Just to let you guys know, I'll be starting school again in a matter of days.

This shouldn't affect updates, other than the fact that I won't be posting in the middle of the day anymore (unless I'm sick, of course). XD School interferes too much with writing, I swear. :P

Anyway, my Senior year will be taking up a lot of my time, so updates will be a bit more erratic than usual.

However, I'll try to maintain a regular schedule (a two to four week span in-between updates).

:)

Also, I took a particular interest in Sakura's character and tried to develop her a little more in the story. She's a bit quippy too, so beware. ;D

TR: Hahaha. :) Yes. I had to include some awkwardness there. :D Haha, I'm sure you'll enjoy her choice word for this chapter then! ;)

eternalsmiles: May I just say, I LOVE your penname. Absolutely wonderful. Yes. . . she's not afraid to express herself. Yeah, let's say that. XD Hehehehe.

Bluerose!: Seems like? Who're you kidding? ;D It was hard for me to make Shikamaru say that. I tried to make it as . . . mushy as possible. XD Haha. One year to go. I'm terrified. XD I'll try very, very hard not to give up on Wrong. Very hard. I'm just trying not to look at it, honestly. Disgusts me. XD Cookie! Huzzah!

liledormouse: Exactly. :D

Youkai Koneko: It's not that big of a difference. I'm friends with people younger than fifteen. XD Haha. XD Shika/Tema makes me wither inside. Shika/Ino, I support! Cha! Don't be so sure about TenTen being on Hinata. Don't be so sure. :)

Strawberry: Beat you; first week of August. XD Glad you liked it. :)

beckylovesgigs: Yeah, sucks for Neji. :P

nlightnd: Unique? How so? To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to play the whole hate-turned-love card yet. The words will find me somehow, you know? Hehehe.

SnowCharms: I tried better this time. Shikamaru passed gas? :/ He didn't fart, if that's what you're referring to. He was smoking a cigar, and cigars are very smelly. . . Yeah.

Okay! As always, thank you for the lovely reviews!

Happy August!

Disclaimer: Kishie owns.


Juuni.

Neji was upset.

As soon as the ship had taken up port in Qingdao, Neji hated China.

There was lavish snow on every surface, thick and blindingly white.

It was also ridiculously cold, causing Neji to layer his clothes so he could at least feel some sort of warmth.

His cousin and Shikamaru were also less than pleased about the weather, sharing Neji's vexation.

Jiraiya, respectfully, had been many places in his long life, far colder and harsher than China in winter.(1)

The tickets they had for the train secured them a private car, luxurious as well as spacious.

Neji wondered vaguely if it was TenTen's doing or if the train had known he would be traveling with more prestigious guests this time round.

It was pleasant enough, considering that there were no screaming children this time.

Though Neji was thoroughly discomforted by the silence on the train ride.

His cousin kept to herself, sewing and writing letters.

Shikamaru slept.

And Jiraiya was writing, a particular past time he enjoyed when he was not carrying out the Emperor's wishes.

Neji attempted his best to entertain himself, but it fell short to the enjoyment he had experienced with TenTen, however strained their relationship.

~ . ~

TenTen was summoned to Sakura's office in the evening, after she'd taken dinner.

"Empress?" TenTen called upon entering, not seeing Sakura at her desk.

"I'm over here."

TenTen's irises darted to the far right corner of the office, seeing Sakura lounging on a chaise.

Smiling slightly, Sakura held up a few pieces of paper.

"My mother sent me a letter," she murmured, running her eyes back over the papers.

Politely, TenTen stepped closer, saying, "What did she say?"

Sakura sighed.

"She said that Hirou passed his school exams barely and that he's turning out to be more of a troublemaker than expected."

TenTen smirked, remembering the pictures Sakura had showed her of her younger brother.(2)

"My father is doing well, though he's taken to a cold. Mother is trying to persuade him to go to a doctor with little results. She misses me, yada, yada, yada."

"That's nice that she wrote you," commented TenTen, smiling.

"Yes. Sometimes I wish she wouldn't write at all though. Makes me miss them more."

Sympathetically, TenTen clutched her shoulder briefly.

Sakura took a deep breath before slipping back into business.

"Right, well, when the Ambassador and his friends get here, I would like to issue a proper welcome."

TenTen raised an eyebrow.

"Like what?" she asked, cautious.

"I want you to arrange tickets to an opera."

"Which one?"

Sakura shrugged.

"I don't know. Just pick one that seems even remotely interesting."

Sakura chuckled.

"My aunt would have had me killed for that, probably. She loved the operas they performed."(3)

TenTen smiled faintly.

"Get six tickets."

TenTen's brow furrowed.

"Six?"

Sakura sent her a glance.

"You honestly don't think I'd let my friend sit at home and not go with us to the opera, TenTen?"

