A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, alerted, etc. my story. You have no idea how much your support means to me.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor have I gained anything, but experience from this fanfic.
...
"How about this one?"
"No."
"Okay, maybe this one?"
"Nope."
"Neji!" Tenten yelled frustrated. They'd only been searching through her wardrobe for ten minutes and already the Hyuuga had ruled out almost every single one of her dresses.
"Are you going to help me or not?" she asked placing her hands on her hips.
"I am helping," the male replied. "I think you should wear this." With that, the white-eyed man took a simple black halter dress off the rack and held it up to show her. Tenten took it from his grasp and examined it.
"I gave it to you for your birthday and you've only worn it a couple times, so why not? You liked it didn't you?"
"Awww, you're so sweet. (How many times had she said that to him today?) And of course I liked it." Neji grinned. Tenten put the dress on her bed and the two walked to Neji's room.
"Alright let's see." The brunette female eyed her partner's clothing critically for a few minutes before turning to look at him.
"Neji, we have a problem. All these suits look the same. How the hell am I supposed to pick one?" she questioned.
"Well Ten, all you have to do is take one off the rack and hand it to me. It's really simple. I don't understand how you couldn't figure that out." His roommate smacked him.
"Idiot! Fine, you should wear um…this one," she pulled a black suit off its hanger and gave it to him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get dressed."
The female agent walked back to her room and shut the door. Neji eyed the suit in his hand and shrugged. He opened up a drawer containing around twenty ties and chose one that was dark purple. He also selected a white dress shirt to wear underneath his vest and blazer. He closed his room door and slipped out of his bathrobe. The man washed his face and pulled on his roommate's preferred clothing. Neji dabbed on some cologne and set about fixing his tie.
Tenten looked through her closet and smiled when she had found her desired piece of clothing. It was a blue sequined sweater with two pockets at the bottom. It reached down to mid-thigh, a bit shorter than her dress. The female agent also picked out a pair of black heels, diamond studs, and a bracelet watch to go with her outfit. She then proceeded to the bathroom.
Tenten stared at herself in the mirror after she had washed her face. She narrowed her eyes contemplating on what makeup she should wear. After debating it over, she opened up her cosmetic pouch and took out black mascara and eyeliner, as well as a palette of different shades of silver and blue eye shadow. She applied them carefully, leaning in towards the mirror for a better view. She powdered her face and colored her lips with pink lip-gloss. She put these two items in her black clutch along with her cell phone, wallet, and lipstick pistol. The brunette did a perfume walk through and smiled at her reflection. Tenten donned her blue sweater and headed out of her room, shoes in hand.
Neji frowned. He had been trying to tie his well…tie for the past fifteen minutes and now his hands were stuck, intertwined with the purple fabric. As soon as he heard his best friend exit her room, he opened the door and called for her.
"Hey bud, mind helping me for a second?" Tenten nodded and walked over to him. As soon as she fully opened his room door, she couldn't help, but chuckle.
"Oh my God Neji. What have you done?" He smiled sheepishly. She shook her head, a small smile forming on her lips, as she worked on freeing his hands.
Neji watched her fingers for a few seconds before looking up. He eyed the hair on her head. The chocolate tresses were shaped into a messy bun and held together with a silver ornament. He smiled remembering how his mother spent hours curling and styling her hair whenever his father took her out to dinner. Even at 24, Tenten had never grown out of her tomboy ways. But Neji still thought she was beautiful, something he wasn't shy of telling her.
Tenten unwound the fabric from around her friend's hands, freeing them in the process. They dropped down to rest on her hips.
"Since when did you become so good at this?" he asked her.
"Since you 'forgot' how to tie one. That, and I wear your ties all the time."
"Excuse me? You wear my ties? And who gave you permission to do so?"
"No one," she replied, fixing his collar, "But I know that you think I look good in your clothes."
Neji rolled his eyes.
"Well," Tenten said stepping back," Let's go." Her roommate nodded and they both put on their shoes and headed down to the lobby.
"Aw shit." The brunette female complained as she stared out the glass doors in the foyer. Both had been so preoccupied that they had failed to notice the rain.
"Give me your keys and wait here. I'll pull the car around," the white-eyed male told his partner.
"Neji, it's just a little water. I can handle it." his best friend replied.
"No. Ten you're in a dress and heels. I don't want you to get cold or slip or something. Wait here."
"Oh please, I'm a pro at running in heels." Neji sighed.
"Tenten, stay here." Said girl pouted, but nevertheless, complied with her roommate's wishes.
Neji ran out the door towards the parking lot. Tenten hugged herself and stood off to the side near a window. She rubbed her thumb on her clutch in a circular motion as she watched raindrops slide down the glass and dissolve on the windowpane. "I should call Shika," she thought and fished out her phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Shika it's me. We're coming to pick you up."
"Cool, I'm ready. I'll see you in a bit."
" Alright, bye."
"Bye." Tenten hung up just as she saw her Mercedes turn the corner. She stepped out of the building and opened the passenger seat door.
