Summary:Tenten wondered what was the real reason she was granted a position in the prestigious Akatsuki.
Prestige
by TenxAkatsukixTen
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She still wasn't quite sure why she was granted a position in the prestigious Akatsuki. The entire three years with them she was living in doubt and disbelief that it all wasn't true. Her village barely reached her mind, and when it did she was drowned with sudden bouts of loss so intense she felt as hollow as a corpse. But then she'd remember where she was.
Tenten had always cared more for her ability than her village, and sometimes the truth behind that scared her. But she knew it was true. She strived each day to perfect her skills and never truly showing all she's learned even to her own teammates.
She was a kunoichi, and they weren't strong. She was reminded this everyday of her childhood, even in the academy and from the teachers. They held it in well, but she could always see it. How they doted on the girls and never really challenged them for all they could do as they did for the shinobi. Despicable Leaf-ninja pissed her off, but she never was able to do anything about that. Even as she felt her ninjutsu pouring through her veins, she held it in. Even though she felt her taijutsu surpass her teammate's, she held it in. And when Neji was spent, she feigned harsh labor and let him take the win.
She had wanted so badly as a kid to prove them all wrong, but as power flowed through her delectably, she found she couldn't even show it -in fear of appearing too power hungry: and she was. In fear of being shunned. And as she felt her skills surpass Gai-sensei's to where he seemed quite pathetic, she couldn't help but want more. You can do better! Once again! She pushed herself through the nights and during the wee hours of the days, and successfully placed herself right where she wanted to be.
Yet, she still wanted to be better. Not until she was dead will she ever be satisfied with her own strength.
But no one knew; and secretly, she hated Konoha for it. But she couldn't betray her village, she just couldn't. She never wanted to shame her clan's name anymore than it already had been. Her, her brothers and her mother were the very last. Now that her mother was dead it was only her and her brothers.
Her mother: a silly kunoichi trying to defeat a shinobi?' Those were the words that followed her everywhere, and she had yet to realize how sexist she really was. Slaughtered before her, her mother was a true ninja; but found as silly for attacking head-on a ninja she clearly could not beat. For breaking formation just to flaunt her strength. To attempt a victory against an untouchable ninja. A shinobi.
And even after proving them all wrong, she still was unable to reveal her powers. Her speed, her agility, her elegance, her expertise and her proficiency. No one-- knew.
Except the Akatsuki.
She didn't know how but they had known from the start. The very day she and her team fought Deidara. How everyone exerted themselves and she held back, only throwing a borage of shuriken before stepping back to let the shinobi handle him. When she fought herself is when Itachi realized it. The fire in her eyes sent shivers of awe through his lesser fellow colleagues. No, not the fire of hatred towards the people that killed Gaara. Not the fire of determination to beat the clone and hurry to help Team Kakashi.
This fire was something deeper, something darker; something more ominous and selfish than what Tenten was ready to face. This was the fire for battle. The fire to defeat her opponent at any means necessary. The fire that ignited at fighting herself; finally an acceptable partner to test her strength and measure her abilities. This was a fire that good ninja were born to avoid, a fire that Tenten could no longer shrink away from.
A fire that was never extinguished. Ha! Too bad even the clone had knew better and held back. And the Akatsuki knew this fire all too well.
He had never seen such fervor combined with deadly precision and focus, even among the other Akatsuki members. She held back considerably, what control. And when she nearly exposed too much, she let Neji catch her when she feigned exhaustion as a punishment. How that alone stung her pride.
But here, with these S-rank criminals, if she shall ever hold back one of them will have her head for sure. It was for compensation; and their own way to reach out to Tenten and teach her to release that burden. "You can hide nothing from these eyes." She remembered his words as if they were spoken everyday. He knew what she was hiding and the rest were insulted greatly by it. They handled it rather… unnatural for S-rank evil ninjas:
"Why'd you hide it from us?!" Tobi proceeded to cry. Itachi turned his head ashamed. Pein and Konan acting very emo and didn't care whether she was dead, alive, or gay. Zetsu continuously reprimanded her as if she was his child. Kisame and Hidan repeatedly challenged her to a spar (note: when the Akatsuki spar they might as well be fighting their strongest enemy; only stopping when the other is short from death). Kakuzu promising he would stitch her up afterwards. Sasori threatening to make her into one of his special puppets; this was an honor' he said.
And Deidara? Well, he reacted the strangest:
"Only befit for a beautiful work of art, yeah!" Was what she heard before she was attacked from behind and nearly raped. It took Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan and Kakazu's stitchy-thingies to extract the boy. She was now denounced as his new rival as he soon moved on from Itachi. Also, his new lover as he chased her around the entire cave before Konan took it upon herself to save the poor girl and strangle him with her paper-art.
Tenten then promised her new companions that she would never hold back again. This would have been seen as brave and befit for a true Kunoichi-
If she weren't trembling beneath Itachi's cloak that is.
So when Tenten was granted her own Akatsuki ring, she would no longer doubt that her true strength wasn't wanted. "B-but.. why?"
"Isn't it clear? Your passion for battle is stronger than any ninja's of the Leaf. You are stronger than any ninja of the Leaf. That passion will lead to hate, and your hatred shall be your power." I want to know one thing: what the hell is up with Itachi and hatred?
"But-"
"Put it on, Tenten." She did, loving the feel of the silver, cold metal pressed against her ring finger. It's not like she was going to get married anyway. No, that was the farthest thing from her mind. Unlike other Kunoichi, she fought to find her better self, something she has yet to grasp.
But-- she felt much closer to it than she ever has since the day she first held her very first weapon. She felt ever so closer to her true self in this here Akatsuki.
And the ring? Well, she could see why they all wore it.
…It was pretty stylish…
_
Fin. XP