3: They hate arranged marriages.
Team Gai is out practicing like normal but then a messenger ninja arrives. "Everyone gather here, there is a messenger here." Gai-sensei is here.
"Big deal, a message; like it doesn't happen every day." Neji mocks. Tenten giggled jumping down from a tree where she stationed herself while training with Neji. She takes a place aside Neji.
"Who's it for; is it a mission?" Tenten asked.
"No, it's a summoning letter for you Tenten." Gai-sensei said. Tenten looked at Neji who just shrugged and she ran off, while he just sat there.
"Neji, why are you not training?" Lee asked.
"Because I'm training with Tenten and she left and I tired myself out, I'm recovering chakra while she's gone."
"That is smart Neji; I didn't know sitting gave you more chakra."
"No but meditating does." Neji said to the annoying Lee. Neji meditated while Lee and Gai-sensei improved their tai-jutsu.
(At Tsunade's Office) "Tsunade, I'm here." Tenten said walking into the office.
"Very good Tenten, do you know why you're here?" Tsunade asked.
"No, I didn't get a chance to read the letter; Gai-sensei just said it was a summoning to come here."
"That's all it said, there was no use writing it on the paper if you were going to come."
"I guess, can you tell me what I'm here for." Tenten begged.
"I'll get to it Tenten, you look tired, yet your anxious; what kind of training are you doing?"
"I'm doing target practice on Neji." Tsunade looked very concerned.
"And Gai-sensei allows you to do this?" She asked concerned.
"Yeah, Neji is working on a family jutsu and it's causing him problems, so I attack with all my jutsu and then Neji uses it to fend them off, it works perfectly sometimes, others it doesn't and he gets pinned to a wall or something, like a tree." Tsunade raises and eye brow.
"Okay, well, you know that you're about to become 16 soon, and you know what that means, right?"
"No, if I did I'd react by now." Tenten answered.
"It's the time where parents set up arranged marriages."
"WHAT!"
"Arranged marriages," Tsunade repeated calmly in response to Tenten's anger.
"I know that, but what?"
"Tenten you know very well that you're a member of the village and what that means, it means that you'll be set up with another man from another village, without any choice."
"That's so unfair."
"Will you calm down before I have to yell?" Tsunade asked politely.
"It's so unfair."
"Tenten!" Tsunade yelled.
"Yeah?"
"I'm talking. Now that's how it works but without parents, I was put in charge of making arrangements."
"I have parents, they're just not here." Tenten said with a grudge.
"Tenten, they might as well be dead, they most likely are anyway; understand?"
"I know, go on." Tenten said annoyed but showed no sign of annoyance to Tsunade, her superior.
"I talked to your aunt, who lived far away, and she gave me directions on what to do, beyond that it's your choice."
"My choice about what?"
"You can choose to accept who I pick out, or you can just go without a husband." Tenten got a choice; while in normal situations, there was no choice.
"I really don't want to be without a husband." Tenten said, "But I really don't want one either."
"Promise me you'll give him a chance, Tenten. I know you; I think this will work out fine, what do you think?"
"I guess I will." Tenten looked at Tsunade. "What were the orders she gave you?"
"I was told not to tell you who I'm thinking of, or what the expectations were until you meet them, sorry." Tenten pouted.
"Is that all?"
"Yes." Tsunade answered.
"Then I wish to return to training." Tsunade nodded, seeing the pouting girl made her smile to remember when she was told about it, and decided not to, because her hokage was told directions as well similar to the ones she was told except the old man Hokage didn't know front from back and didn't know her. Tsunade tried but she rather like the life of being on her own, and still does.
She returned to training and Neji could either deflect all of them, none of them or half of them. It depended on how she threw them, where she threw them, how fast she threw them, and the amount of chakra he used.
"So what was that about?" Neji asked, seeing her behavior after the talk alerting him that she was in a bad mood.
"I don't want to talk about it now, I promise I'll tell you after we've used up all the time we can with training."
"Fine, how about I take you to dinner, my treat." He said.
"Neji Hyuuga, are you asking me out?"
"No, I'm asking you to come with me to dinner so we can talk. You're concentrations off so until we fix what ever is bothering you we'll never get any training done."
"Fine; I accept your invitation." Tenten said.
"Good, now let's go." Tenten simply couldn't concentrate; Tenten was stressed out. Tenten tried to concentrate as hard as he tried she couldn't as well as she normally could. Neji gave her a little slack; he understood something was bothering her. He couldn't read Tenten like he could any other person, seeing as his Byakugan could only study levels such as power, amount of chakra, stress and things like that he'd have to assume and guess what they meant, most of these times, he was correct but he had nothing to go on. Tenten attacked time after time but she was so off, that Neji actually got more of a challenge after predicting where she was firing, but her would check on her, her chakra levels were dropping, stress isn't good for works. He could sense it; she was going to pass out.
"This practice is over; everyone should eat, and rest up for practice. Remember we don't have practice tomorrow." Gai-sensei called.
"Yeah fine whatever." Neji said waiting for his female friend to either fall from the tree or jump down; depending on if she hadn't past out in a tree.
