"We cannot."
If truth were to be told, TenTen had expected this answer. However, that did not diminish the stab of hurt she felt in her chest.
"Why?" she asked in a clear, detached voice.
Neji took a few moments to consider his words, studying the familiar layout of their training area. The bark was peeling off of a few sycamore trees. Shedding its skin.
"It would be selfish," was his answer.
TenTen considered this for a moment. Of course he was right. It would be devastatingly selfish. And their entire nature as shinobi was to be decidedly selfless. Personal desires should not factor in.
She stood from her place on the ground, meeting his eyes when he turned to look at her. She nodded, and exited the training area without another word.
Neji watched her go, feeling his shoulders slump a little in heaviness. He glanced back at the peeling bark on the sycamores and wished he could be more impulsive, like Naruto or Lee.
But he was Neji Hyuga. He had his path. TenTen had hers. And unfortunately, those paths, however close together, could never be permitted to cross.
So, two heavy-hearted shinobi returned to their homes and attempted to forget what they felt and remember the source of duty.
Thoughts?
