As Bender would say, "I'm back, baby."

T for Teens and T for Tomatoes.


Today was the day; she would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous about it. Her stomach felt like it was tied in a knot. She sighed a bit more than usual as she stared up at the gates of Suna where she would be competing. It wasn't the tournament that made her feel this way… no, that was a lie, the tournament played a major part in the uneasiness in her stomach. The Chunin Exams were one thing, but between having to show off your body in a swimsuit, having to perform a tea ceremony perfectly, dancing, and showing off a talent that most girls don't have, fighting was the least of Tenten's worries. The other part that made her nervous was Gaara. She was his new friend and he was going to see her in a whole new light in his own village where he had to play in the judgement for the winner.

One more sigh. That made seven sighs in a row and she hadn't even walked through the gates yet. Hearing a feigned cough from behind her, Tenten turned to look at Hinata, Ino and Sakura all smiling at her.

"Come on Tenten," Hinata said with a smile, "We can't be late to verify your registration. The tournament won't start for another few hours but we should get a light meal before you head out." All the girls agreed with Hinata and Tenten willed her legs to move into the village. She felt as though food could help her nerves but the thought of being on stage... her stomach turned once more. She was going to be sick for real if this continued. Taking one last deep breath, she straightened herself and made the butterflies in her stomach disappear.


The people of Suna were already excited for the competition, the men more so than the women. Gaara walked down the busy streets with his brother and sister behind him, observing all the hustle and bustle in the sandy streets. Ninja and shopkeep alike were putting up sales for all the visitors to come by their shops to buy: Suna souvenirs such as hourglasses made into lots of beautiful designs, fans with colorful displays, and weapons forged by the earth of Suna. The food here was also unique from the rest of the world: Small ramen shops aside, Suna was the best place in all the villages for their unique kebabs and roasted meats with veggies.

Despite it being an idiotic idea, the tournament would bring a lot of revenue into the village and plenty of shops would probably meet their weekly quota by the day's end if they were lucky. He enjoyed that this was a possible outcome and if it was successful, his villagers would rejoice. Behind him, Gaara could feel the beaming smile his brother was giving off and the annoyance of his sister. Kankuro would be happy. His approved proposal was underway and he'd get to see see many beautiful kunoichi in various outfits to please the judges. Temari was annoyed because Kankuro had signed her up as being the first kunoichi from their village simply to annoy her. Since her form was the first to be accepted and that she was also the sister of the Kage, she was now expected to show the might of the village.

Gaara couldn't help but feel a bit entertained at the thought of his loud, headstrong sister walking daintily down a runway wearing a kimono that would make it difficult to move in. The thought of kimonos made Gaara think of Tenten; he wondered if she would be here. He had no time to read through the all pages of accepted kunoichi for the tournament but if she were to come, he knew that she wouldn't look too bad in one of those outfits from the weeks of practice being a princess. Then he heard his name behind him and turned around to notice he had walked past the arena they needed to be in.

"Lost in thought, eh? Guess I'm not the only one excited!" Kankuro grinned but the smile faded as he registered a fist to his head from his sister.

"Unlike you, Gaara isn't a pervert." Temari sighed and began to walk into the arena.

The three made it into the area which were normally used for chunin exam battles and training sessions for ninjas. Today, though, it looked different. The old blood stains were washed away, there were flower arcs and vases filled with colorful flora placed neatly around the wooden stage in the middle of the arena. The judges table was at the end of the stage and four chairs were set for them. Gaara would be one of the two Kages to act as a judge. The other would be the Mizukage as she has some experience in what would qualify in beauty and grace. The last two judges were from some fashion place that Gaara didn't know nor care for. They made clothing or something, things that he wouldn't be interested in.

There were still people getting the area ready for the arrivals of both the contestants and the crowd. Kankuro went to talk to a woman who was holding onto a few flower arrangements while Temari left to double check if all her outfits and necessities were with her. With nothing much to do, Gaara went to the judges table and sat himself down. Here he would be able to get a clear view of the women and be able to identify their movements closely. Poise and grace was one of the number one factors in this. Glancing down, he saw four clipboards, one for each judge. The papers attached had the list of all the contestants as well as the categories they will be attending.

He wanted to check if her name was written on the list. The names were in alphabetical order so he would need to search a few papers to find her. Would he see Tenten display an amazing talent? Would he watch her dance gracefully? Would he see her in a swimsuit? Blushing slightly, he felt his hand hesitate taking the first page to lift it but then he heard a voice behind him.

