◊ (18: Things are Back Where They Left Off) ◊
(VP: Neji) - ∆ (Tenten's Place) ∆ - ¤ (Months Later) ¤
Well how Tenten sees the months as it we've been engaged for a year and I guess for her that's how long it's been but for me it's only been about a half a year. A lot of the things that I didn't remember a few months ago are as clear as day now. I am enjoying every little bit of my days now. Since I could lose them again. They come and go so enjoy what I remember, especially my time with Tenten.
I haven't stopped staying with Tenten because I enjoy spending time with Tenten. She loves my company and she had actually, after I decided I was staying with her for good, set up a bed. I don't know if I really want to go back to living with my clan. I really don't remember any of them. Tenten says I only got a long with a few of them so everything is normal.
"You know what today is Neji?" Tenten asked happily.
"No," I answered.
"It's the day when all the people reaching 15 are to be matched up."
"And I care why?" I asked.
"Because all of our friends are included in this group." I said. "Hinata, Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, Kaydin, Ino, and everyone else. Isn't it exciting?" I asked.
"Not really, I mean the meeting isn't exciting but when I find out how they got paired up that should be interesting." I said trying to care. Kaydin is Sasuke long lost cousin who was disowned when his father married a woman from another village illegally.
"You could try to care a little more about what's going around the village Neji." Tenten said defeated.
"Why do you care?" I asked.
"Because these are our friends and this is the future of the village we're acting upon, don't you get it?" She asked.
"Don't work yourself up too much Tenten, everything's fine." I said walking over to her and putting my hand on her leg.
"I know but you're so unreasonable." She said.
"I think I've always been because I think that that's not interesting, sorry." She sighed again.
"Yes you have but…" I put a finger on her lips.
"Then everything's going back to normal, let's go talk to Hinata, the meeting should be over, right?"
"Yeah, so let's go." She said happily. I knew how to keep her happy, find something about the somewhat annoying thing she's talking about to focus on to keep her happy. I think she's use to the me she's dealt with the new me that she forgets that I'm going back to normal.
We walked over to the Hyuuga Complex and walked it. It was still my home, sort of, even though I stayed at Tenten's. I was still welcomed and since Tenten became my teammate so was she and they wouldn't kick a fellow Hyuuga out.
"Tenten, Neji, hello." A voice said from around the corner. It was my uncle, Hiashi.
"Hello." I said.
"I see you're reverting to your old self, eh?" He asked. I shrugged holding Tenten closer to me.
"Yeah he is, so have you seen Hinata around? We want to see how plans for her wedding worked out?" Tenten said happily.
"No I have not; she's probably still figuring it out. She over things the simplest decisions. If you see her tell her congratulations on her engagement and I'll see her and you two for the engagement dinner."
"Engagement dinner?" Tenten and I said together.
"Of course, all members of the Hyuuga Clan are happily celebrating the marriage of the heir. This includes you, I thought I would have to send someone to tell you but now that I have talked to you it deems that unnecessary. See you there."
"A dinner?" She asked.
"Yeah, that's what he said. So you and I get dressed for it later but first we have to congratulate Hinata." I said a bit excited about whom she picked to marry.
We walked around the village; I stopped at Sakura's place. "Couldn't they be here?" I asked her.
"I guess." Tenten said and then we knocked on the door.
"Huh, Tenten?" Ino asked.
"Where's Sakura?" I asked.
"Like I know," she answered.
"This is her house and you don't know where she is?" I asked confused as to what Ino was doing.
"Hey Ino, who is it?"
"Neji and Tenten where is Sakura?"
"With Sasuke upstairs on the patio," A voice answered.
"So who are you engaged to?" Tenten asked.
"Kaydin, Uchiha Kaydin." Ino said smiling.
"Congrats," Tenten turned to me.
"Yeah, congrats." I said.
