There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in
Opening The Door
"Look Mommy, isn't she beautiful?" exclaimed a young boy. "She's so small and pretty…"
"Now Neji, let me hold her, please", said the young boy's mother. She just wanted to hold her newborn niece, but her son refused to give her up. "Just let me hold Hinata for a little bit more, momma, please?" the little boy said, giving his best puppy dog face. "Okay, sweetie, but just a little. Hiashi is going to want his daughter back soon."
"Yay!!" the little boy cried in delight, completely overjoyed. But at his sudden burst of excitement, the little bundle in his arms stirred, and opened her eyes. Her pale lilac orbs looked up at her cousin, and began to smile. The little boy looked back lovingly at her, and in the softest voice he could muster, starting singing his favorite lullaby.
"Go to sleep, baby child,
Go to sleep my little baby.
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby."
"When you wake, you will have,
All the pretty little horses.
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby."
And sure enough, the little baby girl fell back to sleep. Needless to say, his mother was surprised. She would sing that lullaby to her son every night, but she had no idea he learned the lyrics. He was only one after all.
"Well Neji, my little genius, it's time to give me your cousin", his mother said, and without another word, the little boy handed the sleeping baby to his mother. The little boy's mother took the baby in her arms, nestling her across her bosom. She had always wanted a little girl, and her niece would be just that. She had brought the little girl's face up to her cheek, and thought, 'my little girl.'
Neji shot his head up, and jerked it in the direction of the window. He felt a deep sorrow in the pit of his stomach. But he was unable to do anything as the flaming arrow dashed through the window and landed on its intended target. The little boy did not scream. He didn't even stir. The only movement was of a teardrop slowly sliding down his cheek, hitting his white shirt. He stayed like that for what seemed like days.
He suddenly got up, and in the blink of an eye, hid underneath the giant sofa, baby cradled in his arms. She didn't even wake, but he knew she was still safe in her dreams, remembering the lullaby her cousin had sang to her.
The little boy and baby girl did not make a sound as the stampede of feet took over, dirtying the spotless floor his mother had slaved over, going through drawers and stealing family heirlooms. But he did not care for such things. He only cared about the person who took care of him, tucked him in at night, and sang that sweet lullaby to put him to sleep.
He let another tear roll down his cheek, biting his lower lip to keep from sobbing. 'Momma', he thought, 'momma.' The tear fell and hit the baby girl on her forehead, causing her to open her eyes. She did not cry; she did not move; she didn't even coo. The little boy was beginning to worry. What if something was wrong with her? He looked down into her eyes and saw why.
The little baby girl had one tear rolling down her face, aware of her current situation. And she understood the pain her cousin was going through. She felt just as sad as he did, and stayed silent as he looked down at her, gently kissing her forehead. 'It's okay imootosan, you are safe with me', and almost like she had read his mind, the little baby nodded her head slightly, understanding his mental promise. He would take care of her. He would protect her at all cost.
Neji made his way through the busy hallway.
"Byakugan!" he said, and looked around. She was nowhere to be found. He looked once more, and saw her standing in a doorway, talking to someone. Swiftly and silently he appeared next to a wall near the doorway.
Hinata was talking to a boy, he realized, and stayed shocked in his current place. 'Hinata doesn't talk to boys', he thought, letting his mouth open in amazement. 'She must like him a lot', he thought and continued watching his little sister.
In reality she was his cousin, but at the tender age of one he suddenly became her big brother and protector as he swore he would let no harm come to her. Hinata also felt the same way. She had only known Neji as her big brother despite what her family had said, and thus treated him like one. She loved him very much and he loved her. And that was how it was.
But right at the moment, Neji started to think maybe she was started to love someone else. 'A certain red haired boy, to be exact', thought Neji, giving the boy a quick sizing. He was tall, no taller than six feet, and was around her age. He was wearing a black jacket, a blood red shirt, and black pants. "And he's got muscle, too" he said aloud, admiring the boy's toned figure. "Someone like that could surely protect Hinata", he said, suddenly realizing the words that fell from his lips. He felt a deep pain in his stomach at the thought of not being able to protect his imootosan. And that was surely unacceptable. He looked back at the open doorway and continued his spying. Just when he was about to leave, he saw his little sister reach up and peck the young blonde boy. Then she was on her way into her first period class. He looked over at the boy, surprised and with a hand to his cheek. The red headed male started walking down the hallway, goofy grin plastered on his face, eyes shining with mirth. Neji sighed. "Teenagers", he said and was surprised at what followed his word.
"Teenagers, what?" said a young brunette, pulling Neji to face her.
"Teenagers nothing, Tenten, I was just talking to myself", he revealed, silently cursing himself for admitting that to her.
"You always talk to yourself Neji, it's nothing new" said Tenten, donning a smile from ear to ear. "Now we have to get to class before we are late…again" she complained, looping her arm with his, and dragging him with her.
Anyone looking might have thought they were a couple, seeing as they were always together. But the fact of the matter was, she was the only person he could stand to be around with that could put up with him as well. She was his best friend. He had even taken her to his family gatherings when he was allowed "a guest" and had been dragged himself to such things as well. He could think of no other person to take rather than his best friend.
But right at the moment, Tenten was about to knock him out cold if she got to class late once again. "You could leave Hinata alone for a while you know, she sure as hell could take care of herself', Tenten said, a little annoyed at her best friend. He always had to see Hinata get to class, sit with her at lunch, make sure she got home safely, etcetera, etcetera. Hinata could take care of herself, Neji made sure of that. 'Damn straight' she thought, remembering the last time Hinata had severely wounded a bully that was making fun of her. Tenten made sure the boy was okay, but he would be traumatized the rest of his life, Hinata made sure of that. And she was such a shy girl, too. Tenten often wondered how such a peaceful girl had so much power. "It's always the quiet ones", she said aloud, causing the young Hyuga to look at her curiously. He said nothing, but stared at her all the way to class.
Not a second after they ran to their seats did the bell ring. They were safe. "That was close", they both said in unison, smiling at each other. They really were the perfect best friends.
"Ah, youthful teammates, you were almost late", whispered Rock Lee, teeth glittering while he smiled. "A true shinobi always arrives on time."
"Well we made it, didn't we?" said Neji as-a-matter-of-factly, causing Lee to think about it and say, "That you did Neji, that you did." Neji just rolled his eyes and looked forward. Class was about to begin, and he wasn't going to get in trouble for talking. His teacher appeared from the doorway, dressed in a green suit with teeth shining as he smiled. "Good morning, my youthful class", he said, sticking his thumbs up and flashing his oh-so-shiny smile. "Good morning, Professor Gai", the class said in unison, one voice louder and more enthusiastic than the others. They sat preparing for what he had in store for them.
