Instincts
Author's note: *sings* I have no idea where I'm going with this! *stops singing* But I'm having way too much fun with it. :)
So, funny story. I had no idea one of Kakashi's ninken is named "Akino." Why is this funny? Because one of my Original Characters in "Life, Love, and Genin," who happens to be a main character because he's Neji's genin, is named Akino. Yep.
WARNING: Occasional exploration of a submissive (Neji) and dominate (Tenten) bondage relationship. If this bothers you then turn back now.
I don't own the Naruto-verse. I'm just borrowing for the Hell of it. Again, post-war and Neji lives. They're in their 20s in this more plot less kinky sex story.
Again: chapter a day time till the 31st of October since I'll be going back to original fiction and all my spare time will be dedicated to NaNoWriMo. Don't worry, I will end this beast. *grins*
Tenten ran a hand through her bangs to push them back to her right temple. The July heat was killer today and their air conditioner was on the fritz. Someone from the company was fixing it free of charge but it would take a couple of hours. So here they sat in the play ground close to home in a sad attempt to get cool.
Hizashi didn't seem to care it was so hot. He ran around the park with laughter ringing out bright as he moved. He could jump over little obstacles in his way as he moved and knew enough to kick a ball if someone threw one to him. He also carried around a single red block everywhere he went. It was his security blanket of sorts.
He could take off his shoes and had started climbing on whatever he could to get higher. Tenten had found him on top of the counter yesterday as she had been looking for Hatomi's other shoe. Neji had been finishing getting dressed. They had both almost had heart attacks upon seeing where Hizashi had climbed to.
Tenten watched Hizashi run around with kids easily three or more months older. She sat at the edge of the sandy playground on the tiny wooded upraised area. Other mothers sat on the benches but Tenten was not any mother.
She glanced over to Neji who was lightly pushing Hatomi on the toddler swings. Her smile was wide as she giggled, pumping her legs to swing higher and higher at Neji's discretion. Her pink sundress was almost invisible because of the supports of the swing. Tenten could see the tiny sleeves, the white socks with frills on the top and Hatomi's pink shoes.
Neji had tied Hatomi's hair into side pigtails, finishing them with pink bows. The ends of her high pigtailed hair could touch her earlobes it was so long but she had been born with lots of hair. So had Hizashi. Hell, she wanted to trim his hair it was so long but Neji had glared at her in a menacing way.
Tenten saw Hizashi go down, face planting in the sand but he lifted his head out of the sand and shook his head. Hizashi pushed his body upwards so he was on his hands and feet with his butt in the air, before standing up fully. He took off running again.
He wore blue shorts and a white boy's tank top. Tenten had tried to put his hair into a pony tail but he had whined and fidgeted too much even for her quick fingers. Tenten smiled as he tripped again but put out his hands to stop his fall and kept his face from plopping into the sand. It put him in a downward dog yoga position which he stayed in for a minute.
"You're so lucky he's so sturdy,"
Tenten glanced to the woman beside her: civilian, brown hair cut into a short style, honey colored eyes, dressed in a white knee length skirt, and a white tank top. She sat near Tenten on the same piece of wood keeping the sand in place.
"Yeah," Tenten said.
"My little Hiromochi isn't," she said.
She pointed towards a little boy in green shorts and a green tank top with bandages all over his legs and palms. As Tenten watched, the little boy randomly fell over even though he had been walking. Tenten winced.
"Ouch," Tenten said.
The woman nodded at her and watched Hizashi running around the sand box. Tenten watched her son as well. Hizashi didn't really look like her from this distance. He looked more like Neji minus the nose and cheek bones. Hatomi didn't even look like her but looked like a girl version of her father. Tenten wouldn't tell Neji that yet.
"How old is he?" the woman asked.
"Fifteen months," Tenten replied.
"Really? Wow, he seems closer to two years," the woman said.
"Yeah," Tenten remarked.
She kept her eyes on Hizashi as he kept running around the park, chasing older kids, kicking the balls other kids threw at him, and generally running as fast as he could. He liked to run, even around the house. She peered at Neji who kept pushing Hatomi on the swings.
Hatomi could run when prompted but she preferred walking with her hand either clutching Neji's pants or his hand. She rarely left Neji's side except for sleeping. Even after three months, their little girl was paranoid. Hatomi jumped, eyes widening in fear, anytime the front door opened. When the person coming in was Hiashi or Hanabi, Hatomi hid behind her father with a whimper.
Tenten hated her little girl knew the issues, if innately. The Elders were locked in an argument with Hiashi, Hanabi, Kakashi, Naruto, and Tsunade. Nothing had happened yet but Tenten always had more than enough weapons in her scroll bracelets to protect her children.
"You must be a kunoichi," the woman said.
"Yeah I am," Tenten said.
The woman giggled. Tenten didn't take her eyes off Hizashi. His block was in his hand as he ran. If he started to fall he would drop the block till he caught himself then pick it back up again before running.
"I can tell by the way you watch him," the woman said. "Well your son and the handsome long haired young man pushing the little girl on the swings."
Tenten peeked at Neji who had a smile on his face as he pushed his princess. He had left his hair out but it was bound back by the bandana he wore to cover the curse seal. The light breeze blew his hair to his left softly. Neji didn't seem to mind and Tenten didn't mind staring at his bare legs as even Neji had decided to wear shorts in dark gray and a muscle shirt, fitted, in white.
Hell she wore shorts small enough they almost didn't cover her butt completely. They were black in color and she wore a top with no sleeves in white. The shirt was a crop top which exposed a good expanse of her abs. Tenten didn't care if the other mothers looked at her with glowers. It was hot out and she was proud of the body she had worked hard to get.
"Well, that and you don't have a mother's body. I mean, you're toned where other mothers, well, not so much," the woman said.
