Eagle One: Eyes of Brown
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor is this brought to you by the Coca-Cola company, though most everything else is.
--------------------------------------------------------
Note: This is a story off of the main story, Eagle One: Tears of Blood, and thus will not make as much sense to those who have not read it, so if you haven't and insist on reading this anyway, then please, don't flame me for being confusing, that's your fault, not mine.
--------------------------------------------------------
Tenten smiled as she received her mission, saluting briskly, "Yes Ma'am Hokage-sama!" she said. The Hokage motioned for her to leave and the newly appointed jounin walked out of the Hokage's office, her heart fluttering with joy. She was now a jounin, her father had been wrong, women were just as good as men in the ninja arts. Tenten felt enthusiastic as she unrolled her scroll, the one last mission standing between her and a celebration with her friends. She grinned toothily as she read it, a simple mission to Sunagakure to assure the safety of some diplomat. Easy.
---------------------------------------------------------
Tenten stretched, already bored of the endless talking. She knew the mission was of the most crucial importance to the safety of Konoha, mainly by providing troops if Konoha ever needed a large army but couldn't get herself to care too much about the diplomacy of the situation. "So our ANBU will captain your squads and make them more effective," the diplomat droned, "And your large number of rank and file ninja will bolster our numbers in times of need,"
"That seems acceptable," an equally bored looking Suna diplomat replied.
Tenten quickly perked up, a whistling sound catching her attention. She quickly drew a kunai, expecting perhaps an enemy sound nin. Nothing, not her training, not her weapons, not even her courage could have prepared her for what she saw. Tenten frowned, a tornado.. it was a tornado, and it was headed directly toward them. Tenten gasped, stumbling backwards, her mouth opening but no sounds issuing forth, her mind finally snapped into place, "TORNADO!" she screamed.
The Suna diplomats all glanced at each other in surprise, all of them quickly walking away and motioning for the ninja from Konoha to follow them. Tenten had never felt so helpless in all of her life, in that tiny concrete room, waiting to either die or survive, unable to affect it in any way, her life completely waft in the winds of chance.
After a horrible and terrifying night in the concrete room, Tenten emerged to find a scene even more terrifying. The bodies of the dead, those who had been unable to get to a shelter in time, lay scattered across almost three hundred meters. The sight was gruesome, and the smell alone would haunt her for the rest of her life. Tenten couldn't help herself as she quickly ran to the nearest bush and threw up, emptying the contents of her stomach entirely.
"The count for bodies is in the high forties, low fifties" a Sand chunin said, saluting to the Suna diplomat that they had taken shelter with.
"Oh well," the diplomat said, "We've had much worse,"
Tenten frowned, her keen ears picking up the cries of injured and those mourning the dying, "How can you say that?" she yelled, "There are people suffering out there!"
"We have survived worse," the Sand diplomat simply stated again.
"This is crazy," Tenten said, walking away, "I will be assisting others if you require me," she trotted away quickly, searching for any survivors among wrecked buildings or anything that even resembled a human. She stopped as she saw a bright flash of red hair and heard the sound of soft crying. "Hello?" Tenten called out, "Is there anyone alive there?"
"Please help us!" a weak voice called, "My mommy.. she's hurt..."
Tenten's eyes widened and she quickly scrambled up the pile of debris. "Just hold on!" she yelled, she started flinging away debris and quickly unburied the two pitiful figures underneath. Tenten flinched, she was no medic but even she could tell that the small girl's mother was dead and too far gone to revive.
"Mommy... please wake up.." the small child begged, tears streaming down her face, "Mommy!"
Tenten grimaced and picked up the small child, the child resisting her at first but then gradually accepting her, the small child's tired body quivering with her sorrow. "I'm sorry.." Tenten said softly, brushing the small girl's hair out of her eyes.
The girl cried softly and heartbreakingly and snuggled closer to the brown-haired girl who had saved her, "Mommy.." she whimpered again.
Tenten looked around, it didn't seem like there were any other survivors in the area. It seemed unreal that a small girl would be able to survive when so many other were not. Tenten's eyes narrowed as she saw the marks on the mother's back, the damage to her being predominantly on her back rather than her front and realized that at the last moment, seeing the roof caving in, the mother had lunged and pushed the little girl under her to save her life. Tenten felt a wave of respect and clutched the little girl to her more tightly, she hadn't ever known the woman in life, but her sacrifice had to be honored. Tenten made sure not to jostle the girl too much and jumped away.
-----------------------------------------------------
"What do you mean?" Tenten said incredulously, "Why?"
"We have a gross overload of the little brats because of the recent disaster,"
The little girl's name, Tenten had learned, was Hitomi, and at that statement Hitomi hung her head, her eyes filled with sadness, "Don't call her that!" Tenten stormed, "She's not a brat!"
"Whatever you say," the Sand chunin said, flipping a kunai around from boredom. Hitomi looked up at Tenten, her eyes widening at the girl who had stood up for her when she had no one else in the world who could.
"Well if you don't have room here I guess I don't have any more business with you," Tenten stormed, marching outside, the small girl walking a little ways behind her.
"No one wants me.. do they?" Hitomi said softly, "No one wants me because I'll just be a burden.."
"Someone will take you.." Tenten said gently, stopping close to the little girl and brushing away her tears, "Why wouldn't they? You'd be the best daughter they could ask for..."
"Then why won't anyone take me?" the girl asked, her eyes looking inquiringly into the older girl's brown orbs.
"There are lots of reasons.." Tenten said, "Overcrowding... food shortages... but I'm sure that you'll find somewhere with a family that loves you!"
"Do you really think so?" Hitomi said softly.
