Here's the third chapter, guys! Hope you'll like it! I made sure it was long to make up for not posting as soon as I hoped.

I don't own anything except for my character, Katsumi Uchiha.

Chapter 3: Present Stuck With Past Memories

I woke up the next morning by the sound of my alarm clock. I attempted pressing the snooze button to shut the thing up, but it took a solid two minutes until my hand found it and slammed it immediately. I laid there groggy and weak, not wanting to get out of bed. I could just sleep for "five more minutes", but then I would have four eyes being all up on my ass for oversleeping, and I couldn't sleep just for five minutes.

Who does anyway?

I slowly crawled out of my bed and made my way to the bathroom, walking as slow as a zombie. After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I stepped out of the bathroom and went over to my mirror as I examined my hair. The braid Kabuto did wasn't as bad as I thought when I looked at it; I might've thought that at first only because I didn't want him to get the satisfaction. I wasn't sure if I should just leave it as it was, or unbraid it and style it the way I usually do. But I didn't think of a reason why I should; I was pretty sure today was my day off, meaning no errands or missions for me. Unless there was something last minute Orochimaru wanted, but other than that, there's nothing to do. I decided to leave the braid since it didn't look bad, and I wasn't trying to impress anyone.

I left my room and headed towards the kitchen to make myself some breakfast. It wasn't too far from my bedroom; it was just down the hall from it, so it was easy to find. It took no time for me to find the kitchen which was good since I was kind of hungry. I looked through the cabinets to find a pan to cook with. I was in the mood to have waffles, eggs and bacon for breakfast; it wasn't the type of food I always ate as a kid, but it was sort of a guilty pleasure. I took the eggs out of the fridge and easily crack them into a bowl. I stir them up then I carefully poured it in the pan as I heard the sizzle from the pan. Placing the bowl and mixer into the sink, I took out bacon strips and placed them in another pan next to the pan of eggs. After I quickly scrambled the eggs, I turned my attention to making the waffles. I made the batter and poured it in the waffle maker. I might be a slim girl, but I have quite the appetite. Sakura would tell me— in the nicest way possible – to not eat so much or else I would gain weight. I knew that would unlikely happen because my metabolism was as fast as a humming bird; I bet I could eat a whole buffet and nothing would happen.

I was so into the processing of making breakfast, I didn't realize someone walked into the kitchen.

"You look like you're in a good mood…" A voice commented behind me, almost causing me to drop a piece of bacon I was about to flip.

I rotated my head and glanced over to see Kabuto standing there at the entrance. He was leaning on the wall with his arms folded, smirking at the sight he was seeing. I couldn't help but slightly blush, until I realized he looked a bit different than usual. For example, he wasn't wearing his glasses like he usually does; he might've woken up just now and he decided to get some food before getting himself ready for the day. But I remembered that four eyes would be screwed without his glasses; his eyesight was horrible without his glasses, like it was close to blindness. Then again, he was used to all of Orochimaru's dark long lairs and he knew where to go from the back of his hand. What was also different was the fact that his hair wasn't in a low ponytail like it was normally left it. Again, he must've woken up just now and wanted to get some food first.

But it all honesty, he doesn't look as nerdy as I thought without his glasses and ponytail.

I briefly gave four eyes a soft glare and went back to making breakfast. I heard him sigh and sat himself down at the small dining table. After a moment of silence, he opened his mouth again.

"That's quite a lot of food for someone like you this early, don't you think?" He analyzed as he examined what was happening on the stove from afar.

I snapped my eyes towards him. "Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I don't eat as much as you men do. I happen to have quite the appetite…" I implied hardly.

"You're not wrong there…" He snorted in agreement, realizing his head on his hand.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I questioned deadly, sharpening my glare at him.

Kabuto knew instantly that I had interpret it the wrong way. "I didn't mean it like that, Katsumi…" He attempted to redeem his words to not feel my wrath.

I simply rolled my eyes. "Whatever, just forget it…" I sighed dismissively as I turned back to cooking.

