Chapter 3:Worried
The rays of sun lit up a room where a beautiful cherry blossom was still heavily asleep.
Sakura was still a little traumatized at what took place in Konoha forest...Even though Neji
would protect her with his life she still feared that Sasuke would injure him and try to do
more damage to her...both emotionally and physically. Sakura called work and told them she
wasn't coming in today,though she never told them why. She wasn't in the mood to be around
people since the inccident. Everyone was shocked when they heard that Sakura wasn't going to
work...she never missed a day of work...ever! Sakura decided not to get out of bed she wanted to
sleep her problems away...if only that were possible.
"Hey!Neji...did you hear?"Screamed Naruto.
"What do you want?"Neji answered with an -I don't care- expression on his face.
"Sakura...Isn't going to work today!"Naruto said.
"Why...?She never misses a day of work..."Said Neji questionaly.
"I'm going to go see her."
Before Naruto had a chance to speak Neji was gone and running towards Sakura's house.
He ran as fast as his legs would go and after five minutes of running nonstop,Neji had reached
Sakura's front steps leading to her front door. He knocked lightly on the door...no answer.
Neji tried again,still no answer...He began to panic,thinking that Sasuke had come back and took
her away. Neji pounded on the door until he heard the door unlock and there stood a very tired
looking Sakura. Neji embraced he and looked at her in the eyes with a worried look on his face...
"What is it Neji?"Questioned Sakura.
"I thought Sasuke took you..."He answered
"No...I was just resting..."Sakura said.
"You can come in if you want..."
Neji accepted her invitation and stepped into her home...Sakura went into the kitchen and took
out two cups and started to make some tea. When the water finished boiling she poured it in the
glass cups and added the tea bags. She walked over to Neji and handed him a cup of tea,he took
it and began to drink the warm,tasty liquid. Both said nothing until someone knocked on the door.
Sakura stood up a place the cup on her table,she walked over to the front door and slowly opened
it to reveal a spikey haired boy.
"Oh Sakura your alright?"Said Naruto.
"Yes Naruto..."Said Sakura getting annoyed.
"What happened?"Asked Naruto.
"Nothing..."Lied Sakura.
Naruto nodded and walked off towards the ramen stand yet again.
Neji gave Sakura a questioning glare.
"What Neji?"Said Sakura.
"Why didn't you tell Naruto what happened yesterday?"Asked Neji.
"He would make a big deal out of it..."Answered Sakura.
She shrugged and headed towards the table and picked up the tea cup,she took a couple more sips
and then she brought it into the kitchen. Neji stood and walked towards Sakura,she took his tea cup
and put it in the sink. Neji said good bye to Sakura and left her house,he was headed to where Naruto
was...Ramen stand...huh.
He arrived to find Naruto and Hinata eating noddles together...Neji sat in front of them and ordered
ramen for himself,while he waited for his ramen Neji thought about telling Naruto about Sasuke.
He thought it would be better if he knew about this...
"Naruto...Yesterday something did happen."Quietly said Neji.
"What is it?"Asked Naruto raising an eyebrow.
"Well...Sasuke tried to attack Sakura while we were in Konoha forest..."Neji admitted.
"WHAT!Sasuke is back?"Screamed Naruto.
"Be quiet...Yes he is and he wants to hurt Sakura..."Said Neji,giving an icy glare at Naruto for being loud.
"This is bad!What if he tries to attck Sakura when she is left unprotected?"Asked Naruto.
Neji quickly stood up and rushed out of the ramen shop,running to Sakura's house.
Leaving Naruto with his mouth wide open and Hinata blinking rapidly. "If Sakura gets hurt he would never
be able to forgive himself..."Thought Neji.
Sakura was washing the dishes like she did everyday,when she had finished Sakura went to her bedroom
and sat on her bed...She soon let her body fall on the soft mattress and closed her eyes trying to relax.
Sakura heard a knock outside her window she got up and slowly made her way to her bedroom window.
She opened it and stuck out her head...no one was there only her big oak tree blocking her view of Konoha
ocean. She sighed and started to walk back towards her bed,but was held back by a hand around her wrist
pulling her backwards...She began to struggle and panic. Screaming and trying to get out of the tight grasp
around her wrist. Sakura turned around and was looking directly into dark onynx eyes...Sasuke Uchiha.
She finally broke out of his grasp and started to run towards the door,she was tackled to the ground and pinned.
Sasuke was ontop of her holding down her arms and smirking. Sakura screamed only to have his hand cover her
mouth. Sakura managed to kick him off and grabbed her kunai from her pouch she threw it at Sasuke.
Sasuke dodged the weapon and threw one of his own,it hit the target...Sakura.
