Neko: Okay… I feel really, really sick to my stomach right now (word of advice, don't watch the food network when you feel sick, it makes things worse…) so this chapter may be short, gomen. I just wanted to say thank you to my wonderful reviewers! I love you all!
And here are the final pairings for this story (be warned I'm putting EVERYONE in this story!):
Sakura/Gaara
Naruto/Sasuke
Hinata/Kiba
Shino/Kyane (please read Puppet Insect: Beginnings by exshadowteddy)
Ino/Chouji
Shikamaru/Temari
Kankuro/Tenten
Neji/Chii (OC, fangirl in the real world –huggles Starchii-)
Lee/Kyra (please read Carnations Voice: A Naruto Story by Kyra Odayashi)
Kakashi/Iruka
Asuma/Kurenai
Tsunade/Jiraiya (friendship only!) and
Genma/Shizune! –deep breath- Wow, that's a lot of characters!
Anywho, I just want to say thank you to three special authors for letting me borrow their characters: Starchii, Kyra Odayashi, and exshadowteddy. Thank you guys sooooo much for letting me use (and promote) your characters!
And thank you again to my wonderful beta, Lexy, who, without her, this story would be crap in a hole, and we all know it!
Now on with the story!
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Oh My Goddess
Chapter Two
Gaara stared at her…. Sakura was back… The love of his life was back… and all he felt was pain. The first emotion he had felt in the years since he had lost her, was pain.
"Sakura-chan… we thought you were dead! We buried your body!" Naruto yelled, confused and wide-eyed, as he always had been in life. She turned to him, her soft pink hair blowing in the wind behind her.
"I am dead… technically. I've been sent here by the Heavens to do something for all of you…" She said softly to him. Temari and Kankuro walked up from behind Gaara, having come out of the Hokage Tower, followed by the Rookie Nine Jounin senseis and Maito Gai, Tsunade, and Shizune. Sakura turned to them all, the smile on her rosy lips reflected in her emerald eyes.
"You're a Goddess?" Naruto asked, scratching the top of his head in thought. She nodded, turning back to face him.
"When I died, I became a Goddess of… Healing, I guess we could call it… I've been sent here for four specific souls…" She said, her eyes twinkling with hidden humor. Hinata stepped forward, worry written on her pretty face.
"Are you taking them to the beyond?" Hinata softly asked. Sakura shook her head, amazed at the girl's insight to the Goddess system. She knew that goddesses worked all over the earth, at every second of time. It was common sense that they were bound to be spotted and recorded eventually. And knowing Hinata, she had probably stumbled across an old scroll about a Death Goddess.
"No, none of you are on that list for quite some time," she said with a bit of a laugh. "Now I'm tired. It's been a long fall from above, you know. So where, and with whom, can I stay?" Every gaze locked on the girls, wondering, before Tenten stepped forward.
"You could stay with me… Since I have my own place…" Tenten offered. Sakura gave her a brilliant smile, thankful for her old friends of this particular lifetime.
"Thank you Tenten-chan. And I want to meet with each of you personally tomorrow," she said to them all. "I think there are things I need to settle, ne?" She gave a soft giggle, turning and following Tenten, who had already said her farewells for the night, away from the group, her robes rustling in the slight breeze.
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Neji watched her go with his white eyes, his heart beating a mile a minute. Sakura-chan was home… she had been returned to them. He looked around at the others, carefully schooling his face not to betray his emotions, especially to Hinata.
He heard Naruto sigh and start talking to Sasuke in an undertone, while the others talked among themselves. He was sure that most of the conversations were centered around a certain pink-haired Goddess who had careened back into their lives, surrounded by a bright light. Hinata walked up to him and softly took his hand.
"Neji-nii-san?" There were so many questions conveyed in that one call of his given name. Neji shook his head, saying he didn't know. Tsunade cleared her throat, gaining the attention of those gathered.
