Chapter 181 Premonition of the Storm

Maybe it was the same faith that had been in Hinata's eyes last night; the faith in herself and something greater that had shone in her eyes after she had defeated him by her own rules, her own way.

Neji suddenly realized that he was already several minutes overdue for his appointment, so he put his thoughts aside and straightened his appearance.

The blood vessels around his white eyes calmed down and his world shrank again, color filling his vision again.

He released his chakra slowly - both so as not to alert the two men and so as not to let them know he was eavesdropping - then he turned the corner and knocked on the wall to signal his presence.

The two ninjas who were talking in low voices with their heads together raised their heads, and their conversation came to an abrupt end.

Neji cleared his throat and nodded when the two looked over - even though he knew it was probably futile, at least he tried to be polite.

Although Sakura was surprised by his sudden appearance, Shikamaru didn't react much - although his eyes did dim a little when he saw Neji, and the flickering warmth was replaced by a calm and elusive indifference.

"Ningji?" Sakura asked in confusion, "What are you doing here?"

"Obviously, I came to see you," Neji replied calmly, his expression perfectly hidden by his cold mask.

He didn't miss the flash of nervousness in Shikamaru's tone, fleeting as it was.

"For some reason Hinata wanted to see you more than go to the hospital," he explained, "I came to ask for your help."

Sakura's expression quickly changed from confusion to concern, then to a genuine determination so strong that it almost sent shockwaves through Neji's body.

She immediately stepped in front of him, paying no attention to the almost non-existent personal space between them.

"What happened?" she demanded. "Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She's stable now." Neji answered uncertainly. He visibly took a half step back, a little uneasy about Shikamaru's scrutinizing gaze still lingering on him.

Shikamaru didn't move from his spot by the window, his expression didn't change, but something in the air seemed heavy, his focus weighing on him.

"There was some...altercation at the training grounds," he told Sakura, "and several meridians in her arm were severed."

"What kind of dispute?" Shikamaru asked suddenly, drawing Neji's attention back to him. His tone was calm, but his eyes said otherwise.

"I'm not sure what this has to do with you." Neji replied coldly, but when he turned to Sakura and saw the undisguised worry and anger in her eyes, he changed his words and said, "Hinata will tell you if she wants. This is not something I should say."

"Where is she?" Sakura asked again, rummaging through a hip bag that Neji assumed contained her medical supplies.

"I'll take you to her."

Sakura nodded and glanced back.

"Come on, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru's eyes were strange, sharp and deep, and he shook his head.

"I'll be there soon," he said quietly.

For some reason, these words sent a chill down Neji's spine.

Over the next few hours, Neji realized two things.

First, at least for Team 9, Haruno Sakura is indeed much better than the hospital in treating injuries less serious than broken limbs.

And she is happy to prove it with her decisive actions and outstanding efficiency.

Neji watched in awe as Sakura expertly and gently healed Hinata's injuries.

Under her skillful hands, those terrible wounds miraculously disappeared.

Her nimble fingers accomplished in just minutes what would have taken hours in the hospital, rebuilding Hinata's shattered blood vessels with the grace of an artist and the precision of an engineer.

However, Shikamaru wasn't kidding about the time limit, which became clearer after Neji spent twenty minutes watching how Sakura repaired tissue and bone like sculpting clay.

So, exactly four and a half minutes into the fast-paced battle between Shikamaru and Haruno, Shikamaru stopped in the middle of the ring, casually dusted off his shirt, looked the examiner straight in the eye, and announced his forfeit.

******

"Well, I just hate waiting around and doing nothing."

"If you were more patient, this wouldn't be such a hassle."

"I'd rather practice a few more moves on your face."

"Can you guys stop arguing, please?"

Kiba complained a few times but finally shut up, and Shino also quieted down at Hinata's request.

Sasuke sat aside, observing them anxiously, with an ominous feeling in his heart.

Now there were only seven of them left, occupying a corner of the contestant viewing stand: Ino and Chouji, Hinata, Kiba and Shino, Sakura, and himself.

Naruto was waiting in the battle zone, waiting for his match with Gaara to begin, and Shikamaru... well, Shikamaru was late.

Sasuke had no idea what the hell he was doing.

Neji was gone for a bit too long, which was unusual.

There was a hint of unease in the air. Despite the boisterous sounds and excited energy of the audience, there was a tension in the atmosphere that grew as time went on, like the fuse on a bomb slowly burning.

Naruto's absence also bothered Sasuke, but that wasn't unusual.

As he closed his eyes and focused, he could feel Naruto's bright chakra at the edge of his perception, even and calm.

Of all the tension he felt, not a single ounce belonged to Naruto - only the steady pulse of his bright energy, the rising and falling rhythm of his breathing.

He was meditating; perhaps conversing with the Kyuubi.

Sakura walked around Ino and Kiba and patted Choji's shoulder.

She said nothing, the energy bar still in her mouth, but Choji handed her another one without hesitation, as if she had asked for it out loud.

With her mouth full of food, she mumbled a thank you, gave Choji a quick hug, then ran over to Sasuke and handed him an energy bar.

Sasuke gave her a brief but grateful smile and took the energy bar, tearing open the wrapper and taking a nonchalant bite.

Choji's energy bar was easily the best he'd ever tasted; this one was salty-sweet, and Sasuke recognized it as a chakra-replenishing energy bar—one of several Choji made specifically to help with rapid chakra restoration. The sweet syrup used to bind the ingredients contained a compound similar to that of the Hyouryogan, but much gentler on Sasuke's digestive system.

Sasuke ate half of the energy bar, and Sakura laughed after he finished his own, then took one out of her other pocket and finished it in no time.

When she was done, she stuck her tongue out at him and Sasuke handed her the canteen.

"What's wrong?" she asked after taking a big sip of water.

"How long will it take him to start?" Sasuke asked, wrapping up the remaining half of the energy bar and putting it away.

"Half an hour." Sakura answered, knowing who he was referring to without asking. "What's wrong?"

Sasuke used the back of his hand to wipe a handful of black hair, letting it fall down and cover his eyes.

"Where is teacher Kakashi?" He did not answer Sakura's question, but asked another question. Sakura's eyes narrowed slightly.

"In the Hokage's box, I think. What's wrong, Sasuke?"