BIG LONG A/N:
So I've been getting up-to-date with the manga, and turns out, Sasuke will apparently never rise from being the Avenger because he just killed Itachi, and now he's off to kill the leaders of Konoha, because they were the ones who created the situation of him killing Itachi, who, after all, was really the martyr. So Manga Sasuke, having no apparent purpose in life other than constantly seeking revenge for people whether it's his business or not, is no longer being taken into consideration during the process of writing Faute de Mieux. I like my Sasuke better anyways.
We are also assuming that within the amount of time that has passed between Sasuke threatening Tenten and the current chapter, most everyone has gotten comfortable with everyone else, therefore I am dropping the formalities.
Thank you.
.-.-.-.-.
LA FILLE AUX CHEVEAUX DE LIN (THE GIRL WITH THE FLAXEN HAIR)
.-.-.-.-.
"This is bad," Tenten shot over her shoulder as she raced to the lift, "This is very, very bad."
"I know," Ino replied, sounding almost in awe, "I mean, where does someone find someone like that?"
"It's extremely unnatural," Sakura agreed, "Now someone please tell me what is going on and why that girl is making Tenten's life hell."
"Aside from the fact that she looks exactly like her?!" Ino snorted as Tenten slammed the lever on the lift. "I am completely in awe of Itachi. He's gone for what, a week? And he comes back with a doppelganger. Tenten, you gotta stop dressing up cause these boys are getting creepy."
Tenten shook her head, furrowing her brow. "What am I going to do?" she muttered, stepping off the lift. Ino and Sakura rushed after the billowing satin hem of her gown. They reached the door to their rooms in record time. Tenten viciously grabbed the handlebars, and wrenched the doors open.
"Hello," said Sasuke.
"Dear God," said Tenten.
.-.-.-.-.
The four nobles calmly sat in sleek wooden chairs around Tenten's four-sided mahogany coffee table, now raised a few feet higher, sipping tea. Tenten's chin rested on her palm, her elbow resting on the tabletop, her eyes on Sasuke.
"So?"
The dark-haired prince looked up. "So what?"
"When are you going to tell him?" she demanded. "Itachi's back with my carbon copy, I guess I'm reasonably useless now."
Sasuke shrugged, his eyes lowering. "No."
Ino looked a little surprised. "No, Sasuke-kun? Well then, what?"
"Okay," Sakura held up her hands. "Somebody, please enlighten me."
There was a brief silence as Ino and Tenten looked at each other, then:
"Tenten's not a virgin," Sasuke said bluntly, calmly stirring his tea, before Ino or Tenten even had a chance to speak.
The brunette gaped. "Oh, you did not."
Sasuke took another drink. Tenten sighed, and buried her face in her arms.
"I am so dead."
Sakura could only gape.
"Um--wha--w--Tenten, what? Who?"
"Kiba," Ino volunteered cheerfully. Tenten raised her head and threw up her hands.
"Hello! Thanks!"
Ino shrugged. "At least I beat Sasuke-kun to the chase."
Sasuke smirked.
Tenten heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Yeah," she said lamely. "What they said."
Sakura blinked, taking in the information. "Well," the pink-haired girl finally said, "Well, Tenten, you're pretty much screwed."
"Yeah, I know." Tenten shrugged, then paused. "I've been meaning to ask you," she turned to Sasuke, who was now watching them in what could be translated into amusement, "How did you know?"
"I didn't," he replied. "I guessed from how his room is always situated next to yours, wherever you go. You merely confirmed my suspicions."
Tenten only gaped.
"He's good," Ino chirped.
"You know," Sakura followed slowly, "If you were to pick one person to marry when you are not virgin and pray they would not find out and if they did they would not care, Neji-san was probably not it."
Sasuke blinked at this information. "When did this occur?"
"Today," Sakura supplemented.
"Yeah," Ino nodded. "The Hyuuga are very conservative and extremely anal about this stuff. Neji's going to freak."
