Chapter 2: All Dogs are Good Artists

After school let out, Neji packed up his stuff, including Tenten's book, and walked home.

Halfway home, he got bored and began to read the dog breeds book. Surprisingly, the book was in good condition, despite its owner. Neji had observed some of Tenten's cleaning habits and some of them were truly disgusting. Her locker would be feeled to the brim with half-broken and chewed pencils and probably half-eaten homework as well.

Flashback:

One day, Neji was trying to hurry up and get his books out of his locker because he was running late to school (after setting up a prank on Lord Hiashi). As he was closing his locker door, Tenten came walking through the school doors... without a shirt on.

She walked up to him like it was any other day and said hey. Neji tried to pretend like he forgot something and reopened his locker door so it could block his vision of her.

Tenten shrugged her shoulders at him and opened her locker next to his. Some books and papers feel onto the floor and when Tenten squatted down to pick them up, Neji couldn't help but look and he had a nice view inside of her Flirtitude bra.

"Hey, Neji, can you hold my books for just a second?"

"Uh? Oh, sure." Neji mentaly slapped himself for staring. Tenten handed him her books while she reached inside her book bag for something.

Neji took the time to observe her bodily traits. Her arms and stomach were evenly toned, which meant she worked out sometime. No stress marks from where Neji could see and she obiviously bathed reguarly, which was surprising.

"I know what you're thinking." Tenten's sudden words snapped Neji out of his transe. She had pulled out a black and green shirt, with the words: I LIKE IT RUFF with a pit bull tearing up a pair of underwear. She threw on the shirt and looked up at Neji, who was blushing just a little.

"You're thinking why I have such a nice body, right?" Neji just stared at her for a moment untill he realized what she was talking about.

"Well... yes, I was thinking that." He found myself saying. He, once again, mentally slapped himself for saying that.

Tenten smiled up at him and straightened out her shirt. "It's because I go out running every night with my dog and we don't come back 'til we're really tired, which is never." She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a half-eaten breakfast burrito.

"You can come along with us if you want?" She stuffed the rest of the burrito into her mouth and swallowed. "Some of my friends from out of the village are coming over so at least you'll have some guys to talk to." She burped a little after she got done talking.

She took her books out of Neji's hand and picked up her book bag. "So, do you want to come along?"

Tenten's question surprised Neji. He didn't really get invited to things outside of the Hyuuga Estate. But why did this girl ask him, of all people, to come to her house with her friends for a sleepover and take a run out in the forest?

Neji scratched behind his head for a moment. He knew Lord Hiashi would'nt mind since he let him do whatever he wanted anyway. "Sure why not. Just let me know what day it is."

Neji expected Tenten to be bouncing off the walls, but instead she just smiled. "It's the night of orientation. Is that OK with your family?"

Neji nodded his head.

"Alrighty then, thanks again, Neji-chan." Tenten unexpectedly leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Neji was too shocked to react. Tenten smiled at his pale face and brushed passed him and put something into his pocket. "See you later." She walked down the hall and turned the corner to her classroom.

All Neji could do was put his hand to his recantly kissed cheek and listen to the late bell.

That was worth being late for.

End of flashback.

Neji tripped over a rock as he looked back at the memory. Hm, so this is karma, eh? Guess I should'nt have yelled at her in class today. Maybe 'Am not allowed to the run anymore.

The book had fallen out of his hands and was now laying in the dirt in front of him. Great, what's next? A pack of ravinous dogs come along and tear me limb from limb?

He was only half right. A tiny dog had stepped out in front of him and was now using the book as a chair.

Neji, always being a fast reader, knew exactly what breed of dog the fiend was. The miniture pincher was just a doberman pincher on a smaller scale. The little dog wagged his tail at Neji and seemed to be mocking him if he didn't take the dog seriously. It appeared to be in surprisingly good condition for a stray, and that's when Neji saw it had a collar on. Its name was Muhammad but he could'nt see where he lived or who his owner was.

"Nice doggy, what a handsome devil you are. Why don't you just step off that book and I'll be on my way, OK?" He reached out to grab the book, but the dog jumped up and bit his finger. A trickle of blood seeped from the wound. Neji knew he wasn't doing a good impression on the mutt but he needed to get that book back! It was his ticket to the run-

Hold on a sec.

