Edit: November 27th, 2016
Well, it has been a hella long time since I've been here.
If you follow me, you'll see that I've been in college and working primarily on Seamstress, so yeah. And I decided to take down the confusing-ass old chapters. I'm trying to get everything done, I promise, but it's going to take a while. I won't be rushing this like I did the first time. Taking my time to make this the best.
Anyway, I also started a Deviantart project for Compendium, so go to my profile and check that out lovelies! Thank you!
Disclaimer: ik net eigen Naruto (Western Frisian)
Tenten POV
I am pulled out of my musings by a soft knock on the shoji door frame leading into the hallway. I blink and call out a soft 'come in', turning to face my guests. It is Natsu and another woman, much older than either Natsu or me, with her hair pulled back in a tight bun. She wears a traditional kimono in solid black, covered by an off-white medical cover and a grey medical bag in her hand. Natsu, standing slightly behind her, also carries a medical bag, and has donned her own medical garb. Both women give me a smile and a bow, which I return.
"I am Hyuuga Shien, the head female medic in the compound," the older woman says. She comes closer and knees before me, placing her bag on the futon's sheets. "Natsu has told me that you are injured, and are a special guest of Master Neji's." I don't know how to respond, so I hesitantly nod. Natsu approaches and kneels slightly behind me, waiting patiently for instruction.
"Very well then," Shien says, turning to dig through her bag. "We will start simply. Where do you know that you are hurt with absolute certainty?" She speaks in a kind way that is yet filled with the calm of a professional and the expectation of being answered and the confidence to fix anything.
"I… I know for certain that there is some manner of cut on my head. I was slammed rather harshly against a tree, and I felt the blood trickle down my neck." My answer is slightly rushed, betraying my anxiety already. "I also know that a knife drew blood at my throat, and that a blow to the stomach caused some internal bleeding. I nearly choked on my own blood." Shien's eyes narrow and she tsk tsk tsks as she draws out a needle and thread.
"That will not do at all. Natsu, be a dear and help her out of her bloodied clothing. Give her a robe and take her to the baths and clean her up as best as possible. I would rather those cuts not get infected from some other part of her body." The older woman huffs and pulls out a series of salts and creams from her bag, laying them on the futon as Natsu hurries away to fetch a robe. The green-haired woman drapes it around me and helps me undress, carefully removing the dirtied garments over my cuts, being careful to not let them touch. She takes the time to fold them and sets them aside.
"This way, please, Miss Tenten," she says as she helps Shien gather up all of the bottles and containers and various medical supplies. The two women fall in step in front of and behind me, and lead me to the shoji door that does not open to the hallway. Natsu slides the screen away to reveal a flight of steps. We carefully walk down, passing other stairs and doors that would lead into this main stair, and come upon another shoji door that Natsu once again opens to reveal the women's bathing room.
A large basin is set into the floor and lined with pale white marble that is dotted with small tiles of pale lavender. A small ledge runs around the tub, allowing the occupants to sit with their backs against the edge of the tub. An island of marble rises up from the middle of the basin, creating a sort of table for resting objects on. The tub is full of steaming hot water that smells of jasmine and vanilla, and flower petals drift through the water lazily. To the far edge of the bathing room are the showers, a constant waterfall created within the room. Dishes of soap sit off to the side on a small table, next to a stack of small stools used for washing oneself and a rack that holds numerous white towels.
"Come, Miss Tenten, and wash off before stepping into the bath." Natsu leads me over to the man-made waterfall and brings over a stool for me to sit on. She is careful taking out the pins and ties that keep my hair in its two buns, placing them aside on the table, on top of my folded robe.
She picks up a comb, and I can feel her gently untangle my hair little by little, starting from the bottom and working her way up as I run the bar of soft bit of soap before holding my head under the waterfall. I let out a soft moan as the warm water cascades down my back, working on the tense knots in my muscles.
"Your hair is so soft," Natsu marvels as she continues to brush my hair out gently, long after all of the knots are gone, mindful of the gash on my head. She has changed out of her servant's garb as well; her clothes are folded neatly on the stack of stools. I laugh weakly; no one has ever complimented my hair before.
"I normally keep it tied up and out of the way, so as not to risk harming it or getting it caught on something," I reply easily. When I finally get up from the waterfall, my aching muscles protest very little. Shien is sitting on the edge of the tub, wrapped up in her own robe, her feet dangling into the water. Natsu quickly helps me into the steaming bath, slipping in next to me a moment later.
