✗𝓝𝓪𝓻𝓾𝓽𝓸 𝓞𝓷𝓮-𝓢𝓱𝓸𝓽𝓼 ✗

NejiTen - Finding Our Love

Tenten picked her head up from her hands and glanced out the open door of her shop towards the setting sun. The sky was streaked with pink and orange as the light's rays ran across the ground, dancing for a last time before they get hidden by night's gloomy shadows.

She stumbled to her feet, her antique weapons covering her walls, and turned the 'open' sign to 'closed'. She sighed as she closed her door, blocking out everyone else.

'Another day, no sales. How am I going to live like this?' she grimaced, knowing that one day she would have to accept her fate. As easy as many might think it is to change, it is inevitable.

Tenten sunk to her knees, cradling her face in her weather-beaten hands. A couple of tears leaked from her eyes as thought of the happy families passing. They smile cheerfully and hug each other as the peace for which so many sacrificed their lives and passions for finally shows through the darkness of those days.

She had realised that if she had ever wanted to have a happy ending like all of them, she shouldn't have been so ignorant in the past. Training everyday with no break, just so she could push back the enemies.

In the end, it hadn't ended nicely. The blood of the battle stained many shinobis' hands, and so many shinobi, including Naruto, the one who always put his life on the line to ensure peace, and washed it off. But for the kunoichi who lay on the floor every night, contemplating her whole life, the blood never came off. The blood ran through her fingers daily, streaming from all the people that had fallen.

She turned to go to her room. Heaving herself up, she made her way to her room. She scrunched her eyes and rubbed them before falling on her bed. She expected to find her head on her pillow, but it gently rested on a strange figure's lap. The figure wrapped their arms around Tenten's neck, as she struggled to get up. She sat up on the other side of her bed, staring at the person who appeared in her room.

"Neji?" she whispered breathlessly. She reached a hand forward and he pulled her into a long embrace.

"Yes. It's me. I came to find you."

The warmth of his arms spread throughout Tenten's body and she started to sob. Tears streamed from her eyes like waterfalls as she hugged Neji tighter.

"Please, Neji. Neji..." she cried, pulling him close. "Neji... Neji, I forgive you... I forgive you, please... Don't leave me like that again... Please don't Neji, Neji..."

He smiled and she broke down on his chest. She sat up and impulsively kissed him. He was taken aback but swept his arms around her waist. He kissed her back, her tears wet on his lips and face.

They sobbed in each other's arms before Tenten opened her eyes.

"Neji?" she swung her head around, trying to find him, with no luck. She clutched her head and ripped at her hair. "Neji?" she wailed, "Neji!"

She screamed and shouted at the top of her lungs before collapsing on the floor, shuddering in pain. She tripped over as she walked to her shop. Weapons cluttered to the floor as she picked up a kunai knife. Tenten slit the palm of her hand and wrote on the only plain surface in her blood.

'I have gone to find Neji'

The blood dripped from her hand as scrunched her fist together. She stepped out of the shop, closing the door with her bloody fingers. The handle was stained with her pain as she found herself at the bathhouse.

She prodded a toe a the boiling water, before taking the knife and plunging it into her own back. The blood poured from her mouth as she recalled the memories she had shared with Neji. Then her heart faltered and her eyes widened as she slumped forwards into the water.

Her body bobbed up on the bubbling surface, head face down to hide her eyes which were still leaking tears.

***

She looked up. Neji.

She scrambled forwards, bursting into tears. "What have I done?" she sobbed. Neji leaned forwards.

"I've been waiting for you," he embraced her tightly. Her tears fell onto his shoulder as he whispered, "I never imagined you would take your life to be with me sooner. I would've waited a thousand years for you to join me."

She pulled her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his around her waist. They leaned closer and Tenten's trembling lip met with Neji's. Her body relaxed and Neji pulled her to her feet.

"Let's go now."

She nodded and they walked hand in hand towards the horizon.