endless_scrolls | The Forbidden City, Part 1

Title: The Forbidden City, Part 1
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: AU!Naruto
Theme: Bringing you home [ Word count: 2080 ]
Character(s): Tenten, Uzumaki Naruto; brief mentions of Abruame Shino, Hyuuga Neji
Pairing(s): Small hints of Naruto/Tenten
Warning(s): None.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: Fic request. Takes place in the same universe as the

last_stretch RP comm and meant to stand as a log. Because Naruto and Tenten probably have more logs than everyone else in the comm combined. Italics indicate spoken Chinese.
Dedicated to:

rearrangeable. ♥

Most people she knew viewed rain as a curse. A blight on what could have been a beautiful and sunny day. Tenten liked to see it as a blessing. Because beauty could be found anywhere. Even in the dark and dreary. Even in a seemingly ruined day. Such were the thoughts that gave hope to all things discarded and broken.

Some of her most fondest childhood memories were of her family. Of afternoons spent enjoying a quiet rainy day inside, snuggled together on the couch. Her mother would read stories, a twin seated on either side. Her father would be on the floor with his back against the coffee table or his head in either one of their laps. And they would spend hours there, reliving tales of adventure and danger. Of impossible quests and daring heroes. The rain was Tenten's sanctuary.

And most of all, the rain was where she was able to hide her pain. Something she was attempting to do as she stood on the Anshun Bridge.

The gentle tinkling of silverware against ceramic plates hardly did anything to drown out the constant onslaught of rain against the restaurant's roof. Nor did it distract her from the unexpected but wholly unavoidable presence of Naruto, who was poised at the very edge of her vision.

It was merely by chance, and perhaps circumstances, that she had seen her wandering the streets -- the beautiful little kitten Tenten had left back in Tokyo -- as if Itoshii owned it. And for the better part of one month last summer, the young cat had. Walking the same paved streets for at least thirty days had accustomed the Scottish Folds to every dip and curve of Chendu's Jin Li Street. And, apparently, had committed to memory the very paths in which the kitten would be able to reach the heart of the city where Katsuro's restaurant could be found.

Question was, how did Itoshii get there?

The last Tenten had seen of Itoshii's carrier was just before she had gotten on the plane to China, Shino's fingers clenched tightly on the handle as if his -- and her -- life depended on it. And in a way, perhaps it did. Because in the short time he had spent with her, it was clear to Tenten that there was very little he was not willing to do to ensure that Itoshii was safe. A relief and an assurance that she had placed her trust in the right person with her charge: To bring the carrier to...

But of course. Because she had also sent along a note to him as well. One that, apparently incited a need for him to travel thousands of miles to see her. Maybe, even, to bring her back.

"Naruto."

A simple world. A simple name. And currently, her greatest source of anguish.

She... had not wished to face him so soon just yet. It had been Tenten's intention to stay in China for at least two weeks or more while she helped tend to her uncle's restaurant until his money problems were resolved. To think things over and collect her thoughts. To prepare herself for the confrontation that would no doubt occur when she finally returned. And perhaps, even, to give her time to simply... let the situation fully sink in so that she could understand the reasons behind what happened and how she felt about it. Because Tenten was not exactly sure how she felt about the thought of Naruto and Neji having slept together for one night. Possibly more.

A well thought out plan that meant nothing if the thing she was trying to avoid came seeking her out. The greatest of ironies, Tenten thought as she knelt down to run her fingers through Itoshii's soft fur.

But his appearance was not completely unexpected. It was certainly the type of thing that he would do when there was a threat to his cherished friendships. After all, she had done the one thing that he would not tolerate. She had ran away without a word of where and how long. And it was, perhaps, childish of her to do so. Then again, if the young woman were to be truthful to herself, it had been a long time since she had acted as such. And she needed the moment. The impulse. Such is the burden of an old soul living in a young body.

Tenten only wished he had given her a few more days. A few more hours. A lifetime.

Instead, she could only sigh. "What are you doing here, Naruto?"

"I thought it would be obvious. 'Specially when you left me such a nice note."

It was wry in its delivery and in its meaning. Sarcastic. Snarky, even as he directed the comment towards her.

It was Naruto. Plain and simple. And by right, his feelings were validated. But Tenten could not bring herself to care. Because, ironies of ironies, she cared too much already.

"My uncle needed my help, what was I supposed to do?"

"You could've left me more than just a note."

"The phone works both ways."

A light scoff caused Tenten to turn her head a bit more towards him. Far enough to see the disbelief. To see the conflicting emotions and rising annoyance. "Like you would've answered it."

"No, I wouldn't have," she snapped with a quick turn of her head, sounding a bit harsher than she intended, "But at least I told you."

"There was nothing to tell."

