Posted: March 12, 2006

Chapter Three: Silencing Tradition

The dawn of the morning was slowly beginning to rise when Neji's eyes opened upon the new day. "Shit," he whispered to himself as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He wasn't suppose to have stayed the whole night. He hadn't checked in with the rest of his team, and knew he was going to get an earful from the loud mouth woman they called Hokage.

Neji began to sit up, but as he tried his head suddenly jerked back. He turned his head realizing his long, dark hair was caught on something. His shoulders slumped as he saw Tenten's fingers had tangled themselves in his locks. He lifted her hand and gently loosen himself from her. He sighed as he laid back down on his side and lovingly stroked her cheek.

She was in pain and Neji knew full well that he was the cause of it. But it couldn't be helped, for like all women who were to marry into the Hyuuga clan, she had to be tested. When Neji learned of the test from his uncle Hiashi exactly a year after proposing to her, Neji had refused to put Tenten through it, but Hiashi made very clear, that the life of a Hyuuga wife was difficult and told him if she was unable to past the test, that she would break under the Hyuuga name, like his mother had.

Neji had looked to him curiously and asked him what he meant. He was then told that his father Hizashi had also refused to put the woman he was to marry to the clan's test. Hizashi had never approved of it and so married her without the rest of the families consent or approval. Neji, never knowing his mother as she had left him and the rest of their clan a few days before the whole Lightening Country incident, asked what had really happened to her. Hiashi had kept his explanation simple as he stood and said softly, "She broke," before heading out of Neji's quarters.

So Neji did the only thing he could, he began testing Tenten. She was confused at first by his sudden change towards her and asked him if there was something wrong or if it was something she had done. He hadn't even tried to answer her, it was the first time he had seen her look hurt because of him and wished that it had been the last. He then stopped coming to see her after completing missions.

The first time he had done it, it had broken his heart, because she had been so used to it, that she had immediately thought the worst when the next day she had spotted a member from the team he had been assigned with walking through the village. Tenten had been shopping and had dropped all her items before making her way to the Hyuuga manor, panic lined her words as she asked the members of his family where he was and if he was alive.

After that day, Neji realized he had been lenient on her after a few of his aunts, who had married into the clan, told him what they had been through. How they had suffered from isolation from everyone except their husbands. Neji was surprised to hear that a few had been mentally abused, while others physically. Neji found it hard to believe that his uncles could be so heartless, but knew all that they told him was true. But he couldn't help but asked why they had stayed and still chose to marry his uncles, not knowing it was a test and that it would end once married.

"That's where you're wrong, my nephew," one of his aunts had began. "Yes, we chose to stay because we were blinded by the love of the Hyuuga we fell in love with, but to stand by his side is a hardship not even he could place upon you. You're own mother-" she had been cut off.

"Shush, Yuuka! We are not suppose to speak of his mother," another one of his aunts told her.

Neji's brow had furrowed. "What of my mother?" he asked, wondering why no one would ever tell him anything of her.

"He needs to know," Yuuka told his other aunt. "Or he is fated to make the same mistake as his father, Momoko. Our clan was made weak because of her actions and her betrayal!"

"Betrayal? What kind of betrayal?" Neji looked to the rest of his aunts, hoping someone would explain.

"A betrayal towards the clan, that resulted in your father's death. She's-" Yuuka was cut off.

"Yuuka, you've said too much," Momoko told her angrily as she clapped her hand over the other's mouth before standing up and taking Yuuka with her as she dragged her out the room.

Yuuka was able to remove Momoko's hand. "Do you know why you're disliked by us in the Head family?" she asked.

"Yuuka stop!" yelled another aunt.

"It's not because you're a Branch family member, it's because you're the son of that bitch!" she yelled before she was finally dragged from Neji's sight.

"Don't mind her, Neji," said his eldest aunt, Ami, as she stood up his remaining two aunts followed her lead. "Yuuka's still very bitter because your father chose your mother and not her. Your presence reminds her of what she could have had and the son she'll never bear." She then rested her hand on her nephew's cheek causing Neji to look up into her brown eyes. "Tenten is a sweet girl and I approve of her," she informed him.

Neji bowed his head, "Arigato, aunt Ami," he told her before he was left to himself.

