Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Naruto.

Destined to Love
By: Chigiri Sasaki

Summary: He was a prodigy, with a damaged past and no future. She was a commoner, with a hidden secret. Strung together by fate, it was only a matter of time before she changed his life forever. AU, NejiTen

Chapter Twelve

"What happened?"

"Impossible!"

These were the exclamations of nearby townspeople as Hyuuga Hiashi ran through the streets with Neji in his arms. But as fast as he flew, he couldn't outrun them.

"Is that Hyuuga Neji?"

"I thought he was stronger than that!"

Hiashi let out a low growl as he sped up. The murmurs of disapproval for the clan was the last thing the clan head wanted to hear. He hated how the townspeople would only speak up for the sake of gossip instead of the much more appreciated concern. It was sickening to know that they found it interesting and a sight to see the prodigy of Konoha's most noble clan injured and fallen from grace. More heads snapped around at the sound of Hiashi's urgent footsteps but he regarded them with little concern.

Just an hour ago had the leader of the Hyuuga clan been sleeping peacefully in his futon. It was still early dawn when a Hyuuga guard came knocking rather loudly at his door; he had claimed there was an urgent message from the bird country that simply had to be taken care of. Quickly recognising the country as the one of Neji future wife's, Hiashi had gotten up without another word and read the letter.

The letter had informed him of Sato Mikya's murder and how the original message explaining her death and the cancellation of the wedding had never been successfully sent.

Hiashi had left the Hyuuga manor then and gone right out into the chilly morning to search for Neji. He had spotted them quickly, thanks to the help of his bloodline limit. But by the time he had arrived the Mikya impostor was gone, and he found Neji sprawled across the ground, a pool of fresh blood still flowing underneath him.

But that wasn't what was the most disturbing. It was the fact that even as Neji laid unconscious, there was still the frown that marred the straight line of his lips. It was as if he was still silently rebelling against something, even when everything else in his mind had shut down. Neji's unsettled expression that mirrored Hizashi's haunted Hiashi to this very moment as he was carrying Neji in his arms to the hospital.

The bold letters from the sign that said 'Konoha Hospital' soon came into view and Hiashi sighed a breath of relief; Neji was soon to be under the care of the fifth Hokage. He then surely had hope, right? Hiashi looked down at the prodigy, and all traces of relief disappeared as his breath caught and his eyes clouded with fear. Neji's chest was barely rising.

With a surge of panic Hiashi quickened his pace. The moment the automatic doors of Konoha hospital slid open, he instantly rushed to the receptionist despite the line of people who were waiting impatiently for service.

"This is an emergency," Hiashi explained quickly, his voice low but frantic. "Hyuuga Neji was stabbed by a sword, and it's likely that there was poison involved." The people nearby immediately quieted as they strained to hear. "He's lost a lot of blood and his pulse is faint."

The receptionist looked up briefly and then pressed a button without a second glance. "Prepare the emergency room," she said urgently into the receiver. "Call Tsunade-sama and tell her we have Hyuuga Neji in critical condition."

Murmurs and whispers began filling the waiting room, but Hiashi ignored them as he followed a nurse to the emergency room. At the moment, the Hyuuga clan's reputation and how people saw them was the least of his concerns. Hiashi didn't know how he would ever be able to forgive himself if Neji didn't live through this—Neji was, undoubtedly, his brother's hope. Neji had abilities that surpassed even those of the main household. Elite and composed, Neji had a future so bright it would truly be a tragedy if this was the end for him.

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait outside, Hyuuga-sama," the nurse said politely, stopping in front of the emergency room. She took Neji from Hiashi's arms. "One of the nurses or doctors will come and inform you of Neji's condition. Meanwhile, you should change into something else. The blood on your clothing is not sanitary." She gave him a brief smile and within seconds she disappeared into the room.

Hiashi sat in the nearby seats and inhaled sharply. He couldn't help but take the blame of this all. Maybe, if he had been more resistant against the elders, then the Mikya impostor wouldn't have stayed and injured Neji like this. Maybe, if he had been more doubtful when he heard about Tenten's attempt at poisoning, then he would have discovered the truth earlier. Maybe, if he had not been so reckless and killed that ninja years ago, then the land of lightning wouldn't be seeking revenge to this day. Hiashi sighed. Either way, it seemed as if he was the reason as to why they were in this mess.

