Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.
I'm so sick, I can no longer breathe with my nose and I can't stop coughing. I'm staying at home to isolate myself from the rest of the population. Living in a high density city suck, one person gets sick then a hundred more get sick because of that one person. It's so sad…I think I spread my sickness to my friends when we went out on the weekend. I feel so bad...one of my friends even has a fever…(sigh). I wish I have locked myself up in my room earlier…stupid disease…
AmberFox and Lyell: As to why nobody (eg. Lee, Naruto) has recognized Tenten is because she simply doesn't associate herself with shinobis during the time she was in Konoha. Plus, she doesn't go to the Academy. Therefore, the number of shinobi she knows is limited.
An analogy close to it would be people going to School A will have difficulty knowing everyone from School B. Naruto and Lee (and others) might have seen Tenten before but it's more like someone seeing strangers passing by as he or she walks down the street. One doesn't talk to the strangers and one doesn't remember them unless those strangers have some sort of distinctive features. Therefore, it's not like they don't recognize Tenten, but rather, they never knew her.
Fantastical Queen Ebony Black: When I read your comment I laughed my ass off. What a coincidence with the b-days, Happy Late Birthday!
shedevilz: As to why Kentaro was oblivious, it's because he's still a kid. He wasn't aware of the tension that Tenten was feeling with the ANBU situation.
Some Kind of Fairytale-ch3
Tenten really didn't care about the existence of Neji until now.
Seven years ago, what happened was purely coincidental. She was angry and she wasn't thinking clearly. What she did was stupid and wrong, she knew that already (she had gone past the 'must bang her head on something hard' phrase). What happened between Neji and her was simple. She gave the money and in exchange, she got her 'service'.
She was expecting it to be 'no string attach'.
Come to think about it, she thought that the man she chose had raven hair and onyx pupil. She saw him going into that room…she was sure because she saw him walking in and out. She had even checked several times outside just to make sure she wouldn't go into the wrong room. But when Kentaro was born, the moment she saw his eyes, she knew he was a Hyuuga. There was a time when she started hypothesizing the chance of each Hyuuga member being the father of her child (which is a large number of people). However, she stopped thinking about it after some time since who was Kentaro's father made no difference. Kentaro will always be her son and nobody will take him from her.
She would be lying if she had never thought of absorption. At that time, she hit rock bottom as each day past by, she felt as if nobody wanted her anymore. Her father had never come to look for her…It didn't take a genius to know that her father is still angry with her. The lucky part was that there were people who were willing to help her through the difficult nine month pregnancy stage.
The moment when she saw Kentaro…it was as if the emptiness in her heart disappeared. Instead, she felt she can love him for eternity, that she could do anything as long as he is by her side.
From then on, she never regretted the fact for having Kentaro.
Coming back to Konoha was a large risk. Hell, she knew that there was no way she could avoid meeting 'that man'. Her son stood out too much as a Hyuuga. Despite it all, she wasn't going to leave her son behind in the Wave Country. Therefore, she had gone though all sorts of scenarios in her head and thought of all the best ways she could react in different situations.
Tenten expected to be questioned by Neji. Since the Hyuuga is one of the most influential clan in Konoha, they cared about their reputation. Having a son out of wedlock is definitely not going to do any good to their name. Maybe she'll be yelled at and demanded by the man as to why she had separated him from his son for so long. That, or, he will deny having to do anything with Kentaro and tell her that he is already married.
In some twisted way, she was hoping that Kentaro would reject his 'father' and declare that he will only acknowledge her, Tenten, as his only parent. That way, she can use it as an excuse to not let the man see her son ever again (and keep Kentaro all to herself).
However, she would never have foreseen this.
All three of them and her horse were currently walking (peacefully) down the street of Konoha. Kentaro was looking curiously at his surrounding, since he had never seen this place before. He was holding onto Neji's hand like it was the most natural thing in the world, asking Neji all sorts of question like he expected 'his father' can answer all of them. Neji wasn't able to answer Kentaro's questions since her son jumped from one to the next immediately but he let Kentaro drag him around. Both of them were currently walking ahead of Tenten, who was left behind, pulling her horse along.
