Log: CoB Adventures in Suna

[endless_scrolls]

Title: Adventures in Suna
Type: RP log
Fandom: Naruto
Character(s): Tenten, Rock Lee; brief mentions of Sabaku no Gaara, Deidara
Pairing(s): None
Warning(s): None
Disclaimer: I own only the part that I played in this.
Note: Log originally started for the circleobetrayal RP comm, but never finished. I take all the blame for that.
Dedicated to: midori_no_ryuu aka redalmond

Wiping the sweat from her brow and at the same time sweeping aside the damp locks of her bangs, Tenten wordlessly stepped through the gates of Sunagakure. It had been a long three day's trek from Konoha to the Village Hidden in the Sand as she escorted a small band of merchants and traders to their destination, only made more tedious when they would make snide comments under their breaths about being led and protected by a woman. She was a shinobi and among one of the top ranking kunoichis in the village. It wasn't an all too difficult feat to overhear their conversations; they hadn't even seemed to be trying hard to hide their opinions on the matter. But despite her personal feelings opposing their views, the brunette was also a professional; petty things like that were never allowed to get in the way of her obligations, both to herself and to her village.

Besides, she did well in gaining at least a little amount of respect when she managed to save a number of them from the local wildlife that roamed the forests of the Fire Country. You would think for traveling merchants and traders, they'd know to be more careful.

With a shrug of indifference, Tenten quickly brushed aside the thought, letting her mind concentrate on more important matters. Entrance into the Hidden Sand Village meant that her assignment was done. Normally on such a short and harmless C-ranked mission, she would have headed straight back after restocking on her provisions. But the Hokage had given the kunoichi an entire week to complete the mission, knowing perfectly well that as a student of Maito Gai she could have finished it in four. The brunette could not help but smile as she recalled Neji's comment about the mission being a poor use of her skills as a weapon specialist. And while under normal circumstances she would have completely agreed, there was no denying the ulterior motive behind Tsunade-sama's decision to send her instead of some other Chuunin.

Yes, she had missed her green-clad teammate (perhaps nearly to the point where it started to become a great distraction) and almost everyone in Konoha knew it. Tenten was not delusional in her emotions. Lee had a duty to fulfill in Suna and nothing she said or felt would take him away from it until the job was done. She knew that...but it still did not change the fact that her team was not quite the same without all of them working together, even during early morning practices. So the short vacation and brief reunion would be well received...if only she could find him.

Taking a momentary pause to brush off more grains of sand clinging to her white shirt, the kunoichi began her search. "Now...where is he?"

In Suna, if Lee was not training Gaara, he was either eating, sleeping, exploring, or training himself. Currently, it was late afternoon, which usually meant that he would be training til dinnertime, and then training again before going to bed. Couldn't let Neji get ahead of him while he was away.

Atop a sheer electrical pole, balanced on his hands, his body straight as a line above him, Lee was on his nine-hundredth-and-seventh push-up.

He was not doing it to show off; he'd just looked at the pole in passing, realized he wouldd never done push-ups on top of one before, and immediately challenged himself to accomplish one thousand without falling, or else he'd have to run double the usual amount of laps around the village before the night was through.

Nine-hundred and eight... maybe I should switch to one hand…

For him, though, time spent exercising was also spent thinking. Lee allowed his mind to wander while his body strained, pushed, and pulled itself, the pain of his exertions so familiar now he barely noticed it...

...Nine-hundred and nineteen... I hope the cafeteria has more of that spicy bread tonight...

...Nine-hundred and thirty... I wonder how everyone is doing at home...

Hmm…

Konoha was a warm spot in his heart Lee visited often. He enjoyed training and getting to know Gaara, of course, but sometimes, when he felt lonely, his thoughts would stray to clear, running waters and sun-dappled forests... and if he closed his eyes, he'd be able to see cherry blossom hair, infuriating white-eyed rivals, adorable weapon mistresses, and wonderful, understanding senseis...

A drop of sweat trailed from the back of Lee's head, down the curve of his jaw, and slipped off his chin. I should write another letter tonight, he thought, finishing his nine-hundredth-and-sixty-sixth push-up.

