31

Shortened Term

"All right, that will be all for today!" Gai-sensei shouted. "Tsunade-sama ordered Tenten to rest more. I don't argue with her… At least not a second time…" He looked at the girl. "You look sicklish the last couple of days. Why don't you rest for a few more?"

Lee, Neji and Tenten stared at him in disbelief. Their sensei never ever had offered to any of them to rest. In any case. What the hell Tsunade told him? the girl thought worrily and looked down, thinking she may refuse.

"Gai-sensei, that's a wonderful idea!" Lee shouted.

And Tenten was truly terrified to hear Neji talking:

"I must say I do agree with both of you." He dragged all the attention to himself. "She really looks like she needs a rest."

And there it was decided. None of them actually heard her, the 3 men decided she will have 3 days of rest.

"All right, all right! I am going home." She said desperate to get away from all of the "take care of yourself " and "you look awful".

"I will send you home." Said Neji and she shuddered.

They headed down towards her apartment. The young man was walking so close to her, that their hands touched a few times. Everytime that happened she had the feeling there was a lightning bolt crossing her hand. She blushed and stepped away.

"What is going on with you, Tenten?" He asked bluntly. "You keep behaving like Hinata. This is not typical for you.

"I am sorry." Was the only thing she could say right now.

"No, seriously, tell me what's wrong. You want to fail the mission?"

She stopped right on a spot. That's it? All of that pseudo caring behaviour is because of the mission. He doesn't give a coin about me. Her eyes darkened with disappointment.

"You are doubting me? You think I will fail?"

"Honestly," he said with a calm voice, "Right now I do doubt."

What he said was merely insulting to her abilities, even taking in consideration the mission was weird. Tenten walked ahead without looking at him. She just couldn't - her eyes started to fill with tears. She felt a strong hand grabbing her wrist and forcing her to turn. She kept her head down…

"What are you thi-" he didn't finish. He had never seen Tenten crying. It never came to his mind that she is capable of something like that. He frowned and did the first thing he could think of - shook her shoulders. "Buck up!

But it wasn't working like that. She tried, she really did, to swallow down her tears, but they seem to become more. Neji was staring her with stupid expression, struggling with what to do.

"Tenten-chan!" They heard a familiar voice from not afar. Hinata was running towards them with a smile. When she was close enough to see Tenten's face, she took a sharp breath. The shy little Hinata turned into a roaring lion - she pushed her cousin aside and hugged the other girl. So that's what you do… Thought the man ironically.

"Don't worry, Tenten," she whispered. "Did Neji do something bad to you?" She asked tenderly and stroked her hair. Her pale eyes looked up to her cousin's pale eyes, but this time he backed off.

"No…" Lied Tenten quietly.

Hinata kept hugging Tenten until the tears stopped and she could relax.

"Thank you." The hazel-haired shinobi whispered.

"Anytime." Hinata replied, shooting a deadly gaze to Neji - he had never seen that look before.

"Sakura and Ino are offering an only girls gathering tonight. Would you like to come along?"

Tenten nodded with gratitude.

"Get some rest, you don't look too well…" Hinata said and caressed her cheek warily.

"I will." She promised.

Kiba showed down the street and Hinata headed to him, after she politely wished both "good day".

Neji and Tenten stood on the street looking after the other girl. When she was far enough, he said:

"There is a letter from the Kazekage. It came today."

She gazed at him with a silent question.

"I don't know what the content is, but it is for Kankuro. It may be a good idea to hurry up." He took out the paper and handed her in.

Tenten turned to look one more time Hinata and Kiba - Kankuro wasn't with them.

...

Tenten flew into the apartment and looked for Kankuro. She heard something falling on the floor in the bathroom and ran in that direction. She barely succeeded in making the turn. Then she stopped at the door. The image she saw was at the same time funny and worrying - the man was sitting on the floor behind the washing machine and was doing something inside of it. Various parts were strewn all over the floor, which terrified her.

"What have you done?" Her hands grabbed her head.

He peeked from behind the machine with a slightly guilty expression. His face was dirty with machine oil and even if she felt some anger he disassembled the washing machine, Tenten still smiled.

"I… You said… It wasn't working, right? So I decided to fix it." He mumbled.

"What do you know about washing machines?" She asked, laughing.

"Hey!" He frowned. "I am making and repairing battle puppets. This is just one stupid washing machine…"

"But is not a puppet!" She exclaimed.

"It is not. But I have disassembled it and I am not stopping until I fix it." He said firmly, and got back into the machine.

Tenten was looking at him with a tender smile. Then she remembered the letter:

"Kankuro?" She asked carefully, approaching.

"Yes?" Came from the heart of the washing machine.

"There is a letter for you… From the Kazekage…"

He raised so suddenly, he hit his head on the upper machine wall, with a thud.

"From Gaara?" He grabbed the paper from her hands, tore the envelope and read it in silence. His face became pale. Tenten could see this clearly since he had no paint on his face… apart from the machine oil.

