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 looked at him with pity and sad understanding. "Neji," she said. "I won't do it." She pried her wrist off from his grasp and began to walk away. "I have my own problems right now. I have-"

"Tenten." Neji's voice comes in, this time urgent.

She looked at him for which she hopes will be the last time. "What?" He doesn't reply for a moment, and she can tell that he's just trying to buy some time. "Neji, just tell him the truth, ok? I really have to leave." Tenten turned around and walked forward.

"I'll pay you."

She stopped.

Ino opened the door to Tenten's room, hoping to find her reading… or sleeping. She had just gotten home from her job in the hair salon, and was expecting the other female to be here by now.

"Ugh," she growled, frustrated. Her face turned into a worried expression. "Where is she? I hope she hasn't gotten fired already…"

The blonde walked over to Tenten's shoulder bag and opened it to see if there was anything else she needed to unpack. Seeing nothing, she shrugged, but stopped as a rather large band-aid caught her eye. She arched an eyebrow with curiosity.

"What's this?" Ino took a brief glance at it, and then shrugged again as she dumped it into the trashcan near the door. "Why would Tenten carry an old band-aid around with her?" she asked – mostly to herself.

"What?" she asked. Confusion was written on her face with a frown. She really didn't want to have anything to do with him… Really. But he was tempting her like this… She knew. She also cursed herself for making her weakness seem so obvious.

Neji sighed, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll… pay… you," he repeated, more slowly this time. "I'll pay you. Anything you want. As much as you want. Just… do this for me."

Tenten bit her lip. Something in her mind was telling her to run away and not deal with this man, while the other one was coaxing her into helping him. He had seemed desperate the moment before and it had just seemed… Wrong to push him away like that. She thought about her own policy for lying… if she did accept the job.

She reasoned with herself: It wasn't like his Uncle was her Uncle or anything, right? It wasn't like she was really Neji's cousin or even really part of his family, right? So it wouldn't matter if she lied to him – them, right?

Wrong, her mind told her. Wrong. She took a look at him and was surprised at the patience she saw with him. He must really want this, she thought. He must really care for his Uncle – his family. She shook her head mentally. It didn't matter if he wanted it or not. It mattered if she wanted it.

Did she?

"I…" she began. She shook her head determinedly. "I won't do it." Guilt struck her as she thought about the way he had reacted beforehand. It didn't seem fair that she had given him such a mediocre answer, but then again, it wasn't fair that he had come to her at such a crucial moment and given her such a cheap way out.

So it had surprised her once again when he regained his posture. "Fine," he agreed slowly. "Take this." He handed her another business card – an address that led to the main corporation. He backed away, preparing to leave. She watched him as he did, thinking if she had done the right thing.

He stopped for the last time. "Tenten," he said. "I'm counting on you. Just… think it over again."

Her brows furrowed, but she nods, thinking that she should at least give him this much. She watched him as he walks out of sight.

"What took you so long?!" Ino's voice was shrill with worry. Naruto was probably sleeping upstairs or something, but Shikamaru… well… Shikamaru was already sleeping on the kitchen counter.

Tenten shrugged, doing her best not to put something in Ino's big mouth of hers. "It's nothing I just…" She stopped, debating whether to tell them or not. She wondered if Neji would approve if she said anything.

Why am I thinking this? She thought to herself angrily. I didn't even accept the job yet! But her mind still couldn't shake off Neji's act of desperation. It bugged her. She really needed a shower.

Ino furrowed her brow at the sudden cut off at Tenten's sentence. "You just…" she prompted acidly. Tenten still didn't answer, lost in her own thoughts. "YOU JUST WHAT?!" she shrieked, determined to make her answer. Tenten was never dazed like this. Something had happened and she wanted to know.

Tenten just shook her head, as if clearing off a stray thought. "It's nothing Ino," she replied. "The boss was just making me stay longer than usual!" She winced at her lie. "I'm seriously thinking about quitting you know!"

Her friend noticed the sudden change of topic, but chose not to pursue it. Ino just put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "You can't quit now!" she protested eagerly. "You know Iruka, Kakashi, and Naruto are counting on you, right?"

