Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.
Eight pages in total…I think this is the longest chapter I'd ever done for this story…
The person who Tenten is referring to as her husband is NOT Neji…at least not at this moment
Haven't updated in awhile…did anybody miss me?
The song that I was listening to as I was typing this up: 张智成's 末日之戀
PS. REMEMBER THIS STORY IS SLIGHTLY A/U. THERE IS A REASON FOR IT BEING SO…
Some Kind of Fairytale-ch5
"What the hell is going on?" A voice that was familiar to Tenten's ears asked.
A figure emerged through the door.
The man was a bit stubby as a man; Neji was a head taller than him. He was wearing a simple grey haori and white hakama. Some of his hair had already turned white, giving his head a greyish colour. There were wrinkles engraved on his forehead, showing everyone that he was around his mid-forties. Right now, a confused look marked his face…
Osamu had been going around town trying to find someone who would participate in his latest project. He had been rejected for hours. Everyone laughed in his face and told him that he was a dreamer, that his 'Fisherman's Market' would never work.
Konoha is a shinobi village, they told him, it's not like the Wave Country where Hotaru's situated. Konoha has no place for any large commercial companies like yours. You'll be better off if you just give up.
They couldn't see things in the same prospective as him; therefore, they failed to see Konoha's potential. Osamu sighed gravely, as he headed home, hoping that Ichiro had better luck than him. Just when he walked down the street toward his house, he heard someone asking behind him.
"So you're Asakura Osamu?"
Osamu froze when he heard it. The tone was taunting and rough, like the man behind him was just asking for a fight. Slowly, Osamu turned around…and his eyes widened at what he saw.
The man before him was muscular and lofty, being at least a head taller than himself. In some ways, the man reminded Osamu of Kakashi because he was also wearing a mask, it was just that this man's mask happened to be made out of bandages instead. The man wore a loose, short-sleeved black shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and two leather gloves that doesn't cover his fingers. Like the infamous Proud Beasts of Konoha, he had bandaged bounded from his fingers up to his elbows.
Suddenly, the man didn't seem to be tall anymore. In fact, he was like a giant that was towering him. His causal wear didn't match the atmosphere that he was emitting.
Osamu swallowed, "yes?"
He felt the man before him smiled, as if it was possible to tell with the man covering most of his face with bandages.
"I have a preposition for you..." He said in a low tone.
That man then offered to be his partner in the Fisherman's Market project, with the promise to help him pay his debt. The only condition was that his company gets half of the ownership of Fisherman's Market.
Although Osamu didn't like the idea of giving part of his precious project up, he knew that it was the only asset he could offer at this moment. Therefore, Osamu agreed.
Yet, Osamu couldn't help but to wonder. It takes a lot of money to pay his debt and, at the same time, the construction fee. This offer worked more in his favour than the other man. Now why would anyone be willing to suggest such a non-profit preposition?
When he asked the bandaged man, the man merely shrugged. As he walked away, however, he heard the man muttering something about a damn woman and Hotaru.
Osamu looked at the large man until he disappeared, wondering what the bandaged man has with the largest company in the Water Country. The older man sighed as he turned back around and headed home.
Since the contract was to be sighed several days later, there was nothing Osamu could do beforehand. Although he was suspicious about what the bandaged man told him, he was the only thing Osamu can depend on right now. Therefore, he had to gamble, hoping that the man wasn't toying with him. Osamu wasn't worried that Ichiro would duplicate the deal if he'd found a potential sponsor, after all, Osamu was the only who could give a final go in everything. Therefore, if Ichiro really found one, he would have to report back to him first.
All Osamu needed to do now was to send one of his servants to look for Ichiro and call him back.
With that thought in mind, Osamu picked up his pace to head home…and into another problem.
Standing in front of his house, Osamu found that his house no longer has a front door. Not only that, he saw men he didn't know moved back and forth, going in and out of his house. Looking at his right, he saw men jumping into the cart and coming back out with stuff that looked oddly familiar to him. A few men looked at him, giving him a dirty glare before heading back into the Asakura complex. At that time, Osamu had no idea where the silent hatred directed at him was coming from. After all, it wasn't him who gave them the bruises on their faces and body.
Osamu saw a young woman sitting at the front side of the cart. She was in a comfortable position, Osamu supposed, since her legs were dangling on the side while her right hand was playing with a senbon nonchalantly. Currently, she wasn't looking at him though, as she was focusing on the men who were moving things back into the house.
Osamu didn't watch her for long; eager to go back into his house to find out what is going on.
"Ohayo, Mr. Asakura." Osamu heard a soft voice said behind him.
