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day 4: good fortune.

Tenten felt like she was the luckiest person in the entire world today. It was to the point where she wondered if the heavens were gathering every ounce of good fortune just to make up for all her previous unlucky days.

In truth, Tenten’s morning had begun with an absolute nightmare. Today was the first day of her monthly cycle, and dull, aching cramps had begun to torture her since the previous night. Tenten lay tossing and turning on her bed, cold sweat drenching her body, her lower back so intensely sore it felt as though she had just lugged a massive summoning scroll through ten laps around the village. It wasn't until the faint light of dawn broke that she managed to catch a brief moment of sleep.

Thinking of Team 3’s usual grueling training session, Tenten forced herself to sit up. Looking at her exhausted reflection and pale complexion in the mirror, she had only one thought: she had to ask Guy-sensei for the day off. However, her thoroughly drained body wouldn't allow her mind to think clearly enough to concoct a proper excuse. Intending to lean back onto the bed just for a second to ease her aching back, Tenten instantly plunged back into a deep sleep before she even realized it.

She was startled awake by the persistent ringing of her doorbell. When her groggy eyes drifted over to the clock, Tenten’s heart nearly stopped: it was already 9:00 AM! I’m doomed, I’m two hours late! Tenten frantically smoothed down her messy hair, hurriedly adjusted the hem of her shirt, and rushed to open the door.

Yet, the person standing on the other side was not the Guy-Lee duo, ablaze with their usual fiery spirit of youth.

It was Neji.

He stood there beneath the morning sun, his face wearing its usual calm and quiet expression, but his hand carried a rather large bag.

"Oh, Neji? Why are you here? Is there no training today? I... I’m so sorry, I overslept..." Tenten blurted out in a single, breathless rush, her face flushing crimson with embarrassment.

Waiting for Tenten to pause and take a deep breath, Neji lightly cleared his throat and calmly cut her off.

"Training is canceled today. Guy-sensei suddenly wanted to alter the schedule, so he took Lee for a ten-lap endurance run around the outskirts." He swept a brief glance over his teammate's still-pale face, his eyes subtly darting to the side as he extended the bag toward her. "I was taking a walk and picked up some hot soup along the way. Take it and eat."

Tenten blankly took the heavy bag from him. The radiating warmth of the soup container seeped through the plastic, thawing her freezing hands.

"Oh, I'm putting you out... But how did you know I hadn't eaten yet? And what else is in this bag?"

Neji turned his face away slightly, shifting his footing backward as if eager to make a quick escape. He cleared his throat once more to mask his awkwardness.

"It’s nothing. Just some dango if you want something sweet, and some warm ginger tea. There’s also... a hot water bottle. I saw them on display along the street, so I just bought it at random. Remember to drink the tea while it's hot. I'm leaving now. See you tomorrow."

Neji’s tall, slender figure departed so quickly that Tenten’s words of thanks and goodbye were swept away by the wind the moment they left her lips. She stood dazed at the threshold for a few seconds, watching the white-clad silhouette of her teammate grow distant.

Tenten hugged the bag tightly against her chest. The fragrant aroma of the soup mingled with the sharp, comforting warmth of the ginger tea, drifting into her nose and straight into her heart. A smug smile graced her lips as she thought to herself that she truly was blessed. Out of nowhere, Guy-sensei changed the training schedule, out of nowhere Neji felt like taking a stroll down her street, and out of nowhere he happened to buy the exact things that could "save her life" today. The heavens really knew how to please a girl!

Tenten went back inside, happily enjoying her incredibly lucky day off, completely unaware that... there were never truly that many "out-of-nowhere" coincidences in this world.

She didn't know that Neji was a genius observer. His Byakugan was not meant solely for combat; rather, his gaze had long since silently settled upon her figure. He remembered the exact timeline of Tenten's monthly cycle even better than she did. He had noticed a few days prior that she had begun to wince slightly when lifting heavy objects, her footsteps had grown a bit heavy, and she would unconsciously thud her fist against her lower back after every physical conditioning hour.

