Disclaimer: "Naruto" is property of Masashi Kishimoto, Studio Pierrot, Viz Media, etc.

Dreams are mysterious things. They can seem so real even through the illusionary mist. You forget everything else and see only this fantasy, or nightmare, full of endless possibilities of pleasure and pain. They can be familiar, or strange. When you awaken, it's as if it never happened, or it's as vivid as a true memory; and if you remember, dreams can embed ideas in your head you would otherwise never think of.

For Sakura, it was common for her when she fell asleep at night that her conscience would drum up images of her friends. Sometimes her dreams were of happy times, smiling with her team as Kakashi sent them on another adventure. Once in a while she was with Ino, playing as kids or engaging in another round of banter. It was normal to dream of people she was close to; and it was normal to have nightmares about them as well.

The space before Sakura would always be dim, murky, or gray. Sasuke was contemptuous. Naruto was furious. She was fretting, crying, as the boys fought, and a dark pattern crept over Sasuke's face and body. Then Orochimaru would come, Sasuke would disappear, and Sakura couldn't move at all. Even these sinister dreams were normal.

Sakura slowly woke up with her body feeling light and warm underneath the covers. She could still remember her dream, although maybe that was because what she dreamt of happened only yesterday.

I will personally bring you back.

She sounded so dauntless. Sakura sat staring back at her, astounded and mystified that she would say such a thing to her. It reminded Sakura of when Lee said he would always protect her. Lee was nothing if not earnest, and she realized that in the Forest of Death when he had come to her rescue. In comparison, Tenten's way of speaking was similar; but carried a blunt edge. Sakura was both appreciative and resentful of it.

Afterward, Tenten walked her home. It was a quiet walk that had Sakura feeling awkward after their poignant exchange in the forest. When they reached her front door Tenten parted from her with a goodbye, and Sakura watched as she walked away until she could no longer see her.

I'm glad you told me this.

Sakura flipped onto her stomach and pulled the covers over her head, feeling dormant emotions rising once more. '… Sasuke…'

- - -

Tsunade frowned as she removed her hand from Tenten's forehead. "Still nothing."

The girl resignedly slumped back into her chair, retying her headband. "I see…"

Her lack of improvement seemed to be taking a toll on her spirits, the Hokage noted. Guy's kids seemed to be magnets for difficult disorders. Offering her a sympathetic look, she said, "Would you feel any better if I told you I'm giving you a mission?" She took the Tenten's surprised look as a yes.

The rest of her team was called to join her in Tsunade's office for their mission briefing. The lord of a nearby land had recently hired a group of mercenaries to aid his forces in preventing the attack of advancing enemy troops. They were successful in preventing a raid on the castle, and the mercenaries were compensated for their efforts – but apparently it hadn't been enough to satisfy them. It was suspected that the group had taken important documents with them, which in the wrong hands could compromise the castle's security. The lord requested Konoha's help, for he did not wish to incur the mercenaries' ire by accusing them.

"So it's information retrieval," said Neji, "but isn't there another team more suited for this mission?"

Lee indignantly turned on him. "What do you mean, Neji? Our team is capable of handling any mission no matter the circumstance!"

Tsunade peered at them over her desk. "I'm asking your team to do it because… Tenten's the right type."

"Type?" echoed Guy. "Do you mean her use of long-range attacks?"

"No, I mean she'll appeal to the mercenary leader."

For a moment Guy stood in silence as he comprehended this. Then he launched forward and slapped his hands on the Hokage's desk with lightning speed and intensity. "WAIT A MINUTE! Are you suggesting that we proposition our precious little Tenten in order to obtain this information!?"

"Calm down," Tsunade replied with a touch of impatience. "All she needs to do is get close enough to retrieve it. Also, why do you think I'm sending the rest of you along with her?"

Guy made some sort of unintelligible noise that sounded like a cross between a choke and a sob.

Tsunade gazed intently at the lone female of the team. "So, Tenten… are you ready for this mission?"

Of all the skills kunoichi were expected to learn, seduction was Tenten's least favourite. Sometimes it was fun to be flirtatious, but sidling up to any random male didn't suit her taste. She had yet to require this skill in the field, but knew in the back of her mind that a time might come when it would be necessary. Tenten returned the Sannin's steady, almost challenging, gaze with one of her own. "Yes, Lady Tsunade."

- - -

"You're late, Sakura." Ino was lounging on the couch when Sakura entered through the doorway for their morning lesson.

"Mm…" Sakura distractedly rubbed her arm. "I didn't sleep well last night."

