Chapter Three

Memories raced through his mind. Neji stood there, eyes slightly widened, completely paralysed by a mixture of fear and shock. He remembered her from that night; he remembered those hauntingly beautiful brown eyes, that sad smile and those tear-streaked cheeks. He closed his eyes. He desperately wanted to get those images out of his head. He didn't want to remember them but the piece of memory simply wouldn't leave him. For some odd reason, he couldn't put it behind him, and thinking about why he couldn't forget in the first place just made him remember all the more.

"It really is you..." Wrought with emotion, her trembling voice interrupted his thoughts and brought him back to reality.

Neji instantly turned his back to her, straightening and composing himself like one normally would in front of guests. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, his infamous cold edge present in his voice. There was no need to show weakness or emotion, especially to this girl. "You must have mistaken me for someone else."

The dreadful words hung in the air long after he had said them, ringing cruelly and tauntingly in the girl's ears. After seven years... seven years of searching desperately... and this wasn't him? A pang of misery hit her, tightening her chest. Reality had shattered her hopes, once again.

Increasingly loud footsteps from a distant hallway suddenly revealed Hiashi, the tired man who was distressed and distraught from his nephew's lack of interest in anything. Both teenagers turned towards him, mentally thanking him for the interruption.

A look of surprise then swept across Hiashi's wrinkly features as he glanced at the two questioningly, wondering what had happened in the short period of time during which Neji had disappeared. He raised an eyebrow. "I take it that you two have met already...?"

Neji's answer came automatically, almost as if he had predicted the question. "No, we have never met before. Why would I associate myself with the likes of her?" He didn't miss the flicker of sadness in her eyes.

Hiashi sighed as he received the expected reply. "Neji," he said, "this is the peer tutor I have assigned you."

The prodigy instantly scoffed.

"Her name is Tenten," the older Hyuuga admonished with a stern look. "She will train with you and bring you to places and events."

"I don't need a weakling to do nothing but get in my way."

"She is not a weakling. And as far as I'm concerned, you are to treat this young lady with nothing but respect for the next two months. You will attend every event to which she brings you without hesitation and you will obey her orders. She is, in essence, a representative of me, therefore what she reports to me is what I will perceive as the truth. Understand?"

Neji narrowed his eyes at the girl, scrutinising her intently. She was just an ordinary girl. She had arrived here five minutes ago, if not less. How could she have possibly gained trust from Hiashi so easily and quickly? His uncle was a strict person who did not often rely on anyone, for he had faith in his own abilities as the honourable leader of the Hyuuga clan. And because of that position he constantly expected a great deal from every other member in the clan. Neji was actually the only one who had completely surpassed Hiashi's expectations in terms of skills and talent. It had taken Neji years of hard work to gain the leader's trust and faith, so what was it about this girl that made his uncle so trusting all of a sudden?

Already holding a grudge against the girl, Neji spat out, "Understood."

Hiashi nodded in satisfaction before walking over to Tenten to help her up. Slightly embarrassed, the teenager accepted the help from the older man and scrambled to her feet. "Thank you," she mumbled hotly. How had she failed to notice that she had been sitting on the floor the entire time?

"Do not worry about it. Has anyone shown you your room?"

"No, not yet. I just got here."

"Ah, that's right. I'll send someone over here."

"Thank you, Hiashi-sama."

The clan head kindly responded with a smile and then left, leaving the two teenagers with nothing but tension in the air again. The two stood across from each other at a distance, motionless as if waiting for someone else to break the uncomfortable silence.

"So, Neji." The young girl squirmed awkwardly under the prodigy's piercing glare, wondering if he was always this silent. "Well," she managed, "we haven't properly introduced ourselves yet, have we?"

When Neji made no answer, she took a few steps towards him; she instantly lightened her steps when she saw his glare intensify. She gulped. Was he going to do nothing but glare at her all day?

"Look Hyuuga Neji," she started, and then winced at the harshness of her tone. She softened her voice despite knowing that it probably wouldn't affect him anyway. "Neji-san, I know you don't want to do this, but neither do I. But I really need this money and since your uncle has hired me himself, I can't back down on this opportunity. I came here to do a job so no matter how strange or inconvenient it is, I'm going to do it right. As soon as I'm done my duties, I'll leave you alone. Just work with me and I'll be gone, alright?"

Neji did not respond with a single word. His narrowed eyes were fixed upon this strange girl, staring intently as if trying to bore a hole through her. His arms were crossed as he continued to stand; he wasn't even mildly amused at the idea of her presence in the Hyuuga mansion.