"Thanks, well Sakura isn't up to talking, she's a bit depressed. It seems her and Sasuke are already having a hard relationship." Ino said sighing.
"That's too bad." Tenten said.
"I would have expected, they barely had a friendship from how Tenten describes it and their missions weren't any better." I said.
"True, but they're perfect for each other. If they'd both get their act together. Well I've got to see how they're doing and finish making dinner, bye." Ino said closing the door.
"She's impolite." I said.
"Yeah, but she always is. Before this she was bossy and loud, at least she's better now." Tenten said sighing and putting her hands on her head. Tenten smacked her head.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"We forgot to ask where Hinata is." She said.
"Whatever, Byakugan!" I said searching the area for Hinata. "1 kilometer to our front, in the trees, coming this way." I deactivated my Byakugan and waited.
"Neji, Tenten!" Hinata said surprised hiding behind Naruto.
"Congrats, Naruto?" Tenten asked. Hinata looked cautiously and nodded while shaking. "Thought so, rumors were so right." Tenten said.
"Congratulations Hinata-sama," I said.
"Thank you Neji-nii-san," Hinata said.
"Your father says congratulations too. We have the dinner tonight, remember." I said to her.
"Of course, I need to check on the others, bye." Hinata said as Naruto pulled her off.
"Come on Hinata, I'm hungry."
"Naruto-kun, we have a dinner to attend to."
"Yeah but I want to eat with our friends too." Tenten sighed and placed her hands on her waist.
"Now that we're done with hunting down Hinata, what next?" She asked.
"Do you have a dress to wear?" I asked her.
"No, I don't buy dresses since I can't wear them in practice." I said.
"Of course, well then I'll have to buy you one."
"I can't let you buy me a dress Neji." She argued.
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because it's my dress," I shrugged and pulled her alongside me.
"But I want to and that's the end of it." I said. She sighed and rested along my side.
"You're back to normal for sure, and thanks." She said.
"You're welcomed; I'm your fiancé so I can buy you things all I want." I said.
"And I can't argue with you?" I looked at her.
"How you know what I was going to say to you?" I asked.
"You said the same thing when I wanted to pay the check at dinner on our first date after the engagement." She said smiling.
"Oh, well let's go."
∆ (Mall) ∆
We arrived at the mall and I watched Tenten try on a lot of dresses. I had never seen Tenten in much else then her normal few outfits she wore when she trained. I don't remember how beautiful she was when we went on our first date but I would make a note to remember to ask her.
"Hey Tenten, what's your favorite color?" I asked her.
"I don't know, pink probably but I like green and silver too, I'm not exactly sure." She said rubbing her head. "I'm confused."
"I don't remember you telling me so that's why I asked. I thought that would narrow down your choices for dress but turns out like no luck on that one." I said giving a sigh.
"Well a little bit, I'd like Pink, Silver and maybe Red or Green." I helped her find dresses that would accent her personality and beauty but like I had now discovered, it was harder then I thought.
"How about this one?" I held one and Tenten walked over.
She smiled and took it and ran off. I had no clue but when she came out she was even more if possible then she was before. It was a pink dress with a silver stripe across the waist. "How do I look?" She asked.
"Perfect," I said. She smiled and changed back into her old clothes and she put the dress in a bag and snuggled to my side.
"Thanks you." She said.
"You're welcome, so what were you wearing that night when we were going out for our engagement dinner, a year ago?" I asked.
She smiled and closed her eyes and stared up. "Hm, I don't really remember. Hm… I remember it was an old-fashioned Pink Kimono, that was cut up both sides and I had let my hair straight down."
I smirked and looked at her hair. She was about to take a step away but I had her secured to me and I grabbed the little stick that held her buns up and grabbed each one and they fell down to about the middle of her back. I smiled, beautiful. Simply beautiful.
"Neji…" She said concerned.
