Right Kind of Wrong


By:
Blade Redwind
and
Nokito-chan


Warning: This fic is rated M, so please be aware of that and turn back if instances of profanity and sexual situations are abhorrent to you.

Disclaimer: Neither Blade Redwind nor Nokito-chan in any way own Naruto or its affiliated characters.


Know all about,
About your reputation
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation
But I can't help it if I'm helpless
Every time I'm where you are
You walk in and my strength walks out the door
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore
I know I should go
But I need your touch just too damn much
Loving you, isn't really something I should do
I shouldn't want to spend my time with you
I should try to be strong
But, baby,
You're the right kind of wrong

-The Right Kind of Wrong
by LeAnn Rimes


Chapter 9

Light drifted dimly through her window, beyond the lace curtains. It danced designs across the soft pinks, pastels; the girlish dungeon that came together to be her room. She stared upward, beyond the canopy that matched her window dressings, and towards the flat, white ceiling. Her bangs were a mess across her forehead; sweat had transferred from her palms as she'd worried it and now the strands were a little damp.

Her eyes, hazel-chocolate, were distant; she wasn't in her room, but somewhere else. The past reflected there, hanging on the edge of her subconscious as she submerged into it and left her body.

Her lips were parted, faintly pink and a little chapped from the dry air in the house. She hadn't moved for a few hours, not since she'd gotten home from school. She didn't want to; she couldn't find the want to. It's not that she couldn't, she just sort of refused to.

She swallowed.

In her mind she could see those pleading opaque hues; they stared straight into hers as his voice faded into the background… like in some old film. She could feel his hand, his caress, on her face. But then, at the same time, she could faintly see the bruise on her mother's cheek and her father's back; she could see broken glass and then hear the angry cries—the accusations.

She shut her eyes; the corners strained with impressions from the strength of it as she rolled over on the bed and curled into herself, coiling painfully in a way that made every bend in her skin white.

She wasn't strong enough. Her mother hadn't been.

Their life would be hell, she knew; any committed life had the possibility of being. And she just didn't have the strength to walk away. She never would have; there was too much of her parents in her. She couldn't; she wouldn't. She couldn't chance it. Not because of…

No. Stop it. It's not true. You don't feel that way.

She exhaled slowly and let it go; how she tried to.

She had to let go of this stupid infatuation. That's all it was; she had to let it go before it consumed her and ruined her completely. She couldn't break; she refused to. It was just sex; just sex.

Her mouth opened, releasing a broken, choked, breathy cry only she could hear.

Sasuke had been right. He'd been so right. Sleeping with Neji had been the worst mistake she'd ever made. Why did it turn out like this? Why had she done it to herself?

She hated thinking about it; she didn't want to think about it. But nothing really helped. Even before their talk she'd been distracted all weekend. At school she'd been entirely out of it. Briefly, she wondered if every day was going to be like this now; would it ebb, or would she go on feeling this way in some small part for the rest of her life?

God, it hurt.

That pushing against her heart as her fear pushed back. Go, take the dive; let go, one part said. Stop, it's too much; you made a promise to yourself—don't fall in love. Never fall in love. Love only leads you down a broken road; it breaks your spirit, your mind, and your freedom; it chains your wings until they snap and you can't fly anymore. One bad guy, one bad love, and you can't walk away. And even if you manage to? That's it. You'll never quite fly like you used to.

Careful, don't make a mistake. You'll regret it.

But what if it wasn't? What if this… thing… with Neji could be as beautiful as it was right now always? What if it wasn't a mistake? What if they could be just as passionate, powerful, and amazing as they were right now forever?

Was it worth the what if?

No! her memories shouted. And then the good ones, the ones that involved his eyes, his smile, his gentle touch, his playful smirk, and his bashful denial said YES.

"We used to be so good together! Don't you remember? How great it was?" her mother's voice shouted in her mind to her father.

"Yeah, and then you got pregnant and we got married," she heard her father's voice.

And then came the cries, the tears, the shouts, and the broken glass….

"Shut up," she whispered, hands clamping over her ears.

"Don't you love me anymore?" her mother whispered in question, broken tears in her voice.

But her father never responded.

"Shut up."

"I gave it all up for you. My great life. Why did I do that?" her mother would finally snap.

"If you love it so much then go back to it! I was never good enough for you anyway!"

"I can't believe I gave it up for this!"

"SHUT UP!"

Somehow, that destroyed the fog. The voices, the images, the smells… it all left and she was right back on her bed… not hidden in some closet in that tiny apartment long ago. She was staring through the window, to the fluttering tree branches just outside.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

She jumped, gasping a little as her hand flew to her chest. Her eyes shifted in rapid confusion before it dawned on her that someone was knocking on her door. She reached up, hastily wiped her eyes and fixed her bed hair. A quick look at her reflection on her phone made her feel a little better. She didn't look like she'd just had a nervous breakdown; not quite.

"Come in," she called out just after clearing her throat.

She was a little surprised when it wasn't her uncle—Konohamaru would have just barged in if it wasn't locked—but her grandfather. She blinked a few times before trying to put on her best smile.

He smiled back, making his whole face crinkle up. Age lines shifted into place instantly, giving him an appearance she would always remember him by; always.

"Been out on business?" she asked, noting he was in a suit today.

He looked down, patting the outfit. "Sorta. I met with an old friend for lunch earlier. Haven't been bothered to change yet."

She chuckled as she shifted back to sit cross-legged on the bed, back to her pillows and the headboard. "I like you better in the Hugh Hefner robe. Makes you look distinguished, like that guy on the old PBS show."

It was his turn to chuckle. "I think I spend too much time at home in my pyjamas if that's the image you have of me, granddaughter."

She shrugged, still smiling slightly.

"Care if I sit?"

"You need to chat?"

"A little. Just need to ask you about tomorrow night."

"Oh?" Now she was a confused. Tomorrow night…?

He blinked. "The Fall Fundraiser, girl."

She smacked a hand onto her cheek, mouth agape. How had she forgotten? She always went to the huge charity event. Every year. It was organized so that the hobnobs in the area could donate buttloads of money to charities for the inner city families and kids. Food banks, clothing donation centers, etc. It helped tide people over between foodstamps. Without it, many families wouldn't make it through Christmas. A lot of parents got toys for their kids at some of the centers because of the auction that went on.

"I'm surprised you forgot." He narrowed his eyes at her, scrutinizing in that way that was simply Hiruzen Sarutobi. That gaze penetrated her and her insides jumped worriedly.

She put on a smile, nervous as it was. "Me too. I guess I've been preoccupied lately."

