Comfort in the Arms of the Unknown
Disclaimer; I do not own Naruto
Summary; Weaken, tired and alone, collapsing in the forest seemed wise at the time.
Authors note; pre-warning this may be slightly confusing... as even we are getting confused as to how this will work, so bear with us... kyaa? [KankuTen]
Here's the day you hope would never come
Don't feed me violins, just run with me through roads of speeding cars.
...
Sleeping pills, know sleeping dogs lie never far enough away
Glistening in the cold sweat of guilt
[Speeding Cars lyrics by Imogen Heap]
Tentens P.O.V
I gazed unseeing at the trees around me. It took all of my energy to focus on putting one foot in front of the other, in order to keep up.
My two team mates kept up a gruelling pace, and seemed oblivious to the fact I had no interest in keeping up, or paying attention to my surroundings, leaving an easy opening for an enemy.
Slowly, though I tried to fight it, I felt my mind slip to other matters, such as that of what happened on the mission we were now returning from. These thoughts made me uncomfortable, and I could do without having to face the truth right now, though it seemed my mind had other things in store.
With a sigh I tried to block out the voice of my team mate that was now a fair distance ahead of me, and for the first time I succeeded. I had no instant desire to catch up with them, for provided I didn't fall too far behind I would be able to follow them, due to how well I knew them.
Keeping at the same steady, yet slightly rushed pace, I continued on in the same direction hoping that it was the right one.
* * *
A loud crash came from somewhere above me, and I shuddered as the wind whipped at me, more harsh then before.
I stopped briefly knowing that by now it made no difference as to whether I stopped or not, for they were to far ahead for me to have any chance of catching them up.
Glancing upwards, I began to realise that maybe the one time I had managed to block out Lee's voice, was the one time he was actually saying something of some use.
He was trying to warn me of a storm... and that they were speeding up to avoid it.
A cold drop of rain landed directly upon the end of my nose, bringing my thoughts once again back to the present; and the matter at hand.
I stood there, not knowing what to do, before I realised maybe standing here wasn't the brightest idea, and in fact maybe I should look for shelter. The oncoming storm did not look like a short one, and if I am lost now, things will only get worse in the middle of a storm.
Lost and alone, map less and clueless, I began to wonder through the trees, bushing the bushes aside, cutting back any that were too stubborn to move back with just mere force.
Things went on like this for about an hour, before things went from bad to worse; for now the rain had started.
At first it was a gentle – yet constant – drumming on my hair, but before I knew it, the rain began to fall quicker, the size of the droplets enlarging.
Within ten minutes the rain was coming down in thick waterfalls before me, and I could barely see my hand when I out stretched it before me in order to push away the undergrowth.
As the rain became heavier, the mud on the floor became wet and bog like, making it easy to slip up; and before long I found myself in a muddy heap on the floor, the rain pulling on my hair so it was in my eyes, blinding me.
Sat here like this, it all became to much and I let the memories flood back, and the tears fall freely.
I made my way lazily through the grass fields, searching for the 'missing' young woman.
According to the description we had been provided with by the old lady, the woman was around my height, with mid back length hair, that fell in loose waves around her face and shoulders. She also had distinct laughter lines, and smiling brown eyes, similar to the colour of my own.
None of this struck me as odd, but there was one fact that stood out; she was also around eight and a half months pregnant.
Why would a women at that stage of her pregnancy be running away?
"Hey, Tenten!" Lee called from behind me. I stopped and turned to face him. Maybe he had some news, or they had found her. This mission was a pointless one, the sooner it was over with the better.
"Got any updates?" I asked him, only to receive one of his – at least what he thought of it as – award winning smiles.
"I may do or I may not, it depends entirely on upon what news you are awaiting," he replied trying to look intelligent. "However at the same time, if you are talking about what I think you are, then I do believe that the old lady that lives opposite the one we are serving has some news, but will enlighten it upon no one but you!"
"Fine, but next time you have something to say to me, can you say it normally?" I replied, but walking of before he could reply.
I walked swiftly through the town, but didn't bother to break into a run.
When I arrived, I knocked sharply on the door once, before entering, a habit I had picked up from Gai.
"You wished to see me?" I asked as I entered the room in which the shocked lady sat.
