Chapter 5
Yamanaka is following Uzumaki.
Sasuke watches her watching him, trying her best to look natural as she stands out in the open, occasionally glancing over at Ichiraku’s. She keeps tucking her hair behind her ear, the nervous tic belying the would-be casual lean of her body.
Sasuke isn’t often curious. Sometimes he comes across an old jutsu in the library that catches his interest, and he follows the careers and developments of the shinobi around him, but his peers in the Academy may as well not exist to him. They seem almost like a different species - so loud and grating, concerned with all the wrong things like looks and popularity. Hardly any of them seem aware that the profession they’ve chosen will most likely shorten their lifespan by decades compared to if they’d stayed civilians.
He’s almost frustrated by the ones who weren’t born to clans, because it’s not as if they have the right attitude or an advantageous heritage. They had the choice to stay blissfully oblivious to bloodshed and warfare. And because they didn’t, most of them will die young or quit early. He’s read the statistics on the subject. Some drop out of the Academy, some fail graduation. Others quit after their first C-rank, others die. Some die in the Chuunin Exam, but most fail. Eventually with the herd thinned out, all that is left is the best of the best, where Sasuke knows he will be. He can tell who’ll be joining him, and if it weren’t for Yamanaka’s kekkei genkai, he would assume she would fail right out of the gate.
This is the first time he has seen her acting even remotely like a prospective shinobi.
Strange, he thinks, watching the spectacle from the corner of his eye, is she going for Uzumaki now? That would be a relief. He can’t stand the coy looks she shoots him or the sound of her simpering voice. If she turned it all on Uzumaki, he might actually be able to relax in class a little more, not having to be on the alert for her sudden attempts to embrace him. He could evade her without difficulty, obviously. The only reason he has to stay alert around her is for her own benefit, to tamp down his natural response to sudden movement, which is to disable whatever’s coming at him.
He isn’t sure if you get penalised for maiming classmates or rewarded. It seems best not to risk it.
Uzumaki leaves the ramen store, clasping his stomach and grinning. Sasuke suppresses a grimace at the sight of him. He can’t help but associate the other boy’s face with annoyance.
Yamanaka visibly perks up, moving to follow him while still in his line of sight. Such amateurish tactics are frustrating to witness.
But then she covers her face as if to hide her blush, and Sasuke’s eyes narrow, just barely managing to catch the way her gaze darts from Naruto’s back to a nearby roof. Sasuke follows her gaze and feels something jolt in shock inside him.
An ANBU is crouched on top of a store across the street, blending into the roof almost perfectly. The only giveaway is the slight glint of sunlight on the upturned mask, pointed in Uzumaki’s direction.
Sasuke is rarely curious, and he is almost never truly surprised.
Yamanaka was pretending to sloppily follow Uzumaki so she could observe his ANBU guards?
If he hadn’t seen her look towards the roof, Sasuke would not have noticed the hidden ANBU crouched overhead. But somehow she had.
His frustration now points inwards. Why hadn’t he spotted it? Why hadn’t he realised Yamanaka’s behaviour was an obvious feint? Is this the level he is at, being fooled by Academy students he thought were so beneath him? What has he been doing all this time?
He breaks away from Yamanaka’s silent vigil over Uzumaki, his fingers twitching with the urge to hurl kunai, to improve his aim until it’s finally, finally perfect beyond a shadow of a doubt. Years ago, he’d trained in secret with Tenten in an attempt to surpass the Uchiha’s best record. The older girl had a knack with projectiles that seemed natural until he realised just how much she’d worked for it. He’d copied her work ethic and her technique, knowing all the while how simple it would all be if he just had his Sharingan. But he didn’t then and he still doesn’t now, too sheltered by the village, too blind to see beyond his own stupid pride to realise that while he may reign atop the Academy’s scores, he’s still weak, and at this rate, he always will be.
He spots Shino right away thanks to his trademark sunglasses and high collar. Shino is one of the few students that Sasuke had believed would make it into the select few in their year to survive against all the odds. The other boy is surprisingly versatile, with his clan techniques and a proficiency in taijutsu and weaponry.
He’ll do, Sasuke thinks, veering towards the taller boy.
“Aburame,” He says, watching the way Shino halts, head turning slightly in Sasuke’s direction, “Spar with me.”
Shino pauses for a moment, then raises the bags in hands to draw attention to them, “I am busy.”
