When I was young, I'd made a...a beloved friend in kindergarten.

I was 6, and she was 5...

Yes, it was a she.

Her name was TenTen.

It all started when she first moved in; to Konoha. She'd originally lived the Grass Village, quite a large distance away, so it puzzled me greatly when our school teacher introduced her as a child from the Hidden Grass Village. On Konoha's radar, it didn't even register; it wasn't one of the '5 Great Nations', from what I'd heard back then, and later figured out to be true. But it was still a village nontheless. Rumor had it, they were in the middle of a large war with the stone village. And losing.

She was seeking refuge.

My heart went out to the girl, in a way that I thought I understood her pain. Of needing a shelter to find. I always needed one. Away from my home. I remember thinking and hating the Main Branch of the Hyuuga clan and my home since I was 3. I'd never quite gotten over the grudge fully. Habits aren't that easy to break, you know.

So I was sitting there, innocently playing with my toy blocks, stacking them in strategitcal formations to match the numbers so they all equal 10. A math game. I loved math. I always had a keen eye and sensitivity when it came to numbers, and was able to calculate distances and formulas within seconds. It was a gift, my father insisted. I was more than proud of it.

The girl stood shyly in front of the class, wearing her curly brown hair in small, almost bun-like pig-tails, with little pink beaded ribbons tying them around the top of her skull. Hmmm...it was odd to see curly-haired kunoichi in Konoha. Most of the girls had dead-straight hair, as most tradition was found here. Her hair almost reeled me in, by it's colour, the way it reminded me of chocolate, rich, rich, decadent chocolate. And how it seemed to have a nicer complexion...a 'poof!'. It had life in it. I wanted to burrow in her hair, and I prayed that if I ever saw her when she was older, it would be longer. Much, much, much longer.

Her eyes were about the same colour as her hair, maybe a bit darker. Innocent, beautiful, large brown eyes. My eyes were large on my face too when I was young. I thought we fit. I thought we were meant for each other. Her outfit was cute as well, I recall, her pink, chinese-style blouse matched with a blue skirt and the normal attire for future shinobi shoes on her small, feminine feet. She had a sense of fashion, and she was cute. I liked her. Alot. I thought it was love at first sight.

Problem is, I didn't know what love was.

I continued to play with my blocks, trying...to hide the fact that I was watching her. Watching her as she shyly looked around the room, standing right in front of me, before timidly lifting her head to realize I was staring right at her. I caught myself blushing, looking down at the floor quickly, pretending I'd dropped a block and began to look for it, noticing as the girl walked up to our teacher and whispered something in her ear, all the while, looking towards me and where I was playing. I tried not to look up, tried to resist the urge. I knew they were talking about me though. It was then, I really wished I'd learned how to use Byakugan. My father told me I was too young. I could really use it right now...

At last, I looked up.

...only to realize the girl was standing right in front of me, behind my fortress wall of blocks.

It quickly scattered into pieces on the carpet in front of me, and I stood up, attempting to look formal, professional, like how I should in front of Hinata-hime, and stared her straight in the eye...

"...I am Neji Hyuuga, of the Hyuuga clan...your from the Grass Village." I stated, almost ready to salute, I sounded so formal.

"...y-yes...I am...I'm...ehm, TenTen. My name is TenTen.", she whispered, bowing slightly, giggling suddenly once she returned back up to face me.

"...W-what's so funny?!", I demanded, trying not to sound too angry. I wasn't really all that annoyed, I was busy concentrating on the melodic sound of her laugh.

"...O-oh, n-nothing, it's just...y-you...y-you sounded so formal, and I-I, I just...it was funny!", she said, inbetween laughs, looking up at me, her brown eyes sparkling with happiness. It made me smile without me even realizing it, and I dismissed the thought quickly, standing their quietly, now me being the shy one, as she calmed herself.

The formalities were over.

"...The teacher said I could play with you.", she said suddenly.

"What?" I stuttered, looking up at her with wide eyes.

"...T-the...t-teacher said I could ...play with you. You seem so lonely here...all by yourself."

"...well, most people don't know how to play the game I'm playing." I said simply, hoping it didn't sound to harsh. This girl reminded me of Hinata somewhat; shy, simple, easily hurt. But there was something else about her, that was much...more significant that Hinata hime...much better, and prettier...

"Can you teach me? I want to learn!", she said, positioning herself next to me behind me fallen wall of math blocks.

I looked at her, studying her expression for a long time, before finally realizing...that she really was the first person to ever ask that. 'Can you teach me?'. Nobody in my whole kindergarten class wanted to learn my game; they knew it was too hard, not simplistic at all like they're 'dress-up' and 'play-house' games. Everyone in the class knew I was a child prodigy.

But TenTen was new.

She didnt' know anything.

Which was my open chance...at a new start.

With a new friend.

With my first friend.

So I taught her how to play.

And ever since that day, we've been best friends.

"I'm moving back to the Grass Village. The war's over and my mother wants to see her friends, but Neji, listen, you've got to-"

"To what?! Accept it?! I will, TenTen! I will! I don't want to talk about this now!", I yelled, sounding awfully mature for a 2nd grader...

We were both in the same 2nd grade class now. I knew, that pretty soon TenTen, would be leaving me.

I'd known it all along.

Because...all kunoichi, had to attend kunoichi school from 3rd grade all the way until 6th grade, and therefore, they'd be seperated from the boys. But by this time, I'd known where TenTen lived, where she loved to hang out, her favourite ramen shop in Konohagakure, I knew everything about her. At least, I thought I did.

Now, she claims she's moving back.

To her home village.

