A/N: Soooooo here's chapter two : enjoy! I hope it's more exciting than the last chapter, tell me what you think! 3
Disclaimer: it would be really cool if I owned Naruto. Too bad I don't.
Chapter Two:
"Sounds like you're training your team hard, Gai," Kurenai said as she took a sip of tea. "That probably means I should be pushing my team hard as well. She heaved a sigh. It wouldn't be much longer now until she got a new team.
"Not necessarily Kurenai," Kakashi interrupted her thoughts, "Only if you are thinking about entering them this year. You could always wait a couple of years."
"I suppose, but if they found out I held them back they'd be furious. Especially Kiba. Besides, I do believe they will make a good impression."
"I wish I could say the same for my team," Asuma said, lighting a cigarette.
"Oh?"
"Sure they have plenty of talent," Asuma explained. "What they need is a leader."
"What about, Shikamaru?" Gai asked blankly.
""He's so damn lazy; I don't know what to do with him. He has the brains, just not the motivation.
"Yea, we've all heard that before," Anko piped in.
An awkward silence fell upon the Jounin. Something was wrong. It seemed the tea left them with a bad feeling in their stomachs, yet, it wasn't the tea. Perhaps it was the thought that soon, all their students would be gone, and they'd get new sad excuses for students. Kurenai especially didn't like the thought of letting go.
"Do you—"
Genma was caught off guard by a large crash that came from somewhere nearby. "What the hell…?" he muttered as all the Sensei flooded out of the shop in the direction of the accident.
"Oi, look up ahead." Anko said to the rest of the group. Two walls from a souvenir shop were in pieces. "Looks like somebody went through this end," Anko said as she stepped through the rubble, "and out that end." She nodded her head to the other side.
Rushing to the other surface, she discovered something else. Behind the shop there were deep cracks in the concrete wall of the neighboring shop. "It looks as if they went into this wall after going through the shop walls, but just got up…and left…" She turned to address an older man hiding in the corner. "What happened here?" The man was in shock, he just pointed from one wall to the next speechless. "I need you to tell me what happened here! We could be under attack! Why won't you speak?"
"Calm down Anko," Kakashi ordered Kurenai. "I'm sure we're not under attack. Look over there."
Anko, along with the rest of the Jounin looked in the direction Kakashi had pointed out. "No…way…"
What used to be wall surrounding Konoha was a puncture hole. "What…the hell…happened?" Kurenai let out. "That would have to be one hell of a left hook…"
"I don't know," Kakashi said under his breath, "But we best find out."
"Let me handle this Kakashi," Gai said in his nice guy pose, his pompous grin showing his shiny white teeth. "I'm sure it's no big deal. I have this one covered." With that Gai was off, before Kakashi, or any of the other Jounin, had a chance to stop him.
"He's going the opposite direction of the blood trail…are you sure we should let him 'handle this'?" Kurenai said doubtfully.
"ehhh…he'll be alright," Genma said. "We should start cleaning this mess up."
"Oh, that reminds me, I have a hair appointment, sorry guys," Anko hurried off. She made messes, she didn't clean them up.
"Yeah…I have…training soon…" Asuma excused himself
"Dido." Kurenai hurried after Asuma.
"Well, I guess it's just you and me Kakashi," Genma looked over his shoulder, expecting to see his peer already cleaning up. He was gone. "What the hell? What is this? Whatever." Genma decided to leave as well, the shop keeper could handle it with assistance from his staff.
"Wait a second Tenten; isn't a five hour brake a little long for you? Why are you complaining?" Ino demanded, interrupting Tenten complaints about her intense training.
She actually scowled at the thought. However, Ino was right; usually a three hour brake was sufficient for Gai. "Yea, I guess it is long, but it's still strenuous training. He makes us go for like five hours strait!"
"That's kinda interesting. I wonder if there's anything wrong with Gai." Sakura pondered.
"Well, if you think about it," Ino started, "I wonder why he gave you an extra hour or two. It could be really interesting. The reason, I mean. What if he has like, a girlfriend or something."
