Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Naruto.

Destined to Love
By: Chigiri Sasaki

Summary: He was a prodigy, with a damaged past and no future. She was a commoner, with a hidden secret. Strung together by fate, it was only a matter of time before she changed his life forever. [AU, NejiTen]

Chapter Twenty Two

"I told you to stay away from Hiro," Neji muttered quietly as they were walking back to the Hyuuga estate.

"He was drunk."

"Someone like Hiro has a very high tolerance for alcohol. All Hyuugas do," he stated.

"Then why did—"

"He had to act drunk. He knew he wouldn't have been able to get you to talk to him otherwise."

"Well, he sounded really upset. He reeked of alcohol—what was I supposed to do?"

"Get someone else to take care of him. You still have a job. You cannot neglect the children."

"I was only trying to help," Tenten defended herself defiantly.

"You don't need to try," Neji countered. "Hiro-sama always needs help."

"That's nice."

"That's the truth."

"Well, it wasn't like he ate me."

"Yet."

Tenten suppressed laughter at his crude humour; she was trying to be serious. "I was trying to be a good person!"

"Exactly. An excess of kindness leads you to all sorts of downfalls."

"You can be such an asshole sometimes."

"Never mind, you are not kind."

"Hey, that's not nice—wait, you think I'm kind?"

"Never said that."

"But you mentioned it twice."

"You're annoying."

This time, she couldn't help it; she laughed wholeheartedly. To Neji, her laughter sounded more like tinkling bells. There was always this unexplainable serenity that surrounded her whenever she smiled. The prodigy couldn't help himself; the corners of his mouth curved upwards. It looked more like a twisted smirk than anything else, but it was still a smile and Tenten caught it before a frown took over. She didn't want to make anything out of it, but her heart swelled with giddiness.

She liked his smile.

"Hey Neji, will you do me a favour tomorrow?"

"I'm already accompanying you."

"Yes, but can you just promise me something?"

Neji didn't reply; it was his way of telling her to continue.

"Please promise me that you won't tell Amaya anything."

"About her condition?"

"Yes."

Neji nodded slowly, but his eyes flickered over to her for a moment. "Is she that important to you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, 'why'? She's someone I care for."

"She's not family."

"Well, she's like the little sister I never had," Tenten admitted honestly. "I just don't want her to be unhappy."

"She's never going to be constantly happy."

"Maybe, but what's wrong with trying to make the best out of everything?"

Neji remained silent, stuffed his hands into his pockets and lifted his gaze to stare at the night sky. "You have such optimistic views." He ended in such a way that implied his thoughts trailed off; he sounded like he had something else to say so Tenten waited patiently as they continued to walk. Their breaths came out in little white puffs; the nights were getting colder as winter made its presence known.

"You are very lucky."

"Huh?" The feeling of déjà vu made the kunoichi blink a few times. "That's strange. Hiro told me that today as well."

A scowl took over Neji's features immediately. "Why does he keep talking to you?"

"Why do you hate him?"

"I don't need to tell you why." Neji stopped; they had arrived at the Hyuuga mansion. The guard acknowledged their presence with a polite nod and let them both in. Neji immediately sprinted to main doors, leaving Tenten confused and with no one to talk to.

Six Hyuuga Elders, not including the clan head, sat around a wooden rectangular table. The room, located in the very west wing of the Hyuuga estate, was dimly lit, with torches in each corner and a small candle in the middle. Considering the clan's wealth, the condition of this particular room was rather poor but it was the first place ever built under the Hyuuga name and therefore had the most history to it. Hundreds of years ago, the very first Hyuuga leader had been crowned here.

"Hideki-sama won't make it."

It was a single statement, said almost casually by Hyuuga Hitoshi, but it formed a hole in tension filled air.

Hiashi's eyes were grim, but he had predicted such an announcement—they all had. Hyuuga Hideki, the oldest and most venerable Hyuuga in the entire clan, was sick and his health was failing fast. The Elder had fallen sick due to the epidemic, but unlike the patients at the hospital, he was over ninety years of age and his immune system was much weaker than anyone else's. He was the top priority at the hospital; Tsunade-sama was constantly working on his case.

Not that the other people weren't important. It was just that all the affected patients seemed to be stable; they weren't recovering but their condition wasn't worsening, either.

Recently, the Hokage revealed that the lightning country was the one who set the virus free in Konoha. It confirmed the Hyuugas' fears—the Raikage knew. The Hyuugas must have slipped in performance somewhere, because word had gotten out and the Raikage discovered that Hiashi was never killed. And now, due to the grudge the Lightning country held against them, there was an epidemic and more than half the population was sick.

"Hideki-sama cannot die. He is the greatest Elder," Hyuuga Hisoka protested, as if he was in denial.

Hiashi closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling softly. Hisoka was right; the clan needed Hideki. He was like the base, the one person who had enough clout to overturn the leader's decision by himself. No major decision was made without consulting him. And to Hiashi, this meeting was useless. There was none of that great wisdom Hideki possessed that provided more insight than anything else. When it came to knowledge, Hideki was superior to even the clan head. In fact, Hideki only stepped down from the leader's position because Hiashi was physically stronger.

"Hiashi-sama, what are you thinking?"

Hiashi had been thinking a lot these past few days. In a way, the Raikage had a right to be angry; he was deceived, so it only made sense that he wanted to seek revenge. And he would most likely not settle for anything less—he was still after the Hyuuga secret.

"I'm going to give up my life," Hiashi finally said.

