Staying Alive

A Neji x Tenten Story

Summary- AU fic. Doesn't really have a set time. NxT When Neji is hired to capture a criminal he doesn't expect what he finds. Can the thief reach her life long goals of killing the one man she utterly loathes or will her Uncle get in the way of things? More twisted than it sounds.

Disclaimer- My last attempt to steal back Naruto got me a broken nose, that is all I own at this time.

"sup"- talking

sup- thinking

'sup'- Flashback

A.N.- New chapter!!

What happened last time- 'She had heard something. A noise had awoken Tenten from her dark slumber. Still a little groggy and not thinking strait she sat up on weary arms and looked blindly around the darkness. She shifted and sat up a little further only to have something hard impact with her left temple.'

Staying Alive

Chapter 4- Unwanted Exposure

Neji looked down at the girl lying back against the log for support. Her head lolled to the side a large bruise forming on the side of her face where he had hit her earlier knocking her unconscious. Neji had carried her back to his camp and now stood watching her limp body. Neji activated his Byakugan and examined the girl once again from head to toe searching for hidden weapons.

"Tora, come here." His voice was cold and demanding. The said girl came foreword.

"I want to you to remove her clothes and bring them to me." Tora raised a suspicious eye brow but obeyed without question. Neji turned and walked away. Tora set about removing the thief's clothes poking her fingers quite a few times on the concealed weapons littered throughout the girl's tight clothing. Tora grumbled under her breath.

"He could have at least told me she was loaded first." Finishing her task Tora stood and gave the clothes to Neji who came to inspect her work. Pausing for a few seconds to examine the girl again Neji squatted down and pulled on the leather strap holding the girls braided bun in place. Her hair tumbled down in a waterfall of chocolate framing her soft face. Neji scrutinized her features. Her face seemed to gentle for someone who lived as a thief but he brushed the thought away. He then pulled on the wide strap of her top and removed three gently protruding senbon needles. He did the same with her other shoulder strap. Upon finishing his work Neji stood holding the concealed weapons in his fist, Neji turned to his assistant.

"Bind her to the pole."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ow. That one word repeated in Tenten's head over and over again to the beat of her pulsing heart as waves of pain tore through her body. Her entire body ached like someone had jabbed her with nails from her head to her toes. She groaned mentally. Blocked my chakra…points. The side of her head was pounding and felt tight making her thoughts sluggish. Tenten tried to reach for her bag of herbs but something was stopping her from moving. Tenten slowly opened her swollen eyes and abruptly found herself looking down at her own bare legs. Her eyes widened as she realized she was only in her undergarments. She blushed furiously both in embarrassment and anger. What the hell!? Tenten yanked on her arms and flinched as a severe pain lashed out from her arm. She could feel a warm liquid trailed down her arm. Turning her head Tenten looked down at her the source of her pain. A large hole was in her bicep from where she had been hit by one of Neji's kunai. A fresh trail of blood was making its way down her forearm to her bound wrist. A crusty scab covered the wound and dried blood was everywhere. Tenten's memories slowly started coming back to her from the day before but her mind was foggy and it was hard to think. She slowly realized that her hands had been bound behind her and she was leaning back against a wooden log for support. Her hands were bound tightly, the rope cutting into her wrists and chafing the surrounding skin a puffy red.

Tenten slowly became aware that her hair had been taken down as well and all of her concealed weapons had been removed. Her blush darkened as the thought of someone removing the weapons flashed through her mind. She felt humiliated at the possibility that it had been Neji. A shiver ran down her spine. Tenten laid her head back against the post. The moon was rising slowly and Tenten took comfort in the cool night air. Memories of her second night alone in the forest flashed through her head and Tenten flinched away as if trying to escape the memories that plagued her. The moon had looked the same on the lonely night so long ago.

Her thoughts slowly turned back to her parents and Tenten could feel the tears pricking at her eyes. She had always been very close to her parents especially her mother, Sorano. Her father had always said that they were one in the same. Tenten always knew what her mother was thinking and feeling even when she tried to hide it. Like her mother Tenten's head was always in the clouds. She was a dreamer and had also become a ditz like her mother sometimes was. Tears slowly made there way down Tenten's lightly tanned face and she inhaled shakily.

