Summary:
Tenten has something to ask Kankuro, but it is very hard to get to it. It's even harder because signs of a sharp pain cross his face, but he dismisses the matter as if it's nothing.
Eventually, she opens a discussion about what worries her, and Kankuro offers an interesting idea to deal with her problem.
Chapter 18: A Man of His Word
Tenten fell silent. The redness Ino had caused with her comment was still burning brightly on her cheeks. She averted her eyes, fiddling with the skirt of her dress. Unwillingly, she pulled it up, exposing her knees and part of her thighs.
Kankuro's gaze shifted, drawn like a moth to a flame.
"I have to—" he tried to say, but the sudden dryness of his vocal cords made the words sound almost scraping. He cleared his throat before trying again. "I have to sort these." Kankuro lifted the bags as if to present evidence.
He had started to feel his fingers numb at the weight of the vegetables. His attempts to move them and let some blood flow to wash the unpleasant sensation away weren't particularly successful.
"Yeah, sure." Tenten nodded before focusing on him. She followed his eyes to the newly revealed bare skin. "Oh!" Her hands twitched, releasing the skirt, as she realised what he was looking at.
"Sorry," he apologised, shooting a small smile at her. "Couldn't help it."
Tenten's lips drew in a fine line. She inwardly shivered, conscious of the burning of her face but refusing to look away again. Before she could accuse him of behaving inappropriately, he muttered "sorry" one more time.
Then he turned, meaning to head towards the kitchen. A few steps later, he froze in place. It passed in less than a fraction of a second, but his eyes widened. A very sudden and sharp pain exploded in his palm and surged up his arm. His eyes screwed shut, and his hand clenched closed as if trying to keep the ache in one place. Kankuro's breath hitched in his lungs when the pain set in. But the multiple experiences of being hurt and wounded before forced him to start respiring again. He tried to take a slow and steady breath, though it came to be quite raspy. Supplying his body with oxygen would help him endure the pain and make it pass faster. The only thing he could do right now was breathe and wait for the sensation's sharpness to dull and fade away.
"What's wrong?" Tenten's voice came out nervous and definitely concerned.
He shook his head in an attempt to disperse her worry. But a familiar cold sweat formed on his palms; his limbs started to tremble; and his pulse accelerated quickly, urging him to pant in order to catch his breath. Something was going on… Something was wrong, and it started threatening to shatter his self-control. His jaw clenched in rejection; he didn't have time to fall into a flap. He was fine — he was alive and capable of doing missions and serving his village. Temari was the one on the verge of death. He simply couldn't afford to be scared when someone else depended on him. Forcefully suppressing the invading, overwhelming sensations, he willed the rising panic away.
"It's nothing," he hissed, hoarser than he would like it to sound.
Tenten's stomach twisted in dread. Whatever was happening was beyond normal.
She quickly moved right beside him and laid a hand on his tense shoulder. His flesh was as hard as stone, which for sure meant he was really taut. Maybe... in pain? In general, it was more likely a shinobi would try to hide being in a particular disposition than pretend to be in one. So feigning was off the table.
Tenten's eyes frantically searched for the source of his sudden discomfort. She noticed the clenched, curled in first hand, and let her fingers gently caress his arm; he winced.
But her touch triggered an instant wave of ticklish relaxation in his rigid muscles, as if that were what he needed in the first place.
Kankuro's chest slowed its rising and falling; his pulse's frequency decreased. The fear that washed over him was suddenly gone, allowing him a quick recovery.
As soon as he opened his eyes and took a proper breath, he turned to her, bowing his head, and said, "Thank you." Then, as if nothing happened, he pulled away and continued to the kitchen, leaving her confused with her hand still lifted in the air.
Tenten frowned. She wouldn't say that she knew him well. She probably didn't know him at all, but those sudden bursts of pain couldn't be normal. He might be in need of medical attention, though she wasn't sure how to approach the matter. Kankuro obviously didn't want to take care of whatever the problem was. At least not now. Or maybe he was well aware of what the problem was and was taking measures to keep it under control. But... She decided that she would watch him closely and report to Lady Tsunade if this happened one more time.
Kankuro's face, twisting in pain, close to agony, wasn't something Tenten was very inclined to see again… Pushing those thoughts at the back of her mind, she took a deep breath. There was a pressing matter she needed to bring to his attention.
Kankuro didn't lose time, taking on the task of sorting the bags' contents. He had to keep himself busy in order to stop the waves of worry, which threatened to transform into something worse if he let them.
