Day 14: horror/ Phoenix rising
As a shinobi Neji has been to hell and back more times then he could count. There weren't many things that actually scared him. But Tenten, more specifically the way she made him feel. He couldn't quite call it love in a romantic sense but it was special. This relationship was built brick by brick. But eventually, either heâd be taken off the market, due to clan expectations or sheâd find someone special. They were getting older, and things change- And that was okay.Â
But he was prepared, one day out of the blue she asked him to officiate her wedding. According to her, it was something business related but she couldnât get into details at the moment. But it needed to be fast, and discreet. This didnât sit well with him but due to the look on her face. He couldnât fight with her on this. For her, he does it.Â
âAm I allowed to ask whom?âÂ
âYes, but it's not something I can talk aboutâÂ
âHow soon? You can answer that surelyâÂ
âNoon, a week from now at the hokage tower. I'll answer whatever questions to have later. Okay, but i have to go take care of something right nowâÂ
The ceremony was small. Neji, Lady Tsunade and Shizune and Shikamaru as witnesses. The couple, Tenten and Kankuro of the sand. A sand sibling, this just gave him so many more questions.
âKankuro of the sand, and Tenten of the leaf. I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bribeâ
The kiss they shared burned into the back of his cranium. The way Kankuro hesitated, Tenten losing patience. Rather than wait, for him to awkwardly figure it out. She grabbed him by the collar and kissed him herself.Â
As if, the universe couldn't miss a chance to taunt him. He's never seen her more radiant. He had to give her away. They're worked side by side with the Sand siblings a bunch of times. They had rapport with them. He'd argue they were more than cordial. But body language was something else entirely. The way Kankuro leaned into her personal space when she spoke. The way tenten fingers brushed his fore arm to encourage him to talk. They way both of their faces lit up when talking to each other. This whole thing was starting to feel too real. Â
The went from the Tower to a meal at Tenten's house. At some point the other two siblings joined them. The celebration stretched into more hours. Neji excused himself and stepped outside on her balcony. He learned that now it well past nightfall.
Three familiar silhouettes exited the building. Until that moment, he hadn't realized how quiet it had got on the insane. He was really drunk as shit. The balcony door behind him slid open.
âI was wondering where you wentâ shut the door behind her. âThank you for today. Having you around is comforting, you knowâÂ
âIt was nothing,â he hesitated. â would you mind filling me in now?âÂ
âCan we maybe not right now? I'll fill you in tomorrow. I'm drunk if you haven't noticed. All i wanna do is sleepâÂ
Neji scowled deepens. âTomorrow thenâÂ
â It's a promiseâ placed her hands in his shoulder. âI left blankets on the sofa. You're welcome to stay the night. Its almost midnight. I'm going to bedâÂ
Neji watched her stumble inside. He was tired too, so he followed suit shortly after.Â
Neji woke up, sleeping way past his normal wake up time. Stumbled into the bathroom and freshed up briefly. When I came out, I checked the time. It was a little past noon.Â
He knocked on Tenten's bedroom door and waited for her to answer. But he didn't hear anything. She drank alot, he wanted to make sure she was safe. He activated his byukganâŚtoo his dread she was goneÂ
Her room was ramstacked. Neji busted in room. Was met with an empty bed and scorched bedsheets. With a rising Phoenix symbol etched into.
Neji vowed to get to the bottom of this.
