This is getting easier, just to write out days in one chapter than individually doing them. I have to start working on my other stories 'A thousand words' and 'I thought I knew you'. I've been neglecting them for too long!


It seems that Kagino was resourceful if nothing else. He had his men scrounge around for a pair of clothes and bandages to replace her dirty ones. She had thanked him and then changed behind a tree while wrapping her wounds somewhere off the beaten path. His conversations were based on political experiences and of his homeland. Tenten found they were rather bland compared to her own roughened life of a kunoichi.

She resisted the urge to yawn on multiple occasions but stopped herself from doing so. They trudged along with such a slow pace that Tenten just wanted to enhance her feet and cover more distance then even them. At night they made camp not far from the trade route but in enough to be covered by the trees.

The young Kagino slept peacefully inside of a tent while Tenten and the foot soldiers got comfortable on the hard ground. Just as Tenten was shifting more into a nearby tree she felt it. It was a just a flicker of chakra but strong enough to have Tenten clench her teeth.

Ninja, definitely of Jonin level or higher. Were they being tailed? It was hard to tell at this point but it felt far away. For a moment she debated on hightailing it out of there before remembering what Tomi had said earlier on their trip.

If something goes all to hell he'll be here to get us both out. Though I don't really want to depend on someone else.

Pushing away her thoughts Tenten relaxed into sleep hoping beyond hope that a blonde man stayed out of her dreams. Hours passed by before the crack of dawn roused the men which in turn woke the ever-wary kunoichi. Stretching sore muscles, Tenten waited around to see what there was to do next.

"Get the food stock out and ration the food. Save some extra for this girl as well." Tenten looked at the man finding that was all she could do. Uninteresting as he was she diverted her attention to the dagger sheathed at his side.

"Don't bother rationing food for me. If I can borrow your dagger I'll find my own food." She held her hand out expectantly as several of the men guffawed at her. The man in charge sized her up and Tenten glared at him. She faced death and Akatsuki, this man was nothing compared to so many others. He slid the dagger from his hip and tossed it at her feet.

"We'll see what you can do girl." Tenten squared her shoulders and plucked the dagger from the dirt. With that simple movement an all mighty pain coursed through her but she refused vehemently to acknowledge it. She left then having nothing to say to such an abominable group of men.

Let them think her weak, she wasn't about to blow her identity just because they didn't think she was a ninja. She provided for her self and it wasn't as if she was going to change for anybody. Running water was heard and Tenten followed it to a wide river.

The current was quick but not strong enough to drag a person under. With that thought in mind Tenten rolled her pants up until they were secured past her knees. Stepping bare foot Tenten watched and waited for her breakfast to swim on by. Without waiting long Tenten had all ready snagged three fish big enough to keep her full until the afternoon rolled around.

Thinking it over Tenten caught a fourth fish and climbed the bank with her treasures. Before long she had made a fire and roasted the fish up. Two she cubed before folding the cooked fish in a small baggy. The other two she ate in silence before stomping out the fire and cleaning the fish guts from the borrowed dagger.

Finding the noisy men was a simple task, to simple and far to easy. If they were being tailed the ninja would just have to listen and slag behind. Picking up the trail of the entourage would most definitely be easy even for a toddler.

All joking ceased when Tenten made her own appearance as several pairs of eyes landed on her. She ignored them all instead opted for searching for their captain. Finding him chatting with Kagino, Tenten made her way towards him with the casual air of ease. She dropped the dagger at his feet and matched his solid expression.

"Here, thanks for letting me use it." His eyes trailed to her legs and it was that moment that Tenten found what everyone was interested in. She had left her pants rolled revealing tan muscular calves to the world.

"Your legs are wet, were you fishing?"

"I was."

"Were you successful?"

"Yes."

"Then we don't have to worry about you surviving on your own." It wasn't a question and Tenten contemplated even answering. At the end it wasn't her who answered but Kagino.

"Leave her be, we will take care of her! So you, Tenten-san you don't have to worry about fending for yourself." Honestly she wanted to laugh. Did he think she needed to be rescued? A maiden without a clue how to fight, survive, even kill? No, that never even crossed his mind. Bless his naive soul but Tenten knew why she was assigned this mission.

Kagino needed her to save his life, the men around him were incompetent and a small, defenseless, young woman like her would seemingly need HIS protection. She was sent because she could keep her mouth shut. Both Ino and Sakura would have laid these bastards out flat, and Hinata was just a major no.

God forbid the young heiress breaks her pretty little nails and gets her dainty hands dirty. It sickened Tenten to the point where she excused herself from Kagino's presence. It was wrong to think such things about the younger kunoichi but it was all true. They were all unqualified just because of their personalities.

So when team Gai came back from their mission Tsunade must have been bursting at the seams. It pissed her off but at the same time made her feel a bit prideful that Tsunade trusted her abilities this much. The sound of leaves rustled behind her and she waited until Kagino spoke before turning.

"Forgive me Tenten-san for the rudeness of my admiral. Sometimes he can't control his own tongue." Kagino bowed and Tenten nodded her acceptance. Naive was an understatement but how was he to know what she was really thinking of?

"Do not fret Kagino-sama, it does not worry me. Besides, you should not apologize for your men's own words." He smiled before several soldiers stepped into view.

"Kagino-sama we are ready to head out." That was the end of the conversation as the entourage and Tenten left towards Skinagwa. Kagino began his bland explanations of politics when Tenten sensed the same chakra from the night before.

