The Girl With Two Buns. A NejiTen Fanfic

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Dedicated to @BGauxSRI and @tenny10-10. Your comments are awesome, guys.

~ x ~

It has been two months since that time. Two months since Neji last saw Tenten and those two months were horrible. His engagement with Shion persisted much to his chagrin but what was in his mind was beyond all that. Neji worked towards regaining the strength he lost and spent time making plans for his getaway from the palace.

Leaving the palace was not as easy as it would seem. The first challenge he met was with Hinata compelling him to stay and dispatch soldiers to look for Tenten instead of further worsening his condition but Neji refused. He was able to make Hinata see from his point of view, and besides he didn't have much time to spend in the land of the living so he wanted to maximize the use of his time.

The second challenge was Hyuga Hiashi. Absconding from the palace only invited many soldiers on his tail and eventual house arrest so he had to settle that problem first. The only solution he came up with was to drop his title as the crown prince. Hiashi and the ministers of the land were not too pleased by his sudden announcement but Neji was serious. His point finally got across to Hiashi and the King stripped him off of his position as Prince. That was killing two stones at once.

Now he did not have to worry about palace guards chasing him and bandits attacking him on his journey because he was the prince. It took a month but Neji was finally ready to leave for the journey though he never knew where he was going. There was a destination in mind though, and that was in Tenten's arms.

Neji decided to drop by at Gai's workshop to pay Anko a visit and inform her of his plans so he took a detour. The familiar sound of metal hitting metal reached his ears as he approached the place. What would Anko say? What would Lee yell? Would they be angry at him for allowing Tenten a cruel fate? Neji swallowed all of his anxious questions and opened entered the workshop.

Immediately they set their eyes on him, Lee and Gai stopped what they were doing and gaped. It was understandable because he was dressed rather normally and had a bag of luggage in his hands. "Neji!" Lee was the first to break out of his trance and ran to him. Neji was engulfed in a brotherly hug for reasons he didn't understand but then he remembered that the king stripped him of his title as crown prince.

"Konichinwa, Lee." Neji greeted with a sincere smile on his face. Though Lee was over enthusiastic, loud and boisterous, he was a good friend to have.

"Neji. Are you leaving for a journey?" Gai asked, coming closer to him. Neji nodded his affirmation.

"I am going on a search for Tenten." He said. At Tenten's name, both men fell into profound silence until Lee whispered sorrowfully.

"We would have searched for her but Anko-san's condition suddenly got worse after Tenten was banished." He said in uncharacteristic softness. Anko was shocked and saddened by the news about Tenten's banishment that she fainted when the notice was posted on the walls of the village. She didn't wake up from her unconsciousness for a few weeks and when she did, her sickness only got worse so she was bedridden.

"I am sorry." Neji said solemnly. "I brought this on all of you, I am so sorry."

Gai shook his head and placed a firm yet comforting hand on Neji's shoulder. "Don't be sorry about fighting for love. The courage to continue pursuing your happiness is what makes you youthful." The older man comforted.

"Can I see Anko-san?" Neji asked and the green men nodded. They led him to a room where Anko was lying on a bed. She was indeed in a bad condition and on her death bed. It pained Neji that Tenten would not be there for her guardian when she takes her last breath. "Anko...san?" Neji called as he knelt beside the woman.