Hey! I'm still at it! I swearz! Now for the arrival at Konoha!! Muahahaha!!

Disclaimer- haha! Disc claimer! As if I don't have anything better to do with my time than claim discs!

Chapter 6

It was two more days later that they arrived at the station. Sakura looked at the bags as they were unloaded by the passengers and Sakura frowned. There was no way in hell that she'd be able to get them all to her little apartment. Even with Neji, hell even with five Neji's there was no way. "Neji, can you do me a favor?" He looked at her, making a little questioning sound and Sakura smiled. "Can you ask Tsunade to rent me a few nins to help me get this all home?" Neji nodded, agreeing that this was the best idea and headed out quickly. Sakura sat there, looking at the massive amount of items. She was surprised half an hour later when Neji showed up with Tsunade and half of Anbu.

"What did you do, rob every shrine in the hemisphere?" Sakura shrugged and stood, grabbing onto the bag with the ryo. "Apparently I'm a hero now in the Star village.

They all carried the bags to her house, even Neji grabbed a few baskets and Sakura explained the going ons on the way. "Ah, that little trick? I'm surprised that they didn't do that themselves." Sakura shrugged. "So was I, but I got two nice rewards for giving them the serums." Tsunade looked at her and Sakura motioned to her bag. "Damn! Sakura, You know you couldn't have done it without my training!" She hinted and Sakura nodded. "I already planned to give you a million." Tsunade froze in her tracks. "A- a million?! Sakura, how much did you get??"

"Eighteen total, not including expenses." Neji looked over and noticed Sakura waving him down. Tsunade looked at her, a little afraid. "That's a lot. Are you planning to retire?" Sakura smiled at her, Neji stopping to hear her answer as well. "Tsunade-sensei, I was hoping to maybe get a little more exiting missions, but I want to keep up as a ninja. If I retired what would I do for fun?" Tsunade thought over her answer and smiled.

By the time all of the baskets and bags were in her apartment there was barely enough space for her. Sakura stashed her bags and turned, locking the door before headed back to the Hokage's tower.

Neji was beside her as they walked up to the door. "Sakura, I want you to know, at this time I'm leaving whatever they throw at us to you. If they say something that you're uncomfortable with, tell me and we'll forfeit." Sakura nodded. Neji frowned at the ease in which she did that. "Sakura, I don't want us to do anything... drastic over a mission." Sakura nodded again and Neji noticed the seriousness in her face. They walked in.

"Hey Shizune! We're here for the scavenger hunt!" She looked up at Sakura and Neji and froze. "Really? She set you out with Neji?" Sakura froze. "What do you mean by that?" Shizune seemed to stall for just a second before answering. "You're such a social butterfly. It just seems a little, quiet." Sakura rolled her eyes. Shizune walked over to the counter, laying the armload of books down before opening a book on the counter. "Let me see your scroll." Sakura looked to Neji who handed it over quietly. Shizune unrolled the scroll so it only faced her and read, looking up at them every once in a while. She finally nodded and took the scroll, walking towards the stairs. "Follow me."

Sakura froze just in the door. Gaara was there with Tsunade and they both looked over at the team. Shizune handed the scroll over to Tsunade who unrolled it with Gaara looking over the paper as well. Sakura stood on her toes to try and see, to which Tsunade gave her an evil glare and Sakura went quickly back to her feet. "You haven't had one successful team yet, have you?" Gaara shook his head, an uncharacteristic grin in place. "Sakura, there's the last trial here, which was to be determined by what was written in your scroll. Due to what the other villages have said about you, there's only one test left. Neji, you have to drink this." She put out a vial and Neji stepped forwards, taking the vial from her hand. He was about to drink when Sakura asked. "Tsunade, what is that?"

