Four weddings and a funeral - Chapter 4
Hiashi and Hizashi's father's funeral
One month later
"So much for a first date," Tenten grumbled, taking a sip of her wine.
"That old geezer, always fucking up everything." Hiashi cursed, taking a big gulp of his.
"Uncle." Neji admonished, just returning from a trip to the kitchen with a plate of canapes for him and Tenten.
"What?" The older man glared at his nephew, considerably irritated. "Of all the days he could have died, he decided to die last night? I swear he did it just to spite us. The whole lot of us." Hiashi's angry furrowed brows were a great contrast to the amused expression of his twin brother.
"Now, now, Hiashi. You may be reading a bit too much into it." He tried to calm his brother. "If father really wanted to spite us, he would have continued living longer."
Hiashi shook his head. "Mark my words, Hizashi. He knew this day was going to be a good one for too many of us. But, he simply couldn't have it, so he called his best friend Satan and asked him for a ride."
Hiashi huffed. "He's probably in hell as we speak, and not the fun section of it where I'll end up with a martini and Lil Nas X."
Hizashi only chuckled as a reply while Neji gave an apologetic look to Tenten, snaking a hand around her waist and bringing her closer to him. She smiled at him and willingly came closer, also circling his waist with her free arm.
"You ok?" She whispered, looking up at him.
Neji nodded, bending down to capture her lips softly for a quick kiss. "I am now."
This only caused Hiashi to wail that much more. "You see!" He complained to his brother, pointing at the couple. "They were supposed to go on their first date today. And I would have been one step closer to make Tenten my daughter-in-law."
"And you were also supposed to be on your first date with Goichi," Hizashi repeated the same complaints his older brother whined about in a loop for the past hour. "And Hinata's first boy's christening was supposed to be this morning."
"Exactly!" Hiashi grunted again. "What an…"
"Asshole!" Hinata came stomping towards where the four of them had been talking, in a far-off corner in Hyuga Mansion's Hall, a little bit in retreat from the guests who came to pay their respects and bring those awful casseroles by the dozens.
Everyone looked at the flushed out, usually calm and gentle, indigo-haired woman who was holding in her arms a bundled two-weeks old sleeping Boruto.
"He did it on purpose!" She exclaimed in a whisper to not wake her sleeping son. "Oh! That wrinkly old decrepit heartless monster!" She growled. "If he wasn't dead, I'd kill him myself."
"If he wasn't dead," Naruto panted, just having made his way through the gathered crowd, baby's car seat in hand. "You wouldn't have to kill." He finished his reasoning but only to regret it as soon as Hinata gave him a blood-chilling glare.
"Err…" Naruto gulped down. "I'm going to put Boruto's stuff in your old room."
"Don't be so hard on him, darling." Her father gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Here, let me take Boruto while you settle in."
Hinata gave the wrapped infant to his grandfather and continued on with her complaints while unbuttoning her coat.
"Really, he must have known. He completely did this to spite us." Hinata brought her hands to her flustered face.
"That's what I said." Hiashi, who was soothingly turning from side to side to lull Boruto back to sleep, threw a pointed look at his brother as if to say, 'See, I'm not the only one who thinks so.'
"Somewhere in his demented head," Hinata continued. "He knew today would be Boruto's baptism, and he had to go with a bang and a final way to ruin everything for us."
"Hinata," Neji scolded her softly. "I'm sure grandfather didn't actually plan his death."
"Oh!" The woman gasped, suddenly realizing their presence. "Tenten-chan! And…" Her eyes held a sly gleam. "Neji-nii-san." She said her singing voice, full of suggestive implications.
"Are you guys dating yet?" Naruto asked cheerfully, coming back from upstairs.
"Well, they were supposed to," Hiashi replied for them, his tone disapproving while he still rocked Boruto. Then, turning to his grandson, he added in a baby voice: "And now because of big meanie baddie great-grandpa, your uncle Neji and auntie Tenten have to delay their date and you, my little prince, had to have your baptism cancelled."
Neji and Tenten threw an amused glance at Hiashi before the younger Hyuga man took the chestnut-haired woman's hand, leading her out of the hall.
"Come on," Neji whispered to her.
