The Way Of The Hyuuga

Chapter – 2

A/N Hmm, seems NejiTen is winning (not to my surprise), nyeh, anyways chapter 2 is up (wows that was FAST! XD) and I'm afraid it hasn't really gotten to the point yet, I wont ruin it for ya though P…and I intend to make this a long fic anyways, so there's plenty of time for angst and lemons yesh? evil grin Enjoy.

OOOOOOOOOO

Hinata watched from the window, as Neji walked with his hand around Tenten's waist, of whom was currently beaming a smile at him, even though she was sopping wet and freezing. The Hyuuga Heir stirred the tea, letting the steam rise and hit her cheeks before placing the cups on a tray and pacing towards the living space.

She only made two cups, not wanting to disturb the couple any more…she didn't know why, but she always felt so awkward around them…Hinata silenced these thoughts before she was just about to leave, unfortunately she was paused by another feminine voice.

"Aren't you going to stay?" Asked Tenten, which apparently took Neji by surprise considering the look on his face. Hinata simply put the tray down with a tinge of pink smothered onto her cheeks.

"I-I can't, I-I n-need to…to t-train, goodbye." The Hyuuga bowed politely before making a quick exit. A quizzical look mustered onto Tenten's features; the kunoichi had noticed from previous visits to the Hyuuga compound that Hinata would always make up some excuse to leave. Did she dislike Tenten? The brunette's brows arced in a frown at the thought…she really did want to befriend Hinata, after all, they would be living together from now on.

"Here,"

Soon Neji's voice had snapped Tenten out of her musings, she turned to see her fiancé holding out a fluffy white towel, she smiled momentarily; Hinata must've brought it in with the tea. Outstretching her arms Tenten took the towel and honoured Neji with one of her gentle smiles, always a sure way to make Neji ease up a little more, it used to be a blush that took over his face when she smiled like that…but they had been together for so long that he had grown too accustomed to it, Tenten wasn't sure if she was glad of that or not. She did miss seeing that priceless expression on his face sometimes.

The young woman wrapped herself in the towel and slumped onto the sofa. Neji merely rolled his eyes, for it seemed Tenten just couldn't be bothered to dry herself off and instead, plopped herself down and curled up into a heap of the sofa, basking in the towels warmth. But he had to admit…she looked rather…cute, like that. The Hyuuga sat next to her, passing her a warm cup of herbal tea that Tenten took gratefully.

"I feel sorry for her you know…" Tenten thought out loud before pressing the cup to her lips. Neji didn't need to ask whom she was talking about, and quite frankly he didn't want to talk about Hinata... Sure he didn't hate her anymore, that was all in the past, but that didn't mean they were the best of friends either…infact, the two of them hardly ever spoke. Their relationship was awkward to say the least, and Tenten could smell it from a mile off.

"What's there to feel sorry for?" He questioned, though not caring for the answer. If it had gone Neji's way he would've changed the subject completely, but whenever he did that it always ended up in an argument…Back when he was a genin, Neji could understand what there was to feel sorry for, she was weak and not acknowledged. But now, she spent her days training and preparing to take over from Hiashi (much to Hanabi's dismay), Hinata would become the clan's leader in no time at this rate, and Hiashi, had become surprisingly proud of his first-born. And while Tenten understood that this was Neji's opinion, she couldn't help feeling he was missing the bigger picture.

"Well…She just hasn't been the same, ever since Sakura and Naruto got together…" The weapon's mistress trailed off, taking another sip of her tea. It was true, Hinata had been utterly heartbroken when she had found out the news, it had taken a long time to sink in…and soon rather then being shy yet friendly Hinata, she became shy Hinata who distanced herself and spent more time with clan duties then her friends. Perhaps it had been a way to take her mind off of the pain…but even now, all these years later, her pain still showed. Even to the likes of Tenten who barely knew her.

