Disclaimer: Copy and paste... I do not own Naruto. If I did, Tenten would get all these cool jutsus XDD.

And so, I am back from my trip to California. If you would like a little copy of my "journal", drop me a note. One of the things that I have learned is that girls go wild for cool, reserved, un-interested guys. Uh huh. Anyways, 9 days in a sunny place has done miracles... and somehow gave me allergies. So I was coughing and sneezing most of the time I was there. And the fact that I was trapped on a bus 10 hours a day with a hyperactive 9-year-old didn't help. At least I met a wondahful (as I told my pally... heh) new friend. You're out there somewhere, doubt you're reading this though. Anyways, thanks bunches.

More thanks to my reviewers.

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A woman with sandy blonde hair looked up from her cup of coffee, her eyes drawn to the sight of a man walking through the streets in a tired manner. His black hair was drawn up into a ponytail-ish shape by the top of his head, and he was clothed in different shades of green. Dark green pants, a fishnet sort of shirt underneath another coat with darker green trimmings. The woman crossed her pant-suited legs, and put down her coffee, continuing to gaze at the young man.

After Shikamaru turned the corner, the lady got out a cell phone from her purse, and punched the buttons fiercely. She drummed a tattoo on the tabletop as she waited for the person on the other side to pick up her call.

"Hello, Kazekage Interprises, Baki speaking." a deep man's voice said.

She responded with an icy, "Get Gaara."

"Wait a moment please."

The woman rolled her eyes as she spent the next several minutes listening to piano music. 'How long does it really take to walk across an office?'

Another voice, a more... powerful one stopped Mozart from blaring. "Gaara speaking."

She straightened up in her seat as if the man was right in front of her. "It's me. Terrible news, victim number two has been spotted roaming the streets."

"Yamanaka has failed her mission," hissed Gaara. "Collect her in as soon as you can."

"Yes, sir."

ooooooo

"Hinata, your crazy cousin is here." squeaked Ino as she washed her hands.

It was the first break of the day, and both had met in the lady's room. Hinata took out her eyeliner and carefully redrew the lines around her eyes. She bit her lower lip as she thought.

"Yah, I saw him too. I'm worried as to where Tenten is. I contacted Sakura, and she phoned me back a while later to check his portfolio... he has a knack for giving the people he's after... injuries. Neji... he's learned a type of martial arts from my father. I was supposed to study it too, but I declined. It basically... damages the inner organs."

Ino frowned deeply, and fingered the lines on her forehead as she did so. "We better find Tenten quick... and pray that Neji won't do any research about her."

"No kidding... if there is one thing to expect about Tenten... it's the fact that she is unpredictable." Hinata snorted as they both exited the restroom.

ooooooo

A knock on his door startled Neji out of his thoughts. He swore quietly, and got up to open the door. And there was Shikamaru. Neji opened and closed his mouth several times like a golfish, and regained full consciousness, pulling his partner into his office and shutting the door.

Shikamaru sat down on the chair opposite of Neji's, and gave a cheeky little smile, which was returned with a glare from Neji.

"What happened last night? Where were you?" questioned he-with-white-eyes.

Nara Shikamaru shrugged and responded, "Tied up, blindfolded, and gagged in a hotel room. The girl tried to lock me into the bathroom this morning, but I got out."

"I saw that girl, the blonde, here."

Shikamaru looked at Neji weirdly, and finally asked, "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Her nameplate read 'Yamanaka Ino.' She is Tsunade's new assistant. Kiba and Sasuke are also missing. And I swear I saw my stupid little cousin with the group of women who tried to kidnap us yesterday." Neji turned his computer monitor towards Shikamaru, showing him a screen full of data about Ino.

"Yamanaka Ino... body removal... theft... spying..." read Shikamaru.

Neji nodded again, and opened up another window, this one about Hinata.

"I should have done a check-up on cousin dearest earlier." he said grimly.

"Hyuuga Hinata... robbery... vandalism... fraud... murder..." Shikamaru murmured. "She looks so innocent in her photo, too."

