later when he felt someone approach him. He looked towards the incoming figure from the corner of his eye and was utterly surprised to find Sakura coming his way.

"Hey there, lonesome," she said to him with a smile as she sat down next to him.

He only nodded at her and kept eating, trying to ignore the way his heart wanted to burst out of his chest at her sudden nearness. They ate quietly for a while, each one lost in their private thoughts, enjoying their meal together.

"I'm glad you took it off," Sakura said suddenly, breaking the companionable silence.

Neji only raised an eyebrow as he looked at her, silently voicing his confusion.

"Your mask," the pink haired kunoichi explained as she blushed slightly, "I like it better when you're not wearing it."

The silver eyed Captain looked down momentarily at the feline mask hanging from his neck, attempting to avoid her eyes completely. He wasn't sure what she meant with her words but he felt his breathing quicken slightly.

A sudden insight flashed through his mind at that moment and he felt a thrill of hope make its way into his heart. He looked up suddenly, meeting her emerald eyes directly and found something elusive but not unwelcome in their depths.

He smiled then. "Well, I couldn't eat while wearing it, could I?"

Sakura looked at him in perplexity for a moment until she realized that he was actually joking with her. Her gleeful laughter echoed clearly all through the clearing and Neji relished in the sound of it. He knew that his attempts at humor weren't the best in the world, but if he could manage to make her laugh like that more often, he would declare himself a satisfied man.

The group was on their way again a few minutes afterwards and Neji once more took his place at the rear of the team along with Taji. His jealous impulses had lessened somewhat, but the way Garu talked so overly familiar with Sakura still caused him to clench is teeth in irritation every so often.

Despite the fact that Sakura had expressed her preference concerning his mask, the prodigy decided to keep it on, since this allowed him to scowl at much as he wanted at the young male chuunin without anyone noticing, especially her. Either way, it was strict ANBU procedure for a member, not to say a Captain, to have his or her mask on at all times during a mission. One never knew when the opportunity to kill the appointed enemy would present itself and the need to remain anonymous was crucial for a hunter nin.

They traveled through the rest of the afternoon uneventfully. They would be reaching the borders of the Mist country by midday the next day and then the task of tracking down the renegade ninja group would begin. Neji chose an appropriate sleeping ground for the team to settle in for the night and volunteered to take the first watch; Benji, another one of the chuunins, and lastly Garu would take the next watches.

As they all started to settle down among the roots of the trees, Neji noticed the aforementioned chuunin making his way, sleeping roll in hand, towards the place where Sakura was already settled. Quick as lighting, the silver eyed jounin didn't know what propelled him to such actions but he found himself putting his bedroll down on the only available space next to the pink haired kunoichi, earning a hidden glare from Garu.

Acting as if he hadn't noticed, the Hyuuga prodigy proceeded to arrange his things, unaware of the fact that Sakura was eyeing him suspiciously. He turned around once he was finished and found her watching him while sitting on her stretched sleeping roll.

"Making sure no monsters attack me during the night?" she asked, that mischievous grin on her face again.

"Maybe," he answered noncommittally, but a spark in his silver eyes betrayed the stoic expression of his features.

The pink haired medic chuckled slightly as she rose to her feet next to him and leaned towards his tall form. "Well, I'll surely sleep better knowing you're beside me," she whispered, her words meant for his ears only.

With that, she whipped around and headed to help Juro, who was by then kindling a fire to prepare their supper a small distance away.

Neji watched her receding form in amazement, frozen to the spot, completely taken aback by the words she had just spoken. He didn't want to think too much about it but his body was already sending visions to his mind of what could happen during the night with their bedrolls so close together… an exchange of heated whispers, her taste on his tongue as he ran his hands through her cherry hair…

'STOP IT!' he thought fiercely, halting the unbidden assault of his hormones. This was not a moment to get all worked up over such things. He was an ANBU Captain and he was on a mission. That was the only thing which was supposed to be going through his mind.

But a few hours later, he found himself keeping watch while sitting on a nearby tree, his mind is disarray over the events of the day. His team was sleeping peacefully beneath him but his silver eyes could not prevent themselves from gazing down to the sleeping form of the group's medic every two minutes.

Sakura was effectively cracking the walls of his tightly held control and he wasn't sure what he would do if she managed to break them down. For both their sakes, he needed to remind himself of his responsibilities, speaking them like a mantra over and over again inside his head.

For the first time in his life, Hyuuga Neji was unsure if he would emerge unscathed from a mission.

XXXXXXXXXX

A demon had possessed her; that was the only plausible explanation which could elucidate her behavior.