Quiet steps made him halt for a moment and look over his shoulder. He shot a small smile at Tenten, and then he returned to what he was doing.
She stepped further into the kitchen. "May I help?" she asked, her voice difficult to hear.
Kankuro was easily able to decipher other people's moods. His experience told him — only from a vague glance — that Tenten was cautious and burdened. With what, he could only guess, really, and hope it wasn't his untimely painful occurrence. In such cases, humour or a light remark were his go-to choices.
"You may… But you may as well ruin your pretty dress," he said without looking at her.
She attempted to say that it didn't matter, but instead, she focused on his words. "You... find the dress pretty?" She asked, her tone tinted with disbelief. She was still whispering.
Kankuro half-turned, laying a long, assessing look on her. Catching her expression, he quickly changed his tactics. "Sure," he confirmed verbally, and nodded. "It looks very good on you."
Tenten felt her cheeks starting to burn; her face was hot, and she knew she was blushing. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip as she tried to endure the discomfort of her redness. His comment was only half-praising the dress, not complimenting her. But he had noticed it and paid attention to her, sort of. Judging by his slightly enlarged pupils earlier, Kankuro found at least pleasing for the eye what was in front of him. And that, for unknown reasons, affected her strongly; she couldn't deny that.
"You aren't used to getting compliments, are you?" He asked, knowing the answer in advance.
With a smile, picturing vividly her discomfort, she unhooked the apron from behind the door. "No, not really," she said before putting the apron on.
Kankuro nodded, sparing her from further comments.
She stood beside him, tying the apron behind her back. Her eyes skimmed over the food he had chosen. There were a lot of vegetables, but also bread, cheese, and meat. There were no sweets — candies, chocolate, or anything that contained refined sugar. Inwardly, she noted that his preferences were more healthy than what she considered tasty. She never turned down any sweets, but in case Kankuro willingly carried out the task of shopping on his own, freeing her from it, complaining would be ungrateful.
Tenten started to group the products by type and pile them on the table. She would have to seal them properly later on, and if they were sorted beforehand, it was going to be easier.
"Don't touch that pile," Kanuro said, drawing her attention to a few potatoes, eggs, and cheese.
She asked before giving it any thought. "Why?"
"I'm cooking them," he said, not granting her a look or more detailed explanation.
"Dinner?" she specified.
"Yeah..."
She accepted it. It was unnecessary to pester him for something like that. Plus, it was frankly stupid to eventually annoy him, considering what she had to ask him to do.
Tenten mechanically piled the carrots, which were spread out on the counter. She bit her bottom lip in frustration because she had to speak up but was still unsure of how to bring up the question. It was delicate and uncomfortable, and... she really would love to just toss it in the back of her mind and forget about it.
"What is it?" Kankuro asked, startling her.
She looked at him — he was folding one of the bags. If it weren't for his question, a safe conclusion could be drawn that he was simply ignoring her.
Tenten swallowed, and it felt like a handful of sand had passed down her throat, scratching it dry and making it slightly sore. Her eyes shut as she hesitantly pressed out the words that terrified her.
"The girls..." she said, but her voice wavered and quickly faded away.
Kankuro stopped fiddling with the bag. He tucked it under a potato before placing his palms on the smooth surface in front of him, bracing on it. It seemed that his attention had been solely on the item in his hands. Finally, he turned his head to Tenten. In the next moment, his breath hitched into his throat as an unexpected sting went right through his heart at the sight of her red-rimmed eyes.
"Tell me," he demanded, although his voice remained quiet and calm.
The blush on Tenten's face had started to disappear. That was until she noticed the soft gleam in his eyes — the warmth in there caused a flip in her stomach, which forced her to inwardly chastise herself before blatering out, "We'll have to... kiss." At the last word, she averted her gaze to her hands, unable to keep looking at him.
At first, he frowned. Kankuro purposefully ignored her discomfort for the time being while replaying the conversations he witnessed earlier. A moment later, he already knew the reason for her half-request. "Ino?" he asked with a quiet sigh.
Tenten didn't have time to be surprised; she just nodded, continuing in breathless words. "And Hinata. They... all think that there's a problem with you and me… Ino saw the sheets in the drawer..." She started to ramble.
Kankuro's face frowned even more in his effort to understand her. "Tenten, please slow down," he interrupted. "What did she say?"
The kunoichi inhaled, shooting him a glance. "She thinks we aren't... really together."
He raised an eyebrow in a silent request for more details.
