Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, 614 wouldn't have happened. BTW if you haven't read up to Chapter 614, this has major spoilers.

A/N: Pretty much this is my happy ending version of 614. I put a lot into this because NejiTen is my OTP. I ship them so hard and this is a dedication to them. And it's for all my fellow NejiTen shippers. This is for you, people. Keep the faith, he may return, who knows.

Kaa-san. Tou-san.

I could see them waiting for me. They were here smiling, welcoming me home.

I was… happy. Content.

This was… peaceful, but there was still something missing.

I couldn't put my finger on it. But I knew there was one thing that I needed for everything to be perfect.

I decided I could wait for whatever it was. I could be happy here until then though.

And eventually, my world would be complete.

Like heaven should be.

I could hear the shouts of victory rolling through the land. They were loud raucous cheers and praises to the almighty for seeing things through.

We were victorious. We had done it, the seemingly impossible. We had beaten the juubi.

The buzz of jubilation was felt more than heard. The world had saved itself. Shinobi nations had come together to create a place of peace. I couldn't believe it.

A bubble of joy ran through me at these peoples' claims.

"It's over!"

"We won the war!"

"We won!"

"I can't believe it!"

"Believe it!"

Opening my eyes, like from a dream, I stared up into the rainbow sky. The sun was only just rising in the east like it always did. Like it had the day before, but today it was so much sweeter a sight, and if what my comrades said was true, it was a day to remember.

Purple and pink light streamed across my vision, soft yellow as well. Blinking at the bright colors, I soaked in the peace I felt for a moment.

It's not every day you survive a war.

Survive?

Huh. Is that what I did?

After an instant of gratitude at being given the chance to see the end of this war, I decided it was time to get up. I had rested long enough. My strength was back to the point that I could lift myself up and get a better vantage of what had happened. I clumsily fought to do just that and pick myself up.

As I tried to get up, the long sleeved shirt I was wearing got snagged on something. With my other hand, I pulled at the snagged cloth and found that it was a red covered branch that had been beside me the whole time. It was painted with blood.

That branch, for some reason, made me uncomfortable, more than I normally would be from such a sight. I threw it away from me and tried to pull myself up again, so I could take in the state of my body.

Had I sustained any injuries before I fell unconscious? Surely, I couldn't help anyone else, if I needed attend to my own wounds.

Driven by the need to assist in any way I could, I tried to sit up. Gasping as I moved, I coughed up some blood and spit it on the ground. There could be others who needed medical attention around me. Why was it so difficult to get up? Did I have internal damage or something? Other than just feeling overwhelmingly tired, I felt fine, just weak.

My limbs felt like rubber.

Finally I was able to lift myself to a sitting position, and the first thing I saw were the bodies. All around me on the ground, they stretched, scattered. They were pierced through by some kind of wooden branches. They were obviously projectiles. They were all like that first branch I found beside me.

So many dead.

It was a horrific sight, but more than anything, it was unusual, because the bodies of the slain were glowing, all of them.

I heard a cough to my left and saw a few of the other bodies… no ninjas… start to move.

They weren't dead. Not anymore. Though they obviously had been, for hours maybe…

I looked down then and saw that my whole chest was surrounded by that same glowing light. My vest also had two huge holes in it, front and back. Poking at the tender skin, and fingering the dried blood that covered my clothes, I knew that the wound that would've caused so much damage had to be fatal.

I had died.

Yes. I had. The memories returned suddenly.

Naruto was attacked.

Hinata-sama was protecting him with her life. She would have died. I saved her. No, I saved them both. Because they called me a genius, but I couldn't let them kill my friends, my family.

They cried for me. They cried with me.

Then there was a terrified cry in the distance.

And someone's plea. I could barely recall. My eyes, they had been destroyed. I couldn't see at that point, not that I had the strength to open my eyes at that point anyway.

"Don't you dare give up! You can't die! Not now! Not here! I need you, damn it! Neji… Damn it!"

"Should we do something? Tenten, you have to get up. You need to be able to protect yourself. He'd want that."

"No… Neji… Don't go. Who… Who will watch my back, Neji?" Was that Tenten who was crying? My Tenten? She should never cry like that… That was my fault.

"Nii-san. Thank you, Nii-san. And thank you for saving Naruto-kun." Hinata-sama?

And then a male voice, blubbering loudly like only one person could. "Neji-kun. You, my rival… You must fight this."

