Sometimes a mission required something unexpected.

For example, Team Gai's missions usually involved epic battles, ambushes, sealing things in scrolls and unsealing them, Byakugan flashing to discover foes in hiding, and Gai and Lee shouting about the power of youth. Or at the very minimum, people trying to kill them.

Therefore, Lee, Neji and Tenten were all somewhat surprised to discover that their mission this time was purely diplomatic. They didn't even need to bring kunai.

(Of course they brought them anyways but that was beside the point.)

This time, they were simply attending a fancy party as representatives of the Leaf. It didn't even sound like anyone was going to attack the party. It was all shocking.

Tenten didn't even own fancy dresses. Neji owned fancy kimonos and Lee could borrow some fancy clothing from his dad, but that was about it. Gai had a fancy jounin uniform, of course, and he seemed to be entirely prepared, which made Tenten wonder how often he'd been sent on diplomatic missions before he got the team.

And also they were required to dance.

When Gai informed them of this, Neji was the only one who was not worried. "As a Hyuuga, I was taught by a servant," was all he would say when asked. Lee got a concentrated look on his face and started sweating and shouting about how he would learn how to dance as youthfully as any diplomat in the week before the party or do five hundred pushups on his thumbs.

As for Tenten, she sighed.

"I don't know, Gai-sensei. A week's not much time to learn how to dance," she said. "Perhaps I could be a wallflower."

Gai's face became thunderous. "A Konoha ninja is not a wallflower! I, Maito Gai, will teach you how to dance or…"

"I could teach her how to dance," Neji interrupted.

Gai stopped short. "Ah, Neji, I see that your heart is on fire with youthful passion. Very well, far be it from me to stand between you and your goal." With a characteristic wink he strode off to help Lee.

Tente made a face. Then she turned to Neji. "You'll actually teach me how to dance?" Neji was not the best of teachers, since he had little patience for it.

Neji shrugged. "Better me than Gai. He'd probably turn it into an endurance exercise."

"True…" Tenten mused. "But usually you'd just stand back and watch."

"Well, you do usually help me out when Gai does outlandish things to me…even if not in the best ways…" Neji said, remembering the time she had claimed they were betrothed to prevent Gai from giving him a haircut. "So, I figured I owe you something at least."

"Well, thanks," Tenten said brightly. "But just warning you, I have no sense of rhythm."

"All right," Neji said. "Then we'll start with that."

For the next hour or so, Neji beat two sticks together to keep rhythm while making Tenten step back and forth, back and forth.

"I thought," Tenten panted. "That this wasn't going to be an endurance exercise."

"Still not as bad as Gai."

Tenten snorted and flopped down on the grass next to Neji. "I need a break. I still have to do training later, remember?"

"How could I forget," Neji said. "I have to do it too. Well, I think you're slightly more in rhythm now, so how about the actual dancing?"

Tenten grinned. "Oh yes, I was waiting for that part, Neji-sensei. What will we start with?" she pondered.

"Well, first you should probably take a break."

"Don't be riciulous!" Tenten protested. "I just got warmed up." She grabbed Neji under his arms and heaved him to his feet, then put one hand on his shoulder and one hand in his own hand. She smirked. "Isn't that the right position? What dance should I learn first?"

"Um," Neji said. "Maybe I should step back and demonstrate first…"

"No way! I'll learn more by actually doing the dance than by watching."

"Okay, um, first you move your left foot forward."

"Like this?" Tenten asked as she moved her left foot forward…and kicked Neji in the heel.

"No, wait, that's the boy's part," Neji said. "Actually, you move your right foot back…"

Two hours later, Neji was just as tired as Tenten and Tenten still hadn't mastered the first dance.

Tenten shook her head disgustedly. "And here I thought this was going to be romantic."

"What?" said Neji.

"Oh, nothing…"

In the end, the land they were visiting ended up having completely different dances from Konoha, and the only one who could dance was Gai. But it was all right because as unromantic as dancing lessons were, it turned out looking at the stars on a veranda was not nearly as disappointing.