Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Tenten's past is based on a good friend's of mine idea.
A/N: An update not at least a month apart! Has to be a record for sure. Anyways I just want to once again thank you guys so much for all your kind words and reviews. Every single one means a lot to me and keeps me encouraged and excited for this story. You guys are awesome. So here's the next chapter. Let me know what you think, but most of all I hope you enjoy the story. For that is why writer's write.
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Tenten couldn't remember a time her eyes had been wider. How had all of this happened so fast? It was just rice. Just little grains of things that didn't break teeth if they were put in water first. She didn't think they could cause a fire.
But they had, and the longer they waited to do something the worse it would get. Glass was still coming down like snow overhead. The pot lid had long since hit the ground but its affect carried on as lights popped and stray wires from deep inside sparked. If they didn't do something soon they could blow the kitchen up. And with what happened in chemistry earlier, along with whatever was disconnecting the phones, she doubted the fire department would even know about this till a wall blew out.
"I'm going in." she said, yanking open a low cupboard door and pulling out two metal baking trays.
"You're not going into that!" Shino grabbed her arm with one hand while he pulled out another tray with his free one.
"Yes I am. This is my fault, and I'm going to fix it. Now let go, or you'll find yourself being hit in a place with these that no boy wants." she glared, and watched as Shino raised an eyebrow.
He made no move to let her go though.
"Just wait a second. If you rush into things, you're only going to get hurt. The lights need dealing with as well, and as such you'll have to use the fire extinguisher."
"But the sinks closer…"
"I know, but I'm going to see if I can disconnect the power somehow and while I'm doing that any contact with water wouldn't be good." his tone was serious, and despite the arguments building, Tenten nodded. Almost every room in the school had an independent power box that controlled both electricity and the water. She wasn't sure why that was, but someone said it was a security precaution.
"Fine. So what do you suggest to get the fire extinguisher?"
Shino was silent for a moment then lifted his eyes.
"Let me go first. I'll head over towards the power box and kick it over, then you go…"
"Forget it! I don't need you to act like some hero. I can do just fine on my own, besides…"
The smell of burning rice and metal grew stronger and the flames taller. They looked like they could spread at any second, and Tenten felt her gut twist as she nodded. Much as she hated relying on anyone else, she knew Shino had a point in this. They'd moved the fire extinguisher closer to the kitchens power box because there had been several electrical problems lately and they wanted to be careful. Now they needed it and it would make more sense for Shino to kick it over, then for her to run to where he'd already be and then back to the stove.
"On my mark." Shino held up two fingers tightly pressed together as he got up into a crouch and then sprinted towards the power box, the tray clinking as glass fell down. Tenten watched for the signal, her knee bleeding from a bit of glass she'd scraped it against while getting up and seconds later, Shino dropped the extinguisher to it's side and then with a powerful kick, sent it rolling full force towards the stove.
His hand outstretched and Tenten shot up like a cork, using one tray to protect her head and the other she hurled at the pot, knocking it off the stove so more rice couldn't fuel the fire. It hit the ground with a loud clang and two of her fingers were burned as they brushed over some of the contents as she scooped up the red canister. The pain didn't register though. All she could think of was putting out the fire…and realizing she needed two hands to work the thing.
With a curse her dad would have washed her mouth out with soap for, she dropped the tray, pulled the pin from the neck, held down the black handle and began spraying wildly at the stove; Covering every inch of not just the fiery burner, but the other three as well in case an ember had leaped over and even turning her attention to the counter and stove next to it. She wasn't about to let any flame leap up and surprise her.
Unfortunately the glass didn't stop coming down as more lights popped, and several long gashes ran down her arms, cutting into her rumpled uniform and sticking in her hair. One long painful minute later, she was satisfied with the fire control, dropped the cylinder, grabbed the two trays and whipped around to see why Shino hadn't stopped the power yet.
Her mouth fell open in horror at the answer as Shino reached for a final wire with burning hands and jerked it out. There was one loud final pop overhead before all the lights went out, but it was nothing compared to the mini explosion that sent Shino backwards several feet towards rather large pieces of glass. Tenten shot forward again, but this time she threw both trays forward to knock the larger pieces away, and nearly ran face first into Shino's back as she skidded up behind, caught him under the arms and dragged him back to the counter.
The smell of blood and burned flesh was in her nostrils.
She eased Shino up against the counter wall and instantly began feeling his pulse. His head was slumped down, his chin resting on his shoulder as she moved it gently, and his glasses were held up by one ear before falling off.
"Shino? Shino?" Tenten lightly patted his face and wished she had one of Lee's gym socks with her. They'd had to use that once to revive someone after he'd knocked them out cold in a Judo match. Worked better than any smelling salt that was for sure. But she also didn't want to put Shino through that. "Hey, wake up. You did it. The powers out! Things are safe now! Shino!"
