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Drabble Twenty Three – Give Me Your Tenten for My Neji

Random Gift Exchange (RGE) for:
Serenity Silence

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The thumping of the rain against the window pane increased with every heartbeat of the woman wandering around the room in deep, heavy thought. The man, Orochimaru, gave her an offer she could not resist, as he always did.

She replayed the scene in her mind over a period of twenty minutes, and her mind wouldn't let her make a decision. It was a proposition of a lifetime, as he'd always make, but she couldn't risk yet another student to him.

She replayed the scene, yet again.

(Flash)

Each paper was stacked and settled a top the woman's messy desk. Her mussed blonde hair sprung in every direction as she was yet to be finished. Glaring at the stack on the other side of her birch desk, she sighed. The other stack was larger than the first one, and yet her eyes felt like they were deceiving her mind.

She dropped her pen and leaned her elbows against the flat surface. Running her fingers through her hair, she heard a familiar chuckling.

"What do you want Orochimaru?" she hissed, her voice cracked through the enormous pressure of the work she endured.

He chuckled again. "Me? Want something? Why, whatever do you mean Tsunade?" Orochimaru teased gallantly. "A Hokage of your standards has yet to be anticipating a certain 'want' from others. And yet – you do so anyway."

"Your opinion is strong as always Orochimaru." Tsunade said menacingly. "Tell me and tell me quick. I have yet to encounter such a pain like this, excluding you," She waved her hand in a circular motion and shrugged her shoulders, with an additional furrowing of her brows. "And what would be more like you, is the plotting of how to get my Sasuke Uchiha out of this school."

"For my own nin academy of course." He complied leisurely, crossing his arms over his chest and blowing away loose strands of black hair. "But I have come for an even better proposition other than the Uchiha prodigy today."

Tsunade paused. "What do you mean 'other than'?"

"'Other than' as in, 'instead of'."

"You do not desire Sasuke anymore?" she questioned, slightly interested.

"Oh, of course I do," Orochimaru grinned. "But that would be some other day, with yet to come, a different plot twist."

The Hokage narrowed her eyes to slits. "Who do you desire?"

The man gazed at the blonde. "The weapons mistress,"

Tsunade paused again. 'What does he want with Tenten?' Her eyes widened by a bit, but her brows still kept furrowed.

"Who would I get in return?" she asked. "You've already Nara Shikamaru and Hyuuga Neji."

"Oh, we need dear Shikamaru-kun. You can have the Hyuuga boy. Poor Neji-kun hasn't yet understood what the word 'evil' actually means."

"How would we ex-change this time?" Tsunade stood up, her palms flat against the cold surface of the desk.

Orochimaru chuckled. "Face to face, the two would have to look at each other and observe what one is capable of." He supposed a loud, raising one brow with patience for the woman's reply. Yet to be no reply. "And when they observe-"

"They will fight?" she retorted curtly.

"You catch on quick Tsunade," he replied with a smirk. "Tomorrow at dawn by the shore. Bring the girl."

Then, with a short turn, he left Tsunade with assumptions of the impossible.

(Flash)

It was the next morning when the Godaime and the weapons mistress had reported by the shore.

"Tenten," Tsunade called. "Don't be afraid. Make a good estimation about what the boy is worth. He might let you go and live. From what I've heard, he takes pity on the weaker."

The bun haired girl gazed at her idol and smiled proudly. "He won't get to me Tsunade-sama. I don't care who he is, I'll fight him for whatever he'll be worth."

The older woman gasped slightly and watched the girl face the opposite side. Tenten wasn't really afraid of anything. Including a Hyuuga prodigy.

"Here they come," Tsunade whispered lowly as the two spots on the skyline grew larger in view.

Tenten's firmness increased as the two paused in front of them. "Shall we begin?" Orochimaru suggested and Tsunade nodded slowly.

The Hyuuga glared at the weapons mistress through Byakugan activated eyes and smirked. "I give up." he said.

Orochimaru's smirked faded away. "I thought we went through this Neji-kun,"

"We did." The prodigy replied. "I choose to go to the Academy, without fighting."

"Nanda?" Tenten questioned.

"Because I choose not to be exchanged, but transferred. Because I know that, that alone will allow us to begin a better friendship."

And the rain had started to fall.

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End.

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Random Gift Exchange List (not in order):

Nefaith
AsianAnimeGoddess
Shikyo Yaiba
Andrea Stein