Summary: Tenten uses this time to process and collect her thoughts with the help of Neji. Her grandmother offers an opportunity that could be a game changer.
Frequency X
Tenten dodged Neji's attacks with haste. This is what she needed, time to think before deciding on her next move. This was all happening so quickly, and she couldn't help but think that time was running out. Every second she dragged her feet, someone could be that much closer to finding that sword. And that Akaji guy…what role does he have in this? He was looking for me, her hands were quick to swat at Neji's gentle fist. I can't tell if he's a friend or not. Crouching, she swiped upwards with her head, colliding with Neji's chin. The Hyuga staggered backwards at the sudden headbutt. Steadying himself, he cocked an eyebrow. Whatever was going through her mind, it was causing her instincts to take over wildly.
"He must know something," The bunhead mused. "But then why did he attack the workshop?"
The byakugan user held a defensive stance as Tenten began her series of kicks; a combination she had picked up from Gai when they were chunnin. Neji intercepted the combination by grabbing her ankle and thrusting her sideways, an attempt to have her fumble out of the routine. But, Tenten twisted her hips and used her other leg to hook his waist. Neji barely evaded her heel, flipped backwards and landed a few feet from her current position. He watched as her eyes were dark, focused and yet unreadable. She wasn't a strategist, but she was very good at reading a situation and casting beneficial judgment. That was a form of intelligence that very few of them had. He could see her lips form words as she spoke to herself, her mind connecting the dots. Neji couldn't be much use in this mission besides for support. And if it meant being used as a punching bag so Tenten could properly lead; so be it.
Surely, he was looking for me for a reason…Her eyebrows furrowed. If what Auntie said was true, perhaps he thought Haitao was an intruder, trying to steal from the workshop? Dad did prefer to use that one more than the one on the estate grounds.
Tenten blinked and Neji's hand nearly palmed her face. She dropped into a split and swiftly swung her legs to try and catch him. The Hyuga curled and bounced off his hands, he returned to his offensive gentle fist stance. The bunhead let out a groan as she looked at him, panting slightly.
"If he was looking for me, why did he attack the workshop?! It doesn't make sense!" She exclaimed.
Neji didn't relax his stance. "To get your attention, perhaps."
The weapons mistress clenched her teeth. Akaji could've just approached her! Granted she wouldn't have known who he was, but there was a civilized way this could've been handled. Neji lunged at her, his palm colliding with her chest. Tenten skeeted backwards, a trail of dirt rising with her skid marks. She steadied herself. He was a rogue, technically. If he showed himself he would've been hunted down… Tenten shifted her weight, a recognizable stance to Neji that meant she was about to use her flex style taijutsu; a form of fighting that relied on her flexibility. It looked more like a dance to a bystander. However, if she could land a hit on him, another would soon follow as she would be gaining momentum.
"We'd have to report him to Tsunade if he did approach you openly," Neji huffed as he dodged her punches.
Tenten whipped herself around, her body bending to the momentum and hooked him in the back. Before Neji could register the second hit, her leg had already swept his knees, the Hyuga fell to the ground. His hair danced on his face as he rolled onto his back, his arms in front of his chest blocking her heel that had come barreling down.
"And then we could have lost a lead…" Tenten grunted as she struggled against his grasp; Neji's hands had caught her ankle. "But how do I report that to Lady Tsunade? I can't let this lead go! This may be my only chance!"
Neji grabbed and swung her over him, his feet kicking against her backside. Tenten flew forwards, her balance being disturbed as she struggled to land on her feet. He was over her in seconds, pushing her down into the ground, his eyes focused yet soft. The bunhead struggled against him, her wrists being held by him above her head.
"Then, we don't say anything. I think-" Neji's eyes grew wide. "Tenten are you alright?!"
It was the position they were in. His weight was on her crushing her chest with her arms being anchored above her head. His breath was heavy on her face and it made her skin crawl. Let's try this again, the voice boomed in her head. He could feel her begin to tremble under him but he didn't let go. The Hyuga had thought hard about how else to help Tenten recover from ehr attack. She has to try to fight her way out successfully in order to build up that confidence again, he thought. Better it be me than an enemy right now.