"You good?" Neji asked turning on the heating.
"Yeah. I called Shika. He said he was ready." Her best friend nodded and drove onto the road.
"Hey, I didn't get a chance to tell you before, but I think you look beautiful tonight." Neji told her five minutes later as he halted in front of the traffic light. Tenten felt her face warm. She was sure it was as red as the light in front of them.
"Um…thanks. You look really nice too," she smiled at him, feeling her blush spread to the tip of ears. Neji reached over and tapped her nose with his pointer finger as a sign of affection. He gave her a small smile and reverted his eyes to the road just as the light turned green. He pressed the accelerator and the car lurched forward.
The brunette female looked out the window at the Chicago nightlife. She could hear the music blaring in bars and clubs. Restaurants were packed full. The rain had no effect on the city dwellers. It felt as natural to them as a breeze of air. When you live in Chicago, dealing with unruly weather becomes second nature.
After about ten minutes of silence, the duo stopped in front of their pineapple headed friend's apartment building. They spotted Shikamaru standing near the lobby window deep in thought, his hands casually shoved into the pockets of his gray suit. Tenten rolled down the window and waved at him. He waved back as he pushed open the heavy glass door and walked towards the Mercedes.
"Sup lazy bum," the female agent grinned.
"Geez, took you long enough. It's already 6:30." the man replied settling himself into the backseat.
"Yeah sorry about that. But actually, we called and the earliest opening was 7 o'clock so we'll be fine," the white-eyed man answered. The Nara nodded and buckled his seatbelt. The rest of the ride continued in silence.
Neji turned onto N. Clark Street and pulled up in front of Maggiano's. (A/N: I've never been to the Maggiano's in downtown Chicago. Any descriptions are based off of a different Maggiano's. Sorry.)
The man running the valet parking stood behind a podium, his hands cupped his face while his elbows stood propped up on the wooden surface. He wore a white collared shirt, black vest, dress pants, and a bow tie.
The trio exited the car. Neji put an arm around Tenten's waist and gave her the keys.
"Hey," she said to the man.
"Valet?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Its five dollars," the brunette female handed him the money and keys. He took the items and set off to park the car.
Tenten led the way inside. The sound of Jazz music and the chatter of the dining customers left them feeling a bit deaf as they made their way to the register.
"Hi! How may I help you?" a woman dressed in a black shirt and pants asked the agents, smiling.
"Hi, we have a reservation, " Neji informed her, still maintaining his grip on his roommate.
"Name?"
"Hyuuga," he answered as the woman poked the touch screen.
"Alrighty, right this way please." The white-eyed man allowed the sole female in the group to go first as he and his pineapple haired friend trailed close behind.
"Here you are," the woman said placing three menus on the table. "You're waiter will attend to you in just a moment."
The trio sat down after she had left. Their table, dressed in a red and white-checkered cloth, was located against a window. The chairs were wooden and scratched, a sign they had been used many times. Tenten pressed her fingers to the base of a glass filled with water. Her bracelet watch glinted in the yellow light cast by the lamp mounted on the wall behind her. She fingered it, tracing the intricate pattern of silver vines with her nail.
Shikamaru tapped the dial of his watch. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tenten playing with hers too. He turned to the Hyuuga male who was leafing through the menu. The Nara opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a waiter.
"Hello my youthful friends! My name is Rock Lee. I will be serving you tonight!" The agent's jaws dropped simultaneously at the sight of him.
"Y-you're that taxi guy," Tenten said, eyeing the bushy browed man.
"Indeed I am my youthful blossom," he replied, satisfied with the fact she had recognized him.
"So wait, you have two jobs?" Neji asked.
"Well no, I have eleven. I'm a taxi driver, bus driver, phone operator, janitor, flight attendant, dance instructor, Barnes and Nobles employee, martial arts trainer, bartender, gardener, and butler."
There was an awkward silence as the trio gazed in awe at Lee.
"Wow," Tenten breathed, digesting the information "That's a lot of jobs."
Lee grinned before taking out a note pad. "Well anyway, what would my youthful friends like to drink?"
"Uh…I think we'll all have coke," Shikamaru said glancing at his two companions, who gave him approving nods. The waiter, dressed in a black vest, white collared shirt, dress pants, and green bow tie, vigorously scribbled his answer on the pad. The agents watched him, perplexed as to why the paper didn't rip under such force.
"I will be back momentarily," he saluted them and went to the kitchen to fetch their beverages.
"That was well… interesting," Neji said after a minute of silence. His friends agreed and each picked up a menu.
Lee squirted coke with the soda hose into three glasses filled with ice. He placed them on a tray and hurried back to the agents' table. In his haste to please the customers with his speed, he tripped over his own two feet and landed, soda, glasses, and all, on top of a red haired woman wearing a very expensive looking silk dress.
"Ugh," she sputtered as she wiped the coke off her face. She looked down at her ruined dress, which now covered in ice, soda, and glass. The woman fumed.
