Harbinger

by tigerowl

Naruto's friendship with his teammates Gaara and Haku is put to the test as they prepare to deal with the threat of the Akatsuki. The secrets Jiraiya has kept come to a head, and Naruto must shoulder the responsibility of protecting much more than the Leaf Village. Continuation of Forlorn. AU NaruHina, GaaSaku, NejiTen, ObiRin

26. Adaptation

Note: Double-update! Due to epic length an intermission will be provided.

Chapter Soundtrack: "Kamisama/Observe" by KUROISOUL

Chapter 26: Adaptation

Before leaving Konoha, Neji had been thoughtful enough to pick up a map and trace a route to the Funabashi seaport. He went over it with Lee and Tenten before they set out, although it was evident that Neji was still not in the highest of spirits.

Tenten kept pace with Lee as they traveled, thinking it would behoove them to let Neji race ahead and get some crankiness out of his system. Throughout the day she conversed with Lee about Wong Leung's training methods, and how his grandfather had warmed up to Neji.

"Grandpa was hopeful that you would join us for practice too, when you can." Lee informed her.

Tenten smiled nervously, "You think he'll go easier on me?"

"Probably not. Grandpa will just make you focus on different areas." He figured, "And he will also try to make you speak Hanwen more often."

"Those are two opportunities for me to disappoint him. You've got to convince him to let me do something I'm good at, Lee."

"I should not. He will ask you to cook all the time, if I did."

"On second thought…training and speaking is fine."

That night they made camp far in the west of the Fire Country, rotating shifts for sleep, and by mid-morning the next day they had arrived in Funabashi. It was a small sea port at the southern tip of the Land of Hot Water, just a few steps outside of the Fire Country. The city was bustling with tourists and migrant workers. It was a chore to squeeze through a crowd of people towards a tavern to get something to eat.

After a meal, the team went to work pasting fliers to every surface and handing them out to curious natives. It eliminated half of the stack, but Tsunade had wanted the whole seasonal labor route covered, and so they dutifully stopped in the harbor to find the next ship to the Marsh Country. They spoke with a ticket agent near the main dock to learn when they could set sail.

"The Marsh Country? Aren't you all dressed a little too nice to do mining work over there?" The man at the booth inquired, "That boat is leaving in 40 minutes, but they've already got plenty of laborers on board."

"We're shinobi. The Hokage sent us to advertise for the upcoming Chunin Exam." Tenten corrected.

"Oh! How about that? Heh, well in that case there's space for you." The agent accepted their vouchers and then asked, "Do you mind if I get one of those fliers too?"

Tenten handed over a pamphlet before they received boarding passes.

The team continued down a long pier towards a large, commercial ship. A few bored attendants ushered them along, "Move along…greeter's up there…" And they crossed the gangplank of the ship to enter the vessel.

A beefy man in an ill-fitting shirt accepted their boarding passes and spoke in a rumble, "Welcome aboard the Fog Skipper. I'm Chief Mate Ondo." He glanced over the tickets, "Your cabin is on level one, starboard side, number 24. For any labor-coordination questions please see our rep on the forward deck. Have a nice trip." Ondo handed Lee an odd-looking cabin key.

Lee thanked the mate with a sunny smile before they ventured down the corridor to locate their room. It was easy enough to find, but after poking their heads inside they discovered the size was not satisfactory.

"It's a closet." Tenten frowned in aggravation, "Is this all those vouchers were good for?" She pushed the door in roughly and it struck the wall with a hollow bang.

Neji and Lee followed her within, gazing in disappointment at the space that was barely two meters across, and not much deeper. Two, cramped bunks were available for sleeping; otherwise there were no furniture or amenities to speak of. The exposed pipes of the ceiling had hangers and carabiners attached, from which previous occupants had probably hung their belongings. At the "far" side of the room, a porthole let in sunshine.

"I did not expect luxury, but…" Lee was turning in a very small circle, "This room does not even look to be…up to code."

"We can dispute this with the Chief Mate, later." Neji offered, "This ship will not reach the Marsh Country for another three days."

"Three. Days." Tenten breathed quietly, "And two nights." She smiled bitterly and then hung her travel bag from a carabiner, "Might as well try to advertise before we go insane."

She and her teammates sighed collectively in agreement.

They stored their possessions in the teeny space and Lee locked the door behind them. The ship lurched with a metal creak as it slowly pulled away from shore. The team followed stairs to the top deck for some fresh air. Luckily, many of the laborers aboard were up and about, and Tenten estimated they had plenty of fliers for them.

Because Neji was not sociable enough to sell anything, he stayed by Lee's side as he hyped up the Chunin Exam. The passengers took a shine to Lee and accepted the pamphlets, asking if he could demonstrate any ninja skills. On the other side of the deck, Tenten was also trying to encourage another group of travelers.

"The Hokage expects this Exam to be a huge success, and no one will want to miss the Final Rounds…" Tenten put on a coy smile, hoping they would buy it, "I'll be participating, as a matter of fact."

"Will you now, little lady?" A gap-toothed man chortled, "I'd happily go to that tournament just to see you in action."

His friends roared with laughter and chimed in:

"This is one lovely kunoichi!"

"Do you have other skills?"

"Can you show us?"

"Yeah, can you show us below deck? Ha ha!" Many of them hollered excitedly at the idea, clearly not the type of viewers Tenten wanted to invite to Konoha, "Well come on now! Give us a demonstration!"

"Sure." Her wry smile twisted into an expression of scorching fury as she leapt, unfurling a tool-summoning scroll. Tenten unleashed an aesthetically pleasing array of pointed weapons, and made sure to miss all of the screaming laborers (though she did not want to.) Knives thacked down into the wood of the deck in a perfect arrangement of the Hidden Leaf symbol; then she landed and shut the scroll, eyeing them all with disapproval, "Still want to watch?"

The dozen men who had earlier harassed her were hushed into daunted quiet. Cowed, they nodded and held out their hands for advertisements. Tenten passed fliers out before stomping back to her teammates.

"Was your display necessary?" Neji asked her curiously, "They're terrified."

"None of these men are going to take me seriously. They think I'm some…floozy plaything." She ground out her explanation, "It's not that I want to have a man standing next to me just so they'll listen to a word I say…" Tenten took a breath, "But do you mind walking around with me, Neji?"

He said simply, "I don't." He perfectly understood her indignation. This was not his type of crowd either.

They parted with Lee, who seemed to have connected with the friendliest sailors, and they roamed about the perimeter of the deck to speak to laborers. In between the pockets of somewhat-interested sailors, and those willing to distribute fliers, Neji conversed with Tenten in the hope it would dispel her outrage.

"Consider that none of these men have probably ever seen a kunoichi before," He reminded her, "And of those that have, probably not one of your caliber."

Tenten's eyebrows raised an increment, "Well…they could only get a superficial impression of me. So do you mean…how I look?"

"I mean that you are top quality in every respect." Neji assured her.

She smiled authentically, "Thank you. I appreciate that."

And after that she seethed no more, and was generally more pleasant to each person they talked to. While Neji had not been entirely aware of it, Tenten had become buoyant after hearing his appraisal. As they came around the bend at the stern of the ship, Tenten stole glances of her reflection in the glass of promenade windows. 'He said I'm top quality. Hm! I guess this new look even appeals to him.' She shut her eyes blissfully as they came to a linear stretch of deck again, 'Neji can say that about me even when we haven't been around each other in months!'

"Over there." Neji's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Tenten followed him to where the Chief Mate was leaned against crates, smoking a cigarette. Neji addressed the subject of their cabin not being 'of adequate size,' and asked if there was a possibility of switching to something suitable. The man, Ondo, merely shook his head and exhaled a line of smoke, "Sorry. I couldn't upgrade you even if I wanted to. Some families are traveling with us and they booked up all of the superior rooms."

"I see." Neji turned his head and stewed over their plight. He handed the mate a pamphlet, "Here. You might enjoy attending the Final Rounds of the Chunin Exam."

"Oh." Ondo balanced the cigarette on his lip and examined the flier, "Thanks, bud. I'd love to go to this thing. They said the last one was nuts."

"It was. Hopefully, it'll be more controlled chaos this time." Tenten predicted, "Thanks."

They carried on around the ship for a few hours, occasionally handing out leaflets, and sailing farther and farther out to sea. By the time they came to the bow of the ship again, they discovered Lee had been more or less adopted by the passengers he spoke with. Lee was seated on a bench, surrounded by his new pals.

Neji was rightly surprised to see a stranger pressing a bag of ice to Lee's head. He and Tenten approached their teammate, asking if something was the matter.

"I think I have…" Lee paused, pressing his fingers to his lips for a moment, "Ugh…I could be…motion sick."

Tenten took the spot on the bench beside her friend, "You're seasick, Lee?" She took the bag of ice from a bystander and replaced it on the inside of Lee's wrists, "This might help more. It's a temporary cure, though…"

Neji looked out over the deck, seeing that the shoreline had completely disappeared from view. Without land as a point of reference, it would be difficult for Lee's sense of balance to recover from the, admittedly, rough waves the ship was bouncing on. It would get worse the further out they went.

They opted to keep him above deck for as long as possible. The laborers who made the journey overseas often recommended that Lee get as much fresh air as he could. A ship hand volunteered to look for Dramamine tablets to settle Lee's stomach, but cautioned, "We never have enough of that stuff…"

The congregation of passengers grew inquisitive and asked about the team of shinobi they were sailing with. The afternoon turned to night as they spoke, fascinated with Lee and his companions. If they had not been convinced before of watching the Chunin Exam finals, they were now compelled to do so and find out how this team would fare. They kept Lee stable even without medication, and the ship's cook brought out several kettles of stew to feed passengers.

Later, the sky above was so clear that, as Tenten leaned on the railing of the deck, she could make out the wisped arm of a spiral galaxy. A pool of stars stretched endlessly in all directions overhead. She was tempted to stare at them all night long, but from across the deck Neji gave her a shout. They were going below deck for rest. She peeled herself away from the relaxing night breeze and sky.

The cabin was still as disappointing as it had been earlier that day. The teammates stood in silence for a moment, deliberating on the bunks that were suspended out from the wall.

"I prefer the bottom bunk." Tenten announced, "But at this point, I'll take anywhere I can fit."

"We can squeeze in together." Lee offered, "Or the floor does not seem too uncomfortable to me."

"No, Lee. There's room for two."

They sidled in and attempted to negotiate space. As Neji snapped the light of the cabin off, Lee and Tenten found enough room so long as they lay pin-straight. Neji hauled himself up to the top bunk, settling on his stomach. With his chin balanced on his folded arms, Neji looked out the porthole and watched light play over the crests of dark waves. Silence prevailed in the room for a while.