He stared as her a while, not saying anything. His jaw moved about a little and a minute passed, perhaps. She tried thinking of something else to say, but failed completely when he finally spoke again. "You've been holed up in this room all weekend, the party Friday night withstanding. Even today you came home and escaped. I assumed you were doing homework, or a project… but, that's not it, is it?"

Tenten sighed, but refused to look lost or defeated. She couldn't tell him; she wasn't sure she ever could. He'd try to solve it somehow, or make it worse. And she didn't need that. So, instead she came up with the best excuse she could manage.

"School's gonna be out before long, and I guess I'm a little worried about what to do when next year is over; I'm still a junior… but…." In all honesty, she was a little worried; it wasn't a total lie. "Temari has lacrosse, Sakura's going to med school, and I'm not sure what I'm doing.

"I feel like I should be."

"That is a gross miscalculation on my part, my dear," he said with a little surprise in his voice before rubbing his chin and looking down. "I suppose I should have talked to you about this sooner.

"Although, it is an easily remedied problem." He smiled brightly and patted her leg. "We can talk about it the day after tomorrow. I'll make some time for you and we can try to sort something out. At the very least, you can come up with some good options for what you think you might want to do.

"Would that be alright?"

She tried to look relieved and nodded, forcing a bright smile that almost made her eyes close. "Thank you, Grandfather."

"You're welcome." He stood up. "Do make sure you have a dress picked by tomorrow. I'll leave the credit card in the drawer by the door for you."

She bobbed a nod just before he closed the door behind him. Once it clicked into place she let out another sigh, this time in gratitude.

While she couldn't say she was in the mood to shop for dresses… maybe it would get her mind off her problems, regrets…

I'm not sighing again.

She bounced off the bed, slipped on her shoes, and grabbed the car keys. In the hallway she found Sasuke heading her way. She tried to put on the same chipper disposition she'd laid on her grandfather. "Hey."

"Yo, where you off to, Kitten?"

"Dress shopping. Fall Fundraiser is tomorrow night. Wanna be my date? Maybe help me pick a dress? Temari and Sakura should be there. Well, all the money bags will be." This time she grinned in earnest.

He opened his mouth to say something and then snapped it shut. "Actually… I have something to do. You gonna be okay without me?"

She shrugged. "I'll recover."

He chuckled, gave her a peck on the cheek and then smacked her ass as he walked by. "Then I'll see you after for a horror movie marathon?"

"Sure, just nothing with Paris Hilton. I don't need to see her tits again."

"Deal."

Without much else, she gave a shrug and walked on. But, faintly, it tickled the back of her brain… what did Sasuke have to do if he wasn't hanging out with her? Meh, probably something with his mom he couldn't talk about.

Oh well. She'd just have to call Temari and Sakura to come with.


Neji stared at the numbers; they scrawled over the pages, blurring a little. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, let out a breath, and dropped his pencil. It clattered on the wooden desk, finally just rolling onto the floor. He didn't bother picking it up as he sat back.

He looked out the window to his left; the sun was just starting to tip beyond the treeline. Evening would be setting in soon. Likely, he'd have dinner upstairs with his uncle still out of town until tomorrow morning. It wouldn't be like Hinata and Hanabi to dine downstairs without him. The siblings rarely ate at the table unless he was home; there wasn't much point in attending to a charade for the household.

In either case, he didn't feel up to them.

He was restless and needed to move, but wasn't in the mood to drag the horses out this late in the day. A drive might be nice, but he wasn't sure he was up for that much effort. No, honestly, he hated waiting; and right now he was trusting Sasuke Uchiha to come up with something suitable in regard to confronting Tenten.

His stomach grumbled, mimicking the irritation at the lack of something in his mind

Ah well, might as well go for a hunt in the kitchen, maybe make a sandwich.

He stood up, slipped out of his room, and headed for the stairs. He wasn't sure how long he could wait on Sasuke; perhaps a week at most. He was patient to a point; although, that limit was severely lacking when it came to Tenten. Time wasn't in their favour; his uncle would find out eventually. The sooner they figured something out the better. What's more, he still had to figure out what to do about Hanabi and Konohamaru. He imagined if this all got worked out with him and Ten the rest of that mess would fall into place.

He should probably still speak to Hanabi about it though. Tell her to keep her head low when Hiashi arrived back tomorrow. The last thing he needed was to have the spotlight on her and then have it returned to him once the jig was up. Hiashi would be livid and Neji wanted to be as prepared as possible. As the oldest son he would face the brunt of his uncle's anger; there was no way around that.

The fridge light filled the dark space; it reflected off the stainless steel appliances as he pondered what to grab… There were some leftovers from yesterday and he took the plate, inspecting it before deciding it would work.

"Excuse me, Master Hyuuga."

Neji turned around as the room lit up. His brow was raised at the old footman; the only person who ever called him Master. The man had been around when his grandfather was a boy—supposedly. Neji had tried long ago to get him to stop it, but the first time he'd asked him to, the poor guy looked like he was going to have a heart attack and Neji had given up immediately.

"Yes?"

"You have a visitor at the door. A young Sasuke Uchiha who says he needs to speak with you straight away."

Neji blinked. Oh god… he came to the house!? Fuck. He could just see this going well once his uncle got home. He could just imagine the old coot telling Hiashi all about the delinquent on their doorstep. His uncle would start sniffing like a bloodhound.

Carefully, he set down the plate and tried to hide his drastic swallow. "Thank you. I'll deal with him by myself." He didn't wait for a response from the geezer as he flew to the front door, practically ripping it off its hinges before he stepped outside and shut it quickly.

"What are you think…" he trailed off, a little transfixed at the Uchiha in front of him: no jewellery, no black leather, no weird eyeliner. Instead, he stood in a simple polo and jeans with dark-colored sneakers.

"Surprised?" Sasuke smirked. "You busy? I need to borrow you."

"What are you wearing?" Neji asked, unable to stop himself.

Sasuke shrugged. "Didn't want to risk your uncle seeing me in my usual digs. I had to make this fast. We don't really have time to idle about. You're lucky my snake bites come out like a charm; face piercings are usually a pain." He raised a brow, blank stare in place. "You gonna hurry it up?"

Neji blinked out of his stupor. "You're changing back, right?"

"Horrified?"

"A little."

"You didn't have to look at it in the mirror. Yes, I'll change. Now hurry up, princess."

Normally Neji would have argued about the nickname, but he let it go in lieu of whatever plan or opportunity Sasuke had in mind. He rushed back into the house, told the footman he'd be gone for a while, and gathered his things before going back out.

