Title- The Many Awkward Adventures of Neji and Tenten
Author- 4igive4get
Rated- T (For stuff in later chapters…)
Pairing- NEJI X TENTEN ALL THE WAY!
Chapter- Two (Neji's Problems Get Bigger)
Disclaimer- Ha! I WISH I could be as creative as to invent Naruto. But, no, I'm just a lowly American girl…SIGH
Neji's Problems Get Bigger…
Tenten ran through the door, as she shouted, "I'm home Great-Grandmother! Sorry I'm a bit late!"
She entered the kitchen to see the bent over, tired old woman. Her hair was pure white and pulled back into a single bun, without a single loose hair. Her eyes were brown like Tenten's. She knelt at the low kitchen table, smiled up at her great-granddaughter.
"Training extra, Tenten?" she asked.
She shook her head, as she prepared a pot of tea, "I just fell asleep. I'm lucky Neji was there to wake me up."
"Neji?" the old woman asked, "The Hyuuga?"
"Hai, he's my old teammate, remember?"
"Oh, yes."
"Here's your tea, Great-Grandmother." She said, setting down a dark blue cup of steaming tea.
"Thank you, dear."
Tenten really loved her grandmother. She had raised her as a small child, since her dad left her mom when she was barely four, and her mom had gotten remarried when she was six to some rich snob, dumping her with her great-grandmother. Tenten didn't mind. Her mom never really cared about her anyway. Though, when she was little her great-grandmother took care of her, mostly it was the other way around now.
Tenten walked over to the door to see envelopes pushed through the slot.
"Mail's here." She called, picking up the stack.
Sifting through it, she saw most of it was junk mail anyway. Tenten threw it all away except for the bills. Sighing, she knew she had to take care of those, so she opened them over the counter in the kitchen. Rent was (let's just use our lovely American currency, the magic of a dollar!) $400, the electricity was $78, the gas/heating was $54, and the water was $29.
She clenched her fists. 'Great. How the heck am I going to pay for all of this?' Tenten sighed; she knew that being a chunin wasn't fabulous pay. Being only seventeen, she didn't think she was ready to take the jounin exams. She didn't feel like getting her butt kicked for no reason.
"Tenten, dear, what's wrong? You look like you're thinking really hard about something." Her great-grandmother mused, sipping her tea.
Tenten faked a smile, "Oh, it's nothing. I'll get dinner started." She turned to the stove, wondering what to cook.
"Did you forget to go grocery shopping again?" her great-grandmother asked, behind her.
"Damn!" Tenten slapped her forehead.
…
Neji walked into his room, shutting the door securely behind him. It was now quite dark out. He settled in the chair in front of his desk, and pulled out the book he hadn't finished before he had been forced to bring that whiny kid back. He couldn't keep his mind focused on the book however.
Tenten-chan looked so cute asleep, huh? The voice from before remarked.
Not you again! Neji thought, acidly.
I hope we can see Tenten-chan tomorrow, it continued.
Is Tenten all you can think about?
No, all you can think about, since technically I'm you.
I thought I already acknowledged that I'm love with her, Neji pointed out.
Um, so? Inner Neji asked.
A knocking sound on the door interrupted the conversation. A maid slid open the door, announcing that it was dinnertime. She left, leaving Neji to ponder how he just had a conversation with himself.
Reluctantly, he got up to go eat. When he sat down at his place on the long table, his cousin Hinata smiled shyly at him. He returned it. His other cousin, Hanabi was grinning with a crazed expression on her face, like she knew something he didn't. His uncle, and everyone else, either glared, or had no expression at all. His second cousin Haruko who was two years older than him gave him a look of pity.
Slowly he began to eat. Neji never liked dinnertime. Hiashi cleared his throat, herby silencing everybody else. Even though, no one was talking in the first place. Dozens of pairs of pale white eyes all looked at him
"Neji," he began, "How old are you?"
Where's he going with this? He wondered.
Just answer.
"Seventeen." He answered.
"I see. I'm proud to say, that after months, I've finally found a good match for you, and an engagement is being set up." Hiashi continued, everyone still looking emotionless, except Hanabi, Hinata, and Haruko.
WHAT? Neji's thoughts exploded, though not a muscle in his face moved.
In case you didn't hear, you'll have to get married to some random girl, Inner Neji informed him.
