Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Debt – Revised edition.

The sunny weather of Konohagakure was a sore temptation. Skies so blue, burning her chocolate eyes, accompanied by the chirping of birds. She took a quick survey of the room. Nobody was paying mind to her. She gently lowered her head to the crook of her arm and rested. The feel of wooden desk was cool and calming. She scrunched her eyebrows up in an effort to not yawn.

Iruka-sensei's robotic drone fell on deaf ears; at least, on her part. She had cancelled out his rant into a gentle buzzing; one that was lulling her ever closer to sleep. This was the sixth time or so he was repeating the same set of tips; trying to hammer it into the class dunce, no doubt. TenTen rolled her eyes, 'As if that'd ever work. He has as much brains as I have a penis. None.'

She stifled a yawn and cast a weary glance to the back of the class Hyuuga. She glared hard and cold at the eleven-year-old genius. 'Damn, even if he doesn't sleep at 3 a.m., I do. Training, be damned! Someone's going to have to tell him people can't wake up at 3 a.m. every other day just so he can train,' she thought in annoyance. As if on cue, gray eyes looked up past many rows of students to meet hers. She averted her heavy eyes in an effort to ignore him.

'Maybe I'll just take a nap. It's not like Iruka-sensei would notice, right?' Images of the room were already swimming in irregular patterns in front of her. She strained her eyes to focus on her long-winded teacher before giving a sigh. 'He won't notice,' she concluded. She buried her face deeper in to her arms and closed her eyes; thus, opening the door to dream land and entering it.

Broken images. Many broken images. They made no sense. It was all limbo here.

They swam in and out of sight. Mismatched fragments of a disoriented mind. 'Now where am I?' thought Tenten, taking in as much of the limbo as her mind could perceive. A piece of white caught her eye and her attention focused on it. A nikuman. She raised an eyebrow. 'Why's there food here?' she wondered in silence.

The single nikuman turned into a tray laden with meat stuffed buns and a traditional teapot, steam curling out of the spout. The plate looked so far away, now obscured by a frame of leaves and branches. She heard a rushing of water and turned around. A pond? she observed. Her stomach growled and she decided to water down her hunger.

Over the brim of grass and mud leading into the water hole, she saw a sight that hadn't graced her eyes since four years previously. A young girl, about four, dirty, weary and absolutely famished. A newborn orphan, her parents perished just this week. The reflection of a child TenTen lost to the passing years. She was still tear-stained, but her mouth was set in a grim line. She had to get the food to eat.

It was now or never.

A formed plan came to mind as she crept stealthily towards the table. The passing adults paid no heed to her; they were busy preparing tea for someone important no doubt. On tiptoes, her hands grazed the mouth-watering. Once. Twice. But only on the third try did she manage to snag the mouth-watering treat.

It was still hot, burning her fingers and palm. She tossed it in her hands; left, right, left, right, repeat. She blew on it gently and took a tongue-scalding bite. She inhaled sharply, a high pitched gasp of a young child. Many faces turned towards her. "Thief! Thief! Quick! Get her! She's stealing Hiashi-sama's food!" a chorus of booming voices. Refusing to let the nikuman go, she ran.

Her eyes focused on the polished wooden floors, her eyes picking up the fading sound of loud footsteps. A smirk lit her juvenile face- Oof! What's this? Her eyes trailed up to find a boy no more older than her. "No wonder you stole the food. You look like a starving cat," he boldly declared. She glared, "You're going to call them on me now, aren't you?"

He grabbed her free hand and they broke into a run. "Are you stupid? That'd be real mean of me. Come on! You want to get caught or something?" She was pushed rather roughly into a room, barren except a small mattress on the floor. "Eat up! They'd find us soon." She followed his order, keeping an eye on his back peering out the crack of door as she downed the food. "They're coming! If you're done, get out through the window. There's a ledge there."

