:Calm Days, Slightly Less:{Closed Hinata/Tenten}

[|:Angel.Of.Cruxis:|]

”Seth. Trust me.”
The huge wolf stared into Edward’s agonized eyes for one long second, and then he straightened up and flew into the trees, disappearing like a ghost.
Edward cradled me tightly against his chest, and then, we were also hurtling through the shadowy forest, taking a different path than the wold.
“Edward.” I fought to for-

The early autumn rain hit against the windows of the serene building, a small, almost non existent smirk crossing the young man’s face. A perfect chance for peace and quiet. And time away from his idiot roommate. Sasuke found the library to be one of the few places where he could actually relax, and not be so easily pissed off. One would expect that one could find serenity in their own dorm, but for the Uchiha, this was a completely different story. It was the exact opposite for him, actually.

His onyx eye’s scanned the page. A favorite of his, this book was. It was rare to find books that could take such a subject an actually bring out good literature. His head resting lightly on his hand, the book in his lap, Sasuke sighed quietly as he continued reading. Of course, no one knew he was reading this book. He could only imagine what his idiot for a roommate would say. You…do you have any trace of manhood left in you?!

Heh, fool. He’s lucky that he can read Cat in the Hat. Probably can’t get much farther than that. I swear, how did such an idiot graduate from high school? His smirk left his face as he pondered Naruto’s reaction. He would never understand that brat. The day he does would be the day pigs flew. Without aid. And lord knows the chances of that ever happening. Sasuke sank further back into the chair, the quiet air penetrating his mind, and his attention reverting back to his book. Hopefully he would finally finish it. He may be an A+ student.

But he wasn’t a fast reader.

[Hinata-chan]

Her hand pushed lightly on the door. Stepping inside, she pushed down her umbrella and put in among the other dripping umbrellas on the ground. Her silver eyes scanned the place, her timid gaze relaxing. Many books lined the walls and shelves, accompanied by a couple tables and a few chairs. Perfect.

The shy girl timidly took the next few steps inside the great oasis of fantasy and knowledge. The tips of her hair were gently glazed with water from the shower outside. Her feet carried water and, most likely, some mud as well. Wiping her feet on a mat, she made sure that she would not dirty the place. The carpets of pale beige and the walls of a green-tinted white were immaculate. The walls were patterned with dark green stripes and depicted golden leaves of ivy crawling up the wall as well.

Finally, she began to look at the vast selection of books. She ran her finger across the spine of each book, eagerly searching for a striking one. Finally, a book caught her pupil-free eyes. "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings." She felt the title being burned into her heart. What a touching choice of words! Hinata reached her index and middle fingers to the shelf. She used both of them to push the pages forward, tipping the book into her other hand.

She flicked past the acknowledgments, comments from critics, and copyright information. She placed her thumb where the starting page was to be, closing the book on that hand. The Hyuuga Heiress began to look for a seat in the library.

...Taken....Taken.....Taken.....Taken!

She had never seen so many filled seats. Finally, her all-seeing eyes caught grasp of a lone chair in a corner, in between a shelf, a small desk light on a small table, and a open area, where she could peer to see the other library-goers.

Sitting in the chair, she gently sank into the rouge cushion.

"What are you looking at me for?
I didn't come to stay . . ."

Hinata Hyuuga became submerged into the book within these twelve, simple words.

[|-Tsuki-|]

The rain fell gently to the ground in the early Autumn season. On the not-so barren streets of Tokyo, a 'splash' of running footsteps could be heard from almost any length away. Though not many people were on the sidewalks, many cars zoomed by on the streets, kicking up puddles of filthy water. One hooded figure managed to dodge these kick-ups- the same figure who's silhouette weaved it's way though the streets.

The same figure who ran up the steps to the local Library. The door quickly opened and she walked through the door way. Gently, she closed the door behind her so that no one would be disturbed on her account. Dipping her head a little, the woman slowly pulled down her hood-as if it were some sort of dramatic effect-to show a brunette, brown eyed college student.

In her arms, she cradled a damp book who's spine title read "Weapons of Feudal Era." Making her way to the front desk, Tenten smiled apologetically to the librarian; who in returned, narrowed her eyes. "Uh, I'm returning this book." she stated, sliding across the counter. With a curt nod, the older woman grabbed the book and turned away as if disgusted by the water logged pages.

Taking her time to scan the room around her, Tenten decided that she would stay a little longer so that she wouldn't have to go back into the rain right away. With the rain on her mind, Tenten ran her fingers through her brown hair, sighing. Drops glided off her finger tips and onto the carpet when she retracted her hand. Glancing around she thought: What to do, what to do...

Tenten crossed along the aisles, taking her time. She was in no rush. None of the books so far had caught her eye. When she turned the corner, she saw another girl looking around her age, pulling a book from the shelf. Tenten smiled in a friendly way as she past and almost did a double take. She looked so familiar...

Blinking it away, the girl continued down the row of books and slid one out. The cover was black with a single, glistening Katana on the cover. Scanning the back, she nodded in satisfaction and went on her way to find an open seat.

