Rokudaime

Chapter Three

Impossible

Neji and Sakura's relationship was not known throughout Konoha, not even the medic's best friend and mentor knew about the two shinobi being together. The ever prideful Hyuuga clan did not know of Neji's affairs with the Hokage's apprentice either.

Their relationship had been going on for a few years. Three years, two months and ten hours to be exact when they became official with one another, with their relationship being sexually active for two years now.

Their bond had started on a deliverance mission.

Neji was assigned a mission with Sakura and Naruto nearly five years ago to ensure the safe arrival of the shrine maiden, Shion, to the demon village. Back then, Konoha was still in the process of rebuilding from Orochimaru's attack years prior and the Godaime took in every request that ended in pay to help the village's economy.

He had known Sakura through a mutual friend that being Lee, who had never stopped talking about the rosette's youth and beauty.

That mission to the demon village had ignited everything.

His protectiveness over the kunoichi started when he had barely caught her in time from falling over the tree branch in mid-air. She had been drugged with a paralysis poison by the enemy while protecting Shion's double.

The attraction had occurred when he saw her fight with fierceness and passion against the strong shinobi. They way her emerald eyes had burned with fire was burned into his memory.

Once the mission had been completed and over with, it seem that everywhere he went, the kunoichi was there. It had become some sort of a strange habit and soon that habit had turned into something productive. They had started training with one another, going on duel missions together since Tsunade had like the way they had worked together.

No one had realized how close they had actually became with one another during the months and well into the years. It hadn't been until they had a mission with one another to Tea Country three years ago. It was an S-class mission in which they had to take care of corrupted leaders.

It was the mission that they had allowed themselves to give into their attraction and had kissed one another.

She had been fearful once they broke for air and he reassured her that he was nothing like the Uchiha.

...it had led to many more after the mission was over...

Neji dried his long hair with a towel as he exited the bathroom, wearing only his dark pants and white tube socks. The Hyuuga prodigy's gaze was hard as he placed the damp towel on a holder and proceeded to put on a black t-shirt with the Hyuuga clan's insignia on the back, colored in silver.

Reluctantly, he looked over to the betroth necklace, hanging on the hook besides his door.

It looked innocent enough.

But in actually it was the one thing that was causing Sakura to pull away from him. After so many years, it only took one word to ruin it all that and his fiance'.

Neji glared at the necklace before walking towards it and snarling lightly. The amulet shone under the sun's rays and glistened at him, taunting him openly and shamelessly. Neji scoffed and grabbed the necklace from the hook and put it on with a deep frown.

He needed to put an end to this engagement.

Haishi sat in his private study with a pot of hot tea steaming along with two cups, one of them being filled already. The clan head had his eyes closed in meditation as he waited for his nephew to arrive. Haishi had some ideas as to what Neji wanted to discuss with him.

But something told him that is was about the engagement to the Ama heiress.

Haishi opened his eyes as he calmly picked up his tea and sipped from it. The warm liquid washed down his throat as he continued to contemplate on the matter.

It wasn't as if he had allowed Neji to become engaged with a woman he didn't know.

If his memory served him correctly, the Ama girl was part of the rookie twelve.

The clan head heard the light footsteps of Neji and placed his cup back down on the low table. The shoji door opened just as the cup came into contact with the wooden surface. Neji approached the table and kneel down as his Uncle pour him tea.

"Now that you are here, tell me what it is you want to discuss, nephew."

Haishi said smoothly as he placed the pot down.

Neji closed his eyes and titled his head down slightly, causing his dark strands to sway with the motion. "It is about the engagement, Uncle." The young Hyuuga began, opening his eyes to look at his Uncle's expression. The clan head looked calmed...for now that is.

Haishi didn't look surprise.

"I figured as much."

He said taking another sip of his tea while Neji had yet to touch his.

"What is the problem?" Haishi asked, giving his entire attention to Neji. The young Hyuuga appeared very tense and set on whatever it was that he was going to propose to him. He wondered what it could be. "I want the engagement called off, Uncle." Neji demanded politely with silver eyes staring intently at the clan head.