"Thanks," she gasped through her parched throat. "I owe you one," she said, scampering to the window. She unlatched it and turned around, "What's your name?" "Hyuuga Neji. Now GO!" her ordered, panic rising in his voice. She jumped out in time as the sliding door slammed open loudly.

"Where's the girl, boy?"

"What girl? There's no girl. I'm a boy."

"I know that. But someone's stolen Hiashi-sama's food and we followed the crumbs-"

"Well, I took it, okay? I was hungry, and I didn't think my uncle would mind-"

A slap resounded and a scuffling was heard. "Your father will hear about this," a low growl sounded.

'What the hell was that? A memory?' a startled TenTen jumped awake as the recess bell sounded. She was wide awake now and her panicked mind scanned the room for a certain long-haired boy. Locating him, she made a mad dash down the stairs, jumping over desks when she was blocked by a horde of girls. "Not now, Lee," she called to her friend, the blue-clothed idiot looking like he was about to wet his pants as he signalled her from across the room.

Neji was out the door now, with girls giggling in his wake. She knitted her brows in frustration. The twin-bun haired girl called out, "Hyuuga-san! Hyuuga-san!" Her voice was lost in a sea of fangirls, he continued walking ever so-coolly away. She gritted her teeth. Her annoyance meter was about to blow, "Gah! NEJI!" Her final attempt worked and he spun around. He quirked his eyebrow perfectly; none had dared call him by his given name before.

"Neji!" she said more firmly, raising a hand as she rushed over, shouldering her way through the wickedly glaring female population of Konoha-gakuen. "You," she accused and he narrowed his eyes. "I what?" he challenged. "You... Didn't tell me we meet before. Before all this. Ninja academy, I mean. You saved me. I would have been skinned or something. Or starved to death," she gushed on in choppy, half-formed sentences. "You know, with the nikuman, and- and... I owe-" "You owe me one," he concluded. "Right, you do," he turned around and left.

She glared at his back. "Stuck-up prat," she spat silently. 'What's gotten his panties in a bunch? He used to be so kind in my memory.' She surveyed the shock-faced girls. Their 'Oh-So-Great Ice-Cold-Yet-Hot-Heartthrob Hyuuga Neji' talked to her. "Yeah, yeah," she snapped. "So your god talked to me. He isn't that great. He's not like... God, or whatever; he's human, too, alright? Don't murder me or something for it. I'm just leaving and you can go kiss your royal-prick's ass for all I care!"

Hyuuga Neji heard the brunette storm off and gave a slight smirk from a not-quite-out-of-earshot range. 'So... She remembers. I never thought she did.'

It was as if by a stroke of occasional luck the two were put into the same Genin team along with the hyperactive Lee. It would be put lightly to say Lee was excited; to Neji's chargrin, he was set in the same team as the ninjutsu-less wonder; and TenTen was absolutely dismayed at being teamed with two crazies instead of one. And when they met their exuberant teacher, and was instantly rechristened the "youthful 'Team Gai'", TenTen was about to blow a fuse and Neji was sure they'd die in no time without him.

The years passed by and their team proved to be a close-knit bunch, especially after Naruto happened. By 'team', the word referred to the three-man cell consisting of the seventeen-year-old 'Handsome Green Beast of Konoha', Rock Lee; the 'Accuracy God' TenTen; and of course, 'Hyuuga Prodigy' Neji. Team Gai had disbanded and Neji, ranked Jounin, was the leader of their squad. Even so, Team Gai, including Lee's idol and their former teacher, Maito Gai, would still go on missions together occasionally.

The years have trapped them in its silken web and the three youths were just about inseparable. Thumbs up "Good Guy Pose"-s were flashed along with blinding teeth, long rants about Fate and whatnot exchanged and perhaps even a few well placed targets to keep the male population of the team in check. It was their own little world; it was their inside joke. It was as normal as how Lee would split to train with Gai-sensei and leave Neji and TenTen to their usual sparring; it was a simple, uniform routine.

