Hey ppl, sorry for the long wait. Normal reasons, except for school, obviously. Depression, boredom, other things, Fiesta...etc. I'm too tired to come up with a proper author's note. Hate me for it. I've had a plot change to make this story less stupid than I think it would have been (and is.) Probably, there'll be no lemon this chapter. I'm working something new into the plot so the story'll be slightly longer. Originally (after I changed the plot), I hadn't planned to do a lemon this chapter, but guess what! LEMON THIS CHAPTER. YOU ARE WARNED.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

xxx

"Hey, Shikamaru, how're your arms?" Neji asked.

"They hurt a little, that's all."

"Can you use them?"

"I doubt it. Why?"

"I was hoping you could hold Tenten's father in place with your Kage Mane no jutsu when I enter."

"Oh. I see. Troublesome."

Hinata smiled slightly.

"Neji," Tenten said. "You're going to have to deal with my father the real way."

"Hn."

"Hey guys?" Sakura asked. "He can't be that bad, can he?"

"Oh, really?" Neji asked.

"He is an egotistical shithead," Tenten continued.

"So why did you decide to go back then, huh?!" Sakura asked angrily, turning to look at Tenten as they continued jumping from tree branch to tree branch.

"Yeah, why?" Shikamaru asked curiously. "You've been in Konoha for nearly a year."

Neji just stayed silent.

"Tenten-chan?" Hinata softly questioned, although she probably wasn't heard.

"Look, you guys, he's my family! I've lived with him my whole life! And besides, wouldn't you think I'd prefer to be a daimyo's daughter than a slave to some rich heir?" she harshly said.

Sakura looked down. Neji frowned. Shikamaru eyed the three from behind warily. Hinata hung behind with Shikamaru, opting to avoid the argument.

"Then what about your freaking career?! Would you rather be some fancy schmancy princess prancing around having to marry someone your father wants you to marry? Or stay a kunoichi which is what you wanted in the first place? You're a Jounin! We girls worked basically our entire lives to get to (and stay at) Chuunin level, so you should consider yourself lucky that you gained Tsunade-sama's trust so easily, otherwise you wouldn't even be where you are now!" Sakura spat and jumped off quicker.

Hinata stuttered, "Ano...Sakura-chan..."

She was cut off.

"Hey Sakura, you think it's fun knowing that the only reason that she trusts me is because I'm a slave, no, sex toy, to the possible future head of the biggest and most important clan in Konoha?!" Tenten shouted back.

Shikamaru looked at Neji who seemed at a loss for words. Hinata looked down meekly.

"Shikamaru-kun, c-can you st-stop the fight?" she whispered.

"It's troublesome, but unfortunately, no," he replied.

"You would THINK that I know that feeling!" Sakura yelled back. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a slave too! And Sasuke uses me in the SAME fashion!"

"Yeah but you get all the freedom you want 'cause that Uchiha brat OBVIOUSLY loves you even if you haven't seen it yet, so you have NOTHING to complain about!"

"You think I wanted to be a slave?! You think I enjoy it?!"

"You basically aren't one!"

"I've been one ever since Ino and I were kidnapped and sent here! I've grown up a slave, watching rich fancy pants spoilt princesses LIKE YOU sneer at us, and being taunted about how we're of no use to the world. OBVIOUSLY, the tables have turned!"

Hinata looked back and forth between the two. She didn't know who to support.

"RIGHT, HINATA?!" Sakura continued.

"Eep! Iie, I don't know!" she shrieked and hid her face behind her hair.

Tenten and Sakura both ignored her.

"You bitch! I don't treat my stupid servants that way!"

"Oh yeah?! You just insulted all slaves everywhere!"

"I did not! I was just saying that it sucks being one!"

"You did it again!"

"Tenten, Sakura," Neji said coldly.

He was blatantly ignored for the first time in his life.

"I was not insulting slaves! You think I'd insult myself you stupid idiot?!"

"Oh, so now you're mocking us by calling yourself, rich-bitch, a slave! Isn't that right? I thought you're a daimyo's daughter, remember?!"

"Ugh SAKURA! Come on! Geeze! Give me a fucking break!"

"You know what? I don't want to talk to you right now. If this is how you repay us for SAVING YOUR ASS, I wonder how you PUNISH your slaves!"

With that, Sakura sped off. Tenten sulked quietly, glaring at the trees in front of her. Neji and Shikamaru opted to stay far back in order to avoid the wrath of the seething kunoichi. Hinata was behind everyone.

"Neji-nii-san...what sh-should we do?" Hinata stammered nervously.

"Nothing," he firmly replied.

"H-hai," Hinata said unsurely.

There was a short silence.

"Oi, Neji...you've got a problem..." Shikamaru muttered.

"Hn."

"Honestly, I really think you shouldn't have screwed with her on her first night, you know?"

"Shut up, Nara. It's not like you and Ino don't screw around."

"Tch, troublesome...Every guy our age who is rich enough has a girl toy...I'm sure even Naruto and Hinata fool around sometimes..."

"Hn. I doubt Naruto knows enough to do so. And he wouldn't touch her."

"H-hey!" Hinata protested.

They ignored her and continued on. She puffed out her cheeks and let out a breath, sighing. She was the only level-headed girl left on the team and she was stuck with a cold bastard and a lazy ass.

"But seriously, you were harsh."

"I was teaching her the way of Konoha."

"Obviously it wasn't a great first impression. She probably wasn't too pleased with the gender inequality here as well."

"Hn."

"Well, it's not going to be pleasant dealing with two PMS-ing kunoichi slash slaves."

"Mhm. I doubt this is as trivial as a mere case of PMS."

"Yeah. Tenten was implying that being a slave sucked because it wasn't a true love relationship."

"Hn."

They continued in a stiff silence for two hours. Hinata was prodding her fingers the whole way.

"N-neji-nii-san," Hinata stammered. "Do you h-have feelings...f-for..T-"

"No."

The word was loud and harsh. If Tenten heard it, she didn't show it, apart from a slight wince.

