Cursed

Chapter Five

Pink Strands

The gentle warm press of fingers against her back along with a hot washrag soothed Sakura's tense muscles. Slowly, her shoulders drooped and her head bowed down as she let herself be taken care of.

Contrary to what most people thought about her, Sakura didn't like it when people helped her with certain things. Since she had taken her chuunin exam she had decided that she didn't need help from anyone. So, for someone to be taking care of her was an odd feeling. Though a good one. Somewhere in the depths of her mind Sakura had a hazy thought that she would only allow Neji to take care of her. Though, a moment later, she decided she would only allow him because she was his slave. Naturally she had to do whatever she was ordered to. Or so she told herself.

His fingers kept brushing against her poriclian like skin in soft small strokes. Neji tried not to push to hard; he tried to be as gentle as possible with her. She looked like if he pressed too much that she would fall apart and break into a million pieces for him to pick up. Though one thought back to the fight she had proved otherwise.

He continued to gently wash away all of the blood on her back with the now cold washcloth. Once he was satisfied he put it back down and let it stay in a small bowl of warm water. Gently he brought his fingers up and touched her wound to make sure the bleeding had stopped, which it had.

Nodding silently to himself Neji took his hands off of her warm skin to grab the bandages. When he turned back to look at her, he noticed stray strands of her long pink hair dangling down her back. With a small smile, his first in years, Neji laid the bandages back down and grabbed the strands. Slowly he twirled the silky strands in his fingers before he slid his hands through them. His smile softened somewhat as he reached over her shoulders and pulled all of her pink hair and laid it on her back. Her hair was long, not as long as his, but close. Her hair was straight all save for the ends where it had a light curl to it.

Neji, without even thinking about what he was doing, brought his hands up and he slowly started to delve it into her hair, playing with her silky treasures.

Sakura had her eyes closed, her head still bowed down as he played with her hair. She had been a bit surprised at first, but she allowed it. The last person that ever played with her hair was her mother when she was only five years old. Slowly, Sakura started to feel herself fall into the feel of his hands in her hair. A small sound came from her throat showing she liked it.

Neji glanced at her slightly, his hands hesitating as he came to his senses. He blinked in surprise when he realized that she was willingly letting him touch her. His eyes softened somewhat as he ran his fingers down the length of her hair.

He continued for a few more minuets, neither saying a word. Eventually he took his hands away from the silky strands and just put them over her shoulder, his hand lingering for just a moment as his fingers brushed against the skin of her front.

Sighing, Neji grabbed the forgotten bandages. It didn't take him long to finish and when he did he lightly patted her back without a word and stood up from his sitting position. Hesitantly, he opened his mouth. "That should hold for a little while. I'll change it when it is needed."

Sakura turned her head to look at him and smiled brightly, her face reddening even more as she looked at him. "Thank you, Neji." She said, her voice showing how grateful she was.

Neji gave a curt nod of his head as he looked at her before his eyes unintentionally looked towards her hair once more. He hadn't really wanted to stop playing with the silky strands. Following his look, Sakura smiled playfully. "Nice, huh? I use a special shampoo that makes it even softer!" She said, looking quite happy with herself.

Neji watched her intently for a moment. "Mine's softer." He said before he could even stop himself.

Sakura blinked slightly, looking at him in shock as Inner Sakura was yelling all kinds of curse words that a lady should never know. She was about to say exactly what was on her mind about what he said when she saw it. Sakura stopped everything and stared in shock. The corners of his mouth were raised. It wasn't a smirk, but a smile. It was almost unnoticeable, but compared with the small lift of his lips and the sparkle in his eyes she could tell. Hyuuga Neji was joking with her.

Smiling, Sakura absent-mindedly grabbed a strand of her hair and started to twirl it around her finger, slightly embarrassed. "I doubt it. You'll have to let me be the judge of that." Sakura said, half playing as she looked to him, watching closely for a reaction.

"Hn." Was the sound he made as he tilted his head to the side as he watched her. "I'll look forward to that." Was his only reply before he turned and walked back to camp.

Sakura watched him leave with a small smile playing on her own lips.

They were traveling again. As soon as Sakura made it back to camp, they all set out once more. The plan was they travel through night to get as far away as possible from where they were attacked, and then rest for the day. Needless to say, everybody was on high alert after so many shinobi attacked them.

As Sakura jumped to the next branch, she couldn't help but remember the conversation from before. When she had arrived at the clearing, her slashed up bra hidden under her shirt so no one would see and get the wrong idea, Neji was already talking intently.

