I am so happy to be posting this chapter! This was a fun one to write up! I cannot fully express how much your comments and reviews mean to me… Seriously, I reread them when I'm uninspired, and to know that so many people are enjoying this, really makes me smile!

On another note, they postponed this week's episode of Naruto, something about the Japanese baseball games? Anyways, I disappointed to say the least. It's not in the manga, and it's a filler. They just did one on Shino, and I read that later there's also going to be one on Kiba. But this week it was TENTEN! Sigh, I guess I'll just have to wait till Thanksgiving. BTW HAPPY THANKSGIVING YOU GUYS! I am so thankful to everyone who has read, enjoyed, and reviewed this story. I wouldn't have kept it up if I didn't get such positive feedback.

AND UNLIKE THE CREATOR OF NARUTO, I will tell you what happens to someone when they go away to train for years at a time… ENJOY!


It was a complete surprise to Tenten when Ishi-sensei had declared that the land on which they were currently standing, was theirs. Not five minutes after Lee had left, the old man relayed to her a rough sketch of what the next few weeks would be like.

They needed a home. Tenten was under the belief that there was a humble abode waiting for her further up the mountain. Not the case. Ishi liked to build his own homes, she found out. Great, her first task was to build house? It wasn't that she minded, but she was just so impatient to start her actual training!

Her new sensei had her doing menial work, the kind genin would use in their training. Every morning she had to travel down to the spring, gather up two buckets of water, and bring them back. This was done in upwards of six times. To an average person, this labor would be extremely taxing, but because she was a ninja, it could be compared to an easy morning jog. The rest of the day would consist of cutting wood from the surrounding forest to create a substantial amount of lumber. Being weapons specialists, they breezed through it with much accuracy and incredible strength. Though Ishi's frail frame would give on the impression of a terribly weak old man, he was anything but frail and week.

After two weeks of cutting wood and watching the pile grow larger and larger, her sensei finally declared that they had enough to start building. In the mornings, he would create a home out of the earth, similar to what Yamato did with wood, and use it as a model for their home. It wasn't too big, and contained two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a large basement and outdoor shed to be used as work stations. A wide chimney ran the height of the house that connected with the basement below. Poor Tenten was somewhat put off by the idea of an outhouse and bathing in the river, but he was calling the shots, and she had no option but to follow and accept them.

Another month went by before Tenten and her sensei stood in front of their newly built house, both beaming with accomplishment. Ishi had suggested that they go into town and treat themselves for their effort and hard work. So far their relationship consisted of mostly business. He would tell her what to do, she would ask questions, but they never really ventured into the personal realm. Ishi was not at all an unfriendly man. He was a brilliant, thoughtful and helpful sensei, and she couldn't wait to begin her actual training, but when it came to developing a relationship, she had no idea where to start. I mean, she had to spend the next couple of years in his company, it would be nice to get to know him as an actual human being.

All things had to start off somewhere, right?


Immediately after the house was built, he had her mining. Ishi instructed her on proper procedure, and gave her a scroll to look at if she forgot. He told her what he was looking for and why, saying it was shown to react strongly to earth based chakra like theirs, and would be no less than perfect for her training. Some days he would supervise her expeditions, and on others he would be sorting through his scrolls.

Unlike any other teachers she's ever come across, this man had a lesson plan. His teachings were scheduled, and would be taught in a particular order for maximum efficiency. Tenten liked that her training would be done in a controlled environment, rather than in the environment you learn in when you're a genin. That was more of a "Let's throw you into this situation and see what you can do!" kind of deal. She rather liked the lower levels of stress and life or death situations. Tenten would be able to take her time to finely tune her abilities. That was a plus.

It wasn't long before Tenten was practically begging for earth manipulation training. To mine for the metal, she would use a series of highly destructive and dangerous explosive tags before manually moving the rocks herself. The work was exhausting and she knew it would be easier to make a couple of hand seals rather than wasting all her chakra lifting heavy boulders. Could it even work that way? She didn't know.

Tenten used picks and shovels, carts and brute strength, as well as copious amounts of pure will and determination. She would return to the house dingy and sore, her gloves barely holding their own. Never once did she complain, however. In her younger years, she was somewhat of a whiner. But after the war, everything changed. Everyone changed. She learned that while being a ninja, it was against morale to whine about injuries or, really, anything at all.

Another two months of this rigorous activity passed before she had obtained enough metal to satisfy her sensei.


"You're not visualizing!" Ishi bellowed from his position on the cliff. He was situated twenty meters from Tenten, who stood in a small clearing below. Hands were on her knees as she bent over and tried to keep from passing out. They had been out there for hours working on her earth manipulation.

She began to think she was crazy for actually wanting this.

Though she was not ignorant to the fact that nature manipulation was a difficult technique to master, she was annoyed that she couldn't get in touch with the earth at all. Human beings were a part of the universe, the grand design of living things, and by her very construction, she had an affinity to earth. So why was it so hard to grasp ahold of that connection and bend it to her will?

Naruto's training had been done so quickly because of his extreme chakra levels and his unique use of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, and she held some envy for him. How long would it take before she could get the rock between her hand to break? Three weeks had passed since she had started this portion of her training.

Tenten stared at the hardened earth in her hand. Stupid rock, she thought. When she straightened up to continue her exercise, she felt herself sway. The amounts of chakra she had expelled in the past few hours were making her dizzy, and she could feel sleep weigh down on her like a rock, pun intended. If this was a battle, she would not be thinking about beds or simply passing out on the ground beneath her. No, she would keep moving, keep fighting until she was victorious or killed. Shinobi often fought their best on the brink of death.

