A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews! XD They made me so happy.
Most of the story will be told in first point of view. This chapter is in Tenten and Neji's daughter's POV. It'll mostly be in her POV, Tenten's, and also Neji's. Occasionally I'll use the normal POV.
Here's a little briefing:
Sakura and Sasuke (both aged 38)were married before Tenten left. Sakura was pregnant a week after she left. Their son was born a few days after Tenten's daughter. He was named Takashi. They have the biggest family so far. Takashi is 18 years old, the twin girls Shisei and Tsuchiya (called Chiya) are 17, their daughter Kuromi is 13, They're son Shiro is 11, and the youngest daughter Mei is 9.
Takashi has fangirls like his father (Shiro's fanclub is still forming ;) ) and is often bothered by a girl named Akari, who is 15 years old. Akari is a friend of Shikamaru and Ino's twin children.
Naruto and Hinata (aged 37/38) married after Tenten left, and after Neji was convinced that Naruto was right for her (a year after Sakura and Sasuke married). They have a son named Hidoko, who is 17 years old, and two daughters: Hitari, who is 15, and Misori, 13.
Shikamaru and Ino (aged 37/38) were the last of the couples to marry. Shikamaru had dated Temari for some time while Tenten was gone, but they soon broke up and Shikamaru dated Ino. They married two years after Naruto and Hinata. Their eldest children are their twins Inori and Shikao who are 15 years old. Their youngest daughter is Kumori who is 13.
Neji still doesn't know that he has a kid, although the other children were told the story by their parents. Inori says that if she met Neji's child she knew they would be great friends (with her brother saying "How troublesome. He or she's probably like her mom. Boyish. You are nothing like that, Inori."). Takashi doesn't ponder on the subject because all their parents told them to never speak to Neji about it and to never talk about it when he's near. (All the girls want to meet this mystery child, of course.)
They all live in the Hyuuga mansion except for the Uchihas, who obviously live in the Uchiha mansion. (I don't know why Shika and Ino live with the Hyuugas. Let's just say that they were invited to live there by Hinata.)
Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee are 39. Kankuro is …… 40, Gaara is 39, and Temari……
You know for some reason I feel like I'm making them too old.
Anyway, Kankuro has two twin daughters and a son. Temari has one daughter and one son. Gaara is…………. Ahem. Single. They all live in Suna. I'm not sure if they'll have big parts in this story or if they'll appear much.
That was a very long author's note… So here is the next part of A Place To Call Home. Hope you enjoy!
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The one-year-old girl hugged onto the picture frame as she walked into her mother's room. She giggled happily when her mother turned around. Tenten smiled at her daughter and ruffled her hair playfully.
"Hey, sweetie," Tenten said in perfect English, "Whatcha got there?"
She stumbled onto her lap giggling all the way. "Da da," she said, as she showed her mother the picture. She looked up at her mom and giggled at the shocked look she had. She pointed to the white-eyed man and said, "Da da. Da da." Her own white eyes shining with happiness.
Tenten smiled. "Yeah, Reiko. That's Daddy." She fingered the picture while hugging Reiko. "Can you smile for Daddy? Say hi to Daddy."
"H… H… Hi Da da."
Tenten tickled Reiko's stomach, and smiled when she gurgled happily. "Ma ma wuv Da da."
Tenten's smile became a sad smile. "Yeah, sweetie. Mommy loves Daddy. And Mommy and Daddy love you too." She held Reiko in a tight hug.
Reiko's high-pitched laughter filled the room while she played with the buns on her mother's head.
---
I really don't know how I ended up here. Here. Right now. In the huge Hyuuga mansion.
(Well, technically, I do know. But you probably understand what I mean.)
Like most children would, I felt bad about leaving my mom. She told me many stories about my father's and her childhood, and marriage. Every time she told me those stories, I could see in her eyes that she really missed him. "I do miss him," she told me. "I miss him so much. We loved each other a lot, but… I had to leave… It was right for me to leave."
"But you loved each other mom… why would it be right for you to leave?" I asked her.
