DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters names used in this story.

Summary: It's spring again and still he was broken. He felt like he was being eaten alive from the inside out, like his sanity was dripping away from him in thick, black puddles…and he was allowing it to do so. He knew the dangers of being alone at this time, of being a victim to his own thoughts – his harshest of harsh critics. And yet, he found the solitude was somewhere he belonged and never something he enjoyed – least he loose himself in public. He changed, everyone knew that, and he was still going through the process of getting himself back on the right path, but hell…that was hard for someone who suffered so much from 7 years in a war. Neji Hyuga was not weak, he was not so easily broken, but he was this time around. The only thing that could possibly help him put his pieces back together…was the one thing he dreaded facing the most: Tenten.

Rating: M for later chapters, violence and crude language/humor

A/N: Here's some things you might need to know:

Socho: Sargent Major
Gunso: Sargent
Heicho: Lance Corporal
Jotohei: Superior Private

These were looked up on Google so if they are inaccurate then I apologize in advance and am open to corrections.

A/A/N: I know that I didn't even finish the other stories I have up or even updated them for that matter, but whenever I have writer's bloke on a story then I think up of another story. Sorry! I know I'm horrible.

If it makes you guys feel any better, this one was posted with 13 other chapters already written. (It just sort of flows really well for me)

Chapter 1

He had waited five years to return the tags. He always had them on him, whether they were around his neck with his own or they were tucked away safely in his coat pocket, he had them on the slim chance that he actually got the courage to return them to who they belong to. It had been three years since he was done with his service in the army. Three long years that caused him nothing but stress and severe hair loss that surprisingly grew back within those three years just as fast as it went. However, it had been five years since he's received the tags of one of his most memorable friends while in the army. His Gunso, Aburame Shino.

Looking at the tags, he rubbed a slow finger across the name and sector number, stopping just before the blood type. He sighed then, and placed the tags on the night stand beside his bed for what could have been the tenth time that morning, alone, before rolling over to his side and settling for falling victim to his dreams yet again, because every time he closed his eyes to rest, Shino's smiling face comes up, and he's with his Army friend again. He's smiling to stupid jokes, reminiscing about their time in high school together regardless of the fact that they weren't actually on talking terms then, and just overall having a good time. Whenever they weren't out in the field, fighting, they were always seen with one another. "High and Mighty" is what he used to call him. It was Shino's way at picking fun of his status as an upper-class citizen who never fought a battle for themselves. Sure it was a little much, and actually really embarrassing when he managed to get everyone calling him that, but he appreciated the name now more than ever. It was befitting, and almost too perfect. He remembered the day he first stepped foot into the army grounds, angry and with a freshly shaved head, hardly anyone would know it was him save for the ever so present pale skin and eyes, But Shino did. He recognized him before any of the others did, and called his name louder than what was needed before coming over to him and clapping him on the back, succeeding in unnerving him early on. Unfortunately for Shino, he couldn't recognize him without his glasses on, so the look of shock and confusion was expected and the later pulled the small circle shades out ever so quickly before placing them on his face and standing before the now shocked Neji as realization set in.

"Aburame?"

"You never did take notice of me till others around you did."

"You look different without your shades on."

And the crowd that had gathered would break out into the loudest uproar of laughter possible. None of them recognized Shino easily without his shades as well. It was kind of his trademark. Everyone knew it was him only then. Apparently that was something he could never shake off.

He remembered the most shocking news he ever heard from him as well. By then, he was a Jotohei on his way up in ranks again to a Heicho, and Shino was stacking points to be able to reach a Socho before he reached his 20th year there. He had grown comfortable with the younger man and even more so with the fact that he was technically his boss, and often times was found hanging around him and the others as often as possible. It had been about a year since he came, just a couple of months away from being a full year, and he was ready for everything but the information Shino blurted one night under the stars.

"My son turned two today."

He blanched, not even knowing that Shino had a girlfriend to begin with before he could even think about him having a family. "You're married?"

"Yeah, and I have a son. He's two today…and here I am, not with him…again. He's never even seen my face you know?"

"Who did you marry?" He asked, seeming to still be stuck on who could deal with the bug fanatic long enough to want to marry him let alone have his child.

"You know her. It's Tenten."

"You MARRIED her?"

"You're surprised? She was my girlfriend for two years, Hyuga."

"And she had YOUR child?!"

"Yes. He is two today…should I be offended by your surprise to this or…"

"I just…never thought you two would marry."

"Why? Were you secretly in love with her?"

"Yes, actually."

"What?!" and the people around them would laugh again, and, though he was reluctant to say it out loud, he did miss those days. When Shino would tell him about Tenten and his son, whose name Neji could guess considering his close friendship with the girl for most of their lives, and Neji would then, in turn, tell him about America and the people he's met and how well Hinata was doing – seeing as the two used to be close friends as well. Those were the days he lived for next to raising in ranks and actually fighting, something he still refused to announce as well, and those were the days he tried, with fail, to remember.