Hinata giggled. "Yes, maybe. But do you honestly know anyone who would go out with Gai-Sensei? It's a rather far-fetched idea, don't you think?"
"Well I don't know anyone," Tenten said as the girls started to laugh. "He probably just needed a longer break like me, Neji, and Lee!"
"Oh please, the man who invented the 'springtime of youth' needs a brake? That seems rather far-fetched," Ino snorted.
"Yea, but Gai having a girl friend? That's like you going out with Chouji, Ino," Sakura pointed out as Hinata and Tenten chuckled.
"True, true. I guess it doesn't really matter anyway. Just thought it would put a little…spice in his life, or something."
"Hah. That man has a little too much spice in his life. Oh look, there's Neji! I should go talk to him!" Tenten squealed with excitement. "C'mon, let's head that way."
"Wait!" hissed Ino. "If you're going to do this, you have to do it smoothly."
"Uh…smoothly?"
"Yes, smoothly. Go over there and pretend you're looking at flowers, like you don't even notice him. Act startled if he talks to you. Whatever you do, don't act desperate!" Ino shoved her toward the vegetable and flower stand.
As Tenten observed flowers near by, she noticed that Neji had picked a bouquet full of beautiful roses, tulips, and various other flowers of all colors. Tenten couldn't help but wonder who they were for. She pretended to take notice in a group of snap dragons near Neji. Maybe she could read the tag without him noticing.
It was at this moment that Neji noticed Tenten. At first he thought she was a huge, beautiful flower, but of course he shook the silly thought away. Tenten? A flower? How ridiculous. Although Lee was always telling him that she was the prettiest girl in Konoha, besides Sakura of course (Too bad poor Neji was unaware that Lee knew Tenten's feelings for Neji. A/N: BAD LEE! . )
"Hello Tenten." Neji's own words surprised him, let alone Tenten.
"Uh…He-hello Neji! You surprised me; I didn't see you standing there."
"I'm sorry to have…startled you," Neji was back to his normal tone, but still felt uneasy. What was this queasiness about him?
"Oh, it's quite alright," Tenten replied. "Quite alright"? Who am I, Marry Poppins? She thought with a nervous smile.
"Well, I best be off…" Neji said as he walked up to the cashier.
"Wait! Well…I mean…so who are those flowers for, Neji?" Tenten asked shyly. She mentally slapped herself, she wasn't supposed to sound desperate, why'd she have to ask about the stupid flowers?
"Just a special...friend," he said quietly as he paid the young man at the register and made his way out of the maze of bushes, trees, and flowers.
"A special friend?" questioned Tenten, following him through the network of plants. "Is it anyone I know?"
"Not personally, no. But I don't want to be late; she's fanatical about being on time."
"She? Are you positive I haven't met her, Neji? Maybe I could meet her before our evening session of trai—"
"I'd rather meet her alone Tenten."
"Oh…okay. Yes I see." Tenten looked down at her feet. "Well Neji, I hope you have a good time, with your girlfrie—"
"There you two are!" The joyous voice of Lee interrupted Tenten. "I have great-well, actually horrible news!" Lee's face suddenly dropped. "Gai-Sensei has cancelled our evening training session for today, and he also says that our session tomorrow will not start until two thirty. I have just realized how horrible this is! What will I do until two thirty tomorrow?"
"I don't know Lee. Now if you'll excuse me," Neji said spitefully as he left his teammates behind.
"But…oh Neji," Tenten said half-hearted. "Great timing Lee," Tenten said as she gave the innocent boy a dirty look and headed back toward her friends.
A/N: end of chapter two. My mosquito bites are doing better, they don't itch as much anymore! Soccer tryouts this week. Meh…I'll make the team no prob. Just bored this week. There's actually not a lot to do during the summer, yet there's too much stuff to do when school starts! Help me XD Please review my duckies. Yes. Your duckies now. Deal with it 3