Hello! Here's my second NejiTen fan fiction. I believe it'll be a bit longer than my first (A Week With the Prodigy). And this is adventurous and bit of action, because I need to learn how to write a new genre. But there's romance, as always. Haha, anyways, here it is.
Stronger
by
iJutsu
Chapter One
"I'm sorry, young ones," responded Rock Lee, "But your sensei, Tenten, is not here today."
The young ninjas looked up at Lee. He's gotten taller since his genin years, and his hair covered part of his eyebrows, making people look at him seeing that he actually had small eyebrows. He's gotten stronger, and oddly, still willing to make Sakura's his. However, his childish acts towards Sakura was gone; no longer has he blew kisses, wink or other gestures he's done before. But, Lee still wore the green, for he still admired Gai. Though, he now speaks more like how everyone else does, for a certain incident with Sakura. Lee's now 19.
A young kunoichi up to Lee and pouted, "She wasn't even here yesterday, Lee-sensei! You haven't found her yet?"
Lee sadly shook his head, and sighed. "I'm afraid not, Kimiko ."
Tenten has been missing from Konoha for over 4 years. Team Gai, along with other ninja groups, searched around for any sign of the weapon mistress, yet, no signs. Some were worried about her disappearance, and some were annoyed, finding the fact that she ran away with no reason, as they believed, and out of the blue. Kimiko sighed.
"I hope you find her soon, Lee-sensei!" she responded now with a smile, "She seems really cool!"
The group heard a member scoff. Lee and the other two students looked towards the other ninja who did so and Lee raised a brow. The ninja just glared towards the floor, and crossed his arms.
"I don't understand why she was chosen to be our sensei," he said hatefully, biting his lip, "I don't even understand why she was chosen this occupation, anyway! Shouldn't a sensei be dedicated to teach those who need help, or show up when necessary?" The young boy then raised his head swiftly and glared at Lee, "Not one that was missing for years?!"
"Kai!" Kimiko said, staring at him in nuisance, "Don't talk that way! Ryo, can you tell him to stop?!"
"Let him be, Kimiko," said another ninja, by the name of Ryo said, "He doesn't know any better."
"It's true," Kai muttered after rolling his eyes towards Ryo. He then looked away from them. Kimiko looked over at Lee to apologize for Kai's actions, only to see that Lee was looking blankly at Kai, with a not a frown, nor smile upon his lips. Lee then blinked slowly and sighed, and walked towards Kai in a calm matter. Kai seemed to hear his footsteps, for he looked up when Lee was in front of him. Being so much taller than the student, he bent down to his height and stared at him in the eye. Kai seemed to be a bit nervous, for once eye-contact was created, he eyed to his left. Lee again sighed and pated his head.
"I can't blame you for thinking that way," Lee said, with disappointment of failing them in his voice. He then stood up straight and turned around. "I have to attend a meeting. Kimiko, Ryo, Kai, please study the basics that I was able to teach you yesterday."
Kimiko and Ryo nodded and the walked towards the training area, with Kai following behind them, head down. Lee began to walk this direction towards a certain place, seeming like he knew exactly where he was going. As he walked, he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and grinned softly.
"I noticed you come while I was speaking to Kai," Lee said towards the person, who was leaning against the tree, "Sure did make me think more about the situation. Didn't it, Neji?"
Lee heard a small quiet groan coming from him. He person stopped leaning against the tree and stood straight, walking towards Lee. He then stood before him, with the wind blowing his long dark hair delicately, causing few strands of loose hair covering his face. Neji, too, has gotten taller, perhaps a bit taller than Lee was, and obviously, has became stronger than ever. His hair remained the long, and it was still bonded with tape. Neji's white eyes never seemed to fail him, and his movements were faster than before. However, after all these years, he was still amazed by Lee's powers and speed. Neji's personality, too, has changed. No longer has he talked about fate, and how people can't change. He thanks Naruto for making him change to the better. However, he kept criticism towards other to himself.
Team Gai has were no longer a fighting team. They graduated and are now individual ninjas; senseis. But despite the fact that they are no longer together as 'Team Gai', after Chunin exams, they promised to never let go of each other. In they're hearts, they were still a team. That is, at this moment, to both Lee and Neji.
Neji then let out a deep breath before looking at Lee once again.
"It's been almost 5 years," Neji said quietly, making Lee frown a bit and nod.
"And still nothing," Neji added pitifully.
"It's not like it's our fault, Neji," said Lee, crossing his arms, looking up at the sky, "The rumors about her running way just suddenly is something I'm starting to believe."
Neji raised an eyebrow. Lee noticed and looked down from the sky and back at him.
