[[ A/N ]] Looking back on my last chapter, I realize that I did not use the '---'s in good---er---formatty stuff. I made it all better. Yes. That's it. Onward. I adore you people who reviewed. My replies (well, it always makes ME happy when I get answered back in a fanfic) are at the bottom of the chapter. Also---one last thing---sorry for the over usage of the word "weak" in these couple of chapters. It's not my fault. Nothing really seems to fit! I'm sorry. It annoys me too, but we'll just have to live.
Also. The "techniques" I created for Tenten aren't really jutsus or anything, and they are plausible. Meaning---they could probably be done by her. Thanks for reading.
[[ Disclaimer ]] Naruto was not created by me, nor was anything you can recognize. As usual.
Chapter Two: Don't Call Me Weak
A silent walking corpse---yesterday's foul words and tomorrow's empty hope. Tenten had heaved herself through the tightness of the earth and had nodded to Gai sensei. "I'll be at practice at two o'clock," she had agreed listlessly. It was time to lift her lead feet and go. A glance at the clock inside Lee's hospital room informed her cheerfully that it was 20 minutes 'till. She was always early. 'Old habits die hard.' Tick, tock. With flawless aim, Tenten threw a kunai at the maker of the ticking and watched the plastic about it crack and heard the nose stop abruptly as the sharp point pierced its clockwork flesh.
"'Bye, Lee." There was no answer from the resting teammate.
As soon as Tenten reached the bridge, she realized that merely two minutes had passed. Oh, the joy. Senses tuned in suddenly: someone was approaching, and it wasn't Gai sensei or (whew) Neji.
"Look, it's the weakling my sister defeated." Purple circled his eyes and face, something like ears poked at the sides of his hood, and contempt etched his smirk. Strapped to his back was his puppet. She recognized him from the prelims---one of the Sand Shinobi---what was his name? Tenten had been told it to be Kankuro.
She faintly remembered Gai sensei's warning, after her fight, when she'd been recovering: "Tenten, watch out for the Sand people---Temari, Kankuro, and, of course, Gaara. You saw what they looked like." But she scarcely gave thought to what she was realizing subconsciously. All that Tenten could feel was..."You're too weak for me." "Look, it's the weakling my sister defeated." "Weak." "Weakling." "Too weak." "Weakling my sister defeated..."
Neji stepped, almost in view, early for training, but the sight before him propelled him behind a large bush.
"Don't...call...me...weak..."
Tenten's fist broke the sound barrier and greeted Kankuro's unsuspecting face with a crunch. The thrust blew him into the trees behind him, smashing cleanly through them, and as he slid backward, he unstrapped Karasu. He was, however, taking the Leaf Genin too lightly. As everyone always had.
'One hit should be enough for her.' Karasu seemed to move with his own agile grace as he shot towards the heated female. She dodged and her fingers hound a single kunai. Abhorrence burned her eyes. She could hardly see; she was blinded by such intense wrath and embarrassment. Scenes from where she had been considered weak brushed by her like insects, prickling at her until she exploded.
Her right hand drove forward. Time for one of the techniques she'd been practicing. Tenten forced her chakra down her weapon, forcing it unto Karasu, ignoring the whacking from its powerful arms. She cut the chakra strings holding it together and it fell apart. Unfortunately for her, it came back together, Kankuro's fingers tracing the air with disdain. 'Who does she think she is? She can't disable Karasu with such a pathetic move.'
The strangest expression was lifted unto her face: a smile. She dropped the kunai, chakra burning through her and encircling her, and advanced towards the puppet, ignoring the puppeteer in the tree above her. "Not good enough for you?" She whisked from side to side, evading the weapons shot out of its mouth skillfully. Tenten suddenly grabbed its middle and forced it upward, spinning until she was above it. Her face was crimson with strain and perspiration drenched her shoulders. Her hands moved of their own accord, pounding the puppet into the ground, dust swirling about her. The puppet still had substance, so she continued to run her fists into the ground, waiting for the grinding pain to stop.
All that remained in the depression was powder. Powder.
