Tilting At Windmills

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post XIX

“I don’t understand,” she said hoarsely, speaking into his shirt. She swallowed, gathering her courage. “What made you…?”

“This mission, I think,” he said in answer to her unfinished question, his deep voice vibrating under her fingers. “And you.”

She pulled away enough to meet his gaze wonderingly. “Me? What did I do?”

His response was beautifully simple. “You looked at me.” His fingers traced her hairline, his eyes the color of translucent rain. “Just like you’re looking at me now.”

She blushed prettily and for one moment, for one glorious moment, Neji’s mouth curved briefly into a half-smile.

“Let’s go to bed.”

She nodded, realizing that despite whatever had just happened between them, they still had a job to do. She stepped out of the circle of his arms to turn towards her door when Neji grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.

“You’re with me.”

“N…Neji!” she said, stricken, her face red.

“Just to sleep,” he told her quietly, and led her into his bedroom, closing the door behind her with a final click. At the sound, she suddenly felt nervous, awkward. She had just learned that Neji felt something for her, they had kissed, and now she was in his bedroom and…

…and then she saw him watching her calmly, and years of trust reasserted themselves. She smiled and he came to her as if she had given him some sort of signal. Together, they crawled into the bed, Tenten fitting herself into Neji’s side as if she had always belonged there. He curved an arm loosely around her waist, breathing against the sensitive skin of her neck, and covered them both with a comforter.

She sighed happily, silently praising Ishin-san and his idea to send them to the Tenma’s that day. The memory of Neji’s kiss was never going to leave her.

“Good night, Neji,” she murmured, closing her eyes. His arm tightened around her briefly in response and she smiled to herself, hearing always the words he didn’t say.

Sweet dreams.

Tilting At Windmills

Neji woke instantly and silently, never moving a muscle, only his eyes roving around the room in search of what had unconsciously stirred him from sleep. His chamber was dark, the walls painted with the shades of early morning still well before dawn. The only sound he could hear was Tenten’s quiet breathing, her chest rising and falling with gentle dreams. He turned his head slightly to better look at her, casting aside his nightly suspicions for a moment just to gaze upon his teammate.

He didn’t understand what had pushed him to confront her that evening. Perhaps it was her usual devotion to him that had done it, the fact that even if she didn’t want to, she would have taken Nanabi by force if he had wished it. He knew she would have and without hesitation. She had never refused him anything. Never. Not even herself.

And she was giving to him even now, her head resting lightly against his chest, a lock of her long hair pooling over his neck. A sleekly muscled arm was curled against his stomach, her fingers bunched around his shirt possessively. She even had one leg flung over his, as close to him as she could possibly get with just sleep.

Neji was pleased, perhaps arrogantly so. It was true that he had never thought of any woman the way he thought of her. She had grown into him, changed him ever so slightly until he wasn’t sure he could be without her. If she wasn’t there, he would be alone again. Just the remembrance of that made his arm tighten around her, causing her to murmur sleepily at the movement. He relaxed, content.

She really was his. All her touches, her smiles, her kisses… his.

Neji’s eyes widened and he jerked upright just as the bedroom window shattered, a body flying through it to land hard against the opposite wall, slumping down with a hoarse cough and a gurgle of blood. In an instant, he was out of bed along with Tenten who had come awake in the completely alert way only a ninja could acquire.

Amongst the broken shards of glass, Hiiro lay unconscious, a group of his own senbon imbedded in his chest. Tenten made a quiet, breathless sound as Neji crossed quickly to the window, looking down to the lawn outside.

“He’ll have been poisoned, Neji,” she was saying, making no move to go to the injured man, unsure of the situation. Neji’s jaw tightened.

“Go to Nanabi,” he said lowly. He felt her turn towards him, confused.

“What?”

“Hizaki Kei seems to want to finish our fight.” He didn’t look at her. “He’ll want Nanabi, too.”

Seeing his intent, she leaned over and grabbed the purse that held her scrolls, flinging the strap over her shoulder without hesitation. Neji activated his Byakugan to watch her go, a strange sort of pride filling him as she ran out the door without a word, fulfilling her duty as a ninja without any of the theatrics other girls might have included. She trusted him to take care of himself, she didn’t have to say it.

And neither did he.

Down below in the courtyard, Hizaki Kei grinned despite the black eye he had received courtesy of Neji’s frustration from the other day. He motioned downwards and the Hyuuga genius smirked.

“Once again, I’m forced to fight a fool.”

Tilting At Windmills

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post XXI

Tenten ran through the halls of the Tenma house barefoot, hiding every sound she made, even her breathing, as she moved through the darkness. If Hizaki Key had decided to come get Nanabi on his own, she was sure he wasn’t the only ninja there. Ishin-san had said the Hizaki house was full of great ninja which was one of the reasons he had promised his daughter to them, so that they might bring protection to the village. She wasn’t sure what would happen if she was outnumbered, especially in such close quarters. If only she had some of her weapons…

Tenten shook her head. Well, she would just have to do without since she would have little chance to use her scrolls unless given enough room. After all, it wasn’t like she wanted them to go easy on her anyway.

Turning down Nanabi’s hall, she slowed, still moving but hyper aware of her surroundings, searching for hostile ninja. When she reached the door, she paused before taking a breath and opening it, sliding inside noiselessly.

The bedchamber was dark and still. Tenten smirked. A little too still. She flipped on the light switch.

Two ninja stood in the room, dressed entirely in black and with their faces half masked in various ways. One held a bound and gagged Nanabi under one arm. She looked unhurt if somewhat frightened. Mikuro, on the other hand, was sporting a long katana wound down his arm and was kneeling on the floor, the same sword held near his neck as a warning by the second ninja. Mikuro looked furious.

Tenten’s mind raced. A katana…

Immediately, she widened her eyes, feigning shock. She backed up against the door, closing it, one hand going to her neck as if she were so scared she couldn’t speak. Inwardly, she praised Ishin-san yet again for forcing them to wear unassuming clothes.

