We finally get some Neji action in this chapter! I hope you guys enjoy :3

Also, some music is mentioned here, i did put a link but it didn't come out right (sigh) so if you just go to youtube and type in erhu longing it should be one of the first results (i think)


1858 June 12th – Chongqing, China

TenTen sat silently in her room with the various lanterns their lit with a large candle lit next to her on the low table she was seated at. Every night during supper she took this time to practice her painting. 'Aiyah! Why does Yéye even make me practice this or even take classes for it! He knows I can't paint!' She attempted to draw the flowers given to her by her teacher to copy with the intent to make hers look exactly like his. She started with gentle strokes as he had shown her and attempted to curve the lines with as little pressure added to the brush as possible. 'Hey, this isn't looking to bad.. and just connect them here..' She curved the last line inwards finally connecting and finishing the first flower. She smiled as she held up to get a better look at her work. Her lips suddenly became a thin line as she slammed the paper to the table and looked up at the ceiling with watery eyes. 'It's uneven!' She looked back down at her work and only felt like crying even more. She sighed as she put her elbows on the table and cradled her head with her hands. She glanced between her teachers painting and her own, 'how does master Deidara make his paintings look so good! I just don't get it' she sighed once again 'I don't even like painting...' She closed her eyes for a moment and began to remember a faint memory.


Flashback

Tenten sat silently on the ground with a large stick in her small hand. Humming happily she drew small pictures in the dirt; she giggled at her flowers and little people, and began to draw a sun before...

"Ano...what is that suppose to be?" Tenten, slightly startled, turned her head to see Neji peering over her shoulder. She smiled up at him as she responded,

"I'm drawing!" The emphasis that he had put on 'that' had clearly gone past her. Neji blinked a few times,

"it's not very good." His blunt statement stabbed right through her young heart. She quickly recovered and glared at him. How dare he insult here like that, she felt her brow twitch,

"fine then." She stood and put the stick in his hand, "you draw something!" He blinked at her a few times before shrugging his shoulders and then getting on his knees and beginning to draw. She watched him silently as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. Stroke after stroke he continued his drawing, and soon enough her arms had fallen limp by her sides not believing what she was seeing. After a while longer he finally stood and turned to her with a cocky smile.

"Better?" She looked at him with a gaping mouth and wide eyes and then back at the ground. He drew a rose, a beautiful blooming rose. It's detail was impeccable, and the lines flowed perfectly. She glance from her pictures to his and couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. In this embarrassment she merely turned her flushed face away, turned on her heel, and marched back inside while saying,

"It's not that good!" Taking the offense, Neji ran inside after her to retalliate.

End Flashback


Tenten opened her eyes and quietly giggled to herself. 'I was so young back then I could only hate him for being so good at something that I could never amount to. I was so annoyed by him, but now I understand how talented he was. Whaddya know, the name of prodigy really did suit him well..' When they were younger Tenten never knew what the word prodigy really meant; she vaguely knew that a genius was a very intelligent person, but never did learn what a prodigy was. 'Looking back now it all makes sense; his vocabulary always exceeded mine along with his maturity level, and in general he was just smart. The way he solved problems, the way he worked...I can't believe I never noticed..' A sadness washed over her as she began to recall the past. To still have that life, to still be with Neji, still be with papa. She sighed as her eyes began to wander around her room. Her eyes skimmed the ceiling ,and then the red walls. They then once again fell on her painting which she quickly averted seeing, which lead her right to the corner where her erhu was. A smile began to come to her lips as she studied it. The thin wooden instrument amazed her each time she looked at it. Its thin neck that only contained two pegs, and two strings was all that was really needed to create the beautiful sound that was produced by it. The bottom appeared almost as a mini drum; the front of it tightly holding its strings. Her eyes drifted to the pale bow laying next to it that contracted so greatly with the instruments dark color. She stood and made her way over to the instrument, and grabbed it along with the bow seating herself on a stool in the center of her room.

She rasened the bow and then carefully set it in between the two strings being careful to keep the bow hairs tight as she was taught to do so. Sitting up correctly she placed it on the front of her hip, then positioned her hands and steadied the bow. Closing her eyes she deeply inhaled then exhaled, and began to play. The tune was sad as she held out the notes making them quieter and then louder. She shook the cords as was necessary shifting her fingers down and then abruptly up to make the sound she desired. She felt the music deep within her as the strings vibrated with it. Longing was what the song was called, and how she longed for so many things to return to her, how she longed for them. She felt as if the instrument was crying for her, that it was sharing her sadness, that it was sharing her pain. The pain twisted deeply and darkly in her heart. Unforgivably suffocating her till she was left to nothing. Torturing her till sated. Without her knowing silent tears slipped down her porcelain cheeks.


