Author's Note: Hora... I'm sorry for the major OOCness of all my character. You see, I'm listening to this 'Love Grows' song made by Nobuo Uematsu and... I really, really sorry if I get carried away. Anyway, this one is still another boring chapter. I'll never hear that song again when I wrote action! It's sooo... sweet... just hear it yourself. Anyway, I make this fanfic out of boredom so it's obvious if it's boring.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto nor Love Grows song!

Chapter 2

"You know? Sometimes I wonder what happen to you when you're so… warmhearted like this."

Neji flinched a little.

"Why?"

"You know… You really are an ice block." Tenten grinned widely. She drew closer to her boy. "For you to spend time with me… solely to make me feel better… It's… sweet but kinda weird—if we compare to the usual you."

"Hn."

"There goes your usual answer," sighed Tenten. Neji arched his eyebrow and said, "Mind if I answer it like that?"

"Nope, not at all," Tenten smiled. She rested her head on her boy's chest. "It's you."

Neji smiled and then hugged his girl tenderly. Minutes after that was filled with silence, a comfortable silence. No one wished to talk. It felt so right like this, with both of them cuddling warmly. But finally Tenten broke the silence.

"You look good in casual, you know."

"Oh?"

"Wear it more often. Better than the boring Hyuuga robes of yours."

"Hn."

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"No."

"Duh…"

…

The rain had stop since thirty minutes ago, leaving small ponds of rain water here and there in every Konoha street. Neji walked slowly to the Hyuuga compound. He watched the sun that set in the west, recalled everything that he done since this morning. Ok… first, he woke up from his bed, second he took a bath and get dress, third he had breakfast with the rest of the Hyuugas, fourth he went to the Hokage office and receive his mission, fifth he informed Tenten… and the rest of the day was solely about being with her… He really had changed, eh? Unfortunately, it only goes for her.

"WOW!! Isn't this NEJI!!"

Neji growled a little. Without turning his head, he replied, "What is it, Kiba?"

"Yo! Yo! Don't be so cold, dude!" said Kiba, as cheerful as he always do. He grinned widely. Akamaru the dog barked. "I'm praisin' yer outfit! Ya hear? Akamaru praised it too! Ya look good on casual!"

"That's what Tenten told me," muttered Neji under his breath. He wore a blue shirt and black trousers—simple, but the style fitted him. Kiba fell into step with him. He smirked and said, "Hooo… Tenten!! So I guess she was the one who wear it on ya, rite?"

"Hn."

"Naaaaa!!! Just like what I thought!" shouted Kiba loudly. Neji shut one of his ears and growled, "Lower your volume a little."

"Na, Neji!! Don't be mad!!" Kiba laughed when he heard Neji growled. His slit eyes flickered. "I'm just teasin' ya a bit, dude! Chill out!"

"I'm chill enough now, Doggie."

"I see that clearly!" Kiba laughed even louder. Akamaru barked again. "What, Akamaru? Oh yeah, think so too!"

Neji looked away. He had no interest in what the two fellows beside him talk about. Kiba turned to look at the prodigy and then smiled gleefully.

"Ya know… Tenten's a good chooser!" he said. "It really fits ya! Hm… But I wonder… I guess she's the only that has the guts to ask ya to do somethin', eh?"

Neji glared at Kiba. His comrade didn't catch that glare. He even continued his babbling.

"And strangely, ya accept what she said! Hm… come to think of it! I guess ya really are changin' now, Neji!"

"…?"

"Yeah! It seems like now you're kinda… hm… what is it? Warm?" Kiba grinned towards his comrade. "Yup, dude. Ya ARE getting' warmer nowadays! At least ya can stand bein' with me now, eh?"

Neji arched his eyebrow. He seemed to think about it a little.

"…Maybe?"

"Come on, dude! Just admit it!" said Kiba cheerfully. "Even I realized it! Well… not so clearly, but you're changin'. Especially to Tenten, eh? Oh yeah, you're a couple now, ne? No wonder. But I guess now ya broaden yer list of persons, eh?"

Neji cringed once again.

"List of persons?"

"Yeah! Yeah! Ya know, in the old times, the list of people that ya treated as human are Tenten, Hinata, and that uncle of yours! Not more than those three! But now… at least ya wanna talk to me as comrade! Am I right?"

Neji raised one of his eyebrows. He choosed to answer neutrally, "Arr."

Kiba looked at his wristwatch and slapped his forehead.

"Argh! I forgot!! I gotta go home!" he shouted. "Yo, Neji! I go ahead!! Akamaru!!"

Akamaru ducked, letting Kiba jumped to his back. The latter waved to Neji and shouted, "Yo! I forgot to tell ya one thing! Tomorrow I'm leavin' with yer girlfriend to do a mission! S-rank! Don't wanna give me a last statement before I leave?"

Neji closed his eyes and said sharply, "Don't mess with her."

Kiba laughed and said, "Just like what I thought ya'll say! So… Bye, dude! Have a nice day! Home, AKAMARUUUUUU!!!!"

"Warf!!"

And they disappear in a flash. Neji opened his eyes, looked at the place where Kiba was standing just a few minutes ago. He sighed a little and said, "Protect her… will you, Kiba?"

Tenten stuffed the last shuriken. She looked at a kunai on top of her cabinet. The kunai was old but still sharp, since she sharpened it regularly. She took it to her hand, examined its ragged handle. She closed her eyes. In this kind of time, all she thought was him… only him. Especially now, exactly ten years since his death… "Anee-chan!! Teach me how to aim!"

