They had told her once that time is a fickle thing, but she hadn't realized how much truth those words carried. She was too busy living in the past, conjuring memories that are long dead…even if he is back from the dead. Strangely, Tenten used to regard him to a higher standard when he was in that previous state than he is now. But the dead are always regarded that way. Oh, how the times change.
One week has passed. Already. So soon.
Neji stayed the night that day. He was still too weak to stand, and the weather was too bad, but Tenten could tell he did not want to be there. In truth, she didn't either. He did not direct words at her, and she did not even look at him.
She did not know what she was expecting. Tenten knew Neji would be angry. Of course, he would be angry. She stole the only thing he had control over, his death. He did not have much control over who, what and where he was born into, but he did have control over this. And she ruined it. She deserved his hate.
Although, it was not much hatred as it was disdain. Which was worse. Hate is loud and expressive and mean, you see it coming, you know how it will hurt. Disdain is subtle, it is the way you say something, a look, quiet, you identify where the hurt is coming from by feeling it out.
When Tenten attempted to understand herself, she found that she couldn't. She was just desperate. She should have known. They had taught her in school that desperation led nowhere good, it could ruin a mission. She should had kept herself in check, but she didn't.
It didn't matter, the next day he was gone. Like a ghost. Like a figment of her imagination. Tenten thought for a hopeful moment that she had imagined it all after all, but then she caught wind of what they were saying—Neji is back from the dead! It's a mircle!—and she realized there was no escaping this.
Neji returned to the Hyuga manor, hero that he was, and was settled in quickly. Which Tenten considered unsettling by itself. They all handled his death so easily and his returned quite the same. She still couldn't make sense of this. She mourned for years and they barely seemed to notice his absence. Yet, they welcome him easily, like he was just gone for vacation. Much like the whole village did. She does not understand how they can heal so quickly, take account of the loses and move on. She was never good at it.
It is at the end of the second day when she heard a knock. Tenten instinctively thought it was Neji, but quickly disregarded the thought. She knew better. He would never willingly seek her out.
She was right. It was Lee.
When she opened the door, she saw that he was out of breath, surprised, running a hand through his jet-black hair. "Have you heard?"
Tenten felt her stomach sink. She nodded.
Lee frowned immediately. He knew something was wrong. "What—Why do you seem disappointed? I thought that out of everyone, you would be most happy to hear the news. That you would be the first one to be by his side."
Tenten opened the door to her house wider, inviting him in. As Lee came into her house, she said, "I was the one who brought him here…"
He snapped his head towards her, surprised again but for an entirely different reason. "How did—"
"Against his will and wishes," She added quickly.
Lee's eyes went wide. "What happened?"
Tenten looked down at her feet, ashamed of herself. "It's a long story."
Lee put a hand on her shoulder, reassuringly. "I have time."
So Tenten told him everything.
A week is enough for people to get over the hero coming back from the great beyond bit, so everyone was already used to it. After the celebrations and recognition, everyone settled into their routines. Even Tenten.
Before, Tenten would be in her shop, thinking about the past, about words said, looks, empty promises, and time would seem to slow to a crawl. But now that he is back, she is more presently attuned with what is going on. That, and because Lee has kept her updated.
"We will try to set things right again, Tenten. I know how this has affected you for years. Neji is just an arrogant jerk. Like always. Death couldn't change that." He had looked her in the eyes that afternoon he had visited and said, "I promise I will keep you updated. I know that you would want to know if he is doing okay."
It's true. She would want to know how he is doing, much because it pertained in her well-being as well (seeing how their lives are tied together) and because he was still her friend (even is he hated her for it). But at the same time, she doesn't want to know how he is doing, if he is settling, if he's trying to find his path in this new life that was unwillingly given to him... Without her.
Tenten sighed as she looked at a kunai hanging in the wall. The door chimed, announcing a customer.
"Good afterno…" the words died in her mouth as she turned towards the door.
Himawari waved at Tenten from the entrance as she pulled Neji by the hand. Inside the shop. Tenten felt her stomach sink. Oh, no. She felt her face crumble involuntarily.
"This is Tenten-sama's shop, uncle Neji. She is the reason I know a lot about you," she explained to Neji then turned and grinned at Tenten. "Isn't this great?"
