"You know, Sasuke. The whole point of coming here was to smile and have fun."

Sasuke looked up to find Tenten before him.

In the distance he could see everyone else coming, but she had somehow created distance between them.

Sasuke crossed his arms. "I said I'd put up with whatever happened. I never said I'd smile."

Tenten pouted a little. "You're hard to please. Look, we're halfway done. A dance, a spin on the Ferris wheel, and the lighting of lanterns, which is the newest addition to the Fall Festival. Come on and be happy, Sasuke. Don't make me be happy alone."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Your comrades around you are happy."

"I'm not concerned if they'll suddenly walk out without another word," she replied, shaking her head. "Never mind that, are you at least appeasing Sakura?"

"She got to hold my hand. A dance, and that's all she's getting."

Tenten giggled. "Will you stay a lonely man all your life?"

"Will you stay a lonely woman all your life?" Sasuke questioned. Tenten looked at him in a surprised manner.

He chuckled softly. "You can see it in Kiba and Lee's eyes can't you? They want a chance; they're practically begging for it. So why won't you just choose someone to go out with?"

Tenten didn't know how to respond. Sasuke shook his head. "That's what I thought. Come, we're to go to the dunking booths. I heard my brother was there, and to be honest, I do not want to miss a chance seeing him fall in cold water."

Tenten giggled softly, waiting for Kiba and the rest before following Sasuke.

As she walked, Kiba gently grabbed her hand, smiling but not looking at her. She smiled back, but it was an unsure smile. "Kiba... I don't want you to get the wrong idea. You're handsome, and a very good friend, but-"

"But you can't let go," he said softly, smiling wider. "I see that, Tenten. I want nothing more than a kiss on the cheek and a dance, if you can allow that."

Tenten blushed softly and asked, "A kiss?"

"On the cheek." He added in, grinning.

Tenten giggled some and said, "I can grant your wish, if that's what you want."

"It would make me a very happy dog tonight," Kiba replied, chuckling before running ahead, letting go of Tenten's hand.

She smiled as she watched him run ahead with Akamaru.

~

"Come forth, come all!! See if you can dunk these legendary shinobi in ice-cold tubs of water!! A bulls-eye wins a prize!!" The male speaker preached a few times, drawing a lot of attention.

Kurenai, who was holding a little baby in her arms, waved to Asuma softly. He noticed and waved back before stripping his kimono off, causing women in the crowd to catcall him.

Kakashi and Guy had done the same, and to the surprise and pleasure of the women in the crowd, Itachi too, stepped on a seat with only boxers on.

Many women were waiting to get the chance to dunk them in freezing water.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and said, "Unbelievable. They yell at us one day and fawn over him the next."

"That was a few months ago," Sakura added in, giggling.

Shikamaru shook his head. "They could at least wear t-shirts."

"But where's Yamato?" Naruto asked.

"Probably drinking with Hoheto and the rest," Ino giggled.

Sasuke sighed and pushed his way through the crowd, as did Lee and Tenten. They would have their say in the dunks.

Sasuke stood before his brother, while Lee and Tenten stood before their Sensei.

Itachi smirked and said, "Give it your best, Sasuke."

"Even if I don't, I will take absolute joy in watching you be dunked several times in freezing water."

He then picked up a bean bag, aiming, and throwing so hard that he almost broke the target. Itachi fell in, quickly pulling his head out of water and accidentally spraying water on nearby civilians.

The females screamed and hollered in amusement.

Tenten rolled her eyes before saying, "Ready to get dunked, Sensei?" Guy gave a grin. "You bet!"

Both Lee and Tenten picked up bags, throwing them at the same time. Guy fell through, surfacing not long after. Few females fawned over his rising, but he had the support of the young shinobi, who were laughing, smiling and clapping.

The male speaker said, "You three get a prize! Choose what you may!"

The three looked amongst each other in thought after looking at the prizes; but only one prize was on their mind.

~

Tenten twirled her shiny red kunai, grinning as she watched Lee and Sasuke look at their colored kunai; Lee had green of course, and Sasuke had a blue one.

"Worth it," Tenten said with a giggle.

Sasuke nodded and said, "Indeed. I have a feeling Itachi might get sick from this."

"You have a feeling, or you're hoping?" Tenten challenged. She laughed along with Lee, causing Sasuke to roll his eyes. "It is his own fault. And to think I'll have to care for him if he does."

"We will be there to help," Tenten stated, giggling softly.

Sasuke nodded in silent thanks. Tenten held up the fourth kunai, a white one, and said, "What should we do with this one?"

Lee said, "I say we keep it. It's not every day we come across properly colored kunai!"

Sasuke nodded and said, "That is true. Now what?"

Tenten huffed and said, "I owe someone a dance and a kiss on the cheek. Both heads turned in her direction, causing her to blush softly. "I told Kiba I would. Nothing wrong with that."

