Chapter 14: Sasuke?!

"Japanese."

"Foreign Language"

'Thoughts'

Normal

Summary: Tenten is not the orphaned girl everyone thinks she is. She's actually from a prestigious clan, and hails from the legendary Ryogakure of Heaven Country. She ran away because her parents wouldn't let her become a ninja, as was the clan rules with women. Now her best friend from Ryogakure has come to get her after eleven years, and she has no choice but to go and help. What will her friends think? Will she reveal her secret at all? Takes place in Shippuden, JUST before Jiraiya goes off and dies. NejiTen pairing, NaruHina, ShikaTem.

Disclaimer: GDC does not in any way own any part of the series Naruto.

The silence in the halls were deafening. All the council had fallen silent, the foreigners stunned. Tian-tian could feel a headache coming on. She glared at her brother.

Tian-di only smiled back at her, just like he used to when he got them into trouble for sneaking around the palace when they were little.

Temari broke the uneasy silence. "So... from your dumbfounded expressions, Konoha-nin, I'm guessing none of you knew other than Kakashi, Yamato, and... Sai."(1)

Accusing glares went their way and Naruto burst out in anger.

"Kakashi-sensei, Sai! You tricked us this whole time?"

Lee had a similar reaction. "Tenten! Why have you not told us? Your teammates and comrades? Why only Temari-san and Sai-san? Gai-sensei would be most disappointed!"

Tian-tian opened her mouth to speak, but her eyes found Neji. Instead of the anger she had expected from her teammate, there was a face full of sorrow, the face of someone betrayed. Her face fell and she closed her mouth.

Shikamaru sighed and shook his head. "Troublesome... Tian-tian, I told you they'd react like this."

Ino rounded on him. "YOU KNEW?! And you didn't TELL US?!" Chouji as well looked at his friend in confusion.

Naruto stalked up to Kakashi, his face determined. But before he could do anything, Kakashi held up his hands. "Mah, mah, Naruto... that was all part of the..."

He was interrupted by the Ryokage.

"Naruto!? State your full name, boy!"

The others saw the princess suddenly tense, as if this was something terrible. Kakashi stepped forward, as if to try and stop the blonde, but it was too late.

"Uzumaki Naruto, genin of Konoha!"

The resounding gasp in the chamber that left the Konoha-nin confused.

Tian-tian bit her lip as her father and brother rounded on her, a furious and surprised look on their faces respectively.

"How DARE you bring HIM, HERE?!"

"Fu-qin! I...!"

"You know well that we do not want him here!"

"I, ah..."

"Did you forget who he is? He is not welcome!"

"No! Fu-qin! Naruto is..."

"Any child like him should not enter our city gates!"

"He's not who you think he is!"

This time, it was Sakura that blew up.

"If this is anything, ANYTHING about Naruto being a Jinchuuriki, we're out of here!"

The Ryokage chuckled.

"Oh? So the young lady knows this. But do not worry, it is not for that circumstance, but rather because of his parentage."

"Parentage? What about his parents! Naruto's an orphan!" Sakura looked bewildered.

"Are all the Konoha-nin raised to be such insolent youngsters?!" One of the council members suddenly shouted out, startling Sakura. She glared at him.

Tian-tian turned to face her father, her back towards the foreigners. "Fu-qin... Naruto's mother is not who you think. He is not my brother."

The younger of the Konoha-nin all started shouting.

"Brother?!"

"Was the Uzumaki from Heaven Country?"

"What the hell is going on here?!"

"If his mom's name was Uzumaki, what's his dad's name?"

Tian-tian and Temari could both see that her father and Shikamaru both were beginning to get ticked off. Any moment now and...

"SILENCE!"

The hall quieted down and Tian-tian caught her father's eyes. They told her to continue.

"Naruto... his parents... his father was, that person. But his mother was not Uzumaki Kaname..." Her father's eyes flashed; not a good sign. "Tian-mei, if you wish. She was Kushina, Ma-ma's cousin. Your spies had it wrong."(2)

"Ah, I see...." The Ryokage's face grew softer, then his lips curled into a grin. "Then he is welcome here. Any son of the great hero of the Third Shinobi War would be welcome at Ryogakure."

