This is up way faster than anticipated, but I doubt anyone was waiting, hehee! If you have anything to comment on, please feel free to tell me! And a big thanks to those who did review, you guys were my first, and it was a real confidence boost to see them! :3
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, this wouldn't be fiction!
It started off like any other Wednesday, with Neji knocking loudly on her bedroom door to wake her up. Most days, he was her alarm clock. To normal people, someone knocking on their bedroom door would be a frightening matter, especially when they lock their house at night. But for years, Neji, even Lee, had come to think of her apartment as a second home. She had given them keys so they wouldn't have to stand outside a good ten minutes yelling to wake her up. Often times, they came just to be in each other's company. They were her teammates, and her closest friends, and no amount of missions or time apart would change that.
She sighed. The man outside her door, was merely a teammate and close friend. Her best friend – strong willed, powerful, and sexy as he was – was only that, a best friend. Long ago had she suppressed her feelings for him, to her it was only a response expected of such proximity to a handsome, available male. Tenten didn't dare explore what she really felt for him; she liked to label it as a long standing childhood crush. And she was damned if she revealed the truth to herself. But like a tree, when you bury a seed, it starts to grow. Never would she dig through and analyze the feelings she now had for him. Upfront, it was a deep friendship and camaraderie that she valued above all else. But truly… no, she couldn't go there. Wouldn't.
Feeling slightly groggy from the late night training, she quite literally rolled out of bed. Picking up one of her training outfits from the floor, she rushed the fabric over her body. Before the ensuing battle with her hair, she inspected her look in the mirror. When it came to her appearance, Tenten was laid back. She was born to battle, not to be pretty. Never once had she worn makeup, or fussed over what she would wear, or felt embarrassed over someone calling her "Panda Princess" once back at the academy. Looking over her tight black tee and loose navy cargo shorts, she came to the conclusion that the look suited her, showing off her curves yet displaying the right amount of toughness. She was a girl after all; she needed to maintain some level of femininity.
Walking down the hall to her kitchen, she came to an unexpected sight. Sitting there, also in a tight black shirt, but loose, gray cargo shorts, was the ever controlled Hyuga Neji. What was unexpected, though, was his uncontrolled posture. Leaning back, head and arms lay to rest upon the back of the couch; legs spread open and lazily placed. Not very Neji, though he looked comfortable. And appetizing.
"Make yourself at home," she quirked.
His eyes were closed, but he smiled slightly. "I am at home." A while back he had told her that the company of friends was more of a home than the compound, no matter how strong his relations to the rest of the Hyuga clan had grown. "Here," he said, standing up and placing her gloves in her hands, "you left these at the eatery last night."
"Oh, thanks! I didn't even know I had forgotten them…"
"I noticed only because it's the first time I've seen you take them off to eat." She shook her head, he was always so observant.
"It's because I cut the leather awkwardly on the side, here," she said, showing him the loose flap of leather, "and it was rubbing my skin raw. I'll need to buy a new pair soon."
"We could go to the shinobi outfitters after training. These shoes haven't been fitting correctly," he stated, shifting his weight foot to foot. "I'll need a new pair." Tenten smiled and nodded in approval. It was then that Neji then noticed her hair was down, and decided he liked it much better loose and fresh out of bed.
"So, what's for breakfast?" he asked.
She made them a healthy helping of eggs and toast while talking over some kind of strategy or another, and when finished, they headed off to the old training ground of Team Gai. Wednesday was Neji and Tenten's exclusive training day. All day, 100%, anything goes. Tenten looked forward to her available Wednesdays for many reasons. The first and most obvious was that she got to spend time with Neji. Second reason being was that it was a great way to experiment her techniques. Third, it helped to alleviate any stress that had been accumulating in his absence.
Sure, if she wanted to relieve stress through combat, she could pick any ninja in Konoha. But Neji could read her. When they were in hand-to-hand combat, Tenten felt she could make him understand through the movements of her body. Emotions and feelings did not come easy to her, and neither with Neji. Trying to land a hit on your sparring partner, knowing he'll understand, was a lot more comforting than saying, "I made an embarrassing rookie error on my last mission and I'm really upset that it happened." Then he'd block your attack with another, as if saying, "I know, it can happen to the best of us. Just look past it. You're better than that and you know it."