I stood there awaiting her reply, but none came. Still standing there, I had no idea what to do, so I waited for her to finish whatever it was she was doing, but I didn't expect her to burst into a laughing fit.
"Ahhh, I haven't had anyone do something like that to me in such a long time," the old lady finally replied. "You are so typically your mother. Not a hint of your father in you."
"My mother?" I asked. "My father?"
The old lady simply nodded, slightly dumbfounded by my blank, puzzled expression.
"I am sorry you must have the wrong person," I tried again. "You see.."
"Oh I know I have the right person, and in fact I do see," She cut in. "Come, sit and see something for yourself."
I walked over and only as I neared her did I see an assortment of photos displayed before her.
"Who is this?" I asked picking up one of someone identical to myself.
"Your mother," She answered.
"I would appreciate it if you stopped saying that, my mother is gone," I snapped.
"Gone she may be, but here she will always remain."
"Now you just sound like Lee," I muttered.
"You see, the woman you are working for, Akina, she is dieing... and as part as parcel with the nature of a death such as hers she begin to lose her mind," She explained. "She begins to muddle present with past."
"So what are you saying?" I asked her.
"Listen closely if you want to understand," She replied.
I nodded, awaiting the story that was sure to follow.
"The old woman over there, Akina, she once had a daughter, and nigh on 18 and a half years ago, one night she went missing," The old woman began to explain.
"So..." I began.
"Hush now, let me finish. On that night I remember clearly being awoken by a sharp blow to my door, and in burst three darkened shadows, but before I had a chance to react they had gone. At this point I was living in the house with Akina. Her daughter had moved in about five months ago, only to announce she was married, and three months pregnant. This did not bother Akina for she had her daughter back. But then back to the night that would be of interest to you, your mother was around eight months pregnant give or take a week. After these shadows had burst into my room, I heard the other doors also slam against the walls, only for them to move to the next one... that was till they reached your mother and fathers room.
"Wasting no time, I had jumped out of bed, and ran into the room in which your mother and father were staying, but too swift they and their 'guests' for by the time I had arrived mere moments later they were gone, the curtains blowing widely in the breeze.
"However, as much as we wanted to, me and Akina – your grandmother – could not jump out of the window, and had to take the long route out through the back door in the kitchen, only to be rudely pushed back into the kitchen, where we were locked in.
"Stood there unsure of what to do, we ran to the window to watch, knowing of nothing else we could do. By this point your father was on the ground a bloody heap being constantly stabbed, while your mother was a mess of emotions. At this time I had had enough, and grabbed a plate throwing it for a window. Without a moments hesitation, you grandmother followed, suite allowing your mother to make her escape, but not after having been stabbed between the ribs.
We had no idea what she would do, but we knew if either of you had a chance to survive it would be for her to run away, and she was a smart girl and would know what to do. So me and Akina stood there, providing a distraction while your mother escaped into the night."
"So how did you know she was dead then?" I whimpered.
"For the body was returned some time later, a medical ninja with it explaining what happened. Yet the did not tell us you had survived. I am guessing at the wish of your mother," She replied.
Shocked I ran out of the room, and across the road, bursting through my grandmothers door.
"Grandma Akina!" I screamed as I ran through the house, but there was still no answer.
I walked along the upstairs corridor and entered the last room on the left... and there she was, white as snow, eyes clothes, chest still.
I sat there in the mud, and the thoughts rolled pointlessly around my head, repeating what I had come to accept long ago, that I was the only living family member. But somehow knowing I was so close to having a family and having it pulled from under me at the last moment made what was once a dull aching pain, an unbearable controlling emotion.
I raised my hand to my face, and tried to pull my hair out of my eyes, but I seemed either to lack the will power of the strength to do so, so I let my hand fall back into the puddle of mud.
I sat there as the rain continued to fall, at a constant speed.
As it continued to rain, I felt my body slip down in the mud, and before I knew it I was laying on my back, completely soaked, while covered in mud, with no energy to move, and no intention to do so either.
"So, I don't think this could be the cleverest idea anyone could come up with in the world," A voice stated from somewhere around me, but I didn't care from where, all I wanted was too sleep, so that what I did.