26 reviews… that's about 8 for each chapter! Although I tried to hide my smile, I am very grateful at all the reviews. Thanks for all the royal reviewers that encourage me to continue writing. It is very interesting that nobody seem to complain about grammar and spelling though…
I am still trying to test out what text character does not show up in Sigh, wonder how may guideline do they lay down? What a mystery.
I don't own anything but the plot and the uniquely form sentences.
Untitled Tale
Chapter 4: A dream went wrong
The room was dark with cream colored blinds, welcoming soft autumn wind. It was early in the morning, and the sun had yet to rise.
Whoo whoo. Whoo whoo.
A pair of pearls flickered in the dawn, as it gently docked from left to right, tracing the origin of the small callings. It stopped on a white dove, which had a tiny piece of paper tied to its leg. Softy, the pale hands reached up, pulled the message off it and begun scanning the snowy eyes against the indigo ink.
Today evening sounds fine. Meet me in the usual place, I will be there before dusk and stay for the night.
A grateful smile spread, warming up the cold room.
---
"Take this bastard! And this!"
It was the village harvest festival, and the whole village had crowded into the main street area. Candles with a welcoming scent of cinnamon and vanilla was hung along the side walks, as rows and rows of tables, wrapped in colorful scarlet and pumpkin shades, was set up facing an open field. Dishes and desserts were piled up in mountains, and on top of everything, was the animal that Tenten had hunted a few days ago, now spiced and prepared, decorated with fruits and flowers petals. It was a sight of reunion, celebration and awards. Tenten enjoyed herself as she walked past her sit, which was engraved proudly with her name.
"Hey chick, like the flower decorating on your dish? Personal masterpiece." A girl about her age with her blond locks whipped into a pony hair approached her, exchanging greetings. She was Ino, the village's "flower girl", skillful in every single way as long as plants were involved, and admired by guys for her daring sapphire eyes.
"Heh, love it. Thanks for the hard work." Tenten responded gratefully, as her eyes drafted towards Ino's back. A man with spike hair was mumbling lightly, and Tenten immediately recognized the frown that was hung on Shikamaru. She drew the conversation to another direction, attempting to aid the lonely soon-to-be-boyfriend.
"So, any guys in mind?" Tenten was not the usual female that people would be chatting and gossiping about opposite sex, as she is well known for her boyish actions. Ino immediately realized where this discussion would lead to.
"Oh, you talking about HIM?" Ino raised her voice purposely, as she knew certain somebody was eavesdropping on her. "Nope, just have some BASTARD-JERK-ASS-STALKER happened to be paying minor attention to me. Why?"
"Nothing, just because… ummm, almost approaching the age to settle down." Tenten remarked, as she saw Shikamaru started to head towards them.
"You sound like Sakura…speaking of who, haven't seen her in one whole year…" Upon finishing her sentence, a hand grabbed Ino at her waist, as a voice rung next to her ears, "Still angry? How troublesome…"
"You are the one who is pain in ass." Ino shot back, jerking his hand off her while unable to hide the scarlet shade that spread across her face. Tenten recognized this scene and voluntarily backed up as these two going-to-be lovebirds break each other's neck. Heck, she was not going to drag herself into any trouble between the word "love" or "romance", no thanks.
Her mind was drafted toward her long lost friend, Sakura, another well admired young lady and a determine hunter like her. Sadly, she didn't see her since the last time, which was one year and three months ago, when she was forced to become a maid of the infamous Hyuugas. How is she doing? Does she still hunt? Where does she live now? Where is she? Buckets of questions flooded her mind, as she realized how she had lost a big piece of herself. Nowadays, there is nobody to show-off to, nobody to express with, nobody, just herself in the lonely wood waiting for the next victim, doing good deeds for others.
Sad life.
"Now! We are going to have our targeting race! Would all interested please arrive to the opening field!" A booming voice directed from the open field alarmed all the daydreamers, snapping Tenten back to reality.
