A/N: Hellooooooooooooooooooo Naruto Warriors fans! What's up with you guys? Sorry I haven't been able to tell a story in a long while, but you know it's that time of year again: SCHOOL. I had to study for my World Geography test tomorrow, finish Algebra I and Biology; you know, the works. *sigh*

Anyways, enough about ME, how 'bout you? You have stuck with me so far, so "I must be doin' something right" (Sorry, like that song XD) It took me awhile to think this chapter over, so I hope you like it! *It came to me in Computer Apps, how ironic right?*

SPECIAL SPECIAL SPECIAL THANKS TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO *DRUM ROLL*…..: MatsuriWolfsong, Night Kaida, Tenten's Panda, Crestfallenfeline, Navi-at-Heart,

You guys' review's REALLY make me laugh, and encourage me to keep going; thank you so much! If you are new to my stories, than IF you REVIEW my stories, you will be one of those lucky SPECIAL THANKS people above this. Just a thought XD.

Disclaimer: I, solemnly swear, that I have no rights to the Warriors series or Naruto. Zip, Zilch, cero, zero, none, never. You get the idea, so enjoy! He's gonna try to be SNEAKY….

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AT THE APPRENTICES' DEN

*from the previous chapter*

Neji woke up suddenly, feeling as if he were being glared at, and studied. His pale, lavender eyes scanned the entire den, but nothing was out of the ordinary. Then, he looked to his left side of his pelt, where Tenten was currently sleeping.

He watched as her chest slowly heaved up, and down; all in a rhythmic sequence. His eyes softened at the sight. This was truly one night that she actually was sleeping, and not speaking with StarClan. He also can't help himself but wonder where she DID come from. Why did that one tom want her so bad? His claws automatically unsheathed at the thought of that brute.

How DARE he try to take Tenten from her home? It was nerve wrecking, and it didn't help that she almost drowned today also. His claws sheathed themselves at the thought of today, and Tenten nearly drowning. He was, how his StarClan members said, protective of his friend. He couldn't help himself; it was on instinct to protect her from the dangers outside the Clan. He knew she was strong enough, yes, but that didn't help his urge to keep her from getting hurt. Or worse, killed. He shuddered at the thought.

That's when he heard it. His ears twitched at the sound of scattering leaves outside the village. In fact, outside the den, and this wasn't some squirrels looking for their stashes either. He let out a warning growl, and this startled Tenten. She woke up drowsy eyed for a moment before yawning, and looked at Neji with some sleepy curiosity. She looked at Neji, who then had jumped up away from her, and was growling deeply at the entrance to the den. She watched, confused, what happened. Was there someone there? She stood up from where she was laying, and began to look around herself.
Out of nowhere, the tomcat earlier himself, charged at Neji. Tenten let out a hiss of rage. What was HE doing HERE? That question seemed to have slipped her mind for what she saw next. The tom came in so quickly and suddenly, even with Neji being prepared for the attack wasn't quite ready for him. His claws were unsheathed, and he was spitting up a storm. His eyes burned in hatred as he tried to fight through him. Neji knew what he was after.

The tom came at Neji, who got in the way, and unsheathed his claws as well. Neji was dodging his attacks; he was built with more speed than the tom. Although, the tom made it up for power, his paws were the size of Neji's head. One blow TO his head could be fatal. Neji kept biting at the tom's legs, trying to knock him over with his own weight and balance.

The tom recovered quickly though; after every attack. He then was able to nick Neji in the side of his pelt. Neji went flying to the side wall of the den. (A/N: Mind you, the den is made from bracken and thorns, not a good feeling) He hit his head on the wall as well. When he got up, he couldn't see all that straight at all. Of course, by then, all the apprentices were up.

"Neji!" Hinata squealed, seeing her kin on the ground of their den. She leapt up herself, getting ready for battle. Naruto followed her in this suit, with his pelt growing twice as big. He growled out to the big tom,

"Pick on someone you own size, you fox dung!" The tom looked toward the smaller, newer made apprentices, and began to charge towards them. Sasuke, Kiba, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chouji lined up on one side; while Sakura, Ino, and Hinata lined up in between them. Battle formation, but this was made for many enemies on the battlefield, not one huge TOM.

Tenten came barreling through before he could reach them. She ran right through to his left side, knocking him off balance, and before he could regain it, she lunged again, at his front. She was crotched down, ready to give more, hissing as she went. He stumbled backwards, out of the den. Neji was watching all of this. He couldn't even speak to tell Tenten it was a trap out there. He watched in proud horror as he saw her follow the tom to continue the battle. He slowly got up, and tried to walk toward the entrance before it was too late.

