35: Owen is a Genius
A/N: My apologies that I haven't updated in a month in a half. I'm sure it's annoyed many of you who were reading this when I was updating it almost daily. I'll try to get back to that habit since I've only got 2 fics now to update. This is what I was doing, in my point of absence. Therefore, I can finish up those other 2. So here, we go with chapter 35. Thanks for understanding, as annoying as I've been.
∆ (Hyuuga Complex) ∆ - ¤ (November) ¤ - Φ (Neji) Φ
I sat here in a meeting. I hate meetings more than anything, besides hearing the people of the cousin complain about how unfair I'm being to the Upper House. Upper House? We're all equals now. There is no upper house. I sighed, I can't do this alone; though I have to.
"We need a meeting tomorrow to discuss everything that has been happening in the upper house." I wanted to break a table or something.
"Alright. It will be at 10."
"Why 10?"
"I have training with my wife from 6-10 on Tuesdays." I answered.
"Oh yes, training is very important." They said as they exited the room.
Soon I was all alone. I smacked my head on the table. "Daddy!" I sat up as Owen walked over and crawled to my lap. He's 9 months now. Walking when he wants to, but he can't jump well but who can blame him, he's little with virtually no balance.
"You there Tenten?" I asked. There was no answer. I turned and noticed she wasn't. I looked at Owen. "You find me on your own?"
I walked around and couldn't find Tenten anywhere. She wasn't in our room, the kitchen or anywhere. "Where could she be?" I asked him.
He struggled from my arms. I set him down and he started walking off. I sighed and decided to follow him, maybe he'd take me to her. We walked down halls around in circles and stuff for a while. Until we reached a hallway that he left through. I sighed, still following.
"Owen, there you are?" Tenten said picking him up. She looked at me once she had a grip on Owen. "Hey Neji, he come and find you?"
"Yeah." I said. "He found me."
"What's up with you?" She asked with a smile.
"He found his way there, and back to you. I'm just surprised that he could, at such a young age when most people can't after years."
"I know he guides me around this place better than I can myself." She said. "How do you think I find myself around places?"
"Your own self."
She laughed. "Very funny, but no, he's got a natural talent and finding things, places and objects."
"He must be great at hide in go seek." I said sitting down on a bench and leaning back.
"Yeah, he is but stop playing around." She said.
"What am I supposed to do?" I asked.
"I don't know. What happened in the meeting?"
"Not much, everything's fine between them. However the UPPER HOUSE wants to complain."
"I thought you abolished that rule."
"I did, however they still use it as a separation between them BRANCH members." I said.
"Idiots." She said. "I'm them and I think that's I'm much better than someone because I was born into a family of royalty and bla bal. Why can't they except, your're all human, deal with it."
"I agree. How can anyone who is born which such skills think themselves better than people with the same skills?"
"That's annoying." She said. "People thinking they're better than everyone else. It is."
"It is but it's pretty much my life, dealing with people like that."
"Can't you just outlaw using terms like UPPER HOUSE and BRANCH?" She asked me. "It would help you with many of the problems that you're dealing with."
"I think there's a rule about outlawing word use. Anyway, they'd just find another term to call each other then those. You know it."
"Right, I forgot they're not stupid." I said. "Though they act like it sometimes."
Owen pointed to the door. It opened and Hinata's father stepped out. I stood up and Tenten picked up Owen. "I'm glad to see that you are enjoying the gardens." He said.
"Yeah, they're beautiful." Owen smiled happily.
"Can I see my grand nephew?" He asked. Tenten looked at me, I quickly nodded and she handed Owen to him.
"Uncle." Owen greeted happily.
"He has an impressive vocabulary for…"
"9 months." Tenten answered.
"That is very impressive. He understands family terms."
"Yeah, and uses them correctly." I added. "Ojisan, Nii-san, Obasan, Otoosan, Akaasan, Oneesan, and the English equivalents."
"That's extremely impressive, most children only get mom and dad around 10 months year of age. He is very intelligent. You two will be good parents." He said. Setting Owen down.
"Bye." Owen said.
He turned around and smiled. "Bye, Owen-san."