Neji doubted she even heard the question.

"Sakura's already setting up the camp," Neji muttered, his Byakugan activated.

"Ah."

"Tenten! Stop after another 500 metres," Neji instructed.

"I'm a fucking kunoichi! No wait, your client's daughter! Don't boss me around as if I'm a slave!" Tenten yelled back, her voice wavering very slightly.

"Oh yeah? If you were a regular princessy client, you wouldn't be hopping through the trees like a kunoichi! We'd be walking!" Neji called back, starting to feel irritated.

"What the fuck did you say, Hyuuga?!" Tenten exclaimed, turning her head slightly to view him.

"Neji-nii-san!" Hinata warned softly. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to care.

"That's not princess language!"

"Well, I've been your slave for a year! It's not princely to fuck a princess on her first night, manbitch!"

"Oooh," Shikamaru whistled. "She's pissed."

Neji turned around and gave Shikamaru the full Byakugan glare. Shikamaru just looked back with an innocent lazy expression on his face.

"Don't look at me like that, women are the most troublesome things on this planet."

"Even more troublesome than having to wake up in the morning?" Neji half-heartedly joked.

"Yes. The only reason I wake up in the morning and not afternoon is because of the THINGS we call women."

"Good point."

Neji switched off his Byakugan and hopped down the tree branches to lower level ones and then to the ground, his robes and hair flapping behind him. Shikamaru hopped down nicely after that, Hinata following shortly.

Tenten was already down at a far corner of the camp area, her back turned. Sakura was at the centre, tending to the fire. Tension reigned.

Shikamaru was dying to pull at his ponytail, rub his neck, scratch his arm, do something, but he couldn't because his arms had been rendered useless. Neji sighed.

"Oh, so you're here," Sakura said in a cold voice.

"Mendokuso," Shikamaru mumbled. "Neji go talk to Tenten. We'll keep Sakura company."

"Are y-you sure? I c-could go talk to Tenten if you wanted," Hinata said.

"Hn. I'll go. I guess I sort of saw this coming."

"Mm."

Neji dumped his belongings next to a log on which Sakura was sitting, and then walked towards Tenten, calculating his moves very carefully.

"What do you want?" Tenten snapped, hiding her face.

"Nothing," Neji said truthfully.

"So leave me alone."

"No."

"Excuse me?" Tenten asked incredulously.

"I'm not leaving you alone, until you tell me why you got so riled up."

"Isn't it obvious?! Sakura was pestering me!"

"All she did was ask why you chose to leave," Neji murmured, putting his hands on her shoulders and forcing her to look at him.

"You know what, Neji? I'll tell you why I left. I was SICK of everything there. I wanted my old life back! Do you know how much it sucks being a slave? Of 

course you don't! You were my master. I guess you felt all high and mighty because of that, huh? Well, too bad, mister, I'm not going back to being a slave when I have the choice of being a princess!"

"You know what, Tenten? That is really selfish."

"Don't you lecture me on selfishness, you stupid asshole! You're such a hypocrite! You think you're not selfish? What about all the times I was forced to be your fuck toy just so you could let your emotions out because of a bad mission or something?! Didn't you care about my feelings?! Didn't you stop to THINK?! Of course not, so don't you dare lecture ME about being selfish," Tenten screamed and stomped off into the forest.

"AND I can make my OWN way back home!" she yelled, making him cringe.

"Fucking shit man," Neji growled under his breath. He then yelled, "Tenten, wait. Shikamaru needs to be treated at your place!"

"Tell Sakura that she can do it since she's worked SO hard to become a Chuunin under TSUNADE'S command!"

"Fine, Tenten, FINE! You can have your old life back for all I care. I just need to complete this mission, and in order for that to happen, we need to deliver you back to your fucking father," Neji said in a loud, cold voice.

"Stop insulting him! He's your client! And my father!" Tenten said angrily, turning around and walking back.

"Oh yeah? Why wouldn't I? He treats you like shit, Tenten. He's the person who made you a slave in the first place," Neji said, his tone unidentifiable. It was cold and came like a slap to Tenten, and yet it sounded like he was remorseful.

"What would you care about how I felt of my father's way of treating me, huh?"

"I shouldn't have even bothered," he muttered.

With that, Neji turned around and started to walk back to the camp. As he did so, he could have sworn that he saw a tear slip down Tenten's cheek.

He ignored it.

He heard Tenten fail at muffling a sob.

He ignored it. He wasn't one to accept weakness in any form.

He walked over to a log and sat down slowly, his facial expression blank.

Shikamaru sighed.

"I'm assuming things didn't go well?"

Neji sighed. "She's crying. She'll get over it."

"Way to go, Hyuuga," Sakura muttered, still looking a little pissed.

"Sakura, forget it," Neji said in a cold, insistent voice.

"Whatever..."

"N-neji-nii-san? I'll go check on her..." Hinata whispered.

"Your choice."

"Mendokuso..." Shikamaru muttered, lying back on the log and looking at the night sky.

Ten minutes of tense silence passed.

"I'm going to bed," Sakura suddenly said, pulling out her sleeping bag.

Tenten slunk back into the camping area and wordlessly set up her sleeping stuff near the far edge of the camp. Hinata came shortly after, smiling a little. She walked back and sat on a log.

Tenten lay down and turned her back to the four others.

"Tenten will cooperate for this mission," Neji muttered. "Right, Hinata?"

"H-hai."

"Ah. So who gets first watch?" Shikamaru replied. "No one set up any traps."

Neji sighed. "That's usually Tenten's job."

"I see. I'm not tired yet. I'll take first shift."

"Hn."

Neji slowly stood up and set up his sleeping equipment and went to sleep.

"Goodnight Neji-nii-san, Shikamaru-kun."

"Troublesome..."

XXX

"Rise and shine everyone!" Sakura yelled in a screechy voice, waking up Shikamaru.

Neji was already awake and staring at the sky. Tenten was just ignoring everything. Hinata was busying herself with something.

"Ugh you didn't have to say it so loudly," Tenten complained, sitting up.