When Sakura had planned her strategy of asking Tsunade to set her up for the mission, she had clearly intended to keep an eye on Neji from a certain distance, intent on simply evaluating his conduct and reactions. She didn't plan on throwing herself on him at the first chance she got, that was not the type of girl she was. So she had decided she would study him before she decided to take any further action.

But theory and actual practice differed greatly… especially when one found herself utterly and terribly attracted to the object of study.

She swore that an evil spirit had taken over her body and had forced her to say the words she had said. She had explicitly told him that she liked to see his face and had openly flirted with him by voicing a likely innuendo when she found him preparing his sleeping roll next to hers…

For the umpteenth time that day, Sakura reminded herself that she was completely and absolutely insane.

She turned inside her bedroll, looking for a comfortable position to sleep in, but she knew that slumber was far from coming. Opening her eyes, she saw Neji's empty bedroll a hand's length away from hers and knew that if she concentrated enough, she could smell his intoxicating fragrance radiating from it.

Which was another contributing factor to the increment of her insanity. She found that she simply loved the way he smelled… fresh and clean, like the rain, and undeniably masculine. He bathed everything he touched with his scent and she could barely prevent herself from coming closer to his sleeping roll and burying her nose in it. The fact that she knew he was watching over the camp site from a vantage point up in a tree kept her frozen to the spot.

The pink haired medic wasn't sure if she would be able to keep a safe distance from him for the rest of the mission. Praying for them to find the renegade group quickly, she wished for this whole thing to be over. Neji's closeness was doing strange things to her hormones and the worst part was that she was actually enjoying it. And the fact that his ANBU uniform only accentuated the well-built body it covered wasn't helping either.

Sakura found that she was quickly developing a small obsession over his arms. The way his biceps would tighten when he was going about his everyday movements was enough to make her catch her breath… and not to mention the way his ANBU tattoo rippled when he did this peculiar movement with his shoulder…

It was suddenly too hot inside her bedroll and the pink haired medic found herself breathing deeply in an attempt to calm herself. She really needed to get some sleep since tomorrow would definitely be a long day but visions of a certain silver eyed jounin kept her from getting some rest.

Summoning a very useful technique she had learned during her long medic training, the pink haired kunoichi forced her chakra system to slow down and purposely lowered the activities of her body, simulating a state of deep sleep. It took her mind just a few moments to catch up with her body and she was finally able fall into slumber.

But even as she slept, visions of raven hair and silver eyes flashed behind her eyes throughout the whole night.

XXXXXXXXXX

They were in a dire situation and Neji knew it. He had discovered the enemy's trap easily but Benji hadn't received his warning up in front on time and had stepped on the triggered wire.

A large explosion ensued, sending the team flying in all directions, trapped in the wave of its blast. They recovered quickly, however, and returned to the spot to commence the fighting. Despite this fact, they had been caught completely off guard and the enemy had all the advantage: they had chosen the battle ground and were using it against them.

Neji knew they would have to make a momentary retreat and then regroup, but even though they weren't terribly skilled, the renegade nin were fighting viciously and did not allow his team to disengage. They were seriously outnumbered, which normally wouldn't have been a problem, but due to the circumstances, it could prove deadly if they didn't act soon. Therefore, he would have to take things into his own hands.

Giving the order to retreat he came out into the open, engaging two enemy shinobi at the same time. His team didn't hesitate on following his orders and started back to the chosen rendezvous point. As the renegade group started going after the Captain's retreating comrades, the Hyuuga prodigy commenced the spin of his Kaiten, sending the closest nins flying back with the energy of his technique. None of them could come near him, even though they tried, and a few of the most inexperienced men lost their lives because of it.

When he decided that his team had had enough time to cover a decent distance, he stopped his spin and started to follow them, jumping up into the surrounding trees. The enemy obviously wouldn't let him go that easily and they came behind him fast.

But as he passed some branches, he found Sakura and Taji waiting for him and as he went by, they fired a volley of explosive kunai at the pursuing ninjas. This didn't stop them but it was enough to slow them down considerably. Picking up speed, the three of them pumped their feet with chakra and caught up with the rest of the team some distance ahead.

They kept going, not wanting to stop until they made sure they had lost the enemy and continued while following the course of the river at the edge of the forest. But Neji's Byakugan spotted an incoming nin towards their right, coming directly towards an oblivious Juro, who was up in front. In a burst of speed, the Captain launched himself forward, intercepting the nin's thrown shuriken with his own shoulder and engaging him in combat. Ordering his team to keep going forward, the silver eyed jounin realized that another two ninjas were coming his way. They were nothing he couldn't take care of, but he suddenly found his movements slowing down involuntarily.

