Drabble 5: Tittle-tattle
Where training and missions are involved, a man and a woman seen together is no big thing. The same perspective applies to group outings; otherwise there may have been some suspicious signs of affection that transcends the border of concern between comrades and friends. Neji and Tenten wonder what exactly they have done during that seemingly normal group trip to the hot springs that warranted the origin and spread of the current sensation of Konoha gossips. If only they would ask Shikamaru, the actual person responsible for the sudden generation of rumours, they would find out the answer right away.
All misconceptions (or are they really?) started on a particularly cold day in Konoha, whence the members of the former teams 7, 8, 10, and Gai decided to use the brief break for a quick, steamy dip. Safely past their awkward adolescence and responsible enough as adults, they all shared the same hot spring; but their newness to the practice still caused a certain distance between the men and women. Well, except for one case. Tenten, secure in her body towel, was conversing in a low tone with Neji, who was listening with the ever-cool expression on his face, an arm draped across the kunoichi's naked shoulders. No one else seemed to notice but Shikamaru, who, humoured by the rather serene scene, nudged Chouji to the direction and chuckled. Shikamaru failed to notice the surprised, embarrassed look on his best friend's face. That had been the igniter. Which was it into a full flame by the events of that night...
The group slept together in one room. The women at the left, the men at the right. Tenten and Neji served as borders. Chouji was beside Neji. Everyone tucked in early for a good, long rest, and thus the chubby - er, healthy - ninja was startled to consciousness in the middle of the night when he heard quiet murmurs from his one side. A shifting of mattress and a sudden coolness. Neji had probably shifted to Tenten's direction. A brief silence - then slopping sounds - a heavy breathing. Chouji pretended to roll in his sleep - so he could face the, uh, opposite direction and block his ears. No use. A moan still got through. Chouji clenched his teeth and willed a jutsu to make him sleep again. The next day, Ino noticed his lack of sleep and demanded an answer. Chouji confessed; and thus the rest of the village quickly siphoned the information - with a juicy detail added in every passing of word - and Neji and Tenten came to be followed by whispers almost everywhere. Although they worked hard to trace the pioneer of all misconceptions, Neji and Tenten just never caught the source of the rumor (they're different people, afterall).
Also, Chouji never found out the truth behind the happenings of that cold, yet steamy, day - those are just between Neji and Tenten, as supposed to be.
Author Note: I dearly hope that this drabble collection remains composed of drabbles, not shorts - but I just can't resist making this chapter a bit longer.