Haishi blinked several times before his brows furrowed over his eyes.

"Impossible!"

Haishi exclaimed.

"Neji, this engagement cannot be called off. I have made a contract with the head of the Ama clan and I have already signed it." Haishi said with slightly narrowed eyes. "It cannot be undone. Besides you are twenty one years old and you need to be married already and producing children into the clan that would become valuable assets for us in the future." Neji's brows tensed as he heard Haishi ramble on.

"I thought you liked the girl, Neji."

Haishi stated while watching Neji closely. Well, he had thought his nephew had liked the Ama girl, after all they had always trained together when they were Gennin. Neji tightened his fist from underneath the table as he tried to prevent the snarl that wanted to appear on his lips.

"What gave you that idea, Uncle."

Neji spoke through clenched teeth. Haishi folded his arms across his chest and had a look of ponder on his expression. "I have always seen you two training, so when the head of the Ama clan had approached me with a proposal of an arrange marriage, I thought it would have been prefect." Haishi started out with a raised brow. "With your schedule with Anbu, you wouldn't have had the time to search for a noble woman to settle down with, so I had agreed with the contract." Haishi finished.

"Besides, nephew, you have never presented a woman before me in the past couple of years. It makes me worry about you..."

Neji remained silent as he soaked in his Uncle's words. He had a woman he had wanted to settle down with, but he knew his Uncle wouldn't have approved of Sakura, solely because her family wasn't part of a respectful, noble clan. Her parents were both civilians and of no nobility.

Thus, the reason as to why their relationship was kept secret.

Besides they were both private about their personal life and all of Konoha didn't need to know they were together.

Neji inhaled softly and deeply before he began, "Uncle, marrying her wouldn't be right." Haishi raised a brow at his nephew's words. "Why not? You both know one another for some amount of years, you both are from respected noble clans and both of you are exceptional shinobi." Haishi stated down with confidence as he stared at Neji.

"I don't see a problem."

Why was he being so reluctant?

"I don't love her, Uncle!"

Yamanaka Flower Shop

A soft chime vibrated throughout the large room, alerting the blonde kunoichi that another costumer had entered into the Yamanaka flower shop. "Just a minute!" Ino exclaimed loudly as she unloaded the last box of flower pots onto the back shelves in the back room.

Long blonde hair fluttered into her face and with her hand she promptly placed it back behind her ear. Walking to the front of the shop the kunoichi smiled when she saw her friend staring at a pot of Calla Lilies.

"They represent elegance, charm, beauty and grace."

Ino informed her fellow kunoichi, bringing the brunette out of her thoughts as she smiled before turning to Ino. "They're beautiful." Ten-Ten said as she brought her bright brown eyes over to the Red Roses. "I need to choose some flowers for-" Ino barely allowed the weapon expert to finish her sentence before she grabbed the woman and dragged her over to the White Roses.

"These are what you're looking." Ino exclaimed as Ten-Ten could smell the fragrance radiating off the pure white flowers. "Really? Now why would you say that?" The kunoichi asked with amusing eyes and a playful smirk. Ino smirked devilishly before her blue eyes narrowed in mischief. "These white roses represents innocence, beauty, charm and purity." Ino said with deep emphasize. Ten-Ten blushed as she stared at Ino with wide eyes.

"W-What are you getting at?" The brunette asked with a light stammer to her usually strong tone as she licked her now dried lips.

Ino smirked as she raised a shapely brow. "Where I'm getting at..." The Yamanaka heiress looked around the store and when she saw that no one else occupied the store turned back to the blushing kunoichi, "...is that you're still a virgin." Ino whispered slyly as Ten-Ten's blush deepen.

The brunette remained speechless before narrowing her eyes and glaring at Ino. "So! I don't see how that's any of your business!" Ten-Ten exclaimed through clenched teeth and jaw, her eyes flashing with fire. Ino held her hands up defensively as she shook her head. "Calm down, I'm here to help you..." Once again Ino searched the store, "...with your problem." Ino said carefully.

