Yea so a bit writer's block on this one...that and I don't have my draft with me...it dissapeared... :( lolz all well!

Thank you to DarkAnonymous324 for the first person to review! and to xBitterSweetDreamsx for also reviewing (and getting me motivated again).

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Chapter 1

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The Cover

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They passed many trees and a great lake. Gai held a tight grip on the young princess as he followed the two Uchia brothers to the haven. She remembered the mountain well. Very well infact she had reconized the way they were travelling. The moutain was the only place that the Hyuga clan had over-looked. It was a typical moutian that brew great trees with fresh fruit and was tall enough to fit three palaces that were stacked onto one-another (which is pretty damn tall). Between the mountain and the grassy plain it blocked, a water fall kept running all the way to the great lake that they had passed.

"Are we going to mommy's moutain?" Tenten asked her carrier,

Gai replied with a faint nod and looked to Itachi for a clearing. The raven haired man stopped suddenly, recieving a transmition from his head set. Kakashi had given him orders. The Uchia told his brother to hult. Sasuke looked at his brother in question. Itachi let down his hood and turned to Gai.

"I'll take her. Kakashi's orders. Tsunade wants you to patrol the perimeter." he said.

Gai nodded and handed Tenten to him. He told her that he would see her in the morning and then dissapeared into the forest. Itachi re-wrapped the bed sheet around her and they continued to walk. His hood has off and his ponytail was trailing behind him. This was Uchia territory now. Way back, before Queen Xiao Wei became queen, The Uchia family was loyal to Emperor Tai-Fin Wei, Tenten's uncle. Once he died, the only other heir was Xiao. She was married, but she was forced to kill her husband once she discovered his plans to merge and allience with the Hyugas, only to give them power to the government for money and sell of his wife as a nanny to the Hyuga's heiress. This created great issues between the royal family and the Hyuga clan. Queen Xiao rejected every offer they had summoned, especially the offer to marry off her daughter to their first male sucessor. At this time, She was pregnant with Tenten by only a few months. Once threats began to spread to the Wei family, Queen Xiao changed the objective of the Uchia clan's loyalty.

"Do not take care to help me if my life is in danger. It is not me you must worry of. It is my daughter. As long as she is alive and well, my family will continue it's rule. Teacher her, train her, make her strong..."

Itachi remembered those words from the queen herself. He was there next to his father, uncles, and cousins. It wasn't long after his father and the rest of his family were scattered all around China to look after some of the branch family members. Itachi and Sasuke remained with the main family with Kakashi, Gai,Tsunade and Asuma. Oh sure, Tenten can just go live witha branch member! No. That is incorrect. The branch families are the first place the Hyugas are going look. And that's what happen. There very few remainning members of the royal family, not including Tenten. Many were killed, many of the Uchia clan was killed as well. Lucky for Itachi and Sasuke, their father and mother were able to go into hiding and work undercover.

"Brother, I need help moving the rock..." Sasuke said as he struggled to push the large rock at the base of the cave.

Itachi sighed. He let the princess down on the ground, the sheet still rapped around her and help his ''Mini Me'' push the rock just enough so that they could slipp through the hole and close it again. Sasuke let out a hardy sigh as he looked at Tenten and waved her over to them. Tenten walked over to them and looked at the whole. Where did it lead to? She didn't know, but the fact that she had never seen this part of the mountain before made her excited. Itachi told her to hold on to Sauske as they walked down the long tunnel. Tenten held onto the younger boy's hand as he led her down the candle lit tunnel. Itachi closed the entrence and stayed behind as the two younglings made there way to the haven.

"You'll love it, Tenten! It's so huge inside and it has so many rooms! Oh! And there's a big water fall on the other side that we use and the trees with fruit and..."

Tenten was only half listenning to her friend as she watched the candles flicker off as they walked past them. Sasuke stopped at a metal door, knocked once and waited for a responce. Tenten moved closer to him as the door opened. They walked though the door to a large waiting area. Tenten was amazed at the giant stair case engraved of rock and the littlle caves that people were walking in and out of. Some people had been saved afterall. But none of the royal family that Tenten could reconize. Itachi walked past them and approached a silver haired man wearing a mask that covered half his face. The eldest Uchia bowed to him as he turned around. Tenten reconzied the man as Kakashi. He was her mother's advisor. He would always take Tenten to any parties or entertain her when she was to attend her mother's council meetings. Though Tenten was more attached to Gai, whom she saw as father figure, Kakashi came close to a nanny to her. However, when he was sent on missions and had no time to be with her, she would stay with her doctor. Tsunade was like a second mother; however she cared very much for her and taught her about being a lady as well as being adventurous and not being afraid to speak her mind in front of others.

"Princess, are you harmed?" Kakashi walked up to her and bent down to her level.

Tenten moved her arms up and down, wiggled her hips, and shook her legs.