OUTSIDE THE APPRENTICES' DEN

Tenten hissed again, circling her enemy slowly as he regained himself. He purred in amusement. This startled Tenten, and knocked her off guard. His whiskers twitched in laughter as he slowly sat down, looking at her and told her,

"I can't tell if you're your mother, or father."

This stopped Tenten cold; she wasn't expecting a statement like that. She got twice as mad, making her pelt look like a newly born kit's fur, except with an angrier look to it. How DARE he say something like that to her? He just sat and watched her fill up with anger, and seemed to ENJOY it.

This made her angrier, and she lunged again, out of rage. He simply stepped out of the way, and let her run by. As she did, he snapped his jaws shut on her neck, and bit down hard. Not hard enough to kill, but enough to hurt and make it difficult to breathe. She kicked and spitted and growled, but he would let go. He muffled through her neck, mouth full of fur,

"I'm taking you home, even if I have to do it by FORCE!" he proved this by keeping his jaw locked on Tenten's neck, and began to slowly drag her away into the forest. The forest, for where she grew up to live in. She couldn't yowl, or warn anybody around the Clan, they would get hurt. Plus, she couldn't speak at all; he was only giving her enough air to breathe. If she did anything else, she could die from lack of oxygen.

She tried to drag her body to slow him down, but he was a very strong tom, and pulled with no problem. She scratched him a few times, but that made him bite down harder; causing her to stop. They were almost to the entrance of FireClan's territory. She knew she wouldn't be able to leave if it kept going on like this.

She then heard a loud, angry yowl. Her doe brown eyes were the only thing she could move, and she saw a flash of white and brown coming toward them. Neji leapt (A/N: I've use this word A LOT this chap, haven't I?) on top of the huge, bulky tom's back. The tom hissed, and tried to knock him off. Of course, this was difficult because he still had Tenten in his grasp.

Neji was clawing and hissing, trying everything to get him to let go. Finally, the tom threw Tenten a huge root just before the entrance. She lay there, breathing heavily, head rolled back; she was watching the battle before her with lack of oxygen.

After the tom flung her, Neji gave a yowl to the tom for throwing Tenten. He bit down on the back of his neck, which was difficult, because just the size of his neck was a thick piece of muscle. The tom flipped onto his back, crushing Neji underneath him. All Tenten could do was watch. She hated it.

Neji felt as if his body was dead, and every muscle was gone. The massive tom jumped off of him, flipping in the air to face him face-to-face. His large paw rose to strike Neji's unprotected head. Neji tried to get up, to deflect the attack, to PROTECT himself, but he couldn't move. He awaited for the blow, but it never came.

He opened his eyes, and stared in astonishment; Tenten had managed to leap up from where she was, and jump in front of him, to shield him. Her body was over him, her face protecting his exposed head. Fires of rage danced in her usually innocent eyes. The tom's paw hit Tenten's lowered head, across the face. She flew up and over Neji, to a few feet behind him; she rolled a few times. Her breathing was no more than a whisper in the wind.

Neji watched all of it, his face drained of all (or what he had) color. His eyes then glared, whiskers twitched angrily, ears flattened. His lip curled up into a snarl, and he leapt up to his four feet in great speed. The tom himself was shocked of what he had done. He couldn't hold that perfectly aimed blow, the best he could do was sheathe his dagger-like claws before he reached her. She was so beaten, that she might not live much longer if not treated. He had to get himself and her out of there.

That's when he noticed her companion; he had jumped up with a speed so great, it looked like a fish jumping out of the water. His angry features matched the face of a panther who had his prey taken away by another. Possibly even more than that!

Neji jumped with all of his strength, a battle cry escaping from his mouth. His claws automatically came out, his Byakugan activated as well. He saw that the tom was going to the right, but he beat him to it. His well-aimed blow hit him right across the muzzle. The tom looked shocked, possibly even SCARED. Of a KIT practically! He was half his age!

The tom retaliated, and tried to smack Neji back, claws unsheathed once again. He aimed for his side to unbalance him, but Neji saw it coming. He switched sides with a twist in his hips, landing behind the tom. Before the tom could turn around to attack, Neji began using his jutsu 64 Paws (A/N: How cute can I get? XD), and hit him everywhere he could see, feel, or reach. The tom was still standing, but he was stiffer.

