Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, etc.

Summary: Tenten is indebt and a really good liar. Neji's family is rich and is in need of a temporary niece. What happens when these two meet? ( Nejiten & minor others )

Tenten sauntered up to the house with her shoulder bag slung over her back, and was greeted by the collectors.

Her mind raced.

Deep breaths, Tenten

"You there!" one of them cried out. He dashed over to her with co. behind.

"Are you Iruka's daughter?"

Her eyes widened.

Lie, Tenten!

"Uh… N-No…" she replied, giving them a sweet smile. "I apologize." She bowed down with respect and then straightened up again. "May I ask why you are here?" she asked curiously, trying to start a friendly conversation with no aspects of killing them or running away on the spot.

When you could be doing something else? Like… dying?!

"We're here for Iruka's payment." Mumbles went through the group. The leader nodded and added, "And Kakashi's too."

"Ah…" Tenten began slowly; choosing the right things to say. "I'm… afraid that I don't know either of them." Silence between both parties. "P-Perhaps you can try next door?" she suggested hesitantly.

I hated those neighbors anyway.

"Humph…" the man mumbled. The debt collectors conversed between themselves. There were mumbles of some heated debate until one of them nodded his head. "Perhaps we could-"

Tenten's eyes brightened. Yes! Indeed you should.

"TENTEN!" a loud voice shouted. Her face collapsed. "WHERE IS FATHER?!"

No… THAT VOICE!

Naruto dashed out of the door. Tenten's eyes widened.

NO!

"Uh… I apologize," Tenten said, glaring at Naruto. Say something wrong and you're DEAD. "I'm afraid that my father is on a business trip in…" What was far away? "The United States!"

Please Naruto. NOTICE THE GLARE.

"What?" Naruto cried. "How cruel, Tenten! Even though he adopted you, Iruka's your father too!"

DAMN YOU NARUTO!

The collectors stared at her.

Silence.

"… Is this true?"

Neji stepped out from the airport and went into his car.

He'd have to finish his business here quickly to tend to his uncle. He really couldn't understand why he had to. Of course, Hinata had countered with telling him he was the head of the family now, and it was only right that he should. It was his duty as leader of the household. It was what he was supposed to do.

He started the car's engines and sighed at the same time.

"Eh…" Tenten panicked freely now. She almost forgot to breathe. She stared at the group. They were silent, still waiting for her answer. Her eyes darted to them and then to a free path that laid in front of her.

And then she ran.

"Why is Tenten running?" Naruto wondered out loud. "Does she like to run?"

"Go after her!" the leader shouted. He looked at Naruto and then asked, "Are you the son of Iruka?"

"… Ne? I am the last time I checked," Naruto replied. "Why do you ask?"

The man grinned. "You two! Come back here!" Two men in black separated from the group that went after the girl.

"Wait!" Naruto shouted. "What are you- TENTEN! COME BACK AND SAVE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Tenten was running for her dear life.

"Damn that Naruto!" she wheezed as she continued to run. Her baggy pants were dragging her down a bit. She began to flap the collar of her over-sized black T. "Damn myself for wearing black in the summer."

She stopped for a moment and turned to look back.

"I wonder if I lost them yet," she huffed. She managed a smile in hopeful-ness. She really, really hoped they-

As if on queue, group of men dashed out from behind a corner and spotted her again. "OVER THERE!"

"Apparently not," she muttered and started running again.

Neji's car sped down the road.

A blue ocean was to his left and a stone wall to his right. He turned on the radio and was met with the latest big news in Korea.

"Miss Haruno," a woman's voice was heard over the radio. "What do you plan to do after this year's tennis cup? Are you confident that you'll win first place?"

"Uh... I'm confident that I will make Korea proud." A cheerful voice could be heard. Neji's eyes grew downcast. "I'm confident in my abilities to win," she continued. "I do hope for my success." A momentary pause. "Afterwards..." she began again. "I-I might return back to Korea… I have something to patch up-"

He turned it off.

"A dead end?!" Tenten cried out. "No way!"

A stone wall lay in front of her.

"There she is!" a collector shouted and he dashed over with the others behind him.

"Damn!" She looked at the wall. Then at the approaching group. Then at the wall again. She realized that she had no choice - no way out except one. Without thinking twice about it…

She began to climb.

Neji's eyes squinted. What was that silhouette?

Tenten jumped from the wall rolled down onto the street.

