From the way I see it

Authors note: Ok, here we are again, writing this story. It's a NejiTenten ficcie, and it's told from Tenten's point of view. Although we are writing a new story, it does not mean that we are neglecting FFTH! So don't worry! So we hope that you all who are reading this to support both of our stories with your reviews! This story starts off when Tenten and her team are 12, it may be a little OOC, but we are trying our best to keep it in character!

Chapter 1

"Kunai? Check. Shruiken? Check. Darts? Check." I muttered to myself as I placed the respective weapons into my many weapon pouches. "Oh great," I thought to myself. "Now I look like a walking armory."

Now I was stuck with the decision: To be either more prepared but look like a walking armory, or to look normal and be less prepared. Staring at myself, one of Iruka sensei's long speeches came back to me: "A shinobi must always be well prepared… to be unprepared for the sake of vanity is uncalled for," Making up my mind, I sighed, as I put the weapons back into my weapon pouches.

I know that I should be excited and a little worried and nervous today. Everyone will be; even those geniuses and those from advanced bloodlines. Today was the practical exam for the graduating class, the exam in which if I passed, would start my training as a genin, a future shinobi of Konoha. If I fail… well, touch wood, it will be back to the academy for me, for another year of theory with Iruka sensei..

I sure do hope that I pass. Listening to Iruka rambling and his lectures is enough to make me feel like getting out of that classroom. Imagine if I fail. One more year of listening to Iruka's lectures and stuff, and be regarded as a dropout among the whole of Konoha. How embarrassing. I sighed, hoping that the test would not be difficult. I had practiced on my weapon accuracy and the basic jutsus, improving on my chakra level yesterday, just hoping that nothing goes wrong today.

"Tenten! Time for breakfast!" I heard my mother's voice calling out to me. At the other side of the house, I heard the usual clanging and banging of my father's trusty weapon smith hammer. Making sure that I had the necessary kunais, shruikens and other weapons, I double-checked them in my pockets before dashing downstairs for breakfast.

"Tenten," said Father, coming into the house. "This is a gift from me and your mother." He was holding the most exquisite kunai set I have ever seen. "Has a sharp point, slim, good at throwing for long distances…" I thought to myself. "Thanks, otosan, okasan!" as I took the kunai from my father's hands, admiring the slimness, the smoothness of the kunais inside, knowing that Father had spent the whole of last week in his weaponry, making this kunai set for me.

I saw Mother and Father smile as I gave them a hug each. Mother gave me my breakfast, and said, "Tenten-chan, don't worry. It's just a test, so don't give yourself so much pressure, ok?"

I saw Father nod his head, and giving me a fatherly look, he said, "No matter what the results are for this exam, I just wanted you to know, that your mother and I are proud of you for making the decision to be a shinobi, to serve the village."

I saw Mother smile tenderly at me. When I had first announced that I wanted to join the academy, she had tried to dissuade me out of it. She knew the dangers a shinobi would face on missions, there was a memorial stone right in the centre of Konoha, on it engraving the names of the many shinobis who have sacrificed their lives to protect their village. Father himself had been a shinobi, a Chuunin at that, but after a mission gone wrong, he never was fit to go on missions again. I knew that my parents were worried that I might suffer the same fate as Father, or even die in a mission. After all, death is kind of inevitable for shinobis, especially for the ANBUs and jounins.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not those fearless people, those 'oh-I-don't-fear-anything-in-the-world' people, I'm scared of dying too, but well, I want to serve Konoha too. After all, death is kind of predestined, if it's time for me to go, it's time to go; I guess it's that way.

Oh no, it's already eight forty five. The test started at nine thirty, right? And we have to be there half an hour before it starts. "I'm late!" I cried, as I shoved the rest of my breakfast in a rather un-ladylike manner into my mouth.

After eating my breakfast, and tucking in the kunai set that Father had just made for me, I hugged my parents' goodbye before rushing out of the door to the academy.

I reached the academy at nine, panting like some overworked cow. I read the notice on the academy, which stated that the test required all students to be in the academy at ten. I swore, I ran all the way from home to here just to be too early! However, I was glad to be too early than to be late, I went to the washroom in the academy to clean up.

I walked into the washroom, and stared into the mirror, wondering if the girl that I saw on the mirror was really me. Gosh, I really looked like a sight. I was sweating profusely; my clothes were sticking to my back and my hair, which was originally tied into two neat buns, was a mess. Tendrils of my brown hair now hung on my face, or stuck out of my bun. I sighed, how I hated my messy hair. Why can't my hair be like, straight like a flat iron? Then I wouldn't need to tie it into buns. Glaring at my reflection, I took out my comb, and hastily combed my hair into place, and tying it firmly into a bun.

After being satisfied by my appearance, I strode out of the washroom. I think I must have taken quite a long time in the bathroom, the quietness of the academy before I stepped into the washroom was replaced by loud chatter, and the sounds of parents encouraging their children filled the whole place. Glancing around, I saw that almost every single of the students there had their parents with them, and wished fervently that mine was with me too. But I knew that mother had to tend to the weapons shop, and because of this exam, father had received many orders for different elaborate or simple kunais and shruikens, mainly ordered by parents as gifts to their children, since they had all asked it to be ready after the genin exam.

I couldn't wait for the test to start. It was a test on the basic jutsus, weapon accuracy and we also had to spar against each other in a friendly match. I was rather worried about the sparring part, what if I had to face someone from an advanced bloodline? I would then seriously be in a huge disadvantage.