Tenten's eyes widened at what Ino had just said. Her thoughts lead back to the offer Neji gave her. So many people were counting on her. She wished that they would just leave her alone for once, but she frowned at that.

She looked out the window. Mid autumn, she thought. Winter would be coming. She shivered slightly as she thought of how Iruka and Kakashi were faring. She wondered if other debt collectors had caught up to them and if they were in jail.

She had to help them. She had to help him, she thought bitterly. There was something about the job that made her think that she was going to be in trouble. That she was getting into trouble.

"I know," she said softly. "I know."

In truth, Hyuuga Neji had felt guilty when he had asked her to do such a favor for him. He sighed as he massaged his temples. Stress had built up. He was thinking to much.

He doesn't turn on the TV, knowing that he will see Sakura's face on it again. He sighed. It had been three years since she had left him to pursue his career. Yes, Hyuuga Neji was dumped. And if you had thought you were so good as to not get dumped, well… The aftermath can really stick with you.

Flashback.

She had held up the necklace that he had just given her. She held it up so that it shone in the bright light of the restaurant. A key.

"Neji," she began. "I wonder… What does this key unlock?"

He gave her a warm smile and he held her hand. "A key to my heart," he told her.

She smiled and she placed her hand over his. "I wonder… If I can ever unlock that one day…?" Neji had wanted to say that she had already did, but he was afraid to ruin the moment. Her smile and her green eyes.

End.

A knock on his door had startled him from his thoughts. Neji looked up from his work to see Uchiha Sasuke standing there. His eyes widened. "You didn't tell me when you got back," he muttered. He then smirked. "I could've found you some work for you to do."

Sasuke shrugged casually. "Just got back, really. And no to the work." He looked pointedly at Neji. "I don't think you would've hired me anyways if mom hadn't made you."

Neji shrugged also and he eyed the racket in his hand. "You want to play?" he asked stoically.

They had both played each other frequently in racquetball. Both of them were highly competitive. Either of them had won equal amount of times, but it was an exhausting sport – especially if you played it long enough.

So it wasn't a surprise that they had collapsed against the wall, exhausted, sweating in their sport clothing. Neji looked over at Sasuke, heavily breathing. "You…" he began. "Weren't really into it, I see…"

Sasuke smirked as he too also breathed heavily. He looked at Neji. "Yeah… I just… I just met someone."

He raised an eyebrow. "A girl, most likely."

"Yeah," Sasuke replied. He gave off a rare smile. "She can be a bit cocky, but she can… She can be fun to be around with."

"Hn." The Hyuuga didn't know what to say, really. He had considered saying what he always had when Sasuke bought a girl into the picture: that he only wanted to get into the girl's pants and then dump her two days later.

But the way he talked about the girl made him wonder.

"I'm sorry, but… Well… The earthquake destroyed many things." The old woman nodded to the picture. "Nearly… nearly half of these people have died from it," she continued. She stared back into the girl's white eyes. "I'm… sorry, but… She might… She might be…"

Hinata's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. The niece… was she dead? She shook her head mentally, not trying to think about it. But was… was she really? And her Father… he would surely…

"T-Thank you," Hinata replied shakily, bowing her head in thanks. She gave the old woman a sad smile. "It… It must be hard to talk about this again." She bowed once more. "I apologize for this inconvenience."

The woman shook her head. "No… It's quite alright… But then again… I'm not too sure…" She gave a wistful sigh. "I only know a few people who are alive today that survived the earthquake." She turned to Hinata and gave her a small smile. "I'm so sorry I couldn't have done more…"

Hinata shook her head and held back her tears for her Father. "It's… It's ok."

Tenten got up. She washed her hair and put on her regular clothes. She slipped her cell phone into her pocket. She took her sweatshirt and her scarf, and then marched out the door. It was early, and Tenten needed to think.

She walked out of the apartment at the earliest time she had ever woken up at. I won't say that she doesn't wake up anything before eleven o'clock in the morning, because (sadly) that is too broad. I won't say that she woke up before eight o'clock in the morning, because that can also (sadly) be too broad for someone such as Tenten.