The others said nothing when they departed and resumed spilling their common discontentment over the ill-timed passing away of their not very cherished family member.
Tenten had never met Hinata and Neji's grandfather, but from what Hinata and Neji - and occasionally Hiashi- told her, she was happy she never did. He was indeed an awful man.
He had treated his wife very poorly when she couldn't give him other children after the twins. He drank a lot, had often been verbally and physically abusive with both his wife and his sons. Hizashi, having had frail health when he was younger, had been dismissed by his father very quickly, who decided to focus only on Hiashi, whom he recognized as his only true heir. As Hizashi would often put it, his father's neglect had been a blessing in disguise since it let him live a life freer of his grasp than his twin had to endure.
Hiashi, on the other hand, had done everything his father had wanted of him. Most of the time, he did it out of absolute fear of reprieve. His grandchildren didn't escape his cruelty either. He had quickly dismissed Hinata and Hanabi because of their gender, not seeing remotely what he would have considered an heir in either of them.
He had been even more despicable with Hinata's gentle tendencies he perceived as weak and her speech impediment, he thought revolting and undignified for a Hyuga. It was really a slight speech impediment that would have been easily remedied over time and practice, but the pure fear and anxiety induced by her grandfather had worsened her condition to the point where it only got resolved when the old man became so senile he couldn't verbally abuse her anymore.
Neji, on the other hand, was the golden boy. He was the perfect heir he wished to have: a handsome genius naturally gifted in all things. To shield Hinata and Hanabi from the wrath of their grandfather, Neji took it upon himself to be everything that the late grandfather had wanted him to be. But even as perfect as he was, Neji could never be enough in their grandfather's eye, who always wanted more and more and continued to pressure Neji in excellency with very harsh critics and sometimes a hit or two.
He had never told his father and uncle because he didn't want to create more trouble in the family, but, still, this had started to worry them when he was about to start college. They were about to intervene, but Neji had refused firmly. Knowing that if the aggressive ways of his grandfather were not directed at him, he would direct it at Hinata or Hanabi, and for Neji, that was out of the question.
Thankfully, karma bit back in his late sixties when he started demonstrating signs of vascular dementia that came with memory lapses and a lack of autonomy that became so severe, all his assets had been automatically transferred to his sons, and the family was finally free of him.
Well, that is until today where he held them like puppets by the thread of his death for one last time.
Hyugas didn't follow standard protocol when it came to funerals. Traditionally, when a Hyuga died, he had to be buried in the family cemetery immediately after his death and a ceremony held on the same day at the family church. So per their family customs, their grandfather had been buried in the morning. Family and friends had been quickly notified. Obviously, when the Hyuga patriarch died, everybody made haste to attend the service in time, even on such short notice.
After the burial, people flocked to the Hyuga Mansion, where refreshments were served for the commemoration. And at last, in the afternoon, they congregated at St-Peter's Church, the Hyuga's designated church in the previous century or so, for the priest's prayer and eulogy.
"Here," Neji opened the door to what she supposed was his old teenage bedroom.
She took in the neat room with wide interested eyes. It was such an opportunity to get a glimpse of Neji's past. But everything looked so asinine. So lacking any personality, as if Neji was actually scared to let anything about him transpire in his surroundings. This was the room of a child that had been scared into hiding.
And suddenly, Tenten felt resentment in her heart for the departed soul they were supposed to mourn. By looking at Neji's bedroom, she understood that his grandfather had deprived him of the childhood and innocence he deserved. Which she thought unfair and incredibly sad, mostly when comparing her own experience with her doting grandparents who had been so loving and kind and supportive.
Then her eyes settled on Neji's old desk and the books on the shelves above it.
She smiled, quickly advancing to a very familiar book.
"Harry Potter?" She turned her head to Neji, a smile gracing her lips. "Let me guess, Ravenclaw?"
Neji smirked. "Fifty-fifty Slytherin and Ravenclaw."
Tenten nodded. "I can see it."
"You're clearly a Hufflepuff," Neji stated, sitting on his bed.
"Bingo!" Tenten grinned, walking towards him.
He took her hand and deposited a lingering kiss on the inside of her wrist that sent shivers down Tenten's spine.
"Neji," She breathed out. "We are not going to having sex during your grandfather's funeral."
