Author's Note: Hi everyone! I didn't get to update cuz I was in Florida! But guess what…I'm back now! Harukakanata is back! LOL. Anyways, as for the fic…cocoa-latte, you wanted Friendship: Naruto/Sakura, right? I thought that was a REALLY nice suggestion and I wanted to do it, but then I came across a few problems. The first problem was that nobody except you wanted it, so it would be unfair to all those people who wanted something else. But the biggest problem was…I had NO clue what to do for that friendship pair! I thought for a VERY long time, but no ideas popped into my head! Soooo…I decided to put aside that idea FOR NOW and use the most popular genre&pair. I'll do the NaruSaku friendship later on, when I get a good idea for them. Meanwhile…most people wanted romance, but Neji+Tenten and Sasuke+Sakura were tied! Geez, I love Neji+Tenten and Sasuke+Sakura too, but I like a bit of variety…oh well. I did Sasuke+Sakura already, so I'll do Neji+Tenten.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. So don't sue me.


Bouquet of Roses

For the first time in his life, Hyuuga Neji was nervous. Okay, maybe it wasn't the FIRST time, but he hadn't felt so nervous before. It was a day before Tenten's 15th birthday, and he had absolutely NO clue of what he should get her. She was having a birthday party, arranged by Sakura and Ino. The entire rookie nine and Gai's team were invited, along with Gai and the other jounin senseis. Lee had gotten a gift for Tenten in a jiffy, and Neji had almost envied Lee's understanding of Tenten. After all, Lee was one of Tenten's best friends and he knew her really well. Tenten's party was being held the next day so Neji knew that he had to get a gift fast.

'But what am I supposed to give her?' Neji thought, and began to think about all of the possible gifts he could get her. Money wasn't a problem for him; The Hyuuga clan had more than enough money to spare. He decided to think while meditating.

'Girls usually like jewelry and stuff like that…But Tenten prefers weapons than a diamond necklace. Teenage girls usually like pretty clothes…But Tenten isn't the type of girl who likes clothes. Make-up and pretty ribbons are out of the question. Damn…What should I get her?' he thought, and found himself getting more and more confused and frustrated. Without warning, he stood up, causing nearby chipmunks and squirrels to scurry off in fear and surprise.

"I have no choice," he muttered to himself. "This is an emergency here."

'I'll probably wreck my reputation for good, but I have no other choice. Damn Tenten for making me do this!' And so, Neji walked out of the forest…to seek help and advice. Yes, you heard me right. HYUUGA NEJI is asking for HELP. THE Hyuuga genius…is asking for help. Think that's surprising? Wait until you hear THIS. Hyuuga NEJI, THE Hyuuga genius, sought out GAI. Yup, he asked MAITO GAI for help. That's how desperate he was. Anyways, Neji found Gai kicking a log in another part of Konoha.

"Gai-sensei…" Neji said, a vein twitching on his temple. He had the urge to just forget about it and go train, but he knew he had to. Gai stopped kicking the log and gaped when he saw Neji. There was silence.

"Uhh…HELLO, Neji, my dear former student! What brings you here on this YOUTHFUL day?" Gai boomed, and Neji's eyebrow twitched.

"I…have…something…to…ask…you…" Neji said slowly and calmly, trying to keep his sanity in check. There was another moment of silence as Gai gaped at him once more. Then, tears filled his eyes.

"NEJI! So you've finally acknowledged my greatness and wisdom and decided to ask for advice! Well, fear no longer! I, MAITO GAI, WILL DO ANYTHING FOR MY BELOVED STUDENT! Now, don't be shy! What do you have to ask?" he shouted, striking one of his infamous poses. "Inner Neji" was practically crying with embarrassment. However, the "outer" Neji kept his cool, or at least, he TRIED to. He succeeded…a little bit.

"I…need…help…wi –" Neji was cut off with Gai's yell of victory and triumph.

"OH, HEAVENS! NEJI IS ASKING ME FOR HELP! I HAVE DONE IT!" Gai yelled, "tears of youth" flowing down his cheeks. Neji suppressed the urge to attack his former sensei and continued to speak.

"I need…help…with…choosing…a…gift…for…Tenten's…birthday…" he finished, and felt his pride get ripped out of him, burned in a chimney, slammed to the ground, and stomped upon repeatedly until there was nothing but dust.

"I see…a gift for Tenten…hmm…" Gai said, suddenly getting serious. Neji gulped silently, a single bead of sweat running down his temple. Then, Gai stood up from his sitting position. "I've got it! The perfect gift!" he yelled, and Neji looked at him expectantly. But his face paled when Gai pulled out something from behind his back. And it took all of Neji's might and will not to puke and to kill Gai right then and there. Stretched out in Gai's hands was…a pink spandex. Actually, it was more like a pink leotard. It was like a one-piece swimsuit with long sleeves. Neji's eye twitched, and Gai grinned triumphantly.

