FicWad

Contradicted

Chapter Two: Normality Is Overrated

I'll tell you something now. Uzumaki Naruto is quite possibly the nosiest, most interfering person on this planet. And to think, he's been my best friend all these years, as well as my team mate. Makes getting a boyfriend quite hard.

But I've had a few. Boyfriends, that is. Just a couple. Nothing serious. I was, after all, only seventeen or eighteen. My first fling was at fifteen, and that was with Naruto. We kissed. Dated for exactly two days before unanimously agreeing we were better off as friends. I don't regret trying, and knowing my first kiss had gone to someone I trusted with my life was something I could never abhor.

When I was seventeen, my good friend Inuzuka Kiba asked me out. Oh, the fun we had! Kiba was undoubtedly amusing, and the month we spent together consisted of having the time of our lives. I think Naruto spent the entire time being jealous and irritated about having to share his best friend, the poor thing. But eventually the constant fights between Kiba and Naruto wore me down, and I broke it off with Kiba. We still remained friends, thankfully.

Perhaps you are starting to understand what I mean when I say Uzumaki Naruto is the most interfering person on this planet.

At the age of eighteen, a grand total of six years ago, I met Hyuuga Neji for the first time. Well, I had seen the genius around, had watched him fight against Naruto in the first Chuunin exam, and even said a polite hello whenever Naruto stopped in the street to talk to him. But it was when Hinata introduced me to him did we first ever have a proper conversation.

Neji, unlike Kiba, was highly intelligent with an almost cynical, sarcastic sense of humour. After I won an argument against him concerning the political states of higher class families, he seemed to gain a new respect for me, and the next few months were spent arguing and debating everything and anything. Naruto didn't seem to mind so much, after all, Neji didn't demand my attention twenty four/seven like Kiba did.

And then he asked me out for dinner. And then we went to a bar. Got drunk. I invited him into my flat. You can guess the rest.

Naruto wasn't pleased when he did his daily wake up call only to find two lumps in the bed instead of one. Perhaps "wasn't pleased" is an understatement. He was utterly furious. Neji and I had to avoid each other for the next month to evade any trouble with our mutual friend. Not that we were scared or anything, it just seemed like an intelligent, mature idea. Yeah.

Sometimes I just want to kill Uzumaki Naruto in his sleep.

Not that I'd succeed.

But everyone dreams, right?

Five years ago
10th September
11.45 a.m.

"AAAAAARRRRGH!"

Anyone that had been planning on sleeping til midday in the village of Konoha was rudely awakened by the shrill scream. The few ninjas that had still been in bed-namely one Hatake Kakashi-sat up sharply, wondering if the village was under attack.

"NARUTO!"

Kakashi lay back down.

After all, it was only Naruto signing his death warrant.

Only a quarter of a mile away, a roseate haired nineteen year old came barrelling out of the Hokage's office, intent on killing a certain blonde. Her apple green eyes were stormy, and the expression on her face could only be articulated as highly dangerous. It was a sensible choice on most people's part to get out of her way.

Unfortunately, "most people" meant there were one or two people who apparently didn't know a dangerous girl when they saw one.

Or they just didn't want to admit that a girl could be dangerous in any way.

Either way, it was bound to lead to disaster.

"NARUTO!" Sakura hollered again, stomping down the street, making a clear path through the crowds as everyone scrambled hastily away from her, in fear of their lives. Except one man, who grabbed her arm and forced her to come to a stand still.

"What are you doing, screaming bloody murder in the middle of the street?" he hissed.

Sakura whirled around, arm still caught in a tight grip, and looked up into onyx eyes she instantly recognised. "You!" she seethed. "Let go of my arm!"

"No," Uchiha Sasuke snapped, "You'll only go scaring half the village to death!"

"I can scream from here, you know," Sakura threatened, her eyes narrowing, "So let go of my arm so I can kill my best friend and then everyone can relax!"

"For Kami's sake, woman-"

"My name is Haruno Sakura, not woman! " the irate nineteen year old all but snarled at the older ninja. Sasuke blinked, unused to pink haired, enraged girls snarling at him. Usually they fell over their own feet staring at him with hearts where their eyes should be. This was rather...different. Perhaps she didn't know he was?

He needed a different approach.

"Why the hell would you want to kill your best friend?" he tried.

"Because- oh, why do you care? Let me go Uchiha!"

So, she did know! How absurd!

"You know who I am?" Sasuke said in a rare moment of surprise.

"Yes!" she shrieked, looking very, very annoyed, "Uchiha Sasuke, ANBU Captain, Neji-kun told me, whatever! Let me go!"

Sasuke felt his own hackles rising again. There was something about this insolent pink haired witch that galled him.

"Look, you impertinent child, didn't anyone teach you about respect?" he sneered.

