A/N: Chapter 5! I hope you all will enjoy it because I really, really enjoy writing this chapter!
This chapter will have both humor, a bit of action and some seriousness as well.
ENJOY!
I apologize for any grammar errors /spelling mistakes there may or might be. I try my best to avoid as many as possible.
Main pairing: Nejiten
Side pairing(s): Naruhina and possible others
Warning(s): Possible OOCness, medieval era, mild mature hints, blood (but nothing gory), sword fighting
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!
A Sense of Duty
Chapter 5: A Sense of Struggle
It was early in the morning. Tenten was sleeping comfortably in a large queen sized bed while cuddling with the comforter, which her slim legs were wrapped around. She was breathing softly and the only movement she made was when she nuzzled her head into the pillow.
Tenten was truly feeling like a royal, but her peaceful sleep was not going to last long because of a determined, dutiful swordsman, who is just about to enter her room and wake her up from the sleep.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
"Tenten!" A male voice called out her name from outside the room. Tenten turned over, but did not wake up.
"Mmmm" She breathed out in her sleep as she pulled the comforter closer to her body.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
"Tenten, wake up!" The male called out again, but yet again it did no reach Tenten, who was still soundly asleep.
The male grew annoyed and took a deep breath before he took the handle of the door, forcing his way inside the room. Since Tenten was a too heavy sleeper to wake up herself, he was forced to wake her up himself instead.
The brown haired male looked at Tenten's sleeping form while frowning.
"Looks like I have to teach her how to wake up early too" He thought to himself as he sighed before he once again called out, this time louder than before:
"Tenten, wake up right now!"
This time Tenten reacted as she was startled awake. Breathing heavily because of the shock she had gotten. Her body was still holding the comforter closely to her as she turned her head around to look at the intruder.
"Hero?" She blinked at him.
"Please quit the name-calling, my name is Neji and I have already told you to call me that" Neji pointed out since he was starting to get annoyed by her still calling him names.
Tenten did not respond, but pouted her lips and asked:
"Why did you have to wake me up? I was having such a nice dream with me being the queen of world"
"Sounds more like a nightmare to me" Neji corrected much to Tenten's annoyance.
Tenten ripped the comforter off herself and stood up in the middle of the bed while pointing an angry finger at him.
"Quite!" Tenten hissed at him.
Neji froze and felt his cheeks heat up. He tightened his grip on the clothes he had been carrying before he tossed it at Tenten while yelling:
"For God's pride wear something to cover your chest off with when you sleep! The maid gave you sleeping wear for a reason!" Tenten fell down on the bed as the clothes hit her in face making her loose her balance.
She moved it off her face and yelled back at Neji:
"Why did you throw that at me?"
"It is your clothes, I figured you would want it back since it has been fixed now" Neji replied calmly without meeting Tenten's eyes.
"You could have giving it to me instead of throwing it at me, you bastard" Tenten mumbled annoyingly as she began to take her clothes on in front of Neji, who blushed and turned around to give her some privacy.
A few moments passed.
"You can turn around now, I am fully dressed now so there is no need to be shy" Tenten said with a slightly teaseful tone in her voice.
Neji turned around to look at Tenten, who was now wearing the same clothes she wore the day they first met each other.
"Sorry, Prince Charming, but I am not a damsel in distress"
Neji recalled the words she spoke to him and he began to wonder, why he had followed her after she left? And what had made him so infatuated by her?
"Say, Hero, are you coming? Or are you just going to stay here and stare at nothing?" Neji blinked as he realized that he had been so deep in his own thoughts that he forgot where he was and why he was here.
"Huh? Wha- Oh, right, "Neji remembered, "My uncle told the maids to prepare breakfast for us in one of the smaller dining rooms, after that I am supposed to show you around the place" Neji explained to Tenten, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow and asked:
"Smaller dining room? Do you mean your uncle have more than one? Why? One is enough, especially if it is in the size of the one we ate at yesterday because that room was huge with a big H!"
Neji groaned annoyingly and despite how much he just felt like not answering her, he did:
"What can I say, my uncle owns a big house and the larger the house the more rooms"
Tenten pouted her lips at him and stated:
"Old man's logic stinks"
*Clink* *Clank* *Clink* *Clank*
Out on the trainings field, not far from the Hyuuga manor, the sound of blades echoed as two swordsmen clashed swords with one another.
One of them, a blond male wearing loose, grey trousers, a bright, orange shirt with a white blouse underneath, a brown belt with a scabbard attached to it and a pair of brown boots, moved his sword forward to strike an attack on his opponent, a brown-haired male wearing similar clothes only with a red shirt on instead of an orange one.
