I cried.
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy.
"Too young for him," they told her.
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier.
Our love will never end,
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again.
Never more to be alone
When the letter says a soldier's coming home.
"Um, hey. I'm back again. Told you I would be, right? I never lie. At least, almost never. Er. Moving on. How have you been? I've been dealing without you... sort of. I like to pretend I am, anyway. I think I'm doing better, though. Hinata doesn't tell me to stop moping around anymore."
Tenten chuckled to herself and rolled over in the grass, staring up at the clouds shifting in the bright blue sky. A faint breeze blew over her as she recalled those first few months.
"You saw me, didn't you?" she asked the sky. "Maybe you weren't paying attention to me then. Maybe you were still getting used to the idea of being dead. But man, I was a mess," she laughed, shaking her head. "I wouldn't even get out of bed. Rock Lee had to come over and force me to get up and eat something. Even then I wouldn't talk. You would have been laughing so hard, Kankuro. You would have yanked me out of bed and kicked me out the door and dragged me to some crazy place. Yeah."
The kunoichi sighed and sat up, sitting cross-legged in front of Kankuro's tombstone. Squinting in the sunlight, she sighed and placed her hand in its usual spot- right on Kankuro's name. Every week, since a month after she heard the news, Tenten had traveled to this spot in Suna - the soldiers' tribute - and talked to Kankuro, sharing news with him and simply expressing her feelings to the man who once knew everything.
"This used to feel so awkward, y'know," she continued, tracing her name absently with her finger. "I used to feel like an idiot, talking to the air like this. But after a while, it started to feel just like our letter-writing. I'd talk to you and wait for a reply, for some sign that you heard me and cared. I've always loved those signs you've shown me," she added, smiling up at the sky. "Remember when I asked you to watch over us on that mission? A guy was about to nail me with a kunai, and the sun hit him square in the eyes and he missed by a long shot. I know that was you."
Tenten winked at the clouds and sighed. "Yesterday, too. Hinata and Lee kept telling me not to leave, because there was supposed to be some terrible storm brewing. But it didn't rain until after I got here. You did that, too. I still believe in you."
The wind blew again, mussing up her hair and tickling her cheeks. Tenten giggled and fixed her hair, knowing that Kankuro was listening.
"I miss you all the time, you know," she said quietly, leaning back against the tombstone and staring at a cloud. "Everyone says it's not healthy for me to be acting the way I do. I know it's not. But I can't let you go. I love you."
Tears formed at the corner of her eyes, and Tenten sniffed as memories of the past months flooded her mind. "It was a year ago today that we met at that cafe, remember? I was just some girl trying to raise money, and you scared me at first, to be honest. I thought you were just another creeper. But you actually turned out to be the best thing to happen to me."
Despite her best efforts to hold them back, tears flowed down Tenten's cheeks and dripped onto the black clothing she had worn since Kankuro died. "I miss you every day, Kankuro," she said, her voice shaking and her vision blurring through her tears. "Not a day goes by when I think about that day on the pier. Remember how you asked me if you could write to me? And our tickling fight? And all those letters... especially the one where you told me you love me for the first time? I keep that letter with me all the time, you know. You know, I have it here, in my pocket. I'm going to read it to you."
With shaking hands, Tenten pulled out the letter, worn out from countless folding and unfolding. She read Kankuro's words out loud as best she could through the endless river of tears flowing out of her. As soon as she reached the end, she collapsed into a heap on the ground and sobbed as hard as she did the day when she found out her love had left the world. A warm breeze caressed her, making her smile through her tears and glance up at the sky.
"Thank you, Kankuro," she whispered, her eyes turned to the clouds. "You know, I've always had one wish," she continued, yawning. "I've always wanted to be with you. Forever. No matter what. We belong together... I'm finally going home, Kankuro. I'm finally gonna be with you..."
