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50 Shinobi Prompt 30 — Flirt
Tenten had always known she was a few screws short when it came to understanding the opposite sex. She just didn’t realize she was the only female among the group she regularly talked to, that was absolutely clueless.
“Have you two gone on a date yet?” Sakura had teased warmly.
“Tell me everything!” Ino had demanded. “Is he a good kisser?”
“Do you like him too?” Hinata had asked shyly.
“They tell me you have a boy gunning for you heart now.” Temari had said abruptly upon arriving in Konoha.
Even the elder kunoichi said the same. “You can do better.” Anko had muttered absently. “I mean, hell, he isn’t that good looking no matter what others say.”
“Does he make you happy?” Kurenai had asked in concerned. “Because that’s really the most important thing.”
“He’s a bit of an odd choice wouldn’t you think so?” Shizune had mentioned offhand.
“Are you two dating?” Tsunade has asked an eyebrow raised.
Tenten had answered all of them the same way. “What are you talking about?”
“You two flirting.” was the unanimous response.
Tenten had stared blankly ahead, utterly confused. “I was flirting? When? Wait, he was flirting with me?”
Needless to say, by the end of the day, Tenten felt very confused. What was the whole deal with flirting? How did one even know when they were flirting? She got different answers from everyone and only ended the day feeling annoyed and bothered.
He wasn’t flirting with her right?
Maybe it’s not that she was missing a few screws when it came to the opposite sex that made her miss the ‘flirting’. Maybe it was that all the other girls she knew had a few too many screws and imagined things that weren’t there.
After all, he couldn’t really have been flirting with her.
A/N: I leave it up to you guys to imagine who it was that was flirting with Tenten. ^_^50 Shinobi Prompt 47 — Soap Suds (Bubble)
“This is just fantastic!” Tenten grumbled sarcastically as she followed after her silent teammate. “Why am I always the one who ends up with clothes so drenched and dirty that I can’t walk properly?”
“Because you’re the clumsy one.” Neji said stoically.
Tenten snorted. “Jerk.”
“I’m letting you in the compound so you can fix up, aren’t I?”
“It’s your fault I need fixing up.” She grumbled.
Neji scoffed. “I didn’t push you in the mud hole. You fell all on your own.”
“Oh, whatever, Hyuuga.”
Rolling his eyes, Neji pointed her in the direction of the shower. “Hinata or Hanabi will bring you something you could probably wear when you’re done. I’ll be in the kitchen. You remember where that is don’t you?”
Tenten’s eye twitched, remembering the escapade in which she got lost in they Hyuuga compound. Neji and Hinata had laughed at her for weeks. “I’ll manage.”
Neji smirked.
Sometimes, Tenten really wanted to smack that boy.
—
A while later, Tenten managed to find her way into the kitchen, admittedly that was after stumbling into some old lady’s room. Red-faced, Tenten had apologized and tried to hightail it out of there as fast as she could.
Neji was sitting comfortably at a stool chewing on an apple. “Why are you red?”
“N-No reason.”
“Who’d you walk in on?”
“Nobody!” Tenten lied.
Neji smirked. “You really aren’t very good at lying, you realize.”
Tenten glared at him. “Oh, fine. I walked in on some old lady.” She could feel herself blushing more furiously, “I don’t know what she was doing, and let me tell you, I do not want to find out.” She leant against the counter. “Where are my clothes?”
“Getting washed.”
“Where?”
“Laundry room.”
“Which would be?”
“You wouldn’t be able to find it.”
“You could tell me anyway.” She protested.
“I could.”
“Well?” She demanded.
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Well, what?”
“Where is it!?”
“In the east wing of the compound.”
Tenten groaned. “And where is that?”
“East.”
“Dammit, Neji!” She scolded in annoyance.
He snickered at her. Tossing his half eaten apple in the garbage, Neji stood up and headed out of the kitchen. “Come on. Just follow me.”
“You are an unbelievable jerk, Neji Hyuuga.” Tenten grumbled.
“It’s amazing how that doesn’t bother me.”
“Amazing isn’t the word I would use.” She muttered under her breath.
She followed after him through an amazing amount of long and confusing hallways and turns. How on earth did the Hyuuga ever make their way around the stupid compound? It was a wonder some of the kids didn’t get lost and die of starvation in one of the many rooms. She would have asked how that had never happened before, but all that she needed was a glance to recall why they never got lost — their stupid eyes.
