Chapter 12: The Next Hokage

Upon hearing of Tsunade's retirement from her role as Hokage, Lee returned to the village. He entered through the village gates, smiling as he felt relief to be home after his hiatus. Though his feelings for his former teammate had not yet subsided, he still intended to visit his dear friend.

His comrades informed him of Tenten's new store during his mission. He searched for it, traveling down the bustling streets as he scanned the buildings. He found the building and pressed his face against the glass door of the business.

Lee saw Tenten. She sat behind the counter with her head resting on her chin. She focused on reading her book, not noticing Lee. Lee felt his heart flutter in his chest. He wanted to push the door to go inside but hesitated. Lee backed away from the door. He noticed his reflection and was displeased with what he saw.

I can't see her looking like this, Lee thought. I need a proper shower.

Lee turned to leave, heading toward his home. Tenten saw green in her peripheral vision. She glanced up but missed the green-clad man as he stepped away. Her brown eyes traveled back to her book as she sighed.

My mind is playing tricks on me, Tenten thought. I swear I saw Lee for a moment there. It was only some wishful thinking.

Tenten thought about Lee. The four months he was gone were a struggle for the former kunoichi. Though she would sometimes hang out with her ninja friends, the feeling of isolation was rough on her. She glanced down at the neatly folded green handkerchief she had brought from her home.

I get the feeling he is avoiding me, but why would he do that? Tenten thought.

Tenten remembered the way Lee looked at her during their trip. She remembered his comment about her eyes, a feature she possessed that she always believed was uninteresting and too ordinary to stand out.

Looked like a bar of gold? Tenten thought as she looked at her reflection in the display glass next to her.

Her soft brown eyes were weary from her disturbed sleep. She found herself sometimes nodding off while minding the store as she read. Her daily naps made it hard for her to sleep at night.

Looks more like dirt at a fresh grave to me, Tenten thought as she frowned.

Tenten looked at the time. She had only opened her business two hours ago, and no customers stepped in. She returned to her book, the twelfth book she had started since opening her business. She skipped over the romantic scenes, trying to bury her feelings for Lee.

I need to forget about him, Tenten thought. It's a shame there's not any more cute guys around here. But now, I'm so busy running this store that it wouldn't matter if there were dozens of cute single guys around here. I never imagined I would fall along such a lonely path.

Tenten's thoughts were interrupted by a bell at the door. She glanced up and saw Naruto. She smiled at the welcome distraction from her thoughts. Naruto smiled as he approached the counter.

"Hey, Naruto! Nice of you to drop by." Tenten greeted.

"Yo, Tenten. How are you?" Naruto asked.

"I'm doing great." Tenten forced a smile. "Can I interest you in some new weapons?"

"No thanks. Are you aware that there is a ceremony for Kakashi Sensei today?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, I forgot." Tenten replied. "I won't be able to go. I'm too busy with this store."

"Is that so? But there's nobody here but you and I…" Naruto commented.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Tenten asked, her brows furrowing. "You think I just sit here all day and do nothing? You know nothing about running a business." She charged.

"Hey, take it easy." Naruto said as he put his hands up to ease the tension. "I didn't mean it like that. Can't you step away for an hour? Everyone will be there, so I doubt you will get people stopping by while you're out."

Tenten glared at the blonde ninja. Naruto could feel himself sweating as her intense eyes laid into him. He smiled nervously, regretting his choice of words.

"Hey, who knows. Maybe Lee will be there?" Naruto said, forcing a slight giggle to ease the tension.

"And why does that matter?" Tenten challenged. "He's been gone for so long now. He's been away longer than he was when he got hurt during the Chūnin exams." Tenten said as her eyes felt heavy.

Tenten's eyes softened as she noticed Naruto looking at her sadly. She did not want his pity but was too mentally exhausted to continue arguing. She sighed.

"I'm sorry." Tenten apologized. "Life has been rough since the war."

"I understand." Naruto said kindly. "I wish I could have done more."

"It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault." Tenten said, wiping her eyes with Lee's green handkerchief.

Naruto noticed the familiar green color of the cloth. A smile formed on his face.

"It's alright to miss him, you know. I miss my friends when they're away." Naruto said as he thought about Sasuke. "Have some faith in him. He loves it here, and I know it must've been hard for him to be away from you for so long."

"You think so?" Tenten asked.

"I know so, believe it!" Naruto smiled. "I bet he's back here already, walking right down the street to come find you."