This raised Ino's attention. She thought something had been off with Sakura the day before when she visited. "Yeah, you didn't even properly comb your hair. Here, I'll fix it for you." Ino patted the empty space beside her on the sofa. Sakura obediently shuffled over and flopped into it with her back to Ino, who reached up to gently rake her fingers through the pink tresses. Her hair felt coarser than it had in the Forest of Death, the last time Ino had touched her hair. In fact, back then it felt like silk. She faintly wondered why Sakura wasn't giving it as much attention as before.

In the corridor beyond the room, there was the sound of multiple muffled pairs of footsteps. It was accompanied by voices, growing louder as they came closer.

"You must be excited to finally be going on another mission."

"I wouldn't exactly say excited, but it is nice to be doing what shinobi are meant to do."

Ino saw Sakura start, her head rising as a group of people passed by the entrance. A Rock, a Hyuga, a Might, and…

Tenten, engaged in conversation with Lee, who was blocking Sakura's view of her. Neither of them seemed to notice Sakura. They simply continued on their way, oblivious to her attention on them.

Sakura lowered her head, her sense of morose returning, and yelped when Ino suddenly tugged on her hair. "Ow!"

"Sorry."

- - -

At noon Team Guy was gathered in front of the gates to the village, ready to head off on their mission. In every case Lee and Guy were raring to go, but this time the group's leader was looking uncharacteristically tentative.

"Tenten, do you really want to go through with this?" he asked with concern creasing his features.

She hitched up her backpack and replied, "There's no backing out of a mission."

"Yes!" Lee clenched his hand into a fist. "Excellent answer, Tenten!"

Neji gave him a sideways glance. "Lee, are you even aware of what it is she has to do?"

"Of course I am!" he brightly answered. "She has to make friends with the leader."

Neji wondered what Lee considered the extent of 'make friends' to be. He curved his attention to the girl. "Tenten, don't do anything that's not necessary. We'll cover you."

She nodded. "Yeah."

With a deep breath, Guy composed himself, and then struck the Nice-Guy pose. "Count on us to protect your chastity!"

Her arms went rigid at her sides. "You don't have to say that out loud!" She hoped the shinobi watching the gate from the inside hadn't heard her sensei's outburst.

Lee's eyes flickered to the entry, and his mouth widened into a smile. "Sakura!"

Surprised, Tenten turned and saw the pink-haired girl, standing just inside the great doorway and gazing upon them. Tenten hoped she hadn't heard what Guy said either.

Sakura acknowledged Lee with a polite hello and a smile, but then her eyes were on Tenten and her expression sobered. "Can I speak with you for a sec? I'll be quick."

Her teammates were obliging enough, so after a brief confirmation, Tenten followed Sakura inside a ways from her team and the occupied guard post. "How did you know where to find me?"

"I heard from Shishou that you were going on a… certain mission."

It took a second for Tenten to realize when Sakura said 'shishou,' it was equated with Tsunade. "Oh… yeah, it's no big deal."

Sakura stopped at the end of the gate opposite the guard post and looked at her. "Really?"

"Yeah, it's just something I have to do as a kunoichi."

Sakura didn't reply. In fact, a number of speechless seconds passed before Tenten began feeling an urgency to return to her team.

"Um, Sakura, is there something else you wanted to say? If not, I really have to go. The guys are waiting for –"

"I thought about what you said, about Sasuke. I understand what you were saying, but…" She faltered.

Inwardly, Tenten sighed. 'Still stubborn as ever, I see.'

Sakura then looked Tenten in the eye with renewed resolve. "I'm going to get stronger, to make sure that doesn't happen."

Tenten regarded her for a moment. She hadn't seen Sakura look this resolute since her chuunin exam match against Ino. She couldn't help but smirk. "I look forward to seeing it."

- - -

Tenten stepped out from the bushes, having changed into a modest magenta yukata. Her hair was set into two braids which looped back up and pinned into place. She playfully spun around with her arms outstretched and said, "How do I look?"

Lee's eyes were wide with surprise at her transformation. "Wow, Tenten!" He grinned. "You look like a girl!"

She stilled and looked at him with a critical eye. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Neji showed his own approval by nodding. "It's very convincing."

"You two…"

Guy swooned and began to cry. "An innocent flower about to be plucked by an unworthy hand – !"

'… I'm not asking for their opinion anymore…'

The plan was for Tenten, disguised as a common village girl, to inconspicuously wade into the area the mercenaries were occupying. Through Byakugan, Neji had already identified the precise location of the documents – tucked away inside the mercenary leader's shirt, close to his chest. Guy made another fuss over the mission when Neji announced the location, and Tenten rolled her eyes – not simply because of her sensei's reaction, but because this mission was becoming more troublesome than expected.

While her teammates hid in the shadows, Tenten strolled through the forest along the perimeter of the mercenary camp, making sure to rustle the braches of the shrubbery she passed by. Eventually a couple of men burst forth from the forest, grabbing her arms and hauling her away as she pretended to struggle. Watching from the trees, Guy suppressed an indignant paternal gasp.

