A/N: So thank you soo much for the faves and reviews! Particularly to SixPerfections. Feedback means so much to me. So far the average has been about three reviews per chapter and that's great :)
The direction this story is headed in may be kind of controversial and so I love hearing people's criticisms, questions, and thoughts. Tenten's development as a kunoichi probably be kind of slow, and I may take liberties with the Narutoverse that aren't popular. I take what you guys say into account when editing chapters, so don't be afraid! Thanks!
The trip itself was uneventful, except for Kakashi's morbid joke. The B rank came from the need for a speedy as well as safe delivery to a neighboring town, only three hours away. It was the son of a rich merchant, a boy who'd gotten killed in a bar fight - never a good idea in a ninja village. Tenten offered to seal the body for easier transportation, but Neji and Sakura had been scandalized.
"Tenten!" Neji had hissed incredulously. "That is not treating the body with proper respect!"
Sakura had been just as horrified. "Tenten… that's a person!"
Only Kakashi had appreciated her idea. Even the quickest squad was weighed down by the boy, who'd been twenty years old and weighed nearly as much as Kakashi. They each took turns carrying the casket, first Kakashi and Sakura, then Neji and Tenten. Their pace was slow and steady, careful. Even so, Sakura had more difficulty keeping up.
"I am impressed, Sakura," Kakashi noted, walking and reading. "Before, we would've been going twice as slow."
"No thanks to you," she stuck her tongue out at him. He ignored her and turned another page with forced idleness. They journeyed on quietly.
When they finally reached the village, the merchant whose son had died looked broken beyond measure, staggering out to meet them, seeing the case and knowing immediately what it was.
News of his son's death came with the casket, and Tenten murmured inane, soothing words to his wife, who stepped forward to see the cause of the commotion, only to faint.
Before she fell, Tenten caught her and held her closely, like she would if the woman were her mother, and spoke kindly of the foolish boy who'd gotten himself killed. Her sweet words brought more tears and the merchant, a kindly, portly man in his fifties bowed to them, face deeply lined. It was as if the folds of his skin were where he cracked – mouth and chin, broken away like an old marble statue – each individual cheek, round and soft— two eyes, deep set with age and luxury and sorrow – his round forehead, shaped like a puzzle piece, deep indentations from stress and life and laughter. His son would not see those marks on his own face, and suddenly, she was angry at Kakashi's joke, despite knowing how much death had taken from him. He wasn't desensitized, she knew, but she only wanted this boy's parents to know that love wasn't erased, and that it was still there, always.
The mother thanked her, still crying, and after they left, all was silent.
It was Sakura who spoke first, green eyes catlike and hooded. "For someone who offered to seal the body, you sure were kind back there."
Tenten shrugged. What good would it do to tell her that that boy could be Naruto or Lee? Sealing wasn't disrespectful, it was convenient, anyhow. But seeing the woman's face drain was all too familiar. Crossing her arms, she stepped ahead, keeping time with Neji.
Oval eyes met hers, and Neji's gray orbs, so tinted with pale violet, shining and reflective, told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.
She had wanted to be a legendary ninja to protect Naruto, and later, the friends she was making.
Instead her friends dropped like flies.
She thought of Kakashi, how he must feel the same, and whirled around, and thought: Rin.
His dark eye met hers, and he knew what she was thinking, and he did not like it. "So, kids. B ranked mission. Meet your expectation? We'll probably get daily ones from now on until the exam."
His tone was light, and only she knew the effort it took him. He probably wanted to throttle her. She didn't care.
Losing Lee was something to be fought for. She'd carry a grudge against Gaara of the Sand until she died. It did not matter to her if he'd left her to die, if he'd let his sand suffocate her instead of save her or even let her die at the hands of Kimmimaro. After what he had done, he did not deserve forgiveness.
Losing a child was different. A foolish civilian, who probably hadn't seen the hitai-ate and assumed he was on the same level as a man in a shinobi village. This was a privileged man, part of the slow-aging species of civilian, a boy younger than Naruto at heart. A boy who had never seen death and whose naïve innocence and arrogance cost him his life.
She was silent until she reached home, sprinting to Naruto's room and slamming the door open. She had never bothered, and now, she needed it. Her footsteps pounded until she halted, suddenly, and surveyed the room, which he had cleaned – for her.
