The first thing Tenten noticed was the smell. She nuzzled her head further into the warmth, breathing in the musky scent. It was something familiar, but her head was pounding too much for her to narrow in on the source. As she became more aware of her surroundings she realized that the ground was moving. No…not the ground. She was moving. Which didn't make sense since she could feel her legs swaying as a constant pressure bombarded them.

"Are you ready for me to put you down yet or are you enjoying using me as your pillow?" A warm breath ghosted over her ear. Something about the way he whispered the words had her picturing one of his rare smiles. Just the thought of him smiling had the edges of her mouth tugging up at the corners. Tenten took a deep breath, basking in the comfort being in his arms gave her. He'd only ever held her once before, but something about this time seemed so much more intimate.

Neji! Her whole body tensed, eyes going wide, as awareness crashed in around her. This was Neji. This was not one of her dreams.

She realized too late that stiffening her body would only draw more attention to the fact that she was definitely awake and definitely still nuzzling her partner's neck. She felt the rumble of his chest as he suppressed a laugh. This was humiliating. Neji valued one thing and that was strength, and yet here she was acting like some damsel in distress. Ever since she had agreed to go along with Ino's stupid plan everything in Tenten's life had been flipped on it's head.

In a burst of pure adrenaline, Tenten pushed herself away from his body, which in hindsight was not the best idea she'd ever had. It clicked about two seconds after she braced her arms against his chest to shove off of him that the reason why she was moving was because Neji was moving and the reason Neji was moving was because dawn had come and they were hurtling through the trees.

Falling hurt significantly less than the damage done to her pride. That was up until the falling ended and the landing began. If she had to rank it, bruising the entire right side of your body and fracturing your wrist were about on par with losing every shred of respect you once had in the eyes of your teammate and best friend.

She squeezed her eyes shut tight as Neji swooped down from the trees and skidded to a stop beside her. A second thud reminded her that Naruto was still there and that there was still a part to play. Getting injured had never stopped a mission before. She'd already embarrassed herself plenty. What more harm could she do? She'd be able to explain all of her ridiculous behavior to Neji seven days from now when they were all safely back in the village.

Frustration filled Tenten as she realized that this whole "mission" was doomed since she had no idea how Hinata would normally react around Naruto. It's not like Ino and Sakura had given her a crash course – she was just making this up as she went. She really didn't want to have to make herself pass out again, but as she sensed Neji looming over her, it was the only thing that Tenten could think of that was similar to how Hinata would act.

"Tenten." This was officially the most embarrassing moment of her life. She could feel his fingertips tracing up and down her right forearm. He'd heard the sickening crunch. "Hn."

The shudder that ran through her body at his touch sent a fresh wave of pain coursing through her system, forcing her eyes open. He was there, crouched beside her. She'd expected his family's blood limit to be activated, surveying the damage, but instead his eyes captured hers. There was a flicker of something unfamiliar behind his pure white gaze, but as quickly as it was there, it was gone.

Tenten let out the breath she had been holding as her partner distanced himself from her. She almost wished her arm hurt more so that the pain would overwhelm her humiliation. She should have never listened to Ino with her stupid hair and her stupid 'master plans.'

"Naruto, go fetch a healer from the village. We'll set up camp here until…."

Panic set in. "No! We don't need to postpone the mission because of me!"

Two surprised faces stared back at her. "Tenten, your arm is broken." Neji sounded like he was talking to a petulant child. "We are only an hour from the village. The best thing to do would be to get our only distance fighter the care she needs." Guilt flooded her system. The only reason Neji was considering wasting precious time during a mission was because she had agreed to this asinine plot set by her supposed friends.

And the way he was looking at her, as if she was some fragile child who needed the realities of life glossed over, struck her to her core. Her resolve strengthened. She hadn't spent the last two years hanging around Sakura and Ino without learning a few tricks. She wasn't nearly as good with healing jutsu as the other three girls from the Konoha 12, but she knew enough to ease the pain in her arm and possibly even stabilize it.

Naruto was turning to leap into the branches when she called out again. "Naruto, stop." The blonde boy hesitated, looking from Neji to Tenten. She had her eyes locked with Neji. The patronizing look from a moment ago was gone and his usual icy glare was in place.

"What is it, Tenten?"

"Are you questioning a direct order from the mission leader?" Neji was staring down Naruto.

Naruto glared back. "I say we hear our teammate out before I leave."

"Every second you waste standing there is more time wasted on this mission," Neji ground out.

"Tenten is an important member of this team. You should listen to what she has to say. Just because you have a fancy Jonin vest doesn't mean that what you say should drown out what she has to say."

"I know what my partner needs, baka. I've been her fr- teammate for over five years."

Tenten rolled her eyes as the two boys continued to argue. Pushing herself up into a sitting position and ignoring the painful swelling in her side, Tenten directed her chakra into her left hand. Within seconds, a green glow was emitted and she moved her hand to hover over her right arm.

