Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. I am just borrowing them. The plot, however, is all mine.

Universe: The Akatsuki is still wrecking havoc, but Sasuke has been retrieved. Team Gai's members are now all in ANBU, and they still work most missions together. Tenten has also taken a job to repair kunais, swords, shriukens and other equipment, being that she's good with forging things. They are all around 20-21 years of age.

Status: Complete.

Revised: 5/20/12.

"Take care of the mist, commander. It may hide the things that the Gods themselves dared not look upon."

-Ambrosinus (The Last Legion, 2007)-

"Melted Steel"

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

Chapter 1: "Silver Nightmares"

The night felt heavy and ominous as the seven year old stumbled through the woods in a blind haste. A beautiful, silver dragon glided beside her, leading the way through the ocean of greens and browns. Her small hand clutched at its powerful tail with a petrified grip, knowing that if she were to let go, she would lose him. And she couldn't. She mustn't!

The regal creature, thankfully, didn't seem to mind her touch, or the force behind the grip. Though, to be honest, it would have been laughable if the Dragon were to be injured by the flimsy grasp.

As they trekked on silently –where they escaping from someone?- sharp branches whipped her tender skin, leaving crimson lines behind as she battled the claws of foliage. A sudden gust of wind made brown locks lash around her face frantically, and nature's long and piercing wail made the hairs at the back of her neck rise. Perhaps it was her imagination taking flight, but to her it sounded something like a scream of impending doom.

Trepidation filled her, resulting in her grip tightening even more on her only companion amidst the somber night. In reaction to her almost palpable fear, the Dragon's pace quickened and she was ruthlessly reminded that ghosts and sounds were not the only thing to be afraid of. They had to get as far away from—from where? …From who?

She didn't know. The information –significant as it was—was missing from her brain.

Her eyes narrowed in silent reflection, trying to grasp those eluding details that were imperative she remembered. She realized that there was something 'else' missing. She knew it because, though she was worried about that something, she just couldn't quite remember what it was, only that it was important. It was very important to her…

But what was it?

After a small eternity, a cabin materialized from seemingly out of nowhere. The Dragon made a dash for it and she obediently followed, the creature exerting a power over her that she dared not fight. They went in through the unlocked door. Her breaths were coming in quick and shallow pants, marking her fatigue.

How long had they been running?

The creaking sound of the door closing, and she was left alone with him. The Dragon turned to her then, his eyes two flames of hazel amidst melted silver. Kami, he was a sight to behold! Absolute awe and unbound devotion replaced the fear that had kept her heart drumming fast.

He would keep her safe. She knew it with total conviction.

The Dragon opened his mouth to say something, but a snapping sound outside interrupted him. He turned to face the only window in the small cabin, his eyes narrowed and he moved with liquid speed to where she was standing.

He brought his head down to her level and gave her a look of what she guessed was reassurance. It felt, however, oddly like some kind of unvoiced order too, but she wasn't sure. Before she could say something, he pushed her into a nearby, empty cabinet, making her crawl inside. With one last look at her –so many things flashing in those amber eyes, that she couldn't interpret them- he closed the door.

As soon as she was left alone, her heart, for some reason, seemed to retake the fear that she had cast away not long ago. Would the Dragon be alright out there on his own?

A silver of light coming through a small hole in the door, pierced the veil of darkness she would have been subjected to otherwise. She heard the noise of glass shattering and wood breaking seconds before she bent to peer through the hole.

And she saw it.

It was almost like a dance rehearsed to perfection. Yet she knew it was not. This was not a dance. This was not perfection. This was death. Unwelcomed. Uncontrolled. Raw and primal. But through it all, as inconsistent as the thought was, it was also unequivocally beautiful. Still a dance, but a dance with death. Not perfect, but alluring.

The Dragon twirled his silver body around as he battled a group of shadows, sharp claws shredding them in minutes with apparent ease. Blood –rusty and thick- was spilled onto the darkened floor, covering the wood with pools of wine. She felt neither repulsion nor fright. No. Instead, there was simple recognition and banal indifference, just what one would feel when being exposed to an everyday occurrence.

But alongside that, there was something else. Something that was not quite natural. It took a while for her to recognize and name this strange feeling. It was relief. Unbound relief at knowing the Dragon remained intact after all aggression ceased –or rather, after all his aggressors lay lifeless by his feet.

