In Cold Blood
A Fan fiction by Lady Gaara
Chapter One: The Mission Begins
As a response to Natsyourlord's review, I wanted to tell you that it's not a fic about Tenten's depression because she can't cope with the fact that Neji is rejecting her.
NO.
Haven't you ever felt depressed? I was because she was temporarily alone; besides, her parents are dead. Yeah, okay, so kthnxbai.
Anyways, enjoy the chapter. You learn about the mission….now.
She felt an overwhelming sense of unadulterated joy as she stared up in awe at the Hokage Tower, which loomed before Team Gai like a menacing omen.
"….Pinch me, I'm dreaming—OW!" She twapped Lee on the back of the head in annoyance and rubbed her arm where a small bruise was forming on the spot of where Lee had pinched her. "I didn't mean it literally you dolt!"
He looked sheepish. "Gomen nasai."
The team proceeded into the tower, Tenten's eyes darting back and forth as she tried to register the fact that she was in Tsunade's tower!
After she mentally calmed herself, she watched as the door to the uppermost room swung open, revealing Tsunade arguing with a very pissed off Naruto.
"I WANNA GO!" whined Naruto.
"That's just too darn bad, isn't it? This is their mission and—Oh. Hello."
The two stopped their old-married-couple bickering and Naruto plopped down on the floor next to Tsunade's desk.
"What now?" Gai asked, rolling his eyes in perfect synchronism with Lee.
"Granny Tsunade won't let me go on your mission with you!" he sobbed, tears coming down in anime-style waterfalls.
"Good-bye, Naruto."
Sulking, the Kyuubi boy disappeared out of the room, slamming the door to show his aggravation.
"You know of the mission, yes?"
"You haven't given us exclusive details yet, Tsunade-hime," Neji stated, arms crossed. He wasn't very happy with the fact that Tenten had her 'I-know-something-you-don't-know' look upon her feminine features.
"Tenten knows them, for that is because she is a vital part of said mission."
Gai and Lee leaned forward, as if they were about to be told the secret of where babies come from.
"As you know from the vague information I supplied you with, there is an illegal geisha operation conspiring somewhere within the Fire Country."
Neji didn't like where this was going.
"From the reports I get, the owner of the place captures women that would appeal to…older men, and forces them into labor as geisha. Seven of the many that were captured have committed suicide.
"Tenten has been specifically training with me for the past week and a half, along with you guys, to pose as a geisha."
Neji suddenly glared at Tenten. "Is that why you were slacking off!"
Her smug look remained in place, unwavering.
"But, I have taught her a specific Jutsu that will lull the man into a drunken stupor, and thus, Tenten will use a simple duplicate Jutsu (not the Shadow Clone, mind you), and made the man believe that he is actually making love to Tenten herself." Tsunade now had the same look as Tenten, obviously proud.
"However, if something goes wrong, she will wear a ring. The ring is actually a control that will activate a shock on a pendent. Each of you will wear one of the said pendants, and if she is in danger, you will be lurking close by. Also, she has a pin, and she will be able to talk to you through the pin."
Neji looked incredulous, his usually passive look replaced with an aghast one. "You made all these tools just for this mission?"
"Yes. It's extremely important that you find and destroy the psychopath behind this scheme and rid him of our world."
Gai finally spoke up. "How will we get reports?"
"Neji. Neji will be a weekly visitor, to make sure Tenten is in perfect health, and in no way violated."
She better not be, thought Neji angrily, disgruntled by the fact that he had not been informed of this major transformation; it was not only reckless, but also retarded!
"Lee, you'll act as her dresser. I trust you not to do anything perverted…For I have given her permission to…evict you from the premises."
Rock Lee paled. "O-Of course not, Tsunade-hime. I will not, under any circumstances, violate Tenten in any perverted way!"
"Good boy."
"Are you ready yet?" Neji had grown impatient with two hours of waiting, and had begun to pound on the door where Tenten and Tsunade were currently hidden, getting Tenten clothed in her kimono.
It wasn't as easy as it looked.
"Shut up," Tenten gasped, sounding as if she had run a marathon. "These things are really hard to get on!"
"Yeah, okay," stated Neji bluntly, intent on getting on the road. According to the coordinates Tsunade had given him, it would take a day and a half trip to get to the Geisha house.
Fifteen minutes later, Tenten emerged from the dressing room, followed by Tsunade, who smiled proudly…
…Until the brown-haired kunoichi fell to the ground.
"It's so heavy," she muttered, hauling her ass up off the ground and brushing off the kimono.
She was…extravagantly beautiful, to say the least.
She had gotten thinner than she had been, and the kimono was just her size, and was a deep violet with a cerulean blue obi and a sapphire diamond on her finder. Her hair was in only one bun, and there were a pair of chopsticks sticking out. Her face was dolled up with beautiful make-up, so she hardly looked like Tenten at all.
"…" Neji was the first to recover. "Well. I suppose it's time to go."