Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do, however, own Kalinade and the plot of this oneshot, so please don't steal either. Thank you.
Think Fast!
By: RDH
It was a sunny, peaceful day in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, also known as Konohagakure or just Konoha. The sun was shining with minimum clouds in the sky, birds were out and chirping, and the people of the village were at ease. Even the shinobi were relaxed, taking a break from missions. It seemed as though nothing could possibly disturb this almost perfect day.
…So it seemed.
Sakura Haruno was chatting with Ino Yamanaka just outside of the Yamanaka flower shop when she spotted out of the corner of her eye someone stomping towards them. She turned her head to look and see who it was.
A kunoichi with brown hair up in two buns on her head stalked in the direction on Sakura and Ino. She wore a sleeveless pale pink shirt with a collar, dark blue knee-length shorts, and ninja sandals. The Leaf headband was on her forehead, tied around her head.
Sakura smiled as the kunoichi neared her and Ino. "Good morning, Tenten--."
"Buzz off!" the brunette kunoichi snapped at the pink-haired girl, stalking past both of the other girls.
Sakura's jaw dropped as she watched Tenten walk away. She looked at Ino with confusion.
The blonde girl shrugged. "Don't look at me. I don't know what her problem is."
THINKFAST!
Tenten was not in a good mood.
This morning she had woken up late due to her lack of sleep last night. She'd had to take a hurried shower, which had been cold, find some clothes to wear, which unfortunately been the ones from yesterday that hadn't been washed yet, and race out of her apartment without breakfast because she didn't have enough time to eat, which she knew that she was going to regret later.
When she had gotten out of the apartment complex, she had tripped over a rock, scraping her elbows and right knee. She'd then tried to get up and race off, only to end up smacking into a light pole when she had turned the corner. Luckily she had only hit her shoulder, but it had still hurt a lot and now she had a huge bruise on her shoulder. She'd still took off running, only to almost run into her sensei, who informed her that he had called off training so that the team could rest. So she had gone through that terrible morning for nothing.
Tenten was mad. In fact, she was past mad. She was pissed. Not only was she wearing dirty clothes, hungry, and bruised, she had done it all for nothing! Oh, yeah, she was pissed.
…Plus she was pretty sure that she was PMSing, too.
So after she had gone back to her house, had breakfast, and put on clean clothes, she had marched out of her apartment complex, determined to have a good day.
…And then she saw her.
Sakura Haruno.
And all of the thoughts from last night had flooded her, reminding her of why she had had a late night that made her get up late and go through a horrible morning. And she decided to do something about it.
She knew that she'd had no actual, good reason to snap at the pink-haired kunoichi, but she didn't want the other girl distracting her from her task. She needed to keep her mind on focused on what she was about to do and how she was going to do it.
Tenten was swiftly making her way towards Team Guy's training ground, where she knew a certain Rock Lee would be, training, despite the fact that they had the day off. Tenten's eyes softened a little at the thought of the green-spandex clad, black hair in a bowl cut boy who she had known since her academy days.
Lee was the reason that she had been up late last night. Well, he himself hadn't really been the reason, just the thought of him. You see, Tenten had had an epiphany last night. She had thought about a feeling she got whenever she was around Lee and gone through the elimination of trying to figure out what it was. In the end she'd only had one conclusion.
She, Tenten, was in love with Rock Lee.
She figured that she had probably loved him since they had been teamed up together, along with Neji Hyuuga. She'd always admired the fact that Lee worked hard and never gave up, and they had always been close. She supposed that the feelings in her had grown over time to turn into love. She had been so excited once she had figured this out, thoughts of how much she loved him and why keeping her up until the wee hours of the morning.
Now all that was left was to tell him.
Tenten knew that most girls would be nervous or scared about telling the one that they loved that they loved them. Most girls would be worried that the one they loved wouldn't love them back, or that they would ruin the friendship that they had with the one they loved. Tenten knew that, after considering all of this, most girls would chicken out and not tell.
…However, Tenten was not like most girls.
She already knew that Lee probably didn't feel the same way. She knew that he liked Sakura and still on occasion tried to get the pink-haired kunoichi to go out with him. But she didn't care. She figured that, if nothing else, Lee had a right to know how she felt. She also wasn't worried about ruining their friendship. Lee treasured his friends, she knew, and he wouldn't let her confession come in the way of their friendship.
Finally she was at the training ground. As she expected, Lee was there, practicing his taijustsu. She stopped and observed him for awhile. He moved smoothly, and his muscles flexed under the spandex. Had she been like other girls, she would have blushed deeply at her ogling. But she wasn't like other girls, and only a light blush graced her cheeks.
