Fragile Hearts

Fragile Hearts: Twenty-Seven

Naruto sat awkwardly in the room with everyone else in complete silence. His cerulean blue eyes glanced from Hinata who was seated beside him, to her father then the little girl in question that sat with Tenten opposite to them.

No one spoke as they were all too baffled by the sight of whom they all assumed was the brunette's daughter. Though the question on everyone's mind was regarding who the father was, though they all had a pretty good idea.

Naruto cleared his throat and decided to say something. "Um...Tenten I've heard so much about you," he said with a smile. The brunette lifted her head and glanced at him, seeing the smile on his face she returned it sheepishly and nodded.

"You must be Naruto," she replied quietly. The blonde nodded but didn't miss the glare that he was receiving from Neji who sat on the other side of Hinata. "I've heard much about you too, it's nice to finally...meet you." Her voice grew thinner the more she spoke, frightened by the deafening silence in the room.

"Tenten-"

"H-how have you been?" Hinata asked cutting into her cousin's sentence. The Hyūga narrowed his eyes at her, but she merely ignored him.

"Good," she replied just as Hiashi stood.

"I'll leave you all alone to catch up. Come with me Nori," he said gesturing to the little girl. She glanced at Tenten with her pale eyes and only got up when she was given permission. They all watched the little brunette take ahold of the older Hyūga's hand and turn to stare at Neji as she was led out of the room. However once they were gone, the silence returned and the tension in the room rose.

"So what brings you here Hinata?" Tenten asked.

"Uh, well Neji-nii convinced me to come with him." She answered while Naruto flinched slightly from all the awkwardness.

"Oh...you didn't tell me he was back," she muttered.

The pale girl looked away, "it wasn't my place to."

"Right...when did you get back?" Tenten asked shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

Neji frowned, "I don't think that matters right now Tenten." She scoffed and he furrowed his eyebrows, "are you going to explain or do I have to ask?"

"About?" She countered with dull eyes.

"Nori, is she-"

"My daughter?" At that everyone else froze awaiting her answer. "Yes."

Neji felt as though he'd been slapped in the face with a wet rag. The shock of finding out that Tenten had a child was mind boggling.

"Tenten you...why didn't you tell me?" Hinata asked.

"If you guys will excuse me, I have some...stuff to do," Naruto said standing. He could see that they needed privacy and he'd respect that.

"I didn't know how to," she said. "I thought you'd hate me."

"Hate you? Tenten I told you that I could never hate you," she said going to sit beside her.

The brunette offered her a small smile, "I'm sorry."

Neji stood and started pacing around the room, running a hand through his hair he sighed. "I have a daughter," he muttered repeatedly, still in shock. Never had he expected to return from his time in the army to a daughter he never knew he had. It was all too overwhelming.

"How do you know it's yours?" Hinata teased with a small smirk on her face.

Neji blushed slightly and turned to face her; flustered he choose his words carefully. "Well...she looks just like me."