The bell rand signaling it was time for lunch. Neji said bye to Professor Kurenai, and headed for his lunch table. He didn't have to walk far because it was right next to his building. The school was divided into three parts: a new building, the old one and a completely random 900 wing. In each of the buildings there was a 200 and 300 wing. It was a new development so the current sophomores, juniors, and seniors were confused when they moved into the new building.
The freshmen were always confused when they entered. It was only natural when entering a new school. But Neji, Tenten, and Lee did not suffer from the total nervouseness that took over a freshman their first day of school. Using his Byakugan, Neji was able to escort both his friends to their classes without breaking a sweat. Everything was alright from there. But now he was at his table, eagerly awaiting his friends' arrival. Tenten was the first to show up, as usual.
"Hola Neji", she said as she sat down in front of him. "Hola Tenten, como estas?" he asked, returning the kind gesture. He was absolutely happy.
"My, my, what are you so happy about Neji?" Tenten inquired. He wasn't usually this happy. She was getting worried. "Hinata is joining her new teammates and meeting her new sensei after school", he said, causing all of Tenten's worries to fade away. Anything concerning Hinata always caused Neji to worry…but not today. Today it was pure joy that radiated from her best friend.
'He's so cute when he's happy' Tenten thought, and realized what she had just admitted to herself. She blushed so hard her face was a deep crimson and it was burning up.
Neji just stared at her. 'Jeez, what's gotten into her?' he said to himself, and placed his hand on hers. "Tenten are you okay?" he said, worried that his best friend was getting sick. 'She's too strong to get sick, so what's wrong?' he pondered, unable to figure out what was troubling Tenten.
Just then everything was forgotten as a very boisterous Lee plopped down next to Neji, leaving Hinata to sit beside Tenten. Neji had entrusted Lee with a very special mission: Always bring Hinata to the lunch table. And Lee followed it to a T. He always waited for Hinata after their sixth period class, and walked right next to her. Neji would always be grateful to Lee for that. Though he would never admit it.
Neji then took Tenten's hand and guided her toward the lunch carts. As they walked, he held Tenten's hand, without even noticing it. They got lunch and returned to the table hand in hand. They parted only when they sat down, leaving Lee and Hinata open-eyed. Neji never held hands. Never.
Lunch went normally, the four having a conversation whether a shuriken or kunai would deliver the most accurate hit. Then the guards came over, shooing the students to their class. Neji and Tenten parted ways with Lee and Hinata, and headed towards the locker rooms. They changed into their PE uniforms and headed for the gym. They had picked Gym as an elective, but both got stuck with wrestling as well for eight period. So as soon as they arrived in the gym, they took their stance. The only they ever did in gym was spar. Everyone was already used to it, so they didn't mind. Even their Coach, Kakashi, didn't mind. He was always reading some dumb novel, "Icha Icha Paradise" or something. So, they worked on their taijutsu, careful not to use any ninjutsu in front of the other students. They were shinobi and had to be careful.
Neji began. He threw several punches, effectively hitting Tenten in the face. She retaliated by sending a roundhouse kick directly to his side, causing him to roll over. They continued, fighting and fighting 'till they were dripping sweat. Then they both went to sit down as Neji handed Tenten a towel. They had had quite a sparring match. Both had stripped down to tank tops, while Tenten had on shorts, and Neji had on pants. They were both tired, but could go on all day. Another reason they were always together. They trained like crazy.
Tenten dried her face with the towel, and without notice, leaned her head on his shoulder. They were relaxing before wrestling and didn't even notice their coach talking to them. "Well, Hyuga, Tenten, you've outdone yourselves. That was fierce" replied Kakashi, smiling under his navy blue mask. Tenten just leaned even more into Neji, and Neji gently laid his head on hers. They jumped in surprise when the bell rang, bruising their heads in the process.
They eventually rested their heads once again. There was no need to change into their wrestling uniforms. No one would even dare to go against them, so they always wrestled each other. In this particular sport, Tenten was always the victor. She would always manage to pin Neji down, and he would angrily accept defeat. So, they just waited for the rest of their class to enter. Neji looked up and noticed a certain red head boy come in, and sit as far away as possible. The boy was wearing what he had on this morning, minus the jacket. He also had on a long sleeved shirt.
This also caught the attention of his coach, Kakashi. "Well, well, Tenten, it seems you've got a new partner today." And with that, he returned to his reading.
Tenten was shocked. Kakashi had never paired her with anyone but Neji. Not to mention a new kid. She would embarrass him in front of all her classmates, and she sure as hell didn't want to do that. The boy was too cute. 'But it'll teach him a lesson.' Just then Kakashi stood up and called the pairs.
Because of the new kid, Neji was left solo. "Bitch", he muttered under his breath, surprised when Kakashi raised his head and glared at him. 'Okay, weird' he thought, positive no one could hear what he had just said. But at the same time, he was insanely jealous that Tenten was not wrestling against HIM. He just shook his head and looked up. Tenten was beginning to formulate her strategy to go and take down her opponent, like she always did. Just then, the red head was on the floor being pinned. 'Victory', thought Neji, but did not expect what happen next.
The red haired boy wriggled free, jumped around, and had Tenten by her back. They stayed in that position for a while, when suddenly Tenten flipped the boy over her head, and he landed on his back. In the blink of an eye, the boy quickly righted himself and pinned Tenten down. Tenten was surprised at the boy's speed, but most of all, his sheer strength. It rivaled Lee's. She also almost laughed when he had on a pair of black pants and a long-sleeved blood red shirt. 'He has guts' she thought, since no one but she and Neji dared to wear anything but their wrestling uniform. One, because Kakashi would have their head; and two, because it was completely uncomfortable without the uniform. But the boy managed well enough without it, and had effectively pinned her down. She broke free, but in a flash, he had her pinned once again. The boy just looked at her and smirked.
"No, no, no" he said flashing his bright white teeth. "You are down for the count", he said, and winked. 'Did he just wink at me' screamed Tenten in her head, suddenly becoming furious and turning a deep shade of red. That just made him hold her down even harder, and she swore she heard her bones crack. He then leaned over her head and whispered, "I like girls that are strong enough to challenge me" and soon she heard her coach say, "Good job Gaara. You have just pinned down our best wrestler. Congratulations." The red head boy got up, and walked away like nothing had happened. Neji quickly looked up, and stood.