She knew even less of the fact that Neji had arrived at the training ground exceptionally early that morning. Waiting but never seeing that familiar, vivacious figure appear, he knew the reason instantly. Neji had to employ every ounce of his serious demeanor to "fabricate" a reason along the lines of, "Tenten’s physical condition isn't optimal today; it would be more beneficial for you to take Lee for specialized training in the outskirts, Sensei," successfully convincing the overly enthusiastic Guy-sensei to postpone the team's practice.

And that bag, claimed to be "bought at random during a stroll," was actually the result of a proud, seventeen-year-old Hyuga teenager standing hesitantly in front of a general store for the longest time, his face and ears burning red as he asked the shopkeeper which ginger tea was the least spicy, and which hot water bottle retained heat the longest for a girl. Even the soup wasn't a matter of convenience; he had stood waiting for them to ladle it out the moment the shop opened its doors and lit its stoves, then cradled it securely within his robes as he sprinted all the way here, solely to ensure that when it reached her hands, its warmth remained entirely intact.

Thanks to the clumsy, silent tenderness of the boy that year, Tenten was granted a monthly cycle that was profoundly peaceful and warm. Every coincidence that shielded her from the cold that day, in reality, bore the name of Hyuga Neji.

#nejitenmonth2026 #neji hyuga #tenten #day 4 good fortune

day 3: misunderstanding.

Neji was not used to celebrating his birthday. Part of it was because he had no desire to celebrate an occasion that lacked the presence of his parents; the other part was his inherent dislike for noise and fuss. However, ever since he joined Team Guy—living alongside two eternally energetic souls and one vibrant girl—everyone’s birthday in the team had become a momentous occasion. Naturally, Neji’s was no exception.

Though he was reluctant at first and always wore a scowl, after being dragged into the routine of blowing out candles, singing, and unwrapping gifts by his three teammates, Neji gradually found that it wasn't so bad. Perhaps, celebrating a birthday was something he could come to tolerate.

Tomorrow would be Neji’s seventeenth birthday. He had already noticed Lee and Tenten huddled together, whispering for the past few days. Knowing they would definitely pull off some kind of surprise for him, Neji pretended not to care, though a flicker of curiosity and warmth stirred in his heart.

That afternoon, Guy-sensei dismissed the training session just as the sun dipped below the horizon, flashes of his trademark blinding smile accompanying a reminder to be on time the next day. After parting ways with Lee and Guy-sensei, Neji and Tenten walked home together as they usually did. Tenten chattered away about everything under the sun until they reached the crossroads, where they parted with a goodbye and headed their separate ways.

The next morning, Neji arrived at the training field ahead of schedule. He loved the tranquil air of the early dawn, especially during these rare, quiet moments before the green-suited duo arrived. He took the opportunity to meditate for a while, then went through a brief warm-up before two green blurs and a pair of booming voices broke the silence. Neji greeted Guy-sensei and Lee, politely declined Lee’s challenge for a push-up contest, and leaned against their usual tree to wait for Tenten.

Tenten was quite late—a rare occurrence, as she was hardly ever tardy. When she finally ran up, panting heavily, Neji noticed that her appearance was far more disheveled than usual. Her signature twin buns were loose, nearly falling apart from sprinting so fast, or perhaps because they hadn't been tied properly in the first place. It looked as though she had overslept; even one of her sandals was left unbuckled.

"I'm so sorry, I had... a bit of a situation..."

"Good morning, Tenten! Alright, catch your breath and we shall begin our training!" Guy-sensei replied with his usual sparkling grin. Beside him, Lee was equally enthusiastic:

"That's right! I am ready to do one hundred handstand laps around the village, Sensei!"

Neji stepped away from the tree, walking over to lift the massive summoning scroll off Tenten's back.

"Good morning, Tenten."

"G-Good morning, Neji..." Tenten managed between breaths, massaging her wrists.

