Okay, this is the last chapter! I'm sorry it's so short, but I'm leaving tomorrow to go on vacation for two weeks before school starts. I am, however, going to write a sequel! So look out for it in about three or four weeks! It's going to be called 'Ryuusei'. Here's the summary ahead of time: Ruru and Kazemaru, soon-to-be-married, are kidnapped by Akatsuki! But why them? And what does this have to do with Tenten's secret? Neji, Tenten, and Rei now set out on a journey to rescue the two, but what horrors await them on their adventure? Or perhaps, what joys?
Thanks to all my reviewers! You really kept me going, and I hope that you enjoy this chapter. Please review with any ideas I can use for the sequel, and tell me if you enjoyed this chapter and what you liked most about my story! Please, please, please! As this is the last chapter, I'm trying to get at least eleven reviews. Your reviews have a big part in whether or not I actually go through with writing 'Ryuusei', so review!
My Hime:
Tenten tried to open her eyes, but they felt as heavy as lead. There were voices – wait! She recognized these voices! Neji! The voices became quiet and then excited as Tenten whispered Neji's name under her breath. Tenten finally succeeded in opening her eyes and slowly the blurry picture fell into place. Rei, Sakura, Neji, and Ruru supported by Kazemaru stood over her. She caught a glimpse of Sasuke standing in the corner.
"H-Hey Kaa-chan, how're you feeling?" Ruru said. Her voice was raspy and dry, but Tenten's daughter was safe. Tears leaked through her eyes as Tenten reached for her daughter, hugging her tightly. Ruru gingerly hugged her back, glad that her mother was okay.
"Ahem," Neji cleared his voice. Tenten turned towards him. "It's been too long," Neji whispered as he hugged his true love. Tenten pushed him away and he looked at her with a hurt expression.
Tenten smirked. "That's no way to greet me!" she explained, bringing him into a passionate kiss.
"Hey! Peoples! Kazemaru and Rei and I are leaving! Jeeze, as if you care…you're ruining your poor, innocent daughter's eyes!" When Ruru received no answer, she grabbed Kazemaru's arm and pointed him towards the door's general direction. "Fine! Be that way! Keep the room to yourselves; it's not as if someone else was sharing it with you!"
Kazemaru and Rei successfully managed to pull Ruru away from her hospital room, much to the dismay of their mother (who didn't agree with them that Ruru was 'just fine and dandy'). The threesome walked down the street heading for Ichiraku's. Ruru was deep in thought as suddenly a light bulb popped up above her head, shining in all its glory.
"Have you guys read 'Harry Potter?" she asked giddily, smiling brightly as she stumbled and was pulled back up by her best friends. Kazemaru and Rei stared at her, nodding their heads as they wondered where Ruru was going with this. "Well, we remind me of the Golden Trio! I'm Harry, Rei's Ron, and Kazemaru is Hermione!" Ruru exclaimed.
Veins popped out of Kazemaru's head as Rei smiled brightly. "YES! Ron is my favorite character!" she yelled cheerfully. The girls began to fight over who was hotter in the movie…Harry or Ron? All of a sudden they noticed a very dreary aura coming from their left.
"Kaze-kun, are you okay?" Ruru asked, concerned for her friend.
"I am…" Kazemaru whispered.
"Yes, go on!" Rei urged.
"I am…I look like…I act like…"
"Just spit it out all ready!" Ruru screamed, attracting everyone who was on the streets' attention.
"A girl?"
Ruru looked confused and then began to laugh. She laughed harder, and harder, and harder until she was rolling around on the ground clutching her stomach with tears spilling out of her eyes. Rei was laughing too, although not quite so hard. Ruru finally sat up and laughed, albeit not so hard as she had been before, as smoke rolled off the pissed-off teen known as Kazemaru.
"Jeeze, Kaze, it's just that you're sorta the brainy one, you know? And no, you do not act or look like a girl," Ruru assured him. "If I knew you were gonna take me seriously I wouldn't have made the comment."
'I wonder if she wants me to become a girl like Hermione…then maybe she'd like me more?' Kazemaru thought to himself as they continued down the street.
"Naw, I like you just the way you are!" Ruru assured him. Wait; did he say that out loud? Oh shit. "I like the way you look, the way you eat, the way you train, the way you talk, that way you walk, the way you stare off into space, the way you think out loud, I like everything about you! Almost…I just don't see how someone can manage to be cute and hot at the same time? Ah, well; that's one of the main reasons why I love you! But it could be pretty dangerous for a girl to be cute and hot at the same time…Just imagine…" As Ruru rambled on and on, Kazemaru hung onto the words 'I love you'.
