Don't Do It

Disclaimer- Me no own Naruto!

Die for your country…

That's my Shinobi way.

Die in the place of my love…

That is mine.

I was going through the papers, again. The hospital reported that Neji Hyuuga had left, yesterday. Why was his name on the 'Shinobi accepting missions' list? He was in no condition to do a mission and definitely not the one that Tsunade and Shizune were discussing. An S-ranked mission, going to the Land of Waves, capturing a murderer, I knew that Neji COULD do those, if he was on better grounds. Why couldn't Shizune tell Tsunade that Neji was in a condition that he would die on a mission like that?

"Tsunade-sama, is there any way we can deploy Hinata on that mission?" I asked bravely. She shook her head. "Why?" I asked trying to figure out who she would be looking for; apparently it had nothing to do with the Byakugon.

"No, I need a strong leader and Shikamaru is on that mission in the Sand Village… I need the perfect person." She said sitting at her desk sighing in desperation. "All that comes up is Neji, and I know that I have been piling missions on him. It makes me feel bad that he doesn't get a break…" She mumbled.

"Will you deploy me?" I spoke up. She cast a look upon me that I couldn't read. She appeared to be in thought. I moved uncomfortably as Shizune whispered something to Tsunade and then they started a conversation. Great!

"Sure," Tsunade said. "I'll call for you tomorrow, for the details, and everything. Would you mind telling Neji that we decided that he is not going? You'll be passing the Hyuuga Compound on your way home." Tsunade told me and then waved me off. Shizune uttered a weak 'bye.'

I walked through the streets quietly. Lee and Gai seemed to be in conversation but they waved. I waved back and I passed several more people I knew but kept my head down, passing quickly. The Hyuuga Compound was ahead. The guard at the door let me pass, and then I met up with Hanabi. "Hello Panda-chan, you know that Neji is in his bedroom? He is feeling much better, he is wanting visitors, although, Lee and Gai are banned from the Compound, they tried entering. I really am hungry, I feel like I should go eat, at least something, before I go on a very important mission." Hanabi kept going. I looked at her.

"This is Neji's room, so you have to go." I told her, she winked and sped off, but not before making a signal. She placed her hands together and put them on the side of her face, Neji's sleeping!

I walked in shutting the door quietly. I smiled at the sleeping figure. He looked so peaceful, he would never know my secret, how deeply I cared for this man, how I would go to the end of the world and back for him. I brushed my fingers across his cheek, looking at him lovingly. He moved slightly, taking my scent in. "Tenten?" He whispered opening his eyes, his beautiful silver eyes. He looked at me curiously. I smiled and then sat down at the edge of his bed. "What are you doing here?"

"Tsunade-sama told me to tell you that you will not be deployed on that mission, they have found another. She felt as if she was giving you too much." I told him. His eyes became serious and they bore into mine.

"Who accepted the mission on my behalf?" Neji asked. "If Lee or Gai became jealous and took an important mission from me I swear. They must give me my place back." He mumbled. I smiled sadly.

"Neji? Lee didn't accept it and neither did Gai… Neji, I did." I told him. His gaze softened, and his eyes asked why. "I knew you were injured and I didn't want you to get sick again. Or critically injured. We teammates have to stick together." I told him fiddling with the edge of my shirt. "I'm sorry, but I won't step down from the mission, there is no way in hell that I will give you this mission."

"Tenten?" He said. I looked up at him. He tried to smile. "This mission is hard and I'm as strong as you in my weakened state. So, sending me out right now is the same as sending you out! It doesn't matter; whatever happens to you is what will happen to me, if I go out." He told me.

"Neji! I'm not giving up this mission. I know that you are as strong as me in that state! Just quite it! Neji, I have to go home and rest for my mission… So, bye." I said standing up. He looked up at me as I looked down at him. "Can I say bye again?" I asked. He nodded, confusedly.

I brought my face down to his. I placed my lips on his softly. I pulled back barely and put my lips to his ear. "Bye, Neji-kun. I'll be seeing you later." He stared at me as I waved and left the room. I left the Hyuuga Compound going home, running.

Once I got home I lay in bed, I would never go to sleep, and I didn't. The next morning, I showered, dressed, and then left. Tsunade-sama was waiting for me, she handed me the papers. "Who's going with me?" I asked.

"Ino Yamanaka." She said as Ino walked in. "She will. She was actually requested but since Shikamaru isn't here, I didn't know if I should give it to her, but I can trust you." She said leaning back in her chair.

