As a side note, I would like to be a Beta reader to anyone, just nothing crazy. I will not correct a story that jumps randomly from Gaara sniffing crack to Pein eating babies. Anything else should be fine, including yaoi. While I am straight, I am also perfectly fine with other being homosexual. I read one story, "The Road Less Travelled By" by Ashen Skies, and I have to hive him credit, it was an amazing story, even with some fluff. Lemons are fine, etc.
Anyways, on to the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
"Damn Neji! Frickin' cold, evil, mean, stupid..."
Tenten continued with her list of choice words for her white-eyed teammate as she stomped down the earthen road towards the Chuunin Exam Finals Stadium.
She had gotten into an argument over how he treated Hinata Hyuuga. While she understood Neji's hatred towards the main house and detested the Caged Bird Seal's control over the Branch house members, she really didn't think Hinata deserved the scorn and ridicule he constantly gave her. In fact, Hinata was possibly the farthest from deserving his hatred, and she had argued that fact to his face. Neji had then calmly told her to stay out of "clan business". Clan Business?!? Like hell it was clan business. Hinata's inferiority complex could affect any future missions she might have, and Neji's emotions could easily get him riled up if someone knew about his past. "Sigh."
If only there was some way to show him he was wrong, and possibly shake him from his stupid fatalistic ideal. Luckily, or unluckily, he was in the finals, and there was a small chance someone could beat that out of his head. It was a small chance, though...
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When Naruto and Neji's fight started, she knew from watching them that Naruto was going to lose. His horrible taijutsu (Was that even a form?) along with his repetitive use of Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and inexistent chakra control was going to cause him to lose.
His strategy to have a clone stay in the back and act like an original was cunning (Which he probably picked up trough his pranks), but it wasn't enough to beat her teammate. Neji was in the stance for the Jyuuken: Hakke Rokujuuyonsho, and it was unlikely he would miss. She watched as Uzumaki Naruto was hit by Neji's hand so fast the civilians around her were muttering about Meji having ten hands.
Naruto landed on the floor, panting as he felt for his chakra. She felt sorry for him, whispering under her breath, "If it had been anyone else, Naruto..."
She looked on as Neji spoke to him of the Caged Bird Seal, the Hyuuga Main and Branch families, and his deceased father. While she had heard it before, it still pained her to hear it, since she couldn't imagine living in constant fear of sudden mind-splitting pain.
Her eyes widened when Naruto stood, only to narrow them as she saw Naruto's determination beaten down by Neji yet again. However, when he stood the second time, she acknowledged his determination; to stand when others kicked him down; to fight when others would fall; he truly was someone worthy of respect. She made a note to tell him so the next time she saw him.
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Tenten slightly shuddered under the malevolent chakra Naruto had suddenly spouted. When he had put his hands in the tora seal to collect his chakra, she thought he was just being foolish, then. Nobody could unseal their tenketsu after a Hyuuga sealed them. If anyone could, the Hyuuga's Jyuuken wouldn't be so feared.
However, when he suddenly let out a massive release of red chakra, she was besides herself in amazement. "How-?" she asked, her words picked up by the fierce wind encircling the stadium, oddly reaching a young Inuzaka and his puppy.
"Naruto wouldn't let some stick-up his-ass prick beat him down. He's tough; and he's fighting for Hinata. There's no way he would lose to Neji. No offense," Inuzaka Kiba said, grinning ferally. "That freaky chakra's kind of weird though, never knew he had two chakra sources. And that fox smell..."
Kiba trailed off as he saw Naruto and Neji trade off shruiken, kunai, and punches. Tenten had started paying attention to Naruto the minute he picked up the sand soaked with Hinata's blood and promised to bring Neji down. Her respect for him had immediately jumped; for a boy to make a promise on a girl's blood... It was serious, and slightly romantic stuff.
A sudden shockwave had emitted from the point where Naruto had charged on a half-made Kaiten. The sheer foolishness of charging a technique called the perfect defense with a kunai! The Kaiten was created by emitting chakra from all pores from one's body and spinning, creating a dense ball of chakra in all directions, making it impossible to penetrate. She covered her eyes as the flash from the clash nearly blinded her. She couldn't see who had won... Who-
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"Sugoi..." Two craters from where the two had landed was clearly visible, but only Neji was getting up. "Naruto..."
Bam! As Naruto upper-cutted Neji in the middle of his fate speech, she realized she was standing, like everyone else in the crowd. When Naruto spoke, his words rang with clarity throughout the stadium.
"Destiny can't be changed, blah blah. Stop whining about stupid crap like that. Since... you're not a loser like me."
Those words rang within everyone, and some felt slight guilt. "Shousha, Uzumaki Naruto!"
As the entire stadium erupted into applause, Naruto danced around, acting like a stage performer after his show. "Naruto, Arigatou," She whispered in the mist of the cheering.
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Tenten waited outside Neji's room as Hyuuga Hiashi spoke to him. 'Has Neji gotten over his fate?' she wondered. When Hiashi came out, he looked at her, and said, "Please take care of him."
"Hai, Hyuuga-sama!"
As he walked away, she opened the door to see Neji staring out of the window, a smile on his face. Wait, a smile? Sure enough, Neji was smiling.
"Father, the birds are flying freely today. They look so happy."
"And you're not that far off."
"Tenten. I'm, Gome-" She put a finger on his lips to stop him.
"I know, Neji." He stared straight into her eyes, and she could feel her face heat up.
"Neji?"
"Tenten, Arigatou," he replied as he pulled her into a hug.
She smiled into his chest, and together, they looked out into the sky, watching the birds fly free.
End
Please Review! I want to know if anyone wants some kind of scene written out. No long-term stories though, since I want to focus on college classes, so let me know what kind of scene you want through a message, and I'll see what I can do. No Yaoi (I'm a straight guy); sorry!
This is the first of the five required stories.