There were messy mementos of course, the odd ramen cup he'd cleaned out, a pair of chopsticks on the wall, a drink can that Iruka-sensei had bought him. But the bed was made, albeit messily, and the floor was swept, the curtains drawn to keep the colors from fading like she'd always lectured him. A long time ago, he'd decided to paint the walls with whatever color they could find, and it ended up being orange. When she'd bought him his favorite jumpsuit - he'd requested one incessantly, begging for it as a birthday gift, she'd only been able to find one that would fit him. But Naruto had loved the color, and insisted on only wearing the damn obnoxious outfit. She stared. The important things, the truly important things, disappeared. He'd taken them with him.
Joy filled her when she did not see the kunai she'd given him to celebrate becoming a genin. She was elated to see he'd taken the Team Seven picture from its frame. And she began to cry when she saw that her favorite picture, the one he'd demanded to have and she thought he never paid attention to, was also gone.
She was still in the Academy, and one day he'd begged her to take a sick day with him, skipping school and exploring the town. There was no particular reason – they both knew Konohagakure like the back of their hand. Iruka of all people had appeared at Ichiraku's for his lunch, and snapped a picture to make sure he had proof that they were skipping – all the more to punish them with.
The picture was Tenten wailing, eyes wide open, one hand flopping in the air, the other, throwing a chopstick at the camera, more from surprise than any discovery of accuracy. Naruto's face was red and he was holding several bowls of ramen, staring in shock at the appearance of their sensei. Teuchi-san himself was in the picture, laughing at his favorite customer, apron lopsided, mouth hanging and hands on his stomach. Iruka himself had given it to her when she graduated the Academy, giving her a laugh and a stern warning. After realizing Naruto was the real instigator of most of Tenten's 'incidents', he'd turned his unwavering attention on the younger boy, and they'd developed a close bond.
There were pieces missing, and yet the room still had the indescribable Naruto she needed. Sitting down on the bed, she didn't cry. She laughed, and laughed, and opened the curtains and laughed more when she realized he'd left half of his supply bag on the window sill. Typical of him.
"You know, just because you're quick, doesn't mean you can get out of giving the Hokage a report."
Neji leaned against the door frame casually, but did not step in, as if he were waiting for permission. She laughed more.
"I'm sorry, I'll come!"
He raised a brow at her sudden excitement. It was question enough, so she answered.
"The mission made me miss him."
Her calm, rational explanation brought a slight twitch to his mouth, pulling in a small smile.
"You know, wherever he is, he's fine, right? Have confidence in him. He's not… well, I suppose he is an idiot, but he always makes it through whatever he sets his mind on."
Neji's support brought out a giggle. "I'm not worried about him. I just miss him. I want him here. I... I miss being nee-chan."
For a long time, that had been her only important title. Naruto was isolated except for her - lonely like the moon. So she made him her sunshine.
Blankly staring at her, as if the emotion was lost on him, she closed the curtains and the door, stepping out into the hall with him. "You know, like how you missed me when I had to waste away in the hospital," she winked.
He looked as if he were considering being amused, trapped between wondering if she was being serious and sensitive, or teasing and lighthearted. So he used his own sarcasm. "Not sure I'm familiar with the feeling."
She mock-scowled, a near perfect imitation of him. Leading him out the door, they jumped on the rooftops, swiftly making it to the Godaime's office.
"You know, she probably has news on Naruto if anyone does."
Nodding, Tenten slipped in through the window, thinking of Jiraiya's novels with a scowl and a good deal of curiosity. Kotetsu and Izuma were there, looking sheepish as Tsunade threw a box at them, a few papers slipping out.
"Go now, idiots!" she ordered, and they hurried out, rushing out a quick "Hai!".
Slipping in as Kakashi and Sakura walked in after the chuunin had left, Kakashi and Neji exchanged a look.
"How'd it go?" Tsunade asked, looking down at her paperwork and sighing.
"Perfectly." Kakashi's smooth voice replied. "Sakura will have the report in tomorrow. Anything else?"
"Yes," she pulled out a file. "But I want to talk to Tenten specifically on this one. Kakashi, I have another mission for you too, so hold on a moment."