Tenten laughed nervously. Hiashi had warned her about Neji's tendency to be unpleasant but this was something else altogether. Neji gave the silent treatment a whole new meaning. "Well, do you have anything to say?"

When she was left with silence yet again, she suppressed a sigh. "Let's start all over again, shall we? Hello, my name is Tenten and I just arrived here. I'm here to train with you and teach you a couple of things, like how to open up a little more. Would you like to introduce yourself?"

Neji only rolled his eyes before turning around to walk away. There was no point in wasting precious time with the likes of her.

"Hey! Don't go," Tenten called out, reaching out for his arm. However, by the time she grazed the surface of his clothing, Neji had already spun around and sharply slapped her hand away. The reaction was so rash and unexpectedly abrupt that Tenten had to take a few steps backwards to steady herself.

"Don't touch me," he warned slowly and dangerously, his breath feeling ghostly on her cheek. "Don't speak to me either. I don't want your help. I especially don't want to hear some pathetic, poorly prepared speech from you because you pity me. I'm not disabled, alright? I'm not someone who needs to be fixed either. So leave, go on with your own life and don't meddle in mine."

It took Tenten a moment to form a coherent and logical response. "I see where you're coming from. I know this isn't favourable, but you have to work with me. Your uncle specifically said—"

"I know what my uncle said, and frankly I'm surprised that he has hired you to teach me things. Do you honestly think that I'm interested in what you have to say?"

"No, but—"

"I don't care about your job or my uncle's orders. Don't"—the emphasis on this word sent a chill down Tenten's spine—"get in my way."

Without even bothering to wait for her reaction, he whipped around and walked away.

When Tenten was sure that he had disappeared into another room, she sank down to her knees and sighed in relief. She was surprised that she hadn't collapsed and cried under that stare of his. His gaze was so frighteningly cold, as if he had murderous intentions.

Tenten shuddered. This was who she was being paid to befriend? She looked at both sides of the hallway before letting a shaky laugh escape her throat. "This will go well."

"This is the room you'll be staying in," a friendly maid said to Tenten. "If you need any help, feel free to call any one of us maids. We are here to serve you to the best of our abilities. Dinner will be served at seven o'clock sharp. Clothes will be provided to you by Hiashi-sama, selected personally by Hinata-sama and her younger sibling, Hanabi-sama. We hope you'll enjoy your stay."

"Thank you so much."

"It's my pleasure, Tenten-san." The older woman smiled and bowed politely before leaving the spacious room.

When alone, Tenten stood up from her spot on the bed and twirled childishly, admiring just about everything in the airy room. It was the better than anything she could design with her imagination; the room was royally beautiful. In the centre there was a huge canopy bed with cream, silk sheets, and the luxurious whiteness was set off by the rich, mahogany frame. It was evident that the room was prepared for her, and not because Hiashi had told her so; the sheer pink curtains and rose-coloured silk pillows were amongst the many feminine touches added to the otherwise monotone room.

Tenten had not expected her room to look the way it did. The Hyuuga manor as a whole was unbelievably luxurious but some parts were more dreary than others, and definitely didn't include pink accents. The very fact that the Hyuugas could afford to add to an already luxurious guest room boggled her mind.

Tenten sighed. Being shown the difference between her and Neji's world was almost overwhelmingly depressing. She knew that money wasn't everything but it provided financial security, which was something she didn't have. Neji, on the other hand, had financial security and more. His life was filled with the kind of glamour and richness that she couldn't even dream of. And here she was, about to spend two months in complete luxury, and all she had to do was to be friends with him!

Yet she couldn't be jealous of such a guy. His family was incredibly rich, but he was also reserved, cold and just plain rude. His eyes were also hauntingly hollow, almost as if indicating the absence of any meaning in his life. She was stunned when she couldn't find any justification as to how such a seemingly erudite, handsome boy could be so unpleasant. Hiashi also seemed to expect this kind of behaviour from him, as if acknowledging that Neji had a right to be this way. What could have possibly happened?

Tenten's heart softened with sympathy. She wanted to help Neji, but it was obvious that he didn't want to be anywhere near her.

"So you're the new girl?"

Tenten jolted out of her thoughts and turned to the doorway. There stood a little girl with dark-brown locks that reached a little past her shoulders. She was practically a spitting image of Hiashi.

"Hi, I'm Tenten." The older girl waved her hand. "Who are you?"

The young Hyuuga sniffed the air to express her disdain. "Hanabi," she replied almost reluctantly. "The heiress."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Hanabi!"