"Did I tell you," Neji took her hand, dragging her closer to him. "That I really," He put both of his hands on her thighs, urging her to sit on his lap, straddling him. "Really," He trailed his hands up her thighs, hutching up her dress to her panty line. "Really hated the man?" He grabbed her ass cheeks, pressing her further down against his pelvis.
Tenten wrapped her arms around his neck, already forgetting about her earlier protests. "Mmh, yes, I think that's the only thing I've heard your family talk about in the past hour."
She bent down to kiss him, and his hands made their way up her zipper to slide it down. It reached the middle of her back when the door suddenly opened.
"Neji, I need you to-" Hiashi stopped in his tracks at seeing the pair in their very compromising position. "Were you about to have sex… during your grandfather's funeral?"
Hiashi's face was impossible to read, and before either Neji or Tenten could get up, compose themselves and offer apologies, Hiashi grinned, his eyes lighting up.
"Brilliant!" He exclaimed. "Simply brilliant. I should have thought of it myself."
Suddenly the pair didn't seem to exist in Hiashi's eyes anymore. "Where is Goichi…" He murmured, slamming the door behind him.
Tenten laughed, turning back to Neji who was determined to continue where they had left off until the door opened again.
"Do you have condoms?" Hiashi asked his completely embarrassed nephew. And before Neji could reply that he did, the older Hyuga continued: "Nevermind, if you knock her up, it'll just make it easier to force Tenten into the family."
Before Tenten could disapprove, Neji's uncle had already closed the door.
"Your uncle can be so crazy at times," Tenten murmured.
Neji chuckled. "You should have seen him when I was younger. He was somewhat callous and very detached."
Tenten raised a brow, not able to imagine Hiashi anything but sassy and out loud on his opinions of everything.
"Your room is immaculate." Tenten felt the need to comment. "Too clean. Are you sure you have ever actually lived in it?"
Neji shrugged. "I wish I hadn't. Not a lot of good memories here."
Tenten gave him a lopsided smile. "What about creating a very good one then?" She whispered seductively, pushing him down the bed.
"I thought you didn't want to have sex during my grandfather's funeral."
"Well," She leaned down to brush her lips against his. "How did Hiashi put it for Boruto?" She bit his bottom lip and started unbuttoning his shirt. "Your grandfather was a big meanie baddie, and…" She took off her dress like a t-shirt.
"I'm always turned on by a good slytherpuff dynamic." She bent down to kiss him.
Tenten stared at Neji's intertwined fingers with hers as they sat down on the first row of St-Peter's Church, where the priest was giving a very generic eulogy.
"And now," The priest said. "I will give the floor to a member of the Hyuga family, so they can say a few words on their beloved."
Hiashi scoffed, and Hizashi nudged him with his elbow to call him to order.
"Well," Hiashi whispered. "Off you go." He turned to his brother.
"What? Me?" Hizashi whispered back. "I thought one of the children had prepared something."
"Don't look at me. I have nothing," Neji said.
"I can't believe no one thought of doing his eulogy. This family is way too chaotic ." Hanabi shook her head.
"Well, go on then." Neji urged his younger cousin.
Hanabi huffed. "Not a chance, unless you want me to use swear words in a church."
People were starting to whisper to each other, not understanding what was taking so long, and the priest seemed to break out a sweat at the indecision before him. Hyugas and their family drama were going to be the death of him one day, that he was sure of it.
Suddenly, Hinata's eyes lit up. "I have an idea." She said excitedly.
"Honey," Naruto started unsurely. "Normally, I'm all up for your ideas, but today you've been a little bit…"
"Unhinged? Dangerously deranged? Unusually erratic?" Hanabi offered.
Except it was already too late. Hinata had already thrust the still sleeping Boruto in Naruto's arms and was walking to the priest, taking the microphone he handed her.
"Oh, Dear Lord up above," Hiashi whimpered at the sight of his daughter preparing herself to make a speech. Next to him, his boyfriend Goichi squeezed his hand reassuringly.
"I'm sure she'll do just fine," He reassured him.
"As many of you know," Hinata started, her voice echoing over the hundred people gathered in the church. "I had a speech impediment when I was little. Which for my grandfather… well, let's just say he really, really made it his life mission to end it."
