Quiet All These Years

It's been quiet in Tenten's weapon shop these days. Actually it has been peaceful and quiet ever since the Great War. Everyone move on with their lives. Lee is occupied with training with his disciple nowadays. Gai sensei practically challenges Kakashi every chance he gets since the copy-nin retired from the post of Hokage. The girls in her group all started dating, got married and have kids. Everyone except her. Tenten is trying her best to move on too. Trying and failing. Because she is not quite the same girl since Neji died.

In a parallel universe, she could be happy too. Happily married to the man she loves and has a dozen of kids that fill the house with bicker and laughter.

Instead Tenten contents herself with a single room apartment and a weapon shop that seldom get any visitors or customers. It is a miracle that she still manages to keep her shop open for business and pay her rent.

Naruto still pops by her shop now and then despite his busy schedule as a Hokage and buy tones of weapon that she knows he never uses. It is no secret that the blond still feels responsible for Neji's death. Sympathy is the last thing she needs and she certainly doesn't need anyone to feel responsible for her life or happiness, not even if Neji is still alive. She has made this crystal clear to everyone around her. She just wants to be left alone most of the time.

So Tenten appreciates her quiet days in her shop, spending her time polishing and sharpening weapons in her shop. Some days when inspiration strikes, she will even design and create new weapons. Those are the good days.

During the bad days, the brunette just can't seem to find the strength and will to get up from her bed at all. She lies in her bed all day and stares at the ceiling until she falls asleep again. Or until someone forcefully drags her out of her bed and screams at her until she listens. Usually that would be Sakura while Hinata quietly cooked hot meals for her in her kitchen. And the food always smelled so good that her stomach rumbled and she finally gave in and digged in. For those days, Tenten is grateful that she has friends who really care for her. They are the reason she doesn't slit her wrist and bleed herself out in her bath tub.

She has always been a quiet girl. Strong and quiet. She knew Neji appreciated these qualities in a partner. She didn't need him to know that sometimes being close to him made her knees weak. She never whispered a word about how she felt for him to anyone. She thought it would be enough if he let her stay by his side. And she did till the very end. But all she could hear was the hollow sound of her heart breaking inside.

She never tells anyone about what she dreamt when she fell under the spell of the Eternal Moon Eye. It is a secret that she intends to bring to her grave.

Years pass by swiftly and quietly. To Tenten's surprise, she outlives everyone in the Rookie Nine. But it seems befitting though. Neji was the first to go and she is last. Beginning and end. A full circle. She stands in front of the Monument Stone one last time and carve her name on it, on top of everyone else. No one will remember her but it doesn't matter.

Wait for me, everyone.

Then she unfolds the giant scroll and let the weapons fly. The roar of the twin dragons echoes through the valley.

Xxx

I have been waiting for you.

Neji stretches out his hand expectantly.

And Tenten smiles.

She is finally whole again.

xxx

A/N: Everyone ends up married and having kids in the finale, except Tenten. All she gets is "It's been quiet in the shop these days." I was like WTF. Tenten deserves a good ending. I guess I can officially bow out from Naruto fandom now.