Disclaimer: I don't own, kthxbai. I do own a Saint Seiya Sacred Saga bag, a gift from my best friend and partner in crime.
-X-
Chapter 2: Adapting
-X-
Sakura wisely kept her mouth shut when Neji told her in a cold voice that he would be escorting her to the Hyuuga Compound. Allowing Inner Sakura to rant and scream all she wanted inside her head, she swung her backpack on her shoulder and stepped out of her apartment.
Strolling through the Konoha bustling streets with a sulking ANBU-masked Hyuuga behind her was incredibly uncomfortable. But the real challenge presented itself in the form of Sai, who they bumped into in the middle of Summer Street.
"Ugly, I hope you feel better now," he greeted. Sai was wearing his trademark black clothes again –full length to spite his fangirls, as she liked to tease him–, which told her that he was going to the red bridge in order to meet with his team––her team.
"I'll feel better when you guys come back," she said honestly. "Don't pick on Hinata, Sai, I'm warning you. And don't let Kakashi get hurt, please."
"I'll do my best," he replied with a smile. Only a Team Seven member would know that this tiny curve of his lips was a real smile, so she smiled back.
"Watch each other's backs and return safely," she whispered, bringing him into an embrace. Sai clasped her back in a tight hug. "Look after Hinata or Naruto will kick your ass and I won't stop him."
"I promise," he said, pulling back and looking directly at her eyes. "Get well, although I see you perfectly healthy now, as ugly as ever."
"Shut up, moron."
Neji watched this affectionate banter detachedly. Rumors in the ANBU Headquarters were going on and on about the closeness of all the members of Team Seven; all were jounin by now and some of them were even in the ANBU rotation. Naruto was a specialized jounin, who was rumored to be under the Hokage's schooling and that she was about to name him her successor. As for Kakashi and Yamato, Neji saw the two of them going on solo A-class missions for ANBU from time to time. And Sai was an ex-ROOT operative, so no mentions about his skills were considered due to his known involvement with the former ROOT Commander's demise.
And Sakura was the second-in-command in the General Konoha Hospital. Neji heard other colleagues saying that her skills were remarkable, placing her as the most prized doctor in the Hospital and the third best medic-nin in the whole village, after Tsunade and Shizune.
Having been on the received end of her careful and thorough treatments, Neji didn't doubt those praises.
Seeing Sai's back receding down the road, Sakura let out a sigh and turned to her masked companion, nodding. Since he was clad in ANBU gear, she knew it wasn't too wise to address him by his name, although his long black hair was certainly a Hyuuga trademark.
In silent understanding, they resumed their walk, entering the Winter Street within a few minutes.
All in all, the Hyuuga Compound was huge. There were at least thirty different families living within its perimeter. This was called a Clan, she remembered, recalling those times that she, Kakashi and Naruto went inside the Uchiha District in order to retrieve their brooding teammate for morning training.
But what made the difference between these two renowned Clans was their people.
The Uchiha were no more, except for Sasuke and Itachi; whereas the Hyuuga were like white bunnies, breeding and multiplying when the chance was at hand. She let out a snort at the mental image, feeling Neji's suspicious glance under his mask, but she didn't let on anything as they were being observed by the gate guards.
Crossing the main gates, she couldn't help but gape at the beauty of the surroundings. A wide path was flanked by several traditional houses in the manner that evoked a Daimyo Estate, every property partitioned by low, white picket fences. People went up and down the road, minding their own business, some with baskets, some with laundry bundles, and some others carrying swords and the usual shinobi gear.
She also noted that several people had their juin uncovered. Sakura recalled Neji's fight with Naruto, in the middle of which he uncovered his own seal in a fit of frustration.
Sakura was more than stunned then, but now, having her own juin on her back, she silently thanked the gods that Chiyo-baa-sama hadn't placed the mark on a barer place.
As if on cue, her mark made itself known by releasing an imperceptible trickle of chakra under her skin that made her shiver.
Neji took his mask off and regarded her coolly. "Is everything okay?"
"Ah, yeah," she answered quickly, steering away the sensation.
"It's not the first time that a visitor gets intimidated by the dimensions of the Hyuuga Compound," he said offhandedly, with a faint arrogant undertone. She huffed.
