◊ (He's there for her) ◊

∆ (Neji's Room) ∆ - ¤ (Morning) ¤ - VP: Tenten

I was extremely tired because I know I slept in because Neji didn't wake me up. I opened my eyes and Neji was gone. "Neji." I called just making sure he was nearby. No answer, great! I'm late.

I slipped on my training outfit, grabbed my weapons and ran outside to the practice field. I ran there to find a knocked out Kiba, Lee, Shino and Chojion the ground with a sleeping Neji in a hole.

"Oi, Neji, everyone, wake up!" I yelled. "You alright?" I asked sitting at his side.

Neji opened one of his eyes, and smirked at me. "I'm fine, I'm me after all. However, they're going to be out for a good while." He said.

"What did you do to them?"

"Kaiten, their kunai couldn't even reach the surface, it bounced off and knocked them out." He answered.

"Neji…" I said complaining.

"What?" He responded.

"Did you expect them to be as good as me?" I asked.

"I expected them to be ninja." I stuck out my tongue.

"That's mean and cruel Hyuuga Neji." I said.

"No, it's my expectations of them."

"To be as good as me?" I asked skeptical of his thoughts.

"No, not to pass out when I'm training them." I sighed.

"You're the one who is always too hard on the person they're training." I answered.

"Like you?"

"I guess… I don't think you go too hard on me."

"Then why is my full effort like I would use on you, too hard for them?" He asked.

"Um…" I couldn't get it.

He walked over to me and smirked. Wrapping his arms around my arms. "See, they're weaker then you and I, such, I'm not being too hard on them. I'm just no lowering myself to their level."

"You don't train the Genin like this, do you?" I asked scared for the young ninjas' lives.

"Of course not." I sighed.

"Why…

He placed a finger on my lips. "Because they are ANBU- Jounin, not Genin. They should be able to handle this." I sighed and rested my body's weight against him.

"Whatever Neji, come on, we have to drag them home. And… you knocked out our body guards!" I yelled. He snorted and picked me up over his shoulder and jumped into a tree and set me down.

"Stay and don't die." He said. I stuck my tongue out at him. I jumped down after him, against his orders and took care of all these 'weaklings' as Neji would call them.

After we took care of them, it turned out to be nine o'clock and I had to go to the office and fill out forms. "You sure you don't want to watch me soon-to-be ninja?" He asked.

"I've got Hoshikage work Hyuuga Neji." I said.

"Bring it to the school, sit and do it there." That sounded like a good idea, especially since our bodyguards were unconscious. All because of over burdening Hyuuga Prodigy didn't want to wake me up and take his training to some who could handle it. Neji… I sighed.

"Since we don't have bodyguards, it's best we stay together. Plus, I have to send a report to Tsunade on the ninja training anyway." He nodded. I disappeared to the office. Grabbed all the paperwork of my desk, left a note detailing where I'd be and returned to Neji.

"Took you long enough," He said smirking.

"Oh shut up, let's go." He nodded and we went to the school.

The classroom was filled with students, Genin of every age, none older than we were though. "Tenten-Hoshikage-sama," Diana said happily walking up to me. Neji stared at her. She stepped away from me.

"Neji…" I said sighing.

"Is he more protective then normal or is it just me?"

"I think he is. That or he lost his mind. Who knows how beaten up you'll be but I'll handle it though."

"Arigato Hoshikage-sama," She said returning to his seat. I sat at Neji's desk which was empty showing his lack of paperwork means that they didn't learn the math aspect of the ninja.

"Oi Neji, did you teach them trajectory and such, the formulas."

"I don't know that stuff. You want to?" He asked. I sighed. I picked up my papers, stuffed them in his chest and walked over to the blackboard.

"How many of you can hit 10 of 10 with a kunai or shuriken?" I asked. No hands, great. I turned to Neji and pouted. He rolled his eyes and I went to the desk that Neji was sitting at. I pulled out a form and handed it out.

"What's that?" He asked.

"How to calculate the Trajectory of a Projectile." I answered.

"You carry this with you, at all times."

"No, I figured you'd ask me for it so I made copies already when you'd ask. I keep all my papers in that binder." He nodded and I handed them out.

In physics, the ballistic trajectory of a projectile is the path that a thrown object will take under the action of gravity, neglecting all other forces, such as friction from air resistance, or propulsion. This article provides a list of methods for calculating the trajectory of a projectile under the influence of Earth's gravity.