"We're taking my car. I need a smoke."

The two small sentences' connection was not lost on Neji. While he didn't like the smell of smoke too much, he didn't have any interest in pulling his car out of the garage. The gate shut behind them automatically as they stepped out into the street.

"Is that your brother's car?" Neji pointed to the little red Corvette.

"Yeah, he's in town for a little while with mom. Let me borrow it. I didn't think you'd want to ride bitch on the bike."

Neji frowned when Sasuke winked at him, but he'd already slid into the car. Neji got in on the passenger side. "Okay, rule number one: quit pretend-hitting on me."

"Who says I'm pretending?"

"It stops now."

Sasuke just shrugged, eyes on the road as he pulled off the curb.

"Where are we going and what do you have to tell me?"

"You bring your wallet with you?"

"…. Why?"

"Because, I'm going suit shopping. Didn't know if you needed one too, but I don't have the cash or the inclination to pay for both of us."

Neji sighed. "What's going on? I thought you—."

"Sorry. I'm not usually much of a talker." Sasuke shrugged again. "Ten and her grandfather, probably Asuma and her cousin are going to the Fall Fundraiser tomorrow night. You're going with your family, right?"

Neji had actually forgotten all about it because of everything going on with Tenten. No, this was probably a good thing. He didn't have a suit yet. Nothing new. And his uncle would have been overwrought if he didn't have a new one to wear in front of so many people who saw them on a regular basis at events.

"What does this have to do with Tenten though?"

"She's going."

"And? She goes to school every day."

Sasuke sighed. "You need to get her to talk to you. You need to convince her. You can't do that at school where people are used to her being an ass to you. No one cares; especially Ten. But this event is a formal thing, princess. She'll have to behave and she wouldn't dare embarrass her grandfather.

"Getting her to dance with you is easy enough. Just cut in when I take her on the floor; she's already asked me to go with her and won't be expecting it from me.

"Then, you can talk. But, that's all on you. So, you've got till tomorrow night to think of the right words."

Neji absorbed all the information. He had to admit, it wasn't the most intricate plan, but it might work. The real problem was getting her to talk to him, he supposed. The other half was convincing her. He was a little surprised at how easy it was to agree with Sasuke on it all.

Take away the leather and dirty-devil attitude and he and Sasuke could likely become friends. He stared at the darker-haired male a moment and then shook his head.

"What?"

"Nothing, I just didn't think we'd get along beyond tolerance; however, I'm finding that's not the case at all."

Sasuke chuckled. "It's different when you just let it go, huh?"

"Let what go?"

"All the bullshit your family and peers wrap you in. You can't sit straight all the time, Hyuuga. Sometimes you have to relax. A falsis principiis proficisci; to set forth from false principles, my friend."

"You know Latin?"

Sasuke scowled and pulled a smoke from the pack between his legs. He set it between his lips, leaned forward on the wheel while he drove, and lit it while he spoke, "See, that's your problem. You've been bred to only see what's on the outside." Partway through he sat back and exhaled a cloud of misty-white. "And that's part of the reason you like Ten so much. She shakes the cage you've been suffocated in. She forces you to take that tie out of your hair and let it down.

"You're not use to being carefree even for a moment."

"I already knew that."

"You wanna hint on having fun?"

"Why not," Neji sighed out. Apparently today was the day for turning his world on its head. Because he could not imagine ever going suit shopping with someone like Sasuke, or someone he used to think Sasuke was.

"First, quit worrying about the rules and start worrying about the consequences. Judge what's right for yourself and your own sense of integrity. Fuck the rest of them.

"Two? If you actually manage to convince Ten tonight, do something reckless. Like slip out of the party halfway through the night and let's go somewhere and do something you've never done before."

Neji's brain automatically went to what Hiashi would think; it was like an in-grown mechanism ingrained into his skull from the moment he'd moved into that house. But, he shut it off and thought about what Sasuke said.

"Did you have anything in mind?"

Sasuke smiled around his cigarette. "Well, as far as Ten goes, it's usually easy—if that's what you're asking. There are a few events tonight. I'll tell you about them while we get suits.

"Remind me to tell you how much I hate penguin jumpers."


Another day went by in a haze, just like the last one. One minute she was listening to a lecture in first and the next it was the final period of the day. She wasn't quite sure what she'd even had for lunch, which was a little disquieting.

"Am I picking you up?"

A voice said from her right, interrupting her thoughts as she loaded and unloaded into her locker. She blinked at Sasuke and it took her a moment to realize that he was talking about tonight's event. "All of us on the bike?"

He rolled his eyes. "No. Itachi let me borrow the car."

"Ah…" She nodded as she shut her locker door. "Well, I think I'm going with the family. You don't want to ride with us?"

He shook his head. "No, just wanted to make sure you were covered."

"Oh… okay." She raised a brow at him as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "Why, is something up?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"If you say so." She let it go, shrugging. Sasuke had his secrets, like anyone else. For all she knew he could have a date with someone before the fundraiser. "Just make sure you're not late."

"I know. See ya, Kitten." And then he was gone, leaving her a little bereft and a little curious.

She decided to let it go as she shut her locker and moved down the hall. The door slammed heavily shut on its own behind her. The parking lot was practically empty, but there were still a few students talking until the crowd of vehicles departed and made it easier to leave. She pondered doing the same as she tossed her backpack on the passenger seat and shut her door.

Konohamaru had gotten a ride home with someone else again, but she was wondering what he was up to with Hanabi. This whole blaze of fury she had going with Neji had quickly misdirected not just his attention, but hers as well. Perhaps the only good thing to come out of this would be Neji letting her brat of a cousin see Hanabi quietly. It's not like the romance could last too long; they were high schoolers after all—freshman. The chance it would ever turn into anything serious enough to piss off his uncle was unlikely.

Right?

Yeah.

Are you talking about them or you?

She ignored that inner thought and decided that at the very least she needed to sort out her terms with Neji about Hanabi and Konohamaru when she was up to actually talking to him. You know, when she wasn't on the very edge of falling apart and admitting something she just shouldn't. Something that wasn't going to happen; it hadn't.

"Shut up, idiot." With that, she hit the gas and the clutch, turned on the car, and shifted into drive.


"Leaving early?"

Neji stopped gracefully, halting a stumble as his uncle surprised him just before the door. He wasn't sure if Hiashi was actually passing by, intent on flicking through the mail in his neatly pressed suit, or just intent on questioning him.

Neji cleared his throat and straightened. "I'm leaving with a friend who is also attending."

"A date?"

"No, Uncle. A friend who was invited and offered to drive me."

