Disclaimer: I don't own, kthxbai. I do own a nasty cough and a sore throat, which are driving me insane.

-X-

Chapter 7: Overcoming

-X-

The kiss ended before she could process that she was responding to it with a fierceness and abandon that stunned her.

Breathless, she opened her eyes and looked at Neji, who was sporting a confused frown as he stared back at her. She knitted her brows in response, only to feel the prodigy's hand cupping her cheek gently.

"Most... interesting..." he whispered, taking her lips one more time.

This kiss was very different than the first one, maybe because he was at his wit's end when he crashed against her mouth; this kiss, however, was slow and almost lazy, thorough and moving. He took his time exploring her mouth, outlining her lips with his tongue, asking her, almost pleading.

She opened her lips, but she was not prepared for the onslaught of fire that ignited between them as the kiss deepened. Sakura let out a sound from deep down her throat, finding that Neji responded with a growl, now with both of his hands on her face, his fingers entangling with the loose roseate tresses that escaped from her short ponytail.

It was safe to say that she was floating in the realm of paradise. Neji's ministrations were like numerous kisses combined in one big kiss, taking what she was offering and tempting her with his tongue, coaxing her own to entwine in a dance whose rhythm was known deep within their senses.

Sakura didn't notice when the onyx-haired Hyuuga reached for the ribbon that was securing her hair and tugged gently, freeing her locks and sliding his digits through them. The effect was almost immediate, as she mewled softly into his mouth.

Neji, then, became a predator.

He kissed her hard, enjoying the way she seemed to melt into his embrace as his arms surrounded her trembling form and her hands moved to cling to the front of his kimono; her mouth complied with every single one of his demands and her chakra seemed to pulsate with pleasure at his proximity.

It took a long while for them to pull back, gasping for air.

A silence hung between them, as both tried to assess the magnitude of their actions. Sakura opened her eyes, finding that Neji was staring at her, his silvery gaze darkened like a stormy afternoon cloud. She blushed furiously, making him smirk.

"Sakura..." he murmured, sliding his hands across her back as light as a lover's caress.

The seal reacted again, pushing his hands back with some kind of electrical shock.

His brows shot up, to pull back down in a glare.

"You're sealed," he said. "You have a seal."

Sakura looked down, trying to find some words. "I—I..."

"Look at me," he demanded in a whisper, grasping her chin and tilting her head. "Why? Why are you sealed?"

"Neji...san," she began. "It was a gift..."

"Agift?" he scoffed sarcastically. "And who was nice enough to put a juin on you?"

"Chiyo... Chiyo-baa-sama," she whispered, trying to pull back from his grasp. She felt the same panic as before, when his chakra mingled with hers.

"The Suna Elder?" he asked in shock. "Why did she do that to you?"

"I..." she fumbled with her words under his haughty interrogation, only to have Inner Sakura kicking at her wits. This seemed to pull herself together, as she tilted her chin defiantly, effectively breaking from his hold.

"Sa-"

"I only respond to my team, Captain," she said in a hard voice. "If they don't complain, I fail to see why you should do so. Hokage-sama knows about my mark, that's all you need to know."

And with that, she hightailed out of the room and out of the Hyuuga Compound.

Shocked, to say the least, Neji realized belatedly that she had addressed him as Captain.

-X-

Sakura's feet brought her to the training grounds, finding Sai, Yamato and Kakashi enjoying the afternoon sun under a ferocious spar. It was one of their favored kinds of practice, the battle royale, as they attacked one another, not taking sides, nor holding back.

Naruto wasn't there, so she figured he was still with Hinata. Sitting under a tree, she absently watched as Yamato's Mokuton grew roots under Kakashi's feet, not being able to finish the jutsu because Sai's ink tiger pounced, almost mauling him.

It was kind of fascinating watching the three shinobi engaged in combat, but Sakura's senses were still at the Hyuuga Mansion, along with Neji's accusing questions.

Sakura closed her eyes and pulled her legs to her chest, laying her forehead on her knees. Something was off, as her inner persona nagged at her. Why had the Hyuuga prodigy changed so suddenly, kissing her senseless and then almost putting a lamp on her face, asking so many difficult questions?