"What do you need to know?" Sakura looked over, remembering the trial from the Star village. She put her hand over the vial, stopping him from drinking. "Is it poisoned?" Tsunade looked at her, frowning. "It really doesn't matter, as your part will come next." Sakura shook her head. "Will mine be poisoned?" Tsunade grinned at her. She pulled out another vial of the same substance and held it out. "You both want to drink at the same time?" Sakura flipped her hands quickly, with a speed that would have put Lee to shame and grabbed the vial from Neji, grabbing the one in Tsunade's hand as well. She popped the cap and chugged both at the same time. "I'll not have you hurt him." Tsunade stood, looking at Sakura terrified. "You! You... Shit! Shizune!!" She was there in an instant and saw both vials in Sakura's hand. "Tsunade-sama, we just lost, didn't we?" Tsunade frowned. "I think so." Neji jumped forwards, his hands hard on Sakura's shoulders. "Sakura! No! What have you done!"

"I can create an antidote for myself. If I have your possible death weighing on me I'll get slowed down. I just prevented that." Neji looked over at Tsunade and growled, slamming his hands on the table. "What was in those vials?!" Tsunade looked over at Gaara, who smiled at Sakura and nodded. "It was water." Neji froze, looking over at Sakura. She put the vials down on the table and frowned. "Water? I don't understand." Tsunade looked over at Gaara who nodded. "All of my teams were eliminated. This officially makes them the winners, if she's still intact." Tsunade looked over at Sakura and frowned, looking at Neji. "Sakura, Neji, you two, when you left you were virgins. Are you still now?" Sakura froze. "What?"

Tsunade frowned. "Shizune, test her." Neji watched in horror as Shizune took Sakura to another room. "What would it matter if we are or are not virgins?"

"Because she loves you." Neji shook his head. "What? Hokage-sama, I don't mean to be rude, but what in the hell is going on?"

"The scavenger hunt goes on every five years. The items you got on the scavenger hunt aren't just any items. They're items given during weddings in the country that you got them from." Neji raised his eyebrow. "Why did we just get wedding items?" Tsunade grinned. "That, Neji, is the actual reason for the game. Wait till Sakura gets back and I'll explain."

It was only a minute later that Shizune and Sakura returned. "They win." Shizune sighed, relieved. Tsunade grinned. "We won!" Gaara smiled over at her and bowed. "Well played, Tsunade." Sakura frowned at them. "Are you all mad? What in the hell is going on?!"

Tsunade grinned, her hands clasping together at her chin, her elbows on the table. "Every five years we pick three couples. It's just about every ninja village in existence that participate. We all put in money, this year the pot was about, what, twenty million?" Gaara nodded. "There are two prizes. The fastest couple to return with all items gets five million, which leaves fifteen million. For each couple that actually becomes a couple, but doesn't have sex, the village gets part."

Sakura stared, jaw dropped. "The problem is, they can't know that it's all a game. The couple isn't allowed to know about the second part of the contest. If it can be proven that they're in love, you're only part way there. If you've gone all the way, though, you're completely disqualified from the contest, even the first part. The couples aren't allowed to have been on the same team as children. They're both to be virgins, and Neji, I'm sorry, but Sasuke told us about you. That's why Kakashi went to you. He thought that there was less of a chance of you two falling in love. He didn't care about the second part of the test at all, as a matter of fact, I think he would have preferred if we lost on that one. It was between Neji, Naruto and Lee. Naruto was disqualified due to the teamed up as kids part, Lee we were worried would be a little more... after you. Neji, therefore was the other acceptable person. We were half tempted to get Gai or Shino, but Kakashi insisted on Neji. He was also your follower." Sakura stared at her, now feeling ill. "Follower?"

"Due to the fact that many of the villages cheat and get the couples to have sex he was the one to try and keep the game clean." Neji nodded. "The Hidden Sex Village." Neji spoke quietly and Sakura nodded. "You were right."

"Sakura, all of the couples were disqualified this year. We just won the whole jackpot."

"Makes up for the last few years, huh? I think I read that you put more money into the pot than won by about seventy five percent." Tsunade nodded. "You two, go and relax. You're both getting huge bonuses!" Sakura frowned, wanting so badly to hit her and turned, storming out.

