Harbinger

by tigerowl

Naruto's friendship with his teammates Gaara and Haku is put to the test as they prepare to deal with the threat of the Akatsuki. The secrets Jiraiya has kept come to a head, and Naruto must shoulder the responsibility of protecting much more than the Leaf Village. Continuation of Forlorn. AU NaruHina, GaaSaku, NejiTen, ObiRin, OCs *Taoism, Self-Indulgent World Building, longfic

27. Adaptation: Part Two

Chapter Soundtrack: "Folklove (Instrumental)" by Kenichiro Nishihara

Chapter 27: Adaptation Part Two

In the afternoon they made good time, avoiding another swamp, and eventually landed in a peaceful birch forest. The thin white trees did not provide much cover, but Tenten estimated they had put a safe enough distance between themselves and the nukenin group. She brought back two wild pheasants for lunch, and afterwards sent Neji off to train with Lee. Even with his hearing impaired, she figured Lee could still teach Neji effectively.

While the two boys sparred Tenten stole away, crossing through the birch rows and tangles of rhododendron. She backtracked to a small rivulet she had earlier been following, and sat beside the stream on the grassy bank. For a long moment she stared ahead into the forest, supposing she should be devising some sort of plan to help her team survive. The trouble was that she could not be struck by inspiration even when their lives depended on it.

'This is about as close to worst-case-scenario as I am willing to cut it.' She thought bleakly, 'God forbid I get my head knocked off, then deaf and tone-dumb Lee will have to guide poor amnesic Neji home somehow…' There was little hope for the two, she noted, especially if she was killed or debilitated in a future fight. Even now things were hairy, and putting Lee's new deafness aside, Tenten's thoughts strayed back to Neji.

'There's no way I can handle this. He's learning fast but it isn't going to be enough…' She cradled her face in her hands, 'And if Neji stays like this…what do I do? For so long I've depended on him and now…he's not the same. He's lost. He's different. He's…'

Tenten looked up and black dots swam before her eyes. Her breath became ragged. The realization that the entire mission depended on her, teammates and all, swept over her like a hurricane-force gale. The panic that gripped her left her heaving dry breaths, shoulders shaking furiously, and she quickly made a grab for her weapon holster. She drew out a kunai and let the tip of her thumb glide over the edge. The skin split apart, and the pain was just enough to snap her back to her senses.

After her hyperventilating passed Tenten wiped her brow with the back of her arm. She was clammy. She could not afford to let her teammates see her this way. She reached into her hip pouch and drew out a swath of gauze and stemmed the bleeding. Tenten stood and brushed off her pants, reasserting her leadership mindset.

'Stay focused. We need to get to the harbor, but cutting southeast through the mountains is too dangerous.' She recalled, 'The best solution would be…continue south through this forest until we hit the shoreline, and sneak up the coast so we don't run into those assholes again.' It was the best she could do for the time being, but she was fairly certain the enemy would not be expecting them to take a longer route.

She could hear Neji calling her name after a while.

'Oh right…they're probably wondering where I am…' The Byakugan was still unavailable to the team right now, she acknowledged, and that was also a disadvantage. She quickly returned to the campsite and the Hyuga looked absolutely perturbed.

"Where were you?" He asked sharply, but concern was more evident in his voice than anger.

"I went somewhere quiet to come up with a new plan, and I have one now." She told him, and waved to Lee vaguely to let him know she had returned, "Sit down and I'll tell you about it. I'll have to write it out for Lee."

They sat in a sunlit glade near the camp, and Tenten wrote down what she was relaying to Neji on parchment for Lee. "So here's the deal…if we keep trying to pass over the mountain heading east, well…it just isn't going to happen. We're going to get caught up in another scrap…"

"What's the alternative?" Neji asked.

"We keep heading south like we are now. It's going to take us a long way out of the way…but it'll be safer to travel up the coastline than risking another run-in with those nukenin." She explained, finishing her notes, and then passed them to Lee.

He read them quickly and nodded to her, speaking in an almost-normal volume, "That is the wisest course of action, Tenten. It will also give us more time to teach Neji to defend himself if we continue this way."

"Good point." She said, looking back to the Hyuga, "How'd the training go today?"

"Better. Though I'm not sure if it's because I'm getting stronger or Lee just can't hear anything." Neji admitted, "I suppose it could be both."

"Do you want to train with me for a little bit?" Tenten asked.

"Yes." He stood to go, and Tenten quickly jotted down for Lee where they would be for a while. He nodded to them and curled up to take a nap in the warm grass.

Neji's chakra control was close to flawless now, much to Tenten's relief. He had no problem picking up the supplementary jutsu he had been lacking. When he showed proficiency in basic techniques, she then demonstrated proper use of weaponry. "You usually use kunai or tonfa." She told him, "But tomorrow I can show you how to wield a sword if you like. It'd probably be better for the situation we're in anyway."

He liked the idea of becoming a swordsman, "I would be honored if you would teach me."

A short while later he had nearly put one of her eyes out with a shuriken, but she waved off his terror and simply sent him back to practice more. By evening he handled all past weapons he had ever utilized and then some. They settled down for a meal with Lee and Tenten wrote out the next day's agenda by firelight for their deaf teammate.

Neji had no issues getting to sleep that night. Tenten settled between the two, considering keeping watch for enemies, but was too drained from the day's chaos to do so. She fell asleep, hoping that a higher power was guiding them through their struggle.

---

For three days they continued on the altered course, training Neji as they went. He was advancing rapidly in Taijutsu thanks to Lee. Tenten had begun instructing Neji in the way of the sword (a very modified lesson,) and let him practice with a spare blade from her scroll. He picked it up quick, but was often sloppy and not as sure-footed as she would have liked him to be.

In their free time she also encouraged him to meditate, which he had fewer issues in understanding, and occasionally Lee would join in for a group spar. The three of them tussling together was a bit reckless, but afforded Neji invaluable experience for a real battle.

Neji slept through the nights soundly and recovered more quickly from his injuries. Tenten was gradually beginning to regain hope for her team. Lee's deafness was also becoming less of an obstacle. They had established many hand signals and signs to represent particular ideas, and Tenten estimated they were up to about 100 signs in two days. Lee's adaptive ability was incredible, although there were certain messages she had to write down for him anyway, too complicated to convey.

Neji had warmed up to them unbelievably fast, Tenten also noted. He especially loved laughing with them, even though it was Lee's soundless plight that was found most comical. The fourth night they had stayed up telling stories around a fire, re-educating Neji on the Leaf Village. At one point, Lee had ended up doing his impressions of their fellow Genin, a number of which were hilariously accurate.

The Hyuga was overcome with side-splitting laughter after a very slanderous impression, one which Tenten was desperate to contain her giggles from. "Who…who w-would say something like that? So insensitive." Neji asked when Lee had finished.

"Uh…" Tenten was chuckling, "That was actually you, Neji. You said stuff like that all the time."

Neji stared at her for a long moment, but then bubbled over with mirth again. They enjoyed themselves until it was time for sleep.

They woke refreshed the next day, and things looked promising as they set out. Gulls soared overhead and the air had a salty tang to it. "The coast can't be far now." Tenten appraised, "Just a few more days and then we'll be out of this stinking country!"

Lee did not know exactly what she was shouting about so he gave her a thumbs-up. They traveled through the treetops until the forest was exhausted, and they had to brave several treacherous crags before the ocean came into sight. It was still a fair distance off. They stayed close to the river, knowing it would be one of their last sources of fresh water for miles.

Tenten sent Lee off to take a bath when they had finished making camp, and Neji would go next after they finished some light training. He was brushing up on certain forms he had learned with his 'rented' sword, and Tenten was fairly convinced he had a better chance of defending himself with it than he did with Taijutsu.

She had pulled his hair up into a ponytail again and they settled for a break, sitting on top of a hill that overlooked the crashing waves. There was a wonderful calmness, and Tenten dared not speak for fear of breaking it.

"You've lead us so far." Neji said with his eyes trained on the sea, "And in such…troubling circumstances. Have you always been this strong?"

"I'm not sure. I only become strong when you guys need me, I guess." Tenten told him.

He gave her a sidelong look, "I can't thank you enough."

She laughed lightly, "Stop that already. This is nothing, Neji. When we get back home then the real fun starts, you could say. You'll get reintroduced to everyone and it'll be pretty hectic. I promise I'll help you, though."

"Do you think we'll run into the enemy before we reach the harbor?"

"Probably not, but just in case…" Tenten slipped the baldric from her shoulder and passed it to Neji, "I want to you hang onto Hok. It'll keep you safe, and it handles much better than that rusty old sword you've been practicing with."

He had to protest the offering, "But you−!"

"I have hundreds of other weapons, many more lethal than that sword, so don't sweat it." Tenten smiled widely at him, "Just take care of yourself. You've done me proud, Neji."

He was silent for a long moment, and his knuckles were white as he held the scabbard to his chest. Neji then looked back to her and said, "Thank you."

She smiled again and looked back to the inlet. 'We are definitely going to make it.' She had a good feeling about getting home. Seeing Neji hold his own only reinforced the notion.

"Tenten?"

She glanced over to him and was a bit unnerved by his stare, "What is it?"

"I…need you to tell me something."

"Of course."

"Before I forgot everything when I was hurt…" Neji's lunar eyes were searching her face, "Did we…have feelings for each other?"

Tenten felt her head swim, "E-Eh? What makes you think that?"

"It's the way things are between us. The way you treat me and…" He lowered his eyes, "The way you touch me."

She flushed an award-winning shade of crimson. "Well that's…all decorous contact, I assure you! I give Lee a pat on the back once in a while too, you know." She explained feebly.

"But that night when I couldn't fall asleep..."

"Won't be repeated." She said bluntly.

He frowned to himself, deciding to pursue the matter from a different angle. "I know there's…something." Neji said lowly, "It's the things you do for me. The small things and…the big things." He lifted the baldric Hok was slung in, "You would not do anything like this if you didn't have an important reason."

"I think you're reading into this a bit too much." Tenten told him passively. Somewhere in her head a voice was screaming, 'Liar-liar-liar!'

He was visibly upset, "Why are you acting as if it isn't true? I may not remember much but I'm not stupid, Tenten."

"Because it isn't true, and by the way: you can say you aren't stupid now, but you were dumb enough to overlook me when you could remember. There wasn't anything there, Neji, and you're the reason why." She regretted her venomous retort immediately. She had said it so bitterly…

"But that can't be." He protested, rubbing the side of his head as if scrambling for a memory or any kind of evidence. There was nothing, but still, he felt it so certainly he wouldn't allow her to say otherwise.

"Look…I'm sorry. Maybe there was going to be something…maybe. It just didn't turn out that way." Tenten turned away from him, "You want the truth? The truth is you didn't care about me, Neji. Not that way."

"I don't believe that." He said stubbornly, "And even if I didn't then…I do now. I'm sure of it, so please listen to me when-"

Tenten covered her ears, "No. I can't listen to this. Don't talk like that."

He scowled, "What is wrong with you? I'm trying to tell you that I-"

"It's not the same! You're not who you used to be! You're not that person who I used to cherish. I'm waiting for him to come back; you see…waiting for you to remember so you stop acting like a puppy dog!" Tenten exploded, "You'll forget all about this…little infatuation. You will! I won't allow myself to fall for someone who's not even going to be around for very long!"

"What? You expect me to just remember everything one day?" Neji's voice was rising, "What if that doesn't happen? What then? You told me you were going to help me get my life back together when we reached the Leaf Village!"

"Yes, and then hopefully that'll jog your memory and I can have Neji back." She said pointedly.

"I am Neji!" He roared furiously.

