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 Thirteen

Half lidded eyes stared into the pale blue ceiling, contemplating and recollecting thoughts and memories. The sunlight had stirred her into consciousness a while ago; the brisk wind of autumn greeted her through the open window above the bed. The cool, crisp air had long replaced the humid, moisture-laden ones of summer, she noticed vaguely. The brisk and refreshing breeze spread through the room, carrying faint traces of nostalgia along with it. Tenten inhaled deeply and sighed.

A week had already passed. Time passed so quickly it was unreal.

But, it was true; it had already been a week since she had first met Amaya, the little blonde girl who stayed at the Konoha hospital due to a serious case of brain tumours. After visiting every following day, Tenten learned many things about the little girl. Like her, Amaya was an orphan, and she had grown up in the orphanage until a couple decided to adopt her, and that was the reason as to why she was able to attend the Academy. Tenten had learned that the blonde's foster parents were the Tanakas, the owners of the largest medicinal store in Konoha. And then, when Amaya's foster dad visited her, Tenten instantly recognised him as the apothecary she met when she was trying desperately to find yarrow, a medicinal herb that was supposed to heal wounds exceptionally quickly.

She visited the hospital everyday, but she didn't visit the Hyuuga prodigy who, she was told, was in a critical condition. She had long ago decided that it was unnecessary to create any relations between him and her, since Neji had made it clear that he hated her. She only asked about him occasionally to Ino and Sakura, or even Hiashi whenever she saw him. All they said was that Neji had still not awakened after days in the hospital, so the brunette left it at that.

Tenten reluctantly got out of bed and changed quickly into the outfit Ino had provided for her. It consisted of a more feminine red top and formfitting black pants; it was a lot more suitable for working at the Yamanaka flower shop. Tenten worked there whenever Ino was busy working at the hospital; it was the least she could do, especially after Ino had given her food, shelter, and clothes without asking for anything in return.

She looked at the clock that hung in on the pale blue wall of Ino's room. It was almost noon—she roughly estimated she had enough time to eat something before she opened the flower shop. And once she did, she would have to simply stay there for seven hours, serving endless amounts of customers. The brunette didn't mind, however. Working with and meeting new people actually occupied a lot more of her thoughts and it brought her away from the lonely misery she would suffer if she hadn't been living with Ino.

Tenten quickly locked the door to the Yamanakas' house with the spare key Ino had given her some time ago. She headed towards the town's largest café; the same one where she had met up with her friends and where some wannabe thugs had stopped her. The memory seemed so vague yet still so clear to her; it was the kind that she had intentionally put behind in her mind, hoping that she would eventually forget it as time passed by. And normally she would've forgotten about it by now—it was simply the fact that Neji appeared that kept the piece of memory so clear. Tenten quickly shook off the feeling of discomfort and picked up her pace, promising herself that it was just hunger that caused her to think like that.

She heard her stomach growl as she finally arrived at the café's large glass entrance. She opened the door, and as the soft twinkling bell above her rung, a mouth-watering aroma of sweets and drinks filled her senses. Scrumptious was always known for their delicious scent.

But once Tenten saw the unbelievably long line of people and the equally long lines behind it, she instantly considered buying something to drink from a different restaurant. But she reluctantly decided against it and stood behind a line as she knew it would be an act of impatience and not because she wanted to be on time for work.

Deciding that time would pass by easily with mindless thoughts, Tenten tried to focus her mind on something else. Looking around, she noted absentmindedly that there were only three cashiers, but three alternating people were working at each one so that the process would be a lot quicker. Her hazel eyes wandered around some more, and then she finally began to notice how elegant the structure of the café was, how the walls were painted a soft brown, and how odd yet somehow calming abstract paintings were hung from them.

Tenten found herself admiring the way the café looked, somehow thinking that it would be the way she would decorate if she were to own a café restaurant. How had she not noticed how cosy and comfortable this place looked before? Realisation dawned on her and Tenten smiled slightly. Of course—last time she came here, she had been too busy occupying her thoughts about Neji and how stoic yet professional he looked sitting out in the patio.

"What would you like?"

Tenten was snapped out of her thoughts and was surprised by how quickly the people in front her had been served. "Green tea please," she ordered quickly, handing over the little money Ino had given her to use whenever she needed it. The lady at the counter nodded, took the money, and disappeared into the kitchen. She returned shortly with a hot steaming cup in her hands. "Enjoy!"