Something flashed in Sakura's apple green eyes, something entirely hazardous. Sasuke should've backed off then, but like most arrogant men, he didn't seem to think it mattered.

He changed his mind after she drew back her free arm, spat out "I'll teach you respect!" and slammed a fist into his jaw.

It was a rather powerful punch. Not that he'd ever admit it, but in his surprise, he let go of her arm. She gave a harrumph and stalked off.

Sasuke felt rather sorry for her so-called best friend.

12.30 p.m.

"Found you!" Sakura yelled triumphantly, stalking towards the kyuubi vessel at the ramen stand. She must've passed Ichiraku Ramen Place at least six times, but she supposed he had known she would check...and then his stomach told him that ramen had been put off long enough.

"Sakura!" Naruto chuckled weakly, looking up at the looming figure of his childhood best friend. "Um, what can I do for you?"

"You!" she snarled, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Offering me up for missions like I have no say in them?"

The blue eyed nineteen year old scratched the back of his neck nervously, letting out an anxious titter. "Ano..." he mumbled, "Well, uh, I didn't think you'd be that upset...I mean, it's only a bodyguard mission...B Rank, you know..."

Sakura raised a hand and whacked him over the head. Naruto grimaced, and the pink haired woman sat down next to him and ordered a bowl of miso ramen.

"You're paying." Sakura told him matter-of-factly. Naruto nodded his head instantly, unable to hold back his sigh of relief. The scary part was over.

"Honestly, Naruto!" Sakura suddenly burst out, "Why am I on this mission? I'm a medic! I'm a lot more helpful back here in the hospital than protecting some idiotic Lord of some sort."

So much for the scary part being over.

"I know!" the roseate haired woman declared, her apple green eyes almost piercing a hole through Naruto, who very much wanted to cower, but pride stopped him, "You just didn't want to be bored!"

The blonde, normally noisy shinobi winced. She had it in one.

"Yeah, well, Tsunade-baa-chan made me Captain and said I should take three others!" Naruto said, puffing his chest out in a display of self-importance. Sakura couldn't help but smile and know that he was simply trying to do his best. "I said you because I know I'll just screw it up without someone to help me." Naruto added a lot more weakly.

Sakura shook her head, "Naruto-kun, you don't need me. You've been fine the last year, haven't you?"

"Yeah, well..."

Sakura sighed, and thanked Ayame as she placed a bowl full of ramen in front of her.

"Anyway!" Naruto said, after thanking Ayame as well, and taking a large bite of his ramen, "I asked Hinata-chan earlier, you know, because having the Byakugan would help, and she said yes, and I need to ask someone else-preferably a guy, just so I don't end up stuck with three girls, because that would suck-"

"Naruto..." she said warningly. If anything, Sakura was a feminist.

"Gomen!" Naruto said cheerfully, finishing his bowl of ramen speedily. He didn't sound that sorry, most likely because he was too used to his pink haired best friend's mood swings and knew that giving her what she wanted even if he obviously didn't mean it was usually the best way to solve any temper-induced problems.

"Alright people!" yelled a familiar voice. The shinobi and kunoichi looked up from their bowls, having opposite reactions to the people in front of them.

"Kiba! Hinata!" Sakura grinned, "What-"

"Hinata-chan, good to see you!" Naruto said loudly over Sakura, giving Kiba the filthiest look he could conjure. Hinata flushed, pressing her fingers together awkwardly as she glanced between her jubilant team mate and her blonde crush.

Sakura, like Hinata, also glanced between her ex-boyfriend and her best friend, wondering what argument would occur now. Kiba and Naruto had a long rivalry that came from two loud mouths constantly clashing with each other, always vying for attention. It didn't help that Naruto's best friend and teammate liked Kiba -enough to date him- and that Kiba's best friend and teammate absolutely adored Naruto.

It left poor Sakura and Hinata in rather obstinate positions.

"Oi, oi, Sakura, how's it going?" Kiba greeted cheerfully as he sat down next to her. He gave her an irresistible lopsided grin that always made the pink haired woman smile.

"Got a B Rank mission next week," Sakura replied, finishing off her bowl of ramen before fully turning to the Inuzuka, "It's been a week, Kiba! It's been exactly seven days since we turned into Jounins!" she said excitedly.

Kiba grinned back at her. "I know! I heard about the mission, Hinata told me. Is that baka stealing all my lady friends for this mission?"

"Of course not, you still got Shino, right?"

"Shino's not a girl-Sakura! Shame on you! I don't think Shino would enjoy being called a girl you know!" Kiba tried to keep a stern face, but gave up at the sound of Sakura's giggles, and grinned at the roseate haired girl.

"You're rubbing off me, Kiba." Sakura said through her chuckles, "It's all your fault!"