Gentle breathing could be heard from below. Neji could not tell how much time had passed, but he knew that his friends had fallen asleep. There was nothing remotely upsetting about the fact that they were nestled together, but it pricked at him. He would have liked if Tenten had chosen the top bunk instead. With him. 'It doesn't matter.' Neji reminded himself. Lee wasn't like that. He and Tenten had been bosom buddies since childhood. What was more, Lee was quite aware of Neji's feelings. He would never seek to trifle with them in any way, Neji expected.

With a soft grunt, he finally shut his eyes and drifted off.

Hours later, the panicked sound of shuffling woke Neji. He initially believed that an intruder might have entered the room, but in the pitch dark of the cabin he witnessed Lee and Tenten rushing out. His next thought purported a fire, yet there were no flames or smoke. Neji willed himself back to consciousness and slipped down from the bed to move to the doorway. Peering out into the dim corridor of the ship, he could see Lee bent over a mopping pail, hurling his guts out. Tenten stood beside him and held his shoulders, concerned that he would topple head-first into the mess.

Neji then noted how unsteady on his feet he was. The ship was swaying as if tipped, like a teeter-totter. The water must have gotten rougher during the night. Without a doubt it had churned Lee up.

Tenten walked Lee back to the room and handed him off to Neji, "Hold him for a second."

The young woman bolted off into the dark of the corridor. Lee was a gurgling, incoherent mess. Neji repositioned him on the edge of the bottom bunk, quickly scanning him over with the Byakugan. He was hopeful that if he prodded at a few trusty pressure points that Lee's nausea would pass. That would help avoid a night of constant vomiting on a rocking boat. Neji began methodically poking spots along his teammate's spine without consulting with him. Tenten returned swiftly with a second bucket, placing it below Lee's face just in time for him to puke again.

She and Neji exchanged distraught glances.

"I sent a Shadow Clone to clean out that other pail at the facilities closet. It should be here soon." Tenten's voice was barely above a whisper, "It was all I could think to do."

"Better than what I thought to do." Neji yielded.

"If he didn't wake me first, he probably would have gotten me…"

Neji continued poking Lee's back and apologized quietly as his friend began retching again. Minutes later, the clone returned with an empty bucket and handed it off to Tenten, exchanging it for the full pail. The Shadow Clone made a face of disgust before marching out of the cabin.

Lee accepted the pail and made a sound that conveyed great humiliation. Tenten unlatched the window and swung it open, intending to air out the room. The sea outside was choppy, by the sound of it, tossing the vessel around. Neji concluded his frantic, impromptu, care for Lee and stood back. Lee's voice was a soft rasp as he thanked his friends. He handed off the bucket and curled up on the bottom bunk again. He was asleep moments later.

"I don't know…how that's possible." Tenten whispered, "I thought he'd be up all night?"

"I might've helped it. Maybe some equilibrium was restored…but I can't tell you that it will last. It probably won't."

"That's fine, Neji. He's asleep." Tenten turned to the door with the bucket, "It's a start."

She departed again in the dark. Since no smell had lingered in the cabin, Neji shut the porthole for some quiet. He looked over Lee one last time before returning to the top bunk. After what seemed like ages, Tenten returned with two clean buckets, and shut the door behind her. She set them down beside Lee's bed and then stopped. She exhaled in slight annoyance before she moved to climb up.

Taking the hint, Neji quickly shifted over for her. Tenten collapsed beside him, exhausted.

"Thanks." She muttered.

"You reacted so quickly I thought we were under attack."

"No. I just didn't want Lee to hurl all over me. That made me move fast."

Neji smiled to himself, "I might not have been so fortunate."

"Heh. If you're feeling lucky you can sleep down there."

"I prefer this." He spoke to her back as she was turned away.

"Me too." She agreed quietly.

And when they fell asleep again they were not woken for the rest of the night.

---

The next morning was peaceful. Sounds in the room were muted save for the ocean swells bashing against the ship's side.

With his eyes still shut, lying flat on his back, Neji began to stir to the feeling of lips meeting his own. A hand brushed over his chest and down his arm, stopping at his fingertips. The hand that caressed him moved down with intention. He wanted to cry at the top of his voice with pleasure. Consciousness shot through him in a confusing bolt as Neji realized that he had been dreaming. It was a rather graphic dream, as he recalled while sitting up.

'Shameful.' He thought reproachfully. It was not often that he had sexual dreams so straightforward and vivid. Having them while sleeping beside the girl he desired, particularly while she was unaware, was extremely ill-advised. Neji groaned tiredly, upright, and rubbed at his eyes with one hand.

He was alone in the room. Lee and Tenten had already ventured out.

After gathering his bearings, Neji also left the cabin and ascended above deck. His teammates had been making idle chit-chat with the friendly passengers from yesterday. Breakfast was served, and Tenten glanced over to the top of the stairwell just as he stepped through. She waved him over, "I was just going to wake you! Did you sleep alright, Neji?"

"Fine, all things considered."

"I apologize for my woeful illness last night!" Lee added, unable to resist a formal bow of atonement, "Never in my life would I ever want my friends to see something like that…"

"Think nothing of it, Lee." Neji told him.

"Let's get something to eat. The line is forming over there." Tenten shepherded the men along to a serving table. She then showed Neji a small paper packet, "Look! One of Lee's laborer pals spoke to the captain and got this! There's enough Dramamine here to get Lee to the Marsh Country and back. He won't be sick anymore."

Neji nodded and to thought himself, 'Thank the gods.'

They ate well and kept Lee properly medicated. He shed his sea sickness completely and was effective at rallying more interest in the Chunin Exam that day. Many passengers asked for mock battles and eventually, with Lee's insistence, his teammates consented to showing off a little.

The men who had antagonized Tenten the day before found it wise to apologize for their behavior. Her fearsome display from yesterday paled in comparison to the hail of weaponry she tossed at her teammates. While Tenten appeared to have forgiven the inappropriate laborers, Neji kept a wary eye out for them. The first impression they had made had condemned them in Neji's book.

Early in the afternoon, Lee discovered another passenger who was fluent in Hanwen. This rapidly associated another potential speaker in their conversation, namely Tenten. She was very hesitant, 'I haven't practiced in so long. I don't really care now since Mom and Dad can't speak it to me.'

Neji stood by cluelessly, occasionally glancing over at fishermen who had cast rods over the edge of the ship.

Lee urged his teammate, Tenten! I know you can do it! Say anything. Anything you remember!

No. She managed.

Very good! Lee was thrilled.

She understands what we're saying. The laborer remarked.

Tenten always understands. Lee added to his teammate, Please; do not be reluctant to speak.

I…have terrible pronunciation. And your Grandpa is always correcting me. Tenten huffed, I want to wind up.

I think you mean "give up." The passenger decoded her jumbling of words.

She turned to Lee, See? I'm awful.

Lee rubbed his chin thoughtfully, You know, that was really quite good.

That's enough. It's dinnertime.

You mean lunchtime. Lee understood.

"Yeah, that's what I meant!" Tenten folded her arms and moved up in the line, "I don't want to embarrass myself anymore."

"You speak it better than my mother." The laborer complimented, "And she grew up with it. I think she just disregards grammar entirely."

Tenten shrugged off the praise and accepted food from servers. She and her teammates ate together before continuing to push the advertisement agenda, locating some of the families that were traveling aboard. They skipped over a family with very small children who they deemed, "too young" to appreciate the theme of spectating final rounds.

Lee's suffering had quelled, and so he explored the ship and challenged mates to push-up contests. After handily winning every competition and earning more respect, Lee tried his hand at fishing and rope knot-work. By the afternoon, the old captain of the ship had even let him take the helm briefly. Lee's steering was sub-par and he quickly had to surrender control to the skipper.

Neji and Tenten passed the day by not exerting themselves. Passengers came and went to visit them, but while alone that afternoon they found plenty to talk about. The only subject Neji did not bring up was his uncomfortable meeting with Hyuga clan elders.

It did not come as a great surprise to either of them that they had disobeyed the Hokage's no-contact order while it had been in place. Tenten did find it intriguing that Neji had managed to befriend the ANBU agent who had to intercept him multiple times. Tenzo had also stopped her once.

"He was a nice guy, now that you mention it." Tenten acknowledged.

"I saw you bring food to Lee's home one night."

She took a moment to compose herself, feeling cornered, "I did. His grandfather really appreciated it…" Tenten noted the expectant expression on Neji's face, "I wanted to do the same for you, really."

"What stopped you?"

"I don't know." Slightly defensive, she replied, "What stopped you?"

"Incarceration." Neji supplied simply, "I hardly left your side."

She shook her head and smiled, "I had a feeling you were around." Tenten sighed, "I don't know if I could have gotten away with finding you, Neji. Not the way you did. The Hokage said it was for our own good."

"Perhaps it was." He agreed, "And I hope it never happens again."

Lee rounded the bend of the ship with a handful of mooring line, and demanded that they try their hand at tying knots. Tenten felt the connection with Neji snap and slip away after the interruption. What a rare opportunity it had been. 'Maybe this won't be the last time we can talk like this.'

She and Neji humored their teammate as he tried to keep them engaged for the long journey. And that is just what he did for several hours; Lee as his youthful, energized-self once again.

That night, they made sure that Lee was medicated as they sailed through rough waters again. He retired to sleep after feeling drowsy. Tenten and Neji had stayed above deck for as long as possible before the ship passed beneath a storm cloud. They went below to avoid the rain.

With a yawn, Tenten stretched and turned down a separate corridor, "You go ahead, Neji. I'm stopping at the ladies room first."

Neji continued through the starboard bulkhead towards their minuscule cabin. Before entering, he used his Blood Limit out of habit to confirm Tenten's position. She had just entered the restroom. She was not the only one in that stretch of the ship, unfortunately. Neji backed out of the room while watching two passengers he had mentally blacklisted. They were nosing around a corner, poised to slink down the hallway after the young woman they had earlier antagonized.

Neji was blessedly quick and discreet, moving to the annex that connected with the hall he had his eyes on. As soon as the two oafs crossed at the doorway, they were struck with an Air Palm blast and squashed against the composite wall. They fell in a heap, their heads terrifically rattled.

He returned to the cabin with a sense of vindication. Neji knew they were scoundrels. And on the off chance he had mistakenly attacked two men who had no vile intentions whatsoever, they still would have no idea what happened or who to blame.

Lee was sound asleep in the room. Neji made himself comfortable on the top bunk and shut his eyes. While it was sometimes a round-the-clock job, he was always glad to look after his teammates. The pattering of rain was a dull hum.

The light of the room was snapped off and Tenten sealed the cabin. Neji could hear her tiptoe over to Lee and assess his health. He then remained motionless as Tenten returned to the top bunk and took the spot beside him. She poked his shoulder. Neji opened an eye in response.

