Ever since Neji Hyuuga's near death injury on a mission quite sometime ago, Tenten has vowed to herself to always be with Neji. Tenten's not the kind of mushy girl who'd go all cheesy about asking Neji out, she just got straight down to business.
When Tenten and a few other ninjas were sent to retreive Neji and his team, she saw a sight that made her head scream. It was Neji. But it wasn't the quiet handsome Hyuuga that she saw...well it still was but he was sort of er...unconscious-covered-in-blood-near-to-death. And having Tenten to see him like that was just painful as being stabbed in her heart, but she'd rather get pitifully stabbed than see Neji like that.
Finally making it safely...sorta... back to Konoha Neji and the other injured recepients were sent to the hospital. Normally the bunned hair girl is fearless and strong, but right now she felt like her knees were going too collapse. She was really scared, she was afraid to loose the one that she needs. And right now she needed someone to comfort her more than ever.
Hinata and Sakura were commensing on Neji and Chouji's surgeries.
Lee was supporting Neji.
Ino and Shikamaru were having a great lack of communication.
And right now she doesn't even have Neji...
She never have felt so alone.
She waited for what seemed like a really long time outside the E.R, waiting for the news that might snap her in two. Then she saw it, a bright angel releasing the doors to her hell. Oh wait, it's Tsunadae opening the E.R door.
She had a grim face, but it sorta...omg it sorta hid a reliefed smile! Yes, there was still hope for Neji! "Take good care of him." Tsunadae whispered gently to comfort the girl as she gestured her pale fatigue arms towards Neji's hospital bed.
Tenten smiled wearily, but in a thankful manner at the great medical ninja and rushed down beside Neji to hold on to his hand wishing to never let go. She's never felt like this for him before. The hard working kunoichi had always admired how determained and well...stubborn the Hyuuga can be, while she felt weak and hopeless of herself. She was ashamed of herself, being less strengthful than the other ninjas but not admitting it to herself and acting strong. But...even though Neji ignored her alot at times but he was like her role-model, secretly encouraging her to be strong, to be herself, to like herself. Tenten doesn't know if Neji actually feels that way about her but she never had to be ashamed of who she was when she's with her team. Well...when she's with Neji.
And based on appearence Neji might not be as good looking at Sasuke nor he was as outgoing and cute as Naruto. But he was strong, sophisticated, yet simple. He didn't mind being with her, training with her, or just eating lunch together. He didn't mind her. But Tenten loved him most when he'd try to use his sucky humor to cheer Tenten up during her hard times...hey what can she say? Neji's changed a bit for the better! His dark long hair made him even more adorable...maybe adorable isn't the word. Cool? Anyways, Neji had always looked good to Tenten.
But right now he was a comeplete mess.
Petrified hands gripped on hard on a dull and lifeless hand. Although Neji was actually saved from his injuries, he looked dead...well almost dead to Tenten. Silent tears were making their way down her cheeks without her realizing it. Her other spare hand grabbed on quick hold of Neji's patient shirt and praying that she could keep him into the save warm of her palm and protect him from the world.
"Tenten...you've..gotten..s-stronger." Neji quietly gasped out as if he took his first breath of air.
N-Neji...he's awake. He's awake!
She quickly wiped her fresh tears away from her face and let out a smile that she wanted to give to Neji and slowly closed up on him for a great bear hug. He didn't know how much this meant to her, just for him to call out...gasp out her name.
Tenten...
Tenten...
Tenten...
It was a wonderful word that he said to her, it made her gloomy cloud into a sparkle of sunshine.
After a quick while Neji's injuries amazingly recovered, and a special someone was the first to take him out to a celebration lunch at none other than...the Ichiraku!
Muahaha, even though it was just lunch with her favourite person at the Ichiraku, Tenten felt and treated it as if it was her first date. She's been waiting for so long to go out with Neji...without Gai or Lee following along, and now was her chance! ...Well, sorta. But she didn't care, she believed in faith and hope. And soon Neji would finally go out with her on an OFFICIAL date! Or so she hopes.