"Sorry, Hyuuga-san, but after visiting the Aburame Clan, I can't feel impressed by this."
"And might I ask, what were you doing there?"
"Shibi-sama got badly injured on a mission but refused to get medical attention in the Hospital because all the nurses frighten his bugs," Sakura explained while they kept walking, oblivious to the many stares of silver-colored eyes. "Shizune had gone to heal Inoichi-sama and Tsunade-shishou was treating Chouza-sama, so I kind of was on my own."
Neji didn't answer, but he knew how the Aburame Complex looked on the inside since he trained with Shino from time to time.
But Sakura, lost in the memory, laughed softly. "I was greeted with a rather weird sight: Shibi-sama was covered from head to toe with his bugs because he didn't want his wife to see the extent of his injuries. After I healed his ribs and some deep gashes, he tried to swear me to secrecy, but Yuriko-san overheard him and gave him such an earful that I can still hear her."
"I never knew that Yuriko-sama was so stern," Neji said, noticing with surprise that he was actually listening to her story, instead of making polite small talk because she was an imposed guest in the Hyuuga Clan.
He frowned inwardly and made a mental note to analyze the entire situation later as they stepped inside the front garden of Main House. Blinking, he realized that she had cut herself off, and turned to see why.
Sakura found herself gaping again. The garden was filled with soft grass and a little creek that made a small mill wheel creak lazily. Some boulders and a part of clean soil were the only proof that some shinobi lived there. In conclusion, the garden was a gorgeous landscape, with some purple orchid bushes lying here and there. Behind all this, a huge engawa marked the beginning of a big traditional mansion, painted in white like everything else in the estate.
"This is... amazing," Sakura whispered, taking in all the details she could. She didn't know where she would be staying, but she wanted to engrave this sight into her mind.
"Ah, Haruno-san," Hideki greeted her with a respectful tone that didn't hide the coldness and some underlying anger for her earlier escape. "So delightful of you to finally join us."
"I had to take a bath, Hideki-san," she replied beaming beatifically at him, keeping her own derisiveness in check. "I couldn't get here wearing improper clothes, you see."
This seemed to disorient the old Councilman. "Well, let us get inside. Hiashi-sama sends his regards and apologizes because he couldn't welcome you to his house. He is a very busy man indeed."
Neji knew for sure that his uncle was free during the afternoons, so this was surely a way to snub Sakura, but she took all this in stride, to his internal surprise.
"I understand," she said, bowing deeply. "Thank you for having me on such short notice."
"It is fine, Haruno-san," the old man said, lifting a brow with superiority. "After all, this is just a mission."
Inner Sakura roared with fury, but she didn't show anything but a lovely smile. The Councilman frowned and turned on his heels, entering the house. Neji sneaked a glance at her, only to find her smirking with twisted glee.
Only then did he realize the source of her amusement: she hadn't changed her clothes since the meeting, but the ever observant Hideki failed to notice it.
"Thank you for escorting me, Neji-san," she said with a bit of embarrassment when she remembered what had happened at her apartment. "And I apologize for yelling at you earlier. You scared me."
"It's okay", he said with practiced courtesy, turning to leave.
Alone in the garden but feeling the old Councilman's eyes on her, Sakura heaved a deep sigh and stepped inside the house, feeling a rather distinct sense of foreboding.
-X-
Hideki closed the shoji door behind him, finally leaving her alone. After such a long day, she only wanted to sink down in a bed and sleep for at least two days, but she knew that the Hyuuga would never allow her that tiny piece of snoring heaven.
After a brief assessment of her assigned guest room, a very nice, elegant –bare– white room with all the impersonal elements proved to be a luxurious prison cell with an adjoined bathroom.
Shrugging, she divested herself of her ninja clothes to check on her seal. The earlier chakra tickle had been the very first time that the seal had revealed itself, so she needed to see what on earth might have caused it to react.
But looking at it now, nothing seemed out of place.
Weird.
If this was a Creation Rebirth jutsu like Chiyo-baa-sama said, then why had it chosen to manifest now, after all these years?
She didn't know. But she was certain that some things were better left unsaid, as Chiyo was laid down on the scorching sand and Gaara pronounced a speech in her beloved memory.
"I never knew her, only by references", the red-haired Kazekage had said. "But now I deeply regret that I couldn't have the chance to meet her. And by what she had done, I'll be grateful for the rest of my life."
