Old Lovers; A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 7 (Tenten)

A/N: Are you guys getting bored of the drama yet? But rest assured, cute fluff is on the horizon...

Her room was a mess, Tenten thought, as she got up from her comfortable spot on the couch to answer the door. 'I really shouldn't let anyone in to see the hurricane that's my home...'
"Hello?"

Neji stood on the other side of the door, his face expressionless as always. Tenten noticed her mouth had fallen open a bit and closed it, stepping out into the hallway and hastily closing the door behind her. Not that it would do much good-he was a user of the Byakugan, after all. Neji could see the sorry state of her apartment any time he wished too, and would probably comment on it, the secret neat freak that he was.

"Are you not going to invite me inside?" inquired Neji, thin eyebrow raised. Tenten felt cheeks start to warm, looking down at her fingers as she fidgeted nervously.
"Actually-"

"Tenten!" Ino burst into the corridor with Sakura and Hinata in tow, her hair flying behind her as she skidded to a stop before Neji and Tenten. Outwardly, Tenten acted surprised, but secretly she was almost fainting with relief.

"Guys....what-"

"Oh, Neji's here too." Ino noticed, and Neji gave all three of them a nod. Hinata smiled at him weakly, and Neji's eyes seemed to narrow before he turned his attention back to Ino.

"What might be the matter of concern?..." Neji trailed off, looking at everyone. Ino pursed her lips, about to say something before Sakura butted in, shoving Ino behind her.
"Tenten, we have to talk." Sakura said, and Tenten jumped at the opportunity.
"Sorry, Neji, this seems really important. Unless there's something you wanted to tell me that you couldn't at training..?"
"No. Go ahead. I'll see you tomorrow." Neji said curtly, striding off before Tenten could even say bye. She bit down on her lip, worried that she'd said something wrong. Her stomach seemed to turn and flip, and Tenten felt vaguely sick as she let the other girls into her apartment.
Of course she was hurt by his harsh words from 2 weeks ago (had it really only been two weeks ago?), but she was...what? what was she hoping for? Tenten didn't really know, even as she started boiling water for some tea and set out some sweets.

"Tenten." intoned Sakura, her voice low. Starting, Tenten glanced around, only then noticing how down Hinata looked.

"What is it?"

Everyone sat in shock at Ino's news, and Tenten felt the hot press of tears rise up, stinging the bottom of her eyes. In denial, she curled up, leaning back into the soft armchair she was sitting on.
    "T-there's no way she would say that." murmured Tenten, half to herself. "Right, Ino? S-she must have been faking it." Scrambling up, Tenten sent a desperate glance at the blonde, who only turned away.
    "I-I....I have to go." Tenten said, paling. She burst out the door, not even bringing a jacket with her despite the fact that it was getting darker and cooler outside. 

    "Tenten!" Sakura called after her, but it was no use; she was long gone. She sat down heavily, her pink hair flying upwards before resting on her pale head once more. "It's just as I feared; she's taking the news the hardest," sighed Sakura. "Although that is to be expected, Tenten did idolize Tsunade-sama when she was younger after all. She still holds a lot of respect for Lady Tsunade, and the news must have crushed her."
    Ino nodded grimly. Turning, she started packing her clothes and things like her toothbrush that had been left at Tenten's before Sakura stopped her.
    "You're leaving?"
     "I see no reason to stay in a village that does not place any trust in me. I gave them so many chances, Sakura!" Tears were falling from Ino's eyes now, soaking through the shirt she was holding in her hand. "So many second chances, Sakura. Every time, I hoped they'd come back to their senses now, to go back to how it was." Ino collapsed onto Tenten's couch, now sobbing into the shirt in her hand. 

     "But it's not going to go back to the way it was, is it?" Ino lifted her red-rimmed blue eyes to Sakura's pale green ones, looking for the answer she knew wouldn't be there. Sakura merely held out her arms, and Ino collapsed into them, her tears nearly spent.
    "Oh, Ino. I think you're right. It's not going to go back to the way it was." Sakura sobbed, the held-back tears finally falling from the once-clear green eyes.

    "Then we leave." A quiet voice spoke, causing Sakura and Ino to whirl. Hinata stood there, looking drained and hollow. Her eyes had a new shadow cast over them, making them appear darker then they really were. "Are you two coming with me?" Hinata asked, her voice soft but cold. Sakura and Ino nodded, disentangling themselves before rushing to get their things.
    Hinata looked around before speaking, her face creased in puzzlement.
    "Where's Tenten?"

Earlier
     Tenten rushed down the stairs, bursting out into the cool evening air before taking a sharp right. She cried out as she fell back, her head crashing into something tall and warm.
     "Tenten. Are you alright?" Neji asked, pale eyes peering down at her. Blinking, she shifted her gaze from Neji to the pretty girl next to him. 

     She was ghostly pale, with jet black hair along with large white eyes that seemed almost pale blue. A pretty Hyuuga girl, it was then.
     "W-who's this, Neji?" Tenten asked, getting up and dusting herself off. 
     "You haven't heard yet?" The mystery girl said, holding out a hand. "It's very nice to meet you; I'm Takako; Neji's fiancèe."
     Tenten didn't remember much after that; it was a lot of standard 'welcome to the village' stuff, all the while her ears felt as if cymbals had been clapped over them. The world seemed weirdly silent, apart from a strange ringing in her ears. 'I'm in shock.' Tenten thought, numbly making her way back to the apartment. She opened the door to be greeted by a strange sight; her friends seemed to be packing the clothes and other things they had left at Tenten's house from sleepovers. 

     "What are you guys doing?" Tenten asked, closing the door behind her. The three of them turned to face her, grim determination written over all of their faces.
     "We've decided to not let ourselves be hurt anymore, Tenten." Sakura started, her face frighteningly blank. 

     "We decided we gave everyone enough chances for a lifetime." Ino continued, and hinata delivered the final word, her face shadowed over. 
   
    "We're leaving, Tenten. Will you join us?"