Tenten didn't say anything to the woman. The hairs at the back of her neck had stuck up on end and her heart rate had increased marginally. Her instincts screamed "danger" but Tenten could see nothing wrong with the scene around her.
She did notice Neji's smile had lowered a bit. He sensed something to. Tenten decided it was time for Hizashi to go on the swings beside his sister. She stood, brushing off the back of her shorts as she went and headed towards her son who was six yards away.
Too much happened at once.
Smoke filled the park area, people wearing all black with black masks concealing their entire faces jumped over the fences around the park, civilians screamed, children cried, and Neji let out a yell Tenten had heard once in her life.
His curse seal had been activated.
Tenten leaped into the air and spotted her son standing in the middle of the chaos with wide eyes, a dropped jaw, and his hands at his side. He had dropped his block in shock. Tenten made out black shadows moving towards her son and unravelled a bracelet.
The cool metal of kunai did not last long in her hands as she threw all six towards the moving shadows heading towards her son. All four shadows went down but Tenten knew they were stun strikes, not killing. If the four didn't get the antidote for the poison on her kunai in six hours it would be a different story.
Tenten landed beside Hizashi and lifted him into one arm as she leaped again. Neji still screamed but by now, so was Hatomi. The smoke started to clear but the swings were out of the smoke all ready. Tenten saw one of the people in all black had grabbed Hatomi and was running away with her.
Senbon weren't as cool in her hand since they were so slender but they didn't last long in her grasp either. The thin needles struck her intended targets: the back of both of the running man's knees and his right bicep. His right arm was the one he had grabbed Hatomi in and now she was free from his grasp as the man's arm fell numbed to his side from her numbing agent. His legs collapsed under him as he dropped Hatomi.
Hatomi landed on her butt but instead of sitting and crying as she typically did from a fall, she got to her feet as Tenten landed. Tenten saw her daughter's Byakugan had activated but Hatomi did not run to her mother, no, the little girl ran back to Neji who had curled up in a fetal position, panting, as he held his head. At least he had stopped screaming.
Tenten ran towards her fallen husband, the distance was perhaps ten yards but she would be too slow. Four more people in all black were heading towards Neji and Hatomi but they were closer, much closer. Tenten sensed people behind her and glanced over her shoulder to see three others coming at her.
Tenten spun on her heel and flung out more senbon, these ones coated in more numbing agent. All three senbon hit the right knee of all three shadows behind her and they all face planted when their right legs gave out under them. Tenten smirked as she spun on her other heel to see the other four shadows were closing in.
The man she had brutally numbed had managed to reach out and grab Hatomi by her ankle in his left hand. He held her close, stopping her from getting to Neji. Tenten summoned more numbing senbon in her hand but another smoke bomb went off and suddenly she was blinded. Tenten scowled.
She heard Hatomi scream and kept running blind towards the sound. She saw shifting shadows up ahead but couldn't throw senbon. What if one of those shadows was Neji getting their daughter back safely and she stopped him?
If only she kept Bashosen on her. Then she could use the Coil of Wind to get rid of all this smoke. She didn't have Bashosen so did the next best thing. Tenten tucked Hizashi as close as she could to her chest in one hand before spinning as if she was doing her Twin Rising Dragon.
Hizashi yelled as loud as he could but Tenten ignored her son as she leaped into the air. The smoke followed her and she could see. One of the people coming from the fence had grabbed Hatomi and started to run away but Neji had grabbed the man's ankle in one hand. Tenten watched as chakra flared through Neji's hand to flow into the man's ankle and up the man's leg, up his buttocks, over his back and to his head.
Tenten had never seen such a move. She ignored it for now and launched her senbon towards the three other shadows. They had started to retreat but she never missed. All three senbon hit the lower backs of the three shadows and they fell since their legs had been essentially cut off but without all the blood.
It had finished in less a minute. Tenten landed two yards away from her husband. The man who had grabbed Hatomi second had fallen. Hatomi had gotten out from under him and as Tenten watched, Neji pulled her into his arms and curled into a fetal position.
"Neji," Tenten said.
She felt warmth along her arm and saw briefly Hizashi had thrown up from the spin. He was crying too so Tenten tugged him close to her chest and rubbed his back as she knelt at Neji's back.
"Neji,"
He did nothing but shiver with Hatomi in his arms. It wasn't a good shuddering either, Tenten knew those ones. No, Neji's body trembled involuntarily as he kept his eyes wide and a powerful grip on Hatomi who curled into his chest, crying. Tenten brushed some of Neji's hair out of his face and spotted blood in Neji's ear.
Fuck no.
"Help! Someone! I need a medic!"
There was no one in the park. All the other parents and children had cleared out during the attack. Tenten would never blame them in this but now she was alone with her two terrified children and her shaking husband whose curse seal had caused something in his brain to start bleeding.
Tenten did the only thing she could. She pulled a flare gun out of the scroll on her left wrist and shot a red emergency flare into the air. Hizashi wailed at the noise of the gun and Hatomi kept sobbing. Neji hadn't stopped shuddering and there was foam around his lips. Tenten placed a hand on his back but she never had an affinity for medical jutsu.
Oh how she wished she did.
She didn't even care the people who had attacked her family were trying to escape. The three with their right legs out managed on their own but four were down completely because they essentially had no legs. Neji had taken down one while the ones with poisoned kunai in their backs were starting to run off. Those four were grabbing the legless ones but they left the one Neji had taken down. Tenten didn't even watch them go.
"Tenten,"
Tenten looked up to see Sakura and Ino running towards her. Naruto, Kiba on Akamaru, and Lee were not far behind, thank Kami. Tenten blinked away her tears as Sakura went to her knees in front of Neji.
"The curse seal," Tenten got out.