His nose suddenly wrinkled in disgust. Whether it was himself or the blood, he didn't know. But Hiashi had grown used to the smelling the rusty, salty smell of blood over the years. Maybe it had to with the fact that it came from his own family that made the stench of Neji's blood so overwhelming.

The leader of the Hyuugas glanced briefly at the sign that glowed red and felt a wave of tiredness wash over him. He might as well go change. It would take a while to clear the poison out of Neji's bloodstream. And even when they did, it would still take a while before the wounds healed and Neji gained consciousness again.

"Hiashi-sama?"

Hiashi's train of thoughts broke off and his head snapped around at the sound of his name. He recognised the soft, sweet yet fierce voice even though he hadn't been around the young kunoichi for quite a while.

And, sure enough, standing in the white hallway stood Tenten, her brown hair still tied up in the buns, her slender frame still wearing the Chinese-styled attire, looking exactly like the last time he had seen her. He nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement. "Tenten."

Tenten smiled slightly, unsure as to how the clan head now saw her. After all, she did leave unannounced and her sudden departure probably made Neji seem like he was right about his accusations. The brunette bit her lip when she saw Hiashi's unreadable expression. Did he think that she was irresponsible? Did he think that she tried to poison Neji, too? Unknowingly, she began to play with the corners of the papers that she held in her hands.

"So what brings you here?"

Tenten was surprised by the friendliness in his voice. "Oh, well, I kind of fainted, and then my friend Ino brought me here. I'm all right now, though. I was going to hand these"—she raised the sheets Tsunade had given earlier—"until I saw you. They're just some sheets to fill out for my medical file."

"You don't have one?"

Tenten shook her head and pointed a finger to herself. "Commoner," she said, imitating Neji perfectly, "remember?"

Hiashi chuckled and his eyes were warm again. "Oh, right."

Tenten couldn't help but laugh along as she seated herself across Hiashi. It wasn't actually that funny, but she felt so at home when she was with him and it was just too easy for her to be herself. She missed that. She missed Hiashi greatly during her stay at Ino's, regardless of how entertaining and cheerful and kind the girls there were. Something in his presence made her feel warm and happy and cared for—it felt like she was family, instead of that poor lonely girl she really was. Hiashi was like a father figure to her, and that made Tenten feel nothing but remorse remembering how rudely she had left when Hiashi had treated her so kindly during her stay with the Hyuugas.

"So how are you?"

Tenten snapped out of her thoughts and smiled briefly. "I'm good. I've been staying over at Ino's. How about you?"

"The same as usual. Being the clan's head is not as empowering as it seems."

"Well, it sure does seem like it." She pointed at his clothing, where there were patches of red which were, undoubtedly, blood. "I feel bad for whoever you took down. I wish I was there to watch—it must have been quite a fight."

Hiashi's face suddenly changed and discomfort flitted across his face. "Actually, that's the reason why I'm here."

"You're hurt?" Realisation finally hit her when he shook his head and she glanced warily at the emergency room. "Who's hurt?"

The reply came out as a whisper. "Neji."

Tenten opened her mouth to say something, but no words would come out. She was used to hearing this. Whether she was a Konoha citizen or not, she was used to seeing and hearing stories about ninja dying from a fight. Witnessing a ninja dying in a hospital was no new news for her—and apparently, Tenten thought as she saw the vacant seats, to the clan as well—yet something about Neji being in the dreaded emergency room seemed to be bothering and more perturbing than usual. She released the breath she never knew she was holding.

"Is he alright?" she managed finally.

Hiashi's wary eyes tightened. "I don't know. He's lost a lot of blood. He was barely breathing when I arrived."

Tenten felt her heart sink. She was a kunoichi, and she was indeed used to the idea of ninja dying for the safety of the village. It was a real honour, really, to die for your village, and there was always a sense of pride people took when they told these stories to others. But as Tenten looked at Hiashi's worried expression she knew Neji's case was different—he didn't fight for the village nor for the sake of his clan. She didn't know Neji that well, nor did she know what this case was about, but she had seen Neji's eyes when he trained; the disconnected, distant look indicated that he fought solely to prove himself, even though that task was accomplished years ago. Neji fought for himself every day, he fought for his future, for his life… Tenten stopped as she felt her eyes begin to sting. She was surprised; since when had she thought of Neji like that?