"There was a loud bang when I was in the bathroom." She said quietly, "Can you see if the boat is sinking?"

He restrained a smirk, "This ship is not sinking."

"You didn't even check."

"You're safe." Neji assured her.

"You mean we're safe." Tenten rolled over and folded an arm beneath her head. She had not noticed the unconscious men in the adjacent bulkhead, but Neji felt that was for the best.

She spoke again while facing away from him, "Do you care that I'm up here? I know that Lee will sleep better tonight."

"I have no objection to it if you don't." He answered. In the past he had shared sleeping spaces with her before, granted there had not been nearly so much overlap of their persons.

"I think this is better." Tenten determined, "Get your rest for tomorrow. It's going to be a busy day."

He replied with a low sound in the affirmative and made a true attempt to fall asleep. His thoughts ran rampant even as he held still. Neji found it remarkable that Tenten was able to drift off after a time.

'This isn't the same as it was.' Neji tried to be honest with himself, 'I'm distractible. Talkative. Informal.' Whether he meant to or not, he was showing a new side of himself to Tenten. She, by and large, seemed as professional as she had always been. That did not include the moments in which Tenten would lock eyes with him without flinching, or discuss the intimate details of her life that she had otherwise been tight-lipped about in previous years.

He had never conceptualized before, in his young life, just how good it felt to get to know her. Neji had taken those learning opportunities for granted in the past. But he had become greedy for time with her. Moreover, it was totally unreasonable that he wanted to wake Tenten up so he could ask more questions during the night. Only after his mind had exhausted the trails of possibility, meandering along the banks of desire and doubt, did he finally fall asleep.

Sometime before dawn, Lee had begun snoring on his bunk.

The grating noise had pulled Neji out of dreams, 'Hopefully Lee isn't smothering himself down there…' It sounded as if Lee had rolled face-down; his nostrils doing battle with the mattress for oxygen.

Neji's other senses detected something was amiss. He did not need to open his eyes to decipher that the warm length of body pressed into his front was Tenten. The tickle of hair shaken loose from a bun, below his nose, still carried a hint of fragrance to it. He was immediately aware that his arms had formed a secure loop around the young woman's mid-section, inadvertently spooning with her while they had been asleep. None the wiser, Tenten had draped an arm over his while slumbering serenely.

A filament in his waking mind suggested panic and reasserting propriety. Standard. It doubled back; alleging that moving suddenly could wake her, and as such was not a sensible way to react. Neji made no effort to shift or awaken. Tenten was deeply asleep.

What had he expected from sharing such a confined space? That they would repel as like poles of a magnet do? It would be futile to convince himself that he did not want be close to her. For the entire trip, Neji had done little else than be near Tenten or keep her attention. He had not purposefully tried to hold her, but Neji could not ignore the symphony in every cell that spoke of how right it was.

His uncooperative, early-morning brain veered off course, unable to concentrate on rectifying the situation. It only acknowledged the pleasantness that was felt. It prioritized the feeling…and then slept again.

Time passed, the sun crept up, and Tenten woke gradually from what was a surprisingly decent rest. She opened her eyes and tilted her head, noticing the extreme, unintentional close-up of Neji's face. 'Oh.' His sleeping-expression was about the calmest she had ever seen him, 'Here's looking at ya, Hyuga Neji.' She slowly extricated and unwound herself from the curve of his body, unalarmed. It was nearly a shame to leave such a warm and divine space. Neji did not stir as she inched away carefully.

'This has been a small victory.' Tenten thought to herself. She had anticipated something like it could happen, and she was indeed very pleased that it did. 'Better move it before he wakes up and freaks out…' They would be making land soon and Tenten had little interest in canoodling the morning away. 'But tomorrow looks good. If we can hold it together for the last leg of this mission…maybe I owe it to myself to finally say something to him. I don't know what I'm waiting for anymore.'

Tenten stepped out of the cabin and proceeded down the hall system towards the restroom. A mirror would be beneficial. 'I need to fix my hair. It feels like a mullet right now!' On the way, she passed by two men asleep on the floor of the corridor, and beside them was a suspicious dent in the wall.

---

By mid-morning, the ship had pulled into the brackish inlet of the Marsh Country's great harbor. Prior to disembarking, Chief Mate Ondo bade them farewell, cautioning that the next vessel available for a voyage to the mainland was five days away, at best. The team of Leaf ninja filed off of the Fog Skipper alongside the seasonal mine workers. The laborers flashed their Chunin Exam fliers as they passed, promising that they would attend.

Lee's sea-legs were not very well suited for solid ground, which he discovered while walking down the long wharf with his teammates. They stopped here and there to post advertisements, noticing that townsfolk were virtually non-existent in the small, bayside settlement. A handful of residents traversed the docks and sand paths between quaint, wooden houses. After the last flier was glued to a power pole, the team regrouped to determine their next course of action.

"Are you feeling okay, Lee?" Tenten asked, "That trip did a number on you. I can't figure out how you could be sick and still introduce yourself to every person on that ship."

"Youth is on my side! I would not have prevailed otherwise." He determined, "Though I feel it would be wise for us to take a break soon."

There was a seaside inn just up the hill from the harbor. When they stopped for lunch, Neji acquainted himself with the map while Lee and Tenten ate. Lee was still slightly 'green around the gills' while seated, and Tenten advised him to take small sips of the broth they had been served. A waitress came by their table to give Tenten the dumplings she had ordered.

"There you go! Don't mind my asking, but do you happen to be Leaf ninja? Chichiatsu-sama says they're the best allies this country's got." The waitress asked, wiping her hands on her apron.

"We are." Tenten said after thanking her, "This place is quite far from home, though."

"If you're going out into the woods, just be careful. You see odd ninja popping in and out of there. The rumor is that something is buried deep under the mountain and everyone wants to know what it is." The woman whispered, and then giggled at the thought, "Well, you have a nice day now!"

Tenten found the information redundant. Lee let out a soft groan of misery before deciding he was feeling slightly better. Tenten encouraged him to have a little more, and then pushed some food in front of Neji as well, "You've got to eat something before we go, Neji. It sure won't ruin your figure."

He eyed her with annoyance from behind the map, "Ha ha." He said dryly, but he accepted one of the rolls anyway.

After lunch, Lee vomited violently behind the building in a weed-filled garden. He felt better straightaway and was prepared to go on, fully adjusted to land again. The time came to begin searching for the suspicious shinobi Tsunade had spoken of. Neji directed his team to a forest path that extended into the wilderness. It was teeming with wood frogs and reptiles that filled the forest with song. They eventually took to the canopy to travel more quickly.

As the day progressed they penetrated further into the climbing jungle of the Marsh Country. The emergent layer above them was so tangled with leaves and branches that most daylight was blocked, making it difficult to tell what time it was. Neji stopped occasionally to allow them a drink of water or to reaffirm their route with the map.

Sometimes a strange silence would come over the woods, as if it was all one giant organism holding its breath. In those strange and unnerving beats Lee would bring up a story from their Academy days. Though it seemed to help distract Tenten from their eerie surroundings it did not help Neji. He was too aware of their environment, as always. His face was pale with anticipation.

"There might be other ninja in this area." The Hyuga eventually warned, "I can't see any now, but…" He trailed off, hesitating to say more.

"What's that matter, Neji?" Tenten knew the last bit of information would be crucial.

"I will not see far in this forest. It's extremely dense and compacted, so it takes longer to work out the details." Neji admitted, "When we're out in the open again it will be safer."

"Understood." Lee said. They grasped that Neji had his limitations. The team of wayward ninja continued on, heading north.

They skirted a tree that was being guarded by an unusually large snake and rushed through the treetops. Small animals in the bramble watched the three soar by, confusing them for birds of prey as their silhouettes passed beneath the leafy ceiling. The chirping suddenly died off again and the tension came back. They stopped and Neji motioned for them to be still. He used his Byakugan, staring into the silence. He saw nothing and rested his eyes after a bit.

Tenten took a drink from her canteen. Neji, for form's sake, used his Byakugan again. He could see a lone drop of water tracing down from the kunoichi's chin to her smooth neck. His thoughts strayed as he stared at her from behind, and then looked away abruptly when a horrendous snapping noise reverberated through the jungle. Tenten and Lee froze, unable to pinpoint where the rolling crash was coming from. Neji nearly noticed too late.

An enormous tree, rotted with age, was careening down, smashing all in its path. Tenten watched Neji spring, executing a perfect rotation in the air that diverted the falling behemoth away from his team. It was such a gallant move she wanted to kiss him for it, except that the giant crushed other trees in the understory, sweeping their footholds out from under them.

They cried out in unison.

Tenten tumbled and landed on a more secure branch. Lee fell close by on his back. She drew Hok and slashed debris that might have impaled her stunned teammate. Neji had fallen a long way down, and without much thought, Tenten and Lee followed voluntarily.

There were a few vines that slowed their descent, but eventually snapped under their weight. They fell a good way into a bog, but the landing was soft. The forest shrieked and moaned after the ancient tree had finally settled a distance off. Tenten did not bother sheathing her sword. She, along with Neji and Lee were covered head to toe with thick, pasty mud. Tenten held Hok above her head and waded to shore with her teammates as they groaned in aggravation.

"Was that not a fantastic adventure?" Lee laughed, sloughing off grime from his outfit into the underbrush.

Tenten relaxed a fraction once the danger had passed. Neji came up to her and she thought about actually kissing him for his quick-thinking, even though his face was streaked so that the mud looked like war paint. Instead, the Hyuga removed a leech that had latched onto her exposed shoulder. "You're not hurt are you?" He asked a bit sullenly.

"No. How about you?" She thought she should return the gesture. She wiped some of the mire from his cheek. He closed his eyes at the contact, which she found oddly adorable. Like a child acquiescing to a mother's need to fuss.

He and Lee, predictably, were fine. Neji directed them to the nearest source of running water, though it did slightly remove them from their previous course. They entered the shallow rapids, which were warm enough, and scrubbed off. Ignoring each other's nakedness, they also washed out their clothing and supplies, waiting in their underwear on the rocky bank for their belongings to dry. It wasted an hour or so of daylight, but Neji did not have many complaints since it had been a close thing.

They were only able to travel a bit farther in the evening hours. Thankfully, they arrived outside the thick of the jungle and were on the spine of the mountain, where bare-faced rock and crags were abundant. Birds called out haunting melodies in the sunset. They made camp in the hollow of a stone ledge, and the fire was comforting as the temperature dropped rapidly outside the incubation of the forest. Tenten was first to sleep. She had not eaten much and let Lee have her dinner since there had been no food in his stomach anyway. Neji watched her from across the fire pit, his eyes steady but tempted with sleep.

