This story is on its way to be continued! Yay! Sorry for all the late updates, but I had too much writers block. Hope you like this chapter!!
Oh, and I should warn you, Tenten gets into an odd conversation with Neji later on, so please don't yell at me because it helps the story go on…
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She's sitting on the front porch with her a neighbor's little boy in her lap, bouncing on her leg, playing with him. Neji stands across the street looking at her. As Sakura plays with the bay, she notices something, and she looks up. She sees him standing, resting against the lamppost. And she's curious as to why he is watching her. Although she is uncomfortable she gets up with the baby, takes his hand and waves it at Neji. Neji smiles a bit, and she goes inside. Neji watches for a moment more and continues on his way home.
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Neji is in detention with the junior criminals. He's working in his sketchbook. Kiba sits next to him, scratching the desk with a pocket knife. The fine hand of Neji creating, and the crude paws of Kiba destroying. Kiba looks up at Neji. Neji looks at Kiba. Neji nods a greeting. Kiba stared at him for a moment and then glances down at Neji's sketchbook. Neji tips it towards Kiba so that he can see what he was drawing. Kiba grabs the desk top and rips the far side from the frame. He then tilts it towards Neji so that he can see his work. Neji nods in a reluctant approval.
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In the girls' locker room, Tenten has just come from her shower. She's wearing a T-shirt and drying her hair with a towel. Something catches her eye. Sakura Haruno, in only bra and panties, combs her hair. Tenten scowls as it seems that Sakura is in the perfect light, the perfect pose. She looks like she's in a French lingerie commercial.
She looks Sakura up and down, then looks at her own body. The bust inside a white T-shirt, the cure of her boyish hips, her round little belly. She makes, to her mind, a disheartening comparison. It's a girls' body standing up to a woman's. She looks back to Sakura. Sakura turns her head and combs her hair more. Oh how envious Tenten is.
She stands in a t-shirt and boy's slim boxers. A senior girl is standing across the isle from Tenten with a towel wrapped around her. She looks at Tenten.
"Are those boy's underpants?"
Sakura turns and looks at Tenten. She smiles as she sees the boy's underwear.
"Yeah. So?" Tenten says, picking a needle from a collection in her locker. Sakura leaves quickly.
"So I never saw a girl wear boy's underwear" the senior says
Tenten twirls the needle like a baton. "You ever see a girl with a needle shoved up her nose?"
There is a long pause.
"Is that some sort of threat?"
"No, that's some kind of warning." Tenten smirks.
The girl clicks her tongue and heads to the showers, leaving Tenten to herself. She tucks the T-shirt into the boxers, and turns to looks at herself in the mirror. She strikes a feminine pose. It doesn't work for her.
"No way," she says
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Big, wide, and confusing. Friday on the boulevard. An endless procession of cars, shiny, custom extensions of their owners' fantasy perceptions of themselves. A massive street party. Not unlike Westwood on a Saturday night in summer or Palm Springs on Easter Break. Music is blowing from windows and backs of trucks. Clothes show on the sidewalks, mating rituals, lookers and takers.
Neji is sitting on the back of a bus bench. He's serious and determined. In the midst of, but apart from, the action. Across the street Sasuke's crowd is dominating the curb for half a block. Sasuke is at his car with Ino.
Tenten comes up from behind Neji. She climbs up on the back of the bench too.
"Come on, lost soul, we're gonna miss the show." She says
"I don't think I'll go." He says
Tenten looks across the street. She sees Sasuke and the social action. She nods.
"I'm not gonna play dumb anymore. I know what you're hanging around for. Sakura Haruno. I've been contemplating the matter and I've come up with a conclusion. You interested?" Tenten said
"No,"
"Good, I'll tell you anyway. I am, biologically speaking, a babe. I have all the primary female body parts, and as far as I know, they're functional." She said
"What are you getting at?" Neji asked
Tenten clears her throat, hesitating as she tries to build up the courage. She searches for the right words.
"Don't take this as a come on, because it's not. It's totally operational." She says "You are my closest personal friend, and if this jive with Sakura Haruno has anything to do with sex…" with a nervous pause, she looks away "…We could always…you know, maybe we could…work something out, maybe."
Neji is flabbergasted at Tenten's intimate proposal. While the suggestion is bizarre, it's also sincere and obviously an enormous gesture. Neji is strangely touched and deeply appreciates it.
"It's not supposed to be like that. I appreciate the offer, but it's not right. This isn't about sex, Tenten" Neji says
Tenten shrugs off the decline "Yeah, Yeah, forget it. You're right, it'd be…"
"Not good," he finishes
"Yeah, forget it." She looks down, unnoticed by him.