The brunette quickly thanked the cashier and, grabbing the hot mug in her hands, looked around for a place to sit in. Since her arrival the amount of customers had significantly increased—there were no available tables or seats left, even in the patio and the extended portion behind the café. Out of the corner of her eyes, Tenten noticed people taking their orders out the door and eating somewhere else.

"Tenten! Over here!"

The brunette swerved around towards the patio upon hearing her name, and realising who it was who called her, a smile spread across her face. She walked quickly towards the table, holding her cup steadily, careful not to spill any of its content out. "Hey Hinata!"

"Hello Tenten," the blue-haired Hyuuga heiress exclaimed softly, "it's been such a long time since I've seen you. How are you?"

"I'm great, thanks!" Tenten finally realised that the heiress was not alone. The brunette turned to the other two who were at the table and smiled. "And you guys are?"

"Inuzuka Kiba!" Cheerfulness made its way to the brunet's features as he grinned boyishly, scratching the white dog that he had in his arms. "And this is my dog and sidekick, Akamaru!" The dog instantly barked at the sound of its name.

"I'm Aburame Shino," the other boy announced as he gave her a curt nod, his voice quiet and reserved. He seemed to be affected a lot by the cold, Tenten thought as she subconsciously rubbed her warm drink, as his entire body was mostly covered by a hood as well as a long trench coat and he wore small circular sunglasses over his eyes. "We're Hinata's team-mates."

"It's nice to meet you, Shino and Kiba." Tenten gestured towards the last empty chair at their square table. "May I?"

Kiba was the first to answer. "Of course!"

The brunette smiled as she seated herself comfortably and set her tea on the small marble table. She felt a twinge of jealously looking at the three of them; although no one spoke, Tenten could feel an unbreakable bond that was formed over years of trust and training lingering over them. Tenten dropped her head and held the hot mug between her fingers, gazing into her own reflection.

"So how come I've never seen you before, Tenten?"

Tenten looked up upon hearing Kiba's words and automatically answered. "Oh, I lived near the forests down in the south of Konoha—I only came here because I'm tutoring Neji." It was such a natural response for her it simply rolled off her tongue; she didn't even have a chance to realise that she couldn't say that anymore. With a slight note of bitterness, she added, "well, tutored Neji."

Kiba chuckled quietly. "Tough case?"

Tenten grinned. "Oh yeah. Why else do you think I'm not with him anymore?"

"Uh oh. What did he do now?"

"Well, let's just say he didn't want me there." She suddenly saw Hinata's apologetic face and titled her head questioningly. "What's wrong, Hinata?"

"Oh, I'm just so sorry I couldn't find your necklace, Tenten! I tried asking the maids, and they said that Mikya-san put it in your room, but I still couldn't find it there! Ino said that it means a lot to you, and I'm just so—"

"It's fine! Don't worry about it," the brunette assured quickly. She took a sip of her drink. "But don't you already know that there is no 'Mikya'? Didn't your father Hiashi-sama tell you that already?"

Hinata smiled slightly in spite of herself. "He did, actually. I guess that it's just a bad habit. Her real name is really Akira, and she's actually Neji's former team-mate."

Tenten's eyes flickered with surprise. "Really?"

The heiress nodded. "It's really shocking. Neji-nii-chan doesn't talk about her anymore, because he despises her. Before, she actually—" She bit her lip nervously and paused, and Tenten suddenly had a feeling that it was a topic that was not supposed to be mentioned. "So how do you know about this?"

Tenten decided to play along. "Oh, I saw Hiashi-sama at the hospital. How's Neji doing?"

"We don't know," Hinata replied truthfully, her voice soft. "When Father left this morning, he said that Neji-nii-chan was still unconscious."

"Hinata-san," a deep voice intoned, and both of the kunoichis turned to Hinata's team-mate who had not spoken the entire time. "We must go now. We have a mission and we are to meet at the entrance with Kurenai-sensei just about now."

"Oh." Hinata turned to Tenten and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, we have to leave so soon."

"It's alright, I have to go work soon too."

"Tenten," Hinata said as she got up, "you know you're welcomed back at the Hyuugas. We're all sorry. We would love it if you'd come back."

"Thanks for the offer," the brunette said wholeheartedly, and stood up to give her friend a tight hug. "But it still doesn't change the fact that Neji doesn't."

