The Girl With Two Buns. A NejiTen Fanfic

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Night time met Neji shivering terribly because of the intense cold. The wind seeped into his bones, causing a flu to arise and his teeth to clatter against each other. His muscles were cramped and stiff, not to mention the sunburn he had last afternoon due to bowing on the hot floor under the hot sun. Even though his yukata shielded most places of his body, he still turned irritably red in some areas that the yukata failed to cover.

This was just the beginning of everything.

Tenten was tied to a pole and whipped without mercy. She didn't know what they were talking about but her ignorance was mistaken for defiance. Shion kept her lie up in fear of facing Hiashi's wrath after he had discovered the truth and absconded from Konoha.

The sun's rays melted the cold away but Neji still felt horrible. His skin was irritated by insect and mosquito bites, not to mention, he was already feeling the telltale signs of malaria fever. His head hammered with severe migraine and his hands trembled but not with cold. Blood started dripping from his nose by the time the sun reached its peak, burning his already irritated skin further.

Moegi and Hanabi watched Neji from afar with brimming tears. The servant girl could tell that Tenten was innocent and it was likely a false accusation from lady Shion but she was afraid to talk for fear of it being considered blasphemy. Every time Hiashi and his eunuchs passed by Neji, he scorned and deemed him invisible to his eyes. The ministers of the land sneered and depraved him but Neji remained on his knees with his head on the ground.

He developed a cough by the end of the day which was accompanied with blood vomit at times. His illness was only enhanced because of the conditions he put himself through but Neji refused to stand up. His appetite wasn't much to begin with so Neji was not worried about food, only Tenten occupied his mind. How was she? Was she hurt? She must be scared. Is she eating?

After another torture session in which Tenten had no words to say, her battered self was thrown into her cell. She yelped at the pain from her open wounds but could not move from her position. Everything hurt. Scabs of dried blood and dirt clung to her skin and hair making her feel filthy but none of that mattered to her. Was Neji still bowing there? Has he stood up? How was his health? Was the illness acting up? Would the king hear him out? How long was he planning to stay there for?

Hinata's heart took a dive to her stomach at the sound of rain. She saw the pool of blood and fluid Neji vomited and knew that he'd caught an infection, the rain would only add more to his problems but it didn't matter how much she and her sister yelled for him to arise, Neji never gave in. The rain picked up its tempo and fell harshly unto the ground, blowing wind and beating fast which frightened the woman to the core.

The rain lasted the whole night through the next day, ending only in the evening. Hinata couldn't take any of this anymore. She called for a physician and instructed her servants to fetch medicinal herbs for Neji. She had endured three days without reaching out to him. Neji had endured three harsh days and two brutal nights under stressful conditions.

Hinata went to the throne room where she knew her father was and knelt beside Neji. Her action earned a series of gasps and whispers from the servants, eunuchs and ministers but she wasn't deterred. She reached out and touch Neji, face falling at the immense coldness of his skin, and raised his head. Thick dark circles and eye bags played around his eyes which were dimmed due to exhaustion and weariness. His forehead was bruised as well as his hands and blood streamed down freely from his nose. Hinata gasped at the ghastly sight of her dear cousin-brother and held him in an embrace, unmindful of how he reeked because of the lack of a bath. Neji had no strength in him so he fully leaned on her for support.

"T-Ten-Ten." He rasped hoarsely and coughed up blood, staining Hinata's purple Kimon and falling unconscious. Just then the doors of the throne room opened and out stormed Hiashi like a raging bull. The nerve of that girl to defile his orders-! As Hiashi took in the vulnerable state his brother's son was in, all the anger he felt diminished considerably. Before he could talk however, Hinata faced him with determined eyes and said.