Battle of the Ages
Chapter 2: The Engagement, and the Plan
Author: The Demonic Ninjas 3
Beta Reader: featherdreams
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I own only this Plot. Thank you very much!
Summary: AU It has been many generations since the battle began. Yet the battle still continues. Blades continue to clash. Lives continue to be lost. The Uchiha-Hyuuga Conflict, will it ever be solved? NejiTen, NaruHina, InoShikaTem…more to come!
Pairings: NejiTen, NaruHina, Slight InoShikaTema … and more to come
Author's Note: Ta da! Chapter 2 is done! Thank you for all the reviews! They really inspired me!
Note for the fic!
Since this is an AU fic, there is no real time period the story is placed in. I've made it so that the Uchiha clan are medieval (so they are the "knights in shining armor" people) and the Hyuuga clan is the feudal Japan group. I hope that made sense…
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A light breeze blew in from the open window. The scent of lavender was present. Just the perfect scent to make the Hyuuga prodigy relax. Currently, he was staring out the window. His eyes were closed as he listened to the birds call.
The prodigy was known to be unmoved in even the most nerve-racking situations, as most samurai were, but here he was, red with embarrassment and at the same time overjoyed. Only a few moments ago, his uncle had announced that he was to be engaged with the Tazuka heir, Tenten.
It felt weird for Neji to be single with no fiancée, and suddenly have his childhood friend given to him as his future bride. It wasn't like he didn't want Tenten as his wife. He absolutely adored her, but Neji had always imagined that his wife would be kind of like a damsel-in-distress. A woman that he would need to protect. A person who was emotional and would listen to your stories and be unable to correct you.
Yes, Neji didn't like to be accused of saying something inaccurate even if it was true that he was off by a thousand. But here you have Tenten, of course he thought that she was absolutely gorgeous –with her jet black hair sleekly, tied into two buns and occasionally in braids or a ponytail, but never undone; but she loved to fight. It was a passion of hers. Her accuracy in archery was in its own league. Not even him, THE Hyuuga Neji could beat Tenten's heaven sent skill. At the same time, she was unpredictable. One moment she could be shy, quiet and sweet, then before you knew it, she's fuming about something and begins blaming everyone.
To top it all off, Neji was 5 months younger than his bride-to-be.
Most men married women a lot younger than them. To add to the horror, Tenten couldn't cook! What kind of wife is she (obviously not a stereotypical house wife, that's for certain).
Now you have Neji in his bedroom, reflecting on the most recent event and contemplating his future. Arranged marriages were always so troublesome.
Suddenly a knock was heard at the door.
"What is it?"
"Sire, the Lord Hyuuga wishes to see you in the audience chamber."
"Tell him I'll be there soon." Neji replied as he finally moved from his spot by the window and glanced at himself in the mirror.
The Hyuuga prince wore a traditional samurai outfit, with the customary two blades stuffed in his sash. His samurai outfit was of a very intricate design and made of the most expensive silk. With the final touches made to adjust his weapons at his side, Neji marched off to face his uncle for the second time this day.
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The stoic prince strolled into the brightly lit audience room and bowed. "You asked to see me, Hyuuga-sama?" The servant had led the white-eyed prince to audience chamber C, one of the smaller ones.
"How many times have I told you? There is no need for formalities if members of the royal family are the only ones present." Hiashi Hyuuga stated calmly as he watched his nephew nod in respect.
"Hai, … Uncle."
"That's better." The Hyuuga lord smiled. Unlike the Uchiha royal family, the Hyuuga clan had a mature and experienced leader. Hinata unexpectedly moved out from the shadows of the walls and greeted her cousin.
"Konnichiwa, Neji-nii-san."
Neji grunted in acknowledgement, believing it appropriate enough but from the corner of his eye, he saw his uncle's disapproving look. He decided to return the greeting.
"Konnichiwa Hinata-sama."
The cousinly relationship was not always so severed. As children they were playmates, Hinata being only a year younger. It was only after the death of Neji's father had an invisible barrier formed between the two. Being part of the clan's branch family, he was a 'minor prince', even though he was the most talented fighter that the Hyuuga royal family has ever seen. Many people believed it was a disappointment that Hinata was made the heiress, and Neji, a minor prince, but that was fate. And no one can change fate, ne? Now let's go back to Neji being in the audience chamber with his uncle, and now Hinata.
"Why do you look so perplexed?" The prodigy's uncle questioned curiously as he saw how Neji wanted to run out of the room. But that was only about the 0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 of the emotions shown on his face. The rest of his visage gave nothing away.