Neji watched his teammate intently as she regulated her breathing and began to warm up. Once she was ready, he handed the scroll back to her, and the two plunged into the rigorous daily grind of Team 3, continuing until the orange-gold glow of twilight enveloped the grounds.

Predictably, Lee immediately suggested the team go out for barbecue. Catching the eager expressions of his three teammates, Neji nodded in agreement. A second later, Guy-sensei and Lee were already racing each other toward the restaurant, leaving Neji and Tenten to walk side-by-side as usual.

There was one thing, however, that had weighed on Neji’s mind all day: Tenten had been remarkably quiet.

Aside from her initial "Good morning," the only words she had uttered to him were "yeah," "uh-huh," and "Let's spar, Neji." These were the barest essentials of conversation—two fillers anyone could say to anyone, and one phrase just to initiate a match. Consequently, Neji hadn't been able to focus on training at all, his mind spinning various scenarios to explain her unusual behavior. Could it be related to why she was late this morning? Or was it part of the secret birthday plan she and Lee had been plotting? Or worse... had he done something to make her mad?

Of the three possibilities, the third worried Neji the most. Tenten was terrifying when she was angry; her ultimate move was to treat the offender like thin air until they apologized or until she cooled down. And Neji simply could not bear the thought of a world missing Tenten’s bright, lively voice.

Thus, when they were only a few steps away from the barbecue restaurant, Neji resolved to clear the air.

"Tenten, did I do something wrong?"

Tenten—who had been staring straight ahead at the newly lit sign of the restaurant—froze. She snapped her head toward him, her eyes wide with bewilderment.

"No. Why do you ask?"

Neji studied her face closely. There was nothing but pure confusion. Only then did he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"It’s nothing. Just... you’ve been quieter than usual today."

Tenten’s confusion quickly melted into a soft chuckle. Hearing that familiar, chiming sound, Neji allowed himself to linger on her smile just a moment longer.

"Oh, I just had some things on my mind, that’s all."

Neji nodded in response. Whatever the reason for her unusual silence, as long as she wasn't mad at him, a massive weight had been lifted from his chest.

"We're here. Let's go in," Tenten said, quickening her pace to head straight into the yakiniku parlor.

Neji watched her figure disappear past the door. Exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, a faint smile graced his lips as he followed her inside.

Neji’s birthday dinner passed in a blur of clinking glasses, sizzling meat, and the flushed faces of a thoroughly tipsy Guy-sensei, Lee, and Tenten (Neji had paced himself, so he remained relatively sober). The night concluded with a raucous round of birthday singing, blowing out candles, and a gift exchange courtesy of the green-clad duo. At an age where youth, strength, and energy were at their absolute peak, the gifts from the bowl-cut master and disciple naturally screamed "youthfulness."

Neji’s face darkened as he accepted a green jumpsuit from Guy-sensei, complete with the Hyuga clan crest subtly embroidered on the back, and a pair of 50kg ankle weights from Lee. He offered a reluctant thank-you, mentally noting to bury the jumpsuit in the deepest recess of his wardrobe as a souvenir of the night. Turning his gaze to Tenten, who was now so drowsy her eyes were barely open, resting her head against the wall to sleep after clapping for the guys' presentation, Neji had to admit he had been hoping for a gift from her. After all, her gifts were always normal, meaningful items—treasures simply because they came from her.

But looking at her current state, Neji figured whatever personal matter she was dealing with must have driven his birthday completely from her mind. Suppressing the slight pang of disappointment in his chest, he helped Tenten up. After bidding goodbye to Guy-sensei and Lee—who were currently walking arm-in-arm, singing at the top of their lungs down the street—Neji hoisted Tenten onto his back. He strapped the ankle weights Lee had given him onto his own legs, having nowhere else to put them. As they walked, Neji silently thanked Lee for this "precious" gift, which would provide him with enough strength training to last the next three days.

When they arrived at Tenten's house, just as he was about to wake her, she stirred. Neji helped his teammate stand upright. He leaned down to unstrap the ankle weights, intending to head home, when Tenten spoke up.

