Review responses 2024:

ThisIsNobo-DY-08: I WISH. I don't really follow Baruto like that, but I do see all the summaries and panels online. I'm just happy Tenten and Gai showed up in Baruto at all! All of Team Gai gave foreign ninja vibes, since that's what Kishimoto originally intended before introducing them into the story; I just wanted to expand on it since it makes sense in my brain that Tenten and Lee, who have obviously different designs that are not as flashy and main character energy as the others, would not be from Konoha. Neji, I read, was a last minute change to be related to Hinata, so he just defaulted the whole team to be a year older than Rookie 9. They were supposed to be eternal rivals for Team Kakashi, but honestly they didn't interact enough in the manga (IMO) for that to go through. You see it more in the anime during the fillers (mostly the pre-shippuuden fillers). I wish a lot of things for this franchise but we get what we get unfortunately (and I'm here to rewrite it LOL). But thank you!

Sayori Hollyhood: Would you believe I'm also a full time teacher? Lol. Idk how I do it either, maybe my brain is like "this is a reward from adulting." I see these two as more of friends who were always in love, but the love grew slowly as they got older; an accidentally in love type of deal (if you will) and the war was like the "oh shit, I might lose my grounding person." Since, Neji made it a long term goal, according to Kishi in the soft novels that Neji wanted to "cure Tenten's depression" and you see it in the video games more that he did care for her wellbeing. He's a dumb genius lol "Damn, Imma make sure my girl is happy and give her constant companionship…because I care and friends care but also I can't stand it when she's not with me." They're dynamic is like two people being independent together; but also an absolute unit. They totally argue, especially as teenagers, I feel. I'll try to show more of that, now that I think about it. It's an interesting dynamic to show.

I appreciate the comments and company ;~; makes me happy even if there's not much to say, so thanks!

Summary: Tenten stumbles upon the workshop and starts rummaging around.

Frequency IX

Tenten waved awkwardly at the locals and shoppers as she walked through the metal works district. She was wearing a ridiculously overpriced outfit and she stuck out like a sore thumb. The attention was unwanted and yet she had to endure it for her time in Takumi Village. Neji hummed as he walked beside her, his fingers rubbing against the velvet box in his pocket. The others had assisted him in picking out a style of ring they thought would fit Tenten. He ended up combining a few styles and Sakura picked out the stone. Neji had heard that an engagement ring was also seen as a flex depending on the size of the stone. Though, he figured a large stone would get in the way and would be damaged easily, so he opted for a cluster of three small stones instead. Would she even wear it? He pondered as they walked. It was more of an impulsive decision he made. And it didn't help that the others were encouraging him. Maybe he should've asked her if she even wanted a ring? Fuck, I'm stupid, he mentally groaned. They were fucking shinobi who worked with their hands and broke things all the time! Why the hell did he just buy her a ring?!

"Tenten wait up!" Naruto had run past him.

Neji blinked, he had been deep in thought that he hadn't realized that Tenten had started walking at a faster pace, her skirts in her fists…what was that smell?

The weapons mistress smelled the burning before she saw the smoke begin to rise. The smell was so cogent that it was clear to a trained nose that it was not a typical furnace. Hiking up her skirts even more she ripped off her sash and maneuvered it between her legs for make-shift pants, her skirts now out of the way as she booked it down the street. Merchants and shoppers had begun to run in that same direction, Tenten had lost sight of her friends as she quickly glanced behind her, but she kept going. Something was pulling her to the burning, may it have been her instincts or something beyond her comprehension, she had to see what it was. She didn't even notice when Naruto appeared next to her, dodging other blacksmiths as they too ran with buckets in their hands with water. Naruto and Tenten reached the source of the burning smell and smoke; Tenten gasped. The flames were golfing the entire workshop, rapidly the metals heated and littering the floor. Tenten stopped and served the area…her eyes honed in as her ears twitched. Something was not right. Obviously, she thought to herself. But what is this feeling I am having?

