◊ (She free of Destiny :: He free of seals :: Bird free but bound by destiny from his seals) ◊
Tenten and Neji were training; they were 16 years of age. Most ninja and all others were preparing for their marriage ceremonies. Even their teammate, the most unlikely candidate for a marriage, Rock Lee was preparing for one.
He said that when it was time he's walk to the alter, and some girl that his family forced on him would be there, he'd marry her. Then one day he'd be killed for the sake of his family, or they'd kill him. He'd then be free.
She said that she'd leave in the hands of Tsunade and the elder council since she didn't care. She wanted a preference of course but Tsunade promised to take care of this for her. She agreed to it thus, she wasn't worrying over it. For now… it was just her, and Neji.
A Chuunin approached the training area. Both ninja turned to meet the eyes of the Chuunin, they were ANBU, still training together. She was a trained assassin, he was in the search and capture division, however, they still trained together.
"Ms. Tenten, you are required at the Hyuuga Complex." Tenten looked surprised. Why shouldn't she? She looked to Neji who offered of course no thoughts on this.
"Yes. I'm going." She ran off leaving Neji Hyuuga there to train uselessly on a tree instead of his long-term partner, Tenten. He didn't like her being at his home at all. He had thoughts but he pushed them off. They wouldn't matter anyway, she'd be married, who cared who it was to. He definitely didn't.
After an hour she returned. "Tenten." He stated.
"Don't worry about it. Nothing much." She answered with a gentle smile. He nodded and they procceded to train further. When late night came they went their separate ways, she to her house, he to his. He walked in the door.
"Neji, Hiashi-sama needs you." A fellow branch member stood in front of the door, and told him. He nodded. He went into the small sitting room.
He sat down in a chair. "You are 16 and upon your 17 birthday you will marry Ms. Tenten." He shrugged with a non-caring expression. Hiashi apparently expected him to care. He didn't. Inside he was a bit relieved, he knew the girl he was marrying her. It wasn't much better than his plan, but a bit. He wouldn't have to worry about her being weak, her needs or that she wouldn't approve of his being a ninja. He knew the girl he would spend the rest of his life with. She didn't seem to care either, so neither would he.
"Is that all?"
"I guess." Neji got up and left.
Then next morning he awoke to a knock at the door. It was Tenten. "We have to talk." She said. She seemed bothered, it was most likely the marriage.
"Then come in." She seemed surprised by his response. She sat down on the bed next to him. He still said nothing. "Destiny, is unchanging."
"No… it can be changed."
"So you want to change it?" He asked.
"I'm not sure. My point was not that I want it changed, but it can. How do you feel about this?" She asked.
"I have no choice. I was told, I agreed, that is it." She seemed bothered by his non-caring expression, all seemed to be.
¤ (2 Year Later) ¤
Neji hadn't changed at all. Well, that was a lie. He changed a bit. He still wasn't the kind of guy Tenten wanted to be married to. She wanted to be married to a guy who showed his love for her, knew her, and cared about her. Neji barely did any of these.
They had been married a year now and Tenten had just given birth to their first child. Neji didn't seem to care which annoyed her to no end. She just wanted to scream. However, this would do no good. She just wanted to smack him. She cried upon giving birth but not at all because of the pain; because of the selfish idiot husband of hers didn't seem to care.
She regretted deeply being married to her childhood friend and partner. She loved him, it was a true fact. She'd do anything for him. She took care for him, she did everything for him. However, he could care less about her. She was constantly crying and he offered not a care in the world about her.
Hiashi came into the room to see Neji uncaring sitting beside her. She was holding a baby and crying. He could read the girl without his Byakugan. He regretted the day that he forced them to get married. He felt bad for the girl. This was the first of his four life mistakes. He was going to have to make another. Under the new Hyuuga Head, he had to. It was a new law.
The death of his brother
Sealing Neji
Marrying Tenten to Neji
Not carrying enough for his daughter
He walked into the room. She looked up. He had begged for forgiveness for marrying them. Every time she would tell him, it was fine and she forgave him. He could not believe in his mind that she would forgive him for this next deed. "Tenten follow me please." She was surprised but she was really allowed to leave. Neji followed them.
The arrived at the Hyuuga Complex. She figured it was some sort of welcome to the family dinner. However, it was nothing close to the sort. Neji could feel the room approaching, the horid room that destroyed his life. His eyes went wide with fear.