"No you're not. The real Neji would never…" She trailed off, unsure of how to put it. 'Care about me? Romantically? Devotedly and loyally?' She did not have to continue the argument. Neji had snatched up Hok and stormed off back towards camp.

The anger and embarrassment in his posture was very clear. Tenten suddenly felt like a quintessential hypocrite. There had been times in the past in which Neji had trampled all over her feelings, but was it really fair to do the same when he wasn't even the same person? Physically he was Neji, but mentally, she conceded, he was a young man who was in love with his friend; and she had just filleted and gutted him with barely any provocation…

She glared up at the blue sky overhead, 'Okay up there. I get it. I'm a complete jerk.'

---

Neji passed through a ring of bulrushes and returned to their camp where Lee was boiling water for tea. A seagull was perched nearby on a boulder. Neji kicked a stone that bulleted for the bird, sending it scrambling from its roost in surprise. Lee looked up at the movement. "Hello Neji! Where is Tenten?" He greeted.

Neji pointed his thumb back up towards the hill wordlessly. Lee understood, but was alarmed by the Hyuga's furious expression. It didn't help when he carelessly tossed Hok and its sash to the ground like a broken play thing. 'Oh dear…he seems very distressed.'

Rather than having a one-sided conversation with his friend on the matter (that obviously had to do with the kunoichi) Lee decided to speak to Tenten instead. He poured tea for Neji and offered it to him before heading off to find their other teammate. Neji sat near the embers, staring moodily at the ground while he sipped his drink. His eyes strayed over to where Hok lay a few times.

Lee marched up the hill and found Tenten resting in the grass leisurely. She looked to be deep in thought. "Um…Tenten?" He began, taking a seat beside her. She gave him an attentive look.

"Neji looks very…upset. Did you offend him somehow?" Lee got straight to the point.

Tenten cupped her hands to form a 'zero.' It was equivalent to saying, "I did nothing."

Lee did not buy it. "He was training with you. Did he do something wrong or…was something said?" He checked.

Tenten sighed and drew out her brush and parchment. She scribbled down an answer and let Lee read it: He was saying silly things.

"Hm. But I say silly things quite often." Lee pointed out, "And it would help if we were lenient with him, seeing that he has amnesia."

Tenten threw him a dirty look that said: Must you be so perceptive? She scrawled another message beside the first and held it up again: Butt out, Lee. It's settled.

Lee laughed out loud, "It does not look settled to me, Tenten."

She sighed and said something, and then caught herself, 'Oh right…he can't hear.' She wrote her verbalization down: I'll apologize later, okay? I was out of line and he was just being naïve and honest like he is. Just don't try to get involved, fair?

Lee saluted her, seeing he had gotten a better answer, "I trust you to it, then. Now do not create any more strife, if you please." He smiled and stood up, "I will train with Neji for a little while so he has a chance to relax."

She signed the word 'thanks' to him. He nodded pleasantly and walked away. Tenten stowed away her writing implements in her hip pouch and fell back to the grass with a huff.

---

After training with Lee for a while Neji stalked off to the river. He picked a secluded spot and stripped off his clothes. He learned from Lee and Tenten how bathing during a mission was a luxury, so he proceeded as they had instructed earlier in the day. He rinsed out his fetid clothes and hung them to dry on a tree branch. He briefly wondered at his stark nudity out in nature, but then settled on the bank and began to wash himself. The water was very cold and unpleasant.

He was still thinking about what Tenten had said. She had made a very good point in that he was definitely not the person he had been before. How could he expect her to return his sentiments when she was thinking of him in a completely different light? What was most frustrating was that even though her words had been cruel and thoughtless, they hadn't changed his feelings one bit. He was still determined to at least get her to acknowledge him. It was difficult for him to picture how he was going to do it.

After he was thoroughly rinsed he toweled off and waited for his clothes to dry. Neji watched the churning water, and could see where the fresh and saltwater met a dozen yards away. The ocean was near, and that meant their journey was coming to an end. He only hoped that Lee and Tenten's friendship with him would stay as strong when they were back in their home village, when they did not need to look after him so fiercely. He tried to imagine the Leaf Village but could only conjure vague images, if any. All Neji saw were vast forests, crags and bogs of the Marsh Country.

It seemed there was still much he had to learn. Neji dressed when his clothes were dry and chose not to be angry any more. It was too much work, and he cared too much about Tenten to keep up the argument. He went back to camp with an improved mood.

---

When Tenten saw Neji exit the forest after washing up, she slinked off to take a bath herself. She went about it quickly, standing waist-deep in the water, leaving her clothes on the shore, and ignored her chattering teeth. She let her hair down and washed it after discovering a twig had been tangled up in one of her chignons.

She was fully aware of how she owed Neji an apology when she returned. She had been derisive for no reason, and she hated how she'd let her bitterness get the better of her.

A water snake coiled past her on the water's surface and she watched it, reflecting on the situation. 'Let's weigh the consequences here. On the one hand, I can hold out and ignore Neji's feelings. Well, the new-Neji's feelings. That should be easy enough…but it's an extremely backwards policy for me.' Tenten thought to herself, 'And on the other hand: I could reciprocate.'

It was strange and almost unfair. Tenten considered that, since she had returned to the team, Neji had seemed particularly warm and fond of her. He had become strong and mature, appreciated his team more than he had ever appreciated them…and all of that progress had been lost.

'It ticks me off! I want Neji to be who he was! I don't want him to be this…stranger…' She splashed her face with water, 'But he isn't. Not really. I'd be stupid to call him weak. After everything he's done and what he's been through…' After all, even when he could hardly remember details of his immediate life, Neji nebulously remembered her.

Tenten smiled to herself, 'That has got to count for something.' She began to wring her hair out, 'And when I think about it…the things he forgot were the things that…generally made him unhappy.' She noted that his shinobi career had been sanded-down to the basics, his recollection of his clan was limited to Hinata's smiling face, and Neji had forgotten how miserable he had once been; 'In spite of that, he kept us close. He didn't have to trust me or Lee when he woke up. But he did! Neji did not hesitate to believe us when we said that we cared…'

She blinked hard, surprised by her conclusion. 'He's innocent. He's all of the things that he never let himself be before.'

The young woman waded back to shore and quickly dried off, still thinking, 'If my problem is with accepting the parts of Neji that are gentle and kind…then I'm going to have to get over it. I got used to when he was rough-and-tumble, so I don't see why I can't care for this side of him too.'

Tenten redressed and wondered aloud, "And…I guess I'm just a bit curious."

---

Back at camp Lee and Neji were talking…as best they could. The Hyuga proved very clever at substituting ideas with signals, and Tenten suspected he would be skilled in a game of charades. 'I'll save that for another time, though…'

When she appeared Lee quickly stood, grinning at her, "Good! You are back, Tenten. I am off to fish for our dinner, so would you and Neji please revive the fire, if it's not too much to ask?"

She pressed her thumb and index finger together in a sign for: OK. Lee walked off, suspiciously chipper about something, and Tenten took his seat near the fire pit.

Neji was prodding at the fire with a stick when he looked over at her. His eyebrows raised in surprise to see that her hair was down.

Tenten noticed his reaction. "You know…you used to do the same thing back then too." She said with a chuckle, "Whenever my hair was down you'd just stare, like it just occurred to you that I was a girl."

He looked back to the fire, "I see. Though I figured it was easier to tie it up because you handle weapons so much."

"Exactly." She told him, "When I was younger, and first learning from my dad, I accidentally hacked one of my own braids off. I've kept it up ever since! That's a true story."

He smiled slightly at her, catching the humor in her tone. Neji tossed a sprig of pine on the fire and watched it snap and hiss as flames ate up the dry needles. Tenten stuck a few more branches into the pit in an effort to help.

"I'm sorry about how I acted before." She said at length, "I was being a killjoy. You were just trying to be honest with me and I couldn't handle it."

Neji shook his head, "I don't think it was my place to-"

"No, listen; I like you and that's the truth." Tenten said, managing not to flush, "I suppose I just couldn't wrap my head around what you were telling me, since…you've never done that before."

His cheeks were pinkish.

She smiled as she continued, "You know what? Let's let bygones be bygones. I can't hold you to all the crap that happened before since, technically, it wasn't you who did it. It was your nutty, over-stressed, alter-ego."

"That's one way of…putting it." He muttered, a bit flustered, "Does this mean we're still friends?"

"Neji, don't be ridiculous. That never changed." She admonished lightly, "No matter how pissed we get at each other, and this has always proved true: we can count on each other."

Neji was smiling again, completely at ease. He moved to lift Hok from where it sat beside him, but when he tried to hand it to her she shook her head.

"I'm not taking that from you until we're back in the Leaf Village." She told him adamantly.

"Alright." He appreciated it, and then thought to ask, "When I told you before about how I felt…you're not bothered by it? It's only been a few days that I've really known you."

"A week, actually." Tenten corrected him, "And I…well…I kind of enjoyed it."

There was something bright and emphatic in Neji's eyes. Tenten was unable to identify it exactly. He remembered what she had said a few days ago, 'You in general delight me.' It had been a very benevolent thing to say. Now he was fairly certain she had meant it.

Lee returned moments later with several fish speared on a pointed stick. "Are we getting along now?" He asked as he sat with them, distributing the catch.

Tenten gave him another OK sign and Neji mimicked it. Lee was satisfied, but not because of their sign language.

Their contentment was written all over their faces.

---

The next day, after replenishing their stores of freshwater, the group set out with speed along the beach. There was absolutely no sign of shinobi on the coast, nor any evidence of human interference, for that matter. They had covered several miles by the afternoon, and stopped only briefly to eat. Tenten led them on, her blood pounding with anticipation. 'Won't it be just a regular triumph to fill out this mission report for Tsunade-sama?' Defeated several enemies, discovered their whereabouts and intent: all while teammates are deaf and suffering from memory loss.

"Huge brownie points…" Tenten murmured excitedly to herself.

Neji glanced over to her curiously, "What was that?"

"I'm just excited, is all." She told him, grinning, "We don't have much further to go."

He smiled back, equally happy.

They scaled the dunes up onto a stone bluff that overlooked the ocean, racing past nesting seabirds. With the sky and sea stretching blue all around them, it made for an excellent and uplifting run. Their journey was abruptly cut short. Tenten nearly lost her footing on a ledge that crumbled out from under her. The flimsy limestone had been savagely eroded and was unfit for travel.

Worse still was that there was no more coastline. The cliffs had been eaten away by the waves, and a churning inlet stood in front of them. Tenten turned back, cursing loudly, and kicked a patch of dandelions. The spores hovered off in the breeze. Lee and Neji looked at her, aware of the setback and hoping for guidance.

"I really wish we still had that damned map, maybe then I would've seen this coming!" She groaned, stomping around in a circle, "Even if we had the Byakugan we could've accounted for the…" She looked at Neji and then sighed, "Oh, never mind…"

"Tenten, we should just continue inland until we have circumvented the bay." Lee suggested, "Then we can head straight for the harbor."

"But that's exactly what I was trying to avoid, Lee! Those nukenin…" She trailed off, realizing her reply fell on literally deaf ears. She didn't bother writing her reason down this time, and just crossed her arms in a large 'X' to signify her reluctance. He got the idea.

"We have no choice now." Neji told her, "And if we go quickly they may not catch us at all."

"If they do catch us you'll have to fight." She warned him tiredly.

His face was stern, "I want to fight. I'm able to now, Tenten."

She heaved a sigh, but inwardly conceded that he was right. Tenten motioned for Lee to move along and they continued inland, crossing back over the crag and into the forest. They traveled by canopy and followed the curvature of the bay. The detour was going to take them out of their way, and this time, put them back in danger. Tenten knew it could not be helped, but was cross with herself for expecting their return to be so easy.

