Naruto Tales: The Next Uchiha | SasuSaku, NaruHina, InoShikaTema, NejiTen +

Season Եաօ: VAMPIRES

Knock knock knock.

Neji counted the remaining seconds. One. Two. Thre--

Lady Higurashi answered, wearing a chinese-like cotton dress, her blonde hair scooped in a low ponytail. She perked up at the sight of seeing her daughter's best friend. "Neji," she grinned. "Here to see TenTen? She didn't mention you were going to stop by, but I could still cook you some for lunch."

"Actually I only came here to say good bye." He said politely.

There was a flick of fake innocence in her voice "Oh, o-of course." The woman smiled then she let him in.

If he were to be true to himself, Ayako Higurashi bore no similar affinity with her daughter. She was a small woman for her age while TenTen was at her 5'5, and there was not even a single record of her biological father. He wondered for a second if they were even that intimate, or that she'd grown attached to her over the years. Because if they were that inseperable, TenTen wouldn't dare to physically abandon her own adoptive parent. Alone, and it saddens him that he may be the corporal reason for her departure. After all, Ayako had been good to him. For both of them.

"Something tells me you're not packing for our honeymoon."

TenTen didn't turn to look at him, instead she keeps on stuffing a bunch of apparel into her duffel bag. He'd caught sight of the picture of Team Gai, but she already buried it deep into her draperies. "I'm leaving Konoha."

"And this is what I get after you intended on seducing me yesterday. You could've atleast left me a note within this morning."

She flushed and breathed heavily. "It was a mistake, Neji. We shouldn't have gone that far."

"But it happened." For a short time he seemed sad. "You can't just walk away from me, angel. Not after everything we've been through."

TenTen zipped her bags. "Stop calling me that, please. I've lost my dignity, my honor, and I have to redeem myself. The moment I walked into your uncle's door I knew this would happen, and I think it's time for us to move on and start a new. You have to understand."

"You do realize that you leaving wouldn't solve anything, right? I mean, especially now that Naruto and the others are on the way to the Kage's Summit. Hinata will be free from Hiashi's horrible penalty." He was already bluffing, as he stood meters away from the ned where in TenTen had already settled her belongings. "For how long? A month? A week? It's not about us. It's about the people we love. It's not just we needed time to think of our future and everything. It's just that when we're together, someone else get hurt. And I can't live like that."

"I'll escort you to the train station."

"If you do that, then I'm going to spend the whole trip thinking about your hand next to mine and even though I'll try, I won't be able to stop myself from taking it. Or from letting you kiss me. And we're never going to get to where we need to go, we'll just end up back here, where we started. That's why I need you to let me go."

Dead silence. Those words the he'd thought would bring tears in his eyes, but no. Just ease and comfort, as if he'd caught himself thinking something had been dismantled from within him, a disease, stress, or oppression; It was something else...

And he walked towards her.

Placed his hands around her face.

"Neji..."

And kissed her forehead. "Travel safe."

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10.12.13, Sat

BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY NARUTO<3 (10.10)