Eyes widening, Kankuro wiggled his fingers. The chakra strings were still intact. How odd. Tenten climbed into the chakra strings, binding her feet to them with her own chakra, which was draining through her like water as she launched herself unto the Sand ninja. Unexpected. Thus, he plunged to the ground as she leapt off him and brought out another kunai. She spun about and deftly tied a chakra string of her own to the handle. His eyes glanced briefly at the crater that she had created. 'What the hell was that?'
Tenten wound it around Kankuro, who still could not believe that this little thing of a ninja had disabled his primary weapon. Unthinkable. Was anger really that...powerful? No. It couldn't be. Perhaps he had just underestimated her.
Nevertheless, the damage had been done, and a kunai was in close proximity to his neck, and if she yanked on the string, it would slit his throat. Clever. However, rather than pulling, Tenten left her closed hand fly into his stomach, battering him. Blood spurted. Not only from him---Tenten's hands were leaking the scarlet liquid as she whacked him from side to side.
Suddenly, Kankuro tweaked a few limbs, and was free. She had no idea how he done it. A sneer floated easily to his mouth. The little girl had no idea what he was capable of. Tenten, undaunted, flames of rage and resentment still spiking off her, swung her leg up to kick him. He grabbed it and hoisted her into the air by her knee, shaking his head. Useless.
She tried the other leg. The same result. This time, she whipped her arms around, but he moved to the side, still dangling her upside down.
"You think you've won, idiot? You're so stupid. You could never beat me." He gagged---her attacks had weakened him, but he had the pride not to display it.
"You...think...you've...won? You're---" panted Tenten "---dead...wrong."
Neji had watched silently from the sidelines. He had not deserted his spot to help her. When she was close to death, then he'd come in. As for now...he was curious to what she would do. After all, if he came in when she didn't want his help---females were strange creatures. Indeed. 'Why did she get so angry over a little insult like that? And why is she so much...stronger than before? ...That isn't the Tenten I know...did something happen to her? She must still be hurt over our exchange yesterday.' As much as he loathed admitting it, Neji felt some unease about their conversation. Perhaps he had gone too far. Too direct. But there had been no other way to break it to his teammate. He'd known for a while that she had had feelings for him. 'I just don't...' As though attempting to elude his thoughts, he turned his attention back to the fight.
Tenten brought her head forward and smashed it into Kankuro's...lower section. To put it that way. Not only did the force chuck him as though he were flying, his body crashed into Gai sensei, who had been innocently enough coming to the bridge to supervise their practice.
The sensei and the Genin both collided (painfully) into a bench on the forest path; they wrecked quite a few trees on the way. After gently laying him down, Gai folded his arms across his chest and appeared before Tenten in a whirl of dust, as he had kicked it up as he had run.
"Tenten, what is wrong with you?"
All traces of chakra had been sucked away in her passionate battle. She was now...weak as a kitten. But, you see, slightly a more matured kitten has sharp teeth and claws. Meow.
"Nothing. I'm going home."
"What are you saying? You leapt at this chance!! Are you saying Neji has to use his attacks on me? (They most certainly won't work!)" This was said with a glimmer of his fabulous teeth.
"Yes."
Neji raised his eyebrows, lids half-closed, as though he couldn't be bothered. "Why is that?"
Meow, again. "I'm not in the mood to help you train for the main matches. Anyhow, I'm not good enough to assist in your improvement." With that out, she quickly stormed out of their sight. 'I'm not going to upset myself over something like that! I don't need Neji. I don't need anyone.'
'Tenten's acting strange...' The green-clad jounin beamed as though he had just had a brilliant idea. "Neji, go after her! I want you to try and make her feel better. And see what's wrong."
"I do not wish to."
"This is a mission! Go see what's wrong with Tenten!!"
'But I already know.'
"GOOOO!!!!"
Neji let loose a sigh. Stupid sensei---he was so childish it wasn't even fairly amusing. Especially without Lee being his usual foolish self along with the jounin.
