Will of Fire...

Coming to a stop infront of Reni, they handed her a basket with self painted easter eggs and a book inside. "Happy Easter!" all three cheered as they did so.

Aaaand a little easter special for you too from team gai ofc <3 @shinndo

"Woohoo," Lee shouted, raising both his fist up to the sky "Food! Together with Reni! That sounds great!" He cheered excitedly, making Tenten and Neji shake their heads.

It wasn't often that Tenten saw her sensei like this. His typical smile was gone, having given way to a stern and serious expression instead. And it was also not uncommon for Tenten to forget that Gai could be different from the constantly smiling and joking man he usually was. That he could be just as strict and serious.

Have you ever regretted a choice you made for the sake of the village? (to Mito)

"No."

"Never!"

What should she say now? Since her aunt’s death, Tenten had barely spoken, having withdrawn into herself. It was only after she had come to stay with Gai that she had started talking a little again. But no matter what crossed her mind, it sounded wrong to her. She couldn't exactly wish him a Happy Father's Day, after all, he wasn't really her father, and yet, it felt almost like he was. But she couldn't say that out loud; it would probably just make things awkward. He was her sensei, not her father, after all.

So, instead of saying anything, she simply handed Gai the small gift, the pink flush on her cheeks deepening as she averted her gaze even more, avoiding to look at him for even a second. Even though he wasn't really her father, she still wanted to show her gratitude towards the person who came closest to being a parental figure to her, even when her aunt was still around.

The gift she now handed him was a handmade Father's Day card with tht said:

"Thanks for being there for us and always looking out for us. You're pretty okay after all… I guess...

-Tenten

PS: And thanks for letting me stay with you…"

The front of the card bore the inscription "#Dad No. 1," and the card was decorated inside and out with stickers and small drawings of turtles and tortoises; small jade lucky charm in the shape of a turtle was also attached inside the card.

@shinndo Btw I need you to know, her calling him pretty okay is like a HUGE compliment from early genin Tenten. It's like her saying you're one of the coolest people that exist, ever existed and will ever exist! Plus this is the first father's day she's acknowledging him like this... at least kinda. She's still refusing to accept her feelings. PS: Finally I can send this to you! I had this in my drafts since the beginning of may!!!

The occasion doesn't quite register to Gai until he reads the words on the front of the card, and-- he clutches the card close to his chest, and regards Tenten with a wide, astonished gaze.

It isn't like he raised her. Or held her in his arms as an infant, or a toddler.

But they've been through quite a bit together, haven't they? Not just brutal afternoon sessions in the sun, but slow, crawling hours in the wake of uncertain grief, in the morgue, the station, the wake. Opening his home was the very least he could do for the girl he'd taken under his wing, the one he's resolved to teach and guide and care for. One he's resolved to love.

It happens in a flurry, the way he sweeps her up into a too-tight embrace and spins her around, till he realises there's something small falling out of the card that's clasped in his hand, and Gai drops her unceremoniously to investigate it.

A jade charm. In the shape of a turtle. And ... Tenten thinks he's pretty okay.

After Gai had taken the card, her hands immediately slipped back behind her back; still refusing to look him in the eyes. With her gaze fixed downward to the right, her eyes darted about, looking everywhere but at Gai. Consequently, she couldn't see his expression or the way he pressed the card tightly against his chest.

Should she say something now? Or should she just turn around and leave? Would that make the situation more or less awkward?

But Tenten didn't get the chance to decide, when Gai suddenly swept her up and pulled her against him, or rather, nearly crushed her, her legs hanging above the ground. The impact knocked the breath out of her before he spun her around. Tenten was just about to open her mouth to tell him she couldn't breathe, but just as abruptly as he had lifted her into the embrace, he let go of her again. She barely managed to keep her balance, when her feet met the ground again, otherwise, she surely would have landed on her backside.

Back with her feet on the ground, she took a deep breath, before she looked up at Gai, wearing a slight, angry frown as she puffed out her right cheek. "Don't call me adorable…" she complained, crossing her arms. "I'm not adorable…" she added immediately.

Eventually, she looked away again, realizing her cheeks were turning pink again. She muttered something under her breath, though the words were unintelligible. Then Tenten hesitated for a moment before taking a step toward Gai, wrapping her arms around him, and burying her face against him, her fingers curling into the fabric of his vest.

