Tilting At Windmills
Chapter Five

"Ishin-san, I'm not sure this is a good idea," Tenten said the next morning, leaning forward earnestly. She was sitting at the dining room table, elbows against the polished wood as she pleaded with her employer. Ishin-san watched her steadily, hearing her but obviously not agreeing. "We are sure that this Rain-nin we encountered was hired to kidnap Nanabi and take her to the Tenma estate. The fact that he fought with me is evidence that they mean to keep her there." Or to keep away those that might bring her back against her will. "If we go there, like this…"

She made a motion towards the sun dress she was wearing, a pale blue with the hem stopping above her knees. Ishin's servants had even styled her hair, letting it fall in carefully created waves to her shoulders. She felt made up like a doll and it was a very uncomfortable feeling, especially since she was sure fighting in a dress was going to be torture.

Unfortunately, Ishin-san was being rather stubborn.

"If she was seeing this Tenma boy, as you say, then she might not want to return," he said quietly. "I can see that you are already aware of this and that you're mission was to find her no matter what. Still, I do not want her to be unhappy, and I don't want another fight between ninja on my hands, especially against one that was probably hired to protect my daughter from anyone trying to locate her." He sighed. "It might be asking a lot, but please, go to the Tenmas and speak with them. If this can be resolved peacefully…" He trailed off and Tenten sat back, knowing she was beaten.

Leaning against the wall behind her, arms folded over the white, button down shirt he was wearing, Neji spoke evenly. "And if she doesn't wish to return?"

Ishin was silent for a moment. "Then take her."

Saying nothing, Neji unfolded himself from the wall and left the room, heading outside and into the street. Tenten followed his signal and rose, bowing slightly before joining her teammate, shielding her eyes from the sudden sunlight. They walked a discreet distance away before speaking.

"This is ridiculous!" she moaned, plucking at her dress. "Just because we're not wearing our forehead protectors doesn't mean we're not ninja. We may look less threatening, but it's not going to fool that Rain-nin. What makes him think they'll even let us inside the gates?"

Neji, who had tied a dark strip of cloth over his curse seal, answered, "If we ask just to speak with her, that girl will allow us to enter. Once we're inside, it will be easy to capture her."

She looked over at him, trying not to notice how handsome he looked in casual clothes, her voice slightly worried. "Neji, all I have are my scrolls." She patted the small purse slung over her shoulder for emphasis. "I'll have to have time and room to activate them, and I doubt that the Rain-nin will give it to me."

"Don't forget that he's injured now, he'll be slower, even if only a little. Besides," his voice dropped, "you won't be fighting him. I will."

She nodded. It was not a surprise. "And I'll get Nanabi."

"Yes."

She halted and reached out to grab his hand lightly, stopping him. He turned halfway towards her and she gazed with determination into his colorless eyes.

"Promise me that we'll talk to them first," she said, "If that doesn't work, then we can do it your way, but… Promise me we'll try to persuade her to come back on her own."

He looked surprised at her request and perhaps… annoyed? It was so hard to tell sometimes, those eyes revealed only what he wished and nothing more.

And then his low voice reached her, it's unique hollowness making her heart beat faster. "I promise."

She exhaled in relief and smiled at him. "Thank you… Neji."

His name seemed to do something to him because his eyes flickered and he turned away, resuming their trek towards the Tenma manor. Surprisingly, he did not release her hand and so she was taken with him, pulled along in the wake of Hyuuga Neji as she always had been.

Only this time, it was his will.

They stayed like that, hand in hand, even as they walked the winding path they had descended down the day before. Once again, they felt the tension of the mysterious Rain-nin watching them and Tenten's fingers tightened around Neji's as she fought a silent battle against the ninja's unseen gaze.

It was a relief when they actually reached the gates without being challenged, the Rain-nin dropping from the trees to land right in front of them, a small grimace dodging his features as he straightened. It looked like Neji was right, she had hurt him.

"Welcome to the Tenma estate," the ninja said politely. "I've let you come this far out of curiosity alone, but I can't let you go any farther without hearing your business."

"We're here to see Nanabi," Tenten told him, dropping her arm as Neji released her hand in preparation to fight. "We'll fight if we must, but we would much rather see this resolved without kunai. If it is possible, we would like to speak with Nanabi peacefully."

She had thought he might hate her for the wound she had given him, but the Rain-nin bowed slightly in her direction as if she had not just the day before plunged a fuuma shuriken into his back.

