A/N: so just some background info about the story. It takes place during Shippuden, so Sasuke has left, and all that good stuff. I always thought that once you are a Chunin, you don't really have a set team, but usually go on missions with your three man team, so that's why I refer to 'old team' and such. Oh, and Neji isn't a Jounin anymore, nobody is, just part of the story. There will be some oc's soon, but not in this chapter. Anyway, I just wanted to give you the heads up. Ahah…eh… They will be here just to make the story more…interesting, so if it gets of to a slow start for you, don't worry! Please review and tell me what you think. Love you all!
Disclaimer: …No, I don't own Naruto…
Chapter one:
Bright an early, the perfect conditions for an early morning training session with his old team. He could just smell the youth in the air: the wet dewy grass, the birds chirping away at each other. Yup, it was definitely the springtime of youth.
It was a shame that none of Gai's former students, excluding Lee, particularly liked these training conditions. The sticky morning dew soaked through Tenten's sandals the way she hated, and she could tell Neji was finding the bird's chirping annoying as well.
They had been training for hours on end, it seemed, she couldn't take much more. Her fairly new gloves were beginning to wear and small holes were forming at the tips. The leather had rubbing against her hands was making her skin raw. If she kept this up she would bleed through them soon, and have to get a new pair. How much more of this excruciating work could her physical being take?
"Alright that's enough," Gai's unmistakable voice penetrated the barrier of silence.
"Thank God!" Tenten gasped, sinking down to the wet ground.
"Five hours until we continue! Use your time well my youthful students!" The goofy man dismissed himself just as Lee had finished saying, "Of course, Gai-Sensei!"
"Out of all the Sensei's out there, we just had to get the crazy one that's obsessed with youth," sighed Tenten. A five hour brake maybe she and Neji…, "Hey Neji, ya wanna, ya know, go do some—"
"I'm busy today. I don't have time," Neji said as he turned to leave the training grounds.
"Oh…I see…maybe another time then, okay?" Tenten knew she would not get an answer from the solemn Hyuga as she too left the grounds. It was almost the same routine every day. She couldn't help but dream though. One of these days, Neji would say "sure, Tenten, where would you like to go?" or "sure, that sounds nice". Tenten sighed. At least she wasn't the only one with boy related troubles. Hinata, Sakura, and even Ino all had their own share of boy problems.
"Tenten, over here!" Tenten caught a glance of a waving Sakura sitting with Ino and Hinata around a circular bench table near a mini-sushi bar.
"Hey guys," Tenten said as she sat down next to Sakura. "What's up? Any luck today?"
"Probably just as much as you had," snorted Ino, "Neji blow you off again?"
Tenten blushed a little, but managed a snide "How'd you know?" in reply. "Honestly, I think he's worse than Shino! I mean, talk about anti-social. He never has 'time' for anyone! I wonder what he does anyway…but what's the point?" She wasn't sad or teary eyed, Tenten was frustrated. How could anyone be so self-centered? Neji never did anything with anyone, ever, except for missions with the old team. It was ridiculous, and she wanted a change in her life for once; a change where Neji was a part of her social life, and not just her ninja life.
"Calm down Tenten, I'm sure he'll realize he likes you someday, it's not completely hopeless," said Sakura.
"Gee, Thanks."
The four girls sighed in unison, all thinking the same thing: Boys are hopeless.
"Well anyway," Ino said eager to change the subject, "I hear that Gaara is coming for the Chunin exams with Temari! Oh…and Kankuro too."
"Oh my gosh, the Chunin exams! Those were the good 'ol days, huh?"
"Ummm…Sakura, Hello, we've been Chunin for like a year. It's not like it's been an eternity or anything…" Tenten said.
Ino snickered a bit. "We just have to go see those exams."
"Huh? Why?" Tenten said, somewhat confused.
"Because…Shikamaru…is the exam Procter!" Ino burst out laughing. "One of them, anyway.
"Shikamaru?? An exam Procter??" exclaimed Sakura. "That has got to be one of the most ironic mismatches ever!"
The girls couldn't subside their laughter for more than a few seconds. Soon they were all laughing, and had forgotten about their love affairs. One boy, however, was distracted by the laughter as he was making his way to his favorite ramen shop.