Many would describe the Mizukage as Sultry and voluptuous, but Gaara could only see her as a powerful leader. He respected her as a comrade and as a Kage who knew how to run her village efficiently. She walked to him, her hips swaying back and forth, but Gaara's eyes remained on hers as he gave a nod and welcoming smile. "It has been some time, Lord Gaara. You seem to grow much more handsome every time I see you." Mei Terumi sat herself down next to Gaara and lightly glanced at the top sheet of paper before turning away and placing her attention to Gaara. "How have things been since we last saw each other?"

Nodding, Gaara answered her with the basics of how everything was. "The village is fine; the shopkeepers are much more enthusiastic than ever with all the potential customers. How about yourself? Where is Chojuro and Ao? They are often seen with you."

"I ordered them to have the day off. They will be in the stands when the competition starts but for now, they are off wandering who knows where." Mei knew that they were close by though, probably in one of the shops just around the corner. Far enough that they could enjoy themselves and buy what they want while being close enough that they can come to her at a moment's notice.

She crossed her legs and Gaara felt her foot brush up against his leg. He stared at her without giving any indication that he noticed it; her smile grew. "Are you excited for what's to come? There will be many lovely ladies here and your sister, of course."

"Not in the least, but it will be entertaining to see what the contestants will be like. Though I'm not into fashion, it will be interesting to see what everyone will wear and how they will represent their village."

Mei hummed a bit as she took her clipboard and quickly skimmed through all the pages without pausing once before putting it down. "We have a few categories to go through, then a few hours for us to decide on the top finalists and eat before the last showdown. I hope all goes smoothly and we all agree on our last contestants quickly. There are a few jewels I saw before I came here that I must look at."


"Hey, where are the guys anyway?" Tenten asked her friends as they ate skewers of cooked beef with sweet glaze. Tenten had eaten two of the stand's famous kebabs. They were pretty darn good, but Ino stopped her at only eating two since she was going to wear clothing that would show her stomach off. 'It's not good to show off a filled stomach,' Ino's voice echoed in her mind.

"I think Naruto and them went to eat at some restaurant, if I remember correctly," Hinata said. "They said something about not wanting to mess us up with our preparations." She was sitting beside Tenten on the table facing Sakura as she finished her last skewer. The girls had one more hour to kill before they needed to leave. Registration took a much shorter time than they thought so they'd grabbed a bite to eat together.

The four girls had scrolls filled with clothing and accessories that Tenten would wear throughout the competition. A few things were from her closet: some items which belonged to her friends and a smaller selection that was handmade by Hinata. Tenten had never known she was good at sewing.

"More likely, they wanted to ogle some girls," Ino mumbled and took a drink, staring over at Tenten.

"Like our guys would ever do that. It would mostly just be Kiba. He hasn't gotten a girlfriend yet." Sakura added.

Ino rolled her eyes, "He gets dates but never sticks with girls and yet he's always complaining about not having a girlfriend. I mean, even Kakashi ended up finding a girl who actually puts up with him being late all the time."

"He got a girlfriend?!" Tenten asked a bit surprised.

"Yeah," Sakura began, "Some girl he met at a mission with Gai. From what I heard from Naruto, it was a basic mission for information which turned into a fighting tournament and that's where he met her. I think it was a few days after you left, Tenten."

"She's kind of odd," said Ino.

"I think she's very unique and nice," said Hinata as she took a sip of water. "I talked to her a few times. She has a lovely singing voice. Aside from her looks, she's very normal."

"Yeah, if talking like you're from another world is normal..." Muttered Ino. The girls began to laugh a bit as they began to talk more gossip around the people they knew.

"How did Naruto manage to get out of Hokage duties anyway?" Ino asked Hinata. All the stories told of him being constantly bogged with paperwork.

"Oh, he asked Tsunade if she could take over for the time being. He pretty much begged her to take over," she giggled.

Tenten smiled but began to feel uneasy as she felt the tournament's start grow closer. "I'm starting to get nervous..."

Ino placed a hand on hers and smirked, "Don't even sweat it. Remember everything we taught you and you'll make it to the end for sure! Just don't forget... to... smile...at..." Ino's eyes glanced at something which made the girls confused.

"Ino, are you okay?" Tenten asked.

"Hey... you said Motochika looked like a rockstar right?"

"Yeah."

"Did he have a weird design like a blue flame on his face?"

