Yo!!! Here's the next chapter, created with love, inspiration, and a mild case of abandonment of society. Seriously, being a hermit when typing isn't fun. Oh the things I do to ensure my legacy lives on. Well, Read and Review.

Chapter 17: Team 9 Duel: Neji vs. Tenten! Weapon Mistress vs. The Unbreakable Wall!!

Neji walked around, his Byakugan searching for his weapon obsessed love inter- teammate. (But she is your love interest. You want her like fat kids want potato chips." Devil Neji said, smirking.

(Why did you have to use a metaphor that insulted one of my comrades?) Neji asked. (Because I couldn't think of anything stronger than that, but that's besides the point! Don't you want to be Tenten's slave?) Devil Neji smirked at Neji, who closed his eyes in real life, and de-activated his Byakugan.

(Honestly, yes I would. But I am not going to just roll over and die just to let that happen. If she really wants it, she'll defeat me here and now.) Neji replied, as his Devil looked awed. (Wow. That was real deep, dude.) And so, Devil disappeared, and Neji brought his attention back to the real world, where he saw Tenten standing on a branch, smirking.

"Such a devious smirk. It almost makes me think you can win." Neji said. "Oh don't worry. You will submit to me, and hand your headband over." Tenten said, smirking. "Really now? Well then, I guess we just have to see who will pull ahead, won't we?" Neji said, as he got into his Gentle Fist Stance, his Byakugan still de-activated.

"You would do well to not underestimate me, Neji. I don't plan on letting you walk away without being mine." Tenten said, smirking.

(With Raven)

Raven was sitting on his tree, using his Sharingan to view what was happening with Neji and Tenten, and was waiting for the big fight.

"So, Neji and Tenten look like they are about to fight." Raven muttered, as he stood up, and cricked his neck. He caught a flash of pink, and smirked. "Hurry up and put on a show, Neji. I may be too caught up in my fight to watch all of it."

(With Neji)

Neji held his stance, as Tenten stood on the tree she was standing on. Neji then turned, and blocked a kunai that would have hit his spine, as the Tenten in the tree poofed away. (A Shadow Clone?) Neji thought to himself. He wasn't surprised that she could, it's just that whenever one thought Shadow Clone, they thought Naruto.

Neji closed his eyes, and when they re-opened, his Byakugan was activated and at their max power. "See if you can escape my-" Neji was stopped when a stick hit him in the back of his head, at the point where his blind spot was.

(Wha!?) Neji stared at the stick with wide eyes. On the stick, carved into the bark, was this phrase: 'I know the truth of your eyes, Neji. You can't win.'

"She knows of my blind spot!? But how? I never told her of it…" Neji looked confused, and then his eyes widened. (The only person who could possibly have mentioned to her about any blind spots of the Byakugan was Hinata. But how did she know of where it was? The spot is different for each Hyuuga…) Neji thought to himself.

Hinata's was dead at the base of her spine, right in the middle of her back. "You wonder how I found out about your weak spot, Neji?" Neji looked into the trees, but couldn't locate Tenten.

"Simple. Remember the mission where you and the others had to retrieve Sasuke? Well, I asked Hinata yesterday if she had any advice, and the only thing she would say is that the Byakugan have one weakness. And it's that it has one weak spot. So that already leads me to believe that it is somewhere on your back, since you had six kunai wounds to the back. So I guessed, and I guess I hit it. Lucky me." When she finished talking, Neji was hit in the back of his head again, in his blind spot. When he looked at the new stick, carved was strike two.

"This is bad." Neji muttered. If his weak spot was known to her, his chances of victory was slowing waning. If he had one more strike, then he had to stop her before she hit his head with the third and final stick. Before he could try anything though, a barrage of kunai, shuriken, and other pointy sharp weapons shot from out of nowhere, aimed at him.

"Ng!? Rotation!!" Neji spun, and his ultimate defense shot out, blocking all the sharp projectiles. He slowed down, and just stood in the crater created by Rotation. "That can't be all. There wasn't even 100 weapons, and she is known for carrying scrolls, each that can hold 500 weapons. What's her deal?" Neji muttered silently. He then felt something strike him, and his eyes widened. He didn't need to look to know that it was a stick, and he could already read Strike 3. (This just got serious.)

(About 5 minutes later)

Neji ran along the forest, with 2 shuriken in his back. Neji was in a position where he was going to lose, and he couldn't do anything about it. If he tried to move to prevent his blind spot from being hit, weapons fly in from the direction he was just looking in. He wasn't faring well.

(I need to bring this fight to my favor, and fast. Tenten will beat me if I can't think of something…) Neji thought to himself. He was standing on top of a tree, using the vantage point to try and locate Tenten, but he couldn't.

"My eyes. Why aren't they-" Then he stopped. He was relying too much on his eyes for an opponent who knows how well his eyes work. So he closed his eyes, and ran a chakra filled palm into his forehead, hitting the Tenketsu that released chakra into the Byakugan.

Slowly his eyes receded, and his eyes returned to normal. He then dug into his pocket, and pulled out some bandages. He then began to wrap his eyes up with 3 revolutions around his eyes. When he was done, he cut the end, and stuck his tape back into his pocket.

Slowly, his hearing began to become more crisp, and his sense of smell became a little stronger. Neji heard a quick movement, and turned to toss a kunai. The sound of something getting cut was music to his ears. Meant he at least clipped Tenten.

