Posted: March 13, 2006

Chapter Four: Silencing Love

"Does he hit you?"

Tenten blinked rapidly as she heard the question from Kankuro. She had been resting against his chest as he was leaning against the huge trunk of a tree, which was located far out in the woods in a clearing that only they knew. It was where they always came to get away from the village. Tenten slightly pulled away from him as she went to look into his eyes. "No," she answered his question truthfully. "Neji has never hit me in the sense you mean. Besides, I'm a kunoichi and I can take of myself."

Kankuro just looked at her for moment. He had often wondered why they never really hung around Konoha when he came to visit, but now that he really thought about it, in the time they had been seeing each other, they were either here or in her apartment. He had never thought it strange, so never once did it cross his mind that he was the other man in her life.

"Why don't I believe you?" he asked her. "You can't honestly tell me, that wasn't fear I saw in your eyes last night." He looked at her with concern. "So just tell me the truth."

"I am telling you the truth and I wasn't afraid," she made clear. "Just a little caught off guard. He wasn't suppose to be home for another week."

"Then what's wrong with him?" he asked, wanting to know why she was cheating on Neji.

Tenten looked at him with a confused and angry expression on her face. "Why do you care so much about Neji?"

Kankuro scoffed. "Why?" he couldn't believe she had even asked him that question. "Because he's your Goddamn fiancé!" He pushed her out from in between his legs so he could stand up. "For crying out loud," he began. "He wasn't suppose to be home for another week? And by the that time, I would have been well on my way home?" He shook his head from side to side. "You got this down to a science, don't you?"

Tenten lowered her head. "It wasn't like that. I always meant to tell you about Neji. There just never seem to be a right time."

"A right time!" he questioned loudly. "Three years, Tenten. Are you telling me that in three years, that you couldn't tell me that you were to be married to Hyuuga!"

"Please, don't be upset," she begged of him as she closed her eyes.

Kankuro dropped to his knees before her and with both hands took her face within them and made her look at him. "How can I not be upset?" he inquired. "If it had been anyone else. . . but Neji? Hyuuga Neji from the most powerful clan in your village?" He looked defeated in her eyes. "He can offer you so much. And I?" He shrugged. "I'm just Kankuro. I can't offer you anything that he can't give you a hundred fold." A tear slipped down his cheek.

"No, no, Kankuro, don't you see?" She rested her hands on top of his. "You already have," she smiled, though tears now ran down her own face as she saw his, "you offered me love. A love I thought I would never know and for that you are my heart."

Kankuro's worried eyes softened as he heard her words. "I am? So this isn't just some fling to you?" She shook her head no. Kankuro sighed in relief. "Come here," he whispered as he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "Tenten," he began slowly after many moments, her still in his hold.

"Yes?"

"Do you- Do you love Konoha?"

"I do."

"And being a ninja?"

"Yes, it's what I wanted to do since I was a little girl," she explained. "It's why I joined the academy. I want to be as great as my village's Hokage."

"So you would never want to leave it, right?" he asked, but when she said nothing, he grew panic. "You know what? Let's just pretend I didn't say that and I'll never bring it up again. I'll just-"

"Ask me, Kankuro," she interrupted him as she finally pulled away from him. "Ask me."

He shook his head from side to side, he didn't want to be the reason she gave up her dream. "But-"

"Just go on."

Kankuro took a deep breath before he began. "Tenten, would you leave Konoha for me? Would you come to the Wind Country and there be made my wife?"

Tenten nodded her head as grinned from ear to ear. "Of course," she answered as she leaned into him and pressed his lips against her own where she then slightly opened her month and licked his soft lips. Kankuro sighed happily with the gesture as he opened his own mouth and his tongue was meet by hers. He then placed his hand on the back of her head before pulling her closer to deepen their kiss.

Tenten's hands found the bottom on his shirt before sliding them up his strong board chest. They broke their kiss only long enough to pull his shirt over his head. They then worked with an amazing speed as they striped the other of their clothing and threw them about without a care. Moments later, Tenten was lying on her back as Kankuro sat beside her, his hands on either side of her hips as they found the cotton fabric of her panties.

He tugged at them playfully as he waggled his eyebrows, causing Tenten to laugh. Then all of a sudden, Kankuro straighted up, a frown on his face. He then began looking around. "Kankuro?" Tenten sat up on her elbows. "Baby, what's wrong?" she asked with a smile.

Kankuro continued to look around. "I don't- There was- I thought- " he stammered. "Nothing," he finally concluded before turning his attention back to the woman next to him and continuing where he left off.

As they made love, in the middle of the day, out in the middle of nowhere, Tenten's closed her eyes and buried her face in the nape of Kankuro's neck when again, he stopped completely and looked around. Tenten looked at him, not knowing whether to be upset or concerned. "Okay, Kankuro, what is it?" she was annoyed.

He pulled away from her and grabbed her shirt before handing it to her. "Get dressed," he demanded sharply.

"What? Why?" she whined as she sat up. "I mean, I haven't even," she began, a blush running across her checks, "you know." Her head bounced impatiently as her eyes widen.

Kankuro laughed as he bent over and gave her the rest of her things. "I'll make it up too you," he promised before kissing her. "So please," he urged her to get dressed. Once dressed they started their way back to the village, hand in hand. "In two days, meet me at your village's gate at dawn."

Tenten nodded her head. "Kankuro," she licked her lips, "I'm not sure if you noticed, but you never asked me to-"

"Give up being a ninja?" he completed her thought. He then looked at her and smiled. "I know. I plan on having a word with Gaara. If you want, we can transfer your status and you become a Sand ninja." He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. His smile then fell as he realized there wasn't one on her face. He thought that would have made her happy. "What?"

"I love you," she said simply.

"I love you too," he told her before finally seeing a smile come to her face. As they continued to leap from tree to tree Kankuro turned his head to look behind him and though no sound came from his mouth he slowly articulated several words.

"Better luck next time, Hyuuga," Neji read the lips of Kankuro. He fumed silently before he lost his composure, when he did he screamed and cursed at the top of his lungs, causing the birds in the near by trees to scatter in all directions.

Tenten's forehead creased. "Did you hear something?" she asked.

"Nope, not a thing," he answered quickly, not looking at her as he gripped her hand securely and quickened their pace.

To Be Continued. . .