This was no different. Tenten got an idea.

She grabbed for a kunai, something that had cut through much flesh in its lifetime. Though until today, it had never been her own flesh. Slowly, she dragged the kunai across her thigh, wincing in pain as she severed her skin.

Ishi stood before her in a heartbeat. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked, looking astonished and somewhat curious about her actions.

Smiling back weakly, she replied, "When I fight during missions, I have a purpose: to defend my village, and protect its people." Tenten panted out. "The human body responds to pain with adrenaline and mental stimulus. A ninja's body, in particular, is trained to associate pain with an increased desire to fight. We know that any pain we feel could be pain our civilians experience if we fail and we fight harder to keep that from happening. My purpose to crack this rock is not as great as protecting lives, and my body knows that. If I trick my body into believing this is a battle, then I'll be able to keep going. In theory…"

Her sensei narrowed his eyes toward her, analyzing her. This was not a look she had seen on his face before, and she didn't know if it was good or bad. It was the first time she felt like a real student being scrutinized by a teacher, and she reveled in the familiarity of that feeling.

"You are forcing your body to continue on with the adrenaline from a self-inflicted injury?"

She nodded, adjusting to the pain and the energy it brought.

His eyes softened a little before saying, "You Konoha ninja really are crazy, you know that?"

Tenten smiled back, bigger this time, feeling the effects of the pain livening her spirit and body. "I'll take that as a compliment for now." Ishi grabbed what looked like a clean tarnishing cloth from his person and handed it to his dedicated pupil to wrap around her wound.

Ten minutes later she saw a hairline fracture develop on the surface of the rock, and she had never been more proud of herself.


The nature manipulation training was advancing slowly but surely. It had been three more weeks, and though she had yet to completely split the rock in half, her fractures became grooves and her grooves became gashes. Each day she would do better than she had the previous day. She would be stronger than she was yesterday, she thought with a bit of nostalgia. Tenten suddenly wondered what was going on back home…

Tenten had to stop her thoughts before they overcame her. The homesickness she felt was a weakness, and it didn't need to be exploited. Right now, all that existed was here and now. Ishi-sensei and training. This was her home now.

When she was recovering from charka exhaustion, she would study the scrolls he gave her or work on her blacksmithing. Even though it was scorching hot, filled her lungs with horrible, choke, inducing smoke, and made her black with coal, she found blacksmithing her favorite activity so far. It would definitely become a hobby.

There was something to be said about the ability to mold something so strong, to her desire. Or was it the satisfaction of just repeatedly beating the crap out of something? Or could it be the overwhelming feeling of elation she experienced afterwards, like when she held her first self-made kunai in her hand?

So far, over the weeks, she had made five kunai and three large shuriken between her manipulation lessons. It wasn't much, but being new meant she was a lot slower and the whole experience was still foreign to her. Ishi had given her two special scrolls on metal-chakra interaction, hoping she would be able to incorporate it into her work. Tenten wasn't anywhere near that level yet, and she knew it, she just had to keep on practicing.

A month later, Tenten was able to split the rock in her hand. And another rock. And another. Her excitement over her success had her looking for palm sized rocks everywhere, cracking them open with the utmost pleasure. Seeing it as a sign of her development, she thought she would finally try her hand at metal-chakra interaction.

It was somewhat like a medical procedure, as it required precise chakra control as well as controlled variables. She needed to cool the metal once it was infused with her chakra, but only after it had reached a high enough temperature. There was also the difficulty of pushing her chakra into the metal in the first place. Her nature manipulation training would be most beneficial with that.

The metal they were using was tested and proved to work well with those whose chakras are earth based. Most chakra blades are universal, working for anyone's chakra. This metal, though, only reacts to the chakra it has been molded with. Basically, the metal contained fragments of your life force in it, and thus is easier to handle and more destructive. This fact, coupled along with the fact that it works well with earth natured chakras, makes it the ideal tool for them, Ishi explained.

If she were to make a sword infused with her chakra, with this metal, it would be phenomenal. This was her ultimate goal with the metal-chakra technique. In her grasp, it would be unstoppable. But, say an enemy was to take it somehow and strike her with it. One, the sword would only be an ordinary sword in his hands, nowhere near as destructive. Two, any damage taken by Tenten by the sword would be about fifty percent less than expected. It contains her chakra, thus being able to recognize her, and to lessen any damage inflicted. Brilliant, really.

Ironically enough, its strength could be slightly compared to the legendary Kiba swords used by Raiga Kurosuki of the Mist.

Sadly though, Tenten's first attempt was met with the weapon having lousy chakra conductivity. Upon moving, Ishi had been working on his own sword. He was able to slice through a five foot thick boulder, while hers went in about two inches. Laughing at her state of upset, he told her not to worry, and that all she needed was practice.

The next afternoon he found her in the workshop near the house, beating away at a new blade, red hot and pulsating with a bluish glow as Tenten tried to force her chakra into it. He hadn't expected her to try again so soon, it took hours, even a full day, to force the smallest amounts of chakra in the metal. Didn't she have burned knuckles from yesterday's kunai forging incident? It wasn't uncommon for your hands to slip and for you to burn your knuckles, to hit a finger instead, or to get soot in your eyes, but this girl was really pushing it.

He watched her face, contorted into concentration as she fed the scolding metal her chakra before putting it back into the flames again, forcing it to accept it. Tenten's brow was furrowed in determination, and Ishi recalls that he has never seen a girl, no, a woman, so hard working. He had yet to hear her complain or argue with him, and she took every cut, scrape and burn with a smile. There was no one better to be his protégée than her.