"Yes," Tenten said, standing up again, "I promise,"
-----------------------------------------------------
"Jounin Ara! What do you think you're doing? You've neglected your mission for the past week!"
"Sir, I've had more important things to do,"
"Like?"
"Doing my duty as a human being,"
"What?" the jounin yelled, "Is this mission a joke to you Jounin Ara? Maybe it's too lowly for someone of your obvious superiority?"
"No sir," Tenten said.
"Would you like to be busted down? You're still a rookie jounin! You don't get the right to choose which missions you take!"
"Sir," Tenten said, "Honestly, I don't care" the jounin blinked, his eyes narrowing, "By all means, demote me sir, because honestly there are things more important than a damn rank,"
Tenten turned and walked away, kindly motioning for the girl who was standing quietly next to the door and walking away. The jounin smiled and shook his head, "Then carry on Jounin Ara.." he whispered, "The world needs people like you.."
---------------------------------------
Tenten buried her face in her arms and shook her head, "I won't leave her here alone!" she snapped.
"Well our stay here in Sunagakure is OVER," the diplomat said, "We've already gotten the treaty down so there's no longer any reason to stay,"
"What about humanitarian efforts?"
"They'll be taken care of by the Suna nins and the Kazekage, it isn't our problem,"
"Like hell it isn't" Tenten roared, walking away briskly. The diplomat opened his mouth to say something but closed it again as he saw the glare she shot him.
Hitomi looked up and saw the girl walk softly into the room they had been staying in, "Y.. You have to leave.. don't you.."
Tenten's eyes widened and she blinked several times, had it been that obvious? "H.. How did you know that Hitomi-san?" she asked.
"I.. can see things.." Hitomi said quietly. "Well... I'm so sorry I put you through so much trouble.." she said, "Good bye.."
Tenten frowned and she ran forward, acting more on instinct than reason. She ran in front of the nine-year old and dropped to her knees, looking the smaller girl in the eye resolutely. "Hitomi-chan.. I promised you I would find you a home right?"
"Y.. Yeah.." Hitomi said, brushing a strand of hair out of her sad eyes, "But it's okay.. I won't hold it against you..."
Tenten shook her head, "Hitomi... I never go back on my promises..." she said. Hitomi stared at her oddly, unsure of what she was going to do. "Do you trust me Hitomi?" Tenten said softly.
"Yes..."
"How much?"
"I have no one else to trust.." Hitomi then smiled, "And you've done so much for me... how could I not trust you?"
Tenten smiled, hugging her, "Then trust me now," Tenten whispered, thrusting a scroll into Hitomi's hand. "Don't let that go Hitomi.." she whispered. Hitomi stared at the scroll, her face puzzled but nodded, clutching the scroll to her tightly as if it was the most precious thing she had ever received. "I'll see you soon," Tenten said, tapping her gently on the nose.
-----------------------------------------
Tenten quickly unlocked her door and practically ran inside, lowering all of the shades and blocking them up. She drew a scroll and spun it in her hands, slowly focusing her chakra into it. The scroll glowed a bright blue and unrolled, the aura of the light extending several feet from the scroll. "KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!" Tenten yelled, slamming her hands into the scroll, expelling a large amount of chakra, and prayed that Hitomi had listened to her. Tenten flowed more chakra into the scroll and frowned when nothing appeared for a few instants. Her eyes widened as the scroll began to become visible but Hitomi was nowhere in sight. Had she let the scroll go? Tenten couldn't believe it, her face falling visibly and she prepared to drop the scroll when she saw the flash of red hair again.
Hitomi stumbled up from the scroll in a flash of smoke and collapsed, Tenten quickly running over and catching her before she could hit the floor. The little girl looked up, her eyes starting to tear, "I.. I trusted you..." she whispered, "A.. And you kept your promise.." the small girl reached up and hugged Tenten tightly, the young girl's tears soaking into Tenten's shirt. "T.. Thank you.." The young girl frowned and looked away, "Okasan..."
Tenten frowned too, she didn't want to take the place of the girl's mother in her heart, she had grown up without a mother and knew what it was like to be asked to simply forget her. "Okasan?" Tenten said softly, looking around as if in confusion, "Am I really that old?"
Hitomi looked away and giggled softly, "That's not what I meant.." she said.
"How about this?" Tenten said, "I'll call you Hitomi-chan and you can call me Onee-chan, and we'll be sisters?"
"Can we do that?" Hitomi asked.
"Why not?" Tenten said, "After all, you don't want me to feel too old do you?"
Hitomi blinked away more tears as she hugged her new sister even more tightly, "Onee-chan!" she cried, "I love you!"
Tenten smiled, lowering her face onto Hitomi's shoulder which was shaking with the smaller girl's tears, "And I love you too..."
Hitomi smiled tearfully and held out the piece of scroll she was still holding, the paper died a brilliant sapphire blue from the chakra inserted, "Onee-chan.. this is yours.."
Tenten shook her head, quickly pulling a beautiful golden locket from her neck and placing the torn piece of scroll inside, "No, it's yours.." she said, slipping the scroll bit in and obscuring the frowning countenance of her father.
Hitomi's eyes widened as her new sister quickly took the necklace off and put it on her own. Hitomi looked down at her new locket and looked up at Tenten again, "But Onee-chan! This is yours!"
Tenten nodded, "It means a lot to me... so make sure you be careful with it.. okay Hitomi-chan?" she whispered.
"You can count on me Onee-chan!" Hitomi yelled.
---------------------------------------------------------
Notes: And there's my first side story to Eagle One! Hope you enjoyed it because this was basically a test to see if indeed it would work and if people would care enough to actually read them .
Please read and review or no more for you neh?