Hi, I'm like grounded. So, I'll sneak on to continue whenever possible. Right now, I'm sneaking. Shhh.

A Week With the Progidy

by iJutsu

Chapter 4: Day 4

"Neji? Neji, wake up."

Neji opened one eye, looking at Tenten, who was still shaking him. Seeing his eye open, she stopped shaking him and smiled. He just stared tiredly, for he wanted to go back to sleep. Tenten sighed, feeling that waking him up 5 minutes later could've been better. Taking a deep breath, she settled herself.

"Ah, i-it's time for your medicine..." Tenten said shyly.

"Medicine?" he replied numbly, sitting up "I thought all I needed was rest."

"We-well, it's not really medicine, it's soup. With some medicine...so I guess it is pretty much medicine," she stammered, trying to get herself together, "And you should wake up now. Sleeping past 8:00 in the morning isn't that healthy..."

Neji smirked. Tenten looked away from embarrassment, and looked down, closing her eyes. She then opened her eyes, seeing that their hands were still together. Tenten gasped softly and quickly snatched back her hand. He chuckled from her reaction. She pouted and playfully smacked him in the arm. To both his and her surprise, she found his chuckle turn into an actual laugh. A laugh; something unusual for Neji. Though, she liked the way he laughs. "He seems so safe," she thought, not finding the happy look upon her face, "As if the years of us being partners was used for something." She noticed the grin creep onto his face.

"You look pretty safe as well, Tenten," he said.

She covered her mouth, blushing like mad.

"Did I say that out loud?" she whispered, with her hands slightly covering her mouth.

"I wouldn't have said that if you didn't."

She made struggling gestures to prevent her from hurting Neji for his smart attack. Sighing, she grabbed the bowl, still steaming with smoke, and brought it to her lap. Carefully holding the bowl with one hand, and a spoon in the other, she stirred it, making the 'hopefully eatable' food go around in the soup. Neji eyed her, thinking that if he spoke, it would scare her. After a moment, she finally lifted the spoon, with soup upon it, and pointed it towards Neji. He looked at her as if she was going to kill him. Giving him the, "don't give me that look" face, she moved the spoon closer to his lips. He sighed, and opened his mouth, flabbergasted for he didn't know she was going to feed him, and the fact that she'll use her mighty force if he didn't eat it soon. She smiled happily, quite excited about feeding the progidy, and poured the soup that was on the spoon into his mouth.

Big mistake.

He twitched and spitted out whatever was placed in his mouth. He started coughing, as if he was still choking. Tenten quickly placed the soup back down and started to rub and pat his back, helping to relieve the coughing. As his coughing started to calm down, she pouted once more and gave him a look.

"Awh, come on," she laughed, "It's shouldn't be that bad..."

Wanting to prove her statement, she took a spoonful of the soup, and stuck it in her mouth. Another big mistake. She started to make struggling gestures again, as her fingers shook and her eyes twitched. Neji smirked. She didn't know which would hurt her more, to spit it out and make a fool out of herself, or to swallow it, and mentally kill herself. She wanted to mentally kill herself. Tenten painfully swallowed the soup, causing her to stutter when it hit her stomach. She then hastily looked at Neji.

"See?" she said, still shaking from the taste.

"Wow. I'm surprised to still hear you talking."

"Oh shut up," she said, relaxing herself, then getting another spoonful, "Here, you're required to finish it."

"You're crazy," he simply stated.

"Think I'm crazy?" she smirked.

Before he could say a word, she stuck the spoon into this mouth, quickly pulling it back out, making sure that the soup went into his mouth. This time he swallowed it, and he turned at Tenten to stop her, but ,giggling, she stuffed another spoonful into his mouth. He crossed his arms and slowly swallowed it, giving Tenten at death stare. She gulped, lifting up the spoon, smiling awkwardly. He sighed and opened his mouth. Tenten looked at him and blinked several times, surprised that he's not actually allowing her to put the 'death soup' into his mouth. He continuously coughed after several slurps, but then, surprisingly, got used to the taste. After a couple of minutes, Tenten was gathering the last of the soup into the spoon and stuck it into Neji's mouth. He swallowed, and then sighed in relief of finally finishing the medicine of a meal. Tenten giggled, wiping off the soup that touched his cheek accidentally. Not being able to resist herself, she slightly pulled on his cheek and giggled, calling him cute. Neji playfully rolled his eyes and reached for her loose ribbon on her hair, wanting to take it off and see her hair down. Tenten, with her cat-like reflexes, stopped his hand and grinned. Then, it happened again.