Reaching the training field, they left their bags next to a post that had been brutalized by Tenten many times in the past. It was a bright, warm day, the kind of brightness she only associated with Konoha. The grass was a brilliant green, and you could feel that summer was right around the corner. An unexpected gust of wind tore between them, shaking the treetops violently.
"It's going to rain later," Neji stated so matter-of-factly, when the only fact was that there was not a cloud in the sky.
"Yes," she replied, putting her hair into her trademark buns and rolling her eyes, "and I'm as blonde as Ino." Byakugan could be so overrated sometimes, he couldn't see the future or weather patterns, she said to herself.
She back flipped several meters away from Neji, and watched as he crouched into his fighting stance. Over the years they had developed playful pre-spar banter to pump things up, and she quipped first.
"We're wearing practically the same thing, you know. It must be hard, standing next to me, knowing I look better. Being second-rate must be sad. " It was ridiculously lame. She didn't mean a word of it, and she felt quite the opposite. It was just something for him to feed off of, and she already knew the response she would get from him. Unknowingly to her, Neji agreed whole heartedly as he gave her a once over.
Another smile had tugged at his lips and he narrowed his eyes in acceptance of her challenge, "At least I'm not second-rate at skill."
Fingers lightly traced her leg pocket containing one of her newest scrolls. He was sure to have fun with this, she thought. "Oh, really? I'm a hard evidence kind of girl, Neji. How about you show me?" This time, there was no cheek, as she was fully confident in her latest technique. Excitement raced through her veins every time it came to the moment of truth of her success, or failure.
Neji crouched even lower as a signal for her to make the first move. But before she could even touch her scroll, a flash of green zipped between them.
"STOOOOP!"
Sighing her infamous, frustrated sigh, she walked slowly up to Lee before delivering him a bump on the head. "Ahh! Damn it, Lee! What is your problem, eh? We were in the middle of something, here! I finally get time to test this out, and you come barging in!" Her thoughts mulled on how he always had the most impeccable timing.
The moment she mentioned having something to test, Neji became even more irritable. Tenten's experiments were always the most fun for him. Watching her develop her skills was fascinating, and Neji thought there was a limit to what you could do with weapons, though she would time and time again prove him wrong. He held the highest respect for his teammate. Well, his best friend, to be honest. Shaking his head in agitation, he walked over to where the two were grouped.
Poor Lee lay twitching on the ground from her blow, "Tsunade-sama…requested us…youthful mission…"
She felt a tiny pang of guilt for hitting him with apparent unnecessary force. "Well don't come running up to people and yelling like that! Try being mellow for once, it might suit you!" Even though she teased him, he was her friend. Tenten even liked that Lee was so crazy. Teasing him was natural, and he was either too carefree to notice or knew that she never whole-heartedly meant anything mean. Laughable, optimistic, never giving up; how can you not love a friend like that? She looked at Neji, arms crossed, staring at Lee with a look he saved only for Lee. Oh yeah, she thought, that's how.
With an apology and a smile, she helped Lee up, gathered her things and they left the training ground.
They made their way to the Hokage's office without trouble. Tenten was actually looking forward to a mission, her last one had been two weeks ago. It proved difficult, but she was able to get away with only a few cuts and bruises and a strong feeling of satisfaction. She had been wondering when and what her next duty was.
Even more so, she was happy Neji and Lee would be accompanying her, almost nine years of team work had made them a force to be reckoned with. Their team, when assigned on missions together, functioned on a higher level than other teams. Not only did they know each other's attacks and maneuvers like their own, but they were able to work together without uttering a single word. Each had their strengths and weaknesses, and when one was down, the other popped up to take their place or provide aid, and so on. Some of their synchronized moves were combinations of their individual attacks, morphed together to create something more powerful. Of course, Lee could get a little extreme and Neji can get caught up in trying to play the lone ninja hero act, but they fit like puzzle pieces on the battlefield.
Shortly before they reached the Hokage's office, they rounded a corner and saw Naruto with Hinata on his back, yelling quite viciously at Kiba. It appeared that during training, Kiba had made a mistake, causing Hinata to react on instinct, and resulted in her twisting her ankle. Hinata's soft attempt at trying to make Naruto understand it was an accident was utterly futile. The shouting went back and forth, Kiba's anger rising just as high as his opponent's. Akamaru growled at Naruto in defense of his master. Tenten and Neji quickly realized it was not something they wanted to get into, and discouraged Lee from interfering.
