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 )
"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.
Until she spotted a janitor's closet.
"PARDON ME!" a brunette long-haired girl in a bandanna charged through the hallways and began mopping up random places. She took out a duster and began dusting the water machine. She shouted to random bystanders, "Move, move, move! I'M A JANITOR ON DUTY." She swatted at a few people with her mop, trying to dash them out of the area.
"LET'S GO THIS WAY!" a collector shouted. Ironically, he was pointing in Tenten's direction.
The girl looked and gasped. She quickly maneuvered her way through the doctors, patients, and nurses.
Then she stopped, her eyes widening. Another group was coming this way also! She quickly began trying to go backwards, but saw the previous group charging at her. Gosh this area was crowded.
"OH RIN!" a man sobbed. Tenten looked around, following the voice.
She spotted a patient on a stretcher with a father crying next to them.
"RIN! HOW COULD-"
"OH! How sad!" a girl with long, brown hair stopped by with a handkerchief (or was it a bandana?) in her hand sobbing. "It must be serious," she muttered to the father, covering both their faces with the handkerchief.
The man couldn't help but notice a fleet of men pass by going in opposite directions at the same exact time. Tenten at once resumed back crying (or was it laughing in joy?) over 'Rin.'
The father looked at her and then at the doctor. He made a "what the hell?" look on his face and jabbed his thumb toward her. The doctor who was looking at the reports looked over to where he was pointing and arched an eyebrow in question. He looked back at the man next to him wondering if he needed a check-up too, but the man persisted on the girl that was next to him.
Alas, the girl was gone.
Tenten ran through the hallways. She turned left, turned right, and then just settled on going straight. There were men in black clothing in both those areas. Maybe there were more than she thought…
"Damn!" she cried. "What am I going to do now?" She worked on getting the baggy janitor's uniform off of her – even thought it was foolish to do so when over 10 people are searching a hospital looking for you.
She kept on running.
Until she passed the doctors' lounge.
She quickly jogged backwards.
The group of black joined together again. All of them were wheezing and huffing in exhaustion.
"Where the hell did that girl go?" one of the cried before collapsing on the ground. Many followed suit not caring where they landed. There was a moment of recuperation for their oxygen supply until…
"Wait! We've been doing this all wrong!"
They all looked at the man who had spoken. "We have?" they asked simultaneously.
"Of course! We should wait by the entrance. She's bound to show up when she leaves!" All of them slowly began nodding their heads and then nodding them faster in realization. Murmurs of "yes" and "we'll get her" swept through them.
"Excuse me young men!" a woman in two buns with spectacles on her nose went over to them. "What do you think you're doing? There's no loitering here in the hospital! Please wait…" the "doctor" paused, thinking. "A good 500 meter radius from the hospital!" She grinned smugly (at her intelligence).
The collectors froze when she came by them. "We're here to see a patient," one explained. He bowed to the woman and nudged the others in the ribs.
"Yes! A patient!" one cried densely. "We're here to steal all of their money-ACK!" The man was cut off by a hard nudge in his funny-bone.
"Oh? And who may she be?"
"She's the daughter of-"
Silence.
"Y-Yes?" Tenten asked nervously.
"…"
"… How did you know it was a she?"
Tenten sweat dropped and then laughed uneasily. "Eh… heh… I'm a genius… And a doctor! THAT IS WHY!"
They all looked at each other. Then at Tenten.
"AFTER HER!"
"CRAP!"
Tenten was running for her dear life… again. She squirmed past a group of doctors blocking the hallways while the collectors slammed into them like they were bowling pins.
"COME BACK HERE!"
"AS IF!" Tenten retorted as she turned a corner and disappeared out of sight. The only thing they could see was a white coat flutter out uselessly in the breeze.
The group came to a halt.
"Damn… we lost her," one said. Another man beside him sighed in frustration. "No! Didn't you hear me before? I said to…" He waited for the others to fill his sentence in magically.
When none volunteered, one said (dryly), "Wait at the entrance?"
"Of course! Now let's all go and test by brilliant plan!"
"She's not showing up."
"Are you all idiots?!" the man cried exasperated. "Can't you see she can't possibly leave? There's only ONE entrance. It's a FULL PROOF plan."
A hospital car rushed past with its red lights flashing.
"WHAT THE-"
On the back, Tenten was waving and making ugly faces at them while laughing her head off at the same time.
"One entrance, huh?"
"Full proof, huh?"
"SHUT UP AND GO AFTER HER!" Silence.
"We can't, idiot."
"Man…" Tenten groaned as she threw a doctor's stethoscope to the side of the road. She tugged on her ribbons to make them tighter around her buns. What she really wanted (and needed) was a nice, warm bath at home.
She stopped in mid-step on the pavement of the road.
"I can't go back…" she said. "Dad and Kakashi bet everything…" She looked at the business card that was slightly disheveled in her hand. She was clenching her fist throughout the whole hospital experience, so it wasn't surprising that the card appeared that way. But even if it was shriveled up and had messed up corners, Tenten brightened up considerately when she laid eyes on it.
"I forgot about this!" She began skimming through it to find the address. (5)
Hyuuga Neji
Hotel Manager & Company Heir
97 Sunhill Terrence
She went back and went to find her way to the hotel.