He caught Lee chuckling lightly.

"What is so entertaining?" Neji demanded before taking a sip of his tea.

"Nothing. I think you see as clearly as I do just how beautiful Tenten is when she is asleep." Lee replied thoughtfully. Neji snorted at the comment, not trying to deny it, and finished his tea. Neji made Lee take the first watch so he could rest. The two of them alternated for the rest of the night, deciding not to wake Tenten.

In the morning they made much better time without the forest's perils to slow them. Tenten had developed a small limp, since she had apparently been jostled while evading the falling tree the day before. Their pace slowed, but not by much, since she was determined not to be a burden.

"You could never be a burden." Lee promised her, "Truly, Neji and I would not know what to do without you, Tenten!"

It was around the time they were thinking about stopping for a mid-day meal that Neji halted them again. With his Byakugan focused on a sheltered valley below, he reported, "There are shinobi here. They haven't sensed us."

They crept slowly over the crest of the hill, low against the boulders, remaining unseen while they spied. When they were close enough Neji started with the more detailed findings, "A variety of nukenin, from what I can tell. It looks as though they're just talking. Laughing, some of them. They are friendly with each other."

"Can you see where they might hail from?" Lee asked in a whisper.

Neji strained for glimpses of hitai-ate, "Grass, Moon…several from Sound. There's Mist and Cloud with them too, and a few others bear no mark."

"How many altogether?" Tenten checked.

"Seventeen visible." Neji answered, "There could be more that aren't present. We should keep looking."

They moved on, taking the long way around to stay undetected. During a pause, Tenten tried rest her ankle properly, and while they had lunch they discussed what had been found. "What do you suppose they are doing out here?" Lee wondered, "It is not as if this country is too involved with ninja squabbles."

"Sometimes they join out of a common purpose, like the Akatsuki." Tenten pointed out, "Maybe this faction has a collective goal in mind? That woman back at the inn said there's something under these mountains."

"I doubt they'd be able to find it unless someone has a bloodline talent like the Byakugan." Neji interjected, "And whatever it is they can only achieve it when their numbers are solid. It may be potentially harmful to the Marsh Country."

"Or any country." Lee agreed.

"We'll have to do more recon to find out." Tenten added, "That means getting in closer to actually hear about their plans. What do you think, Neji?"

"We'll shadow them today and get in close tomorrow." He decided.

"What if we have an opportunity today?" Lee asked.

"Then we take it." Neji said.

They finished eating and Tenten felt well enough to go with them. The team stalked down into the valley, cautious, depending solely on Neji's blood limit to avoid exposure. When they were close enough they saw about nine of the seventeen ninja they had detected earlier. It became strikingly clear how some of them were ill. At least three were displaying flu-like symptoms. One of the women handed out something that could have been medicine to the ailing shinobi, speaking in an encouraging tone. "We'll get there." She kept telling them.

"How did they get sick?" Lee whispered.

Neji shook his head. It was unclear how it happened, but he also did not want to talk. Not this close to the enemy there was too much of a risk. There was a man among them who had provisions out and was feeding their companions. He turned to the medic and asked when the others would be back.

"They're scouting the area so it could be a few hours. Keshin said he thought he smelled outsiders close by. They could be lost, or they could be meddlers." The woman told him, "Without Keshin's group here we're still weak, so I hope they don't find us first."

Tenten smirked at the irony. Neji withdrew silently and his teammates followed. This was clearly the more vulnerable half of the congregation, and they did not want to start trouble with them. "The other group most likely has the information we want anyway." Neji reasoned.

They followed the valley up to the backbone of the mountain pass. Neji scanned the area before finally spotting the other half of the nukenin faction. Tenten and Lee followed him northeast through a patchwork of conifers, and after coming out on the other side they stopped. The mountain looked to have been carved into by an ancient river, and along the canyon a line of ninja could be seen tracing the lip of the gorge.

The Leaf ninja kept low and moved slowly. Neji did not let them proceed until they were downwind. They had to bear in mind that the ninja named 'Keshin' had a heightened sense of smell that they would be wise to avoid.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Tenten confessed, "Maybe we should wait for them to go back to their camp before we listen in?"

"If we do that they will have a greater advantage of numbers. There are less of them now." Neji told her.

Lee agreed with Neji. They stopped at a ledge that overlooked the path the nukenin faction was following. Laid flat against the limestone, the teammates listened and watched without moving a muscle. The group below stopped for a drink of water and, sure enough, they began to chat.

"I hate it out here." One of them said, smacking his arm, "I'm always getting eaten up by mosquitoes."

A man with a long face and squinted eyes looked at him, "Quit your whining, Isso. We're close to the tomb now. Once we locate it we can get back to the Demon Country and report it."

"That isn't stopping the bugs from biting." Isso muttered.

"Demon Country?" Tenten mouthed to Neji. He figured it was enough information for one sitting, but before they could steal away the breeze shifted. The Hyuga cringed as the wind abruptly changed direction in the valley and gave away their scents.

A hulking man with a long, black mane leapt up. His eyes were wide with alarm. Neji made Tenten and Lee keep still.

"What's wrong, Keshin?" One of his companions asked.

"Here. I smell people here." He looked up to the ledge, narrowing his eyes, "Sneaks…"

He hurled a kunai with an exploding tag attached at the ledge, and Team Gai scattered before it detonated. It was a free-for-all with nukenin filing off and attacking whichever of the three they pleased. Neji dove ahead, knocking five of them down to the next steppe of the plateau with an exorbitant rotation. His teammates descended on the stragglers. It was one of their most reliable strategies: divide and conquer.

Hok was singing as it hacked off one of the nukenin's arms, and he flopped over in defeat. Lee dislocated another's elbow with a knee-kick, followed by a dizzying uppercut that left the poor fellow sliding down the gravel slope, unconscious. Keshin had gone straight for Neji, almost immediately recognizing him as the leader. He had some bear-like quality about him, no doubt from clan breeding. His punches wrecked boulders into dust, and the Hyuga danced away from him, waiting for an opening.

The other five scaled the slope and joined the fray again. Tenten and a pair of shadow clones raked two of them apart with Dance of the Crescent Moon. They were hurt badly enough to crawl over to their teammate with the missing arm.

Lee was fighting three-on-one, and forced his adversaries away after being stabbed with several senbon, "Konoha Senpuu!" They were knocked back, and one of them skidded off the slope and over the side of the gorge with a yelp.

Tenten sent one of her Kage Bunshin to help Lee fight off the last two, while she and her other duplicate rushed to help Neji.

The Bear-ninja was struck with several Jyukken strikes but resisted them dutifully. Neji could only keep Keshin and his devastating hammer-punches away with his rotation. His opponent's speed was worrisome and Neji was quickly worn down. Tenten's clone sliced at Keshin with her the replication of her jian. She skimmed his right flank, opening a superficial gash, while the man spun and clawed apart the clone. Neji attacked his exposed back but Keshin turned again, using pent-up momentum to send the smaller ninja tumbling.

With no traction on the unsteady gravel to slow him, Neji took a hard spill off of the gorge's edge.

Tenten opted for aggressive tactics in that moment. She summoned the Hiyumi from its scroll, and with a screech of fury, fired point-blank at Keshin. He leapt aside nimbly, expecting an average arrow, but was blown back by the resulting explosion. Keshin rushed to escape, realizing he could not defend himself against the ranged attack. He crossed a thin log bridge across the chasm, and just after reaching the other side, the dead tree was blown to bits by another fire-arrow. Tenten stabbed the Hiyumi into the soil, letting it stand, and rushed to Neji.

For a moment she lost sight of him and panicked, calling Neji's name; then he responded. She found him hanging onto a gnarled root jutting out from the side of the cliff. It was a good meter drop from the ledge. "Hang on a second!" She called to him. Tenten dug into the shifty earth with her knees, and then shimmied on her stomach off the side of the gorge. Her arms extended to their maximum length, and she reached for the Hyuga.

Neji took one of her hands and kept the other secured around the root. "If I let go I'll pull you down." He informed her, his voice oddly calm.

"So?" She snapped angrily, "Give me your damn hand, Neji!"

He stared at her with his pearly eyes, weighing the chances, and then reached for her. The earth crumbled, falling off in unstable shards, and Tenten grunted with effort as she fought to stay up. Neji's weight was pulling her forward, but before her leverage was lost she planted her aching feet with chakra. "Yeah…you got a bit heavy…" She puffed, struggling to breathe.

Neji tried to pull himself up independently by latching onto the cliffside with his feet, but his chakra only tore up the fragile soil. "No, don't do that!" Tenten panted, "Just wait…I'll…get you…"

"You won't." He told her.

She shook her head, infuriated, "I'm gonna punch you right in your pretty face if you don't can it, Hyuga!"

There was a sudden, white-hot pain in her shoulder. Tenten looked up, and across the far side of the canyon could see Keshin hurling kunai. His accuracy was not nearly as quailing as hers, but he had nicked her shoulder and the blood began running down her arm. She watched the red stream reach her hand and begin to make her grip on Neji's wrist slip. "Aw…shit." She exhaled harshly.

"Tenten." There was some sort of desperation in Neji's voice that she was not familiar with, "Tenten!"

She could see he was watching Keshin with his Byakugan. Then she saw the fuuma shuriken being launched through the air with its menacing, hooked blades.

This time it was going to do more than nick her shoulder. She looked down at Neji, entirely focused. "It's alright." She told him.

He shouted again, his warning a millisecond in length. He then recognized the resoluteness of Tenten's hold, and stabbed her with twin Jyukken strikes. She screamed and reeled back, her hands slipping, and Neji plummeted from view. The fuuma shuriken missed by mere inches.

Tenten could only hear the sound of rushing blood in her head and ears, frantic, understanding perfectly what had happened in the span of the last two seconds. She picked up the Hiyumi again and Keshin was running for the hills on the opposite bank of the ravine. She let several shots loose, tearing up the forest on the other side and lighting it ablaze. Her wrath had yet to be unleashed on the bear-fool.

She let another low-chakra arrow ring out towards Lee, where it burst on his remaining foe. The nukenin hobbled away, patting at his burning clothes and shrieking. She un-summoned the bow, crying pathetically, and ran to Lee.

"Neji..." It was the only word that could pass her lips before she turned back. Tenten considered rappelling down the side of the gorge, but could not ignore the danger of the unstable rock. She was still bleeding while she ran along the edge, looking for a place to descend into the canyon safely. Lee caught her, his arms barring her from going any farther.

"You are hurt!" He informed her, looking at her shoulder, "Please just take a moment, Tenten."