“N…Nanabi-sama. I…I just came to…to wake you… I…” She made a sort of strangled scream in her throat and watched as the two ninja did exactly as she wanted. They took her for a servant.

The ninja holding Mikuro at bay suddenly pointed his katana at her. “Come over here, woman. It looks like you entered the wrong room tonight,” he growled.

She made a big show of stumbling in fear, trembling as she walked towards him, whimpering as the ninja pushed her to her knees by Mikuro, leveling his sword at both of them.

“We should go, Kinku,” the ninja holding Nanabi said quietly. “In and out, Hizaki said.”

The ninja before her, Kinku, snorted. “What about lover boy here? Hizaki won’t be too pleased once he realizes he’s getting spoiled goods.” Mikuro leaned forward, outraged, but Tenten grabbed on to him, pretending to clutch him in her terror while holding him back.

Kinku laughed gruffly. “Well, let’s take this girl at least. She’s seems lively enough.” He leaned down and grabbed her arm, hauling her roughly to her feet. Tenten smiled and the motion wiped Kinku’s grin off his face. Using her upward movement, she slammed her shoulder into his, reaching behind her back with her left hand to grip the blade of his katana, snapping it out of his hands by pulling it against her body like a lever.

Tilting At Windmills

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post XXII

He cursed and she swung the sword around, flipping it over and stabbing him between the ribs. He fell like a stone and she had the sudden sinking feeling she might have killed him. She had no time to look however because Nanabi’s ninja had drawn a kunai against her throat, backing up towards the balcony from whence he and his teammate had entered. Tenten followed, measuring the distance between them steadily as she flicked the blood off her borrowed katana.

“I know you won’t hurt her,” she said softly, “and your friend has been severely injured. I suggest you leave Nanabi and take him for medical treatment.”

“It looks like you’re more than what you seemed,” he told her, ignoring her suggestion. “But I’ll be taking this girl with me.” He was out on the balcony now and she knew he was going to jump backwards off the edge to escape at any moment. She lifted the sword and reached her free hand towards her purse.

Pain blossomed under her right shoulder blade and she gasped as she felt a kunai bury itself into the muscle there. Kinku had thrown it from his position on the floor, blood dripping from a corner of his mouth as he looked at her with hatred. His partner smiled and Tenten gritted her teeth, determined.

“Do you think you’ve beaten me with that?” She made a sharp motion with her hand and sent invisible wire whirling out to wrap around Nanabi’s arms and legs. Grunting with effort, she tugged hard while at the same time lunging forward. The ninja was forced to release Nanabi against her pull or risk cutting her throat accidentally. As the girl fell forward, Tenten ducked around her, stabbing the last ninja in the thigh.

The wound caught him off guard and his eyes widened as he fell off the balcony, pushed over by the force of her blow. She didn’t watch him fall, she was too shocked. Stumbling down to one knee, her mind numb with the thought that she had just taken a life, she never saw Kinku throw two more kunai, one landing in her thigh, the other in her side. She barely had time to notice the exploding tags before they blew up in her face, ripping a cry from her as she collapsed.

More might have happened then if Mikuro had not suddenly kicked Kinku right in his stab wound, sending the ninja into painful unconsciousness. Through blurry eyes, she saw him hurry towards her, kneeling by her to pull the kunais free. She groaned each time he did, vainly trying to ignore the two horrible wounds made by Kinku’s tags. Blood drenched her once pale sundress.

“Are you alright?” Mikuro asked her worriedly, the baker’s apprentice having no idea what to do for her. She struggled to raise herself up on her elbow, panting. With another tug, she loosened the wire holding Nanabi.

“See to her,” she said hoarsely. Mikuro didn’t need to be told twice and he went to Nanabi, untying her bonds and embracing her quickly.

Ignoring them for the moment, Tenten used the balcony railing to pull herself up, scraping her arms as she tried to look down with her doubling vision. She could hear the sounds of a battle. Were Neji and Kei still fighting?

“Miss, you shouldn’t move,” Mikuro was beside her again as Nanabi watched worriedly. “You’re badly injured. You need a doctor.”

She waved a hand dismissively, bravely avoiding the sight of her blood seeping into the cement. “I need to get down there,” she said, wondering why her voice sounded so whispery. “Neji, he…” A bout of nausea made her stop but Mikuro had heard her. Despite what she knew to be his better judgment, he helped her stand. She did not accept his arm, however. Instead, she walked unsteadily towards the bedroom door, using the wall for support, a trail of blood in her wake.

She would not go back to Neji beaten.

Tilting At Windmills

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post XXIII

Neji was tired of holding himself back. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there to beat Hizaki Kei into a pulp but to retrieve Nanabi safely. Fighting Hizaki the first time had been because he wanted to, this time it was purely business. As long as it bought Tenten enough time to get Nanabi.

So, the Hyuuga found himself using the most basic katas of the Gentle Fist. He applied little chakra, only enough to send Hizaki reeling back every time he got hit. Neji’s Byakugan wasn’t even activated but Kei was learning to keep his distance, sending shuriken at him every once in awhile. Neji could almost be amused. Tenten threw much worse at him during her good moods.

“This is pointless, Hizaki,” he said icily, landing another flat-handed punch to the man’s stomach. Kei jerked backwards, coughing. “Leave now. Nanabi will be returned to her father by my hands, not yours.”

Hizaki still had the nerve to grin. “I’ve only come for what rightly belongs to me. I’m sure you realize that my men already have her. Mikuro won’t be able to stop them, he’s never handled a weapon in his life.”

“Perhaps not, but my teammate surely has.”

“Oh really?” he glanced over Neji’s shoulder and smirked. “Looks like she slipped up.”

Neji felt something like a cold wind wrap around him, somehow knowing what he would see as he turned slowly, his fingers tightening into a fist as he found Tenten making her way towards him painfully. She was barely standing, holding on to the garden fencing as she walked, her whole body shaking with exertion. He felt his teeth clench together at the wounds he saw on her and the splatters of blood that marked her path. She looked on the verge of unconsciousness and yet there she was, trying to reach him. He could have cursed and kissed her both at once for her stubbornness and loyalty.

