Team Gai Story Chapter 3: Knocking on Heaven, a naruto fanfic

Disclaimer: sigh This is getting redundant. Kishi owns all.

Author's Note:

Hmm...

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After a few more minutes... or it could have been an hour, she wasn't quite sure. She eventually regained her strength,

as well as motivation enough that she could stand up and lightly jog back to her small apartment in Konoha.

She took a shower, slowly washing off all the sweat, dust, and even blades of grass

that had somehow managed to get stuck in her hair while she had been lying there.

Tenten was almost done when, unexpectedly, the door-bell rang.

Quickly she turned the shower off, wrapped herself in a towel and hurried towards the door.

She had thought it would be the next door lady asking to borrow her washing detergent again

(this happened often).

What she didn't realize was that despite the clock on the kitchen table saying 9:15...

it was actually three hours off. You see, in order to make sure she woke up

Tenten had set the clock to three hours before the appropriate time, so that the alarm

would sound just that much earlier than the time she usually got up.

Somehow all that running must have made her a bit forgetful, because she forgot that she did that.

Thus, she was completely and utterly surprised when who should appear behind the door,

but the last person she expected to see... Hyuuga Neji.

What might be more interesting though...

was that instead of the glare or stotic look one would expect from him in this situation,

the look on his face when Tenten opened the door could only be described as... uncertainty.

You may be surprised to know that despite all the time Tenten had spent training with Neji

both during and prior to the chuunin exams, he had never even once visited her home.

Always prefering to train either in the forests and fields outside, or in the special training area they had designated

on the outskirts of Konoha.

Never once did he walk her home, or even visit as a friend. Although Tenten would sometimes visit the Hyuuga compound

when she felt like it. Well, rather

it was that she had done so on such a frequent ocassion that it was no longer even taboo or suspicious to the other Hyuugas

when they saw her running along the rooves.

It was practically a daily procedure for him to catch a flying kunai or shiruken knife flying through his window

before jumping out the same window gracefully to the ground below, and thus begin his day.

It was almost strange that morning when he woke up... not to the sound of a kunai whizzing in the air,

but simply to the quiet chirping of birds. This was not so irregular as to distract him completely.

He went to the training area and waited. After an hour of stretching, meditating

as well as a few simple excercises in chakara control... there was still no sign of Tenten.

He began to do katas...

It was only after he finished them all in somewhere close to another hour that he started to grow worried.

Tenten had never been this late before. And usually even if she was sick she'd at least arrive and tell him she couldn't train that day.

Neji wasn't that dense... he knew why she wasn't coming. Or at least he thought he did.

The other day, Tenten had asked him if he wanted to go to the ceremony in celebration of Tsunade's return.

Neji had never particularly liked ceremonies. In fact, he hated them. He disliked the crowds... but it wasn't simply that.

Most of the ceremonies Neji had known in his life had been funerals.

The only other ones involved the obtainment of status and power of some Main House member or other...

and each one of those reminded him of his status as a caged bird.

Thus he had an almost psychological adversion to all ceremonies in general. He could have told her all this when he refused...

but even then after the battle with Naruto he was still unused to just opening up to people.

He was also never really quite good at expressing himself when he did.

Although his final battle and the aftermath of the chuunin exams gave him an interesting new perspective on life,

nevertheless he felt like a fool afterwards for his previous words and actions.

He wanted to make a change... but he didn't know how to go about it.

In truth, he hadn't even gotten around to apologizing to Hinata-sama yet.

He realized that despite everything the young Hyuuga heiress had done to try and help him,

he had attacked her like some blind animal,

except perhaps a blind animal might have caused less serious results.

He doubted that even someone like Hinata could forgive him for nearly killing her.

And he had done that...

What if Naruto was wrong? What if he couldn't change his fate? In the end...

what was he but a loser greater than Naruto, Hinata or even Lee?

He tried to change though... after all, even Hinata-sama tried to change.

It was only through the process of trying that he realized just how difficult it was for anyone to change, even a little.

He did go to the ceremony. Even though he refused initially,

for some reason after miscounting the number of birds in the sky he felt a sudden urge... to just go.

He never thought that the Hokage's words could affect him in any way... but in the end somehow they did.

Especially the last part about dreams, because Neji knew that just like Naruto, he had his own impossible dream.

It was a dream, he realized, that couldn't be accomplished without help... and he had always pushed people away.

He saw Tenten in the crowds. She was standing there with Lee.

He could see what they were doing, but due to the din of the crowd

he couldn't hear anything they were saying.

All he knew was the tears he saw in Tenten's eyes.

With his own he could see that she had been crying for a while and the tear tracks that were invisible to Lee

were plain sight for him.

'My fault... again' he thought.

As the last of the new Hokage's words faded in the air, new tears started to fall.

He wanted to approach them, but the crowd got in the way. He saw Lee shout something to Tenten,

he pointed in Neji's direction and thus Neji knew he was spotted.

But just as Tenten's eyes began to search the crowd all of the sudden he felt the closest thing he had ever felt to panicking.

He quickly turned around and disappeared into the crowd. Thus Tenten never saw him...

In the distance he heard the faint sound of the conversation between the two even as he was leaving.

And then he heard Tenten laugh...

and he suddenly he realized that in all the years he had know her, never once had he made her laugh.

A bitter smile crossed his face. "Thank you... Lee..."

He sat there in the meditation pose. But the thoughts ran through his head and could not be cleared from his mind.

Suddenly he rose.

He knew what he had to do.

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And thus he stood there in the awkward pose. It was only for a second, but nevertheless...

Her surprised eyes peaked out from behind the door. They widened even further at the sight they beheld.

His own widened as he took in her attire... only a towel, and not that modest of one either. For the first time in Neji's life,

he blushed.