Sakura nodded, placing both hands on Neji's head. Green healing chakra lit Sakura's hands a moment later and Tenten let out a breath of relief. She hugged Hizashi close, rubbing his back and kissing his head over and over. Ino tried to pry Hatomi out of Neji's arms but Sakura shook her head at the blond. Hatomi wouldn't budge and Neji wouldn't let her not unless he died and even then his grip would be strong.
Other shinobi were entering the park area now: Genma, Anko, Ibiki, Konohamaru, Ebisu, Hana, Tsume, Choji, and a dozen ANBU. Everyone came over but left ample space around the scene. Ibiki did come close enough to kneel down to the one attacker Neji had taken down. Tenten watched as the black mask came off.
Tenten felt her heart skip a beat. White eyes stared unseeing ahead while the same dark brown hair sprouting from Neji's head fell around a pale face with the same features of Neji, of the Hyuuga clan. Tenten's mind brought up a clearer imaged of the dozen masked shadows and showed her none of the masks had eye holes.
They Hyuuga Clan had attacked her family.
No wonder there had been smoke bombs in use. They wouldn't need to have their eyes uncovered to see. At least Tenten hadn't gouged out anyone's eyes.
"There are four of them I poisoned with kunai. If they don't get an antidote in six hours they'll be as dead as this guy," Tenten said.
"Ah, what poison?" Ino questioned.
Tenten shook her head but pulled the antidote out of her scroll before handing it to Ino.
"The antidote, twenty millilitres should do it," Tenten said. "You'll know who else attacked because they won't be able to move their right legs or legs in general for the next seventy-two hours. There were twelve of them including this guy. Three will have the right leg out of commission, three will have both legs out, four will be poisoned, and one will have both legs and his left arm numb."
Ino nodded. She took off with Kiba, Lee, and five ANBU. Tenten couldn't stop staring at the dead Hyuuga in front of her. She had no idea who he was but Ibiki had a scowl on his face.
"Hyuuga Neho, one of the Branch House," Ibiki said.
Tenten blinked. It didn't make sense for the Branch House to attack Neji...
"Why would Branch attack Neji?" Choji asked.
"Because the Main House probably promised him something major in return, like, oh I don't know, marrying whoever he wants," Ibiki said. "He's had a crush on one of the girls in Torture for years."
Tenten felt her heart drop. Neji had killed a fellow Branch House Member who had wanted nothing more than what Neji all ready had. Tenten let out a breath to stop her tears from flowing. She stiffened when Sakura pulled back her hands.
Sweat had gathered along Sakura's brow and she looked exhausted. Tenten stared at her husband who breathed deeply, evenly, and had his eyes half closed. He had stopped trembling but he hadn't stopped holding Hatomi close and stroking her dark hair and back to try and calm her.
"What did you hit him with?" Ibiki asked.
"Nothing. Neji grabbed his ankle and sent this weird chakra flare through his entire body," Tenten said.
"Weird how?" Anko asked.
The ANBU had taken off as had Hana and Tsume likely to inform who needed to be informed everything was, well, settled. Not okay but at least the emergency was over.
"It flowed out of Neji's hand like normal but instead of just bursting out over one point like when he cuts off a tenketsu, it flowed up the, Neho's leg, along his spine, before centering at the back of his head," Tenten explained.
She hadn't taken into consideration Neji could hear her voice now. Sakura kept him down when Neji tried to sit up.
"Neho? Neho tried to take Hatomi?" Neji got out.
"Yeah," Ibiki said.
Neji paled but relaxed under Sakura's grip, closing his eyes. Tenten saw Neji's eyes had gone damp right before he closed them.
"We used to play together as children," Neji said. "His birthday was two months before mine."
And Neji had killed him, not knowing who he was as Neji had not been able to concentrate around the pain of the curse seal. Tenten let out a breath and put her hand on Neji's back. Hizashi had calmed down but his fists had clenched hard in her shirt. He had lost his block somewhere in the park but Tenten would get him interested in a new one.
Hatomi had stopped crying as well but she wasn't going to be coming out of Neji's arms anytime soon. Tenten wouldn't blame her daughter. Hell, both her kids were going to be sleeping in the same bed as her and Neji tonight.
"What did you do exactly?" Sakura asked Neji.
Neji's eyes opened and he looked up at Sakura. His eyebrows crinkled as he thought about how to best explain what he had done. Tenten had no idea how to explain it either. She had trained with him the longest and the closest thing she could relate to it was the Palm Bottom.
"I sent chakra through his system in a similar way to the Palm Bottom but could not concentrate my charka as I normally do because of the pain. I felt it, ah, expand and saw it travel up but Hatomi," Neji said.
He looked down at her as she clung to him. Neji let out a breath and kissed the top of her head, drawing his legs up to encircle her in his entire body. Tenten shifted so her knees were against his back and she could run her hand up and down his arm. Neji's eyes shifted to hers and she gave him a little smile.
"Well one of them had to be Main House to activate Neji's curse seal," Ibiki said.
"Wouldn't it have affected all Branch Members though?" Choji questioned.
Tenten noticed it was down to her family, Sakura, Ibiki, Choji, and Genma. Everyone else had left to either go to the Hyuuga Compound with Ino or inform Kakashi and others about what the emergency had been. Neji let out a breath.
"No. One Main House member can only affect one Branch House member at a time even in a room full of Branch House members. They have to be looking at the Branch House member directly, even at a distance," Neji said.
They all jumped when Kakashi appeared a yard behind Sakura. Tenten toned out Ibiki as he explained to Kakashi what had happened.
"His brain was fried, nerve endings snapped, tons of bleeding spots, and he might have died if I wasn't on my way here with Ino and Sai when I saw the flare go off. Sai has Inojin and Sarada," Sakura said.
Neji might have died. It meant he had worked through the pain of an active curse seal to save his daughter. No way a few seconds would have caused that much damage.