"Neji fell…" She sucked in a shuddering breath, "He wouldn't let me hold on…he forced me…" Lee rubbed a soothing circle on her back, shushing her.

"We cannot despair now. We need to be mindful if we are going to get him back." Lee told her matter-of-factly. When she got a grip he released her, "I am going to check the west end of the ravine and you can check the east. We will meet back here in an hour or less, alright?"

She nodded anxiously, restraining her despair. They separated and Tenten flew on her legs, fear giving them speed she had not known before. As she scanned the cliffside for possible footholds her thoughts whirled, 'Why did he do that? I was going to…he just made me let go…' It was proof that he cared, surely, but enough to let his life blink out? After all she had worked for? 'You don't have the luxury to walk out of my life anymore!'

Shock and relief hit her when she spotted a sure-footed slope descending into the canyon. Tenten slid down, carefully holding herself at an angle, and once at the bottom began her search in slight hysterics.

Oh how she wished they had brought radios with them! Usually they did, and Gai had bought new ones for the team; but this time they had gone without. There was a chance that the nukenin they were following might be carrying them too. It would be a disaster if they were able to pick up one of their channels. Tsunade would not appreciate such an obvious blunder. Still, Tenten would have killed to have had open communications with her team right then.

She followed the stream west, back towards where she had lost Neji. It was a fairly deep stretch of water, so he may have had a more fortunate landing than she was expecting. Tenten ran faster, hating how her eyes could only take in so much at once. Then she began to think more rationally. She knew that it was a strain for her chakra reserves, but she created four Shadow Clones and made them scatter across the canyon floor. One of them almost instantly discovered a body, but it was that of a fallen nukenin. Her remaining three clones kept searching.

Lee was nowhere in sight. He probably had not found a way down yet. Heaven permitting, they would be able to get out of the ravine without Keshin showing up to take advantage of their turmoil. Tenten felt the wound on her shoulder beginning to clot. She stopped only for a moment, washing off the dried blood on her arm with the creek's crystal-clear water. Abruptly, after what seemed like an endless search, a transmission from a dissolved bunshin connected with her brain.

Neji had been found. Her other clones disappeared with a pop, and Tenten quickly descended on the scene, her heart beating a hole through her chest.

He was half-in, half-out of the stream. Maybe Neji had landed in it, but it did not look like he had. He was bent at an odd angle and was not moving. Tenten kneeled beside him, touching him gently. He was freezing. She knew the water was cold, and with evening upon them she would have to get a fire going soon. What she would not do for a radio…

Neji's breathing was deep and slow. Tenten pulled the boy onto her back, as she had done on several other occasions, and then located the nearest route back out of the canyon. He was heavy against her shoulders while she climbed: completely inert with no signs of stirring. 'Did he break any bones from that fall?' She would have to check. He was not bleeding, which was good. 'What happened to you?'

Back at the top, Lee, by some stroke of luck, ran into her. "Thank goodness you found him…" He said tiredly.

The sun was setting in a grim pink-violet wash, worsening their plight. "We need to make a fire. Neji's freezing and I think he might become hypothermic…" She need not repeat herself. Lee was off snatching up bramble and kindling as they crossed back to a more sheltered area, beyond the reach of the nukenin faction.

After finding a decidedly safe nook in the side of a precipice, Lee struck up a fire in the cave and helped Tenten strip Neji down. He was starting to shiver, and Tenten only had one blanket to try and dry him off with. The Hyuga's pale skin was lined with a few bruises, but he was not seriously injured. She willed herself to be professional around the young man's ivory body. Lee snapped her out of her momentary struggle.

"Where is his bag?" Lee asked with a frown.

"Oh…I guess he must've lost it when he fell." Tenten ground her knuckles against her temple in frustration, "I was down there too and I could have looked for it!"

"It's alright. We will just have to use our supplies to support him." Lee recommended, "It would be far too dangerous to go back and look after…all of that."

"We weren't even supposed to engage…" She recalled glumly.

"We did not have a choice. If we did not fight back they would have killed us." Lee justified it, as he knew Neji would have.

"Yeah. This just…it's going to make it a lot more difficult getting back home with the information." Tenten sighed, sitting back. She watched Lee arrange Neji so that he was closer to the fire. He was not shaking as much.

After making sure the Hyuga was resting easy they tended to their own wounds. Lee only had minor puncture spots from where senbon had stuck into his arms. He helped Tenten disinfect the cut on her shoulder and bandage it. They ate little, for neither of them were terribly hungry. They reflected on what was lost.

Neji's map was gone, which meant they would have to find their way back with Lee's compass. His rations were also lost, as were medical supplies, his cowl, and spare weapons. It was a heavy blow, and when he woke he would probably demand to fetch his things himself as repentance. They could flee back to the coast without the provisions in a day or two; hopefully with some speed they could avoid the remaining nukenin as well. It would be hard to last that long without enough food for everyone, though.

Tenten fidgeted, trying to get comfortable in her seat against the cave wall. Outside darkness had fallen, and the night creatures had begun their concert. After a long while, Neji's clothes were dry. She asked Lee to help her dress Neji again. He seemed oddly light in their arms when they handled him. Tenten had run her hand unthinkingly over the crown of his head and found something worrying.

"His head…" She observed, tucking aside some strands of hair to find a small amount of drying blood.

Lee's prominent eyebrows rose only with slight concern, "If Neji knocked his head during that fall it would explain why he was unconscious for this long."

Tenten pressed her lips briefly against the Hyuga's temple. 'Feel better.' She thought, 'I'm sorry that happened. I won't ever drop you again like that…ever.'

Lee seemed touched by her loving behavior. He had fleetingly believed that when she had returned to the team, after training under Hayate, that she had lost interest in Neji. Of course she hadn't, after all, Neji was too much a part of who she was. 'I just hope he realizes one day how much Tenten sacrifices for him…'

Tenten told Lee to get some sleep, "I'll wake you when it's time for your watch."

He thanked her and then rolled over on his mat. Lee was positioned parallel to the cave entrance, so that if there was danger he would be the first to encounter it. Tenten thought it very noble of him. 'Noble. Yes…that's the perfect word for Lee.' She smiled to herself. Her friend drifted off into a deep sleep, and his soft snores began to lull her.

Tenten distracted from the dull night hours by touching Neji. For the most part, she ran her palm over the smooth contours of his arm, from his shoulder down to his wrist, then knuckles. Again, she found it silly how she expressed her affection only when he was asleep. Tenten used to think it was so gutless. Now she realized she did it because she needed the tender contact. How many years had it been since she had last seen her loved ones?

'It feels like a long time. Not since before Mom and Dad…went out that day and never came back.' Tenten thought, feeling the automatic tightness of grief in her throat. Thinking about how they had been murdered hurt so intensely that she seldom did it.

She glanced at the digital lanyard-watch that was perched on top of her travel bag. Close to one o'clock in the morning. Tenten crossed over to Lee and gently shook him awake. He sat up without a word and took over the vigil. Tenten laid down on her own mat, quickly falling into a dreamless sleep.

---

In the morning Tenten woke with stiff muscles. She stretched for a few moments before looking over at Lee. He must have fallen asleep during his last shift. Since they had not encountered any peril during the night, such an oversight was forgivable. Across from Lee, Neji lay quietly behind the smoldering embers. Tenten called to Lee and he rose immediately.

"Did Neji wake at all during the night?" She asked him.

"No. Neji did not budge." Lee told her, rolling his shoulders sleepily, "I am sure he will wake when he smells breakfast, though." He smiled thoughtfully.

Tenten agreed with the idea. Since the cave provided good cover they stayed in it, revitalizing the fire. Lee put water on to boil for tea. Tenten took out some of the rolls from her bag, scraping the seeds off of one of the buns; just how Neji preferred them. After that she crawled over to him, pulling the blanket away from the dozer. She patted his shoulder gently and said, "Time for you to wake up."

He did not stir.

Tenten bent down, closer to his ear, "Neji…"

A shift slight but evident. She spoke again, "Wake up now, Neji…"

He was very groggy. His gypsum eyes opened a crack beneath thick lashes. Tenten smiled; this was the very one she so deeply adored. Neji opened his mouth to speak but only managed a moan. He sat up a little. Lee greeted him with a friendly wave from where he was boiling water, "Good morning! Would you care for some tea, Neji?"

"What?" He muttered, still unintelligible.

"Tea, Neji." Tenten repeated for him, "It's time for breakfast."

Neji was silent for an unnaturally long moment. He sat up fully, first observing his attire as if he had expected to be naked. Neither of his friends understood, especially when he reached up and touched his hair, seeming stupefied by its length.

"Um…are you okay?" Tenten asked softly.

"I…" He looked at her, "I don't know you."

Tenten blinked. She examined his eyes and facial expression, and read that he was not lying. He, in a state like this, did not have the capacity to lie.

"You…don't know me?" Tenten asked, her voice shaking, "What about him?" She pointed to Lee across the fire.

Neji shook his head. Lee dropped the cup he was holding as if he had been stung.

Tenten inhaled a steadying breath, rapidly analyzing the situation. 'He banged his head…now he's super-muddled. Let's try to figure out what he does know.'

"Okay...let's start from the beginning. We're ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village, and we're all a team." Tenten said, asking, "Is that ringing any bells?"

"No."

"We were on a mission and you were hurt…you hit your head so you don't remember…" She gulped, "Us…I'm Tenten, your best friend. That's Lee over there, he's your pal too."

Neji looked between them, seeming to believe the information fully. He was like a new student in a Social Studies class. "You called me Neji." He said perceptively, "That's my name."

"Yes. Neji of the Hyuga clan." Lee told him, nervously preparing tea.

"Alright." He said, as if accepting it to be the only truth available, "You're both…taking care of me because I was hurt…"

"We're happy to." Tenten told him, "But it looks like your memory is…in the gutter. You need to tell me if there's anything you do remember, like…" She thought on it, "How long have you been training as a ninja?"

"I'm a ninja." He repeated, dumbfounded, "I know what they are, but…I can't be one. I don't even know how to fight."

His disarming honesty was ripping Tenten's confidence to shreds.

"Actually, you're arguably the best fighter on this team, with your Jyukken and all…" She answered hastily, "But okay, we'll work on that… What else? I hope you still have basics. Writing? Math? Navigation?"

"I think that's…" He sounded so embarrassed, "All there."

"I guess if you don't remember being a ninja you can't perform supplementary jutsu either…" She mumbled, "Well…you definitely understand what's going on…so it looks like you've just lost…your defense mechanisms. Hopefully your brain will kick in soon and you'll be back on track."

Neji nodded, the state of his condition dawning on his anxious face, "I'm sorry…you seem like you really care about me. I apologize if I'm inconveniencing you."

