"The Greatest Idea Ever"
By Quick-n-Popular
Disclaimer: "Naruto" and its characters do not belong to me.
A/N: 'Writer's Block' doesn't last forever, thank goodness. Big thank you to those who've been interested and invested in this little experiment of mine.
Chapter Eight: Tenten's Realization
After the match between Hinata and Neji, it was the end of the preliminary one-on-one matches. There was a brief intermission before they would announce who would face who in the final matches in a month's time. During this lull, Tenten searched for her blond training partner after having her ankle healed by a medic nin.
Luckily, she didn't have to search far as she found him leaning up against one of the pillars in the room looking deep in thought.
"Hey, Naruto." She called out to him. At first she didn't know if he had heard her and she was about to try again when he looked up and smiled softly at her.
"Hi, Tenten. Some exam, huh."
The Kunoichi felt a little taken aback by how somber he sounded. She felt the need to address it.
"Why so down? You were great out there! You've really got some skill showing and those moves from your sword are something else. Who knows, you might come close to being as great as me one of these days." She grinned the last part and felt reassured as he was now grinning back at her.
"The way you took down that girl was really cool, too." However, Naruto's mood dipped a little as he ventured into another topic, "I wish your teammate showed the same consideration for his opponent like you did with her, even though that Temari was a bitch at the end."
Tenten now realized what was bugging him and she couldn't really blame him. Neji's family really didn't make all that much sense to her when he would talk about them and his beef with those up above in the Main House. However, while she sympathized with him, she still couldn't condone how he treats others because of it. Even she had winced at seeing the brutality he unleashed onto his cousin who was only reaching out to him.
Unaware of her thoughts right now, Naruto's eyes widened in a "I just remembered something" moment and then he grabbed a scroll from his sash and held it out to her.
"What's this?" Tenten asked curiously before accepting the scroll.
"My team and I ran into some trouble in the forest and faced a really creepy guy. He was really strong and, luckily, I managed to get his sword away from him before he had to run away." Naruto grinned cheekily before shrugging, "But I already got a sword. So, I thought, maybe you should have it since you use more than one weapon, or your dad could have it."
Tenten looked thoughtful as she looked at the scroll in her hands, before she she asked a question, "Did you find out who it was you were fighting?"
Naruto shrugged, "Said his name was 'Orochimaru' or something. The guy's definitely way off the deep end."
Tenten froze on the spot. That name was famous but for different reasons. The only one that mattered to her though was that his name was synonymous with someone Tenten looked up to and idolized above all others, the legendary Tsunade. One of, if not THEE strongest woman of all Konoha's history. She's a ground breaker in the medical field and she, along with Orochimaru, and a man named Jiraiya; were known as the Sannin.
To hear someone had met, and in this case fought against, one of the most notable shinobi of the village's history, and that someone being the boy in front of her; made Tenten, at first, doubtful. However, Naruto has never lied to her. She knew he didn't make up things to try impress people. He may boast at times but he was factual in the end.
With this in mind, Tenten looked at the scroll in her hand with excitement but also a little trepidation. Steeling herself, she unsealed the scroll and what appeared nearly took her breath away. It was a Jian blade. Jade in color, a double-sided blade that weighed hardly anything.
Only one sword matched this criteria and its whereabouts were unknown.
"Oh yeah, I think he called it a 'Kusanagi' or something." She heard Naruto mention as an afterthought.
However, Tenten didn't respond. She couldn't. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined that she would see let alone hold this infamous sword. Whats more, Naruto had given it to her like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Tenten?"
The weapons specialist sealed the sword back up and did something entirely out of character for her. She pulled the blond teen into a hug.
The announcement for the upcoming matches came from Hayate who called the Genin together.
Naruto, still in a daze over the feeling of Tenten's hug, listened as the pairings in the matches were called. He soon heard his and was thoughtful after hearing it. He would be up against Neji Hyuuga, Tenten's teammate. While he was eager to beat into the boy some humility and some sense on how to treat others, especially family, he didn't really know how to go about doing it.
After the pairings had been called, the first part of the third exam had ended and they were given a month until the finals. Naruto decided he needed to speak with his Kenjutsu instructor.
Unfortunately, Naruto couldn't find Hayate, as after making the announcements the man seemingly disappeared from there; so, Naruto looked for and found Kakashi instead, who was giving instruction to Sakura. Meanwhile, Sasuke seemed to be absent.
Noticing his arrival, Kakashi finished up with Sakura before turning to him.
"We'll go over everything you'll need to know about the Aburame clan before you face him. Now, go home and get a good night's rest. You'll need it for our schedule in the morning."
Sakura nodded and smiled thinly at Naruto before leaving the two of them.