"It's consistent with the curse seal being active for a minute or more. Someone had the curse seal active on Neji during the entire attack which meant he made a chakra flare strong enough to kill a man while his curse seal was activated," Sakura went on.
Tenten looked at her husband who had half-opened his eyes again. His eyes were focused on Hatomi. The other person he looked at was Tenten. Tenten couldn't get a smile on her face even if it meant comforting him. There was nothing to smile about.
"Do we know what other Hyuuga attacked?" Kakashi asked.
"No but Tenten left obvious signs: four poisoned, seven unable to move properly," Ibiki said.
"Good," Kakashi said. "Once those eleven can move properly or aren't under threat of dying, you can question them Ibiki to see who put them up to this. I know it's the Elders but we need a formal confession. There are about thirty Main House Hyuuga who want Hatomi and Hizashi branded with the curse seal, including those Elders. I know those Main House members will tempt the Branch House with wild dreams so we've got another thirty potential attackers from the Branch House who are over the age of twelve."
Tenten repressed a shudder and gritted her teeth. She wanted to go to the Hyuuga clan right now and paralyse those thirty Main House members then smack the thirty Branch House members for being so damn tempted by whatever the Main House promised them.
"Neji, Tenten, I'm going to put ANBU guards around your property, four of them, one on each fence with night vision goggles and binoculars. They'll be switched out every twelve hours with a second group of four and not move from their post until their replacement comes. The replacements will have a password only those eight ANBU I assign to guard will know.
"The four ANBU will follow you if you guys need to leave the house. Pakkun and Akino will be living with you two as well. I'll provide food so you guys don't have to worry about it. You know both of them can speak so they'll be able to tell someone's coming and help defend."
Tenten knew Kakashi didn't mean to insult them with the high guard but four ANBU and two ninken was insulting. Then again, this was for Hatomi and Hizashi's safety. If she could safely ask for Kakashi's whole pack, she would.
"Agreed," Tenten said.
"Agreed," Neji muttered.
Kakashi nodded. He bit his thumb and Pakkun appeared on the ground beside Akino, the medium sized, tan furred dog who wore sunglasses. Tenten didn't want to know why a dog would need sunglasses but decided it best not to ask. Kakashi explained to his two dogs what was going on as Sakura helped Neji to a sitting up position.
"For now, Ibiki, Sakura, and Choji will get you guys back home," Kakashi said.
"We'll meet up with Sai on the way and have a play date," Sakura said.
Tenten nodded. It would distract the twins at least. Tenten got to her feet and helped Neji to his as she stood. He swayed in place but Sakura was there a moment later to put a hand on his back with Tenten's hand. Ibiki grabbed the bag Neji had left by the swing as Kakashi disappeared again, this time with Neho's body. Pakkun took the lead while Akino took the rear.
Tenten sighed but said nothing as Ibiki strode with Akino and Choji walked along beside her. Sai had caught up to them by this time, holding his son in one arm and a teary Sarada in another. Tenten kept her eyes on Neji's as Sakura explained the situation. She wanted this mess to be over.
The sounds of crickets in the night and the light snores of Hizashi were all she could hear. Hatomi breathed deeply, evenly, curled up in Neji's arms. Neji lay on his left side, facing Tenten, with Hatomi in front of him. Hizashi lay beside his sister while Tenten lay behind her son. Pakkun was on the pillow behind Neji's head while Akino had taken the foot of the bed, remarking in awe how comfortable it was.
Both ninken were fast asleep as were the twins. Tenten had been looking into Neji's white eyes for the past hour as she gently stroked Hizashi's hair. They had heard nothing about the Hyuuga Clan. Sakura and Sai had left with Sarada and Inojin at six in the evening. Tenten had followed them out to see an ANBU operative with a hawk mask sitting on the cement fence near the wooden gate at the front of her property.
The ANBU had watched Sai and Sakura leave with Tenten then gave Tenten a short nod. She didn't tell Neji about him but she had seen the veins around his eyes disappearing as she walked towards the couch. She hadn't mentioned it.
Neji kept playing with the tips of Hatomi's hair or stroking her hair softly. She kept her hands gripped tight on the light shirt he wore, her little body pressed so hard against her father she might leave a dent. Neji's other arm spread across Hatomi's back, hidden by Hizashi's front. Hizashi's back was against Tenten's chest and she had wrapped her other hand around his waist, the back of her palm against Neji's and caught between their children.
"What do you think is going on?" Tenten asked lightly.
"I do not know," Neji replied as quietly.
"They won't stop till Hiashi forces them to, somehow. I don't even know if he can,"
"I have no idea either but I am glad to have the support we do,"
"Yeah, me too,"
Tenten smiled lightly. He returned the gesture. Tenten let out a little breath but didn't move her eyes from Neji's. He had half closed his but the moonlight from their window made them bright silver.
They had decided to sleep with the curtains open so Neji could see if anyone stood outside their window. His back faced the door of the room but Tenten could see the door. Plus she had set up a trip wire across the bottom of it which would make a few dozen senbon pop out of the door frame top and both sides.
Tenten had a feeling she wouldn't be sleeping much tonight. The events at the park kept rolling through her head. Tenten knew if she had taken her friends' advice and stopped carrying weapons around with her then both her children would have been kidnapped. Worse was hearing Neji's scream and knowing he had almost died (a second time) because of his clan.
"They went after Hizashi too," Tenten said.
"They did?"
"Yeah, it's why it took me some time to get to you and Hatomi. Four of them, four of them went after one fifteen month old little boy,"
"They sent at least thirteen after us,"
"Thirteen?"
"Someone had to have my curse seal activated while the others attacked,"
Tenten hadn't even thought of that. She sighed and shook her head. In a way she was sort of proud the Elders had sent thirteen Hyuuga after her family. It meant they were really kick ass and posed a threat.
"I feel bad," Neji admitted softly.
"About killing Neho?"
