Everyone, I would just like you to know that I have started a new SasuSaku fanfic. It's called Shadow of my Heart and you can find it in my profile. It's an AU Vampire fic! Please tell me what you think. The prologue is kinda slow but I'm working on the next chapter!

Month One

"It gives me much pride to announce this finally. I announce now, my nephew, Hyuuga Neji, the new Head of the Hyuuga family."

Hiashi bowed to Neji as applause erupted from the room. Many Hyuuga family members, main and branch, as well as the group that Neji had invited all clapped for the new Head. Despite the time of celebration, some of them clapped half-heartedly.

Numerous main branch members still were not for the decision to let a branch family member take over, whether he was the nephew of the former leader or not. It went against standard Hyuuga traditions that have been in play for generations. And going against tradition just was not right in their minds.

"Now, before we make our way out for refreshments, Neji has one announcement." The older man said and took a step back, giving Neji the limelight. The new leader looked determined out into the crowd. His eyes scanned and he found Tenten, dolled up in a white spaghetti strap sun dress. For once she had let her down and it curled down her back. She looked at him with strong brown eyes.

"Thank you uncle." Neji said. "My declaration is short and simple. I would like to announce my engagement," he went on, stopping as muttering broke out among the crowd. "and I would like to bring her up here with me." He smirked in amusement when Tenten's face turned bright red. Ino was practically jumping with excitement on her floor pillow, gripping Shikamaru's arm dangerously hard. Neji motioned with his hand for the girl to come.

Shyly, Tenten stood up slowly. She straightened her dress as she walked, her head down in embarrassment. She would definitely have to get Neji back for this one. She walked up to the front of the room and stood by her fiancé stiffly, waving innocently to the bunch of people.

There was clapping among the people, some gawking at the thought of Neji getting married. Tenten couldn't help but smile then, happy that they had finally told everyone. She wasn't hearing protests and that was a good sign.

Hiashi walked forward once more. "Now, everyone is invited for refreshments and entertainment in the main den." He said and motioned to the doors. The room began to filter out as everyone moved to the den.

Hiashi walked up, approaching Neji and Tenten. "Before you two head out, I've been meaning to talk to you." He said. "Both of you."

The pair remained silent, waiting for him to speak.

"It may not be the best time," he started. "but have you two put any thought into this marriage. Neji, we gave you time and this feels a bit rushed. Have you two considered the compromises that have to be made?" the older Hyuuga asked.

Tenten glanced at Neji who was looking right at his uncle. "Yes." Neji answered for both of them. She knew just to go along with him. In reality, they hadn't talked about it all that much. She didn't know what his future plans were, but she had always meant to bring up the subject.

Hiashi wasn't fully convinced by the look of Tenten's face. He gave Neji a stern look. "Be sure that you do. Sometime later I wish to talk to you both further. Right now, I believe that we should go join everyone else." He said, walking from the room.

Neji and Tenten both stood there in silence before Tenten spoke. "Why did you say yes to him? We haven't talked about anything." She narrowed her eyes, wanting to know why he was suddenly lying.

"If I had said no, he would have made us sit and talk despite of the festivities going on. He said he was happy for us both, but I know that he is wary of a rushed marriage." Neji explained. He made a move to leave but Tenten stopped him.

"Can you…tell me the compromises?" she asked. She wanted to know everything, and she didn't want him to keep anything from her.

"I'm not sure now is a good time. Why don't we talk later?" Neji bargained. Tenten looked skeptical, not having the patience to wait. She was about to protest when Neji cut her off. "We should go join everyone else."

The girl wasn't able to raise any protest because Neji was already leaving the room. She felt a small sting within her as she watched him turn away from her. She didn't know why he was putting this off, with the exception of the party, and she didn't like it. It was as if Neji was curling back into his ice shell and shutting her out.

With slight hesitation she hurried off to catch up to his side.

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Sakura had hurried to leave the party as soon as she could. She knew it was only right to go to the ceremony, even if she didn't desire to. She had waited around, dodging people in the crowd and trying to avoid Ino. Naruto was easier to avoid since he had so many people coming up to talk to him. He grinned at the attention and didn't particularly pay attention to what anyone was saying. He simply basked in the limelight.