He gritted his teeth and tossed his head to get his long, dark hair out of his face, "We have to hold out. Lee and Gai-sensei will be back with reinforcements soon." He hissed, back-to-back with the Weapon's Mistress. His head was pounding on the verge of caving in as he trailed all movement with his Byakungan. "I know that," she hissed back. She flexed her injured arm before sending a kunai straight to the enemy's pelvis.

"You got ten seconds," she informed and they shot off in different directions. He went into auto-mode; dodging, deflecting, attacking running. He caught her chakra signal spinning in the air, sending a rain of bladed weapons to herd her enemies. He broke a row of earth spikes with a wave of chakra. He leapt, 'Six seconds.' Dodge. Dodge. Grab wrist. Slam. Curse the wounded side. "Come on, Neji!" he heard TenTen cry.

He almost bit his tongue in an effort to inhale and calm himself. "Here!" he yelled, Chakra barrier pushing enemy shinobi within radius of TenTen's attack. "Here it comes!" she yelled, slamming her palm into a seal. The tag on the disposed kunai exploded, blinding their enemy with light. A horde of projectiles followed, skewering all in a three-meter radius. "It's over," she panted, and dropped to her knees. He rushed to her side and slipped an arm beneath her back.

"Thanks," she greeted, squinting through an eye in the path of blood cascading from a cut above her brow. "Watch your chakra," he stated. "Right, right," she rolled her eyes. "I'm fine," she said. He quirked an eyebrow as she tried to quell a yawn. The duo moved gingerly. "We have approximately fifteen minutes till the third wave arrives. Lee will be here in about 10, with Naruto, Shino, Chouji and a few others." She nodded, "What about Ino, Kiba and Hinata?" "They've got the information fine."

They began applying salve to the wounds and bandaging them. "Neji," TenTen growled as he held her wrist more firmly. He hushed her and popped her finger back into its socket. She hissed loudly, "Bastard!" He gave a light smirk and undid his ragged and bloodied shirt, wincing. Across his shoulder blades was a deep cut, skin and flesh parting to emit blood. TenTen sighed, "We're going to have to stitch this up. At least, until Sakura heals it."

She tore off a strip on bandage and balled it up. "Bite on this," she commanded. He followed suit and braced himself. She prepared a candle and an array of surgical needles and some surgical thread. His hands clenched and a cold sweat poured. He hated this part the most. In and out he felt the needle weave through his skin. He felt faint; so sickly his Byakungan faltered.

He could see darkness cloud the edges of his vision when she announced the deed was done. He nodded, "Thanks, TenTen." "Stay still," she said, wrapping bandages around his torso and over his shoulders. He complied, feeling her hands dance across his back, sending mild tingles down his spine. He shivered involuntarily, eliciting a concerned "You okay?" from his long-time comrade. He nodded, "I'm fine-"

She forced his face to kiss Mother Earth.

"TenTen!" he yelled, surprised. Picking himself up, he called "Byakungan!" although a tight tension circled his temples, leaving him woozy. In a monochrome world, his eyes picked up the blue unfamiliar chakra signals. 'An enemy,' he thought, readying himself for battle. "TenTen, cover me," he whispered urgently. "TenTen?" he questioned, only to find her feebly attempting to halt the flow of her red life sap leaking through her fingers.

In a panicked state, his instincts took over, and his mind analysed many things at once. Lee and the rest were heading from the South East; they would arrive in about three minutes top. The enemy was a loner, with no apparent back up. A kamikaze attempt maybe, considering his low chakra levels. It was only when he took in the long blade, up to its midpoint in his teammate's blood and her rapidly faltering chakra levels that he lost control.

He couldn't take it. His eyes saw red and he bellowed, "LEE!" echoing across the woods. His friend arrived in a wink. "Neji-san! What-" "Take TenTen to Konoha, now. Or we'll lose her," he said, menacingly quiet. "TenTen-san!" Lee gasped. "What happened?" Neji reached into his weapons' holster, "They were trying to ambush me by my blindspot. She shoved me and took the blade. Get her out of here, Lee." "And you?"

