Pathos XVIV

A/N- Final chapter! I dedicate this chapter to everyone who ever reads this. And to everyone that reviewed while I was writing this story. You all mean the world to me.

I have become aware that Neji has passed away. And now NejiTen is not a possible pairing in the show. But I still love them, and I will continue writing stories for them. I have been working on a story with lemons and other graphic things on it, and I will post the first chapter soon.

I had one reviewer confused about last chapter, and I checked it and there was a bunch of spelling mistakes. Oops. Sorry about that! It's just that my life is still hectic these days. Academics, activities, and the new guy in my life are all very demanding.

Chapter Seventeen. The End.

Hinata felt a disturbingly familiar aura within the harem rooms. It can't be! She thought as she instantly turned her Byakugan on. Yes she had the infamous Hyuuga blood-line limit. She just never used it in public so as not to scare her subjects like Neji.

However, the Sharingan was faster than the Byakugan in this instance.

Hinata felt a sharp pain in the back of her skull and all went dark. She regretted not taking Naruto with her on her morning stroll; he could have taken her attacker out.

The last Uchiha held the inert Hyuuga woman in his arms with a smirk. Then he sped away.

Some Time Later

Hinata sat up slowly. She was trying to alleviate the pain in the back of her head.

"Hello Hinata." A voice that Hinata had not heard in years spoke.

"Sasuke Uchiha." Hinata snarled. "What brings you back here?"

The Uchiha smirked from where he was sitting behind Neji's personal desk. Hinata recognized that they were in Neji's office.

"My wife and I simply came to reclaim the throne." Sasuke said. He gestured to an unconscious Tenten lying on the floor a ways from Hinata. "She will be his downfall."

Hinata struggled once realizing the Uchiha had tied her. "Nii-san's faith in her will not falter. You tried to make him think she was unfaithful, and he still kept her alive." Hinata said.

"You are a fool indeed. If you think that I would entrust Sai with making Neji go insane. Sai could probably do it, but I would never trust him completely." Sasuke said. "I had to keep him under control of my mangekyo Sharingan just to get him to commit treason."

"Why are you sharing all of this?" Hinata asked. "What makes you so sure that you will bring back Neji's insanity?"

Sasuke smirked again. "Sakura and I shall kill her in front of him." Sasuke didn't even need to gesture to Tenten; Hinata knew exactly who they spoke of as 'her'.

Tenten was the only woman who could be killed in front of Neji and cause his insanity to come back. She was the light of his world and if she were extinguished, Hinata was sure Neji himself would follow suit in death.

It was not fair for Tenten to bear such a grim fate. And Hinata would be sure to do everything she could to keep Tenten from dying.

Sakura stepped into the room a moment later. Sai was behind her with Ino and Temari unconscious on each shoulder. He set Ino down rather roughly, but laid Temari down on the ground with gentle grace. Hinata could see his eyes glazed over, meaning Sasuke had full control over him.

Sai sat down on the ground next to Hinata. He was sitting in a stiff Indian crisscross. Hinata watched as Sasuke meticulously picked Tenten up off the ground. Sakura laughed when Hinata glared at them.

With Neji and Shikamaru

Shikamaru was now standing. "I'm still sorry we didn't tell you earlier. We were just so worried that you would immediately categorize us with your first wife."

Neji nodded. "I understand. My head hasn't been in the right place for a long time. But you all have helped me to acquire this new clear conscience." He said. "I owe it all to you, and Tenten and the others."

"Isn't that sweet." A feminine voice spoke from the doorway.

Shikamaru's heart stopped. His breathe paused completely in his lungs. That voice, it belonged to Sakura Haruno. Shikamaru looked up into Neji's face.

Neji was still. His white eyes surveyed the woman in front of him.

Sakura had changed in the six years she had been gone. Her hair had been cut short, and her eyes seemed brighter. She was not as skinny as she had been before her pregnancy.

"Wondering why I am here?" Sakura asked in her mischievous voice.