"Nothing?" Here, Tenten stilled all movement directed towards Itoshii and focused it on the blond young man standing before her. All the while, a mix of anger, frustration, and... something else -- something she had not felt for a long time -- began to boil up inside of her. It was one matter to come here and confront her before she even had a chance to process everything. But it was another matter all together to imply that her own feelings were invalid. It may had not been Naruto's intentions to do such. But it was how Tenten took it. "Last I checked having sex with a close friend was not nothing."

"Look, Tenny - " he started to say.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Normally, she refrained from interrupting anyone while they were speaking. Naruto especially. Because he held a great disdain at being cut off by anyone. Even her. It was one of the things that irritated him the most, she knew. And Tenten could tell that he had to take a moment to calm his own impulses before he ended up snapping back at her. Inciting an argument with her over something as small as that would only nullify his purpose for coming in the first place. But for the moment, as she turned to fully face him, Tenten could hardly bring herself to care.

When Naruto did not reply to the question, it became clear that he did not quite know the answer to it himself. Which only fueled Tenten's anger. Because there was no reason. There was no purpose that he could explain in words why he had kept something this profound from one of his dearest friends. "Ten months." That was how long ago Neji had said it had been. "Ten months, you had a thousand different chances, and you said nothing to me."

"It's no different than when we decided not to tell Kiba about Yamaki."

And with those words, Tenten felt something within herself snap. As if all of the control and calm that the young woman had tried to maintain for the past few weeks while mulling the situation over simply crumbled to nothing. Leaving behind just the raw emotions she had been trying to avoid flow out of her like water through a broken damn. And as the young woman took a step closer, it became clear that despite the obvious height difference between her and him, neither one held the distinct advantage in this.

"We were trying to keep him from going to jail for murder, Naruto. Because you and I both know Kiba would've killed him if he knew then."

"Kiba got over it," he retorted, "Why - "

"Why can't I?"

Here, Naruto crinkled his brows and nearly scowled at her for interrupting him again. "Stop doing tha - "

"Because. You kept it from me. Ten months, a year ago, two. Neji, Ino, whoever the hell else you chose not to tell me about. You kept it all from me when you never would have before. And I'm not supposed to be hurt by that?" She could hardly stop the words from coming out. And in all honestly, a great part of Tenten did not wish to stall them. Because this had been building up ever since dinner that night nearly a month ago. When Neji had told her everything. Why he and Naruto had fought at the party. Why there had been this unspoken tension between them for so many months. Why... why did it absolutely hurt so much that neither one of them felt the need to even...

"And all this time, I knew something was wrong, but I didn't push you on it." Tenten was getting so frustrated at this point, the words simply not coming to her fast enough to speak them out and perhaps make him understand. And she tried her best to force them out faster, to push her brain to work harder to get them out... no matter what language they were in. "Because I believed we were closer than that. Because I thought eventually you'd tell me on your own. But you didn't."

"It's none of your business, Tenten."

"None of my business? I am supposed to be your Best. Friend. Naruto. And it's none of my business? You have some nerve. I can't believe you would even say something like that to me, like I am just some stranger off the street butting into your life where I do not belong. Like some guttering street urchin. Is that all I am to you? Huh? Was I the one who made the mistake?"

It happened from time to time, mostly during cases of extreme stress, frustration, and annoyance. And often times, when all three occurred at once. Such was the side effect of growing up learning and knowing two languages. Most of the time, it would happen without Tenten realizing it. Because reciting the words stored in her memory was almost as easy as breathing. As existing. That they were in two different languages did not detract from their meaning or impact. In fact, it only emphasized it.

But all it was doing was confusing Naruto even more. And that only fueled his resolve.

"What the hell do you want from me? You can't just pick and choose what you do and don't wanna hear. You didn't throw a fit when I told you about the others. You never did. Now, suddenly, because you know them, you decide you can't fuckin' handle it and you run away? What the fuck, Tenny?"

"Don't you get it? I don't care! I don't care that you slept with Ino, or Neji, or... whoever. I don't care about any of that! I care that you didn't tell me. I care that you kept this from me. That you didn't think that I deserved to know."

And it was then that Tenten felt a heaviness press down on her heart at the words. The sentiments. Because it was a painful truth and a startling revelation. Believing that she no longer held such an important place in Naruto's life was devastating. But not as much as realizing how much she needed to hold that place. How much it meant to Tenten to always be that person for him. And perhaps it showed in her expression. Because the seething anger and irritation seemed to melt away a little from Naruto's face. "I... I didn't know if I could..."

"...That's never stopped you before."

"I know, but... it was different." He paused briefly, as if to rethink the statement and the implications behind it. Ultimately, there was no other words that could fit. "This was different."

"...More than you know." And with that, she turned and ran out into the pouring rain. Because given the choice between dealing with Naruto and the rain, Tenten would rather take her chances with the rain.

"Tenny - WAIT! Tenny!"

Link to Part 2: [ HERE ]

The Forbidden City, Part 1

no subject