A/N: I suggest reading the prequel, Promises, before delving into this. It's not a requirement but some parts of the story will not make sense without it. Thanks for all those who take the time to read my gibberish!

I do not own Naruto or it's characters but the hodge podge of words below are all mine!

Chapter 1:

Every inch of her body dripped with sweat, making it difficult for him to get a decent grip without slipping. This back and forth game they played was wearing him out. Panting loudly, lungs crying for air as he exerted the remainder of his energy to maintain his position on top of her. The sweat from his forehead could no longer be contained by his headband as the droplets raced one another down his cheeks and pooled at the point of his chin. He tightened his grip on her wrist, pulling her arms above her head and shifting so the full weight of his hips were against hers. She was just as breathless and sweaty as he was but they were both enjoying the rush of adrenaline. He briefly thought to himself how he liked having her underneath him like that, but pushed the thought away as quickly as it came.

The result in his break in focus was a slight smirk upon her lips. This momentary lapse was just what she needed. She managed to surprise him with a swift twist, shifting her legs from beneath him while rolling over to the left side; his weaker side. Tenten managed to wrench herself free from his arms in two movements before she appeared behind him, kunai tight against his throat. Her chest rose and fell quickly as she tried to catch her breath. It was difficult to breath in such heat when sparring.

"How did...When did you..?" (sigh) "Let's call it a day. I'm dying in this heat." Genma accepted his defeat graciously; mostly because he was already over training in the bright sun.

Konoha summers were not very pleasant for training but that never stopped Team Gai in the past. Back then, the two sane members knew when to call it quits to avoid heat stroke and dehydration. Tenten lowered the kunai, wiped the sweat from her forehead with her arm and her palms on the right leg of her dark red pants. She located her bag to grab two bottles of water. She joined Genma underneath the shade of a relatively intact weeping willow tree and tossed him one of the bottles. She managed to empty her bottle with several large gulps. Tenten was grateful that it was several degrees cooler beneath the massive tree. Nearly every inch of her clothes were soaked with sweat. Even the ring Kakashi proposed with five weeks prior, hung from a thin necklace and became glued to her collarbone from her perspiration.

Genma looked at her from the corner of his eye; the random sexual thought he had earlier creeping towards the edge of his conscious. He pretended to be lost in thought, but if he was honest, all of his thoughts lingered on how her thoroughly soaked shirt clung to curves hidden beneath her chest bindings. He was fairly certain she had a lot more to offer than what she hid from the world in her oversized clothing.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

He must have been staring at her without realizing it. He stumbled to come up with a good answer; one that did not include the several perverse thoughts running through his buy time, he grabbed a senbon and began chewing on it. It was a habit of his that helped him focus or in this case, to calm his nerves.

"Just trying to think if there is anything left I can teach you." He added a quick shrug before leaning back against the thick tree trunk. With her good natured personality, he was sure she bought the story. Besides, he convinced himself that it wasn't that far from the truth.

His eyes drifted to a close as a hot breeze swirled around, rustling the leaves on the droopy tree. "You've pretty much matched me in hand to hand weapons combat. And I've shown you just about every trick I know. You've got the strength, agility, and speed. All that's left for you to work on is your stealth and form. Maybe get a bit more creative with how to use different weapons. But you shouldn't have a problem with any of that."

Normally Tenten would have beamed at that kind of praise. She respected Genma and not just because of his reputation. He was also Gai's original teammate. Anyone who could put up with and grow with Gai is a special person in her eyes. She crossed her arms and turned her back to him. For some reason, she felt defeated by his words. She wasn't sure why but lately she had this overwhelming feeling of self-doubt looming over her.

"I don't know if it's enough to get into ANBU. I'm not sure if I have any special skill that is even needed. I'm not even sure if I want this anymore. I'm kind of lost as to what to do. For the longest time growing up I thought I wanted to be just like Tsundae-sama. But now, trying to shape my own identity, wants, and needs. It's all very confusing."

Tenten hadn't told anyone about her doubts of applying for ANBU and she surprised herself at how easily she opened up to him. With Kakashi gone, there was a void left; she had no one else she trusted enough to talk to about her feelings. She had her friends but they were busy planning the next phase of their lives; most of which involved marriage and children. She wasn't sure if any of them would understand her.

What she didn't tell Genma was that she was scared. Scared of what she wasn't quite sure. Failure or maybe scared her relationship would change if she succeeded. In ANBU missions, the likelihood of her never returning would increase exponentially even during this time of peace. Kakashi mentioned their relationship would have to change, but they never had the opportunity to talk about it before he left for Suna. With all of these worries tumbling around in her head, she forgot Genma was even there next to her, searching for the right thing to say.

Genma cracked open his right eye, looking at her in confusion. "If you don't make it, it's because you lack confidence not skill. I can't teach you confidence. No one can give you that."

He stood up, brushed the leaves and dirt from his pants, grabbed his bag, and proceeded to walk away. He had enough of sitting in his own sweat and grime. A long shower was calling his name and he intended to answer. Without looking back, he waved to her as he kept walking.

