Panda Note: This is the 3rd time I've posted this chapter! Ugh!! I regretted the plot twist with the sister coming back so I had to take it out. So its no longer there. It was not needed in this at all. So enjoy!

Chapter Five

The training field was just as she had left it yesterday. She often used this particular spot for intense training sessions. She grinned to herself as she spotted the hole in which Sai had occupied the day before. Each upturned rock and patch of missing grass told a story of her many encounters with her opponents.

Neji was leaning against a tree with his eyes closed. She found herself studying him as she approached, he changed so much. He looked pretty good, now that she had a chance to actually look without being caught. He looked quite handsome, she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed this before. He had seemed to grow out of an awkward boy into a man, it was breathtaking.

Grinning inwardly she reached him. Thoughts of the night before came to mind. She still wondered why he hadn't tried anything. Maybe he just wasn't into her.

"You managed to find your way, Haruno." 'Haruno? What the hell???'

"You are correct, Hyuuga-san." she said in a voice that didn't sound like her own. More formal than usual.

"Let's get started then." he stated taking off his overshirt and stretching his arms and back.

They trained for three hours until they couldn't move and found themselves lying on the grass staring up at the trees blowing in the wind. Sakura couldn't remember when she'd worked out this hard. Then again it was Neji she was up against and he never went easy on anyone.

"That was great! I love training.." she breathed out glancing over to her left. He seemed just as elated as he was as his face turned towards hers. She felt a light blush come creeping onto her cheeks.

"Yes Sakura-san." ' I hope she understands why I called her Haruno earlier..'

"Thanks Neji for training with me." She stated and felt a flutter in her stomach as he said her name. It all came into focus then and there why he'd called her 'Haruno' before.

"Hn."

Neji watched as she stood up and dusted her pants off. She looked down at him as he too sat up. He couldn't help but admire how she looked with her hair a mess and covered in dirt. He never saw her look more amazing then she did at that moment.

Sakura blushed under his gaze. She shyly started toward her bag and grabbed a thing of water. Understanding the strange sensation that rushed through her with Neji's eyes on her was hard. Was he just...no he couldn't have..? She thought but pushed it out and started off with him toward town, not knowing that Sasuke was trailing them like usual. It wouldn't have surprised her if he were actually trailing her but at that moment her mind was distracted. It never came to mind to check for his low chakra in the area.

Sai waved her down as she neared the center part of the village. He was hanging upside down on a tree branch watching people pass. She shook her head and allowed a small smile to appear. Sai could be the silliest person at times that she forgot all his faults. As much as she wanted to deny that they were friends at times she realized why they worked. Deep inside she knew that he cared and despite the dirty words and mean things he said she knew the truth. He'd learned so much over the years about humans and how to really function.

Sasuke hated what had become of him. Here he was as stoic as ever following Sakura around. No reason could be found other than pure competition with Hyuuga. That could be the only answer. He had watched them go at it on the training field for a while and followed them from there to a coffee shop. There he could see them from a distance. The way she giggled at his words like a silly girl. Like she used to at him. She then left from there in search of her 'dear friend' who was a disturbing copy of himself. 'Why is this loser even here?' he wondered to himself as Sakura poke at this copy's stomach.

"No fair Ugly!! You know I'm odd in that spot."

"You mean you're ticklish." She laughed and poked him again causing him to fall out of the tree.

"Wench..." Sasuke thought at first that everything was going well. She seemed calm but what he hadn't expected was Sai's body imprinted into the ground. He didn't even see it happen. No fist fly no sound.

"Now Sai-teme what did I say about calling me crude names like that?" She said in a voice filled with sugar.

"It must have slipped my mind." Is what would have been heard if he didn't have a mouth full of dirt covering up his words. What came out was something that couldn't be properly decoded.

"Right." Sakura must have been used to this, as though it were routine. "Maybe one of these days you'll learn when its right to shut the hell up." She stated and started down the sidewalk. "Are you coming or what?" She called after realizing he wasn't walking with her.