"You stupid idiot!" she screamed, grabbing Lee's tray and using it to hit him repeatedly on the head.
"Gah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Lee said, frantically trying to defend himself against the angry lady.
Tenten, Neji, and Shikamaru watched as an angry looking woman, holding a circular wooden tray, beat their waiter. The two males felt sympathetic towards the poor man, as they both knew how violent the members of the opposite gender could be. The brunette female, though amused, could feel the pain of the now whimpering employee.
"Now, now Mam settle down. It was an accident," a spiky haired blonde, whom the trio assumed was another waiter, said pulling the tray out of the woman's hands.
"Excuse me? It was an accident? This is a $1000 dress not some cheap getup from a thrift store!" she screeched.
"Well, I never said it was. And don't shout," The man replied a bit irritated. The woman boiled with rage, but was quickly hustled away by a man from her party.
"Th-thank you Naruto." Lee said getting up from the floor. Naruto grinned at the man.
"You go get some ice for your head, I'll get the drinks as well as someone to clean this up." The bushy browed man nodded and he and his friend headed to the kitchen.
The three agents raised their eyebrows at each other, but said nothing as they resumed their task of reading the menu. Moments later, the blonde male stopped by with their drinks.
"Hey, is Lee alright?" Tenten asked.
"Yeah. He has a bump on his head though. I'll be serving you guys till he feels better," Naruto replied, scratching his cheek.
"So, do you have as many jobs as Lee does?" Shikamaru asked.
"Yeah. We're best friends. We- hey wait a minute, how'd you figure that out?'
The lazy man shrugged. "Just a guess. You helped him out so I assumed you two were good close." Naruto nodded. "Um…well are you guys ready to order?"
"Uh…yeah," Neji answered. The blonde boy, who wore the same attire as Lee with the exception that his bowtie was orange, whipped out a note pad identical to their previous waiter's. His pen was poised at angle ready to write.
The males allowed their female companion to order first.
"I'll have the Four Cheese Ravioli." (A/N: My personal favorite) Naruto nodded and scribbled her order on the paper with as much vigor as his friend.
"Half order or full?" he asked.
"Half please," she answered. He wrote that down as well.
"And for you?" he asked Shikamaru politely.
"Eh, I'll have the Chicken Parmesan," he answered. Naruto attacked his note pad once again. When he was done, he looked expectantly at Neji.
"I'll have the Chicken Francese." The blonde wrote it down and collected the menus.
"So, are you two having fun?" Tenten asked her male companions. They shrugged and she sighed.
"Hey, isn't that the watch I gave you when we graduated from spy training?" Shikamaru asked her, whispering the last part. The 24 year-old brunette nodded.
Naruto came back to their table and dropped off some complimentary bread and butter.
"I remembered that you didn't have any on the table. Sorry about that. Our hands are full tonight."
"That's alright," Tenten said smiling. He nodded and hurried back to the kitchen.
-Meanwhile-
"Hey," Albert whispered into his earpiece, "we see them."
"Good," a man on the other end replied. "Let them see you and chase after you. We're beginning to infiltrate their base right now."
Albert nodded," Got it."
He looked at the man seated across from him. They both grinned.
-15 Blocks Away-
Zabuza and his men stared down at the lid covering the entrance to the sewers. "Alright, you men ready?" he asked squatting down and removing the metal barrier. His question was met with yeah's and nods. The group of criminals was a block down from the headquarters. They were going to travel through the sewers to the building. They had found a pipe they could swim through that led straight to their boss's cell. However, they would have to drill through the top of the pipe and the floor of the cell to get in.
Zabuza descended down the ladder first and pulled out a map from his pocket. The paper was a diagram of all the networks of pipelines that ran underneath the city of Chicago. The sewer system was highlighted in purple. After seeing that the leader of the mission was at the bottom, Kabuto began climbing down, adjusting his backpack filled tools and weapons every now and then. The rest of the thugs, all dressed in black followed.
-At Maggiano's-
The trio sat in silence. Neji was playing with his phone, Shikamaru was staring out the window, and Tenten fingered the tablecloth deep in thought.
"Hey guys, I have to use the restroom. I'll be right back," the female said, eyeing her two companions. In reality, she didn't really need to use the toilet, but felt the urge to walk around and think. She couldn't stand sitting so still for long. Her friends nodded and she got up.
The brunette agent walked to the restroom slowly, wringing her hands the whole way there. She pushed open the door to the bathroom and was happy to see no one was inside. She needed peace and quiet. The female pressed her palms flat on the counter lined with sinks and stared at herself in the mirror. She had started feeling unusually on edge, like someone was watching her. Tenten sighed, for some reason thoughts of Albert began plaguing her mind.
"I need to calm down," she thought to herself," I have a gun, Neji, and Shikamaru with me. We're all going to be okay." As soon as she finished the last line in her mind, she heard a few women approaching the bathroom. She put soap in her palm and washed her hands, pretending as if she had just come out of one of the stalls. She wiped her hands with a paper towel, and smiled at the females before walking out.
