Chapter 10

Neji stirred at the sound of servants bustling outside his bedroom door. Today was the eve of the matchmaking ceremony. Tomorrow, he and Hinata would be matched in front of the entire compound along with all the other sixteen year olds, and the seventeen year olds that weren't matched last year. Today was special. It would be spent preparing for tomorrow. The children were all to be fitted for their traditional marriage robes, and tonight, there was going be a feast.

Neji rolled over to check his watch he had placed beside his bedroll the night before. It was almost 4am. There was a knock at his door, and the nanny he had since he was a baby peaked her head in.

"Neji, its morning. Time for prayer."

"I'm awake," he replied without glancing her way. He really did not want this day to begin. He dreaded his upcoming wedding. He dreaded having to watch Tenten marry someone else tomorrow—and that someone was probably going to be Ko, Neji's cousin. Ko, who looked almost exactly like Neji. But Ko wasn't Neji, and Neji knew that Tenten would rather die than have to marry someone who wasn't Neji, especially someone who was going to remind her every single day of what she couldn't have. He didn't want Tenten to have to see him marry Hinata either. But they didn't have a choice, and one day they would learn to live with it…at least, he hoped that one day he could get over Tenten and she could get over him.

"Come on," his nanny said, "prayer starts in ten minutes. It's a very special day!"

He waited for her to leave before he made any attempt at getting out of bed and into his prayer robes. It was January, there was snow on the ground and temperatures were below freezing, but they were still expected to go out into the courtyard in just their robes. As he passed Tenten's bedroom on his way outside, he noticed her bedroom was empty. She was never up before him. But it's not like she had been sleeping lately anyways. He heard her pacing the halls in the middle of the night. He heard her hushed conversations with Lee when neither of them could sleep. He wished she still came to him in the middle of the night. Why did he push her away?

He opened the door to the courtyard and shivered as the cold breeze from outside infiltrated the heated mansion. Hinata and Hanabi yawned as they came up behind him. "Good morning brother," Hanabi mumbled.

"Good morning Neji," Hinata said along with her little sister, intentionally leaving out the 'brother' Hanabi had added.

He held the door opened for his younger cousins and followed them outside where Lee was waiting for them at the front of the prayer group. Neji's mother was already present as well. It was a special day, which meant that all parents were to pray alongside their children, rather than the children praying alone together. They were to pray for good weather for the next day, and pray for all the matches to have successful, happy marriages, and for the couples to be blessed with children as soon as possible. Neji cringed at the thought of having to consummate his relationship with his cousin—no—his bride. At least he already knew what he was doing, but he still didn't want to do it.

Neji's mother kissed him on the cheek as she greeted him. She got up and kissed Hinata as well, for she will be her daughter after tomorrow. Neji took his place on the ground, to the right of his mother. Lee sat to Neji's right, where Tenten normally sat for prayer. "Where's Tenten?" Neji asked his best friend.

There was a small twitch in Lee's eyes, hardly noticeable, but it was there. "She still isn't feeling well."

Lee was lying to him. Neji could tell. He lowered his voice, "please tell me she isn't planning on doing anything stupid."

Lee's lie got better, "she's staying in her room for the day. She was puking all night."

The birds chirped, signaling that they were to begin praying. It was quiet as the elders led the group prayer in hushed words. Neji, along with the rest of the compound mouthed the words along with them. It was quiet again. Then, the servants stood from their prayer and walked up the stairs to the stage where Lord Elder, Lord Hiashi, his wife, and the other elders prayed so their followers could watch them in all their greatness. Lord Elder directed the servants to the pitcher of wine that sat atop the alter, and together, the servants began passing out glasses to the people of the compound.

This was nothing new. Neji had read all about this tradition in his studies. It was something that had been carried over from Christian practices where the priest delivered the Eucharist—the blood and the body of Jesus Christ. Except their tradition was meant to represent the ancestors and to purify their souls with each sip. This ritual was only performed on the eve of the match ceremony, to ensure that everyone matched would be going into their marriages clean of any past sins.

Neji took his cup from the servant graciously. Lee hesitated beside him, but took it anyways. His hands shook as he brought the glass close to his body and he stared at the substance. Neji raise an eyebrow and whispered, "What's wrong with you?"

"Don't drink it," he replied so quietly Neji could hardly hear.

Of course Tenten had gotten to Lee too. Lee was so gullible, and he trusted Tenten's word more than anyone.

The birds chirped again, signally the end of prayer, but instead of proclaiming the holy mantra, Lore Elder was quiet. Neji shivered as the snow beneath his feet numbed his toes. He could almost hear Lee's teeth chattering. His mother pulled her shawl tightly around her body, a small portion of her wine spilling onto the snow in the process. She took his hand gently, then brought it up to her lips so she could kiss him. She was extra emotional today. It was Neji's final day in her care after all. Tomorrow he would be his own man.