Let go. She screamed in her mind. Let me go!
A flash of gold has sprung across her eyes as they began to weld with tears. She was experiencing that night all over again and it was his fault. Neji loosened his grip, and allowed her to escape from his grasp. Fuck, he thought. This is not working out the way I wanted it to. Her legs grappled onto his waist and she forced her hips around; she was now straddling him. Neji did not move as she panted, sweat pouring down her temples as she looked at him wide eyed. Her eyebrows furrowed and she struggled to keep the tears from falling.
"Tenten," Neji whispered softly. "You are alright. And here, with me."
Slowly, the Hyuga raised his hands to her. "Come back to me, Tenten. Focus!"
Tenten inhaled a shake breath and raised her fists. She began a sequence of brute punches to Neji's lifted hands. In her mind, she was still fighting those demons. Her punches were hard and caused his hands to turn red under the impact. She was finally letting it all out. And he rathered it be him, than someone else. Seeing her desperation to land a hit, Neji grabbed her wrists and pushed her off of him. They returned to their offensive stances as they steadied themselves. This time, Neji did not make much of an effort to dodge. He took her hits with confidence, his body steeling itself upon impact. Her tears finally fell as she unleashed wrath onto him, letting out a cry of desperation as she struck his body. She landed a hit to his cheek, which caused him to stagger backwards. Neji lunged at her, landing a clean punch to her hip, sending her pivoting back. Catching her steps, she jumped up a great height, her leg straight as she pushed herself forward;
Dynamic entry!
Her foot collided into his defensive hold; his arms held over his head. His body jolted as he felt the impact. Tenten rammed her kicks into his block, the speed causing wind to pick up around them. Neji waited for her to tire out; she was slowing down. Her mind had refocused and she was in clear thought once more; processing, planning…scheming. The Hyuga ducked and appeared behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her. Their bodies fell into sync as they breathed in the stillness. His grip was tight and solid around her as they caught their breath. He felt Tenten pat his arm and he released her.
Tenten turned to him and laid her head on his chest. "Thank you."
Neji kissed the top of her head and held her there, waiting for her to push away.
"Holy shit, that is how you two train?!"
The pair's eyes snapped to the voice. Naruto, Lee and Sakura were accompanied by various relatives of Tenten. They hadn't realized an audience was formed as they sparred. Naruto and Sakura looked at the pair in awe. Rock Lee offered a smile to his teammates. The bowl cut shinobi had explained to his friends that Neji and Tenten trained everyday as gennin and as chunnin. When they became jonnin, they developed their own personal fighting style to compliment each other.
"You two were so fast! I couldn't keep up!" Haitao exclaimed. "I was afraid I would blink and miss something!"
A blush crawled onto Tenten's face as they all began to praise them. Neji offered a small smile and kissed her face. Naruto whistled at them which caused Neji to roll his eyes. They walked over to their friends.
"Cousin," Haitao looked at her. "How did you get so fast? I have to know!"
Tenten hummed. "I trained almost everyday when I was your age…and Gai-sensei was an amazing teacher."
Rock Lee grinned at the response. Tenten's taijutsu was only comparable to her teammates and Master Gai, who was dubbed the strongest Taijutsu shinobi ever during the war. For years, he had passed down his wisdom to his students. Arguably, Tenten was able to take on the other shinobi with just her taijutsu and win. However, she stuck mostly to long range fighting and rarely chose to showcase her close combat abilities. Her evasion was excellent, and she had perfect aim. Lee beammed as Tenten swatted at him.
"Don't brag, Lee!" she groaned, her cheeks burning. "Besides, you and Neji are way better than me!"
"Tenten," Sakura stepped forward. "You did that without using chakra. I get my strength from sending my chakra to my fists. Think about that."