"You look really beautiful Tenten. You should wear your hair down more." She shrugged and then played with it; she looked nice with it down. I looked at the centerpiece of her buns; it was a shuriken, of course. "See, now you have two more shuriken." I said placing them in her hair."
"I keep them there in case of emergency, if I'm ever attacked." She said.
"You'll be fine I'm here aren't you?" I asked her.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Well you have to get dressed and I need to at least brush my hair." She said smiling.
"Okay, I'll go change." I went into my room put on something a bit more formal for the occasion, then came out, and waited against the wall that was at the bottom of the stairs of Tenten's place.
Tenten turned the corner on the stairs and I was awe struck. I just kept watching her and smiling. Tenten was now blushing. "How to I look?" She asked.
"Beautiful, more so then normal." She blushed some more and took my hand as we walked over to the Hyuuga Estate a walk that her, I and both of us had made countless times not counting the last few years that I forgot.
I knocked on the door to my own house. "Neji-nii-san, Tenten-giri no ane-san, welcome."
"Afternoon Hinata-sama," I greeted her. I studied her look. She was scared and worried.
I turned to Tenten. "Tenten can you have a seat, I need to talk with Hinata-sama."
"Okay Neji," Tenten walked off but she was stopped by someone who I barely knew personally but was quite annoying from that knowledge, Naruto.
"Are you okay Hinata?" I asked.
"A little bothered, and worried but other than that, I'm fine."
"What is bothering you?" I asked.
"While we were out with everyone, Itachi showed up at dinner, don't worry Sakura took care of him, as did Sasuke and Kaydin but it left me a bit flustered. Sorry if I have bothered you." She said.
"Its fine, I just wanted to make sure you're alright with everything that is going on these last few hours." She nodded and smiled.
"Yes, I'm very happy to be marrying Naruto-kun. Thank you for caring Nii-san." Hinata said smiling and returning to her seat. I went and took my seat next to my fiancée.
"Neji-nii-san, it's nice to see you again. It's been a while since I've seen you around the complex how are things with you and your lovely wife there?" A girl asked. Her name was… I have no clue. Ask Tenten.
"We're only engaged Hereto-san."
"Really, and you're living together?" She asked a bit skeptical for my likings.
"Hai, I lost my memory and Tenten has been helping me through these last few months with trying to remember things, since she recently became a top level kunoichi. The hospital said instead of them keeping me at a center to help me get my memories back it was fine that I stay with her since she would better be able to help me get my memories back." I answered her.
"Congratulations Tenten for passing the exam for Kunoichi this last year. So what did you score?" She asked.
"116," Tenten answered as if she was ashamed of her answer. (A/N: Remember the night before the accident. It's out of 100.)
"Wow, amazing Tenten." Hinata said.
"Yeah Tenten's ability to assist in the emergency case of my attack was what caused many of the points in her exam which couldn't have been tested better." I added.
"What do you mean, his accident wasn't an accident?" Hereto asked.
"Of course not someone used activated the caged bird seal on the way to the kunoichi exams that morning, that's what caused his lack of memory. Weren't you guys told?" Tenten asked.
"No, I'm sorry. We weren't told anything of Neji's condition at all. We all just figured that you were married when they said you were with your wife." I was not a bit surprised at this one but Tenten seemed hurt. I took her left hand and held it. She seemed bothered by this information withhold.
"Does anyone know?" Hinata raised her hand, as did Naruto. Tenten was about to cry. I held her hand tighter and she looked at me. Now was not the time, I would talk to her later about this, but Tenten can be dangerous when upset.
"Um, may I be excused for a moment Hinata-chan?" Tenten asked politely.
"Hai, Tenten-giri no ane-san," Hinata answered. Tenten walked out of the room towards the bathroom and most likely cried for a bit seeing as she was gone for a while.
"Night Family," Hiashi said finally arriving. It was customary at these dinners for the younger members to acquaint themselves with each other before the older members would come. The last period when Tenten was gone was questioning of me, this one girl and her fiancé, and Hinata, as well as Naruto. This dinner was prepared in the honor of those to be married and that included Tenten and me. "Neji-san, where is your fiancée Tenten?" He asked.
