Nothing Is Easy In Konohagakure
A/N: Wow! I don't usually look at my number of reviews, but this story has the most reviews I've ever gotten for a single story! It might be one of my only stories to ever hit 100 reviews! I love you ALL!
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Neji kneeled in front of Hiashi, his head bent towards the ground. He really was getting tired of these reports—after all, having to actually kneel down in front of the man who had made your life a living hell, gave you a ray of hope by training you, only to have you become one of his spies was just slightly degrading.
"The Aburame boy has dropped out of the running for Hokage, and since the Haruno girl has also dropped out, I am Naruto's only opponent. Also, Uzumaki now knows fully of Hinata's situation," Neji explained briefly, wanting the 'conversation' with his uncle to be over with as quickly as possible.
"… So, if you do not win the position of Hokage, Uzumaki will get it," Hiashi stated—not questioned, stated.
"Hai," Neji answered back, just as firmly. But, inside his head, he was wondering if he could possibly beat the Uzumaki. Granted, he himself had grown vastly stronger since being taught the complete art of the Juken and the fighting style of the Hyuuga clan. However, Neji had learned pretty much all he would ever learn—he had learned all of the Juken moves, and all he could really do at this point was to perfect it.
Uzumaki, however, was different. It was as if his goals were not to memorize and perfect one style, but all of them.
This meant he was constantly improving, and improved at a faster rate than he, himself, improved.
And, just a few years ago, when Naruto and Neji fought, Neji had lost—because Naruto was extremely clever. Calling him a genius was perhaps a bit much, but he was most definitely clever. And that was something that Neji couldn't obtain. In addition, he had no clue how many points Naruto had obtained thus far, either. Neji himself has seven points, but it was possible to pretty much get an infinite amount of points, due to the fact that the ANBU made up the rules as they went along.
Neji listened for his uncle to say something—anything—hoping desperately for a dismissal.
"You have little chance of beating the Uzumaki boy. Perhaps if Aburame or Haruno were still running, he might not have won, but considering he beat you when you still Genin… We may just have to take another approach. Neji, you no longer have to keep track of the Uzumaki and Hinata. You are dismissed from any spying duties," Hiashi said, his tone (falsely) showing that he was annoyed.
"But.. Hyuuga-sama… About the marriage…" Neji began, unsure of how to finish the sentence.
"You are not banished. I will, however, not arrange the marriage between you and Ama. Instead, you may marry—or not marry—whomever you wish. Now, take your leave," Hiashi commanded.
Neji gave him a low bow and exited the room. "Arigatou, uncle," he said, boldly using the term uncle as he left the room.
'So, he saw through me, ne? Ch, it's time I really started acting like an uncle, and a father for that matter, anyways…' Hiashi thought to himself with a soft smile, which he quickly erased when he realized that anyone could see it, simply by activating the Byakugan.
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"Oi! Naruto!" Shikamaru called from outside the door of an apartment. In front of him sat a board with go pieces already arranged, and Shikamaru was sitting on one side of the board, the other side unoccupied.
"Yeah, Shikamaru?" Naruto called. Hinata was standing beside him, and she was curious as to why Shikamaru would purposely seek out Naruto. She could tell that it wasn't just a casual meeting—Shikamaru would never go out of his way to ask someone to play a game of go with him, after all.
"Play a game?" Shikamaru asked, motioning towards the go board.
"Uh, no, I'm busy…" Naruto replied, scratching his cheek in confusion. Shikamaru sighed and glared at him.
"Gomen, Naruto. I thought that I wouldn't have to actually say it. This is a test, you need to take it, or Neji' will get points and you won't," Shikamaru stated bluntly. "It's troublesome, I know, but…" Shikamaru mumbled with a shrug.
"What are you waiting for? You go first!" Naruto exclaimed, somehow suddenly in front of Shikamaru, leaning over the board, staring intently at the pieces.
"No, actually, you go first…" Shikamaru mumbled, adding a 'troublesome' at the end to satisfy his own O.C.D.s about using that particular word.
"Oh! Right!" Naruto exclaimed.
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Shikamaru was slightly impressed. He had played with Naruto before—a little after he arrived back from his three year trip, and a few more times recently—and, even though he didn't really strategize far into the future, he could get out of a bind, seemingly, with ease. Since he knew what all of the pieces did, and how to use them, he could draw the game out.
And Shikamaru was giving a point for every fifteen moves the other ninja made it through. He'd also give him a point if he could take his queen (though not any other pieces), he'd give him a point for every time he got out of check, and he'd give him five if he could manage to win.
But, of course, Shikamaru never lost, and he knew he never would. It was a sad realization, actually, but it was true.
Every time Shikamaru tried to force him into a checkmate, Naruto would scrutinize the board, and find an out, somehow… Sometimes they were so either blatantly obvious, or so out of the ordinary, Shikamaru couldn't believe it. But now that, it seemed, that because Naruto was playing for position of Hokage, he was trying his best.
In the end, he'd ended up with six points. He'd made it thirty-five moves, which constituted two points; and, also, he'd gotten out of check four times.
He had played Neji earlier, and it was a disturbing thought, but he'd gotten seven points. He'd made it forty-six moves, which gave him his first three; he'd gotten out of a check three times; and also, he had managed to get his queen.
So, in the end, after that test, they became tied. Not that it mattered at that point, but it meant that, so far, they were pretty much equal. And, if it ended up as a tie, they'd be fighting in a tournament.