"Naruto, I think…" she looked at him. "I think there is someone inside!"

The blonde's eyes went wide. "Where? I don't see them!"

Tenten's breath quickened, as the people of Takumi village started running at the workshop with buckets, tossing the small bits of water at the workshop; the flames did not shrink.

"It has to be a jutsu…these flames are not organic." the weapons mistress exclaimed.

"Alright, I'm going-" Naruto readied himself to sprint into the flames and search for whatever person he assumed Tenten had potentially seen. "Tenten, wait! What are you-?"

Someone…help!

The kunoichi was already by the burning threshold of the workshop before he could finish his sentence. Naruto was about to go after her, however he was now blocked by the blacksmiths now panicking; a member of the Hua family had run into the flames. The crowd was showing and shoving at each other, trying to get the courage to go get her out of the building. Naruto was bumped and shoved about as the crowd argued and cried out for her to come back.

"Aagh!" Naruto's neck snapped backwards as a bucket made contact with his chin.

He stumbled backwards at spontaneous impact and just as his eyes found the smoke filled sky…wait, why hasn't he hit the ground yet?

"Naruto, are you okay?!"

His eyes refocus and he turns his head to find Lee and Sakura holding onto him. His chin was warm and beginning to sting. Sakura grabbed a gauze from her pack and pressed it to his chin; he was hit with the edge of the bucket, not the flat underside. The blonde let out a curse before regaining his balance, Sakura still holding onto his chin. His blue eyes tracked Neji, who was dodging buckets himself and people moshing about trying to get water and enough courage to approach the fire.

"Tenten?" Neji called out as he frantically pushed about the crowd.

"She ran inside, Neji!" Naruto exclaimed. "She said there was someone inside-"

The only words that registered in Neji's ears were "ran" and "someone inside". Activating his byakugan, Neji successfully shoved this way through the crowd. He could see her through the flames, she had her long sleeve over her face. She was trying to dodge the various metal scraps that had littered the floor. His eyes narrowed as he searched for the second person that was inside. His eyes did find that person…and someone else. There were two other bodies in the far back of the workshop, in a room it looked to be. His eyes snapped back to Tenten as he approached the threshold, the heat and soot drowned his senses. He managed to reach her, coughing a bit as he called out to her. Tenten turned to him, seeing his byakugan activated. Just as he was about to step to her side she showed him her palm. His feet froze.

"Tags!" Tenten huffed out and pointed to his foot.

Neji looked down, and indeed there were bomb tags scattered along the floor. A trap?! He scanned around again. The two people were still in the back of the workshop, one looked to be on the ground, his hands covering his face while the other was standing over him.

"There are two people here," Neji shouted over the roar of the flames. "All the way in the back."

The weapons mistress nodded. Reaching under her tied up skirts, she pulled out a kunai from her inner thigh and shifted into a defensive position. Carefully, Neji made his way to her while avoiding the tags, unsure if they were chakra seal tags, or contact reactive tags; based on Tenten's reaction, she hadn't had a chance to look at the seal written on one of them to figure it out. Better safe than sorry, Neji thought. He placed a hand on her shoulder and brought his lips to her ear.

"Ready?"

"Yes." she replied and began taking a step forward.

This was that perfect synchronization that the other teams wished they had; Tenten was struggling to see through the smoke and flames but with Neji as her eyes, all she had to do was feel for his taps and nudges as he guided her through the fire. They didn't need to speak, they didn't need to split up and scout ahead. Neji and Tenten had developed this stealth technique together when they had first become ANBU. It took complete trust in Neji to lead the way, and trust in Tenten to hold a defensive front. Usually, she would be behind him, covering his blind spot, however Neji would tilt his stance to a sideways shuffle at times to have access to that line of sight he was missing. With this hand on Tenten's solid shoulder, he could send signals without blowing their cover by the tightness of his grip, or the tapping of his fingers. Their breathing would sway as one constant tempo, their brains now silent as they zoomed in. Because Tenten was the queen of evasion, she would hold the front and be able to react faster than Neji if they were attacked suddenly. Even as a gennin, Tenten had shown great talent with her reflexes; it probably came with that impeccable aim. She would take first place every time against her teammates (and even Naruto when they would train with him) when they would have evasion training. Gai would applaud her for being able to shut off the noise in her brain and let her instincts take over, where the boys were too busy drowning in anticipation.

