Let's just say I missed writing :D. Okay, how about we (by we I mean me) keep writing until this story is complete! Happy 2025-Happy New Year! To start, I'll give you this chapter and in 3 weeks give you the next chapter.
xoxoxoxo
(One Week Later)
11:55 PM, Saturday
Iruma-Saitama
Loud voices, screams, and music sounded the open air. An underground scene, moved to the streets. Well, an abandoned street block, due to the time of night.
Stretching a hand outside the silver, 2003 Mazda RX-8, Tenten pressed it against the roof to raise her body from the drivers seat. While hovering over the interior, she stuck her head out the windowless frame, and contoured her body until her torso was withdrawn from the car, then her legs, and feet. Once firmly on the pavement, an eager Sakura's squeal assaulted Tenten's ears and her arms wrapped around Tenten's stiff body. Seeking help, Tenten looked at Ino, who stood close by, but far enough in the swarm of people, and from them.
"Shit, this is a fucking drag."
Sakura pulled away from Tenten. Ino curiously stepped forward as Shikamaru stopped next to the damage on the car. The door panel on the driver's side was dented, making her door handle inoperable.
Sasuke appeared with his arms crossed, quickly smirking at the door panel.
"Yukuri's weekend just became busy." Shikamaru released a sigh, only heard by the four who stood within range, and ran a rushed hand against the back of his neck.
"No, just mine." He glanced to Ino, who opened her mouth to protest.
"Yukuri won't return until the end of this month." Shikamaru shifted his glance to Sasuke, who raised an eyebrow.
"Naruto needs this for his next race." Answering Sasuke's silent question, Shikamaru eyed the body of the car.
So that's who Shikamaru spoke to the other day in the garage. He was ordering parts for the Silvia s13, and emphasized working in the person's shop while they were out of town. Most days, Shikamaru rarely raced, instead, chose to inspect the cars they raced with before and after appearances. This wasn't the first time he worked on one of the cars, Tenten recalled.
"Hmph! Come on Tenten! Let's go find fun elsewhere."
Ino took Tenten's forearm and pulled her in the opposite direction of the guys. Shikamaru refused to catch Ino's eyes, which caused hers to narrow at his retaliation. Sakura winked at Sasuke who merely broadened his smirk in response. Walking in between the tightly woven crowd, the girls disappeared.
...
2:09 AM
Lingering in the air was a mixture of scents, despite being outdoors. Body sprays, faint burning rubber, and-Tenten's nose scrunched for a moment-weed. Although only one and a half hours later, a large amount of the crowd had dispersed, leaving a few drivers and their cars present.
The small sized candy bag in her right hand only held empty candy wrappers.
The remaining Drivers stood close by their cars as onlookers observed, admired, and speculated the bodies, sound systems, engines, and everything else in between. Walking slowly, Tenten sucked the hard candy in her mouth a second longer before swallowing it and savoring the cherry flavor on her tongue. Her left hand laxed at her side against her mahogany brown, wide legged and baggy cargo pant. Tenten angled her body briefly and exposed more from her mid-section. She paused and brought her arms down to tug on the hem of her skintight black shirt, before walking once more.
Tonight, Naruto was unable to attend due to tutoring sessions with several students from their history class. She smirked to herself while recalling his comment to her. If she was half as smart, she'd take their money as-
"Don't trip on your ego."
"Shit!!"
Tenten tripped before regaining her balance. She shot a glare at the owner of the familiar baritone voice that coaxed its way into her personal space. Satisfied, Neji smirked. Tenten swore under her breath and shifted her stance to better view him. Lavander orbs reflected the tiny playfulness present in his even smaller smirk. The darkness of his eyelashes contrasted against his cool toned cheeks. Actually, his deep espresso eyebrows drew thick upon his forehead, and paired with his long hair strands, pushed behind his back, he looked re-
Wait...
No. Tenten squinted her eyes at Neji. Her sleepiness was corrupting her vision.
"Now, to what do I owe this visit from the regal presence of le dickhead?"
Neji's eyes narrowed before landing on a smirking Tenten. He proceeded to walk forward passing the display of cars slowly. Tenten fell into step alongside him.
"I could renegotiate your next race to replace you with Sasuke." He responded dryly.
"Wait. What did you just say?" A new race? She'd beat Kin a week ago, and tonight, won her second race.
"You arranged a new race for me?" Neji shrugged his shoulders, indifferent.
"Someone requested a race against you. I simply set the terms." Tenten recalled his absence hours earlier. Finally, he was beginning to consistently accept more races on her behalf. Only took him nearly two months. Tenten smiled contently. After a few moments of silence, they'd reached the end of the car meet line up and stopped. Not a soul in sight.
"This is yours,"
Tenten looked down to see Neji's extended hand holding a rubber band roll of- an eyebrow lifted-yen. "It's what you earned from tonight's race."
