Please see first chapter for disclaimer, etc.

Prompt: Sixth Sense

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Author's Note: I love exploring bonds between the members of my favorite couples, especially ones that seem to hover right on the edge of being unexplainable. I wanted to take that angle with this particular one shot, and what better prompt to use than sixth sense? Plus, there's a scene in this fic that I've always wanted to write, so I really hope it came out all right. Thank you again to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted my stories. I appreciate you all so much for taking the time to read my work. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

*~Sixth Sense~*

Neji had always been highly aware of his surroundings, even when he was at home and could supposedly relax. Part of it was his shinobi training, part of it was courtesy of the Byakugan, and the rest of it was a result of his own genius and personality.

But even with all of that, there had been another awareness that he'd developed, a sixth sense as it were, and it was only active when Tenten was in the vicinity. She couldn't sneak up on him, even though she'd tried repeatedly. Even when he was lost in meditation, he still knew the moment she entered their training area.

This extra sense of his had come in handy on missions several times, so he never chose to question what it was. In fact, he became so used to it, he started to take it for granted.

"What do you see, Neji?" The question was asked quietly from below him, where his sensei was peering up through the leaves to see the Hyuuga.

With his Byakugan activated, it wasn't hard for Neji to see what was going on around him. Even with that, though, he liked to have a higher vantage point, so he'd gone up the nearest tree so he could have a look around.

"Six targets," Neji replied, just as softly. "Few hundred meters to our left. Much closer and we'd hear them. Looks like they're discussing something. They're off-guard."

"Come down." Gai stepped back as Neji silently dropped from his perch, easily landing on his feet. "Okay, team, here's the plan. We'll surround them at the compass points - Neji, you take north, Lee, you east, and Tenten and I will cover east. Neji, Lee, you go in first. Since you're both the fastest fighters we have, that will keep them distracted long enough for Tenten and me to move in from behind."

Neji and Lee both nodded to show their understanding.

"Tenten, I want you to go straight for the messenger with the scroll we need. Do whatever you deem necessary to get it from him. As soon as you have it, let out a whistle and then retreat. Got it?"

Tenten nodded curtly. Despite her serene exterior, Neji saw the flicker of unease in her eyes. There was something about the plan she didn't like, but he didn't have time to ask her what it was, because Gai called for them to move out, and he had to go take up his position at the northernmost compass point.

He'd kept his Byakugan activated, so he easily saw Lee counting down from three on his fingers in the silent signal. A moment later the two shinobi burst into the clearing, drawing all attention in their direction, thus leaving their enemies' backs turned to Gai and Tenten.

The first man to come at Neji was brandishing katana in a way that made it clear he knew how to use them. Once more thankful for all his training with Tenten and her vast variety of weapons, he easily avoided the scissor-style slashes thrown at him and drove the heel of his palm into the enemy shinobi's now-unprotected chest in the Gentle Fist technique. Springing over the body before it even hit the ground, he met his next attacker with a foot in the face that sent the other man flying backwards in a spray of blood from his shattered nose.

Behind him, he heard the swish of Tenten's scroll opening beneath the louder bellow of Gai's attack method. He kept a sliver of his attention as he fought the man with the broken nose, who seemed to have gotten better after his first foolish rush attack. He was proving a little more difficult to overcome, having seen what happened to his comrade and not wanting to suffer the same fate.

Neji could sense that his opponent was getting ready to try something fancy. He needed to close the fight out quickly and move on to helping Lee and Gai, who were keeping the other three occupied so Tenten could retrieve the scroll with enemy battle plans. With every strike at him the enemy took, Neji closed off another chakra point, limiting the man's use of jutsu more and more. Finally he went in for the final strike, another Gentle Fist…

It felt like something snapped inside his chest. It wasn't painful - really, it felt like nothing more an irritant. But at the same moment he turned his head just right so his blind spot moved, and he saw the messenger Tenten had been fighting sliding over the edge of the cliff toward the straight drop to the water below, dragging Tenten with him.

He missed his intended target, striking his enemy's solar plexus instead of his heart, he was so shocked. Despite the fact that he now had some serious internal injuries, the man still managed to bring his leg up as he fell, catching Neji across the side of the face with a kick. The Hyuuga twisted his body so he landed on his shoulders; using his momentum, he sprang back onto his feet just as the other staggered to his knees. He didn't take the time for anything fancy - he merely grasped the other's head between his hands and snapped to the left quickly, breaking the man's neck.

And then he was running, chakra-enhanced eyes focused on the body clinging to the side of the cliff. There was only one, and Neji wasn't sure which it was. He could only pray it was Tenten as he sprawled on his stomach and only half-cautiously leaned over to look down.

The first thing Neji saw were the two pale hands clutching the kunai that had caught in a crevice in the rocks. Then he followed the straining arms down to the slightly green face and wide honey eyes staring wildly up at him. Tenten was trying to find a foothold in the rock, but pieces kept crumbling loose and rattling down the side of the cliff, leaving her nothing to dig in to. One of her shoes was missing, undoubtedly still clutched in the broken figure lying far beneath her on the shore, making it doubly difficult for her to get sufficient traction.

"Tenten!" Neji slithered forward a little more, digging his toes firmly into the dirt and grass beneath him as he extended his right hand toward her. "Grab my hand!"

His teammate wavered, eyes staring uncertainly at his hand before starting to turn toward the space beneath her.

