Wow, this story was last updated July 9, 2008.

"Kaiten!"

"Hakkeshou - "

"Hakke Ku-"

The guests stared as the Hyuuga teenagers swirled into a unnervingly graceful yet violent multi-way melee - both male and female, both Branch and Main, launching attacks at the acknowledged most skillful of them, the birthday celebrant.

(It was a strangely unifying experience. Later, they would gather to compare battle wounds and complain about Neji. This was the real beginning, in their minds, of the reunification of the Hyuuga clan.)

Neji frantically spun in place, hurling his raging cousins away from him with his Kaiten.

Tenten took one startled look at the fight, and then darted to the front of the crowd of guests.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" she announced cheerfully, her voice pitched to carry over the sounds of the fight. "For your before-dinner entertainment, we have arranged for a exhibition of the legendary Hyuuga fighting style, the Jyuuken!"

The Inuzukas, to whom giant fights before dinner were a happy tradition and an excellent way to whet the appetite, applauded. Their opinions of the Hyuugas went up several notches, now that they knew the white-eyes also enjoyed a good scrap.

The other guests followed suit, although every single Nara rolled their eyes in unison.

Hiashi noticed, but was too busy thanking every god he knew for Tenten's quick thinking to mind.

The rest of the dinner actually went off spectacularly. Tenten privately thought it might have even been better for the impromptu 'exhibition' at the beginning - the guests were impressed, and the ice broken. (Also a nose or two, and a chair. The fight, by the way, had ended when Heiji snuck up on an exhausted Neji, and stabbed his older cousin in the shin with a stolen senbon. Neji's choked-off howl of pain made the rest of his cousins laugh, and their battle intent had ebbed away.)

Tenten, as event coordinator, did not actually have much time to eat herself. She roamed the area, laughing, chatting with easy amiability, with an earphone in her left ear.

"This is Guard One-Five, reporting imminent incursion attempt - type Shrieking Banshee - at Main Gate, over."

"This is Main Gate Lead, we copy, over."

"This is Control, I copy. Main Gate Lead, initiate Anti-Banshee protocols. Do you require assistance, over?"

"Control, this is Main Gate Lead. Negative on the assistance - incursion is currently seventy percent handled. And we have incoming reinforcement from Guard posts Three and Four. Enjoy the party, Control! Over."

"Copy that, Main Gate Lead. Well done! Over and out."

Tenten sighed as she took her thumb off her radio earpiece. She was glad that this new fangirl incursion was handled, but it would have been nice to be able to hurl pointy objects at them herself. Especially with full sanction from Clan Hyuuga.

She had made sure, of course, to get Neji some bandages and disinfectant.

Along with all his cousins.

And the fact that she gave Heiji a cuddle and told him he would no doubt grow to be a formidable shinobi, and told him he handled senbon like a champion, well, if it meant Neji had to wait for his bandages a little longer, that wasn't her fault.

(In later years, Heiji would grow to be one of the foremost weapon users of Clan Hyuuga.)

At the end of it all, the guests all go away pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the party had been - they'd expected good food and maybe even some decent (but work-focused) conversation, but a lot less in the fun department. The Hyuugas - being Hyuugas - noted the subtle body language, knew they had come off well, and went to bed pleased with themselves.

Tenten stayed to help with clean-up, laughing and joking, high on the triumph and accomplishment and sheer relief engendered by the evening ending not only without disaster, but as a success. A few Hyuugas tried to ask her about The Kiss, but she just laughed their concerns off and credited Heiji with getting vengeance for her.

"Seriously though," she said, smiling at Hanabi, who was helping tote chairs back to storage. "We talked. It's all good."

Hanabi scoffed. "You're too nice to nii-san," she complained. "He'll get a big head."

"What, like he doesn't have one already," Tenten snarked back, and they snickered at each other.

Hanabi snickered again, using her Byakugan to note her cousin watching from afar with a frown on his face and leftovers in his arms.

"You didn't get me a pres..."

Tenten crowed in triumph, not letting Neji finish his sentence. "Hah! I knew you'd say that. Well, you won't catch me off-guard twice!"

She waved two slightly crumpled coupons at him. "Two free meals at Tatsu's - they have the best herring soba in Konoha."

Numbly, Neji took the coupons. "Th - thank you," he mumbled.

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Well, don't overwhelm me with your gratitude all at once or anything," she quipped.

"N- no, I am grateful," Neji protested. "I just...haven't heard of them before."

"Oh, they're kinda new, from Rivers, I think. But the food's great. Ask anyone!" She babbled happily, comfortably, as if it was just another day and they were walking back from training.

But it was not just another day, it was Neji's birthday and he'd kissed her earlier and she'd kissed him too and...

A slip of paper fell from his loosened grip. Before he could do anything, Tenten pounced.

Neji froze in place, like prey in front of a lion.

Tenten, born researcher that she was, was a quick reader. It took her only a few moments to read the whole thing, which was written as a sort of printed catechism, with questions and answers.

'Approach. Ask for a birthday present.
She will say, she has none.
You say 'There's something you could give me now'
She will ask, what.
You say, 'A kiss.' Then smile.'

It was all in Neji's even handwriting.

Tenten looked up at Neji. He had turned as bright red as Hinata on her worst days.

"Neji. You are..."

He writhed under her astonished gaze.

"So ridiculously dorky." She scoffed. "Besides, you tried that line earlier today and it didn't...oh, by all the gods in all the heavens, have you been carrying this paper around the whole day? More than the whole day?" She concluded, staring at the tell-tale (to her) flickering of his eyes. "And you've been trying to make that pick-up line land the whole time?"

She began to chortle.

Neji sulked.

"I really shouldn't be rewarding you for this incredible uncoolness," Tenten laughed. But she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.