“Neji…” she croaked, her voice wavering. “Nanabi… she’s safe…” And having fulfilled her duty, she collapsed, her body falling almost gracefully to his eyes. He swung, coldly furious, to face Hizaki Kei, irrationally angry that he hadn’t been there to catch her.

And without a word, and with no ninjutsu whatsoever, Neji punched the arrogant lord right in the face so hard he heard bone crunch.

Hizaki stumbled backwards clutching his face, groaning as blood spilled between his fingers. Neji was already turning away.

“Leave here before I do more than break your nose,” he said over his shoulder, his voice strained with the desire to fight. He kept walking though, activating his Byakugan as he neared Tenten’sunconscious body so that he could see her internal injuries.

He kneeled beside her, lifting her upper body so that she rested against his chest. From the front doors, Mikuro and Nanabi came hurrying out but he ignored them, burying his face in Tenten’s dark hair. His words were muffled when he spoke.

“It’s time to go home.”

Nanabi reached out blindly for Mikuro’s hand and he caught it, squeezing her fingers. She answered softly.

“Yes.”

Tilting At Windmills

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post XXIV

Neji looked up from packing their things when Tenten hobbled into the room, awkwardly wielding the crutch he had forced her to use. She still looked haggard, her skin much too pale, her eyes much to big, but she was once again the ninja he was familiar with, her hair up in its usual style complete with forehead protector. Still, his eyes could pick up the bulge of bandages beneath her clothes, the one around her thing quite obvious. She moved with the stiffness of someone who was trying not to inflict too much pain on themselves and he looked away, annoyed.

“Sit down before you hurt yourself. I don’t want to have to redo your bandages.”

She smiled at him despite his tone and made her way over to the bed, resting against it with a tired sigh as she watched him fill their packs. They would be going home that afternoon, making the day long trip back to Konoha and to their everyday lives. Of course, they would wait until they found out what Ishin decided to do about Nanabi’s situation before leaving, but Neji had a feeling that judgment would be handed down soon since father and daughter had been discussing it for the last half hour. He glanced briefly over at Tenten.

“Any word?”

“No, they’re still talking. Mikuro is a mess.” She made a sympathetic face but he rose, scoffing. Reading his expression, she shook her head. “You can’t blame him for what happened, Neji. He’s not a ninja, he couldn’t help me.” She reached to touch his arm as he passed, stopping him in his tracks. “Besides, I’m too stubborn. He never had a chance.”

Neji turned his colorless eyes on her. “You always were a bit too proud.”

She made a disgruntled noise and dropped her hand. “Me? Are you sure you’re not talking about yourself, Hyuuga?” She grinned slightly to show him she was teasing, leaning forward to stand with her crutch. “As soon as I see a medical-nin I’ll be as good as new anyway.”

He stood there, not touching her, simply letting his gaze tell her everything. “Good, because I’ll need a training partner.”

Her expression softened and she smiled sweetly. “Yes.”

~~~~

They found out an hour later that Nanabi’s and Kei’s engagement had been called off. Once Ishin had learned the Hizakis had had no qualms about kidnapping her and seriously wounding one of the ninjas he had sent to find her, he had thrown the marriage contract in the fire without regrets. He and Nanabi had also come to an understanding about Mikuro, who would be allowed to court her as long as she promised never to run away again.

It was the easiest promise Nanabi had ever made.

“I want to thank you,” she told Tenten as she and Neji prepared to leave. “I know I would be with Kei right now and Mikuro might be dead if it wasn’t for you. Thank you for saving us.” She bowed deeply and Tenten smiled.

“I only did what I wanted to do,” she replied, and turned her attention to Ishin-san. Without a word, she shuffled over to him on her crutch and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. He blinked at her in surprise.

“If I saved Nanabi, then you saved both of us.” She tilted her head to include Neji who was behind her, carrying both of their packs once again. “Thank you.”

She moved away before he could question her, not wanting to explain that if it hadn’t been for Ishin-san, she and Neji might never have become as close as they were. Waving goodbye over her shoulder, she drew even with her teammate and they started off, Neji reducing his pace to match hers.

She sighed a little to herself as they left the town, wondering what it would be like now that they were going back. Neji glanced over at her, his face curiously expressionless and she smiled reassuringly.

“I’m alright. I was just thinking.”

“About what?” he asked, and she felt her eyebrows rise. Hyuuga Neji showing interest? Well, she wasn’t going to let it go to waste, especially since her answer concerned him.

“About how much I enjoyed this mission.” She grinned suddenly, lifting her crutch. “Well, I won’t miss the injuries, but I will miss our… teamwork.”

“We’re still teammates. There will be other missions.”

She shook her head, realizing she wasn’t explaining herself very well. “I know, it’s just…” She gave in, her expression cheerful. “Ah, it doesn’t matter. You’re right. There’ll be other missions.” Concentrating on walking with her crutch, she didn’t realize Neji had stopped until she was several feet away. She looked back at him, confused. “Neji, what…?’

Tilting At Windmills

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post XXV

But he was already walking towards her, something purposeful in his stride. Her eyes widened as he stopped very close to her, looking down into her face, one hand coming up to touch her cheek hesitantly.

“You’re still with me,” he said, and she realized it was an echo of what he had told her the night he had kissed her.

You’re with me.

She blushed despite herself. “I’m always with you. Even when I’m not.”

Something in his face relaxed. “Then there’s nothing to worry about.” His hand dropped to her shoulder.

“I..I wasn’t worrying! I..” But she was cut off as he pulled her forward, leaning down to kiss her for the second time, his hair sliding forward to shield her. This time he wasn’t gentle, but possessive, and she secretly wondered if the little kiss she had given Ishin-san had made him jealous. She laughed low in her throat and kissed him back just as passionately, her free arm curling around his neck, both of them breathless when they broke apart. Leaning against him, she rested her head against the flat planes of his chest, all her concerns suddenly having disappeared. As long as she could be near him, she would be alright.

His hands gripped her elbows gently. “It’s going to take too long with you walking. You’re going to get tired.”

“What?” She moved backwards slightly as he dropped their packs behind a tree, concealing them from view. He then took her crutch from her, forcing her to hold on to him. “Neji…”

“We’ll fly home,” he told her, “I’ll take you.” In seconds he had lifted her on his back, her arms around his neck as she grimaced against the strain on her leg. It was better than walking, and they’d be able to get home before dark, but she was definitely going to need new bandages by then.

“What about our packs?”

“I’ll send Lee back for them.”

She smacked his shoulder lightly. “Neji!”

He smirked at her and then they were off, speeding through the forest from tree limb to tree limb, Neji’s arms hooked securely behind her knees. She relaxed against him, knowing his chakra reserve could sustain both of them until they reached Konoha. Suitably reassured and with Neji’s solid presence like a safety net around her, Tenten laid her head against her partner’s shoulder and fell asleep.

She didn’t wake until they reached the gates of the village, Neji kneeling down so she could slide off him sleepily. The sun was just setting in the west as she once again slipped the crutch under her arm and she suddenly found herself glad to be home. Here was where all her friends and family were, her teachers, her sensei. Neji.

She looked over at him only to find him looking back the way they had come. He wasn’t on alert as if he had sensed something. No, he looked like he was simply contemplating something, his eyes hiding his thoughts. And she understood. They would be walking into Konoha as different people than when they left. They had fulfilled their mission as ninja but the events that had happened to them had shifted things. For the better.

It would still take some getting used to though, so she stood quietly while he reflected. When he finally came back to her, she only smiled.

“Going to the hospital?” he asked, and she nodded.

“Yeah. You?”

“I’ll go report to the Hokage.”

She nodded again and they turned to walk through the gates together. When it came time for them to go their separate ways, she let her free hand briefly grip his, very aware they were in public, and felt something warm flutter in her stomach when he squeezed her fingers in return.

There had been a promise in his touch.

“I’ll need your help tomorrow,” he said as they turned to part. She smiled inwardly, knowing that to Neji, tomorrow could also mean forever.

“Flails or fuuma shuriken?”

She’d take forever.

.:End:.

The Dark

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post I

Tenten learned Soushouyu when she was twelve years old.

It had been a cloudless day, Neji remembered, hot and humid in the depths of summer. It was the season when ordinary children went swimming in the river and drank lemonade under the awnings of street-side buildings. For the younglings bent on becoming ninja, it was the time for walking across water and flash fights in the dark, thick forests that provided shade - if not wind - to cool them.

The clearing where they practiced, filled with training dummies and large multi-colored targets, was where he found her. She was laying flat on her back in a tangle of scrolls, string, and discarded weaponry, her face smudged with dirt and sweat. He remembered the dry grass crinkling under his feet as he came to stand by her, his shadow sliding over her as she blinked up at him. She lifted a hand slightly, a languid gesture to block out the sun rising over his shoulder.

Neji lifted an eyebrow and Tenten smiled.

"I flew," she said.

And that was their beginning.

