Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter: Neji and Tenten read Lee's diary.

DIARY

Hinata felt the air leave her chest when she saw her cousin come out of his room.

"N-neji n-niis-san?" Hinata stammered and blushed even more than usual, as she felt his shoulder brush against hers. She couldn't believe her eyes. Neji wasn't wearing his usual plain white outfit. He wasn't even wearing proper clothes.

She watched as he walked out the door and run swiftly out of the Hyuga compound, dressed only in black boxers and a towel wrapped around his upper body.

Uh-oh. Someone was definitely in trouble.

He chose the most deserted path through Konoha. He could not risk being seen by anyone in this...this outfit. His eyes darkened as he remembered what had happened when he woke up. It was a typical morning. Or so he thought...

FLASHBACK

His eyes snapped open at the first note of the rooster's song. It was five in the morning, a bit later than his usual waking time. Something felt different about his sleep.

Shrugging the feeling off, he headed to the bathroom and took a shower. After which, he headed straight for his closet, and—

"WHAT THE HELL?" came the uncharacteristic yell.

His white eyes widened in shock as he saw his usual white outfits replaced by something green. Something that looked all too familiar.

"Lee…" He muttered remembering how Lee had forced him to wear the infamous green spandex just the day before. And of course, Neji had refused.

But he never knew that Lee would go as far as this. Neji ran to his spare closet and opened it. "Urgh!" He exclaimed in disgust, seeing that even his spare clothes had been replaced with the green cloth. How could he not notice the ninja entering his room in the night?

Neji stopped, racking his brains for something to do. He had two choices, leave the house naked, or wear those green colored things.

With another curse, he pulled out the white towel that hang by his door and stepped out of his room.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Byakugan!" The Hyuga prodigy activated his bloodline limit as he neared his teammate's house. Lee was still inside. Neji hid by some bushes as he waited for Lee to leave. But instead, he saw his sensei approach the house.

"Lee! My youthful student! Look at how beautiful this day is! It's a perfect day for training! Come out!" Gai shouted.

"Hai, Gai-sensei!" Lee answered back, stepping out of the house.

"So Lee, after that sleeping draught we poured in his drink yesterday, then the first step of our operation must have been quite successful. Did your precious attempt to let my unyouthful student wear youthful clothes succeed?"

Neji's glared from afar. So that was how he had gotten in.

"I don't know yet, Gai sensei." Lee answered. "But I certainly hope he has!"

"Hm…" Gai said, thoughtfully, "Let us go train for the mean time, and surely, Neji will come, thanking us for giving him a chance to wear such youthful clothes and discover his youthfulness!"

"You're right, Gai-sensei!" His student answered, tears of admiration falling down his face.

"Lee!" Gai answered, touched by his pupil's tears.

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

Neji deactivated his byakugan just as a sunset background enveloped the two.

When they had gone, Neji ran to the house but stopped short when he felt another chakra presence approaching the house quickly. Turning to leave, he had almost successfully hidden himself again when a familiar voice called his name out.

Surprised, Neji turned to look and almost cringed when he saw his female teammate standing before him, her brown eyes round as circles. "Neji?" she exclaimed out loud. "Wh-what happened? Why are you...?" she stopped blushing red, unable to find the right words now that she was face to face to his almost naked chest.

"Hn." He turned away, embarrassed, but too proud to look it.

"You're..." the blush had gone, but she was still staring at him wide eyed. "What happened to you?" she asked again.

"Lee," he answered, still turning away.

"Oh," she exclaimed. Comprehension dawned upon her when she remembered the incident of the green jumpsuit that had happened the day before. "Why didn't you borrow some clothes before leaving, then?" she couldn't help but giggle then, realizing just how silly the well known 'genius' could be sometimes.

"Hn," he grunted again. He had been too caught up with surprise and anger that he hadn't even thought things over properly. This time, it was he who blushed at how stupid he had been. Only she had that power over him.

"Come on then," she called over to him, before wringing out a pin from her hair to unlock Lee's door.

After Neji located a decent pair of shirt and cargo pants from the deepest parts of Lee's closets, he and Tenten began their rummaging of Lee's house in their quest to find Neji's stolen wardrobe. Neji was busy tearing his teammate's kitchen apart when he heard his name called from Lee's room.