'I should try and get to know her…we'll be family soon…'

The kunoichi yawned to herself before placing the cup down on the table. It seemed that all that worry and falling into lakes had taken it out of Tenten, she leaned to the side, allowing her head to rest on Neji's shoulder, who was currently not enjoying the wet patch she was leaving on his attire by resting against it. The towel had slipped to her sides, falling idly around her waist so that it didn't cover her wet garments, nor did it warm her up, but she had Neji to do that.

"Tenten…"

"Mmm?" She answered lazily, letting her eyelids close as the feeling of Neji's heart beating at a gentle pace almost lulled her to sleep.

"You're leaving a wet patch on the sofa…."

Her eyes reluctantly blinked open, only to find that Neji was right, and underneath her was a large patch of the sofa that was much darker than the rest. The young woman sweat-dropped with a sheepish grin on her face.

"Oopsie."

A pronounced sigh left Neji's lips as he stood, finishing off his tea the male Hyuuga persisted to yank Tenten up from the sofa, not to her liking of course.

"Go take a shower," He commanded whilst sniffing the air a little, only to find it smelt like dirty water, cutesy of Tenten. "I'll go find you a change of clothes."

Before she could leave Tenten yanked him back, his white eyes shifted to face her, not looking too pleased by her feisty administrations. He could make out the sly smile on her lips, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Aren't you going to join me?" She offered devilishly.

Neji really should've seen that one coming, with a mundane expression he replied with a solemn 'No', leaving Tenten looking a little peeved as he exited the room…That was after he managed to pry himself away from Tenten's grip.

'Geez, he'd better lighten up once we're married…'

OOOOOOOOOO

While Tenten used the facilities of Neji's en-suite bathroom, he made sure to leave a yukata, neatly folded on the bed for when she got out…it was the least he could do after declining her offer. To be honest he would've liked to take it, but Neji had decided to use this time without Tenten at his side effectively.

He walked out into the Hyuuga gardens again, this time taking a different route that eventually lead to a patch of vibrantly coloured flowers, each with their own unique scents that all blended together perfectly. Typical Hinata would never mix flowers if it ruined their scents or appearances, or made them clash, she probably knew more about flowers then the kata of the jyuuken; which was slightly worrying…considering she was the Heir.

The shinobi noticed that girl, kneeling down and planting seeds, blissfully unaware of Neji's presence. He knew she hadn't gone to train. It was simply an excuse.

"Hinata-sama-" His voice broke the peaceful silence, almost knocking Hinata off of her feet and making her land in the patch of mud beneath. The fact she hadn't sensed him was also worrying…

"Y-yes, N-Neji-san?" She asked, knowing that he would only talk to her if he wanted something from her (which wasn't very often). She had given up calling him 'nii-san', knowing that he hated it, and perhaps…still hated her, that thought always ran through the back of her head…sure he was polite now, but that didn't mean he liked her. The thought was enough to sadden her until Neji's voice broke the silence again.

"I have a request to ask of you."

She knew it, though in front of Neji, she would never dare gloat and say she had known it. The woman picked herself up and dusted her hands on the navy overalls she wore when planting new flora, but considering it was already filthy, it didn't help clean her hands in the slightest. Before she could ask what his request was, he had already begun to ask.

"I would be grateful if you could dispose of any documents about the arrangement you have left. They are not needed now the plan had been aborted-"

Hinata cast her gaze to the side, her heart squeezing painfully at Neji's words. His voice was so mundane, he really couldn't have cared less about Hinata, his eyes and stance showed it all to well, they showed it by showing nothing. The plan had been aborted months ago, but he never brought it up before…Hinata knew all too well why he only mentioned it now…

'Tenten…'

Hinata wasn't one to hate…but at the moment Tenten certainly wasn't her favourite person…And in the back of her mind, Hinata wanted to be angry at Neji, and she wanted to gloat about knowing he only wanted a favour…but a lack of confidence stood in the way of all that.