Sighing in relief, four eyes placed himself in a comfortable position and closed his eyes, thinking deeply to himself when I held the plate of food in my hand. I carefully placed it in front of him, not wanting to interrupt him from him visiting his little La-La Land. I clearly failed since he snapped his eyes open by the sound of the plate being placed on the table. I swiftly turned my body just before he took in what was in front of him. I knew at any second he would ask, so I beat him to it.

"Eat up…" I muttered lowly but loud enough for him to hear.

Four eyes blinked a couple of times, either realizing what I had done or he simply couldn't see because he was still blind as a bat.

"You made this for me…" He stated obliviously, looking down at the food I prepared.

"No… it's actually for my invisible friend…" I answered with sarcasm wrapped around my sentence, preparing a plate for myself.

"Of COURSE, it's for you…!" I snapped at his stupidity.

"Why, exactly?" He questioned demandingly, sounding serious for once.

I simply shrugged my shoulders. "If I didn't, then I would be stuck with you in an awkward situation with me eating right in front of you; that would be really weird for the both of us. Secondly, you would bother me all day for leaving you to 'starve' and even if I didn't, you would end up making a mess, in which I would have to be the one to clean up. Plus you were right, there was a lot of food, too much for me in fact at this time." I replied blandly.

Kabuto remained sitting there quietly as I could feel his eyes narrowing at me; my guess was that he didn't really believe it was the whole truth.

"And I had to thank you in some way…" I muttered, lowering my head as I prepared my plate. "For yesterday…"

One of the things I hated the most was giving the people— mostly those who I don't necessarily like –the satisfaction of anything, and that was what I gave to four eyes seeing the smirk on his face.

"You're welcome…" He smirked brightly, which made my skin crawl despite the fact I wasn't even looking at him.

"Will you just eat before the food gets cold!?" I grumbled exasperatedly as I poured two glasses of orange juice.

Why was I giving him stuff when he never even asked? What the hell was wrong with me? Did I appreciate for what he did for me more than I thought I did?

Shaking that thought off, I walked over to the same table Kabuto sat and placed my breakfast on the table, then walked over to the counter where the cups of orange juice laid. I sat myself down with my orange juice and placed the other near four eyes who nodded in thanks as he chewed his food. I could see he enjoyed the food I made for him because he couldn't take his attention off of the plate. That gave me a good warm feeling in my chest. Why the hell was that? Just why? I examined him carefully; the way he ate, the way he swallowed, the way he gracefully took a sip of juice, everything. That was weird because it just made me look like a creep. But on my defense, people were always so fascinating to me; I wanted to see why the Ninja World was a crazy place with all its shinobi killing one another.

"Katsumi!" A loud voice called near me, which made me jump a bit.

"What?" I frowned in annoyance, narrowing my eyes at him.

Kabuto seemed kind of defensive by the look on his face. "I was trying to tell you to stop staring at me, it's making me both irritated and uncomfortable." He stated warily, frowning at my reaction and possibly the reason why I was staring at him.

I wasn't gonna give him anymore satisfaction. "Well, my bad." I huffed as I glanced away.

In my mind, I hoped he wouldn't question my off behaviour and force me to explain myself. Luckily he did exactly that.

"Anyway, I noticed this as you were making breakfast, that you still have your hair in that braid I did for you last night." He analyzed briefly, going off on a new topic.

I lifted my gaze at him as I chewed on a piece of bacon. "Yeah, so? What about it?" I inquired in between chews.

He shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of orange juice. "I'm simply curious as to why you kept it like that when you could've at least unbraid it." He explained and took a piece of waffle and chewed it.

I ate some of the scrambled eggs from my plate. "To be honest, I don't know why myself. I guess it's because I don't really have anything to do in the morning and I see no point to get myself ready when there's nothing to get ready for." I justified the best I could.

Four eyes made a face that told me he understood my logic and went back to eating. We sat there in silence, enjoying our breakfast and the peace and quiet. I cleared my plate first and glanced at Kabuto's plate, which was almost, but not done. I was going to clear the table until a tanned hand grabbed my wrist, preventing me from leaving the table. I turned to see four eyes looking up at me as he strongly held my wrist, and I had no clue why.

