THANK YOU ALL for your reviews! I appreciate every single one of them.

P.s. I don't own Naruto, but seriously, Kakashi for Christmas people.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Tenzou woke up to a muted pain he had no patience for. Numbly, he reached over his head and pawed at his nightstand without bothering to turn around. He cursed loudly when he heard the bottle hit the floor and roll away. That's what he got for being lazy.

Finally turning, he looked over his pillow to see that the bottle had come to a stop right before Kakashi's bed. The jounin was reading his pornarific book while sitting against the wall, pleasantly shirtless. Absently, Kakashi scratched an itch over his finely sculpted pectoral, then flipped a page of the orange novel. Some nagging voice told Tenzou that if he didn't want to embarrass himself, he had best look away around five seconds ago. He probably would have, but he felt like he barely had control of himself. Besides, Kakashi's biceps flexed every time he turned a page, and it was kind of nice to watch.

"I suppose you want me to get that?" Kakashi called without looking away from his book.

"M'yah."

With a sigh, Kakashi placed his book flat against the mattress and bent over. His back muscles rippled against the strain, and Tenzou found himself shamelessly mapping out the contours of his body. Well, if Kakashi was going to tease him all the time, he couldn't expect anything less from Tenzou. Right? Right.

Right.

Something glassy and white appeared before Tenzou's eyes and the mokuton user had to blink repeatedly for his vision to focus.

"You do still want this, don't you?" Kakashi chuckled.

Tenzou decided to try and play the invalid card to cover his blatant ogling. He glanced up at his captain with a slow blink. "Yes. Pain. Gimmy."

When he reached for the bottle, Kakashi moved it away slightly. Tenzou's arm fell limp against the bed as he shot the Jounin a pout. "Hey..."

"What's the magic word?"

"Pain."

Kakashi smiled and popped the bottle open. "I didn't know drugs made you witty. Maybe you should indulge more often."

"Maybe you should put a shirt on."

Kakashi glanced down at Tenzou, his expression suddenly glazing over to become unreadable. "Am I distracting you?"

"With your ugliness!" Tenzou laughed, then made some kind of strange gesture to signify how hard Kakashi had been owned.

"Oh, so that's why you stare all the time? Because I'm so hideous?"

"Yah, I'm always wondering what happened. HA! Man, I am so clever. Did I say that out loud?"

In the moment Tenzou was confused about his inner monologue, Kakashi spun on his heel and walked towards the door -with the pills in hand.

"Well, my grotesqueness probably numbed your pain enough for the next two days. I'll just take these back to the hospital."

Tenzou blinked. He knew Kakashi wasn't going to take the pills to the hospital, but he didn't put it past him to walk away with them for a good few hours, if not the whole day.

"Senpai...that's not funny..."

Kakashi stopped and slowly glanced over his shoulder. The look in his eyes told Tenzou he wasn't joking and he had full intentions of paying his snarky kouhai back in full.

Tenzou gulped. He wondered vaguely how he had ever been stupid enough to try and play any kind of game with his captain, who had absolutely no boundaries what-so-ever.

"Okay, I give, please come back with my meds. I'm really starting to hurt, Senpai."

Kakashi didn't budge. He rolled the pill bottle around in his hand.

Tenzou waited for him to say something. He didn't. Tenzou panicked slightly.

"Come on, Kakashi-senpai, you know you're not ugly."

"What am I then, kouhai?"

Tenzou grit his teeth, then regretted it when pain shot through his jaw. God damn him...well, he supposed he had this coming.

"You're ridiculously good looking. Now please..."

Kakashi waited a moment before he grinned wickedly. Tenzou felt his stomach drop.

"How nice of you. Tah!"

With that, the copy-nin disappeared.

Tenzou's eyes almost exploded out of his head.

"SENPAI-Owww, ow, ow, ow..." he hissed, clutching his jaw. Oh God, was Kakashi seriously going to leave him like that? Not only was that evil, it was utterly extreme.

When his Senpai appeared next to Tenzou's bed not a minute later, the mokuton user nearly swooned with relief. The look Kakashi shot down at him was smug, amused and confident. It said to Tenzou; "Yah. That's right. Remember who is who in this relationship."

Tenzou looked up at him with a look that said; "Yah, I get it, fuck you."

Smirking, Kakashi held out a single pill between his thumb and forefinger. "Here you go."