"Lee."

"I'm sorry, sensei. He just… can't. He can't give up."

"This isn't giving up, Lee. This is our duty. Neji… is… and has always been… a ninja to be admired. And now it's up to us to do our job, by his example."

"Neji!" Tenten was still crying, sobbing viciously, but I could hear the tumultuous anger that was boiling within her call. It was like a wounded animal before it attacked with all its might. She never let her emotions get the better of her. This was a dangerous situation. She should have been more level-headed. I wished I could remind her, but I was dying…

I'd never heard her this torn up. Her screams pulled at my heart so much that I wished I could take my actions back for just a second. I just then realized, I would never be allowed to tell her how much I loved her.

That was my biggest regret.

I felt my strength return fully as the glow disappeared. Fully rejuvenated, but not altogether sure how, I stood up and heard the coughing again.

It sounded like a female. Maybe she needed help? I decided to check on her, then I would see who else was injured.

I followed the sound and came up short as I spotted… something I wasn't prepared for.

A figure on the ground, petite, and laying on her stomach. Only one person I knew did their hair in those twin Chinese buns. Tenten.

I ran the short distance to her. I could see she left a path behind her in the dirt. It was a few meters in length. Had she crawled that distance? Why?

I looked in the direction she was crawling and found the spot I had awoken from. I realized she was trying to crawl to me, to where I had fallen.

My breathing accelerated and I kneeled down beside her. She too was glowing.

Taking my chances, carefully I moved her to lie on her back.

"Careful. I'm going to try to move you," I had whispered to her.

"Mmmm."

She must have also…

I swallowed the lump in my throat and couldn't finish the thought.

"Mmm. Neji? Is that you?" Biting my teeth together, I nodded, but she didn't see. Her face was still, like that of one sleeping, eyes closed, peaceful.

The glowing was healing her, but there were only minor cuts on her body. None of these would have killed her. How then?

Activating my byakugan, I could see the recent cause of death. Chakra depletion.

She died from that... but how? I didn't know, but thanks to whatever miracle this was, she was alive.

Looking at her face in the eerie glowing light that emanated from her heart chakra, I studied her closely for any sign of her waking. My eyes deviated from hers when they refused to open on their own.

A closer inspection of her, resulted in my own worst fears being realized. Her creamy skin was cut all over. It must have been painful and likely an attack that happened all at once. Minor cuts but enough to make me blink as fire prickled against the back of my eyes. I deactivated the byakugan and watched her silently.

The torn remnants of her sleeves showed off the gashes and battered skin. Thankfully, her wounds were closing up, healing right before my eyes. Still, I felt nauseous.

Tenten, my Tenten, had died. I knew for a fact she would have lived if I was there, but I wasn't. I wasn't there to protect her.

It had been selfish to throw myself in front of Hinata. Selfish to die for her and Naruto. Selfish, because my life already belonged to another. Selfish, because the moment I sacrificed myself, I should have known I was also sacrificing her life as well.

Stupid, because no one was there to look after Tenten and keep her from breaking her promise. The one we made specifically for such a situation. The very one I had broken first.

"Don't die," she said pointedly looking away as she placed her weapons on her scrolls.

"I won't," I answered in reply, sipping from a water bottle.

"Good," she sniffed as the weapons returned in a plume of smoke. She tried to act as if we weren't about to go to war. As if she wasn't worried. As if it was just another day after training, and not the last time before we went off to our separate divisions.

"Tenten."

"Hmm?"

"Everything will be all right." She looked at me then and I felt the weight of her stare. She was looking for something to hold onto, and I always provided her with that. She needed to know it was worth it. That the lives we chose were worth the sacrifice we made.

"Konoha will be safe again."

"Promise me."

"I promise Konoha will be safe." Her brows came down and she picked up her scrolls. I gathered my weapons as well and as we were about to leave she hesitated.

I looked at her questioningly.

I could see the quick but obvious play of emotion cross her face. Then she spoke, "Promise me you'll be okay. Promise me that we'll have another chance to spar like we did today."

She was worried about me. She was worried about us. I took in her form. She was a fine kunoichi. Strong, smart, brave, beautiful, and so much more… I'd come to appreciate every little nuance of her character over the years. I knew her better than anyone else, and I knew that she could stand in war. And yet, I was worried for her too. Even though I knew she could handle herself in a battle like this one. I also knew that I wouldn't be there to watch her back, not when we were assigned to different divisions.