"I am not perplexed." Neji stated confidently and almost bluntly as he daringly lifted his eyes to his uncle's level. His uncle smiled.
"Is it about your engagement?"
Neji did not answer, but from the corner of his eye, he saw Hinata slip out of the room. 'Lucky her' were the thoughts that ran through the Hyuuga prince's mind.
"I thought that it would be an appropriate engagement for you two, seeing as you both have the same passions and know each other very well."
Neji still didn't reply.
"Well, if you really don't want to marry her, then I can cancel the engagement."
Neji took the bait. The prodigy knew all too well that if he wasn't going to marry Tenten he would be FORCED to marry Aoi of the Tozuna clan. To Neji, even if all the women in the world died, he would NEVER marry that horrid excuse for a girl. She was a) a crybaby, b) a big spender, c) has no talent whatsoever in anything, and d) #1 fan of Neji to the point where she drives him insane. So what if Tenten can't cook! At least she can still fight.
The Hyuuga prince had met her 10 years ago when he was 15. The girl gave him the creeps. She had practically stalked him through the whole banquet night. It was a dinner between the Hyuuga and the Tozuna clan. The Tozunas were visiting because the clan leaders needed to discuss border issues. The girl analyzed every movement he made.
Every time Neji lifted his head he saw the girl watching him with a malicious glint in her eye, as though eyeing a piece of candy she particularly liked. He was lucky that Hinata was there to ease some of the pain.
However Hinata's attempts were futile. No matter how much Hinata tried to distract the little Tozuna princess Aoi would not stop gawking at her cousin Aoi was absolutely infatuated with the Hyuuga prince. At the end of the evening Aoi asked her father if she could marry Neji when she came of age.
'Of course', was Aoi's father's reply. He was obviously overjoyed that his daughter had developed an interest in the Hyuuga Prince. At least they wouldn't have to meet about tedious subjects like border issues anymore. So, Aoi's father gave a proposal to Neji's uncle (at the time, Neji's father had already been killed.). As common courtesy, his uncle had said he would think about it.
The dowry for Aoi was immense. It was 1000 Koban (the currency that feudal Japan used back then), 5 samurai outfits, 6 horses and 2 well-built swords. The dowry was irresistible, but as the reasonable uncle that he was, Hiashi knew that Neji would not want to marry her, so the Hyuuga lord gave Neji some time to meet the other women before arranging a marriage.
Now that Neji was 25, and is still a bachelor up for grabs, his uncle had taken the bull by the horns and arranged a marriage with one of Neji's closest friends, Tenten.
The Hyuuga lord looked at Neji and smiled.
"So do you wish for me to cancel the engagement?" He asked, snapping Neji back into reality.
The white-eyed prince sighed.
"No, I believe that marrying the Tazuka heiress is a benefit for the Hyuuga clan. There is no need to cancel it."
Hiashi smiled.
"Well, since that's settled, let's discuss another important matter."
Neji raised an arched eyebrow.
"That being…"
"The victory of the Uchiha clan."
"The defeat of the Sumiyori clan after 17 fights."
"Precisely."
"There's nothing much to talk about. The Sumiyori family was almost as poor and despicable as the Uchiha clan."
"But this could be a change of tides for the Uchihas, ne?"
"Uchiha Itachi made the clan impoverished. They can't possibly escape their poverty for at least another 10 generations. There's nothing to worry about."
"But the Uchiha leader is intelligent."
"Point being…"
"Do something to ensure that they don't taste victory again."
"I'll see to that personally myself." Neji stated confidently as he walked out the door, his arrogant attitude returning slowly.
"You can use whatever measures you wish, but don't forget to visit your fiancée first." Lord Hiashi said with a smile as he saw his nephew pause in a moment of irritation.
"Hai, Hyuuga-sama."
"Formalities?"
"My apologies Uncle. Old habits die hard."
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End of Chapter 2!
YAY! Chapter 2 is done! I hoped you guys liked it! I almost wanted to discontinue the story because there was an insufficient amount of reviews, but then suddenly there was a burst of reviews and I was like o.O
Oh well, it got me inspired to write the next chapter lol.
Feel free to tell me what you liked and disliked. And what you want to see in the story. I have a very vague idea of the way I want this story to go so… Tell me what you want to see and I'll try to make it fit into the story!
Anyways, thanks for reading people!
READ AND REVIEW!
(and cross your fingers for the next chapter lol.
Maybe read of my other stories –hint hint-)
