They had moved to the house because of the copious wisteria tree in the spacious backyard. Tenten had insisted upon it, telling him they could meditate under the tree together in the afternoon. At the prospect of getting Tenten to actually do it—since it was something he had tried convincing her of when they were younger—he agreed.

In the beginning, she would join him. There they would sit in silence for an hour or two, the shade of the tree leaves and the rustling of the grass soothing and gentle, something Neji considered helpful when compared to the Hyuga compound and its stale and deafeningly quiet meditation room. Though it was calming for him, Tenten would just fall asleep, typically within the first 15 minutes. After the fifth time it happened, he told her she needn't join him if she wasn't so inclined to do so. They had argued about it, something that lasted almost a week (until Tenten persuaded him to drop the subject one tiresome night). In the end, Neji meditated and Tenten trained with whatever weapon she was experimenting with that week. If, by an off chance, she was finished before he was, she would lay in his lap and sleep as violet wisterias fell on her cheeks. Not that he minded. If it was the other way around, he would spar with her for old times' sake. Not that she minded.

One day, as they prepared supper together, it occurred to him to ask why she had been so insistent about getting the house with the wisteria tree if she hadn't been interested in mediating from the get-go like she had initially pretended to be.

Tenten had shrugged as she cut the vegetables without the need to look down. "I am not sure. When I was growing up, I always wanted a big spacious backyard I could play in. If it could have a tree, the better. I could climb in it, pretend it was a fort or something. I never had that. I always lived in apartments or cramped dusty rooms."

"I see," Neji said in thought, the task at hand seeming robotic. Their childhoods were somewhat the same, only that he lived in a comfortable room and dedicated his time to studying and perfecting his art. Playing and pretending were beneath him when he was a boy, and he didn't held much interest in it.

The sound of the knife hitting the cutting board was all one could hear for half a minute before she spoke again. "The Hyuga compound doesn't have that either. Well, you can't run around in a koi pond, can you? Anyway," she trailed off, stopping her cutting. He turned to her and saw a timid smile grace her face. For a moment he was taken aback by it. "Wouldn't it be nice to grow up with something like that? Just think about all the memories one could make."

It took Neji a moment to interpret what she was saying. When he did, he felt his chest implode with something indescribable. He had not brought up the subject previously for fear of what she might've said. After all, what if she did not want to? What if she did not see that for herself? He did not want that to be a dealbreaker or an ultimatum, he had waited for two years and that had been long enough. They weren't young, either. He knew there would be risks as it was without having to consider what kind of implications there could be with them being linked together.

Neji finished rinsing the vegetables under the sink, before walking over to Tenten, not trusting his feet and their ability to keep him standing. Gravity could be so deceitful sometimes. She smiled up at him, this time small and soft. He placed both of his hands around her shoulders, wanting to have her fullest attention, but also as clutch in case he did fall.

"Are you sure?" He asked quietly, not trusting the hope he felt sputter from somewhere unknown.

Tenten rested her head in his chest and hooked her hands around his hips. "I am," she breathed, melting into him like ice cream in the summer heat.

Neji bit his tongue for a moment, pondering over telling her about the dream he had almost three years ago—the one where he didn't die in the war, the one where they runway together the day of his supposed arrange wedding… the one with their children. It wasn't embarrassing per se, it was just silly. Something schoolgirls did when they enter their teenage faze. Certainly not something someone in their thirty's would do.

In the end, as they were eating dinner together, he relented and told her. Tenten chuckled in some parts, the ones she thought were too improbable to happen (like them living in a cave and Metal marrying their daughter), then got quiet and contemplative towards the end, at the mention of their unnamed children and their joined departure. This seemed to have sobered the mood and her plate of food was all but forgotten.

When Neji told her to finish eating, Tenten just stared at his eyes, like she was looking right into his soul. He had half the mind to look away. "I want to try," Tenten whispered seriously. "Tonight."

Neji choked on the tea he was drinking as her words made sense in his mind. The only thing that made it clear Tenten wasn't joking was the serious look on her face. He nodded once in understanding.

So, they tried that night. And the next and the next. Again, and again... and again. For 5 months.

Neji did not want to admit it, but he was conscious of how their biological clock and fertility were putting a strain on their relationship. They could barely carry a conversation without it underlying blame on whose end the problem could be coming from—she was too passive-aggressive and he too withdrawn. Even the act of love making was a means to an end, something he was tired of participating in since there didn't seem to be any time to recover from it. When he gathered enough courage to hint at the subject one late dinner, Tenten just slammed her fist on the table and declared, "We are going to fix this problem."

Neji wasn't sure how to approach the matter again without there being a heated argument afterwards, so just so he could have some peace of mind, he kept quiet and let Tenten set up the appointment that was going to "fix their problem". Two weeks later, after subjecting themselves to different sort of tests, they were told by a solemn looking Sakura that they were both infertile. Her explanation was that Neji had been dead, and although it did not affect his performance (as Tenten well pointed out too many times to Neji's red face dismay), it did his sperm count. She was also sure being linked together had something to do with it too, but she hadn't found the correlation yet. As for Tenten, she had an ovulation disorder caused by her extensive over-training and over-exercising from her earlier days in Team Guy.

Though this information came as a sharp slap in the face for Neji, Tenten was the one who took the news far worse than he did, even if it did not seem like that at first. She had kept a straight face as they were told this information and what they could possibly do about it, but once they reached their house, she locked herself in their room and cried for hours. She had been inconsolable for a straight week after that, bursting out in tears at random moments without any provocation. Neji had taken time off from his council position at the Red House to focus on his wife, coaxing her into doing the same. She had been reluctant at first but agreed when Himawari offered to look after the shop one morning after she argued with a customer about kunai prices and their stock value.

Neji wasn't sure what he could do or what might help. In his searched for a solution—which involved gifting Tenten rare weapons, cutting his meditation time to train with her in hopes of helping her deal with her anger and frustration, talking to his Lord Hiashi and Lady Hinata and trying to get her to open up to him without avail— he invited Guy and Lee over as a last resort, reasoning that reuniting the old team might lift up Tenten's spirit and the harm of doing so couldn't be that great. He had been brief with his explanation about what had transpired and why their former bright teammate was suddenly so dim. It worked somewhat, the green spandex-wearing buffoons behaving wilder than his worst nightmares could depict, until she started arguing with Might Guy when he offered some piece of advice to combat their current "roadblock".

"Use your youthfulness to push and prevail," Might Guy said with his cheeky smile. "Work harder for it. I am sure you will be able to with child soon enough."

At his words and to his horror, Neji blushed. When he turned to his wife in search for an scapegoat, he was surprised to see that she was glaring at their former sensei with homicidal intent. "You do realize that working hard is what made me infertile, right?"

"I am sorry if I have caused you so much distress, Tenten," Might Guy said as his face crumbled with her crudeness, so uncommon it was. "I only wanted the best for you, for Team Gai."

"No," Tenten answered bluntly, refusing to accept his apology. "No."

"Tenten," Lee started, attempting to appease everyone, "Guy Sensei did not mean for this to happen. He just wanted—"

"No," she lifted up a hand, silencing him. "You do not get to defend him."

"Tenten," Lee said, surprised and hurt, looking to be on the verge of bursting into tears.

"Get out of my house," she ordered quietly, a single tear running down her face. "Now."

All three men looked at each other, before Neji nodded, conveying with his eyes that that was the wise decision to make. Once at the door, he apologized and tried to explain that Tenten was having a hard time coping with the news, even as he struggled understanding it himself. Again, Might Guy apologized, which only made Neji feel awful and that almost never happened in these types of situations. As soon as they were gone, the house was quiet again.

When he returned to the dinner table, where all four of them were having supper, he found that Tenten was gone. A quick sweep with his Byakugan located her curled up on one side of the bed, so he took to clearing the table and doing the dishes just so he could have some time to think things over before he joined her.

In hindsight, he should have known inviting Might Guy and Lee would be a bad idea. His only explanation for his lapse in judgment was that he was desperate. Neji was running out of ideas and solutions. He had never failed at anything in his life, prided himself in the fact, yet he was failing at this. He was failing as a husband. He could only heed to the advice Lady Hinata had relayed to him again (much like she did a few years ago) when he sought her help, "Be patient." It was similar to what his uncle had said, "Be still and listen."