Glancing off to the side where the small band of merchants and traders she had been escorting were quietly gathering in hopes of setting up their temporary business in the streets of the city, the kunoichi mentally said her goodbyes and set off to explore the village while, at the same time, taking a brief surveillance of the surrounding area. It was mostly out of habit, but partially out of curiosity that Tenten allowed herself to fall under the instincts of shinobi training. Ingrained in every one of them since their entrance into the Academy was the hint of suspicion and paranoia that every agent should possess. Double-dealing and back-stabbing were common occurrences, even among the most noble and well respected of ninjas. Ultimately such actions were for the good of the village. And while Tenten would on occasion disagree with such tactics, she had been known to practice them as well. Deception was something that came easy for her, almost too easily. Her kind heart and genuine personality made it far less difficult to gain the trust of almost anyone she came across. But I digress.

Now was not an occasion to be suspicious. Both the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind had been allies for many years now, supporting each other through the difficult times of reconstruction and recovery. Though she had not seen the damage that had been made during Deidara's attack, Tenten had heard of it through conversations between other people and had been a witness to the sort of power that the blond Akatsuki member possessed. Knowing that, the kunoichi was amazed at how complete everything appeared. There only seemed to be little to moderate damage, not including the few number of buildings that were being completely rebuilt from the ground up. Lee wasn't kidding when he said the sand-nins were very productive.

"Speaking of which..." Squinting under the blinding light of the sun, she finally took note of a lone figure perched on top of an electric pole. Upon closer examination, she realized that he was doing vertical push-ups; a feat that most would not be capable of accomplishing while planted firmly on the ground let alone at such a height. But this was not some ordinary citizen and certainly not one to be underestimated. The splash of green amid the more earthy tones of the village was a dead giveaway on the identity of the 'mysterious' person. With a soft chuckle coupled with an amused smirk, Tenten could only shake her head at Lee's enthusiasm. "Same old Lee."

She knew her teammate to be one who could not manage to stay still for long periods of time, especially when there was work to be done. So, it was no surprise that she would find him in the midst of a very interesting method of training. From what she could make of his face, Lee was concentrating solely on the task at hand of keeping his balance. A fall from that height could be disastrous for anyone, specially trained shinobi or not. Normally, she was willing to give him all the time that he needed, but the kunoichi only had a small window of opportunity to enjoy her stay in Suna. Even with the speed and efficiency that any member of Team Gai possessed, Tenten only had about a full day to enjoy her visit before she was forced to head back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

With that thought in mind, Tenten reached back into her holster and pulled out one of several kunai knives still left in her possession after saving her clients from a nest of snakes. Pausing a moment to check her calculations, she let the tool fly through the air with a mischievous smirk of satisfaction as it embedded itself into the wooden pillar just right between his middle and index finger. That should get his attention.

As highly-protected as the hidden villages were, there were plenty of ways for enemies to slip in, as the Akatsuki showed, and shinobi could not let their guard down for even an instant. Lee heard the faint whistle of the kunai a second before it keenly entered the wood between his fingers - he launched himself up with his arms a moment later, flipping over in midair and automatically sending two shuriken slicing in the direction the weapon had come from, stretching his senses out to catch his attacker -

Waitaminute.

As he fell, his eyes zeroed in on the slight figure standing below the pillar. He could hardly believe it - was it really her?

The ground cracked slightly beneath him as he landed, a few feet away from his assailant. Lee knew how to jump and fall in such a way that his weights would not damage the surface he descended upon, but the electric pole had been rather high, and he himself had been quite eager to talk to this person.

She was the only one who ever greeted him with throwing knives on a regular basis, and no enemy would be foolish enough to seriously attack someone in the middle of the Sand village when security and suspicions were at their highest, considering what had recently happened to the Kazekage... unless the enemy was absolutely sure of his or her position. But Lee detected no killing intent; furthermore, no sudden massive ambush had erupted before him... so that probably meant that this was really... "Tenten?" he asked cautiously, striding forward. Two Suna ninja who had been nearby had already flitted over, expressions hard and suspicious. "What's going on?" they demanded, eyes flicking from one Konoha chuunin to the other.

