The Gift Of Heaven's Kiss

by Valkyrie-Athena

After witnessing her father being attacked, Sakura escapes to seek refuge. Now alone and nowhere to go, all hope seems lost until she meets a beautiful stranger who offers a solution to her worries. With the parting gift of a heavenly kiss upon her forehead, she begins her new life and adventure. Sasu/Saku AU SakuraxSasuke

5. Chapter Four

Happy New Year! Hope you had a good one and may this year to come be a blessed one and full of good things! :)

Notes:

The first part is just a run-through of what our favorite Goddess and Familiar were up to during the months that have passed by in the story line.

This chapter is going to be a bit longer than the previous ones.

~Last Chapter Recap

With the story of her journey coming to an end, they discussed a few more bits and pieces of it until all questions and comments were addressed. All in all, her 'short' break was extended about twenty minutes more than what was requested. But no one was counting. "Let's go over the moves you've learned today once more and that should suffice for this session." She was happy to hear she was almost through, and followed him out the door with not a single complaint.

Today turned out to be pretty productive and the sun had barely even started coming up. The astonishing fact that not only had Sasuke actually started a conversation with her about such a random topic but also agreed to her movie night idea, blew her mind. But no matter, if he showed interest in a mutual friendship she was all for it. If they were going to be living together, it'd be best for everyone if they at least got along.

---

Chapter 4

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For the duration of the months that passed by, she'd go on to learn more about her abilities, shrine life and Sasuke. Everyday would pretty much go the same as it always had since she first moved in. She'd wake up early to train, eat breakfast with Sasuke, work on her daily tasks and every now and then accompany him to the market for ingredients and such.

By the middle of the third month she managed to unblock her chakra flow, thanks to all the mental release exercises she and Sasuke had worked on everyday. Her day of reckoning happened when she least expected it. Who knew a simple game was to do the trick. It was close to sunrise, and she had just completed an hour's worth of sparring and technique training. She was frustrated that day, because of how many times she had failed to win at the 'training game' they were playing towards the end of their session. The only rule to the game was that she needed to capture the cloth that was clipped onto his belt loop.

The words that he spoke to her drilled into her mind. "Focus on the bandanna, Sakura. All you want is the bandanna, so take it." The longer their game went on, the more frustrated she became. "I can't, you're way too fast and you know it!" she griped as she bent over, and placed her hands onto her knees to catch her breath. He only shook his head at her exasperation.

"Your opponent is faster than you, so what? Timing beats speed, and precision beats power. Stand back up and start again." What he said seemed to stick because the next time she stood back up, her attitude changed. Her breathing calmed, and the aching muscles that screamed and pulsed with soreness went unnoticed. All she was thinking about now, was how much she wanted that bandanna. How good it would feel to have one small victory over Sasuke. How great it would be, to finally win for once. Her eyes focused on his for a brief moment, before she disappeared completely from sight. This took him for surprise, but he knew what this sudden burst of energy meant. Her charka was finally free.

Her thoughts ran wild as she pushed herself to run faster. How in the world was she moving this quickly? This was almost too insane for her to wrap her mind around, but she'd have to keep those curious thoughts dormant for now. She was still in the game, and an opportunity to win had just opened up. Running up behind him, she reached out to grab onto the cloth that was loosely dangling off his belt loop.

Without sparing her a look, he swiftly moved out of her reach. "Nice try." With the new found use of chakra energy at her disposal, he made sure to keep an eye on her energy levels with the help of his Sharingan. He could see the energy flowing and dispersing into her limbs as it should, but the strange thing he noticed was that the chakra was also storing into her Goddess mark like some sort of bank. What for? He wasn't sure yet, but it was definitely something worth looking into later on. Leveling his pace with hers, they continued their 'fight' for the bandanna across the training field.

This far into her training progress, and her hand-eye coordination had gotten significantly better. That being said, she was able to block more of the basic incoming attacks he sent her way. Managing to cover the entire training grounds within the last five minutes, she really felt like she was getting closer to catching that bandanna. Unfortunately her stamina was quickly deteriorating, and so she knew she only had a minute or two left before she would wear herself out. It was now or never.

Gathering the last burst of strength she had, she readied herself so that she could attempt one last good reach at the bandanna. Three. Predicting how he would block against her strike, she diverted his attention back up to her hands. Two. Forcing him to back up, she continued pushing forward with the continuous strikes. One. With his successful blocks against her last attempt at the bandanna, he was sure the game would be ending soon.

The evident weariness in her eyes told him, she had just about reached her limit. When he thought it was all over, he felt a resistant lump behind the heel of his shoe. The look on his face at that precise moment, confirmed that he was caught off guard. Whether she could believe it or not, her plan to trip him by using a rock was a success. As soon as he lost his balance, she lunged forward with all her might and reached out for the cloth. Victory was prominent in her eyes, as she felt the bare fibers of the cloth lightly brush against her finger tips. "It's mine!"

One moment she envisioned her victory, the next she got a reality check. "That was pretty close. You almost got me there." The smooth voice that spoke reached her ears, prompting her eyes to open back up. When did she even close them? Nevertheless, she quickly came to her senses and realized she was being held up by a firm hand supporting her waist, while the other gently held onto the very wrist she had used to snatch the desired cloth. Being held so close in his arms, almost made her forget to speak but she soon gathered herself before he could notice. "I lost." He nodded in agreement and helped her up.

"Your planning was well thought out. But remember, if your first plan fails you need to have backup plans ready as well. Not every fight will be fair, or in your favor. Your opponent, depending on who they are will be attentive to your moves and body language, so you need to try and be as perceptive as possible." Mentally taking notes of his advice, she made sure to keep that in mind for the next time they were to train. "Okay, got it." He was a tough Sensei who didn't let things slip by when she made mistakes, but he was also very understanding and surprisingly patient with her during their lessons.

After their game was over, he went on to examine her. With focused red Sharingan eyes, he checked the flow of her chakra energy and saw that it was being properly distributed down into her limbs. Bringing his gaze up to her Goddess mark he could see that it too, was still absorbing chakra into it. How strange. he thought to himself. Chakra had no reason to pour into the mark itself, so why was it doing just that?

No matter where the mark was set upon a deity's body, chakra typically wouldn't interfere or interact with it under any circumstances. There was no reason to fuel the mark, for it was simply symbolic. But in her case, the chakra flowed right into it. Perhaps her human nature had something to do with it?

Regardless of how strange this all was, her chakra was flowing freely and that was all that mattered to him. Therefore, it was time to now proceed onto more challenging exercises. There was a whole plethora of teachings he could now pass onto her from this point on. Sakura was a good student, so he had faith that she would continue to prosper with whatever else he taught her.

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After that day, he would put her through some intense training exercises. With more lessons involving control, conservation and precision of her chakra, he coached her through everything from tree climbing to water exercises and more. They even went over the different uses of chakra and how to manipulate it to heal herself or others. That lesson was especially within her interests, since she did regard the field of medicine to be one of her many passions.

The thought of healing another being with her bare hands was absolutely enthralling, and so she requested he teach her everything he could about the subject. Textbooks and charts that revolved around chakra and the human body, along with medical ninjutsu and the arts of healing were given to her as a result. With the amateur knowledge she already possessed, she took all the study materials he provided and dove into the art of chakra and medicine.

The textbooks she received were in pristine condition, and had beautiful deep mahogany hard covers that protected the pages within. One night she laid a few books out on the kotatsu table, so she could study in the common room. She could tell by how the pages felt, that the books were well loved. Upon further inspection, she also noticed that the dedication page was filled out. It read 'To: Sasuke, my beloved son.' and 'From: Mom'.

How sweet.

"Sasuke, did you learn a lot from this book?" She watched as he peeked over at the books from his seated position on the couch. "I did. Those have been stored away since Itachi and I were children. That book was just additional study material my mother had gifted to me. It was an attempt to help me further my knowledge on healing, along with the daily lessons my father would teach. Although, Itachi did get more training than I did back then, I suppose my mother was just trying to make up for the times my father and brother went off to train together." Knowing just that much, she promised herself to take care of the books he lent her. It was a gift from his mother after all.

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When it came to their training sessions, she felt they had covered a vast majority of all there was to know. But that was far from the truth. The first time she saw him casually walk up a tree, to the time she saw him demonstrate the ability to stand, walk and run on top of a river's surface, she was sure she couldn't get any more surprised. She knew he was capable of a lot of things, but she couldn't help but be amazed when she would see what he could do.

"Direct your chakra to the soles of your feet. It will create a barrier-like element, which will allow you to walk over the water without sinking." With a nod of her head, she focused on her chakra and where she wanted it to go. Once she was ready, she stepped into the river. She couldn't believe it, she was actually doing it! And on the first try, no less. "Sasuke, I'm doing it! Look!"

Turning her head back to look at him, she caught a glimpse of the approving look he displayed before the feeling of freezing cold water overtook her senses. "Shit!" Seconds later, the other foot sank and became emerged as well. "C-cold! Eeeek" Splashing around until she got back onto land, she looked to see his reaction. At first glance he looked unbothered, but that only lasted a short while. Before long, she could see a small crack in his cool demeanor. He definitely looked as if he wanted to laugh at her.

"You celebrate too early."

"I know, I know. Next time I promise I won't. I just got a bit excited."

"Since I see that you're very capable with this exercise when focused, next time your goal is to reach the middle of the river. And remember, with this exercise there will be consequences if you fail. But I suppose you've already found that out."

"Ha-ha. Yes, I became well acquainted with the ice-cold river water." she sarcastically remarked.

"Oh I saw. Next time...just try to save the celebration for when after you've come back onto dry land. The last thing you need right now, is to catch a cold."

The amused tone in his voice made her want to play with him more, but she ultimately decided otherwise. For reasons being that he was her 'Sensei' and adding in the fact that although they were talking more freely among one other, they still weren't all that close. They were opening up more to each other each day, but it was like they had a routine going on.

They'd usually converse about topics revolving around the market place, the shrine and the yokai world. The occasional random topic of their personal likes and dislikes would come up every now and then, but that was only when it would relate to any of the main topics they would discuss. But she wasn't complaining about what they had so far. It was nice.

---

Now present day and she was four months and a half into her life as a Goddess. Today was an exciting day, because it was finally time she would get to begin working with the weaponry Sasuke had stocked up in the supply room. She had been eyeing the bow for quite some time, and now she'd finally get to try her hand at it.

"Go ahead and pick a weapon of your choice, and we'll begin today's lesson." With a certain weapon already in mind, she wasted no time heading for the weapons rack. But once she got to fully inspect all the display had to offer, she began to reconsider her options. Maybe she'd try the Shuriken today, or maybe the spear? What about the claws of death?

With the fine selection readily available for her choosing, the battle bow she initially planned on using just might have to wait. Something shiny upon the wall attracted her attention, and that was when her eyes scanned over a decently sized smoke pipe that was hung up on display. It looked quite similar to the Kiseru pipe Sasuke used when she first saw him in the red light district.

"A Kiseru?" Carefully picking up the pipe, she examined its features. It was sturdy and light in weight, but it looked as if it were made for more than just casual smoking. "Sasuke, is this yours?" He shook his head, and took the pipe from her hands. "This specific one is called the 'Shikomi Kiseru'. It's a two-in-one kind of weapon. You can use it for it's obvious function, but you can also stab objects or people with it." Demonstrating the weapon's two modes, he took the cap off the end of the pipe and showed the sharp blade that was hidden inside. "Wow, I'll keep that in mind. I wasn't expecting that." she said, astonished.

"It dates back to the Edo period. It's quite useful in many ways, especially if you wish to be more discreet." he stated as he watched her eye the interesting weapon in his hands. For one reason or another, the curious and intrigued look in her eyes amused him. "So, have you made your decision?" Looking back at all the weapons of choice, she nodded and hesitantly picked up the battle bow. "I was going back and forth on it, but I think I'd like to try this first." Seeing her choice, he nodded and turned to browse through a woven cylinder-shaped container that was on the floor. Once he found what he was looking for, he turned to present a bag of arrows to go with her weapon. "Alright, let's get started"

"I'm ready, Sensei." Now following him back outside to begin her weapon training, a wave of uneasiness mixed with excitement washed over her. Stopping some feet away from a row of marked trees that would act as their practice targets for the day, they faced towards each other so he could begin setting up her bow up for use. "You will train to shoot with your instincts. This bow has no sights, so you must learn where, when and how to aim at your target."

And to think he'd let me have it easy today. Ha!

"Repetition is key." Holding her bow at a lowered position, she intently listened as he began his teachings. Motioning her to raise her bow, she complied and held it out straight in front of her with a single hand. While the majority of her attention was set on her targets ahead, she couldn't help but also notice from her peripheral that he had moved closer to her side. He was standing so close, that she could easily smell the rich spiciness of his cologne.

"From your stance...to how you anchor your 'drawing hand' to your cheek." Gently grabbing hold of her free hand, he positioned her arm up so that she was in the position to draw back an imaginary string. "The curve of your wrist." Encircling his fingers around her wrist that supported the bow, he adjusted the position of it so that she was holding the bow at a more appropriate angle. "You'll see that a big part of it is muscle memory." The tenderness in his voice captivated her complete attention. She captured every word he spoke and took heed of his instruction.

Releasing his hold on her, he stepped away and picked up his own bow and an arrow. "Let me demonstrate first, then I want you to try next." Lowering her bow, she turned to watch him shoot. She watched as he lifted his bow, and pulled back the string and arrow with ease. He made it look as if it were the easiest thing in the world to do. Holding his position with the string pulled back, he made sure to direct her attention to the way he held the bow and the motions he took before shooting his arrow. She observed closely, and made sure to take mental notes of what she was to do when it was her turn.

Seeing the focused look in his sharp ebony eyes as he targeted the trees ahead, she couldn't help but think he looked like some sort of warrior prince. Similar to one she had seen and read about before in some web manga. It was a foolish girly thought, but she couldn't help it and frankly she didn't care.