They walked into a meeting room. Tenten looked around seeing many Hyuuga. She smiled but the looked at the ground. She had a bad feeling. She would have collapsed to her knees if she didn't have a baby in her hands, their baby.
"Tenten, we are sorry to report that the new leader has issued that all babies once 3 days old must be sealed if not the head." Neji was scared… they were going to seal his child. He looked at the ground, what a horrible thing for a child that small to go through. He pitied his child; this was such a horrid thing to do.
"No." She said simply. "No way." She said calmly. He looked up at his wife.
"Sorry Tenten but you must hand over the child." Hiashi said holding his arms out.
"Nope. I'm going to the head about this."
"You can't." Hiashi said.
"Does it look like I care?" With a bit of pain and sadness in their faces many Hyuuga ran up to the girl. With one arm and two legs she fought off all the Hyuugas in the room. They were all unconscious. She was tired, they would get her. There was no going against destiny.
She walked over to him and got her face close to his. "Hyuuga Neji, take me to the head of your clan, now!" She commanded. She was stronger than he figured. He nodded and led her to the room. Hinabi was sitting in a chair.
She stood up. "Tenten, Neji… what's going on?" She said in fear.
Tenten took no time in knocking the wife of the head out. It took virtually no chakra. She walked into the room. A man sat in a chair, he had a smirk but looked at her. "How dare you." She said.
"I'm making sure that all of the Hyuuga are taught at the youngest stage who their masters are. That is your explaination now bow to the rules Mrs. Hyuuga and take your child there."
"No. I intend to fight you, right here." She said. Neji was shocked, she was going to fight him. He was the strongest man there. He was the strongest ninja Neji had ever met. She didn't stand a chance.
"Doubt me if you want Neji but here." She handed them their child. "No matter what happens, just hold her. That's all I ask." He nodded. It was his child after all. He owed her that much, to hold their child.
Neji looked on the eyes of the baby Hyuuga. "I envy you. I also pity you. You're so young and are going to be hurt. It hurts me too you know. Everyday. You'll grow hard of heart and then… you give up in fighting, sometimes you want to fight it, others you don't. In the end you'll lose so just don't fight."
Tenten and the man, Yore took off at each other. She fought but he knew she'd lose. She had barely recovered from childbirth and the hits she took from those Hyuuga didn't help either. It was a loosing battle.
However, he was surprised but she had really weakened him. She was winning but then… she collapsed to the ground. That was it. He sighed, "I told you. It's not worth it." The man approached Neji.
"Child… now." Neji sighed and was about to hand their child to him. Not sure what he'd do. When he fell to the floor. Neji activated his Byakugan. The man was dead. He saw Tenten using the wall to hold her up. She had landed a blow where it would kill him but it did her damage too.
Hyuugas rushed in the room, they were about to activate Neji's curse seal. He waited for it. It never came. She pushed him through the open window into a bush, holding the child tightly. Tenten did the curse seal herself and brought them to their feet. He noticed that she didn't use enough chakra to kill or hurt them, just a pulse that was like being hit with a kunai. Those not being in the branch house were hit with kunais. She dropped to the floor leaning against the head's desk.
"I killed your leader. Now you're free. Even you Neji. All free." She said. Her eyes closing. "I'm the head now. But I'm dying… so Neji… you're up." She said closing her eyes and falling limp.
The men realized, as did Neji. Their curse seals were gone. How did she manage that, one would never know. He set their child on the ground and ran to her. Tears filled his eyes. "Tenten, come back to me. I'm so sorry."
¤ (A Month Later) ¤
Neji was the head but he didn't do any of the work, not yet. Hinabi did the paperwork, on his orders. He spent all his time sitting next to the body of his wife. Hinata sat in a chair holding their child; she didn't leave yet. She was free from her life as an outcast. She was accepted back in; Tenten hadn't done that. Neji had a feeling Tenten would have done the same.
"Why are you sorry?" He heard her say.
"What?" He asked.
"You said sorry, why?"
"I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for not treating you like you should have. I'm sorry for not supporting you and loving you like I should have. I'm sorry for being a jerk and hurting you so much. I owe you everything."
"Leave me alone Neji." She said. He looked down.
"Yes Tenten." He deserved to be hated by her. He could have helped her, saved her, and protected her. It was his fault that their only child was almost sealed in the end. He should have protected their child. He deserved to be hated.