"Okay everyone!" She stared intently at a few individuals before… "Neji, Hinata, Naruto! You three are on Sakura-chan watch, I want to know everything she does. Kiba, Shikamaru, and the rest of you are suspended from missions until after the celebration. You have all just become my setup peons…" She gave an evil laugh and rushed back inside, followed by Gai, Asuma, Kurenai, and Kakashi; who wanted to talk of the ramifications of what had happened this night; before any protest could be voiced.
The others groaned as Neji silently cheered. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Naruto give Sasuke a "look" before he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Soon the others were gone as well, leaving himself, Hinata, and the Sand Siblings.
"It seems Naruto has taken first watch… I'd like to offer my help as well… I want to know what she's up to," Gaara said, looking over at the cousins. "I'll relieve Naruto in the morning. Hyuuga-san," he looked at Neji, "you can take the shift at noon, and she can take it after you…" Gaara directed his gaze to Hinata. Neji nodded to the Kazekage as he disappeared in a swirl of sand, his siblings following. Hinata squeezed his hand.
"We should go home now, nii-san…" She looked up at him with her clear eyes, obviously worried about him. She knew how much Neji had cared for Sakura. She often found him at the grave. Tears, that he didn't seem aware of, cascading down his cheeks. Or she would find him in his room, absently staring at an open book, with blank and unfocused eyes.
That first year after Sakura's death he had lost almost twenty pounds…within the first two months. Hokage-sama had actually said something to him, but it didn't change his mood. But things slowly got better. Gradually, as the months went by, he began to forget. But every once in a while, for example: after a long mission; he would resort to haunting the Hyuuga Manor with a quiet presence, not talking to anyone.
She gazed up at him again, looking into his clear eyes, so much like her own. She saw the pain, and the love, contained within their depths. "Nii-san… you love her?" He looked down at her, surprised, yet not surprised.
"Hai, Hinata-sama…" He said softly before walking away into the night. She watched him, her hands worrying unconsciously.
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Gaara arrived at the apartment he shared with Temari and Kankuro, said siblings just behind him. "So, Kazekage-sama… When did you fall in love with our little cherry blossom?" Temari teased. Gaara glared at her, but she just laughed, waving off her moody, un-possessed, little brother. Kankuro chuckled before walking to his room. Gaara just sighed and disappeared in his usual swirl of sand.
Appearing again in his room Gaara sat on his unused bed, and stared out his open window. The moon hung full in the night sky, but he felt nothing stir within him, nothing demanding blood or sex. Even though it had been seven years since Shukaku had been extracted from his body Gaara still half expected to hear his inner demon taunting him, or demanding something. Thinking of the demon made him think of the pink haired goddess that had, somehow, burrowed her way into his soul.
Sighing he laid back and let himself work though the thoughts that plagued him.
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Tenten laughed as she unlocked her door and kicked off her shoes, Sakura right behind her. "So you had to pair a girl with another girl? Wasn't it strange?" Sakura giggled.
"Not really, once you see someone's true heart, nothing can surprise you. But trying to tell a boy-crazy girl that she's meant to be with another girl, now that was funny!" The two laughed as Tenten prepared tea. "So tell me, what's happened since I left? Who's together with whom?" Tenten paused and thought for a moment.
"I guess I'll start with my team. Gai-sensei is happily married to a nice woman who owns a bakery. They are expecting a baby sometime next month. Lee-kun and Kyra-chan had a baby girl shortly after you… died, Hotaru-chan is absolutely adorable! Now Neji-kun I don't know much about, he's kept pretty quiet since your death. He doesn't go out, or anything…
"Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei finally got married, about two years ago, no children so far. Let's see, Hinata-chan finally got over her silly crush for Naruto-kun and is currently after our favorite dog-boy; who, by the way, is clueless about her feelings.
"Shino-san is still going strong with that chunin girl… Kyane-san? Ino-chan and Shikamaru-kun dated for a while, then they broke it off once their parents tried to send them down the aisle. Both are currently unattached. I don't know much about Chouji-san since we aren't that close.
