A/N – So here's another story for you guys! I'm so excited to share this story with you. It's been a work in progress for quite some time now I get to finally show you. It'll be little different to my other works but no less impressive (I hope!). So sit back, relax and enjoy!
EDIT 2022 – Ok, so after like 2 years I am back with this story! I'm so sorry for going missing for so long but I've had a renewal of creativity. I'll firstly be updating this chapter just to change a few things around (mostly updates on spelling, grammar etc), but I will be adding a bit more exposition to this chapter so please read before I post Chapter 2!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto!
-X-
Tenten loved her father more than anyone else in the entire world.
He was a great man; proud, stubborn and strong. But despite his towering figure, he was the kindest and most gentle person Tenten knew. His booming laughter would always echo through their tiny house and his eyes were permanently wrinkled from his constant, twinkling smile.
What she admired most about her father was his ability to twist and bend metal into whatever he wanted. She always marvelled at how his hands, so big, rough and calloused, could create such intricate objects and the way his fat fingers could twirl a kunai with such ease.
After her mother died, he retired from being a shinobi indefinitely and set up his own forge to provide for them. He would work at the fires long after Tenten was asleep and sometimes the brunette would wake up in the morning and find him passed out, covered in soot and dust, hunched over one of his workshop tables buried beneath broken weapons and scraps of metal.
He had raised Tenten on his own as her mother had passed away shortly after giving birth to her. Tenten had very little information on her mother. There were no pictures, no records, almost next to nothing that indicated that the woman existed except for the memories and stories that her father very rarely disclosed to her.
The only time Tenten could recall her father voluntarily bringing up the forbidden subject was the first time he had done her hair.
He had tied up her chocolate locks into two buns atop of her head and when little Tenten had questioned why he had done so, the older man replied with a wistful smile, "It's how your mother used to wear her hair."
From that day onwards, the brunette never went anywhere without having her hair bound into what became her signature look.
-X-
At five years old, Tenten knew she wanted to become a ninja.
Every night as her father tucked her into bed, she would beg him to tell her stories about his shinobi days. She loved hearing the wild adventures and the thrilling battles he had been a part of. She especially loved the stories he would recount about Tsunade, one of the three legendary Sanin.
She always listened with rapt attention and she never got sick of hearing about how even though she was a woman, Tsunade managed to become one of the greatest and respected kunoichi Konoha had ever seen. It was in that moment that Tenten declared she would become just as strong as her idol and be just as good of a kunoichi too.
Her father had chuckled and ruffled her hair, covering her tiny face with his enormous hand and forced her head to her pillow before saying, "You will be the greatest of them all, Tenten."
-X-
At age six, Tenten was given her very first weapon.
Her father had presented her a small wooden box, obviously carved himself, and inside was a pair of newly forged shuriken. They were expertly made and lethally sharp, unlike the blunt, wooden ones her friends liked to play ninja with. Tenten doubted their parents would let them near a real weapon, much less let them own one. Yet, here was her father gifting her with a pair of her own.
"If you want to get into the academy next year, you better start practicing," he said.
So Tenten did. Her father had set up some makeshift targets on the trees outside the forge, so while he worked away in the heat and ash of the fires, the brunette would practice her aim for hours until the sky grew dark. Occasionally, the older man would call out from the shop and correct her positioning and technique which the little brunette always took on board.
Her first day at the academy was nerve wracking to say the least. All the other kids looked so fascinatingly diverse with their brightly coloured hair and strange eyes. Many of them wore clan symbols on their clothes – some she recalled through books she had read and stories her father had told her – others were unrecognisable. They all had fierce looks, staring each other down as their clans and families crowded around them awaiting the gates to open.
Her father didn't miss the way the grip of her little hand constricted on his sleeve or how her usually cheerful demeanour was replaced with trepidation. He looked down at the brunette who was huddled against his side, squeezed Tenten's hand reassuringly and gave her a warm smile. He always had a way of making her feel safe and secure without ever having to even speak a single word.
All at once, Tenten felt the tension in her stomach ease and the warmth of his hand fill her body. After all, this was her dream, to become a full-fledged shinobi, a legendary kunoichi like Lady Tsunade and today marked the first step towards her achieving that dream.