"Only if you promise me the same."

Her head popped up, and with wide chocolate eyes she nodded with vigour. "Okay," she agreed with a smile. "I promise, Neji."

"I promise, as well."

Her eyes still hadn't opened, but she continued to cough up blood. I continued to wonder what had caused her to lose so much chakra in such a short time?

And then I saw something that very well could have been my answer. Not far from where we were, before she must have fallen and began crawling, there laid a large feathered fan on the ground.

Discarded.

Was this was what caused it?

A weapon. It seemed powerful. I think I read about a fan that caused terrible destruction, but at the cost an enormous amount of the user's chakra, but to Tenten, it could very well have cost her life.

Tenten….

Is that how you went, Tenten? Why? You must have known the affects of wielding it. Why would you do this?

"Why would you risk your life like that, Tenten?" I smoothed down her hair sadly. Counting every scratch and mark on her beautiful skin, I wondered how she could be reckless with something so perfect?

She breathed in with difficulty, and out as if testing her own ability. Then she spoke, "Because I couldn't live... Without you... Baka."

Tears pricked at my eyes like needles, and I lifted her up from the ground, cradling her on my lap. "That was a stupid thing to do." I sniffed, not wanting to cry. I noticed the glowing had dispersed. She was done healing, I assumed. "How are you feeling, Tenten?"

She smiled, and her closed eyes made little upside down moons as she did. "Like I'm in heaven," she replied.

I smirked at her answer, though my throat felt like fire. A tear fell from my eyes without my permission and landed on her cheek. She flinched at the feel of it and her eyes opened slightly. Beautiful brown orbs traveled around her field of vision, first at the sky above until finally she found my face.

She smiled at me. I smiled back and another tear fell.

At first it was just like any other day that I would wake her for a mission, intelligent eyes, full of happiness watching me as she always did, but then suddenly there was recognition.

She stared at me, her own eyes filling with tears, eyes wild with unfathoming perception.

"Neji! Oh my god, Neji! You're alive! I thought I was dreaming or dead or something." She launched herself into my arms and buried herself there. I wrapped her up and held her tight to me. Here she would be safe.

Closing my eyes, I breathed in her chocolate strands.

I remembered my time in the afterlife suddenly. My mother. My father. Heaven was wonderful, but it was missing one thing.

This.

Tenten.

This was what I was missing in heaven. This was what I would wait for.

Tenten. My Tenten.

"You're alive!" she shouted with what strength she had, too excited to hold back. I felt her shake as the emotions bubbled out of her petite figure. I as well, was overwhelmed to have her back, and to be back.

"So are you, Tenten. But you weren't. You had died too, Tenten."

"Yeah, I… " She pulled back and smiled sheepishly. "I kinda figured. But, well… I was… I mean… Why did you leave me, baka?" She hugged me again.

I shrugged as she clung to me harder, arms tight around my sides. Her hands came to find the tips of my hair twirling the strands as she sighed into my shoulder.

"I didn't want to, Tenten." I never WANTED to leave you, my Tenten. Never.

"You keep saying my name, Neji? You never used to do that?"

"I missed you," I replied leaning my head on top of hers.

"I should be saying that, not you. You died first, remember?"

I shrugged again and pulled away from her arms. Looking into her eyes, I asked, "Are you mad at me, Tenten?"

She stared into my eyes, and I knew had hurt her more than angered her. She looked at me and tears formed in her eyes.

"Am I mad at you, Neji?" her eyes watered some more. "Yes, Neji. But I'm also… very, very happy!" she cried and I held her steady by her shoulders, watching fascinated as her tears slid down her beautiful face. She tried to hide from me. She wanted to appear strong, but that's all we ever did with each other. Hide.

I was sick of pretending with her. I was sick of hiding with her. Hiding from her, and pretending I didn't care like I did.

Letting go of her arms, I swiped away the remaining tears with my thumbs and gently cradled her face in my own hands. The contrast of my hands and her face wasn't as distinct and unusual as I had once thought it would be. Instead it looked right. It looked like perfection.

Her eyes widened and she gazed at me with hope and fear evidently weighing on her mind, the two battling for dominance.

I always loved you, Tenten, and you always loved me. Ever since the beginning, ever since the formation of Team Gai, you and I bonded. We had to. We were each other's sanity and escape. In you I found companionship. In you I found my best friend.