Exposed fingers peeking out from the ends of her training gloves tapped out the seconds along the seams of the kunoichi's sleeves, as she mentally counted how long it took the 'Beautiful Green Beast' to flow and shift into each new revelation. Squinting at the sun's glare, Tenten numbered off the time in between his reactions; his response to the kunai lodging itself into the wood between his straining fingers, the automatic launch of a counter attack, as well as the realization of her identity; all while still having the presence of mind to keep time while she dodged the two shurikens he had sent in her general direction. Landing in a crouched position with a puff of sand on the same beat as her teammate, the Leaf's very own weapon mistress wordlessly dusted herself off as she slowly stood before him in all her glory.

It had been a sort of game the two had unintentionally developed over the years as a result of their lack of participation in the other's training. With their sensei's main focus on Lee and the development of his taijutsu as well as the demands that was required of Neji's sparring partner, it left little time or opportunities for the two to help each other out. In this way, both their abilities as shinobis could be tested, if only briefly. While the deadly greeting did well to maintain the kunoichi's accuracy, it also gave Lee another method of improving his speed and reaction time.

Mentally calculating the new information she had gathered in that small instance and comparing it with his previous stats, Tenten was admittedly impressed with his progress; it had been everything she had grown to expect her diligent teammate. He's improved a lot since the last time.

"You've been practicing," she commented cheerfully with a smile that was all her own before playfully adding, "But is that really any way to greet an old friend?"

Knowing the high level of risk she was taking in openly making such a bold move within the village walls of Suna, especially so recently after the attack made by Akatsuki which almost left them leaderless, the kunoichi had been prepared for the consequences. So she was not the least bit surprised when two seemingly well trained and alert sand-nin guards appeared to check out the disturbance.

"There's nothing to concern yourself about, gentlemen," Tenten replied to their wary inquiry, "We were just having a brief spar, isn't that right, Lee?"

Lee's face broke into a wide grin. He had not realized how much he'd missed her, and all of his friends, until she was right in front of him. "Yes, that is right," he agreed, closing the distance between them. He turned and smiled at the Suna nin; "This is how Tenten usually greets me - I was just a little surprised, since I was not expecting her to be here today, hehe..." he rubbed the back of his neck with a hand apologetically, and draped his remaining arm around her shoulder.

The Suna shinobi watched the display of companionship with cold eyes. They were not amused. "Let's see your papers," the taller one said, a hint of warning in his voice. His partner stood by silently. They ignored Lee; he'd been in the village long enough for them to notice, question, and learn to avoid, but this kunoichi was new. She had also nearly incited a fight within a street used by civilians... and damaged Suna infrastructure. They needed to make a note of her.

Next to Tenten, Lee's arm tightened slightly. "Oh, um, well..." he had been ready to protest, before he remembered that it probably wouldn't be a good idea. He looked down at his teammate with a small smile and eyes that apologized for her having to deal with grumpy Suna ninja.

Even after all the years they spent together on the same team, it still surprised her a little to know the level of protectiveness he could possess. She had not expected the defensive attitude that Lee took when the sand-nins started questioning her presence in their village. Having spent all this time in the city training with Gaara-sama and seeing first hand the kind of destruction that just one Akatsuki member could do in mere hours, he should have known or at least suspected the cause of their caution. Any sign of trouble could mean countless of things, all with the high probability of effecting the well-being of their village and the people that resided within. Considering she was a visiting agent from another shinobi village, it was standard procedure to be asked for her papers. In fact, the kunoichi would have had to question the skill of their agents if no one had came to investigate.

However, she did appreciate the small gesture of support. So prone to open and wild displays of affection alongside the ever eccentric Maito Gai, it was the little things that Lee did on instinct and without thinking that made him so endearing to Tenten. There was where his true nature rested, and she had missed that underlying quality more than anything. Just like old times.

With a calm mindset that almost bordered on indifference, Tenten easily unclasped the first few hooks of her outer shirt and reached into the inside pocket to pull out the requested documents. It was where she kept all important documents, both on missions and during her everyday life. True, it would be the first place any enemy would look but it was also the easiest to keep protected. So close to the vital organs of her system, it was like second nature to keep the area safe from all harm. On a whim, instead of letting her arm fall back to her side, the kunoichi placed her hand on top of his in hopes of calming his concerns.

