Oh my gosh! It's the last chapter! Let me know what you think! I really was proud of this . I can't believe it's over! Now I have to work on another story! (I want to write a NaruHina or SasuSaku next...) Enjoy!

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CHAPTER TEN

Hinata ran as fast as she could to Team Gai's training grounds. If anyone could get through to Neji, it would be her. She heard the sound of weapons flying and flared her chakra in alarm to let her know she was coming.

"Tenten-Chan!" Hinata gasped, out of breath as she launched herself into the field. Tenten's face was in shock.

I've never seen Hinata so frazzled…

"Hinata what's wrong?" She asked, running up to the girl with her hands on her knees, leaning over and breathing heavily. Tenten put her hand on her back to calm her.

Please let nothing have happened to him…Tenten thought.

"You have…H-Hyuuga compound…N-Neji-niisan," Hinata got out, it was all she needed.

"Come on!" Tenten exclaimed. She heaved poor Hinata onto her back.

"Eep!"

"What can you tell me on the way?" Tenten's voice was stern. She had to keep serious so as to keep her worry down. Hinata clung to her friend with her arms around her neck.

"N-Neji-niisan asked permission…" Hinata paused, "F-For something very important t-to him,"

"And?" Tenten pressed. If she was going to face the Hyuuga clan, she needed to know what was going on. Hyuuga's were scary.

"Hiashi said y-yes…b-but the E-Elders said no," She stuttered. Tenten had already caught that she was leaving something out.

"Hinata, what did he ask for?"

Hinata bit her lip, but decided that not answering was not a smart idea and that in this situation, Tenten should know…

"H-He…He asked for permission to m-marry y-you…"

Tenten could have sworn she felt her heart stop right then and there.

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This was not the best idea. In fact, this was the worst idea, but Neji found that he couldn't stop. He wanted to be with Tenten. He needed to be with Tenten.

Visions of her cell flashed into his mind, the cuts and bruises all over her body when he bandaged her up; her beautiful smile, her wonderful laugh.

The Elders had taken all choices away from him since he was born, he wouldn't let them take Tenten.

Neji reached the doors to the room where the clan Elders discussed their matters. An ornate, blue door with silver designs swirling in intricate patterns and circles…

BAM.

The door swung open wide and Neji walked in with a stone face. Many old men with white eyes stared at him, some in shock, and others in disgust. They sat around a large wooden table in cushioned chairs.

"What are you doing here Neji?" One man asked, his hair was pulled back into a bun and wrinkles outlined his face. He was one of the higher ranked Elders. Neji kept his unmoving face and walked farther into the room.

"I am here to discuss something with you that I disagree with," He spoke, his voice eerily calm. No one spoke for a couple of seconds.

"Aah," The same Elder spoke, "You mean you want to talk about that orphan girl," He smirked. Neji held his anger in check but clenched his jaw at the word choice used. "Well I'm afraid there is nothing to discuss," He gestured around the table, "We have already decided that you cannot marry her,"

"That is where you are wrong," Neji spoke up very matter-of-factly, ignoring the sharp glares running him through, "I will marry her, because I love her," A few of the Elders dawned confused faces, "I am only asking for the clan's permission, or ," Neji paused, tasting his choice of words, "A blessing, really,"

The same man who had spoken before scowled. Neji just stared calmly back at him, almost defiantly.

"You are a branch member! You cannot go against the clan's wishes!" He spoke up harshly. Neji took a step forward, showing anger.

"I will do whatever I must to be with her!"

The Elder stood up abruptly, slamming his palms on the glossy table surface.

"Then maybe we should get rid of her," He snarled, an evil tune to his eyes. Neji clenched his fists at his side. This was not something he had expected.

"Don't you dare hurt her or I'll-"

"Or you'll what?" The Elder frowned, egging Neji on, "You have no power here," He hissed. Neji involuntarily let out a growl, "You are out of line, I believe we must snap you back in place…" He spoke. Neji tensed. They were going to use the curse seal on him.

"I won't give up," Neji was calm again, "I won't let you stop me this time," His voice got stronger, "You can't choose who I Lo-!"

Pain coursed through his body like lava in his veins. Neji dropped to one knee, teeth grinding and eyes clamped shut. Overlapping waves of heat and cold hit him repeatedly as he felt his skin would crumble under the pressure he was feeling just below his surface.

I can't let them do this! But if I can't convince them they'll actually drag Tenten into here. I don't know what they would do…They might hurt her…Images ran through his head of the scenes he had imagined involuntarily on his way to get Tenten from her prison. Terrible, nightmarish thoughts that now plagued him again.

No.

"You…can't…do…this…" Neji snarled, slowly standing up against the pain. The Elder frowned.

"You will regret your actions," Was all he said before mumbling a word and giving a hand signal, reactivating the seal once more, stronger.

"Gahh!" Neji yelled, succumbing to the pain and dropping to the floor holding his head.

