Chapter 8: The Truth

Neji arrived at the training grounds, it was 7am now and Tenten was still not there. He was no irritated. "Where is Tenten now? Another mission?" Lee asked.

"I do not know Lee." Guy asked.

"I'll go look for her." Guy grabbed his shoulder.

"I don't think that is a good idea."

Neji broke free and glared at him. "She said she would spar with me. I will ensure that she does." Guy backed away from him. Neji walked to her house. He pounded on the door.

"Tenten, get out here!" He yelled.

"Ahhh!" He heard her. He ran in to find her tangled in sheets on the floor, her back on the floor, legs and arms tangled in the air. "Ahh, Neji what are you doing in my house. Why'd you break my door? Now I need a new one!" She yelled.

"You didn't show up on time. You said you would."

"Wait… what?" She looked at the clock. "Oh man… I'm late!" She pushed him out into the living room and searched around for her clothes. She ran into the living room grabbing them and went to the bathroom to change, she ran out.

"Ready now?"

"Neji, I am so. So. Sorry. I'm sure you haven't done anything all week!" She said. He glared at her. "I meant sparing and new technique wise. I knew you weren't just meditating all the time!"

He nodded and they went to train. "So that new technique of yours, I'd like to see it."

"It's a defense move. I can't do it out of no where!" She told him.

He smirked as she had stepped into his range. He went at him and she just dodged quickly all his attacks. He kept missing. "Where's your technique?" He asked.

"In my bag! I'm not ready yet!" She yelled. He sighed as she did her normal stretches and then took out two fans.

"Since when are you flexible?" She pushed him.

"I always was! Duh!"

"I don't think so." She rolled her eyes.

"Do you want to see it or not?" She asked. He nodded and came at her. She channeled her chakra at him, he contacted the fan and then she smacked him with her own chakra and his own stored chakra. It cut his arm.

"Interesting…" he started.

"It is isn't it?" She asked him.

"Yes, how did you come up with this?"

"I didn't, I made a friend. Hard to believe, right?"

"No, I think you are capable."

"Funny Neji, let's go." They spared until clear after sunset. They were both exhausted. They sat against opposite trees.

"Tenten…"

"Yes Neji…" she asked, trying to catch her breath.

"Was it you?"

"Was what me?" She asked.

"Are you Aimi and Tami?" He asked, finally remembering those names.

"No," she answered.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"Rule 2, you are no one. Rule 3, you are who you are told to be. Rule 13, the mission ends when you come home. Rule 21, leave nothing behind."

"You do know. The other girl mentioned these rules."

"What girl Neji?"

"Nali, she and I watched you at the man's house." Neji told him.

"What? You were there!"

"You know what I'm talking about!" He yelled back.

Tenten started laughing. "I don't but you yelled."

"I do not yell," he said calmly. She laughed. She crawled over to his tree and sat beside him.

"I'm going home Neji, night." She told him, then standing up. He grabbed her hand.

"Please? Tell me the truth. I must know."

"What do you want to know?"

"You," he said. "I need to know who you are."

"That's easy Neji, I'm Tenten." She pulled her hand away easily. "I'll see you tomorrow. I won't be late." Neji didn't chase after her. He just watched her, not even with Byakugan. He saw her with his own normal eyes fade into the distance.

He returned home and lay in his bed. He stared at the ceiling for a very long time. She was not going to give in so easily. How was he supposed to get to know her? Wasn't there a standard way. He needed advice. He walked into the main sleeping quarters and knocked on a door.

"Neji!" He turned to see Hinata coming home. "You-You needed something?" She asked.

"I need to learn about Tenten."

"I don't know m-much about her. She lives a-alone, likes w-weapons and she's very nice and… h-happy." Hinata told him.

"How do I get to know here better?"

"Talk to her," she suggested.

"She keeps avoiding my questions. I don't think following her would work." Hinata wanted to sigh at her cousin.

"You could ask her on a…a d-date." Hinata suggested.

"A date? I suppose she would talk to me. If, she said yes."

"S-she would." Hinata said.

"Really?" He asked, Hinata asked. He looked her over. "Thank you." He got up and left. He laid until he eventually fell asleep.

In the morning, he found that Tenten was standing there. "You're a little behind today."

"I have a request."

"Okay…" she said.

"I would like to take you on a date." Guy and Lee who were nearby ran there.

"Neji has lost his mind, he wants to go on a date… with Tenten!" Lee yelled.

"No Lee, he is experiencing the flames of Youth!" Guy yelled.

Neji glared at them both but turned back to Tenten.

"Lee" "Guy-sensei" They hugged celebrating Neji's youthfulness.

