——Bloom Again——

"Everyone deserves a second chance,"

———————————

Going through Academy again was tiring in her opinion. During the lunch break, she was bombarded with never-ending questions from Naruto about her 'disappearance' (That's what he call it). Then, just as she was finally done answering Naruto's last question with a random reason she was dragged to Iruka sensei to receive a lecture about why Academy was important and that she shouldn't skip it unless she wants to quit it.

As if it couldn't have been any worst, she was dragged away by a fuming Ino the moment she walked out from Iruka's office.

Once Sakura realised they were in a secluded area at the Academy, she shrugged Ino's hold on her wrist away with a tug. Ino turn around and meet her eyes with one of her own glare

"Why did you pull me here, Ino-pig?"

"Don't think I didn't saw you ogling at Sasuke-kun this morning!"Ino fumed angrily

Sakura sighed, "Ino,like I said, you can have him. I'm not going to compete with you in a childish game."

"C-childish game?!"Ino stutter angrily, couldn't believe what her rival had just said  "I'll have you know competing after Sasuke-kun's heart is not childish at all! He is the most handsome, cool and the smartest boy among us all!"

Sakura's green eyes held a fierce look as she says her next words, "That's it? Is that the only reason why you like him?"

"Of course not! He's also very brave, determined and also strong. He manages to beat Naruto in a spar yesterday!"Ino said dreamily dreaming about her wedding day with Sasuke

"What about his personality?"

Ino broke out of her daydream of her and Sasuke getting married "What about it?"

"What's his favourite food? Do you know about his family? What's his favourite colour? Or how he is disgusted and repulsed by all the fangirls?"

"N-no, but I—"

"You don't even try to get to know him, "Sakura interrupts

"What do you mean? I invited him out on so many dates but he rejected them all!"Ino yelled angrily

"Well, what do you expect when someone you dont even know comes up to you, fangirls over your looks and ask you out on a date?"

Ino had a realisation look on her face, guilt was slowly creeping up to her, "I'll be creeped out,"

"Exactly. Maybe if you treat him less like a object, he'll actually finally pay attention to you, Ino,"

With that, Sakura walked away from the scene, once again leaving the blonde haired girl to contemplate with her own thoughts.

"I'm sorry,"

::

"You can come out now,"

Sakura watches a hustle from a nearby bush and a figure appear.

"You are not Sakura, who are you?"

"I knew you would come forward and confront me, "Sakura said calmly

The figure narrowed his eyes, "Answer my question. Sakura would have—"

"Jumped on you and squeal like a banshee?"Sakura finished his sentence for him "Aren't you just glad that you've lost a fangirl or are you actually concern about the number of fangirls you have?"

The figure shuddered, inwardly cringing."I don't, "He spat out

"Then I don't see why you must be an eavesdropper, Sasuke,"

"I wasn't, "He continues "I was just passing by,"

"I didn't know to pass by includes staying and listening, "Sakura didn't wait to see Sasuke's expression as she immediately shunshin her way out of the secluded area just around the time the bell ring.

Once she was sure Sasuke wasn't around her as she walks back to class, Sakura let her lips tug upwards.  She misses the time where she can tease Sasuke and he would stupidly fall into her tease unknowingly. The said boy would sometimes fume in anger and would pout and sulk for the whole day once he realises he had once again fallen into her trap.

Just like the future Sasuke Uchiha, 11-year-old Sasuke Uchiha was also sulking for the rest of the day as everyone else thought he had become 10 times more moody just because but Sakura knew better.

::

Time passes by like wind for the next few days. Sakura found herself interacting with Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba and Naruto the most while she kept a mutual distance from Sasuke since he didn't want to approach her. She told herself she wouldn't approach him unless he approaches her first.

It was when she was returning home from buying new weights to train her stamina when it started to rain. Droplets after droplets started to pour on her.

Not wanting to run in the rain nor risk the chance of her new weights getting wet, she stops by at a nearby cafe. The bell chimed as she enters and immediately a worker greeted her.

As she walks around to get herself a seat, a familiar figure was already sitting in one of their tables, sipping a cup of hot tea. If it wasn't for his sleek long brown hair or his clothes or the fact that Sakura had been best friends with him for years in the future, Sakura wouldn't have guessed that it was Neji who was the one sipping on his cup of hot tea.

She contemplates whether or not she should introduce herself but it was already too late as Neji had sent her a curious glance with his pearl white eyes. She took the risk and sat on the same table beside him. Neji stiffened up immediately at the newcomer at his table

"Hi, you must be Neji Hyuga, right? I'm Sakura Haruno," She greeted him cheerfully offering her hand for a handshake

Neji didn't raise his own to shake her hands. Instead, he stares at it blankly.

"Fate must have been cruel to led me meeting someone like you, "Neji scoffs and Sakura had to control herself from sending Neji across the room with her fist. It was really tempting.  But she reminds herself that Neji was still a boy who grows up in the branch family and was still stuck in the "fate and destiny is the reason why my life sucks" phase.