As they approached the trio, she was startled to hear Naruto's voice stop mid-scream. Hinata had laid her hands on his mouth to shut him up, and whispered something in his ear to make him blush up a storm. "Hinata-nii-san, are you alright?" Neji asked, though he was currently more concerned about the abashed look on Naruto's face and what had caused it.
"Hai!" She squeaked back, hands still over Naruto's mouth. "Naruto-kun was just about to take me to the hospital to get this taken care of as quickly as possible. Isn't that right?" Hinata looked at him with her sweet look that could be translated as, "If you disagree, your testes are going in a blender." Naruto merely nodded, eyes narrowed and face still blushing. Kiba was still fuming, but had a distinct look of satisfaction in his eyes.
Tenten had to hold a hand up to her face as casually as she could to withhold her smile and the laughter that was threatening to come out. They made such an adorable couple, she thought, and they complemented each other so well.
Naruto made his way in the direction of the hospital after Neji approved of the arrangement. He was still so uncomfortable about their relationship, as Hinata was now more like a younger sister to him than a cousin.
"So, where are you guys off to," Kiba asked, looking with hungry eyes at Tenten. "I'm sure you could use a little canine company," he said with a wink and a nudge in her side. Ever since her last mission with him, Choji and Sakura, Tenten noticed how he had developed a slight attraction to her. She was flattered, definitely, but she didn't know how to handle his advances. Kiba was a good friend, and there was no harm in trying to get to know him better, to see if anything could come from the attraction. Neji was obviously a dead end, and she would be lying if she said she had no attraction towards Kiba. Trying to keep the conversation inside the friend zone, she responded with, "No, not this time, I'm afraid. Team Gai will have it covered!" She looked at Lee who nodded rather enthusiastically and Neji, who simply glared at Kiba and lowered his head in acknowledgement.
"If we need you, we'll ask," he spit out. Neji had noticed Kiba warming up to Tenten, touching her shoulder and looking at her with his wild eyes. He didn't like his intentions towards her, not one single bit. Sure, Tenten was a grown woman and could more than easily defend herself against him, but it didn't stop the animosity that grew inside of him directed towards Kiba.
Akamaru whimpered at the harshness of Neji's voice. Kiba wasn't an idiot, as it was painfully obvious through his actions that Neji had feelings for her. But unlike Neji, Kiba was willing to do something about his attraction. Moving his hand down from her shoulder to her hand, he brought it up to his face and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "For good luck," he whispered, winking at her again, and walking away.
Tenten stood there, cheeks red as apples and eyes wide as ramen bowls. He just… he had just kissed her… Well, on her hand, but still! Too engrossed in her own thoughts, she didn't hear Lee's triumphant rant at the blossoming of his beautiful lotus that was Tenten. What did bring her out of her head, though, was the sound of Neji punching Lee in the face and sulking off ahead of them. She remembered her journey, and pushed all thoughts of kisses and Kiba out of her mind as she helped up Lee for the second time that day and followed Neji to Tsunade's office.
Neji was the one to knock on the door and hold it open for his teammates to walk through. Tsunade was talking diligently to Shizune, giving her last minute instructions before moving her attention to the three before her. "Good morning," she greeted, rather happily.
A little apprehensive at such a polite Tsunade, they were slightly delayed on their returned greetings.
"As I'm sure you're able to see, I'm in an exceptionally good mood today…so don't ruin it." She turned cold and stared directly at Lee for emphasis. Poor Lee… "I'll get right to it then. You three have been selected to be body guards for a man who intends to move from a village in the lower region called Osaku to the upper region mountains of the Makugi village. This is a B-Rank mission, with slight possibility of it turning into A-Rank material. "
Neji was the first to speak, though it was the question on everyone's mind. What did this man need that kind of protection for? "A-Rank? Just who exactly is this that we're escorting?"
"A while back, he had some issues within his country, the Land of Wind. A group of their rogue-nins recruited him for his skills and used them for their own purposes, which often involved thieving and political corruption in small villages. Soon enough, the gang was gaining an economic monopoly in the lower regions, making shipments and trading hard to process. It was a problem that grew larger than anyone's expectations. They eventually made their way to our border and we were forced put an end to it. The man was taken into our custody, where we learned he had been taken hostage and put under multiple genjutsus to do the gang's bidding. He firmly believes his country didn't do everything they could to save him and put an end to the destruction the gang caused. The Land of Wind and the Land of Fire made an agreement that we keep the man, who they see as a traitor to his own country, out of their hands, in exchange for economic securities. We keep him on a leash, we get more exchanges. We haven't had issues in six years, but it doesn't mean we won't use precaution. He could still pose a major threat if captured."