Her eyes widened, as shock swept across her face. From the moment Neji placed the two thousand dollars in her hands, she later counted, she couldn't collect her thoughts. No one informed her this was a part of the night, let alone a part of the business of street racing.
She turned only to watch Neji's back as he retreated, his phone suddenly placed against his right ear.
7:43 PM, Sunday
Meguro City
"This is different." Shou's eyes locked with his daughter's, who grinned. Tenten heard the sarcasm in his words. Shou kept his hands folded in his lap, as he sat across Tenten, at a walnut stained square table. Black organic shaped ceramic bowls, and plates rested before them, as steam rose slowly from the middle of the table. Surrounding them was an assortment of tempura, pork gyoza, Karaage, and a porcelain black pot of tsuyu broth.
Tenten's fingers roamed the keyboard screen a few seconds longer, before tapping the send button in the text chat. She locked her phone, causing her screen to blacken, and put it into her back pocket before shifting her full attention to her father.
"I figured we both deserved a decent meal today."
Shou and Tenten eyed the dish next to the broth, soba noodles. This was the first time in the past 2 months that Tenten specifically took her father to a restaurant. Truthfully, she'd wanted to buy him something special, but settled for a meal they both would enjoy. Upon living with him, she'd realized he wasn't one to hold onto sentimental objects, like her mother and grandmother had. Aside from the dated photographs displayed on the wall in their kitchen, Shou only kept a small wooden box next to his bedside, which she assumed was his personal memento box. Even if he'd been into receiving sentimental gifts, what would she get him?
Shou chuckled and reached to grab utensils to serve Tenten food from the dishes before them. With Tenten's condiments of choice to her left, wasabi, and soy sauce, she picked up her chopsticks from the right, smiling.
Tenten began eating, turning her head to look beside her. A clear window displayed life on the other side, people walking, carrying bags, phones, disposable cups. Her eyes settled on a small red shop near the end of her viewpoint further up the street. Shou shook his head as he chewed.
"I never knew this place even existed. You'd think after working near it for 14 years, I would've." Tenten returned her gaze to her father.
"I'm paying tonight, by the way." Shou's smirk disappeared and his eyebrows drew in confusion. Tenten noted this must be who she got the same expression from.
"You have a part-time job?"
"Well…something like that, yeah." Shou sighed and reached for the curved ceramic tea kettle. Tenten lifted the matching miniature ceramic cup towards him as he poured the liquid content from the kettle. Shou served himself tea, then lifted his miniature ceramic cup in the air towards Tenten.
"Here's to the working class."
Tenten smiled amusingly at her father who returned it with a smirk. Their ceramics sounded, before they took sips of their hot tea.
...
8:02 PM
Narisawa Restaurant, Minato City
His phone vibrated briefly against his body, tucked deep within his right front pocket. Fingers twitched but stilled next to the white porcelain round plate awaiting its next innovative arrangement of ingredients. It had been twenty-five minutes since he sat in the cushioned black chair, positioned directly across the white clothed table from his uncle.
Neji's jaw clenched, as he closed his eyes to retrieve a deep breath.
With all that's occurred since Tenten's arrival, it had been enough for him to experience a different reality. One that wasn't as dismal as this. The return of Hiashi from this six month business trip, only further solidified Neji's bind. Hiashi informed Neji of his, no longer idealized but finalized, plans for Neji after graduation. A manager position at an overseas branch of Hiashi's, Hospitality company while attending college for business administration and politics. For which, upon Neji's return to Japan, he'd receive the COO title, responsibilities, and 51% ownership (through shares) of, also, Hiashi's, IT company.
Neji's eyes opened after fully exhaling his breath from his nose.
Hiashi Hyuga lifted the water filled, clear glass rim to his thin lips. The size of the restaurant was relatively small but held a social atmosphere. The noise level tolerable, considering Hiashi wouldn't reserve an eatery that didn't impress or meet his standards.
Feeling satisfied, Hiashi continued to speak.
"Now, about the merger with Shijuku Corporations…"
Everyone's voice and all external sounds became muffled as Neji retreated into his own mind. The weight of one word began suffocating him as the evening continued, after he ignorantly, for a moment, was convinced its existence was obsolete.
Fate.
Neji swept his empty stare away from Hiashi, and settled for the thin, horizontal and vertical lines across the floor wood around the table.
Although he knew his life was not his to control for more than 9 years, even the temporary possessed limitations, including his passions apparently.
Drifting back into the present time and surroundings, Neji refocused his stare upon his uncle, who awaited his response with an expressionless face.
"To elicit Koito into a bidding war."
Hiashi gave an approving nod. "Precisely. If it…"
Neji felt his attention pull away from Hiashi once more, only to feel another vibration from his phone. He decided to turn it off, thus, putting an end to devices purpose, with one press of a button before releasing it seconds later. And returned to his thoughts, in his mind, successfully drowning out bottomless numbers and names Hiashi spewed on about as the night continued.
