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 Twenty One

I don't like Neji.

Tenten shut her eyes tightly and ignored the tingly sensation that ran through her body when she thought of Neji's body against hers. It felt so oddly satisfying and electrifying—it was so strange that she had reacted so much. What if he had been shirtless? What if she felt his smooth body against hers…

She didn't allow herself to finish her thoughts, but her imagination had already conjured the image and she shivered. This was normal, she convinced herself, as she was a teenager and she had hormones. So it was only natural that her body would physically react that way. Neji was an attractive boy and was rather developed for a sixteen year old. If she was mentally attracted to him, then there would be a problem. There was nothing attractive about his personality, or his persistence, or his strength, or his drive, or his intelligence, or the way he was always calm, or the heroic way he saved her…

Tenten shook her head. There was nothing attractive about that.

And slowly, after blocking her thoughts and relaxing her body, she finally felt herself drifting off to sleep.

Something was stinging, burning, almost too hot to endure—Tenten stared down at her bloody leg and cringed. She instinctively tried to grab her knee, where it had been cut and bruised, but she suddenly found herself sprawled on the ground. She struggled to get up; her arms and legs felt too heavy to move. She huffed and puffed but couldn't support her entire body. Defeated, she looked up to see a tall man with grey hair and eyes.

"Tenten-sama, you must work harder. Get up."

"I can't," she mumbled quietly. "My leg hurts."

"It's just a small cut—and you're only injured because you fell so much."

Tenten's vision slightly blurred and she quickly rubbed her eyes. "It's not my fault! You're a Jounin and I'm only seven and a half! You want me to defeat you?"

"That's the plan, yes. You have the potential."

"I don't," Tenten stubbornly cried. "Why do you keep saying that? Where's mommy?"

"I'm afraid she isn't here."

"Why do you keep saying that?" Tenten asked, more to herself than to anyone else. She rolled her tiny hands into fists and attempted to stand up. "She wouldn't let me do this… she would tell me to take a bath and take a nap."

"She's gone."

"Where's daddy?"

"He's gone too."

"Liar! I saw them last week."

"They're gone…"

"No, they're not." She managed to get back up, but realised she was too tired and sat on the ground again, spreading her short little legs in front of her. She crossed her arms. "Stop saying that!"

"They're gone, they're gone, they're gone…"

The figure before her suddenly grew bigger, the surroundings darkened, and the only thing she could see now was that terrifying and malicious man who had unusually piercing grey eyes. "They're gone," he repeated once more, cocking his head to the side. His words echoed in the air endlessly, almost as if a hundred different people said it all at once. "Run, Tenten, and I hope that deep down, your heart will always remember the love—they're gone… love… Tenten… forget… don't forget… Tenten—"

"Tenten!"

The brunette woke up with a startled yelp when she caught sight of Neji and Leiko in front of her. Neji stood by the door while Leiko was standing next to her, wariness etching her eyebrows.

"Tenten, what's wrong?" Leiko put her hand across the brunette's forehead. "Are you sick? Your forehead is all red, and you're crying…"

Tenten subconsciously wiped her eyes. "It was… it was just a nightmare." Or was it? She knew very well that her memories were coming back to her… yet the more she saw of her past, the more she became afraid of learning the truth. She took in a shaky breath.

"I'm alright," she added with a reassuring smile. "Honestly, it was just a nightmare… I tend to overreact—I'm sorry if I woke you guys up."

Leiko waved her off apology. "Don't say sorry! It was no bother really, it's almost dawn—I would've woken up anyway. I thought something was hurting you."

"Thanks for checking up on me."

Leiko beamed, and Tenten grinned back, but from the corner of her eyes, she saw Neji frowning in the background. The frown only deepened when she shrugged her shoulders innocently.

"I'm going," Neji announced finally, and left the room.

"He was worried too," Leiko added with a slight smile. "You probably know how he is."

"I think we can all imagine," Tenten answered wryly. "Always silent with a dangerous intent in his eyes."

"Yeah, I know. But you know…"

"Yes?"

"You and Neji…"

"What about me and him?"

"Did I interrupt anything by coming here? Like, were you two in a relationship of some sort?"

Tenten's reaction was immediate. "No! Of course not. Why would you say something like that?"

"Well, I am a candidate… and I'm supposed to try to win his heart. I… I just kind of get the impression that I barged in. And you seem to know him so well, and he's always gazing at you, and even though it doesn't show I can tell that he's always worried whenever you're hurt…"

"No, no, we don't have anything, to be honest. I'm not going to steal him from you. Why would you even think that?"

Confusion flashed in Leiko's pale eyes. "Wait, aren't you the other candidate to be Neji's wife?"

Tenten burst out laughing. "As if they would even consider me! I'm just his tutor, Leiko—peer tutor, actually, since he's probably smarter than me. I'm not here to be his wife or anything, and it's not like the Elders approve of me anyway—they stare down at me like crazy."

"They're very polite."

"Sure, I guess."

Leiko laughed. "That doesn't sound very nice. I'm sure they're just not used to your bubbly personality."