Neji squeezed her shoulder; halt. She froze, her foot hovering mid step. Her balance was perfect, even with the weight of his grasp, she did not falter as something fell off of a shelf in front of her and crashed to the ground in pieces. They were halfway through the workshop when a tag went off behind them. Neji shifted himself; the threshold to the outside had collapsed, closing their way out. Way out, he calmly looked around with sweat pouring down his temples. We need an escape route.

Tenten rolled back her shoulder, as she could read his thoughts; focus. They didn't have time to stand there and it was getting harder to breathe. Neji pressed his palm forward; continue. She lowered her foot. His brain was calculating, measuring, looking for any holes or crevices he could use to chakra palm their way out once they reached the two other people trapped inside.

"Let me go!" A loud cough was hard along with deep wheezing.

"Start talking before I bury you under this workshop, kid."

"I said fuck off, you shithead. I'm not saying shit!"

Tenten froze, Neji's torso now pressed against her back; Attention. They were still undetected, but they had to make a decision of what to do quickly, before another bomb went off. The bunhead crouched lower where she stood, a signal to Neji that she was shifting into an attack position; hold. A plan, he needed a plan and Tenten was about to let her intrusive thoughts take over if he wasn't quick enough. He tapped her with his pinky; yield. His fiance was in full instinct mode now; the figures were in her line of sight and she knew which one was causing this chaos. Her breathing was shallow as she narrowed her gaze, the reflection of the flames danced in her eyes. She had created a bullseye from her mind's eye.

Neji caught a glimpse of the very back of the workshop; a back door. It was blocked by boxes and materials, but he could blast through it. He needed Tenten to push the aggressor over so he could grab the kid and force an exit. The sound of wheezing and coughing reached Tenten's ears and she clenched her jaw. Her shoulder dipped; you're taking too long. She felt Neji tense behind her, maybe he saw something that caused him to hesitate and was weighing their options. The ANBU Captain swiftly shifted his hands to her hips and angled her; push that way. The weapons mistress nodded and shifted back onto her heels in understanding. She knew Neji would do the rescuing while she attempted to neutralize the aggressor. Once he said go, they only had but a split second before their cover was blown. Neji was waiting, waiting for this bastard to set off another tag so the explosion would cover them. He could feel Tenten bounce lightly as she waited for his signal, ready to pounce. The figure standing over the kid lifted his hand and Neji released Tenten's hips. Just as he released her, he gathered chakra at his palm and shot a pulse towards the back door. Just as another tag went off, Neji had made it to the kid's side and scooped him up. In that same breath, Tenten was hovering over the aggressor with her kunai aimed at his throat. Neji was already out the makeshift exit as the bomb completed its combustion. He scanned the workshop, his kekkei genkai still activated. Tenten was on top of the second figure, her kunai buried in his neck. Settling the child down on the ground, he took a deep breath before lunging back into the flames. Tenten looked the figure in the eye, the vision of his face clear as her kunai stuck into his neck. The smoke was escaping rapidly through the new hole in the wall, and the world slowed.

His eyes were a bright violet, and he had a scar that dragged from his lips to his right cheek bone. Tenten has never seen anyone with eyes like his; the violet color was rich and practically glowed through the soot. She felt a hand grab her wrist, causing her to flinch;

"Ah…there you are, Great Dragon." a wide grin spread onto his lips. "I have found you."