She hugged me while she said, "I left because I loved him sweet-heart…"
I could hear her silent message saying, And I'd go back to him if I could, because I still love him.
I was 13 when she told me that, so I'm unsure whether she still feels that way. But I know that she still misses him and loves him, even if she doesn't tell me anymore. Even if she doesn't look at his picture anymore. Even if she's taken off her wedding ring (although I've seen her put it on a chain and wear it around her neck).
That day when I was 13, I decided that someday I would go to Japan (I have grown up speaking Japanese and English. My cousins, also.), and I would find my father and bring my parents back together.
So, at age 18 (just graduated from high school) I packed my things (not all) and got on a plane to Japan to find my dad. Without telling my mother.
I had a plan formed in my head. If I went to Japan without my mother's permission, she would definitely follow me to bring me back home. She would see my father and then… magic. Hopefully.
There's a high chance of my plan working right?
I just got off the plane and now I'm looking for a hotel. According to this travel guide (please no laughing people), nearby there should be this one hotel called… The Cherry Blossom Tree. Or at least in English that's what it was called. It's owned by a prominent family called The Uchihas. For some reason that name sounds really familiar. Maybe one of my mom's old friends? Hm. Moving on.
The Cherry Blossom Tree wasn't too far from the airport. I got there by taxi within 15 minutes. The hotel was very popular, as I saw a lot of people there.
Well… maybe I shouldn't use the word people… I should say I saw a lot of girls. Why were there a lot of girls? I didn't know why until I saw who the guy working the front desk was.
He was good looking I'll admit. With his messy blue/black hair, and his dark obsidian eyes, it was no wonder all the girls were fawning over him. But I could tell he was the quiet type of guy. You know, those guys that can be arrogant and cocky, and act like they have some stick shoved up their butts? (According to my mom, my dad was like that too. But his heart melted while they were friends.) He looked like that kind of guy.
He was ignoring all the girls trying to "check in" and flirt with him.
"If you're not really staying here, you should leave before I call security," was what he said to one group of girls.
"I'm sorry, but there are no rooms available at the moment," he told some other girls.
"If you're here to ask me on a date, no."
Wow, what an ass.
When I walked up to the desk, after weeding through the crowds of now crying girls, he told me, "I'm sorry, but there are no rooms available." He didn't even look up from that book of his. (wow, a guy reading. And he's good looking. Must be a dream come true. Not.)
"Oh, okay then. I'll just go stay at that hotel across the street. It looks nicer anyway," I said (in perfect Japanese, mind you). I really don't know what made me say that. For some reason I knew that the hotel across the street and this one were rivals. How did I know that?
He quickly slipped a bookmark into his book and looked up at me saying, "My apologies I thought you were one of them."
I looked at the girls leaving. "Oh, them? Nah, I'm not really like that. All girlish and flirty." When I turned to see him, he was looking at me intently. To be honest, despite the fact that I didn't think he was hot (which he kind of was…), I felt my face heat up. "Um… why are you looking at me like that?"
"Wha? Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to do that. You… look familiar. Have we met?"
I shook my head. "This is my first time here in Japan. I came here from America."
He cocked his eyebrow. "But you speak fluently. Not like those tourists."
I shrugged. "I grew up learning English and Japanese. My grandmother never learned English so…"
His eyes widened by a fraction (which I somehow noticed… weird…). He looked at me weirdly again. It was… annoying…
"Can you stop looking at me like that!" I said, looking down to hide the blush I knew was coming.
"Ah, sorry," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "I think I know where I've seen you before. You're a Hyuuga right? My family is always around the Hyuugas."
"Hyuuga? Um… no, actually. My mom doesn't go by her last name anymore. I don't know what her last name was. And I never met my dad…" I looked away for a second. "I only know his first name… Neji or something…" I mumbled to myself.
"What was that?" I turned back to… what's his name? Ah, his nametag says Uchiha Takashi… So he's one of the owners!
"Um, nothing. Uchiha-san."
He looked down at his name tag. "Oh, don't call me Uchiha-san. Makes me feel like my dad. Just call me Takashi."
"Makes you feel like your dad?"
