Chapter 15

Crushed

Takara opens her eyes and she is suddenly back in the cage she would occasionally go in when she was under control by Hiroshi and the rest. Takara frantically looks around wondering how she even got there in the first place.

"Look who just woke up," says Hiroshi.

"Hiroshi? I thought Neji killed you?" Takara says.

"You thought. Your little friend there can never kill me. I'm invincible!" Hiroshi yells out.

"But he scanned you! H- he checked for a heartbeat! He knew you were dead!" Takara says.

Hiroshi then goes to the cage and unlocks it. He walks inside the cage and locks it again. He goes up to Takara and shoves her down on the ground. He kneels down to her.

"Takara, take off your top," Hiroshi says.

Takara starts breathing heavily. She closes her eyes and screams loudly.

"Takara? Takara? TAKARA?!" Takara hears. Takara opens her eyes up and sees Neji.

"N- Neji?" Takara asks while being very confused to see Neji and to be back in her bed. "How did I get back home?"

"Back home? Takara, you never left your bed," Neji says.

"But... What?" Takara asks. "I woke up and was in a cage and Hiroshi was there. H- he said that he was invincible. Then he tried to-."

"Takara, it was just a bad nightmare," Neji says.

"Yeah?" Takara asks.

"Yeah. I heard you grunting in your sleep and then you screamed. I'm glad you're okay," Neji says. Neji then hugs Takara. "Aaanyway... Good morning!" Neji lets go of Takara.

Takara smiles. "Good morning! Was I really grunting and screaming?"

"Yeah I was afraid that someone somehow broke in and tried to snatch you up again," Neji says. Neji looks away from Takara. "I was really worried..."

"Aww, Neji," Takara says. "I'm okay, I promise."

Takara sits up more and hugs Neji. Neji looks over and smiles at her.

"Good," Neji says with his smile. "I won't let anything bad happen to you ever again. I promise."

Takara's eyes get big. "Y- you promise? But why? I- I mean I don't-"

Neji puts his finger on her lips. "You can't change my mind Takara, I want to protect you."

Takara looks down at Neji's finger on her lips causing her to go cross eyed. Neji looks at her big eyes being crossed and he laughs.

Takara looks back at him. "Okay Neji. If you really want to protect me, I won't stop you. I know no matter what I say you will still look after me."

"That's right," Neji says.

Takara smiles at Neji. "Hey, what time is it?"

"It's 11:30, I have to get going really soon," Neji says.

"Oh crap!" Takara says. "When did you wake up?"

"Not long ago," Neji says. "I was up for maybe 5 minutes when I heard you grunting."

"Oh," Takara says. "Well, I guess I'll let you go meet up with Team Guy. I'm gonna freshen up and maybe shop around a little."

"Okay," Neji says. "I'll see you around!"

"Okay Neji, be safe out there!" Takara says.

"I will," Neji says.

Neji leaves Takara's apartment. Takara sighs and then she stretches. She gets up from her bed and walks to her bathroom. She undresses and pops into the shower. She cleans herself and gets out. Takara goes to her closet and pulls out her everyday shirt and short white shorts. She changes into her clothing and dries her hair with a towel.

Takara looks at the time and it is 12:05 p.m. She grabs her extra money, her bag with her songbook in it, and walks out of her apartment. She locks her place and starts to walk around the Leaf Village. While Takara is walking around the village, she takes time to look around and admire everything that she missed for 13 years. She doesn't remember anything.

While walking, Takara sees Neji and Tenten near the ramen shop. Takara was about to run up to them and talk to them, but she decided not to. She doesn't want to seem too clingy to Neji, and she doesn't want to deal with Tenten. Takara hides away from Neji and Tenten and wants to see if Neji can get Tenten to say why she doesn't like her.

"You're late Neji!" Tenten says.

"I know, I apologize. I was busy this morning," Neji says.

"You were busy?" Tenten asks.

"Yeah," Neji says. "Where's Guy and Lee?"

"Um, they should be here any second," Tenten says nervously.

"Oh, okay," Neji says. He then leans against a wall and closes his eyes.

"While we wait, I did want to talk to you about something," Tenten says.

Neji opens one of his eyes and looks at Tenten. "Hm?"

Tenten walks up to Neji. "I have a question, Neji."

"What?" Neji asks.

"Do you like anyone?" Tenten asks.

Neji opens both of his eyes. "Why do you ask?"

Takara's eyes widened. Was Neji about to tell Tenten that he likes Takara? Or Tenten? Or nobody?

"Why do you need to know if I like anyone?" Neji asks.

"I'm just curious," Tenten says. "I mean, you were in that one building with Takara for a long time, and I noticed that you were looking over at her a lot afterwards. And then after the pool, you two were hanging out."