Hanabi was glaring at Tenten, but her glare wasn't half as frightening as Neji's. "Can't say the same."

"Um, okay. Did I do anything offensive?"

"You will."

"What?"

"I know what you're up to, so don't even try to act all nice and proper. I've seen the likes of you many times before so I know what you're going to do."

"Sorry?"

The little girl's eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't play dumb, you fool. You're just like all the others, trying to snuggle up to Neji and thinking that he'll fall head over heels for you and then give you everything that we have. Your act may have worked with Father, but it won't work with Neji or the rest of the clan. So save your time and go back to where you came from!"

Because Hanabi was still a child, Tenten was more shocked than angry at the accusations. Was Hiashi the only polite person in the clan? "Look," she reasoned, carefully hiding her shock behind her cheerful expression, "I'm not like that. I just needed a bit of money so—"

"Ha! I knew it! You want money—that's why you're here!"

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I'm willing to work for the money."

"Just save it. You don't belong here. Go home!"

With one last dirty look, Hanabi stalked off. Tenten could only gape after the small little figure.

"P-please don't mind her," a shy voice piped up, and a timid girl appeared at the doorway. She had hair that reached her shoulders, coloured in an unusual midnight blue. "Hanabi is my little sister. We've had some d-dishonest guests before which is why she doesn't trust people very much. She does it to everyone outside the clan so please don't take it personally."

Tenten smiled. "Don't worry, I understand. I was just a little taken back, that's all."

"You handled her accusations very well. O-oh, I nearly forgot. I'm Hyuuga Hinata, the eldest daughter of Hiashi-sama. Tenten-san, right? Welcome to the Hyuuga manor."

"Thank you, Hinata-san!" The brunette beamed. "Thank you so much for welcoming me."

"I-it's my pleasure. It's u-usually not easy for people to settle in here."

"Yes"—Tenten gestured towards the room—"I'm going to have a hard time getting used to this. I mean, the silk sheets are just too silky, you know?"

Hinata giggled. "I-in that case, you'll have to call one of the m-maids to get the fabric of your choice."

Tenten shook her head while laughing. "This is crazy. I've never had a maid before."

"You'll get used to it. It's nice to have help when you're tired after a mission." Hinata finally stepped into the room and held out a pile of clothes and necessities. "H-here are some things that you'll need. I'm in the room right next to yours, so if you need anything don't hesitate to call me. Hanabi's room is the one—why, t-thank you." She smiled at the maid that had come in to pour tea for the two girls. "So as I was saying, Hanabi's room is d-down the hallway to the left and right n-next to it is Father's. The room across from mine belongs to nobody, so you don't have to w-worry about bothering an Elder. The Elders live in the same hallway as Father's—that's the really long one that leads to the kitchen."

"What about the hallway to the right?"

"That leads to the main living room, and from there you have access to the main entrance and the five other wings of the mansion."

"Okay," Tenten mused. By now they were both sitting on the large canopy bed and drinking tea. "I hope I don't get lost."

"It's a bit overwhelming at first but y-you'll get the hang of it. Oh, and the garden, which also leads to the training grounds, can be accessed from the main living room as well."

"Main living room, entrance, garden, training grounds—got it." Tenten, after taking a sip of her tea, placed a slender finger on her chin and tapped it thoughtfully. "So your room is the one on the right, Hiashi-sama's is down the hall with Hanabi's next to his, and nobody's living across from you. Got it. Oh, whose room is this, the one across from mine?"

Hinata giggled. "Neji-nii-san's."

Tenten nearly choked on her tea. "What?"

"Y-yes. There was a leak in his old room so he relocated. Father put you here because he thought you should be close to Neji-nii-san."

"Well, it goes both ways. Neji would also have easy access if he wanted to kill me."

Hinata giggled again, amused. "Neji-nii-san can be temperamental at times, but he's very reasonable."

Tenten thought of her encounter with him earlier and grimaced. "I hope so."

"You just have to get used to the way he acts. I-it's rare but some people do get through to him."

"Is the first impression he makes always a bad one?"

"Depends who the judge is. Tsunade-sama a-always praises Neji-nii-san for his professionalism."

"I can see why," Tenten said. "I remember the first time I watched him fight. It was a tournament—no, it was during the Chuunin examinations. He was strong, but absolutely ruthless."

"T-that's an unusual reaction. Usually m-most girls gush about him."

The brunette laughed. "I remember that—right after he won all the girls started to cheer like crazy. I remember thinking that he must be a ladies' man off the battlefield."