“I don’t care.”
Shino’s face finally turns, dark glasses flashing Sasuke’s way, “Regardless, I am busy.”
Sasuke scowls, stepping up to him with his fists clenched. The other boy doesn’t react to his approach.
“I need a workout and you are one of the only decent sparrers in our skill group. Spar with me,” Sasuke grits out, annoyed that he has to press the issue.
Shino says nothing.
Sasuke gets the impression that he is being judgementally blinked at.
“Am I free for a spar?” Shino muses aloud, raising his face to the sun. “No, I am not. Therefore, you will have to find someone else.”
“You were always free before,” Sasuke says, coldness seeping into his tone as memory strikes him - Shino was one of the few clan children permitted to socialise with Sasuke, and they spent endless hours fighting at full-strength, refusing to go easy on each other. Sasuke could feel his progress as he fought Shino, like a blade being sharpened against another.
Shino’s head tilts, birdlike. “Was I?” He asks mildly. “Or did it simply seem that way to you, as you had no notion of my life outside of yours?”
Sasuke is usually silent by choice, not because he’s often rendered speechless. In this case, he can only stare wordlessly as Shino offers him a cursory little nod and walks away.
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Kou offers Tenten the crook of his arm.
Neji’s eyes drill into the back of Tenten’s head. She tries not to turn around to check his reaction when she awkwardly tucks her arm in Kou’s, allowing him to lead her away.
They walk in silence for a moment, Tenten keeping her eyes down and her mouth shut. She can’t help but glance his way after a minute or two of quiet. He’s wearing a bandana, so she can’t see if he has the same seal as her mystery Hyuuga, but she can tell his hair is short beneath it. She had assumed the long hair was a Hyuuga tradition, so it’s a little odd to see him without it. The bits that poke out are brown. His skin is tan, a much richer shade than Neji’s. His eyes are pale purple. Ino would probably know exactly what shade. He looks a bit older than Tenten, about fifteen or sixteen.
He’s also handsome.
Tenten considers herself a fairly level-headed person. She doesn’t tend to be knocked off-guard by attractive people, since she’s never considered looks to be all that important. But sometimes she finds herself blushing or stuttering around certain good-looking people, and she hates it.
“By the way, I like your…” Kou gestures vaguely to his own face, “Eye makeup. Very dramatic.”
Tenten stops dead, slapping a hand over her eyes in horror, “Oh, I forgot!”
She tries to wipe it off with her fingertips, but it won’t budge.
“Don’t worry, it looks nice! I wouldn’t have mentioned it otherwise,” Kou says, giving her a small smile that manages to set her mind at ease, even as she mourns the lack of dimples. She ignores the urge to do everything she can to make him laugh just to see them again.
Tenten slowly lowers her hands, revealing her red face with great reluctance, “Really?”
“Of course! Is it not your usual style? I admire you for branching out, if so.”
“My usual style is pretty much nothing, so… yeah, this is fairly out of my comfort zone. It’s dumb, I know. It’s just a little bit of makeup. Not a big deal at all.”
Kou swivels to face her properly, concern wrinkling his brow, “Why would it be dumb to feel uncomfortable with something new? No matter how small it is, change is something you have to process.”
Tenten blinks up at him. She’s really not sure what to make of him. He seems kind, accepting, and open-minded. He can’t be honest as well, and then handsome on top of all that. One person can’t be so perfect.
“What was that all about with Neji, before?” Kou asks, glancing back the way they came as if he’ll still be able to see Neji glowering after them. “Is he in your class?”
Tenten sighs. She doesn’t want to badmouth Neji in front of his family, especially after he had that odd reaction to seeing Kou in the first place. But his rudeness still burns.
“Yeah… we got off on the wrong foot. There was a misunderstanding that led to me throwing a… um…” Tenten gulps, eyeing Kou’s politely interested face. Should she even be saying this? “A… stinkbomb. At his face.”
Kou throws his head back and laughs heartily. Tenten stares. Dimples.
Oh no, he’s way too cute! She thinks, panicked.
They reached the top of the hill they were climbing, bringing the village gates into view. Tenten quickly glances away from them, unsettled by the nervous fluttering in her stomach. She has never left Konoha, not once. She’s never felt the need to explore beyond the wild forests and roving fields, the winding streets and bustling markets. Being grounded in one place was a comfort, not a constraint. But now she was left unprepared and unready for the task ahead.