She buried that odd feeling underneath the many layers of worry and anxiety and looked at the clan leader, who hadn't moved an inch since she had first seen him. "Neji's stronger than that," she said quickly. "And I'm sure the enemy had to be really strong in order to get Neji into a state like this…" Her face became thoughtful. "What happened? It isn't like Neji to be injured like this."

"He was poisoned."

Tenten tensed and her face turned defensive. "I swear I didn't poison Neji. I know when I left it must have looked like it, but you have to believe me—"

"It was Mikya." His voice was curt and bitter. "Or, rather, I should say the impostor of Mikya. The real one is dead."

The brunette's eyes widened in realisation. So that was the reason why Mikya had acted so rudely to her. It wasn't from jealousy or her overprotective attitude, like Tenten had believed—it was all part of the plan. It all seemed to piece together then. Tenten knew how Mikya had pushed her down, forcing her to use the remains of the medicine which was poisoned was all too coincidental. And she was right—it was all a scheme to get rid of her so Mikya could have Neji all to herself. But what was her goal, though? And what had she meant when she said, 'don't meddle with family issues' on the day of her arrival?

"What did she want?" Tenten asked quietly, her voice serious. "What did she want so badly that made her do all of this?"

Hiashi remained silent, and his eyes were hesitant. There was no need for Tenten to be involved with any of this, nor did she need to know about Neji's bitter past that had caused him to act like how he did now. Should Tenten know about the constantly sought after secret about the Byakugan? What if she was after it, too? Could he trust her? Should he trust her?

"It's okay," Tenten assured quickly, seeing his doubtful expression. "You don't have to tell me. I wouldn't want to meddle with family issues. It's none of my business, anyways." She stood up and straightened the folds in her clothes. "And I have go now," she said. She smiled. "It was nice seeing you again, Hiashi-sama. Send Neji my best regards."

Hiashi's eyes flickered with surprise. "You're leaving?"

"Well, I have to go sometime." She raised the multicoloured papers that Tsunade had told her to fill out earlier. "I still have to do this and I have lots of other things to do. My fainting and staying at the hospital already wasted a lot of my time." She swerved around to leave.

"Wait," Hiashi called out suddenly, causing Tenten's movements to come to a stop. "I was thinking," he said slowly, carefully choosing his words, "if you would like to continue your job. As Neji's peer tutor."

"No thanks, it's fine." Tenten smiled, but Hiashi could hear the slightest twinge of bitterness that withered her voice. "Neji chased me out of there, remember?"

"But he didn't know—"

"Good day, Hiashi-sama."

Her tone rung with such finality the only thing Hyuuga Hiashi could do was to watch as his last hope strolled away. Sadness reflected in his pale eyes as he glanced back warily at the glowing red sign on top of the door.

He recalled the unsettled expression Neji held when he disappeared into the emergency room. The slight furrow of his eyebrows, the tiny frown that graced his lips, the hollow dark circles under his closed eyes that indicated that there was some unfinished business that had to be done. A strand of silver hair fell over his creased forehead. Neji couldn't possibly die—not right now, not right here when he was still cold and unloving and hadn't seen the true meaning of life yet.

Hiashi could only hope that perhaps someday a nice young girl would come along and show the prodigy that he was never alone. The image of Tenten then appeared in his mind. Looking back, Neji didn't seem to mind her presence all that much and there were changes in him—they were subtle, but they were still enough to be accounted as a difference.

Tenten could change Neji and show him the side of life he had never seen before. They just had to realise that.

Tenten exhaled in relief as she walked down the long, white corridor. She had almost forgotten to breathe when she felt the intense tension lingering in the air. Being in the hospital somehow contributed to the heavy and uncomfortable atmosphere; maybe it had to with all the deaths that happened here. Tenten instantly shuddered thinking of Neji.

Tenten kept her eyes on the tiled floor as she walked back towards the receptionist. Sounds of heavy footsteps echoed continually, almost tauntingly, through the corridor, wheels screeching each time it either halted or curved to a sharp turn. Tenten looked in both ends, and frowned in suspicion when nobody was there. It was mentioned earlier that there were patients flooding the hospital, yet the hallway was completely empty. Natural instincts kicked in and Tenten picked up her pace.

When she was near the end, she began to hear voices that spoke in a hushed conversation. As she approached closer, the voices became clearer and Tenten was soon able to make out the words.

"I can't believe it," a female voice murmured. Tenten's eyes narrowed—it sounded so familiar.

