E2: Blah. Read. It's edited.
Anyhow… yes- the thing with Tenten and the kids did happen with Emi, as well. Weird things like that happen in their world, especially when I get involved. This is strange. Onward!
So, read, review (any accepted) and enjoy!
Chapter Twelve: Revelation
Tenten stepped out of the shower, toweling her hair dry. She was getting used to shorter hair, once again she remembered bitterly, and changed, normally this time- she was completely exhausted. She glanced in the mirror as she walked out. Her eyes were still red rimmed- Sakura would pick up on that. She ran her hand over her eyes, soothing them immediately, and left the room.
"Tenten-nee-chan!" Chikako pounced onto Tenten's leg.
"You know, I am older than your mother," Tenten smiled down at the girl with raven hair.
"I heard you were staying here for the next few weeks!" Chikako said, jumping up and down.
"Yes- well, until I find a new house. Would you like to help me?" Tenten asked, crouching down to Chikako's level.
The young Uchiha nodded proudly, and hugged Tenten- one that Tenten returned with some surprise. Chikako seemed very serious and shy to begin with, but seemed to open up without the other children. It intrigued her.
"Chika… are you bothering Tenten?" Sakura asked humorously.
"No- I'm fine. She's very sweet," Tenten smiled fondly at the child and she entered the brightly lit room. It opened up on one side to a beautiful garden that the house centered around.
"Why don't you go outside and play with Oki and Daiki?" Sakura asked her daughter.
"Yes- I just wanted to see if Tenten-nee-chan was okay."
"Why do you ask that?" Tenten curiously asked the child.
"Oki said that you were sad about leaving the apartment," Chikako replied before cheerfully skipping outside, joining her friends.
She sat down on a white futon on the cream tatami mats in front of the coffee table.
Both she and Sakura sipped at the fragrant jasmine tea, neither saying a word.
"They are extremely perceptive," Tenten said, finally breaking the silence.
"Well, they are the children of the legendary Rookie Nine of Konoha," Sakura smiled faintly. "But it has been feeling empty of late, Tenten," she said heavily. "Where have you been?"
"Do you remember how Neji and I went on that holiday? Down at the beach house?" Tenten asked.
Sakura nodded.
"I was on an island, three kilometers off that coast. You can even see it," Tenten sighed.
"What?"
"What has Neji told you?"
Sakura quickly recounted the story that Neji had told her and about what Temari had said to her on the phone. Tenten sighed and put down her empty tea cup.
"The night before the mission, I had a dream that this guy came in and… assaulted me in my sleep. I woke up, and there were bruises on my wrists and blood in my nails. I didn't tell either of them what it was about but… when I was on the mission, he attacked me. He found me and came after me. I thought I killed him, and then I met up with this guy called Hideaki Hiroshi. He took me out on a date- to some weird coffee place- and then the first man was there. He told me that… Hiashi was dead and that Neji would have to get married to someone else. I stabbed him and ran back to the beach house and when I did, I found that Hinata hadn't called yet- so I still believed that he had been lying. But yeah, you already know the rest of it.
"Then afterwards, I left the house, and chucked my bangle into the ocean and I felt really dizzy, and yet like there were bricks in my head, and I fell asleep, even though I had just woken up," Tenten looked down and Sakura poured more tea into the china cup.
"What happened next?"
"I don't know. I woke up in a bed on an island- and Hiroshi was there. He said that we were married."
She paused, giving some time for Sakura to laugh but she didn't. To her, marriage was a serious matter.
"And then… everyone in the house seemed to be in on some big secret- and I was the only one who didn't know. There were these four sisters in the house, too- Asuka, Akane, Hotanu and Hana. They said that they were Hiroshi's sisters. And then… after a few weeks… I was 'initiated," she paused, rubbing her shoulder blades. Sakura wondered what was there.
"It was more like branding me," Tenten spat. "And then, for the next three years, I believed him. I was Hideaki Miyako and I was married to Hideaki Hiroshi. But then, as they trained me in my powers, they grew distant because they knew I had the power to obliterate them, regardless of my lack of experience.
"And then, I had a dream one night. I was swimming in the ocean and the tides kept pulling me to the reflection of the moon, and I knew I had to go back to the mainland- something was happening. It was Neji…"
She smiled sadly. "And I didn't know him at first. I thought he was just some random stranger with heartbreaking eyes. He kissed me… and everything came flooding back- all of it," she stared unseeingly at the garden.
