Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Prompt #13: Duo - Konoha's consistancy was always measured by its pairs.

Words: 484

Konoha was one of those cities that measured its power and stability by its people.

And nothing screamed "strength" like pairs of powerful shinobi. Two people, perfectly balanced and in sync, able to take out all comers. Konoha had quite a few of those combos in its military arsenal. Some obvious, some not so much, and others are quite surprising.

An obvious pair was Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru. Together since birth, the boy and dog were inseperable. Their power was great when alone, but paired together, they were nearly unstoppable.

A slightly less cohesive, but still powerful combination, was that of Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. When they bothered to cooperate with each other, they made a surprisingly good tag-team.

Another was Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino. Their personalities were polar opposites, but their talents were complimentary - he caught them in his shadow, she invaded their minds. They bickered like cats and dogs on PMS, but they were a hell of a team.

An interesting pair was Hyuuga Hinata and Hyuuga Neji. Both Juuken users, both aspiring fighters of the Hyuuga clan, and both skilled wielders of the Byakugan. Fluid moves and the grace of dancers made their battles look like an elegant waltz of death.

One pair that many people never truly saw in action was that of Haruno Sakura and Rock Lee. Both wicked strong and determined to become stronger, they had an undeniable strength factor that literally blew the competition away.

But there was one team that everyone in Konoha agreed was the most perfect of all.

Hyuuga Neji and Tenten.

He was short-range, she was long-range. He fought with fists and chakra to cause his enemies damage within. She used her weaponry to slice and cut and made her opponents bleed. They were completely opposite and completely in sync. They moved without having to announce their moves, and one never interrupted the other's attacks.

Even their personalities clashed. He was cold logic; she was fiery passion. He acted after careful consideration; she reacted without a second thought. He came from a lineage that had stifiled his emotions and caged him within a seal; she was nameless, clanless, and free from those cages.

It was actually surprising that they weren't dating already.

Then again, maybe not. Plenty of good work relationships went sideways if those work relationships turned into actual relationships. Shinobi frequently had to compartmentalize their personal and professional lives to prevent crossovers, but not everyone is perfect.

But if anyone had to bet on the success of a particular pair of partners, that pair would be Neji and Tenten.

After all, they've made it this far without driving each other completely nuts. There was hope yet.

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