"I know!" another voice exclaimed. "She's so young… I can't believe she has so many brain tumours at such a young age."

"How many days do you think she has left?" the first female voice asked. Recognition finally hit Tenten and she realised that the two voices belonged to Ino and Sakura.

"I don't know. Tsunade said—"

Tenten had been too busy eavesdropping on their conversation she didn't notice when Ino paused. Tenten had been crouching, staring intently at the ground near the end of the hallway just before it came to a turn. Only when two pairs of shoes suddenly came into her view did Tenten look up. She smiled sheepishly. "H-hi."

"Tenten," they both said at once, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know. I was going to bring these"—Tenten raised her sheets which were, by now, folded around the edges—"to the receptionist. But I think I got lost."

"You shouldn't be here, Tenten," Sakura said, frowning. "It's forbidden for patients to wander this far into the west wing. It's a surprise you even ended up here."

"That would explain how empty it is."

"You should go now before you get caught." Ino took Tenten by the arm and began walking towards the direction where Tenten came from. "We'll bring you back to the receptionist, just in case you get lost and end up in some other forbidden area."

Tenten let herself be dragged by Ino and followed her two friends as they walked down the complex twists and turns of Konoha hospital. "So," she said casually after a moment, "what made that area so forbidden?"

"Top secret medicine, formulas, weapons… all that stuff." Ino's voice was distant and curt, and Tenten knew that the blonde wanted to say as little as possible about the topic which was probably prohibited to talk about to outside commoners.

"Who were you guys talking about?"

"Amaya," Sakura replied with the same amount of curtness, and her gaze flickered over to Tenten, wondering how much she had heard from their conversation. "How much have you heard?"

"Just the last bit," Tenten answered, frowning slightly, disliking the coldness the two girls had when they worked at the hospital. "Can I visit her?"

Sakura's eyes softened considerably. She glanced over to Ino for reassurance, who had an unreadable expression as she nodded slightly for encouragement. Sakura turned around to Tenten and smiled. It didn't touch her eyes. "Sure, Tenten. I suppose it wouldn't hurt now."

Tenten flinched slightly, hating the way she had phrased it. "How much time does she have left?"

"Not much," Ino replied. "Tsunade-sama said there are tumours in almost every crevice of her tiny and fragile skull. It's amazing she's even alive now—treatment or no treatment, she has only a few more weeks. A month, at most." She ignored the stern look Sakura cast her. "Amaya's fits are more frequent now. So are her headaches, too. But one day, the pain will be so unbearable her body wouldn't be able to take it anymore—but Tsunade-sama said she would numb and put Amaya to sleep before it got to that point. Until then, she works on the cure with medics whenever she has time. Tsunade-sama barely had any sleep these past few weeks."

"And that puts more stress on us to take care of the rest," Sakura added with a hint of annoyance. "That's why we don't ever have free time now."

Tenten nodded slowly. "But you can't blame her."

Ino shrugged. "We don't."

"So does Amaya know about all this?" the brunette inquired.

Sakura scowled slightly at her failed attempt to change the subject. "No. And we intend to keep it that way."

The rest of the walk was then engulfed in an uncomfortable silence. No one spoke a word after Sakura's words that came out rather coldly; each person was deeply buried into their own thoughts, but each of them wondered how they would be able to keep the truth away from Amaya—especially Tenten, who thought that it was wrong to keep someone in the dark, regardless of how much the reality would hurt. Tenten was rather acquainted with that kind of pain.

Sakura left midway when a doctor found them and claimed that he needed one of either Sakura or Ino's help. Sakura instantly volunteered when one of her teammate's name was mentioned, claiming she needed to talk to him anyway. Whether the brunette was used to it or not, she always felt a strange feeling at the pit of her stomach whenever the word 'teammate' was mentioned. More than anything did she want to be in a team, to go on missions and come back to a village of friends and teachers and parents that she would be able to be friends with.

"We're here," Ino said, interrupting her thoughts as she stopped at the room that was marked '109'. The blonde turned to Tenten and eyed her warily. "Please don't mention anything about her disease."

"Why not?" Tenten asked quietly, in case Amaya was able to hear.

