Welcome home, Tenten

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did team Guy and some other fodders would have more screen time

10.11.2013. I rewrote most of this chapter, put in some new scenes and removed some older "unnecessary" ones.


Ch 1. Awakening

When the dust cleared up everyone looked up to see what still remained of their army, shaken over the dangerous attack by the Ten-tailed beast. Roots were impaled in the ground. Debris were scattered everywhere, colored by the crimson color of blood. With widened eyes they saw how myriad of their comrades lay bleeding on the ground, some heavily injured by the roots that had impaled them, others were already dead. Cries of despair were heard everywhere.

Exhausted Tenten forced herself up on her feet with shaking hands. Her breath was raspy and her body felt heavy due to the drain of chakra. With pounding heart she looked around to see how her comrades had made it out from the attack.

When she saw Lee hurry over to her side to check her condition she let out a small sigh of relief. Glancing over to her sensei she saw both him and Kakashi were supporting each other. Both looked worn out, but they were at least alive. The others she knew also seemed to be okay, but worn out.

Then she looked desperately around to find the last one of her team member. Her blood started to rush in her veins as her eyes didn't find him among all the other soldiers.

A gasp was heard not far away.

She saw how Naruto and Hinata hunched over something… or someone. Tenten blinked some dust away from her eyes so that she could see better, doing so, she regretted it…

Her breath was caught in her throat.

In Naruto's arms lay nobody else than Neji.

"No way…" she heard herself say, but the words felt far away.

Never ever had she thought that Neji of all people would fall in war like that, Neji was one of the strongest of the ninjas she knew and that she had admired.

But here he was, lying lifeless in Naruto's arms. Beyond reach. His last empty smile still plastered on his face, a smile that would haunt Tenten's memory the rest of her life.

She bit her lip not to let out that cry that was going to escape her lips. Lee's high bawling didn't made things better, nor the shocked look of her teacher or the others.

Tenten wanted him to wake up, put life in that smile and laugh it away like it was a bad joke. She hoped that this was a bad dream and that she would wake up in cold sweat somewhere in her apartment. But it wasn't…

This was reality… Neji wouldn't wake up.

Tenten gazed up at the Juubi. Even though her eyes were fogged up she could discern the face of the two culprits. Madara Uchihaand the man called Tobi. Both of them stood there and admired the scene they had caused…

"Didn't you say that you wouldn't let me kill anyone of your comrades, Naruto?" Tobi sneered, glaring at the paralyzed blonde "look around you and dare to say that again."

For the first time the blonde looked like he was loss of words when he let his eyes gaze over the field. His eyes widened by shock by the sight.

People were losing hope, their eyes drafted towards the ground filled with fear. Medic nins tried to heal them, but like the others they were also exhausted from the chakra use.

"Shut up." Tenten hissed silently. Tobi's words awoke a long forgotten anger inside the weapon mistress. He had taken Neji… He had ripped out a dear person from her life. A precious brother to her… She wasn't going to let him escape from this crime. Never.

Little did she know how her eyes turned from brown to red, with two black commas swirling in her irises.

With a slow pace she started to go towards the gigantic monster, which towered over the whole alliance. With revenge and hatred boiling in mind she pulled out the bashosen.

She threw the Uchiha men a determined look. It was enough to boost her courage. They might be the worst enemy to the ninja alliance, and with that dangerous creature they were invincible. But be so Juubi or the mighty Madara Uchiha, she wouldn't let anyone be fine with killing her precious friends.

A deep breath and she ran towards the monster, towards her inevitable death. She wouldn't have any chance against them. This fight would be her last one. That was for sure, but she didn't mind, if she just could buy some time for the others, wake hope in Naruto.

Of course her acts weren't ignored by the other shinobis on the field. Shockingly their eyes followed her. Some didn't seem to mind it at all, as they were too exhausted to even do anything. Others tried to interfere.

"Stop it, Tenten!" Guy sensei and Kakashi were already right by her side, trying to keep her down by her arms. But after some wrestling, causing her to get some cuts, Tenten managed to release herself from their grasp, most due to their exhaustion.

This didn't pass unnoticed by the two Uchiha men standing on the top of the Ten tail's head.

"Kill that worthless human." Madara muttered as he coldly watched at the approaching shinobi.

Obito made a hand seal. Watching the approaching shinobi, he wondered how many nameless shinobis would die in vain. How many would still be sacrificed to protect something beyond reach.

A tentacle-like tail swung in the air and crushed against her, but the shinobi was fast enough to avoid the first hit. As she jumped high up in the air and landed on the tail, continuing to run upwards.

Something in her nimble reflexes and movements seemed familiar. Obito couldn't put a finger on where he had seen some similar movements, and it bugged him. As the irritation grew, another tail made its way towards her. This time she wasn't prepared, and the tail hit her hard. She fell…

"How naïve." He muttered.