"O-ok t-then,"

Neji bowed his head politely and Hinata followed suit before the older Hyuuga turned on his head to leave. He had no other reason's to speak with her, he didn't care about that glisten of sadness in her eyes when his words had pierced through her…And that, only seemed to make her even more angry, even if it didn't show on the outside; the only thing that could give it away were her hands fisting her overalls…

'Don't cry Hinata…don't cry…'

OOOOOOOOOO

Neji found himself back inside the compound only a few minutes later. He proceeded to walk to his room, expecting to find Tenten there; preferably not still smelling like the murky lake water. Sliding the door open he found her standing beside his bed where the yukata was folded, a wide smile of her lips greeted him as she clutched the fluffy white towel around her bare torso.

"I really need to move my clothes in soon," She giggled a little, almost making Neji want to smile. He soon refrained, thinking it was a little too out of character for his liking.

"Tenten,"

She turned, only to find Neji had somehow managed to close the distance between them without her even realising…typical of an ANBU captain she supposed. She jumped a little in surprise, feeling his close proximity and his breath warming her cheeks. Without a second's hesitation he leaned down and placed the chastest of kisses upon her cheek. As lovely as it were…Neji would never kiss her so sweetly, did he want something? Had he done something wrong? Tenten was almost tempted to scowl in return at the thought.

"…What was that for?" She enquired as a hand stretched to the Yukata he had provided her with.

"No reason." Came his monotonic reply, and Tenten simply couldn't resist raising her brow in curiosity; usually Neji would never do anything unless there was a purpose behind it. A cold shiver swam done her spine, what had happened to her distant, grumpy Neji?

The kunoichi raised one hand and let her fingertip slide under his forehead protector; she proceeded in moving it upwards so she could rest a palm on his bare forehead. Neji didn't mind as such, he was used to her seeing the cursed seal, she acted as though it were the most normal thing in the world after all…yet he couldn't help wondering why she was pressing her hand against it.

"Do you have a fever…your temperature seems fine." She mused out loud, now with no hands holding up her towel…which of course, managed to slip so that the white material puddled around her ankles and left her naked. Tenten's face became a bright crimson; of course Neji had seen her naked before, but it was still embarrassing, especially in broad daylight with the window wide open…

Neji's eyes darted up and down for a moment, and Tenten soon caught on as she gave him a glare that held the threat of a thousand kunais…she assumed he was thinking about something sordid…even if it was stoic Hyuuga Neji she was naked in front of.

"Yours doesn't." He comment, his eyes now fixed on her beet red face. Neji just had to retort with a comment like that didn't he?

The door slid open, it was sod's law that it revealed a rather compromising site of Tenten's naked body pressed against Neji's fully clothed one (she had instantly clung to him when the door opened). Tenten yelped out of surprise, that and the fact the room was getting slightly cold. Right on queue in stepped Hanabi…or at least, she would've done, if she hadn't been frozen to the spot with pure shock and a mouth slightly ajar.

"Don't get the wrong idea." Neji tried to explain to his youngest cousin, who subconsciously began stepping away from the two.

"What are you two! Rabbits! First Hinata finds you making out outside, and now this, geez…" The teen replied, who soon received a glare from Neji. Unlike her sister; Hanabi had turned into and outspoken girl, with a sharp tongue and foul mouth to suit…Well, at least when Hiashi wasn't looking anyway.

Once the door was closed, both stood their dumbfounded for a moment. Before Tenten finally managed to speak up and break the awkward silent after Hanabi's exit.

"It's strange, I guess I'm not used to this 'no privacy' thing."

"Figures."

The kunoichi pouted momentarily, poking Neji in the chest with considerable force (and her fingernails).

"Neji…" She trailed off, batting her eyelashes in a very un-Tenten-like manner, making Neji pronounce another sigh…what did she want this time?

"Would you do me a favour and bring my stuff over here?"

"…Why can't you do it?" He came back with, but already Tenten was placing the keys to her apartment in his hands.

"Because…I have family issues to deal with."

Neji knew she was an orphan, so when she said family issues, she must've meant with his family (then again, they'd be her family soon, so he couldn't really use that one against her)…The Hyuuga scowled for a moment, he doubted he'd like whatever Tenten was up to…but her eyes told him that no matter what he said, she'd do it anyway. And for once Neji was the one to lose the argument, clutching the keys between his pallid fingers.

