a/n: So, I didn't quite achieve my goal of a 3000-word chapter. But I didn't want to delve into the other events in the story so we'll have to to make next chapter extra long, eh? XD

Without further ado, Chapter 2!

^^Rhyming. ;D

disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

-:-Ayame-:-


SCHOLAR
CHAPTER 2
-:-arrogant bastard-:-

"He really was a jerk."


She could feel his eyes on her, studying her. Maybe, if she kept her head down, her eyes tracing the wood grains on the table, he wouldn't be able to see her blush-stained cheeks.

He's…attractive. Tenten fiddled with her thumbs, positively dying underneath the awkward tension.

Neji raised an eyebrow delicately, unrolling a piece of parchment and pulling a feather quill out of his knapsack. He's old, terribly old, to be a Novice. Hiashi-sama did mention that he enrolled late but I didn't expect him to be nearly my age.

He cleared his throat for what might possibly have been the umpteenth time within the last few minutes and frowned when his new pupil did not look at him.

"Tetsuya-san," Neji called exasperatedly.

Tenten finally glanced up at the sound of her male counterpart's name and met his eyes. She lost herself in those pale eyes framed by a pair of reading glasses – the reading glasses seemed to magnify their beauty – and her blush deepened.

Neji interpreted the flush on her cheeks to be some sort of unique mechanism to deal with intimidation. Not that he blamed the poor guy – he was more than aware the kind of effect he had on people. Though still young, only seventeen, news of his achievement and greatness had spread throughout the country like wildfire, gaining him an almost legendary status.

He would also admit, although more reluctantly, that his personality and social skills were slightly below par – actually, they were way below par but he had too much self pride to accept that. Maybe if he had spent a little less time studying his ass off when he was younger and a little more time frolicking with children of his own age rather than stuffy old scholars, he would know how to hold a decent conversation.

But, he was satisfied with his life – especially the fact that he was one of the youngest High Scholars in the history of the Manor – and wouldn't really change much about it, even if he had very few trustworthy 'friends' (that was a lie; he had no friends, only acquaintances and relatives and peers) and absolutely no desire for romance.

He knew he had a habit of gazing at people with his eyebrows scrunched, eyes narrowed, and an irate expression plastered over his face. Every victim would squirm uncomfortably and many would flee moments after. He didn't do it on purpose; he was simply a perfectionist. If things weren't the exact way he wanted them to be, he would glare at anybody or anything his eyes happened to land upon for hours, even days, on end.

And this pupil, this Novice, this Novice who just so happened to be twice the usual enrolling age, he irked him in ways that Neji could not quite describe. Hiashi-sama had told him that Tetsuya was Tetsuo's brother – Nakamura Tetsuo, a brilliant scholar who almost, almost, rivaled Neji's intellect – but this boy appeared to be far too inept and insubstantial to be Tetsuo's brother.

He could pass for a girl.

There was no doubt Tetsuya was very effeminate – big, wide, innocent eyes; a slight body frame and long elegant limbs and digits; even his short hair had that womanly shine and gloss to it – and Neji could tell right off the bat that he was in for one helluva lesson.

"Hiashi-sama informed me that you are to be given the rank of Novice," Neji stated, giving the boy a hard look.

A shiver ran up Tenten's spine and she sunk in her chair. No matter that her tutor was simply beyond gorgeous; he was a real jerk. And even if he wasn't, there was no point fantasizing over him – she was supposed to be a boy and she highly doubted that this Hyuuga Neji was gay.

Still, despite her logic, she sighed because he really was beautiful.

Neji seemed to take her sigh as one of hopelessness because went on to further say, "Do not be discouraged. With my help, you will soon be a Low Scholar."

At that statement, a million words – insults – floated through Tenten's mind.

Cocky.

Arrogant.

Haughty.

Supercilious.

But she only bowed her head in an attempt to appear humble, forcing herself not to shout out the words that so accurately described the Hyuuga.