She folded her hands and stared intensely at Tenten, her honey eyes revealing her age. "Tenten, your abilities have improved drastically. I'd say you're at chuunin level by now. If the exams were being held in Konoha, I'd promote you right now without a thought. Kakashi already decided you'll be taking the exam in Suna next month, but if you accept this mission, you'll be gone for the next three weeks."
Fazed slightly by the seriousness of the Godaime's tone, Tenten nodded. "I'll accept any mission you throw at me."
"This is an A rank spying mission. It took me a while to come to you. Team Kurenai is tracking, and anyway neither Hyuuga Hinata, Kiba, or Shino had the constitution for the job, and Asuma's team functions best as a team. You can bring the Hyuuga – his Byakugan will be of use. A full squad however, is suspicious."
Tenten swallowed, her mouth dry. "Certainly. Neji?"
"Of course."
She shooed Sakura and Kakashi away, the former looking surprised and the latter ambling off. Shizune was filing in the corner, not even bothering to look at them.
"There is a chuunin-level missing Kumo-nin terrorizing one of the smaller villages under our protection. Tenten, it's quite close to the village I had that… delivery from. The location is marked on the map and his profile is included in the scroll."
Tenten stifled her amusement at the memory, and nodded professionally, imitating Neji.
"You need to take him out. This will be simpler than capture – you have to kill him. Are you prepared for this? We'll require his body as evidence of mission completion."
Both nodded, though Tenten's heart sank. This was not truly spying. This was going to be an assassination.
Opening the scroll, Tsunade showed them the location he was last spied at, as well as his description. He was a thin man, tall, with a ruined Kumogakure forehead protector, the typical signal for a prideful missing-nin. His clothes were all black, and his hair was blonde. It was a simple enough physical description, with his headband being the major giveaway.
"You leave tonight at midnight. I've made arrangements with my contact. Get some sleep before you go. I'm leaving the rest up to you."
She wondered how Tsunade could speak of her alcohol supplier with such a serious face.
"One more thing?"
Tenten and Neji turned.
"Why not pay Io a visit before you leave?"
The smooth, unlined face of the Godaime was utterly serious, and Tenten put on a sober face, thinking excitedly of the Jidanda. "Hai."
All signs of Sakura and Kakashi were absent. She turned to him. "We can get your stuff and you can take a nap at my house."
He nodded. "I'll meet you at your apartment in half an hour? We can stop at Io's before we sleep."
Nodding, she turned away, feeling his chakra dissipate.
As his word, he was there in half an hour, silently appearing.
She'd changed into regular civilian clothing – a shirt and shorts, perfect for sleeping in. Slipping on her shoes, she smiled at his training attire.
"Do you want a shirt to sleep in?" she offered. As if the idea hadn't occurred to him, he blinked at her. "You know, we need to take a nap before we leave. It's a long trip. So you don't have to worry about your clothes getting covered in ink or ramen or whatever disgustingness that's been left in this place/"
He sighed, probably thinking of his pleasant Hyuuga abode. "I'd forgotten for a moment. I suppose I would be in your debt."
"Shut up," she answered, her voice muffling as she turned away to dig for a suitable outfit. Reappearing with two articles, she smiled at him. "We're friends, Neji. Anyway, let's hurry to Io's. Who knows what his sleep schedule is like?"
"I would assume he is nocturnal. He rather reminds me of an owl."
Tenten clapped a hand to her mouth, stifling her giggle as they walked out and she shut her door, quietly making their way to the outskirts of the village, keeping their footsteps silent on the rooftops as the sun set on the village. They made it to Io's quickly - it was hard to miss with constant explosions leading them to their destination. Apprehensively, Tenten knocked, wondering if he'd recognize her out of her shinobi clothing.
Neji waited patiently with her at the door to Io's small cottage. She danced on one foot, waiting for Shouseki to answer the door - which he did not do for seven minutes, at Neji's count. He looked harried, but did indeed recognize them.
"Hello! Sorry about that wait," he grumped. "Io-san was attempting to put some finishing touches on the Dako..."
Neji looked anxious at that. "Oh? The spear?"
He exchanged a glance with Tenten, who mirrored his concern, which Shouseki ignored, bustling the pair inside the dark house and into the cellar where Io conducted his experiments.
"Greetings!" the little man popped out, even more disheveled than his assistant. He grinned at them eagerly. "So! You remember the Jidanda, correct? Well I couldn't allow you to have it because it was still a work in progress, but the Hokage informed me that as soon as I finished it, I was to give it to you!"
