Summary: Sakura enlists the girls to get Tenten up and moving again; a task that is more challenging than they thought.

Frequency IV

Sakura hummed as she applied light pressure onto her friend's lower abdomen. She didn't squirm as much this time, which was good-but her face still showed some discomfort. The pinkette tried to convince her to swing her legs over and try to walk around; even if it was just around the room to stretch her legs. As much as it sounded like a practical idea, the bun head didn't feel up to it. Every time she asked if they could walk around the hospital or even go down to the gardens (Sakura even offered to get her a wheelchair)-the weapons master refused. Whenever the nurse asked her why she wouldn't move, Tenten would just sigh and say she couldn't.

She just couldn't.

"I'm sure Neji would like to see you up and walking around." Sakura tried.

Tenten shrugged in response. He hadn't come to visit in a few days. She wondered if he was sent out on a mission with another team or was taking on solo missions again. He had come back in really late without a word. Sakura had his stuff packed away in a separate drawer of the dresser that kept Tenten's extra clothing. The drawer was left slightly open at times which made her wonder if he had taken missions or was out training without her. Whichever the case may be, her hand was at her side feeling cold. The pink haired ninja frowned as Tenten leaned back and closed her eyes. Announcing that she would return later, Sakura walked out of the room.

This was too much, she thought. Tenten was the most strong willed girl in their group...this was just...weird. Neji wasn't going to push her to try and get up if she didn't want to. Then again, the only one who has been staying at her side the most was him and Tenten's mother (who didn't push her either). This needed to stop, Sakura thought.

About an hour and a half later, the nurse had returned with two others. Ino pranced into the room with Hinata trailing behind her. The blonde sat herself at the edge of the hospital bed and frowned; Tenten eyed her friends cautiously.

"Alright," the blonde grabbed her ankle. "Get up. We're going for a walk."

Tenten's leg retracted just as Ino made contact. Hinata put a hand on Ino's shoulder, telling her they can't make any sudden movements.

"This is ridiculous," the Yamanaka exclaimed. "How is it that the bravest of the four of us is bound to a hospital bed unwilling to get up and walk around?"

"Ino…" Sakura looked at her sternly.

"No, she needs to hear this-This is utter bull shit. How can Konoha's weapons mistress preach about not showing weakness-this-and never giving up-that. You fucking use forbbiden ultra powerful weapons that would kill any of us if we even looked at them the wrong way and you're here moping in bed! It's time to live up to it. Get your ass out of this bed or you'd be nothing more than a piece of weak trash you claim to hate. This is unacceptable, Tenten. Everyone is worried sick and you're not even willing to show and progress of trying to make yourself feel any better-"

"Ino!" Sakura hissed.

"-besides, out of all of us. Neji is the one who's giving up dragging his feet, not taking any missions or doing any training to watch over your sorry ass. Is that what you want? Neji to cater to you while you sit around feeling sorry for yourself? Isn't that everything you don't want to happen? You are a fucking ANBU. Start fucking acting like one."

Sakura and Hinata looked at each other. It was harsh, but Ino was right. Tenten stared at her wide eyed. Pursing her lips together, the bun head shook her head. The blonde was annoying, but she loved her too much for giving her that smack in the face. That's it, she mused, no more moping around. It went against her values as a kunoichi and she was dragging Neji down with her. Tenten breathed in and looked dead at the blonde.

"I can't feel my legs."

That's when Ino flung the covers off of her and swung her legs off the bed. The brunette jumped, but didn't fight back.

"Hinata! Get those slippers. We're walking around the hospital." The blonde barked.

The Hyuga girl quickly passed the blonde a pair of slippers. Grabbing her elbows, Ino hoisted her friend onto her feet. Tenten's knees wobbled violently as her body weight shifted downward. Letting out a grunt, the ANBU collapsed back down on the bed...only this time she was sitting up straight. Ino grabbed her elbows once more, this time holding onto her as she tried to stand. With her knees shaking and her ankles burning, Tenten clenched her jaw. When did she become this weak? Wrenching away from Ino's grip, she sat back onto the bed.

"Come on, Tenten! Don't make me get Temari over here to slap you around again." Ino groaned.

