Summary: Tenten approaches Lord Hiashi about any information he may have...as well as a possible endorsement to further convince Lady Tsunade to let them leave the village for this personal mission.

Frequency V

A few weeks had passed from the initial discussion Tenten and Neji had about proposing this mission to their leader. The Hyuga had encouraged her to hold off on formulating any kind of plans until she could walk without assistance. Ino had kept to her promise of coming in the early mornings to help her, Sakura and Neji observing as she was able to now stand on her own for long periods of time. The weapon's mistress argued and gave into Ino's taunting, but was determined to become independent again. She was grateful for them; Tenten would not have known what to do without the girls, and Neji staying by her side. After lunch, Neji would usher her into the hallways and along the hospital gardens, pushing a wheelchair by Sakura's request just in case Tenten needed a break. Her steps had become steady, and she was even feeling up to a light jog, much to her sensei and other bushy browed comrade's delight. And so, as they jogged, Neji kept a steady pace with his partner, ready to catch her if she stumbled. Gai and Lee kept to their usual enthusiastic spirit, encouraging her and trying to push her through her complaints and pain. Her improvement was quickly noticeable, to where Saukra had signed off on the bunhead to be discharged. The Hyuga male was not so quick to dismiss her when she had returned home; he brought some of his own belongings with the intention of staying for a while. The bunhead's mother had welcomed Neji to stay with them as long as he felt necessary (a normal welcoming to him and Lee). He had stayed with them on different occasions over their younger years; especially since his own step mother was friends with the foreign kunoichi. Xiao-Lin had taken a mission since Neji was staying with her daughter; it was just the two of them in the house. Tenten had requested that Neji share a bed with her. Although she was a bit stiff, she wanted to feel some sense of normalcy.

"Today," Tenten hummed and made small circles on Neji's chest. "I think I will go speak with Lady Tsunade."

Neji looked down at her. He was laying on his side, his dark brown hair pooling over his shoulders onto her satin pillows. His eyes were half lidded, having just woken up from a deep slumber after their long night of reading. The Hyuga had also attempted to touch her; to run his fingers along her body as he did before that mission. He missed how soft her skin was under his fingers. That was all he did, though. He refused to try and attempt anything further than that. Neji had explained to Tenten that he wanted her to feel comfortable enough to be with him in that way again at her own pace. Tenten appreciated his patience and although she was hesitant on even letting him touch her in that way, she sat still as he gently ran his hands over her curves, his fingers feathering along her skin. He had planted light kisses on her cheeks and brow as well, missing smothering her in attention in such a way. Even if she does not want to have sex with him, she still wants him to stay close to her.

"Before that," her fingers now traced the deep scars on his collar bones. "About your uncle…"

"I was hoping to avoid that," the Hyuga groaned, his nose scrunching. "I am currently on his bad side for breaking into the records room."

Tenten smiled a bit. She needed to speak with him to start the investigation. Neji pursed his lips together and gave her a deep frown. He was unsure if he should even attempt to make an appearance. The weapons mistress ensured him that she could talk to his uncle, she had done it before when they had initially started dating as teenagers.

"If we go now, we will be able to catch my uncle before he begins his daily meetings and training with Hanabi." Neji stretched his arms over his head and cracked a yawn.

Tenten's palm was still flat on his chest. She could feel his heart quicken as he yawned. His skin was cool under her touch. Her amber eyes followed the lines of his mouth as he offered a small smile. Neji wondered what would've happened if he did end up dying during the war. Granted, he did have a very long and serious conversation with Tenten before going off to battle; promising to stay by her side even if he died. He had given her a pep talk of how he had no problem sacrificing himself for the people he cared for and she should celebrate his life, not mourn his death. They had spent that time holding each other, Tenten allowing herself to embrace him and pour her heart out. War could have been the end of him, and yet by some miracle, Neji had survived with a sliver of a pulse that Shizune could find and work with. His hair had been cut to just below his jaw in a straight bob. He had taken a while to recover, to which he was out of commission for about a year and a half. Tenten had taken that time to establish herself within her father's realm of blacksmithing and weaponry. Neji's hair grew back to his shoulder blades, and he was able to make an almost full recovery. That's when Gai had recommended them for ANBU.

"Talk to me, Ten." Neji whispered as he watched eyes dance along his face.

"Sometimes, I have to remind myself that this is reality." she mused quietly. "And you're keeping me grounded."