Why relief? Because the Dragon was important. He was important to her. She did not know the reason why, instead she relied on the firm echo in her head which told her that he was. He simply was. She could feel it inside her. He was important to her, in a level rarely attained.

Hazel eyes turned to gaze at the cabinet where she was hiding. Perhaps she too was important to the Dragon, because he seemed as though he was checking up on her. Or were his eyes conveying another one of his silent orders? Orders that felt oddly familiar, but she could neither remember nor comprehend at this particular moment in time.

A horrible sound of laugher resonated throughout the place. That too, was familiar, but in a far unwelcomed way. Before she could ponder more about this, the door to the cabin was thrown open with such force, that it broke off its hinges with a complaining groan.

Slowly… So very slowly, the Dragon spun around to face the intruder. She wanted to cry, she wanted to go to him and ask him to run away. She wanted to protect him, to help him. And yet, she could not move. It was his eyes that held her in place. His unvoiced order perhaps? Or was it simply the increasing fear gripping at her limbs, making survival win over strings of loyalty?

Was it really loyalty? Or was it-

Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat when a huge Snake –bigger than the Dragon itself—came sliding through. Black scales glinted purple under the moonlight streaming in from the door, making it seem as though the creature had risen from out of the bowels below.

The vicious fangs of his mouth extended a promised of pain as he started laughing, much like a human would do. The sound –crazed and evil- chilled her to the bone, more so than the image of his slimy body. Inside her flimsy shelter of wood and dust, she gasped in a tenuous whisper.

The Dragon growled.

The Serpent hissed.

In the tense pause that followed, they just stared at each other from across the pool of shadows and blood. A battle was being waged, only she could not see it. It was obvious that it was, but it was personal, raging inside the vastness of their psyches. And then it was externalized, as they lunged at each other at exactly the same time.

A symphony of clashes, parries, grunts, growls, steps and hisses filled the atmosphere. This time, her heart was drumming a mile per second when she noticed the Dragon was receiving a good share of wounds. Before long, much to her dismay, one of his silver flanks was quickly coated crimson as the Serpent lashed at him –the creature's body becoming elastic-like as it stretched abnormally beyond its natural capabilities.

There was a small standstill after this, each trying to survey his own wounds and determine where they stood in this fated battle. The Serpent finished his inspection first and, as if feeling her eyes upon him, he turned to gaze at where she hid, his eyes stripping her to her very soul. Cold sweat broke on her forehead as she faced the devil himself, his eyes drinking her with so much malice, that she felt her entire body growing numb with fear.

Just when the idea of getting out and away popped into her head, a barrier of silver broke eye contact. It was the Dragon coming to her rescue by reminding his adversary that, if he wanted to get to her, he would need to kill him first.

An angry growl came from the Dragon and the Serpent, shaking his head with amusement, only laughed his crazy laugh.

All of a sudden, the Serpent threw his tail –which had somehow grown wicked spikes—towards the Dragon, using it like a whip of death. It hit the silver creature with baffling force, sending him flying out the open door. And she was left alone with the dark devil… utterly helpless.

The Serpent moved forward –eyes on her, his prey- and she, in turn, moved backwards. But there was no place to retreat as her back pressed painfully against a wooden wall. Desperation heeded forth her survival instincts, and her hand took a hold of a kunai she had strapped to her thigh. Her only weapon, her only protection, her only chance!

She took it in a petrified grip that rendered her knuckles white and gulped. A hissing sound resonated around her as the Serpent continued to approach unopposed.

Where was the Dragon?

Her eyes widened. Her breath hitched. Her heart hammered. Her senses sharpened. Sweat –thick and vexing- rolled down her face, threatening to blind her as the beads ran into her eyes.

A chuckle outside –so very near- and then…The door was pulled open, moonlight spilled inside, and she lashed out blindly, frantically, desperately! The blade caught the Serpent's mouth and –adrenaline pumping through her veins—she pushed forward with all the strength she could muster. The kunai ripped the tender skin of his open mouth a good five inches, making the Serpent slide back howling in pain.

She had to run! She had to find the Dragon. She had to help him!

He was important.