And Tenten didn't even notice. She was too busy being embarrased herself, but not quite in the same way.

After taking a quick glance at the clock behind her on the table she confirmed

that she had forgotten about setting the clock to three hours early.

'Kya!'

Giving Neji the most apologetic smile she could muster. Despite not getting the death glare she was expecting,

she still felt she ought to be better safe than sorry.

"Eto… come in Neji… I was just finishing up my shower! I'll be right back!"

Saying this, she sped back into the bathroom, grabbed and put on a proper bath robe,

rushed into her room which was directly across from it, somehow tripping along the way.

Trying to scramble back up, she nearly tripped again when what seemed to be Neji's voice asked

"Daijoubuka?"

She didn't answer. She thought she heard wrong.

But nevertheless she answered "I'm okay, I'm okay!" and ran haphazardly into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Getting dressed faster than she had ever done so before, she had just opened the door to go back out

when she realized she forgot to take some of her usual practice weapons.

Rushing back into the bedroom she slammed the door… again.

Meanwhile Neji was calmly sitting in the living room. It was really a living room, dining room and small guest room combined.

The kitchen was right next to it, not blocked by any wall.

One of the first things he noticed when he walked in was the clock on the table.

Noticing the time it read, the conclusion came to him automatically.

He felt a sense of relief pass through him, then a strange, unfamiliar sensation of gratitude.

Despite everything, it seemed she hadn't abandoned him after all. For years their relationship had been unchanging…

in a way like the clock sitting there on the kitchen table, steadily beeping away.

He had never thought what would happen, if that steady beeping were ever to completely stop.

The uncertainty of it scared him. The realization came like a crashing wave… if he ever lost her,

he wouldn't just lose a team mate and sparring partner, he would lose the closest thing he had ever had to a friend.

Maybe this was the place he could start… to make a change.

After tucking all her weapons into the usual spots, Tenten walked back out of her bedroom at a hurried pace.

She spotted Neji sitting on the couch. Walking over to him, and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry for being late, I woke up early this morning to go train with Lee and Gai. I forgot I had set the clock back.

Umm… I'm ready now… that is, if you still want to… go…"

As she was saying this Neji slowly got up and walked towards the door. He stopped and Tenten assumed he was about to either tell her off, or motion her to follow. What happened next completely surprised her.

He turned around, and staring her straight in the eyes said… "Tenten, I."

All of the sudden the door behind Neji was flung open. He was standing a little too close to the door…

and somehow his reaction must have been off.

Getting hit with a door is never fun. It's even more not-fun when a strange lady with large glasses

accidentally runs into you with a basket full of dirty laundry.

What wound up happening was…

one befuzzled Neji,

sitting on the floor,

covered with everything from light plink blouses to black strapless bras.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I didn't know there would be anybody behind the door!

It wasn't locked so I just decided to hop in… Tenten, you wouldn't happen to have any detergent… would you?"

Neji blinked a couple of times. Tenten was having a hard time holding back her laughter.

After a few seconds, the lady was still staring at Neji, and so was Tenten.

With a disgruntled look, Neji plucked off the particular article of clothing which was stuck to his head.

And then for the second time that day, he blushed as he realized what he was holding was a rather large, white-laced bra.

It was the most ludicrous thing Tenten had ever seen, and she couldn't believe this was happening in her living room of all places.

She couldn't help it; she started giggling, and then full out laughed at the sight before her.

Trying very hard to get herself back into control, she bent down and started to help the lady pick up her clothes.

Slowly, Neji started doing the same, abet very awkwardly, which made Tenten laugh even harder.

Soon, the lady was gone; stammering her apologies after receiving a box of detergent for the fourth…

or perhaps it was the fifth time that week.

Neji and Tenten walked to the training grounds quietly. They didn't say much at first.

But then, at a rather random moment along the way Tenten burst out laughing again.

Neji looked at her.

Seeing him do that, she tried to stop but just couldn't and kept laughing.
--

"I'm sorry Neji. It must have been so embarrassing for you. She doesn't do it too often…

well at least she usually knocks first. It probably won't happen again, so you don't have to worry…"

"I wish it would happen more often."

Stop. Blink. Tenten wondered if the door hadn't given Neji a concussion…

except the weirdness had started the moment she saw him standing outside her door.

He certainly still looked the same.

If anything, the usual calm and serene quality that surrounded him was even heavier than usual.

He knew she wanted an explanation… and thus he tried, even though he knew that words were never quite his strong suit.

"There was never any reason for you to laugh in my presence. I only ever made you sad.

Yesterday, somehow I caused you to cry, and I know you never cry.

Why is it that despite everything, you're still here? You must hate me… you don't have to lie."

Was this really the same Neji? How had he changed so much in just a day?

What really had Tenten worried though was the tone of his voice.

Whatever emotions his expressions hid, his tone of voice often gave away.

And unmistakably in those words were the emotions of an intense sadness.

Tenten wanted nothing more than to hug that sadness away… but knowing Neji

he wouldn't appreciate something quite so forward. So she took a chapter from Lee's book,

and placed a hand on Neji's shoulder.

"Hyuuga Neji, I could never hate you. I might get mad at you for an instant. I might be sad and cry for a bit.

But in the end no matter what I won't leave you. I want to be your friend… if you'll let me."

"You've always been a friend to me. It is I who has never been a friend back. I've been selfish and a baka.

But from today on… I am willing to make a change. Will you help me?"

"Of course… did you even need to ask?"

"Where should we start?"

"Umm…"

And thus it was a start.

Author's Note:

There, one chapter devoted to Neji & Tenten's relationship, in (mostly) purely friendship sort of way.

This is their relationship as friends, as I see it. I could be completely wrong... but nevertheless the idea of it to me is appealing.