Summary: Tenten approaches Lady Tsunade about her mission with the support of Hiashi Hyuga. She's hesitant, however, she sees that Tenten is determined to tie up loose ends, especially since this situation could have drastic consequences if left unchecked.

Frequency VI

Neji and Tenten stopped for a quick breakfast before heading to the Hokage's office. She wasn't at all hungry, but Neji had convinced her to at least have some kind of snack before they approached their village leader. The pair had run into their sensei, who inquired about their progress with their investigation. Gai listened as Tenten stated her case and the information they had acquired from Lord Hiashi. The taijutsu master watched as her eyes gleamed with a dim light of determination and passion; she was returning to her old self again. He smiled as she promised that she would handle this as quickly as she could and would be back home soon…if Tsunade allowed them to leave.

"In the event that she does not grant you permission, what will you do?" Gai asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Tenten hummed. The only other option was to try and find someone outside of the village to help her; she'd have to hire help. Or, she'd have to take her chances and rely on her family in the Land of Rivers (which was a last resort for her, especially since she rarely kept in contact).

"I think Lady Tsunade will let us go," she looked at him, her eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not leaving her office until she does. This is not just a personal mission, but it could cause major issues if it got into the wrong hands."

Gai nodded. "I believe if you open your argument with that, she will undoubtedly let you go. I am guessing this is not a solo mission, if Neji is here with you?"

The Hyuga nodded stiffly. He took it upon himself to be responsible for Tenten's wellbeing; mission or otherwise. Neji was determined to right his wrong and prove to Tenten (and himself actually) that he is capable of keeping his word in protecting her from anything. A grin spread across their Master's face. He was proud of the man Neji had become over the years. He was in such a dark place and he was able to claw his way out of it with the help of his teammates and friends.

"Neji, my boy, a word of advice," Gai gestured for the Hyuga to get closer.

He bent over slightly and whispered something aggressively into his ear. Tenten watched as Neji's shoulders rose in surprise slightly and then his ears turned a bit pink. Their master let out a hearty laugh at his reaction as he clapped his hand against his shoulder. Neji pursed his lips together and returned to Tenten's side, avoiding her curious eyes.

"My flower, if you require anything at all, do not hesitate to send it to me. My body may not be the same as it used to be, but for you I would move the heavens to be there." the spandex clad master shot her his signature thumbs up. "I am so proud of the amazing young woman you have become, Tenten. You can do anything you put your youthful mind to, never forget that"

Tenten's lower lip wobbled a bit at his words. Maito Gai had been her father figure since they had been assigned to him as gennin. He would always cheer her on and support her when she was struggling to find her shinobi niche. And when she found it, he took the time to help her build her dreams and ambitions; she was like his own daughter. Gai was about to reach his hand out to her, but stopped suddenly, remembering that she was still in recovery and was unsure if she wanted to be touched by him. To his pleasant surprise, tenten had stepped into his touch, his hand now resting on top of her head. She looked up at him with teary eyes; she was a bit scared to go on this mission, but Gai had given her that push she needed to feel as if she could do this; she could pick up the pieces. Neji watched as Gai gave a yelp of joy and ruffled the weapons mistress' chocolate tresses. The warmth of his palm sent tingles down her spine; flashbacks of their gennin days played before the Hyuga's eyes. This was a step down from his usual bone crushing hugs, but for Tenten and Gai, this was their thing. Her cheeks brightened in comfort as she smiled at her master.

"I will see you when you return, my flower." He took a step back. "Give me regards to your family in the Land of Rivers. I'm sure they will be happy to see you after all this time."

Tenten nodded and wiped her eyes. She reached for Neji's hand as they made their way to the Hokage's mansion. As they walked together, Tenten couldn't help herself but ask what advice Gai had given Neji. The Hyuga looked at her, his expression gentle as she shook his head.

"It…is nothing super important. You know how Gai-sensei is…" was all he said before looking ahead.

