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[uncagedforjustamoment]

[The camera flicks on to reveal a young man with eyes so pale lavender and missing pupils that it might appear as if his eyes are white and unmarked at first glance. There's a small frown on his lips, and his eyes squint in a curious determination.

Through observation and intuition, he's puzzled out the purpose and general function of the device well enough to activate it, but unfortunately it has...so far...not provided illumination over where he's woken or how. Waking up after death is no surprise--it's happened more than once before, though the last time it happened to him he hadn't been as certain of his own death when he lost consciousness as this time.

Waking here, however...is less...understandable.]

Explain to me where this place is and why I've been taken. Have I missed the end of the war? [That seems the most reasonable conclusion: otherwise he would have been brought back out to the battlefield, wouldn't he?]

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[uncagedforjustamoment]

[If she voiced that guilt to him, he would quickly inform her nothing short of a rinne tensei sort of jutsu could have saved him. His Byakugan made it perfectly clear the sort of horrible damage he incurred as soon as that spike impaled him. No matter what skill level she had, he was already beyond help when he landed.

Her emotional turmoil on the matter of sharing the new is...unnecessary. It would serve no purpose to tell most of the Konoha shinobi of his fate, and some such as Naruto would unnecessarily take the blame for his own choice. Such as Sakura is doing right now, if the guilt in her expression is any indication.]

When it becomes necessary. [If it never becomes necessary, then never. After a moment, however, he frowns. It's doubtful, but it's always possible that keeping it to herself is what's weighing on her.] It's no secret, if you're concerned instead with 'keeping' it. I ask that you leave Tenten to me in that case, however.

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[punches]

[ Such as she holds the desire to protect her teammate, Neji makes the same intention clear. These are the things, when not witnessed, should be heard from the mouth of someone who can offer a sympathetic shoulder to cry on.

Funny, isn't Sakura the one always doing the crying?

Managing to keep most of her emotions bottled up (although it still slips up when her voice cracks or with the disbelieving stare she gives the PokeGear), there's a nod to show she understands the request. ]

Of course.

If you need someone to tell Naruto or if you'd like to tell him, just give me a heads up. I, I already have one missing teammate. [ If she words it like it's a chore, maybe he'll sympathize a bit with her? ]

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[uncagedforjustamoment]

[There are certain people that it is best to be there to answer their questions immediately, rather than allow them to stew on the questions and make things worse. Tenten was among those it was best to have answers for, should she care to have them.

He regards her curiously a moment. She is...making a bigger deal of his death than should probably be made of it. He was neither the first, nor likely to be the last, and hardly the most important casualty of the war. Making unnecessary arrangements and productions of the news--when he stood perfectly healthy now--only made it into a greater deal than it should be.

Still, he supposes with Naruto such precautions may actually be necessary. And, as her comment reminds him, Sakura has surely suffered enough turmoil with her teammates to last a lifetime already.

If she wants him to believe she regards things as a hassle, rather than a genuine distress, she'll have to do better at pretending.]

Very well, if that is what you wish. Presuming such a situation arises, I'll attempt to inform you ahead of time. [Of course if the need does arise, he can't promise he'll have such time, she understands.]