Now we get a little light on the situation and the consequences start to pile up...

Third Consequence

"So what happened?" Ino asked as soon as the group had reassembled, minus Hinata and Kiba who were out together somewhere.

"It's complicated. I can't believe I didn't see this coming…" Jen scolds herself while sitting down in the grass.

"What?" Tenten questions quickly.

"Do you remember the start of the dare?" Jen asks carefully, biting her thumb nail from nervousness.

"Operation Seduce Hyuuga Neji? Or Operation Sandstorm?" Ino asks. The blonde had named the dare that started her relationship with Kankurou herself, it was soon becoming a hobby.

"Would you stop calling it that?" Neji frowns while giving Ino a glare.

"The first one." Jen stated quickly to evade an argument. She never referred to the dare by its code name anymore because it made her feel guilty but only Neji knew that. "The party you guys dressed me up for?" Jen stares at the grass solemnly.

Sakura glances at Ino nervously while Tenten nods. "Yes." No one liked where this was going.

"You remember the circumstances of that party? For Hinata I mean…" Jen continued, her voice getting softer and softer.

"Wait, are you telling me…" Tenten stopped, hoping she was wrong.

"Seems a kind of deal was struck after all." Jen finishes in a whisper.

"But, Hinata and Kiba…" Ino finally understood.

"Doesn't matter, it happened after the fact." Jen shook her head lightly, wind playing in her curls.

"This is insane!" Sakura snaps suddenly, causing all gazes to shoot to her. "I'm no expert on love but I am not going to let those two get separated like this!"

"What are you going to do then?" Temari demands. She had been quiet through the entire conversation but now she felt compelled to speak up.

"I don't know, I'll think of something." Sakura snaps back and crosses her arms defensively.

"Don't bother Sakura." Jen says coolly and slowly gets to her feet. "This is something they have to deal with on their own. If they need help they know where to turn."

Neji could hear it in her voice, she really didn't like what she was saying but it was the truth in her eyes and she would stick with it no matter how much it hurt her. Jen had deemed it her job to look after their group and when she stood back it was for a good reason. But it seemed he was the only one that could see this.

"So you just want to let them suffer!?" The cherry blossom couldn't believe what Jen was saying. Jen was supposed to be the caring one of them group, what had changed?

"You're not seeing this like I am. We can't keep helping them all the time or they will never learn to deal with their problems. If we let them be, they can learn to be strong together. I'm not saying we let them suffer, just give them the chance to work it out themselves." Jen explains calmly to her frustrated friend.

Sakura didn't say anything but instead looked off to the side. She didn't mean to get so worked up but she couldn't help herself. She was just feeling left out now that their once small troop of girls was growing. It intimidated her now that only she and Tenten didn't have a boyfriend to worry about and she wasn't above admit she was scared of them all growing apart. "I'm sorry…" she finally mumbled.

"There is nothing to forgive." Jen said calmly and Sakura looked up quickly. Jen held her hand outstretched to her and a welcoming smile graced her face genuinely. Sakura sighed and nodded, taking Jen's hand.

"Right." A great weight suddenly seemed lifted from her shoulders as Sakura let her hand fall away. "So Temari, you were saying something about finding your brother earlier?" She redirected the conversation quickly.

"That's not necessary." They all knew the deep voice in an instant.

"Where did you run off to this time?" Temari asks, not actually expecting an answer from the redhead. It was typical of him to just disappear for a little while and not tell anyone what he was doing or where he was. Either that or he gave a very vague answer that held no meaning.

This time he just decided not to answer as he looked over the group, he had met all of them before but some he knew better than others. Ino was one; she had been to Suna quite a few times since she and Kankurou started dating.

"Hi." Jen greeted instantly but he just looked at her and blinked. His people skills were still not so great. 'Uh-oh, did I do something wrong?'

After a long pause filled with uncomfortable silence Neji cleared his throat and stepped up behind Jen who was fidgeting by now. "We should go, it's about lunch time."

"Oh right." Jen turned to him, happy for a distraction but felt strange about ignoring the new company so she decided to make a polite offer. "Would you like to come?"

"That's okay, we wouldn't want to intrude." Temari answers back politely. "We should get going. See you around."

"Good bye!" Jen waves happily until Neji takes her hand and the pair start back into town. "That was interesting, to meet the Kazekage so casually." Jen comments, finding the silence uncomfortable.

"Maybe for you." Neji says quickly and Jen bites her lip confused. There was something sharp in his voice she couldn't comprehend.

'What's his problem? Oh never mind…if it's important he'll tell me eventually…' She reasoned and they continued walking in silence, this time it wasn't as suffocating and Jen smiled pleasantly until their walk was interrupted.

"Neji-san!" They stopped and turned back to the one addressing him.

"What is it?"

"The Hokage requests your audience." Neji sighed and Jen let her hand slip away.

"Don't wait for me." Neji said before rushing off, not even looking back.

'So much for our picnic…' Jen thought gloomily. 'Oh well, he knows where I'll be. Maybe it won't take so long…' She thinks hopefully and continues to her apartment to fetch the food laden basket she had packed that morning.

Sakura's temper is acting up and she's feeling a bit left out and Neji's acting strange. Just more problems to add to the growing list... Is it me or did this one seem pretty short? Oh well, the next one is almost done so it will be up in a few days.