Sakura was waiting at the Hokage's office door when they approached. She was very delighted to see them, worried that Tenten may have changed her mind. The bunhead offered the medical ninja a small smile and told her that she was ready to put her request in. In a way, she was a bit worried that Tsunade would not allow one of her ANBU teams to disband temporarily for such a mission, but something told her (probably the reminisce from Gai's encouragement) that she would be able to state her case and be granted permission to leave.

"Do you want me in the room? I can stay in the room with you to back you up!" Sakura chirped, pumping her fists.

Tenten grinned, happy her friend was willing to be of support. "This…I think I may need to do it by myself."

The bunhead looked at her Hyuga partner and sent him a silent nod. He nodded at her, lifted her hand to his lips, tenderly kissing her digits before releasing her and taking a step back. Tenten squared her shoulders and lifted her fist to the wooden door. She was shaking a bit; Tsunade was a bit difficult to reason with if she was in a bad mood. However, the blonde sannin was her idol, and was there to assist her when she had returned to the village. Sakura gave a grunt of encouragement as Tenten lightly rammed her fist into the door. After being granted access inside, the weapons mistress slowly made her way inside of the Hokage's office and closed the door behind her.

"I hope she can do it." Sakura murmured. "This means so much to her."

"Even if Lady Hokage does not grant us permission, we will find a way to handle it." Neji started leaning against the wall. "This is important to her, and can cause issues to Konoha if not handled. It must be handled soon."

"I promised Tenten I would go with her, I want to help her."

"We are very grateful for you, Sakura." Neji replied, bowing his head slightly.

The pink haired kunoichi looked at him for a moment. She wasn't very close to the Hyuga, in fact she only really interacted with him when Tenten was around. The ANBU was one year her senior, like Tenten and Lee, and usually kept to himself. He had almost died during the war, she recalled. His body was so damaged it took her and Shizune months to get him to be stable. He was grateful to them, and would always express it whenever they would cross paths. She also remembered the day that Tenten had shared that Neji had committed himself to her officially. In a way, she was a bit jealous of them. The Hyuga seemed to be a devoted partner, even before the war. Sakura kind of wondered what would have happened if she and Naruto could have pulled Sasuke out of his darkness; would she be with Sasuke, just as Neji was with Tenten? Neji and Sasuke shared a lot of similarities (she's had conversations with Tenten and Hinata a few times about the two prodigies), so she could only imagine how their dynamic would have been if Sasuke hadn't gone against the village. She did hold some respect for Team Gai, though. Yes, they could be a lot in terms of their personalities and dynamic, however they held that respect and love for each other that resembled a perfect unit that balanced each other in every way.

"Neji, I hope you don't mind me asking," the Hyuga cocked an eyebrow at her. "Have you ever left her side before?"

The Hyuga hummed. A few times he has, he recalled. When he almost died the first time trying to retrieve Sasuke, he was actually with her when he got the notice to meet the rest of their friends at the gates. He also takes time to assist his cousins with their own training and family matters, though they usually are always together; missions, training, in their spare time. For some reason, even when they didn't get along, they were in each other's presence. Neji met her eye, curious as to why she asked such a question.

"It seems like fate doesn't it?" Sakura's green eyes sparkled. "Isn't that what you used to say?"

Neji pondered on it for a moment. After his battle with Naruto, and coming to clarity that he was in full control of his life, even if he was a branch member, she did have a point. Tenten had been in his life since they were very young children. By coincidence her father had done business with his clan, and by that same strange act of divine will, they were on the same team and have been together ever since.

"Having a soulmate is so romantic." Sakura let out a forlorn sigh. "Must be nice…"

The Hyuga hummed and his lips spread into a small smirk. Soulmates, huh? He thought.

