Of Spandex and Shuriken
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Drabble 2: A Much-Needed Haircut
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Rock Lee was in dire need of a haircut.
He didn't think he needed one, but he did. Lee's just indenial like that and it didn't help that he was going through a horrible identity crisis. Well, he was... before he met his mentor (and fashion icon), Maito Gai.
The fact was, poor Lee had no parents and, hence, no one to drag him to the barber's. So his shiny, dark hair grew and grew.
He wore it up, like most other long-haired guys, but his style of choice, that long braid, was somewhat silly looking. And, like his inability to do ninjutsu, his hairstyle became a source of ridicule and contempt among the other boys.
It was a sad period in Lee's life. That is, until Tenten came along!
She and Lee hadn't been friends during their academy days; boys still had cooties, after all.
But, being an orphan herself, she could sympathize with his loneliness--made all the worse by their peers' constant teasing. Tenten had never stuck up for him, but at least she never joined in.
One day, after school (and a good deal of harassment) Tenten caught up with the braided boy and pulled him aside.
"What?" he said sulkily, as if he expected her to start berating him too.
"I'm just curious," said Tenten. "Why do you do it every day?"
"Do what?"
"Come here and endure the teasing all day long."
Lee sighed. "I really have no choice, do I?"
"Sure you do," she insisted. "You don't have to be a ninja. I bet you're good at other things."
He frowned. "But, being a ninja is my greatest dream."
Tenten supposed she couldn't argue there. Being a ninja was her greatest dream too.
"Well, see you around, then," said Lee, turning to go.
"Wait!" she said, grabbing his arm. "I've just got the perfect idea."
Lee regarded her warily. It wasn't every day that he was grabbed by random girls, and he found the experience a trifle uncomfortable.
"Um..."
"You just need... a haircut!" exclaimed Tenten, her eyes sparkling. She just loved anything involving the use of a kunai.
"..."
"Well, isn't that a great idea?"
"I've never... had a haircut before..." Lee admitted.
"All the more reason to get one! You know, not every guy is cut out for long hair, if you'll pardon the pun."
Lee hung his head. The ability to wear long hair was yet another area in which he was inferior to Neji Hyuuga.
"Hey, don't look so sad, Lee. You just need to discover your look," said Tenten sagely. "When your hair is just right, every area of your life will improve."
"Really?" he said, getting that earnest look.
Tenten nodded. "So, how about it?"
"Well... okay!"
By this point, all the other kids had run home, so Lee and Tenten had the place to themselves. They went over to the little play yard, but Lee looked a little apprehensive when Tenten pulled out a kunai.
"Don't worry," she assured him. "I've done this before."
After establishing that a shorter cut would suit Lee best, Tenten took his braid and sliced it off in one clean motion.
He gasped, apparently not expecting it so abruptly.
"See?" said Tenten. "That wasn't so bad." And she continued slicing here and there, sculpting his hair as effortlessly as a professional. So, maybe she had done it before...
The resulting do was a short, layered cut that looked cute on him--in a non-silly way.
Tenten beamed at her efforts. "Have a look!" she said, handing him a particularly large and reflective blade.
(What did you think she carried around? A makeup compact? Pshaw!)
After overcoming his understandable unease (geez, has this girl got a knife fetish or something?), Lee smiled.
"It'll be much easier to manage this way," Tenten told him, as if she did this sort of thing everyday. "Having long hair all over the place is such a pain. You like it?"
He beamed at her. "Yeah, thanks, Tenten!"
"No problem," she smiled.
They stared at each other for a moment.
"Well," said Tenten, to break the awkward pause. "You were certainly more receptive than Neji!"
"You cut Neji's hair?" he asked, eyes wide.
"Tried to," sighed Tenten. "But he wasn't too high on that. Let's just say I won't be trying it again anytime soon..."
"Oh well," said Lee, trying not to smile.
"Maybe one of these days..."
Another awkward pause filled the air.
Lee cleared his throat. "Well, thanks again, Tenten. See you tomorrow!" And he ran off home. Very cutely.
Tenten watched him with a slight smile.
"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Lee."
So, Lee finally got his first (and much-needed) haircut. He still couldn't do ninjutsu or genjutsu, but, like Tenten said, having the right do made all the difference in the world.
At the very least, he wasn't teased about his hair anymore.
The ninjutsu and genjutsu? Well, that was another story...
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A/N: I couldn't resist doing a chibi scene. They're all so cute as chibis! Those of you reading my other story, don't worry. I haven't forgotten about it! Being busy and highly distractable is a lethal combination... sweatdrops...
-Andrea