Disclaimer:I don't own Naruto
A/N: A few days late, but I couldn't quite get through it (writers block… never fails!) anyway, here it is, hope you enjoy. Oh, and this one is sort of, PART 2 of chapter 33 (Mysterious Valentine).

THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!!!

GAME WINNERS: Apple Bubblegum, tenjichan, Nightshadow Dweller, Ceridwen Inari, Zida27, shining kitsune, sexyinumama, Midnight Memories, CaffineFreePepsi, AmethystDreamer, Shenhui, and Kunoichi-of the-Leaf.
DEDICATION – I would like to dedicate this chapter too all you wonderful people who read and enjoyed the 3shot angst story… I promised you HAPPY and here it is. XD enjoy!

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WHITE DAY
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White day.

It was a creation of the confectionery industry, to add to an already long list of commercialized holidays with no actual significance to them.

Neji detested the day.

Not because he felt obligated to return the favor to the numerous fangirls who left him chocolates on Valentines Day; which he didn't. It was because every year, Tenten would also be among those who gave him chocolate, and every year he debated on whether or not to give her something in return on White Day. True, the other girls were annoyances whom he had absolutely no interest in (most of whom he had never even spoken to) and Tenten was his friend and teammate; but to give her any special consideration at all, might indicate that he harbored feelings for her. And while that was in fact the truth, it would tarnish his reputation if he were ever to admit it; though it was what he wanted most, to do.

The thing was, though, Neji did technically give her a gift, and a white gift, as was the custom; the only problem was that Tenten didn't know. Every Valentines day for the past 14 years, Neji had left a single white flower and note at her doorstep; 11 of them having been white roses he had grown in the Hyuga garden especially for the weapons mistress.

It really wasn't that he didn't want to tell her how he felt; in fact, every year, he had wanted to tell her it was he who left all those gifts, but every year he found his courage lacking and he ended up, yet again, resorting to leaving the gifts on her doorstep instead of handing then to her personally. He blamed it on his pride; his stoic reputation, and his fear of her rejection, prevented him from doing that which he most desired to do; to tell her he loved her.

That's right, LOVE. Neji was well aware that his emotions for the bun-haired kunoichi were not a result of hormones or some fleeting infatuation, but rather true, genuine feels of love.

"Earth to Neji!" Tenten waved her gloved hand in front of the Hyuga's face.

"Tenten." Neji grabbed hold of her hand, stopping it mid-wave.

"I know you hate when I do that," Tenten pulled her hand from the Hyuga's grasp, "But if you'd been paying attention, I wouldn't have had to."

"Hn." Neji brought his hand down, holding in the warmth of her flesh, as he tightened his hand into a fist.

Normally, Neji wasn't the shy type. If he had something to say, he would say it. If he had something to do, he'd do it. If he wanted something, he went for it. He was confident, self secured, unhesitant, unyielding, and most importantly, unafraid. But when it came to Tenten, he found himself completely incapable of maintaining his carefully cultivated image. True, to the rest of the world, they appeared to be nothing more than teammates, but to him, every time he was near her, he felt like a completely different man. His insides were at constant war; unsure whether he wanted to run away to stop his heart from beating so loud, or kiss her.

It infuriated him how cowardly he could be when it came to Tenten. He had been very close to telling her the pervious month; but when the Konoha 11 decided to get together the night before Valentines Day, his resolve had been diminished, and he had found himself unable to even face her. Out of shame for his own weakness, he hadn't even shown up to the gathering they had agreed to.

"What is it?" he stoically asked as he waiting for the kunoichi to explain why she had come to the compound on their day off from training.

"Oh, well I was here to invite you and Hinata to join the rest of us at lunch today." She smiled at the prodigy.

"Lunch?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah, turns out Ino's team came back early yesterday from their mission, and since we haven't gotten together in a month, everyone decided we should meet up for lunch today." Tenten informed him.

"I will be sure to inform Hinata-sama." Neji replied.

"Ok." Tenten nodded. "But you better be sure to make it this time, you know I can only stand Sakura and Ino's gossiping for so long. I need someone else to talk to too."

"…" Neji did not verbally reply, but Tenten could see the smirk in his eyes as his right eyebrow rose in amusement.

"You may not talk," Tenten replied to his nonverbal response, "But that's still a better conversation than a lot of the other ones going around the table."

Neji smiled, thinking of how well the kunoichi could read him without his ever saying a single word.

"You better be there, if you know what's good for you Hyuga." She mockingly threatened, "Or I'll come down to the compound and drag you there by the hair." She added before waving goodbye and jogging off in the direction of Lee's house.

