Nemesis' Judgement

Last time: "Sakura…"

"It's been awhile, yes, Tenten?" She tried her best to give her most sincere smile.

Author's Note: This chapter came fast because I didn't update for one month (during November).

Thank you to Jenny C for encouraging me to write more!

I'd really like to dedicate this chapter to I Can Hear The Sea who wished me hope on my midterms. Generally speaking, I do well in school, but for the history midterm, I know I did really poorly (usually I get 100s, but I couldn't study because I fell asleep). ;; You really gave me hope and made me really happy 3

Also, merry belated Christmas to you too, Mrs. Aburame98445:D

Kunoichi Hidden within Shadows: You'll read this chapter and find out about one of the characters you mentioned… The other I'm planning to mention later except I think it'll be briefer.

And finally, thanks to everyone else who has been waiting and reading this story! If it wasn't for those who commented me, I wouldn't be here writing (because it shows that some people really do care for this story and would take their time to give me feedback, and it shows me that some people actually do read!)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (the manga, anime and plot) or their characters.

- - -

"I…" Tenten gulped, but felt her throat dried. "I… thought you were… suppose to be dead…? You were missing for such a long time, and they found your body, so you're suppose to be dead…"

Sakura's eyes started to tear up. "Tenten… I didn't mean…" She took a step back. "I'm sorry, Tenten. I didn't mean to… but I…" She took a deep breath. "I can't do this." Within a split second, the pink hair girl ran out through the emergency exit.

"Sakura!" Tenten yelled and attempted to run out after her, but was held back by Neji. "Let me go!" She tried yanking her arms out of the man's grips with no avail. "You don't know what she means to me!" She tried to fight back harder, but it didn't matter since he wouldn't let go of her. She made one last fight, but went down on her knees and cried out.

Sasuke looked down on her. "I don't know what your connection is with her, but understand that she is hurt as well. I'm sure she'll want to see you again and talk things over. It's just not the time." Sasuke opened the door and walked through it turning around to glare at Neji as the door closed.

Tenten lightly pounded Neji with her fists. "Why can't you just let me go and let me do my own business? Why do you have to hold me like this? I don't understand."

"Would you not be so stupid?" Neji bent down to her level and whispered, "this isn't exactly the type of place to make a scene like this. If we get caught, you'll wish that you never did this." He looked at her and sighed. "We'll talk about this outside, okay?"

Fuyuko stared at them. "Neji, Tenten… I think it's best if you leave right away. The other customers might be coming out soon to see the commotion. And, the boss is probably going to contact me any minute now and check the cameras."

Neji nodded. "Thank you." He helped Tenten stand up and led her through the elevators. "If anything happens, call me right away. I'll talk to him."

"You owe me one." She smiled. "Tenten, please take care. I hope to see you again next time."

- - -

Sasuke eventually caught up with Sakura walking along the streets with her. "I don't get this girly business of yours. But you better hope that Mr. Tatsu doesn't contact Tsunade and make a fuss of it."

"Back in high school… she and I were best friends."

- - -

Tenten laughed and choked on her spit. "I haven't cried like that in a long time." She looked at Neji. "I'm sorry for making you go through this."

After they left the restaurant, they left Shibuya and took the train back to her house. On the way, they walked down to the park where they first met and sat around the fountain in the center.

He nodded. "What's the deal between you and her?"

"We were best friends along with two other people. Do you know Hinata Hyuuga? I think she's part of your clan."

Neji's heart beat faster as he glanced at her half shockingly before he calmed himself down. "No…"

"Well she was the first one to leave out of the four of us. The Hyuuga's limited freedom made her run away with her boyfriend. I think his name was Naruto, or something. But anyways, she became pregnant with his child. And because her father didn't approve it, she ran away. After that, her father immediately disowned her when Hinata tried to explain and ask for forgiveness."

Neji's ears perked up. "He disowned her?"

She looked at him. "Weren't you part of the family? I think her father is the head of the clan, so he had a lot of power and rules within the family. Anyways after she ran away with her boyfriend, she…"

"She…?"

Tenten bit her lip. "Maybe I shouldn't be talking about this. I think it's better if we –" She stood up to leave, but once again his hand held her.

"Please continue… I want to know."

She looked around as other regular people passed by. "I… I really shouldn't. It brings back bad memories, and I just don't think it's smart for me to say it out in the open."

He looked around for dangerous people. "Why?"

She had a crooked smile. "There are people still alive who will hunt me down if I give away such information." She tried to shake his grip. "Please let me go. I had a good time, but it's really all to much for me to handle all in one night."

"Who's after you?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. "I can't tell you. You know, I really shouldn't have searched you out. I think that I will highly regret this later on."

"Who's after you?" His head shot up immediately and pushed her into the fountain. "Hold your breath!"