For a moment, Tenzou merely stared at it. He flicked his eyes up at Kakashi and they burned in a way the copy-nin had never seen before. Then, Tenzou leaned forward and gripped the pill between his teeth. His lips gently grazed Kakashi's fingers as the mokuton users mouth closed around the tiny object. Kakashi felt his abdomen tighten as Tenzou bore his eyes into the Jounin's, flicked his head back and swallowed the pill dry.

Slowly, Tenzou brought his head back down. He stared deep into Kakashi's eyes. Unconsciously, Tenzou flicked his tongue against the corner of his mouth.

"Thanks."

Kakashi's jaw worked as he swallowed thickly. He had never wanted to kiss someone so badly...

Time itself seemed to freeze as their eyes remained locked. They stared at each other, their eyes hard, burning, digging. Neither of them moved. The air was so thick that Tenzou felt his chest heave with every breath. There was an electric energy crackling between them that seemed to penetrate their skin and ignite their nerves.

Kakashi took a step forward and Tenzou's vision swam with the explosion of desire that burned through his chest, up his spine, and behind his eyes. His mind was completely blank. His lips parted slightly, and Kakashi's eyes jumped to them.

A knock on their door startled both of them so much that even Kakashi jumped. They both blinked, the spell broken. Tenzou was so shaken he couldn't even be disappointed about the interruption.

It took Kakashi another few moments to collect himself enough to move to the door. Neither of them had spoken a word in what felt like hours.

When the copy-nin pulled the door open, Genma was there to greet him. "Yo! Just wanted to check on our little bundle of joy. How's Tenzou doing?"

Kakashi actually had to clear his throat before he spoke. "He's...ah, he's awake."

Genma's eyebrow flew up into his hairline. "You okay...?"

Kakashi merely stepped aside to let Genma in. "He just took another pill, so you have about a minute to talk to 'Tenzou' and not his alter ego."

Still eyeing his captain suspiciously, Genma stepped inside the room. He finally looked away, resting his eyes on Tenzou. There was a strange...something in the air that the senbon wielder couldn't put his finger on.

"Hey, buddy. How are yah?"

Tenzou threw on the best smile he could, considering every nerve in his body was still on fire. "Good. Just a bit of pain. Actually...I'm starving."

The surprised look on the mokuton users face at this realization made Genma bark out a laugh. "I bet, you haven't had a morsel since dinner last night. It's like 3 pm."

Tenzou gaped. "What! It's that late? I need to get out of bed..."

Genma stepped forward instantly. "Wow there, buddy. Those pills your taking are no joke. Don't even bother, you won't be able to do anything. I'll grab you some lunch, and you can pay me back by making a speedy recovery. I'm gonna murder Gai soon if I don't get someone else as company."

A big, wide, happy grin spread across Tenzou's face that pushed up his slightly swollen cheeks. Genma laughed and slapped his knee. "Man, what a vision you are right now, Tenzou."

"Thanks, Genma. You're such a great friend." The mokuton user beamed around his large smile. Genma actually blushed and looked down with a 'tch'.

"Don't worry about it, buddy. I-what the..."

Tenzou had his arms outstretched, his smile unwavering. It took Genma a moment to realize he wanted a hug. With a loud, jovial laugh, he took the few steps needed to bring him into the drugged up ninja's embrace. Tenzou squeezed tightly and smushed his swollen face into Genma's armorless chest.

"Oww."

"HAHAHA, man, you are SO far gone! Don't hurt yourself just to hug me."

"I forgot..."

It took Genma leaving to get his lunch for the mokuton user to realize that Kakashi had left, too. He wasn't sure when that happened, but he felt a mixture of disappointment and relief. He needed a minute to...figure out what that whole situation was about. Except that he could hardly think at all.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Gai had come to visit while Genma was away, and when the other jounin joined them, the three friends had a nice lunch basically laughing at everything Tenzou said and did. Tenzou even laughed at himself, which his friends found utterly hysterical.

A couple of hours later, Kakashi returned. He was fully dressed, minus the armor but including the mask, and Tenzou briefly wondered when he'd even put a shirt on.

"Yo, K-man. Where yah been?" Genma asked cheerfully. "You missed QUITE the show. We were getting Tenzou to tell us knock-knock jokes and he kept forgetting the punch line. It was an absolute riot."