"Everything should be in order," the weapon mistress stated, keeping a light tone to her voice to further her harmless image, "As you can see, I was sent here on an escort mission, nothing to concern yourself about."

The taller Suna nin took and swept his eyes over the proffered papers, memorizing Tenten's mission statement and brief biography. His gaze flickered from the chuunin's face, unorthodox garments (did all young Konoha nin not wear their uniforms?), and finally back to her papers. The Hidden Leaf village was amongst the most powerful out of all of them, but if their chuunin disregarded proper etiquette within a foreign nation, more than a flicker of doubt was cast on their credibility...

As the Sand shinobi scanned the files, Lee, reassured by Tenten's hand on his, gave her another smile and relaxed the arm around her shoulder. He hadn't liked the man's tone; the instinct to protect and defend his friend against a possible threat was automatic, worked deep into his bones. It overrode his ninja training sometimes, which wasn't always a good thing. Lee sighed mentally; he hoped that this little confrontation of theirs would turn out for the best.

Finished, the Sand ninja shuffled the documents back to their original order and returned them to their owner. "Every foreigner who releases her weapons within striking distance of Sunagakure's civilians concerns me," he replied quietly. Lee opened his mouth to say something - anything - in Tenten's defense, but was interrupted by the Suna ninja before he could utter a sound. "Your superiors will be informed. If you plan on remaining here, save your... sparring... for the designated training grounds." Meanwhile, his companion had retrieved the kunai lodged in the electric pole; this he relinquished to Lee, who took it with his free hand (and an attempt at a pacifying grin; it was about as effective as trying to break a rock with a feather).

Scrutinous gazes and leering looks were things that were not uncommon to Tenten's life as a shinobi of the Leaf. So it was of little worth to her when she received questionable glances from the leading sand-nin as he took extra care to memorize every single detail printed in the kunoichi's documents. Suspicion was standard if not mandatory for everyone in the profession, despite the obvious alliance between the two villages. But though she understood their concerns, Tenten neither felt guilty nor regretted her actions in greeting Lee in such a manner and for raising alarm among the citizens. Strong-willed and stubborn as any in the field, she would not degrade herself into making a futile attempt to apologize for doing such either.

While the prospect of the Hokage finding out about the incident did little to ease her mind, there was nothing to be done about it now. The past was just that, fixed and unchangeable no matter how recent the moment had been. All that mattered in her mind was that no one had been harmed -- she prided her accuracy to never allow such things to occur anywhere else but the battlefield -- and as for the infrastructure of the village, one simple kunai knife was hardly something that the guards should upset about. But this was their village, their place of residence and pride. She was only a guest here and would at the very least have to respect that.

"I'll be sure to refrain from releasing any more weapons in the streets then." The steel goddess remained calm in addressing either guards as she slipped the documents back into the inside pocket of her shirt. Standard protocol and conduct over with, Tenten allowed her senses to relax under the weight of Lee's simple presence.

She tensed a bit however when the other sand-shinobi proceeded to gather her discharged weapon from the wooden pole and placed it within Lee's care. If there was one thing that irritated her more than anything it was other people handling her tools. They were an extension of herself and the skill that was all her own. Having full access to the weapons shop owned by an old family friend, the majority of weapons in her arsenal had been made by the kunoichi's hands, specifically designed and crafted for attacks and jutsus she had created for herself.

The taller Sand shinobi nodded curtly at Tenten, narrowed his eyes slightly at Lee (Don't get into any more trouble), and was gone in a swirl of wind and sand. His partner followed suit a fraction of a second later.

Lee seemed to sag with relief. "Whew! I think that went pretty well, do you not think? Welcome to Suna, Tenten!" He dropped his arm from her shoulder so that he could shift himself around to get a better look at her. She had not changed at all - big brown eyes, same old hairstyle (with strands sticking out here and there), pretty face - now that they were alone (save for the civilians who were still looking curiously in their direction, wondering about the little disturbance - but they could ignore them), he felt himself getting happier and happier.

Sighing, Tenten squinted to prevent the small particles from entering into her eyes as both sand shinobis disappeared in a swirl of sand. She had caught the look they had given Lee before their departure and did all she could to contain the annoyance the girl felt from seeing the quiet reprimand. Tenten had been the one that caused the disturbance, not Lee. The way both guards were treating the situation made it seem like the green-clad shinobi was her keeper, someone in direct charge of seeing that the kunoichi was kept in line. Her fist discreetly clenched at the thought. The steel mistress was not one to be patronized.

