Author's Note: So the only change here is that *spoiler* Neji doesn't die; Sakura manages to save him. Everything else basically remains the same. They are a little older here, possibly a couple years have passed since the war. This is NOT a one shot. I know! I envision about 3-5 chapters in this series. In any case I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer:I do know own Naruto or the characters.

"Dont you dare die on me, Neji-san." The words echoed in his ears as the smell of scorched earth and death filled his gasping lungs with the putrid stench of war. The sense of invading chakra struck his system and with as far gone as he was he did not have the where with all to object.

"It is not your time yet." His blurry vision only barely registered the petal pink and emerald green in an otherwise abysmal setting. But he did register it and clung to it like a beckon. She had him in her capable hands. He had stepped into that attack knowing he would perish but it had yet to happen. Perhaps he might yet survive. With her at his side he could be saved.

Her voice cracked with emotion as her figure came into focus. "Stay with me."

"Neji-san," Her voice called to him, reprimanding but concerned as well. He knew that voice. He inhaled deeply. Apples and vanilla. He opened his eyes to the blinding florescent light of the hospital. Cringing, he turned to find pink and green swim into his vision. That was better. His features relaxed as her chakra laden hands retreated from his skin.

The ANBU captain opened his eyes completely. As odd as it sounded he did not like to open his eyes post black out unless he knew she was the first thing he would see. It reassured him. If he saw her then he knew that everything was alright. Her bright colors stood out against the monotoned world they were surrounded in and in this setting he was allowed to stare at her unabashedly without anyone questioning it. "You really must stop making this such a habit." She was still leaning over him as she gently teased him. When he moved to sit up she helped and he let her scent of freshly cut apples and vanilla waft over him.

"Hn." He knew a lecture was coming but he could not bring himself to care. Not when she was this close to him. She was right. He had been over exerting himself these last few missions. He had ended up on a hospital bed more than twice in the last six months and that was practically unheard of.

His hand twitched and she took it in one of her own. The size difference was drastic but he suspected that if he shifted his palm the deceptively delicate appendage would fit snugly in his own. He wanted to push his calloused fingertips across her knuckles to see if the skin there was as soft as he suspected it was. "Seriously Neji-san, try to be more careful please. I don't want to see you hurt."

"I will do my best," he promised ardently. He did not like to disappoint her and if a word of reassurance was all it took to bring the smile back to her face he would happily promise her the world if that was what she wanted. As it stood what she asked was simple enough.

"Thank you," she said with a smile that was warm and welcoming. "So, how are you feeling? Light headed?" Her free hand brushed across his forehead where his bandages must have remained, for he did not get to feel the touch of her skin on his. He was more comfortable with having his curse seal showing now than he had been in the past, but she knew it was something he rarely wore uncovered. Having assessed that his injuries were not cranial she had left his bandages in place.

She already knew the answer to her question, but he had learned many years before that everything she asked after one of her patients was unconscious had to do with her assessment of their health. It was a curtsey to him that she was being so tender about it. She had an excellent bedside manner but she was usually more formal with other patients, unless they were a part of her immediate circle. Even certain members of the Konoha 12 were not treated with such gentility. "Yes," he responded calmly after thinking it over, doing his best to assist her in his own care.

"Well, I'm not surprised. I'm amazed you made it to the gate to be honest." Her countenance lightened as she noted how attentive he was being to her. He made it a point to pay attention to her when she spoke, even when she spoke concerning topics he would normally consider mundane. Nothing she said was mundane in his mind, and he used every opportunity to reiterate that he found her to be important, a fact that she had picked up on at some point in their exchanges. Knowing Sakura, he highly suspected that she thought it a professional curtsy; it was not. "When things stop spinning you can head home, slowly. Hanabi-chan is waiting to take you home. And please take it easy for the next few days. You need to be in tip top shape for Naruto and Hinata's house warming party."

He had not forgotten about that but he had suspected that he would miss it as his mission dragged on. The pair had bought their first home together after having lived in a tiny apartment for a year after their marriage, as there was no way Hiashi and Naruto would have survived living together at the compound. It was part of the reason Neji had rushed his mission and had ended up needing her care. He had wanted to be back well before the event. Hinata was so excited and he hated to let them down. "Indeed."

"Now-" She began but was quickly cut short by a sharp rap on the door. Sakura turned her gaze and straightened her stance, picking up his chart as she did so. Through the small window on the door was a nurse who upon seeing Sakura's face opened the door.

