A/N: I did not know my page breaks were not showing up, I don't know why doesn't transfer that over, I apologize in advance if I missed one :D
TenTen sat on the edge of her bed with her head in her hands. She didn't want to deal with anyone, after her time with Kurenai she ran home and had been here since yesterday. She hoped that Temari did not rat her out to the Hokage, but she just couldn't stand seeing families today, families all happy and full of hope. Families and couples with promises of forever….. She did not have that, not with anyone. Ino and Sakura had that though; she was just a small stepping stone in their relationship. An obstacle they would eventually get over and become stronger in their relationship.
TenTen squeezed her eyes shut to prevent any tears from escaping, she thought- What? What did I think? That I had a chance with Ino after Sakura came into the picture? I should have known better what the hell was I thinking. I can't believe I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself.
But she could not stop herself. Kurenai made it clear; she was the intruder in Sakura's and Ino's relationship. Sakura was damn near the golden child in the village, helpful at the hospital and constantly at the Hokage's side. Everyone knew her and everyone loved love, compared to her TenTen wasn't even on the same standing. So what was she to Ino? Just some entertaining side piece that she could play with when Sakura was busy?
"Fuck," TenTen exclaimed loudly to her empty apartment. The sound of her voice echoed quickly reinforcing her loneliness. I should just go back to concentrating on my missions and training like I did before Ino. But…I thought Ino was going to be around regardless but I think I'm only temporary.
TenTen sighed; she had no one to talk to about this. Lee would be an obviously bad choice. The girls were out, Sakura, Ino, and herself. Well, there is Hinata… she did see me and Ino in the dressing room, and she obviously hasn't told Sakura. But she is Kurenai's student…. TenTen stood up and sighed, Hinata it was then. She did not have a selective variety to be choosy.
TenTen avoided the west district as she walked around Konoha looking for Hinata; she was in luck that the Hyuuga was not on a mission. Kiba had pointed her to the shopping district and she followed his lead. She found Hinata shopping for kimonos too small for her.
"Hey Hinata, why are you in this section? We outgrew these when we became chuunin," TenTen called out to the shy kunoichi. Hinata blushed, "Father wants me to find something for Hanabi. She is being promoted for…something. I actually don't know. I-I-I tuned him out." The heiress blushed ashamed, but TenTen shrugged.
"That explanation is fine with me, not to be rude but sometimes he does get a bit long winded,"
Hinata nodded for a second then blushed when she realized she was agreeing.
"Anyway Hinata I need to talk to you about something, well get some advice I guess," TenTen started browsing in the clothes along with her fellow kunoichi.
Hinata pulled an item off the rack, grimaced, then put it back, "About you and Ino no doubt."
TenTen stopped, then sighed, "Yea, it has been a pretty depressing topic lately for me."
"It's ok, I suppose Neji won't be pleased. He has been concerned about your training performance recently."
That had TenTen grounded, 1. Neji was actually worried about her? 2. Not only was he worried about her but he actually spoke about it? 3. He felt she wasn't up to par right now?
"I guess everything is suffering because of my unrequited love," TenTen smiled sadly.
Hinata looked off wistfully, "Unrequited love, hmm there does seem to be a lot of that going around lately."
How could I forget? Naruto and Hinata…
"I guess you would know better than most," TenTen glanced at the Hyuuga who was shaken out of her reverie and blushed.
"Naruto-kun is busy trying to get Sasuke back. Plus, he loves Sakura." TenTen clenched her teeth, Sakura, even in a relationship, was still an obstacle for Hinata. Poor Sakura probably had no idea how much being alive effected everyone.
The weapon mistress' hand stood still on a kimono, "Hinata, what will you do?" Her question was heavy with emotion, and it was clear that Hinata's answer was important.
Hinata, in turn, gave her own sad smile, "I will be married off more than likely. To someone in another main branch, because families outside of Hyuuga's will want to think they have some control over our politics. My husband will be expertly chosen for everything but personality, because who needs that in a relationship, and I will be expected to have heirs and continue on the main branch."
Duty. She will do what she was expected to do, TenTen summarized her answer.
TenTen exhaled, "Thank you. Hinata," she said quietly.
Hinata answered in her own quiet voice, "I am sorry, TenTen."
TenTen walked along side Hinata silently, their conversation had descended into a halt when they both realized that their lives will never be what they wanted them to be. TenTen though had a lot more breathing room and that made her heart ache even more. She had more means than Hinata to get what she wanted and she still could not.
"Hinata, we should go hit a bar," TenTen said, trying to lighten the mood.
The Hyuuga smiled softly, "I would but I can't-"
"Oh yea, Hyuuga images to uphold and what not, I understand." Honestly TenTen didn't. She could not imagine being born into the Hyuuga clan with all their rules and regulations.
Hinata stopped, "I would like to hang out with you again TenTen, without all the depressing talk though."
"Yea I would like that too." TenTen chuckled. In the back of her mind she wondered if Hinata had just asked her out.
TenTen walked calmly onto the training grounds. She spotted her two former teammates easily on the grassy plain. Lee spotted her first and smiled, "TenTen! How wonderful it is to see you!"
She smiled back, "Hey Lee, hey Neji. Mind if I cut in?"
