gomen ne! technical diffculties may have left may of you unable to read this and i deeply apologize! but here's chapter 2!
"It's about time I told you about my family tree." Her voice was almost completely void of emotion.
Neji was a little taken aback with Tenten's sudden explanation. "You're past is your past, Tenten. I don't need to know."
"But you do, it's unfair to you that I know so much about your family history and you know nothing of mine." Her hand gripped into a fist. "Besides, if I am to disappear, it's only right that you know why."
"You're not going to disappear." He stated simply, running a hand through her hair.
"I wish I could afford to think like that." She made a sigh, contemplating where to begin. "I guess I should start with my parents, they pretty much are the start of this whole ordeal."
The two were silent for a moment, Neji waiting for her to continue. "My mother was from Tsurigakure (Village Hidden in the Trees) and my father was from Torigakure (Village Hidden in the Birds), both are neighboring villages between Suna and Ishi, as well as rivals. They hated each other, the passion of it ran as far back as the first Hokage, it's a wonder how my parents even met each other." Tenten smiled a little.
"Both of my parents were on separate missions to Konoha, when they saw each other's headbands they were immediately prepared to fight to the death. Somehow, when another ninja appeared, from the Sound, attempted to assassinate my mother, my father saved her. They just met, were ready to kill each other, but when she was in danger and didn't realize it, he saved her. When my mother asked him why he did what he did, he responded, 'when you got here you rescued a little girl from some drunken men, she was my sister's daughter. I can't kill someone who did something like that.'
"My mother did save a little girl earlier that day, though she was never sure if she was his niece. It didn't matter anyway, especially when she notice that my father had been poisoned. He slumped to the ground, she found a poison dart lodged in his back. It was meant for her, she knew, some poison was left on the dart she knew the smell anywhere. She has made that specific poison many times in order to learn how to make an antidote. One she had with her. She gave him the antidote and brought him to thicker, safer part of the woods surrounding Konoha."
Tenten smiled at the story, barely remembering her mother's face, but remembered the words coming from her voice. The voice that would sing her lullabies that she could only remember the melodies now.
"My mother set up camp, this man had just saved her life, she had to return the favor. After a while, my father woke up, and things went on from there. They found out about each others' families, how the other was to be engaged in an arranged marriage soon. It's a tale similar to Romeo and Juliet, only my father wasn't that much of a pig and my mother not that much of a weakling. They wanted to be able to see each other again, so they decided that every other week, they would transform their appearance in order to have a date in Ishigakure. No one would know a thing.
"For the next few months my parents would meet up and go to dinner or something, under aliases of course. They fell in love, a forbidden love that they knew could never last this way. Running away together was their only option, they planned to fake their deaths and come live in Konoha.
"Their plan backfired when my mother was to have an arranged marriage with one of the most sexist men in the village, a week before their 'deaths' could take place. My mother faked her death early, sending a messenger bird to my father who faked his death immediately and destroyed the evidence of the bird and message. They ran away to Konoha, where they were granted the ability to stay here by the Fourth Hokage, got married and had Takashi soon after. Five years later they had me."
Tenten paused, wiping away the tears that threatened to show themselves when it came to the next part in her tale. The most important part. It meant her freedom and her home was on the line. "What happened next?" Neji found himself asking, neither of them had moved from the position Ino had put them in.
"The two families had gotten word that my parents were alive and married in Konoha, I had just turned three at the time, Takashi was eight and had started the ninja academy a couple years before. My father's family simply disowned him, secretly I think my aunt didn't want his life to be ruined and convinced their family to think it just wasn't worth it. I was always told that my father's side was more forgiving and willing to just let things go and break ties. My mother's side was far more relentless. The Third Hokage sent my parents on a mission in Sunagakure, they day they left was the last time I saw them alive."
She drew in a breath, anger sitting in the pit of her stomach. Neji knew how touchy this subject was, he never knew the true cause of her parents' death, but he wouldn't press her for details if it meant she would turn into the state she had been earlier. Looks like she was going to willingly tell him.
