Disclaimer: Team Gai would've been the "Team Kakashi" in my world.

Drabble 3: Team Squirrel

Setting: Pre-Chuunin Exam

A/N: Sorry about the late update! Motivation strikes at the strangest times…and thank you to my wonderful reviewers, Dellanotte, you know. that one girl., and Darth-Taisha!

"So, my most exuberant team, I have deemed you ready to perform in the Chuunin Exam!" Maito Gai was towering over them with a gleaming smile of excitement on his face.

Tenten, for once, wasn't wincing from the noise. She smiled at her sensei, proud that she had come this far—her sensei had deemed her good enough to compete with other, older teams, and she wanted to prove her worth as a kunoichi now.

Now, five days later, she sat cross-legged, polishing each and every of her kunai diligently as she watched Lee stretch and Neji meditate. Gai-sensei, she thought, was a truly admirable sensei. He had transformed Lee to what he was today, and she couldn't help but admire the spandex-clad boy before her. Such determination…she shook her head. It wasn't because he was a boy—no, it was because that spirit only appeared in a few people.

She was quite proud of herself too—the timing of her barrage of silver steel of her Twin Rising Dragons took a lot of work, and she had done a lot of speed training with Lee and Gai-sensei before she was able to move through the air, hurtling her weapons.

She remembered Gai-sensei getting a nick on his elbow—just a slight one—as she did her ultimate attack one day after working with Lee and Neji in cornering him, and she couldn't have felt happier. She was sure that Gai-sensei meant it when he hugged and congratulated her, and she felt that perhaps, she would be much better than all the other kunoichi vying for Chuunin.

And of course, Neji still was the genius and he was constantly showing off his Hyuuga powers, such as his new imperfect Kaiten.

She grinned at Neji, who merely raised an eyebrow, and then at Lee, who grinned back and pumped his fist in his air.

"Yes! We are on our next step to the nirvana of the ninja!" The boy said passionately. "We should have a team meeting discussing all our plans, so Gai-sensei's training shall not go to waste!"

Neji rolled his eyes. "Isn't that the reason we're meeting here?"

Lee scowled at him. "Yes, Neji, but there are certain delicate issues we must discuss!"

Neji sighed. "Please don't tell me its something about our name or mascot."

Lee looked vastly uncomfortable.

Tenten decided to butt in. "Okay, guys, let's just hurry up!" She said, grinning at her teammates. Surely they couldn't start bickering again?

"Right you are, Tenten!" Lee said. "I have thought about this Chuunin Exam quite thoroughly, and from what I've learned, Gai-sensei has certain enemies in the other nations, so we should devise a code name for ourselves!

"Are you sure this isn't because you just want to make another team name for us?" Neji asked wryly.

Lee looked affronted. "That is only partly the reason, Neji! Gai-sensei told me himself that his number of enemies is much more than any other Jounin of Konoha, excluding his greatest rival, Kakashi, of course!"

"So…you mean you want a team name that won't give us away to other teams?"

"Right, Tenten!" Lee yelled. "And I've decided to dedicate our code name to you, our strong, youthful, kunoichi!"

Tenten rolled her eyes at the boy's antics, but smiled in anticipation all the same. "So, what is it?"

Lee paused dramatically. "From the start of the Chuunin Exam, we shall be known as…Team Squirrel!"

Tenten was debating whether to impale him or have Neji Gentle Fist him, but Lee seemed to pick up on her facial expression a few seconds after he spoke.

"Tenten, the squirrel is the epitome of youth!" He cried passionately. "This is the greatest honor!"

"Pray tell, do I look like a squirrel to you?" Tenten said in a deadly voice.

"Only slightly!"

Tenten decided to impale him.

Lee dodged out of the way nimbly and crashed into Neji, who spluttered and pushed him off with a sharp chakra blast.

"Ouch!" Lee rubbed the back of his arm. "Tenten, I mean, of course, squirrels fly nimbly from branch to branch, and I think the way you leap off the ground and twirl through the air firing your weapons is just like them!"

"Lee…" Tenten sighed. "Those are flying squirrels."

"Perhaps, but they represent your grace perfectly, Tenten!"

"Lee…" Tenten couldn't bring herself to be mad at him any further. She was touched and flattered, of course, by his compliments, but, really, squirrels?

He sat up, smiling at her. "So now, can we have that name?"

"I guess…" she said, looking exasperatedly at Neji, who simply dipped his head, meaning "go with it".

"YOSH! Now we truly are youthful!" Lee cried.

Tenten and Neji shared looks, but she could tell he wasn't really annoyed at Lee. He was looking at Lee with a look of acceptance…and Tenten's heart warmed as she realized that Neji had finally accepted Lee.

"Well, boys, shall we go?"

"Yes!" Lee saluted, and the three of them leapt in opposite directions to work flawlessly as a team into the trees.

Seconds later, Lee was executing his 'Konoha Senpuu' on a dummy's head, and Neji was practicing his Kaiten, and Tenten was nowhere to be seen, but weapons from a mace to small senbon were sticking out of the dummies.

For now, Team Gai was perfectly happy. All too soon, their team would fall apart again, as Tenten would fall from the sky from her own cockiness, Lee's determination be crushed, and Neji have to change himself the most.

But for now, they were a team.

More LeeTen…don't worry, NejiTen fans! There will be NejiTen later.

Criticize, praise, or encouragement; please leave a thought!