~~~~

The air was cold above the canopy, sapped of warmth by the rising moon and the building thunderstorm just over the horizon. Every now and then Neji saw lightning in the dark - silent and ominous - the clouds eating the stars as they built in power. He was not concerned about the weather however. His eyes told him it would not rain until after everything was finished.

Turning his head slightly, he looked away from the storm and out over the tree tops. From his vantage point on the highest limb of an old oak, he could see for miles, the land's secrets laid out before him like so many pages in a book. Even restricted by the painted white mask he wore, there was nothing safe from his gaze. Nothing.

To the right, something flashed through the tree leaves, barely disturbing them in its passing. He didn't have to look to know it was Tenten stringing traps on the forest floor, a terrible layer of steel waiting to fall on anyone foolish enough to approach him. Standing as he was, silhouetted by the waxing moon, he was an easy target. His very stance - smooth and confidant - was a lure to their enemies.

The Dark

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post II

Come. I am waiting and I am not afraid.

And, of course, they did come and, as soundless lightning flashed, Neji descended into the trees to greet them. He and Tenten fought long and hard that night, Tenten flying through the branches as Neji spun within the Kaiten's green and silver. It was a dance they had perfected long ago in the agelessness of their childhood, before katanas were strapped to their backs and tattoos imprinted on their shoulders. Neji knew that he never had to spare a thought for his blind spot, that Tenten watched his back. And Tenten knew that when she dropped into his protective circle, nothing would ever harm her.

In the end they stood in the center of a battle zone, covered in blood and holding clean blades and neither of them had to say a word.

~~~~

Once, in their first year as teammates, Tenten broke her arm while sparring with Lee. It had been an accident - Lee's enthusiasm being what it was - and Tenten had reacted as a ninji should. She had turned white as a sheet and immediately sat down to avoid passing out, but she hadn't cried. Oddly enough, this seemed to upset Lee who wailed and cried buckets next to her, apologies tumbling out of him.

Gai-sensei had almost the same reaction but Neji later blotted that particular memory from his mind.

As for himself, Neji remember being irritated. It was at a time when Tenten was becoming his faithful training partner, especially with her new technique. The idea that she would now be unable to train with him due to Lee's over exuberance was especially annoying. As satisfying as beating Lee into a bloody pulp would have been, however, Neji knew that if Tenten could hold in her obvious pain without making a sound, so could he.

That day he'd stood quietly by Tenten's shoulder, arms folded over his chest until the medic arrived. Afterwards, with Gai about to take her home, Tenten had paused and turned back to him, favoring him with a gentle smile.

"Thank you," she said, and years later Hyuuga Neji still wondered what she had been grateful for.

The Dark

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post III

That night they made camp near a waterfall, the distant sound of it somehow soothing to nerves worn thin after the deeds of the night. Neji had found them an outcropping of stone, shelter enough from the upcoming storm that electrified the air. With Tenten's help they pulled dead branches around the entrance, forming a sort of nook for the two of them. Neji then, with a good long glance around the countryside, decided that it was safe enough for a small fire and built one, burning that which would make only pale, thin smoke.

Tenten settled at once, clearly exhausted and at the limits of her chakra. As per her usual bedtime ritual, she immediately took out her various weaponry, cleaning them in her lap quietly as he took time to meditate across from her. Grumbling rolls of thunder punctuated the silence and by the time he had finished, he wasn't sure he felt any more focused. Tenten glanced up at him as he opened his eyes.

"It's going to rain soon," she remarked, putting aside the last of her kunai. "It'll be miserable tomorrow."

He nodded, leaning back slightly to view the dark world outside. They would be joining up with Lee and Gai approximately 30 miles south of where their campsite was. It would be a long day traveling made even longer by bad weather. Neji did not relish the thought.

At least they would be going home.

"First watch?" Tenten asked after a moment. She said it with a bright tone but he had been her partner long enough to know when she was trying too hard.

"No," he told her, "Get some sleep. I'm not tired yet."

Tenten smiled but said nothing, simply unraveled her hair and set their masks aside lest she roll over them in her sleep. Five minutes later she was lost in dreams and the first of the rain started to fall.

