Ok chapter 6. - Its been a little while though, huh.

I'm trying to learn to just try to appreciate the writing process more, rather than being frustrated when that instant 'oh this is good, i wrote a whole lot' thingy is absent. so i won't complain, its all an experience

but enough of that. This first portion was the old deleted story's 2nd chapter. I've edited it a bit and added on additional pieces to go with this new story but the central scene is still present and kicking, at least i think so^^ let me know what ya think, kiddos.

and the quotes for each chapter is posted and i'll be editing them over this next week and tweecking them a bit.

Again this is designed around reoccurring themes. Anywhere from repeated lines to similar situations and experiences. This is loosely a concept piece so bear with me and enjoy:)

Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto.

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Summary: 'Cuz in the end, I'd thought they'd all be standing.


Ch6- Run To You

"Hey Lady, don't give up on me - Don't burn your heart out, Love - 'Til we're ash over seas

Hey lady, said, I don't wanna fight - Like pretty girls need cowboys - I need you here tonight"


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Tenten gasped softly, letting blessed air in to her depraved lungs. She had been hit pretty hard, more than once. But a few feet away Neji stood, breathing heavy, bleeding a bit but still calm, and unfazed. She gripped another scroll ready despite her exhaustion to go another round when he stopped her.

Neji felt out of sorts. The training had been intense. He couldn't say why but for the last week, sparing everyday had been like this. It was like Tenten had some mission or may hap demon she was attempting to exorcise- From the moment she stepped onto their training field her bright eyes were fierce and sharp, none of the cheerful smiles adorned her. She would be almost deadly serious and Neji was prone to thinking that she truly wanted to cause him harm.

He never realized how much he held back in their spars until now. She was quicker and sharper. So much so, that the almost unnoticeable line that he would never cross when he trained with her had to disappear. Even now she stood a few steps away, and he could practically feel the emotions that swirled through her. What had happened. What had changed. Neji didn't like the way she was. He was aware of a part of himself beginning to stir awake in anger. Her eyes held no warmth, there was too much aggression and too much tension in her movements and face. She was bruised where he had to use force or else risk a kunai in the chest. Her clothes were torn and her wrist was red and swollen from when he had to forcibly twist it to release a scroll of sebons that he wold have been to off balance to dodge.

"That's enough for today," he said relaxing his stance.

"Why," she panted, "I can continue."

He just looked at her. What was she trying to prove. "Its late," he replied.

In that moment she hated him. Hated that she could pour out everything, everything and he was so unaffected. He had turned to go but she was too upset, too mad.

"We're not finished," she practically growled

He simply looked at her briefly before dismissing her and once again started to leave the training grounds. Withdrawing a katana she leaped for him.

When Neji turned intending to head back to the Hyuuga compound he truly had dropped his guard. His natural awareness was absent, his thoughts instead, conflicted. Tenten, in her angry had jumped towards his blind spot. The sword, a gleaming steel treasure was tight in her hands. The golden hilt tilted down; a true weapon that she could never have afforded, as she rushed towards him.

Almost simultaneously, near to the second they both became aware; he that Tenten was at his back, it wasn't the byakugan that alerted him. It was his hearing that sent him spinning around. Tenten was mere inches from him when she realized he wasn't ready.

She jerked the blade down but not before it raked across his shoulder cutting deep. He cried out and staggered before he righted himself. Tenten stood in shock breathe suspended.

Neji turned around slowly and if Tenten thought his eyes had been cold before they terrified her now. He looked at her the way he looked at Hinata that time in the chunin exams. He looked at her the way he had eyed Naruto before he'd done the impossible and beat him. He looked at her like the way he did enemy Shinobi before he killed them. He looked at her in a way he never had before.

Neji had been cold and indifferent in the beginning, and yeah even after the chunin fights it was difficult to get him to talk to her. But he did he opened up more than ever before to her. He was still controlled and sometimes callus but, never had he looked at her in anger. Just like Naruto and Hinata she was suddenly privy to a personal fury that chilled her.

His eyes were narrowed and his hands twitched. "My blind spot, Tenten?" his voice was frigid.

She opened her mouth intending to sprout a river of apologies, horrified that he thought she ment to attack him in such a cowardly manner, when she stopped.

...

How could he think that, how could he look at her like that.

