Augh. I have to read a stupid book for homework. Stupid To Kill A Mockingbird. Curse you education and your damn standards! (breathes in, then out.) I'm okay now. Well, R&R.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, but I do own all my plot bunnies.

Ch.12: Mission Accomplished

Hinata was walking through Konoha towards Ichiraku with Tenten. Hinata glanced at Tenten. She looked the same as she did when they were genin, just taller and more beautiful. She watched as a sad smile made it to her face and disappear just as fast.

"Hinata, we're here." she smiled, its laughter never making it to her eyes. Hinata nodded and looked to the sky.

'I hope this works Naruto-kun.'

Neji sighed as he watched Naruto stare up at the ceiling. "Naruto, where's Hinata-sama? If she doesn't come back soon, I will have to leave. I was planning on training today."

Naruto fidgeted under Neji's cool gaze. "She'll be here soon." he laughed. 'I hope.'

The rustling of the curtain caused Naruto to look up while Neji looked calmly ahead. "Hi Hinata-chan! Hi Tenten!"

Neji looked up. "Tenten?" he softly uttered.

Tenten was scanning the restaurant for Naruto when she spotted him. Her breathing faltered for a second. "Neji," she whispered.

"We invited Neji to eat with us. Hope you don't mind, Tenten." exclaimed Naruto.

Tenten shook her head. "No, it's alright." she said.

Hinata led her friend to her seat beside Neji while she sat next to Naruto. "Hinata-sama. Tenten-san."

"Neji-kun. How have you been?" asked his cousin.

"Fine." he replied coolly.

She smiled. "I'm glad to hear."

Naruto smiled at their exchange. The deep-rooted hatred between the two branches was slowly disappearing as time went on. The main branch was even considering having Neji become the head of the branch families or let him join the main branch due to his outstanding abilities. It was also hinted he might become head of the main branch since Hinata was dating Naruto and was deciding to give it up and Hanabi didn't want anything to do with the title.

Just then, Sakura and Kakashi came into the restaurant. The table all looked up. "Naruto, Hinata, we have to meet the Hokage." said Sakura.

Hinata and Naruto nodded and stood from their seats. "Sorry to run out on you guys, but we have to go. You guys can stay and eat though." said Naruto.

Hinata waved goodbye and Kakashi and Sakura nodded before leaving the shop, leaving Tenten and Neji alone at the table.

Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi stood on a rooftop not far from the restaurant, all masking their chakra. Naruto peered from the roof ledge. "Do you think they fell for it?"

"I doubt it, dobe."

"Shut up, teme, and when'd you get here?"

"A few minutes ago. Sakura told me to come."

Naruto looked to Sakura confusedly. "They think alike. We can know from Sasuke the possible actions Neji would do." she explained.

"And he didn't fall for it." Sasuke said, arms crossed over his chest.

Tenten scanned the room, looking everywhere but at him while Neji stared at the table. 'Naruto and Hinata having to suddenly leave as soon as they arrive? By Kakashi and Sakura, no less. Tsunade usually send messenger nins. And where was the mission scroll? Naruto wasn't eating ramen and started fidgeting. And why did Hinata bring Tenten when she knew I was coming? Something is up.'

Neji pushed up from his chair. "I'm leaving. This was a waste of my time. Good day, Tenten-san." He bowed and turned to leave when he felt a hand wrap around his wrist. He looked back in surprise to see it was Tenten's. "What?"

Tenten looked up at him. "Can we talk?"

Neji's eyes widened slightly before returning to their normal, cool gaze. "What about, Tenten-san?" he said as he sat into the chair across from her, hands folded. She grabbed his hand and looked up at him. "Neji-kun, why have you been avoiding me?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't avoid you."

"Everytime I see you somewhere, you turn and act like you never saw me or you just leave. And it's been like this for the past two years."

"…"

Tenten sighed frustratedly. "What happened, Neji? I'm worried about you. Lee's worried abo-"

Neji glared and snatched his hand away. "Don't you ever say that name in front of me."

