A/N (From ME!) - This, and the previous chapter, were not written by me. Only chapter 1 and Chapter 4. Chapter 2 and 3 are written by my good friend RIKKU9314. Please leave her comments! We're collaborating. My final chapter will be up soon.

The Barbeque

by ~Rikku9314

The sun was just beginning to lower as Tenten sat on the branch of a tree, her legs swinging as she stared down at the small clearing beneath her. The brightness of the afternoon turned dull as the day began to end, the festivities of her eleven friends coming to a close. The boisterous laughing of the boys and the giggling of the girls filled the otherwise silent air and she smiled, thankful that for now, all was peaceful.

She turned, adjusted herself so that her back was leaning against the trunk of the tree, brought her legs up to her chest, and, resting her chin on her knees, sighed contentedly. This was what she loved most about her world, a world that was so often full of war and blood and death. The laughter and the smiles and the time spent with her teammates, her comrades, her friends, acted as a salve that healed wounds that festered after she was forced to witness the carnage that her job entailed. She knew that without them she would have lost a part of herself years ago. She smiled, remembering the events of the barbeque.

"I told you I wanted my meat rare Chouji, what is this tough, cooked stuff?" complained Kiba, being supported by a bark from Akamaru who was thoroughly enjoying his steak despite its less than tender quality.

"And I told you, it's not my fault, Naruto did the cooking on this one!" the plump shinobi yelled back, waving his arms as he tried to defend his cooking skills.

"That's how Ichiraku ALWAYS cooks his meat! Right, Lee?" countered Naruto.

"YOSH!"

The four boys continued to yell at each other much to the annoyance of Neji, Shino, Sai and Shikamaru who moved their chairs farther away in a vain attempt to get away from the noise. At the far end of the table the four kunoichi of the group of friends sat talking together, enjoying their drinks and dessert.

"Good grief…it'll be Thanksgiving before they're done arguing…" Ino muttered under her breath before taking a strawberry from the bowl in front of her and popping it into her mouth. Tenten giggled and nodded her agreement. The boys could sure get awfully loud when they got into it. She only wondered how long it would take before one of them started a fist fight. She glanced up the table and caught Neji's eye, laughing as he sent her a "help me" look. She shook her head and took a bite of her pie.

"Honestly you guys…our teams just aren't normal," Sakura said, watching as the

argument over cooked meat got more and more heated. "Sai and Naruto act like perverts half the time we're on missions…I don't think Sai can help it since he's sort of socially challenged and Naruto…well who can blame him between Jiraiya and Kakashi-sensei."

"All guys are perverts." Ino tossed her long hair back over her shoulder and set her chin on her hand. "Shikamaru just sits around all day and Chouji…well let's just say he says some pretty weird things when he gets hungry."

"Umm…isn't he always hungry?" Hinata asked shyly. The girls all laughed and Ino nodded, agreeing. "Shino and Kiba are pretty normal although…." She blushed. "Kiba does sometimes act a little more like Akamaru than a human especially when it comes to…umm…bathing".

"Ewwww…." they chorused.

"What about you Tenten? Don't you have your hands full with Lee?" Sakura asked.

Tenten managed a choked out laugh before answering. "Do you really need to ask? Between him and Guy I don't know what to do with myself!" she said, throwing her hands up in the air.

"I bet Neji knows what to do with you…" crooned Ino, winking at her. A fierce blush colored Tenten's cheeks and she looked away, stopping short once she realized she had looked towards said Hyuga.

"Yeah, isn't there anything going on between you two yet?" said Sakura, cocking her head as she followed Tenten's gaze.

Before Tenten could respond a fierce bellow erupted from the other end of the table as Kiba threw his overcooked steak at Naruto's face. That was all it took for the rest of the boys to start yelling and throwing food, the girls screaming as potato salad, corn on the cob and watermelon went flying through the air towards them.

Tenten had frankly been glad that the conversation had ended there as she was not entirely sure what she would have said in response to Sakura's question. While Tenten herself had feelings for her teammate, she would never take the risk in admitting them to the stoic Byakugan user for fear of rejection.

The thought weighed heavily on her as the sun slowly crept towards the horizon bathing the village and the surrounding area in an orange hue, the glow of the lanterns becoming prominent. Tenten glanced up at the Hokage mountain, timeless faces etched in stone forever keeping watch over the village when she noticed that the noise beneath her had quieted.

Jumping down from her perch she joined the group, and surrounded by friends, she began to pack up for the night.