Tenten could not hide her amazement at his humiliation. Neji was such a proud person that she did not think he was capable of it. Then another thought struck her, "Do you…remember your family, Neji? Or where you live?"

His eyes searched along the floor of the cave. "No." He said, ashamed, "Is that why I can't remember anything else?"

"Maybe. I mean, your crazy family is the main reason you became a shinobi." Tenten reasoned, "The Hyuga clan caused you a lot of pain when you were younger. Do you recall what they did?'

He did not answer. He didn't have to.

"Your father was confined to the Branch Family, and your cousins had many more opportunities than you did because they were born into the Main House." She hoped the explanation would jog a memory, "You've always hated the segregation. You were resentful for a long time…"

"I don't feel…angry. Not right now." He admitted.

"Your father's dead." She added.

"He is?" His eyes widened momentarily. Then Neji realized he did not know his father so it didn't hurt at all, "Oh…"

Lee handed him a cup of tea and the roll Tenten had prepared for him. "Eat this, Neji. Tenten and I are going to have a small chat." He said. Neji thanked him and watched as his two friends exited the cave to speak privately.

"I cannot believe this is happening…" Lee said sadly, "It is as if…the chalkboard of his mind has been partially erased!"

"I know. And Lee, did you hear all that? He doesn't know anything about the Leaf Village or the Hyuga clan…" Tenten told him, "It's like he's a normal person now. Balanced, you know?"

"That is still bad for us as a whole. How are we going to get out of this country while we need to defend him? He cannot fight, Tenten!" Lee wailed despairingly, "He might get killed if those nukenin come across us again…"

"Well, we'll just have to write up the information that's not on the chalkboard anymore." Tenten proposed, trying to keep her cool, "We need to train him on our way out of here, that's the only way this is going to work. You start him on basic Taijutsu. I'll handle chakra control and Ninjutsu…maybe weapons, if I trust him with them." She sighed, "I know some Jyukken from Hikune but I'll be a cruddy teacher."

"Do not worry about that right now." Lee said, "What is most important is that Neji is protected. We may have to avoid open areas since there are still many of the rogues left." He paused, his face lit with hope, "Maybe his memory will come back when we start training him?"

"I'm counting on it." Tenten agreed.

They returned to the cave and Neji had finished eating. What was subtly surprising was that he had spread out their own food for them and poured them tea. "I really appreciate you two looking out for me." He said, looking at them, "Tenten and Lee."

Tenten felt her heart break a little. He was almost like a child. It was almost like they had become his parents. What was most unusual about it was that Neji was making his best effort to please them, because he must have realized already how much he had already disappointed them.

---

A short while later they decided they would remain at the cave for one more day. Any longer than that and they ran the risk of being discovered by Keshin. Tenten took Neji out of the shelter into the sunlight, and he seemed instantly refreshed, just like his clan namesake foretold.

She spearheaded the effort with friendly conversation, simultaneously fishing for what Neji still understood. Tenten discerned that Neji had a complete concept of what ninja were in society, a rough idea of jutsu; he recalled his birth-date and age, a place he assumed was home from memory: a foggy description of the Leaf village. He even had a lone recollection, for some reason, of a cutting wind that shot from his hands and hacked all of the trees behind his house. It puzzled him immensely.

'Not the worst place to start.' Tenten figured, 'He isn't running on empty.'

"Okay. I'm going to start teaching you how to be a ninja again." She laughed at the absurdity of the idea for a moment, and then continued, "I'm your chakra-sensei. Lee is going to be your combat-sensei. You'll need both of us to get your abilities back so make sure you pay careful attention."

"Alright."

"Don't be upset if you don't get this stuff right away, okay?"

"I won't get upset."

"Well then…" Tenten scratched her cheek, "Before we start do you have any questions?"

"Yes."

She smiled, "Go ahead."

"You said we were all friends. It isn't as if I can't tell, but I want to know…" He trailed off for a moment, "Has it been that way all our lives?"

"That's pretty deep." Tenten pointed out.

"I feel…some things are left over." Neji said, making a circular gesture beside his head, "I've known you all along."

"No. No we met in the Academy. That's where trainees first begin to learn; maybe that's why you associated that with this. It's because you're starting to learn again." She felt bad about it, "Maybe we met once or twice when we were little, but we were just classmates really."

"We became friends when we were put on the same team, then?" Neji asked.

"No. You kind of looked down on us." Tenten sighed, "You were uptight back then. Lee usually just trained with Gai-sensei because you were such a bully. You weren't so bad with me, though."

"I'm a horrible person."

"Of course you aren't!" Tenten snapped, "You just wanted to know how things were back then. You aren't that way now. You have fun with us and joke around…infrequently. You, um, well…you…"

Neji was silent.

"We are friends. Please don't doubt it. We'd do anything for you." Tenten promised, "So what if it's kind of recent? Things worked out."

"Was I cruel to you?"

"No."

"I think you're lying."

She gulped, "You could be harsh sometimes, but I think that's what made me stronger. You pushed us to our edge."

Neji sat on a rock that was ringed with laurel. He seemed very down on himself, and Tenten suspected that Neji might have sensed his usual behavior: how he normally reacted to things, versus how he was reacting to them now. Not a good way to start training.

"Hey…" She sat down beside him, patting his back, "What's wrong? Don't be sad. You've done a lot of good things too. Your cousins really look up to you."

"My cousins?"

"Yeah. Hinata-chan and Hanabi." She grinned, "They call you their big brother."

"I…I know a face." Neji frowned in concentration, "Her hair used to be short…but it isn't anymore."

Tenten smiled, "That's Hinata." She added optimistically, "Your clan also has a ton of respect for you, since you're going to be head of the family someday."

"A clan leader?" He was mystified, "Me?"

"Yes. You've given them hope. When you become leader you're going to abolish the Branch House and give them equality." Tenten could only report the sunny side of it, as she was aware of the political chokehold his elders maintained. If she had mentioned how there was only a snowball's chance in hell of Neji accomplishing his goal, he might have broken into sobs.

"We have lots of friends too. Fujita is also one of your cousins and he admires you." Tenten tried to pile on the positives, "All of the other Genin also respect you. You're almost always chosen to lead teams on missions by the Hokage because you're so wise and reliable." 'Laying it on a little thick, ain't ya?' Tenten ignored the small voice in her head.

"The Hokage?" He asked.

"The leader of the Hidden Leaf Village." Tenten clarified, "She's one of the Legendary Three, Tsunade-sama. My mother and I have always looked up to her."

"Your mother." Neji looked at her curiously, "Can you tell me about your family, since you seem to know so much about mine?"

"Oh. Well she's…" Her eyes lowered, "She was amazing. Pretty famous for a kunoichi herself! She was a singer."

"Can you sing?"

"No." She laughed, "But I don't think I've ever tried."

Neji looked at her expectantly.

"I'm not going to sing for you. That's ridiculous." Tenten told him, "My mother. She and my dad were in the ANBU together. They were definitely soul-mates, so they had the fairytale life, I guess you could say." She smiled to herself, "When I think about it…it makes me so jealous."

"Jealous?"

"I want what they had. I want to be that happy but I…can't." Tenten rubbed at her bandaged shoulder, "Some things just don't work out, you know, Neji?" She chuckled, "Gosh. I've never talked to you about this sort of stuff, not even back when you could remember."

"Why not?"

"Why not?" She repeated, frowning.

"You said you were my best friend." He reminded her, "You can tell me anything."

"I just…I didn't want to tell you certain things so that you wouldn't get upset." Tenten admitted, "You had lots of worries back then. They were always stressing you out, so all I could do was try and help you overcome all the nonsense."

"I have no worries now." He told her, smiling genuinely. It melted her heart.

'He's just so different.' Tenten thought to herself in astonishment, 'He's free. Without all the bullshit weighing him down…he's happy.' That amazed and alarmed her.

"Have I met your parents?" He asked curiously.

"No, they're dead." Tenten said quickly, "In fact, this team is painfully deprived of parentage. Your parents are gone too, and Lee's…well, I think something happened to them. They might have left him but I'm not sure. He lives with his grandpa who's the nicest guy ever."

"Are you sad?" Neji asked her.

Tenten did not answer.

"Am I sad?" He couldn't remember if he had been.

"I think you were…you just never said so." Tenten told him.

"And Lee?"

"I think he doesn't remember his parents. Why would he want to? He's such a good person all he knows is how to find joy." Tenten smiled at the thought, "I don't think Lee gets sad unless something bad happens to one of us."

"Like me?"

"Like you, Neji."

"Is he sad that…I'm like this?" He sounded worried.

"A little. We're worried that something might happen to you, because we might not be able to…protect you. We'll do our best, we always do…" Tenten glanced at the sky, "You mean a lot to us. We're not going to give up on you."

"Thank you." He said. It was heartfelt.

"That's enough for now. We can catch up later." Tenten decided, standing up and dusting off her pants, "You are now going to get the crash-course in chakra."

Neji stood up and asked, "What's first?"

---

Neji's attempts to utilize chakra after severe head trauma and memory loss were not as far-fetched as she had previously expected. He was so familiar with his chakra, it seemed that it was constantly ready to be put to use, just lurking beneath the surface. He discovered it swiftly, but he did not understand it. He picked up concepts easily but with a cautious air she could not place.

It was almost like putting someone who was accustomed to riding a regular bike on one with training wheels. Of course there would be some awkwardness there, not because they didn't know how to ride, but because there was a different mechanic; a different balance was involved. Neji was on a new bicycle now, as far as memory and shinobi education went. He would adjust, but Tenten feared that she would not.

Just watching him try to run up and leap into trees unnerved her. It was so basic. So elementary! It terrified her to see him reduced to such a novice level. She encouraged him, though, hiding her mounting anxiety.

"I know you can focus your chakra already, but it's too much. That's why you can't make it all the way." Tenten told him, already a few hours into their training. "Keep it balanced! Too little and you'll fall again ⊗too much and you'll snap off the tree like you did just now…"

Neji was on the ground, dusting his pants off. "Maybe you should show me one more time." He requested.

Tenten stepped up to a tree, setting foot on it, and walked the rest of the way up with poise. At the top she called down to him, "See how I didn't get a running start? You don't need one."

"Ah. Well, you have very good control." He conceded, looking up at her perch.

"I have to. With the way I summon I can't afford to waste my chakra, otherwise my techniques would be thrown out of whack." She hopped down, light as a snowflake.

"You talked about summoning. What is that exactly?" Neji asked, not acquainted with it.

She laughed, "Just don't move."

Tenten gave him a very brief demonstration of Rising Twin Dragons, missing him deliberately, but he could not help but flinch. When the rain of weaponry ended, Neji was stunned.

"How could you be so strong?" He felt even more inadequate.