She struggled as he cupped her mouth and started to wriggle out of his tight grip. As soon as they both came up for air she screamed at him. "What the hell is wrong with you!? I—"

Within the distance, several trees exploded and caught into flames. She looked towards that direction and continued to stare there from the shock before she heard him say shit and grabbed her by the waist and fled the scene. "Wait! What are you doing?!"

"Please be quiet and don't make a sound." He high jumped over buildings as he began to sense followers after them. He made one last high jump over a building and set her aside. "Hide here. Dry yourself up and be quiet. Try not to breath too loudly or shake either. They will hear you."

"Who are they? And what are we doing—"

He took off his jacket and shoved it to her before he turned his attention to men who just arrived on top of the building. He smoothly walked over to them as he took a smaller sword out of his chest. She made a small hmph noise, "At least you didn't have to shove it to me."

"Hyuuga Neji. It's been awhile. Was the girl you were with catch on fire? Or did her head explode too fast for her to actually catch on fire?" One of the cloaked men said. "Really, it's a shame. I admit she was pretty from afar. But don't you think they look prettier when they're on fire?"

"Shut up," was the last thing Neji said before he started slashing several other men. "Really, don't you guys have something better to do rather than to tail me?"

Tenten looked on as she watched the group of men fight Neji. "I should've known better to get myself caught up with this mess." She made a small sigh as the lump in the back of her throat grew when she felt a stranger next to her.

"Oh… so you didn't blow up?"

The next thing that happened, she screamed as he tried to control her. Neji turned his attention over to her before returning it to the men who were after him. Unfortunately, although she had part of his attention for a short while, he couldn't give her the support she wanted.

"Let go of me, you bastard! I'm tired of people trying to handle me today. I'm tired especially from the excitement of today's events!" She kicked him in the groin area and searched her purse.

"Damn little lady. I won't hurt you. It'll only take a few seconds for you to—"

She stabbed him with a needle and injected the fluids. She panted heavily as she watched him collapse to the ground. Around the same time, Neji finished his short fight but let the leader escape.

"This isn't over yet," he yelled back.

Neji starred at the fleeting person and looked at the body in front of Tenten. "I thought you didn't kill people?"

She looked at him. "I didn't kill him. I just injected him with an IV to make him fall asleep."

"Euthanasia?"

"Yeah."

"Why would you carry that?"

She looked at him and avoided the look on his face. "It was… It was for protection… against you."

"You thought I would hurt you?"

"It was plausible." She took a breath and turned around with a smile plastered on her face. "I'm really tired. Take me off of this building and take me back home please."

- - -

"So… you made a fake body so that you wouldn't have to explain it to her that you joined ANBU?"

Sakura frowned. "She hates ANBU. Apparently one of us killed her dearly beloved parents." She sighed. "I had no choice. Tsunade saved my life and the only way I could repay her back was by joining. After Hinata died, and Ino left to become an actress, I didn't know how to deal with Tenten. The quickest way was for me to compose a dead body of myself and there wouldn't have to be an explanation."

"So you took the easy way out of the situation." Sasuke looked back at her. "Have you considered her feelings? After Hinata died, it's obvious that you three would become closer. And after Ino chose to follow her dream, you decide to abandon her as well."

Sakura started to tear up. "Are you trying to make me feel bad? I have enough guilt and sadness on my side and yet you're trying to add more." Sakura pouted. "I know what I did was wrong and bad of me. And I know I was selfish trying to make things easier for me by leaving her. I probably even left her more psychologically damaged than ever. But you don't have to rub it in." She softly punched Sasuke's chest before covering her face. "Meanie."

Sasuke coughed a little for air. "You should always remember the power of your 'mini' punches," he looked back her and back somewhere else and back on her. "I'm sorry, but generally speaking, I think what you did was wrong."

She looked up at him, "you really are a blunt, pompous, self-absorbed, jacka—"

Sasuke put an arm over her shoulder. "And I'm sorry I'm not good with words or girls either." A moment later, he walked on while dragging her, and said, "let's go home."

"Aren't you taking the easy way out of this situation? By just hugging me and avoiding the topic?"

"But it works, and it doesn't really hurt anyone."

- - -

"It feels so good to be home." Tenten smiled while plopping onto the couch.

Neji looked all around him. Tenten lived on one of the highest floors of the building, so she had a lot of antiques, and expensive looking furniture all around the place. "You know, for a single doctor, you sure need to live in a big place."

She opened one of her droopy eyes. "Hm? Oh, this was where my parents lived as well. It's been my house ever since I was a kid. My parents owned this place, so I don't see the need of moving out and renting or buying a new place. Besides, I have everything I need here, so why move?"

Neji didn't answer as he skimmed the place looking at all of her photos, which were in one corner of a neat area. There, he saw pictures of her family and friends. For a while he didn't speak but eventually he crossed a picture that made him ask questions. "Is that you, Sakura, Hinata, and… Ino Yamanaka?"

