This is chapter two of "Lost at Sea". I promise that chapter four will have real romance between Neji and Tenten. Enjoy!
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Chapter 2
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"Say ahh,"
"No,"
"Lee, do it!"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Cause it tastes funky,"
"So?"
"So? So, you're not the one sick!"
"Because I was smart and stayed out of the rain,"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Lee! Open your mouth! You just ate breakfast! You need to take this medicine or else, you're gonna suck at the jounin tests!" Tenten protested trying to give Lee his medicine.
"…Fine…" Lee opened his mouth and Tenten fed him the remedy on a spoon.
"Now was that so bad?"
Lee's eye was twitching. He gulped down the nasty liquid for the sake of becoming a jounin. "…No…" he replied croakily. "But I do feel better than yesterday,"
"See!" Tenten proclaimed. "My medicine does work! Anyways, I gave you cherry flavored, your favorite,"
"My favorite is grape," Lee corrected.
"Eh, close enough, ne?" she supposed. "Besides, the store only had cherry and apple,"
"I hate apple,"
"Exactly, better than nothing,"
"I guess you're right,"
"See, haha," Tenten mused. "Now, we need to put Bengay on your back." She walked towards the minty cream medicine. "Turn to your back and take off your shirt,"
Lee blushed. "Oo, somebody's eager," he assumed and did as she said.
"Oh, shut up,"
"I bet you would definitely do this for Neji," he smiled widely and turned to his back.
Tenten unquestionably blushed but Lee didn't notice because he was playing with his ruffled hair.
She rubbed Bengay all over his back and the back of his arms. "Does this make you feel better?"
"A little," he said and fell sleep. Great, now I gotta put on his shirt for him, Tenten thought with a breath.
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"You're late," Neji's voice pierced through the stillness.
"Well, it's not my fault!" Tenten ran towards him.
"Sure it's not. Just like it's not your fault that the water spilled on Iruka sensei," he gestured which made him bring back other problems, "and when that salamander went into Gai-sensei's pants,"
"Hey, the water was my fault, but the salamander was all Lee's idea!" she believed with anger in her voice.
"So what's the answer to the question?"
"What question?"
"Why you are late,"
"Oh, I had to give Lee his medicine and rub Bengay on his back." She toyed with the bangs that hung over her headband.
"Why," he asked stupidly.
"Cause he's sick,"
"Right," he rolled his eyes. "Let's just get to practice."
"Let's make it interesting," Tenten smiled reticently. "Fight to exhaustion. Loser has to…" she stopped mid-sentence to think of a good punishment. "Has to rub Lee's back with Bengay next time, and buy the winner something that he or she wants,"
"Alright," he raised an eyebrow with joy. This is going to be fun… Neji thought with a sneer.
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"I still can't believe you lost!" the kunoichi shouted as they browsed a blacksmith's store. "I expected more from you, Hyuuga Neji,"
"I just went easy on you," he protested. "Besides, all you do want, ever, are weapons and scrolls,"
Tenten got mad easily and puffed angrily. "Fine! We'll just leave this store and go somewhere where every other girl goes!" He stared at her in amusement. He loved to torture her like this. "To the mall!"
Tenten grabbed Neji's arm and pulled him out of her favorite store and sprinted towards a huge building a couple of blocks away. "You'll just have to watch as I try on clothes," she was still pulling him with anger. He was scared now. Clothes? This is going to take forever! But she did win the match… Neji sighed heavily but still in amusement.
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"Hey, how about you try on this," Neji suggested jokily. He was holding a burgundy mini skirt, blue capris, ripped jeans, a purple strapless bra (he was embarrassed about going in that section.), a pink tank top, and a pink shirt to practice in. He showed Tenten high-heeled boots in black.
"Oo, they're cute," she glared at them wonderfully. She tried on her size of shoes and gave them for Neji to hold. "Besides, I won, you lost. This is going to put a dent in your wallet," she smiled and ran for the ninja shoes that showed off toes. She got two in black and two in navy.
"Wow, this is a lot of stuff, don't you think?" Neji said after they left the mall. "And you were supposed to get one thing, remember,"
"I said something, which can still be more than one," she smiled and helped him with the shopping bags. "Anyway, I wanted to give you some punishment for when you got me angry. I would rather get some new weapons, but some of this stuff I might wear." Tenten eyed an ice-cream parlor and grabbed Neji's hand. Running she said, "Let's get some ice-cream!" Neji just followed her since he was still weary from the battle.
