Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto - Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-sama. I do own the plotline of this story.
- Author's Note: NejixTen One-shot. Tenten decides to confront Neji about his weird antics and different behavior. In an unexpected way! I have a feelign this peice is very... Not-together. It's sloppy and slightly not-understandable. But you'll just have to cope with it, won't you? This is the first NejixTen I'm posting, so please tell me what you think. Alright? By the way, The smal introduction (The first paragraph) is in Lee's point of view. The rest is in Third Person. One warning: the ending might be very un-Neji like. He's so hard to write in a fluffy way!
Enjoy! -xx- Nika-chan
Read and Review, Onegai!
This is a simple story about how they got together. Nobody knows the details of it, but we know it happened while the both of them were sent out on a B-rank mission. The mission was to escort the kid of one of the area's feudal lords around the annual village festival. There were suspicions of a possible kidnapping or an assasination attack, so the young boy's dad had payed big bucks to hire Konoha ninja in order to ensure his son's safety. But our story has nothing to do with the mission - no, it's about the feelings that shimmered just below the surface during the mission, and exploded one faithfull afternoon. I would have given a lot to see the day when Neji and Tenten got together, not to mention Gai-sensei would. Well... rumors say, it went something like this. And though I've tried desperately to get some inside information (even had to try some, slightly illegal interrogation techniques), both are silent as the grave.
Tenten let out a deep sigh, standing up and scanning the clearing. As after every battle they won (and of course, there weren't many battles they didn't win - they were a part of the infamous team Gai after all), she used the slight chakra patterns still lingering in her scattered weapons from when she targeted them with her chakra, to find the missing armory. And though this only worked for a proximaty of about half a mile, she always sensed it when one of her weapons went missing. She cared more about her kunai and shuriken then most people would have, and she even prefered them over some human beings. That Uchiha for example, she depised him. How he had betrayed the village was her ultimate judgement's ground, but even before that she'd never quite seen the point of swooning over him like Ino and Sakura and all those fangirls did. But she'd sacrifice all her armory to save some people, no matter what. Lee, and Gai-sensei... And Neji.
She blew a strand of chocolate brown hair from her face, and glared at it from the corner of her eye irritatedly as the lock fell infront of her eyes again. She fixed behind her ear steadily, before whiping the sweat from her forehead. It had been a difficult battle. Apparently, Kyoni, the feudal kid, wasn't very popular around these reigns. And this was only the way towards the festival - who knew how many more attacks they'd have to go through before the end of this mission... Yet she had confidance. She and Neji could handle it, they'd been on joint missions together before.
She read him like a book, every emotion behind his stoic mask was seen, and though she lacked his Byakugan, she wasn't anything near to oblivious to his want and needs. She dedicated her life to suffice to those needs, for if Neji was happy, she was convinced she would be also.
The weapon mistress started to make her way towards the small waterfall, droplets trickling down from the granite rocks to form a small pond at it's base. Maybe her kunai had gotten astray and hit the water, sunk down to hit the soft sandy bottom and burried it's sharp blade in the wet river ground? She knew her accuracy was a hundred percent and there was no way one of her weapons had diverted from it's range and headed over to that area, but it was worth a shot.
She caught the kunai before she sensed it, heard it, felt it. What had gotten to her attention was a small rustle in the bushes behind her, and though she realised it must be Neji with Kyoni since an enemy wouldn't have made such an obvious mistake as crack a branch... Neji's extensive sparring early in the morning and his unexpected surprise attacks had grown on her, granting her with better reflexes and the almost instinctively fashion in which she spun around, ready to catch or block any weapon coming at her. "Thanks Neji." She smiled in the direction the weapon had come from, a faint glimpse of his form flashing in the corner of her eye as she glanced over there, too tired to pay attention.
She didn't expect any relply or acknowledgement, she knew he would find it a nuisance and a waste of time and energy to reply at a time like this. So she drowned herself within her thoughts and tucked the metal blade down one of her many weapon pouches, before proceeding to pick up her backpack and place the little kid known as Kyoni on her shoulders. "Let's go!" Neji yelled back at her. She grinned. It was natural for him to be finished earlier, neather. He was always the more punctual one. focusing on the highest branches, Tenten concentrated chakra at the base of her feet and leaped.