Just like his indifference, these angry eyes cut into her. And killed something. She didn't know what else she had left of her self that she could spare to bury but a sad realization slipped in. He actually though she would take advantage of his one weakness. But just as the thought made her sad it made her cold. Something right then froze over. What ever had been building between them over the last few weeks, hit critical mass. But It didn't fracture instead it hardened and fixtured impossibly tight deep in her gut. A shadow coating over them. The line, the link that was present and persistent since their very first impromptu skirmish over Lee, to their second ever training bout when he informed her she would spar with only him, glazed over and went wire taunt.

"So what," she replied flippantly.

There was complete silence.

Tenten watched the translucent pale orbs that rarely gave anything away. She watch them go from anger to disbelief and for a second was that.... But she let that thought slip as he entire body went rigid but his eyes came alive. They were livid and righteous, red in the core. They were the eyes of someone betrayed.

She absolutely knew that right then they were thinking about the very same thing. The moment he acknowledged that his Kekei Genki wasn't absolute and that he trusted her. It didn't matter that she had unexpectedly figured it out... he'd been reluctant to disclose his secret, but he had. And he thought she would honestly try to, to... She wasn't going to try any more. She wasn't going to care any more.

If it took him to think of her in such a negative way for him to give her anything other than his control, after all they been through together, then she would not care any longer. Maybe it showed on her face because, it was evident as he took a step towards her and she was almost outside of herself as she watched what happened.

They were going to fight now. This was no spar they were like blurs. Tenten never fought so hard.

Her previous exhaustion didn't exist. It had no place here. She moved like lightning never had she been so good. And never had she been so sad.

Neji hadn't felt like this in years. Rationally he knew he was too out of control. He hit quick and strong, not pulling his punches. He came at her with every thing he had and he was too much for her.

He knew it was wrong but he didn't care. She had exploited his weakness. Tenten had betrayed him.

What ever was wrong with her she didn't trust him enough to just speak. She instead used his is greatest fear against him:

That someone he trusted, that he cared for would betray him. It was an irrational ungoverned fear, but rooted around the death of his father and his misunderstanding of what had transpired in the past.

As a child he had felt protected and loved by the Hyuuga clan. The first time he met Hinata he was proud to be told that he would protect her.

But every thing for him changed when his father had been killed. He had thought Hishi had indeed, made the choice to allow his own twin to die. A brother should have been able to trust that his own blood would not cast his life aside for the sake of their self. He decided right then as a child that he would trust no one. That he would rely on naught but his own strength and will. Those were the only things that he would value. Neji's youth had made him icy and even after he found out the truth it was still difficult to let go of it. All the anger and the iron tight control. But he had with Tenten and Lee. And she....

"Gentle Fist Technique 8 Trigram 64 Hand Palm," he shouted.

Tenten blinked at him in disbelief then with drew her most effective item within her weapons cache, a metal scroll. Breaking the skin along the pad of her thumb she activating the summoning jutsu.

She let loose hundreds of weapons. He dodged them all coming closer hitting chakra points along her arms, her legs, her center.

Tenten had tears in her eyes. They flew around them as they whirled and twisted. She blocked his attacks where she could but many she missed, she could feel her body seizing up but he had taught her how to move and to fight without open chakra centers, it was the only thing that kept her going. But her tears weren't a tribute to pain, they were homage to what they were, what they had used to be.

Perfect. They were, they had been perfect together. Never had Konoha produced two such as them.

They worked in perfect tandem, their styles and temperaments were perfectly complimentary to one another. They backed each other up. Quite literally, standing shoulder to shoulder and could preform almost flawlessly. The Prodigy and the Weapon's Mistress. Neji and Tenten.

How could he use this on her she thought through a wave of hurt and anger and pain. Her heart was breaking. He was everything to her and in truth he didn't care about her. She was just convenient to him -her choice of technique making her the perfect sparing partner and that's what she was; a means to an end. Serving to make him stronger. She had long ago accepted such. That she would sacrifice herself to help him ascend past the role fate had allocated him to play. She loved him that much.

Her hair was free of her buns, the maple tresses whipping around her as she caught his face and he hit her shoulder closing the points in her entire left arm.

The kunai she held hit the dirt and his own long brown hair had lost the tie that held it back from his face. His refined features were tight with a still raging anger, he hurled towards her palm up and she sprang into a tuck in roll towards her prized sword.

That moment they put everything they had into it. They moved so fast wind grass and dirt seemed to hit and swarm around them.

And as it settled they could only stare at each other.

