I wrote this AN for a reason, please read all of it!

Before you start reading, I just want to say that this single chapter was started in July 2015 and finished mid-January 2016, nearly half a year later. As a result, I have found that the quality of writing in this chapter changes rather obviously from start to finish (in a positive way). It is 12,000+ words, a length I pretty much guarantee will not be consistent throughout the course of this story's production. The muse comes and goes as it pleases.

This is rated at a tentative T. You've been warned.

Expect the second chapter hopefully within the month, and if it isn't there by then I'll put my permanent email on my profile so you can yell at me to get it done.

He hadn't ever really seen her until then. Red and yellow decorated her more luxuriously than a queen, her blindingly cerise lips spilling a wonderfully numbing string of ethereal magnificence—ten words to change the world.

It was more than her appearance. Her voice flew mellifluously to his ears, which was strange, because he had heard it so many times before and treated it to no regard as significant as this. It was truly, completely, wholly ineffable, her, her, his breathing was uneven because of her, whom he decided to be the strongest person he'd ever known. How could it be that easy to become infatuated with someone at the blink of eye? She was so perfect at that moment, even the downpour of rain refused to touch her out of some classification of otherworldly divine respect, or maybe he was imagining that, he didn't know, but it ought to be that way.

Her back to him, he heard her say, "Don't worry. This time, I promise, I will protect you."

For the first time in his life, his chest tightened with heartache. A certain peculiar kind of heartache.

He didn't know it was that easy to fall in love.

He was surprised that it had taken him so long.

He hadn't ever really seen her until then.

i.

April 14th

Tenten was raised to put 200% effort into every single thing she did. Everything. Washing the dishes, 200%. Weeding the garden, 200%. If there was a fly in her room, she had to stop at nothing in order to slay it as if the poor bug threatened the life of everyone and everything she loved. Whenever she retrieved water from the well, she would go to great lengths to make sure not a single drop fell out of the bucket, else she went back to make up for what was lost.

She was the object of envy for all parents in her small home, the Village of the River Spirit. They all wished that their children could be just as hardworking and dedicated as her. It was a quaint, sleepy little farming community. For all the glamour implied in the name, visitors were often disappointed with the rinky dink attraction. People were miserably lethargic, often too lazy to tend to their harvest or even wash their clothes. They were starved of energy, far too content with the easy life in the unknown countryside. She supposed it was natural that they'd admire her for doing all the work that she did when they could barely muster the motivation to do, well, anything.

But there was more truth to Tenten than the perfect daughter others made her out to be. Firstly, she hated working.

Well, that wasn't the right way to put it. It was more that she loathed the amount of work she had to do. It was purely unreasonable, the extent to which her caretaker made her labor. She was miserable, often fantasizing of the day she could live on her own in a more meaningful way, making a difference in the world.

Her looks weren't so remarkable, not according to the popular opinion that favored blue eyes and light locks, standing with eyes so dark brown her irises blended in with her black pupils and trademark brunette buns to tie the whole thing together. Also, she was tall. Very tall, for a girl at least. At 5 feet and seven and a half inches, she loomed over most adult women like an ivory tower. And her skin wasn't fair or pale white or smooth alabaster like most men desired, but a distinct, tan, latte color, marked by mosquito bites and scars and scratches from the work she did.

She could go on and on about how physically unappealing she thought she was, but that would be a waste of time. For one, who cares? It gets the job done. Secondly, today was her training day and she didn't have the time to dawdle.

"The grounds look pretty secure, Chouji. Why'd you call me over here?"

Sometimes she took on work in neighboring villages, the reason being most people in her own were self-sufficient and didn't offer jobs outside of their family. This particular "village" of the Fire Rat was a lot more like a town in respect to size and population. It was also much more well off, with a handful of venerable families living amongst it. There was a surplus of wages to go around, meaning a surplus of money to go directly into her pockets, though there was a lack of necessity in the effort as she didn't particularly need money. But she liked having it.

A friendship brewed between her and the heir to the Akimichi Clan. He was over a year below her age, yet still he had taken a certain liking to her and she alike developed a slight affinity for his company. Friendship was as far as things would go, she decided, knowing that he felt the same. Numerous times his mother hinted at how ever so wonderful it would be if she were to marry her son and mother his seven children and numerous times they had both insisted that that just wouldn't work.

"Oh! You're—chomp chomp—you got here earlier than I thought you'd —chomp chomp—be, Tenten." He exclaimed through fish cake after fish cake shoveled into his mouth.

That boy sure is unabashed about chewing with his mouth open, Tenten denoted in both amusement and disgust. "I was halfway out the door when I received your summoning, Chouji. So, why'd you call me here?"

She could tell he was hiding something—there was a white box behind him, not very big in general size or width. A delivery job, she guessed. When she wasn't doing security work for the Akimichis, she was running errands.

He put his plate of food to the side. "I just saw this flyer wavering around in the wind, and I think you might want to read it and see if it interests you."

"You called me all the way out here just to look at a piece of paper?" She frowned.

His expression showed sheepishness. "Well—chomp chomp, he took another fish cake—that's not it exactly, but still. Here, take a look."

In her left hand was placed the paper that would change her life, his life, and the life of just about every person she knew and perhaps everyone in existence if one were to really think about it.

Tenten read it over very slowly. She couldn't read very well; she was no illiterate, but education was not a high priority in her village since there wasn't much use a community of farmers could get out of such a skill. She'd never tell him or anyone for that matter, though.

It was a poster advertising a martial arts tournament for exclusively girls, age 14-18. Now that was a rare find. In her present age, girls were not encouraged to fight. Even in River Spirit, she was scrutinized for her fascination with fighting. The idea excited her; she could finally test her strength with a bunch of other girls, and hopefully make new friends that didn't wear horrendous forest green clothing.

The competition was to be held off in the Village of Pearl Moon at the Hyuuga Estate. Tenten grimaced. That was a great distance away from home, farther than she'd ever been. But what really made her eyes pop were the ryo signs and the bright words "CASH PRIZE." Anticipation filled her chest and her mouth went dry. This could be the opportunity of a lifetime. With all that money, she could live life in grand luxury, or better yet, afford to move out and stay in another village altogether. No more back-breaking work! No more useless arduous training exercises!

"Wait, Chouji, some of this is missing." She noticed, showing it to him. "The bottom's torn, see?"

"Oh, well—chomp chomp—I, um... I had to fight a crow for it. But I think it said something about dressing nicely."

A poorly restrained grin flashed to her features, a snicker withering in her throat. The image of Chouji in a struggle with a bird was not one she'd soon forget. That smile soon faded, however, at a certain realization. "Dress nicely? How 'nice' is that supposed to be? You know I don't have fancy things, Chouji."

Chouji shrugged. "I dunno. But you don't have to worry about that. I—chomp chomp—I bought you something."

"You... you bought me something to wear?"

"You don't have to wear it if you don't want to..." He sounded embarrassed. "But I still want you have it."

From behind him he brought out the box and gave it to her, fingers greasy from the food. She began to question whether it was sanitary or not to accept any kind of gift from him, but not wanting to offend, Tenten took it quietly and bowed.