So I will be kind in saying that she woke up approximately at six thirty-one in the morning.

No, she isn't insane. No, she didn't want to wake up just to spend countless hours "just to think." And no, she didn't wake up just so that she would miss Ino's burnt eggs, which she highly disliked.

She woke up because she couldn't sleep.

She tried. She honestly did. But she couldn't help thinking that what she had done yesterday was… grrr… GAH! "What is it of my business anyway?!" she seethed to no one in particular. She hit herself on the head three times. "Pull yourself together Tenten! Don't sell yourself!" But nygah… Now she really wanted to hit something. It was utterly frustrating to feel guilty about something you shouldn't feel guilty about.

She still wasn't sure of her answer yet. But something in her was telling her that she should just get the hell over with it already and say no. Or say yes. AUGH! Now she couldn't even decide what to think anymore.

She shook her head. "Pace yourself, Tenten," she said to herself. "Go walk over to that smart aleck's place and think on the way. Then tell your answer to him!" She nodded her head in enthusiastic agreement.

"Brother…" Hinata's voice was faint and depressing. Neji's eyebrows furrow with this fact. He knew that he sent Hinata out awhile ago to interview those who had been at the earthquake. It was a big hit for them when they found out most of them were dead.

"… What…?" he asked hesitantly. "… Did you find anything?"

"They say…" Hinata's voice began to stall. She couldn't find the right words, but she didn't want to be blunt with him – although he was mostly like that himself. "They say… They say she may… She may have…" His eyes widened. And he began to get frustrated.

"She can't be dead!" he hissed into the phone. "Check again! There are still more people on the list. She can't have-"

Hinata had wanted to hang up from the fear of his voice, but she stayed on, knowing that he wouldn't be like this forever. "I'm… I'm sorry, Brother. I will… I will continue to look."

She was the first to hang up.

Neji slammed the phone down, lost at what to do. Tenten hadn't agreed, and as far as he was concerned, she wasn't going to. He shook his head. There's still time, he thinks. Uncle is still alive… There's still a chance that his niece is alive… There is a chance.

A small one, but it had disappeared as soon as a knock was heard at the door. He looked up and saw Kurenai. And then he knows there's not a chance anymore.

"The doctor says… he's going to die today…"

Tenten walked through the fancy building. "Gee," she muttered to herself. "If I thought the hotel back home was fancy, I was obviously wrong." Haha. But she wasn't. Not really. This one was just bigger and… well, ten times as fancy as the other one.

Tenten decided to refuse the job.

She had circled the buildings for an extra fifteen minutes, still deciding. And yet, she came to this conclusion. She couldn't lie to someone just like that. It just didn't seem... right. If Neji had any dignity left in him, he would understand. She was ready to break it to him.

She walked through the building, wondering she was really at the right place or not. She walks up to a woman, one with long black hair and… red eyes? Tenten ignores that part of her since… well… Do red eyes even exist?

"Erm… Excuse me…" She taps the woman's shoulders lightly. The woman turns to look at her, and she's surprised that she does have red eyes. "Uh… Does Hyuuga Neji work here?" she asked. "I have… Something to discuss with him."

The woman's face paled a bit more, and Tenten frowned. "Is there… something-"

"He's out," the woman cut in hastily. "He's… In the hospital right now…"

"Why?" Tenten demanded - her voice suddenly urgent. "Why is he in the hospital? Shouldn't he be working here?"

"Well he…" The woman gave her an inquiring look. "Are you… Do you… work here?" she asked her. "I mean… You seem pretty flustered… Are you a new employee?"

Tenten sweat dropped at the sudden change of topic, but found herself nodding. "Er… Yes!" she exclaimed. "Yes, I am a new employee and I have an appointment to speak with Mr. Hyuuga." She chuckled a bit. "Do you know which hospital so I can meet him?" Now, she added silently.

The woman frowned. "I'm not sure if he wants to be-"

"But he does," Tenten butted in hastily. "Please. I really need this…"

"Uncle," Neji muttered.