Tenten just lay there, and jumped karate-style to her feet. She ran toward Gaara, senbon needle hidden in her palm. At that instant, Neji grabbed her arms and held her back. "Don't", he said, realizing Tenten was about to beat the living daylight out of the boy. Tenten focused all her chakra to her upper body, and flipped Neji over, causing, the young Hyuga to roll around in pain. She had flipped him, and hard. "Serves him right for trying to stop me' she said to herself, and started walking toward Gaara. Gaara was reading something, and had headphones in his ears. But he smirked, and Tenten got even angrier. Just when she was about to throw the needle, Kakashi appeared in front of her, grabbing her wrists. She could have sworn he was all the way across the gym, but when she looked around, no one had noticed anything.
"Drop it" he said, and Tenten twitched at the pain. Her wrists still hurt, and now the pain had returned full blast. She obliged, sliding the needle into his hand. He smiled beneath his mask, and walked away. Neji was still on the floor, unable to get up. Tenten smiled sadly, and walked toward her best friend. She grabbed him and put him over her shoulder. Just then the bell rang, and the class bolted out of the gym. Tenten just carried Neji on her shoulder, looking back at the red haired brat. He stood up, looked up at Tenten and smiled. Then in a puff of smoke, he was gone. Tenten's mouth hung open, her brain unable to formulate words. "What the fu-" she managed to say, before Neji spoke. "That was completely uncalled for Tenten," he said anger and annoyance thick in his voice. "You know what; I would seriously recommend you take anger management classes. Jeez". With that said, Neji smiled to himself. Suddenly, his world turned black as Tenten punched him in the head. "Shut up, loser", she said as she picked up their bags and walked towards the boy's locker room. Once she had made sure no one was in there, she walked in, heading for Neji's locker. She grabbed the lock and pulled it right off, not caring whether Neji was going to scream at her the next day. She took out his clothes, folded it with her free hand, and shoved it into her hand bag. She was out the door when she sensed someone in the locker room. She just ignored him, and walked away, head held up high. She knew exactly who it was, and was in no mood to waste precious time to go and beat the living fuck out of him.
Instead, she headed towards the girls locker room, and went in. Many girls screamed at the sight of the boy, but when they noticed he was knocked out and calmed down. Tenten walked to her locker, got out her clothes and put it into her bag. She then went to the sink, and making sure Neji was perfectly balanced on her shoulder, washed her hands. She then fixed her buns, and wet her face. She put her arm back on Neji's waist and walked out. She looked at her watch, and her eyes nearly popped out of her skull. She began running as fast as she could to her bus.
Even with Neji on her back, she was still one of the fastest runners ever. She quickly slipped through the crowd of surprised students, and finally made it out the school gates. She got to her bus just in time. As soon as she got in, the bus driver closed the doors and took off. Tenten noticed the bus was completely full, and found a seat next to another classmate of hers. She dropped her bags, and gently put Neji in her lap. She held onto him like a little boy, and laid her head on his. Her classmate glanced over and realized Tenten had fallen asleep. She smiled and turned her head back to the window.
Tenten opened her eyes, and grabbed her bag and Neji's off the floor. She stood up with Neji on her shoulder once again, and stepped off the bus, waving goodbye to her classmate. As soon as the coast was clear, Tenten disappeared in a puff of smoke. She reappeared in her house seconds later, Neji and bags in tow. She walked to her room and gently placed Neji on the bed, removing his tank top and headband in the process. She then went to her drawer and pulled off her shirt and shorts. She was left in her training bra and panties. She quickly rummaged through her drawer and found a shirt big enough to be a dress. She put it on and went to lie next to Neji. She took out a thin blanket from under her pillow and covered him. She gently placed a kiss on his forehead and cheek and lay back down. She was thinking about that red haired baka when she quickly fell asleep.
Neji was running. He ran as fast as he could; sweat starting to form on his forehead.
"Brother!" Hinata screamed and resumed her crying. She had fallen of the swing, and landed on her leg. It hurt little, but she found she couldn't move it. She was really crying more because she was scared rather than because it was broken. Neji appeared two a minute later, running to her. Just then a girl was skipping by, and saw the young injured girl with a boy in front of her. She immediately took action.
"What did you do to her, you big bully?" yelled the girl, and with that punched Neji in the face. Neji fell to the ground and smiled. No regular girl could punch that hard, and no regular girl would dare punch a Hyuga, lower branch or not.
Neji just looked at the girl smiling, and then frowned as he gently picked up Hinata, cradling her in his arms. He walked away and the young girl followed. As soon as he got to the Hyuga household, he opened the door and the girl followed. He put Hinata down on the couch and yelled for his uncle. While his uncle was coming, he stood up and walked toward the girl. "Why did you punch me?" he asked, giving the girl an evil look as he stood face to face with her. She didn't back down, but instead gave him a bored look and started checking her nails. "Sorry dude," she said, "I thought you hurt her." And with that Neji shot his hand out and said, "I'm Hyuga Neji. What's your name?" The little girl just shrugged and shook his hand with as much force as he did. "Tenten" she replied, and looked toward Hinata. "What's your name, little girl?" she asked looking towards Hinata. "Hyuga Hinata, Tenten, and thanks for trying to save me" she said, unsuccessfully hiding a chuckle.
"Okay, well if you're okay, then I'm out" said Tenten, walking away. But then she felt a hand grabbing her arm and she turned around. The boy had an iron grip. 'Nice' she thought, 'the punk's strong'. As soon as she faced him, he offered for her to stay and have lunch with them. She happily accepted because she was starving. And almost as if on cue, Hiashi appeared and ran towards his daughter. He noticed the bloodied leg and quickly rubbed his hands and began to heal her. After Hinata was alright, they sat down and begun to have lunch.
"I see you have a girlfriend" said Hiashi, looking at Neji who glared back in return. But just as he was about to say something, Tenten interrupted. "My name is Tenten, and I'm his new best friend", she said smiling from ear to ear. Neji just smiled and nodded. Hinata looked up at her smiling cousin and smiled as well. They had a hearty lunch and stayed talking and laughing for hours.
Neji slowly opened his eyes, examining his surroundings. He realized he was at Tenten's house and lay back down. He looked around the bed and saw Tenten next to him, shivering. He pulled up close to her and covered her with the blanket. Though she was covered, she was still cold. 'I know' thought Neji, and pulled Tenten close to him. Her head turned and rested on his chest. Her shivering stopped instantly, and he smiled. He automatically kissed her head and snuggled even closer to her. He left his arms on her waist, and Tenten smiled softly. She wrapped her arms over his waist and leaned into him. Neji chuckled softly and closed his eyes. He slowly drifted of to sleep with Tenten in his arms.