"Shut up, hag," Sakura snapped back, frowning.

Her hair was tousled and she looked like she'd had a rough night. Tenten had dark purple circles under her eyes and her hair was completely tangled. Both girls looked as if they wanted to be in completely different positions. Hinata on the other hand looked radiant.

"Neji," Shikamaru muttered as soon as he had stretched. "Please don't say anything to provoke them."

"Hn."

They sat around a log eating some onigiri that Sakura had in her pack. It was cold, and did nothing to soothe either kunoichi's mood. Hinata was 

smiling, pretending to be oblivious to the tense air. She had tried to clear things up in the conversation that they'd had the previous night.

-Flashback-

"Ano, Tenten-chan?" Hinata softly asked.

She was sitting on a rock crying softly.

"Y-yeah, Hinata?"

She sat down and put an arm around Tenten.

"Nothing. I j-just thought I might tell you about some things."

"I see."

They sat in silence for a short while. Tenten's silent sobs subsided.

"Sakura was raped too, you know?" Hinata suddenly said.

"What?" Tenten asked slowly. "She was?"

"Yeah. When she was 6 and was first bought as a slave."

"Oh my god, was she alright?"

"N-now she is," Hinata said remorsefully, looking down.

"Who was it?" Tenten asked curiously.

"One of Sasuke-san's older cousins."

Tenten nodded mutely. There was a pregnant pause.

"I...I'm sorry...She had it a lot worse than me..."

"Yeah, she did," Hinata agreed. "P-please understand."

"H...Hai..." Tenten hesitantly murmured.

Hinata stood up and walked off slowly, after making sure she was alright. Tenten wiped her face, pulling at her cheeks.

-End Flashback-

"I hate this," Tenten muttered. "Can we go yet?"

"Yeah," Neji replied, eyeing her concernedly.

"Hey, Hyuuga, how long is it going to take to get to the daimyo's place?" Sakura asked.

"Haruno, it will take at least another five hours," Neji replied in a stern voice.

"How long are you guys going to stay?" Tenten asked as casually as possible, avoiding looking at Neji and Sakura.

She felt uncomfortable after her last conversation with Neji went spiralling down the drain. The information she'd gained from Hinata hadn't made her feel better either.

"As long as it takes for Shikamaru's arms to get healed," Sakura replied grudgingly.

"Okay. I'll have them prepare rooms for you when we get there," Tenten hollowly murmured, as nicely as possible, feeling bad.

"Let's go."

XXX

"Fu Qin! Wo hui jia le!" Tenten yelled. She then slowly walked up a flight of stairs presumably to her bedroom.

A girl who looked slightly younger ran out, a look of glee on her face. Sakura looked pissed off, Shikamaru looked weirded out, and Neji looked uncomfortable. Hinata was smiling as best as possible, trying not to notice the angry aura that Sakura was exuding.

"Oh my gosh, was that just Tenten?!" she squealed.

"Yeah, it was," Sakura muttered coldly.

"Oh my gosh thank you so much for bringing her back!" the girl squeaked.

Neji cleared his throat. "We are the ninja from Konoha that Tsunade-sama sent. We would like to meet with Tenten-san's father."

It sounded too formal.

"Oh! My apologies!" the girl hastily said. "I'm Fuki. Heey! I know both of you! You're the pink haired person who was in the room at that time! And oh my gosh! You're the person who punched Fuji-sama! Eep! Gomen Gomen!"

Sakura had a vein popping in her forehead. Neji looked disgruntled. Shikamaru looked amused. Hinata was prodding her fingers nervously, knowing that it probably wasn't a wise thing to bring up.

"My name is Hyuuga Neji. These are Hyuuga Hinata, Haruno Sakura, and Nara Shikamaru. Actually, we need some medical help for Shikamaru right away. His arms were rendered useless by poisonous chakra. Sakura will help you. She's a very experienced medic."

"Of course! Please come this way! I will arrange for your meeting with Fuji-sama shortly."

"Arigato," Neji stiffly replied.

The four mutely followed the hyper girl who was busy chatting about her experiences with Tenten jovially, and seemed not to notice that none of them were actually paying attention, nor did she notice that they didn't seem to want to care.

"And this is the medical facility! Please enter!"

"Hai."

They walked in slowly, taking in the large room that resembled a lab. Medics were working at desks.

Neji noticed that all of them were men.

"Ano, Fuki-san, how come there are no female nurses here?" Sakura casually asked.

It seemed that she had also picked up on the fact.

"Females are forbidden to become kunoichi," Fuki whispered.

Sakura nodded slowly, her doubt having been confirmed. Shikamaru flicked his eyes over to the girl briefly. Neji eyed her dubiously. Hinata looked down sadly.

"Shikamaru-san, Sakura-san, please wait over there for a few minutes. Someone shall come to assist you immediately," Fuki said, pointing out an area. "Hinata-san, Neji-san, I shall take you to some guest rooms. Please prepare yourself for your meeting. Fuji-sama is currently busy."

"Of course," Neji muttered, Hinata nodding.

Neji obviously wanted to spend as little time as possible in the mansion, seeing as there would definitely be a tense air judging by the fact that he had injured the man in charge.

Then again, after he left, he probably would not be seeing Tenten again, so that made him want to stay longer. He had grown attached to her over the past year, she having been by his side the whole time. He certainly could not imagine himself with a different slave, no matter how many times he had fooled around with many of his fangirls before. It would just feel…odd.

It would feel…

Wrong.

Neji entered his assigned guest room. Hinata entered the one next to him. There were two neatly made beds in the large room. Presumably, Shikamaru was to room with him and Sakura with Hinata.

"You shall meet Fuji-sama for dinner in two hours. There is a bathroom attached, if you need it," Fuki said, and left. "He is extremely grateful for you bringing back his daughter."

Neji sighed and set about to cleaning himself up. He mentally prepared himself for the harsh conversation about to take place. Walking over to the closet, he found two sets of hakama and haori hung neatly.

"Formal, huh," Neji muttered.

