Chapter seven – Kidnapping and tearless Reunion

"I have decided!"

"Decided, what, exactly?" Neji asked, sounding very non thrilled that Tenten had decided something as he packed his notebooks and pens into a small, white duffle bag.

"I'm kidnapping you to come have breakfast with me and my friends!" She announced cheerfully, swinging her legs over the edge of her bed on which she had been sitting, absent minded straightening up her buns without taking them out.

"I do not really want to go."

"That's the whole point of kidnapping. It doesn't matter if you want to or not." Tenten said, reaching for her black messenger bag that was wedged behind her desk.

"Hn."

"Hn all you want. The discussion has been made." She grinned, unlocking the door and stepping back to allow Neji to pass through first. She backed out of their room, locking the door behind her with a flourish as if to signal to Neji the argument was settled.

He was walking off but Tenten caught up quickly snagging his arm she dragged him in the direction of Sakura and Ino's room.

"Resistance if futile."

"I wasn't resisting. I was fleeing."

"Oh my god! You made a joke!" Tenten gasped, letting go of his sleeve and staring dumb struck at him. His mouth twitched in amusement.

"I do believe it is impolite to stare."

She rolled her eyes and rapped hard on Sakura's door, listening to the bickering from within it took only a few seconds for the door to swing open and Sakura and Ino pile out. The blond dressed in an orange tank tap and fashionable black pants with her long hair tied up as usual, Sakura in an open pink vest with a white singlet and black pleated skirt.

"Yeah, yeah we're coming - -." Ino cut off mid grumble, or purple bag hanging loosely from one hand as she stared at Neji.

"Uh... Who are you?"

"This is Neji. Neji, this is Ino. And Over there is Sakura, the one with the wild hair colour."

"It's natural." Sakura growled as she stuffed her keys into her bad she turned to look at Neji and gave a wary smile. "Hey. You opened the door for me the other day." She said, nudging Ino to get moving.

"Neji. As in your roommate?"

"No, Ino. I randomly went out and found another Neji who lived in this dorm and kidnapped him for breakfast."

Ino rolled her eyes and shifted a glance at Neji who was trailing slightly behind them. Well, maybe trailing wasn't the right word. Hyuuga Neji didn't trail... It was more of walking slightly behind the group and looking like he would rather be anywhere else but where Tenten was dragging him.

"Don't even bother." She said plainly to Ino who was examining Neji with a small smirk on her face. She looked up at her indigently. "I highly doubt Neji is the kind of guy who's interested in dating."

She reluctantly looked away. "He doesn't look it I suppose." She said almost regretful. Tenten rolled her eyes and slowed to down to walk with said specimen.

"I would rather be on my own."

"Don't I know it? At least try to smile."

"Hn."

She sighed and Neji's stony face continued to remain impassive and icy. Tenten was tempted to stick him and oversized oven and see if he defrosted in the slightest.

"Am I to assume the place you are dragging me to have smoothies?"

"Do I really need to answer that?"

"No."

Tenten smirked and watched as the campus cafe came into view, Sakura and Ino disappearing through the push open glass doors.

"You first. Other whys you'll flee."

Neji glared at her icily for a moment before stepping delicately through the door Tenten held open for him. She let it sing shut on its own, spotting Naruto, Lee and Temari wedged into one side of a booth and the small party approached.

Tenten allowed Neji to grab the window side of the booth, knowing full well that sitting next to someone he didn't know would be rather unpleasant for both parties involved. Tenten slid in beside him and Ino beside her, Sakura landing the edge.

"Who's that?" Temari asked, checking Neji out for herself. The Hyuuga didn't seem to notice, staring out the window coldly as the thin sheet of glass had somehow wronged him. Tenten felt awkward. Maybe kidnapping Neji hadn't been one of her brightest ideas.

"This is Hyuuga Neji. Neji, Temari, Lee and Naruto." She introduced. Neji barley looked up but nodded in acknowledgement at the group before returning to gazing at the window.