"That... We don't sleep together, and—" Her lips pressed together, cutting the sentence.
"We don't sleep together," Kankuro noted matter-of-factly in the following pause.
"That's not the point!" She screwed her eyes. "They think we should. And I'm trying to maintain the image. We need them to believe that we've been together for a long time!"
He assessed her troubled face — it was burning, but at the same time, desperation was making it look taut. "What do you think?" he asked slowly, countering her frantic speech.
She gasped, jerking back a bit. Up until now, she was too busy to think about what her teammates and friends might think; she hadn't had the time to look into herself. But it didn't particularly matter, right? It wasn't her that they should convince... It was the other way around.
Her eyes drilled into an innocent apple; hadn't it been red, it would have blushed under her gaze. "Sleeping together... is something normal at the point where we should be."
Kankuro turned fully to her, leaning his hip on the counter. He said slowly, "Okay."
She dared to peer at his face but turned it downcast right away.
"Ino and Hinata... even Sakura. They worry so much about me that... I have to do something to reassure them. I want them to believe that... everything is more alright than it would ever be. Even Sakura, who knows..." Tenten bit her lower lip, preventing a cry from escaping.
Her shoulders were tense, but there was a slight tremble, as if just on the verge of his imagination. Stifled sobs? Most probably.
Kankuro felt he lacked knowledge of the proper way to deal with her being this emotional. But he still had to offer something... He didn't have many options, though. And so the decision was easy to make — trust his common sense and just be as careful as possible. She was obviously distraught, meaning blunt words would make things worse, right? Maybe she needed a hug? That was kind of acceptable social behaviour. But she didn't give away the vibe that she would like to be touched and comforted physically, so Kankuro didn't make an attempt at it.
"So... your solution is a kiss in front of them… Ino and the rest?" It was an attempt to double-check the direction of her train of thought.
"I… I just think this would be the most normal thing to do in our situation, if it were real," she quickly defended herself.
Kankuro stood still for a few more moments, still unsure about his own reaction. Had this been any other woman but Tenten, he wouldn't rule out the possibility of her playing a role. He had seen it before. But thanks to Sakura — inwardly, he noted to thank her later on for her meddling — he knew Tenten just wasn't the type to pull such a thing on him. And... he could make a justified guess of why she reacted so… strongly to an eventual physical contact. However, she was asking for a kiss, not to copulate in public, after all. Kankuro concluded that, regarding this particular matter, any emotional response should be kept off the table.
"Fine by me," he simply said with a shrug; then he returned to emptying the last bag.
Tenten braced on the counter, stunned. Her very soul had been torn at the thought of asking him to do such an intimate thing in front of her friends, and maybe in front of Neji... And his reaction was, "Fine by me"? As if kissing her was a complete nothing for him.
She peered at his calm face and relaxed posture.
Or maybe kissing her really was nothing special for him? And why should it be? He had probably kissed numerous women.
Kankuro took out the last item. He would love to have a few more in order to prolong his action. He knew that he needed to say something — Tenten had been frozen in place for a whole minute already. What helped him when he was feeling unsure, frightened, or distressed was to analyse the feeling and what was causing it. Then chart the worst-case scenario. In nine out of ten cases, the worst outcome wasn't actually as bad as it initially seemed. There was a chance this method of coping helped her as well… eventually. Since he didn't have anything better, it was worth it to give it a shot.
His voice was calm when he asked, "Why are you so distraught?"
Tenten's head snapped up, and she breathed out as if she wasn't sure she had heard him well. "What?"
"Let me paraphrase — it's just a kiss. What's the problem, exactly?" He kept avoiding looking at her, keeping the pressure on her lower.
"What's… the problem?" she echoed, daring yet another peer at him.
"Yes. What's the problem? Is it me?" He finally stopped fumbling with the bag in his hands, redirecting his attention solely to her. "Do you feel disgusted with me?"
"What?!" Her eyes widened in shock.
"Does the idea of kissing me appear revulsive to you?" He rephrased his question, keeping his tone unchanged.
Tenten gaped at him until a realisation dawned on her. The resolution behind her reactions and behaviour could be taken in more than one way. An expression of disbelief replaced one of incomprehension. Brown strands of hair flew around her face as she energetically shook her head. "No! In no way do I feel disgusted with you!"
He nodded. "If it isn't me, is it the kiss itself?" He leaned a bit closer to her face. "You've kissed other people, right?"
She gasped and tried to take a step back, but still she uttered, "Of course."
