Aftermath - 3

Upon arriving at her team's training grounds Tenten discovered Lee training alone just as enthusiastically as ever. He was thoroughly disciplining a training post with round after round of punches.

"Lee?" She watched curiously as he seemed to bounce over to her like an obedient puppy. She found it just as endearing as it was scary, "Where's Neji?"

"Ah! Our teammate has been detained at a meeting at the Hyuga household, Tenten," Lee announced, looking helpful, "This I know with certainty for I have gone there to check myself and was...promptly dismissed. It looked important."

Tenten didn't fight the sigh of exasperation she gave in response to Lee's update. So that was the way it was. Neji had thrown his clan for a loop and now they had to decide what to do with him. Peachy.

"I...I just can't believe that he's getting all this grandeur for beating on his younger cousin, you know Lee?" Tenten leaned against a nearby birch tree, where he took a space beside her, listening intently.

He was partially unnerved by her foul mood and wanted to dispel it, "But it means a lot to him, Tenten, and who are we to interfere with his goals and clan life?"

"I don't know, maybe his logical teammates? The friends who can keep him on the straight-and-narrow? Pick one..." She felt bad that she had snapped at him, but then was even more troubled that she had used the term 'friends.'

Tenten gave a semi-horrified look to the Green Beast of Konoha, "We are his friends...right?"

"I would say so," Lee agreed, then added gloomily, "Although, I am unsure if it is a mutual sentiment."

Neji never really had tried to bond with them beyond the point of training and missions. It was hard to tell if there was anything more he had bothered to work on.

"What I mean is: do the ends justify the means? I've been to see her Lee and things don't look so good." She was grateful she could always confide in him on just about anything, "What do you think?"

"Perhaps he could have used more restraint..."

There it was. So it wasn't just her. Tenten was glad about that, that there was proof that there were others who found the Hyuga clan's structure to be questionable. As well as the stability of Neji's psyche, for that matter.

Gai had somehow snuck up on them. He appeared on the opposite side of the clearing and he was not alone, "Tenten! Lee! My youthful students! We have a guest with us today!"

Oh joy. And to think for a moment Tenten had actually believed Neji had ditched the old Hyuga buzzards and joined his team for a helpful day of training before the final stage of the exam arrived in only a few weeks. It was sad how much she expected of him.

They approached curiously. Lee, of course, was a bit more chipper at the sight of the newcomer.

"Hi guys!" A familiar face, thankfully, had replaced Neji, "I'll be training with you for the day since I'm off from work! Uncle Gai said you wouldn't mind."

"Hey Tama!" Tenten opted for being friendly since her sensei's niece wasn't nearly as crazy as her uncle, "You should stop by more often, of course we don't mind."

Lee was predictably ecstatic, "Miss Tama! It is so good to see you again!"

"Gai-sensei, do you know what's holding up Neji?" Tenten felt a second opinion may clarify some things. Not that she doubted Lee, but some time had passed.

"I was informed he is at a promotion ceremony," Gai recalled, not announcing his source, "He should be back with us by tomorrow, I can assure you."

Tenten chose then to dismiss the matter until tomorrow. Tama looked like she would be a challenge and was rumored to specialize in taijutsu, 'Isn't she a dancer? Or a baker or something?'

Lee didn't seem to care as to why Tama had visited as long as she planned on bringing more youthful sunshine to their team.

"I'm aware that you have only met briefly a few times before," Gai's introduction of Tama was less flowery than usual, "But you'll both be pleased to hear that at the time Tama attended the Academy she was a genius of hard work!"

That was all it took for Lee to be inspired. Tears began to roll down the boy's cheeks in the likeness of his sensei. Tama patted his back worriedly, knowing how sensitive he could be at times, "Are you okay, Lee?"

Gai continued, thinking it was going well, "My beloved niece was renowned for her taijutsu, much like myself. It is the Maito blood that creates true hard working shinobi!" Naturally he just had to brag a bit, since this was an opportunity for it.

Tama's sheepish chuckle carried with it a tone of annoyance. Gai was exaggerating, but that was to be expected.

Tenten, however, was as impressed as Lee had been. So Tama was in fact a shinobi in spite of the fact she had other occupations. She could say the same for herself with regards to her weapon-forging business.

She decided to break the ice, "I never knew you were a kunoichi, Tama." Her approximated guess wagered that being that the girl was about fifteen and so she had to be a chunin, "So, um, where's your hitai-ate?" It was not visibly displayed, at least not to Tenten at the moment.

Tama's smile weakened, "I never got one."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"How can that be?" Lee's outrage was well-contained, "If you have such talent, then why has that not been acknowledged?"

Gai was about to brush the subject aside but Tama decided to answer, not very much bothered by the idea, "There was an accident that forced me to retire early from the Ninja Academy."

Her uncle's face saddened at the memory. Apparently something had not gone right when she had started on the path to becoming a shinobi.

Tenten and Lee wisely decided to drop the subject.

Tama, not very disgruntled at all, continued "Now...who wants to train with me first, huh? I didn't come out here to just stand around!"

Lee's hand shot up immediately.

*

Naruto's astonished voice was low and anxious, "Wow. You really do look like them. I never noticed that before…"

Temari frowned at the sight of Naruto, recalling him from the preliminary rounds. He hadn't been half bad of a fighter either, but he had been loud and quirky. She turned to Gaara who stood beside his friend, looking stilted, "I...thought you said you were bringing both of them?"

"Haku chose to sulk off." The redhead answered simply, not really sure what had happened to him.

"Figures." Kankuro responded with arms folded across his chest, "There isn't really a rush either. This is good for now."

Naruto was still very perplexed, "Just who are you people? You act just like Gaara!"

That much was apparent.

Temari's smile was friendly, "We are Temari and Kankuro of the Sand."

"And you're supposed to be Gaara-kun's brother and sister?" He couldn't help but be skeptical; it was a bit far-fetched after all.

Kankuro nodded, "You got that right."

Gaara chose to remain silent for the time being. Their interaction was so amusing it would be a travesty to interfere.

Naruto, unlike his teammate, wasn't as amused. He didn't like the fact that these people could show up out of nowhere one day and claim things such as family ties. It was a serious matter in his opinion, "Then what the hell took you so long to find him, huh? Can you tell me that?"

"Our father assured us that he was dead. What were we supposed to do?" Temari was also touchy about the subject, "We had no way of knowing he was alive or where he was. Don't make it seem like we're the ones to blame."

Things were getting a bit tense.

Gaara did not feel like discussing such a painful matter, so he merely changed the subject, "Where's your teammate?"

Kankuro's frown was emphasized by the markings painted on his face, "He's at the hospital. He hasn't shut up since the match."

It was with that notion Naruto was reminded of a pressingly more important matter, "Oh yeah! The hospital! I better get going and see Sakura-chan and Hinata-chan!"

Gaara gave a quizzical look to his friend who had turned to face his siblings, a bit awkwardly, "Uh, it was nice meeting you, Temari and Kankuro! I'll talk to you guys another time! I've really gotta go right now!" Naruto darted off a moment later, hoping he had been polite enough.

His impression of Gaara's brother and sister had been what he had anticipated them to be: duplicates of Gaara, except older.

"Hm. He's...interesting," Kankuro observed, "And you've lived with him for how long?"

"Ever since I left."

"You can go with him if you want, Gaara." Temari notified him, aware of his anxious expression, "We'll meet up with you later."

Gaara hesitated for a moment, considering the idea. He then nodded to them and quietly followed after Naruto.

It had gone quite well.