Chapter Text
VIII.
It was sunny and hot and Tenten was grateful to be wearing white. Women wailed around her in the procession, and she was flanked by Sakura and Lee, with Neji just behind them. Ahead of them, Yamato walked alongside their father's casket.
"Tenten!" Hinoto had run up beside her and Tenten slowed down to pick her sister up. Tenten leaned over and her sister readily climbed up her back. Hinoto sniffled in her ear. "Are they really gone forever?"
"For now," she replied softly. "But when you have lived a long, long life you will see them again." Hinoto pressed her face into Tenten's neck.
"Father said he'd take us to the sea," she cried. "He promised!" Tenten could feel Hinoto's warm tears against her neck.
"When you visit the sea you can think of Father, and he will be with you," Tenten said. She doubted that her words could bring comfort to the child. Hinoto's body shook in waves of tears. Behind her she could hear Hinoe's footsteps as he called for her.
He cried her name, but when Tenten stopped to turn to reach for him, she saw that Hinoe had taken Neji's hand, rubbing his red eyes with his free hand.
She remembered her mother's funeral. She had been inconsolable, and Yamato had half-carried and half-dragged her through the procession. Never had Tenten expected to be reliving the scene with her younger siblings, their father's body now in a casket.
Kabuto would have no funeral. He had been branded a traitor and was held responsible for the death of the Emperor. Neji had come upon them at his scheduled meeting with Danzo to find him beheaded by his son, who wanted to overthrow him. So he had slain Kabuto in turn. Or at least that's how the story went.
She had kissed Neji a painful goodbye the evening he set off to meet her father. Yamato had left with Kakashi earlier in the afternoon to find Orochimaru at his hideout and eliminate him. Tenten had felt so helpless, only able to wait with the twins in case their plan had failed so she could look after them. It was the last night of normalcy for them, and she wondered what the future would hold for all of them.
Tenten pulled herself from her thoughts when she half-tripped, Lee catching her by the arm. Hinoto had cried herself to sleep on her back, and she was grateful not to have woken the girl. She continued on, one step at a time, down the long road to the mausoleum where they would bury the Emperor.
The princess vested herself of her robe and sunk into the tub. The dust had given Tenten a slight cough, and even a few days later she felt the residual effects. The steam gave her some respite, and the water ran so hot it hurt.
Sitting behind her, Sakura ran her hands through Tenten's hair with oil.
"Do you think the twins heard what the people were saying along the funeral route?" The princess asked. "There will be a day to tell them about my father, but…" She trailed off.
"I don't think so. They seemed to be in a world of their own." Sakura picked up a wooden comb for Tenten's hair. The children had seemed unaware of the crowd that gathered around the procession. The whispers had buzzed around them, a mix of anxious excitement about the Emperor's death.
She had even heard Sasuke's name among the din, savoring any rumors of his whereabouts. The Uchiha had disappeared following the murders of the Emperor and the prince, and Sakura suspected he may have had a hand in their deaths. But she kept those thoughts to herself, and even Naruto had said little to her in the days following the funeral.
Sakura finished combing Tenten's hair, and reached for a soft scrub brush that she poured soap onto.
"Thank you," Tenten's voice broke the quiet. "For all that you have done for me over the years."
"There is no need to thank me."
"You have been a loyal friend and caretaker. I owe you a debt of gratitude," Tenten took a deep breath. "I won't make you ask me, Sakura. I know you want to find Sasuke, and I will release you and your friend from your duties here to seek him out."
Sakura froze. "Do you know where he is?"
"He is searching for Itachi," the princess' words were careful. "It is a long story, and the truth has been buried for a long time now. Some of it must continue to be. His family, my family— have been intertwined for many years."
"You love him, and you should know the truth if you choose to," Tenten continued.
What did Tenten know? And how did she know it? Sakura had been desperate for so long to know Sasuke again, to be a part of his life. But she worried now that he had gone down a path she was afraid to follow. If he had become a monster, she needed to know. Sakura considered her choice. "Sasuke has been lost for so long. I want to save him — bring him back — if there is any possibility I can."
Tenten turned in the bath to face Sakura.
"The night my father died you saw Neji," the princess began. "And I'm sorry I was not there with you. We did not expect Naruto to come into the palace, and that Neji would have to intervene."
