OMG AN UPDATE! Sorry guize, I moved out, after about a week's notice, and you can only imagine all the time I had to write! Which was none, of course. You can blame my old landlord :) BUT after a lot, and I mean a LOT of work, I was able to get back to writing. And boy, did I have stuff to write! Days of pent up emotion came gushing out through my fingertips, typing sentence after sentence until I thought WOW, THIS SUCKS. So I rewrote it. Then writer's block. Then one day I said FUCK YOU BLOCK and just started typing before I was like WOW THIS ACTUALLY SOUNDS GOOD. I AM USING A LOT OF CAPS. Anyways, thank you to aaallllllll my reviews! I love every one of them and read them when I feel discouraged :3 Not that I would ever, ever leave a story unfinished. No matter how long it takes, it will happen! AND ALMOST 2,000 HITS! Ya'll makin me swooooon~

I have to say that writing this has given me a guilty pleasure to TentenKiba… but this is, and I will forever be, a NejiTenten!

FYI: I did post the right chapter. It might be a little confusing at first, but I like the way I set this chapter up, it's different. If you didn't like it, feel free to critique! This IS shorter than my others, but it's better than nothing! Oh, and this chapter is where the M rating comes in… tee hee hee…

Flashes of hair. Loose and dangling, tickling his chest. Soft hands on his stomach. In his hair. Tangled in the sheets. Sensual. Deep brown orbs glazed with arousal. She rose and fell into his lap with an excruciating slowness. He couldn't stand it. Grabbing her hips, thrusting himself into her, demanding more. Passionate. Growling, she bit his lip in disapproval. She ripped his hands from her hips to her breasts. Tightened her thighs around his, limiting his movements. Her show, her way. Irritation grew. Flipping her over resulted in failure. Held down by his collarbone, she rode him even slower. Ravenous. She moaned. Giggled. Sighed. Such beautiful, exquisite torture.

Tenten…

Neji awoke with a start. This was the second time in three nights that he had experienced extremely inappropriate, though highly pleasant, dream about Tenten. Although they were perfectly fine locked away in his head, he found that the dreams had manifested themselves into a… physical dilemma.

He was also unhappy that his subconscious found dominance to be erotic.

Looking over at Tenten's sleeping form and Lee's forlorn blanket, he concluded it was Lee's turn to stand lookout. Activating his Byakugan, he saw Lee doing one handed push-ups about 50 meters to the north. It was good enough for him. Knowing the kunoichi was a light sleeper on missions, he tiptoed away from her presence and out to the clearing, about 80 meters south of their position.

When the hormone-fueled shinobi arrived at his destination, he forced himself to sink into a tree, sliding down to the ground. He was not proud about what he was going to do next, but he didn't have a choice. Sure, he could gentle fist himself and eliminate the problem, but he found himself on the ground almost in tears the last time he performed that. After all, it was only logical to take the pleasurable exit over the unbearably painful one. And meditating, well, that took way too long. He needed immediate relief.

With some disgust for himself — because Hyuga Neji did not do these things, and because he was on a damn mission —he took his throbbing appendage out of its restraints and into his hand. The sensations he provided himself were calming and somewhat electrifying at the same time. His mind began to drift back two days ago, to the event that had enticed these dreams.

Lee, Tenten and himself had left for their mission three days ago. Their youthful spandex-clad teammate insisted he treat them to a night at a luxurious hot springs, to commemorate Tenten's training. Though Neji would rather not have the experience of bathing with his rambunctious friend, Tenten was thrilled, so he played along for her happiness. Upon entering the springs, he concluded that it couldn't possibly be that bad. Were lazy soaks in steaming hot water ever bad?

Oh, they could be. And so much worse.

Lee failed to mention it wasn't segregated by gender.

So when he walked out in his towel to see a steaming pond of naked young women, his mind went blank. Neji stood there, mouth slightly ajar, as Lee stripped himself of the towel and proudly leapt into the water. Leave it to Lee to be unaffected by displays of nudity.

He tried to avoid the eyes of the women who were staring at him; he knew women considered him attractive, but it didn't make it any less awkward.

Wait, Neji, awkward? No. Never. Tying his hair at the top of his head, he walked over to where Lee was wading and with his ninja speed, dropped the towel and entered the water.