"Don't sell yourself short. You're one of the best kunoichi I've seen. Same time tomorrow."

Walking home in the unrelenting heat was worse than sparring with Genma. The sun baked her already over heated skin and since she wasn't moving fast, there was no breeze to cool her. Although running on the rooftops would have been faster, she imagined it to be 10 times hotter, so she slowly walked through the town to the other side of the village. As she passed Yamanaka's Flower Shop, she waved to Ino through the large window. The over zealous blonde came bursting out of the double doors with a hand full of pink and blue orchids as if she just saw the love of her life. Tenten was filled with instant regret; knowing that her friend was up to something.

"Tenten! I'm so glad you're passing by. I've been trying to catch up with you but you're rarely at the weapons shop anymore and I wanted to stop by your place but I don't even know where you live. Where DO you live and why haven't I ever been over?"

She couldn't outright tell her she lived with Kakashi. Not Ino. This was not the way she wanted her friends to find out about their relationship. Before he left, Kakashi made her promise to wait for his return and they would announce their engagement together. He didn't want her to face that alone and she was thankful for it. But it kind of put her in very awkward positions at times since she wasn't good at lying to her friends. Tenten put on her most convincing grin to mask the pseudo-lie.

"Not too far. Just in the apartments on the other side of the Hokage tower." She said that so quickly she wasn't sure Ino even understood it.

"But um I've been training a lot with Genma for the ANBU test coming up trying to be better than I was yesterday, ya know the old Team Gai motto but what did you need?" She said the entire sentence in one giant breath.

Ino knew she was hiding something. Tenten rarely babbled and she looked nervous. But the usually curious blonde decided not to pry. Not yet. It was hot outside and she wanted to get back to the comfort of the AC inside her shop. Plus, she knew she would get it out of Tenten later on. She had her ways and she intended to use them.

"Oh well I'm throwing a little get together for Sakura. She passed her exam and will officially take over as the lead doctor! So meet us at Insight by 9:30."

As much as she tried, Tenten could not come up with an excuse to get out of this. Kakashi was way better at getting out of engagements than Tenten would ever be. Besides, it was for Sakura and she would do anything if it was a celebration for her friends. Plus maybe it would be an opportunity for Tenten to get out of her head and let her worries go for the night. She stopped fighting and resigned her fate. With a heavy sigh, she agreed to meet them out front by 9:30. As soon as she agreed, she quickly jogged away to avoid having to accept any other commitments. She just knew Ino would ask her to go shopping for outfits and maybe even get hair and makeup done as well. Tenten could only handle so much girl time in one day.

Ino was shocked at how easy it was to get Tenten to commit but not surprised at how fast she ran off. Ino yelled as loud as she could to her fleeing tomboyish friend. "There's a dress code. If you need to borrow anything stop by my house by 8 errr no 7, Ten-chan!"

Tenten cringed at dress code but did not let that stop her forward progress away from Ino. She waved her hand in the air to signal that she got the message and quickened her pace towards home.

It wasn't long before she made it to the safety of the one bedroom apartment she and Kakashi shared. It had been pretty lonely without him the past several weeks, but she was starting to adapt. While living with him, she learned several things about herself, the first being that she wasn't as good of a cook as she thought. Kakashi was light years beyond her in making creative and flavorful dishes. He could pick up any recipe and somehow make it better. She also realized how much she appreciated having someone to come home to every day. Before she enjoyed the solitude of her life, but now after getting comfortable with sharing the small details with someone on a constant basis, she longed for companionship. She noticed the sting of loneliness more whenever he was away.

When she opened the door, she nearly stepped on Bisuke who was taking a nap on the tatami mat near the front door. After their joint mission in Kusa, Tenten grew close to Kakashi's ninken, especially Bisuke. Everyone knew he was her favorite. They even had little inside jokes about the other hounds. Pakkun pretended not to be jealous but he didn't hide it well.

The sleepy dog stood up and stretched his back and legs before jumping into her giggled as she snuggled the ninja-hound; rubbing her cheek against the top of his head. "I'm so glad to see you again, Bisuke. I suppose seeing your cute face means he's extending his trip again."

"He wrote you another letter. He did promise to make it back before the ANBU test so they won't be postponed again. I'm sorry, Ten."

"Eh it's okay. It's part of the job right?" A sad smile graced her face while she scratched behind his ear. Bisuke let out a soft growl of affection as her nails raked over the perfect spot behind his left ear. She looked at the letter he left on the fuuton, but didn't bother to open it. Tenten preferred to enjoy the brief company of Bisuke while she could.

"You should at least open it, Ten." Sometimes she swore he could read her sat on the fuuton and Bisuke curled up on her lap. She proceeded to give him a reassuring belly rub that had his legs pumping in the air with excitement.

"I will. Later though. Any new adventures for you?"

"None. Been rather quiet. Although I think Urushi has a crush on this stuck up poodle. I don't get it. She's too fancy and snobbish for me. But she is cute. Nice tight behind and perky ears."

