. . : Kouseiton'i Kunoichi : . .
Chapter 7 - Innocence
By twilightotaku
A/N PLEASE READ! I made huge mistakes in the last chapter, so SORRY! The party was the day they got back, NOT the day after. I've been sick the entire week and my mind is like wheee~, so plz forgive me! I'm sick at home right now, instead of at school, and i told my mom that i'm doing homework, so KUDOS TO ME! Lol
ONLY ONE PERSON ASKED FOR THE OUTFITS, TOO! I SPENT HOURS LOOKING FOR THOSE! T-T thanks Aashini! (sp?)
Please r&r! WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS FLUFF! YATTE FOR NEJI/KAGS FANS!
Definite pairings:
Neji/KagomeNaruto/Hinata (KAWAII!)Ino/Shikamaru (AWWWW...)
Sakura/? Chouji/? Sasuke/? (or should he b a loner?)
Disclaimer: Though I own the super comfy though ragged old pjs i'm currently wearing, I don't own either Inuyasha or Naruto... –sobs-
NOTE 2: This would have been uploaded 2 days ago, but the server wouldn't let me log in X.x expect another update soonish!
Before:
The doorbell of the Yamanaka home rang shrilly, and the two goddesses took in a deep breath, a slight pink tinting their cheeks as they glanced nervously at the door, then back at each other. It was time...
Now:
Ignoring her companions' nervousness, Sakura whipped open the door, and the sight left all three of the girls breathless.
Ino's date, Shikamaru, was decked out in dark blue denim jeans and a polo shirt, his hair in its customary pineapple style. In his hands was a gorgeous flower, which Ino was pleasantly surprised to find as she worked at the only flower shop in Konoha. His stance was casual, though he looked annoyed at the two other boys at his side.
In black baggy jeans and a dark blue dress shirt with his sleeves rolled up, Sasuke looked dashing in his dark outfit, though he was giving the third person his patented Uchiha Death Glare. Any fan girl would have swooned at the sight of him, obliviously ignoring his dark look.
The third person was arguably the most handsome of all the Genin boys, neck-to-neck with Sasuke where the Uchiha-fans were concerned. Hyuuga Neji was dressed in beige/khaki colored baggy jeans and a dark button up shirt left open exposing a white muscle shirt underneath that showcased his 6-pack quite nicely. His attractive face was scowling darkly at the avenger, holding tightly to a gorgeous flower arrangement that Ino was smug to see, as she had designed it for him to gift his date with.
All three boys turned when they noticed the door had opened, and openly gagged at the pink-haired skank before them, whom was wearing practically nothing. Coughing discreetly, Neji asked politely as to where his date was.
Giggling at the boys' reaction to their 'friend', the two girls stepped forward, much to the relief of their dates. Bowing, Neji presented Kagome her flower arrangement, which consisted of a beautiful blue magnolia, framed by pure white apple blossoms that held only a blush of pink. She blushed and used both hands, putting it behind her left ear. Shikamaru stepped forward and did the same thing as Neji, and presented Ino with an icy blue flower that matched her dress perfectly, and put it behind her ear as well. Sasuke just sneered at the two, and didn't bother to bow. He thrust his hand to Kagome, a dark red rose in his hand, who blinked and glanced from Sasuke to Sakura, who was fuming.
"Ano...aren't you Sakura's date tonight? Shouldn't this flower be for her" Kagome tilted her head to the side, clearly confused. Ino and Shikamaru merely shook their heads, and left, the former giving Kagome a hug before she departed.
Any passing citizen would have started twitching at the scene they would have seen in front of the Yamanaka home. The Uchiha boy was holding out a rose to the pretty Higurashi girl, his face expressionless except for the ticking of his eyebrow. The Hyuuga Prodigy looked like he was about to rip of said Uchiha's arm and burn it into little pieces, and the pink-haired Haruno girl was glaring daggers at the pretty Higurashi.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Neji's voice sounded dangerously, his gorgeous pupil-less eyes narrowed. A crowd of fan-girls, fan-boys, and everyday citizens had gathered nearby, hidden from the Genin.