"Hm," the older male murmured, scrutinizing him. "Just make sure you're not late."

Neji nodded, waiting for his uncle to leave the room first and then all but tried to not look like a scurrying mouse as he left. Hyuugas did not scurry. He walked smoothly across the driveway and out the gate, which had been left open so the car could depart shortly. He tried not to walk too quickly to Sasuke's car and slid in.

"Explain to me why I'm not driving myself?"

"Because, Ten is going with her family; found that out today. I don't want to leave a car behind when we dump the party."

Neji didn't like depending on other people for a ride; he hadn't been happy with the idea of being cramped in the car with his family. So, despite it all, this had been a better alternative. But, he didn't have to tell Sasuke that.

"You figure out what you're gonna say yet?" Sasuke reached over just after he pulled away and drove off, clicking the radio station on. Something vaguely reminiscent of Kiba blared out of the speaker, but it wasn't so loud they couldn't talk.

"Yes, I've figured something out."

"Wanna run it by me?"

"Not particularly."

Sasuke's lips twitched in a sort of contemplative frown. "Suit yourself, I suppose. Just figured I'd give you some insight."

"At some point I need to trust my own instincts or this thing with her will never go more than five steps."

Sasuke nodded.

Neji eyed him a moment. "For someone who doesn't say more than five words usually…"

"…I've been talking a lot?"

He didn't need an answer.

"I don't like talking to people I don't like," Sasuke said. "It's that simple. Most people just like to hear themselves speak; they don't actually listen to anyone. So, I find the more a person talks the less they listen. And listening is fairly helpful.

"Anyway, we're here."

That didn't take long, Neji mulled. But, then it wasn't far to begin with.

Suddenly, the car was in park, but still on. Both men got out and Sasuke handed the key to a valet. He nodded briefly, smiling, as the guy eyeballed the hotrod.

"Be careful. The transmission sticks a little."

"Got it," the valet replied before getting in, looking a little too happy to have his hands on a classic.

Sasuke wondered if some part of him should be worried, but disregarded it. No one in their right mind would fuck up a '63 Corvette with the rare split window in the back.

"I have to go meet Ten. Watch the floor to cut in, alright?"

"Go first. We'll need a space of time to make it seem like we didn't come in together."

"That was the plan." Sasuke shot off a quick salute and then jogged up the concrete stairs.

Neji paused and looked up at the large building. Glass windows lined the front, faintly tinted. Off-white paint coated the walls and a dome sat atop where he imagined the center ballroom was.

People filled in slowly, black, red, blue and yellows sparkled like a sparse sea. He stood back, watching, and then looked at his phone. A couple minutes had passed. Now all he had to do was wait for his uncle to show up, attend to him for a time, and then wait for Tenten to arrive.

He could do this.

He slid the phone back into his jacket and moved with the flow inward, scanning the crowd before he moved on. Briefly, he wondered if Tenten had figured out he would be here as well. Doubtful, or she just assumed there were so many people it wouldn't matter.

A few people were loitering at the doors, but some were meeting with friends before going in. The front entrance went straight through to the two doors that opened up into the building's ballroom. Neji gave his name once he got there and went in. It would be a little while before his uncle arrived, perhaps ten or fifteen minutes. But, there was an hour buffer of discussion and dancing before anyone announced the night's schedule.

There came a sudden slap to his back; the action made him jump a little. His head whipped to his right and he frowned, eventually scowling when he saw who it was.

"Don't look so sour, man. I haven't seen you most of the weekend." Kiba grinned unabashedly. "Where's the rest of the stoics?"

"They haven't arrived yet."

"You drive?"

And start the interrogation…

Neji didn't feel like being questioned by Kiba of all people and redirected the question with one of his own. "Where's everyone else?"

Kiba shrugged. "Not sure yet. You're the first I've seen. But you know how it takes Ino and Karin forever to get all plastered in make-up for this kinda stuff." They fell in step together as they moved towards the refreshment and snacks table. He grabbed a cup and poured some punch into it with the ladle. "Personally, I hate this shit my parents force me to attend."

So do I, Neji wanted to say, but held his tongue.

"But, all for family, right?" Kiba sighed and gave a mock toast before taking a drink. One hand was in his pocket as he looked out at the crowd and some of the dancers.

Neji had always known Kiba was never big on formal events, but had he overlooked something important? Was it possible the mangy boy, whose hobby list included breeding and playing with his prized pups, had more going on in his life than Neji ever cared to look into?

You've been bred to only see what's on the outside.

"Me too," he murmured.

"Huh?" Kiba looked back at him, brows high on his head. "You say something, man?"

Neji smiled a little and chuckled. "Yeah," he exaggerated, "I said I hate these parties, too."

"Seriously?" Kiba didn't look fazed by his unusual admittance. "I figured you didn't care one way or the other."

"I think I believed the same once, but no. I hate them."

Kiba grinned. "Well, get used to it. We'll have to go to these snorefests for the rest of our lives.

"But, hey, they do some good, right? For people that need it."

Neji was surprised—genuinely so. Since when did Kiba… He resisted the urge to narrow his eyes as he poured himself a drink and took a sip. "Kiba?"

"What?"

"Why do you… mess with people at school?"

Kiba let out a long breath. "You getting serious on me, or something?"

"Honestly, Kiba… why?" Neji levelled his gaze on him, but it wasn't intimidating.

He shook his head, causing his shaggy mane to shift and fall into his eyes slightly. They weren't blocked from view; however, as his lashes lowered, it gave him a humbled appearance. He didn't look sad, maybe just deep in his own thoughts. "I dunno, man… "

He didn't want to tell him. Neji could see it. He wasn't sure if he should push.

"Maybe I'm just angry all the time, ya know?" Kiba looked over at him. "Aren't you?"

Yeah, he probably was. "Angry at what?"

"All of it." He looked back out at the crowd and waved a hand. "We've got the perfect life. So much stupid responsibility. Sometimes I just wanna be free of it."

"And so you pick on others to get over the aggression?"

"Not healthy I know." Kiba ran a hand through his hair and shifted from one foot to the other before taking another sip of his drink. "Maybe there's more to it than that though. Maybe I just want my mom to give a damn once in a while like she used to."

It was probably the most serious and revealing thing Neji had ever heard Kiba say.

Then he grinned… and for the first time Neji saw how fake it was. "Then again, maybe I'm just an ass like the rest of us, huh? Maybe I just wear it on my sleeve better."

Neji didn't feel like smiling, but he offered a crooked smirk anyway. "Maybe." He'd have to talk to Kiba later. Now wasn't the time to try and fix anyone's life but his own.