Instantly, the members of the clan glanced at each other. Before they could voice their opinions, Hiashi put up his hand, demanding for complete silence.

"It's only right," he explained. "I was supposed to die twelve years ago. My life was spared because my brother sacrificed his." His hand rolled into a fist. "I'm going to end this. They caused that epidemic because they want the Byakuugan—so let's simply give it to them. Maybe we'll finally establish a true alliance with the Lightning country."

"You have no idea as to what you're saying," Hisashi said, slamming his hand down. "Do not let Hideki's absence cloud your thoughts. Are you giving up?"

Hyuuga Hisao stood up. "Do you know what would happen if everyone knew of our weakness? Konoha would cease to exist."

"That's not true," Hiashi countered. "Konoha will survive, just like they survived years ago when the Uchiha clan was slaughtered."

"The Hyuuga clan is much more prestigious and Konoha is strong because we are strong. We are the backbone to the fighters and you know it."

"You know what would end Konoha?" Hiashi demanded. "A war, because right now we are vulnerable. And a war is going to break out soon if we don't surrender. The Raikage is behind the entire epidemic—he planned it all out and is most definitely going to kill us all."

"The Hyuuga clan alone can fight them off," stated Hiroki with confidence. "We have other reliable members to fight with."

"Yes, we can only lose if you let them have our bloodline limit's secret."

"There would be no war in the first place if I just end this now," Hiashi said quietly. Questions were immediately shot at him.

"We have been cherishing this secret for hundreds of years! You're going to give it up now?"

"How would we continue to be Konoha's noble clan if we are weak?"

"We have to end this," Hiashi repeated, with such authority the entire room went silent. "There is no other way. It's about time we resolved this issue."

"We cannot afford to be weak," Hotaka finally said. Before Hiashi could say anything, he added, "what will we do without you, Hiashi-sama? We're already going to lose Hideki-sama."

Hiashi was silent for a moment. Who was going to be the new clan head, if he were to die? All of these Elders—they were all too old to be physically capable of leading the clan. Hiashi was already noticing a decline in his powers and he was only in his mid forties. These Elders were all at least a good ten years older than him.

Hisoka was young and merely in his twenties, but he was only considered as an Elder because his father died young and wanted someone to take his place. Hisoka was nowhere strong enough—physically and mentally—to handle the clan's affairs.

His oldest daughter Hinata was weak as well. She was too kind-hearted and lenient to be able to make her own decisions. She was too quiet and couldn't possibly endure the Elders' constant demands. Hanabi, on the other hand, was probably much more capable than Hinata in this sense. However, she was far too young and had barely mastered her Byakuugan.

"Hiro," Hisao suddenly said. "If you're thinking about crowing a new leader, let it be Hiro. He is clearly the most suitable for such a position. He is part of the main family, he is strong, and he has a fiancée."

Hiashi shook his head. "I'm not sure if he'll carry through with the marriage."

"What are you saying? All Hyuugas are to marry the person that is right for them."

"Maybe Hiro doesn't love her."

Hisoka slammed his fist down. "Damn it, Hiashi. First Neji, and now Hiro. They have to marry whoever is assigned to them. They cannot call the marriage off simply because they don't fancy their partner. You are becoming much too lenient and considerate for your own good."

"Then perhaps it really is time to change our leader," Hitoshi said coldly. "Perhaps you are no longer fit to lead the entire clan if you let such trivial factors hinder your judgement."

Hiashi's flickered for a moment; he was barely listening to the Elders. "Yes, we should."

"Who shall be appointed as the new leader, then?"

"No one in the main family is mature and strong enough," Hiashi stated.

"Are you implying that we should let someone from the branch family become the leader?" Hitoshi's eyes were cold and disapproving, but mostly full of disgust. "That's atrocious. They have the curse mark sealed upon them. It's their fate to protect the main family, not lead them. Chaos will ensue if such a thing happens."

Hiroki nodded in agreement. "A member from the branch family has never been chosen to be the leader. Perhaps we shall wait until Hinata is of age. After all, she is fifteen. A few more years of training and maturing will—"

"We can't wait that long," Hiashi interposed. "The epidemic is happening now."

"Then what do you suggest? That we allow a branch member to take over? That is unheard of."

"Until now," Hiashi corrected. "We can remove the seal. It will be a long process, and it will consume a lot of time, but it can be done."

"Do you seriously think the main household can be overshadowed by the branch family?"

"Potentially, yes."

"And exactly who do you have in mind?"

"Hyuuga Neji."

A pause of silence followed. All the Elders wanted to protest, but they truly had nothing to argue about. It was true, that Neji came from the branch family, and was therefore lower in status, but he was undeniably the perfect candidate. He was strong, smart and very hardworking.

"That makes sense," Hisao said slowly, "although I don't necessarily agree with it."

"But he is not even engaged yet," stated Hotaka. "Leiko is only an option."

"Neji does indeed possess some remarkable qualities, but Hiro is still a better candidate," Hisao insisted, and the rest of the Elders agreed.

Hiashi only shook his head in response.

The next morning, before the crack of dawn, Hiashi found Neji training alone out in the cold. He was working as hard as ever, blasting away trees and grass and everything that was in sight. To Hiashi's great surprise, Neji was working on some new techniques involving only the mind and the Byakuugan. Hiashi's eyes grew wide; suddenly Neji's eyes were shut, but he somehow managed to singlehandedly take down a thick tree without moving. Any other tree surrounding it was not the slightest bit affected.

