Naruto Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Clan of the Moon ❯ Friend to a Princess ( Chapter 35 )

I reiterate, NEIJI IS HARD TO WRITE! I am not kidding you all, I had to write this chapter three times until I was remotely satisfied with it! Every time I wrote him in it almost felt like I was writing Sai! Arg!!! Anyway, I hope Neiji is still in character in this and is not having the feel of Sai. Hope you like it! And I hope you all had some good turkey this Thanksgiving!

 

Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto or Sailor Moon Series, but the original characters Amera and Gala belong to me!

 

 

Befriending a Princess

 

 

A husband…Sakura was going to have a husband but not just any husband…It was going to be one of the guys from Hikari.

 

As if her life could get any more difficult, let alone weird.

 

Sakura walked around the spa's buildings with the intent of letting her mind wander. This was the first time she had been able to be alone for a while. It felt nice to be alone.

 

It seemed everyday her life got much more complicated. Would it never end? She figured it wouldn't.

 

At first, all of this sounded pretty cool, but it started to morph into something Sakura wasn't sure she would be able to pull off. All of a sudden, she was going to be queen with a husband at her side.

 

In short, her entire future was planned out without her consent to any of it.

 

Her legs suddenly gave way, causing her form to drop unceremoniously to the ground below. Her shoulders shook.

 

It was too much for her to bear.

 

“I can't do this…” Tears fell from her green eyes. “I can't do this…”

 

She was trained not to show emotion but things changed. No longer was she a ninja, now she was a princess destined to rule the world. It scared her to no end to think that an entire world's well being rested on her shoulders.

 

“Sakura-chan…?” That was how Naruto found her, in the middle of the street as weak as a little child.

 

She didn't want him to see her like this, all weak and fragile…She wanted to leave, wanted to escape.

 

“Leave me alone!!!!” She took off in a sprint, not caring where she was going. She just wanted to run…run away from it all.

 

Pink strands of hair flew behind her as she let her feet guide her through the streets, past strangers who looked her way. She must have looked strange to them with her tear stained cheeks and her blood shot eyes. It didn't matter to Sakura what anyone thought of her appearance, she just wanted to run.

 

Her legs carried her to the outskirts of the tiny hot spring village. She sat down to catch her breath. It was ridiculous for a ninja of her caliber to not be able to run so far without so much a sweat…She felt so weak…

 

“Dammit…” She vented her frustration on a nearby wall. It was her favorite way to let everything out. “I don't want this!!!”

 

She cursed and cried while beating the poor wall to death. Her chakra gone and her star seed nearly gone as well, her fists barely made a mark on the hard surface. In fact, the wall was doing more damage to her hands than she was making to it. Her fists now covered in her own blood as they had before, she plopped back onto the ground, more tears falling from her eyes. Only this time, they ran down like a raging river that had burst from its dam.

 

“Are you alright miss?” An old man's voice took Sakura's attention. The many attacks upon her life made the pink haired girl fear strangers greatly. She stood, trying to calm her nerves.

 

“I'm alright…I'm just…not feeling very well.” Sakura replied while wiping her tears with her kimono sleeve. “Um…excuse me.”

 

“You poor girl…Just look at your hands…” Gently he took them in his own and healed them. “Don't worry, I'm a medic.”

 

“Oh…Uh…Thanks…” She replied. Her hands healed, she thanked the old man. “I…don't know how to repay you…”

 

He smiled a toothless smile. “Oh don't worry about it, dear…Are you lost?”

 

Sakura looked around. She was indeed lost, but she wasn't about to tell him that. NOW she wished she hadn't of runaway…Where was Hikari with you really needed them?

 

“Oh no…I'm just waiting for my friend to get here.” She replied with a smile of her own but it looked quite weak. “Thank you though for your concern.”

 

“Well why don't I wait with you? A young, beautiful girl like yourself shouldn't be alone in a place like this. Consider it my payment for healing your wounds…” He chuckled.

 

She paused then nodded. He wouldn't do anything in a crowded place like this, plus she did owe him. The only problem was that no friend was coming. She couldn't accept his terms.

 

“Thanks but, if you haven't noticed I'm a ninja…I can take care of myself.” Thank kami she remembered her forehead protector. It was currently covering her clan's symbol. Hopefully he would get the point and leave.

 

“I see…” He replied. “Forgive me then, I mistook you for something else.”

 

She couldn't retort for a familiar person had found her, two actually. Sakura mentally half groaned, half sighed at seeing the Hyuga's rush over. Instantly, Hinata had grabbed her by the wrists while Neiji stood in front, covering the man from Sakura's view.

 

“My that was fast! Your friends are already here!” The old man said over Neiji. “You two take care of her now!”

 

Not that she was thankful of them saving her from the old man, but it felt like the Hyugas were everywhere! After the old man had left, the Hyuga's relaxed.

 

“You can let go of me, Hinata…” Sakura rolled her eyes, when the girl didn't. “Hinata!”

 

“Sorry…” Hinata removed Sakura's hands from her own. “We were…we were worried…” She frowned. “Why would you runaway like that, Sakura-hime?”

 

Sakura glared at her. “What do you think!? You're calling me hime! Do you think I would instantly get used to that!? NO!” She bonked her head on the wall she previously had pounded. “You wouldn't understand anyway. So…just leave me alone…okay?”

 

The Hyuga's turned to one another. Hinata was frowning, worried over her friend. Neiji was frowning but for a different reason…How was he to handle this situation?

