Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto aren't mine. Neji would still be alive if they were.

:: Wrecking Ball ::

Don't you ever say I just walked away

I will always want you.

If someone you love hurts you, cry a river, build a bridge, and get over it.

That's what Tenten learnt when her missions first demanded a greater awareness of her sexuality and its power over men.

In her profession emotions were a double-edged sword. Sometimes they made the clichéd act of the shy, naïve girl who was easy prey for debauched men seem more believable. Other times, they threatened to jeopardize the mission whenever they escaped her grasp around more audacious targets. It wasn't child's play to mask the acrid distaste she had for such men behind a piquant face.

Kunoichi weren't mere women. They were weapons designed to deliver the kiss of death.

Tenten, in particular, was a favorite for seduction missions. Parading her body around for older men who blatantly undressed her with their eyes was a part of her job description. Her alluring doe eyes shielded behind come-hither lashes was the mousetrap which caught the vermin every time. Their hungry lips on hers, their filthy hands in places where they shouldn't be… It was a necessary sacrifice for her country. She always ensured that these men never ventured as far as they dreamed during their encounters. Some well-positioned senbons (disguised as acupuncture needles laced with untraceable poison) usually did the trick. The brutes died during their sleep and she'd slink away with the intel like a ghost in the night. But, to be fair, not all the men were swine. Once, a man willingly surrendered information to her because he 'admired her mastery of the art of subtle seduction.'

On her last S-rank mission, the daimyo's son who they'd escorted became awfully smitten with her. The man wore his heart on his sleeve; whatever attempts he made to hide his feelings for her were futile. His flustered speech and persistent blush around her were dead giveaways. He surprised Tenten when he worked up enough courage to actually talk to her. And even more so when he proposed in what had to be the most charming display she'd ever witnessed. Yet, despite his unique charm and her undeniable attraction to him, her smiles didn't come as effortlessly around him as they did around a certain pearly-eyed teammate.

Sighing for the umpteenth time that Friday afternoon, Tenten spiritlessly poured another glass of wine. The way Neji had laughed at the thought of marrying her had left her feeling denigrated and hollow – a feeling quite foreign to a kunoichi who could bury her emotions better than a dog buried his favorite bone. As shameful as it was, reflecting on her conquests during those missions was her only comfort. They reminded her of that feeling of being wanted, instead of the sea of self-pity she'd been drowning in for the past day. Although it hardly inspired the catharsis she craved.

Tenten sobered somewhat when she glimpsed her sources of solace during these pitiful times: an almost-empty bottle of wine and a box of Kleenex. They stood faithfully on the edge of her bathtub – one wiping her tears and the other providing comfort. She slowly brought her fifth glass to her lips and reveled as the liquid soothed her in a way no man could, leaving behind a trail of cool heat that warmed every part of her person.

However much she tried to drown her sorrows, they proved to be adept swimmers. Tenten tried to ignore the salty scent of her dried tears. She focused instead on the ambrosial fragrance of the incensed candles she'd lit.

* A Beautiful Mess *

Tears fell from her eyes like silent rain as Tenten regarded her dying mother lying on the bed before her. She cursed herself for being so weak at such a time. This wasn't the image of her that she wanted her mother to see at the very end…

As if reading her thoughts, the sickly woman gripped her callused hand in hers. Tenten's sun-kissed skin contrasted with her ghostly pale complexion. Forcing a wan smile, the middle-aged women rasped her last words to her beloved daughter. "There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love. Don't hide your love from me, dear."

* A Beautiful Mess *

Tenten jolted at the memory. Her mother's voice was as gentle in her mind as it was when she'd left her with that bit of knowledge nine years ago. She'd held the memory close to her heart ever since. Its sudden manifestation ousted her misery.

'It's time to put an end to this,' she thought. She wiped away all evidence of her tears with as much finality as a judge delivering a life sentence.

She was above moping around like a lovesick schoolgirl for the sake of unrequited love. She was above belting slurred lyrics to love songs in a lonely bathroom. And she was above allowing depression to prevent her from keeping a promise to her best friend. With one last gulp of wine for encouragement, Tenten got dressed and picked up the phone. She chained away her feelings and injected as much perkiness in her voice as possible.

"H-hello." The words were soft-spoken, typical of the shy girl.

"Hi Chihiro! It's Tenten…"

Already, she was one conversation closer to getting Neji a wife.

Orchestrating everything was much easier than Tenten had expected it to be. Her selected suitors eagerly committed to becoming one of Neji's prospects, which bolstered her confidence in the role she'd be playing for the next few weeks. As she admired the three beauties congregated on her front porch, Tenten felt reassured that she had chosen well.

"Before he gets here, you guys have to tell me why you agreed to something like this." Her smile was impish as her head tilted curiously.

"I couldn't resist," Asami instantly confessed. "I've been trying to figure out how to ask him out for months now. Neji's a nice guy, but he's always so guarded and I want to get to know him better."

