Of course,I do not own Naruto or any of its charachters.

"speaking"

'thinking'

*It Was Snowing*

Synneth

Chapter 1

She had always been the weakest and unimporant of her team,probably of the Konoha kunoichis,and maybe of the whole group that took part in the Chuunin exams that year.

Not just that,she had also been on the background of everything,from Ninja Academy to her second Chuunin exam,which she finally passed.

Except for the components of her team,the ones who probably really cared for her the most,people knew she existed,and little much more . By the way,she didn't have a family known of,just her dad,which died on a mission little after her 13th birthday.

This all being until a certain alcholized Hokage received a curious letter from,apparently, an important sranger.

…

It was a dim,gray,foggy midwinter morning . It hadn't snowed in the past week,so it wasn't deadly cold,there was just a light rain that was probably going to turn into snow soon.

Tenten,16, had been deterred from her training,alone,by Neji and Lee that day.

She was focused on perfecting her already perfect aim in a difficult and adverse weather condition,and it was going better than how she had hoped.

To her and Neji was a years old habit training together;they'd met on every day free from missions with the two beautiful (…) Konoha green beasts,in their usual training spot.

But that day no one of her team was there . She had wondered why,since Neji hadn't passed to pick her up as he normally had done for the past 2 years,but shortly after she came to the conclusion that they'd been assigned to a sudden mission and didn't have the time to inform her before leaving;so,when she spotted her two team mates running towards her,she was utterly surprised.

"Where were you,Ten?!" said Lee,looking worried,"Neji's had to search with Byakugan every inch of Konoha when he hadn't found you at your house!" half screamed Lee,followed shortly by a quite moody Neji.

"Lee...calm down,I was just here pract-precisely,why weren't you there this morning?And Gai- sensei?I had thought you were on a mission..."

"Gai's on a mission,and we weren't there because Shizune-san was around in Konoha searching for us and the other Chuunin teams; she's said that Tsunade-sama needed to talk to all of us about something,I don't know what . She's said to get you and Lee as soon as possible" spoke Neji,calmly.

In the past years he'd opened up a lot,expecially with Tenten and,reluctantly,with Lee.

"Oh" she wasn't too happy of the news,she didn't like too much being with the other Chuunins:comparisons were inevitable,and she didn't feel particularly skilled,in everything,she just worked hard to improve.

"It has for sure to be something sooo youthful...!I cannot wait to tell Gai-sensei about this!The power of youth may be in our hearts,my comrades,we've got to do our best!" the hyperactive youth obsessed continued his youth-blathering as they reachd the Hokage Tower . The other 2 poor members of the team looked quite stressed about this,even if the youthful routine had been going on for years now.

'He keeps on raving even without Gai,damn him . The older freak totally messed up with his brain',thought Neji,notoriously intolerant to Gai and Lee's style of life and,especially,their look.

Inside were already Shikamaru,Sakura,Ino,Kiba and Akamaru, and all had grown up in these years,and the relationships betwen them had intensified . Some minutes passed,and the others Chuunins gradually filled in the Hokage's office .

Naruto showed up with his breakfast,omnipresent bowl of ramen,and just as he entered the door Hinata blushed at how he looked cute.

Tsunade was losely throned in her chair,waiting for the last Chuunin,Choji,to arrive;she looked something between content and worried,and at her side,Shizune was holding TomTom the pig (N . B . TomTom or TonTon?Never known . ),smiling quietly every time someone entered the room.

Choji arrived in a hurry,chewing chips,and excused himself for being late;Tsunade dismissed him quickly,and as she started to speak,the group all in line in front of her desk,she closed her eyes.

"Good morning . Yesterday I received a letter from a person that ,maybe, you know by fame,and that's why you're here " ,she said,and the group was listening intently.

" This man,Tai Yukimichi,is an old ninja that retired little after he became a Jonin,in order to pursuit the rest of his life in perfectioning the ancient arts of fighting... I know he lives in a temple,or mansion, on a mountain in Yukikagure and is about...Let me see...80 years old...?...Is this right,Shizune?"

"I think so..."

"That's not the main matter . In the letter he's asked me,very politely I have to say,if he may come here the next week and pick up one of my ninja between the ones aged 15 and 16 as his last pupil . You have to know that he's trained about 10 ninjas,from all countries,during those decades,and that the ones who hasn't gone...like...crazy...from his trainings have been,and some of them still are,excellent Shinobi"

"...Is this fucktard so cruel?!" asked in disbelief Naruto.

"He just pretends the highest discipline and dedication",replied Tsunade coldly.

At this,Lee's eyes started to water up...puppy eyes...literally watering the floor.

"Gai-sensei would be so proud of me if I'd be choosen as Yukimichi-sama's last student!"

Everyone ignored him,but TenTen immediately turned at her left to see Neji's depressed reaction to Lee's outburst . Always funny.

Tsunade kept talking; "So. I think that he'll be here in about 4,5 days,do you all feel motivated enough to take par to the selection?"

Everyone kept silent,meaning that they were,but Hinata asked,evidently troubled "There...there w-will be a se-selection?"

"From what I heard,the selection doesn't consist in a fight or a competition,but he'll just pick who between you he likes the most"

Ino brushed her long blonde ponytail,with a fancy little smile,and immediately Tsunade sighed . "No,Ino,I meant charachterally,not phisically!"

The blonde frowned slightly,while Shizune grinned openly.

Tsunade was eager to finish her speech:"Ok,I take that you're all taking part to the selection . Shizune,pass me that sake,if you don't mind...Thank you ".

Everyone exited the room chatting about who'll be the "lucky" one.

And like this,5 days passed by.

…

Yukimichi arrived.

He could've been all but a ninja,or a powerful fighter.

Tall no more than 150 centimetres,he was probably thin,judging by the almost visible bones of his cheeks and hands;he was all dressed up in a black liscious kimono . He had a crown of snowhite hair and a very long silk beard of he same color . The typical Old-Sage-Of-The-Mountain.

While the Chuunin got together in the village's square,early at morning,with nobody but sellers around,Yukimichi had been talking to Tsunade non stop . She was probably recommanding Sakura or Naruto . The old man listened,but at the same time watched over the line of young ninjas.

…

Yukimichi had thought for months about his choice.

He decided to pick up a girl,because he had always trained only males.

Just a change to end in an dofferent way his days as sensei.

He was curious,too,to see if a girl could make it.

It was snowing lightly now,as he covered all the line-up of Chuunins without saying a word,except for a rough "Don't smoke,it's self killing" to Shikamaru (who remained bewildered),barely examinating some faces,until he reached the girls' part of the line;

he was looking for a ordinary girl,absolutely not with a bloodine,being himself of humble origins,a concrete and determined one,trained in Taijutsu,so he would've had something solid to start with.

Tenten.

And Neji couldn't believe Fate had settled even this for him.

____

NOW I resolved the missing words problem! The last word before a full stop and the first right after it automatically disappeared O_O Why that? Well NOW I rewrote everything correctly,so excuse me for the previous errors ^^"

I think it's very boring,but being my first story,I hope to get better.

Criticism would be good,I think.

And I already excuse myself for the surely present grammar horrors :) Bye.

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