Author's note: Hey it is me again! Sorry for not updating my other sorry but this i just felt like posting this so deal with it. The pairing is txk
Tenten layed there on her stomach facing him. He was sitting on a chair trying to yank some senbon out of Kurasu. She stayed where she was admiring her work as he in a futile attempt tried to destroy it. Kankuro huffed as he finally got one out. Then he saw eleven others waiting.
"Tenten why don't you actually try to help me so we can actually do something?" he grumbled. She looked at him blankly and got up. Tenten walked over to where he was and smirked.
"It isn't that hard baka" she leaned over and swiftly took out each one. He huffed as he saw the rest of the work that needed to be done to his puppet. The joints were clogged up with all sorts of things. One of the arms had broken off and the internal structure was charred because the last person trapped inside had used a katon technique. Tenten snickered at his defeated face. She took some metal and started to sharpen it to his dismay. Looking at him expectantly she continued with her work.
"What, the blades are dull and cracked so i'm making you some new ones" she smiled. He started work on the rest of the puppet. A couple hours later they had Kurasu back to it's former glory. Tenten carefully installed the last blade into a compartment she had secretely put in. He nodded his head in approval as he picked it up and wrapped it.
She dodged a strike to her stomach and arced her back avoiding an incoming kunai. He silently watched her display from his hiding spot in the foliage. He knew she was holding back as was he. Neither wanted to kill each other but it was inevitiable that would happen in the end. Both of their teamates were fighting each other but the only thing that mattered was the battle in front of them. A shiny blade flew out signaling it had sparsely been used. It was from a discrete location and both of them puased for a moment rembering that time. Tenten caught it with gloved hands and threw it towards the source of the chakra strings controlling the puppet. A grunt was heard and five strings dissapeared. Kankuro hiding saw the blade coming as it hit his hand. It hit a pressure point and he lost control of the strings on his hand. Blood oozed out and he tried to wrap it as quickly as possible before she found him. It was a game between them, who could get the other first.
Kankuro yelled into the trees. He knew she was in there trying to pull something. He saw it a momment before it hit him, as usual. The bo-staff knocked his feet out from underneath him following with a jab to his stomach and a light hit to the back. He fell with a thud and heard laughing and a flash of brown before a foot was triumphantly placed on his chest. She looked down with another smile. Kankuro relaxed slightly but it was a mistake. Tenten leaned down and snatched his hat sprinting off into the trees again. Jumping up he also saw his puppet gone.
"Damn, why kami did it have to be her?" he ran off to search. She had found him that time but next time she won't be that lucky, at least he hoped.
"Why do things always come down to this, Kankuro?" Tenten stood in the clearing waiting for him to wrap his hand so the match would still be even. Kankuro saw what she was doing and smiled faintly.
"Who knows. It just always does. Friends against friends in the battle of life i guess, or maybe just survival of the fittist in it's own sickening fame?" he contemplated what he just said. His hand was almost done and she was still there.
"Maybe, or maybe it just was never meant for certain things to happen, true? I mean look at Sasuke he died in the war before killing Itachi and Naruto was banished before he could be Hokage. You and I are much the same. Kami just wants one of us to die and if he gets lucky both of us" Tenten rolled up the sleeves of her shirt. It resembled a turtleneck but the collar was looser and wider. Kankuro had a clear view and saw the numerous cuts on her wrists.
"I suppose Tenten-san you are right" he reanimated Kurasu once again. Kankuro knew of Tenten's problems and wasn't fazed my how much the wounds had increased. He remembered when she told him, even she doesn't considering she blacked out.
"What's the matter? Don't say nothing because there is something. I've noticed it for awhile but now I'm asking" Kankuro asked the kunoichi sharpening a knife. It had blood stains on it and he wondered why she hadn't cleaned it off yet.
"Personal issues" she responded with a dull face void of the usual perkiness. He figured it was a facade, the smile and laughter, but you can never tell with women, as Temari's boyfriend would say.
"Liar" Kankuro responded. The knife that was just in her hands sailed by chest cutting all fabric that hung loosely. Now he had a slash in his shirt another excuse he would have to come up with.
"How would you know?" her voice dripped with venom. Somehow he figured this must be the real Tenten, a ruthless killer and emotionly troubled. He could see a slight relaxation of her as she began to vent some anger, appearantly she didn't let out enough when she killed. It scared him that she was that good at hiding things then he wondered just how many weapons were hiding on her lithe form. She started to hold her wrist in pain and Kankuro couls see red droplets. Where she was standing was now air and she was on the ground blacked out. Kankuro walked over and lifted her sleeves showing deep gashes in her skin. He saw red on her hip and her heels and hurridly grabbed some bandages.