"Yes. All he wanted was the ability to date and marry who he wanted, like me. The Elders teased him with that, telling him all he had to do was bring the twins to the Compound and I ended up killing him,"
Neji frowned. Tenten stopped petting Hizashi for a moment to run her hand over Neji's hair. He closed his eyes happily and Tenten smiled. After a few moments Neji re-opened his eyes and met hers.
"I will not be able to sleep tonight," Neji said.
"Me neither,"
"Hn,"
Tenten smiled at him and they said no more. Neji kept his eyes half open through the night as their kids moved in sleep. Hatomi never went far, either burrowing deeper into Neji or moving her hands to clutch some other part of him. Hizashi ended with his feet on Tenten's chin and face up.
Tenten watched the silver go out of Neji's eyes as the sun came up: red first which faded to pale orange and finally a soft yellow color. Neji blinked. Tenten blew over Hizashi's bare feet and he giggled as he woke up. Soft golden eyes tinted a deeper shade of gold in the sunlight as Hizashi looked at her with a grin. Hatomi whined when Neji nudged her.
"Wake up, Princess," Neji said softly.
Tenten grinned as Hatomi lifted her head from Neji's chest and looked up at him with pale amber eyes. Hizashi was all ready on his feet, crawling over Tenten to jump on the bed. Tenten rolled over then pulled him into her arms as she lay on her back. Hizashi giggled as she kissed his cheeks, forehead, and nose.
"Did you all sleep well?" Pakkun asked from behind Neji's head.
"Yes," Neji lied easily.
"Yeah," Tenten said.
Pakkun hummed but jumped off the bed. Neji rolled onto his back then sat up. Hatomi stayed in his lap, clenching his shirt, and keeping the side of her face against Neji's chest.
"Come on Princess, let us go get you changed then eat breakfast," Neji said.
She nodded. Tenten smiled at him as he elegantly got out of bed. Tenten rolled off the bed with Hizashi in her arms and he laughed as she carried him to the nursery. Of course he had to be a little brat and hang out of her arms, legs and hands pointing towards the ground. She didn't mind that much and soon lost herself in changing his diaper, getting him dressed in black shorts and a light blue tee shirt, and brushing his messy hair.
A few strokes of the brush and his hair fell neatly to skim along his earlobes. She pushed bangs out of his face and smiled at him. Hizashi beamed up at her. Tenten let him get to his feet and he took off towards the kitchen. She glanced over to Neji who had put Hatomi in a pale purple sun dress. He was currently putting a purple headband in her hair.
"Hey kid, you shouldn't be climbing like that,"
Akino's voice. Tenten was in the kitchen a moment later to see Hizashi had pushed a chair towards the counter and had started to climb it. Akino had taken the back of Hizashi's shorts into his mouth to keep Hizashi from climbing. Tenten wanted to laugh because Hizashi looked over his shoulder at the ninken with the most confused look on his face.
"He's right, Hizashi, no climbing," Tenten said.
Hizashi pouted as Tenten picked him up off the chair and set him on the floor. She pushed the chair back in place as Hizashi looked up at her, watching as she started on breakfast. She got the rice going and pulled out the leftover miso soup from the fridge. She cut up fresh strawberries, cheese, and celery. Tenten had put the tuna on to grill when Neji walked into the kitchen.
He had changed his clothes and washed his face. He still looked exhausted. He took over for her at the stove while she picked up Hizashi and brought him back into the bedroom. She changed quickly, brushed out her hair before tying it in her simple buns then washed her face.
Neji had set the table and gotten Hatomi into her high chair. The food was done too and Tenten smiled before putting Hizashi into his high chair. Both had a plate of strawberries, cheese, celery, some fish, and some rice. Milk was in their sippy cups and they had some cereal on their plates. Hell, Neji had even put down two bowls filled with the dog food they had found on their porch last night.
"Itadakimasu,"
Tenten smiled as Hizashi and Hatomi tried to say the word but both came out garbled. She began to eat and watch her twins. Hizashi made a mess with his food. He either put too much in his mouth or missed his mouth entirely. Today he decided to stack his cheese into a tower and knock it down with a piece of celery while he shoved rice and cereal into his mouth with his other hand.
Hatomi ate like the Princess Neji called her. At the moment she delicately nibbled on a piece of cheese. Tenten chuckled as Hatomi ate primly, like her father while Hizashi shoved food in his mouth, kind of like her when she had been younger. The meal passed quietly and soon Tenten helped Neji with the dishes as their kids played in the living room.
Hatomi hummed as she played with the shinobi village play-set. Hatomi liked setting up ranks of shinobi to fight each other or to "train." Sometimes the shinobi would go on missions or have parties. Hizashi was building with his blocks as typical. Pakkun lay out near Hatomi while Akino took up a position in a spot of sun by the living room sliding doors.
Tenten settled beside Hizashi once the dishes were back in the cupboards and saw today he worked on making a replica of the Academy. Tenten ran her hand over his hair and he smiled at her happily. She looked to Neji who sat beside Hatomi with a little smile.
Hatomi had arranged her shinobi on guard duty around one particular house. Some were balanced on roofs, others hiding behind bushes, but at least a dozen hovered around the one home. Others were in the streets around the home and Tenten stared.
"What are your shinobi doing today, Princess?" Neji asked.
"Protecting the princess," Hatomi replied.
Tenten let out a breath. Neji frowned. Hatomi kept moving shinobi through the streets in a patrol.
"Why do they need to protect the princess?" Neji questioned softly.
"Bad people want take her," Hatomi answered.
Neji ran a hand over Hatomi's loose hair. Tenten wished their daughter didn't know so much.
"They are protecting you?" Neji enquired.
Hatomi nodded but didn't look up at her father. Tenten saw Hizashi had stopped playing with his blocks and looked at his sister with a little frown.
"Me and Hiz," Hatomi answered.