"How long is this thing supposed to last tonight? Eleven?" Kiba asked, changing the subject carefully.

"Ten, I think. It's a week night."

"I guess that's good. Maybe I'll try and sneak out halfway through though. You game?" He looked over at the Hyuuga curiously.

Neji knew that on some level Kiba felt he was acting differently tonight, and that perhaps he might go with him. Suigetsu, Ino, Kiba, and Karin always slipped out on parties like this; however, Neji always turned them down because of his uncle… and because he knew whatever they got up to, while not illegal, would cause trouble for him.

He never knew if it was because they were braver than him, because their parents didn't care as much and paid the trouble away, or because they didn't care at all.

Even if his uncle wasn't an issue, he still wouldn't say yes. What they did, or what he heard they did later on, wasn't his forte. In that it was just a larger version of what they did to people at school.

Plus, he had his own plans tonight.

He shook his head. "Go ahead without me."

"As always," Kiba sighed out, turning back to the crowd and taking another sip. "Damn…" he spoke out, elongating the word, "Tenten looks hot tonight. Man, how can you not hit that with angry sex, Neji? The girl is just asking for it. Sometimes I hate you. A lot."

Neji might have said something nasty about the comment, but he was too busy turning to follow Kiba's line of sight. She had come in through the doors, barely lingering with her family as she looked around. Her dress was strapless; it hugged her figure and flared out just below her waist, stopping at her knees. The strapless heels had rhinestones on them, adding the sparkle effect that dotted the gown; the height of them, though not extreme, accented her long legs. She was only just barely shorter than him; with those on she would meet him eye to eye. He couldn't see her face at this distance completely, so it was hard to tell if she was wearing make-up of any kind.

It was so odd; he'd seen her this way before, but he'd never quite noticed how… She didn't dress very girly at school. It was often a mixture of sporty with a little glam rolled in. But, nothing that took away from her edge. Tonight… she looked soft. Approachable.

"You heard me, right?"

He turned to Kiba, barely catching himself mentally. Hopefully, the brunette hadn't noticed his staring.

Kiba smirked. "I said, I've got to get back to my mom. She'll pitch a fit if I don't mingle a little. And her squawking burns my ears."

Neji nodded.

"See ya." With a wave Kiba was gone, disappearing into the crowd in a moment as he moved across the room to his mother and someone she was talking to.

When Neji looked back at Tenten she was talking to Sasuke. Near the door, he watched as his uncle and two cousins came in. Barely, he caught the look that passed between Tenten's grandfather and Hiashi.

Just why was there so much animosity between them? Or rather, on his uncle's part? Hiruzen appeared to look more sad than upset.

There were many things Neji could say about his uncle, but hating another family or person without just cause was not one of them; which, is more than likely why Neji never questioned why. But now he did.

Later, he told himself.

For now, for manner's sake, he needed to at least say hello to his family.


"Pink?"

Tenten shrugged at Sasuke as she stepped away from the door and walker further into the room. "It's a nice color. I do wear it, you know."

He offered a smirk and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Looks good."

"Thank you."

"Dance with me later?"

She blinked as they stopped near a corner and stared out at the dancers. "I didn't think you liked dancing at these events."

"I don't. But, there's not much else to do."

"True," she agreed. "Why not now?"

He pointed to the stage that had been erected. "Because the guy in the penguin suit's about to talk."

"Poo. I kinda wanted to dance now."

"You wanna eat something while he prattles on?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea. We won't be able to walk around much after he starts. And he'll go on forever.

"Come on." She grabbed his hand and tugged him around the dance floor. Manoeuvring was a little hard because there were more people now. The Fall Fundraiser always drew a lot of people; it made her glad, but the whole event was a little boring for her tastes. She'd honestly rather be having fun with her friends. Temari hated it, but her parents usually forced her to go. Sakura seemed to enjoy it, but then she loved dressing up.

Tenten didn't hate it. She liked all the good it did. She just didn't think this was her idea of celebrating and raising money for inner city families. Now, a real concert? With hundreds of people all hyped up and screaming? That'd be a way to celebrate!

"Oh, cookies," she cried softly as she reached for one.

Sasuke poured punch into a small clear plastic cup and handed to her. "Not too loud, they're starting."

Tenten glanced over at the stage as he handed her the drink. The head of the fundraiser tapped it once and then smiled and began speaking. She mostly tuned it out as noise and allowed her eyes to flicker over the crowd. Then, a bright smile came to her features as she watched Sakura slip over to her in the red dress they'd picked up yesterday.

"You look great," she whispered.

"Thanks, so do you."

"You made it just in time. Where's Mari?"

Sakura frowned. "Sprained her ankle at practice today. Didn't you get my text?"

Tenten shook her head. "Too busy at the house. How?"

"She tripped over another teammate. You know how aggressive she can be."

"She okay?"

Sakura nodded as she grabbed a celery stick. "Oh yeah." She grinned. "Shika is taking care of her since her parents aren't in town. They had to send in their bid for the auction."

"Ohhhh… I bet she hates that."

Sakura chuckled. "Yeah, she does. But, hey, it's not like we can be there and no one's home. How's she gonna get around when she's on bed rest most of the time?"

Tenten grimaced. "I take it back. She'd not just gonna hate it. Girl is going to be pissed. Damn. I don't want to deal with that much angst from her."

"That bad?" Sasuke asked on her left.

"Yeah, she's that bad. At least when it comes to Shikamaru Nara."

"Only because she likes him," Sakura said softly and she leaned over, grinning like a cat.

Tenten watched her friend nibble on her celery stick. "You think it's funny now. But just wait till she's blasting our ears."

"Oh, it's no worse than you blasting ours about Neji."

Tenten's cheeks tinged pink just barely. "It's not the same," she hissed.

"It is." Sakura kept on grinning as she munched, eyes dancing with mirth.

The roar of clapping stopped Tenten from saying anything else and she decided to just join in and just let it go. Neji and her were not like Temari and Shika. Shika was a decent guy. Neji was… well, he wasn't a decent guy.

"Care to dance now?" Sasuke asked as he set his glass down and held a hand out to her.

"Yes." She smiled brightly as her handed hers to Sakura. "Hold that, please."

"Will do. Have fun." Sakura waved with her celery stick just before finishing it.

As they joined the other dancers and moved into a formal step, Sasuke asked, "Tell me again why I can't hit on her?"

Tenten sighed as she let one of her hands rest on his shoulder and the other in his hand. "Because, Sakura isn't the kind of girl you sleep with. She's the kind you date, eventually marry if it works out, and then have a happily-ever-after with."

