Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
CHAPTER 3
TENTEN
During the free time Tenten had after her chores, she rather enjoyed taking her horse out for a ride.
She loved her horse, Reckless; more than herself, for even longer than her friends that she lived with, Reckless has practically grown up with her.
She was there when his mother had given birth to her, and had taken care of the foal.
She was out on the meadow on the outskirts of the town, riding her black beauty along the dusty road.
It was an hour or so before sundown, and Tenten watched the sun slowly crawl down the sky, a mere centimetre every few minutes or so.
Reckless stopped his slowly galloping, moving to a halt.
Tenten frowned, patting down his mane.
'What is it, boy?' she asked him.
Reckless neighed
It was then that she heard the series of hooves behind her.
She turned her horse just in time to move out of the way of a speeding horse, zooming past them, missing Reckless's tail by a mere inch.
Tenten felt her hackles rising as the rider of the horse slowed down and made a turn to come back at them, stopping in front of the duo.
It was a young man, Tenten realized, one she recognized as Neji Hyuuga, a noble member of the Hyuuga family in the town, one of the most respected clans.
Noble or not, it didn't stop Tenten from yelling at him.
'Do watch where you are going, Sir!' she snapped hastily.
'We are not a door mat to trample on,'
The Hyuuga watched her with pale eyes, expression passive.
'My deepest apologies,' he said shortly, yet politely.
The frown from earlier had not left Tenten's face as she said nothing.
The young man's eyes fell on her horse, eyeing the white spot on his forehead.
'Quite the beauty, isn't he?'
Tenten looked down at the horse he sat on. It was a pure white female with olive coloured eyes that held a gentle touch.
Poor thing, she thought, stuck with such pushy master.
Pushy, yet a gentleman.
'Does he have a name?' he asked.
Tenten snapped back to reality.
'Reckless,' she hesitated, patting the back of the horse.
The young man's mouth lifted ever so slightly.
'Quite the name,' he commented. Tenten couldn't tell whether it was a compliment or a note of sarcasm that she caught in his voice.
A silence passed between the two, and Tenten didn't know what to say or do.
It wasn't until Neji nodded. 'Well, good day,' he said.
Tenten nodded too, not politely, but not rudely either.
Smiling a little, the young man took off into the sunset in such finesse, Tenten smiled in amusement.
Reckless neighed, throwing his head back a little. Tenten patted down his mane again.
'Let's go home boy,'
(Not mine, originally NalSweetheart's)