"It went as good as can be expected." But even as that fleeting thought was quickly silenced by her own rationale, the kunoichi could not help but feel bad for dragging her teammate into trouble. As a high-ranking shinobi, she should have thought better of her actions, even if the more attached side of her psyche simply wanted a touch of familiarity in the wide expanse of a foreign land. But what's done is done. Nothing we can do about it now.

"Does everyone get that sort of welcoming in Suna?" Exchanging the scowl for a friendly smile, she went with the light-hearted approach to what had happened and turned towards the young Leaf shinobi in hopes that he would continue the trend. Dwelling and harboring grudges for things that could not be changed did little to set a good mood for what was to be their brief reunion.

Lee returned her smile with a dazzling one of his own. "Pretty much. The people here do not like foreigners very much, and after what happened with the Akatsuki, they've grown a lot more suspicious of everyone that comes through. I was afraid for a second there that they were going to force you to leave." His large, round eyes filled with tears as an enormous feeling overcame him. "I am so happy to see you!" With no further warning, Lee seized her in a great bear hug - "I really, really missed you!" - like he should have done from the start.

"With good reason I'd imagine." In idle thought, she glanced off to the side at the same spot where the sand-nins had stood before they disappeared. Seeing what remained of the damage Deidara had made months after his initial attack on the village and knowing how easily the Akatsuki member had managed to capture their leader, she could not blame the guards for being so suspicious. But being overly cautious had been no excuse for them to treat her as they did, like nothing more than a low-rate kunoichi who was not even good enough to receive a direct reprimand from someone who seemed to hold the same standard ranking as she did. Respect was something that Tenten had worked hard to gain through the many years of hard work and training. Nothing would take that away from her. "They're quick to react though, I'll give them that."

Her attention still concentrated on the patch of sand before her eyes, the Leaf's weapons expert only had enough time to register Lee's statement of endearment before she felt strong, thin arms wrap themselves around her smaller frame. Out of instinct and automatic response, she pressed her hands flat against his lower back, finding her biceps immovable under the sheer force of his own. It was nothing like being sandwiched between both Lee and Gai-sensei (which has happened on several occasions when the kunoichi had been careless enough to step into the path of their dynamic embraces), but Tenten liked to think that this was a far better experience. The hug held just the right amount of force and enthusiasm that, for once, did not restrict her movements too much nor leave her gasping for the much needed oxygen that her body was being deprived of.

"I missed you too, Lee." Though he could not see it, Tenten's mouth fondly fixed itself into a lop-sided grin. Her maneuverability limited by the positioning of his arms, she could only half-heartily pat at the taijutsu user's back in an attempt to show her own enthusiasm at finally being able to see the young shinobi after so long an absence. After a moment of thought, she gave his torso a light squeeze, closing her eyes as she pressed her cheek into Lee's shoulder. She had really missed her teammate. "It's been a while."

"It has been so long," Lee agreed, nuzzling the side of one of Tenten's hair-buns affectionately (and making the looser strands fizz up a little, but he didn't notice) as his embrace was returned. He released her and looked down fondly. "How are you doing? How are Neji and Gai-sensei? Did you get any interesting missions?" Lee wrote back to his team regularly, but it had been a week since he'd sent a letter out, and it was always better to hear it firsthand (plus, he hadn't listened to Tenten's voice in eons).

Enjoying the physical assurance of knowing that her long absent teammate was there right in front of her, Tenten could care less about how unprofessional they appeared as the two of them affectionately displayed their emotions for all to see. It was moments like those that made the toil of everyday shinobi life a little easier to handle. And for those who lacked the sentimental comfort that a family would usually provide (young ninjas like Lee and Tenten), moments like those were as precious as gold.

In the two years since her father's death, Team Gai had moved from being nothing more than her eccentric squad of anything but perfect shinobis to being the most profound figures in Tenten's life. Whether intentional or not, the three men (because indeed she had seen them grow into men since the four man squad had been created) had become like a family for the kunoichi. And as Tenten stepped back from Lee's embrace, she found that the transition was anything but a surprise. Though maturity and skill level would label them otherwise, Lee, Neji, and even Gai-sensei were her boys; they always would be.

