I don't own Naruto nor any of these characters. They belong to Kishimoto.
This drabble was something I wrote for a college class. I wonder what my professor thought when he read this… Hmmm… Anyway, please R&R! I love constructive criticism!
Tenten trudged tiredly alongside her sparring partner, her arms hanging limply by her sides. Today's training session had included a warm-up of 50 laps around the village at top speed before the grueling sparring sessions with Neji. She was so drained that even the prospect of red bean buns and a steaming pot of tea didn't bring a spring to her step and a sparkle to her eyes. Neji glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and, noting her hanging head and lifeless shuffle, wondered if he might have pushed her too hard today. They were preparing for her upcoming Jounin exams and that meant pushing her past her limits in training. She was strong enough already, but Neji knew that she would not be satisfied with anything less than perfect.
He sighed inaudibly as Tenten slogged through yet another large puddle of stagnating rainwater. How she didn't notice that she was getting soaked up to her ankles, he would never know nor understand. He reached out and grasped her elbow, tugging her out of the path of a particularly nasty looking puddle. As they passed through the village gates, Tenten registered the change in smells. The gentle aroma of pine trees and dirt and sunshine was replaced with the smells of a bustling village. The scent of food, smoke, and metal intertwined to create an altogether unique smell. Tenten continued to walk down a shop-lined street, following Neji's lead towards the teashop.
Unexpectedly, something flashed in the corner of her eye and she stopped in her tracks. Before her lay the newest weapons shop in Konoha. Kunai, shuriken, and katana lay in neat rows in the window, glinting and sparkling in the afternoon sunlight. Neji continued a few paces before realizing Tenten was no longer meandering along beside him. He stopped and turned to see her standing in the middle of the street, gazing into the window of a weapons shop. Her entire countenance had changed; her eyes were wide and bright, her gaze intent, and her posture radiated energy. Of course, she was gazing intently at the weapons in the display window. Neji wasn't surprised. As the unofficial weapons mistress of Konoha, sharp pointy objects made of metal were her life's blood.
Tenten began to shuffle forward with zombie-like intensity towards the shop and Neji, king of composure, nearly panicked. He knew Tenten well enough to know that once she entered a weapons shop, it would be hours before she left and he was not in any sort of mood to spend hours perusing a selection of sharp, pointy objects. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed the tail of her shirt in an effort to halt her progress, almost blinking in surprise when it did. Tenten stopped mid-step, stretching towards the shop as far as she could. Neji rolled his eyes in exasperation and tugged at her shirttail. After a minute of intense deliberation, she sighed in reluctance and let herself be pulled down the street away from the shop.
- 3 weeks later –
Tenten could not stop smiling. She was covered in dirt, bruises, and cuts from head to toe, but none of that mattered because she had done it. She had passed the test and had achieved the rank of Jounin. She laughed happily to herself as she entered her apartment and nearly tripped over something just inside the door. She reached down and picked up a plain black box with a note attached to the top. The note simple read, "I went for you". Inside was a beautiful new set of kunai.