"Yeah. I caught those hints…" Tenten teased. She launched into a fit of giggles when she saw the colour drain from Asami's face. "I don't mean that in a bad way," she quickly cautioned. "You didn't come off as slu- um…wanton…or anything like that. You have a coquettish way of flirting that I, to be quite honest, admire. I'm just observant. Neji, however, is completely oblivious when it comes to things like that. So I doubt he picked up on any of them."

"A-ano."

The table directed its attention to the source of the soft-spoken query: Chihiro Moribito.

"What is it Chihiro?" Tenten hadn't meant for her tone to sound so encouraging and motherly. But–for whatever reason–it always came out that way whenever she spoke with Chihiro. She was the most adorable person Tenten had ever met.

"I…I thought that we were here for L-Lee-san…" Their shocked faces informed her that they weren't. "O-oh!" she shrieked as realization dawned on her. She leaned back against her chair as if to shrink away. Disappointment settled in her emerald eyes.

"Chihiro?" Tenten's caramel orbs peered at her in concern.

Chihiro's gaze remained downcast as she explained. "Well, you s-see…when m-mother relayed the pro-proposal…she just s-said t-th-that it w-was one of your t-teammates." She wet her lips before continuing. "I as-assumed that it was the se- … the sexier one. I mean…if I had the chance…I…would...Lee-san's the guy who I want!" The explanation became more frantic and rushed as her embarrassment receded.

Now all the girls stared at Chihiro in a mixture of surprise and concern. Stirring her tea became more important than the conversation.

"I-I-I'm…" Hating how nonplussed her tone seemed, Tenten began again. "But…whenever we saw you…you always preferred to interact with Neji. You outright avoided Lee." It came out like a whine instead.

"That's be-because being around L-Lee-san made me n-nervous." By now, Chihiro sported a blush that ran all the way up to her ears. Did they really need to stare at her like she was some newfound alien specie?

"Chihiro-san…Why Lee?" Shion exclaimed, flabbergasted.

"Because he's sweet!" Chihiro countered. "And considerate, and strong but gentle, and determined, and diligent, and brave, and smart, and handsome, and so kind..."

The disappearance of Chihiro's stutter amazed Tenten. "That he is," she agreed, with a sincere nod. The requital that shone in the young girl's emerald eyes warmed her heart. Chihiro's unaffected persona was endearing. Although she was painfully awkward–like, a combination of every single pathetic first date in history awkward–around all things male, either of Tenten's teammates would be lucky to have her. "And I'm still happy to assist."

Tenten was rewarded with an enthusiastic smile in response.

"How about you Shion?" Tenten asked, driving the attention away from Chihiro.

"I'm afraid my reasons aren't as romantic," she admitted. A pixyish smile danced along her lips. "I've enjoyed staying in touch with your team, with Neji in particular. He's...companionable. He's not much of a talker, but if you find the right subject matter…he makes a very charming and, believe it or not, humorous conversationalist. He understands me in a way that few people can. I am a priestess who many have lost their lives protecting while he's expected to die for the head family on command. Plus, I think…No, I'm sure he would be a great father strong enough to provide me and our children with the security we need."

"That sounds pretty romantic to me," Asami announced in a discerning voice.

"To be honest though…" Shion drawled; her violet eyes fixed Tenten's. "I presumed that he was unavailable because you guys were…involved." The accusatory looks that Asami and Chihiro graced Tenten with supported Shion's pseudo-query.

"God no!" was her visceral denial. "There is nothing going on between us. Neji's all yours, I assure you."

Before they could corner her with any more questions, Neji arrived and Tenten became an afterthought. Asami was the first on her feet.

"Hyuga-san!" she greeted ecstatically. She placed a kiss on each of his cheeks in the most urbane way. Neji returned the polite pecks with little discomfort. He had become accustomed to how affectionate the Iwagakure ambassador was by now.

"Himiko-san. How've you been?"

"I'm still on my quest to sample as much of Konoha's tea as possible. If you come across any unique flavours, let me know."

As soon as Asami released him Shion was ready to launch into a hug, but hesitated when they were mere inches away. Neji took the initiative by ruffling her hair. "Aren't you a far way from home?"

She embraced him then, in a deliberate motion that he reciprocated. One hand rested around her waist while the other still sat atop her hair. "I missed you," was her simple counter, voiced softly enough so that only Neji would have heard it.

"Did you get my last letter?" Lavender met violet as Shion stared at him from beneath his chin.

"No," she blinked bemusedly. "Was it recently sent?"

"Yes. I guess it arrived after you left." His arms now hung at his sides. "Ensure that someone opens it. They won't last otherwise."

"They?" Now Shion was even more confused. To her chagrin, Neji refused to be of any help. He was enjoying her bewilderment far too much.

"Why won't they last?" she tried again.

"An envelope is no place for them to grow."

Shion's mouth immediately fell open in awe. "No way..." She stumbled back and held a hand over her mouth to contain a shriek. "You sent me Flying Duck Orchids?!"