She threw a resentful glare at his picture that had been set next to the altar, surrounded with flowers. A glare that only her family on the first bench could depict.
Naruto cringed, holding Boruto tighter, kind of praying he'd start vomiting on him so he would have an excuse to escape.
"Oh, sweet little baby Jesus and all the apostles." Hiashi covered his mouth with his hand, readying for the scandal that his daughter was about to bestow upon them.
"Good for her," Hizashi murmured, proudly smiling at his niece, finally taking a stand.
"So," The heiress continued. "He would be very, very proud of me today, finally being able to talk to all of you so we can honour him one last time. Grandfather was such… a family man." Her voice dripping with sarcasm was left unnoticed by the gathered crowd, where many people nodded their heads in moved agreement.
Though it was quickly remarked by her close family and best friend.
Hanabi was grinning widely. "I have waited forever to see Hinata finally lose it." She whispered excitedly to Tenten.
Tenten emitted an unsure sound in reply, her face frozen in an anxious expression while Neji fidgeted in his seat, wondering if he should do something or not.
"There was nothing he cared more about," Hinata followed, her seemingly sweet words laced with poison. "Than the prosperity of the Hyuga family. So I feel, what better way to honour his lifelong dedication than by celebrating a new strong Hyuga heir who made his way into the world? I know it to be my grandfather's last wish that Boruto gets his christening today," She lied. "So that in our sorrow, we can rejoice in the renewing and future of our family."
Murmurs echoed through the crowd, and Hiashi gasped.
"I am sure," Hinata said to the priest very sweetly. "That you would be delighted to honour my grandfather's last wish and baptize Boruto."
"R-right n-now?" The priest asked, startled.
"Yes." Hinata gritted. "Right. Now. After all, Boruto is here with his father." She pointed to the nervous blond man holding their son. "And his godfather and godmother are just here." Next, she designed Neji and Tenten, who smiled awkwardly at the bewildered priest.
"Well," The priest hesitated, then caught her piercing glare. "Sure!" He said immediately. "What about a ten minutes recess so we can put everything in order?"
"Amazing!" Hinata's eyes lit up while she clapped her hands. "We will have a baptism today!" She shouted to the crowd in glee. "As per my grandfather's last wish!"
And the crowd erupted in applause and cheers at what they considered a very touching way to celebrate one passing.
"Hinata," Naruto hissed to his wife when she went back to the little familial caucus. "Did you seriously just hijack your grandfather's funeral?"
"Technically," She hissed back. "He hijacked our son's christening first."
She snatched Boruto from his arms. "Now, be helpful and take the outfits we took from the dry cleaning this morning. We are not going to baptize our son all dressed in black."
Hiashi slowly clapped, handkerchief in hands. "I know I haven't said this enough when you were younger." He dabbed his under-eyes with his handkerchief. "But, I am so proud you're my daughter."
Hizashi laughed heartily. "A stroke of genius, Hinata. Way to liven up this day."
"I'm going to use this ten minutes recess to go grab Boruto's christening stuff quickly." Neji put a reassuring hand on the mother's shoulder.
"I'll come with you." Tenten rose up from her seat. "And I'll tell Ino and Sakura to come as quickly as possible."
"Thank you," Hinata gave them a grateful smile.
"What a day," Tenten sighed, exhausted, while she enjoyed the cooling feeling of the Hyugas' kitchen marble floor under her bare feet. The rest of the family decided to end the day celebrating at their favourite restaurant, but Neji and Tenten chose to head home early for some quality alone time.
"A glass?" She raised an empty cup in Neji's direction.
"Yes, please." He plopped, extinguished, on a kitchen table chair while Tenten uncorked a bottle of wine out of their family's wine cooler.
"So," She said, pouring them two generous glasses. "How does it feel to be the sole heir of all the Hyuga estate?"
"I can't believe grandfather did that." He groaned loudly.
Just after Boruto's impromptu christening and the following impromptu little party Ino was able to throw him in record time, the Hyugas had gathered in Hiashi's study to hear the late patriarch's testament be read to them by his lawyer.