The brown-haired swordsman quickly defended himself by using his sword as a shield, preventing the blond from hitting him. He then grinned cockily at the blond, who grinded his teeth annoyingly before he launched another attack, this time from a different angle.
*Clink* *Clank* *Clink* *Clank*
It echoed every time the blades clashed together as the two males continuously went at it on each other. Neither of them wanted nor wished to admit defeat to the other.
In the end they were both left panting heavily while sweat was running down their forehead making their faces glow a reddish color.
"So *pant* Naruto *pant* are you *pant* ready to *pant* give up and admit *pant* defeat" The brown-haired swordsman asked the blond, Naruto, while he tried to regain his breath.
Naruto grinned at the brown-haired and tightened his hold on his sword before he replied:
"No *pant* Kiba *pant* are you *pant* ready to admit *pant* that I won and you *pant * lost?"
The brown-haired swordsman, Kiba, merely grinned at him and tightened his hold on his swords like Naruto did before he said:
"No shit"
A few seconds after Kiba launched an attack, in which Naruto raised his sword up launching an attack to counter Kiba's.
The two swordsmen's swords were just moments away from colliding with each other than someone interrupted them.
"Naruto, Kiba, hold still your swords!" The intruder harshly ordered the two warriors, who froze in their stand.
"Why did you stop the fight, Hero? It was just starting to get exiting!" Both Naruto and Kiba's ear pricked as they heard the soft sound of a female voice complaining, and many seconds did not pass before they had turned their attention off from each other and on to the intruders.
But just as they had turned their heads around, they both froze to stone.
"By Hiashi's giant house why him?" The both shouted to themselves in misery.
"Sir Neji?" They looked at Neji with fearful looks before they took notice in the female standing next to him.
They smirked perversely and ran over to her.
"My beautiful lady, what is a lovely lady like yourself doing here with the likes of him?" Kiba charmingly asked the female as he took her hand up and kissed it softly.
"Yes, fair lady, why are you with him when you could be with us, warriors of the queen" Naruto said with a smooth tone while he took the woman's other hand and kissed it just like Kiba did.
Neji looked at the scene and he could not help, but feel sorry for them.
"Tenten, is going to kill them and serve them on a silver plate, I am so sorry Lady Hinata, but your crush is as good as dead" Neji thought to himself as he saw a dark aura rise from Tenten as her clear brown eyes turned dark and shadowy.
"You two," Tenten darkly spoke,"How dare you call me lady and treat me like one"
Both Kiba and Naruto felt themselves shiver in fear as they saw the look the woman was sending them. The hairs all over their body were standing up.
"B-but w-we-" Tenten cut the two off by taking a hold on their shirts with both hands, lifting them half off the ground while she smiled at them with an angry glint in her beautiful dark, brown eyes.
"No one, I mean no one tries to flirt with me and gets away with it, pigs" Tenten draw the two males closer to her face, ready to send their heads clashing together, but before she got the change to do it Neji took a step in.
"Tenten, let them go" Neji calmly ordered Tenten, who looked at him annoyingly.
"Why should I?" Tenten looked at Neji skeptically.
"Just do it, they get it, they are just a bunch of idiots anyway so please bear with them just this once" Neji explained to Tenten, who frowned before she released them, sending the two down on the ground beneath them.
"OW!" The two shouted out in pain.
"Serves you two right!" Tenten pointed out proudly while she rubbed the none existing dust of her hands.
Neji looked at Naruto and Kiba, who was rubbing their sore limps, with a pitiful look while he sighed deeply to himself:
"This challenge of Hiashi's is not going to be as easy as I would have liked it to be"
"Ow, ow, ow I hurt my chin" Naruto moaned out in pain.
"Hurt you chin? I hurt my chin and my nose!" Kiba groaned in pain while he gave Naruto a challenging look.
"Well I hurt my chin, my nose and BOTH my elbows!" Naruto exclaimed loudly.
"Oh really? Well I hurt my chin, my nose, both my elbows and BOTH my knees!" Kiba uttered out. Naruto and Kiba glared at each other intensely.
Naruto grinned and said:
"I hurt my chin, my nose, both my elbows, both my knees and chest!"
"I hurt my tailbone!"
"I hurt my fingers!"
"I hurt my teeth!"
"Well I hurt where it hurts!"
"And where does it hurts? Your brain?"
"No, my man-" Naruto was cut off my Kiba, who slapped at hand over his mouth quickly after realizing what Naruto meant.
"Do not finish that sentence, Naruto!" Kiba warned Naruto with a pointed finger.