Hiashi let out a small chuckle; Neji had to be the new leader. Someone like Hiro would never be able to come up with something like that. Neji had so much more potential, even though he was still only sixteen. Right now, Hiro probably had a slight upper advantage in strength but Neji was improving way faster.

Neji opened his eyes and faced Hiashi with an impassive expression. "Yes, Hiashi-sama?"

Hiashi approached the prodigy with a slight smile. Neji had grown into a fine young man; yes, he would do the clan justice.

"Last night, there was a meeting regarding the new appointed leader."

Confusion flashed in Neji's eyes. "What does it have to do with me?"

Hiashi stared at his nephew for a long time. "How would you feel if I told you I can remove your curse mark?"

Tenten, freshly showered, tied her hair up into her two signature buns and smiled at her reflection. It was slightly warmer today, but it was still cold enough for snow to fall. She could see a completely white neighbourhood through her window, and the way the snow glistened under the sunlight made her very happy.

She quickly got out of bed and ran out to the training grounds, where she knew she would find Neji. She was going to tell him to get ready for a big day with Amaya. However, to her surprise, Neji wasn't training; all the kids were out instead, playing with the freshly fallen snow. Soon enough, an elder came out and told them to train. They all quickly resumed to throw targets.

Tenten went back into the mansion and found Neji in his room. Her first instinct was to knock, but she was sort of in a rush, since she told Amaya they would get there early in the morning, so she decided to just barge in.

The first thing she saw was his back—his bare back. She instantly blushed, mentally scolded herself for not knocking and was about to apologise. But before she could swerve around to leave, Neji said, "I'm not coming today."

"What?"

He didn't repeat himself. He got up, put a shirt on, and put a piece of paper on his desk. He looked at her pointedly.

"I'm not leaving," Tenten replied. "Why aren't you going? You promised—"

"You can go by yourself. I will tell Tsunade-sama that I went with you."

"So you're going to the hospital?"

"Yes."

"Then why can't you come with me?"

He didn't reply for a while. "I need to think."

The way he said it sounded very odd. It lacked the coldness and confidence that he usually possessed. He sounded confused, almost scared. She recognised this kind of tone—something was up, and even though it was Neji, she wanted to know. "What's wrong?"

"It's none of your business."

"Neji—"

"Get out."

Get out.

That was what Leiko said yesterday, wasn't it? When she had some personal letters on her desk and Tenten decided to intrude. Tenten seemed to be too nosy and curious for her own good—she needed to stop getting involved into others' businesses. Neji was right; she was constantly poking into other people's lives. Neji wasn't being mean. He had the right to cancel their plans, because it was only a favour. He didn't have to explain why he couldn't come either. Furthermore, he didn't need to tell Tenten his problems—she wasn't some kind of therapist, and it wasn't like she was helpful anyway. So she just smiled at him and left the room.

She bumped into Hiashi in the hallway. The venerable man smiled warmly at her. "Hello, Tenten."

"Hiashi-sama, is something wrong with Neji?" Her voice trailed off in wonder when the clan head suddenly stared off into the distance.

"I said something to him earlier. It was a… shock, to say the least."

"Oh." The hesitation was a clear indication of secrecy. She immediately knew that secret clan affairs were involved and she, a mere commoner, wasn't part of it. She nodded slightly in rejection.

"It's nothing, really. It's not worth your concern."

"It's sure worth Neji's."

Hiashi chuckled. "Perhaps Neji will tell you."

Tenten cocked her head questioningly.

"It's not my place to tell you."

"These babies are the cutest things in the world," Tenten said as she picked up an infant no longer than her forearm.

"Be careful, Tenten-san. Remember to support their necks," Lee advised wisely.

Today, they were in charge of a room of solely toddlers and babies. Leiko, Tenten, Lee and Neji were assigned to this room. Everyone was working hard to keep every infant quiet, except for Neji, who simply sat on a small stool by the window. He had requested to change his job multiple of times, but there was no one else willing to trade spots.

Tenten didn't bother him that whole morning. "I can hold them all day!"

"I know," Leiko agreed as she poked the baby's cheek.

Lee was making funny faces to the baby in his arms and it gurgled happily. "I love it! Every baby loves me!"

Leiko laughed. "Lee-kun, you're amazing with kids."

"Yes! Thank you! I've always wanted to be good with kids! But when you're a ninja, you always tend to be rough—"

"Not true," Tenten interposed. "I'm not that terrible with kids."

"But women are naturally better! They have the instinct."

"Is that supposed to be sexist?"

"Yeah," Leiko added playfully. "You think that we're here to take care of kids?"

"No! I didn't mean it like that!" Lee cried, almost in horror. "I apologise if I offended anyone, I didn't mean—"

Both Leiko and Tenten laughed and continued to tend the baby in their arms. They were the most lovable creatures Tenten had ever seen; they were all pudgy, they all had velvet-soft, rosy cheeks, and their fingers and toes curled up in the most adorable way. They were all endearing, smelled good and they each had a unique feature that made them wonderfully angelic.

A baby, across the room from the three working teens, began wailing. Neji, who was sitting less than a feet away from the crying infant, simply stared at it, expecting it to stop. Tenten sighed exasperatedly. He had done absolutely nothing since they got here. She didn't want to say anything, since she didn't want to bother him, but she couldn't help it. "Neji, can you please do something?"

"It won't stop."

