AN: Well, well, I can't believe I'm updating. I don't think any one actually read this, but anyway…I'll keep going, just because I knew procrastination is bad. Not that I can really be talking about procrastination, when really I should be studying. Oh well. I'll get over it. Hopefully this new chapter invokes some new reviewers. Anyway, this fanfiction isnt actually meant to be an extreme fighting one. So don't expect a billion enemies to come out and Tenten skewers half of them, while Neji blows the other half away. Sorry!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Scaling the Fortress: Travelling
"Right. We'll take the basic formation for now – we'll change it in case anything happens. All clear?"
The usually smiling Gai now looked dead serious, his face searching for any hints of doubt or worry in his team. There was none, as usual.
"Ok. This is going to be a pretty dangerous mission – the most dangerous part will probably be the travelling. Tsunade-sama has told me that since no one actually knows that we are delivering this precious information, we shouldn't encounter much trouble. Still, be on the look out."
He scanned the faces of the three 18-year-olds once more.
"Let's go."
"Hey, Neji."
"Hn."
Tenten rolled her eyes. She was getting sick of his one word response. She bit her lip in an effort to stop herself from telling him that. Not that he didn't know anyway.
"I was thinking…" she started, as they bounded on tree limbs alone – the other two members of their party had agreed to go further – "What are you going to do for the annual festival?"
"…"
"Well?"
"Oh…The same as I have done in the past years of my life."
"You mean, nothing?"
"Hn."
She sighed. "You should really get out more…you're going to live your whole life without having any fun."
A few more trees passed them by before Neji answered. Even though it looked like it was a nice day, travelling at high speeds on tree limbs wasn't exactly the best place to hold a deep conversation – which it looked like what Tenten wanted. He had had some conversations like this with her before – the usual stuff teens talk about besides sex. He could probably never talk to her about that.
"I've had fun," he replied carefully, but his response sounded like he wasn't having fun at all – and if Tenten didn't know any better, she would have laughed at him.
"I know, you say you're having fun, but why don't you try going to this festival? Just this once?"
This time Neji turned his head slightly to look at her, not slowing down the pace at all. He could see where he was going quite easily.
"Why?"
"Well…because…you know, I just wanted to see you get out sometime…"
"No, I meant, why now?"
"Oh, sorry," she replied, misunderstanding him. "I'll talk to you later about it. It was just that I kinda get bored when I'm…"
"Not that," he said, his voice cool and impassive. "Why all of a sudden do you ask me if I'm going to the annual festival?"
"Oh…That's…" she trailed off. In reality, she wanted him to go with her to the festival. The annual festival was something that almost every person in Konoha looked forward to. In other hidden villages, they celebrated something called "Christmas". She didn't exactly know what that was, but she knew that their festival was always about a week before their one. Anyway, the past few years she had grown tired of going with her girl friends. Sure, they had fun, but lately she had been wishing that she could have a little more fun than just the usual giggling and laughing with the girls. Besides, Sakura didn't go with them anymore, now that she had Sasuke. Some of the other girls that she usually went with now were seeing/dating other guys. If everything just continued as normal, she would probably end up going to the festival alone – something which she wouldn't do. That would mean she would probably stay at home. Unless…
"…" Neji waited. He was used to waiting for her to sort out her responses – it was something he had noticed only she would do.
"Well…" she took a deep breath. She hadn't asked Neji anything of the sort since that event five years ago. It was still kind of hard to get over it. She just imagined, if she asked him to go with her he would just walk away, like before.
"…"
"I want you to go with me." There. It was out. Now, all she had to do was wait. She had been planning to tell him all the reasons behind it, but decided that she would just keep it simple and wait for his response. As expected, he didn't say anything.
Tenten had tried not to think of her question the whole time they were travelling. But somehow, it always came back to haunt her. They had spoken after that, but only when the need arose. Neji had not said anything about it since.
Now, five nights, they sat together at the small fire Gai and Lee had set up. Lee was on the other side of the fire asking Gai in extremely loud tones that the enemy might come upon them because of the fire. Gai was answering, just as loudly that the enemy could come if they wanted because he was bored.