Lee paused from his training and spotted his female teammate from the corner of his eye. He relaxed and turned around so that he could smile at her. "Good morning, Tenten," he greeted cheerfully. "Is it not a most bright and youthful day?"
Tenten decided to skip the small talk and just get to the point. She walked up to Lee, getting right into his face.
He stumbled back a step from her close proximity. "Tenten, wha--."
"You listen here, Lee, and you listen good," she demanded, stepping closer to him. "All this time that we've been together as a team has made me realize something. Something that's very important and could change both of our lives."
By this time he bad backed away from her so much and she had followed so much that he was backed against a wooden post, her still in his face.
He gulped and responded, "A-and what is it that you have realized, Tenten?"
"I like you, Rock Lee," she declared, poking him in the chest. She put her hands on her hips. "What're you gonna do about it?"
At first Lee just stared at her, jaw dropped and eyes wide and blank. Then he sputtered. "B-bu—wha—how?!"
Her brown eyes softened. "I'm not sure. I think, though, that it's safe to say that I've liked you since we were in the academy."
He composed himself a little and said, "Tenten, I am glad that you have told me this and I wish that I could respond in turn, but," he hesitated, "I do not know how I feel about you." He looked down at the ground. "I am sorry."
She smiled softly. "It's okay. I figured you didn't feel the same, but I thought that you should know."
He looked up swiftly and declared, "But I promise that I will not allow my lack of knowledge about this deter our friendship!"
"I figured that, too," she told him and giggled, taking a step back. She turned and walked away, calling over her shoulder, "If you need anything from me, I'll be around." And then she walked towards the village, trying to ignore the tiny twinge of sadness in her heart.
THINKFAST!
Lee stayed at the training grounds until late afternoon. He sat on the ground, leaning back on the wooden post. He was lost in thought, as he had been since Tenten's confession.
He had told her the truth. He really didn't know how he felt. Yet he felt that, in the back of his mind, he had been lying, that he really did know how he felt. He just hadn't realized it yet.
He suddenly heard someone softly say, "Lee?" He looked up.
Standing in front of him was Kalinade Namikaze, the older twin sister of Naruto Uzumaki. The long-haired brunette stared down at him deep blue eyes, so much like her brothers. The Sound headband on her forehead gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. The light breeze ruffled the bangs that hung over the headband.
Lee sighed. "Hello, Kali-chan. May I help you?"
"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Kali-chan," she scolded lightly. She sat down on the ground in front of him. "I was just wondering if you were okay. I was talking to Tenten awhile ago and asked her where you were, and she told me that she hadn't seen you since this morning when she met you here."
At Tenten's name, Lee slightly flinched, barely noticeable. But Kalinade noticed.
The good Sound kunoichi asked, "Have you been here all day?"
Lee just nodded, not looking up at her.
Kalinade studied. "Something's troubling you, isn't it?"
He made no sound or movement, which indicated that she was right.
She leaned forward and pulled her knees to her chest, putting her armpits on her knees. "Do you want to talk about it?"
He shook his head.
"If you say so," she said, and it was silent.
He couldn't take it and burst out, "I am so confused!" Then he proceeded to tell her the whole story. When he was finished he looked pleadingly at her. "Please, help me! I do not understand what it is that is inside me."
Kalinade smiled at him in a way that let him know that she knew. "Oh, Lee, you dumbass!" she said affectionately. "The way you were so nervous when she kept getting closer, how your mind reacted when she told you, how you feel right now! It's all so obvious! You love her."
Lee stared at her. "But how can that be?? I love Sakura-chan--."
"No you don't," Kalinade told him. "What you felt for Sakura was only a crush ignited by how pretty she is. Admit it, you only thought you liked her because you thought she was the prettiest thing you had ever seen."
Lee ducked his head and muttered, "I suppose you are right." He looked up and continued, "But can I like Tenten? She is my teammate!"
"So?" Kalinade shrugged. "In my opinion, only relationships within a team would work. I mean, look at how everyone is pretty much paired off now." She counted on her fingers. "I mean, there's Naruto and Sakura, now that the Sasuke person is gone, Ino and Shikamaru, even though neither will admit it, Kiba and Hinata, who got together after we rescued her," she looked at him, "and now you and Tenten." She dropped her hand. "You see? All of them are on the same team. It's only natural that they fall for each other. After all, who knows them better than each other?"
Lee was quiet, then murmured, "That does make sense, I suppose." He looked at her. "But how can I tell if it is love I am feeling for Tenten?"
"Well, how do you feel around her?" Kalinade asked.
Lee thought for a moment, then responded, "Around her, I feel comfortable and relaxed, like I do not have to worry about making a fool of myself. When we are together, we always have fun and never complain. Around her I feel…" He stopped. "I feel complete."
