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Months blew past like the passing zephyr in the trees. Neji and Tenten were getting used to each other but that did nothing to reduce the arguments and bickering between the two. Hinata found it amusing that Neji would go out of his usual stiff character to 'stoop as low as to argue with a mere maid'. His words in quote.
The princess and the maid bonded over the weeks and became close friends. If Tenten were told last month that she would become a Princess's friend, she would have laughed till pigs developed wings but here she was; a Prince's personal maid and a Princess's friend.
Tenten was outside the paper doors to the King's throne room, bowing her head like the other servants at the place. King Hiashi had summoned Neji earlier to discuss some matters but summoned Hinata and Hanabi afterwards, and that was how Tenten found herself in this position. Her back and neck hurt from bowing for long hours altogether but she feared the king and would not dare to disrespect the man.
After what seemed like a year to the chestnut haired girl, the King finally emerged from the throne room with his many eunuchs in tow and Neji and his sisters following closely behind. When the King had left for his chambers, Neji and Tenten made for Neji's compound as well. "What did Hiashi-sama talk about?" The maid asked as she walks beside Neji.
"You defile rule five." Neji responded and walked further, knowing that the girl with the buns would chase after him demanding answers and perhaps complaining about the rules. The long haired beau let out a soft laugh once he saw that his predictions were correct on both instances. "We shall be leaving for Uzushiogakure in two weeks time." He finally gave in after seeing Tenten's pout.
"Uzushio?!" Tenten's caramel eyes sparkled under the sunlight at the mention of the country of Whirlpools. The lass had never step foot out of Konoha's borders therefore so it excited her to learn that she was going somewhere new. Her excitement was however deflated by Neji's next words.
"Who says you shall be going with? You have the period of our absence as a free time." Tenten pouted and harrumphed disappointedly, which Neji once again laughed at. His laughter sounded melodious to her ears but that was something she would never admit. "I was joking with you!" Neji laughed. "My you are so adorable when your lips form into a pout." The Prince blurted.
"Eh?!" Tenten gasped. Neji also seemed to gasp at his outburst of words and cleared his throat awkwardly.
"That way you look less like a gold digger." He added and walked briskly away. Tenten watched the retreating figure of her Prince marching gracefully away. The insult he dropped did not even register as the words he said earlier plagued her mind. Adorable? Her?! Neji thought she was adorable?!
Her lips twitched as she tried so hard to resist the smile gnawing at them but it was so hard. She finally allowed herself a little giggle and a small squeal, oblivious to the lavender eyes that watched the interaction between the two.
~ x ~
Tenten walked beside the carriage that Neji was in as she made small chat with her master. The both of them had become friends despite what they might say about it and from there, feelings were bound to grow.
"Does Uzushiogakure have many rivers? Is it really hidden among the whirlpools? I wish to see the queen, I heard that she is a very beautiful woman. I heard that the legendary sannin Senju Tsunade is Naruto-sama's god mother-"
"Yurusai[1, you are too garrulous and loquacious for a lady." Neji scolded but could not help the smile that fought its way through his lips. "Don't you worry, I shall take you on a tour around the village." He added when he noticed her pout.
Tenten's face lit up in mirth when she heard what he said and she smiled widely. To Neji, it seemed like the sun shone down on only her to highlight her features. Her caramel eyes sparkled in the light as her cheekbones became more defined with her smile. Tenten's luscious lips formed into a slight pout at the crown Prince's silence and that was when Neji realized that he had been staring.
Catching himself with a faux cough, he dismissed her and she went to Hinata and Hanabi's carriage to talk to them. The younger princess continued to rant about a boy named Konohamaru that she met in Uzushio and Hinata told Tenten of the sights to see and sometimes rambled about her fiancé.
Tenten liked Naruto because of his friendly nature and thought that he and Hinata suited each other. She had learnt that the princess almost got married to the prince of the moon kingdom, Otsutsuki Toneri and from the way the princesses described Toneri, she was happy that king Hiashi had chosen Naruto as her betrothed instead.
They arrived at the sea where they would take a ship to the country of Whirlpools and left the carriages and horses in good hands. A village girl like Tenten had never seen the sea talk less of being on a ship so it was a lovely experience for her. Neji watched as she stood on the deck and opened her arms to feel the breeze blowing at her face and smiled a bit.