"That's not what you wanted."

"Not all girls are created equal." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Anyway, Sakura's a virgin. And you don't sleep with virgins."

"But you do?"

Tenten frowned as they spun and moved back into the steps. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sasuke chuckled. "You slept with Hyuuga."

"And how would you know if he's a virgin?"

The uncharacteristic grin remained. "I didn't. Do now."

Sometimes she really hated him. He always did that. Just pretended he knew things to get people to admit information. He rarely did it to her, but it seemed the Neji situation was just too good for him not to prod at.

"I hate you," she muttered, looking away.

"No, you love me. You just hate the place you're at. That's all."

"I guess."

"I might quit bugging you if you just let me talk to Sakura," he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "You always love a challenge. Why are you bothering me, anyway? You're going to talk to her eventually whether I want you to or not."

"True."

"You might be surprised though. Sakura really is the dating type, Sasuke. I'm serious. Don't break her heart intentionally." She looked at him with serious eyes.

He chuckled. "You gonna beat me up?"

"Probably not." She frowned. "The look in her eyes will be enough, I think."

"Excuse me. May I cut in?"

Tenten blinked at the voice, and then her eyes widened… eventually narrowing slightly as Sasuke stopped, shrugged, and placed her hand in Neji's.

Her first instinct was to run; to walk right off the dance floor. But, if she did that she'd cause a scene. Fuck, Hyuuga knew that; fucking bastard did this on purpose.

She looked over at Sasuke who just shrugged again, smiled, and walked away. Wait… had he?

No… right?

She'd kill him.

For now, she just moved through the steps and tried to keep her eyes on Neji's throat. But, that was hard; they were eye to eye and it made her look like she was looking down.

"I'm sorry," he murmured after a moment or two.

"For?" she asked, voice even.

"Calling you a coward."

To this she didn't reply. Neji didn't seem like the sort of person that apologized for his behaviour. So, it struck her as a little odd, but she tried not to be too shocked.

"If I want to talk, will you listen to me?"

"You can do whatever you want, Neji."

"But, will you listen?" he asked softly, catching her gaze.

Her lips parted slightly as this happened. And suddenly, she was struck by how beautiful he was. Not that he wasn't beautiful all the time, or that she'd never noticed… but that look he had in his eyes just now… The way he appeared almost pained.

Did he know? Did he know how much it hurt her to say no?

"Yes," she whispered softly, finally forcing her gaze away.

"Can you not say anything until I'm done this time?"

She nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes, I promise," she replied, starting to get a little annoyed.

"Sasuke came to see me yesterday after school. He took me to where you used to live… with your parents." He paused to watch her reaction.

She almost glared at him as a mixture of emotions crossed her face. "How—"

"You promised," he reminded her softly, but strongly.

Her jaw flexed.

"You could say he painted a fairly clear picture of why you don't want me in your life. I don't think I need to rehash the details, nevermind the fact I don't have time. Dancing was just a good excuse so I could speak to you here with my uncle around.

"I'm not looking for a commitment, Ten. I don't plan on getting married anytime soon, or even asking you to move in with me. I can't promise we'll even last. Hell," he cursed, letting the formalities go, "I'm not even asking you to be my girlfriend. I just want a few dates. I want to give this a chance on better terms…. Not hidden behind closed doors.

"You don't have to answer me now… just think about it."

The dance was coming to an end; she could hear it in the music. "Your uncle would never approve," she pointed out, trying to set up walls—more than just her own.

"I'll handle my uncle," he murmured as they stopped. "Just think about it." He squeezed her hand one last time before stepping away and off the dance floor.

She stood there for a while… staring before she walked back to Sakura and Sasuke, unsure of how to feel anymore.


Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled as he watched his only granddaughter dancing. Her friend had gracefully stepped aside the moment a boy with long, dark hair tapped his shoulder and the old man was quite enjoying the flustered look of panic on his grandchild's face. She was far too jaded - too composed and resolute - for a teenaged girl most of the time, and he liked to see her acting her age for once. There was something about the boy she was currently dancing with that nagged at him though; something about the young man's pale skin, light eyes and aristocratic bone-structure. The child seemed familiar though Hiruzen couldn't place him. He certainly wasn't one of Tenten's friends…

The young couple spun around on the dance floor and for a moment Hiruzen could clearly see the boy's face. His eyes narrowed somewhat and only Asuma heard the suppressed sigh the old man expelled as he recognized Hiashi Hyuuga's nephew – though the boy was more like the man's son, if rumor was to be believed.

He doubted the children knew anything about the ill feeling between the Hyuuga family and their own, but Tenten's expression clearly showed that she wasn't entirely oblivious. Still, for the first time in days there was some life in Tenten and he wanted her to keep looking that way. His eyes, surrounded by wrinkles, quickly scanned over the crowd until he pin-pointed Hiashi across the room.

"I'll be back," he muttered to his son, ignoring Asuma's surprised glance as he quickly made his way across the room.

The rest of the businessmen Hiashi had been conferring with – looking so serious that one would almost doubt he was at a party – melted away discreetly once Hiruzen joined their group; long experience had taught everyone that nothing good ever happened when Hiashi and Hiruzen faced off.

"Yes?"

Hiashi arched one imperial eyebrow distastefully as Hiruzen attempted a smile that was really more of a grimace.

"Good evening, Hiashi," the older man greeted evenly. "I trust you are enjoying the benefit."

Another raised eyebrow and Hiashi responded coolly, "It is proving to be a lucrative evening."

"It's a party, you know," Hiruzen endeavoured to create some levity in the arctic atmosphere. "Work can wait until tomorrow."

"I would imagine that you of all people would appreciate the value of striking when an opportunity presents itself." The snide edge of sarcasm was clearly evident in Hiashi's tone.

Hiruzen sighed, "After all these years, Hiashi … isn't it time to bury the hatchet?" He knew it was a fruitless attempt the moment the younger man's eyes drew together in a scowl that sent most sane people running for cover.

"I have no idea what you are referring to, Sarutobi. Now if you'll excuse me."

He turned away only to be caught in the grip of polite manners when Hiruzen continued speaking, prohibiting him from simply walking off and causing a scene.

"You still feel the Hyuuga family was betrayed. I understand that. But what you need to understand is that it wasn't like that. How you imagine it to be – we didn't sit around plotting betrayal. My wife … she went to her grave carrying the guilt."

Hiashi's fingers tightened around the stem of his champagne glass so the knuckles turned white but, just when it seemed as if the delicate crystal would shatter, his grip eased. He took a deep breath and faced Hiruzen with his composure intact again.

