The Scenario Series Chapter 6: Tenten & Neji, a naruto fanfic

When I first began this story, I had very little knowledge of the Naruto world and its characters. Nearly a year later, and I've been able to catch up in both anime and manga, and in that time become an avid fan. There's hardly a character I don't like in some way, and I take great joy in knowing that the new season begins next month and that I will get to enjoy watching it while at Katsucon.

The first arc I ever watched in its entirety was Curry of Life, which people seem to either love or hate. I love it. Among other things, it introduced me to the concept of Neji/Tenten. Now, I've read many fanfictions of these two, and it never fails to amuse me just how many interpretations there are to their relationship. Everything from blind devotion to oblivious apathy. But by far, my favorite has to be Nate Grey's way of handling them, even though they aren't the main focus, in White Dog Night. It's one of my favorite series on this site, and I highly recommend it.

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"The Scenario Series"
Part 6 of 10
by Tsubasa Hane

There was little she wouldn't do for him. Be it follow on the most dangerous of missions or partake in the most taxing of training regimes, she was at his side in a single heartbeat. All without the promise of anything but the faintest nod of acknowledgement in return. But, then again, little else mattered to her; the fact that he did acknowledge her presence in the way he did—that he treated her like a partner and equal—was more than enough.

It was a concept few of her fellow kunoichi could understand. How could a girl be so in love, they asked, and not desire at least some form of affection?

That was just it, she always replied, she wasn't in love. She was devoted. Unconditionally and unquestioningly. Emotion was a rare luxury she saw little need for, and as such had outgrown years ago…

"That arrogant—" THUNK! "—hot-headed—" THUMP! "—inconsiderate—" WHOOSH! "—ungrateful—" CHING! "pathetic excuse for a partner!" BAM!

…though that never stopped her from getting considerably pissed-off now and then.

She was standing in the center of their usual training area when he found her, surrounded by a cluster of badly-scarred trees and fallen branches. Dirt had matted to her clothing and hair, and her trademark twin ox horns were in great disarray. Every inch of exposed skin was covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

But while most other females he knew would have long since quit, opting to tend to their appearance over further training, she remained, eyes closed and clutching her weapons scrolls to her chest. A moment later, she placed them carefully on the ground, standing upright. Though her back was to him, he knew her brows were furrowing in deep concentration.

Bracing himself for the oncoming gust of wind, his sight never once left her as she flawlessly executed the necessary hand seals:

"Shoushouryu!"

Smoke erupted from the scrolls, from which two dragon-like figures emerged. They circled around one another—and her—in rapid progression so as to create a cylindrical smoke shield. Though he could no longer see properly without activating Byagugan, familiarity allowed him to follow her every movement unaided.

Sure enough, a series of projectile weapons emerged from the smoke at the precise points he predicted, effectively striking every target within a full 360-degree range. Less than a second later, she appeared out the top, flipping once in the air before landing in a crouch position, her back still to him.

It was only then he finally called out to her: "Tenten, I'm on my way to report to Tsunade-sama."

What he did not say—what he didn't need to say—was that he expected her to follow.

If she was caught off-guard at all by his sudden presence or request, she didn't show it. Even the Hokage had grown used to her presence at his mission reports and debriefings, regardless of whether or not she had even participated. On occasions when they were regarded as confidential, she would simply wait outside, ready to accompany him when he was finished.

No sooner had he turned to leave, however, when a single word passed through her lips that halted him in his tracks:

"No."

A raised eyebrow betrayed his surprise as he turned back. "…no?"

"No," she repeated and, without warming, spun around and tossed a kunai at him.

"Would you like to train with me, Neji-san?"

It was the same routine they had gone through nearly every day since the formation of their team. While internally, he had to applaud the girl for her tenacity, it took more than an innocent smile and non-evasive tone to prove overall worth as a ninja in his eyes. As such, he dismissed her with the same response as usual:

"I have no intentions of training with anyone other than myself."

"All right," she nodded, her voice showing no signs of any irritation or grief, and left.

The first few times, he had dismissed it without a second thought. But every day that passed when she gave the exact same reaction—one so eerily similar to his own passive nature—devoid of any anger, sadness, or personal feeling behind it whatsoever…well, it began to intrigue him. Any other kunoichi of their year would long since have either gotten the hint or blown up at him. Those who didn't were bumbling, annoying idiots vying for attention they didn't deserve.

She was different. Though never pestering him beyond the initial question, she refused to give up. Always taking "no" for an answer, but never completely accepting it. Stubborn, but understanding. And while it still did not change his opinion about her regarding skill, he could begrudgingly respect her as a person.

Not that ever he would tell her aloud.

When he found himself no longer able to properly focus on his kata exercises, he decided once and for all to confront the girl about it. Ask why she remained so persistent about training with him, and why she never took offense to his continual refusals. The mere fact that he had allowed himself to become distracted as such already annoyed him.

