AN: Its been a while since I last updated this story. All due to writers block. Anyway, I plan on finishing the last two chappy's by the end of the week. THis talek will be coming to an end. Oh yea, I don't own.
To say that work the next day was weird is an understatement. I was going through my morning ritual of putting on my jounin vest and putting my hair in twin buns when there was a knock at my door. I answered it and found none other than Neji-kun. He was dressed in his fatigues and had two cups of hot steaming coffee. Man I am a sucker for coffee, that and gorgeous, great kissing jounins.
"Good Morning, TenTen-chan. I was wondering if you wanted to walk with me to work." He was actually stammering and staring at his toes.
What the hell? I was asking myself who kidnapped Neji and replaced him with this guy at my door. Weird. After last night, I was actually handling this meeting better than I thought.
"Um, OK. Sure. Let me grab my stuff." My stuff included piles of different blue prints and such for the new weapons we are currently developing. His stuff consisted of mission reports and reports from the borders all neatly filed in one folder. Lucky bastard.
He hands me the cup of coffee and I lean up on my toes and give him a peck on the cheek.
"Thanks for the coffee." He reaches up and touches his cheek after the unexpected affection. We stroll northwest to the Hokage's office. As we reach the entrance to the building, we see several familiar faces of jounin instructors picking up missions for their new teams. We also see other friends of ours picking up missions for themselves. I catch the eye of Hinata-chan and wave. I look over at her cousin and smile.
"Well, This is it Hyuuga. Are you ready for Act 1?"
"I guess. Just do me a favor and try not to drape yourself all over me. Ninja such as us are renowned for masking our true feelings. So don't go overboard. I hate PDA."
"Fine, but you can at least put your arm around me or smile or something. Remember, we are going for believable."
"Sure Ten. But no more than this." He winks at me and tentatively puts his arm around my shoulders. I am reminded of last night. What can I say? I blushed. Man he's warm and he smells great. His conditioner and aftershave are driving me nuts.
Hinata walks over and looks at Neji and giggles. She bought it.
"H-Hey TenTen. Neji-niisan. S-So it's official then? I am happy for you both."
"Yeah, its official. Hey, Neji-kun is having a welcoming party in two days of sorts when he gets moved in tomorrow. Want to come?"
She looks at him and he inclines his head ever so slightly. Things really haven't changed between them. She's still so nervous around him. Hyuuga politics have ruined a great family. Pity really. Hopefully, when Naruto and her marry things will change.
"Um, OK, I'll be there." She looks up and spies Naruto in the distance. I look over at him coming in the distance.
" Hey you two, how's it going?" He raises his eyebrow at Neji and his arm wrapped around me. Apparently, he hadn't heard yet. Or he just plain forgot. Nothing uncommon.
"Fine. Naruto, I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Sure, Neji-san. What?" He does his familiar scratch of his head and looks at Neji questioningly.
"I'll ask you when ladies aren't present."
"OH, I get it. You need advice. Ahh, I see." He looks at me and winks.
"No, it's not like that. It's something else. Classified actually."
Putting on his best serious expression, "Well, I will be the future Hokage, so I will do my best to counsel you."
"Great. Well, as much as I love chatting, we must be off. Hokage-sama will be looking for me. TenTen, ready?" Did he just say, "chatting"? The amiable side of Neji is hard to come by, but this is just weird.
"Yeah, well, bye you guys. Hey Hinata, guess what?" I suddenly remembered something that would get her attention.
"What?"
"27 more days till the wedding."
"I know I'm counting. HeeHee. See you at the dinner tonight. Oh if you want me to come over early and help you prepare, let me know." She blushes and giggles then turns to Naruto. They smile at each other. What a great couple. I sigh and turn to Neji. He just looks at me and we head inside. Shit, I still have to find something to wear. Damn.
We get on the world's slowest elevator and are followed by at least 20 other people. I have to go to the fifth floor, and Neji the eighth. On the second floor, some get off, and one got on. Of course it had to be Gai-sensei.
"OH hello. Aren't you two looking rather youthful today?"
"Hello Gai-sensei. How are the new Genin's?" I say while Neji just nods towards our former teacher. He was always my favorite. Even his outlandish fashion sense still makes me laugh. I've accepted it after years that he will never change.
"OH they are simply wonderful. Full of youth and vivaciousness, they remind me so much of you guys. It's quite interesting to say the least. I am used to getting the clan geniuses as is Kakashi-sensei, but there aren't any in this year's group. And we're a little bored. Your group at least kept us on our toes. You should hurry up and get married then have kids so I have another bloodline to train. I am on my way to pick up a mission for them right now. Lee-kun has taught them well at the academy. They just radiate spirit and love working extra hard. Plus, I've told them all about you guys and they want to meet you someday.'