Neji sighed tiredly when he was done and headed for their bedroom. There, he laid in their bed without making any attempt to touch her or initiate conversation. He closed his eyes and let his mind drift off. He would be still and patient. He would wait as long as it took, he would listen.

"I just wanted a family," Tenten whispered into the darkness of their room after what seemed hours. He almost jumped at the sound of her voice.

They were lying next to each other, but they felt miles away. Lightyears away. It was a foreign feeling.

"We're a family," he said, making sure his voice sounded neutral. He didn't want her to close herself off, this was the most she had spoken in two weeks.

"I know." Silence. "But I…"

Neji turned to her, his all-seeing Byakugan catching how she was struggling with her words, her chin wobbling in an attempt to fight for control. He felt her emotional distress reflect on his body too. He was starting to feel sick.

Tenten sniffled. "I was never sure I wanted to be a mother. I never could see myself being that patient or soft or devoted. I don't know when that changed…I feel so stupid now."

Neji moved closer to Tenten. He placed his hand on hers, letting her know he was there. His wife was never someone who liked to be cuddled or fussed over, not when she saw it as a sign of weakness. She liked feeling strong and be regarded as such. So, he offered her an invitation with his tentative touch. A solace of some kind.

Tenten crawled to his side and laid on his chest. "Every time I decide I am ready to do something, the choice is taken from me." Neji felt his shirt dampen with silent bitter tears. "Like, I told myself I would confess my feelings to you when the war was over—I would muster enough courage and do it and get it over with. But you died."

Neji's eyebrows furrowed. This was the first time he was hearing this. He did not get the chance to comment on it, though.

"I just wanted to bare your child," Tenten continued drily. She chuckled, but there was no humor in her voice. "Just when I mustered enough courage to be a mother, when I convinced myself I could, I find that we… I can't—can't—"

Neji was at a loss for words, so he started stroking Tenten's back. Were there words for moments like these? He did not think so, so he settled for, "We both can't, Tenten."

"I know, but I keep thinking it's my fault. After all, you're the one tied to me." Suddenly, Tenten's body rattled with laughter so contradicting to the weeping of moments ago. "And I just keep thinking, what are we going to do with this big backyard? I will have to start meditating with you to make up for the fact that I made you get this house."

"You don't have to if you don't want to. We got the house together."

"I know, but I feel like I owe you so much."

"You don't owe me anything."

"I know, but…still." Tenten inhaled a large amount of oxygen. In a small voice she said, "I just wanted to make you happy."

"You have," Neji assured quickly, shocked that she could think otherwise. "You do."

Tenten propped herself up and looked down at Neji. She mouthed, "Do I?"

To prove his point, Neji grabbed both sides of Tenten's face and planted tender kiss on her lips. After, they just lay there in silence for what seemed like long minutes, Tenten laying in his chest and he stroking her back, before he psyched himself enough to say, "Sakura told us we had other options."

"I know," Tenten said sleepily, "but I am too tired to talk about them now."

"Another time then."

But they never spoke of it again.

A year into their marriage, Neji told her the Hokage and the Hyuga clan enlisted him as a council member representative and ambassador to deal with some diplomatic issues in Kumogaure. Though Tenten had not understood why her husband had such a dreadful look in his eyes at first, once he explained how long the mission would take, it dwelled on her.

"Six months?"

"Yes," Neji sighed his answer.

"Why? What's the nature of the mission?" Tenten had crossed her arms, trying to reign in all of her emotions and disappointment.

"It's confidential," Neji told her, "But you know how diplomatic disputes are. Negotiations take a long time."

"Can I go with you or at least visit?"

Neji shook his head. "There can't be any outside interferences. They might see it as foul play. It's only me and Aburame."

"So, I am going to be without you for six months?"

Neji nodded, making her slump instantly.

Tenten swallowed the lump in her throat. "Um, when are you leaving?"

Neji looked her in the eye and sighed again. "In three days, but I told Naruto that I would give him my answer tonight. If you don't want me to go, I can stay."

Tenten averted her gaze and stared at the floor. She thought about the last year and closed her eyes, pained. Neji has been a good husband. Had acted like one since before their marriage was officiated. He has been patient and kind and understanding. He had always put her first and she could see the strain it had caused. He was only 35, but his silky dark locks were already shot with grey strands. To top it off, she hasn't been able to bare a child. And yes, they do have options, but the fact that she couldn't fulfill one of hers and, more importantly, his dream, made her feel like she failed as a wife. She couldn't contemplate any of those other possible solutions, not when it weighted her mind so heavily in ways that actions seemed impossible. She couldn't even bring herself to be intimate with him for fear of the disappointment it will bring her knowing she would never accomplish what she wanted. So, she even failed at fulfilling this basic need as well. Tenten knew he needed a break from this, from her. Neji didn't need to tell her, she could see it with her own eyes.

It did not surprise her when she heard herself say, "Go. Who knows? The fate of the world might hang in the balance."

Neji touched her hand, completely unconvinced. "Are you sure?"

Tenten nodded and plastered on a labored smile. "Make sure to miss me."

When the three days were up and she saw Neji's bag and supplies at door, Tenten felt her resolve crack and doubt creep into her mind. Was it too late now to change her mind?

She knew Neji must have known something was off the moment she decided she was going to meditate with him and stay awake the whole two hours, but she didn't care. She couldn't try to be stealthy about it now. In the afternoon, when she started massaging his hair and loosely braiding it, he confronted her.

Tenten just pressed her lips to his in answer, wishing it were enough to make him want her again in six months. That it was enough to make him stay once he realized how much easier life was without her. That it would make him love her still.

Neji pulled back after a while, clearly dazed. His eyes were searching hers, trying to focus. To make sense of things. "What's wrong?"

Instead of answering his question, Tenten led her husband to their room and pushed him in their bed. Neji looked at her quizzically, like he was trying to understand what was happening, but his mind was having a hard time piecing it together. She could have laughed at his stupefied expression if she weren't so sorrowful at the thought that this might as well be the last day they had with one another.

"Tenten?"

Tenten removed her shirt and sat her knees on each side of Neji's thighs. Kissed him again. Like her life depended on it, like she would die if she stopped, and perhaps she would. Perhaps the world would end. If he woke up one day and realized the mistake he'd made and left, she would. She would die. She was sure her heart would give out then and there.

After a while, Neji pulled her away gently, his thumbs brushing her cheeks. It took her a second to realize he was brushing away tears. She hadn't realized she had been crying. His beautiful lavender eyes were heavy with questions, wrapping around her heart and making it sink deep in her stomach.

"I just," Tenten started and swallowed, lifted both corners of her mouth (or at least tried to), "I love you." Her vision was blurring again, and her voice was wobbling so much it was hard to get the words out. "I love you so, so much."

Neji looked more dumbfounded than ever, like he was awed by her words and their meaning. Well, he did for a fraction of an instant before he removed his own shirt in one swift move and kissed her back, slowly laying her in their soft mattress. He kissed her until she lost track of time and direction. He did not verbalize that he loved her too, he did not cry like she did, but every action afterwards let her know that he did. That he felt the same away, maybe even more than her.

And when it was done and he walked out the door and off to the Kumogaure, she knew he would come back to her.

Much like he did years after his death. Like a promise.

A week later Tenten was sent to the Suna to deliver a message to the Kazekage. She was sure it had something to do with the Kumogaure and the diplomatic issues Neji and Shikamaru were sent out to deal with. When she asked Naruto, he refused to confirm her suspicions. He only told her that it was confidential, and she needn't worry about it. She had pursed her lips but had taken the opportunity to ask for an extension so she could do business and trade her arsenal with the villagers of the Suna, as well as train with a renounce blacksmith of the area.

After much negotiating, Naruto agreed, telling her, "Don't stay for too long. We might need you in the Village."

"Of course," Tenten had assured, but ended up returning after three months.

In truth, she had not expected to stay for so long. Maybe more than she had initially told Naruto, but not three months. At her arrival to the Suna many things happened at the same time. As soon as she delivered her message, there had been an attempt against the Kazekage. Tenten had been walking down the hallways of Gaara's quarters, off to wander the desert shops, when she heard the paper bombs go off and Kankuro shout orders. She had run back to them and, since she was part of the Allied Shinobi Forces and a trustworthy kunoichi, she served as reinforcement and an escort.