"You've kissed other men before, haven't you?" He felt the urge to smile; he shoved it aside. The moment was very delicate, and Tenten might see a smile as a sneer or an evilly intended mockery. Kankuro couldn't allow such a thing to happen. Face, void of any expression, was the smart choice; a prevention of taking something badly.
"I have." She frowned.
"Right." He clicked with his tongue, carefully observing her still-flushed face. "Is it the public then?"
Dictated by a reflex, Tenten opened her mouth to deny. She even drew a breath to pronounce the words when the realisation hit her in the face — Kankuro had guessed right, almost right away. It wasn't the kiss itself; it wasn't him. God, how could he even suggest that she might be disgusted with him when she found him attractive? At the least. She rarely looked at other men — they weren't who she truly wanted — although it happened. The truth was that her friends had never witnessed any act of intimacy between her and a man. She had always been especially careful because of Neji… Anyway, she had kissed men before, either in a drunken game of a spinning bottle or because she had been otherwise challenged. But it was never in front of anyone. And she was usually intoxicated enough not to care about the act of kissing.
"Partly," she admitted in the end.
"And what would be the other part… or parts?" He shifted, putting some of his weight on his hand. It looked like he leaned a bit closer to Tenten.
"Well… I'm not used to kissing in front of anyone… else…" She dodged and immediately felt the urge to put in at least one more argument. "Also, you certainly know that kissing a new… partner… and adjusting to each other's styles isn't something that happens with a flick of a hand. It's always… awkward." Those were Ino's words; she had repeated them so many times that they had carved into Tenten's brain.
"That's true," Kankuro agreed for her relief.
"That's why I'm worried," she concluded aloud.
He pulled back, squaring his shoulders. Purposefully, he kept his hands to his sides, so his chest was left uncovered, thus unprotected. Crossing arms in front of one's chest was a subconscious sign of defence, of protection, or, in some cases, of self-restraint. Kankuro exploited it, giving Tenten a nonverbal sign that he felt safe with her. And he held some hope that she might mirror his demeanour and, in turn, calm herself.
"I see. I may have a solution to part of your problem."
"You do?" Tenten sounded puzzled.
"Yes." He allowed himself the slightest smile. "You seem surprised?" It wasn't a question but more of a statement.
She drew her painted lips into a fine line. "Maybe… Care to tell me?"
Kankuro nodded. "Of course — kiss me."
She blinked a few times, opening and closing her mouth in a failed attempt to say something... anything. Eventually, she shook her head and looked at him dumbfounded, whispering, "What?"
"Correct me if I'm wrong" — he tilted his head — "from what I gather, you are conscious about feeling uncomfortable kissing me for the first time in front of your friends, right?"
"Yeah?" Tenten sounded suspicious.
"Kiss me now, so you'll know what to expect from me. It won't be anything new. I can't help the public part, though," he patiently explained.
"You will just let me... kiss you?" Tenten blinked in disbelief. "Here?" Kankuro nodded. "Now?"
He chuckled. "I promise that I won't think anything less of you."
"And no one will ever know about...?"
"You have my word. And I don't give it lightly," he assured.
Tenten frowned. She dared such an assessing look at him that an iron would have melted, and he didn't even flinch. Seeking any indications of dishonesty on his face, she leaned in, squinting her eyes. She couldn't spot anything that would fall into the improbability category, which finally gave her resolve. After a heavy sigh, she nodded. "Alright."
Kankuro waited for her to take the first step, reasoning it wouldn't be a good idea for him to take it. She had to brave through her fears — of physical contact with him and maybe of him — and take the lead here, where it was safe with only two of them. He was ready to pass her the control, although she didn't look particularly thrilled about it. Had he tried to take the lead and rob her of the chance to conduct the next steps, she would probably feel threatened.
Tenten moved, half-rounding him. He slowly turned, keeping his face to her. When she stopped, he did too. The way her eyes briefly glistered made him seek support by leaning back on the counter. Her look was that of a frightened and trapped wild animal, and it made him feel terrible for a moment. Because what a person he was if he pulled such a primal fear out of her core. His hands found the hard surface behind him and stayed there - he was genuinely afraid of accidentally touching her.
Remaining a step away, she didn't attempt to close the distance or induce any physical contact between them. Tenten fiddled with her skirt, her wide eyes drifting somewhere above his shoulder.
He patiently waited until he cast a glance at the clock. They were going to be late if she continued to do nothing. She needed a nudge, and he was going to give her one.
"How do you want to do this?" he asked. "Would you like me to kiss you, or do you want to be the active party?"