Tenten shot her eyes open. What she saw did not register in her head. 'Hard, check. Muscles, check. White, Check. Oh my god, this is Neji' she screamed to herself, looking up and seeing him sleeping. His head lay on hers, and she was about to scream. "OMG, OMG, OMG. WTF?' she ranted mentally, wondering how she got into this position. Just then, Neji pulled her closer, and whispered her name into her hair. Tenten was right back where she started. 'Nice body' she thought, instantly blushing. She made some hand seals, and was out in a puff of smoke. A pillow took her place, as she smiled and walked to the kitchen.
She was starving, and no doubt Neji would be as well, when he woke up. She took out some meat from the freezer, and began to work.
Neji woke up at the sudden loss of heat. He looked into his arms, pillow present. 'Damn, a substitution jutsu' he thought, knowing that was the only way she could get out of his arms. He then got up and soundlessly walked to the kitchen. He was starving.
As he walked closer, he could smell food. 'She's cooking' he thought a bit perplexed at the idea of Tenten in the kitchen. He entered the kitchen and walked right behind Tenten, placing his chin on her shoulder. Tenten jumped a little, spooked by his sudden presence.
"How did I get here?" he asked, waiting for an answer. "I carried you here", she replied, arms busy tending to the cooking. "How?" he asked, a bit confused. "By putting you on my shoulder and walking" she said. Neji looked down, realizing he was still wearing his PE uniform. "All the way?" he asked. "Yep. I went to your locker, got your clothes then put them in my bag. I went to my locker and did the same thing. Then I realized the bus was going to leave, and ran to it. I got in, put you in my lap, and fell asleep, I think. Then I came home" explained Tenten, talking as if nothing was wrong.
"You did all of this with me on your shoulders?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yes I did" said Tenten in an amazed voice. Neji realized what she said and threw his arms into the air. "You took me into the girl's locker room?! What is wrong with you dude?!" yelled Neji, face red of embarrassment and anger.
"Don't worry man, you were knocked out." She replied, as if nothing happened.
"Why did you knock me out?" he asked, voice calm and steady. "Because you said I needed anger management classes", she answered smirking just a bit, "and because that is the only way I could get you to SHUT UP!" she replied, raising her voice at lest 3 octaves. Then she turned around, smiling, and said "food's ready." She walked past Neji and handed him two plates of pasta. Neji went to the dining table, while Tenten got forks, napkins and drinks. As they began eating, Tenten brought up the matter that was frying her brain.
"Why was I in your arms when I woke up Neji?" she asked, a bit peeved.
"Because you were cold" he answered, face normal.
"You could have put a blanket on me" she said, a bit understanding.
"I did, but you were still shivering" he said. "So then I went and hugged you and you stopped" he said as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Perv" she muttered, angry at Neji for some unknown reason.
"Am not. Besides you liked it" he said, smirking in the process.
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"I absolutely did not like it!" she screamed, placing her hands on the table and leaning just an inch away from his face. "End of conversation" she said through gritted teeth.
Neji's face was far back, touching the chair. "You did like it" he muttered as Tenten was sitting down. But she jerked her head up, and face flushed, he continued eating. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, an awkward one at that.
Once they finished, Neji sat back and said "that was great Tenten. I didn't know you knew how to cook. Maybe I should come more often." With that Neji took both plates to the kitchen. Tenten just had her arms crossed, blushing slightly. Why she did, she'll never know.
She stood up and walked out the door. Neji followed along. In a puff of smoke they were gone. They were heading towards their training grounds to see the new teams and senseis.
They reappeared right in front of Lee and Gai. Yes, Might Gai was their sensei. Anyway, they reappeared in front of their comrades. Neji started running towards, Hinata's team, leaving Tenten all alone. So, Tenten did the most natural thing she could think of. Go and hang out with another one of her friends, Naruto.
Naruto was an ambitious blonde that never seemed to tire, and Tenten love fighting with him. He would also keep her entertained with his stupid jokes and silly antics. Oh, how she loved Naruto. So instead of hanging out with Lee and Gai-sensei (gah), she would hang out with Naruto; and maybe even get a chance to spar with him as well. She walked up to her friend, hands in her pockets, and bored expression on her face.
"Hey Tenten!" he called out, as happy as can be. Tenten couldn't help it. She lit up like a Christmas tree. "Hey Naruto!" she yelled back, waving her arm in the air and running to catch up with him. As soon as she got there Naruto asked if she would like to spar. "Took you long enough" she replied, a soft smile painting her lips. She pulled his arm and ran to the nearest open space to start fighting.
Neji caught up with his little sister, and started walking with her.
"So who is on your team, Hinata? And who is your sensei?" he asked, curiosity getting the best of him.
"Well, my two teammates are Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino. Oh, and my new sensei is Yuhi Kurenai."
"Did you say Kurenai?"
"Yes brother, why, is there something wrong?"
"No, nothing" he said, deep in thought. 'No wonder she always knows what's going on behind her back. She's a shinobi!' With that, he bid adieu to his little sister, and ran to find Tenten.
Tenten did a quick back flip, dodging a couple of kunai that Naruto threw her way. She pushed herself back, landing on her feet. "So who's on your team, baka?" she asked, a bit out of breath. "Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. She's quite the beauty" he said, hearts in his eyes. "You forgot your sensei, tard" said Tenten, looking at the love-crazed boy. She took advantage of the situation and rushed up to kick Naruto when he suddenly jumped up and pushed her head to the ground. He landed a few feet away, hands on his hip and laughing hysterically. "His name is Hatake Kakashi, and he's a little weird" he said, as Tenten quickly grabbed his arms from behind. She realized what Naruto had just revealed, and froze.
"Did you just say Hatake Kakashi?" she mumbled, unable to voice her thoughts. Naruto turned around, and threw a punch to Tenten's face; but not before she did a backbend and kicked him in the face with all her strength. He fell back to the ground, defeated, and donned a smile from ear to ear. Tenten did the same. She went to lie down next to him and started to talk.
"Who are on the other teams?" she asked, placing both hands behind her head, mirroring the young blue-eyed boy.
"Well, I know Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji, and Nara Shikamaru are with Sarutobi Asuma. You want to know Hinata's team?" he asked.
"Nah man, Neji will tell me later. Actually, I was wondering about another boy" she said suspiciously.
"Really? Who?" asked Naruto, turning to face Tenten.
