Everything around me is dark. I can't see my hand, my fingers, the ring that I know is there, but I can see a figure. The outline of it is rugged and shady, but there are two glowing orbs on what I assume to be its head. I'm right, and it turns out to be a person.. And there are two more, not quite as tall, but with those same crystal orbs. They're taunting me, laughing, cat-calling my name.

Something grabs my arm. It pulls me, far away, to a place where there is light. The dreadful figures don't follow me here, so I feel safer than when I'm around them, but I know I'll have to go back there one day. My chains may be gone now, but they'll return. I know it.

My name is Tenten. My life is those figures. I will follow their orders. I will obey. I will. But I won't. I won't let the overbearing overlords take my freedom completely! After all, what's the point of saying you have a happy ending if you aren't truly happy?


"I'm surprised to see you here!" a voice screams as I walk into the flower shop. "I'd never expect you'd take the time out of your brand new, busy life to come visit me, Ten!"

"Yeah right, like I'd do that, Ino!" I'm standing in front of her, watching her jaw drop at the sight of me. I've neglected her ever since I returned from my honeymoon. I should probably have told her I was going to do that, but I forget things like that. "I could never forget you,e specially after all you've done to get me here."

She stares at me with huge green-blue eyes. "So tell me how your trip went!" My shoulders shrug, because, even if she is my best friend, I felt like a rift had fallen in between me and anyone I knew that wasn't married. I wasn't going to just go out and tell her everything that happened the week I was gone. There were two reasons for this. One was because she had a tendency to repeat what someone said to everyone else, and the other was because everything that happened recently was still extremely surreal to me.

Two months ago, I never would have seen me end up the way I am now. Back then, I was a liar who couldn't trust anything or anyone, except for Ino. But after a dreadful mistake at a bar late one night, I ended up in an engagement with the man I considered my worst enemy: Neji Hyuuga. The very next day, I found myself writing in a notebook that I later named Signel, the Diary of an Engaged Kunoichi. It made me notice all my strong and weak points, and pretty soon I was perfectly okay with marrying him.

There was only one thing wrong with the picture: his family. They spied on me, verbally tortured me, and even tried to keep me from making it to the wedding. But I stayed strong and overcame them and the obstacles they set forth. I might have gotten to the wedding a bit late, dressed up like a rocker, but I was there for the biggest moment of my life, even if there were a few awkward moments. Like getting dropped on the floor when I wanted to see the top of my cake.

And then there was our honeymoon. There is nothing that can beat sitting on top of a tree and watching the sun set. Nothing that can beat relaxing in a hot spring, not having a care in the world. And there's definitely nothing that can beat laying in bed all morning, just to bask in the peace that surrounds love.

If this was me two months ago, I would be hysterically laughing at my own words. But I've rapidly matured lately. I'm no longer the careless twenty-two year old brat I once was. I'm a completely different person. Everything has changed, and there's no stopping it.

"It was positively amazing," I tell her, trying to give her an answer that wouldn't be lying, because there's no way I can put the experience into words. "I had a great time being away from all the stress around here."

She grinned mischeviously. "And what else, because you must have had some late nights and all..."

My cheeks began to turn red. "Why is it that every time that someone does something romantic, you go on about that?" I was angry with her, but she smiled at me charmingly and rolled her eyes.

"You and I both know you did. Don't deny it." I sigh; there's no use trying to tell her off. "Now, tell me everything!"

"Ino, I just realized I need to go take care of some things. I'll talk to you later, okay?" I wasn't lying to get out of the situation. I really had to leave to talk to some others, and I would at least try to get back to her.

She yawns, amused at my behavior. "Fine. But next time, you are letting me in on your little secret!" I wave at her and take off to my next stop: the Hokage's office, where I know the one of the worst things that could possibly happen to me is going to take place.


"And that's why I have chosen you to go on this mission!" Tsunade yells at me, after a hour long speech on my inability to follow directions. I'm totally shocked, because she hadn't mentioned anything about a mission before that. "Oh, yes, and because of your spectacular behavioral change you experienced in the past weeks from writing down all your thoughts, I am giving you a present for it. I believe you will enjoy it"

From behind her desk, she extracts a box, wrapped delicately and shaped, oddly enough, like a box, meaning it wasn't going to be something extravagant. She put it in my hands, and I quickly ripped it open, revealing a new journal and a kunai engraved with my name.

"Th-thank you," I stutter, bowing my head to her.

"Go out and break in those things! You might want them when you go on your mission, too, but that is only because they can keep you company!" She flicks her hand towards the door, and laughs.

I can only begin to understand the level of aging that has settled in on her mind, when she starts talking to herself as I leave. She starts saying things about people that meant something to her many years ago, people long gone. Then there are the cries for the man that she had loved that I lost for her.

Was it my fault that she was doing this? Was the mere sight of me emotionally distressful for her? Or was it just another secret I wasn't quite supposed to know about? I let the thoughts drift before frogeting about them completely and making my way home.


May 19 - A new beginning...

Secrets worth keeping are those life-changing ones. Secrets like what you did on your honeymoon or what your uncle-in-law wants your role in the family to be. On an average day in my life, you have to hide these secrets from everyone who doesn't know, plus those who don't need to know anymore than they already do.

I'm a bad girl for what I've done in the past. I might not be the old me, but this new version is just as messed up as that one. Adding a piece to my name may have made me stronger, but the letters still don't lie. I have a terrible past, but an awesome future. See? The terrible comes from the first letter in my name, and the awesome comes from the last.

You aren't just gonna be a "replacement" Signel. You are gonna be my new diary, totally different from the last one. That means I'm gonna have to name you, but that can wait.

I'm a Hyuuga by name but a rebel at heart. I'm a ninja both in real life and in written words, but most of all, I'm Tenten all the time.