"Come, Miss Tenten. We will loosen your muscles further and see if you have any other injuries." Shien beckons me over, and I wade over to her. She makes me sit on the small ledge on the side of the tub, and the water laps at the top of my chest. Shien is carefully running her soft hands over my shoulders and neck and the upper part of my back, searching for some hidden sign of injury. Natsu does the same to my legs and abdomen, thankfully leaving more sensitive areas be. I hiss when the younger woman's hands press into my belly, and I can hear Shine's frown of disapproval.
"That will bruise rather badly, I'm afraid," she sighs as she presses down on the back of my neck. "And you have over-strained the muscles on your neck. If you had tried to sleep, you would have woken up unable to move your head for all the pain this would have caused you. Goodness, child, what has happened to you?" Shien presses two fingers on the back of my neck and rubs a slow circle over the area, slowly releasing tension that I did not know I had. She does it again in another spot, and again, and again, all the way down my neck and across my shoulders.
"Miss Shien, I think her ankle is sprained," Natsu says, turning my left foot gently in a tiny hand. I barely notice the flare of pain from her fingers, but none the less the ankle does look sprained – swollen and an angry red. Shine humms in agreement and parts my hair, tossing strands to and fro, locating the gash on my head. She tsk tsk tsks again.
"This is wide, Miss Tenten. You will need stitches over it. And that ankle and stomach of yours will have to be wrapped for three days at least. Natsu, the scrapes on her neck. Are they red?"
Natsu reaches over and tilts my head up the slightest bit. "A bit, Miss Shien, but they have closed up well. They are not deep at all," she reports dutifully. My eyes close in relief. At least some part of me can heal on its own.
"So be it then. When you are ready, Miss Tenten, we will treat your other wounds. But for right now, I can easily close up the wound on your head." I am more than sure that Shien is already threading a needle, so I let her have her way.
"Of course, and thank you both." I dip my head the slightest bit in thanks to the two women who have been so kind to me. Shien nudges my arm the slightest bit with her toe as I feel her hands flirt against my scalp.
"Do not bow to us, Miss Tenten. You are an honored guest here, and deserve the respect that any of the Hyuuga elite receive. Your thanks is more than we deserve as servants." Her voice is kind but firm, much too much like Neji's when he demanded that I stay until Shien deems me fully recovered. I glance at Natsu, who is standing in the deeper waters, holding the supplies that Shien needs at hand. Her soft smile is still in place, but she looks pensive, as though considering some marvel of the universe. When she meets my gaze, her smile widens for but a moment, and she had retreated back into her thoughts once again.
"That may be," I reply, "but you have shown me kindness that I have done nothing to deserve. Much more than I have seen in my life. How can I not thank you for this?" Both women are quiet, and Shien's hands continue to weave around my head. I count a total of fifteen stitches in my head before Shien takes the scissors and snips the end of her thread. Natsu gently wraps my hair into a loose bun, carefully pinning it down.
"You are truly kind, Miss Tenten," Shien murmurs to me, a genteel hand on my shoulder. I turn and look at the two women in front of me, and a spark of sisterly love nestles in my heart. I give them both a smile and step out of the tub. Natsu hurries out after me and helps me into my robe, guiding me back up to my assigned bedroom. Shien joins us not a minute later, and hurries to pull out gauze wrap and a small jar of white cream.
"Natsu, please spread some of this cream over the rest of Miss Tenten's wounds. I will wrap them afterwards." Said green-haired woman nodded and unscrewed the lid, dipping her fingers in to take a small bit and rub it on my ankle. The cream has no smell and glides over my skin like softened butter, leaving a cool tingling in the wake of her fingers. As she moves on to the bruising area on my stomach, Shien takes the gauze and gently wraps my ankle firmly, ensuring that I will not injure it further. She wraps my stomach next as Natsu rubs a small amount of the cream over the back of my neck. Finaly, my wounds are treated and I am wrapped back up in my robe so I can prepare for dinner.
"Now, Miss Tenten, be sure to change those bandages every morning. Reapply the cream every time you do, or you will be here a lot longer than a few days. Natsu will help you, I am sure." Shien lectures me on her way out the door, and I can't help but grin at her and nod.
"I will remember, Shien, thank you," I say, laughing slightly at the older woman. She smiles back and bows to me, giving a nod to Natsu, and heads down the hallway and out of sight. I sigh and close the door, turning to face my other companion.
"Now to prepare for dinner," I murmur to myself as I wonder how on earth I can appear in my tattered and bloody clothing. Natsu must sense my worry, as she hurries to get my attention by tugging on the sleeve of my robe.
