DISCLAIMER: The usual – I don't own anything related to the Naruto universe .

Freedom

Teapotpot

A/N: Spoilers Please don't get mad at me for writing this! I wrote this after seeing episode 116-117 and positively bawled my eyes out. I was sure Neji was dead (I mean, after all that reminiscing and drama, how could he not be!) and I was all, OMFG YOU CAN'T KILL MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER YOU IDIOTS! And yeah… It just sort of came out… But now we know HE LIVES -jumps around like the maniac she is- so… Enjoy!

o-

She stood in the middle of the training grounds. It was rather lonely, isolated all by itself. Then again, Neji liked solitude.

Why this one? she mused. What was so special about this spot?

"The birds are flying free," he'd told her once.

Neji liked birds. They made him think of the freedom he did not have.

There were no birds today.

The world went on spinning, the rivers running, and people living their daily lives.

She was oblivious to it all. Her own little world was dying. The world that revolved around them and their quiet love. It was dead. How could it continue when half of it was gone?

TenTen turned around and went home.

o-

I walk down that road again The same road

The one where you said to me

Those words

I long to hear again

So precious

Priceless

But now

I walk alone

With shadows all around

Their empty eyes gazing through me

Life has lost its meaning

What was it we lived for?

You said everything would be fine

You lied

You left

Forever

Never again

Will I see your smile

Hear your voice

Taste your sweetness upon my fingertips

Or walk down the road

With you

I am alone.

She loved him.

And he died.

There is no cure for a wound such as that.

o-

Love is a mystery, a blessing, and a curse. It cannot be forced. It must be earned. It must be respected. Love is not jealous. Love is not temporary. Love is eternal, but can be whisked away just as quickly as it was created. You will always carry that love in your heart. No medicines, rituals, or whatnot can even start to mend the pain.

She remembered the times they spent together. She remembered all the good, all the bad. She remembered him. And she would never forget.

Nothing can bring back the dead. It is foolish to wish for such a thing. But those who have passed on can never really leave. Not until you let them go. They are held here, spirits torn. Never can be free. You must move on. It does not mean you will forget them. It means you will continue to live.

I want Neji to be free, don't I? she thought. He longs for freedom, and I would do anything to let his wishes come true.

But she could not live on. He was a part of her.

As she round the corner by the great oak tree, the lake suddenly filled her field of vision. In the moonlight, it was a flawless piece of shining ebony. Gleaming, dark, and mysterious. Lights danced across its surface, calling out.

I walk deeper

Slowly, steadily

My toes don't touch the ground

The darkness swirls around me

Calling, whispering untold secrets

Dragging me down

Engulfing my soul

I am scared

The lights are drawing back

Abandoning me

As you did

No

No, this is not what I want

But

Is it?

It's cold

Colder than ice

Than my heart

I am freezing

But now

I see more lights Different lights

Colourful, spinning, dancing

Welcoming

I close my eyes

And I am happy

Because I can see you again

FIN-

A/N: And yes, in case you're wondering, I did have TenTen commit suicide by drowning. No, stop glaring! I love the pairing too! But, hey, I thought Neji was dead and without him, there IS no pairing (it's logical…). Anyway, I was sobbing and wailing and typing through my tears as I wrote this, so I apologize for writing errors and angst. Review if you wish -poke poke-