It was one of the rare days when I didn't get a chance to spend any time with Neji, and it seemed like one of the longest days of my life. I'd had to content myself with sending Neji some flowers anonymously, he would know they were from me but it was more fun to make him wonder for that brief moment. When I got home that night I was exhausted from training all day with the perverted hermit, but Neji's short message on the answering machine was all I needed to hear.

"Hey Naruto, thanks for the flowers. You've got to be crazy," I smiled as he said our joke on my machine. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Yawning, I went over to my bedroom and started getting ready for bed. I was too tired to think about anything else. There was an urgent knock on the door as I pulled my pajamas on, and so I lazily started to make my way over to the door. The knocking grew more aggressive and I started yelling "I'm coming" to whoever was on the other side of the door, even though it was annoying I found myself secretly hoping it was Neji.

"What?" I was irritated as I threw open the door only to see nothing. I rubbed my eyes, thinking I must be getting really worn out. Either my eyes or my ears were playing tricks on me, and I wasn't enjoying it.

Searching the hallway outside my door, I saw no trace of anyone until I looked straight down. There was a small package wrapped in brown paper with a note attached. I picked it up and found only that the note addressed the package to me. Not willing to stand up more than I had to, I turned back into my apartment and closed the door behind me. I put the package on the counter in the kitchen as I passed it, too tired to deal with it tonight. It wasn't Neji's handwriting, anyway.

Meanwhile…

Dark eyes watched the light go out in the window, and thought no more of it. Surely Naruto had received the package and knew now what it contained. 'All things will work out to my advantage,' the eyes thought, 'and he will be mine, at last.' A dark smirk, and the eyes turned away, disappearing into the night.

As the light of the sun hit my eyes, I knew I'd probably overslept. My alarm clock just didn't seem to do the job these days; of course it may have just been that I was always throwing it at the wall when it did go off. Either way, I had to jump out of bed and rush out the door. I was already late, Neji would be waiting for me in our training area.

When I came running into the clearing, Neji was just sitting there peacefully and he smiled when he saw me. I stood there panting for awhile, and Neji waited patiently. "Running a little late today?" He asked teasingly.

"Yeah…Just a…little," I replied with a grin, knowing I would be out of breath again very soon. He returned my grin and silently strode over to where I stood. When he was about five feet away, his smile faded and his eyes went into byakuugan.

"Neji, I'm not even ready yet-" I complained.

"Quiet, someone is hiding," Neji's eyes scanned the bushes surrounding the clearing, finally stopping at a large tree. "And he does not have noble intentions."

Before I could even move, Neji had thrown a knife into the bush to lure the intruder out. A split second before the attack would have had him, Sasuke leapt out of the bush and into the tree. He stood on a low branch regarding us coldly.

"What do you want?" I hollered up at him. Sasuke's glare focused on me, and he gave no reply.

"Naruto has asked you a question," Neji spoke up, sounding angry. "Answer him."

"I don't need to be told who I should talk to, and you two are the only ones who come out here to train," Sasuke took this opportunity to jump down from the tree and meet us at eye level.

"Then why were you hiding?" Neji wanted to know, it sounded like a police interrogation.

"Just wanted to see what the love birds were up to today," Sasuke laughed without emotion. I thought Neji was going to lunge at him, but he remained calm.

"Come on, Neji," I walked up and grabbed his elbow, "We can find something else to do today." Sasuke did nothing as the two of us passed him by in silence.

Once out of hearing distance, Neji loosened up and his eyes went back to normal. I let my hand move down his arm and I took his hand in mine. We were still quiet for some time before Neji spoke up.

"If I had any doubt of it before, I know for sure that he likes you now," He said quietly but with a certain force to it.

"How can you be so sure?" I wanted to know.

"His aura, it was green with envy."

"Don't worry about it, it doesn't make a difference," I told him confidently and kissed his cheek for good measure. He smiled weakly, but I could tell he was nervous.

"Promise me something, Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't go anywhere alone with him," He said and I had to laugh at him. I didn't mean to and he stopped walking to turn and look at me. It wasn't a laughing matter to Neji, I could see that in his eyes. "I'm serious, Naruto. Promise me you won't go anywhere alone with him."

"Yes, Neji. I promise," I said, no longer laughing but still smiling.

"I will hold you to it," He gave my hand a squeeze and we started walking again. "Your word is a symbol of your honor, if you break your word then you have no honor."

"I understand," I said, totally serious this time. "I won't let you down."

I don't know if my days had ever seemed happier. I had been alone for so long, with everyone avoiding me, and now I had someone who was with me as often as either of us could spare time. So naturally, I had a smile on my face like the one I'd had at the Ichiraku all that time ago.

It was a few days before the package on the counter caught my attention again. The whole time it had just been sitting there, untouched and waiting to be opened.