Late that evening Lee and I concluded our 'training', and stopped by to get an ice cream each on the way home. I ate mine a little too fast, but by now brain freezes were barely noticeable for me. Lee was half way through his, enjoying every bite.
We saw Neji and Tenten walking, looking around. Gai-sensei was following a few metres behind, calling Lee's name over and over. Lee and I glimpse at each other, then approach them.
"Lee! There you are!" Tenten exclaimed. Gai-sensei walked over and looked between the two of us.
"Setsuki! You're back! Lee! You never showed up to training! You better have a good excuse!"
"U-uhh.. S-Sorry Gai-sensei! I was on my way to training this morning, but I bumped into Setsuki-chan and.. got distracted! I am sorry! I will run 500 laps around the village as punishment!" Lee exclaimed.
Suddenly Gai-sensei pointed his ice cream. "What are you eating?! Unhealthy food is not youthful!"
Lee seemed to panic. "I-I uh-"
"It's mine!" I exclaimed, taking it from Lee's hand. They all looked at me oddly, including Lee who was suspicious. "I.. I asked Lee-san to hold it while I adjusted my shoe, but forgot to take it back!" I laughed nervously.
Gai-sensei seemed to believe me though. Lee breathed a sigh of relief. He whispered a thank you as Gai-sensei turned away, and I gave Lee a thumbs up. I almost wanted to eat his ice cream too, it was starting to melt, considering the weather was so hot. Tenten snuck up behind me and pushed my back making me jump. My eyes were wide at the ice cream because I nearly dropped it.
"Hey girl! Haven't seen you in a long time!" She wrapped her arms around my shoulders. She was still short..
"U-uh yeah!" Then I got the idea of speaking to Tenten about my strange feelings. "Tenten!"
"What's up!"
Lee looked at me strangely. I went quiet, and muttered in her ear. "I need to talk to you about something.."
"Oh? About what?"
"Something."
"Tell me!"
"I can't!" I look at Lee again. He tilted his head at me. I looked at Gai-sensei who was talking to Neji. I then look at the ice cream melting in my hand. Lee scratched the back of his head. Tenten tilted her head confused. Lee and I suddenly look at each other like we had just got the same idea.
We face Gai-sensei. "Ready?"
"Ready." Lee replied. I handed Lee his ice cream back. Gai-sensei was about to turn around, I ran and jumped at him.
"Dynamic Entry!" I kick Gai-sensei's face, not hard enough to send him flying, but enough to knock him over.
"Uwah!" He fell. Lee took off, sprinting away. "Setsuki! What is the meanin-"
"Sorry Gai-sensei! I slipped!" I exclaimed. Tenten and Neji frowned. Gai-sensei looked around.
"Where's Lee?"
"... He went to the bathroom!" I lied. Gai-sensei looked into my eyes piercingly. It was creepy.
"That boy still has to do his punishment for not turning up to training! He-"
"That was my fault!" I exclaimed. "I ran straight into him! Then I.. kinda dragged him away, so we could train together!"
".. So you two trained? He did his daily training?"
"Yes sir!" I thought I had won this argument.
"I think they did a little more than training~" Tenten giggled. We all face her. Neji folded his arms with a huff under his breath.
"It's obvious." He nodded.
"What is? What?" I asked, I was so confused, looking back and forth between them both. Gai-sensei smirked and rubbed his chin.
"I see exactly what is happening." He said. My eyes widened. Had he caught onto the fact that Lee and I didn't actually train!? I bit my lip in nervousness.
"See, if Gai-sensei can pick this up, then it's obviously true!" Tenten said. Neji only nodded, closing his eyes.
"What's true!?" I asked, more panicked. Gai-sensei stood up and put his hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him. Tenten closed in as well. Neji stayed where he was, he's not one for getting close to people.
"You can't hide it any longer, Setsuki!" Gai-sensei shouted. I almost whimpered. He's figured it out! There was no use in hiding it.
I opened my mouth to speak when Tenten cut me off. "So so how long have you two been together?" Tenten asked in a giggly tone.
"S-Since this morning.." I replied in a shaky tone. Gai-sensei made a high pitched laugh in his throat.
"Eeee~! Neji, Tenten! You know what this calls for!" Gai-sensei pointed me, I jumped and whimpered.
"I-I'M SORRY!" I fell to my hands and knees, and bowed, quivering.
"... Eh?" Gai-sensei tilted his head, as did Tenten and Neji.
"I DID NOT MEAN TO TAKE LEE-SAN AWAY FROM TRAINING!"
There was a moment of silence, I looked up and saw their grinning faces. It was evil. EVIL! …. Until Gai-sensei started laughing.
"No Setsuki! You are wrong! You think this is about that?"
I blinked a few times. Gai-sensei grabbed my arm and lifted me to my feet. He then proceeded to brush the dirt off me. "Uh.. yeah..? I-I mean, then.. what is it about?" I ask.
Tenten and Gai-sensei leaned in really close, both wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "You like Lee, don't you?" Tenten sneered.
Gai-sensei copied her expression. "Really REALLY like Lee, right?"
I blinked. "Of course." I replied bluntly. They both squealed at the top of their lungs, like they were happy about something. They had tears running down their cheeks.
"We knew this day would come!" Gai-sensei announced.
I blinked again, confused at their behaviour. "I mean.. Lee-san's my best friend! Of course I like him!"
Both Gai-sensei and Tenten paused, frozen on the spot, their huge grins turned upside down. Neji snickered. "You buffoons don't realize, do you?" Neji said, then walked over to me, pointing at me. "She's to naïve to realize those sort of feelings." Neji turned to face them. "Besides, Lee's probably the same about her... If you ask me they really have no idea about this whole ordeal."