Lord Elder finally spoke, "Good morning my loves. It is a beautiful winter day this morning. Usually we would be completing this ceremony in the spring before the matchmaking ceremony, and it is with great pleasure that I deliver the most wonderful news from our ancestors. We have finally been asked to ascend."

There was a myriad of whispers across the crowd, wondering what Lord Elder meant by Ascension.

"Today," Lord Elder continued, "we will be joining our ancestors! There will be no match ceremony. Unfortunately, there isn't time. We must do this now and we must do this together, so please, children, rise."

The children of the compound stood at the orders of their leader and waited for further instruction. Lee set his cup down, and refused to stand, Neji, who might have fallen into shock remained seated as well.

"Neji, Lee," Hiyeri whispered, "stand up."

He couldn't move. Lee was frantic trying to think of what to do—how to warn people without getting himself killed in the process. Then, Neji remembered that only the royal children knew of the true meaning behind ascension. They studied it in case one day, when they ruled over of the compound, they were the ones to lead their people into joining the ancestors. The children had always joked about their beliefs of ascension. None of them ever took those lessons seriously because it was as ridiculous as marrying someone because you loved them rather than because the ancestors deemed you to be a perfect match. And that's exactly how their tutors taught it to them—as if it were only and old wives tale.

Lord Elder glared at Neji for his defiance, but then quickly returned to addressing the other children and their families. "Please, parents, bring your child's glass to their lips and guide them through ascension."

Lee and Neji stood up so fast their heads spun. "Stop!" They both yelled. Then Neji stopped himself from going any further. What was he doing defying the ancestors' orders? If this is what they want, then who was he to question that?

Lord Elder stepped down from the platform and presented himself to his defiant grandchildren. He took their chins in the palms of his hands and forced them to look at him. Neji wasn't scared of him anymore, not after the man had stuck a hot iron to his face, but Lee was quivering. Lord Elder glanced at the empty spot between the two boys and asked, "There are normally three of you. Where is Tenten?"

"She's gone," Lee spoked directly to Neji, avoiding all eye contact with Lord Elder. "She left in the middle of the night."

Neji's eyes widened and he felt his heart break. He had seen this coming. His greatest fear of never being able to see his beloved again had come true. From today on, she'd be nothing but a memory, just like his father. He would have to forget she existed—pretend that she never even had. Her name would be taboo, any thought or conversation about her would be punishable by death. He'd rather be dead than have to forget about her.

"And why would she do that?" Lord Elder still grasped the boys' faces tightly.

Lee gently pushed the man's hand off his face and yelled, loud enough for the entire compound to hear, "because she knew you were going to try to kill us all today!"

The crowd gasped, then hushed conversations flooded the courtyard.

"Lord Elder," Hiyeri said standing up from her seat. "Is it true? Are we really being allowed to ascend?"

Neji stared at his mother in disbelief. But he understood her enthusiastic response to the mention of death. She'd probably rather be dead than live without her beloved as well.

"It is true my daughter. The ancestors came to be in a dream a few months ago. They told me that it was time and that our people are worthy of true ascension." The other elders along with Hiashi and Lady Hyuga were straight-faced through this entire speech, knowing full well the truth behind the lies of Lord Elder's words.

"No! It's not true," Lee yelled pulling himself out of the Elder's firm grasp. He stumbled back. Sasuke and Sakura caught him. He addressed them first, "Don't drink, please. It's poisoned. Do you really want to die before meeting your baby?"

Of course they didn't. They weren't educated in any of this ascension bullshit, they had no reason to believe that the elder's words were true. But the other villagers couldn't be as easily convinced. "Together," he heard a couple say. "I'll be right behind you," he heard a mother say to her three year old son. All around them, people began drinking from the glasses in their hands. But many others did not. There was hesitation amongst the crowd. Many were not sure what to believe, and many others did not believe at all and poured their poisoned drink onto the snow.

Then the first child dropped to the ground in violent convulsions. As the child seized, other children began to cry, parents began to scream, but no one rushed to the child's aid. Then people of all ages all around them collapsed in the snow and began to convulse.

Hiyeri grabbed her son's arm and pulled him to her, "Neji please, drink," she begged as she held the glass up to him.

"Neji, don't," Lee ordered. He had never heard Lee so assertive in his entire life. "She's coming back. If you do this, you won't see her. If you do this, you'll be killing her right along with you."

Neji's first thought was; good. Then we can ascend together, just like the ancestors have ordered. But his second thought was that she wouldn't die with them, not really. She would refuse to drink, and because she had already left, she was already considered dead to the clan. She wouldn't be able to join the ancestors with them at all. Her death would be slow and painful, her life would be filled with guilt and sadness as she withered away, just like she had been for weeks. Because he broke her heart. His death would destroy her beyond repair. She wouldn't be living, she'd be only surviving, if she could even do that much.

