Chapter 2: Flashback and Introductions
"Japanese."
"Foreign Language"
'Thoughts'
Flashback
Summary: Tenten is not the orphaned girl everyone thinks she is. She's actually from a prestigious clan, and hails from the legendary Ryogakure of Heaven Country. She ran away because her parents wouldn't let her become a ninja, as was the clan rules with women. Now her best friend from Ryogakure has come to get her after eleven years, and she has no choice but to go and help. What will her friends think? Will she reveal her secret at all? Takes place in Shippuden, before Jiraiya goes off and dies. NejiTen pairing, probably SakuNaruHina.
(Flashback)
Her father Tian-long gazed down at his children, her siblings, all assembled in from of him in the formal attire of the Dragon Court. Then he smiled at them.
Tian-lan, Tian-yuan, Tian-yin, Tian-yang, Tian-di, and Tian-tian stared at him, waiting for him to speak, and so he did.
"My lovely children, Empereror's Second, your aunt Tian-hua, had been rummaging through old artifacts, and these are ten of what she found." He gestured to the table. "Choose your gift wisely."
His oldest two squealed in delight, and Tian-long mentally frowned at them while nodding in approval at the younger ones, standing still with contemplative smiles on their faces.
"By birth order." He added, just to see their reactions.
Tian-yuan and Tian-yin grumbled, but Tian-tian smiled. None of her siblings, she knew, would choose her preference. It was a simple matter of Fate's loom.
Tian-lan, feeling all authoritative, stepped forth towards the table and scrutinized every which gift. But there was one she lingered on, and that gift she chose. It was a beautiful brooch, shaped like a magnificent swan spreading its wings. It showed Tian-lan's nature exactly- beautiful, but conceited, caring only about her looks. Tian-long frowned.
'So it won't be her', Tian-tian mused.
Tian-yan was next. Her choice was yet another brooch, a butterfly this time. It reflected her beauty that rivaled her twin's, but like a butterfly she neer stayed long in one place, flitting from one decision to the next.
"I thought as much..." Tian-long muttered.
Tian-yin won her twin in a brief glaring contest to go next. She took the longest time, then chose a crystal statuette of a horse. The statuette was truly beautiful, but it reflected it's new owner's personality.
She cared, of course, and those were the intricate details of the bird. However, she could not put her abilities into practical use, as a statuette was useless. And so she was admired, but never coveted for.
Tian-long smiled at his first son Tian-yang, who stepped out boldly to take one sweeping look at the table. But that smile turned into disappointment when Tian-yang came forward and grabbed the largest, heaviest of the three swords on the table, and brandished it as if testing it out.
A smirk was featured on his face.
He had chosen the gift that showed him best, after all. An arrogant prince that thought of strength and invincibility over any other gift.
Tian-tian winced at the sight of the sword. Had her brother not heard of the legend of the Demon Sword? The sword that most coveted and fought to get a hold of? Someday the foolish prince would fall, as was the curse of the Demon Sword.
Tian-tian stole a glance at her father, whose look told her he was thinking the same thing.
No one else noticed... after all, she was the best at reading stoic faces, even at the age of mere five years old.
Tian-tian stood attention onve more as her twin brother hesitantly approached the table. After much contemplation, Tian-di chose one of the two scrolls on the tabletop. The writing on its exterior indicated the scroll was on the history of their country.
Tian-tian knew her father approved, and he did. A proud smile appeared on his face. He knew who his heir would be. Now to choose the second. But she was not going to let that happen to her.
Last of all was Tian-tian herself, the youngest. She gazed at the leftover five items on the tabletop. Two swords, one scroll, a brooch and a statuette. She didn't even have a chance to look closely, yet she knew which to choose.
The old, frayed scroll drew her attention. It was not of her people, but of the five great hidden villages. She picked it up, indicating her choice.
Although her father frowned instantly, she smiled at it. Whatever it took, she was going to be a proper kunoichi. Whatever it took, she was going to break the rules of the Tian family to fufill her dream. She would be a kunoichi, a strong one like the legendary Tsunade, never weak like the ones in Ryogakure. A strong, independent person.