He heard a slight yes from where she was laying. He grabbed the photo frame and brought it back to where she was. "Could you explain what happened to Hinata?"

She perked her eyes open once again. "Why are you so interested in what happened to her?"

"Because she was from my family… And I want to know what happened to her for the heck of it."

Her eyes moved from him to the photo frame as a slight smile came across her face. "You really are a trouble maker, you know? But… could you first look around if there's anyone or anything listening or watching us?"

He nodded and stood up to search the place and used his eyes to scan the place. "It's clear."

Taking a deep breath she started, "After she ran away with her boyfriend, I didn't see her for a couple of days. Two weeks later… I saw her again." She pressed her head onto her pillow. "Can I have a glass of water please?"

He had a peeved look on his face but he nodded. "Sure." He sat down in front of her and handed her the glass of water. "Continue when you're ready."

"Thank you." She sat up to drink her water, but after she was finished she laid back down staring at his eyes but avoided it when she began again, "The next and last time I saw her. Her body was being hacked by someone…" She pressed her head further into the pillow and began to whimper. "It was nighttime and murderer warned me that if I did tell someone, then I would be killed. But I couldn't see his face or anything. But he left behind a fragment of his clothing. I sent it to the police office, but they didn't do anything about it and gave it back to me." She turned so that she faced the couch and not him. His eyes reminded her of the dead Hyuuga too much. "I couldn't help but search for more clues around her body. Perhaps I could trail him down even when the police couldn't. But I only found a letter to someone name Naruto."

His eyes narrowed. "Where is the clothing and letter now?" No reply. "I need to know Tenten if you want me to help you."

He put a hand on her shoulder when she quickly sat up and said while panting, "please don't touch me." She looked at him in the eyes and began to shake. "Don't look at me… Do you know that I had recurring nightmares of the image and action?" She began to shake uncontrollably and started to cry. "Do you know what it feels like to see someone you love runaway and the next time you see that person is when they're being killed? She was bloody everywhere, and she was so mutilated that you had to know her a lifetime in order to recognize her!"

She cried and held herself closely. "I really want to know what such an innocent person deserved… She didn't do anything bad. Never." She couldn't help but begin bawling. "I loved Hinata so much. I didn't understand anything. No one could help. Not even Sakura and Ino. No one understood the pain I went through of having seen that. No one, not even the worst people ever, should ever see that happen to someone they love."

Neji sat up and pulled her close to him as he held her as tight as he could. He could feel the trembling and shaking of the girl as she continued to cry. She reminded him of himself. Someone who lost everyone and everything, but continued to fight for something that was unknown, but existed. Maybe lost people are drawn towards each other.

He looked down at the girl he continued to hold. She began calming herself down and kept control over her tears. He believed it was through will power that she was able to hold herself all this time. When she began sniffling and stopped crying, he spoke. "Something like that happened to me as well. Someone who was important to me was slaughtered in front of me as well." He made a short laugh. "We really are all insane."

She made no comment, but she agreed with him. She felt him shifting as he leaned to the ends of the couch bringing her with him. She was so close to him, she could feel his heart beating and hear his heart rate. Just then it hit her. "Why are you doing this to me?"

He had a slight confusion on his face as he asked, "what?"

"You're making me choose between my parents and you."

He held his choice of being quiet surprised by her sudden reaction and question.

"You know, I still do really hate ANBU. Not only did you guys kill my parents. But you also took away Sakura as well. You probably took away more people away from me than I know of." She began reaching over for her purse and pulled something out.

He followed her hand as she pulled out a needle with fluids inside of it. "What if I stab this into you? What would happen to you? What would happen to me?" She looked up from her spot.

He stared back down at her. "You wouldn't do it. Because you would become one of us. You would become the exact type of person who killed your parents and Hinata. What would happen to me? I would probably survive it. After all, Sakura has become a medic at our place, and she could probably take it out and stop it. Other than that, my body has reacted to bigger threats than that."

She froze and dropped the needle back onto the table and made a sour face. "How can you do that? Just smooth talk everything and make everything alright." She sat up and looked at him. "I wish I never did meet you."

He followed her and sat up closely meeting up with her face. "Now why would you wish for something bad like that?"

She could feel the breaths he breathed in and out. "So that I can be forgiven by my parents."

He looked directly at her with a wicked smile. "They don't need your forgiveness. It's you who needs it."

He cupped her face while brushing lightly against it. He slowly leaned his face towards her as she began to pull back a little. It was then that he closed in the gap on her and left no spaces between them. Unlike their first time, this time, it felt more sensational for the both of them. Their lips perfectly molded together with every different angle they took.

She wrapped her slightly shaky arms around him while pushing him back down on the couch. They separated for a small time for air before he held her face and started to kiss her again. Without separating the two of them, he was able to hold her and pull her underneath him so he remained on the top.

