Hi everyone. So sorry that I've been MIA, but good news, THIS STORY IS NOT ON HIATUS! I've just been so busy with school and a few health issues, but I'm getting back on track and this story will be finished! I just really can't guarantee when... Well, enjoy and please give me some reviews!
As Tenten and Kugi were walking toward Tenten's house, Tenten continued to scold Kugi for his actions at Naruto's house.
"I don't understand why you tease Boruto so much. One minute you're excited to teach him and be his pretend sensei and the next you two are at each other's throats."
Kugi sighed in frustration. "He thinks he's this great ninja with natural born talent, but he's not. He's just a silly kid that dreams too big. No one has natural talent. The only way you become a great ninja is by hard work and determination, just like you told us, Sensei."
Tenten chuckled. "While I do agree with you there, I do believe that natural talent can be a factor."
Kugi looked at Tenten with a confused look.
"Take yourself, for example," Tenten said. "When was the last time a 7-year-old graduated from the academy?"
Kugi took a moment to think.
"Grandfather told me that the last person to graduate from the academy under the age of 12 was Itachi Uchiha. He was 7, just like me."
"Exactly," Tenten continued. "And that was nearly 30 years ago. Now I'll tell you right now that it wasn't your training with your grandpa that got you there. All you worked on up until that point at the compound was hand-to-hand combat. So if you ask me, I'd say it was your natural talent that helped you graduate at a young age."
Kugi looked away and pondered for a moment. He sighed, still looking straight ahead.
"I still don't think Boruto has any natural talent. He's just so weak."
"Did you know that the Hokage failed the graduation exam three times?" Tenten asked Kugi.
Kugi looked up at Tenten with confused eyes.
"What? There's no way."
"Mmhmm," Tenten said with a nod. "And do you know what kicked his butt every time he tried?"
Kugi stayed silent, waiting for Tenten to reveal the answer.
"Shadow clones."
Kugi's mouth hung agape in shock.
"But there's probably over 100 of his shadow clones walking around the village as we speak. Shadow clones are Lord Seventh's specialty."
"That's my point," Tenten began. "I'm not going to lie, Naruto was a complete loser when he was your age and was for a long time after that. It wasn't until he came back from his two-year training mission that he really started to blossom. Granted, he still acted like a loser the majority of the time, but when he was in battle, he was unstoppable."
Kugi smiles and turned his head to look up at Naruto's face on the cliffside of the village. He looked back at Tenten a moment later, silently urging her to continue.
"All I'm saying is to not sell Boruto short. Nobody's past should be a definition of himself or herself. Boruto looks up to you and gets really hurt when you do stuff like that to him. And if he's anything like his father, you're going to regret ever treating him like you do now."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Kugi mumbled. "He's just so annoying, y'know?"
Tenten chuckled. "Yeah, I know. You're going to have to deal with your fair share of annoying people, just like everyone else."
By the time Tenten was finished talking, she and Kugi arrived at the front door of her house. She pulled out her key and unlocked the front door, stepping aside for Kugi to enter first. Kugi had been to Tenten's house many times for various meet-ups with his team, be never has he had the chance to step inside and take a look around.
Tenten's house was bigger than Kugi expected for someone who lives on her own. The entryway leads into a large open living room space with the kitchen to the side, separated by a wall from the living room. In the back of the living room was a hallway that leads to two large bedrooms and a bathroom.
Tenten noticed Kugi gazing at her house. She smiled before speaking.
"You can have the giant bedroom in the back. Lee and Metal stay the night sometimes and sleep back there. It's a nice queen-sized bed, a lot more comfortable than the futon you sleep on at the Hyuga Compound."
Kugi turned towards Tenten and bowed. "Thank you very much, Sensei."
Tenten shook her hands awkwardly in front of her body.
"Please, you don't have to be so formal. This is my house, not a training field. Relax and unwind."
"Got it," Kugi said with a nod.
Tenten smiles at him. "Do you want to watch some television or something before you go to bed? I can bring some snacks out."
"That'd be great," Kugi said as he took a seat on Tenten's couch. Tenten grabbed the remote to the TV and turned it on before handing Kugi the remote. She walked into the kitchen while Kugi searched for what he wanted to watch. A few minutes later, Tenten returned with a bowl of popcorn and placed it next to Kugi on the couch before seating herself on the other end of the couch. The two mindlessly watched what was on the TV before Kugi spoke.
"Can you tell me about my dad?"
Tenten was initially shocked but a smile quickly spread across her face.
"Of course. What do you want to hear?"
Kugi pondered for a moment. "Grandfather told me that my father received an honor for rescuing the Kazekage. Do you know that story?"
"Which time?" Tenten asked with a smirk.
"Wait," Kugi began to question. "My dad saved the Kazekage more than once?"
Tenten nodded. "Yup. The first time, he basically did it by himself. It was during the Chunin Exams that Neji realized that people were targeting the Kazekage and Neji helped save him. That was how Neji got promoted straight from Genin to Jonin."