He had been angry that night as he had decided to take a walk, now knowing that he wasn't allowed to know of his mother for good reason. All that time he had spent hating the Head family and his uncle, when it should had been directed towards her. His mind was clouded with conflicting emotions as he soon realized his feet had taken him to Tenten's apartment.

That night was a bit of a blur for him. He couldn't even remember how they had ended up in her bedroom, nevertheless her bed. It had been their first night together and it had started off fine, but as the conversation he had had earlier that night started to come back to him, he let his emotions slip away from him, and the anger he felt, he took out on Tenten.

He had barely registered her voice at first. "Ow, that hurts," she had told him in a whisper. "Please be- Ow, Neji!" she had called louder. "Please be gentler, it hurts," she had asked of him, but it wasn't until he felt her hands on his chest, trying to push him away as she shrugged underneath him that he realized what he was doing. "Stop!" she finally cried. "Please stop!" she begged as he saw tears escape her eyes.

Neji blinked in confusion at first, as he came back to the moment and gasped in horror as he saw her face. He quickly got off of her and then watched as she sat up and furiously wiped away her tears. He looked at her in amazement, never realizing she had ability to cry. His stomach then clenched in disgust with himself as he looked her over and saw the blood in between her legs.

Neji sighed as he closed his eyes and began softly, "Know now, that I apologize for all that I do. And hope that-" when the time comes, you will be able to see through these lies. . . and know how much you mean to me. Causing you physical pain, I see now is something I can not do without tearing myself in two. So I beg of you to forgive me for all I'm about to put you through for the sake of the Hyuuga name. Forgive me, Tenten. Forgive me.

Neji shook his head out of his memories as he came back to the present still lying beside a sleeping Tenten. He had opted for the mental abuse and wondered if had made the right choice, for bruises heal, but scars marked upon the heart are a different story. He had said, when he had chosen to speak to her, that is, so many terrific things to her over the years, that it often surprised him she hadn't called off their engagement, not as if he left much room for that, having a 'talk' or so to speak, with anyone who had looked at her in away he didn't approve of. Most likely causing her to believe no one else would ever want her.

So he was caught off guard as he learned, only before he left for his mission two weeks ago, of the affair she was having with the Sand ninja, Kankuro. Rock Lee had sat him down, and it was one of those rare occasions where he was dead serious. "You and Tenten are my best friends, know that. I felt you needed to know about Kankuro," he had told him after explaining everything. "But I have also never approved of the way you've treated her. She deserves better and so I hope that with true love, her eyes are opened and she leaves your sorry ass." Rock Lee then stood up and left to go meet his wife, Sakura, and then Shikamaru to help him prepare for his wedding before Temari and her family arrived.

During his mission, as leader, Neji had pushed his team. They traveled all day and all night without rest to get to their destination. Neji had to get back to Konoha, he had to get back to Tenten.

Then as he sat in her darken apartment, waiting for her to come home, something strangely familiar reached his ears. He soon realized it was laughter and activated his Byakugan. His eyes widen as the sight of Tenten, kissing another man, filled his vision. She was smiling and laughing joyfully. It had been so long since Neji had seen her do either.

Is this what he had driven her to? Had he pushed her so hard, that she had to find comfort in the arms of another? He then watched as the joy fell from her face and was replaced by fear as she saw him. She probably thinks he didn't hear her as she made plans to meet the Sand ninja later on. Neji knew of their affair and she still made plans, her audacity astounded him and hurt him in a way he would never allow her to know.

They had made love last night and he always made sure to never lose out to his anger. He hoped that when they made love, that she could feel his heart's true intent and that it would be enough. He had pretended to be asleep afterwards as she whispered to him her greatest wish, she not knowing he had wish the same.

Neji sighed heavily as he finally got out of bed, he couldn't be here when she woke up. He dressed slowly before heading towards the bedroom door to leave, but paused and turned around to look at Tenten's sleeping form. She was going to leave him, he knew it, he could feel it in depths of his soul, this would be the last morning he would ever look upon her face. Neji then made his way back to the bed before leaning over and kissing her forehead. "I wish you much happiness," he hesitated, "with Kankuro."

Tenten woke up with a start as she heard something like a door being slammed. She then made a curious expression as she brought her hand up to her cheek and discovered tears that weren't her own.

To Be Continued. . .

A/N: Huh, the story's coming along faster than I thought it would.