But it seemed as if they were all taken. A slight frown crossed her face as she finally spied an open seat. It was next to the window, giving off a small amount of natural light. The only residing there was a black haired boy who seemed to be wrapped up in a book of his own. Tenten couldn't help but tilted her head to the side. Why did he look familiar as well?

Shaking her head, she continued to the open seat, sat down, and opened the book without a word.

---

Status: Finished
Character played: Tenten
Comments: Sorry it took so long. >.> I kinda went on rambling about stupid stuff.

[|:Angel.Of.Cruxis:|]

The rain continued, though never hard. Sasuke could hear it as each individual drop hit the glass. Had he not been reading, he could have counted them. Early autumn weather. It rained often, but never much. In the beginning of the season, the storms were never storms, but still never drizzles. It was wet enough to form puddles, and for any sane human being to use an umbrella. His elbow happened to be resting slightly on his own as he was reading, face still in one hand, the other lazily flipping the pages. Favorite book or not, he was nearing the end up it. And for him, what was the point of reading the book over? There was no need when you had almost memorized much of it. His idle gaze shifted from the book upwards. The library, still quiet as ever, minus the faint coughing, probably of an old man, somewhere deeper into the building. Sasuke breathed in lightly, and out with almost no sound.

He had always enjoyed time at the library, even as a child. The sheer number of books to be read, the diversity among them, and the peace and quiet of the whole building drew him in, and he’s been a regular visitor since, to the extent where many of the librarians knew his name well. He closed the book slowly, as to not make a sound, and his now free right hand brushed down his hair. A slight feeling of boredom ran through him. The book was over. Sure, now he’d have to wait for yet another sequel. But it was, to some extent, satisfying. He had nothing better to read, nothing better to suit his mood at the moment. Yes, even Uchiha Sasuke had moods. Different from most, as they barely showed, but he was only human. These feelings obviously existed. Now, it was up to him how well they would be ignored. Feelings only got in the way most, if not all, the time.

Pitch black eye’s continued watching the left side of the building, even though there was nothing of true interest. More upon more shelves of books. Truly was what a library was all about right? Books, books, and more books. Many called it a place of knowledge, others a place where boredom reigned supreme. For Sasuke, it was more or less an escape from school. And his roommate.

The young man turned in his own chair, farther to the left, until his dark, emotionless eyes could see into the wet outside world, through nothing but a single window. As rain continued to pour, in his own idleness, Sasuke began to count the drops as they hit the glass, before turning into a drop and falling to the window sill. One, two, three... His attention diverting again, him seeing no point in continuing the pointless activity he started. There were puddles forming on the crowded sidewalk, more people walking out onto the street as the day drag on. Not caring to look to the clock, or to his own watch, Sasuke guessed it was probably a little after noon. He had arrived there early morning, maybe around 8 or 9 am. When he had arrived, the streets were as silent and empty as the library itself was now. Or as he himself was.

Hmph. Should I grab a bite to eat? A rhetorical question, as he himself had no intention of answering, already too comfortable in the red chair he sat in. The red texture of it matched his pure black t-shirt, and even the cover of the novel. Only thing that seemed to stand out here was his own white pants, and even those seemed to fit in their own strange way, with nothing gothic about them.

His mind continuously idle, the raven haired teenager turned his head back to it’s original positon, farther to the right out nothing but curiousity. As his eye’s fell on the brunette next to him, his face contorted slightly, and he turned away, careful not to draw attention to himself. He recognized the girl almost perfectly. Her dark brown hair was even tied up the same way. All that was missing was the black kimono.

And the tears that he had caused.

[Hinata-chan]

l OOC- I guess I'll have to be the first to interact with others! XD l

She reached deep within her pocket, pulling out a strand of cut ribbon. Her silverish optics scanned the poetic pages of her book. She softly turned her shimmering eyes from the smooth words of the poet to the baby's breath-colored strand of material that she had just pulled out of her pocket. She couldn't help but smile. The young Hyuuga had already reached the sixth chapter of the poem, disguised as a book.

Gently smoothing out the ribbon, she placed it on the page. It wasn't dampened, for it had been safely hidden in the dry oasis of her pocket. Still, it was cool to the touch, and velvety from it's creation. She neatly closed the book, making as little noise as possible. Her eyes shut for a moment or so. She repeated the words within her mind. Letting out a timid sigh, she re-opened her eyes. Neatly, she stood up. She dusted off the legs of her pants, and continued on.

She was now in pursuit of a check-out counter. She needed to find one to take this marvel back to her dorm. Tonight, she was to meet her roommate. Her cheeks were dusted with a rouge paint as she thought of it. She hoped she wouldn't come off as too much of a klutz or too weird. She wanted to be accepted as a normal, talented person--just like she wanted to be seen by her family. There was one other she wanted to impress...She hadn't laid eyes on him in so long, yet remembered him in detail. Blonde hair, shimmering blue eyes that peered into your soul, making you happy. The whisker-like markings on his cheeks, the bright smile and catchphrase, 'Dattebayo.' Her cheeks, just as easily as they had cleared. filled with more of a pink dust than before. "Naruto-kun..." she muttered, softly. She wondered if he remembered her. Probably not... The thought of her being thrown out of his mind with not a care drew a slight tear to Hinata's silvery, pupil-less eye. She would just burst out in tears, if not for the fact that he was only a pleasant memory... But the fact that he was like a dream or a fairy tale now also made her saddened. She shook her head, trying to forget the day they met... She couldn't! She just couldn't put him aside in her mind! She had...really liked him since she had first laid eyes on him. Of course she couldn't forget! Of course it hurt! Of course.... Of course...