No one was surprised that Neji had been made the sole inheritor of the Hyuga's fortune and holdings. In all truth, it did fit with the despicable character of the old man to throw one last bomb after his death and cause everyone discomfort. Yet, for everyone present, it still felt like a sucker punch.
Tenten chuckled. "Here you go," She handed him his glass, going back to the fridge. "Lasagna or mushroom chicken casserole?" She asked over her shoulders, eying the wide variety of plates brought to them by mourning relatives.
"What for?" Neji asked.
"Well, to eat." Tenten rolled her eyes. "You still owe me a date, mister." She smiled at him sideways.
"And you shall have a very grandiose one." He promised. "I planned to take you out somewhere very special. We are definitely not having our first date in our kitchen with funeral dinner."
Tenten gave him an apologetic smile. "I leave in three days for my last work trip aboard. A new excavation in Turkey found a dozen of very rare ottoman weapons." She said excitingly.
"How long?" The pale-eyed man asked, trying to hide his deception.
She bit her lip, knowing the answer would not please him. "Six months."
"What?" He threw her an appalled look before quickly regaining his composure. After all, even though it felt like he had been dating her for years, they had only met a handful of times for a few hours at most.
"But," Tenten tried to cheer him up. "After that, I start my tenure at Konoha University, so I will stay in the city for good."
Neji sighed, holding on to that good news. "I hate mushrooms." He finally stated.
"Lasagna it is then." She unwrapped the dish and placed it in the oven.
"Honestly," Neji sighed after a moment of silence. "What an asshole."
Tenten laughed, taking another sip of her wine.
"I really fail to see what is amusing in all of this." He threw her a stern look that did not erase the smile on her face.
"What is very funny," Tenten started to explain, walking to him. "Is that all day everyone has been insulting the man, and you held your tongue on him, always trying to respect his memory despite it all."
The brunette took a pause when Neji turned around so she could sit sideways on his lap. As soon as she did, he fastened an arm around her waist, and she wrapped her free arm around his neck.
"But the moment he makes you a billionaire," She continued. "Now, he's an asshole. That, to me, is a very amusing reaction."
Neji scoffed, and she lightly brushed the silky soft strands of his hair.
"He did this to spite us all," Neji said after another sip of the burgundy beverage. "To insult my father and uncle, remind Hinata and Hanabi he couldn't care less about women in his family and shackle me to owe him gratitude one last time."
"But the upside of all this," Tenten raised her glass in the air, her vixen smile in place, and Neji raised a brow to the suspense. "Is that now you are rich enough to afford me as your sugar baby." She clinked her glass to him. "Congratulations!"
Neji gave a low chuckle, nuzzling against the nook of her collarbone. "I think I already had enough means before that."
"Mmh," She sipped her wine. "I think you underestimate my fares."
Neji raised his head to look at entranced. "You're a very dangerous woman, you know that?"
"So I've been told." She kissed him again before getting up to check on the lasagna. "What have you been planning for your grandfather's will?"
The Hyuga looked at her, surprised. "What do you mean?"
"Neji, please." She admonished him, taking the hot plate out of the oven and placing it on the table with the bottle of wine. "You won't take this simply sitting down. Knowing you, you've probably already made some calls. You're a fixer. That's just your thing."
This was becoming uncanny, this great precision with which Tenten could already read him so well.
"I called my lawyers. We'll get the redistribution of my grandfather's assets sorted out this week." He admitted while slicing the lasagna and serving them a steamy cheesy square each.
Tenten gave him a knowing smile as she sat down in front of him and repoured some wine in their glasses.
"Wait," Neji went into the hall and came back with three large candles that had been using earlier today during the gathering.
"Funeral candles, so romantic." Tenten teased but was clandestinely jubilant at the sweet gesture.
He lit them up and dimmed the kitchen lights.
"Who would have thought Neji Hyuga was such a romantic at heart." She propped her chin on her hand, looking dreamily at the flustered man.
"To our first date." He raised his glass.
"To our first date." She repeated, clinking his glass, warm brown eyes diving in candle-lit ivory ones.
And as they took a sip of their wine, chaos suddenly exploded in the entrance of the Hyuga Mansion. The rest of the family, who was supposed to be ending the day at their favourite pizza place, came rushing in the hall in cacophonic overlapping shouts.
"What a waste of time!" Hiashi shouted.