Tenten was diligent, stubborn, determined and focused.

Ishi was set in his ways to make this relationship as formal as could be, with focus on studies alone. He had lived well enough in solitary for so long, he found the need for a "personal" relationship between himself and his student to be irrelevant.

However, a little kindness could go a long way. He was by no account a mean man. Tomorrow, he would complement her for everything she'd done since their arrival.

Even in the low light of the setting sun, he could see the blood seep through the coal encrusted bandages on her hands. The proud sensei smiled and walked towards the village, intent for medicinal supplies.


Being renowned as the legendary "Man of a Thousand Swords", Ishi had a highly developed and personal style of swordsmanship. Every day he would ease in lessons to develop her movements, having Tenten go through repeated motions and steps. Some days he would praise her for her current skill level, and others he would shout at her, "Bend your arm, your arm is too stiff!" or "Tenten, look at your leg. Where should it be, hm? Be more aware of your body!"

Often times, she would catch him making jokes about her and demonstrating his preferred style, which would lighten the mood considerably. Ishi's style was fluid, his body going from one form into the next without pause, seeming almost as if it were all one single advance. The very way he interacted with his sword was a language all its own, and when he was concentrated on his motions, Tenten felt as if she were watching an artistic performance. It would be difficult to retrain her movements entirely, so the young woman tried to create a style all her own, incorporating some of her sensei's moves into hers. The end product resulted in a type of swordsmanship that was functional, aesthetically pleasing, and powerful. And it was completely her own.


A year had passed and there was no significant change in their relationship. Though Ishi was amazingly kind and generous, Tenten knew nothing about him. He showed no effort to want to know her as a person, or to show her that he was one. She began to grow irritated at his lack of indifference.

They had been their sole companions for many months now, and she knew nothing of where he came from, his family, his ordeal with the Wind country, his ambitions, regrets, likes or dislikes. It was at a point where it was just uncomfortable. Who was he? She tried to bring up such topics, but he would change the subject by commenting on some skill she needed to enhance upon.

When it came to earth manipulation jutsus, Tenten was progressing along beautifully. Though it took more out of her than she ever would have thought, both mentally and physically, she was proud of the things she could do. Her old techniques were being converged with her recently attained skills, and she had an idea or two about completely new techniques. It would take time though, and it killed her to be patient. But it was only a small price to pay.

Tenten smiled. She was becoming stronger. Not only did her physical appearance alter, but she could feel herself changing from within. There was a new pride she took in her training, knowing what she could do, and would be able to do. She could only imagine the looks on her friends' faces when they get to see her in action. Would she be promoted to jounin? Dear Kami, she hoped so.


Fall was right around the corner of the mountain, and she could smell the air change. It smelt crisp and fresh, something Konoha never smelled like. Konoha always smelled warm and welcoming; like home.

A while back she had discovered a small cliff, which had been blocked by a large tree covered in light blue flowers. Overlooking the entire lower half of the mountain, Tenten felt as if she were back home again, standing on the Hokage monument. Wind blew through her coat, and she tightened her arms around her body. As if the forest sensed her nostalgia, it took the leaves and flowers from the tree behind and had them dance above and around her before blowing off the side of the mountain, their fate unknown.

Before she could register it, Tenten found herself crying. Tear after tear strolled down her face silently as she thought of her friends, and wondered about their lives. What would they be doing now? Would they be ok? Was the village safe, were here friends unharmed? She didn't know. Not knowing was the worst part. To downplay the risk of an ambush, her location, status and activities were to be discussed with no one except Tsunade. So far she had received two letters, and answered all her superior's questions before asking her own, though she never once received a response to them. Tenten understood, on some level.

When she returned to her cabin, Ishi was there waiting for her. It suddenly occurred to her that she was supposed to have gotten pork for their dinner, but she had forgotten. Irritation gnawed at her when Ishi noticed her red eyes and the tear marks on her cheeks, but said nothing. No "Are you okay?" or "What's the matter?"

Only, "Where's the pork?"

For the first time since meeting him, she was angry. With narrowed eyes, she opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it and clamped it shut. Mumbling something about not being hungry, she rushed towards the basement to work on her blacksmithing, leaving Ishi to his thoughts.


"Alright, Tenten, let's have a review."

Tenten was nearly livid. For the past couple of months, she had grown to dislike her sensei more and more. She could feel herself hardening from the inside, much like the stone she manipulated. The only companion she had was him. The nearby village was full of flimsy women and weak men attempting to make a pass at her, and she only went for supplies and food, never for recreation. Tenten never had time for recreation.

To put it simply, for the last year and a half, she had been going at full throttle. Giving it her all, all the time, had its consequences. Mental ones. Like stress and a growing resentment to the one causing it.

Sure, he was willingly providing her with all the knowledge that made him legendary, gave her excellent criticism, and even tried to make situations lighter with occasional teasing.

But the fact that he so blatantly expressed no interest in Tenten as her own person infuriated her. He was treating her like one of the weapons in his arsenal. She was merely a vessel for his legacy. Her ambitions, her will of fire, her wants – they all meant nothing to him.

As far as she was concerned, it felt like she had been deprived of actual companionship since she had arrived.

And there was little encouragement. Gai-sensei was always telling them how great they could be and how youthful they were, and to her chagrin she actually craved it.

"Tenten," Ishi addressed, more clearly, "I said it's time for a review."

She knew anger was often a dangerous fuel in battle, but hell, was it useful.

"Earth Release: Earth Shaking Palm!"