 

Thinking it would help, Hinata got a bit brave and gave her cousin a push. Neiji was quite shocked at his cousin's abruptness but took the hint.

 

“What do you suggest I do?” He asked in a whisper to her.

 

Hinata blushed. “Well…” Her pointer fingers crashed into one another, a thing she did when she was nervous or embarrassed about something. “You could try hugging her…”

 

Hug her? Neiji scoffed at the idea. It was impolite!

 

“Neiji…If it's one thing I've learned, especially from Naruto, is that sometimes you have to break the rules…” Hinata blushed. “She needs some comfort right now, Neiji…All you have to do is hug her.”

 

Lady Hinata was asking Neiji to break a rule of court? To touch a person of royal breeding without their permission was completely absurd!

 

Again he was pushed towards Sakura, only this time it was Naruto doing the pushing.

The blonde prince grinned at Neiji with a thumbs up along with an arm around a blushing Hinata; if he had approval of the prince, Neiji had no problem doing the task he was given. Thus the Hyuga genius approached Sakura carefully.

 

Without speech he placed a hand upon Sakura's shoulder.

 

“Help me to understand.” He said. It was foreign to him to be so nice to someone.

 

The reaction he got form his kindness was instantaneous. She had turned around and all but buried her head in his shirt.

 

“You and everyone else have been strong all your lives…Me…I've had to work to get stronger…I'm tired of being the one everyone has to protect, the annoying one. If any of you didn't have your star seeds, you'd be off somewhere, not even thinking about me. I bet none of you even care. I thought I was okay with it but now it feels like I have no control over my life anymore…Like everyone knows more about me than myself.”

 

Now Neiji understood her predicament much more clearly. She believed they were merely acting upon their stars, not their free will. It was like a mission they were being paid for that was given unto them by the Hokage…At least that was what she saw with all that was happening.

 

Plus removing someone's ability to make their own decisions about their lives tended to break one down greatly.

 

This was troubling…Did this mean she had no trust in those that protected her? Did she have no faith in herself to fulfill her position? How could she when she felt this way?

 

“I am…sorry…”

 

She pushed away, angry. “And the only reason you're acting so nice is because you want to be king, just like Sai, Sasuke, and maybe even Gaara!” She huffed. “Kami I can't handle this!”

 

Neiji half expected Naruto to run up and take over but the prince and Hinata had left; Neiji was alone with the princess.

 

“I bet you KNEW about this king stuff just like Hinata!” She pointed at him.

 

“I admit I did not know.” He replied calmly. It would not do him good to get her mad at him, so he spoke calmly an unmoving. “And I am just as concerned as you are with those who…” He blushed. “Wish to court you, Sakura-hime.” He took a step forward. “I will not allow anyone to harm you, physically or emotionally. If I had caused such pain, I did not mean such.”

 

She crossed her arms. “That's just your star seed talking! Before any of this we barely spoke and even then you were a jerk!”

 

“I did not know your importance…Please give me a chance to make up for past mistakes…” He said, taking another step forward. “At least, let us be friends…?”

 

In Sakura's mind, her jaw quite literary dropped.

Here was Neiji Hyuga, a genius who would never say the word `friend' to anyone. Usually he merely saw everyone else as either inferior or comrades at arms. But now, here he was, asking her to see him not as a superior/inferior or even a comrade. He wanted to be her friend.

 

This was way beyond weird.

 

“Um…I…guess that's okay…” She couldn't really say anything else at the moment.

 

He nodded, not the least bit offended by her paused answer. He felt the situation was strange as well, but if it allowed him to dissuade her from Sasuke, so be it. “Then as a friend…May I give you some comfort?”

 

She eyed him for a moment. “What kind of comfort?”

 

“Would you honor me, Sakura-hime, by allowing myself to hug you?” He stated. “I believe that would be the best—“

 

She hugged him suddenly, this time staying there for a longer moment than the last.

 

“Thank you…” She said while breathing into his shirt. “Just…Thank you…”

 

He paused, not really knowing what to do. She had not verbally given him permission, but should he still respond? He decided that though he had not her verbal permission, it seemed she would expect it anyway, so he wrapped an arm around her. If protocol were a person, it would kill him if it found out he was hugging a princess.

 

“You are most welcome, Sakura-hime.” Gently, he untangled her arms. “I think we should return before the others start to tear up this village looking for you.”

 

She laughed, for real this time. It was something she hadn't done in a while and it was something Neiji was glad to hear.

 

“I think Gala would more than likely do that, Gaara too.”

 

Her smile was catching for he was smiling as well.

 

“Indeed…” He bowed slightly. “Allow me to escort you.”

 

She huffed, placed her hands on her hips. “Now look, if we're going to be friends…stop it with the royalties…call me Sakura, not Sakura-hime or anything.” She held out her hand. “Deal?”

 

He paused then took her hand.

 

“Deal.”

 

That day, Neiji realized his destiny. It was not to court the princess of the moon, it was to be her advisor, her crutch when needed…

 

In short….Her friend.

 

Meanwhile, an old man hidden in the shadows, the very one that helped Sakura moments ago, watched as the two walked away. His task done, the old man disappeared in smoke…

 

Leaving Orochimaru's glasses wearing medical ninja behind.

 

“Well…Imagine that…Akio-san was correct.” He headed out of the village. “She really is a princess.” He pushed up his glasses, smirked. “My…how things change…”

 

 

 

Next time: Gaara's First Kiss