Kakashi turned to Naruto, "Well, well, it seems two of my cute little Genin have made it far. Like I told Sakura, congratulations to you both."
Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his head sheepishly before looking to his sensei. "Kakashi-sensei, do you know what I should do about this Neji guy?"
Kakashi looked thoughtful, "Well, yes and no. Have you talked to Hayate-san yet?"
Naruto shook his head, "I haven't been able to find him."
Kakashi 'eye-smiled', "He's most likely looking for Yugao-san. You'll probably have better luck tomorrow." Seeing the boy nod in acceptance, he decided to voice his thoughts, "As for what I can do for you, that's a little unclear. Between the two of you, Sakura needs more instruction. With you, I would recommend brushing up on the things you've already learned and maybe go to the next phase of the chakra exercises, which is water walking."
Naruto blinked in surprise, "Will that really help me against someone like Neji?"
Kakashi shook his head, "It won't, but it'll help you in the long run. Hayate-san would be able to give you some ideas with kenjutsu but in dealing with a member of the Hyuuga clan whose method is unarmed combat, I'm not sure. I imagine Gai, if not that girl student of his, has taught Neji-san how to disarm an opponent in a quick way."
Naruto, knowing Tenten, imagined she and her team would be well-trained in that regard.
Naruto sighed and thanked his Sensei before deciding that he wanted to ask someone about another thing that was weighing heavily on his mind and the person to ask was his 'Jiji'.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was looking over some documents when he heard a knock at his door.
"Enter."
The door swung open and Naruto came in, to which the old leader smiled, "You've been doing tremendously I hear, Naruto-kun. Both Kakashi-san and Hayate-san have made great praise about your efforts. You and your team have also been preforming well in the Exams. You should feel proud for making it so far."
The blond hired boy grinned but soon looked down at the floor in contemplation. "About the Exams, Jiji, I met someone in them who seemed to know about my mother, telling me her name, Kushina Uzumaki."
The Sandaime looked off to the side and thought about this. It seemed the boy finally was learning about his parentage which should have been under tight wraps. That sword at his side was made for his mother but from what Kakashi and Gai had told him neither men, nor did young Tenten, told the boy this name. That meant only one other possibility.
"Did the man in the Forest of Death tell you this?" He asked.
Naruto shook his head, "No, some Genin named Chojuro from Kiri told me. He said that their Mizukage wanted to talk to me about her." He looked imploringly at his pseudo-grandfather, "Jiji, why do they know about her but not me. Is my mom's name Kushina?"
There was a pause as Hiruzen tried to find the best way to respond.
"You might as well tell him." Said a voice from the open widow behind the Hokage.
Sarutobi sighed as a man came in through there and walked around to the side. The man was tall and had long white spiky hair and a headband with a horned plate with the kanji for oil on it. He turned to look at the Hokage.
"I think its time for this in any case."
The blond teen looked on guard as he looked at this new person but turned back to the Sandaime who sighed tiredly.
"I agree. Naruto-kun, first of all, this man is named Jiraiya and he's one of my students. Secondly, yes you are correct, your mother's name is Kushina."
It was quiet before a look of hurt was on the blond's face. "Why didn't you tell me?"
The man, Jiraiya, answered for his teacher, "Kid, you realize we are a village of Shinobi, right? Keeping secrets is a trade of ours and your mother is one of them."
"We needed to keep it a secret from you, Naruto-kun because there are still people looking for information on her. The Uzumaki clan was proficient in seals and their special chakra. If someone were to learn that she had a son, you and the village would have been targeted." The Sandaime smiled kindly, "We both know that you were excited by this and you probably would have told Iruka-kun and some others this, am I right?"
Naruto nodded.
"That's how things start." Jiraiya said, "Soon, it would lead to merchants overhearing and then it would go across our borders and beyond our control."
Naruto thought for a moment and then scowled as he looked at the white haired man, "Then why was I told of her by someone from a different village? Why does this Mizukage person know?"
Both men were silent until it was broken by Jirsiya who sighed, "Well, it goes like this. There was an incident when your mother was abducted by Kumogakure and was being taken back to their village. This news spread fast and her rescuer was a boy from the Academy she went with."
Naruto gaped at this piece of information but before he could ask what was on the tip of his tongue, Jiraiya continued.
"That event spread like wildfire and a lot of the other villages heard about it. But there's another reason why Kiri knows, kid. It had a hand in destroying Uzushiogakure, the village where your mother came from."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock.
"My guess is that the Mizukage, wants to apologize to you or something in relation to that." Jiraiya finished.
Naruto thought about this and looked to the two men and grimaced, "You told me she died protecting the village from the Kyuubi. Was that true?"