This move reminded her of Sakura, because it was almost identical. The only difference was in application. Tenten used a technique to move the earth itself, whereas Sakura used utilized a large amount of chakra expelled at just the right moment.

The ground in front of her quivered and exploded chunks of rock into the air.

Ishi nodded, satisfied, signaling her to move on to the next one.

And so she went on. Technique after technique was performed, and the landscape was beginning to suffer. With every nod of his head, she became angrier, and she didn't know why. She felt like she was in school, being tested like this.

Only then had she realized that it was her birthday. She was twenty three now, and being tested like some pre-genin kid. At least the chuunin exams had proved challenging, and gave her the chance to prove herself. This was insulting!

After performing the Earth Flow Divide technique, she was done. Forgoing all circumstances, she was quite proud of herself with that one. Finding Dragon Veins was extremely difficult, and she was lucky enough to find one so close. Her attitude softened somewhat as she admired her work, but it only lasted a second.

"That technique you've been working on, in secret, perform it now."

Fuck.

His tone was harsh, with the slightest resonance of anger. For the past few months, because of her increasing irritation towards him, she had decided to develop and practice a technique in privacy. Tenten liked how she had one thing that was all her own, and how she didn't have her sensei over her shoulder, telling her what she should and shouldn't do.

She didn't face him.

"No."

There was a disturbing pause, and Tenten felt the air change. For the first time, she knew her sensei was furious at her. She could feel the waves of dissatisfaction rolling over him, and to be honest, it scared her a little. He has never, until this point, been defied or been even slightly upset. The young woman braced herself as she spoke again.

"You have no right to follow me," she stated, lowly, with eyes narrowed to slits. Tenten would make it damn well noticeable that she wasn't a humble subservient. With her back still to him, she held her ground. Who's to say he wouldn't attack her? She honestly didn't know what kind of man he was.

"I don't mind you working on new technique, but I do mind being lied to," he shot back, taking a step forward. At his movement, Tenten whipped around and held out a kunai for safe measure.

"I never lied. I kept it secret. There's a distinct difference," she retorted. Taking a somewhat defensive stance, she prepared for the worst. The old man cocked his head in mild confusion.

"Lies and secrets are both things that I abhor. And may I ask why you look ready to attack me?" The frustration and anger were still in his features, but he was also extremely curious as to why she was behaving so oddly.

"You're one to talk about secrets! I've been here for over a year and I know nothing about you! How do I know you won't attack me the first time I rebel from you? As far as I'm concerned, I am just an object," venom now dripped from her mouth. This was so unlike her, to be so verbally angry with someone. Then again, she had never been this angry for so long…

"An object in which you can use to carry on your success, to bring some sort of importance to your pathetic life! You know how I know I'm your first student? Because you don't care about me. My life and my feelings are never accounted for. Gai-sensei could be a complete moron, but at least he loved me," she shouted, her eyes watery with heartache.

Once she got a good look at Ishi's face, she was shocked. It was no different than it was before her outburst. Her level of frustration didn't bother him one bit. What happened to the compassionate man she had known? Was he finally revealing to her his true self?

"I'm sorry, I don't understand. You are here to train, and I am here to help you do that. Feelings and emotions have no place in such things," he responded coolly.

To be dumbstruck was an understatement. She supposed he was a lot like her in the beginning, having no one to teach you and learning everything for yourself. Was this how she was destined to become? No, she knew in her bones that it wasn't. But what had happened to him? What made him so cold?

With trepidation, Tenten walked up to him slowly. Ishi eyed her warily, unsure about the girl, and questioning her stability. When she was standing clear as day in front of him, she stared him down, hard.

"I don't care how lucky I got. I will never take orders from someone I don't trust."

And with that, she left for the village.


Tenten didn't drink. She had had liquor before, but that was a one-time deal. She knew the effects it had on other people, and it made her uneasy.

Then why was she currently sitting at a bar with her second cup of sake before her?

Oh, maybe because she let her anger boil over, causing her to screw up the best offer of her life.

Yeah, that had to be it.

The men in the bar shot her interesting looks, some border lined harassment and others were just hateful. She took account that she was the only woman in the bar. She was also the only ninja in the village. And it didn't help that she was wearing only a mesh sports bra on her torso, leaving her midriff completely exposed for all to see.

But she didn't care. After blowing up like that, he would never take her back. Tenten admitted that she wouldn't take herself back. The alcohol buzzed in her head, causing the depression to deepen with more self-loathing thoughts.

How was she supposed to explain this to Tsunade? And where would she get the courage to hike back up that mountain, pack her things and leave, trying to avoid him the best she could? Who's to say he wouldn't kill her for knowing too much! If there was a possibility that he could want to kill her, then drinking really, really, wouldn't solve anything.

Too lost in her own sudden despair, she didn't feel the presence of another person sitting in the seat to her left. When she did feel it, her peripheral vision picked up the nodding of its head to the barman for a drink. What really got her attention, though, was the picture that was pushed under her hand.

Shaking her head to clear it, she inspected the photo. It was of a young girl, about four or five. She was a cute child, having short blonde hair and big brown eyes. In the picture, she was running towards the camera, glee written all over her face. A man in the background appeared to be chasing her, the same emotion displayed on his features as well.

Tenten squinted, believing the alcohol was causing hallucinations. That man looked like a much younger and much more vigorous Shinichiro Ishihara. She looked over at the man to her left.

Her sensei sat there, staring at the picture with vacant eyes. "Her name is Akiko," he said, hollowly. "She would be around your age, maybe a little older. Most likely, she's already started a family. With looks like her mother's, I don't doubt it." He took a harsh downing of the liquid in his cup and motioned for another.