Later on they stopped in a sheltered and defensible part of the woods. Tenten mandated that they not make a fire, "The smoke could attract their attention if they're close by…and that goddamn tracker of theirs will smell anything we try to cook."

"Maybe we should just gather plants to eat, then, at least until we are out of here?" Neji asked and Tenten agreed with the idea.

Lee set up camp and a perimeter of the area while Tenten agreed to train Neji for a short while. She was surprised by what he wanted to learn.

"I know you can't show me, but could you at least tell me how I did it…the Byakugan?" He asked her, "If I could use it…things would be easier for the team, and we could anticipate the enemy's movements."

"Neji…" Tenten frowned, about ready to decline, and then said, "Aw, what the hell…"

She gave him a brief lesson on the chakra circulatory system and then added, "But you'll understand it better if you see it for yourself, I'm sure." Tenten (poorly) demonstrated to him some of the Jyukken forms she had learned by watching him and training with Hikune. "I can't use Jyukken ⊗not the way you do. I could give somebody a nice whap that might seize up a muscle…but you can kill with this."

"With the Byakugan?" He guessed.

"It's your specialty!" She laughed, "You do damage you can scarcely even believe. There's more to it, though. You can also make a shield through a rotation, by forcing chakra out of your tenketsu."

"I have…many abilities." Neji said, aghast.

"I could go on and on, but the most basic skill is your bloodline limit." Tenten walked up to him, gently touching her fingertips to his temples, "Behind your eyes there are chakra pathways. They control your Byakugan, and it's up to you to give them a wake-up call."

"So I should focus chakra in my eyes?" He checked.

"That would be my educated guess…but don't quote me on that." Tenten told him, taking her hands away, "Give that a try, but feel free to switch it up. You'll definitely know when you have it right."

"How?"

"For starters, you'll see right through my clothes." She prompted.

His eyes went wide in shock. Tenten laughed at his reaction, "It's alright, I'm used to it. You'll see a lot more than just that, though. Chakra pathways are what you'll be looking for."

He nodded, "Right."

Tenten fell silent and took a seat against an oak tree, watching him focus his chakra. It was a predictably fruitless endeavor. He worked at it for nearly an hour, exhausting his chakra, unsure of how to go about it. For something he knew how to do instinctively, Neji was beginning to think Tenten had a better chance of using the Byakugan than he did. Lee had stopped by at one point to ask what they were up to, and Tenten wrote down the sorry answer for him.

"Do not let him work too much at it." Lee advised.

She nodded in agreement, but still knew that it was something the team sorely needed. Later on they stopped to gather up something to eat. They were in a hospitable area that actually had an orchard of wild fig trees, and they dined on those fruits in the evening.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do it." Neji apologized to Tenten, "I'll work harder next time."

She put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I don't want you to push it. Take it easy, Neji."

That night they slept huddled closely together to overcome the cold. Tenten missed having a fire, but she understood that they couldn't risk it. She slept lightly, always on edge in preparation for the enemy.

The next morning arrived and they gathered plenty of figs before setting out. They ate as they traveled, and covered half the distance of the bay by noon. They rested near a small brook to gather more water, and Tenten scouted briefly ahead for any good spots they could train in. She was unnerved by what she found.

A tall tree was lined with a number of kunai which were not their own. Tenten quickly returned to her team.

"They've been through here..." Tenten told them anxiously, "We have to keep moving." The Leaf ninja proceeded without a second thought, straying from the treacherous forest and back to the coastline.

Lee eventually pointed out a discreet route down one of the cliff sides, at the bottom of which they discovered a series of tide pools that had scored caves in the rock. After carefully surveying the area and where the tide would reach in the next six hours, they settled on the best shelter for the night a cavern that had been carved long ago and was beyond the water level's reach.

They were very pleased to be able to make a fire that evening. Lee, intent to find more food for his group, made a move to leave. Tenten stopped him on his way out of the cavern, concerned that his deafness could jeopardize him. "I will catch us some dinner." Lee told her.

She shook her head, glowering, and pointed to herself. I will come along. Tenten tried to indicate.

Lee gently moved her to the side so he could exit the cave. "Relax, for now. I promise I will be back soon!"

Tenten could not muster the strength to argue before he left. Her stomach was twisted with hunger, and they had run out of things to eat.

She took a seat beside Neji in front of the fire. "You're still at it?" She asked him, surprised.

His face was set with concentration, and he nodded silently. Come hell or high water, he would figure out the Byakugan.

Tenten smiled tiredly, "Okay then. Wake me when Lee gets back…or if you get it." She shoved her bag up against the cave wall, and after making herself comfortable, settled down for a nap.

She almost immediately began to dream. In her vision she realized that Lee could hear and Neji was fighting with Jyukken. Their enemies had them surrounded but their numbers were dwindling. 'Whoa! We must have ambushed them!' Thrilled by the imminent victory Tenten made a move to run to her teammates, but was unable to budge.

She looked down and could see one of the blades of a fuuma shuriken had pierced her stomach. She was bleeding out far too quickly, and Tenten realized that the damn bear tracker had successfully wounded her. Yet still…Neji and Lee were safe! Neji had his memory! 'But I'm…I'm…' She flopped backwards, realizing the fatality of the situation, and woke up with jolt.

Tenten rubbed her head as she sat up, quite disturbed by her dream. Could that have been the result if she had not released Neji in that battle? 'I…don't think so. The wound didn't even look like it was in the right spot…' All the same, it was symbol enough of her mortality.

"How long was I asleep?" Tenten asked groggily.

"Not long." Neji told her, "Barely twenty minutes."

"Gee…" She sighed, scooting closer to the small fire to warm up, "How did you manage, Neji?"

"I stopped. It actually starts to hurt when I focus that much chakra." He confessed.

"I'll bet. Don't worry about it." She patted his arm soothingly, "We're almost out of here."

Neji glanced at her and then looked back to the fire, "Could you tell me something?"

"Most likely I can." She said, rubbing her palms together to generate some friction.

"How did I get hurt?" He asked.

"You mean when you lost your memory?"

"Yes, then."

"Well…I'll sum up. We were noticed while we were spying on the enemy and you ended up fighting this bastard named Keshin." Tenten explained, "You took a tumble off a ledge, and I went to pull you up. That guy kept attacking me while I was trying to help you, and I suppose you…wanted to save me. You forced me to let go and I dropped you."

She turned and jabbed his shoulder moodily, "By the way, don't ever do that again! Self-sacrifice is stupid, especially when I'm busting my ass for you!"

He nodded in compliance. "So I must've gotten hurt during the fall." Neji surmised.

"You hit your head." As she spoke the words guilt crossed her face, and she reached out and stroked the site of the injury, "I'm…so sorry. We could've avoided a lot of hassle if I'd just held tight. I won't let anything like that happen again, just so you know."

Neji smiled to himself, "The way I see it…it was meant to be this way. If I did it to help you, well, it was really the best decision."

"But you scared me half to death!" Tenten growled.

"You're more important." He answered, "You've proven that these past few days. Once Lee was hurt…you took charge. There's no doubt that this team hinges on you."

She shook her head, "Believe me; I'm not too happy about it…"

Neji was watching her face steadily, "Without you…I'd have nothing. No way to go home or to defend myself…no joy." He chuckled, "Hitting my head was a blessing."

"You're nuts." She retorted shortly.

He stroked her cheek with a tentative finger, "Maybe. Just as much as you, I'd say." Her eyes were fixed on him, questioning, and he added, "I think I'll always depend on you. I want to…" Neji leaned in closer with his eyes half-lidded.

Tenten moved into the touch, her heart beating a tune against her ribs, and nearly jumped out of her skin when Lee returned very loudly. "It's raining!" He called to them, unnecessarily, since his voice echoed in the cavern.

She snapped back and away from Neji, who gave Lee a very put-out look since he had unintentionally interrupted what could've been a perfect kiss. Lee paid the expression no mind, and set three small rabbits in front of them.

"One for each of us! Please help me skin them, will you?" He requested.

Tenten gave him her most reluctant OK signal yet. She set to work, shearing the poor dead creature in front of her. She glanced over to Neji who was still staring at her intently. Lee was saying something but they paid him no mind.

"No worries." She told Neji, "We can work on it tomorrow."

He looked at her with an eager expression, and then drew out a knife of his own.

---

The next morning Tenten rose with an inexplicably sunny mood. She woke and there was Neji, curled asleep beside her, and she knew it was something she could get used to. The fire had died off in the night, and scraps of their dinner were charred in the embers. She kicked some gravel and sand over the fire pit to put it out fully. Lee awoke shortly after her.

He stretched his arms over his head, yawning sleepily, "Good morning…ahh, Tenten…"

She waved at him with a smile and he chuckled, "Good morning to me too? Thank you."

Tenten scooched over and brushed her hand against Neji's cheek, "Time to wake up…"

The Hyuga stirred and then sat up. He plucked her hand from his face and held it in his own contentedly. They sat wordlessly for a minute until Lee cleared his throat. Tenten glanced back to him, forgetting that their teammate was not aware of the new development.

"Ah, well…if we are all prepared I think it would be best if we set out." Lee suggested, regarding Neji curiously.

Tenten nodded in agreement and stood, taking her hand back from her clingy teammate. They picked up their bags and set out into the sea-salt air. Gulls cried out overhead, and Neji was surprised to see a whale breach and take a breath just off shore. He looked at Tenten and said, "It's amazing. Have I ever seen one of those before?"

"No." She told him, "I don't think any of us have. It is pretty neat."

Once on the topside of the cliff they continued a short distance along the ledge, and eventually turned to the forest in search of food. There were no figs around, but there was a grove of citrus blossoms. Unfortunately, none of the fruits were mature or ripe, but they picked them anyway along with the blooms, willing to eat anything. The fruits were very sour, and Tenten suspected they were tangerines. They ate briefly and continued to find a source of water.

They passed another grove before entering a shaded forest. The trees towered into the sky, and they passed beneath the behemoths in reverent wonder. The Fire Country had some impressive forests, naturally; but Tenten doubted she would forget the magnificent geography of the Marsh Country either.

Some deer scattered unexpectedly and they avoided the startled creatures, leaping up into the nearest tree. "Do you think we frightened them?" Lee asked.

Tenten wasn't sure. She had thought they had been treading lightly. There was a gasp from Neji behind her and suddenly he was on bent-knee on the branch, clutching his head. She turned back to him worriedly, "Neji? What's wrong?"

"There was…so much to take in." He mumbled, shaking his head.

Her eyes brightened, "Did you…was it the Byakugan?"

"For a moment, I saw…" He trailed off and then looked up, "There!"

From a few branches above them, a ninja hurled a fistful of shuriken at the unsuspecting Leaf shinobi. Neji had spotted the danger just in time, and he and his teammates ducked back to avoid the projectiles. The foe's back up descended quickly.

With Lee and Neji safely behind her, Tenten summoned rapidly, hailing the treetops with a tempest of weaponry. She killed their hasty attacker since he was nearest, but the other three scattered to avoid the assault. One of the nukenin happened to be the Sound ninja who had injured Lee, and pointed out the weaknesses of the team to his comrades, "The Taijutsu kid can't hear a thing I got him with a sonic wave. For some reason the other one can't fight, so just focus on the girl!"

Tenten signed an express command to Lee and he immediately obeyed. He unclipped his leg weights and disappeared into the forest.

Neji was astounded, "What just-?" He was thrown forward when a flashbomb detonated behind him. He righted himself in the air and landed on the ground. Neji drew Hok and clashed with the nin who had ambushed him, adrenalin giving speed and precision to his attacks.

