Chapter 5: A Friend

Tenten woke to the sound of birds singing outside. She wiped her tired eyes as she groaned, her back sore from her uncomfortable sleeping position. She was in Lee's home still. His condo faced the east, allowing quite a lot of morning sunlight into his home. She stood up, cracking her back and neck as she stretched. Tenten stepped into Lee's room, peering at him from the doorway. He was still faced down, sleeping heavily from the excess alcohol he consumed the night previously. Tenten returned to the couch groggily and closed her eyes.

He's still asleep. I might as well get some more rest, too, Tenten thought before falling asleep again.

Some time passed by. Tenten awoke to the sound of running water. She peered back into Lee's room, where she found his empty bed and dirty jumpsuit on the floor.

He's taking a shower, Tenten thought as she returned to the couch.

Tenten looked at the clock in the room and saw it was a few minutes past 10. She reclined, still feeling tired from her disturbed rest. This hour was the usual time and day her team did training together. She thought about Guy Sensei, and tears formed in her eyes. Although she had accepted his death, the pain from losing him remained. She thought about Neji, and the pain in her heart only intensified. A sob escaped her as she covered her face. Hot tears streamed down her face as she cried.

Lee emerged suddenly, wearing only a bath towel around his waist and a kunai in his hand as he was responding to the sounds of Tenten's sobs in his home.

"Show yourself, intruder!" Lee shouted, ready for a fight.

Tenten whipped around, her puffy, tearful eyes wide in surprise, and Lee mirrored her reaction on his face. His black hair was soaked, and his muscular body was wet and shiny from the water. His chest and arms were lighter in color than the tone of his face, a consequence of wearing a full-bodied jumpsuit daily.

"Tenten!" Lee squeaked in surprise, his face turning red. He hid behind the wall by the doorway. "I am sorry! I had no idea you were here."

"Lee, it's okay, I-" Tenten started.

"Wait here, please." Lee pleaded as he disappeared back into his room.

Tenten stared at the floor, her face flushed from Lee's near nakedness. She wiped her eyes and attempted to regain her composure. She fussed over her dress, noticing the fabric wrinkled from sleep. Lee emerged again, wearing a clean jumpsuit.

"Forgive me." Lee said as he bowed.

"Don't worry about it." Tenten said.

"What are you doing here, Tenten?" Lee asked as he sat across from her.

"Don't you remember last night?" Tenten asked.

Lee paused and looked deep in thought. His round, dark eyes returned to Tenten's.

"No." Lee admitted. "I think I remember seeing you, but I cannot remember clearly."

"We had dinner together with some friends." Tenten elaborated. "Do you remember what happened afterwards?"

"That is right! We had dinner." Lee remembered. "I cannot remember what happened afterward."

"You bought some sake and went drinking in the graveyard until almost 3 in the morning." Tenten said bluntly. "I went looking for you and brought you back home."

"Oh…" Lee said, looking embarrassed. "I am sorry." he apologized. Tenten sighed.

"Don't you remember what Guy Sensei said about you and alcohol? You can't handle it at all." Tenten said. "Why did you think that was a good idea?"

"I don't know…" Lee muttered as he looked down at the floor.

Tenten examined him. In his haste to get dressed, Lee did not bandage up his arms like he usually did. She could see an extensive history of old injuries shown by his scarred skin.

"I'm sorry." Tenten confessed.

"For what?" Lee asked.

"I was so hurt by Neji and Guy Sensei's deaths that I shut everyone out. I quit and didn't want to be lectured by anyone." Tenten admitted as her tears returned. Lee shook his head. "I wasn't even thinking about how it would affect you. And for that, I am sorry, Lee."

"Tenten…" Lee stammered as he cried. "I missed you."

"Come here." Tenten said as she opened her arms.

Lee got up from his seat and embraced Tenten. She wrapped her arms around him as she cried. He cried into her shoulder. Their combined sobs filled the room.

"Thank you, Tenten." Lee whispered.

"For what?" Tenten said as she sniffled.

"For helping me get back home." Lee said as he released her, sitting down beside her.

"It was the least I could do." Tenten said as she sighed. "I'm still worried about you, though."

"How come?" Lee asked as he wiped his tears away.

"Tell me, do you believe Guy Sensei is still with us?" Tenten asked.

Lee froze. He looked away. His eyes began to water again.

"I am afraid that…" Lee started before his voice cracked. "-if I acknowledge it, it will become real."

