Protective

TenTen stormed into the Hyuuga Compound slammed open the door to the Main Household where the Main and major Branch families slept. People scrambled out of her way as they saw the pissed, murderous light in her eyes. she stomped her way to Neji's door and began slamming her palm against the poor wood. "Hyuuga Neji you sorry bastard, get your ass out here NOW!" she yelled angrily. "I swear, when I get my hands on you I'm going to make you sorry you were ever born!"

Neji calmly opened the door and caught TenTen's hand before she could inflict more damage, "Why would I get out of the safety of my room then?" he asked dryly.

TenTen yanked her hand out of his grip and glared, "Stupid arrogant bastard, I should kill you!"

"But you won't," he said calmly.

TenTen childishly stuck her tongue out at him, "Yeah, I won't….. blah, bastard."

Neji hid a smile as he looked at her annoyed expression. Her buns were neatly tied off with ribbons and she obviously had some scrolls and weapons she had hastily hid on herself. Neji shook his head, "I have to be here for a meeting with the Elders, can we train here instead of the usual?"

TenTen gave Neji her usual cheerful smile, "Sure!"

Neji smiled slightly before leading the way to the Hyuuga training grounds. TenTen kept up a constant stream of conversation focused on one subject: weapons. Neji listen slightly as she told him whether steel or silver was better and all sorts of information that nobody other than TenTen would know. She didn't even notice the several look-overs that some of the Hyuuga men gave her, although most of them quickly turned back around when Neji glared. "It's here," he said abruptly as they reached the training ground.

TenTen laughed cheerfully and looked around the training grounds. There were a few Hyuugas standing in it and she chose the remotest corner to train. She set down two scrolls and looked at Neji, "Ready to warm up?"

Neji slid into his Kaiten stance, "Yes."

TenTen's hands flashed through the hand signs quickly before two air dragons rose into the air and she jumped up, landing between the vortex of two slowly rotating scrolls. She moved quickly, he hands finding, then throwing the lethal weapons that were stored inside. Neji quickly spun in the Kaiten, deflecting all the weapons as she threw them. TenTen landed lightly back on the ground when her scrolls ran out and instantly moved out of the way of Neji's strike. TenTen pulled out another scroll and summoned tonfas, using them to block Neji's arm and keep his fingers far –very very very far- from her.

She tossed away the tonfas when they broke and grabbed a katana from her back, "Asshole! That was my favorite pair!" she yelled angrily.

Neji shrugged, his eyes a little apologetic as they continued to spar. He dodged the katana, trying to keep her from hitting him and probably chopping him to pieces. TenTen suddenly pivoted on the balls of her feet and sliced her blade at his back. She missed and snagged his shirt and tie. Neji grumbled slightly when his shirt got torn and jumped away from her for a moment when he noticed that his hair was falling on his face. He grunted in annoyance before going after her again. TenTen took out a scroll and let out all the weapons in the scroll jumping backwards at the same time. Neji quickly picked up two kunais from the mess on the ground and began blocking or dodging the projectiles, trying to save his chakra. As soon as the hail of weapons stopped, he tossed the kunais at TenTen. Unfortunately, she dodged too slowly and her ribbons fell to the floor, letting her hair fall completely.

TenTen paused in her attacks and reached up a hand to touch her hair. She felt the weight of her hair on her neck and twitched, "Neji," she hissed in a low, venomous tone, "Did you just cut my ribbons?"

"Accidentally," Neji said, a touch of apology in his tone.

TenTen twitched and grabbed several scrolls before summoning all the weapons and tossing them in Neji's direction. The weapons weren't the 'plaything' weapons that they had been using before but huge shurikens and long, lethal blades. Neji quickly moved, dodging and blocking when he had to and performing the Kaiten when there were too many. They went on like this for about twenty minutes, both of their hair swishing around their face as they moved in a lethal, dangerous dance.

TenTen finally slid to a stop, her eyes bright and her lips lifted in a smirk. Neji gradually slowed his Kaiten, his expression neutral and his hair falling. TenTen covered her mouth as she smiled, "Your hair's really nice like that," she said, half teasing and half serious.

Neji gave her a look, "Right."