He definitely had the face of a royal, and with his attitude type she was sure he'd be the cold and handsome younger type of prince that ruled over some fancy kingdom. The usual default backstory of this type of prince was often a difficult one, which made him fit even more into this prince-stereotype. One web manga in particular came to mind, for the sole fact that the younger prince of the story had a heart of gold, but he shielded it with iron walls to protect himself from getting hurt. In some ways, the fictional prince in mind even looked somewhat similar to Sasuke. The raven dark hair, and the attractive noble bone structure of his face sold her on the comparison.

"The more you practice your aim, the better you'll get at it. You'll learn to adjust your shot over time, and the range at which you would need your arrow to travel." Adjusting the direction of his aim, he briefly paused before releasing the arrow to shoot forward. She watched as it cut through the air and glided right into the middle of the tree trunk with ease. "That was amazing." she complimented as she looked between him and his impressive shot. "Now it's your turn. Show me your ready position first."

Following his direction, she raised the bow and awaited his next instruction. "Now pull the string back." With a nod of her head, she looked at the string and attempted to pull it back, but only met resistance. "It's a bit harder than I thought...let me try again. Hrrah!" Applying more force, she managed to pull back the string all the way. "I-I did it!"

"Very good, that's the first step. Since you have no arrow loaded right now, do not just release the string. Hold onto it while guiding it back to its initial position." Good thing he said something, I was about to do just that. "Right." Carefully guiding the string back, she let a steady breath out and smiled to herself. "That wasn't too bad." An amused expression crossed his face as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm glad you feel that way. Now do it again with an arrow loaded."

Yeah...this is going to be fun...

Getting the basics down within the first few minutes, she was then promoted to loading her own arrows and shooting them at the targets. Each shot she put out was either close to the target or not at all, but she wasn't discouraged. With all the helpful tips he was providing her, she continued practicing until her arms became sore from all the pulling she had to endure. After a handful of successful shots, they called it and ended their session for the morning.

---

Now relaxed and seated at the kotatsu table in the common room, she casually flipped through the TV channels until she heard a familiar name announced on the entertainment news channel. Turning up the volume so she could validate whether or not she heard correctly, she listened in as the reporter announced their news segment.

'That's right, you heard it fans. Listen closely, because you won't want to miss this major headline! Popular Japanese actor Neji Hyuga is alleged to attend Konoha University. Though his agency declined confirming or denying this, we received information from an inside source that confirmed the actor is indeed to attend the school. I'm Akari Ishikawa reporting from Highlight Japan News, thanks for tuning in!'

A huge gasp escaped her lips as she stared at the TV in complete awe. "He's really going to Konoha University?! No way! Oh my gosh, I really wish I had my phone right now.." Suddenly busting in from another room, Kiyo and Denki flew in. They lined up right at her side and looked her over to see if she was injured in any way. "Milady, are you okay?! We heard you gasp from the other room and thought you might've gotten hurt somehow!" Denki exclaimed. Kiyo nodded in agreement with him, and placed the back of her small hand against Sakura's forehead to check her temperature. "Sorry to worry you two...but I just heard the most exciting news ever! My favorite actor is allegedly going to attend the University that's here in town. I just can't believe it!"

"What's all the ruckus in here?" Sasuke asked as he entered the room from outside. "Oh, I was just telling Kiyo and Denki that my favorite actor Neji, might be attending Konoha University this year." The slight confusion upon his face went unnoticed, as he took a seat across from her at the kotatsu table and joined her in watching the current food commercial that was advertising.

"So, he's an actor?" She eagerly nodded and stared at the pictures displayed on the screen. "Yes, he's featured in a lot of Japanese action shows and love dramas! He's even in some Korean dramas too, he usually plays a high school student in those but it's just because he can pull it off...oh my gosh."

"What now?"

"School...University..."

"What?"

"I need to go by an internet cafe, so I can reapply for college. When I graduated, I already knew my family was having financial troubles. So to try and help out, I opted to work at our cafe to help keep it open and running. All the applications kind of went to waste, but to me it was worth it."

"I see. But I'm curious, why must you attend school by choice if you've already completed the mandatory years of grade school? Is it required for the job you wish to have?"

"It is. I originally planned on attending college to study Medicine. I've already accumulated some college credits during my high school years, so those will help me in the long run. I've had a lot of dream jobs in mind, but the most realistic one out of all was for me to become a Doctor."

"What were your other dreams?"

"I thought about being a Teacher, or maybe a Veterinarian at one point. When I was younger, I even thought about becoming a scientific researcher or...circus performer. Don't judge. I was going through a phase." His head shook slightly, indicating to her that he had made no judgments. "It was just a childhood dream. I've always admired how pretty the performers looked when they would dress up all cool when it was show time... I know it's silly." Fully expecting him to laugh at her, she was surprised to see that he was actually accepting of it instead.

"It's not silly. Those people train hard to be good at their jobs." Silence ensured between them, before he decided to further add to his thoughts. "I remember when I was a child, my family and I would attend what you would call in this world a 'carnival'. Big events like those would be held for the Gods and Goddesses, and of course their children. There would always be acrobatic performers there, tables upon tables of food and beverage, games for the children and some vendors that would volunteer to bring their beloved animals and pets just to show off how beautiful they were."

"Wow, that sounds way more extravagant than the average carnival here."

"I think Itachi knew that one of my favorite parts of the whole event was watching the acrobats do their show, so he would always ask our parents if we could watch their performances first before venturing out to other activities." She could tell from the way his expression relaxed, that reminiscing about his past memories put him in a more thoughtful mood. "I always had respect for Itachi, he was always a good older brother. Hell, he saved me from myself...I just opposed the way he handled things when he left."

Hearing the raw emotion in his words, tears threatened to fall from her eyes. She was touched that he would share such a personal and sentimental memory with her. Coming out of his own thoughts, he looked over to see that she was looking at him with what he would describe as kindhearted eyes. "Itachi saved you?" Did he say too much, too fast? Speaking of Itachi was a sensitive topic, so why was he sharing stories that he would usually keep locked at the back of his mind?

Up to now she had been watching his body language and from what she witnessed so far, it was safe to say that he expressed more of what he thought through his body than he did with word of mouth. She could tell he became internally conflicted when she asked about Itachi. Although he was the first to bring him up, maybe it wasn't a good idea to further elaborate on that topic for now. It was best to just let it go.

"That's a story for another time." he stated as he folded his hands together atop the table. The promising look in his eyes made her believe that he would in fact, share with her more of his story when he felt more comfortable doing so. Silently acknowledging him, she offered a sweet smile in return. The soft curve of her lips as they were upturned into a gentle smile, made his eyes study the delicate dimples that only appeared when she smiled. His attention was then brought up to the elegant contour of her cheeks, and then to those radiant eyes that beamed brightly at him giving him a sense of comfort and warmth. Before getting too caught up, he pushed the conversation forward to another topic.

"You mentioned you needed to apply for school right?" She only nodded once in response and awaited his reply. "There is an internet cafe near here, if you wish we can go there today." Her eyes seem to light up even more at this. "Really? That'd be great! I'll get ready now then, and meet you back here in...five minutes?" He bowed his head and watched her excitedly get up to go and change. A subtle smile appeared upon his lips as he watched the door shut behind her.

Once they regrouped in the common room, she couldn't help but silently praise how well Sasuke looked. Today he dressed more casual, with a black baseball-style jacket with his family's symbol embroidered on the upper arm, accompanied with a grey t-shirt and dark colored pants and shoes. It was a fresh sight to see, since his usual attire would consist of kimonos, hakama pants and other alternative variations of the same style of clothing. Her attire on the other hand, consisted of colors that contrasted to his. Fashioning a white plain t-shirt with a scoop neckline, tucked into a light-blue pair of slim jeans and the sneakers Sasuke had gifted her, she grabbed her wallet and followed after Sasuke.

---

Luckily there was a cafe within walking distance of the shrine, so with Sasuke leading the way they walked the ten minutes there and soon approached the popular cafe. Once they arrived she registered and paid the small fee to use the computers, then they made their way through the aisles to find an open spot that had enough room for both of them. Ogling eyes and quiet feminine giggles and whispers were seen and heard as they passed by each computer desk. "Oh my gosh he is so handsome." one girl said in a horrible attempt at a whisper.

She knew every female in the room was staring down Sasuke, but when she took a peek back at his reaction to the obvious flirty comments being thrown his way, it was as if he was oblivious to it all. It wasn't like this was something new though. This would often happen when they would go out in public together, but he would always act as if nothing was being said.

A spot near the middle back of the room had a whole empty row, so she led them to a computer placed near the center of that row. "Okay, I need to make sure I remember my password first." Signing into the computer, she skillfully typed in the web address for her email in the search bar and pressed enter. "I'm in." With her cursor zipping through the page she wasn't surprised to find what looked to be a million emails in her inbox. "My goodness." she quietly commented at the long list of emails before her. Most of it was spam or junk mail, so the majority of the list was skipped over. But one email in specific, caught her attention. It was dated nearly five months ago with the sender being someone with a Konoha University email address.

"What is this?" she quietly said. Clicking the message open, she noticed it was addressed to her from a Konoha University recruiter. From what she gathered, this recruiter was emailing her to persuade her into attending their University with a scholarship that would cover any class she so chose. Of course she knew with the grades she had made all throughout her years of schooling, she was sure she'd get a full scholarship to whatever school she would attend. But the part that surprised her was that this University representative contacted her out of the blue. It was so unexpected, especially since she hadn't even applied or even personally spoke with anyone from the college back then. Maybe it was her mother that called up the school to try and get her going? Either way she'd have to call and verify if this offer was still valid.

"Sasuke, I already received an offer a couple months back." she quietly said under her breath. The rush of dopamine that filled her body made her jump to her feet, the sudden movement threw him off and so he too rose to his feet. "Sakura?" She turned to face him with the most cheerful smile he could ever imagine seeing upon her face, and wrapped her arms around his torso. Through his shock, he stood there with his arms hovering over her body. For the brief moment she held onto him, his hands felt inclined to hold her but his mind was against the motion. "Sorry." she quickly added as she released him from her grasp. "I'll just have to make a few calls here, and hopefully I'll be set. Then I'll be on my way to meeting Neji, but more importantly... getting that degree I've always wanted!"

"Are you sure you aren't just going because of that actor?" he plainly asked. She almost immediately shook her head, and turned to face him once more. "No, not at all. Konoha University has one of the best medical courses available across the country, so that is why I would like to attend there. Neji Hyuga attending, is just a bonus. I don't know why I didn't apply there back then." A quiet scoff escaped his lips, as he sat back in his chair. "What, why are you scoffing at me?"

"Sakura..." Pausing before continuing their discussion, he detected prying eyes and ears on them. Scanning the room it seemed his instincts were correct, for all the women from before that were ogling at him were brazenly staring at him yet again. But that only lasted until he flashed a bitter cold look their way. "I think we should continue this conversation elsewhere. It seems we have an audience." Looking around to see what the deal was, she realized the once lively room was now quiet and still. It became clear that everyone she looked at, actively avoided eye contact as best they could. "Yeah sure, let's go. Let me make a quick call to the University and we'll be off."

---

A couple blocks down from the internet cafe, they found a bench to sit upon that was located in an empty outdoor rest area. They sat in silence for a couple minutes, listening to the outdoor speakers playing pop music until she finally found her words to speak. "Are you worried that I'll neglect my training and duties? Because I won't. I can adjust my sleep and my daily schedule to fit school in. I've had to adjust and re-adjust my schedule more times than I could count to make activities fit into my daily routine."

"It's not that. My main concern is the fact that you are a vulnerable Goddess, that will frequent the same place on a set schedule every week for as long as your classes go on for. Regular humans may not notice or care about your mark, but the yokai that roam this world surely will. Some yokai disguise themselves or even shape-shift, depending on what kind of yokai they are. It can be troublesome to tell them apart from the rest of human society. Unless you've got trained eyes for that sort of thing, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I'm sure you're well aware from experience, that they will hunt you down like the wild fiends they are until they get what they want."

The understanding look she expressed let him know without words, that she knew he was right about everything he had just said. He knew how much she excelled in learning anything medicine related because of the witnessed study sessions she held almost every night in the common room, but this University deal she was going on about had posed a huge risk in her safety. "I believe we can compromise, if you agree with what I propose." The surprised look in her eyes egged him to continue with his proposal. "You may attend school, but you must have the Goddess mark covered at all times. If you do so, they cannot easily detect the distinct aura that it produces."

Wear a hat? That's all it'll take? Too easy.

"Really?" A single bow of his head confirmed what she heard was correct. "Yes. Yes I agree one-hundred percent to these conditions!" Overjoyed, her body auto-piloted and nearly jumped onto him as she brought him into warm hug. "Sorry." Pulling back, she looked at him for nearly half a second before bringing him back in for another hug. "Okay, I promise that was the last outburst." Finally releasing him, she sat back and exhaled. "Since this University thing is really happening now, could we swing by my parents' house? I think it's been long enough since that 'incident', and I really just want to see my Dad and pack some more of my things to bring back to the shrine."

"Sure, that shouldn't be a problem." He stood to his feet and waited for her to do the same. "My dad's house is a bit far from here, but I think I brought enough for the train. Last time a kind stranger helped pay for my ticket, so I can't really remember the ticket prices but I'm sure I have-" Before she could continue with her rambling, a light touch to her arm brought her to silence.

"I have alternative ways of transportation. Just follow me." Without complaint, she happily went along with him as he made his way to a more secluded area covered by a thick lot of bushes and hedges. As she made it around the hedges, a puff of air and thin smoke flew up and around her. "What the-" Waving the smoke out from around her face, she realized there was a nicely sized palanquin sitting prettily upon the grass in front of them. "Whoa, did you just spawn that in?"