Though Gaara wanted to face the threat alone, he was convinced by his brother and advisors to head to a secluded safe house. They didn't know who this invisible menace was yet and what their motives were. They needed to assess everything before they made any decisions as to how to deal with the situation. Keeping his people's safety in mind, he agreed, letting them know that if any other lives were put at risk, he would damn rationality.

It only took them a few hours to understand what was happening—once the scouts gathered their intel. Or at least now it made sense to Tenten since they disregarded all pretense of confidentiality and clearance aside to fill her in on what was going on. There had been some threats directly directed at the Kumogaure, Konohagakure and Suna. They suspected it was an offspring or a clone of the Akatsuki. Only that their sights were not set on Naruto or the Konohagakure specifically, but on destroying the alliance between these three places (which were considered the strongest of the alliance). They were doing encrypted deliberate attacks, impersonating one another to create disputes that might break the coalition. They were successful in creating distrust among the Kumogaure. That's why Neji and Shikamaru were there, putting out fires and preventing conflict. Maybe even a civil war. She had been right, the world did hang in the balance.

To bring stability back to the Suna, they had to track down these members spreading discord and misinformation one by one before taking them out. The Allied Shinobi Forces did not want to show their cards yet, certainly not raise suspicion or led them on to what they were doing—that was why they had decided on this route. She understood their logic, but if she were in charge, she would do things differently. The process was tedious and taxing and was taking more time than she would like. Tenten had started to miss the quietness and humdrum of the shop in a matter of days.

Pinpointing their location was hard enough without having a sensory-nin but adding the pressure of keeping it a secret from the villagers of the Suna was an extra load too. Tenten wasn't sleeping well, waking up from nightmares in a cold sweat most of the time (just when she thought they had that under control). She was tired on a regular basis, her mind a constant fog she had a hard time piecing together. The only thing that made her feel better was food. Tenten wasn't particularly fond of the food the villagers in the desert considered cuisine, but she ate it anyway. Even when she was nauseated by it, even when she was on the verge of throwing up. She had attributed that to her weight gain (their foods had too many carbs!) and movements lagging as a direct result, something that almost resulted in her losing her right pinky.

When everything settled and there was a semblance of peace and control in the Suna, when she returned to the Leaf Village after three months, Tenten was worn and exhausted. She could hardly stand on her feet, let alone reach her house without collapsing on the floor. It took her a few minutes to pick herself off the floor and head to the shower.

Tenten sat under the hot stream for an hour, fascinated at how swollen her ancles looked beneath the cover of the steam. She knew she had gained a few pounds these last few weeks, something novel for her since she had always been slim thanks to her intensive training, but she did not think a few pounds were enough to make her ancles inflame. She wondered what her husband could be making of the whole thing.

Tenten was drying herself when she heard the door open and close. For a moment she thought Neji had returned from his mission early, but a quick announcement from Hinata made her deflate in disappoint. She quickly settled on one of her husband's cotton shirts and her short training pants, feeling slightly uncomfortable at how tight the clothes fit on her new form, and headed out.

"I heard that your mission had gone awry and you had to stay three whole months. I know that when I used to be out on mission for a long time, I always liked to think someone would come and bring me food," Hinata told her from the kitchen where she was cutting some vegetables and boiling some noodles.

Tenten chuckled embarrassed. "You didn't have to. It's too much trouble."

Hinata waved off, still focused on the task at hand. "Nonsense. Neji is like a big brother to me, so I can't help seeing you like a big sister too. I know missions like this can be grueling and one would just like to recover as soon as possible, so I hope you don't mind that I sent Boruto and Himawari to look after the house. Metal even insisted on helping out too, though I think he is more interested in being with Himawari."

At the mention, she noticed that her house was indeed clean and, if she remembered clearly, the yard outside was freshly cut too. Tenten smiled sadly, thinking how different her life was now that she was part of a family. Before she was ever part of Team Gai or married, she would just return to an empty house. "Thank you so much."

"You don't need to thank me, Tenten," Hinata said as she turned to her.

Tenten was about to insist that she should but stopped herself when she saw the weird look Hinata was giving her. She couldn't help but blush as she looked down at herself and pulled at her t-shirt. "I know, I know. I gained some weight, but I was under a lot of stress. I will probably lose the pounds before Neji gets back, though."

Hinata's eyes only widened, her hands covering a gasp as it escaped her mouth. She slowly walked over to her, wanting to get a closer look, which only made Tenten more uncomfortable. This turned into confusion when she activated her Byakugan and put a hand on her stomach.

"What's wrong?" Tenten asked, concerned this time. "Is there something wrong with me?"

Hinata seemed to snap back to it then, blinking her Byakugan away, tears replaced in their wake. "Tenten, you're—you're pregnant."

"What?" Tenten looked down at herself, trying to see what Hinata was seeing. All she saw was bloated belly. "I am?" She shook her head. "But I can't—I am?"

Hinata laughed and enveloped her in a hug. "Big brother is going to be so happy when he finds out."

Tenten's vision darkened at the corners and she had to grip Hinata's shoulder to keep standing up. "I need to sit down."

Hinata guided her to her couch and brought her a glass of water. "Are you alright? Do you need anything else?"

Tenten just stared at the glass but made no move to drink from it. "I didn't know I was pregnant. I did so many things when I was at the Suna. I am pretty sure I was tossed around quite a bit. What if there's something wrong with the baby?"

Hinata listened and nodded. "From what I can see, there is nothing abnormal, but we can go visit Sakura tomorrow just to make sure everything is okay."

"We?" Tenten did not want to sound as relieved as she did. She wasn't sure she could handle bad news on her own.

"Of course. I told you you're like a big sister to me."

The first thing Tenten asked Sakura during her checkup was if everything was alright. The pink-hair kunoichi had reassured the weapon's mistress, letting her know that everything seemed to be running accordingly. Since she wasn't convinced that was true, she kept asking despite being given an answer and shown a sonogram as prove. To soothe her even more, the Uchiha started Tenten on prenatal care right there in her office and went over all the possible risk older mothers had when it came to their pregnancies, and what she could expect. By the time they walked out of the hospital, she was feeling lighter and somehow heavier at the same time.

"I can't believe I'm pregnant," Tenten muttered as she and Hinata walked over to Ichiraku for lunch.

"You don't remember how it happened?" Hinata asked lightly, taking Tenten by surprise. Sometimes it was hard to reconcile this shameless woman with the stuttering girl she once knew.

"I mean, I know how," Tenten corrected, feeling embarrassed that she was admitting such a thing to the former heiress of the Hyuga clan. "I just thought it was impossible."

Hinata smiled at her, sweet and compassionate. She was reminded then why Neji was so overprotective of her, even now in adulthood. "Many things were considered impossible until they weren't. You would personally know that, I would think."

Tenten nodded, thinking about all the impossibilities she had experience throughout her life. It was almost like she was spotting and counting stars. Aside from persevering as a kunoichi and surviving the Forth Shinobi War, having Neji back and being pregnant were by far the greatest impossibilities of all.

Inside, they ordered herring soba—in honor of Neji, they jokingly had said—and she was amazed at how much it calmed her stomach. In retrospect, Tenten should have been able to put two and two together. All of the symptoms she had been experiencing, which she hadn't even considered symptoms at all, were a dead giveaway. The nausea, the exhaustion, the weight gain, the swelling. She had never been pregnant before, so she didn't know what to expect or look for.

Tenten was still mulling this over by the time they finished and stepped outside.

"Do you want me to walk you to your house?" Hinata offered.

"No," Tenten waved off. "I have somewhere to go."

"Alright then," Hinata nodded. "I will send you some dinner with Himawari this afternoon. She was worried when I told her you and I were going to go see Sakura. I will leave out the part that you're pregnant if she asks, just so it can be a nice surprise."

"Thank you," Tenten said as she hugged her. "You don't know what being with me today meant."

"That's what family is for."

Tenten waited a few long seconds after she knocked, knowing Guy Sensei would open the door. If he had full mobility like he used to, he would have answered the door the moment she knocked. Nevertheless, it didn't take him long enough to do so. Opening the door was just another challenge for her former teacher.

Guy Sensei looked so surprised to see her standing there that for a moment all he could do was gap. "Tenten. I haven't seen you in a while."

