Tenten didn't stop running, even when she nearly fell, she continued running. Almost as if thinking, that if she ran fast enough, she could escape the horror she had just seen. She ran to her house, even before Yumi made it her own, locking the door, and falling to her knees.
"This can't be!" she whispered to herself.
"Tenten? That you?" Takashi called from the kitchen, where the smell of chicken curry emanated from.
"Hai, Takashi-Ni, you wanted to tell me something, and why did you want to know what happened between me and Kaizo?" she replied, taking off her shoes and coat, deep down she knew the answer.
"Tenten, I've been talking with Tsunade and the Anbu Black Ops, we believe that some point during this month, Kaizo will come back, his current girlfriend is from here so she would, of course want to visit. However, Kaizo is a rogue ninja, and he may want revenge for your breakup," Takashi explained. "We're not sure if he's really in the village or not, if he is, he came in through a transformation jutsu, we still have more investigating to do-"
"He's in the village," she said bluntly, as Takashi stopped putting the curry-filled plates on the table. "I saw him, twice, before I talked to you and just now."
Takashi rushed toward her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?" he asked concernedly, Tenten took his hands and placed them off of her.
"I'm fine, quit being such a big brother," she teased, smiling.
"I would, if I weren't," he replied with a chuckle, then his expression became severe. "Seriously, Tenten, he might be going after you."
"I know that, he just dumped his girlfriend, after he saw me."
"Yeesh, what are we going to do? I have to manage the station all week, and we have this deranged lunatic after you. I can't work and try to protect you at the same time," Takashi thought aloud.
"You don't have to protect me all the time, besides, I'm training with the guys tomorrow, and after that Yumi and I are going to finish some last minute shopping, so I won't be alone, I'll even carry a scroll with me. Happy?" Tenten replied.
"That would be better, but this guy's untraceable, I don't want to leave my little sis vulnerable to him."
"I'm not vulnerable, hence why I became a ninja."
"He's one, too."
"Hai, but if he's after me, why don't we use me as bait to lure him into a trap? Your police team may take all the credit for this one," Tenten said, slyly sitting by a plate of curry.
"Itadakimasu," they graced themselves.
"I'm not going to put you in that type of danger!" Takashi argued.
"I'm in danger every time I go on a mission! How is this any different?"
"Because he's after you personally!" Takashi yelled, Tenten sighed. He was right, any other time where someone wanted to get Tenten, it was for ransom or a hostage.
"Then how do you expect to trace him?" she said after a moment.
"I….I don' know," he said honestly.
"Look, Takashi-Ni, in most cases when someone is live bait for the enemy, they don't want to do it. I, however, am willing to do something like this-"
"No, Tenten, I refuse to do something like that to you-"
"I am willing! I am the one he wants! I am the key to bringing him out!"
"No! You're a victim! He wants finish whatever happened that night!"
"And I'm the only one that can settle it! Takashi, I know you want to protect me, but he'll keep coming back, I want the nightmares to stop for good! And this may be the only way!" Tenten argued, her brother looked at her sympathetically. Takashi now understood, that she needed closure, and if she helped in getting rid of Kaizo, that might just bring that to her.
"I…I'll think about it, but I'm going to warn your teammates. I want them to be on the look out, and to not be freaked out if you get randomly attacked," Takashi setteled.
"Please, tell them that I don't know you're telling them, otherwise Gai and Lee will scream even more about youth adding Kaizo into the mix," Tenten reluctantly agreed. "I hate to worry them."
"Tenten, they know that you'd be worried about them if something like this happened to them," Takashi assured her, eating his curry on rice. "They just don't want to see one of their own in danger."
"I guess you're right," Tenten replied, taking in a spoonful.
"Okay, if I agree to let you be bait, how exactly would you attempt to attract him?"
"I would go about my normal day, training, Christmas shopping, running errands, I would be 'alone' of course, but I would have you or your team nearby, undetectable. Sooner or later he's bound to come out, I just don't know when," she explained.
"Leaving you out in the open, but he won't come out right away."
"I know, for the next couple of days, I'd take precautions, you know, surround myself with my team and other friends. Then, I'll act like I think I'm safe, and start going about my business alone, making him think I don't think he's around anymore."
"That could work, but what of he figures it out?"
"I'd pretend to have a fight with you, telling you to quit following me, he'll wait a little while until he feels that I'm completely alone, that's when he'll strike, or at least I think he'll strike." They both took a sip of their water.
"Sounds risky," he said, eating a spoonful of rice.
"That's the point, he will most likely not attack me in a public place, he'll wait for me to be alone with no bystanders!"
"I don't know, it could be almost too dangerous."
"More dangerous than nearly drowning from a jutsu of one of the Akatsuki? More dangerous than fighting one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist? Or maybe more dangerous than the Fourth Great Ninja War? I've faced danger before and I've survived, I highly doubt that I wouldn't survive this one!" Tenten pointed out, standing up and placing her dinner plate in the sink.
"It's not that I doubt that you haven't faced this amount of danger before, it's just I don't want this to be the one time where things go wrong," her brother explained. "I don't want to lose my baby sister."