But we were both just too self-sacrificing. Always giving too much of ourselves, but never to the other. We were a team like that. We gave up everything for our country, for our families and friends. In the end we gave up our lives, but we also gave up each other. You were the cost, and I was yours.

You were my treasure I kept locked away.

You were my heaven, Tenten.

But I was a caged bird, and heaven belonged to the angels.

Through the secret longing, we pretended we were friends and nothing more. In the conversations with hidden meaning, we left coded declarations of love.

You were really bad at it, though. I think I was better, but you probably knew anyway. I hated the fact that every time I would say something to you, I would have to turn away. I longed to watch your face turn that crimson blush as it blossomed across your cheeks. Sometimes I got that privilege. I hated forcing myself to look away when I caught you staring at me.

You never caught my eyes on you though. Only Gai-Sensei knew. I could tell by the way he would smile at me, like he had caught me red-handed. You were always so oblivious to those things, weren't you, Tenten?

Our entire partnership.

It's always meant something to me. More than I have words to say. You are my best friend and I want to be by your side forever. I'm not afraid to take that chance anymore.

It's the only risk I've really ever wanted to take.

I'm gonna be selfish for once, Tenten.

My Tenten.

I'm going to be selfish.

Licking my dry chapped lips, I leaned in to her. How could I not? Those eyes were drawing me in. I was so close now, I could feel the escape of her breath against my tongue. She hesitated and her eyes watched mine for some kind of sign, before she was focusing somewhere else entirely. She was looking up and she looked perplexed.

"Neji…"

"Hn?" I asked though I really just wanted to kiss her already.

"The bird seal… Y-your seal… It's gone, Neji."

Oh.

Yes, so it was.

I think I vaguely recalled realizing that earlier.

"Tenten," I called her attention back to me. Her eyes were back on mine and I smiled, but not because of the seal's disappearance. I pulled her to me and she squeaked with wide eyes. She rearranged herself in my arms. Like a puzzle falling into place, I smirked. "I don't care anymore. What I want now… More than anything, is you."

Closing the gap, I leaned in and captured her lips in a kiss. Claiming them as mine, and letting her do the same, I was ecstatic to finally be able to experience the feel of her lips on mine. Tenten tensed momentarily, confused at my action. But she was a quick learner, she always had been. A second later, and Tenten was kissing me back.

"N-Neji…" I kissed her again through her stuttered words. She tasted sweet and tart. My Tenten was perfection and all I needed to survive. I let myself taste her salty skin, down the long expanse of skin that was her throat, but too soon I came across her high collared shirt.

"Rrrr."

Tenten was what I needed. She was my air, water, food… She was my everything. My world.

"Don't leave me again," she said breathlessly as I returned to taste her sweet lips.

Watching her face with half-lidded eyes, I shook my head and smiled at her. "Never." And I meant it.

"Good," she said and pulled me back to her kisses.

We were found a few minutes later by one of our friends. One of the Konoha Eleven.

Kiba.

"Oi! Neji! Tenten! Is that you? God, I'm glad you two are okay- Oh, shit! I-uh… Uh… " He turned around quickly as I rolled and Tenten hid herself from view. "I didn't see anything, I swear!" I stood up and glared at his back fiercely as Tenten tried to return to her normal state of attire. Shrugging on a tattered vest myself, I walked angrily over to the shinobi that was once my comrade, but now I had the sneaking suspicion he was going to be trouble.

I grabbed his arm and we walked a few steps away.

"Oww, geez, Neji. Nice to see you too. What, no glad you're alive?"

I looked at him annoyed. But had to admit, he was right, I was being an ass. His smirk wasn't helping the situation though. "Glad you're alive."

"Wow. Well, coming from you, I guess that's the best I'll get. It's good to see you're back too, man. You wouldn't believe the last hour of the war. And when you died, that shit was rough to watch. You should've seen it. Everyone went nuts. Then shit went straight to hell."

"I can imagine."

"Trust me, you can't. Ten times worse than anything you can think up."

We both turned when Tenten appeared between the two of us like nothing had happened. If not for the flaming crimson that dusted her cheeks, you could almost believe it too.

We were all silent upon her arrival.

"Hey, Tenten..." Kiba said quietly, quickly losing his usual playful tone.

"Hey..."

Tenten and I should have been more… cautious, or at least found a shelter, something... I dragged a hand through my hair and groaned in embarrassment, but I knew it was worse for Tenten.