Neji let out a small sigh. The enemy would come because they heard shouting, not because of a measly fire. Usually he would be the one to be adamant about such things, however, he had to admit that in the December air, it was cold. And, if enemies did come, it would provide a pleasant break from the monotony that this journey had taken.
"When do you think we'll get there," he heard a small voice say. He turned to Tenten, who was poking a stick in the fire. She was unusually quiet – she was telling both Lee and Gai to shut-up. She looked good in that jacket, he thought to himself for the umpteenth time.
"Probably tomorrow."
"Oh." An awkward pause. "Ok."
Even though Tenten knew that she shouldn't be discouraged, it was hard not to be Though, the Hyuuga genius hadn't exactly told her no, but silence was almost as bad.
"I'm going to bed." Neji stood up. "Lee. What are the watches?"
Lee stopped his extremely lively conversation with his mentor to tell Neji the guarding times.
"Well, I shall take the first watch, Gai-sensei the second, and then you or Tenten will take the last two."
"I'll take the last one." With that, Neji disappeared into his tent.
Tenten watched his tent longingly for a while before she noticed her green friend beside her.
"Oh. Lee."
"You look at him a lot, even when he isn't there," came Lee's reply, lower and more serious than usual.
"Yeah. I know."
"Did you ask him?"
"What did he say?"
"What do you think?"
"No?"
"He said nothing." They were now talking in hushed tones. Gai had disappeared into his tent, and Lee seemed to have calmed down a little.
"Oh. That's good isn't it? That means he's thinking about it," came Lee's whispered response, though it came out as a loud hiss.
"Mm…I suppose… I just wish…sometimes he wouldn't keep me in…its like he knows that it practically tortures me when he doesn't say anything…"
"…" For once, the usually loud Lee kept his silence.
"Anyway, thanks for asking, Lee. I'll see you in the morning."
As she disappeared inside her tent, Lee looked towards Neji's tent.
Neji. The one and only love of Tenten. Lee. Both of them were like brothers to Tenten – in fact, they were the closest things she could call family. But where Lee was like a brother, Neji was... Sure, Lee knew that both of them would unhesitatingly risk their lives for the brown haired kunoichi that they had gotten to know so well, but Lee knew that Neji would never admit that he cared for Tenten that much. And because he would never admit it, Tenten always thought that Neji didn't even care for her. Lee had tried to tell Tenten many times that Neji actually did care for her, but he didn't blame her for not believing him. That event five years ago had certainly drilled into her brain that Neji was unreachable.
She had told Lee when they were 15, that she had actually confessed her feelings towards the cold Hyuuga genius. Even then, two years after, she still had broken down about it. It was then that Lee decided to protect Tenten from any other guys that pursued her, until Neji found out that he actually did love her.
At first, the task seemed easy, but as she grew older, and into a woman, Lee found that he had to stop a lot of guys from pursuing Tenten. But eventually, the boys turned to men, and they stopped trying. It was just too hard to pursue, even though Tenten was one of the prettier kunoichi's – it wasn't worth it, getting bashed up by the famous green beast of Konoha. And even if they did get past Rock Lee, they probably would have to contend with the ice cold Hyuuga Neji – something normal human beings did not want to do.
Hyuuga Neji. I swear, if you break Tenten's heart again, I, Rock Lee, will fight you to the death!
Lee didn't know it, but Tenten would have turned down every single guy, anyway.
Tenten jumped up when she felt someone touch her shoulder. She relaxed when she saw it was Neji.
"Neji."
"It's my turn. You go to sleep."
Tenten shook her head. Even though she was feeling sleepy, she just wanted to be with him.
"I'm not sleepy."
"Yes you are. Go. It's my turn."
"I can't sleep."
"You were falling asleep when I touched you."
"No I wasn't," she whined softly, but knew that it was no use. Neji just continued staring at her in the dim firelight. Tenten could swear she just heard him sigh softly.
"Fine." With that, he sat down next to her.