In the equations on this page, the following variables will be used:

g: the acceleration due to gravity—usually taken to be 9.81 m/s2 near the Earth's surface

θ: the angle at which the projectile is launched

v: the velocity at which the projectile is launched

y0: the initial height of the projectile

d: the total horizontal distance traveled by the projectile

Distance traveled- is equal to v cos θ over g times v sin θ + ration of v sin squared + 2 times g times y nder 0. Sometimes: d is equal to v squared of g under 0: when the angle θ is 45° and the initial height y0 is 0. Time of flight- The time of flight t is the time it takes the projectile to finish its trajectory. The formal is T is equal to d over v cos θ which is equal to v sin θ + ration of v sin θ squared + 2 times g times y times 0 As above, this expression can be reduced to T is equal to the ratio of 2 times V divided by g. if θ is 45° and y0 is 0. Angle of reach- The "angle of reach" (not quite a scientific term) is the angle θ at which a projectile must be launched in order to go a distance d, given the initial velocity v :Sin (2 times θ) g times d over V squared. θ is equal to one-half sin negatively squared times g times d over v squared.

Everyone in the class looked highly confused, I didn't see how seeing as this was extremely simple. So easy every time I threw a kunai I figured this in my head.

Neji walked over to me. "I don't get it so I don't think they can."

"How can they not?" I asked.

"Because they aren't you. They don't need to know how to find out the trajectory is to throw a kunai, I don't. Teach them form and such. That is why I didn't try. They're more confused then when you started." He said.

"Fine." I said. I raised my hand. "We're going outside and I'll teach you it the easy way." The all jumped and ran out the door.

"Simplicity is part of life Tenten." Neji said.

"You're no where near simplicity Neji; you're the most complex thing in the world."

"Yeah but it takes years of knowing the simple parts of life to get to the more complex, like me. Over years, you began to understand the complexity of me. So teach them the easy way first and stop pouting." He said. He kissed my cheek and followed me outside.

"Alright, like in the formal there are only three things you need to worry about. The speed you're throwing it, how high off the ground the target is, how far away you are from it." The nodded. "From there, it's just making sure that the distance is unaffected by gravity which means you throw it a bit more powerful and faster then gravity can pull it. Faster then eyes can track."

"Well unless…" I put my hand over Neji's mouth.

"You and your beautiful eyes again." He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

Everyone knowing that was doing better, they still weren't hitting the mark but that would come with aim which was the only reason in the first place they weren't getting 10 of 10. I sat next to a tree and leaned against Neji as he did paperwork and supervised the class. I was so tired today.

¤ (Later) ¤

Something was poking me, I caught the thing that was poking me, I pulled it close to me, and I laid on it. "Oi Tenten, give me back my arm." Neji said rolling his eyes.

"Nope sorry, it was your fault for poking me."

"I supposed you want to sleep through lunch?" I nodded. He rolled his eyes and wrapped his other arm around my legs. He picked me up and carried me over to the house.

I opened my eyes. "You should have warned me Neji." I complained.

"Whatever, you've been sleeping all day. I figured you were asleep." I rolled my eyes. He laid me in the bed, covered me up, kissed my cheek and left the room. "Sleep Well Tenten," he said.

I closed my eyes. I don't think I'll be able to sleep, him running around while caring me is hard on my stomach. I sat up and looked at the door after opening my eyes. I sighed, good job Neji, I don't think I can sleep with out you next to me. I stuck my tongue out at the door. Neji came in with food in his hands. He raised his eyebrow at me sticking my tongue out at the door.

He looked behind him for whatever I was sticking my tongue out. He walked over to me and places his hand on my forehead. "If you're not sick what's up with you?" He asked.

"I don't know why I'm so tired but I was sticking my tongue out because of you."

"Why?" He asked.

"I can't sleep peacefully without you." He gave a gentle smile, sat his food at the table next to the bed, and pulled me to his side.

"Sleep peacefully now," He said kissing my cheek. I nodded laying my head on his lap.

"Thank you," I said.

He snorted. "No need to thank me Tenten. Anything for you. But anyway, you're welcome." I smiled and finally could sleep.

- Dream - Ж (Flashback) Ж

Neji and I have only been training together for what now, a year maybe, and he still is going easy on me, and I know it.

"Stop going easy on me." I yelled.

"Like I am capable of that," He answered turning around and looking at the sky.

"You are; there is…" He appeared in front of me and glared at me. I jumped back.

"I do not go easy on anyone for you can't become stronger through being easy on a person."

"Then how come I can keep up with you?" I asked.

"Maybe it's the fact that you're quite good yourself?" He asked.

"But when we started training I couldn't."

"You improved."

"You said people can't change." I argued.

"You are the same person are you not? You're just better; you still can't beat or kill me can you?" He asked.

"Kill you? That's what it takes to see that people can change." He nodded.

"Death is the escape from destiny."

"Fine, we will fight to the death."

"I accept." He said. I nodded and we attacked each other, each of our movements was powerful, death ridden and had it landed would have killed us. We blocked and attacked again. It was like a seesaw, neither of us could land a move.

"8 Trigrams, 128 palms." I gasped as he came at me and I was paralyzed. I focused my chakra to each of these points just as he hit them, matching them so he didn't hit them. He finished and I fell down to my knees.