"Heh, please, one question at a time, Lee." Though it was a bit much to take in at one time, the steel goddess could only chuckle lightly at the young man's enthusiasm. Being away from him for such a long period of time, she had been less than prepared in dealing with his boundless energy. But only after a few moments in his presence, Tenten found that slipping back into their familiar roles would be easier than she initially believed. "I'm fine. Neji and Gai-sensei are fine too. Everyone's...fine."

Lee didn't mind the wide-eyed attention that his and Tenten's affectionate reunion was bringing them; as far as he was concerned, one ought to show one's precious people exactly how much one cared about them, as often as possible. "Just fine?" he wheedled, bringing them into the shade of the neighboring building. "If that had been a mission report, I would have been sorely disappointed in you." Lee leaned easily against the rough stone wall, mirth playing in his eyes.

"Hey, I'm a weapon specialist, not some secretary pushing papers," she teased in return, "I don't need to get any more elaborate than that unless I have to."

Playfully, the kunoichi prodded her knuckle into his side, searching for the sensitive spot she knew was there. Where her teammates were concerned, there were few weaknesses that Tenten did not know of. Being together for so many years often allotted such knowledge and insight. And while their team was known for being serious shinobis while on duty, she was more than happy to take advantage of each and every one of those weaknesses when they were not working. "Truth is I haven't seen much of them lately. We've been assigned to several individual missions since you left."

"I guess the Hokage feels the same as we do about taking on assignments without the whole team," she continued on with a shrug, a faint smile pulling at the corners of her lips, "Besides, it wouldn't feel right without you."

An exaggerated, full-body flinch was what Tenten received for her jab; with a small yelp, Lee squirmed away from her. "Tenten! Revealing your teammate's weak spot in a foreign village - I would never have expected it of a kunoichi of your caliber!" He rubbed the spot on his waist as she talked; darn but her knuckles were sharp.

As the last of her words left her mouth, Lee's smile took up his entire face. "Really?!" He was extremely touched - normally, he would have embraced her with tears streaming down his face, but one needed all the moisture one could get in the desert. He settled for another hug. "It does not feel the same without my team with me either," he said into one of her buns. "I must admit that while I do extremely enjoy training Gaara, and exploring Suna, it gets pretty lonely during the day..."

Lee's eyes widened as he suddenly remembered. He whirled around and grasped her shoulders. "How long can you stay? I am not keeping you from returning to Konoha, am I?" Lee was a bit of a fiend when it came to punctuality, and if Tenten was late (or, even worse, if she missed) her appointment with the Hokage... well, Lee couldn't have that. As the second fastest in their team (the fastest being Gai-sensei), he'd carry her a quarter of a way if he had to.

Lightly chuckling at his reaction to her prodding, she could only shake her head at his reprimand as they continued their stroll down the empty street, finding that it only add to the endearing quality that made Rock Lee who he was. There was no real reason to be concerned about her actions, the kunoichi knew that. Had anyone else attempted such a move, there was no doubt in Tenten's mind that Lee would have been able to counter quickly with his ever formidable speed. She was aware that she had only managed to get past his defenses because of the familiarity that was already established between the two, as well as the Lee's familiarity with the village. After all, even the greatest of shinobis let their guards down in the presence of old friends, if only for a moment.

And it was that thought which brought her back to the present moment, strolling through the empty streets of Sunagakure where Lee had been assigned to train personally with the Kazekage, formerly known as Sabaku no Gaara. When news of his mission had been known, Tenten had been very proud of her teammate. Very few shinobis ever gained such prestige that even received the attention of a Kage. To be asked by Gaara himself to come and help train him was a great honor, of which Lee was most deserving of. But at the same time, it had been a great burn to her pride, reminding Tenten that she herself had been passed over for such an opportunity when Sakura had been named Tsunade's apprentice. It made sense that it would be Sakura and not her. So well versed in weaponry and fighting capabilities, medical training would have been nearly useless on the kind of mission that required Tenten's skills. Still, the prospect of becoming better than she was far outweighed her rationale.