Rubbing a single tear out of her eye, she opened her book to the page marked by a ribbon--page 34. Maybe THAT would cheer her up some.

'He puffed out his cheeks until they looked like wet brown stones, and wobbled his head from side to side. Only he and I knew it, but that was old Reverend Thomas to a tree.'

The words made her feel a bit comforted. She looked ahead of herself, but it was too late. Those few seconds her head had been in that book was too many. She fell into their lap--whomever that was in that red velvet chair. Hinata had always been klutzy, but it was still embarrassing. Her pale eyes looked upward to the person she had fallen on top of.

First, she noticed a window. Then, she saw a girl with rich brown hair tied tightly into two buns, and a boy with ebony black hair, sitting beside her. Both faces filled her with a familiarity. She didn't care! She had just fallen on top of the girl, probably drawing attention to the man sitting next to her, peering at the girl through the corner of his eye. What an idiot she must have looked like.

She watched as her book had flown from her hands, which had stricken the other side of the chair, being Hinata had totally collapsed onto the girl. Her stomach and head across her lap, her feet just above the ground on the part of the chair she had fallen into. Her book made an aerial flip right past the sullen-looking boy, and right to the floor. Her ribbon, however, had fallen between the two chairs. There, it had landed, after sifting through her fingers, as if it were made of sand.

Her face bleached white when she had fallen, but now was a bright shade of red. She quickly stood up, trying not to disturb the girl or boy. Once she had found her feet, and put them on the ground. Not too long after she had gotten up from the girl, she had fallen backwards on her heels. Thankful for the carpeted floor, she made it to her knees. She bowed to the girl. "I-I'm very sorry, uh.." she was trying to recall her name. She failed at recalling it. She remembered the girl's interest in weapons, though. They had hardly talked anyway.

Kneeling. On the floor. Blushing like there was no tomorrow. Hinata couldn't have looked stupider if she had tried. She felt like running home, curling up under the blanket. Instead, she tried to view where her book had fallen. Failing to recall, she sighed, not getting up from her bow quite yet. She knew it was polite to bow until the person you were bowing to said you could rise. That was just common courtesy in her family. She knew that if she would have gotten up now, and it were her father, she would have received a shameful shake of the head and a couple of scornful words.

She wondered to herself--if this familiar girl and Sas...wait...Sasuke! That was the boy! That was Sasuke! He was...his...old friend. They had been best friends...HAD been... Hinata blushed a bit more, swallowing hard. *Naruto-kun...* she thought his name to herself one more, swallowing her tears back.

l OOC- Woot! My longest post evah!

1013 words, thank you! Feel free to feel lucky that you were in this historic post. XD l

[|-Tsuki-|]

Soft brown eyes looked at the printed words on the pages but did not take in any of their meaning. She just simply scanned if you will. The book certainly did look interesting, seeing as how it was a collection of short stories of Samurai and Ninja. TenTen thought that the scenes of fighting would had gained her interest by now-with all of the descriptions it should have-but she just couldn't get into the book.

Was it the constant tapping pattern of rain on the glass? No, she thought. This wasn't the first rainy day in Tokyo. Was it the silence besides? No, not that either. Even if TenTen preferred to listen to music or chatter while she did school work, she had learned to deal with growing silences long ago. What was she to expect otherwise on days of testing?

What about the light breathing all around her? I guess I can't say it's silent then, she quickly corrected herself. But no. It wasn't the breaths of air that every human was taking in the room. Just, something odd was occupying her mind.

After re-reading a paragraph for the fourth time, it dawned on TenTen. Faces of her high school friends, acquaintances, and even some of her bitterest of enemies in High school and Jr. High years quickly ran through her head. What was bugging her so much was that she couldn't figure out who that girl was.

She looked so much (well, sort of) like one of TenTen's best friends back in the day. Hyuuga Neji. Neji; the calm, cool, and collected of the group, who was also very popular with girls of every grade. Then there was also Rock Lee, who was almost the exact polar opposite of Neji; loud, cheerful, and optimistic.

A look of sadness and confusion crossed TentTen's face. Why hadn't she kept in touch with them? Them and her other friends? Had she become so wrapped up in her studies, as well as her new friends-the ones that had gone to her new school at the time-that she forgot her old ones? How rude, jerk-ish, and just plain mean! She thought, being slightly angry at herself.

But back to the girl she had seen moments ago. There must had been some sort of relation between her and Neji. They're eyes were the same shade of pale, white-lavender.

And it wasn't just her familiar being that was annoying TenTen. The boy in the chair besides hers; he was just as familiar. Just as perplexing.

