[[ A/N ]] I realized that I'd forgotten to put the chapter title after "Coming Soon: Chapter 6:", so...yeah. I wrote it in. Sorry! Okay, now, there will be maybe two-three chapters of awkwardness where their strained relationship is the main focus...after all, I have to grant them at least a chapter or two...or three...of this kind of normalness before I shut the book of goodness and return to the angsty-ness! They deserve it, after what I put them through in this fic! This is the chapter where the main matches happen. We don't really look closely at the matches, because, after all, if you're reading this, you already know what happened. Chapter time. Shutting up now.
[[ Disclaimer ]] -points at self -I am the creator of this fic. -points at Kishimoto Masashi- He is the creator of Naruto. (Duh).
Chapter Six: Shut Up Much?
"Good morning, Neji-niisan..."
The faint voice of his cousin floated through his ears. The annoying brat...why couldn't she just leave him alone? He'd taken a shortcut to the tournament arena, and had somehow ended up in plain sight of the slight girl whom he'd brutally defeated a month before.
But he was obligated to reply. "Good morning."
He made move to pass by her, but Hinata hesitantly held up a small palm to stop him. "Wait...Neji-niisan."
He paused. "What is it?"
Silence. A slight wave of pink ran over her cheeks.
"Well? I have somewhere to be." 'Unlike you.'
"Good...good...good luck."
Some girl. You nearly kill a person, and then she wishes upon you fortune as you pulverize the one that they care about most. Yes. His Byakugan could not lie to him. He'd seen the long looks and almost agonizing longing in those pitiful eyes of hers. Which was more the reason to beat the boy in a more humiliating way.
--- --- --- --- ---
Her face seemed closed, like a book that had been perused so many times that it had decided to simply fall apart...and then the owner had crudely forced it back together with tape. Her expression had been hastily repaired so much that Tenten seemed as though she were faking her composure. Well...she was.
"Here's a seat..."
Her mother and father had disdained to go with her to the matches---and she was grateful. She would be able to stand up to Neji's condescension alone, without her parents knowing how unfortunate her teamwork was. She had not spoken with him for the days that separated this day and the one where Tenten had been in the hospital.
"Hyuuga Neji," said someone behind her as soon as she had situated herself comfortably between two older people she didn't know all. "He's a genius, right? And that Uzumaki boy. Well, we know who's going to win."
"Yeah," agreed another voice. Tenten quickly flicked her gaze in their direction, wondering...'Yes, it is obvious. Neji will win. He may even win against that creature from the Sand.'
"But I can't wait for the Uchiha fight. That's why I'm really here today."
Her grin had been exchanged with a grimace. Enough with that Sasuke boy, already. Not only did he have every single girl in the entire village after him, he was overestimated and feared for his strength. Well. He couldn't have beaten Neji, had they fought in the preliminaries. But, alas...Tenten smirked to herself as she thought this...'Destiny is strange...'
Having checked on Lee merely a few hours ago, and assuring him that she would fill him in on every excruciating detail of the fights, Tenten was more than ready to watch that loud, blonde Genin get crushed like a small, insignificant bug. Though Rock Lee actually approved of him.
Wait. But was she doing exactly what she'd hated everyone else for doing? Misjudge someone just by her first glance? Fine. She'd see what he had. Then she'd make out his fate during the match. The difference between Neji and Tenten. Or, at least, one of them.
She waited anxiously. The matches. Breath by breath, she fought down the urge to leap up, clamber over the people in front, and scrabble for a seat on the packed dirt and grass. That Naruto wouldn't give up! Not only had that boy insulted Neji, he's heard everything of Neji's past...what she'd merely learned days ago. And here was this boy who'd wrenched it from Neji in a match! "No...he got up..." Several other similar things floated from her throat and eventually made it into the air, where it dissolved into fragments of astonishment.
"Winner: Uzumaki Naruto." The examiner's words were loud, clear, and brisk, locking down any emotion that might have come out of his voice and packing it far away.
Tenten bent over and brushed her knuckles against the cool cement beneath her feet. Shoving herself down and planting her knees firmly to the rough greyness, she examined the crevices with intensity. 'How could he have...lost? Especially to that...that boy! What was so great about him? So he had another chakra...Neji should have still been able to beat him, eyes closed. Well, not like that would have made a difference...but this is wrong! It shouldn't have turned out this way!!'
"Hey, I guess that genius from the Hyuuga Clan really screwed up, huh?"
"Yeah."
Those were the same two from before, talking about that Sasuke boy! Her eyes narrowed and she could hardly see. But that wasn't the point. What they were saying was completely wrong. Neji would have been able to kill them both in an instant.
"What...did...you...say?"
"I said that the Hyuuga boy was terrible."
Tenten rose in a serpent-like way, hissing, the verbal venom coming forth rapidly as she jumped over her seat and shoved others aside. "You're incorrect about that, stupid. He fought well---damn well! Better than you'd ever do! Much better! I don't care what you say, he's perfect!!!"