"What's wrong with a guy and a girl being friends and hanging out?" Neji asks. "After all, we're friends and we hang out outside of meetings and missions."

"I feel like you're nicer to her than me," Tenten says.

"I just treat her how she treats me," Neji says.

"Neji...," Tenten says.

"Yes?" Neji asks.

"Do you like Takara Uta?" Tenten asks.

Neji's face turns red. "Why does it matter?"

"We're friends Neji, I would like to know if you liked anyone. I would try to help you get with them! I would tell you if I liked anyone," Tenten says.

"Yeah?" Neji asks. "Then tell me who you like."

Tenten's face turns red. "Um, I asked you first, Neji."

Neji starts to sweat a little bit. "Um, um... I..."

"Tell me!" Tenten says.

Neji groans. "No, Tenten. I don't like Takara that way. We're just friends, okay?"

"You don't like Takara Uta?" Tenten asks.

Neji looks down. "I don't have feelings for her."

Takara's eyes get big and she holds her mouth to keep herself from screaming. She immediately starts to cry.

"W-What?! Oh my God! B- But, I thought we had something going! I got him to open up. He showed me his sweet side! We hugged! He put his finger on my lips! Oh God!" Takara says in her mind.

Takara then runs away while crying a lot. She keeps crying and crying until she reaches her home. She quickly unlocks her door and runs inside. She locks her door and runs to her room. Takara strips out of her clothes and switches into her pajamas from last night. She puts her head down on her pillow and starts crying loudly.

"N- Neji... Why?!" Takara cries out. She starts coughing from crying so much. "I- I- I don't know what to do."

While Takara is at home crying her eyes out, Neji is still hanging around Tenten waiting for Guy and Lee to appear.

"It's been about half an hour, I don't think Guy and Lee are coming," Neji says.

"They're not," Tenten says.

"What? What do you mean they're not coming?" Neji asks.

"I told you that so I could talk to you about something that's been on my mind," Tenten says.

"You could have just asked me to hang out instead of lying to me," Neji says.

"But what I want to talk about is embarrassing and personal," Tenten says.

"We've been friends for years, tell me," Neji says.

Tenten looks down. "Well... I know we've been friends for years and all, and what I have to say... I hope it doesn't ruin anything," Tenten says. "Neji, for a while, I've... I've had a crush on you, and when I thought you and Takara were getting close, I got jealous. That's why I was mean to her. I'm sorry for that."

Neji doesn't say anything. He's standing there seeing Tenten's face turn pure red.

"Well Neji, don't just stand there! Please say something!" Tenten says.

"Tenten, I'm sorry, but you're more like a sister to me. I don't like you in that way," Neji says.

Tenten's mouth agapes. "N- Neji..."

"I'm going home," Neji says and walks from Tenten.

Tenten is standing there in total shock. "I- I can't believe Neji doesn't like me that way. But he also said he doesn't like Takara either. I guess I should apologize to her sometime soon. Man, Neji is so hard to break! I guess he just doesn't want to search for love right now."

Just then, Tenten sees Sakura walking down the street with a paper bag of groceries. Sakura looks up at Tenten and smiles.

"Hi Tenten!" Sakura says.

"Oh, hi Sakura," Tenten says.

Sakura runs up to Tenten to have a chat.

"I have mixed feelings," Tenten says.

"About what?" Sakura asks.

Tenten sighs. "I talked to Neji and he said that he doesn't like me the way I like him. He even said that he doesn't like Takara that way either.

Sakura looks at Tenten with total confusion. "First of all, I'm sorry that he rejected you. And second, he doesn't like Takara?"

"Did you think he liked Takara?" Tenten asks.

"Y- Yeah," Sakura says.

"I can never get Neji to open up to me. I guess I'll just... find someone else to love," Tenten says.

"There's someone out there for you Tenten, don't give up," Sakura says. "Is what she said about Neji not liking Takara true? Does she know?"

"I guess you're right, Sakura," Tenten says. "I'm going to go home for now, see you around!"

Tenten waves to Sakura and she runs away. When Tenten is far, Sakura runs towards Takara's apartment which isn't far.

Sakura gets to Takara's apartment and knocks on her door. "Takara, it's me, Sakura! Can I come in?"

When Takara hears Sakura at her door, she immediately stops crying and wipes away her tears. She gets up and looks into a mirror and sees how red her eyes are. Her eyes are sunken in too.

"It's very obvious I've been crying," Takara says and sighs.

Sakura knocks on the door again. "Takara? Are you home?"

Takara slowly walks to her door and looks through the peephole. She sees Sakura holding a bag of groceries. Takara opens her door with hair in her face trying to cover her eyes.

"Hi Takara!" Sakura says cheerfully.