"Me? You think I'm bubbly?"

"Sure. You're always smiling and you have such a bounce to your steps. No wonder everyone stares at you when you walk around—it's because they're wondering why you're so happy."

Tenten giggled. "I'm not as bubbly as I seem… but anyways, I hope you do realise that you're so nice and very worthy of something as prestigious as the Hyuuga clan."

"Thank you, Tenten."

"And that you should never worry about someone like me."

"That's not true." Leiko's eyes were strange. "Do you, by any chance, like him?"

"Me? What?" Tenten shook her head fervently. "If anything, he's my friend."

"Good. If you don't like him, then I actually have a chance at winning his heart… It's quite tough, with you around—not that I don't enjoy your presence, Tenten."

"It's all right, I'm used to being unappreciated."

"I didn't mean it in that way." Leiko paused to choose her words. "It's just that you're so close to Neji and everything."

Tenten bit her lip. "Why do you keep insisting on that? That's not true. It's more like the other way around… he knows more about me." She suddenly remembered the last few nights and got up hastily. "Well, we all have to get ready to go to the hospital."

And with that being said, Leiko left Tenten's room. They both took one look at the spot where Neji had previously stood—both longingly, even though neither one would ever admit it.

They arrived at the hospital by sunrise. By now, it almost felt like a home to her. Well, it was definitely a habitual place where she would visit every other day, if not daily. And even if she didn't go, she would still be able to picture everything in her mind, and if she thought hard enough, she could probably even smell the mixture of blood and medicine. And today, it looked like any other day; ninjas were running about, carrying all sorts of files and sheets. Most doctors were running in and out the doors, bringing children in and out for checkups.

The children's room wasn't any less quiet. Tenten smiled when she stepped in, and her grin only widened when a bunch of kids left the supervisor and ran to greet her. There was one especially familiar face—bright blue eyes blinked up at her.

"Amaya!" Tenten exclaimed, grinning.

"Tenten!" Amaya cried back just as enthusiastically. "I made so many new friends! I'm playing with people now! Doesn't that just mean I'm getting better?"

Tenten nodded and hugged the little girl. "I'm sure, Amaya. And don't forget the three wishes I'm granting you!"

Amaya grinned so widely all her teeth were displayed. "Of course! The first one was granted because, of course, I met Hyuuga Neji. And second, didn't I say that I wanted to get out of the hospital? I still really want to go out, if you don't mind taking me somewhere." Her smile didn't falter once. "But after that, Tenten-nee-chan can bring me anywhere! I can't wait to get all better!"

"Of course, Amaya. And what's your third wish?"

Amaya shrugged, blinking innocently. "I have what I need to make me happy, Tenten-nee-chan."

"So no third wish?"

"No, I still want one! It's just that… I'll think of something."

Tenten laughed, and began to play with other kids. She didn't want to exactly talk to Amaya, simply because she didn't know how to react to her hopefulness. Tenten had a feeling that Amaya was assigned to this room only because she wasn't contagious anymore. Amaya didn't have much more time to live, so Sakura or Ino probably wanted her to spend her last moments with other kids. There was honestly no use in keeping her locked in her room anymore.

"Tenten-nee-chan," a little voice piped, and seven year old Fuji tugged at the bottom of her pants. "Where's Neji-nii-chan?"

Tenten suddenly remembered what Neji had done to this child and immediately bent down to his eye level. "He's not here today, and he will never dare to touch you again," she said comfortingly. "Are you still hurting?"

"Yes, but I don't want to cry. I'm a big boy."

"Yes, you really are. You're very strong, Fuji." Tenten couldn't help but smile when the little boy beamed with radiance. "So what have you done today?"

"I did many things, nee-chan! I made a castle using those block toys! Amaya said that I couldn't build a tower with playing cards, so I wanted to prove her wrong. But then I couldn't make any of them stand up! Those cards are stupid… I'm sure Amaya tricked me." He suddenly caught sight of Amaya as she walked past them and grabbed her ponytail. "You liar! I still didn't get to tell you bad things because you lied to me. You're such a bad person!"

Amaya's eyes were horrified. "No I'm not! I didn't lie! And let go of me! That hurts!"

Tenten quickly stepped in and kept them apart. "Don't fight, you two. Apologise to each other right now, and this will not be mentioned again, alright?"

"I'm not saying sorry," Amaya cried stubbornly. "I only told him that he couldn't build a tower with cards because he was bragging about his tower of blocks. And I was right! And then he just hurt me… I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I apologise?"

Fuji crossed his arms. "She's being mean! She was just jealous of my block tower because mine was way bigger and taller than hers! And then she wanted to trick me so she could laugh at me! I'm sure that you can't even make those stupid cards stand up!"

"They so can, tell him Tenten-nee-chan! And my tower was only smaller than yours because you stole all of the blocks! You wouldn't share them with me!"

"Yeah, but then you took those blocks for yourself while I was trying to prove you wrong!"

"Of course I had to—I wouldn't be able to take them if you were hogging them. They're there so we can all share!"

