Okay, a few things:

First off: I'm TERRIBLY sorry for the lack of updates. Me, personally, got hit over the head even worse than the last gap in regards to my RL (I have a couple of rather severe pressing medical issues, and it has been interfering with my creativity). So...really sorry. The next chapter might not come around until after the holidays, but there might be some luck in that, considering I really want to get around to Ino's reaction to all of this.

Next, I'm sorry that I don't tend to answer the reviews. I'm horrible about that, and I wish there was a way to directly reply to them pokes That being said, again I thank you for your feedback (WHAT? Good for not being Beta'd?! HEE). Unfortunately, Temari really isn't going to have much of an appearance until the 3rd arc (Meant to take place about 5-7 years from when this arc ends). This fic centers around the girls of Konoha, and their lives. Temari will be making an apperance but she's not all that vital. Consider her the occasional flavor text. My apologies to Temari fans.

Thirdly, as you've likely noticed, Thanks to recent manga chapters, this fic's veered off into the slight realm of AU. I went with what made sense over being optimistic. Neji was kept alive for a reason (and it has nothing to do with pairings), and I went ahead and let Chouji bite the bullet, as it were. After it showed up that both Neji and Chouji were fine, I had to make a choice. Continue on how I planned, change the obvious glaring non-canon thing, or drop it. Changing it was too difficult from what I had planned, and I got threatened from discontinuing it. So, continuing.

Also... I didn't want to bring up the pairing issue for a while. Not until a later section (when the girls are full adults), if that. Mainly because this is a story about growing up for them. While romance will be part of the package, it is not the focus of this story. Anyway... I know the way the manga is going, people are going to be interpreting things as certain pairings being suggested. I am not paying attention to that. Like with how I thought out the resolution of the Sasuke thing, I'm going with what makes sense. I took each of the characters, and figured out how they'd work, and how they'd get together. Some of them are obvious from the start of this (Particularly the ShikaIno), but that's the way I planned. As much as I'm sure people would love to comment about things, I would /really/ appreciate it if you left the "But So'n So is Canon!" or "Bah, but I like So'n so with So'n so better," or any sort of thing from the reviews. It doesn't make me happy, and that's one of my largest review pet peeves. This is something that's been planned out for a long time, and could really do without the negatives as far as pairing stuff.

Sorry to sound so mean, but I figured I'd get that out in the open now. Thanks.

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They All Fall Down

It couldn't have been a darker day in Konoha.

Not even Sandaime's funeral, with his and so many others' being remembered, had been this bleak. Tenten turned her eyes up to the sky and blinked. It was just one big blanket of near-black. As if the sky wanted to rain, but for some reason, didn't. Almost as if it had the want to rain, but had nothing left to give. In the end, it just made things look more miserable.

Next to her was Rock Lee. Her other side, her right side, was empty. Glancing further down the row, she saw Hinata, and next to her, her father and sister. Neji wouldn't be with them. Last she heard, he still hadn't come out of his coma, and even the efforts of Tsunade weren't doing him any good. By all rights he should have been dead, but something kept him barely clinging to life. If he hadn't been found when he was, though, Tenten was certain that his picture would be up on the memorial as well.

She glanced forward, and her eyes fell immediately on Ino's back. Even from this distance, she could tell that Ino had dropped several pounds, and while she couldn't see the blonde's face, Tenten was certain she could imagine the look worn. At her side was Shikamaru, who seemed to be alternatively trying to fall away from Ino and leaning up against her, as if she was the only thing keeping him upright. Their parents were with them, and occasionally, Shikamaru's father would help in the whole keeping-Shikamaru-upright thing. Tenten let out a sigh, though, when she noticed Chouji's parents standing in the same cluster as Ino and Shikamaru. It made sense, considering their family ties, but...

Instead of glancing to the front after seeing Chouji's parents, Tenten looked away from Ino and Shikamaru, and regarded Sakura and Naruto. The distance between them was very noticeable, and she was thankful that she couldn't see either of their faces. She didn't want to. Guilt, grief and rage mixed together wasn't a very pretty sight, and after what happened, the failure at Naruto's hands... and then facing Sakura about it... for the first time in her life, Tenten felt sorry for the boy that had a village-wide reputation as an outcast and an idiot.

No one blames you, Naruto. She wished Sakura could figure it out. She knew that Ino and Sakura got into yet another all out fight over that bit of news. It shouldn't have happened when it did, but Ino was so biased against Sasuke at that point that she wasn't willing to listen to Sakura's defense of Sasuke.

Then again... nobody was. Not even her.

"Tenten-san?" a small voice piped up next to her. Tenten gave a start. She hadn't been aware that things were breaking up and that people were heading to the front to pay their respects.

"Sorry, Hinata, just... spacing out," Tenten murmured, and followed the girl. Hinata had broken ranks with her family in order to be able to stand with Ino and Shikamaru. The families allowed them to do so, and Tenten was thankful. Shikamaru's presence there was short lived, though. A quick visit, and then he turned and left. Ino was too exhausted to do much but rub her forehead. After a bit of shuffling, the three girls were together.

"Ino-san?"

