I DO NOT OWN NARUTO
WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME BRIEF SEXUAL REFERENCES.
A CHANGE OF PACE
CHAPTER 5: SWAN'S NEST
Neji jerked into the sitting position and immediately brought his hands to his head and moaned. He squinted at the light filtering in through the flaps of the tent, and brought his hands over his eyes to block the light causing cracks of pain behind them.
"What happened?" he mumbled to himself before he stretched and ground out a releasing yawn.
He rubbed his eyes and shook his head a little working away the sleep still weighing on his lids. His body hurt all over, and he looked down to his shirt, that was once bright red, now faded and dusted with brown and torn from what looked like a struggle.
His eyes shot wide open and sucked in a breath in realization. He jerked his head to his left to see the still sleeping kunoichi lying next to him, and relaxed at the sight of her curled up in most of the blanket that had covered them both.
He smiled, and yawned again. He watched her sleeping, being careful not to move or make any more noise as not to wake her. He just wanted to watch her as her covered chest heaved up and down with her even breathing. His eyes wandered down her petite frame, and held back a muffled chuckle when he saw her legs, from the knee down, protruding from the bunched up covering. She was still wearing her complimenting black shoes, and dirt was smeared on her shins. He balled his hand into a fist, and bit his bottom lip, holding back the urge to reach out and touch her exposed ivory skin.
Memories of the night's events began flooding his head and he started to feel heat gather in his chest. He could still feel her breath on his skin and could hear her moans, even though they were an act, he wondered what she would sound like in the throes of real pleasure. He wondered what beautiful faces she would make when he touched her just right and the way her body would move with desire for more. Neji licked his lips and clenched his jaw at the thought of taking her right now.
Neji shook his head, as though he were throwing thoughts from his head like beads of water from his hair. Just yesterday I was fully satisfied being alone, and now I can't imagine being without her next to me, like this. He furrowed his brow in thought. Honestly, I wasn't satisfied at all. He let his eyes drift back up Sakura's body, and let them perch on her face—half covered by the blanket. Her hair was like a nest, disheveled and amazingly still beautiful. He could still smell faint hints of lavender wafting his way. He listened to the sound of her breathing, even and deep. It strangely made him feel at peace, like a trickling creek in the middle of a forest would. He could watch for hours, lost in the tranquility of her languid form.
The realization that there were thieves outside, tied to a tree, snapped him back to reality. They needed to get going ASAP, but not before cleaning up and changing into something a little less shredded.
"Sakura." He said softly, hating to have to wake the sleeping blossom.
Sakura stirred a little, and snorted a tiny breath in. But she remained asleep.
"Sa Ku Ra," He said again, syllabic, and with a childish tone. He reached out a hand, the hand he had previously held in a tight fist, and gently moved pink silk strands from her face and cupped her exposed cheek. "We need to get going, Sakura."
Her face warmed his hand, and the softness of her rose-kissed cheek made him want to keep his hand there for ages.
Sakura stirred again, this time her eyes cracked open just enough for Neji to see a sliver of green peek out from behind her kohl lashes. He removed his lingering hand, and rubbed his fingers together as though he were rubbing her softness into his calloused skin.
"Neji?" she mumbled out, heavy sleep evident in her voice.
"Good morning." He said, smiling very faintly. "You were sleeping well. Good thing I wasn't an enemy, or I could've taken the tent from under you and you would never have noticed." He said with a smirk.
That playful little insult really woke Sakura up.
"What are you saying?" she asked, her voice cracking from the squeezing her throat took the night before, but lacking the slur of sleep.
"Just that you were out like a light." Neji stated matter-of-factly.
"That's what you think. I could feel your eyes. You just think you were watching me sleep." She smiled into her words. She pressed her hand to her cheek, where Neji's had been just moments ago. "And I felt your hand on me."
Sakura threw the blanket off her warm body with her arm, the other wedged comfortably under her pillow. With one quick movement, she was on her knees, kneeling between Neji's legs. Neji swallowed hard at the feel of the flat surface of a warm kunai pressed to the side of his face.
"I did sleep well, but my senses are keener than you think." She huffed.
Neji realized that the hand hidden beneath her pillow was holding the blade all night. He lifted his hand and pressed her intrusive hand away from his face, and held her forearm.
"I stand corrected." He muttered and he slowly set her hand, still clutching the blade, on her lap. He let his fingers, barely touching, drag down her forearm and the top of her hand. He watched her face as he moved his fingers. She closed her eyes and sighed softly. Heat flooded his chest again, as he watched her reaction.
Neji cleared his throat, and clenched his fist again.
"We really do need to get going." He grunted as he rose to a crouch and exited the tent.
Sakura, still kneeling and in a daze, just sat there for a moment, gathering her thoughts. She liked the feeling of Neji's eyes roaming her 'sleeping' form, and she almost lost her composure when he touched her face. She could still feel the roughness of his hand on her soft skin. She placed her hand on her face again, noting the difference between his touch and her own. There was no comparison, and she couldn't deny that she almost felt need for his touch. She let the events of the night flood her mind and she shuddered as her body recalled the pleasure of each touch he placed on her with his hands, his breath, his lips. She knew it was all an act. She knew it was all fake. But she still couldn't shake the desire she had for Neji, the same desire that crept up on her last night. The same desire that drove her to act asleep while she drank in the feeling of his gaze, and his caress.
