Sorry for the delay...again. I hope I can now have more time to write. Still no M stuff in this chapter (sorry)

CHAPTER 6

Neji sat at the kitchen table, where Tenten was drinking some tea. She looked up, and immediately blushed. Neji was wearing his hair loose and wet, falling over his shoulders. As it was very hot, he wore the kimono half-open, revealing his torso, still wet from the shower.

"Something wrong?" he asked, trying not to turn red. He felt embarrased too, and wanted to cover, but he knew that that would attract the attention of the Kazuo men.

"It's too hot, isn't it? I think I'm going to take a shower too." she was getting up when she heard a voice behind her.

"Next time you can shower together, you know, so we can save water and take care of the plante." Kazuo said, taunting her. Kakashi was standing next to him, trying not to laugh.

Tenten got up and wordlessly left the room and locked herself in the bathroom, slamming the door.

"I think she doesn't like me very much, right?" he laughed, sitting in the chair Tenten was using moments before.

"What have you done to her this time?" Kakashi asked, occupying the other chair.

"Uh, I don't know. Her humor changes a lot." Neji smirked, thinking of a friend of his "You know, women are troublesome."

"Well, you were the one who suggested bringing her, so now don't complain."

"I had no choice, she'd be lost without me." Neji said smugly "But sometimes I wish she was not here" Kakashi smiled. Neji had understood his plan and was following the game.

"Well, she can come with me. She'll be alright, I promise. And she is very beautiful and has a very good body." he made a perverted smile. Neji felt a surge of anger invading his body "She would be very useful to us."

"Useful? For what?" Neji asked, glancing at Kakashi. If all goes well they could discover part of his business.

"I can't tell you for now."

"I need to know where you would take her. She's my responsability." Kakashi said "After all, I was her sensei."

"I told you that she'll be fine. Do you guys don't trust me? Is that?" he asked in a threatening manner.

"I need to know where she would go before I let you take her." Neji said bluntly. He looked directly at Kakashi. The thing was going too far. They couldn't let him take her, but they didn't want to disappoint Kazuo. We must proceed with caution, Neji thought.

"I thought you said that you didn't love her. Why do you care?"

Neji went blank. He didn't know what to say to that. Suddenly he had an idea, a bad idea.

"You know, a man has needs." he said smirking.

"Good point Haku. But you could still use her, at least some times a week."

Neji looked at Kakashi, hiding despair. He couldn't let him take her Tenten. What could he say now? He couldn't let a silly mistake like that mess up their cover. Suddenly, they heard someone whimpering and sobbing behind the door.

"Oh oh, I think she heard our conversation." Kazuo laughed strongly "Good luck with her, I'm going now. Think about what I said." then he left the house.

Neji opened the door of the hallway, and found Tenten sobbing like a child in the floor. He sighed, they were still spying them, so he would have to act.

"Mei, let me explain." he said as he approached her.

"Don't! No, no, NO! GO AWAY! DON'T YOU DARE TO TOUCH ME!" she started screaming when he grabbed her by the wrist. Then she began to punch his chet as she cried and yelled. I bet she's enjoying this…

"Please, calm down, let me explain it to you."

"Well, I think it's better if I leave now…" Kakashi headed for the door quietly, but a voice stopped him.

"You…TRAITOR! IF I BOTHERED YOU SO MUCH WHY DID YOU BRING ME WITH YOU?! I TRUSTED YOU! HOW COULD YOU LET HIM DO THIS TO ME?!" she yelled pointing at Neji.

"I…see you later Haku." Kakashi left the house in a hurry. Tenten turned her attention to Neji, who was clearly uncomfortable and nervous about what was coming now. She burst into sobs, her head bowed, eyes closed and hands shaking, trying to wipe the tears that overflowed her face.

