Kankuro should have thought things out a little more carefully.
Don't get him wrong, the puppet training lesson with Tenten went a lot better than he expected. With having no other puppets in his arsenal, Kankuro had to show her the ropes with his Crow.
The Crow was a bit special to him. It was the first puppet he ever received. His mother had given it to him just before she passed away.
That poor woman . . . she didn't deserve the fate that befell her.
At the beginning of the lesson, Kankuro admitted his affection toward the puppet, but did not the specific reasoning. Since the Crow was so precious to him, he warned he would take over control the moment he thinks something bad is going to happen to it.
Surprisingly, that was never needed.
In the first few seconds, Tenten learned how to create and attach chakra strings to the puppet. She was pretty close to where it needed to be; only a few centimeters off to the actual location. On her second try, she got it in the exact position needed. Kankuro praised her for her amazing aim, which she claimed from many many hours of training.
The first time she ever missed her target in months was during her match against Temari.
After making her practice a few more times, just to be sure she had it down, Kankuro showed how to move the Crow with the five chakra strings on one hand. That caused Tenten to struggle a bit because it felt unnatural to her. She had to stretch her fingers in ways she hasn't before, sometimes being uncomfortable and hurting for a moment or two.
When it came to the thirty minute mark of the lesson, Kankuro decided to end it then, since Tenten looked so tired. He didn't want to wear her out, so she could still watch his match tomorrow. Kankuro boasted he would win for her, so she had to cheer as loudly as she can for him. Tenten merely rolled her eyes, teasing that she would cheer for him when he wins.
Since the lesson only lasted thirty minutes, Tenten jokingly declared that's how long their date had to last.
Kankuro took the joke seriously and opted for a walk in the training field forest to get to know her better. It was nice, in Tenten's opinion, to talk with someone that wasn't her teammates or her sensei. No other genin paid her much attention because of her team and no kunoichi talked to her because she was too obsessed with ninja weapons. Kankuro felt the same way, but for different reasons that were just too personal to speak about just yet.
Speaking to Tenten made Kankuro feel like he belonged in the village—
Like he wasn't some outsider.
Sadly, the date ended far too quickly than either one of them wanted as Kankuro walked Tenten to her apartment. Her home was quite small, but just big enough for a single person with one bedroom and one kitchen. According to Tenten, there were many other orphans that lived in similar situations that Lord Third supposedly keeps an eye on, but he has more time for select children.
Kankuro really wondered how the Hokage could make someone feel safe, yet unwanted at the same time.
Being the gentleman that he was, Kankuro opted to stay in the doorway so he didn't intrude in her personal business. He did make a big show of kissing Tenten's hand before bidding her farewell for now. Caught off-guard by the action, Tenten's face turned deep red before she accidently slammed the door in Kankuro's face. Kankuro merely chuckled before he ventured back to his hotel room.
The next day . . . things didn't go as planned.
First off, Tenten was surprised ro see Neji struggling so much after training so rigorously. Naruto proved to be a capable opponent when he so easily dodged Neji's strikes and managed to stay standing after having all of his chakra points blocked. Even though he should have had no chakra, Naruto's resolve didn't falter as he miraculously produced more chakra, though it was a strange orange color. Tenten was quite impressed—
To see what it means to fight for someone you love.
In a majorly massive upset, Naruto defeated Neji like they were equals, not as a 'failure' and a genius. Although she should have resented Naruto for the win—since Neji was her teammate—she couldn't help feeling proud for the blonde-haired boy. Tenten knew his living situation was similar to her own, so she was glad to see him change the predicted outcome.
It gave her some hope about her own predicament.
Now the next match was supposed to be the 'famous' Sasuke Uchiha against Kankuro's blood-thirsty brother Gaara. It was the one match everyone in the audience came to see, since Sasuke was the last living member of his clan. However, he was nowhere to be seen when his name was called for. Instead of disqualifying him, they proceeded to the next match to give him time to arrive.
Which meant Kankuro's match was moved to next.
It was quite odd, the way Kankuro looked when called down to the battlefield. From Tenten's view across the way, he appeared to be conflicted about something. It was only when Temari look to be scolding him that Kankuro forfeited before his match could even start. The audience booed at the Suna genin, but his focus was on the girl he was currently infatuated with.
As soon as the next match started, the two met each other's gaze. Being motioned to go to him, Tenten got up from her seat and made her way around without seeming suspicious. It anyone where to ask, she would claim she was visiting Neji—
Not that anyone would question her.
After a few minutes, since she took her time, Tenten found him hiding in an abandoned corner of the stadium with no one else anywhere around.
"What's wrong?" Tenten wondered with concern in her tone. "Why did you—"
"Get away from here," Kankuro demanded. "Go to your apartment and lock yourself in there. Don't come out until someone tells you the battle is ov—
"Battle?" Tenten repeated, her body tensing in alarm. "What are you talking about? What the hell is going on?"
"I promise I will explain everything later," Kankuro insisted hurriedly. "I have to go back before my sensei finds me and you need to leave before it's too late."
Tenten hesitated. The kunoichi in her wanted to stay if there was to be a battle. She wanted to defend her village, even if she was just a genin.
But the way that Kankuro spoke . . . it sounded like things could get a little bloody.
Making the split decision, Tenten quickly stepped forward, kissing Kankuro. Even though it lasted for only five seconds, it felt like an eternity had gone by. Tenten swoon in the kiss she initiated, but she had to get back to the main focus. When she pulled away, she managed to keep herself from blushing, but Kankuro had a light blush of pink on his cheeks.
Tenten warned, "You better keep your promise, or else I won't forgive you."