"I know," Tenten huffed. "I didn't want him finding out and…you know…not considering me." Her shoulders slumped. "I guess that's all over now."
"I won't tell yet," Sasuke said suddenly, looking at Tenten. "You have an opportunity now. You can still accomplish this task."
Tenten stared at him. "Are you--no," she paused. "I don't see a way. I will not be able to accompany him at court events, nor speak with him privately, or get close to him with a show of intimacy, because of Neji and…Kiama."
"No," Sasuke repeated. "This betters your chances."
Tenten started at him, as if trying to visually analyze his brain. "How?"
Sasuke stood up, and Sakura followed, curtsying. He nodded at her, she sat back down, and he made to leave.
"Kiama is living in the guest quarters in Itachi's rooms. She will take her meals with him."
He opened the door, turned, and looked directly at Tenten.
"Think about it," he said slowly. "She looks exactly like you."
The room was silent as the click of the front door shutting sounded.
Sakura and Ino turned to look at Tenten. The brunette suddenly straightened, blinked and smiled. She turned, looking them in the eyes, saying, slowly,
"And I look exactly like her."
Ino smiled.
"It's reconnaissance time."
.-.-.-.-.
"She's in the second main drawing-room on the second floor," Ino reported as she entered the room. "Kikumo saw her and sent me a missive."
"Good," Tenten replied curtly, "Come on, get ready and let's go."
Tenten pulled on a short, fluttering white silk dress, scoop-necked and lined with lace and ribbon, with large satin flowers trailing down one side, linked with curling sewn-on silver sequins. Under it she wore a pair of black fishnets, and white pumps with silver details.
"Good?" the brunette cocked her head.
Ino nodded, rubbing the billowing sleeve of her sea green dress. "Yeah," she decided finally as Tenten loosely braided her hair. "It's distinctive. A margrave's daughter would never dare dress like a hooker at Court."
Tenten made a face at her sister and called Sakura, who rushed out in a striped black satin and silk number, shapeless but cinched at the waist with a black leather belt. "Okay," she huffed, "let's go."
The three made their way down the hallways and stairs, towards the drawing-room.
"Hey," Ino whispered to Tenten, "People are staring at you."
"I know," the brunette replied, "I don't know why. Do I really look like a hooker?"
Ino shook her head. "I was just kidding. You look cute."
Sakura frowned at the glances and whispers. "This is strange," she said, "Ino's worn shorter things and nobody's stared before."
Tenten shrugged as they reached the open doorway of the drawing-room. "Whatever," she said, turning her head as she entered. "Let's just find--"
She stopped abruptly, staring.
"What?" Ino popped in next to her sister. "Why d'you--oh."
There, next to one of the tall windows, nestled comfortably in a velvet upholstered chair, was Kiama…her hair braided, in the same white dress, the same black nets and the same pumps.
"This is the creepiest thing I've ever seen," Sakura deadpanned, "And I've been to gypsy caravan shows."
"No wonder they were staring," Ino whispered.
Tenten took a deep breath, and walked forward.
"Hi," she smiled, sitting down across from her doppelganger, "Do you mind if I sit here? I'm Yamanaka Tenten, First Princess of Mizu."
Kiama looked up from the book in her lap and flashed the exact same smile back. "Tachibana Kiama, of Chihana," she intoned in the same pleasant soprano voice, with the same impeccable manners. "Please, sit, Tenten-sama, and how do you do."
"She's acting like nothing's weird," Ino reported to Sakura, her eyes flickering from the rim of her cup a few tables down. "Like she doesn't notice she's got an exact replica."
"That's ridiculous," Sakura replied, across from her, staring at the two via hand mirror, pretending to be fixing her makeup.
"I know," Ino looked down discreetly. "It's so weird. It's like they're twins, except I know they're not. It's like I have two big sisters."
"It's creepy and it's freaking me out."