Lady Tsunade sat straight in her chair as Konoha's weapons master stood before her. She eyed her curiously as she processed what the kunoichi had just requested of her. Caramel met amber as they held each other's gazes; Tenten does not usually ask for much. She is a loyal shinobi who takes her career very seriously. The bunhead had become extraordinarily valuable to the village, especially during the war, due to her handling of holding the front at the beach. The blonde knew that the young brunette idolized her; but Tenten had been granted her own title in her own right. This request…she wasn't too sure about, though.

"Lady Tsunade, please." the bunhead pleaded. "I must handle this for the sake of the village, and my own family."

Tsunade sighed. "I am not against you wanting to handle your matters, Tenten. What I am worried about is your current condition. How do I know you are of sound enough mind where you are able to carry this out?"

Tenten clenched her jaw. She wasn't questioning her strength-she knew that-the Hokage was questioning her wellbeing. Perhaps she did not give off the confidence that she thought she was portraying when she started her case.

"I am fine! I can do this!" the bunhead insisted her voice rising in volume. "I need to do this!"

Shizune exchanged glances with her Lady. "Lady Tsunade, you don't think she would go off on a revenge rage, do you?"

Tenten's eyes grew wide at the accusation. The people who initially attacked her were already killed as per their previous mission; the Hokage knew that. However, who's to say that her…situation was not scripted based upon someone else's orders to bring down her motivation, to make her weak enough mentally and physically so she would seek them out for revenge. They already had that issue with Sasuke and even though it turned out well in the end, she did not want to risk losing her only weapons master over a sword that may or may not be destroyed. Tenten argued that the archives were broken into for that same sword, which means that they were probably looking for old records form the Third Hokage gave any hints to its pieces or wear abouts.

"Tenten, I cannot risk losing you. Yes, you are our only weapons master now in Konoha, but you are an important asset to your team as well." Tsunade folded her arms over her large bosom. "We don't even know how long this will take. You also have a duty to the ANBU."

"So, remove me from the Black ops! Add someone else to my place, there are plenty of kunoichi who can take my place!"

"I am unwilling to throw off your team's dynamic over a sword that may no longer exist."

Tenten shoved her hand in her pockets and pulled out the letter Hiashi had written. She walked over and slammed it down onto her desk. Tsunade eyed the Hyuga seal and furrowed her brows. Fuck, she thought. She got Hiashi involved.

"You had your boyfriend talk to his uncle, huh?" Tsunade groaned.

Tenten's long bangs danced on her forehead. "I went on my own volition. Neji had nothing to do with it."

Okay, that was a bit of a lie, a voice in her head piped up. But she needed to make sure Neji was also not put on the spot for any kind of help he was giving her.

"Besides, he would be coming with me." Tenten stated. "And I want Lee and Sakura to accompany me as well."

The Hokage looked sharply at her from the letter. She was very clever for her to request a team; she knew that Tsunade would not let her leave the village by herself for a personal mission in her current condition. Technically, Tenten was on medical leave until the Hokage deemed it clear for her to resume shinobi activity. However, she heard from her apprentice that the bunhead had been pushing herself out of shock, prematurely in order to prevent diving deeper in her own depression.

"Gai-sensei has given me his blessing as well. Lady Tsunade, I will not fail and I will not be alone in this. I already have a lead thanks to Lord Hiashi, as well. I need to find out the truth of this sword and if it gets into the wrong hands, another war will rise and I fear it will take more than Naruto and Sasuke to stop it." the weapons mistress stated. "Please, let us go."

Tsunade leaned back in her chair and looked at Tenten for a moment. The color was returning to her face and she had a spark in her eye; a dim one, but it was there nonetheless. Again, she never really asked for much in terms of requests like other shinobi do, she supposed she could let her attempt her mission, the worst that could happen is that she would come back empty handed. The chances of her dying or running rogue were rather slim since she would be with a team.

"What is your lead? And when do you intend on returning?"

Tenten stood at attention and smiled. She relayed the information she had received from the Hyuga lord.