Face set determined, he glared straight at the Genjutsu. "I'm staying," the words came cold as the ice in his eyes. Lee nodded, "I understand. Count on me." Loading the unconscious female on his back, the Taijutsu Master disappeared from sight. "Come out," ordered Neji. "Or it'll be worse when I get to you." No reply. He could still see the chakra outline dead still amongst the bushes. "That's it," he said. "I'm coming.

"Hyuuga Neji, get your damned ass back here!"

He refused to acknowledge the rosette medic, tearing his way down the corridor. Numbers passed like blurs to him and his skin felt on fire. His headache has had him disoriented but right now, he needed room 357. Pale skin was slick with sweat once more. He felt like crap and his knees were threatening to not support him any longer. He fell onto one knee under the door 322, gasping as he felt his trachea constrict.

His last image was of a distressed Haruno Sakura, shaking him slightly. He woke to a white room, with a window nearby. He sat up, wincing as a searing pain shot across his upper back. He rolled the crisp white sheet off himself and threw the wet towel to one side. His head felt like a lead block, but he still swung himself to the side; bare feet barely grazing the cold tiled floor. It took him a while to locate his sandals, which was just about enough time for-

"Neji! Get back to bed! You're burning up with a fever, and you almost got your suicide wish granted when you went overboard against that shinobi. If I were to just let you die, TenTen-" Gray eyes widened. 'TenTen!' he thought in alarm. "Te... TenTen. Where- How is she?" he said, voice grating against his throat. "Tell me," he said firmly. Green eyes filled with an altogether depressing sald of emotions he couldn't quite place. "Neji," Sakura began hesitantly. "TenTen... She isn't doing too well. She's on life support."

He was sorely tempted to reduce the wall behind him into dust. 'So this must be how she felt like back when I fought Kidoumaru. Utterly pathetic,' he thought dully. He bowed his head, "How- How bad is her condition?" He heard the 'click' as Sakura placed her clipboard on a nearby desk. "She's worst off than you, which is pretty close to hell. It pierced right through her liver. The wound wouldn't have been so bad if she hadn't pulled it out."

He shook his head, 'TenTen, what were you thinking? Did you think it was a splinter or something?' Sakura continued, "It's the blood and chakra loss. Her body couldn't cope and started shutting off one by one in an effort to preserve her. She's in a critical stage and we aren't sure how long will she be in that stage. We- We had to comatose her. I- I'm sorry, Neji." He merely slumped over. "Alright," he said. "You can see her in three days, if you rest and let your wounds heal."

"I'd like that," he said quietly. A silence permeated the room as Neji got back on the hard mattress of the hospital bed. "Neji," Sakura broke the silence. "TenTen... She's brilliant. She was real brave and- She'll pull through. She will pull through," she offered, stressing the last line. "I know," Neji said and turned his back on her. "Sakura-san. I'm sorry. I'm really tired. Please," he said, dismissing her. "I understand," she said, retreating out the door after collecting the clipboard. She pretended not to hear his voice hitch.

A year later and not much has changed. "Hey," Lee greeted as the Hyuuga prodigy entered. "How's TenTen doing?" A gloom passed over the spandex-wearing beast's eyes, "Not much better. She had quite a fit this morning." "I see," Neji stated calmly as he took a seat next to Lee. They both watched her in silence, the steady beating of her heart echoing in short, high-pitched notes across the room.

"If she doesn't get better soon, Sakura says the seniors are considering taking her off life support," started Lee, weakly breaking the news. He was met with a grave silence. "They need the rooms, Neji," Lee gave a short explanation. "That's true,' said Neji. "They'll give her half a month tops," Lee said, depression evident at the thought of losing a childhood friend. Neji's fist clenched in his lap. "She deserves it, Lee. She's been fighting hard," said Neji.