"Miss Tenten, Master Neji has set aside a kimono for you already," she says to me. I raise my eyebrows; I have never worn a kimono before, much less one fancy enough to meet the high standards of the Hyuuga, and I hope that the one that Neji has set aside for me is to my modest tastes. Natsu ushers me back to the bed and makes my sit while she pulls out the mannequin wearing my outfit for the night from another room.
I gasp as the expanse of lilac and lavender and wine rolls into the room. It is a traditional furisodé, the kimono with wide sleeves worn by unmarried women. The lavender silk is long enough to touch the floor, even with the sandals presented to me, and printed with lilac lotus flowers against a lavender background. The edges are trimmed with a wine edging, printed with more sakura blossoms in lilac. The obi is done in the same pattern, with the obiagé and obijimé a solid lilac. The neck opens to reveal the smallest bit of my chest, yet I love the dress regardless.
"This is gorgeous," I breathe as Natsu nods eagerly.
"Let us get you dressed, Miss Tenten." She pulls me up and helps me out of my robe, pulling a nagajuban out of nowhere. She fastens it around my body, tying the straps securely around me. Next, the kimono itself is removed and draped around me. I hold the folds of fabric in place as Natsu wraps the obi around me, tying the obiagé and obijimé on top of that. She helps me kneel on the futon as she takes down my hair from its loose bun, carefully running the comb through it once more, letting the long brown locks dry out. A jeweled comb comes next, trapping my wavy hair in an artfully messy bun. Little wisps of hair frame my face and neck, tickling me the slightest bit.
"You look beautiful, Miss Tenten," Natsu murmurs as she rubs my arms, legs, and neck with scented oils, dabbing the slightest bit in my hair. I blush at the compliment – the only one I have ever received in regards to my beauty. I stutter a 'thank you', and the other woman rushes off once more, returning with a small cup of water, a pallet of makeup, and a brush. She instructs me to close my eyes, giving me a hard look when I stare at the instruments in her hands uncertainly.
Huffing, I oblige, feeling the thin brush on my lids not long after, drawing a line from one corner of each eye to just past the other. She blows softly on my eyelids, before commanding that I open my eyes and not move. I hold as still as I can as she adds a thin layer of paint on my lashes, making them the slightest bit thicker. She cleans the brush before telling me to close my eyes again, and I feel the brush dusting over my lids quickly and gently.
"Perfect," I hear Natsu murmur to herself. "You may look now, Miss Tenten." I open my eyes once more and look into the mirror that Natu has in her hand.
I don't believe that I am looking at my reflection. The woman looking back at me is highborn and noble, with soft, clean features. The small amount of makeup that I can see is barely noticeable, but enhances her beauty all the same. Full lashes frame slightly shimmering lids, full lips and soft skin, hair perfect. My voice catches in my throat.
"Natsu, it's … you … I cant-" Natsu smiles and places a gentle hand on my shoulder.
"You're very welcome, Miss Tenten." She quietly starts packing all of the oils and creams and makeup back into the basket she had brought them in and leaves quietly, a soft promise to be back soon accenting that withdrawn look once more.
I sigh and look around the room once more, my eyes drawn to my old clothes, still neatly folded besides the futon. Resting on top of the small pile was the small linen bundle containing the Neji's dagger. I reach over and pick it up and just hold it in my lap, fingers tracing the soft designs hidden under the expanse of white.
My thoughts wander as I stare unseeingly at the hidden dagger in front of me. What a turn of events. Yesterday, I was working in the forge, covered in sweat and soot and working hard. Today, I'm playing the part of a noblewoman. What a strange thing fate is.
The hallway door opens and closes without my notice. It is only when Neji kneels besides the futon that I awaken from my trance and bow my head in greeting. "Neji-san."
He is dressed in formal wear as well, an off-white haori over his white kimono and grey hakama. There are fresh bandages tied around his forehead, helping to hold his hair back. His eyes are troubled, though, but it is not my place to ask – even if every part of me wants to pry and comfort.
He regards the bundle in my hand, and I convince myself that I see the slightest hint of a frown on his face at the formal tone. "Tenten," he responds, finally meeting my eyes. I glance around, expecting Natsu to be hovering in the corners of the room, but am surprised to see that she is not here. Neji notices, and answers my unasked question.
"I ran into her on the way here and sent her off to help prepare dinner. I will escort you down later," he says in a low tone. I nod absently and resist the urge to squirm under his eyes, fingers picking at a corner of the linen.
I can't hold his intense gaze and my eyes drop back to the dagger, mouth suddenly dry. "Your dagger," I finally push past my lips, presenting it to him on open palms. I wait, keeping my eyes down, feeling his heavy gaze on me in the silence. His slender hand reaches out, finally, and takes the small parcel out of my hands gently. Fire races across my skin where lithe fingers brush mine and I wait for his response. He takes the soft cloth from around the restored piece and turns it over and over, inspecting it. The soft shick of the blade coming free with ease makes me smile with pride inside, but the feeling is covered with uncertainty as Neji still says nothing.