That was true. Since she told him to leave her house a year ago, their relationship had been strained. Yes, he, Lee and Metal had been over to her house twice or thrice after that incident, but it always felt strange. Tenten was very prideful, she knew. And though he was like a father to her, she had still felt resentful and angry at him. It didn't matter how many times Might Guy had apologized or attempted to make it up to her.

"I know, Sensei," Tenten agreed, feeling sad because he was right. "May I come in?"

"Of course!" He rolled his wheelchair back, allowing her inside. "You are always welcomed here."

Tenten nodded and settled for her usual spot in the couch facing the small kitchen. She started pulling on the threads from the inner corners like she had always done since she discovered it many years ago.

"Do you want something to drink?" Might Guy offered, assessing her with his black eyes. She could tell he was trying to figure out why she was there. It was a mystery to any outsider. "Did something happen in your mission at the Suna?"

"No, Sensei," Tenten shook her head and swallowed, staring at her trembling hands. She never anticipated getting emotional. She should have known. "I just passed by to…to apologize."

"You know there's no need for that," he told her almost immediately and in a blunt serious matter, leaving no room for debate.

"Yes, there is," Tenten assured, quickly wiping at the tears that escaped her. "I should have never blamed you. I was just very bitter about my sour luck and figured you were behind it. It was wrong of me to do so. You have only been supportive of me. Please forgive me, Sensei."

Tenten bowed her head deeply, feeling shameful about the last year. She should have never been so rash. She should have listened to Neji and Lee.

"Yosh! How cruel of you, oh youthful flower, to make an old man cry!" Might Guy practically half-exclaimed as he enveloped her in a tight hug. "There is no need to apologize, Tenten. I already have. I see you all as my children and only want joy and happiness for you. I too am sorry if any of my training caused you to have problems with your fertility."

"I know," Tenten said as she patted his back and slowly pulled away. "That is no one's fault."

"This has brought me great joy," Might Guy admitted as he dried his tears with his sleeve.

Tenten smiled and braced for the next words that were about to leave her. "I had also passed by to tell you some news."

"Oh." This seemed to surprise Guy Sensei. "What of? Is it about Neji's return?"

"No. It's that I, uh," Tenten swallowed. Why was getting these words out harder than apologizing? She inhaled and announced in a single breath, "I'm pregnant, Guy Sensei."

Her former teacher just blinked several times. Looked at her face, searching for the truth, then at her stomach. Then back at her face. "You are?" he whispered in complete disbelief.

Tenten nodded. "I just left the appointment with Hinata. I didn't even know I was pregnant, Sensei." At his alarm at realizing she had been in a mission for three months, she clarified, "Everything is fine though. I just wanted you to be the first to know."

Might Guy blinked back tears. "You are going to make an old man cry two times in one day!"

"So, can I entrust you to tell Lee?" Tenten asked, feeling like a weight had been lifted. She never considered how their tense relationship had affected her until now. It felt good to have everything right again. She wanted him to be there during the whole process.

He gave her a thumbs up. "You can count on that."

It did not take long before everyone in the Leaf knew Tenten Hyuga was expecting her firstborn. If she would have known that telling Guy would have resulted in Lee screaming the news from the rooftops, she would have kept it a secret for longer. By the time Himawari passed by her house that afternoon, she already knew.

"Metal told me," she had explained, her Byakugan activated, both hands caressing Tenten's stomach like one would a treasure.

What Tenten didn't expect from having her expectant state being broadcasted for everyone to know was constantly being bombarded by people giving her their congratulations. Even Hiashi, who had never stopped by her house since moving, visited her with Hanabi on suit.

"I know this news will bring great joy to my nephew and the Hyuga clan," Hiashi told her in the backyard once she was done giving them a tour of the house. He was staring up at the wisteria tree like he had never seen one in his life. "I know that a pregnancy can be a very challenging thing, more so with Neji away. Hanabi and I have been talking since hearing of the news—she wants to offer her help and protection if you so wish for it."

"I will humbly be at your service," Hanabi bowed.

Tenten waved off, embarrassed, half-wondering if it came out of the heiress own volition. "Thank you, Lord Hiashi and Lady Hanabi, but I'm fine. There is no need for that."

Hiashi nodded in understanding. "I see. The offer still stands."

"You can just send out for me," Hanabi reassured, looking slightly disappointed.

Tenten forced a smile on her face and looked at her wide backyard as if she were seeing it for the first time—from Hiashi's perspective. The peaceful shade from the tree made the March breeze feel colder than usual.

"There is one thing I would like to ask, though," Tenten mumbled.

"Anything," Hiashi said.

"Please keep this a secret from Neji. I have already told everyone else to do so. I want this to be a surprise." Convincing Naruto not to pull Neji from his mission early so he could be with his pregnant wife was hard enough without jeopardizing the mission and alliance between the countries, Lee and Guy were wildfires that were harder at persuading. Maybe Hanabi and Hiashi would be understanding.

"You think he has not figured it out yet, prodigy that he is?" Hiashi looked amused.

"He isn't here, is he?"

Hanabi stifled a giggle. "She is right, father."

Hiashi nodded. "As you wish. No one from the Hyuga clan will speak of it."

Tenten did not expect getting bigger (as a direct result of her pregnancy, big shocker) to be a problem until she reached her six-month mark and found little comfort in things. It was hard for her to move, sleep or do anything without getting tired or out of breath. She had stopped going to the shop because it was too much of a hassle and instead employed Himawari, Metal and Boruto to do shifts around the clock.

Tenten was never alone during her pregnancy, her house was always filled with visitors. Hinata would pass by daily, often times accompanied by Hanabi. They would cook and clean and fuss over Tenten for an hour or two. The eldest sister would always mention Naruto and her kids when she did small tasks ("Naruto never gets a good meal in, I always worry the job takes too much out of him" "Boruto is so clueless when it comes to the kitchen, how will he survive when I am not around?" "Himawari doesn't let anyone but herself fold clothes, she is so meticulous sometimes"). The youngest would complain about her roles as heiress to the Hyuga clan and her complicated relationship with Konohamaru, which seemed to explain so many things for Tenten.

Later in the day, Lee and Might Guy would drop by and check up on her. They would see if she needed anything, but mainly they would keep her company (drive her crazy, better said) until it was time for her to retire to bed or when Hiashi would pass by for afternoon tea. The latter came to be one day, when she was five months pregnant and Boruto, Sarada and Mitsuki were sent out on a mission to get Tsunade in preparation for her birth (Sakura knew that with her and Neji being linked, the birth process was going to be slightly difficult and she needed her mentor with her for it).

Hiashi had passed to let her know of the development since Hinata was seeing Boruto off and Hanabi was their team captain for the mission. Tenten had told Hiashi to stay, then proceeded to ask him to teach her how to meditate when she ran out of small talk. She was feeling anxious and this was the only thing connecting her to Neji, she had told him. It was difficult at first, much like it had been when Neji tried to teach her and more so now that she was pregnant, but Hiashi was a diligent teacher and soon she got the hang of it. At some point she was even looking for that moment of the day where she would sit under the wisteria tree and breathe (her husband would be so proud).

Tenten knew that aside from the changes in her body, the unceasing restlessness she felt eat away at her sleep was the fact that she had concealed so many things from Neji and soon it would be time for him to know.

Tenten had hidden her pregnancy from him like the universe might collapse into itself if she didn't—well, the mission he was on was on the line. To achieve this, she tried to avoid activities that would be dead giveaways of her current condition. For example, Tenten would avoid standing for long periods of time to prevent swelling, skip walking long distances so she wouldn't be out of breath and averted nauseating foods as to not feel sick. And a lot of meditation and controlled breathing. When Tsunade arrived a week later, she had tasked the blond Godaime to develop a jutsu that would be able to separate her physical symptoms from that of her husband, so he wouldn't be able to suspect a thing.

"This will be essential when I give birth," Tenten told Tsunade when she argued that it was an impossible thing to accomplish. "We can't both be incapacitated, can we? Someone needs to be there for the baby."

So, that was it. It took the Fifth a week and a half, but she was able to do it (genius that she was). Tenten wasn't sure if it was working or not, but she assumed that Neji not busting into their home meant that it did.

"We need to surprise him," Himawari exclaimed spontaneously one day, the six-month mark of Neji's return approaching.

"Don't you think this is enough of a surprise?"

