- Chapter

When his duty ended, Neji couldn't have been more relieved. The hours were dragging. After all of it, it was only three in the morning. But he felt like it had gone on for days. He went to the river a half a mile from camp and undressed fully before slipping into the freezing waters. He didn't care for the temperature, he simply needed to feel clean and wash away the night's endless cycle. He resurfaced to see a figure on the shoreline and he knew it to be TenTen, though her figure was masked in shadow. His heart increased, wondering how he was going to get his clothes. She was currently standing right next to them. Though he was in no way ashamed of his body, having her see him naked was something he needed to mentally prepare for.

She reached down and grabbed all his stuff, before darting into the treeline and out of the light of the distant moon.

He smirked. She was supposed to be on patrol. Perhaps she needed to be disciplined.

As confident as always, he stepped out of the water and followed her easily. She had left a small trail, one article of clothing at a time. It was dark, nearly too dark to see but the items were left on eye level. A shoe. A sock. His forehead protector. It was uncharacteristic of TenTen to act such a way but then again, how did he know how she flirts? He had rarely been on the receiving end of such a thing. It was new and exciting despite it being unprofessional or different, he wished to explore it. He was happy to finally be seen as a man and not her brother. He'd never want to go back to that.

He found her silhouette standing against a tree. She was about to run again but he snatched her arm, pulling her into him.

But before her lips could descend on his, he noticed the difference of her body. It wasn't TenTen.

She shoved her lips against his however and he pushed her back, careless how she fell with a yelp. "What the hell are you doing?"

He felt the ground for his clothes, yanking them on with heed.

Fox wrapped her arms around her legs and her soft whimpers sounded in the quiet of the night.

"Neji?" TenTen whispered in the dark.

He was putting on his shirt and he called, "Over here."

SHe dropped down beside him and approached but he turned her toward the whimpering woman. "She attempted to seduce me, I think."

"Tsk. Really?"

"Shut up." She bit back.

Neji twisted his wet hair before throwing it over his shoulder, "Get a fire started. I will be back."

"What? Wait"

"TenTen."

She "Tsk"ed once more but agreed begrudgingly as Neji activated his Byakugan finding Zero. The man was supposed to be on duty but he had found a treelimb leaning over the water's edge and rested against it, throwing twigs numbingly into the water. With a order to follow, the ANBU leader got up on his feet, guilt making him apologize but Neji ignored him bringing him to the small fire. The two girls were quiet and on opposite sides saying nothing as the boys emerged from the woods.

Fox glared across the way, her cheeks red with tears, "I don't want to talk to him."

Neji crossed his arms. "I'm not giving you a choice. Resolve this." He sat beside TenTen and motioned for Zero to sit as well.

"Will you please just listen?" He murmured resting on his knees beside her.

"Why? So you can lie, like you've lied since the day I met you? The worst day of my life and she's here to witness it." She hid her face in her hands. "Please just go away."

TenTen sighed softly, "Please, Leena. Just let him speak."

She dropped her hands glaring, "You don't know him like I do. You slept with him, good for you. But I've been there since he was twelve years old. He's been a liar since day one. Wolf always warned me about you and I never listened.-"

"Wolf wants to take you away from me, don't listen to Wolf." Zero bit but he took a breath to calm himself. "Leena, yes we slept together but-"

SHe put her hands over her ears, "Don't. I won't hear it."

He grabbed her hands pulling them down, "But it was awful."

She was hesitant and he rushed forward, "Afterwards, she cried and she talked about this guy she was in love with," (Neji looked to TenTen and she bowed her head, embarrassed.) "and then I spoke about you and how I treated you. You broke up with me two weeks before and wouldn't talk to me. I was stupid and lonely. It's no excuse but I used her and she knows it. Just like she used me to get over that guy. We spoke about you for hours. She was the one that made me want to marry you. She didn't know it at the time but I realized I was in love with you then. Please, Leena, I've lied half of my life, but I swear I'm not lying about this."

TenTen spoke up, "Honest, it's true. I wouldn't let him share such a pathetic moment in my life if he wasn't so desperate."

Zero pressed his lips against her hands, "Please, please, Leena. Believe me."

She sniffed staring down at her lap. And then she nodded. "Okay."

"Okay?" He grabbed her face, lifting her up. She was smiling when she met him. He kissed her harshly.

Neji and TenTen took that as a sign to leave. They walked to the riverbank, traveling slowly along the shoreline. The moon just enough to keep them from tripping over rocks.

"That was nice, what you did."

"Hn?"

"Help them get back together."

"I did not do it for their sake."

"Sure."

"This mission was falling apart."

"Right."

"There were fights breaking out."

"Okay."

"Mutunity was afoot."

"Uh huh."

Neji stopped in his footsteps and she turned with a grin. "You are purposely provoking me."

She winked. "Since I was fourteen. I've gotten really good at it."

He folded his arms and continued, passing her, "Hn. Not as good you as you think. Get back to your patrol. Unless you want to have another conversation about your inability to separate your private life with your ninja life."

She scoffed, "It depends, are we going to make out while we have it?"

Neji didn't respond and she didn't wait for one either as she turned to go back into the forest. He found a spot near the river to rest against and closed his eyes but her words struck him. She had a point. He was not following his own protocol and he didn't like it. For the first time since he had become a ninja, he was having a very difficult time separating the two. Despite this entire time having feelings for her, it never interfered with his work ethics, even if it upset her. He made decisions that were best for the team. He reprimanded and it didn't affect him if she would not talk to him afterwards. So why did it matter now?

His brows knit in the obvious answer, the one that was hanging over him since they left Sand.

Sex.