"Hey, you going to be okay?" Ino glanced up at both of their questions and just gave a weary smile, as if trying to assure both of them that she was fine. Tenten didn't buy it for a minute. "Shikamaru's still...?"

There was a sigh, and Ino murmured, "I don't want to talk about it. It'd be rude to start another fight with Sakura over this mess if she overheard. She doesn't understand why he's hated so much and I got tired of explaining it to her."

Tenten nodded understandingly. Ino was so exhausted. They all were. But Ino just seemed to be getting hit on all sides. Chouji's death, Shikamaru's depression, Sakura's failure to listen... Tenten counted her blessings that she really only had Neji to deal with, even though it wasn't the case. This was sending a ripple through all of Konoha.

Ino sighed quietly, and then Hinata glanced over to Tenten. She figured why that was. Ino was on the verge of another breakdown, and Tenten, between the three of them, likely seemed the most composed. "Tenten-san... what's going to happen now?"

"I don't know, Hinata..." She paused when Ino couldn't contain her tears anymore, and Tenten reached over to hug her, giving her a shoulder to cry on, "I... I really don't know."

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"Thank you, for allowing me this visit, Hinata." Tenten's voice was quiet, unsure. The gesutre of the Hyuuga heir was completely unexpected. Hinata fidgeted even more when she mentioned the favor.

"I... he... Father doesn't want non-family to visit him," Hinata murmured quietly, her fingers pressing together tightly. "Please... make it quick."

Tenten had to take a moment to stop and stare at Hinata. Luckily, they were already at the door to Neji's room. Tenten noticed the distinct lack of guards, but she figured Hinata had already taken measures to deal with them. But the point of the problem was what Hinata just said. The older of the two frowned and sighed, asking, regardless of the fact she already knew what she meant, "What do you mean?"

"I'm letting you see him. I didn't ask Father if it was alright." Hinata's eyes darted about nervously. "I thought that it'd do him good to have a friend see him...instead of family. If--if I asked, he would've said no. S-so, I just...did."

Tenten wanted to lecture her, but instead, her lips pulled into something of a smirk. "You need to stop hanging around Ino. She'll have you needlessly smacking around boys before too long." She actually chuckled when Hinata blushed, but smiled nonetheless. The time they were spending together were really helping them all deal with the wait. Of course, now they were dealing with the aftermath. Hinata had been spending time with Tenten more than the other girls, perhaps because of their mutual concern for the one that was currently housed in the room beyond the door before them.

She pulled her lips thin, and sighed. "Well, you better go, and I better make this quick." Hinata nodded, and she was already turning and hurrying away by the time Tenten opened the door, and stepped in. She personally hated hospital rooms. They lacked any real life, and were far too sterile for her liking. Everything was mostly white and if there was any color to the place at all it was an odd sort of desaturated mint green. Tenten wasn't sure how this was supposed to encourage healing at all. She regarded the room for a moment, taking everything in, mostly out of habit, and then her eyes rested on the bed. Apparently, Neji was sleeping. SHe cursed her luck, but decided not to bother him while sleeping.

"You wanted something?"

The voice stopped her dead in her tracks mid-turn, and she just blinked. Turning to look over her shoulder, she found that Neji had turned his head to regard her. He wasn't sleeping at all, apparently. Either that, or Tenten somehow managed to wake him up. Not one to really gawk or stammer out half-said sentences in embarrassment, Tenten merely closed the door, and moved to take a chair next to the bed. It was conveniently placed, likely left there from someone else's visit. Neji watched her every move, but he didn't seem irritated at the impromtu visit, or who the visitor was. And he was usually pretty clear, expression wise, when he was annoyed.

Once she was seated, her confidence wavered. She didn't have clue one on what to say to him, now that she was here. It looked like Hinata wasn't the only one that needed to quit hanging aorund Ino. Tenten was apparently picking up the blonde's habit of doing before thinking. A sigh escaped her lips and she was aware that Neji was looking at her oddly. He didn't press her for anything though, just watched her. She figured it was likely because of his injuries that he was being so quiet. She had already taken note of the obvious changes. Neji had lost a lot of weight. His face sported bruises. And outside of turning his head this way or that, he never once moved his body. Tenten was mildly curious about how extensive the damage really was, but she wasn't about to ask. Rumor was circulating that the Hyuuga Genius had been grounded, so to speak. Premantently injured. Then again, the same was to be said of Rock Lee, so Tenten didn't take a lot of stock in that particular rumor. She had a lot of faith in Neji. He wouldn't let whatever injuries he sustained hold him back.

But... "I'm...glad that you're...doing better," Tenten inwardly winced. She stammered. That was something she didn't want to do. Again, Neji's brow arched upwards at her, as if he was trying to make out exactly why she was there.

"I'm not dead." He stated bluntly. But quietly. Tenten wondered if she imagined the slight tone of grief in his voice. "That's the extent of the good news."

The last part causes Tenten to blink. "But..."

Neji closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't want to talk about it." A moment later, his eyes opened once more. "If Hinata-sama's going to get in trouble for letting an unathorized visitor in here, I should at least do the nice thing and not complain about myself while it's happening."