"How are they wearing the same thing? Is she reading Ten's mind or something?"
"I don't know. But it's not normal."
"They have the exact same hair. Look, that girl's combed her bangs down. And they're wearing the exact same thing. This is impossible, Sakura. Tenten has Takuda privately design and tailor everything she has. I know, because otou-san won't let me do it, it costs him a fortune."
"They have the same expressions, Ino, look! See?"
Kiama was wearing Tenten's smile right back at her.
Ino shuddered. "Okay, I can no longer express the degree of disturbance I am experiencing right now. I could be scarred forever. My big sister has a clone."
Sakura giggled. "How will you sleep at night?"
Ino glared. "No. This is not funny. Don't you dare laugh at me. My entire childhood can be called into doubt. My--Sakura, look, it's Neji!"
Sakura paused, and discreetly shifted to a seat with the back to the window so she could spot Neji from the corner of her eye.
The white-eyed man strode swiftly down the aisle, but suddenly stopped short when he neared and realized there were two identical versions of his fiancée sitting at the table. Both lifted their face simultaneously and looked at him with the same smile. Neji was a bit unnerved.
"Tenten?" he said slowly, eyes shifting from one face to another.
"Yeah," the one on the right said. "Sorry, Kiama-chan, this is my fiancé, Hyuuga Neji, of Haku." Kiama nodded, lowering her head in a miniature bow to the higher status, and murmured politely with Tenten's voice. "I think I have to go," Tenten said to her.
She grinned and wriggled her fingers at the other, who bent down, retrieved the fallen book and replicated the gesture perfectly, before burying her face back into her novel. Tenten stood up, grabbed Neji, and discreetly weaved through a few shelves of books and behind the grand piano before circling back to the table where Ino and Sakura waited anxiously.
"What was that?" Neji demanded as he was forced into the chair opposite Sakura.
"Weird," Sakura told him as Tenten seated herself in the remaining chintz chair, "Creepy, unnatural, freaky, disturbing, uncanny, eerie, peculiar, queer and altogether very frightening."
Neji turned to Tenten.
"That's Lady Kiama," Tenten explained with a sigh as a butler came over to offer refreshments, "From earlier today."
"Was she exactly like you when she arrived?" he questioned.
"You didn't notice?" Ino stared at him like he had sprouted five more heads as she dropped two sugar cubes into her coffee.
"I wasn't watching," he snapped defensively.
Ino shrugged, and riveted her attention back onto her sister.
"Well?" she demanded.
Tenten shuddered. "It was completely unnerving. It was like talking to myself," she frowned. "She's read everything I've read, she knows all the music I know, she's fully educated in weapons combat…Itachi's a freak, where did he get her?"
"Apparently and conveniently at the estate of the Margrave of Chihana," Neji replied sarcastically. "This is an annoyance. It is giving me a headache."
"Oh, just pretend she's me, you wouldn't even know the difference," Tenten replied flippantly.
"So what, do I marry both of you?" he retorted.
"That would be interesting," Ino crowed. Both Tenten and Neji shot disproving glances at her.
Another butler arrived with a missive summoning the Neji to Sasuke. With a twitch of the eye he opened the note, skimmed it quickly, and sighed. With an extremely irked expression, Neji grudgingly left the discussion on the two freakishly similar girls.
"Well, in any case, this has been sort of useful," Tenten surmised when he was out of earshot. "I'd like to think this clothing fiasco was a fluke, but maybe it's not. Let's resume tomorrow."
Ino and Sakura shrugged and agreed.