"What will become real?" Tenten asked.

"Death." Lee whispered as it pained him to say it.

"I know it's hard to accept..." Tenten started as she retained her mental focus. "I honestly didn't want to believe it myself. Though the war ended in our favor, that entire day was hell on earth."

"It was." Lee agreed as he remembered closing Neji's eyes.

Fresh tears formed in Lee's eyes as he remembered Guy Sensei. He remembered Guy Sensei gasping for air as he died, his broken body disintegrating from the exertion of his powerful taijutsu. Lee remembered the moment the man's heart stopped and his body relaxed on the blood-soaked battlefield. If Lee had not had such aspirations of love and victory, his Infinite Tsukuyomi illusion would have been him taking his master's place.

"It's hard going on without them, but think about it, Lee. We have so many wonderful memories of them. They died just the way they had wanted, honorable deaths protecting those they love." Tenten said as she cried. "I miss them every day."

Lee cried. He looked for words to say, but they did not come. He felt empty now that he had accepted his master was gone and would not return. Tenten took out a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to Lee. He accepted it and wiped his weepy eyes. He wore a deep frown on his face. His dark, onyx eyes were tired and dull.

"Promise me you will stop your current training. You're hurting yourself when you do that." Tenten said worriedly.

"Why not? It does not matter." Lee said sadly.

"It hurts me to see you do this to yourself." Tenten said. Lee stared at her.

"Tenten, you are a great teammate." Lee forced a smile. "You came back for me."

"Actually…" Tenten said, feeling guilty again. "I'm sorry, my days as a ninja are over, Lee."

Lee's smile faded. The look of hurt on his face made Tenten feel like someone had stabbed her heart with a kunai and twisted it. He shook his head.

"But why?" Lee asked, looking betrayed.

"Because I'm weak." Tenten spoke frankly. "I'm so tired, Lee. I trained so hard all these years to become a weapon master, and I can't let go of the feeling that I let my team down." she admitted as she cried.

Lee shook his head. He returned her handkerchief. Tenten accepted it and wiped her eyes.

"But you came back for me." Lee argued. "That proves you are a good teammate."

"I came to you weeks too late." Tenten said. "I let you deal with your grief by yourself, and for that, I don't know how to forgive myself." She sobbed.

"Tenten! I forgive you. What matters is that you are here now." Lee asserted. "Do not give up just yet…" Lee begged as he touched Tenten's shoulder. "Please." he pleaded through tears.

"…" Tenten's heart hurt as she looked at her former teammate breathlessly. She shook her head before covering her face in her hands and sobbed.

Lee released his hand from her and watched her cry. His heart beat in his chest weakly, and his eyes burned from rubbing them so much. He was unable to swallow the lump in his dry throat, and his head pounded from his hangover.

"I can't do it." Tenten sobbed. "Please, don't argue with me, Lee. I've made up my mind."

Lee frowned as disappointment set in. In his younger days, he imagined he would be the first in his team to die due to his inability to master ninjutsu. His will to survive and be the best kept him going, along with the spirit of his strong team members. And now, he was the last remaining member of Team Guy.

"What are we now, then?" Lee asked as he tried to regain his composure. "Are we just going to become strangers to each other?"

"Lee, absolutely not." Tenten said. "We were never just teammates, you know." She said as she sniffled, trying to clear her stuffy nose. "You are my best friend."

A friend… Lee thought as he stared at Tenten.

Tenten managed a genuine smile as she looked at Lee. Her sweet smile and large, sad brown eyes softened Lee's heart as he gazed at her. He felt his anger leave him immediately as he remembered Tenten's past of kindness. She was always supportive of Lee and cared for his well-being. Her being here, regardless of the time it took, was proof of her friendship with him. He smiled.

"I love you, Tenten." Lee said.

Tenten's eyes widened, and so did Lee's.

"Oh, uh, not like that! I mean, like.." Lee stammered. "Like as a friend." he said as his face flushed. "Oof, my head…" he said as he held his throbbing head in his hands.

"It's okay, Lee. I understand what you meant." Tenten smiled awkwardly.

"Thanks, Tenten." Lee smiled warmly.

"You should go lay down and rest. I will bring you some water and something for your headache." Tenten said. "How does some breakfast sound?"

"That sounds wonderful." Lee said, feeling his body was still weak and sore from his intense training and drunken stupor the previous night.