So, he was aware of the little breach in protocol. There wasn't the usual trace of contempt for Hinata in his voice either. Again, Tenten was tempted to blame it on the fact he was tired. But that left her without anything to talk about. If he didn't want to talk about the injuries he sustained, then that meant he didn't want to talk about the effect they had on his training, which meant, he likely didn't want to talk about training at all. Tenten was at a loss as to what to talk about.

He had, in a single statement, eliminated everything they had in common. She didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Some of the customary annoyance Neji often displayed was starting to creep back into his features, but only just slightly. "You didn't come here just to sit and stare at me, did you?" He simply sighed at her and closed his eyes when she just stared at him. "Guess so." This time, his voice was nothing but tired.

"I... I came at a bad time, Neji," Tenten finally managed to speak. "You should get some rest." She stood up, and she blinked when she felt a hand around her wrist. She glanced down, and noticed how bandaged it was, and in some places, she could tell where there was still drainage from a wound or two he sustained on the arm. She managed to swallow her surprise at the action, and she regarded him with as much calm as she could at the moment.

"I am resting. Sit." He gave her arm a fling in the direction, emphasizing the "order" (It was really said too tiredly to be much of an order) that she should sit. She actually chuckled faintly as she did so. Neji ignored it. "I'd rather have company that doesn't say anything and just stares at me than family." A pause, "Or Sensei. I don't want anyone talking to me about my training. I don't want anyone giving me pep talks."

So, Gai-sensei was allowed to see the boy. She shouldn't have been surprised, but she could see what Neji meant. His visits were likely lined with a lot of pep talks about the "Power of youth" or some such. It was something Neji didn't exactly appreciate even when he was in perfect health. Tenten took a breath, and leaned back. Don't say anything and stare, huh? She tried to figure out what each of her newfound friends (She still found it so odd that she was spending so much time with the younger Kunoichi, and better yet, that she was actually not minding said company) would do in this situation. Hinata would do what she always did; press her fingers nervously, and just sit there. Sakura would huff, look indignant for a moment, than apologize for being rude or something. Ino? Ino probably would've bapped Neji over the head for the comment, and make some comment about how he should be glad she decided to visit at all.

None of the options sounded like the right thing to do, though Ino's method was the most appealing.

Of course, belatedly, she noticed that Neji still had a hold of her wrist. She blinked at it, and tried to pull her hand away. He allowed her to pull it from her grasp just slightly, his fingers tightening over her hand proper when it got that far. Her cheeks felt warm for some reason, and she glanced away from their hands to look up to her teammate. His eyes had already fallen closed, and his forehead glistened with a faint sheen of sweat. Tenten assumed either pain or fever was getting the best of him just now. Perhaps he should've waited until his body was healed up a little better before coming out of a coma, she mused. "Neji," she murmured, sighing. She moved to yank the chair closer, so neither of their arms got tired from being outstretched for so long. If he wanted to lay there and hold her hand, who was she to deny him such a request? As long as Ino never, ever found out about the gesture, she could keep it for the innocent (she hoped it was innocent, anyway. It would be far too complicated if it was otherwise) it was.

"Hinata won't get in trouble," he said to her, his voice quiet, weary. "If anyone asks," there was a pause on his part, his eyes opening for a moment to look uncertain at a tile on the floor. Then, his eyes closed again, "I requested to see you." Tenten felt touched. Truly touched. She wished that Hinata could've heard the sentiment herself, because Tenten seriously doubted such sincerity in his voice upon saying it would've faded by the time she got word about it. It was a subtle change towards his cousin, but Tenten knew that it was a big step for Neji to cover up for Hinata, much less cover up for her and mean it as a sentiment that he didn't want her getting in trouble. And then, some little part of her couldn't help but be touched that he would actually consider ever requesting to see her. Especially since all they were doing was mostly sitting in silence and holding each others' hand. Which still felt remarkably awkward. A strange sort of uncomfortable feeling that she couldn't find the will to tear herself away from, but still caused apprehension nonetheless.

Tenten's expression faltered repeatedly, trying to figure out what exactly to talk about. She was geniunely confused, mostly because he seemed content to just have her for company; albeit it was silent, awkward company. She sighed quietly, leaning back in her chair. Neji still kept hold of her hand, and the sounds of the various machines that were monitoring his condition were the only sounds in the room. Again, her eyes feel to their joined hands, and she took a moment to wonder why he kept holding it. It was decidedly strange.

She glanced up to see how he was doing, and founded he appeared to have fallen asleep. His posture was relaxed, and so was his facial features. She found that even relaxing from the normally stern expression at the moment gave way to one that was rathere troubled. Perhaps even scared. She figured now would be a good time to take her leave, and attempted to do so. However, when she tried to pull her hand away, his fingers tightened, like they had previously.

"Stay?"

The word was barely above a whisper, and Tenten figured that it wouldn't have come out in the slightly pleading tone that it had if it wasn't for the situation; if he would even say it at all. She took a moment to debate the request over in her head, trying to figure out what would be best to do. When she had looked up again, he had fully fallen asleep, apparently within moments of uttering the rather odd request. With a sigh, she just shook her head and settled back in the chair.

"Sure, Neji. I'll stay."