Chapter 6: The target

Tenten had been doing this for 5 nights now. It was a Saturday night. Still, no sign of her target. She had already made more money in this job then she did in a year of missions with her team. She was yet to be discussed with herself. She made sure they didn't touch her inappropriately and she didn't get too close. It was a loss of revenue but she did things her way.

"So Heki, do you have a new girl to replace that horrible last one?"

"Oh do I but you're going to have to pay up. She's high cost."

"Is that so?"

"She's young and she has to live off of this money. She started Monday but she has more talent than anyone."

"How much for a private room with her?"

"You'd have to ask her, she hasn't done one yet."

"Really? Why not?"

"Don't know?"

"She not that good? I thought you said she was." Tenten focused on the voice and tried to work even harder, better than she was before. The man she was dancing in front of gave her a ton more and he called her.

"Tami, I have a real customer for you." Tenten walked over looking as appealing as possible.

"Do you? What kind of pay?"

"More than you made already this week." She choked literally.

"That's not appealing. She must be working cheap." The man said. He looked Tenten over. "She doesn't look cheap, she sure looks genuine."

"I assure you, she is." Tenten smiled innocently at him.

"Alright, I'll take her." Tenten was confused. Heki moved close to her.

"Four times what you made this week if you take him into the back room and dance." Tenten relaxed.

"Just dance?" She made sure she clarified. She was a skeptic. Rule 20, 24, 8, 9, 10 all popped into her head as warning.

20 If someone seems too interested, leave.

24 If it seems too easy, be more careful.

8 If it gets too hard, leave.

9 You're on your own.

10 It is never easy

"Yes Tami, just dance. You young people have to question everything. We don't do it here, obviously. That's against the law. You're here for another hour but then what you do for what money is your own price to set." Tenten would remember that. "He'll request things and such. You can say no and walk out. I'd advise not if you want to stay around."

Tenten remembered rules 3, 12, 14, 15. Remembering the rules did calm her nerves. Rule 3: You are who you are told to be. 12: Don't break your cover. 14: If you aren't willing, say no. She took a deep breath, smiled and breathed out. 15: If you are, be prepared.

"Alright, let's go." She took her target's hand and escorted him into a room.

In the room was just a couch. It was dark but there were lights toward the front of the room. She guessed they were so he could see her.

"So you like to be alone, huh?" Tenten asked him, dancing.

"Yeah, I don't like people to know I'm here."

"So what do you like?" She asked him.

"Young girls like yourself." Tenten closed on him. She had to wait for an hour to pass before she could… well she was supposed to poison him. She was an idiot, no weapons, no poison. What was she going to do? Rule 22, always have a weapon. She sighed, she had forgotten a rule. She supposed she was her own weapon but she couldn't fight. She'd have to just go with it.

"So tell me about you?" Tenten said still dancing and walking around.

"I'm just a simple man. I enjoy watching young girls." You better enjoy nothing more, she thought to herself.

"Just watching?" She asked pouting.

"Oh, you in for something more?" He asked, he was excited and she wanted to smack him. Rule 12!

"Not here, not now or yet." He smirked.

"I get off in an hour, he closes up for sleep before the regular staff comes in."

"So then you…"

"I have a cute little room at some dumpy hotel on the west side." She said.

"That won't do for you, you deserve so much more." She agreed; she didn't deserve this. She was much better than this.

"What do you have in mind?" She smiled as he just threw more and more money on the ground. She sighed at how the real money was always in doing horrible things.

"I have a place over looking the sea."

"Oooh," she faked interest.

"Yeah, I'll take you there."

"I like that." Tenten told him. Then she noticed he was getting bored. "Want a drink?"

"Yeah, but not something too strong."

"Course not; I want to have fun later." She said walking out. She was going to get him drunk. She knew she'd have to get the address out of him, just in case. She remembered what they had said about poisoning to early.

She went to the place asked for a drink for her client, spiked it with tons of stuff she could find and returned. He gulped it down. "This is great what is it?"

"My specialty," She answered smiling. He nodded and she continued to dance until he was starting to get drunk.

"So what's your address?"

"123, it was easy to remember."

"Street name?" She asked.

"Akudi," she smiled as she danced until the boss kicked them out. She collected the money and told the boss she wouldn't be coming back. He was confused but paid her for the night. Tenten had never seen so much money in her entire life. She could rejoice that she wouldn't be doing missions for a while, yet.

She followed his semi-directions to his house. He took her into the bedroom. "I need to use the bathroom." She made a quick trip around the house, no one seemed to be there.

She returned to the room. He was already taking of his shirt and his pants. "Ready?" He asked. "Want to help me?"

"Oh no, I couldn't." She hid her face. She jumped when he came up behind her, hands on her hips.

"Don't be so innocent, haven't you done this before?"

"Not with someone so… experienced." She pretended to blush and giggle. She hadn't been taught these things. She needed a plan.

Neji was following also. Seeing the girl been in the room with him, getting money thrown at her as she danced made him angrier by the second. He was obsessed with watching this girl. He hadn't slept in days. He was determined to find out if this was her.

Somewhere inside of him he knew it was her. He couldn't be mistaken. It killed him to think that was Tenten. Tenten was dancing to make money with her sister. Neji didn't remember Tenten ever mentioning a sister. Was this all a trick? A very bad genjutsu. He kept hoping that but he was sure he was awake.

He kept an eye on the girl and checked on the other girl. He couldn't remember her name either, or the name that Tenten was going by. Inside he was angry at her. Was this really what it had come to? She could have asked for help if it was really money. He would have given her anything she needed. She would just have to ask, he had saved up a lot of money from missions. He didn't need it. What could he use it for?