They had to separate again to draw air. He propped himself on his elbows to look her straight in the eyes. He bent lower and began kissing her beck as she angled it for him. In a short while, he began sucking on the skin on her neck as she opened her closed eyes and softly said, "Neji… I think I might be choosing you."

He stopped biting her and looked back up at her. He held a small smile on his face and lowered himself. "I sure hope so." He caught her lips again and began gnawing her tongue as she licked his lips. Both had smiles on their faces.

- - -

"Where the hell is Neji?!" Tsunade threw all her things off of her desk. Sakura squinted her eyes. "Tsunade… I'm pretty sure he's back in his room or something."

She glared at her. "Are you hiding something?" She turned to Sasuke. "You. You and him and several other people went out together, no? Where is he now?"

"Sorry, but I left them to go out with Sakura. I don't know what happened to him."

She growled. "That jackass is really fucking things up for me. Where is—"

"Tsunade!"

Tsunade turned to see the bob-hair boy. "What Lee?"

"Neji's back!"

She stared at him. "Tell him to report his scrawny ass in my office right now." She looked at Sakura and Sasuke. "You two stay here." Two nods came her way.

In came Neji. "Yes?"

She scrutinized him. "Why are you wearing a hood?"

He made a slight cough. "To cover up my wet hair and my hickeys from the party." He made small little snickers while trying to keep control of it.

Sakura and Sasuke turned their attention over. Sakura had a face that was looked as if she wanted to scream and run away. Sasuke had his usual 'are-you-dumb-or-what' face. Lee looked at him with a gape saying, "Naruto! You ruined our plans!"

She snarled and laughed. "You guys are really funny. Trying to cover up for Neji when you really know that it'll only piss me off some more." She began to laugh out some more as if it really were a funny joke. "Now you guys are seriously pissing me off. Since when did Neji socialize and get hickeys from girls? Where the hell is he?" She glared at the four of them. "Take off your hood, Naruto."

"Right here mam'." In walked the real Neji. "Is there a reason why you're asking for me?"

She glared at him. "You're pissing me off. Giving me attitude like that when today is the first day you've been let off suspension. Really. Where the hell are your manners?"

He bowed. "I'm sorry. Forgive my attitude and me. But might there be a reason why you're calling for me?"

She continued to glare at him. "Tell me something. What happened during dinner?"

"Nothing much."

"You better straighten up your stories." She turned around and pressed a button to turn on the television behind her. There, Fuyuko was clearly seen being abused and whipped and soaked in her blood.

Neji glared. "What are they doing to her?"

Tsunade turned back to face him. "Apparently, Fuyuko, Sakura, Lee, Naruto, and even Sasuke has enough guts to stand up for you. Now, Fuyuko is being punished for protecting. If you speak up now, I promise you that I have the power to stop them."

"I didn't do anything. All I did was bring a girl to their restaurant and introduced her to Fuyuko. She was drunk, so she argued with Sakura."

There were no conversations between them, but all they could hear was Fuyuko whimpering, crying, and screaming. Then Tsunade pressed the microphone button. "Mr. Tatsu, you have my approval to dispose her."

All shocked faces turned to Tsunade. "Tsunade! Please! Don't do that! Fuyuko didn't do anything! It was all my fault! Please don't do that to Fuyuko! I fought with Neji's guest!" Sakura was desperate and dropped to her knees. "Please Tsunade."

Tsunade stared at her. "And here is my apprentice on her knees bowing down to me." She looked away and pressed the button. "I'm sorry. My bad. Please don't touch her further and leave her. I will send Shizune over to take care of her."

"Thank you so much, Tsunade!"

Tsunade eyed Neji. "I'm watching you. Don't expect this to be all over. I'm not done suspecting you yet. If I find any other stuff that is quirky, don't think I'm going to hold back on you. This time, Fuyuko was lucky. Next time, it could actually be you."

He bowed. "I'm sorry, but that won't happen. There is no possible way that I could ever betray you or this organization. I found someone that I want to live for and I will not die before my time. But neither will I betray you. You have my loyalty."

"And who is this someone that you found that you want to live for?"

"Hinata."

- - -

Author's Note: It's 3:50A.M… I worked on this chapter for about 2 hours or so… I really love winter vacation (I wrote this during winter vacation, but uploading it during January). Please leave more suggestions please!

Also, I'm sorry if I don't reply to comments (or at least all). It's not that you aren't special – it's more of a question-answer thing. Unless you please me so much, then I'll just have to write back to you. :D Other than that, I love you all (especially those who comments!)

Continuing on, I think I could be making them more OOC than I want them to be. If you notice a disturbing amount of OOCness or other grammar and spelling errors, let me know! Other than that, thank you for all the support and love you have all given me! 3