She couldn't quite get her brother's name right. Hizashi called Hatomi "Omi" most of the time.
"Do you know why the bad people are after you?" Neji asked.
She shook her head. Hizashi shifted so he leaned against Tenten's legs, watching his father with wide amber eyes. Tenten placed a hand on his back and he clenched his little fingers in her loose shorts.
"Your family name is Hyuuga and the Hyuuga are the biggest, most power clan in the Village," Neji said.
Hatomi stopped moving her shinobi around to stare at her father with wide eyes and slightly parted lips. Neji gave her a small smile. Tenten could tell it was a sad smile but their kids were too young to tell the same.
"The Hyuuga all have eyes like mine, yours and your brother's though for you two you took on a bit of your mother's beautiful eyes as well," Neji said.
This made Pakkun snicker. Tenten felt the heat rise to her cheeks as Hatomi giggled and Hizashi smiled. Neji let out a breath, gathering his thoughts. Both children knew to wait. Tenten always thought it was funny they knew Neji took a while to get his thoughts in order sometimes.
"The Hyuuga are broken up into two parts: the Main House and the Branch House. The Main House are considered the elite, ah, the better of the two while the Branch House protects and serves the Main House. Do you understand?" Neji questioned.
Hatomi's little forehead crinkled as she thought about it. Hizashi blinked. Hatomi picked up two shinobi from her play set. One was the Hokage figure (Tsunade in this particular set) while the other was a jonin.
"Jonin serve Hokage," Hatomi said.
Neji hummed.
"Similar yes," Neji said.
Tenten saw Pakkun's eyes widen and his jaw drop a bit, stunned. Tenten kept her mouth shut on how brilliant her children were.
"But the Branch House does not enjoy serving the Main House as Branch Members are not treated well by the Main House," Neji said.
Hatomi frowned. She crawled into Neji's lap and put her hands onto his chest. Hatomi's pale gold pupil-less eyes focused on Neji's white ones.
"You Branch or Main?" Hatomi questioned.
Neji sighed heavily. Hatomi watched as Neji reached up and took off the bandana he wore. Tenten didn't stop Hizashi as her little boy made his way over to his father to look at Neji's exposed curse seal.
"This marks me as Branch," Neji said. "There are certain people in the Main House who want to put this same marking on the two of you."
Hatomi got up onto her father's thigh and lightly ran her petite fingers over his curse seal.
"Daddy yell at park," Hatomi said.
Neji inclined his head.
"This is how the Main House controls the Branch House," Neji said. "It is painful when activated, painful when placed, and I do not want you two to go through the same pain I have faced."
Tenten swallowed down her tears. Hatomi had a frown on her face as she traced the lines on Neji's forehead. Hizashi sat on Neji's other knee with a pout. She saw Pakkun with a frown on his face. Akino had come over to sit near her and she put a hand on his head. He smiled and let her pet him.
"Why control?" Hatomi asked.
Neji sighed.
"To protect our special eyes, so they say. You changed your sight, yes?"
Hatomi nodded. Neji placed a hand on her lower back to keep her steady as she kept one hand on his forehead, eyes locked on his.
"Only Hyuuga can do this and other people have wanted to take it away from us. It is called a dojutsu, a kekkei genkai exclusive to eyes. The Hyuuga's is the Byakugan, or the "All seeing white eye." We are the only clan left with a powerful dojutsu," Neji explained.
"Why?" Hizashi questioned.
Hatomi nodded at her brother's question. Neji smiled.
"The Uchiha clan was known for the Sharingan. The Rinnegan is the third dojutsu known to shinobi but it is difficult to manifest and does not come from a single clan. The Uchiha clan are down to two now: your friend Sarada and her father Sasuke. The others, well, it is complicated and we will get to that story when you are older," Neji said.
Hatomi pouted at him but Neji chuckled and kissed her forehead. Tenten giggled when Hatomi hugged her father around the neck and he held her close. Hizashi crawled off his father and back to his blocks. Tenten watched as Hizashi started building again. Hatomi got off her father and began to play with her shinobi village.
A few minutes after ten, Tenten and Neji took their kids outside. Immediately Hizashi ran around the grass, kicking around the scattered balls and chasing them down. Hatomi went to the sand box and began to build a castle. Tenten tried not to look at the ANBU operative sitting on their fence wearing a boar mask but this proved to be difficult.
Lunch came and went then more play-time outside. The twins went down for their nap at three while Neji and Tenten lay out on the couch together. Akino had gone into the nursery with the twins while Pakkun jumped up on the flat part of the couch to watch her and Neji.
"You two didn't get a wink of sleep last night," Pakkun mentioned.
"Hn," Neji muttered.
"Do you blame us?" Tenten asked.
Pakkun shook his head. Tenten sighed and closed her eyes. Neji had lay on top of her, his head resting on her stomach so she could pet his hair. She knew she shouldn't close her eyes as the chances were high she would fall asleep but she couldn't help it.
A wet nose hit her cheek what felt like seconds later and Tenten blinked at an extreme close up of Pakkun's amused face. Tenten rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked to see Neji had fallen asleep on her stomach. She spotted Hizashi pushing his sister around the room on a rolling horse. Hatomi had donned some dress up clothes: a fake tiara, elbow length gloves, and fake jewels. She held a jeweled staff in one hand and gave a royal wave as Hizashi pushed the horse.
Tenten bit her lip to keep from laughing then nudged Neji. He woke with a little snort and raised an eyebrow at her. She pointed. He followed her finger then coughed to stop from laughing as Hizashi and Hatomi started to disappear around the couch.
"This is what you get for calling her Princess," Pakkun said.
"Like he cares," Tenten said.
"She's going to be a heart breaker," Akino said.
Tenten looked to the other dog and burst out laughing. Akino wore a pink feather boa around his neck, a lopsided crown on his head, and had a pink dress up skirt wrapped around his middle. He looked completely comfortable.
