Show and Tell2: Neji's Return

Fourteen days had passed. The date was August 9. The eve before Neji’s return. The day had dragged on seemingly without end. Ten Ten was trying to remain calm she knew that sometimes missions were not completed by the scheduled return date. She also knew that the horrifying possibility of Neji not coming home at all could happen. Ten Ten tried to push such a horror from her mind. That night Ten Ten could hardly sleep. Although she knew she had to. After all, when Neji did come back he would have her awake all night. Ten Ten tossed and turned and thrashed most of the night. But she managed to sleep for a little while. Ten Ten awoke suddenly and looked at her clock beside her bed: 12:07 am…12:07, it was officially August 10; the day of the return.

Ten Ten immediately got out of bed and hurriedly put her clothes on. She wrote her mother a note, grabbed her blanket and quietly slipped out the front door. She didn’t care how long she would have to wait; she was going to the gates of Konoha to be there when Neji came up the road. The early pre dawn air was cool and slightly damp. Ten Ten wrapped the blanket around her as she walked through Konoha’s now deserted streets. She felt a little uneasy walking all by herself through the streets not knowing for certain who may be lurking in the shadows. Ten Ten picked up her pace slightly. The street lights burned dimly and didn’t provide much light as she walked farther away from her home. The silence around Ten Ten was deafening. The only sounds to be heard were the air conditioners humming that people had not bothered to turn up for the night. Ten Ten wondered why she brought her blanket on this August night, she knew she wouldn’t need it once the day broke; she definitely wouldn’t need it once she saw Neji. However, the midnight sky was cool and unforgiving. Finally she had arrived at the Konoha gates. They had been left open as they so often were. She gazed into the distance at the lush tree lined path before her. It was dark and she could only make out the edges of the path, but to her at that moment it appeared to be a never ending winding road.

Ten Ten could feel her heart pounding in her chest. It thumped so loudly and so violently Ten Ten felt as if it were going to explode. Ten Ten sat down on the bench before the gates and bundled herself up in her blanket. She had fallen asleep in a matter of minutes. It was fortunate that Ten Ten fell asleep so quickly because it helped ease her through the rest of that dreadful lonely night.

Ten Ten was awoken by the sound a birds chirping and warm rays of sunshine that tore through the clouds. She had no idea what time it was, she had no idea how long she had been asleep on the bench. Had Neji come and missed her? Had she missed him? Ten Ten threw her blanket aside and hurried back through the gates in order to find a clock. She had to know the time. People were out in the streets so she figured it had to be after 7 or 8:00. Ten Ten found a clock: 9:45. She figured the three man team had not yet returned. Ten Ten returned to the bench before the gates. She didn’t know how long she would have to wait and she didn’t care. She wanted Neji back with her. The morning crept on endlessly. She walked back to the clock: 10:30.

“Why can’t this day go any faster?” Ten Ten screamed in frustration to herself. It was a combination of worry, fear, anticipation…and raw sexual desire; and she knew that Neji would have the same desires as herself. The morning turned into 11:48…no sign of Neji, Shikamaru or Kiba. Ten Ten didn’t feel hungry, she didn’t have to go to the bathroom at all, she felt one thing: anxiety. Ten Ten knew if Neji appeared the anxiety would disappear. 12:09…no one…12:24…nothing…12:37 a breeze blew through the trees shifting Ten Ten’s attention towards the trees. It was nice that something pulled her focus away from the long dirt road. She watched the birds soar overhead and she sighed deeply. Ten Ten swallowed hard and focused her gaze back down the road. 1:00…no Neji…1:20 Ten Ten closed her eyes, hoping that mabe this was all just a very tense dream and that when she opened her eyes she would wake and Neji would be beside her on the bench. She opened her eyes…back to reality. Suddenly, Ten Ten heard footsteps coming up the path. She stood up from the bench, her heart beat faster and she began sweating. Ten Ten felt her breath becoming shallow with excitement. She grasped her hands together tightly.

“Good afternoon!” Ten Ten’s heart sank and the excitement dissolved. It was just an old merchant strolling into Konoha to deliver goods. However, Ten Ten thought that this merchant may be of use to her.

“Good afternoon sir. Hey, did you pass three ninjas with forehead protectors like this one on your way to town?” Ten Ten asked him showing the man her forehead protector. The merchant stopped and looked carefully at the Konoha leaf symbol.

“Hmmmm…no miss I haven’t seen three ninja wearing a forehead protector like that. I’m sorry I can’t be of service to you.” The merchant apologized. Ten Ten sat back on the bench.

“Well, thank you…have a good day, sir.” She bowed her head and stared into her lap. 2:12…no foot traffic down the path. Ten Ten finally began to feel the physical pain of not eating, she went to the closet shop to the gates and quickly purchased a rice ball, then headed back to the gates. She ate hungrily, but the food didn’t fill the true emptiness she felt. 3:01…no one. For a moment Ten Ten felt like she was going to cry. Her emotions were running a little wild, which wasn’t common for her. But she was starting to think the worst; that the three of them were dead or injured beyond being able to come back to Konoha. 4:27 Ten Ten was lying down on the bench running her finger through the tops of the blades of grass. She was lost in the same monotonous thoughts. She seemed a little disconnected from everything around her…because she didn’t hear Akamaru’s barking in the distance…

Finally, the sound of a barking dog registered with Ten Ten, she shot straight up. She was more relaxed this time because she didn’t want to get her hopes up that the dog was indeed Akamaru. But then she smiled like she had never smiled before, Akamaru came running up the path as quickly as his feet would carry him. He was still abrking.

“Akamaru! Akamaru!” Ten Ten called to him. He came to her tail wagging. She bent down to pet him, she knew Kiba had to be close behind. She was right…or at least she thought she was.

“Kiba! Kiba! Ki…” Ten Ten was calling out but stopped and looked down the path, Akamaru was still tangled in her feet. It wasn’t Kiba, in fact Kiba was no where around Akamaru, which was quite a surprise since the two were always together. Ten Ten became dreadfully nervous that something was wrong. But then, Ten Ten saw a figure down the path a distance before her and the identity was unmistakable. Ten Ten stood frozen for a moment completely unable to move. Her mouth trembled as it fell open slightly. It wasn’t Kiba…it was Neji…

“Neji! Neji!” Ten Ten finally managed to get her voice to work with her brain. She took off down the path to meet him. She got closer to him, his clothes were a mess and he was dirty. She didn’t care. His hair had lost it’s brilliant shine and appeared as if it hadn’t been washed in weeks (which it probably hadn’t) she didn’t care. Neji smiled and stopped moving forward.

“Ten Ten!” called back to her as loudly as he could. Ten Ten stopped, she was close enough now to gaze into his big, tired white eyes.

“Neji.” She said softly.

“I’m home, baby.” Neji said biting his lower lip, “I missed you…so much.” Ten Ten didn’t say anything. She took him into her arms tightly and he squeezed her back and time stood still. Neji had returned…