Kou is giving her a knowing look, “Is this your first time out of the village?”
Tenten can only nod, fighting the urge to turn tail and flee back to her mother. The idea of appearing a coward to the older boy is the only thing keeping her facing the gate.
“I didn’t leave the village until my first mission with my genin team,” Kou admits, his gaze heavy on the horizon, “I was so nervous. I packed all sorts of unnecessary things - a comb, two different formal outfits, and a nail file of all things - and ended up with a bag twice as heavy as my teammates’. Our sensei had me unpack right there and then in front of them, and took the time to tell me exactly why most of my choices were wrong.” Kou sighs, his smile turning rueful. Tenten draws closer despite herself. She was born and raised in the Civilian District, and doesn’t know anyone ranked higher than a student. She’s only ever heard stories like this told second-hand, usually by non-shinobi talking out of their backsides.
“Luckily, my sensei was kind. She gave me a few minutes to pack again, and I came back with barely a satchel’s worth of supplies. We set off on a much lighter note, thanks to that. I’d forgotten my nerves about leaving Konoha. I was focused on getting everything else right, to avoid appearing the naive rookie again. We were all clan children, but I was clearly the most sheltered. I was also the most proud, despite my mistakes. I was similar to Neji, in some respects. I believed fervently in the strength of the Hyuuga, and that I was above all others, because of my name. It took one bandit attack to prove me wrong. I always imagined I would be fearless in battle, but I was a foolish child. At the first sign of danger… I froze. Terror gripped me. I had to be saved by my sensei. You can imagine how well I took that.” Kou says wryly, favouring Tenten with a self-deprecating eye-roll.
“I… can’t imagine you being like Neji,” Tenten admits.
Kou laughs, “I will not take that as a compliment, since it would demean my poor cousin. But I grew out of my pride, and I trust he will as well. I left the village with my dignity and pride, and returned with neither, but I had my life, and a good dose of humility. Thanks to my sensei, I learned to value them more than my old inflated sense of self-worth. All thanks to a very humiliating first time out of the village. If you’re lucky, this will be utterly mortifying, and you’ll return a much better person for it.”
Tenten puffs out a breath, tucking her hair behind her ear, “I’d really rather not be mortified before breakfast. I hope the humiliation can wait until after I’ve eaten.”
Kou grins, dimples flashing, and Tenten’s breath catches. She curses her own idiocy, forcing herself to breathe like a normal human being.
Tenten has a good idea what the most likely source of humiliation will be on this pre-mission.
“Your sensei sounds amazing, at least! I hope I have a female sensei, too. Do you still go on missions with your old team?” She asks.
Kou’s smile dims. He coughs, rubbing the short hairs at the back of his neck, pushing them back under his bandana. The silence hangs for a beat too long.
Tenten touches her choker, wincing at her own misstep. She’d clearly blundered her way into a painful topic without realising it, “Oh… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to… I’m an idiot.”
Kou shakes his head, “No, no. I wasn’t very forthcoming with details, despite the length I spoke. Of course you would have questions. I can’t promise I will answer them all, but I’d like to try. If you’re interested.”
“Well… how did you manage to fit all your weapons inside one little satchel?” Tenten asks, wanting to avoid the heavier topics, despite having his permission to dig.
Kou chuckles again, his hand almost dropping on top of Tenten’s head, an aborted attempt to ruffle her hair. He only failed because she ducked so quickly she almost dropped to her knees. She’s too used to her mother’s loving attempts to mess up her hair.
When they leave Konoha, it is with little fanfare, and Tenten makes sure not to look back at the village. She has a mission now, her very first one, and she can’t start it off with regret.
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They meet the wagon after about half a day’s walk from Konoha. The road they took went smoothly enough, with no enemies darting out to intercept them, and the sun remained bright and cheerful the entire time.
Naturally, this left Tenten feeling especially suspicious.
The merchants seemed friendly enough, not questioning her presence or the need for a chuunin escort, but none among them seemed to stand out as potential allies. There were all civilians, though Tenten tried not to make assumptions, thinking perhaps having a network of merchants could be useful, too.
Tenten takes inventory, a painstakingly careful process as there are many different items in separate categories that need to be checked off in a specific order, or else she may have to start again. Kou stands at Tenten’s shoulder the entire time, doing a great job of looking interested despite having absolutely nothing to do.
