There he stood dressed in his finest, standing beside him was the final Uchiha. Yes, he had finally brought him back. It wasn't long after his return that his team-mate Sakura Haruno, forgot all about him. He had never even got a single thank you out of her, it was always "Where's Sauske-Kun?" It hit his heart hard when he secretly found them at Ichiraku's kissing, now he had to hold back the pain and tears as he stood as the best man at their wedding.

It was never a secret that he had never really gave his true blessing of the relationship, but as their friend he'd wear a fake smile and laugh. Maybe if he hadn't have been so rash and noisy in the academy, then possibly the groom might have been him. His knuckles whitened as the thought flashed through his mind. Everyone stood as the music played, everyone's attention diverted to the pinkette walking slowly up the aisle, smiling softly. Naruto's attention found it resting on his "bestfriend" his solomn smirk giving him chills.

She came to a soft halt as she stepped beside the black haired Uchiha heir, they now faced each other. Tsunade gave a sorrowful glance at her God-son, before carrying out the session of vows. Through it all everyone's gazes weren't on the notable couple, but the blonde man standing two feet from them. They watched as his noticeable fake smile soon faded finding its real calling as a frown. His eyes which normally shinned warmth, turned to a subtle cold his pain of everything was taking over.

He tried his best to cover up everything he knew that the only two that were oblivious to his pain was the ones who the ceremony was for. There it was the closing moment, as their lips caressed a lonely tear fell from his eye finding its place on the marble stone beneath him. Everyone proceeded to the dinning hall, all but one blonde who found himself lingering towards the exit. What if he had to deliver a speech it didn't matter they'd be better off without him there. He took one last glance as the happily married couple made their way to the dinning room. He had no intentions of going in there, with a turn of a knob he found himself walking the vacant streets of Kohona.

His feet stopped as he heard footsteps approach from behind, he tilted his head slightly to the left expecting to find a bushuin of the groom to drag him back. He blinked his eyes in front of him stood a brunette with twin bun styled hair. Her bright smile, brought out a subtle smirk to his lips. As his lips released their position he began to wonder why she wasn't at the wedding dinner. He wasn't going to press the matter with questions, knowing that she had lost Neji in the war it was obvious she loved him.

She came to a stop as her body was only feet from his, her eyes flared with pain that he could tell she had kept hidden from everyone. It wasn't until now that he noticed her mascara was running down her face. Acting upon instinct he pressed his thumb to her cheek wiping the black into mere smudges. Her eyes shot open as his mouth moved to speak, "A girl as nice as you shouldn't be crying, Ten-Ten."

She found comfort in his words, but she had watched him the entire time at the procession. Her eyes had never left him not even for when the bride walked in. She watched his knuckles fade to white then to normal again, she was the only one to notice the solomm tear that left his eye. Maybe she had watched him to gain a grip on his pain, but maybe it was because she saw straight through him. She was there when he was asked to be the best man, his eyes lost their warmth, then with a grin and a thumbs up he accepted though his heart opposed.

She stared at him waiting for him to speak or question her being in the streets, and not at the reception. He never spoke only stared at her pondering what she was doing, finally after minutes of silence he broke the silence with a question. "If you don't mind we can go to my apartment an talk, instead of this dusty street whatcha' say?" His lips curved to a grin as the words flowed flawlessly. With a nod they slowly moved forward the two blocks to his small rugged apartment.

She pondered her reasoning for accepting his offer maybe it was for his sake, but more of hers. She had always thought highly of him after conversation with her lost team-mate.
~Flashback~
Two members of team Gai, sat quietly against the posts of training grounds 10, one a whited eyed boy, the other a bun haired girl. They were watching their bug eyed friend train with a very familiar blonde headed knuckle headed ninja. It wasn't long before their conversation leaned towards the blonde with the boy leading it off. "He's quite loud to be considered a ninja eh, Ten-Ten."

She glanced at the orange clad blonde spouting his dreams of becoming Hokage. "Yeah it a wonder how he survives on his missions." She said teasingly, but her smirk faded as she saw the Hyuuga's expression.

He bit his tongue at her words, he had faith in the blonde. He knew that the boy would definitely achieve anything as long as he believed in himself. Though he knew she was playing it put a sour feeling in his stomach. "You know he may be loud, rash and impatient, but he has something that many never have, he has heart. In his heart he believes he can achieve anything, and thats why he'll be the Hokage to surpass the rest."

She found herself in a state of shock as the words repeated themselves in her head. Was this the regular Neji, she knew the one who thought that destiny couldn't be changed. She found herself grinning as she stared at the back of the blonde, knowing he was smiling on the other side, ever since then she had held the boy with high respect.
~End Flashback~
They came to a stop outside a door that had faded graffiti that read, "Kill yourself DEMON!" her heart sank at the thought of him coming home to this everyday. He saw how she stared at the now months old graffiti and gave her a slight smile to show it hadn't bothered him much. It wasn't long before she noticed he had opened the door an was waiting patiently for her to enter. She obediently entered his apartment, they took began to untie and unbuckle their shoes. If there was one thing she noticed it was how well kept his apartment was now, maybe it was because he kept accepting missions to get out of the village, or because he really didn't do anything much in his house anymore.