Sarutobi nodded, "Yes but there's more to it than that, which I think we can tell you now. Naruto, before you there were two other Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. Your mother, Kushina, was one of them."
Naruto's eyes widened and his breathing hitched in his throat. "What?"
Jiraiya nodded, "Due to her giving birth to you, the seal got compromised and the Kyuubi got set free. It destroyed a lot in the village and killed many before the Yondaime was able to seal it inside you. However, Kushina didn't survive the experience. So, her protecting the village was true in this sense."
Naruto looked to the floor in thought.
"Naruto-kun, I'm sure you have more questions but it's getting late and there's something else I'd like to discuss with you, is that alright? We can continue about your mother at another time." The Hokage asked kindly.
Naruto didn't look satisfied but he nodded reluctantly. "I'm going to hold you to that, Jiji."
Sarutobi nodded and then continued, "I understand you're in need of instruction for your upcoming fight in a month, is that right?" Seeing the boy nod, he continued, "Jiraiya here is willing to help you in that regard."
Naruto looked at the spiky haired man in surprise and a bit of suspicion. However he nodded in acceptance.
Jiraiya shrugged and said, "This will depend on you though, kid. I understand you're receiving kenjutsu lessons but I gotta tell you that I can't help you in that area."
Naruto nodded, "I'll look for Hayate-sensei for those."
Jiraiya nodded, "We'll meet up near the Training Grounds 5 area, tomorrow, and flesh out on what we'll cover." Then a big grin came across his face. "But for now, it's time for some research." He nodded towards the Hokage, "See you later, old man." He then went and leapt out of the window.
Tenten arrived to her home in mostly good spirits. At the time, when she was reflecting on the famous sword Naruto had given her, they made the announcement that the person she would be facing in the finals would be that teammate of the girl she had beaten, Gaara of Suna.
Tenten faced a problem with that as the opponent she was now set up against didn't show what he could do in the preliminaries. Gaara's opponent had forfeited before the red head could show his way of fighting. She was going to have to go into this blind.
Entering her home, she was eager to show her father the Kusanagi, however she then remembered that he was going to be out drinking with clients today and wouldn't be home until late in the evening. She decided to make it a surprise for him when he was sober and in the meantime she'd conduct some maintenance on her weapons before going to the hot springs to clean away the grime from the last couple of days.
Jiraiya hummed as he positioned himself in his observation and documenting spot near a crack in the wall of the village's onsen. He reflected on what's been happening since and before he came back to the village to report to the Hokage on the going ons of the Elemental Nations.
As of right now the world was at peace but it still felt very fragile. Kumo was quiet, as was Iwa, and Kiri just ended it's self-isolation by sending Genin to this year's Chuunin Exams here in Konoha. Suna seemed peculiar and Jiraiya suspected something was in the works but as to what he didn't know. The new village Oto had been quiet but he was having difficulty finding out more about the village so that was a problem. All in all, the world seemed stable.
Jiraiya's thoughts turned towards Konoha and of the boy he just met with. The Toad Sannin was happy that the boy was doing good and that he was going to be given a chance to train him for a bit. It surprised the man that the teen took up kenjutsu training so readily upon getting that sword but Kushina and Minato had surprised him on more than one occasion, so go figure. Thinking on the boy's mother and her sword which the boy now had in his possession, he had mixed feelings. Jiraiya had found out that the sword was made in Grass Country on Minato's order but for what purpose he couldn't fathom. It seemed that his late student had something in mind for the sword when it was to be given to his wife.
Well, the fact that the teen can use his mother's sword, when no one else could, is definitely a boon in a way. When Jiraiya had learned that it had been a girl around the boy's age who had given the boy the sword he felt inspired, especially since he learned that the same girl had given the blond teen a crash course in swordsmanship. He knew Kushina would curse his soul from the great beyond if she were to learn Jiraiya had used her son as a character in one of his adult stories. Though tempted, he refrained for the time being.
Putting these ideas on hold he heard voices from the other side of the wall.
As the women entered the bathing area he was observing, Jiraiya giddily began writing notes for his book series, Icha Icha.
Tenten sighed contently as she entered the hot water and settled next to a rock outcropping near the side of the onsen. She idly listened to the chatter from some of the other bathers but her mind went elsewhere in its relaxed state.
Feeling the warmth of the water her, she recalled the unexpected warmth she felt when she hugged Naruto in thanks for the priceless gift she was given. When he had awkwardly hugged her back in response, she had felt that warmth inside her grow. Tenten couldn't remember the last time she felt something like from somebody. She couldn't remember her late mother's embrace, but she hasn't hugged her father in who knows how long but even then, she doubted it would bring upon this type of feeling. Being so serious about becoming a Shinobi and being quite less girly than most girls she met; Tenten didn't really expect to be giving out any kind of affection openly to anyone (or receiving any). At least not till today.