His friend replied, "One of their friends tried to attack me, she got injured though. Locked in my apartment. Don't know her name, but she had a lot of weapons."

"And another one... pink hair. She was weird... we shouldn't have let her take Sasuke." Shikamaru sighed.

ooooooo

Several hours later, Neji stood outside of the building where his prisoner supposedly lived. He shook his head, and stepped into the elevator and pressed the 4 button repeatedly until the doors closed.

'Why do I even bother? Hamsters? Brother?' he shook his head angrily at himself as he ran the doorbell of apartment number 43. 'You're getting soft, Hyuuga Neji.'

Footsteps were heard, and the door opened.

ooooooo

Lee was used to all sorts of people coming to the door. Gangsters, drug dealers, rich business men, beautiful pink-haired girls and loud-mouthed blondes, weapon distributors, and other kinds of riff-raff. But this man... Lee was afraid of him. This man had an air of power, a threat. The white eyed stranger glared at Lee, and finally spoke.

"Your sister will not be going home anytime soon. And I need to pick up her hamsters."

He gawked at this stranger, and recalled what Tenten had confided him several months ago...

"Lee, my new job is dangerous. Weird people are going to show up around. So if I am in any trouble, someone will come to the door and ask for hamsters. This person will probably be the one who is causing the trouble. Ask them if they want to stay for dinner; if it is one of my associates, they would reply 'No thank you, the carrot soup makes me itch' and come in. Shut the door, and they will brief you in. If they are not my friends, they'll say something else about the dinner. Tell them that the hamsters have died, and ask about me. After they leave, phone this number for back-up. Tell them that Tenten is not able to continue the mission any further."

He looked at the piece of paper his older sister handed him.

"Tenten, I don't get it... why did you leave your old job? What mission?"

"Don't ask about my business," she said, poking his forehead. "just be careful, okay?"

Lee nodded, and looked at her with adoring eyes. "Okay, sister."

Lee answered in a shaky voice, "The hamsters passed away while she was out. Would you like to stay for dinner?"

The man raised an eyebrow and walked back towards the elevator.

"No, that's alright." echoed through the hallway as Lee closed the door, half paralyzed in fear. He ran to the coffee table and rummaged through the pile of bills, looking for that little scrap of paper... the scrap that would save his beloved sister.

ooooooo

Neji was deep in thought the whole forty-five minutes it took to go home. Where was Inuzuka and Uchiha? What was the purpose of kidnapping them? Why had they even tried? Who was telling them this, or were they doing this without any order? When were the police officers going to be released?

He was still in a daze as he unlocked his apartment door. One gaze at the walls, and he snapped out of his trance immediately. Blood. Bloody handprints on the walls. Blood on floor. Neji carefully followed the handprints leading to his food storage in the kitchen. He looked in... nothing. Just rows and rows of food.

Neji gasped, and looked around. 'Was this a trap?' he thought, when something whipped past his left ear. He turned, and glanced at the wall behind him. A throwing star! He turned back around, and saw in front of him, his supposedly immobile captive. A river of blood trickled down her arm, the cut hidden by her long sleeved shirt. Stains covered her khakis and her stance wasn't very stable.

Tenten laughed quietly, and tightened her grip on her dagger, using her other hand to reach for a kunai.

"You underestimated me, Hyuuga. I won't miss again."

She threw the object... but before it could make it halfway through the room, a gust of wind made the kunai sail through the window. Wait... a gust of wind?

An older woman with sandy colored hair stood grinning by the door, large fan in hand.

"Why... Tenten... you failed. I thought I saw Hyuuga here walking around... and I was right. Your brother phoned and confirmed. I'll have to bring you in."

Tenten widened her eyes.

"Temari."

ooooooo

End of Chapter 7.

Ooh... the sand siblings are coming in! XDD So... in this chapter, we find out that the four were hired by Gaara. We all know what happened in the manga and anime; Tenten got her ass kicked by Temari. Will that happen again in this fanfiction? Maybe. Check back in several days to find out!