He was tired. She could sense it—they all could. She sighed once more and went over to pick the baby up. "It's alright, little one…"

Suddenly, another baby began wailing, crying probably because its diaper was full again. The constant cries triggered the other babies to cry as well, and soon, the whole room was filled with nothing but howls and yells.

At that moment, Neji snapped. He jumped to his feet, scowling fiercely. "This noise is loud and irritating. The smell is foul and revolting. Can someone make it stop?"

"Maybe you should go out for a walk," Leiko suggested calmly.

"Leiko is right," Lee added. "If you can't handle the babies—"

"No, Neji, you make it stop," Tenten interrupted with a hint of annoyance. "You did nothing so far. Don't make it sound like we're doing nothing, because we have been working the moment we got here. In fact, you haven't done anything since day one!"

Neji stared at her. Tenten cast her most intimidating look back at him.

Finally, the Hyuuga prodigy snatched a baby girl from her crib and placed her on the nearby table. He expertly unfastened her pants and the diaper, lifted her legs, wiped her bottom with a wet napkin, and quickly patted some powder. He wrapped her in a new diaper. He then put her pants back on and discarded the old diaper in one smooth motion. The baby girl instantly stopped crying and began to gurgle happily when Neji picked her up, drooling and leaving gooey saliva on his shirt.

Neji turned to the gaping teens. "There."

"He's good with babies?" Leiko asked with raised eyebrows.

"This is truly a shocking day," Lee agreed.

Tenten crossed her arms and turned away, pretending to be unfazed. To be honest, she was a little bit jealous. Why was Neji perfect at everything? He was amazing when it came to training and fighting… shouldn't he be rough and violent? Yet he wasn't. He was amazing when it came to handling children. The way he was carefully taking care of each baby, testing milk on his wrist, supporting their necks… it seemed too… surreal. It was almost like she was thinking of a futuristic Neji, who was a father, taking care of children…

Tenten shook her head. Where did that come from?

But no, she was mad at him. Because of him, she and Amaya were stuck here. Amaya was sick and she wanted to get out for a day. Tenten was even granted permission by the Hokage herself. Everything was set… but then Neji had to cancel last minute. And she wasn't going to take Amaya out alone—she technically wasn't allowed to. And Amaya loved him so much, he had to come. She just had to convince him tonight, or tomorrow morning.

"I'm going to take a quick break," Leiko suddenly said. She gestured towards Neji. "He'll take my spot, I guess."

Nobody objected, so the violet-haired beauty left the room in a haste.

Dear Izanami…

Her pen stopped. Why did she sound like she was pleading? She quickly crossed it out.

Izanami… It's Leiko. Look, I…

No, that wasn't right either. It sounded like she was mad at him or something.

Izanami-kun…

I'm sorry. I can't return to you anymore. I've decided that staying here will be the best for the both of us. My father will stop pestering me about my duties, the rice country will be protected by the Hyuuga clan, and you won't have to work so hard anymore. It's going to be great. And in ten, or maybe fifteen years, we will look back and smile.

Leiko bit her lip. That wasn't true.

She was using cheesy sad movie lines as a last resort to somehow mask the emptiness she was feeling. True, if she wasn't in love with someone else, she would've loved Neji. Neji was everything that a girl could ask for—he was tall, gorgeous, smart, kind and rich. He could even handle babies. Yet, the attraction she had for Neji was nothing compared to the way she felt when she was with Izanami. Yet, her father…

She hands balled into fists as she stared into the bathroom mirror. She looked like an empty doll. Her eyelashes were long and curled, her skin was flawless, her cheeks were rosy… but her eyes—they were lifeless. She felt like a zombie living here. She didn't mind being with Neji and the rest of the clan, but it felt like she was doing everything mindlessly to distract herself from the misery. Because every night, when she ran out of things to do, she felt like crying.

She had agreed to this entire engagement a while ago because it was her duty. However, she realised that in actuality, she just wanted to get away from it all—the fights, the headaches, the tears that she had shed because her father hated Izanami.

"Leiko-san?"

Sakura was standing by the doorway, her emerald eyes looking concerned. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes." It was a lie.

"Is there something that you need help with?" Sakura half-smiled. "Are the kids too much?"

"No, they're adorable."

"What do you have there?"

"Oh, this?" Leiko scrunched up the piece of paper, realising that that was the eighth letter she had written. "Just a note I found it in my pocket. I now remember that I ran out of mascara."

Sakura laughed. "Oh, okay. Well, if you want to take the rest of the day off, you can. All the non-ninja volunteers are being dismissed because we don't need that much help anymore." She put a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Actually, I think even some regular ninjas can go… Yeah. Go tell Tenten, Neji and Lee that a nurse will come to take care of the babies. We pretty much have things under control now anyway."

"I will. Thanks."

After Leiko informed the others of the early dismissal, she quickly ran back to the Hyuuga estate without another word.

"Why do you think Leiko was in such a rush?" Tenten asked Neji as they were putting on their coats.

Neji, who only had a thin sweater to put on, shrugged slightly. He had gotten more approachable and productive as the day passed by, which made Tenten secretly sigh in relief. She was starting to get really worried—she knew Hiashi had told him something this morning. What he had told him, she didn't know. Should she pry and find out? It seemed like everybody had their own private business to deal with, while she babbled away whenever she had the slightest problem.

But she didn't really care about other people's problems. It was only Neji that she cared about, because he was just… Neji. He was the enigma that she couldn't solve. He knew of almost all of her fears, her dreams, her desires—she had cried in front of him because he knew what her weaknesses were. He listened to her as she chattered away like a babbling fool—he let her go on and on, and even though he wasn't exactly responsive, she knew he listened.

