Masanori pressed a clenched fist against the wood of a hotel room door. This was ridiculous. He had no idea why he was even bothering. He didn't owe her anything, even if she saved him. So why did he feel so damn obligated to go so far for her? Instead of preparing for the second round of the chuunin exams, he'd spent his day arranging a present for a ... woman. Madness. Madness and stupidity. Still, he'd come this far, he couldn't turn back now.

Raising his fist, Masanori rapped his knuckles against the wood of Tenmei's hotel door three times, before waiting patiently for her to open it.

"Hi."

The fight had barely lasted an hour....but it felt like she had been in that arena for the entire afternoon.

It wasn't the fight that had kept her standing there, watching as the trees shed their final pieces of beauty, while the once excitable crowd shuffled tiredly to the exits. It wasn't the shock either, or sadness.
The last time Tenmei had allowed herself to let go that much, she had Solstice there to cool her down straight after, but the heat waves still rippled against her skin clinging to her like a second skin, a light steam erupting from the slight sweat the heat from her fire brought. It was another fifteen minutes before she could make her way back to the hotel without the risk of bumping in to anyone and burning them on contact.  It didn't matter how much control she had mastered or how far she had come in mastering her own kekkei genkai. This part was always going to be slow and difficult. Tedious.

Needless to say, the trip to the hotel was just as long as the waiting period.  Taking the back streets to avoid the congratulatory pats on the back and the glares from the spectators that had openly favored her opponent, Tenmei weaved her way around the roads of Sunagakure, eyes down, mind focused until she had by some miracle, ended up at the front door of the hotel she had booked herself in to shortly after coming here.
 It was not the most impressive building she had ever seen, but it was better than others she had stayed in. Simple in design, it had only a few stories with an average amount of rooms, each with intricately carved numbers in to the doors. The foyer in which she glanced through was the perfect example of what was portrayed inside the rooms. A simple wooden counter, a couch framed with a couple potted plants. The young female barely made eye contact with the young male receptionist as she hurried to the stairs, her bag in one hand and key number thirty five in the other.

The soft golden colour of the tatami mats and well padded futon, balled in a corner was a welcoming sight to the Genin's tired silver eyes. Without breaking her stride, she crossed the smaller sized room, placing her bag carefully on the bench with the top open so the lizard hiding inside could crawl out and find a warmer spot to laze about, she then continued on to the even smaller bathroom on the other side. With the bottom of her clothes caked in mud and pieces of ash, spotting her ebony hair with white flakes, to say she looked a mess was an understatement. All the charcoal, sweat and the grains of sand she had kicked up while chasing him. They would soon be washed away with the feelings of doubt. Tomorrow was a new day and she needed much rest if she were to perform in the same manner. If she were to continue to make him proud.

Tenmei had barely stepped out of the bathroom, when she heard the...almost hesitant knocking at her door. Now thoroughly cleaned and dressed in a loose pair of trousers and a sleeveless shirt, her hair brushed back to fall freely down past her shoulder blades, she opened the door a crack and peered out to see who it was...Out of all the people she had expected to see at her door, whether it be Solstice, room service or someone hoping to beat her up after she damaged their friend so brutally: he was the last person she had expected to see. Although they had barely spoken throughout the whole trip, Tenmei had gathered that just like her, he was not good at the whole social scene and did his best to avoid her for most of the trip....that was until he suddenly collapsed and exploded in to water when she tried to catch him. If it were not for she and Solstice, he would have dissolved in to sand, leaving the turtle stranded in the middle of a waste land. It was never a big deal to her that it happened....

But she would have never forgave herself if she lost him that day. Never.

"Masanori. Hi" she had heard herself say after he had broken the moment of silence that kept him at the door. "What can I do for you? Come on in, I am making tea if you would like some?"
Tenmei opened the door wider and stepped aside, allowing him entrance to the slightly warmer insides of her room. Whether he chose to join her or not, Tenmei left her position at the doorway to make her way back to the counter where a teapot stood and various small piles of dried leaves were organised in to a neat circle surrounding the cup she had placed in front of her. With practiced movements, she took a pinch of one thing, placing in in the strainer with as spoonful of another, and one more ingredient to make it smell sweeter. The old man had always said she had a knack for making the best tasting teas using what she had. Making the slightly bitter drink was always good at calming her down.
 
"So...what brings you to my door at this hour?"