After what seemed like an eternity to her, she spotted Neji as he appeared in the room, Tenten at his side. She rushed over, wanting to get to him before anyone else did. She could see a few eyes on him and moved faster.

"Neji!" She called and stopped in front of him. "I just wanted to congratulate you before I left. So, urm…well congratulations. I'm really happy for you." She tried her best to place a smile on her face and she was sure it came out awkward looking.

Neji nodded his head but gave her a look. "Thank you Sakura. You aren't staying?" he asked.

Sakura shook her head. "No, I mean…I would love to but I haven't been uh…feeling well lately." She lied through her teeth. Her face looked pitiful enough, like she was trying to look fine.

She was unsure if he bought her lie, but whether he did or not he let her get away with it. "I'm sorry to hear that. Well, I wouldn't want to keep you here and delay any recovery time." He said, just going along with what she said. Sakura attempted her smile once more, convinced that it came out better this time.

"Yes, thank you. And thank you for inviting me. I'm sure I'll see you both around sometime later." She said nodding in Tenten's direction. She threw the brunette a disgruntled look after meeting her eyes. She could tell that Tenten definitely didn't buy it. But if Tenten knew how she was feeling, she would understand why she was running out.

Quickly she left before she could be spotted leaving.

Tenten watched her go, feeling uneasy. She knew something was wrong with her friend and she had a good idea of what it was. She wanted to help, to talk to her but she wasn't sure if that would help or cause any more damage.

Shaking her head, she pushed the issue to the back of her mind. Instead she slinked away from Neji who was now being approached by many different people she didn't know. She looked around for her friends, knowing it would be easy to find her lovable teammate and goofy team leader.

She looked ahead and was greeted with the site of Ino, hanging off of Chouji's arm yelling to Shikamaru to hurry up with her drink. Several people stared at her and Tenten saw out of the corner of her eye a tense Shikamaru, whom she was sure, was trying to stay convinced not to drown himself in the punch bowl.

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For once, she got a break. She wasn't the Hokage anymore; all of that responsibility had been passed on. And for tonight, she wasn't in the hospital. There were surprisingly few patients and she wasn't needed. The nurses and standard doctors were fine on their own and if an emergency came up, she knew she would hesitate before going in.

She was resting, having the whole night to herself. Just her and her new warm apartment. It wasn't the Hokage mansion, but it was perfect. One of the larger apartments in Konoha and it was perfect, fitting her style in everyway. It was open with many windows. There was a nice kitchen, a room where she could stock her books, and a large bathtub in the bathroom for her pleasure. She also had a perfectly sized balcony in her bedroom.

That was where she was now. Taking in the gorgeous site of the whole village, lights shining like stars from the many different buildings. She was glad that her place was on the top floor. It provided her with the most excellent view. It really was breathtaking. The stars shone above her along with the moon. She sat back in her cushioned lounge chair.

"This is the life." She sighed quietly to herself.

"Isn't it?" A deep coarse voice said after her. Opening her amber eyes, Tsunade looked up to see her view of the village blocked and instead found her old teammate.

"You are at my home because…?" she questioned, once again closing her eyes. She could see his grinning face in her mind.

"I'm not allowed to see an old friend?" he asked in a teasing voice. In the blink of an eye he was kneeling down, right beside her. Feeling the shift in his chakra, Tsunade looked at him out of the corner of her eye, making no move. "That's not very nice Tsunade." The woman could feel his hand brush along her arm so gently. It gave her goose bumps.

"It's not like you to drop by very often." Her looked turned suspicious. "What do you want you old goat?" she demanded in her natural strict tone.

Placing his hand over his chest he sighed dramatically. "Your words hurt dear. Besides, you're older than I am." He snickered and stood up, now leaning against the railing. His last comment gave Tsunade the biggest urge to push him off the balcony. It would matter than much, he wouldn't get hurt anyways.

"By a few month asshole." She said venomously. Her eyes smoldered.