Tenten felt sick to her stomach. Lee was after his previous Sound ninja opponent, immune to his jutsu thanks to his untraceable speed. He plowed into the nukenin from every direction, delivering relentless hits.

Tenten concentrated on her own enemy who had grown an alarming set of sharp claws. She summoned the great-cleaver, Chinigui, and dove ahead, side-stepping the nin's raking talons. She swung her giant blade in a calculated arc. She clipped her foe's arm but only drew a drop of blood as he evaded. He rounded on her, slashing furiously, and gored her in the side. He balked when the Leaf kunoichi dissolved into smoke.

She took advantage of her Shadow Clone's distraction to catch him from behind, and hacked into her opponent's back. His spine severed with a crunch, and he fell to the ground lifelessly. Lee was still busy throttling the Sound ninja, and so Tenten quickly went to assist Neji.

There was a cut on his cheek that was bleeding freely, but he had kept up well with his enemy. Neji had scored several hits on the nukenin, who obviously was not used to defending against swords. Tenten took advantage of the opportunity and leapt, plunging Chinigui down. The hooded nukenin barely avoided the assault, rolling, and the massive sword stabbed into the earth beside him. Unscathed, he lashed out with his chain-scythe, and snagged Neji's arm in the cable.

Tenten managed to free her blade, but was taken by surprise when the hooded shinobi turned back to her, dragging Neji with him. The Hyuga dug his heels into the ground to resist, but was flung forward by their adversary with the intention of impaling his own teammate. Tenten skirted the devious move, watching Neji tumble, and she gave him an apologetic look. She cried out when something split open her back at the shoulder blade.

The hooded nin had cut her with the scythe of his weapon. He shook Neji loose from the chain with the intent to snare Tenten in it instead. For a beat, Tenten groped for Chinigui, but pain surged down the length of her arm, leaving her incapable of lifting the sword. Neji was on his feet again, but too far away to intercept the inevitable attack.

Lee shot feet-first like a comet from the treetops. He slammed down on the hooded shinobi with blinding speed, smashing their enemy's face into the nearest tree. The force had cracked his skull, and the nukenin crumpled at the foot of the tree in defeat. Tenten fell to her knees, seeing the danger had passed.

Neji sheathed Hok and rushed over to the kunoichi, "Tenten!"

She tapped a seal in her scroll to un-summon her weapons, and quickly scribbled a message for Lee. He read it while he snapped his leg weights back on. "No, Tenten, there are no more." He assured her, "It seems as if these four were assigned to keep watch for us…which leaves about six more out there somewhere."

"Good." She panted, dizzy with pain.

"You're hurt." Neji's voice belied fear that she had never imagined him capable of. He lifted her gently onto his back and they retreated a short distance away from the battle site.

Yards away and seated on the ground, Tenten wiggled out of her shirt, hissing at the sting of her back. She sat shaking and unable to speak. Lee had retrieved medical supplies from his bag and set to work. Tenten was temporarily angered that Lee cut away her chest bindings without any warning, leaving her immodest. Her teammates were respectful enough to face only her back as it was, so she conceded that it was not a big deal. She could sense Neji's tension over her current state.

After disinfecting the gash and putting a stop to the bleeding, Lee threaded a sterilized needle, his tongue poking from his mouth in concentration. Neji frowned at him, guessing what he was about to do, "You aren't actually going to-?"

Lee looked at him, not certain of what he said. He then held up the needle questioningly, "Oh this? But I must Neji! She'll be alright…"

Tenten nodded weakly where she sat. "Lee knows what he's doing, Neji…" She said, totally exhausted, "Lee, just make sure the stitches are small…I don't really care how many it takes; goh! Ow! Ow!" He had begun without hearing her and it was awful.

Neji's brow was knitted with immense anxiety, and he watched in horrified fascination as Lee sewed the kunoichi's skin back together. Tenten had stopped making sounds of pain and just sat still, her breathing very labored.

"Hey Neji…" She spoke up after a few minutes, "You want to do me a favor?"

"Anything." He answered.

"It might be…a little nasty."

"I don't care."

"I want you to go back to where we were fighting and pick up their supplies. Not so much their weapons, but if they have food and equipment…" She inhaled sharply when Lee had hit a tender spot, "Go pick up that stuff so we can use it, alright?"

"I'll be right back." He told her, and stood to leave.

Lee looked over his shoulder, "Where is he going?"

Tenten gave him an OK sign that dispelled his concern. Lee was very thorough with his stitches, and once he'd finished he knotted and snipped the string, disinfecting the area one last time. A rectangle of gauze was taped over the site. She wanted to tell him thank you, but couldn't sign to him while he was facing her back. Lee rummaged around through his bag again and drew out binding tape. "Do you want me to help you, Tenten?" He asked carefully.

She shook her head, "No, I got it…" He obviously did not hear her reply. She took the tape from him and began to wrap up her chest one-handed, but it was too difficult. When she tried to use her stiff arm she shrieked with pain and dropped the tape. Lee reached around to help her, ignoring her breasts. "You're a pal." She sighed. He didn't hear that either.

He was finished after a minute and she signed her thanks to him. He nodded cheerily, "It was no trouble at all, Tenten. Just please feel better."

Rather than pulling her ripped and bloodied shirt back on Tenten tossed it. She reached into her bag and drew out a spare black shirt with an embroidered silver tiger on the back. She would hate to ruin this one too, so she elected not to get carelessly injured again. She pulled it on and Neji returned, carrying the spoils of battle with him.

"Oh! An excellent idea!" Lee said, kneeling down where Neji set down the supplies. They leaned in and examined what he found: another blanket, some depleted water and food rations, bowls and utensils, first aid necessities and painkillers, soldier pills (What a find! Tenten cheered,) a detailed map, a contract from the actual people who had assigned the mission to the nukenin, some money, and cigarettes. Lee tossed the latter into the bushes since they had no use for them. They packed the rest of the supplies with their own belongings.

"We should keep moving before the others decide to show up." Tenten recommended, and staggered to her feet.

"You should rest. You don't want to jar your injury." Neji told her sternly.

She shook her head, "I can rest once we're somewhere safe. Let's go please."

Of course Lee also protested. After a short-lived argument Tenten got her way. Neji ended up carrying her on his back while Lee managed their travel bags. They covered considerable distance, and eventually reached the opposite end of the inlet. There they found shelter near the cliffside again, and stopped under a ledge that overlooked the rolling waves.

Tenten settled in the nook, laying on her side, and tried to hold still so she wouldn't tear any of her stitches. After surveying the cavern Lee deemed it safe and defensible, and then turned to Neji, "I will go find us something to eat. Can you please go find kindling for a fire?"

Neji nodded and Lee set out to hunt. The Hyuga sighed deeply and crossed back to Tenten. He kneeled beside her and stroked her uninjured arm. "Lee and I are going out. We'll be back soon." He bent and touched his forehead to her's, "Please get some rest."

She made a soft sound of accord, and Neji then stood and left the hollow. The sound of lapping waves washing in and out lulled Tenten into a dreamless sleep.

---

Tenten awoke to the tantalizing smell of fish cooking over a fire. It was then she realized how hungry she actually was. She sat up slowly, very stiff and uncomfortable, and her teammates perked up at the sight of her.

"I am glad you are awake, Tenten!" Lee greeted, handing her a speared and grilled fish, "Please eat this."

She thanked him sleepily and accepted it. She glanced to the entrance of the grotto and could see the sun had not yet set. "Was I out for long?" She rasped.

"An hour." Neji told her, "Come sit here. You look like you're in pain."

"I am." She admitted, shifting slowly to lean against him. He was much more comfortable than the cave wall.

He handed her a canteen and two pills. "Take these, they should help." Neji told her. She downed them with a gulp of water and then took another bite of fish.

"Are you going to eat?" She asked Neji.

"I finished." He told her, "Lee wanted to wait up for you, but we weren't very sure how long you'd sleep."

Tenten finished off her first fish and watched Lee set up their small tin kettle for tea. "Are we somewhere safe?" Tenten asked, still blinking off sleep.

Neji nodded, "Yes. On the other side of the bay, actually."

"What a perfect time for me to get hurt…" She grumbled, and then remembered something, "Oh! Back in the forest! Didn't you use the Byakugan?"

"I think I did, but just for a second. I'm not really sure how." He told her quietly, "I think it had less to do with my eyes and more to do with…" He tapped the side of his head, "It went a little bit deeper. I'll try again tomorrow."

"I'm so glad that you're figuring this out..." She sighed, hugging him with her good arm. He made a very pleased sound deep in his throat, and it sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

Tenten reached for another skewered fish and continued to eat. Neji watched her quietly, much more relaxed now that she was showing signs of improvement. Lee squeezed juice from one of their leftover tangerines into their tea and then handed it out. It was delicately sweet and delicious, and Tenten commented on his thoughtfulness only to recall how he couldn't hear it.

She handed Neji her parchment and brush. "You'll have to be my scribe until this arm works again." She informed him, "Could you please tell him that I love the tea?"

"It would be my pleasure, since I was about to say the same." He took it from her and wrote the compliment down. He showed it to Lee and their friend chuckled.

"Thank you very much, Neji." He said.

Lee's arm bindings were slightly marred from the earlier fight, so he set to work unraveling the old bandages, intending to re-tape them. While he worked, Tenten leaned her head against Neji's shoulder. She had finished eating, and with a full stomach she was sated. "You fought pretty well with Hok." She told him, "Make sure you keep it with you."

Neji glanced over to the decorated sword that was leaned against one of their travel bags. "It's protected the both of us very well." He agreed, "Thank you for trusting me with it."

She laughed, "Why Neji I trust you with my life. What's a donation of a sword?"

---

The following day it became very clear they could go no further. Tenten's injury was severe enough to inhibit her ability to wield weapons, and there was the constant threat of her reopening the gash with a sudden movement. They left their belongings in the grotto, knowing it would have to serve as a temporary shelter until Tenten was healed. After feeding his teammates, Lee went out again to create a perimeter and set up traps.

Neji had stayed behind with Tenten, helping her sterilize her aggravated wound. "I don't want to sit around here all day…" Tenten complained sourly, "Could we please go outside?"

"Not until Lee comes back."

"We could leave him a message to let him know where we are." Tenten suggested, "That hill just across the way. The one with the flowers; it'd be nice to train there."

"Train?" He scoffed in disbelief.

"Of course not me, I meant you." Tenten told him, "I'd rather help you out than sit on my butt and wait to get better."

Neji could see her point. "Alright." He said, and wrote down a short message for Lee. Neji slung Hok onto his back and followed Tenten out of the cavern into the sunlight. She was smiling with relief to be out of the dank and musty grotto.

She treaded carefully, taking her time as she picked her way up the slope. The hillside was in full bloom, and she was surprised by the number of swallow-tailed butterflies hovering about. 'I didn't think these were native to the region.' Tenten looked at Neji and told him, "I don't think you'll be needing Hok if you're working on the Byakugan."

"Point taken." He slipped the baldric from his shoulder and set it down. Tenten sat in the grass and observed as the Hyuga tried to contact his blood limit.

A breeze swept up some of the loose flower petals on the ground, giving the illusion of flying blossoms. Tenten relaxed completely, letting the atmosphere sink in. The combination of the ocean's distant roar and the periodic birdsongs were so soothing it nearly put her to sleep. Neji's concentration was broken after a while and he breathed harshly. "Is something wrong?" She asked him.

"Maybe." He took a seat beside her, resting an arm across his knee, "I think there's a possibility that I'm hurting myself."

Tenten blinked, "How do you figure?"

"When I focus chakra it becomes very clear where it isn't supposed to be, in a matter of speaking…" He explained, "It's persistent, and since I've been trying so often the pain stays."

