I Am You?! (NejiTen)

11- Keep you in my sight.

That car had been following him ever since he reached Otsusuki road, Neji noted with slight worry. They had finished an arc in the drama they were acting on site that day and left early as a result. The next arc involved the introduction of new characters, the actors of which were unavailable at the moment, so they were on a little break.

Neji decided to take a detour at a traffic light and swerved into Hashirama Avenue. All the while, his eyes never left the side mirror for more than fifteen seconds and that was to view the road. The black van was still behind him.

It might be a coincidence, Neji thought as he rounded Kaguya park and was back on Otsutsuki road. The chances of a car following yours being a coincidence was high and it was a reasonable thought unless the car was a black van. How shady was that?!

The van didn't relent on Neji's tail even as he rounded Kaguya park once again. This time the man was sure he was being followed. Neji stepped on the gas and picked up his speed. Why was he being followed?!

It would be foolish to go home right now. Neji knew that so he decided to take his pursuers on a tour of Konoha city. Cars honked loudly as he zoomed past them without warning and some tires screeched as the van maneuvered through the traffic. Tenten's KIA was faster than the van so it was easy to lose them, or so Neji thought.

When he drove into Senju street and thought he had lost his tail, Neji figured too late that he had been cornered until a car blocked his exit and the van he thought was lost blocked his entrance. Neji had to stop driving as the cars parked and some men filed out.

They were the classical definition of loan sharks. Buzz cuts, black suits, menacing looks and to top it all shady vans, Neji was very sure they were loan sharks. The man was wise enough not to get out of his car even when they knocked at his window. He only winded the glass till only his eyes showed.

"How may I help you?" Neji asked curiously yet irritatedly. God forbid they mistook him for the wrong person.

"Miss Liao Ten Ten?" The one who knocked the window asked.

"You have the wrong person." Neji started to wind up the window when the person knocked again. "What?" He asked, winding the glass fully now.

"You are Tenten, the daughter of Liao Misaki, right?" The man asked. Neji didn't know the name of Tenten's father but he knew that her mother was the Chinese parent, not him. Before he could answer, the person beside his interrogator spoke up.

"She is his daughter alright. Look how identical they are."

Now Neji could see why Tenten hated having her father's looks. "What do you want with me?" He asked warily. "I borrowed nothing from you."

"You didn't but your father did. He signed you as his guarantor and is unable to pay his debt." The man with the buzz cut spoke. Neji scowled. Wasn't Tenten supposed to be the one signing as a guarantor? There was no way in hell she would do that.

"I don't remember signing to be his guarantor." Neji laid it out slowly as if he were explaining something to a child.

"Either way you are his next of kin. Misaki owes us ten million yen and it is now your responsibility."

Neji choked on air. Ten million?! What did that fucker use it for?! "Hold on a minute, I didn't agree to any of this!" Neji sputtered incredulously.

"You have two week's grace to make the payment otherwise things would get ugly. I hope to hear from you very soon, miss Tenten." The man slipped a business card through the window and stalked off with the other thugs in tow while Neji sat dumbfounded.

So this was what Misaki meant by his statement at Tenten's doorstep. The man was pushing all of his responsibility (more like irresponsibility) on Tenten! That shit eater! Neji growled.

-

“Tenten, are you okay?”

Tenten jolted at the boisterous voice of her best friend, Lee. The woman was happy that he did not allow what happened years ago and the way she estranged him come in the way of their friendship. Lee was still his usual self with her and not bitter about how she just isolated herself , and for that she was happy.

“Oh? I am fine Lee, thanks for asking.” Tenten mumbled.

“You are not your usual youthful self Tenten that much I could pick out from the way you keep twisting Neji’s hair in your fingers.” Tenten gasped softly as she caught herself and dropped Neji’s hair from her fingers. Lee still remembered her nervous habit. “You know what? I shall go get us a youth refreshing drink!”

“Wait Lee-” Tenten started to reject the offer but the flapping door was what she got as her answer. Tenten sighed when Lee barged in with two sodas in his hands. She appreciated his efforts and drank the soda anyway.

“Refreshing isn’t it?” Lee asked with his usual bright and blinding grin.

“Yeah, it is.” Tenten smiled and gulped down some soda. There was silence between them for some minutes before Lee spoke up and interrupted the serenity.

“So what is troubling my youthful spring flower?” Lee asked in his brotherly caring voice. Tenten could not find anyone in Konoha who was more loyal than the man, who decided that a bowl cut in the 21st century was the best hairstyle, before her.

“It is Neji.” Tenten confessed. “I feel that something would happen to him and I want to avoid it.” Tenten then proceeded to tell Lee about her father and the sort of trouble that Neji was in because of him.

“That unyouthful person that is called your father deserves a morning peacock barrage from me! When I see him, I shall teach him a lesson not to touch my youthful spring flower!” Lee proclaimed while standing and doing the karate courtesy stance.

Tenten giggled at his antics. “You have to stand in the line then. First I’ll beat him, then Neji, then you. No, how about we all beat his ass together? That would be awesome.” They both shared a laugh at her statement and finished the last of their drinks. “On a serious note Lee, I don’t want to leave Neji out of my sight. I know he is capable of protecting himself but one can not be too careful right?”

“Yiosh!” Lee exclaimed with a fist in the air. “I swear on my honour to protect Neji who is in your body temporally with everything I have. Osu!” The green clad man swore.

“Osu!” Tenten echoed.

Their promise never to let Neji out of their sight was kept strong, even to a point that Neji had to gut Lee to keep him from following him into the bathroom but what was going to happen will happen. There was no way they could expect or avoid it.

***

I am sorry for the wait. I stumbled upon a tiny writer’s block about how to place this chapter in a suitable way. Thank you for reading. The next chapter marks the beginning of the plot intended for this story. All the previous chapters were just introductions and preparations. So let’s start the main story, shall we?

QOTC: What do you think happened between Neji, Lee and Tenten five years ago?

Please vote and review. Your thoughts serve to inspire. Till next chapter guys, bye bye.

-Star.