Tenten and I laughed, he was so smart. "You're smart aren't you?" I asked my son as he sat down on the bench next to me.
He nodded. "He's a genius, Neji. Just like you." She said sitting down.
"Did you talk this early?" He asked.
"I don't think so. I would have to ask Maya, but I don't know where she is anymore. It's been a very long time since I've talked with her." She said.
Recap: Maya is the name of the maid that raised Tenten in her home.
"More than a year, since the wedding."
"You'll see each other again. I'm sure. I wonder where she went, though." He asked.
"I don't know but I'll miss her. I hope she has a good life."
"I'm sure she will."
I looked at the clock; it was 11. "I need to go change into more formal clothes and I'll meet you for lunch." Lunch was always served at 12 but you were expected to be there at 11:30.
"Alright, we'll be there."
"I'm glad to here it." I said. "See you Owen." I said.
"Bye." He said with an innocent smile, because he was innocent.
I ran through the halls and went to my room, changing and walked slowly back through the halls. "What was your rush to get there?" Alex asked, stepping out of his room next to me.
"I don't know. Getting there?"
"I hear you have a son now."
"Yes, I do. His name is Owen. He's 9 months."
"Why haven't I seen him?"
"I don't know. I just moved to the house, and Tenten doesn't want a lot of people visiting but you should have stopped by Alex."
"I know, but I hardly have time too. This is my first day back from my 3 month mission so I haven't had the chance either."
"That's understandable." I said.
"How's our clan doing, head."
"Alex." I said sighing. "It's doing fine, however the rivalry has not seized."
"I could have told you that it wouldn't have been that easy." He said. "What kind of people would, after being inslaved by others, freely and kindly accept those who tormented them?"
"Actually, the INSLAVED people aren't the ones that I'm having the problems withs. It's the OTHERS that I'm having problems with. The INSLAVED are just happy for their freedoms, not a complaint has been uttered against another person."
"Wow, that's surprising." Alex said.
"I agree but most are just happy to have the freedom to have opinions against their INSLAVERS, they're still not used to having the freedom to actually oppose them." I said.
I felt something by my legs. I looked down and it was Owen. "That your kid?" Alex asked.
"Yes it is." I said. "Owen, say hi to Alex."
"Hi!" He said happily.
"Hey buddy, what you up to?" He had a confused look on his face.
"Stick to yes or no questions." I suggested.
"Is your name Owen?" He nodded.
"How old are you?"
"That isn't a yes or no question." I said.
"Right. Is that your dad?" He asked.
"Yes." Owen answered.
"Impressive vocab." Alex said.
"It is for a 9 month old. Most only know like 3 words. He knows a ton." I said.
"Wow, then that is impressive. You're a genius."
"You're all going to make his head big." Tenten said taking Owen from me.
"His head is rather big." Alex said. Tenten and I just stared at him.
"Come on." I said. "Babies' heads are always that big, Alex." We all sat down. Owen sat between Tenten and I as she fed him small pieces of food and stuff that he liked. He had a rather interesting appetite for a baby.
After dinner was over, I picked him up as Tenten and I headed for the Uchiha Complex. It wasn't far since most of the complexes were on this side of the town. We arrived and knocked on the door. It was 1 now.
Sakura opened the door. She looked extremely miserable. "Are you okay?" Tenten asked her.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She said. "Just tired."
"Have you had a check-up lately?" Tenten asked.
"No." She answered.
"I should."
Owen came over to me as Tenten went with Sakura. "Nii-san!" A cheerful happy voice yelled from the upper balcony of the house. I turned around to see my cousin Hinata with her daughter in her arms.
She came down the stairs. "Hinata, where'd you go!" Naruto yelled.
"Is he okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, we were playing hide-and-go-seek."
"Tenten says Owen is extremely talented at that."
"Really, so is Hiroka." She said, sitting down.
"Onee-san." Owen greeted to Hiroka.
"He has an advanced vocabulary, Neji."
"I know, we've gotten that all day today. I didn't think it was, he knows a lot of words."
"Really, she knows a few but rarely uses them unless it's just me and her and I ask her about them."
"She doesn't talk to Naruto?"
"She likes hiding from him." She said smiling.