"Oh forgive me Sakura but I was digesting dirt and recovering from your manly strength." Her eye twitched but refused to get angry. He crawled out of the ground and dusted himself off.

"This time, but don't let it happen again."

"What was our plans today anyway? You were supposed to go with Hyuuga and use your manly strength to beat down the traitor for being a creepy, not very professional stalker." A few feet away Sasuke sweat dropped. After witnessing Sakura's power he wondered if he should go into permanent hiding. His purpose for following her wasn't worth death but something kept him going on. Jealousy mostly. If he didn't find a way to win her over before she fell into the idea of his creepy stalker-ish behavior he'd be doomed.

"I should probably go talk to Tsunade-sama about that mission she mentioned yesterday."

"You are just unbelievable sometimes. What kind of shinobi are you?"

"The best kind."

Sakura remembered earlier with Neji, how he had called her Haruno. At first she wondered why and then he simply stated as they made their way to the coffee shop that formalities were everything. He considered her a friend outside of training and missions but he was all about tradition and following protocol. To him it was an insult to be so informal with an opponent. It was clear to her more than ever that this friendship would work. A friendship she knew would still mess with her head was the one formed with a homicidal Itachi and Deidara.

Though it had only been a few weeks it had been a strange experience. To make a long story short they had found themselves on the same side as the Leaf Village when it came to taking down Sound. It was that simple. Sasuke had his go with his brother and thought that he had finished him off. But Itachi being who he is couldn't very well just die. Not with so many fan girls to please. Kidding. No he couldn't die that easily.

She was sent on this special mission with the two missing nins in hopes of taking down Sounds defense. Along this mission was another team of leaf paired up with other members of Akatsuki. To say the least this mission was intense and downright disturbing. But Itachi and Deidara turned out to be alright. She and Deidara found a common ground when it came to his erratic 'yeah' thing. Itachi didn't talk much and when he did it wasn't something to be documented and saved.

After the war Sakura wondered what would become of them. They couldn't return to the village and with Sasuke finally finished with his quest to destroy his brother he could relax. It seemed like a win-win situation. It wasn't as though Sasuke would be allowed to go on high ranked missions, minus the one they were going on soon, but that was with a group.

She wondered though how her two scary friends were doing at that moment.

Somewhere far away Deidara's ear twitched. He couldn't hold back a grin. Sakura...

"It's going to be a long day Ugly! Why am I shouting?!"

"I don't know.." she held back a giggle though.

They both needed to find other people to talk to at times. Their conversations would go nowhere fast and it was a sad thing. Silence would follow them until they reached Naruto who was enjoying Ramen as usual. Even with maturity creeping up to him he was still the same old Naruto with a bit more edge.

"So Bastard you're leaving tonight for a mission?" Naruto asked as Sakura and Sai joined him.

"Yes Idiot." Sai replied sipping on his broth.

"Hey Naruto, have you seen Sasuke since he got back?"

"Yeah last night of course and this morning before I went to train."

"He's been acting weirder than usual." She wasn't sure if she should go and mention that he was her own personal stalker. He wouldn't like that very much.

"He seems fine to me Sakura. Has he been saying mean things to you again? Should I kick his ass?"

She smiled at that.

"No it's okay he hasn't been saying anything bad." She patted his arm with affection. Just as she did so Sasuke walked in and took the seat next to her. So it was Sai, Naruto Sakura and Sasuke in that order. Seeing as how this was like a group gathering they moved to a table in which Sakura found herself sitting between Sai and Sasuke.

"Hey Ug-erm-Sakura" Started upon seeing the look in her eye. "I have another mission after the Suna one." She rolled her eyes. "I think you should go with me and play the female, I'd rather not dress up like a girl and seduce a man."

"I'm sure plenty of your fan girls would love to play dress up with you."

"If you're joking that's not funny, if you're being serious that's even worse."

"Oh stop with your attempts at pouting, it doesn't work."

"Fine." He stuck his tongue out at her and she did the same.