Inside was a Chinese style long sleeve shirt with a white collar and maroon trim. Gold pin clips held the folds together. The pants were alike in fashion, a mix of red and purple with cut out pocket holes. On top of it all she found fingerless black gloves and a roll of white bandages.

"Whoa... Chouji, this looks amazing! Can I try it on?" She asked. He gestured to the room behind him and she eagerly hopped inside. It probably should've made her uncomfortable, getting undressed in a boys home, but she paid it no mind. The clothes were the nicest and most expensive gift she could remember ever receiving. The fabric felt smooth in her hands; was this the silk people sought after so zealously? Within seconds the whole ensemble was on her body, sans the tape because she didn't want to use it up. It was rather loose and baggy, probably a size too large, and it didn't bother her at all. As if she wanted some tight thing clinging to her figure.

"I think it suits you, Tenten." Chouji remarked upon her return.

"You think so? It feels great." She tightened the glove on her fist. "So I really get to keep it? It looks like it costs a lot."

The last fish cake seemed more important to him than her; he focused all of his attention on it and paced his consumption, then licked his lips and answered her. "You like it, right? It's yours to keep."

She bowed a second time, expressing her gratitude, and went to change out of it. From behind the sliding door, he chimed,

"Do you need any help with transportation? I know Pearl Moon isn't nearby."

Tenten felt tempted to accept his offer, but she was already in his debt. She didn't need a horse and carriage added onto the tab.

"No, but thanks. I can get there on my own..."

April 16th

Urgh! Argh! Hah! This is impossible!

"Higher, Tenten! Higher! What if your opponent can fly? Your kick out won't reach them!"

"If my opponent could fly, no kick could reach them!"

"That is an UNTRUTH! Tenten, you may be in the prime of your youth, but you are still just a spring bud of potential! If you ever hope to blossom, you—"

"—must put 200% into everything. I know, I know." An exhausted sigh swept past her lips. "But this is actually impossible. Gai-sensei, why am I doing this? No one can kick that high up, no matter how hard she tries!"

"Impossible? Impossible?"

With a bellowing roar Gai bent his knees and suddenly shot himself upwards like the release of pressure from a coiled spring. His legs, clad in nauseating skintight bottle green spandex, pummeled the sacciform object suspended twelve feet in the air as if it were a punching bag. He landed on the floor in an unceremonious thud, a cocky smirk on his face.

Most people would have stared in awe at the man before them and wondered if he was human. Tenten did, in fact, question his biology quite often, with an eternity of evidence to support the idea that he was a demon of energy, or maybe a dragon. But feats like these she saw on a daily basis and thus had lost its jaw-dropping effect. He would go to any lengths for the sake of making a point.

It was the same thing every other day, a lesson in overcoming the impossible.

That was the usual schedule, but in wake of her upcoming tournament, she had to deal with her guardian and sensei nine hours straight each day without her day off. Her muscles ached unceasingly and had so little time to recover.

This development was very poorly received by her brother-not-actual-brother Lee. He worshipped Gai and his training methods like a god. To have that precious thing taken away from him for a month was like losing his entire world. Gai quickly lifted his spirits in a long-winded speech about self-sufficiency and independence that ended in a tearful hug, knees on the ground, wailing each other's names. The two drama queens were the men she spent 90% of her time with. Tenten was pining on her heels for the time when these days would end.

April 20th

Tenten stared at the gray bag on the floor with unwavering contempt. Take that, you useless woolen sack of nothing. Rapid puffs of air flew away from her mouth. She dropped to her behind, outstretched aching legs, throbbing toe joints, supporting herself with her arms.

Gai stood behind her, looking proud with a slight semblance to smugness. He placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She smiled faintly.

April 24th

She dove to the left, ducked, resumed her stance, ducked again. He was holding back, she knew he was, and still he was so fast. Gai was a never ending offense, strike, strike, kick, punch, the best she could do was evade them by a hair. That was the lesson—evasion. So long as she could avoid every attack from an opponent, Gai reasoned, she could never be defeated if her stamina lasted long enough. Both knew it wouldn't be that simple, but the value in the idea remained.

"Agh!" Tenten cried out as a strong kick collided with her side. "Shit..." She cursed, dropping on one knee to clutch the tender area. Her breaths came out hard, she was long past exhaustion. That was going to bruise for certain.

And still, Gai didn't stop. He rushed towards her again with his fist raised, aimed at her face and she sluggishly tried to rolled out of the way—it was a second too late. The shriek that came from her lips could be heard even through the thick wooden walls of the dojo where they lived. Consciousness was slowly being lifted away from her body. Like a sensory overload, the pain she endured all over her body threatened to overwhelm her, and she nearly gave in, if not for the threat of another lecture and a twice as grueling exercise guaranteed for tomorrow hanging over her head. Tenten propped herself up on her arms with trepidation, biting her lip. It hurt so much. She could not see the need for Gai to hit her so hard. Her opponents wouldn't be any older than 18. It would be impossible for them to pack that much force behind a hit.

When she was back on her feet, resuming a defensive stance, Gai smiled at her effulgently, white teeth blinding her senses. That big, fat, tanned, calloused thumb was shoved in her face. In any other situation she would have been repulsed. Instead, she defeatedly sighed. At least she'd accomplished the impossible.

"Tenten! Tenten!" At the sound of her name coming from an all too familiar voice, she glanced upwards from the river behind the dojo where she bathed.

There weren't really any boundaries between herself and Lee when it came to their bodies. She didn't see him as a male and he didn't recognize her as much of a female either, which is why she wasn't so startled when he came running to her in nothing but a short, short towel around his waist.

"Shall I wash your back for you, my youthful sibling?"

"I've got it, Lee. Wash your own back."

"Okay, I will!"

He was really so over excited about everything. It wasn't healthy.

As they washed themselves, conversation flooded from his mouth. Lee was physically and possibly emotionally incapable of shutting himself up—things just thundered in his brain and flew to his mouth and he couldn't hold himself back from blathering about anything in the world.

"But Tenten! I am very happy for you, and also a bit jealous!"

A sigh left her lungs as she lathered her hair. "What are you talking about now?"

"My youthful sibling, you are so lucky! Not only do you get to train under Gai-sensei's superior tutelage, but you get to display the results of your hard work in only a week! I am so envious, I do not know what to do!"

When she looked at him, she saw that he was shaking, his back facing her. Her expression softened a tad. It wasn't easy to discern the changes in his emotions—he was so loud and open about how he felt about things, the tone of what he'd just said was the same as he would say "Today, I will do 100 push-ups!"

"Lee, believe me, I would love to let you take over his lessons. He's relentless, and he doesn't know when to stop."

And he chuckled, slightly somber. "You do not know how lucky you are, Tenten. Can you truthfully say that you have not improved your skills immensely since you started training more seriously with Gai-sensei?"

"Well..." She considered this. "No, I guess not."

"Gai-sensei is amazing. He takes care of us, and even trains us so that we may become as strong as him someday. For a person like that, more than anything, is not all you want to do make him proud?"

"Lee..."

"I will make sure that I can prove myself to him someday. So you as well, Tenten, must win the tournament for our most generous sensei!"