She ran a trembling hand through her tangled locks, and wobbled her way out of the tent, trying not to trip over her own feet, still clad in very uncomfortable shoes. Her heels ached, and her ankles were swollen from the constricting straps. Unsure of her footing, and grimacing at the sharp pain shooting up through her heal into her leg, she sat back down on the edge of the tent, her feet exposed to the unhindered light from the cloudless sky. I never sleep with my shoes on. Sakura shook her head at her failure to remove the clamps from her feet before she fell asleep. She fumbled with the buckles around her reddened ankles and rubbed them with a slight amount of warming chakra. With a 'humph' she was back on her feet again, and she stumbled away from the fabric of the tent and out into the daylight.
She looked to her right, where the thieves had been tied up, and saw Neji and Ginra untying the still unconscious men. Uneasiness curled up in her belly at the thought of untying them, but then that would mean she doubted her own ability as a true medical-nin. She was confident in the concoction she had made and no amount of tying or untying of dangerous thieves could alter that fact. She swallowed her insecurities and sauntered to the carriage on bare feet, carefully avoiding sharp rocks and protruding sticks.
Once she reached the carriage, she tripped her way toward the back, keeping a hand on the firmly planted carriage for balance, and found her suitcase stuffed underneath Neji's. With some crafty maneuvering and wiggling, she freed the case from the binds and set it on the ground, opened it, and rummaged through the contents in search of something to wear in place of the filthy garb she was currently in. It really was impressive the way Shizune packed so many things in that case. After a considerable amount of excavating, she found an azure halter dress, with a V-neck and a large brass brooch at the valley. She found a pair of copper stilettos that seemed to compliment the color nicely, in her opinion. At this point, Sakura would give half her pay just to have her comfortable uniform back.
Sakura huffed and, managing not to trip over the uncomfortable surface of the ground, made her way back to the tent with her cargo, and another canteen of water. She made her way to the broad side of the tent, completely concealed from the prying eyes of the two men on the other side of the clearing.
Neji rolled the rope into a loop after effectively removing its length from around the tree and letting the man at his feet fall to the side with a thump. He checked the large thief's pulse, and though it was still fairly weak knew that he would wake any moment now. He needed to hurry. He looked over at Ginra doing the same with the other assailant. Ginra had brought over a bottle of Sake he had kept in a secret compartment and popped the cork with a clear 'thwok'. Neji slid Ginra a questioning look at the revealed bit of liquor.
"Uh. It's for emergencies, er… Like this one!" Ginra attempted to explain.
Neji shook his head and watched as Ginra poured some of the alcohol in the thin man's mouth. Neji caught on to what he was doing and ripped the already torn shirt adorning the larger thief clear through. Ginra dragged the thin man over to the one Neji was manipulating and laid him next to the large man, and drenched the larger man's mouth with the pungent liquid. Neji and Ginra then proceeded to remove the assailant's pants, which made for a laborious task, and threw them to the side. Neji placed the half bottle of Sake in the thin man's hand, and snickered toward Ginra as they both walked away, rope in hand.
"They aren't even going to want to talk about what might have happened when they wake up with the smell of alcohol, ripped open shirt, laying so close to one another, and missing their pants." Ginra said, winking at Neji.
Neji nodded, smirking at the implications of their compromising position. The way he and the ANBU set it up, they aren't going to want to remember, even though they probably never would. Embarrassing. He almost felt sorry for them. Almost.
Neji looked around the clearing, seeing that Sakura was nowhere to be seen. That kunoichi. She's still sleeping? He rolled his eyes and trudged his way back to the tent to coax her out so they could leave. Last thing he wanted was a repeat of last night's battle before breakfast, and those thieves were on the cusp of waking up, if Sakura's estimations were correct. He made haste toward the tent they had shared, wanting to hurry and drag her out of the tent so Ginra could roll it back up and Neji could put something cleaner on. As he neared the fabric shelter, he heard a distinct sound of water splashing. Curious as to where the sound originated, he peaked into the tent, and it was empty, but in addition to a futon and crumpled blanket, there laid a pile of black fabric, and next to it were a pair of dainty shoes.
Neji felt a lump rise in his throat. Those were Sakura's clothes, and the kunoichi was not in them, or in the tent. He entered the tent, and made sure of what he was seeing. He could still hear the sound of water, and the realization dawned on him that she was on the other side of the thin fabric, hidden from view. She must not have heard me. Neji rationalized why she hadn't already screamed out his name followed by 'pervert', although he hadn't come to spy on her, she wouldn't see it that way. Certainly she can sense my presence here, why is she not running me out of the tent with expletives and threats?
