Okay yes I'm updating but you guys are mean because I have no reviews T_T. But I, on the other hand, am going to be nice chu

IMPORTANT : everything in the first chapter and second chapter is a flashback. All the characters are the same age and now they are all around the age of 18 [the three maids vary in age. Third is the youngest though.]

So basically that means that I'm skipping ahead a bit ^^"...this story might be a bit short after all. But I'll try and make this longer k?^^

thoughts in italics

titles in bold

Chapter 3

"Hyaa!"

"Ha!"

Neji fought his opponent valiantly. Tenten was curled in a ball watching from a corner of the dojo. She was allowed in but she couldn't participate. She was fine with that though. As long as she could watch Neji fight, she was fine. Her love for him had grown over the years and she was now proud and extremely happy with her long relationship with the boy, even if it was just a friendship.

"Hey take it easy Neji! We're just practicing!"

His opponent pleaded while trying to block Neji's hits.

"Even if...it's practice...we must always...be ready..!and practice...our hardest...every time!"

Neji said between blows and gave one last blow as he said his last word, knocking away his friends weapon and his friend in the process.

"Oww..."

His friend groaned and lay on the floor.

"Good job Neji!"

Tent ten said giving him a thumbs up. He returned it and went for a towel and a bottle of water on a mat.

"She's right Neji. You are steadily improving. I have high expectations for you in the near future."

The two looked across and saw the Lord at the entrance, a guard on each side. Neji and stood up and bowed slightly. Tenten remained kneeling and bowed low, her forehead on the floor.

The Lord nodded and they resumed their positions.

"There is a kendo tournament coming up. The participants are young men like yourself. I have taken the privilege of signing you up for it."

"Really!?"

Neji and Tenten replied together. They looked at each other. She scratched her head and closed her mouth.

"I don't think it's a privilege..." he whispered to himself, "but I will make you proud in the tournament father!"

He said loudly and bowed, his hair falling over his shoulders. The Lord nodded and turned to leave.

"Carry on then. Oh! And you are in it too."

he said looking at Neji's opponent.

"Wa!?"

He said looking up.

"The rules are that at least two members from the dojo must enter."

The guy groaned and his head fell back on the ground.

"...I guess you know what that means..."

Neji said looking over at the boy on the floor who cringed. He could feel Neji's stare.

"Five minutes! That's all I ask. Please. Then you can kill me 500 more times. I just need five minutes."

He breathed out every sentence you show his exhaustion.

"...Fine. Five minutes."

Tenten got up and stood beside Neji.

"Pitiful."

"Hey! You can't talk! You've NEVER done this! I want to see you try...that'd be funny."

The guy said from the ground. Neji laughed.

"Yeah. She'd be like, 'which way do you hold it?' ."

Neji said impersonating a confused person with the stick they used. The two boys laughed. Tenten pouted.

"Hey! I wouldn't do something like that! And you've never SEEN me do it, so how do you know I'd be like that?"

She shouted in defence.

"Whatever."

The guy replied getting up slowly. Neji helped him up. Tenten crossed her hands over her chest and hmphed.

"Tenten!"

A voice called out loudly. Tenten cringed and ran to her corner, trying to go through the walls. She eventually stopped and turned to them with a finger over her lips.

"Shh. You don't see me. I'm not here."

She said to them and they nodded.

Tsunande entered the dojo boldly: slamming open the poor doors and almost scaring Neji to death.

"Oh! I am truly sorry Neji-san. Have you seen Tenten?"

she asked with innocence.

Neji and the other guy immediately pointed to the corner. Tenten gaped.

"Tenten! There you are! Have you been here all this time!?"

She shouted at the girl, all innocence gone from her voice. She grabbed the poor child by the arm and dragged her outside, scolding her the entire time.

"These men are working hard and you should be too! How many times must I tell you? You are a maid working for the Hyuugas. You clean and you dance. That's all! You're not a man in the royal family that does kendo! You have no reason to be in here at all! While all the others slave over chores, you're in here skylarking and doing practically nothing! It's time to rehearse!"

But TenTen wasn't listening. This happened all the time. There was no punishment; apart from extra cleaning duty, and since it was already her 'job to clean', she didn't mind. She'd end up doing it sooner or later.