Thinking on the boy who brought this all on, she felt a tinge of sadness. He never felt any kind of parental affection in his own life. And on that note, Tenten immediately thought of the name of the person who that sword of Naruto's was, originally, going to go to: Kushina Uzumaki. While Tenten felt guilty for not bringing up the name with the teen boy she had been training with, due to mostly having been putting it off for so long; she now felt inclined to bring it up with Naruto when she met with him next. It was the least she could do as, hopefully, the two of them might find a link between this person and him. After all, it didn't seem like her sensei or Naruto's were going to be helpful in this regard.
Feeling inspired, Tenten stood up and clenched her fist in determination before declaring in soft yet hard tone, "Naruto, I will help you find out about this Kushina person. As your instructor and partner, I will make this happen." She then wobbled a bit and her towel slackened before she re-tightened it.
"Uh, getting a little light-headed. Maybe I should get out early…" Tenten muttered while placing a hand of her head before getting out and going to the changing area. She missed hearing a quiet voice from behind the wall, where she was next to previously, chuckle to itself.
"Not bad, kid, you got a good girl in your corner. Kushina can curse me all she wants, this would make good material…."
By the time she had come home, Tenten had noticed that there was a light on in the window of her father's room, which meant he was back and, probably, was nursing a slight inebriated stupor. While she frowned on him going on all night drinking sprees, her dad was at least decent enough to not do it frequently.
Coming inside, she saw him leaning on the counter with his back to her, groaning slightly.
"Did Yoshida-san dare you into a contest again, Dad?" She asked out loud causing him to stir due to hearing someone else in the room when he thought he was alone.
"No, not this time, Ten-chan." He said, trying to straighten up, "It was a retired Academy sensei, Yuriko-san. She likes to tell stories and have you drink with her after each one." He groaned quietly.
Tenten rolled her eyes before she started to head towards the kitchen. "Sounds tough, want some water and a remedy?"
Her father nodded and then cradled his head in one hand before giving a deep sigh, "By the way, how's the Exam going?"
"Challenging," Tenten replied from the kitchen, "Some of the people there are something else."
When she returned with the medicine and the water, her father thanked her before going into another topic, "Is that boy, Naruto-san, still in it? Have you seen him use that sword at all?"
Tenten smiled, which her father mentally noted, before she got into a comfortable position leaning against the counter like her father, "He's been very surprising with what I've seen him do, Dad. He's really becoming a good swordsman and not just some wannabe flinging around a sharp weapon."
Shin nodded before swallowing the medicine she gave him and downing the water. "Speaking of him and that sword, Yuriko-sensei seems to have known this Kushina person when she was a student at the academy."
Tenten's eyes widened and she turned to her farther so abruptly he was a little startled. "What?! Really?"
Shin gave a lopsided grin, "Yuriko-san can really hold both her liquor AND her memories from so long ago."
Tenten encouraged him to tell some more, "So what does she remember?"
"Apparently, when this Kushina was a young girl, she was a transfer from Uzushiogakure before the country got destroyed, had hair as red as her bad temper, and that there was an incident that happened while she was attending school." Shin then retold what the old school teacher had told him about Kumogakure abducting girl and how another boy from her class ended up finding and rescuing her.
"You wanna hear the interesting part?" Shin said, smirking, "That "boy" ended up being the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze."
Tenten was surprised. She finally had a clue about this woman and it turned out she had been saved by someone who became Hokage later on.
However, the story didn't end there with Yuriko-san's retelling.
"Yuriko-san also said that the two started dating as a result of that experience." Shin chuckled, "Her last words were before she passed out was, "Heaven help whatever child those two would come up with, with her as a mother and the future Hokage as a father."."
As shin resumed drinking his water, Tenten's mind reeled at this clue she now had. Suddenly, though, she had a jolt of a sudden idea that felt like an incredibly horrible outcome if it were true.
She asked her father, "Dad, when you did business with the Yondaime's office. What did the Yondaime looked like?"
Shin thought for a moment before sighing, "Well, he was a tall but not too tall person. Looked like a 'jack-of-all-trades' but wasn't overly muscular." He then paused before saying, "He was a blond but not the paler shade you see on the Yamanakas. Why are you asking this?"
Tenten didn't answer her mouth was open in realization and NOW she really did feel light headed."
To be continued….
A/N II: A short chapter, but I feel like I got what I needed across for this segment. Please review and tell me what you all think of it and I'll churn out the next one sometime next week.
Thank you for reading!
Q-n-P