Neji stopped abruptly before a door causing Tenten to smack right into him. “Jeez, give a warning, will ya?”
He didn’t reply just opened the door.
“Oh, damn.” Tenten breathed as she looked at the room. “Your laundry room is not supposed to look ritzy!”
Neji frowned. “It doesn’t.”
“Oh, trust me. It does.” The washing machines were shiny and seemed to call in tantalizing whispers for people to wash. The walls were a perfect pristine white. The clothes waiting to be washed were actually folded and, in Tenten’s eyes, appeared very clean. The ready clothes were folded and fluffy and looked so perfectly pretty lying on the polished oak tables. The windows had not one streak and the floor was spotless — not even a splash of water.
“It’s not.” Neji mumbled obviously confused.
“Stop by the orphanage sometime and you’ll see what I mean.” She headed forward then stopped abruptly. “Where exactly are my clothes?”
Neji headed in the opposite direction she had been walking towards, stopping in front of a machine. “Still washing.”
Tenten peered at the machine. “Oh, it’s just fine. Look, all the dirt is gone.”
“It’s still washing.” Neji repeated.
“Nah, it’s good.” Tenten pushed him aside and pulled it open before Neji could utter a word of protest. She shouldn’t have attempted it. As soon as she wrenched the door open a large stream of bubbles and cold water splashed over her.
Tenten sputtered. “Yeuck. I think I got soap in my mouth.” Tenten squeezed the water out of the shirt she was wearing. “Wow, that was cold. Guess, I should’ve listened to you.”
She shivered. “Do I have to put these clothes in the wash again? I mean, the ones that aren’t mine.” Tenten tried to stand up, but slid on the soap suds as she struggled up. She winced. “Oww.”
Noting Neji’s silence, she turned around. “Hey, what’s–” Tenten stared mouth agape at her teammate. Her usually composed teammate was drenched in cold water, hair stringy and clothes falling around him from the water’s weight. Soap suds dusted his chin, lips forehead, hair, and just about every other visible part of his body. He looked like a child who’d just realized that water created a big mess. His mouth was open just the slightest bit, his eyes blinking slowly, and his left eye twitching. Tenten couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Neji’s eyes narrowed at her.
She stifled her laughter as best as she could. “Look, Neji, I’m really, really sorry.”
“Tenten-”
“I didn’t mean to!” She protested. Tenten edged away more than just a little frightened, “Oh, come on! It was an accident! You know I’m an idiot sometimes!”
Neji sighed. “Alright. It’s fine.” He wiped some of the suds off of himself.
Tenten huffed. “Look, don’t do that. I really am sorry! What do you want me to do?”
“It’s fine. You didn’t mean to.”
“Stop pretending it’s fine when you want to kick my ass.” She scolded.
“Tenten-”
“I could clean-no, wait, I’m no good at that. I could-”
“Tenten, relax. I forgive you.”
She frowned thinking it over. “I suppose I could-”
“Tenten!”
“Or maybe, I’ll-”
“Tenten!”
Tenten continued rattling off possible things she could do to make up for drenching him, not even noticing that his eye twitch had started again. In severe annoyance, Neji ambled over to one of the unoccupied washers and filled a bucket with freezing cold soapy water. Tenten, still preoccupied with thinking up ways to make it up to him, didn’t even notice he’d moved. Neji walked over to her and dumped the contents of the bucket on her head.
“HOLY SHIT!” Tenten screamed. She hopped up and jumped up and down periodically on one foot as if it would take away the freezing pin needles crawling up and down her skin. “DAMMIT, NEJI!”
“Are you happy now? We’re even.”
“N-N-not e-ev-even! Th-That was f-f-f-f-freezing!” She shivered. “B-b-besides, what I d-d-did was on ac-ac-acci-accident.”
“So was what I did.”
“L-Liar.” She accused.
“The bucket slipped.”
“Bullshit.”
Neji smirked.
“Wh-What?” She stuttered.
“The soap suds piled around your head make it look like you have devil horns.” His smirk grew more pronounced, “Quite fitting wouldn’t you say?”
“Oh, you’re just a h-horrible jerk.” She growled, somehow still feeling despite her irritation that this was one of the most warming bonding moments she’d ever had with Neji. “H-how you became my friend I’ll never know.”