"Well," Lee started, moving his hair a bit from his eyes, "Remember what Gai-sensei said before? I was pretty disappointed of him just telling us this not to long ago. He said that Tenten was smiling and being joyful as usual towards him and others the day before her disappearance."
Neji nodded, seeing where Lee was heading. Lee continued. "So it's a possibility that she did run away for no reason. If she was happy the whole week, and runs away then next, it's possible."
"How do you she was happy?" Neji asked simply, causing Lee to stare at him confusingly. Neji looked at him, "Honestly, you and I don't know much about Tenten."
"You say that, how?" Lee asked.
"Do you know anything about Tenten's life outside of training and missions?" asked Neji.
Lee was quiet for a moment, surprised that he haven't thought about it. Neji was the genius, after all. "I guess we don't know. Maybe something tragic happened, causing her to do what she did," Lee replied, again moving his hair. He then glared at Neji, "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
Neji ignored his question then shifted his arms. "We're looking again today." he ordered.
"We can't today, Neji. We cannot enter the forest, for today the genins are missioning all over. If one sees us, one can't help but follow. It's always like that."
Neji just stayed quiet and gave in. Having another ninja gone was something they can't handle. Lee then again spoke.
"Besides, if we were to look again today, where would we look?" he asked, "We looked in many lands, many villages. It's even a possibility that she's not even standing in this land today, meaning, she's in a whole new world. It's been years. Knowing absolutely nothing about where she could possibly be, it pitiful. Things are probably more worse now and we don't know it.."
"More worse?" Neji repeated in a state of question slowly. Lee gave a deep breath.
"She could be dead."
Neji's eyes widen a little as he stared at Lee's eyes, who was showing sadness in his eyes more less than he was. Lee's head then dropped a little as he covered his eyes with his arm in slight frustration. His arm was a bit shaky as he spoke. "Neji, she's been gone for YEARS. There never was a sign of and all we know by far is that she ran away and isn't around. O-our lovely f-flower of youth. Our poor lovely flower of y-youth."
Lee's hand sought the back of his neck, and let the arm he had covered his eyes with fall down to his sides. He raised his head and looked at Neji. No tears were shown on his face, or any signs if he was crying. Seemed like he wasn't, for Neji thought he was for merely a second. Lee placed a hand upon Neji's shoulder comfortingly before sighing and turning around to head back to the village. It was then he knew that his partner no longer wanted to talk about it.
Neji sighed frustratingly and leaned back against the tree again. Even for a genius, he was confused. He closed his eyes and began to think. "That's true. She could no longer be beyond our reach or be dead for the matter," Neji thought. "Either that, or there's some certain area within the land that we haven't searched in or for yet." Neji's eyes remained closed as he lifted his foot to lean against the tree as well with his his body. Before he could cross his arms, he felt a something light hit the tree, which was inches away from his arm. He opened his eyes immediately and looked about. He then looked at the ground, seeing that it was just a stick that hit the tree. Neji twitched and picked it up. He looked at it, then, remembering the sound, toward the direction in which it came. Raising a brow, he again looked at the stick.
"If this almost hit me from that direction," he whispered to himself, "Someone obviously must've thrown it..."
Neji looked around once again. Once the stick hit the tree, all he heard was the stick's motion, no footsteps, breathing, or any sound a human could possibly make. "But who?"
Suddenly, Neji heard rustling from behind the tree that he was leaning against before. He quickly turned around, and saw a girl, about the age of 4 or 5 come out from behind the tree, staring at him shyly with a small blush on her face as she fidgeted with her fingers. Neji looked at the girl strangely. Her hair was short and brown, with pig tails that reached to her shoulders. She had dark brown eyes. He blinked. "She looks familiar," he thought, still staring at the girl. The girl smiled softly at him and bowed her head and then walked over to him. She stopped in her tracks when she was right in front of him. Again, she bowed, though with her whole body this time.
"I sorry," she said sweetly as she stood back up straight, "I din't mean to hit you."
Neji just nodded as his reply slowly. How can he not realize a little girl standing behind the tree or in front of him when the stick was thrown? Confused a bit, he then spoke. "Who are you?" he asked.
The girl just giggled and skipped to behind the tree once again. Neji flinched as he stared at her do so. Neji expected her to skip around the tree and come back to him, but she didn't. Once she skipped to behind the tree, she didn't return. Still a bit confused, Neji walked to behind the tree and blinked. She was gone.
"What the hell," he muttered, staring at the empty space of where the girl should have been.
