"I'm sorry," Genma straightened up and inspected the needles imbedded into the targets just as far as he had ever been able to get them. "Why did your former sensei tell you you needed more help? When he approached me, it was as if he thought you might have lost your touch or something. This," he gestured with his hand to the targets, "is far from."
Every bull's-eye was hit with precision, now she occupied herself with throwing them so they made a smiley face in the upper part of the boards. She appeared casual and bored to death at the same time as she whipped them about one after another with ease. He had seen the same kind of indolence on a certain shadow user that her actions now reminded him of, except she swished her hippy curves when she threw. He could tell she did so only because it wasn't humanly possible to achieve the kind of accuracy otherwise with the motions. If anything, she avoided any extra movement as she wound up and released. The exercise captivated Genma, and he found himself being hypnotized by her fluid actions.
Tenten replied, but not before taking an exasperated huff, letting out a breath of air that suggested she was equally as frustrated. She didn't even turn to him before explaining in an almost embarrassed and irritated tone.
"The man is incredibly good at guilting me into anything; he thinks this will encourage me to take the jounin exams."
Genma flicked the long needle to the edge of his mouth with ease before answering, "So you aren't interested in taking the exams?"
She still wasn't facing him, lazily darting needle after needle into the red centers with consummate skill. She shrugged before fingering the last of the senbon with what he could only view as affection.
"Here," she offered him the rest of the metallic weapons, "I'm obviously wasting your time." She looked impassively up at him with her small hands wrapped around the slender rods. "Take 'em."
Genma had that look of disbelief or perhaps confusion on his normally light-hearted face. He tongued the senbon in his mouth thoughtfully and paused before he purposely let his thumb drag over her fingers as he took the needles, never taking his glare off of her innocuous expression as he did. The sudden brush sent a lightning shock through his core as he touched the warmth of her hand. She remained unaffected by the subtle contact as far as he could estimate, but he could have swore there was a flicker in her eyes almost as if she had anticipated he do such a thing to rile her up. She had never looked away or even flinched.
"Thanks anyways," a small smile graced her face, one that obviously didn't reach her eyes, and he was aggravated that he couldn't pull a genuine smile out of the weapon's mistress.
"Why?" he found himself asking her as she turned to leave. Her eyebrows were raised as she turned to him, as if to ask the question in a lazy fashion, perhaps she just didn't want to waste words on him.
"Why aren't you interested in becoming a jounin?" He clarified, his own eyebrows furrowed with frustration at her indifferent attitude. Perhaps it mirrored his own too much for comfort.
"I don't think I'm cut out for it," she spoke with conviction wrapped in an uncertainty all at the same time. "Not all of us were meant to be jounin." A subtle pain glinted in her eyes, as if she were trying to tell him something by not explaining, but did not continue which only served to pique his curiosity.
The statement was true enough. Iruka was an excellent example of how some ninja weren't fit for the bill. Somehow, her vagueness provoked him into prodding further.
"Why not?" Genma persisted. "It isn't for lack of skill," he somehow couldn't prevent his eyes from raking over her form up and down as if somehow that proved his point. She possessed the kind of talent needed for the job. Certainly she knew how skilled of a kunoichi she had become over the years.
She stilled under his scrutiny, and plastered on that fake smile of hers that looked more and more as exasperated and upset as he now felt. She regarded him with a polite, cold stare.
"Give it up, Genma, I'm just not interested."
He had a feeling she was speaking on more than just one level. He shifted his weight and couldn't stop himself from poking, trying to strike at her until she revealed something.
"It's that green kid. You won't get promoted until he does. Is that it?"
It obviously was, as evidenced by her abrupt halt as she was walking away; the indignation in her countenance as she stiffened and straightened. She steadied her breath before turning around, planting up right into his face, a feminine jaw clenched tight, ears a color of red he had only seen on Hinata's face. He thought for a second he was going to get hit before the closeness of the infuriorated woman nearly struck his faculties dumb.
Genma had heard of chemistry before, that sometimes the proximity of someone of the opposite gender could hypothetically cause a contact high based on hormones and energy and a bunch of nonsense that Genma didn't understand until now. Because now he was experiencing it for himself, and dear heaven it was intoxicating. He fought the urge to sniff her like an Inuzuka or wrap his arms around her in a sudden movement, even though that is what his body signaled him to do.
She must have sensed something too, because her eyes suddenly widened almost imperceptibly, and she hastily stepped back out of his energy aura as if struck by the same power herself but unwilling to give in or be tempted.
"You can't," the anger deflated out of her in a breathy whisper, weather from defeat or the effect he was most certainly having on her as well, it was hard to perceive.
