Konoha Academy's Dormitory (Nejiten)

Share my..Tent

Team Gai walked in silence as they approached the Konoha gates, Kotetsu and Izumo were already there, waiting for them to sign their names out. Tenten stole a quiet glance towards her roommate who had not said a single word to her since the revelation in the room. She recalled what had transpired a little while ago, after Hiashi had left their room.

"I understand what I have to do and I have made a promise to my uncle, but let's make this clear. You are NOT to transform in your female form in my presence regardless. I will call you by your male name. I don't care how or where you choose to shower, just ensure that it's not in my presence.." Neji started but was interrupted by Tenten.

"We will pretend you do not KNOW of my actual gender, okay? Just let everything turn back to how it was before. I don't need you to babysit me, I am fine. I have looked after myself well for a very long time. Let's go before Gai turns us both into his hiking partners." Tenten retorted angrily.

Tenten knew that Neji would take a while to warm up to the situation, but she was just glad that he was not being extra mean or worse, started to ignore her completely. She had nothing against him as a person, just that she felt he needed someone to shake him out of his isolation- he was unfortunate to endure it, one of life's most grueling experiences, but she felt that someone needed to reach up to him, show him another way of looking at things. He might not embrace it now, but she hoped that he eventually would. She did not even know why she cared SO MUCH for this jerk, but she felt responsible for him, she knew his true intentions. He wanted equality in his clan, he wanted to phase out the branch system, but he was going about the wrong way of doing it, his main strategy was-hatred, to spread hatred towards the other branch members. Building something out of hatred would never bring forth any positive results, just like Tenten's father. He harboured too much resentment against his own village instead of looking at all of the wonderful things that it had blessed him with. In short, she did not want Neji to turn into her father. She would try her best to stop anyone from walking down that path. The day she found out that her father walked out of their lives, she felt unwanted, hurt. Then her mother left her shortly, she felt the weight of the entire world upon her, she hated that feeling, loneliness, helplessness, sadness.

She would not want ANYONE to share the same experience as that. If Neji were to overrule the Hyuuga clan by using hatred as a medium, then he would be hurting others. She would not allow that, she would change his mindset at all cost.

"Okay Team Gai!" Neji and Tenten cringed a little when they were called as such.

"We will be sending an important document located in this scroll to a delegate at Sunagakure. The Hokage had specifically requested our team to do this Mission. I had my doubts of course but he said that he is mighty confident of your capabilities. Now let's go." Gai yelled over-enthusiastically as he marched towards the gleaming sun set.

"I feel so thrilled to know that the Hokage specifically requests us for this Mission! We can even skip school tomorrow due to the nature of the mission!" Lee cried out gleefully as he threw a punch in the air and joined Gai before they engaged themselves in a conversation that mostly revolved around training, competition and rivalry, maybe a little bit of good teeth whitening products. Things that the other two teammates had no interest in whatsoever.

After 8 hours of walking, they finally decided to rest for the day. It was an unfortunate rainy night, but they were blessed with Tenten's convenient stash of tents from her scrolls. She, however only had 2 tents, each tent could occupy two occupants.

"Would you want to bunk in with me, Teiji?! "Lee asked excitedly. "Although I must warn you, I am a crazy sleeper, I once woke up to find myself hugging Sasuke, he burned me with his fireball to wake me up.."