His easy smile was all the affirmation she needed to thank him with a fierce hug. If there was no audience, Shion would have glomped him instead.

Neji turned to greet the last lady whom he had denied his attention. "Chihiro." The wonder in his tone was explicit; he hadn't seen the girl in over a year. She jumped at the sound of her name, almost knocking the table and their drinks over. Chihiro righted it abruptly. She was as accustomed to her own clumsiness as anyone else and often remedied her mistakes before they became calamitous.

"N-ni-nice to s-see you a-again H-Hyuga-san," she muttered while executing an elegant bow.

"It's a pleasure to see you again too." He paused for a second, wary of how to proceed. "Forgive me for asking, but…don't you have feelings for Lee?"

"Hai." Neji could hear the relief and gratitude in her confession. He was glad to spare her a humiliating explanation.

"How did you know?" His teammate regarded him as if he'd grown two heads. How could Neji have been more perceptive of a woman's feelings than she was?

"Chihiro's easy to read," he answered, stunned that Tenten hadn't caught on. "She practically used me as a shield whenever Lee was around. I could tell that she regretted doing it every time. She was always torn between avoiding him and talking to him, though she clearly wanted to do the latter." His tone grew more commiserative by the second.

'So you're only clueless about it when those affections are directed at you?' Tenten thought, though not appreciating the irony of the situation.

Tenten exceeded Neji's expectations by compiling such favourable suitors. Any man in his right mind would be bewitched by their allure. Any man in his wrong mind would kill to be with them. Each woman had more than beauty to offer. Being the Iwagakure ambassador to Konohagakure, Asami provided a political advantage. She had trustworthy connections that Hiashi would exploit, given the chance. Shion was lacking in this regard, since people went out of their way to avoid her. Her benefit was her kekkei genkai. An unusual gift that his family would favour being incorporated into the clan. Even the introverted, unassuming Chihiro had her perks. She was the only child of the wealthiest family in the Land of Rivers. The Moribitos had risen to power upon discovering ores besides gold within the Katabami Gold Mine and extracting them.

"If I didn't know better Ten," Neji began in a suspicious tone. "I'd believe that you've been planning to arrange this for some time. I told you a mere three days ago and you've already managed to get this far."

Tenten extinguished a regretful smile before it could surface. 'Believe me…this was nowhere in my plans.'

"What can I say? Hiashi-sama's not the only one who figured it was about time you got yourself a girl."

Brunch continued into the afternoon with all five of them chatting like old friends. Though Tenten was quick to lay down some ground rules, euphemistically referred to as 'guidelines', for Shion and Asami on how their arrangement would proceed.

"1) You don't have to get along but you have to respect each other. 2) If you're spending time together and you know that Neji has plans to see your rival later that day, under no circumstances, should you prevent him from doing that. We'd prefer to avoid as much bitchy antics as possible; scheme as much as you want to get him, but be a lady while you do it. 3) It would be in both your best interests if you didn't discuss what happened on the dates with each other. You can talk to me, Chihiro, or whomever else you trust. But not each other…there's no need to breed any unnecessary jealousy or resentment. Sounds reasonable, right?"

The girls nodded their agreement.

"Above all," Neji interjected, believing that Tenten had left out something crucial. "Never forget that you have a choice in this. Neither of you owe me anything. If you find a relationship with me unsatisfying, just inform me and we can put an end to it. I don't want to waste your time."

'And I would prefer you not waste mine.'

Later, the girls disassembled and left Neji and Tenten behind. Chihiro and Shion needed to unpack while Asami had commitments to address at the hotel.

"How did you work out the accommodations?" Neji eyed her quizzically, still marveling at how swiftly she'd organized everything.

"Chihiro and Shion agreed to share the master bedroom. Shion's guard will have a room for himself and he'll stay upstairs with the girls. I'll be downstairs in my room, as usual, meanwhile Chihiro's two guards will share the guest room. With so many people staying, it'll feel like my whole family's here again." Nostalgia underscored the statement.

"Ten…You know…" For the first time in his life, Neji was at a loss for words. "I appreciate your efforts to help me find a wife. When I get married, our friendship will still be one of the things I cherish the most. I'll always love you…You know that, right?"

The confession left a bittersweet taste in Tenten's mouth. There was something about it that made everything so final. But it also strengthened her resolve. Sure, it wasn't the kind of love that she'd want him to confess, but which other girl in the world could say that Hyuga Neji told her that he loved her?

Neji watched as emotions shadowed her expression like a face staring into a fire. "Well…" Tenten whispered, then offered him the first real smile he'd seen from her all day. "I sure as hell know now."

"Good."

"So…shall we have one last spar before you become preoccupied with your many women?" she teased, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Sure, if you feel the need to add to your pile of losses."

Oh, how she longed to wipe that supercilious smirk from his face.

A/N: Thought I'd forgotten you guys, didn't you? ;)