"The brain tumours are already causing her enough pain. She's having fits and her recent headaches were so bad even painkillers didn't work against them." Her voice lowered. "Tsunade-sama doesn't even know if the brain tumours are regular. Something about the way they react inside her skull doesn't seem normal, and Tsunade-sama can't help but think someone else has implanted something."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, and that's why we don't want to tell her anything. All we know is that she doesn't have much time left, so we're trying to make her last few weeks memorable." Ino's eyes tightened. "Tsunade-sama doesn't let her out, just in case something happened and we weren't able to handle it. So can you imagine spending the rest of your life in a hospital?"

"No," Tenten admitted after a moment. "Okay, I promise I won't say anything."

Ino nodded before opening the door. Tenten was rather surprised as she came in; instead of a dull airy hospital room, the place actually looked like a regular bedroom inside a cosy house. The walls were painted in soft shades of pink, and the window on the right was covered with creamy coloured curtains that drifted weightlessly with the wind. The only thing that gave the hospital room away was the equipment that was placed in the left corner of the area. Something told Tenten the equipment was only there in case of an emergency—Tenten had a feeling that Amaya didn't need any of it and only stayed here due to her unstable condition.

Speaking of which, the little girl sat on the rather fancy bed that laid in the centre of the room. Her figure was tiny and frail, the white hospital gown she wore being at least two sizes too big. She was fair skinned, with large cerulean eyes and sandy blonde hair that was tied in two pigtails on each side of her head. Her face was heart shaped, with exceptionally rosy cheeks and prominent cheekbones. Her chubby yet proportional pink lips spread into a wide smile when she caught sight of her friend Ino.

"Hi Ino!" she cried happily, waving her tiny hand. Her eyes were bright and cheerful, but they turned slightly doubtful when she caught sight of Tenten. "Who is she?"

"Oh, this is Tenten, a really good friend of mine," Ino introduced, gesturing towards the brunette. "She'll be here to keep you company while I'm gone, alright?"

The little girl clapped happily. "Okay!"

"I need to do lots of work. I'll see you at the end of the day! Bye Amaya!" Ino smiled at the little girl and gave her head a light pat before heading towards the door. Just before she left, Tenten heard her hushed yet distinct whisper. "Don't mention anything, alright?"

Tenten nodded the slightest bit and exchanged a glance with Ino before she walked out of sight. When the door closed shut Tenten turned back to Amaya, who sat patiently on her bed with her large blue eyes bright blinking innocently.

"Well," Tenten started, breaking the silence, "like Ino said, my name is Tenten, I'm sixteen years old, and I came here to visit you and give you some company." The brunette seated herself in the chair next to the bed. "Want to tell me who you are?"

Amaya lit up and spoke eagerly as if she was reciting in first grade class. "My name is Amaya and I am eight years old!" She grinned proudly.

"Nice to meet you, Amaya." Tenten smiled politely. "This is a really nice room you have here."

"Thank you! Except I hate pink now. I like green!"

"Why do you hate pink?"

"Because that was so long ago. You have to change your favourite colour once in a while!"

"How long has it been?"

"Three weeks."

Tenten laughed.

"Tenten-nee-chan, do you know why I have to stay here? When my friends are sick, they don't have to stay in the hospital…"

"Don't worry. You'll be out of here very soon." Tenten smiled as soothingly as she could.

"I hope so. I get so bored here."

"Well, you have a lot of books to read," Tenten pointed out cheerfully, pointing to the large pile of books. They were stacked messily in a pile on the cupboard by Amaya's bed. "I heard you spend a lot of time reading them, since you're not allowed to leave this room very often."

"I hate reading."

"Why?"

"Reading is hard," Amaya admitted bluntly. "But Sakura and Ino painted the room, so that was kind of fun. They would usually read me a story or two before I go to bed. But I've heard so many boring stories over and over again I know all of them by now."

"That's hardly fair," Tenten said as she took the first book off the stack. She gestured towards the cover. "Don't you love superheroes?"

"I do," Amaya chirped. "But I think I like real people more. The heroes in stories are too perfect. And I think the strong ninjas that Iruka-sensei talks about in class are stronger and braver. Iruka-sensei always told us that dying for what we believe in is hon—hon—hon—"

"Honourable?" Tenten offered.

"Yes. I'm not too good with big words. But he tells us stories about our Hokages and how they died for the safety of the village." She beamed. "I'm so happy Tsunade-sama is our Hokage now. She's strong and beautiful and she helps so many people. I hope I can be just like her one day!"

Tenten smiled softly, beginning to see an exact younger version of herself. "Do you have any other idols that you look up to?"

