Evolution

Tenten skipped her way through the Hyuga compound while holding her father's hand. Whenever Fei-Ten was commissioned by the Hyuga head, he would always bring his daughter to the compound to deliver the goods. Lord Hiashi never minded, in fact he found it impressive that the little girl had mastered the basic skills of the kunai at such a young age of three. Was it unusual for a three year old to handle sharp objects? Indeed it was, however Tenten would always be sitting on her father's lap as he polished blades and watched as her older brother practiced his sword fighting. So, it kind of ran in the family. Tenten looked around the compound; the courtyard was pretty full of Hyuga children who were chasing each other around or kicking a ball. She was looking for one Hyuga in particular, though.

"Tenten, get ready to greet Lord Hyuga." Her father said looking down at her.

"Okay, daddy." She replied with a bright smile.

The Hua man gently tapped on a sliding door. Once he was granted access to the room, he handed the package over to his daughter. It was a sword that was specially commissioned as a gift. Tenten hummed as she struggled to keep the swords from slipping out of her arms. It was way bigger than she was and heavier than she thought it was going to be. She wondered why her father had made it so heavy. Don't most ninja prefer light weapons for speed and easy transport? Fei-Ten opened the sliding doors and moved a side so Tenten could wobble in. Lord Hiashi was not alone, she noticed as she walked over to a cushion near the tea table. It was Lord Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi. Bowing slightly, the father and daughter duo took a seat.

"Ah, good to see you two." Lord Hiashi greeted.

"Yes, likewise." Fei-Ten replied.

Hizashi poured some tea for the two of them and they began their idle chit-chat. Tenten wasn't really interested in whatever they were talking about. She sipped at her tea and tired to listen outside for a familiar voice...but it never came. She began to play with the string that was wrapped around the packaged sword. Hopefully her father will allow her to stay and look for her friend. Wait, was he her friend? They would always talk and play together whenever she'd come to the compound. Hizashi noticed the little girl becoming distracted and asked Tenten about her studying.

"I can throw two kunai in a row now." Tenten replied cheerfully. "Not too far like my big brother though."

Hizashi chuckled. Yes, for a young girl her strength was not at its peak. He had recalled asking Fei-Ten why he had her start her training so early. The reply came with a shrug; saying that she had just picked it up on her own as she watched everyone around her. Lord Hiashi was very impressed indeed. Asking to see the sword, he watched as Tenten stood and struggled a bit to lift it. The little girl carefully walked around the tea table and laid it down next to the Hyuga Lord. She unwrapped the packaging and string. Lord Hyuga reached over and grabbed the handle. Tenten took a few steps back as he pulled it from his casing.

"I would expect nothing less from the Konoha blacksmith. Your crafting is truly a gift." Lord Hiashi said as he inspected the blade.

Fei-Ten smiled softly, humbled by the Lord's words. "You say this every time I bring you a new piece, Lord Hyuga."

Hiashi put the sword back in its casing and resumed to sip at his tea. After a moment, he had noticed that the little bun head girl was not sitting on her cushion, but near the sliding doors.

"Tenten,"

She jumped and turned around. How did they not notice her move? The Hyuga Lord hummed as he watched her cheeks turn pink from embarrassment.

"He is in the garden." The Lord's twin told her.

The bun head bowed before dashing from the room. She waved to the Hyuga guards that walked about the corridors and the maids that she passed. She smiled at Hinata, a two year old girl, and their mother who were taking a stroll through the compound. When she reached the far west end of the area, Tenten hopped along some stepping stones into a lush garden. Looking around, the blacksmith's daughter hummed. Where was he? Maybe he walked past her and she didn't notice? Then, she heard movement. He was here, she just needed to find him. Last time, she thought, he was sitting near the koi pond that was settled under a cherry tree. The crunching she heard came from the other direction, near the flower beds. Deciding on that destination, she slowly made her way over. And here he was; lying near the flower beds looking up at the sky. Tenten crept over, carefully stepping on the grass so her feet didn't make a sound.