She slowly returned his smile with a toothy grin of her own and tightened her grip on his hand determinedly.
It wasn't too long before the gates opened and the bells rang through the summery, morning air and moving bodies began to fill the courtyard. Tenten gave the older man one last big hug and a hurried 'I love you' before darting off to join her peers. He watched the bun-haired girl dash through the gates, waving at him as she disappeared into the bustling crowd.
His smile softened and he spoke loud enough for only himself to hear, "Make me proud, kiddo," but he knew that somehow the little kunoichi had heard it too.
-X-
Tenten was twelve years old when she graduated the academy.
That evening, her father had made a celebratory dinner and instead of gifting her with a weapon, he had taken her to the forge and taught her how to fashion her own.
Tenten had watched for years as her father fixed and mended broken weapons and fashioned completely new ones. She had a vague understanding of what she was doing but in no way had the level of skill her father did.
So after a few failed attempts, cuts, burns and some helpful guidance from the older man, Tenten finally managed to create a new set of kunai just for her. She beamed and proudly admired her work as she grasped the hilt of one of the kunai.
"Nice job, kiddo," her father said. "You'll become a fine weapons master one day."
"I hope so," Tenten replied as she twirled the knife around one of her fingers with a grin. "Graduating the academy just marks another step towards my dream."
"Have they announced the teams yet?" he asked, wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.
"Mhm," the bun-haired girl confirmed, "I've been put on a team with Rock Lee and Neji Hyuga. Lee's the one I told you about – you know, the one who can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu – and Neji graduated the top of the class and everyone thinks he's a genius."
"And what about your new sensei?"
"We're supposed to be meeting him tomorrow. Maito Gai, I think was his name."
At that last part, Tenten watched as her father let out his booming laugh before clapping her on the back with a wide smile and saying, "You'll be in good hands then."
With that, he left the forge and withdrew into the house to wash up and Tenten followed suit.
-X-
When Tenten first met Gai, she had to disagree with her father for she was definitely not in good hands.
"He's just so weird!" Tenten burst out when she got home. "He put us through some test and said if we couldn't prevail through the 'power of youth' then we would be sent back to the academy."
"They do that every year," her father replied as he pounded away at a piece of molten metal; sparks flew through the air, "It's to sort out which teams are actually capable of being Genin. They usually only keep three teams and the rest are sent back to the academy for further training."
"It's not just that," the brunette went on almost sulkily, "after the test he made us run two hundred laps around the village before testing out our skills without even so much as a break! He's loud and boisterous and always seems to end every sentence with 'the power of youth!'. Plus, he wears such weird clothes – who in their right mind thinks combining orange leg warmers with a green spandex suit is a stylish?"
"Gai's never really had an eye for fashion," the man replied with a grin. "But he's a very good mentor. Don't discount him, Tenten. He will push you to your limits and make you a better shinobi."
"It'll be a miracle if I survive on this team at all, dad."
"Why is that?"
"I mean, we're all so different. Lee is just as fanatical as Gai-sensei, in all honesty, I think he idolises the man. Lee can only use taijutsu which is almost unheard of but I've got to admit his stamina and speed is amazing. Neji is just a mystery. He rarely talks and he thinks he's better than everyone else. I don't know why all the girls were all crazy about him back at the academy. I mean he's got amazing chakra control and his technique is precise, but other than that he's just really stuffy."
"Sounds to me like you have a fairly balanced team," the older man answered as he plunged the molten metal into a bucket of water which steamed and hissed as it cooled
"How do you figure?" Tenten questioned, eyebrows furrowed.
"Well, you've got a heavily focused taijutsu user with incredible endurance and speed, your other teammate is exceptional at chakra control and jutsu and you've got your perfect aim and precision."
"So?"
"So," her father went on as he wiped his hands in an oily rag before standing in front of her, "Each member of your team specialises in something different. That's a good thing to have when going into battle. You'll have a wider range of attacks and a greater team dynamic."
Tenten pulled an unpleasant face and said, "So much for team dynamics. I think Lee and Neji would kill each other if they got the chance."
Her father placed a hand on her shoulder and bent down so he was staring directly into her eyes.