She tried to dodge only to be cut on the arm,nearly missing her shoulder. Sakura covered her wound with her good hand
and began to run she was nearly caught again but dodged Sasuke trying to jump at her. When she reached the fron door
Sasuke was holding her arms and trying to pull her back...
Neji was standing at Sakura's door and he heard a familiar scream...Sakura!
He quickly opened the door and saw Sasuke grabbing Sakura Neji ran and grabbed Sasuke's shirt collar,throwing him
backwards onto Sakura's couch...He didn't want to fight so Sasuke ran past Neji and out the door...Sakura fell to the ground.
There was blood all over her shirt,including the floor. Neji didn't bother to chase after Sasuke and ran to Sakura's side,kneeling
beside her.
"Saskura...are you alright?"Asked Neji giving her a worried expression.
"Ne...Neji I'm fine,the Kunai just nearly grazed me..."Answered Sakura.
"Are you sure...?"Neji replied.
"Yes...Neji..."
Sakura wearily stood up,her knees started to buckle but Sakura ignored it. She was applying pressure to her wound,hoping that
it would stop giving her pain...Sakura was staring at her wound it was pretty bad and it looked deep. She started to walk towards
her bathroom to get her first aid kit,when the pain started up again but this time it spread from her wound to her whole arm and
Sakura couldn't endure it anymore. She collapsed in front of her bathroom door panting and now squeezing her arm... Neji ran to
her side once again and picked her up bridal style and ran out of her house. He was bringing her to the Konoha hospital,Sakura had
to be treated as soon as possible. Sakura had fallen asleep in his arms,from out of exhaustion and tremendous pain in her arm.
When Neji reached the hospital doors he caught sight of Tsunade and went to her,When Tsunade saw Sakura in Neji's arms she knew
something was wrong...A worried expression took over Tsunade's face.
"Neji!What happened to Sakura!"Demanded Tsunade.
"She was attacked and a kunai struck her below the shoulder!"Declared Neji.
"Lets get her up to an emergency room and check out that wound..."Said Tsunade.
They ran into the hospital and Tsunade lead Neji to a large white room with a single bed and a table full of medical tools.
He set Sakura on the bed and stepped out of the way so that Tsunade could examine her wound. She rolled up Sakura's sleeve and
began to examine it...Neji could tell by the look on Tsunade's face that something was else was wrong...
"Tsunade...What is it?"Asked Neji in a pleading tone.
"Hmmm...this is bad!"Said Tsunade.
"Whats bad!"Demanded Neji.
"A poison has entered Sakura's body through the wound..."Explained Tsunade.
"So your telling me..."Started Neji.
"That she could die...yes it a high possibility."Declared Tsunade.
Neji pounded one of his fists on the wall,making a crack in it. Tsunade ran to the front desk and ordered two of the best nurses to
assist her...She also told someone to get some antidote and bandages.
Tsunade entered the room accompanied by two female nurses holding a bottle of goldish liquid and the other bandages.
Neji left the room and sat in the waiting section his hands clenching the chairs arms...He hoped that Sakura would be okay.
Tsunade got started and cleaned out Sakura's wound,she took the bandages and wrapped it tightly around Sakura's wound,so it would
stop from bleeding. Next she took the small glass vial and a needle,she took in the antidote with the needle's tip when she had the right
amount Tsunade walked over to Sakura and carfully inserted the sharp tip into Sakura's arm and let the last drop of the golden liquid
enter into Sakura's arm. Tsunade took out the needle and asked for a mask and an oxygen tank. One of the assistants entered the room
with a mask and the tank of oxygen,Tsunade placed the mask over Sakura's nose and mouth. When Tsunade gave the signal the female
assistant turned the tanks knob slowly until Tsunade told her to stop. They all left the room,Tsunade dimissed the two assistants and entered
the waiting room. There she found Neji waiting impatiently in one of the chairs,when he heard foot steps enter the room he quickly looked up.
Tsunade gave Neji a small smile and explained everything.
"Well...Sakura will live there's no mistake about that..."Started Tsunade.
"Also we have given her an antidote and we put her on oxygen just to be safe..."
Neji gave a sigh of relief and also put a small smile on his face.
"So...can I see her?"Asked Neji.
"Sorry Neji...no visitors today,Sakura really needs to rest..."Tsunade said.
"But you can come tomorrow..."
Neji nodded even though he was dissapointed that he couldn't see Sakura now...he knew it was for the best.
Neji left the hospital and walked to his house not even bothering to speak to anyone who called his name.
He wanted to be alone,only thinking of being able to see his Sakura...Neji entered his house and went to straight to his bedroom,Hinata knocked
on his door a couple of times but he just ignored it... Sleep was beginning to take over him and his eyes were crying to be shut. Neji decided
to get some rest...though the last words he spoke before falling asleep were...
"Tomorrow...my cherry blossom..."
He closed his eyes and sleep overcame him...