Authors Note: So here Is chapter 2. Sorry it took me a little longer to finish than expected and it isn't as long as I'd like but I found this one harder to write. I'm VERY much open to advise on how to improve my writing to make the story more enjoyable. So Read & Review PLEASE ! XD
This Chapter I basically all Tenten.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.
A Soldiers Pride
Chapter 2
Canada – Welcome home
" The British Airways flight LHR-YYZ from London Heathrow, will landing at the main terminal in 15 minutes. " The tannoy announcement rang through the waiting area. Asuma Sarutobi groaned to himself. '15 minutes ?! I'm going to have to go out for another cigarette before she lands.' With that thought he turned on his heal and headed strait for the exit.
Asuma Loved his niece but she sure as hell made him stress out. Her plane was delayed buy an hour and a half, not to mention he was a half hour early to begin with. I she didn't hurry up he was going to be late for picking up Kurrenai from the hospital. 'HA! If kurrenai new I was still smoking shed flip out.' He half grinned to himself and put out the half smoked cigarette on the wall, then headed back in.
Asuma had to duck his head as he passed through the automatic doors to avoid the frame. As he brought his head back up he could see the updated arrivals board. Her flight was in. 'That was a quick 15 minutes.' He thought furrowing his brow as he scanned the crowed coming towards him, for the two tight buns he just knew she would be wearing.
Just as he was turning his head to his right, he caught her. She was standing on her tiptoe's looking a little upset that she couldn't see what she was looking for. Asuma grinned and brought the middle finger and thumb of his right hand to his mouth and whistled so loud that the people walking past him stopped in surprise. " Oi! Tennie ! Over here! "
Tenten's eye's snapped the source of the whistle and her stunning hazel eye's lit up like Vegas when they locked on to her uncle. "Awsuma" she yelled grinning ear to ear, she bent down and grabbed her duffel bag and ran towards him. When she was about 6 feet away she dropped her bag, took two strides and jumped up to hug her uncle. Asuma caught her like it was the most natural thing in the world. Niece ? HA! As far as he was concerned she was as good as his own daughter.
"Hey kiddo. Welcome home." Smiling as he put her back on the ground where she didn't even come up to his shoulder. He looked here up and down. She was still wearing her camo trousers and a sand coloured T-shirt with standard issue boots. He shook his head slightly, at least she had been looking after herself.
"It's Grate to be Home!" She said so loudly she was only a step away from shouting. Asuma grinned as he bent down to pick up her bag. "Well the proper reunion is going to have to wait I'm afraid. If we don't leave now I'll be late for picking up Kurenai." He finished chuckling half-heartedly.
Tenten turned still grinning. "Don't worry so much Asuma she only has another two months then POOF! You'll be a dad and Kurrenai won't be riding the hormone train all the time." She would never tell her uncle but she had been buzzing to come home for the last three months. She was just so looking forward to her new little cousin.
"I'm already a dad." He stated coolly as they walked to his SUV. "I have two kids and you are both idiots." Asuma turned slightly to see Teneten's face, as she was stuck between wanting to go all mushy that he thought of her and Konohamaru as his own and her anger at being told she was an idiot. Asuma couldn't help himself he burst into laughter at the concentrated look.
"You are hilarious, I can't believe I even missed you." The sarcasm dripping from every word as her eyebrows knitted together. " I'm glad you agree I was thinking about doing stand up." He chuckled out as he threw her bag into the back of his Jeep Wrangler.
Teten was pouting in the passenger seat as he got in and turned the key. "You know sulking doesn't suit you." He was still grinning. Apparently it was infectious because just as they were leaving the airport she was grinning too.
"How did Konohamaru do in his exams ?" Asuma grimaced at the question. "That bad hu ?" she asked her mouth pulling to the side slightly. Asuma turned to her a little irritated. "It's not that he did badly, it's that he could have done a hole lot better. I just wish he would apply himself."
"You're right you are already a dad." Tenten finished giggling like a little girl. Asuma raised an eyebrow as he switched up a gear. "I know that's why I said it." He shook his head as though she had just pointed out the most obvious thing in the world.
They sat in a comfortable silence, as Awsuma turned down the street that led to Mount Sinai Hospital. "Ok Tennie get ready to jump in the back. We should be just about on time." As if on queue Kurrenai walked out the front entrance as they pulled up.