Tenten blinked. "Wha?"

Neji glared at her. "Do you really want to know why? The whole reason I've been avoiding you? You broke my heart, Tenten."

Tenten looked at him in shock.

"I was finally going to tell you how I felt when you trampled it by going out with him. I was crushed. I thought you had felt the same way, but I guess I was wrong. I couldn't stand to see the two of you together. It tore me up inside. Felt like I was having my body peeled away layer by layer while I watched on, so I decided to avoid you. I loved you. And do you know what the worst?" Tenten just looked on while Neji trembled with fury in his chair as he stared at his lap. "I still do."

Tenten snapped her gaze to him. "What?"

He started laughing bitterly as tears leaked from his eyes. "I still love you. After all the shit you've put me through, I still can't hate you. Hell, I still can't remotely dislike you. I can't even avoid you. Everything reminds me of you! I keep having dreams of us together and I can't even breathe without thinking about you! I'm pathetic," he said as he felt Tenten's hands grip his. "No."

"No what?" he snapped.

His eye widened as he saw a water droplet fall and land on the table, another crystalline drop following it as her frame trembled while she stared in her lap. 'She's crying?'

"I'm the pathetic one. I only went out with Lee out of pity and…fear." Neji looked at her confusedly. His anger melted away as he saw how vulnerable she was at that moment. "Of what?" he asked as he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

She looked up, tears flowing one after another on her face. "Of you."

Neji was floored. "Wha?"

Tenten hung her head in shame. "I was scared of you. I was scared of my feelings for you. I was so afraid of how you'd feel if you knew how I felt about you. I was so afraid you'd turn me away or even laugh at me, so when Lee was feeling lonely that day, I ran from my feelings and asked him out. I used Lee as a shield and played his emotions while trying to preserve my own. I'm a coward."

Neji looked at her. "What are you trying to say, Tenten?"

Tenten looked back up. "I love you, you idiot. I can't get you out of my head either. I couldn't stand you avoiding me and it's tearing me apart inside. Don't you get it?! I love you, Neji Hyuuga! I love you!"

Neji blinked in shock as Tenten's continued to cry. His pearl-colored eyes softened as he reached out a hand to wipe away her tears with his thumb while he used the other to squeeze her hand.

She looked up to see Neji looking at her. "Neji?"

He brought his face closer to hers. "Tenten."

She felt her eyes become heavy. "Neji."

They leaned over the table, hand in hand as they kissed, more tears leaking from Tenten's eyes. Neji angled his head against hers and kissed her deeper only to have her return it.

"Tenten?"

Neji and Tenten drew their heads back in surprise at the person in the doorway. "Lee?"

She looked at the bug-eyed man in jounin uniform with tears in his eyes. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Lee. It's just…"

"It's just you don't love me."

"No, Lee, it's-"

"Yeah, it is. I know and I think I always knew. Stupid of me, ne? I think I'll be going now. Good luck, you two." Lee smiled as the tears continued to well in his eyes before running out of the building.

Tenten rose from her seat, but felt someone hold her back. She turned to face them. "Neji?"

His face was serious. "I think we should leave him alone for a while. This was quite a shock for all of us." Tenten nodded in agreement but couldn't help the guilt that clenched her heart as she sat back down.

Naruto was lazily lounging in the sun when he noticed a flash of green and black. He righted himself and peered over the ledge. "Hey, isn't that bushy-brows?"

Hinata gasped in horror. The gang gathered beside him on the ledge. "This is bad." said Sasuke.

Kakashi looked grimly at the man running while Sakura bit back the tears that welled up for her friend. "Lee, I'm so sorry." she whispered.

She stood and looked at her friends. "Okay, we need to watch over these guys." she said.

"I'll take Lee." said Sasuke.

Sakura nodded.

"I'll watch over Neji-kun and Tenten." said Hinata.

"I'll help too."

"No." interrupted Kakashi.

"Why not, Kakashi?" asked Naruto.

