Chapter 4: The Other Side

Tenten searched the village. She scanned the various shops around the town, trying to locate Lee to no avail. Despite walking on a wounded leg, Lee managed to get around fast.

I can't find him anywhere, Tenten thought as she scanned the last store she could think of. Maybe he went home.

Tenten walked toward Lee's condo. She knocked on his door and waited patiently. She could hear crickets chirping nearby as the night grew darker. She knocked once more and pressed an ear to the door. She waited but heard no footsteps or any noise indicating Lee was home.

He must still be out, but I couldn't find him anywhere, Tenten thought. It's late, and I should head home and try again tomorrow.

Tenten began walking home. She thought about Lee and his disheveled appearance. He always cared about his appearance, keeping his silky, shiny hair tangle-free, and always cleaned himself up before visiting anyone. His torn jumpsuit made it look like a pack of wild dogs attacked him.

Tenten returned home, locking her door behind her. She promptly changed and reclined on her futon, exhausted from the day. She sighed as she turned onto her side, her mind still worried about Lee.

Where did you go? Tenten thought to herself. Maybe you just wanted to be alone, she wondered as her eyelids became heavy. I couldn't blame you…

Tenten drifted into a deep sleep. She slept, dreamless, and her breathing deep. Moonlight entered her open window, and a cold night breeze crept in, gently swaying the curtains around the window. Tenten awoke from the chill breeze. Her years of ninja training made her a light sleeper.

She glanced across the room, scanning for any intruders. Her room was empty, save for her few belongings. She looked at her window and realized she had left it open.

It was just the wind, Tenten assured herself as she turned her back to the window.

She closed her weary eyes as she felt an unnaturally cool breeze across her skin. She rose, sitting up in her futon as she scanned her bedroom again. Her skin grew covered in goosebumps, and her fine hair raised on her arms and nape. She stood up and closed her window, locking it before settling back into her bed. She covered herself with her blanket and closed her eyes once again. She felt the pressure of a hand against her arm.

She swiftly pulled a kunai from under her pillow and threw her blanket, trying to cover her assailant's vision. She lunged and stabbed the figure, but the person behind the cloth she threw seemed almost weightless and formless. She stared in horror as the blanket fell flat to the floor.

Where did he go!? Tenten thought as she clutched her kunai.

The lights in her room flickered. Her heart raced as her body filled with adrenaline. She pressed her back to the wall by her bed, feeling cornered by an unseen entity. She felt a cold chill again as she began breathing faster, afraid and ready to attack.

She watched as a faint, light blue vapor filled the room. The thick vapor collected into a solid orb and floated gently toward Tenten like a songbird's discarded feather in the wind. Tenten clutched her kunai harder, her knuckles becoming white from her grip. Her eyes widened as the sphere grew closer and began to spark brightly.

"Tenten..." A voice bellowed.

That voice! It's… Tenten thought.

"It's me, Tenten, the Blue Beast of the Leaf!"

"Guy Sensei…" Tenten whispered breathlessly.

"That's right!" Guy Sensei beamed as he fully materialized.

Tenten could not believe her own eyes. Her departed teacher stood before her, striking his iconic nice guy pose as he smiled. He appeared just like she remembered him, untouched by the intense battle in the war.

"But how?" Tenten asked as she dropped her kunai.

"Though my time has ended, my soul is restless." Guy Sensei explained. "You see, I made peace with my death when I knew I must open the eighth gate. However, my spirit is in great distress."

"What do you mean?" Tenten asked.

"I think you may already know." Guy Sensei spoke frankly. "My poor, dear pupil whom I spent years training is lost without me."

"Lee…" Tenten thought aloud. "But I don't know what to do." Tenten said, feeling a mixture of guilt and helplessness.

"Lee is stumbling around my grave, talking to me like I am still there." Guy Sensei said, appearing quite serious. "Only one has been bold enough to approach him, but Lee isn't going to listen to anyone else in his current state." He explained. "Tenten, you must seek him out and help him."

"What if he doesn't listen to me? He already was blocking out the things he didn't want to hear at dinner tonight." Tenten said.

"Tenten, he's your teammate. You can't give up on him." Guy Sensei said.

"I'm not qualified to be a shinobi any longer." Tenten said as tears formed in her eyes. "I was completely ineffective, and now you and Neji are gone because of it."

"Tenten, that is not true. In war, people die. Neji and I lived and died as warriors, and I would do it all again, tenfold!" Guy Sensei said passionately. "We sacrificed ourselves so that others may live. Do not insult us, Tenten."

"What do I do now?" Tenten sobbed.

"Find Lee and bring him back home." Guy Sensei said. "He cannot go on like this for much longer. You were always his voice of reason, so do not doubt yourself and your abilities. He and Neji would've killed each other long ago if it weren't for you keeping our team together." he added.

Tenten felt inspired. She remembered all the times that Lee and Neji would take things too far while sparing. She feared that the two boys hated each other in the past, but eventually, they could all cooperate and work as a team. They all had bonded quite closely over the years. Tenten was pleased with Neji's personal growth but found Lee's transformation quite impressive. She recalled the times she told Lee to give up on defeating Neji. With Neji now deceased, her words haunted her.

