Hello people! As promised, Sakura-bashing courtesy of Naruto! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes, yes, thank you...just kidding. There is Sakura-bashing, and for all you Sakura fans that haven't heeded my warnings in the past chapters simply because you're too lazy to read the authors notes, if you flame me for Sakura-bashing, you will be banned. Last warning. I won't bring this up again.
Thanks to all my reviewers! Yukishiroi! Where are you! You haven't replied to my e-mails or reviewed the last chappie yet...I miss you. cries
Chapter 7: The Fun Begins
Sakura was waiting expectantly for him downstairs the next morning, a chipper smile on her face. No sooner had his foot touched the bottom of the stairs then she pounced, latching onto his arm and giggling wildly.
"Good morning, Neji-kun." Neji made a half-hearted attempt to smooth his tousled hair, mussed from last night's tossing and turning. He smiled at the other, though it was a bit forced.
"Likewise." The pink-haired girl laughed and steered him towards the dining room.
"Come have breakfast with me."
Neji consented and the two entered to a room filled with sunshine, the table in the middle prepared and waiting for the two. Sakura squealed at the exotic china and immediately sat down, bouncing merrily in her seat. Neji took a more calm approach to sitting, lowering his lanky form down into a nearby chair. Sakura immediately began to stuff herself with the nearby bowl of rice, while Neji merely picked at his food, brows furrowed in deep thought.
After what happened last night, he knew full well that his self-control was down to naught. He couldn't afford to lay eyes on Naruto again, not after he witnessed him in the hot springs. He mentally thanked the blonde for not coming until he was called, and nodded with an air of finality. He wouldn't allow himself even the briefest glimpse of the blonde today, or any other day until he regained his self-control. Looking over at Sakura, he concluded that her presence was somewhat beneficial to him; it took his mind off Naruto and gave him some amusement. Without Naruto in the mansion, his life would've become very mundane indeed.
Sighing, he stood and signaled a servant to clear away the hardly-touched food on the table; the servant did so, confused and a little worried as to why his master hadn't touched his food, but nevertheless he stashed it safely away in his apron for later consumption. Sakura thrust her food at the servant as he passed by; he was knocked back by the force of the blow, but she shoved it in his hands and followed Neji out of the room. The servant grinned. Two meals in one day; it wasn't every day that this kind of opportunity came along. He scurried off to his quarters to enjoy the food by himself.
"Ne, Neji-kun, can we go to the park today?" Neji turned and smiled at the girl.
"Very well."
Sakura squealed and pasted herself once more onto the Hyuuga's arm. Neji patted her and lead her outside to the sedan parked jauntily out front. With another screech, the girl hopped in and slammed the door shut, bouncing up and down in anticipation. Neji got in the other side and calmly closed the door, starting the ignition and maneuvering the car through the great bronze gates that marked the limits of the Hyuuga estate. Neither of them noticed the shadowy figure scrutinizing their every move from the fourth floor window.
Kiba shook his head in a gloomy, funereal manner, sighing heavily at the sight of his fallen master. Slowly pushing himself away from the window, he trudged down to the servant's quarters to check up on Naruto. The blonde was out of sorts today, but it was a desolate out of sorts, as if Naruto had somehow lost the will to exist. He'd been sitting on his bed all day, eyes unfocused and glazed over with boredom, occasionally fiddling with one of the many loose threads that popped up in sporadic places along the sheets. Letting out a sigh of defeat, Kiba plodded down to the blonde, his face practically dragging on the floor. The only indication that his presence had been acknowledged was a lazy twitch of an eyelid from the other occupant in the room.
"Why so down, Kiba. You're going to trip over your face one of these days." Kiba laughed humorously.
"Nothing to do, ne?" Naruto snorted half-heartedly.
"Funny, I'd never noticed a flux in your normally perfect eyesight." Kiba let out his heaviest sigh yet and flopped down next to Naruto, propping himself up by his elbows and swaying his feet back and forth.
"So why are you looking so down?" Naruto asked.
"Damn bitch is invading our master's personal space." Naruto quirked an eyebrow, eyes at half-mast.
"So what else is new?" Kiba rolled over.