He didn't have time to think about this though and he turned round to face the three ninjas at the same time. But Sakura was suddenly beside him; she sent a deadly punch towards one of his attackers, sending him flying back into the trees with the intensity of her blow.

They were now two on two, but Neji found that his body was simply not responding to the orders his brain was sending it. Inevitably, one of the shinobi landed a blow, forcing him to lose his balance and he fell head first into the river below, partially hitting the back of his skull against a rock.

"NEJI!" Sakura screamed as she watched him fall, but the two enemies were suddenly in front of her. Anger quickly took over and the pink haired kunoichi sent a deadly kick towards the nin on her left, her foot connecting directly with his ribs. She heard the bones crack as the man screamed in pain and he tumbled into the water beneath them.

Not sparing a moment, she turned towards the remaining attacker. She sent a combo of punches his way, but he dodged them. However, he hadn't accurately measured the width of the branch they were fighting on and his feet met thin air as he fell as well.

The pink haired medic was already running before he hit one of the rocks with an agonizing scream. Not allowing herself time to ponder what useless ninjas their enemies truly were, she followed the river with amazing speed, using her chakra to spurt her forwards.

Thankfully, she found Neji's floating body a few minutes later and she jumped down from the trees. Plunging into the rapids without a second thought, she swam towards him as fast as she could. She reached him after much effort and proceeded to drag him towards the shore. Fortunately, he had been floating with his face barely above the water but this didn't mean he hadn't swallowed any of the liquid.

Summoning her strength as she activated her chakra, she pulled him towards the shallows. Once her feet reached the bottom, it became easier but it was still difficult to actually pull Neji out of the water. After a few moments, she lay him down on a patch of grass next to the shore and she pressed her ear to his chest. Luckily he was breathing, but he was completely unconscious. Checking his head for injury, she found a large bump forming at the back of his skull; she soothed it with her chakra filled hands and realized that it wasn't serious even though he would probably have a pounding head ache when he woke up.

It was then that she noticed that his shoulder was bleeding. She lifted the material of his shirt and recognized the wound as a shuriken injury but what worried her the most was the color of the blood coming out of it. It was deep purple and it spoke clearly of poison.

She went to work immediately and she ripped Neji's shirt off so she could have easier access to the wound. Performing the hand seals for her neutralize poison jutsu, she placed her hands over the injury, pumping her chakra into the damaged tissue. Some of the venom had made its way into his blood system so she would have to purify that as well.

Working intently on him for at least fifteen minutes, Sakura was happy to finally finish the neutralization and was glad that the poison wasn't anything even similar to the one she had saved Kankurou from. She allowed herself to sit back for a moment, somewhat tired from her exertions.

It was then that she realized that she had no clue to where they might be since the river had carried them down a long distance. She also needed to find a place so that Neji could rest until he woke up, which could be anytime between now and a few hours. Even though his wound wouldn't bleed anymore, it definitely needed to be bandaged and treated with antibiotics.

Looking around, Sakura spotted a large stone leaning against some immense protruding roots of a tree. It created small cave-like opening and she decided this was the best option she was going to get.

She carried their backpacks, which were soaking wet, over to their improvised sanctuary first. Luckily, the ground was partially covered with moss, which would provide a perfect 'bed' for Neji.

Returning to the place where the Captain was resting, she activated her chakra and called on her strength as she partially knelt behind his head. She carefully picked him up and hooked her arms under his, lifting his upper torso from the ground. Thankfully, the place she had chosen wasn't that far away but she did have to maneuver around some boulders to get to it. It took her some time to drag Neji the whole way and once she made it, she placed him down gently among the moss.

Quickly, she went out of their hiding place to erase the marks the Captain's legs had left as she dragged him, making sure no visible signs were left which could give away their position. Once she had secured the perimeter, Sakura returned to his side and went through her pack, looking for her ever-present supply of bandages.

It was then that she turned round to face him and realized the situation she had inadvertently gotten herself into. Here he was, the Hyuuga prodigy, shirtless and unconscious in front of her, blissfully unaware of anything she might do to him.

She could stare at him all she wanted and found herself doing just that. Admiring the way his chest rose and fell with his breathing, her eyes traveled down to his muscled abdomen and lingered on his bellybutton. For the life of her, she didn't know why she found it so appealing and she itched to reach out and touch it. But there was still too much to take in and her emerald eyes moved upwards over his arms.

The temptation was too much and Sakura found that her hand had a life of its own as it reached out and caressed the corded muscle of his bicep. Her fingertips continued to go higher and traced the outlines of his ANBU tattoo, completely enthralled with the feel of his skin. As she was about to reach up to his face, she immediately stopped herself, suddenly appalled with what she was doing.

