Strangers in the Past, Lovers in the Future, Comrades always

Ch 3: polite suspicions

NEJI

Guy Sensei was already at the gates when Lee and Neji made their way over. The enormous red arc (the "gates") seemed even bigger today as the small group stood at the entrance.

The three people whom Neji presumed were the newcomers had just made their way over.

A man with dark brown hair and a muscular build stood next to a woman, who Neji assumed to be his wife, with lighter brown hair and dark brown eyes. Both were dressed in the traditional Jonin outfits like Hatake Kakashi. Slightly behind the two stood a young girl around a similar age to Neji and Lee. Her dark brown hair was tied up in two twin buns, her fringe bangs only covering the left and right sides of her forehead. Her dark brown eyes seemed to be staring directly at Neji.

Her stare unnerved him but he did not show it. No one in Konoha looked at him that way, Neji was born into a rich and powerful clan but he earned his respect and no one would look at Neji the way she did. It was not a rude stare but that's what unnerved him, Neji had trained himself to read expressions until he had become a master at it, and yet he did not know what she was thinking as her eyes grazed his features.

She wore a traditional Chinese outfit of a loose, white long sleeve shirt with maroon outlining and small yellow fastening buttons. The outlining of the shirt matched her puffy maroon Chinese pants which she wore with ninja sandals and fingerless gloves.

"Kon'nichiwa! I am Might Guy and these are my youthful students!" Guy Sensei said excitedly and politely.

"Rock Lee!" Lee stuck his hand out which the couple tentatively shook. The girl did not shake Lee's hand.

"Hyuga Neji," Neji said politely and emotionlessly.

Oddly enough, it was at the mentions of their names that made the girl tense up slightly. Neji pondered for a moment.

"Hirokazu," the man said.

"Chihiro," spoke the woman.

The two nodded respectfully before leaping up into the air and disappearing. They did have a mission to start afterall.

"And you are?" Neji asked turning to the girl.

"New to this village," the girl spoke subtly and politely.

So she is mysterious afterall. . not even willing to give her name? Neji thought to himself.

Who are you?

TENTEN

"Do you have a place to stay, spring flower?" Lee asked.

Tenten paused for a moment. Lee used to call her that when they were kids.

In the beginning of the year when team guy had gotten together, Lee looked different and towards the end of the year he got a haircut and wore a bright green spandex. Tenten thought he looked foolish but the only reason she liked it because her kid self secretly thought it brought her and Neji closer since they were the only mature ones. Now Tenten calls herself foolish for thinking that she could ever be close to Neji.

Lee still wore that spandex jumper and still had a bowl cut. He grew taller too. Still enthusiastic, if not more. Guy Sensei also looked the same, he was just as enthusiastic as before.

As for Neji..

He looked older and more wise, but he had been a genius from the start. Tenten had always known that. His outfit had changed, unlike Lee and Guy Sensei's. He wore a v-neck white layered long sleeve shirt with a single button at the chest. He wore a dark gray cloth over his white pants which he paired with traditional ninja sandals. His hair was still long and silky looking with a rubber band tying the tips of his dark hair. He was taller and more lean. His eyes were pale and his face as still as rock.

Tenten copied his behavior and also remained emotionless. In the inside, she was wondering if they ever remembered having a weak girl on their team.

"I'll be staying at a house just outside of Konoha," She answered Lee's question.

"Fantastic! Would you allow for Neji and Lee to give you a tour of the village?" Guy Sensei asked. . . no. Just Guy. He was not her teacher anymore.

"Does your team train often?" She asked politely, not responding to his question.

Guy looked surprised, but only for a second before he practically shouted, "Yes! Team Guy is very devoted to training and we train every day! My students, Lee and Neji, harness their energy with youthful spirits and power!!"

He smiled a blinding smile and he and Lee gave a signature thumbs up.

"Are you training today?" She asked innocently, ignoring Neji's suspicious glance.

"Well. . . we do train every day so yes we were meant to today. . . hOWeVeR, our first priority is to give you a tour of the village and make you feel most welcome!"

"That's very kind of you, but i would like to unpack my things in my new home and get settled in, perhaps you and your team could train today and i could have the tour later?"

"Oh. Oh! Of course! We would have thought that you must unpack!" Guy said 'smoothly'. He and his team said their goodbyes and told her to tell her to call if she needed help. As the trio walked away, Tenten didn't miss the glance Neji had sent her way.

Of course Neji had the right to be suspicious, in fact, he was absolutely correct because she had lied. Tenten had promptly walked to her old house in which she used to live. She opened the creaky door making a mental note to fix that. Everything was exactly the same as it had been, just dustier. She went to her old room and dumped her bag onto the bed. She took out a picture and placed it on the nightstand. Her team picture.

"Right back on this dusty little nightstand, just where you should be."

little too short :/