"Hey Sakura!" came the loud, obnoxious voice of Naruto Uzumaki. "What's so funny? Mind if I join you guys?" The girls cringed at the sound of his unbearable tone as he squeezed into the tiny space between Tenten and Sakura.
Sakura was rather annoyed by the boy's presence. Could he not see there was absolutely no room for him? For God's sake, their butt cheeks were touching before he decided to join them.
"Hey, Naruto?" Sakura broke the silence.
"Hmmmm…?"
Sakura tried not to sound like a complete bitch, she could at least let Naruto know nice and easy that he wasn't welcome at the table. "I'm sorry, but you really can't join us. I mean…uh…well…Lee!" she caught a glimpse of the green bodysuit sitting at a similar table not far away. "I mean, Lee already asked to sit here, and well, it would be rude to tell him he couldn't and then let you sit here. Besides, there's not enough room for all five of us."
"Aw come on! I'm way cooler—and better looking—than Bushy Brow and he knows it! He'd totally understand if you let my sit with you guys!" Naruto said, completely misinterpreting Sakura.
That was it.
"NARUTO YOU IDIOT! I SAID NO, AND I MEANT NO!!" Sakura landed a powerful blow on Naruto's left cheek, sending him skidding across the ground, right beside another table where Shikamaru Nara's face looked down at him.
"You idiot."
"You definitely don't know how to deal with women," Kiba Inuzuka snickered, who also sat at the table.
"Either that or he's going after the wrong one," Chouji said as he munched on some of his special potato chips.
"God Sakura, you are so lucky!" whined Tenten back at the girls' table. "You have at least two guys after you! How can you blow them off so easily?"
"Simple. If we're thinking of the same guys here. One is Naruto, and the other is Lee. Would you go out with them Tenten? Besides, Hinata absolutely adores Naruto, what kind of friend would I be if I decided to go on a date with him?"
"Well sure," Ino said with a tight smirk, "but what about Lee? You could at least give him a chance."
"Please, Lee?" Sakura sounded a little disgusted at the thought of her and Lee being together. "Have you any of you actually taken time to look at Lee? He has no fashion sense, is obsessed with youth, and has huge eyebrows!"
"Well, Lee would do anything for you, Sakura. What else do you really need?" Hinata said.
Sakura let out a sigh. Why did they keep insisting she go out with Lee? The only one she ever wanted was Sasuke, and he left her. It just seemed weird to like anyone else, she still felt devoted to Sasuke. She was going to save him one day, and he would feel passionate towards her; the passion she had felt for him so long ago, and still felt for him. "Well, you can argue that. I guess he's just…not my type." This didn't satisfy any of the girls, Sakura could tell by the looks she was getting. "Okay, okay! Maybe, just maybe, I'll go on one date with Lee, or anyone else who might ask me out—except Naruto," she added for Hinata's sake. "Oh, and by the way Tenten, it's a blast having all these guys 'after me'!" The kunoichi laughed as Sakura threw bits of her lunch at the boys' table.
"Ouch. What are they doing over there?" Shikamaru wondered, as a small walnut hit him on the side of the head.
"Looks like they're leaving now." Chouji observed. He was right, as soon as Sakura hit Shikamaru in the head, the girls decided to leave. They weren't really in the mood to get into a food fight, especially with Naruto. They had finished their food long ago anyway.
"Whatever," Shikamaru replied lamely.
"Hey Nara, just thought I'd give you a heads up," Kiba announced, "that Temari's gonna be here within the next couple of days."
"So, what have I got to do with her?"
"Well, I'm just saying. I wouldn't be surprised if the fifth picked you to be her and her brother's guide. You have a history with the sand village, right?" Chouji was snickering all the while Kiba explained his theory.
"Whatever, I'm already an exam Procter. Why the hell would I get picked for two baby sitting jobs? Tsunade knows I need my relaxation time—"
"Shikamaru, there you are!" Asuma had cut him off. "The fifth would like to have a word with you. I think it's about the Kazekage."
Shika glared at Kiba as he slowly made his way out of the restaurant, and headed in the direction of the Kage's mansion.
"Why the hell is it always me?" he thought to himself.
A/N: poor, poor Shika. I don't hate Lee, just to let you guys know, I absolutely love him!! :D At soccer practice the other day, I got like 50 mosquito bites, no joke. 29 on one leg XD. I'm trying my best not to scratch. R&R my lovely readers!