Both Lee and Sasuke had the impulse to say opposite, but they didn't.

Tenten merely shrugged. "I think we'll enjoy ourselves to the fullest extent. Dancing is a fun activity, and we can relax once we're able to touch the sky."

Sasuke chuckled a little and said, "That's one way to put it."

Tenten and Lee grinned at him. For a moment, nothing needed to be said. She didn't know about Lee or Sasuke, but Tenten had felt complete with them.

They actually felt like a team.

The boys noticed her look of happiness and wanted to say something about it, but Ino shouted, "Tenten, let's dance! The sun will be down soon!"

Tenten looked behind her and said, "Alright, meet you there!!" She giggled before pulling Sai out of sight.

Tenten then skipped ahead. Lee sighed softly and said, "Tenten looks happy, doesn't she?"

Sasuke looked at Lee, surprised on how soft and quiet his teammate had just become. "Yeah, she has,"

"You've really changed her, you know," Lee beamed. "I honestly thought you would make things worse for us when you first joined."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Surprising, coming from you. Don't you usually have a positive response and feeling to things?"

"I had to enable to help Tenten get comfortable. But I guess not even that helped. In the end, it was up to the newcomer."

Sasuke sighed. "Yes, and I almost destroyed her in the process." Images of Tenten crying and leaning against the wall filled his mind. "I was no better than Neji."

"But like Neji, you turned around." Lee giggled in a way a man can. "Let us hope we don't lose you, huh?"

Sasuke scoffed but didn't respond. He didn't know how to.

Before either of them could say anything else, Sakura who was standing a ways away, yelled out, "Sasuke-Kun! Come dance with me please!!" She was borderline begging; how could he decline?

Lee pouted. "If only Sakura would ask me."

"I wish she would ask you," Sasuke replied, holding back a chuckle moments before Sakura pulled Sasuke roughly away.

"S-Sasuke! Sakura!! Wait for me!!" Lee called out, running after them.
--
"I wasn't expecting almost everyone to be here," Tenten said in awe.

Kiba nudged her and said, "You're going to chicken out, aren't you?" Tenten snorted and said, "I'm not that shy." Tenten looked around once more and saw that the teachers were all sitting at one table to her right.

There was another two tables in which the Hyuga placed themselves. To her left, Tenten noticed that her teammates had chosen four tables, taking up a small area.

Other civilians had taken up other spots, none really willing to get up on the stage placed in the middle over everyone.

It was large enough for fifty people to be on there and it stood at least a meter high.

Sakura whistled and said, "This is the first time they've done something like this, actually. The directors of the Fall Festival had talked about it last year and there were enough contributions and votes in to create a dance floor. We'll have live music and records to dance to. The things people make now and days."

Ino giggled and clapped her hands together. "I love the idea. We get first song in, just to get everyone moving."

"And I get to dance with this lovely cat," Kiba said, hip-bumping Tenten, who giggled in response.

Sasuke rolled his eyes but didn't respond. Lee said, "Let this be a test of our youthful feet!"

Tenten shook her head and yelped moments later. Kiba had grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the steps of the stage.

"Show me how you move those hips, weapon girl," Kiba teased.

She wanted to protest that music hadn't even started, but moments later a record was put in a record player. As music started playing, Kiba got on stage and started dancing.

Ino noticed and got up there, doing the same. As they danced, Naruto, Lee, Sakura, and Choji made their way up there.

Tenten just blinked. Were her teammates serious? In front of others?

"She was dancing, She was smiling
Roses blooming in her cheeks."

Tenten was suddenly pulled onstage, one hand locking with Kiba's and the other freely by her side.

"In a quiet, kind of litany
She accepted from the feet."

Kiba chuckled and twirled her around, Tenten blushing hard and trying to keep up with the crazy dog boy.

"And then she twirled into the arms
Of disgrace, and then repelled."

Ino and Sakura bumped hips, dancing side by side like clones.

"Now she's fallen to her knees
But you couldn't ever tell."

Naruto and Lee were doing their own weird dances.

"And then, she asked me how we got here
I told her I don't know
And if you keep on asking
I'll just keep on saying so."

Choji snapped his fingers, chuckling as Shikamaru got up and danced with him, sighing in irritation. "What a drag," he mumbled.

"This isn't what I wanted
It isn't what you need."

A few civilians got onstage, brave enough to dance in their own way.

"Oh let them keep on talking
Just calm yourself and breathe."

Tenten found herself smiling wide and dancing side by side next to Kiba.

"Don't you pay them any mind."

She twirled, he did footwork.

"Don't you pay them any mind."

She shuffled, he copied.

"You know this happens every time."

Kiba grabbed her and tilted her back.

"Oh, don't you pay them any mind."

He brought her back up, kissing her cheek in the process. She giggled and kissed his.

"Where the burdens of her mother
Weigh like sandbags on the eyes."

Guy got on stage, dancing just as wild as Lee was.