Tenten's eyes grew wide and she watched as the man combusted into a pile of ash, her kunai hitting the floor. A fucking clone!? She wheezed, her instincts quieting down and her consciousness returning to neutral control. Before she could fully register what just happened, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and hoisted her out of the burning workshop. Her body pushed out whatever was built up in her lungs and she looked over at Neji, who was still holding onto her, his byakugan deactivated. They were both steading their breaths as they heard the kid coughing on the ground. The pair walked over to the child and each wrapped an arm over their shoulders. Rounding the still burning workshop, the crowd gasped as they approached. People rushed over, offering assistance in any way. Tenten shook her head and called out for Sakura, who pushed through. The pink haired medical ninja took the kid from their arms and carried him over to Naruto and Lee, who had distanced themselves from the mosh pit. Tenten looked down at the ground, her eyes watering from the soot, and her nose burning from the shock of fresh air. She felt Neji put his hands on her shoulders and offered her support, in case she felt faint from the smoke inhalation.

Water style; Water Dragon Whip!

Tenten's eyes snapped to the voice and saw the back of a familiar figure. A massive orb of water materialized and shot spouts towards the workshop. The flames began to sizzle out and the smoke turned to steam.

"Lady Hua! Thank goodness you are okay!"

Tenten looked over and finally noticed the crowd that had formed around her; the merchants and spectators were now circling her. She nodded and offered a small smile. They let out a cheer and praised her for her heroics. She felt Neji's chest expand on her back; taking a deep breath to steady his heart rate. Despite the sweat and heat still radiating from her skin, she was blushing at the sudden attention.

"Look at my niece being a hero. I expect nothing less from Konoha's legendary weapons master!"

Neji cocked an eyebrow. The fire had been extinguished by that water style technique. His gaze met a beaming relative of Tenten's; Kai-Ming had casted that high level jutsu. It clicked in his mind why Tenten's family was well respected. A technique like that requires great control, she casted it without showing any signs of exhaustion afterwards. Tenten had a large amount of chakra, but her control was not anything more than basic, which is why she struggled when she attempted to study to be a medic. He never faulted her for that though, she was more useful as a fighter and he did not just think that because she watched his back; she had skills he did not and that in itself was impressive. She could fight close, mid, and at great distances. Her aunt, to his surprise, looked like a mid-distant rage shinobi.

"Aunt Kai," Tenten huffed. "How did you find us?"

Kai-Ming put her hand on her hips and puffed out her chest. A triumphant pose Tenten would also do when victorious or feeling prideful. Neji chuckled softly behind her, his chest lightly beating against her.

"A group had come to the main offices. They said you ran into some fire and were in there for quite a while. I came to check it out since they were so panicked." her aunt explained. "We are used to seeing smoke because of this district, however, when the smell finally hit us, we knew something was wrong."

Tenten nodded in understanding. Her aunt was…really cool, she thought. This was her mom's middle sister, who was also a shinobi and specialized in water style techniques. It was fitting since they were in the Land of Rivers, and the ninja academy was in the Village Hidden in Waterfalls, not too far from their current location.

"Auntie!"

The three shinobi turned. The child Neji had pulled from the fire was walking up to them, Sakura on his heels. Neji cocked an eyebrow at the kid and glanced over at Kai-Ming. Same eyes, he thought. This-so called-kid, actually looked to be about fifteen years old. He had a baby face for sure, but now that he could take a good look at him, he saw that this teenager was standing face to face with Kai-Ming; her hand grasping his face fiercely.

"Your mother is going to be pissed, Haitao." Kai-Ming gave a sketchy laugh. "You destroyed the old workshop."

"But, auntie, it wasn't my fault! I swear-"

"He's right," Tenten finally spoke. "He didn't start the fire."

Kai and Haitao turned to her. Tenten straightened herself and walked over to them. Her aunt hummed and nodded. She recommended they spoke about this in private back at the estate. Tenten looked over at her friends and told them to head back to her family estate while they handled the rest of the commotion here. Before Naruto could protest and before Lee could start walking to the destroyed workshop to investigate further, Sakura grabbed both men by the collar and pulled them back to the main street towards the Hua estate. Kai turned to the crowd, and announced that the problem had been handled. She thanked them for their efforts and told them to return to their businesses.