Tenten stared at him.
"Well? Would you like it?"
"You..." she was at an utter loss for words. "Are you... I can really have this?" He'd been so adamantly against letting her use it - even on lend.
The bug-eyed man eyed her. "Only at order of the Hokage! And only if you promise to treat her well and bring her back for regular overseeing! I want to make sure you're trustworthy before I allow you to take out any more of my experiments on a spin! Here, I just finished this before you arrived." He bustled to the corner where his table sat, and showed her the new and improved Dako.
She refused to acknowledge the burning in her throat. She bowed low, taking the moment to collect herself. "Thank you so much!" she felt a smile cross her cheeks so far it ached.
"Why don't thank me," he grumbled. "It wasn't my choice, and anyway, my creations are nothing like they could be. If I could manipulate chakra I could do so much more," he said wistfully, and Shouseki's eyes widened in terror at the thought.
"What kind of weapons would you like to build with chakra?" she asked curiously, while Neji shook his head, trying to hide his boredom.
"I would love to experiment if I could just get my hands on a weapon to base a prototype on," he admitted, looking thrilled to be discussing it with her. "What I'd kill to get my hands on would be something the Kirigakure Seven Swordsmen would wield... experimenting on how they were created would be a miracle," his voice took on a dreamy quality. "Figuring out how to combine the chakra into the weapon... science and life, the animate and inanimate! It's truly incredible!" he began squawking.
Tenten nodded, fascinated, but Neji's light cough distracted her.
"Oh!" she realized. "I'm sorry, but we have to go now! We have a mission soon - but would you mind if I came back?"
Her voice was laced with obvious longing, and Io looked thrilled, handing her the Dako and showing her where he kept her Jidanda. She sealed them quickly, listening to his babbling.
"Certainly! Any time! Now go off, Shouseki and I are working on something else that I'll show you another time!"
Shouseki shooed them out, looking less than thrilled at the prospect of her return and more interruptions to his already tedious work.
Neji led the way back, and the dark night was cool against her skin. It was nice being in regular clothing for once - Tenten loved lazing in her pajamas. Although she'd noticed that since Gai's defection, she and Neji weren't as in shape as they had been. Frowning, she felt the muscles of her stomach - where there had once been a definitive pack of muscle in neat rows, there were now only faint lines. Neji wasn't quite as quick as had been either. She promised herself that when they returned from the mission, she'd begin focusing on taijutsu again. Being in shape was something Gai had drilled into them as holding the utmost importance to a shinobi.
As she entered, she found the clothing she'd set out for Neji. He took the clothing wordlessly and slipped into her bathroom to change, stepping out after only a few seconds.
"I feel rather foolish." His oversized pink shirt and enormous orange shorts suited him rather well, in her opinion.
She giggled. "This is no time for games, Hyuuga. You can sleep in Naruto's room, on the 'lumpy' couch, or on my floor. Pick your poison."
He looked distastefully at Naruto's door. "If it's a choice between smelling so bad of ramen that the enemy can identify me from here, poisoning myself on your floor, or sleeping on the couch, I think you know what I choose."
She grinned. "The poisoned senbons it is then. Hey, I cleaned those up anyway. I swear on my pink shirt that you wouldn't die."
"Only mortally wounded, perhaps. And I have never called your couch lumpy. I said it was disproportionately built."
Rolling her eyes, she closed her door softly and easily fell asleep, listening to Neji shuffle around for a moment before getting comfortable. Her bedroom wall met the wall of the living room, and she listened as his soft, nearly silent breathing grew level, and fell asleep, listening to the soft pattern.
x
Tenten awoke and quickly packed, pulling on her shinobi clothing. Quietly stepping out into her room, she closed the door, trying to keep from waking Neji up. She turned, and nearly gasped as he stood before her, amused, in his normal clothing, hair mussed and protector off.
"It's nearly midnight. Of course I'm awake. However, it was nice to see that you're able to sleep."
He'd only seen her sleep a handful of times - during almost all of their overnight missions she'd been attempting the White Strength Seal. His concern was touching, and she smiled at him, gently. This was a dangerous mission, even if the sobriety hadn't set in yet. She touched his forehead, his hitai-ate not yet tied. The fact that he was even willing to see her without it on was nice, too. She felt a swelling of some unidentifiable feeling in her chest, and her throat constricted.