"I know you're here." He stated.

"I was looking for you when I came." Tenten stated, sitting down next to him.

"Were you?" Came the reply.

The Hyuga boy was looking up. His pearly orbs reflected the bright blue hue of the sky. Tenten asked what he was looking at. The boy replied that he was just thinking about some things. The bunhead knew that if she had asked more questions, he'd just tell her to mind her own business. So, she laid back into the grass and looked up at sky with him. There was a moment of brief silence before he turned to her.

"What did you bring over this time?" He asked.

Tenten shrugged. A big sword in a case instead of a sheath. It was bigger than her and heavier than what they would usually bring over. For this sword, her father didn't let her help make since she was too small and he didn't want her to get hurt. But, she huffed, all the other weapons they had made for the Hyuga Leader she had helped make. She'd polish the blade and pick the style of handle and sheath. She'd help clean up the scrap steel with her father and tidy up; Tenten felt like she was a very big help to her father. The Hyuga boy hummed, wondering if he'd ever get into weapons. He was being trained in his family's secret techniques that relied more on hand to hand combat than fighting from a distance. Perhaps he could try to, but would he have the time? Maybe not….

"Hey, Neji," Tenten turned her lead to look at him. "Do you think we'd be on the same team? Like after the academy?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure how that works, though." He replied.

Tenten blinked and turned back to the sky. Being on his team would be great, she thought. He was her friend after all. Even if they weren't on the same team, she was sure they would still see each other.

"I'd like to be on the same team as you." She smiled.

Neji nodded. He would like that as well.

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Tenten sat in her desk chair with a disgruntled look on her face. Their sensei had sat them alphabetically today, which means she had to sit with someone who came after "Hu" and that person just so happens to be Neji. To think she'd be stuck sitting next to his grumpy self for the whole year. As a matter of fact, she didn't even think they'd be in the same class this year, since it was their last year in the academy. The Hyuga had become so bitter to everyone around him; his stoic face would turn sour as soon as someone (who wasn't the teacher) approached him. Granted, all she received was a blank stare and a grunt-which was a step up from what everyone else was getting-but, she didn't appreciate his attitude to her friends; especially toward Rock Lee. He was so quick to shoot him down and call him out on his failures. The kid already knew he couldn't do anything but Taijutsu, so why bring him down more when he's obviously trying? Ever since his father died, Neji had changed in the worse way. He'd always prefer to be alone and shoo her off whenever she'd deliver a commission to the Hyuga compound. He was rude to his younger cousin, Hinata, and she couldn't stand it!

"And now, regarding your team assignments…" their sensei held up a clip board. "I still have some moving around to do, you will receive them after lunch."

Tenten stood and walked over to the other row. She smiled down at Lee and they walked out to the yard with their lunches. Sitting by a bench, Tenten hummed happily as she opened her bento.

"I hope you and I are on the same team," Rock Lee chirped. "That would be most delightful."

"For sure. Since you're strong in hand to hand combat, I can back you up with my blades." Tenten replied.

The two sat there fantasizing about what their adventures would be like; they'd travel out of the Land of fire, save a princess or two, and maybe even capture thieves and traitors. It sounded like a typical mission log for a high ranked Jonnin, but Tenten wanted to be part of the ANBU black ops like her father. He had joined after Tenten had started the academy. Fei-Ten would come home after weeks...even months with stories and little keepsakes from all the places he'd been. To top it all off, she wanted to be like the legendary Lady Tsunade.

"You have been obsessing over her for a long time." Lee stated. "Perhaps you should add 'meet Lady Tsunade' to your list."

Tenten smiled brightly. Of course she wanted to meet her! That was number one on her list. They talked more about how they would plan out their careers with high hopes of being successful. Within earshot, Neji was sitting with his own lunch. Upon the mention of the legendary sannin, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. Tenten had this fantasy ever since she was in the all girl's class at the academy. The Hyuga knew, however, she would not be like her. Tenten was not strong enough and had no talents in medical ninjutsu yet. And why would she throw away her amazing weapons to summon a giant slug and run away from the village she was born in, never to return? Mindless plans, he thought.

