Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Flowers in the Sand ❯ Chapter 23

Chapter 23

 

Hinata knocked quietly on the door panel outside Safaia's room. “Safaia?” she called softly. “You've been hiding in your room for nearly two weeks. Won't you please talk with me?”

 

No answer. The white-eyed woman sighed. “Please, Safaia. We're worried about you. There's a lot that needs to be done…”

 

The door slid open and dull, lifeless eyes greeted Hinata. “For the wedding, you mean,” she murmured with no emotion in her voice at all. “Very well. What must I do?”

 

Hinata was deeply saddened by the seemingly hopeless behavior of her friend. “First of all,” she told her gently as she led her back inside her room and sat down near her sleeping mat, “you need to tell me what's wrong. Why won't you see any of your friends? Or even Neji? You did agree to marry him…”

 

Safaia's head fell forward, her bangs covering her eyes. “I did,” she whispered, as if she were ashamed, “but I do not wish to see him. I do not love him.”

 

“Oh, Safaia,” Hinata gasped. “Why didn't you say so? You should never marry someone you don't love!”

 

“Because I cannot marry the man I do love,” she replied monotonously. “I confessed my love for him and he did not return it. Neji needs a wife to bear him children and raise the next generation of Hyuugas. He did not require my love, just my acceptance.”

 

Hinata watched helplessly as Safaia fought the tears swelling in her eyes. “You agreed to marry my cousin… only to help him in his responsibility to carry on the Hyuuga bloodline?”

 

Safaia nodded once. Droplets fell on the floor in front of her knees from where they dripped off her chin after sliding down her cheeks. “I cannot be a shinobi and help protect the village,” she whispered, “but I can at least be of some use to someone.”

 

“By being a brood mare?” Hinata actually sounded disgusted. “I love my cousin- truly, I do- but you are sacrificing your own potential happiness for no good reason!”

 

“My happiness is nonexistent. I have Gobi back- that is enough for me. I was foolish to think I could have what you and Kiba have.”

 

Hinata enfolded the woman in a comforting hug, both amazed and saddened by the selflessness of her choice. She didn't know if even she could be that giving.

 

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“Dammit, Gaara! Where the hell have you been??”

 

The red-haired man regarded his friend coolly, although his mind was completely confused. “I was in Suna, taking care of some extremely pressing business, as well you should have known. Why? Has a war broken out and I was not informed?”

 

Naruto took his Hokage hat and tossed it on his desk. He'd been in formal meetings all day, with several members of the council badgering him with questions about Safaia and the problems her presence (not to mention Gobi's) in the village would create. He finally escaped and made it back to his office just as Gaara, clad in his blue and white Kazekage robes, was coming around the corner.

 

“War indeed. The council wants the multiple layers of that damn seal restored and Gobi sealed away again- this time permanently.” Naruto sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. “But that is not the biggest issue for you, my raccoon-eyed friend.”

 

Gaara finally looked perplexed. He had been delayed nearly three weeks in Suna with backlogged issues and reports to go over from when he had been gone- not to mention a very important meeting with Suna's council. What could have happened in three weeks?

 

“We've been invited to a wedding,” Naruto finally said, bracing his hands on the edge of his desk. He didn't look at Gaara, but discomfort rolled off him like a tangible thing. “It's going to be the day after tomorrow.”

 

“Is this not good news?” Gaara asked. “I thought Konoha regarded weddings as joyous occasions. In Suna, they are not nearly so grand or widely celebrated, but they are happy events-“

 

“It's Safaia,” Naruto finally said, cutting off the rest of Gaara's sentence. “Safaia's marrying Neji.”

 

Absolute, looming, dead silence.

 

“Did I hear you correctly?” Gaara finally asked, his voice a disbelieving whisper. “Safaia… my Safaia… is marrying NEJI??”

 

Naruto winced. “Yeah… day after tomorrow.”

 

“Like hell.”

 

The Hokage moved over to his side in an instant. “Hey, now. Don't go doing anything rash. Remember what you told me when I nearly went kitsune on Orochimaru's ass when he took Sakura? I needed to think like a Hokage and not a husband and father. Now I'm telling you- you need to think like a Kazekage and not a jealous lover.”

 

Gaara blinked at him, startled. Jealous… lover? “Where is she?”

 

Naruto hesitated. “Kiba's house. But she won't see anyone. Even Sakura tried.” He managed a chuckle. “She tried to use my son as bait to get her to come out.”

 

“She will see me.” Gaara turned around and swept from the room, his robes flowing behind him.

 

Naruto shook his head. “I hope so, my friend. If not you, then no one.”

 

Sakura wandered in a moment later, holding little Kohaku wrapped in a pale blue blanket. “Where was Gaara going in such a hurry? He looked even more serious than usual.”

 

The blonde man grinned as he lifted Kohaku out of his mother's arms. “He's off to battle the most dangerous dragons of all,” he told her as he held up his son and started making goofy faces at him.

 

“Dragons?” Sakura looked confused.

 

“Green ones, beautiful,” he explained. “The dragons of jealousy.”

 

“Ahhh,” Sakura nodded. “You told him about Safaia and Neji getting married.” She scowled at him. “Shame on you. Gaara could've spontaneously combusted with abrupt news like that!”