"Well, actually I don't even know if he's a shinobi. His name is Gaara."
"Never heard of him. Why, do you like him or something?" he questioned, grinning like an idiot.
"Nope. No reason. Besides, I love you, Naruto." After she finished her sentence, she went and kissed him softly and sweetly on the lips. Soon after, she stood up, and waved goodbye, leaving poor Naruto speechless. She needed to catch up with Neji, and tell him the news.
Both ninja were so zoomed out that they ran right into each other; causing one very irritated Prodigy to fall flat on his butt; with Tenten on his lap. Tenten was still in his lap as he was about to lecture her on paying attention when she runs when she spoke.
"Neji, guess what" she said, suddenly jittery and happy.
"What?!" he said, a little ticked off.
"Coach is Naruto's sensei!" she said, nearly close to screams.
At that statement, Neji literally froze. "Are you serious?" he inquired, suddenly intrigued by the news. He had always suspected Kakashi to be a ninja, especially with that ANBU uniform mask covering his mouth.
"Yeah, and guess what else?" she said, looking at Neji funny. "I was asking Naruto about that Gaara dude in our class, and he asked if I liked him or something. You know what I said to him?" she stated more than asked. She suddenly put her arms around him, and leaned in; centimeters away from his face.
"What did you say to him, Tenten?" Neji asked in a monotone voice. He hated when Tenten went all girly on him.
"I said to him, no I love you Naruto, and kissed him, like this." She leaned in and gave Neji a kiss on the lips. It lasted longer than the one she gave Naruto, but she did it for emphasis.
Neji did what any boy would do, and kissed back. The kiss ended quickly, and Tenten pulled back, donning a smile from bun to bun. Suddenly, she placed her hand over her mouth and yawned. "I'm tired Neji, take me home, porfa." Neji just rolled his eyes and stood up. Then out of nowhere, a drop of rain fell on his nose. It started pouring rain, soaking both team members instantly. Neji, with Tenten's legs wrapped around his waist, head on his shoulder, and arms around his neck, disappeared in a cloud of gray. He ended up in Tenten's house, dripping wet. He also noticed that the rain was starting to cause a flood, and that the sky lit up in sudden bursts of light. They were caught in a storm, and an enormous one at that.
He went to go and lay Tenten on the bed when the light went out. After a couple of stubbed toes and choice curse words, we managed to find her bed. He laid her down, and placed a blanket over her, kissing her on the forehead, almost by instinct. Just as soon as he was out the door, he heard whimpering; and his name. He reentered the room, only to find Tenten on the bed, holding a teddy bear, choking the unfortunate stuffed animal.
"Neji!! Don't leave me!!" she cried, eyes glassy and on the brink of tears. Neji was by her side in the blink of an eye, not wanting her to cry.
"Don't worry, I'll stay. Just let me call Hiashi, 'kay?" he said in a soothing voice. He then went to the living room to go and use the phone. Luckily, Tenten's wasn't a cordless, and he was able to call his uncle.
"Moshi, Moshi"
"Hello, uncle."
"Why, hello Neji. When are you coming home, son?"
"About that… Tenten wants me to stay."
"Why?"
"I don't know. I think she's going through her 'lady's days' and she's really scared of the storm. She needs me to stay, and I can't really leave her in this condition."
"Okay, well, alright. I guess one night over there couldn't hurt. Call me tomorrow then."
"Hai. Goodnight Uncle."
"Goodnight Neji."
Neji proceeded to the room, removing his shirt and his pants, leaving only boxers. Tenten had seen him a thousand times with only boxers on and was completely cool with it. So he headed into the room, only to find Tenten was wearing the same grey shirt she had on earlier; without a bra. He joined her in the bed and put his arms around her shoulders, resting on the pillows. She had once told Neji about her fear of storms, and he completely understood. That is why he needed to be with her so she wouldn't be scared. She was a shinobi; but even a ninja has their weakness. Tenten's just happened to be storms.
Neji started humming, a tune he had known forever; a lullaby that was sung to him as a baby. It seemed to calm Tenten down, and sure enough, she fell fast asleep. Neji carefully removed his arms, and went to the other bed. This one was bigger, and softer than Tenten's. It was her parent's bed, before they died. She still kept the house the same as before, to remind her of her family. And so, she kept the bed. Neji lowered himself on the soft mattress and sleep consumed him quickly. It was around one in the morning when he felt a nudge and heard his name being whispered.
"Neji? Neji? Can I sleep with you?"
Still riddled with sleep, he lifted the covers and she slid in; facing away from him. His arms swung out, and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her so close that she could feel his breath on her skin. When she got into the bed, her shirt had slid up, revealing her stomach. Since Neji had grabbed her, his hands were now resting on her stomach, rubbing his thumb up and down in a soothing gesture. His hands managed to wander up, resting a few inches under her breasts. Tenten suddenly flashed her eyes open, a weird feeling erupting in the center of her stomach.
Tenten was eighteen, and knew well enough what those feelings were. She was about to close her eyes once again, when Neji leaned his head in and kissed her in the neck and softly whispered, "Night Tenten. Love you."
"Good night Neji. Love you, too" she replied, eyes closing by themselves. She smiled as she was slipping into unconsciousness.
Tenten opened her eyes slowly, wondering if she really was in bed with Neji, and realized she was. She was facing him, arms around his neck and legs intertwined. He had her by the waist, crushing her chest to his. She blushed heavily, remembering the dream she had last night. She had had dreams about Naruto, her gorgeous classmate Jukin, and even Kakashi. But she had never had one so sexual, and worse yet; with Neji. Her knees got weak just thinking about it; the feeling in her stomach returning.
'Oh dear goddess, what the hell am I dreaming about?' she thought, suddenly angry at herself. Although he was sleeping, Neji felt Tenten tense up, and opened his eyes. She looked up at him, blushing. Neji looked at her, and gave her a quick peck on the lips. This made Tenten blush even harder, as she felt hands creep up her back. She saw Neji give an evil smirk; and the next thing she knew, she was in a shower with cold water pouring down her face and clothes. Neji was laughing hysterically, and Tenten was literally red with burning rage. She punched Neji in the gut, causing him to double over in pain. He was still laughing, and that made Tenten even angrier.
She turned around, and removed her shirt. She then turned her head and said, "If you don't mind, retard, I would like to take a shower."