"Alright, I've got a clear view from here."
"Were you detected?"
"No I wasn't. It's too crowded here, even Naruto would go unnoticed."
"Good. What is your position?"
"Eleven degrees to the south. Aproximately ninety feet away." Tenten adjusted her headpiece, eyeing the surroundings. The festival grounds were crowded, and from were she was she could clearly see Kyoni a short distance away. Unlike the people surrounding her, dressed in the most expansive kimono's they could afford, she and her companion weren't here to celebrate. Their main goal was to stick with Kyoni without it being suspicious. Their cover was the only reason she was wearing this attire - the only reason why she was wearing a dress. She turned her head and glanced over her shoulder, in the direction she assumed Neji to be, near the danjo stand.
"I'm coming." A slight crackle on the other side, then the connection failed. Her companion had clearly disposed of the item.
A few seconds later, Neji appeared by her side. She took a chance and ripped the headpiece of, disgarding it into one of the trashcans as Neji had probably done. She tried not to blush, shooting slight glances at her lavander-eyed teammate. She had to admit, he looked even more desirable in the grey yukata. They had chosen garments of light colours, preventing to draw any attention to themselves. Tenten's kimono was therefore a light, pale purple, littered with designs resembling waves and lilies. She had refused to wear the pink one - She was a tomboy, not a flirt like Sakura or Ino. It having to be a dress was bad enough - she wouldn't have been able to handle the situation if it had been a pink one at that.
Neji grabbed her hand gently and led her into the dancing crowd, his eyes never leaving Kyoni-kun in the distance. Both knew the other had countless of weapons in hiding - enough to eliminate every festival visiter if necessary. Anything for the costumer. The ammount of explosive tags hidden down Tenten's bra was quite impressive at itself, enough to blow up the festival grounds. They were ready to go, Tenten thought as Neji placed an arm around her waist. Unlike her, he seemed to be completely unaffected by the position they were in. This was just a mission to him, after all, so it would be wrong of her to think anything more. Tenten knew this well, yet she couldn't help but fantasize.
"Tenten, move!" Neji hissed. Tenten bit her lip, bursting from her reveries immidiately at the sound of his voice. "This might be a good moment to tell you that... I can't dance." She whispered. He shot her a look, one of those plain stares which made her want to squirm in agony. These were worse than his glares - the glares held a bit of emotion in the least. This face was just, inhuman. She hated it on him - it reminded her of how he thought about fate, and destiny, and how she always found he never really had developed any free will, at least in her opinion he hadn't.
"Everybody can dance." He hissed back. "Well, not me!" She defended herself, terribly aware of the attention they were drawing by standing still amongst the crowd. "Then just pretend. I'll lead, just follow my movements and you'll be okay."
Tenten nodded curtly, and Neji clasped her hand in his and lead her away. At first she cursed at herself for having no female naturally born abilities such as dancing, but now, as Neji helt her gently in his arms, there was no regret within her heart whatsoever.
A sigh escaped Tenten's lips as she leaned back, sniffing the air. Fresh April rain had just fallen, and though they were out into the sea quite a deal, she could smell that scent the rain brought, the scent of fresh grass and new life. It was always there in April. She shook her head, droplets of water flying from her hair which she had undone from her buns, as she had been standing in the rain only a few minutes earlier. Tenten loved the weather when it rained, she much prefered it to the crackling dry burning sun in Suna, or the always resident damp mists in Kiri.
After finishing their mission, delivering Kyoni back to his home and recieving their pay - and a nice fee for the extra survices they had provided. Which simply ment the little boy hasd been very much enjoying the time spent on Tenten's shoulders. It was only logical to her to lift the boy up and carry him along - you couldn't make him walk that long of a time with those little legs. Anyhow, they were now on the boat back home, heading towards the Fire Country. Their home.
The slight drizzle on the deck had awoken Tenten, and she had quickly made her way outside, not even bothering to put on a sweater. Now that she was standing out there, her night gown soaked, it seemed it would have been wiser to bring a thick one.