For the love of her sensei, she was a medic nin, damn it! Neji was a comrade in need and it was imperative that she take care of his injuries and watch over him while he healed. What she had just done was completely disrespectful and not to say unethical. How could she ever face Tsunade-sama and tell her she had groped her patient while he was out cold?

Blushing fiercely to the roots of her hair, the pink haired kunoichi took the bandages which lay unused in her lap and steeled her resolve. She proceeded to wrap his shoulder in the most professional manner after she smeared his wound with an antibiotic cream she always carried with her. Once she was done, she took up the torn shirt she had taken off from Neji and placed it in a bundle under his head so it could act as a pillow.

Realizing that his hair was still dripping from his little 'swim', she wrung it out for him to take out the excess of water so it would dry quicker. As she held his raven locks in her hands, she was amazed at how really long it was. Arranging it in a neat fashion to his side, she thought about what else she could do to make him more comfortable.

His trousers are soaking wet too, Inner Sakura interrupted all of a sudden.

Emerald eyes couldn't avoid looking down at his pants and the kunoichi's blush intensified tenfold. Trust her inner persona to make such a comment!

'Shut up!' she replied inside her mind.

Come on… just a little peak? He never has to know!

'I would know!'

Standing up in a single fluid movement, Sakura decided she needed to keep herself busy before she did something she regretted. She picked up her pack and started to take everything out of it so it could dry better. A little sunshine was shining through the overcast and she stretched her extra set of clothes in a patch of sunlight to accelerate the drying process; she took out a blanket and put it out as well. She looked over at Neji's pack and thought about doing the same for him.

It's the least you can do! Inner Sakura said, her curiosity to see what was inside the Captain's bag more than a little evident.

Rolling her eyes, the pink haired medic decided she would look for an extra shirt of his and put it out to dry so he could have something to wear when he woke up. Picking up his pack, she looked around inside trying not to purposely look at anything at the same time and found the shirt she was looking for. It was completely soaked, just like her own clothes, so she put it down on another sunlit patch nearby.

Now, all she could do was wait… and waiting meant she had nothing else to do but to stare at Neji's deliciously exposed and well-built torso…

Change his pants! Her inner voice piped in.

'NO!'

But as the thought crossed her mind, she looked in his bag once again and pulled out another set of trousers for him. They were a bit shorter than the ones he currently had on, like the ones he used to wear before, and would probably reach just below his knees. Placing them next to his shirt, Sakura looked around, trying to find something to keep herself busy with.

Hence, she decided she would arrange the contents of her backpack and make sure that the medicines she carried hadn't gotten too wet. Her medic training had always stipulated that she carry her stuff in plastic bags, since you could never tell when incidents like the one she had just experienced would happen. Going over her small bottles, envelopes and scrolls she was surprised to find that almost two hours had passed when she felt something wet sprinkle on her shoulder.

Hesitant emerald eyes turned towards the sky and she found threatening clouds looming over her. Thankfully, the haven she had chosen for both of them would keep out the rain but still, it didn't bode well for them if it started pouring. Picking up the clothes at her feet, she was glad to find out that they were almost dry. She folded them up and put them underneath one of the roots of the tree and as she did so, the downpour started.

Sakura groaned in annoyance and turned angered eyes towards the heavens. Their refuge wasn't very big and she would have to sit really close to Neji to prevent herself from getting wet. There was nothing she could do about it though, so she approached his still form and chose a spot near his injured shoulder. Bringing her knees up to her chin, she sighed in frustration, wondering how the other members of their team were doing. As soon as the Captain woke up they would have to go look for them; however, if the torrential rain which was falling down on them continued, then they would probably have to wait it out.

The lulling noise of the falling precipitation resounded in her ears and Sakura found her eyes closing. She decided she might was well get some rest while she could and fell into a light meditation, tuning her senses to let her know if there was any change in her surroundings.

Keeping this up for some time, she was eventually interrupted by a low moan. Emerald eyes snapped open and she looked down at Neji, who was apparently finally coming awake.

Sakura took her water canteen from her pack and placed it by her side, ready to give the prodigious Hyuuga something to drink since he would most likely need it.

"Neji," she whispered softly, helping him to come back into the waking world.

XXXXXXXXXX

He felt like if a five ton rock had fallen on top of him and had pinned him to the ground. His head thrummed a little and the back of his skull felt like if it was about to fall off. In truth, he wanted nothing more than to stay in this dark oblivion where he could feel nothing, to stay suspended in the shadows and not have to think about anything.

