13

„Damn it!"

"It is weird," Neji said while they were walking toward the village.

"What is?" Tenten asked, looking at him hurriedly.

"Well, all of it. The whole mission…"

"You are telling me You find this mission weird?" She hissed quietly and accusingly as if he was the one picking her up for this.

"I am sorry…" He made a kind of a bitter crooked face. "But in the end this is…"

She spun around sharply and put a hand over his mouth. She pursed her lips in silent "Shhhht". When she got assuring nod, she removed her hand and relaxed it beside her body - Lee was marching towards them stretched like a string in his green jumpsuit. Like he usually was…

"Are you two done for today?" He asked cheerily.

"Yes." She nodded and innerly thanked Lee for his existence, because if it wasn't him, Neji and herself would have been stuck in that green disaster, same as their sensei's.

"OK! Then we can do 600 squats and 1000 push-ups for a rest?" He blinked pleadingly.

Both Neji and her face paled. They loved training, there was no arguing there, but with Lee… that was sickness.

"Err, no, I am sorry… We have family dinner, no excuses." Declared Neji and before Lee had the time to react, the young Huuga was far off. One could rarely see Neji running or rushing even for no serious reason. But standing up the alternative to be carried on his crazy teammate's back for example… he found out suppressing his pride and disappearing in thin air would work better.

"But I spoke to Hinata earlier and she said she had a free evening and planned something with Naruro and Sakura." Black-haired said grimly and he smiled widely again. "What about you, Tenten? Don't you want to…

"Oh, I have something to do," she smiled, interrupting.

"You do?" He frowned his unnaturally thick eyebrows.

"Well yes. Home actually is… Oh, I just have to go home." She quit trying to explain since she didn't have a good lie to tell. And in this case there was a chance to expose herself.

He raised his eyebrows, his face genuinely sad and disappointed.

"Could I at least accompany you home?"

"I don't think the idea is g…" She began knowing if she softened now, he would go over her head. But Lee bended, grabbed her hand, pulled her to him like a ragged doll, threw him over his back and ran down the street. "Leeeeeeeeeeee!"she yelled, feeling rage and despair at the same time.

Wonderful… Not only did I want to delay my arriving home, but now I've been delivered even faster… she thought sarcastically. She knew Lee's intentions were pure, but that was the opposite of favour.

Kankuro woke up. His stomach was growling which was quite normal considering he hasn't fed himself the last 2 days. He got up and went into the kitchen looking for something edible. He opened the fridge but weird enough, it was emptier than his stomach. He frowned and was about to shout his sister's name out of habit… But there was no sense since she was three days away and in no state to reply anything to him, even "Fuck off and leave me alone!"

He sighed and got dressed so he could go out and get something to eat there. He applied his heavy make-up even if this slowed him down. He didn't do so because he had to, but because it was a habit soaked to his bones. When he was ready, he left.

And exactly 5 minutes later Lee stopped in front of Tenten's home and got her down from his back. Which home for good or bad, was the same small apartment near the park, with the small amount of stuff and empty fridge.

"Arrigatto." she said and leaned against the wall as she felt dizzy from the speed and the awful bump. He really does terrible favours, sometimes she yelled in her mind, but told him nothing. He didn't know what was about to stick her in, so she didn't have any right to be mad at him.

"You are very welcome." The black-haired one grinned. And he really meant it.

"Mhm," she mumbled and headed to the building's front door.

"Good night, Tenten!" Her teammate weaved.

"Good night, Lee." She replied. "And stop training at some point to sleep," she added.

Lee grinned, jumped, turned around and ran off. Maybe he would go to sleep, maybe he wouldn't…

Tenten shook her head tiredly. Then she turned to the stairs and began to climb up. She reached the door and unlocked it. She entered carefully looking around.

"Hello?" She asked but no one replied.

Mumbling under her nose, she quickly rounded the rooms to check up for his eventual corpse. And she was happy till some extent he didn't die here, though she was disappointed as well she didn't find him laying down somewhere in the house. It would be so good, it would solve her current problem…

"Where would he even go?" She whispered.

She made the round a second time, just to be sure. Then she noticed his backpack on her bed. She felt angry and kicked it out of there. Few moments later she started to discover his things all over the place, her home. Well, it could have been worse, She calmed herself. But then she entered the bathroom:

"Make-up?!" She exclaimed. Two of her shelves were completely occupied by his inks, paints and things alike.

Tenten stormed into her room. If only he fantasises that he would sleep on my bed! This is not happening! She clenched her jaw and fists.

But suddenly came to her mind she could actually use his absence as her advantage, as she rushed to bath herself while she was alone. In fact, that was one of the fastest showers she had ever had.

