Neji could've sworn he had seen Tenten in front of him.

He shook his head slightly, feeling dizzy as his vision kept zoning out on him. Neji was sure she was at the hospital still, knowing that only a few hours had passed since they made it back to the village.

But the illusion of Tenten before him seemed so real.

Neji moved his hand only to remember that he had been tied up tight and glanced at the figure once again. Tenten - or what looked like Tenten - looked sad and partially infuriated.

'Neji,' she said, her voice making it seem like she was faint. She took a step towards him and started to reach out for him, only to stop and smile slightly. 'I almost forgot,' she almost sneered, 'you don't really love me. You let me die, right? That's why I'm here.'

Neji was confused only for a moment. "You were taken to the hospital. I'm merely dreaming," he said, almost confidently. Tenten dropped her smile as she sighed softly, tears slightly streaming down her cheeks.

'You really don't love me, do you,' she said, almost pitifully. Neji was smart enough to know that she was merely a dream; a pathetic attempt from the demon inside him.

"On the contrary," he said, smiling softly, "I love you very much. You're my reason for not snapping or falling apart. And even if this is a ruse, I want you AND him to know that. I know my Tenten."

The image of Tenten huffed before she shifted into Neji himself; only with red glowing eyes and paler skin.

'You are a tough nut to crack. But it won't be long until you're broken.'

Neji couldn't help but to smirk slightly. "Maybe," he replied, "but I will not be broken by you. Tenten and Hinata are no longer in harm's way, so I am content."

The demon scoffed before saying, 'Until your mother reaches them of course. I recall her saying that she would drain the brunette dry and simply turn your pathetic cousin into one of us. She sees her as a better choice as a girlfriend for you since you both are of the same blood.'

Neji scoffed and said, "Hyuga minds think alike. Like hell I'd ever marry Hinata. Besides, she cares for someone else."

'Do you really think Yoru cares about that? She's been held back for the longest, waiting to grab you up and claim you as hers,' the demon replied, licking his fangs.

Neji shrugged slightly before saying, "She'll never get the chance to do what she wants with me or anyone for that matter. Kakashi and Guy Sensei will find the cure, whatever it may be."

The demon laughed before saying, 'The cure is a rare flower that hasn't been seen in years! Those old idiots won't find what they're looking for. And by the time they may have a lead, you would either be dead or... I would have already taken over your body, conscious, and spirit.'

Neji inwardly shuddered and the demon smiled, sensing that he had somewhat gotten to him.

"They'll find the flower," Neji said with determination.

'And if they don't,' the demon replied, 'then you're mine. And you'll get to watch me as I rip your precious Tenten apart.'

"You won't be able to," Neji spat, anger slowly building up, "because I'll take myself out before that happens."

'You taking yourself out won't matter,' the demon casually replied, 'because then I get full control. And I don't have to worry about being held back by your idiotic and pitiful thoughts about honor and love.'

Neji grit his teeth but didn't reply. The demon cackled and said, 'And if you're gone, who's to stop me if I get touchy with her, huh? Maybe I'll caress her lips and show her how a real man kisses.'

Neji's anger grew as he angrily demanded, "You keep your hands off of Tenten!!!"

The demon was amused and couldn't will himself to stop.

'Maybe I'll lure her,' he said gleefully, 'take her away from the village and show her another side of me, if you know what I mean.'

Neji growled, his own eyes starting to flash red. The demon grinned, realizing that Neji's weakness was the thought of other types of harm directed towards Tenten.

'So that's it,' the demon asked, 'you don't want to break her in at a young age? Would you rather wait until she's... More fit?'

"Enough," Neji demanded, unwilling to put up with that type of mockery, and about Tenten too.

'Oh, but I'm afraid the party is just getting started, dear Neji,' the demon replied.

Neji didn't realize it, but he had doomed himself to the mockery and illusions that his inner demon had planned to torture him with.

If anything, the demon was sure he'd win the battle and the war; all because Neji cared too much.

~~

Kiba twirled a kunai around and waited for Tenten to be admitted from the hospital. Everyone else had already left for the search, leaving Lee and Kiba to wait on their teammate.

The mission was named, "Keep the Dove Alive," made by none other than Lee himself.

Kiba sighed and glanced over at Lee, who was stretching. "You know the luck we'll have in finding the flower will be little to none," he said.