"Of course," Amaya said excitedly. "My other biggest role model is Hyuuga Neji!"

Amaya didn't notice Tenten stiffening as she began gushing about how strong and talented he was. "He comes from the noble Hyuuga clan, you know. He was named a prodigy ever since he was a little kid! And so many girls have a crush on him. It's so funny, nee-chan, to see them running after him. I think his match with Naruto-kun a few years ago made him super popular. Neji beat Naruto-kun in a matter of minutes!"

Amaya finally stopped when she saw that Tenten had not said anything. Her brown eyes were distant. The only sign that indicated she was actually listening was when she gave an occasional nod. "Tenten-nee-chan?"

The kunoichi jerked abruptly as she snapped out of her thoughts. "Yeah, Neji really is a good role model," she agreed nonchalantly.

"Is something wrong?"

The brunette shook her head and smiled reassuringly. "No, I'm fine. Just… thinking."

"About what?"

Tenten inhaled sharply, finding the first flaw in having a conversation with children. They were nosy. If it were Ino or Sakura, they would probably know when it was the wrong time to pry. That was one of the reasons why Tenten couldn't bring herself to leave Ino's house even after a week; she found comfort of some sort in confiding to these understanding girls. The friendship bond she had with them was something she had been lacking all her life since she had woken up lost and abandoned.

"Tenten-nee-chan?"

Tenten jerked out of her thoughts and smiled briefly.

Amaya giggled. "You go sleepy all the time!"

"Sorry, I was just thinking about a story," Tenten lied smoothly. "You want to hear it?"

Amaya shrugged. "Okay! But I probably heard of it."

"I don't think you've heard of this one. This story is an old classic that actually happened in Konoha."

Interest sparked in her bright blue eyes and Amaya's entire face lit up. "Really?"

"Really."

"Do tell, then!"

"Alright." Tenten laughed lightly before clearing her throat. "There was always a legend here in Konoha," she began, her voice lowering to a tone that was suitable for storytelling. "Many years ago, back when the first Hokage ruled the leaf village, there was a ninja called Masaru. His name meant 'victory', and it fitted him quite well; he was loved by everybody, he came from a strong clan, he was smart, he was handsome, he was strong… everybody thought his life was perfect. But for Masaru, there was always something missing. He felt empty, especially whenever he saw a couple holding hands or kiss, but he couldn't figure out what it was."

Amaya laughed. "Silly Masaru. Of course it's love!"

"Silly Masaru," Tenten agreed, smilingly. "But he was determined to find out what this empty feeling was, and how he could get rid of it. So he left Konoha and went into another village—the land of lightning. And even though he had permission to leave Konoha, he knew that he wasn't welcomed at the land of lightning because they weren't allied. So he went undercover, as a person who claimed to have lived in a rural area all his life.

"But then he met the lord's daughter. She was beyond beautiful, with porcelain skin and soft brown eyes that were so enchanting it cast spells on the men around her. Her name was Sora, legend says, and her name meant 'sky'. That was what Masaru described her beauty as—boundless as the sky and deep as the sea. Masaru and Sora soon fell in love, and Masaru finally discovered the true feeling of love.

"And then the Sora's father—the lord—found out about their relationship. He was angry at Sora—angry that she chose a commoner over the suitable candidate from the bird country, who could have offered an alliance along with his proposal. Of course, at that time, the lord didn't know that Masaru was part of a noble clan in Konoha. But nevertheless he still wished for his daughter's happiness, so he told Sora that his spies would follow her for the next few days to ensure her happiness and safety. He told her if Masaru harmed her in any way, then the relationship would instantly end. Sora quickly agreed to the compromise. She had no idea what would happen next.

"The day after, while Sora and Masaru were walking alone at night, a group of unknown ninjas attacked them. Of course, Masaru used his ninja abilities and fought them off, despite knowing that he had blown off his cover. That night, Sora found out that Masaru was actually supposed to be an enemy. And if that wasn't horrible enough, she realised that her father's spies must have seen everything, too."

Tenten paused for a moment, studying Amaya's face. Within just a few minutes, her facial expression changed from eagerness, to excitement when the story began, to engrossment when Masaru met Sora, and then, finally, to discomfort when Masaru was discovered. Tenten decided to stop. Amaya, after all, was still just eight years old and there was no need to destroy her fantasy and beliefs of fairy tales and expose her to the harsh reality. It probably would have been better if she had just told a normal, classic fairy tale where everybody lived happily ever after.