She was almost out the door when the Serpent lunged towards her. Raw fear made her look back in time to see the enormous creature towering her, fangs bared and ready –looking even more hellish now that they were painted red.

Was she going to die? Where was the Dragon?

The Serpent moved for the kill, vicious fangs ready to pierce her skull and break her bones… Her eyes widened, her frame shook. The sharp teeth were almost in when—

Tenten woke up panting and covered in sweat. Her heart was still drumming hard and her throat was awfully dry and it ached as though she'd just been screaming. She turned to the clock sitting atop her nightstand. The green digits –not surprisingly- glared the same hour they always did in this most unwelcomed day.

It was 3:00 a.m. of the tenth of October. The date she'd rightfully dubbed the day of nightmares. She laughed mirthlessly and ran a hand through her moist hair. She had naively believed that after she grew up, the nightmares would stop. But these nightmares of Dragons and Serpents that made absolutely no sense, kept coming back, itching like poison ivy in her mind.

Wasn't she a little too old to continue dreaming of such nonsense? Had the Serpent symbolized Orochimaru she would have been able to make sense of it, but it didn't. The nightmares came before the Konoha traitor and his kidnapping of Uchiha Sasuke. The nightmares had visited her since as long as she could remember. Why? Well, even now she wondered…

She sighed profoundly, evening her breath in order to calm her jittery nerves. Idly, she gazed around her cold surroundings.

So lonely…

She'd been living alone for so long, yet part of her had never gotten used to it. Perhaps that was why this day she had come to both despise and yearn for. For this day, at least, she got to entertain some company very early. And no matter how weird said visitor was, he was still welcomed; always had been and always will be…

He's going to get here soon, she told herself, prompting her tensed body to leave the warmth of her bed. Rubbing her neck, she went straight to the bathroom and closed the door behind her –a force of habit more than modesty.

She turned the faucet on and adjusted the heat. Then, shedding her clothes, she stepped into the warm pelting and idly massaged her shoulders in an attempt to uncoil her muscles. Calloused palms caressed the rest of her. Bumps marked numerous wounds she'd received. Each scar was a memory, frozen in her body, forcing her to always remember that she was not invincible. It was helpful, in a way. One look at any one of them and she was immediately reminded to be careful, to guard her back and, most importantly, to protect those around her.

The image of the Dragon flashed before her eyes. Did he too have scars? She laughed at the silly question. He was a dream, a figment of her imagination. Sure, she'd sometimes morbidly wondered if the Serpent ever got to bite her head off, but she decided it was best that she'd woken before finding out.

Shaking her head to clear it of her inane musings, she concentrated on cleaning her body. Midway through the process, however, her mind drifted to other things –or rather, another being. More acutely, she pondered upon her visitor and his reasons for his coming.

Did he know about the nightmares perhaps? How many times had she asked herself that? And yet, when he came, she never asked…Still, something told her that he knew… For why else would he come in this very day at exactly four in the morning? Naturally, he never said anything, acting like it was a banal thing to visit a young woman at this odd hour. Yet, coincidences of this magnitude where never that. Especially when this routine had been established since as long as she could remember.

Maito Gai never ever missed this day and Tenten was thankful for his company, for it truly brought some sense of familiar comfort. It was a similar kind of comfort to that light would bring after spending a long time within chilling darkness. A light like the one children clung to in order to fight the monsters that lay in waiting below their beds or inside their closets.

And though she was not a child, in this day, she couldn't help but feel like one. She would never tell him that, of course. She couldn't. His team would know about it if she did. And Hyuga Neji would then lose all the respect he had for her if he found out she possessed such weakness! That was a constant fear of hers. To think that all her hard work in getting him to acknowledge her would go down the drain if he ever found out she was still a fragile child at heart –afraid of nightmares, monsters and loneliness…

As soon as she finished dressing, the awaited knock came. She combed her hair rapidly before flying down the flight of stairs and opening the door. Her ex-sensei stood there, a brown paper bag cradled on his arm and a broad smile on his face. One would never guess he was aware of what she'd gone through. But he was.

Maito Gai knew about her restless night, even when she'd never told him anything. And Tenten couldn't help but wonder why…

"Ah, my blossoming sun bathed flower, I have brought you a healthy breakfast to help you start your youthful day!" Gai gave the same excuse he always did, maybe because it had yet to fail him.

