Author's Note: Happy Valentine's day! Little T and N for you!

Chapter 4

'He is Uchiha and that comes before all else.'

Why did TenTen hear something else?

'I am Hyuuga and that comes before all else.'

Was that the answer she was looking for? All the times she thought she saw something reflecting in his lavender eyes, everytime he touched her in a way she felt just the slightest spark of something more, and those rare moments where he would say something that if she twisted it just right it sounded like a compliment or even a flirtatious praise. Had it really been there but because of his faithfulness to his clan, he allowed it to go no further?

Tenten stood at the bar, staring at the table.

This breakfast place was packed and hectic. People were squeezed in at the bartop, attempting to wave down waitresses to order food. She had come up here to refill her water but it had been an excuse. She just didn't know how to talk to him.

"TenTen!" It was the tenth time her name was called and she decided to turn around. The group sat at a table near the window. It appeared their server had gotten back to their table and had gotten her a new beverage while she had been up here waiting. Lee was waving it up in the air for her to see.

She twisted her way through the people. It was a strange assortment of civilians. Tattoos, ear piercings, and wild, crazy wigs seemed to be the general layout of the restaurant. The Konoha Ninjas were afraid they would stick out and now, they were even more so afraid, as they realized how normal they looked in comparison.

TenTen squeezed in between Lee and Neji as was her usually spot. She attempted to make an inch of room to not touch Neji even if it meant leaning on Lee more than she would have liked. Lee didn't mind as he embraced the closeness. "Would you look at this extravagant display of the individual? All these different identities coming together as one! It's beautiful."

Sakura and Naruto glanced at each but said nothing, taking a bite of their eggs.

When the waitress returned with the check, she apologized for the craziness of the morning. The circus only came in town once a year.

"The circus?" Sakura inquired.

"Yeah. They stay for about a week. It gets pretty intense around here."

All eyes zapped to Lee. He continued to watch the hypnotizing display of youthful expression until a whole minute past and he felt a pressure building on his face. He looked at each of them, shrinking only slightly.

"Lee." TenTen clenched her teeth, her fingernails gripping his hand, "Did you know the circus was coming?"

"Yes, of course, it said so in the scroll. It comes once a year and lasts for six days. It's filled with nights of parades and extravagant parties. It's to celebrate the founding of their village. You see Rain was founded back in-"

Sakura threw herself across the table, latching onto his shirt but Naruto already had his arms on her shoulders, reeling her back in. She stood screaming, "What is the matter with you!" She stomped off, crashing through a juggler and kicking one of his balls out of her way. Naruto was on her heels, apologizing to upset people as he went.

TenTen climbed out of her spot and sat across the table, if only to give herself some much needed space.

Lee seemed to catch on by himself. "I seem to keep making mistakes. Perhaps it would be better if someone else takes command."

Neji took a sip of his tea before responding, "Making mistakes is one way to learn."

Though it wasn't really praise as it was agreeing with Lee that he was in fact making mistakes, Lee took Neji's word as if it were purified gold. "Thank you, Neji-san! I will turn this into a positive example of youthful experiences for a future full of unstoppable brilliance. I shall do better by you for your simple belief in my abilities to perform."

He kept talking but TenTen decided to stop listening at that point.

She stared at her breakfast. The loud noises of the restaurant once again drowning out. She was tired but they have yet to find a place to rest. She supposed now all they were going to do was wait until Sasuke got word to them somehow but how he would manage to do that was still a question no one had asked.

A bump into her back jolting her from her thoughts brought a knife quickly to her hand and she spun around, pointing the tip.

The stranger put his hands up immediately, his smile losing it's vigor. "Apologies."

He was dressed in a leather vest, exposing his muscled arms and chest, which was covered in hundreds of tattooed, some black and white and others with vivid colors. He was several inches taller than her and her knife currently pointed at his heart, when she had meant for the neck. Realizing it was an accident, TenTen's cheeks reddened and she slipped her knife back in her sleeve.

"That was an awesome trick." His smile returning. His ice blues eyes looked her up and down, visibly, "But you ain't no circ." He leaned in, his lips nearly brushing her ear, "That's a good thing."

Heat flashed up her neck and she pulled back, taking a seat and turning around.

The man returned to his group, glancing over his shoulder, not paying attention to the two men glaring at him from the other side of the table.

It took TenTen several seconds to collect herself and when she found her emotions back under control she looked up again, confused upon their cold silence.

"What?"

Needless to say, they left shortly after and went looking for Sakura and Naruto out into the rain. The crowds were outrageous. If there was one main thing that a Hyuuga hated more than emotion, more than pointless conversation, and more than jokes, it was crowds. He excused himself to find a remote location to gain back his personal space leaving TenTen and Lee to look for the other two missing members of their party.