Recalling that she had had a knack for projectile weapons during their academy days, he followed the sounds of metal hitting wood. They led him to an adjacent field several years away, where a sight greeted him that caused every word on his lips to die before he even had a chance to utter them.

A series of targets stood no less than thirty feet from where she stood, each with a kunai directly in the center. There were no other markings around indicating wild throws; nor where there the normally expected scatter of weapons that had missed their targets entirely. And as he watched in the closest thing the Hyuuga had ever come to astonishment, she sent the remaining weapons in her hand clear across the field, directly into the center of the handle of a kunai already dead-center in its respective bull's-eye.

Only then did she notice him standing there. "Did you need something, Neji-san?"

He stared at her for a moment, unblinking, before asking: "…what was that?"

Her smile widened slightly as she seemed to understand instantly what he was referring to. "A combination of steady hands and a perfected technique," she called back over her shoulder as she turned to retrieve the kunai. "I've never missed a target."

"Never?"

Carefully pulling out each weapon, she placed them all in her pouch, save one, which she chose to spin on her finger dramatically before catching it by the handle. "Never," she repeated with a smirk.

"Hmm…" he grunted softly, and turned to leave. "Tomorrow."

She tilted her head to the side. "Sorry?"

"I want you to train with me tomorrow." He elaborated. "I want to see this 100-percent accuracy you claim to possess."

Not until he had left her sight was she able to snap out of her shock-induced trance. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she nodded absently in the direction he had walked.

"…yes, Neji-san."

Roughly a minute into their impromptu sparring session was when he first noticed the signs that something was wrong. Her aura was unusually withdrawn, yet unmistakably hostile. That, coupled with the notable unusual quiver in the flight of her kunai, could only mean one thing:

She was attacking him out of anger.

And judging by the canopener that whizzed by his ear, he was in serious trouble; she only used her "backup" arsenal—consisting of spare kitchen appliances and silverware—when her primary source had been depleted entirely and she still felt the urge to throw things.

"Tenten, that's enough!" He called out to her.

Her response was a pair of butter knives aimed at his jugular, which he dodged with ease. Any attempts at rational conversation were futile. Channeling enough chakra to provide him with a momentary burst in speed, he reached her side in a manner of seconds. His arms wrapped tightly around her, restraining her from behind to prevent further attack.

"I said, that's enough," he repeated.

"Hyuuga Neji, let go of me this instant!"

Her screeching protest was followed by a slew of obscenities that would have made their former sensei faint in horror. She struggled vainly against him, violently attempting to wiggle her way free, before gradually settling down. Moments later, she fell still, head hung down in defeat.

"I hate you," she muttered.

"I can see that," he answered dryly, an eyebrow raised. "Now, are you going to tell me what brought this on?" When she stubbornly remained silent, he sighed audibly, "Tenten, I don't—"

"How was your mission, Neji?"

The abruptness of the question caught him off-guard, as did the less than subtle hint of sarcasm behind it. She never spoke to him like that without reason, and even then, he could count the instances of there being reason on one hand.

By his standards, the mission in question had been incredibly simple for an A-rank. He and Lee were sent to a small neighboring village to investigate rumors of an underground drug lord conducting business right under the heads' noses. He was notorious for his cruel treatment of women in particular, which was why the Hokage had refused to send…

"Wait…is that what this is about?" he questioned, receiving silence as an answer. "Tenten, you're being childish."

"Am I really?" She snapped back. "Is it really childish to care about someone precious to me?"

It was then he realized his error; this wasn't about being left out of a mission. This wasn't even so much about the mission itself. It was about something that, until that moment, he hadn't even considered. Something that caused a pang of guilt, mixed with remorse, as he remembered that day years prior….

He could smell the sterilization in the air. There was a dull, but noticeable pain in his shoulder, which he immediately proceeded to ignore as he shifted slightly in the bed. A groan escaped his lips as he wearily blinked his eyes open, knowing at once he was in the hospital.

The image of a lone silhouette against the window was the first thing he saw. Female, judging by the size and shape, perched on the sill with her knees pulled up and head buried in a pair of folded arms. He knew by mere presence alone who it was at once, even before his vision had time to fully come into focus.

"Tenten…" he whispered, his voice husky from sleep.

The girl lifted her head at the sound of her name, and was on her feet in an instant once she realized he was awake. Bypassing all the other furniture, she chose to sit down on the edge of his bed, to his immediate right. The springs in the mattress creaked under the additional weight.

"Hey," she greeted him, her facial features obstructed from his vision by shadow. "Are you in any pain right now?"

He had initially intended to lie, before deciding there was no point. "A little. How long have you been here?"

"Not long."

"You're a terrible liar."

Only when I'm with you, she answered internally. "I…though you were going to die," she rationalized. "When they brought you in…I…"

"How're the others?" He asked abruptly.