"No.. I don't think so..." she said looking up at him.

Kakashi nodded as Tsunade walked up to the girl and took the bed sheet from her. Kakashi watched as the young girl began to look around again. The silver haired man dismissed the Uchias and looked at the princess.

"Do you understand what is happening...Princess?" he asked just getting straight to the point.

Tenten looked at him.

"The bad people that mommy doesn't like made everything burn..." she said quietly.

Kakashi nodded as he took the girl by the hand and began to walk with her up the giant steps.

"And do you understand that the 'bad people' made you mother go bye-bye?" he asked looking down at her.

Tenten looked up at him. She was a bit confused. Gai and Itachi had told her that her mother wasn't coming with them they never said that she went "bye-bye". She wasn't sure what her mother's advisor was implying. Soon they made it to the near top where a small room was ready for her. She noticed that there were two beds set up. She reconized the bag to be Lee's another friends she grew up with under Gai's care. Kakashi picked her up and placed her on the bed. Tenten was still thinking about her mother. "Bye-bye"? What did that mean? Kakashi sat next to the princess and put a comforting hand on her head, sensing her disstress. She was thinking too hard about it, he observed as she went through a series of various faces.

"Tenten, you mother is dead. You will never see her again." he announced simply.

Dead? Tenten looked up at him. All of the fire and the screaming, people were dying right before her very eyes and yet she didn't understand what was going on. Not one bit. Kakashi watched at her faceflashed of saddness but her eyes flashed of anger and the need for comfort. Kakashi wrapped his arms around the little girl. He stroked her hair and told her it was alright to cry. That her heart will heal in the years to come. Soon he left her there to collect her thoughts and give her some privacy. He walked all they way to the top of the mountain where an ivory eyed man stood with his son at his side. Kakashi greeted him.

"I have a favor, Kakashi." The ivory-eyed man said quietly.

The silver-haired man nodded to show he was listenning.

"My son must be hidden. He must be hidden by my brother, for he has gone mad. I promised to be of serivce to you and Queen Xiao during this dark time. However, I wish for my son to grow up among you, to be taught not what's easy, but what's right."

"What about you? You plan on returning to the palace to work as your brother's advisor?" Kakashi asked as he looked down at the young boy who held on to his father's hand.

The ivory-eyed man nodded. He knew his brother was crazy with power and doesn't know that Tenten was still alive. However, he wants to risk his life to go undercover. He had a debt to pay to the late queen anyway. The man handed over his son to the silver haired man.

"Has the princess ever seen the eyes of a Hyuga?"

Kakashi shook his head. That was something her mother kept from her. Just to be safe.

"Then she will get along with my boy. Hopefully when the time comes, she will see that not all Hyugas mean any harm to her and are corrupted by power." The man bent down to his son.

"Now, Neji. I want you to be strong for her. Your uncle has done a very bad thing to her family. She is going to need all the support she can get. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father," the boy replied, his matching ivory eyes casted down to his feet.

The man patted the boy on his head. And before turnning to leave through the top enterence of the mountain, he paused and turned back to them.

"I have a request." he said.

"Yes, Hizashi?"

"Do not speak of his last name to her, Kakashi. Alright Neji? Do not speak of your family name. Do not even speak of me. If you do she will not trust you. She will try to kill you. Do you understand, my son?" Hizashi asked.

Neji nodded at his father. Starting now,he was no longer a Hyuga. He was just "Neji". Hizashi bid them farewell as he slipped through the entrence back to the burnt palace. Kakashi led the young Hyuga to his chamber. He would be sharing it with Uchia Sasuke and Naruto Uzumaki, an orphan who was under Tsunade's care as well. Neji kept his father's words in mind. He was a Hyuga. He'll always be a Hyuga. But his uncle corrupted their family name. Now, to get the peace back, it was up to him, Tenten, Sasuke,Lee...everybody who escaped,to get revenge. It was up to Tenten to kill his Uncle and Cousin Hinata.

Tsunade sat next to the trembling girl as she layed in bed, her roommate already asleep. Tenten was trying so hard to hold back the tears.

She was trying to remain strong.

For her mother.

For the people who cared about her.

For herself.

That night, Tenten cried herself to sleep.

That night, the last of her tears dried up and her heart broke into a million pieces, her world became dark.

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(A few years later)

Tenten woke by the sound of her roommate's snoring in the bed adjacent to her own. She sat up and stretched her back. As she yawned, she struck a match and lit the candle that stood on top of her night table. Rubbing the sleepy ness from her eyes, she began her journey down the giant stone stairs to the bottom of the mountain. She nodded at her doctor and Itachi as she knocked on the door near the enterence. Itachi was dressed as he opened the door. He bowed to her.

"I wish to review the reports that we have collected by Kakashi's undercover." she said to him.

