Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Candy Punishment ❯ [Oneshot] It's hard to be a parent! ( Chapter 1 )

This is another one-shot Neji x Sakura fan fiction…I tried my very best in this…if it's not good enough…then I would make another one and try harder…

Candy Punishment

Everything falls into its right place in the right time if only one could wait for it to come…

 

A coffee-haired man tenderly held a little girl's hand with pink hair as he led her into the crowded streets of Konoha. Who would have known that a proud prodigy such as himself would fall for a high-spirited pink-haired kunoichi? He who was arrogant and pompous would actually fall in love and get hitched in no time. It was a shock to all the people especially those who were very close to him that Hyuuga Neji fell in love. They wondered how the `cherry blossom'-haired ninja was able to lure the cold and overconfident Hyuuga. After all, the Hyuuga was not the type of person who would care for someone else extremely.

 

Silver eyes met another pale eyes. The girl tugged at the large hand holding hers. They stopped walking and Neji wondered what the girl needed. Neji lowered his gaze towards the girl's innocent white eyes and asked in his cold manner, “What's the problem, Haruka?”

 

The girl seemed to inherit her aunt's famous mannerisms as she put her fingers near her lips and avoided eye contact with her father. “Father…I-I…w…want…I wa…want the candy over…t-there…” the little girl stuttered with her small voice. The girl pointed at the candy, wrapped in a pink metallic foil, displayed at the small candy stall at the side of the street. Neji glanced at the direction of the store and saw different kinds of candies in it. He stared at the stall and was surprised when he felt another gentle tug on his hand. He gazed at the petite girl again and the girl stared at his eyes braver this time. “It's okay if you…don't want to buy me one…” she said with a sad tone.

 

The Hyuuga considered buying her the candy until he remembered what his dear wife said before she left for her mission.

 

`Never ever give that little girl even a tiny piece of candy. Her throat is very, very, sensitive to sweets. Give her anything except sweets. You better not give in to the girl's cute request…or else…' a pink-haired woman said in a dangerous tone with her hands on her thin waist.

 

How on earth he falls silent whenever that emerald-eyed ninja gave him instructions?

 

The Hyuuga sighed in defeat (which was unusual for the proud Hyuuga) and led the little girl towards the stall. He bought a bag of candies and gave it to the girl without even glancing at her. The girl smiled sweetly and said in her angelic voice, “Thank you!”

 

The girl opened the plastic and picked one of the candies. She tore the pink wrapper tossed the candy into her mouth excitedly. The girl showed signs of satisfaction, as she tasted the sweet candy in her mouth.

 

“Don't tell your mother I bought you one.” Neji said in his serious voice and he heard the girl agreed joyfully.

 

They continued walking hand in hand as the girl ate her candy contentedly.

 

How did he end up with the kunoichi, anyway?

 

It was not too many years ago when he first had a real encounter with the pink-haired kunoichi of Konoha. He was injured very badly in an A-class mission and he was hospitalized for almost a month. In his stay in the hospital, he had numerous hilarious encounters with the kunoichi. Haruno Sakura was practicing the medical skills she learned from the great Tsunade-sama. She served as an assistant to the professional medic-nins of the Hidden Leaf Village.

 

Every time they would meet, they would have small arguments and bickering, which would end up annoying one of them to hell. There was once when Sakura was just very irritating that she was able to tap the frightening side of the Hyuuga genius. He was totally angry that he was able to throw (not literally) the silenced kunoichi out of his room. With just one dangerous and threatening glare, the kunoichi got scared once in their whole time together. The young kunoichi did not accept her assignment, which concerned the pale-eyed ninja.

 

Neji was surprised the next day that Sakura was not the one who checked on him. He waited the following days but the pink-haired girl didn't come. He asked the nurse about Sakura and the nurse answered him with a hesitant smile. Neji scowled and looked outside the window, as if waiting for someone to come in from there.

 

Sakura was also guilty for her actions the last time they met. If the Hyuuga genius thought that she felt bad about how he treated her, he was wrong. Sakura was too kind-hearted that she admitted that she was truly wrong to act that way towards the silver-eyed young man.

 

She visited Neji, not as a medic, but as a citizen, a friend. She knocked on the door very gently and Neji acknowledge her. She entered silently and there was a stunned look on the Hyuuga's face. He could not believe that the kunoichi was actually there, wearing her usual red dress instead of the medic-uniform. That was when he realized how he actually missed the young girl.

 

“Ano…Hyuuga-san…I'm sorry for acting that way when we last met,” Sakura said in her sincere tone. The prodigy was still flabbergasted to acknowledge her apology. He was staring deeply at the green eyes he learned to love as he slowly became attached with her. “Hyuuga-san” Sakura said when she noticed the unfathomable look across his face.

 

Neji snapped out of his small reverie and looked away immediately. “I said I am sorry…” Sakura repeated waiting for the forgiveness, which was unusual for the young man.

 

“I should be the one to apologize…” Neji said in a somber and it was Sakura's turn to stare.

 

“It was wrong to do that to you…” Neji continued and Sakura just gazed at his emotionless eyes.

 

“I apologize.” Neji said and he looked back at Sakura and found her staring at him intently.

 

Sakura blushed a faint shade of crimson and smiled tenderly at him. “I brought you something,” she said, taking her eyes off the Hyuuga prodigy. She dug into her pocket for a while and a childish grin appeared on her face when she seemed to find what she was looking for.

 

“Do you like candies? Here, this is the limited edition of Sakutaku candy.” She said cheerfully as she walked towards his bed. She put her hand in front Neji's face and showed him the candy in a pink metallic wrapper. Neji studied the piece of candy for a while and quickly looked away.

