Chapter 3: Denial

Two weeks had passed since Tenten and Lee had last spoken. Tenten spent her time at home, rarely going outside. She ignored the knocks at her door and her window. She knew Lee was coming around and feared he would try to convince her to change her mind. Right now, she felt numb to the world around her.

A few days had passed since the last time anyone came around. Tenten frowned as her stomach growled. She checked her empty fridge, hoping something would magically appear since the last time she checked.

I guess I have no choice… Tenten thought as she closed the fridge.

Tenten got dressed. She wore some casual clothing rather than her usual shinobi getup. It felt strange to leave her home without having her headband on, but she pushed her thoughts aside and focused on her mission to get to the store and return as soon as possible.

She left her home, squinting as the intense sunlight nearly blinded her. She felt exhausted by her poor sleep hygiene. She spent her previous night tossing and turning and having nightmares whenever she did manage to fall asleep.

She arrived at the store, picking up a large bag for her purchases. She attempted to be quick, grabbing whatever was quickly within reach. She paid for her groceries and swiftly exited the store, thankful nobody recognized her.

She walked home, still keeping a quick pace to avoid detection. She turned a corner once she reached the end of the block. She froze when she looked up and spotted a familiar face. It was Sakura Haruno.

Ugh, just perfect… Tenten thought.

"Oh, hey, Tenten." Sakura said once she recognized her. "I almost didn't recognize you."

"Oh, hi, Sakura!" Tenten forced a smile. "Today is… laundry day." she beamed once she thought of an excuse.

"I see." Sakura responded, still looking unsure. "Tenten, I don't want to beat around the bush with you. Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?" Tenten asked defensively, her smile fading.

"Nobody has seen you in weeks." Sakura said. "I tried coming to your home days ago but couldn't tell if you were there."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Tenten sighed. "I haven't been sleeping much."

"Lee told me he has been looking everywhere for you," Sakura said. "Did something happen?"

Tenten frowned. She looked down at the ground, feeling ashamed of herself.

"Without Neji and Guy Sensei, I reconsidered my status as a shinobi." Tenten admitted.

"Really?" Sakura asked, surprised by the news. "I understand it's a lot to process after losing your friend and teacher, but what about your teammate?"

"Lee is fine. He always gets back up. He doesn't know when to quit, but I'm afraid I'm at my limit." Tenten sighed as she reluctantly looked back at Sakura, whose expression displayed concern and disappointment.

"How can you say that if you haven't seen him?" Sakura challenged.

"I know Lee." Tenten said defensively. "I spent the last six years of my life as his teammate."

Sakura shook her head in disbelief. She understood that Tenten was not in a healthy state of mind, but she knew Tenten needed a proper push.

"Well, a bunch of us are meeting tonight around six at Ichiraku Ramen. We invited Lee, and you're welcome to join us too. It might be good for you to come out and talk." Sakura added. "Please consider it."

"I will." Tenten breathed. "I need to get home." she said as she looked down the street ahead.

"I won't keep you. I'll see you later." Sakura said with a faint smile before walking the other way.

Tenten sighed as she continued her journey home. She grew anxious as she walked, afraid of wandering into another familiar face. However, she was concerned about Lee now. She scanned her surroundings for his iconic green jumpsuit. She reached her home without locating the green ninja. Mental exhaustion washed over her as she entered her apartment, which was a complete mess.

Tenten put her groceries away and groaned as she turned her attention to the piles of dishes in her sink and her full trash bin. She spent the rest of her day deep-cleaning her home. She took a shower after she finished the task, wiping away all the sweat and grime from her rigorous cleaning.

Her stomach growled as she exited the shower. She was weak and hungry after all the work she had performed. She didn't even think to eat anything before cleaning, afraid that even just preparing a meal would exhaust her too much to do anything else. She had to admit that her brief interactions at the store and talking to Sakura made her feel somewhat normal again.

I should go, Tenten thought. It would be nice to see my friends again.

Tenten looked at her wardrobe. It wasn't a complete lie that it was laundry day. She had a clean outfit that was fit for a kunoichi, and her only other option was a short, light pink dress. She chose the dress, deciding to stick to her decision.

After styling her hair, she left her now-clean apartment. She walked anxiously through the village toward the landmark ramen restaurant. She mentally prepared herself as she drew closer, spotting Naruto in his orange jumper and various other friends alongside him. She lifted the curtain as she stepped inside, the smell of the hot broth rousing her hunger.

"Whoa! It's Tenten." Naruto said as she entered.

Tenten swallowed a lump in her throat as she felt all eyes on her. Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, and Sakura were there. Tenten could feel her heart drumming in her ears as everyone stared in silence, noticing how she was dressed.

"I like your dress, Tenten." Sakura said as she smiled. "I'm glad you could make it tonight."

"Thanks." Tenten said bashfully as she took a seat beside Sakura.

