She went to the only one who would know how to deal with this. Nali. She pounded on the door. "I need to talk to Nali."
It was Nanami who answered the door. "I'm sorry but she doesn't know you. We don't associate with Ninja."
"Everyone knows what happened. I don't know what to do, help." Tenten begged them. Nanami frowned, nodded and let her in.
"Before I get her, go and fix yourself. I don't want you in here like this." Tenten went quickly to put on a kimono, change out of ninja attire and let her hair down.
Nali was waiting in the living area. "Tenten, what's going on? Why are you here?"
"Somehow the entire village found out. Well at least all the ninja I know."
Nali sighed. "Ninja can't keep secrets but they can't spread if they don't know. Did you tell anyone?"
"I told Neji but it was in my house. Somehow someone over heard and told my friends. They know that I was going to give up being a ninja and it's so confusing. I don't want to die." Tenten yelled.
"Calm down, think straight. Deep breaths." She nodded and remained calm.
"Do you have any family?"
"No, it's just me."
"That's good. I mean there is a chance that they actually don't know enough to bring harm, your friends that is, but we don't want risks. I think you should stay here temporarily. Nanami won't like it but we all have a softspot for you. We'll change your hair color, give you contacts and make sure no one will find you. We'll wait to see if someone comes for you."
"I can't stay." Tenten responded.
"Why not? You're in danger."
"I can't dress up as a kunoichi. I'd be much more defensless if they come. I can't hide here. I'm not a coward. More than that I still have a team, and missions to do. I'm a ninja and I won't hide."
"Do you want to live?"
"Yes, and I'll have a better chance if I'm a ninja. Tenten would be a threat, Aimi wouldn't be and someone else is just temporary. If they come it's my responsibility to stop them. And either way they're coming for Tenten and my team who stopped that mission. If they come, they're coming for us and I won't leave them alone."
"Then why are you here?" Tenten looked at everyone there watching.
"Because you're my friend and if there was anyone who would know how to handle this, it would be you." Nali sighed.
"I can't help you. I ran away from my fears. I'm no ninja. I suggest you go back. Stay safe, Tenten. This is goodbye." Tenten looked at her. "I don't want to talk to you again. You can't come here, you're risking all of us if we become seen as more than ordinary villagers."
Tenten was shocked. These were people she saw as family and they had given up on her. She sighed, she wouldn't cry or be upset. she was a ninja. Thank you for your offer. Thank you for everything, especially you Nali. What you gave me I have done great with." Nali nodded and they hugged and Tenten left.
She didn't sleep that night or ones after. She went to practice exhausted. Neji had not noticed she wasn't at her peak performance and took her out. So low chakra knocked her out and she fell. He saw it and caught her. "Tenten!" Lee cried out. Neji set her down and tried to get her chakra moving. He should have seen that she was so close to stopping.
Tenten woke up. "Are you okay?" Neji asked her. "I'm sorry, I thought you were ready."
"It's okay Neji." She laughed. "I haven't slept or eaten…" she was exhausted.
"Tenten, what's going on?" Gai-sensei asked her. "Neji, take her to the hospital."
"No, I'm not sick they can't help me. It's something I have to do on my own."
Tenten tried to get up but she collapsed onto her hands and knees. Everyone was concerned. "I'm going to go home. I just need to sleep, I'll be fine."
"I'm going with Tenten, Gai-sensei. I'll make sure she's sleep and back to health."
"That's the spirit of youth, Neji!" Gai responded. Tenten looked at him. She was so tired and very weak. He could read her, and he knew that there was more to this. Before she could protest he picked her up and carried her to the apartment. She was light and it was no trouble for him.
He set her on the couch opposite the one he would be at. "What's going on?"
"They broke my cover. They overheard our conversation. I don't know who all knows but Lee knew that I was the same girl you chased. If the enemy finds out, well then they're coming for me. Since he said that I could hardly sleep or eat. It's been weeks."
Neji was shocked. He hadn't seen her act any different until today. That had been so long ago, he forgot about it. She had gone to training and everything the same, there were no changes. "Then you'll sleep."
"I just told you I can't."
"You're scared and worried that they'll come. Well they won't," Neji responded.
"How can you be so sure?"
"One, because I know the men who saw you are dead now. Two, because I'm here and nothing can hurt you. You're safe now. You can sleep and I'll make you lunch."
She moved to the other couch. "I'll cook when I wake up. You can stay here." She curled up beside him, resting her head on his lap and fell asleep immediately. Neji meditated to prevent from doing anything to disturb her. He was right though. She could sleep knowing that he was there.
During Neji's meditation he realized that Tenten meant everything to him. That he cared about her deeply. He loved her. He had never loved anyone but his father in his life but he loved Tenten. He knew what love was like. Love was caring about them over yourself, wanting them to be stronger and doing everything you could for them. Tenten cared about him, helped him always even at the expense of her own health and safety and protected him when he was couldn't do anything. He didn't know what he'd do without her.
Tenten slept a long time before waking up. When she woke up she realized that she had fallen asleep on him and was embarrassed. "I'm so sorry Neji, I'm sure you need to go home. It's late. Are you going to be in trouble?"
"No one expects me how or keeps track of me. It's a benefit of the branch. We are to care for ourselves. I'm going to stay with you so that you can sleep. Now you need to eat." She nodded. She began to cook.