"The last time I saw her was before I was taken. She was sick that night, but I refused to hug her and kiss her goodnight, fearing that I would fall ill during the mission I was about to leave on."

All she could do was listen, she was beyond surprised, and even the alcohol couldn't deter her attention.

"After the ordeal, I found her mother. I had been absent for years, and she heard the rumors." Ishi stared at Tenten now, hoping she would get the full effect of his admission.

"She denied me my own daughter because she didn't know who I was anymore. Because she didn't trust me."

Tenten hung on those last five words. This was it, the moment when she would know the man behind the sensei. Her words had struck a nerve, obviously. Boy, was she ever lucky…

"Have you tried looking for her?" She asked, not sure what else to say. They were treading into unknown waters, and after their conversation earlier, she wasn't sure how to handle things.

"For ten years I searched, but she was good. Changed her name every time, kept away from villages with known shinobi. I never even knew if Akiko wanted to see me, or if her mother had forced her. I don't think I'll ever know…"

Her heart softened considerably at his story, and she at once felt guilty for everything that was said. Hanging her head down in shame, she apologized softly.

"There's no need to be sorry, Tenten. I should've handled things better from the start. For so long, I've kept to myself. I guess… I've… forgotten what it is to be close to someone," he admitted.

Looking into her empty cup, Tenten prayed she wasn't drunk to the point of delusion. Was this conversation actually happening?

Sensing her uneasiness, Ishi decided to awkwardly break the ice by asking her something that didn't pertain her development or well-being.

"So, what's your story?"

A pang hit her chest. Stories have beginnings, and her beginning always brought forth horrible memories. Not only that, but the vulnerability she was about to face him with was palpable. But if he could do it so could she.

"I don't know my real birthday. Some Konoha ninjas found me abandoned in a field and decided it best to take me back to the village. No one had claimed me, no one had reported a missing child. Since I can remember, I've wanted to be a kunoichi. I was simply drawn to weapons. Weapons didn't require bloodline techniques or secret clan knowledge. I could teach myself. One day, I plan to die while protecting my people. I had once resigned to the idea that no one would remember my life, and not even my death. But when I got your letter, everything changed." Tenten knew it was the inebriation that was causing her to be so honest, but she had to admit, it felt good.

"To me, your letter promised me a life and a death that would have been memorable. That people would know that I existed," she breathed out, trying her best not to blur her words. The conversation that quickly calmed her depression, now agitated it.

"Whether we had met or not, you would have lived and died honorably." Her sensei confessed. That had to be the fifth compliment he had dished out in all her time of knowing him. Yes, she had counted.

"And if you don't mind me asking, when is your birthday, if they found you on your own like that?"

Tenten looked up at him to explain. "They guessed I was around two when they found me. And, to be quite honest, my quote – unquote – birthday is actually today. I'm somewhere around twenty three, give or take a few months," she added jokingly.

Ishi erupted with laughter, "Today! What are the odds of that?" He asked her, astounded. "Well I know this may sound strange, but what would you say if I bought you a horse?"

She blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"A horse! One would be excellent for carrying the metal, and learning how to ride one could be useful in some situations!"

Her mouth blurted out a retort before she had time to edit and delete it. "What? Trying to make up for Akiko's birthdays by buying me a pony?" She laughed, but once she realized what she had said, she immediately apologized. Only, he was laughing during her apology.

"Haha! I guess I am, aren't I? I suppose you're the closest thing to a daughter that I'll experience," he said. Tenten blushed. She didn't know what to say to that…

Only hours earlier had she been claiming his life had been pathetic, and that he was using her for an ego boost, and now he was comparing her to his daughter? This alone served to expand her guilt.

After the bar, Ishi took her to the other side of the village to buy a nice horse like he promised. Tenten named him after the stray cat that lived near her apartment, Reizo. He was a beautiful horse, that much was certain. His body was strong and thick, and his coat was a shiny deep brown. The horse's mane was long and flowing, and when she looked into his eyes, she could see her own staring back at her. Reizo neighed softly at her touch, and she knew he was hers.

Noticing she was still a little drunk, Ishi thought it would be a good idea if Tenten ride Reizo once her balancing skills weren't hindered.


Tenten thought it the stupidest thing to ever happen to her, getting sick with the flu in the middle of August. Sicknesses were different everywhere, but she had never heard of a hot-season flu.

Not only was she sweating because of the August heat, but she was sweating from the fever she had. Ishi had told her that most people die from heat stroke when they get the flu, but that only scared her. Dying of some retarded season-confused flu was not an appropriate thing for a shinobi to do!

By the third day, it had become unbearable, and there were no indications of a probable recovery. Ishi was constantly bringing her cool water from the spring, trying to calm her fever. The aching and the nausea she could deal with. The feeling that her skin was melting off her bones is was what got to her. Tenten could hardly move, the heat her body was experiencing was weighing down on her, causing her to breathe haggard breathes.

"I should call for the doctor, I don't know what else I could do," her teacher admitted.

"Wait," she coughed, hating the idea of doctors, "that medical kit, on the table. I think there's a flu inhibitor in there." Ishi reached for the bag and looked back at her, questioningly. "My friend Sakura is training under the legendary Tsunade. She made it for me as a parting gift. With gathered research," she took a deep breath, "she was able to create a medical kit specific to the region I'd be staying in. Last time I checked, there was something in there for the flu…"

Ishi rifled through the kit, reading all the labels and uses. "Here!" He exclaimed, raising the needle to the vial of serum, "It says preventative, but we can try. It's worth a shot," he said, oblivious to his own pun.