"You'll catch a cold."
Tenten spun around, cursing at herself for not noticing him coming. She was a kunoichi, she was supposed to be on guard at all times... But she had slacked while enjoying the spring rain.
"Oh, hi, Neji... What are you doing out here?" She scratched the back of her neck in a desperate attempt to gain some composure. From the eyebrow Neji raised, she could determine his answer easily. "I should ask you the exact same question."
"Oh, well, you now how I love the rain, don't you? I heard it was raining and couldn't help myself."
"Are you going to stay out here all night?" He inquired.
She nodded. "It's a clear night, the stars are out so probably, yeah."
He stepped out towards her, and lifted his eyes to the sky. Now that he was distracted, she had the oppurtunity to watch him without shame. His face directed to the stars, long ebony hair flowed down his back. The hairtie had gotten loose, and she noticed his hair resembled hers in that way. In his position she couldn't see his eyes, which she regretted for it was her favorite part of him. His clothes draped loosely around his body, but she knew better than anyone of the muscles that hid beneath his signature Hyuuga jacket. After all, she was the one who always forced him down to the ground to bandage his cuts and broozes when he was going on one of those 'I don't need any help!' rants again. This tended to happen a lot on missions.
Lost in her reveries, she didn't notice Neji turning towards her and gazing at her face, then his lavender eyes trailed down and up again along the length of her body. Tenten felt a jolt travelling through her spine as she blushed, Neji's hand brushing past her cheek and it travelled to grab a strand of her wet, loosehanging hair.
"You never wear your hair down." He stated the obvious, but Tenten smiled.
"You know I used to, back at the Academy. But now that we're real ninja's... It's not very comfortable to have hair sweeping in your face during combat, it drags your attention away from the enemy. Besides, I don't liike having dried blood in my hair until we get home and I get a chance to shower, just because it's hanging loose in the middle of a fight." She explained. Neji knew why she wore her hair up, so his behavior quite puzzled her. Though, Neji puzzled her most of the time, eventhough she was the one who knew every little aspect of his personality best. She knew him better than he did, she suspected. But it was the other way around as well, and not just due to the Byakugan he posessed.
"You should though. It looks better down."
Tenten's blush spread across her entire face as Neji dropped his hand and walked away, heading for the insides of the boat, where there was food, and warmth, and soft blankets. She turned to stare after him, finding his antics confusing. Had he just... complimented her?
She was surprised as a bundle of grey fabric smacked against her stomach, dropping on the greasy wet floorboards of the deck as she failed to catch whatever the item was.
"You'll be a nuisance if you catch a cold, so at least wear something warm." Neji remarked, before dissapearing below deck.
Tenten blinked, and reached down to grab the, she now knew, piece of clothing. His signature Hyuuga jacket.
Next morning, they got to the shore and continued their travel over the land, stopping for an afternoon break at a famous curry shop.
Tenten settled herself down in one of the booths, trusting Neji to order for her, He knew that, unlike himself, she enjoyed spicy foods so she trusted him to make the right choice as she trusted the boy with everything. And indeed, about ten minutes later, one plate of spicy curry and one filled with a mild soup arrived at their table. As Neji gave a stoic nod, she made up for his impoliteness and smiled at the elderly woman's wrinkly face, thanking her for the meal.
"Itadakimasu!" She exclaimed happily, digging in. It had been two days since they had proper food, and at least a week since they had food which had actually tasted as such, the danjo's at the festival. Tenten glanced over, towards the boy void of emotions right across from her. He was staring at her, as she swallowed a spoonfull of curry, his lavander optics fixing on hers. A tingly feeling aroused in the pit of her stomach, as it always did when Neji looked at her.
"Neji, are you alright? Something wrong with your soup?" She inquired, curious about the reasons he was suddenly being so nice to her.
"No. it is nothing." He replied, lifting a spoonful of soup to his lips. Yet, as Tenten focused on her own food, she was aware of the fact his spoon hovered in mid air right before his mouth as he glanced at her once more. She shot him one of those grins of hers, of which she knew always cheered him up.