Itachi nodded and handed her scrolls. She placed them on the table. Kakashi never told her who the undercover was, no matter how many times she asked. Now age fifteen, Tenten was a master in the art of killing. Her specialty was long range tactics and slow killing. If something had to be done quick, she'd do it, but she'd do it her way. Thanks to her nurse, she was also skilled in medical care and preparing slow killing posions. Thanks to her peers, she was highly skilled in close range hand to hand combat and self she did was work, train and sleep. That is what she devoted her life to ever since that night. She grew up with Sasuke,Lee and Naruto. Neji, on the under hand, was a rescue from the fire according to Asuma. He was a quiet ice cube who spent many hours in meditaion and trainning. His cool, non-aggresive personality gave Tenten some piece of mind. But then there was Sasuke who gave her the support for her trainning, Naruto who kept the faith alive, and Lee who gave comfort and encouragement. She didn't really have many female friends. The only other female that was about her age was Temari, the eldest daughter to an allied country's duke. They have stayed in contact by letters and by radio, however it's been years since she's last seen her in person.

"My my, up early again, Princess?" Gai called to her as he walked through the base enterence.

Tenten meerly grunted as she read the scrolls. Gai looked to Tsunade, who just sighed and continued to drink her tea.

"Tenten, Why don't you wash up and get some trainning done. Asuma and Itachi were going to look over those anyway." The blonde nurse said.

The brunette mumbled something under her breath and stood. She jogged back to her cave and grabbed some exrta clothing and a towel. She made her way to the waterfall where she found Neji meditating on a rock. One thing was for sure, he didn't bother her when she approached meerly cracked an eye open.

"Your highness..." he greeted quietly and closed his eye again.

"Neji, what are you doing here?" she asked him as she undressed infront of him.

Being the gentlemen that he was, Neji kept his eyes closed until he heard a splash that ment she was in the water.

"I am always up at this hour, balancing my mind takes time and quiet, which I do not recieve around Naruto and Lee..." he replied simply.

Tenten gave a 'heh' as she washed herself. She ducked her head under water and returned to the surface to find the ivory-eyed teen gone from his rock.

"Your highness, I do not think it is appropriate for me to accompany you here while you are... bare," he said standing over her on one foot at the edge of the lake.

Tenten shrugged. She didn't care. She never really did. She floated around on her back and stared at the sky. It was only dawn and only the watch patrol was awake. Neji watched from from the distance. He perched himself back on his rock and followed her gaze into the sky. This was how mornings usually were for them. There was silence between them.

"Neji, what's your last name?" Tenten asked suddenly.

A chuckle escaped the Hyuga's lips. She always asked whenever there was silence.

"I have told you already,your highness. I do not remember," he said looking down at her.

Tenten pouted and faced him. She swam over to him and perched herself on a near by rock. Neji shut his eyes again. This female really has no shame...

"How come you can't remember? Everyone has a last name..." she said laughing at his action.

Neji tsk'ed. He shook his head as he sensed her presence close in on him. His face went stiff when he felt his lap become wet and the smell of lilies filled his noes. Lilies was her scent. He always wondered why she smelt like lilies but he always just shrugged off the thought.

"You know you don't always have to act so...uptight...when we're alone...Neji..." she whispered into his ear.

The Hyuga smirked and held her close. Yeah, they had very little moments like this. The thing that made his heart sink though, was the fact that Tenten did not not want a commited relationship with him yet. He loved her to bits and he knew she loved him back, and yet she refused. Lee would tell him not to worry, she was just going through a phase. Naruto told him that she probably doesn't want a commited relationship because she might be married off anyway once she takes back her kingdom. And his best friend just told him to focus more on his trainning and to not let his emotions get in the way of their objective. He sighed. Yeah, Sasuke isn't much help...

"Your highness, I-"

"Neji! I've been telling you for years now! Just call me 'Tenten'," she inturrupted him and stood.

Neji looked at her figure. She had curves, long legs and tan skin that glowed. Her hair was out of her two panda buns,which she sported everyday, and stuck to her back from the lake water. Grabbing the towel, the Hyuga approached her from behind and wrapped her in the fluffy fabric. He held her by her waist and kissed her neck. A small smile came to his face when he felt her jump at his action.

"We...you should get dressed and get to breakfest..." he said softly.

Tenten just nodded as she made distance between them. Neji looked at her one last time before turnning to leave for the second entrance to the mountain. She was harsh and dark to everyone else...except him. His lavender eyes turned to the palace that was far away. It had been rebuilt from scratch. Ever since he began living with the princess and her followers, he had only seen his father once. However, it had been only by accident. He was walking through the forest with his hood up, his ivory orbs scanning as he worked his shift as watch patrol. He had spotted his father walking toward the base enterence. At first he couldn't believe it. But when they spoke, he began to remember his other family...The main branch. His uncle was still a corrupted fool, while his younger cousins, Hinata and Hinabi, were being spoiled rotten. His father told him of the killings that took place, the changes that were made. When they were talking, Neji felt angry. Not just at his Uncle for putting innocent people through hell, but at his father for risking his life working as a double agent for Kakashi. Even Tenten didn't know who he actually was.