The palanquin had a nice, rich dark brown wood finish on the outside, with red tassels that hung off the perimeter of the roof. She could tell by the beautiful wood details which included the Uchiwa symbol on the sides of the walls, that it was hand-carved especially for the Uchiha family. In awe, she did an entire walk around to fully admire its beauty. "This mode of transportation should be adequate for carrying your luggage back to the shrine. We should arrive at your parents'home within minutes." he stated as he entered inside and turned back to offer her a helping hand.

Taking a look inside, it was more lavish than anything she could ever imagine. It looked quite similar to what a normal carriage would look like on the inside, but with more room to spare. With the two sets of cushion seats designed and built on both ends of the palanquin, there was enough space to seat two to three people on each side. The seats were made with extravagant fine silk, and were colored with what she deemed the usual Uchiha color palette- Black red and some accents of white. The overhead light that shone down from the ceiling, really did the silk justice, as it showcased its chic shine. "So it flies?" she questioned.

"It does. Are you ready to come in?"

"This really is the most impressive thing I've seen so far, and I almost feel unworthy to even ride in something this fancy-..." Silence fell upon her when she saw his face change. He almost looked offended that she said had something so self deprecating about herself. "None sense. You are a Goddess. Do not ever think of yourself as anything less than." Feeling genuinely touched by his sudden uplifting words, she granted him an appreciative smile and nodded. "Right, thanks."

"I'd love to ride in the palanquin sometime soon, but it doesn't seem very incognito for this kind of trip. I say that because I'm pretty sure my Dad will follow us outside when we leave, because he'll want to see how I got there and what's my deal."

"If we rolled up in the Palanquin, he'll wonder how we got there and will offer to drive us back to our place. It's too bad we don't have a car. But even if we did, I don't even know how to drive. I never got the chance to learn and-..."

Her rambling continued while he turned away to take out a scroll and place it on the ground. As soon as it opened up, a cloud of smoke puffed up into the air and the palanquin disappeared from sight. In its place, an actual car appeared. It looked to be brand new with a gloss and shine that could probably be seen from a mile away. The body was sleek and aerodynamic, and the windows were tinted a darker color. The exterior body color was a beautiful solid black with strategic accents of red decorated on some parts of it. It was without a doubt by far, the most beautiful car she had ever seen in person. It even had a blood-red under glow that gave the car even more style.

The sound of a car door opening on the passenger's side brought her attention over to the view of Sasuke standing there with his hand resting atop the car door. A small motion of his head beckoned her to come over. "Thanks." she said as she climbed in and took her place on the cushy seat inside the magnificent vehicle. Once they were both inside, they put their seat belts on and the car started up with a push of a button. The interior was just as impressive if not more than the exterior, with the plushy seats and the high tech on the center console.

"Do you know how to drive?" she asked when he sat back comfortably in his seat. "Formally, no." This won him a shocked expression from her as she looked at him in question. "It's self-operating, so my assistance isn't necessary."

"But what if we get pulled over by the police?"

"I'll handle whoever approaches."

"...Does this car have some room for luggage in the trunk?"

"It does. Are you anxious, Sakura?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"I just notice things. Try not to be too vexed yet, we haven't even started driving."

"I suppose you're right...well I'm ready when you are."

---

Though she had a bittersweet feeling about coming back to her old home, the inclination to see her father powered her will to come back. With Sasuke by her side this time, she felt good about having his support as she revisited the very home she ran away from. Whether he knew it or not, his presence meant more to her than he would ever know.

Once they parked within the apartment's parking lot, they departed from their ride and began heading towards the building. As they stood outside, she took a moment to look up at the floor her father's room was on. The memories of the last time she saw his distressed expression, and the sound of his desperate voice yelling at her to run away made her fists ball up. She could feel coldness creeping down into her palms and fingers, while her heart began beating crazily inside her chest.

"Sakura?" Blinking away the dewy tears that gathered in the corners of her eyes, she glanced over at Sasuke and waved a dismissing hand in the air. "I'm fine. Let's go in." Who was she trying to convince? Him or herself? Either way, she knew she didn't feel 'fine'. She was far from it. He watched in silence as she walked towards the entrance alone, her pace was much faster than usual. He was no idiot, he knew for certain that she was in no condition to go inside right at this moment.

"Sakura, we can take a moment before going in. We could go back to the car or..." Her head shook and then motioned towards a direction opposite of the apartment building. "There's a park at the end of the street, could we sit there for a minute?"

.

.

He stood beside a swing structure and looked over to see she had taken a seat on one of the swings. Her head hung low over her lap, and her pink tresses flowed down like a waterfall of soft overlapping waves. He broke his gaze from her image, and opted to stay quiet so she could take the time she needed to gather herself. "I don't know what came over me." He heard her quietly say. Although she tried to hide her face, it was evident from the muffled sniffles that could be heard that she was crying. For as far back as he could think, he couldn't recall a time when he had been in a position such as this.

When he was a child, he would always try and soothe his Mother's tears away when she would get upset, but this was different. This was a woman whom he was sworn to. For the relatively short amount of time they knew each other, this was the first time he'd seen her cry. If he were honest with himself, he would admit that he was disheartened by the sight of her in this state.

Pushing himself off the pole he rested against, he sauntered over and reached a hand out with the means to place it onto her shoulder. But the voice of doubt in his head spoke out, causing him to stop his hand from advancing any further. Would lending her a comforting hand during a delicate moment such as this be inappropriate on his part? With the consideration of how personal her dilemma was, would it be better to give her some time alone or would it be okay to offer solace? His brows furrowed as such thoughts ran through his mind of what to do, until a small but noticeable shudder of her shoulder caught his eye.

Seeing that she made no effort to lift her head, he knelt down onto one knee in front of her and cleared his throat. He had no clue where this was going or what he was to say, but he kept his usual calm demeanor and waited for her to look at him. Finally, she lifted her head back up and looked into his eyes as if she were searching for something. He took notice of the warm vermilion tint of color that spread over her cheeks and nose tip, and the traces of dried tears that stained her delicate skin. She looked so fragile and vulnerable.

She blinked her eyes to clear them of any tears, and then looked down at what he held out to her. "Is that for me?" she asked, as she eyed the neatly folded dark blue handkerchief in his hand. A dip of his head encouraged her to take the soft cloth and wipe her tears away. "Thank you. I'll clean it for you when we get back to the shrine."

The thoughtful gesture was unexpected, but very much appreciated. Before she could think of what to say, he abruptly rose to his feet and returned back to his position by the swing's pole. "Don't worry about it. Just...hold on to it for as long as you need." Smiling through blurry eyes, she took a moment to gaze upon him as she finished drying her face.

"Okay, I think I'm ready for real this time. Let's head back." she announced as she stood to her feet. Together, they walked back to the apartment building and began making their way inside. Walking through the corridors, it felt as if she was here just yesterday. The familiarity of the stairs, the walls and even the scent that lingered in the air left her with a feeling of sweet nostalgia. "This is it." she quietly announced. Bending down to pick up a small slug statue that was stationed by the door, she removed the key that was lodged inside of it and placed it back down. "Here's the key."

Silence ensued as they both stood there for a few motionless seconds. "Would you like me to open it?" he offered. "No...yes, please." Handing over the key, she stepped back to allow him to push the key in and twist the knob open. The door creaked open, and he proceeded to step into the entryway first. He did a quick survey of the area, before moving his head to beckon her to follow. Nodding her head, she stepped over the threshold and released a sigh of relief.

"Papa?" she called out. No response. "Papa, are you here?" Nothing but silence filled the apartment. "He should be here." Walking further to the middle of the living room, she called out one last time. This time they could hear the sounds of someone walking around in another room. She turned to look at Sasuke, but his eyes were focused on the direction of which the sounds emanated from. They listened as the heavy footsteps came closer as the person made their way over to the living area. "Sakura, is that you?" a weary voice called out from the darkened hallway.

Emerging from the dark, came a surprised Kizashi. His dark rose-blush colored hair was pulled back into a low pony-tail, and his tired green eyes lit up with joy when they rested upon the bright image of his beloved daughter. "Sakura oh my God! You're really here?!" Without hesitation he ran up and pulled her into the warmest bear hug.

"Oooh, my sweet girl. How have you been? Where have you been staying? Are you doing okay? Have you been eating well?" The questions that he had probably kept bottled up all this time, came sprouting out as he held her close. "You're... squeezing... too hard, Papa." she breathed out.

"Oh my, I'm sorry." He released her from his tight grasp and instead, placed both hands on the sides of her arms. "It's just so good to see my sweet daughter again. I've been missing you like crazy. I tried calling and texting so I could send you some money, but I never got a response back. I figured something might've happened to your phone, like maybe it broke or something?" She nodded and pulled him back into another embrace. "It got crushed and broke in the process of me running." she added.

"I've been living well, and I missed you too Papa. I'm sorry I didn't come back and see you sooner. I thought about you and Mom everyday, and prayed for both of you every night." she whispered against his shoulder. "I missed you too sweetie. Don't even apologize for anything. I was the one that told you to stay away. I just wanted to make sure you were safe and away from the mess I've made here."

Her arms loosened around him and she stepped back to take another look at his face. Before she could even begin, she saw that his eyes had shifted onto the figure standing off to the side behind her. "Is this your friend, Sakura?" he curiously asked as he took in Sasuke's image. "Ah yes, he's my..."

Just say 'friend' not 'Familiar'. FRIEND. He's my FRIEND.

"He's my...Sasuke."

What the hell was that? Oh my gaaa...

"Your 'Sasuke', eh? Well then, it's a great pleasure meeting you, Sasuke. My name is Haruno, Kizashi." Now I've done it. Damn. "Likewise, sir." Sasuke evenly replied. "If I may ask, are you the one that has been taking care of my daughter all this time?" Kizashi asked, while taking a step back to get an good look at both of them.

Shit, I hope this all goes well. We didn't even discuss what we would say. I already messed up answering the easiest thing he would've asked this evening, and now he thinks we're a couple.

"Yes that's correct, sir." A delightful smile spread across Kizashi's face, as he nodded approvingly at his view of them. "Hm, a handsome kid and he's polite? Way to go Sakura! I approve." Her jaw dropped at his sudden approval, but it wasn't like she could blame him. She was the one that made this situation confusing in the first place. "N-no...Papa I...it's not-..."

"Nuh nuh uh. You said it yourself just a few seconds ago that he's yours. So why deny it now? He may be your first boyfriend, but there's no need to be shy or hide things from your old man. I was young once too, believe it or not. So I know a thing or two about 'first loves' and such."

She was internally screaming. If she could zap herself anywhere else but here, she would do so in a heart beat. Even the yokai world seemed like a decent option at this point. "Please, no more." she quietly begged him. "Alright, alright." he amusingly agreed.

Against her own judgement, she slowly turned her head to take a peek back and silently apologize to Sasuke. But it seemed he was holding it together pretty well. In fact, he seemed more than okay. The apparent frivolity upon his face told her so. His brows were raised and his lips looked as if they were trying to hold back the laughter that sat at the tip of his tongue. Of all the times he would actually laugh at her expense, it had to be now?

He's never going to let me live this down. I just know it.

"But on a serious note, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking care of my daughter. It seems she's become more lively and healthier than before, heh. I'm sure you were filled in on our circumstance, so you know how dire it was for her to find a safe haven. So I just want to..." Without warning, Kizashi knelt to the ground and bowed his head to display how deep his gratitude was. "I want you to know how truly grateful I am. I also want to apologize to you both, for letting my burden and mistake affect your lives. If I hadn't gotten caught up with the likes of those men, then we wouldn't-..."

"Dad, please get up." She placed gentle hands on his shoulders to try and rouse him back up but he refused to budge. It was only when he felt a larger hand touch his shoulder, that he finally lifted his gaze from the ground to see the two standing above him. "Please stand, there's no need to kneel." the younger man reassured him. Hearing those words, along with his own daughter's forgiving pleas, he finally gave in and rose back onto his feet.

After dusting himself off he smiled and thanked them. "Ahem..so what is that there?" He pointed out the neatly folded paper she had in her front jean pocket. Touching the paper, she looked down at it and took it out to show him. "Oh, this? It's a letter I printed out. I didn't know until recently, but I actually got accepted into Konoha University a while back. I was applying for school and saw an email from a recruiter, dating back a few months ago. His face lit up once again, as did hers. "Really?! That's great news! When are you starting?"

"Hopefully this semester since it hasn't even started yet. They have a killer medical program there, so I'm hoping their offer still stands. From what I was told over the phone, it should still be valid so I'll just have to go in person to speak with someone there." Kizashi nodded as he took all this new information in. "I'm so happy for you girl! Mom will be so proud. Come here, you!" Pulling her into another bear hug, he lifted her off the ground and spun her once around.

After more conversation and catching up on small details of each other's lives, she excused herself to her bedroom so she could begin packing up more of her things to bring to the shrine. "Of course, dear. Go ahead and take whatever you need. I'd like to speak with Sasuke for a moment anyway, if that's alright with you, Sasuke?" A single nod from the younger man brought on an appreciative smile to form upon his Kizashi's face.

"Great. I'll start some tea. What kind do you like? Green, Black, Oolong, Matcha, Bubble? I've got a big selection here." When he turned his back to check the cabinet for more flavors, Sakura shot a quick glance towards Sasuke to let him know she wouldn't be long. He didn't seem bothered in the least bit, and motioned for her to go ahead. With an understanding bow of her head, she disappeared into the darkness of the hallway. "Green tea is fine. Thanks."

The sounds of water boiling gently and the pleasant aroma of the tea soon filled the room. As they waited for their beverage to finish, Kizashi placed two tea cups down on the table and took a seat opposite his guest. "It's been quite a roller-coaster type of day for me. I'm not sure if Sakura told you, but our family owns a small cafe shop nearby, and it's been me and four...well now three other loyal employees working the shifts there. Someone just resigned today, so that put a hurt on us but I can't blame them. We've had to cut some hours due to these difficult times, but we're managing the best we can with what we've got. That's all we can really do at this point."

