Chapter One: Reality
Tenten eased herself to the ground where his name was carved into the cold granite stone, running her fingers over it, thinking that she would never had seen his name on the grey stone.
"Tenten, this isn't good for you," a voice said behind the damaged Tenten. Her hair was strewn about all over, her pink and white shirt torn in numerous places, the large scroll beside her, one of the straps missing. She had kept herself this far, but with that voice and words, salty streams poured down her face in curved, jagged lines.
Her sobbing was loud enough that the figure behind her walked up behind her, laying an arm across her shaking shoulders. She knew it was against shinobi code to show emotions, no matter the situation, but this had been her teammate, and watching him fall to the ground and be pulled into the enemies clutches was overwhelming for her.
"You're allowed to cry, let it out," the voice whispered in her ear, bringing his other arm around and permitting her to cry in the crook of his neck. He was feeling vulnerable, which was an odd feeling for him. He wasn't normally like this, but his sake went out to his teammate.
Another figure appeared from behind a tree and came to kneel down beside her trembling frame, placing a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it calmly. He was clad in a green jumpsuit, which looked in a better condition than Tenten's ruffled clothes.
"I-I'm sorry," she choked out, bringing down more tears, running down the skin of the man's shoulder.
"There was nothing to do, you tried. If you did anything more, we could have lost you," the green clad figure said.
"Sensei-," she started, but he shushed her, knowing that loosing a teammate was hard and all, but watching it happen before your eyes and knowing you couldn't have avoided it, was more than a skilled ninja could register.
She looked behind her, bringing on a fresh pool of tears. Her sensei was holding it in, something she failed to do.
"This isn't healthy for her," the boy supporting Tenten said.
"It isn't for any of our youthful minds. Take her home, and we'll check on her in the morning," Gai said. He gave her one more gentle pat, then took off towards the Hokage's office, to report that his student was not eligible to do any missions until her mind calmed.
"I lost," Tenten muttered, being picked up bridal style, and carried to her home. "He's gone."
"Shhh," her carrier gently cooed near her ear.
They where outside Tenten's threshold and skillfully opening her door while keeping Tenten level in his arms. He stepped inside the medium sized house, making his way down a hallway that he hoped her bedroom would lay.
The door was open, and looked different than the other parts of the household, with clothes and old weapons sprawled about. Overflowing drawers contained shirts and training gear, while a full bed was by the corner, with a small headboard attached. Wrappers from quick meals and water bottles covered most of the lightly shaded wood. A single picture was positioned up, showing her team from back when they where appointed genin. It was angled as if she looked at it every night before sleep would over take her.
He placed her upon the bed that was surprisingly made, knowing that she would have liked to come home to comfy bed to sleep on instead of a mat that was used on missions. He pulled back the top cover, and carefully laid her near unconscious body on the mattress.
He pulled the covers over her, making a mental note to bring one of her friends that could help her change into something and help her clean up. He found a soft bristled brush and started to softly comb through the bark brown locks.
It combed through easily, even though he had thought otherwise with the way that her hair had been shoved in many directions, and he quickly let it set on the pillow around her head, framing her face. She soon woke from her short sleep, and tear started to run down again.
"Lee," she cried softly, bringing her hands up to her face and crying freely into them.
Beside her, Neji's pinprick tears in the corner of his eyes fell, leaving a very faint line, which quickly evaporated. He couldn't stand to see his teammate that had been so strong her entire life. Tenten hadn't seen him, she stared blankly.
"Hn," Neji voiced, keeping normal, knowing that only acting normal would help Tenten get back into the flow of things.
Her tears had stopped, and she merely seemed to question about her last few days.
"Sensei?" Tenten asked.
"He is with the Hokage," Neji said. He wanted to question about the attack, but sensei had told him clearly to not push her into recalling it until she wanted to talk.
"How is he?" Tenten asked.
"Holding up," was all Neji dared to say. He knew that Lee being gone was tearing their sensei apart, but if he vocalized that to her, it would make her feel worse even though she had no fault in Lee's downfall.
"I broke the shinobi laws, I'm weak," she said quietly that Neji has to strain his ears to hear.
"You had every right to cry," he reassured her, recalling in his mind the scene a few moments earlier when she had been broken in front of the granite stone.
"I'm weak. I should have emotions," Tenten said.
"No you aren't. But you are correct, you, as a great kunoichi, should not be showing your emotions, but rather keep them internally."
"He could come back," Tenten said mostly to herself, trying to keep slightly positive.
"No, he can't," their sensei said, coming through the door. He went and sat by the edge of the bed, lightly grasping her hand and stroking the back of it in a fatherly gesture. "Lee fought hard, and what the little you have recalled since, about what tactics he had used, then his chakra was to low to keep his body stable when he fell and dragged away. We are sorry Tenten, but no amount of youthful thoughts will get us our little lotus back," Gai said, keeping his voice as firm as possible, but showing that it would falter at any moment.
