Here's the fourth chapter.
I got bored so I thought I would throw this one together. :)
I hope you like it!
Thanks to my awesome reviewers. XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Protection

Chapter 4

By: turtlechick

-Neji

"Well that was the most boring day of school…ever." Temari said exasperatedly when she slammed her bags down on the counter. She was right though. Today had gone on without a hitch. I was almost expecting that there would be another attack, after what happened yesterday. It was strange. It was also strange that now Tenten and Temari weren't even talking about what had happened, but there was an obvious difference in their attitude's towards us. It was almost like we were… friends. Other than Shikamaru I had never really had a friend before. Starting the military at such a young age I wasn't able to partake in all the same things that normal children got to. I guess I should feel lucky I finally get to live this part of my life, even if it is a little late.

We had a few hours before we had to get ready for this party that we had been invited to. I wasn't looking forward to it at all. I had never been a party person and neither had Shikamaru. When we were back at the base sometimes they held parties to celebrate a battle that was won. We had never gone to one though. I took this time, however, to have my first tutoring session with Tenten. My first impressions were that it wasn't going well, but she stuck with it, despite the fact that she continued to fail.

"Ok so what was the answer?" I had just given her a problem and gave her a few minutes to work through it.

"Um." She was stalling. She kept scribbling on the paper I had given her but I could tell that she was no closer to finishing the problem. "Um… four?" she managed to squeak out.

I sighed. "No." She groaned. Maybe I was just teaching her in different way that she needed to be taught, maybe I just needed to try a different approach. It was like a sniper shot, if you can't get your target at your current location, move to a different one. "Ok let's try this again. Let's say you're buying tennis balls." Her eyes perked up and she looked for me to continue. "One pack costs three dollars, but only comes with six balls. Now there is another package that cost five dollars but this one includes twelve balls. Now, which one is the better buy?"

She took a minute, counting on her fingers and counting silently in her head. It was amusing to watch her work go through every single scenario with as much thought as she could muster up. She suddenly snapped her fingers. "The one for five dollars is the better buy!" She exclaimed. I nodded and she jumped out her chair and ran out the room.

"Tenten?"

I could hear her screaming, "Temari I got one right! I got one right!" She was so excited about this one math problem.? I knew how I had to teach her, I had to make the problem relatable to her.

:::

It had gotten to be time for this damn party and Shikamaru looked just as excited as I was, which was little to none. We were waiting for Temari and Tenten on the couch when they finally came out. Temari had her hair in the normal style but a little more makeup than she normally wore. Temari was wearing a red dress with a halter top and a pair of tall stiletto heels. Tenten wore a loose but form fitting blue and white sun dress. She had on a pair of flats but what was most surprising about her outfit was her hair. It wasn't in the normal two buns but now in a high ponytail. Her hair draped over her shoulder and went all the way to her hip.

I couldn't believe that I knew all of the parts of their outfits. Before, a shirt, some pants, and a pair of shoes was all you needed. Here there was fashion you had to worry about. I had been around these two too long already.

"Let's get this over with." Temari said with a sigh.

"You were so excited about this yesterday, why is it so troublesome now?"

"Uh no, Shikamaru I was excited about shopping not about this stupid party." She mumbled.

"Look on the bright side Temari maybe your brothers will be there. Kankerou always seems to liven up a party." Tenten said with a smile.

"Yeah I doubt that my grandma would ever invite Kankerou to a party again. Remember when he started a cake fight at a charity ball that was raising money for an elderly home. My grandma was mortified." Temari chuckled at the memory.

"Oh well I think the old people enjoyed themselves." Tenten said. We had made our way to the car.

"Yes it was all fun and games until that man practically on his deathbed started to choke because he was laughing so hard, so yeah, don't count on them to come."

Tenten laughed again. "I almost forgot about that. I think that they blew it a little out of proportion. I mean they sent for three ambulances. It was a bit much." It was awkward for Shikamaru and I for to sit with them and reminisce when we hadn't been with them. All I could do was to continue to gaze out the window and Shikamaru just continued to drive. I kept an ear in the conversation though. There stories made me want to meet Kankerou and Gaara but on the other hand if the were a lot like Temari maybe it wasn't such a good idea. I don't know how much I could handle of the Suna family.

:::

"We're here." Shikamaru announced lazily when he pulled into the parking lot of the place that Temari had given him directions to. It was a pretty ritzy place. There were large steps and giant pillars leading up the actual party. I had never been to a place like this, but Tenten and Temari seemed to be right at home although they didn't want to be here.