"Look at this!" Tenten exclaimed, smiling mischievously when Neji came to the room.

He peered at the black leather bound notebook the kunoichi was holding, and couldn't help but walk closer when he read the golden prints on the front page.

DIARY

He plumped down beside Tenten, smirking. He wasn't the type to pry, but considering the circumstances...he could consider it payback.

"It isn't even locked," Tenten whispered to him giggling, as she opened the notebook.

The diary was full of entries about Lee's dreams, of becoming a great ninja and proving to everyone that he could beat the genius or, a.k.a., Neji. At her enthusiasm, Tenten had slowly moved closer and closer to Neji until their arms were sticking to each other, and the whole room suddenly became warmer to him. It didn't help that she smelled so good.

"This seems interesting," she said, stopping at one entry.

Dear Diary,

I finally entered the academy today. I don't understand it, I thought I could finally meet new friends but everyone just keeps laughing at me. They tease me about not being able to do Genjutsu or Ninjutsu. It's not my fault, is it? I keep trying, but I just can't do it.

Anyway, I've got one classmate, his name's Neji. He's really quite and serious, but he's brilliant. Everyone seems to admire him. I can't help but feel jealous. But it's a good thing I look better than him, I mean, he looks like a girl. He's got long hair and everything. I even had a dream about us. (I guess its because he looks so much like a girl) :D I dreamed that he was a wearing a bikini and then he walked to me and said-

Neji quickly turned the page, even before Tenten could read another word. She was already laughing wildly, and although the page had disturbed him for years to come, he couldn't help but chuckle along with her. Just another of her effects on him.

They read page after page, and Neji realized how much the diary was like a flashback of the life of team Gai. And as the past floated by with each page, and as he watched Tenten reading, engrossed by the stories, Neji couldn't help but smile. She looked beautiful, she had always been—and sometimes he wonders why others fail to see that. He sees it in her eyes, the way she tries so hard to make a name for herself. And often times he just wanted to shake her by the shoulders, to tell her she was beautiful, she was strong, that she was loved.

Neji looked away from her then, disturbed once again by his thoughts. It had been plaguing him for months now, this feelings he had. Feelings he had kept from her, because he couldn't and wouldn't risk the friendship they had. Not until he was sure she also had the same feelings for him.

"Neji?" she called out so gently, and he couldn't help but look at her. "You alright?" she asked, worry sketched on her face.

He nodded, and although she still looked worried, she continued on. On and on until they reached the last page.

Dear Diary,

Me, Neji, and Tenten have been friends for a really long time now. And I've been observing lots of things. Youthful emotions have been blossoming about our team, and it pains me that they are kept in silence. Tenten seemed distressed yesterday, and since Neji wasn't around to talk to her as they've always done, she confessed to me instead, she t—

She had shut the notebook too swiftly, and pulled it from Neji's grasp. She was blushing furiously, and Neji was surprised to see fear in her eyes. "Tenten," he began.

"No."

"Why?"

"You can't," she hugged the diary to herself. "Everything will change. You'll hate me for this," she whispered to him.

Her words stung him. Did she really think anything she would have confessed to Lee would have made him hate her? Slowly, his hand made their way to brush her cheek, so lightly. A silent gesture of plea.

The simple act weakened her. And, giving in, she handed to him the diary.

"—old me what was long observed by everyone but Neji-san. That she loved him.

Neji stopped then, and saw that Tenten was looking away. So that was what she was scared of? That he would hate her for her feelings? That she had the same fears he had all along?

"I didn't know what I was saying," she turned to face him, her face still bright red. "That was long ago—," her words were cut short when he planted a chaste kiss on her lips. And when he pulled away, her face turned into an even darker shade of red.

"Was it?" he smirked, his fears of where their relationship would go, now gone.

She shook her head vigorously, but smiled again when he pulled her up.

"Food is on me," he said, pulling her out of the room.

They never did get to finish the diary.

END

Editted: 5.08.13 Wow. That was so different from the way it was originally written. Power of editing. Haha. If anybody is interested, just PM me and I can send you the original version. Lol.

I badly wanted to delete the flashback, but I felt it would be too much of a betrayal to my younger writer self, so I stuck with it. Hope the edited version's still alright!