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 )

The conversation came to a halt right there. Neji remained silent and Sakura was staring at him, waiting for an answer. Tenten, however, did not notice these things for she was processing what she had heard: Start over… relationship… three years ago… Love… Her eyes widened in realization. This means…

"I highly doubt that the 'boyfriend' would want your pity…"

"Oh shit," she whispered. She leaned back further on the directory board in bewilderment.

Neji was the boyfriend?

Finally, Neji's voice could be heard. "It's late, Sakura. You should go now." There was silence from both parties except for Tenten's rapid breathing. Damn… She shouldn't have said those things back at the restaurant. Now he probably hates me…

She heard someone walk away. Sakura most likely. Or was it Neji? It could be Neji… Oh shit… MAYBE IT WAS. She frowned and cupped her chin to think. Maybe if I could just sneak out of the area, I can make it back to the car without Neji ever finding out. But he's-

"Tenten."

"Whuh… uh…?"

She whipped around and found Neji staring back at her.

"…"

"…"

"…?"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

She made a maimed squeak as slammed back against the directory board again in alarm. The board tipped a bit from the shock of impact and Neji quickly extended a hand to keep it steady. Neither of them said anything until Tenten relaxed again, her arms dangling from her body without any sense of hostility.

"What are you doing here?"

She winced at his tone of voice. Man. He must be pissed. She bit her lip, wondering what she should say next. She couldn't deny that she didn't hear the conversation exchange right then. But it wasn't like she could go, "Hey! You really screwed up dating a celebrity, ne?"

She looked at him. He looked back.

"…"

"…"

"…?" Well?

"You were taking so long!" she blurted out immediately, as though the she never witnessed the scene in front of her. "I was waiting in the car all the time!" She huffed angrily. "If you had to meet someone, why did you bring me along, HUH? I could've paid for my own food, you know!"

He smirked at her but shrugged. "There's still time to eat," he stated. "Let's go." The Hyuuga had felt embarrassed knowing that she had witnessed the conversation, but since she was pretending like it was nothing, so would he. Neji began to walk away, uncaring, but Tenten grabbed his arm. He gave her a strange look and… she gave him a strange look back. She honestly didn't know what possessed her to do that but… She took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

He raised an eyebrow and didn't say anything.

She twitched at his silent state. "Well?!" she shrieked. "I SAID I WAS SORRY! I'm sorry for saying those things and I'm sorry that I came here and accidentally eavesdropped on your conversation and I'm sorry I didn't run out of the car when I had the chance!" She was out of breath by the time she was done.

He shook his head at her and pried her grip away from his arm. "Forget it," he mumbled. "Let's go and eat something."

"What?" Tenten mumbled. "Did you say –" She stopped herself. Just keep it like this, she thought hastily. He obviously doesn't want to talk about it anyway. I apologized to him… That should be enough.

She ran to catch up to him.

She hoped it would be.

Sakura walked along the streets, a bit depressed and also a bit relieved. She had talked to him, and he had answered. The girl frowned at that. But it wasn't the answer she had really wanted to hear.

She kept on walking to the hotel. Moegi was probably waiting there and was going to reprimand her for just walking out like that. But… She sighed. It was clear that Neji didn't want anything to do with her anymore. It was clear.

But she couldn't help notice how his eyes still hurt when he tried to look at her. Sakura couldn't take him seriously if he wasn't even looking at her in the eye. But then again, it wasn't like she wasn't having trouble looking at him too.

She had felt a lot of things in that conversation. Anger, regret, confusion, but most of all… She felt frustrated.

For as long as she had known Neji, she had never known him to be this stiff; to be this inexpressive. There was always a lightness that graced his features when she set eyes on him. But it was long gone and replaced with a face that had been etched with worry, coarse over the years of stress and among other things that she couldn't figure out.

She sighed as she went back to the suite she was residing in. She needed a drink.

Sasuke had flipped open his cell phone and looked for Tenten's name through his address book. He frowned as he realized that she had not called him yet. "Why not?" he muttered to himself. "I gave her my number that time…"

He hit himself mentally. Well it wasn't like she was going to take it seriously if it was scribbled on a band-aid. But he shrugged. He would stop by the Hyuuga household tomorrow or something and give it to her again.

