16: She Waits

(VP: Tenten) I can't explain it but there is something in my mind that says that the Neji I knew is gone but there is a part that says he's still there waiting for me. The contradicting sides of my mind are both wrong. He's the same person I always loved so I have to wait.

I love him and that's the only reason I wait. I guess it isn't. My loyalty as a kunoichi, his teammate, fiancée, his friend and partner all are reasons to wait. In addition, his face is another. That look he gives me is so sad; it looks like a child who's lost and trying to find its mother who had just died. I wonder if my face looks like that.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked.

"How my face looks." I said and then I wanted to smack myself for actually saying that.

"It looks perfect to me, what about it?" He asked.

"Does it look like I'm looking for something?" I asked trying to find my answer.

"It does, it looks like you're waiting for someone to return and your loosing hope." I closed my eyes, I didn't want to cry, and I didn't want to show weakness to him, even if I had before. I couldn't. "It's okay, you can cry." I said.

"Thanks but I need to be strong, it's not best to ask questions that will upset me, my mistake." I said smiling but I was sure that his eyebrow raised was a sign that my face didn't match my words.

"You're sad, aren't you?" He asked.

"No, I guess I'm tired of waiting."

"How long?" He asked.

"Two months and a few days now." I said.

"You miss him?" He asked.

"I miss you; you're confusing me by contradicting yourself, like my brain." If I counted all the mistakes I had made today then it would be at least two.

"How is your brain contradicting you?" He asked.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't, I want the truth."

"The stupid part of my brain is saying that you won't go back to normal and be the same ever again, and then the other half is saying that you are the same, I'm just unaware of it. I'm not sure which side is right." I said sadly. I was forever confused.

"Neither, I'm the same person, just a different state of mind. I read your theory, it said that my memories are all there, physical and audible but the part of my brain that brings them together is fried. So if you help me piece them back together, then maybe everything will return to normal." I smiled. It made sense.

"Okay, that's great!" I said jumping up.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Wait while I help you bring yourself together," I said.

I went into my room and pulled out a large book, and a lot of flashcards. I drew pictures of all our friends and important people to Neji and me, and then I matched common phrases and behaviors of the person on the other card. After a lot of practice, like math, he'd have it down perfectly. However, would just knowing all his friends do it, I doubted it. I'd have to go through all his memories and explain them because they weren't recognizable either. People come first, then places, then important memories.

"Believe it and spontaneous joyful behavior belongs to which of our friends?" I asked.

"Naruto, right?" He asked holding a picture of our loud-mouthed friend.

"Yeah right, okay. Over dramatic and sometimes bossy behavior belongs to which of our friends?" I asked.

He smacked his head, he hadn't met her so I didn't expect him to but maybe a picture in his mind would match the behavior, but he had a reasoning sense so maybe but after he sighed and crossed his arms, he had given up for this one. "Who?" He asked.

"Ino," I said but I kept a smile because he had gotten a lot more right then wrong and I was happily enjoying helping our company.

There was a knock on the door. "Wait her Neji, I'll get it." He nodded and I walked to the door.

"Tenten Hoshi, I presume?" A lady asked.

"Yes," I said.

"We need you to fill out this form for us and return it to the kunoichi society as soon as you can thank you." She then disappeared.

"What was that about?" He asked.

"I don't know." I looked at the paper and read it to him.

Dear Ms. Hoshi Hyuuga Tenten,

We are pleased to tell you based on your performance over the last two months that you have passed the exams to become a kunoichi. The definition of a kunoichi is one who puts their spouse ahead of themselves in always at any given time. They are a special kind of person, one who is devoted and not willing to leave their side if at all possible. We have been watching you since we heard you missed the exam and we have found you as our number one kunoichi scoring 100 on her exam, in all aspects of a kunoichi you show perfect training for such. You go on with your partner even after dangerous events with high spirits as much as you can, don't abandon him, help him, protect him and do anything you can to comfort and help him in these tough times. This has never happened before where we had met someone as qualified as you are to become a kunoichi and we are proud to have you in our society. To make for certain we have made the right choice fill out these questions and return to us as soon as it is convenient for you.

-The Kunoichi Society-

"You made it?" He asked.

"I made it!" I said jumping and hugging him. He smiled.

"I knew you could do it." He said.

"What did you say?" I asked excited.

