a/n: Hello, all! XD This is one of the previously 'coming-soon' stories that I happened to become inspired and type out before finishing Chapter 21 of WWL. I know I'm making more work/stress/deadlines for myself but, hey, I should grasp my muse while its still whispering ideas into my ear.

Well, enjoy! :)

disclaimer: Neji, Tenten, and other characters (c) Masashi Kishimoto

kisses,
Iris:D


OUT OF PROPORTION
CHAPTER 1
~prioritize~

"I'll never become distracted."


"It's hopeless, Ten."

Tenten watched from across the table as the normally-exuberant blonde picked half-heartedly at her untouched salad. Ino's perfectly manicured hand reached up and combed through her bangs, a nervous habit she had developed ever since their first modeling job.

"I doubt it." Tenten took a sip from her diet Coke and delicately nibbled on a French fry.

Ino gazed at the fried potato with obvious lust but when Tenten shoved the plate towards her, she shuddered and looked down at her salad once more. "How do you do it, Ten-chan?"

"Do what?" Tenten swirled her French fry in a small cup of ketchup.

"How do you…you…eat junk like that-" she pointed accusingly at her plate of fries, "-and still look so fucking great?"

Tenten stuck the strip of potato in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Well then, tell me how you can be so skinny? Remember our trip to Suna last summer? A lady stopped us on the street and recommended a therapist for you to get help for your 'eating disorder'."

"Bullshit," Ino murmured indignantly, stabbing at a leaf of lettuce with furor. "I don't have a disorder! I eat!" She bit into the lettuce. "And I most definitely do not binge! All that stomach acid coming up again – it would stain my teeth!" Now, she flashed her dazzling white smile and Tenten returned it with a half grin.

"You're already a size 2, Ino," Tenten pointed out. "That's fucking great."

"I need to be a size 0," the blonde whined childishly. "You weren't there at my fitting yesterday. Absolute disaster – my thighs looked like hams!" She jutted out her leg, her tight jean shorts showing an awful lot of perfectly tanned skin.

In Tenten's opinion, they didn't look like hams in the slightest.

"You know I'm a size 6, right?" Tenten raised an eyebrow. "If anyone needs to go on a diet, it's me."

Ino shook her head indignantly, looking positively scandalized. "Are you freaking kidding me? You, my darling, are gorgeous! You've got curves! You've got a tight ass! Girl, you've got more buns than a bakery!"

"But you just said a size 0 is the ideal size," she reminded her friend.

"Tenten," Ino groaned exasperatedly as if she were talking to an immature, naïve child, "you look good as a size 6! You've got this amazing hourglass figure – and perfect boobs. Damn girl, I cannot believe you haven't had them done."

"You're so much skinnier than me, though," Tenten reminded her. "You're…model-perfect."

"No, I'm model-thin," Ino corrected her. "You are model-perfect. Great figure, luscious hair, sexy assets…" She sighed wistfully. "I'm so fucking jealous. Lucky bitch," she muttered under her breath.

Tenten smiled sympathetically and stood up, shouldering her dark chocolate purse. "Come on – let's go. It's pretty obvious you aren't going to finish."

Ino nodded and stood up, surveying her tanned legs. "So stick-like," she complained as they strode out of the restaurant, "they've got no shape."

Climbing into the car, Tenten caught her friend staring wistfully at her legs and she patted her consolingly.

"You're lucky you're so naturally gorgeous," Ino sulked. "Never give that up, Ten. Especially to be skinny. I'd rather be gorgeous than skinny any day."

"Vanity is my favourite sin."
~Al Pacino

"We have a problem."

Neji remained seated in his armchair and glanced up at his uncle pacing around his office in deep thought. "And that would be?"

"New model," Hiashi muttered, handing a file to Neji, who skimmed through it at once. "She's shown a lot of potential but as President of Byakugan Entertainment, I need to make sure all of the models are up to standard."

Furrowing his eyebrows, Neji tilted the glossy photo of an attractive brunette and studied it. "What's wrong with her?"