"Oh…" Tenten rubbed her neck, troubled, "You've said a few times before that you've needed to rest your eyes. I didn't know it could…be that bad." She remembered something Sakura had said once, "A friend of mine told me that chakra pathways can get damaged and worn down. They're like arteries, kind of."

He seemed to understand. "I'll take a break then and try later." He decided.

"You…you don't have to. Not if it's hurting you." Tenten told him.

"But we need this more than ever especially with how you are now." Neji countered, "I'm going to do this."

She heaved a sigh. It was a necessary evil. She spread out on the flowers, laying down carefully on her side. Neji glanced down at her, and was amused when a pair of butterflies had perched on one of her buns. He shooed them out of her hair. Tenten closed her eyes and tried to will herself to heal faster.

Neji noticed one of her hands strewn across the grass lazily, palm open and facing upwards. He did not resist the impulse and reached down, taking that delicate, weapon-wielding hand in his own. Her eyes flickered open and she looked up at him. "Hm…what are you thinking?" She asked curiously.

Their fingers laced and for a moment he wasn't sure. It had been the right thing to do, he thought simply. She was beautiful, wise, and courageous. Tenten had adapted to his handicap as well as Lee's, and she said that she cared about him. What more reason was there? "I want to be with you." He told her softly.

Tenten's eyebrows shot up towards her hairline. "Oh…well, um…what do you mean?" She asked, taken off-guard by the statement.

"I would like very much to be your boyfriend." Neji clarified for her.

"E-Eh!" She felt fireworks go off in her stomach, "I-I…I can't say that this is the…best time or place…for that."

He chuckled at the reply, "It isn't?"

Tenten let out a shallow breath, "I just don't know what your rush is…"

"Well…something could happen to one of us." Neji made a valid point, "Even if it'd only be for a little while, we could be…" He trailed off, staring uncertainly at the swaying chrysanthemums.

Tenten frowned inwardly. 'Don't be an idiot, Tenten.' She self-reprimanded, 'Can't you see what he's trying to tell you? He wants you and you're acting like a middle-aged spinster!' She felt like one sometimes, anyway. Her grip on his hand increased slightly and he looked down again.

"Fine," She was smiling. "Then I'm yours now." She took a moment to marvel at her own audacity.

Initially, Neji looked confused, or maybe even taken aback that he didn't have to debate it with her. A very relieved smile crossed his face before he leaned down and kissed her mouth.

And it was not what she had imagined it would be, nor was it like the kisses that Hikune had tried to trap her with. It went beyond, to a place in her mind where there was stillness, and it destroyed the ugly, uncertain longing that had filled her for ages and replaced it with contented affirmation and heat. These are Neji's lips, her brain logged the event for the first time, ecstatic that they had found her's willingly. His scent, his taste and his smoothness had surpassed all of her expectations.

Their mouths parted for a moment, and after a pause, met again with the same curious gentleness…but definite certainty that this indeed was the partner that was desired. With the second kiss Tenten understood that she could never again doubt the man beside her. Whole or in pieces; in joy or despair. They drifted apart again and looked at each other, realizing that survival had become imperative.

---

A short while later Lee started calling for them. Neji insisted he stay and work on awakening the Byakugan, so Tenten parted with him and returned to their shelter. Lee greeted her and showed her some gnarled, wooly looking fruits he had with him. "These are almonds." He told her, "We can eat them later."

Tenten smiled and gave him a high-five of approval. She followed him back into the grotto and he asked her where Neji had gotten to. She tapped her temple near her eye and he understood. "The Byakugan…" He said, "We should call him in soon. I do not want him to overdo it."

Tenten nodded in agreement, and then rushed to her pack. She snatched up the parchment and very gingerly wrote down a note for Lee as he struck flint for a fire. When she finished she held it up for him to read.

After seeing it Lee could not contain his surprise, "Ah! Neji asked you to be his girlfriend?"

Tenten nodded, grinning.

Lee grinned back and asked, "So…what did you say?"

Tenten held up her fist and signed yes.

Lee cheered for her. If anyone had been rooting for Tenten in her romantic endeavors it had most certainly been him. He had always wanted to see her happy, and even if they were on a mission (and in dire straits,) Lee was glad that things were going well for her. "Is he going to take you on dates when we get back home?" He asked, eyes gleaming.

She shrugged. Tenten certainly would not mind if he did, but she wasn't sure if she would be able to explain to the rest of their friends Neji's sudden change in attitude. Once Lee had the fire going he poured the water they had acquired from the defeated nukenin and tipped it into a makeshift pot to boil. "This is all very exciting…" Lee said, crossing over to his pack and rummaging through it, "Wait until Gai-sensei hears this!"

Tenten shrieked, crossing her arms in a very combative 'X.' Lee laughed at her, and drew out some plundered supplies from his bag. "Relax, I will not say anything unless you want me to. You will have to explain yourself." He smiled mischievously, "We are having soup tonight, since it's one of the things we happened to pick up yesterday."

She gave him an approving sign, but Lee's cheerful expression wavered. "Tenten?" He asked after a moment.

She looked at him and he then asked, "When we get back home…after all of this…can things ever go back to the way they were before? For us and Neji, I mean."

Tenten signed the word no. Lee looked disconcerted by the thought, but she scribbled a better explanation for him: It's going to be different, but I don't think in a bad way. We're just going to have to repeat a few things, but I have a feeling it'll all be fine.

Lee relaxed and nodded, "You are probably right."

Neji returned when the soup was ready and sat beside Tenten. To her astonishment he announced, "I have it now."

Tenten gave him a questioning look, "But?"

"I can see there's no fooling you…I can use it now, but I…" He hesitated, "I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to do."

"Jyukken. I'll start showing you tomorrow, I promise." Tenten said.

"You're still injured, Tenten. I don't want you-"

"I'm feeling a lot better already, and besides, we need to get moving by tomorrow at the latest." Tenten overrode him, "And remember, I can only teach you basic maneuvers since I'm not a Hyuga."

He smirked at her, "I can change that."

Tenten gave him an admonishing look. "Don't even start thinking about that sort of thing. It's not a good idea." She laughed quietly at the absurdity, "And you know that it would just be a name change, it's not like I'd get any special powers or anything."

He pulled her against his chest, mumbling, "I just want you by my side."

Tenten frowned slightly, "That's all I've ever wanted too. But you know…when we get back…you might find someone you like more-"

"Never." He said tersely.

"We'll see." Tenten said with a sigh, "Just save these things for when we get back to Leaf, alright?"

"Alright." He agreed.

Lee, though he could not hear a word they were saying, was very amused by just watching their exchange. He served them soup and said it was their "congratulatory dinner."

Neji took up the parchment and scrawled a note for Lee. His friend read it and frowned at the message, "Pardon? I am not corny!"

---

The next day they packed up and set out. Now with the assistance of the Byakugan, Tenten was much more confident about cutting through the wilderness. Neji was a bit intimidated by his ability, though, and frequently stopped using it because he felt his blood limit was 'voyeuristic.'

"It's alright, Neji." Tenten kept telling him, "Lee and I, we really don't mind. It's just bodies, and it never used to bother you."

"Was I a pervert, by any chance?" He asked crossly.

Tenten laughed, "Quite the opposite. In your clan you don't take the human form seriously. Or, yes, you're all a bunch of secret perverts."

He cracked an amused smile. Neji continued on, leading them through the forest with Tenten's combined knowledge and direction. Shortly before noon he stopped them after spotting something. "Up ahead…they're still a way off." He reported, "It's a woman and two men…they look like they're sick. They're sitting around and trying to rest."

"Yeah, I remember them. Wow, that group must have caught something bad if they've been ill for this long…" Tenten answered, "Can you see the other three anywhere?"

"No, they are not here." He told her certainly.

Tenten signed to Lee how there were three nukenin due north of them, but they did not pose a threat. Lee thanked her for the update. They continued on unnoticed past the ailing shinobi, and found the mountain path they had first set out on. It would lead them straight back to the inn they had stopped at on their first day, but Tenten determined it was too risky to put themselves in plain sight of the town.

"They'll definitely be expecting us." Tenten theorized, "We should hang tight for one more day and camp out. We'll make a break for the harbor, and if it's just the three of them, well…" She grinned, "That shouldn't be a problem."

Neji liked the plan, and after Lee reviewed the written version he also agreed to it. Outside of the bayside town they set up another camp in an overgrown forest. Tenten had Neji do one last sweep of the area before being absolutely sure Keshin and the others were not around. The cedar trees provided good cover, and Lee went off to hunt one last time while Tenten led Neji off to train.

"For starters, I'm going to need you to look at me with your Byakugan." Tenten told him, and watched him quail in reaction, "Not in the dirty way, Neji, the fighting way. You need to get a sense of the chakra circulatory system again."

"I don't know about this." He said quietly.

Tenten huffed in exasperation. "Look," She said pointedly, "You're going to be seeing a lot of semi-naked people from now on, the only difference is that they'll probably be trying to kill you. Please pay attention."

She pointed to the center of her ribcage, "Solar Plexus." Then above her breast, "Heart," Then at the point where her neck and skull met, "Brain stem." Neji nodded and took note. "These are three kill-zones, if you drill them with chakra you can say see you in hell." Tenten summarized it, "You usually are less direct. You can shut off their tenketsu so they can't use chakra…or just make them pass out by attacking their organs."

"That's brutal." He said.

She smirked, "That's Gentle Fist."

He smiled at her, intrigued.

"I want you to get a good look at my system, for reference." Tenten told him, "Then we'll work on forms. I'm not going to let you hit me, but you should be able to visualize it."

He understood. Neji ventured another look, getting over the awkwardness, and accustomed himself to the sight of chakra pathways. Tenten proceeded to demonstrate forms, although it took a while to get his stance correct. They were basic but essential moves that he copied accurately, and the ones Tenten could not show him she spoke about.

"Your rotation keeps all attacks at bay, it's very impressive." She told him, "It kind of resembles this." Tenten spun in a circle, palms outward, her feet skidding in the dirt.

Neji laughed, "How would that protect me?"

"Well when you do it you're releasing chakra from your tenketsu, and moving so fast that you create an actual shield." She added, "I can't duplicate that." Tenten paused in thought, "Oh! And the new technique you perfected: Air Palm. You can hit someone even if they're not nearby." She frowned, "I hate it when you use that one on me."

He looked puzzled, "I've used it on you?"

"When we were training, a while ago." Tenten told him, "You need someone to help you with your jutsu, you know."

He touched her cheek tenderly, "But I don't want to hurt you." Tenten sighed at the contact and took a step back, ready to continue.

"You won't hurt me anymore, Neji. You don't even know half the things I've been talking about anyway." She told him, and attempted to mimic the 'Rotation' again.

"I'm sure it must look cooler when I do it." He suspected.

"On a good day. Sometimes it messes your hair up." Tenten said playfully. She then took an offensive stance and said, "Now show me what you've learned."

Neji raised his hands, circling her for an opening.

---

Later in the day they found Lee at camp. He had been able to find some peaches in an orchard that belonged to one of the locals. "I helped myself." He explained.

They sat around and ate, and Lee was pleased to read that Neji was working on Jyukken. Tenten predicted that Neji would be back to his low-average fighting level within a week or two of training. She would prefer it if they were in the Leaf Village when they did it, though.

Lee sat across from the two, unable to hear a thing. He was not sure what to make of the new interaction between his teammates. To date, Lee was not sure if he had ever seen Neji smile so much at one person in the years he had known him. Lee was beginning to feel like an intruder in their space, "Um…should I leave you two alone for a while?"

Tenten frowned at him and signed no. After lunch they asked Lee to train with them. He was a good match for Neji, pushing him to get creative with his Jyukken, and Tenten sometimes cut in when she felt she would not be hurting her shoulder.