Neji stayed hidden in the tent. What he was waiting for he wasn't quite sure. He listened carefully, trying to gauge whether or not it was safe to exit the tent and make a B-line for the carriage before the pink haired blossom turned into a raging maniac raining fists down on him. He knew her destructive power; he'd seen it in action a handful of times—mostly when he saw her sparring with the Hokage. If her fist did that to a boulder, I don't want to imagine what she would do to my face. Still Neji couldn't help but imagine the view that must be on display to all of nature on that side of the tent. He rested his weight on his haunches, and denied himself the temptation to use Byakugan to at least see her chakra signature. He heard a moan come from Sakura's mouth, and it sounded like a pleasurable one. Neji swallowed hard, amazed that he still had moisture left in his mouth to swallow. He was really pushing it, staying this long out of curiosity. He shifted his weight to the foot closest to the tent opening, and just as he was about to exit the tent as stealthily as possible, he heard rustling toward the back of the tent. The shuffling of feet, followed by a few expletives ground out through clenched teeth in regards to the "stupid rock", sounded nearer the entrance, and Neji held his breath.
Light flooded in as the flap flew back and wet curls poked inside followed by an annoyed face.
"Neji!" Sakura gasped. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She rasped out, emerald eyes narrowing to slits.
Neji raised his hands in defense. "Absolutely nothing. It is nothing as it seems, Sakura." He stated calmly.
"The hell it doesn't" she pushed. "You pervert" She huffed out the word, and removed her head from the tent. If someone had told Neji that it was possible to slam a tent flap he wouldn't believe it, but Sakura just proved it could be done. With a loud clap, she shoved the tent closed with both hands, letting the canteen she was holding fall to the ground.
Neji could still hear her breathing just outside. It had slowed down to normal, and it wasn't moving away.
"Sakura?" Neji probed, making sure to keep his voice as neutral sounding as possible.
"Sakura, I wasn't peeking, or spying, or doing any of the things you think I was doing." He explained.
Not that I didn't want to.
"I was just coming here to get you, because the men are going to be grumpy when they wake up, and I don't think you want to witness an encore of last night." He gently explained, trying to coax some sense into her.
Although I wouldn't mind repeating some of last night.
"Neji." Sakura's soft voice was nearly inaudible. "I didn't mean to blow up like that. I didn't really think you were peeking. Even if you were, well…" She trailed off.
"What I'm trying to say, is… I'm sorry I called you a pervert." She said penitently.
"To tell the truth, I knew you were there before you knew where I was." She explained. "I trust you, really. That's why I didn't say anything."
"Then why did you act so surprised that I was in here?" Neji inquired.
Silence.
"Well, regardless of what just happened, or what just didn't happen; we really need to go. I can't stress that enough." Neji broke the silence. "Is it safe to come out?" He asked breathily.
Sakura opened the tent flap again, and instead of poking in her head, she entered completely.
Neji couldn't help but notice how sexy she looked in the blue dress hanging from her neck and draping over all the right curves. A breath hitched in his throat and he tried to conceal the heat rising in him again.
Neji cleared his throat. "I take that as a 'yes' then" he said nonchalantly.
Sakura ignored his statement and gathered up her soiled clothes and before exiting, she rested her hand on Neji's.
Neji looked up suddenly into her eyes that were now searching his face. They were wet and welling up.
"Sakura. What's wrong?" He asked tenderly as he reached a hand up and brushed the moisture, attempting to escape her lashes, away.
Her face contorted into a forced smile, and she shook her head.
"We should get going, like you said." She responded with a slight crack in her voice. Neji couldn't tell if it was because of the tender trachea, or a held back sob that caused her words to sound so broken.
At that, Sakura exited and Neji could hear her footsteps fade into the distance. Neji couldn't figure out what just happened. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.
Neji sat there, still hunkered down, playing the events of the morning through his head, at a loss for an explanation of what got into Sakura all of the sudden. Finally, just to clear his head, he attributed her actions to the mysteries of the fairer sex, and he lifted himself off his bent legs and left the tent.
Across the way, Neji spied the kunoichi bent over her opened suitcase, shuffling things about.
Oh shit. I need to change. Neji quickened his pace and reached the carriage in seconds flat, passing Ginra heading for their tent, being the last thing to go into the carriage. He glanced down at the still crouching Sakura as he reached for his own suitcase. He noticed her bent back hiccupped now and then, and heard gentle sighs. It sounded like she was crying, and for the life of him he could not understand why. He angled his thin eyebrows upwards in a concerned look, and opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He searched for words to say, but nothing seemed to assimilate in his mind appropriate for the situation. Neji pursed his lips together and inhaled deeply, letting it out smooth and slowly, and closed his eyes. Aware of the impending need to hurry, he let it pass, and pulled out his suitcase, opened it, and snatched the first shirt lying on top of the tightly packed contents and laid it over one. He nimbly and hurriedly unbuttoned the filthy silk shirt he currently wore, and pulled it off his shoulders, letting it drop in a pile at his feet. He pulled out one of the many canteens stuffed in the back and bent his head down to pour the cool liquid over his neck and arms. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Sakura stealing glances of his shirtless body. He looked up from his bird bath and caught her full in the face during one of her peeks.