"Oh, and are you his girlfriend?" asked the first male, stretching as though he could care less about the teenaged female losing her levity and composure.
"Defending the poor loser?" asked the second.
' 'Girlfriend'? ...'defending the loser'? You don't know what a mistake you just made.' Indeed, they did not. They had torn open the wounds that had not yet been healed, flung salt into them, and rubbed them into her flesh. They were going to die. "Shut up much?"
Five seconds had her clapping her palms together in a well known seal that she'd seen a certain silver-haired jounin use quite a while ago, inflicting pain on a certain unlucky child that had crossed him and demanded a fight. Tenten had asked what in the name of holy that had been, and he'd taught it to her. Then Gai sensei had come...and the event had progressed into something more amusing, if not rather idiotic.
"A thousand years of pain...squared!"
Another few moments, and both males were screeching, flying into the air, and landing atop some unfortunate young woman who took the liberty of smacking both into unconsciousness. Thank you, females.
Enough with that. She had to see Neji. Despite the fact that he had no interest in her whatsoever, she couldn't let herself emancipate her feelings...It must have been some of that obstinacy from Lee that had rubbed off on her.
She took a brisk stomping down the stairs and towards the room that had been set up for those recovering. An easily recognizable Hyuuga with a fathomless expression brushed by her. The iciness that hailed her importantly when she'd first encountered Neji so many years ago sought refuge in her veins once more. Tenten dared not tilt her head upward as he passed...but, for some strange reason, the head of the clan spoke.
"You...you are on his team."
"Yes?"
"Do not be surprised."
And that was all. The simple exchange left her with confusion and a feeling that she had somehow escaped from hell. Tenten hesitantly pushed against the heavy door.
"Neji..."
There was no reply. There was his form, facing the window up above, clouds shifting uncomfortably under his gaze. Or that was how it seemed.
"Neji?"
"Oh. Tenten."
"Are you...alright?"
A long silence drifted around before being caught and thrown away by Neji. "No."
"Well, will you be okay?"
A better question...
"Yes."
...requires a better answer.
The adolescent male twirled himself to better suit conversing with her. "You seem rather agitated," came his comment.
"I...I was just...watching your match," was the reply. "Are you truly going to be fine?"
Rather than respond to her inquiry, Neji lowered his eyelids.
Fine. New question. "How did you pull off so many attacks without being drained of all your chakra at once?" A stupid question, yes, as she had been one of his training partners for more than a year, but she had to start somewhere.
'There's no reason to fret, Tenten. I understand your reasons. I too, one day, will conquer everything, as you did.' Throwing destiny to the winds, he flexed his palms. "It wasn't easy."
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
-cheers- It's posted!! Sorry this chapter came out pretty late, but I was sucked dry with my studying. Well, maybe you'll forgive me now that it's out! I don't know! You know you want to float your mouse over to that button that gives me support for this fic! ;D (Actually, even if you don't want to...do it. xD) Also. I didn't mean to make Hiashi seems so...evil, but it happened. I truly LOVE all your reviewers because every single review is precious to me and I wouldn't be content without you people!!!
(Coming soon) Chapter 7: Yield
[[ Review Answers ]]
Sin Maxwell: I don't think I answered your review last chapter...sorry! Many apologies. Me updated. Perhaps not as soon as usual, but...foof. Thanks for the review. It really made me feel nice and happy. Squee.
yuji-i16: Yay! Warm and fuzzy. And amused. Thank you for telling me how if affected you. nods and nods and nods and nods
Mango13: ...So true. Although I don't have a beloved. So...yeah. xD As usual, I love your reviews and I shall run around in joy because I've reached 40 reviews.
Cookie6: Hey, didn't you review for one of my old, deleted fics before? -shrugs- Your pen name seems familiar. Oh well. Thanks so much! ;D And...Neji might be...he might not...maybe now...
Mechalich: Thank you. Your reviews are supported well by your eloquence in writing. It's awesome. Thank you for continuing to review (and like) my fic. Much thanks.
Dark Nemesis 7: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I FELT LIKE WRITING IN CAPS LOCK. JOY. YOUR REVIEWING IS VERY UPLIFTING.
cute: Yeah...NOT YET. But if we fans of this pairing have our way, they will be soon!!
ren: I really try to keep them in character...and they do need to bring her out more. I tend to read and watch the parts where Tenten and Neji come out together more often in hopes of inspiration for more fics and too look for hints of love. But as for the latter, no go. Thanks for reviewing! :D
ani05tersrVIP: I'll answer all three reviews in one thingy, because...yeah. ;D Your reviews really, really, really make me feel like I am a good writer. And I appreciate that. A lot more than you'd imagine. And I don't think that I'd like it if Neji changed too much either. I'm not going to let him. It won't be as fun, then. He'll probably just...wait! Giving it away! Nevermind, just keep reading! And...love is something that he may or may not be able to handle!