The men brought Tenten to their camp, where she saw the glow of a fire before they reached the clearing. The fire was in the center, and situated around its light were members of the mercenary group. Taking a closer look, Tenten realized that not all of them were men.

A few weathered tents were setup as shelter, but the tent on the other side of the fire was twice as large and looked better kept. Sitting in front of its opening was a young man whom Tenten presumed was the leader. She was made to kneel before him, with the men who caught her still gripping her arms. Tenten raised her head, and momentarily forgot what she was supposed to be doing. 'Wow, cute… just my type.'

The leader of the mercenaries had a far prettier face than Tenten would have expected. Deep violet eyes were set against flawless skin, and his sandy blonde hair was tied back from the front, and up from the back. Pierced into his ears were earrings of silver which glowed in the firelight.

"Tsukuyo, sir, we found this girl wandering around the forest," the man to Tenten's right informed.

Remembering herself, Tenten played the part of a helpless girl and said, "Please, I was only looking for herbs when I got lost!"

Their leader tilted his head to one side as he looked at her. "Lost, eh?" He sounded only mildly concerned that a stranger had been traipsing the area surrounding their camp. He righted himself and ordered, "Put her in my tent."

Tenten was carried inside the tent behind him, and she fell onto the blankets lining the bottom. The men left, and in came one of the women whom Tenten had spotted earlier.

"Tsukuyo's finishing some business outside. I'm here to make sure you don't cause any trouble."

"I just want to return to my village."

"That won't be happening tonight," the woman replied in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

The word 'tonight' stuck out to Tenten. Careful about what she was saying, she asked, "So what will happen to me?" She thought she saw the woman smirk then, and it irritated her. How could another female be fine with what her leader was doing in his tent with a young girl?

Shortly after the leader himself came in and dismissed the woman. Tenten was still feeling resentful and withdrew under his calm gaze.

"You don't have to be so tense," he calmly said, turning his back to her to shed his clothes.

His apparent lack of sympathy did nothing to quell Tenten's mood. "Don't be tense? I was kidnapped, dragged her against my will, and then placed in a tent alone with a – A GIRL?" Tenten was stunned when Tsuyuko turned around, wearing only one layer of clothing which clearly outlined the form of a woman.

Tsuyuko plucked the pins from her hair and sighed. "You sure are lively."

Tenten was hardly paying attention. She was going over the mission in her head and how Tsunade said she was the right type.

"It's not a good idea to be traipsing about in the dark when you're lost." Tsuyuko picked up a nearby blanket and tossed it over Tenten as it ruffled loose. "Get some sleep. I'll escort you to your village in the morning." She took a place beside her, and pulled up a blanket of her own, before settling down for the night.

Tenten remained where she was, staring down perplexedly at the lazing woman. Had she already blown the mission? Her gaze went lower, and she saw stiffness about Tsuyuko's chest – the papers were still there. Tenten eased down onto her arms, quickly formulating her next move. "I didn't think you'd be this courteous."

There was no reply, and it puzzled her. Had she already fallen asleep, or was she simply ignoring her? Either way, Tenten was at a loss for what to do if Tsuyuko was going to be unresponsive. She could see a corner of the papers poking out from underneath Tsuyuko's haori. Uncertain as to what result this would give her, Tenten reached over to retrieve them.

"What are you doing?"

Tenten started, looked down, and saw Tsuyuko's amethyst eyes steadily staring up at her.

"If that's what you wanted," she calmly murmured, "you should have just said so."

There was barely enough time for Tenten to think. Tsuyuko pulled her arm across, forcing Tenten to lower her face, bringing it close to Tsuyuko's.

"Dynamic Entry!!" A gush of air hit Tenten as Tsuyuko's tent was blown back, ripped out of the ground by Guy's flying kick. Her sensei flung the tent aside and turned to point at Tsuyuko. "Unhand Tenten, you villainous woman!"

A flicker of annoyance appeared on Tsuyuko's face. "So you had chaperones, huh?"

Hearing signs of a scuffle, Tenten twisted around. Lee and Neji were engaged with the mercenary group, holding them back as some attempted to come to their leader's aid.

"Tch, whatever. This is more trouble than it's worth." Tsuyuko removed the documents from her person and threw them at Tenten. "Take it and leave."

Tenten blinked at her. "Um, what?"

- - -

"The mission was a success Milady, and all while protecting Tenten's virtue!"

It was official. This was the most awkward mission report Tenten had ever experienced. How many times was Guy going to refer to her chastity? She was tempted to ask Tsunade whether or not she knew about Tsuyuko's gender, but refrained from it; deciding that if so, she must have had her reasons. Hopefully they were more reasonable than Tsuyuko's…

It turned out the only reason the mercenary leader bothered snatching sensitive documents was so a shinobi village would send a kunoichi after her – to fool around with. At that point Tenten wasn't sure whether blood was rushing to her face or draining from it. A kunoichi was different from a harlot!