"Her figure – flip to the next photo," instructed Hiashi.

Neji did so and was greeted by the same curvaceous girl sporting a sundress and cuddling a puppy. "I see nothing wrong. On the contrary, I find her very alluring."

"Her wardrobe is a size 6," Hiashi said, as if it were the Apocalypse.

"But she looks stunning as a size 6. Remove any more weight and she'll look like a shrunken prune," Neji pointed out.

Hiashi snatched the folder out of Neji's hand and shook his head slowly. "Perhaps it was an unwise choice to make you Vice President if you lack support in my decisions."

"It isn't a lack of support," Neji protested quickly.

"Then pay a visit to Tenten-san and persuade her drop to a size 2 within six months," Hiashi instructed. "If not, I will be forced to annul her contract – regretfully, of course, as she has shown a world of potential."

"Yes, Hiashi-sama, I will speak to Tenten-san." Neji stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Speak to her, convince her. If that ultimately fails, I have another course of action in mind, although I pray that we need not have to use it."

"Love is a better teacher than duty."
~Albert Einstein

Tenten pursed her lips as she watched Lee troop into her apartment wearing an elephant gray sweater and settle himself at her kitchen table, his trusty binder clutched in his hand. "Ready for our youthful pre-shoot info-fill-in?"

"Sure."

She took the seat beside him and he flipped to a section in the binder labeled with tomorrow's date and proffered it to her.

"Alright, you will be modeling for that designer of handbags…what's-his-face…" Lee glanced his notes, "…ah, Ebisu…right, you will need to be at the studios by two o'clock. Should I ask the Hyuugas to send you a car?"

"No, I'll drive my own car," Tenten answered, glancing at the full-color photos of leather handbags, all with the trademark 'E' hidden somewhere.

"And you better take a shower before coming!" Lee warned, waggling a finger to and fro, eyeing her messy bun with distaste.

"I will, Lee. Don't worry." Tenten outlined the picture of a vibrant, floral purse with her forefinger. "Are we doing full-body shots?"

Lee consulted his notes and nodded. "A couple full-bodies, one half-body, but mostly close-ups of the handbags. Oh, and they reminded me to tell you that they have a few outfits that they paired up with the handbags so you should just wear whatever you feel like. But no work-out clothes," he added with a glare.

"Of course, Lee, I wouldn't want to show up in my sports bra and spandex," Tenten said, rolling her eyes.

"That is fortunate because I hear Ebisu himself is coming and I am counting on the rumors that he is a closet-pervert to be true." Lee's eyes grew very wide. "We would not want him to deflower our lotus!"

When Tenten remained silent – she became transfixed by the wavy, curving flower patterns on the picture – Lee took it the wrong way and jumped up, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Oh, heaven help me! Tenten! You are still pure, are you not? You have not been deflowered, have you?" Lee sat back with an almighty groan and threw his hands to the sky.

"Hey, relax," Tenten commanded, "I'm still a virgin. And I don't have a boyfriend."

His eyes crinkled into a grateful smile. "Oh, happy day! This is good news, very good news! You will not have any distractions whatsoever. Modeling is your priority, remember that. Repeat after me, Ten-chan: Modeling is my priority."

"Modeling is my priority," she echoed, only because she knew that doing so would shut him up.

Lee nodded approvingly. "That is right! Now, do not forget it!"

"Decide what you want,
Decide what you are willing to exchange for it.
Establish your priorities,
and get to work."
~H. L. Hunt

There she was.

He recognized her from the photos he had been presented with yesterday.

She was gliding towards him, dressed in a very chic navy blue blazer and killer heels, passing off a leather purse to one of the many assistants. Clearing his throat as she passed, she only glanced up and gave his an offhand nod and proceeded on her way to the dressing room, many make-up artists following in suit.

Neji frowned, unaccustomed to such carelessness, and followed her to her dressing room. The guard outside of her room recognized him at once and bowed, opening the door for him. Satisfied, he stood beside her chair.