As she hurried back to the table, she scanned the crowd of dining customers. Everyone seemed average. Then her eyes landed on two men seated in a booth not too far from her own table. Her heart stopped when she recognized one of them. There, seated in the glow of a lamp, sat Albert Morrison flashing her a yellow tinged smile. She stopped and stared. He seemed at ease and continued to eye her. His partner, who had been hidden from her view, peeked out from behind the wall of the booth and grinned as well. The way they just looked at her made her suspicious. Albert recognized her, that much she was sure of. It seemed as if he wanted her to spot him. Like he knew something she didn't.
Tenten practically ran back to Shikamaru and Neji and informed them of her findings. They turned in their seats and looked around for the men. When they located them, it seemed as if Albert and his partner's grin had become that much wider. Their eyes locked for a brief second before Tenten's two male companions looked away.
"What do we do?" Tenten whispered, as the three leaned in towards the middle of the table her, eyes darting back and forth between her friends.
"Hm…I'd say just act normal. Tenten, you have the best view of them. Keep an eye on the two and if they make a move to leave, we follow. They know that we know they're here. And like you said Ten, they make it seem as if that's what their goal was," Shikamaru whispered. They nodded and eased back into their seats. They each grabbed a piece of bread and chewed quietly.
10 minutes later, Naruto returned with their food.
"Do you guys need anything at else?" he asked as he set down the dishes.
"No. Is Lee feeling better?" The brunette female asked. The blonde nodded.
"He actually left. He works at a club and it was time for his shift. Well, anyway, you three enjoy!" The agents began eating.
-In the Sewers-
By now, the group of thugs had almost completed phase one of their mission.
Zabuza glanced back at Kabuto and nodded. The man with the white ponytail swam ahead of the leader and stopped at a certain point. He produced a drill from his bag and began moving it in a circular motion to make a hole large enough for the men to fit through.
As he completed the circle, he pressed his palm on the top of the pipe and lifted the slab of metal.
"So John, what was that argument in the cafeteria about?"
"Don't know Herald. I just ate and hightailed it out of there before the boss threw one of her hissy fits." The two agents were currently seated on the toilets in the restroom relieving themselves and having a conversation. John was almost done flipping through a Seventeen magazine when he heard a funny sound.
"Hey Herald, what's that noise?"
"Don't know man. It seems to be coming from the ground."
"What? That's impossible," John said looking down at the floor only to come face to face with Kabuto. The agent screamed. Kabuto got out of the hole and shot him. He then climbed up on the toilet seat and shot Herald. The men scrambled out of the hole and opened the stall.
"What the hell is going on?" one of them asked, everyone was equally confused.
"Don't know, guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way," Zabuza said looking at his accomplices.
-At Maggiano's-
"Hey, Shika. They're leaving," Tenten said thirty minutes later. Shikamaru nodded. Neji waved Naruto over for the bill.
"We're in a hurry," the Hyuuga told him. The blonde, seeing the tension on their faces, immediately scampered off to the register. Within a minute he was back. Tenten handed him $20. "Here's your tip," she said as she and her fellow agents rushed passed him. Naruto eyed the money, shrugged, and stuffed it in his pocket.
"I'll get the car. You guys watch them. Here take off your coats. Tenten put your hair down and give me your clutch. They'll have a harder time recognizing you two, " Shikamaru said, taking their discarded items. Tenten took out the lipstick pistol out of her purse and shoved it into her bra.
"We have to be stealthy," Neji warned his companion as they ran. "We have to catch them by surprise."
"They already know we're following them," Tenten said as the two darted across the street in the rain.
"Yes, but we could still surprise them somehow." His friend didn't bother to argue with him.
"They're going into that club. C'mon," the brunette female grabbed her partner's hand and led the way. They squeezed through the line of partygoers and managed to make it inside without being detected by the guard at the door.
"Where are they?" Neji panted as his eyes raked the room.
"Don't know," his partner answered, also trying to catch her breath. "Let's head to the bar and blend in. And wait for Shika," she added. Neji nodded.
"Hey guys. What would my youthful friends like?" the bartender asked them after they had settled onto two stools. Tenten's jaw dropped.
"You again. You work here?" Lee nodded vigorously.
" Well then, um… two strawberry daiquiris please," Tenten said seeing that her partner was too occupied with finding the thugs to even care what she ordered for him. Lee smiled at her. "You're very polite. Most people who come around here don't care about etiquette."
"Yeah well, I was taught to always remember my manners no matter how wasted I got," the brunette replied grinning. She turned in her seat and scanned the crowd.
"See them?" Neji asked.
"No not yet."
"Hey Ten, ask the bartender guy if there's an exit in the back. Albert could have escaped from there."
"Fine. It's Lee again by the way. But why me? Why can't you ask?" Neji glanced at her, and then turned in his seat to see Lee making drinks.
"He likes you," he said and pointed his gaze back at the crowd. Tenten rolled her eyes.