And on top of all, why did he care?

It wasn't as if she had a curse seal, she mentally pondered... only to groan loudly as she realized finally why he had reacted in that particular manner.

Of course, he was a genius regarding to chakra manipulations and the likes. Neji, being as observant as he always was, would have noticed the unnatural gathering of energy on her back. But that wasn't all...

She was a total moron. Why didn't she remember that he had a curse seal of his own and he had probably misunderstood the nature of her own mark?

"Sakura-chan?"

She lifted her head, to find Naruto looking at her in obvious concern. The three previously battling shinobi had disengaged, approaching them. Kakashi's uncovered eyes showed puzzled concern, resembling Naruto's own façade.

"What's the matter?" asked Yamato, sitting next to her, while Naruto sat at her other side.

"I..." she took a deep breath, steeling herself. "I have something to tell you, boys..."

"What's wrong, Hag?" Sai asked blandly, offering her one of his fake smiles but his deep black eyes showed alertness towards her expression.

"Don't call her Ha-"

"Naruto," Kakashi admonished, cutting him off. There they were; sitting around her in the same protective manner they did when she ran out of chakra after healing them to the point of exhaustion.

"Remember our Suna mission?" she asked, looking straight at Kakashi. He nodded. "Before going to the rendezvous point with you and Naruto, Chiyo-baa-sama wanted to give me a gift..."

A sad-looking Hinata and a very disgruntled Neji, looking from afar with their Byakugan activated, saw when Kakashi and Naruto embraced the pink-haired woman, as she cried her miseries and all those years of lying, washing everything away with her tears. Yamato looked thoughtful, Sai seemed indifferent; but Naruto and Kakashi had such an understanding expression on their features that made both Hyuuga ninja realize something.

They seemed like a family.

Neji turned his back on them, going back to his Clan Compound with a scowl marring his handsome face.

-X-

"Where is Sakura-san this morning, Hikari?" asked the Hyuuga Patriarch. She pursed her lips and shook her head slightly.

"She didn't come back to the Mansion last night," she answered. Hinata gasped, looking directly at Neji, who sported his best holier-than-thou expression.

"Neji, I must ask you to check on our charge," said Hiashi, but his elder daughter stood up from the table, offering him a bow.

"I will do it, Father," she said demurely. "It's the least I can do for the person that nursed me back to health. Excuse me."

The Hyuuga Clan Head lifted his eyebrows minutely when he noted the hidden glower Hinata threw at her cousin before leaving the dining room. Catching Hanabi's eyes, he took her silent advice and kept his mouth shut, only opening it to shove more food in it.

Neji knew that she hadn't come back, after that cornering maneuver he pulled against her it was to be expected. It didn't matter that he had spent most of the night waiting for her.

Excusing himself with cold politeness, he sauntered towards his room, glowering at every white wall and every floorboard.

I'll be damned, he thought, sitting on the tatami mat in his standard meditation position. Something tugged inside of him when Kakashi engulfed the emerald-eyed medic in a strong embrace. Somehow, the scene was kind of heartbreaking, but the atmosphere transpired on the group was placid, serene... almost comforting to watch.

Neji didn't need his Kekkei Genkai to read her lips asking for forgiveness frantically, while Naruto stroked her arm in a soothing manner and Kakashi held her, showing mute support, as Yamato murmured the right words to calm her poor anguished soul.

The Hyuuga prodigy knew about benign seals, of course. But right there, in the middle of the daze provoked by her heated mouth and low mewls and soft limbs embracing him back, his old rage towards everything drawn on skin came back with a vengeance.

The mere thought of her having a curse seal made sick to his stomach. But, why?

That was the crux of the question. Why did he care? Why was he so interested in whatever she had on her back?

The ANBU Captain had no qualms in accepting his attraction towards Haruno Sakura, since he had felt how she complied with his silent coaxing when he kissed her. But the matter regarding her seal and its interaction with him was... perplexing, to say the least.

He pondered about everything until late into the night, when he was summoned to ANBU Headquarters.