Sakura had replayed her memory of that night again and again in the days since, trying to make sense of Neji's seeming premonition that trouble was coming, but she had never been able to work out the puzzle.
"It is true that Kabuto planned to kill the Emperor, but he did not act alone. My brother sought power alongside the disgraced former Imperial Scientist Orochimaru and Sasuke, who wanted revenge for Itachi's banishment," Tenten spoke slowly. "They planned to kill my father, and then assassinate Yamato and General Hatake."
"It was Kabuto who approached Neji for his help with their plan, hoping to gain the support of the Hyuga," the princess continued. "But Neji went to Yamato with the information. It was under Yamato's direction that Neji let their plot continue, and that they would allow my father and Kabuto would die so Yamato could assume power."
Yamato had allowed, encouraged even, the death of the Emperor. What were his motivations? Sakura understood Neji's; she had her suspicions about Neji and Tenten's relationship. With Danzo at the helm of the kingdom, it was a certainty that Tenten would be married off strategically. As Emperor, Yamato might allow Tenten some leniency in her choice of suitors. She had not expected such a scheme from the Eldest Prince, though.
"After his years in the army, Yamato saw the effects of my father's rule on the kingdom. Most people here live with little because of his cruel policies, and Yamato wants to change that," Tenten said. "So Sasuke, Kabuto, and Neji infiltrated the Emperor's residence that night. It was Neji who killed Kabuto, that much of the story is true. But Naruto killed the Emperor, in a blind act to protect Sasuke during the fight— not Kabuto. Your friend had snuck back into the palace after leaving you at my residence, and came upon them." Sakura's mouth gaped. Naruto had left Tenten's apartment after Neji had gone, promising Sakura that he would return to the outer courts and search for Sasuke there. He had seemed honest, and she had had no real reason to doubt him.
Almost more shocking to Sakura was Neji's role in this. He had killed for Tenten, and it was both horrifying and poetic. Sakura wondered if she simply had a weak stomach for this or if it was unusual for Tenten to be so unflinching.
"Sasuke left that night to evade suspicion, and Neji helped Naruto return to his quarters unseen. Yamato thought it would make the best story to involve the least people possible, and to cut out his own premeditation in my father's death of course. So that's why the public only knows half of it."
"If other kingdoms learned that Yamato had planned against his own father it would make him seem untrustworthy," Sakura surmised. "Sasuke is still set on going after Itachi even after all of this. He's going after anyone who has hurt him." She knew of Sasuke's capacity for revenge.
"It's a little more complicated than that." Tenten ran her fingers through the cold bathwater. "All of this is because of my mother. What a thing to hand down to us."
It was rare for the princess to speak of her mother, even to Sakura. What little Sakura knew of the Empress was from gossip, that she had been beloved by the Emperor and most people in the Kingdom. It had never been a subject that she had broached with Tenten.
"We're related, distantly, to the Uchiha clan," Tenten began. "When she married my father, my mother was happy at first. At least that's what Yamato remembers. But my father grew to be a cruel husband in time, and she sought an out from the palace.
"She conspired with the Uchiha to overthrow my father shortly after the twins' birth, and would give the Uchiha power in exchange for her— and my siblings— freedom. But my father found out about her plan, and tasked Itachi to kill her and stop them, or else he would slaughter the entire clan. And so it was under my father's orders that Itachi murdered her to save his family and stop a war."
Tenten could see Sakura grasping the full situation. Tenten had pieced it together from Yamato and Neji's accounts, weaving the clearest picture she could of the decades-long story. Tenten's memory of her mother had faded over the years, and she held what she gathered dear to her. Yamato remembered more of the Empress than she did, and he had told her stories about her during their Go games alone together.
"About a year ago he changed," Sakura stuttered. "Sasuke started pulling away from Naruto and me. I thought it was because he was angry at the Emperor for demoting his clan's rank again."
"It was probably then that Orochimaru told him about Itachi's mission. He was one of a few that knew the truth." Tenten rose from the bath, shivering slightly, and reached for a towel. Sakura helped her from the tub, feeling her icy skin. They lay in Tenten's bed, both girls beneath the blankets, facing each other.
Sakura thought of Sasuke, and how the knowledge of what had really happened with Itachi must have weighed on him. He had spent his whole life hating his brother, and the reality would have brought his world crashing down around him. But the truth would bring him closer to peace, and, she hoped, closer to future of them together.