He saw the other girl and stepped in front of her. She jumped back and fell on her butt. She was most certainly not a ninja. What kind of ninja did that? A poorly skilled one. "You scared me." He glared at her.

"What is going on?" He asked.

"She's performing a service, duh!" Nali said. Neji nearly choked hearing that.

"You're allowing this."

"It's not my call. It's a rule. 14 and 15."

"Huh?"

"Oh nothing, you wouldn't understand. We have a code of conduct."

"Like morals." Neji snorted. "I doubt you have them." She ran at him, he dodged and fell to the ground.

"Don't you dare insult my morals, you!" She didn't have any insults.

"You sell your body for money too?" She moved quick enough to smack him solidly across his face.

"Rule 28, baka. Don't forget it." She crossed her arms. "What are you doing here?"

"I do not know."

"Then go somewhere, you obviously hate us. Why follow?"

"I do not know." He answered again.

"You have problems. Following two strangers."

"I know who she is."

"I doubt it."

"I do, inside I do." She watched as he looked out.

"You aren't sure anymore are you." She laughed.

"What?"

"You think you knew her. You thought you knew her." She laughed again.

"It's not funny." He responded.

"It is, you don't know her at all do you."

"And you do?"

"I know her better than you do, that's for sure." Nali was cocky but she did. She knew the kind of person Tenten was, they were one in the same.

"So what's going to happen?"

"You don't know. I thought you knew her." Nali mocked.

"I thought I did, you are right."

"Then watch, I know about your eyes." Neji remembered Tenten's words, they were one in the same.

Neji activated his Byakugan and watched. She tapped his shoulders. "Don't interfere, this is very very important."

"You're disgusting." Neji answered.

"Just watch, I thought you were smart." She remarked.

Tenten had several layers on of her costume and he wanted a show of them being taken off. She was not a stripper but she was willing, 14. She was down to a spaghetti strap top and some spandex shorts. "So what now?" She asked.

"Keep going," he responded.

"No, I'm good." He went at her and she dodged, he hit the wall. He got back off. He grabbed her by her hair. "Ow, ow." She said yanking her hair.

He pulled out a kunai and she knew she was in trouble. She dodged and he cut her hair. She ran out of the room. Rule 7,8. She called them, run and the mission is secondary to her life. She was freaking out. He was throwing them at her.

She didn't have anything on her. She hated rule 22. She looked around for anything to use. "How come he has weapons?" She asked herself.

She needed a plan and fast. She would not fail. She would show them all. She stopped running. She shook her head, she was a kunoichi, she didn't run. She fought. She ran at him, blocking the kunai in one hand and dodging the other. She kneed him.

"Oops, I'm soooo sorry." She said innocently. She then took his kunai and stabbed him in the leg. He wouldn't be chasing her anytime soon. She then took a hit at one of the only pressure points that Neji had taught her. He was out immediately.

She ran around the house into the office that he had notice before. She went threw several drawers and then found one locked, it had to be the one. She smiled as she took a hairpin from her hair. The girls had taught her this. She went threw the papers when she heard the guy was waking up.

"I know, I don't have the time." She shook her head and went through them.

Sunday! 2am leaving coast. Stops in Wave after 3 days, for one day. She stuck back in the drawer and closed it. She made a circle and went into the bedroom. "Are you okay?" She asked. "You went off on a rampage and stabbed yourself in the leg." She said.

He grabbed her by the throat, she was being choked. She was then unconscious. Weak in his grasp.

Neji was watching. "This girl is running around like an idiot."

"What is she doing?" Nali asked him.

"She's… dodging kunai?"

"Kunai? Does she have any?" Nali asked panic.

"No." He answered simply.

"What it's rule 22!" Nali yelled.

"I don't know the rules, be quiet."

He watched as she went at the man, taking him out. Neji winced as he watched the girl knee and punch the guy, then stab the pressure point. "Where is she going?"

"I don't know. Where is she going?" Nali asked.

"It looks like an office. She's looking throught lots of papers."

"That a girl, Tami."

"What?" Neji turned to look at Nali.

"It's her name, duh!" Nali responded.

"I am quite sure that is not what she told me before."

"Whatever, what's going on?"

"She's going back to him."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know."

"Oh no… he's choking her." Neji wasn't going to take this. He jumped the fence and used empty palm to hit him. Tenten fell from his grasp and landed on her back. Nali ran after, clearing the fence easily.

Nali scooped her up and ran. Neji was shocked as he followed after them. Nali took Tenten back to her own hotel room. Then she left her there, and walked out.

"Why'd you do that?" Neji was very angry.

"It's what you're supposed to do."

"What?"

"Rule number 25. Personally involved, step away."

"That's stupid."

"Rule 9. You're on your own."

"Why are you here then?"

"I broke rule 11, don't get attached to anyone."

"So if she's on her own why are you here? Why didn't you leave her?"

"She can't break cover, rule 12. You can't leave anything behind, 21."

"So why are you leaving?" Neji asked again.

"She's on her own. I'm not supposed to be here, it's rule 9. I'll get in trouble."

"Won't she wonder what happened?"

"Probably but she wont' know… will she?"

"Rule 26, if you mess up, you're on your own. She messed up so she's on her own. Rule 27, don't involve others. You broke the rule for her, idiot!"

"I don't know the rules." He answered.

"I know that." She yelled, near spitting at them.

"Walk away if you know what's good for you Neji Hyuuga." She left making sure everything was locked up.