"How are you son?" Hizashi asked putting a hand on his son'd head.

"I am well, father. I have been trainning with Kakashi-sensie and Gai-sensie." Neji replied.

Hizashi nodded and gave him a small smile. Before turning to leave, Neji stopped him.

"Tenten has never seen a Hyuga before...has she, father?" he asked in a hush tone.

Hizashi shook his head and lifted his hood.

"Not that she knows of, my son. If you did not tell her the truth about your name, then she is still ignorant. All she knows is the name and the event that took place when your uncle rebelled. A physical description is only known to the council, patrol workers, and the Uchia. Be careful around young Sasuke. He has seen more then anything you ever will. Now I must leave you." Hizashi turned his back to his son.

"Take care, Neji." he said before dissapearing into the woods.

Neji nodded in the direction his father dissapeared to. It was true, only the adults and Uchias knew what Hyugas looked like. And that's how he was planning to keep it.

He hated hiding his identity from her. But if he would have told her, would she still love him the way she does now or try to hunt him down along with the other members of his family? Neji just rubbed his temples. No, he shouldn't think like that. Even if she were to find out,would the way she look at him even change? Even though his name is Hyuga, he's still Neji...

"Neji-kun!" a voice yelled from the enterence.

The Hyuga nodded at his master and peer. The bowl cut haired pair walked up to him,inviting him to join in their fifty-laps routine up and down the mountain. The brunette agreed and stole one last glance at the palace. His father was there. He wished that Hizashi would come back soon, even if for a meer few seconds. He missed his father very much. However he knew better then to go looking for him. His cousins and uncle would reconize him. Jogging along the look-alikes, Neji kept pondering about the same question from before. A name is a name right? It can always be changed. It was the personality that counted,right? Shaking his head in doubt, Neji knew it was much more then a name. Because of his clan's actions, everyone thinks all Hyugas are tyrants now because of his uncle.

But if I do tell her...She already knows how I am so it shouldn't have any effect on her, he thought.

Putting everything on the back burner, he continued his jog.

Sasuke sat in his room, a piece of bread dangling from his mouth. He had all his weapons spread out around him, he began constructing mental forms of new possible tactics. He stared-glowered at the items before him. A couple of daggers...some invisible thread...a paper bomb...more daggers...and a long sword. Most of these items were from Itachi, after he became an offical agent. Sasuke was only a year away from taking his test to become an equal rank as his brother. He studied and trained hard, before he knew it, he was trainning with Kakashi and Gai themselves. A soft knock came from the room door.

"Hm?" he grunted.

He looked up at the figure before him. Tenten was dressed in her regular tranning gear, her hair in two buns, and her eyes cold and empty. The young Uchia took out the piece of bread from his mouth and looked at her. His eyes gave a glare as she walked in and sat on his roommate's-Neji's-bed. She crossed her legs.

"What do you want, Tenten?" he asked putting the bread in his mouth again.

Tenten 'tsked'. Of course she didn't expect a greeting from him. He was as heartless as she was.

"I want a new technique. Something that only you can do,Sasuke." she announced to him.

Sasuke sat up straight and crossed his arms over his chest. He glared at her. One of his techniqes? Please! Sasuke was independent and was not one for being bossed around, not even by a childhood friend-who was a princess.

"Well?" the brunette huffed.

"No, now get out. I'm busy." he hissed.

Tenten smirked. He was always one to through back the same attitude, five times harder. That's what she liked about him. they were very similar, and he always knew how to stick up for himself.

"Sasuke,"

" 'The fuck you want?" he growled.

"Did you ever see a Hyuga before?" she asked suddenly.

The question caught him off gaurd. Of course he did! There was one living with them for fuck's sake! But he could never sell otu his best friend like that. Besides, he could predict a bad reaction...He opended his mouth then shut it. Tenten took it as him thinking, however he wasthinking of an excuse. Instead of saying anything, he shrugged and ate the last piece of bread. She hasn'tasked that question in a long time. Whoever she asked, everyone said the same thing. Nobody she didn't ask any of the officers or her nurse because evern beforeshe asked a question or even opened her mouth, they would wave her off and say they were etoo busy to sighed mentally as she watched her friend put away the items.

"I'm going to train with Naruto. Care to get your ass whopped?" he turned to her as he walked to the door.

Tenten gave a snort.

"I'll make you all cry..."

And with that she followed him to the top of the mountain, where the hyperactive blone was waiting, ready to spar.