The weapon accuracy test I was confident that I would do well. After all, I have been training on my accuracy for like, ten years? I think I would seriously kill myself if I missed a target. The target used was like, so big and wide, the size of my head. Most people would have a perfect score from that, so if I miss… it might just as well be back to the academy for me.

I didn't want to go back… but if I really failed and had to go back, I wouldn't mind either. I mean, much as I dislike listening to Iruka's constant lectures, I wouldn't want to be a sub-standard genin either. Seriously, I would rather remain in the academy than to be a genin whose skills were sub-standard to the other genins. But no matter what, I was determined to give it my best shot.

The bell finally rang, stating the start of the test. The other adults, after wishing their children luck for the last time, they went out of the academy. I swallowed; this is the barrier between me and the start of a career as a genin, a shinobi of Konoha. Iruka mentioned us to the classroom, and we all followed silently.

I looked among the faces, everyone looked nervous about the impending test. Well, all except one. A boy with long hair and white eyes, a Hyuuga. I seriously hoped that I didn't need to face him off in the sparring part of the test. The Hyuugas were the strongest and most influential in Konoha, ever since the Uchiha massacre. I scanned his face again with my eyes, and saw that he didn't even have a single trace of fear or nervousness in his face. In fact, his face was void of any emotion, and he looked confident, very confident. I wondered how big his ego is, probably so big that it would fill up the whole room.

Anyway, not wanting to be mistaken as staring (even though I was), I quickly averted my eyes back to Iruka sensei, who was going on one of his 'famous' speeches. Something about us shouldering the hope of the Konoha shinobi, the village depending on us to keep it safe from intruders, the ninja way… risks of being a shinobi… blah. Obviously, we already knew about those risks before deciding to enter the academy.

Finally, Iruka-sensei had finished his rather long speech. "Whoever who thinks that they are not ready to be a shinobi may leave now." he said, looking at us. Expecting nobody to leave, I was shocked when five people, one boy and four girls, left the room. Isn't a kind of waste? I mean, we have been in the academy for a year, and after pulling through the days of endless theory in the academy, those people were giving up! I just don't understand what they were thinking. Looking from the left, I saw the Hyuuga guy visibly roll his pupil-less white eyes and saying what I could see as "pathetic" form on his mouth. I just couldn't help but agree. I'm not as egoistical as him, if that's what you are thinking, but I think that it's kind of dumb to give up when you have gone so far, right?

After watching the five students leave, I saw Iruka sensei sigh; I guess he must be thinking along the same line as me. "Let the tests now begin!" I swallowed, trying not to let my fear be evident on my face. As usual, that Hyuuga guy didn't even blink, not even once. What a fearless and self-confident guy.

First test was on the basic jutsus. The chuunins, besides Iruka sensei, who were helping in the running of the tests were all over the room. First up was the test on the basic jutsus. Almost everyone was frightened, especially when we saw that the first few people had failed the test by either flunking in a type of basic jutsu, or could not even carry them out properly.

The list went on and on, there were forty over people in front of me, and about ten had already failed the basic jutsu test. Most of them failed at the basic Bunshin jutsu, creating a immobile and totally useless copy of themselves. I heard my name being called, and gulped visibly. I hoped that nothing would go wrong… as I started on the first basic jutsu. It worked! I smiled to myself, as I breezed through the next few jutsus. Maybe the test wasn't so hard after all… But Iruka sensei chose to ask me to do the Bunshin no jutsu (is that the name for the jutsu which Naruto was asked to do and he failed? Please tell us!) as the last jutsu I needed to do to pass.

I gulped and swallowed nervously. I had been confident about doing the last few jutsus correctly, but Bunshin no jutsu? Too often had I made copies of myself which were complete lifeless, immobile and useless. I remembered that I had just tried that jutsu yesterday as well. Out of five tries, only two of the tries were successful, and I was able to make a bunshin copy of myself. That wasn't even passable rate! Knowing that Iruka sensei was waiting for me do the jutsu, I closed my eyes, determined to give it my best shot.

Making my hands into the seal that I had familiarized and practiced over the past few weeks, I cried out the name of the jutsu. I heard a loud "poof" sound, something I have never heard before when I was practicing that jutsu. I turned, praying that my bunshin jutsu worked. I turned around, and almost died of shock. Instead of one bunshin, I had made enough bunshins of myself to fill up all the empty spaces between me and Iruka sensei. I gasped, not believing that I had actually done that, usually, I already had a big problem trying to make one, but now so many! I thought I was dreaming.

I saw Iruka sensei blink in surprise as he mentally counted the bunshins with his eyes. "Well Tenten, you have made a total of forty exact, mobile bunshins of yourself. Very impressive for someone who hasn't even graduated yet, and it is even better than most genins. I declare that you pass this round of the test." He smiled at me. I felt relieved, and happy that I had passed this round.

Although it was a nice surprise to be able to do that jutsu, and making forty bunshins of myself instead of the usual one or two, I told myself not to get too complacent, as complacency would tend to lead to failure, as Father had always told me.

I proceeded to the next testing room, which was the weapon accuracy test. Still feeling hyper from the last round of the test, I nonetheless gripped one of the kunais that Father had given me, and proceeded to take the next test, one of the obstacles that was in my way to become a shinobi of Konoha. I can and I will do it!

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