“I know.”
She blinked. “Oh?”
“You’re like glue; you wouldn’t leave me alone and soon enough I got used to you.”
“You kept saying that I was w-weak! It was so unbelievably sexist. I had to p-p-pr-prove you wrong.”
“Then how come I still think you’re far too weak?”
“Oh, I abs-absolutely h-hate you.” She growled.
Neji rolled his eyes.
50 Shinobi Prompt #08 — Hokage (or any of the ‘Kages)
Tenten had never really ever told anyone why she became a shinobi. She never told anyone what had motivated her. Never bothered to truly discuss it. The reason she decided to become a shinobi had always been a well harbored secret that gave her motivation.
The reason she’d wanted to become a shinobi, was because of the tales she heard surround Tsunade. One of the legendary Sannin. As a little girl, Tenten gobbled up stories of the powerful kunoichi; from her younger exploits to those in her elder age. Tenten became so fascinated by her story she would dream of meeting her. She didn’t have imaginary friends like most children her age, instead she talked to an imaginary Tsunade who taught her secret ninja moves.
That’s all it took to really get her started. Once Tenten had delved into the woman’s life, she knew she’d never be able to come out again. In essence, she’d sold her soul to the trade. Because of that, Tenten worked hard to do everything and anything she possibly could to get into a proper ninja school. She trained, she studied, she even helped out more at the orphanage in hopes that they would grant her one favor.
In time, her hard work paid off. She went to school, she trained, she studied, she became a kunoichi and joined Team Gai. Through many mishaps and tribulations, Tenten managed to sufficiently become a kunoichi she’d be proud to meet Tsunade as. Way before it was reasonable for her to do so, Tenten was a kickass kunoichi. Not just a simpering twit. Not just a little girl. But a real bona fide shionbi. She was tough, she was strong, and she never let anyone say otherwise about her.
When she heard Tsunade was to become the next Hokage, Tenten was filled with inner jubilation. She would finally meet her idol!
When she met Tsunade, Tenten did her best to hide her disappointment. Sure, the Hokage was a fantastic woman. She was powerful, strong, and a damn good shinobi. She was skilled and eloquent. Everything Tenten expected her to be.
The problem was, to Tenten, it no longer seemed enough.
She was a gambler, a bit of an idiot at times, a risk-taker, a slight drunk. In essence, Tsunade was human. She was the very definition of a powerful human. Tenten had imagined her idol as subhuman. As perfection. As excellence. As everything and anything that a human girl should aspire to be.
Tsunade was amazing.
But Tenten could be better.
“Hokage-sama.” Tenten would always greet respectfully. “You called?”
She still owed Tsunade everything. Without her, Tenten would not be a shinobi. Without her, she might have ended up as a simpering civilian with nothing more on her mind than finding a husband. Tenten had found a goal and owed it all to Tsunade. But, she owed it to her dream — she owed it to her imaginary chats with Tsunade, to aim for the sky and nothing less.
Tsunade had been her idol.
Now, Tenten’s idol, was only excellence itself.
50 Shinobi – Prompt 09 (“Ready, Steady, Go!”)
When she was just a little girl, she was often times baffled by how many of the girls her age seemed to be concerned with the opposite sex. The little female creatures would stare at the males, eyes wide, cheeks flushed, and dreams spinning in their minds. Tenten would look at the males and only see a bunch of boys that were much more fun to play games with than the girls. She was slower than all the rest of the girls her age to recognize the opposite sex, and it took her longer than most to find something even remotely interesting about them. There were occasions she was plagued with a rather annoying blush because a boy looked rather cute, but she could never find herself actually liking any boy. Even if they looked good, they didn’t seem worthy of her effort. She had more important goals to look to – like becoming a shinobi.
As she grew, the girls’ obsession with males didn’t seem to dwindle. They gained other interests, but their desire to find their love never quite faded or was never quite pushed to the background. It was a world of men and a world of women who loved talking about men. Sometimes it unnerved her. Mostly though, it just confused her.