"Something wrong?" a voice said behind him, sounding older than the girl before. Neji shivered. Why didn't he notice her behind him? And why was there no sound to indicate movements of the person. Neji quickly turned around and his eye's grew wide.
The girl before him smiled. She was short, up to his shoulder height. She wore a pink Chinese tank and her hair was up in two buns. He didn't believe it. He blinked, but she was still there.
"Tenten?"
That was all he was able to manage out of his voice. 'Tenten' just smiled. He just stared at her oddly. This didn't make any sense. "This is how Tenten looked when we were still about 13, when we were genins. How could she possibly still look like this?" he thought. Before Neji could speak, she placed a finger upon his lips and smiled. She slowly brought her hand back to her and walked around the tree. Neji stared blankly at her, again seeing that she didn't come all the way around the tree to meet up with him once again. He rubbed his eyes. "I must be hallucinating," Neji thought, as he removed his hands from his eyes. Although, once he fully opened his white eyes, another girl was before him, but now her height was up to his chin. His eyes again grew wide as he let out a shaky sigh.
Dark brown hair tied up in two buns. She wore a long sleeve white and maroon shirt, along with matching pants. This revealed what she looked like 2 or 3 years later after genin years, when Neji became a jonin. And that was how she looked when they last saw her.
If this was really Tenten, he was still about confused about why she still looks like that. It's been over 4 years since they last saw her.
"Are you still looking for me?" she said, in a voice he never expected her to use. She was still smiling, though anger was flowing through her voice. "Am I really worth searching for?
Someone was toying with him. He just knew it. Neji closed his eyes, and focused his chakra towards his body and mind. After a brief amount of seconds, he sharply opened them.
Byakugan.
He focused it towards the girl. Neji then stared at it questionably. Nothing happened. Nothing. He couldn't see through the girl. As the byakugan began to fade, he walked up to her. Slowly, he brought his hand up to her face, only to find himself, after a second, touching air.
Neji blinked. She was gone. There was no one in front of him, nor evidence that she teleported. Suddenly, a sharp pain got to his head, making him go back to the tree and lean back. It then got to him.
There was nothing with him to begin with.
Whatever those Tentens were, they weren't there. It was all just in his mind. Neji grunted and banged the back of his head against the trunk of the tree frustratingly. All of a sudden, he saw Lee run towards him from a distance. Neji stood up straight and waited for Lee to approach him. Finally, Lee made it to him and once there, he was desperately trying to catch his breath as he pointed a finger towards Neji. Neji stared at him oddly.
"S-something happened," Lee panted, "S-something strange." Lee then looked up at Neji still taking in breaths, "I...I s-saw her! Her! B-but she wasn't...her appearance...it was her...but she wasn't...she was still...three of her! She told us not to...look for her..."
Neji couldn't believe it. Lee must've encountered the same thing.
"That happened to me as well," Neji said.
Lee inhaled and exhaled deeply and looked at Neji straight in the eye seriously. Still looking at him, he angrily smacked himself, leaving his hand upon his forehead.
"Somethings up," Lee grunted, "T-toying with us with someone very dear. D-damn them!"
Lee was now shaking. Neji felt that nothing could comfort him but the real missing teammate. With his hand still upon his forehead, Lee began to speak, "Why would they do this to us NOW? Why not before? Why not the first week of her disappearance? Second week? First month?! Why after 4 long years!?" Lee let out a shaky breath, while his arm shook many times. His shaking seemed to calm down, as he removed his hand slowly from his face.
"Neji, could this be sign? Could this be a sign that..."
He was interrupted by the sound of running footsteps. Both boys looked towards the direction, seeing a short pink-haired kunoichi run towards them. Lee blinked to get a clearer view. It was Sakura. She increased her speed and stopped in front of them. She looked down and began to catch her breath before she decided to speak.
"Sakura! What's wrong?" Lee asked, looking at her.
Sakura raised up her head sharply, with part of her hair covering her face. "Trouble in the village," she said, "There's someone there who already killed 2 guards from blocking the person from entering the village. I...I.."
"Did that person hurt you?" asked Lee, shocked that she could possibly be hurt. Sakura just shook her head as a 'no'.
"I bumped into the person. It...grabbed me and was about to strike me...I escaped though."
"Does anyone else know about this?" asked Neji demandingly.
"N-no. Naruto and the rest are either on a mission or teaching their students in the forest right now. If we call them in, they are probably already far and their students might be in danger. Only me, Master Tsunade, along with other previous senseis, meaning Kakashi-sensei, Gai-sensei, Iruka-sensei and so forth, know."
Sakura then looked at them fearfully. "We need all the help we can get!" she said to both Lee and Neji, "We better go. Whoever it is could be hurting people at this moment...!"