Neji blinked and flared his nostrils. He leaned over once more and planted a kiss on her temple. Slowly, he sat up and gestured to the bathroom. Tenten hummed and waved her hand at him, telling him to go first as she returned to her thoughts. The Hyuga obliged and headed to the door on the other side of her room. The weapon's master gave into a shaky breath. She needed a game plan for approaching Lord Hiashi. There shouldn't be any issues if it's her decision, however, he would definitely consult with her mother and probably take her side. But, she was an adult! Tenten was fully capable of making her own decisions, especially decisions about something that was left to her. She had to be assertive and direct with the lord…without making him think she was some delusional child.

"Could I really do this?" Tenten asked her ceiling. "Am I just chasing a ghost at this point? What if the sword is completely destroyed? We would've looked for nothing…"

Shaking her head, Tenten rubbed her eyes viciously. If that last mission gave any seed of hope, it was that it was worth chasing down. If that sword or those documents her father left around got into the wrong hands, another war could rise up.

"Oh, dad, why did you have to be so good at your job?"

The Hyuga compound was quiet. Usually, there were many of Neji's relatives shuffling about doing who knows what. The Hyuga's had branches in many businesses and industries; not just the shinobi career. Their wealth came from establishing trade and services to other families and nations. Even if Neji was a branch member, his wealth was undeniable. They tended to stay with the ways of tradition, until the war where Neji had proven himself to surpass the main branch and lead his relatives into the war. Their respect for him grew exponentially and they viewed him as a potential heir, only to be reminded that Hanabi would take over as the proper daughter of Lord Hiashi. But, Neji held no ill will. He was just pleased to be of help.

Neji pursed his lips together as they stood before the main gate. His fingers were intertwined with Tenten's as they both attempted to muster up the courage to take the first step inside. For Neji; he was expecting some kind of punishment for his robbery of the estate. In a way, he truly hoped that having Tenten with him would soften the blow. For Tenten; she was worried about Lord Hiashi's willingness to help. Sure, she's had conversations with him before and he does respect her and her father. The man used to buy weapons off of her father for years until he died. In a way, Hiashi was also keeping an eye on Tenten and her mother in the background as they lived their lives and extended help when he felt it was needed.

"Why is this so-"

"Intimidating?"

Tenten nodded slowly. "It's just your uncle."

Neji gripped her hand tighter, his gaze locked on the front gates. "And just my uncle will have a lot to say, without a doubt."

The bunhead clenched her jaw. She had thought about what to say all morning to this man. A whole speech was ready for him in hopes of convincing…but Hiashi could be a bit standoff-ish depending on the situation. She didn't want to provoke any tension between their families. Though she supposed Neji had done that for her already.

"Tenten," Neji spoke calmly, looking at her fully. "Whatever happens, I want you to know that I'm going to help you. No matter what he says."

Tenten smiled brightly at him. The Hyuga noticed that it had reached her eyes and her face was beginning to brighten again. Inhaling, he let them past the gates and into the main branch house. They passed by many Hyuga main branch members who bowed their heads slightly to them. The two of them were not a common occurrence, however they were well known to the main house members. They all knew and were surprised when Neji had brought Tenten to formally meet them as his partner. They were even more surprised when she was introduced to Hiashi as his girlfriend as well. It could have been because Hiashi knew Tenten's father very well, but the Lord was a bit unsettled by the label they had put onto themselves beyond teammates and partners. However, Hiashi soon realized that his nephew had changed for the better with the bunhead around, and they balanced each other quite nicely.

The pair arrived at the tea room where Neji's uncle usually resided around this time. He knew his uncle had already sensed his presence the minute he walked through the halls of the compound. His palms began to itch as they hesitated to make a formal arrival announcement. Tenten glanced down at their hands intertwined. Neji pressed his palm against her's firmly, sending her a silent message that he was indeed a bit nervous to face his uncle.

"Ready?" Tenten asked quietly, tilting her head towards him.

The Hyuga prodigy lifted his chin and flared his nostrils. He knocked on the wooden frame of the sliding door.

"Enter."

The pair excused themselves as they entered the room. Hiashi was seated at the low rise wooden table in the center of the room. He wore his usual house robes, and had a large pot of tea before him. Neji noted the multiple cups; he was expecting them. Whether he thought it would just be him or if he guessed that Tenten would drag him along, Hiashi was prepared for this conversation it seemed. The Lord motioned for them to sit down and poured each of them a cup of tea. There was silence for a moment; Neji didn't meet his uncle's eyes.