When their eyes met, Sakura abruptly severed the contact, and shuffled nervously to close the suitcase at her feet. She fumbled with the latches and, now frustrated, she forced it shut with a slam of her closed hand. She lifted the hunk of leather and cloth with both hands and lumbered around the carriage, taking care to walk the long way around; positioning herself behind Neji's exposed back. She watched, briefly, his muscles rippling under his skin as he moved his hands over his neck, stomach, and arms. Heat rose in her face and she choked back another sob. Annoyed, she carelessly shoved her suitcase back where it belonged, and moved quickly despite the poor excuse for footwear she wore; she nearly leapt into the cab and smoothed her dress down around her and stared blankly out the tiny cut-out window.
Neji felt Sakura's eyes on his back again, but only briefly. He also felt her aggravation, and he was almost afraid to ride in the same breathing space as her. He finished cleaning the sweat off his body, dusted off his jeans, amazingly unscathed by the scuffle the night before, and pulled on a copper colored shirt, much like the one he had just removed. Fumbling with the buttons slightly irritated him, since he was trying to hurry, but wanted the time to stretch on forever too, knowing full well that he couldn't have both. Neji bent down and dusted off his boots, smoothed his jeans again, and ran his hand through his hair which had a few tangles buried in its thickness.
With a hand on the rail, and a foot on the step, Neji pulled himself—slowly—into the carriage and he felt the balance shift with his weight. As soon as he was seated across from the now indifferent Sakura, he let his gaze fall on obscure objects: His boots, the dust particles shimmering in the sun rays, the way the fabric twisted into a rope outlining the interior, the floor, or the window. No matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't avoid letting his eyes glance off Sakura in passing between random focal points.
"Tsk, Tsk!" Ginra clicked his tongue against his teeth to goad the horse into movement, and the carriage lurched forward, leaving only two soon-to-be-very-confused men behind.
Sakura continued to stare out the window, letting her thoughts consume her. She didn't pay attention to the jerky movement of the cab on the rough path, nor did she give notice to the glances given her by her comrade across from her. She was silent, inattentive, and she was making Neji nervous.
After what seemed like hours of silence, Neji felt it necessary to speak. He couldn't take it anymore, and he needed to understand; he needed to see into her head.
"Sakura, I…" He began, letting his voice trail off when he watched her head slowly turn towards him, followed by her eyes still focused on something in the middle distance between them. She wasn't focused on him as he spoke, and it irked him. He continued anyway.
With his brow creased in concentration, he let the words spill out. "Sakura, I don't know what I did, or didn't do for that matter, but I would like to know what it was that made you so upset."
Silence, again.
"Listen, if this was about last night…" He began again, not sure what to say about last night.
"Neji" Sakura whispered, hand gently touching his knee.
She shook her head, and lifted her hand from his knee and placed it back in her lap.
Sakura turned her face toward the window again, watching the trees move by, while Neji waited for her to say something else.
"There isn't anything you need to apologize for." Her eyes were still fixed on the landscape floating by.
She inhaled quite deeply, and let it all out in one massive sigh.
"Then what is it?" Neji pried, "We can't be a team if we can't talk to one another."
Sakura, without looking away from the hypnotizing landscape, whispered, "It's my problem, I don't need to burden you with issues of a woman."
"Please, it's not like I have anywhere to go. You are stuck here with me for a while; you might as well get it off your chest." Neji pleaded, pleased that he was making a little progress with the constricted kunoichi.
Sakura took a breath, paused for a moment, and began to spill her thoughts.
"When I was still in classes before becoming a gennin, I was very lonely. Sure my parents were around when I went home, but when it came to camaraderie, I was severely lacking." She began.
Neji sat back and tried to relax; he knew that it would take a while, and he was willing to listen to whatever she had to say. He just wanted to hear her voice again; smooth and milky like her skin.
"Ino became a fast friend, but since we were bitter rivals as well, the friendship was always strained. Then came Naruto, that loudmouthed, rule breaking, ramen eating brat. He was nice enough, but my parents stressed that he was dangerous. Something about a forbidden jutsu used on him as a baby." Her words spilled out like water, obvious that she was finding release in talking it out with someone.
Neji wasn't quite sure what she was getting at, but he knew that patience was a virtue, and time would tell. He continued to listen as the words gushed out of her.
"Of course I know now what they were talking about, with that forbidden jutsu and all. He had the Kyubi inside—that nine tailed, good-for-nothing fox demon—and no matter how much I tried to rationalize it, it still frightened me." She lifted her hand to press a stray hair away from her mouth as she continued. "Then I find him in the same class as me. I couldn't believe it, and I was scared of having to practice fight with him. But as soon as I saw his ninjutsu skills, I realized he was more of a threat to ramen than to any living thing, because frankly; he was horrible."
Her words fell like a torrent on Neji's ears, and all he could do was silently nod.
"Then I saw him." Her breath hitched in her throat, as she tried to hold back from crying again.
"He was so handsome, and he had a mysterious aura about him. But I didn't feel fear around him. I felt intrigue, maybe even a little safety, when I was near him. I thought that it was love. I know it was just a childhood infatuation, but feelings then were so strong that I remember them so clearly even now." She sounded calm and collected now.