"Can't what?" he spoke lowly, and took a lengthy step closer, putting her back into his space so he could intensify the effect she invoked on him. It wrapped around him like a hazy euphoria, one submerged in a comforting warmth yet exhilarating like a freefall all at the same time. They were like magnets drawn to each other; he couldn't stop and pull himself away even if he tried.
Her resolve must have been made of steel. She stepped back, letting the gap creep between them again. "They can't know," she insisted with more vigor. "They wouldn't understand," she gawked as he boldly took another step forward, and this time her head didn't tilt backwards as if frightened and stayed only inches away from his face, so close she could snatch the senbon out of his teeth with hers if she so chose.
She swallowed before looking up into his eyes.
"Promise you won't tell." The eyes he looked into were pleading in a mixture of sultry bedroom eyes and desperation, soft, endless and begging.
Heavy lidded eyes met hers, the depth of sheer want hidden in his hazel sparkle of mischief as he leaned in closer. He resisted the urge to give in to her demands, because he would have given her the shirt off of his back had she asked.
"Do you like him?" he asked so suddenly the question startled not only her as one of his fingers slowly wound around a ringlet of curls lose at the base of her neck.
"I love him," her broken words escaped her lips while her eyes closed with the testament in a deep desperation and soul wrenching confession that had her almost choked up at their admission. It bounced around his brain as the kind of statement spoken to someone like they could never understand its implications or motives.
His fingers couldn't help but trace the curve of her neck, and his palm settled at the nape, pulling her closer despite the clear fact that she had just told him she loved another.
She encouraged him with a lean into his hand, nuzzling at his affections, giving him courage right before her eyes shot open and she darted backwards, a strangled word forming on her lips, one with awe and relief.
"Lee."
The chunin had arrived so quickly that the jounin didn't realize it until he landed in the field a little ways away from them, hand on the earth supporting his body from the jump. He looked up with authority, shaking the bobbed hair on his head backwards as he pierced Genma with a less than friendly glare.
Genma could play it cool, he understood if he was overstepping his boundaries, he wasn't one for stealing anyone's girl away from them.
Yet, the anger boiled up inside him as he witnessed the saddened smile the girl gave him, one that clearly showed her affection for the boy who now seemed territorial of her, yet oblivious as to her feelings. She left to be by his side, taking the warmth of her body and all of its stimulating exhilaration with her.
"I thought you had practice with Gai-sensei," she spoke affably with the man who straighten up to what appeared more than his normal length in an effort to intimidate the man.
Genma just couldn't seem to help himself, "Gai-sempai," he stressed, "he is no longer your Sensei."
It was as if he had spoken blasphemy, the scathing looks he received from the two as if to send him directly to hell with the very thought that their beloved teacher was no longer in a position to be called their master.
"Gai-Sensei," Lee stressed to Tenten as he directed another hateful look to Genma, "wants us to accompany him to the jounin exam meeting," Lee announced with vigor, "he wants us both to try out."
A fond smile lit her face, yet Genma noticed it still did not reach her eyes, which remained full of an affectionate sorrow, laced in years of fond memories and team camaraderie.
Then it hit Genma.
She loved him like a brother, a plutonic love, deep rooted in the spirit of team corroboration and years of familiarity.
He nearly laughed at how his male testosterone had nearly caused him to growl and circle the chunin; Lee was only protecting her like the sister she was to him. He had nearly missed this with how his hormones had clouded the situation, making him more aggressive in wanting Tenten for himself.
He relaxed a bit, falling back on the carefree attitude he normally put forward, shifting the senbon once more to the other side of his mouth before opening it again.
"If Gai-Sensei," he stressed to them both, causing a bit of tension to release from the whole encounter, "thinks you are both ready, then you should both go."
And just like that, her face lit up into a smile, one that dulled the sun and nearly caused the senbon to drop from his mouth as she direct it's warmth to him, eyes aglow with a fire that hit his soul and caught his breath.
"I think I will stay a while and train some more," she squeezed Lee's shoulder, a signal to explain that she was safe. He nodded, but not before giving Genma an approving look, yet warning him all the same.
He understood.
He wanted to protect her, too.
She walked over as Lee left the same way he had come, in a flash of green fury.
She didn't stop until she was touching his chest, cheek nearly against his senbon, dangerously letting him know with a flurry of pheromones and heat her intentions.
"We should continue to work at my place," he nearly grunted into her hair.
She looked up at him, eyes dark and hungry, mimicking his own lusty gaze.
"I think I might need a lot of practice."
A/N: Yeah, I don't know either, flame me, I deserve it.
~jaggedjacket~