"Kotaru!" A voice sprang fourth. Neji stopped shaking. The man became angrier. Hinata and Tenten had rushed in, their personalities matching each others. Bother stern, both serious, and both angry. Neji seemed to not notice their entrance, only noticing that the curse had halted.

"I'm going to make you answer me how I like…even if you won't agree," Neji gasped as he shakily stood. Tenten got jumpy, Hinata had told her to stay by her side, but she needed to check on Neji. Kotaru the Elder made the hand signal he used before.

SWISH

Tenten's kunai flew at Kotaru, halting his actions.

"DON'T YOU HURT HIM!" She yelled viscously as she threw her weapon, and then ran to Neji. Tenten dropped to the ground next to him, running off questions faster than he could comprehend. So he just wrapped his arms protectively around her in a tight hug. She quieted.

"Is that the orphan girl?" Kotaru asked in disgust. Hinata frowned.

"Kotaru-san, your actions have been unnecessary and not in the clans interest," Hinata spoke condemningly, trying to make use of her courage while it lasted. The other Elders who had stayed quiet the whole time because they were overwhelmed now all looked at Hinata in shock, "I have learned on my way here that you understood Neji intended to leave the Hyuuga clan could he not marry Tenten-Chan. And, that you did not tell this information to the other Elders. Neji is a very strong and very capable ninja. Even if you could not marry him off to who you choose, the next best plan would be to at least keep him in the clan; correct?" The heiress spoke, feeling as if she were a lawyer.

"Are you okay?" Tenten whispered. Neji's pain was gone and now he understood what had happened. He released her from his hug and frowned.

"What are you doing here?" He asked unhappily.

"Saving your ass it seems," Tenten smirked.

"They won't hesitate to hurt you, you need to leave," Neji urged her. Tenten pursed her lips.

"No way, I won't let them hurt you again, and your battles are my battles," Tenten said before grasping his large hand in her small one and standing them up. Hinata had just finished telling the rest of the elders all of Neji's argument that they had not been told by Kotaru.

"By the way," Tenten whispered in Neji's ear, "YES!" Neji was lost, but then when red when he understood her words after she spoke up again, this time to Kotaru.

"Kotaru! Why won't you let Neji marry me?" Tenten interrogated. Hinata came over to stand by their side.

"Because you are not worthy of bearing the Hyuuga name!" He countered. Tenten scoffed.

"I don't want to be a Hyuuga!" Tenten said, throwing off Neji and Hinata completely, "I just want to be Neji's wife," She explained calmly. The other Elders were just watching this play out now, Kotaru still wasn't convinced.

"I don't think any of you understand," Neji spoke up, still clasped to Tenten's hand, "I Love her, only her. You can't marry me off to anyone else. Even if you try, I'll do what I have to, to make them not want to marry me," Neji's voice was strong, all others were silent, "You still have two choices, let me marry Tenten, or disown me so that I can without you," He sent them his infamous glare along with his speech. Tenten gave his hand a squeeze.

Kotaru sat down and the room filled with murmurs as the Elders discussed it over, Kotaru's angry words being thrown around also. Hinata scooted closer to them, her courage having run out.

"What do you think they will say?" Tenten asked her companions. Neji shrugged.

"I don't care," He said, Tenten frowned, he smirked, "Because whatever it is, it doesn't matter. I will still be marrying you," His smirk turned into a smile. Tenten giggled softly.

"I-I don't think they really h-have a choice," Hinata spoke up, "Y-you may not realize it N-Neji-niisan, but you are a very i-important asset to the c-clan," Hinata smiled. Neji raised his eyebrows and Tenten smiled. An elder stood up and the murmurs dispersed.

"We have decided," He spoke, Tenten, Neji, and Hinata were at least relived it wasn't Kotaru, "We have decided, Hyuuga Neji, that you," He paused and the girls held their breaths, "May marry this, Tenten,"

"YES!" Tenten shouted in joy. Neji shocked the elders by smiling, although, not at them. He smiled at his love. Tenten grabbed his head in her hands, grinning, and pulled him in for a kiss. She pulled back with a satisfying 'smack!'. Neji chuckled and slid an arm around her waist. Tenten turned to Hinata next to her, who was smiling as well.

"Thank you Hinata, this means so much!"

"You're w-welcome but you don't need to Th-thank me Tenten-Chan," She smiled sweetly. Tenten just grinned wider. Neji turned to face the Elders, his face serious but his white eyes showed his happiness.

"And Thank you," He said simply. A few of them nodded, Kotaru still looked angry. Neji turned, guiding Tenten out of the room using his hand still around her waist. Hinata followed next to them.

"We'll need to keep this quiet until it's all planned," Neji said as they walked outside into the Hyuuga gardens.

"Wh-why's that?" Hinata asked. Tenten swung her hand laced with Neji's back and fourth at her side.

"We can't get Gai-sensei or Lee involved," Neji said with a dead serious face. Tenten laughed.