"Neji, could you come inside for a minute? There's something I want to show you."

Neji looked at his teammate's cheeks, flushed pink from the alcohol, and then at the slightly ajar front door. A loud gong seemed to echo in his head. W-What? What did she want to show him? What kind of item required going inside, being completely alone, and waiting until near midnight to look at? Was it... what he thought it was?

While Neji desperately tried to banish the scandalous thoughts rushing into his head, Tenten bent down to pick up his ankle weights, waiting for his answer.

"If you want me to... then alright."

As the lock clicked into place, Neji looked around the small, cozy house bathed in the warm yellow glow of Tenten’s lamps. It wasn't his first time here, but he usually visited during the day. Being in the home of a girl who lived alone at this hour of the night left Neji entirely at a loss for how to behave properly.

"Have a seat and wait for a second," Tenten said, heading into the kitchen.

Neji sat on the couch, shifting anxiously. A moment later, Tenten emerged carrying a plate. On it sat a small, slightly lopsided cake. The frosting had been smoothed on clumsily, its surface decorated with cute little strawberries, and written across the top were the words: “Happy Birthday, Neji.”

Tenten sang the birthday song as she carried the plate over. Setting it down on the table, she looked up at Neji, whose expression of shock was slowly giving way to pure joy. She beamed at him.

"I got up early this morning to make it. But I kept messing it up. In the end, this was the best I could do. By the time I looked up, I realized I was late for training. And all day today, I was just worried about whether the cake would still taste good after sitting out for so long, so I didn't get a chance to wish you a proper happy birthday."

"Happy birthday, Neji."

Neji stared at the girl before him, taking in her radiant smile and her bright, chiming voice. She had poured so much time and effort into preparing a birthday gift for him, yet he had completely misunderstood, thinking she was upset with him. A wave of emotions surged within his chest—gratitude, happiness, profound appreciation—and another feeling that had always lingered there, one he hadn't been able to name until now. Now, he knew exactly what it was: love.

Looking at the girl in front of him with absolute devotion, Neji didn't think twice. He reached out with his large, calloused hands and gently took hold of hers—the ones adorned with a few small scratches from baking. He held them close, and tenderly pressed a kiss against her slender fingers.

"Thank you, Tenten."

__________

happy Neji day!!

#nejitenmonth2026 #neji hyuga #tenten #day 3 misunderstanding #happy neji day #happy birthday neji

day 2: school days.

At twelve years old, Neji was interested in nothing but training to become incredibly strong—strong enough to completely crush the loathsome Main House.

At twelve years old, Tenten spent her days nurturing her dream of becoming a great ninja, just like her idol, Tsunade sama.

As a young girl with no secret clan techniques, no bloodline limit, and no brilliant intellect to be hailed as a genius, Tenten had nothing but a dream and her own relentless efforts.

Back then, even though she hadn't managed to summon weapons yet, perhaps because of some invisible connection she shared with all kinds of armaments, Tenten was already exceptional at using kunai and shuriken before anyone even taught her.

Thanks to that, Tenten's test scores in every subject requiring projectile weapons always topped the class. Every time she saw her name at rank one on the score bulletin board in the hallway, Tenten wouldn't hesitate to allow herself to feel a little proud and conceited. However, Tenten's name only ever held first place in those few specific subjects. For everything else, the number one spot belonged immutably to a single name.

Hyuga Neji.

Tenten knew him. In the impression of the 12-year-old girl, Neji was the classmate from the prestigious clan who was also one of the strongest in the village. But Neji was even more special than that. He was a genius.

Neji wasn't like the others. He only needed to look at something once to do it, and do it well. While everyone else stumbled through their first and second attempts with a new lesson, Neji always delivered a flawless performance on his very first try. Naturally, he was immensely popular at the Academy. The girls would always fawn over him whenever he appeared, while the boys would pout in jealousy. As for Tenten? Tenten just found it strange because she had never seen that Hyuga boy talk to anyone.