Neji's hand shot up to his hair, wondering whether she'd actually do it. It didn't matter though, this time he would definitely go.

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"Hey, you made it!" Tenten smiled, greeting the Hyuga just outside the restaurant their group always met at for their reunions.

"Hn." Neji smirked.

He wondered if she had been waiting for him to arrive. They had all agreed to arrive fifteen minutes ago, which was exactly how long Neji always lagged behind, in order to be among the last to arrive; he hated to be kept waiting.

"Come on." Tenten grabbed hold of his hand, "Everyone's already inside." She started walking into the restaurant, pulling Neji along with her.

"So this lady goes into this restaurant with her baby." Naruto enthusiastically entertained the group, "The doorman says 'That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen!' then lets in her to the restaurant. The woman goes to the rear of the restaurant and sits down, fuming. She says to the waiter as he comes to take her order. 'The doorman just insulted me!'" Naruto paused to suppress the chuckles that always seemed to ruin every punch-line to the jokes he told. "The waiter says 'You go right up there and tell him off. Go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you.'" Naruto burst into a fit of laughter at his own joke. A few chuckles and giggles were heard before everyone noticed Neji and Tenten had arrived

"Hey, why are you two holding hands?" Naruto asked Neji and Tenten, after he calmed himself down enough to speak.

Everyone immediately turned to face the two new arrivals, just in time to see both immediately release the other's hands; a knowing smile passing between a certain blond kunoichi and her pink haired best friend.

"Oi Neji." Ino shouted out, "So what'd you get Tenten for white day?" she asked, as the two took their seats next to Lee.

"…" Neji turned to glare at the blond kunoichi, silently threatening her to drop the matter.

"Don't tell me you didn't get her anything." Ino continued, ignoring the deadly glares coming from the Hyuga.

"Ino, White Day is a commercialized fabrication of candy companies," Tenten jumped in, both to protect her blond friend from the impending doom she seemed oblivious too, as well as defend Neji. "It's only designed to guilt men into buying women gifts. And it doesn't really mean anything if you give a gift out of obligation, and not because it came from the heart."

Neji inwardly smiled upon hearing the bun-haired kunoichi's response. It just further confirmed how compatible the two were, that she would feel the same way about White Day as he did.

"So then does that mean your secret Valentines' rose and poem are meaningless because they came on Valentines Day?" Sakura twisted Tenten's logic to continue with Ino's plan.

"That's different." A light blush painted the weapons mistress's cheeks.

"How so?" Ino persisted, "If it comes on Valentines wouldn't that mean it came out of some sense of obligation for the day, and not because it came from the heart?"

"B-but Ino-san." Hinata interjected, "Tenten-san doesn't known who her mystery Valentine is."

"So?" Ino asked.

"That means it can't be an obligation." Tenten continued Hinata's observation, "because obligation usually entail some sort of personal relation to the other person, where you feel indebted. Besides," she shook her head, "I didn't say that giving a gift on Valentines Day or White Day is bad, what I meant, was that it should be something that is comes from your desire to do it, as opposed to doing it just because it's what's expected." She tired to explain.

"But you expect that Valentines' day letter and rose now don't you?" Ino pressed.

"No." Tenten denied, "Ye- No. It's not the same thing."

"Oh?" Sakura questioned.

"Hey, here comes to food." Tenten turned everyone's attention to the waiters who were bringing their meal, successfully changing the subject.

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"That was so not fun." Tenten leaned her head up against the old tree, as she sat down in front of it, closing her eyes in the process.

"Hn." Neji had to agree.

All hour long, Ino and Sakura had bombarded the pair with endless questions about whether or not they were dating. Despite Tenten's attempts to change the conversation, or Neji's deadly glares, the two kunoichi had been unrelenting. It wasn't until Tenten had thought to say that she had forgotten she had to take care of an errand, and that she needed Neji to help her carry something, did the two finally manage to escape.

"Remind me again why I like those two." Tenten opened her eyes to look up at Neji, who was standing directly in front of her.

"There is no reason that I can image." Neji bluntly stated.

Tenten smirked, "Be nice." She chuckled, "They're not all that bad. They just…"

Neji waited for her to continue, but knew that she couldn't.

"Okay, they're pretty bad." Tenten replied. "But they mean well."

That was just like Tenten, to always try and believe the best of others. It was one of the many reasons he liked her so much.

"They talk too much." Neji commented.

"Yeah." Tenten agreed. "And they don't know when to stop either."

"Hn." Neji slightly nodded in agreement.

"All that talk about White Day," she added, "I wonder if they even got anything."

"I am certain Lee got Haruno something." Neji pointed out.

