Title: Hyuuga Engaged

Chapter: 3 – Makeshift Battle

Author: Rekino

Neji slowly closed his eyes and shifted to a stance I knew oh-so-well. My face fell, and I lost all traces of my earlier amusement.

Shit, he was going to use his Byakugan.

My mouth had suddenly gone dry. I blinked heavily, my eyes dusting over the terrain in pure unmistakable horror.

Oh my god, I am so screwed. Once Neji used his Byakugan on me I was a sitting duck, literally. I'm too young to die! I'm just a mere chuunin who won't even be able to live up until her sweet sixteenth birthday, which was in three months. Thank you Neji, I refuse to invite you now, even if you do spare me.

"Shit!" I snapped to myself in annoyance. I whipped back, distancing myself by an additional three metres. The gap was now at ten. I sheathed the kodachi expertly and drew out my weapon scrolls from my holster hastily. Crouching down, placing them both on parallel ends, I began to form the hand seals.

Don't get nervous Tenten! Nervousness is the one thing in battle besides anger that would cause people to lose. My mind said with a hiss of anticipation. Evil Tenten loved the taste of blood, even if it was my own. Such a cannibal…

Is that so? I thought darkly.

Yes!

Then shut up!I growled back.

Why?

Because you're distracting me Brain!

Oh…

My brain was fast-forwarding to the future after my death. Some unlucky Jounin would be making a typed up report for the Fifth.

Name of Deceased: Tenten

Age of death: 15

Village: Konoha

Rank: Chuunin

Death: Reported to have been accidentally killed by Hyuuga Neji during a sparring match within the confines of his estate. Report states that witnesses (servants) admit to seeing Ms. Tenten – deceased – provoke Mr. Hyuuga into killing her.

My report would be something like that. I just hope Lee would avenge my death, let him do something right for once in his life.

Once the seals were done, I shouted, "Soushouryu! (Rising Twin Dragons!)" The scrolls opened on it's own accord and whizzed up high into the air, letting out a smoky pair of furious dragons encircling the paper as they soared. I hunched down and suddenly became visible up in the sky. Neji had now opened his eyes and were watching me through them intently. His jaded gaze unnerving me to the core. I suppressed a shiver and began bombarding him instantly with all the random devices.

Weapon after weapon rained down on him in a merciless endless performance. Scythes, sickles, kodachis, daggers, flails, knives, katanas, shurikens, kunais, dirks, you name it. I threw it.

He blocked them all of course, as expected with his impeccable defence. His heavenly spin, remember? I found nothing remotely heavenly about it right now. I had hoped that it would stall his actions from whatever he was planning, which it did. Yet an overwhelming sense of helplessness flooded me.

It was impossible to beat Neji with his Byakugan. I knew that for a fact. Hello, I was his sparring partner for four whole years. With his inherited skill, the percentage of winning would be at 18.6. Which wasn't a very high success rate.

I hated being like this. I only knew I was slowing down the inevitable. I skilfully landed on the roof to the west wing of the house. I grabbed a handful of the spiky demons from my back and scattered the makabishi on the floor. The little darts flying everywhere.

I paused suddenly when I realised my actions were being done in vain.

Neji was gone. Gone, as in poof!

The weapons I had thrown were littered everywhere, no kidding. But Neji, Neji wasn't there. Dark eyes of mine looked in all directions. My heart thumped in alarm. It started racing on its own behalf.

I froze.

He was right beside me. His breath hot against my ear, teasing lightly and his chakra was flaring up. Balling up a fist, I closed my eyes and a flash of determination lit through them.

Then all of a sudden, everything was a blur. I spun around to clock Neji in the chin, or whatever I had come to face with, when he grabbed my wrists and brought it down behind me in a painful hold. Argh, not again. He seemed to be doing that lately.

I cried out both in alarm and pain, furious tears emitting from the corners of my eyes. I refused to give in. I hated losing with a vengeance. Maybe that's the reason I still disliked Temari a little after the past three years.

I growled lightly and tried to kneed him where it hurt, yes, it was a low blow but I was very desperate. At that moment I believed I would have dared to do almost any option that was available to me. The bastard anticipated my attack and blocked it with his knee. Don't ask me how he did it. The point is he just did.

