Back into the swing of things I'm uploading again! You see I had a plot problem which has suddenly unknotted itself. I had point "A" and point "E" but no idea how to bridge the two. Thank you all for sticking with me! And a special thank you to Emi Takahashi, reminding me that this story still existed and people are still reading it! Enjoy!
It rides you down doesn't it? Guilt and shame nip at your ankles but still you run away. I envy everything about you. Shackles bind me and I want to run but can't. I want to know the wind beneath my feet and dream that I can fly.
A ninja slipped out into the night, the air whipping up the corner of his hat. He wasn't that old, maybe twenty-two but the stony expression could have been that of an old political dog. His pupiless eyes, that were more suited for battle or a stormy Halloween night, scanned the area.
When no sign of danger appeared, he stepped out and onto the rock road. The baggy mud-stained coat and the dirtied hat did wonders to hide both his Anbu uniform and long hair. The only thing that could have set off the ensemble would be the unmistakable bloodline limit enveloping his eyes.
Momentarily an image of a small child with chestnut hair and matching opal eyes entered his mind. He entertained thoughts of a slim woman who would catch the child, wrap her safely in her arms and give her butterfly kisses all over. He dismissed the thought away, now was not the time for silly dreams.
They wouldn't be silly if I was back in Konoha. They certainly wouldn't be unattainable if I just stopped pushing her away. But it is a necessary evil that in the long run will keep her alive.
A twinge of full blown regret lanced through him but his outer facade never faltered.
It is my fault she's hurting. I wish I wasn't assigned a mission, any mission, in which I had to hurt my wife.
There was a flicker of movement off to his right and Neji noticed Lee take his position for intruders. Neji didn't like being here, a thousand miles away from the person he wanted more than anything. There wasn't a choice though, he couldn't refuse this mission at all.
He didn't want to be here watching for ninjas, looking to see if they'll do anything suspicious. He didn't want to see if Iwagakure was harboring mercenaries that planned on taking out the Hyuga leader. Nevertheless, Neji was here doing what was needed to ensure the safety of Konoha.
He didn't have to like it but he did have to complete his task without a hitch. Especially since his wife and cousins' lives were on the line. He entered the building through the third story window and once more checked the parameters. The coast was clear.
Rummaging through the dusky old scrolls, Neji finally found the one he needed. With a quick movement of his hands he disappeared, only the light rustle of loose paper gave his even being there away.
The three man squad met back up in the hotel room each one ready to share information. Lee pulled out a sketch book, Yamato waited for Neji to start them off. Neji did so with the unrolling of the scroll.
"This is a list of all able shinobi from the ranks of chunin up to the very ranks of a kage. I don't see any names of our enemies or any that are similar. But I'll look through it again." Both his companions nodded as Lee dipped his paintbrush in ink.
"I've studied the patrols and these are the lines they walk along." Several ink figures were painted and Yamato took that as his cue. From his closed hands the layout of the outer walls formed.
"I have the layout of the outer walls along with any escape routes figured out and memorized. The mission scroll says for us to just lay back and observe. We must pretend to be normal civilians in order for us to get away with this. Am I understood?" Two nods were his answer and all three just studied the information all around.
"So for now we'll stay low and contact will be at a bare minimum unless one of us discovers a break through."
"Very good observations Neji and yes, that's how it's going to be from now on." Yamato smiled up at Neji but he didn't return it. He didn't feel like doing anything in a positive light. So when all was said and done, the two ninjas disappeared from Neji's hotel room.
Five months of just sitting and waiting. Five months for a mere hunch of our female Hokage. Five months and I'll miss my baby girl's birth.
He laid down on the scratchy cot, sleep wrapping him up and bringing him back to his love. There were so many things that he couldn't say, but in his dreams he always spoke them to her. Tenten, his loving and beautiful wife, would always understand.
I hope when these enemies are killed, she'll still be able to understand. I hope Hinata is wrong about Tenten unwilling to wait for the truth. Right now...I hope for too many unsteady things.
---
The dawn broke into Tenten's room and she did something that she always wanted. For the first time since marrying Neji...she slept in. Which to others doesn't make it seem all that important but with her routine always planned out, a nurse would come in and wake her early.
Two hours passed before she pulled herself from the bed. The sun was up, people were bustling outside and Tenten had the strangest urge to eat bagels. On the kitchen counter was a note left by Sakura.