"Not when someone's working on a big, big, big castle!"

"It was an ugly thing anyway!"

Fuji bit his lip and lunged forward at Amaya, but Tenten caught him and pulled him back. "No more fighting," she said sternly. "Now Fuji, you weren't right to take all the blocks for yourself. You have to learn to share. And the playing cards can stand up, but only with very steady hands and careful judgement. You also don't pull on someone's pigtails and call them a liar. So say sorry to Amaya for that."

"Sorry," Fuji mumbled.

"Now Amaya, you shouldn't have tricked him and ruined his castle, even if he was not sharing, even if he was bragging—it's okay to be proud of something that you made."

"I'm sorry," Amaya finally said, grudgingly. Suddenly she went into a coughing fit, and produced such hollow sounds that even Tenten had to resist cringing. Then the little blonde groaned softly when she stared into her little hands. "Not this again."

"What is it?" Tenten grabbed her hand, and her eyes grew wide when she saw little specks of red that covered her palms. "Amaya, is this… blood?"

Amaya slowly nodded. "I thought it went away. I thought I was getting better…" Her lower lip trembled.

Yet the supervisor didn't allow Tenten to find a doctor, as this was a common symptom of patients with the new, strange, unknown disease. Other children were not bothered by it, simply because every time Amaya coughed, she would be asked to wash her hands immediately and eat her medicine. She would then simply stay with her playmates and continue with her activities. Being a kid, it was easy to get distracted and forget the worries of life.

Amaya didn't cough for the rest of the day. Tenten stayed until visiting hours were over—that was when all the children were either asleep or picked up by their relatives that had to work during the day. Tenten was the only supervisor left in the room; she offered to stay the longest, since most of the other people had family members waiting at home. She smiled slightly; she sort of had a home, even if it would only last for another two months or so.

It was eleven o'clock by the time she checked out and changed out of her uniform. To her surprise, Neji was at the entrance of the hospital.

"What are you doing? Everyone else is gone."

"You're still here," Neji pointed out, shrugging.

"There were a few kids who wouldn't fall asleep."

"Was Amaya one of them?"

"How did you know she was there?"

"I passed by."

"Then why didn't you come in? You know she loves you."

"I had things to do."

"As usual," Tenten sighed, and then pointed towards the sky. "I wish she could leave the hospital, even for a little while… she said she wanted to run around with the snow falling. She had never made a snowman before. Can you believe that?"

Neji cocked a single eyebrow. "Well, have you?"

Tenten smiled guiltily. "Okay, so I haven't made one either, but… it's not the same."

"How so?"

"I take those kind of things for granted. Sure, I haven't made a snowman in my life, but nothing's holding me back. I can always make a snowman whenever there is enough snow. But Amaya can't." She exhaled slowly. "You know, I always complain about life's hardships, but there are always people who have it worse than I do. I can do whatever I want, because I'm physically capable, whereas Amaya…"

"You know, she's not as miserable as you think."

"That's only because she puts on a smile. She's just a kid. She's always going to find joy in something."

"That's because she doesn't know that she's going to die."

"You seriously don't expect people to tell her that, do you? That won't be fair."

"How is it unfair if it's only the truth?"

"It might not be the truth," Tenten replied stubbornly. "She wasn't allowed in the playroom before… Tsunade-sama put her in there. There must be a reason as to why."

"Yes, because Tsunade-sama wants her to have some playmates. Who wants to die alone?"

Tenten sighed. "Can you be any more pessimistic?"

"It's only the truth. I'm stating whatever you're telling me."

"No, you take my words and twist them around."

"If by twisting, you mean being realistic about it, then yes."

Tenten narrowed her eyes. "You're impossible."

The corners of Neji's lips twitched slightly. "You've said that many times. You say I'm the impossible jerk who has nothing to turn to, yet you still seem to stay. Why?"

Tenten tried to say something smart and witty, but then she realised that she didn't know why she was still dealing with this pessimistic bastard who kicked little kids. "I don't know. However, I also say that life is too hard for me to cope with. I mean, I hate being nameless and I hate not knowing who my parents are. I hate that I have the most unpleasant dreams—but I still have to live my life. What am I supposed to do? I obviously have to deal with it. I'm not the type to quit. I may break down every now and then, but in the end, I can't give up."

"You either have to end your life or live it. Staying with me is voluntary."

Staying with me.

The way he said it, it sounded so… so… so romantic, as if they belonged together or they were strung together by fate. What was he implying? That he knew that she liked him? Wait, no, what was she blabbing about? She didn't like him—she definitely did not like him. She established that last night.

Neji must have noticed her floundering, and noticed his phrasing of words, so he cleverly added, "what was this morning about?"

"Huh?"

"The nightmare," he clarified.

"Oh… that. Well…" She paused. "I had a bad dream."

He didn't say anything, but Tenten knew that he knew she was lying. She took a deep breath. "Well, where to start? I've been having dreams about my past."

Neji raised an eyebrow.