"I don't know what to do now mother...this is what I wanted right?" Tenten whispered to the moon. "I'm not so sure anymore…what do I do?" Unbeknownst to Tenten a certain egotistical Hyuga was listening to her. Tenten began to cry softly. She pulled her knees to her chest and cried into them. Neji closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tenten awoke early as the sun hit her closed eyelids. She could feel the dried sweat and tears on her face as well as the crusted blood on her left temple and her slashed arm. I need a bath, she thought dully. Tenten opened her eyes and looked up. Her breath caught in her throat and she jumped slightly as she realized that she was being watched. She locked eyes with Neji. He seemed so different. Something about him had definitely changed; now that she could see him up close she was sure of it. Something in his eyes was off but Tenten was unable to put her finger on just what it was. A gentle breeze flowed by Tenten's body and she flushed remembering her exposed state. The breeze rose slightly pushing Tenten's curly hair in front of her face obscuring her view of Neji for a moment but her gaze never wavered. Tenten knew that in his own little way he was challenging her and there was no way she was backing down. Soon enough Tenten's hair moved away from her face and she could see clearly again a light pink tint still coloring her cheeks. Neji's gaze hadn't changed and his pale eyes bore into hers. Your eyes may have bothered other people Hyuga…but not me. Tenten raised her chin showing her defiance and smirked showing that she wasn't willing to back down. Neji smirked back and rose to her feet. Tora emerged from the edge of the forest and the two broke eye contact. Tora was carrying a pile of sticks for the fire.

"Glad to see you're awake." Tora's voice was mocking Tenten but she wasn't going to let it get to her.

"Likewise." Tenten threw back her voice soft and warm like honey. Her tone held a hint of laughter mocking Tora. Tora only snorted and rolled her eyes. Tenten laughed softly and laid her head back against the post. She closed her hazel eyes and inhaled deeply. She loved the cool scent of the summer morning before the heat of the day set in. Tenten ignored the stiff feeling in her body and tried to relax willing away her anxiety. She wasn't going anywhere soon so she might as well try and get some rest. Tenten was actually surprised at how calm she already was. She laughed softly at the irony of her situation. I'm tied to a post with a wounded arm that will probably get infected and I feel relaxed, she thought sarcastically. Tenten opened her eyes and stared up at the rising sun. Well at least today won't be boring. Tenten's ditzy personality was beginning to come out despite the rough night she had. Picking up her head Tenten looked from Neji to Tora and back again.

"So oh great hunters of the forest, what shall we do today? I recommend fishing, the weathers perfect." She got no response from either one and so she just shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, it was worth a shot," she said with a shrug. Tora walked closer to Neji who had started a smokeless fire, she squatted down next to him.

"So are we bringing her to the castle today?" Tora asked. Neji was silent for a while as he poked at the fire.

"No." He replied without looking up from harassing the embers. Tora looked at him in surprise. She was about to ask why but she knew that it would do no good, he never explained himself to her, that was just the way he worked. Neji stood and walked over to Tenten.

"So can we go fishing?" She asked looking up at him with an innocent expression on her face, her amber eyes round and fickle.

"How about you tell me your name instead?" Neji asked her. Tenten pursed her lips. Not gonna happen no matter how much I want to tell you, sorry Neji, she thought sadly.

"Umm…no?" She answered with the same innocent look on her face. Neji wanted to know what was so special about this person that the king had hired him to find her; after all, he had captured her hadn't he? He had a right to know.

"Then how about you tell me what it is that you have done to make the king so interested in you?" Tenten tilted her head to the side to think half glaring at Neji. When she spoke her voice still held its playful tone but her eyes remained hard.

"Hmm…oh the usual, jump his guards at random, throw pebbles at his window in the middle of the night." She shrugged. Ok so it wasn't the whole truth but technically she hadn't lied. The king wanted her dead because she was the one person who could rat him out and she was the rightful heir to the throne. The fact that she annoyed him to no end was just an added bonus. Tenten smiled cheekily but it soon fell from her face. Her eyes turned glassy as she stared up at the sky thinking about her parents. Tenten quickly snapped from her reverie and looked at Neji.