10:12 AM, Thursday
Taito City, Tokyo-Japan
"By the way, remember Ino and I have our Cheer Competition starting this weekend, and we won't return until later next week." Sakura spoke louder, elevating her pitch to settle above the large groups of students that walked in the hallway around them. Classes were in transition. Sakura clutched her makeup bag and Calculus textbook closer to her chest, sending an annoyed look to the male student who shoved her.
"Oh that's right." Tenten called from over her shoulder, walking in front of Ino and Sakura. Her posture relaxed and casual.
"We'll catch up with you guys later!" Ino suddenly shouted, pausing outside of the door frame of the math classroom. Hinata and Tenten turned their heads around, still walking further down the hallway, and smiled at them before returning their gazes towards their destination. Moments passed and Tenten shifted her gaze to Hinata, who'd been quiet most of the morning. Eyeing Hinata's sleep deprived profile; her face only coming halfway into view due to their positions in the noise filled hallway. Her smile barely reached her lavender orbs, and only would tug on half of her 's grip remained on her backpack's strap, loosely fitted over her right shoulder. She waited for Hinata to respond to her initial question.
"I would really love to, but my father just returned from a business trip." Hinata spoke; Tenten's form drew closer so she could catch Hinata's soft-spoken words.
"The first few weeks after he returns are..." The skin around Hinata's eyes crinkled slightly, but not from smiling. Her gaze shifted to the doorway they'd finally reached while walking together.
"I tend to refrain from going out." Tenten's eyes narrowed, and her eyebrows drew closer, processing Hinata's words.
"Regardless, I'll tell Kiba to plan for another day this month then." Stated as she entered the classroom after Hinata. Hinata's soft smile momentarily returned to her face.
"Hey, Tenten!"
Random strands of brown patterned waves moved against her cheeks, as her head turned to the person calling her name from the hallway. Naruto stood close by, one hand holding the strap of his messenger bag while the other reached to rub the back of his head. With a slight grin, unsure of himself, his tone met Tenten's ears.
"I'll meet you at Yara's tonight for practice." Tenten's face paused in mild confusion, Naruto saw this and as if reading her mind, answered her unspoken question,
"Neji asked me to help you with practice tonight. Said he's got somewhere else to be." Tenten's eyes lowered as her eyebrows drew closer together in thought.
"-But I'll see you later! Take the keys for the navy supra (2000 Supra TOYOTA JZA80) when you stop by the garage before we meet."
By the time Tenten looked back up Naruto was halfway into the hallway, his footsteps drowned out by the final bell's interruption.
...
12:17 PM
Ino swore the sound of Sakura biting into an apple traveled throughout the small courtyard. Her narrowed eyes bore into the unsuspecting, pink haired girl next to her. Tenten's lips contorted in a half smirk, her eyes shifting back downwards onto the cup of ramen in front of her. The slurping sound she made earned a darting set of eyes in her direction. Tenten grinned at Ino when she came up for air as she silently swallowed the noodles.
"You're beyond tense this week," commented Sakura, in between chewing.
Ino and Sakura's eyes met and Ino rolled her eyes before dramatically beginning a soliloquy that caused Tenten to retreat into her own thoughts.
Her gaze wandered around the courtyard. The only other table and benches remaining in the courtyard was occupied by the group of guys she'd come to know. Sasuke's arms remained folded across his chest as he glared at Naruto, who slightly stood above the bench below him, accusingly pointing chopsticks at him. Neji sat on the other side of Naruto, silently chewing white rice.
Tenten's chopsticks found her mouth as she placed the noodles into her mouth, completed with a slurping sound.
Truthfully, she hadn't spoken to Neji since Sunday, or rather, he hadn't spoken to her. He ignored her texts since that night, leaving her messages on read. Neji's cold demeanor grew increasingly noticeable as he refrained from conversing with her, to her, and about her. Only referencing her when he stated that she would be the one to replace a set of tires for the old GTO Twin Turbo MR (MITSUBISHi 2000) she balled during her last race.
Tenten chewed, as her eyes shifted to Shikamaru, whose head was down and pressed on his folded arms on the table, presumably asleep. It frustrated her not knowing what exactly happened to cause Neji to become this way with her; it honestly felt as though she was the reason, although, no one around her confirmed. Tenten looked across from her table and watched Hinata shuffle her food around with her chopsticks.
She needed answers at this point.
"Hinata, do you have any idea why Neji's been unlike himself lately?" Sakura and Ino stopped their conversation with ears perked, to listen to the other two girls. Hinata looked up from her food, caught off guard, and waited a few seconds before responding. Assumingly, to gather an answer.