"This team will become your family," he said, "And like all families, you'll fight. I remember what my team was like when we first formed – I can tell you we butted heads more times than I'd like to admit. However, your differences are what make you special, you learn to compensate for each other's weaknesses and boost each other's strengths. You're young and you've all got something to prove, but at the end of the day you're all striving to be the best. Lee and Neji sound like rivals at the moment, and that's not a bad thing. Having a rival motivates you to become stronger and as long as you have a benchmark to reach, you'll only keep getting better."
"A rival, huh…" Tenten murmured thoughtfully, "how do I find a rival?"
"You already have them, kiddo. Boys always try and outdo each other – it's the competitive nature within them. But just because Neji and Lee are rivals doesn't mean they can't be yours as well," he gave the brunette a soft smile before standing up to his full height and saying, "Learn from them; have trust in one another and I'll have no doubt that you'll become one of the finest teams Konoha has ever seen."
With that, he ruffled Tenten's hair and went back to work.
-X-
At age thirteen, Tenten decided she hated hospitals.
They were depressing and sombre – an indication that even though that she had tried her very best, it still wasn't enough.
She couldn't stand the well-wishers telling her to 'recover soon', she particularly despised the looks of sympathy from her peers but what she hated most was everyone telling her how she'd do better the next Chunin Exams.
She wanted to scream into her pillow.
She failed.
She wasn't strong enough.
All the effort she had put into the past year in order to become a formidable kunoichi had come to nothing. She had used her most powerful technique and it was shut down like it was the easiest thing in the world. She had put blood, sweat and tears into perfecting that jutsu and to see it fail so dismally hurt more than any of her physical injuries ever could.
The clincher of her failure was seeing Lee's broken, bloody body being rushed past her room straight towards the emergency ward. She remembered limping down the corridor, ignoring the nurses protests to return to her room, and sat down on the seat next to a very distraught Gai as they awaited Lee in the emergency room. Tenten held Gai's hand the entire time during the operation as her sensei relayed everything she had missed out on while recovering.
She wasn't surprised that Neji had won and advanced forward to the next round. And although she was happy for him, she couldn't keep down the jealousy and bitterness that began to well up inside her.
He hadn't come to see Lee nor had he come to see her. But Tenten boiled it down to the probable fact that Neji didn't like to associate himself with weak people and she was pretty sure that she was now included in that category.
Back at the academy, he was regarded as one of the top students to ever come out of Konoha. He was the Hyuga prodigy – a genius. All the girls wanted to be with him and all the boys wanted to be like him. And while most of the girls fawned over him for his good looks and the fact he came from a noble clan, Tenten much more admired him for his skills, determination and focus.
She wanted to be like him too.
She felt her chest constrict painfully tight to the point she felt as if she couldn't breathe. The thought of Neji viewing her as weak hurt almost as much as losing the match itself.
Tenten went home the night after the next after spending most of her time with an unconscious Lee and a weeping Gai. She dreaded the expected lecture that would come from her father about 'never giving up and that she'd do better next time around'.
Instead, she was surprised to find him sitting silently at the kitchen table with the last person she expected to see sitting opposite him – Neji.
Neither of them were speaking and the air around them seemed sombre.
Neji had met her father a handful of times in the past but only for the briefest of moments when he and Lee would infrequently come around to get her up for training. It was so strange to see the both of them together and Tenten's mind was racing a million miles an hour trying to figure out the situation.
"What's going on," Tenten inquired cautiously as she closed the door behind her.
Her father responded by standing up from the table and saying, "I'll let you two talk alone."
He gave Tenten a meaningful look before descending into his workshop, leaving her and Neji on their own.
Tenten didn't know what to say.
She was still trying to process the fact that Neji was in her house, sitting at her kitchen bench which looked completely shabby in comparison to his clean-cut appearance.
What on earth could he possibly want with her?
They weren't the best of friends – heck, Tenten didn't know if Neji even saw her as a friend at all, so what could have been so important for the great Neji Hyuga to suddenly appear at her house?
When he didn't speak, Tenten clasped her hands together and managed to say, "Umm…hi. Would you like a cup of tea? I'm sorry if my dad –"
"I need you to train with me."
Tenten froze.
The words that the white-eyed prodigy just uttered seemed to be taking an unprecedentedly long time to sink in. She wasn't quite sure whether she had heard him correctly.
Neji wanted her to trainwith him?