"Who exactly is this man, and what does he know that's so important?" Asked Lee, it was his turn to ask the question on everyone's mind.
"That question," she said, looking now only at Tenten, "is more important to you than to anyone else."
Tenten got an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She had never been spoken to from the Hokage like that before. What did this man have to do with her? The attention could be really good or really bad, and at this point she had no clue. She forced herself to calm down. Swallowing hard, she conjured up words from her mouth, "Me? Why me?"
"Tenten, I love when I can watch a ninja grow," she started, her tangent confusing her subordinates. The older woman kept her eyes pierced on Tenten. "Seeing one surpass their limitations is something every leader never tires of witnessing." Her eyes narrowed and her voice hardened. "However, I am both unimpressed and unsatisfied by your growth, Tenten."
Oh yeah, it was bad. Breathing ceased. Her superior of superiors, her former role model, her Hokage…was telling her she wasn't impressed. Unsatisfied. Tenten felt too many things at once.
The first was failure, dismal and bleak, utter disappointment in herself, a black pit expanding in her very essence. Then it was the churn in her stomach she usually got whenever she was going to be sick. Bile bubbled inside of her and she could feel her legs grow weak.
Immediately following were her teammates' gawking reactions. She could hear Lee try to utter arguments of her success, but he was too stunned to complete any of them. Neji had a more silent and deadly reaction to the news and stood his ground, rigid and furious.
And after that, came the thought that her life had been a total waste; waste of time, energy, and sacrifice. The thought of which made her anger the strongest she'd ever felt in her life. The pit in her soul turned to hot, white fire. What did this have to do with the damn mission? Why just bring it up like casual conversation? "By the way, you're my least favorite kunoichi!" And HOW DARE SHE? The irrelevance, the deliverance, the ignorance! Does she know how far she's come? What she's done to get there? How she's –
"Tsunade-sama!"
She ignored Neji's address. His shoulders were tense, and his jaw was set. Surely he had misheard her. Gaze still fixated on the young girl, she asked, "Tenten, have you ever heard of The Man of a Thousand Swords?"
All Tenten could do was try and even her breathing, and keep from vomiting on the spot. She could feel the dizziness from the nausea cloud her mind. Had Tsunade asked something about swords? Shit, now she had to respond. But no words were going to leave her lips unless accompanied by her breakfast.
The older lady closed her eyes and sighed impatiently, folding her fingers in front of her face. "This man you are guarding was the Land of Wind's greatest blacksmith. Not only did he make some of the finest weaponry, he's created dozens of earth-type and other various jutsus – made specifically for weapons. Few know his real name, and even fewer know his location. Legend has it that when confronted by one hundred men, he transformed his only sword into a thousand swords, and killed all but two men, who lived to tell the tale. He says the northern mountains in Makugi are rich with a certain metal he wishes to utilize." The woman shifted in her seat. "But he can't do all the work himself. The old man's going on fifty, and he's not strong as he once was." She paused to smile at Tenten. "What I'm getting at is this: He's gotten word of you Tenten, and he's chosen you to be his apprentice."
You could have knocked her down with a feather. One minute she thought she was Konoha's worst ninja, and now Tsunade was saying a highly experienced, legendary weapons specialist, deemed her worthy of learning all the knowledge he had acquired. Her body didn't have proper reaction time, she concluded. Elation and overwhelming joy should be pumping through her, yet the effects of her nausea and dizziness hadn't expelled from her completely.
Now she really was knocked down, Lee was giving her his tightest hug, which was really saying something, and gushing on about blossoming flowers and youthful awakenings. "Lee…please…" Tenten already had lack of sufficient air to her brain, Lee's hug was not improving. Lungs were not getting air and muscles were being squeezed together unnaturally. She began to feel faint…
"Tenten?" Neji… He sounded so far away, but she could feel him holding her up from the floor. That didn't make any sense…
"LEE, I SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU NOT TO RUIN MY MOOD, AND YOU GO AND SUFFOCATE ONE OF MY BEST HOPEFULS!"
Her head cleared some at Tsunade's boisterous anger, and Tenten could hear Lee groveling at her feet for her forgiveness.