"Sorry, what were we talking about again?" Tenten asked innocently. Tora glared at the young woman angrily.

"We were talking about how rude you could be," Tora hissed.

"Sorry, I have a two minute attention span, next question." Tenten's comeback threw Tora off for a second and she remained silent. Tenten looked up at Neji and blinked.

"Hungry?" The question threw Tenten off balance this time and she eyed Neji warily.

"Maybe..." Neji turned and walked back to the fire. He pulled out some jerky and tossed it to Tora.

"Here." He offered some of it to Tenten and she looked at it blankly trying to hide her disgust. Great, more venison, she thought dryly.

"Umm…would it be too rude of me to request the jerky that is in my bag instead?" She was very polite and noble in her question trying not to be rude even though the request in itself was offensive. Much to Tenten's surprise Neji shrugged his shoulders and went to get her bag, she ground her teeth as he dropped it about three feet away from her. She glared up at him and sighed in exasperation. Neji just raised an eyebrow. Tenten rotated her shoulders trying to get some feeling back into her arms, not that she would really need them. Tenten stretched her legs releasing the tension in her cramped muscles. She wiggled her toes making sure that she could still move them. She looked up at Neji before continuing.

"You're evil." She reached out with one long slender leg and grabbed onto the bag with her toes. She pulled it foreword a little so that it wouldn't be so far away but not close enough that she would have trouble opening it. Tenten managed to open the bag, from there she drug it along the ground and around behind her to her hands. She sifted through the contents of her bag until she managed to lock her hands around the jerky she had made a few days ago out of a pheasant. If she had to eat any more deer jerky she was going to be sick. She was getting thoroughly tired of having to eat deer jerky over and over again.

Pulling the jerky out with a bound hand she once again locked her toes around the bag. She let go of the jerky and it fell to the leather bag just bellow her hands.

Tenten pulled the pouch around in front of her again so that she could see what she was doing. She grabbed a piece of the jerky with her toes and tossed it up into the air. She watched and waited until the opportune moment and locked her knees together catching the dried meat between them. She looked up in irritation at Neji.

"Now that I have thoroughly entertained you, would you please let me eat in peace?" Neji turned and walked back to the fire, Tora followed him quietly. She has certainly done that before, Neji thought to himself. She's definitely good. Something seemed off though. For being so difficult to catch he had done it with ease, and it was beginning to bother him.

"What are you thinking about Neji?" Tora asked cautiously.

"That she let us catch her." Neji cast Tenten a sideways glance studying her. After a few seconds Tenten looked up at him. He studied her hazel eyes. Something seemed familiar about her large eyes but he didn't know what. Neji brushed the feeling away and looked back at the fire.

The sun had already fully risen into the sky bathing everything in its golden light. Tenten looked down at her half eaten piece of jerky before laying her head back against the log. Her actions were barbaric for someone of her status and she knew it. What status? she spat in her mind a sour look reaching her face. That was stolen from me when I was thirteen. Resentment rose within her and she looked up at the passing clouds sadly. Tenten was no longer hungry.

I'm shaming the family aren't I? Tenten couldn't bear that thought and she quickly pushed it from her mind. Gently picking up the piece of dried meat between her teeth Tenten maneuvered it so that it now rested lengthwise across her knees. Nudging it with her nose the jerky slowly slid down her bare legs to land back in the pile sitting on her bag. I'm sorry for what I have been forced to become just to stay alive mother, I hope that both of you can forgive me. Tenten brought her knees to her chest and buried her face in them, her thick wavy hair creating a veil around face. Neji scrutinized her.

"There's something we don't know, something we've missed. There has to be something deeper going on." He turned back to Tora, his pale lavender eyes glistening in the light of the fire. There had to be something else, something that only the king knew. The villagers he had talked to didn't seem that bothered that some of their things would suddenly come up missing, there was always something there to replace it, usually of equal value or more. She didn't seem to be that much of pest among the villagers so why arrest her? It didn't make sense and things that didn't make sense annoyed Neji.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A.N.- cracks knuckles Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm sorry it took me a while to get up. If you find any errors I would be more that happy to know about them. I can't catch everything. :) Laters!

3 Defender of the Light