The blade had pierced Neji through his shoulder. A clean hit, a true one. She had drove the blade all the way to the hilt. His pain was great and his body seized before he took the pain and compartmentalized it into something he could manage. However she was not so lucky

She hadn't moved, His hand has still pressed against her. Neji had hit her so hard that her she had bent into the attack. He had stuck the chakra center of her heart. Neji stood there and finally the anger and the fury had dissipated. He stepped back and withdrew the sword, teeth clenched against the pain as he slid the weapon from his body. He stared at it.

He had given her this. He remembered her face when he the Cold Hyuuga Prodigy had presented her with a gift. Her warm cinnamon eyes had sparkled and she had impuslivy embraced him. He gave her this his partner his...Tenten. He looked up at her in shock and horror.

Blood slipped from the corner of her lips and he didn't need the byakugan to know he'd ruptured her heart vessels. He'd done this before, had used this attack on his enemy and once on someone who now was only second in his life to the girl before him right now. Then he had been fast and strong, but now he had perfected the gentle fist art. He knew he had dealt her a deathblow. She staggered a step and he could hear her shaky inhalation.

"Tenten," he whispered hoarsely.

She brought her hands up to clutch her chest. She was slightly hunched over, body locked, her hair blew in the wind and he watched more tears gather and slip down her face, mingling into the bloody trail at her chin.

"Tenten!" He rushed to her as her knees gave way. He pulled her tight against his chest and they slipped to the ground of their training field. Her body shook in his grip.

"Neji, I'm cold," she whispers, every thing slow and heavy.

"I'm sorry," he rasped as he held her tighter. What had he done, how could he have done this. Her hand slip to his face, smudging his tears.

He hadn't realized he was crying. Her fingers felt warm despite the chill slipping through her. The stared at each other and this time there was no anger.

"Don't die," he spoke quietly face close to hers. She couldn't hold her hand up any longer and it fell between them as the pain stabbed her again and her eyes darkened. Coughs raked her body and more blood spilled past her lips.

"Tenten," he shouted as her eyes rolled back into her head....

It was so sad.

So terribly sad.

She stood there unable to think past the entwined figures before her. That girl was dying. It was tragic wasn't it.

And he was crying. She stood a dozen paces from the tragic couple but somehow she could feel the weight of his head and the slickness of his tears right against her chest.

He loved her, she thought distantly, that girl was loved by that boy.

So sad.

"Die!"

A sudden pain ripped through her and she staggered back.

She looked up at the long haired boy in confusion and hurt.

"You killed her," he said bitterly eyes cold and haunting.

A single tear slid down her face. Her eyes closed and she swayed before collapsing at his feet.

She was unable to think past the two figures before her. That girl was dying. That boy had killed her. It was tragic wasn't it.

She stood a dozen paces way from the tragic scene but somehow she could feel the life draining from her, feel the rage that had killed her.

But she loved him, she thought distantly. That girl had loved that boy.

It was so terribly sad.

Suddenly she was standing face to face with him.

She bit back her tears and plunged the sword into his chest. The long haired boy gasped as she twisted the blade.

"You killed them," she said angrily. He brought his arms up and wrapped them slowly around her before releasing his last breathe going limp against her.

She stood there unable to think past the entwined figures before her. That boy was dying. That girl had killed him. It was tragic wasn't it.

The girl was crying now. She stood a dozen paces away from the tragic scene but somehow she could feel her desperation, the chill spreading through his body.

They loved each other she thought distantly, That boy and that girl had loved each other.

So sad. So terribly sad.

No matter how hard she tried she couldn't turn away. She couldn't even close her eyes as the scenes flitted by mercilessly.

'Stop! Oh please. Stop it.' She cradled her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably but still she could see it. Every haunting tragic frame replaying over and over.

Tenten!

Her head snapped up, that was Neji! Where was he. Dear Kami she had never needed him more. She scrambled up off of her knees and ran, heading towards the sound of his voice. This was all wrong, They had made it past this, they didn't want to hurt each other anymore.

"Die!"

A sudden pain ripped through her and she staggered back.

She looked up at the long haired boy in confusion and hurt.

"You killed her," he said bitterly eyes cold and haunting.

A single tear slid down her face. Her eyes closed and she swayed before collapsing at his feet.

She stood a dozen paces way from the tragic scene but somehow she could feel everything that they felt.

She had loved him she thought distantly. That girl had loved that boy.

Answer me!