"How did we sleep through this?" Neji questioned.
"Hey, you two were tired," Pakkun said.
"Hn," Neji mumbled.
"What time is it?" Tenten asked.
"Food time," Hizashi said from somewhere behind the couch.
Tenten snorted. Neji chuckled but rolled off the couch and onto his feet in one smooth motion. He lifted his arms above his head and Tenten heard his back cracking. Neji shook himself then strode to the kitchen. He stopped when someone knocked at the door. Tenten had a kunai in her hand in the same moment Neji's Byakugan activated.
"It's Kakashi," Pakkun said.
Tenten put her kunai away while Neji went to the door, the veins around his face disappearing.
"With food," Akino added.
"Food!"
Hizashi bolted around the couch and to the door as Neji opened it. Tenten glanced over the couch to see Hatomi pouting. Tenten winked at her daughter who primly got off the horse while Kakashi came into the home with bags of take out.
The Hokage stopped and stared at Akino for a few moments with his head tilted to one side. Neji shut and locked the door then scooped up Hizashi who kept singing "food, food, food," over and over by Kakashi's legs.
"Akino, why are you dressed up?" Kakashi questioned.
One eye twitched.
"Ask the Princess," Akino said, gesturing towards Hatomi.
"Now he pretty," Hatomi said without missing a beat.
Kakashi deadpanned. Tenten got off the couch as Hatomi carefully took off her princess garb. Kakashi watched the little girl, eyes wide and eyebrows up. Tenten knew her little girl (and boy) shouldn't be as dexterous as they were. But they came from a line of shinobi who trained their kids the moment they could walk. Moving their bodies in complex ways were likely instinctual.
"Anyway, I've got chicken fried rice, herring soba, sesame dumplings, steamed vegetables, fried egg, and dango," Kakashi said.
"Food?" Hizashi asked.
"Yes, food," Neji said.
Hizashi was in his high chair, bib in place, with a plate in front of him and his sippy cup to one side. Kakashi put the bags down in the middle of the table while Tenten picked up Hatomi and placed her in her high chair beside Neji.
Neji put out plates as Kakashi took out containers. Tenten fed both dogs (Akino refused to take off the princess gear) while Neji moved on to getting some food onto Hatomi and Hizashi's plates. Tenten cut up some peaches for her kids before sitting at the table and starting to put food on her plate.
"Thank you, Kakashi-sama," Neji said.
Tenten tried not to laugh when Neji looked at both his children and raised an eyebrow.
"Thank you Kak-a-shi-sama," Hatomi said, stumbling over Kakashi's name.
Kakashi beamed anyway.
"Fank ou Kashi-sama," Hizashi said through a mouthful of rice.
Kakashi stared at Hizashi with a blank expression on his face. Hizashi didn't seem to care and went about chewing his rice as he turned his portion of fried egg into more manageable pieces with his hands.
"Yeah, thanks Kakashi-sama," Tenten said.
Kakashi was busy looking between the messy Hizashi and Hatomi who delicately put a small amount of food between her lips using her index finger and thumb before chewing elegantly. Kakashi shook his head in wonder.
"Anyway, you guys probably know why I'm here," Kakashi said.
"We can assume," Neji told him.
Kakashi let out a breath. He pulled his mask forward, dropped some food in the gap then started chewing. Hizashi and Hatomi stared at this phenomenon but Tenten was used to it. So was Neji.
"We figured out who the eleven Hyuuga were who attack you guys in the park yesterday. All of them were Branch House members but none of them are talking. Ibiki, by law, isn't allowed to do much in the way of making them talk but Hiashi is going to see them tomorrow to well, convince them in other ways," Kakashi said.
Tenten saw Neji wince. Hatomi chewed slowly on a piece of herring taken from the soba noodles. Hizashi had shoved half a sesame dumpling into his mouth. He looked like a little chipmunk. Both of them looked too intently at Kakashi for fifteen month olds.
"I told them before coming here what Hiashi plans to do and offered them protection from the Main House if they do talk. No one spoke but I'm sure someone might before your Uncle gets to them," Kakashi said.
"Let us hope so," Neji said lightly.
Kakashi nodded. Hatomi nibbled on a piece of broccoli, still watching Kakashi while Hizashi shoved more rice into his mouth. Kakashi stared between the two for a moment before shaking his head.
"Once we have names we can go from there. As to what or how we're going, I don't know. Shikamaru's looking into old records to see if there's some kind of loop-hole about this situation and Temari's helping him while their kid sleeps on the floor. I swear that boy is more like his father every day.
"Anyway, Hanabi is searching the records in the vault of the Hyuuga Compound since only her or her father can go into it and Hiashi's busy with clan duties. I don't think there's ever been a case like this one though. It's rare enough a Hyuuga is allowed to marry outside the clan, never mind allowed to have kids."
Kakashi sighed. Tenten watched her twins for a few moments before putting food into her mouth. She didn't taste it, not really, but she was kind of hungry. Neji ate with the kind of precision born from being smacked if you didn't learn to eat with decorum. He hadn't touched his herring soba.
"Yet there have been no indications Boruto is to bear the curse seal," Neji said.
Kakashi shrugged.
"They don't want to go against Naruto who's basically part of the new generation of sannin with Sakura and Sasuke. They know they would be wiped out if they threatened Naruto," Kakashi said.
"So I am the weaker prey," Neji said.
Tenten frowned as Kakashi winced. Tenten watched Neji put his chopsticks down as his jaw tensed. Neji let out a breath and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest while he scowled.
"Less directly threatening," Kakashi said. "Plus Hinata was a former Main House member, er, no offense."
Tenten didn't feel hungry anymore. She put her chopsticks to a side but stood to make a pot of tea.
"None taken," Neji said.