The bunhead shook her head and walked towards her relatives. Her aunts and grandparents were looking at her with pride on their faces. It made her chest feel light and fuzzy, feeling their warm gazes. Tenten wondered if her father would approve of who she was now. How she fought, how she carried herself, her friends... Would he have been standing with them with that same look on his face? She thought.
"My, my, Tenten." Her grandmother cooed. "You bring such honor to our family. You are an exceptional kunoichi. Just like your mother."
Tenten didn't miss the side glance her Aunt Chao shot over. There it is…jealousy, the bunhead hummed. She offered her relatives an awkward smile before having a maid push her back into the estate to wash up and change.
"Hyuga," Haitao looked at him. "What's the secret to how you two fight? I've never seen anything like it."
Neji cocked an eyebrow at the younger Hua. "You can just call me, Neji. We are going to be family soon anyway."
Haitao beamed at this. To be this young again…The Hyuga thought (To be fair, he, Tenten, and Lee were in their early twenties…it wasn't that long ago they were teenagers, he supposed).
"Discipline," he stated. "And finding the right person who will always have your back the same way you will have theirs."
Naruto hummed as he followed Tenten to the Hua workshop. They walked past Lee and Sakura, who were sparring a bit on their own after being pumped up by Neji and Tenten's session. Lee had offered to help the pink haired shinobi with her brute strength tactics. Sakura had agreed, offering to teach Lee better chakra control. The blonde smiled a bit as he watched them train, having missed the friendliness in training. Neji had been whisked away with Tenten's relatives, probably to become more acquainted with them. He had promised Tenten that they would spend some more time together after dinner. Tenten asked Naruto to accompany her to the estate workshop. It was a large workshop built with brick and the family crest by the doorway; a golden dragon breathing fire. Naruto tilted his head to the side, finding it curious that the dragon was breathing fire, instead of water…they were in the Land of Rivers after all.
"Oh, it's a chakra seal."
Naruto glanced at the door they stood in front of. Indeed there was a seal painted into the door itself instead of using a tag.
"Hm, I wonder if I could get in…" Tenten palmed the door.
Closing her eyes, she focused her chakra into her hand. Her fingers glowed as her chakra poured from her fingertips into the carved seal, the glowing light filling the hollow carvings. After a moment, the door rumbled and began to open on its own. Tenten and Naruto exchanged grins as they watched the doors open slightly. Naruto pushed the doors open and allowed Tenten to walk through first. Bookshelves lined the walls, crates and trunks of metals, tools, and weapons were neatly arranged in display cases on shelves. A giant furnace was placed in the center of the enormous workshop. It was well maintained, and judging by the smell, it was used not too long ago; maybe in the past week or so? Tenten strolled over to the bookshelf and ran her fingers along the spines. Original blueprints, diaries of her relatives, research…Her amber eyes scanned along the books.
"Woah, Tenten this place is freaking fire!" Naruto exclaimed looking at the weapon displays. "You own these?!"
The bunhead shrugged, she guessed she did in a way. This was her family workshop afterall; perhaps she could borrow some things. Her eyes landed on a leather bound book that looked identical to her father's. Pulling it, she opened to the first page:
Quarts can be used as chakra conductors. It had been tested to successfully conduct chakra if controlled. To compliment it, a steel handle embedded with internal channels will ensure a steady and even distribution of chakra flow. Channels must also run internally into the quarts to allow for successful recall.
Tenten's eyes grew wide, she looked at the diagram before the passage. It was indeed blueprints to a blade with internal channels. Quarts she thought. It was a common enough stone, why was this so revolutionary? Perhaps no one was able to craft such a weapon successfully until her father. She turned the page;
The handles should be light, yet sturdy. Using a hybrid of metals will allow for solid hold and ensure damage does not come to the blade itself when pieced together.