"Ordeal!? Neji! You are wrong! Youth is the time for blossoming romance to rise up and take the peak of the highest mountain!" Gai-sensei pointed to the sky. "There is nothing horrific about such a perfect concept!"
Neji frowned. "I think it's just a waste of time. Even more so, between Setsuki and Lee, nothing will happen. If you haven't already forgotten, Sakura is still in his mind."
"What're you all talking about?" I asked, every word they spoke was becoming more and more confusing.
"Hum! You are correct, Neji!" Gai-sensei said, as if completely ignoring me. He pointed at Neji. "But Lee will come to his senses very soon. My prediction between these two youths, will surely come true! If there's one thing I'm certain about, it's this!"
Neji shook his head. "Well.. it would surprise me if it actually happened.. but then again, knowing the klutz Lee is, he will do something stupid to put them together." Neji shot a tiny smirk in my direction then turned away from us all.
"Lee-san's not a klutz!" I exclaimed with a frown, with still no idea of what is going on.
"That is right! I am a noble gentleman!" Lee's voice sprung up from no where. He was suddenly standing in front of Neji, who jumped at the sight of him. Lee had a little bit of ice cream around his mouth still.
"Lee! What took you so long?!" Gai-sensei questioned. Lee's eyes widened temporarily, then he scratched his head.
"I-er, I had a small headache.. but it is gone now!" Lee gave Gai-sensei a thumbs up with a shining smile. He had little bits of ice cream between his teeth too.. I was thinking he ate the ice cream so fast that he got a brain freeze and ran around until it disappeared, forgetting about even wiping his face. Gai-sensei's eyes narrowed at Lee's face. He was going to be found out!
I quickly perform five hand signs, then take a deep breath – no one noticed. I shot a large amount of water from my mouth directly at Lee, accidentally pushing him into the nearest building.
"UWAAAH!"
They all looked at me weirdly, again. I laughed nervously. "My hands slipped.."
Gai-sensei totally believed me, but Neji and Tenten rolled their eyes. When I looked at Lee, his face was clean. I mentally sigh of relief.
"S-SETSUKI-CHAN! W-WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" Lee shouted in a rather high pitched voice. He had puppy eyes, it was so adorable.
"I-I'M SORRY LEE-SAN! MY HANDS SLIPPED!"
"OH! … That is okay then!" Lee gave a thumbs up and shining smile to me. The ice cream in his teeth was gone too.
"He actually believed that?!" Tenten questioned. Lee faced Tenten.
"If that is what Setsuki-chan said, then it is true!" Lee exclaimed. I smiled at Tenten, who glared. "So, uh.. what was it you wanted to talk about, Gai-sensei?"
"I was just explaining to Setsuki! She can fill you in, after all, you do understand what I was saying, right?"
"No sir, not at all." I replied. Gai-sensei's eye twitched.
"HE'S SAYING THAT YOU TWO ARE IN LOVE!" Tenten shouted. Both Lee and I flinched toward her.
"L-Love!?" We question in sync.
"N-no Tenten!" Lee retorted, scratching the back of his head nervously, his bright red cheeks matching mine. "I-I cannot love Setsuki-chan. She is my friend!"
"Yeah! That's right! Lee-san is my friend too! We can't be in love!" I exclaimed. Tenten sneered, grinning.
"Yeah yeah, you can't hide it forever!" She chimed.
"B-but Tenten! I assure you S-Setsuki-chan and I are only friends!" Lee implied. I nodded indefinitely. "R-Remember, Tenten. I like Sakura-chan!"
"Yeah and I like.." I trailed off after I realized I actually don't like anyone in that way! Both Lee and Tenten looked at me eagerly. "I... uh.. no one!"
"Don't worry Tenten. They will come around soon enough!" Gai-sensei chuckled, dragging her away, he then muttered something like "Just give them some alone time.." into her ear, she nodded and Neji followed them away.
Lee and I face each other. "Do they really think that.. we're.."
"I do not know, Setsuki-chan.." Lee replied. "But.. they are wrong!"
I nodded, completely agreeing with him, but my stomach felt heavy at his words for some reason. Perhaps I was getting sick. "Yeah. I mean, you still like Sakura-chan right?"
Lee nodded hesitantly. "Right.. and you, Setsuki-chan? Do you.. love anyone?"
"Me? Uh.. no.." I replied. "I don't really.. understand it all.. love.."
"You do not understand love?"
I shook my head and put my hands in my pockets. Lee put his hand on my shoulder and smiled.
"Then I will teach you!" He replied. I blinked and smiled.
"You will?"
"Yes! But it is getting late. Let us start this training after the Chuunin Exam finals tomorrow!" He announced. I nodded eagerly.
"Okay! I can wait! After all, we have to focus on that first, and not get distracted!"
"Yosh! Tomorrow decides it all! Let us go and get some sleep, sleep is important for maintaining youth!" Lee announced, saluting. I only smiled at him, I loved seeing him happy. Lee walked me home, and stayed for dinner since Takashi offered. I went and had a shower, then got into bed. I was ready. Ready for tomorrow. Though, my mind kept flickering between the finalists. Who would I be up against? Would I have to battle twice?
In the finalists, there were only 6 of us, Lee, Daisuke, Tenten, A Sunagakure ninja who I can't remember the name of, myself and a very mysterious grey-haired dude who doesn't wear a headband, wont say where he's from and he wears a mask just like Kakashi-sensei's. Now that guy was scary. In the preliminary matches he won his match in a matter of seconds using only Taijutsu! My spine shivered at the thought of his ice blue emotionless eyes. I rolled over and tried to sleep, clearing everything from my mind.