The day has gradually grown colder, leaving Tenten wishing she’d brought a jacket. She engages the merchant in charge in conversation, beginning to make the orders her mother had requested, mostly materials for her smithy. The merchant tries to overcharge her at first, but after she politely requests the same rate they always pay, he yields.
The light has changed, the once-gleaming swords now cast in shadow as clouds pass overhead. Tenten pauses in the middle of noting down her latest order, squinting up at the overcast sky.
“Tenten-chan,” Kou starts to say, edging closer to her and the wagon, “I believe we may – ”
His words are lost to the sudden mist that rises between them. The moment Tenten’s vision fills with white, she flips backwards until her sight clears, her heart thumping wildly.
She flings herself to the ground as an enormous sword rips through the mist, touching her choker and sending the tiniest spark of chakra to wake it. Fang poofs into existence, uncharacteristically sombre, and curls around her throat.
“Tenten-chan, with the civilians!” Kou shouts.
Tenten hurries to comply, aware that for Kou to willingly give away his position, the order had to be of utmost importance.
Before she can take a single step, she sees something beyond the mist, a quick flash of light catching her eye. She turns her head automatically, and sees a dark figure standing before her.
It’s a man.
He’s clad mostly in black, the lower half of his face covered in bandages. The skin that’s on show is dark and heavily muscled. He’s holding an enormous sword, the same blade that sliced through the mist before. As Tenten stares, he turns his head to face her, revealing a scratched hitae-ate. Tenten’s stomach lurches at the sight.
Missing-nin.
Fang lets out an anxious chitter, trembling under her chin.
Tenten can’t look away from the man’s narrowed gaze, well aware that a single split-second of inattention could cost her the battle before it’s even begun. Besides, it seems clear at this point. Kou wasn’t the ally Yoin pointed her towards, otherwise it would have shown her Konoha. It wasn’t any of the merchants, either. The appearance of a missing-nin was far too coincidental for him to have no part in Yoin’s vision.
So, instead of following her instincts as they screamed at her to run in Kou’s direction, she takes a step closer to the missing-nin, hoping it’s a step closer to an ally, not her death.
“Excuse me,” She calls, her voice sounding very far away and distant, as if coming from someone else, “Do you have a moment to talk?”
The missing-nin chuckles, lightly spinning the gigantic sword in his grip with an unnatural ease. Tenten has grown up around weapons and has never seen the like of this behemoth – she can only imagine how heavy and cumbersome it must be. And how, in turn, frighteningly strong he must be.
“What a brave little brat, to face me alone,” The man says, ignoring her question, “I didn’t realise civilian kids weren’t smart enough to know when to be terrified.”
“I’m not a civilian,” Tenten corrects him, all too aware of the distinct lack of noise on Kou’s side of the mist, “I just haven’t graduated from my – wait. Wait. Are you…” She can’t help herself, she takes a few steps forward, eagerness temporarily driving away her fear. “Are you one of the Seven Swordsmen?”
The scratched headband, the enormous sword, the easy proficiency with which he handles it – surely he has to be one of the legendary swordsmen?
The man’s head tilts very slowly, his dark eyes flickering over her face. Then, after a breathless moment, he nods.
Tenten forgets herself, letting out a tiny squeal, “That’s – oh wow, that’s amazing! You guys, wow, you’re my heroes! I never thought I’d ever meet one of you in my lifetime, never!”
“Heroes?” The man repeats, then laughs. It’s a dark, bitter sound, utterly mirthless. Tenten stiffens. The man bends down a little, his disfigured hitae-ate catching the dull, grey light of the mist. When he speaks, his voice is low and dangerous, “Do I look like a hero to you?”
“I’m going to become my generation’s foremost expert on shinobi tools!” Tenten blurts out, Kurenai’s words of praise the first thing that came to mind, along with Anko’s warning, don’t downplay what you’ve got. “I don’t care who wields the weapon, I only care about how it’s wielded.” Tenten continues, eyeing the enormous blade with longing, “It’s beautiful.”
The little she can see of the man’s face looks incredulous for a moment, then he breaks out into a big laugh, sounding genuinely amused this time, “Well, if I’m looking at the next generation’s weapons master… it would be a waste not to test her mettle, don’t you think?”
Tenten stiffens. She was aware that approaching the man at all was risking battle, but that didn’t mean she was eager to experience it. She wasn’t big-headed enough to believe she would even survive him.