"The Land of Rivers…you have family there, right?" Tsunade hummed. "I suppose, I can grant you permission to go. Especially since I would not have to worry about you finding accommodations. And since you have requested that the rest of your team…and Sakura accompany you, I am going to add one more to your party."

Shizune offered Tenten a small smile as Tsunade ordered Tenten to summon her file using the seal on her desk. The seal was connected to the archives that held information and records of all active shinobi. The weapons mistress bit at her finger, the blood spewing from her thumb and pressed her hand against the seal. A thick folder and scroll appeared on the wooden desk with her name printed on both items; Hua Tenten. Tsunade opened the scroll and scribbled down some words, writing the request that Tenten had just presented to her. She took the endorsement from Hiashi and placed it into her folder as well. Tsunade's stamp was brought over by Shizune.

"Your thumb print will be due as a contract. The conditions are written in the scroll, although you are ready to take full responsibility, read them through." The Hokage instructed. "I have added to the list of tasks you must complete in order to allow you to roam freely out of the village with a team. Do not make me send people to find you."

Tenten's eyes scanned the scroll. She was allowed to leave the village for however long it took for her to complete the search. As she travels, she must send word of any new information she has discovered directly back to the Hokage. Seals will be set up in the office to allow her to send word easily; an easy task. Tenten is required to also list ehr intentions and next steps within those reports. If she is to encounter what she is looking for, she must send word immediately and return to the village with it at once with no stops in any other villages. The bunhead was unsure how far she would travel, for all she knew she could end up in the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools. Any personnel she encounters must also be identified and accounted for, as well as locations and resources she picks up along the way. It was tedious, she hummed as she read, but whatever it took.

"Your thumbprint goes here." Shizune pointed to the space at the bottom of the scroll. "Lady Tsunade will stamp it as well once you sign."

Tenten rubbed her blood between her thumb and index finger. She firmly pressed down on the scroll. Tsunade swiftly stamped her seal right next to her thumb print and the scroll disappeared in a puff, returning to the archives. The blonde looked at her.

"I guess I should be calling you Lady Tenten now." She said with a wink. "You do have your own legendary status now. Plus, your family in the Land of Rivers holds great status over there. I'm sure they are proud of you."

"My family over there tends to remain in their bubble. My status may not be of concern to them as it is to you. Lady Tsunade, I always looked up to you, even as a child. I wanted to be you. But, when I failed to become a medical ninja, I learned that maybe my path was not to be your copy, but to fight alongside you as my own kind of legend." Tenten smiled. "I will not let you down. Besides, I haven't used a title at all since moving here when I was a child; why should I start using it now?"

Tsunade leaned back in her chair. "Being me is not all it is cracked up to be, dear. I promise you that. You have made your own name for yourself with your own abilities, do not forget that. And get used to being given that title…especially if you plan on staying companions with Neji Hyuga."

A blush crept up to her cheeks, causing Tsunade to smirk. "Love is something that should be held with utmost caution in our line of work. And yet the both of you have managed to make it work all this time. I hear from Sakura and your sensei how you and Neji have found such harmony in each other. That is why I always try to send you on missions together. You are Yin and Yang. Trust in him as he trusts in you, that is how you will be successful in this quest of yours."

The bun head nodded. "Yes, thank you. Oh, before I go, who else are you adding to the team?"

Tsunade hummed. She'd have to think about that, actually. She had an idea of who but she'd have to see if they were up to go on an adventure. Tenten stated that she planned to leave at dawn tomorrow morning. Whoever she chose could meet them there, and be ready to set off. The Hokage nodded and dismissed her.

"Good luck, Lady Tenten."

Neji watched as Tenten hastily rummaged through her dressers and closet. The was elated to have been granted permission to leave the village. She had been chatting to Neji about her family's estate in the Land of Rivers. She had only seen it through pictures of her parents being there. Her relatives have never come to Konoha to visit, why would they need to when they had everything that they needed there? And the fact that Tenten's aunt was now running Takumi Village made her quest a lot easier. Upon leaving the Hokage's mansion, she sent a post to her aunt, announcing her visit. It would take about a day and half to reach the Land of Rivers. Her mother would be notified by the Hokage once she had returned from her own mission.