Tenten hurried toward the field to enter the contest. Once she arrived, she saw lines and lines of other hunters, all anticipating for the race. The contest was straight forward, all entered must shoot their weapons against the white boards that were set up across the field in variety of distance and sizes. The one who can aim for all the targets is the winner. She was somewhat unsure at first, but the other hunters proved themselves, she relaxed. 12 targets in a row? What a laugh, I can make them 17!
It was her turned. She pulled out hand-made needles from her pockets and she went into her usual position, but soon stopped. The boards, which were originally white, were now replaced with Neji-sir's face. This sight made her slightly shivered. The face opened their months and chanted:
"Make me tea."
"Bring me the gloves."
"Prepare for a warm bath."
"Cool off the water."
"The water is too cold."
"The tea is too sweet…"
"Bastard!" Instantly Tenten pulled out the needles and start shooting, second by second the heads started to fade as Tenten roamed in laugher. "Take this bastard! And this! Dare you to order me again, jack-ass! Who do you think you are Mr. Pain-in-ass!"
The crowded went wild, the white boards were stabbed with needles and draggers harshly as the chanting started to decrease dramatically. When the last voice of honorable-Neji-sir was gone, Tenten was overwhelmed by cheers and claps, she felt good.
"Looks like you are having fun."
Her head turned, it couldn't be happening. Neji was standing right in front of her with his icy eyes screening her mind. And surprisingly, nobody seemed to notice that the royal young master was before them and continued cheering.
"You think you could get away from being a maid? Think again, air head." As he smirked and eyed her sharply, she realized her typical hunting clothes were switched into the disgusting lacy black and white maid dress. He sneered and got closer to her, gently yet harshly pulled her towards him. Their faces almost touched, except this scene was threatening more so than romantic to Tenten.
"Even if you did get away, I would hunt you down—in every little way I could. And when I mean hunt you down—don't hesitate to think slaughtering and death…"
"STOP!"
Coffee eyes flickered as her body trembled uncontrollably in her own bed, sweating and breathing hard. She was back to the mansion in her own room from her nightmare. Her breathe smoothed as she shifted herself towards the bathroom area, cooling herself with water. It was still early in the morning, the old clock exclaimed four o'clock quietly at the corner of the room. So it was just a dream-gone-bad. After a light shower, Tenten walked out just to face another nightmare.
Thick eye brows were observing her.
"What the heck!" Carelessly she tossed a punch toward Gai, who surprising didn't block or duck but instead sent flying across the room. Why the hell did he do that! It's four! I usually wake up at five! And to make the problem worst I am half naked!
A calm, indifferent tone escaped Gai's mouth as a replace to his usual enthusiastic self, "Did you do it?"
"What?" Drunk teacher in the morning asking drunk questions…What is wrong now? "I don't understand what you are talking about."
"The note. Did you write it?"
"What note…" Before Tenten could gather more information to the current mystery, a mob of guards dashed into her room, "You Miss Tenten?"
"..Yes." Tenten was unsure at the situation now, first Gai was acting abnormally, then the guards came breaking her door, third of all, she didn't have anything on besides a towel.
"We have an emergency that requires you to attend. Please dress up and we will escort you down the hall."
Escort? Since when am I treated like humans? Quickly, she threw the maid dress onto herself, combing her hair at the same time. After deciding that tying her hair into a bun would be too much of work, she left her hair in long locks, and tidy up her uniform. Once she was done, the guards immediately surrounded her like humans shied and march her out of the room. She could barely hear the last sentence Gai made before she was half dragged down the hall.
"Don't say anything unnecessary!"
What the hell is happening!
---
Neji walked silently into the hall. He was almost angry, yet excited at the same time. Somebody had placed a note while he was sleeping—and that note wasn't any pleasing comments, but harsh and simple warning.
He unfolded the note and reread it again.
If you don't treat the maids nicely, you are going to pay.
He grinned upon scanning at this childish remark. This is pathetic, nobody ever beat him in any form of sparing and fights (well, not unless prince Sasuke was counted as well, but he never faced him one on one anyway), but who cares, he would love to have a challenge.
Even if the challenge was against a girl, he would slaughter through it. When he said that, he meant death or killing, as his personal maid float into his image.
Tsk, what CAN she do anyway? He folded the note into his pockets again as he entered the discussion hall of the Hyuugas.