1858 June 12th – Tokyo, Japan

Neji sat quietly at supper with the other members of his family. No one spoke only ate, yet every single morsel that went into his mouth and down his throat was tasteless. He couldn't focus on anything as long as Lee was in China. Would he find her? Would he not find her? These questions restlessly racked his brain making his stomach feel like it was in knots, he mentally sighed 'I can't work like this. I'm eating myself alive...' He looked at the people around him; Hinata who sat to his left kept her eyes to only the bowl of rice she was eating out of. She was the picture of poise and perfect etiquette. Sitting up straight and not speaking unless spoken too. He creaseless lavender kimono was also perfect. Her long pin straight hair let down to this family gathering. She was a perfect lady, and he hated it. Over the years he'd stopped hating his cousins, but ever enough to stop hating the way they were brought up. Only because it was under Hiashi's watchful eye. He stole a glance at Hanabi, the youngest. She still had some ways to go in her etiquette classes, but she was almost a spitting image of Hinata. Neji knew the truth though; she was actually very much a tomboy. Throwing off her kimono for a more comfortable pair of pants and long sleeved shirts. When no one was around she would beg him to teach her at least some martial arts. At first he completely refused, but as the years passed he could only accept her. Hinata knew, oh of course she knew, but she wasn't a loose lip. She would merely watch them and smile as they practiced. Neji could see the longing in her eyes to do what they did, but he would never offer, it was for the best. His eyes then landed on Hiashi, they subconsciously narrowed as his face took up his vision. How many times had he been so tempted to kill the man before him. The blood lust got too much for him at time, and he would barricade himself in his room for hours not even knowing what to do with himself.

As the only male in the family, that held what was practically Hiashi's blood, he was a threat to become head of the Hyuuga clan. He was sure that Hiashi himself was tempted to have him killed every now and again. More willing to let the family name die out then let him take over, but it never happened. Unless he would be able to marry off Hinata before him, and convince her husbands family to continue the family name, then he was the only option. Neji, obviously, new this and always gave credit to karma for letting this be his uncle's fate. He inwardly smirked at the thought of this advantage. At the end of the meal as the servants were about to start clearing the table a sudden sound pervaded his ears. He was slightly stunned at the sudden noise and turned his head to the open window to feel a warm breeze blow in and the music grow louder. 'Yes...that's what it is...music...' he listened carefully to the sad tune being played with it and immediately recalled the instrument being played, it was an erhu. He blinked a few times before looking back to those around him. They appeared to be completely unfazed by the tune as they quietly sipped the rest of the tea. 'Am...am I the only one who can hear this? Do none of them honestly hear it? It's so clear, how could you not...?' It was then Hiashi spoke.

"Quite a silent night we're having." Hinata and Hanabi only quietly agreed with him. Neji was stunned, 'they really can't hear it...' He abruptly stood, gaining the attention of everyone in the room before hurriedly asking,

"may I be excused?" Hiashi starred at his nephew with cold eyes for a moment or two before closing them and nodding his head. Neji quickly bowed and gave his thanks before slipping out of the room in a white blur. He ran down the halls, the music becoming a bit fainter. He ran down to the doorway that lead out to the Hyuuga garden. He no longer had to strain his ears as the music became louder the closer he got to making it to the outside.

He stumbled out of the door way and into the middle of the yard of botany. He breathed heavily as he looked around the dimly lit area, looking up to the dark starry eyed heavens frantically. 'Where...where is that music coming from!' He continued to look hearing the music so clearly he almost couldn't believe it. He began to walk around as he continued looking. As he turned away from a bush of white roses he stepped back startled as a most, peculiar of butterflies came to him. It was red, a brilliant red at that. The edges of it's wings were black, and near it's head the area was white. The rest was completely covered by the seductive color that happened to symbolize love. He admired it as it continued to flutter towards and away from his face. As he watched it a vague memory came to him. He could only hear the voices of the two small children.

"Ne, Ne! Neji, come look!"

"What is it Tenten?"

"Look!"

"Who is that?"

"I dont know? But listen! Isn't it pretty?"

"It is...but what is that thing she's playing?"

"Mmm... oh! Papa says that it's called an..an...er..erhu! It's called an erhu!"

"An erhu?"

"Hai.. I wanna play an erhu..."

"Tenten, you don't know how to play one."

"So!"

"You have to learn."

"Fine! I'll learn to play just as good as her! You'll see!"

"Hn."

He continued to stare at the winged insect as the memory changed to another one, this time he could actually picture it.


Flashback

"Tenten!" The young Hyuuga approached the little bun haired girl who was creating flower crowns out of small white daisies. She turned to him with large questioning eyes.

"Shénme?" His smile grew as he brought forward a pale hand. He watched as her eyes got impossibly bigger and shined with disbelief. "B-butterfly?" he nodded in enthusiastically. On his pale finger was perched a large, red butterfly. The young girl could hardly believe her eyes as she continued to admire it with incredible fascination. "Butterfly.." She quietly whispered as disbelief was obvious in her small voice. Neji felt triumphant that he could bring her such joy. He knew she was happy beyond belief as she stuck out her own small chubby finger and, surprisingly, it crawled on. He laughed a bit to himself, 'red is her favorite color.'

End Flashback


Neji gasped as he was suddenly brought back to the real world. He took notice then that the butterfly was fluttering off, and that the music was coming to a steady end. He held the front of his forehead as he attempted to calm down. ' What the hell is going on!'


Back in Chongqing, China

Tenten slowly finished her song as the steady stream of tears continued. Unbeknownst to her was a bowl haired boy watching her by the small crack in her bedroom door.

'What is your secret Tiantian?'


Review please!

Side note:

erhu or also known as a two string fiddle is a popular instrument from asia that was used in a lot of traditional music, and now a lot of like classical i guess you could say

Shénme means what in Chinese

Also, if you haven't already noticed Tenten and Neji will switch between speaking Japanese or Chinese whenever they talk to themselves or when thinking back on their past of when they were children and they spoke with each other