Prompt: Push (18)
Date: May 26, 2014
Fandom: Naruto
Note: Post-War - small hints of SasuSaku and NejiTen
Team Gai-centric and Team Kakashi-centric (ish)

Push

Tenten glared across the scattered camp of canvas tents and burning torch lights, fingers flexing tightly and brown brows furrowing steeply as she critically considered the last Uchiha.

He sat in isolation, canopied by the shadows of night and barricaded by the tall trees and large stones he had voluntarily cornered himself into. No one approached him, wary of his dark and unwelcoming aura, leaving the boy to placidly watch the post-war activities occurring around him.

She scowled, releasing her clenched fingers to relieve the tension, and opted to drum them impatiently against her forearm.

"What is the matter, Tenten?"

The voice was weary, and so unlike the energetic tone she was so familiar with, which only caused her scowl to deepen and the rhythm of her tapping fingers to increase, "…"

"…Tenten?"

The weapons' mistress sighed sharply, glancing towards her right side to acknowledge her concerned teammate, before returning her glare to the subject of her current ire, "Sasuke. Lee, Sasuke is pissing me off."

Rock Lee paused from wrapping new bandages around his arms to spare her a confused look, "But Sasuke-san is our ally again. Why are you upset with him?"

Tenten turned her head, critically regarding her bruised, battered, and green-clad teammate with hard, brown eyes, and a locked jaw, "Because he's being stupid."

Lee's large eyes blinked up at her, "I am not following."

Nostrils flared, she swung her arm out and pointed in the Uchiha's direction, "Look at him!"

Uncertain about her anger, Lee warily switched his attention to their long-lost comrade, trying to understand Tenten's angry observations.

He was unobtrusive - just as he remembered from their youth - silent and brooding and alone.

Alone.

Lee darted his gaze to the far side of the camp, ironically in the same direction as Sasuke's stare, and witnessed Uzumaki Naruto sitting on an outside cot, being carefully mended by Haruno Sakura. The two were somber despite their recent victory, talking in hushed voices, expressions conveying clear worry as their gazes occasionally flitted towards their reticent comrade.

"He's been avoiding them since the war ended," Tenten supplied, "He's not even trying when they are and it's just-" She paused and sighed again with frustration, "It's pissing me off."

A small, subdued smile lifted the corners of Lee's lips, "It takes time, Tenten."

His response only produced a deeper scowl and, within seconds, he was being pulled up and dragged through the camps, Tenten's grip tight around his wrist, "Well, time is damn valuable. Come on."

Lee limped behind Tenten as she led him through the throng of healing and celebrating shinobi of the Alliance, noticing the determined furrow in her brow and allowing a gentler smile to cross his lips.

"You!" Her accusing voice returned Lee's focus and the two stopped their stride several feet from Sasuke's seated form. Tenten pointed a finger at him and the Uchiha calmly looked up, a slight twitch of his eyebrow displaying his irritation.

"Sasuke-san," Lee greeted with a short bow of his head, maintaining his usual politeness, "Welcome back. We are most grateful for your help and most happy for your return."

Sasuke regarded them in silence before turning his head away with a grunt, "Hn."

Tenten bristled, "You little-"

"Have you gone to see Sakura-chan and Naruto-kun yet?" Lee smoothly cut in, "I am most certain they would like to see you and spend more time with you."

Sasuke's eyes reflexively flickered in the general direction of his comrades and the action caused Tenten's anger to deflate suddenly and her tensed muscles to slacken.

"…Sasuke." Her voice was a mere whisper and her brown eyes were downcast, "Just…go to them."

A hand slid into hers and she looked up to see Lee's comforting smile. When she turned back to Sasuke, his stare was fixated on their linked fingers before darting towards their faces. He stared at them searchingly before panning his gaze through the surrounding crowds, his shoulders coiling with awareness.

"You should hurry, Sasuke-san," Lee urged, "It will be midnight soon."

Sasuke stared at them for several moments, opened his mouth for a brief second, and closed his eyes as he gave a soft exhalation of breath. With a short nod of his head, he stood up and slowly began to walk in the direction of Sakura's and Naruto's location.

Just as he walked passed Tenten and Lee, he paused, "…I'm sorry." He swallowed, "…He…"

"He would have called you an annoyance," Tenten supplied, although a watery smile twisted her mouth, "But I'm sure he would have welcomed you back all the same."

Lee grinned, "Indeed."

He began to move forward, until Tenten touched his arm with her free hand, re-capturing his attention, and he gazed at her imploring brown eyes from over his shoulder.

"…Don't take advantage of something you can lose, Sasuke," She whispered, "Don't think for a second that it can't be taken - because it can. Cherish them, okay?" She released his arm and looked at the floor, "And…And don't harbor any regrets." Her stare raised, her expression firm and meaningful, and her large, chocolate irises brimming with unshed tears. "You're a genius, right? So you should know what I'm talking about."

Again, Sasuke's dark irises reflexively moved, landing on Naruto and Sakura, yet straying a few moments longer on the pink-haired kunoichi.

"…Aa."

"Good."

Sasuke jerked his head once, sharing a final look with the weapons' mistress before continuing towards his comrades, "…Thank you."

Lee watched with satisfaction as Sasuke hesitantly - almost shyly - walked towards Team Kakashi's tent, gratified by the blooming smiles that appeared on Sakura's and Naruto's faces when they noticed the Uchiha's approach.

Lee's hand around Tenten's tightened and he looked at her just as she swiped away the tears that began tracking down her cheeks, "Are you still upset, Tenten?"

She shook her head, the watery smile returning on her features, but her brown eyes shining a little brighter, "…No. Not anymore. He just better not screw up." Her smile pulled a little wider when Sakura happily embraced Sasuke and Naruto enthusiastically pounded the Uchiha's back - which was received by a miniscule smirk and an annoyed mutter.

"That was a most youthful deed, Tenten," Lee praised as he tugged her along so they could find Gai-sensei, "Neji would be most pleased."

Tenten chuckled, wiping away another few tears, "You think?"

"We are his teammates!" Lee proclaimed happily, "Of course he would be! Thanks to you, we just helped complete the mission he and his comrades set out to do, four years ago." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pointed to Team Kakashi, "We helped bring a broken family back together."

Tenten smiled softly, until a solemn sigh left her lips, "And…what about our family? I…I miss him, Lee."

Lee hugged her closer, Gai-sensei's tent within view, "I miss him, too. But, although we are not whole, we are also not broken. Neji is still with us. I am certain of it."

A soft wind blew, as if in response, and Tenten closed her eyes - reveling in the moment and taking Lee's words to heart.

"Keep an eye on us, Neji - because we'll be sure to make you proud."

Lee grinned, hugged her tighter with his right arm, and pumped his left fist high, "Yosh!"

A/N: This made its first appearance on my Tumblr. I wrote it because I saw a picture of Tenten crying, meep! Hope you liked it and that they were In Character!

Thank you for reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Company.

Len~