A high-pitch whistle rang through the air, letting them know the tea was ready for serving. Kizashi stood to his feet and brought the tea kettle over to fill their cups, and then carefully place it onto the heat resistant mat set between them on the table. "Believe me when I say this, I literally thought I was hallucinating when I saw you two standing in my living room. But I was so glad it wasn't just a dream." Pushing a bottle of natural honey to the center of the table, he offered Sasuke some but he declined.

"Seeing her face was the boost I needed to lift myself back up. Anyway, please do tell me where and how you met my daughter? I've never seen you around here before." Sasuke knew that this question would eventually pop up, along with a long string of related questions to follow after. So in preparation for this, he had assembled together his thoughts and responses while they were still in the car on the way here. Of course now he had to alter a few details thanks to Sakura, but his plan would still work either way.

"We met at my family's shrine." He could see the look in Kizashi's eyes change. From the little information he provided so far, the mention of a shrine seemed to pique his curiosity. "I was there waiting for my brother to return. She was speaking to herself out loud, so I couldn't help but overhear that she was in distress."

"I can imagine how she felt that night...So, you mentioned you were waiting for your brother to return? Are you an overseer of the shrine?" Kizashi asked, now totally invested.

"I oversee the shrine on behalf of my family, but my brother was the overseer for the longest time. He took some time away due to personal reasons and his return was anticipated, so when I heard someone enter the shrine grounds during that late hour I was expecting to see him back. But it was Sakura who arrived."

"Ah I see. So I take it that from then on, you allowed her to stay there?"

"Yes, that is correct. She has her own private quarters on the shrine grounds now."

"That's very generous of you. Oh, would you like a refill?" Kizashi asked, pointing to the empty cup. Sasuke agreed to another refill, and so Kizashi filled his cup back up.

"I know she is an adult now and I don't mean to pry or be that Dad, but do you mind me asking how old you are?"

"Twenty."

"I figured you'd be around, if not the same age as her. Well, thanks for entertaining my curiosity. I've got to say, you're so well spoken and very polite. I don't see that kind of behavior around here very often. It's refreshing. And again, I really cannot thank you enough for keeping her safe. Between you and I...I can tell by the way she looks at you, that you're someone special to her. Please continue to be by her side."

Before Sasuke could reply or react to Kizashi's revelation and heartfelt gratitude, Sakura's clear voice rang out from her bedroom and into the living room and kitchen. "Papa, do you know where any of my hats are? I can't seem to find any of them anywhere?"

"Uh, maybe check the laundry room?" he answered back. The sound of light footsteps echoed down the hall as she made her way to the laundry room. "Sasuke, could you lend me a hand in here? I think I see a hat on the top shelf."

"I suppose she needs some help. Go ahead and I'll take of this here. Haha." Kizashi began collecting the empty tea cups and smiled as Sasuke politely excused himself from his presence.

A short time later, he entered the laundry room to see Sakura standing there waiting for him. "Did he ask you anything weird?" she whispered. "No, he was simply curious about how we met." The worried look on her face almost made him want to tease her while on the topic, but he reluctantly decided otherwise. "There is nothing to worry about, I answered honestly but left anything detrimental out."

"Good save." she said with great relief. "I'm sorry for putting you in an awkward situation. I should've just corrected him when I had the chance, but he took what little I had said and ran with it."

"No problem. I suppose it was worth it, for the few minutes I got to see you squirm under your Father's scrutiny." And so the teasing begins. "Ugh...I guess I did deserve that. But anyway, I really do need some help getting a hat up there on the shelf. Could you..." Before she could finish, he had already reached up and grabbed the hat she desired and handed it off to her.

The hat wasn't the type that she was expecting, but at least she found something. "Wow...I hadn't seen this since forever ago." Her eyes scanned over the bucket-style hat with a mixture of uncertainty and acceptance. It was a warm marshmallow-beige color, and the outside was covered with material as soft as a lambs coat. Front and center was a small crocheted image of 'Cutesy Cutesy' the iconic cartoon bunny. "Really? This bunny again?" he openly commented as he observed the hat. "Hey now, I was a big fan okay? I had the shoes, the hat and a couple of school folders with 'Cutesy Cutesy' printed all over them."

"Mhm"

"Come on, you can't tell me you never had a favorite character or toy when you were a kid. Every child has come across at least one character they ended up liking."

"Nope."

"Liar."

"Anything but."

"Sasuke."

"Hm?"

"You just don't want to tell me."

"You're not wrong about that."

"Fine. I'll let you go this time since we're standing in my dad's laundry room, but next time I won't give up so easily."

"Sakura, dear. When you're finished getting some things packed up, would you mind regrouping back into the living room?" she heard Kizashi call out. "Sure thing. Be there in a minute!" she responded. Turning back to Sasuke, she raised the hat up and thanked him for his assistance. "Want to come see my room?" she offered as she began making her way towards her bedroom again. "Sure."

The first thing he noticed was the pastel pink accents that decorated parts of the white walls. He could tell right away that he had definitely walked into Sakura's lair. She had a certain aesthetic look going on for the room, but it wasn't distasteful in any way. It was rather girly mixed in with a few dark elements, which he thought suited her style. Next, he noticed a giant picture frame that contained a whole collage of pictures hanging upon one of the walls. Eight or so pictures within the frame displayed single pictures of herself, while others captured moments of her with a variety of different friends. The only common thing among the pictures was that she looked happy in all of them.

Her smile was so bright and beautiful in every capture. He had yet to see her smile like that in his presence, but what did she have to smile about? Her life was upside down, and she was away from her family and friends. He could quite literally imagine how she must feel, since he was also in the same boat. Though the years upon years of being alone did teach him he could survive on his own without anyone, he did feel an emptiness within himself.

"Sasuke, could you please hand me that bag over on the bed? I've got some clothes I need to pack." she requested while continuing taking out articles of clothing she wanted. Looking over at the bed, he saw that the covers were light pink in color, and decorated with small red strawberries; and right on the center of it was the bag she requested.

Handing her the bag, he looked down to see how she was doing with packing up. Everything seemed fine until his eyes zoned onto the top drawer that she had left ajar. Inside was a whole variety of colorful frilly undergarments that she had yet to pack. Although it wasn't unusual for him to be this quiet, she felt some sort of disturbance in the air so she looked up to see what the matter was. When she turned to look his way, she only saw his back as he walked away towards the window. "Everything alright, Sasuke?"

"I'm fine." he said as he came up to the window. He looked out and saw several people and cars pass by down below. She had a nice life here. he thought. She'd still be living her normal life here with her family if it weren't for those thugs and their monetary issues. Even though their situations were very different, he could still relate to missing the family members he used to be close with.

Before he could dive more into those thoughts, he stopped himself. This was her business and however she lived her previous life didn't matter to him, right? As far as he was concerned, her post-Goddess life was all that he would need to care about. The only reason he was even here in the first place, was because it was a part of his duty to ensure her safety. There was definitely no other reason why he wanted to tag along and see her old home or meet her Father. Why would there be?

"That was the very window that I escaped out of that night." she quietly stated, as she walked over to join him. "Actually, my door and some furniture in here got all busted up from what Papa said, but he had it all fixed back up so you can't even tell. I hope I never have see that grey-haired man again... both of them actually. They were both creepy, but that grey-haired guy had such an icky look in his eyes when he looked at me...it was like he wanted to devour me or something. I could tell straight off that he was a psychopath."

"Who do those men work for?" he questioned. "From what Papa said, the other man that stayed in the living room the entire time was actually the boss and the man that came after me was his partner. I can't seem to recall their names though." Placing both hands on her hips, she looked back and let out a long sigh. "Well, I think I'm pretty much done here. I've packed a lot more clothes, necessities and a bunch of other stuff. Mind helping me carry a few bags out to the living room?" He shook his head and went on to grab a couple bags in each hand before leaving the room.

She did the same, but something caught her eye before she could leave. It was her old and empty photo album. The very same one that Ino gifted her when they graduated high school. It was meant to be a photo dump of all the memories they would've made together during their University years, but of course that never got to be the case.

~Flash Back

Eight weeks before graduation, and they were already celebrating. Not only for the fact that their adolescent schooling was coming to an end, but for the new beginnings that they would share in the years to come. It was a bright morning that day when she awoke from her peaceful slumber. Usually she'd never wake up this early on her own unless she had plans that required her to do so, but nevertheless she was up and ready to go. Ino had invited her over that day so they could get a head start on picking schools together, and so she got ready, kissed her parents goodbye and headed out the door where she found Ino to be waiting in her early graduation present.

"I still can't get over how awesome your new ride is!" Sakura exclaimed as she climbed into the shiny red luxury car. Feeling playful, Ino tipped her sunglasses down just enough so Sakura could see her bright cyan blue eyes. "Get ready bitch, we're going shopping today!" A confused look from her oblivious rosette bestie caused a fit of laughter to erupt from her belly. "But I thought we were supposed to apply to some schools today?"

"That's what I meant silly, we're going to shop for schools today!" Their laughter filled the car over the soft purr of the car engine, as they took off towards Ino's home. It was always a good time when they were together, they'd laugh at just about anything and everything. The funny thing about them was that their friendship blossomed from literally nothing, in fact when they were small children they disliked each other. But as time passed by, their newfound friendship became one of the strongest relationships she'd had in her entire life. Of course they'd have their fights, but they would always make up in the end. And with their parents being friends as well, it made everything just that much easier for them.

The ride was short and sweet, and before long they had made it to Ino's house. After greeting her parents, they made their way up to the second floor where her room was located and began their school search. They spent nearly three hours researching and listing their likes and dislikes, school layouts, the scenery and of course the classes each one had to offer until they finally came up with an entire list. The remainder of the time spent that afternoon involved eating snacks, listening to music and applying for the schools they chose. After all was said and done, they shut their laptops and laid upon the soft cushy carpet of her floor to finally take a much needed break.

"Sakura?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me, that we'll have the best first year ever?"

"Of course we will."

"Oh my, are you girls wore out from all that research?" Inoichi asked, amused at the view he walked in on. "Oh hey Dad. Yes, that was no joke. Researching schools is sooo boring, but Sakura made it fun. Oo, can Sakura stay for dinner this evening?" Ino eagerly asked as she sat up. Inoichi nodded approvingly and smiled. "Of course she can, you're always welcome to stay over, Sakura." Sitting up to properly address him, Sakura bowed her head and smiled back at him. "Thank you, Mr. Yamanaka."

The evening was quite pleasant as Sakura, and the Yamanaka family gathered around the table for dinner. As quiet and collected as Ino's mother was, she often conversed with Sakura about various topics, all while Ino and her father raced to the last bit of dessert left on the table. It was always like this when she would come over to spend time with them all.

A month had passed since that evening. Like that day, she awoke bright and early, it was almost like dejavu. Today she had nothing special planned, but for some reason her body just woke her up earlier than usual. That morning she made and ate breakfast with her family, sat in her room, and even checked her phone for new episodes from her favorite Japanese romance drama starring one of her favorite actors, Neji Hyuga. As she scrolled through the show's episode list, a sudden ding sound and message bubble brought her attention to the top of her screen.

It was a message from Ino. She was requesting for her to call when she had a moment. Deeming now as good as any, she scrolled through her contacts and called Ino's number. "Hey." Ino's clear voice greeted through the phone's speaker. "Hey, what's up. Are you okay?" Sakura questioned. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just wanted to ask if we can meet up later? I have some news to share with you." Why couldn't she just tell her over the phone now? Was it really something that important, that it needed to be said in person? Whatever this news was, she was already on edge with curiosity about it.

"Yeah, sure. I'm free today." They agreed upon a time and place to meet and ended the brief call. With the minimal information she was given, she couldn't even begin to imagine what Ino wanted to share with her. The only way to find out was to meet with her, so she got ready to go out and let her parents know she was leaving.

Later that afternoon they met at the mall's food court. When she approached their usual spot, she saw that Ino was already seated and had two smoothies and a basket of their favorite fries sitting upon the table. Warmly greeting her as Sakura always did when they would meet up, she took a seat across from her and began munching on the fries.

"So, what's up Ino-pig?" An amused smile spread across Ino's pretty features, as she leaned her elbows onto the table and scoffed. "Nothing much, forehead. But there is something I'd like to share with you. I just didn't want to spill the tea over the phone, and I thought it'd just be better to just tell you in person." Whenever Ino had tea to spill, Sakura always knew it was juicy news. Whether it'd be about their other friends, or someone in the family it was always gossip-worthy.

"I got an acceptance letter into one of the schools!" Ino exclaimed aloud. Excitement filled the both of them as they grabbed each other's hands and celebrated. "Oh my gosh! That's so amazing! Which one?"

"It's that new school they built like two years ago, Suna University."

Suna? We didn't apply for that school together, did we?

"Suna University? You'll get a great tan over there, that's for certain. I heard it's all desert-y over there...but I don't remember signing up for that school. Was it just an extra school you added to your list?" Excitement faded from Ino's face as she silently nodded. Sakura knew her friend felt bad about choosing another school, but that was the last thing she wanted her to feel. She was proud of her for getting into a good school, and she held no hard feelings towards the situation. It would've been nice to attend the same Uni, but it couldn't be helped. She knew good opportunities came and went, so she couldn't blame Ino for taking this one on.

"Hey, what's with the face? Don't be all sad and weird about it, Ino-pig. I am truly happy for you. Did you already tell your parents that you chose that one?" Ino nodded and smiled. "Yes, I did. At first my parents were surprised I wanted to go there, but they eventually got over it and are on board with me going. I saw that school had like the best art program there, so that's why I really wanted to attend. With some of my past experience with colors and arrangements thanks to our flower shop, I wanted to dive more into other crafts to see what I like best."