Tenten sucked her teeth. There was no reason to bring that sand ninja into this. Granted, her and Temari have become rather close over the last few years. The desert girl would definitely smack her around until she got off her ass. Plus, Ino was probably right about Neji. She was holding him back if he really wasn't taking any missions. What a load of dead weight she had become. How could he have even put up with her and just put his career on hold? No, she thought. She'd have to do this on her own accord. She refused to be a victim of pity.

"I need to stop being so pathetic…" Tenten grumbled to herself.

The three other girls looked at her curiously, unable to have heard that thought. Reaching her arms up, Tenten used whatever energy she could muster and wrapped her arms around Ino's shoulders. The blonde looked at her friend wide eyed. Whatever she must've mumbled lit a fire under her ass.

"Ino," Tenten's eyes flashed. "Sling me on your back and start walking. I'll hold on with all I can until I pass out."

Sakura gaped at her. This was the first time-since she had been admitted to the hospital- the look in her eyes had seemed somewhat normal. Ino grinned and pulled the weapons mistress onto her back. Her legs dragged, but it was a start. Tenten was taller than her, so Ino had to make sure she didn't lose her grip.

Sakura held her clipboard in hand and wrote everything down, from every trip, to every pause, whenever Tenten cried out in pain; she wrote it all down. It would take days, the pinkette thought, weeks even. However, if Tenten didn't regress...if she wasn't triggered again, she'd be well enough to go home. Hinata hummed next to her.

"What's up?" Sakura asked.

"Do you think pushing her is the right thing to do?" The Hyuga girl mused.

Sakura sighed. No, she admitted. Tenten would never be the same again. Who knows what could come out of pushing her.

"This is Tenten though," Hinata smiled a bit. "I think Ino did the right thing. Maybe she won't change as much as you think."

The two glanced over at Ino and Tenten. The brunette had sweat on her brow and her teeth were clenched so tightly that her cheeks puffed up. Even Ino was beginning to slow her pace. Even with Tenten's constant use of profanity, she kept holding onto the blonde, trying to move her feet. She was trying to snap her body out of shock. A smile crept onto Sakura's face. Even if she had lit a fire under Tenten's ass, there was no way this was going to result well immediately -to which Ino probably knew, but decided to try anyway.

"Why are our friends so hardheaded?"

"I dunno." Hinata chuckled. "But isn't that the best part about us?"

Neji grunted. When he returned to the hospital last night from a low level mission, Sakura had pushed him to a vacant room to sleep in since Tenten was in the middle of bathing. He needed to keep himself busy so his uncle couldn't corner him and do who knows what. The Hyuga blew upwards, causing his long bangs to lift off of his face. Glancing at his belongings, he made sure the book was securely in between some clothing. After showering and getting dressed, he grabbed his stuff and walked over to Tenten's room. He was slow in his pace, the book in his hand suddenly became a bit heavy. This would be the second time he has disappointed her in a while. Pursing his lips together, he let out a muffled groan. It was too late to turn back now. His uncle saw him with the book, there was no way he'd be able to go back until this was over, he thought as he shuffled down the hallway.

"Fuck, Ino! Slow down!"

The Hyuga's ears perked up. A slipper flew into his direction landing by his feet. Looking ahead, he almost gasped out loud. Tenten continued to throw a colorful assortment of vocabulary at the blonde as she was dragged about the hallways.

"Quit your complaining and fucking move."

"Don't you fucking curse at me while I'm in pain, Yamanaka!"

"Remember who's holding you up, Hua!"

Neji stepped forward which caused the girls to freeze. Slipper in hand, the Hyuga cocked an eyebrow.

"And you're out of bed and not resting because…?" He mused.

Tenten's bottom lip became trapped between her teeth. The Hyuga man shook his head and stated that she needed to regain her physical strength back after her mind was at ease; to which, she wasn't there quite yet. Ino let out an exaggerated sigh before helping Tenten back to her room. Hinata and Sakura were seated in chairs by the window and greeted Neji as he entered. Tenten released her grip on Ino and flopped onto the bed. Sitting beside her, he took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"Well, this is where I go before it gets sappy." Ino announced after a moment of silence. "I'll be back tomorrow bright and early."

Hinata glanced between Neji and the door. Bowing slightly, she rushed after Ino. Sakura rubbed her temple with her fingers, feeling a headache come about. Tenten winced as Neji's cool digits brushed against her toes as he gently placed her feet back on the bed.

"Honestly, you can be so stubborn..." He mumbled adjusting the blankets.

"I don't need you to take care of me anymore." Tenten huffed.