She was the weapons specialist, that was what Tenten was known for in Konoha. If there was anyone who knew how to handle any weapon, it was her. Tenten heard these words time and again, so it was no wonder the praise eventually went to her head, leading her to believe that no one could defeat her in armed combat. That was, of course, until she challenged Reni and was quickly proven wrong.

Everything had started off brilliantly; as always, her weapon handling was flawless, and she had even managed to make Reni sweat. For a while, it actually looked as though Tenten was gaining the upper hand. But just as victory seemed within reach, Reni managed to turn the tables.

With a skillful twist, she disarmed Tenten, who stared in bewilderment at the tip of Reni’s weapon, blinking a few times before glancing down at her now-empty hand. Finally, she looked Reni in the eye, and her initial look of stunned surprise quickly transformed into a gaze full of admiration.

From Tenten @shinndo she gives him both a token for good luck and protection!

Neji does not believe that rocks, stones, nor crystals are able to protect him – in any way. He had always thought that it was something concocted by snake oils salespeople as a way to prey upon those desperate and seeking some force outside of themselves to hold accountable for the lack of control they felt. A stone in their pocket could somehow be a placebo to give them the strength through the day – or something.

Tenten, unfortunately, believed in it. Same as her hobby in fortune telling. She particularly liked reading his palm and telling him what the creases on his hands meant – he refused to give her his hand after she told him that a line on his palm meant he was sensitive with a big heart. It was clearly a lie and made up by people trying to impress their friends.

“I got you something, Neji!”

She stood in front of him, holding a small draw string goody bag. It was white, with the store’s logo emblazoned in gold thread. Neji knew the store’s name by now. The shop in Konoha that sold crystals, incense, and other metaphysically related things. Tenten frequented it – and dragged him along, occasionally. He never bought anything. The shop owner stopped trying to talk to him after Neji had told him exactly how much of a scam he believed he was running.

Neji took the small bag, opening it up. Inside were small rocks of jade and opal. Jade was a long-held tradition of good luck and protection. Opal, as well, was associated with good luck – but also white opal had long been used by the Hyuga as a way of representing the Byakugan and the moon. To protect his eyes, he assumed she chose it for.

It was nice to have her consider him and his upcoming mission.

He gently emptied the stones out onto his hand, inspecting them. He looked at her face – a bright, smiling face. Her smile that could make him do or say anything that she wanted.

In the end, however, none of that really mattered; for her, it was more about the sentiment than the specific beliefs involved. Neji was heading out on a mission, and she just wanted him to have something to remind him that she was thinking of him and would be waiting for his return.

And if those stones happened to bring him good luck and protect him, it was even better. That was ultimately why she chose those lucky stones instead of just giving him something random.

"I highly doubt that…" Tenten answered, looking at Reni. She looked truly terrible, but Tenten decided it was better to keep that to herself. Crossing her arms, she looked into Reni's eyes.

"So? Will you lay down, or do I need to call my sensei to make you lay down?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

From Tenten @shinndo I just realized I haven't thrown Tenten at you yet!!! Catch!

"Well usually I come up with an outlandish story of how I got it, or just tell my students that I was born with it, and that it's always been there." They absolutely hated it too.

"It's not some big secret either. I just like keeping a bit of mystery around it. Similar to how everyone speculates about what is under Kakashi-san's mask."

"No, they won't," Tenten replied calmly. "Trust me, they really won't." Tenten had managed to convince Reni, to help her with a little prank.

Gai and Lee hand been send on a mission and Tenten had decided to prepare something small for them for when they came back home. The idea was to move all their furniture only a few inches, just to mess with them and to scatter many small yokai figures all over their places.

It really was a harmless prank but for sure it would be funny.

"I would hope that your team isn't pissing on you, Tenten. Why? Because they both are human. it would be disturbing." And highly disrespectful.

"I mean, you do you of course. It's not like you have to hide anything." She says casually.

"... and some people aren't on team Gai..."

"Sorry Shino, but your team loses against mine."

"Beside, at least my team isn't pissing on me..."

"... Need some new clothes?"

"... and some people aren't on team Gai..."

Tenten watched the bugs disappear beneath Shino's coat before looking at him and giving a brief shrug. "Not really; I just saw you here and thought you were looking for something, the way you were crouching down. I wanted to ask if you needed help. But then…" she said, pointing to the insects crawling all over him before vanishing again, "…I saw the bugs." Tenten watched the insects for a moment before turning her attention back to Shino.