By the next day, her fever was gone. She was sure to thank Sakura for nearly saving her life.


It had been a little over three years since she had left on her mission, and Tenten was far from through with her training. Not that it bothered her anymore, the waiting. Her time would come.

Over the three years Tenten had learned more than just physical skill, as she had also learned to be more patient and relaxed. She liked to think of her training like a vacation at the spa, to return to her village a more rejuvenated and worldly Tenten.

Until that afternoon, Tenten hadn't heard from Tsunade-sama for months. It was always the same: answering all the questions but never getting any answers herself. When a falcon appeared before her in a tree later that day, she knew who it was from.

Well, she didn't really, because it had been from Naruto. The bastard finally made Hokage, and she couldn't be happier for him. Sure he could be an idiot, but he deserved it. In the letter, he admitted he was shocked to find out that her so called mission was really a classified training assignment. Naruto said he had read her file and all of her letters, adding that everyone was doing great and would every once in a while bring her up during conversation. Her hands shook with elation finally knowing everyone was ok and alive. Lady Tsunade had reached a point where her body just couldn't handle all the prolonged abuse, and it was beginning to shut down. He said Sakura was doing her best to keep her comfortable as possible through the process.

Oh, and he married Hinata! This was done before his ascension, so as not to look like a political move to the village. She sighed. Nothing she would be able to do, but she was happy for them nonetheless. Tenten rushed back to her room to reply to the letter, completely forgetting her katana practice.


As her training progressed, Tenten only worried about one thing. She had not been in any significant combat for quite some time. That is, she hadn't faced a real enemy for years.

On the plus side, it meant no one was aware of what was going on, and that they and the villagers were in no danger. However, it also meant that Tenten couldn't truly comprehend her growth because there was a serious lack of competition.

What if she found herself a little rusty, and got into some serious trouble? There were no real shinobi in the nearest village, and often times she resorted to training with a clone. Tenten even dreamt for a thief to come within their midst, so that she could prove to herself once and for all that she was better than ever.

Not only had her original techniques improved, as well as her aim, but there was so much more to her arsenal now. There was also her ability to lay out traps, estimate and track an enemy's tactics, and turn a disadvantage into an advantage.

And she couldn't forget her sword! Her katana was her deadliest weapon yet, and the fact that she forged it herself made her love it all the more. The damage she could inflict with it under the right circumstances terrified her at first. But as soon as she learned how to use it, it became a second nature to her. She'd pretty much reinvented the landscape of half the mountain with that one sword. All her career she had been a long distant fighter, and she had always wanted the right weapon that would allow her to fight in close combat. Now she had it.

True, her sword could be considered overkill in some situations, which is why her clever mind came up with the idea of having two swords. In any one else's eyes, they were identical swords. Only Tenten could distinguish them apart, which one was the decoy and which was to be used when it was needed. Her decoy katana was practically the same, but with only a fraction of her chakra embedded in it.

Ishi thought it was brilliant, and it was one of the few things he outwardly praised her for.


One of her favorite things to do in her down time was ride Reizo. He was the type of horse built for the mountains, and she loved to go exploring with him. Sometimes, when they found a pasture and he ran at full speed and the wind was beating against her skin, she found herself having flashbacks of riding Akamaru. And she couldn't forget Kiba – that particular glint in his eyes, the way the wind pressed his clothes against his body, how his fangs seemed to have a smile all their own.

If she was honest with herself, she would admit that she entertained the idea of having a fling with him. Nothing personal, but something purely physical. Now, Tenten was nearing on twenty five, and she had yet to even experience her first kiss. Her hormones were practically begging for an attractive male to touch her. Being the determined kunoichi she was, the likelihood of having or starting a family was practically none. It wasn't uncommon for ninja to have casual, strictly physical relationships.

But the fact that Kiba came from a clan with a pack mentality, and the idea of mating for life, she doubted he would be okay with being with her in such a way. And if he wasn't an option, then who did that leave?

Shino, she didn't even know that well. Had she ever even seen his face?

Chouji… now that was just weird to think about…

Shikamaru? He had a certain sex appeal, but she was sure Temari had her hands all over that.

She tried to think. Kotetsu and Izumo were attractive, definitely, and she had known them from past missions, but not well enough…

Now, if she wanted to be super honest with herself, she would know that there was only one man she wanted inside of her, above her, below her, what have you…

Stop. Rewind. Delete. Rewrite.

No, she didn't need a man to satisfy her. Who said it was a bad thing to die a virgin? She could almost feel Ino slap her for thinking that. Maybe sex just wasn't in it for her. Or maybe, there was someone out there, perfect for her, and she didn't even know.

It was possible, but she wouldn't waste time thinking about it. If it happened, it happened.


There was something to be said about listening to the earth.

As expected, Ishi taught her everything he knew. She was rather skeptical at first, but once he explained it to her, she needed to try for herself.

"As you should already know, nature has its own chakra. The wind, the trees, the birds – everything. This includes the earth. Now, having earth-affinity is not necessary, but it is what makes this technique so useful." He placed his ear and outstretched palm on the ground, and closed his eyes.

"Right now, I am sending short bursts of my chakra into the ground, which will act as a sort of sonar, what bats use. By hearing it, I can see the formation of the land, and quite literally, get a better picture of what I'm working with."

Tenten nodded slowly. "So… by listening to the earth, it would give me the advantage of knowing my terrain… and thus able to perform my jutsus with more accuracy?" She asked rhetorically, asking more to herself.

