Break Free
"Tenten," Neji started. He knelt down next to the bed with the pure white sheets while taking her left hand. He glanced up at her. Her face had lost most of its light tan-ish color. She seemed so frail.
"I don't know if you can hear me but I need you to come back. You have always been there for me when I didn't need or want you there. I've come to realize now, even though I have feelings for you, I cannot act on them. I don't want to become a burden to your life. This curse," he stated, starting to remove his forehead protector," is something I have to bare alone.
The curse seal on his forehead was an olive green color. The marking resembled an "X" and the lines coming from it went off in different directions. A single green line wrapped around his forehead. His index finger ran across the solitary line.
"I can't bestow this upon you, I just can't."
Unfortunately for Neji, Tenten did not answer his calling and lay still in the bed and emotionless. He knew he was somewhat confessing to her now, but could he actually do this is she were awake? This thought made him feel as if he were a weakling. Showing and telling his emotions to what seemed to be a lifeless body.
As Neji stood up off his knee to leave, he tried to remove his hand from Tenten's. Not only was his hand stuck, but also there was a strong grip on his. He slowly turned his head around and glanced down at Tenten. Tears were running down her cheeks and streaming from her closed eyes.
"I… I don't care! I don't care about your curse being 'bestowed' on me Neji! You can't bare it alone. I want to help you!"
"Tenten…" Neji whispered as her watched her painfully sit up, his hand still in hers.
"I can't do that to you. Please try to understand. Destiny has gotten a hold on me and I can't break free."
"No Neji! You understand! I want to share everything with you, be with you. I would give my life for you. That's why I protected you."
"Protected… me? What are you talking about? Are you sure you didn't dream that while you were unconscious?" Neji was a bit skeptical of her words and did not know what to think of them.
"Then, I was dreaming about something else, I think. No, the other day when you were practicing with Lee…"
Flashback"Just give up now Lee," Neji huffed while blocking one of Lee's taijutsu moves. "You're wearing yourself out."
"I'm… not done just yet," Lee howled as he opened the first gate.
Tenten was crouching in between the treetops, waiting to launch three ninja stars. She had her eyes closed, concentrating on the sounds of the movements Neji and Lee were making.
"Now!" Tenten jumped from her place towards a tree across the battle scene below. Passing over her two teammates, she threw her weapons down at Neji, her target. She had hoped he would dodge and deflect the weapons and not have them play bull's-eye with her target. But as always, Neji came through and deflected the three stars with no problem.
A half hour passed and the two teenage boys were finished fighting. Tenten heard Lee's call, stating that they were finished for the day. She acknowledged his call and stayed in the treetops, lying against the rough bark. The two boys below talked while she rested in the shade, slowly falling asleep. As soon as she dozed off, her body forcefully opened her eyes. Tenten scanned her surroundings and felt a huge surge of chakara near her.
"What… who is that?" Tenten questioned herself.
As she stood up from her sitting position, a kunai was headed straight for her head. She was able to dodge it in time and began to pursue the enemy. At first it was a throwing weapon battle, until it became too intense.
"Who? What are they targeting?" Tenten wondered.
As if the enemy scanned her thoughts, a ninja star was cutting against the wind, trying to find its resting place at the top of Neji's head.
"So that's it… but why? Either way, I need to stop them!"
Tenten threw a kunai at the previously thrown ninja star. She threw her kunai at a diagonal angle so the kunai would land in the star's circle, having it sail into a tree. Timing it perfectly, she was able to accomplish the task. Her focus was back on the opposing person. The movements seemed to be planned, synchronized almost. As if on cue, Tenten and the opposite force jumped off their respective branches towards each other. The other person was faster in speed and latched himself or herself onto Tenten.
"Sorry, but this needs to be done," the voice whispered into her ear.
The voice could not be distinguished between a man or woman, boy or girl. The enemy tossed Tenten straight down. Her destination was Neji without having a way to stop or break her fall.
"Neji don't! That's…"
"Kaiten!"
Neji's last words were the last audible noise to her ears.
End Flashback"There was someone about to attack me?" Neji interrogated after Tenten finished explaining everything. To Neji, something was a bit skeptical and did not seem to fit.
"Yes, the last thing I remember seeing before being tossed down was a flame," Tenten replied.
"You didn't have to risk your life for me!" Neji yelled.
She was not expecting a sudden outburst from him. Tenten hung her head low and tightened her grip around his hand.
"I wanted to," she simply replied.
"Why?"
"Because I love you," Tenten confessed and exclaimed at the same time. Tears were running from her eyes. "What do you want me to say!"
"…" He couldn't thing of anything to say. He was not expecting an outburst from her either.
"But it's not like you'll give me a chance," Tenten mumbled, looking and pulling her hand away from him, then slowly glanced back at him.
Neji gave her a blank stare. While he was at home when she was still unconscious, he has always had the thought on his mind. Time seemed to slow down. Seconds seemed to be minutes. Moments later, which maybe took minutes in real time, his face and expression softened as he inched closer to her.
"I can… and I will."
"Neji…" her eyes diverted away from his.
"Look at me…" She slowly raised her eyes to meet his own.
"I will give you everything. I will give you me. Will you accept that?"
"Yes!" Tenten smiled and hugged him, with her intention of never letting go.
"I'm so glad things worked out for you Tenten-san."
She lowered herself from the window from her tip topes and turned to leave.
"Hinata?"
"Na… Na… Naruto-kun. What are you doing here?"
"Actually, I came looking for you. I stopped by the main house and they said you might have been here," said the blue-eyed boy.
"Oh… um… what is it that you need?" When it came to Naruto, Hinata's voice always seemed to tremble.
"Lee wants to throw a small party for Tenten when she's released from the hospital. He said he needed help getting the word around to just us teenagers. Do you want to come with me?" Naruto asked.
"With… you…?"
"Ah! Did I say that? Um, I mean… well that's if you want to."
"I… um… sure… I'll go with… you." Hinata wondered if this could count as a date, even though it was a party they both would be attending.
"Awesome!" Naruto shouted and grabbed Hinata's arm and ran down the hall to the exit. A blur fell from her attire and went unnoticed by her and the blonde.
Neji walked out Tenten's hospital room feeling a bit relieved than when he first entered.
"Things will get better from now on… right?" he muttered to himself.
Neji, while walking down the hall, felt an object beneath his sandal.
"This is Hinata's. But what is it doing here?" Neji questioned, bending down to pick it up, "I'll have to return it to her once I see her."
He placed the two-colored felt object in his pocket and left to exit the hospital.