I turned around when I heard the new voice. The man looked just like Takashi, except his hair was in this weird chicken or duck butt shape. Not that I had a problem with that. (Why do I remember my mom talking about some guy with hair like that? Hmm…)
Takashi ruffled his hair bashfully. "I didn't mean it like that dad."
I fidgeted. Now this guy was looking at me weirdly. Is this some kind of tradition here or something? The Stare-at-newcomers-weirdly-until-they-get-extremely-uncomfortable-or-faint-from-embarrassment Tradition? (I don't know who would faint from embarrassment, though… I'm having that weird wave of de já vu again.)
"Did you get this young lady a room yet, son?" They looked at each other, probably communicating something to each other. But soon, Uchiha-san looked at me again.
"Doing that right now, dad." He typed a few things on his computer. "How long will you be staying… Miss…?"
"Oh, um, Reiko." I said, still nervous under Uchiha-san's gaze.
A few little more typing then he said, "Your room is number 3 on the top floor. Residential Suite." He handed me the room key.
"Residential Suite? Um, I'm sorry, but I can't afford that."
"Don't worry," Uchiha-san said. "You'll only need to pay for a regular room. It's on the house."
"Um… wha? --"
"Takashi, please help this nice young lady with her bags. Up to her room," he said, interrupting me (quite rudely, I might add).
"Um. Right dad. Sure."
While Takashi led me to the elevator, I could still feel Uchiha-san's gaze on my back. It was very uncomfortable.
Takashi looked at me in the elevator. Again with the looks! "What?"
His head snapped forward. "Sorry. It's just… Are you sure you aren't a Hyuuga? I mean… your eyes are white. Only Hyuugas have eyes like that."
"… I don't… really… know…"
"Okay, then."
"You know, you talk more than I thought you would."
"Hn. I don't usually talk this much."
"Okay? Why are you talking so much to me then?"
"Hn."
How predictable, ne?
------
"Are you sure, dad? Could it be her? After all these years?"
"It has to be her, Takashi. A Hyuuga we haven't met yet?"
"She said she wasn't a Hyuuga…"
"She's a Hyuuga alright. Did you notice her hair? All Hyuuga's have dark hair. If not black, it's a very, very dark brown. There's only one possible Hyuuga to have hair that shade of brown. And it's the Hyuuga that went missing with her mother."
"Are you sure dad? I mean, shouldn't we tell mom? So she could tell Aunt Hinata and warn her?"
"Already did."
"What do we do dad? We gave her a residential suite!"
"Something tells me she won't stay here for long anyway."
"What?"
"Did she say anything to you? Anything about her family?"
"Her mother doesn't go by her last name anymore. … Actually I think she said she doesn't know her last name. I thought I heard her mumble something about her father's first name and…"
There was a pointed pause.
"And?"
"I think she said… … Neji…"
"Ah."
"It is her isn't it dad?"
"Yes."
"How's Uncle Neji gonna take this?"
"Don't inform any of your friends about this. We don't know what could happen," he mumbled to himself, "It's been 18 years. And he still doesn't know."
"Okay, dad. I won't tell anyone. But all the adults know right?"
"Ah."
Sigh. "I'd say this is troublesome if I didn't mind sounding like a Nara."
Another pause. "Dad, do you think she came here on her own?"
"Hm…"
"I mean, would …Aunt Tenten have sent her here after all these years?"
"She probably doesn't know. Reiko is most likely as independent as her mother."
"So…"
"Be prepared for the unexpected."
"Right."
------
The next morning I immediately (meaning right after eating breakfast and finding clothes to wear. It's Japan, I want to make a good impression.) got a map and went looking for my father's mansion. I had already circled it with a bright red marker the day before I left. Well, my aunt circled it (she promised not to tell my mother and would wait until my mother read my note.) and didn't tell me what the mansion was called.
I think it's named after my father's family. Or clan. Whatever you call it.
What was his last name again? Oh, damn, um, Hyuu…. Hyuu-something. I can only remember his first name. It was…
Oh, damn, um…… Neju? Neje? Oh, yeah! Neji! I can just ask at the mansion if a man named Neji lives there.