I am on the verge of begging him to say something, if only to ease my mind of the wondering, when he slides the blade back into the sheathe and lays it in his lap. "Well done. I am thoroughly impressed."
I smother the urge to grin up at him, settling instead for another bow of my head. "Thank you, Neji-san."
"We have yet to discuss the matter of payment." His tone is slightly reproving; I imagine he does not leaving his debts unsettled.
"No," I reply easily, "we have not. You have already done much more than needed, Neji-san. Saving my life, and providing food and shelter until I recover, are more than enough payment for the dagger." I don't need to tell him that his thanks and approval counted more than anything else in my eyes.
Still a frown works its way onto his face. "All the same, I wish to settle this properly. Any person raised properly, with any sense of moral right, would have helped, as well as make sure the victim of such an attack is well taken care of."
A bit of the hope I harbored dies at that. 'He is just doing what is right, Tenten,' I chide myself. 'Don't get carried away.' I nod in agreement. I won't be escaping this, it seems. "As you wish, Neji-san." I think for a moment, mentally calculating what I need to replace and a price for the time I spent working on the dagger, as well as a rough estimate of the wares I might have sold if I was not preoccupied with my project.
"I would assume a starting cost would be around five thousand ryo?" he presses, and I am impressed. He isn't that far off, if a bit generous.
"A safer price would be thirty-five hundred, but yes, something like that," I respond softly. "We will work out the details at the time of my departure."
Neji is giving me a look. "If I may ask, why not now?"
"It would be easier if I am not seen with anything of monetary value around your house, Neji-san. Others would talk." Assume I had stolen it, to be more precise, but I dare not say that out loud. Nonetheless, Neji appears to have caught my underlying meaning.
He clears his throat after a moment, tucking the dagger into his shirt. "I should warn you of dinner tonight." My ears prick up. "I feel it best to inform you of my family, as a precaution against incident."
I tilt my head the slightest bit, but say nothing, encouraging him to continue. If I am dining with Neji's family, I should know what to expect. At least, that is what I tell myself. I ignore the slightly jealous curiosity that crawls into my mind; what is his family like? Would mine have been anything like his?
"My uncle is head of the household. Do not let his icy demeanor put you off. That is just how he presents himself to others. His wife, my aunt, is … particularly opinionated; ignore her words. Hinata, their eldest daughter, should like you, of that I have no doubt. The youngest, Hanabi, is a natural spitfire." He scoffs and mutters under his breath, "she is too outspoken for only a child of eleven."
My eyes widen at the slipped information. "She is only eleven? But surely neither her sister nor you can be much older than her?"
Neji looks slightly taken aback by his own misstep, but the moment is gone before I can comment on it, or even take back my words. "No, I am eighteen this July. Hinata is seventeen."
A smile spreads over my face as a realization hits me. "I have four months over you then," I quip easily. "I was born in March." A pleasant surprise for me. I had always assumed that Neji would be a few years my senior.
"So you do." The barest semblance of a smile flits across Neji's features before it is snuffed out by a pensive look. "Forgive me, Tenten, but I do not know your surname."
I blink; again, his interest in me is baffling. By all rights, he has no obligation to do any of this for the apprentice of the local blacksmith. "I have no surname. I have always just been Tenten."
Neji's eyes are burning into mine again. I can see the look of understanding pass over him. "I see. My apologies; I did not mean to-."
I wave the moment off, although my heart burns. "No need, you could not have known." I make certain I keep the tears back. I would hate to ruin all the hard work Natsu put into making me presentable. And the memories are old, they should not bother me quite so much anymore.
A knock on the doorframe is a godsend, as it distracts Neji from our conversation. He gets up and slides the door open the slightest bit, mostly obscuring Natsu from sight. They speak in low tones, and I don't bother to try and hear, but Natsu is gone soon enough and Neji turns back to me.
"Dinner is in a few minutes," he says, extending a hand to help me up. The slightest twinge of annoyance bubbles up (I can manage to get off of a futon, of all things!) but all the same, I take his hand and let him pull me to my feet, that fire burning across my skin like coals all over again. He tucks my arm in his and leads me out of my guest room, down to the dining halls.
Edit: November 27th, 2016
Yeah, so I'll be working on this as much as I can. The ending was a bit more rushed than I liked, but that's okay. It's not as bad as it was. And now, please favorite, follow, review, and as always, stay safe my lovelies!