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, she stepped aside to let him in. The smile on her face, however, wasn't fake, nor was the thankful glance she gave him. If he managed to read those emotions, he hid it well, for he didn't say anything. Instead, he marched right towards her kitchen, knowing the way around her apartment professionally. She followed shortly after, taking a seat while he took out the plates as though this was his house and she was the guest.

And she allowed it. Just like she'd done that first time when she was eleven years old and her mom had died…Gai was always there for her. He was the light to blow away her childhood monsters. Tenten could ask for nothing else.

-o0o-

Hyuga Neji surveyed the group gathered outside the Hokage's office with hidden dismay. Half of the people he couldn't stand while the other half he didn't particularly like.

"Ah, my youthful rival!" Lee called as soon as he noticed him approaching. He wondered if he could detect his reluctance, but experienced had shown him time and again, that either the Green Beast didn't or he simply did not care.

"Lee," he acknowledged curtly, politeness prompting him to nod at the rest of the group in greetings.

"Yosh! We'll do our best on the mission to come!" Lee gave a thumbs-up and flashed a wide smile. Had Neji been more prone to give into emotional responses, he would have rolled his eyes. More so, when Naruto joined them only to mimic the inane pose. For his sanity, Neji decided to simply ignore them for the time being.

"I wonder what the Hokage's thinking," Shikamaru said as he approached Neji. Him, at least, he could tolerate and didn't even dislike at all.

Ivory eyes narrowed a fraction as he scanned the crowd again. Naruto, Lee, Kiba, Shikamaru, Sai and Sasuke stood around him, and Neji wondered for a split second if this was some kind of punishment. Surely, he did not deserve such treatment!

The Hokage was well aware –as were almost everyone else—that he performed his best when Tenten was in his team. Whether that was pure coincidence or not, he didn't care. She was the only one that he enjoyed working with. Yes. He had no qualms in admitting that Tenten had long since gone past the point of mere tolerance.

Still, since apparently only guys were requested for this mission, Neji assumed that there would be no weapon mistress there to stop him from killing –or at the very least, maiming- some of his companions. Well, he would just have to tough it up and concentrate on blocking their irritating voices out in order to keep sane.

The door to the Hokage's office was pulled open, exposing a tired looking Shizune behind. "Tsunade-sama is ready for you," she informed, stepping aside to let them in.

The group filed inside in solemn silence, standing in line and at a ready before the Hokage's desk. Tsunade was sitting with her spine straight and half her face hidden by intertwined fingers. Yet, though she looked ready to get down to business, Neji could still detect a spark of amusement in her eyes which didn't bode all that well with him. That look always brought trouble.

"Ah, I see one of you is missing," Tsunade pointed out with a frown. Leaning back on her seat she sighed, "We'll just have to wait a little, it would seem."

Neji's brow twitched at this. Where they really not sufficient? He'd worked with part of this group before -back when they were attempting to rescue Sasuke for the first time- and considering the skills gathered, the idea that they were not sufficient for one mission would never have crossed his mind.

Perhaps this had something to do with the Akatsuki?

Before he could voice his doubts, a knock on the door stole his attention. "Come in!" The Hokage ordered, switching back to her business-like position. Neji, however, managed to see the smirk that quirked her lips before she hid it behind her intertwined hands.

With newfound interest, he turned at the sound of the door creaking open and… stared. There she was. The only one who could make any situation so much brighter by simply being there. Tenten, weapon mistress of Konoha…

"Now that everyone's here, let's begin," Tsunade said, taking out a bunch of folders from one of her drawers. And it was only then that a sudden realization hit Neji, one that was not particularly pleasing.

Tenten would be coming with them… the only female amidst a group of testosterone-filled men. For some reason the idea that he would have to share her was not a welcomed one.

No. Neji Hyuga did not like this one bit…

To be continued…

AN: So, this was the idea that was voted for my next story. Unlike my previous story 'SharpBladed Spririt', the plot will focus on filling the gaps of Tenten's character (why doesn't she have a family name? Why is she the only weapon mistress in Konoha? etc.). It will, however, still have quite a good amount of romance. Please do not forget to review and tell me what you think. Don't worry, the nightmares will be explained as the story progresses.