Downfall (A Rock Lee fanfic)

It's a Girl Thing

Chapter 11: It's a Girl Thing

"You have got to be kidding me!" An enraged blonde shouted as she slammed her hands down against her desk and stood, leaning over to glare at her messanger.

Choji cowered under the gaze of his Hokage. "N-no, unfortunately not Tsunade-sama..." He mumbled anxiously. He had been at Gai's funeral, and when he heard that Lee had left, Choji decided to invite Tenten out to eat. So she didn't feel so lonely. Choji was sweet like that. However, when he got to the kunoichi's house, she was no where to be seen. Choji became so worried about her well being that he started to search everywhere, and that is how he found that Sakura was also missing.

And that is why the Akimichi now stood fidgiting in front of the Godaime.

Tsunade sat back in her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. "Uh, Tsunade-sama, I-I'm worried about Tenten. She just lost everything so quickly, what if she does something drastic??" The spiral-cheeked boy worried. He knew that sometimes in these situations, people thought about suicide. And Tenten was not a stranger to every sharp and deadly thing in existence.

"She already has!" Tsunade snapped, making Choji jump.

"Wh-what!? I-is she okay???" he sputtered. Little did anyone know, the two were actually quite fond of eachother. They would often get together to hang out, almost always resulting in an eating competition. She may not look it, but Tenten always gave Choji a real run for his money. Afterwards they would walk off their full stomaches and Tenten would explain to him how much she hates gender stereotypes, always using the story of when she sliced off this guys eyebrows and hair for telling her she should be in the kitchen. All with a kunai and two seconds.

"Calm down, I don't mean that she's injured herself." Choji let out a sigh of relief. "It appeares that Tenten, with Sakura, has gone after Lee. Without my order." Tsunade grumbled, wondering when she had lost control of her village nin.

She sighed, still in shock that her own student would leave as well. "Go to Kakashi and tell him to send Pakkun to the retrieval team to tell them about the girls as well." Tsunade ordered with a dismissing wave.

"Hai." Choji dissapeared in a cloud of smoke to follow orders.

Tsunade was quiet for a moment before placing her face in her hand.

"I really need a drink."

XXxXX

Sakura and Tenten leaped through the trees gracefully, keeping perfect pace with each other. Tenten was dutifully tracking the boys, a skill her sensei had taught her. It did not involve the search for chakra signatures, instead it was more primative. Seeking out and following the little things, like a footprint or a snapped branch.

"Here!" Tenten shouted, falling down from the trees to land on her feet beside a puddle. Next to the reflective water lay black locks of hair. Sakura landed next to her.

Tenten bent down to pick up and rub a peice between her fingers. "Looks like Lee got a haircut."

"How do you know it's his?" Sakura asked skeptically. Tenten snorted. "Are you kidding me? I used to cut his hair all the time. Trust me, it's his." She stated, dropping the silky locks.

"They cant be far, I'm sure we don't have to run anymore." The weapons mistress started walking and turned back to smile at Sakura. "Let's walk and talk."

Sakura shrugged. "Yeah, sure." She fell in step with her brunette friend. Since she finally had the opportunity, the medic decided to ask Tenten a question she had always wondered.

"Hey Tenten... Do you hate me?"

Tenten whipped her head in the direction of Sakura and stared, shocked, mouth agape. "What!? Why would you ever think that!?"

Sakura shrugged. "Well, I know Tsunade-sama is your idol... And that you care a great deal for Lee... And I sort of took both of those from you..." The pinkette muttered, getting increasingly ashamed with herself for what shes done to her friend.

Tenten was quiet, brown orbs quickly shifting to the ground. Sakura glanced over at her, waiting for some verbal reaction.

Finally, Tenten chuckled humorlessly.

"I don't hate you... But I'm not proud of certain feelings I get for you sometimes either. The jealousy... The bitterness.. The anger... But no. I don't hate you." She paused to lick her lips. "You can't help that Lee has a crush on you. It's not your fault. And... Well, to be honest, I think it's for the best that you became Tsunade's student, and not me."

Tenten smiled and looked at her friend through the corners of her eyes. "Tsunade was my idol, but even if I was able to use medical ninjutsu at all, I'm glad you were chosen instead."

Sakura furrowed her brow. "But... Why?"

Tenten smiled wider and set her gaze back onto the ground. "The first time I saw my idol, Tsunade-sama, she had just left a hospital room." Her smile fell away. "Lee's room."

"She had just got done telling him that he should give up being a ninja. Being a ninja meant everything to Lee, it was his greatest dream, his life. And Tsunade just... Destroyed it. His world was crashing down around him. And he even admitted to me that he thought letting Gaara kill him would have been more merciful."

Sakura remained silent, eyes widened at this news about this darker side of Lee that she had never met.

Tenten shrugged. "I know that Tsunade-sama thought that it would be best for him. But it destroyed Lee. And I haven't forgiven her for what she did to him." The weapons kunoichi smirked. "I am thankful that she preformed the surgery and made him better, but... The first time I saw my idol in person, I hated her." Tenten turned to the legendary Sannin's apprentice.

"Because she almost destroyed the Lee I know and love."

Sakura stared back, speechless at Tenten's confession. They remained that way for a while, just walking in silence, both pairs of eyes on the ground.

Finally, Tenten broke it. "So no, I don't hate you." Then she turned to Sakura. "But, is it really obvious how I feel about Lee?"

Sakura smirked. "Well, you wouldn't quite be on this mission if you didn't care about him."

Tenten smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

The two kunoichi continued on after that, a determined silence between them, buy neither felt any need to break it.

XXxXX

"I thought I smelled them!!" Kiba exclaimed, crossing his arms stubbornly. "But I wasn't sure so I didn't say anything..." He grumbled, Akamaru whining beside him.

Shikamaru groaned, face resting in his palm in frustration. In front of him sat a small ninja dog that had been sent to relay information. "The girls too? This mission just gets more and more troublesome..."

Pakkun scratched his ear with his back leg. "'Fraid so. Seems, they are going after the boys." Pakkun shook his head. "Women..." he muttered.

"What a drag.." The shadow master groaned, turning to Kiba. "When you smell somehing like that, you're supposed to tell me."

Kiba bared his teeth angerily. "I told you, I wasn't sure, okay? I'm sorry, jeez!" He huffed, pouting slightly and kicking the ground. "But hey, they can't be too far ahead of us, so if we leave now we'll catch up to them soon enough!"

"B-but Kiba-kun..." A soft voice spoke, drawing attention to the Hyuga heiress. "We h-have to wait until Sh-Shino-kun gets back.." She said, pressing her pointer fingers together.

Kiba sighed. "Yeah. Man, he better hurry up! Does it really take this long to piss?" Hinata gasped, face flushing a ripe crimson. "K-KIBA!"

But in all reality, Shino wasn't using the bathroom. His beetle returned to him, telling him everything it saw and heard.

Shino wasn't coming back.

He was moving ahead.