I'm also trying to win because of him, and you too, Lee.

Minutes later, she wrapped her towel around her body and went back inside the dojo, drying off her skin and hair.

But I will. I am going to win. For myself, for Gai-sensei, and for Lee, too. I will make them proud.

May 1st

The journey to Pearl Moon proved to be the most exhausting experience in her life, and it had nothing to do with the daunting distance itself.

Shockingly, it wasn't because of Gai-sensei or Lee, either.

They ran into an innumerable amount of obstacles. In one instance they came across an old woman with a sprained ankle, and because she was not comfortable being carried by a male, Tenten had been the one to carry her up and down a series of unavoidable hills. Lee offered to carry her with the woman on her back as well, and then Gai suggested that he carry all of them on his back so that they could be a traveling totem pole. The image was so horrifying it gave her the motivation to continue on for half of another mile.

After that, they discovered that some rueful idiot had severed the bridge ropes connecting it to the plane of land where they came from, so they had to climb all the way down (it was about 10 feet deep), cross to the other side, and climb up on the other side without proper climbing gear—just large knives and more rope.

And because the gods above had decided that they—she—hadn't been put through enough for one day, a chipmunk had snatched the flyer out of her hands, the flyer she needed for admission (what was that about Chouji fighting a crow for it?) and ran off. They wasted over two hours trying to retrieve the damn thing, which by that point had become a crumpled dirty mess. It was more or less recognizable as what it once was; she could only pray that it would be accepted, or else all the effort be for nothing.

These problems occurred sporadically over the next two days, which was actually not a bad time. Gai-sensei the Energy Demon had set the bar at a day and a half. Lee claimed they could make it in one day. For regular people, it would take four days, so even with the snags in their schedule they did well.

Pearl Moon turned out to not be the hustle and bustle type of environment that Fire Rat was. The population was higher by a hundred or so, but the atmosphere was less suffocating and more tranquil. The buildings were mostly white and none were outstanding. In an instant, Tenten could feel her head clear, her nose fill with a redolent aroma. She almost wanted to join the group of meditating women she saw in front of a pond. They were fighters, Tenten just knew that they were, and maybe meditation had some positive effect on their skill.

Gai-sensei exuberantly informed them that there was a flower known only to grow in Pearl Moon, the Pearl Moon flower for which it was named after. Apparently, the pollen that it gives off has soothing effects on the human body, soul, and mind. Tenten decided that this might be the kind of village she could live in once she moved out. It would be a stark change from her current living conditions, where she was constantly toiling to keep her mental equilibrium in check.

It was worth noting that everyone she saw had pale skin and dark hair, and they all seemed rather uptight. Snobbish. Genteel. She caught several "looks" being cast their way, probably because the villagers were so interested in the foreigners that had come to visit them. Her group did stick out like an elephant in a haystack—and that is to say, they did not blend into the crowd at all. Gai and Lee for obvious reasons, but she was quite strange-looking herself. Her skin tone was darker, her language coarser, her hair not so terribly well-kept as she realized it ought to be. The women here were more dainty than she had been when she was 12.

A day before the tournament, Gai-sensei had been merciful. Even he acknowledged that they had endured a lot, so he gave her the option between rock climbing (which she'd done enough of for one week), a beauty spa visit (what for?), or a hot spring (the obvious choice).

They separated at the entrance for males and females, warning he and Lee to behave because there might be natives in the bath who would judge them and if they got their group kicked out of Pearl Moon for doing something unseemly and weird she would literally annihilate them. She went on for three minutes about the things they absolutely could not do, such as talking to anyone or posing or cheering about some youthfulness or whatever. Their golden rule in public was, "If you wouldn't do it at a funeral, don't do it now." Lee was confused, though, because would not it be forbidden to undress in front of other men and relax in steaming water at a funeral as well? His response was a hopeless, wordless facepalm and the dirt kicked up by her shoes as she stalked off.

Tenten kept her hair the way it always was, except this time it was a little tighter and kept the stray hairs at bay. A towel covered her chest to a few inches down her thighs, and she proceeded to the water in the back. On her way inside, a woman bumped into her shoulder. Within a quick glance Tenten could tell she was very pretty, elegant even, sporting a petite body and long, glittery black hair. The girl bowed politely, saying nothing, and moved forward.

They're so classy. And... and perfect. River Spirit people are nothing like that. She thought, a sense of inadequacy trickling into her awareness.

Two more women strode through the doorway with towels alike around their breasts, except this time, they went out of their way to avoid touching her. That was the way it appeared, anyhow—there was too much space to necessitate moving that far away. What reason would there be to avoid her like that? Had she disturbed some sort of custom in Pearl Moon that she wasn't aware of?

"Ah! … Damn it." Tenten gasped—the band holding her right bun intact snapped, sending her hair to lazily droop over her face. It must have been tied too tight, damn it.

Quickly she hurried to the cubby where her bags were, the cold of the hollow vicinity was giving her goosebumps, and searched for a spare rubber band. But then her shoulders pricked up, and she could hear a voice, two high pitched voices crawling into her eardrums like ants creeping up her skin. A strange, uncontrollable urge in the pit of her gut made her want to hear what they were saying. Something told her that she should listen.

Her personal integrity betrayed her as she slid past the wall of cubbies separating one side of the changing room from the other. It was good enough at that distance, she wouldn't go any closer or gods above forbid, she'd get noticed.

"... here for the tournament."

...! A light bulb blinked in her head, remaining silent. Are they...

"I thought it was exclusive to our village only. How could we hand off our Prince Neji to some foreigner?"

Tournament? Foreigner? They're... not talking about me, are they?

"That girl is not suited for him at all. Sister, did you catch sight of her legs?"

"I know. They are so mannish and unsightly. No one would desire such a beast of a wife." Giggles bounced around the walls. Tenten frowned.

Are they?

"Both of you, shut your mouths this instant." A third, more mature voice boomed, nearly causing her to trip over herself. "Who raised you to talk in such a way? Mother certainly did not."

So now there's three of them. It must be those girls I saw at the entrance to the spring. Wonder who's saying what...

"You'd should know better than to underestimate your opponents. I'd task to see either of you recover from a kick by those legs."

Sounding wounded in unison, "But sister..."

"Quiet. Let us leave before you debase yourselves any further."

Footsteps, gentle as they were, were coming in her direction. Tenten's heart panged with vigor while her body froze. Of course she couldn't stay there and try to act nonchalant, but she couldn't run anywhere either! She half-tiptoed, half-sprinted to her bags and rummaged around, wanting to appear occupied as the girls rolled around the corner and, many footsteps later, seemed to exit the establishment entirely.

Finally, she relaxed. All over her were aches and irritated joints ravishing her body. She needed that onsen ASAP, or she'd be too stiff for any fighting tomorrow.

Speaking of the tournament, all of those girls must be entering, too. Tenten understood. They don't look so tough. But what's this about a prince? What's that got to do with anything? I feel like that's important, like I don't know something that I should... And are my legs really that bad? They look fine to me!

"So much for being classy," She grumbled aloud, at last lowering herself into the hot spring.