Looking at the father-and-son scene in front of her, she didn't know what she should feel. It seemed right to let her son reunite with his father…but at the same time...it seemed wrong because…her son might leave her…
She is a selfish woman…
"Turn left here." She called out when she saw Neji and Kentaro was able to go straight past the intersection. Even after all these years, she could still remember that if they continue going straight ahead, then they will reach the Hyuuga household.
She wasn't in the mood in being Gentle Fist into the underworld right now. (The Hyuugas would probably be in chaos and go on a killing spree if they receive the news about Kentaro and her.)
Neji gave her a look before complying.
Therefore, Tenten pointed them toward the house she had bought beforehand. The street they were walking on was one of the business sections within Konoha. Sounds of people gasping and screaming could be heard as they walked down the street. A few looked like they had a heart attack when they saw them. An old man stumbled backward and would've collapsed if he didn't hold onto wooden counter of a noodle shop. Tenten didn't know why people would act like that. She was sure that she checked herself in front of the mirror before arriving so she wasn't looking extremely horrific right now…Her son couldn't be the cause because he was so handsome and adorable. Therefore, it must be Neji.
What the hell did Neji do to cause this was something she would never know. However it doesn't matter because she had another important task at hand.
"By the way, I'm Tenten." She said as casually as possible. She sped up to walk along side with Neji. Not waiting for any reply, she continued, hoping that she is not going to regret it. "You are welcome to come around and take Kentaro out anytime you want but he has to be back at the house by ten o'clock because I want him in bed by eleven. Also, I want you to tell me before taking him, no more one of those take-my-son-without-notice-and-disappear-before-my-eyes shit. I'll kill you if you do that one more time."
When she got no reply, she turned toward the man.
Neji raised his eyebrow at her for a moment before nodding slowly.
Tenten rolled her eyes, "You can at least say yes."
If only she was a shinobi…she would've beaten the shit out of him. At least that way, he might say something like 'ow'. His lack of words was driving her crazy. She had to look, no, observe him carefully after she had said something to make sure she hadn't missed any of his facial expressions!
It was, to put it bluntly, downright annoying.
Tenten turned right at the corner; she was getting close to her own house now.
A loud bang shook her out of her thoughts. Turning toward the sound she noticed a large group of people had gathered at the entrance of another household.
The Asakura household.
The place where her father lives.
There is a reason why she would choose to live nearby here. In case that he is still angry with her, then he'll be seeing her A LOT in the neighbourhood. The Asakura Household was an old house; its history goes back to right back when.
The reason why Asakura wasn't as famous as Hyuuga was because Hyuuga is a powerful shinobi clan in a shinobi village while Asakura is a wealthy family that does commerce in a shinobi village.
Her father, who is a traditionalist, cannot move to any other places since he views himself as the guardian of the house. Therefore, as long as she held her ground, they will be seeing a lot of each other.
She will make up with him, whether he likes it or not.
In fact, this was the main reason why she is even in the village in the first place.
She handed Neji the rein and told him to watch her son as she ran toward the Asakura Household. She couldn't push past the people. People in front of her refused to budge. She jumped several times, trying to see over the ocean of people but all she could see were people she didn't know walked in and out of her house. Those who were exiting her house were loading furniture onto carts.
Is her father actually moving?
Did he hear the wind of her coming back? Does he hate her so much that he is willing to move out of the household?
But how would that explain why her father's servants were yelling and screaming at the furniture movers?
What is happening?
Cursing silently she went through her pockets, fishing for her old keys as she made her way to the back door. Her father's house was like any typical Japanese house. There is a stone wall surrounding the complex. There were two doorways, one would be the front door and the other would be the back door. Those two doors were locked most of the time, preventing unwanted intruders from entering. The house was situated in the middle of the complex with a garden surrounding it. There was a shack to the left of the back door where firewood and other stuff were kept.