Neji narrowed his eyes at his first wife. "Well it is normal for a wife to visit her husband." He said. "But wives don't usually leave after conceiving another man's child, without first seeking a divorce."

Sakura laughed. "I heard that you're still hung up on me." She said. She surveyed the room for a few minutes as if to see if it had changed. It really hadn't.

"Your new wife did not really change this place at all." Sakura said. "It still looks dreadful."

Neji's jaw clenched. "I am fairly certain you know what is going to happen to you. Death is the fine for adulterers." He wanted to change the conversation topic. "You are not welcome in my home."

Sakura's eyes glittered. "Oh Neji, you are in no position to threaten me. Come in here Sasuke!"

Neji watched in horror as Sasuke Uchiha, his childhood friend strolled up with a woman slung over the Uchiha's shoulder. Neji's heart stopped when Sasuke set the woman down on the ground before Sakura and her husband Sasuke of sorts.

It was Tenten lying unconscious on the ground.

Hinata POV

"Wake up! Come on man! Think of your wife! Your child! What will become of you when Sakura takes control?" Hinata screamed at Sai.

The words had no effect on Sai. He sat perfectly still.

Eventually Temari and Ino were wakened by Hinata's screaming. Ino sat up and looked at Hinata. "Why are you crying?"

Hinata struggled against the binds. "Ino! Untie me quickly!"

Ino looked as if she was in a daze. But she eventually untied Hinata.

"Sakura and Sasuke are back and they're planning to kill Tenten!" Hinata explained as Ino worked to untie the ropes.

Temari shook Sai forcefully. It did little to release him from control of the Sharingan.

"We need to get Naruto." Hinata said. "Nii-san is going to need help."

Ino and Hinata hurried down the halls to the kitchen. "He has Shikamaru with him right now. But they could still do a lot of damage." Ino said as they raced down the hall.

Tenten POV.

Tenten's eyes fluttered open. She became aware of a pounding pain in her head. It must be from that woman hitting her. Who had that been? It had been someone very important. Tenten knew that for sure. But after that blow to the head her memory was just a bit fuzzy.

People were yelling. Tenten wanted to tell them to be quiet. Didn't they know she had a headache? She tried to cover her ears to drown out the noise and instead found her hands tied behind her back.

She opened her eyes to survey her surroundings. Because she suddenly felt an impending sense of doom. Something about her whole current situation felt very wrong. She just needed a few minutes to think.

One voice seemed louder and more desperate than the rest. Tenten knew who it was. But for the life of her she could not fathom who he was.

"Leave her out of this! Your quarrel has always been with me!" The voice roared.

Tenten thought that the man sounded rather upset. What could possibly be happening to cause him such stress?

"Why Neji, my quarrel was never with you. I just think that I can rule this country much better than you. How many women have you killed?" A woman asked. "Too many to count."

Tenten's heart raced. Neji. That was the name of someone important. But who? Who is Neji?

"That is unimportant." Another masculine voice said calmly. This voice had only a slight edge of panic to it, whereas Neji's was almost completely filled with desperation. "What you have done in your past is the ultimate sin. You should be trying to do penance for your crime instead of murdering another innocent soul. Enough innocents have been slaughtered, do you not agree?"

Tenten knew this man as well. He was someone she loved dearly. But in a different way, she would have to figure it out later.

"Enough stalling love." A deep menacing man's voice spoke. "Neji, we will spare this girl if you give us your crown."

"Don't trust them." The calm man said.

Tenten struggled to free her hands. What was going to happen?

"Do I have your word?" Neji asked.

"Of course." The woman drawled. "You can trust me."

Tenten was pulled up and she felt a blade dig into her neck. Now she could see Neji and the man next to him. Yes, she knew both these men very well. Their faces were full of panic as they saw the knife near the creamy white skin of Tenten's neck.

"Do we have a deal?" The deep man's voice said from behind Tenten.

"Your kingdom or her life. Which will you choose?" The woman asked.

This isn't fair. Tenten thought. What right did these people have to barge in and demand Neji's kingdom? Why were they entitled to barter with Tenten's own life?