"That wasn't even my best, and trust me, you…" She poked his chest pointedly, "You pretty much embody strong. You and Lee. I've gotten better because I had extra training. You are naturally talented."

"Pft." He didn't believe it.

"No seriously! They call you a prodigy."

"Then why is this so difficult?" Neji muttered, walking up to the tree and running his hand over the bark, "I want to know why…why I know what to do but I can't do it."

"Don't push yourself too hard, Neji." She put a hand on his shoulder, "We should take a break soon."

He made a soft sound of agreement. To her surprise, he rushed at the tree again, adjusting so that he finally stuck to the trunk. Neji ran up and did not stop. He nearly took a spill after his first leap, but he boldly tried to prove himself. He flew through the canopy into the next tree, and then the next, trying to mimic her agility. 'But he's going to break his neck while doing it…'

"Whoa! Slow down there partner!" Tenten chased after him, catching him by the scruff his shirt before he slipped, "You know, if you fall from up here it's going to hurt a lot more…"

"I'm sorry." Neji followed her down to the ground. After he had shown fair proficiency with scaling surfaces with chakra, she later introduced him to water-walking. This was more of a challenge.

Tenten settled for practicing on an unmoving pond on the roof of the precipice. Lee eventually came out to watch. He stood by silently as Tenten explained the concept and then demonstrated. She stood out at the center of the pool and told Neji to give it a try.

The Hyuga took one step on the water's surface, gingerly, and then another. He did not say it, but with Lee watching he felt like he was being judged. His chakra wavered and he fell knee-deep in the fishpond. Tenten calmly told him to try again. Neji waded out and repeated the process. At one point Lee went over to stand beside Tenten on the water, flabbergasting Neji.

"What is wrong?" Lee asked.

"I thought you said Lee couldn't use his chakra." Neji directed the statement to Tenten.

"I didn't mean he couldn't in this way." She corrected herself.

"I have control over my chakra, but only to a point. It is true that my chakra coils are underdeveloped." Lee admitted, "But that has never stopped me from anything."

"What does that mean?" Neji asked.

"It means he was born different." Tenten replied succinctly.

Lee walked off, explaining on the way resignedly, "I cannot use Genjutsu or Ninjutsu." He looked at Neji, "So I will teach you Taijutsu."

Once Lee had gone Tenten told Neji that it was a sensitive subject on their team. He wanted to know why, as usual.

"Because Lee is a bit self-conscious about it. He almost didn't become a ninja." Tenten told him, "He takes his combat skills very seriously, so when you start training with him you better watch yourself." She smiled, "You better watch yourself with me too, later on…"

"I don't see why he would feel ashamed. He still has his abilities." Neji pointed out, "I have none of mine."

Tenten did not want him to continue sulking. "Get over here already. Are you going to walk on water or not?"

Neji tried again. And again.

---

At lunch time Lee and Tenten told Neji all about Gai-sensei. He was their esteemed, ever-enthused, perpetually youthful mentor who taught them tough-love and perseverance. Lee embellished on a few details, but for the most part Tenten had good things to say as well.

"I can't wait to meet him." Neji said, "Once we go home."

Tenten held her sides as she pealed with laughter. Lee restrained a chuckle as well. Neji had never been a particular fan of Gai-sensei. It would be a strange meeting indeed if the new Neji actually could identify with their master. Neji did not get the joke, of course.

They ate lightly and Neji asked if there was a problem.

"We lost your supplies, so we'll have to find a way to get more food soon." Tenten told him.

"I can hunt." Lee volunteered. Tenten was hesitant with the idea, but acknowledged how it was one of their only options.

When they had finished with lunch Tenten resumed training. She wanted Neji to be able to keep up with them as they traversed the mountainside and its geographical perils. He had tree-jumping and water-walking under his belt, but his speed was not what it used to be. She taught him how to focus chakra in his legs to move faster, and also how to improve his reaction time. It took him a while to catch on.

By sunset his speed was much improved, and he could avoid (with some trepidation) the knives that Tenten hurled at him. He made it through the day with a few minor bumps and scrapes, which Tenten glanced over when they called it quits. "You'll live." She told him, slapping his arm encouragingly where there happened to be a greenish bruise. He groaned, a sign that her training was working.

They sat around a glowing fire, eating the last of the dumplings Tenten had. They told Neji about their likes and dislikes, which he listened to very intently.

"I own a forge." Tenten told him, "I make most of my own weapons. And most of your weapons too, believe it or not." She looked at Lee and Neji, "My mother also rubbed off her belief in astrology on me."

"I didn't take you for a spiritual type." Neji told her.

"We are all like that, I think." Lee informed him, "In different ways. You used to be very concerned with fate, Neji."

"I was?"

"Yes, but Naruto helped you overcome that, er, phase." Tenten grinned, "That guy is infectiously empowering."

"Who is Naruto?"

Lee and Tenten exchanged a glance. It took a very long time, perhaps an hour and a half, to explain or at least outline who their boisterous friend was, moreover what he was (a delinquent/hardhead/inspiration) to Neji. Even then, their descriptions did not truly do justice, but when they were through they had Neji pretty convinced that Naruto was the future Hokage.

"I would like to meet Naruto." Neji decided.

---

In the morning they set out. Neji at first had trouble keeping up with his team as they soared through the treetops, though he had no choice but to struggle along with their pace. On the wing, they explained the mission's current status.

"We got rid of five of the enemy ninja, but…there's at least ten more out there who are really going to be pissed." Tenten updated him, "One of them is a specialized tracker who has a sharp sense of smell. He's the reason they discovered us…and why you were hurt."

"What happens if we run into them again?" Neji spoke the dreaded question.

Tenten remained silent, fearing the outcome.

"Do not worry about that." Lee told him.

They traveled a good distance, circumventing the jungle and bogs for higher ground. It was a bit chilly on the mountain trail. Lee stopped, looking at his compass. "We are going the right way, but it will take much longer to reach the coast." He said.

"They'll probably try to cut us off before the harbor, since that's the only way out of here…" Tenten growled at the thought. Another confrontation was imminent, it was only a matter of time.

There was a river that cascaded down the valley, and they decided to make the area their temporary camp. It was quite a distance from where they had last seen the enemy, and secluded behind the dense jungle. The nukenin were most likely trying to avoid such an area in favor of open road and coastline. In order to save on their rations, they went down to the water's edge to prospect for food.

Neji hated the idea of not being useful, so he took everyone's canteens to refill them. Lee waded into the stream in search of fish. Watching from the shore, Tenten was very impressed with his aptness for fishing. With his bare hands, Lee snatched up trout and tossed them ashore. 'We're going to eat well today!' Tenten thought. Lee finished and went to a thicket where their belongings were kept, ready to cook his catch over the fire. Tenten helped him for a while, but became nervous when Neji did not return promptly.

She set out to look for him and found him pacing the water's surface. "You scared me." She told him, "You were gone for too long."

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to practice." He apologized.

Tenten assured him it was perfectly fine, and instructed him to take the water back to camp and let Lee know that they were going train. When Neji returned, she drilled him more on his basic chakra control. He could not get enough of it, which pleased her. Neji was more than eager to learn and seek new challenges. Tenten did not have an easy time supplying them.

They stopped occasionally to eat, but for the entirety of the day they trained and talked. Lee sometimes came by to join them, but he had found an enjoyable pastime in napping on the sun-warmed stones near the river's edge.

During a break Neji expressed discomfort. "What is it?" Tenten asked.

"This hair…how did I live with it?" Neji complained, running his hand over the back of his neck that was slick with sweat, "It's miserable."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. Your hair's beautiful. It's the traditional style of your family." Tenten informed him, "Don't complain! It got lopped off once and took forever to grow back."

Neji drew out a kunai from his leg holster, "That's preferable…"

Tenten quickly snatched the knife out of his hand, "What? You're going to cut your hair off and regret it when you remember everything! Then you'll blame me for not stopping you…" She eyed his holsters, "I should take your weapons away from you."

"Because you think I'll use them?"

"No, because I'm afraid you'll try to use them for something dumb." Tenten corrected, "You might do something rash, Neji. Like now, for instance." She sighed after a moment, "But if those nukenin turn up I'd rather that you were armed, so…wield responsibly, please."

Neji nodded, smiling.

"Do you want to put your hair up?' Tenten suggested.

"Yes."

She scooted to sit behind him on the sandy shore, and undid the hair tie that was set too low. Tenten gathered the silky tresses from the base of his neck and upward, pulling his hair into a high ponytail, and secured it with the tie. He turned around to face her and thanked her, "That's better."

Tenten blinked stupidly. With his hair back his defined cheek bones were no longer shadowed, and his widow's peak showed slightly behind his hitai-ate. It was a sort of regality that went beyond his normal, pale, aristocratic look.

"You're handsome." Tenten told him, biting her tongue immediately afterwards.

She stood up and tried to pass of the comment as something trivial. Neji stood up, shaking off sand. "You think so?" He inquired.

Tenten noted that she did not really need to agonize over her behavior because Neji lacked any set etiquette for her, currently. "Yeah, you've always had that…look." She replied carefully, "It charms people."

"Does it charm you?"

She smiled and admitted, "You in general delight me."

He looked uncommonly happy with the answer. Tenten avoided the subject after that and had him continue with his exercises. By nightfall they regrouped, and since they were all too exhausted to stay up and chat they went to sleep early. They did not watch in shifts, fairly confident the enemy was out of reach.

In the middle of the night Tenten woke, mouth dry, and groped around for her canteen. She found it, but not without tapping Neji who was resting beside her. He seemed terribly jostled by the contact. She sat up, bottle in hand, whispering comfortingly, "Calm down, it's just me."

"Oh." He rolled over to meet her eyes. He did not look so well.

"Are you okay?" Tenten felt his forehead but it was cool.

"I'm fine." Neji said; his voice was not tired.

She took a few satisfying gulps of water. "I'm sorry if I startled you. Usually you don't scare that easy." She pointed out.

"It's okay." He rolled over, "Goodnight."

Tenten laid back again, "Goodnight, Neji."

---

For two more days they trained, periodically moving further down into the valley. The river began to trickle into a stream during their travels, making water-walking practice less practical. That was when Tenten decided Neji should begin training with Lee.

"He's a great teacher. Very patient." She assured the Hyuga. She would know, after all; Lee had taught her several battering techniques in the past.

"You've been a good sensei." Neji told her, "Can we still train sometimes?"

"Whenever you like." Tenten pledged.

In an open field Lee began his lessons. Tenten had to stop watching after the first fifteen minutes because Lee employed the same tough-love training that Gai did. Neji got plenty of tough-love all over his face before he figured out how to block properly. During that time Tenten tried her hand at hunting.