Slightly comforted by the heat of the water, he asked, "Lee, you are aware that this is a mixed springs, are you not?"

"Well of course!" He exclaimed incredulously, "Why do you think I chose it? This way, we can spend time with our dearest Tenten!"

Neji choked on air. Dear fucking Kami, Tenten…

Why wasn't that the first thing to cross his mind when he realized it was a mixed spring?

She would be naked. She would be wet. She would be right next to him.

Tenten would be naked.

And wet.

He wasn't sure if he was supposed to kill Lee or bless him.

The man had no regard for decency, as he obviously felt comfortable with the idea of being in a state of undress around his female teammate. There was no shame in being nude, but growing up as a Hyuga, one develops high morals. Respect for women was one of these morals. Though he wasn't disgusted with the idea of being in a public bath with nude women, it still affected him on some level. It didn't feel right. Lee was all about youth and blossoming, he probably ran around his house nude.

He cringed. That thought was sobering, and Neji surmised that they were all friends who had been through the worst of the worst together, and he shouldn't think of her in any other way than that of a teammate.

But this was his Tenten.

And she was standing by the entrance, her face pale.

Wearing only but a towel and a thick, loose braid over her shoulder, she stared at the bath like it was cursed. She met Neji's eyes and he couldn't read her expression. As she walked towards the two, he noticed her eyes downcast to the floor, her face an excellent shade of red, and her hand tugging at the too-short towel.

Neji would not be getting out of this bath anytime soon, his heart was pounding viciously in his chest, forcing the blood to one area in particular…

Tenten was nervous, that much was obvious. When Tenten was nervous, Neji was always determined to ease her frantic thoughts. But now that she was standing in front of him, seconds away from being exposed in all her glory, he only wanted to ease her frantic thoughts one way and one way only.

He thought he saw her mouth move, and maybe some words were spoken, but he wasn't sure. Neji now understood what Gai meant by the overwhelming power of blossoming youth.

Lee elbowed him harshly in the side, and he turned to see him facing away from Tenten and towards the wall.

A moment of clarity arrived and he closed his eyes and he looked away, because despite his own feelings, he would hate it if Tenten was uncomfortable around him for the entirety of the mission. After all, his remaining time with her was limited…

When she finally entered the pool, Neji did his gentlemanly best to keep his eyes focused on her face, and her face alone. It was an uphill battle, to say the least. He felt as if his Byakugan was mocking him. Having all-seeing eyes just felt like a burden when you couldn't get a simple peek of the woman you were in love with, who happened to be bare-ass naked three feet in front of you.

Lee helped to break the tension and keep up friendly chit chat, as the majority of the conversing was held between himself and Tenten. When asked for his opinion or input, Neji would respond quickly, and then continue leaning his head against the wall, pretending to be resting. You could say he was meditating, or directing his chakra flow to anyplace other than his manhood.

The whole experience had been a testament to his will and Tenten's honor, and he felt that later, when looking back on this, he would be proud of himself. For that moment, however, Neji decided he was going to kill Lee.

After a good ten minutes of recalling his memory to speed up the process, he felt results. Biting his lip to stifle his moans, he spilled his seed on the forest floor and hastily left for the campsite with a bit of shame in his step.

Tenten awoke to the sound of water and the clank of utensils. Peeling her eyes open she found Neji heating some water and washing his hands with it. The fire was low and dwindling, and she noticed that the sun wasn't fully up yet, as the sky was painted in pinks and purples. She stretched, saw that Lee was still on duty, and concluded that it had to be around six o'clock.

"Good morning," she greeted cheerily. A while back she had decided it would be better to maintain a positive demeanor on her last mission with her friends. After saying her goodbyes to everyone else, she knew her eventual goodbyes to Lee and Neji were going to be the hardest, so she might as well keep the spirits up while they were still together.

Neji asked her if she would like any breakfast, as he would start cooking soon. She smiled as a response, because she absolutely loved it when Neji cooked. Thoughts of Neji in a kitchen wearing an apron flashed through her mind before she quickly banished them away. Far away.

Ever since they came from the hot spring, she couldn't get that one image out of her head. A naked Neji, hair tied up, arms and chest glistening with hot spring water and sweat… Well, more specifically, the look on his face when he saw her in that rag of a towel. What the hell kind of hot springs recommends that you bring your own robe?

