Mirza Sahiba
A long time ago, in the village Hidden in the Leaves, a town in the Fire Country, there was once a woman of great prestige. She was the wife of a powerful branch member who's the brother of the clan leader. Her husband loved her very much so. She was his life and happiness. One day, the happiness increased tenfold.
She was pregnant.
The nine months went by rather quickly. She gave birth to a baby boy who she loved with her entire soul. The little baby was Hizashi's legacy. She vowed to watch over him.
Unfortunately, she died shortly after giving birth, but lived long enough to give him a name; a name she treasured on her mouth until she breathed her last breath. She was not able to raise her son, but she was able to at least give him a name. She wanted to protect him from his fate, but even she knew what destiny had in store for him. For this reason, she named her son Neji. The baby would be the screw that kept everyone together.
Hizashi mourned for his lost wife. He made a vow on her ashes that he would make sure that Neji would be surrounded by love.
Meanwhile, there was another woman nearby who had recently given birth to a boy and girl. She was mourning the loss of her son and cradling her young daughter. She looked on over to Hizashi Hyuuga. She noticed that he was carrying a little bundle that was wailing. Reminded of her loss, she took Neji and fed him.
She fed this boy as she did her own daughter. This woman took it upon herself to help the little boy. Thus, these two children became childhood friends.
Later, as years went by, the children grew up as comrades and rivals. The girl, named Tenten, was a skilled weapons mistress, though no one knew. She would practice the way of the weapons when no one looked all to impress her father. He never got over the loss of his son and neglected Tenten. She has been fighting for his acknowledgement for as long as she could remember.
Neji, on the other hand, was no longer a baby but a child valued by his village. He was skilled in the art of fighting and knew different ninjutsu. He was called a prodigy. Sadly, he carried the burden of an orphan. He lost his father to war, but that didn't mean Hizashi didn't keep his promise.
Tenten and Neji would spar with each other and carry each other's burden. They buried their sorrows in each other and held a bond that even lovers' were jealous of. A connection that never could be explained, the villagers took it as something that formed when friendship was all one had left in times of despair.
When it was time to enroll the young children in school, Tenten's parents had decided to send her to school so she could get a proper education and marry her off to the right suitor. Neji's uncle enrolled him in school in order to better protect his heirs, Hinata and Hanabi.
If anything, Neji did not know that his friend would be there. He did not notice her at first when he came to Konoha to study because they were just children. He only noticed her when he failed to recognize her. She was angry and through a stick right at his forehead. It was something he wouldn't forget indeed.
But as the two children grew, feelings of love began to blossom between the two. They would play and secretly spar when no one was looking. With time, everyone knew that Tenten would grow into such a beauty one can only dream of beholding grabbing the attention of every suitor. Heck, everyone knew that Neji would one day be swooning the ladies with his good looks as well.
One day, while walking home from school, the adventurous, young Neji took a different path home. On that street, there was a bazaar. He saw Tenten buying some vegetables for her family. He watched as she asked for various squashes and leaves to cook. When the merchant began to weigh her purchases, he weighed out extra because he was lost in her beauty. Neji, too, was transfixed by her gracefulness. He raced all the way home fueled by love.
As he grew older, Neji learned to be a skilled horseman and archer. He rode on a powerful steed named Kagonotori who swiftly maneuvered through the land. Neji was so skillful that every arrow he shot would willfully go exactly where he wanted.
Tenten only grew more skilled and beautiful with time.
Soon, their love bloomed fully. Neji would sneak out of the Hyuuga compound to meet her at night. Tenten would meet by the meadows and wait. Occasionally, she would whirl a few kunais if he kept her too long, but Neji knew she would miss on purpose.
Eventually, it came to the point where Neji could not live without his Tenten and Tenten couldn't live without her Neji. They were lost in their own world, even when Tenten was betrothed to another, unknown to both.
It was noticed remarkably among the villagers when Tenten had pronounced her poem incorrectly taking in Neji's name instead of Lee's. Her teacher, red with embarrassment, started punish her with a tree branch. This thin branch gives a person a burning sting when swatted with it.
As Tenten received her punishment with the tree branch, she spoke to the teacher, "Why are you making me fall down with this punishment when I'm already falling in love?"
Sadly, their days of blissful love did not last.
Tenten's parents found out about the love affair and sent Tenten to her aunt. Not too long after that, they arranged her marriage to a man named Rock Lee. He was from the same town and Tenten's betrothed. With Neji under watch by his uncle, Hiashi, Tenten's parents were able to prepare for the wedding without any interruptions.
Tenten, via her close friend and Neji's cousin, Hinata, sent word of her unfortunate marriage to her darling Neji. As soon as he heard of this, he made plans to leave. His family tried to stop him but he would not succumb to their pleas. He had to go. Before Neji left, Hiashi, seeing that there was no other way, went to Neji and told him that if he went, then he must return with Tenten or else it would bring great dishonor.
With those words, Hiashi gave his brother's son his blessings to pursue his love.
"Come Kagonotori, we are going to get her back," Neji commanded. He equipped himself with his bow and arrows. His horse rode to Suna that night.
Neji reached Tenten on the day of her wedding, right before the ceremony was about to proceed. He opened the door to her room and entered secretly. He admired her from afar; she was dressed in a bright red wedding kimono, and her delicate hands darkly painted with mehendi.
Without waiting another moment, he held her hand. She thwacked him hard with her free hand.
"Don't you know how long I had to wait? I thought that I would have to save myself!" she whispered harshly.
"Well, if that was the case, why didn't you?"
"I wouldn't get a chance to smack you and ride on Kagonotori. Isn't that how happy endings work?"
"I guess so," he smiled warmly.
With that, he took her away with him on horseback and rode until he thought that they were at a safe distance. Tired, he decided to rest under a tree while his sweet Tenten watched over him.
Meanwhile, back at the wedding party, Tenten's cousins called for her to come down to proceed with the ceremonies. When she did not come, her cousins realized that something was wrong. Kankuro, Gaara, and Temari all knew that she ran away with Neji.
They all gathered their weapons preparing to take her back by force.
Tenten, while watching over her beloved, feared that her cousins would soon catch up. She did not know what to do. If her cousins came and Neji woke up, then her cousins would die at the hands of Neji's quick arrows.
With the hope of her cousin's taking pity on her, Tenten reached Neji's quiver and broke each sharp arrow in half. She believed that no blood would be spilled this way.
Suddenly, Tenten's cousins and relatives found the couple under the tree. With one quick shot from Kankuro's bow, it aimed at Tenten. Neji awoke and blocked it with his back. He reached for his arrows and saw all the broken pieces. Neji looked up at Tenten, searching for an answer, but was shot once again, this time by Gaara. Tenten threw herself him and blocked the next slew of arrows with her body.
Together, they died in each other's arms.
Love with no borders.
YEahhh...My attempt at taking an old indian folktale (kind of romeo and julietesh) called Mirza Sahiba and putting in a little NejiTen flavor to it.
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~Desifruit out