He took one set and walked over to the bathroom, noting the expensive material.

"Tenten…I wonder…" he murmured.

He shook his head and closed the bathroom door, locking it.

XXX

"Tenten-chan! You're back!" Fuki exclaimed, running into the room.

Tenten slowly turned around, as if the energy had been drained from her. She sighed wistfully, swiveling on the edge of her bed to get into a better position to talk.

"Yeah…I guess," she murmured, absentmindedly picking at her bathrobe.

"This is going to be so great! You don't know how much I missed you!" Fuki squealed, hugging her. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

"Yeah. Me too."

"Well? Aren't you going to get ready for dinner with your father?" Fuki asked.

Tenten sighed. "Yeah."

"Hey, Tenten, what's the matter?" Fuki asked softly, pushing her long brown hair behind her ears.

"Nothing," Tenten said, forcing a smile on her face.

She knew Fuki knew she was lying, but she also knew that Fuki knew her long enough not to pester.

Fuki sighed. "I guess you'll tell me if you have to, right?"

"Mm," Tenten hummed.

"Come on, I'll help you get dressed. Your father is holding a dinner for your return."

"I know," Tenten murmured.

"The pink haired girl Sakura is helping heal Shikamaru. We believe that he should be alright by latest tomorrow. He may attend dinner if he pleases. Does he need someone to feed him?"

"No he should be alright. He can pick up the food with chakra."

"Okay. Come with me," Fuki prompted, pulling Tenten's arm.

She dragged her to her closet. "Tenten, your white kimono is in the wash, since it was crumpled in your backpack."

"Okay. I'll just wear this green one then," she replied, pulling out an earth green coloured kimono.

"Nice choice. It's not too fancy either," Fuki muttered.

Sighing, Tenten slipped off her bathrobe and pulled on some comfortable panties. She didn't feel uncomfortable with Fuki in the room; they'd known each other since she was five.

"Here," Fuki said, helping her slip the green patterned kimono over her bare top.

"How formal is this dinner?" Tenten asked curiously.

"It is quite important. I am not too sure though," she replied. "Tenten, please don't speak Chinese in front of your father though. You know how he prefers Japanese."

Tenten sighed. "I know. I don't want to disappoint him. Just tie the Maru obi style."

"B…But Tenten! You hate that style! It's the most formal! Don't you usually wear it the normal way?"

"Just tie it," Tenten insisted.

Fuki looked at her oddly. "I hope you haven't changed, Tenten…"

"I haven't!" Tenten assured her. "I just wish to impress my father!"

"Whatever you say," Fuki said, teasing slightly. "What about Hyuuga Neji-san? I thought he was your master."

Tenten ignored the teasing tone.

"Yeah, he was," she said in a hard voice.

If Fuki noticed Tenten's odd behaviour, she didn't comment on it.

"There, all done," she said.

"Thanks Fuki. Can you put on my makeup for me please?"

"Makeup?! But…you hate makeup!"

Tenten sighed once more, impatiently. "Just hurry up…"

"H…Hai…" Fuki replied unsurely, and set about applying makeup onto Tenten's face after she sat down.

XXX

"Neji."

"Hn, Shikamaru," Neji said, opening his eyes from meditation. "Have they healed your arms?"

"Not completely," Shikamaru replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I can move them, just not well enough. The poison's mostly gone."

"Hm," Neji said, nodding slightly. He closed his eyes once more. "Get ready for dinner. There is some formal clothing in the closet."

"…Troublesome…" Shikamaru muttered, picking up the clothes with a little difficulty.

"We have half an hour left," Neji stated.

"Ah," Shikamaru replied, walking into the bathroom.

As soon as Shikamaru had started running the water, Neji stood up, brushing off his outfit. Slowly, he walked to the balcony and opened the doors, looking down at the courtyard in the middle of the square compound.

He knew that he was currently located in the west wing. He observed the different sides, all ornately decorated. The buildings were all four floors high. He breathed in, calming himself before the dinner. He smelt the crisp air, observed the twilight sky, and watched as birds flapped their wings and flew from trees when a gust of wind swept, blowing his loose hair about.

Suddenly, a balcony door opened, in the east wing, directly opposite to where he was standing. Out stepped a girl he couldn't recognize, dressed in an earth green kimono.

Her straight hair was loose, waving slightly in the breeze. He could tell her face was heavily made up. Two dangly earrings glinted as they swung.

Neji narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. The girl made no move to show that she was startled by his appearance.

Her gaze bore into him. He stared back, entranced slightly.

Almost as if she had gotten bored, the girl slowly turned away, and walked back into her room, shutting her balcony door without so much as a second glance.

Sighing, Neji walked back inside, massaging his temples. He brushed his long hair one last time and tied it in a tight ponytail at the nape of his neck. Shikamaru walked out, fully dressed in the extremely formal attire.

"Let us go downstairs."

"Indeed."

XXX

The two walked outside to meet Sakura and Hinata, both of whom were dressed in kimono. Hinata was wearing a dark purple one and Sakura was wearing a dark blue one. Both of them had white obi. Neji and Shikamaru were dressed similarly as well, Neji in a grey, blue and black outfit and Shikamaru in a grey, green and black outfit.

"Kombanwa, Neji-nii-san, Shikamaru-kun."

They nodded.

"Have either of you seen Tenten since she came back?"

"No," Hinata said, shaking her head.

"I wonder why she left like that, though," Sakura wondered aloud, her bad mood having passed.

"She probably wanted to avoid her father," Shikamaru stated.

"Well then, let us go to dinner. We cannot afford to be late," Neji impassively said.

"You're just worried that you're going to leave a worse impression than last time, aren't you?" Shikamaru lazily asked.

He smirked once he saw Neji stiffen.

"Come on," he stiffly replied, heading towards the staircase.

They walked downstairs slowly. As soon as they made it down, two maids escorted them through the beautiful, rich palace, and into the main dining hall. A large table for six had been set.

"Fuji-sama shall be here shortly," one of the maids informed them.

