It's About Time

'No way!' both Hinata and Naruto stared at Neji in surprise.

Hinata sucked in her breath, 'you're joking-'

'She's not that bad,' Neji interrupted, 'she's not who you guys think she is.'

Naruto placed both hands on Neji's shoulder, looking straight into his eyes, 'when did this start? How come you never told us?'

Neji squirmed, 'guys, is she that bad?'

Neji, Hinata and Naruto were sitting in front of the TV. Naruto came over for more 'homework' but the person having the girl crisis this time was Neji-kun. Neji told them about this girl; brown hair, brown eyes, a girl who has her own way of life…

'You like Ten-ten?' asked Naruto.

'There's nothing wrong with her, okay?!' Neji practically shouted.

'Calm down,' said Naruto gesturing him to sit, 'it's just that I thought you liked Sakura because everyone else likes her.'

'Well I realised that Sakura's not good enough for me,' Neji said and he turned away to think more about his new crush.

'You mean you're not good enough for Sakura,' Hinata teased.

Neji met Ten-ten at the library while Hinata and Naruto were at home. Neji booked a computer to read some manga off the internet because his computer wasn't working, the computer Neji was using just happened to be right next to Ten-ten's. Neji met Ten-ten before, she was quiet, nice and interesting but he doesn't have the guts to talk to her because Sakura's around her so much.

There was something awkward between them that they both didn't like while they were using the computers. Neji couldn't take it any longer so he reached for his mouse ready to shutdown the computer but instead of touching the mouse, he touched the tips of Ten-ten's delicate fingers. They both looked up at each other, smiling.

'Sorry,' they both whispered to each other at the same time. They laughed and started talking, it was getting late and it was time for them to go home.

'Goodnight Neji,' Ten-ten said as she walked out of the library.

From then on, Neji could not take his mind off her, even though they just had a little conversation, he felt quite comfortable around her. Every now and then Ten-ten's smile would pop up in his head.

Neji called Naruto to come over because Hinata wasn't very helpful, Hinata was thinking about something else, while Neji was waffling on about how nice Ten-ten was etc.

Naruto was still surprised but Hinata knows about Neji more than anyone else, since they're cousins and they live together. She knew that Neji really liked Ten-ten, 'he's never been this love struck before.' But Hinata still didn't know why Neji liked her though, 'I guess she looks okay, but she's Sakura's friend and Sakura is…well…mean.'

Naruto read her mind, 'but why do you like Ten-ten? She's friends with Sakura, Sakura dude. S-A-K-U-R-A.'

Neji looked into his eyes, 'she is a total opposite to Sakura, she actually smiles like she means it and she doesn't have a sassy voice. She doesn't even care about daily manicures.'

Naruto and Hinata laughed, 'okay,' Naruto said, 'so are you going to ask her out?'

'If I'm not going to, then what's the point of asking you to come over?'

'Well…just ask her when Sakura's not with her'

'Wait a minute,' Hinata thought and looked at Neji, 'so that's why you were so happy, you were in love all this time?'

'When Sakura's not with her? Why can't I ask Ten-ten out in front of her?' asked Neji, he was a bit clueless, since he is in I'm-in-love-land at the moment.

'Baka,' Naruto looked at him as if he was an idiot, well, he kind of was at the moment, 'if you ask her out in front of Sakura, Sakura will answer for her because she will think that your not good enough for her.'

'But I am goo-'

'Sakura doesn't think so.'

* * *

'Ready girlfriend?' Naruto whispered to Hinata, 'don't be jealous.'

'Oh, shut up, I wouldn't be jealous,' Hinata said as casually as she could, 'here they come.'

It was lunchtime, Naruto, Neji and Hinata had a plan. Naruto goes and distracts Sakura since Sakura likes him; Hinata brings Neji over to Ten-ten while Sakura isn't looking.

After Naruto left and Hinata went to bed, Neji was standing in front of the mirror practicing how to ask Ten-ten out on a date. He tried using roses, lots of facial expression, the kneeling-down-on-one-knee technique but he decided to just ask her out normally because he doesn't look like a fool when he says those four words.

Hinata was slightly jealous when Naruto was laughing and having fun with Sakura; Sakura glanced at Hinata and smirked, 'I bet he left you for me.' Sakura thought. Hinata just smiled back in response since she knew what was happening backstage.

Hinata and Neji brought their lunch trays over to Ten-ten's table.

'Hey Neji,' Ten-ten smiled at him, 'hi Hinata,' but she got her eyes fixed on Neji.