She bit her lip as she saw him signing out at the office. "Hyuuga Neji," he murmured in his velvet voice, and she could swear that the receptionist was slightly baffled by his beauty. Or maybe she was… but she couldn't stop staring at him.

"Tenten," he suddenly said.

Tenten snapped out of her daze. What?

"Who's that?" The receptionist asked kindly.

"Her. She's signing out as well."

"That's been recorded." The elderly lady smiled warmly. "Thank you both for all your help."

"You're welcome," Tenten replied with a grin. "She's really nice," she commented once they were outside.

It was still sunny, which was a pleasant change. The days were much shorter now that it was winter. And it didn't help that Tenten had to leave for the hospital early in the morning and work until nearly midnight; it would always be dark whenever she went outside. However, today they were dismissed in the afternoon. Sun rays were peeking through the clouds, with just a hint of snow falling from the greyish sky.

She glanced at Neji from time to time, wondering what he was thinking about. She didn't want to go back to the Hyuuga estate just yet; she wanted some answers. If they weren't bringing Amaya out for a day of fun, she wanted to at least talk to him, because she didn't understand much. There seemed to be a lot going that involved the Hyuugas—Akira, Hiro, and now, this. She knew she was crossing the line by invading his privacy, but…

"Can we go somewhere?"

Neji stole the words right out of her mouth. It took a moment for Tenten to digest these words. "Sure. Where?"

"I don't care."

He wanted to avoid the Hyuugas, she could tell. "Is there a place in Konoha—"

"There is a waterfall."

She was going to suggest a park of some sort, but a waterfall sounded very appealing. "Oh! Is that the one near the forest that—"

"We fell off a while back? Yes."

"Okay."

She didn't know whether they were going to run or walk—they were ninjas, but they were in no rush to do anything. So she followed Neji, subconsciously matching her steps with his. There were festive lights everywhere in Konoha. Everywhere she looked, there were blues and greens and reds that wrapped around every lamp post on the street. People were walking about, laughing and chattering away with their families. Granted the place wasn't crowded, due to the epidemic, but the cases have been getting more stable so people were allowed to go out. There was so much spirit and laughter going on that it nearly made the wintry air warm.

"Is there a festival?" Tenten asked.

"Yes. Most likely organised because the epidemic is not as serious anymore. People feel more obliged to spend time together."

"Tsunade-sama sure is generous."

"Perhaps."

"Don't you like festivals?"

"They're pointless."

Tenten frowned. "How so?"

"We waste money. We eat there, as if we can't eat better and healthier foods back at the Hyuuga mansion. People are everywhere, pushing and shoving and cutting in lines. Girls are screaming, kids are crying, and then you see parents desperately trying to discipline their kids. It's utterly ridiculous."

"What if you had someone special to share it with?" Quickly, she added, "don't you want to take your family?"

"No. They would go without me."

"That's no fun."

"Festivals are no fun."

"Way to suck the fun out of everything."

He raised an eyebrow. "You can go if you want."

"Would you come with me?"

"No."

Tenten sighed. "Then I have no choice but to stick with you. I want to see the waterfall anyways."

"Do as you wish."

Neji quickened his steps, and Tenten had to catch up a little. He walked unusually fast, almost like he was on the verge of breaking into a sprint. Yet, while she looked like a fool trying to half run, his movements were smooth, as if the people around him were walking especially slow and his pace was normal.

"You walk fast." Tenten didn't mind, however, his fast walking allowed them to get to the forest in a relatively short amount of time.

"You hear that?" She said after a while.

"Hear what?"

"The waterfall!" Tenten exclaimed with a smile. They were currently passing through the forest, which wasn't half as dark and gloomy as the other time because all the leaves had fallen. The ground was no longer muddy or slippery; it was solid and lightly coated with a thin layer of snow.

Slowly, they approached the area, which was secluded and completely white, except for the waterfall that was rushing down from the top of the cliff all the way to the bottom. The scenery was magnificent. It started from the very top, between snowy banks, and continued along the side of the forest. A week or two ago, they had gotten trapped in a thunderstorm somewhere along the way; it was so different now. It was serene. Only she and Neji were here, she realised faintly. If something dangerous happened again, no one would know, but oddly, she still felt calm and safe.

Her eyes were now fixated upon Neji, who decided to sit against a thick tree. His pale lavender eyes stood out amazingly against the white snow. He truly was handsome. And something about the way he only needed a thin sweater in the cold winter was very appealing. Maybe it was his long hair—

"So," she said as casually as possible as she plopped down next to him. "Will you tell me why you avoided the Hyuugas?"

"What makes you think that?"

"You didn't want to go home right away," she pointed out.

"The Hyuuga estate is not your home," he stated flatly.

"Oh. Well, fine. Then let's just sit here until you decide to say something."

"You're stubborn," he said as his eyes shut and he leaned against the tree trunk.

"Yes."

His eyes were still closed, but she felt him stiffen next to her. "How much do you know?"

Tenten inhaled sharply. So he knew what she wanted to ask him all along.

Somehow, even though she was the one stepping into his privacy, even though he wasn't looking at her anymore, she felt vulnerable. She felt like she was supposed to give some kind of inspiring speech when she was clueless about what she was talking about. She knew very well that she was crossing that fine line, yet, something deep in her yearned to know more about this mysterious boy. "I wasn't told much," she said, choosing her words carefully. "I just want to know… What happened in the past? You calling Hiro 'Hiro-sama'? Your parents? It's not like I never noticed their absence."

