The overcast winter skies of Konoha covered the setting sun making the village turn dark rather unceremoniously. "I was expecting my return to Konoha to have clearer weather for some reason. What did I expect near the end of fall?"
"The sun was out a few days ago while you were being incarcerated it's a shame you missed it it's going to be the last sunny day here in a while." Said Kakashi walking behind him a few paces.
"So are you supposed to be attached to me by the hip?" Nenshō asked putting his hands behind his head and looking towards the sky thinking how long before snow settled over Konoha, just when he though he was done with the snow.
"I'm allowed to keep you at a safe distance and give you a degree of privacy but I'm to know your location at all time and remain within a hundred meters at all times." Kakashi explained.
"Then give me some space… I have some business to take care of and I need some space." Nenshō said stepping onto a set of stairs. Kakashi looked up recognizing Tenten's apartment and nodded. "Take your time then I'll just wait out here." He said letting Nenshō ascend the steppes as the first snow of the winter began to ascend on Konoha the soft flakes slowly drifting to the ground as he reached for the door knocker rapping it three times and waiting counting his heartbeats.
The knob turned and there she was standing before him unchanged as beautiful as ever. Her chocolate colored hair was still in the same buns just as he liked them wearing a bathrobe just like the last time he had seen her, her clean scent washed over him arousing his senses. He had thought long and hard about what to say to her, now that she was here in front of him he decided on the worst greeting he could think of.
"Hey there bun-head." He smiled as her left fist shot out to strike him. He instinctively caught her wrist. "Sorry" he apologized, "that was a reflex I deserve to be-"
He was cut off as her right fist clocked his jaw and sent him down, he felt like an idiot on the floor, he should have known that the left fist was a feint she always had a mean right hook.
"I deserve that" he admitted standing up and rubbing his bruised face, they should have gotten her to punch him around for the staged interrogation.
"I'd heard from Ino that you were back in Konoha, I just wasn't sure I really believed it until now. So why are you here?"
"To apologize for one… I… I had no idea you were with child because if I did I wouldn't have left the way I did… I would have thought of something."
Tenten stepped outside closing the door behind her; Nenshō wondered how cold she was out here but didn't ask if he could go inside where it was warmer. "I don't think I was with child till that last night we shared… I woke up alone that morning expecting you to be at your apartment or somewhere where I could see you. Instead you're being hunted for murder and I'm being questioned by the ANBU Black Ops on your possible whereabouts."
"I'm sorry" he said trying to decide if she would let him touch her, hold her and try and reassure her but was unsure if she would allow him or would just slug him again.
"I found out later that I was pregnant and spent nine months trying to figure out how to explain to my little girl that she didn't have a real farther. That the closest thing she had to a dad was uncle Kumo and Guy sensei. And even now I still haven't been able to answer her when she asks me where her daddy is all I do is dodge the question and distract her away from the subject of you."
Tears were starting to well in her eyes ready to form streams down her face. Nenshō threw caution to the wind and pulled her shaking form into him hugging her tightly feeling his shoulder get soaked with her salty tears. She didn't try to strike him or get away from him; she kept her arms at her sides fists clenched as if she was confused what she would do with her hands at the moment.
"I would have come with you Nenshō if you had asked me." She mumbled into his chest not bothering to look at him letting him rest his chin atop her head letting her pour out her frustration onto him. She raised her fist and weakly pounded his chest cursing him. "I wanted to ask you to come with me." He confessed nuzzling her hair and tightening his grip on her shoulder. "I was going to ask you but… I didn't want to take you away, not from here not from your life and everything you worked so hard to accomplish and build up."
"I would have left with you if you had asked me too." She whispered to him abandoning her inhibitions and wrapping her arms around his frame.
"I know, that's why I didn't ask you." He admitted. They stood there for a while as the snow fell all around them thickening about and slowly piling up. Nenshō released her and brushed the snow that had collected on top of her head she shivered realizing just how cold it was outside. "Would you like to come in… maybe see her?"
Nenshō nodded. "I'd like that very much." He followed her inside to the warm confines of her home. A faint smell wafted at his nose. She quietly let her into a separate room the door painted purple adorned with hand painted pictures of cats. He guessed it was Ino's handiwork that painted it. "This is her room." She explained turning to face him hand reaching behind him to grab the doorknob. "She's probably playing right now… What are you planning to tell her?" She asked voice low and quiet.
"The truth." He answered. "Or at least what she'll be able to understand right now and even still only what I'm allowed to tell."
"I don't want you telling her about killing Hiashi, anything else keep age appropriate and nothing scary." Nenshō nodded, "Those details will come later."
Tenten turned the brass knob and opened the door reviling a lavender room with a small red haired child in the center playing with a set of wooden blocks. The girl looked up with brown eyes and smiled as her mother entered the room with a tall stranger. "Who's this mommy?" she asked eyes fixed on him. Nenshō swallowed his excitement and decided it was best to let Tenten explain at the moment. She dropped to her knees and sat at her level looking into the girls' eyes. "Eri." She said addressing her daughter, tone serious but comforting. "Sweetie… this is your Farther Nenshō."
The tiny redhead turned her attention back to him eyeing him even more intently as her mother's words were slowly being registered in her tiny mind. "You're my daddy?" she asked her voice full of awe and enthusiasm. Nenshō knelt down as well facing her at her level. He nodded his head at her and smiled. "Yes… I'm your daddy." He said.