I gave him a hard and questioning look. "What?"

"Don't bother cleaning up, I'll take care of it…" He explained curtly.

I cocked my head to the side, not comprehending why he would offer to help… again.

He sighed and released his grip on my wrist. "It's only fair since you took the time to make me breakfast, which I find considerate of you…" He specified softly as he lowered his head and closed his eyes.

Hearing that just made me blink, my mind was blank. I didn't know what to think, but I know what he said to me made me feel awkward.

"Okay, whatever you say. Didn't have to make it seem like it's a big deal…" I muttered awkwardly, placing my plate back on the table.

Once I did, I hurried myself out of the kitchen and back into my bedroom. I sat on my bed, mentally reviewing what happened by there. I know something like that shouldn't make me feel twice about it, but for some damn reason, it was. Kabuto being generous for once, that was just super weird and out of the ordinary. I don't know if I should laugh at the mask he was putting on or hide somewhere because freaking Kabuto Yakushi, the king of jerks, displayed an act of generosity.

The hell, man?

Well, whatever. It was probably because he didn't get a lot of sleep and he woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Or the right side, I wasn't too sure.

Shaking that thought out of my head, I went over to my small desk and sat myself down. The first thing that caught my eye was a small white envelope sitting on the surface. It was already opened by me years ago when Sasuke and Naruto had their big battle since Sasuke told me to leave and he would catch up to me when he finished business with the knuckle-headed blonde. I did what I was told and got out of the way, but I never left; I stood in the sidelines because despite knowing that Naruto meant a lot to Sasuke, he would stop at nothing to get rid of him, maybe even kill. While they were throwing punches, I secretly read the letter that my good friend, Shikamaru, gave me that was written by my boyfriend, Neji Hyuga. I had mixed feeling about that for many reasons.

For starters, the lazy Nara admitted that he secretly had feelings for me and his teammates, Choji and Ino, knew that which was surprising; especially on Ino's case because she wasn't really good at keeping secrets. Secondly, he told me this when he and Naruto— the only two that were chasing the Sound ninja and I at the time – and I had to lie to the Sound shinobi that I would "deal" with him while they take care of the blonde. Thirdly, when he confessed, I couldn't help but feel that he already knew I was with Neji and that he regretted never telling me in the beginning. I felt guilty about that; I felt as if it was sort of my fault. But how in the hell should I know anyway? Shikamaru never batted an eye on this specific topic. And lastly, the fact that he gave me this letter that was from Neji meant one of two things; either Neji stayed back to deal with one of Orochimaru's henchmen and couldn't hand it to me personal, or he was heartbroken that I left the village, which in his eyes I left him. Again I felt bad.

But it wasn't like I totally left him in the dark.

I was jumping over houses in the middle of the night. The view of the village under the full moon always helped me relax when I feel stressed about something. But tonight was the opposite, it wasn't helping me with my stress levels; if anything it was making it worse. Tonight was the night I was leaving my home, leaving all of my friends, mentors, everyone. I never wanted to, but Sasuke somehow convinced me to leave because it was for our own benefit— at least that was what he said. But the fact leaving my family without warning just made me feel guiltier than ever. I wanted to at least tell Kakashi-sensei what was happening, but knowing him he was probably out on a secret mission or hibernated for the night. Why was it he was always late when his help was necessarily needed? I could never put my finger on it.

Since I couldn't notify Kakashi at this time, I was on my way to the next best person, Neji. I wasn't too sure how he was going to react because like my brother, he was sort of expressionless and stoic. On the other hand, he had changed a bit since we started dating during the month break from the chunin exam, and changed even more after losing to Naruto in the final rounds of that same exam. If anything, he would either low-key beg for me to stay or force me to stay since he would've gotten the idea that it was all Sasuke's doing. They had never seen eye-to-eye, especially since he became my boyfriend and of course Sasuke being overly-protective. Regardless, I feel the need to tell Neji since he deserved knowing at least a bit.

But was it the right way to go or was I making the situation more complicated than it should be?