She was there to understand him, to be there for him. To be silent when he needed solitude, to be loud when he needed distraction, to be comforting when he was drowning in misery and to be strong when he needed an opponant. To love him, for she was the only one who did. Unconditionally. No strings.
Half an hour later, they walked out of the small curry shop, soon reaching the forests. Tenten noticed how different the Fire Country's forests were from others. All the countries and villages she had been were surrounded by trees, except for Suna of course, for obvious reasons. Every forest had it's own qualities, but every moment she made her way back into the Fire she noticed how different the atmosphere was. It wasn't damp or dry, instead it was lively. there were animals everywhere, and even the deer were not afraid of people wandering about the woods. Several clearings could be found, with clear water supplied by several waterfalls. Tenten loved the Fire's woods, almost as much as the rain. But there was one thing she always loved more. One person.
"Neji, can I ask you something?" The weapon mistress mumbled softly, shooting a look at Neji as he leaped trees beside her, increasing speed everytime she caught up with him. With Neji, even the journey back home was training, improving both her muscle quality and stamina.
"Sure." He replied, leaving Tenten dazzled. Neji never used words such as 'sure', or 'yeah', so why the sudden change had come up, she did not know.
"Why are you being so nice to me lately?" She stuttered out the words, slightly afraid of his reply.
"What are you talking about. I haven't been acting any different then usual." He answered, but his voice trembled. Neji's voice never trembled, so why the sudden change had come up, she did not know.
"Yes you have... Your behavior has changed recently... Don't think I can't tell! I know you Neji, you are not yourself. You're laughing more, helping me out, carrying me when I sprain my ankle, handing me your sweater when I'm freezing, buying me lunch..."
Neji halted to a stop suddenly, flipping down to the ground. As always, almost upon instinct, Tenten followed him. "What's your point?" He growled, jerking an eyebrow. Neji never growled, so why the sudden change had come up, she did not know.
"I'm not quite sure either." She whispered, before grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling herself up, using it as a support.
"But I think it's something like this." She stood on her tiptoes, and softly pecked her lips on his. But when she was about to pull back, a strong arm wrapping around her waist stopped her. She could feel Neji's smirk of silent victory as he wrapped his arms around her slender frame, moving her backwards and gaining dominance over the kiss as he forced Tenten to back into the tree behind her. Tenten was truely shocked at Neji's actions. He never showed any emotion, so why now, why at this time? Soon, Neji's tongue found hers through their parted lips and she was swept away by his simple touch. Tenten weaved her fingers behind his neck and stroked the soft skin there with light fingertops, as Neji lifted a hand from her waist to wrap it around her neck and bring her head even closer to his, ensuring her participance in the kiss. A huge flock of butterflies fluttered through her inner organs, and her brain had been replaced by a huge ball of cotton candy fluff.
After a few minutes, Tenten pulled back and diverted her head, leaning it on the boy's shoulder to hide her blushing face, digging into his shoulder. The weapon mistress took a few deep breaths to steady herself, but there was no way she would leave his embrace already. Partially because she had yet to recover her lost brain, and partially because it was simply such a wonderfull place to be. She was sure dieing right there wouldn't have been that much of a problem, if only she could stay right here for the rest of all eternity. She looked up at his lavander eyes, but shed away after taking notice of his intense, smothering gaze.
"I've got only one question, Neji.."
"And that would be?" He inquired, curious of what could possibly be left to ask after such an... intimate moment.
"How do you feel about me?" Tenten wshispered silently. Asking such questions made her feel weak and powerless. She hated it when she had to be dependent on someone else in order to reach her own happiness.
"I love you."
She ginned widely. "Same here... So, are we like, in a relationship now?"
"If you want us to be."
"So, you have to buy me something pink and frilly for Valentine's day?"
"Sadly enough, yes."
"And, I can call you my boyfriend and kiss you all I want in public?"
"That's basically the point, nice summary."
"You are one hell of a kisser, you know that?"
And before either of them realised, their lips were connected again.
Click the pretty button, come on!