Laying there, almost completely asleep, his mind turned drastically from the good to the bad. From the first time he saw someone he knew get shot – a direct hit to the head, blood and brains scattered everywhere – to the last thing he remembers Shino said to him the day he died. It was simple, the words he said, and it was the same speech every time they went out, only this time he ended it differently, with a solemn, "Don't forget to say goodbye!" as they ran past him, eager. No one ever does, but for some reason, he really wanted them to do so that day...and maybe they should have listened. Maybe then, he wouldn't be gone.

Groaning, he turned to face the door of his room, giving up on sleep once again before he reached for the tags again. He fingered at the dirt and grim that stuck to the old tags then got up to clean them, making his mind up once and for all. Three years was too damn long and only made him seem that much weaker. He turned the lamp at his desk on and pulled out the note and set it aside out of harm's way before he pulled out polisher and other cleaning materials and started working at it. Looking at everything, he found himself staring at the letter and reaching for it before he could process what he was doing. He sat there for a moment more, fingering over the indentions in the paper from when Shino probably pressed down too hard in thought, something he did ever since he was in high school, before he finally placed it down, unread. He had the letter for just as long as the tags, but he never made to read it once. He thought about it, wondered what his friend's last words were and who they were to, but never brought an action to his thoughts.

"Hinata:" He called as he looked up and saw his younger cousin passing by, probably checking up on him considering her room was on the other side of the house.

She stopped and back-paced to him before entering and smiling softly by the desk. "Yes, Neji-nii san?"

"How have you been with your friends…from high school?" He started polishing once he heard her returning and was too immersed with his hands to pay her any attention. "Do you still keep in touch with them?"

She looked at him, bewildered and completely caught off guard from his sudden interest in her social life. It had been three years of awkward silence between Neji and the rest of the family. The hired help were completely terrified of him and he often times still used Army jargon when refereeing to her father or any other elder from the Main Branch. When it came to her, however, he simply nodded. The only other time he talked to her was when she and Hanabi were watching a documentary of the soldiers to see if they could see Neji in one of the many films provided and he walked in and told them to turn it off before leaving. Hanabi had took offense but said nothing and Hinata was slightly hurt herself, but understood why he wouldn't want to even hear anything that connected to the war. She couldn't imagine the things he went through, the friends he lost. So, she tried to see things through his eyes and come to understand him, but that proved to be easier said than done, and for those three years of awkwardness Hinata found herself trying to regain that comfort he felt around her, but they always went unheard or unnoticed. So, to have him approach her first came as a surprise to her.

She smiled as she stepped further into his room, catching his attention enough to make him stop what he was doing and look up with uncertainty. He eyed her smile then set the tags down and faced her till his whole front was facing her and she backed away a little, but not enough to exit his room. "I do. Thank you for asking." She started as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Well, not with everyone. I kind of fell off with Temari and Shikamaru when they went off to Australia, and Choji and I never really talked much during high school so…I haven't been in contact with him either, though I did talk to Ino last week I think and she told me about both Shikamaru and Choji. She said they were doing fine…" She trailed off, noticing his strong gaze turn into a glare slightly then stopped all together and looked away. She cleared her throat, fiddled with her thumb nails, anything to give her a reason to not look his way.

"What about the other girls?" He asked and picked up the tags once again. "How have you been with them?"

She looked back at him then and watched as he scrubbed at the dirt on the tags with a since of delicacy she didn't know he could carry. Stretching her neck she looked for the name – she was too scared to ask him directly out of fear of pushing the wrong button with him. "Kind of. I've talked to two of three of them in the past months. Why?" She asked as she sat back, getting her name: Shino. "Are you looking for someone?"

And he stopped again but this time, he didn't look her way. He just paused and allowed for a stiff silence to overcome the both of them before he sighed and started working at the tags again, finishing one of them and going to the next. "Who did you not get in contact with again? Temari?"

"Yes." She stated. She was about done with talking with Neji she was sure. The uncomfortable feeling she was getting was a little too much for her frail heart. "Since she's in Australia I have not been in touch with her, though I have seen how's she's doing from Facebook, and I think –"

"What about Tenten?" He suddenly asked as he kept to his work. "How's she been?"

"Tenten?" Hinata asked, her interest peaked. If she wasn't mistaken, Tenten and Neji were real close friends from high school, and she ended up marrying Shino and having a kid by her second year out of high school, but aside from that she didn't know much else about her. She was always too busy taking care of her son and or working late hours to provide for the two of them to go hang out with the girls anymore. "I think she's doing fine." She started once he looked up at her in question to her long pause. "She has a son. It's Shino's I believe. They are married." Then she stopped.

"Oh." She gasped, bringing a hand to her face solemnly. Everything had just clicked. Tenten and Shino were married. The war ended so most all soldiers returned with all their little trophies, but for some reason, Neji had one too many. "Shino…he died?"

"She didn't tell you?" He started as he stood, grabbing at the note and the fully clean tags. He started for the door, making Hinata back out before he exited and closed the door behind him. He looked her over, sighing, then started walking towards the front of the house. "Shino died 5 years ago."

