Ownership

"And these are your keys..."

Blinking rapidly, Tenten knew instantly where she was. This was the day she got her shop. "Great...thanks a ton," she muttered as she took the keys from the balding man who owned her shop's building.

Giving smile, the man waved her gratitude off. "Ah no need to thank me! You're the one making me money!" And he laughed at that like it was the funniest thing he'd ever said. Avoiding the want to crinkle her nose for a second time in her life, Tenten attempted to regain her bearings as she turned to the dusty shop surrounding her. In her mind's eye, she pictured her shop as it was in her time. Filled to the brim with weapons - all polished and ready for purchase.

Her time might be peaceful, but it didn't mean she let her pride and joys rust beneath the ever present dust in her shop.

"If you need anything-"

Not even looking at her landlord, Tenten waved a hand. "Nope. You can go now."

"Pushy witch.." he grumbled beneath his breath.

Ears perking at that, Tenten tried to remember if she'd been so curt the first time. Probably not. She hadn't really known this loser then, though. Reaching for throwing star, she threw it in the path way of his foot and snapped, "I heard that! If I were you, I'd watch how you talk about people!"

Several shades paler beneath his tan, the bald man gave a jerky nod before all but running from the shop. Snickering to herself, Tenten turned around her shop and breathed in deep. Oh how nice the potential had felt-

"Uck!" She hacked as she breathed in dust. This was why she got it so cheap, she remembered now. It had been in a pretty bad location and unused for almost a year and a half. Looking around at the dull surfaces she remarked with true dismay, "I have to clean this place for a second time!?"

She almost wanted to curse that weird stranger. Surely he could have put her a day ahead of now after she'd cleaned her shop!

Now several hours later and twenty minutes into scrubbing a stubborn spot on the wall, Tenten was about ready just to punch it and fix it that way when a knock came from the front. Turning her head, she was almost surprised to see her old sensei standing there.

"Gai!" She yelped as she hurried to her feet.

Grinning, the man gave a chortle and wheeled into the shop. "I thought I'd see what this new shop of yours would be like. I see you picked a hip location!"

"Right," Tenten snorted as she dropped the rag in a bucket and took off the apron she'd been wearing to keep her front clean. "What's brought you by?" She asked him.

Looking to his wrist, he told her "Seeing as it's about lunchtime and Lee is busy, I thought I'd come see my other wonderful student and see if she would like to get some lunch with me."

"You know what? That actually sounds great," Tenten smiled in relief. "Just let me-" and she rushed around righting and sorting things to the best of her ability as she came back to her old teacher's side. "I'm ready now."

"So quick," he said in a wistful tone. "Ah how youthful you are even now."

"Gai..."

He laughed and waved them out of her shop. "Let's get going, hm?"

Together, man and young woman strolled down the street to a sushi shop where they both ordered Tuna rolls and laughed at their similarity together before chatting idly about what Tenten had in mind for her store.

After they finished, she asked, "I was going to visit Neji this afternoon seeing as it is his birthday, did you want to - I don't know -"

"I'd like to come very much," her old sensei broke in, looking a tad touched by her offer.

Smiling Tenten nodded and this time, they walked in silence to where their old teammate and student was buried. Bending down to touch the headstone of her teammate, she remarked to Gai, "I know it's been years, but sometimes I think I miss him more for it."

"One never does forget a friend," her teacher murmured.

Nodding her agreement, she looked up at Gai and thought of their future. With time, they'd grown more distant and she sort of regretted it now. She'd let him and Lee go in favor of her shop and that wasn't okay with her anymore. Maybe...maybe she could change the future?

"Hey Gai, you know it'd be nice to have lunch again next week - maybe we could even make it into a weekly thing. I don't think I see you enough!"

His smile was the blinding one she remembered from the days when she was just a kid. "That sounds most excellent Tenten!" He shouted.

Laughing, she didn't feel so dismayed at the thought of going back to her shop with her old teacher by her side. They took a long and meandering path back to her new store and Tenten and Gai talked about a lot of things - life, ninjas, woman and men, weapons and about Neji and Lee, about her future and his. She'd never realized it, but Gai was a lot more grownup than she'd ever given him credit for as a kid.

And when the sun began to set around them and Gai's face became little more than a silhouette, she didn't mind telling him, "I had a lot of fun with you today, Gai!"

She could almost hear him begin to say something back to her as the world around her dropped out from beneath her feet to be replaced with the more familiar one of her time. She was in her shop. Face down on the counter of her cash wrap.

Pushing herself up, Tenten looked for that stranger wanting to ask if what she'd done could have changed the past; but he was gone. Annoyed, but mostly hopeful, Tenten decided to close up shop early and see if she couldn't catch Gai at his place before it was too late in the night.

And this was Tenten. Did you enjoy that? Any guess who's next?

To my reviewers, Northwind123, Karkatsbabe, and Dulemina; you guys are the best! Thanks so much :)

Thank you all very much for reading and please review!

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