-X-

This is what I needed, Sakura thought as she stepped inside another room, doing her rounds. Tsunade revoked her suspension, placing her back in the Hospital, with the promise of not overdoing or draining herself until exhaustion. These orders didn't present a problem to Sakura, happy one more time to go back to active duty.

Naruto had accompanied her to the Hyuuga Mansion, where they were received politely as usual by one Hikari who didn't wait a second before berating the medic for not letting them know about her not coming back to the house. Deeply ashamed, she asked humbly for forgiveness as Hikari led them to the Clan Head.

Sakura sat while Hiashi addressed Naruto with his usual haughtiness, asking bluntly about his intention with his elder daughter and making him promise he would protect her. However, all his arrogance flew out of the window when the Uzumaki blond with his usual spunk, countered back with a life promise, much like the one he had made to her.

"I'll protect her with my own life!"

Suddenly, she had to excuse herself as her throat knotted. Now it was just a matter of time until he was officially accepted as Hinata's formal suitor.

It wasn't as if she wasn't happy for them, she was indeed, but seeing Naruto standing up for his love and his relationship, made her feel hollow, defeated, lonely.

Sasuke was a moron and Neji was a bastard, she counted mentally, who was left then? Sai? Kiba? Shino? Lee? Oh, please.

"I knew I would find you here," a voice said, pulling her out of her miserable reverie. "I had all your belongings packed, Sakura-san," Hikari announced with a little smile.

Following back to the guest room that sheltered her during her rather long stay at the Hyuuga's, a sharp feeling took her breath away, forcing her to lean on the wall.

"Sakura-san?" Hikari asked as she watched the pink-haired woman regain her breath. "Are you alright?"

"I... yes, yes, Hikari-san, I'm okay, I just felt faint for a moment," she hurriedly explained, as the older pearly-eyed woman lifted a brow. "Trust me, I'm fine."

The feeling didn't leave her, as she bowed to Hiashi and thanked him for all his benevolence in having her in his abode, saying the usual phrases to express gratitude towards her former guardian and host. The Hyuuga Patriarch accepted her words with a nod.

"I'll relay your appreciation to my nephew when he gets back from his mission, Sakura-san."

And he didn't miss the sharp intake of breath and the widening of her eyes when he spoke about Neji, only to see her lowering her head and nodding back.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, as they walked out of the Hyuuga Compound with him carrying her pack. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, Naruto," she sighed, feeling restless. "I don't know..."

But the feeling didn't go away, as she walked in for her shift that night, and the night after that, and the night after that.

-X-

It was almost a week later that Kotetsu barged through the Hokage's office doors at night, startling Shizune, Sakura and the Godaime herself.

"The ANBU team is back," he panted. "All of them are bleeding, they lost one."

The feeling of unease clenched Sakura's heart. "Kami-sama..."

"Let's go, Shizune, Sakura!" Tsunade ordered, hurrying out of her office.

Running after her mentor, she found herself chanting mentally for a specific someone's wellbeing.

And she was quite right. The ANBU team sported several awful injuries, but due to their seriousness they weren't able to make it to the hospital. Two operatives had passed out for blood loss, and one of them was entering into cardiac arrest as Shizune treated his chest.

Sakura's operative was awake, but she shushed him as she worked on the deep slashes on his chest, clotting the wound and closing it with a swirl of her chakra. She had been focusing a lot of chakra on her seal, storing her energy for an emergency like this.

The op coughed, and under his mask she could see blood trickling from his mouth area. "Don't talk," she said. "I'll unblock your lungs in a minute. Take shallow breaths"

Easier said than done, she sneered mentally as she surveyed the lungs with her chakra, grabbing one of her medical senbons from her pouch as she carefully removed the tattered ANBU vest. Her medical needles were a random idea from Shizune, and well received from the rest of the med-nin staff as they realized the huge purpose they could serve in cases like this one.

Puncturing the lung and releasing the constricted air, she held the needle as she moved other senbon to the other lung, releasing the pressure inside it. This allowed her patient to breathe more freely, but she wasn't done just yet.

Moving her hands carefully over the ANBU's chest, she found three broken ribs, one of them obstructing the diaphragm and perforating both respiratory organs. He should have moved like a frantic bird, she mused internally, as she pulled the little bone gently, reconstructing the ribcage and resealing the bones and gristle with her chakra.