"That is very wise," he said kindly, "though, perhaps, naïve. Still, Nanabi-sama wishes to speak with you two as well." He glanced at Neji. "I'm sure I do not have to remind you what will happen if you try to remove her against her will." Neji grunted but said nothing and the Rain-nin nodded as if it had been a verbal acknowledgement. He turned to open the gates. "Then, please, follow me."

The Tenma estate was beautiful and well kept, very simple and yet there was a grace about it that Tenten instantly admired. She walked slightly behind Neji, absently trailing her fingers over flowering bushes growing alongside the sidewalk. Dressed as they were, and in such a setting, she could almost believe they were two normal teenagers visiting a friend. Tenten shook her head at the whimsical thought and refocused.

Nanabi was waiting for them in a little side garden on the west side of the estate. She was a tall, slender young woman with long black hair and muted blue eyes that watched them solemnly. Next to her stood a man who could only be Tenma Mikuro, his arm draped casually around Nanabi's waist.

"Nanabi-sama, these are the two ninja your father hired to find you. They've come to speak with you," the Rain-nin said quietly, his heavy gaze watching them all.

"Thank you, Hiiro," Nanabi replied softly, and inclined her head in their direction. "Forgive me for causing you two so much trouble." She said nothing more and, as usual, Tenten spoke for both her and Neji.

"Think nothing of it, Nanabi-san. We…" She struggled for words. "We just want to understand what is really happening here. Your father, he misses you terribly."

Nanabi's eyes filled with tears. "He does? I.. I thought he would hate me when he found out what I had done." She used a corner of her sleeve to dab away the salty drops.

Tenten smiled compassionately. "Of course he misses you, Nanabi-san. He's your father. I'm sure he only wants to know that you are safe." She motioned towards the patio furniture set a few feet away. "If you want, I'll tell you what we know." Her smile widened. "Shall we?"

"Mikuro and I are in love, we have been ever since we were children," Nanabi told her, picking at the hem of her dress absently. They were seated by themselves, Neji and Mikuro standing not far away, the Rain-nin, Hiiro, nowhere to be seen. "When I found out my father had promised me to Kei, I was furious. Kei and Mikuro used to be friends but Key is rather arrogant and he said some things that Mikuro couldn't forgive. Of everyone my father could have picked, I despised Kei the most and so I thought to run away from it all. I locked myself in my room after speaking with Mikuro. He said he would take me away, help me escape from it all. We had to do it secretly, he said, because the Hizaki's are great ninjas and Mikuro is only a baker's apprentice." She smiled fondly. "So, he hired Hiiro, a friend of his who moved away when we were young. He sent him to kidnap me and bring me here. I knew about it, of course, and I went willingly." She looked away, towards Mikuro. "How… How is my father? And my sister? I.. I've been worried about them."

Tenten made her voice comforting. "Your sister is fine, and Ishin-san worries but he's doing the best he can. I think he knows that you went willingly but sending me and my teammate was the only thing he could think of to do. I'm sure the Hizaki's are putting pressure on him as well."

Nanabi twisted her fingers together. "I didn't really think it all through. I only knew I didn't want to marry Kei. I love Mikuro and I would do anything for him. My father…" She shook her head. "I didn't want to disappoint him but I can't marry into the Hizaki house, not even for the village. I just can't!"

Tenten reached over to pat the distraught girl's shoulder, feeling a strange sort of sympathy for her. She too knew what it was like to want to do anything you could for someone. "It's alright. I'm sure that if you talk to your father, you can work things out."

Nanabi glanced at her, startled. "You mean, go back?"

"Well, you can't stay here forever, can you? What about your sister? Your father still loves you. If you go to him and tell him the truth, I know he will understand." She continued softly, "You can't hide forever, Nanabi-san."

The other girl was silent a moment before suddenly bursting into tears and throwing herself at Tenten, sobbing dejectedly into her shoulder. Surprised, Tenten patted Nanabi's back awkwardly, meeting Neji's eyes over her head. He read her glance and nodded, turning to speak with Mikuro.

It looked like they weren't going to need her scrolls after all.

Standing outside of the rooms they had been given, Tenten fiddled with a lock of her hair, slightly nervous and unsure as to why. Neji was across from her, looking vacant, as if his thoughts were far away. He had surprised her moments ago, telling Mikuro and Nanabi that there was no reason they had to return that evening. Instead of taking them back to Ishin-san right away, he had agreed to let them leave in the morning, seemingly entirely comfortable with this plan. She supposed she shouldn't be shocked that Neji could be thoughtful enough to grant the lovers a last night together, but it was more something she might have done, rather than Neji.