…Oh wait, doy! Of course he would live there! He became the friggin clan head according to my mom (and my aunt who lives here in Japan said on the phone. What was her name? I haven't spoken with her in a while…. Hinata! That was my aunt's name.).
I remember talking to some people here on the phone who were supposed to be family. There was this one lady named Nara Ino who called one time and kept asking me all sorts of questions. Like, "How are you?" "How do you like your school there?" "Do you ever want to come visit sometime?"
After she asked that question I would here a soft thump and an "Ouch, forehead!"
Then another voice who I guessed to be some lady named…… I forgot her last name, but her name was Sakura, say, "You know why she can't visit, Ino!"
… Am I really related to these people?
Well, in the middle of my ramblings, I managed to make it to the "mansion."
I know gawking is rude but…
Wow, this place is huge! I wonder if those Uchihas have a bigger one. Probably not since there family is still small.
One of the guards looked at me with slightly widened eyes. "Are you a Hyuuga ma'am?" He looked as if he were ready to open the gates for me. But, being my mother's child, I knew not to take advantage of my eye color.
"Um, no, sir. Everybody seems to be thinking that lately, but, I'm not a Hyuuga."
"Well, then do you have a meeting with Hyuuga-sama?"
"Um, er… no… but-"
"I'm sorry," he said. Jeez, they must only be nice to 'important people.' "You cannot enter unless you have an arranged meeting with Hyuuga-sama."
I looked down in thought. "Right, um, please excuse me then, sir." He nodded to me, as did the other guard. I walked along the big wall surrounding the mansion grounds. I eventually came to what seemed to be a shorter length of wall.
Looking to my left and right, no one was watching or walking by, and there was a tree grown into the sidewalk perfectly blocking view of me from the street.
I smiled to myself. Perfect.
Climbing up the tree the way my mom taught me to, I made it to the top of the wall. This is so going to be easy.
THWAM.
Scratch that.
I practically rolled off the top of the wall. It hurt.
So much.
------
Hitari looked up when she heard a thump coming from outside. Staring out through the ceiling-to-floor (and wall-to-wall) windows, she couldn't see anything. But she could have sworn she heard something.
"Mother, did you hear that?" she asked.
"Hear what dear?" Hinata replied.
"I thought I heard something fall…"
"Ah, you're just hearing things," Hidoko stated. He then laughed. "I didn't hear anything. You sure you're not hungry Hitari? You sound like you could use some food."
"Stop talking like that, Hidoko," Misori said. "You haven't eaten either."
Hitari giggled. "She got you."
"Eat your food, you three."
"Yes, dad," the said three said in unison.
Hitari kept staring out the window, as if waiting for something to happen. Something did.
She saw a girl with white eyes and long brown hair pulled into a bun atop her head, standing up and brushing herself off.
Hitari's jaw dropped. She looked to her siblings. Misori was studying her food skeptically before putting it into her mouth. Hidoko was stuffing his face, just like his father. Hinata was calmly eating. She looked out the window again, but the girl was gone.
Man, I do need to eat breakfast, she thought before digging in like her brother and dad.
Misori thought, What's up with her?
Hinata found it hard to focus on her food. She received the call from Sakura last night and it… troubled her. Greatly. Sighing she returned to her food before anyone noticed. (Naruto knew though, what was troubling her. The only adult who didn't was Neji.)
------
Really, these rich people! How can they not get lost here!
… I'm not even inside yet and I feel lost!
This is going to be way harder than I thought.
"Oh! Where AM I?!" I shouted in English. I felt something poking at my shoulder. Turning around I saw a bird.
A black bird? Poking me shoulder? Jeez, the day keeps getting weirder and weirder.
"Um… Hey there little bird," I reached out to touch it. I've always loved birds. And they've never seemed to be afraid of me. This black bird nudged my finger with his head. He flew off to a small tree in the yard. (It was filled with statues. Creepy, marble statues. That just stare at you.)
It let out a small chirp while looking at me. Um… Did it want me to follow it?
It went to the next tree. It chirped at me again.
I'm going to get help from a bird.