I arrived at Neji's place, preparing myself for what was to come. Inhaling to remain calm, I swiftly hopped on the roof without sound; since I was dealing with a Hyuga, I had to be extra careful since their ability to sense chakra was beyond belief. I made sure my chakra flow was calm and slow so I don't alert anyone, and I made my way towards his bedroom window. Knowing him, he probably locked it so I took out a senbon and picked at the lock until I heard a click which made me wince. I realized the sound wasn't loud enough for anyone to hear and I proceeded in opening the window as slowly and quietly as I possibly could. It felt like years, but I finally made it in Neji's bedroom. I closed the window behind me and slid my feet towards his bed where he slept so soundly. As I stood over him, I absorbed everything that was gonna happen once I left his room and the thought of that just made my tears sit on my lower eyelids. I wish he was awake so I could tell him face to face and properly say goodbye to him, but it wasn't fair for me to selfishly wake him up and tell him I was leaving and never coming back just when he was peacefully sleeping.

Luckily, I wrote a note for him, telling him what was going on and the decision I made. I wish he wouldn't be mad at me, but I know it wouldn't be his fault if he was. After placing the note on his nightstand, I blindly stood there gazing at him as I tried not to let my tears fall. He was comfortably under his bed covers topless and removed his Leaf headband and anything he wore under it leaving him with his bare forehead that had his family curse mark he told me about on there.

Then, out of nowhere, a hand grabbed my wrist in a split second. I was so lost in my thoughts I squeaked in shock; I wasn't expecting this at all. I looked down and saw that Neji was now wide awake and he had his eyes looking directly at me. I also saw that his hand was firmly wrapped around my wrist. I examined his face and he didn't look groggy nor tired at all; it looked like he hadn't slept at all; did he knew all along I was coming and he was waiting for me?

"Y-You're awake…? You weren't sleeping this whole time?" I obliviously asked in shock, probably looking like a lost child.

"I was… but I sensed your chakra the minute you arrived." He answered as he continued to examine my expression.

I could already tell he sensed the uneasy aura I was giving out. Typical Hyuga.

"Sorry for waking you up…" I apologized as I slightly looked away.

Still gripping my wrist, Neji sat up on his bed. "Is that the only reason why you're here right now? To apologize for waking me up? Knowing you, you wouldn't go so far to sneak into someone's room just to apologize for something like that." He pointed out skeptically.

Again, typical Hyuga.

"What's wrong, love?" He asked sweetly, giving me a glossy concerning look.

I glanced away in guilt, not wanting to let his concern get the best of me. But not answering him just made him more curious and concerned which increased the need to know what was wrong with me.

"Tell me what's wrong?" He asked again but slightly harder, then he suddenly stood up in front of me. "I won't let you go until I get an answer from you."

When he said that, I knew he meant it. Neji reminded me of my brother; both he and Sasuke were stubborn. But I couldn't tell him everything because I knew he wouldn't let me leave even if he had to force me to stay.

"It's nothing, Neji. Don't worry about it…" I tried to dismiss as quickly as I could because I didn't want to keep my brother waiting.

It was another thing I had to be careful of because I asked him to give me some time to do one small thing, which he respected. But he told me not to waste time or else suspicion would rise within the village. Sasuke had no clue I was telling Neji that I was fleeing the village because he told me to keep my mouth shut. But I couldn't help it; I couldn't just leave and not give anyone a clue why, it wasn't fair and it would make me feel the guilt ten times more.

Then, I felt Neji's hang gently holding my chin and forcing me to face him and look him in the eye.

"I know it's not just nothing. I know you're planning something big and risky and I also know you feel guilty for going with it. And I know once I figured out what, you know I won't let you which is the reason why you're not telling me…" He explained as he looked me in the eye, waiting for me to cave.

"If you really want to know, I wrote it down on a note." I informed him broadly, trying hard not to get lost in those beautiful eyes of his.

Neji narrowed his eyes. "I want to hear from you…" He muttered softly and placed a soft kiss on my forehead.