It was natural that the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Neji. How many times had she woken up to his perplexed and sometimes worried expression? Too many to count. "I'm fine, I can breathe now," trying to sound as convincing as possible. Nearness to Neji would only worsen her breathing. The sooner she got home and slept the better, her head was everywhere.
"Tenten, you're okay?" Tsunade looked down from her standing position and awaited a response. The sannin looked even more threatening from that angle.
"Just a little over whelmed, is all…" Focusing on Neji's breathing, watching his chest rise and fall, she tried to get her own breathing stable. Too many hits in too little time. She was a ninja, for Kami's sake, too many hits in too little time were the number one occupational hazard, and here she was fainting!
"Well I have business to attend to, so I'll leave you with these scrolls. One contains information on the mission itself, and the other is for Tenten, personally, from the man in question. I'll see you in one week's time for your mission and to discuss your decision. Tenten, you must understand that this will put you in the direct line of fire." Her voice took on a more serious tone than before. "You will be learning things people would, and have, killed for. This information is to be kept within these walls. If anyone finds out that this man has taken on an apprentice, then our ties with the Land of Wind will break and your life will be threatened. His knowledge, they consider, is still theirs. For us to have it fully in our grasp would be theft. That being said, you are one of my own, Tenten. To keep you from this opportunity would be foolish and selfish. Your potential is great, and you can be great. Just know that if you make the decision to follow through, you will need to follow extreme caution." She paused briefly to allow Tenten time to register everything she said. "One week," she concluded. With that, she walked out the door leaving Lee in his groveling position. He then moved over to Tenten.
"Forgive me, dearest Tenten! I did not mean to wilt your petals, for you are a blossoming lotus and should be nurtured with my youthfulness, not harmed!"
"Lee, it's obvious that you've just nearly suffocated her with your 'youth'." He sneered at the word. Neji considered Lee his good friend, but not when he did idiotic things like this. "You are like a three year old with a kitten, " he glared, finding the analogy appropriate for Lee's character, "you need to learn to restrain yourself. Things can and will break, do you not learn?"
"Did you just compare me to a breakable kitten?"
"In order to receive your forgiveness, I must make myself worthy! I will run thirty laps around Konoha in one day! NO, MAKE THAT FOURTY LAPS, IN HALF A DAY! THEN I WILL PROCEED TO DO – "
" –LEE! SHUT IT!" They screamed together. You never got used to Lee, but you learned how to handle him.
He calmed down almost immediately and nodded in understanding. "I believe this is a moment where I must 'Leave them the hell alone!'" Facing away from them suddenly, he straightened his back and marched out of the room as energetic as ever, leaving the two alone in their shock.
They blinked in unison at the door. Lee just marched away, doing exactly what they wanted. "Maybe he does learn," Tenten said with a small smile. Neji stood and held out his hand. Immediately after standing she knew it was a bad decision, she felt her body waver and black seep into her vision. Ninjas don't faint, she thought with vehemence.
She had expected to lose all consciousness like the last time, but she could still feel things. Like the warm rumbling against her ear and cheek. And the smell, that wonderful, wonderful smell. Something was tickling the other side of her face, was it hair? She opened her eyes and, oh Kami, she had fallen against Neji. Quickly, she tried to pull her body from his out of embarrassment. They weren't the type of friends who hugged. No non-combative physical contact existed between them, as much as she wished it weren't true. Especially after having been pressed up against him, smelling him… damn it all! She grunted in frustration as her back hit the wall, leaning against it for support.
Only once before had she fallen into his arms, and that was because she was drowning. What was her excuse this time? Too lame to handle some words?
"You've had quite a lot thrown at you emotionally, and you've been nearly squeezed to death by Lee. Your body is responding how it should." He was trying to explain that what she was feeling was natural. Neji was still so close, grabbing hold of her arms in fear of her collapsing to the floor.
Thunder boomed outside, causing the building to vibrate slightly. A flash of light flickered in the windows, and Tenten looked outside to see the darkened atmosphere and threatening clouds.
"It…it was so sunny earlier!" So was I, she thought. Tenten found it amusingly ironic how the weather had followed her mental state from sunny and cheerful to frightful and agitated.
The man in front of her nodded, "I said it would, didn't I?" He received a look from her that told him she thought he was crazy. And she did. The Byakugan couldn't be that damn remarkable…
As the rain fell with a vengeance on the village, she started to wonder how on earth she was going to get home. There obviously wouldn't be any training – because of her condition, not the rain – and she could barely stand, let alone race through a storm.