"That must mean you're in a lot of danger," Kazemaru said, thinking quickly. Ruru turned to him, puzzled. Kazemaru explained himself, "You see, you're cute; you've always been cute; but now that you've grown up, you're also hot. Reeeeeeeaaaaaallllllllyyyy hot. But Reeeeeeeaaaaaallllllllyyyy cute at the same time! So therefore you must be in tons of danger."
"Wow, you're right!" Ruru said densely. Rei and Kazemaru sweat-dropped. "Maybe I should get a bodyguard! I know! Kaze-kun, you can be my bodyguard!"
"Eh…I wasn't quite thinking that exact same thing, but that's pretty close, I guess," Kazemaru said exasperatedly.
"Hm? Oh! I know! Since I love you and you have quite obviously been head-over-heels with me since we first met, you can be my boyfriend!" Ruru shouted. Thus, the whole world knew that Hyuga Ruru and Uchiha Kazemaru were going out.
"I have a better idea," Kazemaru said, smirking. He stopped and bent down on one knee, pulling out a small black velvet box. "I got this for you after you left, and I promised that one day I would do this."
"Huh?" Ruru didn't get it. Rei was amazed at her friend's thickness. Hadn't she ever read a romance novel?
"My idea is this: Will you marry me, Hyuga Ruru? I mean, I know we haven't been on one date, and we aren't even engaged, but…" Kazemaru opened the box and presented Ruru with a beautiful diamond-studded gold ring. Ruru gaped as Kazemaru slipped the ring onto her finger. Kazemaru waited for her to say something, crossing his fingers and prayed.
"OMG! I'M GETTING MARRIED!" And thus the whole world knew that Hyuga Ruru and Uchiha Kazemaru were getting married.
(&)
Tenten and Neji stopped talking as they heard someone that sounded strangely familiar shout out, "OMG! I'M GETTING MARRIED!" The two paused, and then Tenten began to laugh. Neji smiled. He always smiled a lot when he was graced with Tenten's presence.
"Neji, I…I want to apologize for the way I've been treating you. I've stayed away, although I knew the truth about you and Sakura and the spy. It wasn't because of you, or because of Ruru. It was…it's me that's the problem," Tenten said, breaking Neji's thoughts of the past.
Neji was shocked. Kazemaru and Rei were right – he wasn't the problem, nor was Ruru. "What do you mean…you're the problem?" Tenten seemed to choke and Neji realized it was a touchy subject. He leaned towards Tenten and took her into his arms. They stayed that way for a while before Neji noticed that his shoulder was officially soaked. "Tenten, don't cry. Please don't." Neji pulled back and brushed away Tenten's tears, giving her a soft kiss on the lips. "I hate it when you cry. I hate it when Ruru cry's, also."
Tenten hiccupped nodded, "I-I can't stand to see her cry, either. That's why I sent her to you for a couple of years. She missed you, somehow, without ever knowing you to begin with."
Neji sighed as Tenten once again rested her head in the crook of his neck, holding him close to her. "Can I keep you?" Neji whispered.
"Of course you can," Tenten whispered back, falling into a deep sleep. Neji smiled at the beautiful angel resting in his arms. My Hime…Never again shall I loose you among the stars…
(&)
"Ruru?" Neji asked, knocking on his daughter's door.
"Come in!" came his answer. Ruru was already in bed, but she was reading a book called 'The Idiot's Guide to Being a...' but that was all Neji could see.
"What're you reading?" he asked suspiciously.
"Huh? Oh! Noting! Nothing at all!" Ruru said, shoving the book under her pillow. "Why are you here, anyhow?"
"I just came to say goodnight. Or are you too old for that now?" Neji asked playfully, walking over to his daughter's bed.
"Ha! Never too old, Tou-san!" Ruru retorted, sticking out her tongue childishly. She was just like Tenten.
"Well, goodnight," Neji said. He began to walk out, but Ruru yelled, "Wait!"
"Yes?" asked Neji, turning around.
"Don't I get a kiss?" Ruru asked, pouting. Yup, just like Tenten. Neji smiled and walked back over to his daughter. He lightly kissed Ruru on her forehead and she kissed him on his cheek. "Goodnight, Tou-san."
"Goodnight, Ru-chan," Neji whispered, turning out the light. As he shut the door silently, he noticed another presence in the hallway. "Tenten, I know you're there."
"Hmph, I wasn't trying to be sneaky, I was just wondering..." Tenten said, coming out of the shadows.
"Yes?"
"I was just wondering, can I have a goodnight kiss, also?" Tenten asked cutely.
"As many as the countless stars I almost lost you in," Neji whispered in her ear. And they kissed at the stroke of midnight.
(&)
But little did theyknow, something was wrong. For one, why was it snowing in the middle of the summer? They were about to be sent on an adventure that would change them all forever.