Tenten opened her eyes. She smiled faintly, clutched the kunai in her hand.

"I wish… I could do it now, Shizou-kun…"

And she put the kunai in her pouch as gently as she could.

"YOOOSSSHHH!!! Nice weather like this always giving me boost of energy!!!" shouted Konoha's Number One Full of Surprise Ninja, none other than Uzumaki Naruto. Shikamaru yawned and said, "Shut your mouth up, Naruto. Geez… what makes you so excited? Nothing is new… and we get a troublesome task here."

He yawned again. Kiba started to get irritated by his yawn.

"Yo, Shikamaru! Close yer mouth and stop the yawn!" snapped Kiba, annoyed. "You're the leader now, eh? Now lead us the way already! We've been here for a long time and we haven't take off! Hurry up, will ya?!"

"I know it's gonna be this troublesome," Shikamaru reached out to his pocket to took the scroll of their mission. Tenten watched everything with raising eyebrow. She knew it would turn out like this. They have been standing at the gate for about thirty minutes, waiting for Naruto and Shikamaru. Shikamaru came just a few minutes before Naruto and he seemed very sleepy. When Kiba asked him the map, he had to get back to his house to take it since he left it there. Naruto came with his usual grin, didn't even took a glance at the death glare Kiba shot to him. Tenten opened her pocket watch… It was 10.20 AM already and they still at the Konoha Gate. Wasn't The Godaime said they have to leave no later than 10 AM?

"Why are you guys still here?"

Tenten turned on her heel, followed by the rest of the team. Yamanaka Ino came with Haruno Sakura, ready to go for their own mission.

"You guys should've leave since yesterday, ne?" Sakura glanced at the sky, thinking. "Godaime said so when I asked yesterday."

"She said, we could leave in 10 AM today, if we want to," answered Tenten, smiled toward Sakura. She, Sakura, Ino, and Hyuuga Hinata formed a very strong friendship since the Chuunin Exam. They often hang out together and helped each other, almost like sisters. "So, Sakura! Just the two of you? A-rank mission then?"

"Just the two of us? Oh no! There are four of us but the boys haven't show up yet," Sakura looked to her back. "By the way, it's S-Rank, not A-Rank. If it's only A-Rank, we go on our own! But Tenten… you're the only girl in your team?"

"Precisely," Tenten looked at her team, which continued to argue about their mission. "All boys… Bothersome too. So… what about your team? Who are they?"

"Ino, myself, Sasuke-kun…" Sakura suddenly stopped. She grinned. "And…"

"Neji?"

Tenten raised her eyebrow when Neji showed up with Sasuke just in time. The white-eyed looked at Tenten, nothing changed in his expression. Sasuke didn't bother to look at Tenten and her team. He automatically went to Sakura and gave her a faint smile. Yup, he's an ice-cube, just like Neji. He went back to Konoha after Naruto and Sakura managed to 'drag' him back. That time Orochimaru almost used his body after the murder of Itachi Uchiha. Now he lived a happy (?) life, with Sakura beside him as his girlfriend. Tenten always wondered how the heck they could get together when all Sasuke do was keep silent and all Sakura do was talking. But hey… she knew the answer already, wasn't she?

"You still here?" Neji walked towards Tenten. "You're late."

"Don't blame me!" Tenten grinned. "I've been here for hours and those guys over there…"

"IT'S KIBA'S FAULT!!!" Naruto shouted, pointed The Dog Boy. "HE TOLD ME WE GATHER AT 10!!"

"BAKA!! IT'S YER FAULT AT THE FIRST PLACE, YA LATE COMER!!!" Kiba shouted back with Akamaru barking beside him. "Don'tcha understand when someone said gather at 10, means ya gotta be there BEFORE it!!!"

"Gaaahh… shut up," Shikamaru shut one of his ears. "You guys are really noisy. Troublesome…

"TROUBLESOME YER ASS!!!" Smack! Kiba punched their leader on the head. "You're the one who forget to bring the map!!"

"Hei, hei… enough," Tenten sighed when Shikamaru made his hand seal to make the shadow shut Kiba up. "We better get ready. We're late already." Tenten turned at her boy. "Soo… Neji, I guess I'll go ahead. I'll drag their ass now and…"

Neji cut her sentence with a kiss. Everyone around them frowned—except Sasuke who flinched a little. Sakura and Ino grinned mischievously and together said, "AWWWWW…"

Tenten blushed madly when they broke away. Neji kissed her cheek and said, "Be here in Saturday and be careful in your mission."

"I… I'll try…" Tenten peck his lips. There goes another big 'AWWWW…' from Ino and Sakura. "You too. Take care."

Tenten quickly turned to her team, flicked her hand and suddenly all three guys there were caught in her chakra strings. Roars and groans immediately heard as she dragged them away from the gate.

"LET ME GO!!!" hauled Naruto, stomped his feet to the ground. Another string quickly wrapped his feet. "GRAAAAAHHH!!! TENTEN!!!"

"I'M NOT A DOG!!" shouted Kiba. "RELEASED ME, WOMAN!!!!"

Shikamaru sighed and said, "How troublesome…"

"Shut the hell up, will you three?!" barked Tenten. "We're late already and I aint letting myself get scold by Tsunade-sama because of you all!! Hey, everyone! Ino, Sakura, Sasuke, Neji! Ja ne!!"

Author's Note: Graaaahh.. (-.-)... I guess... I'll start the fighting right in the next chapter. I'm bored to death. Next time I'll remind myself. Feel free to write anything in the review. Even the outfit for Neji. Well, then. Mata, ne! To the next chapter!