"What can I do for you? Come on in, I am making tea if you would like some?" Masanori stepped into Tenmei's room, allowing his eyes to briefly dance around, examining what she's done with her room. Masanori's room was covered in randomly scattered tools and equipment, with no signs of life or organization whatsoever. Sharping stones, files and polishing stones covered what little room remained, with metal shavings and dirty clothes scattered everywhere. Tenmei's room, on the other hand, was incredibly well kept. It almost looked like she had only just arrived, with only a few spots of her room showing signs of life. Her signature tea making equipment was laid out in the kitchen, as he expected it would be. He had only just met her, yet even he knew how much she loved making tea.

"That would be nice." Masanori replied, his efforts to sound calm and polite being crushed by his drab, monotone voice and generally awkward way of speaking. "So... what brings you to my door at this hour?" Masanori felt slightly awkward as he heard the question. Was he intruding? Perhaps she didn't want him wasting her time she could be spending training or relaxing. Still, he'd be out of her hair soon, he just had to give her his gift and he'd leave. He just had to explain to her what he'd got her, put it on her and leave without coming across like a weirdo. "...I want to feel your hands." ... Masanori turned bright red once he realized what he'd said. What the fuck was his mind thinking?! "No no no no no, I didn't, I mean, I have this bracelets, and they, they, uh..." Masanori's jaw locked up, and he trailed off into an endless low groaning "Hhhhhhhhhhh" sound as he placed two small, wrist sized bracelets on the table with a trembling hand.

Every step. Every motion was like therapy to the young Genin.
Grinding up one kind of leaf in a well used mortar and pestle, turning the dried greenery in to musty smelling crumbs. Cutting off the bad part of the flowers with almost unnerving precision, leaving nothing wasted. She even put her steady hand against the cool metal of the kettle, focusing the chakra in to her skilled fingers to heat up the water to exactly the right temperature. Not a degree past boiling point.  And still, all the while she watched her hands through a distant memory, going by feel alone. There was a time once before when this was all like a foreign language where she would stumble along, stringing out what she believed to be right despite the obvious flaws in her practice. But hours of relentless repetition and many bad after tastes, her fluency was only outmatched by the sweet older gentleman who saved her time....and time agan.


Five minutes of meticulous handiwork, and Tenmei walked over to the table where he was standing with two clay mugs, balanced in one hand and the tea pot in the other. The young Genin had already left it to settle for the exact seconds counted in her head. With a content, half smile she placed her fingers on the lid and poured them in, with an added half spoon of sugar and a quarter pinch of cinnamon.
This special blend was to help with her anxieties, a remedy to the eternal build up of nerves that trembled her being. There was however, another reason why she chose this blend. The way he averted his gaze, stuttered with his words, turned his whole body so it was closed off, coldly away from her. The signs were unmistakable in her silvery conflicted eyes. He needed this as much as she did.

"...I want to feel your hands."

Barely a sip in to her drink, and she was forced to place the warm mud clay cup, back on to the table, matching the small ring stain once again with a small smile on her faded rose lips. He reminded her of another awkward little boy she once knew, hinting at a pleasant memory to add to the slightly bitter taste of the warming tea. Slowly, she raised her hands, getting ready to do as he asked but pulled back when he hurriedly corrected himself. No sooner had she done that though, he placed two bracelets on the table where she was going to reach....and boy were they beautiful.

In her years of traveling, Tenmei had come in contact with many treasures. Rings, necklaces, chains, she had seen all manner of prized possessions come and go while traveling with the old man. But these....these she had never seen before. They held a strange, curiously delicate shine with a near aztec feeling to it. And with that came an intriguing feeling that drew her slightly trembling fingers towards the cool silver metal, feeling around the smooth edges without actually touching it. Maybe it was the flutter of fright she with held in her chest, or the ever so subtle pull of cat like curiosity. But for longest of moments, a held breath, and she just rested her hands on the reassuring wooden surface. As much as she wanted to touch the item she may have imagined in a far away dream, Tenmei refrained. They might not even be for her.

"They're....stunning. What are they? I mean I know what they are but, what do they do?" This was the third question on her mind, but the only one she managed to find a voice to. The others would have seemed ruined and she was brought up better than to demand things of a house hold guest, even if they were sitting around a hotel room like friends drinking tea and sharing nervousness.
  "I...don't know what else to say. They look....I mean, I am still cooling down from the battle and I would hate to tarnish such handiwork. Where did you get them?"

Once again, her voice trailed away from her thoughts which had drifted back to wanting to see the items closer. They looked expensive and new and surely he was only here as a team mate to show off what he had discovered. After all, she had hurt someone today. Badly burnt them. Nearly killed them. Who would want to gift someone like that?