He wasn't expecting this to happen. He was supposed to grab Tenten without DISTRACTIONS, and get her away from this thing she now calls home. He wasn't supposed to be defeated in one attack by a new born kit. He looks wearily at Tenten, who still is barely breathing. He sighed in defeat; it looks like he will have to wait until she is well enough to come. Hidala would NOT be pleased if Tenten came looking like THIS. He would be severely punished for disobeying her. She wasn't supposed to be hurt, or nearly DEAD. They needed her ALIVE.

He slowly began to limp toward Tenten, but Neji jumped over him to land in front of Tenten; he was in the same position that she was when Tenten protected him. He looked pissed, basically. His white pelt was all shagged up, and out of place. His Byakugan was still activated, and he was growling lowly.

The tom walked right be them and mewed hoarsely:

"You can keep her for now, but we will be back to claim what is rightfully ours when she is well once again. Believe me; we WILL be waiting with full force. You better stay out of our way." He was glaring at him the whole way he left. Neji sped up to go after him, but the tom's comrades used a sand jutsu that blinded him, even his Byakugan. He was about to run after them when he heard a low, gravely mewing:

"N-n-neji? Are y-y-you OK?" Tenten was still conscious, but barely. Neji could see her eyes lolled back, trying to find him. He rushed back over to her, and gazed at her pleadingly; hoping she would be alright. His deactivated his eyes, and stared at her for a long while, tears in his eyes.

She was a mess: bruised, battered, fur missing in some spots around her neck, her longer fur coming undone from her head, eyes tired, the whole works. Her breathing had become panting, and she was staring at him, but also PAST him. Her eyes were fading darker than normal.

"TENTEN!" Neji yowled at his close teammate. His face was slowly, and gently, nudging her own, and was mewing little things to her, "It's gonna be alright, you'll be alright, don't go to sleep, don't go to sleep…"

There was also a small pool of blood forming underneath her neck, her bruised, scabby neck. Neji looked around and saw medic cats coming around them, Lee gently pulling away Neji from Tenten. Neji tried to fight,

"NO! I have to make sure nothing happens to her! I have to! I have-" he was cut off by Lee who had gently swiped Neji's face to get his attention in a calm matter.

"Neji, our precious petal will do fine. Nothing bad will ever happen to her," Lee stated calmly, looking right into Neji's pale eyes. Neji watched as the medic cats put cobwebs on Tenten's wounds, and were chewing up ingredients to calm the shock. They placed her gently on top of Gai, who carefully carried her to the Medic den, which luckily, was very much empty. One young medic she-cat of the colors of turtlequoise came over and told them purring, "Don't worry, she will be fine by morning. Nothing too serious; just a few bumps and bruises. You can visit her when we set her up in the den, okay?" she asked them, her yellow eyes having a gentle kindness to them.

"Yosh! Thank you for the information, Edel!" Lee said cheerfully! She nodded in thanks, and walked off behind the rest of the medic cats. Lee turned to Neji, "Did you hear that Neji? You may visit Tente-"he hadn't even finished his sentence when Neji was already heading to the den they were putting Tenten in. Lee smiled as he turned to go to the apprentices' den to join, and tell the others of the mishap.

Neji was by Tenten's side as soon as the medic let him. One older she-cat told him gently

"She'll be better by late sky high tomorrow, you don't have to worry." She left for them to be alone, her tail swishing from side to side on the way out.

Neji first just began to stare at Tenten's bandaged body. She looked cleaner, but this didn't make him feel any better; seeing her in what seemed to be a body cast of cobwebs. She was beginning to breathe normally, on her stomach; legs tucked underneath her. Neji carefully approached her side, and lay down the same way beside her.

She felt his presence, and slowly, stiffly snuggle closer to him. Her head rested on the arch of his back, and he gently placed his own on top of hers, purring gently to soothe her. Her body loosened some, and she became relaxed as she fell into a deep sleep. Neji's own eyes finally gave up on him as them began to slowly shut. He yawned hugely, and his whiskers twitched as he placed his head on top of hers again. They fell asleep together, once again.

Hisashi was staring into the den, disapprovingly, and trotted off toward the Hyuga Den with a speedy pace. I will have to have a word with him tomorrow morning, he thought…

A/N: Hey! What do you think? I think I did a pretty good job considering I haven't been able to for a few weeks. Tell me what you think! Throw me some ideas too! Read my other latest story: Tenten: The Mark of the Dragon! It might be interesting for you…

ENJOY THE FREE PIE!

Neji: What's pie?

Me: It's a delicious substance of grain, fat, fruit, BLAH BLAH BLAH….

Neji: Sounds awful

Me: Shows what you know! *Throws pie in his face*

HOPE YOU LIKE THE REST OF THIS STORY AND MY OTHERS!

BOI (bye)