[OPEN] Weapons Exercise

[bunsofsteel]

Just because she was in a strange location didn't mean she was about to take a vacation... Especially not after being beaten so thoroughly by that Neji. The thought still was enough to freeze her blood, the slightest threads of panic starting to set in before her lip firms and she gathers her Chakra in her feet, leaping straight up into the air. For today's training, at least, she'd left the scroll leaning against one of the short wooden posts simulating a human body. Instead, a long katana shimmered in the late afternoon sunlight as she twists in midair, flipping over with a harsh kiai to split the log neatly in two, then turn, weaving her way through another weapon's form, twisting and pivoting as she fought enemies only she could see. Sweat dripped from her brow, the twin buns of her hair disheveled as she panted for breath, unwilling or unable to quit as she keeps pushing herself.

First that Sasuke, then Neji. She kept finding herself forced into situations where she couldn't fight at range. If she were ever going to advance, she needed to get past her current level. They were geniuses, but -- well, if Lee had proven anything, it was that hard work really could beat a genius.

The question would be if she could ever get to that point herself.

Comments

[bunsofsteel]

"He said... I left on a mission and just..." Her voice catches in her throat again as she squeezes her eyes shut, remembering that bitter pain in his eyes. "Never came back."

[youngesthokage]

"Then you probably died." His voice was soft and he stroked her cheek again. "You can only know to be careful. You can't avoid dying altogether."

[bunsofsteel]

She flinches at that casual declaration, not liking hearing it about anyone she knew, let alone herself, and doesn't answer immediately. "You didn't see him," she murmurs finally, eyes still shut. "You didn't see the way he looked at me. He was... worse than Sasuke, a hundred times worse."

[youngesthokage]

"Maybe. Sasuke's always been a very loving person. I can't say the same for Hyuuga Neji."

[bunsofsteel]

"Neji's--!" She bites her lip when she's so quick to defend him and only reaches up, trying to tug him down to lay flush against her and avoiding his eyes. "Neji has a lot of bitterness, I think. I thought he changed after those exams, but... now I'm not so sure."

[youngesthokage]

He shifted a little to settle against her, nosing her neck lightly before stilling. "And it's possible that events happened to this Neji that will never happen to yours. Sometimes the past is as different as the future, I learned that by talking to my alternate selves."

[bunsofsteel]

"I know, I know..." She sighs and holds him in close, closing her eyes again. "I mean, does it matter if he's my Neji? What does that even mean, anyway? You're not my Itachi, if we're going to call it things like that. I never ever want to meet my Itachi." She pauses when she realizes that might be a little offensive and runs her fingertips down the back of his neck. "Well. You're my Itachi in a different way, I guess."

[youngesthokage]

He shivered a little and tipped his head, eyes mostly closing. "I think what I was trying to convey was not that he is unimportant, but that he is not the -only- Neji. You can't let him color your opinion of all of them. What if you ran into a version of him that wasn't like that? How would he react to you flinching from him when he's done nothing to you?"

[bunsofsteel]

"I know he's not, I know, I just..." She tilts her head to rest against the futon, gaze toward the opposite wall as her fingers continue to stroke gently at the back of his neck. "He looked hurt and alone. And..." Her eyes close again as it's almost a whisper, "I miss my team."

[youngesthokage]

"And I told you after it happened that you shouldn't give up on trying to help him." He shifted to kiss her jaw before returning to rest. "I understand." His voice was a bit heavy. "But at least you have the assurance that it's very likely your team is your team when you see them. Those I miss... well, suffice to say I've yet to get an immediate warm reception from someone not Naruto on first meeting, save, ironically, for a Neji from home who was only around for one day."

[bunsofsteel]

"Yeah..." It's quiet as she lets her fingers tighten slightly against the back of his neck. "It's selfish of me to talk about this, I know... sorry." The last word is a murmur as she turns her head and presses a kiss to his temple, just holding him close.

[youngesthokage]

"It's fine." It was a murmur, and he moved his hand to touch her jaw opposite where he was resting. "I didn't intend to change the topic."

[bunsofsteel]

"No... it's okay. It's always just been about me and what I think, you know?" Her hand moves from his neck up into his hair, just gently stroking the strands, determined not to let him even start to get hints of that bitterness she'd seen in Neji. "You've got me. It might not be enough, but it's something, yeah?"

[youngesthokage]

He was confused at her need to assure him, and just hummed a soft affirmative. "You've made that clear enough. And we -were- talking about how you've been feeling so that does make sense Tenten."

[bunsofsteel]

She huffs quietly through her nose and gives a one-armed shrug, turning her attention away again. "I guess. I just... I want him to know he's not alone. He seems to think he is, but... He's still Neji. And I care for him a lot, even if he doesn't notice or care."

[youngesthokage]

"I'm aware of that. He's your teammate. Often that bond is not one that will fade or die away. You'll convince him, eventually, but you won't if you simply wear yourself down to having nothing to give." He rubbed his cheek against her again.

[bunsofsteel]

Another small sigh, and she all but melts against the futon, pressing her nose to his cheek for a moment before tilting her head to kiss it softly. "I guess. He was just so much stronger than I was... he used a technique I'd never seen Neji use before, and that's the one that..."

[youngesthokage]

"Hurt you." He lifted his head finally, peeking at her through his bangs. "Pain can be a teacher too, it's just usually more vicious, that's all. You'll grow, don't worry."

[bunsofsteel]

She's shaking her head even before he's finished speaking. "Would have killed me," she corrects softly, moving her hand to stroke through those bangs. "If Lee and Gai-sensei hadn't thought to come back for me..." A quiet huff. "And then somehow I ended up here."

[youngesthokage]

"But you're not dead, in spite of the attempt." It was said softly as he watched her. "So you can learn from it."

[bunsofsteel]

"I wasn't worth enough of his time to finish off." It's a murmur as she glances down to not meet his eyes again, her fingers stroking gently through his bangs and down his cheek. "I'm trying to learn, it's just..." Another helpless huff through her nose as she glances back up. "He's a genius."

[youngesthokage]

"Or he didn't want to finish you off." It was a sigh as he shook his head. "As for the last... so? It means nothing if someone works harder or into the weakness of the 'genius' in question." He never had liked the word genius, truly.

[bunsofsteel]

"I was trying to work harder." Her voice is a little admonishing as she continues to stroke her fingers along his cheekbone. "Then someone had to take me home and give me a massage and distract me."

[youngesthokage]

He nuzzled into her fingers, eyes falling half shut. "Effective training isn't quite the same as frustrated training."

[bunsofsteel]

She just hums, tracing the curve of his cheek and along his jaw before pressing her palm flat against his cheek. "I'm not arguing, really."