Thorn covered roses still sweet
Chapter 1: JUST A MATTER OF TIME FOR THORNS TO GROW
It really was just a simple matter of timing. The brunette hesitant, thinking she had all the time in the world. The pinkette scared but she was lonely. It was nothing but a simple matter of time.
Tenten had more than an infinite number of choices while Sakura had close to none, zero, nada, and nil. Yet when courage overcame fear, Tenten felt her heart shatter in the same amount of chances she once had. More than an infinite.
In the end, Neji will never know Tenten's secret.
In the end, Neji will always be a blind fool who will never know that Heaven's love was always with him.
Never.
It all happened because she let 'time' go by. Some may call it 'fate' but in the end, lost 'time' would always remain lost. As said, this was all just a simple matter of time or fate. In the end, Tenten have to go on and live without him.
Was it time's fault that Sakura was lonely and fell in love with Neji? Was it also Fate's fault that Neji also loved her back and Tenten was…?
Tenten was nothing more than a teammate, comrade, a sparring partner, perhaps a confidant and a friend but nothing more. How could one has all seeing eyes and be blind at the same time?
It was just a simple matter of Fate. Sakura wanted advice on confessing so who better to ask than Neji's friends. Everyone knows how Neji hated his family and Lee and Gai-sensei were freaks of nature. So who else than Tenten?
She made it subtle. She didn't bluntly ask her but when the topic of Neji came, Tenten was blabbering facts about him that Sakura kept in her mind. The weapon mistress was happy to be able to share the things she loved about Neji without being teased for her almost fan girl-like obsession. She found it weird but she thought nothing could ever go wrong.
Well, she should have known that Fate never was nice to people of her profession.
Fate was horrid to her. It played its cards too well. Fate brought her early for training to spot a certain pink-haired kunoichi and Neji and the entire thing. The entire confession.
Even the part where Neji admits his own feelings to Sakura. To the part where Neji blushes, to the grin and to the kiss, everything! Tenten could never make him do that.
Tenten ran and ran to the safety of her home but Fate would not let her cry. Tears have begun to form yet have not fallen when she arrived at her modest home but before it could so much touch her cheeks, a messenger hawk flew in a window she might have forgotten to close. It had a scroll tied to its leg bearing the sign of the Hokage. A High class mission
The brunette willed her body to look presentable and not on the verge of a breakdown. She jumped- flickered was a better word- to the Hokage's office. It does not matter if the mission was suicidal or simply tiring. Anything to keep her mind away from Sakura and Neji was welcomed.
She entered Tsunade's office, presentable and sake free-a good sign or a bad one? Fate began to be nicer, a solo mission far away but it was a pity that Fate was definitely still trying to play with her.
An infiltration mission. Infiltrate Akatsuki and become one of its members. The kage level ninjas were picky- their test was simple yet hard. People would fight a seemingly endless number of fights and at the end when only one was at its weakest after killing everyone else, they would have to fight one of the members. If one was incompetent, Akatsuki would brainwash them for suicide mission and traitors hunted and tortured like they were never ever comrades.
The Godaime looked at Tenten's eyes. The bottomless pit that was once brimming with emotions deeply concerned the blond woman. Yet, she began to explain something that kept nagging her usually sake induced mind. Every month, Tenten would have to endanger herself by sending reports on a certain day and not only that, if Tenten passed the Akatsuki's test, she would most likely be branded as a missing ninja. The Hokage could not stop everyone in the village because it would only serve to harm her more. Lastly, the mission would only end at either her or Akatsuki's graves.
"Do you understand, Tenten? Can you finish this and return? You could say no" so please say no was left unsaid but Tenten's did not waver from the blonde's own. With a nod of her head it was officially, Tenten would be sent in this mission.
As Tenten began to walk out, with her back facing the Hokage, she whispered,' do not worry, milady. I'll come back if it is in the will of the fates" She turned while her eyes was shut close, giving her a rather serene look. Suddenly, she opened her eyes but inside of revealing warm hazel eyes, her eyes were slits like snakes and her pupils a shade of purple and her irises white. The La Rose, her hidden weapon, her hidden secret.
"Very well, Tenten, very well" the woman whispered as the ANBU left her office.