Well, I was screwed after he kissed my forehead which always gave me butterflies. But because of that and my guilt, it made me feel nauseous. I held back tears as the emotions sat uncomfortably in my throat. Finally I let the tears fall down my cheek because it hurt too much to hold back anymore. Seeing this made him grunt in concern.

"I'm so sorry, Neji…" I cried softly, lowering my head. "But this will probably will be the last time I'll see you…"

"What do you mean by that?" He inquired in concern, sounding a bit worried.

I glanced up at him with tears streaming down my face. "I'm putting the village and everyone in it behind me." I answered vaguely, not wanting to say more.

Right then and there, Neji knew exactly what I meant. He knew that I was leaving the village.

"You're leaving the village? You're telling me that you're willing to throw everything and everyone away without a reason?" He questioned in a fuming voice, sounding angry and confused.

"There is a reason, Neji…" I countered weakly; I knew making an excuse wouldn't redeem my words.

"Then, what is the reason you're leaving?" He asked solidly, narrowing his eyes.

I couldn't tell him the reason behind me leaving. If I did, Neji would get pissed off with Sasuke for making me leave with him, and with me because apparently was stupid for mindlessly leaving the village I grew up in.

"I can't, Neji. I'm sorry…" I feebly stated as I soft held his hand that held my chin and removed its grip.

I couldn't dare look into his eyes after refusing to answer for my actions. But either way, he would still be angered for what I was doing, and he had every right to be. I felt that it would be best if he didn't know the full details so I wouldn't bring Sasuke into the situation. If that happened, Sasuke would stop at nothing to make sure Neji would keep his mouth shut and prevent him from saying a word to anyone— probably kill him to achieve that – but also I would be punished for telling him. I wasn't saying Sasuke was stronger than I was at the time, but when Sasuke wasn't thinking straight and his goal was to kill his opponent, it would make it a bit harder to bring him down.

Unfortunately, I forgot that Neji was smarter and was really good at extending his knowledge.

"It's Sasuke, isn't it?" He assumed in a seething tone.

Neji was certain it was Sasuke behind all of this, and he was more certain after I winced at his assumption.

"So, Sasuke is behind all of this, is he? He's the mastermind that wanted to become rogue to the Leaf Village, and he brainwashed you into coming along with him." He inferred coldly, glaring at me with accusing eyes.

"He didn't brainwash me at all. He simply just convinced me that the only way to get stronger was to leave the village." I corrected him, trying my best to make it seem not as bad as he thought.

That didn't clearly work.

"And you think going to Orochimaru and betraying your fellow shinobi is the way to get stronger?" He seethed in disgust, clenching his fists.

I was baffled that Neji already figured out that I was going to Orochimaru, but then again he wasn't oblivious and clearly not stupid. But he believed I was for going to a snake who was a formidable and powerful enemy. I knew going to Orochimaru was a bad idea and barely anything good would come out of it, but it wasn't betraying my comrades. I would never do such a thing.

"I'm not betraying my comrades. I'm doing this for my benefit…" I replied strongly, trying to hold my ground.

"What you're doing isn't beneficial at all. Sasuke made you think that so you could come with him… he's putting you in danger and I can't stand that." He grumbled lividly, lowering his head and glared down at his feet.

"He's not being a good brother to you at all…" He added bluntly through gritted teeth.

"That's not true at all…" I countered defensively.

I was taken back by his sudden glare piercing through me. "All he cares about is power, and he needs Orochimaru to get it. He's using you and your feelings to get what he wants. If he cared about you like you said, then he wouldn't risk endangering you…" He lashed quietly, not wanting to wake anyone up but still loud enough to make his point.

I stood there lost and hurt. As much as it hurt to admit it, but Neji might have a point. Sasuke was stubborn, kind of selfish, and smug; he thought everyone around him owed him something because he was mightier. On a similar note, he would do whatever he wanted to get what he desired, but he had never used me for his needs before. Now that he was, I feel like Sasuke was no longer concerned of me at all. The thought of that really hurt. But I still trust his concern for my wellbeing so it wasn't that big of a difference.