"I said I knew you could do it, I remember you showing me forms in my memory of the exam and I connected it with the Exam that others were talking about and when you said that was where we were going."

"Yes, its working!" I yelled happily jumping up.

"What?" He asked confused.

"You connected the letter with what I said earlier with the paper with what people said. That was amazing." I said hugging him and smiling.

"Thanks but I've been doing that for awhile." He said.

"Neji, that's what we've been trying to get you to do for the longest time. If you could do that, why didn't you tell me?" I said.

"I just noticed it, okay." He said.

"But it's amazing; your mind is coming back." I said smiling and hugging him.

"You didn't know that, even I knew that." I playfully smacked him and crawled up to him. I waited for nothing, that's what I was waiting for. My patience paid off and he's back, he was never gone in the first place, he's just different but it's fine with me.

"I guess I should do these questions, huh?" I said.

"Yeah," He said leaning back and resting against the bottom of the chair.

"How did you know what to do?" I read. "Because I love him and he had told me stories about his dad's suffering and I never wanted him to suffer if I was able to save him so I created the seal repulsion jutsu."

"So you had already prepared before then, it wasn't a spur of the moment thing?" He asked.

"Nope, I knew one day that someone would challenge you who were a head branch and I would need to come to your rescue. I was ready to save you." I answered.

"Prepared, a key component of a kunoichi." He stated of a letter that I had received before.

"Why did you stay with him?" I read. "Stupid question, I love him, I was worried for his safety, I felt it was my duty, who else would, so many answers, so many don't really match the first one I gave, because I love him and it hurt me to leave his side." I said.

"You must have been lonely." He said.

"I had you." He rolled his eyes. "I knew it sounds stupid but I couldn't sleep if I left, I only slept when I was near you and had hoped you'd be okay." I said.

"Okay, next question?"

"Do you love him?" I laughed and looked at him and he smiled and raised his eyebrow at me. "Of course, I never doubt myself with important things. I know I love him."

"Were you worried? Yes. Were you scared? Of course. Did you fear he wouldn't come back? Every moment until he talked to me again." I said feeling tears from my face I began to feel myself curl up but it wasn't I curling myself up, he had pulled me into his arms.

"You think I'm back yet?" I looked at the test.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure, you're all there, I think you just happened to forget some people, everyone who was important to you, you remember now so I think you're all here. What would you do if he didn't come back?" I sighed and looked at the test. "I'm not sure but I refuse as long as I'm living to think about that if I don't have to, probably kill myself if I felt that bad but I would most likely never leave myself and cry myself to sleep every night like when he was in the hospital." I said.

"Did you do everything you could to make sure he came back?" I laughed. "In all honesty, I had thought every night in my sleepless nights on ways to save him. I gave up on many of my memories to improvise them for his memory. I physically went in his mind and repaired it. I used hundreds of jutsu. I healed his body. I studied as hard as I could to find a counter to the effects of the seal. I studied on how to repair and multiply brain cells. I tried things that had never been done before. I tried everything I could think of, but even when he was awake, I helped him remember things with his amnesia but I didn't give up. I'm sure I tried my hardest even if it wasn't everything. And I haven't left his side since he came out of the hospital and even when he was in there I was in there 20 hours as much as they would allow." I said.

"You ready to go?" He asked pulling on his jacket.

"You want to go now?" I asked.

"Better now then later," He said. I smiled and hugged closely to him and he looked at me with those same eyes, nothing had changed after everything. I had done everything I could, and I waited because it was all worth it. Just like a mother giving birth after a long pregnancy, it's all worth, (reference to new chapter of Uchiha Problems).

We arrived at the Kunoichi Society and I walked in still closely hanging on to Neji. I hadn't read the last two questions to him they were. 'Do you want revenge? And do you fear the same thing will happen again?' Do I want revenge, no: I think that no good comes from revenge but sometimes I think that that would be best but I learned from friend revenge hurts those you vowed to protect and leave them unguarded for more attack so no? I would never seek revenge, so I can protect Neji. I want never leave his side. Nevertheless, I fear the same thing will happen again but this time I know that he'll be fine because he was this time but next time it could be worst if he was without me. I know I can't stay by his side forever but I'm going to try as much as I can when he has to return to his clan and trust others. I don't wait for him to leave, I wait for him to become himself, independent again and if I hold on, he can't.