When he didn't move or say anything in response, Tenten drew her knees closer and bit her lip. Somehow, she felt hurt that he didn't want to open up to her. She didn't know why she was so talkative when she was around him—she always spoke too much. Just like that time at the hospital. She remembered that day quite clearly; it was the day where she had injured him. It had only been a week since her first arrival yet she spilled all of her innermost fears and dreams. She had spoken of them ever since, and even though he was never responsive, he at least listened.

"My mother left my father when I was four."

Her head snapped upwards, eyes wide.

"She was simply an average girl," Neji murmured quietly, his eyes distant. "She was an ordinary commoner, yet she possessed Hyuuga blood. Apparently, her father—one of my grandfathers—had a brief affair with one of the village women. He started seeing her after. He wanted everything to be a secret, but the clan found out soon enough and forbid him to pursue the relationship. So my grandfather had no choice. He left this woman, not knowing that she bore his child.

"The child—my mother, actually—grew up. Twenty years later, in the search to find her father, she met Hyuuga Hizashi, who is my father. She was different and the clan couldn't stand her because she was essentially the result of a terrible mistake. They looked down upon her, but Father paid no heed to any of it. Their relationship was only permitted due to the consent of Hiashi-sama, who was the leader then too. It was the one shred of freedom that Father had."

Tenten could only gaze at Neji when he suddenly stopped. He was battling something in his mind, she could tell. She had never seen him like this—so strained, so worn out, so pensive yet there wasn't a trace of coldness to him. What did Hiashi say?

"She did what all mothers were expected to do," Neji continued after a moment. "She watched as I trained with Father, she took care of me and fed me well. However, there was that one night where she said something strange. 'The Hyuugas are too much,' she had said. At that night, at that age, I had thought nothing of it. I was only four and I already knew that they treated her unfairly. It seemed like nothing new… I only remember wondering why she brought it up all of a sudden. I kept wondering after that, because that was the night she left."

Instead of the expected bitterness, hurt flashed in his eyes. "Nobody knows what happened to my mother after she left. Nobody cared enough, not even Father. When I asked him about that, he didn't say much and simply said that he deserved it, since he didn't protect her as much as he could of."

"Of course he did," Tenten interrupted softly. "He loved her and stood by her side… isn't that enough?"

Neji gave one hard, cynical laugh. "There must have been something that Father had done wrong."

Tenten bit her lip. Why was he thinking negatively of his own parents?

"Everybody, in the end, is fated to be hurt and betrayed. Love, you say? Love is only a belief that has given humankind a glimpse of hope. It's unobtainable, but useful in the sense that it reassures the human mind. Isn't that why they say ignorance is bliss?"

Tenten shook her head fervently. "No, Neji," she replied fiercely. "You're wrong. How can you be so sure when you have never been in love?"

"I never was because there is no such thing. Overrated, appearing in stories and movies of all sorts, feeding false information to people. There is a reason as to why adults aren't as fond of love stories as infants. Infants haven't seen the world yet and still have their innocence. They like to believe and have faith in people. And then, when they finally enter adulthood, they realise that everything is much darker." There was a slight crookedness in his eyes at this point. "Me… well, perhaps I'm lucky I realised these things much earlier."

"You don't know," Tenten retorted. "So what if everything isn't perfect? At least when you have faith, you'll be happier. And isn't that one of the greater rewards in life?"

"More than often, that doesn't happen," Neji murmured, and he gazed at Tenten, so intently she forgot to breathe. "Along with hope comes pain. The more you believe in something, the harder you strive for it, the harder you fall."

"So you don't believe that you'll ever love someone?" Tenten asked finally, softly. "Simply because you saw your parents fall apart?"

"It wasn't just my parents," he muttered quietly. "Couples are only temporary. Commoners tend to have affairs where trivial factors such as jealousy and financial problems come into play. Ninjas can never be together without running into problems, as if surviving during A ranked missions isn't hard enough."

"What about the elderly couples, that stay together until their hair turns grey? I'm sure they ran into problems, but they made it through."

"Once again, you think idealistically. What are the chances that everything will turn out perfectly?"

"That's why you make efforts! Neji, if you don't try, how do you expect things to turn out the way you want it to?"

"I don't. Fate controls it. Love itself is a shallow, abstract illusion of the human mind. They're weak, emotional bonds that make people believe they're attached to their partner. It's not worth all those efforts, all that pain. Why not spend that valuable time to train? It's much more practical."

Tenten stared at him in disbelief. "There are couples that do love each other," she said indignantly. "I'm sure my parents loved each other."

"So did mine, and they're dead by now. And I'm not being blatant, but where are your parents now? There must be a reason as to why they abandoned you like this." Seeing her hurt expression, he added impassively, "it's fate. There are just some things that aren't meant to be."

"Fate doesn't exist!" Tenten couldn't help but burst. "Fate has nothing to do with anything! Each of us is in control of what we do. We are in control of our own happiness!" Somehow, it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself. And she was, wasn't she? She was the poor one without any family, not him. "So maybe there are some things in life that are inevitable," she said finally. "Maybe there is nothing that's left to chance. But if fate controls everything in our lives, then what's the point of human effort?"

"There is none," Neji replied coolly. "You learn from what others have done in the past. That is the wisdom that you gain from ancestors. If love isn't written in the fates, then isn't it better to not love in the first place? It would certainly save all the pain."