"Don't roll your eyes at us, Neji!"

The Hyuga grunted. She had saw him and was ready to argue, he sighed. Looking at her, he shook his head. Her dreams were a bit too out of her reach. Did she honestly think that she'd be able to gain that amount of strength? If she were smart, she'd set a more realistic goal of mastering her own strengths instead of trying to copy another person's unique abilities. It was childish of her to not see the reality of it all and frankly, he'd just laugh at her if she actually tried and failed, since he was certain of it and was usually never wrong. Rock Lee's mouth dropped open. In a matter of seconds, Hyuga Neji killed her dreams. Tenten walked over to him, her face heated. How dare he! What did he know? She would definitely become strong like her idol and then some!

"I hope to God I'm not put on the same squad as you! You're so pessimistic and you are so quick to put everyone down! How dare you! I don't even know why I bother talking to you in the first place! All year you've been like this! I'm sick of it. Stay out of my way, Hyuga. Those who bring down others are lower than trash; that makes you scum." She exclaimed before walking back to Rock Lee.

Neji blinked and watched her with wide eyes as she stomped back over to her lunch spot. Not only did she yell at him, she called him a scumbag. All year she had dealt with him and his attitude and now, she was sick and tired of it. He had hit one of her buttons too hard and now he possibly made the only person he didn't mind having around often dislike him. For a prodigy, he was kind of an idiot.

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Tenten blinked as she looked over at her teammate. What did he just ask her? She thought the words "I need your help to protect my blind spot" came out of his mouth but the bunhead wasn't quite sure. Leaning against the infirmary's wall, the weapons specialist cocked an eyebrow at him. So, the great Hyuga Neji was asking for her help. This was scoff-worthy, she thought. He worked alone; training with her would only slow him down, as stated earlier in their career. However, after getting his ass whooped by Naruto must have clicked his head on correctly and fixed his distasteful attitude. Besides, she had come up to check to make sure he wasn't sulking about losing. Shoving her hands in her pockets, the bunhead asked what was in it for her.

"You've already trained with me to develop the Rotation. I believe it will be beneficial for both of us if we continued to train together and formed some kind of partnership." The Hyuga stated.

Tenten lifted her chin and smirked. He was trying to reason with her. Her ego certainly inflated that day, and as both of them knew, Tenten was the only one who could keep up with Neji. The Hyuga eyed her curiously, unsure of what to make of her expression. He was genuinely asking for her help and putting his life into her hands. They were both still gennin; they would be teamed up almost all the time for missions if they prove to be compatible as partners and complete tasks that they were given. Even before his request it has showed in the past missions that they have gone on that Tenten was most suited to be at his side during battle, rather than Lee, who got ahead of himself and usually ran off on his own. Plus, the responsibility of his blind spot should be put in the hands of someone who can battle at a distance...to protect and kill silently. Tenten walked over to the bed and sat herself next to him. She got close to his face and looked into his eyes. Neji held his breath, a bit confused as to what she was looking for. After a moment, the bunhead crossed her legs and leaned back against her palms.

"Fine." She said. "I suppose we'll both get stronger from this. But, you have to be nice to me from now on. No more attitude!"

Neji released his breath.

Deal.

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"You're going after him?!" Tenten exclaimed.

"It's an order from Lady Tsunade. It's not like I want to." Neji replied as they hopped from rooftop to rooftop.

Sasuke had made a break from the village. It was Sakura and Kakashi who had ran into the Hokage's office to deliver the news that he had made a run for it with a bunch of Sound Ninja. Neji and Tenten had just returned from a low ranked mission when Lady Tsunade ordered the Hyuga to link up with Shikamaru, Naruto, Kiba, and Choji to go fetch the Uchiha. Tenten, was to stay behind (much to her dissatisfaction). She had gotten used to going on missions with the Hyuga and-she had to admit-they made a dangerous pair. Neji stopped on the rooftop near the front gates. It seemed as though only Shikamaru and Naruto had shown up quickly. The prodigy turned to the weapons specialist.