Her? Tenten?
Even though she had just very spectacularly and embarrassingly lost her own match against Temari? Even though she was now considered a failure and Neji didn't like to be associated with failures?
How many times had she watched the Hyuga prodigy pound Lee into the dirt and berate him with harsh words for being weak? How many times had he scoffed at her whenever she wasn't able to perform as well as the other members of their team?
It didn't make any sense.
Once the brunette managed to learn how to speak again, she simply responded with the only words that were able to form in her mouth, "Excuse me?"
"You know I don't like to repeat myself, Tenten," Neji articulated, his arms now folded across his chest, his eyes narrowing in slight annoyance.
"I know," the weapons mistress replied as her brain still wrangled with the fact that he had actually asked her to train with him, "I just – I don't…understand…you want me to help you train?"
"For the upcoming finals," he clarified. "There's this new jutsu I need to master and your techniques will be a perfect match to combat it."
"I don't know, Neji," Tenten said biting her bottom lip tentatively, "Aren't most other Genin utilising a Jounin sensei or mentor? I failed my match; I don't think that I'll be –"
"That doesn't matter to me."
Tenten immediately felt her cheeks warm at his statement and immediately diverted her gaze to anywhere but him.
That doesn't matter to me.
"You don't think I'm weak then?" she managed to muse in a small voice.
"You were fated to lose," he answered nonchalantly and Tenten felt her chest twinge in disappointment, "However, you fought to the best of your ability. It was just bad luck of the draw that you were paired with the worst possible match up to your techniques. You have nothing to be ashamed of."
Those words from Neji were really the only ones that mattered to Tenten that day.
After all the time she had spent deliberating whether Neji saw her as a disappointment or not, he'd uttered probably the only words that could suppress her doubts.
Her genius teammate didn't think she was weak or a failure. Neji had come to ask her for help which showed that he held her in a much higher regard than she thought he did. The fact that even though she had lost her own match and there were tons of people much more qualified to train with him and he had decidedly chosen her, made Tenten's heart swell bigger than she thought was ever possible.
When she didn't speak, Neji prompted with a slightly impatient tone, "So will you help me train, or not?"
"Yes," Tenten answered almost automatically before shaking her head to plunge herself out of her thoughts. "Yes, of course I'll help you train, Neji."
She gave him a beaming smile; her first smile she had cracked in days, she couldn't help it.
And although he didn't smile back or thank her, he nodded his head in approval before saying, "Meet me at the training grounds tomorrow. Six o'clock."
"I'll be there," the brunette affirmed reassuringly.
As he stood from the table to leave, Tenten found herself moving towards him and blurting, "Do you want to stay for something to eat before you head home?"
She saw him hesitate and it was only in that moment when she really looked at him that she noticed his dirty, torn clothes, his rumpled hair and the heavy, purplish bags that sagged beneath his exquisite eyes.
It was then that Tenten realised that he hadn't been home; at least not since the preliminary round of the exams had ended.
She wondered where and what on earth Neji had been up to the past three days she had been in hospital. It was obvious the boy hadn't slept at all and it was apparent that he hadn't eaten much either.
He was a mess.
Tenten didn't know much about his clans customs and Neji very rarely revealed any information about it, but she knew from the rumours, that she sometimes heard through the Jounin sensei's, that there was bad blood between the families.
It saddened her to think that he felt as if he couldn't go home, but then the sadness was replaced with unease as she thought about what could be so bad that made Neji not want to return home.
When he didn't respond, Tenten offered with treading cautiousness and concern, "Neji, do you need a place to stay?"
He stiffened at her proposal, noticeably clenching his hands into tight fists before replying, "I'm fine."
Tenten's eyebrows furrowed as her worry deepened and bravely took a step towards the Hyuga prodigy. She had been around him long enough to know that everything was definitely not fine.
"If you need someone to talk to, I'm right here."
She watched as he lowered his head, his eyes widened and a strange purplish light danced within the depths of where his pupils should have been. His expression was indescribable and Tenten sensed as though he was having a very difficult internal debate with himself. It was the first time she'd seen Neji so vulnerable.
He was always so headstrong; cool, calm and collected. Neji always knew what to do and he was always the best at everything he did. And even though he had his moments where he would beat Lee down or ramble on about the fatalistic reality of destiny, it had only just occurred to Tenten that, maybe, he was hurting too.
