Tenten looked aggressively around her, standing up pouting at Lee and Ino.
"Who's being the idiot flower anyway?" She said icily.
"I am not scared!" Tenten stomped right across Ino to stop in front of Neji, their eyes met for once, and then Tenten looked away looking a bit shy.
She pulled Neji's hair forward towards her, then leaned forward to kiss, for once Tenten actually did this, their lips met gently and Tenten closed her eyes, she didn't want to pull away, it was the most wonderful feeling she ever had, even though she had many feelings when she and Neji were alone.
This one however was different, it was warm like a burning fire inside her heart that made it comfortable and felt it would glow almost forever. She never told anyone this, but she did have a crush on Neji when they were both young, though she never revealed it to anyone.
Like Ino and Shikamaru they had been comrades together for their missions, through that time Tenten really got to know the boy well.
After perhaps ten seconds later, she pulled away. She looked at him for a brief moment; after all she had never ever been this close to him. Neji returned it with his cold looks, but it was rather soft, Tenten could see he was trying to look a bit more affectionate for his team mate. Thank you, Neji-san, she thought looking content.
Lee was looking closely at her as if he was trying to look through the young kunoichi; Ino smirked back at her as she returned to her spot beside Hinata.
She too looked reassured, "G-great job, Tenten!" She gave her a warm smile patting her mildly on her back.
Sakura too congratulated her. "T-The good t-thing was that he didn't p-push you b-back!" Hinata added.
Tenten managed a weak smile at the both of them, and then kneeled down by Hinata.
What a relief! She thought with a patient look at Ino, she didn't like being in the center of attention especially when Ino had said those words. She flinched at the thought and her throat throbbed even harder when she realized that most of the boys were staring hard at her.
Tenten unlike the other female ninjas kept most of her feelings to herself, and never considered this a possibility. Neji was after all a team mate, and yet he (as usual) cold hearted towards everyone, including Tenten.
What did he think of her as anyway? Neji was a Hyuuga genius, ever since being an academy student he was the same icy Neji, all this time! Tenten however had always looked up to him though he never realized this at all that she unlike him had feelings for people.
"Hyuga's getting soft!" Sasuke's cold voice interrupted her thoughts, followed by Neji's hard stare that seemed to take it as an offence, Sasuke ignored it.
Lee was cheering wildly by the time they finished and keeping a close eye on both of his team mates saluting in front of everyone. He traipsed in front of Neji flashing his eye lashes that seemed rather long, "So Neji, my all time rival," He began with a solemn face, Neji glared at him.
"Is it true that you do have pure feeling for our passionate team mate, Tenten?" He said rather idiotically, Neji tried to look the other way, not answering his question.
Then a moment later, "Shut up, idiot!" He said icily, Lee ignoring his harsh comment responded, "So it must be true, you have accepted." Tenten sat up bold straight gaping at both Lee and Neji, her face growing pink while she watched.
"What," Neji proclaimed patiently, with out any hesitation the Hyuuga genius stood up in his position. Everyone closed their eyes looking quite affronted.
"Juuken." Bang! Then Lee goes flying up the tent, landing with a hard crash on the ground.
Crash! Cling! And again Lee crashes into Sakura who went screaming her head off, then the light went out as Lee landed headfirst onto the lamp. Ouch!
Then everything was silent. As everyone got to their feet, Kiba turned on the light again. Lee was lying flat on the ground, with his face bruised and a black eye, Neji on the other hand had positioned himself beside Shikamaru.
There was a pause, and then they heard Lee scramble up from the ground. Boom! And again he fell down again, this time flat on his face. Beside him Naruto helped him up as Shikamaru stated, "Next time, Lee. You'd better hold your tongue in front of Neji."
Lee looked angrily at his rival his eyes red from the accident. Neji stayed perfectly calm, "May I assume that you are shaking your fists at me, because you want to fight?" He presumed doubtfully, narrowing his eyes at the injured boy.
Lee stopped shaking, muttered something under his breath.