We both sweat dropped at this statement. These kids must be mental to want to work as hard as he pushed us. I can't count the number of days I walked home sore, and bruised and tired. I kind of felt weird discussing his "new" team. It just makes you realize that you can't have the same team forever, that you will be replaced. Plus, it makes you feel old. Did he just say for us to hurry up and marry? Yikes. Weird, but nice. The man has great insight. If only…well, never mind. He'll never come around.
"Gai-sensei, I am having a party in two days, you are invited of course."
"Oh yeah, Lee told me you got a new place. Seems our bird finally freed its cage? Congratulations." Only from him. The guy never changes.
He turns and looks at me as the doors open.
"Well, TenTen, this is your stop. See you at lunch." He touches my hand and I return the squeeze.
"Bye Neji-kun. Bye Gai-sensei." I wave and hop out the door followed by the rest of the people in the elevator.
The floor for Weapons Developments and Strategic Planning is such a quiet place. This is why I like it. We have our own offices, not cubicles like the other floors do, plus, we have a coffee maker. I heft my things onto my desk and shut the door. Stepping around the multiple piles and boxes of weapons, I sit and start unrolling the blue prints for a new type of kunai.
It looked like a regular kunai, but it was slightly larger and very light. This new weapon was made for close combat. It was made out of iron or steel and had a hinged point that would expand when it was imbedded into skin. Due to the pressure on the base of the kunai by the body, it would release a spring and the blade would split into three sections kind of resembling one of those claw games with the stuffed animals at Ichiraku. Consequently, the expansion would cause more damage than simply twisting the knife. This was guaranteed to get stuck in the individual because of the spring and it was a lot less messy for the attacking ninja. Essentially, the recipient would have so much tissue and blood vessel damage, that they would quickly bleed to death. Plus, this weapon was easy to manufacture. Konoha has rich iron deposits and we have a contract with the Sand for the use of their coal for tempering the metal. I thank Gaara-sama daily for this; after all, he is the Kazekage and was surprisingly generous after his encounter with the Naruto gang, as I call them. After three hours, I was just finishing up on the final adjustments when there was a knock at my door.
"Come in." I look up and see Shikamaru-kun enter.
"Hey. My troublesome wife wanted me to give you a message. She said she'd do your hair for tonight. Just let her know at some point if you are interested."
"How many people know about tonight? I only told Lee-kun and Hinata knows."
"Lee told us. Then Hinata told us. It was too troublesome to listen to them dissect you and Neji's friendship. Then Lee started on his spring time of youth stuff and I ended up leaving the room with Sasuske and Naruto-kun."
"How is Ino-chan doing with her new team of Genin?"
"She says they are more trouble than Kiba, Naruto and Gaara-sama put together. But they are great kids. They've already completed 13 D ranked missions and 3 C-ranked. They have a competition going on with Choji-s team. It's so funny."
"Well, come by later and I will have an answer. I have to report to Hokage-sama with these prototypes."
"What are they? Being the head of Strategic Planning, I think I should get a peek."
"No, not going to happen, Shikamaru-kun. Classified. Sorry."
"Oh well, it's too troublesome to walk to your desk anyway to peek. By the way, I think it is illegal to stock pile this many weapons. You aren't planning a small urban assault are you? No wonder no one is brave enough to come in here. See ya." He smiles and laughs.
He leaves and heads to his office next door. I slump in my chair. Damn, now everyone knows about tonight. Stupid Lee for not keeping his mouth shut. I groan to myself and get up. Looking at my watch, I have exactly 7 hours to finish work, find a dress for tonight and get ready. Damn.
I head up to the eighth floor to see Hokage-sama. I walk by the missions department and glance through the glass doors. I see Shino-kun and Kiba-kun picking up a new mission and then I glance to the left and see him. He looks up from his documents and looks at me. I wave and continue down the hall. I reach the elevator and enter when none other than Neji joins me.
"Where are you headed TenTen-chan?"
"Just up to see Hokage-sama. You?"
"I was on my way to speak to Naruto-kun when I saw you."
"So you followed me to the elevator."
"Destiny took me here. I merely followed its command." I hear the ping signaling I am on the eighth floor. Sadly, when I want the elevator to take forever, it doesn't. Damn.