Oh, but TenTen couldn't deny how good looking he was. The brunette was about as far away from girly as she could be and she had never been in any serious relationship before. But that didn't mean she couldn't have the right to call someone cute; no matter how less-than-often it happened. This man though, was one of those exceptions.

This is frustrating, she though with a small sigh. TenTen couldn't help but glance up only to see the boy looking away from her. She blinked rapidly. Was he just...? She shook her head at herself and dropped her head back down to her book. He couldn't had been looking at her.

Then again, was it possible she was familiar to him as well?

TenTen shut the book, the pages making a quiet slap as the pages came together. She, being the strait forward girl she was, was going to go ask him. What was the worst that could happen? Him saying that he had never seen her in his life?

Just as she was about to get out of her chair though, something forced TenTen back into her red velvet chair. "Oof!" Her book had clattered to the ground besides her. "What in the..." She quickly looked downwards.

The same girl, whom she suspected to be a Hyuuga of some sort, lay sprawled out in her lap. She looked pale for a moment, before a fever-like blush spread across her face. When TenTen went to speak, the girl quickly jumped back onto her feet, then fell to her knees in a bow. TenTen immediately stood up as well, slightly baffled by the act of respect. It wasn't like either of them had gotten hurt. Or so she hoped.

"No, no! It's fine really!" She said smiling as if it were really nothing and waving her hands back and fourth. TenTen dropped to her knees as well, looking oddly worried. "Are you alright though?"

Ah, how she wished she were better at names now.

The brown-eyed girl quickly glanced around, wondering if they had caused a ruckus. Her eyes lingered slightly longer on the raven-haired boy but she tore her gaze away and turned back to the girl in front of her.

---

Words: 824
Character played: TenTen
Comments: Poor Hina-chan! xD: *hugs* I wonder what will happen next though. =o

[|:Angel.Of.Cruxis:|]

The stillness around him. For hours, it was the only thing he had noticed. The only thing, besides the words on the pages of his book. But now, other things were crossing his complex mind. Yes, it was complex. The boy could be thinking of 12 different things, all at once, and not lose track of any of it. Did his face show any of his thoughts, though? A look at him and you wouldn't know that he was not only thinking of the book, his pervious times at the library, and what to have for lunch. But also, memories. Memories he wished didn't come back. The ones he that never occurred to him he had, but once fresh in his mind, he wished he never knew.

The brunette. The exact girl sitting next to him. He was sure of it. Older, she looked, of course. But it was the same girl. At least, he was sure it was. Of course, as far as he knew, he could just be mistaking her for a different lady. A different girl, not the one of his memories. Brown hair was a dominant gene, same with brown eye's. The hair in buns could easily just be a fashion style of the day, even though he was sure it had gone out of style so long ago. Maybe it was one of those returning styles? Right now, he didn't know, nor did he care. He never paid attention to fashion in the first place. He never did, and never will. No, what was on his mind was the girl next to him.

Her name, it layed just out of his reach, brain just couldn't grasp it. Don't think about it too much. It could just be a different person. Just forget it, and act like you never remembered. But like many things in life. This was easier said than done. His pitch black eye's flashing with annoyance of this memory he couldn't solve. Perplexing. Mysterious. Whatever you chose to call it, it was driving Sasuke partially crazy. Never
fully crazy, he would never lose himself to something this trivial. Or was it trivial? In truth...this could have been...if he was remembering correctly, the closest thing to a friend he had ever got. Something he shattered within a matter of seconds, within a few words. No, what wasn't bothering him was the memory.

It was the thought that he would be so annoyed at the thought of him doing such a thing. He turned down many girls before, this was nothing new to him. He often crushed them completely with simple
words. The thing, however, that bothered him the most was that he didn't care then. Now, this memory...why was it any different? Why did he even care now? He never cared before. If you stood in his way, he would simply dismiss you. Ignore you. Care less about you. But...why was this different?

Why?

His brow scrunched together in a look that even someone with no social skills, no experience with people, could tell that it was getting closer and closer to pissing him off. A pissed Sasuke was never a thing to be around. Naruto got full blunt of it, he had been one of the few that brought Sasuke to that point. The point of punching his own roommate . A rare occasion, as any physical scraps between them had always started on Naruto's side. Hot-headed fool... His head twitched slightly. A look. He was tempted just to look at the girl again, just to
see if she matched the one in his memory. Even if this memory was of when he was younger.

But, just as his face turned, a small "Oof" caught his attention, and his face, annoyed expression still on it, turned not to the brunette, but to the now fallen girl. He recognized the young woman immediatly as she stood. His pale eye's and hair gave it away all too easily. Hyuuga Hinata, of the Hyuuga family. His memory wasn't to be underestimated. He could remember most people, granted they
were relevant. Knowing this girl was. Daughter of one of the leader of the most well known family in Tokyo. He knew all about the Hyuuga family, and this girl was no expection. Resting his book from
his lap onto the arm of the chair beside him, he looked to the Hyuuga, his facial expression, now only hinting at a very slight annoyance. Covering up emotions was one of his best talents. Or...was it one his worst curse?