In celebration of Rain's founding, it seemed they conducted a non-stop street parade. With large tents hanging up over the streets to keep out the rain and lights hanging from the poles, it almost felt like a indoor hall full of vendors, food pavilions, and games. The first game they came to Lee had to stop and play which lead to TenTen attempting her own try. After that, it was impossible to just do one and they ended up going through half of it before they found Sakura and Naruto at a Ramen stand. The fun began then as Lee and Naruto battled at every game vendor, spending more money then they had and borrowing from the girls to become the best.

The day had started out horribly and ended up being one of the best days she had in a long time.

And then she saw Sakura.

Her eyes fading off into nothingness at random moments and the amusement that had been there flipped into a terrible sadness. She couldn't imagine the heartache, the stress, the complete and utter helplessness Sakura was feeling.

Then Naruto bumped into her and handed her a piece of cotton candy and a smile plastered on her face and she stuffed it into her mouth.

They were helping each other, keeping their misery from overwhelming them. It was a real friendship. A friendship she wasn't sure she ever had. She looked at Lee and though he bothered the hell out of her at times, she was glad he was there. Because though he didn't know it, he helped keep her sane. TenTen turned her head toward the rain and wondered where Neji was. Was he watching them? Was he careless as they had fun without him? It would have been nice had he been here but what would he do if he had been here? Just stand there like a statue? Somehow that didn't bother her. His presence would have been enough.

Eventually she talked everyone into leaving. She pressed the fact that Neji would be waiting and they still needed to find a place to sleep tonight. They made their way to the outskirts of the parade. Naruto and Lee both carried multiple animals in their arms, some bigger than their own bodies but they were already soggy from the downpour.

Neji dropped in front of them. He had bought a new raincoat and TenTen could only assume new clothes as well considering he had new leather sandals. "I found a place. Follow me."

Lee and Naruto went about telling him of the events that took place as if he actually cared. TenTen wondered if he listened for he had his arms folded and his eyes closed. But they continued nonetheless until they got to the foot of the inn.

The group stared at it for a time wondering if Neji had brought them to the right place. Sakura was the first to say. "It's a house."

Neji despised obvious statements. He bid her no response as part of a rule he had with TenTen, 'if he couldn't say anything nice then he shouldn't say anything at all.'

They team looked around. They were out of the city and seemingly in the housing area of the village. The houses were all connected, some built on top of each other, stacked like legos. There was no land, no trees, no grass to be seen.

Lee attempted a safe question, "How did you come across this place?"

"All the hotels and inns were full. An old woman heard me inquire and offered her house for a good rate. Two rooms with a bathroom in between."

"Two rooms? There are five of us?"

Neji turned to Naruto, "Did you find a better place?"

Sakura rested a hand on Naruto's shoulder to keep him from responding something stupid. "This is great, Neji-san, thank you."

Neji led the way inside, holding the door. The group gathered into the hallway dripping wet, staring at the house. Nervousness began to set in as the living room exposed a very dark secret. An old woman, obsessed with dolphins. There was a dolphin clock, and dolphin picture frames. The coffee table itself was shaped as a dolphin and the covers over the loveseat and the couch had pink dolphins splashing in water. The dolphin lamp sat on a dolphin stand, dolphin chairs stood on a dolphin rug.

Eyes went to Neji in uncertainty. He pretended not to notice, removing his shoes and rain jacket with a swiftness. He dressed now in a black and white kimono, decorated nicely with a silver lining. TenTen pretended not to notice.

"There is a mop to clean the water." He pointed mindlessly to the mop that had a dolphin for its handle. "She does not like a mess." He went up the dolphin covered stairs.

One by one they began to take off their jackets and shoes, stepping over the building puddle on the tile. Lee took it upon himself to clean up the mess before following everyone upstairs. The pictures on the walls reassured them that though she had a weird obsession, she still was connectioned to human society. A family photo showed two kids and even a husband wrapped around a young, vibrant woman. But it was an old photo and time had obviously passed since it was taken.

The first room was, enchanting. A big pink bed sat in the center of the room with white netting draping over the ornate gold bars. The comforter had pink frilly flowers decorating it to match the walls.

The other room, which Neji had apparently claimed as his own was much more manly. It was white and blue, with anchors and whales for decor. The bed was shaped as a ship and yet Neji sat on it as if that wasn't a problem.

The four leaned into the doorway, "How are we going to split up?"

"By teams, as usual. Naruto and Sakura in the pink room."