Lee looked at him and grinned as he did a single-handed handstand, and said, "Even so, it would be meaningless if we didn't at least try, right? Neji is our comrade and friend, and if we don't try to help him, then we'll lose him forever!"

Kiba nodded slightly and said, "Well, even so... How do we even know if the flower will work?"

Lee grunted and pushed himself upright, smiling and saying, "All we can do is try, Kiba. Negative thoughts won't assist us now; they never have. If we don't at least try, then Neji will be harmed, same for Hinata and Tenten. None of us want that, as much as you don't care for Neji."

Kiba opened his mouth then closed it, knowing that what Lee said was true.

He didn't really care for Neji but at the same time, he didn't want the Hyuga to die.

Tenten would be beyond heartbroken as well as Hinata, and everyone else would fall apart over it. Kiba did his best to shake any doubts away. He had to stay positive; for Tenten and Hinata, if no one else.

Kiba looked up to see Tenten walking out of the hospital, seemingly determined and ready for a fight.

Kiba stood up and nodded towards her. "Are you alright," he asked. Her arm was still bandaged; a replica of Neji's arm almost.

The bandage stopped right before her shoulder, and only her fingertips could be seen. Tenten nodded and said, "The longer we wait, the more irritable I become. Neji can't hold out forever."

Tenten shuddered at the thought of his inner demon force-feeding him unimaginable thoughts and did her best to focus on the task at hand. Lee grinned and gave her a thumb up, and said, "Your arm looks just like Neji's, Tenten. I'm sure he'd like that.

She grinned and nodded, saying, "Come on, let's go! We don't have much time!"

"Hold on," a voice said from behind her.

She turned to see Hiashi walk towards her. He smiled slightly at her before noticing her arm. He frowned slightly before saying, "She's having you all head out so soon?"

Tenten nodded and said, "It's actually kind of our choice as well. I want to help cure Neji as soon as possible." He nodded, understanding, and said, "May I speak with you for a moment?"

Tenten nodded and smiled in slight confusion as she was led away from her comrades. Once a good distance away, Hiashi pulled something out from a bush and handed it to her. Tenten saw that it was a small bag with clothes in it.

She looked up at him for an answer, and Hiashi said, "These are Hizashi's clothes from when he was your age."

Tenten asked, "Why are you giving them to me?"

He sighed and said, "My brother foresaw her coming back into our lives again. He was afraid that she would try to take Neji by force as she had tried before. I do not trust Tsunade's strength to hold Neji back, because I know my sister-in-law."

Tenten nodded and said, "So he wanted to plan ahead... What do I need to do?"

Hiashi said, "There's a risk with doing this, but I believe we can capture him if he escapes. He hasn't seen his father in some time, and if we can somehow lure him and keep him busy for a moment, then I am sure we'll catch him."

"But how?" Tenten asked, feeling skeptical, "He won't stay in one place if that beast takes over; not with me."

Hiashi gave her a soft, assuring smile, and replied, "You leave that to me. I just need to know if you can distract him enough." Tenten bit her lower lip and looked down at her bandaged arm. She was willing to do almost anything to keep Neji alive and safe.

She took a deep breath before pulling out a scroll and laying it flat on the ground, gently grabbing the bag from him and placing it on the scroll.

Tenten moved her hands about and the bag was sealed moments later.

Rolling up the scroll, she placed it in her pants pocket and looked up at Hiashi. "You can count on me, Hiashi," she said.

He grinned softly before saying, "You should go. Time is of the essence." She nodded and took off to her teammates.

Hiashi watched them until he was out of view before sighing and walking in the other direction.

It was time for him to find a person that could help keep Neji in one place.

He could only hope that he made it to the certain boy in time.

~~

Neji kept his eyes shut as his body trembled in fear and rage. For the past hour or so, all he's heard were the screams and pleads of Tenten.

He wouldn't have believed it of course, but the images were too... Vivid.

He almost screamed out for the monster to stop the illusions; it was just about too much for him to bear.

And all Tsunade could do was watch him from afar with a grim look on her face. She didn't want to think about what he was being succumbed to, but she knew for a fact that he was seeing things a young man shouldn't see at that age.

Eventually, Tsunade turned around and tried to ignore his pleading, which got stronger and louder.

It was all she could do from storming towards him and holding him close. She cared about him; about every young shinobi in her village.