"I've…" I heard Neji mumbling a bit, trying to gather himself.

I turned my full attention towards him as he gazed at me with a soft look.

"I've grown to care about you, Katsumi. Your presence makes me feel calm and comfort, and you bring joy to my day. You showed me that it's okay to relax and be myself, and I'm grateful…" He explained gently as he held my hand.

I immediately locked my fingers in his, trying my hardest not to breakdown. "Neji…"

He then placed a determined, hard look on his face. "That is why I'm not going to let Sasuke take advantage of you." He concluded solidly.

I wouldn't say he was taking advantage of me, if he did he would've used force right off the bat. Even if it was true, he cared about me. I knew he did and that was all that mattered to me.

"He didn't take advantage of me, I had a choice." I amended him defensively. "I don't want to leave the village, but I can't let my brother go to Orochimaru on his own."

I didn't like the fact that Neji accused Sasuke for this; it wasn't fair that he had to take all the blame, it didn't sit well with me.

"But you also can't join the enemy, Katsumi! Even if it means leaving your brother alone out there; he's your brother and he can't control the decisions you make!" He snapped, sharpening his glare at me.

For some reason, what he said made me livid. I never was okay with Neji saying things like he knew everything, and he was doing it again. But I wasn't gonna allow him this time because he always had an issue with my brother, and as much as I cared about him, he had no right to speak ill about Sasuke.

"You don't understand, Neji…" I hissed under my breath.

"Excuse me…?" He quirked an eyebrow, not clear as to what I just said or meant.

"Sasuke doesn't control me at all, and I know that for sure! I know him better than anyone else; he's stubborn but he would never use his friends and family for his own personal gain. You don't know him like I do, so you have absolutely no right to say things about him like that." I explained angrily, giving him a teary cold glare.

Neji just stood there quietly with no expression on his face. He was probably stunned that I was straight up and told him he doesn't know everything about anything.

"You don't understand how it feels… to have a family who doesn't think twice about you, doesn't care for your wellbeing. Then have one person who raised you, cared for you, loved you like a sister and a daughter, but then they rip your heart out and ripped it into pieces. On top of that, he tried to kill you. You don't even know how it feels because you have a family who praises you, takes care of you… you were raised by your clan, where I had to raise myself, recover from all the trauma I went through when I was little. I had to mature quicker to take care of myself." I whimpered softly, holding back from crying in distress.

"Oh, love…" I heard him sigh, feeling sorry for me and for being insensitive.

I weakly lifted my head as I showed a determined look on my face with streams of tears from my eyes.

"Sasuke was the only real family I had. Since childhood, he was my backbone… the reason why I'm here today. He helped me get through the process of mental and emotional healing; he's the person that makes me strong. He did everything he could as a big brother and I couldn't be more grateful than I already am. That's why… I'm willing to do anything to return the favour, even if it means fleeing…" I told him in a slighter serious tone.

Neji glanced away; he looked like he felt guilty for not knowing and "disrespecting" me. "I would've never thought you went through all that at such a young age. Forgive me for my rudeness…"

I gracefully wiped my tears away. "Almost no one knows about my past. I'm not comfortable with people giving me pity without understanding the pain…" I briefly replied.

"But what about your teammates and sensei. If they figure out you and Sasuke fled the village, they—"

"I'm aware of that." I interrupted him. "Believe me, Squad 7 was more like my family than just comrades. Guiding Sakura to become a medic ninja like myself helped me improve, and I've grown closer to her; she's like the sister I never had. Kakashi-sensei… his personality was off and sort of provocative, but I looked up to him as sort of a father figure; he knew what I was going through and he did his best to show me the bright side of things. And Naruto… what can I say about him? He's simply uplifting and knew how to release my stress and depression. Sure, he may be hyperactive and a knuckle-head, but he's also a powerful ninja with a strong passion to succeed and to never give up; he never stops impressing me. I know someday, he'll become Hokage and he will make a difference in the Leaf Village and the Ninja World."

