Oh my gosh! I am so sorry, you must forgive me. I hate it when someone does not update regularly and yes, it drives me insane, so please be patient with me. However, I am only human…damn.

Disclaimer: Yes, I do still not own these characters.

Tenten woke not feeling much better, and her heart was still heavy as if it was carrying the entire ocean. She grudgingly got out of bed, and trudged to the shower, getting ready for the day; her hair was matted and wet from her tears. Her face puffy, she looked at herself in the mirror, and decided enough was enough, she did not care if he practically ripped her heart from her, and she was going to get over this with Neji. Knowing that it may not have even been her fault, she stepped into the shower to get ready to go see her best friend.

Neji awoke stiffly as he did every day; he rubbed his tense neck and tried not to grumble about how his night of sleep was horrible. They seemed to be getting worse, tossing and turning all night, his hair that normally felt nice and put him to sleep rubbed his cheek raw and his eyes buzzed every time he closed them.

He tried meditating, concentrating on the steady breeze outside, with its doleful but beautiful lullaby coming through the door, focusing on the warmness of the wind and of how he was so tired. Which in fact he was excruciatingly tired, but sleep never did come no matter how tired he was, and always as he saw the sun come up, its bright yellow, orange, and pink rays filling the sky would he then drift to sleep, only earning him a couple of hours.

Just enough sleep to keep him going but not enough for a long period, he began lacking in things he did, slipping up at crucial times, and at those times when people would give him glares, or talks, or even concerned looks he would just get up and walk away. He stayed still in his bed, not focusing on anything, his hand still on the back of his neck; he sighed and closed his eyes, knowing fully well, why he could not sleep.

The day he went into the Hokage's office, he stepped inside and looked at her, Tsunade looked at him, her eyes narrowed and she went back to work looking through papers on her desk.

"If you have something to ask or say, do it now, because I'm very busy today." Her matter-of-factly tone pierced the air. He was irritated that day anyways, and her tone was not at all calming.

"You know exactly why I'm here"

"Then spit it out already," She said harshly

"Why do you keep giving Tenten these missions, they're ruining her training in other areas." She looked up from her work and her eyes blazed with uncertainty.

"She came to me and asked for these missions, I needed them done and anyways I couldn't have stopped her if I tried, maybe you should ask her instead of coming to me." He had heard enough at that point and turned to leave.

That is when she walked in; she looked unlike her, all cheery demeanor gone. Her face was hard and unmoving. No hint of a smile traced her lips, no little girl hid behind the mahogany eyes. Her eyes wore a dark and calculating look, her stare was straight ahead and she refused to look at him.

Something in his chest twisted strangely to see her this way. Something in him felt like he needed to do something but being who he was, he shrugged it off and continued walking like he hadn't seen her either. However, her cold hard granite face stayed in his mind as if it had been burned there.

By this time Neji had swung his legs out on to the side of his bed and had his head in his hands, her new face barely left his mind that was the last time he saw her. Every night she was just there, a month of those missions had done a hell of a lot to her body. It was softer, still muscle but not as profound, probably from lack of training, he thought bitterly. But there was something else, the way she carried herself, it was so strong and yet, so vulnerable, as if every second she had to stand that way to keep herself from falling apart.

His bedroom door slid open and Hinata peered around it, he looked up at her and her eyes grew wide.

"Neji, you look awful." He smiled bitterly, and noted how the muscle in his jawed cramped. Hinata walked over and placed her hand on his forehead.

"You need to go straight back to sleep, cancel whatever you had to do today." Neji would have protested if he had had the energy. Damn all he could think of was sleep. He just rolled right back into bed and for once in a month and a half, as soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep.

The ground was dark, almost non-existent Neji was standing and facing towards someone. It was Tenten, her face still in the hard stone position, her cruel eyes were piercing him and her body was rigid. She began walking, her stature protective, and defensive. Her eyes stayed ahead locked on him, he noticed a small fierce glint in them; the kind a lioness gets before she kills her prey. She was intimidating, but so unlike Tenten, those traces were nowhere near this lioness now. She approached closer and closer, making Neji a little nervous to be so close to her. Almost fearing of what she would do to him, he watched, as she got closer with no intent to stop when she got to him. Neji quickly stepped aside and watched her questioningly as her eyes did not even seem to take notice of him, they were still fixed ahead. He realized she was not looking at him, but at the things in front of her. He turned and quickly walked next to her keeping an eye on her face, it was starting to change with every step they got closer to the objects, or lack there of. They were fuzzy and hade no shape, like a hazy mist waiting there except it was pure darkness, as she got closer they began to take form, into these huge, unclean, men. Tenten's hands clenched into fist as she walked forward fearlessly, Neji could see the perspiration on her forehead. Somehow, she managed to smile, a mockingly sweet smile, like a knife with a bow on top. Neji knew what she was supposed to do, he had seen it many times, but he could not watch it, especially if it was Tenten. Neji tried to grab her hand but it just slipped right through, as if he was a ghost. He was starting to get nervous, the men were getting bigger and Tenten was getting closer to them.