"She's a real fighter, Neji. She'll pull through," Lee made a failed attempt in optimism. "I don't want to lose her as much as you do, Lee, but if she dies... It's the living that feels the pain, Lee." The green-clad male nodded. "I have a mission up. Try to get some rest, Neji. You've either been on missions or in here." Neji stared at him evenly, "I have been in the Hyuuga compounds, you know."

"Hey, TenTen. Lee's just left," he murmured, fussing over small details that wouldn't have mattered to the unconscious girl. "You better get up quick. He misses you a lot. The TenTen I know isn't a slacker; she's Team Gai's greatest treasure and we all know it. You better get up soon because I have no proper sparring partner anymore. And if I have to face Naruto's clones again, I think I'd go mad."

"Hinata-sama's really concerned about you. She wants to drop in more, but she's busy with clan matters and Naruto. She's finally taken your advice and told Naruto again. The blonde's a dobe, Hinata-sama almost had to write it out in black and white for him to get it. Hinata-sama would have sent you flowers, but Sakura's told her it wasn't allowed in your room anyway. Hinata-sama's real glad you made friends with her shortly before the mission."

He gently ran his fingers across her pale face.

"Temari's looking forward to a spar with you. She's been to Konoha thrice. Thrice; and in all three times, she came to visit you. You've got three 'Free Lunch with Saabaku no Temari'-coupons already. I've placed them in the drawers of your apartments. She's still got that gag running, hunh?" A soft sigh escaped. "Sakura and all of the former Konoha Eleven dropped by a few times, too; at some point or another. Sakura the most often though. She's actually told me to not live in the hospital, that little cheek. I just visit you when I've got time, that's all. It must seem like I've got a truckload of time, then."

He sat himself back into the ever-present chair. "Naruto's throwing a fit about Uchiha Sasuke, and the fact that the kid you used to take care of back at the orphanage- Sarutobi Konohamaru, wasn't it?- made Chuunin before him. Hanabi-sama's really lost her cool edge, and she's less snappy at Konohamaru now, just so you know. She's visited you a few times now, the other day along with Konohamaru and the other Chuunin on her former team, Jeku Marushin. She's made mention how glad she was that you used to come over to the Hyuuga Mansion often. Apparently, you've managed to get through her cold exterior."

Neji glanced at the clock and shook his head. "I've got to go soon," he whispered, taking her slender fingers in his hand. He inspected her nails and turned it round. "There's a small celebration tonight at the Mansion. Yet, I'm sitting here so selfishly and shamelessly pleading for you to wake up. It's wrong; I know it. I'm supposed to think about your wellbeing but I'm still not letting you go although that may be best for you. You're right; I am a 'Selfish, Cocky Bastard'."

He placed his forehead on her hand. "It's so hard to let you go, but it's about time. You must be exhausted, fighting so hard. The Fates are cruel. I- I'm ready to let you go if you have to. No one's will is tying you to earth tonight. If it's time, go. If it's not- Please. You. I. I- I- You're someone important to me; someone really important. And I should have told you this when you can actually hear it."

"I'm leaving now. It's all up to you. Goodbye, TenTen," he said solemnly. He pushed the chair back and headed to the door. His palm on the open door, he looked back. 'Did she just-? Not possible. She couldn't have moved. I'm seeing things,' he thought, shaking his head to clear it out. He left soundlessly, embracing Fate's decision as he made the corner back to the reception desk.

One.

He exited the Hospital and made a left. A flower shop was peeking out from behind the local teahouse. The smell of brewing tea leaves and wafting scent of flowers was a fresh change to the morning air he was accustomed to. Many eyes snapped at the twenty-two year old male Hyuuga making his way to the Yamanaka-family flower shop. He let a small smile grace his lips as he greeted the young blond owner.