She studied herself in the mirror as various brushes danced their way across her face for a few moments before her eyes met his. Her eyes widened and her smile broadened into one that quite clearly said 'I-have-no-time-for-you-but-because-I'm-polite-I'll-have-to-acknowledge-you'.

"You're lucky I wasn't changing," she commented, her eyes straying to one of the many light bulbs that lined her mirror.

"Neji Hyuuga, Vice President of Byakugan Entertainment," he introduced himself, bowing slightly. He involuntarily smoothed his dress shirt and slacks, a habit he had developed when meeting new people.

"Pleasure," she answered, pursing her lips as one of the make-up artists approached her with a vat of glitter. "I've heard about you, Hyuuga-sama. Really, it's an honor."

He could clearly detect the sarcasm in her voice but chose to overlook it. "If perhaps I caught you at a bad time…" Neji racked his brains for a name, "…ah, Tenten-san, I will gladly wait for you to finish up before speaking with you."

"Yes, I am rather busy now," Tenten agreed, looking at him strangely, as if she couldn't begin to fathom why the company VP decided to spring a surprise visit on her. "Maybe when I'm done?"

"Certainly."

Tenten gave a wry smile and stood up, gesturing him to the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I need to change outfits."

Three hours and eighteen handbags later, Tenten returned to her dressing room, surprised to see Neji seated in one of the armchairs. Sighing, she snatched up her regular clothes and headed to the changing room in the back of the room.

"I would kick you out if you weren't the company's VP, you know," she pointed out to him. "But I won't, because I'm not an idiot."

"Good girl," Neji deadpanned patronizingly.

Tenten stuck her tongue out at the back of Neji's head and disappeared behind the curtain. When she stepped out, comfortably dressed in yoga pants and a sweatshirt, she headed over to her mirror and proceeded to wipe off the mounds of make-up she had on her face.

The whole time, Neji watched her with apparent interest. She could see him watching her in the mirror but chose not to comment or reprimand him for it. He was, after all, VP and had more than enough power to rescind her contract if he saw fit.

When she finished, she rotated on the spot and seated herself in the chair across from Neji's.

He was surprised at how much she had transformed. The curls in her hair were beginning to fall out and without those dark circles of make-up, her natural beauty was more noticeable. The girl he had previously seen was a caricature of the real Tenten, a considerably more made-up version of her. And unconsciously, he decided that he preferred the bona fide girl over a mobile porcelain doll.

"Now, what was it you wanted to talk about?" she prompted him, shifting in her seat, clearly uncomfortable.

Neji smiled slightly, an effort to make her feel at ease. Though it proved fruitless, Tenten appreciated the effort. "I simply wanted to chat. It's very important for me to get to know our promising models, to establish a better relationship with them to ensure many, many happy years."

"I see." She looked rather wary, apprehensive.

"So, tell me, how did you start modeling?" he asked, much like a talk show host grilling his special guest.

"My friend is one of the models here and she sent in an application for me without my permission," she confessed, fiddling with a lock of her dark hair. "When I had received a reply from Byakugan Entertainment, I was shocked. But my friend convinced me to give it a try and here I am. It's been a wonderful experience," she added quickly to ensure that Neji didn't assume that she thought this was all a burden.

He studied her for a moment and nodded pleasantly. "I'm glad you decided to take a risk and reaped fruitful results. I know I did when I accepted this VP job."

"Tell me, how did you become interested in models?" Tenten inquired, voicing a question that had been on her mind.

"Family business – I was simply adopting the trade. It was something I grew up with and, naturally, I would take part," he responded.

"Oh, your father is President?" she guessed eagerly.

Neji's face suddenly dimmed and he looked away for a moment. Worried that she had upset him, Tenten began stammering out apologies. "If it's…I'm sorry…shouldn't have…terrible assumptions," she stumbled.

His face brightened suddenly but it was that fake happiness people in pain adopted to hide their suffering. When he spoke, he did not acknowledge Tenten's mistake.