But something kept him from staying… a scent… a familiar and alluring scent. It was like the smell of flowers under the sunshine mixed with the refreshing fragrance of strawberries. Despite his lack of contact with the conscious world, this smell was wreaking havoc on his brain and somehow it made him want to open his eyes, to wake up… to face the pain which would eventually come because if he did, then he would see her.

"Neji", a soft female voice whispered near his ear and he found that he simply loved the way she said his name. "Neji."

He wanted nothing more than to go to her… she was calling him because she needed him… he had to go to her…

With sheer strength of will he forced his body into waking and opened his eyes abruptly. The world spun violently and unable to focus on anything, he was forced to close them again. He felt a soft hand on his chest, keeping him from trying to sit up and steadying him through the transition.

After a few moments, things started to slow down and he breathed in deeply. His head ache became more acute but it wasn't as bad as he thought. He felt a stinging pain on his shoulder and he moved it unconsciously to assess the damage. As he did so, he realized that it was already bandaged and his eyes opened slowly just to gaze at the hand holding him down gently.

Amazed silver eyes looked at the slender fingers and turned towards his left just to see a pink haired kunoichi kneeling next to him, emerald eyes glazed with worry.

"Shhh," she said, coming closer and caressing his cheek with her other hand, "take it slowly… don't force it."

Surprisingly, the feel of her palm against his face made his body calm down considerably and he was in no position to fight the effect that her touch was having on him. He did as he was told, allowing his body to adjust, and after only a few moments, he felt increasingly better.

But Neji's mind finally caught up with him and the events which had led him to fall into the river came flooding back to him. Remembering how Sakura had been the one to come to his aid, he clearly recalled how she had been standing on the tree branch with two enemy shinobi as he was tumbling down.

Sitting up in a rush, he took hold of Sakura's arms, searching her over for injuries. "Are you alright? What happened? Are you hurt?"

A blush spread over her cheeks at his closeness and she was completely taken aback by the effect that his concerned touch was having on her. But she found herself smiling at the fact that, here he was, injured shoulder and all, and all he could worry about was her.

"I'm alright," she assured him, "you're the one you should be worried about! You gave me quite a scare."

Neji blinked, startled. For the first time, he looked around and took notice of their surroundings. He was sitting underneath a large stone which was leaning against a big tree behind Sakura; among the roots of the tree were mini-alcoves covered with moss where their packs and things were stashed away.

He suddenly noticed he was still gripping the pink haired medic by the arms and removed his hands as if he were holding hot coals. Breathing deeply and reminding himself that he was the leader of this mission which had suddenly fallen into disarray, he sat back and calmly asked Sakura to tell him what had happened.

Her inner persona wasn't extremely happy when he removed his warm hands and Sakura found that she wasn't either. He was once more assuming the roll of 'team Captain' and there was nothing she could do about it. Letting it slip for now, she started to tell him how she had managed to rescue him from the river after defeating the pursuing ninjas and tried very hard to ignore the fact that he was sitting shirtless in front of her, a few loose bangs of his onyx hair framing his face.

Once she finished speaking, Neji sighed in resignation. "Thank you," he told her softly, "I was extremely careless. I should've known that the shuriken was poisoned."

"You're very welcome so don't fret about it," she replied with a charming smile, noticing how his eyes pointedly avoided her.

"At least it's not as bad as it could've been; the rest of the team are probably hiding near the rendezvous point by now," he was saying, taking a look at their little sanctuary. "We're going to have to wait out the rain though."

"That's what I thought too," Sakura said, looking up at the still pouring sky. Somehow, she wasn't as annoyed with the rain anymore.

It might have to do with the fact that you can now spend some time alone with him… and he's still shirtless! Inner Sakura interrupted in glee.

As the thought crossed her mind, the pink haired kunoichi couldn't avoid looking down at Neji's muscular tummy as he sat there in front of her in silent contemplation.

"Would you like some tea?" she blurted out and without waiting for his answer, she stood up, making her way towards her pack.

"I would love some," he told her. From the tone of his voice, she knew he was smiling but she didn't have the guts to look at him directly… at least not while there was nothing covering his upper body. Once more, she might do something she might regret.

Busying herself in preparing something to drink, Sakura took out a small pot she always carried in her pack and placed the tea leaves in it; she always carried all different kinds of tea, since most of them could be used for medicinal purposes. When she turned round, she found that Neji had already picked up some small dry branches from between the roots and had started a small fire for her.

Placing the pot on the fire after filling it up with some of her canteen water, Sakura returned to look for their cups. "We might need to wash these," she said out loud and walked towards the edge of the stone which served as a roof. She reached out and held the cups under the rain for a bit, washing them as best as she could. When she turned round, she found Neji looking at her with a wistful expression on his face, but as soon as she met his gaze, his façade turned neutral once more.