Half a minute later the teenager groaned softly as he managed to open his eyes a crack and Tenten cupped his face to keep him from looking away and blacking out again.
He muttered something unintelligible as he blinked, but he didn't seem to be showing any signs of slipping back.
"You know you really shouldn't rush into things. You could get hurt." Tenten tried to smirk, and a soft one played on Shino's face.
"Good advice. Must have been a very wise man who gave it."
"Or a very foolish one." Tenten said as the last bits of glass fell and she carefully slung Shino's arm over her shoulder.
He hissed in pain and nearly brought them both down after they'd moved into the open and Tenten tried to help him up.
"Steady. Just lean on me for now. We're not that far from the nurse's station."
Shino opened his mouth and tried to lean away, but Tenten's grip tightened and he winced before nodding.
"I didn't think…that was going to happen." Shino muttered as they made their way out the door and Tenten tightened her grip on his waist to keep him from slipping. "I thought it was risky to grab the wires…but there was nothing else that would work."
"You could have asked for me to throw you the tongs." Tenten rolled her eyes, trying to hide the concern she felt with harsh words and glares.
"Aren't they metal though?" Shino asked.
Tenten sighed as if the answer was obvious, but he still should have asked.
"You're just lucky you weren't completely electrocuted. I can treat burns, but I don't know how to treat burns inside." she growled then thought. "No wait, I take that back. You make them swallow the cream and then shake them until it's all mixed and evenly coated."
It was Shino's turn to roll his eyes, but there was a smile as well and without his glasses Tenten could see he had rather nice eyes. They were almond shaped and while she wasn't sure of the exact color because of the light, they looked somewhere between brown, or a strong gray. Maybe a mix? She couldn't tell. They could even be dark blue for all she knew. But it was nice to see what was beyond the dark plastic, and in a way they had an almost comforting affect.
"Just…remind me to never allow you anywhere near a stove again…" Shino hissed as more pain built up and Tenten was nearly dragging him through the last stretch of hallway towards the infirmary.
"Our home ect teacher said the same thing. But despite this little incident, I can still make a mean bowl of soup." alright so it was from a can and she used the microwave, but at least she tried. From the time she was little she had always enjoyed mixing things together, but never really cared for reading instructions and once when she'd made an apology cake for Kakashi when she was five…he'd had to have his stomach pumped. This had all led to her enjoy the idea of cooking without the patience or ability to actually do it.
"I believe it would be very mean. Possibly lethal and out for world conquest." Shino muttered, but there was a playful quality to his tone and Tenten managed to lightly flick his side making him wince.
"Shut up." she sulked as she leaned back and began kicking at the nurses door. Ten minutes later, it finally broke open and she nudged it wider as she eased Shino inside towards the cots and helped him onto one.
"This isn't necessary you know." he said as Tenten began pulling out medical supplies and looking through cabinets and using odds and ends to break open drawers. "It's only a few burns. Ice water would be fine."
"Didn't you pay attention in first aid? Never directly submerge burned skin into cold water." she repeated.
"That's only for second and third degree burns. Not these…"
"Your hands beg to differ."
Despite what she was saying though, Tenten wished it was that simple and that she had paid more attention in class. She remembered bits and pieces, such as how to do CPR, some techniques had had name changes, and if someone was having a seizure it was dangerous to hold them down or press their tongue with a spoon. Other parts though she only had a vague recollection of. Treating burns was one of them.
"Wrap the burned area loosely, do not apply antiseptic at first…" she muttered what she remembered as she gathered supplies and despite Shino's protest and even attempt to brush her away, she still grabbed hold of his arm.
He winced and tried to pull back.
"I'll only hold tighter if you struggle." she warned.
Shino narrowed his eyes at her, but she didn't give him the chance to protest before she began wrapping around an area that wasn't burned first, then loosened the pressure when she came to a place where it was. Even if Shino said they weren't second degree, they sure looked like it. Ugly, black and charred, they looked like a dragon had used his wrists and hands for a chew toy.
"To tight?" she asked as she tied off the first one.
He shook his head, still wincing and Tenten wondered if maybe some water wouldn't help take out the sting. She pulled out a small rag from one of the drawers, turned on the facet and soaked it under cool water for a minute, then dabbed at the burn before wrapping it. Shino tried to pull away the most on that one, but once it was dry and wrapped, he nodded almost to himself.
"Thank you."
"I can redo the other one…I never remember if we're supposed to put water on it or not."
"I think its ice." Shino said, catching her off guard "You're not supposed to put ice directly on it. Or so I've heard."
"Just heard? Guess we know the class you've been sleeping in." she laughed and from the look on Shino's face if she hadn't been rebandaging his hand, Tenten had a feeling he'd have said something.
Instead he shook his head.
"I haven't had that class yet. I was supposed to take it this year, but it was pushed back."
