Chapter 3: Lies and Secrets

Tenten had been working at many things for the last week. She was exhausted and really wanted her own life. More than anything she wanted to have a chance to prove herself to them. She wanted to do the mission. She was becoming more and more determined to be a kunoichi as well. She didn't like the rules but she knew what she wanted to do and what it took.

"Your cover for the first mission will be Tami, she is 19 years old. You lived in Sea your entire life. It is very important that you go over this man." Tenten memorized the picture. "You have to get him to take you home." Tenten seemed uncomfortable. "From there knock him out, find his office. You're looking for his folders. We need to know when he is sending a boatload of weapons and dangerous Jutsu scrolls to Sound. It's very important." Tenten understood.

"Tami, 19, Sea, shipment of weapons and scrolls," Tenten repeated.

"Good, now we're going to work on your acting."

They set up a chair and instructed for Tenten to pretend. She waltzed up to the chair as if there was a guy there. "Hi sir, I'm Tami, what can I do for you?" Tenten asked in a very approachable way, making sure to lean toward the chair. Tenten flawlessly mimiced the girl she saw the day before, adding in her own things.

"Alright, alright." Nanami said. "You're good. Nali helped you."

"Yes, she was very helpful." Tenten told Nanami.

"She's good on her own. I just showed her people." Nali told Nanami. "She's talented, that's for sure."

"Thanks," Tenten said bowing.

Nanami pulled out a box. Inside were several needles. "These are poisoned. It will make him very sick. I would recommend doing it while you're still at the club, so he's getting ill on the way back. It will prevent things from getting uncomfortable."

"Too early and you won't make it there." Nali warned. "Then you've failed because no way he's going to fall for the same thing again."

"More than that, it's too late." Nonami told her. "The shipment will be leaving in the next 2 weeks. We want to have you back in time to send someone *eyeroll* to get the stuff. We need the info."

"So there is no leaving?" Tenten asked.

They all looked uncomfortable. "You can but you fail and that's dangerous. I'm sorry that this mission."

"It's fine. I don't fail. I've never taken failure before, what makes this any different?" She asked.

"Tenten… this is different."

"I'm no ninja but I'm going to do whatever it takes to protect our country. I don't want the sandnin to hurt our village."

"She's determined." Nali said. "I like you more and more everyday Aimi." Tenten smiled.

"We have a lot to teach you still." Nanami told Tenten. "Poison dance is one." She showed Tenten a standard needle weapon. Nanami started to dance and she put her hands together still dancing. "I'm using one hand to keep him entertained and the other is covering and grabbing the needle. Then you walk closer, wrap your arms around behind his head, stick the needle parallel to the spin. He'll feel it and you need to distract him." Tenten nodded.

"That was simple." Tenten followed the same sort of thing and pretended to insert the needle.

"Good job." Nanami commented. "Now we're going to throw out random questions to help you make a cover story." Tenten nodded.

"What part of Sea Country? I haven't heard of you."

"It was very small village, we were far from the sea. I'm new to this but I've got experience." They nodded.

"What made you do this?"

"My parents left me alone as a child, this is the only job I could get. A poor fragile female me." They laughed. Tenten was believable, maybe too over the top.

"Have you ever been traveling?"

"As a child I wondered with a group of people, I don't remember where we went."

"Ever heard of Konoha?"

"The grassy place, sure. Everyone has. I heard they're trying to start a war. Cocky, I think." They smiled.

"You're good." Nanami said.

"I've had practice." Tenten responded.

"I think that's good for now. Rule 13. Make lies believable, specific. You will have a test tonight but for now, you have time to yourself." Everyone except Nali exited.

"Let's go on the back porch," Tenten shrugged, having not left the house since going out with Nali the other day. "I have a feeling that you're going to need this." Nali handed her a fan.

"Why would I?" Tenten asked. She knew they used them as weapons but she left them behind.

"I'm going to teach you some things that might be helpful to you. Your friend with the special eyes.?" Tenten nodded, confused. "I bet he's a pain in your butt." Tenten didn't answer. "If you ever decide to fight him again I think this fan will help you."

"Why would that be?"

"I'm going to teach you to block chakra and repel it."

"You can do that?"

"Oh yeah, we don't usually get attack by ninjas. But, rule number 22, never be without a weapon. You can't be caught with kunai or shuriken, this is just as good, probably better."

