Disclaimer: Properties of Kishimoto-sensei, and all who own its copyright or whatever…
Timeline : during their years of 16, perhaps?
Cat
Tenten was strolled down the town of Konoha with Gai-sensei. He had said something about "Have to Spend Time with My Only Flower of the Team after a Long Time of Not Doing It" or so he said. Not that Tenten mind.
"… and Lee did it! Oh, how I am so proud of him," he said with exaggerated tears running down his cheeks.
Tenten rolled her eyes. It was true she doesn't mind spending time with Gai-sensei, it's just that she could never take much of his antics.
While tried her hardest not to comment on her sensei's usual behavior, she saw a milk-colored cat walked elegantly in front of them. She could see that the cat was a male.
It seemed Gai-sensei had taken a notice of that cat, too.
"Wow, Tenten! What an elegant cat we have here! Cat, come here!" he shouted enthusiastically.
She sweat dropped, 'Uh, is it a need to call out that cat loudly…'
The cat turned his head looking at Gai-sensei before resuming his walk.
"Wow!! That's really an elegant cat!!" he said with a thumb-up and a glint from his teeth.
A sigh escaped Tenten's lips, 'Yeah, and don't you feel weird for even a cat ignore you that way?'
The cat seemed to take notice of that sigh and turned his head toward Tenten.
"Tenten! The cat is looking at you!" Gai-sensei exclaimed with an awe pose of his style.
Even Tenten slightly surprised that the cat was looking at her. The way he looking at her… she felt like she had seen that kind of look plenty of times…
--
The next day Tenten spent with Lee. He also said something about "Have to Follow Gai-sensei's Path of Spending Time with the Only Flower of Our Team".
"… and that's why Gai-sensei always did it. Isn't he so awesome!" Lee said with admiring look on his face.
'And why do I feel a déjà vu?' Tenten rolled her eyes.
And for another déjà vu, there walked the milk-colored male cat elegantly in front of them.
"Tenten! Is that the cat Gai-sensei told me about yesterday? Wow! I am so following his path! Cat! Come here!" Lee waved enthusiastically at the cat.
'Well, guess know what's going to happen,' Tenten grinned.
The cat turned his head looking at Lee before resuming his walk, again.
"Oh… I think if even Gai-sensei can't get the cat's attention, then so can't I. But it's fine! As long as I am on his path, nothing is wrong!" Lee announced dramatically.
'Heh, see?' Tenten chuckled.
And again the cat turned his head toward Tenten upon hearing her chuckling voice.
"Oh! The cat is looking at you, Tenten!" Lee exclaimed with amazement in his voice.
'Yeah, I know that already now, Lee.'
While Lee was rambling about how amazing Tenten to get the cat's attention while he and his role model can't, Tenten was still thinking that she had seen that kind of look plenty of times.
As realization dawn on her, "Lee, don't you think that the cat is like Neji?"
"… and Gai-sensei… What? Oh…" Lee seemed to think over what Tenten just said.
After deep in thought for a while, he made a conclusion, "You are correct! What an incredible sight you have, Tenten!"
"And that explain why he ignored me and Gai-sensei while turn his interest to you…" he added lowly.
"What?"
"Nothing important." he grinned.
Tenten just shrugged it off and grinned remembering where she often saw that kind of look. She got it from Neji every time he irritated by their two green-clad teammates and felt lightly grateful because Tenten was there with him. Not for any particular reason. Just because there still a sane person in his team. That must be the only explanation, right?
--
Well, that was one week ago she met that cat. Now she thought that she should have thanked Gai-sensei, Lee, and the cat for she got an idea of what to give on Neji's birthday, which was today.
"Happy birthday, Neji," Tenten handed him a small white box wrapped with red ribbon.
Neji took the box and opened it. A small cat-shaped key-strap was inside the box. The cat was made from fine steel. Neji could tell that Tenten had forged it herself.
He raised an eyebrow upon looking the cat in his hand, "The cat looks so… elegant."
"Yeah, and I think it is just like you," she nodded thoughtfully and smiled.
"Thank you, then," he smirked.
--
.Kazuya, Jun 29 '08
I just think that Neji was more like a cat. Graceful; fun to be teased; individual in its own way, but has its own tamer. This fic is for Neji's birthday, a story behind Tenten's present for Neji. Neji seems to make only short appearance here, but count the cat as Neji so Neji make quite appearance XD
Thanks for reading and let me know what you think.