Konoha Academy's Dormitory (Nejiten)

Valentine

It took Tenten closed to 2 hours in the bathroom, Neji was imagining the worst case scenario~ she might have summoned a kunai from that scroll that she brings along everywhere with her and sliced up her wrist in agony, consumed by sadness that overpowered her mental health. That did it, Neji banged onto the bathroom door a couple of times.

"Takagi!" He barked, "You have been in there for almost 2 whole hours! You either come out by the count of 3 or I am breaking the damn door. 1..2..3..!" Neji yelled with no response coming from Tenten, who jyuuken the door into a million shreds.

The scene before him made him do two things, 1) shock beyond words, Tenten looked like a lifeless soul, her hair was crashing down against her shoulders, her pale face looked unfocused, dazed. She looked like she had given up on everything. That look scared Neji, it did not suit her. All bubbly and perky aura were gone. 2) He was slightly turned on, she was completely naked, however he was unable to see from her chest below, they were submerged within the bath tub filled water.

He sighed and sat at the edge of the bath tub without looking at her.

"I couldn't save him Hyuuga." Tenten's voice was shaky. "He looked so off, like he was about to go rogue just like my father did. Anko told me the story plenty of times. She and my mom were best friends. My mom told her that one fine day, my father had this one odd look on his face. He then told my Mother that he was confused and told her not to worry, that he will be back. But he never came back...Itachi-Senpai, said the same things towards me. I tried my best to get him to stay. I accompanied him, made him laugh. But it just was not good enough. He still left."

Neji clenched his fists intuitively, "So that's what this was all about." Neji cleared his throat and said, "He is not of any of your concern. He chose to leave. Why are you blaming yourself? You can't possibly change everyone's mind.."

"But I changed yours!" Tenten yelled out defensively, "You changed, you started to learn to forgive. You are nicer than you were before.. You are a better.. Person.."

Neji looked at Tenten thoughtfully, he did not realise that she had noticed. But truthfully, he had changed. He no longer hold any resentment towards the main branch. He wanted to be the difference in the side branch and make it known to others that the branch system was silly and that they should be embracing each other's ' difference instead of labelling them. He did change because of her.

"I did.." Neji confessed ".. but I am me. I am not Itachi. He might take things differently. I am unsure of what his course of action would be like, but, think of it this way, you have done your best. Show no resentment. He chose to go, not because of you."

Just like that, reality crept into Tenten's mind. The Hyuuga was right, as always. Tenten was looking at the back of Neji's head, he was still looking away from her, waiting for her response. She was certain that he did not activate his byakugan to respect her modesty.

"Perfect opportunity to get back at this jerk for calling me a burden." Tenten thought inwardly. She shifted her body in the bath tub slightly and yelled out loud.

Neji turned his entire body around to only be welcomed by an enormous wave of water that came crashing against him. He spat out the water and was now glaring at a hysterically amused Tenten who had used her arms to cover her upper body as half of the water were now gone.

"That's for calling me a burden. Now we are even." Tenten exclaimed wickedly as she laughed and flicked some more water towards Neji. He grabbed her hand instinctively and growled, "You are messing up my hair!"

Neji was still fuming when he noticed that Tenten had turned red, he wondered why until he realised that, in the midst of grabbing her hand she had only one hand left to cover her chest; and truth be told, it was not covering much. Before he could release his grip on her hand, a loud voice yelled through the doorway behind him.