"It's alright...don't worry about it." There. No more words needed to be said. He only hope she didn't take offense in his seeming lack of care. Sasuke never spoke more words than he had too. He had never been one for pleasant conversation. Conversation was never pleasant with him to begin with.

[Hinata-chan]

She was dismissed by both of them--Sasuke and TenTen. That was her name! Tenten! She smiled slightly, finally realizing that her memory was sharp enough to remember the two of them. The brunette was a year older than her. She knew her, for she had been good friends with her cousin, Neji. Her, Neji, and that other boy...Lee. Rock Lee. That was the optimistic boy who had a love of Sakura... She nearly let out a saddened sob at the thought of her, for Lee was not the only one that had loved the pink-haired girl. Once again, the thoughts of the blond ran through her mind as the blush ran through her cheeks. She just sighed lightly, standing up immediately.

She decided to point out the fact that she thought she knew both of them. She was glad to finally see some of them after all those years. She smiled to both of them saying softly and sweetly, "K-Konichiwa. D-Do you happen to be T-TenTen-chan and Sasuke-kun?" She blushed deeply as she asked these questions. What if they had totally put Hinata Hyuuga gladly out of their minds, and into some heap of garbage that all those forgotten names and personalities went. Being from such a clan as the Hyuuga, Hinata was required to remember nearly everyone she met.

She went to the other side of the boy she thought to be Sasuke's chair. She reached down timidly, picking up her book. She also grabbed the ribbon with her name embroidered in it. She looked at it. In fancy letters it had "Hyuuga Hinata" written upon it. The white lettering contrasted sweetly with the deep purple ribbon. She flickered past the pages, making it back to where she had left off. She placed the bookmark smoothly in between the pages, and closed the book, so that the only thing seen was the part of the ribbon with her name on it.

She looked at the librarian, who had let out a loud, 'Shuush!" The young Hyuuga just blushed a bit, her usual defense against the embarrassing world, and bowed softly, once again, dropping her book, causing the librarian to roll her sullen green eyes. She frowned, out of pity for the woman. Her sad eyes told Hinata that she had lived through a lot.

She bowed again, whispering, "I-I'm sorry..." to the librarian. Unlike a deep bow on one's knees, she was aloud to dismiss herself from a quick, standing bow. She picked up her book, reaching down once more. The ribbon was still marking her page, which was a good sign. Smiling, she looked back over at Sasuke and Tenten--if it was indeed them.

She began to wonder if one of them had seen Naruto. Maybe they did! Would that make her happy or sad? She wasn't sure. She just swallowed hard. Finally closing her eyes, she asked in a soft tone, "H-have either of you seen a-anyone from Konoha High? L-Like Naruto o-or Kiba?" she let out a sigh as she finished talking. That question was too long for her taste. She didn't want to be too direct about Naruto-kun, so she mentioned Kiba as well. Kiba had been one of her best friends, after all. She was a bit curious as to how he was doing. She wished to ask him, once again, if she had changed.

Her golden-plated Hyuuga mind let out a sigh from over-use. She had remembered those two names and her perfect manners. Heaving a sigh, she began to tap her fingers together, shyly. For years, that had been Hinata's habit. The Hyuuga Heiress knew it was a terrible habit for society, but she couldn't' help it. A habit was a habit, and this one was extremely hard to break for one reason or another.

Her eyes scanned the room once more. The rain still banged it's wetness upon the windowpane. She didn't like the rain too much, for it would make her wet, and dampen her spirits in it's spare time. But, of course, she had found a sliver lining: plants wouldn't live and prosper as well if not for the rain, so it was saving the life of those plants. As her lavender-tinted eyes scanned the room, she saw many others reading. She didn't know a lot of them that she saw. Then, a thought struck her mind like a shovel striking gold--Maybe, if Sasuke-kun went here, maybe Naruto-kun went there too! She just tried to contain her excitement as she waited for their response to her former question.

[|-Tsuki-|]

The suddenness of it all was slightly head spinning. Her thoughts, that had gotten her so wrapped up before, were now flooding around again. Why at this completely random and uncalled moment in time, confused her even more. Why was she thinking of that again? And at the same time, she tried kept poise and calm to the outside world.

Oh! She knew! The name finally popped into her head. Hyuuga Hinata was the girl in front of her. Hinata, that shy, timid girl (erm, young woman now, seeing as how she was only a year younger than TenTen herself). The same girl that had a painfully obvious crush on this loud mouth class clown in high school named Naruto. Ha, but oddly enough, TenTen had gotten to know the prankster well too. He was a good kid, once you got past the constant flow of annoying words exiting his mouth.

Silent laughter shook her shoulders in a not very noticeable way as Hinata stood up and more pink-ish color came to her cheeks. TenTen stood up after. It appeared as if nothing had changed with the Hyuuga heirs. She was still the quiet, sheepish girl that she was years ago.

Ah, but then again, TenTen was also the same. Nothing had changed about her since her last day at Konoha High School; not much anyway. She was older and more matured in looks, as was most girls by now. She was 20, still young and energetic. And as usual, she was still the only one not afraid to get down in the dirt without hesitation (though a sigh of complaint may escape her mouth while doing so). She seriously wanted to smack some of the people of the female race for being so...idiotic.

