Pumpkin Power

Orange

"You know, I think it's right for Gai-sensei to make you buy the pumpkin. You don't get out enough Neji." Tenten skipped down the busy street, stopping every so often to peer into a pumpkin vendor's stall. They were searching for the perfect pumpkin – or at least she was. It was Hallowe'en and Gai-sensei in a predictable burst of 'falltime' youth insisted that they celebrate the occasion properly – the team was to join together in the annual festivities that Konoha hosted with pumpkins and candy corn and costumes.

"I train everyday in the forest, most of my time is spent outdoors," Neji responded flatly. "And Gai-sensei ordered me to buy the pumpkin, why are you here?" He walked behind her, slowly… unenthusiastically, occasionally nibbling on the tip of a candy corn. He had gotten used to Gai-sensei's 'challenges' and hardly offered resistance anymore. This time he, Tenten and Lee were to enter the pumpkin carving contest and bring back the first place prize (thus thumping Kakashi's team) – lest they enjoyed running 300 laps around the city. He figured the sooner the task was completed the less 'motivational, good-guy has shiny teeth' poses he got from Gai-sensei. But though he normally enjoyed her company, Tenten however, became a problem this time.

"Ohh, Hallowe'en is my most favourite holiday, except for Christmas of course. I can't believe you were just going to buy the first pumpkin you saw. And that's not even a pumpkin! It's a tangerine! I'm glad I came with you, we can't possibly carve a citrus fruit." Tenten ranted at him with dramatic movements while carefully inspecting a pumpkin candidate.

Yes, Tenten was making up for Neji's lack of interest with wholehearted enthusiasm. She had started the day off with a 'lecture' on the perfect pumpkin – on how it had have the perfect bumps and how the skin had to be the perfect thickness – not a millimeter off – and the sound the pumpkin made when one drummed it had to be 'rich and resonant' and the weight and the colour and the taste and – Neji did not see why it mattered. They had been shopping for a pumpkin the entire morning and they all looked the same to him. The pumpkin was to be butchered anyway. (Though if butchered by Tenten, he expected the winning entry in the contest.) As he watched her run further ahead, he could not be helped but to find her bearing a striking resemblance to Lee. Even with his pitiful imagination he could see her flitting to and fro in a green jumpsuit.

"It's such a nice day isn't it Neji? The festival tomorrow night will be so fun. You are coming right?" Neji didn't answer her, but that was okay, he hardly ever did when she was like this. "Are you going to dress up as anything this year? Last year you plopped in some red contacts and called yourself an alb-"

SHPLUMK

Tenten spun around.

Neji had felt danger nearing but before he could do anything his world was dark.

It was slow motion. Tenten's eyes widened in horror as she watched Neji fall gracefully, tragically, his limp and unconscious body hit the road like a rag doll and pumpkin pieces flew everywhere.

"No… NO! NEJI!" In an instant she was by his side cradling his fallen body in her arms. "HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?! How? NEJI! PLEASE!!" She slapped him around the face and when he didn't respond Tenten began to yell and scream and tear at her hair, to smear streaks of mourning dirt down her face.

"NEJI PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME. OUR QUEST HAS NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED! OHH NEJI. I'M SORRY, SO SORRY." She set him down gently and buried her head in her hands. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't been so absorbed with that silly whatever I may have saved you from this fate of death by falling pumpkin. I don't know what got into me! Oh, dear Neji please wake up! If you do I promise to look after you and only you!"

She suddenly looked up and suspiciously surveyed the pumpkin bits around them. No, it wasn't entirely her fault. It was this pumpkin, this evil, disgusting pumpkin! Tenten whipped out a kunai and proceeded to stab the pumpkin pieces. Yes! This EVIL DISGUSTING SQUASH WAS THE CAUSE OF HER NEJI'S DEATH. It must PAY, IT MUST PAY.

But it was no use. Neji… he was already gone, his life snatched away by this orange goop. His candled snuffed out before she could tell him how she truly felt.

She was shaking him by the shoulders. Shaking him and shaking him and crying hysterically until pumpkin guts splattered in her face. She immediately dropped him into the dirt – Neji a zombie!

"Orange is quite becoming, Tenten," he smirked up at her. She blinked back at him, hair dripping with pumpkin goop.

so the wicked orange lantern shines