Neji walked out of the room and saw the eyes off all the Hyuuga stare at him. "She is awake." The all had signs of over excitement but it was muffled when they saw his face. "I'm leaving. I deserve to be resealed again. I betrayed the only thing that I had that went against destiny."
"Who?" A man asked.
"Tenten and that child, they go against destiny. He was to be sealed, he wasn't. She was supposed to be a branch member and abide by their every word and rule. She is the head. I don't deserve them. I don't deserve to go against destiny. I didn't go against destiny; she did on her own. I am not part of her. I never was. She did all by herself. I relied on her, now I stop bothering her. I paid some debt but nothing would ever equal what she did."
"You're going to fly away?" A man asked.
"No. I'm still ground bound. I can't fly because the weight on my wings is too much. Only she can go against the weight destiny has befallen on me and lift me to flight. She won't. If I was she… I think I'd do the same. I don't deserve being free of this seal or the weight of destiny."
Tenten sat in her room. Hinata walked over to her and handed her, her son. "What's his name?"
"Jiyutori," She answered. Hinata smiled.
"Free Bird." Tenten nodded. "You're not going back for him, are you?"
"Would you?" Tenten asked. Hinata was surprised with her answer. "He never loved you, cared, paid attention. I was pretty much a game that was used once and then thrown away. Then this game frees him and lets him go free. I want him to be free, without me."
"I don't think he wants to be free. Destiny weights too much on him for him to go free." Tenten smiled and nodded. Tenten stood up. "Can you…" Tenten nodded and jumped out the window running off trying to find him. She found him in the same spot he always watched birds.
He noticed a figure coming. In one hand the figure held a small child, on her finger, the opposite hand was a small bird. She sat down next to him. "Jiyu no tori." (Free Bird). He didn't want to meet her face. She rested her head on his shoulder. "This is our son Neji. You don't expect me to let you go free, did you?"
"I can't. I'm too heavy." She giggled.
"Don't leave me birdie." Tenten said.
"The bird has a family."
"How do you know which bird I was talking to."
"Eh?" He asked.
"Our son's name is Jiyutori. Free bird. You are my birdie also. So is this one." She said petting a bird in her finger while the baby rested in her lap. "I found him two years ago. His wings were both broken. He crashed into our window. I kept him in a cage."
"You did?"
"Yes. It was so that he could be strong enough to face the outside bird, to hold up his own weight. He can now… so he can go free." She held her hand to the sky. "Bye." She said with tears in her eyes as the bird flew away.
"Tenten." He said.
"I can't say you are the same as that birdie because you were kept in a cage and you went against it so bad that now that the cage is open, you can't fly. You only fall; luckily, I'm still there to hold you up. Our child was born under the destiny that you had but he was smart enough to not leave the nest but when he is ready. He's fly just like a normal free bird. Unlike you."
"I'm a bird also." She nodded.
"You were an idiot not to fight out of your cage. The fighting made you weak in spirit. You gave up. That bird didn't lose hope that it would heal and become free. It's too late for you."
"What?"
"You're too dependant on me. I let you free; you just fell. You won't go against destiny and push off the weights that keep you down. I did… because it was for the best. You think I'd be stupid like you and let our child turn out like you. You have to be kidding me. I don't believe that you'd have an offspring that could easily fly away and be free because it was born on the outside and then not tell it to go against the cage. I'm ashamed of you Neji. I really am."
"You don't forgive me."
She met her face to his. "I utterly detest you Neji." He was confused. "I really detest your attitude, but I sure do love you. Come… you have to fly a bit free from the cage. Even if only a little while." She grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the house while supporting their birdie in her other arm.
She had married an outside bird. One that was smart. She was the bird that fought against destiny. Their birdie, he was the birdie that fought against his seal. He was the bird that accepted and hated both and thanks to her, he was freed also. One day she'll let him be free. He was free but he had the weight of debt to her to hold him there to that house but it was free enough for him.
"Tenten… I love you." He said gently.
"You need something?" She asked.
"I'm a free bird. I have a baby bird and I have you. Is there anything else… you need?" She laughed and shook her head.
"Now that I truly have you… there is nothing more I could ever want." She answered. She always flew free, birdie was born free, he was born ground bound, and thanks to her, he could fly free… if he really wanted to.