"Here you are," the bartender handed them their drinks.
"Thanks, but if you don't mind me asking, is there an exit in the back?" The bushy browed man shook his head at her question.
"Underage drinkers would try and sneak in. Then we'd have the police on our backs even more then we already do." Tenten laughed at his little joke and took a sip of her drink. Ten minutes later, Neji noticed a pineapple haired man enter the club.
"Hey guys," Shikamaru said.
"Hey!" Tenten said hugging him, pretending to be just the average partygoer. The Nara hugged her back and bumped knuckles with Neji. He settled himself on a stool next to the dress-clad female.
"Hey, Ten want to dance?" the white -eyed man asked his roommate.
"Sure!"
"You two have fun. I'll chill here for a bit," the genius said, taking hold of the drink Neji hadn't even touched yet.
The Hyuuga nodded and allowed his best friend to tow him onto the dance floor.
"Did you spot them?" she asked. Neji shook his head and placed his hands on her hips.
"No, but I think we'd have an easier time locating them if we moved around a bit. That and I knew if I didn't dance with you tonight, you'd drag my ass back here some other time."
Tenten grinned at him. "I'm going to bring you back here anyway." Neji sighed, but couldn't help, but smile back. They moved to the beat of the song while watching the crowd like hawks.
"I think I see them," the brunette female whispered to her partner three songs later.
"Where?"
"By the bar, I can't see them clearly. Your head's in the way." Neji ducked down so his lips were on level with her neck.
"Here. From a distance, it'll look like I'm kissing you," he told her.
" Fine, but make it look promising. And yeah, I think it's them," she said.
"Shit. They're moving. Wait no, I lost them." Tenten furrowed her eyebrows. Her hands now rested on Neji's shoulders. She squinted through the sea of partygoers.
The female tried to ignore the tingling sensation she felt as Neji trailed the tip of his nose along her jawbone. She tried to suppress the shiver that ran up and down her spine as her partner's lips brushed against her neck. The Hyuuga's arms were now wrapped tightly around Tenten's waist. He could feel her every curve as their bodies pressed together.
" Did you find them?" he whispered in her ear.
"No hold on. Wait, yes! I found them," she said, her chocolate orbs locking onto their target. "Albert's partner is pulling out something. What the hell? Om my God Neji!" she exclaimed squirming in his arms.
"What's wrong?" he asked panicking slightly.
"Look! He has a gun!" she said pointing the men out to him. "They're right by Shikamaru. Shit, that idiot's not even looking the right way!"
Tenten and Neji desperately tried to get their friend's attention. The pineapple haired male turned his eyes on the dance floor and saw his friends waving and ushering for him to come over by them. He hopped off the bar stool and worked his way through the crowd.
"Shikamaru. You idiot! They're right there!" Tenten hissed. Suddenly, a shot rang out, then five more.
Albert stared at the crowd of drunken dancers and spotted three who were staring directly at him. He smirked at his friend, who had just shot Lee, and pointed out the trio.
His friend fired at them.
The brunettes scrambled out of the way. Tenten took out her lipstick pistol and shot back. She rolled around and hid behind toppled tables and chairs, trying to get a good angle at them.
The men were running towards her, seeing as she was the only armed one out of the group of agents. "Shit, shit, shit," she thought. She shot at them again. Albert was alarmingly close. Before Tenten could react, the man grabbed her.
"Hey sweetheart, want some sugar?" Tenten gagged and squirmed. She kicked him and shot at his arm. She missed, but the proximity of the bullet made him flinch. He let go and she ran towards the bar for cover.
She ducked down, trying to catch her breath. Right now people were screaming and running all over the place. Her heart stopped for the second time that night when she heard a groan. There lay Lee, his body a bloody mess.
"O-oh my God! Lee! Hold on!" Tenten said. She peeked out from around the bar, and saw Neji and Shikamaru trying to land a punch on the man with the gun.
"Hold on!" she said to Lee again before charging into the crowd. She crept up behind the man and tackled him. He shot at her, two of the bullets almost hitting her cheek. She jerked her head out of the way and loosened her hold. He shoved her off and fought off her friends' hands.
He bolted towards Albert.
"Hey, the boss needs reinforcements. Five of his men are dead," Morrison told him. He nodded and they ran out into the streets.
Tenten saw them run out and quickly got off the ground. She ran outside, the now pouring rain soaking her to the bone in about ten seconds. Her running mascara probably made her look like a raccoon and her long hair stuck to her face.
She tried to catch sight of them, but the downpour made it hard to see. Suddenly something clicked in her mind. She wasn't sure how she had come up with the conclusion, but she believed in it one hundred percent.
"Guys!" she yelled to her fellow agents who had just exited the club. "The headquarters is being attacked!"
The three stood panting in silence. "How do you know?" Neji asked after a moment.
"I don't know, but I'm sure I'm right. I mean think about it. This was probably just a distraction. Maybe they hoped we'd call more agents over here. That way, it'd be easier for them to break in. " Shikamaru nodded at her logic.