"I can't thank you enough, Neji." She looked at him. "You were there?"
"When?"
"On my mission… watching me?" He nodded. She sighed. "Why did you follow me? Why did you go?"
"I wanted to make sure you were Tenten. I heard your voice and I knew. I was thrown by your acting and the change in appearance but I knew your chakra patterns and voice. I have seen it every day for many years now and I have heard your voice and seen you very often before that. After all, we share lands." She nodded. She lived in a little condo building where she had properties that went back to the back of the Hyuuga Complex, that is how they had met.
"Why did you need to know?"
"At first it was that it was you. I knew somehow that it was and I wanted to make sure I wasn't wrong. It would change everything if I was. Then as I followed you… I couldn't believe it was. I didn't get what you were doing and why you were doing it. It was hard to believe."
Tenten focused on cooking as he said that. There was just something about the way he said it that bothered her. "Why Tenten, why did you do that? I want to understand." There it was, exactly what she had been preparing herself for.
"Why do we risk our lives every day Neji? Why is it so important to be strong?"
"Because we're ninja, that's what we do. If we're not strong than we die."
"I did a kunoichi mission, Neji. They aren't just female ninjas. What I did is what they do all the time for their village. And because they're seen as just women their lives aren't at threat. It's a rule Neji. Rule 29: If you follow the rules, you can sleep easy. Well I broke the rules and that's why I can't sleep. I didn't stay a kunoichi. Once you leave you're in danger on and your own. They needed someone who could complete the mission. I did, but not without help I know." She looked at the floor. "You two put me in danger and because of that I can't go back. Even I want to now."
Neji looked at her, she was upset and sad. "You were on a mission?" That is all he could say.
"Yes, I was on a mission Neji. I was on a mission. I had to get that man to give us information for the mission our team did. So we could take over that shipment. We would all be doomed if I didn't get that information. Konoha would be in danger. That's why I did it. For our village, for the safety of everyone. Even if I had to do things I didn't want to do, even if I had to die or if I had to give up my life as a ninja. You do things for your village, Neji. If you've forgotten that maybe you need to go back to the academy. I wasn't doing it for fun!"
"I'm sorry Tenten. I may have forgotten for a second. It was just that the woman who followed you told me you were doing it to pay your way into their group."
"Well she couldn't tell you the truth. S-rank missions like that are secret. You knew I was on a mission. Gai-sensei told you I was on a mission. You're such an idiot sometimes Neji."
"So that's what kunoichi do?"
"Sometimes, other times it's making friends with the right people. Other times it's interrogation or trading information for favors. It's not easy. It wasn't something I could do but that mission was tried by everyone there. They needed a ninja who they could train who was young enough to get the guy to be interested. That ninja was me. And I did it. They tell me I'm the best Kunoichi. I guess I am. Who knows though Neji. I did a mission they couldn't and didn't resort to other things. Without poisons and jutsus with my own ingenuity I did it. That is impressive, even to me."
Neji stood quiet and thought about it. Tenten had done a mission that no other woman could, even the best of their group. She had convinced him that she was someone else and she had received information in a few days and gotten it back in time to get their team out there. She transitition to Tenten quickly and went with them and accomplished that mission too. He couldn't agree with her methods but he had to agree that sometimes you did what had to be done, no matter what you liked. He didn't like to kill, it didn't bother his conscience but he didn't like it. This must have been similar for her.
"I'm sorry again Tenten. I guess not realizing it was a mission and why you were doing it I judged you wrongly. For that I am sorry. You are a much greater ninja than I to be able to do that, and the best kunoichi by far." Tenten looked at him and smiled.
"Thanks Neji. I forgive you." She hugged him and at first he was shocked but eventually he gently hugged her back.
"Tenten, will you marry me?"
"What?"
"Not today, but in the near future would be acceptable, of course." He added.
"What?"
"Will you marry me?" There was no love, no compliments or kind things about them. They had only been on one date. Still, she loved Neji and Neji cared about her too.
"Yes, I will Neji. But I expect a lot more dates, and of course a ring."
"Of course, it is very improper of me to asked without offering one. I should rectify the situation quickly." He was about to go when she grabbed his arm.
"It's okay for now Neji. I really don't mind. I was semi-joking. So why now?"
"I realized as these last few months passed that you were important to me. The most important person to me. I didn't want to lose you, or see you hurt. I care about you and I want to be with you forever. I took you on a date. That was slightly unnecessary but I felt it was easier for you than me simply asking. There were things I wanted to know that I learned."
"I think you think too much, Neji. Everyone else in the whole world would think it's a coincidence a girl sounded like me or had a similar chakra signal. Then again chakra signals are only seen by Hyuugas so everyone else would go on, you think too much." She giggled and wrapped her arms around his waist resting her head on his chest.
He stood there but eventually put his arms on her back. "I love you Neji Hyuuga."
"I love you too Tenten. You mean everything to me, more than my life. I want you by my side forever. That's why I asked you."
"I want to be by your side with you every day too Neji. I have since the first day I met you. I saw you and thought that someone like you would make me strong and would be a good friend. Even if you were quiet and annoying." She smiled at him.
He could only hold her. "Can I kiss you, Tenten?"
"As your fiancée I think you are more than entitled to it. More than that, I would enjoy it very much."