Neji looked up and came face to face with Tenten's bare back and underwear. He looked her over, and realized she was very muscular; every muscle in her body was well toned. Tenten caught his gaze, and became uncomfortable. "There are some of my dad's clothes in one of my drawers, and some pants in the closet. Oh, and there's an extra toothbrush under the sink in the other bathroom. Off you go!" she finished, shaking her hand. Neji just laughed and got up, albeit a bit painfully and casually walked out of the bathroom, not even bothering to close the door. Tenten just rolled her eyes, and removed her underwear to continue showering.
Neji headed to the other shower, removed his boxers, and began to take a shower as well.
Five minutes later, Tenten emerged from the shower wrapped in a towel and stood in front of the mirror. Neji just happened to come out at the same time, and saw a half-naked Tenten tie her hair into buns. She was singing a song, as Neji walked toward the drawers. He opened the closest one to him and his jaw dropped. There lay an array of bras of all different colors and textures. He picked up a black and red push up bra, admiring its beauty. He also noticed it was big; a little bigger than his fist. And his hands were huge. He quickly put it back, taking a mental note to ask Tenten about it later.
He found her dad's drawer and pulled out a white button up shirt. He walked over to the closet and found a pair of black pants. The outfit was good enough to pass as their uniform. He put on his boxers, and grabbed the iron in the corner. He had finished ironing and putting on the pants when Tenten walked in, buns made and still wrapped in a towel. He began ironing the shirt and Tenten walked to the drawers. She picked out the black bra and red underwear, and put it on, towel covering everything. Neji noticed that she didn't even bother to cover herself as she went to hang the towel. They had seen each other in their undergarments before, and it shouldn't have bothered him in the least. But it did.
He couldn't help but notice the size of Tenten's chest and how small her waist was. He finished ironing and put the shirt on. It fit him like a glove. Tenten just walked into her closet, and grabbed an already prepared outfit and put it on. They walked to the kitchen, poured themselves some cereal and ate it.
After they were finished, Neji looked to Tenten, and with a curious expression, asked her, "Tenten, what's Hinata's bra size?"
"You know, I don't really know. But if I were to guess, she looks like a 36 C. Why do you ask Neji?" she said, in a rather calm and understanding voice.
"No reason. I was just curious." Neji quickly looked at Tenten's chest. 'She's a little bigger than Hinata, and has a broader back. She's probably a 40 D, more or less' he thought, smiling at himself for his superior guessing skills. They both got up and went to go and get their bags. They needed to hurry up, or they would miss their bus. Neji didn't know the area very well, so he had t follow Tenten. With Neji following like a lap dog, Tenten walked to the corner of the street, heading towards a group of students waiting for the bus. They sat cross-legged on the sidewalk, and Tenten spoke.
"Hey Neji, what do you think of that new kid in our class?"
"Galam, or something like that right?"
"Gaara."
"Yeah, him. He seems okay. Why, did he do something to you?"
Tenten looked away, eyes flaming with anger. Neji looked at her oddly, and then it clicked. That dumbass beat Tenten, and she was clearly pissed. "Are you angry because he beat you?" he asked, amusement clear in his voice. Neji instantly regretted asking that question, because now he was in deep trouble.
Tenten had pulled out a kunai hidden underneath her shirt, and had it pressed against Neji's neck, drawing a thin line of blood.
"Listen, and listen well. I respect any opponent that beats me fair and square, but once you cross a certain line, that respect is lost; and a disrespected kunoichi is not an easy obstacle to overcome. Got it?" She pressed the kunai a little a little harder, sinking it deeper into his neck before she pulled it out. She cleaned the blood on her arm, and carefully placed the kunai back under her shirt. She left in a puff of smoke, deserting her best friend. Neji stood there, veins almost popping out on his head, and blood dripping from his tightly clenched fist. He disappeared, heading for Konoha High.
Neji appeared in Konoha High, setting his sights on Tenten. She was walking right in front of him, entering an empty hallway. Since they took the "shortcut" to get there, they arrived half an hour early. It was 6:00 AM, and the school was completely empty except for the two of them. Neji focused his chakra on his feet, and ran right in front of Tenten, blocking her way. He walked her to a wall, trapping her with his arms. He stared at her, confused, and just stood there.
Tenten was flabbergasted. Neji usually didn't act that way, especially after she lashed out at him, and he didn't look at all angry. She did notice, however, that he made bloody handprints on the wall. She forgot all about her anger, and hugged him, holding him as tight as she could. Neji could hear Tenten trying to comfort him, and he smiled. He took her arms and swung her on his back, giving her a piggyback ride. He decided he would treat her to her favorite thing in the whole wide world: a venti Mocha frappuchino. And so, he started walking to the nearest Starbucks, with a very happy Tenten on his back.
The first bell had just rung, and Neji left Tenten and her coffee drink to go and find Hinata. It took him only a minute to spot her in the crowd and join her.
"Hey imootosan, mind if I walk you to class?"
Hinata's eyes lit up, and he took that as his answer. He put his arm over her shoulder and hugged her lovingly as they walked. Hinata looked at Neji and smiled. "Neji, is it okay to invite some of my friends to the table? They don't have anywhere to sit, and I'd really like for them to sit with us." Neji was about to protest when Hinata looked at him with the cutest face he had ever seen. She had stuck out her lower lip and opened her eyes wide, making them look even bigger than was humanly possible. He sighed and liked down, defeat clearly visible on his face. Hinata kissed him on the cheek, and yelled thanks to him as she rushed into class. He would have to tell Tenten of this little mishap, and went on his way.
Neji and Tenten had expected one or two people arriving with Hinata; but Neji was absolutely horrified when he spotted her walking to the table. They were like a mob, talking and laughing; and their next destination was his lunch table. Tenten simply laughed as the all-powerful ninja went completely white. They were going to have a lot of fun.
Hinata had pointed to their lunch table, and directed her friends to their table. Neji realized that all the people were ninja, having recognized them from the day before. Hinata looked at Neji, apparently frightened, and began to explain the situation.
"You see brother; I was only going to invite Shino, but Naruto showed up and asked if he could sit with me. Kiba came along, and wanted to sit with Naruto, being that they're best friends. He then tried to drag Ino, since he has a huge crush on her, but she would only come if Shikamaru was present; so he said he could come too. Choji got angry that Shikamaru was going to bail out on their Chess game, and followed him, too. Then all of a sudden, Naruto saw Sasuke and just had to bring his "eternal rival." She ranted, making air quotation marks with her fingers. "When Sakura saw Sasuke being dragged by Naruto while we were on our way here, she joined as well. So that's the story" she finished, and turned her head in the opposite direction to talk to Ino.