The little girl walked forward and put her arms around his neck hugging him. "I'm finally getting to meet you daddy. Where have you been? Mommy has never answered my questions about you." She said clinging to him.
"Well honey…" he began trying his best keep it simple. "You see daddy had to leave town to help a friend, he had to go away for a long time and he didn't know you were coming because if he did… he wouldn't have left he would have stayed and waited for you."
"What were you doing that took so long daddy?" she asked curiously. "Can you keep a secret?" he asked her. She nodded smiling as Tenten gave him a cautious glace. Nenshō smirked at his little girl leaning in voice and serious. "Your daddy's been fighting bad guys while away keeping everyone safe." The girl smiled and put her fingers to her lips showing that she would keep it a secret. "Do you want to play with me daddy?" She asked innocently.
Nenshō grinned at his daughter. "I'd love to honey. What should we play?" The young girl spun around and sprinted across the room towards her wooden toy chest opening it and shifting through the contents trying to decide what game she should play with her farther. Nenshō moved across the room to the toy chest trying to help her decide on a toy.
Kumo dropped the files on Tsunade's desk and crossed his arms. "So those are the kids? Kikyo Bayou, Kengo Nubari, and Isao Nango." He said having memorized the names of his students. "I trust you can teach them? They were all chosen because their skills and abilities fit into your expertise." She explained folding her hands on her desk. "Isao's a ninjutsu type with water chakra, and Kengo's already ahead of his years in medical Ninjutsu. And Kikyo-"
"Has the same blood control Kekkei Genkai as one of my former comrades making me the only person that can teach her how to use it effectively since I have the most experience and knowhow of its working. Kengo needs to master chakra control to advance his medical Jutsu and since Isao is a water type you're hoping I'll teach him water style Ninjutsu the same Ninjutsu Zabuza taught me and are used by the Hidden Mist. The files made everything clear to me no need to outline everything to me."
"You don't sound very enthusiast." She commented. "And that's saying something since you hardly ever openly show emotion."
"I already had my hands full in intelligence and taking care of my godchild; I don't like losing my job to teach basic skills to Genin." He explained. "If you want to learn Mist Style water Ninjutsu I'll write up a handbook for you. Plenty of even more qualified Jōnin can teach Kengo Chakra control and advanced Medical Ninjutsu and as for the Blood Kekkei Genkai I can't guanine I can teach her how to use it. I have a vague idea how it worked but nothing I can make a promise about."
"I didn't just pull you out of intelligence to teach these kids Kumo." Tsunade explained. "Before you left on your last mission you said you wanted to have more time for Ino and Eri I didn't know at the time that that free time was because you intended to get married. You're required to test this squad and see if there to your liking. If they don't match up to your standards you can send them back to the academy and return to your job in the Interrogation Division. But if you decide to become their squad leader you'll be taking low ranking missions and getting paid for them on top of your usual salary. It's not as exciting but it's safer and keeps you closer to home. Once these kids are experienced enough the squad will be disbanded and you can be transferred elsewhere unless you want to lead another squad."
Kumo sighed. "I guess I have no choice, but be warned my test won't be like anything the academy trained them for, if these kids don't measure up I'm leaving and going back to my old job."
"Fair enough" she conceded, "you're free to test them however you like."
Kumo nodded and turned heading for the door ready for another night of making wedding arrangements with Ino. He hoped to meet her before the snow got too bad. Tommarow he would meet Nenshō and the next day he'd be preparing his test for the Genin, and then his week of peace would be over. For a week of R&R it had been plenty busy and full of work. "Speaking of kids." Said Tsunade. "Are you Ino planning on expanding your family?"
Kumo shook his head, "Not anytime soon." He explained. "I think with having to play godfather and mother with Eri, we want a year or two just to ourselves before doing that."
"Well you should have more space now that Nenshō's back." She said.
"Yeah… that'll be good, I'll see you after I test the kids."
Nenshō quietly closed the door to Eri's room peaking in one last glance at his sleeping daughter before shutting it. He had stayed with Eri as she fell asleep reading her a bedtime story and staying by her side until she fell asleep. He moved into the living room where Tenten waited for him on the couch watching the snow fall outside. "She doesn't go down easy dose she?" he asked taking a seat beside her. Tenten sighed, "I don't know where all that energy comes from." She said pouring herself a dish of sake and one for Nenshō. "I guess it's genetic." He said taking his dish; she smiled as the brought the sake to her lips.
"You haven't changed at all… except for the beard." She said emptying her dish. Nenshō smirked rubbing his whiskers. "You like them? No real need to shave while on the run."
"You could have at least groomed it a little." She teased filling the dish again while Nenshō downed his. "Just didn't see the point of it I suppose."
"Did you miss me?" she suddenly asked staring into her sake dish not meeting his sudden gaze.
"What kind of question is that?" He said looking at her drinking his second dish. "Of course I did, every damn day." Nenshō reached into his pocket and produced a folded photograph of her, the pictures edges were curled and the bottom left corner had all but been worn away from handling. "Kumo tracked me down and gave this to be the day I left Konoha; I've looked at it every day since."
Tenten sipped her sake in silence before speaking again. "What did you do after you left?"
"Tried to make create a new life for myself. I took up Zabuza's goal of reforming the Hidden Mist but… it didn't work… Zabuza's dream died with him, and I was just trying to find a life to replace the one I had left here."
"I'm sorry." She said putting her dish down.
Nenshō smiled and gazed into her eyes. "Don't be… I'm just happy to be back where I belong."