4- Nocturnes -
She dances with the wind at her feet and the starlight in her hair...
... He watches silently from afar, heedless of his emotions.
She dances in the moonlight, with blades of silver tethered to iridescent strings of chakra, glinting like spiderwebs. It is a beautiful night, the kind dreams are made of. Rivulets of sweat cascade down her brow, a testament to the power she wields, and physical strain it demands. Each movement is graceful and serene, a flawless performance Tenten has spent an entire lifetime perfecting. Her heart quivers like humming bird wings, each breath painstakingly difficult, yet indescribably exhilarating.
She dances with the wind at her feet and the starlight in her hair.
Then it happens. Her control falters, and the chakra strings slice into vulnerable skin. Though she knows the risks, Tenten cannot hold back the gasp of pain that wrenches itself from her throat. She is stunned, the pain leaving her breathless and disoriented. Konoha's weapon mistress has lost control for the first time since mastering the technique. Scarlet droplets seep down slender arms and leave dark trails in their wake. In shock, Tenten falls to her knees, releasing the flow of chakra. Finally, realization sets in and the kunoichi swears lightly, pressing the fabric of her shirt unto shaking arms. With swift movements, she is back on her feet, hesitantly making her way back to camp.
You idiot! She scolds mentally, chewing the inside of one cheek and hiding her throbbing arms hastily. You can't just loose focus like that; not if you want to get yourself and everybody on the same team killed! Bowing her head in a mixture of shame and self-loathing, Tenten slips silently past Lee who is sprawled out comfortably beside a dying fire. She is half-way to her tent when the confrontation she is dreading rears its ugly head.
"Tenten."
His voice is echoed by the trees and reverberates throughout the small clearing. She flinches at the accusatory tone laced within his words. "Yes?" Tenten inclines her head to show she is listening, refusing to meet what she knows will be a judgmental Hyuuga. For a long time there is silence, broken only by the harmonic snores of both Green Beasts. She waits with baited breath, shielding mutilated arms from the young man with the all-seeing eyes.
"Is there any particular reason why you won't look me in the eye?"
Tenten says nothing, wishing he would leave her alone. Go train, Neji. She thinks darkly, hands balling into tight fists, lips pressed into a thin line lest she cry out in pain. Swallowing hard, the kunoichi racks her brain for a plausible answer. "I'm just tired, it's been a long day." Ha! You can't argue with that, Neji.
As if sensing her exact thoughts, the Hyuuga raises an angular brow, becoming rather irritable with his female teammate. "That's a lie, and we both know it. You're not one to tire this quickly. Now, let's go." Neji closes the distance between them, griping her arm tightly in an attempt to rouse the dismissive brunette.
His touch causes Tenten excruciating pain, and she quickly wrenches away from him, biting off a sharp scream of pain. By the time he has recovered enough to stare incredulously at her, she is already long gone.
Neji feels a pang of dread pierce him as he glances down at bloodstained hands. Surely she has an explanation for her injuries? He allows himself to curse mildly, wrestling against his emotions and better judgement.
In the end, all that matters is that he follows her. He justifies his action as clinical, not affectionate- Tenten is prone to making rash decisions when aggravated.
He can go play in traffic for all she cares.
Tenten grits her teeth angrily, trudging through fern and bramble with newfound momentum. Her trail is marked by telltale glimmers of scarlet droplets that cling to the leaves like early morning dew. She doesn't hate him for being a complete asshat as this is to be expected from any (drop-fucking-dead-gorgeous) prodigy. No, it's the Hyuuga's utter lack of empathy that tempts Tenten to drive her kunai straight through his stone heart. Which is saying something considering who her teammates are. The kunoichi can stomach Lee's astounding stupidity, his childish antics. So too, can Tenten tolerate their eccentric sensei in much the same way she does Lee.
Neji doesn't see the point in pushing the matter. It is evident she is upset and he knows nothing good will come of it while she remains in such a state. There is little the prodigy can do save watch with pearlescent eyes as she comes to a halt beside the riverbank. He stands within the shadows, getting lost in the soft slope of her shoulders and long, slender limbs. He follows the gentle outline of her set jaw, and the full lips that were ever so often quirked into a triumphant grin, or stretched into a smile as she laughed. His heart does something funny (not for the first time), and Neji is forced to admit that he is screwed. Badly.
Tenten plants her feet, determined to prove herself- no, him- wrong. She is a powerful kunoichi, Konoha's sole weapon mistress. One breach in concentration will not tarnish her reputation. The moon glimmers blearily from the depths of an inky sky, observing her every movement much like Neji who is still hidden among the shadows. Tenten forces herself to initiate the beginning of her signature move, slowly calling forth the glistening strands of chakra. Her scrolls come next. She selects the most lethal of her impressive arsenal, and the air is suddenly thick with swords. Katanas, to be exact. The sight of steel infuses Tenten with what will eventually be the ferocity of which legends are told of. For now though, she is just another ninja lost in an ever expanding world.