"What is going on?" She asked worriedly.

"Temari…" He whispered. "Two days ago she had worsened and the medics barely brought her back…"

Tenten also turned pale. If Temari died in the meantime, all of this would have been worthless. The desperate situations were calling for desperate measures… She stepped forward and took the surprised man's hand. Looked up in his eyes with the most sweet smile and asked with the most serious voice:

"Well, dear boyfriend of mine… Where is my engagement ring?"

Kankuro couldn't react right away, he was still wrestling innerly with the heat of her touch. He just stood there, in the middle of the bathroom, next to the disassembled washing machine, holding her hand. In his wildest dreams and nightmares he could not foresee this. Even something similar… He stood there - looking at her. He was aware why she did that and still couldn't help the betrayal thoughts: She is so tender… Terrified, he realised he not only didn't mind giving her the ring, he was curious enough to want to do so. And he did it - he went to his bag, took out the little wooden box and handed it to her.

She opened it, took the ring out and put it on her finger - it fitted perfectly…

"Thank you." He whispered and she nodded.

"I really want Tsunade-sama to try and save Temari. I also hope she will get better."

It was Kankuro's turn to nod.

"Now I will go to prepare something for dinner. I will be out with the girls tonight." She attempted to exit the room, but a strong hand grabbed her shoulder and stopped her. It turned her around… This happened for the second time today… But what happened next, she never experienced before. Kankuro pulled her towards him and pressed her body on his. Before she could come up with a proper reaction, he leaned down and pressed his lips on hers. Her eyes opened widely with surprise. She was not capable of moving. The only thing she could do is to feel and think how much heat could he possibly radiate.

The kiss itself wasn't a big deal. He just touched her lips for a few seconds with his. Tenten wasn't even forced to open her mouth. Moments after that she was free to go. When she looked at him questionably, he shrugged:

"Well, we may have to do that officially. It would be quite obvious if we kissed for the very first time." She nodded, still shocked.

Kankuro was aware that a kiss wasn't necessary, really. But he felt an urge to express his affection and his gratitude somehow. That tender kiss told it all… And if she had other kisses, different ones, with other men, she would have known that.

Tenten went to the kitchen, hiding from his sight. She reached to her lips and caressed them carefully. She couldn't believe how it was possible for a big, rough and arrogant man to be so gentle. His lips were so tender and soft. She blushed slightly and blew out the dust from one of her 2 cooking books…

Tenten prepared herself for the girls gathering. They were supposed to go to Sakura's little flat. The usual plan was to eat sweets, drink light alcoholic beverages and tell stories. Maybe to gossip a bit. But in general to relax in good company. It wasn't rare for Ino telling them about her sexual conquests.. In too much detail. Sakura was still waiting for Sasuke and that was a well known secret - they all agreed they wouldn't make her say anything about it. Everytime they did force her to talk about it in the past, it ended with a deep depression on her side.

Hinata's love desires were also known and she didn't mind talking about it from time to time. The other girls assured her that Naruto will someday come to his senses and see how wonderful she is. Tenten genuinely believed it still. Because Hinata was the most kind, nice and reliable friend she ever had. And apart from the loud, big loud part Naruto had, he wasn't half that bad actually.

And there she was…

She was ready - dressed in a simple middle length peach-colored dress. Her hair was loose on her back and shoulders. Her feet were in creamy shoes with no ties - her ankles were on display. And even if Kankuro has seen her legs before, since she was sleeping in shorts, it was like he saw her legs for the first time now. His heart skipped a beat when she passed through the living room, heading to the kitchen. She took a few things out of the fridge and stopped in front of him.

"All right, I am going out with the girls." Tenten said. She felt really uncomfortable from the hungry look Kankuro gave her, especially because she had no idea what was the meaning of it. "What?" She asked.

"Nothing." He gave her a sly smile.

"Something's wrong with the way I look?" She tried again, wondering what wrong could be.

"You look nice." The man replied.

"Then why are you looking at me like that?"

"How am I looking at you?" Kankuro decided to tease her, aware she was a bit naive.

"I am not sure… Not like you look at me in general."

"You don't look like your usual self."

"Well, it is still just me…"

"Well, it is still the way I look at you."

Tenten decided to drop it. She shrugged and headed to the exit door. Something didn't let her be, she still felt his heavy look glued to her. The girl turned around and tried one last time:

"Really what is wrong? Is my dress dirty in places I can't see?"

Kankuro shook his head lazily.

"Let me put it this way… If you were really my fiancé, I wouldn't let you go out right now."

"But why?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Because I would be heading to the bed, carrying you there and undressing you on the way." He laughed at the red color of her realisation.

Tenten didn't say a word. She hurried out and shut the door. She stood there for a few minutes until her sides stopped burning, ignoring completely the tightening feeling, forming in her lower belly.

When she came to her senses, she headed down the street.