Sliding the key into the lock, Tenten prayed her father hadn't changed the security device. She could not believe it when she heard the 'click'. She pushed the door open, not caring if people were entering the complex after her. She ran down the familiar pebble road toward the commotion.
She saw people walking in and out of the house, carrying expensive furniture and decoration toward the front door. Was the financial situation of her family worse than what she'd approximated? However, it is impossible; she had only been on the road for two weeks…
Tenten poked a hole into one of the shoji screens, peeking into the living room. The furniture movers saw her but they continued their work, acting as if they hadn't seen her at all. They probably think she is someone nosy.
The living room had a large rectangular wooden table at the center and cushions circling it. Therefore, the room was used for eating also. The entrance of the room was directly facing the front door so once a guest stepped through the front door and walk past the small front garden; he or she will be able to talk to the owner of the house—Osamu—in the meeting room right away. In other words, the room was a multi-purpose room.
She should only make her appearance known after she figured out what the situation is.
"Daimaru get off my property." Junko screamed at the top of her lungs as she tried to yank a blue vase away from one of the movers while failing miserably. "You might be the person who lend money to him but that doesn't mean you can just barge into this place demanding for money!
"But it's all in the contract." Daimaru chuckled. "Osamu's signature is on the paper. Want me to read the contract to you once more?"
Daimaru…that name sounded familiar to Tenten.
Sneaking a peek through the edge of the screen, Tenten saw her favourite man, the fat and bald bastard who she was supposed to marry seven years ago, standing in the middle of the living room. Junko was standing at near the door, trying to block movers from carrying items out of the room. Yet the movers pushed past her and headed toward the front door.
This was a public humiliation to the Asakura Family! With that many people outside watching what is taking place, the reputation of the company which her father had taken so long to build up is going down the drain.
Tenten turned back toward the fat man and watched as he pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve.
He cleared his throat in mock seriousness. "It stated here that Asakura Blacksmith Corp is responsible for paying back the money that I'd lend plus 20 percent interest."
"That doesn't mean the payment is due now" Junko exclaimed. "We haven't even finished constructing the…"
"I don't care." He laughed, the fat on his stomach wobbled during the process. "Osamu was so desperate to get money that he didn't care who he borrows from. His first fault would be choosing me as his business partner. Second, he's in such a hurry that he didn't even read the papers carefully before signing. He signed the contract and it said that I can get the money any time. If Osamu fails to pay the amount then I'll be able to take any asset that he has, that includes his company and the very property you are standing on."
"The Hokage…"
"The Hokage can't do shit about personal debts and you know that well. I asked for three billion dollars and you said you don't have the money. I'm taking Asakura Blacksmith Corp and everything that I can find here as compensation. I might not even be able to sell them with a good price. I'm being generous to not sue you. Nobody will be able to help you now that you are bound by the contract..."
"I'll pay for it." Tenten walked past Junko and entered the room. She silenced Junko with a glare when Junko was about to call out her name.
Tenten stood in front of Daimaru.
"You?" Daimaru said incredulously as he pointed at her. "Do you even know how much money Osamu owe me? You probably can't even afford to buy a small apartment. What do you think you can pay with?"
The fat man looked at her from top to bottom before turning back to her face. "Unless…"
He reached for her chin but she slapped his hand away.
Feeling embarrassed to be refused in front of a whole group of people, he shouted, "Get the hell out of my sight girl."
"Three billion dollars right?" Tenten asked casually as she brushed her bangs out of the way.
"What about it?"
Tenten shrugged, "give me fifteen minutes."
Daimaru burst out laughing right now like she'd said the funniest thing in the whole world.
"I need to go to the bank personally since it's a big amount. By that time I want all the things you took from this household to be placed back at their original spots." Tenten's tone remained serious. "If one thing is missing, I'll make sure that you'll think dying is a better opinion when I'm through with you."
Daimaru continued but his laugh didn't sound as confident as before.
"Laugh all you want." Tenten shrugged. "If you are so sure that I won't be able to pay the amount then no matter what I say, it shouldn't be able to bother you. Actually, maybe not putting things back to where they used to be is a better option since I'll have more fun that way."