"Sakura-sama you have a visitor."

The Uchiha stepped around the nurse, who's face was bright red, to stare at Sakura. The petite woman let out a small exacerbated sigh before scribbling a couple of notes into a file that she had acquired. Neji missed her touch on his hand when she released it to grab a pen. Her pen came down onto the paper in a hard point before she snapped the folder closed and turned to the intruder with a hand on her hip. "I am busy Sasuke-kun."

Dark eyes flitted to the examination table and landed on Neji. With a glare the two prodigies squared off. They had never really liked each other and in spite of the war things had not changed much. Neither stayed in the others presence if it could be avoided. The last Uchiha seemed content to ignore the Hyuuga and Neji was happy to avoid Sasuke. Sadly it meant that when Sasuke was in town he did not get to see the rest of Team 7 much, and that meant that he did not get to see her.

He was not much of one for social affairs but he made an effort to see Sakura when he could. He could not pin point when it had begun exactly, this keen interest in her, but it was there now. If he was honest it could have been any number of interactions that ignighted his initial interest, but after the war and his subsequent recovery under her direct care, he recognised that it was more than just a passing fancy. Based on what he had heard he believed that he was experiencing unrequited love. Rather, it was unexpressed, but the reason for that lack of expression was the impatient man that was casually leaning against the door frame.

Sakura huffed quietly. "You can't be back here. I will be out in a moment, so go wait in reception."

Her command, which had been veiled in a calm and sweet voice, was met with silence, a clear sign that she was not going to be heeded. She ran a hand through her pink tresses and then placed it on his shoulder. "Sorry Neji-san. I'll do one last check just to be sure and then I'll get him out of your hair." Her hand glowed green and he felt the comforting presence of her chakra in his system. Most said the feel of another chakra in their veins was uncomfortable and normally he would agree, but she was the exception. He rather liked it. There were those who might imply that the scars on his person had something to do with it. He was sure it did. She had saved him from the brink of death, closing the wounds that marred his flesh with her expertise. That action had initially caused him to fume, when he eventually came to. She had taken that choice away from him, but then he had seen how his family reacted to almost loosing him and he had changed his mind. They had been frightened and then relieved to see him still alive. His uncle had even shed tears and now Neji knew how much he meant to them.

When all was said and done he had thanked her and found that an unyielding respect and trust had come from it. That had been a few years ago now and he was more enamoured than he had ever been. The feeling only seemed to compound upon itself with each time he interacted with her. He had never told her how far it went but he suspected that she knew he favored her. He did go out of his way to be around her when presented with the opportunity. She liked him and they got along surprisingly well, but he had never broached the subject. Nor did he intend to, at least not until she gave him a sign that she would be receptive.

Neji did his best not to scowl at the unwanted presence at his hospital door. This was all because that man could not get his act together. The Uchiha had been dragging his feet, leading Sakura along without making a decision one way or the other for years now. The pair had some sort of unspoken understanding according to Naruto, that when the time was right- when Sasuke was ready- they would be together. Neji wanted Sakura to be happy and if that happiness was to be found with the Uchiha then so be it, but he was waiting should the other man turn out to be the idiot he knew him to be.

Sooner than he would have liked he felt her hand retreat. With an apologetic smile she moved to turn and he could not help but lean into the touch that lingered on his shoulder. He would have liked to read into such things, but he could not. She was a caring individual and she was comfortable with him. For now these little moments with her would have to do. She was not the kind of woman to react well to being actively pursued by an unwanted suitor, a fact he had witnessed time and time again. So he would wait as long as it took.

"See you Neji-san," she called to him over her her petite shoulder with a warm grin. She pointed to a line on his chart, a sign to the nurse who glanced over it, clearly dissapoited that the instruction said to release him immediately.

He took a few deep breaths before moving to get his things together. She had told him to move slowly, so he did, taking great care to asses his condition. As always he felt rejuvenated from having benefited from her care.

It was a shame that she was so enamoured with the Uchiha and that the stubbornly foolish man seemed to finally be doing something about the treasure that had been offered up to him so freely, and some might say undeservedly.

He found his younger cousin waiting not to far away, standing by the reception desk with her arms crossed over her chest in a manner that reminded him of his own preferred stance from when he was younger. She was not watching him but instead was focused on the pair that wandered out of the hospital doors. They were not particularly close together but that did not mean much. The Uchiha was not one to be physically close to anyone and that extended to Sakura.