He looked so despondent and lost and Tenten knew in that moment that she wanted to make sure Neji never looked that way ever again. She wanted to pull him into her arms and hold him tight, to take all of his hurt and fear and make it all go away.
All of a sudden Neji's head snapped up as if his name had been called and he focused his gaze at the wall behind Tenten.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he declared, the cold edge to his tone returned. "Don't be late."
Without another word, he strode pass the weapons mistress and flew out the door.
It wasn't until she heard her father's footsteps approaching, that Tenten moved for the first time since Neji left. The older man stood in the doorway, wiping his hands on his apron as he studied his daughters perplexed expression.
"You know," he spoke up with a thoughtful ambiance, "he spent most of the day here."
Tenten looked up at her father when she realised he was speaking about Neji.
"Just showed up at our doorstep this morning and asked if you were home yet," he continued, "I told him you wouldn't be discharged until tonight and he asked if he could wait for you. He wouldn't eat or drink anything I offered him and I don't think he spoke a single word at all until you arrived home. He seems lost, Tennie. I think he could really use a friend right now."
Tenten let out an audible sigh before collapsing into one of the wooden chairs. Her conversation with Neji, not to mention she was still recovering from her injuries, had left her exhausted.
"It's not that simple, dad," Tenten explained wearily, "Neji's always been… a special case. He's never really been one to discuss his feelings or problems with anyone. I want to be his friend and I want to help him and he really looks like he's hurting at the moment but he just won't open up to me."
"He's a man, Tenten, and a Hyuga. Probably one of the worst combinations when it comes to this sort of stuff. He's obviously very proud and stubborn, you can't expect him change overnight. You need to whittle away at him slowly."
The brunette let out a small chuckle and cracked a smile at her father before commenting, "You know, he sort of reminds me of you a little bit."
The older man laughed and he pulled up a chair to sit beside her.
"What did he want anyway?" he inquired as he tugged his apron off over his head.
"He…wants me to train with him," Tenten replied with a slightly incredulous tone as though she was still trying to believe it.
"That's great to hear, kiddo. I think it'll do you both some good."
"I just can't believe he asked me, out of everyone. I really thought he just saw me as his pathetic teammate that he had the unpleasant burden of tolerating."
"You're too hard on yourself," her father shook his head, "Neji may be a genius but he needs you, whether he wants to admit it or not."
"I just… I don't really know what to do."
She felt her fathers' arms wrap around her slender form as he pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Just give him time," the older man said into her hair, "He'll let you know when he's ready."
The weapons mistress simply nodded before leaning herself further into the warm comfort of his arms.
-X-
It turned out she didn't have to wait too long.
Even though she made sure to arrive extra early at the training grounds the next morning, he was already waiting for her in the clearing, meditating under his favourite tree, his features completely at ease.
She had greeted Neji with a chirpy "hello" but before she could say anything further he opened his eyes and ordered her to sit down. Slightly confused, Tenten complied and sat on the soft grass a respectful distance away from him.
They sat in an ever enveloping silence for what seemed like half an hour, and while it was rather uncomfortable and awkward, her fathers' words from the previous night kept ringing in her ears –
Just give him time. He'll let you know when he's ready.
So she waited patiently, idly tearing up the grass with her fingers, eyes downcast.
She knew Neji savoured the quietness. After being on Team Gai for two years, silence was a rare luxury whenever Gai and Lee were around. And although she wasn't as talkative as the two green beasts themselves, she enjoyed a nice conversation once in a while.
However, there was only so much 'youth' related babble she could endure from Lee and Gai on a daily basis and sometimes she preferred the little discussions about training or missions that sometimes occurred when she was with the white-eyed prodigy. Though if you wanted to have a conversation with Neji, you had to let him speak first.
And when he finally did, Tenten straightened immediately and gave him her undivided attention. She knew just how hard it was for him to be the first one talk and open up, but once he did, he didn't stop.
He told her everything: about the Hyuga Clan, his battle with Hinata, the death of his father and the wretched curse mark that bound him to what he believed was his horrible fate. And when he finally slipped off his headband to reveal the evil and horrifying brand on his forehead, Tenten almost cried.