"That's true; and Naruto too, probably." Tenten observed. "and I'm sure Chouji must have gotten Ino something. Shikamaru probably didn't though; not that I blame him, Temari would have a fit." She shuttered at the image.

"Hn." Neji smirked, remembering the last time Shikamaru had faced the wrath of the sand kunoichi.

"It's funny." Tenten giggled, "He's the one who said all women were troublesome, and yet he's the only one in our group who's got a girlfriend." She smiled at the irony.

Neji watched at the weapons mistress's smiling turned into laughter. It always sent a shiver down his spine when he heard her infectious laugh.

"Tell me about this valentine." Neji asked; abruptly putting an end to Tenten's laughter, much to his displeasure.

"What about it?" Tenten straightened, wondering what Neji could possibly want to know.

"You tell me." Neji asked, "Haruno and Yamanaka seem to believe there's some importance to this matter."

"It's just their overactive imagination." Tenten nervously replied, trying desperately to hide her discomfort with the subject matter.

"Does this topic make you uncomfortable?" Neji noticed her unease.

"Well." Tenten bit her lower lip anxiously, "it's just… we've never really talked about this sort of stuff before." She explained.

"Hn." Neji agreed, it was not a subject he would have been all too comfortable discussing, where it not for the fact that he was aware that it was about him they were talking.

"But, we're friends right." Tenten continued, "We should feel free to talk about anything, right?" She paused, "I mean, I guess if you liked someone, I wouldn't mind hearing about it." she added.

"So you admit you have feelings for this man?" Neji asked.

"Huh?" Tenten gaped openly. "I- well, I…" she stumbled on her words, "I've never even met the guy." She replied after a short pause.

"But you would like to?" Neji pressed on.

"I suppose." Tenten bowed her head, looking at her hands, as she fidgeted with them in her lap. "Yeah, I guess. It would be nice to know who he is." She stated. "I mean, wouldn't you want to know?"

"Hn." Neji observed the kunoichi as she awkwardly busied her attention on anything but him.

"Probably not." Tenten seemingly answered herself, "I mean you probably get tons of letters from your adoring fangirls every day. I'm sure you wouldn't want to know half of them. Not that I blame you, I've had a few run ins with a couple of them… they're not all very nice girls. Some of them can be pretty vicious."

Neji inwardly laughed, he had often noticed that Tenten tended to ramble when she was feeling uncomfortable; it was amusing to see he could do that to her so easily. Still, he didn't want to make her feel too uncomfortable, so deciding to even out the atmosphere a little, he took a seat in front of her; this way he was no longer looming over her as they talked.

"I am not interested in any of those girls." Neji informed her, as he adjusted himself into a cross-legged position, putting his left elbow on his kneed to cup his face in that hand as he leaned in to watch her.

"Oh?" Tenten lifted her head to find herself looking eye to eye with the Hyuga. "Does that mean you've already got someone in mind? Or is it that Hyuga's don't get to chose?" she wondered aloud, "Does your clan still practice arranged marriages?"

"Yes." Neji replied, staring straight into the kunoichi's eyes.

"Yes?" Tenten repeated, "To which question?"

"All of them." Neji answered, maintaining his gaze.

"Oh." A sudden wave of sorrow swept over the kunoichi, upon hearing that not only was Neji betrothed to someone already, but he actually cared about that girl. "So what's she like?" she asked, before she could stop herself.

"Who?" Neji asked, without removing his eyes from the kunoichi.

"Your betrothed." Tenten clarified.

"I don't have one." Neji replied blankly.

"But you just said…" Tenten was confused, but at the same time slightly relieved to hear that.

"I said that Hyuga's do practice arranged marriages, and that we do not have a choice. However, my father died before he could arrange a marriage for me, therefore I have no betrothed." Neji explained.

"Oh." Tenten nodded in understanding, before realization hit her. "Wait. You also said you had someone in mind though."

"Did I?" Neji responded.

"Yeah," she asserted, "That was my first question."

"Hn." Neji grunted, verifying that he had.

"So what's she like?" Tenten asked again.

"Do you really wish to know?" Neji asked, watching the weapons mistress's reaction.

"Sure." Tenten nervously fidgeted, "that's what we're talking about right?"

"Hn." Neji nodded.

"So?" she pressed.

"She's a kunoichi." Neji began.

That was no big surprise. Tenten always knew he could never be interested in some weak civilian girl.

"She is strong; thoughtful; caring. Always there for others." Neji continued, "she has the most brilliant smile; infectious laughter that beguiles all the scenes." He spoke warmly.

"She sounds nice." Tenten whispered, trying not to allow the sorrow in her voice from manifesting.

"She is." Neji acknowledged.