It seemed more often than not, the entire basis of life seemed to be a giant race among the females. They all lined up behind the start line and chatted amiably about the goal to be obtained at the end of the race. They were cheerful, they were happy, they were friends. At least until two girls picked the same goal, then it seemed to break apart. All the girls were inevitably heading off in the same direction, but each one wanted someone different to hold (in most cases). Sometimes they got the prize they’d originally chased after, other times they did not. It was a simple race “Ready, steady, go!” and suddenly the girls shot off, wind beneath their feet trying to get that prize. She had been left behind covered in a cloud of dust, not really incited by the idea of wining the race. Or even beginning it. The girls would race and race in the beginning, but they go tired and they soon resorted to walking. Their search wasn’t so frenzied anymore. It was filled with the same zest, but far more patient, the further along they got. All throughout the curious game, she saw them win their prize, or have their prize taken, or the have the prize depart on its own, she saw them set their eyes one somebody else, and she saw them find a prize on accident. It was interesting to watch in it’s own, but not something she ever felt part of.
At least, not in the beginning.
She felt like someone had dumped a bag of sand on her when she wasn’t looking. A bag she really didn’t want to carry around. A soft kiss on her lips and whispered sweet nothings in the night followed her in Konoha. Nightly escapades that left her feeling more empty than pleased and created an embarrassing pale blush spreading on her face. In Suna, heavy laughter, playful touches, and demanding kisses occupied her spare time. Pleasant meetings that left her feeling more than just a little unsure and a nervous pleasant feeling to swim inside her gut.
She wasn’t anywhere near as pretty or flirty as the girls her age. She wasn’t the kind that looked for a guy, or had ever even participated in the race. She never tried to compliment or charm anyone. If anything she was far too blunt and much too honest. And yet she had these problems.
Ino looked at her with newfound interest when she found out, because of course, Konoha’s gossip queen had to find out. Tenten didn’t know if she should ask her to keep quiet or not. She didn’t know anything more. She told Ino the very same thing. Ino just smiled kindly and pecked her on the forehead. “You’ll know; a girl always knows.”
Ino must not have told anyone, because no one else approached her with questions, or looked at her any different. Tenten didn’t know how she would know. She didn’t know if she could know. Maybe she’d been born defective. Maybe, she didn’t know how to just know.
But when Tenten sits down alone, to think about it. She thinks she understands what Ino meant. Because when she was younger, she was always alone. As she grew up, she gained friends and teachers, but she still enjoyed being alone. A large piece of her preferred being alone. But now, now when she sits alone, when she thinks about her problems – current and passed – she doesn’t feel right. She can’t help that she really wants someone to be there.
Just one someone.
Maybe a girl always does know.
She’d never wanted a part of the race, but she’d been forced into it. Instead of attempting the race, Tenten just looked at other things — and she too found her prize on accident. Finally, one was worth the effort.
A/N: I know, I didn’t mention any names, and didn’t explain who she picked. I’ll leave that up to you, my readers. But…if you can guess correctly who both of the men were when I was writing it (It shouldn’t be that hard I think), I’ll write a Tenten entry that you pick. Any pairing, any subject. ^_^
50 Shinobi — Prompt #22 (Cathedral)
“I won’t go in! You can’t make me!” She protested vehemently, shaking her head to and fro furiously.
Neji stared at her in aggravation. ‘Tenten, it’s just-”
“It’s evil, that’s what it is!” She complained loudly. “EVIL!”
Neji’s eye twitched. “It’s a cathedral. The last thing it could be is evil.”
Tenten narrowed her eyes at the pale Hyuuga. “Just because it’s a cathedral doesn’t mean it has to be good.” She shuddered. “Just look at it! All big, and gothic-like, windows high, and lights low.” She stared at the building before her. “It’s the epitome of evil, my friend.”
“It’s a cathedral.”
“I WON’T GO IN!”
Neji seemed to want to kill her. He seemed to want to wrap his hands around her neck and throttle the life out of her.
She crossed her arms and stared resolutely at the floor. She would not budge. She would not, she would not, she would not! It was filled with evil. She really couldn’t say why she thought so, but she just didn’t like it. Something about the building was unnatural and-and just plain wrong. Maybe it was haunted. Or maybe worse… She dug her feet into the ground. “Let’s go home.”
Neji stared at her quietly for a bit, before giving a resigned sigh. “Tenten, please.”
Tenten hesitated. Never once, in all her life, had Neji ever said ‘please’ to her. Not once. She looked back at the looming and frightening building. She sighed. “Why do you need to go into hell-I mean, the cathedral, again?”