The four nodded, and sat at the four middle seats. Neji sat to the south of the table, as far away from the head as possible, and Hinata sat opposite him. Sakura sat next to Hinata. Shikamaru took the spot to the right of the head of the table.

There was at least an arm's length of space between each person's spot. The four sat in uncomfortable silence until someone opened the grand doors that lead to the dining room.

"Fuji-sama," all the maids present said, and bowed down. The four rose.

Perched on the man's left arm was the lady Neji had observed previously. Her hair was now pinned in a tight bun. He could now clearly see the dark red rouge smeared on her lips, and the dark eyeliner that rimmed her deep brown eyes.

Tenten?!

"Thank you for coming to dinner. Please take a seat," the daimyo said.

He lead the girl to her seat opposite him and she sat gracefully. The daimyo took his spot.

Neji felt an odd knot twist in his stomach as the girl sat next to him. Hinata looked awestruck.

"I thank you all dearly for bringing back my daughter, Tenten," the daimyo said, pointing at the girl.

Neji closed his eyes. Slowly, he looked at her with a pained expression on his face. This was not the Tenten he knew. The Tenten he knew would never touch makeup, would never willingly wear anything formal, and would never suck up to her father.

"Please, introduce yourselves," the daimyo started, looking at each one of them carefully. "Tsunade-hime had no time to do so, I would imagine."

His expression froze once he reached Neji. He cleared his throat. Neji uncomfortably stood up, bowed his head, and started to talk, all the while aware of everyone's gaze on him. Especially Tenten's.

"Good evening, Fuji-sama. My name is Hyuuga Neji and I am the leader of the team before you. This is Nara Shikamaru, Haruno Sakura, and Hyuuga Hinata. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Neji sat down. Shikamaru looked bored. Hinata looked a little nervous. Sakura was still staring at Tenten's attire in awe.

"Ah, I believe we met before in the previous mission," the daimyo said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Neji bristled slightly and Shikamaru kicked his foot lightly under the table. Neji calmed down and spoke in as pleasant a fake voice as possible.

"Yes, I believe we have. That mission was to exterminate your rival who was plotting wrongly."

"Indeed," the daimyo replied, taking a sip of his water. Maids had filled in their cups.

Tenten elegantly picked her cup up, and starting tracing the rim.

"I believe that that was the mission in which my onee-chan was caught in the crossfire," Tenten said remorsefully, although everyone except her father could tell it was fake. "Hyuuga-san here was so emotional at the time, daddy…I have no idea what came over him…"

Neji felt like slapping Tenten for saying that. He did not understand why she was being so cruel. He stared at her, willing her to look at him, but she didn't, and instead ignored him, her lips curling into a smile.

Hinata looked worried and confused. Sakura looked like she was ready to bitch slap Tenten, and Shikamaru was looking at her, his eyes wider than normal.

Her father sighed.

"Yes, unfortunately. The circumstances in which we met last time, Hyuuga-san, were not the ideal ones, certainly. As you must know, Tenten is the only real remaining family member I have."

Neji had to bite his tongue to stop from lashing out at the daimyo. The only reason he wanted Tenten back was so that he could use her as his heir.

Maids brought in the entrée. Miso soup and ginko nuts were revealed from underneath the covers.

"Fuji-sama, I have one thing to ask you," Neji started.

"Go ahead," the daimyo replied, looking over at him distastefully.

"If this is not too inquisitive, I was wondering why you sent your daughter, Tenten-san, to Konoha, as a slave."

Tenten sat up immediately, staring accusingly at Neji, her mouth curving downwards into a pout.

The daimyo smiled, as if totally at ease. "It was a mere misunderstanding, my dear boy. Our family went through a rough patch with Tenten's passed sister."

Neji furrowed his brows, not willing to accept the answer.

"I see."

"Tenten, I must know. I apologize for my irrational decision, almost a year ago. I hope you will forgive me for it. It is now a thing of the past, yes?"

"Of course, father," Tenten said, smiling brightly.

Sakura nearly gave herself a whiplash by the sudden way she snapped her head to look at Tenten. She could have been imagining it, but she saw a ghost of tears cloud Tenten's eyes as she grinned. Hinata was looking down into her bowl.

"Well then, pray tell me who your…adoptive, family was," the daimyo said.

"O-tou-sama, the family I was staying with was Clan Hyuuga."

The daimyo looked slightly taken aback.

"You mean the same clan that Neji-san and Hinata-san are from?"

"Hai, O-tou-sama," Tenten said, seeming to enjoy herself.

Neji nodded, closing his eyes, bracing himself. Hinata looked down.

Sakura bit her lip. Shikamaru looked at the ceiling, observing the hanging lights the lit up the room brightly.

"And who was your chosen master?" Fuji continued, an unidentifiable undertone to his voice.

"Hyuuga Neji-san," Tenten simply said, smiling coyly at him.

Neji cringed.

The daimyo visibly tensed, and forced himself to relax. He put on a fake smile, and spoke to his teeth.

"I see. What a coincidence! I hope the two of you didn't do anything inappropriate," the daimyo said, chuckling towards the end.

The joke didn't really work. Sakura chuckled faintly.

"Of course not, daddy. Why would you think such a thing?" Tenten said in a sweet voice.

A couple of them chuckled uneasily.

The tense air tripled.

The rest of the dinner was eaten in an uncomfortable silence, save for the occasional polite banter.

XXX

Neji was out alone, walking through the palace gardens surrounding it. He wasn't walking aimlessly. He was looking for someone. More specifically, Tenten. He had been searching for her after dinner, once he saw her leave.

He intended to talk to her.

Of course, he could just use his natural talent, the Byakugan, but that would ruin the purpose of appreciating the fresh, cool night air and the beautiful gardens.

Suddenly, he spotted a figure disappear around the corner. He could tell it was a female by the dress. Hurrying, he jogged to catch up.

Of course, she had noticed him. She kept walking fast, Neji behind her, until she reached a small pond with two benches nearby.

Without warning, she swiveled around. "What do you want, Neji?"

