A/N: I have something special for you guys. Fresh off the press, this is my new story. Please note the MATURE rating! Enjoy.

Started: Thursday, January 08, 2009

Draft Finished: Tuesday, Junary 20, 2009

Fiction: Continuation

Rated:Mature for suggestive language and sexual behavior.

Disclaimer: The character and names of Naruto characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi-sensei.

Anime: Naruto

Pairings: NejiTen

Genre: Romance/Drama

Summary: In a far away kingdom of a male dominant society lives a prince by the name of Hyuuga Neji who has never seen a woman in his life. . .until on his twenty first birthday. Given as a gift, Tenten manages to captivate the prince's interest: only to find that he does not plan to let her leave his side at any cost.

Six Seeds of a Pomegranate

Part One

The Kingdom was a quiet place. Full of men in high positions of power, its contents were unknown to the people who lived beyond the palace walls. Deep inside, the pristine and majestic palace lived the prince of the Kingdom who could care less about it. Yet every day, orders would run smoothly and without question, leaving no room for distractions under the rule of the wise prince.

Near the outskirts of this kingdom, a village of women existed, living freely and not bound to the rules of the Kingdom. Full of pride, wisdom, and independence, these women were discreet about their business and kept a simple lifestyle. They remained under the influence of their own people and no one else.

Some women of the Village have never seen men. If they were lucky enough, one day they would. Stories, fables, whatever you called them, they heard them all. Some even lived it, but refuse to tell the tale.

Unfortunately for Tenten, meeting the first man in her life was anything but lucky because he wasn't just any man; he was the crowned prince of the entire kingdom, and whether she liked it or not, he did not want her to leave.

Not ever.

To say the prince was proud to live in his palace was a downright lie. Every day he would see the same people, do his duties, and return to his empty room where he might get a good night's rest. He had this routine down for as long as he could remember until one day, his entire agenda changed.

It was his twenty-first birthday and the entire kingdom made a spectacle of it. To him, his birthday didn't grant high on his list of important things. Why should you celebrate your mortality when it was clearly a countdown to your death?

Many gifts were presented to him with hopes of acknowledgment or praise from the said prince, but his lips were sealed. Occasionally, he would offer a glance at the object in sight, only to turn away in boredom until one particular gift caught his eye.

"Your Majesty," the man said. "I present to you a rarity." He examined her from head to toe, etching every detailed of her in his mind; from her pink full lips, full chest to her wide hips, he noted the difference in her smaller frame compared to the men. "A woman from the Village."

"What is her name?" The whole room immediately went silent upon the prince's question.

The man tugged on the chains, hard enough to make the brunette female fall to her knees. Aware of his command to tell the prince her name, her amber orbs remained hard and unmoving. She held her head high, knowing that she had the upper hand, for even the lowest of man would not strike a woman.

There was something intriguing about the woman. Perhaps it was her rebellious attitude or her display of pride that caught his attention. Nevertheless, the prince told the man to take her to his room. He wanted to find out himself.

"As you wish, Your Highness." The man pulled her onto her feet and led her out the door while the entire room watched her closely. It was one thing to read and view sketches of women from books and another to actual meet one.

For the second time that day, Tenten silently cursed herself for deciding to wander alone at night, knowing that the Kingdom was in a middle of a raging war.

Heaven be damned.

The prince locked the heavy doors upon entering the room. Then walking in his usual stride, Neji approached the young female who sat ever so still on his bed.

When she saw him, she spoke. "Let me go," were the first words she said to him. Her glare did not go by unnoticed; the anger radiated off her like fire. Her typical attitude toward her current situation did not faze the prince.

"Tell me your name," he stated firmly. Standing in front of her, she scanned the prince from the head down: long dark hair ran down the sides of his face outlined the sharp characteristics of his solemn expression while his ivory eyes pierced through her own. For a moment, she had to remind her body to stay still. To show any signs of weakness in front of the prince would only give him the satisfaction that he intimidated her. There was no way in hell Tenten was going to let that happen.

"It's Tenten. Now please let me go. I have nothing you want." Tenten simply told him. She wanted, no needed, to get out of here and return home, back to her village and her friends. She didn't want to be stuck in the Kingdom with all of these men, especially the prince out of all the people. Ever since she arrived, the echo of lonliness followed her, waiting like a lingering shadow.

"A war exists outside these walls. You will die if you leave," the Hyuuga prince warned her. He could care less, but this fact did not go unnoticed by the couple. At the height of the war, it was a dangerous time, even a blind man can tell.

"And whose fault is that?" She retorted, fully knowing the on-going war between the Uchiha and the Hyuuga clans. Where women in her village live in peace, Tenten was glad that she was not involve with the overbearing deaths of people who would only fight for selfish reasons. She hated violence. "Now, if you'd be so kind," she said, holding the chains in front of her. As confident as she was, Tenten knew that begging would not get you anywhere unless you have the upper hand. Regardless, the concept of an authority figure boiled down to one's skill of manipulation. If she wanted to get out of here, her only chance was to stay in control of her emotions.

