O-miyage
The Prequel

NejiXTenten. He's a stranger. And she's falling in love with this stranger, again.

I still do not own Naruto.

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He sighed, looking at the girl before him. It was sort of irritating- that they're together but she couldn't take her eyes off that ancient piece of metal. She was very excited when she found her so-called favorite kunai and kept on talking about how important it is to her.

"Could you at least not do that when we're having dinner?"

"I can't believe you're getting jealous over a kunai." She said, smiling at him.

"This is not about jealousy. This is about manners." He lied.

"If you say so." She shrugged.

Neji is not to be opposed, she learned. Agreeing with him is the simplest way to avoid doom. Not that they argue a lot. Besides, he's right most of the time. And when he's wrong, he realizes that on his own soon enough. Cheers to a genius boyfriend, she thought as her smile widened.

"Hn."

"Do you want to say something?" She teased.

"So much for your favorite kunai… why is it so rusty?"

"I thought I lost it. Then this morning I was so pleasantly surprised to find it in that box of junk."

"You kept something so valuable in a box of junk." He smirked.

"I'm not exactly as organized as you are… that much I admit."

"I'm afraid of what you're going to lose next time."

"Well, you won't fit in a box of junk so don't worry, I'm not going to lose you." She joked.

He laughed a little and at that, she held his hand. Neji is Neji- stern, moody, and complicated. But there's another dimension to Neji that he's just starting to discover, though she always knew about it. She's happy that he has learned to loosen up, even just a bit. And though she's mostly the beneficiary of such gestures- she knows time will come and he'll be ready to welcome everybody else.

"Oh, I believe I haven't told you about the mission?"

She totally forgot about the mission assigned to her just that morning as well. She had been promoted to a chuunin while he's a jounin. It was quite usual for them to be assigned in different missions with different teammates.

"I have one over the weekend." He said.

"I have one tomorrow."

"You're in that mission?"

"So I was told."

"It's an A." He sounded worried.

"Hey don't you think I deserve more credit than that?" She complained.

He didn't give an answer. He's really worried, she thought. She was expecting that. And it's all right. She actually appreciated the concern.

"It'll be fine." She assured him.

He was quiet, still. She couldn't blame him though. It was only natural. She was exactly like that when he went to his first S rank mission.

"I'll be back by the weekend and I'll be waiting for you. You'll see, you're not the only one capable of executing A ranks!"

She still got nothing from him. She recalled she was easier to convince back then. And he can't tell her that she's a girl as an excuse because she won't buy that.

"Ah! I can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow morning for my first A rank mission and you're giving me that face! What sort of good luck am I going to get with that? You should be more supportive! I remember when…"

He stuffed a piece of dumpling in her mouth before having one for himself. They chewed in silence. This is probably what Shikamaru has being pointing out about girls, he thought.

"Do it well and be back here fast." He spoke first.

She laughed as she raised her hand to salute.

"Yes sir!"

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"Tenten? Can you hear me? Tenten?"

She opened her eyes to see a kunoichi whose pink locks were dripping wet to her face. It also sounded as if the rain was pouring hard outside. She wasn't sure if she was soaked too, though she felt terribly cold.

"Don't move yet. Your head is injured but I all ready stopped the bleeding."

She managed to nod in response. Then a guy wearing sunglasses and a thick coat approached them.

"We can start moving as soon as the rain subsides." He said.

"Good. We can't be delayed any longer… they must be brought to the hospital." The pink haired kunoichi said.

What are they talking about? Who are they? Why am I with them? She repeatedly asked those questions in her head. But she soon gave up looking for answers. There's a sharp pain in her head and her body felt really cold- nearly numb. She closed her eyes.

"Neji…" She murmured.

She then quickly opened her eyes again. Where did that name come from?

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He glanced at the clock beside his bed. Almost nine in the morning, it reads. And though he was usually up by six- he was hardly oversleeping. She didn't return over the weekend. And he had been spending his nights at Konoha's gate, going home early mornings to get some rest before pestering the Hokage- who was obviously equally worried.

"Neji-niisan! Neji-niisan!" Hinata's voice echoed again.

There's a sense of urgency in his cousin's voice. He hurried to the door.

"They're back!" She said as soon as he opened up.

He didn't ask for anything else. He shut the door so he can prepare to leave. He was panicking- somewhere between excitement and nervousness. Then he stopped- leave to where?

"They're at the hospital." Hinata said from the other side of the door.

"Thank you." He called back.

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He was in the hospital in a matter of minutes. Tenten doesn't have a family and everyone recognizes their relationship. He was easily given the pass to see her. He walked inside the room when he saw her. She's awake at least, though a thick wound dressing was bandaged on her right temple.

"Tenten…"

She looked at him. But it was so different from how she looks at him- even when she's extremely mad. She couldn't be pulling a prank at a time like this, he thought. But judging from the dull, expressionless look on her face, he could almost guess what was going on.

"Yes…?" She asked.

He stared back at her, unknowing of how to react.

"Yes… yes is not something you say to someone who had been worried sick waiting for your return." He said, though he knows it's probably useless saying that.

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I haven't posted in three weeks I believe. I've been through hell and back.

As always, thanks for your support.