The bunhead looked at the other books on the shelf. She had the thought of crafting her own blade in such a fashion, to be ready in case she did have to fight someone who already had the sword. She could craft her own kunai and repair shuriken…but she hasn't really made a weapon like a sword from scratch before. Pulling more books, she flipped frantically through the pages. Instructions for different weapons were documented, lessons and notes from her relatives about crafting and blacksmithing…she needed a blueprint for a sword. Tenten let out a loud groan as she continued to rummage through the books. Could she even make a sword? Maybe she could try some practice blades and handles first? There wasn't too much time, but she figured she could at least learn something while she was here.
"So, this is where you ran off to. You know, wearing white in a workshop is absolutely dangerous, Tenten."
Tenet's eyes shot to the door. Her grandmother stood by the entrance, peaking into the workshop.
"Granny Hua! This place is awesome!" Naruto grinned.
The elder let out a chuckle at the blonde. She walked over to Naruto and picked up a short sword from a barrel. Tossing it to him, she watched as his arm dipped; the sword was heavier than expected. Naruto mimicked a random stance and swung the sword around. He preferred ninjutsu and taijutsu, but being able to play with blades was also pretty neat; he could see the appeal, and why Tenten preferred them.
"Grandma, what are you doing here?" The bunhead asked.
"I can't spend time with my eldest grandchild while she is on her quest?" The elder winked at her. "What do you take me for Tenten? This old hag still has a sense of adventure to her!"
Tenten grinned and looked back at the bookcase. She was looking for blueprints for a sword similar to the one her father had crafted for the third Hokage. The Hua elder hummed as if thinking, then shook her head after a moment. That sword was of an original design by her father, she would need to find his stash.
"I have his records book!" Tenten told her. "But there is nothing in there about blueprints, just notes about his experiments and mistakes…"
Elder Hua cocked a gray eyebrow. "My dear, have you even crafted a blade before?"
"Well, no. But, I can learn! I know how to repair weapons with the furnace…that's a start right?" The weapons mistress pursed her lips together.
"Well, that is better than nothing…at least your father taught you that much." her grandmother side glanced at Naruto who was still swinging the short sword about. "How much time do you have here?"
"I dunno…a few more weeks maybe?" Tenten mused.
Her grandmother nodded and told her that she would have her Uncle Hua (Lady Chao's husband) teach her the basics while she was here. The weapons mistress beamed, she loved learning new skills and whatever she could pick up while she was here she would use to her full advantage.
"I take it you are a fast learner, just like your parents?"
The bunhead nodded eagerly. Perfect, she thought.
Xiao-Lin had returned home to an empty house and a note from her daughter that she had taken a mission. She was with Neji and her friends and not to worry about her. The Hua's honey colored eyes went wide, in full panic as she pocketed the note and dashed to Maito Gai's residence. Luckily, he was home and was quick to answer the door.
"Gai," she huffed. "Where did they go?!"
The bowl cut jonnin tilted his head to the side. He had explained to her that Tenten had requested a mission to tie up her father's loose ends. Xiao-Lin gasped and inquired on how long they've been gone; she didn't want Tenten to be digging around their family issues by herself. Before Gai answered her, he watched as the woman's face went from panicked to defeated, the realization that she was probably too late to catch up with her daughter hitting her.
"They left a few days ago, Lin." the Taijutsu Master stated. "Were you just informed now?"
Xiao-Lin nodded. "I just got back from a mission myself, I don't understand! Why would she go off so recklessly like this?"
Gai put a reassuring hand on her arm. It was not reckless, Tenten had taken quite a bit of time thinking about this mission and even consulted with himself and others. She went out of ehr way to convince Hiashi Hyuga to endorse her mission. Lady Tsunade had only agreed to it if she had a team with her, and she reported back in a timely manner about her whereabouts and details. There was a seal in the Hokage's office that would deliver the scrolls once Tenten had sent them. Xiao-Lin sighed, relieved that her daughter didn't just run off and that her note wasn't a lie.
"Neji and Lee are with her…and I believe Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki as well." Gai flashed a grin. "She's in good hands, Lin. I promise on my life, she will return to us safely!"