Temari wept behind her fan but nobody dared to acknowledge the fact. Sakura knew that the near loss of both her little brothers brought the usually tough kunoichi to her knees.
Family.
Such a complex concept, Sakura mused while she pulled her yukata on. The garment was one of the remaining pieces of the Haruno Clan heirlooms, as of speak. She always wore them on festivals and diplomatic gatherings, such as the Council Summit Meetings. She hated those encounters, but she loved to wear these yukatas and kimonos.
Feeling her mother whispering inside her mind, she reached backwards and tied the sash easily. Sakura's eyes filled with tears as she remembered the last time she had worn this specific garment. Sakura's parents had been killed in action on a mission in Grass Country, so she had to claim her father's position among the Clan Council.
If Kakashi hadn't been there, she thought glumly, I probably would have made a fool of myself.
Thank the Gods for small blessings, Inner Sakura agreed.
A short knock on the door startled her. Wiping her eyes quickly, she answered the door, only to meet with one of the servants. It was a rather small woman, looking straight at her deep emerald-colored eyes.
"Hiashi-sama requests your presence in the dining room," she said, bowing. Sakura bowed back, which surprised the middle-aged Hyuuga.
"Thank you," Sakura said. "Could you please show me the way? I'm afraid this house it's too big for my personal tastes," she threw a wink at the servant and stepped out of the room.
Recovering in the fast manner only Hyuuga's could, the woman started walking, leading Sakura through a maze of hallways and identical doors. She cringed inwardly.
"This wing is only for guests," the servant said. "As of late, you are the only guest in the Main House, so don't worry about opening the wrong room. However, you will be escorted to any place you want."
Sakura grimaced openly. "Thank you, ma'am..."
The woman turned to face her and bowed, signaling a doubled-sized door. "My name is Hikari. Please let me know if you need anything."
"You can bet on that," Sakura said with a beam, allowing Hikari to slide open the dining room doors.
Hiashi, Hanabi and Neji were there already. Hanabi nodded, Hiashi glowered and Neji ignored her, so she figured this was their normal behavior. She bowed with practiced ease, already accustomed to the manners of the Clan Council. She wished that Kakashi had been there in order to let out some boredom by passing up little pieces of paper, threatening glares versus saccharine smiles and silent giggles behind paper fans.
"Hiashi-sama," she saluted him with the politest voice she could muster. "Thank you for having me. I apologize for this rudely intruding in your house."
"Haruno-san," he replied without rising from his seat. "Please join us."
"Surely," she answered, as Inner Sakura threw a temper tantrum in her mind. Why the hell you have to be so damn well-mannered?!
It's the law of diplomacy, she retorted mentally, so shut up for a while, okay?
The food was incredibly tasty and she made small talk with Hanabi. She asked her about some studying methods she used back in the Academy. Sakura answered all her questions, knowing that as soon as she was dismissed from this façade she was going to take a goddamn hot shower… the gods were simply willing it.
As Hiashi complimented her manners, she gracefully accepted his words without losing her cool. It was pretty clear that he was taunting her, trying to make her lose her temper.
Sometimes, she thought while nodding at the Clan Head, all that horrible training she had to endure with her shishou proved to be useful. As Hokage, Tsunade was less but blunt regarding all the matters on those Council meetings. She was criticized about her methods until it was proved that her informal ways got her closer to all shinobi and the citizens in Konoha. But being picturesque didn't mean that she wasn't aware of all the manners a lady had to observe in a formal meeting.
And with a bit of the marvelous patience and help from Shizune, they taught Sakura how to behave like a proper lady on certain occasions.
Food finished and servants fussing around them while clearing the table, Hanabi spoke.
"It was very interesting evening, speaking with you, Sakura-san," she said. "At least you don't stutter like my sister."
Sakura blinked. Hanabi just had spoke ill about Hinata? No, that couldn't be. Hinata regarded her little sibling with love and respect...
"I'm positive your sister is a very shy girl, that's all," she finally answered. "Hinata is very skilled you know, I've had the pleasure of going on missions with her and she has saved my life several times."
She couldn't help but defend the absent purple-haired kunoichi. Hinata was a lovely girl, and she was adamant on doing all she could do to bring her and Naruto together.