The bell at the door chimed. Tenten glanced up, her eyes widened. Naruto turned around, and his eyes met with Lee. He smiled.

"Speak of the devil!" Naruto beamed. "Good to see you, Bushy-Brows!"

"Lee!" Tenten chirped, a huge smile now on her face. "You found my store!"

Tenten rose from her seat and stepped around the counter to greet Lee properly. She felt light on her feet.

"Tenten! Naruto! It is good to be home." Lee exclaimed.

Lee looked at Tenten. He wanted to hug her but hesitated to touch her. She approached Lee, wanting to hug him, too, but she hesitated. Naruto watched them as they awkwardly smiled at each other. A mischievous grin formed on the Jinchūriki's face. Naruto placed each of his hands on their backs and forced them together.

"C'mon you weirdos, hug it out!" Naruto laughed as the two touched.

Tenten flushed as her breasts pressed against Lee's torso. Lee blushed and tried to pull away, but Naruto kept his hand on his back. Reluctantly, Lee gave in and hugged Tenten. Tenten resisted Naruto's hand but leaned against Lee after he embraced her. Her arms wrapped around him, and her smile returned.

He smells clean, like he bathed before he came here, Tenten thought.

I missed you, Tenten, Lee thought as his heart drummed in his chest.

Naruto removed his hands as the two hugged. He smiled as he watched them. He glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed the time.

"Oh, crap! We're going to miss it!" Naruto wailed.

"Oh, that is right!" Lee said as he released Tenten. "I heard the news about Kakashi Sensei. Tenten, won't you join us at the ceremony?"

"Sure, why not. I can close up shop for just a little while." Tenten said as she reached for the keys in her pocket. "Oops." She said when the green handkerchief in her pocket fell out as she pulled out the keys.

Lee and Tenten reached down together to pick it up, causing their foreheads to collide as they did so accidentally. They both backed away as their faces turned crimson. Naruto chuckled as he reached down and grabbed it, handing it to Tenten.

"Oh, this is yours. But let me clean it first before I return it to you." Tenten said bashfully to Lee as she put it away in her pocket.

"Right, no worries…" Lee said as he scratched the back of his head. "Just keep it. I have plenty more."

"Oh, alright." Tenten replied, feeling awkward. "If you insist."

Lee and Tenten gazed at each other. Lee smiled as he fixated on her warm brown eyes. Tenten stared at Lee, unaware of the smile on her face.

"Ahem." Naruto cleared his throat. "The clock is ticking."

"Oh, yes. Let us go together." Lee said, flustered as he looked away from Tenten toward the door.

"Right." Tenten said abruptly, peeling her eyes away from Lee.

The trio rushed to the ceremony. Once they arrived, Naruto excused himself and ran off to stand in front of the crowd. He wanted a close view of his beloved Sensei as he formally took the role of the Hokage. Kakashi did not have a ceremony for when he was the temporary acting Hokage, so the event was special now that he would be the official leader of the village.

Tenten stood by Lee's side as they watched the ceremony. Lee was smiling, pleased to see that his Sensei's eternal rival was honored correctly and recognized. Tenten smiled as the feeling of nostalgia filled her. The event reminded her of her shinobi days, which now seemed like a lifetime ago, although it had been less than a year since she quit. Being with Lee contributed to this feeling. He had always been at her side over the years as she had been for him, until the Fourth Ninja War.

Their absences from each other's lives had created an odd rift between them. While time did help heal wounds, the distance left the pair uncertain of their futures rather than quelling off their feelings for one another. They stood, feeling melancholy as they were both happy to be together and terrified of making another wrong move. One mistake could lead to another prolonged absence, or perhaps, something worse.

Two small children playing together ran through the crowd, causing people to stumble or move out of the way of the rowdy children. Tenten noticed the kids approaching, causing her to step away to avoid them. Her knuckle brushed against Lee's hand. He blushed at the sensation and looked at Tenten, who peered at him simultaneously. She tightened her lip and looked away from Lee, focusing again on the ceremony and taking a step away from him now that the children were away.

Lee's eyes felt heavy as he turned and watched Kakashi on the stage. He imagined Neji and Guy Sensei standing with him and Tenten in the crowd. The thought made him smile before it slowly faded.

Tsunade insisted I take a break months ago. Hopefully, with Kakashi in charge now, I can go on more extended missions without interruption, Lee thought. I have no idea what else I am supposed to do.