"I thought you loved me…why you made me believe that?" she lowered her voice, so the spies could only see them, not hear them "You could have any women you want. Why have you played with me then? Why have you deceived me? If all you wanted was to lay with me you could just said that…You know how I feel for you. Why have you been pretending that you loved me?" she looked directly in his eyes, and when Neji saw hers he understood. She was acting, but a part of her that was reflected in the tears that fell from her eyes was being sincere. He didn't know why, but he felt guilty.

"I wasn't pretending. I…I don't know what I feel, but I promise you I don't want any other women, just you. I just said that because I want to stay here. This is what I have to do if I want to finally be free. Do you understand? I'll do what it's necessary to accomplish my dreams, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you. I really do. I don't know if it's love, I just know I don't want to feel this way for anyone else." she looked down and held back a sob, tears still streaming down her eyes.

"How can I know that you are telling me the truth?"

"Please, think about all we have been through. You were my first friend, the first person who really cared about how I felt. You always tried to cheer me up, to make me happy. I know I've been difficult, but you've never given up on me, even in the hardest times." Neji closed his eyes and couldn't help but smile as he remembered the moments they spent together when they were still genin. Especially when everyone hated him after the fight with Hinata. She didn't, she went to see him after his defeat against Naruto, she knew there was something more. She tried to understand his feelings, and she did it, and from that moment she did everything she could to open his eyes to a world without hatred and resentment "You are the most important person in my life. I don't want to hurt you. I can't promise I won't, because I know that somehow I'll do it. But please, never think I hurt you because I want to." he lifted her head and wiped her tears. Neji felt a shiver that ran through his body when he saw the look in her eyes. They were full of love and acceptance.

"You win." she grinned at him as she cleaned the resto of her tears with the sleeve and let out a small laugh "I believe you."

She buried her face in his chest. He was still not used to physical contact and he clearly doesn't like hugs, but he wrapped her in his arms and sighed with relief. Now he understands why he felt guilt.

When Kazuo men left Kakashi returned to the home. They sat in the bathroom floor, it was the only place of the house without windows, so if the spies returned they'll have more time to hide the documents and information.

"That was pretty…intense." Kakashi exclaimed.

"Yeah, Haku is a brat." Tenten winked at Neji, who couldn't help but smile a little "But I think maybe I should do it." both men looked at her with the eyes wide opened "I could seek information, and in our weekly sex encounters I could inform you."

"There's no way I would let you do it, Tenten." Neji said roundly "We don't know what he could force you to do." he said that with disgust.

"He's right. I'm the leader of this mission, and I won't let you do it." said Kakashi.

"But I don't think I would be forced to do something… you know, something sexual."

"Why? That was my first impression." said Kakashi.

"Let's recap." She said opening a small notebook "There are only a few girls in this town, and Kazuo has something to do with it. He takes the girl somewhere, where they are safe, or at least that is what he want us to believe." she noted that "When I talked to Hitomi I could notice that she knows what he's doing. And she also told me that she loves him, and they have something, like he cares about her too. I doubt she loved him if he was doing something like that to the girls. I mean, she seems to be nice and good, but also she said something about missing the other girls, so she also cares about them."

"That's a good point, and maybe you are right, but we aren't 100% sure, so I won't allow you to do that, clear?"

"Like water." Tenten sighed.

"Well, I think we discovered a lot in a short time. Now we should focus in our cover. We need Kazuo to trust us. The tactic we used today with him has gone wrong. We haven't gotten new information and we have raised suspicions. Moreover, now he thinks that you only want Tenten to…you know." Neji looked down, embarrased "So now you have to act like so."

"What do you mean?" asked Neji, knowing what he meant.

"We have to pretend we are having more contact." Tenten sighed again. A part of her wanted to get more intimate with Neji, but not like this, not faking it. Neji blushed violently and turned his face.

"I'm also worried about you." Kakashi looked to Tenten "He clearly wants you for something. From this moment you won't leave the house without one of us with you."

Tenten sighed, once again "Fine." This mission is going to be…stressful.