Neji shifted awkwardly. “My mother’s grave…”
Tenten scowled. “Okay, okay. Let’s go in.” She bit her lip. “But…don’t laugh at this okay?” She waited until he nodded before she asked her question. “Can you hold my hand as we go in?”
Neji nodded and Tenten could’ve sworn he looked glad she’d requested that.
She swallowed her fear and took her hand in his gripping it tightly. “The things I do for you people.” She whispered silently.
“I’m grateful for it.” He said silently, almost so softly that the wind attempted to swallow his words.
Luckily, the wind didn’t succeed.
She smiled. Fear was a powerful thing, but friendship topped it by far.
50 shinobi — #12 Tadpole
Best friends are totally aware of how stupid you are, but still manage to be seen with you in public.
Tenten sat comfortably on the ledge of the building looking down at the passerby. She always sat on the ledge of some building every Saturday morning to think. She believed if one didn’t sit down to contemplate things in their life they might miss something important. She only had one life, might as well think about it even if it was just a little bit, right?
Today she was settled on the top of her favorite bakery staring up at the sky. The sun plagued by timidity, was barely showing the tip of it’s head to the sky. In return, the sky blushed a pink and orange array at her lover’s reemergence.
Tenten imagined someone would surely question her sanity if they ever knew she compared the sky and sun to lovers. With a heavy sigh, Tenten leaned forward and rested her head on her upturned palms. Soon enough she’d have to move, the pressure of her elbows on her thighs was something she could only put up with for so long. Her elbows were just so damn bony.
Not too far away she could see a green awkward looking creature jumping and running about. The creature seemed to be exercising.
Tenten jolted out of her revere as the slamming of doors and voices below her punctured the lofty silence.
Her vision cleared and the objects resembled what they should resemble once more. The green jumpy thing off in the distance, she noted, turned out to be Lee exercising. “What a youthful day!” He cried in jubilation.
Tenten wasn’t sure if she would smile at his enthusiasm or wince in embarrassment for her friend. Lee really never was embarrassed, sometimes that in itself proved embarrassing for her.
“Ugh!” A girl complained from somewhere below. Tenten shifted just enough so she could look down at the events occurring right at the foot of the building. “Won’t he shut up?” The girl complained. Tenten knew her well enough. She was the skinny, pretty, dark-haired civilian who worked in the bakery she was currently settled upon some days. On average, Tenten really didn’t like her. She was too jittery, gossipy, and flirty. Tenten found most civilian girls tended to be that way: savage without really getting their hands dirty. Words did alot more damage than people ever gave them justice for.
“He’s such a freak.” The dark-haired civilian gossiped savagely.
“Incredibly so.” Another girl agreed with her heartily. “How he ever became a ninja is beyond me.”
“Doesn’t he remind you of a frog?” Another voice chimed.
“No way! There’s no way he could possibly even be a frog! He’s more like an ugly warty toad.”
“A fly!”
Tenten tuned out the rest of the conversation, feeling more than just a bit annoyed. Just like them to talk about things they knew nothing about.
“Are he and that kunoichi dating?”
“The one with the two buns on her head?”
“I wouldn’t think so,” The bakery worker laughed, “she’d be smart enough to stay away from a dork like him.” She grinned viciously, “I bet it’s just pity. I mean, just look at him. Who would be friends with that voluntarily?”
Tenten bristled. Truth be told, on more than one occasion, she’d been accused of liking Lee or Neji. Apparently, being teammates with two boys meant she had to shack up with one of them. Also on more than one occasion they’d accused her of not liking either of them.
That accusation was more on the mark than the previous one. Upon getting assigned, she had made it painfully clear to Neji, Lee, Gai, and anyone else stupid enough to cross her the day the teams were assigned, that she did not like any of them. She’d told Lee he was an utter dork. She’d told Neji he was a poor excuse for a human being. And she’d told Gai she didn’t want him an idiot for a teacher.
By nature, Tenten was easily embarrassed. Lee and Gai were the walking talking incarnation of embarrassment; and Neji, to put it simply, he was just a jerk.
She was a jerk too.
She knew that now, and had done everything possible to rectify her original cruel statements.
Yeah, Neji was mean, but he was also nice when he let the walls down.
Yeah, Lee was a dweeb, but he was a very good person.
Yeah, Gai was weird, but he was an excellent teacher.