Hanabi said nothing as he stood at her side. The chakra around her temples faded and she turned to him with a knowing stare. He knew what she had seen on his face and was thankful that she had chosen to say nothing about it. As it stood he was ready to go home and rest, and preferably not think about the Uchiha and Sakura out on the town together. Silently he took a step forward and they began to make their way home.

When he got to the estate he made a beeline for his room and promptly collapsed onto his futon.

He was not known to be a morning person. Everyone in the compound knew that Neji was not to be addressed until after a shower, his tea, and meditation. He liked to keep his morning routine, doubly so if he was recovering. Sakura had told him to take it easy and he was never one to disobey her direct medical orders. She was the expert in that field and he would trust her judgement.

He had used that as a valid excuse to sleep in that morning. He very rarely got the opportunity to do so and contrary to popular belief he did like to rest occasionally, he just needed a reason. Haruno Sakura's orders were to be strictly adhered to, or so his family had learned over the years. Therefore finding his uncle at his door before he had a chance to participate in any of the aforementioned activities made him very cross. The only thing that stopped him from glaring was the equally displeased look on his uncles haggard face.

"Please do something about this," the older man said and it was only then that he saw an excitable Naruto a few feet away, bouncing on his heals.

The hero turned and grinned. "Hey Neji, you wanna get a bite to eat?"

No, Neji did not want to get a bite to eat. He wanted to go back to sleep. But he could see behind the jovial greeting something anxious, and that was unlike Naruto. He knew from the deepening lines around his uncles thin mouth that the blonde man had somehow managed to make a nuisance of himself, most likely having interrupted Hiashi's equally coveted morning routine, and was now on the verge of having all of his chakra points closed.

So he took a long, deep breath and retreated for a moment. "I will be out presently." He needed to brush his teeth before he went anywhere but he would do so quickly lest he find his friend incapacitated on his return.

"Excellent." His uncles curt response was laced with a relief that only someone who knew him would catch but Naruto was oblivious to this and grinned. Had Neji been in a better mood he would have chuckled to himself. It was always entertaining to watch the two interact, but he hoped they got accustomed to each other soon. Otherwise his normally shy cousin would step in and no one wanted to see that. She could be surprisingly insistent when she needed to be and she had both men wrapped around her fingers. If such an interaction did occur he hoped he was there to witness it, if only to see his uncle bend to his daughter's will. But for now witnessing such awkward interactions would have to suffice.

The Hyuuga stare down was infamous, and his particularly vehement presence on this late morning might have made the elders quake in their boots. Such a shame they were not there to witness it. Perhaps it would have gotten them to leave him alone in the future.

It was cold and raining, but worse than that was the fact that he had exited the compound without his shower. After the sound of breaking china had caught his attention he rushed them both out, forgoing his cleanliness before anything else happened. His uncles prized teaware finding its way to the floor in pieces might have ended with his head on a spike.

He took a look at the man next to him and reminded himself that this was all going to be worth it. At least he really hoped so.

Neji was fully aware that there was a reason he had been called to the ramen stand this particular day. He was no overly fond of ramen but he always made it a point to go to the jinchurikis favourite food stall when asked. Since that day at the chunin exams Neji had been hard pressed to say no to the energetic blonde. He owed him too much. Thus no matter how tired or irritable he was, he put his best foot forward and set aside his plans for the day. It also helped that when Naruto was present Hinata usually was too and he did not see his cousin as much has he had become accustomed to. Of course Sakura could often be found with her best friend as well. But today neither female was in the vicinity.

If he was honest with himself he was somewhat glad that Sakura was not there, which to his mind was a first. He did not yet know how he felt about the Uchiha dragging her out of the hospital the day before and he was not sure if he wanted to deal with the jealously or disappointment that threatened to rampage within him just yet. He had planned to think it over during his meditation, possibly come up with a plan to discover what was going on, but that had all be derailed.

There was some solace in the fact that what ever it was that had Naruto seeking him out seemed to be important. The man was more nervous than he had ever seen him. Light brows were knit together in a strange mix of frustration and hesitation that seemed out of place on his old friend. It had continued on like that for a while as they walked down the streets of old Konoha, the more traditional side of town that housed the Hyuuga compound. As they travelled the weather reflected Naruto's mode, the sun shinning brightly and then the fat droplets of water hitting down on the pavement intermittently in random bursts.