"Okay Miss artsy, I see you. Well, you do know that you still have to video call when you're not out partying and studying right? Just because you'll be far away, doesn't mean you can forget about me! I'll still be in need of your fashion expertise whenever I go shopping throughout the year." Sakura jokingly teased.

"Well duh, of course I know that. I'll be on call for whenever you need some fashion advice, because we both know you don't always make the best decisions." A amused scoff escaped Sakura's lips as she looked at her friend in disbelief. "What? You know it's true. Okay, so for example... remember that handbag you got a few weeks ago? Ick." This remark earned her shower of french fries that were launched her way. "Seriously, Sakura? You're going to make me smell like I rolled in fries and oil!"

~Flash back end

Thinking back on those distant memories of her best friend, she went back and forth on deciding if she should bring the photo album or not. I guess it won't hurt to bring it, just in case I ever want to add pics to it later. Grabbing the book and placing it inside one of the bags she carried, she went on to join everyone else in the living room and piled her bags with the ones Sasuke placed beside the front door.

"Ah there she is. Hey I want to run an idea by you two." Kizashi announced as he looked at them both. The two looked at each other, before mutually agreeing to hear Kizashi out. "Well, I'd really like it if you were to stay over for dinner today. It's close to that hour anyway, and I'd hate to send you all off on an empty stomach after reuniting like this. What do ya' say? I'll make something tasty."

She gave a quiet glance to Sasuke, who nodded approvingly. "Sure Papa, that'd be great actually." she contentedly accepted. "Great! I'll start preparing. Sakura, would you mind helping your old man in the kitchen?" Without hesitation, she walked over to begin helping him prep for their meal. "Oh and Sasuke, you can turn on the TV and find a channel to watch if you'd like. I've got cable, so there are like a million channels to choose from. Have at it, son." Sasuke thanked his host and turned his attention to the flat screen TV that was mentioned, and began flipping through the vast amount of channels it had to offer.

"Wow, I'm surprised you actually got cable, Papa. I thought you always tried to avoid TV services like that because you thought it was a money hole." Sakura questioned, in a hushed tone. "Yeah about that... I'll explain more about that, and other things later after dinner, hm?"

The worries that tried invading her mind, were soon warded off by the delicious smell of the fresh food that was now sizzling upon the stove top. The anticipation of getting to eat her Dad's cooking again, brought her back to those first few days and nights that she had to endure surviving on whatever the sweet shrine spirits managed to scrap together for her. Although she appreciated their efforts, she never took a good meal for granted again after that experience.

On a related note, she could remember the distinct feeling of pure bliss when she got to taste Sasuke's cooking for the first time. That first breakfast meal he had served her, brought her back to this very kitchen. Now that he was in her thoughts yet again, she took a peek at him through thick lashes and smiled to herself. Of course this did not go unnoticed. As Kizashi chopped up more vegetables, he noticed her cease in motion and glanced up at her to see what was the matter. To his surprise, he caught her admiring her partner from across the room. He had never seen this type of look in her eyes before, but seeing her this way brought on a smile of his own.

Dinner went better than expected, thanks to Sakura's help with reviving the almost burnt fish Kizashi had tried frying. They had their laughs and quarrels about how to fry a fish properly, and towards the end of that discussion they even got Sasuke to join in on the laughter. Though he was more subtle about it, he still smiled at the bickering father-daughter duo. The conversation then shifted to TV shows, Sasuke's culinary skills, pro-wrestling and how her college life would be.

Once everyone was nearly finished with their plate, Kizashi sat forward and rested his elbows upon the table's surface. "Now that's what I call a great feast! But I think it tasted better because I got to share it with you guys." He took a moment to bow his head in appreciation towards them, before sharing what he had planned to tell them.

"There is something that's been heavy on my mind, and I think I'd like to go ahead and fill you in on that. It's better you know now, rather than later." Finally, it was time he would tell what has been going on since her absence. Placing her chopsticks down, she gave her complete attention to Kizashi and what he was about to say.

"So this is about those men...Hidan and Kakuzu. I know I hid them from you from the beginning, but I think it's about time I tell you everything that's been going on. I work for them now." The sudden drop in her expression was clear as day but she couldn't help it. With the amount of disbelief she felt from that one statement, how could she have hid her feelings on the matter? "Believe me, if there were any other way I would've taken the alternative route. But this job is what they offered me that night and so I took it... more so 'forced' into taking it."

"They told me to either take the job, or they'd use all the resources they had to find you. You know I would never let that happen, so here we are." The silence he got from her was expected and as much as he wanted to stop and console her, he continued on with his explanation. "The only benefit I see from working for them is that they won't come barging in here anymore and that they'll stop with the threats."

"Of course it'd be ignorant of me to completely trust their word, so I always try to stay cautious. That being said, I was glad you stopped by today of all days, because right now those two are traveling around. From what I heard, they have people in higher places that do business with them, so they're off keeping up with relations and also doing some collecting."

"So...what is it that you do for them?" she softly asked. "Well, I do a variety of tasks for them. I guess you could say I'm an 'errand runner." He let out a quiet sigh, and lowered his eyes to the table. "I want you to know that I love you so very much, and all your mother and I ever wanted was for you to be safe and happy. If I could go back and stop myself from making that desperate decision, then I would do so one-hundred times over." She slowly nodded in understanding and lowered her eyes briefly, before bringing her gaze back up to meet his once more. "Does Mom know all of this too?"

Kizashi stayed silent for a moment as he gathered his thoughts and answers. "No. I've kept in contact with her everyday, but I haven't told her anything about what happened. As much as I want to, I don't want to risk her safety. Knowing your mother, she would take the next plane back home to firstly knock some sense into me, and then try to get involved and figure out how to fix this big mess I made. I can't have that happen right now, so please don't tell her anything yet. So far Hidan and Kakuzu are happy, and I'm trying to keep it that way for the time being until I either figure something out or I pay them what I owe. The solution most likely being the former, since my debt is more than any middle-class person could handle."

This is insane. Somehow, some way I've got to figure out how to get our family out of this crazed mess since Papa wants to keep this from Mom. She was always the one to straighten out complicated situations. What do I do?

"I had no right to hide this from you and your mother." Kizashi carried on. "Especially since you were dragged into it at the end...but I am thankful you have found a safe place." His eyes shifted over to Sasuke as he graciously dipped his head to the younger man. "Sorry you had to endure this heavy talk, but I thought it'd be best if I laid everything out in the open so no one was left in the dark about anything anymore."

"It's alright, I appreciate it Mr. Haruno." Sasuke simply stated. "Sakura dear, are you alright?" Kizashi asked, as he shifted his focus onto his quiet daughter. "Yes, I'm okay Papa...I'm just in my thoughts. Thank you for telling us all of this, I appreciate it. We'll figure something out here, I promise. In the meantime, please be careful around those men." Rubbing the stress knots on her neck, she quietly sighed and stood to her feet to try and alleviate the nervous energy she felt in her stomach. "Whew...need some help with the dishes?"

By the time Sakura and Kizashi cleared the table and dishes, Sasuke had already pulled the car up closer, and loaded all of her bags and belongings. Just as he shut the trunk closed, he looked up to see the father-daughter duo walk up. The surprised yet impressed look upon Kizashi's face, was almost comical enough to crack Sasuke's cool demeanor as he approached the car to check out its insanely stunning visuals.

"Sasuke my boy, that is a sick ride! It's a beauty, I'll tell you. I'm into muscle cars, but this baby...wowza." Sakura sighed and placed a hand on her father's shoulder. "He was always into cars, don't mind him." Sasuke shook his head, and offered an amused smirk. "It's alright, everyone has something they are interested in. He likes cars, you like your 'Cutesy Cutesy'..." Her mouth gaped open at his playful remark. "You are just sailing with these jokes today." she laughed out.

"Alright, alright. Save that lovey-dovey energy for later." Kizashi teased.

"Dad!"

"What? Your mother and I always did the same sort of thing before too. Don't forget we used to be the same age as you, although it was quite some time ago."

"Please stop."

"Fine already. Remember to always watch your surroundings and be careful. Oh, and here." Digging some money out of his pocket, he took her hand and placed it in her palm. "When you can, please try to get another phone. It'd make me feel a bit better if you had one." She nodded and gave him another goodbye hug, then stepped back to stand next to Sasuke. "Take care you two, and have a safe trip back home. Love you, kiddo." She politely bowed her head and waved goodbye. "Love you too, Dad."

---

Two weeks had passed since their visit with her father, and by this time she was ready to sign up for classes for the upcoming semester at Konoha University. "Today is going to be great." she declared many times that morning. It was still fairly early in the day, and she had already prepared herself and began leaving for the University. Everything seemed to be going well, until she heard distant hollers of her name being called out. From her position at the bottom of the cement stairs near the entrance of the shrine, she looked back to see Sasuke standing at the top of the stairs holding her hat up in the air.

She honestly forgot about the deal they had made, but since she did agree to compromise she met him half way and took the hat to wear without complaint. She was just so excited that she'd get to attend not only one of the best Universities in the country, but also for the possible opportunity to sit in the same class with her most favorite male actor, Neji Hyuga.

They were around the same age, so maybe if she were to meet him they'd get along. From what she collected from eavesdropping around the campus as she walked her way to the counselor's office, he was rumored to be signed up to attend a Biology class with a 'Mr. Sato' this semester. If she could get into Mr. Sato's class, it'd be a win-win situation for her.

From what she remembered when she did more research on this school, his name was mentioned on the main pages of the University's website. Apparently, he was awarded as the best first-year Biology teacher last year. So to try and get into his class would benefit her greatly either way. She'd get to learn from the best, and peek at a celebrity's handsome face every couple days when the class was scheduled.

The long line of students that were already waiting for a counselor's chair to open up looked discouraging, but nevertheless she buckled down and patiently waited until it was her turn. In her mind, she kept repeating that it was 'worth the wait', because she'd get to see Neji. How far have I fallen? I've got to remember I'm here for my education! she thought to herself, as she became aware of her star-struck tendencies. At least she wasn't parading around the school with his face on her shirt, like a lot of the other girls were today. She knew those type of girls to be 'die-hard fans'. There was nothing really wrong with that, but she knew how some people could get when it came to their favored celebrity.

Forty odd minutes later, and her name was finally called. She got up and eagerly walked into the small cubicle, and politely greeted the counselor. "My heavens, is that you Sakura?" the seated woman asked. Confused at what was gong on, her emerald eyes widened as she realized the counselor was none other than her mother's long time best friend, Mrs. Sato. "Is it Mebuki's sweet beautiful Sakura that I see?" the older woman asked, as she put her glasses on.

"Yes, hi Mrs. Sato. Wow, it's so good to see you. How have you been?" Sakura asked as she took a seat. "Oh I'm doing well, thanks dear. My oh my, you're so beautiful! I haven't seen you since you were in high school. How is Mebuki and Kizashi? Oh, I hope they're doing well. I think it's been at least a month or two since I last spoke with your mother over the phone. Is she still working overseas?"

"Yes, she is. They are both well." Smiling at that, Mrs. Sato folded her hands over her desk and nodded approvingly. "That's very good to hear. Well let's take a look at your records here." Handing over her school records and files, Mrs. Sato took them and scanned everything into the system and read over the paperwork. The more she read, the more her eyes seemed to widen. "My word...your grades are absolutely superb! Straight 'A' record, good attendance record, mentions of tutoring other students to success, above average test scores...you're the full package, hon."

She pushed her glasses higher upon the bridge of her nose, as she continued scrolling down the impressive record. "I've never seen such an exemplary record such as yours. Shoot, if my son was in the area I'd ask if you would agree to an arranged date. He's a catch, but sadly he is attending a school hundreds of miles away. He wanted to venture out on his own to try and be independent. Too bad."

The last thing I need right now is an 'arranged date' set up for me...thank goodness.

"Anyway, with how good your record is and depending on your wants and interests, I can easily set you up with whichever route you wish to take. You can use this tablet device to browse through different class information, so you can pick and choose what you would like. I'll explain more as we go along." From there, she signed up for the majority of the classes she was required to take, and then came to a stopping point when it was time for her to pick a science class.

This is it. This is my chance to try and get in 'Mr. Sato's class...wait a sec-...Mr. Sato...Mrs. Sato?! Is that her husband?!

"So Sakura, which science would you like to take? For what you are majoring in, you have a few options. Though I do suggest you take Biology first, just to get it out of the way."

Yes! That's exactly what I want to take!

"Sounds perfect to me." Sakura cheerfully agreed. Mrs. Sato smiled and began typing on her computer to search for all the classes that still had availability. "Hm. Seems all the biology courses are at capacity. Shoot. You might have to take the other science course first, but I can put you on a list to ensure you are able to take Biology next semester."

Nooo! This won't do. I've got to say something.

"Ah, I see." she began. Mrs. Sato looked up from her computer desktop, and smiled as she waited for her to continue. "Hm? Was there something on your mind, dear?"

Lowering the tablet into her lap, Sakura gently smiled and met her gaze. It was all or nothing at this point. "Oh it's nothing really, I was just thinking about some of the amazing credentials I saw on the Universities page the other day." Was she really going through with this? Never had she ever, tried pushing her way through a system such as a whole university to get what she wanted. But it was too late to turn back now. Mrs. Sato was listening.

"I was looking through the different online student resources just to educate myself more about this school, and I couldn't help but notice the wonderful slideshow that was presented on the main page." Mrs. Sato's face lit up at the mention of the slideshow. "Oh, you really liked the slide show? I'm the one that actually put that together. I'm pleased to hear some positive feedback. I worked hard on it." Sakura nodded and kept a pleasant expression upon her face, as she continued her pitch to get into Mr. Sato's class.

"Yes, it quite impressive. For a new student like me having never been to this school before, I felt like it really showcased all the important highlights and 'must-knows' about this school. I also admired the part of it where it featured the teachers that won awards last year. I think it's great that this school honors its educators." The beckoning looks she received from Mrs. Sato, only gave her the confidence to carry on even further.