"Precisely. Your wife made her choices and she had to live with the consequences of those choices. It is inconsequential what those choices made her feel. It means less than nothing to me."

A shake of the white head of hair and Hiruzen nodded a polite farewell, though Hiashi could see the sadness in his father's one-time friend's eyes. Abruptly he turned his gaze onto the dance floor; not wishing to dwell on the past any longer. Deep inside him anger – carefully controlled – bubbled sluggishly. What had the old man wanted? Why would he approach him at all? He knew very well what Hiashi thought of him …

Light eyes narrowed in sudden concentration as Hiashi spied his nephew on the dance floor, Sarutobi's granddaughter in his arms. Suspicion grew in his mind, filling like a balloon the longer he watched the teenagers. Something was going on there. He wouldn't rest until he'd found out what and eradicated it utterly.


"Nicely done," Sakura complimented, raising Tenten's glass of punch in a mock toast as Sasuke rejoined her. "She's still going to kill you, though."

Sasuke shrugged, "She'll get over it once she realizes I was doing her a favor."

"They look good together," Sakura nodded her agreement, hoping the wistfulness in her tone wasn't too obvious. She didn't know Sasuke very well – having only met Tenten's friend once or twice – but she had a sneaking suspicion that not much got past the Uchiha; the situation with Tenten and Neji being a case in point.

"Anyway," she continued brightly, before he had a chance to comment because she didn't miss the way his eyebrows rose slightly, "have you entered your bid for the fundraiser yet?"

The moment the words left her mouth she wanted to kick herself. This was why she was the only virgin left in their little circle of friends, this was why she preferred to let Temari and Tenten take the spotlight … whenever she was left alone with people she didn't know very well she somehow always managed to put her foot in it.

"Oh, yeah, definitely," Sasuke turned so he was facing her directly, "My millions are going to make such a lot of difference."

She'd expected the sarcasm – hell, she deserved it, for her thoughtless remark - but somehow it stung nonetheless. Trying to suppress the flush spreading across her cheeks, Sakura opened her mouth only to snap it closed again when she realized she didn't have the faintest idea of how to answer that.

"Relax, Duchess," Sasuke rolled his eyes, "it was a joke."

"Wha-what did you just call me?" Sakura frowned, trying to gain her stride in a conversation that was rapidly sliding far out of her control.

"What? Duchess?" Sasuke asked absently, his gaze focused on the array of delicacies spread across the table.

"Suits you." He nodded once and popped a cherry tomato into his mouth before turning his attention fully back to the girl standing next to him.

"And how the hell does the title 'Duchess' suit me?"

Sasuke suppressed the smirk that pulled at his lips. This was more like it; the beginnings of a surge of temper licked at the edges of her words, her emerald eyes were narrowed and glittering dangerously as she waited for a response.

He shrugged, deliberately careless, "No self-respecting princess would ever be caught in public with pink hair. Besides you're exactly what a dowager Duchess should be like."

"Oh! Because you've met so many –″

"You're wound pretty tight," he broke in, suddenly enjoying himself immensely – this pink-haired slip of a girl was almost as much fun to piss off as Ten, "calm down, Duchess. Red dress and pink hair is bad enough without adding red cheeks into the equation."

Sakura looked like she was going to explode. "What, exactly, are you implying? There's nothing wrong with this dress! It looks good and you know it."

"Daddy approved, did he? Told his little angel she looked beautiful when she swept down the stairs?"

"As a matter of fact-!″

Sasuke took a step closer, so mere inches were separating their bodies and angled his head down so their noses almost touched. He wanted to laugh at the way Sakura choked on the last part of her sentence, swallowing it whole, but from the corner of his eye he could see Tenten heading back in their direction. One last chance to piss Tenten off and wrong-foot Sakura … because he was enjoying the way her cheeks flushed and her wide eyes swept around the room, settling anywhere but on his face; the way she bit her lower lip and tried not to show just how flustered he was making her feel.

"Bet daddy didn't realize that you could easily adjust the neckline to show far more cleavage than is proper…"

He allowed his gaze to sweep down her neck and rest, for a moment, on the slight swell of her breasts visible above the modestly cut neckline of the dress.

"You-!"

He caught her hand just as she was lifting it, turned it over and pressed a fleeting kiss against her palm.

"Learn to accept a compliment, Duchess," he murmured before dropping her hand and taking a step back; pretending complete absorption in the food spread on the table just as Tenten joined them.


"Wanna get out of here?" Sasuke asked, leaning down to be heard over the music, though it wasn't loud.

The clock had barely struck nine-thirty but the party was already winding down and he figured it was now or never, if they wanted to escape with the minimum of questions. It was actually beyond annoying how the Hyuuga had to be babied so his uncle wouldn't find out he was anything less than he appeared to be, but … if Tenten got something good out of this entire thing then Sasuke figured it was worth it.

"You heading home already?" Tenten asked in surprise.

"No, just thought we could go looking for something more fun," Sasuke returned, and he tried, he really did, to keep the sneer off his face as he glanced around the ballroom.

Everywhere there were groups of people dressed in clothes that cost more than most of the people back home earned in a year; not to mention the donations these people had been making all night long. He shook his head. It truly baffled him … he couldn't imagine having so much money that it could be counted recreation to give it away.

"You have no idea how welcome that sounds," Tenten sighed, and for the first time since her dance with Neji she offered him a true smile, "I'll just tell my grandfather and we can get out of here."

Sakura cleared her throat and shot Sasuke a pointed look which he ignored just as he had ignored her since their little altercation earlier. It was difficult to suppress the smirk though; each time he made a point of ignoring her he could see the way the pink-haired girl simmered with silent temper.

"I'll say good night then," Sakura said stiffly, turning so she could hug Tenten good night.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Sakura," Tenten huffed irritably, grabbing her friend's wrist and dragging her along, "You're obviously invited, too."

For a moment Sasuke stood watching the girls wind their way through the crowd before he quickly turned on one heel and headed towards the doors where he had last seen Neji. Predictably, Neji was still in place, leaning one shoulder against the wall near the doors; close enough to keep an eye on the people entering and exiting but far enough away to not be in the way. With him was a couple of other guys; one with wild dark hair was talking while Neji pretended to listen. The moment his light eyes fell on Sasuke approaching, Neji straightened and if Sasuke hadn't known better he would've sworn there was relief in the Hyuuga's eyes.

Neji arched one eyebrow in a silent question and Sasuke tilted his head slightly towards the doors in response.

By the time he reached the concrete steps into the building, Neji had caught up to him.