Neji and Lee nodded and ran towards the village as fast as they could. As they the village, they saw various people running away from the direction they were heading. The villain must be that way. They got closer, and dust clouds from the dirt of people running kept blocking their view in front of them. Suddenly, Lee heard someone scream in pain. Someone being Gai. His eyes grew wide as he increased speed.
"This way!" yelled Lee as he ran, with Neji right by his side, and Sakura a bit behind to catch up. People were no longer running by them. A majority, fortunately, made it out from danger. The three made it through the dust and saw a clear vision of the entrance, or exit to them, of the Leaf village. That was then they saw Gai and Kakashi laying upon the floor. They gasped and ran towards them. Lee and Neji ran to Gai and Sakura ran to Kakashi and helped them up. Luckily for them, they were still breathing and no blood was in sight, but they were badly injured.
"Gai-sensei! Are you alright?" yelled Lee, as he and Neji helped him sit up.
"An outsider attacked," muttered Kakashi dryly as he sat up with the support of Sakura, "With a mask covering it's whole face."
"With a ninja band...with no sign...no sign of what village it could be from," said Gai, trying to stand. Sakura gasped.
"Gai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, I need to bring you to the hospital as quick as possible! If you continue, you'll collapse!"
The teachers couldn't speak, exhaustion conquered their bodies. Sakura quickly supported them, with one on each side and began to walk to the nearest they could find. She then turned her head towards Lee and Neji, "Keep eye!" she yelled to them, "I'll send others to help!"
With that, she disappeared into the dust clouds. Neji looked over at Lee. Lee was shaking in anger once again, with his hands clutched tight into fists, and head down and teeth gritting together. Neji looked around. There was definitely someone with them. He heard footsteps coming from the left of them, then to the right. Neji paced himself as he pulled out a kunai out of his pocket bag and looked in front of him. Lee also seemed to notice, for he did the same.
"Show yourself," demanded Neji sharply, "There's no use in hiding."
Within seconds, there was a dark figure before them in a distance. It was walking closer to them, revealing it's looks. It wore a mask, with no holes to show the face. The person wore a black collared tank, along with a matching knee-length skirt, that showed the sides of it's legs. The legs were covered with protection tape inches down from it's waist. The hair was short and dark, only touching the shoulders. It held two katanas on it's back, along with a pocket bag obviously field with ninja shuriken and kunais. Gai was right; she wore a ninja headband on her neck, but there was nothing craved onto it. Just a blank band.
It finally got close enough, as it stopped feet in front of them. Lee was getting ready to attack and he was staring directly at the mask. However, Lee first pointed at the person, giving it such a glare.
"Reveal yourself!" Lee said simply, though still shaking.
The person didn't respond. Lee glared madly at it, stepping closer. He couldn't take it much longer.
"Reveal yourself, coward!" Lee repeated, as he brought his hand down from pointing. Again, no response. That was the limit for him. "Prepare to fight!" Lee said to Neji as he ran in his incredible speed towards the mysterious person. In an instant, Lee was right in front of the person. He jumped.
"Leaf Gale!"
Lee aimed his kick towards his opponent.
It was blocked.
Lee stared at the person in shock. It was standing in the same position it was when looking at them, with it's hand gripping onto his leg before he was able to kick. Neji was also surprised. "It blocked the attack in such speed," thought Neji, staring at the person in awe. He then shook his head. It was his turn to take action. Swiftly, Neji appeared behind the person and aimed a punch.
It was also blocked.
Neji grunted. His arm was caught in the person's grip with it's free hand, for the other was still gripping upon Lee's leg. Before Lee could again attack with his free leg, the person let go of both of them, making them jump back and stare. It began laughing. Laughing with small laughs leaving into a fairly loud one. Lee glared at the person once it stopped laughing.
"Nice to see you again, too."
Both Neji and Lee's face grew soft as they stared at the person in confusion. With only the sounds of the wind and leafs rustling surround the tree, it looked won and brought it's hand up to it's mask, slowly removing it. Lee stared and paced himself for who the person might be. Neji waited. Finally, in a matter of slow seconds, it raised it's head and opened it's eyes. Lee and Neji gasped. That face. Those eyes.
"No," Neji whispered, angrily, "It can't be..."
It was.
Lee gulped.
"Tenten?"
TBC
This chapter mainly describes what happened, how they feel, and so forth. And towards the ending, as you found out, Tenten appears. In the next chapter, that's for you to find out. I just need to work on action, and fighting scenes. Don't worry, all NejiTen romance lovers. It'll come soon. xD