"Alright, my brave niece," the woman crossed her arms over her chest. "Let's go talk."

Naruto winced as Sakura stitched up his chin. The medical ninja was trying to be quick as she pulled at the string. The pair was sitting in the room that Naruto and Lee shared in the guest wing of the Hua estate. They had respectfully declined any help from the maids besides a fresh stock of bandages and some alcohol to clean the wound.

"Hey, Sakura." the blonde winced at the needle work.

"What's up?"

"Didn't you think it was pretty cool that the village came running to help out?" he hummed. "Reminds me of back home actually. How everyone comes running to help…"

Sakura offered a small smile as she applied a fresh gauze to his stitches. "Feeling homesick already?"

Naruto shook his head. He liked to state the obvious to remind himself that not everywhere is full of death and sadness. Granted, since they were all in their early adulthood, it had dawned on Naruto that all he knew was death, technically. Which is probably why Naruto tried to appreciate the little things now that the war was over and everyone was picking up the pieces. The blonde ran a hand through his hair as he let out a sigh; he was still getting used to his new prosthetic.

"You think Tenten could trick out my arm to make it like a super cool weapon?" he grinned.

"If you ask nicely, I think she would." Sakura chuckled as she packed up her medical pack. "How does it feel to be out of the village?"

The Uzumaki shrugged, his eyes found hers. Sakura had been constantly checking in on him since they had recovered from the war. While Sasuke went off to find himself once more, Naruto knew that his pink haired friend was a bit lonely and was trying to distract herself from the fact that the love of her life was out in the world without her.

"It's different, for the moment." Naruto tilted his head to the side. "It feels as though there are eyes looking at the back of my head…I can't shake the feeling that there is something always out to get me and hurt everyone…but I know it's not true."

Sakura put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. It was natural for him to be shook; they all were really. There was no guarantee that they would've walked away from that war alive; hell, even Neji almost didn't make it. He had risked his life for Naruto and Hinata, knowing that he could die.

"Ya'know. I asked him why he did it…" Naruto murmured. "I figured it was to save Hinata mostly…ya'know the whole Hyuga thing…"

Sakura cocked an eyebrow. "Is that not why?"

"He said he would gladly give his life if it meant protecting those he cared for the most; to change the course of fate…if it meant sealing his own in certainty." the blonde sighed. "I bet Tenten would've kicked his ass if she knew that, haha!"

Sakura chuckled. She wasn't sure actually, Tenten probably would've understood, considering they knew everything about each other and she probably expected that from him.

"Do you think he'll actually give her the ring?"

"He went through the trouble of buying it, it would be a waste not to." Sakura hummed.

The pair glanced over at the door as Lee walked in holding a basket of fruit. Lady Hua had offered them some snacks while the Huas and Neji spoke about what happened at the workshop. It was a bit odd that Lee was not in the meeting with them. In fact they were certain the only reason why Neji was there was because he was engaged to Tenten; this seemed more like a family affair. The taijutsu master shrugged and asked if Naruto was alright. The blonde gave him a thumbs up and claimed that the bucket caught him by surprise. Lee set down the basket on a nearby coffee stable and glanced back towards the door. His silence didn't go unnoticed.

"Lee, you seem…concerned?" Sakura's eyebrows furrowed as she took an apple from the basket.

"I caught some of the conversation before I was dismissed." the bowl cut ninja stated. "Tenten's cousin had mentioned that he had noticed the seal already in the workshop, and he was cornered."

"By who?" Naruto asked.

Rock Lee shrugged. "I am unsure, however, Tenten seemed very tense. I am sure she will clue us in later."

Team Kakashi nodded and glanced at each other. They felt a bit useless to this mission, however they knew they wanted to help their friend. Naruto specifically saw Tenten as an older sister figure after years of training with Team Gai. He could relate to her feelings of thinking she was inadequate, and even shared some of his own insecurities with her at times. He sparred with all of them numerous times, and every time he was defeated. Naruto wondered if she was feeling a bit powerless at the moment.