"They seem to be heading towards the park." Naruto yawned, as if the bit of news was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Do I care?"
"You look like you do."
"Since when do I look like anything?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean, you've become quite attached to Neji." The last comment brought Naruto up short, earning Kiba a smirk as the blonde grew rigid. Naruto scowled and relaxed once more.
"So what if I have?" Kiba sighed.
"Neji….is very busy. He has to have some sort of social life." Naruto sighed.
"I guess you're right. We can't do anything now." Rolling over, the blonde produced a box which he promptly thrust into Kiba's hands. The Inuzuka looked at it curiously.
"What's this? You've already gotten something for my birthday." Naruto shrugged.
"Just felt like giving you something. Actually, it's for Akamaru." Kiba unwrapped the package and a box of dog biscuits fell onto the bed.
"Thank you! Akamaru will love this. His birthday is next week." Naruto smiled.
"Very well then." The two lapsed into companionable silence, grateful for the company of the other.
Somewhere
"Wheeeeee!" Sakura shrieked merrily as the wind swirled leaves around her bouncing form.
"The leaves are chasing me, Neji!" The Hyuuga chuckled at her sheer innocence. Opalescent eyes flickered warily to the rocks that lined the pathway Sakura was skipping down.
"Careful, you're going to fall." Sakura laughed.
"Don't be silly, I can take care of mys—"
Neji deftly caught the girl as she tumbled off a particularly large stone, one arm wrapped around her waist. Sakura pressed herself against him, molding their bodies together. Smiling, she stared blissfully up at the Hyuuga, and was answered by a smile of his own.
"Do you like me, Neji?" Neji reached out and stroked the tip of her nose.
"Of course I do; one cannot help but be drawn to your unmistakable charm." Sakura giggled softly.
"You flatter me." She sighed and laid her head on his chest.
"Everything seems so perfect now."
Neji laid his chin on her head, feeling her curl deeply into his arms. The smile dropped from his face to be replaced by an uneasy look. Everything indeed was perfect….so why was it that Neji felt there was something completely wrong with the scenario? He had in his arms one of the most beautiful and sought-after girls in all of Tokyo, with nothing disturbing the tranquility of the setting. Why was it….why was it that he felt that his scene was so wrong?
The Hyuuga abruptly shook his head, clearing the thoughts from his mind. Everything was perfect. Everything. Was. Perfect. It had to be. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this picture. Absolutely. Nothing. Wrong. But there was. Wasn't. Was. Wasn't. Was. Neji mentally smote himself for being so annoying. There was no use arguing with himself. He'd never get anywhere. It would be best to enjoy the afternoon as it came. With that though planted firmly in his mind, Neji willed all the other silent nagging doubts away and led Sakura on, taking a lazy stroll through the many cherry trees that lined the pathway.
Lee was there to greet the Hyuuga as he came up the front steps of his house. Taking his coat, Lee deftly hung it on a nearby coathook before turning to face him, a question bursting from his lips.
"Where is Sakura-san?" Neji shot the other a brief, distracted glance.
"She asked me to drop her off at a restaurant. Said she wanted to meet some friends."
Waving off Lee, Neji trooped upstairs and collapsed onto his bed, instantly falling into a deep sleep. Still downstairs, Lee looked at Neji's general direction, shaking his head sadly before retiring to his quarters. Naruto was asleep, sprawled messily on top of Kiba, and both boys were well on their way to slumber, the sounds of Naruto's slow, steady breathing accompanied by the occasional snores from the Inuzuka. Lee stroked Naruto's wheat-hued locks once before turning in himself.
The pealing sound of the telephone in the servant's quarters ripped through the air like a rusty knife through metal. The grating, screeching wail of the phone seemed magnified to one hundred times as they resonated through the ears of a blonde, pulled rather rudely from the pacific lulls of sleep. Clasping a hand to his ear, Naruto stumbled to the nearest phone and answered the call, mentally cursing the bastard who dared disturb his rest in the most godawful hours of the night. He snuck a quick peek at the clock on his bedside. For the sake of all seven point five hells, it was fucking one o'clock in the morning. Nevertheless, Naruto answered the call, though extremely reluctantly.
