Sasuke's twin sister, But Neji's first love

More Than A Match

I sat down on the ground next to Sasuke, brushing stray twigs from my legs. The purple tint of my chakra had faded, but a faint ache still lingered in my limbs. Adrenaline had been replaced by something heavier—thoughts I didn't want to deal with yet.

Sasuke watched me for a moment, arms crossed.

"What's going on between you two?" he asked flatly.

I blinked, pretending not to understand. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sasuke didn't even roll his eyes. "Neji. You and him. I see the way he looks at you. I'm not exactly sure what that look means, but it's not the way he looks at the rest of us."

His words made my heart stutter for a second, something I hated admitting. I looked away and gave a shrug, but couldn't stop the corner of my mouth from twitching up slightly.

I wonder what he thinks of when he looks at me...

Before I could dwell on it, Naruto's voice shattered the moment.

"EVERYBODY HIDE!!" he shouted, flailing through the underbrush like a one-man stampede.

All our heads snapped up.

"Naruto?" Sakura called out, confused.

Naruto screeched to a stop in front of her, his face full of mock horror. "Sakura—Sakura—Sakura, something HORRIBLE happened to your hair!"

There was a beat of silence. Then Sakura's face reddened, her fists trembling.

"Shut up and leave her alone," I said coolly, surprising even myself. Sakura, Naruto, and even Sasuke looked at me, blinking.

I turned to her. Her face was flushed, not from embarrassment now—but from something more vulnerable.

"Do you want me to even it out?" I asked, pulling a kunai from my pouch.

She hesitated. "Uh... sure. Thanks."

She sat in front of me on the grass, legs folded neatly beneath her. I kneeled behind her and started trimming the jagged edges left from her earlier breakdown.

It was quiet for a moment, just the sound of metal slicing hair.

Naruto fidgeted. "What are you guys doing here, anyway?" he asked Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji as they approached.

"Explaining everything to you is gonna be a total drag," Shikamaru sighed.

"Everyone just showed up to help," Sakura said, her voice a bit steadier as I continued working. "Somehow, we all ended up here."

She paused. "And, Ryuko... thanks. For what you did. When you stood up to that sound-nin girl... I know you didn't have to."

I shrugged. "Don't get used to it." Then I added, softer, "But if you want to avoid being a punching bag, train harder. Push your limits. Don't wait around for someone to rescue you next time."

Sakura looked down, then nodded. "I will."

Just then, Naruto shouted again. "HEY, IT'S BUSHY BROW!"

We turned to see Lee, battered and bruised but upright.

"Don't say anything mean about Lee!" Sakura scolded, punching Naruto squarely in the head.

Sasuke and I approached the group. As I got closer, I noticed the full extent of Lee's condition. He looked like he'd been run through a shredder.

"Lee," I said gently, "are you okay?"

His eyes lit up when he saw me. "Ryuko! My beautiful blossom! Just seeing you restores all my strength!"