"Stay away from him, Fu-qin." Tian-tian's voice started shaking.

But Naruto was already curious enough. "You keep talking about my parents! Who was it? Who was my father!"

"Oh? So he doesn't even know who his parents are!"

"No! Fu-qin!"

"Who was my father!"

"Ah, none other than... Namikaze Minato... your Yondaime Hokage?"

"You... you're joking... right? Kakashi-sensei..."

"Actually, Naruto..." That was enough confirmation.

Naruto fell to the floor on his knees, breathing hard and his eyes wide.

"Naruto? The Yondaime Hokage's son? No way..." The rest of the Konoha 11 stared as well, whispering their own opinions. Only Hinata moved to comfort the shocked genin.

"My father... the Yondaime?"

Tian-tian bit her lip once more, not having decided what to do at his predicament. Her brother placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her an apologetic face, but she was not calmed like she would have been, eleven years ago.

"But you should have noticed the similarities in your faces, no? The blue eyes, the blonde hair... anyone should have noticed if not for the hatred of your... fox. Do you not see how your village hated you? You were beaten, cheated on, and even starved! And your only friends were... oh right, you didn't have friends."

"Get... get away from him Fu-qin! He is an extremely loyal Konoha citizen!" By this time Tian-tian had joined Hinata in standing next to Naruto. She disregarded the stares she was receiving, from both the Konoha-nin and the council.

"Yes, and it's a pity, that. We could use a second Yellow Flash... he was a formidable shinobi to be sure.... So you would not come with us, Naruto? We would treat you well here."

Naruto was shaking, still kneeling on the floor. Drops of tears dripped on the floor between his knees.

"Get away from him! Naruto would never betray his own villiage!" Temari shouted out in her I'm-in-power voice. "Besides! We of the Sand village are in debt to him."

"It seems that ninja of the Sand are also very rude, considering that you should have gotten the best education, sister of the Godaime and daughter of the Yondaime." Temari stiffened at this, and the Ryokage went on. "But, we won't harm you, do not worry. We know better than to start a war. But the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi... you wouldn't join us, Naruto?"

"No. Never." Naruto managed to croak through his tears.

"Fu-qin, he does not have any wish to join you. And in truth, neither do I. As soon as Tian-di's wedding is over, we will all go back to Konohagakure."

"I realize that you have become a loyal Konohagakure citizen, like young Naruto here... but do the Konoha-nin trust you? After all, you have been lying to them for the past... eleven years. Do they think you are trustworthy?"

"I... Tsunade-sama knows of my identity, and the Sandaime before her did as well! The advisors know..."

She was interrupted by her father once more. "Did you really think we had no spies in Konoha? Of course the Sandaime knew, but your Godaime. She didn't know until now, did she?"

Tian-tian fell silent.

"Ah. That serves as an enough answer, I think."

"I still won't join you. I will not stay in Heaven Country any longer than I need to."

"I see... that is your answer... but will situations change when the ones that accompany you... see... him?"

"NO! You wouldn't!"

"I have already sent Yue-guang to fetch him. This should be interesting..."

"Fu-qin how could you!"

"You knew he was here, after all."

"I was hoping this was not true."

"Ah, he has arrived. Open the doors, will you?" The Ryokage gestured to some unknown direction.

"Fu-qin no!" Tian-tian yelled a moment too late- the gigantic doors to the throne room opened once more... and in came five people.

One of them, the one at the front, they recognized as the man that had shouted at Sakura earlier.

"Three of the others they did not recognize... but they did know the fifth, the one that had an aura of aloofness around him.

It was Sasuke.

For the second time in the same afternoon, the hall fell silent.

"Ssa... Sasuke-kun?" Sakura whispered, breathed this out.

The rest of the foreigners all froze when Naruto slowly turned around and stood up. His eyes met Sasuke's.

"T...teme!"

Sasuke met Naruto's eyes with a cool look. He then turned to the Ryokage.

"Ryokage-sama."

"Ah, Sasuke. Come, here's the one I told you to wait for."

Tian-tian looked at her brother, Tian-di. Although his face was calm, his stormy eyes told her exactly what she needed to know... more than she wanted to know. After all, she was best at reading stoic faces.