Tenzou pouted and Kakashi smiled. "I bet. I was actually just speaking with Shikaku."

Everyone straightened to attention at that, even Tenzou. Then he blinked. "Shakaki?"

Genma and Gai snorted loudly and Kakashi's eyes crinkled with mirth. "Nara Shikaku, Tenzou."

A very long pause commenced before Tenzou's eyes widened comically. "OH! RIGHT!"

Genma fell over on the bed clutching his stomach. Tenzou pouted.

"What is the news, my rival?" Gai asked as seriously as he could.

"Not much yet. We'll all have to meet with him and the Hokage to get things rolling, but our dear Tenzou is clearly not ready yet."

Everyone turned to look at Tenzou, including Tenzou. The dazed brunette turned, realized there was nothing behind him but a wall and scratched his head.

"That would be you, Tenzou. Tenzou is Tenzou." Gai laughed, grabbing the top of Tenzou's head and turning it around. The mokuton user merely smiled happily. "RIGHT! Tenzou is Tenzou."

Kakashi's head fell as he desperately tried not to burst into hysterics. The way his torso shook gave away how hard he was laughing.

"PLEASE can we keep him like this? Please? I mean, its technically inhumane, but this is so amazing." Genma patted Tenzou's head as he spoke which earned another pout from Tenzou.

"NO, I want to be normal! I want to be useful. Did I have lunch yet...?"

Everyone laughed for about a minute without stopping. Tenzou took that as a 'yes'.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The day passed with Tenzou amusing everyone he spoke to, which was really just his team. He stayed in bed the whole day, and at night, Kakashi tucked him in again on request.

"I like this!" Tenzou exclaimed as Kakashi folded the blankets around him.

"I'm glad." Kakashi murmured, smiling.

"You're pretty."

Kakashi laughed. "I've never gotten that one before, but thanks."

"Your hair is pretty."

"I try."

"I like your arms."

"Okay, Tenzou." Kakashi interjected with a soft laugh. "Please try and sleep. I feel like I'm taking advantage of you and I'm not even doing anything."

"You always take advantage of me!" Tenzou nearly sprung out of bed, but Kakashi held his shoulders down.

"I don't."

"You always tease me."

"...Well. Yes, I can't deny that."

Tenzou pouted so viciously that Kakashi laughed again. "Do you want me to stop?"

His entire face fell. He seemed to be thinking about it really hard. Kakashi crossed his arms and waited with a soft smile.

"...Not really."

"Well. There we go." Kakashi responded, his expression still soft.

Tenzou gazed up at him with his eyes shining, his sluggish mind working. Kakashi bent down to kiss his forehead, as he knew Tenzou would ask for it.

"Wait."

The copy-nin backed up in mild surprise. "No?"

"Why don't you give me a real kiss?"

Kakashi froze. He gazed hard at Tenzou, his eyes betraying that he was thinking about the request.

"You want a real kiss?"

"Yah." Tenzou answered, his expression stubborn, but surprisingly clear.

Kakashi looked conflicted. He continued to gaze at Tenzou, his mind rolling and tumbling over itself. Finally, he sighed, rubbing his temple slightly.

"Tenzou. Where this is going requires a conversation, and we can't have that conversation right now. Look at you."

Surprisingly, Tenzou merely continued to look at Kakashi with a sort of quizzical expression. "We will, though?"

Kakashi nodded lightly, but his eyes seemed to buzz and crackle. "Yes. We will."

Tenzou was silent, and they watched each other for loaded seconds before he spoke.

"I like you."

Kakashi's heart clenched so tightly he actually hunched over slightly.

"I know, Tenzou." he whispered. "Please, don't say anything more. It isn't fair to you."

If Tenzou ever knew he spoke like this to me, he'd be mortified. Kakashi thought with heavy guilt.

"Do you like me?" Tenzou asked, obviously oblivious to the gravity of the situation, or Kakashi's request. The copy-nin decided to try another tactic. He leaned down and placed both hands gently against the sides of Tenzou's face.

"I'll tell you when we talk. I'm going to close the lights now, Tenzou, so sleep. No more."

Suddenly, the mokuton users features contorted with fear. He pulled the covers up to cover half his face, as if he was attempting to hide. "I'd rather now..."

