Love II

Disclaimer- Naruto is not mine

Chapter Two. Honestly speaking…

Neji spent the next week in pure drudgery. He woke up every weekday morning to get ready to go to school. And then endured a day of suffering as the fan girls threw themselves at him. Then he went home to do homework and then suffer through an awkward dinner with his uncle and cousins.

The weekends were Neji's favorite time. He would sit in his room reading or simply look out the window at birds that flew by. He had loved birds ever since his father had told him all the different types of birds.

"I think you'll make a great ornithologist Neji." Hiashi, Neji's uncle said.

Neji simply said "Hn."

Hiashi shrugged off the rude answer and turned to ask Hanabi how school went. Hinata, who sat closest to Neji said. "Nii-san how is Naruto-kun?"

"He is well. Sasuke will be taking him out of the hospital tomorrow." Neji said.

"I want to make him some get well soup." Hinata said. "Will you take it to him?"

"Have Hiashi take you. I'll be busy then." Neji said.

"I didn't even tell you when I would take it..." Hinata quietly complained.

"I don't care. I'm busy then. I actually have a life outside this family, so why don't you just kill me." Neji said he didn't add the 'like my father.' That he wanted to add.

Then Neji stood up and said, "Please excuse me Uncle. I am full."

Hiashi watched him go with a sad look.

Neji went to his room to gather his car keys and his wallet. He could take the family limo, but he preferred his own transportation. Hiashi could not track him when he was in his own vehicle.

The drive to the hospital was long. The Hyuuga mansion was situated atop a hill that overlooked Konoha. It was the most desired home in all of Konoha. And for good reason, it had cost Hiashi many millions of dollars to renovate it just perfectly.

Neji pulled into the parking garage and parked in a free spot. He didn't have to pay a fee to park, and he was thankful. He hadn't brought any money.

He walked to the cafeteria and sat at the same table he and Tenten had sat at a week before. She was not there. He waited for fifteen minutes and considered going back home.

Then he heard machine gun Mandarin being spoken. He looked and saw Tenten leading a family of immigrants toward the exit of the hospital. Her face was bright and cheery. She was still very beautiful.

She looked up and saw Neji and her face broke into an incredible smile that made Neji's heart flip. She motioned that she would need a moment and Neji nodded. She led the family to the reception desk where the directed them to the Chinese embassy.

Tenten wordlessly sat next to Neji at the table. "I am so excited that you showed up Neji! I was able to find some information."

Neji was mesmerized by her accent and her lilting way of speaking, her voice was just so different from the girls at his school. "What did you find?" He asked he was curious about what an outsider could find out about his father.

"Car accident." Tenten said holding up a newspaper article. "It was terrible; the entire road was shut down for two days."

Neji's brow furrowed. "That isn't true. He died in a shooting-"

"Oh yes! Shooting was involved in the car accident." Tenten said. "It says here, 'Hizashi Hyuuga shot through the windshield and the car spun out of control.' See Neji, the main branch of your family didn't kill him; he died in a freak accident."

"He was shot at because they thought he was the head of the clan." Neji said.

"Do you know the name of the road now?" Tenten asked.

"No."

"It is named Hizashi Hyuuga memorial drive. Do you know who paid for it to have that name?" Tenten asked.

"No."

She pulled out another article and laid it in front of Neji. "Hiashi Hyuuga." She answered.

Sure enough the title of the article read, 'Hyuuga head pays for road name to be changed to his deceased twin's name.' Neji's fist clenched.

"I still refuse to believe it." He muttered.

"Why?" Tenten asked. She was looking pointedly at him.

"Hiashi never held any love for my father." Neji said. "Hiashi probably hired those men to shoot my father."

Tenten smiled a bit and leaned forward. "You are so stubborn." She whispered.

"Well if you were in my shoes you would understand." Neji said. "If your father was killed by your uncle and then you had to live under the same roof as your uncle."

"I wouldn't." Tenten said. "I haven't lived with my family for years."

Neji looked right into her eyes. "What? How old are you?"