"Tenten, we need to talk," he said in a cold voice.

"About what? Didn't you tell me enough yesterday?" she snapped.

"You're not yourself, Tenten," Neji softly said, willing her to look into his eyes.

She was stubbornly looking elsewhere. She turned and captured him in her brilliant, dark, unwavering gaze.

"Oh? And you would know?" she asked snidely.

"Don't give me that attitude, Tenten," Neji said, roughly grabbing her arms.

She wriggled out of his grasp, and glared at him.

"What is wrong with you?!" she yelled softly.

"I think I should be the one asking you that," he coolly replied.

"Look, Neji, I don't know what you are talking about."

"Yes, you do. What is all this, why are you sucking up to your goddamn father?!"

"I am not, Neji, okay? So leave me alone!"

"I will not leave you alone until you explain yourself," Neji firmly said.

Tenten glared at him and then pushed passed him, walking briskly away. Neji closed his eyes, sighing in defeat.

"Tenten," he called.

"Shut up."

He muttered profanities under his breath and started chasing after her. She heard him and starting running as best as she could in the cumbersome dress. Maids stared bewilderedly after the two.

"Tenten, wait!" Neji called, running up the stairs after her.

"Just leave me alone!" she shrieked, her tone wavering, and continued running.

Neji realized she was crying. He continued chasing her, gaining ground easily.

Knowing she had lost, Tenten slumped up against the wall next to her bedroom, sobbing softly.

"Neji, just…go, please?"

"No."

Neji pulled her close and dragged her into her room, shutting and locking the door behind them.

"Tell me why you're doing this, Tenten," Neji demanded in a blank voice.

"Look, Neji…My father deserves better, okay? He…He lost my mother because…she wanted to be a kunoichi…He lost me the same way…and finally, he lost my sister, because of me…It's the least I can do to support him…" Tenten said through sobs.

"At your expense?" Neji asked, his eyes softening.

"Yes, okay? Now I'd like to be left alone," she muttered, pushing against his chest.

He didn't back off. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, resting his chin on her head.

She protested, pushing against him.

"Neji! Let go of me!" she insisted, only to be slammed back first against the wall. She 'eep'ed.

"Ne-"

She was rudely cut off by Neji's lips roughly claiming hers, forcing her further back against the wall. Neji pressed himself harshly against her, hurting her slightly.

He could taste the salty tears in the kiss, and oddly, that made him attack more fiercely.

Tenten didn't hesitate any longer and kissed him back, full force. He bit her lower lip many times, making her draw in breaths of pain occasionally. He tugged at her hair, pulling it loose, and started to run his fingers through it. Tenten had already managed to snap his hair tie and was twisting her slim fingers through it, possibly knotting it.

"Ow Tenten," Neji growled, not enjoying the feeling of his hair being yanked.

In the action, her dress slowly slid down her shoulders. Neji noticing this nipped her ear and kissed down past her jaw and neck to her clavicle. Her breaths came short and fast, the blood rushing through her veins.

"Ne…ji…what are you doing?" she gasped out, as he nibbled skin, going down her neck. He knew he had reached a tender spot once he felt her jerk under him. He bit that spot hard, causing her to hiss in pain. He kissed it, sucking on it, willing the blood vessels under the skin to pop.

He pulled away, leaving a red mark, and kissed Tenten fiercely once more, still biting her lips. He drew away for breath. He rested his head on her shoulder, and started nibbling on her earlobe, causing her breath to hitch.

"How…expensive is this dress?" he whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver once again, still teasingly biting down on her earlobe.

She was finding it hard to concentrate, as she answered, "I…don't know…not…very, I guess…"

"Good," Neji murmured lightly, his lips barely touching hers, and took out a kunai hidden in his sleeve and sliced through the tight obi before she could even realized what had happened.

"Neji!" she exclaimed, but was silenced by Neji kissing her and then attacking her with his tongue.

Her lips reflexively parted and he plunged inside, delving his tongue inside her mouth, allowing him to enjoy her sweet taste as their tongues fought for dominance.

Suddenly, she felt herself being hoisted up and her back slam into the wall, forcing her to wrap her legs around Neji's midriff, for fear of falling down. She broke off the kiss, looking down to see Neji's strong hands holding her by the waist, the bottom half of the kimono completely sliced off.

Neji had chucked the kunai to the far side of the room. All Tenten was left with was a loose top that was slowly slipping down her shoulders.

"Neji…wha?" Tenten asked dazedly.

He merely responded by kissing her more intensely and forcing her down his body a little, making sure she rubbed against his groin. He could feel her heat through his pants.

Releasing her tight grip on his shoulders, having realized that Neji was supporting her, she broke the kiss again, gasping for air, and rid Neji of his haori, nearly losing her balance while doing so. She pressed her cool hands against his hard chest, and they continued from where they had left off.

Neji started nipping her neck once again, avoiding the area with the beautiful red hickey. She threw her head back as far as it would go, giving Neji more access to bare skin. She panted, massaging his shoulders, raking her nails across his pale skin occasionally, causing him to growl and bite down harder. Her legs tightened around him, squeezing him hard, making him draw in a sharp breath.

"Tenten," he murmured, rubbing his hands up and down her thighs, continuing to play with her neck with his mouth.

She stretched upwards, unintentionally rubbing her chest against his. Neji smirked. He could feel her perk nipples through the material of her dress.

Kissing her softly, so as to distract her, he slowly wound his hands up her midriff, making her shiver. She pulled away from the kiss suddenly, and looked down. Neji coaxed her into kissing him again by pressing his lips to the side of her mouth. Once he was sure she was completely into it, he pushed his hands further up, massaging her flat, toned stomach. She didn't jerk away this time. He pushed harder against the wall, making sure she wouldn't fall down. Her arms were gripping his shoulders hard enough to make them bruise and her legs were wound around him so tightly that he doubted his removing the support from her waist would make a difference.

