Neji checked her pulse and hesitantly pressed his head up against her chest. 'SHE'S DYING,' the voice cackled.

Neji forced himself to ignore the voice, knowing that it wasn't true. His nose suddenly caught a horrid scent coming from Tenten's breath.

It reeked and caused him to tilt his head back.

The scent also warned him of danger.

'Danger from what,' he thought. It was right then and there that it hit him; Tenten had eaten the fish from the river.

Neji panicked and checked her forehead and pulse. She was already sweating.

Added to the fact that she had barely eaten in the past two days, she had also worried about Neji too much for her health.

He had eaten the fish once before, and it had disastrous consequences later on. He had gotten a fever for almost three days, not to mention he had poisoned his system and almost caused a lung to collapse.

But Tenten's situation was worse, and if he didn't get her to a doctor on time, she wouldn't see the light of day.

Neji placed his forehead on hers, quickly trying to decide on what to do. He still couldn't see. He was so close to being fully healed however, but he couldn't risk letting her stay in the condition she was in for fifteen minutes.

With a grunt, Neji stood up with Tenten in his arms, struggling to even start walking with such a weight in his arms.

Eventually, Neji could walk properly and tried to run.

Several times he almost tripped and fell; about five when he almost dropped Tenten. He was running out of breath too easily, and all he could count on were his hearing and smell.

Tenten was so limp in his arms; it felt like he was carrying a dead body.

'YOU'VE KILLED HER. YOU SHOULD'VE LEFT HER IN THE CARE OF HER ACTUAL FRIENDS.'

Neji grit his teeth and did his best to ignore the voice for his and Tenten's sake.

However, the more the voice talked, the more Neji was convinced it was his fault. And maybe, just maybe, it was.

'YOU'RE THE ONE WHO BROUGHT HER THERE. NO OTHER CLOTHES, NO FOOD, NO WATER. SHE'LL DIE BECAUSE OF YOU NOW.'

Neji blinked away tears and held Tenten tighter; his legs moving faster than his mind. At that point, he didn't even worry about which way he was going; he simply worried about if he'd make it or not. If she'd make it or not.

'I've hurt her so much,' he thought, his breathing quickening, 'I've hurt her in every way. I don't deserve her. I don't deserve Tenten. But Kami, I beg of you. Just don't take her away! I'd rather be apart from her than letting her die!'

Neji was sprinting as he usually would on a mission, which cut the time to get to the gates in half. When he smelled the scents of others, he almost cried.

They were so close!

In his hastiness, he tripped over a log and fell, turning so his back would hit the ground. They landed with a "THUMP!" and Tenten fell out of his arms.

Fearing the worst, Neji quickly and painfully got up and checked her, only to find that she had no gashes or bruises.

Lifting her up once more, Neji started to run only to find his ankle was in pain. Serious pain. Neji grunted and did his best to run, but it was a fruitless task.

Neji held onto Tenten and limped as much as he could; the scents getting closer and closer. Neji listened to her heartbeat and found it faint.

In a moment of panic and despair, he yelled out, "Someone help me!! Please!! Help!!" Not thirty seconds later, Neji felt himself being surrounded.

Hostile or not, he didn't care.

"Neji Hyuga," a shinobi demanded, "put the girl down!!"

Neji did so, laying her on her back gently and pleading, "She's poisoned. Please, someone take her to the hospital!"

"Don't worry; I'll take her," a voice said. Neji realized it was Might Guy and almost started crying. Guy stepped forward and rubbed his forehead before lifting Tenten up.

Already knowing he couldn't interfere; Guy stepped back quietly before taking Tenten off to the hospital.

Moments later, a blow came in contact with the back of Neji's neck, rendering him unconscious.

~~

Somewhere deep below Lady Tsunade's office, Neji woke up to pain from head to toe, as if he had just finished a difficult mission.

He found he could slightly open his eyes and did so, finding that he was chained to a chair and surrounded by others. He blinked momentarily but said nothing.

A door suddenly opened, and Neji tilted his head to see someone tall walk in. He felt a slight shudder as he saw the light blonde hair wave around, knowing very well who had walked in. She looked down at him, caught between being angry, pitiful, and knowing.

"Neji," Tsunade said in a surprisingly soft tone, "I had hoped you would've come back under better conditions. I expect you to answer every question I ask you, am I understood?"

Neji nodded slightly, worrying about Tenten's well-being but keeping his mouth shut until otherwise.

He knew how Tsunade could be.

"First off," she said, "Why did you kidnap Tenten?"

Neji found Tsunade's usage of words a bit dramatic, even if he technically did.

"I kidnapped her to speak to her in private about what's happening," he replied flatly.

Tsunade waited only a moment to move on to the next question. "Did you tell her everything?"