She stood at the door and Neji walked up beside her. "Sakura, you know there's a chance that we may have been affected by a jutsu. Maybe what we think isn't real." Sakura shook her head, tears in her eyes. "I'm not saying that we're done, just give it a week. If you still love me, then we'll be together, alright?" She covered her mouth with her hand to try and hold in the sob that wanted so badly to get out, her lungs hurt, her chest hurt, she felt like those simple words had ripped her apart. "If you still feel this way, one week. Next Friday, noon at the red bridge, alright?" Sakura nodded as Neji wrapped his arms around her, she feared for the last time. "I'll be there. I already know that I will." Neji nodded and stepped past her, head held low as he walked away.

Sakura made her way home, tears streaming down her cheeks nonstop. She opened her door and looked at Neji's bag in her apartment. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, which suddenly felt totally void and leaned on the door frame for support. "Sakura!" She turned her head away, not wanting Naruto to see her like this. He saw anyway. "Oh! Sakura, what's happened to you?!" She turned to him and shook her head as he put his arms over her shoulder, hugging her. She couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into sobs on his shoulder.

Over the next few days Sakura wouldn't speak of what had happened. She kept her lips pursed over the whole thing. It was on Thursday that she was walking home with Naruto that she saw him walking towards her. She stopped and watched wide eyed as he walked, stopping about five feet away from her. All she could do was watch him, the way his hair fell around his face, the strength he had in his arms when he hugged her, and the tears started burning her eyes again. "Sakura?" Naruto turned to her and stared at Neji. She shook her head as the tears started falling and Naruto looked over at him. "Neji, what did you do to her?" She stepped forwards, pushing Naruto aside. "Neji, Please, It's been six days. It's killing me, not having you there. Please, stop pushing me away." Neji looked at her and for a moment she saw the same anguish in his eyes. "It isn't a trick, Neji. It's real. Please?"

Naruto stared between them for a moment before frowning, unable to figure out what in the hell was going on. He sighed and nodded, taking her into his arms. She threw her arms around him and cried again as he ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm sorry Sakura. I'm so sorry. I just needed to know that it wasn't a trick." She nodded, her face buried in his shoulder. "I told you that it wasn't a trick. Neji, I knew, with all of my heart, I knew that I loved you!"

Naruto's jaw dropped. "What?!"

"I know." He squeezed her tighter. "I still love you! Please, just don't push me away again..." She sobbed and Neji leaned his head against hers. "I love you too, Sakura. It wasn't a jutsu. I know that now. I'm sorry." She leaned up, pressing her lips lightly to his to which he happily returned the favor.

Naruto stood there stunned, jaw dropped and his head slowly sliding to the side. "What in the hell did I miss?! When did you fall in love?!"

Sakura turned to Naruto and grinned, the most happy Naruto had ever seen her. "I'll tell you later. I have a week worth of kisses to get." She turned back to Neji, his head shaking with his light smile.

Sakura led him to her new house, showing off the main parts of the house, the living room, the kitchen, the back yard and the dojo. "What do you think?" She smiled at him as he looked around, his eyes scanning every surface. "It's just as big as the Hyuga house! There's got to be a dozen rooms here!" Sakura nodded. "There's actually fourteen, not counting the yard. I figure that this place will be great for me, for us." Neji turned to her. "Us?"

"Eventually I figure you'll come stay with me, once we get comfortable enough. I'm not saying right now, but eventually..." Neji looked at her, eyes wide. She looked up at his gaze and smiled. "What are you thinking?" He knelt down, staring still at her face. "I can see it. I can see us being together till we're old. I never thought, I didn't think that this could ever happen to me." He just looked up at her, surprised at everything.

Sorry for the short chapter, it just seemed like a good place to stop for now, especially since it's bedtime! Yes, even I need to sleep!

Therefore, later all!

Jasminflower69