The next day, Tenten clambered down the stairs and was surprised to find everybody in the household awake. She hit herself mentally. They weren't supposed to be awake at this time!

Kurenai spotted her as she peeled an orange. "Hello, Tenten!" she called out cheerfully. "Sorry about dinner last night…" She exchanged a knowing look from Asuma. "We were sort of preoccupied with a drama on TV," she explained. "I hope that you aren't sick – I mean you aren't tired from eating their…" She sighed. "Oh forget it."

Asuma shrugged indifferently, but eyed Tenten as he looked at her clothes. "Going somewhere?" he mused.

Tenten just shook her head no quickly. "Err… I was just going outside to get the paper," she explained slowly, choosing her words carefully. "It's what I do everyday and stuff…?"

The man laughed. "I get the paper everyday, Tenten." He watched her stiffen at his words. "But it doesn't matter," he added. "You can tell us. Where were you going?"

She bit her lip, thinking of a solution. "I went to visit my foster dad!" she blurted out.

At that moment, Hyuuga Neji came into the room. His eyes were narrowed and he glared at Tenten. She sweat dropped at his dark aura and scooted a little bit closer to Kurenai. What the hell did I do wrong this time?! She thought angrily. But she found out what soon enough.

"Your father is here in Korea?" Hiashi asked with wonder. "Perhaps I can meet him one time, hmmm?" He gave Tenten an inquiring look. "What do you think?"

Her eyes widened in panic. "Err… I think it's… err…" I THINK IT'S CRAZY!

"He would not want to be troubled by you Uncle." Neji's baritone voice could be heard. "He's probably here for vacation," he reasoned. "Tenten will be leaving once he decides to go." Hiashi's grin faltered. Kurenai finished peeling the orange and handed it to Tenten.

"Try some," she said. "They taste excellent."

Tenten took a piece and ate it. Her eyes brightened. "It's good!" she cried happily. "Really good!" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Neji roll his eyes.

Kurenai smiled knowingly. "They come from the island east of here," she explained. "You should try the ones there once you get the chance."

Tenten shrugged and waved her hand at the thought as she ate another piece. "I already tried them before."

Kurenai froze. Hiashi raised an eyebrow. Asuma narrowed his eyes. Neji glared at Tenten even more.

She laughed nervously. "Eh… heh… I mean…" She looked at Neji and then jutted an accusing finger at him. "Brother took me there once!" she lied.

Hiashi was intrigued. "He met you on the island?"

"Err…"

"No." The prodigy's voice was the loudest. "We… did… not… meet… there…" he gritted out slowly, as if they were too dumb to understand. He turned to Tenten and gestured to the door with his eyes. She nodded and then bid good-bye to the relatives. She would thank Neji later.

Tenten went into Ino's apartment and dumped her things on the ground. She yawned as she cracked her neck to the right, releasing it of its stiffness.

Ino gave her a brief glance and a wave, for she was trying to perfect the ways of cooking scrambled eggs. Shikamaru was off to the side, his head strewn on the table, trying to go to sleep. But it was a futile effort and Tenten chuckled at how he tried to suppress his gagging. He knew he was the one who was going to be trying those eggs.

Naruto crashed down the stairs. "Tenten!" he cried out. "I was starting to wonder where you've gone," he told her. He scratched his cheek. "Ne, Tenten. What have you been doing the whole time?"

The girl chuckled as she sat down at the kitchen table, diagonal from Shikamaru. "It's been tough," she confessed. She scratched her head as she leaned back in the wooden seat. "I never thought it would be this hard," she admitted. "But I always get so jumpy when Neji's around. I mean – Seriously! That guy can glare holes in your head!"

"'Holes in your head'?" Naruto mumbled softly. He sympathized for Tenten, but even he knew what sarcasm was.

She snapped up from her seat. "Uh, yeah!" she shouted. "Not to mention that Hiashi guy questions my every move and-"

Shikamaru stirred and muttered, "Troublesome noise…" Ino came by and whacked him on the head.