She'd never tried repairing her own bones before, and she doubted that whatever patch job she did now would hold up for long, but she wasn't about to show weakness in front of Neji. Or Naruto for that matter. Bickering three feet away from her were two of the most stubborn, pig-headed, brilliant shinobi in all of Konoha. She'd watched the two of them push their bodies to the very brink for the sake of the mission time and time again. There was no reason why she couldn't do the same.

Sweat had pulled across her brow by the time she was able to chirp out, "Done!" She grinned up at the two boys. They looked at her just in time to see the green glow around her hand fade away.

"Byakugan." Neji stalked toward her, using his family's blood trait to hone in on her damaged body. Tenten smiled proudly as his eyebrows knit together in frustration.

"Well don't just stand there, help me up." The first to react to her outstretched hand was Naruto. He seemed hesitant, but his grip was firm as he took hold. This was the moment of truth. If her arm held the weight of her own body, Neji would let them continue the mission. She didn't miss the way his eyes continued to track her arm as Naruto yanked her up.

Searing white light filled her field of vision, but she was vertical again.

"Dattebayo, Tenten!" The boy had always healed unnaturally fast himself and he most likely seriously overestimated her healing ability, because half a second later his hand landed hard on her shoulder in a congratulatory clasp. Pain rocketed through her half-healed bone, but seeing Naruto's smiling face reminded her of the second mission she still had yet to carry out.

She really hoped Neji was still paying attention. She could feel the bruises lining the length of her body and was not looking forward to testing their sensitivity this soon.

Despite the risk to the real mission, Tenten took advantage of the obvious pain that Naruto's forgetfulness had caused and fumbled her legs, doing a trust fall backwards into the waiting arms of her partner.

There was never a need to worry though. Neji had never been anything but reliable ever since he lost to Naruto during the Chunin Exams. He always caught her when she fell. He always pulled back when she was exhausted. He was always there, filling in the empty places most people reserved for family. It was almost as if he possessed a sixth sense that always seemed to know just what she needed from him in the moment. This moment was no different.

For the second time that morning, his strong arms caught her in a dead faint. Relishing in the gentle way he was propping her up, Tenten wracked her brain for what to do now. If she tried to force a fainting spell again, the next time she woke up Neji would have her in a hospital bed in Konoha.

Naruto was looking on, uncharacteristically quiet, his face looking worried and appropriately mortified. There was a risk that he might connect Stage 2 of her Secret Mission with an injury, which meant that it was time to up the ante. Tenten forced a nervous smile, glancing up into the face of her partner. A face that was a lot closer than expected. A face full of concern and longing. Ripping her gaze away from his was the easiest thing she'd done in the last hour.

She discreetly held her breath, willing her face to heat up to an embarrassed Hinata hue. It wasn't hard considering her heart was racing. She really hoped she wasn't overdoing it for her audience of one as she widened her eyes in alarm and began twisting her fingers together nervously.

"G-gomen, Neji. That was so…you were so…thank you so…eee." Tenten's face really did heat up as she took in the incredulous look her partner was giving her upon glancing up for a second time. His fingers tightened around her shoulders and a hint of a smirk ghosted over his face before he smoothed his features back into their normally stoic façade.

Confusion settled over her like a second skin, but it was worth it when she saw Naruto. The blonde had a knowing grin spreading across his face as his blue eyes looked back and forth between Neji and Tenten. Ino's crazy plan just might work after all.

…..

Naruto was laughing, to put it nicely. Cat calling would be more appropriate. Definitely guffawing.

Night had fallen as the team set up camp and Tenten had slipped off muttering about finding a place to bathe. Neji missed the silence that her presence apparently instilled in the loud-mouthed knucklehead.

"I never thought I'd see the day!" Naruto managed to rasp out between laughs. "You should have seen your face! You like her. You like Tenten! We all just assumed you were asexual or planning on joining the monkhood. I can't wait to tell the others when we get back! They'll never believe me!"

Neji's glare had often been cited in mission reports as being a lethal weapon in and of itself. Naruto truly was as strong a shinobi as Neji remembered as the blonde idiot's laughter only grew in volume under Neji's deadly scowl.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Neji had to make a conscious effort not to grind his teeth as he spoke.

"Dude, if you look at Tenten like that every time you think she isn't looking then the whole village must know what I'm talking about! This has got to be the secret Sakura and Ino were whispering about at the hospital the other day. If you've spent even a second with those two then there is no way they don't know!"

Neji's eyebrows bunched up into a grimace. "I went on a mission with Tenten and Ino a few weeks ago…" Naruto's mouth was hanging agape. "What?" The Hyuga barked out.

"Dude, you're screwed. There's like a 176% chance that Ino is already plotting your doom."

Neji turned his back on the blonde who was just breaking into round two of cackling at Neji's expense. "That makes two of us," he mumbled under his breath.