Author's Notes: Heya guys. So, little update on me… I've been pretty sick for the past week and a half. As in, in all of last week I ate three slices of toast and a sliced up apple - that's it. Just comes right back up. I'm always like this during January - it's like my immune system goes off galivanting to some sunny place and leaves me feeling sick and gross until spring. Somehow I managed to catch the stomach flu and a pretty heavy case of pharyngitis at the same time. So yeah. I can't eat, I can't talk and I can't sleep, but I can still write! Yay!

Sorry if I'm lacking some of my usual spunk. It's hard to be spunky when you've got a 102.8 F fever and are still trying to study for upcoming midterms.

Anyways, on another note… 11 reviews on the last chapter, that's got to be something of a record. *goes and check* It is! Champagne on me! Wait, no champagne on me, 'cause I'm kind of broke and I need to be saving serious money to buy my boyfriend the birthday present I know he wants but he won't ask for 'cause he thinks it's too expensive. :p Also, champagne and meds? Nono. Thank you sooooooooooo much everyone who reviewed, especially my favs! You know who you are. ;)

Sit back and enjoy, chums. Don't forget to leave me your thoughts! You know how much I appreciate it when people take the time to tell me personally that they like what I'm writing, it's the best feeling in the world. So make my day, please? :D

P.S.: Some of you have asked me if there will be any Lee in this story. Well, here he is! There'll be more towards the end, too.

P.P.S.: Yay for insanely long author's notes! :D Don't let me keep you, dears. I don't know how much more PSs I'll need to stop rambling, so feel free to skip ahead. I wouldn't hold it against you - in fact, I'd probably do the same.

P.P.P.S.: I've been sort of out of touch with the anime and manga for a while since I like to let episodes build up so that I can watch a whole bunch in one sitting, so for the past two months or so I've been preoccupying myself with fanfiction. So right before I got sick I sat down one day and watched all the anime episodes that I'd saved up, and I'd just like to say one thing:

", Sasuke!!!!!!!!!!"

How stupid can you get?

P.P.P.P.S.: So sorry about this, but I've just had a revelation! Yay! You won't find out about the revelation until three or so chapters and you'll probably hate me for it, but it'll make the story so much better! This is like the answer I've been looking for! Alright, shut up Suse. No one is reading this far into the notes anyway. *smacks head*

Disclaimer: *checks Wikipedia entry on Naruto* Nope, my name still isn't there, which must mean I still don't own Naruto. Sadly.

***

Tawakemono

o1o. "Because I said so."

***

'These guys…' Tenten shook her head in silent desperation, hands on her hips. What had she ever gotten herself into, promising Hinata they'd be there? Especially since they'd had a training session scheduled right before the party. Somehow she had figured they would be able to make it - she hadn't taken into account the fact that when Neji and Lee got going, it would take a little more than all the yelling and pleading she could muster to make them stop the fight prematurely and settle for a tie.

A tie? Like such a thing existed in their world.

She framed her mouth with her hands and tried again. "Can we just go, guys, please?"

Was she such a fool for expecting them to have pummeled themselves into the ground and come up with a victor by the time she got changed for the party and made her way back to them?

"Neji, my eternal rival, that was truly a youthful hit! If I cannot sneak up on you in the next two minutes, twenty laps around snowy Konoha!"

Yes, apparently so.

Naruto and Hinata were celebrating their one year anniversairy that night at their favourite hangout and Tenten knew all of their friends were going to be there. It was just what she needed - a little social distraction, a venue to go to where she could hide amongst the crowd and not feel terrorised - haunted even - by Neji's overly observant gaze the whole time.

When had she become a follower of escapism? She wasn't usually one to avoid confrontation - confrontation was what her combat style was all about. Hadn't she been on Neji's team long enough to build up a sufficient emotional barrier to cope with any rejection he might have in store for her?

She knew that once he wrapped his mind around the idea of her affections for him, rejection wasn't far off. And putting it off might not be a solution, but for now it was the way to go that brought her the least hurt. So she would avoid confrontation and live in doubt a little while longer.

Tenten shook her head to clear it and shot another pointed glare in Neji's direction. She'd learned over the years that she could usually blame him for any and all emotional turmoil she found herself in, and the last couple of days had been no different. First he flipped her world by staring at her like he was in love with her, then he drove her crazy by asking her all these half-questions about half-truths she'd hardly known existed, and then he caused her to be late for a party co-thrown by one of her best friends.

Oh no, she wasn't having it!

"LEE!"

It seemed that sheer rage was enough to make the forest-clad man hold his punches long enough to glance in her direction.

"Back off," she barked, marching across the field. She had justice and feminism on her side, damnit, and they were both coming now. Without getting a chance to switch clothes, too. 'Ha!'

"If you don't come with me right now, I will personally see to it that you complete not twenty, but two hundred laps before midnight. While carrying Gai-sensei!" They had better not think these were empty threats, too. She happened to know that Gai was in town and on his way to the very party she'd been trying to get to for half an hour. It wouldn't take much to convince him to aid her.

"Tenten," Neji began, but Tenten whirled around and glared at him, interrupting him before he could continue.

"And you," she poked him in the chest for emphasis, "get to do four hundred."

"Tenten-"

She anticipated his question and held up a hand, shaking her head. He might be able to read her questions before she asked them and reassure or infuriate her before she even knew she needed reassurance or was on edge, but she could do that too. "Because I said so. Now, let's go!"

She folded her arms across her chest and watched in satisfaction as Lee started down the road ahead of her, the one that would lead them back into town and right towards the party venue. Sometimes all you needed was a little feminine touch, no?

"Tenten." Neji's voice shook her from her thoughts, the edge of amusement and mockery to it shaking her heart. Had he been standing that close to her a second ago? She got a clear view of his smirk as he passed by her. "I was going to say I liked your dress."

Was he ever not going to stun her daily?

Not likely.

***

Hope you like! ;) A little comedic relief inbetween seriousness. (L) Reviews?