"Giving her a chance to ditch you for me," Sasuke sneered, not even 'gracing' Neji with a glance. He pushed his hand with the rose more towards Kagome, and it was now centimetres away from her face.
"What about me?!" a high, nasally voice whined, alternating between glaring at Kagome and staring at the Uchiha with what was her personal rendition of the 'wounded-puppy-look' that currently resembled a- well, there was no way to describe it. Everybody ignored the pink-haired lacking excuse of a Kunoichi, and turned back to the two prodigies.
"Kagome, I think we should leave. We should go if we're going to have dinner before meeting the others," Neji ignored his 'competition', and his gaze softened when they landed on his date for the night.
"Eh... Ok, Neji-kun!" she reached out and grabbed his hand, and turned towards the other two members of Team 7. "Sasuke-kun, why don't you give that to Sakura and go with her? Neji already asked me before our mission, sorry!" she didn't sound really apologetic- scratch that, she didn't sound apologetic at all.
Tugging her hand away, Neji led her towards town, away from the fuming Sasuke and the overjoyed Sakura. Pulling out a blindfold, he placed it around his date's eyes, careful to not accidentally scratch her or mess up her hair, and led her by her hands. The only thing Kagome could think of was the tingling sensation that his hand invoked in her.
Both ninjas failed to notice the two pairs of eyes on them, as they were seemingly oblivious to their present surroundings. Hiashi Hyuuga was smirking on the rooftops, happy that the great Hyuuga House would soon gain a new member – coincidentally the one the Uchiha Brat wanted. Usually, members of the prestigious clan were never allowed to marry outside of the clan in fear of the Elders' wrath, but this was a special exception. Even the old codger Bumi agreed to it! The clan would rise in power, no doubt, and added with the additional perk of angering the Uchiha brat was the proverbial cherry on top. Yes, things were looking up for the almighty Hyuuga Clan...
Jiraiyia, whom was the second pair of lurking eyes, was madly scribbling into his conspicuously bright red pocket sized notebook, his eyes glimmering excitedly. He had been following the couple, specifically Kagome, for a while now because of the fact that she was the new source of his inspiration. He would publish it soon, and it would be called 'Icha Icha Akuma Tenshi', which would obviously be filled with smut! He grinned in anticipation and continued 'gathering inspiration', as he didn't appreciate the term 'stalking'.
When the duo finally arrived to their designated spot, Neji embraced her casually as he removed the satin blindfold. Gasping in shock after taking in her surroundings, Kagome turned to her date with wide eyes; they were standing in a lush green meadow that gave the perfect view of the setting sun. It was their clearing; one that they had found in their childhood and never relinquished their so called claim on it. There was a soft-looking blanket that was spread on the ground that was decorated with plates and various types of cutlery and beautifully scented candles. A wooden basket stood beside it, probably filled with even more goodies.
Motioning her to sit down, Neji opened the basket and took out a thermos along with two bowls, and proceeded to pour the contents into said bowls. Taking a tentative sniff of the steaming soup, Kagome brought the spoon to her mouth and savoured it. It was absolutely mouth watering!
"How do you like it?" Neji asked shyly, a light blush painted across his otherwise pale cheeks. He was glancing nervously between the bowl, the basket, and Kagome, wishing he had bought something because of the look of surprise that came on her face.
"You made this?!" Kagome gasped in shock, looking from the bowl of soup to her date's face. How did a guy make such delicious miso soup?! She watched his move carefully, noticing his small nod.
Jumping up, she nearly tipped everything over, and hugged him tightly, pressing a chaste kiss on his cheek, causing both of them to blush. They resumed eating the three-course meal, enjoying the comfortable quiet that settled around them along with each others' pleasant company.
The sun had already set, but they weren't due to the club for another thirty or so minutes, so the two lay on the blanket, hands clasped while their minds wandered to the same memories.
"Hinata-chan, Hinata-chan! You forgot to bring your flowers!" a cute sweet voice wafted towards the two departing Hyuugas'. One was a little girl, no older then 6, while the other, a young boy, appeared to be just a year older.