And by the looks of it, her family knew about her meddling.
"Hinata is a capable ninja," Hiashi said coldly. Sakura cringed inwardly, as Inner Sakura flexed her hands anxiously. "But it is certainly disheartening that her choices regarding relationships are somewhat... off."
There it was. The label put on Naruto since they learned he was a demon container always got in the middle of all the ignorant people.
And definitely, Sakura had enough of this plastic façade.
She rose from her seat slowly, brushing her yukata sleeves in an absentmindedly manner. "It is too bad as well that her own family doesn't accept her selection because she chose with her heart instead of her blood or her social status," her words were soft, but there was a steel undertone on them. "Thank you for the excellent dinner," she added with a polite bow, "it was very considerate of you."
Stepping out of the room, she softly slid the shoji door closed and walked away.
-X-
"Haruno, wait."
She whirled to see Neji walking up to her. She let out an angry sigh and crossed her arms across her chest.
"That was very rude of you, leaving the room before Hiashi-sama dismiss--"
"You," she cut him off. "You, of all people, should know that Hinata is happy with Naruto. I don't appreciate people who scorn my brother, Hyuuga-san, I'm sorry."
She turned her back on him and started to walk, while trying to remember her way back to the guestroom, until she heard his voice again.
"Your room is not that way," he said. "I'll escort you back to it."
Sakura gritted her teeth and stopped. "Lead the way."
It turned out that she had missed a hallway. They were in front of her door in a few moments.
"Thank you," she said tightly while opening the door. Neji furrowed his brows as he noticed her regular garments folded on the bed and her backpack on a chair, opened but still full.
"Aren't you going to unpack?" he asked. "You might be here for a while."
A certain part of Neji knew that she would be angrier with his question, but the other part wanted to find out when she was going to explode after all the fake politeness displayed in the dining room.
True to her prime nature, she turned to watch him with her brows knitted and her eyes almost sparkling with fury.
"I'll unpack when I feel the damn need to do it," she hissed. "Now go away before I do something you regret later."
"Me?" Neji scoffed, sarcastically amused. "You are the one threatening me in my own house and I'll regret it?"
"I thought you lived somewhere else," she sneered back, waving her hand and he knew that she was referring to the Branch Houses.
"This is none of your concern, Haruno," he said coldly, turning on his heels and retreating down the hallway.
"Gah!" she exclaimed, sliding the door closed.
I'm not going to feel guilty, I'm not! she thought, shrugging off her yukata and walking to the bathroom. As she turned on the shower at full blast, she stepped inside and almost let out a shriek.
"Ah, cold! Fucking cold! Cold!" she cried out, scrambling away from the water hastily. Panting, she noticed that she had turned the correct knob. "There's no hot water?! Fuck, I'm going to die!"
She toweled herself quickly and got under the bed covers shivering. She hated cold water with a vengeance. Her boys always knew when her heater was broke because she went to practice with a nasty mood, opening the ground with a punch and sweating off one of her biggest pet peeves before going to the hot springs.
But I can't get to do that now, she thought, burying herself under a ton of blankets and her traveling cloak.
Worn and tired for all the happenings of one of the longest days ever, she fell asleep instantly.
-X-
It was almost daybreak when Hikari knocked on her door.
Perusing inside, she pursed her lips when she saw the pink head peeking among a nest of covers and blankets. Sakura's features were worn and she had circles under her eyes.
Not wanting to wake her up, she retreated and closed the door silently. She didn't miss the towel lying on the floor, or the yukata Sakura wore the past night thrown haphazardly on the back of a chair.
Remembering that Hiashi had said that the Hokage protégé was recovering from a stay in the hospital, she shook her head at Sakura's stubbornness. She should have said that she wasn't feeling well.
"Hikari-sama," greeted Neji, startling the small woman. She didn't notice him coming down the hallway.
"Oh, good morning, Neji-kun," she answered back with a little smile. "I'm afraid our guest hasn't risen yet."
"She needs to be up and about in a short time though," Neji said with a little shrug. "The Hokage is coming here to check up on her."
"Ah, then allow me to--"
"No," Neji cut her off with an arched brow. "I'll wake her."
"Ah, then go ahead," Hikari answered with a grin. "I'll see that breakfast is being prepared correctly then."
