Hello, dears.

I hope I find you all well and pleasant? Yes? :D Good.

Devil'sLittleBabyGirl: *evil laughter* :D WELL. . . Sorry. I have many projects + life/work so I write in moderation. :D

Teera-Chan: Don't ask me. I have no idea on earth what he was going to say. XD . . . Kind of.

uchihaxchick: Hm. . . Winter. . . Interesting.

AnimeFreak218: No, I just was re-reading a few chapters of this and was like, Oh, crap, what season is this?! 'Cause I really do need to know by the end of the Fic. XD Kinda important for the scenery and such, ya know?

10TeNjI10: Haha. He got whomped. . . Whomped is such a cool word. . . *snicker*

beckylovesgigs: Thankies! :D

RandomlyHomocidal: Eh. . . About the depth thing. . . Didn't turn out very . . . depthy. . . My sincere apologies.

KMU: Sorry, but I just had to shorten your name, if that's alright. There's no way I can commit yours to memory with all the ms. One month later good for you? ;D

Caramel Revenge: Twenty-two days is quick for you?! It felt like a lifetime for me. XD Hm. . . Does your school go year-round?

Alrighty, guys.

This seems more like filler chapter the more I think it over.

More fighting next chap. I promise. :D

Disclaimer: I swear, Kishie, if Danzo isn't dead by next chapter, I will be the one killing!!!!!! And then I'll claim Naruto as my own. :P

Eleven.

Cora was not pleased with waking me up the next morning.

I was grumpy and extremely tired, considering the lack of sleep I’d gotten a few hours before.

“Ugh. Fine. Get your own damn self up.”

I threw my covers off me and rolled a little, collapsing to the floor in a loud thump.

“Ow!” I complained, my shoulder protesting in pain.

Cora came out of the bathroom we shared with the girls next door to us and saw me on the floor.

“Why’s your side all bandaged up?”

I stared at her.

“Uh. . . well. . . my side’s been hurting a bit, so I just bandaged it up.”

Cora nodded slowly, looking not all that convinced.

“Maybe you should go to the infirmary then. . .” she trailed, sounding unsure.

“No! No, I’m . . . I’ll be fine.”

Cora shrugged, not overly concerned.

She watched me struggle for a few more minutes, before saying, “You’re going to miss breakfast.”

“I’m not hungry,” I answered, finally wresting myself free of my blankets.

Cora rolled her eyes but said a quick goodbye and left, throwing her school bag over her shoulder as she went.

I shook my head at the floor, sighing in exhaustion.

I stumbled into an upright position, fumbling into the bathroom.

I took my time getting dressed that morning.

Usually, Cora rushed the life out of me in the mornings, but today she wasn’t there to bustle me around.

I skipped breakfast; I hadn’t just told Cora I wasn’t hungry to make her leave, I actually was being honest for a change.

My first class was History, where I was convinced that mornings were far too early to learn that particular subject.

I finished dressing and walked out of my dorm room yawning, my feet slowly walking down to History.

As I had suspected, it was boring as hell, our teacher covering the familiar path of the Romans and their war lust.

The middle of the day approached quickly, nonetheless, and I found myself stumbling out of my fourth period class sooner than I expected.

And then, before I even registered what was happening, I was intercepted by a pink-haired girl with a death grip.

“Sakura, what the hell!” I snapped at her, irritated at the rough handling.

She rolled her eyes.

“Neji, being the complete idiot he is, forgot to tell you where exactly we eat. So he sent me to show you. . . which is better actually, now that I think about it, since it is kind of hard to get to.”

I sighed loudly, making my annoyance clear.

Sakura ignored me, just as I expected her to.

“So, how come I haven’t been invited into your stinking lunch club before now?”

Sakura shrugged.

“I don’t know. Slipped our minds?”

“Yeah, whatever,” I muttered bitterly.

She remained silent and led me past the rows of classrooms and dorms, heading up to the second floor where more dorms were located.

Sakura led me all the way to the teacher’s staff room, but instead of going in, we took the stairs beside it.

“Where does this go?” I asked her suspiciously.

“The roof,” she replied shortly.

My brow furrowed.

The roof? Why the roof?

Bright sunlight assaulted my eyes as I went through the door at the top, following after Sakura blindly.

I shielded my irises, blinking to get rid of the sunspots in my vision.

“Finally! I’m starving!!” came a shout from Naruto.

I blinked a little more before ultimately focusing on a bench table next to a large aluminum air conditioning duct.