"At least the decor was splendid." His boyfriend, Goichi, tried to make it a glass-half-full kind of situation.
"We waited one hour and a half just to be seated to finally get told the kitchen was closed." Hiashi continued on his angry strike.
"Hiashi, calm down. This kind of thing happens." Hizashi reasoned.
"Oh my God!" Hanabi exclaimed. "I smell pasta."
She was the first to rush in the kitchen, completely unaware of the intrusion, hurrying to the plate of freshly warmed lasagna, snatching Tenten's fork and digging savagely in the dish.
"Mmh, food." Hanabi sighed contently.
Hiashi and Hizashi quickly rushed in after the girl, switching on the lights, also utterly oblivious to the date they had just crashed.
"Hizashi, can you bring the plates, and Goichi dear, could you grab some more wine glasses?" Hiashi asked while uncorking another wine bottle. "Warming up one of those hundreds of prepared plates, very proactive of you, Tenten." He felicitated.
Neji sighed, resigned, and blew off the candles that none of his family members noticed.
Tenten gave him an apologetic smile but couldn't hide her amusement at Neji's exasperation.
"Oh, bless the heavens." Naruto came panting in the kitchen. "I am dying from hunger." He said, serving himself a portion of lasagna.
"Here, have some wine Naruto." Hiashi passed him a glass.
"I'd gladly take one too," Hinata said, exhausted. "Just put Boruto to sleep."
"Konohamaru, come here and take a slice," Hanabi called her boyfriend, who had just entered the kitchen behind Hinata.
Soon, the cozy and romantic kitchen table filled out with chaotic energy as all the family sat down around the heated comfort food, retelling the highlights of the day in laughter. Mostly the way Hinata completely turned the funeral around.
"Never mess with mama bear," Naruto stated.
"What do you think grandfather thought from above when he saw this?" Hanabi asked.
"From above?" Hizashi snorted.
"He's probably making satan's life a living hell." Neji supplied to everyone's hilarity.
"You call this whipping boy? Let me show you how it's done. Give me this." Hiashi imitated his father.
"We'll have to make a big donation to the church in order to absolve our sins for talking of a deceased person this way," Hinata said but still smiled over the rim of her wine glass.
"Already did," Neji smirked. "Quite a good donation too. It should cover the rest of supper."
"Well done, my boy." His father clapped his back.
"And would you look at this?" Hiashi gave a smirk to the brunette. "Tenten sitting down at the family table like she is already my daughter-in-law. This day couldn't get any better."
Tenten laughed. "Do not fret, Hiashi. If Konohamaru doesn't propose to Hanabi very soon, I will."
Konohamaru looked mortified. "Please, don't. She'll leave me for you, that's for sure. She talks about you all the time."
"True," Hanabi agreed, wigging her fork at the weapons specialist. "Just say the words Tenten, and I'm yours."
"Don't worry, Konohamaru." Neji gave him a wink. "Tenten has already set her claws on my father."
"I'd like to remind you all," Hizashi recalled, reaching for the wine bottle. "I have declined the offer as a real gentleman."
"Going after the Hyugas one after the other, aren't you, Tenten?" Konohamaru taunted her, and she replied by throwing him her napkin that Hanabi swiftly caught and used to wipe some of the tomato sauce at the corner lips of her boyfriend.
Tenten groaned. "I made one mistake, and it was a joke. Will you ever let me live that down."
The table erupted in a loud 'No!'.
"Forget it, Tenten," Naruto warned, laughing. "They still won't let me live down the time they scared the shit out of me before I took Hinata on our first date."
Hiashi bellowed in laughter at the recollection of the warnings he, his brother and his nephew had given the blonde boy before he took his daughter out. Then, turning to his boyfriend, he nodded eagerly: "It's true! He was trembling like a leaf."
"Probably pissed himself too," Hizashi added, cutting down his lasagna.
"And shat himself," Hanabi concluded with a mouthful of pasta.
"Yes, a little and almost," Naruto admitted in respective turn to each Hyuga, shoving down a forkful of lasagna down his throat.
"I hope you all know we interrupted Neji and Tenten's date," Hinata stated calmly, sipping her wine, her eyes probing them with a wicked, knowing gleam.