Jiraiya waved off her words. "Yeah, yeah. Well, since you're not working I was wondering if you wanted to go for a drink. It's been a while since we've gone out." He smirked. Tsunade didn't look as though she was interested.

"And it's been a while since I've been home for the whole night. I'd rather stay in. Go in and get a drink if you want to." She turned over onto her side, obviously ignoring him now. The toad sage sighed and pushed away from the railing, opening the glass door and walking into her bedroom.

A few minutes he returned; a sake bottle and two small sake cups in hand. Tsunade was surprised that he knew were they were. The last time he was in her apartment was when she forced him to help with her moving. He had slacked off at that time which pissed her off greatly. He hardly lifted a finger and at one point snuck off where he was later found heading towards the hot springs. She never did let him live that one down.

Jiraiya forced Tsunade to shift over and he took a seat on the edge of the chair. The woman moved her legs and sat up. Jiraiya poured some sake in one of the small cups and passed it on to Tsunade who just held it, not wanting to drink at the moment. He then poured some for himself and set the bottle down by his feet. His back was facing hers and his head was lifted up, his eyes gazing at the patterns of the stars.

"I've been meaning to talk to you." He spoke finally after taking a sip of his drink. Tsunade's brows furrowed as she swiveled the cup, watching the contents spin around the edge. Finally took a sip as well, her mouth and throat used to the burning sensation of the alcohol.

"…About what?" she asked in a breathless tone.

Jiraiya hesitated before pressing on. He knew he had to bring up this discussion and there was no reason to keep it all hidden any longer. The time had come, whether he was ready for it or not.

"Though I'm not sure the timing is right, and to be honest I don't know if it'll ever be right, you know that we are going to have to talk to Naruto." He said. After staring at his drink he raised it to his lips, downing the rest in one shot. He reached down for the bottle.

"I've been thinking about that myself. But why do I have to be pulled into this? You are his godfather (1), right? You should be the one to tell him." She said, giving him a stern look. She raised her glass up to him, asking for more. He replied and filled her cup up.

"I know, but I think it will go smoother with you there. I'm not great at this sort of thing, you know that."

"And you think I am?" Tsunade interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

"Better than me." He said over his shoulder and watched as she leaned back into the chair. The white haired sage turned his body so he was facing her. "I just have this feeling. I know he isn't going to be happy."

Tsunade just about rolled her eyes and spoke, "Well, it could go either way. Finally, after so long, learning about his parents. I'm sure he would be grateful to know everything, but at the same time…it's almost unpredictable to say but I'm sure he'll be upset, whether he shows it or not, that we kept it from him for so long." Her words trailed off into the night.

Jiraiya simply nodded. He knew, with Naruto's hot headedness, that the boy would most likely get upset or angry. Even if it didn't read on his face he had a feeling that somewhere there would be a spark of emotion hidden by him. And then what? After he was told, there was no way that they could predict how he would react. Would it be a good reaction, a bad one? Would he avoid everyone or stay the same? It was impossible to tell.

"Do you think that we'd make the right decision by telling?" Jiraiya asked in a softer tone. He looked out to the village and in the distance he would make out the large Hokage mansion. The boy was there, in the same place his father had once been and he didn't even know it.

Tsunade could help but smile. She finished the rest of her sake and set the cup down by the chair. She sat up and took a seat on the edge of the chair by Jiraiya were she took his hand into hers. "You really do care for that boy don't you?" she said caringly. He nodded. "I swear," she said and giggled lightly, "you may be his godfather, but the way you talk about him…you'd think he was your grandson."

The man let out a small chuckle and looked down at the smaller woman. "Come now Tsunade. Could you picture me with a grandson? Hell, a child of my own?"

Shrugging the blonde answered, "It's not impossible. I'd feel bad for the kid though." She joked heartily. "A pervert in the making." She laughed, and he joined in with her.

"That would be interesting to see." He said as their laughter died down.

There was silence between them for a moment, the only thing heard were the crickets of the night, playing their own melody with each other. Tsunade sighed and leaned into Jiraiya's shoulder. "So, when should we tell him?" she asked. She wasn't sure where the lovey-dovey feeling was coming from. Though she wouldn't admit it to anyone, her feelings for the man beside her had finally become stronger than before.