"Nice, huh? It's a dazzling pink color –It will surely match Tenten! And this glamorous suit is blessed with youthfulness…just like mine and Lee's beautiful green suits! With Tenten wearing this, us three will be UNSTOPPABLE! Also, many young men will be attracted to her like bees to honey!" Neji lowered his head. A vein popped on his temple. His fists clenched…and unclenched. Meanwhile, oblivious to Neji's "aura" of "evil", Gai continued to babble on and on about the pink "suit of youth".

"…AND, because the fabric clings comfortably close to your skin, you have no worries of getting your shirt caught in branches when you're in the forest! OH! And also, it's very hip and modern, and soon, EVERYONE will want one! And soon, the world shall be filled with the power of YOUTH! But you haven't heard all of the facts! It's very flexible too, and it's completely washable, with no stains whatsoever!" By now, Neji was about to burst.

"Gai-sensei…" he growled, but Gai didn't hear him.

"…YES! And the BEST THING IS…it's completely free!" Gai held out the pink leotard towards Neji. "What do you say, Neji? Not a bad deal, huh? Not bad at all! The greatest suit in the world…for FREE! I'm SO generous…" Suddenly, Neji was gone. When Gai looked at the pink suit, he gaped with horror and sadness as he held the torn and ripped remains of the pink fabric. "WHAT! Who could have done this!" he wailed, and sobbed dramatically into his hands. Meanwhile, behind a tree not far away, Neji was sighing while rubbing his temples in exasperation.

"It was my mistake for thinking that…that THING of a teacher could help me…" he muttered, and walked out of the forest.

Neji's next stop was the Haruno residence. He rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, a very flustered-looking Sakura was at the doorway. Her eyes widened when she saw Neji.

"Neji-san! What brings you here?" she asked, smiling nervously and looking confused.

"I…don't know what present I should get for Tenten…so…I thought that another girl around her age might have some useful advice." Neji replied, feeling a bit unsure. Sakura's face brightened.

"Really? Well, I guess I can lend a hand…I already got a gift for Tenten-chan anyways. Hmm…let's go to the village square! There's bound to be at least one shop where you can find something!" she said happily, and dragged Neji towards the more crowded, busy area. First, they entered the clothes shop.

"Wait. Tenten's not the type of girl who likes clothes." Neji suddenly said, and Sakura stopped and slapped her forehead.

"Oh yeah! How could I forget that! Okay…" she mumbled, and soon, they were in front of a weapon shop. "How about this place? Tenten-chan loves weapons!" Sakura exclaimed triumphantly, looking proud of herself. Neji shook his head.

"It's no use; Tenten's father is a skilled and popular blacksmith. She gets all of her weapons from him." he said, and Sakura's face fell for a moment before it brightened again. She dragged Neji to another shop, which was a jewelry shop.

"What about jewelry? Tenten-chan's not the type to wear a pretty bracelet, but a necklace might do!" she said, smiling. Neji shook his head again.

"No, I can't do that. Lee already got her a necklace. I want to be…original." he said, and Sakura sighed.

"I see…Oops, look at the time! I've got to go! Neji-san, I'm sorry if I wasn't much help!" she exclaimed, and bowed slightly. Neji scoffed.

"Yeah, you weren't much help. I'll think twice before asking you to help me from now on." he said and began to walk away. Sakura crossed her arms and pouted.

"Well you're sure nice!" she yelled over her shoulder, and she ran off.

It was around evening, and the sun was setting. Neji sighed as he trudged down the almost-empty streets.

'I still couldn't find anything…What do I do…' he thought. He stopped and looked up, and his eyes widened when he saw what he was facing. On the door with brightly colored letters, were the words 'YAMANAKA FLOWER SHOP'. Neji mentally slapped himself for his stupidity. 'Darn, I could have just bought flowers for her! How stupid can I get?' he thought, and entered the shop. At the counter was Ino, who was currently reading a magazine. She looked up when the door opened.

"Welcome to the Yamanaka flower shop…HUH? Neji-san?" Ino exclaimed as she dropped her magazine in surprise. After all, it wasn't everyday you saw Hyuuga Neji enter a flower shop in the evening. Neji looked around. He saw many flowers of all kinds, and he to admit that he was impressed by the amount of flowers in the shop. He walked around aimlessly, inspecting a flower here and there. Ino smiled nervously.

"Um…would you like to buy a flower?" she asked, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. Neji looked at her, and nodded. "Is it for Tenten-chan's birthday tomorrow?" Ino asked, and Neji nodded again.

"I'm not sure which one to give her." he said after a moment of silence.

"I see…Maybe I could help?" Ino offered, and began pointing out various flowers and their meanings. "…For example, pink roses mean grace and perfect happiness. Oh, and white zinnia mean goodness. The most popular flower is a red rose, which obviously means 'love'. So, which one appeals to you the most?" she asked, and Neji furrowed his eyebrows in thought. His attention settled on the many assorted roses.

'Love…grace…thankfulness…admiration…friendship…innocence…remembrance…gratitude…beauty…purity…' Neji thought as he glanced at each rose. Suddenly, an idea came to him.

"Yamanaka-san…I'll buy this." he said, and Ino smiled.