"Now," he continued, taking on a business air, "We can start with learning the history of our village, Konoha. I'd like you to turn to page two hundred and sixty-two and read aloud the highlighted passage." Neji pushed towards her a dusty, leather-bound book and looked at her expectantly.

Unsure of herself, she opened the book, leafing through the pages slowly. Numbers she already knew; she found the correct page and opened her mouth to speak, but soon closed it, squinting at the lines and circles that adorned the thin paper. Tetsuo had taught her the numbers – every decent woman should know how to count, whether it be how many children she had or how many women her husband had slept with behind her back – but letters, they were a very foreign concept.

She sat there for what felt like ages, conscious that Neji was scrutinizing her, but no words formed on her tongue.

"Something wrong, Tetsuya-san?" he asked condescendingly.

Tenten folded her arms neatly on top of the table, refusing to wither under his gaze. "I don't know how to read."

Neji stared at her, stunned, for a few moments before shaking his head slightly. "I assume you at least know the alphabet?"

"What's that?" she asked blankly.

He twitched and rubbed his temples. "Tetsuya-san, am I correct in stating that you have had no education whatsoever?"

"I know my numbers," Tenten pointed out unhelpfully, for Neji dipped his quill into a jar of ink and scribbled something on the paper.

"A," he told her, jabbing at the rune with his forefinger. "Learn it well."


Two hours.

It took Neji two hours to ensure that Tenten had memorized each and every letter of the alphabet and could recite it from memory forwards and backwards. No doubt he was pleased by how quickly she picked up on it but didn't say anything to give himself away.

At the end of their study session, he handed her a stack of scrolls. "These," he had said, "are for you to review. Words, basic words – I want you to sound them out yourself."

Tenten had snatched the scrolls out of his hand with a hasty nod and shot out of the Study, silently cursing her Tutor for having such mesmerizingly distracting good looks.

Shikamaru was sleeping when Tenten returned to Room 210 and she moved around quietly so as not to wake him.

Truth be told, the Nara genius was, in fact, awake and watching her very closely. This new Scholar puzzled him and he was sure that 'Tetsuya' was hiding something.

After a fruitless ten minutes, Shikamaru pretended to awake and stretched lazily. "Hey."

Tenten jumped but compelled herself to relax. "Oh, hello. Did you have a nice nap?"

He did not grant her question with an answer, instead standing up and making his way towards the door in a slow, leisurely gait. Halfway out the door, he looked back at Tenten, who was in the process of arranging the scrolls Neji gave her on her desk. "You coming?"

"Where?" She kept one eyes on the stack of scrolls and prayed it wouldn't fall.

"Dinner." He looked at her as if she had sprouted another head.

"Right…" Tenten, relieved that the scrolls remained in their spot, moved to stand beside Shikamaru. "Lead the way, then."

The Dining Hall was at least three times larger than her house in Konoha. With its curved, dome ceiling, gothic-looking chandeliers, and gray limestone flooring, it was far more extravagant than anything Tenten had ever seen before. A dozen long wooden tables piled high with food took up most of the space.

Shikamaru left her alone at once to sit with a group of (what Tenten guessed to be) his fellow Middle Scholars. She wandering aimlessly for a while before opting that a seat at the end of a table, far into a secluded corner, where the food was untouched and fellow Scholars few, was the best spot.

She helped herself to the food and drank a dark, sweet beverage, watching with wide eyes the rest of the Scholars talk and interact. It was, admittedly, rather lonely to be the only female amongst so many males – no matter if she was pretending to be a boy – and in a moment of self-mutiny, she cursed her pride and ambition for entering such foreign territory.

"Hey there!"

Tenten choked on her drink and spluttered, glancing at the two rowdy looking Scholars who joined her at her supposedly out-of-the-way spot. A feral-looking boy grinned wolfishly at her from across the table and his companion – a blonde – took the liberty of seating himself beside her.

No words were exchanged for the first minute.

"A new Scholar, Kiba!"

"Looks awfully runty, don't you think, Naruto?"

She glared at the two over the rim of her cup.