"Excuse me; I'm Hoshi-Hyuuga Tenten. I'm here to turn in this form." I said handing her the form.

"Very good, is this Mr. Hyuuga?" She asked standing up and walking over to him.

"Yeah, I'm Hyuuga Neji." He stated.

"Have you begun to remember things yet?" She asked.

"Quite a lot thanks to Tenten's flashcard idea," He answered.

"That's good, well Ms. Hoshi-Hyuuga please come this way will you?" She asked.

"Um, can Neji come to?" I asked politely.

"Of course, he's part of this as well." I was confused in all my studies about the Kunoichi Exam I didn't remember anything about the male having to do anything but I had only covered the test not the result of things that there of.

"We didn't get a lot of kunoichi in this year, they didn't make it but you made it by that and so much more even though you didn't take the exam. We looked up records of your past missions and duties there of and we found you perfect." I blushed and smiled.

"Yeah Tenten's perfect." Neji said smiling and thinking about it.

"So if you'll fill out these forms Tenten then we'll be good to go and have you registered for your license." I smiled and nodded and filled those out it took a while but it was definitely good to do.

They took my picture and Neji's and put them on a scroll and handed it to me. "So I'm an official Kunoichi now?" I asked.

"Yes you are." She answered me.

"Yes!" I yelled happily. Neji was enjoying himself watching me I could tell.

"You two are free to go." I smiled and nodded as I walked off. Holding my scroll proudly in, my hand and I stared at it.

"I'm glad that I getting hurt didn't cause you to lose one of your only chances to become a Kunoichi." He said watching.

"I'm didn't really care." I said placing the scroll into my bag. "Even though that was what caused me to become a kunoichi I think that I wouldn't have cared if that saved you." I said happily.

"You're wonderful you know that?"

"Yeah, I don't think you'd let me forget that." I answered and snuggled myself next to Neji's side. He looked down into my eyes and smiled at me. I started laughing.

"What?" He asked.

"You never use to smile and when you did it was a treat. I'm glad you're smiling more." He rested his head on top of mine as we walked down the street.

"If I never remembered anything ever again, what would you do?" He asked me.

"Who knows, I know that I wouldn't leave you. I think there would only be a few others who felt sympathy for you. I could name them."

(VP: Neji)

"Who?"

"Hinata,"

"Why do you fight?" A Familiar girl asked. Tenten turned around.

"I don't know why, likely because since my mom didn't do it, she was in trouble and killed. I won't make the same mistake. In addition, because it's my job as Neji's wife to defend him and help him through his life and I can only join a Jounin rank male on a mission as a kunoichi wife of his. I can't defend him if I don't do this." Tenten answered.

"So you do it to protect Neji-nii-san?" The girl asked.

Therefore, Tenten fights to protect me, that girl who was there. The same one I met while entering my home, she sympathizes with me because she was there, no. That doesn't make sense.

"Why does she sympathize with me?"

"Because of the seal…"

The Caged Bird Seal is the absolute fear of death the main house gives the branch house.

…her father…

"May I borrow your son for a while Hizashi?" Hiashi asked. A weird identical looking man nodded.

…and your clan."

The Main House treats the Branch House like dirt, meaningless dirt. But sometimes the dirt find a chance to be important, forge their own path, choose to be a shield, a thing of importance, and die. The same identically looking man from before said.

Who is that man and why do memories of his exist deep inside of me, who is he? Maybe Tenten knows. I'm sure she does. Even if it's vague. Anything is better then nothing. "Tenten?" I asked.

"Yeah, what? You look nervous. You don't have to ask me about anything. I won't care to answer unless you get a little more personal then I might have to tell you to wait." She said blushing thinking about something that I didn't catch on to at this moment. "Well anyway, what?" She asked.

"There's this man, in my memories of her father. I was really young but he looked like…

"…like Hinata's father?" She asked. I nodded.

"That's why I wait for you to come back because you improve and you need my help and assistance. But he's… your father." I stopped and Tenten had already secured herself to me so she wouldn't stop all a sudden and fall to the ground.

"My father that I don't remember. I feel ashamed." She let go of me and stepped in front of me. She brought my head down to her level so she was looking straight into my eyes. Her eyes sparkled when they reflected of mine.

"It's not your fault that you can't remember Neji, it's who ever attacked you's fault. If not for them, you would. I know you would because a few years ago you told the whole village and Naruto the story. I remember that day."