"Lee can't be gone, he can't be. Not forever," Tenten said, her lightly sunned skin being layered with a thin film of tears.
"He is, plus, Kakashi has seen you at the stone," Gai said, shooting a nervous glance at Neji.
"And that means what?" Neji asked, showing a great concern for his teammate, but trying to hide it.
"Kakashi told Lady Tsunade that she had broken shinobi laws of showing emotion. She says she can't afford a shinobi that doesn't follow the laws set down by the ancestors," Gai said, looking at Neji.
"She is going on a mission soon isn't she?" Neji said.
"Soon, very. She has a week to get over this, and then is required to attend the ANBU team to Sauna for a guard mission," Gai explained.
"Just because she broke shinobi law?" Neji asked.
"It's the real thing. You and Tenten are getting older, and while you will be respected more, then you are expected to represent the shinobi law, even how un youthful the times are," Gai said.
"I will," Tenten said, already getting up and moving towards her bedroom.
"Tenten-" Gai started.
"Sensei, I have done wrong, and I pay the price that follows my wrongful actions. I trust that both of you will leave knowing that I am fine and shall move on with my duties of protecting Konoha," Tenten voiced, closing and turning on the fan for the shower so as to drown out any talk from Neji or her sensei.
She took of her clothes, and held them in front of her, looking at how ruined they where after her encounter with some Grass Nin that had attacked them. She looked at the tear in her right sleeve, where Lee had shoved her out of the way in the beginning of the attack, only to accidentally tear it. The Grass Nin had then came down and broken his nose, for she had heard the crack to know it.
She quickly folded the pants and shirt, grabbed a piece of cloth that was soft and would keep any dust away, and wrapped it around the tattered clothing. One of the last things that she would keep to help remind her of Lee, and that she would have to push herself farther to obey the shinobi law.
There they where, the men that brutally shoved herself and Lee around, laughing at how weak they where.
One, with arms that looked as thick as her waist, grabbed Lee and pushed him against a tree, snapping the tree and cutting open the back of Lee's head…
Tenten woke up breathing hard before the dream continued. She couldn't remember what was next, and she would rather not. She fell back, and buried her head in the pillow to help stifle her cries, which the man who's presence she couldn't sense, could still hear. She let the darkness over take her, so that she could try to forget all the happenings of the sorrowful event.
The morning sunshine hit the thin film of sweat that layered Tenten's face. She couldn't remember what she had dreamed, but it had been awful, she knew that. She wanted to forget it all to quickly, and she knew that training would help take her mind off things.
She dressed, and was about to walk out the door when she heard a soft knock from the opposite side. She took caution when she opened it, seeing her sensei there.
"You okay my youthful flower blossom?" Gai asked. Tenten knew that he was only trying to make her feel better, and yet she knew that she wouldn't crack a smile the next few days.
"Where is Neji for training?" Tenten questioned without answering her sensei's question.
"We need you to stay home until your mission," Gai said.
"And why?" Tenten pushed him, not wanting to have to sit around her house and think about HIS death.
"You will need your energy, and we don't want you hovering around the memorial site, and become like Kakashi," Gai told her.
"And who is 'we'" Tenten asked.
"Me, the frozen youthful flower, and Lee would want it," Gai said.
"Right," Tenten said.
"Fine, just me. Neji thinks you should train, but you are my student, and you should stay home!" Gai admitted.
"I am not your student, well, mostly not. I am 20, and so is Neji. I am going where I want to," Tenten remarked, walking passed a stunned Gai.
She knew she should find Neji and train, and that was her later intensions, but now she had to do something…
The granite stone sat there, large, tall, and dark, with the numerous names carved into it. She ran her fingers again over his name. 'Rock Lee.' It was true then, it had happened, he was gone, away from her forever.
"I thought you where gonna come train," Neji's voice came from behind her.
"I can't make it to be reality," Tenten said quietly, wrapping her arms around her middle, and coming to her knees.
"Hn," was all Neji said, but came to stand behind her, staying quiet to honor the man whose name was carved forever into the rock…
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A/N: Yes, I know, short. Okay, this is my new story that I just thought of. Many people wanted me to write a Neji and Tenten story. The POLLS ARE STILL OPEN PEOPLE!! I am not giving up on my other story, but this one is more serious and all. I need reviews, and comments of what I need to do better, please. Neji was a little OOC , but I don't think so, he was still not nearly that sympathetic. If you are reading this story, but not my other one, please read my other one, please. This one will be strictly NejTen, with sides of other couples. Thanks for reading!!