"Sensei! I cannot wait until the day where I may show my talents to the world!"

"Patience, Lee! Your youth will soon have its chance to shine, but now is Tenten's time."

Camping was most definitely not an option in this village, she had refused the suggestion as soon as Gai-sensei had brought it up. While Tenten had nothing against camping on its own, coming into the obviously conservative Pearl Moon and sleeping outside? On the ground? They'd think they were neanderthals.

Actually, it made her giggle a little bit. Would they be flabbergasted, spitting and sputtering? Oh gods, if the people heard Lee burp, or worse, fart, they might faint. That would be a laugh.

Tenten scowled at herself. Gai-sensei's sense of humor was rubbing off of her.

So they rented a room at an inn for one night. The caretaker seemed reluctant to let them use his facilities for anything, but they were paying customers. He relented regardless.

They got one room, two beds. It wasn't decorated, white walls all around and hard oak floor. There was a small bathroom with no sink and a miniature furnace that could be used for cooking. Still, it was in no way shabby; for a cheap motel, there weren't any scratches on the floor or chipping paint, and that was more than could be said for her hometown. Pearl Moon obviously kept high standards for themselves.

Gai-sensei brewed spicy curry in the pot, using ingredients he had brought with him from home. Lee ravenously drooled behind him, his stomach gurgling like that of a starved man. Tenten rolled her eyes, preparing the rice.

But soon, she could understand Lee's desperation. Having traveled for days, it had been long since real food had entered her stomach. The gloriousness of a big 'ol plate of cooked meat and vegetables and spices stewed with rice, the smell of the dripping brown sweet gravy, swimming with flavor and wafting a delicious heat to make her feel warm all over… yeah, she was delirious. And she was ready to eat.

With her trusty spoon, Tenten dove into the meal immediately, taking a big spoonful of rice and curry in all of its glory. She shivered with satisfaction.

… And then she began to shiver with something else.

The gods forsaken concoction squirmed down her throat, leaving peppery dits of fire in its wake. Her cheeks blazed with red. A tear crawled to the corner of her eye. No intelligent thought wandered to her mind lest it be incinerated by the spices conquering all of her senses, she could hear her tongue disintegrating and feel the prickles of peppers in her stomach. And obviously, the taste. Whatever merit garnered by the actual flavor of the food she couldn't detect—because the spiciness was positively overwhelming. Her hand flew to the cup of water faster than the eye could see and downed it like the fate of the world depended on it.

And it did nothing. She might as well have thrown a thimble of water on a forest fire.

"G—Gai-senseiii..." She breathlessly panted, fanning herself. "Did you... m—make the curry... spicier than u—usual...?"

"Why, of course, my summer petunia! The spicier it is, the luckier! It is my secret tongue-tingling gut-churning super spicy curry of overflowing youth!"

Tenten coughed and gagged, clutching her burning throat. "B—but... Lee!"

Upon a glance of Lee, Gai-sensei realized that he was foaming at the mouth and his eyes were rolled to the back of his head. His skin was of a glowing pinkish tint, his whole body lolling against the wall. Lee was the picture of moribundity.

"Lee! Lee! My precious student!" Gai cried. "Oh, no! Speak to me, Lee! Answer me!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... OH, LEE! I'M SO SORRY!" He bellowed, tugging Lee into his arms. He raucously sobbed, unleashing a flow of tears and snot over his shoulder. If Tenten weren't on the verge of death herself she would have chastised him to stop acting like a child. She reached across the table to swipe both of their drinks—forgetting her manners—and swallowed them. That helped a tiny bit; she wasn't clawing at her throat in agony anymore, an improvement, though her tongue was still felt like it was incinerating.

While they sorted out their skit, she would wash up and go to sleep. All preparation that could be made had been, and no tomfoolery would get in the way of an uninterrupted eight hour sleep.

May 2nd

Hyuuga Estate was impossible not to notice. There it was, standing exactly 15 feet above the ground in the rightmost corner of the village, a magnificent shinden-zukuri that exemplified minimalism. White and brown all around, defined by necessity. They didn't even have a little lake or pond like most aristocratic families did. In the place where one would usually be, there was a large, white tile platform lined by red paint and a series of tall, stair-like structures circling it, presumably for an audience.

After seeing the line of her competitors, her confidence grew. Like the three girls from the hot spring, they were all so petite—the tallest one in sight couldn't have been more than 5'4". Each painful training session after the other had begun to feel so unnecessary...

The man at the entrance seemed reluctant to let her group in. Obviously because they were "different," and also because of the issue with the flyer. He asked her why she was entering.

"Um... same reason as everyone else. I want the prize." Was her response.

He regarded her even more scrutinizingly after that. But they were let in and she was given the contestant number "18," so it didn't matter.

They all had to be separated before she went to the stage, bringing about even more crying and jubilant cheering from Gai and Lee. Embarrassment did not begin to scratch the surface of her humiliation.

"DO IT, MY MOST HONORABLE AND YOUTHFUL SIBLING!"

"REMEMBER WHAT I'VE TAUGHT YOU, TENTEN! OVERFLOWING YOOOOOOUTH!"

"OVERFLOWING YOOOOUTH!"

"OVERFLOWING Y—"

"For the love of the gods, be quiet!"

She quickened her pace to get away from them as soon as possible, red seeping into her cheeks. On the inside, just a tiny bit, she did appreciate the support, however loud and mortifying it was—but did they have to be so obnoxious?

Tenten stepped onto the twenty by ten foot arena with a little more self-assurance in her steps. Really, with the unyielding power and energy of Gai-sensei and Lee running through her, how could she lose?

An official of some sort worked to get all the participants in numerical order. Her black "18" landed her not too far away from the front, where they had the girls lined in rows of ten, columns of 5, spaced an arm's length away from each other. On her right was a girl who appeared to be younger than her, though it was probable that she fell under what Tenten coined as the "Pearl Moon" effect and was much older and simply looked like she was 12. That got her thinking, wasn't it possible for older women to enter the competition if they didn't look their age? No questions had even been asked of Tenten about that; they'd just let her in with her name and her hometown. Any kind of security check was minimal—in a fancy shmancy place like Hyuuga Estate, why wouldn't they be more careful letting strangers inside? That was awfully unsettling...

Another man with long dark brown hair walked onto the arena stage, his back to the contestants. All the girls seemed to straighten up, so she followed suit. He must be important. The audience, too, was paying close attention.

"I am Hyuuga Hiashi. I welcome you all to my estate. It is my honor to host this tournament so that we may see the talent and skill that exists within our youth." The man bowed. His voice boomed with strength and certainty. There was no way to not be drawn to every word that left his mouth. "An 'inconsistency' has been brought to my attention, and that we are more restricted on time than I had thought, meaning that we haven't the time for pleasantries."

Murmurs wandered about the room and in her group. She found it a bit inconsiderate that he couldn't reveal what this "inconsistency" was, especially when it would affect their fight.

"First, I shall explain the mechanics of the tournament. Each fight will be between two people. They will start at the center of the arena and separate once told to begin. They will fight until one is unconscious, forfeits, or the time limit of ten minutes has elapsed, where we will decide the victor based on the level of skill displayed. It is possible for neither to advance if we deem them unworthy, even if one is defeated."

