Chapter 4: Preparation

It was Sunday. Neji was just meditating in his room. He was stopped by someone knocking on his door. "Identify yourself,"

"Hinata," she said without stuttering.

He sighed and went to the door to open it. "What do you need, an escort?"

"I-I wanted to kn-know if you were okay." Hinata said. "Y-You were beaten b-badly the other day. It's n-not like you." She told him.

"I'm fine, I was just careless, not paying attention."

"Y-You're hurt again." She said noticing his wounds from once again sparing.

"It's nothing." She looked at him and he knew she wanted permission to heal him. "Fine." He mumbled. She sat quietly beside him and used her medicine on his wound, treating it.

"I h-hope you are w-well, e-everyone's worried." She told him. He shrugged. She nodded then left.

Kakashi was walking through the streets after buying another book. He was happy but he hadn't started to read it. "Do be careful on your way home. An ninja with strange eyes harrassed a young girl the other day." Kakashi stopped.

"You said a ninja with strange eyes?" He asked.

"You're a ninja too?"

"I am, I won't hurt you. I want to know about the ninja."

"He was a male…"

"18,19… red eyes?"

"No… he had pale eyes and looked as if he could see everything. His eyes looked like he was squinting."

"What was he doing?"

"He bothered this girl who was shopping."

"What about?"

"He called her some name, she tried to tell him that it wasn't her name. He didn't believe her."

"What did she look like?"

"Any other girl I see, dark brown hair, about the same age, small pretty thing she was. She wore a tad bit too much make up."

"Very odd," Kakashi said. "Thank you for the information. I'm going to check this out."

Kakashi quickly found Lee and Guy. "Kakashi, up for a challenge."

"No Guy, I heard something I want to check on."

"What about?" He asked.

"Your student, the Hyuuga… Neji was it?" Guy nodded.

"What about him?"

"I heard he was chasing around a girl in the marketplace the other day."

"That does not sound like my teammate, Neji." Lee said.

"It doesn't like Neji at all, you're right Lee." Kakashi sighed.

"Any clue what it was about?"

"The woman said he was confusing her for someone else."

"That is very odd. Anything else?" Guy asked.

"The girl had brown hair, average size, small and pretty, maybe too much make up."

"You think he thought it was Tenten?" Lee suggested.

"That is brilliant thinking Lee!" They hugged. Kakashi sighed.

"Why would he wonder if some random village girl was Tenten?"

"She went on her own mission. He has been acting odd ever since. He misses her, they trained together every day from sunrise to sunset, sometimes longer. Shorter if he beat her too badly."

"Why would he suspect that girl though?" Kakashi asked.

"He near loss yesterday to Lee, that's very odd. He's unfocused and hasn't really trained since she left." Guy told Kakashi.

"Do you know if it could be her?" Guy laughed.

"Tsunade sent her to do a very important top-secret mission. She will probably be gone a while, it is S-ranked."

"Then no way she would be here, especially acting under a false identity as a villager."

"It is so obvious he has lost his mind!" Lee said.

"I think so, poor kid. He pushed himself too hard." Guy responded.

"I am going to look into this some more." Kakashi answered and wondered around.

He asked random people. "There was another boy with him. I see him around the flower shop often. He made the other boy let her go."

"Let her go?"

"He cornered her in an alley." The woman responded. "I was going to get help when the other one asked for help."

Kakashi had an idea who the other ninja was but would ask Ino. He walked in. "Kakashi-sensei? What do you want?"

"Shikamaru comes around her a lot, right?"

"I guess, he doesn't do anything else except missions and stare at those stupid clouds."

"Was he here a few days back?"

"Yeah, but he left when he heard a ruckus. I remember him complaining about how it was some troublesome girl screaming."

"Did you see the girl?"

"Actually I did! She bought a bunch of flowers. Odd assortment, never put the flowers together she named in my life."

"Guy seems to think Neji thought the girl was Tenten."

"She mentioned a weird-eyed boy. Then again Neji did follow her in. I don't think his eyes are weird though, they're kind of pretty."

"The girl?"

"What about her?"

