Title: Warrior
Summary: After the war, Hinata seeks out Tenten.
Characters: Hinata and Tenten, NejiTen
Mood Music: My Love by Sia
Note: I cried pretty hard while writing this.
Disclaimer: Naruto, not mine since 1999.

After the war, everybody is busy. There is rebuilding to be done and dead to bury. Hinata has done her fair share of both of these, even though she's a member of a prestigious clan and she could get out of it if she really wanted to. But that's not her ninja way.

Now that they're back home, so many things have demanded her attention. The first is Naruto. When he's not spending time with Team Seven or helping to rebuild, he wants to spend his time with her, making up for all the years he was oblivious to her feelings.

The second was Neji's funeral. Everybody came, and it brought tears to Hinata's eyes to see how many people loved him, even though he had been stand-offish and cold in childhood. He had grown into such a wonderful and admirable man, and Hinata's heart breaks in half every time she remembers that he's gone. At the same time, she knows that he is finally freed of the shackles that their family placed on him.

The caged bird may finally be free, but now there is someone with a new set of chains weighing her down.

And it is for this reason that Hinata has taken today for herself, to visit Tenten. The weapons mistress has kept to herself since their return, preferring to haunt her and Neji's old training ground when she's not helping with the reconstruction.

She emerges from the trees to find weapons raining from the sky, embedding themselves in targets and tree trunks. Tenten gracefully falls back to the earth, her weapon scroll exhausted. She senses Hinata nearby, and waves her over. "Hey, what's up?"

Tenten looks exhausted, Hinata notes, with dark circles under her eyes. And her eyes, which before had been cheerful and full of determination, now look listless and lifeless. Hinata's heart aches for her. Nobody has ever asked if Tenten is okay since Neji died. Hinata knows this. She's faded into the background, doing her duty and retreating inside herself.

Hinata doesn't want Tenten to be alone anymore. So she nervously pulls something out of her thigh pouch and turns it over in her hands. Her father will be furious, but she doesn't care.

Taking a deep breath, she holds it out to Tenten. "I want you to have this. And I think he would have too."

As soon as she sees it, Tenten freezes. Her eyes widen to the size of saucers and Hinata can see the tears gathering. A single drop slides down her cheek as Tenten slowly takes the forehead protector from Hinata. Her breathing becomes ragged, and the heiress can tell she is doing everything she can to hold back sobs.

Tenten stares silently at the dented metal for a long time, her eyes burning with unshed tears and something fierce that Hinata can't name. Hinata can feel her own tears making tracks down her face; she knows she has to say something. Tenten deserves more than just a piece of metal and her memories.

"He loved you, you know. Even if he never said it." Hinata pulls a stiff Tenten into a tight hug. "He loved you even though he didn't get to say it. And if nii-san loved you, then as far as I'm concerned, you're my sister. And sisters are there for each other, so I want you to know that I'm here for you, Tenten, and I love you too."

At that, Tenten finally breaks down crying, sobbing harshly into the shorter girl's shoulder. Hinata cries too, and they stand there for a long time just holding each other and grieving for the man who was a brother and an almost lover.

After a while, they finally break apart and wipe away their tears. Tenten grips Neji's forehead protector hard, and that fierce glow overtakes her eyes again as she smiles grimly. Hinata returns the smile.

Tenten's going to be okay, she knows, because Tenten is a fighter.