"My mother's family hired rogue ninja to attack and kill my parents while they were away. I bet you're wondering how I know this," Tenten's voice was firm, she was certain and she knew that the reason she had come up with was the only thing that was logical one. "I know because my grandmother came to the village personally, ordering that her goddamned grandchildren be returned to her. I can't even imagine how my brother and I would have been treated. My mother was already a bit of a rebel, her family hated the idea of women becoming ninja, but her mother let it go if she could choose her husband. Just imagine what's I'd have to live through, I wouldn't even be allow to touch a weapon! We'd just be puppets for their own sick entertainment!"
As much as she had a point, Neji noticed she'd be in a similar situation that he was. He had the cursed seal on his head, he already was a sort of controlled puppet, but Hiashi has made sure that the seal wasn't activated. But Tenten has always been free, her only limitations were ones she created, she was born a free spirit, for her to be controlled…no he couldn't even think of what that would do to her.
"The Third Hokage was able to cover for us, stating that if anything should happen to my parents, Takashi would call the shots as to whether or not we would go into the custody of our relatives. That was never arranged, but I'm sure my parents begged him to protect us. Takashi was sent to the Hokage Mansion where he stood face to face with our grandmother, where he was asked if he wanted to be put into the custody of her. He was only eight! And yet he completely defied our grandmother! She cursed us under her breath after that, Takashi was sent away and it was decided that if anything were to happen to Takashi before I turned twenty-one, I would be sent to Tsurigakure. If Takashi dies today, I'm gone tomorrow…" A single tear left her eye.
That can't be how it works! The Hyuga clan isn't even that harsh! At one point, Neji believed Tenten knew nothing of his pain, had he known the reasoning behind her smiling façade, maybe he would have thought differently. He regretted any wish he may have made in the past for Tenten to know what he went through. He would do anything at that moment, if it would mean the inevitable was avoidable.
"You're not going anywhere," he managed to say, his own fist clenched at some point during her story.
"I'll have no choice, Neji," she said, much more calmly now. Her hysterical state seem to have exhausted all of her fight and made her almost content with her possible fate. "Fate has its ways."
"You can change fate," he whispered. Damn it! Where was Naruto when you needed him, huh, Neji? He could explain this to her, right?
No, it's your turn pass on this advice.
Tenten looked up at him confused. Did she hear that right?
"You don't even know if he's dead or not, would surgery go on this long if there was no chance of his survival?"
Tenten looked down toward the ground. She never thought of that. Just the worst case scenario was the only thing that came to her mind. Neji was right, as always, there was still a chance of Takashi living and the whole ordeal being avoided. She psyched herself out for nothing.
The light above the emergency room door went out, signaling the end of surgery. A gurney was rolled out with various tubes and machines hooked to an unconscious Takashi. Sakura came out with a sigh, walking over to the two. She wiped her brow as Tenten sat up slowly.
"Nee, Sakura-san?" she managed to ask, her eyes full of worry. Sakura smiled.
"Don't worry, Tenten, surgery was a success," she replied, gesturing her head to down the hall. "He's in room F342, you can visit him if you wish."
Tenten nodded, the numb feeling that had unknowingly gathered began to go away, revealing pain on the sides of her hands. Which she used to pound against Neji's chest in frustration. She stood up and practically ran to the room her brother was in. Everything was going to be okay.
Neji followed, Sakura in pursuit, to find Tenten already in the chair next to Takashi's bed. "Chotto? Neji? May I have a word?" Sakura asked, Tenten looked up with a little fear. "Don't worry, it's just about when his next checkup will be?"
Tenten just nodded, taking her brother's hand, thanking whatever great being was above looking out for her. Perhaps her parents.
Outside, Neji knew better than to believe Sakura's cover. When it came to friends being in hospitals and dragging someone outside (usually him), it was usually because the other people in the room may not be able to handle what was really happening. "Hn?"
"Neji, I don't have to tell you this isn't about your appointment, do I?" Sakura asked, he shook his head.
"No, I'm well aware of that. What's wrong with Takashi?"
"Probably best to just cut to the chase," Sakura sighed, looking at her clipboard. "his life is no longer in danger, for the time being…"
"Time being?"
"He was clinically dead for three and a half minutes. It's not uncommon for someone to make a recovery after this, but there may be problems."
"I thought you said you were going to cut to the chase."
"Fine," she took a long sigh, figuring out how to word this. "There is a chance that Takashi may not wake up."
i know i know so sad and depressing what is wrong with me! btw plz review and take a look at my profile for a poll on what genre i should do my next fanfic on! arigato!