“I don’t think my mettle is strong enough right now,” She admits, “So, if I am going to be a weapons mistress, I don’t think taking you on is the best choice.”
The man spins his sword again, his stance loose and relaxed. Utterly unconcerned. “Who said it was a choice, brat? I want to see what you can do.”
Fang is still trembling, tucked under her chin. Tenten strokes his ears, trying to stay calm on his behalf.
“You never introduced yourself,” She says, biding for time. Hopefully Kou will finish up his side of the fight and make it over to her before the missing-nin has chance to rip her limb from limb. It was a waiting game, but Tenten has never been very patient.
“I guess I didn’t…” He says, looking at her as if she was a particularly amusing little pet, “Fair enough. You’re looking at Momochi Zabuza, kid.”
“The Demon of Kiri?” Tenten squeaks, her jaw dropping.
Zabuza gives her a mocking salute.
Oh. Oh no.
She’d followed the advice of a thing she didn’t even understand and now she’d dragged Fang and Kou into the path of one of Kiri’s most dreaded soldiers in living history.
“Okay,” She hears herself say, oddly calm, “Fang, I’m going to need you to leave now.”
“I’ll give you a present first,” Fang says, tail twitching, “Try to summon again after I’m gone, okay?”
“A summon?” Zabuza says, focusing on the red panda around her neck for the first time.
“What do you – ”
Fang presses his nose against her neck, and she feels his chakra bloom into her system. “Be careful, Tenten-chan!” He whispers, then vanishes in a puff of smoke.
He’d transferred as much of his chakra to her as he could survive losing.
Tenten feels dizzy, her head swimming with new power. It isn’t her chakra, but it feels right somehow, like tea leaves and rust.
“Still want to test my mettle?” Tenten says, looking up at Zabuza with renewed determination.
He simply lifts his sword in answer, stance firming up as if ready to leap.
“Fine by me! Kuchiyose no Jutsu!” She yells, biting her thumb and slamming her hand down on the ground.
Two massive puffs of smoke signal her new summons’ arrival.
Pandas.
There are two enormous pandas standing in front of her, both wearing light armour and straw hats, each wielding a large, thin sword. They stand on their hind legs, far taller than any panda she has seen in the diagrams of her textbooks about the natural world.
“Hello, Tenten-chan,” One says languidly, seemingly unaware of the dangerous situation they had been dropped into, “I am Bai.”
“And I am Li,” The second panda continues, “We are pleased to be at your service, and will be friends to you and your people until the end.”
“The end?” Tenten asks, eyes flickering between the bears and Zabuza, who has yet to make a move.
“Of either us,” Bai begins.
“Or you,” Li finishes.
Tenten stares up at them, wide-eyed.
“Of course, please do not expect the end to come soon, Tenten-chan.” Bai says gently, lifting his sword in a surprisingly delicate flourish. “We are no strangers to battle.”
“And we have yet to fail,” Li says, her stance firming into a position ready for combat.
***
Hello, friends!
Let’s pretend there was no gap in updates, hahaha don’t be ridiculous lmao can you even imagine me not updating this fic since October 2018, that’s not even a real date lololol
I’m still madly in love with this fic’s premise, and writing Tenten in general, so I’m not gonna stop unless I’m abducted by aliens. That is the ONLY reason. So if these updates ever stop… you know where to find me ~~
I made up pre-missions, which are basically like missions even lower-ranked than D, for Academy Students to get a chance to get a taste of missions outside the village with a chuunin escort to protect them. Just because the idea of sending them on a proper mission for D or C rank without them ever having even left the village before seems… Dumb?
I’ve decided that Sasuke needed to know people outside of his clan before the massacre because….. I need Shino + Tenten + Sasuke friendship like oxygen. So they used to be childhood friends, kind of, or at least as close as outsiders could get with an Uchiha kid, but then the massacre happened and their friendships either splintered or faded away.
Ino stalks Naruto’s stalkers by pretending she’s stalking Naruto. Because shinobi shenanigans.
Tenten has pandas. Because she should. She deserves pandas.
Quick poll for fun: How would you have ended Naruto, if you were Kishi?
I would’ve had Naruto becoming a jounin sensei, still on his path to becoming Hokage, but wanting to help underdogs with their dreams before chasing his own. Also no one important dies, there are no aliens or moon goddesses, and Naruto grows his hair out like Minato.