I think a weapon of mine had slashed the tie that bound his hair together, for it fell over his shoulders in an entrancingly dark cloak. I had just momentarily realised how soft his hair was, almost as soft as mine. And that's saying a lot because I can be very vain about my hair. It's the only thing I find non-repulsive about myself.

Soon we were pressed tightly against one another. What? Don't be a pervert! It's not my fault!

"You cheated!" I snapped coming in contact with his Byakugan. He had the nerve to chuckle lightly, his voice ringing into my ears. His free hand that didn't bind my wrists came to stroke back a stray lock of hair that was obscuring my vision.

His touch was so gentle… Argh! Bad thoughts!

He said simply, "You cheated first." I shook my head furiously, his fingers ghosting over my cheek in a soft caress. My face was heating up by the second. Someone stop him!

"I did not!" I replied with a haughty snort. Umm… did I cheat? I honestly can't remember… OK… maybe I did… but just a bit!

"You threw a kunai at me," he frowned. Even that frown was cute. It wrinkled his expression in a childlike sort. He looked so naively innocent. Tenten! You dirty girl!

I stopped to think about it... OKAY, maybe I did throw a kunai at him… "It was an accident…?" I said with a tiny hopeful smile, praying he would drop the subject. But no- Hyuuga Neji just has to be mean.

"Hardly. I thought it was supposed to be just the kodachi and the katana. It's your fault it turned out this way." pining the blame on me. I cringed at his tone, accusatory, but not entirely so. I looked away. Avoiding his fiery gaze that I'm sure of would have charred an ordinary human by now. However, I am special.

I demanded of him; willing myself off his grip, which only tightened more as I tried to wiggle free, "Well you can let go of me now!"

He had this totally unreadable expression on his face, like he was deep in thought. "No." My jaw dropped. I can assure you it would have sunk to the ground if he hadn't grasped my chin in between his thumb and forefinger and shut it neatly. Neji is so polite – not.

"What?"

"No." Asshole.

"Neji… what?"

"Are you having a particular problem hearing today Tenten? Or is it just because you're around me?" I couldn't help it- I blushed. He's getting too smart at this. He's been hanging around me too much. That's where he picks up all the good comebacks. From whom else but yours truly?

What? Do you actually think he gets them from Lee?

"No!" I said indignantly, trying to retain any ounce of pride that may have possibly remained. "It's just that- ARGH shut up and let go!" I continued to attempt an escape from his grasp. Soon, I gave off a large sigh and stubbornly stopped my actions. Relaxing nicely into his hold.

"Fine, you win…" I said. He cocked an eyebrow at me, not quite believing. But it was too late, because his once-firm grip loosened for a split second. That was all the time I needed. I slipped down from his grasp with ease, gave him a cocky grin and added, "You wish!"

I swept his legs from under him with my own, toppling him over in a fraction of a second. He crashed down on the tile roof with a painful thud. I heard him mutter a curse as he tried to resolutely stand up, except he found he couldn't do so. His white pearl orbs glared at me angrily.

"What is this?" he queried, not pleased I might add. I grinned once again, holding my fingers in front of me to level with my face, wiggling them mockingly. Tiny strings were evident from the tips that cascaded towards his direction.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten my other specialty," I said with a look of feign hurt. Neji continued glaring appropriately. No fun. No fun at all, "Well, it has been a while since I last used it…"

Besides weapons, my other specialty was the use of chakra strings. Though they're not entirely just chakra. Once they were created they took on the form of real strings. Painful enough to cut, enough to slice through skin and bones.

He ordered, "Let me go." I smiled. I shook a finger in front of him and placed a hand on my hip, shifting my weight to my right foot.

I explained to him as a mother would a child. "Again, I refuse. Hmmm you know what? I kind of like you in this position." Oh my god- am I flirting? His eyes shot wide up in shock. I think mine did as well. But we won't go into that.

"Unfortunately, I have to end this," I said with a tinge of regret in my voice as I took my kodachi out of its sheath. I didn't bother taking slow steps and shouting DIE - like a normal bad guy would. For one, I wasn't technically a bad guy, because I'm a girl. But besides that, I don't like being cliché. It was just unoriginal, not to mention plain boring.