Everyone suddenly became silent and turned to a sheepish Tenten and a stoic Neji who simply shrugged.
It was Hanabi who broke the silence first. "No way!" She exclaimed. "We Hinata'ed your date?"
And everyone burst out laughing.
"Motion to propose 'To Hinata' as a verb when one hijacks someone else's event for their own benefit," Hiashi stated.
"I second the motion," Hanabi said.
"I'd like to make an amendment," Hinata interrupted. "That 'To Hinata' involves a better outcome with the new event than the hijacked one."
Hanabi shook her head. "Point of order, the amendment is against the nature of the proposition."
"I agree. Amendment rejected." Hiashi said. "Any direct negative?" He eyed the table. "Motion passes Nemo Contra." He stated solemnly, hitting the table with the empty wine bottle like it was a mallet.
"Fine," Hinata gritted, but then her eyes lit up, and she smiled. "Motion to recognize Neji and Tenten's dating status even if they had no date yet."
"I second," Neji smirked to Tenten's greatest surprise, and the rest of the table erupted in loud cheers.
"I'd amend to say that Tenten is basically already part of the family, so really, it's like they're engaged." Hanabi pointed out.
"Does the proposer accept it as a friendly amendment?" Hiashi turned to Hinata.
"Absolutely." She nodded firmly.
"Does the seconder accept it as a friendly amendment?" Hiashi turned to Neji, and the whole table held its breath.
Neji's smirk deepened as he looked at Tenten's gaping mouth and flustered cheeks.
"I accept." He said, looking straight at her widening eyes and could see by their warmth she was just as thrilled by this as he was.
"Do we have any other amendment? Any direct negative?" Hiashi held his breath, the bottle hovering over the table.
"Wait, point of order." Tenten interrupted. The tension was palpable. "Shouldn't Neji ask me out properly first?" She smiled devilishly at the man in front of her.
"Oh, I agree," Hiashi said with a cunning smirk. "Neji?" He urged the boy.
The said man rolled his eyes but still smiled. "Tenten, would you do me the honour of being your long-distance boyfriend over the next six months and maybe more when you come back?"
Tenten giggled and extended her hand so Neji could tie a napkin around her finger. "Yes, I do."
Everyone clapped, and Naruto whistled.
"If there is no direct negative, this motion passes Nemo Contra!" Hiashi shouted, slamming the wine bottle many times on the table with renewed energy.
When the excitement died down, Naruto followed with a wolfish grin: "Now, motion to find Hiashi a girlfriend."
"I second." Hinata winked at her uncle.
"Amendment that we should organize him a blind date with Shizune." Konohamaru gave a knowing smile to Hizashi, who glared back at him.
"My old pediatrician?" Neji asked, confused, before giving a sly grin to his father. "Good for you, dad."
"Who he recently followed on Instagram," Konohamaru added. "He called me yesterday to ask me how he could unlike a picture she posted four years ago before she received any notification."
'You're dead.' Hizashi mouthed to Konohamaru.
'Love you too.' Konohamaru mouthed back.
"Ouch!" Tenten exclaimed. "Rookie stalking mistake."
"Mmh, Uncle, if you want stalking advice, you should ask Hinata." Naruto laughed.
"N-naruto!" Hinata gasped.
"Order in the dining room!" Hiashi roared. "Do the proposer and seconder accept the amendment?"
"Oh yes!" Naruto grinned, and Hinata nodded energetically.
"Any direct negative?" Hiashi asked.
Hizashi raised his hand.
"Uncle is clearly in direct conflict of interest with the motion. Therefore, I say his vote shouldn't count." Hanabi interjected.
"Agreed," Neji nodded.
"Motion passes Nemo Contra!" Hiashi shouted with glee, slamming the wine bottle again on the table to everyone's loud cheers, except from one very embarrassed Hizashi.
"Well, that was wild." Tenten breathed out in Neji's car, outside her apartments complex.
Neji nodded, taking her hand in his.
"Good night, boyfriend." She smiled at him before giving him a peck on the lips.
He pulled her hand so he could kiss her again, longer. "Call me as soon as you're home."
"Already missing me?" She teased.
But Neji nodded in all honesty. "Those six months are going to be very long."