"Did you hear the juicy gossip?" she cried. "I hear that that tennis celebrity – Haruno Sakura – was spotted in a restaurant the other day with a man!" Tenten felt her stomach convulse. Ino raised an eyebrow at her weird demeanor, but shrugged it off. "She's obviously in some kind of relationship with that guy but-"

"Did they say who he was?" Tenten interrupted. "Did the paper say anything?"

Ino shook her head. "No," she stated, and then scoffed. "Lousy reporters. They don't know what-"

"Whew," the brunette muttered, ignoring what Ino was about to say. "I was afraid Hiashi was going to kill me on that one…" She looked up and sighed at the questioning face of Ino. "I mean," she explained. "He obviously has some grudge against that lady. Who knows what happened between –"

She was interrupted by the vibrating of her cell phone and turned pale at the name on the screen.

Speak of the devil.

Ino went back to her eggs, seeing how she was preoccupied. Naruto went to get a glass of water before resuming to his position on the kitchen counter. Shikamaru took on a different sleeping position by lying back on his wooden seat.

Tenten, meanwhile, still had the gruesome face impaled on her. "Damn it all…" she muttered. "How the hell did he manage to find my number…?" He was NEVER supposed to call her during this time. NEVER.

Ino took up a new egg, seeing how the last one got burnt. "Who's calling?" she asked.

Tenten ignored her as she quickly flipped the phone opened and said cheerfully into it, "Hi Uncle Hiashi!"

Silence. And then…

Shikamaru opened his eyes in shock and nearly fell out of his seat. Naruto spat out the gulp of water that he had just put in his mouth. Ino cracked the egg wrong and the shells went into the bowl. Tenten glared at them and mouthed, 'Don't make such a damn fuss!"

She snapped back to attention as she fingered the keychain at the end of her cell. "Err… Nothing's wrong, Hia – Uncle!" she persisted. "Everything's fine over here!" A pause as her eyebrows furrowed. And then her eyes cleared. "Uh… Yeah!" she said, quickly agreeing to something. "I'm at my dad's house." Ino put down her spatula and walked over. Even Shikamaru was listening intently.

"You what?!" she nearly shrieked. A pause. Her eyes widened.

"You want to talk to my dad?!"

Hyuuga Neji walked past his Uncle's room, but froze as he heard a snippet of conversation on the telephone.

"Yes, Tenten," he heard him say. "Can you please ask your father to come to the phone?" A pause. "I have matters to discuss with him." Another pause and Neji almost breached his unemotional demeanor at what came next. "What do you mean he's in the bathroom?!"

He made a choking sound and Hiashi turned around. It was then that Neji snapped back to his old self and realized the urgency of the current situation. He coughed loudly and Hiashi muttered, "Hold on dear, Neji wants to talk." He placed a hand over the receiver and looked at his nephew. "Yes?"

Neji nodded to the phone. "I don't know if Tenten would like her father meeting you. I-"

"That's all you want to say?" Hiashi cried incredulously. He waved the prodigy out with his hand. "I want to see if Tenten can stay longer…" he explained, but grinned lightly. "Ah, Tenten!" he cried. "Is your father done doing his…" A cough. "… business?"

Neji slapped his face for the first time in his life.

He still wanted to talk to him?! Her mind screeched in panic. Ino and Shikamaru were huddled close by the phone. Only Naruto remained unresponsive to the whole scene.

"Err… Of course he's done with his business…!" Tenten looked around and her eyes settled on Naruto. She quickly yanked him down ( "What are you-GACK!" ) and shoved the phone into his hands. He stared dumbfounded at the phone and then turned to Tenten. He mouthed, 'What do I say?!?!?!'

She mouthed back to Naruto, 'Just say something!'

"Ah!" Hiashi cried. "You must be Tenten's father. Listen, I was wondering if she could stay longer. I hope it's not too much trouble…" He trailed off. Silence. "Eh?" he muttered. "You didn't know?" He shrugged.

"I'm sure she can explain it to you afterwards," he stated. "Do you mind if she resided in the Hyuuga household for a while longer?"

