Sakura woke up feeling refreshed and somewhat confused. It took her a minute to realize she was back in her old apartment.
Home. I'm home.
"Kaka sensei, ohaiyo!"
The copy nin, looked up surprised to see her this early in the morning. He put down the documents he'd been glaring at and his eyes crinkled affectionately.
"Maa, Sakura chan look at you - you're all grown up eh?" He pouted then "Ne, you make your sensei feel like an old man, oh where has my youth gone" He was swivelling in his chair now.
"Why, you are absolutely right sensei, your hair's all white. I think you fit the profile of a Hokage very well." Sakura chuckled at her sensei's antics. It seemed that no amount of responsibility would change the man.
"Oh, by the way, I had a favor to ask you."
Kakashi perked up at that. He noted the mischievious smile on his student's face and his own face lit up.
"Kakashiiiiii, why'd you call me and teme to Ichiraku? Not that I'm complaining but you never pay for anything."
Naruto had nearly had an aneurysm when a young genin delivered the Hokage's message.
Ichiraku Ramen. 2.30. My treat.
In fact, Naruto had been so flabbergasted he had kicked down Sasuke's door for an immediate meeting where he frantically told the annoyed Uchiha that Kakashi had been kidnapped and someone had sent a note in his stead as a trap.
Fast forwarding 2 hours of Sasuke beating some sense into Naruto about not breaking people's very very expensive doors, here they were.
Sai strolled in a minute later just as Kakashi was starting to soothe Naruto.
Kakashi looked at the boys solemnly, and they, noting his change in demeanor tensed up too.
"Well, I've been really concerned about something...", he looked into the distance and then leaned in slowly.
The boys leaned in as well and held their breaths.
Not one of them noticed their pink haired teammate slide into a chair right behind them nor did they see her wink at Kakashi.
"The thing is...I think I've seen Sakura's ghost around here. I keep on seeing her, but she just sits silently. It's like no one else can see her, y'know?"
"What? Kakashi thats ridiculous!"
"Kakashi what kind of joke is this??"
"Old man perhaps you've finally become what the books call senile?"
Kakashi banged his fist on the bar. The harsh sound silenced everyone in the shop.
"I'm telling you, she's a ghost dammit!" He gulped. His voice lowered to an apprehensive whisper.
"I could be washing my face, and she'd appear right behind me in the mirror, just staring. And as soon as I'd turn around she'd disappear. And..."
Kakashi stopped and they found his eyes dart to their backs and fix themselves to a point.
They had whipped around almost immediately and even though none of them would say it they felt their hearts stop for a few seconds in mind numbing fear.
Every shinobi in the village swore that they heard three of the most high pitched screams ever that afternoon.
Sakura and Kakashi had laughed themselves to tears while her male team mates looked on sullenly.
"Sakura-chan, you're so mean." Naruto huffed and puffed.
Sakura to her credit didn't look the least bit put out by Naruto's pouting, Sasuke's murderous glare and Sai's signature blank countenance.
Neji Hyuuga had almost slipped of a roof when he had heard the screams. Having made sure that no one was in danger from a bunch of passers-by, he headed out to training ground 10 for his routine meditation.
Two hours later, his loudmouthed team mates broke his concentration. They pulled him up and told him the latest gossip.
Well, Tenten told him the latest gossip and Lee had a glazed look in his eyes.
"It's only been a day and Konoha's already come to life. Man, I missed Sakura," said Tenten as she related the events of the afternoon.
It was evening when he bumped into her. She was exiting the Hyuuga compound, saying her goodbyes to Hinata it seemed.
His cousin seemed to be in high spirits and even his uncle, who had a stick so far up his ass it was a miracle he could walk, had some semblance of a smile on his face.
His uncle having noticed his presence had asked him to escort Sakura to her apartment even though she insisted they need not burden "Hyuuga-san" with such an unnecessary task.
In the end she gave up. And here they were - walking home in comfortable silence.
She was humming something indistinct but pleasant and Neji just let himself breathe in her presence.
A cold breeze caressed her tresses, and the moon lit her up like a fairy - a really mischievious fairy given her doings this afternoon.
Her breath came out in small visible puffs. Her lips glistened with some substance. Is that gloss? Neji forced himself to stop his train of thoughts.
He'd met her twice post arrival and he found himself caught in a web of curiosity unlike any he had experienced before.
Sakura. He found himself whispering her name as his lips caressed her own. He could hear their breaths mingling. The small twitches of her fingers as she held onto his shirt lightly. The subtle graze of their chests as the distance between them closed for a fraction of a second.
Everything in that moment felt electrifying. Everything that had led to that moment had been electrifying.
They had reached her door and she had turned to thank him. There had been a brief moment where her eyes had connected with his, and to Neji it had felt significant somehow - those glassy pools of emeralds, that tiny sincere tilt of her lips, the slow bat of her eyelashes - he had been bewitched.
The little minx. The thought had inserted itself into his mind as he had reached to cup her face. Sakura hadn't even blinked. She had stood there gazing at him with something akin to curiosity in her eyes.
Neji tucked her hair behind her ears and planted a sweet kiss on her cheek near her ear. His hands ached to hold her close. Her breath curled up on his neck and it felt unbearably pleasurable.
Slowly, they parted. Something had shifted in both their gazes, it felt like a silent acknowledgement that what had transpired in those precious few moments had altered their relationship irrevoccably.
Neji spent the night turning over the events of the day.
There was no prelude to his attraction. There was only a calm acceptance.
Sakura is mine, as I am hers.