Just like always.

The tap of the rain mixed in with a voice in front of her snapped her thoughts back. More specifically her name called her back to reality. The name to follow gave her a most refreshing slap in the face. TenTen repeated it in her head at least four times before she in took a sharp breath and whirled around on her heel to face the black haired boy who stood a few feet behind her.

At first, it was utter shock plastered on her face as she let her lips part, like she was going to try and say something. On a second thought, she closed her mouth and tried to clear her head.

Sasuke? Uchiha Sasuke?

No. Effing. Way. Why had she been so stupid not to remember that name before? Such a stupid mistake! So, so stupid! That one word ran through her head over and over and over. Sasuke was one of her only interests in High School, even if he was also a year younger. How in the hell did she forget him of all people? If she wasn't in a public place, she would had slapped herself.

The pure shock on her face quickly resolved into a grin. A friendly grin that showed no trace of regret at all. "Sasuke? Wow, I can't believe it..." She shook her head, still smiling. "Good to see you again."

She turned back to the girl who was coming out of a frazzled bow to the seemingly grouchy librarian. TenTen gave a small roll of the eyes at that. Were all librarians crabby? Quickly, her smile returned. "You must be Hinata-chan!" She said. "It's nice to meet up with you again too."

TenTen quieted herself for the next question, but grimaced with a shrug. "No, I haven't. Sorry" She explained as she bent down to pick up her book. "I haven't kept in touch with anyone really. A shame on my part." Sitting back down, she continued. "I don't suppose either of you have kept in touch with anyone either?" Her voice sounded a bit hopeful as she looked between Sasuke and Hinata. "I'd be great to find Neji and Lee and Naruto and everyone else after all these years." In reality, it was only three years-not like, 50-but still. She missed her old friends.

---

Words: 695

[|:Angel.Of.Cruxis:|]

Of course. It was the same girl. The one of four years ago. It was rare for Sasuke to forget a name, important or not. His memory was well above average, and yet, he forgot this girl so quickly. Almost as if...he was trying to forget. As Tenten turned to him with a smile, Sasuke had no idea what to say or do. Was he supposed to smile back? Why was she smiling at him in the first place? Didn't he turn her down? Wasn't she supposed to hate him or something? Sasuke never understood how relationships worked. Probably part the reason he never got into them. That, and the girls that always asked him were idiotic. All of them...except Tenten. The one he had actually gotten close to liking. No...just forget about it. Resume your life as if you didn't remember. Sasuke looked back to the brunette after she spoke, only to keep his face straight as ever, almost to point where it looked like he was holding back an emotion.

"Hn...likewise..." He turned his still emotionless face to the Hyuuga, responding to her question as well. "The baka?" Her crush. It was still as obvious as ever. A small smirk of amusement crossed his face. Four years, and she still felt the same way about him? Sasuke wouldn't have been surprised if Naruto forgot all about her. Neither of them had really kept in touch with their high school friends. Only one they saw regularly was Rock Lee, as he also shared a dorm with them. Sasuke was constantly surrounded by the two goof balls. Oh how I love my life...right... Sasuke shrugged at Hinata, the smirk leaving his face almost as quickly as it came. In truth, he cared less about Naruto right now. He wasn't the thing most important on his mind. But he did know where the blonde idiot was. Might as well send Hinata to him. "He came with me here, but I sort of ditched him. I bet if you look around, you'll-"

"WHADDAYA MEAN I'M TOO LOUD?!"

The young man's brow twitched with annoyance, his sentence cut in half thanks to the abnormally loud yell that filled the room. Idiot...does he have any sense of volume? Or any sense at all? Sasuke turned to the direction of the serenity destroying noise. Of course. His worst fears were confirmed. There stood the blonde idiot, apparently arguing with a much shorter librarian. Typical. Did he have to do this everytime they came here?

Whatever they were verbally fighting over, apparently, it had just ended, the blonde crossing his arms, a look of annoyance mixed with stubborness plastered on his face. Sasuke turned away and back to the girls. But not quick enough, as the blonde boy had spotted Sasuke before Sasuke had spotted him. Naruto rushed forwards to them, waving stupidly. He hated being seen in public when the teen was acting outrageously stupid. He just hated it. Calmly, Sasuke sat down onto the velvet red chair, one hand massaging his forehead, picking his book up. Naruto slowed to a stop, standing before Sasuke, his face expressing the fact that he wasn't happy. Probably for some stupid reason."God, Sasuke, I've been looking all over for you! When are we leaving, huh?" The spikey blonde tapped his foot impatiently, glaring at the emotionless young man. The Uchiha chose not to return the look. It would only provoke him further. As if Sasuke wanted that. The raven haired boy simply jerked his head left and right, pointing out the two girls standing next to them. It's rude to ignore... Hn. Now that was a hypocritical statement.

Naruto's light blue eyes looked over his right shoulder, and his face quickly changed from annoyance to a friendlier smile. The two girls. He recognized them almost immediately. It wasn't hard for him, one of them had been in his class back in high school. And he had always caught her watching him. "Hinata-chan! And...um....what's your name again?" Oh, good way to forget the name Naruto... The smile turned into a sheepish grin, him rubbing the back of his head nervously. Well, how was he supposed to remember the girl? It's not like he knew Tenten well or anything...wait..that's her name! Tenten!