Only then did she pull out the hollowed senbons, clotting the tiny wounds and bandaging the whole area. Sakura sat back on her haunches, surveying her patient as two male nurses were ready to move him to the hospital.

The ANBU's hand searched for hers, clasping it tightly. Sakura offered the masked man a tiny smile.

"You're going to be okay," she whispered. "On my count, one, two, three! Good! Now you're going to the hospital, I'll see you there, ANBU-san."

"Haru--" the op choked out. "Haruno-san, check on them, please," he murmured as the meds carried them away. "The Captain..."

Sakura blinked, turning her eyes to the man that Shizune was treating. Long, brilliant onyx hair matted with dirt, leaves and blood were pillowing the Op's head, as the brunette medic resorted to give him cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Sakura kneeled, cracking her knuckles as she clenched her fists. "Situation?"

"Cardiac arrest, he's not responding to usual pain stimuli," replied Shizune. "One, two, three, four, five... breathe! Damn it, he's not reacting... Sakura, inject some chakra in his pathways! Something is off!"

With two fingers, she released several bursts of energy on the man's body, exploring it and having a full extension of his injuries. He had been poisoned, and his organs were about to shut down.

"Fuck!" Sakura exclaimed as she poured more chakra, making her hands glow. "I need the antidote solution!"

As she worked in a rush, she knew, just like Inner Sakura knew and was cheering her outer persona, that she was not about to lose this patient, not this one.

Even if he was a cold, arrogant bastard.

-X-

Neji opened his silver eyes when someone pulled open the room's window curtains. It was Tenten, who smiled at him while Lee was gushing silently over his prone form.

"You're awake, Neji! Thank goodness you're okay!"

"Ugh..." the Hyuuga replied wittily, as his former teammate sat next to the green-clad man and patted his overexcited head.

"You have six lives now, Neji," she offered quietly, her tone still serious despite her teasing words. "I bet this one was hard to pull?"

"What happened?" he croaked. Lee jumped out of his seat and performed his nice-guy-pose number forty-four.

"Let me get you some water, my esteemed rival!"

Tenten rolled her eyes at her partner's antics, but continued to speak. "You've been out like a light for two days, Neji," she explained. "I won't ask about your mission, but I take it was a rough one, ne? You were poisoned, or that's what Sakura-chan said. It took a lot of work to clean your system, though; Shizune just told me she had to put Sakura in one of the rest wards for the medics."

She had overexerted herself...?

The Weapon Mistress seemed to notice the question in his eyes and nodded, frowning. "Sakura-chan hadn't left the hospital since your team got back... Neji, is everything alright?"

Said Hyuuga ANBU Captain closed his eyes, as Lee came back into the room, carrying a glass of water. He drank it, while Lee's cheerfulness seemed to have withdrawn into a worried face.

"What's wrong?" asked Tenten to the Taijutsu Master.

"I asked Shizune-san for Sakura-san," he said. "Apparently, she was quite drained and she hasn't woken up yet. Too bad, though... I wanted to thank her for what she did for Neji."

Suddenly, the pearly-eyed ninja had a recollection of their heated kiss and how well the pink-haired medic had responded to his demands, yielding under his caresses and lips and tongue and--

"Neji? Earth to Neji? Are you alright, you dimwitted Capt'n?"

"I'm... fine, Tenten," he sighed. "I think I need more rest."

After the brunette and her partner left, Neji shook his head, trying to clear up his head. It was a routinely scouting mission, but with the Uchiha's sudden reappearance, Ibiki had the hunch to send an ANBU team to the Fire Country borders, just in case.

And the hunch was right, as his four man team was ambushed by a platoon of Sound nins, with Uchiha Sasuke leading them.

They fought, of course. Ninjatô versus katana.

Sasuke didn't have any qualms to send one of his men to kill his teammate -a good man, married to a civilian school teacher who liked to send cookies with her husband to his 'ANBU buddies'-, and then summon two snakes, which bit deeply into his skin, poisoning it.