When they had first come together to join as a team she couldn't say that she particularly liked him. He was a brat in her opinion and someone she just fought with. And for the following years afterwards, she had profusely ignored any warm feelings he may have given her. They were insignificant.

And after Dan died, she never thought she could love anyone else. And for so many years she hadn't seen Jiraiya. She thought everything was just lost.

But over the past six, seven years she couldn't help but feel closer to him than anyone. Even Shizune, the girl she had training and traveled with for so long. She could tell Shizune anything, but she couldn't be comfortable with her like she was with Jiraiya. Over those years her feelings just seemed to develop. The feelings she ignored so long ago seemed to come forth at full strength, demanding that their presence was known. She had then denied them again. It was nothing. He was just her comfort zone, nothing else. At least, that's what she thought.

And his feelings for her? Sure he had always joked, asking her out all the time. But that's all she thought it was, a joke. She never knew that half of the time he was serious. And it developed from there. Small signals were exchanged from both and their relationship took its own path. It led right up to where they were today, comfortably sitting close to each other. Tsunade couldn't put a definition to their relationship, since she didn't know how deep it ran. But she was sure that some day they would just know.

Jiraiya's thumb was mindlessly running over the top of her hand. "Why not tomorrow? The sooner the better and I'm honestly anxious to tell him." He said.

Tsunade silently agreed. "Tomorrow it is." She whispered.

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It had been a long day in the Hyuuga home. Later in the afternoon the guest began to leave. Now it was dark outside. The guests were gone, the den was clean, and the house was still. With the exception of the dojo.

Neji and Tenten both sat off to the side of the room and watched as Hinata and Hinabi went at each other, with their attacks. Tenten watched the gentle fist technique being used, still amazed by it. She had grown up watching Neji and Hinata use it and she was still fascinated by it. The ability to use chakra to damage internal organs, it was incredible. It was like an invisible attack.

The door slid open and Hiashi stood in the doorway. The two sisters stopped and turned to see their father.

"Oh, father, good evening." Hinata greeted with a small bow. Hinabi bowed as well.

"Hello father." She said.

Hiashi nodded to both of them. "Please, don't stop on my account. I came to see Neji and Tenten."

The engaged couple look at him to see him motion for them to follow him. Both complied and stood up, exiting the room with him.

As they walked down the hallway to the sitting room Tenten couldn't help but feel jitters in her stomach. She wasn't sure what he was going to say to them, but she was nervous. Maybe he would tell her off. Maybe he wouldn't allow them to marry. She didn't know why he would but that's all her mind kept thinking of.

Once in the room all three of them took a seat, Tenten and Neji sitting across from Hiashi. The older man had a calm look on his face. He didn't look angry or like he was in a bad mood, something Tenten was thankful for.

"Now," Hiashi started. "Since the two of you have failed to talk about future plans I think it's time that you do."

Neji scowled and sat back in his seat. He knew it was necessary but it wasn't something he had really wanted to do. He meant for everything to flow on its own.

"Tenten," the man said, turning his attention to her. The girl sat up straighter at the sound of her name. "I hate to bring this up so suddenly, but you do have plans on moving in don't you?"

Startled by the question, the girl fought for words. No, she hadn't thought of moving in. And now it seemed so stupid that she never thought of it before. Already engaged yet she wasn't living with him. Hell, she hadn't been romantically involved with him for too long either.

It was obvious by her face that she hadn't thought of it. Hiashi understood and spoke once more. "Well, that brings up another thing. Neji, since I am no longer the leader of this family this house here is technically yours now. It is the main household for the Head of the family." He spoke. Neji hadn't thought of that before at all. "And once you two do get settled in, I need to know…would you prefer if my daughters and I moved into a different part of the Hyuuga villa?"

Just as Tenten was before, Neji was suddenly caught up by the question. He thought for a moment, letting everything sink in. "No." he answered. "This home is plenty big enough. It's actually too big for just two people." He said.