Using one of her standard bows, she set out into the forest in search of prey. She shot a wild boar squarely between the ears from her treetop lookout. By noon she had the beast plucked, skinned and turning over a fire, slathered with a hodge-podge of herbs. The lovely smell beckoned her teammates back to camp in a tree hollow. To her shock they approved of the taste, although she was convinced she had made an abomination of the meat. They might have been just hungry enough to ignore the flavor altogether. After trying it she found it was quite agreeable.

By evening, Neji was sporting several new bruises and welts. She treated his educative wounds with some soothing salve that Hinata had given her before they left. Tenten also made sure to credit Neji's cousin with the ointment, "You need to thank her when we get home."

"I will." He promised.

Lee was very proud of Neji, "You did superbly for the first day, and I look forward to tomorrow's progress!" His compliments were conciliatory. Neji had learned plenty, but could not necessarily apply it when Lee was always twenty steps ahead of him.

As the evening hastened, Lee reported to Tenten that Neji seemed to have muscle memory to guide him. "He remembered how to do a prayer-crouch all on his own, from when my grandfather taught us." Lee cupped his chin in puzzlement, "But he hates that exercise."

"Maybe that's why it stuck with him?" Tenten postulated.

That night, Tenten woke after hearing something. The register was within her light-sleeper range. She sat up, sensing no danger (probably just a mouse) and took a habitual sip of water. She glanced over to Neji and realized he was in the exact same posture as the night before. His breathing was not restful. He was awake.

"Neji." She was concerned.

He turned, and with a sigh sat up. Tenten did as well. Her brows furrowed with worry, "What's wrong? Are you in pain? Lee did give you a typical beating…"

"No." Neji closed his eyes, "It's not Lee."

"Are you feeling well?"

"As well as I can."

She caught on, "You…aren't sleeping. When was the last time you slept, Neji?"

He looked uncomfortable with discussing it. After a moment he replied, "Probably since before I forgot things."

"You haven't gotten any sleep?" She was horrified. It had been days.

"I close my eyes and rest at night. I recover fine from the training, and I'm not tired during the day." He tried to dispel her frets.

"Oh…Neji…" Tenten held her head in her hands, greatly dismayed.

"You startled me last night. I thought you were…something else." Neji told her.

"Are you afraid that the enemy might find us?"

He frowned, "You and Lee…you've been doing so much for me and I feel like I'm not contributing. I want to look after you too."

"Nuh-uh. Sleep is imperative. Out of all of us, you need it most!" She hissed softly, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I wasn't going to tell you at all."

"Until you dropped one day of exhaustion?" She snorted, "Fuh! At least you're honest, Neji."

Tenten riffled around through her bag, looking for anything that might tranquilize the young man. Nothing. She reached over Lee, who was snoring blissfully, and searched his bag. He had some antibiotics in preparation for illness, but they would not do any good for sleep. Tenten turned back, seeing that Neji was already down again, his back facing her. She had another idea in mind but it was not particularly acceptable. She went for it anyway.

Tenten laid back down after one last gulp of water. She stashed the canteen back in her bag and then sidled up beside Neji, spooning him. He went rigid with surprise. "Relax, please." She told him, "You need to get to sleep."

"I don't understand…how this helps…" He paused, "Not that I don't appreciate it."

A smirk tugged at her lips. This was the kind of thing he would never admit to remembering, even if he hadn't bumped his head. Neji had consistently been, for the most part, averse to contact. Since it had already occurred while he was unconscious in their ship cabin, Tenten expected he could associate it with sleep on a subliminal level. Any method that might calm the panicky Hyuga was worth a try.

She slid her arm over his, reaching past his shoulder, and rubbed tiny, gentle circles on the nape of his neck. Based on scientific findings discussed among kunoichi peers, she had heard this could work. Neji did seem to be loosening up just a bit or maybe he was over the initial shock of it. "You don't need to do this." He told her meekly.

"No talking. No thinking. Sleep is your friend." She spoke calmly, fragmenting her words so they would register like a fog.

He sighed. Tenten felt a wave of tension seep out of him. She moved her deft fingers up from his neck to his scalp, running her nails lightly through his hair. His breathing evened out. She strayed from crown, to neck, to shoulders periodically. She distantly recalled hearing about endorphins that the body produced. His breathing began to follow a pattern, and she did not know how long it was before she got an authentic snore out of him. When she was sure he was asleep, Tenten withdrew carefully, rolling back onto her own mat.

She hoped that Neji would not be such high maintenance in the future. Not that she minded it particularly, but she could use the extra sleep too.

---

In the morning they ate quickly before setting out. They followed a route east up and out of the sheltered valley, hoping to reach the harbor. It was the long way round, and the landscape was chopped up into hazardous pillars of rock and slopes, intermingling with forest. Neji had finally found his footing, and could keep up with the team despite the new geological obstacles.

Lee led the front of the group, slowing down when the forest became too tricky to navigate. "This was always so much easier when we had the Byakugan…" He said dismayed.

"What's that?" Neji asked him.

Tenten was sheepish, realizing she had forgotten to tell Neji about one of his most prized abilities. "Neji, the Byakugan is a special ability that belongs to the Hyuga clan. With it you can see through solid objects, and can also see far in every direction, minus one degree." She explained briefly, "Hopefully you'll figure that out, because it sure is helpful."

"It's something I do with my eyes?" He asked for confirmation.

"Yeah, but unfortunately we can't show you how to do it. It's something only you know." She told him, "Sorry…"

Neji told them he would try his best to remember. It seemed these days he was doing nothing else other than training and desperately trying to jog his own memory. Nothing significant ever came up, no matter how much his friends explained, and it frustrated him. He was a shadow of his former self. Compared to what Lee and Tenten told him he was able to do, he felt like an infant.

A kunai sailed past his head by inches, shaving off a few strands from the end of his ponytail. Neji leapt back, warning his teammates, though they were already aware of the ambush. Lee descended on them first. There were only two nukenin present, who must have been away from their counterparts scouting. Lee plowed into one who was taking cover in a tall oak tree. The other dropped down, singling out Neji, since his reaction time had been slowest.

Before the Hyuga could even so much as throw up a defensive stance, Tenten leapt in. The nukenin also had a sword, and the kunoichi clashed with him by drawing Hok. A Shadow Clone appeared but it did not assist Tenten. The replica stood beside Neji, guarding him with watchful eyes. "I want to help." He said to the bunshin.

"I won't let you." The clone replied, "You'll only get hurt."

Lee's foe was a Sound ninja. The Ninjutsu he possessed created sonic waves that snapped apart thick tree branches like toothpicks. Lee avoided the surges with his superior speed. He wheeled around behind the masked enemy, and connected a double-kick to his back. The Sound ninja was knocked from his perch. As he fell from a high branch, he used another jutsu to take advantage of Lee's open guard. A short-range blast hit Lee squarely in the front, sending him careening into a tree on the other side of the clearing.

Neji reported the mishap and Tenten knew it was time to finish up. She snipped Hok's edge point into the other rogue's throat and he collapsed in front of Neji. He did not have time to quail at the sight of killing, because Tenten was dragging him by his wrist to where Lee was. "I can't do much against Sound jutsu." She explained on the way, "We have to leave."

Lee was very disoriented after he stood up, flailing, and Tenten pointed to a stone ridge just above the canopy. Sound waves wrecked trees in their wake. Lee hurried up the incline, and Tenten followed him with equally powerful legs. Neji lagged behind.

"Chakra, Neji, chakra!" She reminded him. After that his jumps matched their own. They disappeared over the crag and the foe's jutsu died off. The masked nin was unwilling to pursue the wild team.

They ran for nearly a half hour, not trusting to stop until they had put comfortable distance between themselves and the battle site. There was a hilltop lined with willow trees that they finally halted at. Again, they had been knocked off course, and it would take much longer to reach the harbor. Tenten also feared they had made their intended destination clear to the enemy by where they had reappeared. The group slipped into the sheltering vines of an ancient tree to rest.

Tenten leaned against the trunk, heaving a breath. Neji plopped down beside her in the grass, still shaken by the encounter. Lee stood rubbing at his ears.

"You okay, Lee?" Tenten asked him.

He was looking at her strangely. She repeated herself, frowning, "Are you okay?"

His eyes went wide. "Tenten! I cannot hear you!" He shouted, pointing to his ears, "That last jutsu might have-!"

She clapped a hand over his mouth, "Why are you so loud? They'll find us!" Lee shut up, but only because of the contact.

"I…cannot hear anything." He said, his voice still raised slightly.

Neji stared at his friend and asked him something, but Lee watched his lips move with no audio to accompany them. Lee looked at Tenten, seeing she was in the middle of a rant, but the world was consumed in silence. He frowned, truly perplexed. What was going on? He hadn't the foggiest idea what they were trying to express.

"Okay…" Tenten muttered to herself, not getting any responses from Lee, "Okay…" She turned and paced the space around the tree, wracking her brain for a solution.

"He doesn't understand anything we're saying, Tenten." Neji told her, "Is he hurt?"

"You could say that. He was hit by some jutsu, remember? It messed him up." Tenten sighed, "Just…let me think…please let me think…"

Lee took a seat in the grass, keeping still and doing his best to listen in. It was futile, he quickly realized, and with a deep sigh he stopped paying attention to his panicking teammates. After a few minutes of contemplative pacing Tenten halted. "I got it!" She said aloud, startling Neji.

She crossed back to the tree trunk, where she dropped her bag, and began rummaging through it. She pulled out an old training scroll that still had a good deal of blank parchment. Further in was a brush and black ink typically used for mission notes, or in her case, hasty sealing techniques. Tenten jotted on a blank space on the scroll before holding it up for Lee to see.

"We are going to use this to communicate." Lee read the message aloud, and then grinned at Tenten, "Well…as innovative as that is, Tenten, it might still be a little difficult."

She wrote something else down and let him see it: But it's all we have for now.

He nodded in understanding, and Neji was very pleased with her idea. "Can I talk to him for a moment?" He asked.

"Sure. Just take this and you two stay put." Tenten handed him the parchment and brush, "I'm going to get us some more water. When I come back we'll have to pack up and keep going, alright?"

"Be safe." Neji told her.

Tenten departed, looking over her shoulder and watching as the two interacted. Neji would write a question and Lee, in the cover of the vines, would half-shout an answer. She zipped up her bag after cramming all of their canteens into it.

'This…' She thought to herself, 'Is the bat-shit craziest mission I have ever been on…'

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Intermission

Please take this time to use the restroom or conduct other meaningful activities. The BRC (Beta Reading Commission) mandates my compliance for truncating 80-page chapters. Reviews are welcome. When ready, click the next button for Part Two.