"Good choice!" she exclaimed. A few minutes later, Neji walked out of the shop with a content look on his face.

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It was Tenten's birthday party. The (former) rookie nine and Gai's team were there. Tenten had a big smile on her face as she talked with everyone. The cake was huge, with vanilla frosting, and everyone had a great time. Almost at the end of the party, Tenten opened her presents. From Lee, she received a silver chain necklace with a mini-kunai attached to it. The kunai was made of real ruby, and it was about the size of a large marble. Naruto gave her 5 bowls of cup ramen, including a free coupon for the Ichiraku ramen stand. Ino gave her a set of hair ties. Sakura gave her a new shuriken holster. Shikamaru gave her a set of jutsu scrolls where she could record all of her jutsus. Chouji gave her a big box of assorted chips. Kiba gave her a necklace with a fang attached to it and Akamaru gave her a lick on her cheek. Hinata gave her a brand-new (and expensive) kunai-sharpening kit, and Shino gave her a set of explosive tags that you can easily attach to any weapon. Tenten thanked everyone for their presents and at the end of the party, everyone said goodbye with happy faces. After everyone had left, Tenten sighed happily and looked at all of her presents.

'I didn't get a gift from Neji but I don't care. At least he came! I'm just content with him being here.' she thought, but her thoughts were interrupted when someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around and found herself face-to-face with none other than the pale-lavender eyes of Hyuuga Neji.

"Neji!" she exclaimed, sighing with relief. "I thought you left!" Neji didn't reply. Instead, he took Tenten's hand, causing her to blush. He led her away from the party area, into the forest. "Neji…where are we going?" Tenten asked, but again Neji didn't reply. So, Tenten just shut her mouth and decided to ask questions later. Suddenly, he stopped.

"Close your eyes." he said with no emotion on his face. Tenten was a bit confused, but did so. She felt Neji leading her somewhere, and thought Tenten had the urge to open her eyes, she didn't. A while later, Neji stopped again.

"Open your eyes." he whispered into her ear, and when Tenten opened her eyes, she gasped silently. She was facing a small pond, with trees surrounding the area. But the most amazing sight was the fireflies. Their small, glowing bodies seemed like sparking stars above the undisturbed waters of the pond. Fireflies dotted the area, and some blinked on and off like neon lights. It was almost night, and the full moon was high and clear in the dark sky. Neji watched as Tenten gasped and smiled with amazement. As she slowly walked towards the pond, fireflies flew around her, lighting up her smiling face. Neji found himself captivated with the sight.

'She looks so…beautiful, standing there…' he thought, and he felt his cheeks redden. Tenten looked at him with sparkling amber-colored eyes.

"Neji! How did you find this place! It's…so beautiful…" she exclaimed, chuckling a bit as a firefly landed on her nose. Neji stepped forward with a hint of a smile on his face. He pulled out something from behind his back and held it out towards Tenten.

"Happy birthday, Tenten." he said, half-smirking and half-smiling as Tenten's mouth formed an "O" of surprise. Neji was holding a magnificent bouquet of assorted and mixed roses. Some were pink, some were red, some were yellow, a few were white, and some had leaves attached to it while some didn't. Some were even buds instead of fully-bloomed flowers. Tenten gently took the bouquet with a look of surprise and happiness on her face.

"Neji…" she whispered, holding the bouquet close to her chest. She suddenly felt Neji's hand caressing her cheek gently and blushed a little bit.

"Those roses each have a different meaning, Tenten. Pink for grace, deep pink for thank you, light pink for admiration, yellow for friendship, white for innocence, the full-bloomed roses for gratitude, rosebuds for beauty, red rosebuds for purity, and…" Neji leaned closer towards Tenten. "Red roses for love. The whole bouquet…means that you're everything to me. I love you, Tenten." Tenten couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had felt attraction and love towards Neji for a while now, but she had never expected him to love her.

"Neji…I love you too. This was my best birthday ever." she said, and the two kissed gently, with the fireflies flying gracefully around them.


Uhh…that wasn't very good, was it? I wasn't too confident with this one…I hope I didn't disappoint any of you Neji+Tenten fans! Oh, and PLEASE READ THIS MESSAGE! IT'S QUITE IMPORTANT! I have a number of fics that are "coming soon". However, I can only do ONE of them. PLEASE CHECK MY PROFILE! At the bottom of my profile there is a small list of three fics I might do. All of them seem okay but I'm not sure which one to do first! After you have read through all of them, please tell me which one I should do by: Telling me in your reviews, or e-mailing me. But it WOULD be easier for me if you would tell me in your reviews. Just tell me your choice by including it in your review for THIS fic. The most popular choice is the one I will do. Well, PLEASE REVIEW! And don't forget to check my profile!

For the next chapter, I'm going to use the same system as the one I used on the previous chapter. You have to pick:

A genre Romance, comedy, friendship, romance/comedy, romance/friendship, or friendship/comedy.

A pairing: Sasuke+Sakura, Neji+Tenten, Naruto+Hinata, Shikamaru+Ino, Shikamaru+Temari, Naruto+Sakura, etc. or others.