"When I was still living with Ino, I had a flashback—it sort of felt like a scene from a movie. I saw everything through my eyes. I think I collapsed right then, because the next time I woke up I was in the hospital. Tsunade-sama told me that the short flashback was actually a memory of my past. There had been some kind of spell that made me forget everything, but Tsunade-sama thinks that the seal is wearing out. So now, my mind is slowly giving me pieces of my memory back—through dreams, usually."

"And was this morning's dream a bad one?"

"Yes," Tenten said quietly.

"What did you see?"

"I don't know—my parents were gone, no one else was there except for this man with really scary eyes. We were training, and I was hurt, but he kept telling me to stand back up…" She shook her head slightly. "I still don't know much about my past, but everything that I've seen… It's dark. Everything was so dark, so full of secrets and danger. My mom and dad left me, but at the same time they kept telling me that they loved me, and then they told me to not forget and… I don't know what to think anymore. Maybe I ended up in Konoha without anything for a reason—what if I was the one who chose to run away? I keep telling myself that I have to face the truth, but the truth is…" Her voice dropped to a whisper, and she stopped walking. "I'm just really scared."

Neji remained silent, but he stopped too and waited for her to regain her composure.

"I'm terrified, Neji. I'm scared of who I might be. I don't want to go through this. I've lived seven years in ignorance but I'm still not ready to see everything."

"Your past makes up who you are," Neji murmured eventually. "You can't run away from it. It'll always be there."

It felt like he was speaking more to himself than to her, but Tenten felt content enough knowing that he listened to her. Finally, she asked, "Neji, what was your past like?"

The edges of his ivory eyes hardened slightly, and for a brief second Tenten could've sworn that he stopped walking. Then he continued along, as if he didn't hear her question. Yet there was something underlying; there was tension, and her last words hung in the air like a taut cord.

Tenten decided to push her luck. "Hiro said that there's something under your headband," she said innocently, as casually and light-hearted as possible.

Neji suddenly stepped in front of her, so quickly and abruptly that she nearly collided into his chest. "Do you like Hiro-sama?"

His stare was so intense that Tenten was at loss for words. "Uh…n-no," she replied, trying to decipher the question. What was he trying to imply? "I mean, I like him as a friend. He's incredibly generous—he gave me this gorgeous necklace and all—"

Neji's voice was low. "He gave you a necklace?"

Tenten merely nodded. "It was a 'welcome back' gift… I don't have it on me, but—"

"Stay away from him."

"Why?"

"Just…" He paused for a moment, and he ran his hand through his hair. "He's not—he's eng—do you like him?"

"No," Tenten repeated, with a hint of annoyance. Why was Neji acting so strange? And since when did he stutter? "What are you trying to get at?"

"Nothing. Just stay away from him."

And with that, he opened the doors to the Hyuuga estate and walked at an abnormally fast pace. He left Tenten behind just to stare at the back of the most complicated boy she had ever met.

Right now, to Tenten, the Hyuuga estate really felt like home. She would walk out every morning, and no matter how crazy her adventure would be, she would always find herself back at the Hyuuga mansion. It almost lost its beauty, its richness—she was used to the sombre and ridiculously luxurious place. She wondered how foreign it would feel to go back to her tiny little cottage that was located all the way on the other side of Konoha. She wouldn't have maids, she wouldn't have such fancy meals, but most of all, she wouldn't see the same people.

Her being here was such a privilege. She liked it here. Sure, Neji was sometimes rude, and the job at the hospital was depressing, but she truly liked being here. She couldn't imagine finding out who her parents were and where she actually belonged. Honestly, she wasn't only scared; she also didn't want to leave Konoha. It was such a lovely village, with such lovely people in it, and even jerks like Neji would be nice occasionally.

She was busy every day, but if she stopped to think, she would realise that she changed so much as a person. Sure, life was hard, but there were always others who had it worse, like Amaya. Amaya couldn't do anything about her disease and was trapped in the hospital. On the other hand, Tenten was allowed to do whatever she wanted—so why was she always complaining?

Her past was frustrating, yes. However, what could she do at this point? She had always hated being nameless. What Neji said was right; her past made up a part of her.

Speaking of which, Neji himself wasn't so bad, even if he did constantly ignore her and whatever. He probably didn't have the easiest life—but he, too, was changing. Even if the progress was slow, it was still there, and realising that made Tenten really happy. After all, she was his peer tutor. She was supposed to make him a happier person.

A little smile graced her lips. Life was alright.

She suddenly heard lots of light footsteps, and then finally, someone bumped into her when she reached the corner.

"Sorry," the girl mumbled quickly, looking up. It was apparent that she had been crying—her eyes were slightly bloodshot and her nose was red. "Oh, hi."

"Leiko, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine… just… got a little worked up." Before Tenten could stop her and ask why, she quickly walked away and disappeared into a nearby bathroom. A distinctive click indicated that the door was locked.

What was wrong? Tenten immediately ran into Leiko's room, almost expecting to see Neji there. After all, wasn't he the one that made her cry as well?

But there was no one; only a letter that was hastily shoved back into a pale blue envelope. On the front, someone had neatly printed, "Leiko."

