Another NejiTen drabble for my wonderful reviewers. Enjoy.

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Strong

Every single day they would spar, and every single day he would win, a kunai at her throat. White eyes would stare triumphantly down at endless black pools, but black would never look away.

Each time, he would say the same words, without fail, "You're still weak."

And each time, she would respond, "I know."

But she never turned her head away, never dropped her eyes in surrender. Instead, she would stubbornly hold the stare, pride and intensity undaunted by dishonorable defeat, until he, the Hyuuga Neji, averted his gaze.

Her eyes always spoke an unchanged vow:

I will be strong.

Neji believed her.

Deep within his mind, he'd known that that would be how she'd die one day: glaring firmly into the eyes of an enemy, intimidated by neither fear nor pain, her dignity remaining intact even as she rose into the next existence.

It would be a hero's end.

He knew that, as a teammate and a friend, he should've praised this foreshadowing of inhuman courage.

But for now it just bugged the hell out of him.

Owari

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I love the ending. It's so Neji. There's not much fluff, but this seems to be the reality of where they stand now – she idolizes him, he respects her. I might do a sequel, depending on what you guys think of it. (Thanks, Starriecat, for pointing out some grammar stuff.)

Now, see that little blue button? Good. Move the cursor over it…and click!