"She agreed?" he asked softly, falling into step with Sasuke as they made their way to the valet and handed over the parking ticket.

"Yeah," Sasuke shrugged, "she has no idea you're coming though, so depending on how your talk went you might wanna wait to join us."

Without another word, Neji melted into the shadows cast by the massive pillars surrounding the front of the building and Sasuke waited patiently for his car to be brought around. The girls had good timing and reappeared at his side just as the red Corvette drew to a stop. Tenten immediately called shotgun and grabbed the door handle while Sakura merely rolled her eyes.

Sasuke forced himself not to smile when he held the door open for Sakura and surprise widened her green eyes as she slid past him and into the car with an uncomfortable thank you. He really did laugh when Tenten had barely managed to slide into the passenger seat before Neji appeared at the still open door, blocking her escape.

"Move over, Sarutobi."

The words were low but Sasuke could clearly hear them, and Tenten's gasp, before she simply followed the commands of Neji's hands pushing her to climb into the backseat while he slid into place and closed the door behind him.

Before anyone could protest Sasuke put the car in drive and got the hell out of there.


Darkness stretched all the way to the bare rafters, broken only by dim pockets of illumination. A band had set up in one corner of the warehouse and lights flashed red, blue, green and white over the musicians. Though he wasn't entirely sure the bass-heavy sound could really be classified as music. Neji could quite categorically state that he'd never been in a place like this. Ever. Not even the rundown apartment building Tenten had grown up in could really match his current surroundings.

Tenten hadn't said a word when Neji had joined her, Sakura and Sasuke as they'd left the fundraiser but he couldn't help and see that as a good sign. By the time it had become apparent he was joining them on whatever jaunt Sasuke had planned it had been too late for her to say anything. So Neji had found himself in front of a largely derelict warehouse surrounded by parked cars and filled with drunken partygoers. It was only the presence of security and the large banners advertising the band that had convinced him it was (somewhat) safe to enter the building.

Maybe the way Sasuke had rolled his eyes upon catching sight of his expression had had something to do with the sudden rebelliousness, too, but Neji refused to acknowledge that.

The atmosphere felt … alive, though. Especially in contrast with the event they had just left. They'd drawn a few eyes; dressed as formally as they all were, but that didn't stop Sasuke or Tenten who had made a beeline for the bar that had been set up in another corner. Neji and Sakura stayed where they were, awkwardly eyeing each other and the crowd that dipped and flowed around them. He could only hope that he didn't look as wide-eyed as Sakura did. This was not the sort of crowd they were used to; it was like Sasuke times a million. But for some reason Neji couldn't get the Uchiha's words out of his head: he had gone his whole life judging everything based on what he had been taught. Suddenly it didn't seem so important anymore – he didn't have to be constantly making sure that, should his uncle choose to compare him to anyone, he would come out on top.

They were just visible through the throng; Sasuke and Tenten had paused at the bar, each with two drinks in hand. Tenten gesticulated wildly – the only clue he really had that they were arguing and not merely talking – but Sasuke cut her off. To Neji's amazement (he didn't think it was possible for anyone to get Tenten to do anything she didn't want to, especially when she was upset) the girl stood, glaring at her friend but listening nonetheless. Neji stood, frozen into place, his heart pounding in the cage of his ribs, barely aware of the way Sakura inched closer to him when a large group of raucous bikers squeezed past them. He was only aware of Tenten; of how she turned slightly until their eyes met. It was too far and too dark to make out any expression but every time a bar of light flashed color across her features he could see that her eyes were still locked onto him. Distantly he wondered what it was about the damn girl that intrigued him so. It was more than the way she felt and the way they touched. It was more than the way she made him think and question …

Sasuke was next to him, shoving the can of something he'd procured into Neji's almost lifeless hand and then he was turning and pushing a path through the crowd using his shoulders. Sakura shot one look at Neji, and then a panicked one at Sasuke's retreating figure, before she hastily followed in his wake; he could just hear tidbits of the words they shouted at each other.

"What am I supposed to do now?" The panic was only barely suppressed in Sakura's tone.

"Have fun, Duchess. Do you know how?"

Whatever undercurrent had been present between Sasuke and Sakura faded from his mind as Tenten slowly stalked across the expanse that separated them. She kept her gaze firmly on him but the closer she got the more he relaxed. Whatever Sasuke had said to her seemed to have done the trick because there was no anger, no rejection, in her hazel-brown eyes. Instead a playful, half-challenging glint lurked beneath her carefully expressionless features.

"So, what's a girl like you doing in a place like this?" she asked as she reached him. She stood so close he could feel the warmth emanating from her, could see the curve of her lips lit with a teasing smile, but the challenge lingered.

Neji rolled his eyes before offering her a smirk in return. Two could play this game; and the opening gambit she'd offered him might be exactly what he needed to prove to her that the words he'd spoken earlier hadn't been just words. They could be good, if she gave it a chance. They could just have fun and see where it took them without jumping head first into commitments and promises neither of them were ready for.

He leaned over, tilting his head so his lips just brushed her ear (he ignored the jolt down his spine when she shivered slightly) as he spoke, "I'm having fun."

The surprise in Tenten's expression mirrored his own: it had just been something to say but Neji discovered that nothing had ever felt more true.


Blade AN :: I feel like I'm always apologizing to you guys about updating, whether on my fics or on this collab with Noki. At any rate: sorry. I've had a hectic time this semester before I graduate (with my AA). I've been taking express classes and haven't had any time to write. Noki helped finished this up so we could post it. But, school is letting out this week and I'll have more time to write whatever I want (including my original stuff if you've been keeping up with my facebook page KitRoe).

I do have some sour news for those of you who haven't seen my current fics updated. After this collab and my Spuffy fanfic I'm going to be done with fanfics. There is a chance I may write something in my free time and finish it and then post it, but don't hold your breath. If anything, just keep me on author alert and when it pops up you'll be in for a happy surprise. I do have one in mind (a Sas/Saku fic), but again, don't hold your breath.

When this all comes to an end, I just wanted to let you guys know it's been fun hearing from you. I'll miss you. Well, unless you get on board with my original stuff on my fb page and website. Thanks again for ride. *kisses*

Noki-chan a/n: … we're not dead? Seriously though I am sorry for the delay but we've made the chapter extra long to make up for it! I hope that you enjoy it and please do not forget to review and let us know what you thought! We promise that we will finish this story. On another note, to those of you who are following my solo fic Heaven … the deviantART contest is still open but time is running out! Please head over to #SasutenFans on dA to check out the details and prizes. Finally, thank you so much for your continued support and patience! You guys make my day.