"Hina-chan!" Naruto said.
"We're done playing Naruto, remember." She yelled upstairs.
"We are." He said.
"Yes." She yelled back. He jumped over the balcony, landing and taking a seat on another couch.
Hiroka walked rather quickly off and hid in the kitchen. "We're done playing Hiroka." Naruto yelled.
"She doesn't understand Naruto." I said sighing.
"Really?" He asked.
"She doesn't. She's hiding, your too loud." Hinata said sighing. "It's okay. I'll get her."
"Let me. I don't want her to be scared of me." Naruto said.
"Just be quite, dobe." Sasuke said from behind him.
"Baka, I will." Naruto yelled. We all looked at him. "I will, trust me."
Naruto went into the other room and after a little while Hiroka came out crying and ran to Hinata's arms.
"Poor kid." I said.
Owen frowned at Naruto as he came back. "Baka." Owen said as he followed Hinata as she took Hiroka upstairs. Naruto sat in shock.
"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled.
"What?" He answered, lazily.
"Did you say the B-word?" She asked.
"Maybe." He said.
"Sasuke!" She yelled.
"Sakura, tone down." Sasuke said.
"Sasuke." She said.
"So I did." She sighed. "No teaching the kids how to call people b's." She scolded.
"Fine." He said. "I'll apologize to the kid."
Sakura rolled her eyes as she smacked the back of his head and sat down. Tenten sat beside me. "What's going on?"
"Naruto's scaring his own kid. Owen called Naruto a baka, and now Hiroka's crying and Owen is going to help calm Hiroka down." I explained.
"Neji." Sakura said sighing.
"Sorry." I said.
"The baby can hear you." Sakura said.
"Maybe that's where he learned it." Sasuke said.
"Your not off the hook." Sakura said.
"My kid hates me!" Naruto yelled.
"Quite Naruto, she's just scared." Tenten said comforting him.
"But she hides from me, and runs away crying." He said frowning.
"Stop being childish and learn to control your behavior. You're the 6th. You should be better than that." Sasuke said. "I'm ashamed of you myself."
"Sasuke, not helping." Tenten said.
"I know. He isn't." Sakura agreed.
Owen came down the stairs backwards, helping Hiroka along the way. When they were done, Hiroka walked over to her dad and sat on his lap and hugged him. "Daddy!" She said with a happy smiling face.
Naruto smiled and hugged her. "Naruto!" We all yelled, at a controlled tone.
"What did I do know?"
"Be careful, she'd delicate." Hinata said with a smile.
"Right. Thanks for getting her to be with me."
"I didn't do anything, Owen did." Owen smiled proudly, sitting between Tenten and I.
"Thanks Owen." Naruto said.
"Hi." Owen said.
I laughed. "Of all the words he knows, your welcome isn't one. But he means it." Tenten said.
"I know." Naruto said.
"Hi." Owen said.
"Good enough for me." Naruto said. "Thanks buddy."
"Hi." Owen said.
We hanged around talking for a while. Hiroka and Owen went outside and played with Naruto, while Tenten supervised. Sasuke was talking to Sakura and I was talking to Hinata about the clan.
"So they're really like that still?" She answered sadly.
"Yeah, no matter how much I push them together, they still see each other as different."
"Well they are." She said. "One has been tortured for a while, the other has been privileged for a while so there are two groups, and until it's a new generation in charge, those differences will separate." She said.
"Let's just hope that that won't cause problems for the next generation." I said.
"I don't think it will. Unless the parents share them. That I hope they will not."
"I think there should be a law against it." I said. "That can be done right."
"Yes, you can make a law about no talking about the seal and time where the clan was split." She said. "I suggest that you do that."
"Besides when they're talking to me."
"But definitely not to the younger generation." She said.
"I'll make sure that I get to work on that."
"It's going to be difficult to get signed by the branch because they have freedoms to go against it. Most don't want to hide their suffering, it's not the best thing."
"Limit it to not sharing with the younger generation?"
"All those not effected by it." She suggested.
"I think that's perfect, but I'm going to wait until you're there."
"How about tomorrow?" She asked. "Naruto said I could do some work with the clan."