I took two paces forward, jumped and landed behind him. All the actions were effortless and well practiced. I smiled a dark smile, twisted the strings coiled around his lean body and tightened it. He grunted in pain. The constriction was plainly taking a toll on him. It was nice to watch him struggle helplessly for once. The more he struggled the more it tightened. It was actually pretty funny.

I'm sadistic, aren't I?

But as I took a few more steps towards him. The most unexpected thing happened. Not to mention, embarrassing.

I slipped.

Yes. Weapon master Tenten; Rank, chuunin, slipped. The tiles that Neji fell in were cluttered around him. So incidentally, I had not noticed the tiny shard that lay innocently in front of me. Coming into closer contact with Neji, kodachi poised and ready by my side. I had taken another step and gracefully fell. I would never live this down.

My blade fell off my hold and with realisation I could see that I was falling towards the weapon-maimed area I had created. Oh shit.

I couldn't stop my body. I was obviously low on chakra. Having used up most of it on my barrage of devices and holding Neji together with my chakra strings. I had no way to stop my self from the impending death I had gone and created myself. I closed my eyes, hoping that the pain wouldn't hurt as much if I did so. Until of course, I was whisked off and carried into two strong arms. Tendrils of dark hair falling teasingly across my body.

My eyes opened to find Neji giving me a dark glare as he carried me in his arms.

To be continued…

Thank you for all the support and reviews I've been given! COOKIES TO ALL! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Special thanks to my beta Aventri, of whom writes greatly and is extremely patient with my works. And to Scythe, on whose behalf I'm writing my first attempt at a NejixSaku. Christ! I never thought I would do it! I can't even stand the pairing… but still, I promised that I would try to do any requests or challenges that are sent my way. AND I WILL! So look out for my NejixSaku fic that might come along in 2 weeks or so! And a collaboration by Scythe and me.

Peace my friends! To the reviewers I am greatful!

/ Rekino

#Aventri– Bah! You give me so much credit when I should you! Thanks for fixing up the fic. You've been great help!

# potpourrigrl – Yuki's not that bad… lol.. ok, maybe she is! Neji's a cheater mwahahahaha! And he is jealous! Jealous Neji hotness!

# allyluv17 – thanks for saying it's awesome! Woot! I'm glad you think so! Neji should just get married to Tenten instead, huh? Lol. They should elope!

# LightDreamer – Jealousy is as bad as anything! Hehehe. Hope you like this chap. Thanks for reading!

# ShenLi – YES! More interested reviewers! I love you guys! I hope I'm doing a good job at Tenten's POV. It's kind of hard.. but I'm trying!

# jmj102 – Sorry again.. ;; But thanks for reading. I never really thought about putting Sasuke in it… but you just gave me a good idea! Thank you!

#Fwoggie – Mwahaha! Tenten rocks! No way! Your reviews are much more fun to read XD!

mangazero - blushes you guys flatter me too much! Hehe, glad you like it.

# Cyberwing – Yup, poor Tenten, especially after this chapter.

# i-dream-of-blue-eyes – sighs Neji is always like that. Lol. Cheating using Byakugan… tsk tsk…

# Ling-Hao – Thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it and I'll try to make Yuki more interesting. I've got the perfect idea of what to do with her! Hehe!

# Kawaii Yoshi – They should seriously have more Tenten scenes in Naruto! pouts She's one of my favourite characters! Thanks for the review!

# HiEi JaGaNsHis FlAmE – Hehe, I'll try to update more as well.

#Bakutiku – Lol. That was such a funny review! Non-bumholeys! And we will see more of them actually. At the party…. Hehe… you'll like the next one who comes along. Thanks for sticking around and reading.

# ilikesaddleshoes – YAY! You're cosplaying! OMG! That is so cool! You should so send me pics if that's ok! I think Neji being jealous is out of pure instinct.. who knows though? One can never know the mind of a Hyuuga! p Woot! Do I still earn those chocolate bunnies?

# Sweartoad with a Scythe – Yes, I'm in love with them! By the way, how was school today? E-mail me or something and WRITE MORE! Hehehe!

shakiya – Hehe, I'm not that good. I just love to write. Neji jealous is SEXY! Mwahaha! I love Neji! YUKI BASHING! LOL