Later on, after she bid farewell to her newly made friends, she pondered about her future as she was walking down the streets to the Yamanaka flower shop. It was something she would much rather avoid, but she was well aware of the fact that she would have to face it soon. Surely she would have to leave her friend Ino sometime, and once that day came, she would be left moneyless and helpless once again. But if Tenten were to work back at the Hyuugas, then she would be given enough money to live on until she found a proper, fulltime job. She was fully aware of this, so she didn't know why she didn't accept either of Hiashi's or Hinata's offer—she certainly didn't mind going back to live in the luxury and she was almost positive that she wouldn't have to endure everybody's disapproving glances anymore. So what was it that kept holding her back?

Tenten would never admit it, but the only offer and apology she would accept was the one of a certain Hyuuga prodigy.

Neji's eyelids felt unusually heavy as he struggled to lift them. The contrasting white ceiling of the familiar hospital met him as his eyes cracked open, the heavy smell of detergent from the bed sheets immediately filling his senses. There was a steady beeping coming from the equipment beside him that monitored his pulse, but other than that, the ward was completely silent. There was no reaction whatsoever on Neji's part; the hospital was no foreign place for a ninja such as himself.

Rustling of clothing was suddenly heard when a figure on Neji's left stood up. Upon reflex the sixteen year old prodigy tensed and tried to sit up, but he felt a slight sting at his chest and quit his attempt, now aware of the heavy layers of bandages that wrapped around his bare torso. He exhaled and let his eyelids drop. "Hiashi-sama."

"You're awake." There was relief in his voice as Hiashi approached the bed. When Tsunade came out of the surgery room with a reassuring smile, Hiashi wanted to stay with his nephew and wait until the sixteen year old awakened. However, due to his duties as a clan leader, he had no choice but to leave Neji for the majority of the time he laid unconscious.

"What time is it?" Neji asked, his voice still slightly hoarse.

"Noon."

Neji's gaze switched the window, where shafts of sunlight poured in. "How long have I been here?"

"A week," Hiashi replied thoughtfully. "You were healed a few days ago—once Tsunade extracted the poison from your body, your wounds healed exceptionally fast." His eyes darkened and his voice lowered. "So fast, it's strange."

Neji didn't respond, but by the way he opened his eyes Hiashi could tell what he said piqued his interest. "Whoever tried to kill you had the perfect chance to finish you off right then and there—there wouldn't have been a chance of you living even if I arrived there earlier. But he or she didn't."

"She."

The clan head frowned at the expressionless gaze Neji held before continuing. Didn't he have more to say than that? "She only punctured you, but the wound was not completely fatal. Did she actually want you to die? The way she grazed your heart slightly would have killed you if I found you a moment later, but at the same time, it wasn't completely fatal, either. It seemed as if she wanted to kill you, in order to complete her mission, but at the same time, there was something that pulled her back." His voice turned grave. "Was she really an enemy?"

"Yes, she was," Neji said quietly. "She's my former teammate."

"Akira? The one who betrayed Konoha for the land of lightning?" The realisation hit him and his eyes narrowed. "No wonder she was the representative."

"It makes sense. Akira's a prodigy that knows her way around the Hyuuga manor and Konoha. It's a major advantage on their part."

Grimness graced Hiashi's wrinkly features as he seated himself on the bed. "She killed the real Mikya in order to take her place. She saw her masquerade as a lord's daughter as an opportunity to get rid of Tenten as well. She is an exceptional kunoichi—one of the best."

"It doesn't matter how skilled she is. Her conniving nature and ruthlessness are qualities that aren't worth admiring."

Hiashi's eyes softened. "You're still attached to her."

"Don't assume such things," Neji hissed through gritted teeth.

"You're still bitter, then. By either her betrayal or Tenten's departure."

Neji's ivory eyes tightened and he averted his gaze to the closed window. "Please leave."

"You know, I spoke to Tenten earlier when you were in the Emergency room."

The prodigy's glance flitted to Hiashi for a second before returning back to the window, where he saw an elderly couple sitting on the benches, sharing a bowl of ramen. "And I suppose she's triumphant that I've falsely accused her."

Hiashi's eyes flickered with surprise. "No, Tenten's more concerned about you."

"Are you sure it isn't another way of begging for her job back?"

Hiashi frowned and his pale eyes narrowed. "Hyuuga Neji, Tenten is a well rounded, nice, caring young lady. You know she had done nothing to harm you yet you've accused her and chased her away. You're wrong and you're perfectly aware of that, yet you still think so lowly of her. How is it possible that you're so bitter towards her?"