Sitting in front of the fire, the pink haired kunoichi stared at the flames in silence asthey waited for the water. Now that she had the chance, there were so many things she wanted to tell him, but she simply found that she didn't have the courage to do so. Movement brought her eyes up towards him and she saw Neji pull the tie from his hair.

Emerald eyes stared in wonderment as a cascade of black fell over his shoulders and partially covered his face. His silver eyes created a shocking contrast with the dark color of his locks and Sakura found that suddenly, she simply couldn't breathe.

The Captain commenced the tedious task of trying to smooth it out so he could tie it back up again and his face cringed in annoyance at the dozens of small knots his fingers met. He wasn't being very gentle about it though, and he kept pulling his hair roughly.

Before she could think about what she was doing, Sakura found herself walking over to him. Kneeling behind him, she took his hair in her hands and started smoothing it out for him, the gentle movements of her hands in complete disparity with his previous motions.

Neji froze. He sat completely and utterly still, not believing what was actually happening. Once more, he found that, as it was usually the case with the pink haired beauty, he didn't know if he should run away into the rain or to lean back against her.

In the end, he didn't do either. He simply sat immobile, not daring to move a muscle, as if he were in a dream which would disperse at the slightest interruption. But the tenseness of his muscles involuntarily decreased as the movements of Sakura's fingers continued and Neji found his eyes closing in pleasure. It felt so good to have her caress his hair… it felt so peaceful… so right. Allowing himself the slightest moment of weakness, the Hyuuga prodigy relished in the closeness they were both suddenly sharing.

Seeing that he was finally relaxing, Sakura grew bolder. Her fingers kneaded in his hair and reached his scalp, massaging it softly. Careful not to touch the tender bump which had formed due to his previous fall, she thoroughly rubbed his skull, even going so far as to massage the top of his neck.

A low groan sounded from the vicinity of his chest when she came across an extremely sensitive spot just behind his ear, and Sakura found herself filing away its location for future references. She would've been happy to continue for hours, but the water in the pot started boiling and she was forced to stop her ministrations.

As Sakura took her hands away, Neji opened his silver eyes and could not help buy feel a little bereft. He looked at her as she prepared both their cups and sighing in resignation while his heart beat incessantly loud in his chest, he proceeded to tie his hair back up into a high ponytail.

They drank their tea in silence, each one not daring to look at the other. The intensity of the rain had lessened somewhat and only the sound of the falling drizzle could be heard all around.

Sakura knew she should say something… anything. But she found that her tongue suddenly felt like it weighed a ton and even though there were many things she wanted to tell him, to ask him, she simply couldn't do it.

You can say anything you want but just don't remind him that he still hasn't put on a shirt Inner Sakura said lustily.

Unable to stop herself, Sakura giggled slightly at that, bringing her hand up to her mouth in embarrassment when Neji turned to look at her at the sound.

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"Ermmm…," Sakura replied hesitantly, looking away.

You idiot! This is your chance! Her inner persona exclaimed. Say something to him.

"Well the situation's kind of funny," she said awkwardly, "I mean, that it should be you… and me, here… all alone."

Inner Sakura proceeded to faint at her banal words and the pink haired kunoichi wished for the ground to swallow her up. She had sounded so stupid!

Neji's eyes narrowed slightly and he looked at her face as if trying to discern something. Apparently, he found what he was looking for and used it as a basis to speak.

"Why would you think that?" he asked softly, his face carefully blank.

"Because… because…" Sakura started to say.

'Because your amazing silver eyes told me too much one day a few months ago and I've been obsessed with you ever since!' she thought in frustration.

Breathing in deeply, the pink haired medic calmed herself and mustered up her courage. She decided that a change in approach was in order.

"Don't you think we're grown closer lately?" she asked him, a half smile on her lips.

Silver eyes widened slightly, surprised at her question. He nodded slowly in answer.

"And don't you think it's great that we talk and see each other more?"

"Yes it is," he replied without hesitation, eyes still staring unbelievingly at her.

"I really enjoy your company Neji," she told him shyly, hoping he would get what she was insinuating.

"I enjoy your company too," he said, his face completely devoid of expression.

Sakura almost sweat dropped. How could anyone be so dense? But as she looked at him from under her eyelashes, his face utterly serious and his eyes not conveying anything, she began questioning herself and wondered if he had ever really looked at her in the way she thought he had. Maybe she had imagined the whole thing, after all. In her need to fill her empty heart, maybe she had made up the whole scenario in her head, choosing Konoha's must handsome ninja as her lead actor.