The hit pressed the air out of her lungs. She fell hard on the ruined ground. Tenten felt the metal taste in her mouth as she rose ponderously. Her head pounded –something hard had brushed her head during the fall- a warm, red and sticky essence dropping somewhere from the dark mess of hair that had fallen from her buns. She groaned and pulled the braids from her hair, letting her hair fall free and knock-kneed continued towards them.

A bit taken aback by her stubbornness to live on he continued to watch how she ran towards them. Eyes widening when he got a closer look on his next sacrifice. Her red eyes did first catch his interest. Myriad questions formed in his head as he looked into her sharingan. How come she had survived the massacre? Hadn't those months of planning been enough? How come she even had the Uchiha blood limit? She didn't look Uchiha at all.

An on that though she had made a big sprung towards him, with the bashosen swung over her head read to attack him. Seeing her this close, Obito froze. Even though her face was covered in dirt and blood he could recognize the familiar facial features. Her long brown hair was similar to hers. Even though her face looked dangerous she was still a ghost of her.

"Rin?" the Uchiha just stared, paralyzed. Unable to react when he suddenly was thrown backwards and landed hard on the ground. She made her way towards him, slowly but threatening. Obito couldn't look at her. Whoever she was, she was driving him insane. How come she was alive and breathing? He had seen her die? Now she was there like a ghost… Attacking him.

He repeated her name, with a weak voice. Why did she attack him? Lost about everything he just stared at the ground, hearing her step coming closer. Was this his punishment? Was Rin punishing him?

No he had promised her to make a better world… It was a promise during their childhood and he would still keep it no matter what. He had sworn it over her dead body.

There was no way that Rin could exist in this hell. He had seen her die.

Obito glared at the girl approaching him. She wasn't Rin.

When Madara turned around to the girl, with a murdering look, he was stopped.

"I take care of her!" Obito growled as he glared at her. They both circled each other dangerously, ready to kill. The longer they eyed each other, the more he wanted to get rid of this imposter. Tear her apart and forget her existence – put her in the nameless shinobi category – and continue the Mooneye plan. Most of all he wanted to tear away her face, the face of Rin.

Tenten flew through his body. Shocked she made a turn to see how he already had turned around his hand dangerously near her, ready to pierce her. She didn't do anything, what could she do? He was far superior to her. She would die here… and now. A last and wry smile made her way on her lips, as his finger was about to enter her ribcage.

There was no pain. She didn't hear her scream. The next moment she opened her eyes her sensei had lifted her beyond Tobi's reach. Tobi himself had been struck back by Kakashi.

"Obito, you don't know what mistake you was about to do!" he said in a cold voice. Tobi gave him a dark and hostile look. The last thing Tenten could remember before the chakra exhaustion took over.


After the war Tenten woke up in a white hospital room. She didn't know how long she had been unconscious neither did she care about that. Her only thoughts lingered around one of her teammates.

"Tenten…" she heard the familiar voice far away, but yet Lee sat right beside her bed trying to get her attention. Direct when her eyes turned to him she saw how much war had changed the world she lived in.

Lee was almost wholly bandaged. He had scratches and worst of all was that he looked like he had lost one of his eyes since his left socket was sewn. Even though he tried to press one of his bright smiles he failed fatally, seemingly he was still grieving Neji.

This sight made a lump in her throat and before she let her tears drop she almost crushed him in a big bear hug. Tenten was so happy that at least one of her family member's remained in life. She didn't know anything about Guy-sensei but she hoped that he also was alive and kicking. For once Tenten missed his and Lee's crazy trainings.

"Ow ow, Tenten. It hurts!" Lee exclaimed as he hissed in pain. Shockingly she let go off him.

"Sorry, Lee." She sobbed, so unlike her old self but she just couldn't help it right now. She had missed him so much. "I am just so happy that you are fine."

"Me too. I have missed our Youthful Lotus." Lee embraced her cautiously, afraid to break her down even more. Tenten also wrapped her arms around the boy she liked so much. She didn't dare to admit it but she wanted to be hold like this for a long time. Everything she wanted was to sink in in Lee's scent and forget everything bad outside the world. She wished that Lee would help her to recall all good memories with her team, even all awkward things they had done together. She wanted to remember Neji as happy and living, but the picture of his broken body kept haunting her. Every time she remembered that something very dark spread through her body. Hatred.

She wanted to know that even Guy-sensei was okay, always he had been like a father to her and right now she needed him the most. Tenten felt so ashamed for all times she and Neji had made fun of his strange antics, after all this man meant very much. During Asuma's funeral she had realized that she just couldn't bear the thought if her sensei died.

They were the only one she had there by her side. Neji's death had taken a big toll of her and created an insecure feeling of loneliness. The same loneliness she had felt during her whole childhood. The childhood she knew so little about.


A/N. This is some strange theory about Tenten's background. I am full aware of that this is not canon at all, but after watching a picture where Tenten calls Rin and Obito Mom and Dad this idea just came into my mind and I couldn't resist writing this down.

Please review and send critique, but don't just say it was bad without any hints or tips of how to make it better.

And thanks for reading!