Tenten turned to look at him in surprise. "What's this, no comments about me slowing the team down due to lack of sleep?"
"Hn."
They sat there for the next few minutes in the cool night air. Tenten could feel her eyelids slowly drooping. Dammit, she hated when the Hyuuga genius was right. Or maybe it was because he had been on so many missions with her that it was second nature to him to see when she was sleepy.
"Neji…" she muttered wanly, as she felt herself drift off.
"What?"
She wondered briefly if she was allowed to put her head on his shoulder. No matter, she would just do it, and see what he did later. She felt him tense up, but he didn't move. That was a good sign. She was fed up with him just leaving her behind.
"Could you…" she didn't finish her sentence, in the hope that Neji would catch on. Chances are, he probably wouldn't, but she really didn't have enough courage to ask him twice in one week.
Silence. Tenten nearly fell asleep, but was interrupted by Neji's low voice.
"I'll go."
Instantly her eyes opened, and she pulled back from his shoulder, looking at him in wide-eyed shock. He turned to look at her, his white orbs showing no emotion at all.
"Thank-you!" she exclaimed, sounding like a little kid. Neji looked at her excitement for as long as he could, and then turned to look at the dim embers of the fire once again. His eyes opened just a bit larger, as he felt Tenten's slender arms encompass his body.
"Thanks, Neji," was her last few words before she fell asleep, cuddled on him. Not that he minded. He would probably never tell her, but at first he had decided that he wouldn't go with her. She could take his silence that way. He thought about it the whole time they were travelling, even though he tried hard not to. For some reason, that particular event from five years ago had stuck in his mind – he couldn't get it out at all. The sadness in her brown eyes when he had turned away, those five years ago. He just didn't want to see that sadness again. Ever. Even if he did hate those stupid festivals.
Even Gai was puffing when they had climbed to the top of Lanta Mountain. The old man had been there and accepted the scroll, didn't ask questions and sent them on their way. They were on their way down now, but this time they were going much, much slower. Experienced ninja's as they were, they knew that going down was twice as dangerous as going up.
Even though one small slip could cost them their lives, Lee and Gai were talking animatedly. Neji wasn't really listening, he was concentrating on keeping his footing, and, with the help of his 360-degree vision he was checking that Tenten was in a safe position. So when Gai and Lee started talking about something that involved them getting back in record time, he simply ignored it as one of their ambiguous 'quests'. But when Gai addressed him seriously, he turned to see what they were actually talking about.
"Lee and I," he said, sounding very serious, "are going to have a race. We'll just take some of the supplies and start at the bottom of the mountain."
Neji nearly fell off the mountain.
"I think you and Tenten can manage O.K," he said with a wink, and a blinding flash of teeth.
Neji nearly fell off the mountain – again. There was no way that those two green freaks were actually going to hurry back to Konoha just so he and Tenten could be alone…no way…was the words in his mind as he saw Gai and Lee race off at the bottom of the mountain.
Tenten, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind, however, she did seem to be saying a lot less, now that they were gone.
"Idiots," said Neji, more to himself than to Tenten. There was a silence.
"I don't mind," she said softly, not slowing her step.
"Hn," came the usual reply. "It's getting dark," Neji commented. "We'll set camp here."
Tenten let out a breath, trying to tell Neji that she was clearly disappointed in his lack of flirting abilities.
"LEE! LEE! DID YOU GET IT?"
"GAI-SENSEI! I GOT NEJI'S TENT!"
"MY STUDENT! YOU ARE VERY SKILLFUL!"
"THANK-YOU, GAI-SENSEI!"
"NOW NEJI WILL BE FORCED TO SLEEP IN TENTEN'S TENT! HAHAHA!"
"GAI-SENSEI!"
"LEE!"
"GAI-SENSEI!"
"LEE!"
AN: Ok, I'll stop there seeing it's a bit late. Well, hope people are actually enjoying this. How crap if I was writing a fanfic that nobody read. Lol. Review and all that. The next update will come. Honestly. I promise. I just don't know when :P