Normally, Tenten wouldn't intrude and poke into others' business, but Leiko was literally crying her eyes out. Something must have happened—what if there was an emergency back at Leiko's hometown? What if Leiko had no one to talk to?

Tenten decided that it would be okay to let her curiosity take over. After all, what harm could she possibly cause by reading a letter? It wasn't like she would tell someone else, especially if it was personal. She finally mustered the guts and unfolded the sheet of paper.

Leiko,

Why are you not back home? Why haven't you responded to any of my letters? Why are you still with the Hyuugas? I want you back, so much.

This was going to be personal—Tenten could literally feel it. She was going to look away and scold herself for snooping, but the next words caught her attention.

You can come back home if you want to. Your father might be angry, but at least I will be able to claim you as mine again. I thought the plan was to get Hyuuga Neji to hate you, so you can be disregarded as his future wife and be sent back home. I don't want you in Hyuuga Neji's arms—I can't even fathom how much that thought makes me cringe. He will never love you like I do. So why is it that you're still with him?

Please don't tell me that you've grown fond of him. I thought you loved me—I thought we were going to have a happy life together. Is it the money? Are you afraid that your father will disown you and you'll have no money to live off of? Because that problem is solved. I found a job, and I'm working hard, and I'm saving every coin so that we can have a life together. I need you, Leiko, I…

"What are you doing?"

Leiko's voice was literally trembling with anger when she saw Tenten holding the letter. The brunette immediately apologised. "I'm so sorry, I was just worried and—"

"That gives you no right—no right—to read my letters!" Her eyes were brimming with tears. "Get out!"

Tenten was shocked at how her usual charming composure had completely shattered. "I'm so sorry, Leiko—"

She couldn't even finish her sentence because Leiko pushed her out and slammed the door shut.

Facing the wooden door, Tenten smacked herself in the face. She felt even guiltier when she heard Leiko's quiet sobs through the canvas. What was she thinking? Of course something as personal as that should remain for Leiko's eyes only. Reading that letter was completely, utterly stupid, not to mention unreasonably ridiculous—and because she did read the letter, Tenten, too, was completely, utterly stupid.

How could she possibly face Leiko now? And it didn't help that they lived so close to each other. And what about Neji? If she had a lover back home, and she could go home if she wanted to, then why was she still here? Did Leiko really fall in love with Neji? Her mind instantly recalled the conversation earlier that day.

Then who was actually wrong in this situation? Leiko was the one deceiving Neji, and playing that Izanami guy at the same time…

Tenten wanted to slap herself again for harbouring such thoughts. Whatever Leiko hid was her business, and Tenten had no right to intrude on anything.

The instant Tenten wanted to apologise once more, the door slid open quietly. The brunette was stunned for a second; Leiko's long, violet hair was perfectly wavy again and her makeup wasn't smudged anymore. There was a slight fire in her light, amber eyes when she stared up at Tenten. "Don't tell anyone, please."

There was a quiet understanding between the two when their gazes aligned. Tenten didn't know what Leiko was thinking or was planning to do, but decided to keep her mouth shut. "Sure."

The next day, Tenten woke up to another chilly morning in the Hyuuga estate. By now she was used to the cold floor, the thin blankets and poor heating. Not that the Hyuugas couldn't afford heating; they just didn't seem to mind the cold. Their wardrobe barely changed even though the seasons did. It was like they retained more body heat than anyone else; they just went training and fought as if it was any other summer day.

She sprinted to the hospital by herself. She didn't want to bump into Leiko anymore. It would be way too awkward and she wouldn't know what to say. Besides, it felt great to breathe in the frosty and crispy morning air.

"Hey guys," she greeted breathlessly when she approached the entrance. Naruto and Sasuke both nodded their heads in acknowledgement. "Wait, why aren't you guys at the daycare?"

"Not suitable for me," Sasuke said solemnly, and proceeded to give a packet of pills to an elderly woman. "Consume with the water over there."

Tenten smirked. "And is this suitable?"

Naruto chuckled when Sasuke didn't reply. "Well, that old hag Tsunade finally figured that me and babies don't mix—"

"That's because you are like a baby," Sasuke interposed.

"I am not! But anyways, Sasuke-teme can't do anything either so she put us here. It's not like we can go out on any missions…"

"Isn't she trying to find a cure?"

The blond shrugged. "Beats me."

Sasuke tapped on her shoulder. "You should tend the children now."

"Yeah, but I'm going there alone?"

"I think Tsunade-sama found a replacement. A Hyuuga, too, I think."

A whole family hoarded in before Tenten could ask who it was. She signed in with the receptionist and made her way to the daycare room. Who could possibly be the replacement? It definitely wasn't Neji, or Hinata, since she was positive they were called in early because they had to guard the borders. Well, whoever it was, he or she better be good at taking care of children. She remembered the first time she was here. It was practically a disaster, with Lee preaching and Neji kicking…

"Hello Tenten."