"Come to think of it, I believe I even saw some freshman teachers on that presentation. I just can't seem to remember what their names were, I just know that there were two of them listed on the slides. One taught some type of science while the other taught math. I remember reading some of the accomplishments they both received, and I must say I was impressed. I thought to myself, 'Wow, I'd like to attend a class taught by these professors!'"

By this point in Sakura's speech, Mrs. Sato wore the proudest look upon her face. She knew exactly who Sakura spoke of, and she did nothing to hide how pleased she was to hear all the high praises regarding her husband.

"Yes, that science professor on there is my husband. My beloved Kota won an award last year for his work in the science department. I was so proud of him. Mr Sato is teaching another biology class here this year, but unfortunately his class is already full. It's crazy how many students race to try and get into his class every semester...and don't even get me started on this semester. It was hell, I tell you, please excuse my profanity."

Poor Mrs. Sato, it must be hard having to deal with all these crazed fans trying to get in with Neji's class. Damn, do I fall into that category?

"It seemed the entire school wanted to attend his class, even those who didn't even need to take a Biology course." While Mrs. Sato beamed on about her incredible husband, Sakura managed to keep her poker face and listen as the older woman kept on. She felt a somewhat bad for not filling her in on why there was such an obsession over Biology this semester, but she couldn't for the sake of her plan.

"He is one of the best professors here at this school. His students always give him high ratings after they take his class. Heh, if it were up to him he'd teach everybody in one giant room or even outdoors with loud speakers so more could attend his sessions. Hahaha." Sakura genuinely smiled at that. He sounded like such a wonderful person and teacher.

Of course he was not a complete stranger to her, he and his wife were good family friends. Although she was not particularly close with either of the Satos, her parents were, and so she used to see them come by often. She remembered Mr. Sato to be a sweet and quiet man when she would see him, so it didn't come as a surprise when she heard everybody loved him here.

Sitting back in her chair as she thought of her husband, she looked up at Sakura and paused for a moment as she dove deeper into her thoughts. It was apparent that she was making a decision that would either make Sakura jump for joy, or accept this defeat and try again next time.

This is the critical moment right here...please let me in...

Sakura watched as Mrs. Sato leaned forward over her desk, and lowered her voice to almost a whisper. "You know what? Let me check with him directly. I personally believe that you'd be a marvelous addition to his class. I mean, with your grades and history it's pretty much a guarantee that he'd accept you. Let me just talk with him first, and we'll get back together on this. Sound okay to you, sweetie?" Sakura stood to her feet and bowed to show her appreciation. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Sato." Elated with a surprising victory, she happily walked out of that office with a smile. This semester was going to be great.

---

Another week flew by and Sasuke became much busier with his shrine duties and chores, so much so that on some days she'd only get to interact with him during meal times. But he wasn't the only one occupied with duties, she noticed her days had also gotten much busier as well. Ever since she gained control over her chakra, her duties as a Goddess expanded in many ways. Along with the routine training every morning, she began practicing her hand at the talisman again. Last time it was a complete disaster, but this time would be different. She not only had Sasuke to help her this time around, but she also had a body full of flowing chakra at her disposal.

Apart from her Goddess duties she now had school to worry about; and it was nearing the time for her to depart for class. Mr. Sato's classroom would be her first stop of the day, and she was more than thrilled to get there. With her backpack ready, she happily strolled to the front door and began putting her shoes on. When she finished and stood back up, she felt a cold presence emanate behind her.

"Where's your hat, Sakura?" a quiet yet stern voice asked from behind. She quickly turned her head to see Sasuke standing there. "Got it right here, I didn't forget this time." she confidently stated as she pulled out the bucket-hat from within her bag. "Very well then. Though I suggest you put it on now before leaving. Once you leave the shrine grounds, your protection ends there." He wasn't wrong there, so she followed his advice and placed the 'Cutesy Cutesy' hat atop her head.

I've got to get a new hat soon. As much as I still think 'Cutesy Cutesy' is cute, I think it's time to retire this ol' hat, it's been a good long run.

---

Walking down the halls of the science building, she soon approached the room Mr. Sato's class was to take place. Even from a distance she could tell it was his room, because of all the girls that were crowded around the door. I guess I should've expected this to happen. "Pardon me, this is my class." She tried to excuse herself through the crowd, but it was no use. No one was listening. "Alright, let's move it ladies. This is a private class so please break the circle up." The campus security guard hollered over the loud chatter of people.

"There are still students that need to come in, so you all need to leave if you don't attend this class." the security officer announced again. "But we want to see Neji, can't you at least let us take a look inside?" One of the girls begged aloud. But the security guard wasn't having it. Once again, he spoke loud enough for all to hear and motioned a hand for everyone to move away from the door. "Sorry, but no. Please move away from the door and take your conversations elsewhere. Those who do attend this class, please come forward and show me your schedule."

The lively group of students finally moved away as instructed, but not without complaining of how they wished they were signed up for the class. With all the extra leg room available now, Sakura finally made her way up to the security officer and handed over her schedule so he could quickly verify she was legitimately in the class. After receiving an approving nod, she entered the room and scanned over the area to check out the layout. The room was relativity small, so the desks were placed closer together. She was surprised to see that no one was sitting down yet, but instead they were all scattered throughout the room chatting among one another.

There was still some time left before the class was scheduled to start, and Mr. Sato wasn't present yet so she figured looking for an open seat would be a good starting point from here. An open chair in the middle left-hand side of the room caught her attention, so she made her way over and took a seat. She began taking out her pen and notebook to prepare for note-taking, until a shadow cast over her.

The room fell silent as every eye in the room watched as she, and the person that approached her interacted. "Excuse me." Her hands paused from organizing papers, and her eyes rose to meet a pair of pale ice-blue ones. Before her mouth could move to make words, her mind went into shock. Standing over her, was none other than the one whom she had desired to meet. "I...I uh..." she uttered out unintentionally. "Hi." she finally managed to say. "Sorry, but you're in my seat." Neji politely pointed out. "Huh?" Confused, her brows furrowed as she looked at him questioningly.

"Wow she's really trying her best to get in his way, isn't she? How shameless." One girl whispered loud enough for Sakura to hear. "I know, if I were her I wouldn't even hesitate to get up...O-M-G look at her hat, isn't that some kids cartoon character? Pfft.." another girl loudly whispered. "I believe you're correct." Neji added, as he kept his eyes glued to hers. "I think my younger cousin has the same hat. What was it...'Cutesy Cutesy'? But yours looks a bit worn out." he observed as he reached over and pulled off a loose string that was hanging from her hat.

She could keep her cool during difficult times, but this was getting to be too much. Her initial reaction was to retort the humiliation with just as much, if not more edge as she felt they were giving her. But considering her position and all the persuading she had done to get herself here in the first place, she decided to hold back. "You're right, it is. I'm sorry, but did you already claim this spot? I checked before I sat down, but I didn't see anyone's belongings here." she calmly stated. "I like to sit near the door." He mentioned, as he motioned his head towards the nearby door. "And this desk just so happens to be positioned perfectly." he evenly explained.

Is he in elementary school or what? Who the hell forces someone to move, just because they want to sit at a specific desk?

The closer she examined his face, the more she could see that there were no signs of warmth hidden anywhere within those cold pale eyes. But what she was more in disbelief about, was the fact that he was actually being serious about this whole 'desk' ordeal. Literally scoffing at how ridiculous this whole situation was, she rose from her seat and gathered all her belongings. "You know what? You can have the desk. Enjoy the 'door' seat." She could feel his eyes burn holes in the back of her head as she left the room, but she didn't care. All that mattered at this moment was getting out of there as fast as she could, and to the nearest restroom so she could calm herself down before the fire within released upon Neji and the classroom full of snarky students.

---

Barging into the nearest restroom and ripping her hat from her head, she grabbed the sides of the sink and let her head hang down. "Damn it." she cursed aloud. The only thing that seemed to give her some peace of mind now, was that she could at least vent and cuss to her heart's content since the room was clear. "So what if he's not what you imagined him up to be? He's a 'celebrity' for crying out loud! Of course he'd be different in real life, it's not like he could possibly be anything like all those cool characters he plays on TV."

"So, you found out your crush isn't who you thought him to be?" a smooth voice questioned from behind her. Not surprised in the slightest, she raised her head and looked in the mirror to see Sasuke's image leaned against the wall behind her. "How did you get in here?" she questioned, although she knew the answer already. She could see the smirk plastered upon his face as she watched him push off the wall. "And he's not my crush, I just admire...admired him as a fan. That's all."

He crossed his arms over his chest and his head tilted slightly to the side as he took in her answer. "Oh, I see. Well then, I'm a bit surprised that things ended in this way. I mean with how highly you spoke of him and such. You were all giddy this morning when you left too... how unfortunate." If she hadn't known any better, she would've thought he was sympathizing with her. But she did know better, and she could see through his plain tone that he was actually teasing her right now.

Really, him too?

"Are you making fun of me right now? I know how I was, it's just-..." Letting a deep sigh out, she wiped a newly fallen tear and frowned at him. "Never mind...I thought you'd be on my side, but you're here making fun of me instead just like the others. Just forget it. I'll see you back at the shrine." With her hat clutched in her hand, she turned away and marched towards the door. Swinging the door open, she took only a few steps out before running into something hard. "You again?" a male voice spoke.

Wonderful.

She really was in no mood to deal with Neji again after what happened inside the classroom. Was making a fool of her once, just not enough for him? "Excuse me." she coldly uttered, as she attempted to go around him. "Wait." he called out as he suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist. "What do you want? Let me go." she snapped while pulling away to no avail. She awaited his explanation as to why he was holding onto her, but for some reason he just stood there speechless as if he couldn't find his words.

She wasn't wearing her hat, so he could finally see what she really looked like. He could tell from the delicate blush of red-ish pink upon her cheeks, and the glimmer in her eyes that she had recently cried. Her lips were turned down into a small frown, and her brows were furrowed as she glared at him with sharp eyes. She was so full of color, with her roseate hair that was swept to the side; it really complimented her complexion well. He had to admit she was quite easy on the eyes, but what snatched his attention almost immediately was the light luminescent-like aura that shone from the center of her forehead. Upon closer inspection, there was even a small lavender diamond shaped 'tattoo' right in the center of where the light was being produced from.

"I'm sorry about earlier." He finally expressed, as he set his eyes onto hers. "It's fine, now let me go." she demanded. His hand loosened around her wrist and she immediately freed herself from his grasp and took a step away. "Listen, I truly am sorry for the way I acted back there. It was unlike me. I just get ill-mannered when I become overwhelmed, because of the constant calls for attention that I get from everyone." The silence that met him encouraged him to try another approach, since this conversation was obviously going nowhere at this point. He could tell that she was still too upset at him.

"I was just heading for the drink machine just now, would you like something as well?"

"No thanks, I don't need an 'apology drink'."

"Or maybe a snack? They've got snack machines there also."

"No thanks. Excuse me, I'm heading back to class."

Having been over this out-stretched conversation, she put her hat back on and swiftly stepped around him to walk back to the classroom. As she did, she could feel the familiar burning sensation at the back of her head. She knew he was watching her, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get as far away from him as possible and avoid him for as long as she could.

He watched her until she disappeared around the corner, then continued his way towards the vending machines. There, he saw Mr. Sato walking towards him. "Oh, hello Mr. Hyuga. I hope you're doing well today, it's a pleasure to meet you." Mr. Sato politely greeted. "Likewise, Mr. Sato. I was just grabbing a beverage, but I was heading back now." Mr. Sato smiled and tilted his head back to chuckle. "Right, it's very important to stay hydrated. I'm heading there also, shall we?" Neji nodded and walked alongside the professor back to the classroom.

Peering from inside the women's restroom, hardened dark eyes narrowed and bore into the back of the celebrity's head up until the point that he could no longer be seen after turning the corner with the older man he accompanied. What a turn of events this was.

---

Sitting within a large black pine tree outside the college building several meters away, Sasuke leaned against the trunk of the massive tree as he contemplated. "Master Sasuke, how was Lady Sakura? Oh I hope she was having fun in there. She was so excited this morning." Denki exclaimed as he flew up to Sasuke's side. The contrite expression upon his face, seemed to answer this question and any related ones Denki and Kiyo could've come up with.

"Well um...is she alright, Master Sasuke?" Kiyo questioned, now concerned. "Sakura is fine, but I've just upset her." Silence followed as the two spirit guardians exchanged worried looks. "Oh...so that probably means you were unable to deliver the bento she forgot this morning? Perhaps, we should deliver it to her in your stead?" Kiyo asked. "No. I'll get it to her, I'm going to stick around here for awhile anyway. It seems something important came up, that I'd like to look into."

---

The rest of the morning seemed to proceed as normal. With the biology class over and done with, she made her rounds to the three other classes she had scheduled for that morning. She was grateful for the distraction that her classes had offered, so she could at least let her mind be at ease for the duration of them instead of worrying about Neji and Sasuke.

As her last class of the day came to an end, she gathered her belongings and made her way towards the dining hall so she could indulge on her bento. The dining hall was enormous in size, and attractively decorated. From the school banners and colors that hung proudly off the walls down to the adorning tables that had intricate details drawn on and glazed over them, everything just screamed 'Welcome to our fancy University'. The aroma of the food that wafted through the air, brought her attention over to the decently sized line that formed at the several food stations that were placed towards the opposite end of the room. "Wow...amazing. I'll have to try their food sometime soon."

Picking an empty seat at a table near the middle of the room, she sat down and began digging through her bag for her bento. "Oh no, where is it?! Dammit, I must've forgotten at home." Thinking back to this morning, she ran through her memories until she came to remember Sasuke specifically telling her that he left her bento packed up on the table. "Oh." Bummed, she twisted around to look at the food line to peek at what they were serving.