Asuma had thought Tenten would just jump over the seats but she got out of the suv with a smile that could have dazzled the morning's sun. " Kurrenai! How are you !" Kurrenai's eyes widened with surprise "Tennie?" After deciding it was her, Kurrenai moved forwards as quickly as her VERY pregnant body would allow. "I thought Awsuma was going to take you home, then come get me ?" Before Tenten could answer a voice came from behind her. "Girls can you talk IN the car ? I's just I'm kinda blocking the flow of traffic here." He finished with a week smile. The two young women looked at each other and rolled their eyes and giggled as they climbed in. Awsuma lent over to kiss Kurrenai then they were off.
"Not that I amen't happy to see you Tennie, but what happened that you couldn't take her home ?" Asuma laughed. "Tentens Pilots' time keeping skills were about as good as her own. The flight was delayed by an hour and a half." Tenten crossed her arms and huffed at the statement. "There's nothing wrong with my time keeping." Asuma raised a brow and looked at her in his rear view mirror. "And I'm a Dwarf."
Kurrenai Just chuckled at the pair. "Konohamaru will be happy to see you when he gets back from school." She said doing her best to swivel in her seat. "I think he's having girl problems." She started laughing again. Tenten was a little surprised. "I didn't realise there was anyone he had his eye on?" Asuma almost laughed. Kurrenai looked at him disapprovingly before continuing. "He doesn't have his eye on anyone. Moegi has been flirting like MAD with him and he has absolutely NO idea." She just looked Irritated as she paused to think, before concluding. "Men can be Such morons!" Tenten just laughed as Asuma shook his head in disbelief.
They were just rounding the last corner of the suburb where The large Sarutobi House hold Stood. Tenten could see the two massive Maple tree's that flanked the house in the front garden. This was it. She was home.
Asuma pulled into the Long drive of the overly large house and pulled on the hand brake. He turned to face Tenten. "You better go in ahead Tennie, the old man wants a word." Tenten gave her uncle a questioning look as he got out and walked around the car to assist his wife. Without another thought she got out of the car bag in hand and went strait into the house heading towards her Grandfathers study, which was on the ground floor.
She walked up to the overly tall door and nocked twice, a kind elderly voice came from the other side "Enter." Tenten opened the door and passed into the familiar room to see her Grandfather sitting behind his large oak desk reading forms of some kind. " Ahh Tenten my dear! You're home at last!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's wrinkled face was beaming as he rose to his feet to greet his granddaughter. He was a tall man but he was thinner than when she had left for basic. He would have been about 6 feet tall in his prime, but age had shrunken him slightly. He wore a grey three-piece suit, white shirt, black tie and shoes, his apparently frameless rectangular glasses hung at the end of his nose. All in all he was a well-aged English gentleman.
Tenten dropped her bag and moved around the desk to hug the old man. "It's good to see you grandpa." He just smiled at her tanned face. "Take a seat my dear, I have something to discus with you." Tenten gave her Grandfather an intrigued look, before going back round the table to sit in one of the two leather armchairs facing the desk.
Hiruzen sat back into his high backed armchair and brought his hands together so that his fingers interlocked. " I have been informed that you have handed in your discharge papers. I can only assume something unfortunate happened on your mission ?" He gave Tenten a stare that told her there were no hiding the facts.
She tried to doge the question all together. "How do you know I requested to be discharged? I haven't told anyone that yet." She was a little irritated that he knew but it was no real surprise. "Tenten Sarutobi you know fine well how I know. I have connections everywhere, I was a soldier too once you know." He said raising an eyebrow. "Now stop trying to avoid the question at hand please."
Tenten gave an exasperated sigh before half submitting. "You've read the mission report haven't you?" she looked at him expectantly. "I have." Giving nothing away with his reply. "Then WHY do you need to ask me?" Hiruzen only smiled kindly at his granddaughter's frustration. "Because my dear, I am worried that you may have been forced into leaving. Or even worse, might blame yourself for events that were frankly out of your control. That is why I would like to hear it from you. So I shall ask again, why did you hand in your discharge papers?"
Tenten looked at her hands before she started to reply. "The mission wasn't the problem. Actually it went off without a hitch, both teams took out there targets and retrieved the info we were assigned. There wasn't even a problem until we were about half way back to camp Dwyer and out of nowhere the other chopper was hit with an RPG. I thought it was going to fall like a stone but they managed to land in the middle of some buildings, the only ones for miles."
She stopped and closed her eyes for about a minute. Hiruzen was about to ask if she was ok to continue when she started up again. " I thought we'd go back for them but we received orders from on high, telling us that they information we had was invaluable and that the other team was expendable. I couldn't believe what I was being told, and we just left them a full UN Ambu team." Tenten shook her head as if she was still in complete disbelief at the situation.
