Are You Talking to Me?
Once again, it was Hyuuga Hinata's birthday. As usual, everyone in the Hyuuga family was required to attend. Along with that, Hinata was also allowed to invite a few of her acquaintances.
"Happy birthday Hinata! Here's your birthday present." Tenten handed Hinata a large box, complete with a ribbon on top.
"Thank you." Hinata blushed and smiled slightly as a servant bowed and took the present. Over the years, her stuttering had gotten better, and she became more confident in herself. As Tenten looked around, Hinata pointed to a corner. "Neji's over there."
"…Who said I was looking for him?"
"He's the only person you know here right now."
"Fine. Have fun on your birthday." Tenten smiled and waved bye to Hinata. At that time, more guests were arriving, so Hinata had to greet them. Tenten walked over to where Neji was sulking in the corner. "Hi."
"…"
"What's wrong?" Neji's glare at Hiashi slightly intensified, and Tenten immediately understood. "It's Hinata's birthday! Lighten up for once!"
"…Hn." Neji's gaze shifted to Hinata, who was greeting Naruto. He was, of course, the last person to arrive. Hiashi finally stood up and cleared his throat, getting the silence and attention of everyone in the room.
"We are gathered here today to celebrate the Hyuuga heiress, Hyuuga Hinata's twentieth birthday. As the future leader of the Hyuuga clan, her abilities and skills have greatly improved, and she is well on her way to being a successful leader. We wish her good fortune for the rest of her life." After his speech, he paused while everyone else in the room clapped. Except for Neji. Tenten was also politely clapping when she noticed, and nudged him.
"Come on, clap a little."
"No."
"Be polite!"
"No. This is my house anyway. You have no right to order me around."
"Come on! I'll...train an extra two hours with you every day for a week!"
"…Fine." Neji brought his hands together softly. Twice. "Done. We start training tommorow at four in the morning."
"What! You barely clapped at all!"
"…That was the deal. You never specified how long or loudly I had to clap."
"…But but…that's not fair!"
"That was the deal." Neji returned to his corner to watch Naruto interact with Hinata. Tenten, slightly fuming went to walk away and ignore him for the rest of the afternoon when she was suddenly pulled back by a hand. She coincidentally bumped into Neji's chest. Luckily, they were in a secluded corner so no one saw Neji's random burst of affection and Tenten's extremely red face. Lowering his head, Neji whispered in her ear, "You know, you should really learn to watch what you're saying. Too many people might take advantage of that."
Neji let go of her wrist and walked past her. Blushing, she muttered to herself about going to see a psychologist. "I could have sworn Neji was concerned about me…"