I do not own Naruto ar any of its charachters
*It Was Snowing*
Chapter 3
Tai Yukimichi was undoubtedly a very nice and agreeable old man,and as he and Tenten chatted about this and that (he seemed to like gossiping),she knew what a grandfather could be.
The journey to Yukigakure had been long,but not too tiring:the landscapes they crossed were gradually turning from the forests she used to know into breathtaking white valleys,surrounded by the high peaks of the snow-covered mountains,rich of little crystalized lakes and bright lively streaming torrents.
The skies were often of a silvery gray,and not blue as they used to be within the territories of the Fire Country,but somehow they managed to look incredibly suitable upon the high pine trees,mesmerizing in the magic of the snow and the icicles.
Tenten really didn't know what to expect from this old man and his trainings,but for sure she was decided to do her best.
So,when Yukimichi pointed cheerfully to a particularly high mountain,its top not very visible due to the thick clouds,saying that they had arrived to his mountain,she didn't freak out.
…
after what had seemed like billions of steps (narrow and high rungs,excaved into the hard rock),poor Tenten was so happy to be still alive.
Her sensei didn't seem to be affected by them the least.
"Excellent,Tenten,now go to your new room,you'll find it immediately,is the only one that's still empty,
unpack your things, and return here as soon as possible,if you don't mind".
He was smiling as he said so,but she recognized without problems the implicit request of obbedience and discipline.
"Hai,sensei." She jogged into the mansion,an old very traditional temple full of little rooms,each of them decorated with marvelous wall-paintings,and after a quick check she found a little room totally emptied,whose only furnitures were a futon,a little wardrobe,and an even smaller table.A big window occupied the upper wall opposite to the sliding door. Impossible not to notice that a big part of the remaining space on the walls was occupied by shelves;
the visible wall-paintings represented a beautiful oriental winter landscape: she liked it at first sight;she dumped her bag on the table and ran outside.
"Good,Tenten,now,may you describe me your typical training day until now?And also,please,the way you usually fight?That would be important".Now he was a little more serious,not so smiley anymore,and he hadn't mentioned either food,water,rest or shower yet;
but the thought of asking about these things didn't even cross her mind.
She started to speak.
…
Konoha was about to greet the winter for that year.
Everyone couldn't wait to welcome back the sun,except for the most depressed and pissed Hyuuga in the whole Country.
He wasn't enjoying these months,obviously,so his sadistic logic longed for at least a weather that would prevent others' enjoyable times. The very smooth, stoic, sadistic logic of Tenten's sweetheart and cat sitter,Neji.
He had practically returned the 13-year-old Neji about his mood,manners and language (the monosyllabic, eternal "Hn").
…
Gai and Lee were doing their push-ups that day,and Neji,who had already kicked Lee's ass,which thing he had resumed as daily training,was watching over the (now) spoiled Hachi cat.
Suddenly they all heard Shizune's voice calling for them.
"Guess what?" She was happy,smiling sincerely,once she found them staring at her intently.
"OH,YOUTHFUL SHIZUNE-SAN,WHAT A SURPRISE TO SEE YOU THERE!WHICH YOUTHFUL NEWS DO YOU HAVE FOR US?" Gai chirped with his youthful usual tone.
Lee suspected his sensei had a crush on the Hokage's assistant,and Neji couldn't care less about this all,he was gazing firmly at the paper in Shizune's hands.
"There are news from Tenten!Well,not really from her (Neji's hopes fell miserably),but from Yukimichi about her! (Neji's hopes newly rose)" cheered said woman,handing the paper to Gai,who took it immediately.
Since Yukimichi and Tenten left,4 months had passed by.'It was about time for news,that old piece of shit',thought shamelessly Neji,who really never liked the old man. How could he,after all?
Gai started to read for his students:
Respectable Tsunade-Sama,
I'd like to inform you that Tenten is really doing fine.
Everyday I keep asking myself what kind of,please excuse me,perfect idiot she's had as sensei,
because it is hard not to notice her enormous potential.
Gai stopped,blinked,puppy-eyed Lee,and with evident shame continued to read.
What I want to say is that in four months of serious training with me she probably improved more than in four years of training with her sensei;
but,I have to formally credit him regarding to her skill in the use of weaponry,which is really excellent ,in fact we just occasionally work on it.
Gai smiled a little,but was flabbergasted by the cynicism of what came next:
To be thruthful,I judge her innatural skill in weaponry as a natural gift,so I don't really think her sensei ever had to teach her much about it.
Gai's self reputation was hurt.
Speaking about what we're doing:
we're working on Taijutsu in his finest and highest forms.
I'm teaching her some more Ninjutsu than the few she already knew (Gai winced) and even that little of Genjutsu that can always come in hand.
Looks like the Ninjutsu she likes better until now is the Recall Technique,and her animal's a overgrown tiger,a very funny chatter indeed.
I'm also making her study some history,languages and medical arts:it can help,you should know better than me.
Greetings,Yukimichi Tai.
Gai ended the reading,and Neji quickly snatched the precious paper out of his hands,reading it again several times,while Lee tried to comfort his sulking sensei.
Neji was dead worried about the 'serious training' syntagma:the way he and Tenten had trained all those years,wasn't it serious?