In any case, they returned the documents to the lord and stayed the night, before returning to Konaha in the morning.

"So it went off without a hitch?"

"Aside from needlessly bursting into the camp, it went well," Neji stoically replied.

The Hokage lurched forward in her seat. "Bursting into their camp?? What kind of shinobi are you!?"

"It was to protect young Tenten's innocence!" Guy adamantly insisted.

"Sensei, please stop saying that!" Tenten hastily interjected.

Tsunade sat back in her chair and sighed. "Well, at least you fulfilled the mission. So, Tenten…" The Sannin's caramel-coloured eyes shrewdly looked up at her. "What did you think of the mission?" The question sounded like a test.

Tenten was ready with a general answer. "It was a worthwhile experience." Truthfully, Tenten still wasn't sure what to make of it. She was fairly certain most missions of this sort didn't go the way it had. Perhaps it would have been different if Guy hadn't been there, being overprotective.

The turn of events was still on Tenten's mind as her team left Tsunade's office and passed through the corridor. How did Guy know to come in at that exact moment? It wasn't difficult to figure out. He must have had Neji keeping watch over her movements. The thought of Neji relaying what was going on in the tent to Guy and Lee as it played out made her slightly colour from embarrassment.

She looked at him, walking beside her, his face as straight as it was during their mission report. "Neji," she began, "you knew the leader was a woman, didn't you?"

"Yes," he shortly replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Did it matter?" He kept answering without looking at her.

On Tenten's other side, Lee said, "Right, Neji. It does not matter whether it is a boy or girl – a first kiss is a first kiss."

Tenten made a face at his remark. "That's not what we're talking about." She did not even want to know how Lee knew she had never kissed someone before. Secretly however, she had to agree with his opinion. Boy or girl, whomever you kissed, that would the first time you experienced how a kiss felt. She had never given much thought to her first kiss, but she had a better idea of what the guy would be like – someone handsome, strong, and clever, who respected her shinobi skills, but whom she could also have a fun time with. For a second Tenten had the wild notion of giving her first kiss away soon, rather than risk losing it to a target during a mission.

She glanced sideways at Lee, thinking to herself that he likely wished he could kiss Sakura. The probability of that happening seemed nonexistent, in light of what Tenten knew. While Guy was suggesting another celebratory meal, Tenten suddenly sped ahead of her team, not heeding Lee and her sensei's calls.

- - -

The room was the same as before. At the far end were the windows which stretched wide and high, casting sunlight into the chamber. The side walls had shelves stacked with various books and scrolls for research and reference. A couple of manmade pools of water were set into the floor, and between them were two girls bent over a large table.

One of the girls turned, and the smile on her face was immediate. "Tenten, you're back from your mission!"

"Yep. How's the medical training going?" Tenten was dimly conscious of a mild bitterness she felt, which thankfully did not reflect in her voice.

"I'm looking after Ino right now." Sakura indistinctly gestured behind her with her shoulder. "How did your –"

"Ten-! Oh, Sakura!" Apparently Lee had followed Tenten through the village, and was now coming up to them with a gentlemanly smile.

It rather surprised Tenten that Lee had trailed her so far, but was somewhat bothered by the way his attention was redirected toward Sakura as soon as he walked in.

"Hi, Lee," Sakura amiably greeted. "I was just about to ask Tenten how your mission went."

"Oh, very well!" The grin on Lee's face broadened. "Tenten did not even have to give her first kiss to a girl!"

A look of astonishment began to appear on Sakura's face, but it was Ino's sudden outburst that stole their attention. She blurted out a shocked, "What!?" and whirled around, abandoning the butterfly she had been tending to.

"I didn't know she was a girl," Tenten jadedly replied, wishing Lee hadn't divulged that particular part of the mission. "Although, I guess I should have been able to tell from her name…"

"What was her name?" inquired Sakura.

"Tsuyuko."

Sakura and Ino stared at her, and then exchanged looks with one another. "Tenten," said Sakura, "that definitely sounds like a girl's name."

"Well yeah, but she looked like a guy too."

Ino raised a curious eyebrow. "She must have been pretty masculine."

"No, just… pretty." That last word came from Tenten's mouth on a pathetic note as she realized how swayed she was by looks alone. "It was her androgynous appearance!" The two girls continued to give her dubious stares. "Ahh, look, never mind that." Tenten distractedly waved a dismissive hand. "Ino, since you're here, can I ask you something?"

"Eh?" Ino never expected that Tenten would request something of her. These days it was always Sakura she was after. "Um, sure… what is it?"