So this is a kunoichi-centric, multi-chaptered fic. I'm leaving Temari out because I'm sticking to Konoha kunoichi right now. Maybe I'll change my mind and put Temari in too. The pairings are gonna be NejiTenten, KibaIno (my first try at it!), NaruHina, and SasuSaku. Possibly some ShikaTema. For now probably not, maybe I'll add it on.
So this is chapter one - Tenten..
Tucking a stray of chocolate-hued hair back into her twin buns, she grabbed the next item and deliberately slid it over the scanner.
Beep.
Her calloused fingers, so used to the feel of kunai and shuriken and senbon, were just as quick flying over the number pad. She smiled at the customer, chatted with her a little bit, and then took the cash from between her fingers.
She sighed. She really did love her days as a normal civilian, working her part-time job. Every Sunday both she and several of her friends would take the day off, not even bothering to train but just giving their body a slight rest. These days let her breathe a little, experience a day without summoning scrolls to rain down hundreds projectiles of sharp, cold steel. She and Neji-kun could be a normal couple for a day, instead of him on watch for both of them, with her hovering by his blind spot. They could walk the streets shopping and laughing and giggling like all the other civilian couples that she saw on a daily basis.
On a daily basis, when she was the one covered in blood and stumbling in exhausted from her latest mission.
Pushing the thought from her mind, she chatted it up with Sumiko-san, the florist who worked part-time at Ino's shop, and gossiped with her about her latest crush, the doctor who helped Hana at her vet clinic. Wishing her a good day and good luck on her date, she saw her off after bagging the mangoes and began a fast-paced conversation with Akiyo.
She realized she never had to look far from even everyday life to be reminded of her life as a ninja, however. Akiyo, age 7, was adorably rambling on excitedly about his first day of Ninja Academy which was yesterday. His older brother, 11, who she knew was in Iruka-sensei's class, rolled his eyes and mentioned how Akiyo couldn't stop talking about it. Tenten couldn't help cracking a grin as she bagged up mayonnaise and told them to say hello to their mother, but quickly masked her thoughts as she began brooding.
Her lifestyle could never be that of a civilian, if for no other reason than just her title - kunoichi. Even a genin couldn't ever be normal again, because as long as the world exists so does crisis, and crisis demands every ninja possible to give up what they can for defense.
The word ninja, she realized, was synonymous with sacrifice.
Knowing what she did now, would she have followed the same path? She didn't know. Honestly, the only reason she entered the academy was because she wanted to be recognized. With a plain appearance (Neji would argue otherwise), no kekkei genkai, and no notable family name (Anko-sensei had been nice enough to take her in), she had wanted recognition, not unlike Naruto, she laughingly realized now.
The door jingled, and Moegi ran in, panting. At first Tenten assumed she was on another D-rank mission within the village (although Moegi herself was almost 14 now, even chunin were given low missions sometimes,) or perhaps she was having a race with Konohamaru. However, when Moegi half-regained her breath, she sputtered out, "Tsunade-sama..."
Tenten didn't need to hear more to understand. She moved her hands up to tie up her hair into twin buns only to realize even more that she could never completely get away from her life as a kunoichi. Her hair already rested in perfect buns. In fact, she had meticulously - subconsciously - been tucking it away continuously, just so she could be ready at a moment's notice.
Adrenaline pumped through her system, and instinct took over. She whipped off her apron in one smooth motion - a simple flick of the wrist, and a snap of the elbow, so similar to throwing a shuriken. She chuckled when she saw what had been underneath the uniform apron. Ninja's intuition - she had unwittingly slipped on her fighting outfit that morning.
She ran to the back room to hang her apron in her locker, and on the way passed Aiko. Aiko raised an eyebrow at her, and Tenten nodded, sparing a quick peek over her shoulder at her counter. She shoved the pre-prepared note - when did she write that? - at Aiko, asking her to please give that to Neji in case she wasn't back by the time he came to pick her up. Tenten knew she must have had that ready at all times.
She could never be a normal civilian, she realized. She was always on alert and always prepared without ever giving it a second thought.
Because she was kunoichi.
She opened her locker, crinkling up her apron and throwing it inside. She snatched her hitai-ite off the hanger, strapping it over her forehead, then threw her giant scroll on her back.
Basking in the sun, she gracefully leaped to a rooftop and quickly picked up a running pace across them, heading straight for the Hokage Tower.
So whatcha think? R'n'R please! ^_^
~ScarletCamellia
