Hello my beautiful readers. First, I must say thank you, to every single one of you who has read and/or reviewed this story. 193 reviews and only seven chapters long? I cannot tell you how humbled I am by that, knowing that so many have seen this. I know there are many others who have not reviewed, and I ask you silent readers now, anything you have to say would be most welcome, even if it's only one word. Thank you.
Now, as for the second thing, this is NOT a new chapter. I have simply been editing and fixing any errors of the previous chapters, including the super lengthy Chapter five, which has not been broken into two chapters. Thus, this "new" chapter, which is only the previous chapter, pushed up. So, I apologize for the false impressions. However! The next chapter (the real new one) is currently being edited and shall be posted sometime tonight or tomorrow, so keep your eyes open.
Happy Reading!
Naruto is not mine, just this plot.
Not two haves of a whole, but the same side of the coin.
Sakura yawned loudly, her arms stretching high above her head as she stood up from her chair in Tsunade's office and began pacing around the room. Tsunade and Shikamaru were deeply engulfed in a conversation about one of his recent solo missions, and Sakura couldn't help but tune them out the minute they had started. She walked over to Genma and leaned against the windowsill beside him. They stared out over the bustling village for a few long minutes before Genma finally caved.
"So…" he started slowly, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes. Sakura raised an eyebrow and turned to face him fully.
"What's up?" she asked, smiling. Genma smiled back, though there was a steady throb developing in the back of his head. She may have been all smiles and sunshine now, but he knew it wouldn't last forever.
"What are you going to do?" he asked bluntly, turning to look at her. His voice was tense and too stable for his usual air. Sakura didn't like it at all. She shrugged and crossed her arms, leaning against the sill tiredly. Watching all of the people go about their day down in the village was a comforting sight, but then she couldn't help but wonder about what three certain men were up to.
"There's nothing much I can do, right? You're making it seem like I have an infinite amount of choices." She said, eventually. Her leaf-green eyes were darkening rapidly as she looked at him. It was Genma's turn to shrug.
"Not an infinite amount…but there are things you can do. You can go talk to them or you can walk away. That's about it."
Sakura laughed humorlessly. "Well aren't those just the crème-of-the-crop. You make it sound so simple."
"No Kura, I'm telling it exactly how it sounds. There's no in between. It's one or the other." He replied, raising a brow at her. Sakura frowned.
"Did you just twist my words back in my face?"
"Did it work?" he grinned.
Sakura was just about to smack him when there was a sharp knock on the door. They all turned as Tsunade told the caller to enter. The door slowly opened to reveal the familiar faces of the Hyuuga Heirs. Neji stood, arms crossed and pale eyes gleaming murder, while his beautiful cousin stood beside him, a tentative smile forming on her lips and a surprisingly calm expression on her face.
"Hinata!" Kiba chirped, grinning, as he walked up to his girlfriend and pulled her into a warm embrace. Hinata's small smile widened, a deep blush settling in her pale skin as she tipped her head back to meet his kiss. Sakura smiled at them and turned back just in time to see Neji storming over to Tsunade's desk. She sighed as she went to perch on the edge of the desk between the two, noting the look in his eye. It was one she didn't like dealing with at all. The look lacked all of his famous calmness and screamed furious ANBU captain.
Neji slammed his palms against the desk and glared down at the blonde woman. "Guess who I've just seen prancing around the damn village."
"Let me guess, Jiraiya and Ebisu are the only ones who 'prance' so-"she started, clearly digging into his upset mood and enjoying it by the biting smile forming on her ruby lips. Neji straightened to his full height, crossing his arms and practically growled.
"Why the hell are two missing-nins walking around the village?"
Tsunade looked up at the young man, and sighed heavily. Her amber eyes were hard.
"They were allowed back last night. You don't need to concern yourself Neji; they are being properly punished for their actions."
"Properly punished? Tsunade-sama, they should be dead!"
Tsunade huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose tightly with her thumb and forefinger. This was the last thing the woman needed right now.
Sakura could already see the vein beginning to throb at her temple and grimaced. At the rate things were going, if Neji didn't shut up soon then this could end very, very badly.
"Like I said before – you needn't concern yourself with their affairs."
Neji's lavender eyes narrowed dangerously at her words. Just as he was opening his mouth to retaliate, Sakura quickly pushed herself between Neji and the desk, successfully cutting off his view of the Hokage and vice-versa. Thankfully the angry words he was just about to yell caught for a minute when his eyes met Sakura's green orbs unexpectedly. She smiled brightly up at him and lightly grabbed his arms, quickly maneuvering him away from the desk.
"Well, I think it's been a long day for everyone. How about a bite to eat?" she said loudly, an overly wide grin still plastered onto her face. Her eyes scanned the room, attempting to silently communicate to the others that if they didn't get out of there then there would be a lot of hell to pay.
Thankfully, Shikamaru caught on and began to usher them all out, casually throwing an arm around Neji's shoulders when Sakura turned him around to push at his back. She tugged on Genma's hand as she passed, still speaking loud enough to distract Neji from finishing his rant.
"C'mon, it'll be fun. I heard everyone's off duty for once so let's all have dinner at my place…I think that sounds fun, don't you Hina-chan?" she chirped from over Neji's shoulder as they followed the couple through the door.
"That does sound like a good-idea. We'll call Ino and Shino too, and Tenten, Lee and Chouji." She called back, smiling softly as she slipped from under Kiba's arm to take Neji's hand and pull him out the door. Sakura glanced back at Tsunade before she stepped out of the office, flashing her tentative smile that clearly stated 'you-owe-me.'
Tsunade just shook her head, waving her away as the door shut with a loud sigh. "I'll see you all tomorrow!" she yelled.
