Vulnerability is a sin

A/n: This is my first try at Neji/Tenten fanfiction... If you don't like it , well, don't read it.

Who cares? I don't... By the way, special thanks to syaoran no hime, and neji (eyes of revenge)! They were my inspirations when I made this piece of fic. Thanks guys! I really love you... Well...here goes...

She had already resigned herself to the fact that she would always love him. And that was especially hard, considering the fact that he was an emotionless beast, and the only emotions he ever displayed ranged from mild disgust to deep-seated range.

Long ago, she had tried to suppress everything and bury them deep inside of her. But she found out that that she didn't have the heart to. Maybe it was because she lacked the courage, or the will power, something Neji-sama would have despised her for if he found out she lost it. So Tenten opted for the road less traveled, the lesser of all evils, and that is, to just remain.

But one day, she saw something that she wasn't supposed to see. She didn't know how she managed to see it, but she knew that image would forever be etched in her mind. It was Neji...

Neji crying... Neji alone... Neji pouring out all his anguish to the strangest girl she could imagine...Hyuuga Hinata...

At first, it was the strangeness of the scene that hit her, then, the utter impossibility of it all. Then came a sharp stab of jealousy, which was soon replaced by the sheer fact of Neji, vulnerable, hitting her in the head like dead lead. That thought gave the hardest blow. Simultaneously, her knees buckled, her limbs froze-all she could was to stare. She stood there rooted to the spot with one thought in her mind-Neji, why??

Then suddenly, as if he felt her presence ten feet away, he turned his head to hers, and looked at her. That look brought the heat back to her feet. It was hatred. It was as if he hated the thought of her being there, and as if he blamed her for seeing him like this, as if everything had been her fault. That made her muscles tighten, that made her muscles move. Turning around, she started to run. She run so fast, he wouldn't have the chance to see her--to run so fast so that she would not see him, and he wouldn't have the chance to hurt her again.

Tenten, stood in front of the mirror, gazing at her reflection. Neji called her a while ago, letting her know the time of the practice at the woods later. Following a quick leap of her heartbeat, she started to ready herself, both physically and emotionally.

After a few hours of trying to erase the scene from her mind, she finally managed to. And now, standing in the little shower room, she contemplated how vulnerable, she now looked.

She was wearing only her bathrobe, fresh from bath, pale rosy skin peaking from the inside of the thin cloth, and her long hair hung in a damp mass about her shoulders, water still flowing out from them, wetting her cheeks, shoulder and the floor beneath her.

She didn't like this look-in fact, she despised it. It represented everything she must lose to win in this rat race to excellence. And this was something that was hers alone, something no one must see, something she must always hide, she thought firmly. Then suddenly, a new thought dawned on her. And she grinned. "Neji-sama", she whispered softly, "We do have something in common, aside from training techniques-something both were trying to hide" Then, she placed her hand upon the cold mirror's surface, tracing her features, while she idly thought about her beloved Neji, and coming in terms with this new aspect of his personality. Then it hit her. Suddenly, like a blow from behind.

Memories, old ones. Old thing she was still trying to hide.

A girl lonely... A girl left by everyone who cared... A girl shattered because of her own stupidity and vulnerability... A girl taken advantage of...

BLOOD

A soft gasp escaped Tenten's lips. Blood was pouring of her broken fist, flowing freely from the numerous wounds. Then, in slow motion, she gazed at the mirror in front of her.

It was shattered.

Broken to many pieces while also revealing her shattered face.

A sob escaped her.

Soon, tears began to pour from her eyes... "No," she grimaced, "no"

Limping from the little tiled room, she crept towards her room, and sat in the corner, and started to cry... "Damnit... not today...not now...I don't wan't to feel this," she pleaded to herself.

No one could save her anymore, she thought. Maybe Neji-san, but Tenten didn't want to him to see her lying here, vulnerable... No one... She was alone.

Neji stood outside Tenten's gate, waiting for her to come out for their routine training for that evening. He lingered there, out in the open sun, letting its warmth, envelope him all over, relaxing his body, soothing his mind. It was a lovely afternoon. The sun's last golden rays melted in the evening, slowly changing to dusk. Yet, it still cast a glow over everything bathing everything in velvety-gold. He felt the calm seep over him, and standing there moving no muscle, he waited for her to come out...............