She walked into the haze, disappearing from sight but he could hear several cries, and grunts. He pushed his way into the darkness surrounding him, not knowing where he was going but trying to find her. If he could not touch her, maybe he could at least defend her. However, the mist was too dark, too thick it was like he was suffocating, and all he heard was jeers and cruel laughing. He would run forward but could never get out of the cloud; it followed him wherever he went.

Then almost as if a big wind had come, the dark mist started to drift away. Swirling, trying to linger but powerless to stay. 20 ft away Tenten's lithe form was panting in front of him, she was shaking and her clothes were ripped badly. He walked swiftly towards her, and as he got closer he noticed the scratches on her arms, blood fell regularly from the shallow wounds. Her shirt was in tatters, shredded across her stomach where more small scratches were spreading more crimson across her pale skin. The top of the shirt was dangerously close to revealing too much, the shoulder ripped and hanging loosely. Her neck was bruised and hung her head, which sported another bruise on her cheek along with a cut that seemed excessively close to her ear.

Her battered and bleeding legs finally gave out and she crumpled to the ground, Neji once again out of pure reflex reached out to catch her again, but as before, she fell straight through and landed harshly on the ground. Breath ragged, wounds seeping, her eyes lost that glint and now were just filled with pain, tears leaked from them continuously. She finally after what seemed like a horrible forever from Neji's point of view, focused her eyes on something, or someone.

It was Neji, another Neji and he walked up to her wordlessly. Tenten smiled tiredly and stood up shakily. The other Neji did not do anything just watched her struggle to stand, to breathe. She worked watched him happily her gaze back to herself, warm and charming. So willing to be with him, even in her state, and yet he did nothing to help her. She straightened her shoulders painfully, but the other Neji did not notice he did not see the wounds, the bruises, or the blood, just the look on her face, which was fatigue and joy in a strange mixture. She walked towards him slightly limping. He spoke words that sent chills down Neji's spine, this was not the first time he heard this.

"Tenten take the day off." She stopped where she was, her shoulders rising and sinking with her deep breathes, her eyes confused.

"Why?" Her tone was almost shaking but she held her own.

"Because this is taking to much of a toll on you."

"No, I'm training." She stated in a matter-of-factly way. Neji sighed and started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" She said running after and walking backwards in front of him. Her wounds forgotten, her attention was on him.

"I'm not going to train with you." Tenten stared at him, chocolate eyes searching for something in his face.

"Why not?" She said her smile faltering.

"Because to be perfectly honest I can't stand to train with you after assassination missions." The other Neji's face was hard, and he just kept walking, Tenten's shoulders sagged and watched at the other Neji walked into the darkness and disappeared. She fell to her knees, her cheeks glistened with shed tears, silently falling then she let out a single sob, her wounds and scratches started bleeding harder then before. Then she just curled up on the floor, and sobbed. Her cries echoed through the pitch black.

Neji stood there motionless his eyes wide he had no idea what to do, he could not touch her. She was slowly sinking away, every moment her wounds getting bigger, if he did not help she was going to die. He walked towards her but she seemed to be getting farther away he sped up fear rising in his chest when he got farther and farther from her. No one to help her, he started running, and yet she got even father away, and now he was standing alone in the darkness and he was out of breath.

Neji shot up in bed, sweat covering his shaking body. The sun was shining and his eyes dilated painfully. His mind was reeling, barely registering that it was a dream, or rather a nightmare. The sun was still up but was now slowly sinking; he had to see her, to make sure she was ok. His heart was still beating a million miles an hour and his chest was tight. Just see her face, maybe see how she is doing. He had to make sure she was ok. Jumping out of bed, he quickly pulled a shirt over his head and went out the door, his hair loosely tied back in a ponytail.

He walked swiftly to her house, some of his muscles eased just seeing its calm exterior and light paint bringing an air of charm once again like Tenten always did. The sun shone brightly, the temperature was perfect. He practically ran up the stairs, and knocked on the door. It swung lightly open; his confused look changed to one of horror as his eyes layed upon blood spattered walls, demolished furniture, and an empty house.

Whoop! That cliff is a doozy! I will try to update as soon as possible! Do not forget to review!