"Good morning, Ino," he said with a nod. "Hey, Neji!" she replied chirpily and he was stung with guilt. "So how was your mission?" His eyes tinged with a slight sadness, "It was fine. But the enemy had a ranged attacker, so we were a little..." He watched her brows slide, she was upset. "I'm sorry," she apologised, "Let me go get the flowers."

He gave a little nod of thanks, arms laden with white tulips, white roses and hyacinths. Neji was once again met with stares, but the confused looks of the male population were now mingled in. He ignored them, instead focusing at the bouquet in arm. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lee made a motion that was obviously to get him but Gai held him back. He saw Gai shake his head, explaining something to Lee; and for that alone, the pale-eyed man was eternally grateful.

The slab of stone was still shining like a well-polished tablet, light refracted in awe-striking patterns on to the surroundings. He gave a smirk, 'Outdoing yourself again, TenTen? Even in death you light up the place. Okay, don't laugh. It was cheesy.' He heaved a sigh and placed the bouquet on the grave. He sat himself on the thin grass with his back against the side of the grave marker. He stared up at the canopy of trees, wondering how light managed to get through to illuminate her grave.

"There's a story I've heard, Ten. About this man, Hyacinthus. He's the origin of the Hyacinth flower," he closed his eyes. "He had a god as a lover. He favoured that god over another who was interested in him. In jealousy, he caused Hyacinthus' lover's disc to behead Hyacinthus. In the end, Zephyr never got Hyacinthus, anyway."

Neji cracked an eye open, "And Apollo has all eternity to mourn after another lover he's lost. I wonder how he can stand it. Maybe because he's immortal." The Hyuuga lazily leaned his head back with a small smile on. "The hyacinth is the symbol of sincerity. I was sincere when I helped you out when we were children, and you've been crazy with the whole 'debt' thing. I suppose you paid in full; possibly more."

"I'm mortal. I'm flawed. I can't stand an eternity like this." His voice wafted barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry, Ten. I hope you'd understand," he said, a sad note wedging in. "TenTen, please don't judge me." He felt the raw cold power of the metal against his throat. He swallowed, his Adam's apple getting nicked on the blade. He closed his eyes, and she wafted into his sight as many times before.

He pulled the blade across his throat.

'I suppose I owe you, now. I threw away the life that you gave me in change of your own. But, I can't carry on like this; not when I miss everything so damn much it's irritating. Painful. It's losing my father all over again. It's losing a loved one. I hope you don't find me before our next life because I'm too ashamed to face you. I hope, perhaps, I'd be the one to save you next time. Or maybe not, if you were to feel the pain I feel."

Two.

He exited the Hospital and made a left. A flower shop was peeking out from behind the local teahouse. The smell of brewing tea leaves and wafting scent of flowers was a fresh change to the morning air he was accustomed to. Many eyes snapped at the twenty-two year old male Hyuuga making his way to the Yamanaka-family flower shop. He let a small smile grace his lips as he greeted the young blond owner.

The enthusiastic mind-controller beckoned him over with rapid waving. His steps were still at a controlled paced and he sauntered over. "Hey Neji!" she chirped and he smiled back. "Good morning." "For a special someone, I presume," she said tauntingly. Neji arched an eyebrow. "It is for someone special," he confirmed. "A lady, then?" "Yes, she is." She handed him the arranged bouquet, "Here."

"The acacia is pretty well hidden," said the kunoichi with a wink. He merely shook his head and received the designed jumble of ivy, white and Christmas roses as well as blue salvias. "Thank you, Ino," he said, excusing himself. "And Sakura and Hinata's invited you for tea tomorrow," he reminded her.

The looks were piercing, so he used the bouquet to centre his attentions as he made a steady pace. "Neji-nii-san," a voice called and he swerved to avoid walking into the girl. "Hanabi, what are you-?" "Here," said the younger girl, slipping in snowdrop into the bouquet. "A little message I need you to pass," she said. "And this," she reached into her holster and placed a preserved version of the same flower, "Is from Hinata-nee-san and I, for you."