This will not do, I'd thought, it simply will not do.

"...Neji...", I heard her say behind me, grabbing my shoulder to turn me to face her. Her beautiful brown eyes were now brimming over the edge with tears. I gently slid my finger across her cheek, wiping away her sadness, hoping the fog would clear for us, hoping there was hope, that we'd stay together.

That we'd remember each other.

"...I have to leave...,", she began to say, the tears falling freely now. She was literally on the verge of sobbing, "...I can't stay! Neji! Please! I love you!", she exclaimed, before pulling me in to kiss her on the cheek. She backed away, after a long moment of puckering her lips against my skin, at last looking up into my eyes with a large blush on her face. I could tell my face was heated as well.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

That was all we'd said.

We hadn't talked at all for the next week that she stayed here. Packing. She said goodbye to her friends in class, her teacher, the people in the village.

But she never said goodbye to me.

We'd agreed not to leave each other.

We'd agreed not to forget.

It's been years since I've seen her.

I am now about to become a genin.

I've passed the exiting exam well off, and today is the day I am supposed to meet my jounin teacher. Everyone around me is thrilled,excited, exstatic, our graduating class is a-buzz with rumors and news about the jounin we're about to meet.

In the middle of all the chaotic talking ,Iruka sensei comes in with a clipboard in his hand, clearing throat (loudly) for a brief moment to grab our attention.

"Okay, today, as you know, is the day you are all officially genin!"

A large round of applause followed this sentence. I sat clapping weakly, while Rock Lee, next to me, was going nuts, clapping his hands so hard you'd think they'd be bleeding by now. He was a strong kid, that Lee, but still didn't have a clue...

"First, I'll put Hoshiro, Miyami, and Mie in room 10."

The three new-genin left the room, waving to their friends, blowing air kisses, and making quite a scene before leaving.

"Then, I'd like to send Omi, Umi, and Ami into room 7."

The first all-kunoichi team strode out, cheering and squealling along the way. One of them had had a crush on me during grade school. I'd turned her down. Several times. I waved goodbye to her before she left, just out of courtesy.

"Neji, and Rock Lee, you are going to meet an exchange student on the balcony. Your jounin leader will meet you there as well.", Iruka said in a serious tone. I'd perked up at the sound of an exchange student, and immediately, thought back to my first love...whom, in secret, I still had feelings for, all those years ago. Her image flashed through my head; pretty eyes, fair skin, soft, silky hair I'd been graced enough to touch. Truly a beautiful being.

'Could she be the exchange student coming to our team?', I asked myself, knowing if I got too excited, I might start smiling and then Lee would notice and go off on a fit about the "Springtime of Youth". Ughghg. I didn't want to jinx my luck; it could be here, I just hoped it was...

Lee and I got up and departed the room, Lee waving to his friends and past-crushes, blowing them classic air-kisses, before I literally had to drag him out of the room, pulling him down the hallway, towards the exit stairs, only then realizing I was in a rush. And knowing Lee would notice.

"Neji-kun, why're you in such a hurry?!", he asked, struggling to keep up behind me. Oh Snap!

"I...just...want to get this over with!", I said, now realizing I was such a failure when it came to lying. I'm sure even Lee, the honest-to-god Lee, is a better liar than I am.

"Oh...well...okay..", he replied uncertainly, before turning the corner, almost smacking his face into the wall, until we finally got out to the balcony.

There, standing by the seats surrounding the view of the balcony, was a tall man of about 6 feet of height, his hair in a shiny bob, sort of reminding me of Lee's black, sleek hair, a pair of...what appeared to be grostequely hideous green tights surrounded his body, orange legwarmers wrapped around his ankles, his shinobi sandals peeking out from underneath. His jounin vest blended in nicely with his...er...spandex, though, I'd have to say, a man in a leotard creeps me out. This was our sensei?!

I tried not to pay too much attention to the jounin though, Lee currently boggling him enough with a look on his face that said 'I've just met an angel!', rather, I directed my attention...to the gorgeous kunoichi sitting in the seat in front of our 'jounin-leader', her eyes a milky brown, just like I'd remembered, her hair now cleverly placed in two buns on either side of her head, her brown locks probably still long, considering she could lift them into buns like that. Her traditional chinese blouse was the same, as I'd later learned, TenTen was originally a chinese name. Lee is also chinese as well. Great, two people from China on our team.

At least I liked her though.

She didn't look much different. I didn't look much different.

It made us both very happy, I could tell.

The minute she saw me, a warm small spread across her face. I allowed myself to smile as well, getting lost in the moment, not even caring that the freaky-jounin and the equally freaky-Lee were watching. TenTen got up, and very slowly walked towards me, looking me up and down, and then...nodding...before engulfing me in a long, strong embrace.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too.", I said, taking in the familiar aroma of vanilla lavender from her shampoo. I could feel her body much stronger pressed up against mine, much more full, her breasts, her legs, her arms, her shoulders, her back. She was a young woman now.

A woman that I too, am in love with.

We'd met our jounin teacher, and acted as if nothing had happened. I could tell he noticed though, this teacher, Gai-sensei, wasn't to be taken lightly, no matter how stupid he looked. We later learned he was a taijutsu master, and one of the greatest known in Konoha. He was like a celebrity. In a way, this brightened my mood, but not nearly as much as seeing her did. p

We walked around, watching the sunset while Lee and Gai went for a walk in the opposite direction. I told her everything she needed to know about Lee, and in return, she told me why she moved back.

"I wanted to see you.", she'd said.

The nicest, happiest thing, anyone has ever said to me.

We held hands for the rest of the walk.