"Yes," he replied, "everything pertaining to me, Yoru, and what I'm becoming."

Tsunade frowned slightly before saying, "Did you bite her?"

Neji tensed up at the question and didn't want to answer, but he knew Tsunade didn't take silence as an answer.

He said guiltily, "Yes, I did, but only because she offered her arm to me. In actuality, she kind of shoved her arm in my face."

Neji made a face, remembering how Tenten's blood tasted.

It's not that it was a bad taste; he loved her scent.

It was just the fact that it was blood in general.

Tsunade shook her head and asked, "Will that have any effect on her, other than dizziness?" Neji sighed wearily and replied, "I do not know..."

Tsunade shook her head and said, "Tenten is currently IV'd and doing better than she was. You were smart to bring her back when you did."

Neji nodded and went quiet for a moment before saying quietly, "I can't protect her from my mother... From myself. She thinks she can look out for me and her, but I think I know my mother enough to know that neither of us are... And neither are our teammates."

Tsunade sighed and said, "Yoru has been a thorn in our sides for a good while now. But she will be caught, Neji. I assure you. But for now... You can't be trusted. You're uncontrollable and could hurt someone. For now, we have to detain you. I'm sorry, but that's how it is."

Neji nodded, already knowing that the result of him coming back would be being restrained.

Tsunade turned to walk out and said, "We'll be keeping a close eye on your family and team, especially Hinata, since Yoru tried to target her." Neji said, "Thank you... Tell Tenten I'm sorry."

"Tell her that once this all blows over," she replied, walking out and closing the door behind her.

Neji sighed and got comfortable, knowing he would be sitting there for a while.

He desperately wanted to go see if Tenten was truly alright, but he knew that Lady Tsunade was doing the right thing. He closed his eyes and focused on ignoring the voice in the back of his head that continued to say,

'SHE'LL GET TENTEN, IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. SHE CAN SMELL HER.'

'Tenten is safe,' he thought, 'Both her and Hinata. Yoru cannot reach them now.'

Although he thought this, he had a sinking feeling that maybe; just maybe, Yoru might try anything at that point.

Whatever Tsunade and the rest were planning on doing, Neji could only hope that they would hurry, before it was too late.

~~

Tenten's eyes slowly opened and accustomed themselves to the light surrounding her.

At first, she thought that she was still in Neji's secret little paradise. But once she heard Hinata's soft gasp, she realized she was back in the village.

Tenten sat up suddenly and pondered if everything was just a dream; if she ever woke up to an injured Neji in the woods.

Hinata cried out, "I'm so glad you're alright!"

She grabbed her in a hug, sniffling and hugging Tenten suddenly. She winced but didn't pull away from Hinata's grip, Tenten glanced up and saw Lee on the other side of the bed; Kiba, Sakura, and Ino were standing at the foot. Lee visibly brightened up and said, "Tenten, you're alright!!"

Everyone relaxed to her awakening.

Everyone, but her.

Tenten said, "Where... Where am I? What happened; where's Neji?"

Tenten could feel Hinata tense up at the mention of Neji, and she slowly let go of her. Tenten turned to look at Hinata, studying her face before frowning in disbelief.

"Did they lock him up?!"

Kiba sighed and said, "Yes, they did. But they had no choice."

Tenten's head snapped towards Kiba in disbelief and partial anger. Kiba responded with his own anger and snapped, "If he hadn't taken you in the first place, you wouldn't be in the hospital because of freaking fish poisoning!! You would've died!"

Tenten stayed quiet and bit her lower lip.

Kiba sighed and calmed down, saying, "It's not your fault, Tenten. I want to believe it's not Neji's fault either, but he should've never taken you in the first place."

Tenten blinked away tears that were forming, wishing her had control over her own emotions. She found herself thinking that somehow, in whatever way, it was her fault that Neji was locked up.

Lee placed his hand on top of Tenten's forehead and said, "Don't worry about it, Tenten! Neji and you are safe now; there's no way Yoru can make it to either of you."

Tenten shook her head and said, "It doesn't matter; it still won't stop the change! It still won't stop him from dying, Lee!"

Lee's smile faded as he asked, "Tenten... What are you talking about? Yoru can't harm him anymore."

Tenten shook her head and said, "Don't any of you get it? He's turning into a vampire!!"

The room went silent. Tenten got strange looks but did not care, already knowing she was right.

Hinata looked down and Tenten glanced at her, saying, "You knew this, didn't you? You knew he was one and still kept the truth from me." Hinata bit her lower lip and said nothing, and Tenten sighed and said, "Well this is great. Neji's on the edge of turning and dying, my own comrades think I'm crazy, and Neji's cousin won't even back me up."

She pouted slightly, pulling her legs to her chest as her head rested on her knees.

Kiba looked at Hinata and asked, "Is this true? Is Neji really a monster? A vampire?"