"Thank you," he said with a soft nod. "Is Uncle attending breakfast?"
"I'm not sure; he left before daybreak to the training grounds."
"Ah. I see."
Conversation over, Hikari walked away and Neji opened the room door. Sakura had moved in her sleep, turning her back on the door. Neji walked to her bed, noticing her deep breathing and the way she was clutching the covers.
Apparently this room is too cold, he mused, still offended at last night's remarks about him living in the Main House. Trailing his eyes on Sakura, he noticed she looked indeed very tired.
Until he noticed a thin green line on her back. Frowning, he tilted his head, trying to get a better look. A tattoo, perhaps?
Suddenly, Sakura jolted awake, sitting up and pressing the covers to her body defensively. Seeing him with wild eyes, she pulled back until she was huddled in a corner of her bed.
"What the hell are you doing?!" she hissed. Neji lifted his hands and tried to placate her.
"I was about to wake you," he said softly. "Hokage-sama is arriving shortly to see you."
Neji saw her taking deep breaths, trying to regain her calmness, only to notice her looking at him with a glare of annoyance.
"What time is it?"
"Almost six a.m."
"Go away."
"The Hokage will see you--"
"Okay! Fine, I'm up but leave me alone, please."
He stopped at the door. "Did you have a bad dream?"
Sakura sighed, turning her face away from him.
"More like a nightmare," she muttered to herself, but he heard her. "Do not mind me, Hyuuga-san, I'll be outside in a minute."
When she opened the door, her composed self didn't fool the shinobi that was leaning on the wall, waiting for his charge.
"Let's go," she said, slipping back to the calm, fake façade she had showed at the dinner.
Walking through the maze house again, she kept utterly silent as Neji led her to the dining room, where the Hokage was already chatting up with an obviously uncomfortable Hanabi.
"Ah, Sakura," Tsunade greeted her. "Thank you Neji. Hanabi, now could you please leave us alone for a couple of minutes?"
The Hyuuga cousins stepped out of the dining room and Tsunade regarded the pink-haired kunoichi, motioning her to kneel beside her and placing a glowing hand on her back.
"It reacted recently?"
Sakura spluttered. "Wha--! H-How did you know?"
"The warding I put on you is strong, but not like the one Kakashi placed on Sasuke," Tsunade smirked, clearly proud of her findings. "Chiyo-baa was a gifted woman indeed; she gave you a Creation Rebirth, as you said. I'm sorry for not believing in you, Sakura."
"But why did it react?" Sakura asked, dropping the calm demeanor and looking straight to her shishou's eyes. "I felt a tingle when I entered this Compound, and..."
Tsunade pursed her lips. "Did you sleep well?"
"No," her student answered with a heavy sigh. "I keep dreaming about all my battles, against Kin and Ino, against Sasori, Sasuke..."
The Hokage noticed her lack of warmth when she mentioned the Uchiha's name. "So you finally moved on from Sasuke? It was about time," she said softly, approving of her apprentice. "Naruto and Jiraiya left last night. Apparently Naruto came here to bid you goodbye but the guards didn't allow him entrance."
"Shishou, why did you..." Sakura tried to ask, but she didn't hear anything more as she dropped unconscious on the table. The Hokage looked at her form, while casting off her chakra and drawing her two lifted fingers back off Sakura's mark.
"Because I have the feeling that they'll protect you, my dear," whispered Tsunade to her sleeping form, calling the Hyuuga cousins back. "Please take her to her room, she needs more rest."
Wordlessly, Neji picked the kunoichi up and walked away.
Tsunade sighed deeply. "Ah, Hanabi, can you tell me if your father has some sake around?"
Neji regarded the unconscious young woman in his arms. Her long lashes projected thin shadows on her cheeks, while her deep breathing made his senses level and calm in response.
Shifting her weight to open the door of her room, he felt something warm on her back. She mumbled something as she turned her face and pressed it to Neji's neck. Stunned, he brought her quickly to her bed, setting her down gently, careful not to wake her.
Sakura let out a little sound before burying her face in the pillow, and the young man stared at her, speechless for a moment, before shaking off his reverie and stepping out.
-X-
She awoke the next morning, feeling rested and energetic. Finding herself in her room, she went to the bathroom mirror, taking off her shirt.
