Sorry for another late update, but I can't make any excuses. I was too lazy to work on this…Anyway, I hope you enjoy this installment! Now on to chapter 6!
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Recap:
"Wh-what did h-he w-want?" she stutters
Looking at Sasuke, Sakura replies "He asked me out."
Hinata covers her mouth in shock, as do most of the people in the crowd. Everybody but Sasuke.
"What did you say?" he asks
She looks at Sasuke, at his friends, then at Hinata "I said yes,"
Sakura steps back onto the sidewalk and slips into the crowd. Hinata looks at Sasuke, he's extremely mad. She tries to smile.
"She's j-just ma-mad." She hurries to join Sakura.
Sakura walks quickly through the crowds. Soon Hinata catches up.
"Ar-are you c-crazy" she says
"Maybe,"
"Go back to Sa-sasuke and s-straighten it o-out."
Sakura stops, and glares at Hinata. "It's okay for him to do that to me, but not for me to do it to him?"
"I-it's not o-okay. It's just the w-way it is. If y-you want to d-drop him, don't do it l-like thi-this."
"Can you drive me home?" Sakura asks
"He's r-really m-mad, Sakura. I-it's s-scary."
"I'll walk."
Sakura walks on, leaving Hinata behind. Hinata sighs with defeat and follows.
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Chapter 6
Sasuke hasn't moved. He's staring across the street, his friends watching and waiting patiently for him to react. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a cigarette, putting it in his mouth and lighting it. He takes a long drag and exhales sharply. A friend breaks the silence.
"What do you want to do about this?"
Sasuke pushes Naruto aside and gets in his car. He fires up the engine and drives away without looking back or answering the question asked.
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At the Hyyuga compound on a Sunday morning, they enjoy a big breakfast. Hiashi sits, suspicious of something and chewing his food slowly. Neji's aunt keeps taking curious glances between faces as she takes small careful bites. Hanabi sits staring at them all, very confused. Hinata's expression is similar to Hanabi's, but in a much more subtle way. Neji is eating like nothing is wrong, a small- but noticable- smile on his lips. He looks up.
"What?"
Hiashi squints, and doesn't understand. "Why are you smiling?"
Neji sees his aunt smile. "What difference does it make? I like it."
Hiashi looks to his wife then back to Neji "Did you do something to the car?"
"I wasn't aware that I was smiling. If it bothers you, I won't do it."
Hiashi isn't convinced. "You haven't smiled in a while. I was just curious about the change."
"I haven't had much to smile about." Neji says, looking at his aunt.
She forces a smile "You have a nice smile."
Neji holds his small smile "Thank you,"
Hanabi's held her tounge. She's been staring at Neji the whole time, studying the change in him, and finally she speaks.
"This isn't true. I can't be. It has to be the most hilarious rumor ever floated right?"
Neji doesn't respond. He just smiles.
"What are you talking about?" his aunt asks.
"Okay, I'm in town last night and I hear everybody saying that Neji asked a girl out."
"What?"
"Check it out, she's scandalously popular, insanely beautiful and obviously in the middle of some emotional shoot-out consent to date the human ice cube." She turns to Neji "What'd you do to her? Threaten her life?"
"I just asked her out." Neji says.
"Her boyfriend's a man, for Christ's sake! He extensively easy on the eyes, he's a total buck and you're…you're Neji." Hanabi says
"Is she nice, Neji?" his aunt asks
"Mother, the girl is sex ." Hanabi interrupts.
"Hanabi!"
"I'm glad you can take the time to think about girls," Hiashi says
The smile on Neji's face fades as the old subject of college comes up again.
"Between the girls and your art kick, you don't have time for anything important. I'll be dead and buried before you get off your butt and apply for college,"
"Ease up, dad. Any fool can get into college. Only a precious few can say the same about Sakura Haruno." Hanabi adds.
The whole table stares at her…
"Am I wrong?" she asks
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In the detention room, the beasts are all armed with sketch pads and charcoal. Neji is working on his pad, when Kiba leans over.
