The Caged Bird

Flashback

It wasn't as if Neji had never cooked for her before. There was a time, long ago. 

"He's probably forgotten all about it."

21 years ago

Neji Hyuga walked through the marketplace with a sense of purpose, his Byakugan activating every now and then to scan his surroundings. The bustling crowd of Konoha's street markets didn't deter him—he had been on more dangerous and complex missions. But this one? This was... different.

The young genius of the Hyuga clan was currently.....

shopping for Tenten.

Tenten had been injured while training, and it was quite an injury.

Rock Lee had provided him with a list of groceries earlier that day.

While Lee desperately begged Neji to bring him along with him, he was quite certain that Lee would just fill up two carts with fever medicine and protein powder. While Neji might not have been able to convince Lee not to come with these few reasons, Guy sensei had shown up right at that moment. Apparently there were some rouge ninjas that had snuck into Konoha; Lee had been specifically selected for two reasons (1. Tsunade knew that Lee would probably bother Tenten every moment if he didn't find anything to do and (2. these ninjas were specialist in taijutsu. Lee was the best one they had available. Lee reluctantly accepted the mission, but not before providing Neji with a shopping list.

"Come on, it's just a few things. Tenten will love it for sure. Make sure to cook them right."

And so here he was, scanning through stalls with a list of ordinary items. For the prodigious Byakugan user, this was as foreign a mission as any he'd encountered.

First on the list: rice.

Neji paused in front of a shop that displayed an array of rice sacks. Different kinds of grains, different regions they came from—long-grain, short-grain, brown, white. His mind immediately categorized the possibilities, but he realized something troubling. 

Which kind does Tenten prefer?

He weighed the options, his Byakugan not particularly helpful in this instance. He hesitated for a moment, then quickly settled on a mid-grade bag. He figured it was a balance of practicality and quality, something he felt suited her.

Next: vegetables.

He passed by the leafy greens, scanning for fresh produce. Carrots, cucumbers, and cabbages all made their way into his basket, and he even threw in some radishes for variety. His precision here wasn't so much the concern—he could tell just by looking which vegetables were the freshest—but when he picked up a small bundle of cilantro, a question entered his mind: Does Tenten even like cilantro?

The thought haunted him for a brief second. Was it too bold of him to assume? Neji quickly put it back, just in case.

The egg stand was a breeze, much to his relief. He picked up a dozen without much internal conflict, though his gaze shifted to the cashier's curious look at his stern expression.

Lastly, meat. 

He stared at all the different meats with a determined look. After examining all the different types, he was starting to get quite confused. 

They all looked the same. All red, all quite wet, and all the same look.

After being assisted by the tags with the names on them, he made a choice on 1 kilograms of beef.

Does Tenten eat beef?

While making his way to checkout, he passed by the snack isle.

Wouldn't hurt to look.