The Hua let out a groan. Tenten why did you have to go poking into a business that isn't yours…? Especially after your attack! Xiao-Lin thanked Gai, who offered her tea. She shook her head, she had to report to Lady Tsunade anyway to give her own mission report.
"If anything were to happen, we would go after them. However, I doubt it will get to that point." Maito Gai hummed and stroked his strong chin. "Why are you against this mission?"
The former Land of Rivers kunoichi bit her lip. A mannerism Gai had recognized in Tenten whenever she was anxious, or hiding something. Xiao-Lin shook her head and thanked him. Before she could turn and walk away, the Taijutsu Master called out to her, reminding her that if she ever needed anything that he was available to her.
After stopping by the Hokage's mansion, Xiao-Lin stopped at Shizukana Hyuga's residence. The civilian was delighted to see her friend and welcomed her in. Tea was prepared, and the women sat around the table. Xiao-Lin told the Hyuga about the note, and her meeting with Lady Tsunade regarding her daughter.
"She went off, just like that. She's still in recovery! This has to be the most reckless thing she's done yet." The Hua groaned.
"What did the Hokage say when you asked her?" Shizukana asked.
"Tenten was determined and was clever enough to pull a team together. She wouldn't have let her go without one. Especially without Neji."
The honey blonde hummed at the mention of her step-son. He had left her a note as well, briefly explaining that he would be gone for quite a while to help Tenten on a lengthy mission. But that was all the information she got from him. Shizukana sipped her tea.
"They are together with a team. I'm sure Tenten is well taken care of." Her green eyes met her friend's light brown ones. "Besides, she has to get back out there despite what happened. I'm no shinobi, but it does more harm for her if she stays and muddles in her mind."
At this Xiao-Lin shrugged. The Hyuga civilian was right, but the uneasiness didn't leave her chest. She was grateful to her friend for attempting to comfort her. Lady Tsunade would surely contact her when Tenten sent her first report back.
The team of Konoha young adults sat in a circle in Tenten's room. Tenten had a scroll in front of her on the coffee table and was writing down the recent events that had occurred. Her teammates were surprised at the news she shared, inquiring if she knew anything else about this Akaji character and why he would go to such great lengths to get her attention. The bunhead could only shrug at their questions. There was a lot she did not know yet, and she was going to try to get some more information.
"What if he's on our side," Naruto said. "Maybe he was trying to get your attention without revealing himself completely and being dragged in? He is a rogue ninja after all."
"Even so, he exposed himself to Haitao. I doubt that he would know who Akaji is or that he was walking into a trap." Lee countered. "It would be unwise to make his presence known to another shinobi."
"But Lee, consider this; Haitao is just a teenager. He was unmatched for this Akaji guy and was almost killed." Sakura retorted. "Plus, he nearly buried him in the flames! That doesn't sound like he's on our side."
"Yeah, but that doesn't explain why he was there at the workshop in the first place. And he even used a clone instead of just coming here himself. Seems a bit fishy, ya'know?" the blonde said.
"A rogue ninja would never show his true face in public, especially in a village that is allied with the village he ran from. That would be poor judgment." Lee mused. "Also, what are the chances that Tenten would be here exactly when he was looking for her? Surely, he did not corner young Haitao knowing that we are in the village?"
Tenten listened as they all tried to piece the puzzle together. A motive, they had one; he was looking for Tenten. Her brush-pen scribbled across the scroll swiftly. Akaji probably went after a weakling, who would only show up to the workshop if he had some attachment to it. And if that person had an attachment, it meant they were somehow connected to Feiten. Akaji got lucky, Tenten pursed her lips together as she continued to write. Right place, right time…
"There is one thing that is bothering me," Neji finally spoke. "This Akaji must know that Tenten and her family had relocated to the Hidden Leaf. Why go through the trouble of coming to Takumi and not disguise his clone to infiltrate Konoha in order to find Tenten?"