"I will be back." He told her.

Tenten nodded. "Watch yourself, Neji. I won't be there to have your back. Come back to me alive and in one piece."

The Hyuga nodded. Reaching out, he placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly before hopping down and joining Shikamaru and Naruto. Tenten watched over head, waiting until he left the gates. A pit had materialized in her chest as she sat herself on the roof; she had a bad feeling about this.

"So, you two have gotten close." Shikamaru hummed. "You and Tenten, I mean."

"She's a great fighting partner and my best friend. This was just unexpected...so naturally she'd worry." Neji replied as he reached into his back pouch and checked his kunai supply. A small smile graced his lips and he glanced over at the rooftop where she sat. She had restocked his pouch without him noticing.

"So, what's up with that then? She's not coming with us?" Naruto asked.

"We could use a long range fighter with us." Shikamaru added.

Neji shook his head. Lady Tsunade only sent him; if it were up to himself, he would make her stay here where it is safe anyway. Dealing with sound ninja sounded like more trouble than it was worth and he didn't want to drag Tenten into danger that she could've avoided in the first place. Kiba and Choji had soon arrived with Sakura right behind them. As she spoke to Naruto, the Hyuga glanced over at the rooftop once more; Tenten had a small smile on her face. Waving at him, she stood and dashed off. With Naruto giving Sakura his promise to bring back Sasuke, the team turned and they dashed off.

Tenten ran her way to the hospital a few hours after seeing Neji off, where her other teammate was still recovering from his Chunnin Exam loss. She had found him in his room doing one handed (and one legged) push-ups. Sitting herself at the edge of his bed, she bit her lip and looked out of the window. Rock Lee, had noticed her sudden silence after she greeted him and planked. A frown formed on this face as he looked at her.

"There is something troubling you, I can tell."

Tenten hummed. "Neji and Naruto were sent on a rescue mission."

"To rescue whom?" Lee asked.

"Uchiha Sasuke. He's being taken from the village by Sound Ninja. So, the guys were sent to go get him."

That's when Lee sat straight. He looked from Tenten to the window. The Taijutsu master watched as the bunhead continued to chew at her lip, her eyebrows furrowed as she thought of all the terrible encounters they would face while trying to retrieve the Uchiha. Tenten had amazing intuition; whenever she felt something was wrong, she was almost always correct, so by this, the Taijutsu specialist was alarmed. Standing, Rock Lee, grabbed his medicine bottle and dashed out of the door. Tenten ran after him, knowing fully well what he was going to do. Even when he wasn't fully recovered, he was fast, she thought. Losing him half way down the streets, she decided to turn back and head to the Hokage's mansion. Bursting through the door, she excused herself to the hokage.

"People don't knock these days…" Tsunade murmured.

"Lady Tsunade! Lee has run after the team to retrieve Sasuke!" Tenten exclaimed.

"He what?!" The hokage exclaimed. Rummaging through her drawers, she pulled out a scroll and quickly scribbled something down. "Shizune! Have this sent to the Sand village at once! There is no way they will be able to do this on their own, especially with Rock Lee with them!"

Tenten's heart pounded as her idol looked at her with a very serious face.

"This is going to get ugly." Tsunade murmured.

I have to go tell Gai-sensei... maybe he can go after him, Tenten thought as she ran out of the mansion. A certain Pinkette past her in the street and asked what was wrong. Tenten huffed an answer

The bunhead eventually made her way home with her hands shoved into her pockets. Neji had thrown her his travel bag since her house was closer on the way to the front gates. Walking through the door, Tenten sat herself in the living room with both bags and began to unpack. Her mother was visiting her aunt and uncle in the land of Tea. Her brother was off on a mission with his squadron and her father was on an ANBU mission for the rest of the month. Neji had invited her over to stay with him until they all came back. She was looking forward to it. But since he was assigned to go get Sasuke, that'd have to wait. He could handle himself, she thought. Why was she being so anxious? She was sure he would be fine, he gave her his word he'd come back alive and in one piece. Grabbing his bag, she held it close to her; alone in her house and with her thoughts of worry.

