(Chapter 2 – Critical Curse)
"Madame!" Anya came to Tenten's aid.
Tenten was choking out blood again. Tenten was secreting the blood in the bathroom sink.
"Madame!" Anya shouted.
"I…" Tenten coughed with watery eyes, "I… I… I'm going to be fine…"
Anya handed Tenten a towel and wiped her blood off her face.
Tenten was catching her breath, leaning her back on the bathroom wall.
"Anya, please get me some water." Tenten said, sitting on the floor.
"Yes, Madame."
Tenten also wiped her sweat off her face and when Anya came back, Tenten drank all the water in the glass.
"Madame, are you all right now?"
"Yes." Tenten replied weakly, "Another glass of water please, and a paracetamol as well."
"Right away."
The next day…
There was another meeting. Tenten, who was now feeling fine, went to the venue. But when she arrived…
SLAP.
Neji slapped Tenten in the face.
"Why'd you do that!" Tenten asked.
"Don't act like you don't know a damn." Neji angrily said, "I thought I can trust you!"
"Wha-" Tenten tried to recall, "What the hell are you saying?"
"It's been a week since you made that promise to me, now, you act like you don't know? Why did you spread the secret? Now, I can't even walk properly in the streets because of embarrassment!"
"What?" Tenten said, confused, "I never said even a hint about our secret!"
"Oh, now you're telling me I'm a fool!"
"NO, I'M NOT!" she said, almost crying, "I'M INNOCENT!"
"LIAR!" Neji said, gripping both her arms behind her back and he pointed a kunai with his free hand on her throat.
"Kill me." She said, "But I swear, I never spoke about your secret."
"Get out of my sight." He yelled, "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"
He let her go and she said, "If that's what you believe in, I respect you. I will never get out of my house and show my face to anyone in Konoha ever again, I promise that with my life."
She took a kunai from his kunai pack and made a cut on her right shoulder, "And this is to remind me that I have sinned against you. Whatever that is."
"Just get out of my sight, Tenten." Neji harshly said.
She dropped his kunai and ran, as fast as she can to her mansion.
That night…
"I never spoke about it," she whispered in her bed, touching her bandaged shoulder, "how could I?"
"Madame, please go to sleep." Anya advised.
"Anya," Tenten said, "I'm giving you a time-off the day after tomorrow. For seven days, I want you to return to your family."
"But Madame-"
"I'll be fine." Tenten replied, "I'm sure they miss you already. Please, do this also for me."
"Thank you, Madame." Anya replied, "Good night."
The next day…
"Aren't you going to a practice, Madame?" Anya asked Tenten who was eating her breakfast lazily.
"No." Tenten said, "I decided not to leave this house."
"Why not?"
"I disappointed a friend." Tenten said, her eyes getting watery, "But I swear I never told his secret."
"His? Sir Hyuga Neji?"
"Yes." Tenten said, "And he said he didn't want to see me again…"
"But did you tell him that you're innocent?" Anya said, getting Tenten's plate who just finished eating.
"He's not that easy person, " she answered, standing up and glancing at the stained glass window, "he's a Hyuga, remember? And he's very unforgiving, well, you do get the point, right, Anya? And else, when you start to disappoint Neji or piss him off, well… you get him into a bad mood and you will feel like you want to hide your face from him just to spare your life. I mean, that's my case. For other tough people like Uchiha Sasuke, Rock Lee, Uzumaki Naruto or any toughies at all, they would fight Neji until their last breath if they insist."
"I understand, Madame."
"Oh, by the way." Tenten said, placing a fake smile, "Aren't you supposed to prepare for your leave?"
"I am ready, Madame." Anya replied, "Thank you again."
Meanwhile…
"Neji!" Neji's father called.
"Yes, Father?" Neji replied.
"You fool!" his father said, "How can you like someone who's getting married!"