"Baka" he wrapped her heels then arms. Then he sat there debating wether he should wrap her hip or not.
Kurasu went for her head and she ducked rolling forward. Jumping up again to meet her advesary. Kankuro knew she was still holding back considering the fact she hasn't broke out her bombs yet. Tenten below was getting pissed of. She didn't want to kill the puppet she helped rebuild but figured the hell with it. She broke out some exploding tags. Above Kankuro didn't notice the action he was to busy thinking of ways to tell Neji that he killed Tenten. Kurasu came forward going for a jab with a dagger in the hand. Manuvering herself above it she attached on tag to the bag of its head. then she dropped into a crouch throwing a kunai towards Kankuro. Startled by that he moved to another location. While he was busy she put another two tags on each leg. Tenten ran now as she activated the tags. Kankuro saw the familiar seals and made a mad dash to the running kunoichi trying to catch up while avoiding the explosion that was about to happen. In matter of seconds fire filled the air followed by debris. In the background Neji could be heard yelling for Tenten but she didn't respond. She was busy going through a set of hand seals.
"Katon: Shoshoyruo Gosuka" she yelled and another ball of flame shot towards Kankurou. Kankurou hid behind a tree then jumped up to be hit full on by a barrage of weapons. His body was covered in metal weapons. Tenten wretched them back out with her chakra strings and flung them back at him. Kankuro knew he couldn't dodge so put his arms up to try and deflect some them, he would've done a kawarmi but his chakra was too low from the fight with neji before temari battled him. They were once again lodged into him. Tenten had a sadistic look on her face as she pulled out some of her favorite play toys. Kankuro watched as his kind best friend turned into a sadistic pyromaniac bent on dismatling him limb by limb. Inside Tenten was recalling past memories ffrom being thrown on the streets to discovering a perfect facade to near death expierences. These helped fuel her anger as she rushed at him for another attack. She didn't have and weapons only blood stained hands out for revenge. Tenten had never fought like this before even against Neji when he ridiculed her for being week or against Sakura as she flaunted that Tsunade picked her over Tenten. Both of the opponents got into their taijustu stances.
"Your taijutsu sucks ass, kankuro-teme" tenten was crouched up in a tree.
"Yours isn't much better" he retorted.
"You use the basic stances, you should use your size to your advantage instead" Tenten rienterated what an academy instructer said to a boy in her class.
"Are you saying I'm fat?" he questioned the girl lecturing him.
"No, I'm saying that your bigger than most and should use that to your advantage!" Tenten yelled.
"Hmph" he fell to the ground ignoring her.
Tenten struck first going for a pressure point on his neck. Kankuro ducked and kicked the feet from under, she jumped up bringing her heel down to meet a forearm. he reached up with his other arm and grasped her ankle throwing Tenten across the ground. She pulled out a summoning scroll and summoned her metal bo-staff. planting it into the ground she stopped herself from flying and took her free hand to throw shuriken at Kankuro. he jumped out of the way throwing some of his own artillery at the weapons mistress to watch them fall into her hands with ease and sent back at him. Dodging again he ran foward to try and go on the offensive. tenten took her staff and swung it at him. he flipped over it and she hit him as he swung around. More blood flung from his body from the open wounds he had. Tenten various wounds too but not to the extent. Poison was coursing through both of their veins as the slowly died from the inside out. Yells of horror could be heard not far off and lee's booming voice yelled in agony. Neji had alredy defeated Temari and her body lay limp at the base of a tree as blood flowed freely from her mouth. He was looking for tenten and he had spotted her with his byakugan. he noted the strange flare of chakra and the poison in her veins. She was going o die and he wouldn't be able to say what he had been meaning to say for as long as he could remember.
"damnit" kankuro and tenten muttered clutching their chests. kankuro tried once again to attack. tenten had abandoned her bo-staff and was readying herself for death as Kankuro came towards her. he was limping and she stood there wating for death to claim her. She walked towards him as he walked toward her. The both stopped a foot from each other. he brought his hand up and tenten closed her eyes waiting as usual. Instead of punching her he brought her head towards him. tenten felt warm material against her head and opened her eyes looking up. There lips met for the last time as they collapsed embracing death. neji walked over leaning down close to Tenten's ear and whispered something.
"I hate you" was all he said as he set the bodies on fire watching them burn with bitter satisfaction.