~~~~

After his fight with Kidoumaru, during Konoha's failed attempt to retrieve Uchiha Sasuke, Lee told him that he and Tenten had stayed by his side religiously. Neji, of course, had no recollection immediately following his surgery but he did remember opening his eyes for the first time and seeing white hospital walls and Tenten's surprised face.

"You're awake!"

Later, he would realize it had not always been certain that he would wake up.

The following moments were fuzzy and filled with Tenten's excited voice. She told him what had happened and explained why he was missing several inches of hair. She also explained that, in the end, Naruto had not been able to bring Sasuke back and that several members of the team were in bad condition.

"I don't know why," she told him, as he lay there listening to her with his eyes closed, "but it feels like something has changed now." There was a note of something sad, perhaps, in her voice but he never got a chance to say anything for Lee came charging into the room, all flashing teeth and happy tears.

After a full minute of Lee's energy, Neji was ready to go back to unconsciousness. Tenten must have noticed for she threw Lee out of the room and admonished him to be quiet, they were in a hospital for heaven's sake. When the door finally closed, she turned back to him and Neji tilted his head towards her, showing her a flicker of moon-colored eyes at last.

"Thank you," he said, and he knew exactly what he was grateful for.

The Dark

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post IV

The attack came as a surprise. Tenten's cry of alarm woke him from a dead sleep just in time for someone to physically grab his foot and drag him out of their hidden campsite. Neji raised his arms in defense and kicked out with his other foot, catching his captor in the gut. Abruptly free, Neji sprang to his feet only to realize that his katana was back by the waterfall and so was his mask.

White eyes narrowing, he sent a chakra push through the chest of his would-be attacker and watched him collapse with a satisfying thump.

A moment later he turned towards the forest to see smoke dragons spiraling above the tree tops.

His expression hardened. "Byakugan."

Following the shadows of dragons, he hurried into the night, relentless in his pursuit of any who stood in his way. When he got close enough, he saw Tenten flit in and out of sight, throwing needles at one enemy, impaling another. She was like a ghost, always on the edge of the unseen, death flying at her direction. Their attackers were confused by this and often became victims to the chakra strings that let her weapons rise and move more than once.

The end came when Neji found the last - the leader - and closed all his tenketsu while nearby a bomb exploded, a bright flare of orange and red painting the night sky. Gai and Lee would see it and would know to come.

Neji breathed out his exhaustion.

And then realized he could not see Tenten.

~~~~

There had never been a time in his life, he realized, when she had not shown him what it was like to be free.

The Dark

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post V

He found her kneeling just over the hill, out of breath and almost unconscious from lack of chakra. There was blood on the side of her face but his eyes told him it wasn't hers. She managed a victorious grin as he came to stand before her, offering her his hand. She took it after a brief moment but made no move to get up, simply keeping their fingers clasped together in a way that made his heart beat faster.

"I flew," she said, and he felt suddenly as if no time had passed between them at all. They were still children playing with steel and looking down at the river under their feet and wondering how deep it went. And she was still offering everything, giving freely when all his life everything had had a price.

Years ago, he hadn't understood how she could live that way.

Now, he thought, he might be able to learn that sort of strength.

His hand closed over hers.

"Me, too," he replied.

~~~~

"How many birds are there, Neji?"

He was so used to this question, he hardly thought about it. "Seven."

"Wrong!" she said, impishly. He blinked and she pointed to the bird mask at his hip, a sign of his new ANBU rank. Her smile softened. "You forgot one."

Something winged fluttered in his chest.

Tenten's hand found his.

"You're free now too, aren't you?"

.:End:.

In The Space Between Heartbeats

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post I

Lee walked the hallway to the Hokage’s Office with a light step and a jaunty gleam of white teeth for anyone he saw. He might have offered a thumps-up but there were quite a few people in the corridors and his arms were full of files. To make up for this, he told himself he would give one hundred people the Nice Guy Pose after he saw the Godaime. She would want to see his reports, after all, and it was never gentlemanly to keep a lady waiting.

The folders he carried were filled with the results of his latest mission, a brief reconnaissance journey into Bird Country. He and Neji had gone to collect information, to talk to some of the townsfolk - dressed, of course, as normal citizens and so without their hitai-ate. Tsunade had wanted to be as up-to-date on the other villages as possible and Lee had earnestly written pages and pages filled with his observations. Thirty of them had been dedicated to the natural wildlife, which Lee had quickly become fascinated with. (Despite it’s name, Bird Country was home to a tree-dweller called a ‘koala’. Lee had desperately wanted to take one home for further study but Neji had refused to travel carrying a ‘bear’. His youthful vigor obviously needed reviving.)

Other teams had been sent to other lands, all ordered to stay discreet and observe. Most of them had returned, as Lee and Neji had, and were organizing hand-written reports and land maps in the hallway, trying to prepare themselves before seeing Tsunade. One such pair was Ino and Shikamaru, Ino’s voice booming from one of the empty offices.