She wanted to search for him but she couldn't see past their entwined figures lying the dirt. She hated the sight of her self, bleeding, broken, Neji holding her tight naked tears in his eyes. It wasn't fair. Everywhere she looked was the same thing. He killed her, she killed him over and over and over. A red hazy background and death, everywhere.

She screamed, tearing at her hair, anything to make it stop. She saw it then a patch of shadow, a single dark corner through all the red death. She needed that spot that respite. She rushed towards it, eager for the end it would bring. No more of this, no more.

Tenten! Look at me!

She stopped mere inches from entering the shadow. His voice had come from the other direction. She looked at the dark spot sharply. Why would she want to go in there. Why would she be willing to end it all.

She took quick steps to put distance between her and the dark silence, turned away from it and rushed into the two figures just steps away.

"My blind spot Tenten," he said frigidly, hands twitching.

"So what," She replied flippantly.

They were going to fight now.

And they did. They killed each other. Over and over and over. A red hazy background and death, everywhere.

Tenten sank to the floor, covering her eyes, wishing she had another pair of hands to clamp over her ears anything to mask the sounds. Anything to make it stop.

She thought she heard Neji calling her but couldn't bring herself to look for him. Instead she futilely prayed that somehow, someway he would find her.

So sad. So terribly sad.

"Wake up dammit!" Neji shouted at her. He knelled beside Tenten running his hands over her checking for a wound anything but her body wasn't injured. He swallowed back his fear and tried to ignore the terrified look on her face. She looked to be in the throes of an excruciating nightmare, and he was growing hoarse from shouting 'Release'. She wouldn't respond to anything he did to try to wake her.

"Neji, Move!"

The warning was urgent and Neji quickly slipped Tenten's limp form up and leaped away from the spot she had fallen moments before a heavy torrent of 'energy' swept past them. He kept going, dodging the currents putting distance between him and the Uchiha.

He was grateful when Shikamaru and several others moved to engage him, leaving him to worry over Tenten.

He laid her back down gently and took her face in his hands. "Tenten look at me!."

Dame this was bad. She been right beside him and Lee as they went in to flank the Akatsuki backing up Gai, Shizune, and a few other Jonin. Lee had been over zealous and been hit pretty hard near the start of it. Neji wasn't too concerned for him because even now he was still in the thick of it beside Gai.

Lee's attack had drawn Madara's attention, and Neji and Tenten went in fast trying to keep him off balance. Neji swept in strong and Tenten had even managed to strike him, her sword leaving his side bloody, clothes torn. Neji could see the hate that had ignited and he had moved to intercept him, trying to close down his network but it hadn't worked. Only every other hit even seemed to have a chance of making contact almost as if Madara wasn't even really there. Then he'd hit Neji hard knocking the air out of him.

Tenten had jumped backwards, flipping out of his range but he kept coming, dodging all of her swipes and the wicked tip of the blade before knocking her weapon aside. Neji's breathe caught in chest when he grabbed her by the throat. He thought he'd ment to break her neck when he simply looked at her and she suddenly went limp. Then Madara flung her away, casting her aside to take on another.

They'd been fighting near the cater from earlier and only the fact that Madara had tossed her towards the large ditch kept Tenten's lifelessly looking body form from crashing down, the fall giving Neji time enough to pull himself to his feet and catch her.

He lost all sense of the battle as he shook Tenten again. "Release," he called futilely.

He recognized Sasuke immediately when he landed next to them. Neji stood swiftly and activated the byakugon, stepping in front of Tenten.

"Move Uchiha."

Sasuke merely looked at him. "Will you make me, Hyuuga."

Neji didn't say anything else just fell into form. Just then Kakashi landed to the left of them hunched down. Neji looked at him sharply watching as he straightened his tall form before redirecting his attention back to Sasuke.

"I thought you were dead, Kakashi-Sensai," Neji said as the older Jonin stepped over to them.

"I was," he said lightly. "Kinda." He put a hand on Neji's shoulder. "Let Sasuke look at her."

"Here I was under the assumption that you had abandoned the Leaf Village," Neji exhaled, but still he dropped his stance and stepped back.

Sasuke's dark eyes glared at him changing to red in an instant.

Neji's byakugon steadily met the red visage that kept on him until Kakashi cleared his throat then they trailed down to focus on Tenten.

"Sit her up," Sasuke said. Neji bent down carefully bracing Tenten's head and shoulders against his leg and watching critically as Sasuke leaned in close over her.

