24
Additional Orders
Kankuro woke up in the middle of the night- his throat was burning with thirst. He didn't feel like getting up, but he still did and headed towards the kitchen. Then he heard it… He frowned and followed the quiet sound - it was coming from the bedroom. The young man approached the door. It sounds like… Is she…?
And yes, Tenten was crying. She was crying alone, isolated in her room. She was crying now, during nighttime so no one could see or hear her. She didn't want a shoulder to cry on. She would be considered weak if she did, wouldn't she?
Actually she wasn't a crying type, especially the last few years, but… All of that came to be too much to handle, more than she could carry on her shoulders. This absurd mission was only the start, but now those awaken feelings that possessed her in a flinch… She thought…she believed this was over years ago. And now it turned out it was all suppressed in order for her to become what she was now. The biggest problem right now was she had no idea what she wanted to be now, or next.
She felt so powerless, so lost that she woke up crying. Today her little personal world has been shattered - Neji returned to her heart and pulled her years back. So she continued to cry out of disappointment until she couldn't cry more. Tenten wiped her sides and laid down. She closed her eyes…
Kankuro stood in front of the door for a bit, but he didn't dare to knock. If he just entered the room, what would he even say? It would be stupid out of him to try comfort someone since he wasn't sure how this is done. No one has ever comforted him, nor has anyone needed his comfort. He sighed and shook his head. In the end, even the fact she was crying felt uneasy, it was not something he should stick his nose into. A shinobi should be able to handle his or her emotions. She was not a child after all.
The man turned around and attempted to go back to the sofa. He took a few steps when a weird thought crossed his mind: Could it be she cries because of me and this mission? He bit his lip suddenly feeling guilty. Going back to the door, he tried to heat any noise. The crying has stopped…
...
"Come in!" Tsunade said and put her elbows on the desk.
The door opened, letting Kankuro and Tenten in the room.
"Is there a problem? she asked, raising her eyebrows.
"No, Tsunade-sama," said the girl right away. "There are no problems."
" All right," the blonde woman put her chin over her palms, "Then why are you here?"
Kankuro stepped forward as if he was ready to take a hit:
"It is because of me, Hokage-sama. I would like to get training permission for Konoha's territory."
Tsunade stared at him with her amber eyes and was silent for some time, though for the 2 shinobis it felt like eternity. Eventually she smiled sweetly at the end:
"But, of course! I would check out which team can foster you for the time being. You could even do something useful and complete a mission or two, while you are here anyway." She added with a sly smile.
His expression changed completely. Tenten wouldn't be able to say how exactly because of all the paint, but it did. He narrowed his eyes in disagreement.
"Tsunade-sama, I am not your subordinate and I can't possibly carry our missions-" her tough fist landed with a loud thud on the desk and she shouted:
"You are on Konoha's territory! You are living here! You took one of my best subordinate shinobies and you still dare to protest against my decisions?!"
The young man instantly felt like a young boy. He bowed his head down and somehow shrank.
"I apologise, Tsunade-sama."
"If you are here, you will play by my rules."
Kankuro nodded and kept his head down. Tenten was also looking down and even though she didn't have to, she still felt guilty as if she was the one Tsunade yelled at.
"And one more thing…" Godaime continued calmly, letting the boy look up. "I spoke with Konoha's organisator of the chuunin's exams. There is no one from your side now obviously, since Temari is… obstructed one way or another. I want you to take care of that instead of her." The sand shinobi's eyes widened. "Am I clear about that?" She asked, narrowing her eyes with a threat.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama." He sighed.
"Good!" She nodded and leaned backwards. "Now you are free to go out."
Kankuro turned and took a few steps towards the door.
"Tenten, you stay." Godaime ordered and the girl, who was almost at the door, stopped and turned.
When the sand shinobi closed the door behind him. the blond woman spoke:
"I am aware all of this is difficult for you… Especially that you have to hide it from Lee and your sensei, but their excessive pride and straightforwardness will play a bad joke on the mission, you know. They both would prefer to fight till death but accept the fact that good politics can be well handled with some theatre."
"I am aware of their thinking, Tsunade-sama." Tenten smiled slightly.