"You sound like you really care for her." Tenten kept speaking, willing herself to continue the conversation, if only to not seem as if it bothered her; but inside she felt like she was slowly dying from the pain.

"I do." Neji replied, observing the hesitation in Tenten to continue the conversation, yet she persisted. He wondered whether or not she realized it was she whom he was referring to.

"She must be very happy to know someone like you cares so much for her." Tenten swallowed the knot in her throat.

"I'm afraid I have yet to express this to her in person." Neji confessed, realizing she had no yet realized the truth.

"You've never told her?" Tenten looked at him confused.

"Not exactly." Neji replied.

"What do you mean?" Tenten asked, "Why not?"

"I feel, I often find my valor lacking, whenever I attempt to profess to her how it is I feel." He informed her.

"Why?" Tenten looked at him confusedly. "What could you possibly be hesitant about?"

"I do not, as yet, know how it is she feels." Neji stated, "My own despairing hesitation prevents me from confessing that which I desire most to say, yet I retain trapped within my soul; all the while driving me to deeper agony." He hoped that she would understand.

"But…" Tenten shook her head slightly, in disbelief of what she was hearing Neji say. "What girl wouldn't want to be the object of such sentiment?" she mournfully looked into the prodigy's eyes. "I've never heard you sound like this before. Whoever she is, you need to tell her."

"I have; many times." Neji replied.

"But I thought you said…" Tenten shook her head again, confused as to what Neji meant.

"I have written every year, in fevered passion, professing my unyielding emotion." Neji continued, hoping she would connect his words to what he meant, "I have told her many, many times, in inked characters scribed on white parchment." It seemed to finally be working, as little by little Tenten's eyes began to widen, and a light of recognition shone behind her hazel eyes. "And though each day I force myself to play a role I've fallen prisoner to, I have grown tired of my own disheartening hesitation." Neji concluded.

"You shouldn't allow that to stop you." Tenten more warmly replied, "It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return, but it's more painful to love someone and never find the courage to let the person know how you feel." She smiled at the Hyuga, "Or allow her to tell you what it is she feels."

"And how does she feel?" Neji returned her smile, knowing that she had recognized the poetry in his words. (i)

"She's glad you didn't wait until next Valentines Day to find the courage to confess, that which you've more than eloquently expressed." Tenten answered with a subtle smile.

"Me too." He agreed, before leaning in to capture her lips with his.

"Best White Day gift ever." Tenten stated after the pair parted, but only momentarily before Neji once again cupped her face and brought his lips to hers.

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THE END
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A/N: I so was planning on using the swing, the roses (note that there were 11, I was planning on making the 12th one, to complete the dozen, red)… but this is how this one worked out… I also intended to use Ino and Sakura more… but that didn't work out either… but I liked it… I liked their little scene… I will most likely than not do a 3rd installment to this one… but not for a while… and it'll mostly be Ino/Sakura centric… I just want to play with them and see how much trouble they can cause… XP

Just a few extra notes… I keep forgetting to mention I started some new stories… if you haven't already done so, check out the TENTEN BIRTHDAY FIC I wrote last week… also I did a SHIKATEM chapter which continued from chapter 33 of this fic… and I just started aMUSIC SHUFFLE CHALLENGE story, first chapter staring NEJITEN (of course). I will (hopefully) be updating all of my (6) in-progress stories during this spring break… So anyway, check them out if you like, and let me know what you all think! Thanks. XD

Oh, and I've got new FANART on my profile too… XD

And also, for the last two chapters, in the REVIEWS, I posted my analysis of those chapters, in case anyone's interested.

PREVIOUS GAME:
(i) I'm not going to say because I don't want to ruin it for the non-manga readers… but it had to do with Shika not going to a certain someone's funeral… like Neji didn't go to Tenten's… I was also accepting "smoking" as a correct answer… I hadn't thought of it, but it does fit there too…
(ii) Dan. Not the brother. I knew a lot of people would guess both Nawaki and Dan, and that's why I specified that it had to do with the same feelings that Neji had (i.e. romantic love as opposed to family love), but it's okay if you guessed both… I think the wording may not have been too clear.
COOKIES TO ALL OF YOU WHO GOT THEM RIGHT!!!

NEW GAME:
(i) That line was totally for me… but I decided to make that the game… Can you guess what it means?

Sorry, this one might be a little harder than the pervious ones, but it's actually pretty simple if you think about it… I'll give you all 2 hints.
1st hint: think of the chapter that this is the second part to; and more specifically, what stood out about that chapter;
2nd hint: a lot of you will be asking yourselves "how'd she know?"… well that's the answer to this game…
good luck!

Remember to REVIEW… please and thank you. XD