Answers Revealed

"Wake up" Tenten opened her eyes to see the darkness of the room and the white ceiling above her. Her heart was still at it's rapid pace and it still hadn't slowed even the slightest. Her still felt the heat from his touches. It all felt so real, the reality of it was more then what a dream could create up. Her breath was heavy as she just laid there fore a moment or two before moving into a sitting position of the bed. The clothes she was wearing were the same she had on in the "dream", everything was so similar. The only thing was that she had woken to see Neji sitting in a chair placed beside the bed instead of him standing in the shadows and watching her.

"You're finally awake." Neji said in his usual emotionless tone. Tenten could feel the corners of her lip curve into a smirk, the same words were said before. Could it have really been a dream? Maybe even a fantasy? Or could it even be a...memory?

"Neji, what time is it?" Tenten asked finally seeing the rays of light seep through the corners of the blinds that covered the slightly large windows of the room.

"It's five forty in the morning. I have been called to report to Tsunade in five minutes. I need to leave now before I am late." Neji said before getting up from the chair to move toward the door.

"Why didn't you leave earlier?" Tenten knew that it must take at least fifteen minutes to walk or even run from here to Tsunade's office, so why would he wait until he only had five minutes to leave to go? She moved into a sitting position as Neji kept his hand on the door that he would have opened if hadn't heard Tenten's voice. He didn't even bother to turn to make eye contact with her before he spoke. "I just wanted to see you wake up."

With that he left Tenten alone on the bed unsure of what to say. For some reason he seemed, depressed. Well more depressed then she knew he could be. IT took her a while before moving to get out of the bed and change. A new set of cloths were there lying on the foot of the bed. It was a long blue Chinese style dress that looked familiar. Also some brown long pants folded neatly under the dress. After getting dress she moved to the window and opened the shades to allow more light to enter the room. The sun had just started to raise so as more time passed the sky brightened up form before when it was darker and Tenten was able to see the garden that lay just outside the window.

Outside she saw a small brown bird in the shape of what looked like a finch was standing on a low branch of a tree flourished with pink cherry blossoms throughout. Close to the small brown bird she observed another small bird, a white with areas of black bird that also looked like a finch was perched on the same low branch and standing close to the brown one. The only thought was how content those two birds seemed together, so peaceful. Tenten just wanted to reach out and feel the softness of their feathers, just to see if it was as soft as she imaged they'd feel. As if the two birds hear her call they flew off the branch and toward her. The white one landed on the ledge of the window as the brown one landed in her cupped hands. Her gaze at the small brown bird was unmovable. Something in the back of her mind tugged at something, like that feeling you get when you have forgotten something long ago. The bird, something made it feel like it belonged to her. The white one however seemed familiar but it belonged to someone else.

"Ri" Tenten whispered unknowingly. It just seemed so right calling this little brown bird Ri. Hearing that name the bird make a small tweet sound before jumping out of Tenten's hands and both the brown and white birds flew back to the tree that had been perched on previously. Back to being content with each other's presence.

Neji just reached Tsunade's office and opened the door to let himself in to find Naruto and Sakura already there and the room seemed to be in a depressing state. Both Naruto and Sakura looked as though they were in conflict with themselves and Naruto had his fists clenched tightly beside him.

"Neji, it's good that you have finally arrived." Tsunade started trying to suppress as much of the bad news as she could, knowing the kind of reaction Neji would show in any situation that dealt with Tenten. Naruto and Sakura had brought the silver tube like container back to her a few hours ago while Tenten was asleep and she examined the contents inside and was able to tell what side effects would take place when exposed to. Neji stood just a few steps from the desk that Tsunade sat at with her hands together and her lips barely touching her fingers.

Minutes before Tsunade called for a ninja to retrieve Neji, she had just tested the contents in the container to find a full analysis of the effects and it shocked her. Never that she had know of had a poison that acted in such a way that this one was going to act. Tsunade walked back to her office and sat down at her desk as Naruto and Sakura watched her movements awaiting the results. Sakura was about to leave before but Naruto asked her to stay, Sakura really didn't want to hear about the poison, already knowing it was going to be bad news and today she just didn't think she could take anymore bad news. Naruto finally convinced her in staying, that this might be a way to try and understand the situation better and maybe the reasons why a little.

"Naruto, Sakura. You've already seen how the poison is affecting Tenten but I have to explain more. The poison, it is used as a memory eraser were the viruses in the particles when released flow through the blood stream, then head toward the brain where it attacks certain areas that store the most current memories."

"If they attack the memory, why didn't Tenten not who we were on the first day we went to visit her at the hospital?!" Naruto shouted.

"The poison needs time to get through and travel toward the brain; it may have taken longer because when Tenten was found, the flow of blood was slower because of both the cold weather and because we had to revive her from some injuries. Tenten did take in a very large amount so that is probably the reason why she has forgotten so much of her life."

"How can we help her then?" Sakura asked just wanting to know a way to help her friend. Over the years after Sasuke left Konoha, she always saw Tenten around just wanting to learn new things from Tsunade but on free time they would just hand out together and even meet up with Ino when they passed the flower shop. It was sort of a routine for them to just hang out together and they exchanged secretes like when Tenten told her the events that she and Neji shared when they were on a mission together or even sparring. Sakura would also tell Tenten the dumb things Naruto used to do when they were first assigned as a team and they'd laugh so much together.

"There is nothing we can do she has to remember the memories on her own." Tsunade said frustrated that there was an even worse part. But she didn't want to tell them yet without Neji to listen as well.

"Why would Sasuke-kun do this?" Sakura asked more to herself then to Tsunade, but Tsunade heard and thought it was a good time to tell them the reason most fitted to Orochimaru's actions.

"To answer that Sakura, it is that Tenten must have witnessed or found out something that placed her as a threat to Orochimaru and had to have her memory erased. That's the only explanation I can think of."

Naruto could feel his anger start to release the fox's red chakra around his body. This is another friend that is hurt because of Orochimaru. Sakura's gaze moved to the floor, her eyes filled with sadness and frustration of the useless feeling that she knew there was nothing she could do. This was when Neji entered the room knocking Naruto out of his anger, but he still kept his fists clenched.

"Is there anything that can be done to help her?" Neji asked getting strait to the point. He didn't need comforting words that meant nothing to him, he just needed answers and that was all he wanted.

"He's still straight to the point" Tsunade said to herself knowing that Neji was like this. "No. She has to remember them on her own."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then I'm afraid those memories will never return and she'll have to start over again."

"Who released the poison?"

"Kabuto." With that Neji turned around not saying anymore and walked out of the room. If you hadn't know any better it would have looked like something he would have done those years before, coldly turning away. However when he got to the door and closed it, the door swung closed with a loud slam. Both Naruto and Sakura watched as he leaved before looking at each other, knowing the truth behind his movements. He was hurting, but he was still strong.