Comfort in the Arms of the Unknown
Disclaimer; I do not own Naruto
Summary; Weaken, tired and alone, collapsing in the forest seemed wise at the time.
Authors note; so yes, another chapter... I update this one a lot, as well, KankuTen need the stories!
For one so small
You seem so strong
My arms will hold you
Keep you safe and warm
[You'll be in my heart, by Phil Colins]
Tenten P.O.V;
Repressing a scream, I threw myself upright, breathing heavy.
I sat there, trying to level my breathing, and calm my nerves, but the dark and lonely room didn't help.
I got out of bed, and walked over to the window, pulling back the curtains. I glanced up at the moon, trying to guess the time by it's position.
It had to be around four o'clock I guessed, pursing my lips in annoyance.
Why did I have to be the one ridden with nightmare...?
I closed the curtains, and turned back to face the bed, but nothing appealed less to me then getting back into that bed.
Carefully I walked to the door, opening it slowly, only enough so I could get out. Slipping out of the gap in the door, I made my way slowly to the kitchen, careful to be as quiet as possible.
When I got to the room, I sunk down into one of the chairs, and folded my arms on the table, resting my head on my arms. Exhausted, I closed my eyes, enjoying the breeze that flowed through the room.
"It's not wise to sleep like that, you will get a back ache," A voice warned from the doorway.
"Who cares, it's better then that stupid room," I muttered, yawning.
"What's wrong with the room?" He asked me.
"I don't know, or care..." I snapped, still not moving. "Now please may I sleep?"
"Yes, just not there."
"Well then where?" I murmured, though I was too tired to care. "The sofa is stupid as well, so don't bother. Here is fine, just leave me alone."
"Who said anything about the sofa." With that I felt a hand slide behind the back of my knees, and the other arm supported my upper body. Whoever it was that was bothering me, swept me of the chair and table, and held me securely in their arms.
"What are you doing..." I moaned, though as much as I hated to admit it, I was quite comfy in this persons arms.
"Your not sleeping on the table," he stubbornly stated.
"Fine, can I sleep here then?" I said, burying my head into his shirt, but I didn't get to hear the reply.
* * *
I yawned, and tried to roll over, but not quite managing to.
Confused, I opened my eyes, only to see the dark blue of the top Kankuro slept in. Puzzled I tried to move to see where I was exactly, but two arms around my waist tightened and held me still.
"Man, you are a fidget," Kankuro muttered, moving slightly but still hugging me.
"Why am I in here?" I asked him, though I didn't really care, it was warm and comfortable here. And not just that I had managed to sleep. Hell, maybe he has some special soothing power. Actually since this is Kankuro, I doubt it.
"Do you care that you are here?" He replied.
"Not really."
"Well then."
"But, can you let go of me?" I said.
"Make me," He answered. I could tell he was smirking as he said these words, but I had a plan of my own, that may just wipe that smirk of his face.
Smiling to myself, I moved my arms slightly from where they were clutching the front of his shirt, to his sides, where I began to tickle him. He squirmed slightly as I tickled him, but he didn't loosen his grip once.
"Is that all you got?" He asked, before he began to tickle me. With his hands already at my sides, he found this task an easy one, and soon I was squirming under his grip, laughing uncontrollably.
His deeper chuckles soon joined my breathless ones, as I began to try even harder to break free, but with little luck.
"S...stop... it!" I tried to say, but the words were lost amongst my giggles.
"Your laugh, it's cute," He stated, before he slowly began to cease tickling me. I sighed in relief. "Are you really that ticklish?"
I laughed, and squirmed as he tickled me once more to check.
"Yaah, I am that ticklish," I muttered, as I led there snug and calm in his arms.
He slowly pulled his head away from my shoulder, and studied my face. I blushed lightly under his gaze, and went to turn my face away from his.
But as I did this, he must have moved in to kiss me on the cheek, for I felt his lips brush across the corner of my mouth, and linger there for a few seconds.
I flushed bright red as this happened, and moved back, forgetting how close I was to the edge of the bed; therefore meaning I fell onto the hard floor.
Too embarrassed to stay on the floor I quickly jumped up, and unsure of what to do I did the one thing that popped into my head.
"I am soo sorry!" I apologised, while he stayed where he was in the bed, looking confused and amused at the same time.
When he didn't move, I panicked and made a dash for the door, only for his hand to grab mine.
"Calm down," He said, pulling me back into his bed. "It's too early in the morning for that much energy."
I led there, rigid, and bright red, while he laughed.
"W...what about breakfast. You still have that mission and stuff, I had best get up and make something to eat. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and everything," I mumbled, getting out the bed with some dignity this time. Muttering under my breath, I left the room and made a dash for the kitchen.
I could hear him laugh from the other room, but I ignored it and focused intently on what I was making.
* * *
I put on my boots, and checked my appearance once more in the mirror.
My scrolls and ninja gear were in the same places I had hid them yesterday, and my outfit was basically identical minus the colours, and a few minor details. The skirt I had on today was red, and though the vest was still white it had small red butterflies in one corner. The socks were white with little red ribbons that hung over the edge of the boot.
My hair was the same as yesterday, but as with the outfit the ribbons were red.
Satisfied I left the room, and walked into the living room, where Kankuro was poking the fire.
"Am I coming with you today?" I asked, leaning against the wall.
"No," He paused. "Why don't you explore in town or something."
"If that's your way of saying get lost, I get the message, but you had best be back for tea," I smiled at him. "Well, I am leaving now then."
"Go careful," He whispered shyly as I opened the door.
* * *
I walked slowly through the town, with no real destination.
It was only a little town, so there was little to see. No doubt the main attraction was the lakes that surrounded the place, or the tranquillity and lack of crime in the area.