Tenten jolted. She wasn't aware that she had been standing still and quiet until she heard his voice. After a few seconds needed for her to focus on his question, she said, "I... I wanna do it."
It was painful to see her try to look determined and bold, especially if he could easily see the dread in her eyes. However, Kankuro nodded and gave her a gentle smile, encouraging, "I'm all yours, then."
She swallowed, taking a step towards him. It didn't escape his attention that her hands trembled. Also, she didn't look at him in the face…
"Ok, hold on," he said, and she stopped, seemingly both relieved and anxious. "How about I close my eyes?"
Tenten's eyebrows rose. "You'd do that for me?"
"I'm confident you won't slit my throat, nor will you do anything inappropriate."
She let out a laugh. "I won't do such a thing," she confirmed.
"Then I really don't mind. Just don't wait until dawn," he teased, and winked at her before closing his eyes.
Tenten immediately took one more step closer to him, and then one little more. She stood inches away from him, wanting desperately to get this over with. Her quickening, shallowing breath blew into his face; he remained calm and unmoving. But then something unusual called for her attention, and she halted halfway in her lean towards his lips. The faint scent of sandalwood he emitted hit her nose and brought goosebumps all over her body. She inhaled sharply, too surprised by her own reaction, to carry on with the task.
Tenten dared to look at his face; she never had the chance to do so from such a close distance. The white makeup, crossed with thick purple lines, hid a great deal of his real features. His facial lines looked rough, and if she had to be honest, the squareness had always been repulsive to her. But here she was, staring at him, admiring his bone structure, and not comparing it with Neji's face. That meant only one thing: on a very deep level, her subconscious self found him exceptionally attractive, despite the fact that he was different from her usual type. She felt the urge to caress the purple traces and feel his skin under her finger pads. Balling her hands into fists helped her resist.
Her sight fell on the thick purple line passing through the lower part of his face — it was covering his lips, too. Normally, she would have been put off by a painted male's lips, but she didn't feel even a slight resistance, so... this didn't seem to be the case. Instead, her curiosity was piqued as she assessed the curve of his mouth, its size, and its shape compared to the rest of his face. The lips weren't especially full; she would actually describe them as rather thin while covered in dark purple. But they were dense and looked so warm — so soft and tender. She realised that she was impatient to taste them. And he was ready to let her... Tenten leaned forward and pecked his lips gently; her eyes closed briefly. His lips were even softer than she thought. He had stayed relaxed and didn't attempt to return the kiss in the fleeting moment their lips were touching. Tenten quickly stepped back, her face red with discomfort.
Kankuro opened one eye first before he properly looked at her. His face was carefully kept impassive, although his expression was soft.
She exhaled before meeting his eyes. "So?" she whispered.
He didn't start talking right away, giving them both time to recollect.
"Would you like me to make any comments, or do you just want me to keep them for myself?" he asked with caution.
She pricked up in defence in an instant. "What do you mean you want to comment on? You have black marks for my kiss?"
"Tenten, relax," he said quietly, lifting his hands up with his palms towards her. "I don't have black marks for your kiss. I don't want to fight you, nor do I want to offend you in any way. I humbly offer my close observations, in case you want to consider hearing them."
She sucked her lips inward before taking a deep breath. What was she so afraid of? It was a mere touch of the lips, so he couldn't possibly have any comments on her kissing technique. She agreed to hear him out with a nod.
"If you want our kiss to be taken for an affectionate one, we need to increase the contact coverage." Kankuro deliberately spoke slowly and a tad quieter than his usual voice, paying great care to the words he was using.
Tenten stepped backwards, searching for a chair with her hand. When she grasped the backrest on the closest one, she sat on it, not losing sight of Kankuro's face for even a second. "Increased contact coverage?" She waited for some form of confirmation — a nod — before asking, "What do you mean with that?"
"If you want to play this as a couple in love... with a passion present in their relationship..." He sighed. "It is unlikely for such a couple to so briefly touch only their lips. You can expect that from children or people who've been together for a very long time, and that's just a gesture of tenderness."
Under her gradually squinting eyes, he felt uncomfortable, as if his words were those of a madman or a reflection of his complete incompetence. He shut up, needing a moment to redo his strategy.
"So, what do we have to do, according to you?"
It looked like she was trying to sound calm, but her voice trembled almost out of the perception of his hearing.
Since he didn't answer right away, Tenten pressed. "Perform an open-mouth kiss in front of Konoha's Hokage?" Her voice rose, as did the tint of disbelief in it.