"You won't lose me, and I'm not a baby anymore!" Tenten laughed.
"Good, then you can do the dishes!" Takashi said, quickly leaving the room.
"Hey! Takashi-Ni! You tricked me!" she shouted, as the two laughed, making each other forget the conversation they just had.
After finishing the dishes, taking a shower, and saying "goodnight" to her brother, Tenten headed to her room. She changed into some yoga pants and a pink sweater. She fell asleep instantly on the bed, dreaming of finally getting Jidanda from Sir Iou.
The next morning, Tenten overslept a little, her brother expected and hoped for that. This was his chance to tell her team about Kaizo, after all they always go over to her house to make sure she's awake, when else would he get the perfect time to talk to all of them privately, so he took this to his advantage. He got up earlier than when Gai usually comes for Tenten, making sure she was still asleep, he quickly ran outside as her teammates walked over.
"Oh Tente-" Lee tried to shout as Takashi ran to cover his mouth, hoping Tenten was still asleep. When he didn't see a silhouette in her window, he let go of Lee's mouth.
"Takashi?" Gai questioned.
"Sorry, but I can't let Tenten hear this, she doesn't want you guys to worry about her," Takashi quickly explained, his friends' eyes grew wide.
"Is she all right?" Gai asked.
"Does it have to do with why she ran off last night?" Neji wondered, but remained silent.
"Well, physically, for now and hopefully she will stay that way," Takashi answered. "Mentally, I really don't know."
"Huh?" Lee said, giving a confused look.
"What do you mean you don't know? What's going on, Takashi?" Neji asked, as Takashi planned out what he was going to say in his head.
"You all remember Kaizo, right? Tenten's ex?" he started.
"Yeah," they replied in unison.
"Well, something happened between them last year, which lead to their breakup, which lead to her not talking to us for a while. That isn't exactly the point I'm trying to make here," he stuttered, rewording things in his head. "He left the village after the breakup and now he's back."
"Are you sure he's back?" Gai asked.
"Over at the police station, we got word of the possibility of Kaizo's return, but before I had a chance to tell Tenten, it appears she saw him," he continued.
"Is she sure it was him? She was not hallucinating?" Lee inquired.
"I'm sure she saw him, I had someone from the Anbu give a report last night, his 'current' girlfriend had returned with him, and reported that he was in the village last night after they broke up. She wanted a little revenge."
"Wait, was it last night around the time that we had our squad meeting?" Neji asked, recalling the night's events.
"Sometime around there, I believe, why?" Takashi asked.
"Because, just before Tenten ran home, I overheard someone breaking up with his girlfriend, that was when your sister turned around and ran home. I'm sorry, I should've recognized that voice," Neji apologized as Takashi sighed.
"D-don't worry about that, Neji, I just want all of you to watch out for my sister, and keep an eye out for Kaizo. Tenten's a little apprehensive that he's around and Kaizo may try something, I don't even want to think about it, but you get the idea," Takashi finished.
"Do not worry, Takashi-san, we will keep your sister safe!" Lee promised, as Takashi put his finger over his lips.
"Remember, Tenten, doesn't know I told you guys, she doesn't want you to be worrying about her," Takashi reminded them. "So, don't mention anything of this, unless she brings it up first."
"You can count on us," Gai whispered.
"Good, I better go wake her up, before she gets pissed off, giver her five to ten minutes." Takashi told them, running back into the house.
Takashi knocked on his sister's door. "You up yet, sis?" he asked, opening the door slightly.
"Hai, Takashi-Ni," she replied, sitting up. "So, you told them everything?"
"Hai, it's funny, Neji was pretty mad at himself for not realizing Kaizo was behind you two last night," he explained, causing Tenten to blush.
"Yeah, right," she scoffed, looking away.
"It's fun teasing you," her brother laughed. "But he was pissed that he couldn't tell it was Kaizo."
"Sure," Tenten replied, sarcastically. "Like Neji would get pissed over something as stupid as that. Don't even bother teasing me about him."
"Hmm…I wonder what Kaizo would think if he saw you two together and alone," Takashi thought aloud, making Tenten blush even more.
"What are you implying?" she said, getting out of bed.
"Heh, it's obvious, really," he replied, getting ready to bolt with his next statement. "Your feelings for each other."
"WHAT!" she nearly screamed, as her brother ran away. "Argh! You're so cruel! Quit butting in my life!"
Tenten got dressed and headed downstairs. She was getting her shoes on, when she grabbed her coat and remembered. "Crap!" she started, staring at the trench coat. "I forgot-"
"To get your winter coat out of the attic?" Takashi interrupted, handing her a white winter cost. "I got it out last night, before I made dinner. Remember that's your job tonight."
"Arigato, Takashi-Ni," she replied, grabbing her coat and rushing out.
She reached her eagerly awaiting friends not too far from her house, and not too far away from some awkward questions. "What were you yelling at your brother for, Tenten?" Lee asked, making Tenten jolt slightly.
"He was teasing me about something that I did awhile ago," was all she said, her eyes telling everyone not to question further.
part 2! lol might not be updating for a while gomen ne lol i love Takashi and Tenten haha two characters i love to write about