The brunette froze slightly—only a certain someone possessed such a silky, velvety voice. She immediately faced the tall man with a small smile. "Hi, Hiro."

"Fancy seeing you here."

"Shouldn't you be at the borders? I thought all the noble clans were at the borderlines."

"Yes, but I thought I would take a day off and relax a little."

"Are you just lazy?"

"No, taking care of kids is actually a lot more work." He gestured with his chin towards the infant he carried in his arms; it looked kind of odd, but he somehow looked very handsome feeding the child. "I just wanted this shift instead. I get to go home earlier."

"You can go if you want. I can handle the kids by myself," Tenten said reassuringly. That was a lie, but a nurse would usually come in and check up on her.

"I'm not tired, if that's what you think. I simply have to leave… for personal reasons." He smiled dazzlingly.

"Personal reasons?"

His smile did not falter. "Yes."

A little child tugged at her hand. Tenten looked at Fuji, who grinned widely. "Hi Tenten-nee-chan!"

"Hi Fuji!" Tenten bent down to his eyelevel. "How's your back today?"

"It's getting better!"

"Does it hurt?"

"Only if I really press on it. If I touch it like that"—he lightly pressed against Tenten's cheek—"then it's fine."

Tenten gave him a little hug. "I hope you get better really quickly!"

Fuji grinned and ran off to play with his playmates. Tenten immediately lit up with delight when she saw him working with Amaya. They were both cooperating to work on their large tower and even shared little cute smiles. And above that—life was returning back to Amaya; her eyes had more life and there was a rosy flush to her cheeks again.

Yet little did she know that Hiro was watching her the entire time. The hard edges of his eyes softened, and seeing her laugh made him want to smile as well. It was like the entire room had lit up with her presence; what a pleasure she was compared to his fiancé.

Aki, a little boy whose father was hospitalised, poked Hiro in the ear.

Hiro didn't even bother to turn around. "Yes?"

"Do you like Tenten-nee-chan?"

"No," Hiro said immediately, but his eyes were fixed upon the brunette.

"Then can you just watch her? Because you're ruining my drawing." Aki pointed to the area where Hiro had been working on. "The colours don't match! My pig is supposed to be green, not pink! I thought I told you that."

"Oh, sorry."

Aki rolled his eyes. "I don't know why, but no matter how strong some men are, women can easily make them go on their knees."

Hiro finally turned to look at Aki, eyes filled with amusement. "Such wise words coming from a nine year old."

"I'm nine, not stupid."

Hiro chuckled. "Fair enough."

"So you do like Tenten-nee-chan."

Hiro smiled mysteriously but kept his mouth shut. Finally, he said softly, "you always want what you can't have."

When Tenten was allowed to have a short break, she decided to see Tsunade-sama. She still had to grant Amaya's second wish—and that was to leave the hospital. Tenten was almost positive Amaya would heal completely; she was starting to look healthier. So Tenten wanted to bring her out for an adventurous day before the eight year old was officially released.

"You do realise she is very weak," Tsunade said the instant Tenten asked her. The blonde woman, who had a bottle of Sake in one hand and an energy drink in the other, looked a lot older behind the large, wooden desk. "She is not physically capable of going out for more than a few hours."

"A few hours will suffice."

Tsunade glanced at the brunette and pointed towards her drinks. "You know mixing these two drinks is very dangerous."

Tenten reluctantly nodded.

"Normally I would drink Sake and nothing else. But, I'm risking my health here because I need an extra energy boost. And you know why?" Tsunade-sama didn't pause and slammed her hand on her desk. "Because there are patients to save! You think this is not serious? You think Amaya's condition is actually improving?"

"She looks better—"

"What would you know? If I didn't work as much as I did she would be dead by now!" When a long pause of silence followed, the Hokage sighed impatiently and rubbed her forehead. "I apologise for my outburst. It is simply the result of the stress. However, it's my duty—and wait. Why am I telling you this?"

Tenten waited for her to finish and actually counted to five before speaking. "If she's going to die, then why won't you let her be happy, even for a little while?"

"How are you going to make her happy? How are you going to make all the sick kids in here happy?"

"I don't know, but I'm trying. I'm helping out, aren't I? I don't have to be here; you didn't order me to be here."

"You're here now, so you will listen to me. You're doing a fine job, that I cannot deny. But there is no way that you can favourite one child and give them special treatment."

"I'm not picking favourites! This is something that Amaya wants, and I met her before I met all the other kids. I would consider this as helping out a friend—a little sister, even."

The old woman grabbed the nearest object—her pen—and snapped it in two. "Will you leave me alone if I agree?"

"Yes, definitely."

She tapped her nails against a metal clipboard, which was now missing a pen. "I suppose…"

"Please?"

"Alright—fine. But you will watch her at all times. Carry her medicine with you. Carry lots of water, do not let her out of your sight. Do not watch that new movie—it will be dark and you won't be able to tell whether she's dead or just not talking."

Tenten winced at the words. "Of course, I'll take care of her."

"And I will only let you go if you're bringing someone along—is there someone that is responsible and trustworthy?"