As she reached for her cup, a shinobi came in, looking nervous and breathing heavy.

"She's been spotted," she said to Tsunade. Tsunade looked at her and asked, "Where?" "The edge of the woods," the shinobi replied.

Tsunade grit her teeth.

She blamed that bitch of a woman for what was happening to Neji.

She said, "Tell the guards standing outside the door to stand fast and for the teachers to go after the students. I need to be out there when she shows her face." The kunoichi nodded before heading out the door quickly.

Tsunade gave Neji one final glance before sighing and turning around.

One way or another, the nightmare had to end.

She walked out the doors and shut them tight, hurrying down a long hall and shutting several more doors. When she shut the final set, she glared at the guards and said, "Don't you let anyone in or out without my consent. And since I won't be here, there shouldn't be a problem, Am I right?"

They nodded nervously and started looking everywhere. Tsunade shook her head before disappearing moments later. What she didn't plan for, however, was the fact that Yoru was not near the woods at all.

In fact, she was right in the heart of Konoha.

She crept in the trees, lying in wait for the right time to strike; to take what was hers.

And as the clock ticked, her canine teeth grew in anticipation.

The guards would have no idea what hit them until it was too late.

Yoru waited before striking the first guard down easily.

The other five then made their way towards her, but they were nothing but twigs in her path.

She made a meal out of the last one, sucking his blood dry before breaking the doors open.

She activated her Byakugan and found it was a long hall with many doors shut and locked tight, but she knew exactly where Neji was, based on his pleading and smell.

She smirked and slammed one set of doors down, moving on to the next fast faster. All the doors were eventually taken off their hinges. However, once she got to the door, he suddenly went quiet.

Moments later, she could hear chains breaking, and knew that he had lost the fight with the demon within.

She smiled softly as she sped back outside to grab a body and go back.

Her hands blazed in aura as she dropped the body and slammed the doors over and over, eventually sending both large doors flying into the middle of the room. When she looked, the chair was empty, implying that Neji had either tried another escape route, or he was hiding because of the noise.

Yoru merely chuckled as she tossed the lifeless body onto the ground in front of her.

She yelled out, "Come and eat son! I know you've been waiting a long while!!"

She waited a moment before he slowly came into view, shaking somewhat. She raised an eyebrow in confusion and then relaxed as she found him chuckling.

Neji looked up at his mother with red eyes, and said, "I've been waiting for you. It took me a minute, but I think he's finally broken."

Yoru frowned for a moment before giggling and saying, "What did you show him? The little brunette torn up?"

"In a way," he replied.

She shook her head and said, "Whatever works I guess. Feed up dear; you're going to need the energy."

He nodded and walked towards the body, baring his teeth and biting down hard, allowing the blood to flow as he sucked it up. When he finished, he wiped his mouth and grinned as he said, "It's almost time, mother. I can feel it. His body is failing and soon, it'll be mine."

She smiled and said, "Should we head out then, or is there... Anything else you need to handle while we're here?"

Neji smiled wide and said, "I think you know, don't you? The one thing that will keep him destroyed? I just need to get close enough and finish her off. All I have to do then is go to the back of his head as he takes her breath away, in a literal sense of course. She's the ONLY reason he hasn't given up altogether. But take that away..."

He didn't even have to finish, as his words had more than satisfied Yoru. With a confident smirk, Yoru said, "Oh don't be dramatic, sweetie. Tell me what I want to hear."

He laughed before saying, "Mother, I plan on finding Tenten. And when I do, I will break her pretty little neck and drain her dry. I will kill Tenten."

Yoru licked her lips before saying, "That sounds like a wonderful plan, Neji! Shall we get to it then?"

~~

Deep in the forest, outside the walls of Konoha, Tenten, Kiba, and Lee were rushing deeper and deeper into the woods in search of the only plant that could help Neji revert back to normal.

Lee was ahead of the group as usual, but Tenten was catching up mighty close.

She wasn't sure when to change, but she felt it had to be soon. No matter how much she trusted Tsunade, she trusted Hiashi in this particular situation a little more.

They went a little father before Tenten said, "I need to change real quick."

They stopped and nodded, allowing her to slip away from their sights and change. She sighed as she pulled the scroll out and undid it. 'I hope this will work,' she thought as she released the bag from its paper prison.