Not a princess.
(Flashback over)
Tenten awoke suddenly, and jumped from her bed. Oh. She'd been having those dreams again, the ones she hadn't been having since three years ago. There was a sharp rap on the door.
"Coming!" she shouted, and quickly changed. Her clothes had changed a lot over the years, she mused, and frowned as she thought of the traditional clothing back at Ryogakure. Tight, long dresses were hard to move in and were not to her liking. Her clothes now were more like the ones peas
She opened the door to find a scowling Neji holding three mission scrolls.
"Tsunade-sama wanted me to give these to you and Lee."
"And so?" Tenten asked, although she knew what was up already.
"We have a mission, SS-class. She said to give this to... Jin-cai?"
"Uh..." Tenten tried to think of an excuse.
"TIAN-TIAN!!!!!"
Tenten flinched, Neji looked surprised. The noise was coming from the bathroom.
"Uh... that's her."
"Her?"
"Friend. Kunoichi. Different country."
"Hn."
Tenten ran to her bathroom door, Neji following her inside. Tenten didn't even have time to think about the messiness there.
"What now?"
"Tian-tian, do you have a tampon?"
"Uh... in the cabinet below the sink! And be quiet there's a friend here!"
Thank kami-sama Jin-cai had spoken in Chinese. She didn't know what she would have done if Neji had understood that little exchange. He was now standing there with eyebrow raised.
"Eh... hehehe..." Tenten blushed, "Sorry for the messiness..."
"Hn."
Jin-cai chose that moment to burst out of the bathroom. Thankfully, she was fully dressed.
"Tian... Tenten, I'm ready!"
Then she saw Neji.
"Hmmm, you don't look much... Tenten, you could have done better. Aren't there more boys in Konoha? Well, you were always best with stoic faces."
"Jin... Jin-cai! He's NOT my boyfriend!"
"Sure looked like it."
"He's my TEAMMATE! And a JONIN!"
"Heh, my level then. Hey, wanna go for some ramen later?"
Tenten was standing there, fuming as Jin-cai threw the question at Neji.
"Hn, no."
Tenten let out the breath she didn't even know she was holding. Why had she gotten so mad at Jin-cai's suggestion?
"Well, Neji, this is Jin-cai, jonin from..."
"Ryogakure."
"... Ryogakure. Jin-cai, Neji, my teammate."
"Nice to meet you."
"Hn."
This was not going to be pretty.
An hour later they arrived in front of Tsunade's office where Lee, Temari, Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Sakura, Sai, Yamato, and Naruto were already waiting.
"So you finally made it." Temari drawled, trying to act normal after what had happened last night. Tenten sighed.
"Yeah, and they," she pointed at Jin-cai and Neji, "were bickering the whole way. Jin-cai in a way is like Lee I guess. She has professional skill in annoying the Hyuuga."
Jin-cai was still pestering Neji, who had veins popping on his forhead.
"Ano... Is she the one... that we saw yesterday?"
"Yes Hinata, and her name is Jin-cai. Tsunade-sama will explain more I guess." Tenten was rubbing her temples now.
"YOSH! Friend of Tenten! We shall do whatever dangerous mission is it that you requested with the Power of YOUTH!" Lee suddenly appeared next to Jin-cai, who giggled.
"Power of youth? You're funny. What's with the green spandex? You might look better if you wore something else."
"NO!" exclaimed Lee, "The Power of YOUTH flows in these stretchy fabrics and they greatly help in INCREASING your Strengths!"
"Oh, and so they're stretchy?"
"YES! This is like..."
The rest of them sweat-dropped as Lee and Jin-cai carried on a conversation about stretchy fabrics. Who in their right mind would think of Lee as funny?
"You're kinda cute, you know."
They all face-faulted.
'Bushy brows, cute?'
'Ugh, gross.'
'Wait till she sees Gai...'
They were saved by Shizune.