Tenten smiled. "I'm seventeen. Why do you ask?"

"You're not even a legal adult. How can you be on your own?" Neji frowned.

"I'm responsible. I can take care of myself." Tenten said. Her tone of voice made Neji drop the subject.

They conversed for a bit before they heard Naruto exclaim, "Neji and Tenten know each other!" Naruto was in a wheelchair being pushed by Sasuke Uchiha.

Tenten looked at Neji, "You know Naruto?"

"He is a classmate of mine. How do you know him?" Neji asked.

"I read him a book. I usually read to the younger patients but Naruto was really bored. He is very funny." Tenten smiled at Naruto.

Neji felt a pang of jealousy in his heart. He didn't like her and Naruto spending time together alone.

"Hyuuga." Sasuke said quietly in greeting.

"Uchiha." Neji said back.

"Are these your school friends Neji?" Tenten asked.

"Yes. We all go to Konoha Private School." Neji said.

Tenten raised her eyebrows. "So you're all very rich." She said.

"They're richer than me." Naruto said pointing a finger at each Neji and Sasuke.

Sasuke muttered something and abruptly pushed Naruto's wheelchair. Naruto was thrown forward but managed to catch himself. "Whoa Sasuke! Calm down!"

Tenten smiled as they wheeled out of the hospital. "You have interesting friends." She said to Neji.

"Every girl at our school is obsessed with us." Neji said glumly.

"It must be wonderful to be loved by everyone." Tenten said dreamily. "I wish everyone loved me."

"Everyone does." The pink haired nurse from the week before muttered as she got a snack out of the vending machine. "You pity yourself too much."

"No one asked you Sakura." Tenten said teasingly. She brought her attention back to Neji, "You never told me how old you were."

"I'm seventeen, about to turn eighteen." Neji said.

"Soon you'll be all alone. What will you do if you need money and you cannot call your uncle?" Tenten asked.

Neji just shook his head. "I'll deal with that when it happens."

Tenten stood up from the table and threw her snack away. "It was very nice speaking with you, Neji Hyuuga." She said. "I hope we get to meet again."

"Where are you going?" Neji asked he did not want her to leave.

"I have to go to my shift at the library soon." Tenten said with all smiles. "I hope you have a wonderful day."

Neji watched her go. Somehow he knew that he would see her again, he had the feeling in his soul.

And he saw her a few weeks later.

Neji was taking his other cousin Hanabi to a computer store. She needed help with her multiplication tables and Hiashi hadn't been able to help.

So now Neji was taking her to look for educational games so that she could learn the multiplication tables. He had grumbled and frowned when Hiashi had asked him. Neji did not hold much love for Hanabi.

But here Neji was, standing at the computer store waiting impatiently as Hanabi flipped through the games. All around him people moved about freely and ignored him. He saw a family play with the interactive pet game, and another family playing with the interactive gun game.

His family would never have done that with him. Maybe his father, but Hizashi was dead. Hizashi would never be able to spend time with Neji again.

Neji was considering hitting his head against the nearest pole with a fire extinguisher on it when he heard a voice. It was a girl's voice, and it had a heavy mandarin accent.

He turned to see Tenten with an employee's vest on. She was showing a teenaged boy how to work a CD player. After everything had gone digital, few people knew how to work disk players. Her hair was up in two buns atop her head, but her bangs were free.

Neji stood completely still as he watched her. The only thought going through his head was, oh my god she's going to think I AM stalking her!

She laughed at something the youth said and jealousy went through Neji's heart. He watched in doom though, as she turned around and saw him.

"Neji! You are my stalker after all!" She said once she had seen him.

"I am not." Neji said he could feel his face heating up. Hanabi was staring at Neji.

Hanabi was no help when she said, "Nii-san you look like Hinata nee-chan!"

"Be quiet Hanabi." Neji muttered. "I am not stalking you Tenten."

"Oh I think you are. This is the third time you've showed up where I work." Tenten said.

"I thought you worked in a library." Neji said.

"I do! I have two jobs." Tenten said.