"I was told it was a British regiment that answered the distress call. I can't remember the name of it now." She paused to think, and then seemed to think it was irrelevant. "Anyway the forces they sent out reached team B alright. I hear they really hit the enemy force hard. But they came under enemy artillery fire whilst withdrawing with team B and they ended up losing a few guys, for no reason. We should have landed and helped to fortify their position until the rescue team arrived."
Tenten stopped to fiddle with her hands nervously, she did not like telling her grandfather that she was essentially ordered to run away and leave her comrades behind. "Apparently the info we took was worth more to the UN than our second team and it contained not one but two Akatsuki. I mean they are supposed to be the best in the world! I thought I was cut out for Ambu, but I guess I was wrong. Leaving my comrades behind just isn't something that is in my blood." She ended her speech with a slight shrug of her shoulders.
Hiruzen's kind smile had never faltered through Tenten's story, but it also never told her whether he approved or disapproved of her thought proses. She waited anxious to know what he had to say on the matter, his opinion had always been important to her for as long as she could remember. She did not have to wait long to find out. About a minute after she stopped talking his expression filled with a warmth that could only mean he approved of her decision.
"If the reason you have decided to leave, is because you do not wish to be put in a position where you may have to desert your comrades again, I can respect that." He finished by leaning back into his chair with a thoughtful look on his face. "May I ask what it is you intend to do now?" Tenten was a little taken aback, she had been expecting him to try and persuade her to go back. "Um … I hadn't really thought past this point." She gave a nerves grin.
Hiruzen sighed with a look of disbelief. "Tell me Tenten, how is it you managed to make it past basic training? Never mind ambu!" Tenten laughed nervously, whilst scratching the back of her head. "Heh heh heh yeah well I guess good fitness and never missing helped …" she finished with a week smile. He dismissed his disbelief by shaking his head. "Never mind. I thought that this might have been the case so I have made arrangements for you." Tenten was surprised by this news and a little upset. She had never been good at being forced to do things she didn't choose, which was ironic considering she volunteered to join the army.
Hiruzens brow furrowed with irritation at the upset look spreading across his granddaughters face. "Will you at least hear what I have prepared for you before you start sulking?!" Tenten almost jumped at how sharp her grandfather's voice had been, before nodding her head. "Good, because I know this will be up your street. I have spoken to your head of year at Toronto University. I asked if you would be able to transfer for your final year to Konoha International Univer." He never got to finish the word as Tenten lunged across the desk to hug her grandfather, almost knocking his chair over backwards with her enthusiasm. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" She was nearly screaming with excitement.
An Englishman with the last name Shimura had set up Konoha International University in the United States of America, after the Second Grate War. The Idea had bean to help the young forget the atrocities of the war. It was among the top universities in the world rubbing shoulders with Cambridge, Oxford and St Andrews alike and Tenten had fantasised about going for the last 3 years.
"AS I was saying!" he continued as he slowly pushed her back across his desk. "She told be that it shouldn't be a problem, as the work you were still handing in whilst you were on tour was passing in the top quarter of the class. They are just sorting out the fine print at the moment but we should hear back from her in the next couple of days." He paused and looked at her expectantly waiting for so over the top reaction. But none came.
"Tenten what's the mater?" She looked up at him with a thoughtful gaze. "When do I have to leave?" He smiled kindly as he leaned back into he chair." You still have 5 months your first semester starts in the Second week of September." A wolf like grin crept onto her face. "Good! That means I'll be here for the baby and I'll still have time to go out to the ranch and ride Max." She looked positively thrilled at the prospect.
"Ah yes about Maximus." Tenten's face went pale as her head wiped round to looked at her grandfather. "What about him?! Is he ok?! Is he ill ?!" Hizuren rolled his eyes in exasperation. "He's fine Tenten." "Then wh." He continued on cutting off her pointless line of frantic questioning. "It is mandatory to take at least two sports at Konoha, so I said to put your name down for Dressage and long range target shooting. I shall have Maximus flown down for you." Tenten slumped back into her seat. "Don't scare me like that!" She said slightly out of breath. Hiruzen just shook his head once more.
Hiruzen removed a silver pocket watch from his waistcoat to check the time, then frowned and mumbled to himself. "That's odd, Konohamaru should have been home for a half hour and he hasn't burst through my door." He appeared to be deep in thought for a few minute before snapping back to the moment. "Ah Tenten, be a dear and go check on Kurrenai for me after you put you bag in your room. Make sure she isn't trying to prepare dinner by herself again."
