Chapter Five

Everything was white.

Any feeling of serenity that might have lingered completely dissipated as urgent cries of sorrow and anger filled the hallways. Sounds of heavy footsteps echoed continually, almost tauntingly, through each corridor, and wheels screeched every time they either halted or curved at a sharp turn.

The cacophony annoyed Neji endlessly. His ivory eyes fluttered open angrily; they quickly darted back and forth, scanning the airy room thoroughly in the process. The unfamiliarity of the hospital room made his dark eyebrows furrow slightly but he remained calm nonetheless.

The sun was setting at the moment, hanging low in the sky. Awareness finally began to sink in and vaguely, Neji remembered that his fight with Tenten had taken place a little after noon. At the thought of the commoner his insides began to tighten with anger, but his planning to get rid of her was cut short when he heard a series of knocking.

His gaze swiftly averted to the door, every muscle tensing as if suspecting an assault a second later. It quickly occurred to him though that even if it was an enemy, he wouldn't be able to fight anyway. The thought eased the uncertainty that had been building inside him and it was quickly replaced by self-assurance, because Neji knew that whatever he believed was true.

He frowned when the door slowly creaked open and a shadow loomed. His frown only deepened when he felt the atmosphere suddenly turn warm as a light, fruity aroma filled his senses. He usually attributed the familiar scent to the products that all female Hyuugas used, but this scent was slightly off, as if it had been marred by someone's body chemistry—or rather, by the filth of a commoner.

His voice was venomous. "Is nearly killing me not enough? Judging by the visit, I suppose you came to finish me off."

"Neji... I don't know what to say. I'm so, so sorry."

Had Neji not been almost paralysed, he would have already gone and punched Tenten senseless. He had prevented himself from killing her previously because of the constant reminders he gave himself. He had convinced himself that he couldn't act rashly because she was seemingly innocent and only under Hiashi's orders but now, now he wasn't sure he could resist that urge. Even Hiashi's being on her side didn't mean anything to him anymore because compared to this... Neji felt his blood boil with rage. Tenten had nearly killed him, and now he was unable to train due to the fresh wounds that threatened to open every time he moved.

He wanted her gone, away—far away.

"Neji? Please say something."

Even the way she expected him to respond annoyed him. She didn't know him but acted like she was an old friend in whom he confided. Sometimes she would even interrogate him about his father with that annoying voice of hers, as if she had a right to ask, as if he owed her some kind of explanation. The topic of family obviously didn't affect her because she probably had a pair of nauseatingly warm parents and a home that welcomed her with the aroma of sweets and cookies.

"I shouldn't have done that," Tenten began softly, her voice beginning to rise with uncertainty and uneasiness, as if trying hard to spit out an apology. Her feeling of discomfort increased at the sight of him wrapped in bandages and she cringed. It pained her further when she saw Neji urging himself to move in spite of his serious injuries. "I didn't know what I was even thinking. It was obvious that you were out of chakra and worn out from training, but I just had to provoke you. I challenged you and I knew you weren't going to back down because you're too proud and conceited"—she paused, uncertain of where she was going with this—"but I was ultimately the fool. I was stupid. I knew that you'd agree with that big ego of yours, no offence again by the way, but really, you shouldn't have said yes!" She took a deep breath, feeling drowned in hopelessness as she seated herself in a nearby chair. "What I'm trying to say," she finally added, sincerely, her slender fingers sweeping her bangs away, "is that I'm sorry. I really am sorry."

A look of anxiety swept across Tenten face when he didn't answer or move the slightest bit. The only sign that indicated he was listening to her was his face. It was growing red. A fever, maybe? She stretched her arm out to touch his forehead but it was instantly slapped away.

"Don't touch me," he said hoarsely, wincing slightly at the pain that had spread through his arm like wildfire. He didn't want help from her. He didn't need it. He had always been fine depending on himself and himself only, and he had no plans to change that.

"I'm sorry."

Even though he was the cold-hearted bastard he had always been, Neji couldn't block out the unusual feeling that tugged at his heart when he aligned his gaze with hers. He was stunned to see only pure concern and guilt in her pools of chestnut; he had expected to see, like he normally would from his desperate female followers, superficial love, formed by the illusions of his reputation and wealth.