By the time they got to Ichirakus they were both drenched and in a worse mood than they had been when they left the Hyuuga estate. Only when his noodles arrived did Naruto appear to feel marginally better. It was after the first few bites that he decided to broach the subject of whatever was bothering him.

"Sorry for dragging you out today, but I kind of need a favor." He was almost bashful, a stark change from his typical boisterous behaviour. Neji was now more than a little curious. He was fairly positive that whatever it was it had something to do with at least one of three people in the village. But which one? If he had to guess he would say Hinata, but the pair were married. Surely if it had to do with her then Naruto could talk about it with the woman in question.

Given the frustration on his face Neji was starting to think it was more likely to do with his teammates. They were the only ones that could cause him to make that face. More specifically Sasuke. Still, he would try to help Naruto even if it meant just giving advice, thought admittedly he was less than thrilled. It was the least he could do after all that the jinchurikki had done for him.

"You see, it's about Sasuke-teme." That was not really something Neji wanted to hear and if he could avoid getting involved with anything concerning Sasuke he would. The self-proclaimed avenger had a knack for starting trouble and Neji was not the sort for getting invovled in unnecessary drama. There were also many who suspected the truth; Neji could not stand the pompous individual, though most did not know why. "Actually is about Sasuke-teme and Sakura-chan."

Neji wanted to stop him right there.

He had a feeling he knew where this was going. If he did not want to get involved with a Sasuke problem, he definitely was not going to get involved with a romantic problem of the Uchiha's. Particularly not one to do with wooing Sakura. That was one of the few things he was not willing to do for the man before him. Under no circumstances would be be shoving Sakura towards a man that had been too stupid and too blind to see what was right under his nose all those years, nor was he going to assist in further enrapturing Sakura with her unworthy teammate.

Admittedly, it had taken Neji a little while to notice that his own admiration for the woman had grown into something more, but he liked to think that if she had been as open to him as she was to the Uchiha he would have reacted with a more appropriate response. As it stood Sakura had seemingly offered herself to the brooding asshole unconditionally. She had been willing to wait and had been waiting for quite a while, more than a few years in fact. Meanwhile the idiot wandered around the world searching for himself. Neji had scoffed more than once or twice at the notion.

What was there to find? What was out there to atone for that required his attention more than the atonement that Sakura deserved? He did not know all of what had transpired while the man was on his vengeful tirade, but the Uchiha had hurt Sakura more than anyone else he had claimed to care about in his pursuit of power and revenge. Surely that required his attention more urgently than the rest.

Neji put his noodles back into the bowl and turned to look at Naruto. He wanted to turn and leave, but he decided to hear the man out.

"I don't know what the problem is." Neji knew exactly what the problem was. The problem, such as it was, had dark hair and a horrendous attitude. There were only so many times one could turn away the prospect of love before the option was no longer there.

While most people thought Sakura would wait forever, Neji knew she would not. He could see what few others could. She had too much self respect now. And yes, there had been numerous times that she had given the Uchiha the chance to make it up to her, but the man had failed at every single opportunity. One person could only take so much, even one as ardent as Sakura. It was only a matter of time before she started looking else where for affection, which was in part why he was so disappointment to see the Sharingan user with her the day before. Still he was a patient man; he would wait for her to make a decision.

Regardless of the aforementioned points, he was surprised to hear there was a problem. As far as anyone knew the two were just continuing in their separate goals before eventually getting married and having tons of Uchiha brats, a fact that bothered him a great deal. Apparently something had gone wrong in that equation. The question was which side was backing away from their unspoken agreement? Which of the two had changed their mind?

He was paying attention now, but not out of duty to Naruto. He was deeply intrigued, on a personal level.

"They are both in the village for the first time in ages and nothing has happened. It's been months!" He let out a sigh and placed his head in his hands. Neji finally understood why he had not heard of the troubles until now. He had been away on that mission for the last month and a half. No one would have suspected anything was wrong with the pair until around the time he left, due to the Uchiha's stand-offish nature and Sakura's busy schedule.