"They were hideing their chakra so well. If they were looking for the best opportunity to attack us then they would have waited until we were at least resting and asleep. They attacked completely in the open knowing we could fight back. It's odd." Neji had said, looking at each face as he said this, his eyes staying on Sakura's for a bit more than was necessary.

"Were they after something, do you think?" Asked Ino, looking at him with worried eyes.

"Probably." Sighed Neji.

'What could they be after?' Sakura thought to herself as she continued onto another branch. She frowned as she gave a quick look around the team to make sure all team members were present, which they were. Her lithe body was completely tense as she jumped, her eyes narrowed as she kept an eye on what was happening all around her.

They did just as planned, a tense and haunting silence placed on the team as they traveled through nightfall.

The sun slowly started to peak above the clouds as it rose a bit higher in the sky. Orange and pinks painted the sky as a light breeze wafted through Sakura's light pink hair. Jaded green eyes were half closed as the girl kept going, her mind not allowing her to realize that Neji had dropped back from his position in front of her to travel at her side.

'She looks so tired.' He thought with worry as his white eyes scanned her face. He could tell her body was running on automatic now.

Giving a soft sigh, Neji wrapped his arm around her waist and brought both of them to a stop on the branch. Turning, Neji looked at the other two teammates who also looked tired. "There should be an inn not to far from here, we'll stay there for the day and then continue at nightfall." He said. He knew there was no reason to tell them, but they were all weary and tired. Dangling the hope of sleep was enough to bring some energy back to all of their tired forms.

Nodding his head slightly, Neji started to jump again, his arm not leaving Sakura's waist as he took her with him. He doubted she barely heard a word he said, much less realize that he was holding her and steering her to where she needed to be.

The word 'rest' sounded in her ears, along with a sence of warmth encircling her. 'Oh well. Who cares?' The girl thought to herself as she leaned into the warmth and completely letting her body do what it needed, blindly following Neji wherever he took her.

Her eyes were starting to close. She was trying desperately to keep them open. She hadn't slept, save for her sleep with nightmares, which one couldn't consider rest, in twenty-four hours now. All of her thoughts were to keep her eyes open. After all, if they closed then her body wouldn't be able to make it to where Neji was trying to take her.

Slowly, her head started to droop down as her eyes tried to close once more.

Neji sighed as he watched her. Her body couldn't stand it anymore. Neji stopped and let her form lean onto him. Slowly, he brought his other hand down to the back of her knee's and started to pick her up.

He stopped immediately when he felt something flying towards him. Eyes wide, Neji grabbed Sakura and forced her entire body against his as he ducked just as a shuriken flew where their heads were. Cursing, Neji placed one hand on the back of her head and pulled her closer to him.

With his byakugan activated, Neji spotted a swarm of shinobi coming towards them. Lee and Ino were already fighting. Or more like Lee was trying desperately to protect Ino who hadn't suspected the attack at all and ended up with a shuriken buried deep into her right leg.

Neji cursed once more. He would have to protect Sakura, she was incapable of fighting and he knew it. Gently, but quickly Neji picked her up and placed her on the tree limb sitting down, her back against the tree so she was supported. Turning, Neji stood in front of her, his eyes deadly as he saw shinobi running for him. Bringing out a kunai, he prepared himself for battle. 'I can't leave her side. They'll kill her.' He thought as the first shinobi came towards him.

Neji flung the kunai at him, which the shinobi easily dodged. Though his eyes widened a second later when he realized the kunai had only served as a distraction. Neji was there in a second, his hand incased in chakra as he expertly reached for another shinobi's throat. In one quick move the man slumped down to the ground while Neji jumped back to his protective post of Sakura. If he wanted to get through this with both of them alive he couldn't be nice about it. He had to attack with every intent to kill.

Neji lunged towards another shinobi, his white eyes narrowing as the man jumped back but he was still a bit to late. The man he just attacked stood there breathing hard before his eyes rolled up and into the back of his head, his slumped form falling out of the tree to which would certainly be his death.

It was only then did Neji realize something was off. Something didn't feel right. Worried, Neji turned around to find that Sakura was gone. White-eyes widened as her name sounded on his lips.

"Looking for something.. Or somebody, maybe?" A drawled out voice said. Eyes narrowing, Neji could see the man clearly from behind him. He could see the clear smirk on his lips, the arrogant look he gave, as well as the look of victory on his face. But most of all, he saw another man holding Sakura.