"Good luck, Neji-nii-san," she said, disappearing behind him. He shook his head and continued on. 'Thanks, Hinata, Hanabi." He laid the bouquet on the grave. "Here's a little something for you," he muttered, taking in the picturesque scenery. A hand sieved through his hair and he made to sit down next to the grave. "It's been quite a while. Five years."

"Five years," he murmured, letting his voice carry in the wind. "I'm not good with... Conveying myself; but I guess you already know that." A lazy breeze answered him and he gave a small smile. "What are you up to right now, Ten? Are you already planning on rebirth?" he asked no one in particular, but the call of a bird met his ears. "You're too hardworking."

"I've really let myself go. I've got an ANBU offer twice already, but I haven't taken it up. Lee's got his own team of youthful Genin, now, and I haven't even considered subordinates. It's becoming a problem. I can't work with people, anymore," he sighed. "After you're gone TenTen, I can't bring myself to go on team missions. I'm afraid I'd let them down like how I've let you down."

He closed his eyes and tangled his fingers in the short grass, "I can still socialize, but I can't go on missions with people. And at this rate, I'm letting everyone down. Konoha isn't going to progress if I continue this a way. But mostly, I'm letting you down." He stared straight at the name etched in the gravestone, "Am I right?" Gaining no response, he slumped back down.

"This is probably the last time I'll be seeing you in a long time. It's been five years, Ten. If you were here, you would probably have yelled at me to get off my fat ass and deal with it. 'Time doesn't heal wounds, the heart does'. You told me that, remember, TenTen?" he whispered. "I've been wallowing in self pity long enough. I've got to move on. So, I've decided to take on the ANBU exam next month. I'll have to start training."

He brushed his calloused fingertips across the stone.

'It's not like I'm forgetting you; to be honest, I can never forget you. Why? Because you're TenTen and once, you were my everything. So when you were gone, my world vanished with you. But I've got to pick up the pieces before the world collapses on me. And you, you'll always be right there with me, every step of the way; I can feel it. From now on, I'll do my best. Because every achievement of mine is your success; every breath of mine is your breath; and every heartbeat of mine is your lifeline. That's because as long as I live, you'll never fully disappear. I'll make sure of it.'

Or three.

Hands dug deep into his pocket as he made his way slowly through the village of Konohagakure. 'It's been five years,' he thought, facing the sky. A light spray of rainwater was already falling and his new bandages were getting damp. He undid the ANBU mask from around his shoulders and retied it on his belt. 'Right.'

The sky was brewing into a thick, stormy gray. Many were hurrying home in hopes of avoiding what would definitely be a heavy downpour. Children were running away from their mothers in hope of playing in the rain. He arched an eyebrow and his lips pulled a slight at the corner. TenTen used to play in the rain. 'Used to,' he mused silently. The rain was getting steadily heavier. The Hyuuga was forced to speed up his pace.

He was completely soaked through as he took refuge in a tea shop near the hospital. His fingernails were turning blue from cold but his face was effectively pinkened. A steaming cup of tea was placed in front of him, and he nodded his thanks. He regally raised the bitter liquid to his lips, enjoying the hint of nuttiness lying dormant. His eyes scanned the list of food items.

He wasn't particularly hungry, but the word 'Mochi' definitely caught his eye. 'Mochi... TenTen likes that, doesn't she?' he tried to recall. Beckoning the waitress over, he placed an order for the rice-based food item to-go. To pass the time, he idly watched the smoke rising from his cup as thoughts fogged up his mind to the point a clear path of thought would be God's gift. The seconds ticked by and Neji was getting increasingly irritated.