"Actually, my uncle is President. And we don't just deal with models. Entertainment implies that we have signed contracts with actors and actresses, singers, dancers, and many more talented individuals."

Tenten swallowed. "Ah."

Neji glanced at the wall clock and stood up. She copied him. "I really must be going now."

"Of course. I'm sorry I kept you waiting for whatever appointment you have to attend," she apologized, bowing slightly.

"I daresay we'll meet again." He produced a fancy business card from his breast pocket and waved it in her face. "My card – if you ever have the urge to discuss your contract, career, or anything at all, don't hesitate to call me. I'm interested in you."

She accepted the card with unsure hands. "Thank you."

Right at that moment, Lee decided to burst in, today sporting a thick crocheted scarf and dark wash jeans, arriving just in time to hear 'don't hesitate to call me. I'm interested in you'. Once his brain processed these words, he gasped mentally and placed himself between the Hyuuga and Tenten.

Though he was taller than Tenten by about two inches, Neji still loomed over him and Lee shrank a bit before regaining his composure. He stood a little straighter and delicately brushed off some imaginary dirt from his shoulder, daring to keep eye contact with Neji.

"Oh, this is my agent, Lee," Tenten announced quickly. "Lee, this is Neji-sama, Vice President of Byakugan Entertainment." She gave him a meaningful look.

Lee turned around and gave her a wink that translated to 'I got this'. "Wonderful meeting you, Neji-sama," he began, stressing the suffix in a mocking tone, "but we must skedaddle. Tenten has a date, you know."

Neji's perfect eyebrows arched in mild surprise. "Oh?"

"Indeed," Lee stated with a confident nod.

"Is that true?" Neji asked Tenten, easily looking over Lee's shoulder.

"No, of course not, not at all," she stuttered, glaring daggers at Lee. "Lee has always been rather eccentric. I'm sorry."

Neji smirked and headed for the door. "No, I apologize. I shouldn't have come on such short notice. I'll be sure to phone ahead next time or let you know. Until then, good-bye, Tenten-san. Nice to meet you…Lee."

Lee could barely hold himself in and burst once the door closed. He snatched the card that Tenten was still clutching at analyzed it thoroughly. "Ah-ha," he whispered to himself, "so finally, one daring and bold man has his eyes set on our lotus."

"Hey, you were terribly rude," Tenten reprimanded him sternly.

"I am an artiste, I'm allowed to be rude," he retorted.

"You're not an 'artiste'," she snapped. "You manage and book events for an artiste!"

He waved it off. "Let's not delve into details, shall we? Instead, we must discuss this new catastrophe!"

"He isn't interested in me." Tenten folded her arms.

"Au contraire," Lee singsonged in a horrible accent, "I heard him tell you that he was, in fact, interested. Do not try to deny it, Ten-chan!"

"It was purely business," she insisted. "He's interested in me career-wise, not romantically."

"Whatever the case, you mustn't let your hormones get the better of you. Why, if you did, your priorities would jumble and you'd start canceling and lying and making excuses and…good lord-" Here, he gave an almighty sigh, "-that would be disastrous."

"That won't happen, Lee." Despite her growing annoyance, Tenten allowed herself to give a small smile at his antics.

"Good, because modeling is your…?" He trailed away, wanting her to finish his sentence.

"My priority," she chanted.

"And you'll never become…?"

"Distracted."

"And Hyuuga is…?"

Tenten frowned. "What am I supposed to say?"

Lee shrugged but wore a mischievous countenance. "I wanted to know what you thought of him."


a/n: Haha ohh, Lee. I hope I portrayed him well. There's something about him that just makes me laugh. Also, seperating contractions (that is, saying 'I am' instead of I'm') seems to be something Lee would do often. And have much interest in Tenten's love life. XD And yes, he's her agent so they'll be rather close, which might prove some problems for Neji. Haha

More characters will appear and play a significant role, although their roles may be...unexpected. Haha

And yes, Ebisu is now a purse designer. XD

REVIEW:)

kisses,
Iris:D