"Where is our other teammate, Neji?" Lee asked.
"Tenten is somewhere in those trees, I'll take care of her. Be on your way."
"Very well, be careful she looked very upset and the letter didn't seem to be good news either." Neji nodded, he searched for her using his Byakugan, he spotted her she was tying a kunai to a tree branch still. He jumped up into the tree.
"Practice is over Tenten."
"Oh, it is. I didn't here." They both jumped down, Tenten's landing was anything but perfect, and she lost her balance and bumped into another tree. Neji smirked.
"The faster we clear your mind and get your chakra levels up the better." She nodded and the walked to dinner.
They went to the dinner, and sat down at the table. Their meal would be ready in 20 minutes giving them plenty of time to talk. "Start from the beginning you went to…
"I went to Tsunade's office and arrived there. She asked me if I knew why I was there, which I didn't have a clue because the note didn't say anything about it, and I hadn't read the note either. Then she asked me if I knew what time of year it is?"
"It's January."
"Yeah, it's also the beginning of the time when parents begin drawing up arranged marriages." Tenten said sighing, happy to be sharing this information with Neji.
"So,"
"Well for guys it's no big deal; you get a say in who you want to marry. While girls, our fathers pick what's best for the clan. It's not exactly fair for us at all."
"So you don't have parents, you have no worries." Neji guessed.
"Wrong, Tsunade talked to my far aunt and she told Tsunade what the Hoshi Family needed to marry their heir." Neji nodded. "I get a choice, they pick the person and I can agree to it or not get married at all."
"Seems beyond unfair,"
"Exactly, well I told Tsunade that I'd give the person a chance because I know that Tsunade would find a person that would make me happy, and keep the clan happy."
"And…" Neji expected there to be more.
"Well I'm just annoyed because they already picked out the person, their traits and everything and are picking a day to meet them. Except, I won't know who it is or what traits they have until I meet them." Neji smirked finding this funny at how something so simple as meeting a single person could stress her out this much.
"That all?" Neji asked.
"Yeah,"
"You better?"
"No, now I'm hungry." Tenten said pouting; this caused Neji to smirk at his pouting companion.
"We are at a restaurant, you'll have food soon." Tenten perked up.
"So what do you think?"
"I think you're over reacting and that you'll be fine. Tsunade will find someone who's an heir like you who you'll get along with them, you'll be happy. Don't worry so much."
"Can you see the future?" Neji's eye brow rose.
"No, and if I did I'd be sure to tell you how it would end up but I'm almost 100 sure that's how it's going to end up. It might be a prince or something, but you have a clan to bestow honor on so they'd have to be someone very high up."
"What if I don't want that? What if I just wanted a normal ninja? I don't care about heirs or anything. I'm trying to be the best kunoichi I can. A kunoichi can't only care about her clan, it would be a disgrace."
"Then you have something to think about."
"Think about what?"
"If you find being a kunoichi more important then getting married, then I suggest that you don't get married and follow your dream. But if you think that your husband would think well of becoming a kunoichi and allow you, then I suggest you get married and become a kunoichi. If you would like to give up on being a kunoichi and do what's best for your clan you must get married. It's a choice you get."
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Well don't you get a choice?" Tenten asked, curious on how the Hyuugas did arranged marriages.
"Most of us have already reselected marriages at birth, we grew up with the person and befriended them and learned to fall in love. Others let it happen naturally like Hinata wishes to find a husband suitable for the clan. She would give up anything for the clan; because what she'd give up would only let her make sure she could give more back to the clan and make our lives in the clan better. I have nothing like that. Most likely they are probably going to start arranging my marriage today as well."
"Oh, well I hope you find someone who will make you happy, Neji." Tenten wished her friend good-luck in the marriage search.
"You too." Neji answered. They finished eating and said their good-byes after Neji escorted Tenten home.
"Brother, what brings you back so late, usually you are back by now, and even when you train late and something goes wrong." Hinata asked worried.
"I was just having a meal with Tenten, Hinata. It's nothing big. I was late because her whole day has been off because of her arranged marriage and she's upset. She crashed into trees after jumping down from one and was tired. She's fine now, but I took her home just in case."
"That was very nice of you brother." Hinata said.
"Yeah but she needed someone to talk to who understood her and I was the only person who could, so I did." Hinata smiled.
"Well father asked me to tell you to go see him when you got in." Neji nodded and went to see his uncle.
"Neji, my niece." Neji nodded, here in the Hyuuga home they were all referred to by their relationship to each other, making him niece Neji.
"You wished to see me?" He nodded. "You know what is happening this time of year in the village, correct?"
"Arranged marriages for all those 15 years of age." He nodded.
"Your father left instructions for me, for taking care of you and also for this time in your life. I have set up a meeting with a girl and if I need to I will set up more and you will tell me after each meeting who pleases you. For this was what I was told to do by my dying brother and no good ninja deny the wishes of a fallen ally or family member."
"Okay, but you know it might take you a few tries. I'm not easy to please." Neji said in response.
"I'm trying my best to find people who are suitable, talking to Tsunade, and other families who have children and set up meetings and such. It's your choice."