Tenten looked at the fan, it wasn't like the one Temari had. Tenten knew that fans could be weapons, she had a hard time fighting them. She knew they could be strong. "On top of there being a lot of jutsus with them, not that we use them. You can funnel chakra out of there."

Tenten knew that's how Neji's techniques worked. He could push chakra out of his body. She could stop his attacks? She could become more of an opponent. "Nanami would be super angry if I told you this stuff. It's in the ninja territory."

"Why are you telling me this? I'm a kunoichi."

"Maybe now. I have a feeling your heart sweetheart, tells you to go back to them. More importantly, to that boy."

"What boy?"

"Hyuuga, pretty eyes, boy." Nali answered. "I don't do names. There is more to you two then you both think. He is very distraught. I know that when you do your test tonight he's going to be out there, looking for you."

"Why?"

"He has been wondering the streets the past few days. He's looking for you. I don't know what it is about you two but this isn't your thing. Not like this, not these rules. Nanami has her way, and I live like that. I think you should go back."

"But…"

"I know bun-girl," Nali liked her nicknames. "You are a ninja at heart, you love and thrive for that teamwork. I'm sure you enjoyed everyday of it. Even if it was hard and you got hurt. You more than anything love your teammates, especially pretty-eyes."

"I am not going to return."

"Rule 11. Don't get attached to anyone." Nali reminded her. "I'll let you pretend there is nothing between you two and that you'll come back after this but you aren't. I know that… maybe I'm wrong but when someone walks through that door, I know it."

"How?"

"You're a ninja at heart. I've said that already. You think like a ninja. You like schedules, teamwork, structure, partnership, friends. You don't like being alone. You probably don't believe rules 29 or 18."

"What are those?" Tenten asked her.

"Trust no one, rule number 18. I am sure that you came her trusting everyone in here. They won't be there, they won't have your back. If you're out there dying, they won't risk their lives for yours. Rule 6 is probably your enemy…"

"You are out for yourself…" Tenten replied.

"You are focused on the mission, you would be okay with dying out there if you completed the mission. You want to know it will get done without you. You want someone to have your back." Tenten nodded. "Rule 29. You can sleep easy if you follow the rules. You don't believe that. You're always cautious, aren't you?" Tenten knew it was all true.

"Why are you telling me this?" Tenten asked her.

"Tennie, you're going to go back there. I know it. I just hope you're careful. I want to teach you some of the tricks of the trade from me, everything died with me. I too broke the rules and lost people. You can't hop back and forth. Either you stay here, never having broken or you leave."

"I understand," Tenten answered. "I wanted to be a kunoichi, the best."

"Tennie, you will do one mission and do it with such talent and skill. You will show them all that their way is wrong. It won't change them. You will be considered the best kunoichi there ever was. Then you walk away, run."

"I hate that rule too." Tenten added smiling. Nali laughed.

"Of course you do, because ninjas don't back away. For now you follow those rules and be the greatest kunoichi there ever was, then you go back to where you belong." Nali was smiling at Tenten. "Rule number 30, there are always consequences. My hope for you is that everything that happens to you has great positive consequences."

Tenten and Nali went to a clearing not far away, Tenten erecting a protective silent barrier so no one would know what they did. Nali taught her tons of jutsus to block chakra. Even her own sort of kaiten, she was able to block weapons, and chakra. Tenten was so excited with all her new jutsus.

"I'm going to be a whole new ninja when I return." Tenten thought about it. "I can't wait to show everyone."

"See what I mean, you love the challenge of going against each other. You won't make it here very long even if I hadn't said anything." Nali told her. They returned back to the group.

Tenten stood in front of everyone. "So what do I have to do?"

"I want you to go grocery shopping for everyone, 50 people." Tenten was confused but she remembered that Nali had reminded her that Neji was on the watch for her. It wouldn't be so easy.

"What do you guys need?"

"Some more bread, some fruit, snacks and such, candy if you can manage it, some flowers to make this place more lively and get some cute outfits for yourself." Tenten nodded.

"Luck Aimi," Nali winked.

Tenten went to the marketplace with the bag she had been given kindly by the women. "I'd like 7 loafs of bread," she told the man. She paid with the money she had been given and continued on.

She was looking an apple when she was tapped on her back. She turned around. She resisted the urge to smile and yell "Neji!"

"Hello? Would you like this apple?" She asked holding it up to him. He looked at her.