"Yes, but wouldn't it be nice for the surprise to take him off guard?" Himawari already had that conniving smile on her face, the one Tenten knew meant trouble. "As soon as he steps into the village he is going to know, and where's the fun in that?"

Tenten did want the news to take him off guard as much as it did her. "So, what do you propose?"

Her smile only grew wider as if she were waiting for that question all along. "We need to blind his Byakugan."

Lee and Guy had left Tenten in the couch the night Naruto knocked on her door and let her know that Neji was going to be arriving a week before schedule.
"What?" Tenten said as she clung to the door, feeling like she was about to pass out.

"Yes," Naruto said, looking tired. Perhaps that was why he hadn't notice how staggered she looked. "Tomorrow night. I know, I know. Himawari has already told me to keep it a secrete and to make sure everyone else do as well."

"I thought he was due for another week." There was still disbelief in her voice.

"Yes, I know. But this is good news, it means you can be together sooner. I wanted to let you know personally because I was pretty sure I would forget if I put it off for the next morning. Anyway, have a goodnight." Naruto had turned around and given all but two steps when turned back and said, "Oh! I almost forgot. Himawari said she would be passing by early in the morning to discuss the 'game plan', whatever that means."

Indeed, next morning the young girl knocked on Tenten's door. They went through everything more times than she could count, and though Tenten insisted she stay so she could gauge Neji's face when she told him the news, Himawari argued that it would be too suspicious. She only gave her the seal she found in an old book in the Hyuga library, the one that could blind the Byakugan from reading chakra signatures.

"Just don't tell grandpa I took this from the library, he doesn't know," was her only condition for this exchange.

The rest of the day passed by normally. Hinata and Hanabi made their usual checkups, just like Lee and Guy with their standard flamboyant air. Tenten would have liked to meditate with Hiashi in the afternoon just so he could guide her through the process (she was never good when she was under stress), but he was undisposed. So, she meditated, or tried to, for an hour or so before giving up. Then she decided it was best to wait.

In the middle of her waiting Tenten remembered what Hinata had done for her the day she returned from her long three-month mission, and started preparing herring soba despite having a fridge filled with premade meals for the entire week thanks to Hinata. She knew this would be something special and would hit the spot for Neji.

Tenten had laid out the food in the table when she realized she needed to change into baggier clothes so as to fool him for longer and not give herself away from the get-go. Once she sat down on the table, she grabbed the chop sticks and swallowed a mouthful of noodles before she reckoned it was better if they both ate together. By then, it was ten o' clock.

Tenten didn't know when she drifted off, but the clock read one in the morning when the door to her house opened and closed. She sat up straight before she remembered to hunch her shoulders forward so she could disguise her figure.

"Neji?"

"Yes," came his baritone voice. "It's me. Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I was waiting for you," Tenten said, her stomach twisting in knots as she heard his footsteps. "Come to the table. I made you some herring soba."

"Oh," Neji said surprised, his voice sounding closer. "I would like to shower first."

"Why don't you eat? You must be—" Tenten's mouth shut at the sight of him. She had never seen Neji look so haggard in all of his life, even bearing in mind his death. His hair was overgrown and dirty. His eyes were tired and fashioned dark bags. He looked like he lost weight, which was only accentuated by the stubble in his face hallowing his features. "What happened, Neji?"

Neji sighed as he rubbed a hand up and down his face. "It has been a difficult six month. I arrived late because I was briefing Naruto about it. I would like to tell you but after I shower and get the grime off myself. I want to properly greet you."

"O—okay," Tenten stuttered at a lost for what to do next. So much for a plan. "Oh, I can heat up the food."

Neji nodded. "Thank you."

As soon as he rounded the corner, Tenten shot up and got to heating the food. Once she set everything, she realized she forgot to make tea. She cursed herself as she hurried to the kitchen again, internally shouting at the water to boil up faster. She was just turning the stove off when she heard the chair of the dinning table screech on the floor.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go, Tenten thought, panicking. How am I going to get to the table without him noticing I'm pregnant? She was supposed to tell him about the news over the dinner table. Tenten started pacing in her small kitchen, searching for an answer, but there was nowhere around it.

"Tenten, are you alright?" Neji called out to her. He must have sensed something was off. Shit.

"Yes. I'm—" Tenten hadn't realized she was still pacing in a circle until her foot caught in her kitchen carpet and she fell on her knees and hands. To her own ears, her scream was gut wrenching and she had to push down the vomit pushing up her throat from the terror of possibly hurting her baby. She was cradling her stomach like the contents inside might spill over.

Neji was there instantly, his complexion whiter than ever. He was kneeling before her and asking her what was wrong but all she could do was bawl.

"Tenten," Neji shouted, grabbing both sides of her face. "I need you to calm down and tell me what's wrong?"

Tenten looked at his handsome exhausted face and crumbled. What if he were to find out she was pregnant and lost the baby on same day? She had been careful to not do stupid things for three months so she wouldn't put the baby risk, but she just tripped and fell because she was too nervous. She laid her forehead on his thighs and tried to control her breathing.

Neji started rubbing her back, trying to sooth her. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong," he told her quietly.

Tenten nodded, bracing herself. She slowly released the tight hold she had on her stomach. She sucked in a breath before she faced him and said, "The baby. Please check on the baby. I just tripped and fell. I don't know if it's hurt."

Neji frowned confused. "What baby, Tenten?"

Tenten realized then that she still had the seal from earlier stuck in her stomach, so she sat up straight and untucks it from her skin. She watched Neji jaw slacked as their chakra became aware to him. She rubbed her scraped hands around her stretched belly, trying to feel for her child. "Our baby."

Neji's eyes glisten with emotion as he activated his Byakugan and place both of his hand on her stomach. He stared for long minutes, transfixed with whatever he was seeing inside. Tenten's resolve cracked shortly and she started crying again, fearing the worse.

This made Neji snap back to the present.

"The baby is okay, Tenten," he said gently, as he examined both her scrapped and slightly bleeding hands and knees. There was a long paused as he swallowed and closed his eyes. "Our baby?"

Tenten nodded, feeling embarrassed though she didn't know why.

Neji opened his eyes and activated his Byakugan, his sight focused on the child inside her. "H-how?"

Tenten smiled sheepishly. "Do you remember the last thing we did the day you left for the mission?"

Neji was serious as he nodded, disactivating his Byakugan and staring at the floor. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"You were on a mission," Tenten explained, as she rubbed at her eyes. "I didn't even though I was pregnant until three months ago."

"You're six months in," Neji concluded, his brain already working out the math. "Naruto told me you were sent out for a mission and were in the Suna for three months. You didn't know then?"

Tenten shook her head. "Not until I got back and Hinata laid her eyes on me."

"Is everything okay with the baby?" His Byakugan was already searching her again.

"Yes, everything is normal," Tenten said as she winced at the pain in her back. "I need to get out of here."

Neji got to his feet and pulled Tenten on hers. He eyed her one more time, his hands finding her stomach. This time his Byakugan wasn't activated. She placed a hand on top of his, smiled though she felt like bursting into tears.

"I can't believe it," he muttered.

"Many things were considered impossible until they weren't," Tenten quoted Hinata.

"Indeed." Neji shook his head like he was shaking off a dream. "Let's get your hands and knees clean."

It was three in the morning when they finally laid in bed after six-months apart. Perhaps if she weren't so pregnant, she would bask in the moment and make some chit-chat or perhaps embrace, but she was exhausted. And she could also feel that he was too despite having Tsunade jutsu activated—though she said it wouldn't be so effective long-term.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Neji whispered.

Tenten smiled, eyes closed. "I don't know. I've been waiting for you so we can find out together. I have an appointment in a couple of days."

Tenten was half-asleep when she felt a feathery kiss on her lips and a voice sighing, "I love you."

"I love you."

Six days later they discovered that they were going to have a girl. Tenten seemed to accept the fact with a lot of excitement. Neji, on the other hand, looked stunned still. Even hours later.

"You wanted a boy, didn't you?" Tenten concluded under the wisteria tree, both meditating. Well, she had been, but she noticed Neji seemed far away, eyes glazed and looking at nothing in particular, and it messed with her concentration.

He shook his head. "No. It's not that. I am happy with either."

"Then why do you look so astounded?"

"In the dream, we first had a girl," he said, blinking the haze away.

"Oh."

