Learn to Love

No, Neji Hyuga was not one to panic. A Hyuga in general was not one to panic. But as I left the empty apartment for the third time that week I couldn’t help but feel that frantic feeling of alarm creep into my system. I can’t quite figure it out but my instincts are telling me that something isn’t right.
‘What the hell am I talking about?! I know something isn’t right. She should have been back days ago.’
I went over the math in my head. Sakura had left for a month long mission toward the end of May. I remember ’cause she was pretty pissed that she would be missing the Konohan Summer Festival. Again. Well that and I had given her a good-bye the night before that’s pretty hard to forget. And now it’s July second and there’s still no sign of her.
‘Sakura where are you?’
Taking a deep breath I headed down stairs and into the crowded streets of Konoha. The weather has been crisp and clean all week with a light breeze. Sakura would have loved this. I sighed as my thoughts continued to stray to her. ‘Why isn’t she home? Is it possible that her mission has been extended? Is Suna really that shorthanded? But what if she’s not even in Suna? What if she was attacked on the way back? Maybe that deranged man they call a Kazekage is keeping her hostage? He always was a weird one.’ As he continued to make his way to the Hokage Tower he continued to contemplate different reasons that could have cause Sakura’s absence for the past week. Suddenly one harsh thought hit home like a ton of bricks.
‘What if she hasn’t come home because she no longer wants to marry me,’ he thought with sudden alarm. ‘Maybe the reason she’s not coming home is because she doesn’t want to hurt me.’ Neji felt his brow furrow at such a silly notion. He was just letting his childhood insecurities get him again. Of course Sakura wanted to marry him. At least he liked to think she would. They had been together for almost two years now. She was the only person to ever break the ice around his heart, and she was the only one that would ever have a special place there. Once she worked her way into his world, Neji snatched her up and never let go. She was about the only person he wasn’t a stoic icecube to, next to his teammates.
“Hyuga-sama!”
Neji looked up to see a...well a rather pathetic looking Shizune. Her eyes looked like she had had very little to no sleep and on top of that it looked as though she had been crying. The Hyuga just quirked a brow.
“Your timing is perfect. I was just about to come steal you away from…well from wherever you were.” Shizune said giving an awkward laugh.
All he could do was stare. Was she seriously trying to be funny? The woman looked as though she had been through hell and back.
“Right then. Tsunade-sama want you in her office asap.”
“Hai.” And with that he turned to leave.
“And Neji-san,” Shizune called softly after him, “I’m sorry.”
Before he could ask her what for she was already gone.
***************************
Knocking. It was like an alarm going off letting her know that her time of stalling and pretending was up. It was time to share her knowledge. With another swig of sake she was ready.
“Come in.”
As he shut the door behind him Tsunade came around and leaned on the desk. “Have a seat Hyuga,” she said gesturing to one of the chairs in front of her. His eyes locked on her as he did what she asked.
Silence ensued.
It was like time had frozen. There she stood staring at him with a look dowsed in sympathy , as he stared back trying to figure out what was about to come out of her mouth.
But nothing but more silence came.
Not being able to take anymore Neji closed his eyes. “Is she dead?” he asked with a slight quiver.
“No,” came the soft, sad reply.
Taking a deep breath he relaxed a little. “Where is she?”
Tsunade’s face fell for a moment before her eyes met the floor. “I’m sorry Neji, there’s nothing we can do.”
Neji stood up his chakra pulsing through his body. “Where is she?!” he tried again.
Looking up into the young man’s face knowing that she had to tell him, made her feel like shit for a person. Here was a man that loved her student possibly more than her and she was about to break his heart. It was a shame it had come to this. They could have been truly happy. And they would have had some crazy powerful kids. Tsunade smirked at the thought. Kami she wished things were different.
“The Akatsuki has her.”
Neji’s face contorted from confusion to anger to fear and finally to revelation. “Send a squad after her!”
“I can’t do that Neji. Not without breaking the law.”
“And why the hell not? I’ll lead the squad myself. I’m far more than qualified.”
“No you will not Neji. We can’t do anything about it. She belongs to him. Quite literally.”
“Belongs to who? The Akatsuki?”
“No Hyuga-san. To Itachi Uchiha himself. Let me show you something.”
*********************************

Neji couldn’t believe it. Who the hell sold their kid to another man’s son. What kind of fucked up parents did Sakura have. He could understand arranged marriages, for the were still common today, especially among the noble households. But to sell your child. Not even his uncle would go so low. Neji broke open another bottle of sake as he continued to read the “marriage contract.” More like human trafficing contract. He still couldn’t even grasp how this was legal. But according to Tsunade she had gone over it a thousand times with the elders and the contract hadn’t broken any laws; only because they used every loophole they could. Fucking bastard Uchiha’s!!! He was going to have to find a way through this contract before the elders would even consider a retrieval mission for Sakura. He just hoped he could get to her before anything traumatizing happened to her.

Authors Note: Now we're getting somewhere. Update tommorrow night? Yes No? LoL