The very girl my thoughts surrounded shot me a look, and my eyes flicked down to her lips involuntarily. I just couldn't help myself and now, I was remembering where we had just left off...

I needed to think of something else.

Tenten laughed slightly, breaking the quiet between us.

Kiba smiled somewhat put at ease. I glanced at them both and Tenten smiled wider, this time at me.

"Well, isn't this awkward?" Kiba said as a hand scratched at the back of his neck.

Motioning for us to follow, he started off walking in the direction where we could see a large group gathered. "Come on, this way."

Tenten tried to alleviate the awkwardness some more with conversation. "So, uh Kiba. I'm glad to see you're okay."

"Oh, yeah. Hey thanks, Tenten. See, she knows how to do it. You too, you know." Kiba easily maneuvered through the terrain while Tenten and I had a little harder time. "You guys were goners... Like... dead. I saw it, myself. Me too, actually. I was revived though, like you guys were. I lasted until the end though. Woke up with some of the other Konoha nins near the last stand off. I found Hinata after that. She told me everything she knew about what had happened. Then she asked me if I could find you two for her."

"Do you know how we were revived?" I asked.

"Yeah. It was that guy. The one with the mask, called himself Tobi. He started the war... and ended it. Did it all for a girl apparently too. I don't really know much, just that she's a little younger than us. Kakashi-sensei is pretty shaken up. They were both his teammates."

"Both?"

"Yeah, it must be hard seeing them die and then finding out one went evil, then along comes the other back to the future like a relic from the past. I still can't believe that masked guy sacrificed himself to bring back everyone that died in the war, and his old teammate of course."

"Wow," Tenten said obviously impressed.

"Yeah, well he was an Uchiha. Apparently they're all crazy."

"How is Naruto?" I asked after a minute passed and we continued our trek.

"He's asleep now. He passed out as soon as the threat was gone."

"Well, if that masked guy took himself out, who was the threat?" Tenten wondered allowed.

"Madara."

"What about the juubi?" she asked.

"That guy became the jinchuriki for it. Nearly lost control, but somehow he did it, then after he unleashed on Madara, he did that same jutsu that Pein guy used when the Akatsuki attacked."

We walked towards the others in silence after that. I kept my eyes out for anyone who needed a medic, but all of the bodies that were once scattered everywhere had gotten up and walked away.

It was miraculous. I tried not to show how impressed I was, but Tenten looked at me and I knew she could see it. She smiled at me and my eyes softened. She was beautiful.

"Ugh, wait until I leave before you start making out again, will ya?" Kiba said from the other side of Tenten. He was smirking again and Tenten was blushing. I just groaned. It was going to be hard to live this down, I realized.

He laughed and his fangs glistened in the morning sun.

"Neji-nii-san!" I looked up to see Hinata-sama hobbling towards me. She cradled one arm and favored her right leg but over all, she was alive and beaming with happiness. "You're alive, Nii-san!"

"Hinata-sama," I said as she hugged me.

"Nii-san. You're back. Tenten, you too. I'm so happy. It's over, did you hear? We won!"

"Yeah, we heard. I'm kind of astounded really," Tenten spoke up from my side. Hinata let go of me and stood next to Kiba in the somewhat irregular circle we had formed.

"Hey, 'Nata, you won't believe how I found these guys. Ha ha!"

Tenten shoved Kiba and he nearly fell over into a pile of wood that had been stacked nearby. I wondered if he was just caught off guard by the shove or if she added some chakra to it. Either way, that was my girl! I smirked as he wobbled and tried not to fall again.

Hinata looked at the three of us and was puzzled. "What do you mean, Kiba-kun?"

"He doesn't mean anything," I said as a threat to the canine lover, but he just smirked in response.

"Well, whatever," Hinata-sama stated. "I'm just so glad to see you all. And you, Tenten…"

"Me?" Tenten looked taken aback at being singled out. With the dawning of some kind of girl-to-girl telepathy, she answered, "I'm good now, really."

Tenten had her hands behind her back and I secretly ran a finger across the palm of one of her hands. She smiled wider.

"I'm so glad," Hinata-sama smiled and then stared at me. She bowed in thanks. "Nii-san. You're very lucky." She then straightened and looked at me a moment longer, with a knowing smile. "Very lucky, indeed."