It was certainly not a regular scouting mission, not since he, Neji, had to flee the scene with his team hot on his heels, after they tricked the Sound shinobi and set up a bomb.

Maybe Sasuke's minions were dead, that was almost granted, but he had the knack to assume that he was pretty much alive, leading that Team Hebi of his back to Rice Country and Oto.

Why was that Uchiha traitor in Fire Country, he didn't know nor care; but he undoubtedly wasn't looking forward to seeing Naruto's face when he found out about the abrupt change his old teammate had undergone.

And, most of all, he was not happy to rely this report to the Hokage, not with a certain emerald-eyed woman that had a recent penchant of appearing in his dreams and his thoughts lingering around.

"Damn it all," he murmured, sinking back upon his hospital pillow.

Whoever said that being attracted to someone was simple was insanely wrong.

-X-

"I'm glad you're better, Sakura-sama," a bored Neji heard a cheerful nurse say. "You gave us quite a scare."

"Maa, maa, I'm fine, I just needed to sleep for a while," she replied. Neji scowled at the sudden tightening of his chest when he noticed the weariness in her voice. "What's new? Any changes in this shift?"

"Not that I've noticed," the nurse reported. "Hyuuga-san is awake, and the other two are responding pretty well to the treatment that Shizune-sama ordered."

"Good, good. Please keep an eye on the old man in room sixty-two, he was about to escape to the cafeteria again."

"That Buchou-san..." the nurse laughed, as she retreated into the hallway. A minute later, Sakura entered his room.

She looked indeed pretty tired; circles under her eyes and a pale complexion that made her eyes stand out more, even when she sported the undeniable evidence of a shower in her hair but the cleanliness of her garments and skin didn't change the fact that she looked like a ghost.

"Hyuuga-san," she said in a cool voice. It was amazing how she could change her emotions, from cheery and amused with the nurse outside to the hard, icy woman in front of him. "I'm going to check on your condition. Please let me know if you feel something."

Her hands were lukewarm, he noticed. But they were trembling when she placed them on his bandaged chest.

"Sa--" he tried to address her, but she waved her hand.

"Don't speak now, please," she said. "I need to check your body for poison remnants."

He obliged, feeling the warmth of her chakra mingling with his, prodding gently and checking his entire body, mending and soothing. Neji let out a relieved sigh when he felt one of the snake bites disappear.

"Sasuke did this to you," Sakura whispered, opening her eyes but not looking at him. "Right? It was him..." Haunted emerald eyes fixed themselves on his pearly ones. He had to nod. She deserved to know, in his personal opinion.

"I knew it," she hissed angrily, fisting her hands. "I knew it! I can't believe this!"

"Sakura," he murmured, but she was too pissed off to listen.

"I can't believe he almost killed you! This is outrageous! I'll tell Tsunade-shishou, I want to go and kick his ass into the next century!"

"Sakura."

"I will kick his sorry moronic ass and break every single of his stupid bones and I won't treat him--!" Sakura ranted, until a hand closed around her wrist, snapping her into attention.

"Sakura," Neji said. "Everything will be okay."

"How can you say that?! There's a madman outside killing his own nakama!"

"I'm telling you," he cut her off softly. "Everything will be fine. Sasuke will be defeated."

"Why-...Why are you so... so sure?" she stammered, blushing when she realized how his eyes were looking at her so intently.

"Because," he whispered, "I just know it."

Sakura lowered her eyes. "Why?"

"Because his curse seal will end up taking over his senses. He relies too much on it. It's not a good seal."

Their eyes met again. This wasn't about the missing Uchiha anymore, but an indirect way of offering an apology for his previous behavior.

Sakura found that she couldn't be mad at him when she was also partially to blame.

"It's not a good seal," she repeated softly, tucking the sheet around Neji's body. "He doesn't know how to use it to his own benefit..."

Neji's lips curved a little. "Yes," he breathed, releasing her wrist and letting his hand slide over hers. "That's too bad for him."

"Indeed," she agreed, with a little smile on her own features.

-XXX-

And Happy New Year to all of you, guys! I hope you had a pleasant holiday break!
Many cuddles to Celtic Oak for her awesome betaing skills, as usual!