Rolling his eyes, Neji pushed her shoulders back, to which her body instantly wobbled and sunk into the cushions. The Hyuga smirked as she gritted her teeth before turning onto her side. He told the pink haired nurse to not allow Tenten to leave the bed until she is certain she can stand on her own even without assistance. Sakura grunted and walked toward the door. The bun head lifted her head from the pillows once the door to her room clicked shut.

"So, where have you been?" she asked with a huff.

"Going on some low level missions, nothing too major." Neji replied nonchalantly.

Tenten looked at him carefully, she can usually tell when he was lying ... .This time he wasn't fully, however, he was leaving something out the way he dismissed the question.

"You kept leaving the bottom drawer open like you were in a rush, that's why I asked…"

Neji blinked and glanced over at the dresser. Indeed, she was right. It seemed odd for one to notice such a detail, however they were ninja...so he supposed it was just her observation. Sticking his finger into the crack of the dresser, he checked to make sure the book was still folded into his clothing; which it was, to his relief. Sitting himself on the edge of her bed, Neji looked out the windows before him. Bringing up the subject was rather difficult...he supposed it would be rather easy to just tell her that her teammates broke into the Hyuga compound, stole her book against her wishes, and were going to dig deeper into this whole situation. It sounded simple in his mind, however, her reaction is what scared him. He has seen Tenten irritated before. Her cheeks would puff up and her eyes would narrow. She'd do nothing more than flail her arms and shout profanity at him. Anger, he swallowed, was a hidden beast that has not reared its ugly head yet (and he sure as hell was not ready for that). Sensing the shift in his demeanor, the bun head tapped him with her foot.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

Breathing in, the Hyuga reached for the book. Almost immediately, Tenten's face paled and her mouth was ajar. The ribbon was still attached which was an easy indication as to what he held.

He waited.

His eyes scanned her face for any significant changes; her lips were parted, and her eyes were wide. Her cheeks didn't puff up, her fingers were not curled into fists. Her gaze did not windle from the item in his hands. Admittedly, he was afraid to say something. He couldn't even catch her eyes since she was busy staring at the book, probably trying to figure out how in the world he managed to get it. Clearing his throat, Neji took a shaky hand to the ribbon.

"There was a reason why I jumped into missions again recently without telling you…." he began.

Tenten blinked and finally looked at him.

"We… managed to get your father's book. However, to avoid any further interaction with my uncle, I had to be out of the village for a while. So, I hid it here, where he couldn't get to it."

The bun head pursed her lips together and held a blank expression. Uh-oh, Neji thought. That was a face he couldn't read. Pressing his luck, he continued anyway.

"We tried to read through it...however it seems to be written in some type of coding. And a few pages are missing. I've seen these characters on some of your belongings. As well as your own scrolls have some of these characters." he said carefully. "We wish to help you, Tenten. And you need to allow us to do so. I am not taking 'no' for an answer this time."

She sighed. He was not asking; this was a command as her ANBU Captain. The one time she didn't want them to pry into anything, they did it anyway. Bringing her hand to her brow, the weapons mistress grabbed the book from him. For something like this, though, perhaps she couldn't handle it alone. Depending on people was something she hated doing; but this time, she gave in.

"What do you want to know?"

Neji blinked, surprised by her lack of outburst. Untying the ribbon, he asked her to show him the map. The bun head flipped through the pages, scanning each page with her brown eyes. By the time she got to the end, she looked up at him.

"It is not a physical map. There are written clues throughout the book. My father wasn't dumb, he knew if someone got his hands on this that's the first thing they'd look for." She explained.

Neji peered over her shoulder as she began to explain the pointers and markings along the long paragraphs of notes. She shared her father's handwriting, he realized. It was as if Tenten had written the book herself. According to the notes, the sword was made from three separate pieces. The handle was the easiest to find, since it was somewhere here in Konoha. Tenten had no knowledge as to where it was specifically, however, the possibility of the armory and storage units were a good place to start. Next was the charm that attaches to the base of the handle. The weapons specialist explained that the handle had a notch in it for the charm to lay. The charm's purpose was to allow easy transfer from a person's chakra points into the actual handle itself. The actual handle, she continued, was used as a storage vessel for the chakra. There were hair pockets her father had crafted into it that allowed chakra to pool into the empty space, thus causing the chakra to sit within it. When activated, the chakra will ooze from the pods and leak into the blade.