He began watching her as her eyes scanned his clean apartment, he began to keep it this way when Sakura and Sasuke came over frequently to plan out their wedding with him. Truth be told it he cleaned it show that he had matured an maybe the wife to be would take notice of him. His efforts failed but he kept is apartment clean just in case someone popped in to see him, not that he got many outside the occasional one from Tsunade.

As he murmured her name she swiftly moved her head to face him, he pointed towards a couch she nodded an took a seat as he walked through a opening leading to a small kitchen. Rattles o metal could be heard along with childish rambles of where did I put it rang out from the room he entered. After a few seconds of silence water could be heard running into a metal container. She shook her head as the though of him preparing ramen came into her head, he most certainly loved his ramen. It wasn't until an irritable screech rang out that she came to the realization he had been preparing tea.

He came out of the room a cup of tea in each of his hands, the smile on his face showed he was proud of his work. " I hope you like black tea, it was the only kind I had." he said handing the cup to the brunette.

With a smile she stared at the steaming dark warm liquid, he had prepared her favorite type of tea. With a smile forming on her she cradled the mug with both hands moving it slowly towards her lips. The warmth of the drink made her relax, he had prepared it excellently her smile faded as she looked at how he was simply staring into the dark liquid endlessly. "You know Naruto, it tastes better if you drink it rather than stare at it."

He shot of of the daze he was to stare at the girl sitting beside him, he had totally forgot about her presence till she spoke. Which made him think of why she wasn't at the dinner and why had she accepted his offer to come to his apartment. "Um.. Ten-Ten, not to be rude but why are you here instead of at the reception?" he questioned as her eyes glued to his form.

She began to gain her barrings as she wondered on the question on to why she left, and was in his apartment She had left to check on him, but as for going to his home she couldn't explain. "Well I seen you leave and I wanted to make sure Kohona's toughest ninja was okay, and as for being here friends visit friends."

It puzzled him as to why she was worried about his emotional well being, but more for her apparent excuse for coming to his apartment Its true friends visit friends, but she had hardly ever talked to him much less visit him. He opened his mouth three to four times before the silhouette of words finally came out. "Oh, well I'm perfectly fine as you can see, but..-" He trailed off as sorrow began to barrage its way into him.

Her heart sank as she noticed the way his eyes revealed the subtle truth he always tried to hide behind those fake flashy smiles. Why was it now his pain affected her this much, she had known him through their genin days but now his pain etched its way into her. She found herself placing her now empty cup of tea on the table in front of her. She stared as his eyes began to water up, this was something she wasn't prepared for his emotional break down.

He began to sob tears splashing into his half drunk cup of tea, why now of all times was his pain flaring up. Why did it affect him so bad that she had chosen the Uchiha heir over him.

It wasn't long before a tight embrace snapped him out of his thinking an crying. Ten-Ten had placed one hand behind his head, pulling him to her bosom placing her head in the crease of his neck both slightly crying. He settled down after a few minutes firmly wrapping his arms around her petite frame holding her tight. This was a comfort he needed for a long time just someone to vent his emotions to, someone who wouldn't judge him for crying though he never thought this person would be the brunette he was clinging to.

After their eyes had dried they ended the embrace with the blonde murmuring a thanks and she a happy welcome. It wasn't long before a lonely yawn left her smooth lips. He smirked as he picked up the cups that once housed tea, an took them to the kitchen to be cleaned later. He was beginning to speak as he re-entered the room, "You know I can walk you home if you-" he stopped as he noticed her slumped soft snoring body on his couch. With a smile an slight sigh he picked her motionless body up an packed her down his narrow short hall to his small bedroom.

He placed her sleeping form on his small twin sized bed, it wasn't till now that he had noticed she was wearing a pale white sun dress. Thinking that she wouldn't sleep comfortably in it, he moved to his closet taking out two sets of shorts and shirts. He slowly began to think of how to position the clothes on her sleeping body. With some final thoughts he began to slide the shorts up her amazingly smooth skinned legs looking away only stopping when he felt her waist line. Next was the toughest part the shirt, he had really pondered on how to do this, but soon came up with one solution. He slowly moved her dress straps from her freckled shoulders, he slowly worked the shirt over her head. Next he moved it down under the dress from the sides to avoid touching her improperly, finally he positioned her arms through the to adjacent holes remaining He slid the dress slowly off her body folding it and placing it on his nightstand, next he removed the pins that kept her trademark buns in place, her hair shifted softly to a natural position. He stared at how she looked totally different in normal clothes an hair down than her regular ninja attire. With a smile he pulled the blanket over her body leaving the room afterwards.

He now was changed into the other set of clothes he had gotten out, an was lying on his couch. His mind wondered why he had never seen her in the light he had just moments before, maybe it was because a certain pinkette blocked his view of women. With a simple smile and a thought of how badly he'd be beaten when she woke in his clothes he fell asleep.

A/N: That took some time, review tell me if you like it or if you utterly despise it.