“I know I had the plans for the daimyo’s estate! I know it! WHERE ARE THEY?”

Sheets of paper flew and rolls of parchment unraveled themselves out the door as Ino tore through boxes of reports. Lee stuck his head into the room to find Shikamaru leaning lazily against the doorframe, arms crossed and watching the carnage with a bored expression.

“Shikamaru,” Lee greeted, tilting his head to the side to avoid a crumpled paper ball that would have hit him right in the eye. “You’re back from Tea Country.”

“Yeah. And none too soon,” he drawled, eyeing his partner as she started muttering obscenities under her breath. “I saw Neji on the way here, said your own trip was pretty uneventful.” Shikamaru glanced at him briefly. “Sent you to report to Tsunade alone, did he?”

“He had to check in at the Hyuuga compound,” Lee answered. “Hinata was to come back this week too. Have you seen her or Tenten here?” The two kunoichi had gone to Snow Country and should have arrived back about the same time as the others. Lee had not seen either of them in the halls, though, and he really wanted to show Tenten a picture of the koala.

“Nope, haven’t seen ‘em. Then again…” he nodded towards Ino, “I’ve been occupied.” The lazy ninja leaned forward as Lee turned to leave and said flatly, “It’s in your hand.”

Marveling at Ino’s youthful stamina (the screams of rage had finally stopped), Lee hurried on, keeping an eye out for Tenten as he went. He didn’t see her but that wasn’t surprising. A number of other ninja mentioned that the passes coming down from the mountains had flooded with the recent rain there, making entry into Fire Country from that direction slow and miserable. It was the route Tenten and Hinata would have taken and, knowing Tenten’s careful attitude while escorting the Hyuuga heir, Lee thought it likely they were traveling safely rather than quickly.

In The Space Between Heartbeats

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post II

So, he gave his report to the Godaime, not failing to mention the fabulous wildlife, and was just about to leave when Tsunade floored him with a parting remark.

“Have Neji report to me when he’s finished at the Hyuuga compound. I know they’re anxious about Hinata’s disappearance but I’ll need to talk to him in person as well.”

Lee turned slowly, feeling as if he had just been given one of Gai-sensei’s Super Flying Kicks to the stomach. His expression must have given him away because Tsunade sighed loudly.

“You didn’t know, I see. Tenten and Hinata were due back five days ago. They had to cut their stay in Snow Country short due to bad weather and were headed back the last time I heard from them. Even with the high passes rained out, they should have returned by now.”

“Could they have been attacked?” Lee’s mind had started to spin with endless possibilities. “Maybe the weather cleared and they decided to stay.”

“If that’s true, they should have sent word,” the Godaime said firmly, “But they haven’t and the Hyuuga are of the opinion that their heir has been kidnapped.”

“By who?” Lee was dumbfounded. Konoha had never given Snow Country any reason to fight and—

“By Tenten herself, perhaps.”

A silent moment passed and then Lee flared indignantly, mortally offended by the suggestion. “Tenten would never betray Konoha. She would never reveal the secrets of the village, or the blood limit of the Hyuuga,” he said strongly, “And I will speak with anyone who says otherwise.”

The Hokage was watching him, fingers steepled together in front of her mouth. “I agree,” she said, and this time Lee heard the exhaustion in her voice. “But I have heard that theory along with a dozen others from the Hyuuga clan, and none of them reflect well on your old teammate. To them, she is either a traitor or incompetent.” She snorted in annoyance.

“I will go,” Lee said immediately. “I will prove them wrong by finding them both safe and sound. They will see that Tenten is far from incompetent.” He was turning towards the door again when Tsunade’s voice stopped him for the second time.

“That will be unnecessary, Lee,” she said firmly. “You have just returned from a mission and I—”

He did not turn but kept his back to her, stiff and straight. “Tsunade-sama, please allow me to do this. I will take Neji and we will bring them back.” He said it as if there were no other outcome.

It took a long minute but finally there came a reluctant “very well” and Lee hurried out the door and out of the building, headed towards the Hyuuga clan’s headquarters.