However, she held in her tears and braved putting a sympathetic hand on his trembling shoulder. He made no effort to shake her off and Tenten realised that her father had been right – Neji did need her and he needed to recover from the horrific traumas that had ruled his entire childhood and Tenten knew right then and there that she was always going to be there to help him along.
Once Neji managed to calm down, he had thanked her.
It was the first time in years that he had ever genuinely thanked anyone and it was the also the first time the hard edge to his personality seemed to slip away to expose his true, vulnerable self underneath. But as soon as it had appeared, it vanished and was replaced with his usual, cool exterior as he began to explain his plan for their training over the next month.
He pulled out a large scroll from his bag, which he told Tenten he had stolen from the Hyuga compound, much to her apprehensive astonishment, and launched into detail about the forbidden technique reserved only for the main branch of the Hyuga clan – the Kaiten.
They spent the next month training every single day in order to perfect the technique – it was a difficult jutsu, requiring an enormous amount of chakra control as well as balance, speed and precision.
So, for hours on end, Tenten would hurl, weapon after weapon and Neji would attempt to deflect each and every one of them with his Kaiten. They quickly found that their techniques worked together extremely well and during that monthly period, they realised they had become true friends.
They would visit Lee in the hospital almost daily, taking turns watching over his unconscious form from his many surgeries. It depressed Tenten to see him so still and unresponsive and the news that came weeks later from the surgeons that Lee would never be able to become a shinobi again, was almost unbearable to hear.
Gai had broken down into sobbing wails and Tenten couldn't help the tears that had begun to stream down her face. Neji tried to remain as impassive as ever but the brunette could tell he was more upset about the tragic news than he would let on.
-X-
At age fourteen, something happened that Tenten hadn't anticipated as part of her grand scheme of things.
She was falling in love.
After his defeat during his match with Naruto, Neji had changed and Tenten couldn't have been more grateful and indebted to the hyperactive, blonde loudmouth.
It was a subtle change at first, like joining her, Lee and Gai on regular team outings, repairing his once hostile relationship with Hinata and even taking an interest in his other teammates lives. And even though the Chunin Exams were well over, he still made the effort to train with her every day.
When she had asked why, he simply responded, "You helped me become stronger, now it's my turn to help you."
He seemed happier, much more at peace with himself. Every once in a while he would crack a smile or tell a joke and it would send butterflies fluttering all through Tenten's stomach. She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment her feelings for the Hyuga prodigy had developed into something more than friendship, but then she realised it was probably something that had been coming for a long time.
Neji had always been unfairly attractive, having culminated a very loyal and dedicated fan club over the years. And though Tenten thoroughly agreed with the majority that Neji was unequivocally appealing, her crush went much deeper than some silly infatuation.
She had known him for years and she knew just how much of a hard-worker he was. Even though he was a considered a prodigy and a genius, he never let that get in between his determination and drive to become even stronger; not only physically but mentally as well. He trained extremely hard, pushing his body beyond its limits on many occasions. And Tenten wanted to be there for him, to spur him on to greater heights so that he could fly free, soaring the clouds above her.
But despite Tenten's growing feelings for her teammate, she kept them hidden away and buried down deep.
Neji was never one for trivial things such as love, and even though he had changed, Tenten doubted whether he had changed that much. They were best friends and letting her feelings for him be known would only cause turmoil within their team and their already delicate friendship. Besides, it wasn't as if a romantic relationship between them would work out.
Neji came from a wealthy and prestigious clan and she was just an ordinary commoner. She knew he would marry well to whatever woman the Hyuga clan deemed worthy; someone virtuous, graceful, affluent and beautiful – everything Tenten wasn't.
She remembered back to her father's words. He needs you, whether he wants to admit it or not.
She shook her head.
Neji only needed her as a friend. She cared about him too much to ever weigh him down.
So if he only ever needed her as a friend, then a friend is what Tenten would ever be.
-X-
A/N – So yes it's a bit of a long chapter hahaha but I hope it was ok. I just wanted this chapter to set up the premise of Tenten and her father and of course Tenten and Neji's relationship. We'll get into the real story next chapter I promise! There aren't many stories where we get to see or hear about Tenten's family so I thought it would be nice to explore that concept. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always, review, fav and follow!