Neji's POV:

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Neji's dream
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I fell to the ground and pain flared through my body once more.

"Get up, Hyūga." A gruff voice ordered.

I grunted and stood up the best I could with my hands tied behind my back.

An enemy who had been walking behind me pushed me, silently telling me to start walking. I obeyed and started shuffling in the direction they pointed me in.

Where is she? Where is Tenten?

As we walked I thought about her. Her chocolate brown eyes. Her beautiful hair. Her strange love for weapons and fighting.

My thoughts were interrupted by the group coming to a stop.

Looking around, my pales eyes widened to see we were at some sort of clearing in the woods. Noticing the cruel looks on the enemies faces, I scowled.

Just what were they planning to do?

"Hyūga."

I turned my head to look at the one who had addressed me. He gestured to a large tree placed along the clearing.

"Climb it. Until we tell you to stop." He ordered.

"You can not order me around, you peasant." I sneered at him.

I let out a painful groan as one of the men holding my hands behind my back kneed my spine. Looking back up to the one who had commanded me, I glared at him. This only caused him to give me a smug look and gesture to the tree again.

I bit my bottom lip to prevent any other side remark from coming out. Instead I closed my eyes, took a deep breath. And opened them again.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked. "I know you are going to kill me. So why not just get it over with?"

I heard snickering around me, only furthering my confusion.

"I'm surprised the great Hyūga prince hasn't figured that out already." The one who I guessed was the leader, retorted.

"We want your personal guard." He told me.

A shiver ran down my spine. They want Tenten. Why did they want Tenten? What were they going to do to her if they get her?

"My personal guard?" I asked, ignoring the beads of sweat forming on my forehead. "Why would you want her?"

They couldn't know she was-

"Don't act stupid, Hyuga." The leader growled at me. "You know exactly why we want her. I mean, why wouldn't we want one of the best assassin's in the land?"

I didn't answer. He knew. They knew. Tenten. They knew she was the-

"That's right, prince. We know she's The Weapon Mistress. The legendary assassin of the Hyūga kingdom." He said, a disgusting smirk forming on his ugly face.

"We also know," He continued, "that you happen to have feelings for her."

What? That's impossible. The only person he told was his cousin, Hinata. And she wouldn't tell a soul. Unless... unless his life was threatened. But that's impossible. Could it be that- they got his kingdom too?

"Your probably wondering how we know." The leader said, as if he was reading my mind. "Your lovely cousin Hinata told us just before we killed her. And her little boyfriend too." He told me, looking rather bored.

"What a shame too." He said. "She was quite beautiful."

Anger flared through my body at his words. I was right. They also killed Prince Naruto of the Uzumaki kingdom. They could've also killed Prince Sasuke. And taken down the Uchiha Kingdom with him.

A low growl erupted from my throat.

The leader started to casually walk around the tree he ordered me to climb, as if he was sizing it up.

"We know you'll want to say your goodbyes to her before you die. Maybe confess your feelings to her?" He suggested before shrugging. "I don't know what you prince's do."

He then turned to me. "But. This is the only chance we are giving you. As we speak my men are chasing her through the forest to this spot. She will yell for you. And you will yell back. Or we will shoot you without a second thought."

Goosebumps littered my skin. This was my only chance before death to tell her how I felt.

"Think of it as a last request before you die." He told me. "Now climb, Hyūga."

I hesitantly obeyed and climbed the tree. Higher and higher.

After what seemed like a eternity they told me to stop. Climbing onto a thick branch I steadied myself and looked down to the group of enemies below me.

"Good!" The leader yelled up to me. "Now. Say your goodbyes. And don't blow your cover. This is your only chance."

I nodded and watched them disperse into the thick cover of the forest. I took deep breaths and tried to calm myself. They were watching me as I waited up here.

They would be watching as I confessed to her. Told her how much she meant to me. I tried not to think about it to much.

It wasn't long until I heard a yell from a very familiar voice.

"Neji-sama!" I heard Tenten's voice yell from the North. I took a deep breath and cupped my hands around my mouth.

"Tenten!" I yelled back.

I waited for a moment listening. I heard faint footsteps and relief ran through me.

"Tenten!" I yelled again.

I schooled my features into my usual professional expression as she appeared in the middle of the clearing. I fought the urge to tell her to run and instead started waving my arms in the air until she noticed me.

She took in the sight of me for a split second before approaching the tree. "Hold on, Neji-sama!"

I watched her climb the tree in record time. When she arrived on the branch I was on, the group of enemies that was chasing Tenten appeared below us.

I saw her tense up and freeze. She silently turned to me and placed a finger on her lips, telling me to keep quiet. I nodded my head and she turned her attention back to the enemy.

I watched as her eyebrows burrowed in concentration. Her eyes darted around our surroundings. After a second she shook her head and scowled for reasons I didn't know. But she still looked beautiful.

I looked down to the group and watched as they played out their little plan.

"Where'd she go?" One of them asked.

"I don't know." Another shook his head. "But she's the prince's personal guard. She's our best chance of finding him and ending this monarchy."