"Don't be so antisocial," the blonde – Naruto – chided, hitting her on the shoulder comradely. "I'm Naruto and he's Kiba. That dog down there, under the table, he doesn't bite. His name's Akamaru."

Kiba reached down to pet the aforementioned dog's head. "What are you called?"

"Tetsuya, Nakamura Tetsuya…" She was beginning to get accustomed to her new name; it rolled off her tongue easily.

Naruto's eyes bulged out of his head and he reached over to slap Kiba on the wrist. "Hey! He must be related to Tetsuo, the Tetsuo. So," he continued, turning back to Tenten, "you must be pretty smart, eh?"

Tenten gave a noncommittal shrug.

"He doesn't look like he could be Tetsuo's brother." Kiba squinted his eyes and Tenten fidgeted uneasily. "More like his sister!"

Naruto high-fived his companion heartily. "Eh, Pretty Boy," he sang, nudging her playfully, "You're probably a High Scholar, right? Transferred from Suna? Yeah, I thought so," he concluded, taking her silence for affirmation. "I am a Middle-"

"Liar," scoffed Kiba. "I'm a Middle Scholar. You're a Low Scholar."

"Nani?" Naruto jumped quickly to defend his pride. "I may be a Low Scholar but everyone knows I would have become a Middle Scholar if I hadn't been called away during Exams!"

Kiba rolled his eyes and then directed his attention back to Tenten. "So, since you're already a High Scholar and whatnot, you gonna try to become a Specialty Scholar?"

Tenten blinked. "What's that?"

"You must not have had that at your old college," Kiba mused. "Specialty Scholars, unlike other Scholars, specialize."

"Brilliant you are," Naruto muttered sarcastically.

Kiba ignored his jibe and continued. "They choose a field in which they want to devote their brainpower to and they spend the rest of their Scholarly Career pursuing that field as long as they pass the Specialty Exams. It's not permanent, though. You're allowed to change fields or even downgrade yourself back to a regular Scholar. I'm planning to go into Biology."

"Ah, I see."

Tenten settled back and listened to the two of them converse, and occasionally scuffle verbally, finding their presence strangely comforting. They were loud and robust, occasionally referring to her as 'Pretty Boy' or 'Fresh Meat' but she, knowing they meant no real harm, allowed them to sit beside her. She nodded and commented every now and then but was content to simply listen for the time being.

As the dinner hour drew to a close, there was a slight cough and Kiba and Naruto put their current argument on hold to allow their guest to speak. Tenten glared at him but still could not suppress the lightheaded feeling she got when she glanced at him.

"Neji-san," she greeted coolly.

He looked at her seatmates, who gave him a respectful nod, their high-strung attitudes temporarily subdued in the company of such an awe-inspiring figure. Neji returned it with a nod of his own and turned back to Tenten. "We have a study session planned for tomorrow morning, Tetsuya-san," he informed her.

"Hai." Tenten turned away but, noticing that Neji hadn't taken his leave, frowned.

"Nine o'clock in the Library," he added.

She nodded dutifully. "Hai."

With that done and over with, Neji walked away.

Naruto nudged her. "What's the deal with you and Cocky-san?"

"He's my tutor," Tenten explained with a reserved shrug.

Kiba jumped at her elucidation and pointed a finger at her. "You're already a High Scholar! Does that mean…you're even smarter than other High Scholars? Does that mean…you're above their lectures and so you have to study privately with Cocky-san?" He whistled, sitting down, taking his assumption to be correct when Tenten didn't correct him. "You are one smart bastard, Pretty Boy."

Tenten gave a short chuckle.

She didn't bother to tell them that she was actually a Novice. If they were intimidated – somehow, she highly doubted that – or at least impressed, they'd hold at least some respect for her and, in turn, they wouldn't be so likely to query – which was ideal, given her risky circumstances.

"I'm gonna go back to the dorms," she announced, garnering Kiba and Naruto's attention. They looked up and nodded, but when she hadn't moved from her spot, they stared at her strangely. Tenten cleared her throat – reminding herself of Neji – and laughed embarrassedly. "Where's that exactly?"