It flared once before vanishing and this time it was closer, much closer. It sent Tenten's fingers to her braided hair where a ribbon was wound into each. In the battle with the hammer man she had lost the usual hair accessories and resorted to leaving her hair in the braids concealed beneath.

It was a routine to do her hair by first braiding it into two, that way it was easier to put up into buns. Schooling her features, Tenten responded to a question Kagino had asked her with one of her own.

"I don't really enjoy politics Kagino-sama, but if I may, what do you enjoy doing?" Kagino seemed genuinely surprised at this and his admiral sent a suspicious look at her. If he was trying to see if she was a fortune-hunter he was far from the mark. Tenten was just trying to pass the time, not lead the man on.

"Well I like to break horses and breed them. It's very funny, I have more love for my horses than any woman I've ever met." Tenten nodded, oh yeah she knows what that's like.

I love and cherish my weapons more than--

She stopped that train of thought because the next thing would have led to things she didn't really want to examine at the moment.

Like my relationship with Neji?

With a twinge, Tenten mentally stomped that sentence to death in her own mind.

"That's interesting Kagino-sama. I've always wondered how to break horses, my mother use to own some." Okay that was a lie but she wasn't stupid enough to be absolutely truthful to these strangers.

"Wow, Tenten-san I had no idea! Well the first thing you do is--" This led onto more and more topics and the whole time while Kagino chatted away the admiral was damning Tenten to a horrible end. It wasn't like she cared, Kagino was quite intelligent concerning horses and his descriptions caused her to consider giving up the shinobi life to be a horse breeder.

That made her laugh, the life of a horse breeder would be too safe. Too peaceful and Tenten was repelled by that kind of lifestyle. Her kind of life would be consisted of action, of danger, of kissing criminals against crumbled buildings.

Woah, where the hell did that come from? I did that as a distraction and that was all!

Thinking for a moment Tenten knew deep down that she had in fact liked what he did to her. He made her feel sensual, sexy, he set her nerves on edge and--

Holy shit! I'm attracted to Deidara!

Perhaps it was the denial or the easy excuse of duty that allowed her to smother the truth but it was all coming back with a vengeance now.

Enemy, think enemy. Akatsuki! Cruel, killing, sexy as hell. No! Merciless, condescending, intense, experienced.

Tenten stopped in her tracks, he had been experienced. Figures he would know how to make a strong kunoichi a writhing mass of need. To turn the most accomplished into twits before killing them. He had been using her just as she did the same to him. And that right there didn't bode well with her.

She remembered the last words he spoke: "The next time we meet, you'll find me inside you." He couldn't have meant it but there was a look of flaming passion. Such a steamy look of promise within those too-blue eyes that Tenten at the time didn't doubt him.

It'll be impossible, I wasn't wearing my headband and nobody spoke my name. The probability of running into each other is so low that he wouldn't be able to keep that promise.

As Tenten continued walking she felt a surge of disappointment but refused to look too deeply into the cause of such an emotion. If he was an enemy, if he was Akatsuki...how come her body reacted like it did? Was he serious about meeting again? What would happen if they did meet up again? This time Tenten was too strung out with too many unanswered questions.

There was no telling what would happen between them if they ever met again. Tenten told herself that she'd refuse him, reject him completely but...a part of her...deep within her soul she knew that, that may as well be a lie for fate was too unforgiving for it to be true.

With those thoughts in mind and Kagino's inane chatter the sun set as the city of Skinagwa came into view.

"Ah we're finally home! Tenten-san what do you think of the city?" Turning her gaze onto the bustling city below Tenten had to let an honest opinion fly.

"It's very crowded. I wonder if any inns have opened rooms for me tonight."

Kagino hooked one arm through hers and walked into the opened markets. Some villagers and merchants waved happily at the young man and he waved back.

"Don't be ridiculous Tenten-san, you'll be staying with me until you can stand on your own two feet." At that moment Tenten felt the urge to yank her arm back and inform him that 'yes, I can stand on my feet thank you very much!' But with every other thought she has today, she squashed it beneath mental feet.

"Thank you Kagino-sama, that's very considerate of you." He took her through different parts of the market and came across a complex that was well guarded and looked to be the size of the Hyuga complex. Tenten sighed and decided to play this part well if she was going to be allowed to roam free.

Kagino had her settled into a spacious room before she could even blink. Several maids gripped the edge of her male clothing going on about how she needed more feminine clothes. Tenten waved them away before slipping into the bed and she was pulled straight out again.

"Come deary we have a gown you can wear so you don't have to be seen in these old clothes. Perhaps you should shower as well there are different dirt stains on you let alone you smell kind of odd." And with that Tenten found herself in pain, naked, in a shower with a granny nightgown waiting for her use.

This sucks.

She hit her head against the shower wall.

This really sucks.

And just because the first bump didn't knock her unconscious, Tenten tried again. The only thing that came about that action was a headache.

All right my ribs feel like they're only bruised, my ankle had turned a pretty purple and the gash on my arm might need stitches. Wait I have a headache, might as well throw that in too.

After finishing her shower, she limped out and toweled off.

It wouldn't be so bad if those old wenches actually listened when I told them I need new bandages. But no...the child has no clue on what to--ouch!

Stepping far more lightly down, Tenten yanked the dirty bandages from the counter and tightly bound her ankle and chest. For a moment she considered covering the gash as well but one peek showed it wasn't as big as she first thought.

Checking to see if the room was empty, she hobbled out and onto the bed. Laying down she curled up and slept, her hair was wet and down but in her hands were the ribbons. Mission or not, she was prepared for anything. Now if she could only get Deidara out of her head.