"But, what do I wear?" she mused. "Surely, my aunt would want me in some kind of formal attire, right?"

The Hyuga shrugged. Though, something that he had been wondering about was starting to pick at his brain. He knew Tenten's reputation had granted her a title, however to be granted Lady by his uncle was not due to reputation alone.

"Tenten," he sat on the edge of her bed. "Why did my uncle refer to you as Lady? There is something you haven't mentioned to me, or Lee yet."

The weapons master froze, holding what looked to be a very ornate red top with gold trimming. She looked at him through the mirror on top of her dresser. The bunhead sighed; she had hoped he would have not asked. Her mother's side of the family is a renowned family of the Land of Rivers. Her mother was the youngest of a noble ninja clan that specialized in such weaponry. Apparently, when her father and mother had gotten married, they had taught her father everything they knew about weapons and blacksmithing. They were loaded, she explained. Shinobi nations across the lands would commission them constantly for their crafts. She was not sure why, but her parents had decided to settle in Konoha when she was a baby, her father having been native to Konoha anyway. Her mother had chosen to remain an active shinobi despite moving, becoming loyal to the Land of Fire in the process. She had her own team that she was assigned to as a transplant of Konoha and would go on missions while her father continued the family business; expanding their trade and teaching Tenten from a young age about metal and blades. He had gained a reputation for his unique fighting styles.

"So, you are a direct descendant of a noble clan on your mother's side." Neji cocked an eyebrow at her. "Why didn't you say anything to us?"

"I didn't want you guys to treat me any differently. I wanted friends based on me as a person, not because of my family. The Hua family usually has the children take the mother's last name, especially if they are expected to carry on the family business." Tenten explained as she continued to look through her clothing.

Neji hummed, he could understand what she meant. Yes, he was a branch member himself, but he was given some benefits to holding the Hyuga name; especially since his father was the twin brother of the heir. For a while, he would ponder on some mission pieces of Tenten's family…especially when they were kids. She seemed so detached from them, her parents being their own entity outside of her clan's reputation.

"Was trying to be like Lady Tsunade a way to separate yourself from your clan?" he asked. "Or was that just a personal goal you had?"

Tenten hummed and held up a bay blue top with golden clasps to him. The silk was embroidered with golden lilies and was sleeveless. Neji shook his head, not a fan of that color on her; he usually preferred her in pink, white or red. If she wore blue, he thought she looked better in a deep navy.

"It was a personal goal. In all honesty, my parents never really pushed my clan's business onto me. I guess it could have been because my mother's sisters were the other contenders for my grandparents to pass along the business too. I am the oldest of my cousins though, so I guess they had expected some kind of contact from me soon anyway, regarding the family." The bunhead pulled a white dress with long flowing sleeves and red beading.

"Hn," the Hyuga grunted. "I see why my uncle was willing to work with your father then."

The weapons mistress shrugged. Again, she was not in the business part of her family. If anything, she wanted to start her own business showcasing her rare and interesting weapons without their influence. The Hyuga could see her doing that, she was very passionate about her collection and had been there with her on many occasions as she would stea-ahem, collect such things on missions. Though within her collection; the Bashosen Fan was one of her most fascinating pieces. She had brought it with her on their last mission, having learned from their allies in the Hidden Cloud Village how to master its massive chakra absorption and fully develop her own chakra further. That was her genius, he thought, her fast processing ability to learn; even if she has never seen the tool before, she can figure it out within minutes.

"Neji, please don't take any offense to me for not saying anything to you guys." Tenten twisted herself around to face him.