"When I found that he and the pinhead, Naruto, were going to be in the same team as me, I was thrilled and terrified at the same time." She looked up slightly as though she were recalling every detail of that day.
"Bonds were quickly made, and I found myself becoming infatuated with the dark haired Uchiha." She said the name breathlessly.
"Uchiha Sasuke" she whispered, holding back the tears.
"Then he left us. Just like that. Suddenly, abruptly, without warning. He forsook all that we had worked hard for. The team suffered because of it. I suffered. I can't count how many nights I cried myself to sleep thinking of his last words to me. 'Thank you' he said." She smirked. "Thank you? That's all he had to say, and he left me on a bench, unconscious and frail." She balled the cloth of her dress in her fist, seeming to find support and balance in the wadded silk.
"It wasn't long after that night that I found myself under the tutelage of Tsunade-Sama, our fifth Hokage. She taught me strength and control. She taught me to believe in myself." She paused to take a breath.
"I learned that I was capable of so much as an individual, and I didn't need anyone. I didn't need Naruto to come bail me out of sticky situations anymore. I didn't need to feel insecure and worthless when I was around the other ninjas." She sounded confident as she spoke. "I learned how to connect my heart to my body, and the results are satisfying." Her chest jutted out slightly in pride, although she was unaware of her shift in posture.
"A lot of things have happened between the day I woke up on the park bench and now." She sighed.
"Still; I can't seem to completely erase him from my mind. When I'm alone with my patients and in my home asleep, I keep his memory at bay. Nothing reminds me of him. And I don't hurt." She started again, "Now, I'm on a mission, the first one I've been on in a very long time. And everything reminds me of him." She clenched her jaw, and a tear trickled down her cheek.
"Every time I look at you, I remember the missions I always dreamed of going on with him. The ways I wanted to save him." She nearly broke into a fit of tears, but she choked them back with amazing control. "The way I wanted to be close to him as a teammate, a friend, a woman."
Neji leaned forward closing the distance between him and the trembling kunoichi across from him.
He reached out and wiped the tear away that had left a tiny trail down her pale cheek.
"How is it that he still finds ways to hurt you?" Neji inquired, letting his lingering touch turn into a cupped hand over her cheek.
Sakura's eyes widened and she looked directly into Neji's eyes, completely focused on him now. She was sure that this story would just bore him, and make him uncomfortable. Instead he was listening and taking it all in. He spoke to her, and hit a sensitive spot, but he was right. She was hurting, and it was because she refused to completely let go.
Sakura looked down, as if ashamed and rubbed her hand over her shoulder, absentmindedly, appearing to be cold and insecure.
"You will never taste the full flavor of life, if you keep holding on to things long past." He rubbed his thumb across her jaw line. "Believe me, I struggle with it myself" He said pointing to the prosthetics covering his brow, hiding the Branch family mark, and the pain that accompanied it.
He removed his hand, and rested his back against the seat fully. He chose his words carefully, and began to explain.
"When my uncle, the head of the Hyuuga household—the main family, explained that my father gave his life willingly, instead of it being taken from him, I wanted to scream. Instead I sat there quietly, feeling all the beliefs that I had about destiny and curses start to fizzle out like a fuse." He rubbed his jaw and continued.
"That day, something in me died. I had harbored hate for so long. Hate against my father for dying. Hate against my uncle for being the brother chosen to be the Head; leaving my father to be Branch, and servant to his twin. Hate against my own blood. That hate began to slowly whither within me, and in its stead, grief and regret took shape." Neji looked at the sniffling Sakura across from him and paused for a moment before carrying on.
"This mark that I wear cannot be removed. Only when my life is taken from me, or I give it freely will it fade from my skin. It screams at me when I look in the mirror. It cries out all the insecurities I have with myself, with my history, with my destiny." He touched the prosthetics on his head, and he frowned a little as he recalled the pain. "But I am finally realizing that my destiny is what I make. Not what someone else tells me that I should be, or do. And I find freedom in that. I decide. I act. I live. I accept all repercussions and rewards. It isn't easy, knowing that one day this mark could be activated by someone in the main family for any reason, since they reserve that right as masters of the Branch family. But I am slave to no one, and I sure as hell won't be a slave to my own fear." He said with a firm voice, and a clenched jaw.
He quieted himself, and observed Sakura, now bathed in sunlight.
"Neji…" Sakura's voice trailed off, and her face contorted as she couldn't maintain the dam against her impending tears.
Her hands flew to her face and her shoulders bent over. Her voice cracked and hiccupped, and the tears came without hindrance. Her back and shoulders heaved with each sob, and her tears leaked between the fingers shielding her face.
"Sakura" Neji said, searching for words to comfort her, but coming up empty handed.
She leapt forward, to Neji's surprise, and fell at his feet; her body nestled between his thighs, and her face buried in the fabric of his shirt. She fisted the silky cloth with both hands and Neji could feel her hot tears soak through to his skin. Her moans and gasps were muffled by his stomach.
Neji placed a hand on her back, and stroked her hair with the other. He knew that there weren't any words that could be as healing and cleansing as the release she was getting at this moment. He just let her cry, knowing full well that he would have to change his shirt again.