Neji didn't reply and he never tore his gaze away from the window.

"I did offer Tenten her old job back, but she turned it down. You're lucky if you can even get her to speak to you now." The clan head stood up and straightened his Hyuuga robes. "Now, if you excuse me, I have other work to do." He strode to the door with his long traditional hair snapping behind him like the mane of a lion, not caring that the chair he had been sitting on had fallen when he abruptly got up. He walked until he was by the exit and, after taking one last glance at the ungrateful boy, slammed the door shut.

How is it possible that you're so bitter towards her?

The words spoken from the clan leader resonated in Neji's head repetitively.

Considering what Tenten had gone through for him, Neji had no right to disrespect her in any way, but the years and years he had spent training after his father's death changed him and permanently altered his personality. The shock and the alarm of seeing his father's dead body, so still and lifeless and unlike the role model he looked up to, sent him to the realms of insanity. The unfortunate event turned his world upside down and completely shattered the beautiful images and ambitions created by his naïve beliefs and his innocent dreams.

He didn't want to face anyone anymore; he trained day and night to distract himself from the pain and bitterness that ached his heart every night. But the distraction was only temporary; soon he was forced to face the hard reality, a darkness lurking in the corners of the world that he had once thought were beautiful. His ivory eyes lost their childlike innocence and they grew colder and harder as he learned about the tainted and corrupted nature in the world around him.

At the age of fourteen, shortly after Akira's betrayal, Neji locked himself up in his room for an entire day and refused to come out. He unbound the black piece of cloth that hid what he truly was and sat there, contemplating. And the more he thought, the more the young prodigy realised that he no longer wanted to belong in a disgusting, sickeningly sinful world that indulged the deceiving lies, the ugliness and people's naturally ill-minded intentions to harm and betray.

But committing suicide was not an option. No matter how much bitterness wrenched his heart every time the Hyuuga clan was mentioned, he still had the same ambitions and the same goals he had before his father died. Neji still wanted to live for the day where his skills and talent would surpass everybody's and where his curse mark would not be a factor anymore. But this time, he knew better—he decided to do everything on his own.

Neji eventually learned to depend on himself instead of others—others, as in the ones who were bound to leave him behind one day, abandoned, and never look back. Perhaps people like him were meant to walk down the road of life in solitude, wandering alone without any companions, carrying a heavy burden on their shoulders of an unbearable bitterness and sorrow that only they could understand.

No, Neji thought, there was another person.

There was another person in his world that understood the pain that he felt, and that was a certain brown-haired kunoichi. She, too, had to live with the absence of her parents and had to live alone. So why was she able to act freely and joyfully when she was all alone? Did she compose a mask of fake happiness that fooled everybody, including him?

Neji closed his eyes and clutched the bed sheets. When she left, he was better off to think that she was sinful and had committed a crime. That sole fact proved his theories about the people outside his clan. It reinforced the idea of what would happen if he trusted someone, even for the slightest bit.

But now, as he realised that she was innocent and he had falsely accused her, every trace of hatred he harboured towards the kunoichi dissipated as he felt inevitable guilt crawl up to his heart. And top of it all, she did care for him, even when he had blamed her, even when she wasn't continuing her job.

Tenten did care. And that affected him more than he'd ever admit.

"Why is Neji still resting here? He was perfectly healed yesterday—the most he could have felt was a little sting—but he was unconscious so we let him stay here. Now that he is conscious, why is he still here? And why do we have to stay with him?"

Ino nearly shouted the inquiries as she and Sakura stood outside Neji's fortunately soundproof hospital room. They were both ordered by the Hokage to stay with him until he decided to leave and, to both of their great dismay, he hadn't come out since he awoke this afternoon. It was near seven o'clock and Ino, being the one who lacked patience, found it rather unnerving to wait while there were other patients who needed to be taken care of. Her growing impatience was evident in her voice as she spoke. "See?" she cried, pointing to his charts, which indicated that Neji had, indeed, recovered completely. "There's nothing wrong with him! Perfect condition, perfect prodigy, perfect guy!"

Sakura laughed lightly. "Relax, Ino, Neji can take the time he needs. We follow Tsunade-sama's orders." She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "And why so agitated? I thought you loved working at the hospital."