Neji moved toward her with the silver keys in hand and freed her from the heavy bindings. "I've released you, however you may not leave my palace." The young female scoffed and sent him a smirk.

"Watch me." Just as she headed toward the door, he grabbed her by the wrist. She didn't even have the time to hiss at the sudden pressure clasped on her already chaffed skin.

"I already told you that it's not safe." Damn, he was insistent.

"You're hurting me," she told him through her teeth. The prince immediately released her wrist without apology. "I rather be safe in my own home, thank you." Neji ignored the sarcasm in her voice, but he did not appreciate being insulted by this female. It was time to show her who was in charge here.

"I wasn't giving you a choice." Dark eyes locked onto the unwavering pearl orbs. They were at a standstill. His statement marked the end of their conversation and to demonstrate this, Neji turned his back and walked away from her as if he dared her to escape.

Just like he predicted, she headed straight for the door only to find that it was locked from the inside. As the frustrated brunette let out a exasperated groan, she kicked the door and stomped toward the sound of the prince's footsteps. If she wanted to get out of here, she'd need the keys.

"I want to leave. Why must I stay in the palace?" When she didn't get an answer, Tenten marched right over to Neji and pulled the book right out of his hands and threw it behind her. She was determined to get out of here. This place was suffocating her by each passing minute. "You. Will. Release. Me," her demanding voice told him as she poked him in the chest with each word. With such close proximity, the prince grabbed firmly on her chin and pulled her close to his face.

"You do not give the orders here." When she gazed into his stern silver depths she saw the anger and a glint of coldness in them. "I already told you, you're not allowed to leave. You belong here with me." He lets go of her. "You can entertain me. What are your talents?" At that question, the brunette didn't hesitate to show him. Grabbing the darts that laid on the table, her steady hands released them toward the prince with deadly accuracy.

Though the prince deflected all that she threw at him, he stopped when he realized her target. At the sound of a clink, both of them turned their heads at the direction of the sound. The key rested on the floor. As Tenten went to dive for it, Neji had already reached it and her body collided with his. The two of them were sprawled on the floor with her on top of him.

"Give me the key," she said, struggling get the key to her freedom. The further she reached, the higher she stretched unaware that she was unconsciously grinding against another body. Tenten was only concern with the shiny metal key. Then, finally the prince had it. He flipped the female onto her back, cradling her to the floor by locking their hips together. Her arms rendered useless above her head. Knowing he had the advantage, Neji didn't even bother to loosen his tight hold. She was stubborn one, still thrashing slightly when she was well defeated.

"Was that your talent?" Her silence said it all and the prince smirked. "I'm impressed. If that is what you have to offer, then you will be of use to me." He shifted his weight, being careful to not hurt her.

"I have nothing to offer to you," she hissed. At this point, Tenten remained still. There was no use fighting him. He was stronger than her.

"Is that so?" His rhetorical question stays true to its meaning, and suddenly his lips crashed down upon hers. Almost immediately, he jerked his head away only to see his finger stained with his own blood when he touched his mouth. Though she wanted to, Tenten didn't have time to smirk, or spit out a witty comment when she felt her own body being lifted up by the prince. He threw her unceremoniously onto the large bed and before she knew it, the sound of metal rang in her ears. "This is the beginning of your punishment."

"Why don't you just kill me?" She'd rather die then be used by people like him, especially him. The prince leaned in, closing in on the personal space.

"You have something I want," he whispered. "A talent that is useful to me. I want you to live in my kingdom." His cold fingers touched her forehead as he brushed the stray hair that was covering her dark eyes. "Where you will be able to hone your skills." They softly trailed down her face, tracing the delicate structure of her features. "To your fullest potential." She didn't move and his fingers lingered on her throat. "In due time, when you are ready," the slightest vibration traveled throughout her body, and an oblivious gasp escaped her lips when Neji pushed her back against the bed. The prince's hand glided down her neck, unbuttoning her collar with ease. Ever so slowly, he managed to undo all of her buttons, exposing her naked flesh to his piercing gaze. She tried to shift out of their position, but found it fruitless with his tight hold on her. She was trapped.

"Then you will be mine." She let him drink in the sight of her, feeling the anger bubbling in her stomach as each second passed. Shame was the last thing on her mind. Finally, the prince leaned in, hovering closely to her ear, and in a low calm whisper, he said to her,"and you will kill for me." Her heart stopped when she heard those words. Then, without warning, the prince's lips crushed onto hers, silencing her hallow whimpers. What she didn't know was this was only the beginning.

The Kingdom was nevermore a quiet place.

A/N: Sorry if this is a bit short than my usual length, however I would love your input. Should I continue this story? Please review!