Oh, that's interesting. So I might need to show off a little bit in order to move forward. She nodded to herself.

"There is no limit to the style of fighting a person can use. However, we do not permit the usage of weapons of any kind. Disobedience will result in instant disqualification." He deadpanned, sounding grave "Disqualification is also possible if a competitor falls out of the red lines surrounding the arena floor. Furthermore, we retain the right to judge whether a fight is progressive or not, meaning that if two opponents rival each other, we may put a stop to the match early. This is why we do not advise any of you to hold back."

The Hyuuga man turned around to face them on his latter few words. Tenten sucked in her breath. By his voice she'd assumed that he would be a stolid, rigid-looking person, but she was wrong. In the shape of his eyes was the shadow of something sinister. Something dark. Something that made her freeze.

Her heart stopped. For a second, just a moment, his pale, purplish eyes landed directly on her and they stayed there. It was a thousand year standoff between the two of them where the Earth spun and neither moved and the bone chilling ice of his fix bore into every facet of her being.

The arena was gone and the village was gone and she was at the edge of a cliff. The sky was dark, the air unbreathable, and an all-encompassing terror brewed that she could feel to a molecular degree. She could see snow and a hollow deathly chasm behind her and Hiashi was there, devoid of warmth, devoid of soul, coming closer, extending his palm to her forehead. They were five feet apart. Her brain sent the message to move, to run, to attack, to jump, to do anything and nothing worked. Not even her voice. Not even her eyes could stray from his wide, evil grin, and the sinister aura maliciously emanating from him, suffocating her, burning her skin.

A malignant chuckle slithered out of his throat. "It was foolish of you to return..."

GUHHRRAASSSH!

Her last sight was a fanged beast above her head, prepared to pounce. And then everything went dark.

She was back in the arena. She sucked in gallons of air for all she was worth hyperventilating, erratically gasping to gulp in even more. No one was on the stage anymore, no other competitors, only her and the confused, annoyed staring audience and Hyuuga Hiashi.

Hyuuga Hiashi!

"Number 18,"

Wh—what the hell...

"Number 18,"

H... how on earth did that just—

"Number 18." Hiashi bellowed, enunciating each syllable with successive severity. "Get off of the arena, or you will be removed from the estate by force."

"...!" She was stunned dumb and speechless. He was back to himself, no strange voice or crumbling cliff, though his eyes were just as steely. She couldn't even process what he'd said, what she was doing, but she got the feeling that she didn't belong where she currently was and dazedly hurried off the platform.

It took over 10 minutes for her to come back to calm down. By then a couple fights had passed (none of which she'd paid attention to), winners declared, some not declared at all (he had really meant it, not letting the unskilled advance). Putting herself back in the mind of the tournament wasn't easy; how could she put her all into a match after going through that? Whatever it was. She couldn't have imagined it. It felt so real.

Remarkably, Gai and Lee had the sense not to scream for her when it was her turn (probably Gai-sensei's doing. Lee couldn't have kept quiet on his own). The audience had been very quiet, which wasn't a good thing in Tenten's opinion, but that was just another quirk to attribute to the "Pearl Moon" effect. Even for something as basic as a watermelon eating competition, people in her home village would have been screaming at the first bite.

Her opponent was called Myokoboku Hieko, number 8. She was your average Pearl Moon citizen, sleek black hair, small body, porcelain skin. Nothing special.

They started off close in the center of the arena, facing one another—as close as they could get, anyway. She was a foot taller than every single competitor there. The attendant repeated the rules from before and had them bow to one another. And then they separated.

Sliding into her stance, Tenten made her body light on its feet. Like a termite, the image of Hiashi killing her was still gently, furtively gnawing away at her sanity. But she couldn't let that get to her. She couldn't let that hold her back, she couldn't. Nothing would.

"Begin!"

Here we go!

"..."

"..."

...

...

... Nothing's happening...

Hieko hadn't moved a muscle.

Unlike Lee, she was not typically one to initiate a fight. It was simply a stylistic preference; some would say getting the first hit in was advantageous, but for Tenten, preparing to defend herself and then a strong physical retort worked best.

Well, I'm not afraid to get things going. For real, this time, here I go!

She rushed at her opposite with her arms stringing behind her back and her feet flying forwards. Hieko stiffened, anchoring her small self to the ground. Tenten jumped in the air just before coming too close and swiftly twirled over her head, landing at Hieko's backside. Her adversary turned around and ran at Tenten with her flat palms outstretched for attack. Tenten jumped out of the way instantly, only to dodge and duck and dodge again at the onslaught of bulleting palm attacks.

Tenten intercepted Hieko's forearm with her own and shoved it out of the way, throwing off her balance. Seeing an opportunity she quickly formed a fist and punched her in the gut. Hieko cried out like a tortured animal and cluttered in a heap to the floor. The sound felt ugly and harsh to Tenten's ears. And then the official clapped, and the match was over. After about 68 seconds.

It occurred to Tenten a while after the fact that these girls sized up to small children of about twelve years, especially in comparison to herself. Meaning that a punch, her only offense during the entire fight, which she would estimate as having the same force she might use to maim a grown man, was...

In my defense, I'm supposed to show off. They specifically told us not to hold back! But… still… that doesn't make it entirely okay. She must be in a lot of pain. I'll be more aware next time.

Predictably, she was chosen as the victor. Hieko was helped off the arena by an attendant, dignified and silent, not acknowledging Tenten in any way.

Tenten was unstoppable.

Her second match had, remarkably, come to a faster conclusion than the first. A concise chop to the back of Honodeki Jyujie's neck and thump, she dropped. And Chiya Asahe forfeited the instant they were announced as opponents, bringing about a wave of hushed disapproval from everyone in the crowd. That, Tenten didn't understand. Was she so scary that the humiliation of giving up was a more appealing alternative to fighting?

One match remained.

"Number 18, Tenten of the Village of the River Spirit, and number 40, Kobashigawa Sayomuhime of the Village of Pearl Moon. Enter the arena."

They sauntered to their opposite ends of the platform and walked towards each other to the center circle.

After the episode with Hiashi had taken its toll and blown over, Tenten was not stupid enough to completely ignore every match that was not her own. She could learn strategic information by paying attention, such as knowing who was a threat, catching onto weaknesses, seeing what tricks each had under her sleeve, how long it took before someone became fatigued—all of it was important. That wasn't the kind of skill Gai-sensei could teach, being observant. In a nothing town like River Spirit, one learns to watch and observe on her own.

And yet, she could not even remotely figure out Sayomuhime. Her fighting style was plain, it was same palm attack thing that every other girl had used. She wasn't very fast, she didn't have outstanding reflexes, and she didn't appear to possess an unyielding determination with a fortitude like solid steel as Tenten did. But she had won every round thus far; that didn't happen with mediocre skills and luck—not against people her own size, an actual challenge.

"Wait. Are you… I saw you at the hot spring…" Tenten said slowly. It was the eldest sister that had defended her.