She meant Tenten. I could see it in her eyes, that glint of approval and happiness. Had she used her byakugan and seen us too? Great another one. I fought to not blush in front of my cousin, but feared I may have come up short when her smile widened.

"As are you, Hinata-sama. I see you have some wounds. No doubt, Naruto's are worse." There, I may be blushing, but I'll make you embarrassed too, I thought.

She sighed, but there wasn't a blush in sight, just concern. "Yes. He shouldn't have done that. He put himself at risk for my sake, but we are all okay, so I will let it be and thank him when he wakes."

"Eh… Why thank him?" Kiba interrupted. We all stared at him like he was crazy. "I'm serious! He'll have everyone doing that. If you really want to stand out, you should say something mean, Hinata. That'll get his attention."

"Kiba! Don't tell her something stupid like that! What are you trying to sabotage her or something?" Tenten yelled.

"Uh, wh-what? No… Why would I want to do something like that?" he blushed and looked away. I laughed quietly. Well there was my revenge, and I didn't even need to do anything.

Hinata smiled softly and turned a light shade of pink herself. She focused back on Tenten and me. "Your teammates, Lee and Gai-Sensei should be near the medic tent. If you were wondering where they were."

"Thank you, Hinata-sama. Tenten, we should go."

"It's just Hinata, Neji!" my cousin had said as I was about to turn away. "Please. Just Hinata from now on. If you won't call me your sister, at least just call me by my name."

"Yes. I understand. We will see you later then, Hinata." I smiled at my quiet cousin, and she approved with a smile of her own.

We turned around to set out and locate our other teammates next. Tenten had spotted the tent first. It had been erected on a small hill, but first you had to get through all of the people. They were everywhere. There were men and women surrounding the tent, shinobi from every nation. They were singing victory songs and telling stories. Laughing and joking.

Smoke trailed the morning sky and the ground was littered with camp fires that were lit not long ago. The entire atmosphere of this place, which had once been one of fear, consumed with the threat of looming death, was now a jovial environment of revelry.

"Gai-Sensei! You were amazing! I can only hope to one day be as youthful as you, Gai-Sensei!"

"Lee, my boy! You are surely on your way! Keep nursing that wound, son!"

"Yosh!"

As those proclamations hit our ears, we looked at each other and both of our faces broke out into grins. They were here alright.

On twin cots they laid. Gai-Sensei and Lee, both looking pretty beaten up but in high spirits.

I nudged Tenten who had stopped suddenly. She looked a bit apprehensive. "They've had worse, I'm sure," I told her.

She chuckled. "Yeah. I'm sure you're right. It probably just looks worse than it is. I don't know why I'm nervous all of a sudden." I nodded.

Hovering outside, just out of reach from our crazy sensei and unique teammate, I pulled Tenten to me one last time.

Kissing her lips again, and savoring the feel, I hugged her close once more.

"I almost forgot, Tenten."

"Wh-what, Neji? What is it?" she asked looking up at me.

I let her go and pulled her hand up to my lips, kissing her knuckles.

"I just realized what I wanted to tell you…"

She looked at me seriously, waiting for me to continue.

"I… wanted to tell you how much I love you, but I don't know the words to describe it. So… if you want… to know… Tenten... you'll just have to… stay by my side... until you do. But, I have to warn you. It might be a long time. I want you with me forever, and I can't see it taking any less than that."

She was silent and this place was loud. I hoped she had heard me because I didn't think I would be able to get through that a second time. My heart was beating so fast as it was. Watching her, I was acutely aware of her silence.

But then, suddenly her lips moved.

"Sorry, what did you say?" I asked.

"I said, okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah."

"You do know what I'm asking you, right Tenten?" I nodded as my eyes shone with her answer.

Tenten let go of a breath and shook her head in exasperation.

"I love you, Neji," she said. "I followed you to death and back. I don't care what you're asking. The answer is yes. The answer will always be yes."

Somewhere along the line, the shinobi around us had quieted down and had all tuned in to our conversation.

"Kiss her already!" someone shouted.

It was the shout of someone laying on a cot. Someone that was a fan of green spandex, and spoke of youth, and cried tears of joy with a crazy sensei... And I did just as he said. I kissed her.

I kissed my Tenten, at last.

They called me a genius, but I was better suited to play a fool in love from that day forward. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

And that was how it all started.

Yeah, I made myself cry with this one. Review... NejiTen ForEver!