With that small victory, he stood his ground. Then, he could clearly hear the sound of weapons flying at him. He turned, with a kunai, and began batting the weapons out of the air, or dodging them. He then heard the sound of someone traveling the trees, and spun.

"8-Trigrams: Empty Palm!" Neji said, as his air bubble shot from his palm, and decimated the tree he aimed at. He couldn't tell if he got Tenten or not, but he kept his guard up. He then heard something approaching from the grass behind him. He turned, and brought his hand up to block a Bo-Staff.

(Tenten is trying close combat?) Neji thought, as he hopped back to avoid another strike. Neji thought he was out of the woods, until the side of his tape was cut. (Hm. She got me.) Neji thought to himself, as his tape began to unravel. "Seems like your long range attacks are useless now." Neji said, as Tenten switched to a katana. "I guess so." Tenten said. (Hn. Is she going to try the KazeKata on me again?) Neji thought to himself, as Tenten charged.

Neji hopped back, and was using a kunai to block her weapon attacks. Neji blocked and parried her attacks, and dodged the ones that got past his guard. His plan was to wear her out, but it looked like she was keeping with him.

(Hate to reveal too much of my power. But it can't be helped.) Neji thought to himself, as his hands began to glow with the power of the Gentle Fist. (Gentle Fist?) Tenten thought to herself, as she charged again. (But he has his Byakugan de-activated.) She thought he couldn't possibly use the Gentle Fist. She was wrong when Neji slammed his palm into her, sending her back, and cutting the chakra in her body.

"But how?" Tenten asked, as she fell to one knee. "We have been sparing partners for what, 3 years? It's only natural that I would memorize all the chakra points in your body. You expected otherwise?" Neji asked. (He memorized every single point in my body? He really is a genius…) Tenten got back on her feet, and sheathed her katana. (KazeKata.) Neji knew what she was about to do.

Sheathing her sword, Tenten got into the stance for the Kazekata. Neji needed to finish this on the next blow. With that in mind, he charged. Tenten tensed, and Neji was ready for the worst. When Neji was in range, Tenten swung. Neji's eyes widened.

(Hell! She's faster this time around!) Neji had less than a tenth of a second to duck, but it clipped his cheek. The moment he ducked, he was in his stance for the 64 Palms. The symbols appeared, and time froze.

(No…) "Got you! 8-Trigrams: 2 Palms!" Neji spun, and hit twice. "Four Palms!" "Eight Palms!" "Sixteen Palms!" "32 Palms!" Tenten was reeling, and Neji was on the last strike. "8-Trigrams: 64 Palms!" With his final strike, Tenten flew back, and slid on the ground. Both nin were panting, but they knew that Neji was the victor. "Seems like it's over, Tenten." Neji said, as he approached Tenten.

"Yeah…I tried though." Tenten said, as she laid on her back. Neji shook his head, and smirked. "That last attack almost got me. I was faster though." Neji said, and Tenten smiled. "Yeah." Tenten said. She untied her headband, and stretched a hand out for Neji to help her up. Neji grabbed her hand, and pulled her up. What he didn't expect was for her to crash into him, wrap her arms around him, and kiss him with passion.

Whe she pulled away, Neji was a dark crimson, and you could see smoke coming from his head. "Consider that your congratulations, Neji-kun." Tenten said, smiling. Neji, who was lost for words, and still dark faced, looked like Hinata when Naruto decided to talk to her. His mind just blanked out.

"I'll se you later, Neji-kun." Tenten said, as she disappeared. Neji still looked sort of looked out of it, and then his two little friends appeared. "If that doesn't say 'I want you!', then I don't know what does." Devil said, and Angel nodded. "To think that she felt that strongly for you. When this is said and done, you better ask that girl out." Angel said. Both spirits were surprised to see that Neji didn't retort. When they turned to him, he was still looking surprised.

"Sucks to be a virgin mentally and physically. Maybe she can change that for the both of you." Devil said.

That brought Neji back to life.

"Huh!? I'll have you know, I know plenty about sex!!!" Neji said outloud, which caused both his sprits to look at him pathetically. "Screaming about your sex knowledge isn't smart, Genius." Devil said, and Neji glared fiercely at him. "After we decide who wins, ask her out, and then become her boyfriend, then husband, then bed partner." Devil said, which caused Neji to blush crimson, and walk away. "Think we pushed him too far this time?" Angel asked. "If you ask me, not far enough." Devil replied.

(With Raven)

Raven stood, chuckling. "I knew you would win Neji, but I didn't get a chance to see how you won." Raven said, as he saw another flash of pink hair. "Alright already. I know you are there." Raven said.

"I see. Well, I hope you are ready, Raven." A girl's voice said. Raven turned around, and stood ready, as Kirikiri stood on another tree. "So it seems that the Shadow 20 are making another move." Raven said. "Then let's make this quick. I have a date with another pink haired female. Don't want her to think I backed out." Raven said. "Bring it on, Shadow Member Number 3!"

ShadowRonin: Yeah. Neji wins, and things are all happy and smiles, but not all things shall remain like that. Shadow 20 are moving, and Raven has intercepted her. Let's see how this plays out now.

Next Chapter: The Competition is called off temporarily, as Shadow 20 makes their moves. Raven takes on Kirikiri, Blade's past catches up with him, and Coin and Artemis are dragged into a brawl of a lifetime. See the result on:

Chapter 18: The Calm Before the Storm!! Approaching Darkness!!