Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Chapter 36: Extra! Extra!

It had been a good month since Tenten's appearance on The Hidden Truth with Neji, and she would eagerly agree with anyone if they told her that she looked happy, because she was. She had finally returned to her job and gotten her daily doses of Ikuya and Essence and her baby-faced boss. She still ate lunch with the girls, save for getting a couple of pictures taken of her here and there, and she still went over to "the shop" to see Neji, Yuuya, Meme and Kanae. She was able to do everything she wasn't able to do when her publicity was scary to her, and it only added to her happiness when she found that her clearing u things didn't really slander Kankuro's name more than it did to adding love towards hers. She was relieved, touched, and happier than ever with her new life. Sure it took some time to get used to the people at her job constantly asking her questions about her friendships with the girls and how she managed to get in a relationship with THE Hyuga Neji, but all of that was easily handled by giving them exactly what they wanted when they wanted until they gave up. The only real thing that never went back to normal was where she was living, because ever since that incident she has yet to return to her old apartment. Staying with Neji in his obnoxiously large home was better than returning to a dreary place like that, and, since he was okay with it as well, she decided to stay…permanently.

Thinking back, she found herself wondering why she never actually tried to become popular with her popular friends. Where was her rebellion at? She never knew, but now, since she was living the somewhat-lime-life, she couldn't imagine going back. She could openly have her friendship with the girls and her relationship with Neji and because of those she no longer stressed about trying to hide things. Since Neji and his uncle helped her regain her composure and return back to her old self her father was rather accepting of their relationship – not like that was going to stop her – and was very happy with how happy Neji was making her. He still hated all of the publicity she was receiving, but, for her sake, he said nothing much about it…

…is what she would like to say about things.

Besides everything that happened in about the talk show, nothing else was going all too well for her. Her father had seen her on TV and after really thinking about it, he still hated it, hated him for getting her in this situation. Every day he called her and asked to speak to Neji only to try and convince him to leave his "precious little girl" alone because she was too sensitive to the world and all that was around her, and, though it annoyed her that that was what he was doing, nothing really changed between her and Neji. In fact, with everything that her father was telling him, Neji felt that he was growing closer to him with his responses. Like, her father would ask: "What happens if she gets attacked by a deranged fan?" and Neji, being the smooth talker he was, would respond: "She wouldn't be attacked in the first place since I would be there WITH her and deal with the situation before it ever started. She might get frightened but nothing worse than that." He would ask: "Tokyo is too far from her home town anyways. How will she be able to come visit whenever I need her, or when there's a holiday, or if she just wants to?" And then Neji would respond: "Traveling has never been a worry of mine. Which one would you prefer, the private jet is faster but she's never been on a plane before so she might actually prefer a car ride. I'd have to ask her. Besides, it gives me a chance to finally meet you personally." Then, for the fifth time that month her father would ask: "You want to meet me?" and Neji, who was getting better and better at answering her father's questions, would respond: "I think it would be rather rude to not meet the mother of my kids." By then she would be listening to the conversation, blushing, smiling or doing whatever in response to Neji's answer.

"She's pregnant?"

"No." Neji would respond. "I plan to marry her before that happens hopefully."

"You better."

"Am I getting through to you yet sir?"

"Hm…wait, no. I still don't like you!"

And then he would hang up and Neji would say bye even though he wasn't there before facing an overly excited Tenten who was more than ready to accept him so that she could "comfort" him from the "pain" caused by his "arguments" with her father.

But the thing with her father wasn't the only thing she had to deal with now. Sure she finally got rid of all of the hate mail and calls telling her to kill herself and things like that, but now, oh now, she had to deal with the constant flashing of cameras every time she so much as stepped outside of the gated community she now called home. Already, she had been blamed and slashed by the paparazzi for cheating on Neji and vice versa; her with Gaara, her newly obtained friend, and Neji with Kanae, the only other popular student of his that the press hasn't seen, and even the twins. The Gaara thing was the only real thing she had to get cleared up since they started calling her a Sabaku-killer, but Gaara himself handled that. Looking back, those accusations were actually very funny to the both of them and, to this day, they still joke around a lot with the cheating until even they grew tired of it.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, she kept getting pestered to do something else with her life. Many of which involved modeling, something she didn't really want to do for no reasons needed. As far as she was concerned, noting associated with modeling seriously suited her. That was something they should have been asking Neji, Hinata or Ino, not her. However, ever since that whole "girl in the yellow dress" episode, she's never been able to get that idea out of the presses minds no matter how hard she tried. Overall, nothing seemed to be clearing up with the paparazzi. They just loved to be in her business, in their business, whether it be with her friends, Neji or her coworkers, and, to top things all off, she might be submitting to their requests soon enough.

"Have you decided yet?" Yuuya asked the moment she stepped around the corner into Neji's shop.

She smiled a fake smile towards him before throwing her purse at him, successfully getting him to look up from his work. "No. I haven't. It's too hard. Why do all three of you want me for a model anyways, Neji's not even a judge on this."

"We know that." They all answered.

"I just wanted to actually SEE you wearing the clothes I designed not just imagining how they would look on you." Yuuya sighed. "That sounded perverted."

"It did." All three of the girls giggled as Tenten stole his chair.

"You do realize that there is literally like three weeks left until the fashion show right? We need an answer sooner rather than later. We're kind of wasting our time waiting to see who you would pick." Kanae complained.

"I know." Tenten complained as Neji walked in with Lee, Naruto and Sasuke following close behind. He almost looked too surprised to see Tenten sitting there but it was replaced with a smooth smile and a quick kiss on the cheek before he looked at Kanae.

"Hello love." He joked.

"Good to see you again darling." Kanae laughed back while Tenten sat there with a fake gasp.

"Neji, how could you!"