"We should go check it out. C'mon," he said turning in the direction of Tenten's car.
"Wait. Lee, he was shot really bad. We have to help him," the female told them.
"Bud, I don't think we have enough time for that," Neji told her softly. He wanted to help Lee, but Albert and his partner were probably nearing the headquarters at that very moment.
"But so many people already died because of us. Lee's so nice, he doesn't deserve that."
Shikamaru put a hand on the Hyuuga's shoulder. "You two go get him. I'll get the car." Tenten nodded and ran back into the club. Her roommate followed close behind. Five minutes later, they were in the Mercedes going 40 miles over the speed limit.
Tenten sat in Neji's lap in the passenger seat. Lee was sprawled out in the back, still bleeding.
"Hang on Lee," the brunette female whispered glancing at the bushy browed man. The Hyuuga tightened his hold on her as a comforting gesture. He pressed his forehead to the back of her bare shoulder.
"He'll be alright," he said quietly.
-At the Headquarters-
Zabuza flattened his back against a wall. The sound of gunfire filled his ears.
"Zabuza! Where the hell are those little assholes you call 'reinforcements'? The leader of the mission glared at the man.
"Shut up. They're coming." Zabuza fired at some agents.
-In Tsunade's Office-
"Tsunade!" Shizune burst through the door. "I think those intruders are here to get Gato. I caught one who had almost reached the detention floor. I shot him."
Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples. "How many?"
"How many what?"
"Casualties." Before Shizune could answer, Shikamaru and Neji holding a bleeding Lee and Tenten burst through the door.
"Shizune, please take care of Lee. We'll handle the intruders," Tenten said, as her male companions dumped Lee right on top of the papers on Tsunade's desk. They ran out before either female could reply.
"Alright, first we need to get some guns," Tenten said as they ran towards the arsenal storage room. The males nodded.
"Hey Zabuza, let's try going this way." The trio stopped, their hearts thundering. The criminals were headed right towards them.
"What do we do?" Neji asked. Shikamaru pointed towards a vent on the ceiling.
"There's a way to get to the arsenal through the air ducts. We have to hurry." His friends nodded.
"Okay, um…Ten, we'll lift you up. Shoot the bolts." The Hyuuga said crouching down to allow the female to get on his back. She fished out her gun and shot at the nails keeping the cover of the vent in place. It fell to the ground with a loud bang.
"What was that?" The agents' eyes widened. The druggies were close.
"Hurry," the pineapple haired boy whispered. The brunette female climbed onto the white-eyed man's shoulders. He hoisted her up. She scrambled into the duct and peered down. Neji handed her the cover. Then he and Shikamaru followed suit. They were able to make it just as an intruder turned the corner.
Tenten gently placed the cover over the opening and the trio held their breaths. Fortunately, they weren't detected.
"Alright, follow me," Shikamaru said.
"Wait, how do you even know about this?" Tenten asked as they crawled.
"Actually I don't. But I'll figure it out." Neji sighed at his friend's response, but kept moving.
Many rights and lefts later, the agents found themselves standing in the arsenal storage room.
"Grab some guns. I'll find some more bullets," Tenten told her male companions. They followed her instructions.
-With Albert and His Accomplice-
"You idiot! I told you to go left here," the man in the passenger seat told Albert. They were currently stuck in a traffic jam on the other side of town.
"If you're so smart why don't you drive?" Albert asked annoyed. His accomplice remained silent. After a moment he said:
"Hey, I have to go to the bathroom."
Ah yes, poor Albert.
-In the Arsenal –
"Ready?" the female brunette asked, tucking bullets into her bra and reloading her lipstick pistol.
"Yeah, let's go." The three climbed back into the air ducts.
"Okay, so let's go to the detention floor. But if we see the druggies on the way, we'll ambush them," Shikamaru said. His fellow agents agreed and followed him.
-With Zabuza-
"You sure you know what you're doing." Zabuza asked Kabuto.
Kabuto smiled back at him. "Of course. If I'm correct, the detention level should be one of the middle floors of the building. That would make it hard for intruders to break in, and criminals to break out.
Zabuza rolled his eyes. "Don't smile so much."
-In the Air Ducts-
"Hey shhh. Did you hear that?" Tenten whispered. The three listened intently.
"Shit, they know where the cells are," Shikamaru said.
"What should we do? Should we ambush them? They're right beneath us," the Hyuuga pointed out. The agents sat silently for a second, glancing at each other.
"He has a point. We could catch them by surprise," the brunette female said.
The pineapple haired man nodded. "How about this. We shouldn't just jump out of the vents and attack. Then they'll know they could use this as alternate route. We should follow behind them closely and determine a good time to attack." His two friends agreed. They waited for the group to move on before quietly lowering themselves out of the vent.
The trio occasionally ducked and pressed their backs to the walls of branching hallways. Neji and Shikamaru hiding in the shadow of the corridors on the left side and Tenten on the right. They peeked out around the corner and kept moving.