"No, but I hardly want to be trapped in a room with that pig."

"TenTen, don't insult our traveling guests behind their backs. You know better."

TenTen rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I'll arrange it."

"Thank you very much," Sakura said. "Now, when do the Japanese raiders get here?"

"In a few days, if I'm not mistaken."

"Great," muttered Sakura. "What's left to do on the rooms?"

"Last minute cleaning."

"What about the rest of the palace? Everything up to par?"

"I'll make sure everything is in order by their arrival, Sakura," TenTen assured.

"You had better," Sakura said with a quirk of the mouth, "or no opera for you."

"Yes, because I would die if I was stripped of that privilege," TenTen shot back as she left.

~ . ~

She woke up freezing.

TenTen shivered and sat up, quickly wrapping her covers around her.

She felt wide-awake, not a drop of sleep left in her brain.

TenTen sat there for a while, resting her back against the wall.

Anxiously, she moved her hand down to feel the sole of her feet.

TenTen cringed at the coldness emanating from her toes, kneading her foot to get the blood working.

She slumped a little into her pillow, staring straight up at the high ceiling.

Slowly, her eyes drifted over to the wall-mounted clock.

Four twenty-seven.

TenTen let out a groan and pushed the covers off of her, shuddering.

The Ambassador and his counterparts would be arriving some time in the latter half of the day.

TenTen still had a few details left to attend to on the rooms and she still had to approve the rest of the grounds and look over the menu for dinner.

Quickly, she pulled on a pair of dark breeches, layering her shirts in turn.

If she got a quick start this morning, perhaps Sakura would let TenTen leave before the Ambassador arrived with his entourage.

TenTen snorted.

Fat chance.

~ . ~

As TenTen had expected, she didn't get permission to leave.

Much to her displeasure.

Currently, she was standing beside Sakura in the main hall, waiting for their guests.

"Maybe if the Japanese had an inkling of the concept of time, they wouldn't be late," muttered Sakura out of the corner of her mouth.

TenTen snorted, tugging at the long-sleeved qipao she was wearing.

Sakura had insisted that she wear a formal qipao in order to make a good impression.

"'At least your dress will make up some for your attitude,'" Sakura had said.

TenTen had responded, "'Well, why don't you just let me wear a suit and be done with it? That's sure to get them talking."(4)

Sakura had responded with a threatening glance.

"Maybe if the Japanese were smarter, they wouldn't come at all," TenTen retorted, crossing her arms.

Sakura barely suppressed a smile, her wrinkled eyes betraying what she really thought.

~ . ~

"We're late," Shikamaru flatly murmured, stubbing out his cigar.

"I know," Neji shot back, annoyed.

Ahead, Jiraiya was considerately escorting Hinata out of the train station.

Neji hoped he wasn't telling his jokes.

He would never hear the end of it later.

They had arrived only moments ago.

And because of Hinata's stupid manners, they were late.

Neji swiftly began to button up his coat, aware of the extreme cold he was about to walk into.

Through the clear doors, Neji saw Jiraiya hand Hinata into a carriage, getting in also.

He threw a look to Shikamaru, who was casually looking around.

Aware of Neji's glance, he said, "I'm assuming the palace is more impressive."

Neji smirked.

~ . ~

Chao hurriedly walked to the main hall, coming in from the outside.

He saw TenTen impatiently standing next to the Empress, forehead wrinkled.

Once noticed by the Empress and her assistant, Chao bowed deeply.

"The Ambassador and his associates have arrived, Empress Dowager."

TenTen sharply raised an eyebrow.

"About time," she muttered audibly.

"TenTen," reprimanded Sakura in a whisper. "Thank you, Chao. I am ready to accept them."

Chao nodded and disappeared from sight again, returning to the biting cold outside.

TenTen shot a look at Sakura, clearly displaying her displeasure.

"You'll mind your manners, this time. We have new guests to entertain."

"If these ones are less annoying, I won't have to mind anything."

Sakura snorted.

Several seconds later, Chao reappeared, Japanese in tow.

Neji was leading the group, his face pale and pinched, probably from the cold.

Behind him, there was a slightly shorter man with spiky hair and dark eyes.

Following him was an elderly man with long gray hair and a woman, probably around Sakura's age, with a framed face full of hair.

TenTen's eyes narrowed.

European dress on a Japanese woman?(5)

She forgot her face, because when the four Japanese moved forward, TenTen had to jump into action to bow.

Sakura threw a mild glance at her assistant.

The glare in her eyes read trouble.

Slowly, TenTen met the placid eyes of Neji Hyuga.

It was a mere glance, but TenTen still managed to send him a glower.

Neji raised an eyebrow back at her in retort.

"Empress," Neji greeted, bowing.

His cohorts followed his lead.

Sakura inclined her head.

"And your friends?" Sakura prompted, running her eyes over the newcomers.