Even now as she watched Lee carry on in his usual manner, there was a noticeable change. He was still the exuberant student of the equally eccentric Maito Gai, lovable and reliable shinobi to all he considered a good friend. But there was also the added experience of living in the Sand Village and facing the different conditions such an existence would bring, all on his own with little help from others if the behavior of the two Suna guards were any indication. He was growing without her, as she had expected both her teammates would do. And such a notion had always made her feel small, insignificant in their lives despite the many years they had been a team. So it was nice to know that despite the new experiences he was no doubt having while staying in the Sand Village, they were in his daily thoughts as well.

Such ponderings were pushed back towards the dark corner of her mind when Lee presented his rather frantic question. Snickering, the Tenten lightly gripped his forearms and gently removed his hands from her shoulders. "It's alright Lee, Tsunade-sama gave me an entire week to complete the mission. Even at a regular pace that's still a three day's journey both here and back."

"And you know as well as I do that I can make it in two," she added with a wink, "So I have at least a full day to rest in between trips."

Lee's round eyes widened. "So that means..." Another impossibly bright smile split his face. "You can spend the day with me! Oh, how wonderful! I can show you all around Suna - the places I'm allowed to go, anyway - you will love the weapons shop, and then there's the daily market, and the restaurants-" Lee pulled her along, chattering happily as he walked; he was intent on showing her the weapons shop when yet another thought occurred to him mid-enthusiastic ramble. "-and the camels and museum and library and - Oh!" He stopped abruptly on the side of the street, looking mortified. "How careless of me! Are you tired? You made the trip in two days! You can have my bed and we can go exploring later - or we do not have to! What do you want to do?"

Seeing as Tenten was a dear friend and also sort of his guest, Lee wanted to make sure she enjoyed herself for the short amount of time she was allowed to linger.

Feeling the gentle tug on her arm, the kunoichi could only follow along as he pulled her down the street in earnest, his bountiful excitement and enthusiasm doing nothing but bringing a smile to her face. The list of things he planned on doing with her seemed endless and impossible to do in one day. But knowing him as well as she did, Tenten supposed that the young shinobi was the type of person who would try anyways, punishing himself afterwards when the task could not be achieved. Same old Lee, indeed.

"Well, I wouldn't mind finding a hotel for me to stay for the night first so that I can drop off my things." To that, Tenten adjusted the strap of her pack, emphasizing its presence with an easy roll of her shoulder. Hours of wearing the burden was starting to get to her tired muscles as they screamed for a reprieve from the weight, though she knew that it would be much heavier at the start of her journey home, filled to capacity with replenished supplies. "Exploring the village doesn't sound much fun if I have to carry it around all day with me, especially considering the fact that we've been practically inseparable for the past three days."

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face, reminding the weapon mistress of the insufferable heat of the desert. The weather in the Hidden Sand Village was nothing like that of Konoha, and even the white shirt of her training outfit was not enough to ward off the high temperatures. Though she did not doubt that she would eventually adjust to the difference in climate over time, Tenten was quick to remind herself that she only had one day in Sunakagure; not enough time to do much but explore. "Any suggestions you might have in mind?"

Lee nodded with a grin, automatically wiping the side of Tenten's face with the back of a bandaged hand. "Why yes, I do have a few - you do not have to go to a hotel, first of all, because you can leave your things in my quarters, they're gigantic. And then... we will just go to all the places you want to go!" He stood before her happily, less uncomfortable in the sun despite the sweat and heat, having lived in Suna for some time.

An eye flinched shut when his hand came into close proximity to wipe away the unruly bead of sweat, more out of instinct than anything else. For shinobis, sight was important in their line of work; for her personally, it was a vital component to her particular skill development and execution. among other things. Her accuracy depended prominently on sight and being able to gage distances while factoring in outside elements such as wind speed and the movements of the target. And after spending years training with a teammate who had one of the best perceptions in the village, Tenten had picked up on the same protectiveness that the young Hyuuga prodigy had when it came to their eyes. "Sounds like a plan."

"Lead the way." Making one final adjustment with the strap on her shoulder, the kunoichi gestured with her hand for him to proceed while she followed along beside him. "As for where I'd want to go, I'm not the one familiar with this village so you're just going to have to tug me around."