Hiashi cracked his eyes opened, and managed a stiff smile. His breath was rasp. "Neji…" he muttered. "Neji… Did you…" He coughed. "Did you… find her?"

Neji stiffened; his body rigid. Should he tell him? That his niece was possibly dead? He remembered Tenten, and what she had said that night as he asked her for this favor. He frowned at the memory, but she had been honest.

"Neji, just tell him the truth, ok? I really have to leave."

And something in him tells him that's what his Uncle needs right now as he's on the brink of death: honesty.

"Uncle…" he begins slowly. "Your niece… I'm afraid she…"

Tenten rushed up the stairs. The elevator was taking too long and she needed to reach Neji.

"Are you a relative of Hyuuga Hiashi?" the doctor asks her. Tenten frowns at the concern in his voice, but she nods her head yes. It was a small lie, and she hoped it wouldn't double-cross her.

"Is everything alright?" she asks worriedly. "What's going on? Is he-"

The doctor sighs and cut in with, "He's dying miss…"

She thinks her heart just stopped beating for a moment. And she thinks of Neji. She wonders if he's dying too. "How much…" she begins. "How much time does he have left?"

"Not much," the doctor responds. "He won't live past today." He looks at her with a sad understanding. "It's so sad that his niece had gone missing. The stress built up, leaving him with this illness that even he can't cure on his own…"

She opened the door and found Neji there.

"Uncle," he said. "Your niece… I'm afraid she…"

Tenten bit her lip, knowing what she has to do. Even she can't bear to see anyone like this – even someone as… well… strange as him. But something is still holding her back. She shrugged it away as she stepped out from the door.

"… She's here," she finished. Neji swerved around and his eyes widened at what he sees. She could see him mouth a small "Tenten" before she walked over carefully to him. She looked down at the man in the bed in front of her with some small consideration – a look that she didn't even know she had.

"Uncle…" she muttered, doing her best to perform the act. "Uncle." She took a hold of the man's hand and squeezed it.

The man's eyes widened, and then he smiled. "Kita…" he murmured. "Kita…" She heard a raspy chuckle come from beneath his plastic mask. "Just like…" She saw tears forming on his eyes. "Just like… your mother."

Surprisingly, tears are forming on her face too. She wondered if this is what it would be like if she wasn't an orphan. But she shook her head mentally. Her family was Naruto, Iruka… and in some ways, Kakashi too.

"Uncle," she repeated and squeezed his hand again. "I'm here," she told him, kneeling down next to him on the bedside. "I'm here – don't worry."

Neji was just standing there, transfixed and wondering how she knew he was here. He had wanted to ask her, but he didn't want to ruin the bonding between her and his Uncle. He steps back a little, to give them some room. He watched her smile and talk with him. And something inside him asks him why he couldn't do the same thing too.

Tenten stroked his hand slowly, saying random things about life where she lived. She had muttered some calming soothing words and she had been so scared and that she had been adopted and that she had wondered who her family was for a long time. It wasn't exactly a whole lie.

At last Hiashi had drifted off to sleep, and the nurse came in to tell them that visiting hours were over. The doctor came in after her and his eyes showed surprise that the man was still alive.

Tenten stared at the coffee inside her cup. This was a fancy coffee shop and it felt strange to just sit here secluded from everyone else.

Truthfully she had a feeling that this would happen, but… Well… She really didn't know what to say in this situation. She was convinced that the Uncle would most likely… pass away. She had seen content in his eyes, and she was glad that he could finally rest in peace.

However, Neji, unfortunately, knew exactly what to say… Even if he did have trouble doing it.

"… Thank you," he mumbled.

"… Yeah… sure," she replied.

"…"

"…"

"So… Your family… Are they…?"

Neji shook his head. "They won't find out as long as we lay low. Your job won't last this long. We're still looking for the niece… She might be alive." His thoughts link to Hinata. It wasn't exactly the truth… but it wasn't exactly a lie either.

Tenten looked up. "She's still alive?" She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. "That's good." She gave him a grin. "It looked like you were going to tell your uncle that she died or something," she admitted to him. "It's good that she's still alive."