"Wow, Rude much, Neji-kun?" She practically spat out his name with the endearing suffix and his eye darken.

But Sakura wasn't done. In fact, it hasn't even started yet," Before fate decides to get your ass kick by me, I suggest you get off your high horse," She continues, her emerald green eyes were filled with a mischievousness that only people who were close to her would recognise.

Neji narrowed his eyes."Are you threatening me, Haruno?"

"What if I am?"She challenged

"I wouldn't back down if you were for your information,"

"That's the point, Neji. Loosened up a little, will you?"Shooting him a smile, she stood up. He blinks once. Twice.

"Now, how about we have a friendly spar to determine whether fate is on your side or mine?"

::

Neji didn't know how one moment he was sipping tea and relaxing his mind and the next thing he knew he's been goaded by a pink haired girl (who is still in the academy) to a friendly spar.

"Keep your eyes peel, Neji-kun!"The voice echoed throughout the training ground that was oddly peaceful

And there she goes again with the suffix that makes him uncomfortable. It was as if she knew what to do to push his button. His pearly white eyes scan the training ground and found a loophole among the trees.

'There!' He throws a Kunai in that direction and smirks smugly

'You are brave enough to challenge fate, but unfortunately, fate is already predetermined. Your fate is for you to lose in this spar!'

The kunai he threw went through the loophole and the genjutsu around him was dispel. He didn't get any time to adjust to the light as a pink blur came out of nowhere and had sent him flying with just a punch on the chest. Neji quickly regains his composure and did a flip that saves him some time and embarrassment and dodges the incoming kick that was aimed for his head.

Deciding that it was his turn to shine, he activated his byakugan and tried to cut off her chakra or at least disrupt her nerves until she was unable to move,but Sakura was a medic-nin and she has a lot of experience in fighting with Neji despite the fact her current body couldn't fully catch up with the physical strength that she had in the future.

She dodges and instead counters the attack with Chakra scalpels that she had been training herself for since returning to the past. It wasn't the best, she still had a long way to go to catch up to her future self, but it'll make do for now. Neji's eyes widen and dodges the incoming slash but were not quick enough as one of the chakra scalpels had actually managed to cut his cheek. Sakura jumped away from an incoming kick from Neji.

He wiped away the blood dripping from the cut. He smirked.

'Not bad for an academy student,'He thought before he jumped into the spar once more, this time more serious than before.

::

The sun was already setting by the time they were done sparring. Wind breezes by the duo that were already lying on the ground catching their breath.

"That—"Sakura paused to wheeze before continuing,"—was fun. We should do it some more,"

Neji flicked his eyes towards her and raised his eyebrows."What do you mean?"

"For a Hyuga, I would have expected your byakugan to see underneath the underneath. Looks like I was wrong, "Sakura pull herself up and chooses to lean against a tree trunk instead, "Did you really think I decided to spar with you because I believed in fate and destiny?"

Neji frowned.

"No, I don't believe in predetermined fate. Not anymore. I used to though, but a good friend of mine proof to me that no fate or destiny can hold him down. He will write his own fate," Sakura explained and flashbacks of the blond number one most unpredictable ninja appear. Naruto had always been the one to break any stereotypes.

It was one of the reason why Sakura chose to become Tsunade's apprentice. She realised that the destiny of her becoming 'The weak useless girl that got left behind in Team 7' can be broken and she became so much more. She wrote her own destiny.

Neji was silent after that, contemplating her words. Seeing this, Sakura approached him.

"Neji, I may not be much like you said, but I am willing to be someone who's there for you. I know it must have been hard to be a part of the branch family—"

Neji's hand reaches out for Sakura's neck and her words died in her throat. His hands tightened around her neck. She couldn't move, no matter how much she wanted to as her body just wouldn't listen to her.

"You don't understand anything, Haruno,"

And with that words and a faint mark of his hands on Sakura's neck, he disappeared.

Sakura wheeze as air was quickly rushing into her lungs. She grasped her neck gently, caressing it as she pondered on the incident that just happens.

She was angry at herself for mentioning his family. Of course, he would have acted negatively on impulse at someone who he thinks didn't have a clue at what he faced.

By the time she was done pondering on her mistakes, the sun had already set. Sighing, Sakura stood up and brushed away the dust on her clothes. Sakura had reached a conclusion for that day. Neji Hyuga during his genin years was a force to be reckoned with and she will have to find another way to befriend him.

On the way home, Sakura bumped into a blond knucklehead. Said Blond boy had invited her to have Ramen for dinner. Seeing him being in a pair of dirty clothes and fill with scratches makes her heart heavy and so, she rejected his invitation. The boy was dejected immediately yet Sakura still smiled. Her next words, however, were the reason he was all cheered up again.

"How about you come over to my house for dinner instead?"

—To be continued—

It's Friday! Which means another chapter of this book is being published!Wooo!

I don't know if you guys notice it, but I've been uploading it on Friday for the last two chapters.

Anyway,
Do you think Sakura should have to approach Neji in a different way?

How was the fight scene? This is my first time writing a fight scene so I'll definitely need to improve on that