Why did he care anyway, Neji didn't even like Tenten and she did'nt like...

OK, sure she kissed him the other day, but she probably thanked everybody that way when they helped her. Neji had to rethink that possibilty because 1) Tenten wasn't gay, and 2) She didn't really ask help from anybody else. Whenever Neji saw Tenten around school, she was either sleeping (50% of her school time), eatting (20% of her school time), or drawing (30% of the rest of her school time). And she was pretty good with the latter of the three. Sometimes, Tenten would fool teachers into thinking she was doing classwork when she was really doodling. She often came out of class with pen marks or her craftmanship plastered on her hands and forearms.

There I go again, Neji thought to himself, thinking about that girl again. What is it about her that makes me think about her all time? Is it her brown eyes or her finely toned body? Dang! There I go again! Just shut up, Neji!

Neji decided to concentrate on the matter at hand. The dog was still staring him down and the book still underneath him. Neji unknowingly stuck his hand in his pocket and a soft crinkle of plastic could be heard. The dogs ears immediately perked up at the sound and its nose seemed to sniff the air.

Neji was surprised also and began to pull the paper bag out of his pocket, at the sametime observing the dog wiggle back and forth with excitment as he pulled it out.

When he finally pulled the whole bag out, it was filled with tiny colorful dog bones. Neji looked down, confused at the find and remembered where it came from.

Tenten had snuck it into his pocket when he was letting the kiss sink in. Odd how I let that event let me remember how i got it, he thought amusingly to himself.

He opened up the bag and let the smell of beef, pork, and other mystery meats fill his nostrils. He reached in and pulled out a purple bone that was shaped like a human skull and waved it towards the dog. The dog bolted at him, nearly knocking him down and chewed on the bone loudly. He went into a play bow and wagged his tail playfully at Neji.

"Well, that worked pretty easily didn't it?" He reached past the dog and picked up the book. He stuffed it carfully into his backpack and began to walk home because it was getting terribly late and he wanted to see how his prank worked out on his uncle, when the dog began to whimper loudly. Neji turned to see the dog looking up at him with glowing orange eyes that he had'nt seen before.

Neji knew he was going to reget this, but the fact that maybe Lord Hiashi will be waiting under his bed like a mass murderer with a machete at the ready, made him chose this decision.

He picked up the dog and cradled him in his arms. "Come on, I'll take you home." He examined the collar once again for an address and found it.

Neji had to walk a whole five blocks and climb some stairs untill he finally got to the door of the dog's owner. He knocked a few times untill someone answered the door with some very tight black shorts on and a small purple tank top.

"Hey! I was looking all over for Muhammad, where did you find him, Neji?" Tenten stepped out of her apartment and picked the dog out of Neji's hands. Neji was glad she did, for that movement alone got him to stop staring at her thighs for at least 10 seconds.

"Where did you find him?" Tenten put down Muhammad so he could go inside and she closed the door behind him, which Neji wished she hadn't.

"I found him while I was trying to walk home- oh, here's your book and dog treats back." He pulled the book out of his backpack and the dog bones over and handed them both to her.

Tenten looked confused at first, but then it looked like she was thinking about the events that transpired earlier that day and last week. She hesitantly took the book and bag from him and leaned against the door and smiled at him.

"Sooo... do you want to come inside? I-I mean I have something for you to look at, I can make you some tea while you wait?" Tenten seemed to be anxious about something and scratched behind her head.

Neji could see a small blush on her cheeks. He sighed unknowingly. "If it's important, then I can spare an hour." Neji could'nt believe how his day was going. He prayed that his uncle did not noticed he was out so late and that his little prank had'nt worked at all and he could sleep soundly that night.

Tenten opened the door and they both walked inside.

Wow, that was unexpected! Did'nt know I could write that long. Gotta get some shut eye but don't worry all you cats n' dogs 'cuz next chapter will be interesting. 'Am out for Spring Break so a new story will be posted up sometime this week, the draft is still kinda sketchy so just stay tuned.

Please review and I do not own Naruto but Muhammad I do own.