"Wow," Kugi said with his eyes wide.
"But the time you're probably thinking of," Tenten continued. "Is when our whole team went out to try to save the Kazekage."
"You saved the Kazekage too?" Kugi asked with his eyes getting even wider.
"Sure did," Tenten confirmed. "I got the same honor that Neji did. So did Lee, Naruto, Sakura, Gai, and Kakashi."
Kugi sat up eagerly. "Can you tell me the story?"
Tenten chuckled. "Okay, of course, I will. You know that Lord Hokage left for a two-year training mission when he was young, right?"
Kugi nodded.
"Well, not a day after he returned, he was sent on a mission with Sakura and Lord Kakashi. The Sand sent a message to the Leaf asking for help rescuing the Kazekage and his brother. After Naruto's team took off, they weren't heard from for many days so Lady Tsunade sent us out as a support team. Along our way to meet up with Naruto, we were stopped by Kisame."
"The creepy shark guy in the Akatsuki?" Kugi asked.
"Yes, him. It took us a while to defeat him, and we almost drowned in the process, but we eventually go past him and met up with Naruto's team. Neji was able to find the Kazekage trapped inside a cave, but the cave was blocked by a sealing jutsu. Including on the rock covering the cave, there were five seals around the area and they needed to be pulled off simultaneously. So our team took off to the four seals away from the cave. We used wireless radios and were able to get the seals off."
"So did you all go in and save the Kazekage?" Kugi asked.
"Not exactly," Tenten admitted with an embarrassed voice. "Sakura and Chiou, a woman from the Sand, had some trouble fighting Sasori, and Kakashi and Naruto also had some trouble with Deidara."
Kugi looked to Tenten in confusion. "Why didn't you guys come back and help them out?"
"Because there was a Jutsu tied to the four seals on the outskirts. When we took them off, clones of ourselves appeared."
"So what did you guys do?"
"We fought them, of course," Tenten said with a smile. "But what made it really tough was that as the fighting progressed, we all got weaker from exhaustion but our clones stayed at the same strength level."
Kugi gave no verbal response, but his eyes got wider as he encouraged his teacher to continue.
"It was really tough for all of us," Tenten said. She smiled at Kugi before she spoke again. "Do you know what got us through it, though?"
Kugi shook his head, his interest never subsiding.
"Stronger than yesterday," Tenten said with a proud smile on her face.
Kugi gave Tenten a confused look. "What?"
"'Stronger than yesterday,' my team's motto that I passed down to your team, remember?"
"I thought that was 'hard work and determination,'" Kugi said with confusion.
Tenten flicked her hand at Kugi, ignoring his comment. "Well, a team can have a lot of mottos. Anyway, we brought up enough strength from deep inside of us so that we were stronger than the time when our clones were made and we eventually beat them."
"That's so cool," Kugi said with a smile.
"It was," Tenten said, returning Kugi's smile. "But it wasn't cool when we caught up with Naruto and his team. The tailed beast inside the Kazekage was extracted and he was dead once we met up with him."
Kugi's eyes got wide. "Holy shit."
Tenten glared at Kugi for his poor language but continued on with her story, nonetheless.
"Thankfully, Lady Chiou knew a jutsu that could bring people back from the dead."
Kugi took a minute to ponder this new information before his eyes got wide in excitement.
"Are you kidding? How do I get ahold of this jutsu? Maybe I can bring my dad back to life with it!"
Tenten placed her hand on Kugi's shoulder to try to calm him down. She had her eyes closed and she shook her head.
"It's not that simple, Kugi. The jutsu is a life for a life. Lady Chiou sacrificed herself so the Kazekage could live. The jutsu she used is forbidden. If we used it on Neji, someone else would have to take his place in death."
"Oh," Kugi responded sadly as he turned his attention to the floor. Tenten frowned and pulled Kugi's face up to look at her.
"I know how much it stinks not having your parents around, I really do, but never forget that your father is watching over you in ways you'll never know. And don't forget that you have a grandfather and two wonderful aunts that love you just as much as Neji would have."
Kugi took a moment to process Tenten's words before he gave her a small smile.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Tenten put her hands on her hips triumphantly. "Of course I am. I'm always right. I'm the greatest sensei in the whole world."
"Sure," Kugi said with a small scuff and a smile.
"Alright, smart ass. I think that you should high-tail it to bed after that one. Besides, we have a long day tomorrow," Tenten said to her student.
"Sure thing, Sensei," Kugi said as he made his way to the spare bedroom in Tenten's house. Before he entered the room, Tenten yelled out to him.
"Hey, Kugi!"
Kugi turned around and acknowledged Tenten.
"Goodnight," Tenten said to Kugi with a soft smile.
Kugi returned Tenten's smile.
"Goodnight, Sensei."
The next chapter should be up soon, hopefully no later than two weeks. It's all chicken scratched out in my notebook so I just need to type it up and do a quick edit and it's good to go. Thanks, everyone!