It was probably all a figment of her over-imaginative brain.

"Are you done with that?" she asked, reaching over for his tea cup.

Suddenly confused, Neji couldn't do anything to prevent her from taking the cup he had placed at his side. He saw her stand up, and even though it was still raining a little, Sakura made her way towards the nearby river, a downcast expression on her face.

A low fog had settled over the landscape, settling between the tress of the adjacent forest. Being this close to Mist Country, it was more than expected, and Sakura found that the view perfectly reflected the sentiments of her heart at the moment.

She just needed five minutes by herself, that was all. She needed to get over her made up infatuation with Hyuuga Neji before returning once more to their hideout. If she didn't do this, she wouldn't be able to face him again since her feelings for him would somehow filter through and it was clear that he had no similar interest in her.

'Why do I always choose the uncaring bastards?' she thought morosely. 'It seems I'll never learn.'

But try as she might, she just couldn't forget the way he had let her smooth down his hair… the way he had moaned while she was massaging his scalp. If that wasn't a clear sign that he had enjoyed her ministrations, she didn't know what was. Growling in confusion, Sakura proceeded to wash their cups as best as she could in the river. Once she was done, she stood up and turned abruptly, only to bump into something standing right behind her.

Strong arms prevented her from falling to the ground as she stumbled and steadied her in their hold. Looking up, Sakura came face to face with Hyuuga Neji, who had seemingly approached her without making any sound.

Before she could start to wonder over the fact that he was such a good ninja, the pink haired kunoichi was immediately distracted by the closeness of his chin. If she stood up on tiptoe then she would be able to reach his lips. His warmth was radiating all through her body and the way his arms were holding her was suddenly making her blood flow faster through her veins.

Heart pounding in her ears, Sakura met his silver gaze and was taken aback by its intensity. The look he had given her before had been nothing to what she was now experiencing. Her breathing started to quicken as she abruptly realized that his face was starting to lean down towards her…

In that moment, time froze around her and there was nothing else in the world but Neji.

XXXXXXXXX

He knew he shouldn't get his hopes up… it was just plain stupid to do so. But she was talking so intimately and she was telling him that she enjoyed his company. And the way she had massaged his scalp just now… it was simply too much for his eager heart to handle.

In its treacherous manipulations, it had forced him to reveal a small part of himself by forcing him to voice the fact that he enjoyed her company too. Neji wanted to say more, so much more, but the tight reign he had always had over his emotions prevented him from doing so.

And suddenly, she had put an end to their conversation and had walked away, a look of sadness in her emerald eyes. Glued to the spot, the Captain could do nothing to prevent the wrenching pain in his chest as he watched her go, entering the low mist which had formed until he couldn't see her anymore.

What exactly could have upset her, he didn't know. All he knew was that she had left him alone because he couldn't voice what he was feeling, couldn't express the emotions which ruled him on the inside. Haruno Sakura would leave him because he didn't have the courage to tell her… to tell her that he would've willingly given his life to see her happy… that he would do anything in his power to make her smile.

In a moment of utter rebellion Hyuuga Neji stood up, refusing to sit around and be ruled by destiny once again. Against all the teachings of his family, teachings which had been engraved into his brain since he was very young, he walked out of their small refuge, intent on going after the woman he wanted.

Approaching her silently, he stood behind her, waiting for her to finish whatever she had was doing. But she turned unexpectedly and he was forced to catch her in his arms to prevent her from falling.

Sakura was suddenly too close to him and the feel of her small frame in his embrace felt so good it was indescribable. He had fantasized about such a scenario on countless of occasions, but no matter how many times he replayed it in his mind, nothing his brain could come with could even come close to the real thing. Feeling his control slipping with the view of her shining emerald eyes and enthralling lips so close, Neji followed what his instincts were telling him.

Leaning down towards her, his arms unconsciously tightened around her, as if preventing him from going anywhere. But when his lips were only a hairsbreadth away from hers, a striking thought flashed through his mind and he stopped abruptly.

Sasuke. Sakura was in love with Uchiha Sasuke.

He found he simply could not go on with what he was doing and he let her go suddenly, taking a step backwards.

"I'm sorry," he told her, his silver eyes looking at the ground. "I'm sorry I almost put you through this." And with that, he turned round and walked back towards their hidden camp.

Standing there like if she had been struck by lightning, Sakura didn't know what to think… or do. She had no idea of what had just happened… why the hell had he stopped, damn it?

Unable to prevent her temper from kicking in, she stomped her way back to their refuge, emerald eyes sparkling with anger.