But that look he had, it was like he was confused. It looked as though Neji was both elated and terrified, which together birthed an expression that said 'I don't know what to feel'. She had no idea what to make of such a reaction, but nonetheless, it didn't make her feel any more uncomfortable.

With just Lee there, it would have been ok. They had a simple relationship, which helped to steady her in that most ludicrous of circumstances. But because Neji was the butter to her morning toast, she felt like her skin was on fire; from both embarrassment and arousal.

Luckily enough, she was able to blame the heat in her cheeks on the water.

Still, his expression is something she surely would never forget. Or understand, for that matter…

Tenten hadn't known how involved in her thoughts she was until Neji poked her with the utensil. With now-focused eyes she saw him kneeling expectantly with a plate of food in his hand, perplexed features waiting for an explanation. He left her no room for response however, as he gently pushed the plate towards her and flashed her a rare, and utterly dazzling smile, his usually stoic, pearly eyes showing comfort and reassurance.

"You're going to do great, don't worry."

Her jaw dropped on a dime. Today. It was today. They would be arriving to Ishi-sensei's village. Today. It seemed as though all the oxygen, in every cell within her body, had evaporated. Light-headedness kicked in, and she became keenly aware of her breakfast and its gag-inducing aroma. Tenten had been procrastination this dread for far too long, and all her insecurities, fears, apprehensions and horrible what-if situations burst forth to the front of her mind. Overwhelmed and visibly pale, she mumbled something about needing to pee, and left her worried teammate with haste.

The light jog through the forest was keeping her breathing even. These occurrences of light-headedness and faint-like symptoms were not acceptable for a shinobi. Ever since she had been told of her training, her emotions have gone haywire, affecting her reactions and decisions. Ninjas didn't have emotions, basic rule. Well, of course you had emotions, but the trick was to keep them in check. One can't control the body without first controlling the mind. Needing a way to calm herself, she thought of her options.

One, she could continue jogging. Jogging with Lee proved excellent at clearing her mind. But she needed to save up her strength for the journey ahead, and for the "test" she was to partake in. Anxiety gripped at her chest painfully and she shook her head. Scratch option one. Two, she could spar with Neji. Nothing ever calmed her down like attempting to beat the shit out of the man who didn't return her feelings. Like option one, however, it required physical exertion. Scratch option two.

What else? She stopped near a tree and took in her surroundings for a bit, grateful that she knew where she was. Jogging was out, sparring with Neji was out, needed little to no movement… Neji… not moving… Neji meditating… Neji not moving while he was meditating…

Before she could think, her body made the decision for her and plopped her conflicted butt right on the ground. It's worth a shot, she thought. Tenten quickly scanned the area for any unidentifiable chakra before deeming it safe to drop her guard.

Clearing her mind and breathing in the wonderful forest air, taking in the soft swaying of the trees and the occasional sounds of animal life, Tenten finally felt at ease. Sorting through her thoughts and filing them accordingly into the different sections of her mind, she thought about the thing she needed most. Strength. Before she knew it, her mind drifted back to the day she left her home, Konoha…

"I didn't have a send-off party when I went to train! Why does Tenten have one?" Naruto whined. An annoyed and teary-eyed Sakura didn't even bother hitting him. There was a certain frailness when she spoke, and it half startled him.

"You were annoying back then, Naruto, people were a little happy to see you leave. But throughout these years Tenten has proved to be both a superb kunoichi and friend. It's only natural that people want to see her off on her super-long-and-dangerous-mission!" A tear slid down her cheek and she didn't bother to wipe it away. There was always a possibility that this would be the last time she would see one of her closest friends.

Too overcome by Sakura's words, Tenten stood her ground, lost for words. She, too, had become teary eyed when she walked to the gates just five minutes ago to see her friends waiting to give her a proper good-bye.

Sakura and Naruto, Hinata, Ino and Shikamaru, Shino, Chouji, and of course Kiba and Akamaru. Even Gai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei. It was expected for Neji and Lee to be there, as they were accompanying her, but placed together with everyone else made for a scene that really pulled at her heart strings.