Kalinade smiled. "I'm pretty sure that you love her." She got up and stretched. "So, now that you know how you feel about her, what're you gonna do about it?"
"What're you gonna about it?" Lee remembered how Tenten had said those exact same words. He leaped up to his feet, his face determined. "I am going to find her and tell her how I feel!"
"Right!" Kalinade said brightly. "And how are you gonna do that?"
Lee's face fell. "I have no idea." He brightened almost instantly. "But I'll think of something!" With that he took off towards the village.
Kalinade chuckled. "That's Rock Lee for you." She jogged after him.
THINKFAST!
Tenten sighed and pushed back her empty bowl of ramen. "Another one, please!"
"Comin' right up!" the cook yelled.
Tenten sat on a stool at the counter of Ichiraku's Ramen. It was nearing the end of the day and the sun was just starting to set. Beside her, Neji Hyuuga put down the money for her two bowls.
She looked over at the Hyuuga prodigy. "You sure about this?"
He nodded. "Yes. You're my teammate and my friend, Tenten. You've had a rough day. I'm trying to help out."
She chuckled sadly. "I appreciate the effort, but I don't think it's working. Thanks anyways."
Neji nodded. Under his breath he muttered, "Lee, you're an idiot."
Tenten had run into the Hyuuga an hour after her confession to Lee. Neji had asked what was wrong, and she had spilled out the whole story to him. He had spent the rest of the day with her, talking with her and trying to help her feel better. She was, after all, his teammate and friend, and she had become like a sister to him. He mentally cursed Lee for the Bushy-Eyebrows boy's stupidity at how she was feeling now.
Neji turned his head and saw Kalinade enter the ramen bar. She spotted him and smiled, skipping over to him and sitting on a stood at his side that Tenten wasn't at. She gave him a quick peck on the lips then asked softly, "How's she doing? Any better?"
"No, not really," Neji told her. He asked lowly, "Did you make any progress with Lee the idiot?"
Kalinade smiled and turned away, saying, "You'll see."
Neji was about to ask her what she meant when suddenly there was a shout of, "Yosh!" He turned around slightly in his stool to see a streak on green racing towards the ramen bar.
Lee ran in, yelling, "Tenten!" He tried to skid to a stop beside her and ended up toppling over the counter over the other side.
Tenten leaped up to her feet. "Lee!" She looked over the counter. "Are you okay?"
Lee hopped up, unscathed. "Yes! Do not worry, Tenten, it takes for than a little fall to keep me down."
Tenten got out of the way so that Lee could crawl up onto the counter and drop to his feet beside her. He dusted himself off then looked up at her.
She looked at him a little warily. "Lee, what are you doing here? Is there something you need?"
"Yes, there is," he declared. He grabbed her by the shoulders and began, "Tenten, when you told me how you felt this morning, I was in shock. I did not expect a confession from you, of all people. When I told you that I did not know how I felt, I was not entirely telling you the truth. I did know how I felt, it just had not made itself clear. But now, thanks to some help," he glanced at Kalinade then back at Tenten, "I do know how I feel."
"And how do you feel, Lee?" Tenten asked softly.
Unnoticed by Lee and Tenten, almost all of the Rookie 9 and other shinobi had gathered around them, eager to see what would happen.
Lee smiled softly at her. "Tenten, my teammate, my friend, the feelings I have found that I have for you are of the strongest kind." He reached up his left hand and cupped her cheek. "Tenten, you may only like me, but I feel so much more. I love you."
Tenten grinned, then said teasingly, "Well, you're wrong there, because I do love you." She broke away from his hold and crossed her arms, still grinning. "What're you gonna do about it?"
Lee opened his mouth to respond, then stopped, his expression blank. He thought for a moment, then a light bulb seemed to turn on in his head. He looked at her. "I know what I am going to do!" With that he swept her into his arms, scooped her down low, and gave her a slow, dramatic kiss on her lips.
Tenten was shocked, but quickly got over her shock. She wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes, kissing him back, ignoring the applause and cheers of everyone around them.
After 15 seconds they parted and Lee lifted Tenten up, still keeping an arm around her waist. Everyone started congratulating the new couple, except Kalinade and Neji, who stayed in their seats.
Kalinade and Neji smiled at each other. They had seen it coming.
"Hey, Lee!" Naruto exclaimed, standing in front of the couple. "That was awesome, believe it! How did you come with doing that??"
Lee smiled and looked at Tenten, then back at Naruto. "Well, it was easy! I just had to think fast!"
The End
Like it? Hate it? Please review and let me know, 'kay? Peace