When she was ready, she put on a creamy colored sleeveless top and clean dark blue jeans, then sat on the bed. She returned the pillow to its place. Then tied her head in the usual 2 buns looking at herself in the little portable mirror.

In general, after taking shower, she would go out to have dinner with the boys or any other of her friends. Despite that fact, she was not hungry at all right now. Even thinking of food made her sick. Besides, she couldn't be so irresponsible and drop everything just to eat, could she?

She sat on the bed for some time, tapping with her heels on the floor. She couldn't just keep waiting like that. So she got up and started pacing around the apartment checking if there wasn't anything to clean up for example. She found none.

Tenten spent the last three days cleaning after training. But what was the meaning if no spot or trace of dust was left? Well, that was her way of relaxing her stressed self so she won't think about the absurd task Godaime entrusted her. And living together with this shinobi…Kankuro… wasn't even the worst part. The icing on the cake was they had to deceive everyone they were in love and getting engaged. Yes, they had to lie to everyone about this, excluding Godaime, Shizune and a few others that knew what was really going on. And Gai-sensei, her teacher, he also didn't know. Lieing him would be the hardest thing since he knew her well since childhood.

"Damn it!" She said quietly and flinched hearing her own voice. She had never cursed out loud before. She was challenging the boys evenly at almost everything, but not at cursing. Since she got this mission, "damn it" has started to sneak in her speech and even get the main part in some sentences.

She decided she could use the time to load the washing machine, so she looked around to see what can be washed. The sheets from the bedwere first to go, no matter if she changed them the previous day, her training clothes as well went in the machine. She attempted to close the machine door when she saw some black clothing fetched in the bathroom corner.

"What the hell would that be?" Tenten didn't even notice the little phrase between "what" and "would that be "…

She went to the thing, grabbed it carefully with just 2 fingers and even more carefully picked it up.

"Oh, dear, it stinks!" she exclaimed yet again, wrinkling her nose. Tenten didn't even determine what it was and just threw it to the sheets kicking the door. She put washing powder and textile softener then just pushed the button.

And now what? Where has he gone, this… Kankuro? It came to her mind that she is kind of responsible for his actions while he was here. Officially he was her boyfriend and in just a few weeks this boyfriend was going to turn in her fiancee. And I am not even sure how human he is under this terrible costume of his, She stated in her thoughts. Then sighed…

"If he doesn't appear soon, I will have to go look for him…" she said quietly to herself. "But meantime…" She smiled widely and decided to do something useful…

Kankuro was walking aimlessly through the streets. Not, that was not correct - he did have a goal, he just had no idea where this goal is located. He stopped for a moment and looked around. The people round him from afar, so he would probably look hostile in their eyes. Buh he still had to ask someone or he may lose too much time wandering around.

"Hey, Kankuro!" A cheerful voice came from behind him.

The man turned around to run into a large, white, and definitely dog's head.

"What the f…" He started making a step backward. Then someone put a hand on his shoulder. He flinched and looked to his right. "You…?" He frowned. "Kiba, is that you?"

The newcomer had brushed brown hair, two red triangles over his cheeks and a really wide smile. That's all one could get from a first impression.

"Oh, you remember me!" He exclaimed.

"Of course I do." Kankuro smiled just so lightly. "I wouldn't forget I saved your skin." He teased him.

"We also wouldn't. Right Akamaru?" Kiba turned to the big dog which barked agreeingly. "Akamaru smelled you at lunch, but we couldn't look for you then. " He explained seriously.

Kankuro didn't really pay him much attention. Instead he was staring at the giant animal.

"Damn it, Kiba! Look at him, you were carrying him in your hands." He remembered the sizes of the pup and drew them into the air. The other man laughed.

"You know, I am happy to see you here." Kiba changed the topic.

The sand shinobi looked a bit down on him, but he said nothing.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Kiba asked.

"I have a mission to complete." He replied shortly.

"Can I get more information about it?"

"No, I am sorry."

"Eh, well, no problem," he grinned. "I was obliged to try my luck." Kibba scratched his head and added, "Where are you going?"

"Actually" - Kankuro put his hands in his pockets - "I was looking for a place I could have a meal in."

"So you got the right person then!" Kiba Exclaimed. "I am just about to go eat dinner." He approached some more and whispered - "It is just my elder sister's home and she cooks terribly."

"Arrogatto." Kankuro said with a slight smile. Maybe he is not that useless after all, he thought.

"Kiba!" Someone shouted from the other end of the street and when they turned his direction, he started waving with both hands like a crazed person.