The bunhead's hand froze. Neji had made a good point that she had not considered. He could have easily transformed into one of her relatives and traveled to Konoha undetected to infiltrate. Perhaps he couldn't do it? Was that a jutsu he was not capable of?
Sakura furrowed her brows. "I think he may try to contact you again soon, Tenten."
They looked at the weapons master, waiting for her response. Inhaling, she finished off her sentence and with a flick of her wrist, the scrolled whipped back into its holds. Crossing her arms over her chest, Tenten's eyes scanned the scroll. She thought about what Neji had suggested; don't report about Akaji. It was a risky move to not mention him in the reports to Tsunade. For all she knew, Akaji could have just been watching over the workshop and accused her cousin of stealing or something. Tenten bit her lip as she ran through the possibilities again in her mind; friend or foe? She didn't have enough information in order to make a decision. After a moment she looked at her friends.
"Neji and I will discuss our next move after dinner. For now, all we can do is really keep on the lookout for any more suspicious behavior in the village." She ran a hand through her long bangs. "We'll be here for another couple of weeks. I'll be working in the estate workshop with my uncle."
"Oh, sweet! You're going to take that project on?" Naruto chirped.
The others looked at her in curiosity, so she explained; she had decided to attempt to gather some materials in order to craft a replica, or something similar to her father's sword. There were records in the workshop she had found that spoke about crystals and chakra manipulation. She had recalled asking Sakura to dig around the archives at home, but the pink haired ninja had returned to her empty handed; so Tenten dismissed the usual archives. All the basic information she needed was here in the Land of Rivers.
"I know only very basic blacksmithing. While I work on my skills, you guys can wander about. I doubt Akaji will appear to cause any trouble now that he has located me." The bunhead stood from the table. "It would be foolish for him to start trouble with us here."
Stretching her arms over her head, Tenten walked over to her closet and began to rummage through her ensemble choices.
"Uhm…what are you doing?" Naruto asked.
"We've been invited to dinner…all of us." Tenten looked over her shoulder at them. "My aunt sent the maids out to get everyone some clothes to fit in. There's going to be a lot of my relatives and business partners here."
"Woah! Fancy dinner party with your family. Sounds boring, honestly…"
"Naruto! Don't be rude! Lady Hua is allowing us to stay here! It is the absolute least we can do." Sakura snapped and grabbed him by his collar. "Be grateful you were even allowed on the property at all!"
Tenten jumped slightly as she felt a pat on her shoulder. Turning her head, she found Rock Lee next to her. His silent movement was nothing of a surprise; he looked at her and spoke in a low voice that only she could hear.
"I have a bad feeling about this Akaji fellow, Ten. I think we should report him to Lady Tsunade. What if he is an enemy?"
Her amber eyes flashed with uncertainty. "I can't place it, Lee. But something is telling me not to report him. What if he has information I need? I can play nice with him until I get it."
The taijutsu master narrowed his eyes. He didn't like where this thought was going with his friend. "Tenten, please take no offense to this. But I do not think you are in any condition to be pulling information out of him. Especially if you are thinking what I am suspecting you are thinking."
Tenten did not meet his gaze. Her silence was very telling to the green clad shinobi. Clenching his jaw, Lee shook his head; vowing that he would stop her if it came to that point. He could not dare to see her push herself to use her womanly charms to…seduce this man for information. She would destroy her mental state if she were to do that now while she is not fully recovered. Tenten finally met his gaze. The idea was a bit drastic, however, she had to push herself to do it if the moment came. Only if I have to, was the condition. If she could befriend this Akaji and didn't have to use her body to get information, then that would be the ideal situation.
"Tenten, promise me something." Lee whispered. "If it does get to that point, please call on us. I cannot stand to see you in the same situation as last time…and I'm sure Neji would not stand for it either."
The kunoichi bit her lip. It was risky for her, many have been badly injured or killed on seduction missions; she's been on quite a few herself as a jonnin already. But, she would have Neji or Gai and Lee looming in the distance, ensuring her safety.
"Yes," she whispered back. "I promise, Lee."