"That should work, if you want to listen to the UPPER HOUSE complain for a while."
"Wonderful." She said sarcastically.
"I know. We need to have a meeting with the BRANCH clan to see how they are doing because they aren't speaking about anything or sending representation about their feelings."
"Maybe they're fine." Hinata said.
"I doubt it. They're probably afraid to say anything."
"That makes more sense. You're probably right."
"So we'll ask them about it, get their opinions about things."
"I agree, that's best."
"Neji, it's about time to give Owen here a nap." Tenten said while holding the sleepy Owen in his arms.
"Alright, we'll talk tomorrow, 10 is the meeting. I'll be training in my area with Tenten training."
"Alright, can I bring Hiroka?"
"I'll watch them both." Naruto said.
"I'll supervise." Sasuke said.
"Thank you." Tenten said.
"Pick Owen up at 6 if you can." I asked.
"Sure thing." He said. "You two training?"
"Yes."
"Alright then, see you then." We nodded and return home.
"You tired?" I asked Owen.
"Yes." He answered.
"Come on Neji." Tenten said as we jumped from roof to roof so we could go get him home faster. It was only about 3 but he needed a nap, being only a baby.
We arrived at home and Tenten took Owen into the other room so he could be put down for his nap and I sat down on the bed. "Something's bothering you."
"Not really." I said.
"Well you sure are thinking about something deeply."
"Not really."
"Then what's with looking out into space."
"I don't know. There's nothing on my mind beside you and Owen, but it feels like there should be more than that."
"Ah. Something we're missing?"
"Yes, exactly. What could it be?"
"Daddy!" I looked over and Owen was out of his crib-bed thing. I walked over to him and picked him up.
"He escaped?"
"Apparently." I answered her.
"Hi." He said to Tenten.
"Hi." She said with a look that made me laugh. It was like, I give up with telling you what to do.
I laid back in the bed. "I'm going to sleep."
Owen raised his hand and crawled into the bed beside me. "I'll go figure out what we're missing while you two boys sleep."
"Bye." Owen said.
"Bye Tenten." I said going to sleep.
--
I woke up later. I looked at the clock, 5. I didn't think I was that tired. Owen was sitting by the window looking out of it. "Hey buddy," I said picking him up. "You need to be changed." I told him.
I took him back to his room and changed him. I went back and Tenten came back. "We did forget something, our teammate's birthday."
"Lee?" I asked.
She rolled her eyes, taking Owen. "No, our other teammate's birthday."
"I just thought his birthday was in spring."
"November 27th ." She answered. "Tomorrow."
"Gai-sensei would always through a big party on our birthdays." I remembered.
"Yeah, but that's been a while. He hasn't been around and Lee went far away for some reason." Tenten reminded me. "You didn't like the parties did you?"
"Not really. But I appreciated them."
"Gai-sensei and Lee, they were like father and child weren't they?" Tenten said laying back on the bed.
"Yeah, they were very close. Gai-sensei treated Lee like his son, protecting him and helping him get stronger, and like a good father would push him to his limits but wouldn't let him get hurt."
"Gai-sensei was a good teacher."
"Yes." Owen said.
I stood up. "I'm going to get in contact with Lee and invite him over for a party."
"That's not like you."
"No." Owen said.
I looked at Owen. "He's our teammate and with everyone and they're lives with children we've been too busy for him to train or spend time with him. Especially us. We should know better, we are his teammates."
"Yes." Owen said.
"Go ahead and see if you can get the information from Naruto. I'm sure it's somewhere on file. I'm sure if anything, Gai-sensei is going to know."
"Right." I said.
"Also."
I looked at her. "Don't be late for dinner, your uncle wouldn't like it." She said with a smile.
"You just get yourself and Owen there on time. Don't worry about me. I've never been late once."
"If I remember correctly, you didn't show up most nights to dinner." She said.
"So, I wasn't expected anyway."
"Whatever Neji, go find out where Lee is and bring him back to Konoha so we can through him a party."
"Yes." Owen said.
"I will be sure to do my best. See you two later." I patted Owen's head and kissed Tenten. "Be back."
"Bye." Owen said.
"Yeah, what he said." Tenten said with a smile.
