Author's note:
Oi! Well, here's another fic from Mai-chan. I think I'm high off crack. Crack pairings, that is!
Disclaimer: Do I look like I own Naruto? I didn't think so.
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Shattered: Chapter 2
By: Maiyuko-chan
You could hear the heart broken sobs coming from the room. Tenten cried hysterically. It got so bad that Gai-sensei was called and he had to knock her out. Lee watched as his role model pressed a nerve in Tenten's neck and pick her up after she fell limp.
Gai-sensei only gave him a speech about how this was sometimes necessary when people were in too much pain. He explained that it was also necessary because Tenten was refusing to let them take her mother's body out of the room, saying that she promised she would be okay, and therefore she was.
The next week was hard. Tenten had only recently been getting close to her mother. She was quiet and withdrawn. Gai-sensei had told her that she could have two weeks off training. Actually, he had insisted upon it, because Tenten had said no the first time.
Tenten sat in her new home, which was now hers. Only hers. She sat on the couch unmoving, staring at the television, watching some weird children's' show. She heard a knock at the door. She walked over lazily and opened it, expecting Lee or Gai-sensei dropping off flowers again. She wearily eyed the huge batch of flowers sitting on her table.
Instead of Gai-sensei or Lee, she opened the door to someone she vaguely recognized as Kakashi-sensei, reading his dirty book.
"Hey, Tenten. I was just at the Hokage's office, and she wanted me to tell you to get over there as soon as possible." He said boredly, all at the same time while reading his book.
"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei." Said Tenten. Kakashi nodded and waved, closing the door and leaving. Tenten sighed and decided that it would be a good time to change out of her pajamas. It was already a week after the incident at the hospital, and she thought that now was a good time to pull herself together.
She went into her room and pulled a dark blue Chinese-style shirt and some black pants. She did her hair up in the usual two buns on her head and fastened her forehead protector, looking unwaveringly at the mirror. She smiled at herself. She was going to be okay. She had a house all to herself and people that cared for her. She was going to pull herself through.
She had decided that today was going to be a good day.
She walked silently to Tsunade-sama's office. Sakura had caught sight of her. The pink-haired kunoichi ran to Tenten and pulled her into a fierce sisterly hug.
"Are you okay, Tenten?" asked Sakura as she embraced her friend. Tenten murmured a yes.
"If you ever need to talk, I'm here, okay?"
"Yeah, me too!" a voice said. Sakura and Tenten looked around and saw Ino, who practically tackled Tenten.
"We are all going to have a sleep-over tonight, Tenten, and we're going to make you feel better! We're going to have Hinata-chan there, too! Are you coming?" Tenten smiled.
"Of course I'll come! Do you guys want to come over to my house, though? I mean, I'm all alone, now, so…"
Ino and Sakura looked at each other for a moment.
"That works!" said Ino, Sakura nodding. Tenten smiled.
"Okay! Well, I need to go to the hokage's office right now, so I guess I'll see you guys at seven?"
After all was agreed, Tenten set off and walked the rest of the way. She walked into Tsunade's office and waved.
"Hey, Tsunade-sama!" said Tenten cheerily. Tsunade raised an eyebrow, but quickly smiled back.
"Have a seat, Tenten-chan! We need to talk." Tenten thanked Tsunade and sat down in a chair in front of the desk.
"Tenten, how are you doing?"
"I'm doing fine, Tsunade-sama. I mean, I know what you're thinking, but I'm okay! I have friends that care about me!" said Tenten happily.
Tsunade nodded. "I see… Well, Tenten, you have… kind of a situation." Tenten raised an eyebrow.
"...What situation?"
"It concerns your clan name."
"But I don't have one…" said Tenten, eyebrows furrowed. "I don't… have a surname."
Tsunade nodded. "Yes. That's it. Those without family names are often taken into clans legally to be used as… well… basically, breeding tools…"
Tenten eyes widened. "What! I am not a breeding tool! Can't I fight this, Tsunade-sama?" Tsunade nodded.
"It's a very long, hard process to go through. It's almost impossible to work out. I've even already heard from a clan in the Hidden stone about you. The Kougu clan."