"And why not?" Naruto asked cluelessly. Kiba took Naruto's head close to his and whispered in his ears.
"Oh, right, the devil is standing right behind us ready to strike" Naruto spoke a little too loudly.
"And who is this devil you two are referring to, boys" Naruto and Kiba turned and looked fearfully at Tenten, who was glaring at them with warning eyes.
"Well… well the devil… yeah, the devil… is… ehm…" Kiba traveled on, only for Naruto to shout:
"Sir Neji!"
"Oh yeah, sir Neji, he is the devil!" Kiba nodded his head.
Tenten gave the two a skeptic look while Neji felt like killing the two right on the spot.
Tenten turned to look at Neji and asked:
"Neji, what are people like these two doing here in the first?"
Hearing Tenten say his name instead of calling him other names made Neji stop for a moment before he answered her question:
"I have asked myself the same question since the day they came here, but apparently my uncle sees potential in these two while I only see annoyance and bother"
"Potential in what?" Tenten looked at Neji with a curious look on her face.
"Swordsmanship, like myself" Neji replied.
"Really?," Tenten's eyes lit up, "How about a duel?" Tenten challenged Neji.
"A duel?" Neji blinked at her.
"Yeah, you, me dueling against one another" Tenten clarified more precisely. Neji looked at Tenten with a raised eyebrow before he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Well technically a knight should never fight against a wom-" Neji paused when he saw the look Tenten was sending him, "The opposite gender because it is not very honorable to do so" Neji explained to Tenten.
"So? Rules are meant to be broken! Also, was I not supposed to teach you how to be free?," Neji nodded his head, "Well then, here is your first lesson; never let rules hold you back" Tenten explained to Neji with a grin.
Neji looked at Tenten with skeptic eyes before he closed his eyes and smiled softly.
"Fine, let us have a duel, follow me" Neji turned on his heels and began walking off. Tenten followed him closely while Kiba and Naruto had yet to realize that they had been left behind.
"Where did Sir Neji and Miss Devil go?" Naruto asked Kiba, who shrugged his shoulders.
"I do not know, my friend, but I do know one thing"
"What?" Naruto looked at Kiba confusedly.
"I heard something about you hugging Lady Hinata, which caused her to collapse right into your arms" Kiba cocked a suggesting eyebrow at Naruto, who flushed at little.
"It was an accident! She was still breathing when I held her! I swear I did not kill her or harm her in any way!" Naruto defended himself with faint pink cheeks.
"You are one lucky bastard, Naruto" Kiba admitted openly with a smug smile on his lips.
"How I am a lucky bastard?" Naruto blinked at Kiba, who slapped his forehead.
"Nevermind"
Neji took on his brown leather gloves and pulled his hair up into a high ponytail. He turned to look at Tenten, who had pulled her hair up as well, and lifted his eyebrow at her skeptically.
"Are you sure you do not want to wear something else?" Neji asked while he looked at her clothes, especially the skirt part of it. Tenten merely looked at him with a calm and relaxed look.
"I am" Tenten assured Neji. Neji nodded his head:
"Well if you are sure then, here is your sword" Neji handled Tenten sword with a leather-like handle and a polished metal blade.
"Well this is one smooth looking sword, nice handle and a thin, sharp blade" Tenten said as she ran her hand over the smooth surface of the blade. Neji looked at Tenten questioning wondering if she had a thing for blades or something, but decided not to ask her about it and instead he explained the rules of their duel.
"Okay, this duel is going to be a so-called friendly duel that means no strikes towards head, stomach, neck or other sensitive areas, the winner is declared when one of use either is too exhausted to fight or gives up, have I made myself clear?" Neji looked at Tenten.
"Sure, sure I get it! No killing or blood spattering, got it!" Tenten waved Neji off.
Neji sighed.
"Well… let us begin in 3, 2, 1, begin" Neji exclaimed before he raised his sword up and moved forward, swinging his sword in Tenten's direction.
Tenten, who was a little unprepared for Neji's sudden attack, barely managed to block it using her own sword.
*Clink*
The sounds of the two blades echoed through the air as Neji and Tenten crossed swords with each other.
"I thought a knight was supposed to be honorable and that surprise attacks were a no-no" Tenten looked at Neji closely in the eyes with smug smile on her pink lips.
Neji smirked at her.
"I did count down before I attacked, so technically I did warn you" Neji then moved his sword to the left, aiming towards Tenten skirt covered legs, but this Tenten was prepared and she dodges the attack quickly by aiming an attack towards Neji arms, which caused Neji to jump backwards to avoid the blade from hitting him.