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino shouted out. Sasuke ignored her. "Sasuke-kun what are you doing!? Come back to Konoha with us!"

The stranger with orange hair turned to glare at her, and Shikamaru blocked Ino from opening her mouth again. She glared at him.

"Quiet. The one over there... he has an aura that seems dangerous." Ino swallowed her anger for the moment- she could trust Shikamaru's instincts at any time.

Sasuke and the three strangers ignored the foreigners and approached the Ryokage, who had gotten Tian-di and Tian-tian to stand next to him.

"Sasuke, this is my youngest, Tian-tian. She arrived today from her stay in Konohagakure, your hometown. Tian-tian, you know him already."

"Dui ma?(Oh?)" Sasuke raised his eyebrows at her, the coal black eyes examining the face in front of him. There was something familiar about this girl... where had he seen her before? Nonetheless, he bowed to her. "Gong zhu. Wo jiao Uchiha Sasuke. Wo... (Princess. My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I...)"

Tian-tian cut in. "Wo yi zhing zhi dao, Sasuke. (I already knew, Sasuke)"

Her slight accent and the way she had pronounced his name made him frown. Was the Ryokage playing tricks on him? Tenten saw the subtle emotions flicker in his otherwise stony eyes and sighed.

"Wo shi yi ge gong zhu. Dan shi wo ye shi yi ge... Konohagakure de kunoichi. Wo jiao Tenten, he wo de lao shi shi Maito Gai. Ni zhi dao wo ma?" (3)

She knew that expressions that came on his face now. That slight twisting of eyebrows told confusion, and hardened eyes expressed determination. Basically, he did not understand what she had just said. She smirked at him and spoke in fluent Japanese.

"Since you obviously did not understand the Chinese, I'll talk in your language for you. What I just said was that, I am a princess. But, I am also a kunoichi of Konohagakure. I was called Tenten, and my sensei was Maito Gai. Do you know me?"

Sasuke only grunted in response, but Tian-tian already had recognized the fleeting look of recognition in his eyes before his eyes slid into that blank emotionless stare again. Oh, he knew her alright.

After all, the ANBU that helped her get around Konoha when she first got there had been Uchiha Itachi, his older brother.

"NO!" Ino screamed. "I will not leave this room!" She looked wildly around for her friend. "Sakura. SAKURA! Help me here!"

"Ino! Shut up and be mature! We're guests here in this country and when the Kage orders us to do something, we DO AS HE SAYS! He told us to leave the room for a minute, so we leave the room for a minute!" Kiba shouted in her tear-streaked face.

"NO! I won't leave until Sasuke-kun... SASUKE-KUN!"

Sasuke only stared at the blonde indifferently as she was dragged out by Kiba, Chouji, and Shikamaru. Nearby, Naruto struggled to get out of the grip of Kakashi, Yamato, and Sakura.

"Sasuke!"

The doors closed on them, not quite drowning out the noise but blocking them from view. Sasuke finally turned to the Ryokage, speaking in Japanese this time.

"This... Tian-tian... is the one, Ryokage-sama?"

"Most definitely, Sasuke-kun. Tian-yin is the only other that is unmarried, but she is not suited for a shinobi, a warrior."

Tian-tian's eyes hardened, her brother behind her also stiffening. "So this is what it was all about, Fu-qin?"

"You and Tian-di are twins, Tian-tian. And it is custom that royal females are married at a younger age than males. We are already bending the rules for you."

"Tian-yin jie-jie(4) is not married either!"

"She is not suited for marriage. When the second third full moon of the summer season rises, Tian-di will be married to Tian-lai(5) and you to Uchiha Sasuke."

Shikamaru was- for no better word choice- annoyed. It was definitely more than a minute since they were dragged out to the hallway, and because of that half of the Konoha females, namely Sakura and Ino, were bothering him with their questions.

"Why didn't you tell us when you knew?"

"That's why you were with her and Temari all the time?"

"Why were we thrown out when Sasuke-kun arrived?"

"Did you know Sasuke was here?"

He drowned out the voices and looked away from them. Kakashi, Yamato, Temari and Sai were discussing things at a corner, Lee hadn't said a word yet, all the others looked confused, and Neji was leaning against a wall with his eyes closed. There had been no sound from the other side whatsoever and the guards made no indication of any change.