In the two following weeks the three found Kiama twice in the gardens, once in the stables, and in five of the seven libraries, three of the six drawing rooms, the dance hall, the astronomy tower and once the kitchen. Every single time, she had replicated Tenten's exact hairstyle, makeup and clothing. Updos, highlights, lowlights, curls, waves, sleek pulls, twists, flowers, ribbons, pins, pearls. Blue cotton, pink satin, red silk, white eyelet lace, lavender gowns, yellow tunics, lilac dresses, midnight frocks and emerald shifts. Every shoe Tenten owned she had…heck, every shoe Tenten borrowed to test her she had, too. But while at every meeting Sakura and Ino experienced the queer tingling sensation of Kiama unnatural clone-like appearance, Tenten's smile just grew wider and wider, the one thing Kiama could not replicate, lacking the bubbling smugness behind it.
"I'm extremely safe," she smirked to Ino and Sakura everytime they returned to their quarters, "Now I know, anything I wear that day, she'll be wearing the exact same thing. God knows how, though."
"This is impossible," Ino huffed the last day, "Is there nothing different about her attitude, at all?"
"Yes," Tenten replied, to their surprise. "Her voice is the slightest bit higher, but the difference is detectable in consistent conversation. When she smiles, she has a dimple on her chin. And she giggleds."
She strode in her bottle green chiffon dress right to the door on the side of her receiving room wall. Sakura suddenly flushed a deep red, realizing the strangeness of the placement of the room. "Kiba," Tenten knocked twice, and without waiting for an answer abruptly opened the door.
Kiba sat on a window seat on the far side of the room. It was large and airy, Sakura observed, much more high class for any servant she ever had. There was a large, slightly mussed bed against one wall, and after several feet of carpet, a small marble-tiled area holding two chintz chairs and a wood table, facing a fireplace. Several pictures of Tenten were on the mantle, along with a smaller number of his dog, his mother and his sister. Tenten did not seem at all flustered or embarrassed by the army of her face on his wall at all.
Kiba had jumped a little when they entered. "Hey," he grinned, a little rumpled. "Haven't seen you in a while, princess. Sorry, I didn't hear you knock." Tenten smiled back and gave him a hug. "And Ino-chan," he turned to her. "Hey." Ino grinned and gave a little wave, before seating herself comfortably on the edge of his bed. Tenten paused a little before taking one of the chintz chairs.
Sakura stood by the door, staring at a picture of Tenten on Kiba's mantle. In it, she wore a dress of white lace and beading, her face frozen in a pretty smile, her hair loose and wavy and strung with peals, flying free behind her. She was barefooted, running, her face angled slightly to the side, and Kiba was a few feet behind her, chasing the escaped princess with a frantic expression on his face.
He isn't just sleeping with her, Sakura thought; I think he really loves her…
"Sakura?"
She looked up into Kiba's eyes. "Are you just gonna stand there or what?" he grinned at her.
She paused. "Wait," she said, remembering something. "Wait, I have something of yours."
Sakura rushed back to her room, making a beeline for her closet. Where it is…where is it…
She finally dug out the folded red gown she had worn on her first day in Honoo. Feeling the folds of clothing under it, her fingers brushed something glossy and stiff, and, with a triumphant "Ha!", she pulled it out.
With a smile, she rushed back to Kiba's room.
.-.-.-.-.
"Here," Sakura announced smugly, offering Kiba the photo.
He took it with wide eyes, staring at the smiling girl in the picture. Tenten and Ino leaned over to see, but this one photo he angled away from their prying eyes. Tenten pouted cutely, and Ino rolled her eyes. But Kiba was still staring at the photo.
"Where did you--?"
Sakura shrugged, and smiled.
Kiba coughed. "Thanks," he muttered, and tucked it into a pocket of his white button-up shirt. Sakura grinned. "No problem," she offered, and plopped down next to Ino.
"So," Kiba cleared his throat and leaned forward, his arms propped on his legs. "What's this about?"
Tenten blushed a little. "Well, um…you know how Sasuke…knows…?"
Kiba shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah?"
"Well, you know how he wants the thing from Itachi?"
"Yeah."
"Hold on," Ino snapped, "You told him before you told me? I'm your sister!"