"Yeah, but I didn't tell you that. How did you-?" Tenten blinked a bit before seeing Ino's hand pointing her. All the girls turned to look just a few feet away from them. Tenten couldn't believe her eyes.

"Is it really you?" The all too familiar voice asked.

"Moto...chika?"

Tenten stood up and faced the prince. He was here. He was right here in Suna and he was staring right at her. Her heart was beating rapidly and she didn't know why.

Motochika's surprised face turned to all smiles as he walked to Tenten and took her hand before kissing it. "I'm so happy I found you."

"Motochika? How... Wh-why? Where? I don't understand." Tenten was so confused that she sat right back down and looked like she just saw a ghost.

The Prince laughed and began to explain his story.


"Just who the heck are you?" Tokuhime spat as she sat on her large chair, not even looking at the two men who made their way into her home.

"Do you not remember us? We spent many days talking and taking walks together. It wasn't that long ago tha-"

"Silence! I don't know you and I don't care if you are a prince. I'm not giving you a single scrap of my time. Now go. Shoo." The princess turned her head completely away from Motochika and Magoichi. Nene sighed, went to the two men, and bowed her head.

"I can explain this whole ordeal. The Tokuhime you met was just a decoy of sorts... We hired a ninja to take over while our former princess, now Empress, was getting initiated. The girl you met was a kunoichi far from this place."

"Please, you need to tell me where she came from."

"I'm sorry but even if I did know, I don't think I should tell you," Nene looked at his face and she was able to see it: the flicker she knew all too well from when she saw her own husband. The gaze of love. Despite what she had previously said, Nene bit her lip and sighed, "I really don't know where she's from but she is a ninja and..." Reaching into a small pouch, she pulled out a flyer that read 'The First Annual Kunoichi Showdown!' "Maybe you could find a clue or two there. She might even be participating."


"Magoichi and I decided to come here and find out more about you. I took a chance and I'm happy I did."

"Woah," Ino and Sakura said in unison. "You traveled a lot just to find Tenten."

"Tenten? Is that your name?" His smile never faltered. "Oh, but where are my manners? I am Chosokabe Motochika, and it is a pleasure to meet all of you ladies." He gave a bow to them and Tenten looked down. Her friends both said hello to him.

"Hey!" another familiar voice called out from the walking crowd. Magoichi walked up and sat beside his friend. "I didn't find any useful information anywhere and-Oh..." He looked straight at Tenten and laughed, "And here you where!" Walking over to her, he gave her a playful, one armed hug. "I'm glad we didn't get sent into some wild goose chase." Looking at the other ladies, he nodded his head at them, "Greetings! I'm Magoichi. Pleased to meet ya!"

"Ino, you're drooling," said Sakura as she nudged the blonde. "And you also have a boyfriend."

"What boyfriend?" Ino said in a daze as she stared at Magoichi.

Sakura rolled her eyes and stood up. "We need to get your things to the backstage. You've got about another half hour or so before you need to be there. We also need to get some seats, so come on girls! I'm sure Tenten and her friend has some catching up to do." Hinata and Ino agreed and headed out with quick goodbyes. Magoichi also understood what was going on and told them that he'd get some good seats for the action and left. It left the two of them alone.

"Er... Would you like to sit down?" Tenten said, still unable to meet his gaze.

He sat where Ino once was a moment ago. He continued to smile as he gazed upon her face. "Are you alright? You seem to be uneasy."

Tenten stood up and bowed to him in apology. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I lied to you when I was pretending... I really liked hanging out with you and talking to you and I really wanted to be your friend! Not everything I said about me was a lie but our friendship started off as a big lie." She slumped down on the chair and sighed. She heard a chuckle coming from across the table. Looking up, Motochika shook his head.

"Don't apologize. I kind of figured something was off when you were very wishy washy with a few of your responses when we talked, but I knew when you were sincere. As I said, I'm happy I found you. Now then, miss Tenten... all these smoke and mirrors aside, would you mind telling me a bit about yourself before you need to go impress a few judges? I'd like to get to know my friend some more."

Tenten's smile grew a bit as she and Motochika talked about themselves up until she needed to leave for the tournament.

"I'll be cheering you on from the stands."

With a wave, they parted ways when they entered the stadium and Tenten went to the back of the stage for the first and easiest category. She was just going out there in her normal everyday clothing to show off the "natural" beauty she has, telling everyone what village she was from, and walking back. This should be easy.

Taking a deep breath, Tenten swallowed a sigh and pumped herself up. She could do this.