"No!" cried Tenten fiercely as she stood up. "Tell them that they can find someone else, because I will not go along with this!"
"Trust me, Tenten, I do not agree with this either. It's cruel. I have not yet responded to their letter. I won't have to in a week." Tsunade stood up. "Listen, Tenten-chan, I will fight this, but I need to find a way to. Give me three days and I'll tell you what to do."
Tenten nodded. "Tsunade-sama, I will not marry into a clan just because. If they want to have me so bad, they can get over it." Tsunade agreed wholeheartedly, although she was not supposed to interfere with the business of clans. She would try to make a deal with the Kougu clan.
"Tenten, trust me, we will get you out of this." Tsunade put a comforting hand o Tenten's shoulder. "Maybe we can even get you married into the Hyuuga clan…" Tenten blushed furiously. She should've known that 'serious Tsunade' wouldn't last!
"Thank you, Tsunade-sama! You know what, I have to go… I'm having a sleep-over tonight…"
"Have fun, Tenten-chan!" said Tsunade, knowing that the girl needed as much happiness around her as possible. The next few weeks were going to be rough for her. And now that Tenten had put all of her faith in Tsunade, she would have to work extra hard.
Tenten walked out into the sun. It was an… okay day, now. The friggin' Kouju clan. What a joke.
She walked to the Hyuuga compound, planning on telling Hinata about the sleep-over at her house. She walked thought the open gates, the guards not worrying about her, she was only a sixteen-year-old chuunin.
She rang the doorbell and a housekeeper welcomed her inside. Tenten spotted Hinata at the table. She was crying! Tenten ran over to Hinata and hugged her, making her scoot to the side on the chair she was sitting on.
"Hinata, what's wrong?" Tenten asked, holding her friend's hands for support.
"M-me and Neji-nii-san used to-to be best friends, Tenten-chan!" she cried trying desperately to stop crying in front of Tenten, knowing that she had worse problems than she did. Hinata knew about the people without clan names, being apart of a prestigious clan herself.
"I'm going to straighten him out!" cried Tenten, standing up.
Hinata grabbed Tenten. "No, Tenten-chan, d-don't worry about it! It'll be okay! It always is!"
"But, Hinata-chan, it isn't fair. He should learn to appreciate those that love him." Hinata smiled.
"It'll be okay, Tenten. Neji will learn… I… I had a dream about it."
"Hhmm?" Tenten was curious.
"It's Sakura." Said Hinata. "I had a dr-dream that she taught him… how to appreciate those he loves. I don't know why, but it seemed so real."
Tenten smiled. "It's a sure sign from the heavens!" she said teasingly. "Hey, I came here to ask you if you'd like to spend the night at my house with Sakura and Ino."
Hinata nodded gleefully. "O-of course! I'll have to ask F-father, but I don't think he'll mind. I'll be back." Hinata hurried away.
Tenten smiled to herself. Hinata was so nice. Ever since the two had started to hang out, she had gotten even more out-going. Less stuttering, and more flirting, actual flirting, not admiring from afar, with Naruto.
Hinata came back and smiled at Tenten. "Hey… T-Tenten? Is… is it okay if I just hang out with you today and spend the night so I won't have to go at seven?" Hinata asked. "I mean, I don't w-want to invite myself, but… I… I need to talk to you."
Tenten cocked her head to the side. "Yeah, you can hang out with me… What are we going to talk about?"
"I'll… I'll tell you when we go."
Hinata got all packed and the two headed out for Tenten's house.
"Tenten-chan…" sad Hinata uncertainly. "I n-need to tell you about something really important. It's about your s-surname." Tenten hung her head.
"Yeah… I know… but I'm not getting married into a clan. I refuse."
"T-Tenten…" said Hinata. "I don't think you know everything. M-my mother… was married into the Hyuuga clan. She didn't have a surname either. She died when she gave b-birth to Hanabi… T-Tenten-chan, she was not allowed out of the house. She was treated horribly because she wasn't apart of the clan…"
"That won't happen to me." Said Tenten, shaking her head. "They'd have to take me kicking and screaming. And possibly shoving my kunai up their--"
"Tenten!" laughed Hinata. The two girls passed by the market. Shino and Kiba were standing in front of a window, looking at the shop displays. Shino wasn't as interested in the display as Kiba and Akamaru were, the shop's name being: 'Fur and Fun.'