A gray car screeched as it came to a stop.

Neji's eyes narrowed as he stepped out from the car. He was surprised (well, not really) to find a young woman lying on the ground. Slowly, he bent down and began to shake her.

Tenten opened her eyes a little and glanced over to the wall she had just jumped off from. She saw the debt collectors make eye contact her from beyond the wall. She grinned. This could be her chance to escape.

Closing her eyes, she groaned loudly in pain. Neji stopped shaking her. He should probably take her to a clinic or something.

He lifted Tenten up on his shoulders, opened the doors to the back seat, and dumped her in.

"Damn," one of the men said, stating the obvious. "We lost her."

"Yes," another said. They all paused for a moment, deciding on their next course of action.

"But for all we know, that man is taking her to the hospital…" the leader said, walking to the center of the group. It took ten seconds for everyone else to process the information and understand what he was suggesting.

"And we can intercept her from there," another finished gleefully.

"How is she?" Neji asked near the hospital bed.

The doctor smiled. "She's alright. Just a few minor cuts…" He looked awkwardly at her though. "However, they probably weren't from the car…" He looked back at the Hyuuga, trying to hide the slight suspicion in his voice.

"You said she jumped off a wall?"

"… Yes…" Neji confirmed, mentally hitting himself for how stupid that sounded. It almost made it sound as if he shoved her off or something and that he was trying to hide it. They were probably going to call the authorities later or whatever… He waited for the man's response.

"Huh," the doctor prompted at last. "In that case, her cuts must've been from when she fell down. I don't understand how she fainted though…" He tapped his chin with a fountain pen.

"Shock of impact?" he asked to no one in particular. He shook his head. "Anyways, I will go collect the test results again just to double check." He left the room.

Neji turned to the nurses that were tending to the girl. "If she wakes up, just give her this," he told them as he handed a business card over.

He left the room as well.

Tenten cracked open one eye.

"Wow," a nurse gasped. "A… A Hyuuga!"

The girl's mouth formed into a confused frown. Hyuuga? What's that?

"It looks like he's the manager of the hotel around here," the other said looking over her shoulder.

Tenten arched an eyebrow as she corrected her last thought. Or who is that? Wait… manager? Dollar signs began to float through her head. She swore she heard a CHA-CHING! sound somewhere…

Tenten shot up and snatched the card away from their hands. "That's mine," she said. Staring at it, she proceeded to get off the hospital bed and go out.

The nurses looked at her in surprise. Then at each other. Then at her again. "A-Are you… ok? No injuries or anything?" one asked.

The bun-haired girl looked at them. "Injuries…?" She remembered the fall. "Oh right! Nope! No injuries!"

"Where are you going?" a nurse asked.

"Uh…" Tenten was hovering beside the open door. "… Getting a drink!" she finished and dashed out.

Tenten dusted off her shirt as she lifted the tab on the machine to pour herself a cup. She chugged the water down her throat and discarded the paper cup in the trash can near the machine. She swallowed and sighed.

"This is so messed up," she groaned.

"I wonder what happened to Naruto… I'll also have to pack up our stuff at the house. Perhaps we can stay over at Ino's house in the city…"

Her mind went to the two who went over seas. "Father and Kakashi are on their way to Japan… but our house… And I have no money!"

She took a glance at the business card. And lifted it up toward the ceiling lights.

"You're my only hope now!" she cried as she held it up proudly. "Perhaps the man will take pity on me and give me some cash!" She began to walk back to the hospital room.

"First I have to get out of here… Or else that man might hand me the medical bill or something!"

She was near the door now.

"Where is she?" a voice asked dangerously.

Tenten stopped and peeked into the room.

She spotted the debt collectors inside. The group was smaller though. About 5 or 6 people. One of them took a glance toward the door.

Tenten gasped and quickly snapped her form back into the hallway, leaning back on the wall and biting her lip.

How did they find me here?!

Inwardly she panicked trying to figure out what to do. The only thing that processed through her mind was: Debt collectors… nurses… MONEY. FOR WHICH I HAVE NONE OF! Over and over the thought churned inside her head…

Until she spotted a janitor's closet.

A/N. Augh. It's so tiring to revise a chapter all over again. D: It's partially embarrassing to read it over again and such. Haha. But I still do it and revise it so it's so much more awesome. XD Ah well. It's also annoying to find how short my sentences are. I'll have to improve on that.

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. Or just read.

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