Sakura hissed through clenched teeth, and sucked the air back in through them. She groaned, and she moaned as the pent up pain and sorrow emptied itself through her lungs, her tear ducts, and her throat. She had never cried so hard in her life. She had never opened herself to anyone, and had never felt as safe as she did right now. The safety, and the sorrow—juxtaposed against one another, played tug of war with her body, and the heaves that ensued lasted for an eternity, it seemed.
When the racking of her body and emotions finally quelled to mere whimpers and sniffles, she realized which of the two forces fighting in her body had won the battle. The answer lied in the face looking down at her swollen eyes and tear streaked face. Safety.
She smiled weakly, and looked back down at his soaked shirt. It was stained a darker shade of copper, and was smeared with her snot. She brought her hand to her face, and gasped. "I'm sorry for crying all over you." She said, still having a slight quiver on her lips. "I made a mess of you, oh god. I'm so sor…" Her words were cut off by Neji's finger pressed firmly to her open lips.
"Shhhh" He hushed.
"Don't worry about my shirt. I've had blood smeared all over me, I've had clients' little brats pee on me during D class missions, and I'm sure Shizune has a Laundromat packed away somewhere in that magically stuffed case of mine." He smiled into his words.
Sakura couldn't hold back a smile.
"Was that an attempt at a joke?" she lightheartedly teased.
"Did it work?" he asked, unsure, since he never understood jokes.
Sakura nodded and gave Neji a toothy grin.
"Thank you." Sakura placed his hand on her face and inhaled his scent.
Neji let his thumb caress her face again, and relished the warmth and moisture of her breath against his palm.
He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. She was already asleep on the floor, face buried in his hand, and head laid against his abdomen. He peered, eyes half closed, at the little kunoichi lying in his lap; he watched as her hair jostled with every bump in the road they traveled, and her head rolled to and fro between his stomach and hip. Her face held him captive with the peace she exuded from her pores as she breathed evenly, and carefree. He was glad that he had been there for her, had been here for her now as she rested. He knew what it was like to struggle, and to be able to confide in someone was a rare treasure that only fools refuse.
He always was a fool. He wouldn't admit it, but he needed that special treasure more than anything. His stoic faces and indifferent attitude always drove his friends to silence and they never probed deeper to try to break through to his interior frailty. He never let them. But Sakura pulled him out of himself instead of breaking in. It seemed fitting, since the pain she experienced, though by a different situation and on a different level, was not unlike his. Common ground seemed to be discovered by their scars and secret tears, and Neji was dumbfounded at the serendipity of it all. He didn't even believe in coincidence, but it seemed odd that the two of them, not likely to ever spend time together of their own accord, were fitting each other like gloves.
His eyes grew heavier while he lost himself in his thoughts. He looked back down at Sakura, still sleeping peacefully, and he leaned his head back against the headrest's cushion, and blinked his eyes shut, until everything faded, and he too was lost in tranquil slumber.
Sakura jolted so hard that her foot hit the seat behind her, and she sucked in a gasp between her teeth at the stinging sensation in her heel. She was awakened by Ginra knocking on the little door at the front of the carriage.
"Sakura-Ma'am, Neji-Sir, please wake up, we have arrived. I am sorry to wake you, but we need to check you in to the Inn." He spoke in odd tones.
It was weird to Sakura to hear him call her Ma'am, and call Neji Sir. She was about to say something about it, when Ginra gave her a quick wink, signifying that it was time to really be incognito from this point on. She gave him and understanding nod, and shook Neji's knee to try to wake him.
"Sakura, why are you shaking me?" Neji asked calmly looking down at her quizzically.
She realized at that moment that Neji was already awake.
"Sorry, I thought you were asleep" she apologized, and supported herself on his knees with her hands, and pushed herself upright. Her legs were stiff, and she rubbed the blood flow back into them with warm hands.
Neji was a step ahead of her and was up on his feet, crouching under the low clearance of the small quarters. He neared the entrance, and looked back. "Are you ready?" he asked with a questioning face.
Sakura took a deep breath, exhaled with closed eyes, and opened them with a nod.
Neji opened the small door and Ginra waited outside with their luggage and had the small step pulled down for them. Neji let himself out and down, and stood with gentlemanly poise holding his hand out for support as Sakura emerged. She placed her small hand in his open palm and felt the ground beneath her feet.
"Welcome to Minohana, I hope you enjoy your stay. Please be here at this coach stop at the time specified on your papers. It was a pleasure serving you." Ginra said as though he were citing a line from a monologue.
"If there is nothing else, I will take my leave." He stated and closed the carriage door, replaced the step, and mounted the driver's seat, goaded the horse along, and made his way up the road they had entered the town on.
Sakura looked around her in awe. The light was quickly diminishing behind the horizon, but the lights of the town were growing brighter. It seemed that every edifice was made of stone or brick and were outlined in ropes of light. Every few feet, there stood a tall iron lamp, with a glass encasing at the top and a candle burning bright within. The road that wound its way through the center of the town was comprised of red and bronze and earthy colored smooth stones. She found it difficult to traverse said surface in her spike-heeled shoes.