Takara sighs. "Hey..."

"May I come in?" Sakura asks.

Takara moves out of the way and opens the door wider. Sakura walks in with the groceries and places them on the couch. Sakura sits down while Takara closes her door and locks it.

"So, how'd you sleep last night?" Sakura asks, trying to avoid mentioning Neji.

Takara walks closer to Sakura. "Pretty bad actually. I had a dream that I was kidnapped again. I was stuck in a cage and bad things were about to happen until..." Takara stops talking because she remembered that Neji woke her up. Takara tries to continue talking without crying. "While sleeping, I heard someone saying my name and... it was... N- N- Neji!" When Takara said his name, she fell to her knees and started bawling her eyes out. Sakura's eyes get big and she runs to Takara and starts to hold her.

"Takara? What happened? Why did saying Neji's name make you cry?" Sakura asks.

Takara cries even more when she hears his name again. "N- N- Neji doesn't like me Sakura!"

"What?" Sakura asks, pretending not to know.

"Yeah. I was out and I was gonna go buy some groceries since I have nothing in my fridge, and I saw Neji and Tenten talking. I heard Tenten ask Neji if he likes me, and he... he said no," Takara says.

"Oh my... you heard him say that?" Sakura asks.

"Yes," Takara says. "I ran home and cried and I haven't really stopped."

"I'm so sorry Takara," Sakura says. "It doesn't make sense..."

"What doesn't make sense?" Takara asks.

"I promised Neji I wouldn't tell you this, but at the pool I literally heard him call you "so beautiful" while looking at you.

"W- Wait, really?" Takara asks. "Please don't be lying to me to make me feel better."

"I'm not, Takara," Sakura says. "You were writing a song and I looked at him and he was staring at you and I suddenly heard him say that you were so beautiful."

"Must have been the heat of the moment," Takara says.

"I don't think so," Sakura says. "He came up to me and told me not to tell you when you were in the building right before you poked your head out asking for help."

Takara thinks. "Huh. I guess you're telling the truth since I remember seeing you and Neji talking."

"Exactly Takara," Sakura says. "Has anything else happened after the pool between the two of you?"

Takara chuckles and wipes away her tears. "We went and got ramen together, and we were coming back here to get to know each other until we ran into two of my abusers. Neji actually killed them both! Then I showed him a few of my songs, and we hugged a few times... And when I woke up screaming, he was there holding me, and he eventually put his finger on my lips. He helped me clean up my house and just made me feel so safe!" Takara sighs. "Do you think he meant what he said? Or do you think he just didn't want to admit it to Tenten?"

"I honestly don't know, I thought he liked you. I mean you were able to show off his nice and caring side. NO ONE can do that, but you somehow managed to," Sakura says.

Takara sighs. "I guess I'll leave him alone and if he wants to come by, he can. But I'm not going out of my way just to have my heart torn apart. Maybe Hiroshi and the rest were right, no man or woman would ever love me..."

"Hiroshi?" Sakura asks.

"Hiroshi was the one who kidnapped me and there were 3 other guys there to help him ruin my life," Takara says. "Neji killed Hiroshi and Eito. Leiji and Leitangi are the only ones left."

"Oh, wow," Sakura says.

Takara stands back up. "I need to go back out and get some food. I'm starving."

"Actually...," Sakura says. "These groceries... are for you."

"For me? Why?" Takara asks.

"I just wanted to be nice and get you some food," Sakura says and smiles.

"A- Are you sure?" Takara asks. "Are you just saying that to-"

"I genuinely bought them for you Takara," Sakura says with a smile.

Takara's eyes light up. "Thank you Sakura, this is too generous!"

Takara goes to the bag and takes it to the kitchen. She starts to unload the bag. "Ooh man! Where should I put all this food?"

Takara organizes everything to the way she likes. She then grabs a bag of chips and starts to eat away.

"Have you eaten anything yet today?" Sakura asks.

"Nope," Takara says. "Chips for breakfast!"

Sakura laughs. "Choji would be so proud of you right now."

"Good," Takara says.

"So Tenten wasn't lying... But it makes no sense, Neji is clearly in love with Takara! Maybe I should go to Neji and try to figure things out on the low," Sakura says in her head.

"I feel so lost dude," Takara says. "Things were going pretty good. Two of four of my abusers are dead, I was getting so close to Neji and I was starting to figure out who I am."

"Okay, that's it!" Sakura says and stands up.

"What?" Takara asks.

"I'm going over to Neji's right now and I'm gonna figure things out!" Sakura says. "That boy clearly likes you!"

Sakura walks out of Takara's apartment and shuts the door behind her. Takara didn't even get a chance to speak when Sakura left.

"Um... bye then?"