Tenten panicked so she put the apple in her bag and turned around to look at more apples. Neji was still there. "I'd like these." She walked away but Neji followed her as she shopped. He didn't approach her again until she was heading home.

"Tenten?" He called. "Tenten!" He appeared in front of her. Tenten shuffled back like a villager would.

"Do you have a problem with me? What's wrong with your eyes? Are you blind?"

"What is your name?"

"Aimi," he looked at her, byakugan looking at her.

"No," he responded.

"Ehh… yeah, it is. I grew up in Konoha," careful to pronounce it different then she would normally. "I'll just be going then."

"Tenten!" He grabbed her arm.

"Ahhh, please don't hurt me, you can have my stuff." Everyone around her turned to her. "I don't know this person. I thought ninjas helped people!" Tenten didn't want to cry but she turned away.

"Hey, you leave that girl alone. Don't you have anything better to do?" Tenten ran away and Neji ignored them and went after her. She went into a corner. She was breathing hard. He was there, staring at her. She hopped backwards, pretending to fall and drop her bags.

Inside Tenten was laughing at herself. She was laughing at Neji. He was so cocky and determined. He thought he knew her so well. He was right but that wasn't the point. "You're Tenten."

"My name is Aimi, I live at 544 Gross street, with my adoptive sisters. I don't have anyone in the whole world but them, and I don't know her!" Tenten yelled at him, she started to cry.

Neji backed away. Tenten inwardly smirked, he was confused. He hated crying and Tenten would not cry. "Help someone help!" Around the corner came Shikamaru, she didn't know him well hopefully he wouldn't argue.

She first stepped away. "Are you going to hurt me too?" Tenten asked Shikamaru.

Shikamaru looked at her, then at Neji. "What's up Neji?"

"That's Tenten."

"You think so. I think she's just another troublesome woman."

"I was just trying to shop. Please. Please let me go!" She begged at Shikamaru.

"Neji, I don't think it's her."

"I'm not!" She screamed. Shikamaru winced.

"Okay, okay. Go away." Tenten scurried out, hopeful to get out of the way. Her last stop was flowers from the only flower store. Yamanaka's. She felt Neji following her as she went in.

"Hi, how can I help you?" Ino asked.

Tenten pretended to be out of breath. "I need flowers and quick. This ninja guy with weird eyes keeps following me."

"Really, that's weird. What do you want?"

"Something pretty, lillies maybe. Roses and carnations too." Be someone specific, lie specific. It was rule 23. Tenten took the flowers and continued to walk. She practiced her walk, relaxing hoping that Neji wasn't there anymore. She couldn't sense him.

She was almost home when she saw Neji standing in front of the house. Tenten backed away. He turned to her. "I'm sorry… I thought you were someone else." Neji disapeared. Tenten giggled, Neji had appologized to her. She went inside and set everything down.

"Okay, how did I do?"

"That guy was seriously after you. He was your teammate?" Nanami asked Tenten.

"Yes, he was. I'm a kunoichi and a great actress now." They all laughed.

"I have to say you were great. Then there was that other guy you were begging to save you. Too cute." Nali added.

"He went to check out your story. I think that's why he left." Nanami told her.

"Rule 23, didn't let me down." Tenten said smiling.

"You passed, I think on Monday you'll go."

"Really? You think so?" Tenten said excitedly.

"If you can trick a Hyuuga, who was your teammate with his byakugan, a prodigy no less to think your someone else, I'm sure you're ready."

"What is the point of that test other than for me to get harassed by him?"

"Everyone gets different tests." Nanami told her. "Everyone has a weakness. I noticed yours was your ninja typing. I figured you'd have a problem doing such a normal task without breaking cover."

"Rules 2,3,12. You are no one, you are who you are told to be, don't break cover." The other kept talking. "He's not going to give up so easy either. He'll be back, checking on us." Tenten added.

"He's troublesome." Tenten laughed.

"I can honestly say that would be a first for Neji. He's hardly ever troublesome. He normally keeps to himself, asks very little of you and expects even less." Tenten said. Nanami frowned.

"I know, I know." Tenten shook her head. "I don't know him, I'm not a ninja. That stuff never happened." Tenten went to her room and frowned. Was it worth it? She had no idea but seeing Neji so focused and distraught, so sure that she was Tenten, it made her laugh. Why did he care? How did he know who she was? Byakugan could only show you so much, we're all the same chakra system after all.