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Chapter no.46 Lessons from a Kunoichi
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"Uh… I'm, uh… Naruto Uzumaki!"
"Naruto Uzumaki," Tenten repeated, her voice velvety, as if she were savoring the name. She took another step closer, her movements deliberate, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she looked him up and down.
Sakura and Sasuke's jaws dropped.
Tenten's hand reached out, her fingers lightly tracing the edge of the armor Naruto wore. Her touch lingered as her eyes locked onto his. "This armor of yours… it's incredible."
Naruto swallowed hard, his face burning brighter. "Uh… thanks?"
"I'd do anything to get my hands on something ," Tenten added, leaning in closer, her fingers gliding along the plating with the confidence of someone who knew exactly how flustered she was making him.
Naruto's heart was pounding so loudly he was sure everyone could hear it. He took a tiny step back, but Tenten only followed, her smile turning playful.
She tilted her head, looking up at him through her lashes as she leaned just a breath away from his ear. "So… what do you say? Would you share it with me?"
Naruto was utterly overwhelmed, his brain short-circuiting as every word seemed to echo louder than the last. For a moment, it looked like he might combust on the spot.
"I-I—uh—" he stammered, his voice cracking as he stumbled back another step, his hands flying up to cover the armor protectively. "T-this armor is special to me!" he blurted out. "I can't just… I mean, no offense, but I can't just—uh—give it away!"
Tenten leaned back, laughing softly, clearly enjoying his reaction. "Relax, Naruto," she said, raising her hands in mock surrender. "I was only teasing."
Naruto's shoulders sagged with relief, but his face was still bright red as he mumbled, "Oh… right. Teasing. Cool. Ha-ha…"
Sasuke and Sakura were still staring, both completely caught off guard by the entire exchange.
"What… just happened?"
"A miracle," Sasuke responded to Sakura.
Naruto, desperate to escape the situation, quickly retreated to the side of the clearing, pulling out the Uzumaki clan book and burying his face in it, refusing to look at anyone.
Tenten watched him go, her smirk softening into something almost fond. "Cute."
"Do you need to see a doctor?"
"You were just…" Sakura leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Flirting with Naruto."
Tenten blinked, then laughed lightly. "Oh, that? That was just my way of relaxing him."
"Relaxing him? For what?"
"For his armor," Sasuke cut in.
Sakura gave an awkward laugh, trying to defuse the tension. "Uh… senpai, maybe don't try that again. Naruto's really… protective of that armor." She hesitated, recalling what Naruto had done to Kiba for making fun of it. "It's… important to him."
"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes," Sasuke warned, his gaze shifting to Tenten with mild disdain.
Tenten smirked, unbothered by the icy reception. "I think you two might have the wrong idea. I wasn't trying to steal anything. I was just making Naruto feel comfortable so I could find out where he got such awesome armor. You can't exactly buy something like that at your local smithy."
Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a look, their expressions suddenly shifting as realization dawned.
"Wait," Tenten continued. "Did you actually think I was trying to seduce Naruto and then steal his armor?"
Sakura's nervous laugh was all the confirmation Tenten needed, and she burst into laughter. Sakura joined in hesitantly, trying to play off her embarrassment.
"I wouldn't underestimate him if I were you," Sasuke said bluntly, cutting through the levity. "Naruto's master had it commissioned from somewhere."
Tenten's curiosity flared, but Sasuke offered no further explanation, too busy tugging at the collar of the itchy robe Naruto had given him. With a quiet sigh, she realized she wasn't going to get more out of him.
"Boys," Tenten said with a wry smile, extending a hand toward Sakura.
Sakura chuckled, taking her hand with a nod. "You can say that again."
The brief camaraderie between the two girls was interrupted by a loud, triumphant shout from across the field.
"Ninety-eight! Ninety-nine! One hundred!" Rock Lee's voice boomed as he leapt to his feet, striking a dramatic pose. His green jumpsuit practically shimmered in the sunlight as he looked around, his eyes immediately locking onto Sakura.
"Sakura Haruno!" Lee announced grandly, striking a gallant pose. "Your beauty blooms like a thousand cherry blossoms in spring! Would you do me the honor of joining me for tea? Or perhaps a moonlit stroll under the stars?"
Tenten slapped a hand to her forehead, letting out a long sigh. "Lee… we just got here."
Sakura managed a polite smile, though her awkwardness was obvious. "That's… really nice of you, Lee, but I'm not really looking to, um, date anyone right now."
Lee's face fell briefly, but his recovery was as quick as it was dramatic. His eyes shone with determination as he gave her a firm thumbs-up, his grin returning full force. "I understand, Sakura! My flames of youth shall continue to burn brightly for you regardless!"