At this Hinata laughed wholeheartedly, suddenly realising how comfortable Tenten made her feel. They were even chatting aloud in the Hyuuga manor; normally, the heiress stayed reserved to avoid any trouble. "Well, he doesn't s-socialise much but he d-does work very hard. He works harder than most ninjas, and that's saying something because we all t-train a lot."

"I've heard. That's one thing I definitely admire about him; it's another reason why I agreed to work with him. I'd like to hone my skills."

"T-that's right, Father told me you're a ninja too."

"Well, not an official one. I never registered for the Academy."

"Either w-way, Neji-nii-san could use a sparring partner. Maybe you can go outside right now and find him."

"He's training now? But dinner's going to be served soon."

"My cousin d-doesn't waste time. If he's at home, then he's most likely t-training. It'll be e-easy to find him. And oh, another thing: n-never go into his room." Even the Hyuuga heiress giggled at the severity of her tone. "It's j-just the way he is. He doesn't go into our rooms so he expects the same treatment in return. No one goes in there. E-even the maids just drop off his c-clothes and towels by the door. They don't clean his room either—he does that himself. I don't think even Father knows what he keeps in there. Hanabi once t-thought that he was taking steroids in there to get ready for a tournament. Neji-nii-san got so angry when he found out."

Tenten burst out laughing. "Hanabi has quite the imagination."

"She's known for that." The Hyuuga stood up from the huge canopy bed. "We should both get ready now," she said. "I'll see you at dinner—it's at s-seven o'clock sharp. Don't be late, and dress formally. It's best to make a good impression on the Elders of the clan."

"I'm sure I'll find something in the stuff you gave me. Thanks, Hinata, for everything."

"No problem. And Tenten," Hinata said, her voice suddenly quiet. "What I really meant earlier, about s-settling in... I was talking about getting used to the people."

Because Tenten wanted to make a good impression on the richest clan in Konoha, she went through the entire process of dressing up and even applying make-up. She wore the long, Chinese-styled dress that she had found in the pile of clothes provided by Hinata. It was the most exquisitely intricate dress she had ever seen; woven golden threads embroidered the edges and drew fancy designs across the deep scarlet silk. It was a little too snug for her liking, and the side slits ran a little too high, but she loved it anyway. Moreover, she didn't know where else she could wear such a dress.

When she heard shuffling outside her room, she prayed that it was Neji. She knew they hadn't exactly started off on the right foot so she wanted to catch him alone to talk more. She stepped outside and smiled when she saw Neji facing away, in the middle of tying a black cloth to his forehead. Remembering what had happened this morning, she decided to keep her hands to herself. "Need some help?"

The prodigy didn't even turn around. He expertly finished the knot, as if to dismiss her question. He was about to walk away from her when he caught sight of her.

Tenten smiled nervously under the scrutiny. "Is this too much?"

Neji ran his eyes over her body once and then swivelled around. "You're late," was all he said before walking away at a speed fast enough to be considered running.

"Wait for me," Tenten called out, but soon realised that Neji would never wait for her. She suppressed a sigh and quickly jogged towards the dining room. The instant she entered the large room, however, it took everything in her to not run away to change.

Hinata was right about the Hyuugas' tendency to dress formally; they all were dressed well, but most definitely not in a fancy manner. While most of the women wore no make-up at all, Tenten sported bright ruby lips. As she walked towards her seat she mentally beat herself up for even thinking that the Hyuuga clan would dress up the way she did. And then she cursed herself again for picking a dress with slits that revealed most of her legs whenever she walked.

The worst part of it all was the staring from everyone in the room, and the silence that accompanied the staring made the brunette feel even more ashamed. Some of the members felt pity for the embarrassed girl, but the clan for the most part simply looked disgusted. Neji cast her a disapproving look when she took her reserved seat across from him at the end of the long table. Hiashi, who sat on the side perpendicular to hers, and Hinata, who sat next to her, were the only ones who smiled encouragingly at her.

"You look r-really pretty," Hinata said reassuringly, but instantly quieted when an Elder sitting nearby looked up to glare.

The rest of the dinner was uneventful until Tenten decided to go to the bathroom. Hanabi, who had been waiting for this moment, expertly stuck out her leg and made sure that Tenten fell as ungracefully as possible. Everybody instantly turned to look at her, some annoyed at the interruption, some shaking their heads disapprovingly before resuming their dinner.