Finally, when Shikamaru felt they had followed far enough, he signaled to Tenten across the hall. She nodded. The three crept up behind the druggies and open fired.
Three men were down by the time the criminals reacted to the threat and pulled out their own guns. They shot and ran at the same time. Zabuza stopped and fired at Tenten. She back flipped out of the way, the bullets just barely missing her hands.
While the chaos ensued, Kabuto quickly slipped from the battle. No one noticed his absence. He continued on alone.
After ten minutes the gunfire ceased. Neji and Tenten managed to escape unharmed. However, Shikamaru had been hit in the arm twice. The criminals were all dead, including Zabuza.
Neji whipped out a handkerchief and wrapped it around the genius's bleeding limb.
Suddenly an alarm sounded, signaling someone held captive on the detention floor had escaped. Neji was about to break out into a sprint, but Tenten held him back.
"Neji let him go. We're out of ammo and Shika's hurt. We'll get him some other time. "
Neji ran his fingers through his hair. "How did he escape?"
"My guess is the guy with the white ponytail snuck away while we were occupied in the fight. I don't see him on the ground. He probably freed Gato," Shikamaru piped up.
The trio silently continued on to their boss's office. When they arrived, Shizune was still attending to Lee's wounds and Tsunade was pacing anxiously.
"My supplies were destroyed. You'll need to take him to a hospital. Him too," she added eyeing Shikamaru.
The trio nodded. They then proceeded to explain the whole event, beginning with their dinner at Maggiano's, to Tsunade.
"Whatever," their boss said rubbing her temples. The agents were shocked at her response.
"Mam" Tenten began, but the blonde lady stopped her.
"I have new lead on this case. Meaning, another chance to capture Gato. We have tracked a customer of his. His name is Sasuke Uchiha, a jewelry designer in England. You three will be monitoring him. I don't have it all planned right now. But here," she paused and handed Neji an envelope. "In there are your plane tickets, fake I.D.s, and a photo of Sasuke. You'll be leaving for London in three weeks.
"Neji, you and Tenten will be posing as an engaged couple. Shikamaru, you'll just be their friend. You three will be journalists. Be careful. When I have all the details and such fixed, I'll call you. Right now, you three should rest and help this man. " Tsunade tossed her head in Lee's direction. The trio nodded at her.
-In the Parking Lot-
Albert and his accomplice finally found the headquarters and were getting out of their van when they spotted Gato and Kabuto.
"Hey boss," Albert greeted.
"You idiots were too late. The fight's over. Shut up and get in the van," Kabuto ordered. The four drove out of the parking lot and went back to wherever they came from. Ready to plot their next move.
-Back with the Agents-
Neji and Tenten picked up Lee, who had thankfully stopped bleeding like a fountain. They gently placed him in the backseat. Tenten sat with him, his feet in her lap. The drive was silent. Neji drove them to Mercy Hospital.
Once inside, they located the ER and fortunately, the staff was able to take care of Lee and Shikamaru immediately. Neji and Tenten sat together in the empty waiting room.
Tenten took note of the design of the chair she was seated in. The cushions were navy blue with colorful diamonds embroidered on the cloth. As she thought of the events that had occurred that night, tears began to prick her eyes.
"Neji, it was my fault. It was my fault for being so careless at Macy's. I got us into this whole mess. Now Lee and Shikamaru are hurt. God, and those people at the club. They were so drunk they probably didn't even realize they were going to die. Much less felt the bullet."
The Hyuuga chewed on his lip and pulled his friend into a hug.
"Hey, hey shhh. It's okay ten. It could've happened to anybody. It wasn't your fault. And besides, we have a second chance to get Gato. Don't worry, everything will be okay." He wiped the tears from her eyes. Tenten buried her face in his neck and shook her head.
"It was my fault," she whispered. Neji rubbed her back.
"Hey, there's a bathroom down the hall. Why don't you go wash off your face? I need to try and get these bloodstains out of my shirt." The female nodded and together they walked to the restrooms.
Tenten sniffed and wiped off her makeup. She sighed. When she went back to the waiting room, Neji was already there.
"Neji I'm tired and I have a headache."
"Okay. You can lie down," he said and moved down a couple chairs so she could sleep properly. He let her rest her head in his lap and raked his fingers through her hair. In ten minutes, she was asleep.
"Excuse me sir, but I'll need you to fill out some information on your two friends," a nurse informed handing him some papers and a pen. He took them from her and nodded.
Filling out Shikamaru's form was easy. It was Lee's that he had trouble on. He was about to get up and explain to the nurse that he barely knew the guy and couldn't really give any information, but then a thought struck him. He fished out his phone and dialed Maggiano's number.
"Hello thank you for calling Maggiano's. Unfortunately we're closed at the moment."
"No wait Mam. Is Naruto there?" Neji asked before she could hang up on him. His question seemed to take the woman by surprise.
"Uh…yes why?"