Inside classical music was being played by a small orchestra shoved in the corner and in the middle of the room was a dance floor with people dressed formally swirling around the floor. The room was open and the ceilings were tall. Lining the ceiling were intricate crystal chandeliers. Around the room were small round tables covered by white cloths. Temari led us to a table where she plopped down and ordered a waiter, making his round, to bring us some sparkling water.

"Temari sit up straight! That's not how a lady should act!" Behind Temari was a extremely short wrinkly old woman, grandma Chiyo I presumed. Her face was scrunched up as she picked at Temari, but her face brightened up when she saw Tenten. "Oh Tenten child how are you?" She waddled over and gave Tenten hug.

"I'm good grandma Chiyo."

"Oh and you two must be their body guards." She narrowed her eyes at us and walked around the table examining us as she did so. "Hn."

She turned back around to Temari and her features went icy all over again.

"Temari stay in one place I have some young men that want to meet you and for goodness sake get your elbows off the table." She scurried off and as soon as she did the waiter came with Temari's sparkling water and Temari drank it down in one gulp.

"See what I mean?" She told us.

"Oh come Temari your grandma only wants you to be happy." Tenten tried to explain, but it didn't seem like that to me.

"Please Tenten, name one guy that she has set me up with that wasn't a total loser?" she widened her eyes at Tenten waiting for her response.

"Ok well what about that guy from last month, you know the model who wanted to be a lawyer, he seemed nice."

"Tenten." She paused. "He carried around a hanky… a hanky! And he used it on our date! I have never been so disgusted in my entire life. He even told me that he has had that handkerchief since he was in middle school. Now just imagine all the germs. No thank you." Temari crossed her arms over her chest and order another water from a passing waiter.

"Well I'm bored." Tenten announced standing up abruptly. "Come on Neji let's dance." She smiled and grabbed my hand before I could say no and pulled me to the dance floor. I had no idea what to do. I had never danced with a girl before, heck I hadn't ever danced before period. She saw that I was hesitating. "It's ok Neji, you just put your hands like this." She grabbed my hands and gently placed them on her delicate hips and then put her small hands around my neck. She then began moving her feet slowly to the music. "See this isn't so hard."

-Shikamaru

This party was a drag. The only half way amusing thing that was happening was watching Neji learn how to dance. He could kill ten men in under a minute but he couldn't dance. Temari seemed to be enjoying this party just about as much as I was. I think she was on her fifth glass of sparkling water. As she waited for the next one she examined her nails on an outstretched hand.

"Are miss Temari Suna?" I looked up to see a brown haired boy standing behind Temari. He was good looking and was dressed very nicely. Probably sent by Temari's grandmother.

"Who's asking?" Temari never took her eyes off of her nails.

"Your grandmother sent me." He replied shakily.

"Well then leave." Her words were sharp, like daggers.

"Wh-hy?" He managed to stutter out.

"Because I don't even have to turn around to see who you are. You're just some preppy, uptight, rich kid who thinks that money can buy any girl. You want to know how I know this?" He opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to the punch. "Because that's just the type of guys that my grandmother always sets me up with. And if you were smart, like you probably are because your daddy has paid for your education, then you would leave because in about three seconds I'm going to turn around, and I'm already in a bad mood and…"

"Temari you can stop, he was gone at, 'and if you were smart.'"

"Good. Well at least he wasn't stupid like some of the others." She muttered.

"Do you do that to every guy you meet?"

She took her gaze away from her nails. "Did I do that to you? No, it's just the guys my grandmother sets me up with. I do know that she means well but she goes overboard sometimes… well no more like all the time."

"Sounds troublesome."

"You're telling me."

Neji and Tenten returned to the table. Neji had a frown on his face but Tenten had her signature smile on. It was almost ironic how different those two were. Neji has always been so quiet and uptight, but Tenten always so free and bubbly. Neji's never made himself put up with like her, he had always told me it was a chore. Maybe with Tenten it wasn't a chore for him.

Temari stood up, her chair made a loud scraping noise on the floor. "Come let's get out of here before my grandma sends another one of her suitors for me." She grabbed her purse off of the table and hurried out the doors, the rest of us hurrying to catch up. Well all of us except for Shikamaru, he kept at his own pace as we left the party.

We all got into the car and were headed back home when Tenten spoke, "Well that was fun!" I sure hope she was being sarcastic.

So how was it? lol
I think I like where this story is going :)
After I update S.O.T.Y. I think I'll put up my next story Belonging.
I hope you all liked it ;p

Please review and even if you don't check out some of my other stories. XD

turtlechick...out