Udon, ramen, katsudon and...wait is that hamburger steak I see? Don't mind if I do! After all the stress I went through today, I could use a hearty meat dish today. Maybe it'll fix my mood.

The food menu included that of what she initially saw and so much more. "Hamburger steak, please." As she was handed her food, a loud commotion erupted from the entrance of the dining hall room. She didn't bother looking, because she knew it most likely had something to do with Neji's presence. What else could bring on this type of reaction from a large crowd of young people?

With all the commotion going on now she decided it'd be more peaceful to eat elsewhere, so she took her to-go meal and made her exit. As she walked out, Neji made his way in. Through the crowd of blabbering students, he caught a glimpse of pink through the midst. Where is she off to? "Alright break it up people, let's all let Mr. Hyuga have his space. It's lunch time, not autograph time. Let the man relax!" A school security officer yelled over the loud chattering students. An audible 'awe' could be heard from within the group as they all broke up and dispersed out into the room.

Neji appreciatively bowed his head at the security officer, and followed after Sakura. He casually made his way down the long halls and corridors, making sure to avoid any students and faculty. Before long, he picked a vacant room to use, and activated his ocular gift known as the 'Byakugan'. The veins around his temples bulged due to increased blood flow, and he focused his attention solely on finding the girl he sought after. With this ability activated, the walls melted away and became transparent, allowing him to see through any obstructing object in his way. Within mere seconds, he was able to spot out her figure stepping up a nearby staircase.

Just where are you headed, Land Goddess?

Instead of venturing out on the floor she was currently on, she continued her way up another flight of stairs. Just where could she be going? "The rooftop?" he quietly voiced aloud. "Why?"

---

Closing the door to the rooftop, she smiled at the amazing view before her. Luckily, she knew to come up here if she ever needed time alone to study or for just a breather. All thanks to her Mrs. Sato for letting her in on this little gem, she'd have to send her a fruit basket later on for all the help she provided her.

"Shoot, I forgot to pick up a drink." Looking down at the neatly wrapped food box she held in her hands, she frowned at it and gulped. "Maybe I should just skip out on the drink...but I'm also really thirsty...ugh, I might as well enjoy this with a drink. It's not like I'm in a rush to leave and go back to the shrine anyway. With what happened earlier this morning with Sasuke, I still feel a bit awkward about it." Sighing deeply, she placed her bag and food box down and turned back around to find a nearby vending machine on the floor level below.

Meanwhile, Neji quickened his pace as he marched up the never-ending series of steps he had to take to get to her. If she was on the rooftop she'd have nowhere run, so he'd have her right where he wanted her. The Land God's mark she possessed, was the main factor that drove him to chase after her. He couldn't figure out why or how she came to be with it, but one thing he knew for sure and certain was that he wanted it for himself.

This was an opportunity of a lifetime for crying out loud. The Land God's mark was literally being held within a sitting duck right in front of him. How foolish would he be to pass this up? Needless to say, he was already a very capable, skillful and accomplished young man. But with the use of the Land God's mark, he could utilize it to show his entire family that he was not just someone they could merely 'assign' to serve someone else higher up in the family hierarchy. Though it has been long since he was free of those old duties, he still felt obligated to prove what great heights he could reach by himself.

He knew in his heart that he was so much more than just a servant. If only his father Hizashi were born before his twin brother Hiashi, then maybe things would've been different for him. If that were the case, their families statues and roles would've been switched. Neji and his parents would've been granted the privilege of being the 'main family', while Hiashi and his family would've simply been considered a 'serving' family and assigned the duties of supporting the 'main family'.

He could envision himself finally reaching something greater than what life had thrown at him. Even now as a free man who neither served nor communicated with his family, just the known fact that both his parents were still serving the 'main family' irked him to his core. He knew they felt unbothered by their duties, yet he felt bitter that they did not live life as freely as he did.

Those thoughts alone fueled his desire to gain control over the Land God's title as quickly as possible. But before that could even become a possibility of happening, he'd have to get in close contact with her so this plan could actually have a chance of working. No matter how this encounter would transpire, he was confident that in the end he'd achieve what he wanted. She was human after all. What could a mere human possibly do to harm him in any way?

Finally after what seemed like forever, he reached the door leading to the rooftop. Pushing it open he immediately scanned the area fully expecting to see her, but there was no one in sight. The only thing that was out of place, was the food box and bag laying neatly upon the ground near one of the ledge walls. Irritated at this unexpected twist in his plan, he closed his eyes and released a long breath.

When he opened them back up, the veins around his temples bulged out once again and his Byakugan began actively searching for her on the floor levels below. Within seconds, he found her poking at a nearby vending machine just one floor right below him. "So that's where you were."

Unexpectedly and from out of nowhere, a freezing chill ran down his back as a new entity approached from behind. "I wasn't expecting to see you here." Neji announced without moving to look directly at the newcomer. Turning to face him now, he saw the Uchiha prodigy standing next to Sakura's belongings. "You must be a Hyuga." Sasuke pointed out, ignoring Neji's previous questions. "Indeed, I am. You must have knowledge about the Hyuga family's Byakugan, since you were able to identify who I am just from my appearance."

"Just the basics." Sasuke took a few steps forward, and stood his ground as he sized-up the opposing man. He knew rudimentary knowledge in regards to the Hyuga family's Byakugan, and how it significantly enhanced the user's visual prowess. Though he didn't know much about this particular Hyuga, he knew not to underestimate him. He seemed calm and collected, but there was also something dangerous about him as well. "So you were the one she was upset over, hm?" Sasuke said more so to himself.

"What did you say? Neji asked, a bit annoyed. "Why are you even here? Why on earth would Uchiha, Sasuke gallivant around in this mortal town? Weren't you always a homebody or out doing business in the yokai world?" Of course these questions were to be expected, and like always he came prepared to answer them.

"I could ask the same of you. Why would a member of the Hyuga family, parade around in the mortal realm as an 'Idol' of some sort in their world? Last I checked, all Hyuga members reside in the Heavens serving the 'main branch'. Was there some sort of coup within your family?" He could tell that the topic was sensitive, since he could clearly see Neji's expression change at the mention of his family.

"There was no such thing that occurred, and my reasoning is none of your concern. What's important here, is your sudden appearance and how coincidental it seems. You appear the same day someone 'interesting' began attending here, and you come full of pride and confidence. You're here for the girl, am I correct?" The smirk that appeared upon Sasuke's face was all the answer he needed, to confirm that his theory was correct. "You're after the Land God's mark." Neji stated. Stirred at the possibility that another might've come to claim the holy mark, his fists balled tightly and his glare sharpened. "Is that the conclusion you've come up with?"

"If that is not the case, then could it be that you are the girl's Familiar? No...it couldn't be. Why would anyone want to serve a human? Especially someone like you."

"I've got to say, you've got sharp intellect to recognize and seek after her. Then again, the Hyuga clan is known to be full of bright members." Sasuke observed, ignoring Neji's questions once again. "Enough of this nonsense. The mark shall be mine, and neither you nor anyone else will get in my way of obtaining it." Neji griped, as he gritted his teeth in frustration.

Wasting not a second more, Sasuke flickered out of sight. If it weren't for Neji's near three-hundred and sixty degree visual field, he would've easily missed which direction his combatant was going to strike from. Twisting his body completely around, Neji blocked the incoming rear attack but not without repercussion. As he blocked the fierce attack, he got a close look into his enemy's determined eyes. From this position, he could clearly see and recognize the famous Uchiha 'Sharingan'. The angry red color that was presented within the ocular gift was loud and ferocious, as they bore through his pale blue eyes and into his soul. "Damn." Neji cursed aloud. He was careless. He knew better than to look a foe Uchiha in the eye, but he was preoccupied with protecting himself.

Though he managed to protect himself from serious bodily harm, the sheer force and power that was put behind the incoming attack forced him to jump back. Just from that initial attack, he knew that Sasuke's fighting style was very aggressive and powerful. Opposed to his own style of fighting which was still powerful in its own way, but more fluid and 'gentle'.

With his all might he pushed Sasuke away and compressed chakra within both of his hands, and then directed it forward to push him even further away. "I guess the rumors were true about you and your speed." Neji remarked. Only silence met him, but it was to be expected. He knew the man wasn't much for idle chatter. As he was preparing himself for the next attack, he began feeling a strange warm sensation that trickled down the side of his face. "What's this?" he said to himself as he touched his cheek.

When he removed his hand from his face to investigate, he found it to be covered in blood. His cheek was oozing crimson from a freshly opened wound. "What the hell?" Looking back up at his foe, he noticed the shining kunai that was held firmly in his hand. "Impressive. I didn't even notice you had cut me."

Sensing another upcoming attack, he readied himself for whatever Sasuke would do. If he could manage to strike any key pressure point on him, he could then utilize his technique 'Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms' which would basically stop the flow of chakra and immobilize his target. If he could pull that off, he'd be all set up to take Sasuke down with ease.

Cutting his thoughts short, an abundance of kunai came flying towards him from every direction. Thinking quick on his feet, he expelled chakra from his body creating a protective whirling sphere around himself. The clang of kunai rang loudly in his ears as he saw each weapon strike his barrier and fall to the ground. With that taken care of, he quickly surveyed the area all around him to find where Sasuke was located, but he was nowhere to be found. Why the hell can't I see where he is? There's no way... "Over here." a menacing whisper warned into his ear.

Flickering into sight before him, Sasuke wielded the Kusanagi in hand and raised the blade with the intent to slice through Neji's protective barrier. "Impossible!" Neji grunted, as he braced himself. The brute impact from the collision between the sword and chakra barrier caused a rush of wind, blowing the two back and away from each other.

With no time given to even think of what just happened, he was then engulfed by slime-like creatures that crawled up his legs and covered his entire backside. He could feel himself get heavier as the slime creatures piled onto him. Before long, he fell onto his hands and knees. "What the hell is this?!" he screamed out. Finally, his arms gave out from the immense weight put upon him, and so he fell flat onto the ground. He could feel his breath shorten as he struggled to breathe. Just what the hell did he get himself into?

---

"Maybe I should've grabbed tea instead of juice...hm?" The sound of the metal door shutting close behind her, attracted the attention of the person she was set out to avoid for the time being. "Sasuke?" she whispered to herself. But he wasn't the only present. Just a few steps away from him was Neji, who seemed to be in a trance-like state.

"What's going on up here? What are you doing here Sasuke?"

"Never mind that, he was following you. He knows who you are."

Her heart dropped to her stomach as she processed what he had just said. How did Neji come to know who she was? Just who was he? "What's wrong with him?" She scanned over Neji's rigid body, he moved not even an inch as he stood there and his eyes were staring blankly ahead. "He's under my Genjutsu." Having learned a bit about Genjutsu and the Sharingan from Sasuke himself, she knew Neji was mentally trapped. "For how long?"

"By now, ten seconds."

"Is he not able to break free from it?"

"He could but we have yet to see it happen. This most likely is his first time encountering the Sharingan in person."

"...Could I?"

Releasing a quiet sigh, he nodded. "I suppose. Remember what I taught you?"

"Yes."

This moment would mark her first time getting to experience assisting someone who was caught in a Genjutsu. From the brief lesson Sasuke had taught her during breakfast one morning, she learned that in order to break out of a Genjutsu once one is aware of it, one would have to try and break the flow of charka in any way they possibly could. This would not dismiss the idea of inflicting self-damage in order to break free. Alternatively, an ally may assist by sending their chakra into the targeted person to disrupt their flow and free them.

Handing Sasuke her drink, she made her way over to Neji's side. When she reached her place beside him, she glanced once more at Sasuke before proceeding to help Neji. Those bold and striking red irises that beamed into her, sent a chill down her spine. Even if she wasn't the one those eyes were after, she still somehow felt unnerved by them. They were beautiful, yet so very dangerous.

Pushing past those dwelling thoughts, she placed a gentle hand upon Neji's shoulder and focused all her attention onto him instead. Distributing chakra into him, she delivered her chakra into his body and intertwined it with his. She could feel him. Like, really feel him and his chakra. It felt clear and light when she interacted with it.

The sounds of desperate gasping and coughing filled the still air as Neji fell to his hands knees. "What... the hell..." he gasped out. Shaking off the weariness in his voice, he looked up to see Sakura kneeling down beside him. "Neji?" Her soft voice sounded distant, but also close by at the same time. Everything felt so trippy and his senses felt all out of place. "How long does it take to recover afterwards?" he heard her ask someone else. "It varies by person." he heard Sasuke's voice reply back."

His vision became more focused, and his breath steadied back out by this time. "Are you alright, Neji?" As he sat there with his gaze fixed upon her, he said not a word to reply to whatever she had just said. It wasn't until Sasuke cleared his throat, that Neji finally snapped out of his daze. "I'm fine." he evasively stated, as he rose to his feet to get away from the two. "So that was the Sharingan's Genjutsu, hm?" he said to himself. "You are correct." Sasuke answered. "You can thank Sakura for your peace of mind, because I would've kept you in longer."

She was the one who helped him escape? But why? Wouldn't it have benefited her if he were restrained? She had to have known by now what his intentions were, right? There was no way Sasuke wouldn't have said anything to her at this point. "Neji...who are you? Really?" she asked with a tone of concern, as she too rose to her feet.

The way this situation was playing out, was not how he thought it would end. He was to trap her and take the mark from her, but now what was he to do? Naturally she would start asking questions now that they had the upper hand, but that didn't mean he was ready to begin answering any of them. Even now in the moment, he had thoughts of escaping to evade this whole ordeal. But what good would that do for him now? Sasuke was fully aware of his existence and of who he really was. Who was to say that he wouldn't go out of his way to hunt after him or expose him? He was not afraid of a fight, but the persistence of having to watch his back every day and hour seemed tiring and not worth his time.