She swung off the building, landing right before the group of chittering girls. “Oh, buzz off, flies. Lee’s a really nice guy.”
“He’s a freak.” The bakery worker said cheekily.
Tenten leaned into the girl so her lips hovered right above the cocky girl’s ear. “Better than a bitch, wouldn’t you say? At least freaks are worth a person’s time.”
The girl flushed red and seemed ready to start yelling at her, but Tenten simply turned away from her. “Hey, Lee!”
“Tenten!” He belted out cheerfully. “Have you been having a youthful morning?” He asked cheerily. His eyebrows then creased together in worry. “Do you still have cramps?!”
Tenten groaned and bopped him fiercely on the head as she reached him, trying her hardest to avoid any passerby’s eyes. “Remember how we said that certain things should never be repeated to the general public?”
Lee rubbed his head as if it were to take away the pain. “Yes…”
“That was one of them.” She knew her face was that disgustingly bright red it tended to turn when she was horribly embarrassed. “You know, Lee,” She mentioned casually, trying to will away her embarrassment, “Sometimes, you’re really embarrassing.”
Lee looked crestfallen.
If she were to designate every person she knew as an animal, Lee would be a tadpole. He didn’t look like much and he wasn’t very nice looking, but one day he’d surprise everyone. He was already surprising her. “But I’m glad you’re my friend.”
He grinned happily. “Let us run ten laps around the village!” He proposed in excitement.
She scowled, “Hell no.”
50 Shino
bi prompt 44 — Pebble
“Stop that.” Tenten scowled at the Inuzaka boy. The brown-haired boy was happily occupied throwing pebbles at Lee, who was currently training.
Kiba rolled his eyes at her. “Yes, Ma.”
“He’s training, Kiba,” She snapped crossly, she was always annoyed when the boy called her mother, “if you can’t do anything productive, don’t pester other people.”
He yawned and slouched closer to the ground. “Aye, aye, mother.”
“Quit calling me mother.”
“You act like one.”
Tenten was sitting cross-legged on the grass underneath a large willow tree glaring at the boy. She had previously been relaxing, occasionaly glancing at Lee –who was going overboard as usual – before the Inuzaka had shown up. “Well, someone has to chastise you if you insist on acting so immature.” She huffed.
Kiba smirked. “You’re only proving my point further.”
“You know, it’s your fault everyone calls me ‘mom’.” It was starting to irk her. Kiba started it, then Neji continued it merely to annoy her. Following Neji came everybody else. They would tease her all the time: Naruto, Ino, Chouji, Lee, Shikamaru, Shino, Sakura, even Hinata for goodness’ sakes.
The three sand siblings called her ‘mom’ too.
“So?”
“So, it’s-” She sighed irritably, “Just forget it.”
Kiba raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh, come on, don’t tell me it really does bother you?”
Tenten toed a pebble idly. “I…” She kicked it and winced as the smooth round stone hit Lee squarely in the head. “Oops.”
Kiba laughed.
“That’s not funny.” She mumbled. Maybe she was doomed to be the mom of their generation. She was the one who snapped at them when they needed snapping at, comforted them when they needed comforting. She was the one that really didn’t partake in the stupid things or even knew about them until after it was all said and done. She was the one that had her hair pinned up and dressed the most modestly of them all. She was the one who fixed their blunders and gave them hell for screwig up so badly after fixing it up later. She was the one who told them not to swear and more often than not, her advice was ignored on the grounds of being too practical. She sighed. She was a mom.
There used to be a time when she as just as childish and immature as the lot of them. Why did she have to be the one to grow up first?
“Seriously,” Kiba looked at her his head inclined to the side. “Does the idea of being a mom bother you THAT much?”
Tenten didn’t respond.
“Fuck, Tenten, you should–”
“Don’t swear. It’s unseemly.” She interjected absentmindedly, not realizing that she was cleaning his language until after she’d said it.
She grimaced. Further proof that she was mom.
Kiba smirked, obviously content that she kept meeting his standard on mom-ish behaviors. “Shoot, Tenten, you should feel happy and proud that we recognize you as mom.”
“Oh, really?” She scoffed, eyebrows raised. “I should feel content that I’m always the odd duck out? That I’m always the one excluded from ‘fun’ endeavors? That I’m always the one who isn’t really a buddy?” The ever-prevalent feeling of resentment stirred within her. It just wasn’t fair! Why did she have to feel like the mom; why couldn’t she fit in the same way the all managed to?!
