I'm back from Christmas break with nearly unlimited computer access until May! Aren't you guys happy? And I finished the next three chapters of this fic! So, I'll probably be updating about once a week, to give myself time too finish more chapters and do homework and stuff.

On a slightly different note, I should probably stop mentioning my writing process for the next chapter before I do it, since I keep changing my mind. In other words, this chapter is not the SasuSaku goodness I keep making you guys wait for. It's actually a whole lot of Shikamaru and Temari annoying the hell out of each other. And some NejiTen, because I could. I hope you enjoy it anyway, because we do return to what's happening with Sakura in the next chapter. Enjoy!

I do not own Naruto.

Bloodline

--Chapter Four: Maybe They're Magic--

The next morning Neji and Tenten once more sat on cushions in front of Hiashi, though this time they were his only guests. They waited patiently for him to begin; both suspected they were summoned because of something that had to do with their engagement.

"Neji, Tenten, I have asked you two here this morning because I have some rather important matters to discuss with the two of you."

The pair exchanged glances.

"Your official engagement has been set for next spring," Hiashi said. "The wedding will follow six months later, to give the family enough time to plan it. Is that acceptable to both of you?" The question was pointless, since this had been arranged for nearly seven years, but formalities required that Hiashi ask.

Tenten glanced at Neji. The official date of their engagement would fall near her eighteenth birthday. His hand left his side and reached for hers, which he squeezed gently. "It is more than acceptable," the Hyuuga boy said quietly. The rules of the marriage agreement required him to give that answer, but Tenten knew he meant it and she smiled a little to herself.

"More urgent is the matter of the future of this family," Hiashi continued. "As both of you know, Hinata was to succeed me as head of the Hyuugas upon my eventual death. I had hoped she would grow into the role, but that is no longer an option. Hanabi, talented though she may be, does not have the temperament for the job. This brings me to you, Neji. You are my brother's son. You have proven yourself time and time again in the hunts. You understand the politics between the Hyuugas and other hunting families, such as that of Suna. With you the family's position is once again secured. Therefore, I have decided to make you my official heir."

Neji had been keeping his eyes down out of respect, but now he nearly snapped his own neck as his head shot up for him to stare at his uncle. "You're serious?"

Hiashi smiled. "You do want this, don't you?"

Neji collected himself, clearing his throat and lowering his head again. "Of course, Uncle. Forgive me. I am grateful for the honor you bestow upon me." He glanced at Tenten. "Upon both of us."

A tiny smile appeared on Hiashi's face. "Good. I will see you two later, then."

"Yes sir." The two rose in unison, bowed, and exited the room.

"Heir to the Hyuuga family," Neji whispered as soon as the door to Hiashi's study was shut. "I never believed it possible."

"It's what you always wanted though, isn't it?" Tenten asked, squeezing his hand as he had hers. "I know I should feel bad about Hinata, but I can't help feeling happy for you."

Neji's expression darkened slightly. "Hinata is either dead or one of them, Tenten. This is destiny."

It was his destiny to marry Tenten, and it was his destiny to become head of the Hyuuga family. Now all Neji had to do was free Konoha from the menace known as vampires, and his destiny would be complete.

--

"Today you will be sparring with each other," Gai announced to the training room full of teenagers. "Hiashi wants a measure of everyone's skills so he can arrange hunting teams accordingly."

Hiashi, sitting on a cushion in the corner of the room, nodded his approval. His expression was passive, for he was only there to observe.

Gai felt unusually uncomfortable. He had plenty of confidence in the abilities of Neji, Tenten, and especially Lee; even Naruto had improved enough to take on Neji (he couldn't win, but he could at least hold his own for a while). But those Sabaku siblings… Temari was every bit as smart as Shikamaru, but without an ounce of laziness. Kankuro, though he didn't look it, was clever and versatile. Gaara… Gaara had a deadpan and numerous skills greater than Neji's. Gai didn't expect anything really bad to happen during sparring, but he was still just a little concerned. "The first match-up will be Temari and Tenten."