"Sakura… what's more is that Hyuuga Hiashi didn't die in his sleep- he was murdered in his dreams by Hiroshi. He killed his free will first and made him write the will before killing everything in his mind," Tenten shut her eyes.
"How?" Sakura fiddled with the hem of her kimono. "How do you know this?"
"Because I can see through time- both past and future… but this one only came because of Neji."
"What else did you learn?" Sakura asked after a tense minute. She poured more tea.
"They seemed to be doing this all for me- like I was so special or something. He kept talking about these powers that I had," Tenten sipped at the tea, and Sakura was silent.
"What powers?" Sakura asked.
"Powers over everything- elements, the mind and soul… over time," she whispered.
"What are you going to do next?" Sakura asked, wiping away her tears as she magically procured a box of tissues from somewhere.
Tenten waved them away and gingerly placed the small cup of tea on the table.
"I am going to go and get everything in my life back in order and see a few people," Tenten said.
"Like Tsunade?"
"Yes, and also Temari and Hinata," Tenten rose quietly.
"Can we come?" Sakura asked, standing also.
"Sure," Tenten said, feeling warmed on the inside- she would be glad for the company. They crossed through the central garden and left the estate, the sky sprinkling lightly. The kunoichi got her bearings quickly- they were on the other side of Konoha from where she had lived with Neji and 30 minutes away from the Hokage tower.
Well, she thought smugly as they dropped from the last roof top and sprinted up the stairs, 30 minutes to walk, anyway.
The trio walked through the familiar corridors and Sakura waved to a few people she passed. One of them was Shizune- and she recognized Tenten.
"Tenten? Is that you?" asked the woman.
"Yes," Tenten replied shyly.
"Where have you been for the past three years? Everyone has missed you so much!"
"I was on an island," Tenten said quietly and slowly.
"Um… sorry- what?" Shizune rubbed the back of her head. "I'm not sure if I heard properly…"
"I said I was on an island. I've come to see Tsunade-sama. I wish to call a meeting, of the Rookie Nine and Team Gai- and their sensei," Tenten said, walking down the corridor, trailing behind Sasuke and Sakura- one of the model couples of Konoha with the trophy to prove it.
"Sakura-san! Sasuke-kun! What are you doing here?" someone asked. Tenten smiled. She knew that voice. She turned around the corner and Lee caught a glimpse of his life long friend.
"T… no, it couldn't possibly be," Lee shook his head.
"Lee- you're such an idiot, you know!" Tenten said tearfully as she ran into the room and was embraced fondly by the one whom she thought of as a little brother.
"But you're not so little anymore, Lee," Tenten whispered. Her head came up to halfway between the top of his shoulder and elbow.
"You look so different! I didn't recognise you!" Lee said, putting her down. "Your hair! And your eyes- they're so different! And you look absolutely stunning!" he twirled her around, and Tenten laughed happily. She had missed so many things about the people here in Konoha.
The kunoichi stilled when she looked at Tsunade and Naruto standing beside her chair.
"Tsunade-sama, Naruto-kun," Tenten murmured respectively, bowing her head.
"Tenten-nee-chan!" Naruto greeted happily, waving. "Why have you come back to see Tsunade-baa-chan?" he asked, ignoring the daggers that Tsunade was pointing at him with her eyes.
"I've come… back. For good, but I have some things to say. I wish to call a meeting for the Rookie Nine and their sensei, and the sand siblings," Tenten requested, looking directly at Tsunade.
"Come to the meeting room in one and a half hours," the legendary Sannin replied. Tenten nodded and left the room, Sakura and Sasuke in tow.
----x----
Neji looked out the window at the ocean. It was calm- contrary to his feelings on the inside.
"Neji? Are you okay?" Emi asked.
"I'm fine," Neji replied tersely.
"I just can't help but feel that… you're distancing yourself from me," Emi said. She had learned that it did you no good to hide your thoughts from him- it would only widen the rift between them.
"When have I ever been closer to you than I am now?" Neji asked, a dry shot of humour in his voice.
