Naruto

Ambitions and Issues

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Chapter 8- Step Seven continued: Pondering still

It took some calls, a lot of calls, but at then end they managed to suit the needs of the rich bastards who waited at the last minute and only wanted the best.

Matsuri handed her a couple of files, "I managed to call an old friend and he has connections to some hotels that are still open, though it's only for Greece and France. I'll try to see if I can get any others, but at this point, it's going to be hard to find any five star hotel rooms left."

"They don't want hotels."

Matsuri blinked, "Huh?"

Tenten sighed rubbing her eyes, "They want to rent a villa, castle, random mansion, etc. fill in the blanks. Both for the Hyuga and the Uchiha. We're going to have to be running the Uchiha and the Hyuga's trip together for one week. They both overlap."

"Some how I get the feeling that they're plotting something against you," Tenten stared up at the pondering Matsuri, "Did you do something to anger them?"

"…"

The silence answered her question, "I guess you deserve it then."

"I didn't piss them off. Hyuga wants me to marry him and I'm guessing Gaara and Sasuke want to join in the fun of pissing me off."

-

Since it was after hours and everyone had left, there was no one to hear to grip besides an interested Matsuri, who now sat in front of her desk leaning forward.

"Sounds like nice friends," Matsuri commented with her normal airy carefree style, "What's wrong with marrying Mr. Hyuga?"

"I don't want to!" She felt like a record repeating it over and over again, "I don't want to marry some guy who randomly asks after six years!"

"He asked you after six years?"

Tenten slumped back into her chair realizing that Matsuri didn't have all the details, "He asked me at a wedding. Can you believe that?"

"That is bad timing," she admitted, bitting an end of a pen that she plucked from Tenten's pen cup, "Doesn't that mean he was thinking about you for six years?"

That stopped Tenten's next retort. She hadn't thought of it like that.

"Six years would be a long time wait for someone," Matsuri continued, "They'd either have to be either really dedicated to a particular someone or desperate and Mr. Hyuga doesn't seem like the desperate kind…," she paused looking at the rumpled and irritated Tenten, "Though he may be a little desperate."

Tenten frowned, sensing the slight insult, "Hey."

"Just saying," Matsuri picked up her files again, "I'm going to get back to work. Have fun thinking about it."

"Hey," Tenten called to Matsuri turned around, "Would you wait for six years for someone?"

"I'm the type to give up pretty early," her assistant admitted, "I wouldn't be a very good person to ask." She looked down at the pen as if it magically appeared in her hand, "Is this yours?"

"Not anymore."

-

With the workload, she didn't have time to think about the Neji problem, even though he constantly had flowers delivered to her work and packages to her places. Somehow he knew exactly what she wanted on that day even before she knew what she wanted.

Matsuri looked up from her writing, when Tenten pulled out a cake box. It was another late night and they were the last ones left again.

Her eyes widen at the logo, "Wow. What connections did you have to get that?"

"Neji."

She nodded and continued her work, though Tenten caught some discrete looks at the cake.

Feeling mean, Tenten exageratedly got out a fork and slowly ate pretending not to notice Matsuri's jealous expression, "Mmm, this is good. Have you called the cruise company yet?"

"Yes, it's booked, though we had to pay more than expected," Tenten innerly snickered at Matsuri's drooling expression, similar to Naruto's.

Tauntingly she took another long bite, "You should really have some of this. It's fantastic. Good work. The only thing left is a location in France and Spain. We'll need to see what they want to do for activites. Can I ask you to do that?"

"Sure," Matsuri loudly swallowed some saliva, "Do I call Mr. Hyuga?"

"No," she waved a chocolate covered fork in her face, "Call Gaara." Tenten was amused when Matsuri's eyes followed the fork.

"Want to take care of the Uchiha ballroom booking?" Tenten bribed with the last fork of cake.

Matsuri pouted, "Not really," her faced dropped when the bite was greedily eaten by a smug Tenten.

"Too bad," Tenten licked her lips, "and I was going to give you that bite. Oh well, it was delicious," breathing chocolate breath at a whipering Matsuri, "And now I'm going to command you as your temporary head to go book that ballroom."

Muttering under her breath, Matsuri sulked to her desk, "Someone should really get laid."

"Excuse me!?!"

Matsuri winced at the underlying anger, "I said we really need a break." This was going to be a long project.

--

After weeks of relative calmness, there had to be a breaking point where normal mass hysteria resumed.

"We're pregnant!" Naruto and Hinata hugged each other, nicely tanned from their honeymoon through Europe.

Everyone was gathered at their new house for the housewarming party.

"Boys can't get pregnant," Shikamaru calmly corrected them, "And I win. Five weeks right on the dot. Pay up everyone."

Everyone groaned or the equivalent and dished out the cash. With a satisfied expression, Shikamaru pocketed the cash, "So who wants to be if it's a girl or boy?"

"I'll pass," Ino sighed, "I've lost enough money this month."

"Ahh," Sakura corrected, "There's possibly a bet left that you can win."

Ino brightened, "Oh yeah, and it looks like I'm going to be right for one," casting a smug grin at Shikamaru, "watch yourself."

"You already do enough," he sweetly retorted, wincing at the strong right that he received.

"What other bet," Tenten asked suspiciously, "Congradulations by the way," smiling at the beeming couple. "Again, no one's told me the last bet."

"You'll be godmother won't you?" Hinata grabbed Tenten's hands, momentarily distracted her, "Please?"

Tenten smiled, "Of course."

"That means you'll help plan the baby shower and be there for the other matters?"

"Sure," she continued less certain, "You've got it."

"Then you'll also go to the childbirth classes with me?"

"Isn't Naruto supposed to do that?"

"I want the people in the birthing room also to take it," Hinata pleaded.

"Being in a room full of horomonal women who have the bladder size of a pea," Tenten said outloud, "Couldn't think of any other place to be."

---

Eternal Thanks from NinjaPower.