Tenten swore the life of ninja hounds was as dramatic as a shinobi. Bisuke always had stories, most of them embarrassing ones at the expense of the rest of his pack. But Tenten would never tell the others. She and Bisuke had a bond that could never be broken.

"It's getting late. Did you want to send a letter back?" Bisuke lowered his voice. He hated seeing the disappointment in Tenten's face whenever he had to leave.

She placed the new letter on top of the stack of other letters Bisuke delivered to her over the past five weeks. She found a piece of paper and a pen and wrote

Don't forget your promise. I love you.

She wasn't sure what else to write. She was physically tired from her spar in the heat and already mentally tired from having to force herself to be social later tonight when all she wanted to do was read in bed with Kakashi by her side. She languidly handed the letter to Bisuke and ruffled the top of his head.

"Take care of him for me will ya? I need him to come home."

"Of course. I should head out. And you need to shower. You smell worse than Bull's butt." He let out a hearty laugh before jumping out the window. Tenten should have been mad, but Bisuke was 100% right. She smelled putrid.

While soaking in a hot bath, she tried not to think about how much she missed Kakashi. She hated to admit that ever since Neji died, she needed someone to provide support and comfort. She forced the swelling of sadness away and focused on her training from today. Genma's words played on repeat. "You're one of the best kunoichi I've ever seen. If you don't make it, it's from lack of confidence not skill."

(When did I lose all confidence in myself? How can I get that back? I need to do better if I'm going to make ANBU.)

She slid deeper into the tub until the water reached the tip of her nose. The soft scent of lemon and lavender soaking salts soothed her mind and body. She stayed that way, mind drifting from thought to thought until the water started to turn cold and the tips of her fingers pruned. By the time she finished her bath and dried off, she had enough time to eat a quick dinner and to get dressed.

Despite her friend's impressions, Tenten knew how to dress up. She just preferred to be comfortable in loose fitting clothes. She never felt as if she had the body worth flaunting plus loose clothes allowed her to easily hide weapons. She stared at the clothes in her closet. Everything she owned was either too casual or too formal. She wasn't much into Konoha nightlife and had no reason to own club clothes, but she refused to go to Ino's to ask for help. In the very back of her closet hung the hideous uniform she wore at Karaokekan. She swore she would never wear that outfit again but couldn't get rid of it. Too many memories, good, hilarious, and awful, were attached to that disgrace of a uniform. Tucked away behind it, was the result of a spontaneous shopping trip with Aya. Tenten didn't want to buy it, but the pushy blonde (much like another pushy blonde she knows) would not take no for an answer.

"Come on Hitomi-chan. Don't you think your hubby deserves to see a little skin every now and then? Show off those perky boobs and those toned abs. Trust me. He won't be able to keep his hands off you. You're buying this."

"Neh Aya Where would I even wear something like this?"

"You'll figure it out. You two should have a date night or something." she winked as she shoved Hitomi into the dressing room. "Try it on for me. I need to make sure I got the right size."

Tenten's lips curled upward from the daydream. She started to wonder what everyone was up to. If Aya still hung all over everything with a penis or if Momo became a karaoke star. She really did miss hanging out with them. Being a civilian made her feel almost normal and at times she would forget it was all a mission. They truly became her friends and she hoped she would get an opportunity to visit them someday soon.

The alarm she set to remind her to get ready buzzed loudly, breaking Tenten from her reverie. She grabbed the outfit and her favorite pair of black ankle boots. She had to dig through her drawers to find one of the two nicer bras that she still owned (also a forced purchase due to a joint effort between Ino and Sakura). She wore her bindings so often for training that the four year old black lace bra still looked brand new. She dressed quickly; only looking in the mirror long enough to make sure everything still fit. She had to admit that Aya knew what she was doing. Each piece fit like a glove and was perfect for Tenten's shape. Despite showing more skin than she liked, she felt a boost of confidence from how good she looked.

She was running out of time so she kept her damp hair down to let it air dry into it's natural waves. In a way, she could thank Reo's strict rules that forced her to learn how to put on full makeup in under 20 minutes. For tonight, she decided to go simple; a little powder, blush, dark eyeliner, mascara, and a peach shimmery lip gloss and she was finished in 10 minutes Tenten grabbed a small bag and rushed out the door.

The night air was brisk. Tenten immediately became aware of how little clothing she was wearing. She hoped that she wouldn't run into anyone she knew especially Kiba or Naruto. Then again, Naruto probably wouldn't have known it was her and he would be easily fooled. Kiba however, would have harassed her for the rest of their lives; of that she was certain. Tenten wondered what Kakashi would have thought of the way she looked. It was more aligned to the women in the Icha Icha books but so out of character for her. It had never crossed her mind to dress up for him but perhaps it may be a nice surprise; assuming he would return anytime this century. As she approached the nightclub Tenten made one promise to herself that she wouldn't let her longing for Kakashi or anything else spoil her opportunity to have fun. For once, she will take the advice Aya gave to her years ago to 'lighten up and enjoy the moment.'