"Hey Tenten!" She yelled, her squeaky, high-pitched voice breaking the sound barrier. I smiled at her and I waited for her to ask any questions, or make any comments. "So, you are my new teammate… Just kidding, so, Tsunade-sama, is there anything we have to follow?"

"Ino Yamanaka, that question made no sense, because, one, there is a trail leading to the Land of Waves, and two, you already know the rules, the mission is failed if you don't kill the murderer. Got it? Tenten, leader." Tsunade said, all business, Shizune stood behind her shuffling papers.

"Thanks, come on Ino, we are going to get there sooner than expected." I said walking out of the room. Ino followed me quickly. "I'm sorry; I know that you were probably hoping to be on a mission with the Great Neji Hyuuga. So I'm terribly sorry and I will be in your debt." I said.

"Gosh, no, I HATE Neji. God, is he annoying! I mean 'Hn' this and 'Hn' that. Although he is a good fighter… I'd much rather be with a girl." Ino said as we walked past the gate. "Wait this is the gate, isn't it? Where's Kiba?" She asked looking all around. I spotted him and pointed. "Kiba-kun!" She yelled rushing towards him and hugging him. They exchanged 'goodbyes' and then we could finally leave.

"So, you and Kiba seem to be happy." I mumbled watching her smile appear again at his name. "Aren't you guys?" I asked, she appeared to have been in thought but now was looking at me.

"Yea, things between us are perfect. We love each other. So, I have to repay you for that. Because Kiba told me that you helped him with me… So, you and Neji?" She asked. I blushed bright red remembering last night.

"No, we aren't anything. But I do like him… I just don't think he likes me." I said. "Change of topic, so, how tough is this murderer?" I asked looking at her from the corner of my eyes.

"Well, I heard opposite, but, that's only because Mr. White Eyes talks in his sleep." She smiled. "I learned a lot… Okay, if you want to change topic, then all the people say that this murderer is the strongest, scariest murderer, he has killed about a hundred people…" She muttered.

"You don't like talking about business; you want to talk about Neji… Okay, what does he say in his sleep?" I asked playing along. She smiled devilishly.

"I don't know… I do owe you something, so, I guess, I could tell you some of the things he says. Okay, I've heard how impossibly naïve you are, I've heard how insane, I've heard how childish… I've also heard how beautiful, how charming, and how mystic you are." She winked. "He talks about your long dark hair to your polished nails, God, he loves you. I wish Kiba would do that." As she spoke, my face turned twelve different shades of red. She noticed this and stopped talking.

"Really? Wow, he must love me… I took this mission for him Ino, so he wouldn't die, he said whatever happens to me is what would've happened to him." I muttered watching her serene face turn into a euphoric one.

"You two love each other and you are risking your life for him! Ohmigosh! I am like, super happy, now. I'm so glad that you guys finally found each other in this big, cold world!" Ino said dramatically. I covered my face with my hands as she went on about how cute we were together. I just walked along side her.

This is how it was for four days. All she would talk about is Neji and me and Kiba. And she never did shut up. I should've listened to the others when they said NEVER go on a mission with Ino. "We are here." I mumbled interrupting her.

We walked into the Land of Waves avoiding eye contact with everybody we came across. Ino chatted away talking to everybody trying to find the enemy. She got us few clues, but enough to tell that he rented a hotel, and I mean the whole hotel. She found it easily although I had no clue what we would do once we found it. "What are two pretty girls like yourselves doing outside? It's blistering out… Maybe you should get inside, the owner won't bite, and he's a good man." Looks like we were getting to meet the murderer earlier then expected. I exchanged a look with Ino and we walked in.

The man on the street took us to the 'owner.' He was a handsome young man, about Ino's age. He smiled at us and told us to sit down. "Greetings, young ladies. I've heard that you are ninja from the Leaf. You are searching for a mass murderer…" He said eyeing us.

"Yes, we are, do you know him?" Ino asked straightforwardly. I slapped my forehead and then kicked her. She winced in pain then glared at me. "Oh!" She gasped. The owner of the hotel was the murderer and he had us cornered. He licked his lips and stood up; we stayed in our seats watching his every move. He knelt in front of me and held his face inches from mine.

"Such pretty girls… Why send them out to get a murderer that goes after pretty girls? Stupid, yes. And it just so happens that you are exactly my type, brown hair, brown eyes, innocence in the eyes and posture, you are perfect." He whispered, I watched him as he laid a hand on my thigh and started to move it up higher. Ino was now standing behind him.

"Mind transfer jutsu!" Ino yelled. The murderer pushed her down before she finished saying it and she hit her head. I got up and held a kunai to his throat, "Tenten, watch out!" Ino yelled. I released him and slid to the left. Now it was two-on-two. Ino got up quickly and faced the new enemy, who had a katana and was wielding it fiercely.