Osamu stopped and turned around, only to see a young woman who had been sitting on the cart stood before him. Her close proximity allowed him to have a closer observation of her. She was only in her mid-twenties, not a wrinkle was on her face.
If Osamu was to describe her, he would say the woman was a kunoichi. If she wasn't, then she certainly had what it takes to become one. In a sad way, she reminded him of Tenten, with a piece of white cloth wrapped around her long hair at the back into a bun fashion which was tied up by a blue beaded string. Her long bangs trailed to the bottom of her jaw line and were then secured into a low ponytail on both sides, giving her more feminine quality.
An indigo haori, which was trimmed with a band of white, hung onto her body loosely, allowing Isamu to see the olive green wool turtleneck top she was wearing underneath it. The top was matched by the sash which wrapped around her waist. It was a hot day yet the young woman was still wearing long sleeves, the long black hakama she had on did nothing to relieve her situation. The woman was lean and well-built; however, unlike other female, the clothes she was wearing was androgynous; therefore, they didn't protrude her femininity.
Come to think of it, so was her voice. It was too gentle to be a male but too low to be a female…
The woman, who (obviously) didn't know what was going through Osamu's head, continued when she had his attention. "Daimaru had ordered his men to take your properties away. Luckily, the cart weren't gone for too long so I was able to retrieve it quickly. They are putting your stuff back to where they originally were right now. I apologize for the inconvenience caused."
"No," Osamu said quickly once he realized what the woman did for him. "I thank you."
"I'm just following orders Mr. Asakura. You don't have to thank me." The young woman gave a small smile. She was about to say something when a loud commotion was heard from inside the household. She muttered a small apology to him as she ran through the doorway (which no longer has a door). She disappeared down the path which leads to the living room.
Osamu entered the Asakura complex right after her; however, he wasn't quick enough to catch up to the young woman. He ran toward the living room and the sound of quarrel got louder and louder when all of a sudden, there was silence.
Osamu did a double-take as he stood before the doorway of the living room, slightly out of breath. Osamu notice a few people he didn't know or associate with stood around the room. He was starting to be concerned with Daimaru, with the man being turned to an ice cube…However the woman…who stood beside Daimaru, whose back was facing him soon took all his attention…
Tenten took a deep breath before turning to the man who was standing at the entrance of the living room.
The man was her father.
The two looked at each other.
"Father." She could almost be described as rushing up to him, Daimaru long forgotten. She wanted to give him a hug but froze on her spot when she remembered how her father and she had ended up on their last encounter. Tenten opened her mouths a few times, before she was finally able to get back her voice.
"I…I came back and saw what Daimaru was doing and so…" Tenten said uneasily as she fidgeted the end of her blue top. She found herself, for the first time in years, too nervous to continue speaking.
"Ten…Tenten…" Osamu surprised her by pulling her close to a hug. Tenten could feel his body shaking slightly. His voice was hoarser than before. "You…you came back…"
Tenten could feel a tingling feeling at her eyes. She bit her lower lip, trying to keep herself from being too emotional. She supposed that she had to thank the long years of living alone and the stubborn part inside her to prevent her from breaking down and crying soundly right there. In response to her father, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his shoulder, something that she would do when ever she was still young.
There was a time she considered her father as her world. He seemed invincible to her when he was able to answer all her inquiries. Every day when he came home from work, she would talk enthusiastically to him as to what a great day it was for her…Of course, there were times when she ran up to him crying as to what torments she'd went through. When that happens, he would wrap his arms around her and let her cry her heart out. She, in return, would rest her chin on his shoulder as she sobbed.
It was so long ago…
Slowly, the father and daughter pulled away from each other. Tenten was about to say something when she felt someone tucking her leg.
The person was Kentaru.
Her father's focus immediately turned to the six years old next to her who could barely reach her waist. "Who's the Hyuuga kid?"
"He's your grandson, Kentaru." Tenten said, smiling slightly as she pulled Kentaru closer to her.
Osamu looked at her for a moment before turning to Neji who stood at the back not far away from her. He nodded approvingly. "You have made a wonderful choice."
Tenten turned her head, following her father's line of vision.
"Hm…" She started. "Actually, he is my husband."
She pointed at someone behind him.
Osamu turned around,
The first thought that came to Osamu's mind was that the 'he' Tenten was referred to was the 'she' who he saw at the front of his house just now.
His second thought was that this 'he' even looked more feminine than his daughter.
His third thought was…
Osamu blinked.
He stole a glance at Kentaru, it was obvious that the kid was (still) a Hyuuga. He then turned to Neji who was at the back (a Hyuuga). Osamu began to sweat when he looked back at the feminine man in front of him (not a Hyuuga).