TenTen hid her smile then suddenly frowned, "I need new ribbons, you completely slaughtered mine."

Neji sighed and gestured at her weapons, "You might want to pick that up first."

TenTen laughed and picked up the scrolls, "Right," she said before carefully storing all her weapons, making a mental note to clean and sharpen them.

That was when Neji noticed all the Hyuugas gathered around, gawking at TenTen. He stiffened and shifted the slightest bit so that he was covering their sight. TenTen looked up when she sensed him move and noticed the people. She quickly summoned back out a few senbons and stuck them through a single bun she hastily formed. Neji grabbed her arm and began walking away, pretty much dragging her away.

"Oi! Neji! Hey, you bastard, let go of my arm!" TenTen yelped as she was being dragged to Neji's room. Neji kept himself in a position that would keep most of the people from seeing TenTen with her hair down.

Finally, to both of their relief, they reached the safety and quiet of Neji's room. TenTen hastily pulled her arm out of Neji's grasp, rubbing it slightly with a blush adorning her face. Neji quickly turned and busied himself with finding the ribbons. TenTen sighed and reached up a hand to pull out the senbons holding her hair in place. "So Neji," she said conversationally, "How do you have ribbons anyway?"

Neji turned and froze slightly. He hadn't noticed TenTen's hair earlier seeing that he was trying to keep the other Hyuugas from seeing and later when he was dragging her, her hair had been placed in a messy single bun. But in honesty, her hair down looked gorgeous, absolutely beautiful. He averted his eyes slightly to keep from looking like those gawking idiots and handed her the ribbons, "You left them once."

TenTen blinked and took the ribbons, "I did?" she said, unbelievingly. She looked at the midnight blue ribbons closely and suddenly broke into a smile, "Hey, I remember these! They got cut up in our training didn't they?"

Neji shook his head, "No, they just slipped off."

TenTen grinned happily and scanned the ribbons again, "Awww….. thanks Neji, you're a lifesaver!" she squealed.

Neji raised his eyebrows, "Right, I'll walk you to the gate," he said politely.

TenTen blinked, "Why?"

Neji remembered the gawking eyes and stifled the urge to beat the shit out of them, "Don't argue when people are being polite TenTen, just go."

TenTen smiled at him softly, "Thanks Neji."

They quietly got up and walked out of the Main Household and toward the gate. Neji constantly shifted, either blocking someone's sight of TenTen or glaring at them hard enough to make them run to their parents. TenTen noticed the stares and glares a bit later and smiled slightly. She paused and looked at Neji closely. Neji noticed her stop and turned. Raising an eyebrow he said calmly, "Yes?"

TenTen grinned, "You're sweet Neji, you really are."

Neji twitched slightly, "I'm not sweet," he uttered in disgust.

TenTen reached up a hand and touched him gently on his jaw. "Thanks Neji," she said softly. She stared at him directly in the eyes, "Thanks."

Neji looked away, looking slightly embarrassed and he gently discouraged TenTen's hand but shifting away a little. "You're my teammate," he said calmly.

TenTen went on tippy toe to stare eye to eye with him, "Your teammate that's about to do this," she whispered. She reached to kiss his cheek but he turned, probably not trusting the look in her eyes and their lips locked. TenTen smiled amusedly against his lips as Neji froze in shock before relaxing. He kissed her back, both of them gently encircling each other in their arms. A few catcalls and whistles echoed through the Hyuuga Compound as the guards witnessed the Hyuuga Neji kissing a girl. TenTen finally broke the kiss, her lungs and calf on fire. (Damn Neji for being so damn tall......)

Neji looked at her and smirked slightly, "What was that for?"

TenTen smiled cheekily, "Because you were being a cute, overprotective ass."

Neji rolled his eyes, "I'm walking you home, I think you're insane," he muttered softly.

TenTen laughed, "As I said, overprotective."

Neji smirked, "Then you wouldn't mind if I did this?" he asked, winding his arm around her waist.

TenTen laughed and leaned into him, noticing that the stares had suddenly disappeared. "Maybe, just maybe I forgive you for doing it right now," she said quietly, staring into his eyes again.