Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Tenten the Busybody ❯ Forbidden Spells ( Chapter 4 )

“Neji…I don’t really know you that well. Even after the year we’ve spent as team mates, I still somehow feel as if we’re strangers. But because we’re strangers, you don’t have the right to order me around. I don’t care about your past…even though I think I can understand you better now. However…I will help you. Don’t think that just because I’m a girl I’m useless. You were right earlier…I don’t have enough caution for a ninja. That’s exactly why I’m going to do what I’m about to do now, and there is nothing you can do to stop me.”

“Tenten…just what are you planning to do?”

At this, I grinned mischievously. “Now that is a secret.”


"You know my uncle told me to prevent you from wandering into places you don't belong. I have a duty to prevent you from getting yourself into trouble."

I gave that statement a ponder, and then replied, "Well then..." and with this I turned to Hinata, who once again looked like she wanted to sink into the floor, "You and I will just have to go, to all the places your Neji-niisan can't." I stuck my tongue out at Neji, I was being childish, I know. But at that moment I had an idea, and I certainly wasn’t going to let him stop me from attempting to carry it out. Sure it might be illegal to do so…who knows how much trouble I’d get into if I get caught. But in the end Neji would have something he desired his whole life. The chance to perform some forbidden spells.

Tenten’s plan was actually rather simple. You almost wonder why no other Branch member Hyuuga ever thought of it before. Tenten was fairly sure that these Hyuuga moves that had taken centuries to develop did not just come out of thin air. At some point and at some time, one of the Hyuuga ancestors when practicing different styles and jutsus most likely stumbled upon the methods to which they all used now…or at least, certain members. Now, from her knowledge in the research field, every aspect of ninja art had two methods of being learned. The first method was through being taught by someone who already knew the art. The second method was through reading from books or scrolls. In her mind, the more powerful the art of the ninja, the more time and effort was required for it to come about…unless some greater power was involved and she was fairly certain this was not the case with the Hyuugas. After all, even forbidden jutsus were written into scrolls. If she could just find the place where the Hyuugas kept the scrolls for the house-restricted moves… She had her own secret spell.

As Neji stood in the courtyard from which the two girls had just departed, he wondered if she was going to do what he thought she was going to do. And he wondered why. Why would this girl, who she herself said he was a stranger to, risk her own life in attempting to steal the secrets of the Hyuuga clan…for him? It wasn’t as if something like this had never been tried before…it had. Only, the last time the person was caught and beaten within an inch of his life. Some people believe Neji to be a cruel person. He was not. He didn’t like to see other people suffer any more than he had to… and Tenten… He ran. He wasn’t going to let her do this. He wasn’t going to let her get hurt for his sake. He felt that, like Hinata, Tenten was far too naïve. He had told her that staying around this place too long would not be good for her. Of course, she wouldn’t listen. Except now she wasn’t going to get into trouble simply due to her own curiosity. She was going to because she wanted to help him. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that.

Tenten already knew what Neji was going to do. So by this time she herself was running too. As well as dragging poor Hinata behind her. She had asked the young Hyuuga heir if such a library existed, and loll and behold, it did. After using quite a few tactical kunai of words targeted at the girl’s conscience and heart…which really were about the size of a barn, they were now both in on the plan. After coming to the conviction that this was the right thing to do, and being slightly more courageous with the older girl’s support, Hinata felt for the first time in her life that she was going to be useful. This feeling she treasured more than anything. For her, she had always been plagued with an unconscious burden of guilt and insufficiency. This was going to be her first step towards change. Ever since the day she saw a young boy her own age shout out “Believe it,” in the face of incredible adversity and the cruelty of her classmates who laughed in his face, she felt that she herself should have the courage to change. She just never knew where to start. Perhaps, she thought, this was a chance…one chance to prove to herself that she was strong enough inside…and truly worthy of such a transformation. With these thoughts, she no longer felt that she was being dragged by the strange girl with two buns in her hair. She felt herself running along with Tenten as they raced past various Hyuugas with blank stares. She could see, with her Byakugan, that her cousin was behind them and catching up. With a determined glare, she sped up a bit and they went faster than before. Soon they were at the entrance of the inner central court. Two Hyuuga guards were standing there looking impenetrable. Hinata felt a little scared, but Tenten wasn’t. She marched right up to the two guards, but before she could even open her mouth Hinata was besides her and giving the two guards the fiercest look she could muster. And they opened the door right away. After all…despite everything, she was still the heir. They could tell, any Hyuuga could tell if a person was being dragged against their will. Hinata, was no longer being dragged…she was determined to become an instrument of change.