She's not going to be back until six so maybe I should cook dinner for her. After all she is letting me stay with her.
She didn't find any bagels so she settled for eggs and toast. Tenten made herself sunny side-up eggs and buttered her toast. Her favorite kind of breakfast, but she was disappointed to find only cranberry juice and milk in the fridge.
Next time I'm in the market I'll pick up some mandarin oranges and make juice.
The eggs let off a delicious smell, causing Tenten's stomach to rumble. She slurped her milk and after a few failed attempts, found the cupboard with the plates in it. She slipped her breakfast onto it and proceeded to eat.
It felt strange being in a completely different place but it was more homey for her. She felt relaxed but there was that knot of tension in her shoulders. Making her unable to relax fully, reminding her of the ever present pain in the back of her mind.
She heard a knock on the apartment door and went to answer it. As she went she checked herself in a passing mirror to make sure there wasn't a serious case of bed head going on.
"Haruno-sama, are you in? I've brought the paper." The door opened and standing outside was an elderly woman with a thick newspaper wrapped in one arm. Surprise lit up her wrinkly features and she double checked the number on the door.
"Sakura's not in right now but I can leave the paper on the table." A smile was her answer as she handed over the thick bundle.
"Would you mind telling her that I came by?" Tenten nodded, took the paper and closed the door behind her. Slipping onto the plush couch she used the cherry wood coffee table to spread the paper out. She piled the sections in most enjoyable to downright boring.
The comics ended up on top with economics on the bottom. That's how Tenten spent her morning, reading comics and sipping milk. When she was done she picked up a novel from a bookshelf and began reading. It was some kind of government conspiracy book and it was chock full of action.
But the moment it hit on romance Tenten shut it with a final snap. No need to read through someone else's problems...she had plenty of her own. There were other books but they mostly seemed to be medical based.
Noticing the afternoon time she decided to head out and visit some spots. Decked out in maternity clothes with a purse full of bills, she locked up the apartment and left. The clothes she wore had been a small reprieve that she was forced to hide from her maids. They consisted of stretchy pants and a black shirt to go with it. After she decided on leaving yesterday, Hinata tried to offer some money but Tenten was a decidedly independent woman who wouldn't hear any of it.
It's not like she could find a steady job...nobody is going to hire a pregnant woman! She just would make due with whatever was in her savings account. The only thing she had kept after marrying Neji, the council members protested but she had stayed firm.
Now she may have had enough to help Sakura with the rent and buy herself a wardrobe. A wardrobe that didn't consist of kimonos, now that was an exciting thought.
Yuck...I hate those things! Too much time to dress and not enough movement to do anything but waddle. Good riddance! Let some other woman handle that kind of clothing.
She passed a boutique store and stopped, wondering if she should enter. Standing outside just made her feel silly and she didn't have anything to do.
What the heck..nothing to lose here.
The place was dolled up, victorian all the way, Tenten felt outclassed just by the decorum. She doubted if they had a wide selection of maternity clothes but she'd ask anyway. A young man in a pantsuit passed her and she lightly tapped his arm.
"Excuse me I'm looking for th--"
"Follow me." Immediately her eyebrow cocked. Being around Neji taught her to catch the things that people don't say and she didn't like where this could go. Plus it was one of her pet peeves to be interrupted.
She followed behind the store clerk and noticed the swagger in his step. It wasn't something she'd put much thought in but...it was obvious. "Here's the maternity section but I don't know if we specialize in anything your size."
There it was again, that haughty attitude that made her blood boil.
Man I am up to here with putting up with bastard men.
She turned to him and flashed him his own stuck-up smile.
"Well it's got to fit somebody and...I doubt it'll fit you." With a conclusive air she flipped through some stretchy shirts but noticed he hadn't left. In fact one hand was on his hip and the other held the tape measurer.
"Well I'm glad they wouldn't. They're kind of pricy too so...I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you."
All right, last straw...certainly not in the mood for this.
Before Tenten could reply a manicured hand landed on the man's shoulder making him wince. Those purple tipped nails led up to a bare arm and straight into a purple top.
"You shouldn't insult a pregnant woman. Not unless you know how hard it is to BE pregnant." The man began to glare but Ino Yamanaka wasn't the type of woman to let someone else get the last word in. "And if she wants to dress beautifully...let her. I'm sure with her ninja salary she'll be able to buy whatever she wants." The man gulped and shrunk back a little, his eyes turned towards Tenten.