 

“I don't like sweets.” He said straightforwardly with a tinge of mischievous tone.

 

“But you don't hate them. So try it!” she said.

 

“No.”

 

“Come on, Hyuuga-san.”

 

“No.”

 

“Neji-kun, don't be a brat and accept my little peace offering.” Sakura said giving stress to her new way of calling the proud genius.

 

“I said no and that's final.”

 

“You are no fun, Neji-kun!”

 

It was starting to annoy the Hyuuga again. He kept controlling his emotions but as the pink-haired girl continued forcing him to eat the darn candy, his patience started to thin.

 

“Neji-chan! You are being hardheaded again. Here, eat it! It taste good! Do you want me to open it for you, Neji-sama?” Sakura said in her frustratingly adorable tone.

 

That was it! Neji lost his patience again. He gave her his ever so famous death glare. [Why is it that his patience is so short this past weeks? - he asked himself.]

 

But the young kunoichi didn't flinch or move. She pouted childishly then she quickly smiled her cute and refreshing smile. She didn't leave the room, which marked her power over the white-eyed ninja.

 

Neji was shocked that someone was strong enough to be brave against his powerful glare. He began to realize how everything changed between them. This time, he recognized that his feelings for the girl started to grow.

 

Their relationship grew deeper and after 2 years, they went on steady. Neji proposed to Sakura 3 years after in a very boring fashion. He just slipped the simple silver ring into her ring finger and it said it all. Sakura seemed to understand the non-verbal way of Neji's communication. They got married and after months of waiting, a white-eyed baby was born…they named their baby girl, Haruka.

 

End of Flashback…

 

`Come to think of it, that candy was the same candy Sakura always loved to eat…' Neji thought as he watched the pink-haired girl beside him.

 

The girl noticed her father staring at her so she stared back at him and asked, “Is there something wrong?”

 

Neji shook his head and said, “Nothing…”

 

“Come on, your mother would arrive soon. Let's wait for her at the gate.” Neji said and smiled affectionately at his daughter. The girl was surprised since it was not so often that her father smiles like that so she smiled at him in return.

 

“How about my candies? Mother might see them…” the girl asked innocently. Neji closed his eyes for a while and decided. “I'll take charge of your mother. Enjoy the candy since you will only have them occasionally.”

 

Haruka nodded and grinned gleefully. This made Neji remember the same childish grin Sakura possessed.

 

They walked towards the gate in complete silence. They waited for almost an hour until a pink-haired woman and other ninjas could be seen coming closer. Haruka saw them and waved at her mother.

 

“Haruka-chan!” the pink-haired lady yelled and ran as fast as she could to have her daughter in her arms again.

 

The pink-haired lady reached her daughter and knelt in front the girl. She embraced her daughter like there was someone taking the girl away from her. The girl's face was turning pink due to loss of air.

 

“I can't breath anymore, mother…” the girl said in her choking voice.

 

“Oh,” Sakura said and quickly let go of her.

 

“I missed you, Haruka-chan! Did you miss me as well?” Sakura asked in her motherly voice.

 

“I missed you!” Haruka said and gave her mother a rapid tight embrace.

 

“Give mommy a kiss!” Sakura said and Haruka pressed her cherry lips on Sakura's right cheek.

 

“Did your father take care of you?” Sakura said as she glanced at Neji, who in turn looked away. Haruka nodded continuously until Sakura noticed the bag of candies her daughter was holding.

 

“Neji,” Sakura said in her suspicious voice.

 

“What?” Neji said coolly.

 

“Did you remember what I told you before I left?” Sakura asked.

 

Neji shrugged and Sakura smiled slyly.

 

“You don't remember? It's not like Hyuuga Neji to forget something as simple as that, ne, NEJI-CHAN.” Sakura said firmly.

 

“What are you going to do, SAKURA? Punish me?” Neji answered back arrogantly.

 

“Oh, yes I would!” Sakura said meaning something else, which made Neji blush a bit.

 

“Mother…Father?” Haruka said naively as she looked from Sakura to the blushing Hyuuga.

 

Neji cleared his throat and said, “Let's go home.”

 

He turned back and started walking away. Sakura ran towards his adorable husband.

 

“You've been spoiling your little girl, huh?” she whispered near his ear.

 

“No, I wasn't.”

 

“Admit it, Neji. You spoil her much more than I do.” Sakura insisted then she giggled.

 

“I told you, I wasn't.”

 

“I'll reward you for that.” Sakura said teasingly and again, the arrogant prodigy blushed.

 

“Whatever.” He said in response. Suddenly, he felt Sakura's lips brushed his cheek.

 

“Haruka-chan! Let's go home!” Sakura called to her daughter who was standing alone at the gate of Konoha.

 

Haruka ran towards her parents. She went in between them and held her parents' hands. She smiled happily and looked at her mother and father, giving them her cute smile.

 

Sakura smiled her now motherly smile at her lovely little daughter and Neji gave his gentle smile as well. They walked to their peaceful home holding each other's hands.

 

“Ne, Neji, how do you want to be punished, huh?” Sakura whispered naughtily and Neji smirked at her.

 

“I want it nice and sweet…” Neji answered with the same level of naughtiness in his tone.

 

“Father is going to be punished?” Haruka asked and Sakura giggled nervously at her daughter's innocence while Neji just kept silent.

 

“What's nice and sweet?” Haruka added.

 

“The limited edition of Sakutaku Candy…” Neji answered coldly.

 

“Yup, Yup, the candy. Yes, the candy.” Sakura answered and Haruka just nodded still feeling her parents were hiding something.

End.

So, that was a one-shot! Thanks for reading.

 

And now…please review!