In return, Mikuro had insisted they stay as well and had shown them two rooms right next to each other that they could use for the night, telling them to make use of whatever they wanted. Tenten was impressed with the manor, but she wondered what Neji was thinking. Was he really okay with not returning Nanabi right away?

"Uhm, Neji…" He turned his head slightly towards her, a sign he was listening. "I was wondering about your decision to let Nanabi stay here another night. Earlier, you wanted to take her back even if she didn't agree. Why did you…" He gave her the full force of his moon-colored eyes and she inhaled shakily, her heart suddenly racing in her chest.

"You don't know?" he asked quietly. He took a step towards her and she felt her back hit the wall as he advanced, his physical closeness robbing her of breath as he stopped right in front of her. At that moment, she was finely attuned to the fact that he was a handsome, strong, intelligent male, and that she, in her flimsy sundress, was the woman who secretly loved him.

She gasped a little at the sudden realization. Never before had she allowed herself to think it in so many words. It had always been there, of course, in every training session, in every glance, but she had never fully admitted it, even to herself.

She was in love with Hyuuga Neji.

She looked up at him, struggling to breathe, to think when his body was so near hers. Her voice came out barely a whisper. "For me?"

His expression was strange, she couldn't read it. "There's nothing else I can give you."

The air quivered in her throat and she had to look away from him. He was too close, too real. She knew he was trying to tell her something but it would hurt too much if it wasn't what she thought. She had lived a long time by keeping things to herself. She couldn't allow him to break her with just a few words. "You don't owe me anything, Neji."

He leaned forward, that strange something she had seen earlier flickering across his eyes again. His hands reached up to grip her shoulders and his head came down, his lips grazing hers briefly before claiming them in a very slow, very gentle kiss.

Tenten felt tears gather in her lashes as she closed her eyes. She was being kissed by Neji, her friend, her teammate, and her heart physically ached with the sweetness of it. She couldn't imagine what he was thinking, her own mind was swirling with too many emotions, and at the moment she didn't care. If she got nothing more in life, his kiss would be enough.

When he broke away with agonizing slowness, she felt some sort of noise leave her, a sound halfway between a sob and a joyful laugh. He noticed her tears and reached up to wipe them away, a frown gracing his flawless face.

"Isn't this what you want?" His voice was soft.

Yes, more than anything.

She replied seriously, trembling, "What do you want, Neji? All I've ever wanted was to make you happy." Her fingers curled into the lapels of his shirt.

"I don't know what I want."

She turned her head away, unwilling to show him how much he was hurting her. She straightened away from the wall, preparing to leave and to pretend it all meant nothing. His voice halted her.

"I just know that I don't want anyone else with me but you." He tilted her face up, studying her. "Your eyes tell me that you want this also."

"I…" She smiled faintly and touched the smooth angle of his jaw, wondering if she was really just dreaming. "I've always wanted to be near you, Neji." She fell into him, her head against his shoulder, breathing in his unique scent of sandalwood and wind. It was almost unreal when his arms came up to hold her, pressing her closer.

"Tenten…"

"I don't understand," she said hoarsely, speaking into his shirt. She swallowed, gathering her courage. "What made you…?"

"This mission, I think," he said in answer to her unfinished question, his deep voice vibrating under her fingers. "And you."

She pulled away enough to meet his gaze wonderingly. "Me? What did I do?"

His response was beautifully simple. "You looked at me." His fingers traced her hairline, his eyes the color of translucent rain. "Just like you're looking at me now."

She blushed prettily and for one moment, for one glorious moment, Neji's mouth curved briefly into a half-smile.

"Let's go to bed."

She nodded, realizing that despite whatever had just happened between them, they still had a job to do. She stepped out of the circle of his arms to turn towards her door when Neji grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.

"You're with me."

"N…Neji!" she said, stricken, her face red.

"Just to sleep," he told her quietly, and led her into his bedroom, closing the door behind her with a final click. At the sound, she suddenly felt nervous, awkward. She had just learned that Neji felt something for her, they had kissed, and now she was in his bedroom and…

…and then she saw him watching her calmly, and years of trust reasserted themselves. She smiled and he came to her as if she had given him some sort of signal. Together, they crawled into the bed, Tenten fitting herself into Neji's side as if she had always belonged there. He curved an arm loosely around her waist, breathing against the sensitive skin of her neck, and covered them both with a comforter.

She sighed happily, silently praising Ishin-san and his idea to send them to the Tenma's that day. The memory of Neji's kiss was never going to leave her.

"Good night, Neji," she murmured, closing her eyes. His arm tightened around her briefly in response and she smiled to herself, hearing always the words he didn't say.

Sweet dreams.

To be continued…