"Look at me," he said firmly when her lashed fluttered open. Neji narrowed his eyes as Tenten seemed to listen, her dull gaze shifting to Sasuke's direction. Neji took in this older version of Sasuke with his own eyes and watched as the Tomes within his Sharrigan started to swirl. After a long moment Tenten seemed to fall asleep. The earlier torment gone from her features.

"Its released," he said standing slowly, the grip on the hilt of his katana was tight. He'd already been fighting Neji thought. He stood too, wiping blood from along his mouth addressing both Kakashi and Sasuke.

"Madara is using some type displacement jutsu," he told them. "Most of our attacks are having no effect."

Kakashi adjusted his gloved hand, small little blue sparks dancing over his wrist and hand. "I know. Madara's corporal form is hidden. Suggestions Sasuke?"

The Uchiha was breathing heavy. "We have to draw him out," he withdrew his sword. "A distraction."

Neji looked back over the field. Madara's clones were skilled and dangerous. The remaining shinobi, who were left standing other than the ones attempting save the rest of the village from burning, we're grouped into teams of threes and fours taking on a single incarnation of Madara each. And were having a hard time of it. And these were only the ones in front of them. Neji didn't bother to use the byakugon to spy the rest. There were scores of Madara clones throughout the village. They needed to end this.

Neji glanced back over at Tenten. She looked so different with her hair cradling her face. Her chest rose and fell with even breathes and though she was a good distance from the fighting, it didn't escape him that this was the exact spot he'd found Hinata only half the day ago. He felt a anger stirring inside him. Hazy red hot in the center, sparking to life. It made him think about Kakashi's hand unconsciously flexing.

Neji looked back at Sasuke. "I can provide you with such."

Sasuke smirked tightly. "Can you now?"

"I think I've figured his jutsu out. We'll need your Chidori."

"Hmm," Kakashi murmured. "I seem to recall that the Chidori is a rare Copy Cat Ninja original Justu."

"My apologies Kakashi- sempai," Neji said deadpan before leaping down, heading towards the only Madara clone, that for some fascinating reason seemed to come equipped with its own Chakara network.

The two Sharrigan users, followed.

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WOOOWHOOO! ANOTHER CHAPTER BABY!

And while i do appreciate the time off from writing i don't want to loose the juice i've got, or hero water maybe^^, so i'm gonna keep writing a bit but this is the end of this chapter. if you don't see another update by NEXT Friday/ Saturday- not this weekend, feel free to pm or something. No more slacking. I'm trying write for a few hours at least every other day. I've got to treat it like i would a sport or talent like piano, even if inspiration wasn't always present that wouldn't mean that you wouldn't practice would it? Or that's my take on it anyways. breaks should be used when you really need them.

And the lyrics opening the chapter is from "Hey Lady" by Thriving Ivory. Their sound is really different. Alternative, Rock and kinda soulful all at once. check 'em out if you can.

But I hope you enjoyed the chappie, and oh..

Manga spoiler-

did it not seriously look like madara did some hocus pokus on Sasuke in the middle of talking to him. I'm sticking to my belief that he's got him under some type of influence. And Karin's history was so cute and a little sad seeing how Sasuke was really looking like he was gonna kill her.

But is it just me or could we possibly have a team 7 reunion within the next few manga releases, Kakashi included!

idk maybe kishi just wants to string us along & I bet you that Sai bastard is gonna do something that just pisses me off. bad or good half the time I don't like him. Go Sasuke!

But sasusaku fans are probably going nuts right now. Could they possibly get the validation that us NaruHina fans received about 50 chapters ago. Or will kishi burn the dream down around their feet.

Personally i'm rooting for 'em. here's to hoping sasuke doesn't try to kill Sakura!

-new-

yeah i should have posted this before today cuz sasuke showed no hesitastion man, this is just brutal. But kakashi's thoughts reinforce the idea that sasuke is being manipulated. And so after nearly four years Kakashi and sasuke finally meet again. And they're gonna fight. Kishi better not kill either one of them. Kakashi just survived Pein and sasuke can't go yet, if ever. For once he better give us what we all want! Or so help me Kishimoto is gonna have one pissed off jersey chick at his door, with something sharp in my pocket-_- i naruto might show up in the end of the next chapter but kakashi is sending Sakura away to heal karin so no full team seven reunion yet. But heres to hopin Sasuke dosen't kill Kakshi!