Neji's eyebrows furrowed. Why was she so worried about him?

"Here," Tenten said gently, pouring him a glass of water. "You're probably dehydrated."

The unusually warm feeling in Neji's chest was quickly washed away by anger when realisation hit him. Tenten wasn't caring about him or what she had done to him—she cared because this was her job as his "peer tutor", and she was doing everything to complete her little "project".

Neji cringed in pain as he pushed himself up to sit against the wall. Hiashi must have paid her a lot. Why else would she be here? She could be at the Hyuuga mansion, enjoying the luxury of having servants at her command. His bitterness only intensified as the brunette continued to stand there, holding the glass of water, as if she wanted some kind of reassurance that he would be fine.

"Reassurance, is that what you want?" Even when injured, his voice was cold and cutting. "I'm not weak. I'll be fine, so go."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity," Tenten cried, and her tone alone indicated that she was on the verge of tears. "I really feel guilty, and I can't stand seeing you like this."

Neji almost wanted to let out a harsh laugh; Hiashi had done a good job picking a girl who could put on a convincing act. Her feigned concern would have been touching if the circumstances had been different—if he had known otherwise. "You're not going to lose your job," he said flatly. "Hiashi thinks highly of you, for some reason."

"I don't care about the job. I know I don't know you well but I care about—"

"Why?" Neji cut her off quietly, his voice odd and unwavering; the way it held a note of genuine wonder made it almost painful to hear. "Does acting concerned get you a bonus? Does the money matter that much?"

There was a flash of anger in Tenten's eyes. "Look, I know I made it a point that I need money, but don't most people? And I'm working for it, aren't I?"

"You're doing a great job obviously."

"I'm trying," Tenten replied indignantly, stiffly. "I don't know what else I could do."

There was a brief moment of pause before Neji looked directly into her eyes. "How much?"

"What?"

"How much did my uncle offer you? Whatever he's offering, I'll double it, provided that you leave the Hyuuga clan this instant."

A strange look swept over Tenten's features, and she swallowed the lump at her throat. "Do you hate me that much?"

"Is there a reason why I should feel otherwise? You have done nothing but bother and hinder me. You are just like every other girl that comes into the Hyuuga clan in hopes of becoming wedded to a Hyuuga who will provide you with everything you need. Unfortunately, your status won't get you anywhere in the clan." His voice was acrimonious, unforgiving. "If I give you the money you need, you should have enough to run back to your parents' home and prepare for your next suitor."

"You think you know me?" Tenten demanded, her glassy eyes betraying her otherwise angry voice. "You don't know anything about me."

"I've seen the likes of you before—"

"Shut up," Tenten hissed lowly. "You talk about me like you know where I come from, like you've heard my story. But you know nothing; you don't know why I shamelessly offered my services to everybody in the first place. There's a reason why I stayed with the Hyuugas, even after being constantly pointed at, even after being gossiped about for the past week.

"You're right. I do need the money. So what? Do you even have a clue as to what I need this money for? A job like this is my only source of income, which means that I need this money to survive. I'm by myself at my own home, and I have to live. I don't have parents to welcome me each day—in fact, I don't even know who they are!"

There was suddenly a quietness between them.

"You just assumed that I'm some decently privileged girl seeking a decadent lifestyle," Tenten said, mockingly bitter. "Has it ever occurred to you that there are people trying to make an honest living? Or better yet, has it ever occurred to you that there are people who actually try to care about you?"

Neji stared at her, dumbfounded.

"I get that you're all about the training and honour and whatever. I get it. But you have no reason to be angry at me for trying my best to survive." She thrust the glass of water she had poured a while ago into Neji's face. "Drink."

Given that he had no other choice, being helplessly bedridden, the prodigy reluctantly drank from the cup. He downed its contents in one gulp.

"What really gets me," Tenten started, collapsing into the chair beside the bed, "is that you don't know how lucky you are. You have family, people who care about you. Whom do I have? No one—nothing, for that matter. I don't even remember who I was, or whom I had as parents. I've tried, but I can't remember anything from my early childhood. My parents erased everything I had ever known until I was nine. I have nothing to prove my existence...