"Isn't that like asking, what's the point of living when you know you're going to die in the end?"

Speechless, Neji opened his mouth but no words came out.

"I know something happened today," Tenten continued quietly. "Hiashi said something important to you, right? You're different, I can tell. Otherwise, you wouldn't be talking to me like this."

Neji turned to have a good look at his tutor. Who was this girl? She was so unexpected, so different than anyone he had met.

"And fate—you blame your misfortunes on fate because it's easier to accept, isn't it?"

She even had uncannily accurate gut instincts. There was so much determination to her, so full of life. In the letter, his father had told him to accept companions into his life. Was he possibly referring to someone like Tenten?

He gazed upwards, almost expecting an answer to reveal itself. Never in his life had he felt so befuddled. He had always been so sure of himself, until Tenten came and shook his world. But his father's letter… his father changed his outlook of the Hyuuga clan completely. Yet, it was still strict, and yes, the fact that his father was dead still remained. But maybe Neji was blinded. Maybe, he was the one that cut himself away from the outside world. He blamed fate all these years and accepted whatever that was thrown at him because he thought he had no willpower or freedom to fight against it.

He thought his sole purpose was to die protecting a member of the head family. At least that was what he was told anyway.

But in the end, was it really all that bad? His father had given up his life because he wanted to protect his twin brother. Was it that unfortunate that Hizashi died because he was protecting someone he loved?

It wasn't, because that kind of act was honourable. His father was honourable, and Neji shouldn't have simply assumed things.

And now, Hiashi was offering to remove his curse mark. Then, did that mean all those years of suffering was for nothing?

"You don't have to tell me everything," Tenten said suddenly, taking him by surprise. "I don't want to pry if you don't want me to know. But I'm here to listen."

He nodded slowly, not knowing how to reply.

"Can I ask you one thing though?" She turned to him and smiled hopefully. "Why are you so insistent about fate?"

Neji fell silent. He leaned back until he could feel the cool, moist bark against his back. His breathing was even and steady, which surprised him because he never felt this way when he spoke of his past so openly.

Fate.

Fate came up in his life continuously. It was inevitable, it was expected, it decided everything. That was what he believed just a few weeks ago, wasn't it?

It was easy to blame fate. It was the simple justification to any mishap that occurred, to him or anybody else. That being said, the concept of fate applied to almost every aspect of his life. It was fate that his father belonged to the branch family. It was fate that caused his father's death. It was fate that made Akira betray him.

Then, was it fate that brought Tenten?

No, he thought, with the tiniest of smiles. There was nothing inevitable about her. She clearly wasn't supposed to cross paths with him. What did a commoner like her have to do with someone like him? She even left at one point, but she came back. She was persistent, she never gave up and that annoyed him to no end. It was clear that she didn't belong to the Hyuuga clan. She had her own life, her own problems, but she still bothered with his life even though she wasn't supposed to. It was like she was defying the fates itself.

His father didn't believe in fate either. He opted for his own death. He told Neji to forge his own destiny, because there was more to life than becoming a great ninja. There was more to the clan's pride and reputation.

It went against everything Neji believed in.

Yet, was it possible to break out of the barrier that surrounded him? He spent so many years polishing it. Why was the cage there in the first place? Was it really caused by the cruelty of the world, or was it a shield he used to protect himself from getting hurt again?

That was the reason why he wanted to push Tenten away in the first place, wasn't it? It wasn't because he didn't want to give up his pride or lose his training time. It was because he didn't want to get hurt.

But now what? She had promised that she would never hurt him.

And now what? The main cause for everything—the curse mark that supposedly determined his fate—was removable. Did that mean he had everything wrong?

Neji sighed in defeat, letting go of his cool demeanour completely.

"I don't know," he murmured finally.

The water continued to fall, and the wind continued to blow, but Tenten couldn't take her eyes off him. The whole time he was thinking, she was gazing at him, trying to decipher his expressions. There were so many, but pain was so evident it made her want to cry. She never imagined he would have a side like this to him. Underneath all those cold, exterior layers was only a vulnerable boy, hurting and unsure of himself. The edges of her eyes softened.

She could tell that there was more to his past, but she was content with what she knew. He was tormented, and it was clear now. She always guessed that he must have had some kind of trauma in his life, but she never knew he harboured such thoughts and carried such a heavy burden. In a way, she didn't want to know more—she didn't care about the past right now. All she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him tightly and ease his pain.

All of a sudden, she realised how much she cared for him. At first, befriending a cold-hearted jerk seemed like such a tiring job. She had stayed persistent, because she needed the money, but as she got to know him better, she became intrigued and truly wanted to become friends with him. But now, it was something different. She finally saw his composure slip. She felt his pain and wanted to be the one he trusted. Unknowingly, she rested her head on his shoulder.

Neji immediately froze. "What are you doing?"

Tenten bolted upwards. "Sorry—I was tired—"

He stood up stiffly, with an unreadable expression. Tenten immediately grimaced; his reaction probably indicated that he was disgusted. She expected him to insult her, or request to leave, or something of that sort. But instead, he dusted himself and stared at her expectantly.

"What?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"Let's train."

"What? On water?"

"Don't tell me you don't know how to stand on water."

"I know how to stand on water," Tenten retorted hotly. "It's just that I haven't done so in a while."

"Well then, follow me." He stepped onto the water as if it were solid ground, the rush and flow of it not affecting him at all. It was evident that walking on water was like breathing to him. "Release a steady amount of chakra from the soles of your feet."