Her seal was there too, invisible, but still branding him.
"Neji?" she asked hesitantly, suddenly. Allowing her touch, he simply raised a brow. "Do you… do you mind that I put the seal on you? Really, I'm not joking. I want you safe… I told you that. But I don't think I'll even truly understand how you feel…"
Usually he'd grab her wrist and wrench her away. Normally, he'd scowl. On an average day, he'd ignore her. But now, gray-purple eyes met her own dark ones and he answered seriously. "Your mark is not a brand, Tenten. I feel honored that you care so much for me."
His serious tone comforted her. "If you ever…" she searched for the words. "I know I often seem to brush away your feelings, but I never…"
"I understand."
And he did. He truly did. Deciding to shut up while she was ahead, Tenten led the way, checking her seals on the door. One to keep it shut, and the other for her hiraishin. It might come in handy, she told herself.
They set off immediately, Tenten leading the familiar way, and traveled in silence.
They kept pace with one another until the sun rose, and, speeding up, Tenten checked the map.
"We're going to make it in eight hours. Since the sun is rising, I'd say we only have two hours, unless you want to speed it up. We should walk for the last few miles anyway."
"We can speed it up until then. I didn't manage to sleep particularly well on the couch, so the walk will be nice."
"What, did I snore through the walls?"
"Hn."
"I'm taking that as a yes, and I thoroughly apologize."
"To my knowledge you do not snore. I was simply preoccupied with the upcoming mission. Tsunade-sama gave us a limit of three weeks. Likely she knows we will have to strategize, watch our target, and wait for the proper time to strike. Within this time frame we will also have to lie low and protect the villagers until we annihilate our mark. Then we must be well-rested and prepared to travel to Sunagakure and compete in our second chuunin exams."
Tenten's humor faded. This was mission, and a dangerous one. She had to be serious now, for her sake, and for Neji's.
The building was old - it looked like one of the original buildings of Konoha, made with the mokuton wood release, tall and plain and old. That was where they'd be staying for a few weeks, as silly little children running away for some alone time - at least, to everyone except the owner.
They checked into the tackily decorated inn, with Tenten realizing what it was immediately. Sharing a womanly giggle of understanding at Neji's obliviousness, Tenten smiled openly at each of the women working there. The proprietress offered them the best room available, hidden away upstairs in the back, and they quickly found their room at the end of the indicated hallway.
Unlocking the door, they stepped in, and Neji's mouth hung open in shock as he surveyed their quarters. Pink abounded: pink sheets and curtains, light pink rug, dark pink decorations, and a burgundy paint covered the walls. She waited for his realization, but it did not come. "Hn. It seems to me that the proprietress could use the assistance of an interior decorator."
The one bed was large and satiny, worn with obvious use. Tenten's laughter threatened to break out of her calm facade as he continued: "It seems to me that the fashions in this town are quite risqué as well."
She peered out the window to where he was gesturing, in front of the building. Women milled about, faces heavily painted and cleavage prominent displayed, while the men puffed out skinny chests in low V necks.
Still, the truth remained undiscovered.
The proprietress had promised her the best of service, and Tenten had requested privacy. Her slow, painted wink had flown over the Hyuuga prodigy's head.
"Neji," she giggled as he eyed the room with mild disgust. "This isn't just any inn."
A slow, sinking suspicion meandered across his face, and his gaze became sharper, more pronounced. "This isn't…"
"A brothel?" she offered, grinning.
He was completely scandalized, an immediate, visceral reaction. "Hiashi-sama shall have my head! Imagine, a Hyuuga, in a house of ill-repute!" his shock had him near spitting. "If word of this…"
Her laughter stilled his rant, and she shook her head, shoulders shaking. "Nobody will know, it's a classified mission." She kept laughing. She laughed enough for three weeks. She laughed enough that if she should die tomorrow, she would die happy and content.
When she finished, his eyes were on hers, turbulent. "I'm glad you find this situation so amusing."
His eyes were hot and his tone was ice, but she clamped a hand on his shoulder, reaching higher than she'd had to before. "Don't be embarrassed, Neji. We need a cover, and Tsunade-shishou arranged it. If anybody does hear about us, we're not Konoha-nin, we're two teenagers from the Leaf who snuck away for alone time."
