Her birthday party was so loud when she was inside. She knew that she had to mingle with the clan heirs and heiresses, but gosh darn it, all she wanted to do was spend time with her mother! Senju Haruna had passed away two years ago, and although this wasn't her first birthday without her, she knew that this was her last birthday before she started the academy. Also, it didn't help that she hadn't seen anyone who just wanted to relax outside either.

Senju Sakura, one day away from turning six, huffed out a frustrated sigh and sat on the stone bench, in the garden area, right outside Konoha's ballroom. She played with the cattails that grew near the pond where she sat. Where was her cat right now?

"Sakura-chan!" meowed the cutest kitty she had ever owned. Well, he had been the only kitty that she had ever owned, but he was still the cutest, in her opinion.

"Kitty!" cried the young heiress who caught the ever-growing cat in her arms. Had he really been this big when she first met him?

"Sakura, someone is coming outside, and it's not an ANBU," he warned her carefully. The red-stringed cat jumped down from his spot in her arms so she could brush off the fur that he always left behind off of her forest green and silver kimono.

Sakura looked around cautiously, where was her newfound guest? Green eyes quickly spotted a brunette boy with pearly white eyes. Sakura held her hands behind her back so she wouldn't see if their strings were attached before they made their first impressions. She always wanted to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

"Hello?" she called out to her guest.

He saw her quickly, bowing profusely when she came close enough to where he stood. "My apologies, Senju-sama. I didn't mean to walk out of your party or to bother you."

He seemed so polite, but what he did made her feel too much like royalty and she hated it. Her hands gently pushed up back upwards, so he no longer bowed in her presence. "You don't have to bow, you know. It's not like I'm a princess or anything," she reassured him quickly.

"I apologize," the young boy was about to bow once more, but a delicate hand shot out quickly, successfully stopping him in his tracks.

"I'm Sakura," the young rosette beamed at him brightly. She wanted friends more than anything, and she already made friends with someone with the same pearly eyes as himself. She was positively sure she could make another one.

He stood there, assessing her gesture for a second and carefully grabbed her hand with his, "Hyuuga Neji, Sakura-sama."

She made a face that showed her disinterest to the address. "Sakura, is just fine, Neji-kun." Her emerald eyes caught his guarded white ones and gave him her best eye-crinkling smile.

Why was he so cautious of her?

Can you guys guess why he was just so cute and cautious? Do you think he should have the brand yet? I'm leaning towards no, but I don't know if I can put up a good enough reason for it. Let me know what you think!

As always, reviews mean the world to me!

Tiny