But, then again, the Hokage was a sadistic person. She might just have them fight for the second test, after all…
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Tenten was relieved. She, Lee, and Gai-sensei hadn't seen Neji sleep in two months. But, when she tried knocking on the door of the Hyuuga compound to ask for him, the Branch family member—whose name was Takashi—that answered the door told her that he was asleep.
So, when she hugged him, tears leaking out of her eyes, and then ran away, the Branch member was just slightly confused.
The next morning, when Neji finally awakened, Takashi told Neji what had happened between him and 'that odd Ama girl'.
And was shocked to see Neji smiling. He walked away after Neji told him that that was all he needed to hear, and gladly went. But that was a kind of smile he hadn't seen on Neji's face in a long time.
After Takashi left, Neji jumped up, feeling extremely invigorated. He had a choice, now! But, of course, he couldn't just drop out of the contest, for then his uncle might just take back what he said, and perhaps even marry him to someone he did not wish to wed.
But, as long as he kept his uncle happy, he'd be able to marry whomever he wanted, as long as whomever he wanted wished to marry him as well, and could marry whomever they wanted.
And so, this happy thought in his mind, he dressed for the day, brushed his hair and put it in the usual ponytail (though he considered letting it hang loose, because Tenten often said she wanted to see it loose), and made sure he wasn't smiling before he exited the room to eat.
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For the first time in ages, Neji actually sparred with Lee (he refused to actually fight). For the first time in ages, Neji was actually into the training. For the first time in ages, both Lee and Tenten wore huge grins the entire time, even during sparring and even when Tenten missed the target board, sometimes completely.
Gai finally told them, as the sun was setting, that they could stop training for the day ("Although if the passionate flames of your youth are still burning, you can still continue training with me as I run around the village!" to which Lee automatically agreed).
Neji sighed as he watched the two run off fast, despite Lee's obvious fatigue. "Tenten, would you like to be treated to dinner…? There's something I want to talk over with you…"
Tenten blushed at the use of no honorific, but she nodded and replied affirmative.
Neji took her to a place that the Hyuugas were patrons of. It was a sushi bar, named Sashimi Delights. "I hope you like sushi…" he began as they walked in. Tenten nodded, but wondered why he continued leading him into the restaurant even though his comment showed he was unsure whether or not she liked it.
'Or, perhaps, he knows you like sushi, but only asked that to be polite… You did bring sushi for lunch a few times,' Tenten reminded herself.
They walked into a large room, with many people surrounding small tables and knelt down, eating sushi and talking. Some seemed like they were just friends, others seemed like couples, and yet others seemed to be celebrating.
'I wonder what we'll look like…?' Tenten thought to herself wistfully as Neji stood in front of her, ordering the food from a man in a black vest and other westernized clothes.
They were led to a small table for two, and another waiter followed him with hot tea. He poured the tea into the two opposite cups, and set the rest of the tea to the side of the table on top of a hotplate to keep it from growing cold.
The sushi didn't take long to be brought to the table, but it did take just enough time for it to show that it was freshly made. They sat in silence until it came, a silence that was both comfortable and uncomfortable.
The sushi was place in front of them, and Neji and Tenten broke apart their chopsticks. Apparently, if Neji had remembered she liked sushi, he didn't remember which type she liked, for he had gotten just about every type the restaurant had available. She piled pieces with salmon on top on one side of her plate, along with other pieces that were—in Neji's views—'fake' sushi, for it had crabmeat inside of it and no raw fish.
After she took a bite of the 'fake' sushi, she turned to Neji. "Oh, what did you want to ask me?" she asked before sipping at her tea.
"How… how are your parents going about… What is the typical Ama family norm for marrying daughters?" Neji asked, turning a personal statement into a less awkward question, but you could tell that Tenten was still shocked.
"Well… arranged marriages aren't unheard of, but they don't go searching for them, and they're never from birth… Usually the daughter chooses, and if the parents are in agreement, then it is allowed…" Tenten replied, a slight blush apparent on her face.
"Ah. And courtship?" Neji asked, leaning forward. His sadistic side was beginning to kick in—he was actually enjoying making her blush!
"Uh, well, that is usually completely separated from the parents, though the one who is doing the courting is introduced to the parents after a few dates…" Tenten replied, still blushing.
"Ah. Well, Tenten Ama, would you undergo the rituals of courtship with me?" Neji asked, hiding the blush on his face. Hyuugas didn't blush, not even when romance was involved.
"Uh, hai…" she replied, looking down, her blush increasing.
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"I wonder how many more tests there will be…?" Naruto asked aloud, staring at the sky as he sat with everyone else. Kiba shrugged; Shino went to push up his glasses, but was held back by Kiba, who was currently being leaned against; Akamaru was sleeping; and Hinata and Sakura actually thought about it.
"So far, in the span of two months, there have been three. And there's about ten months left. So, I guess about… fifteen more, if they keep up their pace…" Sakura explained after doing a quick bit of math.
"See? Let Sakura get things like that…" Kiba muttered sleepily.
"Don't go to sleep. You'll get none tonight," Shino commanded lightly, his 'maternal senses' as Naruto put it, kicking in.
"What…? Oh, right," Kiba replied, sitting up straight (much to Shino's chagrin) and rubbing his eyes.
"Hey, how come you and Hinata aren't that close yet?" Sakura asked.
Naruto looked at Hinata and shrugged. Hinata blushed and looked away. Yes, why hadn't they developed like a normal couple, like Shino and Kiba…? Weren't they, just a little while ago, progessing the same...?
A/N: Yes, I'm putting a little more work into the couples. And I'm drawing out the tests a bit as well. With the way I wrote it, it kind of makes it seem that they have tests daily, eh...