Neji smiled, seeming embarrassed.

"Nara Shikamaru."

The young man with spiky hair stepped forward and bowed, muttering a "Konnichiwa."

"This is Master Jiraiya," said Neji, gesturing to the elderly man.

Jiraiya grinned and leaned forward to kiss Sakura's hand.

"Hou hoisam yahnsik neih," greeted Jiraiya in Cantonese.(6)

TenTen appeared surprised, much like the other four members of Neji's staff.

"Neih sikmsik gong gwongdungwa a?" TenTen uttered in the same strange tongue.(7)

Jiraiya simply nodded, looking genial.

"And finally, this is my cousin, Miss Hinata Hyuga," Neji completed, eyes running to meet TenTen's.

The woman moved forward elegantly, her dark hair styled in a coiffe.

Miss Hyuga did not speak, but her eyes connected with TenTen's briefly, seeming aloof.

TenTen murmured, "Ni hao."

Hinata nodded, receiving the words pleasantly.

She bowed to the Empress.

Sakura smiled slightly, flattered.

"Well, I hope you all are famished. TenTen worked all day on this menu."

TenTen's face heated slightly.

"This way," Sakura introduced, walking toward the dining room.

Genteel, TenTen allowed all of the participants to go before her; she had already eaten anyway.

However, as she was making her way to her room, a hand tapped her on the shoulder.

Gritting her teeth, TenTen turned.

She sent Neji a poisonous look.

"I must say, you put on quite a good show for an ass."

Neji applied a sly smile to his features.

"I got you something," he murmured to her, swiftly glancing around to assure no one was watching.

TenTen raised an eyebrow disapprovingly.

"You really shouldn't have. I don't desire gifts and trinkets," she warned smartly.

"This is not a trinket," retorted Neji, finally pulling his hand from his coat pocket and presenting the gift gingerly.

TenTen stared at the present for a very long time before saying in awe, "How did it survive the journey?"

"I have my ways," replied Neji, pleased she liked it.

But TenTen didn't like it. Underneath her awe, her voice had been shaking with anger.

"These don't bloom in this season," TenTen stated, struggling to keep her fury under control.(8)

"I know. I brought it back all the way from Japan for you."

Sharply, TenTen eventually met his gaze.

"You shouldn't have brought it here."

Neji caught the shaking of her voice.

"I thought you would like it. It's nothing like the Empress's gift of porcelain. This present here is the real thing."

"But here it will die," gasped TenTen, angry tears welling up in her eyes.

Neji did not answer, taken aback and confused by her overwhelmed emotions.

"So you don't like it, then?" he queried slowly, glancing at the kyoto blossom in his hand.

"I hate it."

Neji's eyes snapped to her face.

TenTen's tears had spread down her face, her eyes bloodshot and red as if they'd been irritated somehow.

"I think this unfair," resorted Neji, his own anger boiling.

"Because I didn't like it?"

Neji nodded and glimpsed at her.

TenTen was much closer to him than seconds previous, standing not a breath from him.

"If you think it unfair, then perhaps you should take measures, Ambassador, and see to it that an incident like this never happens again."

Her tone and words were steel and they hurt Neji like no other sentences could.

She turned away and made to return to her room, but Neji reached out and grasped her arm firmly.

TenTen brought her hand up and struck his cheek, a loud resounding smack! filling the quiet hall.

Without another word, TenTen raced off, her quick strides echoing down the corridor.

Neji, cheek burning, crushed the sakura blossom in his hand.


(1) Like, Sri Lanka. Hehe. I feel a story coming on!

(2) Yes, I gave Sakura a younger brother. Here's my reason why: In this day and age, I assumed it was very unusual not to have at least two children. Besides, it'd be very unlikely, me thinks, that Sakura would be and only child. Anyway, Hirou is about twelve years old.

(3) True fact! Empress Dowager Cixi was a regular attendee of the Beijing Opera.

(4) You know, like a men's suit? With a waistcoat and a vest and trousers? Yeah.

(5) Empress Shoken (who was Emperor Meiji's wife) was the first to wear western style clothes out in public. She made her entourage wear western dresses too, which I think can be assumed as European style of clothes. :)

(6) 'Pleased to meet you' in Cantonese.

(7) 'Do you speak Cantonese?'

(8) I was going to say, "These don't bloom here" but I checked my facts, and they do bloom in China. XD So, I figured it's winter, and flowers don't usually bloom in winter. . . Yeah. Lame excuse, but give me a break. It's a cool gift. Speaking of which, I'm not telling how he got it. Or kept it warm. :P Also! Another note about the sakura blossom: In China, it symbolizes feminine beauty and principle, or love in flower language. :O Foreshadowing, foreshadowing!

I really, really liked the ending.

Probably because I wrote it ahead. :O

Alright.

You know the drill.