"They're the ones I saw with him... I mean, the ones my clones saw..."

"Yeah, Akamaru says they have the right scents as well. He's still shivering."

"I wonder how strong they are... For Akamaru to be that scared they have to be at least Gaara's level..."

"It's just the orange-haired one that seems that dangerous. But the guy with the huge sword seems formidable as well."

"He had Zabuza's sword. One of the legendary swords of the Mist."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed, getting up from his position against the wall. He should go talk to Kakashi.

A sudden crash made all their heads swivel towards the doors. There were no other crashes but there was shouting going on in there.

Temari turned to the guard nearest to the door. "Open the doors." She demanded, opening her fan fully. Kakashi came to stand beside her, the tomes of his sharingan spinning.

The shouting inside continued, but the guard refused to open the doors. All the other Konoha-nin came to stand beside or behind Kakashi and Temari.

"Open the doors!"

The doors blew open, but the guards hadn't moved an inch. The foreigners did not take notice, only rushed into the room... to see a smashed chandelier and a red-faced Tian-tian restrained by her brother.

"Whatever you say," She was saying, "I refuse to marry him and stay in Ryogakure!"

"NO!" A terrible sound came from the combined screams of Sakura and Ino, both seeming as if in despair.

Tian-tian ceased her struggle against Tian-di, looking across the room at the shinobi that had run through the doors. She closed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows, sighing. Before anyone could speak, a new voice spoke up.

"Well, we heard that our baby sister was back, so we came to see! But what a naughty girl she has grown up to be!"

"Tian-lan, don't be so mean! Look at how beautiful she's grown to be!"

"What Tian-lan said is right, Tian-yin. She's become a foreigner, and a rude one."

"Tian-yuan, don't forget to bow again."

"Fu-qin, we have arrived." Four voices spoke in unison.

Tian-tian looked at them sharply as her father gestured for them to stand straight.

"Oh? See how she glares at us. As if she could hurt any of us."

"I have become a kunoichi, Tian-yin ge-ge. (4) I am not a helpless little girl any longer."

"Fu-qin, why don't we test this... kunoichi... for her skills? Maybe if she's skilled enough we should spare her from marriage, like most of our women warriors?"

"I fully doubt she'd do any good, but that's actually a smart idea, Tian-yin! Fu-qin, you should agree with him!"

"Quiet, children."

A hush fell in the room, the only sounds being of Shikamaru still restraining Ino.

"Why don't you all run along... Mu-lan?"

"Yes, Ryokage-sama?" She looked up from her position next to her father.

"There should already be rooms prepared for the foreigners. Take them away, and Tian-tian to her own quarters."

"Understood, Ryokage-sama."

Preview next chapter:

There was no other noise as the two kunoichi stared each other down.

The next moment, a slap resounded in the hallway.

Tian-tian's cheek stung, but she held the tears in. She deserved it.

A/Ns:

(1)- I made her leave out Shika. We'll just say she didn't want him to get in trouble.
(2)- Basically, because he sent out his spies after the war ended, he never knew the existence of Kushina. He thought Naruto was Kaname's son.
(3)- Since the Uchiha's so high and mighty, he decided to learn the Chinese language as well. But evidently not enough.
(4)- Jie-jie means older sister, like onee-san. Ge-ge means older brother, like onii-san or aniki.
(5)- Another actual word, dunno if it's a name, but it means "sounds of nature." A branch member of the Tian clan.

That turned out a bit rushed, didn't it? I'm writing this with the spare time I have: study hall, and like five minutes each. One chapter at a time, and I've taken this long to complete this chapter (and that C3THUS chapter)

For readers of my other stories... I regret to inform you of the fact that I am still very much at a writer's block, especially for my story Return: the Princess. Yes, still.

Thank yous this time go to: sachiko haruki, Chirisaa Tomoko, Yukixshuu, hullotherexx, HeavensPheonix561, Texascowgirl-13, xXkickass-kunoichiXx, , kawaii cookie-chan, miakasango, xxxninja-akatsukixxx1231vw, loves-emo-guys-with-hair, MoonKrystal, and kitten9322 for reviews!

Reviews and flames still very much appreciated!

Ja Ne!

GoldenDragonClouds