"Oh no." A raspy, smoker's voice sounded and everyone turned to watch a eighty year old lady climb the steps. She leaned on the railing, taking a rest every so often before coughing for a minute, spitting into a napkin in her hand, and continuing up the steps. She pointed her shaking, wrinkled, napkin-holding hand, "Let me see your hands."

Confused, everyone held up their hands.

"Just what I thought. They'll be no unholy sexual congress in my house. If that's what you're about you can move on out. Girls will stay in the girls room and boys will stay in the boys room. No sharing the bathroom at the same time either. Lights out at 9pm. Breakfast is at 7. Lunch and dinner are not provided." She continued down the hall, "Don't go sneaking into any of my other rooms. It's off limits." Grandma shut the door and a lock sounded.

"Think she's done this before." Sakura muttered.

"Alright team." Lee began, "Let's get a good night's rest and then start some basic recon in the morning."

Awkwardly, Naruto followed Lee and Neji into the boys room and TenTen reluctantly followed Sakura. When the door shut it felt like such a finality. Like they were losing a part of themselves. It was terribly quiet as they stood around and stared at each other.

At the same time, Naruto and TenTen both excused themselves from the room and snuck across the hall, switching rooms. What Grandma doesn't know won't hurt her.

It was too early to sleep but being that curfew was at 9pm, they decided not to risk the old lady's wrath. TenTen found pajamas in one of the dressers and though they were men clothes, it was better than a dead person's clothes. She took a long shower, attempting to get warm. This weather brought constant cold. There was no sunshine and living in Konoha she had gotten used to seeing the sun everyday. This place was not somewhere she envied. How anyone could stand to live here, she couldn't understand.

She pulled on sweatpants, pulling the string tight around her waist and a t-shirt that hung off her shoulder, exposing her bra strap. It was a subtle, not so subtle way to say she didn't always hang around braless. She shook her head. She needed to let it go. It wasn't a big deal. There was a chance he hadn't even noticed.

TenTen returned to the room and Lee was anxiously waiting his turn to use the bathroom. He nearly ran out of the room.

Neji stretched out on his side of the bed, which was always the left, furthest from the doorway. His hands clasped on his chest as he rested against the headboard, listening to the TV with closed eyes.

TenTen sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, and scrunching her hair with the towel in a vain attempt to dry it faster. She wanted to talk to him, about something, anything, that would make them friends again. It was in her head that put a distance between them.

At one point in their lives, they had a good connection. She could make him smile, as close to a laugh as she has ever came. They had conversations about battle techniques, about the future, about politics. She simply needed to find that flow again. The question was, did she want to make the effort? He was exhausting at times to talk to. It always felt like she made a hundred percent of the effort and he made none. Why bother with a friendship like that? And yet she knew why. Because he was an amazing man.

But she was trying to stop her feelings for him, she chastised herself. She didn't want to talk to him.

"This Genzo guy." Neji began.

She turned to him but he kept his eyes closed.

"He isn't a shinobi."

Though it wasn't a question, TenTen knew what he was asking. She grabbed a comb from the nightstand and checked it over for any foreign hairs before sitting back on the bed. "I met him at a bookstore."

"He's older."

"Yes. Five years."

He was silent after that and TenTen waited for his analysis as she brushed through her waist length hair. She could hear him now, going on about bookstore owners and what a waste of space.

"It's odd." He decided after a time.

With a smile on her lips, she inquired, "What's that?"

Neji opened his eyes and his lavender gaze landed up her. "I thought I knew you better."

A swift knock on the door and Naruto popped his head in, "Is your TV working? Because ours won't turn on."

Neji closed his eyes, "You have to plug it in."

"Yeah, duh. Wait." He dipped back out for a second. Something hit the wall. "Owe." Naruto poked his head back in, "Thanks." He left forgetting to shut the door.

TenTen got up and pushed it closed, her finger slipping on the lock. Anger was a building emotion as she stood there. He thought he knew her better? Like her standards were that low? Like she just gives herself over to anyone? She felt as if he had just called her a slut. The whole incident with Genzo made her feel slightly insecure and even if the word slut was far from what he was saying, she heard what she heard. "What did that mean?" She went to the other side of the bed, standing in front of him.

Neji opened his eyes once more, looking up at her. "I was wrong. That's all."

"I didn't sleep with him."

"I didn't say that."

"You insinuated."

"How?"

She stuttered. She couldn't quite remember how but she was sure she heard it in his tone earlier. "The way you insinuate stuff. I don't know."

"Perhaps you feel guilty for something."