"It is nice to see you doing better, Tenten." Hiashi spoke after a while. "I apologize for the bluntness of this question, however I am unsure how else to ask; Is there anything I can do to assist you in your recovery of that attack? I do not have full details; nor do I think I need them, however, I feel as it is my responsibility to you and your late father to get involved in your wellbeing."

Tenten blinked and shifted slightly on her cushion. She didn't really need anything, she told him. Just time, and Neji was kind enough to give her the space she needed to heal. Hiashi nodded; in a way the weapons mistress grew to be like family to the Hyugas, mostly due to their business relations with Tenten's father as well as her long lasting relationship with his nephew. She had become part of his very limited list of children to look after in any way he can.

"And your mother?" he inquired.

"She took a mission recently since Neji is staying with me. Though, I think she will be returning soon. She was one of the last people to find out, I guess."

The Hyuga lord gave a disapproving grunt at that. He promised to be more available for her and her mother; it was unacceptable that she was the last to know. Then, Hiashi glanced at his nephew. He could have mentioned to his uncle about the circumstances, then maybe he could have been of better service. Neji was looking down at his tea cup, not meeting his uncle's gaze.

"If you don't mind," Hiashi cleared his throat. "I would like to know what happened generally, nephew."

Neji's hands clenched in his lap. His lips pursed together at the request of retelling the events of the mission. He felt Tenten's hand on his bicep, and he turned to his head away from her.

"Lady Tsunade had gotten talking about some group that was poking their nose around looking for something. Apparently, this same group had attempted to break into the Konoha Archives as well and escaped with nothing." Neji began with a sigh. "We…were sent on a search and destroy mission."

Hiashi cocked an eyebrow at his nephew. ANBU usually handles things on the back end of cases; they were a special unit used for spying mostly, if he recalled correctly. It was a bit out of character for the Hokage to send this team as a regular unit; unless she had no one else she can think of to swiftly handle the job.

"We were able to track the group deep by the borders of the north side of the land of fire, by the border of the Sound Village. However, we were ambushed. Somehow, they were able to successfully ask for their chakra and I was unable to detect them." the prodigy looked over at the weapons mistress. "I am unsure why, but assuming what we already know, and what was heard, I believe Tenten was recognized and captured as part of their own mission. She may have been the target."

"What do you mean, what was heard?"

Tenten offered Neji a small smile as he clenched his jaw. It was obvious he was uncomfortable talking about what happened. "I had equipped everyone with radios and upgraded the program for longer distances. I was always in contact with the rest of the team and kept the mic on at all times."

"That was very clever of you." The Lord nodded at her. "Based on that, I can assume that-"

"We heard everything." Neji's fingers brushed against his cheek, an action he did while they succumbed to the experience of that tragic moment.

His uncle watched as his mind replayed the events in his head; his ivory eyes widened, then darkened as her cries echoed in his ears. His shoulders began to tremble slightly and Tenten grabbed his other hand, squeezing it.

"It was my fault," The branch member murmured and looked over at her, his eyes glazed over. "For not being able to do my job effectively. And Tenten got hurt for it…I couldn't protect you."

Tenten's heart sank. Hiashi watched the scene before him of his nephew reliving that ghastly experience. It was clear that Neji felt fully responsible for what happened to his partner-his special person- and did not know how to make it better for either of them. Tenten was on the receiving end of it…and all he could do was listen as she cried.

"Neji," The bunhead spoke softly. "It's not your fault. They just were a step ahead of us. Some things are out of your control. I'm alright, I promise."

Hiashi let out a low hum and sipped his tea. They were both scarred in different ways; but they will recover with time. Tenten continued on by reporting that they had successfully completed the mission.

"But there is something I wanted to discuss with you, Lord Hiashi." The bunhead looked at him, her eyebrow furrowed. "One of my captures recognized me and mentioned my father. He was demanding the location of the sword."

"I can assume this is about the records that my nephew ran off with?" he narrowed his eyes at Neji, who bowed his head. "I apologize, I was not expecting him to take it without your approval. It must have caused quite the stir while you were recovering."

Tenten blinked. She was used to HIashi being mostly a businessman, but his tone was rather sincere as if he offended her in some way. And yet, his tone was rather pointed at his nephew, as if ready to scold him as if he were a child. The kunoichi shook her head at him and lifted her palm; sure, she was a bit upset that Neji went behind her back and took it after she told her whole team that she did not want them involved. However, she supposed this was a matter she would have had to deal with sooner or later. Hiashi nodded slightly, lifting a brow at her.