Neji remained quiet as he listened to my heartfelt words. "I don't know exactly how they'll react, but I hope they won't hate me and Sasuke. They have to understand that we're taking the next chapter of our lives, and that our times together are cherished forever…" I added hopingly.

"But what about you and I? Where do we stand?" He suddenly asked hesitantly, still not wanting to make eye contact with me.

I sighed then let out an awkward laugh, catching Neji's attention immediately. "I'm not so sure myself. You're my first boyfriend and I'm not certain where we go from here…"

After merely blinking at my comment, he glanced away again.

"But, one thing's for sure…" I stated warmly as I moved closer to him.

When he slowly glanced at me, I was already inches away from him. I lifted both my hands and placed them on both cheeks, cupping them. I could feel slight chills under my palms, feeling anxious about my touch.

"I enjoyed every moment with you, Neji. Because of you, I learned how to let people in a bit more and have faith in them. Though people see you as a stoic, perfect, intelligent, know-it-all, I see you as a kind, loyal, gentlemen who took very good care of me. I can't thank you enough for being a part of my life." I mumbled sweetly, resting my forehead on his as he did the same.

Neji hummed softly in response as he slowly wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

"I know it hurts seeing me go, and I wish I could stay here with you, but I can't. As much as you mean a lot to me, Sasuke has always been my first priority and his safety is very important to me." I breathed as I gazed up at him.

"So, doesn't that mean we're…"

"No, don't put it like that. We're at different points in our lives, and we should follow our own paths, even if they separate." I interrupted him quickly. "Someday, in the future, we'll be together again. Be together and happy…" I beamed softly as I wrapped my hands around his neck.

Then, Neji grinned which made confused; what was so funny?

"I was intrigued by your personality and your ability to always stay positive. You're not like anyone I've met in the past… beautiful with a heart full of gold…" He complimented warmly, tightening his grip around me.

I couldn't help but blush on his comment. He could be such a sweetheart when we were alone. "Neji…"

Without warning, he leaned down closer to my face and pressed his lips on mine, kissing me. I gasped in shock; I wasn't expecting him to kiss me especially in a situation like this. As much as I wanted this to last, Sasuke was probably waiting for me and it had been a while; he would get suspicious if I took this long. But Neji's lips were so soft and heavenly, I lost track of time. Plus, his grip around me was firm, meaning he wasn't letting me go until he had one very last kiss with me and made it count.

Sasuke could wait a few more minutes, right?

I finally responded to the kiss by moving my lips in sync with his, trying to enjoy this last, precious moment for probably a long time. I never thought that I would kiss a guy, let alone having a boyfriend. After my experiences with my clan, it was hard for me to trust a guy enough for them to kiss me and touch me a certain way. It was because of this, when the opportunity came around, I simply ran away; I didn't want to get myself hurt and be at a fragile state again. But Neji wasn't like that. I don't know how, but he was able to break down some walls for me to let him in like this. Though there were still boundaries I warned him about, he was probably the closest guy to ever get me to commit to a relationship. Regardless, he taught me things while he learned stuff from me— as he said earlier.

But have I gotten over my fear of trusting others, I wasn't sure. I just wasn't there yet.

The kiss deepened and Neji tightened his grip even tighter, almost lifting me off my feet. This basically told me that I wasn't going anywhere for a while and that he wanted to have me for as long as possible. I secretly sneaked a peak at the room clock and it said 5:00 am; shit, Sasuke had been waiting for almost an hour. I was dead, so very, very dead. Sasuke was already impatient as it was, but he was power hungry right now, which made his patience thin to none. If I don't leave now, there was no telling what hell he was gonna give me. But with Neji's tight grip around my body and kissing me, it was gonna be hard.

However I do have a plan on my mind, but it was kind of harsh. On the other hand, it was the best and only option I could come up with in a short amount of time. Doesn't matter, I had no choice.

