"Are they gone?" Tenten asked as Neji came back into the kitchen. He sighed.

"Yes, Hinata waved at me as they drove away."

Tenten smiled as she crossed the floor to give her husband a peck on the cheek.

"Naruto and Hinata are such a happy couple, aren't they?"

Neji shrugged. "Hinata's quite taken with him." He looked around the kitchen. "Let's get the dishes put away, shall we?"

Together, they began to wash the pots and pans. Neji rinsed out several glasses in the sink. Tenten suddenly laughed.

"What is it?" Neji asked. Tenten covered her mouth with a giggle.

"I just realized something. It might be coincidence, but every time something important has happened in our life together, we've broken some glass or another."

Neji frowned. "What do you mean?"

Tenten bent over to place their plates in the dishwasher. "Well, think about it. Remember when we first met?"

Neji grinned ruefully at the memory. "You mean at that dorm party in college?"

Tenten looked around the backyard that joined the two dorm houses. "Megumi, are you sure it's safe here?"

Her friend nodded and tugged on her arm. "My friend Aya from high school and her brother are hosting this. It shouldn't be dangerous."

Tenten looked around. All about her, sophomores and juniors mingled in the fenced-in grassy yard that joined the residence hall and the dorm of the next-door fraternity. She knew that Megumi's friend had a brother named Sasuke, who was very popular with their year. Megumi was a sophomore herself, but Tenten was a junior. Megumi's friend Aya was a sophomore. Between the two of them, the Uchiha siblings had managed to invite most of the dorm. They were using the lawn between their dorm and Akat Tsu Ki's dorm because their older brother, Itachi, was a member of the fraternity. He had arranged it so that they could use the common space.

Tenten looked around. There were strobe lights in the corner, currently turned off. A table against the fence held drinks and refreshments. She noticed a huge bowl of punch, which a guy she didn't know was mixing.

Megumi pointed. "Hey, it's Aya! Tenten-chan, you don't mind if I leave you here, do you?"

"Um, I guess not," Tenten said. Megumi wandered off into the crowd, leaving Tenten alone.

"H-Hey, Tenten," someone stammered. Tenten turned.

"Hey, Hinata! I didn't know you had gotten out of class!"

Hinata was Tenten's roommate. They shared several classes together, but one of Hinata's was supposed to be around this time.

"W-well," Hinata stammered, poking her fingers together, "I k-k-kind of sk-k-kipped."

"But that's OK, dattebayo!" someone cheered. Tenten and Hinata turned to see one of the boys from their dorm standing right behind them. He had two root beers.

"Root beer, Hinata? It's the last one, there's nothing else but punch." he said. Hinata blushed.

"Um, no, that's OK, Naruto-kun," she said. "B-But maybe T-tenten-chan w-would like one?"

"Thanks!" Tenten took the root beer Naruto offered her. He grinned at Hinata once again.

"Come on, Hina-chan, they've got a DJ! Wanna dance?"

Tenten looked over the crowd to see a large man with platinum blonde hair standing behind the DJ board. She recognized him as Hidan, one of the Akat Tsu Ki frat boys.

"Sure," Hinata said, blushing furiously. "Just d-don't let N-Neji-k-kun see…" Naruto grabbed her hand.

"Then let's go!"

Tenten was left alone, an icy root beer in hand. She drained the last of it and went over to the table to find a trash can to throw it away in.

By this time the party had been going on for a long time. Tenten caught a glimpse of Sasuke with Sakura and Ino, two roommates just down the hall from her and Hinata, leaning on his every word. Naruto and Hinata were gyrating furiously in the dance space, and Megumi was nowhere to be seen. Tenten saw a girl with black hair leaning against the wall of the dorm, making out with a boy with red, spiky hair and a tattoo.

