Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns everything. Except TenTen's mother. She's my own invention.
Mothers I
Summary: TenTen struggles with guilt, and her mother attempts to explain the difficulties of being a kunoichi.
Yori felt her daughter Tenten watch her from the kitchen table, surveying the older woman's every movement as she flitted around the kitchen, preparing dinner. TenTen's eyes narrowed as Yori picked up a knife and began cutting vegetables with both speed and precision. Every couple of moments, Yori would catch TenTen's eyes and smile.
"Is everything okay, darling?" Yori asked.
"I don't know," TenTen said. Yori turned her back to TenTen for a short moment as she got something out of the cupboard, then turned around with furrowed eyebrows.
"Is it something at the Academy?"
TenTen shook her head. "The Academy is good. Great. I was allowed do some target practice with shuriken today, and I hit every bullseye in range! Iruka-sensei said he was impressed."
The sound of the pan sizzling enveloped the room as Yori began to cook the vegetables. Then, "You used to be a kunoichi." Yori nodded slowly, warily.
"Uncle Kenji said you are an amazing kunoichi. I mean, were," she said.
"You make that sound like a bad thing," Yori replied.
"I heard you used to be a chunin."
Yori stopped and turned towards her daughter, crossing her arms, "I was close to becoming a jonin actually. A genjutsu specialist."
TenTen made a face. Yori knew her daughter was not a genjutsu type and hated being reminded of the fact, seeing as people seemed to like to remind many of the girls around her that they were genjutsu types. It was obvious just didn't feel a special connection with genjutsu because she liked things that made a very physical impact. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she found weapon training so much more simple than genjutsu, and just as efficient at weakening an enemy. Hit the target: success. Genjutsu required complex illusions and a certain skill in deceit TenTen lacked. Still, being a genjutsu specialist is no easy feat.
"That just makes it worse," TenTen said, her words icy. Yori took off her apron and sat down at the table.
"Is this about you not being a genjutsu type? You know people just like to assume girls are a genjutsu type and half of the time it isn't true. You aren't an odd one out," she said softly. TenTen glared at her mother.
"Uncle said you retired from being a ninja when you became pregnant with me," TenTen said in a small voice.
Yori hesitated. "That is true."
TenTen looked down at her clasped hands. "I'm sorry, Mama! I stopped you from becoming an all powerful kunoichi. I promise I didn't mean to!"
Yori sighed and put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. TenTen's large brown eyes were downcast and sad, an expression that did not belong in her young eyes.
"Darling, it's not your fault," Yori said, moving her arms to lightly grip TenTen's fisted hands and rubbing circles on the childlike, soft skin. Callouses had yet to form on the young girl's hands, but Yori knew that one day they would. Unable to catch her daughter's eyes, she put a finger to the girl's chin and lifted her head.
"It was my choice, and-"
"I don't understand!" TenTen said, her eyes finally lifting to meet her mother's, "why did you have to retire?"
"TenTen! When I was growing up, I was alone because my parents were shinobi and out on missions all the time. When I became pregnant with you, I realized I didn't want my child to grow up with an absent mother. I made my choice, and now I live with it."
"You weren't forced into retiring because of me?"
"What? No, of course not!" Yori said. TenTen flinched away from her mother's harsh tone.
"I just… I don't see many mama kunoichi." Unasked questions hung in the air. TenTen's young mind didn't understand the oppressive subtleties of gender roles, and Yori was loath to explain them in detail, to ruin the wonderful world lucky children lived and played in. Yori could empathize with TenTen's conflicting emotions stemming from being a girl in a male dominated field, and the belief that she had taken away her mother's chances at greatness and the guilt that ensued.
"I need you to listen to me," Yori's words were serious but softly spoken, "being a kunoichi means you have to sacrifice quite a bit: a stable relationship with people you care about; the safety of your own life; the certainty that you can be there for someone when they need you. I am happy with my life. I found another job I love, and can spend time with my family and friends. Being a kunoichi is no longer the right role for me."
Sadness melted from TenTen's eyes as she smiled at her mother.
"You still want to be an awesome kunoichi?" Yori asked, happy that her daughter no longer seemed upset.
"Not just an awesome kunoichi! The greatest shinobi that ever lived!" TenTen said with a passion.
"Right," Yori grinned, though aware TenTen had not absorbed the implications of being a shinobi. Her guilt was eased, however, and that was a start. Yori raised her hand for a high five, and TenTen slapped her hand energetically.
"And remember, when it comes to the battlefield, whether you're a girl or boy or anything else, everyone is human at the end of the day."
The young girl just grinned, perhaps not understanding everything Yori said but feeling lighter and freer because of her words.
A/N: Next up: Ino's First Wedding. Stick around! Constructive criticism is more than welcome. There's going to be more than one oneshot about mother and daughter relationships, so get excited.