Both of them ran to the counter to get an ice-cream.
"What would you like?" asked the ice-cream parlor lady.
"I would like a chocolate two-scoop, please," Tenten said. She felt bad for Neji and for him paying for everything, so she would this time. "And a vanilla two-scoop," She said for Neji since she knows him for ten years. "That will be all,"
The lady came back with two ice-creams, a vanilla and chocolate. "That will be…" she counted on her cash-register. "8 Ryo."
"Here you go," Tenten payed for the ice-creams before Neji could reach for his wallet.
Tenten and Neji sat down in a near by park to munch on their delicious, creamy desserts in peace; shopping bags on the floor.
"Why did you pay for the ice-cream?" he asked quietly.
"Because you payed for everything else," she replied quickly.
"That still won't cover 367 Ryo," he joked around.
"True," she smiled at him, "But I'll pay you back someday," Someday, I will. Because I keep my word, to the person I love…
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October 8
Entry 44, Vol. 3
Dear diary,
Who ever said, don't let her pay for it? Huh? I won the match between Neji and me, and he had to pay for almost everything! Except for the ice-cream. It felt like a date, but I be Neji would say something like, 'Nothing is what it seems. Not a date.' or 'Only fools believe in love.' But I still believe that he will be in love one day, and on that day, I will be happy for him, because he's is my best friend and it should be that way. Right?
I'm thinking of getting a job that will help me pay back Neji. A job that will help my abilities too. Something dangerous, yet fun. Something that screams, "OMFG! THIS IS ONLY A JOB FOR PROFESSIONALS ONLY! DANGEROUS, YET FUN!" You know what? I'll look for a job in every available store. At least it'll get me some money.
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Some say, teen love never lasts. I'll be the first one to prove them wrong. But if it does go wrong? … Trust takes years to build, and only seconds to shatter… But, achieving starts with believing. Although if I just go up to him and say, "Hey, Neji I love you, wanna go out on a date?" that'll just be retarted. And what if he doesn't love me back? What will I do then?
I wish my mother was here. She would know what to do. I wish my father was here. He would know what to do. But they're dead… All of them…
-Tenten
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No… she thought starting to cry. They're dead… All of them… Tenten knew that every family member she ever knew was dead. They all died. Stupid asshole war.. Her father and mother stayed with her when the rest of her family went into battle. But her parents had to fight. Hokage's orders. Mom and Dad just left me; they thought they would make it…
She closed the book and sobbed her eyes out. It was a beautiful day, clear blue skies, a warm, summer feeling… Simple beauty. Tenten held the book tightly and tilted her head up. The sun was smiling a big smile, with the blue jays flying overhead.
Even though the park was the perfect place to be right now, she just didn't wanna be there. Her bangs skewed over her headband and she watched how they danced across the metal platform when the wind blew.
Somebody sat next to her, but she didn't become aware of it. Besides, it's the park; people could sit anywhere they want.
"I see your holding something. Must be important," the man assumed.
"It is," she didn't feel like talking. "It's just my diary."
"So why are you crying?"
"Because I feel like it,"
"Did you break up with someone?"
"No."
"So what happened?"
"My family's dead, and the one person I love, he might not love me back,"
"Who is he?"
"I don't want to say his name,"
"I can see its someone really important to you," he whispered. "Like a team-mate,"
She didn't bother to look who it is, even though he was indisputably close. The man was actually Gai-sensei, but Tenten didn't even notice his familiar voice.
"Good luck with him," Gai smiled. "I think you're gonna need it," Her eyes widened, but still as stubborn as she is, she didn't bother to even glance in his direction. "Neji Hyuuga is a stubborn one," He got up and started to walk away. She needed a couple of seconds for that to sink in. She realized that he left and she got up frightened, still holding her furtive thoughts concealed in a diary.
"Who was that?" Tenten muttered and walked away gradually. I really do love him…I always have…Always will…
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Does she love someone else? Does someone else love her? I just can't stop…I really do love her…Always have…Always will…
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T0 B3 C0NTiNU3D…
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Author's note: I did my best for this chapter. Although it took some time, I did it! Wait for chapter 3, coming up soon! Don't worry the real romance between them starts on chapter four!