"Neji, what is it?" she asked, hands on her hips.

The Hyuuga turned round to face her and was completely surprised to find her chakra swirling with rage.

"Is it because I'm not pretty enough? Am I not good enough from a descendant of the Hyuuga clan?" Sakura asked bitingly. She knew she was being stupid, but she was far from caring at the moment. Her heart was hurting and she needed to vent her frustration.

"Of course not!" Neji exclaimed, eyes wide at her words. "Sakura, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

Taken aback by his sudden confession, the pink haired medic suddenly swallowed the retort she had been preparing.

"Then why didn't you kiss me?" she asked, a hurtful tone in her voice.

Heart clenching at the look of pain which crossed her face, Neji found that he couldn't hide the truth from her anymore.

"Sakura, I'm going to be honest," he told her, managing to get past the lump in his throat. "I've admired you for a long time now… ever since our mission to Suna. I wanted to approach you but a part of me kept telling me that it wouldn't be right. Despite this fact, I did come to you, slowly at first, even though I never crossed the line. I just couldn't help myself from wanting to be near you and I was weak."

Jaw wide open at the words he was saying, the pink haired kunoichi stared at him in wonderment.

"But I promise you, I will keep my distance from now on. I promise I will leave you alone," he said, the strain in his voice evident.

"Why would you do that?" Sakura asked in frustration, unable to follow his logic.

"Because I know you are still in love with Uchiha Sasuke," Neji said, his face suddenly devoid of emotion again.

That was it. That was the reason.

Breathing out deeply, Sakura was, in fact, relieved. At first she had thought that he had rejected her because of some fault of her own… because of something she had done. Of course he would think of Sasuke; her infatuation with the Uchiha prodigy was extremely common knowledge and it was obvious that he would worry about it.

She would just have to teach Neji how wrong he was.

Looking up at him suddenly, green eyes alight with determination, the pink haired kunoichi decided to put the ANBU Captain out of his misery.

"I'll be the judge of that!" she exclaimed.

Coming forwards in a rush, she crossed the distance between them in a second and threw her arms around his neck. Standing on tiptoe, she crushed her lips against his, pressing herself against his body.

Startled for a moment, Neji thought he should push her away. But his surprise was short lived, since his brain was already processing the exquisite feeling of her body against his. The walls of his control collapsed abruptly against the onslaught of emotions Sakura was creating and the Hyuuga prodigy eagerly put his arms around her, embracing her tightly and pulling her even closer.

As he did so, his tongue demanded entrance to her mouth and he quickly took over the kiss. The pink haired kunoichi moaned as his tongue explored her thoroughly, leaving her completely breathless. After a moment, she couldn't resist the urge to touch him and she brought one of her hands down his back, caressing his skin softly.

Neji's muscles rippled in response to her light touch and he brought one of his hands up and kneaded his fingers in her short cherry hair. Pulling her head back slightly, he deepened their kiss even further, devouring her mouth in the process. All the months he had been fighting against his desire for the woman in his arms were finally catching up with him.

He simply found that he just couldn't get enough of her and finding himself immersed in her smell, in the sensations her body was creating in him, it was all too much for him to go up against. He kissed her for many long and blissful minutes, not wanting to relinquish her mouth until he had his fill.

But Neji knew that if he continued it would lead to other things and he didn't want to have Sakura here, in such an inappropriate setting. When he would finally come to make love to her, he wanted her to have a soft mattress underneath her and silken sheets caressing her skin while he murmured sweet nothings in her ear… he wanted the whole experience to be soul-stealing, for her to think and concentrate on nothing else but him.

Pulling reluctantly away from her, Neji watched her beautiful features as she tried to catch her breath. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her intoxicating scent. Returning his embrace, Sakura sighed against his neck and smiled in complete contentment.

The Captain looked up suddenly and realized that it was starting to get dark.

"It looks like we'll have to spend the night here," he told her, "since I don't want to risk us getting lost among the mist, much less in the dark. It should clear up by dawn, though."

The pink haired medic merely nodded, not wanting to break the spell Neji's arms had her trapped in. But thoughts refused to leave her alone and her eyebrows creased slightly before she let out a mischievous giggle.

"I'm afraid there's only one blanket," she told him, "I only put one out to dry and our bedrolls are probably still wet."

"How convenient," he told her with a smile. "I'm almost sure you did it on purpose."

"I did not!" Sakura explained defensively.

"Well, do you think I can at least put on a shirt?" he asked, humor in his voice.

The pink haired kunoichi couldn't prevent the gleeful laughter which escaped her lips and echoed all around.

Let me know what you think! You have no idea how much your reviews mean to me.