"How can I be of assistance to you, Lady Tenten?"

Neji's eyes snapped to her. What is with the title? He thought. He addressed her casually before, why add the title now?

Tenten's cheeks radiated a light pink color; embarrassing she thought. Being called by her title was indeed something she hadn't heard in a while, and never cared to bring up to her team. Ignoring Neji's stare, she cleared her throat.

"Is there anything you can tell me about any business relations my father had outside of Konoha? I think I was too young to pay attention to his business. But if I could possibly track down some people who bought from him regularly-outside of the Hyuga-I can try to find some clues as to where to look for his old documents."

Hiashi took another sip of his tea as he thought. He reached for the pot and poured the two of them a cup. Neji quietly thanked his uncle and continued to side-glance at his girlfriend. After a moment, the Lord spoke.

"I do believe your father spent most of his time in the Land of Rivers did he not? They have an artisan village where he would go to trade and handle materials." he hummed. "Takumi Village, I believe it is called?"

Tenten's eyebrows rose. She has indeed heard of it before, she does not remember ever visiting with her father, though. In fact, she recalled Kiba had spoken about it to their group when he went to assist Gaara on retrieving his (then) student. The politics have shifted since then, and of course things are in order again.

"I believe your aunt is doing a fine job handling the village at the moment." Hiashi looked at her. "I take it you have not visited since your father passed?"

Neji remained silent. He had a feeling Tenten was hiding something for many years. The way his own family made business with hers, her residence in Konoha questioned by a lot of people back at the academy; it was all coming together. However, he would ask her about it after they spoke to the Hokage.

"My mother decided to stay here. I'm actually unsure if she kept in contact after my dad died. She doesn't mention them at all. But they do send over packages from time to time." The bunhead mused.

"I believe you should start there." Lord Hiashi nodded. "You father used to mention to me he has a workshop in that area as well. If your captors can recognize you based off of your face, then it is certain they may have been close to your father at some point."

The bunhead nodded. That is true, her father was a Konoha native afterall. He had his own team, his family is here; well, her relatives were scattered across the nations and she barely saw them. Her mother's side was more familiar to her. If her mother were here, she would be able to ask for some more information, but she also thought that her mother wou;d not be willing to share much since her father's death was a bit of a touchy subject for her.

"Could I bother you for an endorsement for this mission I'm going to propose to Lady Tsunade? I think she would let us go if we had some backup." A hopeful smile pulled at her lips.

Hiashi looked at his nephew; 'Us' huh? He thought. Neji had talked her into letting him go with her. His nephew could be such a handful sometimes. He caught his eye, gaze narrowing a bit. Neji pursed his lips together in uncertainty. This was a hefty request that held a lot of pressure for his uncle. If something were to happen to them, Hiashi would be responsible for it if he did endorse them. Especially to Tenten apparently, he thought. After a moment of holding his uncle's gaze, Neji nodded at the question that had been floating between them; he would go and protect her as a way to redeem himself. Tenten scratched the back of her head awkwardly, waiting in anticipation. Hiashi returned Tenten's small smile and nodded. Standing, he walked over to the back of the tea room, which sported an antique cabinet. Pulling a piece of paper, pen, and stamp, he knelt back down at the table. His writing was quick as he wrote his letter. He stamped the bottom of the paper; the Hyuga crest now present at the bottom.

"I do hope you find what you are looking for, Lady Tenten." He sighed, handing the letter to her. "And when you return, you will forgive my headache of a nephew for going through all this trouble for you."

Tenten chuckled as Neji rolled his eyes. "Neji is a wonderful man, Lord Hiashi. I don't know what I would do without him."

Hiashi offered a small breathy laugh. "Is it too much to add that you are very welcome to become a member of this clan?"

Neji nearly spat out his tea at his uncle's question.

"What do you me-?"

"Ah-We are leaving, now."

The prodigy's face heated as he hastily bowed to his uncle and lifted Tenten by her elbows. The bunhead was surprised by the sudden action and squirmed against him. Neji was quick to shove her out of the room and into the hallway. With his cheeks red, he sent a glare over his shoulder.

"Not the time, uncle!" he spattered before closing the door behind them.

Hiashi watched in amusement as voices grew distant with Tenten's loud questions and Neji's dismissive comebacks. This was a subject he had spoken to Neji about before, however, the prodigy was taking his sweet time making any kind of decisions towards his future; especially with Tenten. Shrugging, he looked down at his tea. It was worth a shot to bring up the topic…at least he gave Neji something to think about on their mission.