Everyone finally greeted Tenten, the previous silence feeding into her self-consciousness. She ordered a bowl of ramen and looked down at the chopsticks in front of her.

"How's bushy-brow?" Naruto asked as he slurped his noodles.

"I haven't seen him much lately." Tenten admitted.

"Hopefully, he comes tonight. He looks like he lost weight." Choji added as he finished his bowl, placing the empty dish onto a pile he created.

That's not good, Tenten thought.

"Damn it." Naruto said as he dropped his chopsticks. "I swear this new arm has caused me to have butterfingers."

"Here's a new pair." Ayame said as she handed the teen a pair of chopsticks.

"Thanks." Naruto said, chuckling at himself.

Ayame served Tenten her food. She ate, not caring about the soup being close to boiling. At this point, she wanted to eat as quickly as possible and leave. She heard the rustling of the curtain behind her. Everyone turned, and no one spoke a word.

Lee entered the restaurant, his green jumpsuit dirty, torn in some places, and his messy hair stuck to his sweaty brow. He limped to an open chair next to Tenten and sat down. Tenten stared at the young man, surprised by his state. Choji was correct; his face looked gaunt, and his eyes seemed lifeless. He was breathing heavily still as if he had just completed a brutal training session.

"Lee…" Tenten breathed as she stared at him.

Lee turned to her. He forced a weak smile and corrected his posture to conceal his injuries.

"It is good to see you, Tenten." Lee said hoarsely, his dry lips sticking together as he spoke.

"What on earth happened to you?" Tenten asked.

"Oh, I just got done doing some training." Lee said blankly. "I'll have the miso chashu ramen, please."

"Coming right up." Teuchi said, trying not to gawk at the beat-up youth.

"What kind of training are you doing, bushy-brow?" Naruto asked in concern as Ayame served Lee a glass of iced water.

"I always set limits, but this time, I will keep going until my muscles fail me." Lee said.

"That's crazy, Lee. You're going to get badly hurt." Sakura argued.

"I feel fine." Lee said as he took a huge gulp of his water. "I will not eat or drink until I have completed every exercise until failure."

"Do you have a death wish? This training isn't going to do you any good." Shikamaru said.

"They're right, Lee. You need to chill out with the training. You look terrible." Naruto said bluntly.

"I am fine." Lee insisted as he began to eat his ramen.

"I don't think you're coping so well with your losses, Lee." Sakura challenged.

"Neji would be disappointed in me if I started slacking." Lee spoke sadly as he continued eating.

"Do you think Guy Sensei would approve this kind of training?" Sakura asked.

"He has not told me to stop. He is fine with it." Lee said without looking at the pink-haired kunoichi.

"…" Tenten stared at Lee in disbelief.

Tenten turned to the others, whose expressions displayed their horror. Everyone stared at Lee as he focused on his meal, not stopping to look at them once. The silence was deafening.

"Lee. I don't think you understand," Tenten started. "Guy Sensei died during the war."

Lee continued eating without speaking. Tenten was stunned.

"Lee, are you listening?" Tenten asked as Lee frowned and turned to her.

"We should talk about something else." Lee said as he finished his bowl. "On second thought, I should get going. I need to go to the store."

"Bushy-brow… wait." Naruto pleaded.

Lee paid for his food and left without a goodbye. Tenten felt her heartache as she watched her teammate limp away sadly. She looked back to everyone, who all looked concerned for the well-being of their dear friend.

"That poor young man." Teuchi said as he served Choji his next bowl. "I hope this time of peace lasts for a long time."

"I don't get it; why does he still think Guy Sensei is alive? His body was disintegrating…" Naruto thought aloud.

"Naruto, you idiot. It's obvious he hasn't accepted the truth yet." Sakura snapped.

"I've seen this before." Shikamaru stated. "Some people are in denial after a death occurs. I'm sure it's been a hard pill to swallow since it took place shortly after Neji died." he reasoned.

"I don't know what to do." Tenten said bluntly. "What can I do?" she asked her friends.

"I'm not sure either." Naruto admitted.

"Neither do I." Sakura confessed.

"He's been by himself for a while; maybe you should spend more time with him?" Ino suggested. "Being alone for long isn't good."

Tenten understood that too well. She spent the past few weeks in bed. Her voice was becoming hoarse from the brief social interaction she had today.

"I know." Tenten said finally.

"Is it true you are quitting being a shinobi?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto! Why don't you have any tact?" Sakura scolded as she struck his head.

"Ow! It was just a simple question!" Naruto defended.

Tenten felt everyone's eyes on her. Right now, she did not want to face their judgment of her decision. She thought of a way to get out of the situation.

"I need to find Lee. Thanks for inviting me." Tenten said as she paid for her food and promptly left.

I'm such a coward, Tenten thought as she walked down the street. Now, where did he go? She thought as she scanned the shops around her.