"THIS IS YOUR BRILLIANT TEAM MOVE YOU SPENT TWO WEEKS WORKING ON EVERY DAY?!" Gai-sensei yells at the top of his lungs. "THAT'S NOT WORTHY OF BEING CALLED A SHINOBI SKILL.!"
Gai pulls his arm back in preparation to hit Lee, but suddenly, Tenten is in front of him and she's yelling back. "NO! Look, Gai-sensei, I know you and Lee have an agreement about you hitting him, but you really don't know the full story." Gai freezes, unwilling to hit Tenten without prior agreement.
I glare kunai at her and sharply ask "Tenten, why don't you shut your mouth?!"
"Neji, hear me out." I let out a resigned sigh that earns me an angry scowl from Tenten "I promise I won't say anything you don't want me to, but I think it's safe to tell him what's been going on. I mean, he wouldn't be willing to get you guys hurt, and you already told me; it's not that different to let our whole team know."
Tenten has a point: Gai-sensei, however strange he might be sometimes, cares very deeply for all three of us. Additionally, he is far less likely to find our relationship in any way bad than Tenten was, and he's more than willing to die for us, even if it's just to keep us happy and safe from Hiashi. Keeping our secret from Hiashi isn't something out of the question for Gai. I'd really prefer to make it a matter of policy, though, that I don't let anyone know. I mean, I know nobody's running around torturing people to get information about who Hyuuga Neji is in a gay relationship with, but I'd just prefer people not to know, because something could happen that's out of their control. A part of me that I wish to keep private is also telling me that Gai shouldn't have to take on that kind of responsibility, just for me. In this case, however, Gai-sensei knows that something is going on, and he can't be fooled forever. Coming clean now probably can't hurt us any, and might make it a little easier to function.
As I think all of this over in my head, Tenten is still being a human shield for Lee, asking Gai-sensei "Can you please just know that you don't know the whole story and that Lee doesn't honestly think that that move is any good?"
Gai-sensei is utterly confused by this, so I take a deep breath and chime in "Gai-sensei, we have something we probably ought to tell you" He implores me with those utterly intense eyes of his to go on. I try to think of how to phrase it and decide fuck it. I turn to Lee and open my arms.
"Are you certain this is what you want to do?" He's concerned for me, wanting to make sure I've thought it over well enough.
"To be honest, I'm not certain at all about anything but that I will keep the promise I made to you. This seems to be the best way to do that." Lee's tears gush down his cheeks, uninhibited and honestly, each time they do so, the guilt that's settled in my stomach melts away a little. Making Lee cry in happiness instead of helplessness is a way to internally atone for my sins. Instead of letting on any of those feelings, I turn my attention back to Gai, and because it's easier than verbally explaining this to him, I pull Lee into my open arms and push my lips to his, kissing him deeply and intensely. After 30 seconds or so, I pull away, and look at Gai.
Gai is looking at us, his mouth gaping in utter bewilderment. He can't seem to speak at all for several minutes. I chuckle slightly, partially from awkward nervousness, and partially because Gai looks humorous to say the least. Then, without warning, there are tears streaming down his face and he's screaming "YOUR LOVE IS SO YOUTHFUL!"
"Oh, Kami." I sigh, and suddenly his arms are crushing me against Lee, and his tears are soaking our hair.
"LOVE IS ALWAYS A PART OF THE SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH AND I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU TWO" He's yelling at us and his excitement infects Lee, whose tears are flowing even more freely than they were before.
"THANK YOU, GAI-SENSEI! YOUR APPROVAL MEANS THE WORLD TO ME!" Lee hugs him back tightly, just as I start struggling to get away.
"Gai, you're crushing me" I somehow manage to get enough air into my lungs to say as I try to pry his arms off of me. He continues crying, screaming more about how youthful our love is, and I squeeze myself out under his arm, discontentedly readjusting my clothes and trying to wring the salt water out of my hair. To be honest, I'm pretty pleased his reaction was so enthusiastic, rather than angry, but I just sigh and roll my eyes at Gai and Lee, in tears in each other's arms; the picture of youth. Tenten is nearly on the ground, laughing at this whole event.
"Neji, your love is 'so youthful'" she teases gleefully, through fits of laughter.
"Shut up, Tenten." I say coolly, but she ignores this and continues to giggle up at me from the ground.
Finally, Gai and Lee stop crushing each other, and Gai says "Wait, what does that have to do with the skills you've been practicing?"
I start laughing again, and Tenten, having already been laughing, is reduced to hysterics, because he couldn't figure that out. Lee Helpfully begins to spell it out to him.
"Gai-sensei, I am sorry that we were dishonest with you, but we were trying to keep things private, so we have been using practice as an excuse to be alone in the woods together to engage in the more personal side of our romantic activities." Tenten's laughter becomes earsplitting at Lee's euphemism for sex. "We have not honestly been practicing at all"
"Oh." Then Gai's face falls "You felt like you couldn't tell me? Why?" he's nearly crying again, and I stop him.
"No, Gai-sensei, we didn't feel like we couldn't. I just really need this kept secret. Hiashi won't like it and I don't want to deal with him hearing it."
"But, Neji-" I cut him off
"No, I don't think you would tell anyone, but I didn't want to give you that kind of responsibility"
His facial expression rapidly changes from hurt to nearly crying in joy, and I somewhat coldly add "Also, it's actually none of your business unless we want it to be"
He doesn't seem to hear it, however, and simply says "I'm honored to be trusted with your secrets, Neji."
I don't answer, and hope the slight blush creeping up my face isn't noticeable. I quickly redirect my conversation to Tenten, who is still crying from hysterical laughter "Can you just shut up already, Tenten?"
"Hell, no! This is the best thing to happen to our team since ever." But her laughter contradicts her by dying down, and she lays back in the grass, looking at the clouds. "It is actually pretty great for you two. I really like that you're happy".
And again my cheeks burn slightly from the inside, so I turn back to Gai. "So, you'll keep it quiet, and you're, well, fine with, me and lee being in a relationship?"
"FINE? I'M NOT FINE WITH MY TEAM MEMBERS LOVING EACH OTHER! I AM ECSTATIC! YOUR LOVE IS OVERFLOWING WITH YOUTH!"