The Secret

"Ohh man! I over-slept! Great, just GREAT!!" TenTen cursed under her breathe as she ran towards her favorite spot, which was her very own private lake. Well, actually, she got lost one day and found a beautiful lake that seemed so pure and never before seen, so she decided to call it The Secret. She were running past the Training Grounds and guess who she happened to run into.. HYUGA NEJI.

"What do you want?" he said coldly.

"Ohh, nothing..just for you to lighten up a bit?!" TenTen say totally pissed. I mean c'mon! I bump into him accidentally, and he's all up in your face, threatening me like I killed his favorite pet or something!

"Hmph.." was all he could say back.

"I gotta go now, I'm running late." she said, softening her tone of voice and looking towards the lake she always trained at. Before Neji could say anything more, she did a hand-seal and teleported herself to her secret spot.

~at The Secret..
'sigh Well, I gotta perfect this sooner or later..' TenTen thought. She walked over to the center of the lake, closed her eyes, and did a few hand seals. "Elemental Jutsu: Water Snake!!" At that instant, the water started to rise up and form into a huge, I mean HUGE, water snake. Before it rose any higher, she jumped in the air, eyes still closed, and landed gracefully on the snake head. She concentrated her chakra, which by the way is TOTALLY IN HER CONTROL. Her chakra began to circulate all throughout the water snake. Then she focused it to the boulder about, ohh say, 400 meters away, and ordered her snake to hit it. But then she feel a strong presence behind that tree to her far right, 110 meters away to be exact. (wow great!!) TenTen pretended to aim for the boulder, but she refocused her chakra to the unknown stalker. She quickly turned her snake and it automatically went for the ninja behind the tree. Before the snake came any closer, she jumped off the snake and attacked the shadow with a kunai in hand. He or she or whoever, was definitely caught off guard because they were forced to come out of their comfort zone and ended up flat on his back, kunai threateningly against his throat.
"Neji?! What are you doing here? How did you find me?" TenTen said, putting away the kunai.

"Well, I followed you here. And I was curious about where you were going in such a hurry." was the quick reply.

"But..I poofed here. You couldn't have followed me. Why are you here, Neji?!" she said, losing your temper, placing the kunai back to his throat.

"Okay, you caught me. I used my Byakugan to look for you.." he trailed off, avoiding her eyes.

"And why were you looking for me?" she said, beginning to be interested by his sudden shyness.

"Hn..I only came to look for you..because...you forgot to apologize to me earlier." he replied, still avoiding your eyes.

"Oh. That's it? That's the ONLY reason you were looking for me?! Well guess what Neji?! I'm sorry alright..I'm sorry I ever came into your life!" she says storming away, refraining from slapping him in the face.

TenTen was crying, and she knew it. But she didn't want him to see her disappointment, and her tears too. She thought that he would look for you to confess his feelings, like all the fairy tale books she read before. But no. They were lies, all very beautiful lies. She made yourself believe them too, because she thought that Neji would be her prince charming. Alas, that's a no again. She ran through the trees, all the while shedding her tears of hurt.

Naji's POV

"Well guess what Neji?! I'm sorry alright..I'm sorry I ever came into your life!" TenTen screamed, then ran off.

I was completely taken aback by her comment. Did I really hurt her that much? Ugh, I'm so stupid! I have to find her. I wish I never chickened out. I should've told her right away. I love her.

Back to the normal….

'Why, why, why?! Why did I have to love him?! Why?!' she screamed in your throbbing head. She was spilling your heart with your tears falling in rhythm. She wanted to run away, never come back. Maybe even be granted to never love again. But that would take a miracle...or simply just taking her life. But she knew that dying wasn't the answer to her problems. They barely ever ARE the answers. She was a strong girl, and she took advantage of that. As she was going back to the Lake, she noticed a shadow looming over her from a tree branch.

"sigh What do you want now Neji?" TenTen said emotionlessly.

"I want...your body." the shadow says.

She gasp as she see, not Neji, but Orochimaru.

TenTen get into a fighting stance. She knew that she looked weak to him now, because ahe were crying and all. But then, from a distance, ahe see Neji running to her in blinding speed. She was shocked that he was here, but happy too. Orochimaru wasn't at the tree branch. You didn't even notice because you were focused on Neji. Before she knew it, Orochimaru knocked her out, and the last thing she heard was "TENTEN!!" She passed out right then and there.

"TenTen-chan? TenTen-chan? TenTen-chan wake up, please!" she heard Neji say. She woke up, surrounded by Medical Nin and, she guessed it, Neji. He was so happy and it showed. He smiled from ear to ear. TenTen smiled back. She then hear him asking the Medical Nin to excuse the two. They leave.

"Neji? What happened to Orochimaru?" she asked worriedly.

"Before he picked you up, the Jounins were alerted and rushed to where we were and he was outnumbered. So, I guess he sorta knew that he couldn't take you now, so, he retreated." he said.

His happiness couldn't be kept in any longer. He hugged you lovingly and tight. You felt heat rush to your cheeks.

"Neji, wha-" TenTen started to say.

"Oh! I'm sorry, TenTen-chan!" he said, blushing madly.

"It's okay, Neji-kun," she says smiling very contented.

"No, I am sorry, TenTen. I am sorry that I hurt your feelings back there at that lake."

"And I'm also sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. But, I was worried about being rejected.." he stated.

"Neji, wha-" she was cut off.

"I was meaning to tell you all along..that I love you." he said relieved that he had gotten that out of his chest.

"Neji, I've been waiting for you to tell me that all along. And now I can tell you without fear..that I love you too!" she said, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Now I know, that I too, can have my happy ever after." TenTen said, blissfully in Neji's arms.