"She is excited." Hinata's gentle voice sounded behind him. The woman gracefully walked to his side and placed her hands on the railings of the ship. Her long midnight hair swayed with the wind much like her older cousin's brown locks. The two of them watched Tenten's display of happiness with Hinata watching them both at intervals. Neji would stare at Tenten when he thought his cousin wasn't looking and vice versa.
Hinata softly giggled at the brooding romance between them which attracted Neji's attention. "Is something the matter, Hinata-sama?" He asked.
"Oh I just remembered a joke that Naruto told me." Hinata lied and dismissed him with a wave of her hand.
They got to Uzushiogakure after two days which Tenten was grateful for. She was getting tired of the ship already. The ambassador of the country came to welcome them, he had red hair and the strangest purple eyes Tenten had ever seen. Nagato was his name and he was a member of the Royal family, the Uzumaki.
Tenten was in awe of the place, it was so different from Konoha but had a lively aura to it. The maid wondered if she could find a physician who would know of Anko's illness. Ino suggested Sakura of the Fire kingdom. She was Ino's good friend and so would give Tenten an antidote for a cheap price but she was so far away. The only other physician that could cure Anko was the legendary Tsunade.
Sakura trained under the woman and Ino had the opportunity to train under her for a few months. Tsunade was a great physician but she loved to travel so the chances of Tenten finding her was slim. Even if she did find her, Tenten was sure that her services would be really expensive and for that, a frown crossed her features.
"Tenten." Neji called from his carriage. As the crown Prince, the ambassador had to ride with him so he was stuck with hearing about the kingdom. Neji listened to the man halfheartedly, making sure to respond when he deemed right when he saw the sad look on his maid's face. Neji did not think twice before calling for her, which made her jolt a bit. Where did her mirth from earlier go?
"Yes your Highness?" Tenten walked to match the palanquin's speed and kept her head bowed because of the ambassador.
"Is something the matter? Your brain is giving off smoke from over thinking." Tenten's head shot up in annoyance and Neji smirked. "There she is. I shall speak with you later, you are dismissed." He closed the window and smiled at the ambassador. "My apologies for the interruption, please take off from where you stopped."
Tenten huffed at her douchebag Prince and stood akimbo. His attempts to cheer her up was miserable and only fueled her annoyance but he managed to get rid of her bad thoughts somehow.
"Tenten-chan* we are here." Moegi, one of her fellow servants who got promoted to be princess Hanabi's personal maid announced. Tenten wondered why she suddenly got promoted until Moegi mentioned that she was close friends with Konohamaru, the boy Hanabi fancied.
The palace was stunningly beautiful much like the Hyuga palace. They were welcomed by king Minato and Queen Kushina along with Naruto and his bodyguard, Shikamaru. The Prince wore an orange kimono like Tenten saw him the last time which made her wonder why he chose such a humble (and obnoxious) colour for royalty like him. She made a mental note to ask Hinata later.
"Hime!" Naruto smiled widely and walked beside his princess as they advanced to the palace. "Golichinwa, Ko-san." He greeted Hinata's butler who replied with a bow. "Neji." He acknowledged the stuck up Prince.
"Hn, idiot." Was Neji's reply.
"You and Teme* are the same." Naruto grumbled and Tenten wondered who the Teme he spoke about was. "Oh, Tenten-chan!" Naruto exclaimed once he saw the maid beside Neji.
"Ohayo gozaimasu, Naruto-sama." Tenten bowed in greeting.
"Neji didn't fire you! You see Shikamaru? I make good choices for people!" Naruto smiled so widely that Tenten was sure his mouth would rip open.
"Troublesome." Shikamaru yawned. The man was the laziest thing on earth according to Tenten. She pitied the woman he would come to call his his beloved, the woman would have a lot of work to do.
Naruto greeted Hanabi and Moegi as well as the other servants and continued to talk about his ramen adventures to his princess. Hinata listened and gave a few giggles at the part where he tried to slurp ramen without chopsticks, a dare from Konohamaru, and choked on it till the noodles came out from his nose. It was hard to believe that Naruto was a Prince.
[1] Yurusai: 'shut up.'
*Chan- this is a suffix added to names of girls. It is informal and shows that you are close to such person. Some people use it on boys too if they want.
*Teme- this literally means bastard.
Edit: I learnt that teme means 'you' in a more insulting way but we all know that Fishcake refers to Duckbutt as bastard.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto franchise. Credits to the owner but the plot remains mine. It would not be nice to steal it.
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-Star.