Neji frowned at this, but he said nothing.

"So…" Tenten muttered, looking down at the table. "What now?"

He furrowed his brow, thinking. Then he replied, "We must create your story." Tenten gave him a strange look mixed with confusion. However, she didn't interrupt, waiting for him to continue. He did, after she didn't say anything.

"It has to be believable," he said slowly, gathering his thoughts. "Even though you will not be introduced to the members of the family, Uncle might talk. After you leave, I will do my best to defend you."

She nodded, agreeing with his plan. "So where do we begin?" she asked. She then narrowed her eyes and sighed. "Wait. How much am I getting paid for this? I need something between 900 thousand and to a million. It doesn't have to be handed to me outright, I can wait. I would like to have a paycheck at least and-"

"You will be regarded as a regular worker," Neji cut in. "I will pay you even more if you do the job correctly. As an addition, I will pay for employee vacations and give you your paycheck every month or so." He gave her a look. "Fair enough?"

Tenten nodded in agreement. "How long is the job going to last?" she inquired. "I have my own timetable as well," she explained slowly. "I don't want to be stuck here forever." She saw Neji nod his head in agreement.

"Your job will not last long," he promised. At least I hope not, he added silently. He smirked at her. "I, truthfully, would not like to be stuck with you either." Tenten bristled, but chose to hold her anger in.

"Whatever," she snapped angrily. "What's my background?"

"Hn," he muttered in thought. He looked up. "You have been living with your guardian all your life in Hong Kong. You are fluent with Japanese, Chinese, as well as Korean." Tenten nodded, knowing it was true. Seeing her approval, Neji continued further.

"You major in physics, chemistry, and biology. You have a master's degree in law and-"

"Whoa, Neji!" Tenten butted in hastily. "I have to make sure it's something I can easily pretend if someone asks questions," she answered to his irritable gaze. "I can't just…" She began to stammer. But then furrowed her brow. "I don't even like science!" she protested. "And what about law? What if-"

"We have to make sure you have a decent education," Neji cut in. "Uncle will wonder about your education, living style, and also your social status. It will also give you two something to talk about while you care for him in the hospital-"

"What?!" Tenten cried. "I thought this was just for anybody who asked any questions. It's not like your Uncle will get well over night... Right?"

Neji shrugged. "Most likely not… He was… His statistics were very poor – on the brink of death." He shook his head. "It's highly possible he won't make it through. However, that is why you must care for him like you are his niece."

Tenten rolls her eyes. "Neji, lies are supposed to be easy to remember. How, or why, would I want to remember educational junk like that?"

He ignored her question. "As well as education," he continued. "You play the piano. You attend piano classes three times a week. You prefer Chopin over Beethoven and you highly dislike-"

"Wait!" Tenten cried. "What if he – they ask me to play the piano?! I don't even know how to!" She sighed, blowing off a rebellious strand of hair. "Face it – this is too hard, Neji."

He raised an eyebrow. "…Your point?"

"It's hard to base it off of something that we don't really know about ourselves." Neji gives her a confused look. "I mean… Tell me about your cousin," Tenten explained. "It'll give me more of a chance of understanding what you're - you know - getting at."

Neji furrowed his brow and looked away, slightly embarrassed. "I… I've never… I've never met him before," he admitted. "She was a few months younger than I and she disappeared in the accident when I was younger."

She was speechless at first, but then she managed to mumble, "I see…" An awkward silence suspended in the air between them. "I'm… I'm sorry," she said. She was more curious than sorry she had to admit. However, she didn't pursue the subject.

The man shrugged, not used to sympathy from others. "It doesn't matter," he replied. "I never… really knew her that well anyway."

She gave him a weird look. "But she's part of your family, no? Even you should feel the loss… Even if you never really knew her that well yourself." Another long silence. "Do… Do you miss her?"

Neji shook his head and was well-aware of how the matter had shifted into a somewhat personal territory. He was surprised that she was able to coax it out of him, and was self-conscious about what he was saying.

"I don't think…" he began, but stopped to think again. "I don't think you can miss someone," he tried again. "If you've never really knew them."

