Title: Dance

By: everlastingxwish

Summary: Fighting is just like a dance. A violent dance, Tenten notes grimly, but a dance nonetheless.

A/N: Kinda stupid (I suck at fighting scenes, which is why I skipped a major part of it), but I hope y'all will review anyway. Don't flame though—I just need tips on fighting scenes, and my writing overall. (:

Fighting is just like a dance.

A violent dance, Tenten notes grimly with a frown creasing her brow, but a dance nonetheless. She relishes in the quick sharp movements of falling footsteps, in the snapping of wrists that release sharp weapons (her specialty, she smiles inwardly) that whoosh right past her ear, and the ever-increasing rhythm of hand-to-hand battle. The tempo revolves around her, and she moves with it, for that is her music.

It's a beautiful dance she lives for.

She lets loose her arrow, and it doesn't miss its target, just like it always doesn't. She can feel the buns atop of her head falling apart just slightly (after she had spent so much time on it this morning too), and just when she's thinking that thought, a kunai comes whizzing by, and she watches in almost slow motion as the pink ribbon previously holding her hair together, along with a few strands of brown, float to the ground.

She grits her teeth, a metallic taste singeing her tongue, startling her. She hadn't been aware that she was bleeding, but she pays it no heed, and turns to face her offender. She has to struggle to keep her face calm and composed (like Neji), and she withdraws a scroll from behind her. She nips at her thumb, swiping fresh blood, and seconds later, weapons rain down everywhere.

Her opponent isn't fazed, baring his teeth at her in a wolf-like smile, escaping with only a few nicks here and there.

It's her job as a kunoichi to not back down from a fight, to not run away, to hide her fear, and that she does expertly. No one will break her façade, and she is proud of that.

And then she charges.

She does not care (not anymore) if she dies, because her opponent is lying right before her, blood bubbling out of the severe wounds she has inflicted on him, and she takes satisfaction in it. Blood is everywhere, and she doesn't mind it at all, because she has won.

She has won.

She just has to wait for the last movement…

Tenten crumbles to the ground, legs giving out beneath her. She lays there, jus looking at the wide expanse of blue sky peeking through the leaves of trees for a moment.

When her teammates come find her tomorrow, or the day after, or perhaps even next week—

She'll be lying here. She hasn't gone happily, but it'll do. The path to freedom beckons to her, and she can't resist temptation—she'll make it into paradise.

Her eyes flutter closed.

Fighting is a beautiful dance she will die for.

A/N: Thank you for reading. (: Love y'all. Please review, even though it is, in my opinion, really bad. Once again, sankyuu!