"I-I'm not sure. I-I haven't r-really seen him l-lately." Tenten lifted an eyebrow.
"What do you mean? Don't you two live together?" Hinata shook her head before responding.
"W-we don't, H-he just s-stops by at h-his convenience."
Tenten found this new information beyond insightful. Just what was going on with Hinata and Neji? Then again, she recalled Hinata stating her father, which would presumably be Neji's uncle, returned to Tokyo last week.
"Hm," Tenten responded before removing the chopsticks from her ramen cup, and bringing its rim to her parted lips, drinking the remaining broth. Deep in thought, she allowed the conversation of Ino and Sakura to play as background noise unaware of lingering pale eyes in the distance.
...
2:48 PM
Tenten came to the realization that she needed to confront this whole situation head on.
Brown eyes cut as a retreating form passed by, annoyed, the random student continued walking down the hallway. Tenten unapologetically wove through one of the populated hallways in her school, gripping the backpack strap on her left shoulder, eagerly in pursuit of a much-needed conversation.
Her feet took her further into the hallway, and as the sea of students began to decrease, she could make out a few noticeable forms.
Shikamaru stood, slightly laxed against the left side of an open locker door. One arm rested against the closed doors, his profile in view as he looked at the person standing behind the open locker. Tenten noticed a pair of shoes next to Shikamaru, protruding outward, as if the person's back was leaning against other closed locker doors. As she came closer to the group of guys, she narrowed her focus on her main target, if she hadn't, perhaps she would've seen the wide-eyed Naruto, closest to her, standing on the right, of the open locker. His head shaking microscopically, as his lips formed the word no, until tenten stopped beside the open locker door, directly in front of him. He quickly shut his mouth.
"Hey."
Shikamaru's eyes slowly moved to Tenten's stance; Sasuke pushed himself off the lockers and stepped to the side, away from behind Shikamaru, to the scene before him. His hand remained in his pockets as a small smirk formed. Tenten watched several strands of black hair fall off Neji's back as he turned his head to her.
"I need to speak with you." Tenten stated.
"Are you not already speaking."
Neji's monotone response lasted longer than his glare upon her; he returned to his opened locker. Annoyed, Tenten didn't care anymore. Her right hand gripped the edge of the locker door as she took another step closer to Neji, now less than a foot away from his face.
"Do you need help pulling that stick from your ass?"
At this Neji stilled before slowly gripping his locker door, above Tenten's grip, and closing it softly. When his profile turned, causing him to become fully faced with her, she unnaturally took a step back. His eyes looked into hers with such intensity, her glare shifted from hardness to slight concern.
"All I need, is for you to stay the fuck away from me." That was the deepest she ever heard his voice.
Time for a different approach.
"Neji, what's going on? You've ignored and avoided me for days, like I've done something to you-have I?" Neji noticed her pitch change. He took a slow step forward, and she again, took a step back.
"Your existence bothers me." Her eyes widened.
Shikamaru shook his head. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, and Naruto began to fan himself.
"W-what?" Seconds later, more words came.
"Why are you being such an asshole! I thought we were-"
"Shut the fuck up. Stop speaking as if you know me." This time, Tenten stilled. Her mouth slightly agape and her eyebrows pulled together as confusion began to rest on her features.
"Okay look, I know we've had our differences, but we've come a long way. Why are you like this all of sudden?!"
Neji's lips contoured into a cruel, bitter smirk. If she wanted to stick around and find out that would be her decision.
"You haven't seen anything yet, I'll make you wish you never met me." Neji stepped around Tenten's paralyzed figure, to walk to his last class of the day. A loud sigh left Shikamaru's mouth, who walked around Tenten with his hands in his pockets, then Sasuke, until Naruto placed a hand on Tenten's shoulder and apologized, before jogging down the hallway to catch up to the group of guys.
Tenten couldn't move her feet. What had just happened? How did it go so left so quickly?
End of Chapter
Preview of Chapter 9:
Tenten stared at the rust spots on the faded turquoise machine; her eyes shifted-the small possessed device in front of her.
She rolled her eyes.
It's only been one day since Sakura and Ino left for their Cheer Competition. She knew their cohabitation would turn into world war three at some point, but not this early. A different name and message displayed on the screen; her eyes widened.
From: Naruto
7:18 PM
He Tenten, wanna come to a house party tomorrow night? All the beers you can drink and no Neji!
Tenten pondered momentarily. Considering her week: two of her friends were out of town while another was on house arrest, Hinata, plus Neji verbally and mentally lashing out at her yesterday has all but made her realize her limited interactions with Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sasuke. What did she have to lose? The end of her lip twitched and tugged into a half smirk.
Her fingers scanned across the screen before pressing send and with one hand motion the small device was returned to the cluttered countertop.
...
See you in three weeks! Be sure to Like, Review, and Add this story to your alerts ;)
xoxoxoxox