"You don't want to look like a naive girl on the night of your wedding, right?"

The Yamanaka pointed out with a raised brow. Ten-Ten remained speechless as she bit her bottom lip before she began to think. She's done many missions in the past while she was a Chunnin that involved her taking off her cloths, but none of them had required her to have actual sex with them for she had killed her targets before they had even begun.

Besides there were a few kunoichi she knew of who were still virgins.

Ino seem to have read her mind for the Yamanaka heiress furrowed her brows sternly. "I know that look, so don't tell me that there are other kunoichi that are still untouched. That's complete bullshit." Ino said with narrowed eyes. Ten-Ten looked at Ino with disbelief.

"Name them."

Ten-Ten demanded and saw Ino's eyes lighten up.

"My pleasure."

Ten-Ten almost rolled her eyes as she leaned against the front desk with folded arms.

Surely, Ino couldn't know so many of them, right?

"First off, me." No surprise there. "Second, Kurnei." Of course, Kurnei had Asuma's child. Ten-Ten was still unimpressed but it seem Ino wasn't done quite yet. "Third, Hinata." Ten-Ten's eyes widen at the mention of the Hyuuga heiress. There was no way! "What!" Ino laughed at the brunette's expression. "I'm just kidding! As if her father would allow his daughter to be deflowered for the sake of anything." Ino said as Ten-Ten relaxed.

"Okay, I get your point."

Ten-Ten said as she stood up. "Wait! I'm not done." Ino pouted as she crossed her arms across her full chest. Ten-Ten smirked as she turned her head over her shoulder to glance at Ino. "Who else could there possibly be? Who were you going to say next, Sakura?" The brunette said jokingly as she bend over to smell a pile of daises.

Silence.

Ten-Ten looked back up and at Ino, who was suddenly quiet.

"What?" Ten-Ten said with a smile. It slowly fell as Ino nodded her head. "Sakura?" Ten-Ten said disbelieving. Damn, even Sakura was no longer a virgin. Was she the only kunoichi who was still a virgin, damn Ino! She had been fine with herself until the blonde had brought this all up.

"Yeah, even Forehead girl, though I'm still not sure." Ino started as she began to spray the flowers with water. "What do you mean?" Ten-Ten asked completely curios. She wasn't one to hear about gossip, but she's haven't heard much about the pink haired kunoichi lately and besides Ino was the Queen of Gossip, so it was bound to rub off on her.

"Well, just last night, while I was on my way to the Tower after a mission, I passed by Sakura's apartment." Ino began as Ten-Ten listened to her every word. "Just as I was passing, the window to her room was opened and I saw someone coming out. I thought it was Sakura, so I stopped to say hello, but then I realized that it was a man and I quickly hid behind a wall." Ino pointed out smartly as Ten-Ten raised a brow.

"It was dark, maybe you saw wrong."

Ino smirked while raising a brow.

"Nope, it was a man..." Ino said with stern eyes. "Believe me, I know a man when I see one. He was a shinobi as well to be leaving through the window. I heard murmuring before he left and then a loud bang shook the building. I know Sakura had punched her bedroom wall. No one else can cause such a tremor save for Lady Tsunade." Ino said as she finished spraying the plants and placed the spray bottle on the desk.

"Did you get a look at the shinobi?"

Ten-Ten asked curios as Ino frown and shook her head.

"Not from my position and the shinobi just left like this." Ino snapped her fingers to demonstrate how fast he was to her brunette friend.

Ten-Ten's eyes widen.

"Do you think it's Lee?" He was the only one she knew that could be that fast. Ino's eyes widen at the idea. "No, it couldn't have been Lee, he was on guard duty and it couldn't have been Naruto. He's out training with Jiraiya-sama again." Ino said with her hands on top of her hips.

"I just can't believe Sakura hasn't told me about him yet."

Ino said with slightly hurt eyes.

Ten-Ten smiled at Ino with sympathy. "Maybe she's not ready to tell you yet. Maybe..." Ten-Ten stopped and Ino knew exactly what she was thinking.