"Wait! Your Tenten!" The smile quickly returned, Naruto pointing to her dramatically, he was almost proud of himself.

Baka...

[Hinata-chan]

"You must be Hinata-chan! It's nice to meet up with you again too."

TenTen's warm smile just gave the girl a feeling of hope. It was nice to be remembered. She wondered if anyone else remembered? I mean, if Sasuke AND TenTen remembered her when she barely even talked to her, there was definitely a chance.

A chance at being alive in the mind of all those she once knew and cared for.

Then, all of her hope sank. Tenten had reminded her of reality--no one had seen anyone--including Naruto-kun. She let out a sigh of disappointment. "M-Me neither," she said, hoping to disguise the origin of the question, and also answering TenTen's question if she'd seen anyone. "Well, except Neji." Obvious. He was her cousin, after all. Maybe TenTen would be happy to hear that Neji was in the conversation? There was, at least, a chance of chasing her away from what she was really thinking about. What she was really thinking about--the fact that it had been over two years and she still loved him...even though...he had probably... She nearly needed to gasp for breath as the unpleasant feeling came back to her soul, gripping at her throat.

"The Baka?"

Her eyes turned to Sasuke, gleaming attentively. The Baka! That was him! Sasuke had seen him! She felt like jumping up and down or giving the Uchiha boy a hug, but she was much to shy to do either.

"He came with me here, but I sort of ditched him. I bet if you look around, you'll-"

There was hope shimmering all around her. She might see Naruto-kun again! Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but...but...--

Just as Sasuke had been interrupted, so had her thoughts.

"WHADDAYA MEAN I'M TOO LOUD?!"

She froze. Only one person could possibly have the nerve to yell that loud in a library. Her eyes widened, watching him approach. Blonde hair, blue eyes, loud yell that was probably heard outside the library, odd whisker-like scars upon his face! It was...it was....him!

She could hardly hear the idle chit-chat and arguing between him and Sasuke. Her heart was pounding too loudly. *I-It's him! After all those years! Oh my gosh! I'm not ready for this!* Her thoughts paraded through her mind. Sasuke soon jerked his head toward her and TenTen. This was the true test as to if she'd been in his mind or not. Those ravishing blue eyes looked towards her. *This is it!* She thought, her face starting to blush.

"Hinata-chan!..."

She didn't even listen to what else he was saying. He said her name! He smiled and said her name! Correctly! With the '-chan' suffix! She was afraid of being demoted to just '-san' or to no suffix at all!

"N-Naruto-kun..." she sputtered, her face turning redder than she could remember.

The lights faded, her eyes titled upwards, the room began to move. She felt herself fall to the floor. She had fainted, once again.

[|-Tsuki-|]

TenTen continued to smile lazily as she looked from the shy girl to the man besides her. It had been such a long time, but it felt good to be with old friends. How long had it been? Three or four years at least, she decided. It seemed as if everyone from Konoha high was coming back into town for college; which was absolutely fine with the brunette.

The older woman quickly perked up when Hinata answered. "Really?" She sat up in her chair and leaned forward, posing herself so that her chin rested in her palm, and her elbow was propped up by her knee. She looked very curiously towards the Hyuuga Heiress. "He's doing well then?" It wasn't that she didn't want to see any of her other friends, but seeing Neji and Lee would be a treat. They had been her best friends since the day she started to hang out with them, and she, without a doubt, missed them terribly.

Her chocolate brown eyes gazed back towards Sasuke when he spoke. She listened silently, and was slightly surprised at his answer. So he had kept in touch with some people obviously.

A loud, screaming voice made TenTen jump right out of her skin-and chair. She stood looking alarmed in the direction the voice came. What the hell? She thought in utter confusion.

Rather quickly though, her confusion was resolved into a total "duh" moment. Who else would yell like that in a quiet place to study? Only one person actually came to mind...

TenTen laughed quietly and leaned back against the chair, but didn't sit again as she watched the blonde and raven haired boys go at it (erm, sorta).

Blinking a few times when the conversation was suddenly turned to Hinata and herself, TenTen smiled and nodded, trying to refrain from laughing again. "Nice to see you too, Naruto." She said.

When a trailed off soft voice came from besides her, TenTen only had enough time to turn her head and instinctively grab the falling girl's shoulders so it would hurt less as she (both of them really) 'thumped' to the floor. She looked to the boys, then back to the girl in yet again, more confusion. Out of lack of a better thought, TenTen grabbed her book and began to fan Hinata while shaking her gently and calling her name; hoping to attempt to get her to wake from unconsciousnesses.