"Oh, yeah, blame it all on the male!"

"But of course!"

Kiba and Sakura grinned at each other, Naruto glared at them and Hinata stood to the side, watching nervously.

Ah, normality. Isn't it such a nice thing?

The friendly, cheerful banter continued between Sakura and Kiba, and Naruto decided his time was better spent talking to the Hyuuga and eating ramen rather than glaring. It was a rather wise deduction on his part, and the next hour was spent in relative peace as a result.

Until Uchiha Sasuke decided he wanted ramen for lunch.

1.45 p.m.

Hyuuga Neji was very well aware of two things at that very moment. One was that close friend Naruto seemed to have finally forgiven him for that incident with a certain pink haired kunoichi six months ago. Two was that fellow ANBU Captain Uchiha Sasuke looked like he wanted to kill that pink haired kunoichi.

Just what had Haruno Sakura got herself into now?

And that was how Neji found himself restraining a furious Sasuke. Which was, understandably, rather difficult.

"Just...what exactly is...going on!" Neji demanded, glancing thankfully at his younger cousin who had grabbed hold of Sasuke's free arm. Only a couple of feet away, Naruto had resorted to grabbing Sakura around the waist and Kiba stood in front of her, blocking her view of the angry Uchiha and talking to her in a low, soothing voice.

"Damnit Hyuuga, let me go! " Sasuke roared.

"Hinata!"

"H-he said," stammered Hinata, "That females sh-should stick t-to being ho- housewives."

Neji winced, and kept a tighter grip on Sasuke, hoping to Kami that Naruto could restrain Sakura, and that she would not resort to using her super human strength in this instant. It was well known to her friends and acquaintances that Sakura detested anyone that considered females to be weak and incapable of earning a living, let alone being successful ninjas. Her reaction to being told so was usually violent and exceedingly dangerous.

"Sakura!" Neji called over everyone's voices, "Sakura, listen to me!"

"What?" she snapped angrily, twisting and turning in Naruto's grip.

"Do you respect me?" he demanded.

Sakura blinked. Whatever she had expected, it certainly wasn't that. Where was the 'get yourself together girl!' And the 'don't take it so seriously!' ?

"Yeah, your point?" she snapped, her anger quickly over taking her surprise.

"Good, because I respect you!"

Surprise came again. This time to everyone. Rarely did Hyuuga Neji state that he respected someone.

"What?" Kiba said dumbly, turning around and consequently allowing Sakura a full view of a snarling Sasuke, and the Hyuuga cousins restraining him.

"What are you on about?" Sasuke growled at Neji.

Glad he had gotten everyone attention and no one was shouting themselves hoarse anymore, he continued in a calmer voice.

"You shouldn't listen to people who don't know what they're on about, alright?"

"WHAT!" Sasuke yelled.

Surprisingly, it was Hinata who elbowed in him in the gut.

"You know what I was like before the Chuunin exam. Naruto showed me a better world. No one's done that for Sasuke, so he doesn't know what is considered something you'd take highly offensive." Neji said matter-of-factly.

Sasuke renewed his struggles. Normally, he would be able to get out of their grip easily, but he was loath to hurting the few friends he had.

"Better world? You've lost it Hyuuga!" Sasuke growled.

"I respect you. Don't my opinion weigh more, as your friend?"

Sakura sighed in resignation. Apparently, Neji's words had hit home. Naruto tentatively let go of her, and since she didn't immediately race towards the still restrained Uchiha, everyone assumed that Haruno Sakura had been successfully calmed down. And within five minutes of her anger flaring up.

It was a new record.

Neji turned to Sasuke. "Since she's no longer planning to attack you, you can calm down."

"Calm down?" the Uchiha gritted out, "She's punched me twice today!"

Naruto let out a snort. "Twice? I only saw one...damnit..."

"Are you okay?" Kiba asked Sakura, who nodded, still glaring heatedly at the onyx eyed twenty one year old.

"Thanks Neji-kun." She said, her apple green eyes moving from Sasuke to the lavender eyed man.

Neji nodded, and looked at his cousin. She bit her lip, nodded, and simultaneously they let go of Sasuke.

"About time!" Sasuke snapped, his cold stare swivelling from the Hyuugas to Sakura. He snorted, "Pathetic. As expected from a female, they need a male to protect them."

Sakura's anger erupted once more, but before she could act, or Naruto could restrain her, or even Neji could react in some way, Sasuke crumpled to the ground, fully unconscious.

Hinata stood over him with a rather odd look on her face.

"He was annoying me."

*

Now this is something to remember. I'll always remember this, I'll always get a kick out of it, and I'll always burst out laughing when I think of it.

Hyuuga Hinata had just knocked Uchiha Sasuke unconscious with a single strike.

Now that's not normal. Then again...

Normality is overrated.