Ino and Hinata displayed small, sad smiles as they hugged her and wished her good fortune. Shikamaru, Chouji and Shino all gave responses that had something to do with showing others how Konoha kunoichi kicked ass, to which she replied with a wink and a guarantee. Naruto unabashedly proclaimed that the next time they meet, he would be Hokage, and she didn't doubt it for a second. Kakashi gave her a knowing look and nodded. It was completely characteristic and she knew what he meant by the gesture. She wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't bought the "mission" excuse like everyone else.

Then that left Kiba. Tenten found herself dreading this good-bye more than she expected, because without her even noticing, she had grown to really like him. If she was staying, she would have given it a shot. But since she wasn't, she dragged her feet towards him.

She reflected on this past week with him and how he had opened her eyes to everything that Konoha had to offer. Now she found it even more painful to leave the village. And him.

Kiba's facial tattoos were stretched in a smile, but his eyes told a different story. Akamaru came up whimpering and rubbed his head on her shoulder lovingly. There was tightness in her chest that stung her eyes as she looked at him, and she wanted to laugh. Since when had she become the new Sakura? She needed to keep it brief, maybe a little sarcastic, and say nothing that implied too much emotion.

"What's got your panties in a twist?"

He laughed, fangs flashing before her as he shook his head. Looking up at her with a gentleness she had not known he possessed, he said, "I'm going to miss that the most. My fiery little dragon…"

"I thought I told you to never, ever, say that again," Tenten replied, forcing fake venom into her words. In actuality, she felt like she could've kissed him right then and there.

"Oh come on, Ten-chan! I haven't gotten my kiss yet, so I'm still pulling my lines!" He waggled his eyebrows, and she had to laugh. Kiba was still Kiba, even if he was being the sweet one today.

Glaring her eyes, she replied, "You're full of it."

The man in front of her took one long step to close the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. Surprised at first, she quickly relaxed and squeezed him back. Kiba turned his face towards her ear and whispered words that made her knees shake and her breath hitch.

"Whether you like it or not, I'll be waiting for you."

Waiting, for me? He's willing to be with me after… after years of me being gone? Surely there will be some woman who will whisk him away during her absence…

Leaving her in somewhat of a daze and without a chance to reply, he winked at her with his trademark grin and walked away towards the village.

Dumbfounded, that was the word. That's what she was.

She barely had anytime to recuperate before Gai was screaming in her ears about blossoming youthful flowers and their eternal beauty of the soul. The sad thing was, this time he had a reason to cry, but poor Tenten had been desensitized to Gai's tears long ago. Nevertheless, she found herself looking up to her sensei with cloudy eyes. This man, this crazy, lunatic, genius of a man, was the closest thing she had to a father. Whether she was happy or sad, well or sick, needed it or not, he was there to help. Though it was true that often the help was exaggerated, that Gai was jumping the gun, or just plain old butting into her life, she imagined that was what a father did. He had taught her on and off the battlefield, and she could not thank him enough. It wasn't until that moment when she thought about how much this man meant to her.

"Sensei, I—"

"Dearest Tenten," he bellowed, this time in his 'speech voice', "I have taught you everything I can. I know, without any doubt, that you will always come out stronger and victorious. But that doesn't keep me from worrying. You are part of my legacy, of Konoha's legacy. I know you will make us proud." Gai then held out his hand, signifying that they were equals, no matter their rank, skill level, gender, what have you. Tenten shook his hand, grip hard and determined, and started at him with utmost reverence.

Scanning the people around her, she found it to be a little exasperating. Never had she been the center of such attention, and she found it a little unnerving. Coupled with the fact that she was still upset about leaving all her friends and her old life behind, she was well on her way to having some extreme form of early onset homesickness.

Neji's hand fell to her shoulder, signaling that it was time to leave, and thus saving her from an unfortunate scene of weeping on her part. She blessed him for about the billionth time in her life. Adjusting the huge back pack on her shoulders, she waved one final time before turning around, not looking back.

She had the strength. She was more than capable. Everyone believed in her. Everyone gave their strength to her with their words. She can do this.

No. She would do this.

So, whadjyathink? Please people, I am open to criticism! But don't be petty. I read a story a week ago that had the most RIDICULOUS criticism review. Seriously, this guy obviously had issues. But things like, "You could use a little bit of this here," or something, that helps!

NEXT CHAPTER:

Tenten talks with the man that could forever change her life, her destiny. Wait, is it Ishi or Neji? DUNDUNDUUUUUN