He would prove to them they were blind in more than one spot.

~~~~

There was a swirling, tangled moment of color and then she was conscious, her eyes burning, her throat strangely tight and dry. Something was pressed over her mouth and she struggled on instinct, bringing blurred shapes to her side. Hands were touching her, gripping her arms, holding that something over her mouth until she gasped, suffocating. Her spine arched in a wild surge of terror, her heart thundering in her chest as she realized she couldn't move her legs.

"Stop," she said, but her voice didn't sound quite right, hoarse and toneless. Her eyelids fluttered as her lungs struggled for air, a line of pain suddenly moving down her hip to her knee. She let her body fall in response and felt smooth sheets beneath her.

Someone was speaking, but the vibrations curved into her ear and translated into nothing she could understand. She shifted again, weakly, but her arms were dead weight, strange fingers pressing tightly into her skin. A noise rose in her throat. She had to get free. Hinata was counting on her.

The name blazed across her mind suddenly and she jerked, eyes opening to their fullest, unseeing. Bells were ringing in her head. She couldn't move her legs. She couldn't move her legs.

"Hinata," she said, in that gravelly tone that wasn't hers. Someone's breath moved near her ear, tickling the strands of sweat-damp hair against her cheek. This time words cut through the static and made tears fill unseeing eyes.

"She's not here, Tenten. She's gone." Softer. "She's gone."

In The Space Between Heartbeats

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post III

“I can’t see anything,” Neji said suddenly, and Lee glanced over at him, hearing the underlying frustration in his voice. It was the first time his teammate had admitted that they had been following nothing but instinct for the last twenty-four hours.

They were high in the mountains, surrounded by sheer gray rock and clinging mists, and it had been drizzling for the last hour. Sodden and without a visible trail, they had been making a crisscross pattern up the mountainside, relying on Neji’s Byakugan to notice anything out of place, any sign that Tenten or Hinata had passed that way. So far, they had found nothing but the remains of a small mudslide and downed trees that had been flooded out. The mountain streams were swollen with rainwater and, even now, Lee could hear the waterfalls crashing loudly up ahead.

For every hour that had passed with Tenten and Hinata missing, Neji had grown a bit more stressed, more tightly coiled. He said nothing, but Lee could almost feel the strain. With his clan anxious for the return of their heir and the disappearance of his childhood partner, Neji was under a great deal of personal pressure to find the two kunoichi. That they hadn’t yet been able to was wearing on them both.

Lee jumped to the top of a large, flat rock, straightening his knees to get a better look at the area they were in. “The rain has washed away any signs they might have left,” he said, voicing the obvious. He brushed damp locks of black hair from his eyes and peered northwards, still hopeful despite the knowledge that Tenten would have left few signs to begin with. They had not even come upon the remains of those traps Tenten was so fond of setting, the kind meant to “discourage” followers with makibishi and shuriken.

“Tsunade-sama should have sent a team earlier,” Neji said flatly, turning his head to scan the area again and so missing Lee’s vaguely surprised look. It was unlike the Hyuuga to criticize the Godaime. Lee let it pass though, under the excuse that Neji’s youthful fiber had been dimmed by what seemed to be a dismal situation, indeed.

“It looks like the rocks open into a valley up ahead,” Lee commented, knowing Neji would have already seen it. He bent down and tightened the weights on his legs in preparation to speed ahead. (Spandex and rain water were a rather slippery and uncomfortable combination.) If there was shelter in the valley, perhaps the girls had stopped to wait out the worst of the rain and had—

“They’re not there, Lee.”

Lee paused, fingers resting against the cold stone beneath him. They he rose slowly, fingers curling one by one into fists, his spine straight. He looked Neji right in the eye and finally addressed the thing that had been weighing them down ever since he had fetched his teammate from the Hyuuga compound.

“Tenten didn’t kidnap Hinata,” he said fiercely. Anger forced him to shut his mouth after that, however, and he watched the Hyuuga’s eyes narrow at the implied accusation.

In The Space Between Heartbeats

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post IV

“Of course she didn’t,” Neji snapped, “Don’t be a fool.”

Lee’s body relaxed slightly but he held on to that white gaze, unwilling to let it rest until he knew for sure. “And she isn’t weak. She would never let anything happen to Hinata.” He wanted to add, she knows how important she is to you and your family, but didn’t because it wasn’t the time for it. Tenten would not have wanted him to fling that at Neji anyway, though it might have made a difference.

Neji’s expression lost it’s severity and he broke away, moving up towards the valley. “Things can happen,” he said as he passed, and Lee watched him go for a moment before following. The genius was right, of course, but Lee wasn’t going to tell him that.

He still believed everything would turn out alright.

~~~~

When Tenten awoke for the second time, she was alone.

She blinked into awareness and found white walls and white ceilings and a dirty window misted over with rain. Lifting a shaking hand, she reached up and pulled the oxygen mask away from her mouth and nose. As her hand fell out of sight, she saw the red impression of restraints around her wrist and inhaled slowly. She was in a hospital.

Or, at least, that was the only word that described her current surroundings. She was in a narrow bed, the covers folded perfectly at her waist. Her old clothes had been removed in lieu of a pale hospital gown and all of her weapons were missing, even the finger-sized senbon she always slipped into her hair. Machines beeped by her bed and her eyes followed the various tubing to an IV in the crook of her elbow. She looked at it a long moment before turning her gaze elsewhere, trying to find something at all familiar in her small room.

There was nothing. Not even a chair for a visitor to sit in. Besides the bed and herself, the room was completely empty. Inexplicably, her heartbeat picked up.

Hinata.

Where was the other girl? They had been together before… before… Tenten lifted a hand to her forehead, unsurprised to feel smooth skin where her hitai-ate should have been. Her mind was murky, her memories blurred and unfocused. She could remember Snow Country and the devastating blizzard that had snuck in, threatening to strand them there unless they got out quickly. She remembered sending word to Tsunade-sama about ending their mission early. They had been going back to Konoha and it had been raining when…

In The Space Between Heartbeats

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post V

When what?

Her breath hitched in her lungs and she pushed down the sheets. She had to find Hinata immediately. Whatever happened, the Hyuuga heir was her responsibility and if she was in the hospital as well, Tenten needed to see for herself. She leaned forward to swing her legs to the side of the bed and found she could not. A voice echoed in her ears.

She’s gone, Tenten. She’s gone.

“No,” she whispered hoarsely, but no matter how hard she concentrated, she could not move her legs. They lay there uncovered, marred by various scars, completely dead weight. For a moment she did nothing, simply sat there, screaming silently within her mind as all her hopes of becoming a great kunoichi like the Godaime crumbled to ash. She must have been injured, perhaps Hinata too, and now she was paralyzed.

She suddenly knew exactly what Lee had felt when Gaara of the Sand had shattered his bones with merely a hand gesture.

And then she abruptly locked it all away, slamming doors against the horrible, tearing thoughts of a future so suddenly ripped away from her. She couldn’t think about it, there wasn’t time. First, she had to find Hinata and then she must send news to Konoha. Only after that would she allow herself to dwell on her circumstances. After all, perhaps the paralysis was only temporary and she would—

She ruthlessly cut the thought off before it could blossom into hope. Later, she would think about it later. She tilted her head back and stared at the colorless ceiling until she was sure she wasn’t going to cry.