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Tenten's hands shook as she held her teammate's forehead protector. Gaara and his siblings had arrived just in time, according to Lee. The green beast couldn't remember much, however while in his intoxicated state, he did recall Gaara helping him and brought him back to the village. She sat at her teammates bedside. Shikamaru had approached her just as she walked through the hospital hallway with Neji's headband. He was in intensive care, according to the Nara kid. The wound just above his left collarbone was so deep, you could see through it. He had lost so much blood that by the time the medical Ninja got to him he had passed out. He wasn't dead, he had told her, but he was damn close to it. Shikamaru probably saw the look on her face and switched the topic to Lee. He had walked her to his room….and here she was. Sensing her anxious tension, Rock Lee reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"He will be fine. Neji will bounce back very quickly, just you watch!" Lee smiled at her. "Be true to your name sake and have a little faith, Tenten."

"Yeah, you're right. He'll be just fine." She murmured with a half smile.

Tenten held onto the Hyuga's forehead protector. It never left her sight; she held it in her capri pants pocket and kept it by her bed side. The bunhead took it upon herself to clean off the blood stains, replace the satin fabric, and polish the metal. It'd be like new when she gave it back to him. When she visited the hospital often, the same response from the nurses came. It had been weeks and he was still in ICU. Surely, Tsunade has done her very best as well as Shizune, to treat him. When running into Shikamaru, he had told her that even Choji was still in the hospital and he could relate to her restlessness. Kiba had been released first along with Akamaru, the Nara kid told her. He was pretty quick to heal, however Tsunade wasn't going to send him on any missions for a while.

"What about Naruto and Sasuke?" Tenten asked.

Shikamaru looked down at his feet. Naruto couldn't bring Sasuke back. He too was in ICU, but only for a day or two thanks to the nine tailed fox's power. According to Kakashi, who spoke to Naruto when he gained consciousness, the Uchiha was not kidnapped, rather he went off on his own will. The only trace of him was headband Naruto was holding onto when the sensei found him at the edge of the land borders. He was gone, and definitely had no intentions of coming back. Tenten hummed sadly. Naruto had his heart set on bringing back his best friend. Betrayal was a heavy stone on one's chest; she hopes that Naruto wouldn't stay in a dark mood because of this.

"Nah, I'm sure he'll be out in a week-barely even able to run-plotting different ways of dragging Sasuke back home." Shikamaru sighed.

At this Tenten gave a small smile. "Yeah, that's something he would do."

"How's Lee doing? He really did Naruto a solid in coming after us. It was you to told him we were going off, right?"

Tenten nodded. "He's back to his old self. Well, as much enthusiasm as he can muster up before taking his medication."

"Troublesome."

The bunhead chuckled.

It was two weeks later when Neji was moved out of ICU. She had, once again, visited the hospital and was graced with this pleasant news. To top it off, his nurse said he was awake. Tenten couldn't help but give a small squeal as the nurse gave her the Hyuga's room number. Floating down the hallways, she couldn't wait to see him. Standing at his door, she checked the name before bringing her fist up to knock. Suddenly, her face fell. Would he want to see her right now? She hoped that he wouldn't shoo her away. Neji never liked to be seen a vulnerable since he was a very prideful ninja; especially when it came to her. Breathing in, she shook her head. No, he'd definitely want to see her. Gently, she rammed her knuckles against the door.

"Enter." His voice sounded from behind it.

Walking into the room, she found him at the third bed which was closest to the window. Bandages were wrapped all around his biceps and torso. His hands were stitched up and covered in medical tape. The bruises on his face were black and blue, and his hair was cut up to his shoulders, but he was alive. Neji was sitting up and reading a book. The side table had a tea set and some snacks. Tenten walked over to him and stood by the window silently, unsure of what to say. After a moment, the Hyuga closed his book and looked over at her.