"Father, Tenten went to the bathroom a while ago, I wish to locate her, may I?" Hinata asked.
"Of course we will let Neji find his own bride right?" He said.
"In no disrespect to Neji or you father, Neji is still quite unfamiliar with this regions of the complex and I do not wish for them both to be lost." Hinata said.
"Very well then Hinata, you may go." Hiashi said. Hinata stood up and walked away. She dropped a note beside my feet and I opened it. It read, 'I'll explain this to her, do not worry, nii-san. Hinata.' I nodded and she continued to walk off.
∆ (Bathroom) ∆ - VP: Tenten
I sat in the bathroom so that I couldn't be disturbed and I couldn't cry. I was a kunoichi, this was a formal dinner and I couldn't. I wouldn't embarrass Neji or myself. I wouldn't cry. I just needed to think.
I have been sitting here her for a while. There's a knock at the door. I stand up and walk to it. I open it to see Hinata there. "Hinata?" I asked.
"Hai, come, I need to talk to you." She said. Hinata escorted me to a large sitting room and she sat next to me. "I'm sorry about how our clan is Tenten. For anyone who was forced to marry into it, I would feel deeply grieved and tell him or her that this is a mistake but I know how much you love nii-san so I wouldn't waste my time. I know how you feel, my father came home and he told me not to tell anyone about the going ons with Neji, if they asked where he was I was to say with you, his wife."
"But…" Hinata opened her mouth and I shut mine.
"Thank you, well I didn't feel well at this so when asked I said nothing. It is better to say nothing then to lie. I felt horrible that father was keeping this from them."
"Why?" I asked.
"To protect the branch house, and keep the family thinking that they are noble and do no wrong. That's how it's always been. My father never worried the minority family which is anyone other than the elders, and me."
"I guess I understand no wanting to worry the branch house since she's been taken away but a few months ago they were all attacked."
"He wiped their minds, all except for Neji and Alex for they are too advanced for the skills." Hinata said.
"I think that giving them a false sense of purity is wrong." I said to her.
"I do as well but it makes many of us feel better, you didn't see the faces of those who heard that Neji was defeated by Naruto that night a few years ago during the Chuunin Exams. They were worried that they that the clan was going downhill but after learning of Naruto strength, they worried no for everyone knew that he was indeed strong. This is what allowed me to marry him. Neji's failure against him."
"I was quite sure that that match would mess Neji up for good but he knew that it wasn't going to because he knew that Naruto did it out of determination, strength and it was alright. He also said it was because of love and revenge for love, for you. He said those two things can make someone extremely strong. Neji said that a normal match he would win but because of that reason he lost."
"The ability is one that I've never seen him use so I believe that only in dangerous times can he use it. Unless it's an emergency that he can call on it so that's why." Hinata explained.
"Yeah, but I think that it was good for Neji to lose other to someone other than me because it showed him, even he could lose and that he's not perfect. It also taught him that fate can be changed, which is why he began to make changes, take risks and such."
"And marry you?" Hinata asked.
"I guess, sometimes he said that it was destiny and fate that pulled us together. He said that it was destined since the day that we met, I'm not so sure about that."
"So do you feel better?"
"Hai, arigato Hinata, well let's go back."
We walked back in and it turned out that I had been gone for an hour; I bet they thought I got lost. "Welcome back Tenten-san, please be seated." I bowed and took my seat beside Neji and I smiled to make sure Neji knew I was all right now. He smiled back and we ate.
"I would like to congratulate all those who are to be married in the next year. My daughter and her fiancé Naruto, My nephew and his fiancée Tenten, and my far Niece and her husband." Hiashi announced. "Now let us feast." I nibbled on bits of each of the dishes, as did Neji; we weren't use to eating a lot because I never do make a lot because Neji and I don't eat a lot.