Tenten after a few moments when everyone was quiet again she cleared her throat, "Kiba, truth or dare?" She prompted smoulderingly. Akamaru barked loudly crawling up his legs looking extremely obliged since his owner had been chosen.
Kiba gently smoothed Akamaru ruffled fur, and then answered, "Dare." Tenten not waiting at all ordered.
"I dare you to go attack Naruto!" Naruto who looked rather derisive covered himself with a pillow that caused Choji to choke on his unfinished bag of chips. Kiba who seemed neither content or shocked repeated quietly, "Attack?"
Tenten feeling a bit proud smirked, "Too bad doggy boy, it's not like you have much of a choice." Tenten was glad Naruto was finally paying back when he had laughed so hard at her when she had kissed Neji. All along she had been irritated by Naruto's lurid comments.
Kiba looking not at all concerned stood up then stalked carelessly up to Naruto slapping the defenceless Naruto in the face then hurried back with Akamaru at his heels. Neji at this point smirking along with Sasuke looked at him in an interested way. Naruto who had just glanced in their direction was fuming with anger seeing his rival; he stayed still looking foolish without at all reacting.
Sakura, who stayed silent at first, couldn't help laughing out loud at the angry look on Naruto's face. After a few minutes when everyone had eventually chilled from their laugh attack with Naruto, Kiba began.
"Hyuuga Neji, "Kiba called catching Neji's attention.
"Truth or dare?" Neji closed his eyes then opened them after a couple of seconds. "Truth," Neji's voice echoed across the room. Sasuke glanced in Neji's direction as if he knew that would be his response, Tenten looked away at Kiba who continued, "Is there someone you like?"
Tenten gazed intensely at him; she wanted to know this a long time ago, though she was afraid to as. Neji who looked as though his face had turned to stone replied patiently.
"Yes." Catching everyone's attention, Hinata opened his eyes a little wider at his big brother, looking amazed.
Was it true what she just heard? Neji was always so cold hearted, could it be real that he too cared for someone just like her? The answer rang in her ears several times, she had been half expecting a "No." all along, and yet he was, indeed different.
After a short pause, the tree girls burst out, "Who?" Neji looked as if nothing had happened at all responded again, looking directly from his cousin to Kiba, then Akamaru.
"Nobody asked for the name, therefore I intent to keep that to myself." He alleged casting a brisk glance at Ino who gave him a frown murmuring in Sakura's ear. Tenten too looked surprised exchanging anxious looks with Hinata.
Both their eyes were brimming with sorrow, I never knew this, big brother! Ignoring the muttering around him, Neji said softly, "Now, Naruto," "Dare believe it!" Naruto interrupted, regardless of what Neji had to say, did his usual thumbs up and the snickering that get on everyone's nerves, especially with his loud, disrespectful voice that make Akamaru jump out from Kiba's lap looking affronted, now yelping defensively at Naruto.
Shikamaru rolled his eyes, used to the loudness and irritating voice of his.
"How troublesome, I was hoping he'll be absent." He whispered into Choji's ear. Everyone in the entire tent glared coldly at him, though there were no words. Hinata was the only one who remained calm at the moment, not taking her eyes off Naruto, "N-N-Naruto-kun, "She informed.
"L-Let's be a little m-more quiet. "She said timidly with the confident Naruto looking a bit embarrassed, Sasuke smirked hearing Neji proclaim, "Since you insisted, I dare you to go without ramen for two weeks."
He finished reading Naruto's expression. His jaws dropped open, soaking with cold sweat pouring down his chin now shaking his fists like mad. "I-Neji-you-can't-ramen." His face was turning a bit paler than usual and frantically searching for the right words, "I c-can't do that!"
"No worries you'll live," Shino proclaimed, Hinata offered him a smile that seemed to say, you can do it, Naruto-Kun.
Naruto looked shaky, but agreed at last trying to not look too weak in front of all the Chuunins. He sat up again a little taller than before, searching for someone to ask, then pointed in Sasuke's direction. "Sasuke, truth or dare?"