She was ready.


Ino, Sakura and Hinata found the guys all talking to one another about what they had hoped to see. Kiba being the biggest flirt (and one who prized having a lot of side ladies) couldn't wait to get to the swimsuit portion. Lee wanted to see some skilled fighting. Shino wondered how the tea ceremony would take place here. When he saw the girls approach, Naruto made room for Hinata and they both blushed as they held hands. Ino leaned against Choji, trying to ignore Sai who was sitting on the other side of her. Sakura sat beside Lee and Naruto, happy that she they all got a great view of the stage.

"Oh hey, there's Mei and Gaara." Hinata pointed down at the judges table. "Who are the other three? I don't recognize them?"

Ino sighed, "How can you not know who they are? Those three are Takara, Kyo and Akio Shun, brothers of the most famous fashion magazines around! Heck, they're the ones that designed some of those wedding gowns you liked. They go to different locations and create works of art in cloth inspired by different cultures for the name of fashion!"

"Is that why they are wearing clown suits?" Sai asked with a smile.

"Those are not clown suits! That style is very in right now. Grr... Whatever! You wouldn't know fashion if it beat you over the head." Ino wanted to punch him in the face after his snarky remark. Turning away, she felt Choji rubbing her back gently.

"I'm sorry, are these seats taken?"

The group turned to see an older looking woman with short brown hair and browns eyes that seemed very welcoming and loving. Much like an endearing mother's eyes.

"O-oh! No, please go ahead," said Hinata with a smile.

"Thanks! Hey over here!" The woman called over four of her companions. One who was covered in a white robe, hidden away. The other three were larger men who seemed like warriors.

"Tch... Why can't we get a better seat than this? If we got here earlier, we could've had front row! Why must we settle for this?" The person in the robes complained as they sat down in a huff. The other woman sighed and sat beside her while the other three men fought to sit beside her.

"SIT!" The woman said sternly and the men stopped fighting immediately and sat down. They all turned to the stage.

"She has an iron fist," whispered Hinata.

"I kinda like her outfit," Ino whispered back.

"The one in the robes is kind of..." Sakura began but before she ended her sentence, everyone nodded in agreement.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" The speakers surrounding the stage called out. On stage stood one of the brothers whom Ino recognized earlier. He wore a dark grey business suit with a lavender collared shirt. He had pink hair just a few shades lighter than Sakura's hair. "Welcome to the first Annual Kunoichi Showdown! Where ladies of all over the world come to show off not only their beauty but their strengths! I'm your host and one of the founders of Momoka Fashions, Takara Shun!" People began to applaud, mostly the women. "Before we meet our lovely ladies, let's meet your hosts! The other two founders of Momoka Fashion and my brothers, Akio and Kyo Shun!" More clapping began as the two judges, who looked like Takaru only one had light grey suit and the other had black suit, turned around and waved at the crowd.

"The next judge is from the Village hidden in the Mist, the one and only Mizukage, Mei Terumi!"

Mei stood up and turned to view everyone. "Thank you for having me," she said as she gave a wink and a kiss which made many of the men almost roar in cheer. With a smile, she sat back down.

"Our last judge is the one who let us do this in the first place. The Kazekage and the man of the hour, Gaara!"

Gaara stood up, nodded his head, and said "Thank you." He sat down. Naruto and the group clapped along with several others but the cheer was not as loud as the previous judges'.

"With that out of the way, let's start with our first category... Meeting the ladies!"


"I can't do this. I can't do this. This is crazy. Maybe dropping out would be best. I shouldn't have let them pressure me into this. I'm not great at this whole thing," the young girl said under her breath. She didn't know if she could go on stage. She'd see him, meet eye to eye and she'd feel exposed. Her heart was pounding out of her chest and her breathing was heavy.

"Are you okay?"

"Eep!" The girl turned quickly to face eyes that reminded her of chocolate. "S-sorry! I'm just so nervous! I want to win but I don't know if I can go on stage... There's someone out there I... I like... and I don't want to make a fool of myself. Sorry, I shouldn't be saying these things to you."

Tenten smiled, "It's okay. I think a lot of us are nervous. Talking can help calm your nerves down."

"Oh, you're nervous too?"

"Yeah, a bit. I didn't even want to be here in the first place but I think it could be fun. Plus my friends would hate it if I bailed out." Grinning, she looked at the girl and gave her a smile. "Just do the best you can and don't worry if he's out there. Stay confident and you'll shine bright. I'll be rooting for you to make it in the finals. I gotta go get my stuff, see you!"