"I have high expectations, you know?" Neji asked again.
"I know, for you are the greatest among us here, and I have looked for the most suitable women out there, I promise you this will work well."
"I hope." Neji was about to leave then he turned back. "Do you have any papers to pick from or anything?"
"You'll have to wait until the night, your father was smart and told me to tell you not to judge a girl because of her looks only, but her behavior and such so here is a description of the first girl, her level, skill talents, and such." Neji took the paper bowed and left. He didn't really care to read the paper, but have it there at the meeting would help him decide if he couldn't learn anything from asking her.
Neji returned to his room and tossed the paper of the girl on a desk under the papers Tenten has given him, details on missions and such. He walked out to the lake port and sat there watching the reflection of the moon, then meditating.
(Tenten's home, slightly earlier) "Tenten, there you are." Maya said.
"Yeah, it's me. How are you?" Maya is a maid that Tenten hired to take care of the house.
"I'm fine but I was wondering where you were. It was nice of Neji to take you home." Over the years Tenten's maid realized that she spent a lot of time with Neji.
"Yeah, he's really nice; rough sometimes but nice for sure. I'm annoyed with this whole engaged marriage thing, it's annoying me. I don't really want to get married, but I do. Understand?" Tenten said blabbering on.
"Yes but I knew this was happening so I talked to Tsunade to make sure this person would meet your expectations, I've met him, you'll like him for sure." Maya said smiling.
"I sure hope so, I'm worried."
"Why?"
"Because I think I've fallen in love with Neji, but I'm not sure. I've always felt this way, so I can't tell the difference." Tenten complained.
"It's okay Tenten; destiny owes you a good life without any parents to take care of you. You grew up great without them, and I'm sure that destiny will hand you a good hand now."
"Chance is all it is, a good chance is for sure what I need." Tenten said, "Why do I hate engaged marriages so much?" Maya heard her but didn't answer because it wasn't time to show Tenten what Maya knew would happen later.
"Then I'm sure you'll get it Tenten." Tenten nodded and then went out to the lake to go for a swim; she slipped into her bathing suit which happened to be a pink one piece suit with a skirt. She was on the south shore of the lake and decided to do laps around the pool for good measure, she was a phenomenal swimmer and she could quickly do laps, usually if she went down to the lake it was to catch her dinner with kunai knives. When the fish would jump she'd hit them, then dive and to get it, sometimes if she was at the shallower end she could hit it hard enough to pin it to a tree.
She was about to be half way threw a lap when she saw someone sitting at the edge of the dock, curiously she swam under water under the bridge. "Who's there?" A voice called, she knew that voice.
"Neji?" She asked.
"Tenten?" He asked. She swam on her back out from the ship as changed her direction from back floating to free-style and pulled her body up to the edge of the dock, and seated herself next to Neji. "What are you doing out here?" He asked. She looked at him with an expression that said 'what does it look like I'm doing?' "Ah, swimming, but why? I thought you were tired."
"I was but swimming helps my muscles relax after a hard day, and with my muscles not being in correct position to throw, well they're sore so I thought the swim would help. It'll also help calm my nerves."
"How's the water?" Neji asked.
"Fair, it's always fairly cold at night but cold water is best on sore muscles. So how'd things go over with your family?"
"I get to choose but all I get is a sheet of paper on them, no name just skills and such. It's not really helpful just to let me know what they're into. I guess it's helpful." He added.
"Ah, well my maid knows the person; she says that I'd like him. I guess that's good, I wish I got a few choices but I don't. Its fine I guess, but I really don't know who it is so I can't really say I'm okay with it or not."
"True."
"I really just hate it, why can't we just find love over our years alive; eventually we'd find it, wouldn't we?" She asked him.
"Yeah but as ninjas, they expect us to die, so once we are 16 we are granted 4 years to do all the things we would as normal adults, then they put us back on missions. At that point girls stay home and men become Jounin and ANBU." She nodded.
"That's how Konoha wants it but what do the people want?"
"Good question. I guess that's why they give those people a choice, a chance. Like you, you could be a kunoichi and not get married or you can do both but you could also just follow what they have set out for you." Neji answered.
"I wish we were completely in charge of our lives."
"I do too."
"You want to swim?" Once again his eye brow rose at her question.
"What?"
"I asked you if you wanted to swim, I mean you're here and I'm here and I'm swimming and I was asking you if you wanted to come in and join me?" Tenten responded.
"Sure." He finally responded, he took of his shirt and set it in his book bag and dived into the lake with her, they swam a few laps and competed against each other and then they were tired and returned home to sleep.
Maya awoke the next morning and saw them. "Because it breaks apart love, and I knew it was bound to happen, even if you didn't."
The Reasons Why… They Hate Arranged Marriages.
1. Parents set it up.
2. it's unfair.
3. Sometimes you get a choice, others you don't.
4. Causes Tenten to become stressed, and she can't concentrate.
5. Its annoying.
6. It causes people to over react.
7. Causes you to think.
8. it's not easy.
9. Must find someone who is suitable.
10. You have high expectations to follow.
11. Because it breaks apart love.
