Chapter 2

AN:Well,another chapter of TM for you to enjoy.This chapter is mostly Neji and Tenten on the way to Mizugakure,so it's a tad fluffish.But don't worry,there's luff in this one.And,the action comes next,I promise.

Minoko-chan:Thank you very much!I know,I have to watch out for that.I hate grammar.--

The alarm clock suddenly clicked into action,the loud ringing bells suceeding in jarring her awake.Tenten rolled over in her bed,and promptly fell off of it,feeling the coldness of her hard wooden floors.She groaned,standing up,rubbing the sleep from her eyes,as she looked at the clock.4:30,as planned.

Tenten was NOT a morning person,that was obvious enough.Neji,no doubt,was up already,possibly meditating or training.She slipped into her bathroom,and into the shower,liking the feeling of the warm water hitting her once shivering body.Mornings in Konoha were always cold,especially before 7 AM .Tenten did NOT like the cold.She quietly slipped on her usual clothes,and tied up her hair tightly into buns.

Tired,though she was,she was not going to let her own discomfort get in the way of completing the mission.When she made a promise,Tenten kept to it.She picked up her bag that she had packed the night before,loaded down with weapons,scrolls,and a change of clothes,scrawled her mother a note,and walked out the door,heading for the villiage square.Neji was already there,his arms crossed in front of his chest,pale skin glowing in the scarce light.

She drew in a breath of wonder,drinking in his image like she'd never done before.It was still dark,and so,Neji's skin gave off a strange,but alluring radiance.She could scarcely see his raven hair,something which Tenten now wanted to touch.She shook the very thought out of her mind,blushing inwardly.Just when she'd thought she had gotten rid of all the embarassing thoughts,she made the fatal mistake.She looked into his eyes.

Evn in daylight,they were stunning,but at night,they were more so.She felt her own plain chocolate orbs locked within his creamy,silver ones.They were by turns happy,angered,or serious,the mood reflected by the gentle furrowing of his brow.Today they were stern..but Tenten thought she could see a trace of something,just beyond his unfathomable wall of coolness.Maybe...excitement?

"What exactly are you staring at?"

His voice rang out,startling Tenten out of her daydream.Immediately she felt...almost ahsamed.As if she'd been staring at something that she shouldn't be.She blushed,but the colour was swallowed up by the darkness."Ah,nothing.So,when do we set off?"she was trying to change the subject towards something that did NOT include Neji remembering that she had been staring openly at him.

"We were supposed to set out ten minutes ago.You're late."

Ouch.She could hear the very annoyance in his voice.Neji was a very punctual person.Tenten cringed,but inside her mind was intoning:ignore him,ignore him,ignore him.And then she grinned,almost evilly.This latest display of morning crankiness by Neji proved once again that he was human,and not an andriod.She smirked.

"My,Neji!You're very...cheerful today!"she said,in her loudest singsong voice.She smiled,and pulled him along by his arm,heading away from the villiage.He looked non-chalant as usual."So,how long will it take us to get to Mizugakure?Should be get there by nightfall?"Tenten asked,and suddenly she was all about business.

Neji nodded."Probably about a couple hours before nightfall.Which is good.We can recharge,and strike as soon as the sun sets."he smirked."They won't know what hit them."

They walked along at a very brisk pace,usually in silence,though once in a while it was broken by Neji's deadtone voice,or her cheery one.They walked,until The sun was very high in the sky,and Tenten delcared that she was hungry.She dragged him over to a shady spot,and made him bring out the lunch he'd packed for himself.They ate,also in silence,until Tenten couldn't stand it anymore.

"Say something,will you?You've barely strung together two words all morning!"she cried indignantly,while expertly picking up just the right amount of rice to fit in her mouth with chopsticks.Neji shrugged."What exactly do you want me to say?"he demanded,taking slow,thoughtful bites into a sandwich.Tenten sighed.THIS was what she got for being best friends with a Hyuuga.

Suddenly,he turned to her,a rare look of concern in his eyes."Tenten...this mission is going to be tough.Just...take care of yourself,okay?"

She nodded,fighting to keep her face straight,but inside she was screaming in ectasy.Why?Hyuuga Neji had actually showed that he was worried about her.Take a few minutes to digest that,and you'll know exactly why she was so floored.

AN:Thank you for reading!Please Rate and Review!