Sup everyone! It's been awhile since I last wrote a story. Well school has kept me on my toes so I haven't had time to write much. So as a way to say sorry, I managed to write a story. Unfortunately I haven't had time to write another chapter of my other stories but I will as soon as break comes up. Well here's the next installment of…

Different Settings

Chapter 3: "Only Her"

When he was still a genin, people would say that he was a prodigy worthy of the Hyuuga name. When he became a chûnin at the age of fourteen, they said the Hyuuga blood in him made him strong. Then we he became a joûnin, they would say that the Hyuuga were superior shinobi. Even when he became the ANBU captain of the tenth squad, they praised his clan's name and power. Was their praise ever for him? Their praise was only for him family and his blood, never him.

Even his sensei and teammate rock lee would praise his stock and bloodline….But not her.

The only person beside his cousin, Hinata that would praise him, his talents, his strength, and not his clan's legacy is…

"Hey Neji-kun, since we're finished with training today, why don't we go to choji's house? He is having a new year's barbeque and all of our friends are going. What do you say?"

Neji opened his eyes and after seeing the weapon's mistress's eager expression, he nodded. He couldn't help the small smile that grew when tenten jumped up with joy.

"But that means training tomorrow at dawn." He bit his tongue when she pouted and whined.

He stood up and dusted off his pants before taking tenten's hand and walking toward the akimichi house. As they walked, neji's thoughts wandered to thoughts of the weapons mistress that walked beside him, his hand in hers.

Tenten had always been by his side, even when he was angry at the main house and tried to kill his cousin. She was the one who not only kept him grounded during emotional situations, but helped him change from the hateful teen that he had once been and into the proud man he is now.

She even went as for as to make sure that he always put his happiness before others by saying that he would never be truly happy unless he took his fate into his own hands. He had taken her words to heart when his uncle had given him the opportunity to become clan head the previous year. He had been elated and honored, but he found out it came with a price. He would have had to marry the princess of Cha no Kuni in order to be eligible to become clan head.

If he was the old neji he would have accepted that offer without a moment's hesitation. However he felt that tenten words were true as he thought of his loveless marriage to someone he had never met before.

In the end he declined the offer by telling his uncle, "Although I am honored to have you consider me for the next clan head…I am afraid that I must decline. I do not wish to be in a relationship to the woman I am not in love with."

He was surprised when his uncle laughed and told him, "This woman you love must be a good one."

Neji spoke his next words without meaning to. "Yes, yes she is."

After that day, neji couldn't help himself when he would watch the woman he loved practiced her weapon based jutsu or how her tone but petite body would move as she moved through the trees running. He had noticed how lovely she looked in the early morning as the sun was rising and when the sun was setting. He loved her chocolate colored eyes and when her hair was down, he felt his heart beat faster and his breath caught in his throat.

He had not known if she shared his affections and had not wanted to tell her without knowing. If she had not felt the same way, then that could have made things awkward within the squad, throwing off team dynamics.

All hesitation went out the window, when on a routine ANBU mission, he had been fatally wounded and he believed he was going to die. Tenten had managed to get them to a safe location and contacted their allies in Sunagakure. She had accepted his feeling and confessed her own.

But what she said right before he lost consciousness made him smile. "Why do all Hyuuga think that they need to confess before if they think they're going to die?"

He answered, "Wouldn't you want the person you love to know how you feel even if you give you life for them?"

"I guess your right. But never do that again."

"Get hurt or confess?" He blacked out before she answered.

From that day on, he knew a happiness that he had not know since his father had died.

He hadn't noticed that he was staring at tenten until she stopped walking with a blush and looked down and the ground. He stopped to and looked at her.

"What's the matter tenten? Is there something wrong?" He moved closer to her and cupped her cheek with his free hand.

"Nothing it's just…"

"What?" He tried to encourage her to speak her mind.

"I still can't believe that you fell in love with me. I'm scared that you'll see that there are better women for you. I'm scared that you'll open your eyes one day and see I'm not good enough for you."

Neji tilted his head. "Better?"

"Someone more better as in more beautiful. Some one who can help make your dream a reality. Someone who…" she was cut off by Neji's lips on her own.

"There is no one better for me than you. You are the woman I love and I will love only you. And for your information, I had the chance to be clan head last year, but I gave it up. Do you know why?"

She shook her head but remained silent.

"The reason is that I would rather have you, the woman I love, than be married to some one I've never met before. You are the perfect person for me. You told me that my happiness is more important than anything the clan could offer me. I would rather marry the woman I love than be in a loveless marriage."

Tenten blushed and rested her ear over neji's heart and listened to the steady beat. "Neji…"

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. "Why would I give up the happiness I have now, with you. I love you and I will only have eyes for you."

The sincerity in his voice brought tears to her eyes and she wrapped her arms around his waist. She couldn't believe that he really loved her that much. To give up his dream…

"Neji…thank you."

He smiled. "Want to head to the party now?"

Tenten shook her head. "In a minute. Let's just stay like this for a little longer."

He kissed the top of her head and smiled. "Alright."

…..

The end. So how did you like it? Its kinda rushed since this was written in one day, but I hoped you enjoyed. Read and review. That means you hikaru! You know who you are!