He let out a raspy exhale, frowning. "When did I even hint at such a thing?" he scolded, almost whispering.
Tenten drew her mouth in a fine line.
"What I mean is, if you are really ready to hear, you may have to put your arms around my neck, shoulders, or waist. It's feigning affection. That's all," he explained.
Her expression was one of genuine shock. Frantic thoughts surged in her mind, echoing, and bringing chills down her spine: How is it possible he's so… unaffected and… and composed when speaking of kissing and—?
His voice interrupted her musing. "You might have to let me do the same. Plus, endure a tighter hug on my side."
Tenten squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. Guilt, cascading on waves in her chest, threatened to overwhelm her because of the hasty conclusion she drew — he hadn't meant an open-mouth kiss after all. "I'm sorry for..." she started, but he dismissed it with a hand wave. She sighed. "I see what you mean... I'll try to cope with it." She paused. "Anything else?"
"The kiss itself was very pleasant for me, I must admit," he confided with a slight smile, causing a blush on her cheeks. "You might want to consider staying on my lips just a little longer," he added, still cautious.
"How much longer?" she inquired.
"About a second or two more, I'd say. This way, it won't look like you want to back away from me."
Had this been said in any other way but utterly seriously, Tenten would have thought he had been mocking her. But after looking into his dark brown eyes, she knew that he wasn't joking or that he wasn't trying to make fun of her.
And as if he read her, Kankuro shrugged, saying, "I'm just trying to be helpful. You can take my suggestions or not. It's up to you."
"I know..." Tenten averted her face, looking to the side. "It's just... weird, don't you think?"
Nodding, he smiled. "It's kinda weird, yes. I haven't discussed kissing in such a manner with a woman before. I guess there's a first time for everything."
"Yeah... That sounds about right," she confirmed, stealing a glance and shooting him a small smile.
"Good." He tapped on the counter a few times and shifted his weight. "If you'll feel calmer, we can think of a signal that will end the kiss immediately." Kankuro seemed thoughtful as he shared his idea.
Tenten huffed and attempted to lighten the mood. "Like if I step on your foot?"
He chuckled. "Something like that, just… a bit more discreet. Like, for example, if you've had enough, you can squeeze my right shoulder."
"Oh! That surely sounds like an extra option I'd love to have." Tenten lit up in an instant. "So you can lead the play and kiss me, and when I want you to let go, I squeeze your shoulder?"
"We can do it this way, yes."
"Thank you," she quickly added with palpable relief.
"No problem." Kankuro pushed away from the counter. "Feeling alright now?"
Tenten pursed her lips, letting her feelings run free in her. Yes, she not only knew what to expect, but he had given her a weapon to use at will — the sign for immediate interruption of their contact. It gave her the feeling of being in control, and that was what calmed her. His "exercise" had been a good idea and a stress reliever as well. She nodded to let him know.
His eyes were drawn to the clock. Upon seeing the time, he clicked with his tongue. "It's almost time for us to go," he noted. "Excuse me, I have something to attend to beforehand."
Tenten's eyebrows rose at the sudden urgency in his voice, in such great contrast with the calm and collected tone he had been using until now.
Kankuro didn't give her any details, not that she asked straight-forward. He left her alone in the kitchen with all the food for the trip and her thoughts, just to come back to her a few minutes later. He was dressed in a presentable outfit. His face was clean of any makeup.
Tenten laughed — it was part of her bargain from the previous evening. He hadn't forgotten about it. Kankuro was a man of his word.
Thank you, jtoo, for all the support and the numerous reads through the passages.
Since the site has been broken, I don't think anyone is getting notifications about updates. And I haven't gotten any responses to my texts here, so it is either the latter or they are just not read here (shrug). No matter which one it is, even if there is only one person to see it, I want to let them know.
Important!
Please read:
This story will be put on temporary hold. My current beta has disappeared, so until she comes back (I really hope she's alright) or until I find another one, I can't keep updating this story. But it's not only that... There is one more reason, though. Tenten and Kankuro play big (main) roles in my other ongoing story (Unmask yourself), with different backgrounds and personalities. And even if they are different, due to the little time I have now, I started to mix them, which isn't good for either of the stories. I have beta for UY, so I plan on finishing it before I come back to this one.
I'm really sorry if anyone feels disappointed. I prefer to let you know rather than just stop updating.
I really hope to see all the people who have been commenting since the beginning again.
If nothing bad happens to me, I will finish the story. It's a promise ^^