Despite his frustration, he still managed a courteous thank you as he paid for his purchases; the way he was brought up in. He was now rushing to get to the apartment without getting his purchased goods wet, which was proving to be a difficult feat even for an A+ -ranked ninja that he was. Soon after, he was placing the damp paper bag on the wooden table before seating himself on the floor. His eyes wandered to the ceiling of the living room.

He drummed his fingers across the floor before realising with a start how chilly the room was. He moved lazily to the window and shut it. His eyes caught the single red rose in the glass vase. Cocking his head, he made his way to the flower. Gently lifting it out of the water, he noted the end of the stem -where a gardening shear had no doubt snipped through- was covered in aluminium foil stuffed with moist cotton. The outer petals of the rose were ringed with withering age, confirming his suspicion.

"I can't believe you kept it," he murmured, attempting to smoothen out the decaying parts of the petals with his finger. A light giggle filled the air, "Well, it took you three years to ask me out and another six months before you kissed me. Plus this is the first and only time you got me flowers, so duh. Of course I kept it." He felt thin arms snaking around his waist. He set the flower back into the vase and turned around, the brightest grin adorning his face.

"So, did you miss me?" she teased her former teammate. "Yes. Very much so," he said, flat with a hint of seriousness. She gave an embarrassed laugh and hit him in the chest gently, "You were supposed to go all 'Of course not. I am Hyuuga Neji. I don't need anyone but me, myself and I. I believe in Fate and thinks Fate screwed me up and now I'm left to pick up all the damn pieces. Screw my life. No wonder my name is Neji.'" He gave a chuckle at her teasing and retorted, "I might have said that back when we were thirteen. Before Naruto and all that."

"Whatever, you cocky bastard. You're soaking my shirt with all that rainwater you collected, dimwit genius," she said. He slid her arms off him and replied, "Your hair is still dripping from your shower. Don't blame me, Ten." He gracefully swung his shirt in an arc off him and tossed it aside. "And your insult does not work," he rubbed it in with a cocky smile. She spun around, exasperated. "What did I do to deserve such a punishment with this cocky jerk-wad?" she said, making her way to the table.

"Easy," he said, grabbing on to her wrist and spinning her into his arms. "You stole my heart," he said with a smirk. "Ugh, you're so full of yourself," she said, breaking free to open the paper bag. "Why don't you go get your things from my room and go shower? I'll bandage you up afterwards," she offered, taking a bite of the snack. He hummed his approval. After quite a silence, she said, "Well you did take my heart, too. So, I guess I paid in full."

"More than enough," he said. He gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek before hurrying to the bathroom. "And TenTen," he called, "Don't eat all the mochi or you'll spoil your appetite for Hanabi's birthday dinner with the Hyuugas." "Or what?" she challenged back. "You'll put me back into my coma?" "Haha! Not funny!" she heard him call from the bathroom. "And the rose is only the first time I got you a flower when you were conscious. I did get you some while you were warded but Sakura disposed of them. I'll get Hinata to teach you to dry the flowers if you want?"

A bright smile graced her lips. 'An eternal red rose. An eternal love, is that what he's suggesting?'

Author's Note (A/N)

It's been two years or so since I've joined the site, so I suppose it's about time I made a comparison of my writing now to last time. Well, whether I improved or not, I suppose that's up to you readers. -In my opinion, I haven't quite improved, haha : ] -

This is a cover if my earliest undeleted fanfic on this account, Debt (posted 19.02.08). It's been ages since I've written anything, especially NejiTen, so please forgive that I'm a little rusty. Pardon the OOC-ness of the characters, if possible. And feel free to point out any typos or whatever, or slot in a tip or two.

On another note, thanks for taking the time to read (both the fanfic and the A/N). Reviews, favs, and hits; they're pretty much what gets authors into a typing frenzy on this site. It means alot, really, to know someone's actually read what I wrote. And the split-endings in the original's now a pitchfork option in this one. If it doesn't bother you guys too much, mind leaving a review on which ending's your fav? A simple number would do.

Thanks. For everything. : ]

-Kid Al