"Neji," Tenten found herself saying. "Neji will come with us tomorrow."

"Neji?" Tsunade wouldn't have believed her if she was someone else. But there was something about this teenage girl that made her nod and agree to whatever she proposed. Was she, the imperious Hokage, getting softer? No, that couldn't be it; she was actually extra hard on everyone because she was so grumpy from the lack of sleep. She then caught sight of the many glass bottles by the windowsill.

Maybe it was just the alcohol.

"Neji!" Tenten ran up to the prodigy with an extra wide smile. "How was your day?"

Confusion and suspicion flashed in his eyes but he nodded slightly. "It was fine. What do you want to ask me?"

"That obvious, huh?"

Tenten finally found Neji after he came back from the borderline; it had been seventeen long hours since he left the Hyuuga mansion this morning. He was waiting at the front, with a bunch of other families, who still came in abundance but were much more calmer. She quickly guessed that they came to visit. But she was only paying attention to the prodigy, who stood out from them all. Naturally, being a tall, sixteen year old, his head stuck out from the crowd. He looked absolutely perfect—his eyes were mesmerizing, but serious, his shoulders were broad, but not too wide, he was strong, but not bulky, and he was so cold, but still kind… it almost made her heart swell with pride when she walked through the crowds to talk to him.

"Well," she continued to say, "I have a favour to ask of you. You know, Amaya is doing a little better, and she's always wanted to go out of the hospital for a day. And Tsunade-sama said yes, only if I had another, responsible, trustworthy person with me."

"You want me to go."

"Please, Neji? It would mean so much to me and Amaya."

"Why didn't you ask someone else?"

"Because Amaya loves you and I know that you are trustworthy and reliable. So if I end up messing up—"

"I'll be there to fix it?" He raised an eyebrow when she smiled angelically.

"I have to work," he said after a moment. "The Hokage specifically gave me tasks to complete."

"Yes, but it's only for a day, and she said okay when I mentioned you."

"You mentioned me, as if you knew I would go?"

Tenten laughed sheepishly. "Sort of?"

His eyes flickered to the random people eavesdropping, and quickly ended the discussion. "Fine."

"Yay! Thank you, Neji! I owe you one!" She felt like doing something—like giving him a hug of some sort, but it was still Neji, and she knew he would push her away. So she thanked him once more and skipped back to the children's playroom. Only the nurse was there, changing an infant's diaper (which Tenten still didn't know how to do). Hiro was nowhere to be seen. Tenten furrowed her brows; she hadn't seen him since he left for his break a good five hours ago.

"Don't worry, he returned. He's just in the bathroom," the nurse replied when Tenten asked of his whereabouts. The old nurse pointed to the bathroom that they had built right outside the playroom. "He's been in there for a while since he came back."

"Did he say where he went?"

"No, that child mumbled something about his family and then left for the bathroom."

"Oh." It made sense; the Hyuugas were private and secretive.

"Sweetie, go check on him. He looked quite upset."

"Okay, thanks."

The instant Tenten stepped out into the hallway, Hiro came out from the bathroom. Their gazes aligned, and for once nothing flirty and light-hearted came out of his mouth. His light lavender eyes seemed darker, and the frown that marred the straight line of his lips made him look ten years older. He suddenly stared at the floor, his shoulders slumped, and his hair fell over his eyes.

There was an awkward silence.

Tenten was taken back; she didn't know what to say to the stranger standing before her. "Is there something wrong, Hiro? Cause the nurse said that—"

She stopped herself when he glanced up and cast her a chilly stare.

"Hiro, um, maybe we should get back to the—"

He abruptly took a step forward, and his entire body jerked and wobbled as if he didn't know how to balance either foot. Tenten rushed forward and steadied him; while doing so, she caught a whiff of his breath. Her voice was filled with incredulity. "Have you been drinking?"

He didn't reply. He only glanced up at her, stared at her for a moment, and then fell back into her arms.

"Hiro! Seriously! You should've been more responsible! You can't—"

"Can I talk to you?"

"What?"

The quiet request was more of a plea than anything else. When she took a good look at him, there was none of that breezy confidence or amusement that usually lingered in his eyes; he was drunk, but only sincerity surfaced. "Please."

"Oh—" The brunette glanced at the playroom and quickly sighed. "Alright. Let's get you to a chair of some sort."

She managed to bring him to a bench that was built near the elevators. She groaned from relief when the heavy weight finally left her shoulders. "What am I going to do with you? We're supposed to be working right now. Our shift today doesn't end until eleven… you can do whatever you want then. Why would you get drunk at this time, anyways? It's only nine o'clock, for crying out loud!"

"Because," he said quietly, and his head dropped backwards. "Because I have to."

Tenten resisted rolling her eyes. "Of course you did. Now, wait here. I'm going to find you a nurse."

Yet before she could leave, he held onto her hand with an unbelievable strength. "I meant what I said. I want to talk."

"Fine." Tenten sat beside him and waited patiently for the drunk young man to say something. "What do you want to talk about?"