She had power over him now. If he did something she didn't like, the prospect of not being able to touch her was hidden in his decisions. It made him bias. She became favored in response and that made him incapable of making proper choices.

Here he was, judging Zero for his lack of leadership and he was doing the same. He should remove himself as head of this mission. It was the only logical assessment.

As it being the middle of the night, he couldn't wake the Hokage up this moment but upon the sun rising he would step down due to personal interferences. It would be humiliating but there was no other way. His pride would not stand for being a hypocrite.

It didn't bother him as much as he thought. He was doing it for a very good purpose. TenTen was worth it.

Footsteps were approaching and it woke him. From the amount of sunlight, Neji deduced it was between 8 and 830. He could still feel the weight of exhaustion. Four hours not nearly enough of sleep to assist but it would not hinder him regardless.

TenTen smiled down at him with two plates of food. "Good morning." She held it out, sitting beside him.

He took it, suppressing a yawn, resting it on his lap. "Report."

She shook her head, "Everything's fine. An ANBU got caught in one of my traps, which is kind of funny. He broke his wrist but the med-nin set it. There was no trouble."

Neji took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. He recalled his decision the night before and as she was partly the cause of such a decision, he felt he would include her on it. "Do you think Kiba can lead this mission successfully?"

Her brows knit and she contemplated the question, eating silently. Her eyes dropped figuring out why he had asked and answered, "Yes. Though he has weaknesses that doesn't really fit a leader. But as oppose to the others, he's the best option."

"It is only six hours. A straight path. He will be fine."

She nodded, her chopsticks dancing on her plate. "You have to do it?"

"I should have done it before we left Sand."

"Is this our last mission together then?"

He took a bite and looked to the river. "Would you rather return to the way we were before?"

TenTen leaned back on her hands, her food balancing in her lap as she stretched her legs out, making sure to keep her distance from his own stretched legs. "Why can't we have both? We're the not the first."

"Do they continue to go on missions together?"

She shrugged and pointed out, "Fox and Zero do."

"And that turned out so well."

She snorted, hiding a laugh. But her smiling drifted as she thought about it, sadly finding out he was right. "But we're different."

"Perhaps." He took a bite, taking the time to properly word how he wanted to say it until he swallowed. "In time."

She resumed eating, and they ate together in silence. There were voices around as others began to move and not far from them, a few loud splashes took place only to be followed by regrateful screams.

"What are we going to say to Naruto? We don't even know what this is yet." TenTen reached for his plate when he was finished and he naturally handed it over. He stood, the movement stretching his legs and moving muscles that weren't ready yet to move. He held out his hand and she slipped her hand in, getting to her feet but when she let go, she found him holding on.

He looked down at her, "I know my intentions."

Her brows knit in a soft sadness, "What if it doesn't turn out the way we want it to?"

He released her moving toward the river, reaching over his shoulder to delve into his bag. He pulled out his toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste before kneeling down. "Then we return to missions sooner."

"Tsk." TenTen joined him, her own toothbrush pulled from a pocket somewhere. She held hers out and he spread some paste on before his own.

She wanted words of comfort but he was not such a man to provide it. If she doubted their future, words from him were nothing. Actions were required and those actions could only happen in the future. She would have to wait, just as he would, to find out if what they had now was something that would become what he had no doubt it would. To him, their relationship was already solidified. If they were to marry tomorrow, he would be no different. It rested upon her. What did she want? What were her intentions? And that he would have to wait to find out.

He handed her a towel when they finished, "We are partners till death, TenTen. It is not sentiment or optional." She wiped her face clean and he then cleaned his own, "It is fact. Anything outside of that, is simply…"

"Convenient?"

"Choice." He placed the objects back in his bag, and looked to her.

She stood and he followed her lead. Her lips mushed together in thought before she spoke. "You aren't very romantic. Guess I'll have to imagine you just said we'd be together forever and there was nothing I could do about it."

He turned toward camp. "There isn't."

She was smiling as she darted up to his side, her arms folding. Though she was silent, she seemed happy about his words. Perhaps now was an appropriate time to express his other concerns. Though, he was sure no matter how well he said it, she was not going to like it.

"When we meet with the Hokage, it will be an opportunity to ask to alter your mission availability."

Her brows knit, confused. "What do you mean?"

Neji kept walking, staring ahead. It was better to say it straightforwardly before they arrived at the campsite. "S-Class missions should be removed from your assignments."

"Why?"

Neji turned to her, stopping for the only reason they were a few more steps before being in hearing range. The tone of her question was enough to assure him this conversation was already going badly.

"We will not be going together."

"So what? Are you going to remove s-class missions from your assignments?"

"No."

"Then why should I?"

He paused. His natural habit of speaking plainly while discarding personal feelings seemed out of place currently. Her upset mattered to him. More so than ever now. And yet, it was who he was as a person. If he changed to please her, where would it end?

"The obvious reason."

"Obvious?"

"You are stronger with us as a unit."

"And you aren't?"

"Of course I am."

"But I'm the only one that's weak without the other."

"Is that what I said?"

Footsteps approached and their 'conversation' ended. Kiba weaved through the trees. "Hey."

Neither of them responded.

His brows widened and he clapped his hands together nervously. "Alright." He slowly backed away before spinning around.

TenTen stepped after him and Neji was quick to reach for her arm. She almost yanked out but she reigned in her temper and kept her head down as he stepped closer. His other hand rose, tucking under her chin, focing her to raise her head up but her eyes refused to look at him. It disappointed him.

He released her and continued walking to camp without her.

Author's Note: Are we happy for Fox and Zero? Or we don't care, you just want more Neji and TenTen?