"So Tenten,"

"You must say yes Tenten! You are so youthful, it would be his honor to take you!" Lee yelled.

"Lee, be quiet so I can talk!" Tenten yelled. She looked at Neji. "Alright then, we'll go on a date."

"How about tomorrow at 7? We shall stop training around 5 for preparation time."

"That sounds great."

They trained all day as they did the day before. They sat against opposite trees in the clearing. She was out of breath and her chakra supply was low, Neji's was the same. "Why did you ask me Neji?" She asked him.

"What?" He asked.

"Why do you want to take me on a date?"

"You're pretty, youthful. It is my honor after all." He smirked and actually laugh.

"Neji, seriously. Why? I don't want the mumbo-jumbo that Lee and Guy-sensei shout out. You could have any girl, and it would be their honor really. You're a jounin, a member of the Hyuuga Clan, a prodigy. Why me?"

He leaned back and stared off into the sky. "You're my teammate. The point of dating is to find someone to spend your whole life with."

"That is the point of it, but it can be for fun too. Enjoyment, it's a lot of fun!"

"Yes but the true point. Is marriage." She nodded not that he could see, still staring at the sky.

"So…" she prodded.

"Nothing," he stood up but she took a kunai and pinned him down by his shirt sleeve.

"You will tell me why you did this Neji Hyuuga!" She yelled.

"If I had to pick someone to spend my life with, having spent many years with you, I do not think that it would be so bad. Of all the people, you are the best person. I considered many other options, it did not seem possible."

"What did?"

"Life, it didn't seem to make sense. I think this is destiny." She removed the kunai.

"Not the destiny stuff again, I thought you were off that."

"I really think it is this time. I wanted to see though." He said.

"I think that's just a big lie Neji." Tenten said laughing and smiling. "I'll go with you anyway though. I want to find out your real reasons."

"Good, I will see you tomorrow morning." Tenten shook her head, grabbed her stuff and returned home.

She laid down in her bed and thought about what he said. She was still laughing. "Tenten marrying Neji Hyuuga," she laughed again until her sides hurt and she fell of her bed, she continued to laugh.

She looked at the ceiling. Last week she was considering a life without Neji, without Ninja. She was considering a life relying only on herself. Now she was considering life with Neji. Neji was 19, why was he thinking about marriage!

Why would someone want to marry her? Especially Neji? Sure she was the best kunoichi ever but who knew that? Only Kunoichis and Tsunade-sama. She was just a weapons mistress. Her jutsus were very basic, and sure she was talented with seals but she just used basic ones for her scrolls.

Neji deserved some super ninja girl. Someone who was rich, talented and super beautiful. Tenten had some money now but she still, she wouldn't consider herself rich. She had a talent or two. She could lie and trick people, and was great as a dancer but her looks were average and she wasn't special. She was Tenten, she had no family either.

She sighed, closed her eyes and went to sleep. She woke up, checked her bag for everything she need, she headed out, not wanting to cook. She went to Ichiraku's for Ramen. Naruto was there. "Tenten, you're back!"

"Yeah, it was just a little mission. Did everyone really miss me that much? No one missed me before." Tenten said laughing and semi-surprised.

"It was a long mission, a solo S-rank. We were worried too. Neji was acting crazy, we were worried about him too." She laughed.

"He has been acting really weird lately. He even asked me out on a date." Naruto choked on his food.

"He did? That's cool. Did you say yes?" Naruto asked but not in a girlish super-interested way.

"Yeah, I figure, why not?"

"Wish Sakura would say that," Tenten laughed.

"You should try asking other girls. Sakura is really out for Sasuke."

"I know and they're getting closer every day!" Naruto yelled.

"How about Hinata?" Inwardly Tenten was proud of herself.

"Hinata? Why her?"

"She's nice, talented, smart."

"Yeah I like her but not like that."

"Ask her out, get to know her more. What could it hurt?"

"Nothing I gues…" he thought about it. "You know what, I'm going to do that. I know where she is now too!" Tenten paid as she watched Naruto yell out Hinata's name throughout the village. Good think Neji wasn't that obnoxious.

She went to the training ground and warmed up. Neji showed up a short time later. "I blame you." He said crossing his arms.

"For?" She asked him.

"My cousin was asked out by Naruto. He said it was your idea."

"Did he? I suggested it. I didn't tell him to." Neji glared at her. "Play nice, she likes him and he needs to get over Sakura."

"I don't care about their problems."

"It's not a problem. I just suggested a nice date, like we're going to have or did you forget?"

"I did not," Neji didn't forget, she knew that. He would purposely not do things but he wouldn't forget.