"Ahh, well, this is my stop. As you say, destiny has declared it so."
"Funny Ten." As I exit the elevator, I am suddenly pulled back in. He closes the door and hit's the emergency stop button. What the hell?
"Neji-kun what are you doing mmgggffff…." He presses his lips to mine and I melt on the spot. I was shocked, stunned and strangely turned on all at the same time. After five minutes of tongue tango, we pull apart.
"Sorry, I had to. I can't get you out of my head and it's driving me crazy. I can't be this distracted at work. Damn. You confuse me."
Taken back by the harshness his words, I just stare at him. This from the guy who never shows emotion; the same guy who mauled me in the elevator.
"Right. I confuse you? You just kissed me in an elevator, which by the way will be suspicious once we emerge. Well, I must be off then, being as that I am a mental burden for you. Figure out what you want then come find me. I know what I want, but don't call me a burden when you kissed me. If you are having trouble keeping this relationship distant, let me know. It was my fault that I drug you into this, but you agreed to the situation. Deal with it."
"Hey, look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I am just confused right now. I know you are the only person who truly understands me that's why I am telling you this. The last couple of days have been very weird for me and I am unaccustomed to these feelings."
As I exit the elevator, I look at him and decided to give him more to think about.
"Oh by the way, I can't get you out of my head either, but that's because your ass looks great in those pants." I wink and turn around as his jaw drops and the doors close. Finally realizing I had an audience, I wince when I find out who it is.
"Ah, TenTen-chan, that's the stuff great novels are made of. Care if I use that line in my next issue?"
"Hello Jiraiya-sama." Didn't think anyone would be there, least of all him. Ah well, could have been worse I suppose. Hearing a laugh in the distance, I turn. It just got worse. Damn.
"Tsunade-sama, nice to see you. Heh. Um, I was just on your way to my office when, um, the elevator got stuck."
"TenTen, you were what? Hmm? Are you a little flustered dear? I applaud you on your ability to act, however, we saw the whole thing. It's so romantic. You were on my way to your office. Jiraiya-kun, I think she's in love. Flustered sentences, stammering…"
Clearing my throat, "Um, well, anyway, um, here are the approvals for the new prototypes. All I need is a signature."
"Not the only thing she needs, Tsunade." Jiraiya-sama smirks and Tsunade-sama consequently whacks him over the head. "She's been teased enough, Jiraiya. Leave her alone."
"Also, I do need a favor. See, there is this dinner thing tonight with the Hyuuga's and well, I really don't have anything to wear. Sooo, I was wondering if I could leave early, shop, and have time to get ready. I promise I will work extra hard tomorrow."
"TenTen-chan, take the rest of the day. I'll keep a few others on a little later tonight. Plus, it is dinner with Hiashi-sama. This is a privilege not many get. A girl has to look good for that family at dinner. Go, do what you need, but I want you in here extra early tomorrow."
"Thank you Hokage-sama."
After scrounging through shop after shop, I headed home defeated. I was about to call Neji and tell him that I couldn't make it when my dad knocked on my door.
"Any luck with the kimono hunt?"
"No, and I only have three hours left. What am I going to do?" I groan for the umpteenth time.
"You could always go through some of your mother's kimonos. They are a little outdated, but still classic and simple." This is the first time I had ever thought about using one of hers. I guess after her death, her stuff was somewhat sacred to me. I headed to the attic and pulled out the dated cedar chest that dad built. I opened it and found a vast amount of some of the most beautiful designs I had ever seen. At the very bottom was the perfect kimono for tonight. It was Chinese silk that had been hand painted with a toile scene. It depicted birds in a forest surrounded by lotus blossoms. It was red, which for me was a daring color. The pale yellow obi matched the coloring of the ink in the birds. It was a subtle design, yet when I tried it on, it fit perfectly. However, my mom was a bit smaller than me in the chest. Hmm…Ino-chan sews.
After I bounded back down the stairs, I called Ino and asked her to come over. She told me Sakura would be along for the ride too. When they showed up, I put on the dress and you could hear a pin drop in the room.
"Wow, if he doesn't fall completely in love with you when he sees you, he's just as much an idiot as the rest of the male population we know." Ino has such a way of making me laugh. She let out the material in the bust so I could actually breathe and made a tsking sound.
"I wish I had your chest. Yours are so perky from all the pushups you do. Mine are so blah compared to yours." Sakura complained. I blushed. I had always thought of them as getting in the way. I usually taped them down for training.