"This is an outstanding idea. Most of the goons have little or no mode of creative expression."
Neji gives him a smirk.
"Talent's a terrible thing to waste," Kiba says as he holds up his pad. "Check it out," Neji looks. A grotesque sketch of a skull with live eyeballs sits on the paper. Neji nods a reluctant approval "This is what my girl friend would look like with no skin,"
Neji nods.
"While we're on the topic of the double breasted party machine, congratulations on your recent coup."
Neji smiles, partly out of pride, partly out of descriptives. "You know about Sakura Haruno?"
"What ? You think I live in here? I got a personal life. How'd you swing that one? She's dangerous." Kiba rants
"I don't know, Kiba, I asked her out, and she just said yes."
"What do you suppose she sees in you? No offense, of course."
"I guess I'll find out soon or later."
"You're a good man. Sorry about giving you so much grief over the years." Kiba says after a pause "If you'd just popped one time, I would have left you alone." He leans in a whispers "My bark is bigger then my bite." He gives Neji a big smile. "You need anything, you let me know."
"I will," Neji says
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Tenten is sitting with a lazy looking boy. Hair tied in a ponytail, and eyes half lided with sleep. He clearly doesn't really care to be here at the moment, but doesn't seem to mind sitting next to Tenten. Both Tenten and Shikamaru sit on a wall.
"You don't want me to put my arm around you, right?" he asks
Tenten takes a glance at him "No that's okay, thanks." She looks down the hall, and Shikamaru shrugs.
"Do I have to say anything?" he asks
"No, just sit and wait until I tell you what to do." Tenten comments
"You don't have a boyfriend right?" Shikamaru asks
"No,"
"You know some of the guys, think you're confused. But I know that isn't true. You can't be confused if you're hanging out with Neji so much." He says "Definitly not with that look you have when you're with him."
"What?!" she turns to him with winkles on her forehead.
"He's to blind to see that you are completely infatuated with him." His eyes are closed; he is in a lax position on the wall. "You couldn't possibly be around him without-"
"This is 1987. A girl can act however she wants with whoever she wants."
"I know, but not quite when they are head over heels with their companion." He sighs
She sighs too, and looks back down the hall. She sits up when something catches her eye. Neji crosses the courtyard. She poses again, leaning against Shikamaru. "Okay, now look at me like you like me."
"That will be absolutely no problem," he sighs and sits up as well.
Neji walks up to them "Hi,"
"Hey, Neji, what's up?" Tenten asks, waiting for a reaction. "Do you know Shikamaru?"
"No," Neji answers.
He holds out his hand. Shikamaru looks at Tenten, she gives him a glare and he shakes Neji's hand.
"A pleasure," Shikamaru says
"Yeah," Neji turns to Tenten "Are you busy?"
"Just sitting here with Shikamaru, why?"
"I need to borrow your car. If you had something to do, I'd swing back in a while and pick you up."
"Where're are you going?" she asks
"I want to give Sakura a ride home."
Not the answer she wants to hear. Shikamaru stick his hand out.
"By the way, congratulations; she's smokin'."
Neji shakes his hand, and Tenten fishes her keys out of her pocket. She flips them to Neji.
"I'd appreciate a couple of bucks for gas."
Neji is surprised by the remark. He doesn't mind paying his way, it's the manner in which she asked. He nods.
"About an hour?" he says
"Fine, It's just time, not like it means anything."
Neji nods again. He's confused by her attitude. He backs away and goes to her car. Tenten slides away from Shikamaru.
"You gotta wait around for an hour?" he asks
She nods.
"Do you know how much damage we could do in an hour?" he says
She chuckles a bit, a small smile coming to her lips for a moment "Now it the perfect time to start pretending that you like me."
"Yeah I thought so, too." He laughs. "This wasn't as much of a drag as I thought it would be. If you need to do it again, I wouldn't mind helping you out."
"Thanks," she nods "I'll see you later," she turns and walks away.
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I hope you like this chapter. PLEASE REVIEW, FLAMES ACCEPTED!