Neji looked into her eyes, and leaned up a little. Tenten stood there stiff to her feet, staring back into his eyes. Her heart starting beating through her ears, and her body started to feel weak. Her face grown warm as his hand reached for hers, just merely placing her hands on top. His face got closer, and she closed her eyes. "Oh my god," she thought, pacing herself, not knowing whether she was afraid or happy, "He's going to kiss m-"

"YOOOSH!"

Both ninjas parted from each other startled, as the looked at the door that quickly opened with, no other than Rock Lee himself, barge in. Tenten leaned back against her chair, placing one hand against her heart, trying to calm herself down from what happened and what was supposedly was to happen. Lee jumped in front of the two and pinged a smile along with his good-guy pose. Holding her breath and releasing it after five seconds, Tenten smiled back, and sat down on her chair. Neji nodded at him. Lee nodded back as a greeting and sat on an extra chair. He leaned back and rested his arms upon his head and once again, pinged a smile. Tenten giggled and copied his posture. Neji stared at both of them awkwardly. Lee saw him, and asked him how he felt. He replied with his usual "Hnh."

"Oh! I bought you something, Neji!" he replied happily, handing him a small wrapped box, "Think of it as merely just a 'get well' present."

Neji blankly looked at the box and raised an eyebrow. Lee just continued staring at him in excitement, waiting for him to open the girl. Hesitantly, he pulled the ribbon and opened it. In it was a broken kunai, with a ribbon tied around it. It was fairly broken, with it's point chipped off a little, and the handle was a bit rough, yet, it shined and was as smooth as any new ones. He looked up at Lee, who was smiling like an idiot.

"This looks familiar," Neji said.

"It should!" Lee grinned, "It is the final kunai that you used the day when you destroyed the enemy in just one strike!"

Neji continued staring at it. Indeed it was.

"I improved it with my bare hands! Oh, what a way to bring up such pride towards another!" Lee said happily, "And what a shame it would be if you've thrown away such a memoir!"

"That's really sweet, Lee," Tenten said, smiling at him.

"Ah! Don't think I forgot about you, lovely flower! I also bought you something!"

Lee rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a small box. Tenten pouted, thinking, "Oh yeah, Neji gets a huge box." Gracefully, he handed it to Tenten and she quickly opened it, as if she was given a gift the first time ever in her life. It was quite funny for Neji, for Tenten received countless gifts from Rock Lee. Once she opened it, she gasped, pulling out two necklaces; one with a key attached to it and another with a transparent heart, with a keyhole in the middle. She shockingly looked at Lee, who was rubbing the back of his head shyly. For a split second, she believed he gave it to her because of feelings, which could've led to some weird problems, but once he spoke, it was a big relief for her. And Neji.

"It is for you and your future lover!" Lee replied, "You see, one keeps the key, and another keeps the heart. If the person with the key places it into the keyhole, and the heart lights up, that means you two are destined to be together! But, if it does not light up, unfortunately, you two are not. Ah, it is like the spring time of youth is revolving around love!"

Tenten giggled then got out of her chair and nearly tackled him with a hug. They both laughed and examined the necklaces. Neji just watched. After the hugs and laughs, Lee jumped out of the window, saying that he has to go for his training with Gai-sensei, wishing the best for Tenten and Neji. Before he left however, he looked over at Neji and winked. Before Neji could even blink, Lee vanished. Tenten, calming down her laughs, sat back down on her chair, placing the necklaces on the top shelf above Neji's head, and making sure there was no vase to accidentally spill water on Neji for. With a happy sigh, she leaned back against her chair, and looked over at Neji's gift. The kunai looked absolutely perfect, despite some of the cracks that weren't able to be hidden. She turned herself and the chair around to look at it more clearly. Neji noticed and handed her the box. She thankfully took it and removed the kunai, examining it in great thought. She then spun it perfectly, with her being the weapon mistress, it was simple. She smiled at Neji as she continued spinning the weapon on her finger.