"Why'd you stop?" Amaya asked, confused. "It was getting really interesting!"

"I'm not sure if you'd like the story. It has a bittersweet ending." Tenten tapped her long slender finger on Amaya's stubby little nose. "Besides, now you'll get the fun of imagining the rest!"

The little blonde giggled and nodded fervently. "But I still want to know what happens."

"I'll tell you next time."

Amaya smiled adorably, displaying the gap where her two front teeth had fallen out. "Promise?" she asked, lifting her pinkie.

"Promise." Tenten laughed wholeheartedly as she wrapped her little finger around Amaya's little one. She was truly becoming more and more attached to this little girl, and she couldn't help but notice how warm and open Amaya was to her, a mere stranger. Maybe all little infants were trusting and warm, regardless of their fates. Tenten wondered. Was she like this when she was younger?

Amaya hummed a little tune as she put a storybook on her lap. She gazed at the cover, which was a picture with a magnificent castle in the background, where the sky was a perfect shade of light blue and where white, puffy clouds drifted weightlessly in the air. There was a long sandy coloured pathway extending from the castle towards the front, where a carriage was led by four breathtakingly white horses. And through the tinted window in the carriage, there were two shadows which, undoubtedly, belonged to the prince and a princess who were in love. Amaya subconsciously fingered the contour of the prince as she turned to Tenten. "Are there real princes out there?" she asked in wonder. "Will I find him one day?"

Tenten laughed lightly. "I don't think there are real princes, Amaya, but there is a guy who would treat you as if you were a real princess." She purposely ignored the second question, and was glad that Amaya didn't seem to notice. "Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Yeah," Amaya agreed eagerly. Her bright cerulean eyes twinkled. "Ne, nee-chan, did you find your prince charming yet?"

Tenten smiled softly and ruffled Amaya's strawberry-blonde hair. "No, I haven't." Something in the way she said it made Amaya think that the kunoichi wanted to drop the subject, but being the stubborn eight year old she was, she continued to press for more information.

"Why not?"

"Well," Tenten began, and then stopped when she saw the excitement and curiosity pouring off the little girl. The kunoichi looked into the bright innocence that shone in the little girl's bright eyes and still couldn't believe that Amaya's life was so short. Amaya was so young—she had so much to see in the world yet she would never be able to see any of it. She was stuck in the hospital, day after day, until her heartbeat would fade into nothing. Tenten just wished that she could tell Amaya that everything would be okay, and that all her dreams wouldn't be wasted because she would have the time to make them come true.

Tenten didn't know Amaya that well yet she felt her heart ache for her. Maybe, Tenten figured, it was because Amaya was like a younger version of herself—young, trapped, lost, and unhappy in a world that had too many limits.

"Let's just say," Tenten finally said, smiling ruefully, "life doesn't always have its happy ending."

Haruno Sakura sighed dejectedly, her emerald eyes softening with sympathy as she gazed upon the little talkative girl. She was standing outside room 109, where Amaya stayed and where Tenten had spent her entire day, only leaving from time to time to eat her meals or grab a snack. It was already night, and to both the medic kunoichis' relief, the hospital was quiet for a change. Every patient was asleep, with the exceptional few who were either immune to sleeping pills or in the emergency room. Sakura immediately thought of Hyuuga Hiashi who waited for hours in front of it, and wondered if Tenten had heard about Neji's condition. But just asf she was about to tell the older kunoichi, she figured that Tenten wouldn't want to hear about Neji anymore, as she was rather upset the night she ran away from the Hyuugas.

"It's really heartbreaking to know that someone as young and sweet as Amaya will die."

Sakura glanced up and saw her friend Yamanaka Ino walking towards her. "I know," she agreed softly.

Ino didn't reply, for her gaze was too focused on the little girl who was now laughing. Sakura turned to that direction as well, and for a moment both of the kunoichi simply stood there, silenced by the facial expression that Amaya held. She seemed so happy, undisturbed, so serene for once… Even though Sakura and Ino had spent a considerable amount with the little girl, there was still the truth that they were medical ninjas that were ordered to look after her. It somehow separated them, despite the fact that Ino and Sakura truly cared for her. But Tenten was different; she, although older, shared similarities with her and stayed with Amaya because she wanted to. Sakura felt a smile spread on her porcelain face. Tenten and Amaya seemed more like sisters than friends.

