Choji was too concerned with the kunoichi in front of him to notice the brilliant beams of the raising sun trying blind him while he held Tenten close to him. Pressing their foreheads to each other, they cherished the moment, knowing it would be long, grueling months before seeing each other again.

"I promise to write you," Choji fervently assured her as he closed his eyes. "And think about you all the time," he squeezed her hand, "and miss you constantly."

Tenten concurred, skin glowing underneath the morning rays that cascaded over her like a flowing robe, reminding Choji of just how much of a goddess she looked like in any light. She pressed her face into his chest, and he could feel the dampness seep through his clothes as she sobbed silently, clinging to him with all her might.

This totally sucked.

"I love you," he spoke, trying not to choke up himself. She was finally breaking him free of her attempt at a bear hug. She swipped her eyes of excess tears before apologizing to him for blubbering.

He wrapped her up in his arms again, gently reassuring her that they would make it, because they were strong, she stronger than both of them. With a kiss that he poured his soul into, something desperate, hungry, and full of hope all at the same time, he watched her cross the gate and wave back at him. She then stopped and ran towards him. She jumped up, taking his lips in a more demanding kiss. They stayed that way for a good long minute, kissing each other like they would never see each other again, before the guard cleared his throat and the two broke apart, gasping for breath.

"I love you," Tenten whispered, the first to recover from their lip lock that had left her lips a bit swollen. She slipped from his arms again, blushing at the guard who wore a definitive smirk of sheer amusement and whistled low to Choji when she was well out of earshot.

Choji continued to stare at her disappearing figure far after it was no longer visible on the horizon, so intent on his task that he almost didn't hear what the guard was telling him.

"Quite a woman you got there," he offered to the distracted man.

Choji had to agree.

(o)

Ino dropped hard to her knees after what seemed like walking into a trance to the training grounds. Shikamaru and Choji were only half paying attention, wrapped up in a discussion about clan meetings when they noticed she was silent and not blinking, just sitting there as if she had just seen a ghost.

Alarmed, Shikamaru ventured out first, placing a very hesitant hand on her shoulder to jostle it ever so slightly. He then quickly fled as soon as he had finished the action behind Choji and peered out behind his massive friend as if expecting Ino to explode like some kind of detonated firework from the small disturbance. Choji scowled at his immature friend, and then knelt in front of Ino and tried to make eye contact with the dazed girl. Her eyes were glazed over and Choji tried to bring her lack of focus to himself to try and determine what the problem was.

"Ino," Choji used his soothing voice, "it's Choji, can you hear me?"

Incoherent mumbles and a sound shudder were his only reply. Choji looked up at Shikamaru, who only shrugged his shoulders. If the man were anymore helpful in times like this he might get mistaken for roadkill. Refocusing, Choji tried again, this time he had caught bits and pieces of sentences and clipped words as she trialed off.

"Wait, Ino, Neji what? Did Neji hurt you?" Choji asked with a sudden protective rush. Ino had the decency to shake her head and finally looked Choji in the eyes. Her sky blue irises were watery and her eyebrows were knit together in worry and fright.

He hadn't seen her this shaken up since Asuma died.

"Is Neji hurt? Did he tell you he didn't want to see you tonight or something? Did he change his mind about dating you? Ino talk to me," Choji prodded with more urgency.

"Gai-sensei…" she trailed off and then shuddered and curled herself into a ball.

Choji sat back with realization. She had gotten "the talk" from Gai-sensei about starting a relationship with Neji, if it was anything like the one he received from the man, Ino wasn't being dramatic, she was just slightly traumatized.

"Gai gave her a 'talk,'" Choji explained to his other teammate. Shikamaru nodded knowlingly, Choji had filled him in on some of the not so wonderful details after his. Ino mumbled something about a mind jutsu not being strong enough and a jailhouse lobotomy and grabbed desperately for her weapons pouch. Choji intercepted, unstrapped the pouch quickly and threw it over to Shikamaru who got it out of sight while Choji talked Ino out of a shock that would most likely last the better part of the hour, if not longer. Ok, maybe a little bit more than slightly traumatized.

Neji came up while Choji had finally gotten her talking and reminiscing about the time someone had mistook Shikamaru's leg for Ino's and couldn't figure out that it wasn't hers until the shadow user piped up "creepy" while they attempted to put a move on her.

Ino gave a full out smile and Neji looked out of breath, and a little disheveled from what Choji could tell.

"Yamanaka-san," Neji called to her with a worried look. Neji appeared to be torn between looking frantic and looking concerned.

"She's fine," Choji reassured him with a pat to Ino's hand. "Just make sure she eats something with in the hour," he passed her hand over to Neji's who took it and nodded. "She likes spring rolls with peanut sauce," he whispered to Neji as they turned to leave, making the rest of the hours they had designated for training with each other shot.

Choji didn't waste much time putting it to use. He folded his arms to the back of his head and reclined against the grassy knoll and his best friend quickly followed suit.

"It's been one week and I'm already going nuts," Choji confessed, "I have to give you credit, Shikamaru, I have no idea how you don't go crazy with out Temari."

Shikamaru stopped his cloud gazing to stare at his friend.

"Are you kidding me? I'm going nuts. If I am not thinking about her, then I am dreaming about her, and if I am not doing that then I am actually with her. When I am with her I am thinking about doing other things to her…" he trailed off.

"We are so whipped." Choji replied passively. There was a long silent pause as they pondered this statement.

"Hey I got an idea…" Shikamaru rolled over and gave his friend a devious grin.

(o)

"Shikamaru, what are you doing?" Choji asked as his friend didn't even hesitate to enter the store. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

"Yeah, you coming or what," Shikamaru looked at the arm Choji had inadvertently gripped as he was asking his questions.

"Hey I don't even know if I can marry her…"Choji started and then all of the color drained from his face at the realization that he might not be able to marry the girl he loved. There weren't any real thoughts about how it was too soon to be thinking about those things with Tenten, just the cold, hard reality that he might not be able to. He was soon hyperventilating on a bench outside the jewelry store as he explained to Shikamaru his thought process for his actions.

"Breath, Choji," Shikamaru instructed, "trust me, they will let you marry her, I know."

"That has to be decided by the elders!" Choji mutinously roared, "They could easily arrange my marriage! I need to talk to my father," the red-haired man got up, only to be stuck in place by his friends jutsu.

"Your dad told me that he intends to keep her as family, Choji," Shikamaru slowly explained. "Now sit down before you have an aneurism, fall over and cripple a civilian."

Choji finally relented, and Shikamaru revealed his incident with Choza as a testament to how Choji was definitely going to be able to marry Tenten if he so wished.

Choji finally calmed enough that he was breathing normally and full color was restored to his features.

With a big sloppy grin on his face Shikamaru knew his friend was ready.

"Let's go pick us out some rings."

(o)