I'm not even Japanese. An ancient part of Tenten's mind screamed. I am from a different country, and I have no loyalty to this one!

That isn't right. Tenten thought to herself. This country has been kind to you. It would be honorable to die for it.

"I believe you already know which one I want to choose." Neji said. "I want to save her life. Because she is such an amazing person. I love her more than I ever loved you. But you know that. And you're envious; you wanted me to pine needlessly over you forever." Neji looked right into Tenten's eyes as he spoke.

Tenten looked down at her left hand. Her wedding band was still there. Neji must be her husband. That's why she cared so much about him.

Tenten smiled at him. She'd wanted to hear him say that for a while. Too bad they were under these circumstances. If this moment had been different then Tenten would have most certainly kissed Neji and told him sweet wonderful things.

The woman breathed deeply. She must be deciding very carefully on her next words.

Before the horrible woman could answer there was a loud crash as the door to the room was knocked aside. Tenten squirmed on the floor to see what had happened.

A blonde man stood in the door. At his side was a pale woman with dark hair and white eyes.

"Sakura Haruno! Sasuke Uchiha!" The blonde man screamed. He marched forward and said, "How dare you show your face here again. After everything you have done, this is an atrocity. There are guards on their way to this room and you two will be arrested."

Tenten felt the man holding her place the knife at her neck. Something wet streaked down into the collar of Tenten's silk robe. Blood, she was bleeding.

The haze was beginning to clear from Tenten's head. Something clicked in her brain and she instantly understood this entire situation.

Sakura Haruno, Neji's ex-wife was blackmailing Neji into giving up his control of the kingdom by threatening Tenten's own life. This was the worst kind of reunion for Neji.

Naruto stood next to Hinata at the door. Hinata looked at Tenten with a worried look. Sai stood behind both of them. He looked rather disoriented. Then Tenten saw him school his facial features.

"They escaped me." Sai said. Then he strode quickly over to where Tenten was being held. Tenten watched him. She always knew he was a traitor.

Sasuke let Sai come to his side. "Do you see Neji? I have your advisor Sai under my control." Sasuke boasted.

Tenten watched Sai. He stood motionless by Sasuke's side.

Then Sai pulled a knife seemingly out of nowhere and stabbed Sasuke. Tenten was let go and she hit the floor hard. Sakura jumped on Sai's back and screamed, "Leave him alone!"

Instantly Neji, Shikamaru, and Hinata were at Tenten's side. Neji was holding a piece of his shirt over Tenten's wound and looking worryingly into Tenten's eyes. Shikamaru untied her and helped lay her in Neji's lap.

Hinata watched Naruto and Sai overtake Sakura and Sasuke with help from guards.

Tenten looked up at Neji. "I love you." She said. "Thank you for sticking up for me."

Neji cradled her in his arms. "I will always love you." He said. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Without you I would still be lost in my own darkness, but you saved me. Now I'm going to do everything I have to, to save you."

Ino arrived with a medic. Instantly Tenten found herself blacking out. She looked into Neji's face one last time before darkness overtook her.

Epilogue.

Neji Hyuuga walked through the hallways of his palace. Today was a very important day for his future. He was twenty six years old now. And he was going to see his Queen, Tenten.

He had changed a lot since the beginning of his longest marriage. He had become a wise ruler, and no longer relied on his advisors so much. Instead he made decisions logically on his own.

Many of his servants greeted him warmly as he strode through the halls. Before they had been filled with fear, now they rejoiced in being able to see their lord.

Neji stood in front of the door to the hospital. He took a deep breath and let himself in.

His wife Tenten lay in a bed holding a baby. Neji's first child.

Tenten looked up at him and smiled brilliantly. She was the most beautiful woman Neji had ever seen. She wordlessly handed the babe to him. Light shined brilliantly off the diamonds on her left ring finger. An intricate expensive ring encircled the finger of marriage, and beside that was a plain looking band of silver.

Neji cradled the infant in his arms. It snuggled into his warmth and opened its eyes.

All the country rejoiced at what its eyes were.

They were the Byakugan.

The End.