"Why? Didn't you want to take it?" sure it wasn't the most interesting class all the time, there were plenty of tests, boring repeats, and the constant pressure of knowing that if something didn't work in a real life situation, the person was dead. But it was still something that made her less dependent on others to save her, and even if she'd never admit to it, she enjoyed learning about the different poisons. What they caused, where they were found, and what if any, good purposes they had. Besides a few plants though, she hadn't come across any.
"Yes, but I've taken enough science classes that I didn't need it to pass this year."
Almost anyone else and Tenten would have assumed they'd cheated or paid off a school official to get that far ahead. Considering he was actually in her science class and working on what would be his junior year though, she knew that wasn't the case, and his marks were usually the ones that set the curve. While breaking the rest of the class's spirit.
"You know if you ever get tired of that brain, I'd be more than happy to take some." she half joked, half growled as memories of her last grade surfaced.
"You are more intelligent than you give yourself credit for. I've seen what you can do when you apply yourself."
Any irritation Tenten felt dissolved at his words, and she felt a grin settle over her face. Then it fell when he continued.
"You just don't seem to do it much when it comes to science. You could be very good, but you don't seem that focused."
Her right eye twitched and she held his wrist a little tighter than she needed to. Stupid smart jerk. It wasn't her fault that science wasn't her strong suite. Or maybe it was. After all, no one was forcing her not to study, or holding a knife to her neck so she'd forget to do her homework, but she didn't need constant reminding either.
"Well Mr. Focused, what do you do with all that free time you must have without classes?"
"Different classes." he said managing a slight shrug. "Not all of them are academic mind you, but I still have several things to attend to."
The list he gave after that was something that left Tenten wondering if he'd edited it down to make it seem like less, and when he actually found time for sleep. She liked being active and preferred filling time rather than just sitting around, but she wasn't sure how he kept going. Science club, math club, debate team, independent study with experiments that sounded like they took a week each, world politics, astronomy club, judo…
"How come I haven't seen you in Judo then?" she cut him off.
"That's not something I'm actually in a 'group' for. My father is teaching me."
"Cool. Maybe your dad could come give a lesson sometime. You should come to, and even if he doesn't maybe you could start dropping by. It'd be fun to have you there."
Shino's eyes widened slightly before he looked away with another wince.
"You would…want me to come?"
"No. I just told you, so you'd feel bad." she rolled her eyes. "Of course I want you to come. We're always looking for new members, and I think you'd have a lot of fun. Besides don't tell me you don't want to see the look on people's faces when you show 'em what you can do." considering Shino's slight build, his quiet nature, science fascination and grades, most people didn't consider him a threat. Though there was a menacing air about him at times, and more than once she had seen one of the schools wannabe thugs start a confrontation with him then back off. But it'd still be interesting to see what he could actually do. She just hoped Lee didn't try to find him a 'rival' or squeeze him to death in a hug because he was so happy that Shino had joined them and go on about how they would become great friends.
"That could be interesting…and of course…you would be there."
"Everyday. It's not like it's a date though." she laughed. "There are other girls there you could talk to. Some even from your class, though I think most of them show up just to see the boys." she gave an exasperated grin, but when she looked back at Shino she saw a slight change. His shoulders were more slumped than they had been a moment ago, he was looking away and something like self-anger and regret settled in his eyes.
What was wrong? Was it something she said? Maybe there was bad blood between him and someone in the club and he wasn't planning on coming now…maybe he'd wanted to…
"Shino?" she finished bandaging his hand and set it down before taking a seat next to him. He looked over with a start as if lost in a dream, the emotion in his eyes gone now in exchanged for a wall. "You okay? You know you don't have to come if you don't want to. I was just letting you know we'd like to have you."
He nodded.
"And I appreciate the invitation. I was simply trying to discern if I'd have time. I would enjoy coming, but I might not be able to…"
"What if you dropped another activity? Just for a day?"
"I don't think that'd be appropriate. I've made commitments to each, I don't think it would be a very good show of character to simply back out." he said, making a move to push his glasses up then stopped and sighed. "They're still in the kitchen."
"Well considering you were almost charred to death, I can get them." Tenten started to get up, but he put a bandaged hand lightly on her arm.
"That's alright. I can walk now and you might want to clean your own wounds before they become infected." his words directed Tenten's gaze to her knees and arms, and suddenly the stinging became very real.
It wasn't just about that though. Something in his mood had changed, and she had a feeling that he wanted to go on the walk back because wanted to be alone. So she nodded and let him go. Watching for any sign he was still hurt as he headed out the door and it shut behind him with a soft click.
To Be Continued…
A/N: Poor Shino. I don't think Tenten quite realizes what he's subtly trying to say or imply. Anyways I hope you guys liked this chapter, and please let me know what you think. Next chapter is coming up very soon, and I think you'll like what's in it.
Hope you all have a great day!
Be blessed
your friend
innocent-rebel