---
Cold. Cold. Cold. Damn this place everything is cold as ice.
Tenten, as clueless as before, was tied and seated quietly in an extremely large hall, facing a long black marbled table. Seems like this family have a weird obsession with black and white, and being cold. She was at one end of the table, while two persons were directly opposite of her. To her left, seated bastard Neji—half smirking and half bored as his eyes were observing her, and to her right, seated a girl whom Tenten never met before. Forcing herself not to focus too much on the dumb face that Neji currently had, she drew her attention to the girl.
She was in a deep violent dress, with a white scarf-alike item wrapped along her arms and neck. Her hair was matching her outfit and in contrast to Neji's lengthwise. The pearl eyes must be a Hyuuga's family past-on. It's too bad that Nej-bastard doesn't have the same innocent look. Unlike Neji at the other side, she looked frighten and timid, and her body was slightly shaking. Their eyes met for a split second, which the girl backed off quickly by lowering her gaze back to the table.
What is wrong with her? Not like I bite.
"Lord Hiashi had arrived!"
Suddenly the whole hall shook like earthquake and woke Tenten up from her "observations". All of the guards and the Hyuugas were standing up and bowing in respect. Unable to stand up, Tenten just lowered her gaze.
"Please be seated." Hiashi, with the same snowy eyes that seem to be as emotionless as Neji, spoke in a powerful tone while seated himself down in the center of Neji and whatshername. Tenten saw no point of attempting to eavesdrop as the three Hyuugas exchanged conversations in whispers on the other end. She waited patiently at her place, trying to understand why she was here. A villager's message, which she heard a few months before she was stuck here, distracted her.
"Did you lock you doors at night? Stealing and missing items at this region are starting to grow, and to secure our own riches, buy locks that we hand made here! Yadda yadda…" Oh shit, did somebody saw me last night? But it wasn't possible—I was up past midnight! Everything should be dead asleep then!
"Miss Tenten." Everybody's attention landed on Tenten when Hiashi's voice rung again. "Could you please write a few sentences down? We would like to determine some issues."
"What would you like me to write down, si—load?" Somebody had pitched her hard on her back to make her switch the "honored-term". Hmpt, honorable low life jerks…
"Whatever that seem to please you, miss." He leaded back into his chairs and gave a quick snapped. When Tenten lowered her gaze, she saw paper and pens in from of her, as well as ink in midnight blue color. Why midnight blue? Another weird obsessions of the Hyuugas?
Tenten inhaled lightly as she begun to think of what to write down. Okay… so this is exactly like one of those pain in ass paper exams I did when I was a child, now plan a respond…
Fuck you, Hyuuga bitches. No. There is no way that is going on the paper.
Neji is an asshole, he doesn't need maids, he needs slaves. Unfortunately, no.
This house is filled with nightmares, being maid is a nightmare. No, again.
As Tenten fantasized over what she could write down on the paper, Gai's warning gleamed at her in her mind "Don't say anything unnecessary." Pulling back all of her personal feelings, she wrote down "I am Tenten, a maid of the Hyuugas." When she was done, the paper was passed to a guard, who dashed to the other end of the table as the three Hyuuga's examine it. It didn't take long before Hiashi spoke again.
"What were you doing after your dismissal with Neji?" He questioned, and Tenten was getting nervous, did they spied on me and knew what I can do?
"I went back to my room and took a shower. I was at bed before midnight…Lord."
"Are you sure you didn't exit the room after midnight?"
Shit shit shit, they knew! Where is god and why isn't he besides me! "No sir, I stayed in my room (not sleeping but throwing shit at a picture of Neji) until this morning, lord."
"You absolutely positive?"
"Yes, lord." Please don't let them know please don't let them know please don't let them know pleasedon'tletthemknowwhatIdidorwhatIcando!
"Miss Tenten, do you understand what the situation is? Lying will directly result in death in this mansion." What? Death is part of this drama!