Neji took in his surroundings with little awe. It took quite a shock to surprise him, and this town, in his opinion, was just a difference in architecture and commerce, but the culture should remain the same. Surroundings duly noted; he hoisted their luggage up with both hands and walked across the cobblestoned way and headed for the double wooden doors engraved with a swan on each.
Sakura ran ahead of him and opened the doors for him, allowing him to pass freely inside without struggling with his occupied hands. He walked up to the curved desk at the end of the vestibule, and set the cases on the floor. The woman standing behind it, without looking up, asked them for the name used to reserve their room. "Hyuuga." Neji answered.
"Ah, here you are. Neji and Sakura Hyuuga?" She verified.
Sakura nodded, fighting a blush, and Neji's countenance stayed calm.
The woman handed them a key each, and rang a bell. Out of the door to the right of the desk, appeared a young man in an odd uniform. He picked up their luggage effortlessly. The receptionist woman called their room number to him, and he made his way ahead of them requesting that they follow.
They walked down a hall, up two flights of stairs, and down another hall. The young man stopped in front of a wooden door, engraved with a swan just like the entrance doors but accompanied by the number '312'.
The young man set the luggage just outside the door, bowed, and made his way back toward the ground floor.
"Well here we are." Neji said, inserting his key into the lock, and he twisted until he heard a click. He pushed the door and it opened. The smell of roses flooded their senses as they picked up their respective cases and entered the dark room.
The door closed with a click behind them, and Sakura took a moment to let her eyes adjust to the dim room lit only by the rays of the setting sun filtering in through closed curtains.
Neji, of course had no problem. He walked straight to the window and threw the fabric curtains wide.
Orange light flooded the room, and they both took in their surroundings.
There was one bed right by the window, and it was accented with a smattering of red and white rose petals. On the dresser, across from the bed, there stood a tall vase with two red roses protruding from its mouth. The aroma was tantalizing.
Sakura immediately dropped her luggage on the floor and opened it with lightning speed. She rummaged through the contents searching for sleepwear and undergarments. Once she laid hold of her prize, she dashed for the bathroom, and locked the door behind her.
"Ha!" She called from behind the closed door.
Neji smirked at her playful behavior, and heard the water rush through pipes and splash on a hard surface where Sakura was. He continued to listen as he heard metal scrape against metal in one long sliding instant, and the water that had once sounded steady, now fell in random patterns with splishes and sploshes against the floor of the shower.
He walked to the window, and stared out at the ilk of night spread out in the distance, broken by the ambience of street lamps and shop signs.
"Byakugan" he said aloud, activating his ability as a Hyuuga, and he searched the streets, riddled with shoppers and couples, hand in hand. He was searching for Kabuto. After some time, and satisfied that the rogue nin was nowhere within range of his sight, he released the ability and let himself fall backwards on the bed. He inhaled the scent of rose petals, and the sweet scent of vanilla wafting from under the bathroom door. It smelled of total bliss, and he closed his eyes, falling deeper into the therapeutic aroma. His mind roamed free under its influence and he gasped when his mind's eye focused on a nude Sakura. His eyes shot open and wide. He sat erect and buried his face in his hands, rubbing his eyes as if he were trying to wash away the image. It wasn't that he didn't want to imagine the perfect woman with alabaster skin, wearing only her charming smile; he didn't want his body to react and have to explain himself to a shocked kunoichi once she emerged from her shower. He shook his head, and traipsed toward his suitcase to find something suitable for sleeping comfortably.
A pair of blue boxers and an overshirt was all he could manage to find. This will have to do.
He noticed the absence of liquid sound coming from the adjacent room. Sakura was evidently finished with her shower, and he waited impatiently for her to exit so he could free himself from the scum he was sure collected over every inch of his body. He sat on the edge of the bed, clothes twisted in his hands, nervously tapping his foot. It took everything he had to keep Sakura's image out of his head.
He thought of bloody battles he had fought.
Sakura.
He thought of Lee in his atrocious green leotard doing scissor kicks and pushups, screaming out the glories of youth and hard work.
Sakura and vanilla.
He imagined his old sensei, Gai, running laps around the training field with his knees raised high and sporting a goofy, toothed grin.
Sakura and vanilla and rose petals.
It was no use. He couldn't flood her out of his head. Come on woman, hurry up so I can hide in the shower. He coughed an exasperated sigh, pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers, pressed his eyes closed, and increased the pace of his tapping foot.
He was lost in his concentration; he didn't hear the door open, nor did he hear Sakura approach him.
"Neji?" the now clean and vanilla-laced kunoichi asked with a hint of concern in her voice.
Neji jerked, and a little yelp escaped his lips in surprise.
"Are you alright, you seem anxious." She stated.
Neji narrowed his eyes, and pressed his lips together in a straight line. "I'm fine." He managed to say in a low voice, and he shot up and made a b-line for the bathroom, avoiding eye contact with her.
"Sorry, Sakura, I really, really need to get clean." Neji called out as he closed the door.
Neji stepped into the spacious bathroom, and felt the dampness in the air from the steam still floating about. The scent of vanilla was overpowering, and his eyes rolled back in his head as he let his mind have its way. He inhaled deeply, and unbuttoned his shirt slowly, his mind occupied with other matters.