"Aiming for the arms? How dishonorable of you, Tenten" Neji said smoothly.
"You aimed for my legs, so why should I not aim for your arms? No arms, no way to use your sword, right?" Tenten smugly said while she cocked her head to the side. Neji closed his eyes and smiled to himself.
"I guess you are right," Neji admitted,"But, this fight is far from over" Neji pointed out before he launched another attack, this time aiming towards Tenten's shoulder.
Tenten lifted her blade up to block Neji's sword. Neji kept on pressing his sword harder down on Tenten's while Tenten tried her hardest to keep Neji's sword away from her.
"It is no shame to give up, Tenten, it is understandable when you consider that I am the best swordsman around" Neji tried to persuade Tenten to give up, not wishing to hurt her.
"In your dreams" Was Tenten answered to Neji as she moved her sword and quickly struck an attack.
"Agh" Neji winced as Tenten's sword managed to leave a small cut on his left arm.
"Got you" Tenten winked at him.
"Are you sure?" Neji looked at Tenten with a confident look which caused Tenten to look at him with a confused look.
"Wha-" Before Tenten could say anything Neji lashed his sword out in a quick, but powerful attack.
Tenten's sword fell right out of her hands as Neji forcefully hit it and it landed on the ground with the blade buried into the ground a few meters away from them.
Tenten stood still, frozen.
She had been disarmed.
She had lost.
"This cannot be? I lost? To a man" Tenten blinked shockingly, she could simply not believe it.
From the opposite side Neji stood, watching Tenten closely feeling unsure of the whole situation.
He had won, he should be happy, yet he was not! He felt bad, seeing that defeated look in her eyes left a bad taste in his mouth.
"Maybe I should have let her win?" Neji wondered to himself as he moved his hand up to his arm to touch the cut he had received by Tenten. He moved his hand off the cut and looked at the blood between his fingers.
She did manage to hit him, which not many could do.
Neji smeared the blood out using his fingers, watching as the blood slowly dried and turned a dark red color.
Neji looked up at Tenten again. She was still standing motionless with an emotionless expression on her face, although Neji could both see and feel the disappointment and sadness in her eyes despite how she tried to hide it away from him.
He began to wonder what was going on in Tenten's head…
*Tenten's inner thoughts*
"Agh" Tenten moaned out in pain as she was slammed down on the ground, back first.
"Tenten, get up! I know you are better than this, stop hesitating and show me your true strength!" Her master harshly ordered her while he lashes his sword forward.
Tenten winced and bit her lower lip as she felt the blade cut her arms various places on her, leaving behind small marks.
"Tenten! You wish to surpass men? Then stand up and fight!" Her master explained to her harshly while he gave her a doubtful look.
Tenten bit her lip harder.
He wants to see her strength? She will show him her strength.
Just as he lashes his sword towards her again, she reacted.
His eyes widened, making her smirk despite the pain in her hand.
Beautiful red colored blood dripped down her hand and into the ground.
Tenten released the, now blood covered, blade from her grip and looked at her master with a dark expression as she said:
"You told me to show your myself strength, well here it is" And with that Tenten took her discarded sword and swung it at her master's sword, sending it flying into a tree nearby while leaving her master defenseless.
Her master moved to retreat his sword, but froze when Tenten lifted her blade up against his throat.
"Sorry, Master, but I will not let you go so easily" She smugly said with warning eyes.
Her master swallowed nervously before he sighed and lifted his hands up while he said:
"Fine, you win and I give up"
Tenten removed her sword from his throat and he sighed out in relief while she smiled at herself proudly.
She had finally won against her master, now she is uneatable!
No one can win against her…
"Tenten" Her master called her out. She looked at him confusedly as he held his hand out for her.
"Let me take a look at your hand" He said with a calm voice. Tenten looked down at her blood covered hand before she with hesitation gave it to her master, who began to clean the deep cut in her hand.
"Ow" She winced in pain as she felt her hand starting to sting.
"Take it with ease, Tenten, the cut you received is awfully deep, what were you thinking? Using your hand to block my sword, instead of your own sword? Foolish!" Her master started to lecture about her recklessness.
"You were the one telling me to show you my strength" Tenten mumbled to him with pouting lips.
"Your strength with a sword, not with your hands" Her master corrected while he sighed out.
Tenten watched as her master began bandaging her wounded hand. After he had finished, her master looked at her with his black eyes and was about to say something when…
"My Lord, what are doing here? We have an important meeting coming up and you are out here looking all dirty with that disgraceful, troublemaker of a girl" A man with long grey hair loudly yelled at her master… well Lord.