Neji looked at Tenten and answered with a hm, but his face was unreadable.
"I want to master weapons just like her." Himawari kept dragging Neji by the hand until they reached the counter. "Hi, Tenten-sama. I haven't seen you stop by to visit uncle Neji. I wasn't sure if you know he was back. But then I thought it was impossible because there was a whole celebration, and everyone was talking about it. Your face just now also tells me that you have."
There was a tense silence, which Tenten filled with, "Neji."
He just nodded in respond.
Maybe Himawari sensed the tension too because she started pulling Neji again as she exclaimed, "Oh, this is my favorite part of the store."
Tenten felt herself sag as she watched the two of them disappear behind a rack. Tenten had planned to avoid running into Neji for as long as she could…she did not think that that would fail so easily. Or so quickly. Tenten was really hoping their visit to the shop would be quick.
But…of course it wasn't because nothing ever goes her away.
They were there for 40 minutes. Maybe even longer if Neji hadn't insisted that he had things to do. Himawari pouted, but abided.
Just when Tenten thought it was all over, Himawari was at the counter again, holding Neji's hand tightly, keeping him by her side, something Tenten would have never thought Neji would have tolerated for so long. She could have been somewhat surprised if she wasn't so self-aware of the situation. Even more so as Himawari just stared at Tenten, appraising, and calculating at the same time. It reminded her so much of her uncle.
"Tenten-sama, I want you to train with us."
Tenten started at Himawari, mind blank, her statement seeming out of nowhere. "What?"
"What?" Neji seemed to echo.
"Me and uncle Neji train every morning," she explained. "I told him that I wanted to learn all he knows. I want you to join us tomorrow."
"What?" was all Tenten could muster.
Neji pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes in disapproval, but Tenten couldn't figure out if it was directed at her or his niece.
"I have heard of the way you and uncle Neji trained. You have told me so yourself," Himawari kept on elaborating, her last statement making Neji open his eyes. Look at her. "All your stories were true. Neji is strong, he's amazing just like you said he was… but I have not reached the capacity you guys have yet. I suspect Neji is bored of taking it slow for my sake. Truth be told, back before uncle Neji came back, I would have given anything to see you guys train and scuffle. It would also mean I would get to see uncle Neji in all his might."
And anger, Tenten thought, directed at me. Tenten was still too stunned to speak.
Neji sighed, looking down at his niece. "Himawari, was this why you dragged me all the way here?" Himawari's silence was answer enough. "I don't think Tenten wants—"
Something snapped in Tenten. He thinks he knows what I want! She cut him off before he could finish. "I am up to it. I just don't know if your uncle Neji here is ready to face me. After all, I have 14 years of training and techniques that your dear uncle Neji doesn't know about. That's 14 years that I have on him. He is not the same ninja he was before." She whispered like it was a secret. "He's old now. He is still using Eight Trigrams, right?"
Himawari nodded, amazed that she knew.
"I supposed," Tenten huffed air like it was nothing. Then looked at Neji. "Some things never change."
Neji's nose twitched in distaste. "Indeed."
"I mean," Tenten added, waving her hand dismissively, "if your uncle Neji is fine with an ass whooping, I guess I can stomach it."
Himawari turned to look at her uncle, mouth gaping as if she never heard anyone talk to him like that. Truth is, she had never spoken to him like that. "Uncle Neji?"
Neji was just staring Tenten in the eyes. A stare down, Tenten thought. She crossed her arms and stared right back, raising her eyebrows in a question. She only knew he was annoyed because the space between his brows was twitching. Her anger was making her too bold, but she was too annoyed to back down.
Neji was the first one to break the stare and instead headed for the door. Tenten thought that was it, that she had somehow won this petty dispute, but then he added, "Tomorrow, six o'clock."
Himawari shrieked in victory and chased after her uncle. "See you there, Tenten-sama."
It took her a moment for her to realized what had happened.
Oh, shit.
A/N: An upload so soon? Gasp. Thank you so much for your reviews. I intended to make the chapter longer, but then I thought that a chapter with them just training (fighting, arguing?) would be a better idea. Thank you hannahzerofive and raspberryfanfics for the reviews. I will try to make their brawl do you think is going to happen next? Who do you think is going to win, Tenten or Neji? When do you think they will patch things up again?