"You may all enter now."
Five minutes later they were all shouting.
"NANI?!" Naruto exclaimed. "A HIME?"
"So the legends were true..." muttered Sai. He better get this to Danzo-sama soon. Yamato was watching Sai.
"Hah? Heaven Country exists?" Kiba asked, and Akamaru whined for reinforcement.
"Ryogakure? THE Ryogakure? YOU're from THE Ryogakure?" Sakura and Ino were shaking Jin-cai.
"H...H...Hai! Please stop shaking me!"
They dropped her.
"Formal introductions now?" she asked Tsunade.
"Yes, now."
"Konichiwa, I'm Jin-cai, Tenten's friend from Ryogakure. Yoroshiku!" she bowed, and they stared, unsure of what do do. Neji and Hinata, however, bowed back, as their training in the Hyuuga clan told them to.
"Around the circle, minna." Tsunade then addressed Jin-cai. "You've already met me. Senju Tsunade, Godaime Hokage."
"Sabaku no Temari. We also met before."
"Nara Shikamaru. Troublesome."
"Shikamaru! Don't be so rude!" Ino hit Shikamaru on the head. "Yamanaka Ino, of Yamanaka Flowers! Nice to meet you!"
"Akimichi...*munch munch*... Chouji *munch munch*... nice to meet you." Chouji's ever present bag of chips were full once more.
"H...Hyuuga... Hinata. Nice to meet you!" She bowed.
"So you're related to stone-guy?" Jin-cai decided to ask.
"Huh? Neji nii-san?"
"Thought so."
Tenten frowned. Did Jin-cai hate Neji that much? He was nice enough, right? Wait what was she thinking? No, it's just because he's her teammate. Nothing more. Nothing intimate.... Right?
"Aburame Shino."
"Hmmm... Bug guy, nice." Everyone stared at Jin-cai once more. She liked bugs? And green spandex? Anyone for vote on weirdest girl ever?
"Inuzaka Kiba. I think you're cute and so does Akamaru here." Akamaru barked.
"Well I think you're dog's cute but you're just a womanizer."
More gasps, and a growl from Kiba. Who did she think she was to insult him?
"ROCK LEE! The POWER OF YOUTH FLOWS IN YOU!"
"Hey, spandex, chill. And seriously, try wearing something else."
"...hai..." dejected voice from Lee.
More stares. WHAT did she DO to break HIM in the matter of minutes they had met?
"Haruno Sakura, I aim to be the greatest medic in the region!"
"Why don't I ask my friend Shui-yin to help you then? She's a great medic, and I'm sure she wants to help." said Jin-cai.
"Shui-yin? As in..." Tenten was wide-eyed.
"Yep, she achieved her goal. She's definitely going to be Shui heiress."
"That's great!"
Everyone stared. Tsunade cleared her throat. "Next!"
"Sai desu."
"Man of small words huh."
"Hyuuga Neji."
"Ah... the stone-guy. You need to loosen up some."
"Hn."
"Yamato desu."
"Ah, another. What, is Konoha like, half of them are loudmouths and the other half doesn't speak at all?"
Sakura, Ino, and Hinata had to giggle at that. Jin-cai had spoken the near truth.
"Uzumaki Naruto! And you better believe I'm gonna be Hokage someday! Dattebayo!"
"Riight... And I'm supposed to believe that? Hah, fat chance."
"Hey! Watch it!"
"Nope."
"Eat this!" Naruto threw a kunai at Jin-cai.
"Naruto!" Sakura shouted, and Yamato instantly tried to retrieve the flying kunai by his Mokuton arm.
But his hand met thin air. The kunai was flying around Jin-cai's face, not harming her one bit.
"Nani???" Everyone in the room, sans Tenten, shouted.
"It's her bloodline, people. She can control any type of metal." Tenten explained.
"Whoa!"
"Which means I can do this!" Jin-cai shouted, and the kunai suddenly turned and flew straight at Naruto's headband. The force of impact was as hard as when Tsunade had poked him; there was a Naruto-shaped hole in the wall.