"It just seems very surreal."

"Well," Tenten said, a hint of amusement in her tone. "I assure it's not a dream."

"I am beginning to understand that," he murmured, finally closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing. "Just like I am starting to get used to the fact that you are meditating. I had to pinch myself a few times."

"Well, Hiashi taught me, so I guess that means you're not that good of a teacher after all. I'm surprised Hinata was able to learn anything when you trained with her."

Neji snorted but didn't counter with a comeback.

They remained silent for twenty-five minutes, the shade protecting them from the powerful rays of the sun. The green feathery grass served like a cushion under them, yet Neji still insisted she rest on a blanket. Tenten didn't realize she had missed her husband so greatly until the next day of his arrival, when she was awoken by the smell of breakfast. For some reason, she had forgotten the events of the previous night—early morning— so when she saw him cooking over the stove, she burst into tears. Even thinking about it right then, made her feel emotional all over again. She knew it had to be the hormones.

"Um," Tenten said, clearing her throat.

"Hn?" He still had his eyes closed.

"So, know that we know we are having a daughter, can we start looking into names?"

Neji's eyelids fluttered opened and stared at Tenten for a beat or so, turning his focus on the baby inside. "Would you be surprised if I told you I already started?"

The next two months passed by quickly, the final preparations making time blur together. They had everything ready—they were ready…or so she thought. She was three days away from reaching forty weeks and in four days, she would be going to the hospital to deliver their baby. Tenten had been mentally, emotionally, and physically preparing herself. She had even invited the girls of Konoha 11 over to her house, so they could go into the gritty details.

Yet, the moment she felt her water broke, she instantly started to panic.

The day had started off normally, Tenten wouldn't have ever figured that such an ordinary day would be the day.

Tenten had been teasing Neji about his extremely long hair and how he should get some inches off. Her arguments: it was clogging the drain, they were always finding hairballs under the sofa, and it got into her face at night. He had told her that he would cut it, but only after their daughter was born—something about a Hyuga tradition. Tenten had thought it funny and started playfully suggesting that he was just superstitious and that, even though he tried to woefully deny it, he believed in luck.

This had resulted in a banter for most of the morning until Tenten grabbed some scissors and feigned that she was going to cut his hair. This ensued only more repartee, one that ended in Tenten jogging around the house, trying to get away from Neji. She assumed the exertion and the slight cardio caused her water to brake.

Neji had pinned her against the kitchen counter, all too smug in having had caught her so soon. She had been panting, her size making it impossible to catch her breath. Tenten thought she could get away if she distracted him with a mind-numbing kiss—something she had used before and worked all too well. She had been inches away from his mouth when she heard and then felt the wet sensation dripped from in between her legs and unto the wooden floor.

For a moment she thought she peed herself and immediately got embarrassed, but the look of utter shock from Neji let her know that that wasn't the case.

"Oh, shit," she had breathed.

They had gotten to the hospital in less than forty minutes and by then, Tenten was starting to feel the contractions. Despite the jutsu and his composed composure, she was almost certain Neji could feel it too. He was paler than usual, and his jaw was so clenched, she thought it might break off.

As soon as they were situated, Sakura wanted to separate her and Neji, just so she could observe the two of them closely in case anything went awry. They had both refused and after arguing for twenty minutes, she gave in. Tsunade had sided with them and told them she was going to try to see if she could make the effects of the jutsu stronger. This only worked somewhat. Well, that's what Neji reassured her of. She was never sure because her pain was only getting worse and worse with the contractions. Even though Neji was pale and sweaty, he was holding it together better than her.

The whole process lasted six hours and at some point, Tenten caved in and asked for an epidural. She cried through the whole thing but to her credit, there were so many things to cry about. Tenten cried because of the pain. Oh, the excruciating pain. They had told her it was painful, but she had been too arrogant and thought she could be stronger. She had been wrong. She cried because she had been wrong and ignorant. She cried because as she was pushing, she realized she wasn't ready. She cried harder at the thought she would never be ready, and she had been a fool for believing she could be. She cried because, as all of this happened, Neji was there holding her hand—seconds away from fainting himself. Then she cried when she thought about how impossible it all away. To be married and birthing the baby of a man who died, to have this happiness amid so much pain. Then she cried when their child—Yui, the daughter of their binding and love—broke through to this world. She cried when she heard her cry.

But then Yui stopped and so did Tenten, almost instantly. The room felt deafening as everyone just seemed to stare at the silent baby. She vaguely remembered Neji demanding what was wrong and them rushing their daughter from the delivery room. Sakura mumbled something about a weak pulse.

Tenten resumed her crying amidst the confusion, at the thought that their daughter was dying. There had been so many things to cry about that day.

It turned out that baby Yui had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a birth defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart and something Sakura warned her about in her first appointment. Though they had stabilized her, the pink-hair kunoichi told both Neji and her that she might need surgery in the future.

Tenten had been very distraught by the news and barely had the mental energy to process everything, yet it was Neji who seemed panic-stricken. He kept mumbling things under his breath about ventricles, valves, and aortas.

"Neji," she had said gently but firm, quiet.

He was sitting at the foot of her hospital bed, looking worse for wear. His skin was pale, and his hair was greasy from sweating earlier. Hinata and Himawari had arrived for quite some time but left five minutes ago to fetch them some lunch.

Neji turned to her, eyes lost. She could tell by the bobbing of his Adam's apple that he was balancing on a tightrope.

"It's going be fine," Tenten whispered, her voice hoarse from crying and screaming during the delivery. It had only been three hours, but she still felt her throat strained.

"How do you know?" Tenten reckoned she never heard Neji sound so small. "She was so blue."

It occurred to Tenten then that she hadn't seen Yui or held her when she gave birth. She had only seen a glimpse of her brown fussy hair before she was whisked away. On the other hand, Neji had been there to cut the umbilical cord and had seen more of her than she.

Tears sprung to her eyes at the thought that she might not see her daughter alive at all. She sucked in a breath, reminding herself to be strong for Yui and Neji.

"I just do," she said, taking his clammy hand in hers. "Call it a mother's intuition."

Neji gripped her hand tight but said nothing.

Tenten rubbed her thumb against his palm before she gathered enough strength to say, "You saw her better than I did? Describe Yui for me."

Neji nodded, seeming to understand her request and glad to have something to distract his mind with. He told her that Yui had brown hair like her mother, but that it wasn't a lot. That she looked tiny and fragile, pale like a porcelain base. She had his eyes, he remarked with a smirk, the Hyuga trademark. Then told her that hearing her cry was the happiest day of his life, but hearing her stop made it the worst.

An hour later, Sakura came in and told them they could go visit Yui in the nursery's ICU and Neji's description of their daughter was proven to be spot on, even the part of her being slightly blue. Tenten couldn't put into words the moment she held her daughter for the first time. She just felt pure serendipity, like everything in her life finally made sense. Like she was experiencing everything for the first time. She had thought she would cry, that feeling this overwhelming love for someone she just met would reduce her to sobs, but it didn't. Tenten just smiled in content, her heart so full she might burst.

On the other hand, it was Neji whose whole body started rattling in a futile attempt to control his whimpering at having to hold his daughter. Tenten was so taken back by it that she didn't know what to do at first. It dawned on her later that it was the first time she was seeing Neji like that. He was always so calculated and in control, this was a side she never saw possible. She had approached him and placed a hand on his back, steading him, reminding him she was there.

"I told you," she whispered. "She's going to be just fine."

And she was. Two weeks after her birth, Yui had her first surgery. In the following six months, she had her second. When she was three years old, waddling and prancing about like a normal toddler would, she had her last. Alongside surgery, Yui was on medication and followed a strict nutrition plan. No one could have prepared Neji and Tenten for this, just like no one would have imagined they would turn out to be so overprotective because of it. Specially Neji, but that, at least, wasn't much of a surprised.

They hovered and fussed over Yui— over who would looked after her when they were at work, who could come over their house and why, where and how playdates could be set, what foods she could eat, how long her naps should be (there had to be someone checking on her when she would sleep, just to make sure she was breathing), among other manic things.

Once, when they were asked if they planned on having more children, Neji and Tenten looked at each other and shook their head.

"Not at the moment," Neji had answered.

"Not until Yui is stable enough," Tenten reassured. "She needs all of our attention."