He looked in the mirror, and lifted his hair away from his face, carefully pulling at the thin piece of synthetic skin pressed against his forehead. He peeled it away in one piece, wrapped it in a clean, dry towel, and set it to the side as Shizune had explained two days ago. He stared at the tattoo on his forehead, green and looming. He was almost surprised to see it still there. He frowned and turned away from his reflection. The visions of Sakura still strong in his mind washed out any disdain he felt for the green mark he'd had since he was old enough to walk.
He finished disrobing, and he reached for the knob on the shower, twisted it on, and stepped into the shower, pulled the curtain closed, and let his head hang in the hot downpour. The hot water falling in rivulets down his body and through his hair felt like tiny hands caressing his body, and his senses soaked in the sensation. His body tingled all over, and forbidden visions danced through his head. He reached for the complimentary shampoo marked him and popped the seal. It smelled of citrus and sage, an aroma that emanated manliness. He squeezed the bottle into his hand and rubbed it into his thick locks, working it through the fibers until he was completely marinated in the tantalizing scent. He let the suds flow out of his hair and all over his rippled body, and massaged the overflow into his waiting skin.
Thoroughly clean, he stood there letting the flow of water pound the back of his neck, feeling the tension leave. Visions of a pink haired kunoichi splayed across the screen behind his eyes, and he imagined her hands rubbing his neck instead of the water. He could almost feel her body pressed against his, and could breathe her vanilla air as her hands traced the contours of his body. All the heat in his body travelled south, and he groaned as he began to physically react to the images in his mind. He placed a hand on the far wall of the shower, and leaned his weight into it. Dammit. He ground his teeth, as his body continued to send blood to his manhood. He balled his free hand into a fist and struck the wall, hard enough to break the skin of his knuckle, and a tiny stream of blood trickled down the tiled wall. He reached for the knob of the shower and turned it to the coldest setting. He hissed loudly as all heat left the stream, and icicles pricked his heightened senses. He shivered, and drew in labored breaths as goose bumps began to rise over the surface of his body. His blood flow regulated to normal levels again, and he felt confident that he could be in the same room as Sakura again.
Sakura lay on the bed, splayed across its down filled covers like a ragdoll. The silk pajamas she wore caressed her soft skin, and she hummed in delight at all the sensations around her. Her skin still emitted heat from the shower, and the smell of the complimentary vanilla scented soap mixed with the floral aroma. She closed her eyes and let it all soak in, and she rolled over pressing her face into the bed covers. There was another smell. The essence of earth and forest tingled her nose as she inhaled deeply. She buried her face deeper into the soft and warm cloth, realizing that she now lay where he had been. Sight, smell, touch, and sound were all engaged together in a symphony that played a song only Sakura could hear or understand. She saw the shinobi in her mind—staring at her with eyes that could reduce her to a puddle in an instant; she smelled the lingering scent of nature beneath her—reminding her of the passionate moments shared between them; she felt the silk flutter around her limbs like whispers blown against her skin—imagining his face so close to her body that she could feel his breath against her; she heard the water running over the man in the next room, separated from her by a thin wall—causing her to flush red imagining a dripping wet Neji.
Get a grip on yourself Sakura.
She had let her mind wander too far, too fast. She moved her hands from tucking the blanket around her face, and placed them into her damp hair simultaneously rolling again on her back. She closed her eyes, and rubbed her scalp, massaging away the images in her head. Succumbing to a fierce yawn, she realized how tired she had been.
Sakura, now on her hands and knees, crawled toward the headboard and pulled back the covers that were tightly tucked beneath overstuffed pillows. A few petals fell to the floor as she slipped her tired body beneath the layered sheets and comforter. They felt so soft, and her body sunk into the warmth her body had created, and she shrugged her shoulders tightly against her cheeks pulling the fabric tightly under her chin. She pinched her eyes shut, and the blackness behind her weighted eyelids reigned in her senses, now focused only on the reassurance of approaching slumber. She fell deeper into the bed, and the last thing she noticed was a click from the bathroom door before she drifted into a deep sleep.
Neji walked softly from the open door of the steamed chamber, and peered lazily at the lump in the bed. He quietly approached and gingerly sat on the edge, leaning closer to Sakura in order to verify that she was indeed asleep. He was relieved. After all the trouble he went through to calm himself just moments ago, he wasn't in the mood to remain calm through all her unwitting flirtations. He slid the loosened covers from under his seated body, and swung his legs beneath them, taking care to move as gently as possible. Neji reached for the lamp imbedded in the wall above the bed and clicked it twice before it became dark in the room. He laid his head on his pillow, turned away from Sakura, and released a cleansing breath he had been holding.
Sleep came quickly for Neji, for the first time in a long while. His worries and fears were replaced by dreams of Sakura and rose petals, and the object of his desire—breathing peacefully behind him—warmed him to the core with her presence.
Both ninjas slept soundly and solidly through the night, only to be greeted by sunlight and anticipation for what the days ahead held for them.
But for now, there was only sweet, sweet slumber.
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