Neji seemed to be reading her thoughts as she stared out the window. Tenten was in no condition to walk home. Her breathing was still uneven, he noticed. Most likely, he'd end up carrying her back to her apartment. He was raised to be a gentleman, and no matter how capable the woman, he always escorted them safely to their homes, and Tenten was no exception. She never minded the company, but he was sure she would have a problem with him carrying her, she absolutely hated being weak.
He sighed. Weak… The whole ordeal was even hard for him to swallow. First he was sure Tsunade had just outwardly insulted her for being a disappointment, and then she tells her she has the potential to train with the most suitable and experienced person in her field to become a great ninja. The old woman needed to work on her delivery…
"I'll need to carry you home, Tenten," he said, taking the usual, Neji-like, direct approach.
She blinked up at him. Did he really just ask that? Oh yes, please! Carry me home, into my bed, take off that beautifully tight shirt of yours and – NO! No, no, bad Tenten, no, no, no –
"NO!" She exclaimed, perhaps a little too forcefully. Adjusting her thought process, she found a different angle. Just because she couldn't stand up at the moment didn't mean she had to be whisked away in the arms of a man. She was more capable than that! "I just need some time, Neji, and I'll be fine," she pleaded, trying to inflict some reassurance.
"Yes, you do need time. To sleep. The quicker I get you to bed, the better." Neji didn't know what sort of implications his words had made. Tenten's face and body flared up with heat at the thought of him taking her to bed. Was she feeling lightheaded again? This was all too much. She needed a bed. And sleep. And to think clearly. What she didn't need, was Neji carrying her in his arms. Her pride was almost as big as his. But it would have to be a small price to pay for that plush mattress that awaited her. Growling in frustration and with eyes shut tight, she nodded in agreement.
The moment he scooped her up bridal style in one fluid motion, she felt an odd combination of calmness and excitement. Comfortable, warm and safe did she feel in his arms. But she also felt the rigidity of his body from his highly defined muscles that simply dripped with arousal. And that arousal was soaking into her. Or was it the rain? If this is how she responded to just an embrace, she could only imagine – no, never imagine! Get a grip, she told herself. Focusing on the rain was her top priority, as she allowed the coolness to chill her heated state.
Still not having opened her eyes, she knew they had arrived when they came to a stop and the rain had stopped pummeling down on them. Shifting to get out of his arms, he only held her tighter. She felt his arm wiggle under her knees, and she opened her eyes to the interior of her apartment. Neji placed her gently on the couch before he ventured further into her home. Tenten paid no mind though, her couch was incredibly cushioned, she noticed. And warm. Shivering, she became fully aware of how wet and cold she was. Shirt clinging to her like a second skin and cargo pants heavy and droopy with water.
Neji then came into view with two towels he had taken from her bathroom, handing one to her while rubbing his hair dry with the other. A wet Neji was something to behold. She looked towards the ground as she let her hair down from her buns and dried it.
Sitting a foot away from her on the couch, still attempting to dry his hair, he allowed himself to ask a question he always wanted to know the answer to.
"Why do you wear your hair up in those buns all the time?" He stared at her hair and all its glory. It was thick and stringy with water, and shined a deep brown, nearly black, color. Dry, it was a perfect reflection of her person. Wavy in some areas, straight in others, curling up at some moments and falling at most. It was beautiful and unpredictable, just as she was.
"It never really helps to have hair in your face when fighting," she started, "But I don't know really, it's just something I've always done." Tenten dropped her towel from her hair and looked absentmindedly at her coffee table. "I had buns even in the orphanage. They said it was how they had found me, and they thought it suited me. When I was younger, part of me believed my parents would come back and notice me by my hair, so I refused to change it in hopes they would find me and take me home…"
Neji sat still and silent. Only two other times had she told him about her past. The first instance, she had told him some ninjas had found her in an open field on their way to Konoha back from a mission. She was about two at the time, possibly close to three. It was the day they labeled as her birthday. The ninja looked around for her parents, but there were no villages for miles, and no chakra signatures they could detect. She was carrying a toy kunai with an inscription that read, "To Tenten, you are our heaven on earth" and a large red shirt, looking to belong to a man. Neji found the shirt one day when he tried to find Tenten's medical history once, when she was injured severely in the war. He knew she was an orphan, but he would never press her for information. Inquiring about the shirt, she felt it was only right for him to know about her.