"Let's ask her later." Sakura nodded. "I'm sure she has a lot on her plate right now."

"What do you mean the workshop was already covered in tags?"

Haitao sat straight before his aunts and older cousin. A bead of sweat had trickled down his temple as the women stared at him with a hard expression. Kai sat with her arms crossed over her chest and pursed her lips together. Her older sister sat calmly next to her, a cup of tea in her manicured hands. Tenten sat beside the head of her family and rubbed her thumbs together in her lap. Neji was sitting besides Tenten, his back straight and his gaze on the younger Hua in the room.

"That's exactly what it means, Aunt Kai!" Haitao exclaimed. "I went to the workshop to dig out some steel. And there were a bunch of tags around…and this guy jumped me!"

"What did he look like, my son?" Lady Hua asked. "Anyone recognizable to the village?"

Haitao shook his head, his chocolate brown hair dancing on his face. He couldn't see in the flames.

"He had violet eyes…and he had a strong build." Tenten spoke finally.

Her relatives looked at her in curiosity. The bunhead explained that after Neji pulled her cousin from the fire, she was able to pin the intruder down and give a final bow. However, it turned out to be a clone and the real person was still alive and probably not too far from the village by now.

"Violet eyes, you say?" Kai blinked in surprise. "A very distinct feature. Any kekkei genkai?"

Tenten shrugged, she had no idea. "He was looking for me."

Neji snapped his head to her and his eyes grew wide. She had not mentioned that to him on the way back to the Hua estate.

"There you are, Great Dragon. I have found you." The weapons master recited.

Kai and Chao locked eyes. There was a sudden rush of panic to their faces as they looked back at their niece. A gesture that did not go unnoticed by Haitao.

"Uh…Great Dragon?" he cocked an eyebrow,

"Your late uncle's nickname." Lady Hua sighed. "There was a project that was being worked on…and now it seems as though Tenten is being sought out for it."

"Violet eyes…" Kai-Ming stood suddenly and walked over to a cabinet in the tea room. "Where have I seen those before?"

Tenten felt Neji put a cool hand on her knee. She looked over at him to find a small smile on his face. He was trying to offer her a brave face to prevent her from over thinking. But she knew that he was forcing the smile for his own peace of mind, since she did not tell him that she was being targeted. He was fighting his mind to replay the flashbacks.

"Ah, here it is. Chao, we do know this person."

Kai-Ming returned to the table and set down a photo album. The group looked at the page that was being presented. Neji gave a hum as his eyes scanned the pictures; Tenten's aunts were in the background of the photo, however a male figure that could be easily identified ast Tenten's father and a young Xiao-Lin were in the forefront with another Konoha shinobi…with violet eyes. Haitao looked in awe and he glanced over at Tenten.

"Wow, cousin. You look exactly like Aunt Xiao." he said.

Tenten fixated on the violet eyed man in the picture. "Who is he?"

His eyes were captivating, she thought. He had short black hair and was smiling softly at the camera. Her father had an arm draped along his shoulders while her mother appeared to be laughing. They had to be around her own age judging by their faces and the fact that her mother sported a Takigakure headband. This was before her parents had gotten married, she mused.

"It doesn't surprise me that you do not recognize him, Tenten. You were a bit young to remember." Lady Chao said. "This is your father's former teammate. His name is Akaji."

Tenten's eyes narrowed. The name sounded slightly familiar to her, however she was not sure if she had any memories of him. Maybe her father had mentioned him a few times? She turned the page. A wedding picture of her parents was present…two different weddings. In one, her mother sported a red and gold dress that was obviously expensive and extravagant. Her hair was wrapped in a singular bun on top of her head and decorated with gold and ruby pins. Smiling next to her was her father; Feiten sported an outfit in similar style to Neji's current garments except in a deeper red color and gold embroidery. His hair was tied back into a low bun and he held onto her mother with such tenderness. Tenten had seen these pictures before her father had died; her mother had stashed them away. The other wedding photo looked to be in Konoha, with Akaji present standing next to her father.