Kakashi was overwhelmed with how much Tenzou had made him feel in such a short amount of time. He didn't even know he could process half of the emotions he'd come across in just three weeks. It made him feel like he was human, and there was a time in his life when he'd really questioned that.

"What if I tell you it isn't going to be bad? It'll be a good conversation. That's why I want you to remember it. But you won't remember it like this, will you?"

Tenzou's face turned to one of wonder, his eyes wide and sparkling. "Really?"

"Yes, Tenzou. So please sleep."

With an adorable smile, Tenzou nodded lightly. Then, he wiggled around a bit till he was comfortable and closed his eyes. Kakashi watched him until his breathing evened out and his features relaxed.

He hadn't...well. That was fast. Too fast for Kakashi. There were so many factors to consider, and Tenzou was so new to ANBU. The fact that someone was after him made the entire situation more complicated. Kakashi found himself hoping that Tenzou wouldn't remember a single thing they had discussed so that he could control where their relationship headed in his own way at his own pace. He hadn't lied to Tenzou; he fully intended to talk to him. But, it couldn't happen now. He needed to focus on protecting his kouhai, and nothing was going to distract him from that.

As Kakashi slipped under his sheets, he found himself amazed at how deeply he wanted to protect Tenzou. The scary thing is that Kakashi had a terrible track record for saving those he desperately wanted to protect. But, he'd never...wanted it for himself. Rin had been his friend, and he'd cared about her and wanted to protect her in the same way he would protect Gai and Genma. But, his real driving force for Rin was Obito. He'd made a promise to his friend, and that had been the passion that drove him.

But, Tenzou was different. Kakashi felt something burn strongly in his chest that made him want to rip anyone's head off who touched him. He'd nearly killed Tenzou's attacker a few days ago out of sheer rage, which would have helped them not at all in the information department. The last time he'd ever felt such satisfaction maiming anyone had been when he'd struck down Rin's kidnappers after Obito died.

Kakashi couldn't deny that what he felt was different, and...special. But, that didn't make it any less complicated, and Kakashi had no intentions of ruining their relationship by jumping into something he wasn't ready for.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Tenzou woke up around 12 o'clock in the afternoon the next day. He almost wept with joy at the NOT painful awakening and tenderly prodded his jaw. It was still kind of swollen, but the pain was gone. Damn, that nurse had been right on point. It had taken almost three days for the pain to go away.

He threw the covers back with so much vigor they sailed off of his bed.

"I cant wait to be OUT OF BED!" he cried, jumping up.

After an intense dizzy spell, the mokuton user realized Gai was in the room and was staring at him in open amusement.

"Why, it is good to see you feeling so well, my hilarious friend!"

"Well? Well? I feel FANTASTIC! Let's go for a run!"

Gai laughed and stood from Kakashi's bed. "Well...you are not supposed to partake in any-"

Gai stopped when he was levelled with a glare so heated it could melt a hole through Genma's thick skull. He laughed loudly and clapped Tenzou on the shoulder.

"Alright, alright! I understand. I would be as eager for activity if I was you! We shall do a few laps around the arena!"

Tenzou hugged Gai in his happiness and sailed over to his dresser. "I have never looked forward to training so much in my life. Ugh..." he sniffed himself. "And a shower..."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Tenzou and Gai raced each other five times, Gai winning by a long shot every single time. Tenzou got sick of losing so pathetically and decided to just jog out the rest of his restlessness before Gai decided to make him an official 'rival' like Kakashi. The mokuton user didn't know the story behind that, but knowing Kakashi, it was mostly a one sided rivalry.

Speaking of Kakashi...Tenzou had very strange memories of him. When he was in the thick of the influence of his medication, he had absolutely no memories what-so-ever. But, he could remember one thing. Kakashi, standing over him, looking...well. He didn't know if he was remembering it wrong, but it wasn't far off from the way he had looked at him when they'd had their 'moment' that morning. Tenzou tried not to think about it because he didn't understand Kakashi. His captain had always flirted with him, but flirting was no longer the right word to describe what was happening. The heated moments between he and Kakashi were getting more and more frequent, and more and more intense. But, he didn't know what to do about them. He could sense his captain's hesitation, especially since he tended to be the one to 'break the spell' if their interactions went on for too long.

He was startled out of his musings by Gai, who was waving Tenzou over quite energetically. Tenzou jogged up to him without hesitation.

"What's going on?"

"We must leave now. We have just enough time to freshen up before we must meet the others and the Hokage."