"Lord, please forgive my rudeness but I do not understand what I have done wrong…" I should some reward for extreme acting now… "I am aware that my limited experience is not enough to satisfy young master's needs (she thought she heard Neji snorted at this statement), but I was not mentioned the reason why I am here instead of continuing my usual routine of serving…"
"You were not aware of why you were sent here? None of the guards told you?" Hiashi was puzzled while directing death glares at the guards who stood side by side with Tenten and pretending they were deaf.
"No, lord."
"…" Hiashi gave out a light sigh, taking the pieceof crumbled note in front of Neji and handing it to a guard, who quickly laid it out across for Tenten. "Sometime after midnight, somebody had dropped a note in front of Neji's room, which is what you are currently reading."
"But, lord, this is a threatening note." Tenten spoke lightly, half shocked at what she was reading. She was relieved when she realized they weren't charging against her for what she did last night with her drawings, but still curious and clueless at why she was brought here.
"We knew, that is why we are having this meeting now… Apparently the note was addressing that Neji wasn't treating his maids fairly. Thus we call upon you, since you are his personal maid and new to the Hyuugas. We hope that you understand that statements like this would not be tolerant in this mansion, punishment from beating to death would be given when such actions were committed…"
"Why did you bring me here, lord? There were many other maids in this mansion…" Okay he just said a lot about death and beating and torturing but what is his main point!
"You don't get it don't you." Neji snapped, getting annoyed at where this is heading. "Let me sum it up for you, new-comer. Somebody was idiot enough to put a threatening note at my door, and we are accusing you for doing it…"
"Neji, mind your manners." Hiashi said, still as calm as before.
"Sorry, master. Lord Hiashi was addressing that you were the closest suspect that we could concluded in committing such crime. Consequently we sent you here to understand your last night activities and to give proper justify to current issue. As we were discussing the matter, it seemed that all of the evidences were directing to you. If you admit guilty to this, you would be punish determine by the degree of crime…"
"WHAT THE HELL IS ALL THIS GARBAGE JUSTIFICATIONS YOU GAVE!" The patience line had hit bottom, Tenten was tired of all of this—she was treated like shit, then she was accused of threatening the Hyuugas? What the hell? Have some brains here morons! If I was smarter I would jumped out of the window and runaway instead! "To be honest, lord, madam, and young master-whatsoever, I am new, but as fresh as I get, I am not dumb enough to disobey the laws of the un-written Hyuuga's constitution, knowing that I am low in position!"
Tenten let out a puff of anger, as the faces of the opposite side remind emotionless. After an awkward amount of silent, Hiashi spook again, "How may you prove your position, Miss Tenten?"
Okay, this is tricky, they want to see what I can prove—and I am not going to back up just because your face is powdered with snow and is stoned from drinking too much wine! "Lord… I will prove myself by escorting Neji from tonight to tomorrow morning."
"Escorting Neji?" Hiashi raised a brow, he does have to admit that she has some guts to stand up for herself ,which reminded him of some other pink head girl who went missing 4 months ago. With this in his mind, he chuckled.
"Are you really that foolish? Somebody just wrote me a threatening note! And we are accusing that you did such crime, and you attempt to prove truth that you are so called innocent by escorting me? Isn't that the same as 'knowing a snake would bite, you still tried to test the theory by letting it bite your finger'?"
"If you have better ideas, Neji-sir, I hope you would be kind enough to share with lord Hyuugas and your personal maid!" Tenten shot back at Nej, furious now, "I can prove that I am pure innocent in my way. If you were indeed attacked by me, then I failed to protect my great innocent and by all means, have me in death row! The truth is, I don't need to and have no intention in making you suffer, nevertheless in a threatening note!"
"Is that a challenge?" Neji smirked.
"Enough, enough Neji and Miss Tenten." Hiashi coughed loudly to calm the two youngsters down. Gee they fight like married couples… "Miss Tenten, although I am somewhat suspicious at your actions considering last night's threatening note, I would give you a chance to prove yourself. You could escort Neji for tonight (Neji rise to speak but Hiashi stopped him by a simple hand signal), however, if any part of Neji was found injured, then we would have to give you proper punishment. Is that understood?"