Tenten ran off and the girl smiled. She felt a boost confidence and looked in the mirror. She wasn't the prettiest among the other women but she'd shine in her own way. Hearing her name would be called next, she went towards the stage.

"Next up is Matsuri!" Takara said with the same ecstatic voice.

The young girl walked out on stage, her heart was beating fast but she held her head high. She made her way to the announcer and finally looked down to see Gaara was staring straight at her. Her face began to turn bright as she heard Takara ask her who she was and where she came from.

"I-I-I-I..." She couldn't speak. Closing her eyes, she felt flustered and unsure.

"Isn't she adorable? Go on, tell us," Takara said.

"I... I am..." She was able to hear a few cheers from the crowd. Looking at where the noise was coming from, she saw her friends on stage who were giving her the thumbs up. "I am Matsuri. I am a ninja from this very village. I represent Sunagakure!" She bowed her head and walked back off the stage as people applauded to her.

She did it.


"Hey, Buns, I didn't know you'd be here. You don't seem the type."

Turning around, Tenten saw her rival, Temari. She was taller than her, that was for sure, but Tenten stood her ground. "Lee got me into it. I didn't think you'd be here. You definitely don't seem the type to be in these things."

"Kankuro put me down as the first applicant. I thought, why not? No harm in this, even if it is annoying," Temari said.

"Well, let's make it to the finals and have a rematch. I plan to beat you this time.," said Tenten.

"Bring it on, Buns!"

Both girls gave the other a smile that held a venomous bite. That's when they heard the announcer shout, "Our next contestant is someone many of you may know. Temari, you're next!"

"See you at the end, Buns!" Temari walked with confidence out from the curtains towards the announcer. She wasn't smiling so much as she was smirking. "I'm Temari, kunoichi of Sunagakure. I'll do my best to make you all proud."

As she turned, she did a quick wave of her left hand and a fan appeared. She fanned herself as she made her way back behind the stage.

"Quite the sister you have there." Mei said to Gaara, looking at him for a moment. Gaara was silent as ever which made her lick her lips. She watched for any form of interest whenever women came out on stage. So far, none of the ladies had even made him on edge. "Could it be that he isn't into women?"

"Our next contestant is Tenten!"

Gaara's eyes widened for a moment and Mei hadn't missed it. From out of the curtain a young girl wearing a deep blue sleeveless qipao-style blouse with gold trimming and matching hakama pants. Her hair was up in twin buns and her smile seemed infectious. Other than her hair, Mei didn't see much else that would make her stand out in the crowd. "How can a girl like her get a reaction out of Gaara?"

"My name is Tenten!"

From the crowd, the konoha teams all cheered out for their friend. Naruto, Kiba, Lee, Chouji and Ino yelled and cheered while the others clapped. What they didn't expect were the people who sat in front of them to also be yelling and cheering for her.

"I come from Konohagakure and I'm here to show you all what the village can do!"

As she left, Gaara couldn't help but be transfixed by her walk. She was in the tournament. He'd see her wearing different outfits. She'd be competing to win his vote. He couldn't understand why that made him excited; why the thought made his heart beat a little faster. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his nerves.

From the corner of her eye, Mei watched him and smirked. She knew the signs and felt the tension. "He's in love."


Once she was behind the stage and in her dress up area, she slumped on her chair and gave an exhausted sigh. This was the easiest thing she'd do all day, aside from fighting. She'd tried so hard not to look at Gaara and so far she had succeeded. She was trying to avoid his gaze and thankfully she didn't know where Motochika was sitting so she could pretend he wasn't watching her either. To think that now the start of their true friendship would have him seeing her in a bikini! It was enough to make her blush a bit.

The next category would require her to dress up in fancy evening wear. Looking at the scrolls her friends placed, she took the one that belonged to Ino and unsealed it. "Wh-what...?" She couldn't believe her eyes with what Ino brought for her to wear. "The little black dress every woman should have!" Ino would say, but Tenten felt this was a bit too revealing. The length would hit her just a few inches past her butt, and it had see-through lace at neckline and midriff to reveal more than she normally would during a fancy evening. Along with the dress were black high heel sandals, a make up kit, hair curler, straightener and a note.

"Let your hair down with this dress and contour! I'm rooting for you! - Ino"

"This is going to be a nightmare..."


A/N: I already have the next chapter written halfway. So another chapter will be up soon.
Until next time lovelies!