Until one day.

That day, Tenten was paired up to spar with Neji. Leaving behind the sighs of regret and envy from the girls around her over her "good luck," Tenten straightened her back and stepped in front of Neji, looking at him with eyes full of determination.

"Don't hold back, Hyuga."

In stark contrast to Tenten's burning fire, Neji remained as silent as usual. This annoyed Tenten a little. What's his problem? Is he even too stingy to spare a single word?

And so, Tenten went all out. The moment the teacher signaled the start, Tenten leaped backward to create distance and hurled shuriken straight toward where the Byakugan boy was standing. Neji deftly evaded them all. Just as he looked up, preparing to activate his Byakugan to end the match quickly, Tenten had already lunged right in front of him—face-to-face, with two kunai in her hands. Caught off guard, Neji didn't have time to activate his Byakugan and nearly lost his footing under Tenten's sudden and relentless onslaught.

Tenten aimed her kunai at Neji's vital points, but he managed to block them all with his bare hands. Sensing that things were turning unfavorable, Tenten pulled a smoke bomb from her pouch and threw it between them. Her plan was to use the thick smoke as cover to retreat and draw another weapon. But the moment the smoke cleared, just as Tenten pulled out a pair of nunchucks, Neji was already standing behind her. He didn't waste a single second to strike her chakra points. She collapsed instantly. The match was over. Neji won.

The teacher quickly rushed over, lecturing Neji about going easy on his opponent while simultaneously praising Tenten for her clever use of weapons. He then released her chakra blocks and helped her stand up.

Tenten thanked the teacher, then went around to retrieve her kunai and shuriken. She knew her speed was still too slow, which was why Neji had caught up to her at the last second. Tenten felt a bit frustrated, because she could very well have won that.

Suddenly, a hand reached out, holding a kunai out to her. Tenten looked up. It was Neji. He hadn't left yet. And by now, they were the only two left on the training field.

"Here's yours."

Tenten took it, looking at his calm, quiet face under the glow of the sunset.

"Thanks."

She turned away, intending to pick up the rest of her gear and head home quickly, when suddenly, Neji spoke up.

"You're pretty good. You're Tenten, right?"

Tenten was a bit surprised. She looked at him once more. And this time, she noticed that the usual coldness in Neji's eyes was gone. He was looking at her intently—it was hard for Tenten to put into words what that look meant. Interest, perhaps?

"Yeah, Neji."

And from the moment their names were spoken by each other, their friendship began.

#nejitenmonth2026 #nejiten #neji hyuga #tenten #day 2 school days

day 1: jounin intimacy

After the Fourth Shinobi World War, peace was restored, and the once-young children of the Konoha 11 had now grown into powerful, mature Jounin. Alongside the old houses being remodeled and new ones being built, new couples also came together—among whom were Neji and Tenten.

Returning from the battlefield with a fatal wound, Neji had once fallen into a coma so deep that everyone thought he would never wake up again. Only Tenten stayed by his side day and night to care for him, telling him stories, changing the flower vase on his bedside table, opening the window to let the sunshine in, and silently holding his hand.

On the day Neji finally woke up, greeted by Tenten’s radiant yet slightly exhausted face, he knew that in this lifetime, he could only ever love one person. And that was her.

After fully recovering, Neji put on his uniform and took on Jounin missions to get back into the rhythm of daily life. Walking right by his side, as always, was Tenten.

Unless it was a mission where the Hokage specifically assigned other teammates, Neji and Tenten would always take on missions together. Sometimes Lee would join them, but most of the time, it was just the two of them.

The coordination between the pair remained flawlessly smooth. Thanks to regular training and a growing, intuitive understanding of each other, any mission Neji and Tenten accepted was quickly and neatly resolved. When they returned to the village ahead of schedule, their reward would always be a few days off that they could spend on dates together.