"Those things don't exist," Sakura chimed in, "right? They shouldn't exist."

Hinata shook her head and barely whispered, "It's true... Neji's changing... And dying... And the only thing we had to stop the change is gone... Taken by Yoru herself..."

Tenten started crying silently, knowing this to be true.

Nothing could stop his change.

Neji would continue to lust for blood, and there wasn't anything anyone could do about it. Her hand reached and caressed where he bit her. A hand suddenly covered hers, and she slowly looked up to find Tsunade standing before her; her hand tightening its grip on Tenten's.

"T-Tsunade-Sama," Sakura exclaimed softly.

Tenten looked directly in the eyes of her admirer, but couldn't will herself to say anything.

Tsunade sighed and asked, "Are you able to talk and move around?" Tenten nodded and Tsunade smiled slightly.

"Good," she continued, "Because I need you to listen carefully to what I'm about to say."

~~

Everyone's eyes widened to Tsunade's news. It was a prayer answered!

Tenten could barely sit still as Tsunade relayed the message, unable to believe yet somehow able to since the words came from lady Tsunade.

When Tsunade finished, she cleared her throat and said, "I need you all aware that if Yoru finds out, she may try to stop you. I need you all in your teams, and Sakura will assist with Tenten and Lee. You all need to be wary of turning your heads because what I am asking of you is dangerous. Anyone who wishes to back out now is allowed to do so."

Shino, Choji, and Shikamaru, who had walked in after being called for, merely listened.

Hinata fiddled with her fingers before saying, "If it helps Neji-san, I'll help out."

Lee nodded and said, "With the Power of Youth on our side, I'm sure we'll find what we're looking for!!"

Kiba huffed and rolled his eyes before saying, "I don't see why I should back down because of a scary vampire."

Ino and Sakura didn't even need to say anything, as the looks on their faces told everyone that they were determined to assist in saving Neji.

Tenten gripped the sheets of the hospital bed, watching Tsunade as Tsunade watched her. The Hokage chuckled before saying, "I've seen that look before. It's the same one Naruto had given me all the time."

Tenten blushed and said, "I'll do anything to save him, Tsunade. And not just because I love him, but because I'd put my life on the line for any of my comrades. I hate Yoru so much for what she's done, but I refuse to let her be the reason Neji leaves us. We can do this! I know we can!!"

Tsunade nodded before hesitating and asked, "Neji bit you, correct?"

Tension rose in the room once more, and Tenten knew that no one else knew that she was bit by Neji.

Tenten nodded and said, "Yes, on my wound. He only bit me because I forced him to. He would've died eventually if I hadn't. I know that I may have sped up the process, but... I just couldn't bear to see him hurting."

Tsunade nodded before asking, "And do you feel any different?"

Tenten shook her head and replied, "I only feel more determined to rescue him, Tsunade-Sama."

The Hokage nodded before standing straight. "The sooner you all leave out, the better," she said lowly.

They all nodded and Lee said, "We'll leave as soon as possible, Lady Tsunade!!"

Tsunade nodded and said, "Your teachers will be waiting for your return," moments before walking out the door.

Tenten glanced up at her teammates with a hopeful look, and Kiba sighed and said, "The plans are changing. I'll be going with Lee and Tenten. Sakura, I'm counting on you to stick close to my teammates."

Ino stuttered before saying, "Then the plans change again. I'll assist Sakura and Hinata, and Choji can assist Shikamaru and Shino."

Sakura giggled and said, "Whatever works, right?"

Tenten looked at Kiba only for a moment before getting out of bed, slipping her shoes on in the process. Lee placed his hand on Tenten's shoulder and asked, "Tenten, are you sure you're well enough to go on a search like this?"

Tenten scoffed and said, "Even if I wasn't, I'm not going to sit back and let Neji die and become what Yoru is. I'll do anything to keep that from happening." Lee grinned and said, "That's the spirit, Tenten! Let your Flower of Love bloom so that we may save our beloved comrade from his fate!!"

"Yes, let's," Ino agreed enthusiastically, "because if any vampire gets within ten feet of Neji or Hinata, we'll kick their butts back to the dark holes they came from!!"

Sakura exclaimed, "Teamwork and faith will protect us! Let's get to it!!"

Choji nodded and said, "Hopefully we don't cross paths with her though."

Hinata giggled quietly and said, "We haven't got all day. Let's find the Midnight Flower and save Neji!"

~

DUN DUN DUN! XD Sorry, couldn't help it. Just warning you all that we are closing in on the last few chapters of this story. But it does not mean it's over. You'll see why when the time comes. Thank you guys so much for the views. It means a lot that you like my NejiTen junk. xDD

Edit(8/20/15): Edited Format and fixed a few grammar errors.