"I will go." Tenten said as she stepped away from the wall.

"That's the spirit!" Guy Sensei beamed as he smiled, his bright white smile glinting in the darkness. "I'm counting on you, Tenten!"

Tenten's eyes shot wide open. She was lying in her bed and felt a cold breeze. She sat up, alarmed, as she scanned her room. Her curtains swayed gently from the wind. Tenten felt her heart drumming still.

It was a dream, Tenten thought. But it felt so real…

Tenten felt uneasy as she scanned her room. The cold wind struck her again as if it were a message to get up and get going. She obeyed, getting up and slipping on some clothes. She glanced at her ninja attire and frowned. She slipped on her pink dress, which she took off before bed, and slipped out the door after putting on her shoes.

She walked through the empty village. It was around 2:30 in the morning. She scanned her surroundings, keeping her kunai within reach. Her dream left her feeling rattled still as she walked, feeling goosebumps form each time she felt a breeze.

She approached the graveyard, where she swore she heard a voice. It was a very creepy place at night. The smell of the incense around the graves was now faint, and some of the flowers set around some graves were wilting. She heard some more noise as she walked closer to the edge of the cemetery, closer to the trees. She detected movement behind her and turned, pulling out her kunai and raising it in a defensive pose.

"Hello." A familiar voice said as the man opened his hands, facing his open palms toward Tenten.

"Oh, Kakashi Sensei. Forgive me." Tenten said as she put her weapon away.

"I should be asking you why you are out here so late, but I am glad you came." Kakashi started. "Lee has been here all night." he said as he turned to face the direction of the noise.

It sounded like someone was talking in the distance of the empty graveyard.

"What is he doing?" Tenten asked.

"He's been rambling to himself and attacking anyone who comes near," Kakashi said. "I tried talking to him, but he's drunk."

"He's drunk?" Tenten asked as she sighed. "I'll handle this." she said as she boldly walked toward the disturbance.

Kakashi watched Tenten as she walked toward Guy Sensei's resting place. His tired eyes were heavy, and he decided to go home and rest, taking his romance novel with him as he began his journey home in the darkness.

Tenten located Lee, who was sitting by a grave. He was blabbering nonsensically, stammering as he took another gulp of some alcohol, drinking straight from the bottle. It was a pitiful sight. The lone, faint light at the center of the large cemetery was hardly enough for her to see.

"Lee." Tenten said firmly.

Lee turned, looking at Tenten. He stood up, knocking over an empty bottle and struggling to maintain his balance. He wore a deep frown on his face, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"T-Tenten..?" Lee asked as he squinted his eyes.

"What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" Tenten asked, studying him.

"M-meeee? I am talkingggg to Neji, obviouslyyyy." He pointed to a grave.

Tenten read the tombstone, which bore the unfamiliar name of a woman. She shook her head and sighed.

"Lee, it's late. Let's get you home." Tenten said.

"I am fiiiiine." Lee said before stumbling over and dropping the bottle.

Tenten seized the bottle. She smelled the contents and confirmed it was sake. She took a swig of it before dumping the rest onto the ground.

"Whoever sold this to you has no morals." Tenten said as she collected the other bottle. "Now, let's get going." she said as she grabbed Lee's arm and set him back on his feet.

"Tenteeeen, just leave me heeeere…" Lee said sadly. "Leave me with the rest of the dead."

"No, Lee. You need to go home." Tenten argued. "You are disturbing the peace of this place. Don't you understand how disrespectful you are being? All these people deserve a quiet place to rest." She gestured to all the graves around her.

"Guyyyy Senssssei does not miiiiind." He said drunkenly.

"That's a conversation for another day. Now move." Tenten said as she pulled Lee.

"Alriiiight." Lee said, surrendering.

She walked Lee back to his home, supporting his weak and unbalanced body as the two walked. Lee continued speaking gibberish as Tenten shushed him occasionally. She was thankful the village was empty, and nobody could see the broken ninja like this. Lee worked so hard that he built a reputation for himself that Tenten did not want him to throw away foolishly.

They arrived at Lee's home. Lee pulled out his key and struggled to insert it into the lock. Tenten guided his hand, inserting the key and twisting the lock. She pushed the door open, and Lee staggered inside. He took a few steps, collapsed, and snored as he slept on the floor.

Tenten facepalmed. She grabbed Lee by his ankles and dragged the exhausted ninja to his bedroom. She rolled him onto his futon, covered him with a blanket, and stepped outside the room. She looked around, noticing his home was still tidy, but there was thick dust over the surfaces. It looked as if nobody had been home in a long while. Tenten looked back at Lee's room and considered her next move.

He's safe here, but I'm afraid he's just going to get hurt again, Tenten thought as she noticed a comfy-looking couch in Lee's living room. It's late, and it won't hurt to stay here. I need to talk to him anyway.

Tenten laid down on the couch. Exhaustion from the day and getting up in the middle of the night to fetch Lee left her without much energy. She fell asleep within moments of closing her eyes.