Recalling the night afterwards only made Tenten feel more frustrated. She couldn't even enjoy the fact that she had just eaten the best meal of her life or that she was living in a place better than a five-star hotel—all she could think of was what a fool she had made out of herself. How could she have mistaken the meaning of "formal" so badly?

Footsteps outside her door cut off her thoughts; Neji was undoubtedly coming back from his training session. The brunette took a deep breath and scrambled to her feet, suddenly more determined to do her job right.

"Neji-san," she started to say when she slid open her door, but her breath was caught momentarily at the sight of the attractive prodigy. Beads of sweat covered his face and neck, his hair was slightly dishevelled and his shirt was partially unbuttoned. She forced herself to focus. "How was training?"

Neji stared at her for a moment, showing no indication of his willingness to speak.

"Probably like every other time then," Tenten said after a while, more to herself than anything else. "So..."

"Don't waste my time."

"How is having a conversation a waste of time?"

For a moment Neji appeared to be debating between ignoring her and giving her a hard time. If he actually was then he clearly chose the latter, because he then walked up to her and stared her down. "Because this is pointless. And so is your presence," he added unflinchingly.

Tenten outwardly sighed, but was inwardly adamant about standing her ground. "Would it hurt to be nicer to peers? You know very well what kind of predicament I'm in."

"You have the option to quit."

"Who would pass up an opportunity to make money, which is technically instrumental for survival?"

"Anyone would if their job was pointless."

"Why would you think that my job is pointless?"

At this, Neji took another menacing step towards her but Tenten refused to back up even though she was intimidated by their proximity. If it weren't for their hostile glares towards each other, one would mistake them for two lovers having an intimate conversation.

Tenten's gaze was the first to falter. "Fine. I suppose this isn't going anywhere."

"So you've realised."

"I guess you're right."

The corners of Neji's lips almost lifted. "You can leave now. I'll let my uncle know tomorrow morning."

"I'm letting you go, but"—she extended the last word, smiling when the Hyuuga narrowed his eyes—"only for tonight. I'll see you tomorrow morning!"

Neji opened his mouth but nothing came out. His being speechless was a rare occasion and this time, he didn't know whether it was because Tenten seemed unfazed by his behaviour or because he realised that he had actually stayed outside to argue with her. Regardless, he knew he had to rest for tomorrow's training session and there was no point in talking to the likes of her. He closed his mouth and turned around, deciding that her presence wouldn't affect his life.

When Tenten was finally back in the safety of her room, she took a deep breath, relieved that Neji was no longer breathing down her neck. She was convinced that she had been on the brink of crying just now; how was it possible for someone to be so intimidating? At first she regretted having decided to go out to talk to him, but after taking a shower, she was glad that she had gotten the chance to talk to him more. After all, she had gotten a clear view of his eyes which were, in her opinion, the best feature of the Hyuuga clan. On top of being powerful, they were absolutely beautiful; they were such a pretty shade of silver and white combined, mixed with tints of lavender. However, Neji's were also sinister, and dark, and often appeared hollow.

Sighing, Tenten gazed out the window. The moon hung high in the dark but clear night, shining brightly. And then she began to think about Neji again, because the moon reminded her of his eyes; it, too, had many imperfections but it still emitted a beautiful light when it was dark.

The sixteen-year-old girl wondered. She wondered why the corners of his mouth never lifted. He wasn't one of those normal teenagers that she had seen during her rare trips to the town—he certainly wasn't interested in anything other than training and power. This mere fact intrigued her greatly. The detached look in his eyes revealed his intent on being unnoticed by the world, perfectly matching his dark and mysterious aura, but the way he trained indicated otherwise. His silence and his need to conceal his presence made her think. Like a piece of puzzle, a mystery that no one could figure out, there was something about his eyes that seemed to reflect his past. Perhaps he had suffered a loss? Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen Neji's father or mother anywhere today. Maybe…?

Tenten almost laughed at herself. Of course, Neji had to be the one whom she was paid to befriend. Hyuuga Neji: perhaps the most intimidating and unpleasant member in the clan that probably thought she was a prostitute.

Before sleepiness took over her body, she decided on something. She wasn't going to plan revenge against Hanabi for today's unpleasant incidents or hold a grudge against the people of this clan for snickering and encouraging the young Hyuuga heiress with her childish antics. Instead, she decided that she was going to do something else, even if it seemed absolutely impossible at the moment.

She was determined to change Neji.

A/N: A bit of a filler/intro, but this is all part of the process. All thoughts are welcomed! :)

Chigiri Sasaki

Posted May 2007, edited July 2013.