The second time took place a couple of months after she had recovered. He had walked into her apartment to find her staring out her window, looping the toy kunai around in her fingers. "Do you know what your name means, Neji?" She had asked him, still staring out the window. Neji immediately felt out of his comfort zone. He replied with caution that it meant "whirl" or "screw". "My name means heaven," she said, then turning to him. "I was their heaven on earth, Neji. They wouldn't just leave me. Something happened." Her eyes glazed over with unshed tears and she faced the window once more, her back to Neji. "It hurts not knowing. Not remembering. I hate the mystery, more than anything."
He was brought back to the present when Tenten asked him something about tea, to which he nodded in approval. Watching her rise from the couch, the glorious wet mess that she was, he knew she was going to fall before he saw her knees shake. Arms around her before she could process that she had lost balance, she cursed loudly and profusely.
Neji chuckled softly to himself over her temper. It was only the mental stress she had been put through recently, her mind was obviously busy with other things less frugal than walking. "Stress can take hold of your body. You don't need any tea, Tenten, you need rest and a clear head." Once more, she found herself in his arms as he navigated towards her bedroom. Her cheeks flushed. Hyuga Neji was carrying her to her bed…
As he sat her on her bed, he saw her face had reddened. Is she sick, he thought, does she have a fever? Neji placed the back of his hand on her cheek and stared a questioning look at her. "You must get out of those clothes." Dear Kami, she was certain he was trying to kill her. Tenten's eyes grew wild as she scanned her room for appropriate clothing, looking at anything but him. They settled on her short training shorts and a loose lime green tee imprinted with a large, yellow, smiling kitten.
Seeing her line of vision, he grabbed at the items and handed them to her. Further inspecting the shirt, a curious smile played on his lips. Never would he think Tenten would wear something so flamboyantly bright and cutesy. Unpredictable, he thought again.
She grabbed the clothes with an embarrassed smile and waited till he closed the door to change. The moment she finished putting on her new, dry clothes, she fell back on her bed, over the covers. Finding her mattress ten times softer than it normally was, she fell asleep within seconds.
Neji had just finished making tea when he realized Tenten hadn't come out after she changed. Curious, he took her cup of tea and headed for her room. He knocked lightly once. Then twice. Not bothering a third time, he opened the door a crack to see her passed out over her bed.
It was a sight to behold, really. Arms and legs stretched out in all four directions, her hair billowing around her head as if she were floating on water. Looking over her body, he started to appreciate what lie before him. Long, tan limbs, toned muscles, and just the right amount of softness in just the right places. How many times had he envisioned her writhing beneath him in pleasure?
He shook his head and sighed. If he was to marry anyone, it would be her. Neji came to the conclusion long ago that he held strong feelings for Tenten. Feelings he later recognized one normally didn't have for just team mates, or best friends even. Only after the war had he been able to see it. He was crucially injured, and so was she. But he had recovered far quicker than Tenten, and she experienced some mild complications during her recovery. Noticing how he feared for her life above others, he thought about life without Tenten, and discovered it would be a life not worth living.
And it's not like she cares for me as I do for her, he contemplated. Neji prided himself on many things, one of which was being able to read Tenten. She could be an open book sometimes, he'd know what she was thinking or trying to conceal. Tenten's mannerisms were a language all their own. He wasn't anything, if not observant. If she held anything for Neji like he did for her, he'd be able to see something, at least.
Long ago he had sealed away the idea of marriage or children. The Hyuga clan still practiced branding and main-branch family traditions. He would not subject Tenten, or any children that they might have, to such a life. It would be horribly selfish of him. Instead, he made it his goal to keep her happy and healthy. Seeing her find a partner and bear his children would be agonizing, no doubt, but if it made her happy, then it was how it would have to be. Anyone, that is, except Kiba. Neji would have to kill the sleaze ball if he ever put a hand on her.
Neji grabbed a blanket from her closet and draped it over her body cautiously. Placing the cup of tea near her bed, he jumped slightly at a particularly loud crack of thunder. No use in going home right away, he thought, I'll just take a small nap on the couch.
Tenten awoke with a start as booming vibrations and flashes of brightness filled her room. She took in her surroundings. Blanket, check. Tea, check. Neji, pending. Getting out of bed was difficult for her, as the temperature had dropped a good ten degrees, and her bed had grown so warm. Her tea was cold, which bore the question, how long had she been asleep? Looking out her window, she also wanted to know how long this spontaneous spring storm would last.