"Yes, thank you for your mercy, lord." Tenten lowered her gaze at Hiashi while giving a grin that exclaimed ha, bit that jerk-ass toward Neji. Neji frowned in dismay, as he, the greatest fighter in this whole mansion, is going to have a weakling as a bodyguard. Ironic, nah?
"Dismissed." Hiashi stood up and left, as whatshername and Neji followed.
---
As the three royal Hyuugas traveled down the ally, Hiashi started exchanging conversation with the youngs.
"Hinata…you seem to have a strong desire in pushing Miss Tenten in admitting the crime, why didn't you speak then?"
"F-Father… I believe y-you have mi-misunder-s-stood me. I ha-have no in-intention in involving-g with such t-trouble…" The pearl eye girl answered as her eyes shifted from left to right uneasily.
"Really…" Hiashi left this topic hanging, as he altered his attention to Neji. "Neji, I have never seen you speak so much in front of others."
"Please don't misunderstand this situation…I am just trying to weed out the useless and crimials."
"Is that so? I though you might have something for that young girl…" Neji gave a disgusted look on his face. "You know your settling age is almost here…"
"I have no intention in getting marry, master." Neji interrupted a little too soon, causing Hiashi to half snicker among himself.
"Yes, yes… I will have guards set up for you tonight, Hinata, as we are unsure whether to trust that young maid or not." Hinata let out a small "thank you" while her sour face was betraying her words. "It almost worked." Her inside exclaimed.
"And Neji?"
"Yes, master?"
"Don't let your guard down tonight. Even if it wasn't her, you would still have to protect yourself as some other foe had invaded our mansion." Hiashi finished and left the two behind, he still wouldn't refer to me as "uncle"…Sigh…
---
Bed, this morning is far too exciting, not to mention I have to stay up all night again for some stupid prove-me-innocent-case…bed is good…sleep is good…
"Tenten! You are alive!" Gai was jumping towards her when he saw her walking on her own two feet. Tsk, back to his own self. He could have stayed stoned for the remaining day! Tenten had twenty seconds to decide whether she should runaway or to suicide herself by jumping out of the window nearest to her.
Oops, ran out of time.
"I was so worry about you!" Gai gave Tenten a bear hug, squeezing all the reminding life out of her. She had to use almost all of her energy to push him away from a tighter gripped.
"What the heck let go I need to sleep!"
"Did I hear the word 'sleep'? I hope I didn't because it's a beautiful day out and you youngsters have enormous amount of energy to spend! Now without wasting another minute, we will ride in our youthful shoes and refresh ourselves with more training! Did you know young master wrote down a list of advice that you could train on?"
Aren't I surprise?
"First item on the list!" Gai pulled out a list that is twice her length, how could he HAVE so much to COMPLAIN! He pointed to the first item and announced, "Tea making! Come on, to the kitchen I say!"
Once again, Tenten was dragged further away from her room to another hell-hole training.
To those who tried to guess, I can't tell you whether Neji saw her weapon-smashing the picture because I want to keep the suspension going. However, I can tell you that the WHOLE mansion contained living things that HAVE white eyes.
And maybe the fact that Neji remarked "Tsk, what CAN she do anyway?" should aid in figuring out how much Neji understands Tenten thus far.
I spent an awful amount of time addressing the warm atmosphere that the village gave in order to make a contrast when Tenten was seated in the Hyuugas hall, hope the readers notice that and don't regard that as "dragging on". Sakura is a special friend to Tenten, so I spent one paragraph describing her, BUT NO, Tenten doesn't have any romantic feelings against the former hunter.
Hinata sounded evil for several lines, I tried to resolve that by making her speak in broken sentences, but that attempt had failed. She is innocent, but she does have some sort of plan which I have not mention yet.
The person in the beginning paragraph is going to left unknown until later (meaning next chapter).
Patience, readers! Still not done with mid-terms! These damn exams dragged on. I will return to my wonderful studying now…why the hell is US history so long and explained in such boring tone… The teachers are getting paid too easily.
I only proofread this twice. So grammar mistakes are a must in this chapter. Sorry about my wordy-ness too.
Thank yous: little wolf blossom for corrections. I knew something was wrong with that word, stupid me. Thanks :)