Tenten just nods. "I understand," she says, chuckling half-heartedly. "It's kinda the same when you're an orphan," she explained to his surprised look. She smiled sadly.

"Sometimes you wonder what it would've been like if they were alive, but then you realize that it's kind of better off that way."

They stared at their coffee cups again, each lost in their own thoughts. The things we said… They were too personal, she realized. Tenten was aware of the tension, and she thinks that she took it too far this time. But she thinks of what the Hyuuga has said.

She was surprised that he admitted something – to her of all people. She admits that she was a little satisfied of the outcome, however. The big block of ice could be, apparently, melted. And she's glad.

So for the next few days, Tenten gone in over and over and over again. Sometimes she read the newspaper to the man. Sometimes she peeled apples for him and sometimes they just talked about her "piano lessons."

Every single day she looked at the Uncle's statistics. And she had paled when she saw that he was getting stronger. "It's a miracle," the doctor said over and over again. "By next week, he will be healthy enough to go home."

And then Hiashi turned to her and smiled. "That's because my niece is here… You will come to live with us, yes?" He chuckled at her surprised expression. "I cannot let you leave without-" Then he coughed roughly.

The doctor went over to him and told him to take a rest. "You're not up to full health yet," he scolded. "You're still in the middle, but as long as you take care of yourself, you should be at the top."

Tenten doesn't say anything as her heart pounded inside her chest. He was… I thought… THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING.

It was honestly selfish of her wishing that he wouldn't get better. Wow. That sounded cruel - even to her.

But she still has hope.

As long as the rest of Neji's family doesn't find out about her, she's clear.

Flashback.

"Tenten," Neji said sternly. "They must never find out about this. If they did... Well..." He frowned. "There might be a possibility that you will not be able to leave."

Tenten's eyes widened at what he just said. "What?!" she shrieked. "What do you mean?! It's not like they're going to imprison me with" She jutted a finger at him. "YOU!" Being stuck with Hyuuga Neji for the rest of her life was... was... UGH! It scientifically proves that you don't have to die to end up in hell.

Neji chose to ignore that comment, but she noted the slight twitching in his eyebrows. "That's my point," he hissed. "Kurenai visits from eight to eight thirty in the morning. Gai and Lee usually accompany her, but they usually leave when she leaves. They usually visit from six to seven at night, but don't when they come with Kurenai. Asuma comes in from around ten to twelve in the morning. He's extremely devoted to my Uncle. Family friends..." He paused.

"Family friends usually come in the afternoon, but they don't come around that often."

"So when should I be there...?" Tenten asked. "Your whole family practically takes up the time chart. Seriously!"

Neji rolled his eyes. "One to three is good enough. Afternoon."

"Afternoon?" Tenten asked bewildered. "Isn't that when-"

"Yes I know," he butted in hastily. "But there's not a lot of chance you'll run into them. If you do... Well... Make something up."

She frowned. She has been lying a lot lately, hasn't she?

End.

"Coming Uncle!" she cried as she hung up her sweatshirt. Underneath one arm was the today's newspaper, but she figured that it was her responsibility to make some tea first.

It was good. Neji had told her that he held the family members back for awhile, so they shouldn't be a problem. She discussed with Neji earlier about Hiashi getting better, but he explained that she would just tell him that she was returning home to her foster family.

Yep, she thinks to herself. This is good.

That's when the door opens.

Uchiha Mikoto comes in.

But Tenten doesn't know who she is. All she knows is that she must be related to Hiashi somehow.

And that she's in trouble.

A/N. I didn't know where to leave it off, so yeah. Bad ending. And this chapter wasn't that great either. MENEH. A pretty bad one for updating late too. MENEH x2.

The drama is too cheesy. (o o); I'm making some of it up. Why? Because cheesiness... is kind of bad.
I also might start another drama story such as this one that also has to deal with Neji and Tenten. So if you think my writing doesn't totally suck, you should keep your eyes peeled. No, not literally. Metaphorically.

Thanks to those who read and reviewed. Or just read. That's ok too.

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