Author's Notes: Again, sorry for the wait. School still hasn't decided to give up on murdering me. But I shall prevail! It's the holidays now and I'm free from school (even though I still have a ton of homework) so tomorrow I am scheduling in a writing day - I'll drop behind my desk at 9 am to write, take short breaks to eat and then crash in bed at 11 pm! I can't wait. It's been so long since I just sat down and wrote, wrote, wrote... Yay.
This has been rewritten so many times... It has been waiting to be published for almost two weeks now but I'm never quite satisfied with it. I think I've managed to get it up to my usual level though, so I'm glad about that. This chapter takes place right around the same time as chapter six, Awakening, just so you know.
Also, I changed back to what I did in Koigokoro, with the chapter titles that are quotations from the chapter? I like that a whole lot better than the verb chapter titles, so I went back and changed it for every chapter.
As always, a tiny paragraph here to thank the fans (whom I could never thank enough, but I'll try nonetheless): you're the best! Hugs to Fake Bliss and MariamUchiha for faving or putting my story on their alert list, and huge hugs, kisses and cookies to the fabulous KNO, WinterVines and Fake Bliss for reviewing. And of course also thanks so much to all other readers! You know I love you guys.
Reviews mean the world to me, so please take just a moment to tell me what you think of my writing. It would truly make my day. And enjoy, I hope you like it!
Disclaimer: Maybe if we fanfiction writers all pitch in, together we could buy the Naruto imperium and totally manipulate the storyline to fit our wants and needs? Until then, I regret to have to say that I don't own anything.
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Tawakemono
o7. "Seduction and Neji don't mix."
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Tenten sipped her tea diligently, staring at the old clock on the wall over the rim of her cup. She had been hoping to spend a nice afternoon just chatting with the girls to get her mind of things, but they were late. And without the distraction of a mission or training or friends... Her mind couldn't help but wander.
She straightened in her seat as the little bell over the door tingled and sighed in relief when her three fellow kunoichi bustled in, bringing chatter and the hustle bustle of shedding winter coats and scarves with them. Tenten waved them over. "I thought you weren't going to make it!" she scolded, but the smile on her face belied her tone of voice.
Ino shrugged, plopping down in her seat. "Sorry! I couldn't find my favourite scarf, so I had to enlist these two," she motioned with her head, "to find it." Tenten rolled her eyes. With Ino, it was bound to be something like that that caused her tardiness.
"Right, 'cause it was so important," Sakura replied with a roll of green eyes, earning a playful glare from her best friend.
"Long time no see, Tenten-chan," Hinata smiled as she took a seat demurely. "How was your mission?"
Tenten surpressed a yawn before replying. "Success." Well, that was as far as the mission was concerned. When it came to her personal life, that mission had only served to complicate things. "Help yourselves," she added, gesturing at the tea cups arranged on the table. Ino and Hinata gladly accepted the offer, but Sakura raised a brow and scrutinized Tenten carefully.
"And you?" she asked frankly.
Tenten shrugged, rubbing at the bags under her eyes - a vivid reminder of last night's hallucinated encounter whenever she looked at her reflection. "Don't worry. I've just been a little distracted lately."
"Are you okay?" Hinata asked worriedly.
Sakura frowned. "Having trouble sleeping? I could get you some sleep meds, if you want..." she suggested with an encouraging smile.
Tenten shook her head. It was a kind offer, but she doubted it would help her regain her usual focus. Not when Neji haunted not only her dreams but her every waking thought as well. Was there a cure for unrecruited love? If so, she'd gladly take it. "Thanks, but I don't think that'll help much."
Ino leant over the wooden counter top to stare at Tenten intently. The latter felt strangely as though she should have left instead of waiting for the girls, because that would have prevented the trouble that the realization dawning on Ino's face spelled. God only knew what Ino could let slip when she was this excited about something. The last thing Tenten needed was Miss Gossip spreading the word.
The blonde leant back in her chair again, pulling her lips back into an almost feral grin. "It's a guy," she stated, voice laced with confidence and certainty.
"Ino!" Sakura chided, glaring at her friend.
Ino glared right back. "What? It's true."
"Says who?"
Ino pointed at herself violently. "Me! I'm an expert, Sakura. And you should see it, too!"