There was a long silence. The younger teen took a peek at him; her nostrils flared with anger when she saw him sleeping. What was wrong with him? What was he doing? More importantly, what was she doing? She should be calling a nurse by now—she was simply unfit to deal with a smashed and strong Hyuuga.

The elevator emitted a sound and the doors opened. An elderly couple walked past them and they both cast Tenten a disapproving look. The old lady shook her head in disgust. "Teenagers these days…"

Tenten groaned. She didn't know what was worse; the fact that she was neglecting her job, or the fact that everybody that came onto the fifth floor would pass her and Hiro. It wouldn't be a normal sight either, with her being a helpless volunteer and him being drunk but still intent on holding tightly onto her hand. She tried to break free.

His soft, velvety voice stopped her in her tracks. "What makes you happy, Tenten?"

"Having my hands free."

A soft chuckle came from the drunk boy, who still had his eyes closed. For someone that reeked of alcohol, he sounded pretty sober. "Answer that question honestly, and I'll let go."

Tenten sighed in defeat; there was no way she would be able to break free from his grasp. "Well, I meant what I said—I like being free. I hate being told what I should do, so I guess it makes me happy when I know I'm doing what I want. I also love being around people that make me feel good about myself. Is that enough?"

His grip was still just as unbreakable. "What would you do if freedom was taken away from you?"

"I would fight for it."

"What if you never had it in the first place? What if you were born to obey the rules?"

"Then I would still have hope. I would wait until the day where I won't be trapped."

"Wouldn't you be unhappy until then?"

"No," Tenten replied slowly, "because how could I possibly be sad, if I never knew it existed in the first place? The same thing applies to happiness. You won't know how happy you are until you suffer greatly."

"So you would be happy?"

"No, I would be content."

A little bell went off again, signalling that someone was getting off the elevator. The doors opened, and Tenten smiled meekly at the family of four that walked past them. The youngest child, a little girl with two braids, giggled and pointed at Hiro.

Tenten tugged at her hand when they were out of sight. "Hiro—"

"Are you content now?"

It didn't take her more than a second to answer. "Of course. I'm healthy and I've made lots of friends."

Hiro gave one, short laugh. "You are very lucky, Tenten."

Tenten frowned in denial. "I am not always lucky. I've had my fair share of misery, and it's not like I have no problems to worry about right now. It's just that you can't always dwell on those problems, even though your brain thinks and your heart feels otherwise. Life always moves on, you know?"

"That doesn't always apply to me."

"Can you tell me what your problem is?"

There was a pause. "I'd rather not."

Tenten had no reply to that, so she stood up. "Let go of my hand now. I've answered all your questions and more."

His hand finally loosened its hold.

"One more thing, though," she said. "This morning, you told me that you were working with the children because you wanted to leave early. But Neji, who was guarding the border as well, finished his job and returned back to the hospital at nine. Our shift ends at eleven. You do realise that your previous—"

"I know."

The elevator went off again, but no one passed by them, so Tenten proceeded to ask her question. "What do you mean, 'I know'?"

"I know when the shifts start and end." At last, Hiro sat back up and looked at her squarely in the eye. "I just wanted to spend time with you."

Tenten stopped in her tracks, blinking in confusion. "N-no… you're drunk, Hiro…"

"I don't care what you think, Tenten, I—"

A cold voice interposed the Hyuuga. "That's enough. Leave her alone."

Tenten froze, and then laughed in relief when she saw her saviour—and it was no surprise to see the infamous Hyuuga Neji standing by the elevator. Somehow, he would always find her and save her, no matter where she was. He immediately approached them and stood in front of the brunette, shielding her away from the seventeen year old. "What are you trying to do?"

Hiro grinned lazily. "Whatever you think, Neji."

Tenten couldn't see Neji's expression, but she had a pretty accurate image in her head. By now, she sort of figured out the relationship between Hiro and Neji; she didn't know the exact details and what happened in the past, but it was quite obvious that Neji hated Hiro but couldn't do anything about him because Hiro had some kind of uncanny power. She shuddered simply thinking about a match between these two Hyuugas. She quickly tugged at Neji's sleeve. "Let's go, Neji. And Hiro, I'll find someone else to help you."

"That won't be necessary," murmured the nineteen year old, who stood up with ease. "I'm fine."

He seemed fine, and she didn't really have anything else to say, so she and Neji headed towards the elevator. She pretended to not hear Hiro calling after her.

"One thing, Tenten," he was saying in his velvety voice. "Hyuugas never get drunk."

A/N: Oh, Hiro. (Hope you got his drift.)

You know what's really weird? It's like my stories predict real life's events. My epidemic in the story = swine flu. The hospital thing = I ended up watching kids for my community service, which is also volunteering. And Hiro = I actually met someone like him, who is scary as hell. But then again, those things are pretty general everyday things haha.

I love, love, love reading your reviews! Nothing makes me happier than to read a review on my iPod early in the morning when I'm in class. Thanks for the continuous support; I love you guys for that. I hope you guys liked this chapter!

Thanks for reading.

Chigiri Sasaki