"I still do," the blonde corrected, "but it isn't fair. The hospital is crammed—Tsunade-sama forces five or six people into one room, just because they're a 'special' case, and then Neji, just cause he's a 'normal' case, he gets to stay in a room by himself!"

"Ino, you know that Tsunade-sama said that we cannot risk people who are here because of normal injuries to catch the epidemic that other people have."

"I know—it's funny how the people who recently came in with headaches are all in the west wing, where it's forbidden or used for emergencies, and Tsunade-sama attends all of them. And then, the patients without this disease are pushed into the east wing and we have to take care of them." The corners of her mouth uplifted slightly. "It's a mission, alright."

"But we probably wouldn't be able go anyways," Sakura remarked with a sigh. "We were specifically asked to stay back at the hospital to take care of the patients. And with this new epidemic going around, Tsunade-sama just works in that secret room all day…"

Worry flashed across Ino's face briefly. "Hey Sakura, you did remember to take the capsule before you came to the hospital, right?"

"Of course. Did you remember to tell Tenten and everybody else to do the same?"

The blonde nodded. "And not that I doubt Tsunade-sama's abilities," she said, uncertainty suddenly embedding itself into her voice, "but I hope these capsules will really do prevent us from getting infected."

"I know," Sakura agreed softly. "I wonder what Tsunade-sama's thinking now. I mean, if we're so prone to having this new disease, then why does she still let visitors in here and acts as if nothing's wrong?"

"Well, that's what the medicine are for. It protects us from the epidemic and endemic disease."

"Obviously," the pink-haired kunoichi said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "But I'm just wondering what Tsunade-sama's thinking. It's not normal for her to act like this, putting anybody in danger—no matter how effective the prevention might be, she still wouldn't put her people at risk. But by still opening visitor hours, it's as if she wants people to visit their loved ones. It's as if…" Her voice lowered. "It's as if it would be their last chance."

A frown marred the straight line of Ino's lips. "Like how Tenten is visiting Amaya…"

"Exactly. So I wondering how serious this new epidemic really is… A quarter of Konoha's citizens are locked up in the hospital right now due to this epidemic. It's a good thing that our hospitals are much larger, since ninjas get hurt all the time—"

"Sakura," Ino suddenly interposed, "what are you trying to get to?"

"Well," the green-eyed girl replied, "lately, I've been thinking about this new disease. After looking at the charts, I discovered that Amaya is the first one to be affected by it."

"And?"

"And I have a theory now." When Sakura caught sight of the confusion in her friend's eyes, she made a noise that was torn between frustration and irritation. "Ino, when was Amaya first diagnosed with this brain tumour?"

"She came in a few weeks ago. At first, she had brain tumours, but then we started noticing the strange ways it reacted inside her," the blonde answered promptly.

"Right. So Amaya came in first, and then her foster parents came in a week later. Then, many other patients started to come in with the exact symptoms. Who are Amaya's parents—her foster parents?"

"The Tanakas. Tanaka-san owns the best and largest collection of medicinal herbs in Konoha."

"Correct. And they were both in the hospital a week after Amaya arrived. They all had the same symptoms—a horrible headache, tendency to throw a tantrum, and when we examined their x-rays we saw a small, moving blob in their brains."

Realisation finally dawned on Ino and her cerulean eyes widened slightly. "The medicinal herbs… something's in it."

"Exactly," Sakura concluded. Her face turned thoughtful. "But I doubt that it's the Tanakas' fault. Their store receives stocks from people outside Konoha, which can only mean…"

"Someone's after Konoha," the blonde finished. She smiled solemnly. "I don't know whether I should be excited for the mission or sad that there are so many patients dying."

The pink-haired kunoichi grinned half-heartedly in return. "I know what you mean. Let's just hope that Tsunade-sama will find a cure—"

Both the kunoichis silenced and turned when the door leading to Neji's room suddenly slid open. The Hyuuga prodigy appeared quickly in the hallway, his broad frame towering over their slender ones as he approached them. The layers of blood-soaked bandages were the only thing that covered his otherwise bare chest, and his long hair was tousled from sleeping. But either girls dared to say anything after meeting his eyes—his powerful, all-knowing, piercing eyes.

"N-neji-san," Ino stuttered at last. "You're not feeling pain anymore? Here, I can call a doctor if you want—"

"I don't care," he grunted. He gazed down at both of them, his trained ivory eyes glancing from one kunoichi to another, scrutinising their eyes and facial expressions as if he was trying to decipher their thoughts.

