~G r a v i t y~
NejiTen FanFic
Chapter 26: Boats & Birds
"Neji?" I asked, my body shaking.
"Hn,"
"Why are you being nice?" With my left hand I wiped away at my watery eyes.
"I just . . ." Neji paused. "I don't like seeing you like this." He finished.
His answer took me by surprise. That Hyuuga Neji always spoke in riddles so I had to pause a decipher them before I actually answered.
"D-Do you think I'm w-weak?" I question meekly.
"Yes," he responded, this time not hesitating.
I sighed with a shaky breath.
"I s-suppose,"
Neji raised an eyebrow and turned to look at me.
"It wouldn't be such a bad thing," he remarked. "If you didn't act like you were strong."
I sniffled, forgetting the fear moment by moment as Neji's soothing, calm voice seeped through my flesh.
"What do you m-mean?" I inquired, feeling more feeble and inferior than him.
Neji sighed.
"I think you know," he replied. "When you're weak but act like you're strong, it can't lead to good things,"
Neji was still allowing me to have a tight grip on his hand.
"But I am kinda strong right?" I asked him. "I can do the trapeze and-"
"For a girl," Neji interrupted in a softer tone than usual. "Girls are naturally weak, no matter how hard they try, when they're against men,"
He was right. His little destiny speech was true. This time it was literally impossible for a woman to become stronger than a man who worked just as hard. Estrogen. Plain and simple . . . physically impossible, however Neji wasn't including mentality so-
"Girls are mentally weak too," Neji added.
"What?" I asked. "No we're not!"
Neji chuckled lowly.
"Tenten, you're proof." He said.
"Hmph,"
Neji drew in a breath.
"Right there. Most girls cannot take an insult or constructive feedback." he explained.
Well damn that Hyuuga for being so smart. I suppose my girly hormones just worked like that.
"Can we not have a sexist conversation?" I questioned, my eyes feeling heavy.
"I was just simply speaking," Neji said. "Nothing more,"
My eyes softened as I stared at the floor. My mood was so mixed with different emotions I was seriously getting a headache.
"So . . ." I trailed. "What do you want to do when you're older?"
Neji shook his head.
"it doesn't matter," he answered. "I have no say in what I do,"
"What?" I demanded. "You must be insane thinking that."
Neji wouldn't take it.
"No," he remarked. "I'm bound to my clan. I do whatever they say. I'm surprised they even allowed me to join the circus. It was probably just so they could get me out of Hiashi's hair."
I disagreed, shaking my head.
"No. Insane. You can do whatever you want in your life!" I argued.
Still, Neji didn't agree.
"Tenten," He informed me, almost sadly. "You're like a bird, flying in the sky above the ocean, where boats sail freely," his eyes shut, straining. "I am like a bird in a cage. There's nothing I can do to get out,"
I smirked at the scenario, not daring to let go of his hand.
"Oh I don't think so," I answered.
Neji looked at me in a funny way.
"You can chirp loudly, so annoying to the owners, that they'll have to let you out," I countered.
"It won't work," Neji said.
"Have you even tried?" I asked.
Neji shook his head.
"No but it will only end in misery and-"
"But you don't know that," I cut him off. "How do you know it will end in misery and . . ."
"Tears," Neji finished. "The Hyuuga clan is not something you can simply break free from,"
"Oh psh," I waved my hand dismissively. "I could even do it,"
Neji stared at me speechless.
"Tenten you-"
"I mean come on," I kept going. "Just tell them how mad you are about the situation! And be as annoying as possible."
Neji kept gazing at me in wonder. I didn't know what it was but I must've been stunning him or something.
Okay. Is it me or are you actually having a conversation with Neji that doesn't involve you being called an idiot?
Yeah so what?
This is . . . progress. *evil grin*
Oh God don't start on about that.
Yeah but you're holding his hand.
I was just scared!
. . . Not a good enough reason.
But I mean come on. It's not like a like him or anything . . .
But he's your friend right?
Well . . . I suppose.
There. So you admit it.
Huh?
You're on your way to love!
Er . . . no.
Oh really?
Yeah I'm sure. Neji is still a bit of a bastard.
Then why do you bother with him?
Oh I don't know I just . . .
You just what?
He's a hard person to shake from your mind.
Tch yeah. More like your inner.
Oh psh I agree.
Neji and I weren't really talking anymore. Just sitting there.
He sighed.
"I suppose I could try again." He stated.
"Try what?" I asked, curiously.
"BYAKU- Ah! Dammit!" Neji rubbed his eyes painfully with his right hand. "I still don't have enough chakra."
"Well that didn't work genius," I mumbled, banging my head against the wall.
Neji stood up, his hand slipping from mine.
"I see you're back to normal," he observed. "Now we need to find Tsunade,"
I nodded in agreement, standing up. I had been wondering where the blonde was.
"She should've released the genjutsu before any of us," Neji assumed, walking down the dark hallway, along with me.
I nodded again.
"Yeah I guess."
Third Person POV:
Tsunade grumbled something irritable as she searched through the kitchen.
"Dammit," She muttered. "Where the hell is Osamu?"
Tsunade had been searching the entire house, looking for the enemy but had found nothing.
Something perked her ears though . . . the screams and cries of her own students.
"GUYS! DON'T KILL THEM!"
Tenten, she thought to herself. Hell, where are they?