"TenTen aren't you supposed to be assisting the families from Suna in the west district," Neji asked with a raised brow.
She shrugged, "I just can't. I thought if I skipped yesterday I would feel more up to it but-"
"None of that matters." TenTen clenched her fists at Neji; he was giving her a disapproving look.
"Neji, if I don't think I can complete the mission why should I continue?"
He folded his arms, "You were given an order by the Hokage. Lately you have pushed things aside but a blatant disrespect of an order? Your emotional feelings should never interrupt a mission."
She closed her mouth before replying. He was right. Damn it I am all over the place. I have got to get it together.
"Your right Neji, I'm going."
No matter how annoyed I am with Temari, or how upset I am about my situation with Ino is I have got to do what I was instructed. I give my all 100% every time.
Hmm second day without TenTen? What is with that girl? Temari was mildly irritated with being left to take care of everyone by herself. Sure she had been in Konoha on a few occasions, some to destroy it, but she didn't know where the delicacies are. She didn't know where to point people when they asked her for specialty items and such, of course she could have always tried to track down Shikamaru but he was just going to say she was being bothersome. It was getting to the middle of the day and Temari's agitation was growing quickly. She was not going to do this another day, there was no way for her to get around to everyone by herself.
She made her way up the stairs to the next floor of families; this was supposed to be TenTen's floor. She rapped her knuckles gently across the door and a young blonde woman answered, "Oh hello Lady Temari. How is everything?"
"Everything is fine; I was going to ask you if there was anything you needed, or anything you needed to talk to the Hokage about?"
The young woman seemed surprised, "Oh I just gave all the information to TenTen," Temari raised an eyebrow at the light blush that came with the explanation. What is with TenTen and making blondes crush on her?
"Wait she was here? Recently?"
A nod came as response, "About an hour or so ago. Is there something wrong?"
"No nothing is wrong; I just haven't seen her today. Alright you have a nice day," Temari shook her head. Of course the stubborn TenTen would come late and then not check in with Temari to let her know she doesn't have to do her floors.
Two hours later Temari finally ran into TenTen, the younger kunoichi was passing along some instructions to another Suna nin. Funny she can have full conversations with them and not with me.
"TenTen, mind if I have a word with you when you finish?"
The Konoha nin only gave Temari the briefest of nods before returning back to Suna nin she was instructing. When TenTen was done she raised an eyebrow at Temari's direction. Temari held back her first instinct to snap at the younger woman for acting so childish and not talking to her.
"You could have told me you were going to be here today or at least that you showed up today. I would have ended up doing double the work with no extra results if I hadn't been told that you were here by one of the residents," Temari ignored the look of disgust on TenTen's face when the word residents came out of her mouth, "it would have been nice to know you decided to do work instead of playing hooky again."
She watched TenTen's eyebrows furrow before the younger nin just nodded and walked away. Temari rolled her eyes; this was not going to be a productive situation she could already tell.
TenTen was not interested in arguing with Temari today, she was doing her rounds then leaving to go train. She had to keep her focus; everything in her personal was going to take a back burner now. Her personal life was so screwed up she did not know how to even begin to fix it, she could leave Ino behind in her past but that would cause an inevitable irreparable rift between all the teams. Then people would have to pick sides… What am I going to do? All the roads lead to the same destination, more pain.
TenTen walked by the old guy who gave her the water bottle the first day he got here, he was an old somewhat retired Suna nin. He waved her over with one hand and used the other to massage his aching back.
"Hmm hello again kid. Everything working out ok?"
Her eye twitched, "I'm not a kid old man, I'm grown. How many times have I got to tell you that?"
He waved her off, "Bah you are not am adult until you pay for all your things and stop asking mommy and daddy for money."
"I have not asked my parents for money since I was fourteen old man, you have to do better than that."
"You don't have your own place youngin'!"
TenTen sucked at her teeth, "Yes I do. Paid for by my own money that I receive doing my missions. So before you ask yes I have a job clearly."
"Hmm," Old man stroked his beard and stared off into the distance so long that TenTen thought he forgot she was there. He then leered at her stomach for a moment before poking it.
"Hey what are you doing!" she was surprised by the random action. Why were all old people creepy and weird? It never seemed to fail that they had some random quirk to them; losing normalcy had to be common when getting older.
"Do you have kids? No you don't therefore you are not grown."
"What! What type of argument is that? Many people have went without having kids!"
"Yes but are you responsible for anyone but yourself? Once you realize that you have to take care of someone it matures you beyond your years."
TenTen was silent for a moment before exclaiming, "Old man you just went from saying that having kids means I'm an adult to saying that watching over other people does. I do that every time I go on a mission. I have to think about my team mates as well as the people of Konoha when I complete my missions."
"Exactly, so don't you think you should let this feud die out?"
Her eyes narrowed, "What you say Old man?"
"Ay yah yi, oh nothing nothing, just the rumblings of an old man passed his prime, now go on kid you are blocking my sun."
TenTen glowered at and huffed, "You are the one who called me over here," before walking away from the crazy old guy. She didn't even know why she bothered to stop he had too many random senile moments. As she walked to the end of the west district she saw Temari and Shikamaru together, she wasn't surprised to not see Ino since TenTen was making an effort to stay away from the blonde.
What am I going to do with my life? When did it all begin to fall apart?