(Disclaimer: I don't own NARUTO. Just a story I made up with the Naruto characters.)
Opening Yourself for Happiness
"Alright, my glowing bundles of youth! You all trained well enough, so I'll cut training short today!" A tall man with a bowl hair cut sang, and of course, adding dancing twirls to the end of his sentence. Tenten and Neji collapsed to their knees in exhaustion, while a boy similar to the dancing man stayed up on his feet with fire in his eyes.
"Gai-sensei, I cannot sit around with this extra time you've given us. I shall continue training until I can be as strong as you!" The boy screamed with triumph, staring at his teacher with such passion that his eyes were full of tears. Gai-sensei was so proud of his student that he placed his large hand on his student's shoulder.
"Since you have so much determination to become as strong as me, I shall train with you. Come Lee; let's run together into the sunset of youth!" Gai-sensei sang. Lee nodded strongly, and soon runs off with his sensei… leaving Neji and Tenten alone in the training field.
Tenten sweat dropped, seeing Gai-sensei and Lee run off, so dramatically. She turned to Neji, and silently laughed to herself, knowing that Neji was all to use to this behavior towards Gai, and Lee.
Tenten got up to her feet and patted all the dust from her clothes. She then turned to Neji, who was still on the floor, and smiled.
"Need a hand, Neji?" Tenten asked, pulling out her hand towards Neji. Without replying back, Neji ignored Tenten's hand and got up to his feet by himself. Tenten wasn't surprised at Neji's action, but couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
"Good job today. I'll be going now." Neji simply said, walking away before Tenten could reply back. Tenten gave a weak smile as she watched Neji walk further and further away from her. Her eyes soon soften as Tenten mind, wanders in thought.
-
"HAHA! You're such a loser, Neji!" A blonde boy laughed loudly, swinging back and forth on the swings just outside the academy. "Just do what I say, and you'll get your way."
Neji looked at the boy annoyingly. "And what makes you think your way will actually work, Naruto?" Neji asked intensively.
Naruto laughed and was about to answer until a boy with a dog interrupts him.
"What are you guys talking about? I could hear Naruto's laugh a mile away." Kiba sneered. Naruto glared at Kiba is annoyance but came back to Neji.
"Like what I was saying; if you do what I told you to do, I bet Tenten would fall heads over heels for you!" Naruto exclaimed. Kiba started to burst out laughing.
"Why on earth are you asking about love life to a kid like Naruto? He can't score a girl if his life depended on it!" Kiba laughed. Naruto blushed, and boiled up in disagreement.
"Tenten doesn't have to fall 'heads over heels' for me, I just want her to be fully happy." Neji explained thoroughly. Kiba nodded, while Naruto shrugged.
"Wanting her to be happy, wanting her to be in love with you; it's all the same thing!"
Both Kiba and Neji stared intensively at Naruto as he ponders in thought.
"Does she seem sad to you, Neji?" Kiba asked.
"Not sad… just depressed. She wasn't as happy like she usually is anymore…" Neji answered, staring at the distance. "And I want to know why."
"You're really are slow Neji."
All three boys turned their heads to the direction of the low voice. A tall, black spiky haired boy, walked towards them with his two hands in his white pockets. The boy's night eyes shimmered in the sun light as he stared at his rival. Neji grinds his teeth.
"What are you trying to say, Sasuke Uchiha?" Neji asked, under his breath. Sasuke merely chuckled at Neji's comment, which pissed him off even more.
"You must be joking right?" Sasuke asked. Neji didn't say a word; he only stared at Sasuke with his snow, white eyes. Sasuke just gave a sigh.
"Do you like Tenten more than a comrade?" Sasuke asked straight forwardly. Neji was taken aback at Sasuke's unexpected words, and couldn't answer. Sasuke stared at the quiet boy who was turning bright red. Sasuke shook his head in disapproval.
"Look, if you really want Tenten to be happy, try to open yourself a little more." Sasuke said, turning his back towards the three boys. "After that," Sasuke said, trailing off as he turned his head to face Neji. "After that, you'll get what you want."
"Open myself?" Neji asked himself.
"Sasuke wants Neji to cut himself open!!" Naruto yelled, terrified. Kiba knocked Naruto in the head, understanding what Sasuke meant, and soon after… so did Neji.
-
"Good job today my brilliant students! Get a lot of rest to come train tomorrow!" Gai-sensei sang. Everyone nodded and soon Lee and Gai-sensei were off to do more training while Tenten and Neji were on the ground exhausted, yet again. Tenten wiped the sweat off from her forehead and soon gets up to her feet. She patted the dust off from her clothes.
Attempting it again, Tenten pulled out her hand to Neji with saying word. Neji looked at her hand, and then at Tenten, who still had that weak smile on her face.
"Look, if you really want Tenten to be happy, try to open yourself a little more."
The words from Sasuke, repeated in Neji's mind.
Open myself… huh?
Suddenly, surprising Tenten at the spot, Neji had reached and grasped onto Tenten's hand, pulling his weight up with a little help by Tenten's strength. When Neji was finally on his feet, he looked towards Tenten. Neji's eyes widen as he saw a huge, bright smile on Tenten's face that he's never seen for quite some time. The question was… why was she finally smiling so brightly?
"Thanks Tenten." Neji said quietly.
"No problem." Tenten replied with a huge smile.
Neji wasn't sure why Tenten is being happy as she is, but all he knows was Sasuke's advice worked, vs. Naruto's advice.
(A/N: Um… this was typed fast… about twenty minutes of my time. Just want to put some moral into this story, and I hope you readers can find that moral. And about Naruto's plan… you can think of it ((be creative!)) Thanks for reading, and please, tell me what you think.)