"All Sakura-chan does is work at the hospital and train." For the first time since they began talking about the subject Neji got the feeling that this issue was less to do with Sasuke and more to do with Sakura, which pleased him more than he could vocalise. For a start it implied that Sakura was the reason the most talked about potential relationship in Konoha had not happened. The second reason it pleased him was the fact that Naruto was not just looking out for Sasuke's interests. Naruto was more concerned about Sakura than some potential idealised relationship, even if he was still convinced that happiness lay within the ill suited relationship. And finally Neji was far more inclined to be interested in the topic of their discussion if it was about her.

He thought back to the day before and recalled the exasperated manner with which she had addressed the dark man hovering around the hospital door. He had not noticed it as odd then, but now that he thought it over it was hugely so. Previously she had never gotten anything close to frustrated with the nin, but it had been there plain as day. Neji normally prided himself on his observational skills. Clearly he had been distracted the day before, both by his injuries and her presence.

"I just want Sakura-chan to be as happy as I am." There were many in the village that would call that a tall order. Naruto's relationship with Hinata seemed to be the kind that Lee and Gai would have described as the ultimate spring time of youth. It had been a little jarring at first, but he had quickly come to accept the idea. There was no one better than Uzumaki Naruto to take care of his gentle cousin. It also helped that Naruto was the only man Hinata wanted and that immediately made him everyones first choice for her.

The one thing anyone noticed when they saw the odd pair together was that they were happy; ecstatically so. It was a fate all hoped for, Neji included.

Ultimately he wanted the same thing as Naruto. He wanted Sakura to be happy. Up until a moment ago he had thought she was on her way to what she wanted, but even with the ambiguity with which Naurto addressed the problem Neji had gathered the gist; not all was well in paradise. That simply would not do. He took a sip of his tea, opal eyes focused intently on the troubled man before him.

Naruto tilted his head back thoughtfully and for a moment Neji wondered if the strongest man he knew might be about to weep or scream. He did neither. Instead he steadied himself and puffed out his chest in the same way he did when he was about to make a declaration. "I know she can handle herself, but I want to know that she is taking all of the options into consideration. Even if she has to step out of her comfort zone."

Neji did not know what he meant by that. It eluded to something he was not privy to, but he was not going to ask him to clarify. The phrase suited his purposes and he could wholeheartedly agree with the statement. Sakura should take all of the options into consideration. A whole new realm of possibilities opened up the minute that Naruto had announced that things were not going as smoothly as Sasuke wanted.

Neji had a plan.

"And what would you like me to do?" Neji asked, forgetting his meal entirely. Pearly eyes watched the man that sat next to him. Naruto was not typically careful with his words and Neji did not want to agree to something he could not support. So long as no more mention of Sauske was made then he was perfectly willing to help in this endeavour. Whether he agreed to assist Naruto or not the outcome would be the same, but he did want the fox on his side for this when all was said and done. It would be easier if they were on the same page, verbally at least, from the beginning.

"Could you talk to her? She won't let me say anything without punching me." The man who was to be Hokage rubbed his jaw gingerly. Everyone had, at one time or another, seen the blonde fly through the air. It was usually for a good reason. Sakura was not a patient woman, but in her defence her teammates were particularly bull headed, and whether though design or conditioning she had become so herself. She did not tolerate stupidity and her teammates often wound up in fundamentally stupid situations. Now that they were older it was happening less, but she still stepped in now and again to beat some sense into them. "She says I should focus on Hinata-chan and stop worrying about her love life."

That he could agree with. Naruto was well intended but in Neji's humble opinion the Kyuubi container was doing more harm than good. "I will approach her," he reassured the man, and was pleased to find that the faint shadow if whiskers on his face returned to their normal position.

"Thanks Neji. I owe you one." He did not in fact owe Neji anything. In reality Neji was about to owe Naruto even more than he already did. "I feel so much better. Maybe now she will take the situation into her own hands instead of waiting for that baka."

He knew that he was probably twisting Naruto's intentions but he chose not to think about it. Instead he focused on the part about Sakura not waiting for the Uchiha. It was something he would actively assist her with. "Indeed."

End Comments: I promise we have plenty of Neji/Saku feels in the next chapter. There is not much to say really other than than there is no Sasuke bashing intended. I do feel that anyone else that was interested in Sakura would have seen Sasuke as foolish for his actions in regards to her and Neji is reflecting that. Anyway, reviews are always welcome but please, no flames. I have no beta reader and I do my best to correct any mistakes I find but I am sure there are still some I miss. Forgive me please. Until next time!