Tenten quietly moved through the dark streets of the city, her unusual uniform nearly blending into the tension of the night. She noted how most lights were turned off, due to the unholy hours of the morning, and almost smiled when she thought if there was ever a time that her lights were not on at this hour. The perfect mix of the white and black uniform was almost ethereal, as if the designer was properly educated in the ways of light-dark, shadows and reflections, and had designed the most perfect uniform to wear on the most gruesome of days.

Taking a quick look at herself in the reflection of a shop mirror, Tenten merely giggled at the sight of her. Even though the light outside was still dark as the early comings of night, her trained eyes allowed her to catch her reflection. She saw an ordinary girl, with a not-so-ordinary life; a girl striving to fill the gap in her life, the gap that she believed would never be able to be filled.

It was lacking something –

Lacking something like –

"So it's clear."

"I'm not quite sure I understand your terms."

The voice that spoke most recently was icily smooth, so cold but holding such formal attraction it was impossible to not wonder what the speaker looked like.

"I'm sure you do understand," the first voice said, in a menacing, icy tone, "After all, you're known for your prowess, are you not?"

"I could hardly call it anything with such positive connotation."

Ah, Tenten thought as she blended into the shadows, A killer who hates to kill.

"I don't care what you think about such 'connotation'. You will do the job. You've no choice, have you?"

There was mumbling.

"What're you doing?"

Tenten took a deep intake of breath, knowing that the alluring voice was not meant for the first speaker.

-

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Something Profound
Chapitre Deux –
the unknown STARTCHASE

Disclaimer:Don't own Naruto.

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The early morning still remained dark and mysterious, but the first signs of the rising sun were becoming visible against the sky. There was a thick tension in the air that choked Tenten, one that she was never confronted with, nor ever thought about confronting. In the dark was a beautiful man, almost too beautiful to be human, standing with a mysterious smirk present on his pale lips. There was no sign of the other speaker, who had probably scuffled away in the moments Tenten had lost her mind when the man appeared in the limited specs of light.

"I believe I asked you a question," the man said, his voice spoken in the same, alluring tone, "What are you doing?"

Tenten blinked for a few seconds, before the bravery that she had trained herself since she was young kicked in. Her lips formed a small smile and she shrugged, inwardly noting that she could trust herself with a gun if called for.

"Just an early morning stroll," she casually replied.

The man blinked, controlling himself to not burst into laughter from the apparent practice of the perfected excuse.

"Surely you give me more credit than that?"

Tenten's eyes widened in surprise, and the man continued, leaning against a building wall as his unusual eyes scanned the brightening sky.

"I honestly look that stupid to you? Honestly, people –"

"Jumping to conclusions isn't always what they seem, are they? Keep in mind," Tenten said, her eyes narrowing like a lion ready to pounce upon prey, "That I could easily ask you the same question."

The thick tension was replaced by the strongest urge to figure out who was the strongest in the battle of wills and wit. Tenten's eyes continued to watch the man carefully, narrowed in the utmost concentration. No matter how alluring he looked, she was on a mission. She could not afford to get distracted from her main goal. The man, in return, was scrutinizing her every detail, not overlooking the fact that her uniform eerily blended into the scenery.

"You could," the man carefully said, "But then I would have to retort as to why your uniform is so easily blended. Not a coincidence either, but you can try me."

Tenten's eyes released the tight, narrowed look, instead widening to indicate her utmost surprise. She was positive that the untrained eye would not be able to so easily notice the design and purpose of her attire. Instead of replying, her lips formed a crooked smile. The man smirked, nearly letting his lips form a smile, before breaking the silence once more.

"Of course, if you tried me, I'm sure that I would win. Not everyone's like you, are we, Tenten?"

At this, the girl's mental self-controlled snapped, her lips curling into a frown.

"How do you know my name?"

The man laughed.

"Not very hard, living in this city like Ido. Of course, it'd be close to stupid to not know who's the head of the most interesting, and perhaps most important, department of the Police? Nearly everyone knows your name, Tenten. Though, I had no idea the Police Department stored away uniforms like that. Much more reasonable as uniforms, personally."

"Then I believe you owe me a favor," Tenten carefully planned, "As to tell me your name."

At this the man mockingly disapproved.

"Tut tut, for my research, I must reply to one who hasn't put in such effort."

Tenten was about to retort, before his alluring voice casually forced her to remain silent.

"But I am Hyuuga Neji. Though since I am not bound by such ridiculous chains – (Tenten had no idea what he was speaking of ) – I will relieve both of us from the formality that I must fake from day to day."

"Ah, a relative of Hyuuga Hiashi. Not a surprise."

"I suppose you earn credit for that. Uncle, of course, is just strikingly rich to most commoners, but many don't dare to ask why. Quite shameful, to me at least."