"Although experience has taught me that a pretence can win more than a few battles." She also smiled and the girl nodded.
"Even before Kankuro arrived, I spoke with Neji and instructed him to help you all the time. You can lean on Kakashi and Sakura as well without any hesitations - they also have the task to lie and deceive in your favour. We don't want any doubt - the village's safety is at stake, you understand that, right?"
"Yes, Tsunade-sama, I understand that… It doesn't make it easier, unfortunately."
Godaime looked at her face for a few long moments and when she started talking, her tone was more of a mentor, than a Hidden Village's head:
"I realise this is kind of a new experience for you. You didn't seem to have a boyfriend over the years and I neglected it. This is my fault. But it is too late to ask someone else, so you will just have to go along with it." She visibly looked like she was sorry. "Let yourself touch his face, hold his hand, let him hug you from time to time. That's all. I am not asking you to sleep with him and to carry his children." Tsunade said softly. "It is out of your comfort zone, I know. But give him a chance to lead and it may be easier for you to stop him than to initiate the approach."
"Arrigatto." Tenten said quietly and yet again let herself smile slightly.
"And also…" Tsunade started with a low voice.
...
Kankuro leaned on the wall while waiting for Tenten to come out. He didn't need to wait for her or anything, but still it felt right to do so… He sighed and lifted his head hearing stepps coming from down the hall.
"You?" He blinked a few times at the approaching figure of a young man with his hands carelessly tucked in his pockets.
"Yo." The newcomer greeted with obvious lack of enthusiasm, looking at Kankuro with his dark and bored eyes. A moderate annoyance appeared on his face and he turned his head to the side. "What are you doing here?"
"I am here for a mission." Kankuro said shortly.
"Tsunade said your troublesome sister is not joining for this year's chuunin exam preparations…"
"Well, it is not possible for her to join." He hissed annoyed.
"Is that so?" The newcomer's eyes turned from bored to knowing and piercing for just a flinch. Then they went back to the same state they were a moment ago - disinterested.
The door opened slowly.
"What's wrong with her?" He asked with a boredom in his voice.
"Oi, Shikamaru!" Tenten said and dragged his attention to her. Ne only nodded.
"Temari is obstructed…" Kankuro said.
"What do you mean?" The black-haired shinobi seemed determined to get information.
"Didn't you say she is on a mission?" The girl intervened.
Kankuro looked at her as if she was telling some terrible joke. Tenten swallowed and did something unexpected even for her. She boldly took 2 steps towards the sand shinobi and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pressing against his body, she leaned to his ear to whisper "He shouldn't learn under any circumstances."
The brown-haired man nodded sharply, understanding why it was all that show.
"I did say that, indeed." Kankuro stated, gazing at Shikamaru. He pushed Tanten gently away, so only his hand was left on her waist. "I will have to fill up for her."
"About the exams…" Started Shikamaru with obvious boredom. "Because you have no clue about the organisation, I will have to explain everything from scratch… That sounds really like a headache…" He murmured unhappily.
"Well, you will live." Kankuro frowned.
"I didn't think I would say that, but that brutal woman would be of much greater use right now." Shikamaru continued talking more to himself than to them.
"Damn you, freak, don't call her a "brutal woman"!
The bored shinobi was half inside the Godaime's office. He now looked up Kankuro and shrugged lazily:
"Really, her being on a mission now, would turn into a problem for me…"
The sand shinobi was obviously annoyed. Temari had won quite a large range of epithets over the years, but "brutal" came to be too much right now. The image of her, laying on that hospital bed, lifeless, pale… It was too much. And also he just couldn't accept comments about her by this particular lazy-ass. She was his little sister and even though she had never needed his protection, he was still ready to pour his whole rage at Shikamaru. He took a deep breath in order to restrain himself jumping on the black-haired perisher. Then he felt someone pull his elbow and flinched, stepping backwards. Right after that his gaze met the hazel eyes of Tenten, filled with sadness and disappointment. She turned her face aside and didn't make a second attempt to touch him. But whispered:
"Let's go."
Kankuro pursed his lips angrily, then followed her in silence.