Hiashi inclined his head. "I am only asking this because I want you to think ahead. If you two have children in the near future…"

Tenten just about died. Her face suddenly flushed by those last few words and she could feel the blood rushing to her face.

"…then I wouldn't want us to be a burden of any kind."

Neji had remained unaffected by his words. He already knew that children were what was expected from this marriage. That was the whole plan behind the three month marriage deadline. The only reason for it was to produce an heir. Neji did not agree with these terms at all, but it was how things were done for decades. And coming from the branch family, he wasn't in the position to argue with it, whether he was the Head or not. He was just thankful that it was Tenten, someone he loved that he was getting married to. He shuttered at the thought of who the family would have picked out.

Tenten was still tense from the words. Neji said, "It's no problem. Having more people around would make a better environment for a baby anyways."

The brunette girl nearly choked. Neji just said those words. He said baby.

"Alright then. I believe the rest is for you two to talk about. It's getting late now. Tenten, you are more than welcome to stay. We can have one of the guest rooms made up, or you can stay with Neji if you wish." Hiashi stood without another word and walked from the room.

Neji turned to Tenten. "It is getting late. Do you want to stay here tonight?" he asked. Tenten mutely nodded. "Alright. I'm sure Hinata has clothes that you can wear." He said standing up. He held a hand out to her which she excepted.

They walked through the halls and into the open summer air. It wasn't humid at all, but instead the perfect temperature. They approached Hinata's room and Tenten knocked. Once…twice…three times without an answer. She opened the door a small bit and found the room to be empty. She opened the door fully and walked in, turning the lights on.

"I'm sure she won't mind if I just borrow something." She said and went over to raid her friend's drawers. She found the girls night clothes and snatched up a pair of black shorts and a plain white t-shirt. After closing the dresser drawers she stood up and snuck out of the room.

They walked in silence to Neji's room. Once inside Tenten moved and sat on his bed while the boy went to grab his own clothes. "You can change here if you feel comfortable. If not the bathroom is down the hall on the left side." he said and pulled out his fleece black pajama bottoms.

Tenten looked down at the clothes in hand and debated what to do in her mind. She didn't feel uncomfortable to be exact, embarrassed more than anything. Even if she had nothing to be embarrassed about. But she didn't want to go searching for the bathroom either. The door would most likely be in front of her and she would miss it and end up lost.

Slowly she reached around and grasped the zipper of her dress. She twisted her arm until she had a good hold on it and pulled downwards. At first it twisted at an odd angle and refused to move, but finally she got it and it slid right down, allowing the dress to fall off of her shoulders. She suddenly became very self conscious.

Looking up, she watched as Neji unbuttoned his shirt and let it fall off his shoulders and off of his arms. She practically drooled at just seeing his strong back and only wished he would turned around.

Neji turned around.

Tenten caught his eye and blushed, her arms moving to cover her chest. The dress had fallen down, exposing her upper body and stomach. It was slightly uncomfortable. The only people who had seen her like this were her friends, and any hospital staff who had treated her. And now she was in just her underwear, exposed to Neji.

Neji couldn't help the small chuckle that fell from his lips. He set his shirt of the bed and proceeded to undo his pants.

Now Tenten just wished that Neji would turn back around. She hesitated a while before letting the dress drop. Quickly she attempted to get the shorts on. She rushed so quickly that her toe got stuck on the waistband of the shorts and was almost thrown off balance. She fixed her problem and pulled them up over her long legs. Then she reached for the shirt and yanked it over her head.

After they were all ready for bed, they both pulled the sheets back from the bed and got settled in. Neji shifted the pillows behind him and Tenten sank down into the bed. She wanted to talk to him about what was going to happen once they were married. She just had a feeling that she was being left out on something. But at the moment she was tired and wanted to sleep.

She looked over next to her at the man laying beside her. She still couldn't believe that he was beside her. It felt like a dream. And she didn't want to wake up. It was just too good and everything she wanted.

Rolling over onto her side Tenten curled up into the ball like positions she was so used to. Neji rolled over, facing her. His eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, piercing right through her. Unexpectedly he inched closer to her, something that didn't seem like him. Tenten looked right at him, still in her dream-like trance. If this was a dream, she could do as she wanted right?