"This is really cool, Neji! And in just one strike, you destroyed the enemy!"

"Hnh," he shrugged, "Guess I'm pretty much used to defeating weak people."

"Hey!" she laughed, punching him lightly, and finding him laughing softly back, "Stop sounding like you're so superior! You could possibly beat anyone but Naruto."

"You tease me, I see," he chuckled, remembering his loss at the chunin exams, "I contain more power than he does, despite the chakra he holds of the fox-demon."

"Then, Lee. You can't beat him," she giggled.

"I can defeat him, Tenten. You've seen me fight him."

"True, true," she said, not wanting to bring both teammates down, then smirked, "I betchu can't beat me!"

"You must be kidding with me now."

She twitched, and giggled, nearly attacking him with the same hug she did with Lee when she received the gift, making him fall back onto his bed with Tenten on top of him, and with their faces before each others. Neji told her to get off, but she stubbornly said for him to make her. Chuckling under his breath, he placed his hands on her stomach and slightly, which to her 'slightly' meant forceful to Neji, pushed her. Refusing to give in to early, she wrapped her arms around his back, preventing her from falling. Neji let out a deep breath and brought his hands to her sides, tickling her- Officially game over for Tenten. She let out a silly laugh and rolled off to the side of the bed, laying down next to Neji, who stared at the ceiling, laughing a bit himself. Tenten sat up and crossed her legs. Her big smile then turned soft, which worried Neji a bit.

"This is so funny..." she whispered.

"What is?"

"This week, we fight days before, but then the next day, we're laughing as if the years we've known each other was actually used for knowing each other. It just feels so...weird, but, still great. Why is that?"

Neji paused for a while, thinking about what she said. It was true, and he agreed, yet he found it hard to let his words that he wanted to say come out of his mouth. He then sighed.

"Perhaps it's because it's my last week with you," he said, and after a short pause he spoke once again, "And I want to cherish these moments with you before you're completely gone."

She blushed, finding herself speechless. To her relief, he continued.

"I most likely won't see you every day for training and socializing moments anymore. So," he then smiled that genuine smile, "I might as well make these last days worth the moment."

Her face felt very arm, as he continued staring into her eyes. She looked down, fidgeting a bit, trying to find the right words to say. She was flattered, but so confused, not knowing how he can say so with such a straight face, and why he's saying all these wonderful things to her now, and not in the past. Her heart was at a normal pace, but the butterflies in her just kept on soaring. "I don't know what keeps happening," she thought to herself, "It's like he wants me to stay..." With her head still down, she smiled.

"Th-thanks."

He nodded and before he could say another word to flatter her, the door knocked. That went to Tenten's relief and Neji's disappointment. Quickly jumping out of Neji's small bed, she opened the door, seeing a doctor standing in front of her. She tilted her head, hoping that she wasn't in trouble again. Luckily for her, the doctor smiled and looked at his clipboard.

"Tenten, correct?"

"That's me," she replied.

"May I ask you to please leave this room for a couple of minutes? Neji has a visitor coming, and I really don't insist on having too much talking or too many people in a room with a patient. Even if it is just one person coming. I do not like taking risks."

"Ah! No problem!" she then bowed to the elder, "Just call me whenever it's time for me to head back in there."

Tenten then opened the door and turned to Neji and bowed to him.

"I'll be back later, Neji!"

She smiled and walked off. The doctor nodded and Tenten headed towards the other wing of the hospital. The doctor then turned his head and yelled out saying that the visitor may come in now. Neji eyed the doctor, thinking who might the visitor be. Footsteps started to become clearer to hear, Neji knowing that the person was coming closer. The unexpected person walked into the room and closed the door. Neji's eyes widened slightly.

The visitor was really unexpected.

And it was the visitor that Neji never insisted, nor wanted, to come.

It was Takeru.

Takeru looked straight into Neji's eyes in a glare, crossing his arms. Neji just stared at him. The silence around the two boys seemed to make things more awkward for the both of them; or mostly just Neji, for he was in the room with the guy who would take away Tenten out of his life. Taking a deep breath, Takeru spoke, with his eyes never escaping Neji's:

"We need to talk."

TBC

better? Har har. Well, R&R! I'll try to get on as much as I can to continue this.