"And how is having a job like his – (Tenten noted that Neji winced) – shameful? Isn't my job more – "

She quickly stopped herself, before completely exposing the real purpose of the Police Department, which went unnoticed by Neji. His eyebrow rose, expecting for the sentence to be completed, but realized that Tenten had not intended to babble on as much as she had.

"Ah-hah. That is where we vary in opinions. I suppose it may not appear shameful to one who hasn't had to live with it. But I, one with experience, say it shameful because I do not believe in pretending."

Tenten smiled.

It was an interesting spectacle, really, to be having such a casual chat around five in the morning with a stranger who had just been speaking to another person about a job in the dark.

"I believe," Tenten quietly said, below a whisper so the man next to her would not be able to hear, "That we are all so wanted for the wrong reasons."

Unbeknownst to her, Neji had perfectly heard her, with secretly trained acute senses. He decided to leave the topic at that, before staring up at the appearing sun.

"Would you like some coffee?"

Tenten, too, noticed the oncoming warmth of the sun, before gratefully nodding.

"Ah, that'd be great."

She smiled.

It would be great.

I will penetrate that barrier of yours – one that you think I can't see – and bring you back.

Hyuuga Neji.

Age 22. Nephew of Corporation CEO, Hyuuga Hiashi. Came from another city after parents died only just recently.

Neji quietly nodded and lead the way to the closest café, leaving the new glimmer in Tenten's eyes to ask about later.

And the next, unfortunate, target of ANBU – or shall I say, the Konoha Police Department's SAU.

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"I hope you don't mind me taking a second to run to the bathroom?"

After receiving a quick nod from the Hyuuga, Tenten quickly made her way to the empty bathrooms of the Konoha Café, still empty due to the earliness of the day. After randomly choosing a stall, she gently latched it closed, before taking out a small bag that fit in the pockets of her pants, and opening it. There was a quiet 'poof' as the contents popped out – a full set of ordinary clothes that would not attract attention from the public when they began to file into the café. Pulling on her white polo and a green pullover sweater, she quietly took in the information she was able to hear before her presence was known. After cursing her incredibly bad luck for pulling out a pair of Venice skinny jeans (she was not particularly to wear the type), she pulled them on and threw on her shoes. Carefully folding her uniform, it mysteriously fit into the small bag, which mysteriously fit in her pockets unseen. Taking a quick peek at herself through the mirror, she smiled contentedly at her usual look of carefree personality.

"You changed."

Tenten rolled her eyes when taking a seat at the corner table that Neji had chosen.

"As you said, that uniform isn't very attractive in the light – eerily of course."

She smiled when it was his turn to roll his eyes.

"Such a mystery, yet so easy to read you."

Her eyebrow rose, ready to ask a question, before the look on his face betrayed that he would not answer anything that related to the words he just muttered.

"Tenten! You'd think you'd just come down to the lounge for coffee!"

Tenten's eyes immediately brightened when she saw the familiar pink-hair make its way through the café. She smiled when her friend offered a welcoming smile to both her and her visitor, before standing awkwardly at the table.

"I would have thought that too, Sakura."

There was a conversation held within their eyes, which Neji did not fail to notice, before Sakura smiled once more.

"Well, I've ought to go. Sasuke and Naruto without their early morning dose of tea and coffee, honestly! Picky men, not wanting to drink the 'hideous drink' in the lounges! Hah! Poor Kakashi, spends all morning preparing it when nobody likes it."

The Haruno waved good-bye, continuing her babbling about her team while walking towards the register. Before disappearing from comfortable view, Sakura's head turned towards Tenten, her lips in the perfect position to read.

Be careful. He seems awkwardly pleasant. He's a Hyuuga.

Tenten nodded. Sakura smiled, and turned once more, pulling out her wallet at the register and speaking her order.

"I'm sorry," Tenten sheepishly said, "I hadn't realized Sakura came down here to buy coffee."

"Ah, Haruno Sakura. A sight to see on the streets, when so requested at the hospital."

Tenten's eyebrow rose. The man had an uncanny knowledge of Sakura, the tone in his voice while speaking flowing with something that Tenten could not pinpoint. Replaying their short conversation before Sakura's polite interruption, Tenten deviously smiled.

"A mystery indeed."

And, unknowingly, the chase between the two ensued.

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A/N: Hm, not exactly where I was going with this chapter.
I hope it wasn't so filler-y, though it seemed like that to me.
Hum, anyway.
I know Neji is totally OOC, being pleasant and so talkative.
I suppose he'll be OOC the whole story (I plan on making him chase after Tenten in the terms of love, uh-huh), but it won't be totally OOC after the next chapter.
But I do plan on making the tie-in next chapter: my promise!

Thank you for reading!

(And by the way, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer is amazing. Really. I'm a hopeless romantic. Props to me!)