Tenten pulled away with a smack, and buried her face in his neck, kissing just where his pulse was. He continued upwards and brushed his fingers against the bottoms of her breasts, causing her to shiver. He moved further up, and cupped them, causing her to tighten her legs even more. Without warning, he squeezed them simultaneously, which made her bite down hard on the spot she was kissing. He hissed in pain, and continued his ministrations. Tenten kissed up his neck slowly, winding her arms around his neck, letting go of his shoulders. She placed her hands behind his head, grasping bunches of his soft, silky hair, and tilted it slowly so that she could have better access to the smooth skin under his ear.

Neji lifted the thin, expensive material of her shirt up as Tenten nibbled on his flesh, pulling his skin. She, realizing what he wanted to do helped him remove the shirt completely, and went back to making love bites down his neck.

Neji felt his pants tighten tenfold as he eyed her round, full breasts, exposed fully, her pale skin glowing in the moonlight that seeped into the room. His eyes clouded over with lust as he saw her perk, pink nipples. He almost thought they were teasing him, waiting to be fondled.

Slowly, he tilted his face back and captured her lips once more. He started massaging her breasts once again, occasionally pinching her nipples, causing her to bite his lower lip or suck in her breath. His lips were moving in sync with hers, and with the rhythm he had established with his hands 

and fingers. Tenten massaged his shoulders, rubbing in the same circular motion he was.

This time, it was Neji who pulled away from the kiss first. Without warning, he plunged his head down and started kissing the skin between her neck and her shoulders. The only thing she could do was fondle his head, almost lovingly wrapping her arms around it, playing with his hair, as he pleasured her.

He moved his lips down and kissed the top of her breasts, still massaging them with his hands. The feel of his cool mouth against her bare skin was enough to make her go warm and fuzzy on the inside. She closed her eyes and leaned back as far as possible, almost arching into him, giving him better access to her normally private skin.

Slowly he kissed and licked down the valley of her breasts, occasionally nibbling at places, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. He kept kissing around them, avoiding the centre, teasing her on purpose.

"Neji," she hissed, urging him to get a move on.

She felt him smirk against her skin. Suddenly, without giving her much of a chance to react, he bit down really hard on her right nipple, causing her to squeak in pain, making her arch against him further. He sucked on the spot for a short time, making Tenten pant even more.

She could feel herself; she was wet already. Her panties felt incredibly hot to her, especially when she was pressed right up against his groin.

Leaving a trail of kisses, he moved his head to her other breast, and he could feel Tenten tense up, waiting. Smirking again, he kissed around, teasing her. He could tell she was getting impatient by the way she impatiently adjusted herself in his hold. He knew her back would bruise the next day, judging by the way he slammed her against the wall.

Abruptly, he bit down hard again, causing her to jerk and hiss in pain. He ministered in the same way he had her other breast, licking it and squeezing it between his teeth.

Having had enough, she yanked him up by the hair, capturing his lips with hers once more. She was starting to sweat a little, her body temperature having gone up a lot, coupled with his body heat.

"That…hurt Tenten," Neji growled between the vicious kisses.

Tenten ignored him and started pulling at his pants, aiming to yank them down. Realizing what she was doing, he pushed her up so her legs were around his waist, her core pushing against his belly button. He could feel the damp cloth on his skin, as he moved to strip off. He was now left in only his tight boxers. He slid her down once more, so her head level was slightly under his.

"Ne…ji," Tenten panted, as she hugged him, his hard chest pressing into hers, "If my…father…finds out…"

"He won't," Neji growled in a low voice, and kissed her roughly, wrapping his arms around her chest pulling her as close as possible.

"What if…?"

"He won't Tenten," Neji hissed.

"…Fine…"

Suddenly, Neji pulled away from the wall, carrying Tenten with him. She squeaked, surprised. Neji sat her down on the bed and kneeled over her, kissing her. She moved back until there was enough space for both of them to fit comfortably on.

She raked her fingers through his hair, dragging her nails across his back. Her legs were still wrapped around him, causing his mind to go crazy because of the wonderful heat coming from trapped between her toned, shapely thighs. His member was throbbing, needing some space to release.

Without giving Neji any warning, she, using all her strength, flipped them over so she was on top. He stared at her, taken aback. Smirking, she pressed her lips against his, as if comforting him for his loss of domination.

She turned around so her butt was towards his face, managing to receive a small, sharp breath from Neji. She crawled forward, massaging his toned, rock hard stomach as she made her way to his centre. Bending down, sticking her ass up, she pulled on the waistband of the boxers with her teeth, successfully ripping them off.

It wasn't only Neji's throat that had constricted. His whole body was frozen in anticipation, and he could only numbly watch as she rid him of all his dignity. How we wished he could snap the thin cotton panties that so accentuated the curve of her full bottom…

Tenten's eyes clouded over with lust as Neji's throbbing, erect manhood was revealed. Bending down further, she lightly brushed her lips above his most sensitive area, making his stomach tighten in a twisted knot. She placed feather light kisses down, pressing against the sides all the while, until she reached his tip.

He hissed, clutching the bed sheets tightly, shutting his eyes, as she teasingly nibbled on his tip.

"Tenten…" he groaned, itching for her to do something more.

She looked up, and turned in a catlike fashion, her breasts pushing together. Looking at him through half-lidded eyes, her long eyelashes winking at him, she murmured in an innocent voice, "Mm, Neji?"

He could have sworn he felt his body temperature triple, and his heart do a backflip.

Tenten, hearing no answer, smirked, turning back around, and continued her ministrations, making Neji wanted to explode then and there.

Finally, much to Neji's pleasure, she bit down hard on his tip, causing him to bite his tongue in order to stop himself from shrieking out loud. She continued applying pressure, raking her teeth up and down.

"Ten…ten…" Neji breathed, gripping the sheets even more tightly.

Smiling, she placed her whole mouth over his tip, and plunged downwards, allowing the heat from her mouth to warm his member. Neji sighed, watching Tenten's head bob up and down.

Neji would have killed to explode into her mouth just then and there, but he wanted to prolong the sweet evening. In order to stop her from continuing, he pulled her back by her panties, and snapped them, causing them to slap back against her skin, making it sting. She hissed slightly, turning around, only to witness Neji pulling down her panties with his teeth, much like she had done with his.