Her sensei rose and nodded happily, "Exactly."

"It would be excellent at night, or in a foreign territory. The enemy would assume that since I am on their turf, that they would have the upper hand. But, in actuality, I would have the upper hand, because they would be underestimating me!" Tenten exclaimed with enthusiasm.

"Yes! Precisely! Now you try. Just… yes… Send your chakra out, and listen to what it says. Hear and see the hills, holes and stone. Most of the earth is something our naked eyes can never see. What a pity, eh?"


Ishi-sensei had opened up, true, but that by no accounts made him a chatterbox. Tenten would get little snippets of his life and have to string them together in her mind.

She knew about his daughter, Akiko, and how after he had been released from the criminals he was being used by, his wife ran away with her, and he never saw them again.

His details about his imprisonment were confined to the statement, "There are some things a man never wants to talk about. His weaknesses and his lowest possible point in life are two of them." He had once mentioned there were seven things a man never wants to talk about, but she couldn't remember them.

Shinichiro Ishihara had grown up in a small village to civilian parents, and had a fascination for all things shiny and deadly. His father allowed him to move to the nearest shinobi village to attend an academy, but his mother hated the idea and never visited him.

He would interview his teachers and the jounin for tips and advice, and occasionally hang out with kids his own age. Everything changed, however, with the Third Shinobi World War. Ishi stated that he was on the brink of death when he vowed to get stronger, more useful. And he did, through will and determination alone. If she read between the lines, she would know that ultimately his strength came at the price of his family, but he would never verbally acknowledge it.

By all accounts, he led an average shinobi life. But, there was nothing average about this man, whose past was still so mysterious to her. It wasn't something she could quite put her finger on. Was it the way he could seem so meek at one moment and chop down a tree in another? Or maybe, it was how his eyes told one story, when his face said something else entirely?

Or it could just be that she was destined to meet this man. Neji might've gone a bit crazy in his genin days about fate, and was proven wrong by Naruto, but that didn't mean that things like fate and destiny didn't exist. Tenten knew, with every cell in her body, that she was destined to meet this man. His knowledge of weaponry, his exquisite swordsmanship, sharing an affinity to earth, both having to draw their own paths… that couldn't all be luck, could it?

There was something larger at work here and she knew it. That's why he was no average ninja to her.


Tenten had been under Ishi's training for nearly five years now, and she was quite pleased with the results. Not only was she able to blacksmith (with chakra, mind you) and incorporate earth into her arsenal, she was able to combine the two to create lethal attacks. Attacks that left her teacher beaming and proud, and a tad scared. Even her ability to read peoples attacks, devise traps, and create strategies was on a whole other level. She was finally the kunoichi she wanted to be.

It was late afternoon, and the sun was setting just behind the village as she left it, arms full of groceries. Ishi had sent her to get supplies for dinner, and he was going to teach her how to barbeque, blacksmith style. She loved his barbeque.

Over the years, since her outburst, they had become quite close. She found in him friend she never thought could be there, and she was quite pleased. Tenten had even considered asking him to move to Konoha with her when she returned. She had a feeling that he would like it.

The wind blew gently as she treaded up the last hill on her trail. At this time, Ishi would be about, riding Reizo out and about in the field. She spotted Reizo, but no Ishi. She called out his name, curious. When she spotted a strange pile of… something… a few feet from the house, she dropped the food.

This pile consisted of clothes and dust, which could only mean one thing.

Tenten fell to her knees and bowed her head as silent tears fell from her face. She remembered him mentioning this jutsu once, for informational purposes only. A jutsu that allowed him to give his body back to the earth, in a more graceful manner. That is, if you considered graceful to be turned into dust at the unsuspecting moment of death.

The wind blew harder as the sun fell farther into the horizon. Ishi's dust was disturbed, and his clothes threatened to fly off. When they did, something caught Tenten's eye in the wind. Throwing a shuriken at the item in question and pinning it to the house, she saw upon further inspection that it was the picture of Akiko and him she had been shown once before.

She gazed at the man in the photo with reverence before turning her attention to the girl. Tenten would find her and tell her everything she could about her father. It was something she swore to herself, in that moment. This woman, whoever she was, would know of the father her mother deprived her of.

By dinner time, she wasn't hungry. The pen and paper before her offered her little comfort as she made a list. Lists gave her a sense of organization in a time of disorder. Tenten knew all of the things she had to do, and she couldn't conjure up the will to do them. At least with a list she could have a tangible representation of her responsibilities.

1. Letter to Naruto
2. Put everything into scrolls – weapons, tools, other scrolls
3. Prepare Reizo for journey home
4. Start packing

It might have been a short list, but it ate at her, just looking at it. She would start with number one.

The letter was more like a mission debriefing than anything. In as little detail as she could get away with, she explained his death and the situation she currently found herself in. Tenten stated that she felt ready to return and be of use to her country once again.

In the past, Tenten had always received the letters first, by the birds. Luckily, Ishi had taught her a jutsu that was suitable for espionage and secret communications. The Mole Messenger Jutsu was a little complicated at first, but she got the hang of it. A little mole made from the earth would pop up, take your message, and transport it to another location. There was the slight possibility that Naruto might freak out at first, and that only made her smile.


The next morning, Tenten was in full swing. She was stuck in the momentum of her musings, grabbing tools and weapons and trying to organize them the best way she could. Her largest scroll carried her personal arsenal, and she didn't dare tamper with that so soon before she headed out to travel.

All of her sensei's tools and instructional scrolls were piled into other scrolls, and into a large bag. Tenten's clothes and personal effects were gathered into the same bag she came with, and she could feel the nostalgia in the fabric as she opened it. Not too far from now, she would be returning home.