Tenten ignored her.
"Were you down there, when that girl came in?" she asked him.
Kiba shrugged again. "Yeah. I didn't really see her face, though."
Tenten grinned mischievously. "I need you to distract her for me, for a few hours, tomorrow night. Can you do it?"
"Sure," he replied. "No problem."
"Thanks," she smiled at him, standing up, "I owe you one."
Kiba just grinned. "I know."
"Hold up," Sakura jumped to a standing position. "That's it? No questions asked? Nothing?"
"You obviously don't know how it works with these two," Ino patronized, pulling Sakura to the door. "There's never any questions asked. He just does it. Like a puppy."
Kiba threw a pillow at her head. She yelped, turned, and stuck out her tongue.
"Coming, Tenten?" Sakura glanced at the brunette, still stationary by Kiba.
"You guys go ahead, wait in my room," she said imperatively. "I want to talk to Kiba for just a sec."
"Okay," Ino dragged Sakura out yelping. "See you in a sec, sis."
The door clicked behind the two, and they were alone.
Kiba stood, tucking his hands in his pockets. Tenten was silent.
"So," he nudged her, "Something you wanted to say?"
She shifted uncomfortably, then looked up into his eyes.
"Kiba," she said softly, "You know…you know about Neji, right? That…we're engaged."
Kiba sighed, and turned around, walking to the window.
"Yeah, I heard. Congrats, by the way."
"Kiba…"
She had followed him to the window.
"I'm sorry."
He took a deep breath, and sighed heavily, closing his eyes. A few moments later, he turned, and looked down at her with a smile.
"It's okay, Ten. I'm happy for you."
She didn't look convinced.
"Really," he insisted. He grinned, and put a hand on her head. "Come on, they're waiting for you."
He took her hand, and pulled her to the door, opening it. Tenten paused, looking up at him. "You're sure you're okay?"
Kiba grinned, bent, and pressed his forehead against hers.
"Yeah, I'm sure."
He leant to the left and kissed her cheek. She sighed, and looked up at him.
"Okay, then," Tenten smiled. He patted her on the head, and she, smiling, backed to her room, and he closed the door behind her.
He inhaled deeply, before turning and taking her pictures down.
.-.-.-.-.
Kiba left at five, in a Tenten-approved blue shirt and black slacks, his hair combed back. "How long do you want her gone?" he asked as she knotted a Winchester on his black tie.
"Give me an hour," Tenten replied, "I think that should be okay. Okay, I'm done."
He straightened, and looked her up and down.
"Damn, you look nice."
Tenten grinned. She had pulled her hair up into a fancy knot on the back of her head. Her gown was shimmering midnight velvet, specked with silver glitter, strapless and tight to the knees before flowing out in comfortable flounces. She had silver shirred earrings on, matching the silver necklace around her neck, and the bracelet on her left wrist.
"You think so?" the brunette smiled, batting her eyelashes. Kiba grinned, slinging an arm over her shoulders. "Yeah."
"Well, then she will too."
"What?"
"Don't ask, you'll get a headache. Let's just say, you'll see when you get there. She's more like me than you think."
"I'll take your word for it, then, love."
Kiba tweaked her nose affectionately, and Tenten retaliated by swatting him playfully. "Kiba, stop it."
"Okay, okay, you two, break it up," Ino teased, popping another grape into her mouth. "Tenten, you are getting way too mushy with your ex-lover for someone engaged to Hyuuga Neji. You better hope word doesn't get out of this."
Kiba smirked, and grabbed Tenten around the waist, pulling her smack-dab against him. "Who said ex-lover?" he purred as Tenten laughed.
"Okay, I get it," Ino snorted, flicking another grape at Kiba. He caught it in his mouth, releasing Tenten.
"Where's Sakura?" the brunette questioned, unfazed.
"Sasuke-hunting, he's exceptionally good at disappearing," her sister replied, to which the former giggled, "Oh."