Dumping her trench coat on the large wooden table that was situated in the middle of the room, Tenten exited the house through the back door. Nobody knew that to do with the sudden turn of event. Therefore, they did the most natural thing—they waited.
Junko, by all means, was doubtful that Tenten would be able to gather all the money within such a short time. Tenten looked and sounded confident that she would be able to pay the amount but how does she have that money in the first place? Junko looked at the coat that Tenten had left on the table and gasped. The trench coat made in a waterproof material, which cost a fortune since the material was newly invented. From the design of the coat, Junko recognized it immediately since she saw it once in a fashion magazine. The store that made the jacket was Niki, a famous brand for woman's wear. Not a lot of people are capable, nevertheless, willing to even purchase a scarf from that store!
What have Tenten been doing for the past seven years?
Most people wouldn't have three billion dollar. For a year, an ANBU makes about eighty thousand per year while a typical Jounin made about sixty thousand per year. Things were not expensive. One can rent an apartment for a year with twelve hundred.
Junko thought back to the large investment Osamu had made. He believed that Konoha had the potential to become a commercial city other than just a shinobi village. Therefore, he planned to build a Fisherman's Market. Since Konoha was nowhere near the coast, Osamu ordered his workers to create a large manmade lake. Also, the buildings that were built there were based on famous architects from around the world. For instance, he recreated the large amphitheatre of the Wind Country (in a smaller scale of course). It will be the place where many performances will take place. Osamu is an ambitious man; he wanted that place to have restaurants, hotels, casinos, and pubs. The Fisherman's Market was a place that is supposed to attract tourism.
However as the years went by, the project went more and more over budgeted. When Asakura Blacksmith Corp no long was able to support the expenditure, Osamu went around, hoping to find another potential investment partner…he found Daimaru instead. From the beginning, Daimaru said nothing about being Osamu's business partner; he stated clearly that he was just going to lend money to Osamu. With the building project being close to finish, Osamu had no other choice but to agree or he'll face a greater financial crisis…
Ichiro and Osamu were currently going around in Konoha, trying to find a potential buyer who would buy their newest (unfinished) building project. As each minute past by, Junko was beginning to lose hope. It wasn't as if she didn't believe in the skill of her husband or Osamu, but rather, she didn't believe that anyone will be willing to buy or take over the project. There weren't many companies that can rival the Asakura Blacksmith Corp in the first place. Especially at a time when the continuing tension between the Leaf and the Sand increased, no company would be willing to spend a large amount of money when people still believed that a war is about to happen.
On any other time, gathering three billion for the Asakura family is a difficult but not an impossible goal to reach. However, the Fisherman Market building project had taken almost all of the funding. Daimaru, of all people, should know that Osamu will not be able to pay the amount. Even so, Daimaru was persistent in getting his money in the quickest time as possible…like he was in desperate need of money or…
Then Junko noticed two people standing outside of the room, beside the door. One of them was a kid, about six or seven years old. He had short spiky hair. From his eyes, Junko could tell that he was a Hyuuga. When the boy saw her starring at him, he gave her a friendly smile in return. Funny, she didn't recall seeing him before which was rare because she was sure that she knew each and everyone of the Hyuuga member.
She knew the second person from first glance. He is Hyuuga Neji. People in Konoha knew about the Hyuugas, and the first name that would pop up in their minds would be Hyuuga Neji. The S-rank missions his team of ANBU and him had done were legendary. He was currently one of the top ANBU commanders.
She turned away quickly when she felt him looking back at her. Neji was not someone to be messed with. She wasn't even standing directly in front of him yet the atmosphere he was radiating sent chills up her spine.
Why there were two Hyuugas standing in this house right now was beyond her comprehension.
Junko was about to open her mouth to ask them when the front door exploded…literally. The furniture workers, who she had tried to block from leaving earlier, practically flew through the door way, hitting the gravel ground in the garden of the Asakura complex.
All this happened so fast that Junko didn't even have the time to register what was happening.
"Is Asakura Tenten here?"
Like it? Hate it? Please review because it really motivate me into writing!