Whut, whut?! Two chapters in a day? I'm feeling generous so welcome to chapter M!

We would finally find out what happened between Neji and Tenten five years ago...!

Neji's eyes opened to the bright light of the hospital room. He had to shut them back to allow them to get used to the condition before opening them again. His vision was somewhat blurry from concussion and his abdomen hurt but he was fine otherwise.

"You're awake." Tenten noted. She drew the curtains of his compartment back and allowed herself in.

"What happened?" Neji rasped as he sat up with Tenten's help. She poured a glass of water for him when he asked for some.

"Mizaki ran away with the loan shark's money and so they wanted to kidnap 'me' for ransom. Lee and I happened to be nearby so we managed to help." Tenten briefed.

Neji chose to ignore that they were spying on him and asked a much more important question instead. "How did you get them to release me? They had me in their grasp."

"Oh...I promised to pay the debt by the end of next week." Tenten hesitated before telling him.

"But?" Neji knew there was more to her statement than she chose to admit. When Tenten was not talking, he decided to take a guess. "You don't have enough money yet, isn't that right?" He knew from her scoff that he was right. "I'll pay it for you."

Tenten raised her head immediately at his statement. "What?"

"I have ten million to spare." Neji said flippantly.

"Right, you're a freaking Hyuga." Tenten muttered when she realized that Neji came from one of the wealthiest families in the Fire nation. "Why are you being nice to me?" Tenten asked.

"What do you mean?" Neji was puzzled by her question. Why was he being nice? He didn't remember being a tyrant to her or anybody for that matter.

"First of all you betrayed me then you went ahead and cut all ties with me and you hated my guts enough to refuse to act a role with me and suddenly we switch consciousnesses and now you're nice to me?! Why Neji, I don't understand any of your ways. I don't understand you at all!" Tenten exclaimed.

"Tenten, did you listen to my soliloquy at the cemetery?" Neji inquired knowingly. Her silence was the answer he needed. "How much do you know?" He asked.

"Enough." Was Tenten's brisk answer. Neji sighed and leaned back on the bed. This was not how he intended for Tenten to know of his feelings for her. "We need to talk but not here." But first, the dispute between them needed to be cleared.

Tenten nodded in solemn agreement to his words. Just about that time, a doctor arrived at Neji's compartment to check on him. He was okay to be discharged so they (Neji and Tenten) both packed up and left the hospital. Lee had left earlier because of an important meeting that he had and sent his regards instead.

The drive to Neji's house was silent with Tenten looking out the window brows furrowed in thought and Neji focusing on the road because he was driving. They finally reached Neji's humble mansion after an hour's drive.

Neji went to wash his hands as per habit while Tenten sat on a loveseat. This was the moment they both have been waiting for. Neji needed an explanation from Tenten and Tenten needed an explanation from Neji.

"So..." Neji started as he sat cross legged on the sofa. "Tell me everything that happened from your point of view."

Tenten scowled but started her tale anyway. Neji was so confusing.

• Years before now... •

Tenten, Neji and Lee used to be best friends when they were teenagers. They used to be in the same karate classes taught by Gai who later dropped the career to be a movie director. Tenten loved theatre arts so much but there was a slight problem keeping her away from her dream school, and that was her father. Tenten could not afford the fees.

When all hope was lost, the school organized a theatre competition where aspiring actors would showcase their skills. The winners got a scholarship enrollment and some other prizes but Tenten was focused on the scholarship. She was confident in her acting skills but she needed the help of other actors so she requested Neji's help. Neji promised.

They practiced for Tenten's theatre presentation and at the same time practiced for Neji's interview for the Ivy Leagues. Neji was smarter and more talented than she was but the Ivy Leagues honoured the student's reputation as well as academic intelligence. A wrong word from anybody could cost Neji his acceptance into the Ivy League.

Neji broke his promise to Tenten and stood her up on the day of her presentation. He sent a text to her at the last moment saying he had to study for the Ivy League entrance exam and when she called, he refused to pick her calls and blacklisted her. His absence made Tenten's confidence weaver and put a damper on Tenten's spirit. She failed miserably at acting and her chances of going to the theatre arts school was ruined. That night, Tenten cried herself to sleep.

Tenten did not see Neji for days after that. Even when she went to the Hyuga house Neji refused to see her. She was betrayed, heart broken and very sad. Her sadness soon turned to anger and she planned her revenge. If Neji ruined her chances of going to a good theatre arts school, she was going to ruin his chances of entering the Ivy League.

What other perfect way was there to ruin an admission into a high class school than to ruin his reputation? So Tenten logged into the school website and started posting bad things about the ace student of the year; Neji. Lee was skeptic and tried to stop her from executing her plan but she ignored him.

The angry look on Neji's face when his admission was denied was satisfying. As expected it didn't take too long for Neji to trace the bad comments back to Tenten. She could remember that day clearly. Neji stormed over to her with clear anger, hatred and hurt. He questioned the reason she did that and she became angry and lashed out.

"Don't play innocent with me Hyuga!" Tenten yelled. "You know what you did, or should I say what you didn't do very well!"

Neji balked at that. "You mean you decided to post random false things about me just because I didn't come for your presentation?!" He asked in disbelief. Tenten was appalled by his words. Just because he didn't come?!

"Just because you didn't come for my presentation?!" Tenten was livid. "You of all people know how much that presentation meant to me!"

"You have no idea how much you ruined my life, Tenten." Neji's gaze was on the floor. His bangs covered his eyes and the emotions in them. "You have no idea." Neji spun around and left.

That was the last time she heard from Neji but she could care less because she deleted his contacts and erased ever memory of them together. Tenten distanced herself from everybody including Lee and her junior friends like Sakura and Naruto in order to make ends meet. She went to a different university on student loans which she had to work her ass off to pay back but she met Anko there who introduced her to the acting industry.

Anko was not an actress, she was more of the trainer type so she trained Tenten and they became close like sisters. Tenten met Neji again a year later. She was meant to act a cameo role together with him in one of the movies Kakashi directed but it did not sit too well with her. That was their debut film but every director knew from then that Tenten and Neji should not be made to act together.

Tenten began to rise up in the acting field until she became one of the best and most popular actresses. She met many of her friends whom she ignored but they were fortunately not angry at her. Sakura was a fellow actress, Naruto was a script writer along with Hinata who was more of a novelist than a scripter. Ino owned her own fashion brand and Sai and Kiba were actors like her.

This led her to the fateful day when Neji and Tenten were made to act roles together again, the leading roles no less. Tenten never expected the body swap or that Neji liked her or the growing feelings she had for Neji over the months they spent in each other's bodies. Of course Tenten didn't tell Neji that last part. He didn't need to know.

• presently... •

Neji gaped after she was done with her tale. So that was why she loathed his guts and hated his presence!

"Oh no, Tenten..."

Neji's point of view of the story comes up in the next chapter.

Hello, how are you today?

I do not own Naruto!

Don't forget to review, I like to hear your thoughts. Well folks, till we meet again in the next chapter. Until then keep guessing the possible reasons why Neji stood Tenten up.

Ja ne!

-Houshi()