Tenten did as she was told, managing to follow him to the centre of the large body of water. Neji instantly fell into an offensive stance, and she followed suit. She was actually quite nervous. Yes, she was able to stand on water. However, she had to concentrate and wasn't sure if she could do that while fighting someone strong like the Hyuuga prodigy.

"Taijutsu," Neji called out simply.

"Sure."

He charged at her instantly. It caught her off guard and she barely missed a punch that was aimed at her stomach. She retaliated, kicking at Neji's side while his arm was still raised. Bringing his arm down at an unbelievable speed, he easily caught her leg and grabbed it with both hands. He was about to throw her across the lake when she jumped and kicked his neck with her other leg, forcing him to drop her.

Without missing a beat, Neji crouched low, unaffected. Instead of sweeping at her feet, however, he grabbed her legs with one hand and her torso with the other, successfully carrying her into his arms. Tenten was too shocked by his move and their proximity to do anything. Before she realised what his motives were, he dropped her, and since she had long lost her concentration, she plunged straight into the freezing lake.

She stuck her head out of the water, sputtering in anger. "You—you!"

There he stood, with a smirk on his face. "Yes?"

Tenten stayed in the water, regardless of how cold it was; she was too astonished to do anything. This was, without a doubt, the most surprising day she had ever spent with him. First, he brought her to this place, had a long talk with her, and now, here he was, smirking and—dare she say—teasing her.

She finally summoned enough strength and concentration and exited the large body of water. She was soaking wet from head to toe, and she shivered from the chilly breeze that seeped into her clothes. She sneezed.

"You really can't stand on water."

"Yes I can!" But Tenten couldn't finish her sentence without sneezing.

"Take this."

The brunette turned around, and her eyes widened in shock when she saw Neji taking his sweater and top off. He kept a mere wife beater on; a flimsy, white, slightly wet fabric that did nothing but flatter his muscles. The way he took his shirt off—

She bit her lip and looked away, blushing. "I'm fine. It's winter. You can't walk around like that."

"Neither can you. You're wet."

"But I—"

"You're a lot more fragile than I am."

"Are you being sexist?"

"No. Last time your fingers nearly fell off. I'm used to the cold, so just take it."

Tenten sneezed again; she really did need something dry. And it wasn't her fault she was cold—he was the one who pushed her into the lake. Well, technically she wouldn't have plunged straight in if she had concentrated more, but it was his fault for surprising her like that.

She snatched it with as much dignity as she could. "Fine. Thank you."

She glanced at him, and he glanced at her, and for a moment their gazes were fixed upon one another. Finally, she awkwardly laughed and said, "can you turn around?"

Realisation flashed in his eyes and he turned around. Watching him from the corner of her eye, she slowly took her wet shirt off; it wouldn't have mattered whether Neji looked or not, because she had bandages wrapped tightly around her torso anyway. She kept it there for comfort and for slipping in some extra weapons. She made sure everything was in place and carefully put on Neji's clothes. "I'm done."

"You don't have to be so conscious," Neji commented almost airily. "With the Byakuugan, I can see through fabric."

Tenten's hands flew to her chest. "What?"

"I can if I want to. But I won't," he said. His eyes were indescribable. "I'm not interested."

"Good." It took Tenten a moment. "Wait—what's that supposed to mean?"

But Neji was already ahead of her, his hair swaying back and forth in the winter breeze. He really was full of rude remarks, but there was something about him that was very attractive. He was definitely physically attractive—she had to give him that. He looked effortlessly good no matter what he wore. But there was something about his cool, impassive expressions and his crude humour and his intelligence that made her… well, she wasn't going to swoon like some silly girl but something definitely tugged at her heart.

She took in a deep breath, realising that the pleasant scent floating around actually came from Neji's shirts. His sweater and top reached her thighs because he was taller than her, but it was nice and warm and cosy. It smelled like a mixture of wood, soap and detergent, with just a hint of cologne. It was distinguishable yet subtle. It was very… Neji-like.

Neji swerved around suddenly, eyebrows raised.

"Coming," she called out, breaking out of her daze. By now, it didn't matter if he didn't say anything—his expression gave it all away.

They arrived back to the Hyuuga mansion before dinner was served. Hiashi was at the front gate with an indescribable expression on his face. "I was wondering where you two went."

Tenten bowed slightly. "Sorry we're late."

"I was told you two were dismissed early and no missions were assigned. I was worried when no one knew of your whereabouts." His eyebrows shot up questioningly as he gestured towards Tenten's attire. "Where did you go?"

"She fell into a lake." Neji sounded like he was suppressing laughter.

The corners of Hiashi's eyes crinkled as he chuckled. "Is that so?"

Tenten's cheeks flushed. "It's not my fault! I can walk on water! But then Neji wanted to fight, and I was a little hesitant, since it's really cold and I didn't want to get wet. So we were fighting normally, but then he picked me up randomly and dropped me into the lake! It's his fault that I got soaked! Stupid Neji. Thanks a lot, you stupid little—" She continued to grumble as she walked away, pouting.

The prodigy followed her shortly, eyes amused and a slight smirk playing on his lips.

And Hiashi was left, shocked and mouth slightly agape.

A/N: I woke up especially early today and managed to type a couple thousand of words in a few hours. It's my Christmas gift to you! Thank you so so much for reading, it means a lot to me. Now, I have to get ready to leave in a couple of hours... now that I think of it, I still have to wrap up some last minute gifts haha.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy happy new year!

Cheers,
Chigiri Sasaki