A dark raven blur tackled the Hyuuga Heir, causing the young boy, probably from the Branch Clan, to tense. The two young girls got up, and the boy, Neji, could clearly see that she was not a threat. She was around the Heiress's age, and was quite pretty. She was smiling brightly towards the duo, causing them both to blush a bit.
Bowing slightly, she introduced herself as Higurashi Kagome, and passed a bundle of purple flowers towards Hinata, before speaking. "Hinata-chan, you have to come over again soon! I-"
"Hinata-sama, you are needed at the Main House now. Hiashi-sama will be angry if you are tardy for dinner," the boy's voice interrupted.
"H-hai, Neji-kun. Kagome-chan, I'll see you again tomorrow!" the heiress took the flowers from the blue-eyed girl and left.
~*~*~
"Higurashi-san!" a tall youth with gorgeous lavender eyes bowed before the girl politely, remembering his cousin's friend.
"Ano, Hyuuga-san, your hair is so pretty..." Kagome said childishly, staring in awe at the boy's mid-back length dark brown hair tied up in a loose ponytail. Reaching out to touch it, she blinked before pulling her hand back, blushing. "I made this for you," she spoke, thrusting out a bento box from Kami knows where.
The two children, one 5 ½ while the other 6 stood there awkwardly, before Neji took the box from her. "Arigatou, Higurashi-"
"Just call me Kagome, or Kagome-chan, kay? It sounds like I'm in trouble whenever you say 'Higurashi-san'," Kagome wrinkled her nose adorably, interrupting the prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan.
With a small quirk of his lips, the boy nodded, before hesitantly speaking again. "Then you'll call me Neji-kun," he replied back firmly, turning slightly red at his own audacity.
"Hai, hai Neji-kun!" the 5 year old squealed happily before dancing in circles around the boy, oblivious to the looks from the old faces around them in the park.
~*~*~
Two figures raced through the dark forestry that was shaded from the gleaming lights of the sun. Their dark hair billowed behind them as they raced at unbelievable speeds through their surroundings before reaching a familiar clearing, panting heavily.
"It was a tie again..." the girl stated, wiping the sweat off her brow, before collapsing on the grass, staring into the bright blue sky.
"We need to talk, Kagome," the boy stated grimly, watching his companion closely. "What happened last year-I know your clan is no longer alive, but I don't believe that they would want you to-"
"You don't know anything about my clan, or their death," the quiet but firm voice interrupted, emotionless as the speaker's face, ignoring the pang of hurt that appeared in his face as she swallowed down the lump in her throat.
"That's because you won't tell anybody anything! If it weren't for the Hokage, the Elders would have done terrible things that even Ibiki-san would be terrified of!" he scowled, his tone vehement as the girl just blinked.
"Can we just not talk about this now?" she asked softly, ignorant of the gaze that was on her, emotion strong it in though unidentifiable. Wordlessly, he took her hand, and they both just lay there, staring into the clouds, watching, wishing and just simply enjoying the comfortable silence that had crept upon them.
~*~*~
"Kagome, let's go celebrate. It's the night before you find out about your teams," a soft, masculine voice declared, concerned eyes watching his friend's impassive face as they sat in their clearing.
"We are celebrating..." the quiet breathy reply was barely heard, the wind blowing it into the boy's ears gently.
"Kagome, you've been turning so cold! You don't laugh or smile anymore- not a true sign of happiness since you were six!" Neji stated, slightly exasperated, though mostly worried. "Can't you just-"
"Neji, I-" Kagome's composure suddenly collapsed, and she threw herself at her closest friend, sobbing and letting go of her enormous emotional baggage. "Their all gone... Kaa-san, Tou-san, even Ji-san! It's been six years, and I feel really stupid for talking about this again, but-"
"Hush..." he held her tightly, rubbing circles into her back soothingly before speaking again. "You know that wherever they are, your parents love you, and that they wouldn't want you to be all impassive and detached like the Uchiha brat. They would have wanted you to be lively, happy, and the best you can be, so just laugh. Kami-sama isn't going to kill you if you do," he scolded teasingly, a thing he only did in private with her.
"Demo-"
"Kagome..."
"Hai..."