"Hello?" The blonde's voice was a bit hoarse, and still fogged over with sleep. Hysterical giggling answered his call.
"Heeeelllleeeewwwwww…..iss Nehjee-kuun dere, puhleeze?" More giggling. The voice on the other end was hopelessly slurred, obviously belonging to a very drunk and/or stoned-out-of-her-wits Sakura.
Neji was currently resting, thank you very much.
"Heeee eeessssss? Weehlll tehlll heem to geht his tight vergeen arse down here so wee cahn screw him so hard, he'll feel himself inside of uhss fohr a wheeek."
Neji was currently resting, thank you very much.
"Aye heard you the ferst time you bahstahrd, johst tehll Neji to geht hees ass over here right now so we can fuck him senseless!"
Neji would not like to be disturbed, thank you very much.
"Ow dare you defy uss? You will pay, you goddamned son-of-a….hoic…hic…son-of-a-bitch!"
Neji wouldn't enjoy being screwed around by some stoned, slutty bitches who didn't have an asshole big enough for his cock, Thank. You. Very. Much.
"WHY YOU—"
Naruto slammed the phone down onto the cradle so hard, he could've sworn he heard the cradle snap. The bitch was sky high on some drug, and obviously didn't need the sympathies of his master. Naruto snorted in disgust, mentally cursing Neji's stupidity. How could the Hyuuga not see right through the layers of innocence that cloaked the pink slut? It wasn't right. It was disgusting. Sighing, Naruto collapsed on his bed, a heavy frown on his face, trying in vain to sink once more into a peaceful slumber.
The Next Day
A deep, throaty moan reverberated from the third door on the second storey.
"Ungh……my head……"
Sakura was sprawled messily on the sheets of her bed, one hand clutching her forehead in agony. Neji sighed and replaced the cloth on her forehead with a fresh, damp one, rubbing her shoulders gently. Sakura feebly slapped him away, turning over on her side away from him. Neji gently pulled her back and sponged her face with another cloth, wiping gently at her face and neck. She closed her eyes and moaned again.
"I'm sorry….Neji…." Neji shushed her, putting on what he hoped was a sympathetic visage.
"Sshhh, it's okay, it's okay, just rest for now. It's just a headache." Sakura nodded weakly, then winced as another fresh wave of pain engulfed her pounding head.
"Thank you…." The Hyuuga turned to the servant beside him.
"Could you tell Shizune to make tea for Sakura, please?" The servant bowed and scampered away.
Finding Naruto at the stoves instead of Shizune, the servant shrugged, knowing Naruto was as good as, if not a better cook than Shizune, and relayed the message to him. A devious smile came over the blonde's features. So the slut had a hangover, eh? He'd cure the hangover; he most definitely would. Snatching the blender from its place on the counter, he poured various amounts of pepper, onions, garlic, lemons, salsa, vinegar, a bit of soap he'd snatched from the bathroom, cleaning fluid, and a vast assortment of herbs, most of them remotely nasty, some even poisonous into the mix, blending it together to make a thick paste. Spitting a great deal of saliva into the concoction, he decided it was a little too glutinous, and made his way down to the kennels to pay a little visit to Kiba. He located the Inuzuka tending to one of the pups, feeding it gently with a bottle of milk.
"Ne, Kiba?" The dog-boy looked up, surprise marring his countenance before smiling.
"What brings you here, Naruto?" Naruto grinned.
"I need your assistance. You see, this paste here," he gestured to the solution in his hands. "is too thick. I need to make it more….watery, you get my meaning?" Kiba frowned thoughtfully.
"Needs water? Who is this for?" A somewhat sadistic sneer made its way over the blonde's face.
"Well you see….Sakura has a hangover, and Neji apparently needs a solution to clear it." Kiba's eyes widened and a look of comprehension came over his features. A grin exactly identical to the sneer Naruto had on his face immediately pasted itself on Kiba's.
"Sure thing, Naruto old buddy, I can get you plenty of water."