"Oops."
"Anything else you can show us?" Ino asked, eyes shining.
"You have another spare kunai I could borrow?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Watch this."
Jin-cai placed the kunai on her left palm, and formed a ball of chakra on her right hand. Then she pressed down on the kunai, holding it like that for a minute. Then she let go, revealing a small clockwork bird.
Ino gasped.
"Is that...?"
"A communication device? Yes. I can use any type of metal to make this."
"Hey, that looks a lot like the thing Chiyo-baasan used to send a scroll to Suna!" exclaimed Naruto, already back in the room.
"What other kekkei-genkais are there in Ryogakure?" asked Yamato, curious.
"Well, we have the Huo clan, who can use fire..."
"Anyone can do that!" Naruto interrupted.
"...without any seals..."
"What?!" They all exclaimed, but Jin-cai was still listing on.
"There's the Shui clan, same with water... The Tu clan, with like... um... earth, I guess. Dirt, rock and sand."
They shuddered. More people like Gaara? Temari paled, and prayed they weren't as brutal as her brother once was.
"And the Mu clan, who can control... wood. And plants. Like your arm." She pointed at Yamato.
They all stared at her, shocked. There was another clan somewhere that could use the Mokuton justus?
"Oh, and then there's the Tian clan! They're the awsomest, the ones that rule Ryogakure! The Ryokage is ALWAYS the Tian clan-leader, and the Princess we're escorting is a Tian heiress!"
"A? Not The?"
"Oh, yeah don't have birthright... It's always by the leader chooses the heir."
"So the person we are escorting is a possible future Ryokage." stated Shino, interested in something other than bugs for once.
"Yeah. She's awesome... But it's sad, 'cus Tian-clan women aren't allowed to become kunoichi. Only allowed to learn their bloodline, nothing else."
"What???"
"But... but... The POWER of YOUTH should be enough to break from that..."
"Enough Lee. They've tried for a hundred years now."
"YOSH! We will help them!"
"Yeah! No matter what! Dattebayo!"
"It's great that you're getting into the mood, Lee, Naruto, but she's not arriving until tomorrow."
"NANI?????"
Preview next chapter:
"Wait say again your surname?"
"Senju."
"As in this?" She drew a couple kanji on the floor.
"Yes."
"Hmph. Thought as much. Your people are originally from Ryogakure, From a branch family of the Mu clan. I guess thats why Yamato can use the bloodline... How come you can't then? I wonder..."
Author Notes:
Kyaaa THANK YOU!!!!!!!
I wuv you guys less than one day and 105 hits. Maybe that isn't much for you popular guys but for me thats a BIG thing!
So then I had to go write another chapter. I was supposed to do homework, yes, but I really had to do write i was SO excited!
Which explains why this is shorter than the last.
*sigh, I need to go back to writing an essay for english class now...*
And besides I'd written the flashback a LONG time ago.
So then here are the names I used:
Tian-tian is 天天
Shui-yin is 水音
Jin-cai is 金才
Tian-long is 天龙
Tian-hua is 天花
Tian-lan is 天岚
Tian-yuan is 天媛
Tian-yin is 天阴
Tian-yang is 天阳
Tian-di is 天地
The really curious people, go look it up. But I'm not giving any more than the website I always use:
mandarin tools . com / cgi-bin / wordlook. pl
(add http://www. in front of it and delete the spaces)
Oh, and you need to look them up separately. I made the names up with different characters.
Tell me what you want for the next chapter in a review!
Choices:
1) Skip a day and they all set off for Ryogakure
2) Spend a day in Konoha and Jin-cai finds weird things to do, including meeting Gai and having a fight over green spandex.
3) Spend a day in Konoha but they're planning on how to do this without Tenten getting "caught"
4) They set off for Ryogakure, flashbacks to what happened in Konoha on skipped day.
Pls choose the number then elaborate at least a bit.
^^ 再見！(It means see you again)
IM NOT CHINESE!