Time passed and Yui turned four and a half, Neji and Tenten forty.

When Tenten realized, she wasn't getting her period anymore, she shrugged and said, "It's for the better."

Their sixth wedding anniversary was approaching, but Tenten and Neji had no plans on going anywhere. It wasn't like they even remembered. They both had only work and their daughter in mind. Since becoming parents, Tenten and Neji renounced being ninjas. They didn't want to put their lives at risk, not when being killed could result in Yui becoming an orphan. So, they did what they thought was best, but that only entailed that the extra money they could earn from missions had to be replenish.

Both Neji and Tenten were reminded of their anniversary when five-year-old Yui handed them a drawing of the three of them under the tree with congratulations written with wisterias. They had looked at each other in surprised and smiled sheepishly, ashamed that they had forgotten the most pivotal moment in their relationship. They had agreed to make up the day next week, once they could schedule when, where and who would look after Yui.

In the end, they stayed home while Yui was being looked after by Himawari, who assured nothing bad was going to happen despite knowing they weren't convinced. They didn't feel like going out nor being too far from their daughter in case she needed them. They made some instant ramen and meditated, but Tenten got too restless and demanded that they train.

"I am worried about Yui," Tenten said as she swung her Sais, feeling out of breath. It has been a long time since they trained or did anything of the sort.

"Yes," Neji nodded as he dodged her blows and hit her calve with his feet, "Perhaps we should pick her up later. I would feel more comfortable that wat."

"She knew we might do that, that's why she begged me to sleep over Himawari's. She made me pinky-promise and told me not to mention it to you. She's obsessed with her." She was able to nick his shoulder and instantly felt blood drip from hers. "I think she is a little tired of us, too."

At that, Neji stopped. Tenten could tell he was annoyed at the prospect of his priced child finding him annoying. She also noted that he was panting and trying to catch his breath.

"We're old and worn," Tenten commented. Though they looked fine and seemed relatively young and fit, they were severely out of shape. "I am sad to say it but if Guy Sensei saw us, he would be so disappointed. It's only been twenty minutes."

This only made Neji's frown deepened. "I think there are other important things at hand."

"Yes," Tenten agreed, throwing the Sais on the ground, and approached Neji. "Yui is more important."

"Her well being is our priority," Neji said, running a hand over his dampened white streaked hair. "We don't do missions anymore, so what does it matter if we're already tired?"

Tenten's brow furrowed at his words. He sounded bittersweet about it. Tenten placed a hand on his check and wiped at the perspiration accumulating in his temple, her gaze catching on the small wrinkles around his eyes. This was a mutual agreement, but she understood how costly it was.

"You know, we're important too."

"Of course." He looked annoyed again, like being reminded of something plainly obvious.

"We forgot our anniversary."

"A normal occurrence in marriages."

"I don't think it should be," Tenten removed her hand and puckered her lips.

Neji shrugged, crossing his arms stubbornly. "I was not the only one who neglected their calendar."

"I am not pointing fingers," she said as she took a step closer, looking up at Neji. "We both have horrible memory. I am just saying, how are we going to make it up to each other?"

Tenten could see his mind working through her words. She was delighted to see that after all these years together, she was still able to make him blush.

"We should shower first then," he mumbled as he headed inside.

The next day when Himawari dropped Yui off, their daughter joyfully announced that she wanted to be a ninja. Explained that the stories her cousin told her of her parents and uncles before bedtime inspired her. At hearing this, Neji had flat-out denied her request, which only meant Yui threw a fit.

Tenten understood both sides. As a mother, she wanted to protect her at all costs. She knew Yui's heart might not be able to stand the pressure of a mission and the thought of her collapsing somewhere far from home sent her down-spiral. Yet, having her daughter cry on her shoulder because her father didn't want her to pursue her self-proclaim dream, destroyed her. She only wanted her daughter's happiness even if said happiness came at a risk.

Tenten had figured Yui would forget in a week or two, like she did with most of her mercurial interests. As was common for a child, Neji pointed out, so certain of this. But she didn't. She just grew more adamant about the subject. She even started her own propaganda with her doodles and scribbles, littering them around the house like the little ninja she was so set out to be. Tenten found it so endearing she burst into tears one day when she saw a drawing of Yui and herself using weapons and scrolls. Perhaps this was the reaction she was expecting of her all along. And it worked.

This led her to argue with Neji about the subject behind the closed doors of their bedroom one night, both unyielding with their positions, motives, and reasons. Until he stopped mid-sentence to declare, "I think I'm going to be sick."

Tenten should have known that the moment she vomited on their bedroom carpet was a sign that something was wrong.

"Could you be pregnant?" Neji inquired once she showered and he cleaned the floor. She laid in their bed feeling awful and dizzy. He laid beside her, looking just as horrible.

"If you haven't notice, we're old," she pointed out, annoyed that he would instantly assume that was the case. "I haven't had my period in almost a year. I have early menopause, Sakura told me so."

"Are you sure?" Neji seemed so unconvinced Tenten wanted to smack his face.

"Yeah, I'll go to the hospital tomorrow and make sure everything is okay. Maybe I caught a cold."

But she had been wrong. Tenten was pregnant. Soon Yui's early career decision was put in a second tier and almost forgotten.

The months leading up to the birth were full of surprises.

Neji was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that they were going to be parents again the first initial few days, and that he had been right about his suspicions all along.

During their appointment, Sakura has placed a hand on Tenten's shoulder and said, "You're not alone. I'm expecting too."

Tenten seemed relieved over the fact that she was not going to be the only older mother in Konoha and had proceeded to mention it to him all throughout that day as if he hadn't been there when the Uchiha told her. Neji was happy that she had someone who could understand and support her, other than himself (he was still trying to deal with the morning sickness despite starting to use Tsunade's jutsu again), but it wasn't like Neji felt comfortable disclosing that sort of comradery in Sasuke. Just the thought sent him shuddering.

Neji had confided in his uncle the moment he had the chance to visit the Hyuga compound, which had been three days later.

"I feel unprepared," he sighed as he stared at his tea. "I am very surprised at the fact."

"Was that not the same case last time?" Hiashi inquired entertained.

"Yes," Neji agreed, slightly irritated. Maybe he shouldn't confide so much in his uncle.

"You had told me you wanted more children, am I wrong?"

"Again, yes, but I had not known of Yui's condition then and now I think I am too old for more." What if this new child developed a condition too? How could he and Tenten managed their time efficiently?

"Ah," Hiashi finally said, seeming to understand. He took a sip of his tea after blowing on it. "I see. I do think it's the perfect timing. Yui's illness is under control and you and Tenten have the maturity and experience to know what you're doing this second time around. You shouldn't worry so much."

"Perhaps," he agreed just so the matter could be dropped. He hadn't quite agreed with his uncle and often thought he was too philosophical for his own good. Maybe he knew that too, because he caught Hiashi hiding his smirk behind his cup of jasmine tea.

When he had gone to his house, he found Guy, Lee and Metal there. Neji promptly felt the dread in his stomach intensify at the fact. This could not be a good sign.

His daughter had thrown her tiny arms around him the moment he walked in and proclaimed, "I'm going to have a baby brother or a sister, daddy! Mommy just told me!"

"You told her?" Neji swiftly accused, making eye contact with his wife and frowning.

Tenten had shrugged, "Might has well. I won't be able to hide it for long."

"Good to know you two still have that youthful spirit! You worked harder for it," Guy thumbed up as he approached Neji and patted him on the back.

"Congratulations, Neji!" Lee's eyes twinkled like he was about to cry a river. "You are truly living the dream."

"What's having a youthful spirit, dad?" Yui asked, turning her curious eyes to him.

This time Neji directed his frown to Guy, who had the decency to look sheepishly. "It's, um, eh, well—"

"It's being strong, honey," Tenten hastily intervened. "Why don't you play with cousin Metal outside?"

"Okay," Yui said as she grabbed Metal's hand and dragged him to the backyard.

"And be careful," Neji shouted after them. The least he needed right now was having to go to the hospital.

"So, what do you think it's going to be this time?" Lee asked, a glint in his eyes.

This question seemed to fascinate Tenten a lot for she quickly answered, "Another girl."

"What do you think, Neji?" Guy turned to him nosily.

He shrugged. "It's too early to tell."