"Well, at least she's got company right now," she pointed out quitely.

"I guess. Hey Sakura… Is it just me or did Tenten spend her whole day in that room?"

"Yeah, she did." Sakura tilted her head questioningly. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I just think that it's best if Tenten doesn't visit her anymore."

Sakura shot her friend a surprised look. "Why would you say something like that? Amaya deserves all the company she can get!"

"No, no, don't get me wrong." But then the blonde's half smile faltered and her expression dropped. "I just don't want Tenten to be too attached to her. It'll just make everything harder for the both of them when Amaya…" She didn't need to finish her sentence to get her meaning across.

"Too late," Sakura said with a sigh. "You and I both know very well that Tenten has a warm heart." Her emerald eyes then flickered over to the doctor who gave them a sceptical look as he passed by, and immediately changed the subject.

"So, I've heard that there is some kind of new epidemic," she said formally as she flicked through Tsunade's charts, professionalism evident in her movements. "Eleven patients were sent to the hospital yesterday and fifty seven today. All of them seem to have major headaches and they had all thrown fits."

Ino, seeing that the doctor wasn't within sight anymore, said, "Sakura, you need to relax. We won't get fired—we're Tsunade-sama's apprentices, remember?" The blonde then took a look at the papers Sakura was holding. "Wow, I hope that this will become some kind of investigating mission. I haven't had one of those in almost three weeks. I'm think I'm almost starting to like it better when life was full of danger and surprises."

"You're right, we didn't have a mission for a while," Sakura noted with an air of disappointment. "Hm… I wonder what Tsunade-sama is up to now."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there is a rumour that the land of lightning is planning its revenge is Konoha. I think I heard that there was a girl named Mi—" Sakura paused to think. "I forget… I think it's Mika or something."

Ino's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Land of lightning… why does that seem so familiar?"

"Remember the Chuunin exams from a few years ago?" Sakura asked. "Neji-san explained that the Raikage had sent a ninja to find out their secret or something, then they lied." When she caught Ino's bewildered face, she waved it off with a hand. "Oh, it was something along the lines of that."

"But they're only doing something now? Couldn't have they done something else years ago?" Ino questioned the girl before her. "And since when does Tsunade believe in rumours?"

"Since always," Sakura answered almost sardonically. "Like there was that time years ago where there was a rumour around the town, saying that there will be a war. Frantic, Tsunade had refused every mission offered by the other countries in order to ensure that all her ninjas would be present on the day of the 'war'. And it turned out to be nothing more than a prank. Remember that? You were there too. Then there was that time where—" She trailed off when she glanced at her watch. "Uh oh, it's ten o'clock. Time to give Tsunade the charts." Sakura paused, grimaced and added, "be careful though. Tsunade-sama's having one of her 'off' days."

"Okay," Ino said, nodding, but then turned her head to Amaya. "So who's going to tell them that visiting hours are over?"

Sakura gave a tired smile. "I will. Tsunade-sama wants her files in fifteen minutes. Meet us both at the entrance after you're done."

The blonde nodded. But she, despite knowing that Tsunade hated tardiness, stayed and watched as Sakura entered the room and broke the news to Amaya. The sad look that crossed the little girl's face didn't go unnoticed by Ino, who, after sighing in dismay, made her way down the empty hallway of Konoha hospital, wondering exactly why nature had to be so cruel.

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A/N: ahaha, i updated in a month! be so proud of me--I gave up my friday night to write my future chapters, haha. I just went shopping today, and I swear, my legs are gonna fall off. Review and make me feel better! Lmfaoo. Anyhow, next chapter is for Neji to find out everything!!

So as for the storyline, I made it so that Neji beat Naruto at the Chuunin exams. So that means there was no change in Neji, no invasion of the sand, no Orochimaru, or any of the Sasuke retrieval stuff (that will make the story centred around him), nor Sai. Everybody will stay where they were before the Chuunin exams, as teams that just train and do missions. I'll explain that further in the story.

And I have to give my thanks to my awesome beta Philyra. (I always forget to mention in author notes.. no wonder my mum always calls me an ungrateful child.) She has mad skills. Much thanks to her for putting up with me. And thanks to those who read my story! :)

Reviews are greatly appreciated.

Much love & yours truly,
Chigiri Sasaki