"Come on guys, can't you two just stop your constant bickering." Cried Naruto who's eye was twitching as he looked at them. They both looked at him for a second to see if he was in fact Naruto and started to laugh.

"Naruto we do it because we're friends and that's how we show that we care."

"So all those times you'd punch me and hit me and scream at me was you showing me you care?" Naruto asked raising an eyebrow.

"Riiight." She said glancing at Sai and giggling nervously. Naruto didn't seem to notice this and just grinned.

Sasuke knew he was caught by Sakura but he also knew she wouldn't say a word until they were alone or she cornered him. While sitting here next to her he could be close without being questioned. It worked perfectly.

"So Sasuke what brings you here?" Naruto Asked.

"Do I need a reason?" He asked.

"Nope but its great that you're hanging with us!" Naruto's boyish fox grin ignited tenfold.

"Say Ug- that'll work. Where is the Hyuuga today? I figured you two were glued together." Oh Sai.

"He happens to have an actual life and clan to worry over. He needed to check in with his team actually and such. Besides there's another mission to look forward to soon."

"What are you on that mission or any mission. Just a medic-nin?" Sasuke asked with a smirk. He wanted to get a reaction out of her. See her old self shine through.

"Oh that's cute Sasuke. But no, that's just part of who I am on a mission. I'm used a lot for my power and strength as well as my ability to heal the wounded." Damn her. His smirk slipped away and he retreated back into his mental cave.

Just as Naruto was about to say something someone burst through the doors.

"Haruno-sama! Come quick they need you now." A young male with a medical jacket exclaimed with panic.

"Right." she got up and left with him.

"I wonder what happened." Sai stated looked out the window as Sakura left with the young medic-nin.

Neji wondered where Sakura could have gone to. He remembered that she was going to meet up with Sai. He found Sai with Naruto and Sasuke but no Sakura. He would have gone to ask them but didn't want them to wonder why he was searching for her. That was his business. As he walked by the hospital he sensed her. She must been working after all today. He walked in and asked the receptionist were Sakura might be.

He wasn't expecting to find her in the ER with another woman with pink hair or those dangerous green eyes.

"Neji? What are you doing here?" She asked wiping away a flood of sweat from her brow.

"I came to see—the Hokage-sama." he answered shifting his eyes to the right, avoiding hers.

"She's gone for the night and I'm leaving." she placed her clipboard down and started for the exit. "Good night Neji."

She was almost to the door before he found himself following.

"I'll join you."

Much later, as the sun set over the horizon, ending another day, Sakura found herself strolling with Neji. Visiting hours were over and her sister needed sleep. Neji had offered to walk her home, even though she was more than capable of getting there fine.

She couldn't have been happier having her sister back in her life, after spending so long mourning her death. It was like a miracle of sorts. What would it be like once she was well again? Tsunade said that she would only have to stay over the weekend and then she'd be released Monday. It was so exciting!

"Thank you for being there with me today, Neji." she stated once they reached the sidewalk leading to her apartment. The overhead lights gleamed off his raven hair as his eyes looking into hers with a strange intensity.

"Yes, no problem." he managed to say in a whisper. Something was definitely up with him.

"Well I'm going to go in now, good night Neji." She stated and turned to go but felt his hand grasp her arm and pull her back. Her heart felt as though it were going to stop or even burst at any second. Such a simple gesture as skin contact could cause this. "Neji? Wha-"

She found her words fade as his grasped the sides of her face and pulled her in. She couldn't look away as his face moved in close to hers. His warm breath brushing against her face. The longing for this was to great, to vast to withstand this gap between them.

The moment their lips met she thought she might fall into darkness. It was so overwhelming, so intense that she never wanted it to end. Every piece of her body trembled with longing for him, his touch.

Just as it was becoming to hard to breathe he broke apart and looked too shocked to speak at first.

"Sakura-san." he whispered. "I should not have done that. I'm terribly sorry. I should go."

Before she had a chance to say 'no don't leave' he was gone leaving a shocked Sakura in his wake.