"Don't look down!" he snapped, stretching his arm out a little further. He focused as much as attention as he could spare into getting her to keep her gaze on his so she wouldn't look down, wouldn't know how far up she was, or see the evidence of what would happen to her if she fell. It was so far down that even Neji felt a little dizzy when he looked, and if he reacted that way, he knew Tenten's reaction would be far worse.

Neji was the only person in the world Tenten had admitted her deathly fear of heights to, and he didn't plan on letting that fear take hold of her or rule him now. "It's okay," he said, forcing himself to sound calm. "Trust me, Tenten. Just reach up your hand and take mine."

The fingers of her right hand loosened their desperate grip on her kunai slightly. Trembling all over, she finally let go, straining her hand up towards him, trying to connect.

Their fingertips barely brushed - there was too much space between them. Letting out a soft cry, Tenten regained her grip on her kunai, eyes squeezed shut. "I can't reach, Neji. I-I'm sorry."

Growling slightly in frustration, but not at her, he glanced over his shoulder to see if he could find anything with which he could anchor himself. Even though he wanted to lean over further, he knew if he did he would fall, too, and then he wouldn't be able to save Tenten. If he were that careless, he might even bring her crashing down with him, and that was unacceptable.

He could see that Gai and Lee both knew what was happening, but they had to concentrate on dispatching the other members of the enemy cell or risk making things worse. And other than the trees several meters away, Neji saw nothing to which he could anchor himself. It will not end this way, he growled quietly to himself. I refuse. Fate doesn't rule me, and it doesn't rule her.

"Neji!"

Jerking back, he peered over the edge of the cliff again, straight into Tenten's desperate eyes. "The scroll," she whispered. She had let go of her knife again, right hand slipping into the pouch at her waist. It reappeared a moment later holding the scroll, and she stretched it out toward him, shaking so hard the paper rattled. "Take it," she whispered. "The mission-"

Neji unintentionally snapped a word that made Tenten break off mid-sentence. Knowing he would waste precious time and strength arguing, he secured the tip of the scroll between his middle and index fingers and pulled it up to himself, carelessly tossing it to his right as he reached down again. He heard it hit the grass, but that was as far as he let his attention remain on the scroll. "Try again," he encouraged. "We're so close, just reach a little further…" She had been able to hand him the scroll. Surely between them they could stretch those few extra inches and clasp hands… "Trust me, Tenten. I promise I won't let you fall."

Biting her lower lip so hard she drew blood, Tenten unsteadily extended her right hand toward him once more, fingers splaying and reaching until their index and middle fingers hooked on each other.

"You're almost there," Neji encouraged. "Just a little further…" He stretched his arm as far as he dared, grinding his teeth as his shoulder protested the strain.

The same sixth sense that had first alerted him that Tenten was in danger flared again a moment before her fingers, slick with perspiration, slipped. Without thinking, Neji lurched forward, reaching out both hands to latch on to her wrist as she scrambled to regain her grip on her kunai to help ease the strain with her free hand. Her feet kept scrabbling for purchase she couldn't get.

Another problem presented itself - Neji had moved forward so far that he'd lost his precarious grip with his feet, and was now slipping rapidly over the edge himself. He felt Tenten's wrist twisting in his, and he realized she was trying to get him to let go of her in hopes that not supporting their combined weight would stop him from sliding. "No!" he shouted, tightening his grip on her so hard she whimpered in pain and fear. "I won't let go!" The thought of Tenten sacrificing herself just to save him sent a jolt of fear unlike any he'd ever felt slamming through his chest.

Neji could feel the pulse pounding in her wrist - or perhaps that was his own, in his fingers. He slid forward a little more; now more of his body was hanging off the cliff than was on it, and it was only sheer force of will that was keeping him from sliding over completely.

Suddenly two pairs of hands latched onto either of his ankles, stopping him right before the precarious balance tipped and he lost the last of his grip on the edge. Neji kept hold of Tenten as he was pulled backwards, bringing her with him until she could secure her shod foot on her kunai and launch herself upwards toward him, her free arm hooking tightly around his shoulder.

A moment later they were both on solid ground again, Gai and Lee blurting anxious questions that their teammates ignored. Despite the way every muscle in his body was protesting and shaking, Neji reached out, locked his arms around Tenten, and dragged her forward, clutching her to his chest as he buried his face in her hair, which had come loose during the ordeal. "Don't ever do that again," he half-growled. He wasn't sure if he wanted to shake her for being so self-sacrificing or kiss her for being alive.

Tenten's hands fisted into his shirt at his back, clinging as if she were still dangling off the edge of the cliff. "Neji…" Her voice shook, and she had to take a few moments to breathe against his neck before she could finish. "Thank you."

He raised his own eyes to his and Tenten's sensei and teammate, who were sitting there observing quietly now. "Thank you, too," he whispered. He knew he never would have been able to save Tenten if not for their help.

Finally, Tenten let go of Neji so she could turn and kiss Lee's cheek, then offer Gai a grateful look. "Yes," she repeated. "Thank you both."

It wasn't until they'd gotten back to Konoha, been debriefed, and checked over in the hospital that Neji got his thank-you kiss, but he mused that it was worth the wait.

And now, he was truly thankful for his sixth sense. He would never take it for granted again.

*~The End~*

Author's Ending Notes: I have always wanted to write a scene like that! And even though I've had several years of martial arts training, I still feel like I'm a failure at writing fight scenes … so I hope they weren't too awful. It'll be a few days until I update next - but that will be Valentine's Day, so it won't be a super long time. In the meanwhile, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for reading!