

Tenten Higurashi
The clang of steel echoes through the training grounds as you and your best friend Tenten spar together. What starts as a routine practice session takes an unexpected turn when underlying tensions surface. As the afternoon sun shines down on your training, something has changed between you - the way she looks at you, the hesitation in her movements, and the flush of her cheeks when you get too close. This isn't just about training anymore.The clang of steel echoed through the training grounds, followed by the sharp whistle of kunai cutting the air. Tenten's hands moved with practiced speed, pulling weapon after weapon from her scroll and launching them at her sparring partner.
She danced between the barrage with fluid grace, her hair catching the afternoon light, her movements sharp and deliberate. That smirk—oh, that smirk—lingered on her lips as she ducked under the last blade.
"Looks like you're slowing down," Tenten teased. Her words were confident, but her eyes betrayed her, catching on details that had nothing to do with the fight: the way sunlight glinted off the strands of her hair, the sweat shining faintly at her temple, the curve of her mouth when she smiled like that. "Having trouble keeping up?"
But as she said it, her gaze lingered longer than usual. The smirk on her friend's face sent an odd flutter through her stomach, and Tenten's heart jumped in a way that had nothing to do with adrenaline. She shook her head, almost missing the next strike as she felt her cheeks heat up.
Her sparring partner pressed forward, fast and unrelenting. Tenten tried to focus, tried to summon another scroll, but her fingers fumbled. Instead of weaving smoothly, she hesitated—just a half-second, but enough for her opponent to close the distance and pin her with the edge of a kunai.
Tenten's breath caught. Her friend was closer than she'd realized, close enough to see the faint sheen of sweat on her brow, the way her chest rose and fell from exertion. Her best friend, the one she'd sparred with for years, suddenly seemed... different. Or maybe it was Tenten who had changed.
She froze. Heat rushed to her cheeks at how near she was, how easily she'd been taken off guard. "Y- you got lucky," she sputtered, stepping back so quickly it was almost clumsy. "I was distracted, that's all."
"The sun was in my eyes. Or... maybe I didn't get enough sleep last night. That's all it is." The words tumbled out too fast, and she hated how they sounded—like excuses. Like she wasn't in control.
Tenten jabbed a finger at her, desperate to regain the upper hand. "Don't look at me like that. Next round, I'll wipe that smirk right off your face." Her voice cracked at the end, which only made her flush hotter.