"Neji, please- can't you talk to me? I am sick of being the one who always has to reveal myself- why can't you open up to me? I know I am not Tenten, but… I want to know who you are. I need to know who you are," Emi said, finishing on a quiet note.
"Do you really want to know who I am?" Neji asked, his voice low.
"Yes. I have been waiting, Neji," Emi said, expelling a breath timidly.
"My father died when I was four and I tried to avenge his death by killing my cousin at the age of thirteen. I was defeated by Uzumaki Naruto in the Chuunin main matches, and he changed my view on things. When I was sixteen, I became a jounin and I still did missions with my team. When I was nineteen, I realized that I was in love with my team mate, Tenten, and at the age of twenty-one, I became engaged to Takumi Emi," Neji said hollowly, and leaned against the windowpane. From those words, his life sounded utterly pathetic.
"That… is not who you are," Emi protested.
"Who am I then?" Neji asked icily.
"You are… Hyuuga Neji. You are a gentleman. You have the driest humour I have ever seen and are extremely overprotective of those you love. You are honour-bound… by your words, and…"
"Do not presume that you know me, Emi," Neji said, silencing her with a single glance. He suddenly wished that the three weeks would be over so that he could see Tenten again. But then again, with each passing day came that specific date. The wedding was coming closer and pretty soon, he'd have to start preparing.
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Tenten looked around the room. it was filled with so many familiar smiling faces- including Hinata, Kiba and Shino (who wasn't smiling but his face was still familiar), Ino, Chouji and Shikamaru, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, Gai, Asuma, Kurenai, Anko (for some reason), Temari, Gaara (who, similarly was not smiling, but he was also a familiar face), Kankuro, Tsunade and, strangely enough, Hanabi.
"Everyone…" Tenten said clearly, once everyone had settled down. "I have called this meeting to tell you about what happened to me in the past five years, and what I have found out. It relates the most to Hinata and Hanabi, but I wanted everyone to know- and no one else, other than you…"
The kunoichi recounted the events of what had happened five years and one day ago, leaving out the details about her and Neji's relationship. This time she did not cry. It had gone beyond her- and it was now her duty, as a kunoichi, to inform the other shinobi, her family, of her ordeal, to gain their perspectives and their views on her situation and what to do, where to go next. They were the centre of her life. They formed, in essence, the compass of her journey- but there was one missing. In her speech, that was all that she thought about. The face that had been imprinted in her memory. The lips that had always so passionately met her own. The hands that had caused her to feel so much pain in battle, but pleasure in love. The fathomless eyes that had seen into and branded her heart and soul as is own, and she the same.
"Hyuuga… Hiashi was murdered," Tenten's voice wavered, thick with emotion. "He was forced to write that will… and soon after, murdered in his sleep," she could not look at Hanabi and Hinata. It was too painful.
"That is all I know… and I don't know what to do now…" Tenten stepped back, her head bowed and Ino hugged her gently, briefly, her tears staining the yukata that Tenten wore. The kunoichi only then stole a brief glance of the Hyuuga sisters. They were both crying silently and hugging each other.
"But… we cannot stand around and cry. We don't have the time," Sakura said loudly. "We have to do something about Emi. She's not who she says she is. We have talked to the head of the Takumi clan and he told us that Takumi Emi is dead and has not existed for three hundred years."
"What?" Tenten said dully. "I thought she was someone else- she looks exactly like Asuka, one of the sisters in the house."
"But how can that be possible? She could not be in two places at once and you cannot dream and be awake at the same time," Temari said, cracking her knuckles. She was still more than a bit miffed that neither she nor Kankuro had found anything about her supposed impostor.
"You can… if you're a Hideaki," Tenten said, wishing that she had said nothing.
"How about you go back to the place and try and remember everything?" Anko suggested.
"I remember everything I need t," Tenten shuddered.
"What will we do about Emi? Will we tell Neji?" Hanabi asked.
"First, we wait for them to come back to Konoha," Tsunade said.
"What about… their marriage? Will it be annulled?" Tenten asked quietly.
"If there is enough evidence, then it would be considered by the Hyuuga Elders- I have no intervention in that matter unfortunately," Tsunade said.
"But that information that she is a fraud- isn't that enough Hinata-chan?" Ino asked.
"I don't know what to do anymore," Hinata said. Naruto rubbed her shoulder and she leaned against his.