"Sure." She said rising to her feet, grabbing her bag and heading for the door. 'I wonder what Konohamaru has been bursting through grandpa's door after school for.' Letting her thoughts run riot with the possibilities she almost walked head long into the adolescent himself. "Konohamaru!" she almost shouted, making him jump in surprise. He didn't get a chance to reply before, she had rapped her arms around his arms and chest and was hugging him so tightly he was struggling to breath. "Hi Tennie" he gasped out at her half grinnig. "Long time no see."
Tenten let him go before looking him up and down before realizing what was bothering her. "You've gone and gotten taller than me! What hell man ?! How am I supposed to be threatening and imposing now! Eh?" Konohamaru just shook his head and laughed. "It's nice to see you to cous." Tenten just pouted at him. "What? It's not like it wasn't going to happen eventually, I mean you have got to be one of the shortest Sarutobi's in like, EVER! What are you like 5'5" 5'6" ? she scowled at him "I'm 5'9 thank you very much ! And you're what? 6 feet?" She said raising her hand from her forehead to his, to gage the difference. "Yeah actually I am!" He puffed his chest out with pride whilst grinning victoriously. "Yeah well don't get to cocky kid, I can still kick you're ass if I need to. You've got some filling out to do to catch up with that height of yours." He spluttered slightly as she walked away from him. He was still a few years to early to be getting the better of her, well verbally at least she thought to herself.
Tenten rounded the corner and walked into the kitchen where she found Asuma Pleading with his currently unreasonable wife. "ASUMA! I am Pregnant NOT dead I can still cook damn it!" Tenten almost laughed at the sight, she hadn't seen Kurrenai look this mad since the time Tenten had punch Konohamaru so hard in the nose he got two black eyes from it. "Kurrenai be reasonable you're going to strain yourself if your not careful. Just let me help you ok?" Kurrenai looked like she was going to burst into flames. "NO IT IS NOT OK!" She shrieked causing Asuma to retreat two steps looking worried. It was almost comical really, watching the gargantuan man retreat from his wife, whom though heavily pregnant still looked petite in comparison to him.
Asuma sighed in defeat, running his hand through his hair. "Fine cook buy yourself,' Just don't over do it. I need a smoke." Without another word he turned on his heal and walked out the door leading outside. "Asuma!" She called after him with a worried look on her face. Tenten decided now would be a good time to let her presence be known. She nocked on the doorframe twice. "Everything ok?" Her brow furrowed slightly.
Kurrenai's head whipped round to look at her. "Um, I … I don't know." She looked about ready to cry. Tenten decided a preemptive hug was required as she moved into the room. "Oh Tennie. He was only trying to help. He just gets so, so mollycoddly! It just makes me want to scream sometimes." She sighed as she tightened the hug. "He just cares about you, ALLOT! That's all." Tenten said as she smiled softly. "I'll tell you what. I'll help you make dinner, then he won't have to worry and you wont be straining yourself to hard." Kurrenai returned her smile. "Thank you Tennie, that sounds like a grate idea."
Tenten had been bustling around the kitchen for about a half hour before Asuma came back through the door, looking slightly irritated. His eye's were far away though, giving the impression that he was deep in thought as he passed through the large room. Kurrenia tugged gently on his hand as he passed and reached up to kiss him gently, trying her best to pass as much of her apology to him through the act as possible. He may a bare of a man but the soft gesture was not waisted on him and he replied with a soft kiss of his own.
"Oh for crying out loud will you to get a room?!" Tenten was blushing slightly at witnessing such a tender moment. Asuma turned and grinned at her. "What? Are you jealous because your boyfriend isn't here to kiss you too? Tentens blush turned from one of embarrassment to one of anger. "I already told you he was a mistake! One I will NOT make again!" she snapped crossing her arms. "Don't worry Tennie, you'll get to make plenty of mistakes like that, when you're at Konoha." Kurenia said with a mischievous grin that made Asuma burst into hearty laughter and caused Tenten to impersonate a tomato.
"Ah we're only joking kido." Asuma chuckled ruffling her hair as he passed her. "But you know. Konoha Is where we first met." He gave her a meaningful grin as he left the room that rendered Tenten unable to speak.
'This was going to be a LONG ass 5 moths …' she thought as she turned the oven down.
Well there you have it Chapter 2. How did I do ? You enjoy it? Review and let me know.
I have to say this one was a bit oh a bugger to proof read after putting it into as it turned all the Asuma's to Awsuma's and all the Hiruzens to Hizurens I think I got them all though.