"His friend Lee was shot at a club I was at. I brought him to a hospital, but they need some background information. I barely know the guy, but Naruto knows him well."
"Uh…alright I'll get him." There was a moment of silence before a voice asked:
"Hello?"
"Hey Naruto. I'm Neji, the guy with the white eyes and long hair. You waited my table today."
"Oh yeah, hey."
"You know Lee right?"
"Yeah," Naruto responded.
"Um… well I was at a club and Lee was bartending there and he got shot. I brought him to a hospital and they're working on him right now, but they need some background information. Do you mind giving it to me so I can fill it out the form for him?
Naruto sat down on the stool by the register. The lights were dim in the restaurant and employees bustled around cleaning. "Wow, he was shot?" the blonde asked, digesting the information.
"Yeah, six times I think." Naruto was silent.
"Okay, I'll give you whatever you need to know." For the next ten minutes, Neji asked Naruto the question and the blonde gave him the details. The Hyuuga had placed the form (which was attached to a clipboard) on the seat next to him and wrote with one hand and held the phone with the other.
"Alright that was the last one. Thanks and I'm really sorry about all this," the Hyuuga said.
"No thank you for well… you know, helping him out," the blonde replied scratching his head.
"Your welcome. You should really give credit to my friend who found him and refused to leave without helping him."
"The girl?" Naruto asked smiling.
"Yeah. She gets attached to people real fast." The waiter laughed. "You know you're not that bad," Neji continued," Maybe we could hang out some time." If Tenten were awake, she would be proud of him.
"Yeah sure. Lee won't leave you guys alone now since you took care of him. If you can deal with bushy brows, you could deal with me. We're not that different after all." Now it was Neji's turn to laugh.
"Okay well um…do you want me to call you when Lee's ready to be picked up? We're at Mercy."
"Yeah sure," Naruto proceeded to give the Hyuuga his cell number. "I'll probably take an hour, though."
"That's okay. The wounds were deep and he lost quite a bit of blood. It'll take an hour," the white-eyed man told him.
"Cool, well…bye."
"Bye." Neji hung up and glanced at his female friend. She was sleeping contently on his lap. He bent down and kissed her head and continued stroking her hair.
Twenty minutes later, Shikamaru walked out, his arm bandaged.
"Hey," he said to Neji.
"Hey, how's your arm?" the Hyuuga asked.
"It'll be okay."
"Shika?" Tenten asked rubbing her eyes and sitting up. The pineapple haired man sat down in a chair beside her. She hugged him.
"I'll be okay," he told her. The brunette female nodded.
"You should call your mom," she told him. Shikamaru groaned, but took out his cell phone anyway. He was still on the phone a half an hour later when a nurse came by and told them they could see Lee. The genius allowed his friends to go see him while he finished talking to his mother.
Tenten walked over to Lee's bed and sat down on the side. Neji stood behind her.
"Hello my youthful friends!" he exclaimed.
"Lee, are you okay? I'm sorry," Tenten said worried.
"Of course!"
Neji took out his cell and dialed Naruto's number. "Here," he handed the phone to the bushy browed man, "Naruto's on the line."
Lee took it and talked with his best friend. When he was done, he informed them that the blonde would be arriving in twenty minutes.
"In the mean time, I have some good news for you two. I couldn't help, but overhear your boss talking about Sasuke. Well, technically since I was in the same room it wasn't my fault if I heard. Anyway, Sakura Haruno is having her fashion show in three weeks in London. I have tickets to see her show because I serve as her butler when she's in the U.S."
"That's great Lee, but how will that help us?" Tenten asked confused.
"Sakura is Sasuke's girlfriend. I could introduce you two and the pineapple haired man to her at the show. Then if you befriend her, you could get more info on Sasuke." The agents' eyes widened and their jaws dropped to the floor.
"Lee, you're awesome!" Tenten exclaimed and hugged the living daylights out of the boy. The man beamed, clearly pleased he had helped them. Neji couldn't help, but smile at how things had worked out in their favor.
"Now, now Ten. Don't kill him," he said, gently prying her arms off Lee.
"That's okay. I do not mind," the man informed her. Neji grinned at him. He was actually starting to enjoy Lee's company. Shikamaru walked in just then and Tenten explained the information to him. He smiled his lazy ass grin.
"Uh…I have to go. My mom's outside and some police officer is giving her a speeding ticket." The other three nodded and said their goodbyes. Naruto swung by five minutes later and took Lee home.
"Wow, what a crazy day," Tenten remarked as she and Neji walked to the Mercedes. He agreed. As soon as they sat down, the strong stench of blood filled their nostrils.
"I'll take the car to the mechanic tomorrow and get the seat cushions changed," the Hyuuga said to his roommate. Tenten nodded and they started towards home.
Unwritten Rule #4: Always be observant of your surroundings.
….
A/N: Wow, that was another ridiculously long chapter. The redhead at Maggiano's was Karin by the way. I hope all those anti-Karin people out there enjoyed that bit. Anyway, please R&R.