She seemed surprised. "You recognize me on a glimpse's width alone? I am humbled."

"Well… hi again."

"I welcome you to our village, stranger of River Spirit." Sayomuhime curtsied, a gesture Tenten was unfamiliar with. "I apologize on behalf of my sisters for speaking ill of you. It was of poor sport."

Tenten hid her surprise that Sayomuhime knew she had been eavesdropping. "Yeah, well, that doesn't exactly matter right now. We're gonna be fighting in a second."

"Yes. And I know that you are skilled, beyond our differences. I cannot hold back, I see." She lowered herself into a stance, palms facing Tenten.

"Great." She affirmed. "I wouldn't want you to. Let's go."

At the signal to begin Tenten jumped backwards—the other girl had rushed and gone for her chest. She caught up and forced the heel of her palm into Tenten's abdomen and went for her shoulder next. She was swift. She was unlike the other competitors—her attacks hurt.

Holding back wasn't an option for her, either. Now that pain and exertion were concerns she doubled up her defensive tactics. Block, block, block was on her mind. Tenten made to jab the princess in the chest. The girl shucked down to the ground, ducking, and instantly came back up with another palm. Tenten smacked away her wrist and shouted as she kneed her in the stomach. Sayomuhime groaned and coughed, gasping for breath. She quickly retreated to a distance away, wavering as she returned to her stance. They stared at each other briefly, sparks flying.

Running at her, Tenten raised her leg above her opponent's head and wrought it down. But before it could make contact, she felt a strong pressure in the back of her knee. Sayomuhime narrowed her fingers and successively stabbed them into various points along her leg. Tenten was stunned by the crippling pain, a numb yet radiant series of acute electrocutions flashing beneath her flesh. A broken, cracked yelp erupted from her mouth. She thudded to the ground on her butt. The immediate pain faded quickly, leaving a lingering, stinging sensation in the assaulted area, like hundreds of needles gently prickling upon her skin.

"Oh, gods, straight dead ticks, holy cow du—cks," Tenten cursed under breath, a favorite expression back home. She realized that Sayomuhime must have been hiding this ability, as Tenten had analyzed every match and didn't see anything like that. "What did you just do?!"

"I have attacked your pressure points, Tenten-san. Hundreds exist all over your body, and I have trained myself to memorize the precise location of each one." Sayomuhime explained, still recovering from the attack before. "Consider yourself blessed from above that I haven't the Hyuuga blood within my veins, else your limb would be of no use at all."

That's insane…! She gasped. There's no way I can take another one of those!

Gradually, Tenten worked herself back up on her feet, hissing through her teeth. Her leg still stung, but Sayomuhime told the truth. She could still move it well enough.

Both were injured and steadily offset by their opponent's strength. She didn't know how much time remained in the match, but she knew that nothing she'd done was as impressive as Sayomuhime's abilities. Knee in the gut versus crazy painful pressure point poking thing? It wasn't even a contest.

Narrowing her eyes, she decided that she would break the standstill. Tenten sucked in a breath and vaulted herself in the air, ignoring the strain of her leg. Sayomuhime mimicked the move, but she couldn't jump as high. Tenten flew half a foot above her head, smirking at the brief splay of panic surfacing her opponent's features. More show-off points with the judges for her.

And then Sayomuhime stretched her arms and took hold of Tenten's ankles, evoking a shocked gasp from her. She was ripped from the air and roughly tugged down to just below the princess' level, lucky that the difference in size made it impossible for her to be dragged down any more than that. Sayomuhime stabbed her along her midriff a few more times with her pressure point technique and with a final cutting prick sent her soaring. Back facing the arena floor, Tenten was crashing down, limbs flailing, heart racing. She was going to land outside the arena tape and be disqualified!

Pulsing was her blood to her heart to her brain. What could she do, what could she do?! Seconds separated her from defeat!

Sayomuhime was graciously landing, coming down from the air, but away from Tenten and within arena boundaries. Thinking of nothing else she could do, no better resorts, she reached and seized and brutally gripped the cloth of the other girl's robe, then spun and pulled her away from safety. Three feet above ground, Tenten groaned as she threw her higher into the air, shifting her weight with the momentum of pulling Sayomuhime pushing herself in the opposite direction, and inside the arena.

"I'm in!" Tenten exclaimed to herself, placing a flat palm on the arena floor, holding up her entire body upside-down. As Sayomuhime was coming down, Tenten remorselessly swung her leg at her, bone meeting body, a jagged shriek so loud echoed throughout the area, the audience as silent as ever. Walking on her hands, Tenten spun and spun, kicking her as many times as she could to end it all by flipping to her feet and axe kicking Sayomuhime to the ground. The solid THUMP and a sharp yelp was impossible not to hear.

"Stop!" The referee shouted as he rushed to the platform. He cast an indecipherable glance at Sayomuhime and examined Tenten, who was huffing and puffing. Wild eyed, she snapped her head around and stared at him listlessly, panting, beating heart an earthquake that shook her trembling arms and legs. "... This match is over."

"O—over?" Tenten said in a quiet, breathless tone that surprised her as it left her lips, the adrenaline beginning to disappear.

"Im… impossible," Sayomuhime uttered with strain, painstakingly bringing herself up from the ground. Her perfect black hair was mussed and frazzled. "It cannot have been more than six minutes…"

He nodded. "Six minutes exactly. That is not why the match is over."

Without a word of explanation more, the man turned around to leave. It looked like he might have been hurrying to get away before Hiashi came to approach the both of them, some kind of vague expression plastered on his features.

Apprehension and wariness swirled inside Tenten. She remembered the cliff. The logical side of her brain said Hiashi would not hurt her,had no reason to hurt her, not in front of his guests. She was scared because she didn't know what would come of her final match. What if she lost "points" or was fouled for grabbing Sayomuhime's clothing? What if she had touched the outside of the boundaries without noticing, or just plain lost for not being as good a fighter? It was impossible to predict what he would say.

"I congratulate you both on what was, by far, the most apt display of ability and skill this tournament has seen." Hiashi declared to them and the audience in quite a dull tone, considering the weight of the compliment. Sayomuhime bowed, and Tenten repeated the movement.

"Tenten. You are a stranger in this village, and your fighting style is foreign to our people." Facing away from her, he pronounced himself scoldingly to the section where losers spectated. "I am grateful for this. Now, they have gained some exposure to a style besides the gentle fist, and will train to become more well-rounded."

Wisely, she chose to say nothing. Technically, he hadn't said anything nice… that must've been a bad sign.

"Kobashigawa Sayomuhime. You embody all the qualities of a pupil who perfectly reflects the honor of the Pearl Moon name. Your strength, your technique, your intelligence, both surpass every standard for your age."

If it were possible to gush over someone in an emotionless voice, Hiashi deserved an award. Tenten internally guffawed, a line of sweat curling down her chin. Her heart steadily began to slide down, down, down her chest like a sticky dumplings sliding down a wall after being thrown. Anger and irritation, too, left tickled flecks in her veins. So Sayomuhime was a blessing from the heavens and Tenten was an alien with a weird way of fighting. Nice.