As soon as the door shut, Neji whirled on Sakura.
"Don't think this gets you out of explaining things Kura! I demand to know what happened!" he started, pale eyes narrowing into slits.
Sakura's eyes darkened when he yelled at her but the edge was taken off when Shikamaru sighed and rolled his eyes, immediately drawing away from the two. He shook his head as he began trailing after Kiba, Hinata and Genma, no longer interested in the spat between Neji and Sakura. Honestly, how many times had he heard this same sequence?
"Demand all you want Neji. You know you're just going up against a steel wall." He drawled lazily, shaking his head. It was the same thing between those two, day after day – mission after mission. Neji Hyuuga and Sakura Haruno were the youngest of the current ANBU Captains, and naturally, things sometimes got a little heated and competitive between them. One would ask for something, and the other would refuse to give it. The fact that they were also good friends didn't help to mitigate the tension at all. In fact, it made it a little worse because then they would get offended when one refused to share information with the other and such things like that. It was a pointless cycle that happened over and over because well, - in Shikamaru's expert opinion, they were a couple of stubborn fools.
Neji shot a glare at his retreating form and went straight back to Sakura. "What happened last night? I know you guys were the team who brought them in."
Sakura blanched loudly, her eyes widening as the two painstakingly trailed after the others who were already halfway down the hall, chatting happily. "Who the hell told you! That was a classified mission you baka!" she screeched, her eyes livid. Seriously though, who the hell had told? When she found out –
"I have my sources too teme." He smirked, provoking her.
Sakura's eyes narrowed. What the hell…who would have the nerve to pass on classified information? …and then something in her head clicked. In a loud fit of rage, she barreled into him, slamming him into the wall on their left. There was a loud crack as the drywall splintered into a spider-web formation, Neji at its center. He was prepared for her onslaught however and easily caught her against him, only a low grunt escaping his lips as the result of the impact. When the dust cleared, many heads were peaking out of offices and lounges, a bit nervous at the sudden and loud commotion. Iruka and Gai leaned out of the closest doorway, diagonal to where Sakura had Neji pinned to the wall.
"What on earth is going on here!" Iruka shouted, running over as Gai followed him, laughing loudly.
"Iruka-sensei, it's just the Twin Terrors, at it again." He laughed, grinning at the two. Iruka sighed, a dull throbbing already forming in his temple. Here they were again. Two of the youngest and most gifted shinobi in the village. Both extremely brilliant and ridiculously strong, and Jonin to beat. And here they were… bickering like toddlers. Ever since the two had been inducted as ANBU captains, the rivalry had begun and the two had developed quite the notoriety for wreaking havoc when they were at odds. Their reputation had earned them the infamous name of the "Twin Terrors" of Konoha. Devastatingly lethal when they were on their own and absolutely formidable when thrown together.
Iruka quickly stepped up behind Sakura and wrapped his arms around her waist, effectively pulling her out of reach of the boy she was trying to pummel. Both of the younger ninja were arguing and Sakura was screeching something about how she was going to make Neji "eat his source of information." He rolled his eyes and easily lifted Sakura's small form up, hoisting her onto his shoulder. She immediately started yelling louder and lashing out at whoever had her. Neji just glared and scoffed, rubbing his arm and collarbone where angry, red scratches were already making themselves known.
"You're such a brat!" he called back at her, making her launch herself over Iruka's shoulder. The young teacher barely had time to grab onto her legs to keep her from falling and from reaching the young heir. Neji just narrowed his eyes, and stuck his tongue out at her. It was a very childish act that only happened, of course, around Sakura. He was just about to walk away, when a hand immediately clamped down on his arm, halting his retreat. He turned quickly, glaring at his captor, only to be met by the irritatingly twinkling eyes of his ex-sensei.
"Where are you going Neji?" Gai beamed, dragging the younger man behind him and into the room that he and Iruka had previously occupied. Neji scoffed as he was dragged into the room where Iruka had settled Sakura on a couch across the room. His arm remaining tightly around her waist when he noticed how she edged towards the Hyuuga. Gai guided Neji to a chair and sat him down, keeping his hand on the young man's shoulder. Iruka looked back and forth between the raving, pink-haired beauty he was trying to restrain on his lap and the pale-eyed heir, tense and sulking.
"Will anyone care to explain what the hell is going on?" he sighed, pulling Sakura back against him to get her to relax. She pointed at the young man across the room that just shook his head and turned away.
"That is the problem! He is the most insufferable bastard in the universe!" she screeched, making the males in the room wince at her shrieking. Iruka quickly clamped a hand across her mouth, not fully silencing her, but successfully muffling her vivid curses.
"Shhh, Sakura! Quietly!" he sighed, slowly pulling his hand away when her ranting ceased.
"Okay, what exactly are you fighting about this time?" he asked, suddenly dreading the stupid answer he was sure to receive.
Neji crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes. "I was just asking Princess, what she knew about Naruto and Sasuke's return." He stated simply. His voice was cool as he shot her an irritated glare. Iruka started when he finally absorbed Neji's words.
Did he just say Naruto?
His mind came to a blank. He stared at Neji, looking like he had just said the most ridiculous thing in the world… which in this case, was the most ridiculous thing in Iruka's world.
"Naruto's back?" he asked his voice barely over a whisper.
The tension in the room immediately diffused when Sakura and Neji heard the older man's quiet tone. Sakura pulled herself up and turned to look down at him. Iruka sat, staring blankly out at the windows across the room that overlooked the village.
To think, Naruto was probably already out there wreaking havoc and he hadn't known about it…
Next chapter up soon. I know it's been a year, but alas, life comes first. I promise it is on the way. Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews, you all keep me writing.
- Serena