More sounds of clashing and fighting agonized inside of her head, driving the woman to the edge of her own sanity.
"What are you doing here?" a familiar voice strained from behind her.
Tsunade chuckled.
"Gaara. It's been a while."
She turned and faced the redhead. A tattoo of the kanji 'love' on his forehead.
"So it has," he replied. "But you didn't answer my question."
"Well," Tsunade shrugged. "I guess we were taken here against our own will."
Gaara's eyebrows furrowed.
"What?" he asked icily. "I thought Osamu was through with it."
Tsunade shrugged.
"I suppose not." she answered.
Gaara was becoming frustrated.
However, it made sense to Tsunade why. He had been the reason they survived the previous year. He had saved them.
"Do you know where Osamu is?" Tsunade asked.
Gaara shrugged very slightly.
"I'm assuming the foyer," he said, listening to the sounds
Tsunade nodded in agreement.
"Thanks Gaara," she answered.
Gaara just nodded.
"I'm coming with you." he stated.
"That's not necess-"
"Yes it is." Gaara replied.
Tsunade couldn't help but agree. He was the strongest student she ever had . . . especially in his prime. However, due to restrictions he wasn't allowed in the circus anymore, but that was three years ago.
"Well, let's go," She began. "I don't want to be late for the party that I was invited to."
Tenten's POV:
I was beginning to think that we were forever lost. There was no way we could go back into the foyer but then again, we didn't know where the hell we were going anyways.
Before I could ponder longer, I ran into something soft. We both fell over.
"Ow . . ." a familiar voice mumbled.
"Sakura?"
"Tenten?"
We hugged dramatically, dancing around in victory.
That's when I noticed Sasuke next to Sakura.
"Sasuke?" I asked.
"Tenten,"
"Uchiha," Neji added.
"Hyuuga," Sasuke acknowledged.
Sakura and I sweat dropped at the last name addressing.
"I wonder where the others are," Sakura stated, her and I both laying in the middle of the hallway.
I shrugged.
"Who knows."
"WE'RE IN HERE!" Another familiar booming chick's voice rang from inside of a room.
Ino, Kiba, and Shika stepped out.
"Three more," I sighed. "What a coincidence."
"Oh you're forgetting me!" someone behind us cried.
I turned around quickly, suspicions aroused.
And they were only confirmed when I set my eyes on the flaming red hair of Keiko.
"You guys haven't been very good have you, running away like that?" She asked.
Dammit.
Tsunade's POV:
"They're gone," She gasped.
Gaara narrowed his eyes in disbelief.
"That's not possible," he mused. "There is no way they could disappear all at once unless they were-"
Tsunade sighed, pounding her forehead.
"Shadow clowns," she finished. "Dammit!"
"The real question is," Gaara stated. "Where are your students?"
Tsunade's eyes widened.
"Oh screw it." She muttered. "I've lost them again."
Gaara stared around the room.
"Well we need to find them." He suggested.
Tsunade nodded in agreement.
"Obviously," she answered. "Easier said than done,"
Tenten's POV:
My view was blocked completely of Keiko. Damn that Hyuuga. He really didn't not want Keiko staring at me. It must've been because I had been stuck inside of her little realm for so long that he thought I didn't need to go again?
Lame excuse for being in denial.
What?
You just don't want to admit that he's trying to protect you.
Oh tch. Sure. Neji could care less about my well being.
. . .
. . . What?
You didn't honestly just say that did you?
Well what about it?
He obviously cares about your well being if it bothered him to see you bothered.
I don't really think-
Denial!
It's not exactly like-
Denial!
He and I don't-
DENIAL!
DAMN YOU! I get it already!
. . . good. So when are you gonna admit that you like him too?
Not talking to you.
"Neji," Keiko chuckled. "It's so cute to see you worried. I remember how it was when I was in Tenten's position."
Neji shook his head.
"You were always devious." He grumbled. "You already knew reality much better than she does." Neji obviously was comparing Keiko to me.
"Ano Neji what reality-"
"Shut up!" he cut me off.
For Chris'sake don't get mad at me.
"Oh but you know the dark reality right Neji?" Keiko asked rhetorically. "Since you're the caged bird right?"
"No he's not!" I cried. "He can fly away any time he wants to . . . spread his wings!" My hands were balled into fists and I pushed Neji aside.
"A fight?" Keiko guessed.
My hands trembled.
"No," I muttered lowly. "A warning,"
Keiko smirked in amusement.
"Oh what's that?"
"Don't every talk about Neji's destiny," I told her. "He can choose the path he wants to take!"
I didn't know why I felt so strongly about the topic, but I knew in my heart that the caged bird was a genius . . . and could always pick the lock.
A/N Baha. Pretty short. I was almost done writing this this morning when my friend knocked on my door and asked me if I was going to the school orientation I'm like "WTF WE HAVE ORIENTATION TODAY?" *note: slightly exaggerated* But yeah so I finished this chapter late at night. Sorry could've been up at noon easily if it wasn't for SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE! And I had dance and softball too so yeah. Neji is starting to loosen up! You can definitely tell that he's getting a bit protective of Tenten MWAHAHA it's only the start. Gah I'm evil. So I tried not to do a cliff hanger again because yeah you'd be pissed. Anyways, the poll on my account page is so far SasuSaku winning by like 9 so vote please . . . deadline is THREE DAYS! GOT IT? So thanks for reading lovely peeps and review XD