"Do you think she was Tenten?"

Ino laughed lard. "No offense to Tenten but this girl… WAY prettier than Tenten could hope to be. It was take so much work. She wore a decent amount of make-up, could use more but she was wearing normal clothes, a dress kimono. You wouldn't see Tenten in one EVER."

"I'll just take your word for it, Ino." Kakashi said sighing. "Do you know where she went?" He asked her.

"She made a left out of here, I'd ask Shika if he's around." Kakashi sighed, on a wild goose chase about this girl.

He found shikamaru staring at clouds. "Oh man, more trouble."

"Not really, I need to ask you a few questions."

"About the girl Neji was chasing…. No, I didn't think she looked like Tenten. Tenten is such a tom boy. She was begging for me to save her from him. She was crying too. So troublesome. Tenten isn't troublesome, she was soo much."

"You sure?" He nodded but shrugged.

"Neji would know here better than anyone. He used his byakugan. I'm sure he has her chakra system memorized by now. Bet he doesn't need it when it comes to her. I would doubt he would follow her around if he wasn't sure."

"Did you see where she went?"

"Not really, ask Neji, he followed her some more." Kakashi didn't want to have to confront Neji, if it was unnecessary.

"You sure you don't know where." Shikamaru nodded. Kakashi walked away and asked people if they had seen that girl before.

"I don't pay much attention but I remember seeing her go to the girls' house."

"What?"

"It's a group of women who live together. They are friends, act like sisters." Kakashi asked for directions and arrived at a huge structure. He sighed and walked up to the door.

"I'll get it." Inside Tenten opened the door. She was shocked to see Kakashi.

He looked at her, sqinting. "Hello?" She asked, a little bit scared. Her acting kicking in. She wouldn't break cover unless she had to. The women told her that Tsunade come here herself. Ninjas and ANBU do not.

"I'm sorry, I think this is the wrong place." She backed away from the door and closed it. She leaned against it and fell to the ground.

"Who was it Aimi?"

"A jounin ninja teacher, he was at the wrong door but…"

"You know he was checking to see what everything was about." Tenten nodded.

"Don't worry, you did a great day. They'll never figure it out." Kakashi had to check with Tsunade on this one.

He knocked on the door, Sizune let her in. "What's up Kakashi?"

"Neji chased down a village girl assuming her to be Tenten." Kakashi said.

"Really? That is very odd and out of character for him."

"I checked it out but she seemed to be not the girl."

"You went after her too? What is wrong with you guys?" Tsunade asked. "I'll have so many reports of women being terrified by ninja it will be a mess!"

"I want to know the truth about her mission."

"She has a mission in Sea Country, S-rank. I can't tell you more, you know that." She answered.

"Alright, Alright."

"It's very worrisome about poor Neji. He's really loosing him mind without Tenten. I didn't know he cared."

"I bet he didn't know he cared." Tsunade added.

"Alright then, I'll be going." She nodded. Kakashi smirked as he left. He had his suspicions as he realized that Shikamaru was right, Neji would know her. He could see that that girl was Tenten. The pink tag on the mission copy of Tenten's that he had confirmed it. She was doing a kunoichi mission and right now was instead here in Konoho, the real question was why. He didn't care, she had her reasons but it would be trouble if Neji didn't behave.

He smirked and went off to read his book, not caring what would happen next. No way that it would be more interesting than his book!

Tenten was preparing everything for her mission. She had learned a few more rules to remember before she left.

16 Be careful. Watch your back.

24 If it seems too easy, be more careful.

26 If you mess up, you're on your own.

27 Don't involve others.

She remembered the conversation she had had that lead to her learning the last of all the rules. She had come home from the mission. "I knew it seemed too easy." She told them.

"Rule number 24, if it seems too easy, be more careful." Tenten knew that, she would not ever be careless. Nanami looked at her.

"I was, I took care of it didn't I?" Tenten responded.

"Rule 26. If you mess up, you're on your own." Nanami told her. "If they would have found out who you were then we wouldn't have let you back Tenten. You have to be careful."

"Why do you have that rule? One mess up is really that bad."

