Tenten2020 Week.

The Boneyard - Change in Trajectory
Cut from Force Majeure. Idate x Tenten

But, if there was one thing Tenten wasn't, it was a quitter. Hard work wasn't new to her – she had always worked hard. After her parents died, she fell in with the people that were around – and they weren't the best people. Her dad had been a mechanic, and by ten, she could hotwire a car faster than just about anyone. Officer Hatake Kakashi and his partner Might Gai had found her when they shut down the chop shop. Gai ended up becoming her legal guardian, and Lee her adoptive brother.

Gai insisted that sports would be good discipline for her, and she joined the track team with Lee. The rest of her spare time was spent apprenticing at Morino's garage, where she had to be reminded to go home to study.

That was how she met Idate.

The first thing she learned about Idate, was that everything he did was fast.

KU had a degree track in aviation and aeronautics that took three full years to complete, and did not require the student to take classes outside of their major. Having had his heart set on being a pilot since he was a boy, Idate geared his entire high school education around getting into KU and that program.

He graduated high school early, and at seventeen was a student at KU on an athletic scholarship for track. He visited his brother often, and Tenten grew up with him as much as she did with Lee. He was only two years older than her, and they got along well.

She supposed it was bound to happen – especially considering how much time they spent together. By her senior year they were together whenever they could be, sneaking out to watch the stars and talk about the future.

"Come with me," he said one night, leaning up on his elbow to look at her.

She turned from stargazing with a confused frown.

"Come with you where?"

"Sign up," he sat up quickly on their shared blanket. "Enlist. There is always a need for mechanics, and they'll pay for your schooling when you are done."

Tenten winced. "I don't know," she hugged her knees against her chest. "Technically I have a record. They might not take me."

"Your records were sealed," he persisted. "And Kakashi or my brother or Gai would vouch for you. It's a great idea," he enthused. "Besides," he scooted closer to her on the blanket. "Then we could be together."

"There's no guarantee of that," Tenten pointed out. "We could be sent anywhere."

"Not if we're married."

Tenten looked at him like he was crazy. "We're not married," she said flatly. "Pretty sure they'd figure that out."

"We can get married – right after graduation," he blurted out before hurrying on. "They try and place married couples together when they can - I checked into it – and mechanics are always in demand. Anywhere I get sent, they'll need people like you." He reached out for her hands. "I need you," he added. "Stay with me, Tenten," he urged, winding their fingers together. "Come with me."

As he drew her into a kiss, and laid her back on their blanket under the stars, she knew what her answer would be.

She'd follow him anywhere.

One afternoon after her graduation, he came by the shop to take her to lunch. They got married at the courthouse without telling anyone and enlisted the same day.

She told Gai about enlisting the next week. She didn't mention getting married. By the time Gai and Ibiki found out, she and Idate were neck deep in training. Idate never did tell her where he got his black eye. He only held her tight and promised her he'd always take care of her.

Luckily, he'd been right about their placement. Once they completed their training, they were stationed together at a base in Suna. A brand new officer, Idate was now training as a pilot and loving every moment of it. He was clever, brash, and daring, and craved the thrill and speed of flying. Tenten was proud of him, but worried about his fiercely competitive streak. It made him take risks and push boundaries, and act without thinking about the consequences or danger. Once he was finally, officially a pilot, he took assignments that others wouldn't touch, and always waved goodbye to her with that same cocky grin, and promise to return.

His last mission was in the mountains of Kumo, known for their sudden and deadly electrical storms.

He didn't come home.

He was just shy of his 24th birthday.

Tenten was grateful for the routine and work of her military life, and pushed herself to make sure that any vehicle or piece of equipment that came under her care left working perfectly. She talked to her supervisor about some modifications that could improve the guidance systems, especially in sand or electrical storms, and he had implemented her ideas to great success.

Tenten had just finished her fifth year in Suna when Gai had his accident.

Clearly destined to have brave but reckless men in her life, she'd taken one of the only leaves of her career to travel to Konoha. It had been touch and go, but to both her and Lee's immense relief, he pulled through the complicated surgery. Gai's career on the force ended with him in a wheelchair, but with no shortage of enthusiasm. Lee was still training as a physical therapist, and was talking about dropping out of school to work and support their adoptive father.

Tenten couldn't let that happen.

She had five out of eight years of active duty under her belt, and was eligible to serve out her remaining three years in the reserves in Konoha. Ibiki helped with the transfer process, and brought her in to work in his garage.

Of course, there had been a catch.

Her brother-in-law had insisted that she start taking classes at the university to augment her education.

"You wanted to be an engineer," he told her.

"How did you know that?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

"You've already given up enough," he deflected her question. "My dad owned this garage, so half of it would have belonged to Idate. You can work here as long as you are working toward your degree – I don't care how long it takes. Your schedule can be changed as needed. Once you graduate, I'll sign over half of the garage."

She frowned at that. "Sounds more like a pity position than a job."

"Make no mistake," he crossed his large arms over his chest. "I'll work your ass off. And widow of my brother or not, I wouldn't hire you if you couldn't handle it. Understand?"

She nodded.

"Good. Also, you'll have to take a few bookkeeping classes. I can't stand that shit."

She smiled.

"Deal."

Ibiki hadn't been the only stubborn one.

About a month after the accident, Gai moved into a modest one-level home. Captain Yamato did carpentry work on the side, and helped Lee and Tenten make everything accessible to Gai. They installed ramps, lowered cabinets and countertops, and put railings in different places. The final exterior coat of green paint wasn't even dry before Gai declared himself no longer in need of live-in-help, and insisted that Tenten needed her own place. Before she could even think of disagreeing, Ibiki had offered her the tiny house that had been his parents.

"I'm sick of being a landlord," he muttered. "At least you can probably repair anything that breaks."

So that was how she ended up living in the smallest, coziest house in all of Konoha, working for her brother-in-law, taking care of her adoptive father, and attending classes at Konoha University.