"What the..." her warding seal was fainter now, still dark green but with some kind of arabesque opening on the circle. It was obvious; Tsunade had unconfined the closed ward to allow her to experiment with her gift.
When Hikari knocked on her door, she was already tying on her high sandals.
"Good morning, Hikari-san!" she said cheerfully. "I'm ready!"
The woman blinked, taken aback. "I never took you for a morning person, Sakura-san."
"I'm not," she answered with a laugh. "Hospital shifts are horrible for us medics, so sleeping for a good while is more than enough to recharge our batteries."
"Oh," Hikari said, walking in front of Sakura. "So you're a medic-nin."
"Yes, and please, tell me if you need anything. I'll be more than happy to help you."
"Thank you, Sa--oh, good morning, Hanabi."
"Good morning, Aunt Hikari," said the girl. "Can I lead Sakura-san to breakfast?"
The woman smiled faintly. "Sure, Hanabi. We will talk later, Sakura-san."
Only when they saw the servant turn in a corner, Hanabi looked up at Sakura.
"Sakura-san, I need to apologize for upsetting you at the dinner. I only made an observation about my sister's stuttering and my father took it as an exit."
"I know, Hanabi, don't worry," Sakura replied with a smile. "I wasn't angry with you."
"Then, you're angry at my father?" she asked. "Neji-niisan was pretty upset too, but he only requested to escort you to your room... you know, I like Naruto for my sister, really. He's a funny guy."
Watching a young Hyuuga going on a tirade like that was surprising for Sakura. She realized that there were a lot of people who were grateful with Naruto for making the Hyuuga Heir smile again. Neji should agree with his cousin, Sakura thought.
"My father isn't here," Hanabi went on. "So we're alone in the house..."
Hanabi proved to be rather nice to have a conversation with and her giggles were bright and sharp, very different from Hinata's. But she was nice company nonetheless Sakura concluded, as the two girls finished their breakfast and sipped their green tea.
"Sweet pancakes and bitter tea?" Sakura teased with a smirk, to see Hanabi smirking back.
"They're Neji-niisan's favorites," she said. "Pancakes under a puddle of jam and a cup of strong, sugarless green tea. He said that Aunt Hikari's jams are the best in Konoha."
"I have to agree with him," Sakura laughed as she dipped her finger on the remnants in her plate and sucking the syrupy flavor.
Neji choose to enter in that moment, internally bewildered when he saw Sakura with her finger in her mouth while Hanabi chuckled rather loudly. They greeted him naturally, but he didn't fail to see the pink-haired kunoichi dipping her finger in the jam and brought it to her lips again.
"So I see you liked Hikari-sama's jam," he said wryly. Sakura blushed at her lack of manners and countered back.
"A girl never says no to sweets," she retorted caustically. "What's your excuse?"
"Sugar fills the body with energy," Neji said dully, only to have Sakura laughing out loud at his detached face.
"Yeah, whatever," she said with a mocking smile. "Are you my assorted escort? I'd really like to get out of this house, as gorgeous and lovely huge as it is. I'd like to blow off some steam."
"I'll lead you to our training grounds then," he answered coolly.
"Ah, but Hyuuga-san," she added with a wicked grin. "I'm sure that Hiashi-sama would be rather angry if he sees his training grounds demolished."
Remembering what she had done to the Akatsuki Cave in River Country back when they went to rescue Gaara, he nodded.
"Then we'll go out--"
"I forbid it," Hiashi interjected as he entered the dining room. "Haruno-san must remain within Hyuuga premises. Those were the Hokage's orders."
"Then I think I'll be in my room instead," replied Sakura as she stood up. "It would be disappointing if that lovely garden outside gets harmed by my hands."
"I am sure you won't do much ruckus, Haruno-san, your body is quite small."
"Are you willing to bet, Hyuuga-sama?" she countered back, without hiding her fiendish glee from her face.
Oh, boy.
-XXX-
Sorry for the wait! I'm currently traveling around Mexico and Costa Rica and I haven't had the time to update, heheh.
Much love and thanks to everyone who added this story to their favs and alerts! I'm overwhelmed, really.
And more love to Celtic Oak, who is my assorted beta and hostess at the moment! (She is actually next to me as I write this, want me to say hello to her? -winks-)