He uttered a sharp whistle and a great black dog came bounding up, wagging its tail frantically. Yipping, it nuzzled Naruto's leg before licking his hand, giving the blonde what looked like a great canine smile. Kiba barked to the dog, who wagged his tail even harder and turned around lifting one leg and staring expectantly at the blonde. Naruto lowered the mixture down, and a stream of yellow shot straight into the paste, giving off a nasty, acrid smell. Kiba was crying with laughter on the floor, and it was all Naruto could do to restrain himself from doing the same.
"Well, I must be going." And with that, the blonde nonchalantly sauntered out of the kennels, sending Kiba into more hysterics.
Back in the kitchen, Naruto stirred the mixture with a spoon, smiling as the metal immediately began to corrode from the strong acid of the urine and various other ingredients. Laughing quietly to himself, he padded softly to Sakura's bedroom, slamming open the door with a crash. Sakura moaned again, wincing heavily at the sound. Neji looked up sternly, his gaze softening as he realized it was only Naruto. Carefully avoiding any eye contact with the Hyuuga, Naruto deliberately let his bangs fall over his eyes, setting the "tea" down by Sakura's side and slipping silently from the room. Closing the door, he burst into a fit of silent giggles, which continued all the way down to the servant's quarters, resulting in a strong fit of hiccups from the blonde.
Neji watched sadly as Naruto retreated. The blonde had deliberately averted his gaze. So Naruto did bear a grudge against him. He felt a painful tug at his heart as he saw the stiff posture of Naruto's body slowly retreat to the servant's quarters. The Hyuuga was about to call for the blonde to return, but Sakura moaned again, calling his name. Neji poured some of the "tea" into a nearby cup, wincing at the smell. That was natural though; tea usually gave off a putrid stench. Pouring some into a teacup, he handed it to Sakura, not noticing the edges of the porcelain beginning to corrode. Sakura accepted it blearily and swallowed the contents, gulping down the liquid.
A rip-roaring nerve-shattering eardrum-breaking death-inducing shriek broke the tranquil silence of the house, almost ripping the mansion off of its foundations. Naruto and Kiba promptly burst out laughing, completely paralyzed on the floor, rolling in hysterics. Slinging their arms over each other, they collapsed on the floor, howling with mirth. They remained that way for long periods of time until Kiba let up, gasping heavily, complaining about the severe ache in his ribs. They looked at each other with perfectly straight faces, each silently daring the other to laugh until Kiba's jaw gave a slight twitch, which sent both boys into howls of hysterical giggles once more. After a while, Naruto got up off the floor, ushering Kiba to spread the great news while he jogged towards Sakura's room, trying desperately to keep what he hoped was a remotely worried expression on his face.
He almost lost himself to laughter once more as he witnessed Sakura on all fours on the ground, retching spasmodically while Neji patted her back, trying his best to look comforting. Instantly the cheerful mood around the blonde vanished, only to be replaced by a sullen gaze. Once more the blonde's eyes darkened to a blackish-cobalt, glazing over with ice and appearing more dead than alive. So Neji was still devoting every facet of his being to the bitch.
As friends often have the knack of sensing mood changes in each other, so did Neji cast a fleeting glance filled with confusion at the blonde. Naruto was glaring directly at him, or rather through him; which it was, he could not tell, for Naruto didn't seem capable of looking at all at this very moment. It seemed that all sense of sight had gone from his eyes, leaving them listless and dull and completely devoid of emotion. It frightened the Hyuuga, terrified him greatly that he was the target of Naruto's cold gaze. The way the blonde was piercing him through with his stare, it seemed that the fragile bond of friendship between them had frozen and snapped, Naruto once more the mere servant while Neji, the master.
"Let me clean that up." Still, Naruto's tone was pleasant enough. Perhaps their friendship hadn't disappeared after all.
"It's all right, Naruto. Tell me, what did you put in that tea." He could've sworn a flicker of amusement just flashed across Naruto's eyes, though when he did a double take, Naruto seemed more impassive than ever.
"A few herbs. Indeed, they are bitter, but she should be cured of her….headache….in no time." A midnight-hued eyebrow arched inquisitively, but Neji didn't press the subject.
"Very well then. You may take leave." Without a word, Naruto slipped quietly out the door and back down into the servant's quarters.
See? See? SAKURA-BASHING!