Tenten smiled confidently.

Temari smirked.

--

"Vicious thing, aren't you?" Shikamaru leaned against the doorway of Temari's bedroom a few hours later.

"A huntress has to be," she replied calmly, sitting on her bed as she polished a small metal fan. She glanced up at him. "What's it to you?"

Shikamaru snorted. "Nothing. I was just stating an observation. Hiashi was impressed with your skills, but not your attitude. Now that Neji's his heir, which makes Tenten the future mistress of the household, Hiashi expects everyone- including you and your brothers- to treat both of them accordingly."

"I'll treat her with respect when she earns it," Temari said sharply. "That performance today was pitiful."

Shikamaru shook his head. "She expected to just be sparring. You treated it like a real fight."

"That's because it does no good to have 'pretend fights'. The vampires aren't going to go easy on us in battle, so we shouldn't go easy on ourselves in training. Maybe the real reason the Hyuugas are reduced in numbers is that they're going soft."

He let out a short laugh. "Are you sure about that? I was paying attention during that fight. You roughed Tenten up pretty well, but you didn't break any bones. Maybe you're the one that's soft."

She glared at him. "I am not. If there really are only a few hunters left in the Hyuuga family, it wouldn't do anyone any favors to take one of the supposed best out of commission for however long it would take her bones to heal." She looked down at her fan again. "Besides, what I did was nothing compared to what Gaara would have done."

"Vicious runs in the family, then?"

"Something like that. Why are you even here?"

"Hiashi gave out the patrol assignments. You and I are together."

--

Tenten was not surprised, when she woke up, to find Neji sitting next to her bed. "It's not that bad," she reassured him. "I think she went easy on me."

"That's what makes it bad," the pale-eyed teen replied. "You were lucky she didn't break anything."

Tenten smiled, hoping it would make the crease that always appeared between Neji's eyebrows when he was worried go away. "I'm lucky it was her and not a vampire."

Instead the crease deepened. "Damn right you are," Neji said softly. "How many times do I have to remind you that I can't always be there to protect you?"

Tenten laughed. "You're such a jerk, Neji. You're lucky I like you."

The crease lessened considerably as Neji's expression reverted to his usual poker face. "You aren't going on the hunt tonight. Hiashi's orders."

Tenten sighed. "What else is new?" she muttered.

"Tomorrow night you and I are going together."

Wide brown eyes stared at him. "Seriously? Hiashi's letting you out again?"

"Yes, but only if you're healed enough to go. And in order for you to heal, you need to rest."

Tenten grinned. "Got it. I'm going back to sleep right now. You'll still be here when I wake up, won't you?"

Neji leaned back in his chair. "You knew the answer to that before you asked."

--

They started the hunt as soon as the sun went down. Naruto complained about being left behind (he was forbidden from the hunt until Gai declared him ready), Kankuro complained about being paired up with Gai, and Gaara gave Lee dirty looks as the green-clad hunter tried to start friendly conversations. For the first few hours after separating from everyone else Temari and Shikamaru worked in silence, but Temari eventually got annoyed with that.

She glanced at Shikamaru as they walked along the streets, the only light coming from the streetlamps since clouds obscured the moon and stars. "You're not like the others," she said. It wasn't a question.

"You're not likely to learn the full truth of that statement," he muttered.

"What's with the old man, putting all of us in groups? In Suna we hunt alone."

"Well, this is Konoha, not Suna. The 'old man' figures this way is safer."

"Why?" Temari scoffed. "It doesn't do him any good to not trust the people he's hired."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "It's not you he's got a problem trusting. His daughter was hunting alone when she was captured."

Temari knew she was starting to let her curiosity get the better of her, but she needed something other than silence to fill up the space between fights. "What's she like, this daughter of his?"