 

Naruto shrugged. “Doubt it. Man's too lovesick to explode and leave his woman to the mercies of some guy who doesn't even love her.” He rubbed his nose against Kohaku's little button one. “Not like Daddy, huh, big boy? Daddy would never leave Momma to fend for herself, would he? No…”

 

Sakura shook her head, but she was smiling. “As if you weren't childish enough… now I'm raising two children.”

 

“But you love it- and me.”

 

She chuckled and gave him a sweet kiss. “You got that right, Hokage.”

 

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Tenten lifted her hand to knock on the door but she halted with her hand hovering in the air. What am I thinking? I must have lost my mind… I can't do this…

 

“Tenten? What brings you here?”

 

She blinked her eyes as the door slid open to reveal a puzzled-looking Neji. “I… I, uh… I…”

 

He gave her a smile- one she rarely ever got to see while they were training together. “Yes, I can see that it's you. I assume you stopped by for a reason?”

 

Before she could properly think about it, she found herself nodding. “I… wanted to see you.”

 

Neji raised an eyebrow. “You did? Why? Did you need something?”

 

She opened her mouth- and nothing came out. Neji gave her an odd look. “Why don't you come inside- we'll talk in the courtyard, okay?”

 

Tenten nodded mutely. Nice going, baka. This was a bad idea.

 

If you don't do it now, it will be too late. You're a shinobi! Act like it!

 

She followed Neji through his house to the open, airy courtyard, where Neji, Hinata, and Hiashi used to train. She paused by the small oasis, watching the koi swim in the pond.

 

“What did you need, Tenten? Were we summoned for a mission? You know I'm not able to go until after the wedding…”

 

That registered in Tenten's brain. “No… no! It's… there's no mission.”

 

Neji looked confused. “Then what's wrong?”

 

Tenten took a deep (and hopefully backbone-strengthening) breath. “It's personal.”

 

“Personal? Why would you need to talk to me about...?”

 

“You can't marry Safaia!” she burst out, her cheeks flaming.

 

Neji blinked several times. “Why would you say something like that?”

 

Tenten sat down abruptly on the edge of the wooden walkway that bordered the courtyard. “Lee… said that you… don't love her,” she said awkwardly.

 

“I don't see how that concerns you,” Neji replied. “We are simply teammates and my marriage won't affect our missions-” He paused, peering at her. “Are… are you crying, Tenten?”

 

She wiped the betraying moisture off her cheeks. “N-no.”

 

Neji knelt in front of her and looked up at her, confused. “You are. You're crying.”

 

“I am n-n-not!” Sniff.

 

“Why are you crying? The fact that I don't love Safaia isn't anything you should be grieving over…”

 

“I'm not crying over that! I shouldn't be crying at all, but I can't seem to stop!”

 

“Well, then stop. I don't understand what you want from me.”

 

“I want you to love me, not her!”

 

Silence.

 

Neji looked completely astounded. “Tenten…? Did… did you just…?”

 

She wiped her cheeks, sniffling. “I did. There. I finally said it. Lee's been telling me for years to tell you and I finally did. And a lot of good it did me. In two days you're getting married to someone else, some girl you don't even know, let alone love, and I finally managed to tell you-“

 

“Stop.” Neji put his hands on her shoulders and forced her to face him, if not look at him. “Why would you want me to love you and not Safaia? We're only-“

 

“Teammates.” Tenten didn't look at him. “I know. That's all you've ever thought we were. But I fell in love with you a long time ago, Neji. I've just gotten adept at hiding it.”

 

He released her as if she had burned him. “Dear God.”

 

She didn't move- her head remained bowed, her bangs covering her eyes. “Yeah. Dear God. I love you but you're marrying someone else. She loves someone else but is marrying you. It just drips with irony, doesn't it?”

 

Neji opened his mouth to respond- but he couldn't speak. All he could do was watch as Tenten stood up and left his house without another word.

 

“She loves someone else but is marrying you…”

 

“She never would have been happy with me- her soul already belonged to someone else…”

 

“I want you to love me, not her!”

 

“I love you… but you're marrying someone else…”

 

“I love you…”

 

“I love you…”

 

Neji gripped the sides of his head as Tenten's declaration echoed inside his head. Dear God… what have I done? How could I have missed this? We've been together since before we were Genins… and not once did I suspect… I always thought she was more interested in Lee because she'd watch him train. But now… that I think about it… she was by my side every step of the way. And all I did was ignore her as weak.

 

Irony, indeed.

 

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

 

A/N: Sorry for the late update- I've got a new job (yay Geek Squad!) and I've still got classes and homework to attend to, so I may not be able to update as quickly as I'd like. I have a new pic up of Hokage Naruto and Sakura with Kohaku on deviantART dot com- please check it out! It's my first cell-shading pic done on Photoshop! And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read and review! It's my bread and butter, people. I live on them- don't starve meeee! Thank you!

 

Special thank yous to:

 

FF.net- bellarocks06, SilverAngel906, Nocturne del Shadow, Dog of the Dead, Bryan Look, lonelyangel1413, KHfan4ever9, DaydreamerMagby, cliquequeen37, Cerulean Soul

 

MM.org- nikole, DarkestDragon102894 (no- but there's a reason for it), djohnson, Ryugenkotsu, MysticalAnimeWarrior_of_Passion_33