He turned to his daughter.
It was only then did he seem to register that Tenten had a child…that he was actually a grandfather of not just any kid but a Hyuuga. Then it became extremely obvious that the reason why Neji was even here was because he's Kentaru's father. Yet…Tenten had just presented another man to him as her husband…not just any man but a man who looked like a woman…
My god...my daughter is not...she's not...a les...right?
"His name is Haku." Tenten continued, never once notice the cold sweat that was starting to build on her father's forehead.
This, of course, was not heard by Osamu whose mind was suffering information overload.
Thus, Osamu fainted.
Haku caught Osamu before he hit the ground. Her husband looked at Tenten and shook his head.
"Damn it." Tenten cursed in frustration. "What did I do wrong now? How can we have a warm, sappy reunion that is supposed to bring tears to every soap opera lovers' eyes when he forgives me?"
"I told you that this is a bad idea." A male voice was heard as a something black could be seen dashing into the living room after jumping over the wall that had surrounded the parameter.
"Shut up Zabuza." Tenten narrowed her eyes at the tall man, who somehow was able to smoke a cigar even though he had bandages wrapped around his face.
Zabuza shrugged indifferently as he held the cigar with his thumb, forefinger and middle finger. "Anybody who's able to think rationally would know that this won't work. You came back, became rich, had a son, married my boy who's not Kentaru's actual father and then has the kid's actual father here in the room when you introduce my boy. I say that's a pretty powerful blow…
"To him." Zabuza finished as he pointed to the unconscious man. He put the cigar back into his mouth while taking a drag, only to blow all the smoke in Tenten's face.
If only Zabuza knew what had actually made Osamu fainted…
"Yet you didn't drop dead." Tenten said dryly. She waved several times, trying to dampen down the scent of the cigar. Zabuza was doing it on purpose. He knew how she hated people smoking in front of her!
"I tend to have a stronger heart than most people, my dear daughter-in-law." With the cigar dangling at the corner of his mouth, Zabuza said the sentence with equal menace.
Tenten sighed, not in the mood to continue the bicker. She pulled out the hairpin out, allowing her hair to come down into a ponytail. She turned to Junko, "I supposed that my father still lives in the same room as before right?"
When she saw the woman nodded, Tenten led Haku down the hall as he continued to carry her father. Pushing the two shoji screen doors open, she let Haku in and watched as Haku set her father down gently on the futon. After pulling the covers over her father, the pair exited Osamu's bedroom as Tenten slid the screen doors closed behind her.
On their way back toward the living room, she smiled weakly at her husband. "So much for everything working out well huh?"
The pair arrived at the living room in no time. Through the opened shoji door, Tenten saw Junko talking to her husband at a distance near the garden; the pair looked at her when they felt someone watching them. Ichiro smiled and gave a small wave in her direction while Junko gave an uneasy smile. Then the pair walked off to the side, disappearing behind a wall. Only then, Tenten look back at the people at the room, who were all sitting around the wooden table.
Her son was pouring tea for Zabuza, who was currently using one of the tea cups as an ashtray. Shikamaru and Temari were chatting with Neji as they all sat on the opposite side of Zabuza and Kentaru. Izumi was lying on the ground at the side, her eyes were closed but Tenten saw her opening one of her eyes as she tried to trip Kentaru when he was leaving the room to get more water for the tea kettle.
All of Tenten's friends were looking at her when they saw her at the entrance of the room. From their eyes, Tenten knew that they were worried about her…even Zabuza too when he wasn't trying to get on her nerves. After all, they all came back to Konoha with her. The care she got from them caused her to smile.
She nodded at Neji, acknowledging his presence. The Hyuuga nodded in return. Although she didn't know the man personally, she had to applaud him for his patience and his stableness for being able to remain unfazed by what had happened. It was almost as if he was used to watching a greedy Daimaru showing up at the Asakura household, asking for money and her arriving at the scene to turn the situation upside down, which then resulted with Daimaru being turned into a block of ice. As a man who found out he'd fathered a child and that the woman who'd carried his child was marry at the same day; he was awfully calm.
Who would've known? Neji might not be a bad choice of a friend after all.
"Alright." Tenten started as she clasped her hands together. She looked at Daimaru, who was still trapped in Haku's ice prison. "First thing's first. Let's get back to business."
Love it? Hate it? Please review because it'll get me motivated to write!
Why did I put Haku here? (the male version too!)
Why did I put Zabuza here?
Who the hell were Team 7 fighting against at the Wave Country now that the two men didn't die?
I don't know…read more to find out lol
I apologize for the bad grammar…I haven't been using English other than reading or writing fanfiction for the past few months.