Next to her, the princess' eyes were closed, her breathing heavy and Sakura could tell she was still awake. Tenten was as doll-like as ever, though thinner and more tired than she had seen her before.
"You and Lord Hyuga— Neji— are involved." It was statement of fact from the handmaiden. Sakura felt a small sense of pride for being able to have worked out at least one of the palace's many secrets for herself.
"I'm sorry that I did not tell you earlier," Tenten looked sheepish, opening her eyes. "I did not want you to have to keep that secret for us."
"How long has it been?"
"Since Yamato's birthday," the princess blushed.
"I would not have taken him for the type to sleep with his charge." Sakura was smirking; she was going to enjoy turning the questions toward Tenten.
Tenten turned a deeper crimson. "It hasn't gotten that far." Sakura's eyebrows raised. "Neji says that it would be a breach of my honor." They burst out laughing, a moment of levity in the darkness. Neji's formality on sex aligned with his stiffness on most things.
"He's well intentioned," Tenten smiled, as their laughs receded. "Were things to have gone differently, it would matter more about my chastity." It was quiet again, the gravity of the future coming over them in a wave. "He loves me, you know."
Sakura paused. "Is that good?"
"For me it is," Tenten said wryly. She knew how much Sakura would give to be in her position with Sasuke. "I don't have much to offer him in return."
Sakura reached for Tenten's hand. "You love him too."
"Neji set me free from my father. What I feel for him seems so small in comparison."
Sakura imagined Sasuke, his black hair under the moonlight and the way he had held her face that one night. She would follow him to the edge of the world. "If you are happy, Tenten, that will be enough for him."
"What has love done to us all?" Tenten exhaled slowly. "That we will all go to such lengths for it. What have we become for each other?"
Sakura considered her boys, and thought that Naruto might have something more dramatic to say in a moment like this. "If we can be together, it is all worth it."
The princess smiled warmly at her. "I will really miss you, Sakura," she squeezed her friend's hand.
"Yamanaka Ino?"
The blonde heard her name called as she was packing dresses into her luggage, able to leave the palace at last. She was still on cloud nine from the news of the Emperor's death. Ino had cried tears of joy when she heard the news. That Kabuto had gone down with him was the icing on the cake. Ino had never taken joy in sharing secrets with the prince in order for his own silence on her illicit affair with Shikamaru. She was an unwilling participant in his power-plays, doing only what she could to keep herself afloat.
"Come in!" she was too happy today to care who it might be at her door.
Through the door came Yamato, shadowed by his two personal guards and Neji. They bowed stiffly to her and she returned the gesture. Ino had not been suspecting the next Emperor to pay her a visit.
"Yamanaka Ino, you are suspected of colluding with the traitor Prince Kabuto," Yamato's voice was flat. "You are not entitled to a trial due to the severity of the charges."
Ino's throat went dry. How could they know?
"You will be exiled to the countryside, and forbidden from entering the capital," Yamato waved to his guards. "You will be escorted out of the palace when you have finished gathering your things. Your family will be notified." Without anything further, he left.
At first she was too stunned to react. Ino thought she had gotten away with it, that Kabuto would have taken any of the secrets that she supplied to him to the grave. But it did not matter now, she supposed. A simple life outside the palace was what you wished for, Ino thought to herself cynically. She could have laughed at the irony.
Ino imagined her mother's face when she would find out the news. Her daughter had failed her once again and brought shame upon her family. She could take joy in that thought at least.
Under the watchful eye of the guard she finished packing her things. There wasn't much that would make sense for her to bring to her new life, but she packed her finest hanfu anyways.
"You're lucky." Shikamaru had stuck his head through her door, peering at her folding the last of her clothes. "The princess stopped him from executing you."
She laughed, a deep, full-bodied sound coming from her. "Should I be grateful?" Ino was surprised he had come at all.
Shikamaru looked at her evenly. "I never liked that about you, you know. You were always chasing shadows. You have the opportunity to start over now, and you aren't even happy about that. I thought that's what you wanted."
"What I wanted?" Ino's voice squeaked in anger. "This family has taken everything from me. My youth, my life, and now I am supposed to be grateful for an once of their mercy?"
"You don't get it. What you could have had, what could have been— it's not worth anything. You're haunted by the lives you could have lived."
