Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
A/N: Thanks for beta-ing, Yugao!
It was still dark when he woke that morning, the forest quiet and peaceful. Neji could almost feel the dreams that hovered undisturbed in the air as he sat up, his pale eyes tracing the corners of the clearing.
The first thing he noticed was that Tenten was gone. Neji felt alarm rise in his chest before he noticed that her pack was still there and her blankets were rolled up neatly. He let out his breath, slightly irritated, and got to his feet.
The air was cool and crisp. A few stars twinkled against the inky blue sky. Neji paused briefly as somewhere in the depths of the woods, a bird began to sing. Already, the forest was stirring to life.
He found Tenten on a cliff overlooking a valley a short distance away. She was sitting on a tree, her back to the trunk. Her eyes were clear and bright as she looked out over the land spread below her.
He opened his mouth to reprimand her for leaving without waking him, but when Tenten smiled down at him, he stopped. There was something in her smile that made Neji relax, just a little. Slowly, his expression lightened, and he followed Tenten's gaze.
At the line where the sky met the earth, a small blossom of light was growing. Warm golden rays were slowly pushing back the darkness.
"The sun rises every day," Tenten murmured, her voice just reaching his ears. "And each time, it never gets any less beautiful."
Neji didn't reply. They were on a mission; they should have been long gone from here already. But when he glanced at his teammate, and at the light shining in her eyes, he couldn't bring himself to move.
For now, at least, he would let them stay where they were. And turning his head, he watched along with Tenten as dawn signaled the beginning of another day.