Then she reached over and pulled the IV needle from her arm.

~~~~

The moment the man entered the room, Tenten knew he wasn't a doctor.

If he had been, he should have been hurrying into the room at the sound of the beeping alarm she had set off after removing her IV. Instead, he swept through the door easily, unsurprised to find her disconnecting herself from the various machinery. He wore a white lab coat over ordinary clothing and her eyes zeroed onto his belt, which she knew instinctively hid a kunai at his hip.

He was a ninja.

Tenten forced herself not to come to any conclusions. Many ninja medics served in hospitals. It was completely possible that she was in an ordinary hospital recovering from legitimate injuries and that her small, bare room was not, in fact, a prison. It was very possible.

But something in the pit of her stomach told her it wasn't likely.

"You're finally awake," the man said, coming closer with a nonchalance that said he knew she couldn't move the lower half of her body. She could see he was fairly good looking, with dark hair and eyes, but his expression held a certainly apathy, a coldness hidden by a polite smile. He would not be easily fooled.

"Where am I?" she asked, grateful for her dry throat that made her voice sound weak with disuse. Her eyes followed him as he leaned over and turned off the monitors by her bedside.

"You're in a clinic. We brought you here after the explosion." He straightened, his gaze holding hers steadily. "Do remember what happened to you?"

She didn't have to fake the troubled expression that crossed her face. "I... I don't know. I remember rain and...noise." Her brow furrowed. "Why can't I move my legs?"

In The Space Between Heartbeats

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post VI

"You suffered an injury to your spine. We have been unable to tell if the damage is permenant but it would be wise to plan for all eventualites." He reached over and encircled her wrist with a hand, his fingers against the pulse point as if he were simply checking on her. He said nothing about the welts from the restaints. "I'm afraid you were not in any condition to tell us much about yourself when we found you. Could you tell me your name?"

It was a test, she realized. He would monitor her pulse to see if she were lying. For a single instant, she thought about going for the kunai he had hidden, but then realized that even if she did she would not be able to get out of the room. Not...not as she was now.

She swallowed her heartache and evened out her breathing. She might not be able to walk, but she was still a kunoichi of Konoha. She refused to be taken lightly.

"I am Tenten. Of Konoha," she added after a pause. If she really had been captured the odds were good he already knew who she was. And there had been that voice. She's gone, Tenten. She's gone. Her jaw clenched at the memory.

"Where is Hinata? She was with me when... when..."

"A small girl? Black hair and pale eyes?" He said it smoothly and quickly, as if reciting something off a fact sheet. Tenten curled her fingers into her hospital gown to still them and nodded tightly. Her 'doctor' shook his head. "I'm afraid she didn't make it. It appears she tried to shield you with some sort of circular defense and took the brunt of the explosion. There was nothing we could do."

Tenten could not help her surprise and horror. "What?" Hinata had tried to protect her with the Kaiten? "I don't understand, I was there to protect her. She couldn't have... She couldn't be..."

"I understand this is a lot to take in, Tenten-san, but if we're going to help you, you must try to remember as much as possible." His grip on her arm tightened slightly. "Do you know what sort of technique Hinata used to save you? If there are any effects you might suffer from being so near it? With more information, we might be able to keep such a tragic incident from occuring in the future."

In The Space Between Heartbeats

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post VII

"I..." Tenten was struggling with her thoughts. She couldn't make sense of what was happening. Was Hinata really dead? She couldn't accept that. It would mean admitting that she had failed and she couldn't do that on top of everything else. She could not look Neji in the eye the next time she saw him and tell him Hinata had died because of her mistake. Neji. "I don't know... I didn't know she could do something like that," she lied, still stricken enough not to have to act. Regardless of what had truly happened, she would never reveal anything about the Byakugan or it's techniques.

The doctor never flickered an eyelid but she sensed he was disappointed that she wasn't more forthcoming. She was very lucky he seemed so intent on maintaining the charade that she was a patient or he might have used a jutsu to force the truth out of her. Instead, he nodded solemnly and dropped her hand, apparently retreating for the moment.

"This is a difficult time for you, I understand. I'll send someone to make sure you have anything you need. We'll talk again when you're feeling better." He turned to leave but paused before the door, half-turning to look back at her. "This clinic is high in the mountains. It would be better not to move too much until you've become accustomed to the elevation."

And with that double-edged remark, he was gone.

~~~~

Neji woke in the middle of the night, abruptly wide awake as if someone had called his name. He lay there for a moment, wrapped in a hooded cloak to keep out the drizzle that had been falling seemingly forever. A presence in the trees to his left told him that it was still Lee's watch for another two hours and the Byakugan further revealed that there was no one within range of divination. They were alone on the mountain.

Sitting up, he brushed rainwater off his cheeks and tried in vain to keep his mind clear. He had been unable to meditate the night before and his dreams had been chaotic, filled with images he would be glad to forget. He was sure part of it was due to the aimless searching, the fact that even his eyes had found nothing that said Tenten and Hinata were still alive. And, despite what Lee might think, he did believe they were still alive.

In The Space Between Heartbeats

A Naruto Fanfiction
Post VIII

He just needed a sign, some small thing to give him direction. The fact that they were following air and instinct made him feel as if they were wasting time chasing phantom trails. If he could only see where he needed to go, he knew he could find them. He knew it.

"Tell me where you are," he murmured, staring into the trees.

A moment later he sighed soundlessly and stood. It was no use. No matter how hard he looked, Tenten did not appear.

Not bothering to call up to Lee, Neji started to erase the few signs of their own passage, very conscious of the fact that there could be enemy ninja nearby. He was glancing around their campsite to make sure he hadn't missed anything when he heard it.

A light musical note, delicate in the heavy silence of night. It was brief but came again seconds later, and again.

Frowning, Neji pushed back the hood of his cloak and moved forward, following the sound. He found the source under a large evergreen tree, raindrops dripping from the branches to ping sweetly against smooth steel.

It was a kunai.

~~~~

Tenten was awakened a few hours later by the prick of a needle in her hip.
She hadn't even realized she'd dozed off and the slight pinch made her sit up, startled out of the easy sleep she'd been half occupying. A woman by her bedside was putting the empty needle on her bedside tray, the plunger only halfway down, revealing the remainder of some golden liquid she couldn't identify. The sight of it made Tenten's blood run cold.

"What was that?"

The nurse smiled calmly and pressed a cotton swab to the puncture mark on Tenten's hip, wiping away the small drop of blood before pulling her hospital gown back down with a pat. "Just something to help you relax. You've been through a traumatic experience so it's natural to be anxious and worried. The doctor thought it would help you sleep."

The words were said with the steady beat of someone reading from a script, the same feeling she had gotten from the "doctor" earlier. This time, however, Tenten didn't feel like playing the game.