Before Neji noticed my off movements as he still kissed me, it was too late for him. He stood there frozen with blood-shot eyes that showed pain. He then started getting weak on his knees and literally fell from my lips. I caught him just before he hit hard on the floor. I took a few seconds to catch my breath from the kiss as I held my boyfriend who was now unconscious. I dragged his body towards his bed and placed him comfortably under his covers. I gazed at him, taking in his beautiful face that was simply peacefully. I then examined the empty injection needle I held in my hand. It was filled with level one anesthesia, which simply knocked the person out for a short period of time. If I remembered correctly, it would last for about two to three hours which was enough time for me to get out of here and meet up with Sasuke.

But just thinking about it made me feel bad for what I did. Injecting someone for no good reason wasn't something I do on a daily basis, in fact I feel sorry putting people to sleep just so they wouldn't feel physical pain. But in this case, I had no choice but to do so. If I stayed here any longer, it would only make me want to stay here more than I already do. That couldn't happen; Sasuke was waiting for me and I had to meet up with him right now.

I nodded in confirmation and took one last look at my boyfriend who I cared for so much. It hurt to leave him like this after what I had just did to him, but it couldn't be helped.

"I'm sorry, love. I never wanted it to end like this." I muttered sorrowfully. "Someday, we'll see each other again…"

I bent down and gave him a sweet kiss on his forehead, resulted him sighing peacefully. I carefully walked around his bed and opened the window one last time. I hopped on the frame and glanced at Neji one last time, then leaped out of the room after sealing the window. I made my way to one of the village's exits where Sasuke was waiting for me. As I jumped from roof to roof, the only thing that was on my mind at the time was Neji Hyuga.

That memory always made me overwhelmed because even to this day, I don't know where Neji and I stood, if he was furious at me for drugging him to sleep, or if he even still had the same feelings he did years ago. I wasn't gonna lie, I would be hurt if he no longer cared for me because I enjoyed my relationship with Neji. But I guess I deserved it since I left him and knocked him out; wasn't the nicest way to say goodbye, I suppose.

No matter, he probably moved on with his life and I did too. As long as he was happy now, it was enough.

As I thought deeply to myself, I heard a knock on my door which kind of surprised me. I got up from my desk and walked over to the door. I opened the door and guess who was there? It was Kabuto freaking Yakushi. After having long thoughts of Neji, I was feeling a bit sensitive and down so I didn't give the jerk a strong glare like I usually do. I just gave him an annoyed groan.

"What do you want, four eyes? Did you break something in the kitchen or did you set the whole thing on fire?" I grumbled mockingly, placing one hand on my hip.

The first thing I noticed about him was that he had already changed into his normal clothing. That was sad to be honest; he looked more bearable without his glasses and ponytail.

Four eyes merely snickered at my question. "Oh, please. I can assure you that I can take care of myself, thank you."

I snorted smugly. "I doubt it…"

Then, it was quiet. Why? I glanced at him and saw that he was staring at me, as if he was examining me. He was more of a creep than possible.

"Are you alright?" He suddenly asked with a serious tone.

That came out of nowhere.

"Why?" I questioned curiously and suspiciously.

Then, without warning, he reached out in front of me and gently wiped my under eyelids with his thumb. The jerk was touching me, and not in a usual way. Kabuto barely touched me because I would give him a death warning if he came anywhere close to my personal space unless it was absolutely necessary; even then, it was unlikely. But he had just touched me in a comforting way, and I was pretty sure it wasn't as a joke. What game was he pulling?

"It kind of looks like you have tears in your eyes. Like you were about to cry…" He analyzed blankly, removing his hand from my face.

Thank god his hand was gone, it was making me shiver to the bone. Why…?

"First off, touch me like that again and I will bite your thumb without hesitation." I threatened exasperatedly, sharpening my glare.

"Anyway…" He started bluntly, dismissing my threat. "I'm here because Orochimaru summoned us, possibly for a mission…"

Orochimaru summoned me again? With four eyes? Together? Right now? For a mission? Together? I thought today was my day off, but no the snake had to slither back and bite me in the ass again.

I wonder what Orochimaru wanted from me this time.

And that's the end of Chapter 3! Sorry for taking so long to post it! I'm in the middle of summer school to get a head start. Also, my bad if this wasn't worth the hype, but at least I tried my best! Anyway, I'll see you next time with Chapter 4!