He knew Sasuke to have a bit of a reputation. He had first heard about him, back when he was still serving the 'main family' alongside his mother and father. Everything he heard was almost too hard to believe, but seeing Sasuke now and in the flesh proved his past doubts wrong. Long ago when word spread of Mikoto Uchiha's murder, the whole Uchiha clan was in disarray. Mikoto's youngest especially. From all the speculations he heard, one specific rumor had stuck in his head for one reason or another. That rumor being that if you ever crossed 'Sasuke of the Sharingan', then you'd regret it until the day he finally hunted you down. Sasuke was said to hold grudges, and seek after those who wronged him or his family. So it wasn't surprising when he heard that at the time of Mikoto's murder, a teen-aged Sasuke had left home one night to seek vengeance for his beloved mother.

"I am of the Hyuga clan. Son of Hizashi Hyuga ,and a yokai of divine nature." Did he just say that he's a yokai? "I've come to take your Land God mark from you, but your loyal Familiar had other plans." This blew her mind. Given all the years she had 'fan-girled' over him, and come to find out that he was of yokai origins? That part didn't bother her as much as the fact that he blended so well into human society. It really made her wonder who else could've been a yokai that she had crossed paths with in her life? If it weren't for Sasuke's intervention, who knows what Neji would've done in order to steal the precious mark from her.

"Why? Why would you want it?" she questioned. Why? His reasoning was simple enough, but it wasn't something he particularly wanted to share with them. "My reasoning is none of your concern." he coldly asserted. None of her concern, he says? Why, it most definitely was one of the many concerns she had. If his plan would've been a success, she was sure she would've been either badly hurt as a result or worse, dead. Only moments ago her life was literally at stake, so for her to let him go without an explanation was out of the question.

"Neji." she firmly called out. "I deserve to know at least that much. You were trying to steal a part of me that is more precious than anything I've ever owned in my life. So yes, I'd say it is my concern." She did have a point. He knew a thing or two about possessing something extremely precious, and the fear of losing it. His Byakugan for example, was one precious item that many have tried and failed to steal. Not his in particular, but his family had dealt with more than enough thieves over many generations. Like the Sharingan, the Byakugan was something that many sought after due to its unique special abilities. To lose that, was to lose everything as a Hyuga.

After much thought, he finally came to a decision and began his explanation. "I come from the heavens where my clan resides." So he's also from the heavens, just like Sasuke and Itachi... "Why did you leave?" He paused to take a moment to look up at the celestine sky before answering. "Because I didn't agree with the life I was obligated to."

"It's been many years since I left or made any attempts of contact with my parents and family, but my departure was something I knew needed to happen. I, alongside my parents served the 'main branch' of the Hyuga clan. I once was a divine Familiar as well, serving my cousin Hinata. She is typically known as the Goddess of Mercy. I obediently followed my duties as required, but one day I decided I had enough. At that point I knew my self-worth shouldn't have been limited to serving a Goddess day in and day out, I wanted more for myself."

He so badly wanted to be free of his duties. Did the same thoughts cross through Sasuke's mind when I showed up?

"Being in service to the family, I was forbidden to learn any of the clan's advanced techniques and abilities, so I trained in secret. When the others that were permitted to practice those techniques would train, I would watch and learn from them. I trained during the night mostly, but also when I had free time. Eventually, my Father noticed my skills and confided his guilt and anger to me. He wanted so much more for me as well, he even told me once that he felt I was being wrongly restricted from exploring my talents."

"So you weren't allowed to learn those techniques, because you were a part of a family that was only meant to serve?" she gathered aloud.

"That's correct. Hiashi the God of Wisdom and leader of the Hyuga clan, was my uncle and my father's older twin brother. Since he was born first, he was appointed head of the clan. My father felt bitter about my uncle's decision to have me serve his daughter as her Familiar, instead of allowing me to freely train and succeed up the clan's ranks as I pleased."

Talk about power struggles...sounds like he had it rough.

"My family would've...should've been considered a part of the main family. If it weren't for my uncle deeming us to serve them, instead of standing beside them that is. So with that being said, as my father's son, my only duty in life was to serve and protect the main family. Nothing more, nothing less."

"And that's why you left...to live your own life the way you wanted instead of being told how to live it." she quietly analyzed. Neji nodded and continued on. "Hinata caught on towards the end, and willingly let me leave. Back then, I resented her for as long as I could remember, but that day I truly appreciated and thanked her. She told me she'd handle the heat our families were sure to expel, and so I left without saying goodbye to anyone. Not even my parents."

She must be such a kind Goddess to let him leave like that. Well...he did say she was the Goddess of Mercy, but still.

"Anyway, my thinking was that if I were to possess a deity's blessed mark, then that would force them all to recognize how highly I could achieve. That I was meant for more than being a person who would be at their beck and call for whatever they needed me to do for them. Reflecting on that ideology now, I see now that it was a rather rash and foolish plan. Even if I did obtain the Land God's mark, I'm sure they'd still see me as the Familiar who once served them. The thought of how I would've obtained it, is less than honorable so that too, is an embarrassment in itself."

"Are you happy with your life here in the mortal realm?" This question took him by surprise, since no one has ever really asked him this before. Of course he didn't expect the humans he knew to ask him these types of questions, since they were all unaware of what he really was. But here right now, the very Goddess that he pursued with ill-intentions had him wondering; was he truly happy with his life? As he collected his thoughts to answer, he took notice of her current expression. Her clear eyes were judgement free, and not a ounce of criticism could be found in them. How peculiar. He thought to himself.

"Yeah, I think I am. The first day I arrived in this realm, I had no solid plan of what to do, or where to go. I was just roaming around for a couple hours, until a recruiting representative from a talent agency approached me and brought me on with their company."

Was it really that easy for him?! I remember back when I was trying to get recruited by a talent agency, no one would ever call me back. One even said it was because I didn't have the 'look' they were searching for. I'm pretty sure that commenced the self-loathing stage of my life...

"Since then, I've had many good days and fewer bad ones. I still continue to train everyday...but it seems I've received a harsh wake up call to train even harder." His eyes shifted towards Sasuke's direction, as he gave an acknowledging nod towards him.

Bringing his attention back onto Sakura, he felt a pang of guilt hit him. He was brought up to have integrity and morality, yet he let dirty greed get the better of him. "Lady Sakura." he began. "Y-yes?" To hear Neji call unto her like this was a bit surprising, but she just rolled with it. "I shouldn't have tried to steal from you, and I am ashamed of my actions against you. Please forgive me."

She stood amazed. Never in a hundred years, she would've thought he would actually apologize to her so easily like this. When she peeked over to see Sasuke's reaction, even he looked a bit taken aback. "I...I forgive you." The corners of his lips upturned in the slightest, offering her a view of his appreciative smile. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet." Questioning not her comment, he watched her walk up to him and reach her hand out to hover over his cheek. He was a bit confused at what she was doing, but he let her be. Warmth began spreading over the surface of the wounded skin upon his face. The soothing feeling he felt from her touch was so comforting that he was tempted to lean into her hand, but he instead watched as the soft green chakra continuously poured into his skin. He could quite literally feel the damaged split skin re-nourish and repair itself under her guidance. "Why?"

"Because I forgive you. And at the end of the day, you are an actor. Being a popular actor means you can't risk having an injury like this on your face. Now, I don't know much about that industry and what they could've done to help you, but I do know it definitely would've left a nasty scar and it was something I knew I could help with. But just promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"Promise me that you'll never try anything like this again. Hence any further attempts at my life or my livelihood, because this has become my livelihood.. I'll consider it a threat and consequences will be put into play."

He would never know she was being serious, with how gentle her expression was. But the undertone she served, made him understand exactly what she was really saying. "I understand. You have my word, my Lady." She seemed satisfied with this answer, so once she was finished healing him she stepped back to view her work. "Hm, not bad. I'm impressed with your work, Sakura." Sasuke complimented, as he viewed her work as well. "Thank you! On top of the knowledge I already have, and what I've learned from you, school and those books you gave me, I just put it all to use and applied my chakra."

"Wait, so you've never healed another person before?" Neji alarmingly questioned. "Well, there was that little bird...oh and that squirrel too...but yeah, you're the first human I've healed." She watched as Neji turned a shade paler, but she couldn't really blame him. It was known that if one did not know what they were doing when attempting to heal another being, they could very easily do more harm than good. "Ahem...well thank you for your help Lady Sakura. I suppose I'll be off then."

"Please, just call me Sakura. Honorifics aren't necessary here. He nodded in understanding one last time, before turning to finally leave them. With the metal door shutting closed behind him, she became painfully aware that it was now just both Sasuke and her alone up on the rooftop.

Neither one said a word. All that could be heard was the gentle breezes that blew between them. What do I say? It's so awkward...wait, but why do I have to be the first one to speak right now? He should say something first this time. Another few seconds passed, and neither one made any effort to say anything. Should I just say something? We'll be up here all day, if this goes on for much longer!

"Sakura." "Sasuke." They said in unison. "What?" They both said simultaneously yet again. "You go first." she quickly added. He sighed and walked up to her with a familiar looking bento in hand. "You forgot this at home." She looked down at the lunch box, and slowly took it off his hands. "Oh, thanks..." she said, sounding disappointed. "And..." he began. Her eyes shot back up to meet his, hopeful of what he was planning to say next.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you earlier. I realize I caused more harm than good." he finally said. "Me too...I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I was just upset by the whole 'Neji' situation that I just snapped." He silently nodded, and broke his gaze from hers to look out at the many tree tops that could be seen from their high position atop the building. "I'm done with my classes for the day, wanna walk home with me? It's only a fifteen minute walk. We can eat lunch at home together, if you've got some time."

"I suppose I have some free time, since I finished the majority of the chores this morning." A pleasant smile grew upon her face at his response. "Great, shall we?"

---

Taking the back exit out, there were less students roaming around since classes had commenced again for those who were still scheduled for them. As they walked towards the University's entrance to head home for the day, she noticed two tall figures standing next to a nearby side building. "Sasuke, could you wait for me for just a second?"

"Sure." He followed after her for a short distance, before stopping a few feet away from where she was headed. The two men she approached looked rough around the edges, what was she thinking? How did she know them? "Sakura, wait." He tried calling out to her, but she waved a dismissing hand and mouthing 'It's okay.' to him.

"Tora? Hatsu?" she greeted as she walked up to the men. The sweet and tangy scents from their vapes carried through the air and into her nose as she came closer. "Shit...oh, Sakura?" Tora greeted, a little too eagerly. "Easy dude, be chill." Hatsu chuckled. "Right...Sakura, how are you? Do you attend this University too?" Tora asked as he pushed himself off the building's wall.

"Yes, I'm going here now. I just started today, actually. Did you guys start today too?" Tora nodded and put his vape away, as did Hatsu. "Sorry about that." he excused as he waved the air clear of smoke. "Smoking and vaping isn't allowed in certain areas, that's why we're hiding back here. As soon as class was over, we just had to get out of that stuffy classroom. Hatsu and I take the same class, and the Professor we got stuck with is a real bitch-ass. We might have to change classes or something, because one of us just might end up fighting him."

"What do you think they're talking about?" Neji questioned as he stepped up beside Sasuke. "Why are you still here?" Sasuke asked, without moving to look at him. Neji crossed his arms over his chest and observed the odd group ahead. "My driver is running late." The pair stood only a couple feet away from Sakura as she continued to converse, so it was more than obvious that they were watching her. From the few curious glances they received from the other two men she was speaking with, it was apparent they were aware she wasn't alone and that she had people watching her back.

"Who are they?" Tora asked as he stole another glance at the two men who watching them. "Hm?" Turning slightly to take a look back, she saw Neji and Sasuke standing there. "Oh, they're my friends. We were heading out just now, but I wanted to stop and say 'Hi' to you both." Hearing this sweet piece of info, he couldn't help but smile. Hatsu, knowing how much Tora still really admired Sakura, only rolled his eyes at his friend's transparent display of feelings.

"Did you see that? That guy is totally in love with her. It's almost too embarrassing to watch." Neji commented as he continued watching with interest. "It's pathetic, really." Sasuke stated, quite unimpressed at this point. "Is that a hint of jealousy I sense?" Neji teased. That little comment alone, earned him the most disapproving glare from a very much annoyed Sasuke.

"Anyway, I'd like to apologize again to you for the last time we met." Tora atoned, as he instinctively scratched the back of his neck. "Me too." Hatsu began. "I'm sorry for my part in it too. When Kaito was around, he had us doing a lot of stupid shit that we didn't always agree with. The night we tried mugging that scary-looking dude, was just another one of Kaito's dumb plans to try and earn us some extra cash." Sakura nodded as she listened to them both explain. "So, where is Kaito now?" she asked. "He's hanging out with a different crowd now. We parted ways when he tried getting Tora and I to rob a store. That was a line we weren't going to cross, so we just said 'fuck off' and peaced out. Haven't heard from him since then."

"Wow, well it's good to see that you two are doing well at least." Hatsu smiled and looked over at Tora, who apparently became 'lost' just by looking at her. "Dude." A quick nudge to the ribs, and he entered back into the conversation with them. "Have a safe trip home, and hopefully we'll see you soon?"

Politely bowing her head, she said her goodbyes and excused herself to rejoin Sasuke and Neji. "Who are they?" Sasuke inquired as soon as she came back up to them. "They're former high school classmates of mine, Hatsu and Tora. They also happen to be the ones that attempted to rob Itachi that one night. But they've since dropped their leader, who was responsible for planning that whole thing. They're running straight by themselves now. Neji, I thought you went home?" He shook his head, and checked his phone for any texts from his driver. "Ah, he's here. My driver was late, but it seems they just made it. I'll see you in class. Sasuke, I'll see you around." Sasuke only scoffed, and motioned his head towards the exit. "Let's go home, Sakura." he quietly urged.

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Thanks so much for reading! I'll be posting updates on my profile, if you're ever curious what the status is on editing progression, posts etc.