He threw her an exaggerated wink, so intense it looked like he was trying to ignite a spark through sheer willpower.
"Uh… thanks, Lee," she mumbled, shooting a quick look at Tenten, who gave her a sympathetic shrug.
Lee walked up to Sasuke, who had just taken off the itchy pyromancer robe and unceremoniously tossed it at Naruto's face.
"Will you fight me… Sasuke Uchiha?"
Naruto pulled the robe off his head, glaring at Sasuke before glancing at Lee.
"No." Sasuke cut Naruto off, locking eyes with Lee. "I'll handle this."
Without another word, Sasuke stepped into the center of the training ground.
Meanwhile, Tenten sighed loudly. "I don't think this is the 'socialization' your handsome sensei had in mind."
"Does he…" Sakura hesitated, glancing at Lee, who was now bouncing lightly on his toes, his fists clenched in readiness. "Does he always ask girls out like that?"
"Pretty much." Tenten shrugged. "Lee's got a good heart, but subtlety isn't exactly in his vocabulary. He'll ask any girl he thinks is cute out for tea. If you gave him five minutes, he'd probably write you a love letter in perfect calligraphy and deliver it by hand with flowers."
Sakura couldn't help but laugh, though she quickly bit her lip when Lee sent her a quick, encouraging thumbs-up. "What is it with this team and asking people out?" she muttered under her breath, before snorting at an idea that popped into her head. "Just imagine if Neji asked Sasuke out…"
Tenten froze, her wide eyes blinking once before she burst into loud, unrestrained laughter. Clapping her hands, she doubled over, tears forming in her eyes. "Oh, please, that would be priceless! Neji? Asking someone out? That guy thinks emotions are a liability!"
Sakura chuckled. "He'd probably write a dissertation about why romance is pointless before even considering it."
As their laughter filled the clearing, Lee and Sasuke squared off in the center of the training ground. Sakura leaned closer to Tenten, lowering her voice. "So… who do you think is going to win?"
"You'll be surprised."
Lee shifted into his stance, one arm extended forward, palm open, while the other rested at his lower back. His feet slid slightly apart, his weight evenly balanced. He began to sway ever so slightly, like a leaf in the wind, his movements fluid and light.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. With a burst of speed, he dashed forward, closing the gap in seconds. He swung a punch aimed straight at Lee's face.
Lee moved like a blur. He spun low, his back leg whipping around in a wide arc—Leaf Whirlwind! The kick came so fast that the air seemed to hum with its force.
Sasuke barely had time to react. He crossed his arms in a hasty block, but the sheer speed and power of Lee's kick broke through his guard, the impact slamming into his ribs. Sasuke's body lifted off the ground, twisting midair before he hit the dirt, skidding several feet back.
Naruto winced. "That looked like it hurt."
Sasuke kipped up with a burst of energy, his body flipping gracefully as he landed back on his feet in one smooth motion. His Sharingan burned brightly, the tomoe spinning as his jaw clenched in frustration.
"This time it will be different," Sasuke growled, brushing the dirt off his sleeve. "With the Sharingan, I am invincible!"
Lee didn't say a word. He simply smiled, his posture light and almost carefree as he adjusted his stance. In a split second, his body flickered—one moment he was standing in front of Sasuke, the next he was gone.
Sasuke's Sharingan tracked the movement too late. He felt it before he saw it—a sharp impact under his chin. Lee's upward kick connected cleanly, his foot snapping Sasuke's head back with precision.
The force of the kick sent Sasuke soaring into the air, his body twisting helplessly as he flew upward. Lee was already moving, vanishing again in a blur of speed. Before Sasuke could regain his balance midair, Lee appeared above him, his leg coming down in a punishing axe kick aimed at Sasuke's chest.
Sasuke managed to twist at the last second, narrowly avoiding the full force of the kick, but the shockwave sent him hurtling toward the ground.
Naruto darted forward, his arms outstretched just in time to catch Sasuke's limp body before it could crash into the dirt. He stumbled slightly from the weight but managed to stay upright, staring at Sasuke, who was completely knocked out.
"Wow, teme," Naruto said, glancing down at the unconscious boy in his arms. "If you'd worn my armor, you might've survived long enough to actually fight back."
Sakura's jaw hung open, disbelief etched across her face.
Her mind scrambled to process it, but no matter how many ways she replayed the fight, the conclusion was the same. Sasuke, the top student of their class, had been knocked out cold.
"Of course there are bigger fish out there," Tenten said casually, snapping Sakura out of her daze.
"Yeah," Sakura murmured, her head nodding absently. Today felt like a rude awakening, a slap of reality she hadn't expected.
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[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are awesome. Now, if you're interested in supporting me on P treon, let me just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 23, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.
To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comment! Honestly, your comments make my day, and they let me know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!