"The girl is fine," the doctor told Neji as he handed him her test results. "It's still a mystery as to why she fainted, but I suppose it doesn't matter as she's well enough to go home today." Neji bowed in a quick and un-verbal "thank you." He left the doctor and went into the patient's room.
Only to find that she wasn't there.
The two nurses sat in a corner. They shot up out of their seats when he walked by. They both bowed down respectfully at the same time.
"Where is she?" he asked.
The nurses looked at each other and shrugged. "We don't know," one of them said shakily.
"She left to get a drink," the other butt in, "but she never returned. Men came looking for her."
"… Hn," he grunted. Well that's a nice way to say thank you. He stared down at the floor in deep thought before asking, "Did she take my card?"
The nurses turned to each other, and then back at him. "Yes."
Neji nodded. "I have some business to attend to. I shall leave."
"Wait!" a nurse cried. He stopped and arched an eyebrow as she dumped a shoulder bag into his arms. He staggered back a bit from the surprising wait. "She forgot her luggage," the nurse explained sheepishly. "You two must be related. Could you return it to her?"
Neji looked at the purse and then at the faces of the women. He snatched it from them in annoyance and proceeded to make his way out.
Tenten's eyes were wide. Her jaws were by her knees.
THE GUY OWNED THIS PLACE?
She was in front of the most prestigious hotel - five star, no doubt. It felt weird being on the outside of its black fences. It had taken her about half an hour to find the place (she never traveled by rich places often), but it was worth it!
"Damn," she whispered to herself in awe. "This guy must be loaded!" She grinned.
Thank goodness! I'll be saved!
She entered into the building and gasped at the couches and antiques that stood on the tables. Tenten lifted up expensive and exotic porcelain figures and ran her hands over the silk table coverings. All the while she was calculating how much they could've been worth. Including the tax and shipping price of course.
At last she quit her curious exploring and ran to a velvet couch and sat down on it, bouncing like a giddy child on Christmas. Boy, this is comfortable!
"Excuse me mam." A woman behind a desk eyed her with interest. "Are you here on business?"
Tenten got up from the couch in somewhat embarrassment, and took notice of the great difference between her and the luxurious piece of furniture. She frowned at her baggy cargos and a black T stained with brown dirt. This was not a way to make a first impression.
"Business or pleasure?"
Tenten snapped towards the lady. "… Excuse me, what?"
"Business or pleasure?" the woman repeated.
"Oh, err… Business," Tenten replied.
The lady nodded. "Who do you wish to see?"
"Uh…" she whipped out the business card and slid it over the marble desk. "I'm looking for this man."
"Hyuuga Neji?" the woman inquired as she lifted the card up to her eyes. "The manager?"
Neji was hunched over a group of papers. To be honest, he was not in the mood for signing and reading the business papers. Of course, Hyuugas never admitted their faults – Neji never admitted he was a procrastinator if there was no physical exertion (such as running, hitting, etc, etc.) involved.
RING.
Inwardly pleased for the distraction, he picked the phone up. "Hello?"
"Hyuuga-sir, the guests have arrived."
"Hn."
"…" There was a nervous silence on the phone. "But…"
His eyes narrowed. "But..?" he prompted.
"They speak Chinese."
"…" Silence mixed with a little "Are you stupid?" was on the line. "… Your point?"
"We can't understand them."
Oh. Silence from both people.
"Where's the translator?" Neji asked. "He's supposed to be here."
"Hinata did not tell you? (6)" A sigh. "He had an urgent business at the hospital." A pause. "Did you order another translator to come in?"
"… Hn." Neji fiddled with the pen on his desk. "No."
"No?!" the other man cried. "NO?! Then what are we going to do?"
"Calm down," Neji muttered – clearly annoyed. "We can get another translator to come tomorrow."
"Today is a Monday. He wouldn't arrive until Wednesday at the latest." Silence on the phone with a little "Oh, boy. How am I going to tell him this?"
"Just say it," Neji demanded.
"The guests are also eager to receive a tour of the hotel. Today. However, it will be difficult with no…" A cough. "Translator."
Neji closed his eyes and held the phone away from him. He took 3 deep breaths. The Hyuuga then took the phone and replied, "I'll see what I can do. Lead them to our most prestigious rooms in the hotel." He paused. "For now."
"Sir." The phone went dead.
He sighed as he placed the phone back down and massaged his temples. Augh. So much for distraction. When exactly had he missed Hinata's explanation on the situation?
Running a business could make his head hurt sometimes.
RING.
Neji picked up the phone again. "Hello?" he asked dryly. The last call turned out to be a drag. Neji wasn't expecting any better from this one.
"Excuse me, Hyuuga-sir," the desk secretary began, "but there is a girl here saying that she's on... uh... business and wants to see you."
Neji furrowed his brows. Girl? Is it the same one from the hospital?
"Send her in."
"Sir."
The desk assistant hung up.
(5) The following address is made up. Now that I look back at it, it kinda looks like it's from Kingdom Hearts. X) Heh… Yes, it was random.
(6) Haha. You ask "When did Hinata tell him this?" Flip back to chapter 1 and you will know.
A/N. Hum. :D I didn't really wanted to end it here, but it was kinda getting too long. XD I shall try to update everyday or so like I have been doing, but… Ah. I need a break sometimes. D: Oh yes - for those who saw the drama, I'm going to be screwing it up a bit. So this is based loosely off of it.
Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. Or just read.
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