A flush crept its way across his cheeks. "I suppose this was the correct course of action. Still, it is galling…"
"Hey, they're making a living just like we are. And someday, I'm probably going to go on a distraction mission, or a solo seduction mission. Most kunoichi will. Even Hinata-chan, unless your uncle raises enough of a fuss. Even you might be called on to distract the wife of a boring politician, Neji. Don't judge them for doing what they can to keep from starving, especially in this town."
Staring out the window, Neji did conclude that considerable damage had been dealt to the town. Most of the buildings seemed haphazardly built to begin with, and more than just cosmetic damage had been dealt. Children shrieked playfully, their shouts muffled by the closed window, and they watched, together, as the townspeople chatted and yelled and laughed.
Their spirits weren't broken yet, and with Tenten's scarred, comforting hand gripping his shoulder, he allowed that these villagers were under his protection, not just Konohagakure's, and he would die for them.
x
Tenten slept like a log. It was unusual, seeing her sleep twice in one interval of their association after she'd been suffering for so long.
She slept sprawled on her stomach – bad for the spine, he noted. One leg hooked upwards, inching into his space on the large, western-style bed, and the other was stretched straight out, hanging off the bed. Her left arm was beneath the pillow, and she faced him, her breathing even, her free hand reaching towards him.
Sleep eluded him, and he sighed, drawing up a plan in his head, sitting comfortably beneath the smooth, silky colors. If they had to masquerade as silly infatuated children, the farce would have to be worth it. He activated his Byakugan, scanning the radius, and no developed chakra coils were within his range. Only Tenten's, smooth and easy, flowing restlessly beneath immobile skin, was there.
He watched the flow of her chakra for a bit longer, seeing the swirls and channels that were so active and vivid. He saw the density of her Yin seal, where chakra was so concentrated that it was another color, and the shallowness of her regular channels. Depending on the clan and the individual, tenketsu was shaped differently, giving a certain flow and depth. The chakra of Hinata was thick and almost sluggish, attesting to her clan's reserves and her own dislike of having to battle offense. Naruto's was quick - and he had dozens more than most people. Tenten's most unique characteristic was the darkness of her seal, almost comparable to a blood blister, but invisible to the naked eye. Her chakra flowed quickly, but inefficiently - whether it was because of his own attacks during their training together, or the battling of her differing ancestry, he did not know.
Each person's chakra signature was markedly different – a bit like a finger print. Neji swore, in his private world, that her life force brimmed yellow in a sea of gray.
Deactivating his kekkei genkai, he closed his eyes, letting the darkness behind his lids claim him, waiting for sleep to follow.
x
"Gai sensei," Tenten asked one day, lounging in a chair, eyeing Neji's half-eaten onigiri. "So you've been reading all these tomes... tell us a story!"
Neji barked a quick laugh at her childishness before reddening, handing her his unfinished dinner.
Gai watched them benignly, and rubbed his chin, wondering thoughtfully what he should tell them. "I know! The legend of how humans acquired chakra."
The photo of Lee, Gai, Neji and Tenten hung on the wall above Gai's head, and Tenten found her gaze wandering to it as Gai began, Ningame and Neji feigning disinterest.
Storytime was a favorite of Tenten's now that Gai's memory had suddenly become so photographic. It was a way to bond with him. They did not discuss Lee.
"Well..." he began, chest puffing out with importance as he began his tale: "Once, long ago, before we recorded our years and periods the way we do now, the world was in upheaval, fairly similar to how we behaved in the warring states period. But we did not have chakra. We warred with weapons only - not the way you battle, Tenten. It was not bukijutsu or even kenjutsu, but simple and barbaric attacks with weapons not nearly of the caliber we use now. Each land was in disarray - there was no organized government, no right, no wrong. It was anarchy, and the average lifespan for a human was approximately twenty years. Anything older than that was ancient."
Tenten's ears perked. She did not know this story - she'd always assumed chakra was just an intrinsic part of humanity, like the vascular system. Gai continued, practically bellowing at this point.
"However, in this war-ravaged land, there was hope! A princess, Otsutsuki Kaguya, discovered the Shinju!"
"What's that?" Ningame demanded.