The group placed their orders, not exactly sure what Neji wanted she asked but received only a shrug that she interpreted as I don't really care.

She ordered a random smoothie.

"So... Hyuuga Neji as in, your roommate?"

Tenten let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, Temari. As in my roommate."

"I dunno Tenten; this guy looks a little shifty..." Naruto was looking suspiouse at Neji from the corner of his eye; leaning slightly away as if afraid he'd be bitten.

"Naruto!"

Sakura leaned over and wacked the loud mouthed blond on his head.

Neji made no response but to shift his lavender tinged eyes at Naruto for all of half a second before returning his gaze to the window.

"Hn."

"Hn? You know what, you sound an awfully lot like this guy I know called Sasuk--."

"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny Naruto!" Tenten cut over throwing a balled up napkin at him and glancing at Sakura who thankfully looked like she had missed the comment.

"Hmm? What was that about?" Temari wondered, looking at Tenten as Naruto looked around, distracted as he tried to find what it was Tenten had thrown at him. Sakura looked up and Tenten changed the subject.

"So... what have you guys got first up?" She asked. The table was instantly full with conversation as people compared time tables, Lee and Naruto the loudest by far, shouting things as loud as they could to be heard. Neji sat as still as stone and Tenten watched with relief as Naruto's comment about Sasuke seemed to slink away.

There smoothie arrived and Tenten reached for hers, noticing as she did a certain raven haired figure sitting at a small table at the back of the cafe watching her booth was a pronounced smirk.

What the hell?! Does just thinking about this guy summon him or something?!

Tenten glanced quickly away, before sliding her glance sideways and was relived to see a certain rosette hadn't noticed Sasuke's lurking at the fringes of the restaurant.

Tenten skulled her smoothie quickly. Withdrawing from the conversation to avoid accidently giving away something. She had never been a talented liar.

Neji's gaze slid to her and then to where she kept her eyes firmly averted. Tenten saw his mouth harden into a line and something like recognization dawned in his eyes, although it quickly left and he went back to staring out the window as if nothing had happened.

What was that about? Tenten wondered as her friends reluctantly emptied the booth and the cafe. Tenten lingered, twitching in agitation as Sakura's bag got caught on the booth, Ino, Naruto, Temari and Lee already out the door she saw Sasuke rise and decided that Sakura was on her own.

Neji glided smoothly out the door and sent one last dismayingly look at Sakura who was oblivious to Sasuke's approaching and then fled after Neji.

***

"God damn it. Stupid bag, cheap piece of crap. The moment you get free I swear I'll--."

"Hello Sakura"

Sakura jumped, her bag ripping itself free she felt her face drain of blood as she saw Sasuke standing behind her an amused smirk on his face.

Yes, Tenten had mentioned he was in the area now. She hadn't known he obviously attended boarding school here.

She turned without a word at him and left the cafe, and was extremely dismayed that Sasuke stepped in front of her, blocking her path the moment she was out.

"Aren't you going to at least say hi?"

"No. Leave me the hell alone." She spat, making a failed attempt to side step him.

He smirked. "You know you don't really mean that." He said grabbing her wrist.

"Like hell I don't." She muttered, ripping her arm free and dodging around him, beginning to head towards her first class. He easily fell into step beside her, drawing more then a few admiring looks from passing students.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked finally, stoping dead in her tracks she spun around to confront him.

"Going to school, or course."

"Why aren't you with your precious Orochimaru?"

"Because I have no obligation to be." He said smoothly, completely avoiding answering the question. To spite me, Sakura thought vehemently.

"Yeah, well. I've got to get to class." She said icily, gem green eyes narrowed as she sped up. Sasuke made no attempt to follow her, letting her go.

A/N: Oooh. So Now I've let Orochimaru slither into the story. I betcha thinking that I have NO idea what the hell I'm doing and just throwing him in whilst I try to think up a reason for his appearance in the story! Well ha! I have a rough idea!