"What was going on then?" He asked.

"The Secondary Matches of the Chuunin Exams, in the stadium. It was bright and everything was beautiful and that was the first time I saw the Caged Bird Seal for myself." She squeezed my hand. "Ever since that day I developed, in secrecy a way to reverse the effects of the seal but it only stops it. It creates a barrier around the seal so it can't be messed with but some signals since they start get through, unless I start before or at the same time. I was late."

"Why?"

"Let's see why would I want to defend someone who I was hopelessly in love with, my teammate, one of my only few friends, and someone who had only 1 weakness that was possibly deadly? Wouldn't you?"

"Of course but," She placed her lips on mine and hugged me.

"There is only one real answer."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Because I'm me and you're you."

"What?"

"Exactly, that's the answer to everything. Because of what I am and what you are, I did it. That's all you need to know." She said.

"You'd do anything for me wouldn't you?" She smiled.

"At this moment I can think of no things within reasons that I wouldn't do for you. And that of course, includes waiting for you to regain your memory." She said. I pulled in to kiss her and I held her there for a while.

"I need to tell you something."

"Alright, what is it?" I had worried her now.

"You do know that I'm incomplete, right?"

"A little bit, yes." She said trying to stay serious.

"You do know that I love you, right?" She smiled at this.

"Of course," She said happily.

"You need to understand this, and try to stay calm and not get upset, alright?" She nodded.

"I understand every thing you do, every move you make." She said.

"Good then you should have expected this."

"Okay?" She asked.

"Please stay calm and don't run off."

"I don't like where this is going." She said.

"Trust me, you probably won't like this but it's best for both of us."

"Okay," She stated pretty sadly.

"We can't…

"Yes?"

"…get married until I'm whole again." She took a deep breath and fell down but I held her up and she was crying. I thought you'd take this worst but this is okay. At least I know a little more about you and me.

"What?" She asked.

"Tenten…" I said.

"I know, but it's hard." She said.

"Many things in life are." She laughed.

"I remember that phrase, you use to use that a lot. When I was in pain and had to heal you. I always told you it hurt me more then it hurt you." She laughed again.

"I did didn't it?"

"Yeah, to be losing you energy and then give it to you. However, you were first level of importance. That was when we were younger. You didn't say anything back when we were younger."

"Then I changed, didn't I?"

She smiled looking up at the sky. She snuggled into me and placed her small body against mine. "Yeah you did, you told me that I should be doing it then because it wasn't good for my health."

"You didn't stop, did you?"

"Of course not, what kind of teammate, med-nin or lover would I be if I listened to you saying you didn't want me to help you."

"That's when you realized it, right?"

"Yeah, that I cared about you. I paid attention to your words, their meaning and purpose." He said.

"And they had truth and meaning to them. I wasn't just a girl who you saw some strength in, you saw me as an equal a thing of meaning to you.'

"Yeah, I saw the same thing when I woke up. It was weird to wake up not knowing anything then see something that has so much determination, love and care for you sitting in front of you. It's like all the answers are sitting in a book waiting to be found but someone had already written them on the cover." He said.

"I'm sure it is." She said closing her eyes.

She sniffled again and I held her tight to myself. "I'm so sorry Tenten."

"You use to say that a lot. You're more then half there."

"But I want to be all there, do you understand?" She smiled and nodded.

"Of course, I know that if I was going to marry someone especially someone I had a long past with and I truly loved, I would want to give 100 to them. I know I couldn't do that if I was all there." She said.

"You know more about me then I do, you always have, haven't you?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I have. You've just been too blind to see it. I wait for you to be all there, to return my love for you with the understanding and love you always have." She said as she fell asleep. "It's alright, I understand, I truly do. I did expect this though. It was just harder then I thought." She said under her breath quietly as I took her home and laid her in her bed and went to the couch.

The Reasons Why… She Waits.

· He's there waiting for her.

· I love him.

· My loyalty as a Kunoichi, as a teammate, a fiancée, a partner and friend make me.

· his face shows his pain

· He's sad

· My face reveals I can't stand to see him harbor this pain.

· same eyes, nothing has changed

· in the end, it's all worth it

· he improves

· he needs my help

· needs my assistance

· needs understanding

· no things she wouldn't do for him

· they can't get married until he's whole

· for him to be all there

· For him to return the love with understanding and love like he always had.