~*~*~
"Close your eyes," his voice suddenly said, unexpectedly. Closing her eyes curiously, she almost gasped out loud when she felt the coolness of metal running along her collarbone. Revealing her sapphire orbs, she lost her breath at the necklace that now adorned her neck. It was a single blue sapphire that was framed by three pieces of white-gold, with tiny diamonds sprinkled on it. The chain itself was pretty as well, also just a simple yet elegant strand of pure white gold.
"Neji, you shouldn't have-"
"Do you like it?" he cut in, pleased by the stunned look that was painted across the face of the girl that he had known since childhood- his best friend, and possibly more...
"It's beautiful, but are you sure that-"she was interrupted by firm, soft lips that swooped onto her mouth, silencing her temporarily. The kiss was gentle, almost like a soft caress, and left her breathless as two strong arms enveloped her petite figure, evoking a strange, pleasant feeling that struck her chest.
"We have to go now, or we'll be late," Neji's smooth baritone voice spoke, reluctant to let go. Standing, he offered a hand to his date before packing up the remains of their picnic quickly. The duo left the clearing, walking slowly back towards the club hand-in-hand.
They arrived at the club just at the right time, and were not bothered by the bouncer or the skinny manager, unless you count winking 'subtlety' towards your dates 'acceptable'. Going inside, the pair was surprised to see all of their friends already sitting in the booths, seemingly waiting for them. The club decor was quite stylish, formal but with a street-like undertone, its main colors a dark burgundy and a black, accented by gold and silver.
"Konbanwa minna-san," Kagome greeted cheerfully, smiling at the scene in front of her as they greeted her back. Each booth held room for two people, and it was absolutely perfect for the couples. Naruto and Hinata sat together, both their faces bright red, though happy. Ino was seated with Shikamaru, and though the latter attempted to look bored and put-off, Kagome could not but help to notice the sparkle in his eye and the way he kept glancing back towards Ino, who was no better herself.
The only people present in the entire club was the Rookie 10, though there were a couple Jounin instructors lounging by the bar laughing among themselves. The only people that didn't look happy was Sasuke and Sakura, who sat in a dark corner under what seemed to be a little thunder cloud that rained only on them. Sasuke was staring blackly at the ground, clenching and unclenching his fist in a show of childish rage, while his 'date' Sakura was sitting, her legs uncrossed and pointed towards her 'date' as she attempted to pout 'seductively', which ended up with her lower lip stuck out so much she looked like a retarded pug- wait, that would be an insult to pugs!
After chatting for a bit, the couples migrated to the dance floor smiling, laughing, and basically enjoying themselves. It turned out that not only was a couple Jounins present, including Kakashi, Genma, Asuma, Gai just to name a few, but also the Hokage and Jiraiyia and a couple ANBU. The DJ was pretty competent, and the night was still young, which enabled the Genin to enjoy themselves with the exception of a select few.
"Alright everybody, I just wanted to make a special announcement that-" the DJ was interrupted unceremoniously, and four consecutive things occurred.
ICHI- The Southern Wall of the brand new club, Kuro Seisoku blew open towards the clubbers, shattering glass and ruining the silk alike.
NI- Hordes of ninja clothed in black outfits with blue masks on their face emerged from the gaping hole, startling not only the Genins, but also the Jounins, ANBU, and Hokage. Thankfully, a ninja is never unarmed- well, except for certain pink haired kunoichi's....
SAN- Just as the ninjas appeared, they disappeared, but not before throwing various kunai, shuriken and senbons towards the group, their aim unknown as the weapons flew like a storm, too quickly for even the most skilled ANBU to react.
YON- As the mysterious ninjas fled, Kagome stood shocked in the middle. On the bottom of each mask was a single blue phoenix, soaring from nothingness.
A/N: 2.8 WORDS without the A/Ns. Sorry for the lateness, but I have alot of work to do as midterms are coming up and I really have to study X.x Sorry for the cliffy, but my brain won't really work, and i DID promise a chapter soon, so here it is! I'll try my best to get at LEAST one chapter a month! Thanks to all those who have reviewed, and if you would like to see any of their outfits, just email me at [at] gmail [dot] com :)
R&R please!
Cheers,
-Miyabata Keigai