"(Tornado death) shi no ton'neru," I called. I ran around him quickly and an extremely long scroll wrapped around him paralyzing him. Slowly from above his head, it unwrapped and I ran around hitting all the major points in the area revealed by the scroll.

He stood up slowly and we launched attacks at each other. I jumped farther back and then I jumped. "Bird's Mark." I called. I jumped out of the tree, dived at an 85-degree angle at his back, landed on his back, and hit the mark, the target. The weak point, the nape of the neck, the bird's mark. However, he spun around and using both arms he formed the mind seal charged chakra and jammed it onto my chest. I kicked him back and we flew apart crashing into the tree.

Lee ran to the middle of the field with Gai-sensei. "Lee, take Neji to the hospital. I'll get Tenten." My eyes closed. "Hold on Tenten." Gai-sensei said. He picked me up as if I was a small child and they ran in sync to the hospital.

I woke up a few hours later in the hospital. I looked around the room and found Neji a bed across from mine. I smiled seeing his heart monitor was still working. "You didn't…" He said.

"Hm?" I asked.

"You're final attack would have killed me, if you would have used killing intent. How come you didn't?"

"Um…" I closed my eyes. "I've never killed anything in my life and personally I don't intend to kill you, I can't because… you're my teammate and you don't deserve to die."

"If you would have…"

"No… I wouldn't have. I can't." I said looking out the window. "Don't say anything else, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I almost killed you because… I can kill. It's my fault. The most important ninja rule to be to care for your teammates and I almost killed you. I'm disgraceful." He said with apology and regret.

"Well I'm not, and it's fine. Nothing more on the subject."

"Can I ask you one thing?" I nodded.

"How did you still continue after I sealed all your points and why didn't your heart give out when I made my final attack?"

"Negatively spun chakra, when you came at me I had already memorized where you hit on me, so I put chakra there seconds before to save myself. I super charged chakra just in time to save my heart though."

"I see, then you are clearly better then I…" He said.

"No, I just know you and am weak because I can't kill anything."

"Personally, I think that is not truly a weakness because it just means you had morals and your morals can't be changed. You are unable of betrayal: you survive on loyalty. You are quite special Tenten." I was blushing now. "I'm sorry I can't same the same for myself. You are clearly better than I am. You would have killed me if I was the enemy and I wouldn't have a chance for that second attack."

"Thank you." I said. We remained in silence until a man burst into the room. "Who is responsible for your hospitalization, we will seek them out and kill them." A man screamed. Neji doesn't have parents, who is this?

"You will not, my defeat was by a person deserving of the victory. They were the better ninja, one of our village's and you will not kill them for I will stop you." I smiled; he was really quite romantic when he didn't think about it.

"I'm not in the mood for this Neji. Who is it? I must take this up with the Hokage." I good kunoichi stands up for herself, acknowledges her mistakes and regrets none of her actions.

"I did." I said bowing properly on the ground in front of him.

"You…?" He asked.

"Hai," I said.

"Who are you?" He looked up and moved my hair out of the way.

"Hoshi Tenten," He stepped back.

"You're a female."

"Hai," I answered.

"How could you have defeated Neji?"

"I just did." I replied. "I stand up for myself, acknowledge it was wrong to taken on a full match up against my teammate but I do not regret accepting this challenge." I replied.

"You have just dishonored the greatest ninja of the highly esteemed Hyuuga Clan, if you are a kunoichi of her word, speak up for yourself." He answered.

"I'm sorry for causing you great dishonor. I brought damage to Neji, dishonored the Hyuuga Clan, and fought my teammate. I dishonored myself as well. I did not mean for these to be the results of such challenge and that is all I can say."

"Very well, you do know punishment, correct?"

"I'm sorry but I do not."

"You, a kunoichi have overstepped your place, and your punishment shall rest with the Hokage." He said walking out.

"Hai, I understand."

"Good, now take your place." I nodded and kept leaning on the ground. After he had been gone a while. I got up but I fell back down.

"Tenten!" Neji said getting out of his bed. I held my hand up.

"No, I have disgraced myself enough. There is no need for you to disgrace yourself any further." I quickly stood up and bowed to Neji.

"Gomen nasai. Hyuuga-sama," I said bowing and walking out of the hospital.

"Tenten…" He said. I stopped as my place said. "Just because you're a girl doesn't mean that he can treat you like dirt. You're stronger then him because I am."

"Nai, Arigato Hyuuga-sama but I am a girl and I am only but property to be used and I have over stepped my place, he is correct now I must respect you by not talking to you and disgracing you further. Sayonara Hyuuga-sama." I said walking out crying.