"You did your part. Remember, Sakura and I are supposed to spy on the couple like we said in the plan. Just because Lee appeared, doesn't mean we change it. You two get some rest, maybe some food?"

Naruto's stomach growled as if on cue. "I should have had some ramen. I won't be able to go back in with those two there."

Hinata smiled. "I'll make something at your place."

Naruto's face brightened immediately. "Sure!" Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi laughed at their friend before bounding over the roofs of Konoha, going their separate ways.

Lee panted heavily as his hair clung to his face. He scanned the training area and found five trees surrounding the area decimated. He wiped his forehead and sighed. "I should have known Tenten never liked me, seeing how she was always talking about Neji."

He remembered the far off look in her eyes when she was with him. "I guess she and I aren't meant to be." He clenched his fist at the thought.

Lee turned his head to the sky. "But that does not mean that I should give up! Someone is still out there for me, waiting and I must find them!" he exclaimed.

Shrugging on his jounin vest, he made his way out of the training area. He felt a breeze blow across him. His eyes widened in realization and he quickly whipped his head around only to find nothing. "I could have sworn someone…must be getting delusional from dehydration." he said to himself as he made his way towards the village, not noticing the lone green leaf floating from the sky in the dead of winter.

Tenten looked down at the gray cobblestones below her feet as they passed. Neji looked down at her and frowned. He took hold of her hand and squeezed as they walked side by side. Tenten's eyes widened at the contact and looked up seeing Neji's face alight with a slight smile. She grinned as she came to a realization. 'He always knows what I'm thinking and he always knows just what to do.'

She walked, chin up when she suddenly halted as the object of her thoughts came into view in the setting sun. "Lee."

She stood with Neji who squeezed her hand in reassurance as the man approached them. He halted in front of them and nodded. "Neji-san. Tenten-chan."

"Lee-kun."

Neji just nodded at him.

A strained silence passed between them. Seriously, how could Tenten say anything without screwing things up further? Lee sensed this and smiled. "Thank you for worrying about me Tenten-chan, but I'm fine now. It hurts, but it will heal with time. I think I will try dating sometime." He gripped their clasped hands and grinned. "Don't worry about me and be happy. You two deserve it." he said firmly before walking past them further into the village.

Tenten stood in shock, but swiftly turned on her heel. "Lee! Let's do some training tomorrow!"

Lee turned around and struck his signature pose. "I gladly accept." Tenten chuckled and waved at him until he was no longer visible on the horizon; things were alright again.

The sun was long gone as Neji and Tenten came to a lake and sat down to observe the full moon that night. She leaned her head on his shoulder and started to drift off in her bliss when she heard a slight rustling in the trees around them. Tenten lifted her head. "Neji, we have-"

"I know." Neji silently activated his kekkei genkai and observed their surroundings.

Tenten watched his face as they became serious, then surprised, and then calm. He deactivated his kekkei genkai and a smirk graced his handsome features. She eyed him curiously. "What is it?" she asked.

He placed his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "Kakashi and Sakura. I have a feeling they're the ones who planned this whole thing."

Tenten started to turn her head in shock and anger when she paused at his words. "I don't think they meant for Lee to come, so don't kill them. They don't know that we know they're there, so just act natural. I think they're just observing how things turned out."

Tenten nodded and leaned against his body. "Can we return the favor?" she asked mischievously. He smirked and activated his bloodlimit while she snuggled against him, content on watching the moon.

Sakura peered through the small opening between the leaves and looked back happily at her partner. Her happy attitude was shot down and replaced with a glare. "What. Are. You. Doing?" she ground out.

Kakashi flipped the page. "Reading."

"But that?!" she exclaimed, pointing at the small orange book in his hands.

He shrugged. "I want to see what happens next and there's enough light to read by. Besides, it's not like they're doing anything interesting."

Sakura sighed and fell back next to Kakashi on the tree. "Sometimes I wonder why I even bother."

"I heard that."