"Ah, Fresh Meat, you're so clueless," Kiba crooned.

"We'll show you. Or, I will, at least. I was planning on retiring for the day but I can't speak for Inuzuka over there." Naruto jerked his head towards Kiba, who was smuggling a chicken leg under the table for Akamaru to devour.

"What?" Kiba beamed pseudo-innocently. "No, I think I'll go back to the dorms, too."

Tenten gestured for them to go first. "Go on, then."

They were barely out of the Dining Hall doors before they crossed paths with Tetsuo, who requested to speak with Tenten. "There are a few things I need to converse with my brother about," he explicated.

Kiba and Naruto's eyes widened and their mouth's formed perfect 'O's in the presence of such a reputable, cerebral Scholar and Tenten thought that they were mere seconds away from dropping to the floor and worshipping her brother. Tetsuo smiled at the two, who had begun to shake, aching to ask questions about the day's lecture or to offer themselves up as his pupils.

"If you two would be so kind as to excuse Tetsuya," he prompted.

"Of course, Tetsuo-san." They bowed in unison.

"Wonderful; I'll see you tomorrow at the morning lecture, Inuzuka. And Uzumaki, try not to be late tomorrow afternoon."

"Hai!"

They walked away, smiling gleefully at being addressed by the Nakamura Tetsuo and shouting their good-byes to Tenten.

"I lead their lectures occasionally," Tetsuo explained upon meeting his sister's searching gaze. "Now, what I wanted to talk to you about," he went on, leading her down an empty hallway, "is key to keeping up your masquerade."

She cocked her head, intrigued. "Nani?"

"The showers," he said in a stage-whisper, "are not private at all. You'll surely be caught."

Tenten grimaced at the thought. "So what? I can't not shower. I'll stink up this whole goddamn place!"

"You didn't let me finish, Ten. On the fifth floor, there is a bathroom, a private bathroom, for the highest of High Scholars. Most take their showers before midnight. So long as you shower after midnight, you will be able to cleanse yourself in peace and not get discovered." He produced a shiny silver key and pressed it into the palm of her hand. "Mind you, this is against the conventions of the Manor so be sure not to get caught. If the Head Scholar found out that a Novice was perusing those bathrooms – no matter that he was my brother-" he said this matter-of-factly, not braggingly, "-he'd expel you in a heartbeat."

Her fingers closed around the key, feeling the coldness seep into her body. "I won't get caught, Tetsuo."

His eyes narrowed in concern. "Let's hope not."


a/n: Is it just me or am I making subtle allusions to Hogwarts and Harry Potter? Feather quills, parchment, long rows of tables piled with food, and then a private bathroom reserved for those with a higher status (High Scholars/Prefects).

Anyway, Neji and Tenten, ahem, Tetsuya, meet. Hopefully it was done to correctly portray their personalities. If not, I'll try to perfect that aspect.

I always though Kiba and Naruto would be like the Dynamic Duo, or something along those line. -laughs- I mean, with their exuberant, loud-mouthed, happy-go-lucky personas, surely they'd be the life of the party, or, more appropriately, the 'class clowns'. They're the kind of people, I think, Tenten would get along with rather well (She does have to put up with Lee, at any rate. These two are np problem for her.)

And a bit of clarification if you were wondering: The ranks of Scholars are supposed to be like the Shinobi Ranks. Novices are like Academy Students, Low Scholars are Genin, Middle Scholars Chuunin, and High Scholars Jounin. Specialty Scholars are supposed to corrolate with ANBU but it's really not the same concept, is it? And if we were to follow this pattern, then Head Scholar would be Hokage but, considering the fact that Hiashi is the Head Scholar, I suppose I broke that sequence.

And I just couldn't help adding the fact that Neji has reading glasses. For reason, I find that just so incredibly sexy on him. I don't know why. XD

So, I apologize for the incredibly long Author's Note. I hope it hasn't thrown you off enough not to...

REVIEW.

Please do. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Your feedback means the world to me. ^^

-:-Ayame-:-