No one spoke as Tenten made tea. She set out three cups then poured it once the pot boiled. Neji thanked her with a little smile and sipped his green tea once she finished pouring. Kakashi nodded to her. Tenten noticed Hatomi had started sucking on a peach slice. Hizashi had made a mess of his high chair as normal and chomped on broccoli now. At least her twins weren't going through the fussy stage yet.
"So what can we do if Shikamaru, Temari, and Hanabi don't find a loop-hole?" Tenten questioned.
Kakashi sagged in his seat. He rubbed his forehead with one hand then shook his head.
"I can't keep an ANBU detail on you guys forever. Even if I do, the Hyuuga clan will find a way around them. You know that, I know that, and they're probably all ready plotting it. I can't move you out of Konoha because they'll be the first people to find you. Besides, I'd like to keep you both under my jurisdiction, thanks.
"We can't just, you know, kill off all the Main House Hyuuga who want your kids sealed. That would cripple the clan. And as much as killing off all the annoying Main House members would help the clan as a whole, we just can't do that.
"To be honest, I have no idea what we can do. Hiashi has been trying to abolish the curse seal since the war ended but again, he needs majority vote of the Elders and yeah. I mean, if we can get those eleven Elders off the council and put in ones who want the reform to happen then we have no issues. We're really counting on the loop-hole thing or a mysterious disease killing off the Elder Council."
Tenten let out a breath as Kakashi shook his head. Neji had a frown on his face as Hatomi and Hizashi finished eating. The silence was oppressive then Hizashi tossed his sippy cup to the ground which made them all jump.
"Hizashi," Neji scowled.
Hizashi pouted.
"Quiet," Hizashi said.
Tenten stared at her son then at Neji. Kakashi looked to the little boy and tilted his head to a side.
"It was too quiet so you wanted to distract us?" Kakashi asked.
Hizashi nodded. Tenten couldn't help but smile as Kakashi almost face planted in his food.
"Urg, I guess we should've known. You two are brilliant in completely different ways," Kakashi said.
Neji inclined his head. He stood to clean up the mess of milk then took Hizashi's plate away. Hizashi took off his bib but did accept the milk Neji gave him. Hatomi held up her plate to Neji who took it. Tenten grinned as Neji lifted Hatomi out of her high chair then sat back in his chair with her in his lap.
"Can't you tell the Hyuuga clan to stop with the curse seal?" Tenten questioned.
"I could," Kakashi said. "But they could turn around and revolt. Then it would be a whole Uchiha situation and really, let's not repeat that again, thanks."
"It wouldn't be much of a revolt if half the people doing it are elders," Akino mentioned.
Tenten held back her snicker when Kakashi looked to his ninken. Akino still had the princess gear on. Kakashi sighed.
"But they can force the Branch House to rise up, like they did yesterday," Kakashi said. "It's one big mess. But hey, you have me, Naruto, Shikamaru, Temari, and well, everyone trying to find a solution somewhere. And you know Hiashi's made some changes to the clan. The curse seal is the biggest sticky issue."
Tenten rubbed her aching forehead and looked to Neji. He had a frown on his face as he held Hatomi close. She had tucked her head under his chin and held a hunk of his hair in her hand. Tenten wondered if they should wean Hatomi off being so cuddly with Neji. It wouldn't work, really. Tenten would have to wean both of them off it.
"Anyway, we are trying. Someone will be back with a status update," Kakashi said.
Tenten thanked him. Kakashi nodded and got to his feet. Neji walked him to the door as Tenten got Hizashi out of his high chair and sitting on the counter so she could clean him up. Once he was clean, she put him on the floor so he could run around while she and Neji cleaned the kitchen. Tenten pulled off Akino's princess gear and the ninken pouted for ten minutes.
Hatomi had gone barnacle mode on Neji's leg, wrapping her tiny arms around his calf and standing on his foot as he moved around helping Tenten clean. Tenten said nothing but did have to chase Hizashi down so she could bring him into the bathroom where Neji was all ready bathing Hatomi.
"Stay daddy?" Hatomi asked once she was in her pyjamas.
Tenten tucked Hizashi into his crib. He fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
"You will be fine, Princess, I promise," Neji said.
Tenten turned to watch Neji tuck her in. She grinned when Neji leaned into the crib and kissed his daughter's forehead lightly before brushing back some of her long hair. He left with Tenten and they kept the door open with a night light on.
Their bedroom door was left open as well but within seconds Neji was down to his tight boxers and her down to a pair of panties and a loose tee shirt, one of his old ones. Both ninken stayed with their kids but Tenten didn't mind. She settled in bed and instantly Neji was curled to her right, his head on her stomach. She ran her fingers through his hair and he sighed against her.
"Shikamaru will figure something out," Tenten said.
"No doubt," Neji said.
"It's still making me worried though,"
"Hn,"
"Stupid fate,"
She groaned as Neji chuckled at her.
"Jerk,"
He kissed her covered stomach. She patted his head and closed her eyes. Maybe she could get some sleep tonight. All she had to do was trust in her friends and that wasn't too difficult.
So, no one actually knows how the Hyuuga clan is reformed or if they're reformed cuz we don't get much detail into it at all. We can assume it is eventually reformed in canon but since Neji dies in the canon we can't tell by just looking at Neji's kid.
And hey, this is all non-canon so I can make up whatever the heck I want.
For those wondering: eventually Neji and Tenten are going to be having kinky sex. Don't ask me when because I'm kind of flying by the seat of my pants here. I do have a few things planned (maybe twin boys? Hizashi and Hatomi finding Neji and Tenten's special scroll and pulling out items? Hatomi and Hizashi as teens with Neji being all over-protective because Hatomi has fan-boys?) but no ending so...yeah. I might pull a Harry Potter and do an "And all was well" when I get tired of writing this thing. Fair warning. ;)
Reviews welcome.