With grace and poise, the Hyuuga approached the village's rather remote garden area. How did he know that this was the place that his teammate was hiding? Easy. 'It has nothing to do with my link with Tenten.' According to him, ANY female in the entire village would sneak here if they were in need of some quite time alone, as no one but those few sought the dusty and neglected garden out. Okay---so it wasn't truly a garden; more like weeds coupled with forgotten wrappers of sweets littering the dusty ground.
"Tenten."
Knees pulled to her chin, arms pulled tightly around them, eyes defiantly scorching the tall patch of weeds before her, the adolescent was situated on one of the various, crumbling benches. "Nn."
"You're behaving quite ridiculously. If you have something to say, say it quickly so we can resume training for the main matches."
Tenten considered snapping that she didn't want to train with him, but that would have been too juvenile. 'Like walking out on them wasn't,' she chided. But she didn't wish to listen to herself gripe over what was stupid or nonsensical. She didn't have the time for it.
Because Tenten had merely taken up the right side of the bench, Neji seated himself lightly on the left side. "You could answer me, it wouldn't kill you. If it helps, what I said yesterday was a bit insensitive." 'But I think I meant it,' he added silently. As though she could hear his inward thoughts, Tenten remained silent. "Don't mope over things that weren't meant to be. Destiny is mapped out for everyone, predetermined before birth. If two people aren't meant to be together, than that is the end of it. If someone is stronger than the other---"
"You've never been called weak or undervalued. You may have been a Branch member, but everyone knew you were extremely powerful before. Lee worked so hard to achieve his dream, and you are a genius. Do you know where that puts me? It's not as though I don't try...just...just forget it. I'm fine. But today, you're training alone."
Neji scrutinized Tenten with his remarkable ability at perceiving emotions and intentions, and saw nothing but regret and disappointment. The traces of fury still washed over her, but it was more like indignation than anything else. Females. So easily provoked.
"It's nice to feel appreciated or admired. I suppose that's why Lee drives himself so hard." 'That's what those Genin meant when they asked me about why Lee did that. I understand...I understand your motives, Lee. To feel like you're the best...that is a sensation I would like to feel. But, with people...noticing my failure at this...it's...terrible.'
Tenten suddenly wrenched herself out of her position and evenly strode away, the soaring in her limbs ever present from her fight with the Sand boy. It felt good.
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
Neji is still all about how destiny is predetermined at this point, as the main matches haven't occurred yet in this part of the fic. I'm making it obvious that Tenten doesn't know about his childhood yet. But she will. ;D And, yes, I made Gai sort of clueless on purpose. What? It's amusing. And, also, he's kind of like that in the anime, so why not? Please review. It makes me happy. :D
Also, I might be a little slow about updating (at longest, the space between chapters will be two weeks, I PROMISE!) now, because I'm grounded. But I can still poke in some. If I don't get in a chapter within my own, set time limit, you have every right to email me and yell. xDDD
(Coming soon) Chapter 3: Admiration Is Tough to Get
[[ Review Answers ]] (Methinks they are spelled they way you left them...)
Dark Nemesis 7: Many thanks. 3
Calophi: I am honored that one of the literate writers actually enjoys one of my fics. bows Thank you. I am overjoyed at your response. bows again Just reading your review made me extremely cheerful and completely made my day.
DarkSakui: I am glad that you took pleasure in it. I will continue, of course. This fic has been fun to write so far.
Skava (HASHKADAGGAS!!!): ...I tried using italics and stuff. But no go. If you can help me with that, I will be very much obliged. -wavelets-
Xoni Newcomer: I tried to keep everyone in character, though I may have tweaked Tenten's personality a bit, since I don't know much about her (although she is one of my favorite characters.)
Daniel of Lorien: I'm really flattered! :D I think that there are plenty of good writers in f.f.net if you just look hard enough (I don't, which is why it's hard for me to find people like that xD), but I'm grateful that you think I write well enough to be an example.
TenTen Hyuga: claps Tenten/Neji is one of my favorite parings also! They're a perfect couple. But the fact that they seem to have no interest in each other in the manga makes me slightly depressed. BUT THAT'S WHAT FAN FICS ARE FOR!! :DDDDD