"Is that why you have his tags?" She asked.

"Do you know where Tenten would be right about now?" He asked, ignoring her question.

"She's probably on her way to pick up her son. They live pretty far from his school. I'm not quite sure though."

"Do you have her number? Can you call her for me?"

"…Yes?" Hinata stated as she looked him over in question. What could he want with Tenten?

"Hinata, please." He begged though it didn't seem to show much in his eyes, it was overflowing from his cracking voice. He was desperate, or scared. She couldn't tell. "Do me this one favor, and call her for me. Tell her to meet me at her most convenient time. I don't care about the place I'll get there somehow, just call her and tell her that I want, no, I need to see her."

"Okay." Hinata whispered. She bit back a smile as she turned, letting her imagination get the best of her as she went through her phone eagerly searching for Tenten's number and praying that it stayed the same after all these years.

His smile was faltering, fading even as he looked over the field of half-sleep and half-dressed men. All of them looking as if Hell had just froze over as they looked back at him. Neji was the only one who was hiding his discomfort strategically, being something he was always good at, but even he was slipping underneath the cool air of the night skies, angry that he was up at such an hour.

Shino sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair before taking off his shades and breathing on them to clean them off. Regardless of the time it was, he seemed to always have on his trademark shades. And right about now, the time was 4 o'clock in the morning, otherwise known as too early. Still, with the amount of people coming in later than their counterparts, it was clear to Shino that they needed to have their internal clocks reset. Looking over the people, he motioned for Neji to come forward, stopping him just a few feet ahead of the others before he moved on to the next person in the line, lining them up according to the time in which they showed up, Neji being the first. Sure he wasn't completely dressed and his hair was still tangled regardless of the length it was at, but he was still first, as he always was. After some time, however, he found himself to be moved back a spot due to the fact that the second fastest person was fully dressed and, by now, looking completely rejuvenated.

He shook, feeling the surge of irritation take him over much like it did that day when he was "humiliated" in front of everyone. Sure it wasn't much to others, being on time to events, but Neji prided himself in always coming early to everything. So needless to say, in some weird fit of disgrace, he remembered waking up an hour before everyone else to get to the field and do a light jog before the horn signed everyone's rise, and that random guy he never really talked to, was seen as Neji's rival for the whole of his service in the army, that is…until he…

He sighed and took a sip of his tea as he sat by a window seat, eyes locked on the people who passed in front of the window of the shop, and ears intently listening to the people on the inside. He was about half an hour early as usual, and getting comfortable in his solitude, knowing that the changes from being in the war had caused his standoffish side to grow stronger and understanding that he often made others feel uncomfortable, he was taking in all he could. Thankfully, Hinata had gotten in contact with Tenten and asked her what he had said and they somehow managed to set a date and place to meat: a coffee shop – quaint as it was, he just couldn't see himself staying here for longer than needed, and only hopped that he wouldn't jump out of his seat to leave once he handed over the tags.

He looked at the chain in his hand and found himself thinking about Shino and Tenten during high school. The relationship came out of nowhere. For all he was concerned, Tenten was as good as his. Everyone could see it. They were too compatible. She could stand his single-worded answers, and he could handle her eagerness much to everyone's surprise, but most of all, they made each other smile. Neji himself never smiled much. It took too much energy from the others to try and make him do anything other than smirk, but Tenten, she seemed to do it so easily, and Neji knew everything about her. She would tell him every little thing about herself. When she was worrying, she would seek comfort with him and he would listen intently then hold her in hopes to brighten her spirit, but all that seemed to stop one day when Shino, brave as he was, approached their little group of three – Lee was almost always around the two of them, ignoring the intimate way they handled one another – and ever so blatantly ignored Neji's death stares then announced his love for Tenten.

Tenten, being the girl she was, accepted and the next day they were dating and the whole school knew. Most of them would often come to Neji with obvious intent to pester him about their relationship, but he would push them off as pests and continue on about his days, believing that the relationship wouldn't last long with him around, because Tenten often went to confide in him rather than her "boyfriend" Shino. However, he was a rather understanding person that Shino. He seemed to understand that she trusted Neji way more than she should and that nothing could tear their friendship apart, not even her boyfriend. Yet, he choose to stick with her through all of that which, in turn, made her grow closer to him. By the middle of their third year, she was completely in love with him, and often choose to come to Shino about her worries instead of to Neji, and yes, he did feel a little jealous towards their relationship, but never said nothing about it and instead gave up, letting their relationship blossom and allowing for her to drift away from him. But that was 11 years ago, and he was sure that his love for her had died off somewhere in the past, probably when he openly admitted it to Shino.

"Welcome." The women at the coffee stand chimed when the door of the shop opened, and, instantly, he was looking up and locking eyes with the same girl he knew in high school.

She seemed to be scanning the area only after she looked at him before returning to him frantically and laughing out a smile just the way she always did when she saw him and he knew right then that he might have been lying to himself for all these years.