And waited...and waited...and waited until a very irritated crease decorated his forehead and a scowl played upon his eyes.

"Stupid girl... lack of responsibility...training...discipline..." he sighed angrily and turned around to leave, muttering a string of curses directed at the absent girl he had so patiently waited for. Striding across, the opposite side of the street, he rudely kicked a stone towards the pavement. Perhaps, offended by the insult, the stone bounced back from the concrete and hit him at a sensitive spot in his lower body area.

"SHIT!!"

"Damn it..."

"Stupid stone"

Limping towards the sidewalk, he now cursed himself for letting his temper get away with him. He seated himself at a corner, and waited for the pain to subside. Sitting there, he looked at the window of her two story apartment.

"Strange..." he suddenly said. It was dark. No light seemed to come from the inside. It was if no one was home. And that was peculiar, he thought. He called her a while ago, and he knew she was home. He also knew she hated the dark, event though she tried to hide it. And he knew she would never let the lamps go out-whether she was at home or not.

Standing up he walked towards her gate, curiosity getting the better of Neji and his conscience. Using his 360o byakugan vision, he scanned the whole area for witnesses. Seeing none, he used his chakra, to break the lock. Scan again. Left, right. No one. was there.

Taking a deep breath, he sneaked inside.

"It's dark here...," he said, unconsciously voicing his thoughts out loud. Making his way across the furniture inside the living room, he glanced around.

"No one..."

He peeked inside the kitchen.

"No one here also..."

Then, it was the closet's turn. No one was there, too.

"This is useless," he muttered in frustration. Once again berating himself for letting his curiosity get away with him, he was just about to leave, when he saw something in the bathroom door he hadn't noticed before. It was blood.

His eyes widened in alarm. He scanned around for more clues, and he saw another and another... He followed the marks until he reached the door of her bed room. There were traces of it in the door knob. Quickly, he alerted his senses, and opened the door.

And he saw her. But no one could have prepared Hyuuga Neji for the sight that beheld him.

Tenten lay crouched in the corner, like a bloody fetus. Blood flowed profusely from her wound. Her long hair lay about like a dark veil that shielded her face, her shoulder's and touched the red gashes on her fist, dying it's tips a black-red.
It was pure instinct that made Neji rush to her side, considering the shock she gave him. Kneeling down, he shook her and demanded fiercely, "Tenten, what happened?!"

She didn't answer, and only lay still. This made him panic, his eyes glittered in fear.

"Answer me, damn it!" This time, he pushed her hair away from her face, took her chin between his fingers and gazed at her, forced her to meet his gaze. It was only then, did he notice that tears were running freely across her cheeks, her eyes swollen, as if due to nonstop crying, and her eyes trembling in fear.

He drew back. Did she frighten him? He realized that he had forced his entry, and barged in here, like a frenzied animal. The idea stupefied Neji, and he just sat there, looking at her, dazed.

Tenten saw Neji, as if seeing through the eyes of an underwater swimmer.

After getting inside the room, she crouched into a ball, shut her eyes, and tried block all the images that were clawing their way to her existence. But they wouldn't leave. And they tore her inside out, screaming at her, laughing at her useless existence. Then, he came.

Like a dream.

She was fighting the pain, which was tearing across her wounded fingers, crying because of the nightmares, and feeling so lost and alone.

Then his face suddenly appeared in front of her, and she realized that his hand held her chin.

She gasped softly in surprise

"Neji!" she thought wildly. "Neji was here."

Of all people, Neji saw her in this sick state, he who she wanted to hide it from, most of all.

In sudden panic and fear, her lips trembled. She waited for the sudden lash of his tongue, and eyes, rebuking her for this display of weakness. She waited, and waited.

And saw none.

In a sudden burst of relief, she threw herself in his arms, clutching his shirt tightly against her.

She buried her face against his chest, wetting his shirt and surprising the boy tremendously.

With his two hands, he gingerly held her. Breaking out of his daze, he managed to say, a word of comfort: "It's alright..."

Then, to his complete shock, he felt her go completely still...

Tenten had suddenly fainted.