There is an uncomfortable pause.
"I thought, as a friend, it was only proper that I offer." Tenten adds
"Thanks,"
Another pause,
"Do you really have to do this?" Tenten asks
"Yeah," Neji smiles, and Tenten slaps him on the back.
"You need some gum?" she asks
Patting his pocket, Neji replies "I'm covered,"
Tenten stands and pulls a kunai out of her belt. She salutes Neji with it and leaves, walking down the middle of an empty road with her hands swaying at her sides. He watches her with a found smile.
Safely on the sidewalk, Sakura and Hinata cruise down the street. Sasuke sits in his car with Ino. His back is to Sakura and Hinata as they approach. Sakura sees Sasuke and Ino in the car and pales at the sickening reprise of a scene she's already been through.
Neji sees Sakura and stands, his gaze shifting to Sasuke.
Tenten leans against a lamppost far down the road, safe under the shadow of the broken bulb. She watches Neji, biting her lip in dread anticipation.
Sakura approaches Sasuke, and he sees her. He sits with a smirk. Ino is startled, and shows it, badly. Sakura glares daggers at Sasuke. It's embarrassing and humiliating. Sasuke addresses Ino.
"Bye,"
Ino hesitates for a moment. Sasuke brushes her away with a pleasant wave.
"Yeah," she looks to Sakura, being catty "Bye," She gives Sasuke an adoring smile as she heads off.
"Sasuke, I've had enough of this. If you were more of a person, there might be enough for two girls, but you're not."
"Yeah, well, this jealousy crap's getting a little tedious."
"You won't have to take it anymore."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
She tries to get around him, but he blocks her.
"Get out of my way!" she says
"Not until we straighten this out." He says
"That won't work anymore Sasuke."
"You wanna walk out on me, where are you gonna go?" he asks
"Sakura?" Neji says
Sakura turns around, Sasuke looks past her. Across the street, Neji stands, alone and very small.
"You got a minute?" Neji asks
Sakura is startled to see Neji. The last person she need right now. Sasuke turns to see Neji, with instant anger. Sakura looks at Sasuke, then to Hinata. A notion strikes her.
Hinata sees Sakura, and doesn't like the situation. Not with Sasuke and certainly not with Neji. The only out come, in her mind, is a bad one.
"Excuse me," Sakura says with a sly smile across her face.
Sakura heads for Neji. He stands his ground, firm and strong. Quickly Sakura weaves her way through traffic. As she approaches, thoughts run through his mind of what he wants to say to her. Sakura keeps coming. When she reaches him there is an uncomfortable pause.
"Hi," Neji says
"Hi, what do you want?" Sakura asks as she turns to look at Hinata and Sasuke with a crowd gathering behind them. She turns back to Neji.
"Are you in a hurry?" Neji asks
"Sort of, what do you want?" she asks again.
"I was going to ask you if you want to go out, but if it's too difficult…"
"You want to ask me out?"
"I think that's what I said." He comments.
Sakura stares at him, with a bit of a smile. She looks back to the others. Behind Hinata and Sasuke a growing crowd watches the conversation. Hinata is nervous; she shoots a glance at Sasuke. His temper is simmering.
Sakura turns back to Neji, and their conversation continues. After a moment she walks away, Neji does the same in a different direction. Slowly he disappears in the side walk traffic.
Sasuke pushes off his car as Sakura returns. He'd like to kill her, but Hinata steps forward to greet Sakura.
"Wh-what did h-he w-want?" she stutters
Looking at Sasuke, Sakura replies "he asked me out."
Hinata covers her mouth in shock, as do most of the people in the crowd. Everybody but Sasuke.
"What did you say?" he asks
She looks at Sasuke, at his friends, then at Hinata "I said yes,"
Sakura steps back onto the sidewalk and slips into the crowd. Hinata looks at Sasuke, he's extremely mad. She tries to smile.
"She's j-just ma-mad." She hurries to join Sakura.
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Sakura walks quickly through the crowds. Soon Hinata catches up.
"Ar-are you c-crazy" she says
"Maybe,"
"Go back to Sa-sasuke and s-straighten it o-out."
Sakura stops, and glares at Hinata. "It's okay for him to do that to me, but not for me to do it to him?"
"I-it's not o-okay. It's just the w-way it is. If y-you want to d-drop him, don't do it l-like thi-this."
"Can you drive me home?" Sakura asks
"He's r-really m-mad, Sakura. I-it's s-scary."
"I'll walk."
Sakura walks on, leaving Hinata behind. Hinata sighs with defeat and follows.
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I hope you liked it, please leave a review! FLAMES ACCEPTED!