When they were lying next to each other that night, Neji stared at the ceiling and said with total conviction, "I'm sure it will be a boy. In my dream, my second child was a boy."

He was always very smug about his dream, so Tenten said he would be wrong. It would be another girl. They decided to placed bets on it, like good parents did in such matters. They didn't bet on anything material or on a specific chore, just the prospect of being right for that and that alone made things interesting.

Neji could still remember the morning he woke up and realized there were two chakra signatures in Tenten's womb. They had to be convinced by Sakura, nevertheless, about the fact that they were having twins. Regardless, Tenten assured him that the bet was still on because it could either be a pair of twin boys or twin girls. Though Neji had been totally befuddle by the news, he decided to still keep their bet going just for his pride's sake.

In a couple of months, it turned out that they both lost ("Or both won," something Tenten argued for a straight week before giving up—there was no fun in being both right). They were going to have a boy and a girl.

It only become apparent to Neji when Tenten reached her first trimester, while she was puzzling over how they were going to deal with three children, that his current life could not be compared to his dream one like he had begun doing the moment he knew he would be a father for the first time. In his dream one he wanted one more child but only had two, but in his real life…

"It will be just fine," he said, feeling strangely euphoric.

As the pregnancy progressed, he and Tenten found that this one was very different than the first one. Both were left almost uselessly disabled—something to do with being out of shape, their age and it being twins. To the degree that Himawari had to temporarily moved in their guest bedroom to tend to Yui while they mopped around (Hanabi had just married Konohamaru and were enjoying their honeymoon, so her offer from many years ago did not stand).

Tsunade had arrived at the village in a few weeks to tend to both deliveries, her pupil's and theirs, and tried to work on the jutsu and its effectiveness, but its reach only went so far. Which worried the Fifth, since she insisted that they might need a c-section and she wasn't sure how that would work with them being linked together. Tenten had insisted she could do a natural birth, but that to Neji seemed highly unlikely. As time slowly approached, Yui insistent in her ninja schooling, Himawari tending to all three of them like a house nurse, Metal occasionally visiting without Guy or Lee (something he found odd), he was yet again right. Which should have made him feel a sort of way since he liked being right, but only irritated him more. Being right through this whole pregnancy had been a troublesome thing.

Neji was sad to say that he didn't remember anything the day of the birth. He only knew he arrived at the hospital with his wife and then nothing. He woke up hours later to pain, a medical-nin working on his body as the incision was being healed. They did the c-section, he could tell by the fading scar under the glowing hands of the medical-nin. It would be a few more hours before he would see Tenten, his daughter and son—Tori, his tiny bird, and Hizashi, his ray of sunshine. Before he knew they were perfectly normal, something that made him almost collapse in his bed.

When they were in the nursery, Tenten and Neji took turns holding their children. Tori had his hair and mother's bronzed skin, and when she opened her eyes, they were brown with a twinge of lavender. She instantly started fuzzing and twisting in his arms, relentless. Hizashi's hair was very dark, almost black, something that accentuated his pale skin. When he opened his eyes, one was brown and the other was lavender. He was still and barely made a sound, very different from Tori.

Across from them, Sakura and Sasuke were also visiting their son, an exact image of the Uchiha if it were not for his emerald eyes. Soon enough, Sakura would go over to Tenten and whisper about matter that he could not relate to, breastfeeding and post-partum symptoms and other such things. Neji was holding Hizashi when he couldn't help notice that Sasuke was cradling his son too from across the room—Itachi he believed he heard was the baby named, after the Uchiha's brother. They only acknowledged each other with a nod, perhaps the only comradery they would share.

Tenten looked at her body in the mirror inside her bathroom. She was only wearing underwear and a bra. The clothes she was going to wear for the dinner in the Hyuga compound laying in her bed, waiting for her. She was debating whether using a waist trainer would be ideal in the long run. She didn't want to be uncomfortable, but she wanted to look good in the pictures (she was sure there would be pictures).

When she had Yui, her body had somewhat returned to its natural state, aside from the stretch marks around her hips and stomach. She had still felt beautiful—strong even. It was different for the twins, her body never returned to what it used to. Her breasts were big and sagged if she didn't have the proper support. Her stomach had more or less shrunken to its previous state, but the skin was stretched and slumped, much like her arms and butt.

"You look all right," Neji told her from the door, tying the knot around his kimono.

Tenten caught his eye in the mirror and shook her head, already strapping the waist trainer around herself. "Looking all right is not what I was striving for but thank you for your input."

Tenten knew that she shouldn't be so harsh. After all, he was just accepting the fact that Yui was going to be assigned to a team in The Academy and Himawari was about to marry Metal.

The first one shouldn't be much of a surprise. Their daughter had pushed and argued and insisted upon it for years. Actually, Tenten was the first to accept it and had slowly convinced Neji of the same over time. He had been reluctant—was still reluctant—but accepted that if he wanted to be very active in their daughter's life, he shouldn't be so controlling. Besides, she was just being like her father, stubborn and defiant. He would only keep a closer eye on their daughter this way, yet Tenten was the one who had come to terms with Yui not being a weak disabled girl.

The latter had completely taken Neji off guard, but only because he hadn't been paying attention. Tenten knew the moment she returned from her mission in the Suna that something was going on. During her second pregnancy, when Himawari was taking care of them, it became more apparent. Metal was practically visiting every day. Tenten had teased Neji about it, since he had told her once that he was glad his dream hadn't entirely come true and none of his daughters were marrying Metal. He had been pissed off for days after, much like he was now—but because he had been wrong, she suspected. She knew it wasn't wise to tease about it now, not when they were to attend a dinner officiating the soon to be union between the Lee and Huyga clan.

Tenten was surprised when Neji walked over to her and watched her with tender eyes—she was so sure he was still pissed at the aforementioned things.

"Wear it if you think you have to," Neji told her, distastefully staring at the waist trainer. "I don't think you do."

"Well," Tenten said, flustered at his sincerity, "I think your Byakugan is broken."

Neji took her comment as a challenge and proceeded to rip the waist trainer from her body.

"Hey!" she complained as the waist trainer thumped on the floor uselessly.

He wrapped both hands around her waist, like second nature at this point, and brought her close. Neji kissed her promptly before breaking away—Tori and Hizashi always had a habit of barging in inopportune moments. Almost always when she was in the bathroom.

"You have given me everything I have ever wanted," he told her very matter of fact. "All of you. Why would you think I'd lie? Why would you think I don't find you beautiful?"

Tenten slowly leaned forward and kissed him, her mind flooding with memories of time passed. She had the vague presence of mind of hearing him say she was perfect but a scoff from the door instantly pulled them away.

"Ew, mom, dad!" Yui rolled her eyes from the door. Tenten still remembered when seeing them show affection to one another would make their young daughter giggle. How timed passed, indeed.

"We're doing nothing." Neji declared, already fixing his clothes and looking too embarrassed for his own good.

"Yeah right," Yui sounded unconvinced. "The twins and I are ready. We're just waiting for you two love birds. We're going to be late."

"We'll be right there," Tenten huffed as she walked to her room and started dressing.

"We'll be waiting at the door," Yui waved off as she headed out.

Once she was gone, Neji sighed heavily. Rubbed a hand up and down his face.

"Everything will be alright. Yui and the wedding and everything else troubling your mind," Tenten gently said as she watched him walk to the closet and pull out his haori.

Neji was putting his haori on, the one with the Hyuga crest, looking defeated. It was almost too sad to see. "I just hope Tori and Hizashi don't give us this much trouble."

"Hizashi is a peaceful kid," Tenten assured. Uptight for a seven-year-old, she didn't add.

"Yes, you're right," Neji agreed, seeming not to notice that Tenten didn't comment about Tori.

Tenten bit her lip and tried not to laugh. Tori was a wild child. Just the other day she told her that she had a crush on Itachi and planned on marrying him when she finished her training as a medical-nin (Itachi was infatuated with his mother and Tori probably assumed that was the only way to his heart—emanating her). Tenten had instantly assumed it was her fault, maybe arranging too many play dates with Sakura was a bad thing. She could already see Hizashi fighting with Itachi over being with his sister.

"Yes," Tenten smiled. "Everything is well."

A/N: Hi guys. Thanks for reading. I know it was long, so this note is going to be short. Please tell me your final thoughts I am really dying to hear them. Share the story with other Nejiten shippers. Bye!