Naruto gulped. "Uh…" he began. Ino sat close by, her ear against the phone. She turned to Tenten.

"He wants to know if you want to stay longer!" she whispered coarsely.

Tenten's eyes widened as she looked for a piece of paper and a pencil. She quickly wrote down the words 'YES' and 'NO' on it. She quickly circled the word "no" on her pad of paper. Naruto looked at the pad and trailed, "Noooo…" But Tenten realized her mistake and circled "yes" instead, fully. "I mean yessss!" the boy corrected hastily.

Hiashi smiled. "That's good," he said. He turned to Neji and gave him a knowing glance. He turned his attention back to the phone.

"How about you and I meet one day…? I'm sure we have things to discuss…"

Ino turned to Tenten again. "He wants to know if the father and him can meet!" she said to her.

Tenten quickly circled the word 'no'… Or so she thought.

"Yesssss…?" Naruto muttered in question to her antics. Tenten shook her head rapidly and circled the 'no' choice so hard that the tip of her pencil broke. "I mean NOOOOOOOOO!" Naruto bellowed quickly. Tenten made a quick snapping motion with her hands and, fortunately, he understood the message as he quickly snapped the phone shut.

"What the hell, Tenten?!" he cried.

Hiashi stared awkwardly at the phone that had gone dead in his hand. He grumbled as he slammed it down. Neji smirked, but he quickly made it disappear as Hiashi turned to look at him.

"He was a strange man," he confided. "All he said was either 'yes' or 'no.'"

Neji just shrugged and shook his head. He felt relieved either way. He didn't know how Tenten did it, but…

Their secret was safe for now.

"Why did he think that your father was here?" Ino asked incredulously. "What did you tell him, Tenten?!"

"I-I…" she blubbered. She sighed. "I was trying to get out of the house but then everybody was awake and then I couldn't leave because Uncle was awake and everyone else was awake so I couldn't just leave but they noticed that I was trying to leave and they asked me where I was going and that was the first idea that popped into my head!" she explained nervously. "I didn't know what else to say!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Even saying that you were going to get some ramen for breakfast would've been a BETTER idea!"

For once Ino nodded her head in agreement. She whacked Shikamaru on the head to do the same. The brunette rolled her eyes.

Tenten had exited the apartment shortly after, and began going to the market to get more steamed buns for Uncle. She grinned, glad that he appreciated them. But then she frowned. Neji didn't appreciate them. Instead he felt that they were "overly packed with meat produce and doesn't have enough nutrients." She shrugged the comment off anyways. He wasn't an authentic Chinese person, so she could see how his sour attitude had formed.

She fingered the new cell phone in her hands. She had bumped into Sasuke earlier that day. He asked her why she hadn't been calling him and well… She lied. Tenten told him that she didn't have a cell phone when IN TRUTH, she lost his number anyways. So he gave his cell phone to her.

"Gah!" she huffed angrily. "Now I feel really guilty about what I'm doing…!"

But she admired the sleekness and plus: IT WAS ALL HERS! She cackled evilly, but she composed herself. "This isn't even mine," the girl told herself firmly. "I'll give it back to him after I – AHHHHH!" The phone started ringing. Tenten flipped out from shock and the phone bounced in her hands. At last she grabbed it and flipped it open.

"Err…" she began, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "… Hello…?"

"It's Sasuke."

"Oh…" she said slowly. "Ok… How did you manage to call me…?"

Tenten heard a little light sigh on the other side of the phone. Then, "It's my phone. I think I would know my own number."

"Eh… heh… RIGHT…" she muttered half-heartedly. "So…"

"We're having a family reunion dinner tonight. Everyone is going to be there," he said, getting straight to the point. "Where are you-"

"FAMILY REUNION DINNER?!" she shrieked. "WHAT FAMILY REUNION DINNER?!"

A/N. Yes. This chapter was boring in my opinion. XD Sorry for the delay. There was some document upload problems.

Great. I have 3 story ideas. Too many stories… (- -)"

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

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2756 – Sometimes I think I make her overreact too much. XD But 'tis amusing.
FudgeNuggets – To be honest, I don't really like the pairing either. D: But I can endure it.