"Please, I wish I had your hair, Sakura-chan. Do you know how many times Lee-kun talked about you? I never had a guy rave about my hair. I guess we all compensate one way or another." We all laughed.
"Seriously, my goal is not to get him to fall in love with me. It's just dinner and that's all. Typical, right?" Ok, so I was lying to myself. Somewhere a part of me wanted a repeat of the elevator.
"No, not in this instance. I have never seen Neji-kun date a girl and have her over for dinner. You are the first my friend. Hyuuga's are very selective. For Hiashi-sama to issue an order for you to appear is very serious." Sakura replied.
"Maybe it won't be so bad." Secretly I was shaking in my boots, er, sandals, er, heels. How the hell am I supposed to walk in these things? Grr…I kept thinking that had I just kept my mouth shut, and not drank.
My hair was done is an intricate array of knots and braids and my make-up was on. Sakura did a great job on my nails. Who knew that actually filing them makes them stronger? I glanced at the clock and realized that I had half an hour to get there. Gathering my things, I walked down the stairs. A camera flash went off and I saw my dad standing there with Neji-kun. NEJI-KUN? Why is he here?
"Um, hi, Neji-kun. I'm not late am I?" Boy he looked great in a solid black kimono and his hair down. He got it cut I see.
"No, I am here as your escort. Your father and I were just chatting while you were getting ready."
"My escort? I am confused. Is there danger abounding?"
"No," he laughs, "we always send escorts for company. Since I am a branch member, this responsibility falls on us. However, tonight is an exception." My dad hugs me and as he leaves the room he whispers in my ear.
"You remind me so much of your mother. You truly have grown into a beautiful woman. Make sure he takes care of you."
"Thank you. Its dinner, dad. Not like I am getting married. I'll be home early safe and sound." He turns to Neji and says,
"Take care of her tonight." Neji-kun just nods at him.
When I finally reach the bottom of the stairs, he takes my arm in his and escorts me to his compound.
Along the way, many thoughts raced through my mind and I had to ask him. I didn't want to step on any toes tonight.
"Neji-kun, is my dress too bright, or too tight in the chest? I feel so conspicuous in this outfit."
"You look fine. Don't worry. I wanted to personally escort you tonight because there a few rules you need to be aware of."
"Ok, go for it. What is rule one?"
"Branch members sit lower at the table than main family members. Also, no one speaks unless a question is directed at him or her. Lastly, once dinner is over, the males will adjourn to a separate room, while the females head in the other direction. Basically, us men discuss politics, which are apparently too risqué for delicate feminine ears. It's crap if you ask me. Another way for them to cage me in there. It is rather suffocating."
"But, isn't this a celebration for you?"
"Yes, this is how we celebrate."
"Oh." It seemed so cold to me. I clutched the gift I carried for the hostesses and host. Hinata and Hanabi each got a pair of lily-decorated barrettes and Hiashi-sama was going to receive a knife my father made. We finally reached the compound and a feeling of dread spread over me.
Inside the compound, Hinata and Hanabi greeted us. I gave each of the girls their gifts and took off my heels for a pair of slippers. My feet were thanking me as I hugged Hinata.
"M-My goodness TenTen you look g-great. That kimono is wonderful on you."
She led Neji-kun and I into the parlor where I was formally introduced. I bowed to the appropriate people and handed Hiashi his gift.
"Why thank you young lady." He opened it and I was even impressed with the craftsmanship of it. The knife was solid steel with the handle engraved with the Hyuuga emblem. The scrollwork on the welding was intricate making the kunai that much more ornate.
"Your father commissioned it you say?"
"Yes, Hiashi-sama. He also sends his best wishes for your family."
"Very impressive. Well, to dinner then. Come my dear, I shall escort you. We older men must keep these younger men on their toes." He looks at me and I look back at Neji, whom like I, was clearly dumbfounded. He shrugged his shoulders at me and I gulped. I placed my arm on my new escort's and to my surprise was led to the middle of the dinner table. Neji-kun sat lower at the table and I knew then I was on my own.
Dinner was served over seven courses. Sake was flowing liberally and toasts were given in Neji's honor to celebrate his independence. When it was my turn to make a toast, I couldn't stop myself from blushing. I stood up and cleared my throat. He was looking so intently at me from the other side of the table. Claming the butterflies in my stomach, I started.
"To Neji-kun, who has set himself apart from the rest of the guys in my acquaintance. He is a brilliant strategist, and a great fighter. To Neji-kun, whom I have always pushed myself for in order for him to notice me as an equal. To Neji-kun, who has grown into a fine man and the best friend a girl like me could ever have." We all drank to my toast and then Hinata got up to toast him.