The rest of the lunch went by pretty quick, and Neji found he was actually glad to have so many people to talk to. The bell rung, and everyone said their goodbyes, and Neji and Tenten went off to the locker rooms.
Neji went to his locker, only to find that the lock was broken and his PE clothes were gone. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and appeared in front of Tenten changing into her training by in a secluded shower space. "Damn it, Hyuga!" she screamed, quickly pulling her bra down. Neji just tilted his head a centimeter and asked her if she had his PE clothes. Tenten took off in her training bra and panties, and headed towards her book bag on a bench. She returned; clothes in hand, and shoved them into his chest. "Take it and go" she said between clenched teeth. Neji was about to poof off when he bent his head and gave her a quick kiss on the cheeks. "Thanks" he said as he left in a cloud of smoke, leaving Tenten to finish changing. She just rolled her head and mumbled 'whatever' as she headed for her book bag.
Tenten's parents had just finished cutting the cake, and asked their daughter what she wished for on her eight birthday.
"I wished for action figures and nail polish!" she exclaimed, causing her parents to laugh. They then led her to the gift table to go and open her gifts. Tenten tore through all of them, looking for what she wanted, but smiling instead and thanking her friends for the gifts. When she got to the last gift, not only was she happy, but an equal amount surprise traumatized her when she opened the wrapping.
She found action figures; and they were her favorite of all time, Dragon Ball Z. And in a separate box under the action figures, there was nail polish; matching the outfits of her favorite Z Team. If looks could kill, Neji would have probably been dead. Dead of the love that Tenten was literally oozing from her being. She ran up to him, practically knocking him down, and kissed him multiple times. Neji didn't blush, being a Hyuga and all, but if he could, he would seriously be putting Hinata to shame. Tenten would forever love Neji for that gift, and would treasure it always. She would also see that there was more to the Hyuga than meets the eye. She would always know that behind that cool and stoic exterior, she would find a heart of gold that warmed even the sun. And she would always know that Neji always had the perfect gift up his sleeve. The boy was a genius, pure and simple.
Neji proceeded to get dressed. He had just removed his shirt when he noticed a certain redhead walk in with a guest. The other boy seemed strangely powerful, and a bit scary. He was wearing black jeans, paired with a black hoodie that seemed to have cat ears at the top. The boy also had purple markings on his face, and a white smile that dazzled even the Hyuga Prodigy. The cogs in his mind whirred; and he realized that they were in his PE class. He would have it with Gaara then.
The bell rang, and Neji and most of the guys headed out of the locker room. Neji entered the gym, and found Tenten carefully painting her nails, and sitting in the pushed-in bleachers. She was painting them with a sheer green, then with a bright red on the top. She had once explained to Neji that 'this was the best way to make your nails look blood red.' Neji just chuckled to himself and jogged to sit next to her. Kakashi wandered in, late as usual and winked at Tenten and Neji. Then they got up to begin their usual spar. But instead, Neji went over to where Gaara was sitting, and Tenten just stood there dumbly.
"Spar with me" said Neji, stating rather than asking. Gaara took the headphones out of his ears, and put away the book he was reading; which Neji noticed was Icha Icha Paradise. He walked passed Neji and proceeded to take his stance.
Tenten looked at the two ready to spar, about to curse a certain someone out, when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw a most peculiar person. "Would you care to spar with me?" he asked, teeth glittering; and Tenten couldn't help but agree.
The guy that stood in front of her intrigued her. He was obviously a shinobi with those markings on his face, and that's when Tenten noticed the headband tied around his hip, acting as a belt. This confirmed his shinobi status, and also confirmed Tenten's suspicions as well. He was obviously not from here, seeing as she had never seen him before in her life. And now she knew why. He was from the Village Hidden In The Sand, and was a long way from home. She smiled, and he returned the gesture. 'What a beautiful smile' she thought. 'He could give toothbrush commercials.' With everything said and done, they took their positions.
Everyone around the gym stopped, and were waiting for the show to begin. They were amazed at the scene that was about to unfold in front of them. They were used to Neji and Tenten; but Neji and the new kid? Not to mention Tenten and the new kid's brother, the other new kid. They were in for a real treat, and were even placing bets on who would win.
Kakashi appeared in between both groups and said in a voice loud enough for only the two teams to hear, "I want clean spars. And strictly Taijutsu. Anything else and I'll have your hide, and make sure Naruto and Sasuke get the best of you." He then walked away and resumed his reading. Gaara was the first to attack. He came at Neji, seemingly trying to go for a frontal attack, but instead appearing behind him and kicking him in the back of his knees. Neji fell forward, rolled around on his side, and took an animalistic sort of stance. He was stalking his prey, and he smirked at the thought of victory.
Tenten had hit the boy head first, giving him a head butt that left him spinning. He looked up, and ran toward her, darting kicks and punches that were being aimed at him on the way. "My name's-" he began as he came behind her, and trapped her in a chokehold. "Kankuro by the way. It is refreshing to meet a kunoichi with strength that rivals my sister's. It's an honor to spar against you." And as he finished talking, Tenten giggled, like a little schoolgirl, and flipped him over. She couldn't help but smile, showing of her fangs and giggling. She was absolutely charmed, and knew Kankuro would be an everlasting friend. She jumped high in the air, stuck out her elbow, and came down on Kankuro, effectively knocking the air out of him; and a little blood, too. Their spar was already finished, and Tenten was clearly the victor. She helped Kankuro up, and gave him a light kiss on the cheek as she helped him to the bench.
Neji just happened to turn his head at the moment when Tenten gave the weird boy a kiss, and lost all focus. Gaara saw this as well, and without hesitation, punched Neji in the temple, bringing the ninja to the ground. Gaara had him on the floor, and placed him in a headlock similar to the one his brother used on Tenten. Neji was down, but not defeated. He then asked the first thing that came to his mind at that moment.
"What did you say to Tenten the other day?"
"Oh, nothing. I just said a couple of things and she got offended. Maybe you should keep your tiger away from the others. A nasty little kunoichi, she is."
"What did you just say?"
"Oh don't worry; I'm not interested in her. I already have a girlfriend, and she is much more beautiful than yours."
"Byakugan!" yelled Neji, and reached behind his back to point two fingers in the direction of Gaara's stomach.
"2 palms!" he said, and knocked Gaara on his back, a couple yards away from him. Neji got up, and with veins popping on the side of his head, came down on Gaara like an animal. He started with a frenzy of chakra-powered punches, and aimed for his face. He hit and hit, letting the anger get the best of him. Not only was he angry at him for insulting Tenten, but he knew exactly what the red head was talking about. He had also loved this certain 'girlfriend' of his, and would gladly die for her. He continued his barrage, and Gaara started bleeding.