A new cup of her favorite, special made tea was now her mission. White tea with lemon juice and honey was just what she needed. Before she made it completely into the kitchen, something moved from the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see… a foot? Upon further inspection, it was only a shirtless Neji passed out on her couch. Only a shirtless…Neji…passed out…on her couch. She allowed herself only two seconds to bask in his glory before forcing her body into the kitchen.
The very first things that she noticed were the scrolls. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, and she could feel the blood in the veins of her neck and arms pulsate. One of those scrolls could change her life, and make her an extraordinary ninja. That was absolutely insane.
She put a pot of tea on the stove before grabbing the scrolls and sitting at her small, kitchen table. The larger of the two had the words 'Mission Guide' written on the seal, the other had her name written on the side in brilliant calligraphy. Her hands trembled as she opened it carefully and gently, as if the man himself was in there waiting for her.
"Tenten,
Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Shinichiro Ishihara, but I would prefer it if you addressed me as Ishi. I trust Lady Tsunade has informed you of the generalizations regarding your mission and why I specifically requested you for it. I regret that this letter must be so formal, but I feel that our rendezvous shall remedy that.
As I get older, I find things that were once so simple to perform, have become grueling and exhausting. Where my research and weapon-making is concerned, I am nowhere near finished. I require young hands and an eager heart. When I heard talk of Konoha's Weapons Mistress, I wrote to Tsunade at once, asking for information on you. I was pleased to hear of your abilities, and we both agreed that you have immense potential.
I will keep this letter short. I can teach you many things, Tenten; things you didn't even know were possible. During our mission, you will be required to partake in a test. But this test will not measure your skill or abilities, it will reveal something that is already inside of yourself. If you pass this test, I can, with confidence, tell you that I can teach you everything I know.
This is all, of course, depending on your decision. Should you allow me the honor of becoming your sensei, please – "
A loud whistling interrupted her thoughts, and it took a moment for her mind to register that it was the tea. Before she could move, beautiful, shirtless Neji came to the rescue and removed the pot from the flame. He was groggy with sleep, and his hair had been untied and dried, falling haphazardly onto his shoulders. It seemed that everything he did was extremely sexy. This what not fair, not at all.
He leaned against the counter and rubbed a hand against his face, and looked at her, then the kettle, then back at her. She got another shiver and blushed. "Sorry," she said weakly, turning her attention to the scroll, "I… I was kind of lost…" she added, her voice drifting away.
Recognizing what she was reading, he walked over to her. Another shiver ran through her, but it was more from actually being cold, rather than Neji's topless presence. Her shiver wasn't unnoticed by Neji, however, as he stood behind her and placed his large hands on her arms, working them up and down to build heat from friction.
This action should have made her jump or yelp, but she found herself reveling in the warmth he was giving. Leaning back into her chair, she could feel his chest breathing behind her, and some of his hair fell into her face as he leaned over her shoulder to read the letter. Tenten could feel herself melting into him. And there it was, that smell. It was light and airy, refreshing, almost. It was a smell that she could only describe as Neji. She felt almost cocooned by his being. If Tenten had the option of staying in that chair for the rest of her life, she would take it, no questions asked.
She was brought back to reality when Neji grabbed the scroll from her hands, and reread the words he didn't want to see. He was expecting this, but expecting something and seeing it are two different things.
"Three years?" he asked to no one in particular. His voice was hollow and alarming in her ears.
"Hm?" she asked, turning around in her chair to face him, "What's three years, Neji?" Tenten didn't get to finish the letter, he had distracted her! What did it say? She had stopped reading the moment before Ishi had asked her something…
"'…please be well prepared and equipped to spend a minimum of three years in my company.'"
Well, there's chapter two! Tell me what you think! I don't know why it isn't reading my indentations, but it's bothering me, and I'll take care of it with the next chapter. It's a lot to take in, I know and I'm sorry, but I feel like being the first official chapter, it had to be this way. If you have any questions, I'm more than happy to answer them!
This story is intended to be a multi-chapter, drawn out story. But not too drawn out, I won't have you sitting here forever trying to see how it ends!
~SUMMARY FOR CHAPTER THREE~
Tenten has one week to prepare for three years. Of what? She has no idea. Saying good bye isn't as easy as she thought.