"Strange…" Tenten murmured. It was odd. Normally Sasuke wasn't laughing so hard that he was crying. Nor would Aya, Megumi had assured her, allow herself to be kissed in her right mind. Come to think of it, Tenten had seen a lot of people acting, well…oddly…

She dropped her can in the trash and turned around, only to be met by a solid wall. A warm, breathing solid wall. Someone grabbed her arm as she tried to twist by. Tenten found herself staring up in the face of a boy who looked a lot like Hinata. He had long brown hair tied back in a ponytail and the pearly eyes of Hinata. But his eyes weren't the friendly ones of Hinata, they were unfocused in some odd way. Then Tenten caught a whiff of the smell on his clothes. This man was drunk.

How could he be DRUNK?!? Tenten thought wildly. There's no alcohol here!

"You look familiar," the man murmured. Tenten's heart was beating wildly. She had just realized what was going on…everyone else was drunk, too. That meant…

Tenten gasped as he reeled her in closer.

"You're pretty, too," he slurred. Tenten's eyes were wide with fear as she felt his breath getting closer to her face.

"Please…let me go…" she gasped. Her hand groped for something, anything to defend herself with…

There was alcohol somewhere at this party. Wherever it was, it meant that there was danger here. Tenten had to get out of here and warn her friends. Something wasn't right. But this man wasn't letting her go. His face got closer and closer. She groped frantically behind her, trying to free herself. But he was too strong. And just as his lips started to brush hers…

She found it. Her fingers closed over something smooth, cool, and hard. Without hesitating, Tenten raised the object and brought it down hard over his head!

SMASH!

The boy staggered, looking slightly stunned as the remnants of the contents of the huge bottle dripped down his face. Tenten's arm shook as she pulled the neck and remnants of the top of the bottle closer so she could read the label.

Rum.

Her eyes found the punch bowl, and that was that.

Then the residence hall door flew open, and the Residence Director came out, hands on hips.

"What's going on here?" Kurenai Yuhi demanded angrily. Tenten hurried over.

"Miss Yuhi, someone's spiked the punch! Everyone's getting drunk!"

Kurenai clapped her hands.

"Listen up, everybody! This party is now OVER!"

The noise level died down. Kurenai took the shard from Tenten and raised it over her head.

"If I EVER find out who spiked the punch," Kurenai said, "I will punish that person or persons SEVERELY."

"Akat Tsu Ki was in charge of the drinks."

Aya had emerged from her corner. Tenten couldn't tell whether she was sober or not, but her words were steady.

Kurenai shook her head. "That was a foolish, dangerous prank, boys. I'll be talking to the headmistress about this one."

The boys of Akat Tsu Ki looked as guilty as rats trapped in the pantry. Kurenai motioned behind her.

"Get back to your dorms, everyone. NOW."

The next morning, Tenten was just about to leave the building to get to her next class when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Spinning around, she saw the drunk from last night standing there looking sheepish. She glared coldly at him.

"What do YOU want?"

"It's just, well…" he scuffed the ground with his shoe. "I was kind of stupid last night, and, um…"

"You were drunk," Tenten said coldly. He winced.

"Yes, well, I didn't know they'd spiked the punch, and, well…I was just wondering if I could take you out to dinner sometime this week. You know, just to make up for what I did while UTI."

Tenten looked him over head to toe. He sincerely looked repentant. She sighed.

"Alright, I have nothing better to do this Friday."

"7:00, right here?"

"Sure." Tenten spun around on her heel and marched out before he could say another word. Then she backtracked.

"Say, what's your name?"

"My name?"

"Yeah, it would be kind of helpful to actually know WHO I'm going out with," Tenten said icily. The boy nodded.

"I'm Neji. Neji Hyuuga."

"Hinata's brother?!" Tenten exclaimed. Neji laughed.

"No, her cousin. I'm in the year ahead of you, I'm a senior."

"Then why were you at the party?" Tenten asked. Neji shrugged.

"I've always been on good terms with at least one of the Uchiha. It helps to know the rich folks around here."

"Alright then, Neji-san, 7:00 on Friday it is."