DISCLAIMER:

Me: I, um, yea... :D

Neji: *twitches* Baka. Leaving these poor people to wonder.

Me: I just wanted to say something, I'm going to deleate all the pointless chapters which are authors notes.

Haku: And she doesn't own this

Dedicated to: All who reviewed and have kept up with this story despite my random absences.

Sakura awoke several hours later with a small groan. Neji calmly picked her up and cuddled her to his body, no one was around to see his odd display of attention and affection. Even if someone had been there, he would have reacted the same. Cherry looked around with her large green eyes and deduced that she had passed out. "Merow?"

Neji easily guessed her question. "The bastard Uchiha has been locked up and drained of his chakra, Orochimaru was killed, and Kabuto is locked up aswell." The kit purred contently and rubbed her head against his palm. "Gaara and Temari are resting, the majority of Sound have been destroyed and we lost a minimum of three Suna nin. Konohas sent forces are searching for the escaped Sound."

'We won. Thank Kami-sama!' 'Yea, wouldn't want Neji hurt would we~?' Sakura froze at Inners words. 'W-what!?' Inner cackled and was silent. Sakura fumed.

"We will be returning to Konoha sometime today after Gaara wakes up, he had asked to see me privately." Sakura frowned slightly. What was this going to lead to? Was the red head going to turn her back or keep her? The pink ball of fluff was quiet a sight with her fur floofed out to its farthest point, pacing around in a little circle, making non-understandable noises with an expression of pure though on her face, small pink nose twitching. Neji laughed to himself. "You remind me of a woman I know, she paces around in the same fashion as you." He brushed off the peculiar sensation the Cherry was said woman, chalking it up to having been thinking about the kunoichi recently.

=^.^=

Within the hour, Gaara woke up and called the Hyuuga to his chambers for a private discussion. The first thing he said was not what the other ninja had been expecting.

"You are poised to win."

"What?" Neji gave him a look suggesting the sand nin had gone off his rocker. "I don't unders-"

"Who do you admire in your village?"

"Huh?" The least eloquent sentence had finally left the pearl eyed mans mouth. Wonderful.

"What made you defend Uzumaki, Naruto?"

Neji froze in midthought, his previous ponderings being on the sanity of Sands kazekage. "Naruto protect my cousin. He is loyal, although annoying at most times. His carefree nature does not belittle his drive and perservearence, as we both had witnessed. He can turn anyone to his own thoughts and make them feel loved, he brings out the best in people and risks his life."

"And Haruno, Sakura?"

Nejis eyes closed involuntarily as images of the pinkette flashed in his mind. The two had worked on several missions in the past togeather and she had healed him an innumeral amount of times. "She is everyones friend, closer to me then anyone. She stands up for the weak and is loyal to her death. She is intelligent and driven." He spoke with his eyes closed, mindless of his words. "Sakura is the forgiver and still holds onto the hope that everyone has good in them, even going so far as to beg the Hokage to let her speak to the Akatsuki. She is still fighting to perform such a notion. When Tsunade-san gives her the okay, she will most likely succeed." His eyes opened just in time to catch the flash of satisfaction on Gaaras face.

"And who reminds you of this woman you speak so highly of?"

"Cherry-chan." The words tumbled out of his mouth without his own thought and yet, it was true. The fiesty kitten he'd found so many nights ago was the spitting image of the radient blossom.

"Thank you."

=^.^=

Gaara's shoulders drooped ever so slightly as he called the feline to him, Neji had proven worthy. And so he had to uphold his end of the bargin. "Tsunade has sent me the way to change you back Sakura-san."

The cat pounced on him in her excitement, loud mews echoing in his chambers.

Gaara had given this moment plenty of though, trust me dear readers, and had reached a conclusion. Sakura was free to choose. He would not fight. He had seen her choose already. And he would not pressure her to pick him or have to deal with the trouble it would cause. And that is why he was holding a sickeningly large needle just out of the cats view.

'What the hell is he doing!' Leave it to Inner to notice the silver instrument of medicine. 'DAMNIT!' Sakura skittted away, despite being a medic-ninja, needles coming at her, not a good thing. So ensued the moment when Temari walked in, saw the cat glowering at her brother from atop his head, fangs bared and dripping what appeared to be his blood, as he hissed back, one arm holding a needle, and the other bleeding at the hand.

"Er... Did I miss something?" Two heads swiveled to face the blond, eyes narrowed in malice and eminating evil, who then backed away out of the room, slammed the door, and walked off mumbeling about homicidal creatures and insane brothers. A loud yowl and a , er- manly, scream echoed down the halls. Neji continued his search for his missing cat on the other side of the mansion.

=^.^=

Sakura sat in his room, awaiting his return. She was back to human form and was antsy to see his reaction to her having been the cat he'd taken care of and shown emotion to. She would need him to complete the ritual for her to stay human, and it was terrifying her how he might react.

Within minutes, the Hyuuga rushed into his room, noticing her chakra signals. He halted at the sight sitting on his window sil. A radiant strawberry haired woman with emerald eyes was dressed in a simple white dress which just barely grazed her porcelin knees and hung off her shoulders, held a vial in her calloused hands. "Sakura?" His mind reeled. Gaara had told him he'd find Cherry in his room, not Sakura.

"Hello Neji-san," She smiled softly at him and a faint twitch of her nose made him pause. "I need your help."

He sat on the edge of his bed, staring up at her as his mind made the connection between Gaaras words and the pinkette in his room. He nodded to her to continue. She rapidly explained all that had happened to change her into the cat he'd known, and back and how she needed his help to stay that way.

"So will you?" She whispered her question to him softly, afraid he'd reject her and say no.

Oooooh, cliffeh. :P I apoligize for the deathly long wait but I was in the play and spring break just started and I've been out partying, and a whole bunch of crap.

~Julieann