Um, problem! Neji shot back, I'm in love with Tenten, remember?
Oh, yeah.
"Neji?" Hiashi asked, "You haven't said anything."
"Hai." He replied, saying the first thing he could think of. He could still only choke the words out. So this was why Haruko was giving him the pity-look and what got Hanabi so amused.
"Her name is Moriyama Miyuki. Eighteen years old, from a very old clan, I'm sure you've heard of it." His uncle continued.
Neji didn't look up from his hardly touched plate. Thankfully, the conversation soon drifted, and he safely slipped out of the room without anyone noticing his absence. He didn't go back to his bedroom to pretend to read, but really argue with his Inner Self and daydream about Tenten; he walked straight out the front door and strode quickly though the garden.
Walking sort of helped him feel less angry, and it got fresh air in his system.
Fuck no! He punched a random stone wall. He could hear it crack, but it was too dark to see for sure. Neji ran a hand through his long, black hair, trying to calm himself.
"Ne, you know someone might live there." A voice lectured him. The candy-voice!
Tenten appeared before him, her arms filled with brown, paper grocery bags. Her face looked amused. She looked as cute as ever. Suddenly, he became a mixture of emotions that he couldn't sort out. His heart swelled with happiness. All because of her?
"Hey, long time, no see." She said, jokingly, "What are you doing out here?"
"Taking a walk." Neji answered, evenly.
"You've never taken a walk before." She said, suspiciously.
"I just felt like it," he lied, calmly, daring her to cross him.
She shrugged, thought it didn't look like she could do it very easily because of the groceries.
"Hey, you want help with those?" he offered, motioning to the bags in her arms,
"That would be great." Tenten sighed, relieved, as he took the bigger two.
"Do you always shop so late?' he wondered out loud.
"No, I just forgot. My poor great-grandmother, first I fall asleep and come home late, but I also have to run back out to buy food." She heaved a sigh.
As they entered her house, Neji realized that he had never been in her house. In was small, with only a small room in the front, and then a kitchen and bathroom. There were stairs leading to the second floor, which, he assumed was where the bedrooms were.
The house was bright and cheerful, and they went right into the kitchen, where Tenten's great-grandmother sat. Her eyes grew wide when she saw Neji.
"And this wouldn't be this Hyuuga Neji you're always talking about, would it?' the old lady exclaimed.
"The very same." Tenten responded, putting the groceries away.
Tenten talks about me? A lot? Neji thought, gleefully.
"Hmmm, he's just as good looking as you described him." She mused.
Tenten blushed, turning away, but Neji saw it anyway. He was dying to know what else Tenten had said. Then, out of the blue, Neji's stomach growled. He sighed, self-conscience. He hadn't eaten hardly at all at dinner.
"You should stay here for dinner." Tenten's great-grandmother hinted.
"That would be fine," Tenten added, "I was just going to make chow mein. There'll be plenty."
Now Neji was really intrigued. He had never tasted Tenten's cooking. He couldn't pass up the opportunity, now. He nodded, as she motioned to the spot across from her great-grandmother.
Neji learned that Tenten was actually quite good a cooking Chinese food. It was way better than what he had just eaten back at home. Or maybe that's just because the love of his life happened to be the one to make it. He cleaned three bowls of it.
Tenten and her great-grandmother were pretty happy together. They laughed a lot, and even started a tiny food fight. For Neji, dinner had always meant sitting in the uncomfortable chair, and usually being silent unless someone spoke to you, or some herbs that he and his team managed to find on missions. Neji couldn't imagine doing this everyday. This was so laid back.
He even caught himself grinning like a maniac. He couldn't look away from Tenten's laughing face. Why was she so perfect? When dinner was over, she cleaned up, and he realized he had to go. Neji reluctantly said good-bye to Tenten and the old lady and slipped out the door.
When he went to sleep, he dreamed about Tenten. Tenten throwing a kunai, Tenten flicking a pea at her great-grandmother, Tenten sticking her tongue out at him whenever she got her way. Neji saw her big brown eyes, her voice was crystal clear and sweetening, just like in real life.
"Neji-kun?" she whispered, cutely, as she smiled.
When Neji awoke, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
Whoa, I'm not just in love, I'm obsessed.
End Chapter
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