"What's wrong, then?"

He ran his hand through his tousled hair and sighed. "Where's Tenten?"

"Thank you, sir. Have a wonderful day."

Tenten watched the customer walk away with a large bouquet in his arms and she, once he was out the door, sat back down onto the chair behind the counter and sighed. She was exhausted—it was seven o'clock at night and she had been working since noon. There was just half an hour left until closing, but Tenten felt as if her legs would give way if she stood up once more. She wanted to simply flip the Open sign and leave, but Tenten promised Ino that she would take care of the flower shop while the blonde was gone working at the hospital. And despite the fact that Ino's parents returned from their honeymoon for a week, they weren't much help. Ino's father was currently out with his friends, and the blonde's mother would often be at the Yamanaka house preparing dinner or doing housework.

But thankfully, Ino's mother did take some shifts to lighten the burden on Tenten's shoulders. And during those few hours, the brunette would either get herself something to eat—but it was unnecessary, considering Ino's mother would always provide her with food—or she would go to the hospital and visit her newly made friend Amaya. Tenten wanted to spend as much as she could with the little girl because the brunette knew how little time she had left to live. Tenten wanted to make Amaya's last days more memorable, as she knew how awful it felt to be alone.

She suddenly heard the jingle the little bell above the door emitted as a couple entered the store. Tenten quickly composed herself, roughly smoothing out the wrinkles she had in her apron from sitting and smiled brightly. "Hi! Welcome to the Yamanaka flower shop."

"Hello there," the elegant red-haired woman said. "What would be a good choice to send to my newborn niece? She's still in the hospital with her mother and we plan to visit them now."

Tenten, who had been forced to study flowers, answered expertly. "Lily flowers would be good—the scarlet ones mean aspiration and the white ones represent purity." She gestured towards the said flowers on the left. "Daisies signify innocence, and dahlias marks elegance and dignity. And, there is the popular choice of cherry blossoms, which usually means intelligence or life. Any of these choices would be great for newborns."

The woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties seemed to be impressed as she paused to think. Suddenly, her emerald green eyes lit up and she pointed eagerly to the large variety of roses. "What about roses? I know my sister loves them."

"There are a lot shades and colours, and each of them have a different meaning. What kind of significance would you like in particular?"

"Something that means happiness and joy."

"Well then," Tenten suggested, "you would probably want red and yellow roses together. How does a bouquet of two dozen sound?"

The woman and the man smiled in unison. "Lovely."

Tenten grinned briefly and headed towards the shelf and picked out two dozen near perfect white and yellow roses. The Yamanaka flower shop was the most popular flower shop in all of Konoha—that was the only reason why they had no trouble selling the new batches of fresh flowers that were delivered daily. Before she worked here, Tenten had doubts about the sales they made and how they were able to survive solely on the money earned from this relatively small store. But considering the amount of ninjas that end up in the hospital or in a funeral, the daily births, and the people that bought flowers for them, Tenten was blown away by the cash that practically flowed in.

She headed towards back to the counter with the roses in her hand, careful not to prick her fingers with the thorns like she had done many times before. She spread out three papers that were coloured in different shades of purple, placed the roses accordingly, and wrapped the flowers in one swift movement. Just as she was securing the bow, she heard the bell from the door ring once more. "Hi," she said automatically, not even looking up, "welcome to the Yamanaka flower shop."

"Tenten."

The voice made her freeze and the brunette instantly dropped the bow she was holding. Her chest tightened the moment her name, spoken in a velvety voice, reached her ears; it seemed so unnaturally quiet yet deafening at the same time. She hadn't heard his voice for a long time, but she knew she would be able to recognise it anywhere.

Anxiety filled her as she looked up into those beautiful moonlight eyes.

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A/N: Dun dun dunnn. Finally, Tenten will be back in Neji's life! Phew, I thought I would never get to this point, hahaha. But yeah, there will be more chapters coming soon! I'm on a rooollll! Next chapter will be Nejiten quality time together 33 . And okay, just to clarify stuff, I kept the ending of the story that Tenten's supposed to tell Amaya out for a reason.

So show some love and review please, peoples. They're the things that keep me stuck on the computer trying to squeeze something outta my brain. (whoa… okay, bad mental picture there, LOL.)

Well, thanks Philyra for editing, and thank you for reading! Peace and love!

Nuff' luv',
Chigiri Sasaki