"I was merely training Tenten, also who are you to lecture me? I am the lord here, remember?" Her master replied with a bored look on his face.
"As your advisor it is my duty to advice you and guide you, now get inside and take a bath before the guests arrive" The grey-haired man ordered his Lord, who sighed.
"Fine," Her master looked at her" Tenten, remember the only man who is allowed to defeat you in combat is me, you will never loss to someone who is not me, understood?" Her master declared with a serious look on his face.
Tenten nodded her head.
"Of course"
Her master smirked at her.
"My Lord, quit talking and come!" The advisor yelled at his lord.
"Coming" Tenten watched her master sigh before he followed the annoying man while she stood behind watching.
"Do not worry, master, I will never loss, not even to you" Tenten vowed to herself in a whisper.
*End of Tenten's inner thoughts*
Tenten narrowed her eyes and bit her own lip softly as she recalled the promise, she could not keep.
"Neji must think I look pathetic, I can just image the look he has on his face now" Tenten thought to herself.
"Tenten, you okay? I did not hurt you when I disarmed you, did I?" Neji asked Tenten with a concern look on his face.
Tenten looked up at him, feeling a blush spreading on her face.
"No" She replied shortly, feeling a bit embarrassed that he thought he had hurt her. She was not some fragile little girl!
Neji looked at her with raised eyebrow before he sighed out:
"I am sorry if I by beating you offended you in some way, I did not mean to"
Tenten folded her arms over her chest and pouted her lips as she said:
"Quit trying to act so noble, just taunt me! I know you want to! Taunt me about losing to you and your superior sword fighting skills, I do not care!" Tenten panted heavily afterwards while she continued to send hateful glares at Neji.
"I am not going to taunt you, swordsman or not! Why should I taunt someone who has never been taught the proper ways of using a sword?" Neji pointed out, which only seemed to make Tenten look angrier.
"Fine, you got me! I am not a swordsman like you, I am an archer, but that does not mean I have never been taught how to use a sword, it is just not my weapon of choice! The bow and the arrows are!" Tenten explained with angry tone.
Neji blinked.
"An archer?" Neji looked at her confusedly.
"Yes, an archer! A master of long-range combat and a master of killing from the distance" Tenten proudly exclaimed.
Neji looked at Tenten closely before he started the chuckled.
"Wha?" Tenten blinked at him with a confused look on her face.
Neji did not stop chuckling.
"What is so funny?" Tenten asked while she narrowed her eyebrows and looked at Neji with suspicious in her brown eyes.
"Sorry, it is just… if you are actually an archer, why did you not challenge me to a duel in archery instead?" Neji asked after he had stopped laughing. He looked at Tenten and froze still at the serious look on her face.
"Because I promised someone that I would never loss in any type of combat to any other man, but him" Tenten explained with a serious tone and somewhat sad looking face.
"Tenten" Neji looked at Tenten with sympathetic look on his face.
"Please, do not give me that pitiful look! I do not need your pity!" Tenten told Neji. Neji walked up to Tenten and placed his hands on both her shoulders while he said:
"I am not pitying you, I am sympathizing with you because I know just how you feel" Neji looked Tenten deeply in the eyes, "I too have promised someone something, I wish to keep"
Tenten looked at Neji with a shocked look on her face while she blinked her eyes in both confusement and amazement.
She was left speechless.
Neji gave her a small smile before he removed his hands from her shoulders and bended over to retreat Tenten's fallen sword from the ground.
"Here," Neji held the sword forward, "You can keep it if you want to"
Tenten looked at the sword for a moment before she looked Neji in the eyes and smiled softly with smug expression.
"Nah keep it, I have no need of it anyway"
Neji smiled at Tenten and pulled the sword to himself before he looked at Tenten and asked:
"So, Tenten, it is almost time for lunch and your first lesson in manners, are you ready for it" Neji gave Tenten a challenging look, which caused Tenten to smirk.
"Of course, there is no doubt that I am prepared and ready for anything!"
Neji returned Tenten's smirk as he said:
"Well then follow me, archer"
To be continued…
A/N: Well that was chapter 5, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Kiba, a fellow swordsman and friend of Naruto has been introduced, and they both managed to anger Tenten xD
A little glimpse of Tenten's mysterious past, more about both Tenten and Neji past will be told as the story goes .
Leave a review and tell me what you think :)
P.S. next chapter will probably not be up as fast as this one, I have a big assignment that I have to handover this Friday. I have for the past 1-2 weeks been working on a portfolio website, which I will be focusing 100 % on finishing. Please bear with me, I will try my best not to leave you guys waiting for too long ^^