I was going to wait until next week to update this, but I decided to go ahead and do it today. I read this story over and over, looking for typos. But with me I notice the typos more after I post it (which is irritating). Anywho, I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but I am in practice when it comes to action scenes. They are not my forte, but I do try to do my best. It's rather short, but oh well...

Oh, I forget to add the Disclaimer:

I don't own Naruto, dattebayo!

Tenten gritted her teeth, her hand in her pouch fingering her shurikens. The three Sound Nin that stood before her looked like they had recovered from the earlier fight with Uchiha Sasuke, and had an even more menacing air around them.

Mission? Tenten wondered. That's right! She vaguely remembered the hunchback saying something about being sent to kill Sasuke. She glowered. She recalled that they gave up fairly easily, practically handing the Rookie Team the Earth scroll.

Which means they're in need of another Earth scroll, Tenten concluded. Well they won't get mine!

Tenten's hand came out of her pouch and threw six shurikens at the Sound Nin who all scattered in different directions. She scanned where each one went. The girl.. to the right... the boy... to the left...

Tenten heard rustling above her, and quickly she jumped out of the trees and onto the ground just as the hunchback boy landed on the branch that she had just been standing on.

"Pretty quick on your toes, eh?" the hunchback said.

Tenten pulled out a scroll. She flung it open, and tapped on a character. With a puff of smoke a heavy metal ball attached to a long chain appeared. The kunoichi grabbed it, throwing the scroll to one side.

The three Sound Nin jumped down to the ground, surrounding her but keeping their distance as she twirled the ball over her head.

"I remember her," Zaku said, standing in front of Tenten. "She's that thick browed freak's teammate."

"Well then she should be just as easy to take down!" Kin said. Tenten narrowed her eyes. Behind her she could hear the other kunoichi start off in a sprint.

"I don't think so!" Tenten yelled. She twirled around, sending the ball flying in the enemy girl's direction. Kin stopped, and quickly jumped out of the line of fire. Making a full turn, Tenten threw the ball at each of the sound nins, who all barely ducked away. She turned around twice this way, throwing and then retracting her weapon on the ground or into the trees, whatever direction the other ninjas went.

She stopped, eyeing her surrounding, still twirling the ball on her side.

"Damn, she's fast!" someone muttered. Tenten spun around and threw her weapon in the direction the voice came from. Zaku could not escape in time. She swung from the side, hitting him on his left leg as he was trying to leap. He screamed, falling on his face, writhing on the ground in pain.

"Bitch!" Zaku cursed.

The adrenaline was rushing to her head, heightening her senses. She twirled the ball over her head. Behind her, she heard the sound of bells ringing.

Tenten turned again, and whipped the chain around. The ball smashed into the senbons that were flying in her direction and then hit Kin, who was standing just beyond. The enemy kunoichi went flying against the tree behind her.

Kin gasped for air. "You're... too late... girl." Though the weapon had knocked the wind out of her and she was in obvious pain, the girl managed a smile. Tenten narrowed her eyes. She turned around and saw that one senbon had managed to get passed her and was embedded in a tree. Slowly the Sound Kunoichi picked herself up, and with one hand made a pulling gesture.

The bells rang again. Her head suddenly throbbed, and she groaned, grabbing at her hair. She looked up at Kin, who was breathing heavily and bent over, clutching at her stomach where the ball had hit her. In her hand, Tenten could now see was a fine string. The Sound Nin gave the string another yank. The bells rang and three Kins appeared, and then six.

Genjutsu... Tenten realized, her head pounding. Is it... that bell?

Tenten growled, and gathering her strength she lifted her ball by the chain and flung it at who she thought was Kin. The ball flew straight through the Sound Nin, who laughed. "You don't know where to even look now, do you."

"You won't... defeat me..." Tenten retracted her arm again, picking another Kin target.

The next sound that she heard was unlike anything she had ever heard before. It was low, but booming, amplified as if coming through speakers. She dropped her arm, releasing the chain, and fell to her knees. A wave of nausea was flowing through her. Clutching at her stomach she fell forward. Her head felt like it was going to burst open, and the sudden dizziness made her almost lose her stomach contents. She laid her forehead against the grass, tightly shutting her eyes.

In the distance she heard voices.

"That should do it."

"I've never seen a kunoichi so fast." Tenten recognized the Zaku boy's voice. She could hear him slowly limping towards her. "She's almost as fast as her freak teammate."

"Yeah, not as easy to take down as those losers we took the Heaven scroll off of." Kin.

"It doesn't matter," an insidious third voice said. "Just check her and see if she's got what we need."

Tenten felt her pouch being picked off of her. She wanted to lunge out and scream or attack, but the world was spinning all around, making it impossible to stand. She could hear her belongings being dumped out on the ground.

"Great. Lots of scrolls. It's like a library." Kin grumbled, quietly. "Let's see... ahh HA! Looks like we picked the right person to go after."

Tenten tried to cry out, but no sound came. It was obvious which scroll The Sound Nins had chosen.

"Good. We still have time. Let's head out."

"But what about the girl?" Kin asked. The sound of an kunai being unsheathed. "I think we should end her."

There was a pause.

"No. Her and her team are worthless. We've got to get to the tower. And find out what exactly is going on about our mission." There was hesitation, but the other two reluctantly agreed.

Tenten felt the sharp point of the kunai pressed against her cheek. "I guess that's an even trade for your scroll." Kin gloated. "We'll be seeing you around."

And then the sound of the three jumping away.

She turned, laying on her side in the fetal position. The nausea was still coming in waves. She kept her eyes firmly closed, breathing slowly, waiting for the spinning to stop.

By the time it did she was laying on her back, staring at the leaves on the trees.

If they can't defeat that pitiful rag tag team of ninjas... then maybe they don't deserve to be called Shinobi...

The leaves reminded her of the trees in the Village. Tenten remembered the first day she became a Genin, sitting in the atrium with her new teammates. Though she recognized them from the Academy, she hardly knew them, but could tell by the way they interacted they were familiar with each other. She ignored the two and had turned her attention down to the streets and the trees. She had been excited that day. So excited it was hard to contain. It was beyond her comprehension why the boy with the white eyes seemed so sullen and the other boy seemed so rigid. So when their new teacher had asked them what their goals were, Tenten was more than happy to respond.

"I would like to become a strong ninja!" she had happily proclaimed. "Like the legendary female ninja Tsunade sama..."

When she had first heard that Gai Sensei was recommending the team for the Chuunin Exams she was as excited as she had been that day. This was her chance to prove to herself that she could be as strong as her hero. Tenten could feel the tears welling up, and slowly sliding down the sides of her face.

But now a crushing weight was bearing down on her.

"Neji...Lee..." She would have to tell them. If thirty minutes wasn't already up it was close. And she was going to have to return to them and tell them that she lost the thing that was needed to help them pass the Exams.

She layed still, for a long time, the humiliation of loss sinking in.

I want to give special thank you's.

A special thank you to Riah chan for being real bored one night and reading/reviewing all my Team Gai stories. ;)

And Mighty Mongoose, who from my first oneshot encouraged my take on Neji and Lee's friendship.

And another special thank you to everyone else who has expressed an interest in Neji/Lee's friendship. And I always thought I was alone with my interest in how their friendship goes! It's nice to know I'm in good company. :)