"That's Lee. He will be coming with us," Kiba explained and walked to the boy wearing a really ugly green suit. Kankuro followed them tiredly.

Tenten went to the bathroom and got a bucket with warm water, a few old towels and special oil for her weapons. She put them down in the middle of the living room. She spread an old and quite torn blanket, she arranged all of her weapons on. She sat on the floor, smiling. She started to wash, rub and oil every single knife, shuriken, and kunai one by one. She paid special attention to each one just as a flower collector would do with his expensive orchids.

Her teacher, Gai-sensei, was often repeating that the handling of weapons success comes with the regular care of them. When the fact he was talking gibberish most of the time was taken into consideration, this one she remembered and found useful. Weapon care was something that calmed her and was bringing her joy. So she was doing that often and thoroughly. Just like she did now.

"That was really tasty." Kankuro said and leaned back.

"Yes!" Shouted Lee, irritably cheerful, as Kankuro remarked in his mind.

The black-haired one raised his fist near his own face and gazed dreamingly. "It will help me train all night long!"

Kankuro remembered Lee. He remembered he was beaten badly by Gaara. And maybe that's why he even remembered - Gaara used to kill his foes at that point of lacking self-control. But Lee got lucky and a lot of teachers meddled to help him out. His make-up face now turned to Kiba with raised eyebrows, as if asking him "What's wrong with him?"

"That's how he is." Kiba whispered and shrugged.

"I must go!" Lee got up from his chair.

"Have fun," Kiba waved apathetically with his hand and Akamaro quietly growled.

"Have a nice training session." Kankuro replied and closed his eyes for just a second until the black-haired one was moving away.

Then he looked up in the distance and got up slowly:

"I better go too. I didn't get proper rest on the way here and I need one now." He staggered slightly, but came to balance right away.

"I understand," the other one nodded. "Would you be alright on your way back? Would you like Akamaro and I to accompany you?"

"I would…" He was thinking to say he will be just fine, but he realised he doesn't remember how they got here. He didn't even remember how he got to the place he met Kiba. It had been a long time since he walked around those streets. He hated to depend on anyone but he also understood the possibility to wander around till the morning. He sighed - "Yes, it would be wise if you came with me."

The young man with Konoha's bandana smiled.

"Right where you have to go?" He asked.

"I have to find a small park near the edge of the village.

"Can you give me some more details?" Kiba frowned.

"I would know it when I see it."

"All right, all right. Let's see, a small park, edge on the village, if I take in consideration where I found you, let's try this way."

Gaara sat down on the edge of the bed. He carefully took the sleeping girl's hand and sighed. He watched her sickly pale face still covered with fading purple patches.

"I've heard people in coma can hear well when someone talks to them. That's why, Temari, like it or not I am going to talk to you every single day." He said emphatically, though his voice sounded surprisingly soft.

The young woman continued to breathe as even and lightly as she did just moments ago, showing no signs that she heard a thing.

"It is so strange," said Gaara quietly . "It is so strange how a person can evaluate something when he stops receiving it, right?" He kept silent for a bit. "I must confess I really hated your yelling to Kamkuro and myself in the mornings when we were using the bathroom after each other and you were enraging." Silence again. "But it is so quiet at home now that I don't want to go there. I expect to hear "Come on, boys! Hurry up!", instead there is one nasty, choking silence…"

Gaara gazed through the window for a few minutes.

"Temari, even if we don't live in the old house anymore, I really would like to hear you yell at us…" He whispered and massaged his forehead with his free hand.

"Is it here?" Kiba asked.

"Yes, it is here." Kankur nodded and looked up to the big window.

"All right." The other shinobi grinned. "Have a nice evening, pal." He lightly patted the Puppet-Master on the shoulder and smiled.

"Arrigatto." He replied. "But please NEVER EVER PAT MY SHOULDER!" He hissed and Akamaru flinched.

Konoha's shinobi attempted to say something but changed his mind waving his hand. Then he smiled apologetically.

"Gomen…" He said.

"Gomene…" Kankuro sighed, realising he should have reacted so sharply. Kiba didn't have bad intentions, he was just that "patting shoulder" type of person.

"That's fine. Get some sleep, we will see each other again those days if you are still here."

Kankuro nodded and watched a bit after the man and the dog until they disappeared around a building.

I am so going to sleep, he thought calmly, even gladly while he climbed the stairs. He took out the key, the one he got from Shizune, from his pocket, put it in the keyhole and turned it. He pushed the door stopping like dead in his tracks: Damn it! - he cursed in his mind while 3 shurikens were flying to his head. His reflexes, fortunately, were still relatively intact, because his body moved. In conclusion - he had a well scratched left arm…