"No," Neji finally said. "I won't do it."

"Neji please," Hiyeri begged. "You have to. We have to. It is the way of our people."

Suddenly, there was a large bang, and smoke filled the area. There were screams of confusion. Neji told Lee to get out while he still could and he took off running, grabbing Hinata and Hanabi in the process. Neji couldn't get free of his mother's tight grasp, he was stuck. The smoke began to clear, and suddenly, they were surrounded by men in riot gear. They had guns pointed at them. Parents grabbed onto their children and others raised their arms above their heads in quiet surrender.

"Hideo Hyuga, Hiashi Hyuga," a voice boomed in the distance as he listed off the names of the Hyuga elders and all the other's in charge, "You are under arrest for murder, attempted murder, assault, sex crimes against children, possession of illegal firearms and drugs, along with reckless endangerment! This is Chief Minato Namikaze of the Konoha Police Force. We have the place surrounded. Please allow your people to go free and no harm will come to you or your family."

Minato addressed Lord Elder exactly how the man would demand any of his followers do. It was obvious to Neji that someone from the compound must have taught the police chief well.

Adults who no longer believed in the word of Lord Elder began to usher their children into the hands of SWAT Team officials and began to be escorted out. The rest of SWAT slowly began inching their way close and closer to the main stage, getting as many people out of the way as possible. Without warning, Neji was shoved to the ground by his grandfather. The back of his head burned as he was pulled back up by his hair. Then he felt the barrel of the gun grace the side of his temple and the SWAT's maneuvers halted. He could see the gun in his peripheral, and his grandfather's hand was steady. Whatever he was about to negotiate, was going to happen without fail.

"Nobody move!" He addressed the remaining clansman, "It is up to you, you drink, or you meet your end by my hand and the ancestors will not accept you into heaven! You've seen it before. You've seen the power the ancestors have bestowed upon me."

Lee was almost to safety, when he saw the gun press harder against his best friend's face. He was terrified, but Neji was calm. Hiyeri stood there motionless. Watching as her son, yet again, be threatened by her father-in-law. She fell to her knees. She scrambled to find the glass of poisoned wine she had set aside only moments ago. She shook as she held it out to Neji. "Please, she begged. I can't see you hurt ever again. Please just drink. It will be over quickly. Please, I'll do it with you." She held the glass up to her own lips, but Neji hit it out of her hands.

Lord Hyuga did not like Neji's defiance and pistil whipped him as hard as he could. Neji fell to the ground, his fall was cushioned by the snow beneath him. His head spun as he struggled to get back up on his feet. Neji made it to his hands and knees before he was kicked down by his grandfather once again. Hiyeri was screaming as she crawled after her child. Hiashi held her back. She fought him as hard as she had fought the guards four years ago to get to her son when she watched the leader of the clan publicly brand her baby. She clawed at the ground so hard that she had gone past the snow, and was now grasping at the frozen ground to find anything that would allow her to get to Neji quicker.

"Lord Hyuga," Minato announced over the bullhorn once again, "this is your last warning. Let your grandson go, and come quietly and no harm with come to you or your people."

Neji heard Lord Elder click off the safety on the gun and he squeezed his eyes shut as tightly as he could to prepare himself for what could be the fastest or the slowest death imaginable. He hoped he could see her one last time before he died. He wanted to apologize to her, tell her he loved her. He glanced up and saw Lee being detained by a SWAT agent. He had tears in his eyes as he begged the man to let him back through the crowd.

Neji's head still spun from being hit by the barrel of the gun, but he managed to get the words off his tongue, "tell Tenten I love her."

Lee broke through the guards hold on his and sprinted as fast as he could through the crowd. Lord Elder raised the gun for firing, and the SWAT leader yelled "Hideo, no!" Then there was a loud ringing in Neji's ear and everything went quiet.

Neji felt himself being grabbed, and then dragged, but he was dazed and couldn't tell what was going on around him. He couldn't hear anything. He was in his mother's arms, that much was obvious, then everything was bright. The sun had come up, and Lee was in front of him. He was talking but he couldn't hear what Lee was saying. Everything was muffled. His head throbbed. He could feel his mother brushing the hair out of his face, away from the gash on the side of his head from where the gun had hit him. Then in the distance, he saw her. She was running faster than he had ever seen her run before. Tenten's long, chocolate brown hair was a mess behind her. She looked a lot better than the last time he saw her. Oh. She was in front of him. She was touching him. Her cheeks were rosy again, but she looked like a mess—bags under her eyes, dirt on her skin, snow in her hair. He had never seen her look so beautiful before. He reached for her, and then everything went dark.