"I told you I'd come back in one piece." He said.

Tenten sucked her teeth. Wow, she thought, great way to greet her.

"Nice hair cut." She shot back.

Neji rolled his eyes. He preferred his long hair that reached just below his shoulder blades, however in order to repair the hole on the left side of his chest, it needed to be cut.

"My nurse tells me that you've been trying to see me since I've been in ICU." He stated.

Tenten nodded. She was worried about him. In a way she hoped that Lee would've caught up to him so the damage wouldn't have been so bad. That's when Neji's eyebrows went up.

"Lee went after us? In his condition?"

"Well, he went after Naruto. And you know how he is. He got some action after not being able to go on missions with us for a long while." Tenten replied with a shrug.

Neji rolled his eyes at this. Typical, he thought. In all honesty, he told her, the Hyuga thought he was going to die out there. He has never experienced such physical pain in his life before that moment. But, he had to live up to people's expectations and of course, die trying. He gladly sacrificed himself to allow Naruto to retrieve one of their own.

"All because...you and him called me a genius. I would rather die one than run away." Neji mused.

"All because….I…" Tenten voice trailed off.

Neji only blinked and a tear had rolled down his best friend's cheek. She was crying over him and it gave him an odd feeling to watch her. Some could call him insensitive for not trying to calm her, but he knew her too well; she'd always cry when it was either him (and only him) around or no one at all. She had a bad habit of bottling up her sadness to keep her morals intact. Tenten didn't believe in people showing weakness. In fact, it was a pet peeve of hers, especially when it came to herself. When she had lifted her head to him, her eyes were red and she didn't meet his gaze. Tenten couldn't believe her ears; for an genius, he was such an idiot.

"Tenten," he slid over on the bed and held out his hand. "Come here."

The bunhead slipped off her shoes and sat cross legged next to him. Putting his hand on her knee, he leaned back against the cushions and closed his eyes; for now, this was the best he could do for her until she put herself back together again. After a few more moments, he felt her shift. Sitting up, he watched as Tenten pulled out a forehead protector from her pocket.

"I held onto yours while you were in ICU." She murmured handing it to him.

Neji inspected the headband; it did not look completely like his. The fabric was stainless and smoother then he remembered. The metal was perfectly shaped and polished with all of the dents and scratches taken away from it. It looked brand new. The Hyuga looked a bit confused until he ran his hand against the metal. It was his, he thought. It still felt the same and it may have looked new, but it was worn in some areas where the edges dulled and the Konoha symbol was slightly tattered.

"You...fixed it up?" He looked at her in disbelief.

"I tried to smooth out the metal without obscuring the Leaf symbol-it's a little hard to do since my dad has a better eye for rough edges and detail work-I also polished it and replaced the fabric." The weapons mistress stated.

"Oh…" he held it gently in his hands. "Thank you."

They sat in silence for a few more moments. She really didn't have to. In fact he was going to get rid of this one soon anyway. But, since Tenten went through all the trouble of fixing it up, Neji decided to keep it. Placing it on the side table, the Hyuga leaned back once more.

"When are they letting you out?" Tenten asked.

"No idea. Lady Tsunade wants to run some more tests and make sure my chest doesn't open up." He replied.

"Ah. I see."

"Will you be back tomorrow?" Neji asked.

"If you want me to be." came her reply with a small smile.