"Naruto-kun dated a few females here and there, but nothing serious. Sasuke-kun's pretty much kept to himself, but there are rumors that he and Naruto-kun are," she wiggled her eyebrows, making Sakura giggle. "And then there's Kakashi-sensei, he's still the same as ever, not saying a word… And then there are the Sand Siblings…" She sighed.
"Temari-chan is currently after someone, but won't tell who it is. Kankuro-kun is a pain in the ass, and Kazekage-sama…. Well, he's the same as ever." Tenten took a deep breath as she served the tea. "Anyone else you want to know about, you'll have to ask them yourself…" Sakura nodded, her eyes flashing silver as she scanned Tenten's inner heart.
She almost giggled out loud at who she saw as its match. 'Boy is she going to be surprised… But Kankuro-kun really is perfect for her. They'd challenge each other to only do their best…' Sakura yawned suddenly. Tenten giggled and stood up from the table.
"Let me show you to your room, goddess-sama," Tenten teased and beckoned Sakura to follow her. Sakura giggled and followed.
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Outside, on the roof, was Naruto, listening. How he had missed his teammate when she died. He had tried comforting himself with women, taking their pleasures, but something had been missing. Only lately had he found his peace when he was with Sasuke-teme, of all people. And it was starting to make him think things he didn't want to think of.
He sighed and listened in as Tenten spoke of everyone that he was close to in the village. He grinned in certain places and scowled in confusion at others, then blinked when she described his association with Sasuke-teme. Was that really what everyone thought?
He turned when he sensed a familiar aura next to him. There he saw Gaara, his robes flapping in the wind, sand still swirling. "Gaara-kun?" Gaara looked down at him.
"My turn, baka. Go home and get some rest. Hyuuga-san is after me followed by his cousin," Gaara said, taking his seat.
"Sakura-chan just went to bed, so it shouldn't be problematic. Contact me if anything happens, 'kay Gaara-kun?" Naruto said, standing and making his way to the edge of the roof. Gaara nodded and prepared his body for meditation. Naruto sighed and took off, his feet automatically carrying him to the Uchiha mansion.
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As morning dawned, Sakura awoke and stretched. 'Time to get to work… Might as well start with Tenten and Kankuro, then we'll see where that leads me,' she thought. She laughed softly as she found some clothes folded neatly just outside her door. It was the outfit she had worn before her death. She changed quickly and went to the kitchen where Tenten sat, fussing over something in her hair.
"Good morning, Tenten-chan," she said happily. Tenten grumbled something and stood, taking her breakfast plate to the sink. "Training today?" Tenten shook her head.
"No, Hokage-sama has us putting the festival together… She had us suspended from missions to do it too! How am I supposed to make a living? It's not like I have a family to back me up when I'm low on cash…" Tenten grumbled. Sakura gave out a tinkling laugh.
"Tsunade-shishou, I'm sure, will pay you for your hard work. And I think I'll help, I want to spend as much time as I can with everyone while I'm still here," she said, biting into a piece of toast she had made. Tenten nodded and smiled happily.
"Then we should hurry, I don't want to be late. Especially since some kabuki-makeup-wearing, puppet-using freak will probably make fun of me in my work outfit…" She sighed as she looked over her tiny little t-shirt and shorts.
"I'm sure it's fine… You know, has it ever occurred to you that maybe he makes fun of you because he likes you?" Sakura suggested as they made their way out the door. Tenten burst out laughing.
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Neko: Well, there you go, chapter two is now up, and I'm feeling better. Although having a fluffy little cat wrapped around the back of your neck while trying to type isn't easy. –sigh- Well, hopefully more characters will show up in the next chapter, as it will be nearly everyone that Sakura knows working on the stands for the festival. Then hopefully chapter four will be where Sakura gets some guys to ask the girls out… But I don't know how it will play out, you may just have to review to give me ideas!
See ya next time!
Neko