Minutes passed in silence while Sakura grew antsy. Deciding to break the silence, she decided to ask the question that plagued her since her childhood. "What's so good about that book?"

Kakashi just flipped a page. "Can I read it?" she asked.

Kakashi nearly dropped his book. He quickly caught it and looked at her. "No. It's rated mature."

"Kakashi, I'm 23, not 3." she huffed. "Besides, Sasuke and I probably did worse things when we were together." she added causing Kakashi to freeze in shock.

'Did she just talk about her sex life with me?' He shook his head and handed the book to her. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Sakura opened the book to the first page and began reading while Kakashi plunked his head against the trunk of the tree. He felt his heart sink as disappointment welled inside him. 'I'm being an idiot. After all, she loved Sasuke. It's only natural that they have sex and besides, in our occupation, virgins after the age of 16 are a rarity. I mean, I lost my virginity at 15.'

But no matter how much he reasoned with himself, he couldn't help but feel disappointed that she wasn't an innocent. He mentally slapped himself. 'I'm talking like I own her. She's not mine and she probably won't ever be.' he thought as he felt a stab of pain rush through his heart, memories of New Year's flooding his mind.

"Eep!"

Kakashi looked up to see the book closed and Sakura's face as red a tomato. 'But she's still innocent at heart.' he thought with a smile as he observed her adorable behavior.

"How do you read this stuff in public?!"

He chuckled as he took back his book. "I warned you."

She turned her nose up, only to yawn tiredly. Kakashi blinked. "Something wrong?"

She yawned again. "Not much sleep lately and skipping my daily food intake today didn't help."

Kakashi inwardly frowned at her lack of sleep and eating. "You rest, I'll keep watch."

Sakura shook her head. "No, I can't-" her reply was cut off with a yawn. "Okay, maybe a short nap."

After saying that, she dozed off against the tree. Kakashi chuckled at her behavior and wrapped an arm around her waist. 'I don't want her to fall out of the tree and it's cold tonight.' he told himself as he held her close to him, a warm feeling spreading through his body. He pressed his cheek to her head and smiled as he felt her snuggle against him, nuzzling the hollow of his neck. He smiled softly and brushed his lips against her head before settling to observe Tenten and Neji through the foliage.

Neji smirked happily as Tenten stared anxiously up at him. "Well?" she pleaded.

He shook his head and leaned down to her ear. "Looks like we aren't the only lovebirds out here tonight."

Tenten's eyes widened in shock. "You mean?!"

He shushed her. "No, I don't think so. From what I saw, it's sort of one sided. I don't think Sakura has a clue. Poor Kakashi."

"What's happening now?"

"Nothing. Sakura is asleep. She's leaning on Kakashi. He pulled her against him earlier and she moved closer. She was also asleep then, so she probably wanted the warmth."

Tenten chuckled. "I don't think so. You may be a genius, but you have a lot to learn about people. Never take things at face value. She may have moved closer, but she could've been snuggling against him. It's a subconscious action during sleep, which means she could want him also."

Neji became surprised, then smirked. "That lucky bastard."

She smiled seductively at him. "He's not the only lucky one tonight."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh really now?" She smirked at him before moving to kiss him, capturing his lips and while he returned it.

Kakashi smirked and gently nudged Sakura awake. She slowly lifted her lips, still heavy with sleep and turned towards him. "Nani?"

Kakashi wished he could see that look every time he woke up, but cast the thought aside. "Mission accomplished."

Sleep vanished from her as she gasped. "You mean they're together now?"

Kakashi chuckled. "They're kissing in the field by the lake right now, see for yourself."

Sakura peered out into the night and smiled. "Yes!"

Sakura turned to her partner with that smile while Kakashi smiled and playfully ruffled her hair as she tried to beat his hand away. "Ready to go?" he asked. She nodded in response and smiled at the man before they darted through the trees.

Tenten and Neji separated for air and stared up at the moon. They heard a rustling in the trees behind them. Entwining their fingers and squeezing each other's hand, they looked back and smiled.

'Good luck, you two.'