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Neji hummed as he stood in the mirror with a towel around his waist. The scars on his chest from two years ago were no longer red, rather that had taken to a dark tan color. He ran his hand along them as he recalled that mission. He had almost died. That was the first near death experience he ever had. And as he fell unconscious, his mind drifted back to both Tenten and Naruto...but mostly Tenten. Naruto was so determined to bring his best friend back to Konoha-there was no way he was giving up-but once he failed, he gained motivation to become stronger. To find Sasuke and beat his ass before dragging him back home. The blonde had realized that Sasuke did not want to come back, but he didn't accept it, thus prompting the Uzumaki to go off on his own training to get strong enough to drag Sasuke back by force. A lot has changed after that mission; Team Gai had re-entered the chunnin exams and came out as one of the top teams between all of the villages that participated. To top it off, he was promoted to Jonnin. He was happy at first when he received the news as well as the best. But then, he realized that he was now a solo ninja. The likelihood of Team Gai being sent on missions together was small, which meant being with Tenten was going to be even more tough. They trained, however, everyday. Even with his title, neither of them have been sent on missions yet. Gai-sensei had explained to them that they had become a specialized unit; they were so perfectly balanced in their teamwork and fighting that only high ranking missions would be worthy enough for them. At this, Neji scoffed. Yes, they were the most powerful team currently in Konoha, but that meant nothing to him. He had to think of something to keep his team together. Neji had turned down the option of taking his own cell and being a sensei as well as teaching in the academy. He had turned down ANBU Black Ops as well, for that was not his goal; it was Tenten's.

"Stare as hard as you will, your reflection won't change."

Neji didn't have to turn to the doorway to know it was his female teammate. A smirk rested on his lips.

"Even if I had the option to, I wouldn't change a thing." He replied. "I was expecting you to come through the window."

Tenten chuckled. Neji's step mom had let her in. This had become a common trend between them; meeting at each other's houses was usually unplanned but expected. There was an open door policy between the two of them that they both respected. They know when to give each other space which was a big thing with Tenten. The Hyuga had told her that he'd only go over when he was certain she was up for it. And many times, the Mistress of Steel told him it wasn't a big deal and that he was always welcome in her home.

"You gonna put some pants on?" Tenten asked.

"Why should I? It's my day off." The Hyuga replied as he ran his hand through his waist long hair.

"It's never truly a day off. Don't kid yourself."

That's when Neji turned to her. She was leaning against his doorframe in her baggy red pants and white crop top. There was no forehead protector on her brow, but she had her gloves on and scroll dangling from her belt. She wanted to train today.

"I suppose you're right," Neji replied as he walked over to his dresser.

Taking out a pair of boxers, he paused. Tenten shrugged, unbothered by the fact that Neji had no intention of shooing her out of his room. It didn't bother her one bit. In fact, the very first time they saw each other bare was during a mission in the land of Rivers. They had gotten soaking wet to the point that they had to find an inn and spend the night. In order to hide their identity as ninja, they booked one room as a couple. It had made sense at the time. Normally, they wouldn't hide their Konoha headbands but they didn't want to bring unnecessary attention as well as panic. The bath that came with the room was big enough for the two of them, so Tenten suggested they bathe at the same time so no one was waiting in the room cold and wet. He tried not to look. When she started stripping from her wet clothing without warning, he couldn't help it. Soon after, it didn't bother him; it was Tenten after all. And with it just being Tenten, he felt comfortable enough to strip himself. Every now and again, he's catch her staring at the scares on his collarbone though.

"It's a surprise that you want to train on your day off," The Hyuga states as he slipped on his boxers. "What's the occasion?"

Tenten shrugged. She desired his company especially since he was away on a two month long mission without her. That was enough for Neji to shoot her a small smile before digging out his training pants. Pulling them up, walked over to her and pulled her into a hug; he missed her too. Tenten let out a soft giggle as she snaked her arms around his neck. They stood there for a moment. This was an extremely rare form of affection he showed her. Neji wasn't a very physical person with her; only when necessary. When they weren't training, he was super gentle when it came to touch. He would offer his arm to her if they were strolling casually, or let her hold his hand, like any gentleman does. It was a subtle evolution of affection. And even though neither of them will admit it, they both knew that that red string of fate was attached to their fingers. Tenten traced the scars on his collarbone slowly. She was past the point where the sight of them cause her to feel upset. The scars ended up leaving her lips in a soft smile, for he was alive and standing right in front of her.