These dates were just ordinary activities during a peaceful, gentle passage of time. They would visit their favorite teahouse together, where Tenten would happily chatter about all sorts of things while eating dango, while Neji sipped his tea and listened to her intently. Occasionally, Tenten would drag him into a newly opened shop on the street. It could be a clothing store, a grocery shop, or sometimes an eatery with unfamiliar dishes; Neji would slowly follow behind her, smiling gently, taking in the sight of his eager girlfriend walking ahead.

Basically, no one ever saw them apart.

And as the sunset cast its glow, they would sit together on a stone bench, Tenten resting her head on his shoulder, falling silent after a whole day of endless chattering. They would quietly watch the sunset until the darkness replaced the light. Then, Neji would walk her home, carrying a bag of food he picked up along the way. They would share one more meal of the day together, and the soft murmur of their conversation would echo on, until the lights in Tenten’s bedroom finally turned off.

_________

hi everyone, this is my first time participating in NejiTen Month. day 1 is a bit short, but I’ll try to write longer chapters from now on hehe.

hope you all enjoy reading it ^^

#nejitenmonth2026 #nejiten #neji hyuga #tenten #day 1 jounin intimacy

nejiten-month

Calendar is here! :) Thank you to everyone who answered the interest check. Please share widely, and feel free to post to other platforms as well. @narutoverse-event-reblogs

See below the cut for a text reader friendly version!

nejiten-month

One more month until posting starts! Looking forward to seeing everyone's creations on July 1st - calendar is just meant for inspiration or a fun challenge. All NejiTen-centric content is welcome. Please use #nejitenmonth2026 in your first five tags when posting, or tag this blog so I can reblog. See here for the full rules.

nejiten-month

Around two weeks until posting! Time flies so fast - just feels like yesterday that I finalized the calendar.

aleksandracoffan

yukihimeno

có thể 1 ngày cho t nhìn thấy 10 fanarts nejiten đc khumm huhu nhớ nejiten quá

frog-thief

since summer is late this year, i'm in an autumn-winter mood

(づ￣ ³￣)づ

bigfiasco

so you're telling me the two characters that gave us the only slow burn romantic moments throughout the whole god damn series DON'T end up together?? How do these two have more intimate scenes than couples that are MARRIED IN BORUTO??

Every ounce every hint every whiff of reciprocated romance that show had was from Neji and Tenten istg they are my swan song

This ENTIRE scene - The gentleness of him catching her? Her deliberately slow recovery?? The tenderness in that eye contact?? I was invading their privacy when I watched this episode

Arguably the most damning of all - The ending to her perfect dream is Neji holding her while she essentially professes she is finally home now that they are back together?? I was speechless tbh and still am over such an obvious display of affection

And this outwardly intimate moment was simply no accident for such a largely romance-avoidant anime

One of the images that flashed in his mind when he thought he was going to die was OF HER front and center????

She dresses up and wears lipstick for his Chunin match and then brags about him the entire fight?? I swear 90% of my girl's entire dialogue was his name

Then she went to comfort him after his match and he confirms that she already knew about the curse mark? Which means he felt safe enough with her to disclose such a painful secret and shameful part of his life?

Even twelve year old me was like this is clearly a thing. The effort the animators went to keep them close together in almost all of their scenes together as a pair is truly above and beyond

Character designs to match the Hashirama and his wife??

And then of course the meaningful nod to them fighting back to back since childhood so that she can cover his blind spot will never fail to make me sob

I could go on but in essence I'm still devastated the one couple that carried Naruto and early Shippuden in the reciprocal romance department never got their happy ending - a tragedy for certain

yukihimeno

fxck kishi :)

gabisart

Team Forever Young! 🍃

nejihyugamyreligion

Nejiten Month 2025 - Day 24 (Neji Lives)

Chapter 2: You are My Destiny.

Once Guy, Lee, and Tsunade had left, the door closed with a soft click. The silence in the room thickened, heavy with unspoken words and Neji's lingering question. Neji's piercing gaze was back on Tenten, waiting. Tenten swallowed. There was no escape now...

https://archiveofourown.org/works/68078266