"As she closes, just to open
As the sirens whirling by."

Ino had convinced Hinata to get up and dance, followed by Hanabi.

"And now she's off to tell her secret
To a friend somewhere in town."

Naruto danced next to Sakura, who bumped him into Hinata, then goes to dance with Sasuke.

"And her friend just takes a moment
And asks why I'm not around."

Moegi, Konohamaru, and Udon got onstage, doing their own little dances.

"Darling, this is something
I should've told you long ago."

Kiba held Tenten close, laughing with her as she clung to him.

"I just want you to feel safe
I just want to make you glow."

Naruto danced crazily, all the while Hinata did a little, shy dance where she arms swayed.

"Oh, how you glowed when we were young
And with nothing on our minds."

Hanabi danced alongside Ino, who was laughing at Naruto.

"But each other, one another
And we had nothing then but time."

Choji and Shikamaru did their own thing, proving to onlookers that they had moves.

"And then, she asked me how we got here
I told her I don't know.
And if you keep on asking
I'll just keep on saying so."

Hana got onstage, taking Kiba away from Tenten, who was laughing.

"This isn't what I wanted
It isn't what you need.
Oh let them keep on talking
Just calm yourself and breathe."

As she danced with Kiba, Lee took over, dancing with her, as crazy as the dance was.

"Don't you pay them any mind."

He jumped, she shook her hips

"Don't you pay them any mind."

He flailed; she shrugged and slid side to side.

"You know this happens every time."

Lee grabbed her hand and pulled her close.

"Oh, don't you pay them any mind."

She giggled, pulling back and bumping into someone. She turned around to find Sasuke stand before her, seemingly irritated.

"Ooooh!
Why do we have to go through this every time."

"Sasuke?" "Don't act surprised," he replied flatly, taking her hand and twirling her around.

"Some days you hear it
Some days you don't."

She gasped as he pulled her close, but not too close, and danced.

"Sometimes you feel it
Sometimes you won't."

She danced with him, giggling as he rolled his eyes.

"Just calm yourself and breathe."

They danced together, catching the attention of their comrades.

"Don't you pay them any mind."

He moved her hand, she twirled.

"Don't you pay them any mind."

He brought her close, dipping her as she outstretched her arms.

"You know this happens every time."

When he pulled her up, she placed her arms on his shoulders, giggling.

"Now don't you pay them any mind."

Sasuke kept her close, dancing with her and not giving anyone a chance to snatch her away.

As the last four lyrics of the song ring out once more, Sasuke kept his eyes on hers.

Tenten found herself unable to look away from those curious eyes once more. However, someone cleared their throat.

They turned to find the others looking at them. Tenten blushed and took a step away, but Sasuke held onto her, smirking.

When she looked up at him in confusion, he said, "We should dance more often."

She snorted and said, "Yeah right. Just like everyone else, one dance, and that's it."

"Does that mean I get a chance?" asked a voice behind them. Everyone turned to find a blonde-headed young man smirk at them.

Tenten's eyes widened.

"Deidara?!"

The former Akatsuki member smirked before getting nudged by Sasori, who seemed blank.

In the blink of an eye, Sasuke, Ko, Kiba, Lee, as well as everyone else were in front of Tenten.

Taken aback, she managed to squeak out, "Wait, wait! Lady Tsunade wouldn't let them just go free without reason!"

Deidara scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I try to partially blow you up ONE time, hn!"

"One time is enough to make them wary, Deidara," Itachi stated, walking up to the edgy group. "It seems to me that Tenten believes she's safe."

"She believed she was safe last time," Sasuke almost growled.

"The injury was bad, really bad. I won't let Tenten-Chan get hurt like that again." Lee added in.

Irritated, Tenten pushed her way through the wary gang, shoving Lee and Sasuke to the side as she said, "You know, I'm kind of tired of being reminded of that. It was ONE time!"

"Exactly!" Deidara piped in.

Hiashi, finding that the situation was under control, simply watched from afar with an amused face.

Hinata stepped forward. "Ah, Deidara-San... If you are not here to hurt, what are you here for?"

Deidara smirked and said, "I'm here to dance with the panda, hn." He then pointed his finger at Tenten, who looked dumbfounded for a moment.

She then screeched, "Me?!"

~

Madeon Feat. Passion Pit - Pay no Mind
Listen to it. It's so perfect.

Just do it. How are you liking the cute stuff so far? Good? Good. Also, I understand you guys don't like SasuTen, but it's going to happen, okay? It's going to take place. Sorry if I disappointed any of you (sorrynotsorry) but I would like it if ya stopped mentioning your dislike for the couple. It's a part of the story, and you all know as much as I do that Neji's not going to show up in this series. Well, maybe. It's a four book story, so yeah. Anyways, hope you enjoy, and no, I'm not mad, just a little annoyed.

Until the next Update!

~ Nimo #IFanonNotCanon