"... However," Hiashi followed in that deep, authoritative voice that could make mountains move. "Today, that is irrelevant. I could see that the two of you are almost evenly matched, and I haven't the time to prolong the fight. That is why I have decided to end it early."

Sayomuhime brightened. Tenten slackened.

"That said, I emphasize that you are almost evenly matched. One of you possesses a quality that I have not seen in any of the competitors today… and that person will be the one to win the tournament."

Hiashi guided them to the center of the arena, him in the middle with each of them on either of his sides. Only then did Tenten realize the enormity of the audience. Staircases circling the platform up to about 12 feet, it resembled a miniature coliseum. There couldn't have been less than at least 500 people!

"Now, I ask you to raise your head…"

She held her breath and bit her lower lip, staring at the ground with the widest of eyes. Tenten was all too deathly aware of the sudden silence and the tension, it made her want to burst of her skin and demand the result. Her harsh breaths seemed to be the only thing she could hear, coupled with a metronome heartbeat roaring in her ear.

This is it…

"... Tenten, of the Village of the River Spirit."

Before she could react, everyone in the arena caught the jubilant, hazardous outburst of one Rock Lee, which went something along the lines of, "YES! TENTEN, I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT! YEEAAAAAH!" before being hurriedly silenced by sensei.

Her eyes and mouth opened wide. All the tension in her body eased like the untying of the tightest knot in the world, or the long xylophone roll of stiff spinal joints cracking in succession. Pride, elation, and warmth poured into her heart and pooled inside until it was full.

For once, (at last), the audience clapped, and in spite of the fact that it was the most pitiful thing Tenten had ever heard she bowed with her heart swelling up as if it were a warm balloon in her chest. There was a certain someone clapping a fraction too loudly and rapidly in a manner about as unquestionably out of place as the sun in a midnight sky, but even that minor annoyance was a penny to the wealth of pride swirling to her head.

"Yes! Thank you, thank you!" Tenten cheered and bowed humbly. And she might have flashed a peace sign, but she deserved to be a little bit haughty with the odds of bias working against her. Truth be told, if a competition were to be held in her home village and some outsider that was twice her size had won, she would be ticked off, too.

"Tenten," Hiashi started, readily stiffening her posture. "The—"

"How can this be…"

"—prince will be here to personally—"

"How can this be…"

"—deliver your prize. There, he is—"

"HOW CAN THIS BE?!"

Tenten was quick to stop Sayomuhime's leg from swiping her neck clean off, tightly gripping her ankle.

The princess wrenched away her stolen limb and glared at Tenten with the most hateful, revolted, coal black eyes she'd ever seen.

Tenten guarded herself, stepping backwards. "The fight's over! What is your problem, Kobashiga—"

"Do not DARE to taint my name with your horse lips. You are legions below me."

Various gasps floated from the audience, but no one attempted to silence her. Her body looked as anxious to fight as it had at the start of their match, and her eyes never left Tenten, boiling her as if she were the lowest of the low, the dirt at the bottom of the barrel, the dog shit on a new pair of shoes. It made her want to take a step back and crawl into a hole, reassess her being and escape to the opposite side of the planet.

"Hyuuga-sama, I beg you, please, explain to me why it is that I, the fruit of the Kobashigawa family, must suffer such humiliation. I am loyal to the village and I am loyal to your clan! She does not even know of your legacy!

"It should be I that is victorious! My blood is rich, and hers spoiled! I would be valleys, mountains, WORLDS more valuable to be wed into the Hyuuga than this revolting skunk of a woman!"

Her eyes darted to the crowd, scanning them with readiness, daring anyone to object her.

"You scold me for speaking so dirtily, but it is on all of your minds! By the most elementary of expressions, simply look at this creature! Bearing the skin of a fielder, the bulk of a male, the mouth of a degenerate countryside fool. She deserves not to be a woman, much less to marry the prince, whom I have loved since the day I laid eyes on him! I will not allow this swine to steal away my opportunity to be with him. I will die first!"

Tenten was speechless—she was just so flabbergasted—forced into a stunned silence. Even if it wasn't friendship, after what she'd said at the hot spring, Tenten would have at least thought that she had Sayomuhime's respect, the same respect that had been delegated to her and she'd been charmed into thinking was reciprocated.

Betrayal festered in her gut. Did everyone in this village think these awful things, too? Were those "looks" of disgust, not awe? In River Spirit, no one looked at her that way. No one made her feel like she didn't deserve to exist amongst their kind. No one felt an inch of the entitlement Sayomuhime had just wrung from her lips. And no one had the right to feel that way, either.

Tenten had enough. She refused to be disrespected and just listen to Sayomuhime say whatever she wanted about her, not when she was a damn well decent human being who hadn't done anything wrong!

"You have no right to be here, Tenten of the Village of the River Spirit. Forfeit, and save yourself the—"

"Be QUIET." Tenten roared, stomping her foot down. Whatever scornful glare Sayomuhime had thrown her way she gave back tenfold, threatening to scrap with her again if that was what she wanted. "You're the disgusting one, Kobashigawa! Do you have any idea what I've gone through to get here, how hard I've trained, and you say I don't belong here? I had no say in the way I look, nobody does, and if you insult—discriminate against anyone for that, then you're just a horrible human being!

"I would get it if you hated me for being from a different village, or for beating you just now. But I just don't get you. You of all people, an amazing fighter, must know how hard it is to be a girl in this world and prove that you can do anything the boys can. Girls should stick together! Not take them apart because some look girlier than others!"

The remnants of her rebuttal echoed in silence, giving it time to sink in skin-deep. Tenten breathed heavily through her nose and eyed Sayomuhime, who looked uneasy, still standing like she was going to strike any second. Bitterness was clear in her face, a stale, acrid glare unyielding.

"I..."

Her posture slowly relaxed, sliding from martial stance to normality. And then the princess dropped to the ground and bowed to Tenten for all to see, her face on the ground.

"Forgive me, Tenten of the Village of the River Spirit. I had... I had no place to speak to you in such a way, and I offer a thousand apologies. My mind was… clouded by my envy, and I became a vile, vindictive spirit. I do not know what could have possessed me to say such things…" Her voice rocked like a bottle in a stream, calm, but shaken, as though she really was shocked at the words she'd said. "I am sorry. You are clearly the one who deserves to wed the Hyuuga prince."

Tenten had just been put on a roller coaster with no seat belt. Could this day get any more weird?

"... Raise your head, Kobashigawa. I'll take the apology, not this."

She offered a hand to her former opponent, siding with reconcile. More than likely, they were never going to meet again. She wasn't one to hold grudges either, and as sudden as the princess' outburst arose had her repentance came. Tenten just couldn't believe that Sayomuhime was a bad person.

They shook hands and bowed to each other, settling the friction. Tenten felt good, though she knew now that Pearl Moon could never be her future residence. Not in a society where people thought like this.

"One last thing," Tenten remembered in the midst of their handshake. "You keep mentioning this prince and marriage. Does winning mean I'm invited to some royal wedding, too? I only wanted the cash prize."

Sayomuhime gave her the strangest look in the world, like she'd just grown wings out of her ears. "... Do you mean to say that you did not—"

Her hand went limp.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

She fell to her knees and collapsed on the ground.