For a moment, he thought he would catch up before the gate. He didn’t realize how fast Tenten was. He knew that his own speed was better than hers, but he never bothered to access how much. It was too late to regret this, and he cursed himself. If only I didn’t hesitate, he thought…and at this he realized that the moment of hesitation was due to nothing else but his own selfishness. He wanted her to find those scrolls…because such would further his own goals. But now… silently as he watched the huge door close…he prayed to kami-sama that they would not get caught. If Tenten-san got hurt because of him, or even killed … he would never be able to forgive himself. All he hoped was that whatever luck she had been blessed with earlier, it still remained with her now.

On other side of the gate, Tenten and Hinata were walking quietly. The silence was almost eerie. Tenten wondered where all the other Main House members were. She asked this of Hinata and her reply was:

“Father’s in a meeting with the elders now. They’re all in the west wing. I…don’t know what they’re talking about …I’ve never really asked.”
How much more perfect could it get? All the Main House members were distracted by the meeting. Evidently, that “luck” was still holding, and quite well at that. The library happened to be located in the central wing of the inner section. This was where they were headed.

The library was located in the darkest section, and there was a good reason why. Unlike people with normal eyes, Hyuugas with their Byakugan need a lot less light to read. Thus by design, the location kept people from stealing any secrets from the Main House. Of course, the entrance gate was what kept Branch members out mostly. But in addition to that, there was a seal placed at the entrance to the room disallowing any scrolls within the library from getting out. Information must be either copied by hand, or read on the spot, such which could not be done in near complete darkness without a Byakugan. Fortunately for Tenten, she had Hinata’s help. But for the final step of copying…her secret art would be revealed. Quietly, she watched the shadowy figure of the young Hyuuga girl shift about. They were searching for two scrolls in particular, one for the Kaiten, and another for a combat move she had heard about before and was quite sure that such a powerful move would be among those never taught to the Branch House…the 64 hands of Hakke. So in essence, one ultimate defense, and another sure-fire attack, and soon both scrolls were found.

The two scrolls were placed side by side on the dark and musty carpeted floor. Hinata now watched as Tenten unrolled each scroll. She could not see the words, wondered Hinata, so how was she going to copy them? After both scrolls were unrolled, the white eyed girl stood watching, her eyes full of curiosity. Tenten then took out the two scrolls which she had used earlier for her attack. She bit her finger hard enough for a bit of blood to come out, and quickly swiped her hand across both of her own scrolls as she unrolled those as well. With a poof and a slight clang, dozens of weapons fell out of the scrolls. The carpeting on the floor helped to muffle the sound a bit, so it was not as loud as it otherwise would have been. After doing a quick hand seal, Tenten gave a “Kai!” and the weapons all disappeared, but strangely enough so did the words on the two scrolls. Gesturing towards Hinata, she got her to help as they placed in order from top to bottom, the scroll for the Kaiten, and a blank weapons scroll, a scroll for the 64 hands of Hakke and another blank scroll underneath that one. Doing another hand seal and then…Tenten placed both her hands on top of the first two scrolls at the same time, right hand on the scroll detailing the Kaiten and the left on her own blank weapons scroll. Hinata stared in wonder as the words on the Kaiten scroll somehow transferred onto the scroll that was once the weapons scroll Tenten had used in battle. Now there were two separate scrolls, one that was the original, and the other one a copy. Biting her hand again, Tenten marked her own scroll again with her blood and the words changed. Amazingly, it now looked exactly like what it had been before…a scroll with kanji for various weapons written on it. She did the same procedure with the other scroll, and then asked quietly for Hinata to place the original scrolls back to where they belonged as she smugly placed her two weapons scrolls back into their own two slots. She grinned widely and excitedly whispered,

“It worked, it worked!”

And that was Tenten's plan. With her secret art of sealing scrolls she had been able to duplicate her weapon scrolls many times. It simplified matters for her when she didn't have to recopy everything by hand everytime a scroll got lost, or torn or worn in some way where the words were no longer readable. Thus she was able to accomplish this, with a little bit of ingenuity she was able to do what no other ninja before her had ever been able to do. Steal a secret from the clan of the great Hyuugas. And for this...ancient foundations were silently shaken, and nobody even noticed. Because after all...who would suspect Tenten? She's nobody. Really…

And thus the first part of the secret plan is revealed. The two girls quickly slipped out of the room, tensing slightly at the entrance where the guarding seal was placed. But alas, for Tenten’s strangely blessed self, the seal did not activate at all. Both of them ran back to the central courtyard giggling like crazy. If any of the other Main House members had been there to witness it at the time, they would have been suspicious. Oh well, what they don’t know can’t hurt them. And thus the first part of Tenten’s plan has been revealed. The only question now is…what’s next?