"Two? How can you manage that while going to school?" Neji asked. On the inside he was wondering where this concern was coming from.

Tenten only smiled and shook her head. "I need to get back to work now, bye!"

Neji stopped her and said, "When is your shift over? I can drive you home."

"That's not necessary." Tenten said.

"I doubt you have a car, and it is dangerous for a girl like you to wander around at night." Neji said.

"Just tell him." Hanabi said. "He never gives up."

"My shift ends at ten." Tenten said.

Neji smirked. "That is way too late for someone our age to work-"

"I lied about my age, please keep my secret." Tenten said with pleading eyes.

"Okay. I'll be here at ten." Neji said. "Come on Hanabi, pick out a game. I have to get you home to Hiashi."

"Nii-san hates my father." Hanabi said to Tenten.

"I know." Tenten said. She walked away from them and quickly got back to work.

Neji drove Hanabi home and refused to tell her anything about how he knew Tenten. And she really pestered him.

Hiashi was in the kitchen at 9:40 when Neji was leaving.

"Where are you going Neji?" Hiashi asked. "It's dangerous to be driving about at this hour."

"Don't act like you care." Neji answered coldly. Then he stormed out of the building. Leaving Hiashi alone in the kitchen.

Neji arrived at the computer store and saw Tenten waiting outside. She was bundled up in a thick coat. But the coat looked really shabby. She climbed into his car and sat in the passenger seat.

"This is too much Neji; you don't have to drive me home." She said.

"You could get mugged, or worse." Neji said quietly. He found that his bad mood lifted once he was in her presence.

Tenten nodded as he started driving. "Very true." She agreed.

She directed him to a house that looked very fancy. There was a gate at the mouth of the driveway, and a fountain beyond that. Neji knew there were tennis fields there too.

"This isn't you house." Neji said.

"What? Of course it is!" Tenten protested.

"Naruto Uzumaki lives here. Now show me where you really live." Neji said.

Tenten huffed. "I don't want you to see it. You're so used to fancy things, and I don't want anyone's pity."

"I will never pity you." Neji said.

"Don't lie!" Tenten said fiercely.

"Honestly speaking, I could never pity you. You look far too happy to deserve any pity." Neji said. "Now will you show me where you live?"

Tenten sighed and began giving Neji directions. He drove, and found that her house really was an apartment. And it was very far from the computer store.

"You should never be walking home, it's so far away!" Neji said as he pulled up to the apartments building.

Tenten looked confused. "It's healthy to walk Neji." She said.

"Walk, not hike." Neji disagreed. He stepped out of the car and followed her to her apartment.

"What are you doing now Neji?" Tenten asked.

"Making sure you make it to your apartment okay." Neji answered. "Apartment complexes usually have high rates of crime."

Tenten walked to a door that was marked 2F. They'd had to walk up one flight of stairs.

She unlocked the door and Neji took a look inside. "What the-!" He said and he pushed his way inside.

The apartment was abysmal. It only had one room, and it was very small. There was a bed crammed in a corner with a small dresser next to it. Then there was the little kitchen. A few pots and pans were out and needed to be cleaned. It looked clean aside from the untidy kitchen.

Overall it was such a tiny home. "Tenten you live here?" Neji asked.

"Yes, and you promised not to pity me." Tenten reminded him.

"You can't stay here. You could get murdered, or worse." Neji said.

"I know that." Tenten said. "But I can afford this place. Nowhere else can I afford the rent." She gave Neji a look that he couldn't read.

Neji crossed his arms and glared at the apartment. "Honestly speaking, I don't feel like you should be living here." He huffed.

Tenten laughed. "Not everyone can live in a mansion like you. You should be happy now; you have a safe home to return to. I live here where I can be 'murdered or worse'". Tenten quoted.

Tenten lightly pushed him in the direction of the door. "Thank you for taking me home, Neji Hyuuga. Your kindness is much appreciated."

"Bye Neji!" She called when he stood outside the apartment and she was closing the door.

A/N- Next chapter will be in Tenten's POV, unless the readers prefer Neji. You should let me know via review. .