Tenzou blinked. "Oh! I didn't know."

"HA HA, yes, sorry my friend. I was distracted by thoughts of HARD WORK!"

The two of them teleported back to their respective rooms to shower and change. Tenzou was absolutely thrilled to finally be able to help instead of lay in bed like an invalid and amuse everyone with his drugged up antics. Gai had given him a very brief update of what had happened, and Tenzou was gravely embarrassed. They'd all seemed to have gotten a kick out of it, so he guessed it wasn't that bad, but he was ready to be a serious part of their team instead of merely comedy relief.

Tenzou was just snapping his chest armour into place when Gai knocked on his door. The mokuton user snatched up his brand new mask -a cat one- and slipped it on his face before opening the door.

"I see you're ready." Gai commented, also wearing his mask.

"Yup. Feels amazing to be clean and suited up."

"Ha ha ha, I understand! Although, we will miss having dinner with your amusing, inebriated self." Gai mused.

Tenzou raised a clenched fist and Gai lifted his hands in surrender with a loud laugh.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When they reached the Hokage's office, Kakashi, Genma and Shikaku were already there. The two new arrivals bowed to the Hokage and joined their friends in a circle of chairs around the Hokage's desk.

"Tenzou, it is good to see you. How are you feeling?" Hiruzen asked, flashing the shinobi a warm smile.

"Very well, thank you, Hokage-sama. The pain is gone."

"Excellent. Although...I am slightly disappointed to not have witnessed the infamous 'Drugged Tenzou'" The Hokage laughed, taking a casual puff of his pipe.

Tenzou froze. He slowly turned his head to face his friends but found Kakashi and Genma looking anywhere but him.

"Ah. Heard about that, did you?"

"Why, yes! They have been filling me in on everything that has happened since I last saw you."

"How...considerate of them." he ground out, glaring as heatedly at his two companions as he could. He hoped they felt it...he hoped their eyes were burning with the power of his fury.

"Anyway." Shikaku cut in gruffly. "Let us get on with this, please. We have much to discuss, and I have to be home for dinner."

Kakashi snickered lightly and Shikaku sent him a withering glare.

"Quite right." The Hokage affirmed, puffing his pipe again. "We have come to a decision about the best course of action. It will be at least another three days in coming as Tenzou is still recovering from his unfortunate confrontation. We will need him to be in top shape for our plan to proceed smoothly."

The Hokage paused to puff his pipe again. Tenzou was on the edge of his seat with excitement.

"The plan is, essentially, a trap for whoever is behind the attacks. We have found one more hidden Root agent in ANBU, but have not confronted him. Fortunately as well as unfortunately, he is a senior and trusted ANBU member. The 'fortunate' part, is that him being privy to hush hush information is not suspicious. We shall allow him to be 'one of the few' who know that Team Hound are going to be practising alone in the outdoor arena in three days time, in order for Tenzou to complete the last stages of his mokuton training. We all know the open arena is much larger than the indoor one, so this should not be suspicious. As I'm certain you are guessing, we are expecting them to attack Tenzou. We will have ANBU who specialize in infiltration hiding to make sure no one is injured in this process. The goal of this trap is for at least one, but preferably more, of the attackers to be followed back to Root, or wherever it is that they will go. Having someone tail them is too risky, as they are certain to be talented, and we want them to go directly into their hideout. So...Kakashi tells me you have these magnificent scouting seeds, Tenzou. We were thinking of scattering them around the entrance to the arena after you have entered it. We will then depend on you to tell us where they have gone. The rest of your attackers will be captured by the ANBU laying in wait. This mission must be a success, as the trap will most certainly alarm your pursers. Also, no harm must come to Tenzou at all. You" The Hokage zeroed in on Tenzou. "Must be well enough to track them afterwards, with a special squad of ANBU. Any questions?"

There was silence as everyone considered the plan.

"Oh, and Tenzou. Please leave me with a handful of your tracking seeds. I wish to plant them on our inside Root agent the day of the trap. I'm curious to see where he will be off to, as well."

"Are we sure we have a handle on who might be Root and who isn't? Our plan might be ruined if one of the ANBU we ask to assist is in fact an enemy."

The Hokage sighed wearily at Tenzou's question. "We think we do. You're right, however. It's a risk we must take. The most important thing we can do is find out who is after you. This is the safest way."