Uchiha Sasuke.

Sakura was probably still affected by Sasuke leaving her and the many failed attempts to bring him back.

Sakura would have wanted to make sure that this time it would work out with another man since the defection of Sasuke.

Ino and Ten-Ten understood the medic's need to protect her heart.

"I know what you mean." Ino muttered sadly as the chime echoed throughout the store again. "Well, Ten-Ten, pick out the flowers you want for the wedding and write them down. Although, I still suggest the white roses." Ino said with a mischievous smirk on before she tended to her new costumers.

Ten-Ten pondered on the mystery man that Sakura was seeing before concentrating on the Red Roses again, ignoring Ino's input.

She wondered when Neji was going to stop by to see her, it was getting late.

They had a wedding to plan in a year.

Undisclosed destination

This was hell.

Running for more than nine hours straight was beginning to wear down the three Anbu Black Ops. Sweat was beginning to form on their faces and bodies, sticking their clothing to their skin uncomfortably. Sakura glared through her mask while grinding her teeth together in annoyance.

The Anbu Captain glanced over to her two teammates and saw that Kin was slowing down, but Kiyoshi was pushing himself in order to keep up with her. He was always a competitive jerk. They needed to rest and besides they had covered enough ground to rest for an hour or so. With the flick of her wrist the two shinobi behind her quickly changed their direction towards a cave up ahead.

As soon as they step foot inside the cave, Kiyoshi pulled down his mask and let out a frustrated grunt. "Shit! Getting to Suna and back to Konoha within three days is fucking impossible!" Kiyoshi growled out as he sat down against the cavern of solid rock. Kin sat opposite of Kiyoshi and also pulled down his mask to hang around his neck.

"He's right, Captain, we need more time."

Kin said with furrowed brows as he passed his hand through his drenched hair.

Sakura stood with her arms folded across her chest.

They were right, but it was a mission...a mission that needed to be completed at the request of their Hokage. There must be some reason that her Shishou needed the document within three days. Sakura pulled her mask up above her head and reveled in the breeze that hit her hot face.

It was getting a whole lot warmer, a sign that they were close to the desert, which meant they were getting close to Suna.

"You're right."

Sakura said with furrowed brows, causing Kin and Kiyoshi to look at her. "No, shit..." Kiyoshi muttered with closed eyes. Sakura narrowed her eyes at him and decided it would be in his best interest to let that remark slide.

A cranky Kiyoshi equaled a pissed off Sakura, who would knock him out cold.

Too bad they were on a mission.

"But we are on a mission...as shinobi, especially as Anbu, we are required to successfully complete every mission that is given to us by our Hokage." Sakura started in a steady, strong tone. She needed to inspire them, to keep them going despite the brutal endurance their bodies were going to endure during this mission.

The kunoichi didn't think her boys will be looking forward to another mission for at least a week when they got back home.

"Come now boys, don't tell me a little kunoichi like me can out run you two."

Sakura said with challenge lacing her words. Kiyoshi narrowed his eyes at her challenge and couldn't help, but to prove her wrong. After all it was in his nature to accept every challenge thrown his way and his Captain took full advantage of it.

"Whatever, Captain, I'll show you."

Kiyoshi said as he put his mask back on and stood up. Kin stood and placed his mask on as well. His Captain was right, this was a mission that needed to be completed and he had promised himself that if he had ever made it to Anbu that he will fight and keep going until he collapsed from exhaustion.

"The faster we get this done, the faster we get home."

Kin said as Sakura smiled affectionately at them.

"That's the spirit!"

Sakura exclaimed as she pulled down her mask before heading out again.

They had a document to retrieve.

A/N: So now we all know who Neji's fiance is, big shocker there... ;) The beginning of the chapter was to fill you all in on how their relationship had started. Hope it was believable. I got the idea after watching The Naruto Movie 4.

Anyway, hope you all had enjoyed the chapters.

Review! ;)

R&R

Lady Manami