Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
--
Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto walked out of the ramen store.
"Where do we go next..?" Naruto asked.
"Let's hang out by the lake! I think Shikamaru and the others are there!" Sakura suggested. "If he's there Ino's probably there too1"
"Actually I just left."
The three of them (actually just two. Sasuke wasn't paying attention.) were rather shocked when they saw Ino standing right before them.
"Ino?! I thought you were there?"
"I have to open the flower shop. I forgot that my dad's out today." she said. "But they're all still there."
"We'll go there, then." Naruto said. "We'll see you later,"
"Later," Ino left.
"Naruto, Sakura," Sasuke said.
"What is it, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.
"I won't accompany you there anymore."
"What--why?!"
"We'll see each other tomorrow anyways. I'll go rest."
"If you really don't want to come.." Naruto pouted. "Then, let's go, Sakura-chan?"
"Come on,"
Naruto and Sakura walked away while Sasuke went back to the academy.
--
Love was just a glance away. That line never left Tenten's mind since last night. If I didn't do such a stupid thing, I shouldn't have been lonely today. I'm lonely again.
"I knew you'd be here."
Tenten almost fell off the branch of the cherry blossom tree, thankfully, Sasuke caught her hand.
"Uchicha! Why are you here?! How did you know I'm here?!"
"I thought you hung out here since your lunch with Neji."
She wanted to comment on that part, but did not. "Then why are you here?!"
"Coz I thought you'd hang out here."
"So what?!"
"I thought you needed to talk. I'm being nice here, you know."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
"Neji was very weird this morning. Like you."
"I don't want to talk about him, Sasuke. I have more things which I have to think about." She lied.
"Oh really? Like what, perhaps?"
"Like.." she thought. "Like.. my lost parents!" Shit. Why did I bring them up?!
"Hn, right."
"What do you mean?! Sasuke, you're supposed to be the person who understands me the most when it comes to family! You lost yours too, right?! But in my case, I don't know if they're alive or what!"
"Then go look for them."
"W-what?!"
"You could have done that some years past. It's not possible that you actually think of yourself as someone important here."
"What?!"
"But when you met Neji, your mind probably changed."
She opened her mouth to say "WHAT!" for the third time in a row, but she did not. "Well.. it did. That was before. But now.."
"When you're not with the person who you really like, you're going to feel different." Sasuke said.
"What do you know about it?"
"Trust me. I understand what you feel."
"Don't tell me you.."
"When you're with that person, you act like yourself, and when she's not around, you're different. But the other people won't see that you're different because they barely see you when you're acting like yourself. You were probably like yourself when you were with Neji."
"…"
"When I'm with that person, I feel natural. But when that person's not around, I feel different. But you see me like that because you never saw me with that person, so it's not any different for you."
Tenten smiled. "You came up here because you needed help."
"Not at all," Sasuke insisted. "I wanted to know what you're planning to do now. Why don't you talk to Neji?"
"Yea right, that's a good idea." She sarcastically said. "I don't want to talk to him."
"You do."
"I don't."
'You do. Go tell him you like him, dammit."
"What the—and why should I do that?!"
"Because you have to look for your family."
"What?!"
"They're your responsibility. You should look or at least know if they're still alive or what. You're pretty lucky. You still have fifty percent chance that they're still alive. While me, no chance at all."
"Sasuke.." she sympathized with him. "I guess you're right."
"Hai."
She stood up to leave. "I'll go to Ino's flower shop before I talk to him."
"You do that." Sasuke sat down and rested his back.
"By the way, does that person of yours know how you feel?"
"..who knows.."
"When I see that person, I'll tell that person that I talked to you."
Sasuke did not reply anymore. Tenten left.
--
Sasuke's right. I should look for my family. I need to know if they're still alive and where they are. They're my responsibility.
Tenten was just inches away from the shop when she heard voices. They sounded so familiar.
"Aplogy?"
"Yea. Which one here means apology?"
"The hydrangea means apology. Will that do?"
"Twelve of those hydra.. whatever."
"Hyndrangea."
"Right."
It's Ino and Neji!! She thought, then she ducked before they even saw her. He's buying flowers? Could those possibly be for.. me?
"So you're buying that for—"
"How much is it?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Neji. I'm still asking you. Are those for Tenten?"
"…"
"I knew it. Is that for the last prank?"
Prank?!
"What do you mean?"
"It's the last day of the dare. She's supposed to tell you that she loves you already. Is that your alibi or something? So that she'll easily tell you how she feels?"
DARE?!
"Ino, this isn't anything about the dare."
"It is. Without the dare, you won't even be talking to her. You should thank me enough, Hyuuga Neji. The past seven days were all about the dare!"
"It's not that.."
"So did you make her fall in love with you in that short while? If so, then you are good! Oh I get it now! These flowers are apology for playing with her, right?"
"Ino I.."
Tenten felt horrible.
So she was being played with after all..
"I guess I won't follow you around school after all." Ino said. "I'm giving this to you with a discount. Just a hundred bucks for the twelve for these."
Tenten immediately ran away.
So that was it?! The past week was all about the dare?! I had to fall for him in a week, then he'll dump me, was that how it was supposed to be?!
"Tenten-san!"
Tenten stopped running at the sight of her former student.
"Hinata!"
The two of them went to the swings and occupied one each.
"You were really great a while ago, Hinata. I'm proud of you." Tenten smiled at her.
"Thank you. Ano. Tenten-san.. is something wrong? Between you and Nii-san? I wasn't e-expecting at a-all that you will not get p-perfect.. everyone was.. everyone was.. shocked.."
"Hinata.. tell me.. the past week.. was that all for a dare? Was your cousin playing with me all week?"
Hinata nearly fell off her swing. "W-what?!"
"I heard about that dare. Just a while ago. So it means that the past week is all about that dare and nothing else? Your cousin was playing with me?"
"Ano.. Tenten-san.. I.." Hinata bit her lip then looked down. "Gomen nasai! I.. really wanted to tell you but.. my cousin.."
Tenten sighed and stood up. "Don't bring him up anymore." She smiled painfully. "Hinata, by the way.. I.. won't be here by tomorrow."
"W-what?! Why?!"
"I'll be leaving. To go look for my family."
"But, Tenten-san—"
"I'll be gone for a while. A year.. no probably more." Tenten said. "Don't tell anyone about it, okay?"
"You can't leave, Tenten-san!"
"I have to. My family is my responsibility.. I have to at least know if they're alive or not."
"B-but.."
"By the way, Hinata, I talked to Sasuke a while ago. He was the one who gave me that brilliant idea."
Hinata opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
--
It's more like a Sasuke-chapter, neh? XD. I granted a request of a reader :) . So yea.
Sorry for the late update, btw. I was waiting for the 3rd review before I began working on this one. Yep, I always wait for the 3rd review before I begin the next chapter. though right now, i'm more than happy that i got more than 3 reviews in chapter 10. i worked real hard on that one you see :)).