Basic Info: (updated 08/10/10)

Title: The Fine Line Between love and Hate

Genre: Romance, Drama and Humor.

Rating: T, (It might sometimes, in the future go a bit over that, but nothing major or close to M)

Full Summary: Tenten Kurosaki is a 3rd year University student studying at KNU with her best friend Sakura Haruno. In a twist of events, Sakura admits to chatting with a stranger in secret behind Tenten's back. Without knowing the effects of this decision to her future, Tenten finds herself agreeing to meet this mystery man at a bar. To her surprise he has a friend, and by chance encounters, they always seem to be at the same place, during the same time. When Sakura hooks up with her new boyfriend, and Tenten is forced to grow closer with his friend, whom she's not all too fond of, will love bloom between the two or will Tenten's stubborn nature keep them apart?

' ' Thoughts

" " Speaking

( ) Inner thoughts/verification

A/N: Hey all! This is my first ever Fanfic and I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: All copyrighted characters including Naruto are property of Masashi Kishimoto.

Chapter 1

"How this mess all started"

Tenten slammed her car's door behind her with more (and mistakenly, unintentional) force then necessary as she walked up the stairs to the front porch of Sakura's home. She had gotten her supposed "emergency" call, 26 minutes before she left her shift at Caily's. Honest to say, Tenten wasn't so pleased to have to come all the way to Sakura's home for gossip, but at her best friend's desperate plea, there was no way she could refused.

Caily's was an amazingly cool store that sold many kinds of weaponry and just about anything that was sharp and pointy. She'd run across the job offer in a newspaper ad when she was 15, and has been working there ever since. Something about knives, guns and spears fascinated her, and she's also taken on the craft of swordsman ship. Tenten was the best in her class at aim, speed, and agility and although bragging wasn't in her line of study, the young woman still felt proud to have completed her 5 year weaponry course early, all because of her talent.

As her lightly tanned hands reached to knock on the solid wooden door of the Haruno household, it flew open to reveal an anxious and disheveled looking Sakura at the front.

Her pink hair seemed to be in a careless uproar as strands of her petal tresses stood erect in various directions. It looked like she'd been blowing it from her face, a habit only performed when she was stressed about something. Her emerald eyes glistened with unspoken secrets and excitement, as her small frame jerked around, impatient. Tenten raised a perfect eyebrow at her in curiosity. 'What the hell?' She thought.

"I am so glad you're here, come on in!" Sakura gestured the brunette inside and closed the door behind her.

"Good evening, Mrs. Haruno!" Tenten called politely to the woman whom she was sure, was to be in the kitchen preparing dinner for her family.

"Nice to see you again Tenten," The older women responded, taking her unplanned appearance lightly considering how often she always seemed to be over at Sakura's place. (Little did she know how drastically their regular routine would soon change.)

Sakura skipped in front of her, taking the steps by two's and three's while Tenten patiently climbed the stairs at her own steady pace. When she finally came up to Sakura's bedroom door, she found the pink haired women sitting comfortably in a green bean bag chair while patting the black one adjacent to her. She walked near the seat at an attempt to sit beside her, when out of no where Sakura's soft voice scolded her. "This is a big secret Tenny, shut the door will you?"

The eighteen year old rolled her eyes at her best friend's immaturity and reluctantly closed the door. "Can you please explain to me why I had to rush here ASAP and why you're acting so weird?"

She later settled into the slushiness of the bean bag and turned her full attention to her best friend. Sakura played with her fingers and stared at the floor as a blush settled onto her face. Tenten only gave her a questioning look. If she knew anything about Sakura, it had to be the look she got when she spoke about a guy. And the look that was being given now, screamed 90% boy trouble. The university student was surprised that Sakura had already found a crush so early in the year. (It was already the second term but still...) Yet, Tenten didn't understand why Sakura was making such a big deal just to tell her about it. Was it really that serious?

"What is it Saku?" Tenten encouraged, as a way to get the other teen to speak. "You know you can tell me anything."

Sakura exhaled heavily and raised her eyes to chocolate orbs. "Promise me you won't be mad?"

Confusion crossed Tenten's features and Sakura silently shook her head and said, "Just… please, promise me?"

Still lost to what the other women meant, she promised anyway and waited for her to begin.

This time however, Sakura did not look up to gaze at Tenten, but instead stared a her laptop sitting on the bed across the room.

"A month ago, I was on soda head chatting with people like I usually do, when this random boy asked me to be his friend." Immediately realizing this really had to do with a guy, Tenten instinctively sat up straighter, listening more intently.

"And you know me Ten, I don't trust people like that, but that time-oh I don't know, I just felt like it was okay, you know?"

She nodded hesitantly afraid to find were this story was headed. Was she pregnant? Did the guy rape her? 'Focus Tenten!' She thought exasperatingly. 'Of course those things didn't happen, Sakura is much more smarter than that.' (And how would he get to her from across the computer screen...?)

'I am such a retard!' she scolded herself silently, of course she didn't get raped! It had to be the exhaustion from work, that was making her think this way.

"So me and him,—Well me and Sasuke that is, we started to chat everyday from then on. And oh my God Tenten, it's not what you think, alright? He's not a 40 year old rapist that's disguising or something. Sasuke's nothing like that, he's this mysterious, funny, smart and down to earth guy and I think he's pretty good looking too, but that's besides the point. So we chatted for weeks everyday at the same time after six and got to know each other more and more." She inhaled deeply and Tenten tried to ignore the glow in her eyes while she spoke of the guy.

"I know you'll think I'm stupid Tenny but I really, really, REALLY like this guy. I think I might even... love him." She whispered the last part so that Tenten wouldn't hear, but she heard it anyway. Shocked and upset at the same time, the women jumped up from her black bean bag cushion and stared her best friend down.

"How could you do something so foolish Sakura! Don't you know anything about child predators? What if—"

"I KNOW! I know alright!" Her tone was so steady and strong that at first, Tenten didn't even notice her trembling.

"I know," She whispered again. "I've thought about everything you're thinking of right now. I'm not a child anymore, and you know something? The fact that he might be some criminal with a horrible record doesn't change anything! Not the way I feel, not the way I think he feels about me, and it doesn't change my decision on what I want to do."

Tenten stared at her, and she stared back just as fiercely, determination clear in her green, apple orbs.

"He asked me to meet him Ten, and I agreed. I want to meet him, I really do. I know it's weird, me liking a guy on the net like this after scolding all those other girls that became victims, but...oh god!" She whimpered slightly and started to cry, her frame shaking uncontrollably.

Tenten sighed, unable to make a clear picture of the situation.

"It's okay Sakura, I'm not mad at you I'm just…surprised that's all." (There goes an understatement.)

Sakura lifted her head slightly to look up at the smiling brunette.

"You're not?"

Tenten shook her head. She really wasn't all that mad. She was just so overwhelmed with thoughts. Concerns, questions that she knew could probably wait. She didn't want to sound like an over protective parent yelling at their thirteen year old but...

The one question that wouldn't die out no matter how hard she tried was, 'What's going to happen now?'

A/N: And there it is! The very first Chapter to my story! Please review and let me know what you think. (Seriously.)

~Animehostess~