Disclaimer: I do not own Narutoor any affiliates. If I did, it would be called Neji. Or Tenten.

Written for the Live Journal NejiTen Contest 2007. First, Outer, Inner, Last.

The year Tenten became a Chuunin had been a year of firsts. For instance, it had been the first year that she had worn a dress since she had been five years old.

"I don't like it," she muttered crossly. "It's too short." She tugged at the silk in a feeble attempt to lower the hem. It stayed at its scandalous length, just halfway down her thighs.

"And this obi does nothing!" The red obi was embroidered with dragons- the only good thing about the skimpy kimono styled dress.

"It's… fashionable." Neji's voice crackled in her ear, even though he was sitting on the couch opposite her.

"I know, it's just… I don't think I want to do this anymore."

Team Gai had been tasked with their first B class mission that week. It was simple enough- Tenten, as one of the younger kunoichi, was supposed to approach their target and lure him up into a room where Lee and Gai-sensei would knock him out and take him to a secure location. Neji would be Tenten's backup in the field, should anything go awry in their plan.

The man's name was Arata- and that was all that they knew about him, apart from his fetish for young girls. All of the older kunoichi were too tall to masquerade as a fourteen year old and Tenten had been eager to prove herself. So, Team Gai had accepted the mission.

Looking back, Tenten wondered if it had really been a good idea. The dress that she'd been given was really far too short for her liking and the high heels made her look… not herself. Her makeup drew attention to her eyes, the blush in her cheeks was high and her lips had been painted crimson. Neji had been forced to suppress a nosebleed when she walked into the room, huffily complaining that she was not allowed to bring any kind of weapon with her into the club because there were metal detectors at the entrance.

"You… won't need them." Neji said, with some difficulty. "In any case-"

"Where would I hide them?" Tenten finished with a sigh as she sat heavily opposite the couch Neji was sitting on.

The Hyuuga was wearing dark denim jeans that were fraying at the hem and a black shirt with the cuffs rolled back. Makeup covered his curse seal and contact lenses changed the colour of his eyes from white to blue. He looked… strange. They both did.

"Don't worry," Neji sat down beside her. She smiled when he put his arm around her shoulders, his warm hand brushing her bared shoulder. "I'll be there, should Arata even think of trying anything."

"Thanks, Neji." The kunoichi sighed and leaned on his shoulder, her eyes drifting shut.

The Hyuuga looked down. Her hair had been pulled up into a single, loose bun that threatened to unravel and fall into rich, sensuous cascades over her shoulder. Her eyelashes, lengthened by the mascara, formed sooty curves on her high cheekbones and her mouth was curved into a slight smile.

Lee walked in a few minutes later and beamed brightly at the sight of Tenten, half asleep with Neji's arm wrapped around her slender shoulders. Neji offered no explanation- Lee already knew how close the two were.

"Tenten," Neji murmured, taking the opportunity to smell her hair discreetly. She'd used a shampoo that reminded him of tropical fruits. "You're up."

The kunoichi yawned and blinked several times.

"Are you ready?" Lee asked with concern. "If you really don't want to do this, you don't have to. We could send someone else in."

Tenten stood up and stretched. Neji winced as she cracked her knuckles. "I'm fine, Lee." She smiled. "Alright. Wish me luck, then." Readjusting her hair one more time and checking her ear piece was still working, the kunoichi slipped out of the room with Neji at her side.

In the elevator, Neji took Tenten by her shoulders. "You can do this, you know. Just play your part, and you'll be fine. Tsukiko is a fun, vibrant and confident young woman."

"She's barely a woman, Neji," Tenten muttered dryly.

"Well, she knows that she's beautiful but at the same time, she's naïve. Just… pretend that he's someone that-"

"I'd throw myself at." Tenten finished dully. "Thanks for the advice, Neji. Next time, you can be the girl." She exhaled loudly and shut her eyes. Then, she flashed a daring smile at him and shrugged his hands away. Her mask had finally fallen into place.

Neji and Tenten's first experience in a club did not turn out well. It was dark and smoky, and Neji found it difficult to keep track of the kunoichi. Tenten on the other hand, was trying to devise a way to conveniently bump into Arata without seeming too… planned. However, it seemed that fate was on her side. Arata found Tsukiko first.

She was leaning against the bar, but the bar tender was no where to be seen. A few metres down, Neji was staring moodily into the sake bomb he had ordered. Tenten smiled to herself when he caught her eye. He had no intention of drinking anything he was served here.

"You know, I think he's trying to tell you something."

Tenten turned towards the voice, a coy smile playing about her lips.

"What's that?"

Arata looked far younger than twenty three. He was good looking in his photograph, but in real life, Tenten decided that the photograph had done him no justice whatsoever. His hair was bright blue and spiked out in all directions. His eyes were violet and his nose was slender, like the rest of his features. It was just too bad that he liked to exploit young, naïve girls.

"He likes you." His voice had a bit of a musical lilt to it and its rich tones sent pleasant tingles down to Tenten's toes.

She shrugged. "He's cute and all, but a bit too young for my liking."

Arata looked up and down the bar for the bar tender.

"I don't know who would leave a beautiful young woman like you waiting for a drink."

She shrugged. "Maybe he's a bit busy doing something."

"Maybe he's a bit busy talking to a beautiful young woman." Tenten giggled in response.

He flipped over the glass bar in a smooth motion and put his name tag back onto his shirt. "What can I get you tonight?"

"Well, Arata, what would you recommend?" Tenten leaned over the bar, and Arata's eyes dropped immediately to her neckline.

"For you? A flirtini, definitely."

Tenten smiled and watched as he poured the mixture champagne, vodka and fruit juice into the champagne flute.

"Don't drink it," Neji cautioned her.

"One flirtini for …"

"Tsukiko," Tenten replied, with a smile.

"On the house." Arata placed the drink in front of her and smiled.

"Thanks." Tenten raised the glass and sipped her drink. It sent tingles down her spine and burned down her throat. She set it down on the bar again. "Do you give free drinks often?"

"No," he replied. "Consider yourself special."

Tenten smiled and sipped the drink again.

"Be careful, Tenten." Neji was looking the other way, his blue eyes staring unseeingly at the people on the floor.

Tenten rubbed the back of her neck, shifting uncomfortably. She wanted to get this over and done with. "So, when do you get off?" She asked him as casually as she could.

Arata checked his watch. "In a few more minutes."

Tenten smiled and looked over to the dancers. "Do you like to dance?"

Arata paused briefly and smiled. "I don't dance."

Tenten leaned on the bar again, tucking one ankle behind the other, exposing more of her thigh. "That's not what I asked."

"Well, then. My answer is yes." He checked his watch and took off his nametag (it was a novelty, he explained later). "Well, Tsukiko, I am now… all yours."

Checkmate.