"Ninja?"
"Oh yes and I'm sure her husband Neji would LOVE to hear about this." This time the man bowed and made a hasty retreat. Ninjas were widely respected but everyone knew of the newly appointed Anbu captain. He made great marks and was promoted in no time, thanks to his devotion to his work.
Ino gave a wicked grin and Tenten made the wise decision not to complain. She could have told him off herself but it was funnier to watch Ino make him squirm.
"Thanks Ino, what have you been up to? I haven't talked to you in a while." Ino gave a cheeky grin and grabbed Tenten by the hand.
"Come on and we'll discuss it over lunch. I'm dying to tell you the latest gossip I've collected." Normally Tenten wasn't the kind to care for such trivial things. She let Ino lead her from the store and straight to the Yamanaka flower shop.
Tenten was seated, tea was poured and both women were munching on snacks while enjoying being off their feet.
"So have you seen the new man around town?" Tenten took a sip of tea, orange tea to be exact, and shook her head no. "Hoo..he came in today and bought a lot of plants. You should have seen him! He was positively dreamy. Black hair, dark blue eyes and a touch-me-roughly body!"
Tenten stiffened as the description hit far too close then what she liked. Nonchalantly she shrugged, keeping the nervous jittery feeling from shaking her fingers. She couldn't help but chuckle a little at the "touch-me-roughly" description.
"Come on Ino, he can't be that good looking." The blonde gaped at her over her tea cup and Tenten sipped away. Silently rolling in mirth at the expression being made at her.
"Not that good looking? Tenten you should have seen him! He looked so exotic compared to our ninjas! Dark sapphire eyes, inky black hair and the body of a fitness lover!" Tenten smirked over the cup, humoring the gossip loving woman who loved men just as much.
If she thought about it Kinmotsu wasn't so bad to look at, okay Ino was right. He was positively dreamy to look at. Of course Tenten would never admit something like that out loud. Ino crossed her arms over her stomach leaning in to make her next words more dramatic.
"I'm certain he's the kind of guy who would fuck you until you screamed." Tenten choked on the tea and Ino patted her on the back. It took a moment of steady breathing before Tenten calmed enough to stop choking. Unabashed Ino leaned ever closer, eyebrows wagging.
"You think he's single? I'd love to have a night with a guy like that." Tenten recovered and was so grateful that nobody had been in the store at that outburst. Noticing the eager look on Ino's face, Tenten couldn't help but laugh.
"He's the new gardener over at the Hyuga compound, his name is Kinmotsu. Can you believe that? Not a lot is known about him because he was just hired not too long ago." There was a twinkle in Ino's eye that made her glad she wasn't male. A part of her, a small part might I add, felt sorry for throwing Kinmotsu to Ino. While the much larger portion couldn't stop cackling.
"Now I'm even more intrigued! Makes you curious doesn't it?" Taking a bite out of a sugared doughnut Tenten thought about it. "I mean he comes out of nowhere, Tsunade and Hinata cover for him and nobody really knows where he's been."
"It does make me curious as to where he comes from." Ino groaned, rolling her eyes heavenward.
"Tenten! He is one fine specimen of the male species and if I were you I would get to know him better." Ino had a point but Tenten still had to point out the obvious. She held up her ring finger to show off the expensive diamond.
"I'm married." Ino clasped her hand around the ring and laid Tenten's hand flat on the table.
"Married, shmarried. Getting married didn't make you less of a woman so why would it make you less of a flirt!" Ino let her hand go and stood up.
"I'll think about it."
"Don't think, act! Now if you'll excuse me I have men to catch." With that Ino stood and left, planning on following after Shikamaru who happened to be passing by. Tenten shook her head and finished off the dumplings and doughnuts. Ino held the door open for her and flipped the open sign to closed.
It does seem weird that Kinmotsu just came out of nowhere. Maybe Tsunade-sama will have more information on him.
With her mind made up she headed towards the Hokage tower to get some answers.
Maybe something suspicious will turn up in his file.
One of Ino's earlier smirks tugged her lips up.
And if not I could always use Ino's technique, that would work.
Said woman was pouting and chatting away at an uncooperative Shikamaru. When he continued to ignore her, Ino went about flirting and flipping her hair back.
Yeah, that all depends on how much I want to know more about him.