'Hey,' Hinata replied, Neji was too shy to look up, let alone speak.

'So, what's up,' Ten-ten was obviously less shy than Neji was.

'Oh, Neji wants to say something, right Neji?' Hinata nudged Neji and encouraged him to speak up.

'Uh…yeah…Ten-ten?'

'Hmmm?'

'Do you want…?'

'Do I want…?'

'Roses for lunch?'

'What?' Ten-ten tried not to laugh. Hinata stared at him if he was crazy, 'he was practicing all last night that I couldn't sleep and he still got it wrong?'

'I mean, uh…would you like to-'

'Hey guys, what's up?' Sakura, as always, popped out of no where, 'so Hinata, planning to dump Naruto and go out with Ten-ten?'

'She's a girl!' both Ten-ten and Hinata yelled making everyone in the cafeteria look at them curiously.

'Oh I'm just joking,' Sakura said as she batted her eyelashes at Naruto, 'as you all know, Naruto's birthday is coming up; I think we should throw a party for Naruto.'

Hinata eyed her suspiciously, 'how did she know when Naruto's birthday is? Naruto kept a secret about his birthday so that he wouldn't find random birthday presents in his locker.'

Neji read her mind, 'how would you know when Naruto's birthday is?' Neji felt like punching Sakura all the way to the Sand High School where Gaara goes to. Neji had the fire in his eyes that everyone in the cafeteria could see, they were in the centre spotlight since Sakura and Naruto were with them.

'Well didn't you see that we were talking bird brain?' Sakura sneered at Neji.

'Sakura, don't talk to others like that,' Ten-ten spoke. Hinata, Neji and Naruto looked at her as if she was crazy; no one has ever talked to Sakura like that before.

'Wow, you have the guts,' Neji whispered to Ten-ten, she blushed and giggled in response.

'What. Did. You. Say. To. Me?!' Sakura cried, making the whole cafeteria silent, no one dared to speak.

Ten-ten raised her head and said to Sakura confidently, 'you do not talk to Neji like that.'

'Do you have a reason to speak to me like that?'

'Well do you have a reason to speak to me like that?' even though Sakura was taller than Ten-ten, Ten-ten just merely peered at her as if she was a piece of junk, well she is anyway.

'Wow, I thought they were friends,' Hinata whispered to Naruto.

'Yeah, I thought so too.'

Ten-ten overheard, 'well we're not anymore.'

'You know Sakura,' Ten-ten looked into Sakura's green eyes, which were actually contact lenses, 'I really dislike you, in fact I hate you, I just wanted to be friends with you because when you came to this school, you were lonely. I thought I could just be friends with you, instead of being your slave. From the first day I heard you say 'Ten-ten go get my nail polish' I knew you were a fake, I new you were using me. Now I finally have a chance to speak up for myself, for the whole school.'

'For the whole school? Seriously, I bet you're just jealous, everybody in this school thinks I'm the coolest girl, unlike you, you sssssslut.'

'What did you call me?' Ten-ten's face was heating up like a microwave, make that an oven and everyone in the cafeteria were sitting there silently waiting for her to say something.

'If you call her a slut then I'm a slut too,' Neji spoke for his crush loudly and clearly for everyone to hear.

'Me too,' said Naruto glaring at Sakura.

'You? Oh Narunaru, you'll never be a slut,' Sakura batted her fake eyelashes.

'Well now I am.'

'Then that makes me a slut,' said Hinata, Naruto held her hand and smiled. Hinata shifted uncomfortably

The cafeteria was still silent until Kiba said, 'I'm a slut too.' Then it was Ino, then Shikamaru, then Shino. In less than 10 seconds, the whole of Konoha High was shouting, 'me too! I'm a slut! Count me in!'

Sakura backed away, drips of sweat slid down her forehead, the principle and her assistant, Tsunade-sama and Shizune sempai came in, 'what's with all the chaos Sakura? You look like you know.'

'N-nothing, th-they're calling me a s-slut f-for no reason.'

'Tsunade-sama,' Naruto spoke politely, 'Sakura was accusing Ten-ten for being a slut and everybody knows she's not.'

'Sakura, come to my office after lunch to talk about it, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?'

'Y-y-yes Tsunade-sama.'

'Looks like she got what she deserved,' Naruto looked at Hinata, 'right girlfriend?'

'I'm not your real girlfriend remember? I'm a pretend girlfriend,' Hinata wanted to say it out loud but she didn't want to ruin the atmosphere.

'So Neji,' Ten-ten turned to face Neji, 'you were saying?'

'Nothing,' Neji whispered.