TenTen pointed a mighty finger, "Don't you do that. I hate it when you do that. It works on Lee but it won't work on me. I'm eighteen years old. If I want to spend time with a guy in my apartment, I can do that. It's not the 1600s"

She was nearing the end of the line. She was throwing in the towel. She was giving up the hope that one day Neji and her would be something more than what they are. The days she spent wasting time over her fantasies would be no more. The nights she couldn't sleep because he swam in her head would be gone. And perhaps that made her irrationally angry but if that's what she needed to be to finally get him out of her system, than she'll pissed all day long.

Neji sat up, swinging his legs over the bed. She was rarely upset with him and he didn't understand it. She hadn't been angry when he pushed her early and she should have been. He would have apologized if she wanted. But she acted unpulsed by his actions. And now when he simply meant exactly what he said, she finds some kind of fault in his words. Frustrating was the least of what she was being.

"Again, TenTen, I did not insinuate by any means."

"Then what did you mean? You thought you knew me better? Do I no longer fit in that childhood bubble? Well, surprise, Neji, I grew up."

The door twisted but upon finding it locked, Lee knocked on the door. "Umm. Neji? TenTen?"

Neji glanced at the door but neither of them went to open it. He met TenTen's stern gaze again and took a step towards her. He was taller by a few inches and being just a hand length away, he had to look down to keep eye contact. Her cheeks were red from her shower, her hair was down once more. She looked older and mature standing boldly in front of him.

"I noticed that a long time ago."

Neji went to the door and unlocked it, letting Lee in but stepping out himself. Lee looked between the two of them, "Were you guys fighting?" He wondered, stepping toward his seemingly comatose teammate, "Gai-sensei says it is because of the hormonal imbalance our bodies are currently experiencing as we evolve from children to grownups. Do not take it to heart, TenTen."

When Lee's hand dropped on her shoulder, TenTen shot into the present. She blinked, looking at his black eyes. She nodded dumbly before crawling into bed and laying in the center as was her position. She made sure to lay with her back towards Neji's side unwilling to look at him again.

She had seen it. The desire in his eyes. The rare moment where his emotions are bare and he can't hide it any longer. It hadn't been part of her imagination or a dream. It had been real and intense and it sucked her back into a rabbit hole. Her belly felt twisted like a knot. Her heart pounded. How was she going to sleep beside him knowing that she saw what she had? It takes weeks for her to not to believe it anymore. Neji usually disappears in that allotted time frame. What will he do now?

Sleep didn't come and neither did Neji. She sat up sometime in the middle of the night and hugged her knees.

Lee laid beside her, snoring with his legs spread and his arms wide. She had to constantly push him off. She scooted to the edge of the bed, putting her feet on the floor.

She didn't want to wait. She didn't want time to go by. She didn't want it to be forgotten or brushed under the rug anymore. She needed to know that what she saw was real.

TenTen quietly went out of the room. The hall was dark with only a single dolphin night light along the staircase to illuminate the way. There was surprising no creak in the stairs for the house was old and worn. She tiptoed down into the living room.

Leaning over the couch, she found Neji. He was laying there staring up at her. His round lavender eyes lit by the stovetop light.

She imagined doing so many different things.

Stepping around the couch, kneeling down and kissing him.

His hand reaching up and taking her face in his palm, his thumb dashing over her lips.

Neji sitting up and grabbing her, whisking her down into his lap and kissing her with all the passion she sees in his eyes.

Making love, right on this couch with no thought to anybody in the house, careless if her moans wake everyone up. His heavy breathing in her ear, his groans, her name sounding from his lips as he pushed his way inside.

"Can't sleep?" He asked.

She shook her head. She swallowed hard and she hid her hands against her sweatpants to hide her shaking. "Will you come to bed?"

Neji stood, rounding the couch. Tenten stared ahead as Neji came to her side. He looked at the side of her face, could see the way she trembled. Her chest rose and fell with the rhythm of her heavy breathing. He didn't know why she reacted this way towards him recently but it didn't go unnoticed. He wanted to make sure she knew that.

He leaned in, his lips at her ear, "You're breathing too hard, TenTen."

Instinct made her shove him to conceal her embarrassment and he responded with a low chuckle as he climbed the steps. She tripped him on his way up and he, in turn, snatched her foot, tripping her back.

She was grinning as she laid with her back to him. Her belly was aching and she curled her knees in her chest, every muscle tight, afraid that one simple move and she might touch him and he'll figure her out. He was seemingly realizing she was attracted to him. His little comment poking fun at her. It was nice though, to know that their friendship wasn't as broken as she believed.

And who knows...there might just be something there.

TenTen decided then, she wasn't going to give up just yet.