Chapter One: From now on, I will protect you... By all means.
18 years old Tenten grinned at herself as she reached where her ex-teammates were.
"Ohayo!"
She smiled. Rock Lee, her over-excited friend happily greeted her with his smile while the other just 'hn'ned.
"OHAYO TENTEN!"
It was 5 years ago, she thought... Just five years ago and everything seemed so right, life was nothing to worry about but now...
When they all become Jounins, they made a promise to meet up at the place where they usually trained. Now, Neji and Lee got missions ranked high as a Jounin while Tenten is a chuunin.
"GOOD-MORNING MY STUDENTS! I SEE YOU ARE SHINING WITH YOUR YOUTH ONCE AGAIN!" He yelled happily with Lee's jumps for excitement for his father-like-teacher who just arrived.
"GOOD MORNING GAI-SENSEI!" He yelled back...
Tenten almost rolled her eyes, after all those years you would think they would change, yeah? Well, you could hope for it... Her eyes spotted a moving Neji, who apperantly was now turning her gaze.
"Want to spar?" She asked him, her eyes shining with the thought of showing him how much she improved while his eyes returned the secret smile and agreed by taking his stance.. Gai-sensei and Lee stepped over to watch this spar...
And the fight begin. Tenten, in 5 years had experienced so many fights and now she became faster, smarter and stronger. She has another things now, more than to depend on Soushiryuu (?).
His hands barely could touch her, she was aiming her kunais at his 'blind spot', yet Neji- not sleeping during all those years and training to improve himself, had find another way to cover his blind spot...
A/N: I'm not good at writing fight scenes, can you imagine a real tough battle like Neji's and that sound guy, Kidoumaru(?)? Thanks
When they were done, the matchs winner was nearly decided. They were both tired. Even though Neji won, Tenten improved herself very much, she did deserved the rank, Jounin...
Not long, just after few minutes they all were sitting on the grass, talking...
"I sometimes don't know what to do... It's just, whereever I go the rivalry thing chases after me..."
Tenten was complaining to Gai about her students. His eyes were understandingly softened..
'I see, Tenten... You have grown so much...' He thought..
While, to Lee's suprise, Neji's eyes were following the kunoichi they both knew.
"You know Neji, after all those years, you seem different.."
Hyuuga looked up at him with a soft smile..
"I guess time does that to people.."
An non-familiar girls voice was heard behind them..
"Even to a Hyuuga, you say."
All of the 4 pair of eyes turned to see the new-comer, if she was an enemy.
The image was only familiar to Neji, which made his face seemed relieved, softly smiling with the memory he had.. Which, you say, caused Tenten to frown to only see the 'heartless Hyuuga' smiling over this... Beautiful...HYUUGA?
The strangers eyes shined with a smile, something to be searched often... She seemed like she kept all the happy memories in her eyes...
"Neji-nii-san..." She said softly, with respect.. And he answered her respect with his own only to bow softly.
"Hana-sama..."
When the group thought of giving them time to catch up, the two walked away where no one can hear them. Hana was leaning on a tree when she talked.
"I heard about your fathers death... I'm sorry Neji.."
He looked at her.
"It's ok."
Silence fell between them..There were questions in Neji's mind.. He knew Hana had a good memory, however she was lost during all those years...
"Where were you, Hana?..."
She looked at him, while a sparkle lost itself in her pearl eyes.
"Thousands of different places..." She answered... "That is something I don't even know.. But I am here now.."
Neji continued his gaze... She had changed a lot, well that is not unlikely though.. He hadn't seen her like thirteen years.. She was just four years old when she was lost... Among all of those who suffered her missed figure, he was one of them. Since Hana was someone who didn't care about the branch or main family stuff... Someone who probably doesn't even remember...
But how could she remember him?
"Hana... How did you kept your memories alive during all those years... Even I.."
He didn't finished his sentence, he did not need to.
"Because that was the only thing I hang up to. To remember my happy times, because then, I had none.. I didn't had anybody to help me, I didn't had anyone to feed me or dress me or even talk to me.. Reminiscencing was the only thing that kept me alive..."
Saying all this, none of them suprised Neji much than to see her smile... She never even frowned a bit. Hana was the same girl who he met when he was only one year old.
"How could you still smile? If I went through what you lived, I would never come back- let alone smiling..."
"That's the difference between us Neji-san. No matter what happened, life is still with me. And when I'm breathing, I will never stop smiling. That is the power I found when I was gone. It disturbed other people and distracted some. It drove me in trouble but saved me too, sometimes."
She smiled at him and as happy to see him returning hers, even if that was a really unnoticeable one.
"No matter what... I am glad that you came back, nee-chan."
"Me too.. Nii-san..."
FLASHBACK
"You protect us? Why?"
Four year old Hana, who can barely talk was angry at the fact of her beloved cousins words.
"That's because of the difference between the main and the branch family-.."
"Non-sence, there is NO difference between us." She cried..
"Hana..." The eyes of the five-year-old Neji softened at her words.
"You are my family. I don't care if you are my fathers younger brothers son, if that makes the difference between us. From now on, 'I' will protect you!"
"You, will protect me?" He raised an eyebrow to that. The girl in front of him seemed excited though.
"HAI! From now on, I make you my brother and I will protect you with my life, by all means.." As she kept on with how she planned to protect him, his eyes smiled at her and accepted her words while he made a promise inside.
'I will never let you get hurt Hana.. To me, you are not a main family's spoiled children.. From now on-using the exact words you did- , from now on, you are my sister...'
End Flashback
hr
A/N: There we go again! Was it short? Oh what ever, I enjoyed writing this but this is just like a bridge to the other things to happen... I know, for a four year old brat, Hana is pretty talkative but give me some understanding, ne? This is my first chaptered fanfic and like this serious..We all know making people love each other is the easiest among all... Drop a review by the way, so the words won't go for nothing.. I really wanna know if someone reads this thing...