Kiba stretched, obviously unbothered by her bitterness. “You should feel content that you’re more than just a buddy to all of us. You should feel content that we would all trust you with our biggest issues. You should feel content you’re not the odd duck out, because you’re the duck we all inevitably follow even though we stray from time to time. You should feel content that you keep us all together the way only a mom can.” He chucked a pebble at her forehead. “You should also feel content because it means you’re boss. Come on, who doesn’t want to be boss?”
Tenten tried to stifle her smile. “Stop spouting nonsense.”
“Hey, I’m being honest, ma.”
She scoffed. “Oh, like you were being honest when you told that nice redhead you were a Jounin to get a date with her?” Tenten asked eyebrows raised.
“I was honest enough.” Kiba defended. “She found out later.”
“Because I twisted your ear until you told her.”
Kiba grinned. “And she thought I was sweet for being honest with her. All the more reason I’m glad you’re you.”
“And you two idiots broke up a week later.”
“Meh.” Kiba waved his hand about. “Irrelevant details.”
“Fickle.” Tenten rolled her eyes and soon after Lee plopped down beside them. “Done, Lee?” She asked him.
He grinned. “Yes! All four-hundred and seventy three laps!”
Kiba’s lips quirked up into a devilish grin. “I could’ve sworn you said you’d do four-hundred and seventy four laps before you took a rest….Ah, well, four-hundred and seventy three is just as good.”
Lee blinked. “Did I really say…?” He stood up. “Now I must do seven hundred laps!”
“Lee-” Tenten began to protest, but the green-clad boy was already doing his laps.
Tenten smacked Kiba across the chest. “Jerk.”
Kiba snickered. “Oh, come on, it’s funny.”
She slapped him again. “Go run with him.”
“Do I look insane?”
“No, you look suicidal.” Tenten stretched her limbs. “At least tell him it was a joke.”
“HEY LEE!”
“YES?” He asked cheerfully. Tenten always found it odd beyond compare that he could be so cheerful after and during bothersome work-outs.
“I THINK YOU SHOULD MAKE IT SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE LAPS–OWW! DAMMIT, TENTEN!” She smacked him hard across the chest again. Kiba scowled. “Fine…” He grumbled to her. “LEE, I WAS JOKING! YOU REALLY HAD SAID FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTY THREE!”
“I know Tenten told you to say that!” Lee called as he ran the track. “I know it is not true!”
Tenten gave an irritated sigh. She looked at Kiba eyebrows raised. “Well?”
“You heard him.”
“But you were lying.”
“Hey, I tried.” Kiba shrugged, “It’s not my fault he doesn’t believe me.”
“I wonder why.” She commented dryly.
“And why would that be?” He questioned, a smile daring to dart across his lips.
Tenten pursed her lips. “You’re a horrid person.”
He chuckled softly. Kiba picked up another pebble and aimed at the running green blur. “I’m okay with that.” He tossed the pebble and it struck Lee in the forehead.
Tenten threw a pebble at Kiba. “I told you to stop that.”
He smirked.
Tenten groaned. “Ugh. Boys.”
Kiba stretched up. “You wanna go get something to eat? Lee will still be her by the time we get back.”
Tenten looked at him speculatively. “And you’re inviting me why?”
“I can’t be kind?”
“No.”
He rolled his eyes. “Well, it’s the son’s job to take care of his mom, right?”
She smirked. “So you’re paying?”
“Yeah.”
Tenten stood up, thinking over his proposal. “Does this mean, Kiba, that anytime we ever go do anything you have to pay for me?” She cracked her knuckles. “And that you have to buy me a mother’s day gift? Or do menial chores for me, like fix my toilet or garbage disposal?” She smirked. “I mean, that is what a son would do right?”
He stared her. “You sure know how to milk things don’t you?” He shook his head in mirth. “I never said I was a good son. Maybe your other kids are better to their mom.”
“Jerk.”
“Well do you want food or not?”
“Eh, why not?” She grinned.
Kiba wasn’t so bad, he was annoying at times, but he wasn’t so bad. Neither were the rest of the shinobi in their generation. They were all special in their own wonderful way.
Funny, that they chose her to be mother.
Maybe, she thought, it wasn’t so bad to be the mom.