"I could have had a good life, Shikamaru," she spat back. "We could have had a good life."
"You still can." Shikamaru turned toward the door, his back to Ino now. "We still can."
She blinked, wishing for a second that he meant 'we' in the way she hoped, but he was already walking away from her door. "I hope you find what you want, Ino."
Ino was white hot and she wasn't sure if it was rage or something else. He had always known how to get under her skin, even when they were young. Their love was like a wildfire, beautiful and awful, leaving destruction in its wake, and it had felt good. But Shikamaru had left her for good this time, and Ino would not look back.
Ino picked up her luggage, trailed by Yamato's guard, and walked toward the palace gates. There was no one to wish her goodbye, as there had been no one to welcome her here all those years ago.
Neji's horse whinnied beneath him and he reached to pat its neck. Tenten had woken him before dawn, knocking quietly at his quarters, and led him to the stables. She had mounted her horse with surprising grace sans his assistance, and he wondered why she had ever accepted anyone's help with the task.
They rode into the damp morning. Spring was fully upon them now, and branches that had once sprouted bright buds were now covered in green leaves. The hundred-day mourning period was nearly half over now, and Yamato's coronation was more imminent than ever.
Tenten was taking them at a moderate pace through the forest, and she was a steady and precise guide. His wound had almost healed completely, but he could feel her slow as he fell farther behind her.
"The clearing ahead," she said breathily, riding towards the grassy space. They dismounted, Neji unsure whether he should offer his help, and he tied their horses to a nearby oak.
Tenten spread her skirts out across the damp grass, folding her knees cross-legged.
"Hinoe has really taken to you," she said as she sat in the shade.
"He has." Neji sat across from her as the breeze sung around them. Tenten wore lilac today, and he thought she looked like she would almost fit in among his own clan in that dress.
"I'm going to take the twins to the sea after the mourning period. Yamato said there's a small estate where we can stay for a while."
"It will be good for them, and you."
"A new start," Tenten said. "Do you think you will extend your time here?"
Neji paused. "If I am invited to. My uncle was satisfied to learn of your brother's upcoming ascension to the throne, and he would be happy to see me continue my time here. The Emperor of the Root is a powerful ally to have your daughter betrothed to."
Here was the hard part. Tenten reached her hand to her hair, biding her time in the silence and collecting some courage. Her stomach buzzed with anxiety. She wondered why Neji had chosen to fight for her, and feared somehow that he might run if she gave him more of herself. He was looking just past her, into the forest.
"Would you come?" The words burst sharply from her. He looked at her slightly confused, and she felt her blood run hot. "With us, to the sea. I know Hinoe would like it very much— Hinoto likes you too, though she's more quiet about it— and Yamato has approved it, should you be interested in continuing to stay with me. With us, I mean."
Tenten composed herself. Brave, she thought. You must be brave. "I would like it if you came with us. As our guard, but as my guest as well. We could spend time together, away from all of this."
Tenten looked into his eyes. He hadn't moved, not even a twitch, and was looking straight back at her. She could not stop fidgeting, and suppressed the urge to hide her face in her hands. They suddenly seemed such an awkward distance away from each other, respectable enough to be decent, but close enough that she could lean across to touch his hair. She waited for his response, and Tenten felt nauseous imagining what he might say.
"I will be by your side as long as you will have me." He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward to her. "I have even taken an oath." She cracked a half smile at his deadpan and placed a chaste kiss against his lips. They laced their fingers together.
"What if I'm not good at it?" Her eyes were closed as their foreheads pressed together. "Being in the world outside of here."
"You underestimate yourself," his breath was warm against her face.
"I don't want to be a burden to you."
Tenten opened her eyes to catch his face and would have mistaken Neji's expression for anger had she not known him better. His hands cupped her face and he pulled her into a deep kiss. They fell sideways into the grass, hair falling all around them, and he reached to put his hand on her the small of her back. Neji smelled like vanilla.
"You should not speak of yourself like that," Neji's voice was soft and low. "You are the best thing that has happened in my life."
He wrapped his arm more tightly around her waist and she lay in his arms, savoring the moment. They had the promise of a future, and it was more than Tenten could have imagined even a few weeks ago.
"I still owe you a favor." Tenten could feel him chuckling into her hair.
"I've been craving herring soba."
"I think I can manage that," she buried her face in his chest.