But the thought occurred to her, what would she be returning to? Of course the village had changed, things tend to do that over five years, but to what extent would that change be? She tried not to think about it too much, her nerves were already jittery.

An even stranger question, was, "How will they see me?" What changes would they pick up on? Was she even the same Tenten? Though it was true that Tenten had lost much of her cheerfulness, in lieu of solemnness, would her friends find her unnoticeable? She knew she had matured, but she didn't want it to be at the expense at what made her… her…

Tenten stood in front of her mirror, tried to envision herself as she was five years prior, and was a little shocked. She had grown a couple of centimeters, and her body was much leaner and more developed. Her body had grown lithe, yet durable, suitable for acrobatics and stealth. Every ounce of baby fat had left her, leaving her face to reveal her actual age, as being a young woman. Though she would love to have curves like Hinata's, she came to accept the relatively average size of her breasts and stopped binding them. She did have hips though, and for that she was grateful.

Her hair was taken out of her trademark buns and into a simple ponytail, leaving her chestnut, straight hair to dangle at her shoulder blades. The bangs which had once tickled her eyebrows now fell a little below her collar bone.

The ensemble of choice had changed as well. Last year for her birthday, Ishi had a jacket made for her. It was a fitted Chinese style brocade jacket made with beautiful red and black silk. It had a high collar and she rolled the cuffs of the sleeves up to her elbows. The special part about this present, though, was the kanji for Shinichiro embroidered on her back. However, it would be hard to see once her largest scroll hung from her back like a backpack. Her sandals had long since been destroyed, and she now opted for the long kunoichi boots Sakura used to wear. On her hands, she wore what had to be the hundredth pair of gloves she had owned, and a modified version of her old scroll holster sat on her hips, with a strap around each leg for added stability. For her bottoms, she chose to forgo her old baggy capris and swap them for plain black short shorts.

Overall, she looked almost nothing like she had when she was seventeen. She guessed she was good looking enough. Tenten portrayed an image of professionalism and integrity. Tenten looked like a legitimate Konoha kunoichi. Sure, she wasn't the same, but that meant she was better. She was able. She was quick and cunning, flexible and agile, dangerous and powerful. It was everything that she had wanted. Tenten didn't think she had lost herself. On the contrary, she felt that she had found herself.

For the hell of it, she cut her bangs short like they used to be, so at least something could remain the same.

By midday, she had gathered everything she needed. The only thing left to do was to go into her sensei's room and see if there was anything of value. Not for her personal gain, but to ensure it didn't get into the wrong hands, as it once had before.

The door opened with a tiny squeak, revealing a simple room. Tenten noticed that he made his bed, and had a tendency to sleep on the right side. She caught eye of some scrolls in a nearby corner and gathered them into her arms, intent on taking them with her. Everything was clean and orderly, just as she expected it to be.

But her trained mind lingered on the closet. One of the doors was opened by a fraction of an inch, and it tugged at her curiosity. With caution, she approached the door and swung it open. Inside were a few of his clothes, along with some personal effects strewn across the floor. Two swords, a box, and his favorite kunai.

Ishi had told her about this once. The first weapon he had ever forged, complete with a thrown-together holster. Tenten ran her fingers along the artifact, noting the scratches and weathering it had been through. This wasn't just his weapon; this was a part of him.

With tears in her eyes again, threatening to spill, she took the aged holster and fitted it to her leg.

A perfect fit.

An hour later, Tenten saw her mole pop up from the ground and hand her a letter. She read it with hands slightly shaking.

Brief was an understatement, as it was no more than a paragraph. The new Hokage was sorry for her loss, and said he knew what it was like to lose a beloved teacher. He also wanted her to return to Konoha and see him as soon as possible, and wished her a safe voyage.

Tenten was more than a little curious. His other letters were much more detailed, but this one was simply to the point. Nothing about her little mole technique or having to write a mission summary based on her stay these five years. She knew how curious Naruto was, and how he paid attention to the small things, so why wasn't he more explanatory? Was there something more important weighing down on his mind when he was writing his response? Well, if it was Konoha business, she was sure to find out soon enough.

It was now about one in the afternoon, and she couldn't wait. She tightened the load on Reizo's back, mounted him, and made her way towards the nearby village. She did not look back at the abandoned home, or the scattered clothes in the field that she had decided to leave untouched. Ishi would be with her in combat, and that was all the comfort she needed. Now she was headed back to her village, her home, her reason for being.

This moment, was the dawn of a new Tenten.


If you must know, Reizo is a Peruvian Paso. They are used in mountainous regions because their gait allows for smooth walking. And they look stunning. To me, a least ;P And I've always imagined Tenten with a very lithe and slightly athletic body. I think if she had a very curvy body, that it wouldn't allow her to be as agile or fluid in her movements. And I like the thought of her with long, straight hair, not wavy hair. Am I alone in this? Is it silly to think of a female ninja without sexually exaggerated features? And despite what I just said, I like to think she moves like a gymnast – very graceful, gentle but powerful. I kind of imagine her looking somewhat like Zhao Wei. And Neji would resemble the oh-so-smexy Takeshi Kaneshiro. But that's just me.

In the next chapter, Tenten will be returning home to Konoha. What has changed? Better yet, what hasn't changed? With Naruto as Hokage, Sakura left to pick up the pieces of Tsunade's legacy, Kiba with family on his mind, and Neji with his own genin team and – what? A fiancé? – how will Tenten be able to find her place among everything?