"Ew," said Kiba. "You're giggling."
"I'm practicing," she grinned. "Oh yeah," Tenten poked Kiba on the nose. "She giggles."
He looked horrified.
"Have fun!" Tenten chirped, before pushing him out the door, silencing his "But-but-but-but-but--"
"Count to ten, Ino," the brunette commanded, smoothing down the back of her hair. The blonde obeyed.
"Ten," she announced.
"Bye," Tenten dashed out the door, leaving Ino lounging on the balcony, alone.
"Che," she rolled her eyes. "This sucks."
She threw a grape over the railing.
"Ow."
Ino blinked. Was that--? She rushed to the rail, bending over, eyes searching for a shock of color in the stewing darkness of evening.
"Hey," he said.
She suddenly beamed the sun.
"Gaara!"
.-.-.-.-.
Tenten stood in front of Itachi's imposing black oak doors, practicing the art of breathing. She was so nervous, she had forgotten.
At least nobody's looking at me weird anymore, she thought, I guess this means Kiama wore the same thing tonight.
Deciding she couldn't put it off any longer, she knocked.
"Come in," the voice of Itachi commanded, without any real enthusiasm.
Well, she thought, here goes nothing.
"Itachi-san!" Tenten bounced in, taking her voice up a few notches. Insert giggle. Giggle. "How is Itachi-san tonight?"
The dark-haired Uchiha turned from the window and smiled at her lightly.
"Good evening, Tenten-san. Long time no see."
Tenten's breath caught in her throat.
Well, she thought dryly, it was a good shot.
"Come in," Itachi offered, sitting down on one of the dark cushions placed by his tea table, "Sit down."
"You're not mad?" Tenten questioned tentatively.
"I knew you were going to come," he told her simply, "It was a good effort on my cute little brother's part."
Tenten shrugged. "It didn't word." She sat down across from the older man. "How are you, Uchiha-san?"
"No need for pleasantries," he waved her off, setting his chin on a knuckle as he flipped a chess piece between the fingers of his other hand. It was a pawn. "I know what you are here for, and I admit I am not the most entertaining host, so shall we cut to the chase, Tenten-san, or sit it awkward silence?"
"Mangekyou Sharingan," she replied. "Right."
"The secret," Itachi looked into her eyes, setting the pawn down, "is to kill a person close to you."
Tenten blinked.
"What?"
Itachi did not say anything.
"So…the King? The Queen? You?"
Itachi smiled sadly. "Family has ceased to matter to Sasuke, ever since the death of my sister years ago."
"I remember that," Tenten heard herself saying. "The funeral."
Itachi nodded.
"I would say, the person most at risk is likely your…sister."
The pause did not even register in Tenten's mind. Her mouth was suddenly dry, her mind, blank.
"Sa-Sakura…?"
Again, Itachi was silent. Tenten closed her eyes, and breathed.
Finally, she opened them.
"And you, Itachi-san?" the princess demanded stubbornly. "Who did Itachi-san kill?"
"Myself," was all he said, and before she knew it, she was back in her room, without any memory of how she got there.
With a sigh, Tenten readied herself for bed, taking a cold bath and a sleeping pill before settling down into her down pillows. But his words echoed in her head, long after she was asleep.
Sakura…
Hey, it's me again. Yeah, I know, top AND bottom?! Are you kidding me? But this is important for all of your future reading experience with Faute de Mieux. At the moment, I have a bit of a dilemna with the Ino pairing. Some people are liking the Gaara thing, because it works in this story. Some are freaking HARDCORE ShikaIno fans (I totally get that, I mean, what is UP with Temari's hair?!). So even if you don't regularly express an opinion on this story, if you have a preference, please tell me so I can see which option is the favorite of the majority.
Please type A. for ShikaIno
Please type B. for GaaIno
Or just type the pairing you want. Whatever. But I like the code thing.
Thanks!