They eventually ended the meeting, and Tenten hid all the papers and materials in her scrolls. Kakashi left to his house, as it was almost midnight. Neji and Tenten went to bed, no one spying on them.

"How do you feel?" he said turning off the lights and getting into bed.

"I'm fine, no more cramps."

"Great."

They were both looking at the ceiling, too embarrassed about their conversation in the afternoon. The silence was so uncomfortable that Neji tried to break it.

"Do you want something? Dangos? Ice-cream?"

"No, thanks Neji. Now that I can't train I shouldn't eat so much sweets. You know, I don't want to lose the figure." she smirked.

"Uhm…yeah" that conversation was making Neji more uncomfortable.

Tenten faced him, making Neji feel even more awkward. He stared at the ceiling without blinking.

"Hee?" Tenten tried to keep from laughing. Neji's face is so cute when he blushes. She extended a finger, with the intention of pushing his cheek, but he's a ninja after all, and gracefully he turned and grabbed her wrist. Their faces were a few centimeters away.

"Eh…uh…Tenten?" he asked when she put her other hand gently over his.

"Tcht." She indicated him to be quiet as she closed her eyes, preparing for sleep. He stayed a while longer in that position, contemplating her in her sleep, until his eyes demanded also to join the dream. But before he fell asleep he released her wrist slowly, and with a short movement he intertwined his fingers with hers.

Tenten's tonge moved smoothly from his neck to his face, caressing every inch of his skin. It seems that she decided to run through his body using only her mouth. Neji felt too the weight of her hands on his chest. The movements of her tonge were getting faster, desperate and…wet?

"Tenten…be more gentle…" he murmured.

"With what?" Neji felt as if that voice spoke to him from afar. Slowly he opened his eyes, and then he realised that the tonge that caressed his skin was, indeed, of a dog.

"WHAT'S THIS?!" he yelled as he got up awkwardly from the bed, tripping with the sheet.

"Uau, I didn't know that the Hyuga could shout." said Kakashi with a laugh "And please, don't scare the dog." he pointed to a little ball of fur that was shaking in bed. Neji closed his eyes and counted to three. Then he went on to analyze the situation. Kakashi was leaning against the wall, looking at him with mocking face. Tenten was sitting in the bed, squeezing the dog, who was bouncing and sticking his tongue out at her spoils.

"Okey…What's this doing here?" Neji said pointing to the dog.

"Kakashi gave it to me" she said with a big smile "Isn't he cute?"

"Yeah, whatever. Why?"

"It's one of my ninja dogs, Neji. He's here to protect Tenten. Well, he's still a puppy, but at least he can warn us if something happens to her."

Neji didn't like the idea of having a dog at home, but the security of Tenten was first. "Okey, but I don't want this to touch me."

"First, it's not "this", it's Bo. Secondly, I have to be more gently with what?" Tenten asked.

"Yeah, what was you dreaming about?" said Kakashi mischievously.

"Eh…" Neji looked away "…with nothing."

"Sure…pervert" Kakashi murmured.

"What did you call me?! Besides, why are you still here? If the spies come again they will suspect."

"See you later then…pervert" Kakashi spoiled the dog a little more and exited the house.

"Neji."

"Yes Tenten?"

"I can be tough and gentle." she said seductively. He turned red and coughed.

"Whatever. I'm going to have a bath."

Neji was about to leave to Kazuo's base when he heard Tenten calling him.

"Uh…Neji…" she was a little bit awkward, so he invited her to speak with his eyes. "You…do you have to work for Kazuo this afternoon?"

"No, only in the morning. Why?"

"I was wondering that we….ummm…you know, we could go for a walk or something…for the cover and the dog." Neji smiled to himself, and uneable to hold back, he kissed her forehead.

"I'm looking forward to it." having said that, he disappeared out the door.

Thanks for reading this, I really hope you like it. It's my first fanfic and I'm not very good with the writing so...Anyway, thanks :D