"We could technically just step outside for a couple of hours and wait for some douche to jump us." Genma cut in. "It seems almost guaranteed."

"Yes, but in that instance, Tenzou may be injured again, and then we are nowhere." Shikaku answered. "Having backup minimizes injuries, minimizes the amount of enemies who could escape, and maximizes control of the situation. We just don't have any other shots besides this one. The way the Hokage sees it, this third attack could be all Danzo needs to go to the Council and Feudal Lords. And then it may be over for Tenzou."

"Umm..."

Everyone turned to look at Tenzou. He flushed red under his mask.

"Please forgive me if this is an ignorant question, Hokage-sama. But...do you not have the final say in what happens in the village? Could you not overturn Danzo?"

The Hokage smiled warmly at Tenzou's question. "I do have the final say, technically. However, most major decisions in the village become votes. I merely reiterate what is chosen by the majority. If Danzo convinces all of the powerful heads of Fire Country that you are dangerous, there is very little I can do except try and convince them otherwise. To go against the wishes of the majority will not only cause bad blood, but it stands against the structure of our country. It is not a dictatorship."

Tenzou bowed his head, exhaling softly. "Right."

The rest of the meeting consisted of the group working through kinks and ironing out details. They would wait four days in order for Tenzou to heal and train his mokuton before starting the mission. The young shinobi was touched at how concerned everyone was for his welfare. He knew it also extended to the health and lives of all ANBU who would be involved now and could be in the future if the ridiculous attacks on Tenzou kept up. The goal was to involve as little people as possible and have as few casualties as they could. There were many truly good, honourable people in the village, and a handful of them were in the room with him. He felt privileged to witness it.

"What shall we do when we find out where they have gone?" Tenzou finally asked when the meeting was wrapping up.

"I want you to come to me immediately. Send a clone, or yourself, depending on who is with you. If it is Danzo, I wish to speak to him myself. Word of mouth will not help in this situation; Danzo needs to see that I know he is behind this. If it is not Danzo, then send a clone back and we shall follow with reinforcements. Communication will be extremely important. If you are being taken out of the village, contact us immediately and we will have backup ready. Remember, follow very loosely behind them. We do not want them deterred from entering their home base."

Tenzou nodded in understanding. He looked back to his team, who seemed ready to leave. He felt giddy and nervous at the same time. He'd been on many missions before, but none that revolved around his own personal welfare. Not only were other people depending on him, but he was, too.

Well. I wanted to be useful...

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The team got back to their humble abode just in time for dinner (much to the joy of Shikaku). Kakashi told Tenzou to go into their room while he and the rest of the team picked up dinner. The mokuton user found it strange that no one would be watching him, but he did as he was told. It was only a minute that he'd been alone when he heard a knock at the door. His entire body tensed.

"...Who is it?"

No one answered because the room was reinforced. Cursing, he walked up to the door and put his eye to the small glass peep hole.

"Huh?"

Tenzou opened the door to find his team in front of it.

"Didn't you guys-?"

His words were cut off as a small package was shoved into his arms by Genma.

"Surprise! We got this for you yesterday. We figure you'll need it soon."

Touched, and slightly weary, Tenzou ripped off the paper and slowly opened the long, floppy box. He blinked. He smiled.

It was a face guard, complete with Konoha headband.

He looked up at his friends and found them beaming at him.

"This time.." Kakashi started "if someone tries to break your jaw, they'll break their damn fist instead."

"And now you can train tomorrow with no worries of injury!" Gai excitedly supplied.

Tenzou wordlessly slipped it on and adjusted it until it felt comfortable. "How does it look?"

The three of them studied Tenzou quietly. The mokuton user shifted nervously.

"Wait!" Genma cried. He leaned forward, grabbed the fabric around Tenzou's neck and pulled it up over his chin. "THERE!"

"Ah!"

"Yup."

"Perfect, buddy." Genma finished.

Tenzou laughed and scratched his head. He honestly didn't get how that made such a big difference, but he was grateful.

"Thanks a lot, guys. I'll never go anywhere without it."

"You might want to take it off for a date, though." Genma cautioned.

"Right. Never on a date." Tenzou agreed, and smiled affectionately at his team.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

AND THAT IS THE STORY OF THE FACE GUARD! Or whatever it is actually called. Hope ya'll enjoyed!