¤ (2 Days Later) ¤

I would have expected that I would have no punishment for 'over stepping my boundaries' as a female. However, the Hyuuga Clan had much power even with the Hokage. I was; however, given a punishment. I was, no longer allowed to stay a ninja. I of course took seriously. Today I am resigning my post on team 10.

I walked over to training fields and I looked at Neji. I bowed not daring to look at him. "You going to stand there bowing our help me train?" He asked.

"Neither, I'm here to resign from this team." If I looked up, he'd be shocked.

"My uncle did this, didn't he?" He asked.

"Uncle?"

"The man from before?"

"He and many others requested the same thing. Their statement was made clear. There can be no kunoichi who over powers those who she serves. In order to keep order, I must resign."

"You can't… you're the only one who can help me become stronger."

"Gomen nasai but I must resign."

"If this is how it has to be then so be it. I order you to train with me." He said. I looked surprised. He didn't seem to care however, stubborn Neji. He had to get his way.

"If you have to serve men, I technically am one, so you have to listen to me, right?" I sighed and nodded.

"Hai, I have to obey you."

"Then if I have to, I'll command you every day to help me for you're the only one can." I nodded. "I need you to be at my side. You are the only one who has ever beaten me, you will help me becomes stronger and I in term will help you. Return home and change, alright?" I nodded and turned around. "Tenten…"

"Hai?"

"I'm sorry for having to do this for you but if that's what it takes, I don't mean to be the bad guy and take advantage of you."

"Trust me; there are men who will go far beyond this because they think they are better then girls." He nodded and I walked over.

"Will you forgive me when this is all over?" I looked over my shoulder and smiled.

"If you want me to, of course." I said smiling and running off.

- Dream –

"Oi Tenten, wake up." Neji said. I opened my eyes and smiled. "What's up with you?"

"I was remembering the past." He nodded.

"I wish I could better remember it." I smiled and sat up. I leaned against him; he in term wrapped his arms around my body. I held his face and kissed him.

"I was remembering the time when we went all out and almost killed each other."

"I don't remember perfectly but weren't there quite a lot of times."

"Not as bad as this one, it was so bad it hospitalized both of us, your uncle came and I was supposed to resign from being a ninja. For I was…

"Over stepping your boundaries as a woman?" He asked. I nodded, he smiled, and he knew it. "You're mine." He said.

"A hem." He moved his arm off my back and moved my hand that was currently resting on his chest up to my face.

"You see that ring; it means that you are mine. Now and forever. That's what being a kunoichi is, isn't it? Knowing that you are to stand by my side, as much as I am by yours." I smiled and nodded. I rested my head on his chest.

"I love you." I said quietly.

"I love you too Tenten." He said. He placed a finger on my chin and lifted it to my eye level." I've probably said this before as well but you may be mine but you are something so precious to me, so important. I'd never do anything to hurt you. I'm sure there are some people who see their wife as their property and tool and they can't treat them however they see fit but I love you and I'd never do that to you." He said.

I was so happy, I was crying. He held me. "Neji, thank you." He nodded. In his arms, I felt so entirely happy as if nothing could touch me. I lay down, he lay down next to me, and he wrapped his arms around me. He rested his head on mine and I rested my head on his chest. He pulled the blankets over us and I closed my eyes. I would have fallen asleep again but I heard something.

"Tenten, Neji…" Lee said running in the room and being shocked into the personal matters. He turned around. He was embarrassed. I sighed and sat up. Neji placed a hand on my leg to comfort me in all my annoyance.

"What Lee?" I asked.

"The Hoshikage highly trained ninja from before here and the requested our presences immediately."

"Couldn't you have knocked?" I asked annoyed.

"Tenten…" Neji said.

"I'm sorry but I had to say that. He could have knocked, I mean, is that too much to ask. It would have saved us all this uncomfortable silence." He rolled his eyes.

"There is no silence when you're uncomfortable about something." He said.

"Meany." I answered sticking my tongue at him.

"Fine, if that's how you want to see me, fine."

"Huh?" He picked me up, tossed me over his shoulder and ran out of the room.

"Lee, follow."

"Hai Neji." Lee answered.

"Hyuuga Neji, you put me down this very minute!" I yelled.

"Nope, we've got to go meet up with the Hoshikage Ninja and you were being a bit to tired today."

"Eh?" I asked. He rolled his eyes and just ran faster.

We arrived at the meeting room and Neji opened the door with his free hand while the other was on my legs to keep me from falling off his back.

"Neji… put me down." I complained. Everyone was staring. He huffed and mumbled something so incoherent that even I who was like 2 centimeters from him couldn't understand.

The meeting was not going to be interesting; I sat in a chair and closed my eyes.

The Reasons Why… He's There for Her. when she's tired: he lets her sleep he's not too hard on her during training he picks her up and carries her he cares about her he watches over her he compliments her he helps her understand he protects her he takes care of all her needs he'd do anything for her he regrets hurting her he understands her he stands up for her