Tenten looked up smiling; but her smile soon faded away when she saw her best friend; and Gaara lying on the floor. She appeared behind Neji and pulled him away from the bleeding mess on the floor. She noticed Neji had his Byakugan activated; and that his knuckles were bleeding.
"What is wrong with you Hyuga? You could have killed him you fucking ass! How the fuck would you explain to his parents that you killed him?! My goddess, Neji, what in the fucking hell got into you?!"
"The bitch deserved it."
Gaara got up; face bloodied, and went to remove his baggy long sleeved shirt. Underneath it, he had a fish net shirt, also long sleeved. And Neji noticed the headband tied around his upper arm. 'Ah, the Land Of The Sand' he thought almost instantly. Then Gaara took his blood red shirt, and started to clean the blood from his face. Kankuro came running, looking at his brother.
"Bro, what the hell did you do now?" He looked up to a sweaty, bloodied Neji and looked down at his brother. "You pissed off a Hyuga?! Are you bloody mad?! He could have killed you Gaara! How would I explain that to Temari? One swish of her fan, and I'd be a goner as well. A future Kazekage cannot be reckless enough to get offed like that. You know better!!"
"I don't know what I fucking said to get him pissed like that" whispered Gaara to his brother. "When I told him to keep Tenten on a leash, he was alright; but when I mentioned my girlfriend, he went berserk. I swear, man" With that he exited the gym, smiling at Neji and Tenten on the way out. Kankuro went to sit down on the bleachers.
Tenten smiled back, and Neji walked out of the gym. He was going the opposite way of Gaara, but Tenten followed him nonetheless. He had walked into an empty hallway, and sat down, putting his head in between his legs. Tenten went up to him, and gave him a hard punch on the face. She was trying to hold back the tears that were brimming on her eyes because her friend was in pain. He stood up, and looked at stared at her.
To say Tenten was scared was the understatement of the century. She was terrified, and Neji was the cause of her fear. He walked toward her slowly, and trapped her in between him and the wall, leaving bloody handprints on the wall. Tenten looked up, and saw Neji's eyes were full of anger and pain.
Then Neji leaned his head in and kissed Tenten.
He grabbed her waist, and pulled her closer, begging her to kiss him back. Her lips parted, and he was able to taste her completely. He found himself kissing her even harder and pushing her closer to his chest, craving her delicious taste even more. Tenten grabbed his hair in a tight fist and pulled him even closer. Neji hand came down and grabbed her leg, lifting it to his waist and leaving it there
Neji couldn't stop himself. He had an urge to kiss Tenten, and he did. He was taken aback by her passion as she kissed him back, savoring his taste. He pulled back, cheat burning for air. He kissed her again, this time, less ferociously and gentler.
"I love you"
"You already told me that, silly", replied Tenten, almost breaking out in a fit of giggles. 'Pull your fucking self together, Tenten!' she screamed to herself. 'You're a kunoichi, god damn it! Act like one!' She looked up at Neji, clearly composed, and smiled. "When you slept over at my house, you said, 'Night, Tenten. Love you.' I love you too, Hyuga."
"Really? I only do that to Hinata. Oh well." As he was about to kiss her once again, Tenten spoke.
"What did he say that ticked you off?"
Neji ran like the wind. And Tenten didn't see him for the rest of the period, and the next one as well.
Neji was nowhere to be found, so Tenten trained with Lee. This is why she always beat Neji at wrestling. Lee was her coach, and expected nothing less from his best friend; so that's why, when he trained with her, he pushed her to her limits. And now, Tenten was at that point. She had had enough, and collapsed on the floor; and Lee did the same.
"Hinata has a boyfriend."
"OMG, please tell me you are joking. Have you told Neji about this?"
"No, Hinata is going to tell him tomorrow at lunch."
"Who's the lucky guy?"
"The dude's name is Gaara."
Tenten looked at Lee, and fainted.
Gaara was nervous; Very nervous. His girlfriend had invited him to sit at her table and meet her older brother. She also mentioned that he could bring his brother and his sister. He smiled at his beautiful girlfriend, and gave her a kiss. They were walking towards her lunch table, when he stopped dead in his tracks and went pale. Sitting there was Neji Hyuga; and Gaara tried to run away in his mind, but failed to do so in reality. 'Shit.' They went to sit down in the table, and Neji looked away from Tenten and directly at Gaara. Neji twitched.
Hinata looked at Neji and began talking.
"Big brother, this is my boyfriend Gaara, and his brother and sister, Kankuro and Temari."
Neji shook Temari's and Kankuro's hand before he got to Gaara's.
"What happened to your face? Did you get into a fight recently?" the Prodigy asked, nothing but friendliness in his voice.
"Nah. I had a little accident at home and fell down the stairs." Gaara let out a deep breath, sighing in relief.
Kankuro's eyes almost fell out of his head, and his sister Temari was quick to spot this. She smacked her brother in the head, and gave him a small smile. She turned her head, and found that a weird spiky haired boy was looking at her strangely.
"Oh, and brother, they're Sand Shinobi. Gaara is going to bee their future Kazekage."
"Really? Cool. Why don't you introduce him to everyone else? If he's going to be sitting at the table, he better know everyone here."
Hinata smiled with joy, on the brink of tears, and went to introduce the Sand Siblings to the rest of their group. Both Tenten and Neji noticed that Shikamaru was taking a liking to the preppy blonde girl named Temari. Neji looked around. Naruto was with Sasuke, as always, and they were looking at Sakura, and laughing. Sakura was as red as a tomato. Ino was sitting close to Kiba, and he even dared to put his arm around her shoulder. Choji and Shino were talking about how food trumps bugs any day, and vice versa. Lee had gone over to calm Sakura down, taking advantage of her angry state.
It was at that moment, that a familiar memory invaded his mind; and the lovely image of his mother came into his mind. Hinata had just been born, and she was talking to Neji.
"Son, there is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in. Always remember that". She kissed him on the forehead, and went to the nursery to pick up her niece.
Neji smiled. A real smile from ear to ear graced his lovely face, and he looked at his little sister, then at his beautiful Tenten; HIS Tenten.
'The door is opened' he thought, 'and the future is about to begin.'
A/N: I really liked how i eneded this story. The middle was a little weird, i know, but i still love it. I'm so proud of myself! T-T Hope you guys like it. And if you don't, tell me. Im all ears. By the way, it was written for a NejiTen contest. Hope you like!