"Oh for the love of – we get it. The paparazzi is stupid." Yuuya complained.

"Have you decided yet?" Neji asked Tenten as he squeezed her nose playfully.

"No!"

"Pick Kanae. That will give the press something to talk about."

"Good idea." She smiled before she stood and walked around him to examine his friends. "What fine specimen you brought with you today. Whatever are there here for?"

"Male model options." Lee smiled eagerly.

"They need male models too?" Tenten asked Neji as he nodded.

"Did you?"

"Yes and no. I managed with my girls."

"How?" Everyone asked, obviously not knowing anything about this part of his past as a beginning fashion designer.

"Make up. I made one of them look as masculine as possible then had her put on the outfit. It wasn't that easy. Their bust sizes weren't that big. So I didn't have to worry about one of them having a nip slip on stage or anything. Why? Is it really that important?"

"Can we do that?" Meme asked the others seriously. "Like, with our models?"

"Unlikely." Tenten cooed as she looked between the three who look too serious on the topic. "None of us as small enough to do something so daring like that and NOT slip up. The smallest you have would be Ino but even that's going to be one hell of a task…I mean, I'm not saying that her and Temari wouldn't mind trying it, but it's not a good idea, trust me."

"So." Neji added. "You might as well just select someone from here or find your own model.

"I call Naruto-kun." Meme said quickly, making the blond smile broadly.

"The rest of them are coming later if you don't want to use Emo and Big eyes." Neji sighed as he headed to his office.

"Then I call Sai." Yuuya added.

"Who else did you invite?" Kanae asked.

"Besides these three there's Sai, Shikamaru and Chouji, Kiba might come with Shino if they have time, and I think Gaara said he'll help too."

"I want Gaara then." Kanae smiled just as Tenten smiled as well.

"It's settled. I pick Kanae. The press will eat this up. Being your "lovers" model along with my "lover" modeling beside me. It's perfect."

"Seriously?!" Yuuya questioned. "That's your reasoning."

"Is that a problem?" Tenten asked as she leaned her head on Kanae who stuck her tongue out at the irritated boy who glared back at them.

"Forget it. I'll get Ino."

"Oh. Good choice. She's sure to bring attention wherever she goes."

"Shut up." He complained as he sat there, pouting.

"So you're going to end up a model anyways, Tenten?" Naruto added as he came over, mainly to look over Meme's work. "The press really is going to love this! Ah, Hinata-Chan would look cute in this."

"I thought so too." Meme smiled.

"How would you know?" Neji asked as he headed towards them to look over the design. Of course, it would look adorable on Hinata considering the style that Meme works best with, but he wasn't sure how Naruto would know that.

"She looks cute in everything she wears." Naruto smiled, oblivious to Neji's growing glare, "But this kind of stuff looks really cute on her she would look like a doll."

Neji moved to say something but, looking back at it, he couldn't help but agree. In his mind, hardly anyone was more adorable then Tenten, Hinata and Hanabi. Just complimenting one of them in front of him was sure to get you on his good side immediately, and though Naruto was already on his "good-side" he was a constant member of the fence riders, meaning that he waivered from being on Neji's good side to his bad side frequently.

"She should be your female model then, ne?" Naruto asked Meme who was deep in thought. She was looking through all of her designs drawn out in her sketch book. The finished ones she could get Hinata to try on easily so that adjustments could be made, but the current one she would be working on, the one Neji hasn't even seen finished yet, she would need to get her measurements and soon.

"Okay. That sounds good." Meme agreed before she looked to Tenten who was already texting her friends.

"Ino's already replied, she said, and I quote: "I would love to, cutie", end quote. I'm waiting for Sakura to answer her text. She must be busy, Temari said she should be open that day, and Hinata said she wouldn't mind at all. Should I be asking anybody else?"

"You're coworkers?"

"They will do it. All I have to do is tell them about it and they would ask me if they can somehow get involved."

Neji nodded then headed to his office to phone the others while Tenten stayed where she was and looked over Kanae's pieces. She couldn't help but smile as she flipped from page to page of the scrap book Kanae put together. The pieces were just amazing. "You guys have come a long way huh?"

"It was tough." Kanae started as she looked over everyone there. "It was defiantly an uphill battle for us. We had our ups and downs but…in the long run, we made it. I'm glad I made it this far with you guys."

"You say that like we were going to allow you to ever quit on us." Yuuya scoffed as he walked up to her. "You're stuck with us…forever!"

"Oh shut up!" She yelled as she made her way to Neji's office, smiling all the way. At the moment, nothing, and she meant nothing, could go wrong for her anymore. So, as she walked into his office in confidence and saw him smiling at her as he talked casually yet business-like on the phone with someone like Sasuke or Lee or someone like that, she couldn't help but smile at him in peace.

"Thanks." He sighed as he hung up. "Naruto and Gaara are totally up for helping apparently. I haven't gotten in touch with Shino or Kiba yet, but I think they'll call when they're done with whatever it was they were doing?" He walked towards her, smiling as he took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. "Things are going to change, you know?"

"I know." She smiled.

"Like really change. If you go out there, this will be the second modeling job you've done, and people are already trying to get you to do something other than work at your current job since you're dating me."

"Because apparently I'm not good enough."

"I think your perfect."

"That was so cheesy."

"I know." He smirked. "I regretted it the moment I said it.

She laughed then leaned in closer to him. "Can we go?"

"Go where?"

"Home."

"Now?"

"Yes." She smiled. "I want to go HOME now."

"…Oh… hold on. Let me get my things and we'll be on our way back, okay?"

She nodded then headed out, bypassing the busy students with a sly smile as she walked by. Not long after, Neji came running out, locking the office as fast as he could before he caught up with her, wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her out wordlessly.