"Just this." She fished out a simple necklace from under her collar. It was a thin and delicate silver chain, suspending a silver encrusted plate that had "Tenten" and a date engraved smoothly onto it. "The night I woke up, or rather, the first night I can actually remember, I only had this to make some sense of my life." She lifted her jewellery. "So I just assumed that this was my name and birth date. Tenten. I'm now sixteen years old. I... I think my mother might have given this to me before she left."

Neji was speechless by this point. There was just something about her right now that silenced him—the innocence, the vulnerability, the serenity—or perhaps he was still stunned by the fact that she wasn't as well off as he had assumed. His judgement of character was usually spot on. When was the last time he had been wrong? As he stared at girl before him, befuddled, he wondered why she was sharing this with him in the first place. He neither cared nor relished in the suffering of the person who annoyed him endlessly; he just wanted her to leave him alone but at the moment, he couldn't find it in himself to tell her to go away.

"I've always thought that my parents erased my memories for my own good," Tenten continued on wistfully, "but it's pretty obvious that I'm only trying to will myself into believing something that isn't true. I was nine. I was only nine at the time, when I woke up in the middle of nowhere, not knowing who I even was. I ended up wandering into a village, but the people there forced me out, telling me to run. So I blindly ran away from there, desperately trying to find some comfort in someone's arms. I wanted someone—just someone—to come out and say that my parents were waiting for me somewhere. Then I would run into my parents' arms, feeling safe and happy and protected... But I realised long ago that that day would never come. I cried. I wanted to cry myself to sleep.

"But," she murmured as her eyes softened, "a boy found me. A young boy, with the most beautiful moonlight eyes held me in his arms. I knew perfectly that it was strange that I found the comfort I've always wanted in a stranger, but somehow, I couldn't bring myself to run away. What else did I have to lose, anyway? And I... I just felt so safe with him. I felt like I could tell him anything, and I did—I told him of my problems, my dreams, my wonders, my fears..." She smiled sheepishly. "I talked and talked until I was so tired I fell asleep.

"But even though he was already gone by the time I woke up, I still remember him to this day and all the words that he said to me. So in addition to finding my parents, I made a vow to myself—I promised myself that I would find him and thank him. It's so silly, isn't it? It's not like I can realistically walk around every day and expect to find a boy whom I haven't seen in years."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Tenten silenced at this. Come to think of it, why was she telling him this? How was it possible that she had spilled all of her most cherished memories and thoughts to someone who was no more than a stranger?

Perhaps, she thought after a moment, it was due to the fact that Neji possessed the same physical traits as him, the boy whom she dreamt of seeing again. But then again, so did every other male Hyuuga, and for all she knew, that sweet boy could have died in a mission a long time ago. Maybe she was confessing more than usual because she wanted to make it a point that she was not the girl Neji thought she was; this made the most sense, as Tenten soon found herself hoping that Neji no longer thought so lowly of her.

"I asked you a question."

His sharp voice snapped her back to reality and she cracked a smile. Neji was and always would be the cold-hearted bastard who cared for training and training only—he couldn't possibly be that mysterious boy that had been there for her years ago.

"I don't know, maybe it's because you sort of remind me of him," she finally replied, somewhat sheepishly.

"Foolish."

"I actually agree with you on that one," Tenten laughed. Changing the topic cleverly, she added, "So Tsunade-sama said that you can leave today, but you have to rest a lot. Here, give me your hand. I'll help you up."

To Tenten's greatest, utmost surprise, Neji took her hand. His warm hand seemed to fit perfectly around hers, and at that fleeting moment when she aligned her gaze with his, she was momentarily stunned by the sense of familiarity.

A/N: Neji's getting softer, eh? ;) But don't worry, it won't last long. I'm only in a good mood after watching the 14th episode of Naruto Shippuuden a few days ago, and the scene between Neji and Tenten was just too cute! So I'm in a good mood and decided to make Neji a little less of a bastard ahah. Be happy that I did so, cause Neji's pity for Tenten won't last.

Tenten's past has been revealed! Well, at least half of it was. The relatively unimportant part, at least. Where she comes from is another chapter, so until then! ;)

Much love,
Chigiri Sasaki

Posted May 2007, edited August 2013.