"Yes it is, you could loose those you involve's lives! That's why we work alone. Rule 27. Don't involve others!"

"I think that is stupid. It's easier to take care of thing when you have more people."

"More people more risk. Rule 16. Be careful. Watch your own back. You don't have a team out there." Nanami warned her. "When you leave it's just you versus the world Aimi."

"It's a long lonely road, Aimi." Nali warned her.

"I know. I know." Tenten stormed into her room, slamming the door.

"Think we were too hard on her?" Nali asked sarcastically.

"She is just a child, she is knew to this."

"It doesn't help you gave her a mission she really can't fail, she can't walk away from and that is going to put her in an uncomfortable place!" Nali yelled.

"You were the one who was all for us doing this mission!" Nanami yelled at her.

"I wanted the mission done. I told you not to bring in someone new. She's a ninja. You know that and I know that. This is hard for her. You know how it was at first, we didn't get a mission for months after we joined. She has to learn everything we did in months in days!"

"Nali…" Nanami said.

"Don't act like you're the boss of us all, Nanami." Nali yelled at her.

"She's stronger than we are, we all said no. We didn't want to do this."

"That or we can't, I was the only one who could and I can't because I can't hold a stupid henge Jutsu." Nali punched the wall. "We all won't do it, so we brought in her and left a burden none of us can take on her."

"All our faith and hopes are in her," Nanami said.

"We're doomed." Someone said.

"You're all idiots." Tenten said coming out of her room, a bright smile on her face. "I'm going to do this mission flawlessly. You see this white kimono, it's staying that way. I'm going to get that information and bring it back without a mistake a flaw or a broken rule."

"Really?" Nali asked her.

"Maybe not the rule thing because frankly… your rules stink. We'll talk later, I have to get some sleep before I leave for my mission tomorrow. Don't look for me." Tenten returned to her bed.

Tenten packed up her things and instead of packing kunai or shuriken she packed three fans. She had worked really hard with them and she had a feeling that is what she needed. It would be a turning point for her. She could be the weapon's mistress, best kunoichi ever, and fan master. She smiled at herself.

Meanwhile 9 of the konoha 12 were meeting. Neji, Sasuke and of course Tenten were not there. "I heard from Neji that the girl was leaving tomorrow. It's our last chance to see her." Lee said excitedly.

"Then we will," Sakura decided.

They all agreed, a plan was hatched.

"So we all show up tomorrow and see this girl?" Ino asked to clarify.

"Yeah, I guess so." Sakura told her.

"I think this is pointless." Shikamaru said. "I told you, I don't think that troublesome girl was Tenten!"

"I don't care what you think Shika!" Ino said. "Honestly, I don't believe it either."

"But my dear teammate Neji thinks so," Lee told them.

"That's why you told all of us Lee." Sakura said. "We'll figure this out."

"I wonder if she has any more food scrolls with her?" Choji asked.

Ino hit him. "Of course not, villagers don't carry food scrolls. If she's being a villager I think I have a better plan."

"We are not going to break her cover, Ino." Sakura said. "You're such an idiot."

"What? I think it is a perfectly reasonable thing to do."

"Until you get in trouble with the hokage, she is such a troublesome woman." Shikamaru said.

"I'll tell her you said that Shikamaru." Sakura said smiling.

Ino hit her. "I don't know about this…" Kiba said. Shino was quiet.

"Nii-san wouldn't think anyone w-was Tenten." Hinata said. "I wish I could have seen her. I'm sure he's right though…"

"Believe it! Believe him!" Naruto said. Everyone sighed.

"Hinata, you make sure that she can't see any of us." Hinata nodded.

"Do you think she'll be with anyone Shikamaru?" Ino asked.

"I don't know. I only saw Neji following her. I didn't see anyone else."

"I didn't either. I bet she's alone on this." Ino added.

"It is a solo S-rank mission." Kiba reminded them.

"We do not want to endanger her so we must be careful." Lee said.

"I heard Neji was following her." Ino gossiped to them.

"What?" Everyone kept talking about the plan until the went home as it was too late and they had an early morning plan to do.