The place was full of old people, and due to the fact that many schools were on term time, there were a few young children around as well.
I walked over to one of the four benches that surrounded the fountain in the town centre and sat down. This place was currently deserted though I had no idea why.
Closing my eyes, I leaned back on the bench.
As I sat there enjoying the calm day that was so rare for a ninja in Konoha, I could swear I could hear a faint crying, or maybe screaming.
Standing up, I walked into one of the side roads, wondering around to pinpoint the sound, but with little luck.
Ten minutes later, as I was about to give up, I heard it again, and it was close by.
"G-GET OFF OF ME!" A women's voice cried.
I tried to identify what followed the sentence, but the rest of what the women had to say came out muffled, and I could barely hear it.
Running now, I tried to guess the area it had come from, praying to kami that I could hear just one more sound.
And I was in luck.
This time it was a deep, gruff man's voice.
I could tell it was close by, but this area was a maze of small roads, and I wasn't sure if I had time to search them all. Bearing that in mind, I jumped onto a nearby roof, and gazed down the various maze like roads.
And that's when I saw them. There were about five men, all backing something/someone into the corner. I could just about make out the gleam of their silver weapons, some of them with blood smeared on the surface.
Biting down on my right thumb, I pulled out the scroll with my other hand, and tore it open. Dragging my thumb across the surface of the paper.
Summoning a few shuriken, I readied myself to throw them.
As I released them, each one aimed for a different ones back, I ran off to, and jumped into the alley. With only a kunai in hand I charged at the nearest person, and quickly finished them off, before moving onto the next one.
Before the fight had even really begun, it was over. I checked for injuries, but had few. I had one cut on my face; it was a shallow cut, but a long one, that went from the right side of my nose to near the my right ear, extending the length of my cheek. I also had various scratches and gashes on my arms, where I had not noticed one of them swing at me.
"This isn't over," One of the growled as he half crawled, half ran away.
Ignoring them as they fled I leant beside the women on the floor.
"Hey, are you ok?" I asked her, as I knelt there.
She didn't reply, so I stretched out my hand to touch her, but she didn't respond.
I wiped away the bloody hair from her cheek, leaving a red smear where the hair had been. Her eyes were closed. Worried, I gently shook her shoulder. Her eyes opened slowly, but they were unfocused, and seemed to look at me but did not seeing me.
Slowly, she cast her eyes towards a something that was clutched in her arms.
"Save Miho, look after her, keep her safe... away... from... her... dad..." The words were weak and quiet, so much so I had to lean in to catch them.
I looked into her eyes, and saw a fierce look of determination there. A look of a mothers will power. The spark still there, her eyes slowly began to close.
"No! No! Don't... DON'T YOU DARE!" I screamed at the woman before me. I began to shake her again, willing her to live.
Her body fell limp underneath my hands. The arms loosened, giving me a few of pink skin, and closed eyes.
"Miho," I whispered, looking at the child.
Taking the baby out of the woman's arms, and holding her in one arm, I slowly lowered the mothers body to the floor, laying it flat.
Slowly, I stepped away from the body, and performed a simple fire jutsu, setting the body alight.
The minute the body went up in flames, the tear fell from my face.
In a trance I watched the fire. Is this what happened to my mum? Is this what she went through? Is that what she was like, caring only for the child inside of her?
The movement of the baby in my arms brought me back to the present, and I glanced down at her.
She was soaked with her mothers blood, and from what I could tell there wasn't a single scratch on the babies body.
Turning away, I made my way slowly back to the house, unsure of what would become of this child now.
* * *
"I'm back!" Kankuro called, slamming the door behind him. "And on time!"
I stood there in the kitchen, waiting for him to come in the room, steadying my nerves. I didn't know why I was so nervous, as if he refused to let the child stay, then I would go. On that my mind was certain.
"What happened to you?" He said, sighing. "It seems whatever you do, you end up in a fight."
I looked down at my clothes, and the blood on them.
"What is it already?" He said.
I grabbed his hand, still unsure of how to say it, and dragged him to my bedroom. Opening the door, I walked over to the bed, dropping his hand, and gesturing to the baby that was sleeping soundly there.
Not giving him a chance to reply I replayed the events of today to him.
"You want to keep her?" He asked. I nodded. "Go ahead then, but you can change the nappies and stuff."
I stood there, and burst into the biggest grin.
"Oh thank you!" I said, embracing him in the biggest hug I could.
"What did you expect me to be like?" He murmured, hugging me back. "Did you expect me to chuck you out?"
I just shrugged as he hugged me.
"And anyway, this way it means you may have to share my bed with me all the time," He informed me. "This baby will need a bed of her own."
Letting go of him, I rolled my eyes. He looked at me with a smirk on his face, before he became serious for a moment. Puzzled by his sudden expression change, I titled my head to the side. He reached his hand to my cheek, and ran his thumb gently over the cut on my cheek frowning slightly.
"If I ever see who did this to you, though the wound may only be small, I will kill them," He stated.
"I can take care of myself you know," I told him, still puzzled by the turn in the conversation. He sighed.
"You don't understand. If anyone ever lays a finger on you, and I find out, then they have signed their own death warrant," he said, trying again. This whole flow of conversation had puzzled me, and I frowned slightly. He leaned forward, and kissed me on the lips gently. I pulled away almost instantly, and blushed. "Though I have only known you for little over three days I can stand here right now, and tell you – without one word being a lie – that you are the most amazing, sweetest, most beautiful, exotic, kind hearted, caring women that I have ever met."
He kissed me once more gently on the lips, before turning and leaving the room. Still unsure as to what had just happened I stood there dumbfounded and confused.