The Hyuga shook his head. He wasn't offended, maybe a little hurt since they told each other everything. Hell, he told her about his curse mark and his clan's heinous traditions back when they were gennin. Something like this was a bit too big to be overlooked, in his opinion. It was as if she was living a whole other life and had a secret identity. Tenten walked over to her partner and looked down at him, she wrapped her arms around her own body and frowned.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Please don't be mad."

His hands found their way to her hips. Gently, he caressed her and caught her eyes.

"I am not mad at you, Tenten. Just taken aback, is all." he sighed. "Let's finish packing and we can put this conversation on the back-burner for now, okay? I'm not mad, I promise."

The bunhead nodded, but took the extra second to search his face for any trace of doubt. She didn't like keeping things from him, but to her defense she didn't think it really mattered. Since Neji was of a noble clan, she supposed her background did hold some weight in regards to tradition; but Neji wasn't traditional. Perhaps, this piece of information was a missing piece he was looking for when it came to her. Sure, he knew her mother. But, she never really spoke about the rest of her family, or the Land of Rivers. In a way it wasn't a fair trade; she knew everything about him from the beginning, and he was kept in the dark.

The pair finished packing and Neji was in the kitchen fixing them something to eat. They were quiet for the rest of the evening; they ate in silence. Tenten felt very awkward while sitting at the table. Neji had made a wonderful spread of his fabulous fish cakes, soup, and steamed dumplings. Even if he did make her favorite dumplings, she was just poking her food with her chopsticks. Maybe the tension was just in her head? She hoped the Hyuga wasn't holding any ill-will towards her. He said he wasn't mad…but why do I feel so…weird? The Weapons MIstress thought to herself with her eyebrows furrowed. Neji noticed her mannerisms were withdrawn for the evening and it started to irritate him. The ANBU Captain was very good at controlling his emotions, he learned how to be very patient especially with Tenten over the years. Setting down his chopsticks, he stood suddenly. The bunhead jumped slightly at the sound of his chair scraping against her floor. He grabbed her own chopsticks and placed them down. Grabbing her by her elbows, he lifted her to her feet. Tenten's amber eyes grew wide and she froze.

"Stop over thinking, Tenten. I told you I wasn't mad at you." he snapped. "Why are you acting like-"

Neji froze. Tenten's eyes had glazed over and her tears started pooling from them. If he took a step back from the moment, he could see where he had messed up. For as long as he knew her, Tenten had had some deep fear of disappointment…to the point where she would always blame herself for not being good enough. She would vocalize it to them; he, Lee, and Gai-sensei. He made it a personal goal to help Tenten stay out of her dark thoughts of her depression. And with her attack, he thought, it probably amplified those voices in her head telling her she wasn't good enough. Not good enough for him. She hadn't lied to him, she just left out some information she did not deem worthy of sharing. Her overthinking was due to him; his lack of reaction. Her anxiety was at higher levels than usual due to her unfortunate circumstances that she was still mentally healing from. Neji clenched his jaw and pulled her into a gentle embrace. He waited for her to settle in his arms before addressing her.

"Tenten," he spoke softly. "Don't cry."

The tears slipped down her face before she could stop them. "I'm sorry…"

Neji lifted a hand to the back of her head, forcing her to lay her head on his shoulder. He heaved a hefty sigh. Real smooth, genius, he thought.

"No, you did nothing wrong." he replied as he kissed the side of her head. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Tenten's shoulders dropped a bit; she was calming down. Neji stood there holding her until she was fully calm. He was a bit embarrassed, to be honest. The Hyuga should know better than to get frustrated with her. What an ass…he thought to himself.

"Let's try to finish eating and lie down, Tenten. We have an early start tomorrow." He gently sat her back down in her seat, but did not let go of her hands.

The weapons mistress looked up at him curiously as he bent over and kissed her forehead.

"You know I love you, right?" He whispered. "I love you."

Tenten gave a light gasp. Neji wasn't one to say it often, he was more of a "show it" kind of person. But it was nice to hear him say it once in a while. She nodded at him and forced a small smile as he kissed her fingers.