Tenten raised a hand before Sakura could reply and things escalated. It wouldn't be the first time the four of them were requested to leave a establishment because several members of their party were rather vocal in their disputes. "Please, guys? I already have a headache." Ino settled down reluctantly, but the predatory gleam hadn't left her eyes entirely.
"It's nii-san, isn't it?" Hinata offered quietly.
The direct question threw Tenten off guard at first, but then she realized she should have been expecting it. There where few who knew Neji better than his timid, insightful cousin, and then there were few who knew Tenten herself better than Hinata did. She sighed. Maybe what she needed most wasn't distraction, but council.
"He's been so strange." she admitted.
Ino raised a brow. "He's always strange."
"No he isn't." Tenten argued. She frowned. Maybe she was just used to him? The closest she'd ever come to him was that he was simply an acquired taste. Tenten replayed the memory in her head for the umpteenth time. That look in his pale eyes, all the more piercing due to the darkness surrounding them. That look that had left her mind reeling with the possiblities of all she'd ever dared to hope for and much, much more. "A week ago, he was staring at me, and I can't for the life of me figure out why. Neji doesn't stare at anyone - he doesn't need to." She motioned towards her eyes to clarify. "I don't see what changed."
Ino's wide grin seemed to almost ping in that way Lee and Gai-sensei had perfected. Tenten couldn't help but feel a wary sort of trepidation. "Interesting," Ino purred.
"Are you sure?" Sakura questioned, doubt written in her features. Tenten understood; too many times had Sakura been disappointed by her own prodigy to feel hope without hesitation.
Tenten nodded pensively, sipping her hot tea. "Positive. It was crazy."
"Are you saying he..." Hinata fumbled for words, "might feel the same?" An instant blush appeared on her cheeks.
Tenten instantly shook her head, perhaps with a little more force than necessary. "No."
"Oh," Hinata sighed, disappointment practically oozing from her.
Tenten toned her previous statement down a bit. "I'm not allowing myself to think of that. Or rather, I'm trying not to."
"And failing," Ino pointed out with a smirk. "That's why you've been distracted. What you need to do is seduce him! Flirt with him!" She wiggled her brows in a worryingly suggestive way.
Tenten didn't know about that. "Seduction and Neji don't mix. I doubt he's even susceptible to a woman's charms." She crushed the urge to sigh.
"You don't mean..."
Tenten blinked in shock. "I just meant that he's hard to get to," she clarified quickly.
"If he was staring at you, obviousy you got to him," Sakura shrugged. Hinata nodded in support of that reasoning.
Tenten shook her head. "This is crazy! You guys too?" It was bad enough to have one out of the Terrible Two out to give her love advice. Having both members of the dynamic duo meddling might be a little too much. And Hinata, to boot! Tenten was beginning to doubt ever confessing to them.
"Well, Ino has a point." Sakura stated. "I mean, you don't want to confront him all out, right?"
Tenten didn't have to think about that twice. If there was one thing she held no illusions about it was that actually telling Neji how she felt was a Bad idea - capital B required.
Sakura continued in her professional voice, the one she used to describe a medical procedure or list the injuries of a patient. It was a habit she'd picked up over years of medical studies. "Then isn't it a better idea to give him just the slightest hint here and there? Underneath the underneath. You can always deny it if he reacts negatively."
"He cares about you anyway, even if it's just as a friend. It's not like he'll never talk to you again after this. It might be awkward for a little while, but your bond can definitely survive that," Ino clarified. Even if she wasn't sure she agreed, Tenten was glad Ino had moved from 'madness' on to 'helpful in a weird way'.
Sakura winked. "I should know! Naruto's told me a hundred times that he loves me without me feeling the same, but he's still my best friend," she supplied. "It tops doing nothing and torturing yourself over it," she reasoned with a smile. "And if he reacts positively..."
Ino's eyebrows did that thing again.
"Just think about it, okay?" Hinata added, the look in her eyes almost pleading.
Tenten couldn't help but smile at the three hopeful faces of her friends and couldn't help the hope and determination blooming in her chest at their words.. "I guess." With a deep sigh, she signed her fate. "I'll think about it."
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Love you guys! Please hit review, my darlings, can't wait to find out how you like this lil' figment of my imagination :D xox