Shino turned to Hinata and Tenten. Kiba turned around and greeted the two enthusiastically.
"Hey, Hinata-chan!" said Kiba happily as Akamaru, a full grown dog, glomped Hinata. Hinata squealed and laughed as Akamaru licked her face.
Kiba scolded Akamaru. Hinata smiled.
"H-hi, Kiba-kun. H-how are you?" Kiba smiled sheepishly as scratched the back of his head.
"I'm okay. How 'bout you, Hinata-chan?" They were both looking nervous around each other. It would have been funny if it weren't quite so pathetic. Hinata's face was bright red, as was Kiba's. Tenten decided to tease them.
"Hey, you guys match! Your faces are the exact same color of red!" Tenten smiled at the effect. Their faces turned even worse. Shino stifled a snigger. Kiba glared at him and Hinata had lost the ability to speak and/or make eye contact. Kiba cleared his throat with much trouble.
"H-Hinata, can I please… t-talk to you? Alone?" His face was so incredibly red that Tenten almost felt sorry for him. Hinata was dying there, and she knew it. Hinata nodded and Kiba took her inside the store to talk to her. Shino was looking at Kiba with a small smirk on his face. Tenten was holding back fits of laughter. When the two were inside the store, Tenten shook her head and laughed.
Tenten breathed and looked at Shino. "Hey, Shino-san. How are you today?" she smiled.
Shino didn't answer. He only nodded in response. Tenten wasn't surprised. She hadn't ever really heard the boy talk. She didn't mind. She looked into the store and watched Kiba and Hinata.
Kiba apprehensively looked at Hinata, who was waiting for him to say something, anything. He started.
"H-Hinata-chan, I… I… w-want you to know…"
Why is Kiba-kun stuttering? thought Hinata. He was sounding like her!
"You are… very… I-I really… l-like…" and at that point, Kiba's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the floor in a fit of nervousness. Akamaru barked at Kiba, saying, "You twit!" The store owner hurried over to Kiba.
"Kiba-san?" asked the woman. "Oh, no! My favorite customer!" Hinata was bewildered. What had happened? Poor Kiba-kun!
The store owner, Kauri looked at Hinata. "Do you know what happened?" she asked as she took Kiba's pulse. Hinata shook her head. Shino and Tenten walked in to check on Kiba.
"Don't worry, he's just unconscious." said Kauri-san, picking her customer up with strength that such a thin woman shouldn't have possessed. Shino took Kiba and wound up with him on his back. Hinata and Tenten accompanied him to bring Kiba back to his house. Akamaru was ashamed of his master. What a fool he could be at times.
"I d-don't know what happened!" Hinata said sheepishly. "He was telling me something, and stuttering r-really bad, and he just passed out!" Hinata told Kiba's mother. The woman laughed.
"My poor son. Just dump him on the floor, Shino-kun!" Shino did so. Kiba was out.
"Is… is he going to be okay?" asked Hinata. Tenten was trying so hard not to laugh that she was about to cry.
"I'll c-come visit him tomorrow, if that's okay…" said Hinata to Kiba's mom. Kiba's mother nodded. Shino was going to stay at the house with Kiba and Hinata and Tenten continued the trek to Tenten's house.
"Oh my gosh, Hinata!" said Tenten "What did you do to make him pass out like that?"
Hinata shook her head. "I d-didn't do anything! He was saying that he wanted me to know that he liked something and then he passed out…"
Tenten shook her head. "You two are so cute, Hinata-chan! I never knew that Kiba could be so squeamish!"
The girls chatted for a while. Hinata smiled.
"You know what, Tenten-chan?" she said. "You seem happier." A smile adorned both of the girls' faces.
Author's Note:
Well, I know what you're thinking! Tenten's moving on quickly. The reason is because she can't dwell on her mom's death for too long. She has too many problems coming up (considering the fact that a clan wants her already!). Also, she isn't fully happy, yet. The reason she's having the sleep-over is because she'd trying to get back to the whole jest-of-life.
So there! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Read and Review! Ja ne!