"Fine. Don't do anything stupid though." With that he made his exit, and all the while he could feel Tenten's glare burning into his back.

'Something stupid? Oh yee of little faith Hyuuga Neji…'

OOOOOOOOOO

Soon Tenten was dressed and ready…well, technically she was only in a yukata and her hair was still damp, but she didn't have much of a choice when all her clothes were back at home. The weapon's mistress ran into the gardens, whilst keeping a close eyes on the flimsy material of her garment; making sure it wouldn't take away what little dignity she had left.

She eventually found her destination, just opposite the patch of flowers. This time Hinata had sensed the presence and was already on her feet to greet Tenten.

"G-good d-day, Tenten,"

Tenten slowly walked over to Hinata's side, admiring the plants in her vision, thus causing Hinata to blush out of her insecurity…perhaps Tenten thought planting flowers was a stupid hobby…

"They're really beautiful…"

"Y-you, think s-so?" The heir asked bashfully, making Tenten chuckle somewhat.

"Mmhmm, you're really good at this Hinata…" Tenten turned to face the blushing Hyuuga, who although looked peachy, displayed sadness in her eyes.

"But, maybe you've spent too much time on them."

"W-what do you m-mean…?"

"Well," Tenten tried to explain. "I hardly ever see you around anymore, well…not that I saw much of you in the first place." Soon the brunette realised she was rambling and got back to the point. "Anyway, its only just dawned on me, that we'll be family soon…so, it would be nice if we could be friends too." She managed to say, mustering a smile all the while…Tenten had hated their awkward relationship from the start, and planned to put an end to it.

'Why is she being so nice to me?' Hinata couldn't help wondering, her mind in a whirl of confusion.

"I-I'd l-like that…" The bluenette managed to mumble out, to Tenten's relief.

"Great! Well…if you're not busy tomorrow, would you like to spar with me?" Tenten asked, knowing that fighting was one (and probably the only) thing they had in common…Even if Hinata preferred planting flowers, she had grown into a worthy adversary, worthy of the Hyuuga title and her father's appraisal apparently…Tenten really wanted to see if Hinata hadI become as good as the rumours said.

"S-sure!"

From then on, the two remained almost silent, staring into the foliage for hours, both loosing track of time, and not noticing the lurking footsteps.

'They seem to be getting on well…' Neji thought from afar, carrying Tenten's belongings into the compound as he watched his fiancé and cousin looking out to the flowers, and occasionally exchanging words. You would've though Neji'd be happy…but in all honesty, it made him feel uncomfortable that Tenten was getting close to his family…so close that perhaps they'd end up revealing family secrets they'd regret letting slip.

Suddenly Hinata's head turned much to Neji's surprise, she had sensed him…but Tenten still seemed to be babbling on, blissfully unaware that Hinata's head was turned in another direction. Slowly the scowl Hinata showed him curved into a grin, a malicious one…one that didn't suit Hinata at all…

She was probably upset about his earlier request, and from places unknown, she had managed to pluck up the courage to show her disdain…but that grin told him she had something up her sleeve, something that he wouldn't like at all…And considering she was of the main branch; she had always had the upper hand…maybe she had only just decided to use that upper hand to her advantage. The thought sent a shiver up Neji's spine, but he didn't show this, only glared back in acknowledgement to what seemed like a challenge proposal.

'If you're looking for a challenge Hinata-sama, you've found one…'

'But don't you dare lay a finger on Tenten.'

OOOOOENDOOOOO

A/N- Ok, so a very OOC Hinata, but doesn't that make you want to continue reading? Well I hope it does. Tell me what you think, and yes, reviews make me write a heck of a lot faster hinthint

Funny how I said maybe NejiHina...and currently it looks like they hate each other, oh well. All shall be revealed! (and I'm sure you guys prefer them hating each other anyways XDD)

Ja ne!