Holding up a finger dramatically to silence him, Gai continued breathlessly: "My dear friend! The Shinju is the source of the world's chakra! When this princess ate the fruit of the tree, she consumed its power and used her newfound abilities to stop the wars of her land! She was a hero of amazing consequence, and passed this gift on to her two children: one of which whom she named Hagoromo!"
Neji even looked engrossed, despite Gai's less than desirable storytelling. "This princess saved the world. However, due to her rather... forceful... methods of creating this peace, and because of her dojutsu, she was regarded as a demon for many years."
"What was it?" Neji asked.
Gai actually looked momentarily distracted and smiled: "Neji! Kaguya-sama was the first-known wielder of the Byakugan! She could also manipulate lightning!"
Neji stared, stunned at the news.
"She was not fully human - she was said to be from far away lands. Though beautiful, she had two horns and a third eye - within that third eye was what we now know as the Sharingan! Her son, Hagoromo, the Sage of the Six Paths, possessed the first Rinnegan."
Some of the techniques he described were familiar to her, but she frowned. "Gai-sensei, what's the Rinnegan?"
Shifting to face her, he continued: "My beautiful blossoming kunoichi! The Rinnegan is an extremely rare dojutsu, only coming forth with the proper DNA - some say it is a mutation of the Sharingan, but far more powerful. Some say it is a legend!"
Tenten recalled the Uchiha eyes, as well as Kakashi's. Were those a standard Sharingan? But Gai was starting once more.
"Hagoromo and his brother, whose name has been lost to time, were unfortunately saddled with their mother's legacy: for when she stole from the Shinju, it manifested itself as the Ten-Tails, a terrible monster of awesome power and enormous proportions! Tenten, you'll enjoy this: he became the first jinchuuriki by sealing the Ten-Tails within himself! He separated the chakra of the great beast from its body, and with his new chakra and the gifts of his lineage, created the moon to store the vessel, passing chakra through the land, sharing the power with all he met!"
Except Lee, she thought bitterly, but fought down the thought.
"Created the moon?" Neji's brow wrinkled at that. "I find that hard to believe."
"No matter, for the idealism of youth shall break through as you listen on! He, as his mother had, desired world peace. However, as you must know by now, to accomplish that in a single lifetime, even with such great power, is impossible. He had separated the Ten Tails into nine demons of incredible ability! He named them all and set them free, though they knew they were still connected. However, these acts left him drained, and he had to choose an heir, as he lay dying."
Neji was utterly focused on this next bit. It was a subject close to his heart. Ningame was equally as attentive.
"His two sons were Indra and Asura - one, a boy of natural talent and utter loneliness, and the younger, a youthful boy without much natural talent. As they grew older, however, their skills became matched, and with his dying breath, Hagoromo chose the younger boy, enraging his firstborn!"
Tenten's hand slipped between Neji's fingers as she listened, squeezing as he froze at the description of the two boys. It hit too close to home.
"Yes, shocking turnout... but Asura grew to become a great clansman, and from his blood came the Senju family, and with the Senjus, our very village and way of life! Some say Hashirama, the Shodai Hokage, is the reincarnation of Hagoromo!"
"That attaches an awful lot of importance to Konoha, doesn't it," Tenten said dryly. "I bet other hidden villages have the same story - but end it with different clans."
Gai was unoffended. "My youthful blossom, but of course you must know that this was long ago! By now the blood of many noble families have mixed! In fact, some say the Hyuuga are direct descendants of the princess, closely related to the Uchiha! You needn't look far to find what you need," Gai advised them wisely.
Tenten snorted, opening her mouth to argue, but Neji stopped her. "It's late," he pointed out. "We mustn't keep you Gai-sensei. Our youthful vigor requires sleep."
He practically dragged her out of there, and she giggled at his desperation. "I can't believe you said 'youthful vigor'. Never in a million years would I have ever thought I'd hear you say that."
He was quiet as they stepped in time with one another. "It's a very interesting tale. I would like to know how much of it is true."
"Probably almost all of it," Tenten guessed. "Honestly, stranger things have happened in this world. I wouldn't disbelieve a goddess from another land inventing chakra."
Nodding, Neji smiled. "You're right," he mused, and Tenten knew he was thinking about Lee's lack of chakra and his desire to defeat the Uchiha boy who'd fled before he had a chance, and his own place within the clan.
"I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early," Tenten smiled at him gently and they parted ways, and Tenten was left wishing Naruto could've heard the story.