For the remainder of the day they rested and ate lightly. At night they slept in a huddle, as it was still unwise to make a fire, and they took watches in shifts.

Early the next morning they took the soldier pills they had won, and set out before the townspeople would be on the streets. They passed through cautiously, but Neji reported no sign of the nukenin whatsoever. Tenten found it extremely unusual. It was when an older woman poked her head out of the front door of a house and beckoned them over that things took a bad turn.

"Can we help you, madam?" Lee asked politely.

"Are you those Leaf ninja who came through here a while ago?" She asked nervously.

"We are." Neji confirmed it.

"You've done a fine job, getting my husband kidnapped!" She hissed at them, "Those damn forest rascals came in here and said: There's no way those Leaf brats can sail out of here if the ship's captain isn't around! And they took him away! Just like that…"

"Where are they?" Tenten asked quickly, "Ma'am, we'll bring your husband back to you! We never wanted to cause trouble."

"They're at the harbor. I don't think they'd hurt him, but…" Her eyes reflected sorrow, "They're not going to let you leave this place alive. I would understand if you fled to save yourselves…but I don't think they'll return him to me so easily."

"We'll help you." Neji said, "This is our responsibility."

Tenten gave the Hyuga an uncertain look but she too agreed. The old woman thanked them breathlessly and they departed, Tenten scratching down the situation on parchment for Lee. He read about their predicament and was troubled, "If they have leverage on us…they will not be easily defeated."

"We need to ambush them." Tenten announced, and then smiled at her boyfriend, "And with Neji here we can do just that."

---

They crept up a forested slope that overlooked the harbor below. The breeze blew in from the ocean, which meant the tracking-ninja, wherever he was, would not be able to smell them.

With his Byakugan, Neji reported the positions of the three enemy ninja who were holding the old skipper prisoner. "The dark haired one you were talking about, Keshin; he is there. Right now he's talking to his companions." Neji said, "The old man appears to be safe."

"Good. Do you see any way we might be able to sneak up on them?" Tenten asked.

"No." He told her, but thought about it, "Maybe if we create a diversion back here, though, it will lead them away from their position. We could do it that way."

"Let me just tell Lee." Tenten said, but Neji grabbed her arm, "What is it?"

"Behind us!" He warned.

She and Neji leapt back to avoid the nukenin who had discovered them, but Lee had not heard the cry. Tenten watched helplessly as Lee was struck in the back by one of the enemy shinobi, and sent tumbling down the sandy slope in clear view of Keshin and his companions. Neji rounded on the newcomers, his Byakugan active, "I didn't expect this…"

"What? That they'd notice us?" Tenten said, standing back-to-back with him.

"No." He smirked, "These are the sick ones."

Then it hit her the medic nin and her two ailing friends had come back to help out the rest of their group. Tenten sprang, summoning a storm of weaponry that her enemies scattered to avoid. Their reactions were sluggish. Neji caught one of them, not dealing any severe damage with his Jyukken, at first, but after a scuffle struck his opponent in the gut. The sick man crumpled, out of energy to fight as it was.

Tenten had beaten the other into submission with a Bo-staff, and only the medic remained. She had no obvious talent in fighting, and immediately surrendered. "Listen!" She said fearfully, "Keshin's the one who's got the real problem with you. Just leave me and my friends out of this!"

"Then get them out of here if you know what's good for you." Tenten snarled.

The medic quickly snatched up her teammates and made herself scarce. The two Leaf ninja exited the forest, and could see Lee was already fighting against the final three nukenin. His leg weights were off, and though it was an impressive sight he would not last long on his own.

"We need to get down there." Neji continued to observe the fight, "Lee's strong but he can't take all of them."

Tenten's expression had stilled with seriousness, "I want you to stay here, Neji."

Shocked, he gave her an uncomprehending look, "Why?"

"I don't want you fighting Keshin again. He knows your style and he'll go right for you if he sees you again." Tenten warned him, "If you stay here Lee and I can take care of it."

"I won't let you do this alone."

"I want you to be safe!" She protested, "I couldn't do that for you the last time."

Neji cupped her chin with his hand and gave her a stern look, "I have to go down there. We can't help what happens." Tenten was scowling, but not because she was angry. She let him pull her against his chest in a sincere embrace.

"I can't shrink behind you forever. I'm a shinobi and I need to fight. That's what you taught me." He told her, "And if something happens…however bad it is…wait for me. I know how to get back to you."

Tenten was still against it, but her grimace faded. "I'm holding you to that!" She warned him.

Neji took it as a valid answer. He leapt down the crumbling slope and Tenten had no choice but to follow.

At first Lee thought he had the advantage of surprise. He had an unpleasant fall down the slope, but once at the bottom, Keshin and the others looked genuinely startled. They could hardly believe he was by himself. Lee needed little more reason to attack.

No one anticipated his speed, which also helped, but Lee's audio black-out left him vulnerable to the directions they shouted amongst themselves. He smashed one of the nukenin in the face with a flying kick, but noticed Keshin approach from behind a fraction too late. The tracker had decked him with a powerful arm, and Lee soared across the clearing like a rag doll.

The old man, from where he was tied to a docking post, hollered in Lee's favor…however bleak it appeared. "Give 'em a left, sonny!" The captain squawked, "A left!"

Even without hearing the encouragement, Lee staggered to his feet anyway. He was about to take off running again when a ninja had hit him with a weighted chain. The side-swipe tripped his feet out from under him, snaring around his ankle, but Lee was free to run. The nukenin cried out as he was dragged across the shipyard by his own chain, and Lee proceeded to do battle with the other two thugs.

"Get up, Jessa!" Keshin snarled at his teammate, "Don't just let him drag you around!"

Jessa caught the chain around an unused anchor and it snapped, detaching him from Lee's stampede. "I could use another weapon, Pejite!" The fire-haired nin called to his friend. Pejite summoned an iron-tipped spear and tossed it to Jessa as he tailed after Lee.

The three nukenin coordinated their attacks, attempting to surround Lee, but a storm of kunai and shuriken forced them back. Lee was appreciative when his teammates had arrived. Tenten dove straight for Keshin, intent on distracting him from Neji. A relentless barrage of weaponry, with the help of a Shadow Clone, poured down from her airborne scroll. She effectively cornered the tracker with a wall of metal.

Lee had reset his focus on Jessa; meanwhile Pejite directed his attacks at Neji with a hachiwari he summoned.

The Hyuga drew Hok and countered Pejite's sloppy strikes. He was a mediocre ninja at best, compared to how Tenten made use of tool-summoning scrolls. Neji was comfortable enough breaking his foe's guard, catching the crux of the hachiwari, and pried it out of his enemy's hand with a sword-flick. Their weapons flew a distance before sticking into sandy soil. The coward made a break to run towards the wharf, but Neji reacted on reflex. He pummeled Pejite with the rudimentary Jyukken he had been tutored in. Lee attempted to assist before Jessa chased him off again with his spear.

Meanwhile, Keshin had used a strange jutsu that had amplified his strength, and Tenten struggled to avoid the lumbering brute as he tore apart the shipyard with his bare hands. Tenten could hear somewhere behind her Lee opening his chakra gates. His foe tried to interrupt the attempt with Fire Style techniques. Plumes of flame danced across the harbor, and Tenten feared her teammates would not fare well against the enemy's Ninjutsu. Keshin came crashing down next to her and Tenten was thrown back. 'Ugh! I owe this bastard for ruining everything! I think I know how to thank him…'

She had only made two previous attempts while in Konoha, and under Hayate's supervision, at that. Even so, Tenten could not come up with a reason not to summon a volatile weapon in defense of her team, 'I'm bleeding anyway.' With a swipe of blood and the appropriate hand signs, Tenten pressed her hand against the grit of the seaside road.

Her summoning matrix spread an unusual pattern on the ground, and Keshin caught up to her, somewhat curious about what strategy she had adopted.

"Ha! Getting tired, you wee little bitch? What's that you got there?" He grinned a crooked smile, "And how's your friend after you dropped him?"

Tenten fixed her eyes on the man furiously. The ground split apart and erupted. Keshin leapt back, caught off guard, and observed in silent wonder.

The old jian called Susumajin rose up in an ornate sheath, and then rested at the lip of the fissure. The kunoichi walked by calmly and lifted it up. While her foe took an extra moment to wonder what sort of jutsu could pull weapons out of the ground, Tenten unsheathed the short sword. The blade metal had an obsidian tint to it, and while the young woman took aim at the nearest throat in sight, the sword had already begun its wicked work.

Keshin was aware of the feeling; abrupt, like an invisible gust that struck and then ceased. It had taken a considerable amount of his chakra with it. The pulse had shaved away the chakra of anyone near it, paused as if to analyze what it took, and then Tenten rushed at her enemy while he scrambled to gather energy again. A beat later, another energy-stealing wave swallowed an exponential amount of chakra from its target.

For fear of losing another third of his chakra, Keshin charged, wanting to get the first strike in, but Tenten swung her sword before he had a prayer of attacking. A corrosive, rending light soared off of the blade and hacked into Keshin, carving a deep gash in his chest. He fell back with a scream, burned by the attack, and Tenten needed only to drive the point of the jian into his jugular notch to end the threat finally.

Before Susumajin could begin progressively (and indiscriminately) decimating the chakra reserves of Tenten's own teammates, she sheathed it and threw it back into its burrow, and the ground closed up after receiving it.

Lee had hit Jessa with a hammer-punch that sent him streaking like a comet into the lagoon. Tenten looked past her teammate as she ran, and was alarmed to see one of six Water Clones disarm Neji. She watched in horror as Hok was knocked from his hand and the bunshin closed in. Somehow, without it even looking rehearsed, the Hyuga took a textbook perfect Gentle Fist stance.

Tenten felt her mouth hang agape when Neji threw himself into a rotation and destroyed the water clones surrounding him. Pejite stumbled back, but could not counter as Neji descended on him with merciless stabs of Jyukken. The last nukenin was promptly defeated. Lee closed his gates and began looking around for his leg weights having forgotten where he ditched them.

Tenten crossed the shipyard and picked up Hok. She heaved a deep sigh. Neji turned around and faced her. 'He doesn't have a scratch on him!'

She beamed, "That was amazing!" Tenten threw her arms around his shoulders in a loving hug, managing not to clip him with the sword.

Neji did not return her embrace. For a moment she thought maybe he had gotten hurt, but she could feel tension in his muscles. He was rigid and uncomfortable, and it slowly occurred to her that he didn't like being touched. Tenten took a step back and looked at his face. He appeared very confused.

Something in her chest wrenched. Neji took Hok from her and slid it back into its scabbard. He slipped the baldric from his shoulder and handed it back to her, "Here, Tenten. I'm not sure what I was doing with this."

She took it back from him with a shaking hand. Tenten inhaled deeply before asking, "Are you alright, Neji?"

"I am." He told her as he glanced around, "Although…I can't say I know how we ended up here."

"Ah." She laughed faintly, and then looked over her shoulder for Lee. He was untying the captain, who was singing Lee's praises even though he could not hear them.

"Lee's deaf right now." Tenten informed Neji, "Do you remember why?"

He gave her an odd look, "He can hear perfectly well."

"No, he can't…" Tenten rubbed her temples, trying to relax, "What do you remember last, Neji?"

"We were fighting Keshin near the gorge." He told her, "And then, inexplicably, we fought here back where we started."

The entire week had just gone up in smoke. 'Neji's brain just did a total reboot.' Tenten noted, 'And here I thought it was never going to happen.'

Lee crossed over to them with the skipper. "Neji! You fought very well today!" He commented, "We should bring the captain back home now, what do you think?"