---
"So, premature contractions brought on by stress?" Tsunade set the file folder down and rubbed her temples. "I understand your worries, honestly I do, but I just can't call them back. Neji, Lee and Yamato must stay where they are in order to gradually receive more information on our enemies."
Tsunade sighed and sorted out a stack of papers on her desk. "I'm sorry but I can't shorten the mission without risking crucial evidence and information loss, Hinata-san." Hinata didn't fidget, didn't show any sign of the anger that was quickly being boiled.
"How am I suppose to deal with this kind of stress for Tenten then? She's all ready decided on staying with Sakura-sama. But she's so depressed Tsunade-sama. Are you absolutely sure that the mission can't even be shortened by a month?"
Again Tsunade avoided the young womans' eyes. She ran a hand through her hair and chewed her bottom lip. "Even a week sooner can make this easier on Tenten. Please Tsunade-sama, he's already going to miss the birth of his child. Taking missions is his way of running away from responsibility."
"I can't do anything until later on in the mission. This all depends on whether or not they find anything incriminating. My hands are tied until that point Hinata-san. I'm sorry." Hinata opened her mouth to say something else but was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in."
The door opened and Tenten stepped inside, shutting it quietly behind her. Both women relaxed in hopes that the perceptive kunoichi would not realize that she was the earlier topic of choice.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Tenten bowed for both women then straightened out the shirt that had started to bunch around her belly.
"Not at all! Tenten-san how are you feeling this afternoon?" Tenten smiled up at the Hyuga leader, thinking about how she had been feeling earlier.
"I am feeling better than yesterday. Sometimes though my stomach hurts and my feet too." Hinata immediately stood and offered the chair. With a relieved sigh Tenten sat down with the help of Hinata at her side.
"Have you started bleeding again? Any sharp, constricting pains in your lower abdomen?" Tsunade, ever blunt, went straight for the throat. "If so then we'll have to reheal the internal injuries and bed rest you for a few days." Hinata politely stepped out of the way when Tsunade came around the desk.
"I haven't seen any blood and I figured the ache would subside eventually." Tsunade placed her hands on Tenten's stomach and her chakra entered. Tenten settled into the chair and kept her mind carefully blank. She didn't really want her mind wandering back to any thoughts of Neji, her disintegrating marriage, her too-early labor inducing contractions....
Blank Tenten, think nothing.
It was only a minute or so more before Tsunade stopped the examination and started scribbling on a file folder.
"Your inner muscles are too tense. I suggest a deep muscle massage that will help loosen them up. This, coupled with stress, is the main reason for the early contractions and the tears in the lining of your womb." Tsunade set the folder down and picked up a tablet. Hinata on the other stood nervously watching Tenten.
"Is this serious Tsunade-sama?" Tsunade ripped off a sheet of paper and held it out for Tenten to take. Which of course she did. Right this moment Tenten wasn't feeling up to taking on Tsunade, a woman who created craters when enraged.
"No, just try and not do anything strenuous. This woman comes to your house and offers a very relaxing massage. Call her tonight or tomorrow and it will help you immensely." Tenten noticed the name and phone number recognizing the place to be pricey.
"This is going to cost a pretty penny isn't it?" Tsunade nodded but waved her hands in dismissal.
"Don't worry about the cost. I'll take care of it." Tenten went to stand but remembered why she came.
"I actually came here to find out more about Kinmotsu and where he came from." Tsunade and Hinata exchanged glances, a question on both their lips.
"Hinata-san and I both have the same information. What I know about him is the same as what she knows. Go home, call the massage therapist and I'm sure any questions you have can be answered by Hinata-san." Tenten smiled as if this was the end of it and immediately took her leave. Hinata waited until she was out before turning to Tsunade.
"Are you going to foot the bill Tsunade-sama? And why would she want to know more about Kinmotsu?" Tsunade shrugged and plunked back down in her seat.
"She may be paranoid of him. I mean a new man comes into her daily routine and it puts her on edge." Suddenly a devilish gleam came over. "There's no way I'd foot the bill, besides...I'm sure Neji won't mind. Consider it payback." Hinata suddenly understood and couldn't help but giggle. "Back to the matter at hand, listen closely Hinata-san I have an idea..."
Comment for me please! I'll love it if you do! On a completely different note: I made both Tsunade and Ino very devious didn't I? Schemes are going all around..this will be interesting.