As he suspected, she immediately relaxed from the sudden change in subject matter. "Shikamaru and Kiba had the least amount of injuries, with the former only suffering from a broken finger and severely bruised ego…though I suspect Akamaru will probably be out of commission for a while." She shifted slightly in her seat. "Chouji was just as bad as you were, if not more so. He took…soldier pills. Special family-created ones. Along with depleting his chakra entirely, it burned ever last ounce of fat on him for energy. His life was hanging on by a thread when they brought him in, but he's in stable condition the last I heard."

"…I see," was his response.

For a moment, there was a heavy silence between the two, then: "Neji, I want you to promise me something."

She waited on baited break before he nodded for her to continue.

"Promise me the next time you go out on a mission like this, without…without me…you'll at least let me know."

"Tenten—"

"Please, Neji?"

He was taken aback at how small her voice was. Never before had he heard her sound so…weak. Fragile. Like she could break at any moment, physically or emotionally. For some reason, such a thought disturbed him so greatly that he gave the only logical answer he possibly could:

"I promise."

It was the only thing she had ever asked of him.

The basis of their entire relationship always seemed to revolve around unspoken words and feelings. Years spent as training partners as well as teammates had conditioned them to be able to read one another fluently. Even that night in the hospital, there was no need to mention the obvious trails of tears that streaked down her cheeks, or the fact that their hands had remained so tightly clasped the entire time with no intention by either party to let go.

Which was why, even after he had loosened his hold on her, neither saw any reason to comment on the fact that he had yet to let go.

"You do realize," he began, leaning forward until the cool metal of his hitae rested gently against the back of her head, "that you overacted just a bit, don't you?"

"…yes." Her voice came out so softly he barely heard it.

"And you also realize I can't always sacrifice mission time to look for you."

The warmth of his breath against her neck sent shivers down her spine. She inhaled sharply at the sensation, her eyes closing as her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "I wouldn't care if it was a one-lined note passed on by a random academy student," she stated. "I just…want to know."

"Why?"

"Because, Neji. I could handle losing you…" he could hear not only the quiver in her voice, but her desperate attempt to restrain it. "…but I'll be damned if I ever let you catch me off-guard about it."

He closed his eyes and took a step back. "Tenten, look at me."

No longer trusting her own voice, she shook her head weakly. In response, he grabbed her by the arm and gently forced her to turn around. There was little resistance on her part, though her head remained lowered. Placing one hand underneath her chin, he lifted her eyes until they met with his.

"Do you doubt me?" He asked.

Her eyes widened slightly. "What are you—?"

"Do you doubt my abilities so much that you expect me to fail on any given mission?"

She shook her head. "N-no! Of course not! I—"

"Then what is it?" He cut her off.

She stepped back, turning her gaze to the side as if contemplating the answer. When she finally did speak up, her words were carefully chosen: "Things happen, Neji. Accidents…ambushes…betrayals—"

"I was on a mission with Lee," he stated flatly, folding his arms over his chest.

"That's not the point!"

"Then if you have a point, make it."

"I…" she began, but trailed off as she found herself at a loss.

"Haven't you ever wondered," he spoke up," why, even after my reaching Jounin status, the Hokage has seen to it that the three of us—you, Lee, and myself—continue to take on missions as a team? Even though I have long since qualified to take missions with other Jounin, or even lead my own team of Genin?"

The thought of Neji as a sensei brought a faint smile to her lips.

The knowledge of her answer kept it there.

"No, I never had," she shook her head, "because I know why. You asked Tsunade-sama personally that we stay together."

His face showed obvious surprise. "How did you know?"

"Because I know you."

Recovering quickly, his eyes turned down briefly with a proud smirk. "Then if you know me so well, you'd know that I refuse to die on any mission we're not together on," he lifted his head and stepped forward, closing the gap between them. Inwardly, he cherished the very noticeable tint of red spreading across her cheeks. "You've been at my side since the day we graduated from the academy, and I plan to remain by your side always."

"Neji…" his name passed through her lips on a breathless sigh, the hidden meaning behind his words not lost to her. Never lost to her. She closed her eyes, the look on her face pure serenity as she whispered, "Yes. Always."

Then, he did something very unNeji-like. With more tenderness that anyone could have ever thought him capable of, he reached up and cupped her cheek in his right hand. The moment was fleeting, but the electricity she felt at his touch remained long after he pulled away.

"It's getting late. The Hokage will be wondering where my report is," he turned to leave. "Follow me?"

Her clothes were rumpled and covered in dirt. Her hair was a tragedy. Her face was completely flushed. There were weapons scattered everywhere, as well as half her kitchen. She was exhausted, sore, and her body protested against nearly every movement that wasn't aimed towards a bed.

"…every step of the way."

And she couldn't have been happier.