"That's the hardest part of the sword." Tenten mused as she scrunched her nose. "My dad does give any specific inclination as to where, or who has it…"

Neji hummed. "What about where he got the materials for it?"

Tenten flipped through some more pages. She landed on what looked like a checklist that was dashed off in red ink. Her eyes landed on the name of the crystal. Suckign her teeth, she shook her head at Neji; she had no knowledge on crystal beds around the five major nations. For that, that'd have to go exploring. The Hyuga rested his chin in his palm as he tried to think about the possibility of there being a book in Konoha's library on crystals that contribute to chakra storing and/or support.

"Tenten?"

The door opened to the room and Sakura walked in holding a tray. Placing it on the rolling table, the nurse asked her how she was feeling today. Tenten merely shrugged as she reached for the bowl of rice that had been placed before her. Slightly smiling at Neji in greeting, she peeked over at the book Tenten had in her lap.

"What's this?" Sakura asked.

Neji's eyes snapped toward her which caused the Haruno girl to jump back a bit. Everything chakra related fell under the ninjutsu category if they were thinking about it as an offensive fighting topic. Tenten peeked her legs from under the sheets and allowed Sakura to place her hands on her knees. Green chakra emitted from her skin. The Hyuga hummed, perhaps they were looking under the wrong category.

"Sakura," Neji looked from her hands to her face. "What do you know about healing crystals?"

The pinkette cocked an eyebrow. Healing crystals were kind of a myth, she explained. Crystals cannot heal without any manipulation. She continued to explain that it is believed that certain crystals already have some kind of "aura" or special property that allow chakra to bind with the structure of the bonded atoms within the crystal. Although they don't "heal" per say… they amplify. Personally, she has never practiced with such items due to the lack of location knowledge as well as side effects.

"If I remember correctly, most crystals nowadays are in a specific location." Sakura hummed as she lifted her hand off of Tenten's knee. "Usually the mines in the Land of Lightning. However, those mines have been dismantled and only gold was found there anyway."

"Yes, we were on that mission...years ago." Neji recalled back to their gennin days.

"If you want to learn more, I can try to get into the archives." she offered.

Tenten thanked her with a small smile. Before Sakura turned to leave, she dared to ask why they wanted the information in the first place. At this the two members of Team Gai exchanged looks. If they tell her, they might have to take her with them. A medical ninja would be very useful to them if they got into any trouble. Sakura was trustworthy, but Tenten wasn't sure if she wanted to drag the Haruno all around the five nations on a treasure hunt. Running into those thugs that put her in the hospital in the first place would be...hell, she didn't want to think about it. After a moment, the bun head nodded and Neji. The Hyuga explained the situation...vaguely though. He did not mention the sword, just the crystal and other materials they were looking for. He also mentioned that the items belonged to Tenten's father, and they were the reason why she was targeted in the first place. They believed that if they could gather the items and store them here in Konoha, the possibility of Tenten being targeted again would be lowered. The pinkette let loose a small gasp. Tenten then spoke.

"Sakura, you gotta promise me you won't say a word." Tenten stated in a low tone. "I'm already thinking of ways to address this to Lady Tsunade so she can let us leave the village."

"What do you need me to do? I'll help in any way I can!" She exclaimed. "We are friends after all."

"For now, I just need those articles in the archives. I'm trying to pinpoint every location as accurately as possible before we present it to Tsunade." Tenten put her now empty bowl back onto the rolling tray. "Also, you need to act as if you had no idea about this mission when I request to take you with me. It would just make it easier for a solid approval. I don't think Tsunade would mind, but you are her apprentice and a mission like this she might not think is worth it for you since it is a long term personal mission."

"At least until we state our case." Neji added. "However, I do believe that you will get approved since it is a long term mission. Tenten will try her best though."

Sakura nodded with vigor, excited for a new possible adventure. She promised to keep her mouth shut before exiting the room to head to the archives. Tenten laid back and let out a sigh. She had to make a separate packing list for this personal mission as well as account for the possibility that some items have been found. Since there were some missing pages, it's possible that they were scattered about the different lands in specific locations where her father resided for some time. Neji stood and walked over to the window. They had a little while to think about it, but for now, she had to focus on pinpointing those locations and any possible people she could inquire with. The blacksmith's daughter nodded and continued to comb through the book, bottom lip between her teeth.