"Shy, quiet," Shikamaru replied. "A gentle spirit you don't see often among the Hyuugas. Pretty, I guess, in a soft, subtle sort of way."

Temari snorted. "Doesn't sound like a great vampire hunter."

Shikamaru smirked. "She wasn't. Not enough self-confidence, unlike you."

She glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're full of yourself," he told her.

"You're full of shit," she responded. "How does the old man even know she's still alive and not buried somewhere?"

"She was seen three nights after she disappeared in the company of two vampires and a werewolf."

Temari made a noise of disbelief. "You guys still have werewolves out here? Pathetic."

"Just the one," Shikamaru corrected. From anyone else it might have sounded defensive; with him it was merely statement of fact. "The rest were killed off ten years ago."

"Why not that one, then?"

"As far as we know, the vampires took him in. He was just a kid when the others were killed off. He's only attacked someone once, about two years after his clan was killed."

Temari pulled out a kunai and started twirling it, absorbing every bit of information Shikamaru was giving her. "So, back to the Hyuugas, then. What's with the arranged marriage thing for the long-haired punk and the weapons-chick?"

"Tenten was taken in by the Hyuugas when she was five. They basically raised her to be one of them, and when she and Neji were twelve the marriage was arranged. It's not as bad as it sounds, I guess; they at least like each other. The only reasons no such arrangement was made for Hinata are the facts that she was Hiashi's heir and the choices were limited to me, Lee, and your brothers."

"From what you've said of Hinata, I wouldn't wish any of you on her."

"Thanks," Shikamaru said dryly.

"So what's your story? Another orphan, taken in by the oh-so-benevolent vampire-hunting family?"

To her surprise, Shikamaru's expression darkened. "No. I'm not an orphan."

She waited for him to continue, but he didn't. "That's all you're going to tell me?"

"Tch. You ask too many questions."

"Lazy-ass."

"Troublesome woman."

"Ooh, what an insult."

"Shh."

"Don't shush me, you-"

He clapped a hand over her mouth. "Use your ears, will you? Someone's coming." He removed his hand.

Temari was silent now, the kunai held properly and ready to throw.

"One more, Asuma?" a fairly young-sounding male voice complained. "I'm still hungry."

"You're always hungry," a female voice retorted.

"Just 'cause you practically starve yourself…"

"Enough, both of you," an older male voice interrupted. "No, Chouji; the sun will be up soon and neither of you are dressed for it."

Was it her imagination, Temari wondered, or did her erstwhile partner's face turn pale at the sound of these voices? "Three of them. Intelligent ones, too," she whispered to him.

"They could be human." He sounded ever-so-slightly desperate.

"At this time? The only humans out here are hunters, like us. Besides, the sun wouldn't matter to them if they were." She started to move forward, but he put a hand on her shoulder. She turned to glare at him. "What are you doing?" Temari hissed. "They're going to get away."

"Let them go. We've killed seven feeders already; Hiashi's got nothing to complain about."

"He will if he knows we let three real vampires walk away!"

"Who said he had to know?"

Temari stared at him. "There is something seriously off about you, Nara, and I'm going to find out what it is." She glanced into the alley again. "They're gone now. Are you happy?"

"No."

"Good, because I'm not either," Temari retorted.

Shikamaru sighed and started walking. "Troublesome woman."

"Oh, that's so creative, lazy-ass," she said with extreme sarcasm as she went after him. "I think I might start to hate you."

He kept walking. "I think I might continue not to care."

She pursed her lips. "I changed my mind. I do hate you."

"Still don't care."

Temari grinned. "Liar."

No one else had ever seen through Shikamaru's lies- and he'd told a lot of them in the past year or so- that quickly. Of course, he wasn't about to admit that she was right.

--End Chapter Four--

ShikaTem is my OTP, for which I will never apologize. But don't worry, the story still has SasuSaku. I already wrote the next two chapters, remember? It's there. So, I'll see you then, and please, please, please review!