"So...Neji-kun, um..." Tenten nervously mummbled in her mouth while fiddling with her chopsticks.
Neji looked at her, with no expression. "Mm, want to go train later?"
"But Neji! Your injuries just recovered!"
"Don't worry, I know you can't hurt me." Neji coldly replied. But even though his words stung her a bit but it also made her feel reassured that he won't get hurt.
At the green field, Tenten pulled out two of her weapon scrolls as soon as Neji activated his Byakugan. Launching all her weapon slaves towards Neji, but in a careful manner trying not to hurt him, Neji quickly reacted to all his preditors and striked Tenten with a soft punch in her stomache causing her to spit out some blood. Not giving up, Tenten regained her balance being surprised by how powerful Neji is even after a servere series of injuries.
I told her that she won't hurt me why is she going easy on me? Huh? Tenten's bleeding?
"Tenten, if you want then we can stop." Neji asked her cooly.
Tenten let out a friendly scoff and wiped the blood off her mouth with her right hand and answered, "No Neji, I'm fine!"
Then Tenten reactivated her weapons and aimed for Neji from the top of a tree. Unfortunately, Neji's white eys saw what was coming for him and did a substitution jutsu replacing him by a stump while the real Neji reappeared behind Tenten.
"It, It's a substitution jutsu!" Tenten gasped. But when she finally turned around, it was too late. Neji packed in her slinder back a powerful kick sending Tenten flying off the tree and into a dirt pile.
Tenten was in pain, but she didn't want to give up. She tried with all her mind to push herself up but her bleeding shins and hands gave up on her.
"TENTEN!" Neji rushed beside her and straightened her up to a sitting position. "A-Are you okay?"
Tenten gave a few serious coughs gushing out spits of blood. "Of course not idiot, you got my hair buns all messed up." Neji didn't understand what she meant until Tenten grinned at him and let down her hair buns trying to clean out the grass and dirt from her hair.
But she looked so beautiful with her hair down with gentle breezes rushing through strands of her hair. It made her look different. Different but wonderful. Tenten looked like a whole new person to Neji, but he still knew that it was still the same old Tenten inside...except that she looked almost prettier than sexy justsu Naruto. Tenten turned around and looked at Neji. Their eyes locked for more than just a moment. They were stapled together into each other's glaces.
"N-Neji what's wrong?" Tenten asked still gazing into his white eyes.
"Why were you going so easy on me?"
"Because I didn't want to hurt you!"
"I told you that you won't!"
"OH SO IT'S MY FAULT THAT I WANTED TO CARE FOR YOU?"
"Ten..."
"AND THINK ABOUT YOU SO MUCH WHEN YOU'RE HURT? AND LOVE YOU? TREASURING YOU FOR SO LONG BUT NOT BEING ABLE TO TELL YOU?"
Neji was speechless, he never knew that she felt about him that way for so long.
Tenten let out a stressed sigh and managed to get up and started to walk away. "Nevermind Neji, pretend I never said anything."
Neji couldn't pretend that he didn't, instead he held on to Tenten's arm and spun her around to face him.
"I can't Tenten, I can't pretend and ignore your feelings for me. I never knew you felt that way. You're the only person to me that's different than the rest of them. And I can't pretend to not know that."
"N-Neji.." Tenten whispered while mentally slapping herself to see if this was a dream. Neji. The Neji Hyuuga has accepted her feelings...ah what the heck, her love towards him. She couldn't say anything. She just layed her head down on Neji's shoulders, which her head fitted perfectly into, and smiled to herself.
Neji put an arm around her waist and mummbled into her hair, "Besides you look waaay prettier than all the other kunoichis with your hair like that." But Tenten heard anyways, she just chuckled to herself whispering, "I was waiting for you to say that."
And alas they started dating more and more and even got wedded themselves! They had a wonderful little girl with brown hair and white eyes named Kari. They were soo happy together. And best of all, Tenten got what she was waiting for.