I noticed Tenten's expression become protective and watched in surprise as she plastered her arm across my chest and gently pushed me against the tree. I felt stable and realized she had subconsciously done it to make sure I didn't fall.

They nodded and murmured their agreements.

I wanted to sarcastically applaud them on their performance. But knowing that would just get me killed without getting a chance to tell Tenten, was enough motivation not to.

"Lets go." One said. "We can't let her get too far ahead."

"Hai!" The rest said in unison before they all ran off into the forest.

I watched Tenten visibly relax and let out a small sigh after they left. But she never retracted her arm.

"Tenten." I said quietly, in my usual monotone voice.

She turned to me. "Yes, Neji-sam-" She stopped when she realized the position of her arm. Quickly, she retracted her arm. "Gomen, Neji-sama. I didn't want you to fall."

I fought the warmth crawling up my neck and nodded to her. Tell her it was fine.

She then stood up on the thick branch below us and started looking around. I noticed her glance at me as I did the same. Steadying myself against the trunk of the tree, I caught a glimpse of a enemy warrior. He tapped his wrist as if there was a watch there.

I was running out of time I had to do this now. I took a deep, silent breath and got ready for what was coming next.

"Tenten." I forced myself to say again.

She turned to face me. "Yes Neji-sama?"

Ugh! Just do it already!

She gave me a concerned look. "Is something wro-"

I then cut her off by cupping her cheeks and pulling her into me. I kissed her and took pleasure in knowing I had probably taken her first kiss.

I slowly moved my hands from her face and to her waist where I pulled her even closer to me, deepening the kiss. Slowly she kissed back, wrapping her arms around my neck as she did so.

Her lips were soft and warm. I wanted to stand there like that and kiss her all day. But then I remembered. This was my only chance. And I only got some of it done.

I hesitantly pulled away, and opened my eyes. Tenten slowly opened her beautiful brown orbs to meet my pale ones. I rest my forehead on hers and took in large breathes.

"Tenten." I whispered. I was shocked hearing my own voice hold so much emotion.

"Y-yes, Neji-sama?" She whispered in reply.

I held back my smirk.

I made her stutter.

I stared into her eyes and took in every emotion there was.

"I know you love fighting and protecting people." I told her. "But how would you like to be the one being protected?"

For a second I could no longer feel Tenten's breath on my face. She froze, it was like she forgot how to breath.

I somewhat expected this reaction from her. It was so sudden. I was asking her to marry me and become the queen.

Well, that would be the case if I wasn't scheduled to die today. I felt a small pang in my heart knowing that even if she said yes now. We would never truly be wed.

I focused my eyes back on Tenten as soon as I felt her breath on my face again.

"N-Neji-sama." She barely seemed to be able to say that one word.

"Well?" I held back the urge to cringe at how eager I sounded to know her answer.

I watched as a small smile formed on her face and she pulled away from me and started frantically nodding. Then she pulled me into another hug, before pulling away again.

A warm feeling exploded in my chest. She said yes.

She said yes.

She said yes!

"Tenten, I-" Pain suddenly flared threw my side, cutting off my sentence.

I glanced down to see a long arrow sticking out of me. I looked to Tenten only to see a horrified look on her face.

My legs started to give out, but she caught me before I fell. Slowly she sunk to her knees, and so did I. Gently, she leaned me up against the tree trunk. My vision started getting blurry and my ears started to ring.

I noticed Tenten slowly start to reach for her medic bag on her waist. It took all my strength to move my hand and place on top of hers.

"Dont," I told her with a weak voice.

She looked back to me with tear filled eyes. "B-but Neji-sama-"

It won't work, Tenten." I was barely able to tell her that before coughing up blood.

The red liquid dripped into my lap after traveling down my chin. I watched as Tenten's tears finally fell and streamed down her cheeks.

She has to say it... before I die...

"I need to-" My throat burned as I coughed up more blood. "I need to h-hear you say it, Tenten."

"N-Neji-sama. Don't talk. Y-you'll make it wor-"

"Tenten please." I begged.

She looked down, before slowly crawling onto my lap and cupping my cheeks with both hands.

"No." She told me.

No?

But I thought before. She-

"No, I can't stop protecting you and fighting for you. Even after I become your wife." She continued.

A small smile pulled at my lips upon hearing this. Happiness the only feeling left.

"I would never stop fighting for you Neji-sama. N-never." She concluded before breaking into sobs.

My heart started to ache at the sight of her crying. It was my fault. And yet, I was happy the enemy gave me this chance.

I leaned into one of her hands as she cupped my cheek. She gingerly leaned in closer to me a gave me one last kiss. As she pulled away I said my last words.

"Thank you... Ten... ten.."

I felt my life drain away, as I was slowly pulled into the after life.

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End of Dream
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I shot straight up in bed, taking in large panicked breaths. Beads of sweat rolled down my temple as I looked down to my side, feeling for a wound.

Nothing. It was just a dream.

Eventually my breathing, along with my heartbeat, slowed.

There was only one thought in my mind after I had calmed down.

What. Was. That.

Why was I royalty? Why was Tenten some sort of warrior? Why had I died?

The last question than ran through my head struck me almost as badly as the arrow from my dream.

Why had I asked her to marry me?