Looking around a few more times, she finally undressed out of her clothes, flapping out Hizashi's clothes and slipping them on.

She couldn't really smell anything, but eventually she found that it did have a scent; slight vanilla with another unrecognizable scent.

Tenten then took her hair down, ruffling it out and breathing out as she tried to steady herself.

'Neji,' she thought quietly as she gripped Hizashi's shirt slightly, 'I'm going to save you. Please fight. Fight as hard as you can!' She blinked back tears as she steadied herself.

Placing her clothes in the bag, she placed the bag over the scroll once more, sealing it up and placing the scroll back in her pants pouch.

Tenten patted down her pants before taking off towards Kiba and Lee, getting used to her hair flapping in front of her face a bit.

When she made it to them, Kiba had to give a second glance. "You know, if you had their eyes, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between you and a Hyuga," he said.

Tenten giggled and said, "That would make sense considering I'd have their eyes. Come on, I have an area where we can look around if you want." Kiba nodded and slowed down.

Lee did the same and allowed Tenten to lead them, all the while, not knowing that a shinobi was closing up on them.

Akamaru suddenly barked and growled, alerting them at someone was approaching them at a fast rate.

Tenten turned around and pulled out a kunai, assuming that it was Neji. In a panicked state, she thought, 'Was I too late?!' However, she was able to relax once more when she saw the green leotard.

It was Might Guy of course, but he didn't look happy.

"Tenten, Lee, Kiba!! Thank goodness you're not harmed!!" Lee replied, "Guy Sensei, of course we aren't harmed! But we've had no luck in finding the flower just yet!"

Guy was suddenly in front of them, and it caused all of them to stop short. "Sensei," Tenten said, "What is it? Did something happen?"

Guy said, "Yoru was spotted near the woods, so all the teachers were sent out to collect their students. Kakashi is currently nearby."

Tenten said, "You thought she would come after me? But why?"

Guy sighed before grinning softly. "I can't really say, but I'm just glad you're alright. But if she's not here, then where is she?"

Kiba shook his head and said, "This doesn't make any sense. Why would she show up near the edge? What, to create drama; something that isn't there?"

Something snapped deep down inside of Tenten, and she grabbed Kiba's shoulder, saying, "Say that again. That last part; I need to hear it."

Kiba looked confused as he said, "To create drama or something that isn't there."

Tenten shook her head and closed her eyes, thinking hard. It didn't make sense for Yoru to do that unless she was trying to start something. Tenten's eyes opened as she realized it.

"She wasn't coming after me," she said, turning to Guy, "I don't think that's how she wants it; not now anyways. She doesn't want to kill me, but because I love Neji and keep bringing his conscious back to humanity, she wants me dead."

Lee frowned slightly and asked, "Then why did she appear at the edge of the woods?"

"Because she needed to create a distraction," Tenten replied, shaking her head as she eyes showed fear, "because if all the skilled shinobi were nearby, she wouldn't be able to reach Neji."

Tenten realized that Hiashi was right.

Oh, he knew his sister-in-law so well.

"That's why he had me put on Hizashi's clothes. That's why he told me to be careful and why he said we would need to trap him. Because he knew this would happen, he knew that Neji would be set free. And something tells me that he isn't himself anymore. I feel it. I can't explain, but I can feel it."

Tenten looked up at her teacher, whose face was etched in concern and worry.

"Sensei," she said, shaking her head, "Yoru's set Neji free with intention of killing me. And I have a terrible feeling that he's agreed to it."

~

"WHAT?! WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THAT HIATUS YOU MENTIONED?!"

XDD I had time on my hands, whatever, okay? I'm really hyped because we're getting closer and closer (not to the full truth silly, wait until the next story). And sorry, had to make this one a tad bit dark. I mean come on, what did you think the monster would do? Drive him crazy with JB songs? (Sorry, not sorry)

Nope, this dark side of him, this vampire spirit, wants to break him. And what's the one thing that can fully break a person? Well, yeah, that. XD Anyways, I'm kind of wanting to post Naruto lemons as well as other lemons. I'm good at that, but I'm not sure yet. Not that I'm really trying to make this account child-friendly. Ah, oh well, I'll contemplate on it a bit longer. Until next time! =3=

Edit(8/20/15): Format fixed, grammar errors fixed.

~ Nimo