Neji looked completely perplexed. Tenten patted his shoulder and promised, "I'll explain everything."

---

After disposing of what remained of their vanquished enemies, the team returned the captain to his wife. The old woman invited them for tea to show her appreciation. They sat on the front porch of her house, and Tenten first explained to Lee, on parchment, what had happened to Neji.

Lee gave her a worried look. "Does he remember what happened between…you two?" He asked quietly.

Tenten signed no. Lee looked away from her. He did not speak for the rest of the afternoon.

Tenten then elaborated for Neji how he had been injured, how she and Lee had worked to help him, and how Lee had eventually been hurt as well.

"I'm hoping Tsunade-sama will be able to do something for him when we get back home." Tenten told him.

"Why was I carrying your sword before?" Neji asked her.

"I gave it to you." Tenten answered, smiling, "You handled it pretty well."

Neji took a sip of the tea and she watched his face, waiting for a sign of recognition. There was nothing. He only recalled how they'd crossed through a jungle and begun spying. The rest he had to take her word for. He said he appreciated everything she and Lee had done for him. "I am indebted to you." Neji told her.

Tenten waved it off, and then theorized how he his brain was compensating. "It must have been the fight…you see, once you'd forgotten things I wouldn't let you get into any battles. Not really. I didn't want you to get hurt." Tenten explained, "Your instincts must have kicked in back there and helped you remember your most recent…memory?" She was no psychologist, so she lacked the scientific terms to make it sound sophisticated.

"Or it was sheer dumb luck." Neji pointed out. Even he counted himself fortunate in such a dangerous situation.

"Tsunade-sama will have to check you too when we get back. There still might be something wrong with your…wiring." Tenten added, "But other than that, I'm glad you're back with us!"

He nodded. The smile she had gotten used to seeing was absent. Tenten glanced over to Lee and could see he had not touched his drink. He sat in silence while staring at the harbor.

"Is he well?" Neji asked her.

Tenten had a sinking feeling that Lee's heart had broken even before hers had. In fact, she was surprised that she felt no remorse at all.

---

The Fog Skipper had actually been prepared to sail since the day prior. Due to the captain's kidnapping, mates postponed the return trip to the mainland. Only a few people boarded the ship, and when Chief Mate Ondo saw how filthy and worn-out the team of Leaf ninja looked as they crossed the deck, he ushered them along, "Whoa! You three were here for over a week! Were you fooling around in the jungle?"

"You could say that." Tenten replied tiredly.

"That's crazy dangerous, but you probably realized that. Follow me. There's a nice room available on the port side and I think you guys will need it."

With muted thanks, the team followed Ondo to a room they supposed would be, optimistically, twice the size of their former closet. It was a startling delight to find that it was a spacious and well-kept suite with a bathroom attached. The single bed was quite large and, further into the room, was a sofa fitted between cramped furniture. A wide window faced the ocean.

"This is one of the best cabins we have. If you need anything else just give me a shout." The muscled man advised them.

Lee observed out loud, "Much better! The mate did not ask us to pay for this?"

Tenten signed no to him.

They set their bags and supplies down, grateful for a comfortable room for when their beaten bodies and minds needed it most. Tenten, ever the proactive one, fetched parchment and scribbled a note to Lee as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. She handed it to him and then spoke to Neji as he lingered near the window, "If you two don't mind I'm going to wash up. Please look after Lee, for now."

Neji nodded slowly, finally noticing that her white cheongsam had been replaced with a black shirt. He had clearly missed things. It was still a muddle when he attempted to pry open his memory, seeing a plethora of odds and ends, but nothing that recalled a wardrobe change. Tenten retreated to the restroom with a few items from her bag.

There was a familiar lurch as the ship began to pull away from shore. 'There.' Neji thought. The ordeal was over, 'Whatever it was.' Tenten had given him a rough overview of what occurred, but he felt a few more details would be beneficial. He came to stand beside Lee as his teammate gingerly laid back, allowing his muscles to relax after days of struggle.

"I want you to tell me-" Neji was interrupted when Lee quickly handed the scroll to him without looking. Miffed, Neji took the parchment and brush to express his thoughts as he had seen Tenten do before.

After a moment, Lee was nudged with the scroll. The boy sat up to read the message:

Are you angry with me?

Lee frowned in confusion, "What do you mean, Neji? I am not angry at all."

On paper, Neji continued, You have barely spoken to me since we fought those nukenin. You're clearly upset about something. Did I do anything offensive that I can't remember?

"No, Neji. Nothing offensive. I suppose I am trying to get used to you being yourself again." Lee explained.

I wasn't myself?

"It could not be helped. You had no recollection of anything, as Tenten told you. What I meant was that it changed your behavior."

Neji blanched at the thought. How dramatic of a change did Lee mean? He asked for his friend to elaborate.

"Well…you tried very hard to please us. You were aware of what a challenge it was for us to protect you without your abilities. You wanted to make up for it, Neji." Lee tapped his chin, "You also laughed a lot more."

Horrified, he wrote, What did it sound like?

"It did not sound annoying." Perplexed, Lee added, "You do not know the sound of your own laugh?"

Wouldn't it be stranger if I did?

Lee cracked a smile, "Maybe."

Neji sighed in mild dismay. So he had acted foolishly, albeit he had not known any better.

"Because I feel we have grown closer as friends…I can give you an honest assessment based on how you normally are…" Lee wagered, tilting his head to think, "Your laughter and the sounds you made were by no means out of the ordinary. You asked many questions but they were perfectly valid. You were quite optimistic and forward-looking. You also…"

When Lee paused for too long Neji inquired in ink, What? What else did I do?

"You spent as much time with Tenten as you possibly could." Lee announced, "You were very attached to her."

Neji stared mutely as he processed the information.

"You wanted to know about her life and the things she liked. As I recall, she had no problem sharing those things with you. But…oh, how do I put it?" He furrowed his prominent brows, "When all of that stopped satisfying…"

"What?" Neji growled, knowing that Lee could at least visualize what he had said.

Lee finally reached a fitting description, and with a pointed finger he announced, "You solicited romance."

Neji returned to his processing. While the silence hung and he stared at a wall, Neji abjectly flailed his mental self for acting inappropriately.

"It is alright!" Lee assured him, "Tenten was not upset by it."

Then you can confirm that I acted like a fool?

"Not in any sense, Neji." Lee disagreed, "I feel that…you merely acted as you would have if you did not have your-" He gestured at Neji's scowling face, "Tremendous pride filtering your every word. If you stopped fearing the possibility of Tenten rejecting you-" Lee ceased speaking and dodged when Neji lashed out angrily, barking words that he couldn't hear.

When he calmed down Neji managed to write out, I do not fear rejection.

"Of course you do." Lee stated matter-of-factly, "I know how you feel, Neji. We have spoken about it already. If Tenten for any reason distanced herself from you while we are together as a team, it would risk the precious friendship that you value above all else." He nodded wisely, "That may be the one thing you cannot be careless with."

Your inability to hear has made you shockingly bold.

"If you did not trust my opinion then I know you would not have asked for it." Lee stated simply.

Neji groaned in aggravation, unable to contest his friend's claim. Lee patted his shoulder reassuringly before asking, "Is there…anything that you can remember?"

They sat side-by-side on the edge of the bed in silence. After fishing for anything significant, Neji reported on paper, There was fruit.

"Yes!" Lee chuckled in disbelief, "Those were figs."

Neji nodded. That was about all he could recall.

The door of the bathroom opened a crack and Tenten's voice sounded, "Can someone…take a look at my back, please?"

As Neji was the only person who could hear the request, he stood and crossed over to the small compartment. Before he could form words to ask what her concern was, Neji laid eyes on a wound on Tenten's shoulder that had begun to fester. He inhaled after a moment, shocked, "What happened?" He pushed into the room as she was reasonably covered with a towel.

"I was injured in a fight a few days ago. I thought I had been going easy and it wasn't hurting…" Tenten glanced over the gash in the mirror, "Looks like it got infected."

"How were you hurt?" Neji asked.

"When we were fighting those rogues I got tangled in a chain-scythe. You did too, actually." She smiled, "Lee made him pay for it."

Neji's practical nature reasserted itself. Without further acknowledgment, he crossed back to Lee and wrote him an update. Lee reached for his travel bag (now containing extra spoils from fallen foes) and rummaged through it, "Ah ha! This bottle has enough antibiotics for two weeks. And…" He retrieved a small plastic box, "There is some ointment in here too."

Neji accepted the items and returned to Tenten, placing the bottle of medicine in her hand, "You're going to need this." He examined the angry red patch of skin surrounding the cut on her shoulder blade, "Hold still."

She restrained a hiss when he dabbed antibacterial ointment on the wound. While working Neji noted, "Lee did these stitches."

"Yeah." She peeped, breathing laboriously.

"They're very good."

Tenten exhaled through pursed lips. Neji did not overlook the numerous cuts and scrapes that lined her exposed skin. When he concluded the care of her wound, Neji bowed his head in disappointment, "I burdened you. If I had been able to defend myself, you would not have-"

"It's fine." Tenten cut him off, "You would have done the same for me, Neji." She gently nudged him out the door, "I'll be ready in a little while!" The compartment shut before he could express his regrets.

While Tenten had a point, Neji was not thrilled that she could not at least hear out his apology. They would have saved considerable time and energy if he had not taken a thoughtless plunge off a ravine ledge. Tenten had protected both him and Lee while they were weakened, but she had sustained significant injuries. On top of that, he could hardly understand how she had maintained an upbeat attitude through it all.

He returned to the space where Lee was sitting and his teammate flagged him down, "Neji! You must read this!" He held up a scroll that had been retrieved from a travel bag, "This document specifies what those rogue ninja were looking for!"

With a raised eyebrow, Neji accepted the scroll and looked it over.

Compensation: 30,000 Ryo a participant

Objective: Confirm coordinates of the tomb containing the seal of the Demon Moryo. When located, avoid contact with tomb guards. Do not alert retainers or High Priestess of the Demon Country. Do not alert daimyo of Marsh Country. Execute any bystanders or shinobi who choose to interfere. Report findings at headquarters to accept reward; no substitutions. Zero liability for injury sustained by interference or terrain.

Issuer: Lord Yomi

"Hm." Neji was slightly impressed by the scale of treachery in the document, "The Hokage will appreciate us forwarding this to her." He added, "And it seems prudent to notify the lords of the Marsh and Demon countries."

Lee observed Neji uncertainly, having made an attempt to lip-read. Neji transcribed the idea on paper and Lee got the message, nodding in agreement.

Tenten reappeared with her hair tied up, fully dressed, and gestured towards the bathroom. "It's free. You both should get cleaned up before we find something to eat."

"I agree." Neji handed her the shady mission request, "Read this for now. Tsunade-sama will find it invaluable."

While Neji took his turn to bathe, Tenten was enlightened by the scroll they had pilfered from fallen rogues. 'How about that? The whole time we were close to a tomb…but we ended up playing tag in the jungle with mercenaries.' It was an exceptional waste of time, yet somehow they had fulfilled their mission parameters.

She and Lee sat down on the armchairs near the window to discuss the mission.

"Are you going to tell Neji anything?" Lee inquired.

With ink she replied, I don't know if I should. At least not now. He probably wouldn't believe me if I told him what happened.

"He would." Lee insisted.

Alright. Even if he did believe me, it doesn't change the fact that he may not feel comfortable agreeing to the things he agreed to when he wasn't in his right mind. I don't plan on forcing him into something he does not genuinely want.

"I feel that it is something worth talking about. Neji has come a long way." Lee disagreed, "And I thought that you…might be upset about him forgetting."