"Yeeeaaaaah…Good luck with that!"

Suddenly there was a crash and some yelling from inside the house.

"Hinata!" It sounded like Hiashi, yelled, "Come collect your boyfriend! He's tearing up my home!" Hinata giggled and stood up, Tenten let out a laugh.

"HEY! I didn't know someone was on the other side of that door! How come they didn't see ME! Can't everyone here see through wa-" Naruto's yelling was then mixed with some of Hiashi's yelling, then another crash.

"HINATA!" Hiashi nearly screamed

"E-Excuse m-me," Hinata said with a red face as she nearly ran off to stop the fighting. Tenten laughed again, much louder this time. Neji cracked a smile.

"So when were you planning to propose?" Tenten asked.

"I hadn't gotten that far yet…" Neji admitted.

"Oh really! I am so very disappointed in you Neji!" Tenten playfully chided. Neji raised an eyebrow.

"I do apologize my Panda, can you ever forgive me?" He played along, smiling a bit. Tenten giggled, and then paused in thought.

"If I'm Panda, then what are you?" She wondered out loud.

"I don't know; what should I be?" He asked, throwing the question back at her. She narrowed her eyes, looking at him.

"Hmm…I'm Panda because of my hair…so then I should use your hair for…" Tenten trailed off mumbling her train of thought. Neji smirked and waited.

"Got it!" Tenten cried, she pointed at him, "Your hair is pretty," Neji didn't like where this was going, "And cats have very pretty fur, so I will call you…Kitty!" She grinned. Neji's jaw nearly dropped.

"K-Kitty?" He croaked out. Tenten laughed.

"I'm just kidding!" Neji looked terribly distraught, "Oh man! You should have seen your face!" Tenten laughed.

"That thoroughly terrified me, Tenten," Neji said, Tenten kept smiling.

"Ah, ah, that was great," Her laughter died down and a pause filled the air.

"I love you Neji," Tenten cooed. Neji chuckled and kissed her on the nose.

"I love you too Tenten," He said with a smile. Neji then leaned back and turned her head gently to the side. Tracing his fingers down the scar that was still faintly there and always would be.

Tenten sighed.

"Neji, you have to get used to it, it's not going away," She reasoned. He frowned at her.

"Will you tell me about it?" He asked her, "If not now, someday?" Tenten tilted her head in thought.

"I would think you wouldn't like hearing it,"

"Knowing, would be better than the endless possibilities I keep imagining," He spoke softly. Tenten nodded.

"Alright, let's go to the field,"

In minutes they had ran casually to their training ground; taking seats leaning against a large tree. Neji resisted holding her hand because he knew she used her hands a lot when telling stories.

"Where do you want me to start?" Tenten asked, fishing for a point that she could jump into the story at.

"After they took you," Neji decided. She took a deep breath.

"Well, I woke up and it was dark, it smelled, and I was hanging from chains attached to my wrists…" Tenten told her story to Neji, going into detail at parts she succeeded at, and detaching herself from the times she was hurt. Neji listened silently, taking it all in because he wanted to remember everything she said. Although, Tenten admitted, there were wounds that had only faint memories attached to them because of something else that hurt at the same time. Eventually she got to the point at which Neji realized he was about to make an appearance.

"I didn't have much Chakra, so I used the last I could to make chakra strings and killed the three rogues cornering me. I was really relieved it was all over but then I heard you coming. I thought you were more shinobi, still did even when you got to me because my vision was blurry and I couldn't see you. When I finally realized it was you guys, I swear I could've cried. I was really glad it was over," Tenten faced her love, he held her hand in his own.

"How are you now," Neji asked, a common question she had been hearing lately. Tenten rested her head on his shoulder.

"The nightmares are gone," She said happily, "But sometimes I still wake up and it feels like I'm in my cell," She frowned, "So I play music at night so that I'll hear it as I'm waking up. It helps," Tenten explained.

"Hn," Neji voiced, "But, I'll be there when you wake up soon too,"

"Yeah," Tenten smiled, "That will help too,"

The conversation ended but the two sat together comfortably in silence.

Tenten felt, lighter; as though a hand pressing on her heart had released it pressure. She hadn't told anyone about her experience personally. Only wrote it in the mission report. Now she could put it behind her; moving on stronger than before, with only a few extra scars following along.

Neji was also relieved of pressure that had been holding him down. The main branch had been with him his whole life. Telling him what to do, who to be. And now he was just Neji, he had conquered them. For her. And now, he felt that he had freed himself.

They could move on now with their lives, free from cages, and not alone, but with each other at their sides, together.

It really was amazing what one event could do.

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How was the ending? Too fast? I was a bit unsure about it. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this! I just love the part with Naruto here, haha. I plan to finish more stories eventually; it just takes me awhile in between because I write them before I put them up. Thanks for reading this! I really appreciate it!

-Nexa