Now that her hot, wet opening was fully exposed, she turned around, sitting quietly on his stomach, almost as if waiting for Neji to do something. However, she teased him just slightly, by sliding down slightly, stopping just above him.

In a flash, almost as if he was using his ninja reflexes, Neji had sat up and claimed her lips. She was sitting with her legs parted, with him sitting between her thighs.

Slowly, almost cunningly, Neji slid his fingers down, and massaged her nether regions, causing her to break off the kiss. Not allowing her to watch him, he cupped her chin and forced her to kiss him. Once she was distracted, he pushed his hand further down, causing her to jerk away whenever he touched a sensitive spot. Once he found the lovely nub of nerves known as her clitoris, he smirked into the kiss and squeezed against it, allowing some of her juices to seep through his fingers.

She moaned in pleasure, giving up on the kiss and resting her chin on his shoulder, idly nibbling a spot on his neck. He continued rubbing his fingers up and down her folds, collecting more juices.

Finally, he went as far down as possible, and located her opening. She bit down on his flesh, suppressing the moan rising in her throat. Her stomach was knotting and convoluting all at once, butterflies swarming, causing her to feel hot and tingly at the same time.

Gently, he pushed his finger in, causing her to moan loudly. He could feel his eyes clouding over as he felt her hot, juicy, wet caverns close in around his finger, the muscles reacting to the foreign object. Slowly, he pulled his finger out, and pushed it in again.

In and out in the same rhythm. Tenten arched back, putting her arms behind her to steady herself as she allowed Neji to continue pleasuring her in such a fantastic way. Her breathing became erratic once again. Neji had established a rhythm, occasionally going further back, causing her to arch reflexively, his eyes glued on her round breasts as they bounced when she moved.

Abruptly, Neji shoved two more fingers in and started jabbing faster, causing her to widen her eyes in shock. She couldn't stop the scream that rose in her throat. Neji ploughed on, finally sticking one more finger in, some of her juices spilling onto the bed just under his crotch.

"Nejiii!" she shrieked.

Once he was satisfied, he pulled out his fingers, and allowed her to catch her breath while he licked up every drop off his fingers, not allowing any to go to waste. Once he was through, he forced his smeared lips onto hers, pushing her down onto the bed so he was kneeling over her, her knees up, her legs spread wide apart and inviting.

He forced his tongue inside her mouth, allowing her to taste herself. They kissed and kissed, their bodies on fire, their cores aching to properly release. They had had enough foreplay.

Neji pressed down on her shoulders, looking deep into her eyes as he positioned himself above her opening. She smiled, showing him that she was ready.

Neji lowered himself, entering her slowly, making her breath hitch in her throat. He let out a low growl, and pushed as far back as possible. Tenten's eyes were screwed shut, her breathing shallow, as she got used to his size, her muscles adjusting around him.

Neji waited patiently, looking at her face adoringly. He kissed her forehead softly, wrapping his arms protectively around her small shoulders, pressing his chest up against hers.

"I'm…ready," she breathed.

Neji nodded and let her go. He steadied himself on the bed mattress, and slowly moved up and down, establishing a rhythm. She moaned softly, closing her eyes as if to savour the moment. His mind was fuzzy. The only thing that registered was the wonderful feeling of being inside this hot, wet place.

The wonderful feeling of being inside her.

They picked up the pace, slowly, going faster and faster, accelerating. Tenten's low moans turned into muffled shrieks, her breaths coming faster and faster, Neji's low growls turning into sharp groans. Tenten grasped the hair behind his ears tighter and tighter, causing him to grunt in pain. He thrust into her faster and faster, making sure Tenten could keep up with him. He could feel her muscles clenching more and more with each push, and it only made him want to go further.

Using a lot of his strength, he ploughed as far back as he could, managing to push past a nerve ending, eliciting a high pitched scream from his partner.

"Nejiii!" Tenten gasped, screwing her eyes shut.

Neji could feel his crotch tightening with each shove, groaning and grunting as he pushed on tirelessly. Their bodies were drenched in sweat, the light from the moon making them glimmer beautifully.

Neji pushed on, going further back than he originally could, making Tenten scream almost every single time, causing her muscles to squeeze painfully around him which in turn made him growl in pleasure.

Their stomachs were wound into tight knots, getting tighter by the second. Her breaths were coming out dry and short, his panting getting louder. He knew that they were both about to climax, judging by the way her muscles tightened even more around him, so he kept pushing on, not willing to stop before it happened.

Tenten could barely register what was happening. Her body was in so much pleasure that she could barely keep up with Neji's speed. Stars danced in her eyes when Neji hit sensitive spots. She hadn't felt this good in a long time. She could feel her stomach clenching, like a spring being forced down past its limits, being held in place right before its release. Tenten knew it was going to be over soon, so she continued on, matching Neji's rhythm. She could feel his length throbbing inside of her. She was grateful, for she had very little energy left.

Using all his strength, Neji propelled himself one last time into her, subsequently exploding into her, at the same time as her muscles relaxed all at once, both of them climaxing at the same time, their juices mixing inside of her and spilling out, dripping down her labia. Neji held his position for as long as he could, before pulling out and collapsing on top of her, crushing her underneath him.

Neji somehow managed to roll off of her, and they lay in silence, their erratic breathing slowing down. Tenten rolled closer to Neji, pulling the blanket over them. Neji wrapped his arms around her, placing his chin 

above her head, her face buried in his chest, her lips touching his skin. He bent his chin down, placing his cool lips against her forehead.

They fell asleep, their legs tangled together and in the sheets.

XXX

THAT'S ALL FOLKS, 9000 WORDS! MY RECORD! BE HAPPY PPL!

This is my gift to you for making you wait so long!! The lemon itself was actually 3172 words, lol.

PLEASE REVIEW.

And I apologize for the EXTREMELY long wait (as usual) .

REVIEW!

Ja ne, SnAS! X)