Instead, she glared at the two boys as she was dragged out and mouthed "TRAITORS". As the doors closed the guys burst out laughing and she heard it, making her more upset.

She was led back to the maid quarters. As she entered, she was attacked by questions from three maids.

"So...?"

the first started.

"How did it go?"

the second finished.

"How did what go?" Tenten asked. She was getting bored of this routine. It made her dread going to her room.

"Did ya kiss him yet?"

the third asked and Tenten's face immediately went red. She pushed out of the semi-circle and went to her room.

"You people are crazy! Get a life!"

She slammed the door closed.

The maids sighed.

"Wish I could..."

The first said.

"But you're living the life..."

The second added.

"...that I want..."

The third ended.

The maids went their separate ways to their dorms. Everyone got ready to dance. One of Neji's older cousins had recently returned with a victory over one of the enemy countries and there was need of celebration.

Tenten sighed as she put on her kimono. This time they were to wear green kimonos with sakura blossoms in the hair. She took of the cloth on her head and put her hair into two buns, clipping two flowers in at each bun.

She put on the dress and looked in the mirror sighing. "Sometimes, I wish I could just take off my mask and show Neji it's me."

She put on a light brown tights under the kimono, put on her mask, and left her room. Everyone outside looked similar to her and they all filed into two lines leaving the building quietly.

She was at the back and Tsunande followed behind the group.

"You know Tenten, if you practised a little harder, you could be the leader."

Tenten almost jumped and turned around quickly to the woman behind her.

"R-really?!"

Her teacher only nodded.

"Your body is very defined and curves in all the right places."

She said winking at Tenten who blushed at the compliment.

"Your body's not that different from our leader."

She said and walked ahead, leaving Tenten pondering.

"I could be...the leader?"

"Of course you won't get anywhere if you're always skylarking!"

Tsunande shouted out and Tenten realized she was being left behind. She ran till she caught them back up.

This dance had fast paced music and lively tunes. Everyone in the room danced from the get-go and there were no partners. Tenten danced beside Neji, hoping he'd realize, but he didn't. This was because the leader was dancing on his other side.

He was actually facing her and dancing with her. Tenten moved to his side again. He looked at her, smiled and went back to the leader. Tenten gaped but resumed dancing on another side of the room mumbling 'rude' behind her mask.

At the end of the dance, everyone clapped and all sat down while the cousin told his triumphant tale of how he brutally wiped out the enemy villages.

After the story, the girls lined up and headed out of the room. Neji excused himself and left through another door. He sprinted around the building to catch up with them. This time, the leader was at the back of the line so he thought he could catch up with.

Tenten was near the front and stirred slightly when a blur went past her. She looked behind her and saw brown hair but she had to keep walking because the other girls were pushing her forward.

"Wasn't that...Neji?"

"I didn't see anything." the girl behind her replied with a yawn.

Tenten turned back around and went to her room.

Neji ran to the back of the line and took the leader's hand in his. Two girls at the back of the line gasped, and ran ahead with the others whispering and pointing, which started a chain reaction, but didn't make it to the front of the line where Tenten was.

"You...You're the leader of the dance group..."

The girl nodded behind her mask.

"And you...you danced at my 16th birthday as the leader..."

She nodded again. Neji gave a short, nervous laugh, probably thinking how funny it would be she didn't. He held out his hand stiffly.

"I'm Hyuuga Neji."

She bowed low in response. He pulled back his hand quickly and recovered. They stared in awkward silence for a few minutes before Neji remembered the ribbon. He pulled it out of his pocket and raised it to her.

"! This ribbon. You gave it to me. What does it mean?"

But she didn't say anything. She only closed his hands over it and moved them to his heart. He looked at her hands on his during the silent moment, and then to her. She removed her hands, bowed low again, and ran down the path to the maid quarters.

He turned and reached out to her, but no words came. Standing there frozen, he watched her pink hair sway as she ran, the moonlight glistening on it. One of the flowers from her hair fell on the ground.

He looked at the ribbon in his hand one more time, before walking back inside the building where the dancing took place.

"...What does that mean? She's so mysterious..."

Chapter 3!It's longer than the others by a bit but the point is, it is! Please review!

I just love 'Atreyu' and 'Sick Puppies' -^^- [listened to them while I wrote]