Tenten never got to hear the rest of her sentence, nor did she ever hear Sayomuhime speak again.

Immediately, she saw the culprit. Hiashi hovered over the body of the princess with his flat palm raised sideways, his features hard and tough. By the position of his body it appeared that he'd only given a chop to the back of her neck, a basic move for knocking someone out.

She blinked. Something dark purple and brown had met her eyes before being eclipsed by his long, loose sleeves. And it moved.

Bewildered and shocked, Tenten bent to the level of the fallen girl and examined her face. "What did you just do to her?!"

"It was time... for Kobashigawa Sayomuhime to be silenced." Hiashi declared rather darkly. His voice didn't sound like his own, different from what she'd heard before. Shivers crawled down her spine like a long-legged spider, and she could only stand when Sayomuhime was lifted by medics and taken away.

I really don't like how he said "silenced." Something isn't right here… what was Kobashigawa going to tell me? And if he wanted her to be quiet, why didn't he shut her up when she first insulted me?

A small woman arrived onstage as Hiashi exited. Her hair sat atop her hair in a white, simple bun, and wrinkles leathered her skin. She was the only person in the village Tenten could immediately tell was a senior, a telltale sign being the dry oak cane with a head fashioned into the face of a bird, and gold and pearls decorated the base. It was clear that the woman had some high standing in Pearl Moon, so Tenten bowed in respect, awaiting what she would say.

Inconspicuously, the old woman washed over Tenten with her eyes, judging her, and then she nodded to someone, perhaps herself, before facing the shinden-zukuri.

"Summon the Prince!"

Every single person in the surrounding audience stood and bent over, hailing the entrance of the Prince. Tenten merely looked in the direction where the woman had called, craning her neck in anticipation of the reportedly grand, divine heir.

In robes of white, a boy her age emerged from the building with a world of awe upon him. The wind chose to whisper a tentative gust at that moment, gently pushing his long, waterfall hair of mahogany hue behind him. He was coming, a distinguished saunter carried him to the stage, and he didn't look at the crowd or even spare them a glance. The prince aimed his eyes of pearl and dried lavender at Tenten with no sign of expression at all, none for disgust or surprise or loathing. He then bowed his head in greeting, to which she responded with an unintentionally ill-mannered nod.

Tenten didn't realize she was into the "princely type" until just now.

The old woman flashed a grimace at her, and if Tenten didn't know any better she'd say that she didn't seem all too impressed with the prince, either. But why? If there were anyone in the room to unquestionably respect, wouldn't it be him?

"Raise your palms to each other." She commanded dryly. Tenten's eyes darted between the elder and the prince, and she almost had the gall to ask why, but she'd already made a scene and had the immediate disapproval of everyone in the area. Now was not the time to be anymore discourteous or obviously ignorant of Pearl Moon traditions. Tenten went as instructed and presented her right hand to the prince. He answered with his left and their palms touched, pressing flatly against each other. His was only faintly warm, like the bare minimum of blood coursed through his fingertips, and his light, buttermilk skin contrasted against her more tan, sandstone shade from spending her days in the hot sun. It was interesting to see the different tones mingle with one another, yet still stand apart as strangers.

She felt anxious and uncertain, and regrettably steered a glance directly at his face. Handsome? Of course. But he was also… pretty, in a way. He hadn't a broad jawline, it was more smooth and shaped like an elongated upside-down teardrop, and though that was a feature commonly attributed to females, it worked for him in a uniquely crafted way.

Her face warmed as she realized two things. One, she had been blatantly checking him out right in his face, and two, he hadn't stopped staring at Tenten since he'd first laid eyes on her. She frowned, unease churning in her stomach. Her pinky finger twitched out of discomfort. What did this have to do with the tournament?

The elder spat another demand and formed an indecipherable sign with both hands. "Speak each other's names and face one another directly. Do not break eye contact."

Without reticence or struggle he said, "Tenten," and she could swear every woman in the audience wanted to toss her into a pit of fire. He hadn't said her name in any special way, and still she had to gulp and blink twice. He sure knew how to make a girl nervous with little effort.

Hold on… what was his name again?

Panic quickly gripped her heart.

Shit, I don't know his name!

She wasn't allowed to look away. Everyone waited expectantly. What kind of buffoon didn't know the prince's name? She sure as hell couldn't ask!

Tenten reeled through her memories and fished for a name. On every instance she could recall, he'd only been referenced as "the prince." It was safe to assign "Hyuuga" as his surname, but even that lended no favors in divulging the information she really needed!

Seconds burned by. Remarkably, Tenten held an anchored stare with the prince, consciously abstaining from wandering away. Even his brows furrowed in perceived disapproval, like she was wasting his precious time.

Her upper teeth dug into her lower lip, biting it. Tenten knew she had heard his name before, in the whispers of the competing girls or the gossip of the villagers. Somewhere, someone had said his name, and it was—

"... to our village only. How could we hand off our Prince Neji to some foreigner?"

"Hyuuga Neji…?"

Their conjoined hands began to glow.

Tenten wrenched her arm away in fear only to be quickly recaptured by Neji. His fingers molded into the spaces between hers and the burning blue light reappeared even stronger, kindling a burning hot energy in their palms. Electricity coursed from her fingertips to her shoulders and soon energizing every fiber in her body. The power threatened to make the buns on her hair burst, blowing her bangs back as if there was wind and she opened her mouth to scream, but gasped like a fish out of water as the world went black and the light shrunk her pupils.

"Linkage!"

The power seemed to flare all over, lights dancing across the arena, and then intangibly converge at a single point. It rushed to the tip of her index finger where it churned and intensified, burning, burning, burning, the skin blazed red and Tenten cried out until her throat went dry.

"Bond!"

In an instant the pain simmered down like cold water poured on hot iron. The light disappeared. Whitespots filtered in and out of her vision, she couldn't see anything clearly. Standing became an impossible feat, legs going numb, her brain swimming in a muddy swamp of dizziness. She vaguely felt her body limply descend to the ground until suddenly being stopped by someone, held in his arms. Was it Lee or Gai-sensei, leaping to her rescue?

Growing clarity circulated throughout her limbs like a cool stream. Tenten blinked rapidly and motioned her free fist to her eyes, rubbing away the vertigo. She forced herself to stand on her own as she stepped back onto the plane of reality, wavering a bit, but nonetheless getting herself together. The male holding her retreated slightly and she realized that it was Prince Neji. Any ounce of dreaminess, however, was long gone. Forget these confounded Pearl Moon customs, she deserved to demand what this woman had just done to her!

Tenten began to take a step back, but not all of her body could go with her. Glancing up, she saw that her right hand was still enclosed with his, only this time, she could not willingly separate hers.

Huh?

The prince swiftly returned to her side, appearing as a wide embrace to onlookers, but his intentions were revealed to her alone as he brought his lips to her right ear.

"Listen to what I say closely, as there is no time for an explanation…" His smooth, chillingly grave voice made her shiver, disorientation still clinging to her nerves. "In about 30 seconds, an attempt will be made on our lives."