Growling, Neji turned and stared Uchiha Sasuke down. How he had gotton past him to get the girl was beyond him. With his byakugan on he had been watching her the entire time.

"You look confused, Hyuuga." Smirked Sasuke as he looked down with his sharingan eyes at Sakura whom he held securely in his arms. "Maybe you should have paid more attention to where you laid her down at. Put her right into my arms." He smirked.

Neji stared at him, not showing any emotion at all, though on the inside his mind was in turmoil. He had used his sharingan to make an illusion. The shinobi was to just trick him into trying to protect her. Neji had literately handed Sakura to him and didn't even know it. He cursed silently to himself.

"Give her back, Uchiha." His voice lowered in pitch, his white angry eyes staring at him through his dark bangs. Compared with the dangerous looking chakra forming around his hands, Neji looked like death itself had came to claim Uchiha. Which it had as long as the pretty girl was slumped in his arms.

Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke turned his back to Neji. Looking over his shoulder he seemed to give a look that just yelled, 'Try it.'

And he did, Neji ran after him like a mad man, his hands out to kill him in an instant to retrieve what rightfully belonged to him. When he actually started to think of Sakura as his, he really didn't know. But he didn't question it as he readied himself to kill Sasuke.

As soon as his chakra-encased hand touched the Uchiha, he knew something wasn't right. The form busted away into a cloud of smoke. "A bushin." He mumbled.

And he stood alone in the clearing, his mind and heart fighting over what to do next.

The dream was back. Blood was everywhere; Neji was lying unmoving on the ground. Screams of agony could be heard from Sakura as she shook his unmoving form. "Neji!" She said, the word barely leaving her lips from her cries.

He was lying on the ground, his eyes wide in surprise. Blood was trickling down his lips. Bunching her fists into his white outfit, Sakura cried out for him as she buried her head into his chest.

Laughter. It started to ring all around her. Gasping lightly, Sakura took her face away from the growing cold chest of Neji to look around, her hair sticking to her tear-streaked face. "Whose there?" She all but whimpered.

It happened again, cold steel like hands were on her ankles, dragging and pulling her away from Neji. She was screaming again, her legs kicking and her arms punching, but the steel grip did not let her go. It dragged her, and when it stopped their hands moved from her ankles to pin her wrists down. Screaming and crying out, Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and tossed her head side to side as she struggled.

"Sakura."

That one word stopped any fight that she had left.

"Sasuke-kun?" Her tired and frayed voice asked. She could see him now. His face that was covered in shadows was suddenly clear as he moved closer to her.

He didn't look the same.

She was jerked out of her sleep then as a bucket of ice cold water was slung onto her small body. Crying out, the girl awoke to a cell and a dark figure watching her in the corner.

Gasping, she went to rise to her feet but found that she couldn't. Her ankles were chained. She started struggling. The sound of her name made her stop though. The same tone and the same voice from her dream.

"Have you been enjoying those..'dreams'?" Asked the cold and dark voice of Sasuke.

Sakura stared wide-eyed at him. "What do you mean 'dreams'! How would you even know about it!" She asked. The narrowing of his sharingan eyes was all the answers she needed.

She remembered back when she was being taught the ways of the sharingan by Tsunade-sama. Illutions were one of the sharingan's greatest powers. It works in many ways. Includeing tormenting their victim by making them have things called a 'dream'. To the person it was being used on, it seemed like another dream, but it was far too real. They could be tortured or even killed.

"Why would you show me Neji dieing?" Sakura whispered, not liking where this was going as her head bowed to look down.

Sasuke smirked. "You catch on quickly." He said, looking slightly proud. "I showed you that because that's what is going happen if you don't obey us." Her slender fingers formed into a small fist.

Gravel and metal seemed to be flying through the air suddenly, the metal being what had been chaining her down. She had smashed through the chain so hard that her fist went flying into the ground. Yelling out, Sakura once more brought her fist back, this time aiming for him and not the ground. He easily dodged her before he grabbed her, trying to pin her to the wall.

But, she seemed too strong for him. Silently, Sasuke cursed as she flung him off of her, her fist raised as she seemed to be trying to fatally hurt him.

The two engaged onto a full out fight then. Two people that were what you could have called friends were now fighting as if they were tying to kill each other.

He was still standing in the same spot where Sasuke's bushin had disappeared. "Sakura." Her name left his lips as he stared where she had been, but not really seeing anything.