She dances with the wind at her feet and starlight in her hair.
He stares with a mixture of satisfaction and wonderment. Though he has seen Tenten fly her "kites" countless times, there is something in the way she moves that never fails to captivate him. She is better than she knows, yet wastes too much energy proving it. This thought haunts him for some time, and he tries to think of a way in which to tell her this without sounding reproachful. As he is pondering the matter, Tenten whirls suddenly, her gaze meeting his, and Neji is certain she has seen him. Knowing his teammate, the Hyuuga ducks instinctively. Over the years, Tenten has acquired a reputation for throwing particularly deadly objects when annoyed, and he does not want to test that theory. Seconds later, a volley of katanas tear into the space previously occupied by his head. He curses, stepping from the darkness, features arranged in a scowl.
"You missed." He cannot help the comment that tears itself from his mouth, and instantly regrets it as she wastes no time pummeling him with a second attack. In situations like these, Neji has learned that the best way to deal with Tenten's anger is to engage her in battle. He does so, narrowly avoiding a kunai to the face. His norm is to avoid using the Byakugan against her, but given the current situation, he feels justified in doing so. Within seconds of him initiating this, Tenten whips out a scroll, releasing a wave of fire. Shit. He barely has time to move, countering her attack with one of his own (though he secretly mourns the loss of whatever hair has just been singed).
The kunoichi is actually enjoying herself, exhausted as she may be. The fact that he is using both his Byakugan and Kaiten is a fairly significant accomplishment on her part. As good as this makes her feel, Tenten pushes herself harder, prepared to beat the Hyuuga to within an inch of his life. "Hyuuga Neji!" she yells commandingly, gathering herself up from off the ground. She waits for the cocky, stuck-up, bastard to use his Kaiten before seizing her split-second opportunity. Secretly, Tenten is shocked to find herself slamming Neji (none too gently) against a tree. Judging by the open-mouthed look Neji is giving her, he is just as stunned. In all their years of sparring, Konoha's weapon mistress has never overpowered him like this. Tenten takes a minute to congratulate herself on such an epic display of bad-assery, before returning her gaze to Neji.
"Hyuuga Neji," she repeats venomously, "You arrogant, stuck-up, cold-hearted, conceited, bastard!" Tenten punctuates each word with a violently thrown kunai. "I hate your guts, they make me sick. I hate how you make me doubt myself. How can you make me feel like shit one minute, only to have me smiling like an idiot the next? I mean, what the actual fuck, Neji!"
She is breathing hard, studying his pale face closely for any sign of regret that may appear there. When he says nothing in his defense, she finally looses the last of her patience. In an effort not to kill him, Tenten wrenches her eyes away from his, muscles screaming in protest as she uses the last of her chakra to summon every blade in her arsenal. With a shaking hand, she brings everything hurtling downwards, freezing her assault at the last possible second. It seems like hours before Neji speaks, voice hoarse from it's ten-or-so minutes of non-use.
"Tenten..."
He struggles internally, unable to voice the emotions tearing through him. He wonders where -how, even- to begin. There seems to have been much left unspoken between them. Eventually, he can think of only one conclusion. One hand grasps the front of her shirt, the other entangles itself in the hair which, in Tenten's moment of rage, has come free from its buns. He hesitates for a fraction of a second before pressing his lips against hers. The emotions of the evening, of their years together, the good and the bad, all come to a head then, and she finds herself kissing him back. That kiss is many things; their first, a greeting and a parting, an apology, and finally a promise.
When they reluctantly break for air, he half expects Tenten to slap him, but she doesn't. Though still somewhat annoyed, she can only return his searching gaze with her own. At length, there is an astounding clatter as steel rains down harmlessly around them, never to be pointed at his heart in anger again. It seems almost cliché, cheesy even, the way things have played out that evening. Though the moon and stars alone are present to judge them, the forest itself remains quiet. Tenten feels the rest of her words die away as she attempts to collect her scattered thoughts. He's still a complete ass, she thinks to herself, the ghost of a smile gracing her lips. But at least I know he's human.
They dance with the wind at their feet and the starlight in their hair.
AN: -Phew- That took me an eternity to write. Though I may have rushed the conclusion slightly (and the entire story might very well be the cheesiest bit of literature you have ever laid eyes upon), I can't help feeling immensely satisfied to have this finished at last. Perhaps I'll write a sequel in due time, or make some minor edits.
As always, R&R!