Author's Note: Written for wei as part of the Naruto Fic Fest, 2014 edition!

Time for Tea

It was a beautiful day in the hidden village of Konoha. But not just a beautiful day - a glorious day! An energetic, youthful day! A bright, shining, spring day! And on such a wonderful, sparkling day, to what else can a young man or maiden's heart turn but thoughts of love?

"LEAF DUSTING SHELVES WHIRLWIND!"

"EIGHT TRIGRAMS CARPET VACUUM PALM!"

Well. There was also training. And indeed, it was thoughts of training that occupied the noble hearts of the fine trio currently occupying Training Ground Seven. At least, it occupied two of the noble hearts. Tenten had decided to sit this particular duel of cleaning jutsu out and was taking a nap - uh, "restoring her chakra" - in a nice patch of cool green shade. Her techniques weren't all that useful around the house, anyway, unless you liked decorating with maces. (Which she did, but they were hell to dust.)

She was idly regretting the fact she'd forgotten to sneak some ear plugs into her pockets this morning when she sensed someone else approaching - someone who wasn't one of her two idiots. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and trying to think an excuse in case it was Gai-sensei wanting to know why she wasn't practicing.

Instead, a soft, familiar voice said, "Excuse me, Tenten..."

Tenten blinked. "Hinata?" Indeed, it was Neji's once-despised, now-precious cousin, nervously twisting her fingers together. "Um, are you here to see Neji? Because he's kind of -"

"Foolish Lee! Your hodge-podge techniques can never - what? What is that? You can't seriously be - AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"- busy," Tenten finished. She winced as Neji went flying overhead, his hair ribbons and apron flapping in the warm spring breeze. Maybe she ought to step in and stop them - nah, on second thought, it was usually better to let the boys get it out of their systems. They'd just be ridiculous about something else tomorrow. (And Neji did look sort of cute in that apron...)

"No, actually - I, um, wanted to talk to you," Hinata said. "If you don't mind - I mean, if you don't have anything else to do."

"Haha, no, I'm free!" Tenten jumped up, brushing bits of grass off her pants. "Do you want to get tea?" Lee ran by in full matronly housewife get-up, screaming about dust bunnies and the best way to mop those hard-to-reach corners. "I could really go for some tea about now."

"Okay..."

Hinata kept saying she didn't care which cafe they went to, so Tenten took them to her personal favorite teahouse, even though it was a little on the dingy side - frayed edges on the wall hangings, cheap prints faded in precise squares where sunlight through the windows hit them, a few too many creaks in the wooden floor. Well, at least Hinata wasn't complaining even if it wasn't exactly the kind of place a clan heir would normally go for tea, and they did have the best sweet sesame dumplings that weren't made by her mother. Also it wasn't too hard on Tenten's wallet.

After they ordered tea and a few snacks from a long-haired lady who was hiding her face with a fan for some reason, Tenten said, "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Well... I've been thinking..." Hinata traced the old scars of patrons past left in the tabletop with her fingers. "I was thinking - you're really good with weapons, and with sealing techniques..."

"Thanks! Yeah, they're kind of my specialty," Tenten said. "Maybe not as flashy as Neji and Lee's techniques, but they're pretty reliable." With much less tendency to get really weird.

"So I thought - um - well, I'm not really good at either of them, and Kurenai-sensei specializes in genjutsu instead... Maybe we could practice together sometimes, and you could help me?" Hinata glanced up from the table. "I know it's a lot to ask, but I thought - if it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd really like that."

"Uh, okay," Tenten said. "I wouldn't mind - are you sure there isn't anyone else you'd rather train with, though? I mean, I know Neji would be more than happy to help." Maybe too happy, actually.

"Ah, well, I thought - it'd be nice if I could surprise Neji with how much I've improved," Hinata said, blushing a little. "But if it would be a problem..."

"No, no, it's no problem! It would be fun." She smiled at Hinata, and Hinata gave her a tiny smile back. "In fact, I've kind of been coming up with some ideas already, at least about sealing techniques. Since you can see the chakra pathways so clearly, I think that with the right set-up, you could place a seal right on -"

"Here you go, girls," the waitress with the fan said as she placed a tray filled with tea, dumplings, and cinnamon rolls on the table. "Everything you've ordered -" She turned away from the table and cackled in a much deeper voice. "- and then some! Ohohohoho!"

Oh, for crying out loud. Even in Tenten's favorite teahouse she couldn't get away from the creeps. "Hinata, don't drink the tea," she said, "it's probably poisoned or something."

"Poisoned? Of course not! Drink up, drink up, before it gets cold!" said the now-very-obviously-Orochimaru-in-a-lousy-disguise waitress.

Hinata paused with her cup of tea halfway to her mouth. "Um..."

"Seriously, this has been happening to us all the time lately," Tenten said. "No idea why. Don't drink it, we'll go somewhere else."

"Drink it! I insist! Before it loses its flavor!"

The door to the teahouse burst open, and bright spring sunlight shone behind the outline of - Tenten squinted - yep, that was Lee all right, still in his apron with a handkerchief tied around his hair. Neji was right behind him in the same get-up. "Tenten! Hinata! Are you all right?" Lee cried. "We received a note that claimed you had been drugged and kidnapped and we had to come here to rescue you!"

"That stupid Kabuto!" Orochimaru hissed. "He was supposed to wait and deliver the note after I had the kunoichi tied up! What was he thinking?"

"Aha! We have foiled your evil plot, you monster!"

"Some plot," Tenten muttered.

"Curses!" Orochimaru threw up his arms and knocked over the table, which jogged Hinata's arm - and sent a splash of the drugged tea directly towards her open mouth.

Well, crap. Tenten started to jump across the table and push Hinata out of the way, but before she could move a streak of white and dark brown dove between Hinata and the tea. "Neji, no!"

But she was too late. The drugged tea landed in Neji's mouth, and he crashed to the floor, out like a light.

"Neji-niisan!" Hinata knelt beside him, shaking his shoulders. "Wake up, please!"

"AAAAAHHHHHHH! You've struck down my teammate!" Lee yelled at Orochimaru. "I'll never forgive you!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, I'll never forgive you or stupid Kabuto for messing up my brilliant plan!"

Tenten sighed. Some days, there was just no escaping the madness, not even to get a cup of tea and sesame dumplings. Speaking of which - oh, no. Her dumplings had ended up on the floor along with everything else when Orochimaru had flipped the table.

She cracked her knuckles. Now it was on.