Tenten's eyes glazed over as she continued to stare at the clouds above her. The wind picked up, fussing her hair and causing her jacket to cover her like a blanket. Tenten smiled up at the sky one last time.
"Thank you, Kankuro."
Sighing, she closed her eyes. A single beam of sunlight illuminated Tenten's face before it faded away, back into the sky where it belongs.
------
"Tenten! TENTEN!"
Hinata and Lee frantically ran through the streets of Suna, searching for their friend. She had been gone for hours longer than she had intended to be gone, and, being Hinata and Lee, they freaked out and designated themselves as her search party. But they were having no luck.
"Where could she be?" Hinata asked desperately as they stopped for breath.
"Wait-" Lee held up his hand as if about to make an important announcement. "Could she still be visiting Kankuro's shrine at the soldier tribute? She had been missing him more than usual lately."
"Of course!" Hinata uncharacteristically screamed, her anxiety and adrenaline making her more outgoing than usual. "We're such idiots, Lee! Why didn't we check their first?"
Lee shrugged and sped off, Hinata on his heels. After a while, they reached the area reserved for the tribute and walked slowly, searching everywhere for their friend.
"Tenten?" Hinata called gently as they approached Kankuro's tombstone. All of a sudden, Lee threw out his arm, stopping Hinata dead in her tracks.
"What's the problem?" Hinata asked him, irritated, but all Lee could look at was the foot of the tombstone.
"What's on the ground in front of it?" Lee asked, pointing. Hinata stared for a few seconds, then rushed forward, dragging Lee along with her.
"Tenten!" she exclaimed with relief as she saw what Lee had been pointing at. Lee sighed and shook his head, smiling down at the figure.
"You shouldn't be taking a nap, Tenten-san," he said, bending down and shaking her shoulder. Hinata, however, stared at Tenten and frowned.
"Lee, something's not right," she said, lifting Tenten's arm gently. She let it go, and the arm fell limply. Hinata gasped slightly, and Lee stared at her questioningly.
"She's just sleeping, Hinata," Lee said soothingly, stroking Tenten's hair and placing it behind her ear. "Let's just pick her up and go home."
Hinata ignored him and silently activated her Byakugan. After a while, she gasped and fell back, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Hinata?" Lee rushed to her side and helped her up, surprised. "What is the matter with you? What happened?"
"Tenten is... she's..." Hinata couldn't get the words out. All she could do was shake her head and stare at Tenten, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Lee looked at the two of them and immediately realized what Hinata couldn't say.
"She's not sleeping, is she?" he asked, refusing to believe what was going on. Hinata shook her head and fell against Lee, breaking down into tears. Lee gently hugged her and stared at the girl he had fought alongside his whole life.
"Has she been stabbed or anything?" Lee asked, his voice trembling. Hinata shook her head.
"There's no injuries on her whatsoever. She's just... dead." The last word exploded out of Hinata's mouth as she burst into tears yet again. "My best friend! Dead! Gone!"
"I know, Hinata," Lee said, hugging her again. "It's alright."
The wind whipped around them and blew Tenten's hair out of her face. A peaceful smile was on her lips, and her face was turned up to the sky, as if she was waiting for something or someone amazing. She looked so happy in death.
"Well," Hinata sniffed after a while, "at least she got her wish."
"What do you mean?" Lee asked, pulling away from Hinata.
"She always wanted to be with Kankuro. She was miserable without him. They're finally together- just as they always wanted."
Lee nodded and smiled up at the sky. "She's happier now.... Tenten? Kankuro?"
A few seconds passed, and two beams of sunlight fell upon the tombstone and Tenten's still body. Tears fell out of Lee's eyes as he hugged Hinata closer and looked at the body of his friend.
"Tenten... you're with him at last. True love can't keep two lovers away. You always were a strong kunoichi and never let anything get in the way of your dreams. I hope you're happier now."
I cried
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
Too young for him they told her
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier
Our love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone
When the letter says a soldier's coming home