"I bet you'd look beautiful on your wedding day as well, Tenten!" Chao-Xing beamed at her niece. "I'm sure Neji would agree…"

Tenten's cheeks became heated at the thought. She could feel Neji's gaze shift between the pictures to her face. He let a breathy chuckle escape from his lips, enjoying her flustered reaction.

"Akaji…" Kai hummed. "He was very close to Feiten. They were best friends I believe."

Best friends? The bunhead thought as she turned the page to the photo album again. Her eyes landed on the next collection of pictures. Tenten's baby form was now being showcased in the arms of her mother. Akaji was holding her in another picture, Tenten's cheeks puffed up as she appeared to have been crying. Feiten looked to have been laughing being Akaji as he attempted to sooth her.

"You said he was looking for you?" Kai tapped on the tea table. "What could he want? He could've just approached you at home."

"Oh, you don't know." Chao looked at her younger sister. "He fled the village after Feiten was killed on that mission. Apparently, he wanted revenge."

"Lady Hua," Neji cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean by revenge?"

Apparently, the mission that Feiten and Akaji were sent on resulted in them being ambushed. Feiten had saved Akaji from being killed and sacrificed himself. Akaji had delivered the news to Xiao-Lin himself about the unfortunate encounter. Tenten knew that much about what happened; they were all jonnin and her father played hero to protect his best friend.

"Akaji had vowed to go after whoever killed your father. And according to Xiao, he hasn't been seen since." Kai hummed. "It's possible he thought that whoever he was looking for would try to back track. You mentioned that someone was looking for the sword. Maybe he is looking for it as well? It's possible he is still trying to catch who killed Feiten."

Neji and Tenten exchanged glances. Akaji was now another player that had entered the search. He had to have known about the sword; he was Feiten's best friend. Perhaps the people who killed her father were also very aware of who he was and what he was doing.

"Haitao, is there anything else that happened?" Tenten asked. "Did you notice anything at all that was weird besides the tags? Any books, or papers? Anything about my father's sword?"

Haitao thought for a moment, his eyes casted upwards to the ceiling as he collected his thoughts. After a moment he shook his head. The weapons mistress let loose a groan, and felt Neji's hand squeeze her knee.

"But," Haitao held his figure upwards. "There was a box of handles and some maps of the mines."

Handles, Tenten pursed her lips together. The thought of the sword being in pieces hadn't really crossed her mind. In the event of them not finding it, she'd have to craft something similar just in case. She'd have to re-read her father's book to see if he left any notes about it.

"Tenten, why don't you look around the workshop we have here on the grounds." Lady Chao suggested. "I'm sure you'd find something of use there."

The bun head nodded. As her aunts began to scold her younger cousin for walking blatantly into danger, Tenten and Neji excused themselves. The Hyuga trailed closely behind her, noticing that she was deep in thought as she walked back to their room. The silence held strong as they changed into their usual shinobi gear. When something weighed on Tenten's mind, Neji knew that she had to process it fully before making any decisions; the easiest way to do so was through sparring. Tightening her belt, she led her fiancé towards the workshop. The area was wide and fenced in, enough room between the estate and the workshop was present for sparring. Neji waited for her to get into her stance, a signal that she was ready. They wouldn't go full out this time, just enough movement for the both of them to think about the information they had just obtained. Or to work out any underlying anger that could be settled due to recent events. It was apparent Tenten was irritated by the day; her cousin caught in the workshop, this mysterious man who was her father's best friend appearing…looking for her?

"Tenten."

The bunhead clenched her fist and dropped into a taijustu stance. Neji understood that she would not be using her weapons; just her fists. He readied himself in his gentle fist stance and waited for her to strike.