Lee sent her a teasing smile. Tug her around, eh? "Gladly~" Without another word, he gently took her wrist and set off at a quick, easy pace (for them, anyway; for most shinobi who weren't a part of Team Gai, it would have been pretty exhausting, to say the least), sprinting over rooftops and leaping through the air to make better time. The dry wind was pleasant on his heated skin - and even better than that was the fact he had someone to share it with.

In short order, they faced the sandstone entrance of Lee's designated quarters. "Here it is!" Lee exclaimed happily, releasing his light grip to fish the keys out of his vest.

Following his lead as she said she would, Tenten found that the speed in which they traveled did well to cool the beads of sweat that clung to her body, giving her a brief reprieve from the rising temperatures. To that, she was most grateful and appreciative for the dry sort of heat that existed in the desert, notably better than the humidity in Konoha. In true Team Gai fashion the two found themselves standing outside of Lee's assigned living quarters. The kunoichi stood there in front of the entrance, simply staring at the sandstone in amazement. A craftsman herself in the art of weaponry, she could appreciate the details and textures in the stone alone, a true testament to the skills those in Hidden Sand possessed. If this was the outside, she could only imagine what wonders laid within.

"I see the people of Sand know how to treat their guests," Tenten commented, sending an impish smirk and playful wink at her green-clad teammate, "When they're not causing a disturbance in the village, that is."

"They certainly do," Lee laughed as the door swung open. He held it out for her to enter before he did.

"Ah... it's bigger than my apartment back home," he said as he took his sandals off and placed them to the side. He gave the place a quick once-over to make sure that everything was clean and in order; Lee was meticulous when it came to his own quarters, but since he was a guest here, he took extra care to keep his room sparkling. Yep, no problems here - his weights and training equipment were lined up precisely and his cacti were flourishing on the table; Lee turned to his friend with a grin. "What do you think? You can drop your burden anywhere you like."

With one last, lingering glance at her teammate, she stepped across the threshold of the living quarters he had been assigned for the duration of his stay. Following his lead, she slipped off her sandals as well, placing them side by side against the wall and next to the door in a neat line. Deciding that it was a better place than any, she quietly set her pack down by the door as well and slowly moved further into room. Craning her neck up to really take it all in, she stood in awe of its magnitude and splendor. "I think it’s bigger than both our apartments combined back home."

"Look at you, big, important man in Suna, training with the Kazekage and all." Both born with a middle-class background, neither had the means nor the desire to live beyond what was a necessity. Always out on assignments and hardly ever home in the first place, Tenten had no problems with living in her small one-room apartment. It was affordable and manageable, even when missions were scarce and payments were due. "I‘m impressed."

Lee's trademark smile preceded his response. "I was impressed too, when I first arrived - and you're probably right about it being larger than both our apartments." He shut the door with a click before heading into the kitchen. "Come in, I have milk, water, energy drinks, some leftovers, and Gai-sensei's dumplings!" He looked up from behind the fridge door - "Unless you want to go to a restaurant?"

"Water‘s fine for now, thank you, Lee." Eyes too focused on studying the details of the room, food was the last thing on her mind. She could only manage to shift her head to the side for a moment when she had addressed him as her gaze trained itself on the distinct embellishments scattered around the room and along the walls. However, her stomach had a different plan as it softly growled its protest, breaking through the silence of the Lee‘s living quarters. Scratching at the back of her head with a hint of embarrassment, Tenten turned towards her teammate. "Heh, although, those dumplings do sound nice right about now."

Design and structure were only a few among many clear differences between the two shinobi villages. The houses alone were unlike any in Konoha, the rock structures of the desert quite unseen in the surrounding forest area that was so familiar in the Hidden Leaf Village. The magnitude of the room alone was something to get accustomed to as well. "So tell me, what do you do with it all, considering you’re used to dealing with places half this size?"

Lee tossed Tenten a bottle of water - common in Konoha, precious in Suna - certain she would catch it, and bounded over to the microwave with cold dumplings. "I stretch and lift weights in here before going out to run and practice katas," he said as he punched the numbers in for the timer. "It took me awhile to get used to a hundred laps, but I can do more than three hundred without much trouble now!"