'How could I have not protected her?' He asked himself as he felt his heart start to pang in not having her by his side.

As soon as the bushin had disappeared, all of the shinobi suddenly retreated as well. What they had been after yesterday was Sakura. Neji bowed his head in guilt at not being able to protect her. He was soon joined by Lee who was carrying a hurt Ino.

"He took Sakura." It wasn't a question. Lee hadn't seen it happen but one look at Neji and he could tell by his tensed form. He had been suspecting it for sometime now. It seemed he was right in his thoughts that when Neji seemed to be cold towards her, he was really using it as a way to get closer to her, whether he even realized that fact himself, Lee didn't know.

Neji nodded his head slowly, his eyes hidden from their view by his bangs. "Lets go. Maybe we can track them down." Nodding, all three went in search of their missing teammate and friend.

Sakura's body was thrown against the wall, her back cracking from the force of the throw as blood spurred out of her mouth.

They had been fighting; she hadn't even gotten a good punch in when he used his fire jutsu on her. Crying out, she had fallen back, only to step right on an exploding tag. She had tried to move away as fast as she could but she wasn't quick enough. The blast went off and sent the girl flying.

Slowly, Sakura put her hands on the wall, using it as her cane of sorts to rise from her fallen position. But he was on her again, pinning her and holding a kunai to her throat. "Don't move." His voice hissed in her face.

She was still weak from her travel; she couldn't fight him any longer. Slowly, Sakura started to feel her eyes prickle with tears.

"You will do what I say or I'll kill him." He said, his breath brushing across her face.

She had been furious hearing him say that he would hurt Neji. She had attacked with such a vengeance; her chest had swelled with a feeling of protectiveness that she had never felt before. It was such a strong feeling that sent her mind into a wind whirl. She had never felt protective of anyone like that. She had actually tried to kill Sasuke to protect Neji.

Her head bowed in shame then. 'How could I have tried to kill him?' She thought with remorse. If she had been at full strength she was certain she could have killed him with one punch. To kill her old friend and love, she didn't know if she could bear it. But, if it were to protect Neji from being hurt or killed then she would protect him no matter the cost.

And because of that, slowly, Haruno Sakura nodded her head to Sasuke. She would agree to work with them.

For now.

Neji was running like some sort of a mad man. Which he probley was. He couldn't bear to think what Sasuke could be doing to Sakura. The mental image of her being tortured with knives rang through his head.

He had surpassed all rational thought. The only thing he could think of now as panic seemed to seep into his entire being, was to barge in and take back his girl. He wouldn't allow Sasuke to have her.

A dark shadow passed over his white eyes as he thought of the man. He would kill him. It would be a slow painful death for touching Sakura.

The same feeling of anger and protectiveness was completely taking over his body for the second time. The first being when he sent the shinobi that messed with her to the other world. Deep down, somewhere in the very back of his mind a voice was trying to reason with him. Or maybe that was really Lee and Ino trying to tell him to calm down, and that they needed a plan.

Well, what voice it was, theirs or his, it was tuned out as all of his thoughts went to nothing but Sakura. He wanted her back. And when he got her back he was going to delve his long fingers into that hair of her's. He was going to grab her and crush that little body of hers to his and he wasn't going to let her go. Maybe she would let him get a taste of her lips. He'd been wondering what they tasted like since she had been sitting in front of him without a shirt. What he would have done at that moment to reach around the front of her body and pull away the shirt that she had held so protectively in front of her.

Yes, he would have Sakura back. He craved for her to be at his side. He wouldn't stop until he had his girl back.

AN: The first part of this chapter was amazingly easy to write! I loved it! The sweet romance scenes came very easy to me. The battle scenes were reallllyyy hard to write for me though. -- But I hope I did well with it!

Finally there are some real scenes with these two! Nothing romantic has happened save for that kiss from the dream, but that didn't really happen so it doesn't count. They haven't said a thing to each other yet.. But they are admitting to themselves slowly that they do want each other. .

Neji ish pissed! XD! I feel bad for him. Almost. If it weren't so cute, that is. XD

Also, it seems the threat to something bad actually happening to Sakura has brought out a completely different Neji.. It might seem a bit fast with how possessive and protective he is, and is now calling her 'his' but I strongly feel that the best way to get a person to admit something like that when they are so stubborn is to force them to see their own feelings. Which is what happened when she got taken away. So I hope it doesn't seem fast

Also.. I gots meh a beta reader! XD! And an awesome one at that! Everybody say thank you to Martha! She rocks!