"Tenten,"
"Yes Neji," I said quietly.
"Do you feel up to getting married sometime this year?" He asked.
"Huh, it's completely up to you Neji. Why, do you have something in mind?"
"Hinata had a proposal for us, but I'm not sure about it."
"What was it?"
"I'll explain it later but it was something that is quite important so I'd like to talk about."
"Of course, you can always talk to me. I mean it's been a year that we've been engaged, I of course wouldn't object to getting married." I said putting a little more food in my mouth.
"Alright," Neji answered.
After a lot of eating and talking Neji and I returned home and sat on the couch. We usually did this every night after we ate. Neji sat there with me. I was resting myself up against him and he had an arm around my waist.
"Hey Tenten, would you object to being the head of the Hyuuga Clan?"
"What?!" I said looking at him.
"It was a simple question, calm down." He said.
"I know they wouldn't let me being the clan head, but I'm sure they'd let you. If they offered you, I'd be fine with that. Because I know that would make you happy because you could change how the Hyuuga is and make everyone happy. You're clearly the strongest so I don't see why they wouldn't but I would be happy for you and go along with you."
"Thank you, you're the best." I smiled.
"You're going to be my husband soon Neji, I want what's best for you and everyone. If being the head would make you happy then I'd be happy to let you as long as I could go with you."
"Of course you would, I'd never leave you." He said putting his other hand on my head.
"Good, then if you get the offer, feel free to take it." I said smiling.
"You're the best Tenten, you really are."
"Thanks Neji, but so are you." I said snuggling into his side. "So what this brought this up?" I asked.
"Hinata said she has a surprise for me when we go to the wedding party in about a month or so." He said.
"Wow, really?" I asked excited. "What do you think it is?"
"A decree of protections,"
"What?" I asked.
"It means that I'm free from the branch clan, I'm main branch. It also means that if I challenge Hinata and win, I can become the head."
"This is amazing, really?"
"That's what I think it is; because she was wondering when we were going to get married and she mumbled about have a 3 way marriage and why not just have four. That's why I figured it, when you marry along side someone in your clan, no like marry them, but two couples at the same time, this is a symbol of truth completely between the two, and the decree frees me from the seal, and allows me to be main branch."
"That's so wonderful Neji." I said smiling.
"It's because of you." He said.
"Me?"
"Tenten, it's you. Hinata always worried that I might hurt her one day, she was scared everyday after that match of me. She thought I was some monster. She thought that I couldn't be trusted and I couldn't love anything. It was because of all of those times training when I went to hard on you and I brought you to her." Neji looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry."
I smiled and put my hands on either side of his face. "Thank you."
"What?"
"If you're trying to be honest, thank you. I don't get your point but I have you to thank for my strength, for helping me reach my goals and I guess that is what allowed you to maybe someday reach your goal of being the head but thanks." I said smiling. Then I brought my face to his and I kissed him for a while then I broke it.
"I want you to understand how much you mean to me Tenten; I want you to know how much you did for me." Neji said.
"I know Neji, I know." I said.
"You helped me become stronger and even though a lot of times I went to hard and hurt you, you'd come back and keep helping me, and I'd help you. It meant so much to me. I'm stronger because of you." He held me tight in his arms and didn't want to let go. It was fine with me, I felt safe in these arms. That is why I didn't care if I was hurt because when I was I trusted him to take care of me. Hinata saw this quality in him, because of me and that quality I brought out.
The Reason Why… Things are Back Where They Left Off.
Tenten's Happy Neji's attitude is the same old one. He's being unreasonable. He knows how to keep her happy. She is dealing with me that she thought she forgot. They're going to Hyuuga Dinners. They are arguing about Mannerisms. She's blushing. He's complimenting her. She's about to cry. They're thinking about getting married. They sat on the couch. they kiss