"Twin dragon scrolls!" I yelled doing my old jutsu that I rarely used anymore. The murderer fell dead to the ground, although the one wielding the katana stood strong. Ino smiled at me before kicking him. He stumbled backward then rebounded throwing me across the room. Ino looked back at me and I shot her a hurried look. The enemy ran at Ino with the katana. She dodged it and he ran straight past her… To me. The katana went straight through my stomach. The guy fell to the side after the katana went through me. Ino had killed him.

The communication devices buzzed and Ino picked up one. I heard very worried voices. First Lee, "Is Tenten okay? We're coming." Then Gai, "Please tell me, our Tenten is still youthful!" Then Neji, "Ino, you take care of her, heal her if she gets hurt, Tenten, remember that we are coming and you will be fine." Neji's voice made my heart flutter, I moved towards the device and the sword jerked against me. I screamed and breathed heavily. The voices became more urgent. Lee, "That was Tenten, what happened? Is she okay?" Gai, "Hold on, we are almost there." Neji, "Tenten, don't give up, I'll be there for you soon."

I took careful, liberated breathes. Ino watched me. "I could heal you, but with that katana… I don't know what to do… I could heal it as I worked it out, although I'm not counting on you living or you not being critically injured." She said but began healing me nonetheless. She worked out the sword carefully. I felt the edges of my vision blur and blacken and I welcomed the unconsciousness.

At the Leaf Village-Konoha Hospital

"Oh my god! Neji, she's waking up!" I heard Ino squeal. I opened my eyes slowly, I was in a bright room, and it smelled sterile. The lights were blinding and I heard machines beeping. I looked over to see Lee, Neji, and Ino at my bedside. Ino was hitting the nurse button, hard. My eyes kept fluttering not used to the light yet. Lee smiled and clapped his hands. I noticed that I.V.s were in me. I was in a hospital. Where?

My question was answered with Sakura walking into the room and walking up to me. "How do you feel? What do you remember last?" She asked looking at the machines and writing things down. I cocked my head and thought about it.

"I feel fine, I guess. The last thing I remember is Ino getting the sword out of me." I answered. She nodded and looked at Neji and Lee. I did the same and Lee smiled at Sakura and Neji nodded. Ino stood up and kissed my forehead.

"I have to go. I'll be by later but I have to go with Tsunade-sama to the Academy. Bye Tenten, Lee, Neji, Forehead Girl." She called running out. Lee stood up and looked at the papers in Sakura's hands.

"Come on Lee, I'm going to teach you how to use the printer." Sakura said leaving. "Call if you need something the button is right there. Neji, you know what to do." She said collecting her things and shutting the door firmly. Neji's hand found mine and I intertwined our fingers together.

"You scared us for a second there, you wouldn't wake up. You barely were breathing… Gai and Lee got to you and they said that you didn't react to anything." Neji whispered. I smiled at him.

"Did you carry me home?" I asked. He nodded slightly. "That was all that I wanted. Neji, I would have died for you. Die in the place of someone I love, that is my Shinobi way. See, it would have been fine. But I like being here with you a lot better. I can see you smile, I can hear you talk."

"Hear me now." He whispered. I looked at him curiously as he took a breath in. He smiled then said. "I love you." My heart skipped a beat and the machine sped up. He chuckled at the sound of the machine and I blushed.

"I love you, too." I whispered as he kissed my hand. He smiled as if remembering something, and then he stood up. Our hands broke apart and I looked down at them.

"Can I say bye?" He smirked. I nodded slowly not understanding, not until his face was inches from mine. "Can I say bye again?" I asked. He nodded, confusedly.

I brought my face down to his. I placed my lips on his softly. I pulled back barely and put my lips to his ear. "Bye, Neji-kun. I'll be seeing you later."

He placed his lips on mine softly. He pulled back and whispered in my ear. "Bye Tenten-chan. I'll be seeing you later." And with that he left. I blushed bright red and the machine was going crazy. But all that mattered was that Neji Hyuuga said he loved me.

Now you can wait to die.

I still want to die for you.

Are you sure? Because, you need not to.

Neji, I love you and I'd risk it all for you.

Dying in the place of someone we love.

That is our Shinobi way.

I hope that you guys like this and I hope you think it is good, I personally like it, but I need some good reviews to back me up. This is for Marnie, thanks for EVERYTHING. Oh, and guess what Marnie, it's a HAPPY ending.

Review, please.