Chapter 5: I’m Everyone’s Big Brother

Four people sat around a table, they were Tenten, Neji, Lee and guy. Ed was in the kitchen making tea for his guests, and coffee for himself, sweet sweet coffee.

"Urh, I don't know how you can drink that, it's so bitter." Tenten said as she saw him make coffee for himself.

"I'll have you know that even the hokage likes coffee, I managed to tri*cough**cough*, I mean persuade him into buying some, his a regular for my coffee." Ed said to Tenten as he brought in the drinks for everyone to enjoy.

"Thanks." - Tenten

"THANK YOU SIR!" - Lee

"THANK YOU!" - Guy

*mumble*"thanks."*mumble* - Neji

"Neji, what did I say about mumbling when give your thanks to someone." Ed said to Neji and sat there glaring at Neji like a parent would to there child when the did something wrong.

".…..Thank you." Neji after being stared at for a few moments eventually said thanks without mumbling. As his team sat there shocked that Neji was being polite and nice.

*Bang* "Oh yeah, how do you know my team Ed, Sorry." Tenten slammed her hands on the table and stood up like she just remembered, but under Ed's glare she sat down and softened her tone of voice, and mumbled a sorry.

"For that, I would know Guy-sensei as he would come here to restock on gear and after a few years we got to know each other. For Lee here, I met him when he was still at the academy and was practising his taijutsu, when he collapsed from exhaustion I helped him, spoke to him, and helped him now and again. As for Neji here, I met him a few years back just after meeting Lee actually. He looked stressed so I forced him to sit down with me, and sat there and glared at him after an hour he spoke to me, we talked and I said he could visit if he ever wanted to talk again, as such we would met up every now and again same as Lee. Though you are all breaking my heat I remember a time when all three of you called me big brother." Ed explained to Tenten, while wiping away a fake tear as if he was sad about no longer being called, big brother.

Big brother, it was his moniker in the village, just like the 3rd Hokage who had the title professor, all the children would call Ed their big brother, as he helped and played with all of them. After all what better way to survive in a world of ninja, become someone everyone wants to protect, in other words the villages 'Big Brother'. and eventually it had stuck and now some of the adults would call him that as a way to tease the crippled youngster.

"Urh your tears couldn't be any more fake" Tenten said in disgust at how he was acting.

"Humph" Neji humph'd at the display put up by Ed.

"DON'T WORRY, YOU WILL ALWAYS REMAIN MY BIG BROTHER, SIR!" Lee seemed to be the only one to believe Ed's little act.

"So from the fact that you brought your team over, I'm guessing you passed the test." Ed said with a small smirk on his usual empty face.

"Yeah, by the way where's dad I wanted to introduce my team to him, while we stock up on some gear." Tenten said with a small nod as she looked around for her dad.

"You just missed him, he went out to resupply as our stock was running empty, he should be back in a few hours." Ed said as he looked over her team, and said 'wait a minute.' before he went into the storage. After few moments he came back with a book full of scrolls.

"Alright, Tenten your gear is in your room where you left it, for Guy-sensei I have the usual, for Lee I have the set of weights that guy ordered for you along with a few heavier sets when you need them, and for Neji I have this one with the full set of gear and a tool kit for them. We have an area out back so that you can check the products we make, Tenten why don't you show them the way." Ed said as he handed out scroll after scroll to the correct person. Tenten shouted out a 'yeah' as she went to go get her gear. She then came down stairs and showed them the way.

"Would you like a re-fill Guy-sensei." Ed asked as he got himself a re-fill.

"Yes please. Yo always make some of the most pleasant tea, I think you should open up a tea shop." Guy said as he was handed a re-filled cup of tea.

"Ah, I wouldn't be able to keep up, you know how it is with my leg like this." Ed tapped his left leg as he said so, though he didn't look to bothered by it from what Guy could tell, he even had a small smile at the edges of his lips.

"Of course, though you might be able to do it with how good you are, I seem to remember you nearly finished that taijutsu last time I saw you." Guy said as he changed the topic to the taijutsu that Ed thought to make a few years back, and it is like Guy had said he had nearly finished it, he was only waiting to finish his crutch, as he had made the crutch a pivotal point in the taijutsu and the wooden ones always broke under the sheer force that he put on them.

"Hahahaha, yes, it should be considered complete now that I have finished making my support" Ed laughed as he did not mind changing the topic as he always did like talking about his taijutsu.

Over the years of people visiting the shop, he had asked a multitude of ninja on how he could improve his taijutsu, though some didn't bother with him as they didn't think a cripple would be able to make his own taijutsu style, those that did helped him greatly. He had asked Guy the resident taijutsu expert, Kakashi, when he visited for a re-stock, he asked Asuma on close combat with a knife, and of course abused the man called professor and his knowledge.

"How about it then, do you want a demonstration Guy-sensei, we could even spar a bit in front of the genin to show them how strong a jounin really is, but if we do spar don't expect me to roll over and admit defeat without fighting back." Ed said to Guy and you could tell he wanted to fight against a jounin to test how good his taijutsu is and more importantly, weather or not he could survive against a ninja if they got into fight, though he does not believe that he would be able to defeat Guy-sensei the person who got the closest to killing Madara apart from hashirama.

"Hahahahaha sure thing Edward, I wouldn't expect any less from someone like you, hahahaha, come let us show those genin true YOUTH!" Guy shouted as he patted Ed on the shoulder with the 'Fire of youth' in his eyes.