"Dear cousin, you truly surpass a lot of us in your ability to use your Byukagan. I commend you on your hard work. However, because you are so good, sometimes you forget to see what is in front of you. Hopefully when you are on your own, the simplest things will become clear." I almost dropped my cup of sake. For an instance, we looked at each other, and an eternity passed. Throughout the rest of the meal, I felt his eyes staring into me. I fielded questions from Hiashi and some of the other family members and after 5 hours of visiting, dinner was over and I headed back home. Neji, being the gentleman walked me home.
We casually strolled the streets of Konoha. I wasn't in any hurry to get home. I was having fun just enjoying the nightlife of our village. The streets were lit with lanterns and lots of vendors were selling different products. The lake was full of lotus blossoms and lilly pads. The bridge crossing the lake to my end of town was in a weird way metaphorical. In a way I had crossed over tonight. I saw another side of my teammate that was hard for most people to come by. They all get the cold and calculating shinobi, and I saw the well-mannered gentleman tonight. He has a sense of humor that is rather sarcastic, but at the same time, he is very insightful. Tonight we talked politics, weather, and science. We discussed travel and told stories of different missions we had been on. In five short hours, I saw the real Neji. He is a simple man with simple dreams. He is easy going, perhaps a little angst, and sociably noteworthy. He let a wall fall tonight and I was glad of it. I knew that once we crossed that bridge, I would never see him in the same light again. For the first time, I let myself drop a wall and realized it was nice having a guy around. Sure I am the most independent female I know, but it was nice to lean on someone else for a change. Being a girl on a date isn't so bad after all. The woman in me saw a need for the man in him.
I felt him walking next to me, both of us lost in our thoughts. Tonight was the first time I actually saw his true family dynamic. I knew that his dad was a twin and when I looked at Hiashi-sama, the resemblance between he and Neji-kun was scary. Take off a few wrinkle lines, and get rid of some of the gray hair, and there was Neji. I picked up on the favoritism and found it disturbing. For years, I thought he was over exaggerating when he spoke of his uncle, but after dinner, I knew his words were true. I see how that dynamic carved Neji in to everyone's favorite fatalist. However, I know that he knows he has changed his destiny, and I silently wondered what qualities he found amusing in a female. Who would he ever end up marrying? Whoever she was, she would need to be strong and confident. But mostly she would be lucky. Then I thought to myself, we were breaking up this farce in a couple of days and a part of my heart broke. Shaking my head, I sighed to myself as we crossed the bridge.
Once we reached the middle, he put his hand on my mine.
"TenTen-chan…" I looked up at him and the butterflies in my stomach doubled.
"Yes?"
"Um, did you enjoy yourself tonight?"
"I did. It was a wonderful evening. Thank you. I really got to see you in a new light. It was fun. I will admit though, with all the sake I consumed, I am amazed that I can even walk straight."
"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to tell you something before you got home." This was it I thought to myself.
"You really shined tonight. My uncle was duly impressed, as was I. He told me he had never had a female look him directly in the eye and he found it refreshing. But I don't want you to get your hopes up. This farce can only go on for so long. This week has been a roller coaster of emotions for me and after my little part I am calling it quits. So I will take your leave. Have a good night."
"That's it? That's all you wanted to tell me? Did the earlier kisses mean nothing then? They didn't seem fake to me, Neji. I know this was a farce, but sometimes you let yourself and your emotions slip through that six-foot wall you've built around yourself. I was thinking that I saw the real you tonight. Convivial, and relaxed. Had I known I would also see the hypocrite, I would've stayed home and spared myself the emotional overload. I didn't want this to get complicated, but somewhere deep down, I had hoped that you had an ounce of feeling. Guess I was wrong." Tears may have been starting to fall and the world seemed bleak. This is why I never let myself get attached. It was too hard to let go. This is why they tell you to never fall for your best friend.
"TenTen-chan, I am sorry." I yanked my hand from his and turned.
"No you are not. Don't try to placate me. I know I drug us in this mess, but don't try to humor me with falsities. I won't be training with you for a couple of days. I need to think." After the words escaped my mouth, he bowed, then turned and left. I watched him walk off into the darkness and I let the tears silently fall. The worst part of the whole scenario is that all of our friends knew about the dinner tonight and they would all want details. I didn't have the emotional strength for that.
I stood for a few more minutes reflecting back on my day. In one short week, I've been through the wringer and I was done. I skipped the last rock in my hand across the water and went home.