One time he didn't show up to train. She went to check on him. She asked him if he forgot. He said 'No, but I decided that I would meditate him.' She started an angument and all he said was 'You could get a lot out of meditation as well.' She hit him for that too. Neji didn't do that again, at least not to her.

"So Neji… I think you're loosing it."

"Loosing what?"

"Your Neji-ness?" she said not sure what it was.

"I don't understand."

"You're less like yourself. You're acting odd."

"Am I?" He asked her.

"Yes, you asked me on a date."

"Isn't that a good thing? Do you not want to go?"

"No, but really… nevermind. Let's go." She grabbed her weapons and trained until 5pm. Neji stopped.

"I will be at your house at 7." He disappeared and she shrugged packing up her things and went home.

She picked out a cute kimono, it was a lilac one that matched Neji's eyes and had white lilies on it. She took a shower, and even put on her make up like she had been taught by the kunoichis. Then she sat on her couch after she had put the kimono on. She swung a kunai around her finger, watching the new one glitter with the lights and sunlight. She rarely wasn't training during daylight hours. She and Neji trained every day except Sunday usually from sunrise to sunset.

Neji had not gone straight home. He first stopped by the Yamanaka Flower store. Ino was tending the flower shop. She trained with Shikamaru at random hours depending on how lazy he was feeling, other than that she shopped and partied. Her only other job was to do a few hours here. "Oh hey, it's the girl chaser himself. I heard Tenten came back. Do you think that other girl is still here?" Neji glared at Ino.

"I need flowers."

"What kind?" He walked around examining flowers very carefully. Ino was beginning to get creeped out. "I can recommend some. What for?"

"I am taking Tenten on a date."

"What?" Ino yelled. He looked at her. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Why should you know?" He asked her.

"I know everything that's going on!" She told him. "I have to go tell Sakura."

"What would Tenten like?"

"I don't know, I don't think Tenten has ever bought flowers."

"Could you see?"

"We don't keep names unless it's a order out."

"The girl who was in here."

"The one you were stalking?" He glared but nodded. "What about her?"

"What did she order?"

"Lilies, roses and carnations,"

"I will have those."

"You really think that was her."

"I am unsure, I need to know though."

"Why get these then?"

"They looked pretty, and smelled nice also." He told her. She shrugged but made the same arrangement she had before. He took them carefully after she wrapped them, then paid. He returned to the complex and went into his room.

He only had one kimono for formal ware. It was a navy blue. He would remind himself to buy another but he did not have the time now. He showered and then changed into the kimono. It was only 6:10. He did not know for the remaining time, he had over estimated the time they would need. It would only take a few minutes to arrive at her home. He did not wish to arrive too early.

He sat in a chair and meditated on what he thought would happen. He wanted to know if that girl was Tenten. More than that he needed to know. It was important. He thought of Tenten, then he thought of the girl. He was so sure they were the same person.

He looked at their chakra signatures. The girl had a high level which matched the same way as Tenten's. Contrary to belief, you could tell people by their chakra signatures although it took time because they all had the same tenketsu. The byakugan could detect the small difference that happened between people.

Chakra signatures and pathways, however, stayed very close from family member to family member. Hinata and her sister's Hinabi's were identical despite they were not identical. He supposed his looked much like Hinata's and Hinabi's as well.

This girl could be Tenten's sister, which was quite a possibility. The other girl did not have the same chakra pathway as the other girl who she claimed was her sister. He could tell that much. He knew they were not related.

If Tenten would not outright tell him that they were one in the same, which he thought she had been doing yesterday, he would have to trick her into it. He would wait until she said something that only that girl would know. That would be difficult. Tenten was not stupid, she held her cover. If that girl was her, then she was good a deception and acting.

It was a very curious thing. Tenten was said to have left on a mission a week before the other girl left. Tenten was on an S-rank mission, solo of unknown origins and type. This girl had gone and it seemed that she was in there to look at some information.

He decided that he would head over. It was never a bad idea to head out a little early, even if he would have to wait for her. He walked through the village and everyone stared at him. People backed away and pointed at him. He hoped that Tenten would mention it, if it was her, then she would have an opinion.

He went to the door and knocked. He held the flowers carefully. He had a few kunai in his pocket for safety reasons. He did not go anywhere without some. He went to the door and the door was opened.

"I'm so glad you're hear. I've just been sitting her playing with this kunai for like an hour. I was so bored." Tenten complained.

He hadn't heard her, he instead looked her over. Her hair was in it's signiture buns. He liked it down much better but he knew how she felt about that.

"Neji! Pay attention to me." He held out the flowers. "For me…? Thanks." She smiled and stepped out, locking the door behind her.