---

Words: 472
Character: TenTen
Status: Finished
Comments: D: Soooooo sorry! I feel so bad for the lateness/shortness >.<

[|:Angel.Of.Cruxis:|]

Inwardly, in the safe and private confines of his mind, Sasuke was planning Naruto's untimely demise. Even without opening his eyes and looking around, he was sure many people were staring at the small scene. He knew if he wasn't part of it, he would be doing the same. I have no safe place in this world from this guy... He laid back, trying his best not to care at what was happening in front of him, because, as far as he would like anyone to know, he didn't know the blonde standing infront of him. He simply closed his eye's tighter, trying harder to block the surrounding world as he heard a soft thump on the ground infront of him. I don't care, I don't care, I don't care... But staying true to the nature of humans, curiousity got the best of his and he forced one eye open.

Hinata, apparently washed over with embarrassment, fainted when Naruto actually addressed her by her name, and the only thing that soften her fall was the brunette woman catching her as they both fell. And this all started...with him...how annoying... Naruto went down to their side, his already obnoxious voice (obnoxious to Sasuke, anyways) filling the room.

"Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan?! Wake up!" The blonde either didn't care how loud he was, or he simply was losing his hearing. Man, why'd she do that? Is she sick? Should we call a doctor?! Hmm...I wonder what ramen I should have for lunch... His random thoughts consumed the inner mechinisms of his mind as he tried harder to wake the girl.

Why does she always faint on me, huh?
________________________________________________________

Words: Not even gonna bother, it's that short >.>
Comments: *Performs ritual to attempt to revive muse for next time* Dx

[Hinata-chan]

Blackness. Darkness. She felt nothing.

How many times must one person faint before realizing that it was no big deal to talk to someone you like? In Hinata's case--the times to faint were numerous. She could hardly remember the times that she actually stayed conscious the entire time she was with Naruto. She could only recall during projects when he joined her with Kiba and/or Shino. That was pretty sad; even she knew that. It was even shameful when she thought about it.

The voice of a girl was calling her name; no doubt, it was Tenten. Of course, there was no positives--she still had her eyes closed.

"Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan?! Wake up!"
No doubt that voice belonged to Naruto-kun.

Finally, she was regaining consciousness.

She felt a breeze and a feeling that she was being shook. Now, slits of light entered through her now sensitive optics. She began to gain a fuzzy picture that soon focused into the depiction of Tenten and Naruto hovering over her; both of them were trying to wake her up. It was quite embarrassing. She smiled, however, happy that people cared enough about her to want to help. Still, the embarrassed feeling wouldn't leave her.

"A-Ano..." she managed to sputter out--reassuring herself, along with the people around her, that she was now gaining conscious control. She put one hand on her head as a sharp headache rushed her. She hated the feeling she would always get after passing out.

She blushed lightly. Very thankful to Tenten and Naruto, she managed to sit on her own. "A-Arigato, Naruto-kun. Arigato, Tenten-chan," she managed to say. Her vision was still slightly blurry, but still, she was glad to be awake once more.

She looked down to the ground. *How do I always manage to embarrass myself in front of Naruto-kun...?* she thought with a hopeless stare to the carpet under her.

---

_{OOC: I am very very very sorry for making you wait this long for this very very very suckish post. >> I send many apologies, and the hope that my muse soon returns.}

[|-Tsuki-|]

Her eyes darted frantically, though she remained outwardly calm. TenTen kept up the fanning, (hopefully the book would suffice in this case) as well as calling Hinata's name. It wasn't like she had great experience with people passing out on her, but at least TenTen knew what to do for the moment. If the Hyuuga girl didn't wake up...well, that'd be a very different outlook.

The brunette winced slightly as Naruto's loud voice called Hinata's name; man he was loud. Her memory of him, though recalled that he talked a lot, didn't quite remember the volume he had used when he spoke. It didn't interrupt TenTen's hopefully helpful gesture, but did make her think that her memory must be somehow muffled.

A sigh of relief flooded her lips when she saw Hinata beginning to come to. TenTen set the book down and called one more time, "Alright Hinata, stay with us now." She didn't look at Naruto, but shoved him back from Hinata a bit, (well, it wasn't hard enough to be a shove really. But it wasn't the most gentlest of pushes either). She too, leaned back from Hinata while she lay, slowly coming back into conscientiousness. "Give her some air," She commanded.

Quickly as she sat up, TenTen put a guiding hand out for Hinata to make sure she wouldn't fall back. She gave a meaningful look to Naruto, silently telling him to not talk as loud as he as been; it was apparent that the heiress's head was hurting by the way she held it. "No problem," she answered. "You're going to be alright, right? Do you need some Ibeprophan or something? She glanced around the immediate area, giving a look to anyone who stopped to check out what had happened, before her eyes landed on Sasuke who was comfortably reclining; not bothering to help out at all. TenTen grinned, looking back to Hinata. "Here, Sasuke and I will go get you some water. Surely their must be a vending machine or something around."

With that, she stood and swiftly made her way over to the oddly relaxed Sasuke. "Up an' at em', Uchiha. She said, looking quite innocent for a woman intentionally trying to get someone off their lazy behind and do something for a girl that just fainted for the last minute, (at least a minute that is,).

---

Character: TenTen
Status: Finished
Music: Mini Moni - Crazy About You
Words:432
Comments:

-'Tis no problem Hinata-chan.
-Hehe, though it is short, I liked how this post turned out.