Leaning in towards him she placed her lips on his in a gentle goodnight kiss. She could feel the sparks, they felt so real. The good feelings that she got whenever she kissed him. She knew this was reality, she knew this wasn't a dream. And she was thankful for that.

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Yawning, Sakura climbed into Genma's bed. She had taken over his room since he left, allowing Kakashi to have his bed to himself for once. He hadn't been gone too long, yet Sakura already missed Genma. She sank down into his pillow and took the second one, hugging it to her body like a teddy bear. She inhaled, taking in his scent. It made it seem like he was right there. He was her big protective brother. Someone who could joke and the next moment become deadly serious. She loved him to death, just as she did the rest of her teammates.

It was late now, nearing midnight. She had been trying to get some sleep but it was evading her, making her toss and turn. It was frustrating and she knew it was because she had so much on her mind.

Suddenly the door opened and her make-shift father poked his head into the room.

"Don't worry, I'm awake Kakashi." She said.

The door fully opened and the jounin stepped into the room, making his way over to the bed. He took a seat on the edge.

"For some reason, I didn't expect you to be asleep." He said.

"And I didn't expect you home until morning." She retorted. Kakashi had been assigned a mission this morning and he was back sooner than she expected.

"What can I say? I haven't lost my touch and finished the mission in record time." He chuckled. Sakura gave a half hearted smile and sat up.

"Well, I'm sure you're tired. Don't stay up because of me." She said.

But Kakashi made no move to leave. "I actually wanted to talk to you." He said. He knew she wouldn't be getting any sleep soon and he wasn't particularly tired. He wanted to talk to her and now seemed best. He would most likely sleep in tomorrow and by the time he woke up, she would have left already.

"I'm not usually one to pry into people's private lives, but when it comes to those I care about I do it if I think that something is wrong. Sakura, you seemed pretty shaken up after your visit with Sasuke. Did anything happen between you two?" he asked.

"Sakura, I love you."

His voice rang through her head as his name was mentioned. She froze in place, her eyes becoming distant. She hurriedly pulled herself together. "No, everything was fine." She covered.

Kakashi wasn't believing her story. He knew something was wrong. After that visit, Sakura seemed to be in a whole different funk. It was slightly frustrating because he was shut out and couldn't help, but Kakashi knew that that was how things went. He didn't get to know everything, that's just how life was. And frankly, Sakura did need to sort this problem out herself. He would just give her a push in the right direction.

"I'm here to listen Sakura. Tell me if something is bothering you. Did you two fight…or did he say anything to you…" he was bringing out suggestions now, hoping she would tell him something.

She wasn't in the mood now. She told herself, that some point later she would tell Kakashi what Sasuke said. But right now, she just couldn't bring herself to say it.

"It's fine Kakashi. Thank's for the concern but it's not needed. You'll see, in a few days I'll be back to my normal self, I promise." She said, trying her hardest to sound convincing.

Knowing he wouldn't get anything out of her, Kakashi placed a hand on top of her head. "If you say so. If you do find that you need to talk, you know where to find me." He stood up from the bed.

"Thanks. Oyasumi."

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Hinata knew just where to find her father. Like every morning around this time, he was in the dojo, meditating and getting ready for his own training. She knew it wasn't the smartest move to interrupt him while he was meditating, but it was when he was in his calmest state. He would listen to her then.

"Please excuse me." She said before opening the door. She was right; there in the middle of the room sitting peacefully was her father, his head bowed and his eyes closed. She shut the door behind her and slowly entered, walking over to kneel by her father.

"Hinata, would you like to join me for my morning training?" Hiashi asked.

Hinata looked down. "Eto…actually…Otou-san, I wanted to talk to you."

1. In Naruto manga chapter 382 Minato (Fourth Hokage) and Kushina (Naruto's mother) agree that Jiraiya should be Naruto's godfather. More will be explained in the next chapter.

Another chapter down. I hope you all enjoyed. And you all liked my Jiraiya/Tsunade scene right? Right!? I know you did!