Like I said. Weirder and weirder.
So I followed the bird, and what do you know? A door. It was a small door. So it obviously wasn't one of the main entrances. (See how big this mansion is? Huff.)
The bird chirped at the door. "In there?" I asked it.
… Oh, Kami-sama… I'm talking to a bird.
"Eheheh. Of course in there, right! Thank you… bird-san…"
I turned away from the bird, who flew off I guess. Slowly opening the door, I stepped through. There was no in this… room. It looked like a bedroom. There was a bed… so it's a bedroom, right?
Ahem. Anyway, I went out the other entrance to this… bedroom, and ended up in a hallway.
A terribly long hallway.
I had a feeling I was going to get lost again.
I took a step forward and began my search…
For someone…
Anyone who could keep me from getting lost in this maze called someone's home!
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Shikamaru and Shikao came in from their daily cloud watching outside.
As they walked down one hallway that adjoined with another hallway, they noticed something.
… Or rather someone…
"Dad, who's that?" Shikao asked. "Do we know her?"
Shikamaru's eyes widened when he saw the girl's eyes. Brown hair, white eyes. Oh, no… He thought. His next thought involved the word troublesome.
"Hey you!" Shikao called out. "What are you doing here!"
------
I looked at the pineapple head who called at me. There was an almost identical pineapple headed man next to him. People have weird hairstyles here.
And these guys with weird hairstyles… did not seem happy to see me. Or at least the shorter one did. The taller (and obviously older) one looked surprised… but in a way that he had been expecting me…
That made no sense did it?
Well, the shorter pineapple head made a beeline towards me.
So what did I do?
I did the logical thing, and ran also, with this guy chasing after me. I heard the older pineapple head say, "Shikao, wait!"
So I ran.
I had no idea where I was running, but I ran.
The guy was still chasing me saying, "Wait, I just want to know what you're doing here! Who are you!?"
I didn't stop running.
We must have caused a commotion in the house (mansion) because maids and butlers were looking at us wide-eyed. They looked like they were passing messages to each other. I vaguely heard, "Tell Hyuuga-sama that Nara-sama and a girl are causing trouble," or something of the sort.
The next thing I knew, I came to a long winding stairway. Luckily, it wasn't one of those narrow stairways, more like a wide one. I went up it.
Then kept running.
And running.
The 'Shikao' guy kept on chasing me!
…. An idea suddenly came into my head. I stopped and made a quick U-turn. How was this smart?
Well, I guess it worked, because the 'Shikao' guy didn't expect it and ended up nearly crashing into a side table.
Ha!
I almost started laughing as I looked back at him, but then he composed himself and chased after me again.
Urgh! I thought Nara's were supposed to be lazy!
…
… Wait, how did I know this?
I didn't have time to think about that as I came to the stairway again. Running down it as quickly as I could, I didn't expect what happened next to happen.
But, it did.
Strong arms took me by the wrist and dragged me into some room. I tried pulling away, but this guy held firm. "Hey! LEMME GO!"
He pushed me into a chair. Literally.
I nearly fell over. "HEY! What was THAT FOR!"
A low baritone voice rang out in clear Japanese. "Who are you and what are you doing in my home?"
The voice seemed cold, yet I felt like I was supposed to know this voice.
I looked up from my wrists into this man's eyes. I let out an audible gasp.
His eyes were white. Just like mine.
And his face… I knew that face… I memorized that face countless times… It was…
"D-D-D-D…"
He cocked an eyebrow.
For the first time in my life, I trembled.
"D…Dad…" I sighed out.
He stepped back with shock clearly evident on his face.
"Wh-What? Who are you, and what are you doing here?!"
I just stared at him. It felt much better seeing him in person than seeing him in a picture.
"H… H… Hi Dad…"
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A/N: -is shot- Okay, I'm sorry it wasn't all that good, and I'm sorry it took forever to get this up, and I'm sorry I left you with a cliffy!
So ahem. Reiko's POV's will be… less mature cause… well she's only 18!
Next will be Tenten's POV, then after that Neji's. After that, it'll be Normal.
R' and R'