Tenten took a pose of contemplation, crossing her legs, "Well…" She wrote another response, It's a minor setback. I don't have anything to be sad about, considering that we're all here in one piece.

"True." Lee yielded.

You still can't hear anything?

"There is occasional tinnitus." He shook his head, "But nothing so far."

I really hope Tsunade-sama can help you!

"I hope so too. Though, I think I can get along quite well with this handicap if I must." Lee seemed determined, "I wanted to ask you about something else, Tenten."

She nodded as she listened.

"I saw you use it very briefly: a sword that came out of the ground." He recalled, "What was it?"

Tenten hurriedly penned her answer, I was going to tell you about it. It's called Susumajin. That sword is an heirloom weapon passed down from my ancestors. I am pretty sure the Hiyumi is an heirloom weapon from the same line, too.

"Ah, I see. Why did you not continue to use it?"

It's dangerous. I can't feel the effects, but when I trained with Hayate he explained that it didn't take long for most of his chakra to be eroded. The sword siphons chakra away and stores it. I am not sure what else it does, but it isn't appropriate for battles with teammates nearby. It helps end things quickly, I'll give it that.

"And you must summon it with hand seals like a contract summon?"

She nodded.

"How odd." Lee rubbed his chin, "Is there a person inside it?"

Tenten gave him a dumbfounded expression, unable to answer.

"What I mean is, do you know if anyone was sealed with it?"

How am I supposed to know that, Lee?! And more importantly: how could YOU know that?

"I have read about it." He said simply.

WHAT are you talking about?

"The book you gave to Neji as a gift." Lee elaborated, "I have read it. I do not know if Neji has finished it yet, but I returned it to him…"

Are you trying to tell me that this sword was in that history book?

"That is exactly what I mean." He confirmed, "And…maybe you will benefit from reading about it. That book was kept in your family, and I imagine there was a purpose."

Tenten leaned back in the chair, puffing, finding it hard to digest that Lee was so good at paying attention.

"When we return home, ask Neji if he has finished. I think you need it more." Lee determined.

She nodded tiredly.

Neji returned after a short while and Lee was able to wash up. They ventured above deck to be served a meal. Afterward, Neji decided it was worth asking around if anyone had ever heard of the Tomb of Moryo.

The only person who had a remote idea of what they were referring to was the old sea captain. While at the helm, he explained, "Yes, that monster was sealed a long time ago by the Priestess Miroku. Her family resides in the Demon Country. That's about all I've heard." He twitched his mustache, "It would not be easy or smart to try to find that vault…but I guess some greedy knuckleheads will try anything these days."

"Do you know where the tomb is?" Tenten asked.

"Nope. I don't think anyone around here does, for our own safety." The man speculated.

They thanked the captain for his honesty and for ferrying them home. Tenten began her regimen of antibiotics while Lee took Dramamine at the first sign of motion-sickness. The team could not spot hide nor hair of the other few passengers aboard.

While observing the ocean by rails at the bow of the ship, Tenten looked at Neji critically, "I never did ask you if your head has bothered you."

"Not at all." He confirmed.

Lee was on a bench meters behind them, practicing knots with loose mooring line.

"Tell me if you remember anything, alright?" Tenten requested.

"I will." He shut his eyes to concentrate on the sea breeze, "Though…I do think I know what we ate."

Tenten laughed at the thought, "Well, that's something at least. How about trying to cut your hair off? Remember that?"

He looked at her incredulously.

"I stopped you, of course."

"Thank you." Neji leaned his chin on the heel of his hand, "That might explain the way my hair was tied."

"Oh yeah. You wanted it in a ponytail." She added, "It looked good."

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. A few of the things she spoke about sounded familiar, in a distant sense.

Later in the evening, after a meal and enjoying more fresh air beneath the stars, the team retired to their cabin. No one made a fuss as the lights were snapped off and they sorted themselves. Tenten happily collapsed front-ways onto the bed, overjoyed to have space. Lee made a motion to Neji across the room, encouraging him to join the kunoichi. With a sound of annoyance that Lee could not hear, Neji ignored the suggestion and took the sofa instead.

Foiled, Lee settled down for sleep in the free space of the bed and attempted to minimize his snoring.

---

The next day was punctuated with a gentle drizzle of rain. Gray clouds loomed as far as the eye could see, but the captain steered them away from the worst of the storm.

After waking, the teammates ate below deck in a mess hall, virtually devoid of passengers with the exception of cooks.

When the morning dragged by uneventfully, the bored ninja wandered around the ship. They even passed by their previous cabin, which was a sorry sight. The group stumbled across Chief Mate Ondo who was escorting a tiny old woman around.

"This is my Grandma." The burly mate introduced, "She's got some shopping to do in the Fire Country."

The old woman was a firecracker who demanded entertainment. If the so-called shinobi could not fight each other to the death for her enjoyment, then she would settle for their life stories.

They shared brief anecdotes about their lives as an alternative.

"She might really like watching the Chunin Exam Finals." Tenten suggested.

"Grandma was there last time. I don't think she'd miss it for the world."

Rain began to fall in a torrential curtain and the passengers quickly retreated below deck. The day resumed uneventfully from then on, and Lee held a conversation about the impending Chunin Exam with his teammates through paper.

"I expect we will pass this year." Lee speculated, "What did the flier say the date was?"

Tenten scribbled, The tournament starts June 26th. It's a week before Neji's birthday.

He nodded, "Hm. So we will have two things to celebrate in that case."

They ate dinner in the mess hall again, and Lee retired to sleep early when his stomach felt unsettled. Tenten made a venture above deck again, but the rain fell steadily. She and Neji lingered in the sheltered doorway of the stairwell to keep dry.

Tenten broke the long silence, "Do you still have that book I gave you, Neji?"

"I do." He confirmed, "Do you need it back?"

"No, no." She raised her hands, "I was just wondering if you read it."

"I am part of the way through."

"Will you tell me if it gets weird?"

"It already did. The protagonist is a character with your namesake, although that isn't the part…that's strange." Neji elaborated. He still was not over the fact that the shinobi named Tian Tian had married a student nearly ten years her junior.

"Yeah. Lee mentioned it."

"I will tell you when I read something significant. I understand why you're interested."

They returned to the darkened cabin later in the night. Tenten stopped in the bathroom to examine the progress of her shoulder's healing. Neji stood in the center of the room, silently cursing Lee who had stretched out on the sofa in a deep slumber.

On the first leg of the trip, Neji had been eager to get close to Tenten. However, when told that he had behaved like a lovesick fool during a bout of memory loss, he felt a nagging reluctance to say or do anything in Tenten's presence. She had not made a single mention of his actions days ago. Even so, Neji could scarcely reconcile the new, uncomfortable sensation of embarrassment.

He settled on the right side of the bed and lay rigidly on his side. The sound of rain pattered against the wide, rectangular window of the room. Tenten exited the restroom and took the space on the left with a yawn. She made no remarks as she positioned herself on her good shoulder. Neji's frantic awareness lasted for a stretch of time before switching off abruptly. In sleep his mind quieted down.

Then came a dream that was not a dream, but a memory: Seeing sky between the open spaces of his fingers, free from any hold at the top of the ravine; Tenten's petrified face shrinking from view as he experienced the rushing breeze from the fall. He contacted a rock face and rolled, bludgeoned by stone, dizzy when he fell again. A hard splash into water at the bottom of the gorge…

Neji could hardly keep his eyes open under the frigid stream. His limbs were not responding and his thoughts were sluggish. The pool could not have been more than ten feet deep, but it would be a great task to escape it with an uncooperative body. Happily, he was not sinking like a stone; the travel bag looped around his arm was buoyant. Above, the water's surface trembled, light passed through in various shapes and shades. Neji could make out a face on the plane above as it stilled; perhaps it was his reflection?

But it was an older face with creases at the corner of the mouth, fair skin with a narrow jaw, a wide forehead wrapped in black cloth, and white eyes looking back at him with incredible fondness. 'Are you going to save me?' Neji wondered of his father, 'Or will you leave me on my own again?'

He woke with a small start, realizing that he was flat on his back. Neji stared up at the ceiling to make sure there was not a volume of water above him. He had forgotten about meeting his father there in a canyon of the Marsh Country, at a watery window that provided a subtle glimpse of the afterlife. The next sight he could recall, though fuzzy, was Tenten and Lee sitting beside him in a cave.

Neji turned his head to observe the girl next to him. Tenten was asleep and facing towards him, with her hands curled beneath her chin. Her hair never weathered pillows well when she tied it up, but Neji quite liked how her chignons unfurled in brown tresses during the night. 'You are the one who defends me…when he can't.' He thought wistfully, 'Whenever I expect I might finally die and see him again, you stop me.'

She had become so proficient in saving his life, Neji wondered if there could ever be a proper way to repay Tenten. In the dark stillness of the cabin, he watched her face for a time before slipping his arm out and replacing it behind her. The young woman did not stir as she was pulled in carefully and shifted against Neji's side. Her head automatically rested on the crook of his chest and shoulder while his arm folded around her.

Within moments, he was asleep again.

---

The teammates slept until late the next morning, and were jostled back to consciousness by the ship's tossing and tilting. For fear of getting ill, Lee immediately rose and went above deck in the hopes of settling his stomach. Shortly thereafter, Tenten's stirring woke Neji from sleep. He kept his eyes cleverly shut as Tenten calmly extricated herself from his arms. When he felt her stand and begin to root around her travel bag, Neji took his cue to rise. They decided to follow after Lee.

Upon observing the state of the sea above deck, the rough waters were stimulated by a whirlpool on the starboard side. After using his blood limit out of curiosity, Neji determined that they were passing through a column of water that had nearly seven whirlpools surrounding them within a square mile. Concerned that the captain had lost his mind, they decided to pay him a visit at the helm.

"Ah, you whippersnappers have no sense of adventure." The skipper criticized, "Take heart, I use this route to get to the Fire Country all the time. I practically forged these waterways during my career!"

"And during that time have you ever sunk a ship before?" Neji queried.

"No, you smart-mouth. Why, I bet you wouldn't believe me if I told you that it's you Leaf Ninja that made me nostalgic for these parts." The captain ventured, "This is the territory of your old comrades: the Land of Whirlpools."

The name rang a bell from their Academy days, citing a textbook lesson about an allied village that had long since vanished.

"I'm eighty-nine now, but sixty years ago I would sail into the harbors here and have myself a very good time." The old man laughed, "The Hidden Eddy Village was a center of the arts. You could catch a theater production or concert any day of the week. Oh, and the food… Oh! And the women…they were lovelier than red roses. My wife used to say this place had the most handsome men this side of the world has ever seen."

Lee asked for a translation and Tenten set to work writing down the tale.

The skipper pointed out a window towards a landmass dotted with toppled buildings and ruins, "There it is now. When other ninja villages got scared of 'em…the combined forces of the Eddy village and Leaf…" He clucked his tongue, "Their enemies destroyed it, down to the last toy shop. It was one of the first horrific acts of war that I witnessed shinobi commit. Mind you, I've seen a lot."

In silence the passengers observed the magnificence of a derelict society. It took the lesson from their childhood and twisted it with an amplified sense of loss.

"You three seem to be…the upstanding type of shinobi that I admire." The skipper commented, dusting off his hat, "I just have one favor to ask. Whatever you do, build things up and make them better. Don't tear something down just because you're in competition with others. That's the mistake that ninja keep making time and time again."

---

Note: And now we enter the hastening of the second Chunin Exam! I am excited that it's building up! Some other plot points are coming to a boil as well.

Question: Have you listened to songs listed in chapter soundtracks?

Send your opinions and suggestions through the box below. You stay classy, readers.

Chapter 28: The Possibility