"First we wait for the couple to come home. Tenten should try and get everything back in order again. No one tells Neji about any of this- what he would do is unpredictable, especially since we don't currently know where the five are," Shikamaru said, knowing that everyone would trust his judgment.
"What do we all say then, when Neji asks us where Tenten has been? It's hard for her to lie convincingly to him… I mean- it's hard for everyone to lie to him," Kiba said, shooting an apologetic look at Tenten.
"Tenten- he trusts you," Chouji said, from the shadows. "Whatever you say to him, he will believe you, but tell him the truth- tell him that you don't know, and that you're going to work on trying to get everything back together," he said wisely.
"How about those five people?" Sakura asked.
"Leave them…" Temari cracked her knuckles. "…to us."
"I want them back alive if you find them," Tsunade demanded.
After another hour of discussing plans and similar things, the meeting was adjourned, and everyone went their separate ways- with the exception of Ino, Sakura, Temari, Hinata and Hanabi.
"You are a better person than Emi," Hanabi said bluntly. "I don't like her one bit. She annoys me. She's weak, even if she can fight. After three years, she can't compare to you, and everyone knows that Neji-nii-san compares her to you in his heart. He thinks about you often and it hurts her."
Hinata sighed. Her sister was often blunt like this- but she had moments of such craftiness and tact that she was an entirely different person.
"What did they do with your hair? I bet Neji must have touched it when he first saw you. It's the most drastic change I've seen in you… apart from your eyes," Ino said.
"They originally shaved it off. Completely. I think I cried and yes… and what is wrong with my eyes?" Tenten said, not quite angrily, but still slightly offended.
"Nothing…" Ino said.
"They're different from when I last saw you," Temari finished. "They don't… sparkle? They used to always be bright, and young. Now… it seems so… sad. You should get some happiness back in your system. Let's go out tonight," she suggested and Tenten rolled her eyes.
"You know, the three of us are married with kids. Hanabi is the only one for whom it is socially acceptable to actually go out clubbing or something like that," Hinata smiled wryly. "Not everything can be solved by going out, getting drunk and hooking up with some random guy, Temari. Speaking of which… how are you?"
Tenten lost focus on what was going on and her eyes seemed to haze over. Suddenly, she saw Hiroshi in the room.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded, glaring at him.
"Well… just take a look around," he said, gesturing to the girls. Everyone was still.
"No… you never could control time," she breathed. "None of you could."
"Ever thought about that sixth person, with eleven seals?" he asked, sitting next to her.
Tenten stood.
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
"You read those books, didn't you?
Tenten suddenly understood.
"Temari?" she whispered. "She wasn't real? It was someone else?" she remembered a name that had been said. "Tetsu." She breathed.
"That is correct, more or less," Hiroshi steeped his fingers and looked at her. Tenten quickly punched him and pinned him down to the seat with a huge shuriken she'd summoned.
"What are you doing here, you bastard? It's obvious that you need me for something because you have sought me out only two days after I left you. Tell me!" she shrieked.
Hiroshi smirked at her. He clicked his fingers and disappeared.
"Tenten? How did you get there? Where did that shuriken come from?" Sakura eyed her friend warily.
"Hiroshi!" Tenten growled.
"What?" Temari demanded.
"He was here!" Tenten said. "He came to me and said…"
"It's getting a bit repetitive, Tenten," Ino said lazily.
"Shut up. You have no idea what I have been through," Tenten said quietly.
It was in that instant that she knew that the world as she knew it had changed. Some fragments still existed, but… she had vanished for three years without a word, and life had gone on without her- and they had become used to it.
Tenten looked at her old friends and sensed their thoughts. They believed her and supported her, but it seemed too much like a coincidence.
"Just… forget it. I'm going… for a walk," Tenten stood and left the room.
"It's pouring outside…" Ino muttered.
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Tenten left the tower and did not try to escape the rain or take shelter. She took off her shoes and felt the mud between her toes. The kunoichi walked barefoot to the old meeting place of Team Gai. It was the same place that Lee had gone to before his operation and where they had all explained their dreams and hopes, with, of course, the exception of Neji.
Sniffing, she lay back on one of the stone benches, not feeling the cold or anything else for that matter, as she fell asleep.