Gathered in the seats were the people I had come to consider my friends.

“Shut up, Naruto; we’re hungry too!” snapped Ino, beside him, making room for Sakura to sit.

I reached the wooden table, taking the only other available space on the end.

It did not completely surprise me to find Neji across from me, staring.

When I met his gaze, he sent me a slight smile.

I broke the stare, however, to glance at the many sandwiches on the plate in the middle, a big bag of chips lying on top of it.

“Where’d you get all this food?” I asked Neji.

“It was Naruto’s turn and he always makes us sandwiches. . . usually peanut butter and jelly.”(1)

“You take turns getting food for everyone?”

Neji nodded.

“It’s a little bonding project of ours. . . Your turn will be after Ino.”

I stared at him.

“Uh, I don’t have any money, that’s not gonna happen.”

Neji shook his head.

“Then get a job,” he replied unsympathetically, taking a drink from his bottle of water.

I glared at him and rolled my eyes, turning my ear back to the conversation.

Naruto was passing out sandwiches to the surrounding participants.

I received mine, peeking inside.

Yup. Definitely peanut butter and jelly.

I brought it to my mouth and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully.

“So,” Neji began after everyone became silent in their eating, “the schedule for the rest of this week includes Sakura tonight, Kiba and Naruto on Wednesday, and Ino on Saturday.”

I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“It’s the lineup for the fights this week,” Sakura clarified, looking casually in Neji’s direction.

“Can I go?” I immediately asked.

Sakura shrugged, gesturing towards Neji.

“Ask him,” she instructed with a sigh.

I slid my eyes to Neji, where he was considering me.

He slowly took another bite of his sandwich, his eyes easily roving my face.

The scene from last night hit me, and I flinched ever so slightly.

Neji swallowed and nodded once in consent.

I grinned a big smile, pleased.

“Good.”

Neji smirked and rolled his eyes, looking away from me to the skyline around.

I shifted towards Sakura.

“So who are you fighting?” I called out to her.

Sakura shrugged, looking puzzled.

“I have no idea. I won’t know until tonight. The people we fight with are completely decided on chance when we get to where we’re fighting. Naruto and Neji are the only ones who know who they’re getting to fight ‘cause they’re the only two in the highest levels.”

Naruto sent me a glance as he reached for a handful of chips.

“Trust me, it’s not always the best thing, knowing who you’re fighting.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Sounds like a luxury to me,” I mumbled.

I looked to Neji to see him staring.

“You get to better prepare that way,” he informed me quietly, his gaze steady. “It’s better sometimes. . . better than not knowing how to prepare.”

“Neji, when will I get to have my first fight?”

Neji cocked his head at me, obviously considering.

I took a bite of my sandwich, watching him muse carefully.

“You’re not ready yet but . . . maybe in a few months. . . A few weeks if you work hard enough.”

Eagerly, I responded, “When can we start?”

Neji smiled.

“Tonight, after Sakura’s fight. Do you have any tests tomorrow?”

“No. . .”

“Alright then. Tonight.”

I grinned at him.

“Oh, my God,” exclaimed Sakura aloud.

I looked at her to see her eyes on Neji and I.

I raised an eyebrow in query.

She shook her head, suddenly silenced as she stuffed the last of her sandwich in her mouth.

My eyes swivelled back to Neji, who shrugged.

The bell rang, sounding low and distant from under us.

My friends rose with grumbles and started towards the stairs, tossing their trash in a stolen bin by the bench.

Neji fell into step with me, continuing down the stairs with me as the rest of our group dispersed ahead.

I saw Sakura throw several looks at us over her shoulder before Naruto took her hand, leading her.

I grimaced; I expected a lecture later.

Neji and I walked slowly down to the ground floor, stopping at my Geography class.

Neji’s eyes absently scanned the people flitting around beside us.

“You know,” he said casually without warning, “if this training goes well tonight, it might be two weeks at the most. . .”

I raised my eyebrows.

“Don’t screw with me. We’ll see when I’m ready,” I replied primly.

Neji smiled and shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Fine. Meet me tonight at the building around ten.”

I nodded and threw a look at him over my shoulder as I walked into the classroom.

It wasn’t until later in the class that I realized that bastard had used reverse psychology on me.

I immediately resolved to pummel his ass the next time I saw him.

She doesn't seem to have much of a conscience, does she?

XD

Alright. Maybe the next chapter will be up in a few weeks. We'll see.

Me gusto reviews.