endless_scrolls (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
endless_scrolls) wrote2010-11-10 08:57 pm
endless_scrolls) wrote2010-11-10 08:57 pm
Human Nature
Title: Human Nature
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: AU!Naruto
Word count: 2590
Character(s): Tenten, Uchiha Sasuke; brief mentions of Shizune, Yakuzhi Kabuto
Pairing(s): A tiny bit of Sasuke/Tenten... if you squint reeeeeeeally hard.
Warning(s): None
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: Randomly written fic inspired by the events and planned plots that took place at TheRisingSun. The headcanon wanted more. Who was I to deny it?
Dedicated to:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
soliloquiii; ...They should just get a room already >_>
With a strong twist of her body, the young woman brought her leg around in a powerful kick, feeling the rough jerk of contact before using that momentum to follow through with the other leg as well. A soft whistle of air barely noticeable to the untrained ear and a loud grunt of force were the only indications of her movements as the limb circled around from the back and collided with what would no doubt have been a devastating blow to the head. That is, if there had been a man on the receiving end of the kick to begin with. As it stood, there was only the thick padding and tough skin of the bag to feel all the strength of her rage. Only her, alone in the dark training room, to watch as it spun on its suspending chain without protest. All the while, the moon peeked out from behind the clouds in the sky and filtered in through the uncovered windows.
Tenten didn't need the light to see. She already knew the room by heart. And while the pale glow of the moon was a welcomed beauty, painting the entire world in a wonderful tint of blue that Tenten couldn't help but appreciate, she could do without seeing the phantom shadows moving about in the edges of her vision. Her nights had been filled with enough monsters and paranoia ever since the bomb threat. She didn't need more.
Careful and meticulously, the young woman continued on with her kata sets, moving fluidly across the mats with each memorized stance like it was second nature. And in a sense, it was. Eleven years studying under the disciplines and placing the moves into use nearly on a daily basis had practically ingrained the lessons into her mind until they became instinctual. Until one form melted into the other effortlessly like free flowing water. Graceful. Artful. Smooth. Powerful. And with each shift of her body, Tenten felt the tension of the day slowly fade away from her limbs. Never was she so calm -- so at peace -- than when she was stretching and straining through the familiar arts. It was her only comfort from the toils of the business. And when sleep refused to come, it was her best resistance against insomnia. Against bad dreams.
It was routine. Habit. And Tenten knew no other way of coping with the realities that surrounded her like a cage.
"Looks like you had the same idea I did."
Years of hearing the voice had accustomed the young woman with his presence. But she had not expected anyone else to be up so late other than those who were currently working to keep the hotel functioning through the night hours. Then again, it made sense, she was sure. After all, in attacking The Rising Sun so publicly, they had posed an open threat against the Uchiha. And there was hardly anything more important to Sasuke than the reputation and pride of his clan. His family legacy.
Shifting up on one foot for her crane stance, she breathed out evenly and fought the urge to scoff as the words slipped out with ease. "What's the matter? Kabuto having problems warming your bed like he used to?"
"Actually, he's working at the clinic tonight," the young leader responded, sliding out an arm in a counter-shift to her next position. And Tenten could not help but smirk at the familiar block.
He had watched her go through these motions for years, sometimes simply studying her while she moved, other times even following along while he waited for his partners and subordinates to form the line of challengers. All with the thirst and want to learn more and become better than he was. So it made sense that he would know enough to develop a complimentary kata to move with her -- against her -- like the second half of a beautiful and dangerous dance. It was, she liked to believe, one of the main qualities that helped to make them such a powerful team. And one of the little ways that she steadily became one of the most trusted people in Sasuke's small group of allies.
Finishing the last of this particular set of forms, she ended it with a fast and powerful strike to the center of the training bag, hitting a weakened layer and ripping a hole clear through. And as the sand slowly spilled out onto the floor, Tenten finally turned to glance at him over her shoulder. "He's been working there a lot lately."
"Can you blame him? That bomb threat was enough to unnerve anyone." He stood quietly at the window, almost like a Greek statue as he gazed out into the balcony, possibly towards the pool area that laid beyond. The light of the waning moon made the lines of his face deceivingly softer than normal, giving him almost a kinder and more timid expression than she knew he was giving. These days, it was a rarity to find the young man so at peace. "It was enough to make Shizune quit, and she's been working for us since back when my father was still alive."
"She was also the first one they targeted when they started making those calls to everyone," the young woman denoted, recalling the look on the woman's face when she had received the taunting message from the unknown assailant, "And the least experience in dealing with the full force of what we do, for that matter."
A thin and sculpted brow arched incredulously while he shifted to return her gaze. "Are you suggesting I get one of our guys to be my new secretary?"
"I'm suggesting that your next one should be trained to handle the consequences of what we do," came her calm correction, "Otherwise you'll be getting a new one every three years or so."
"They are pretty hard to break in..." he considered, his voice wistful while he contemplated the idea.
The sarcasm wasn't hard to miss, and she was comforted in the fact that his mind was calm enough to make such remarks. It meant that things had started to go back to normal. Business at The Rising Sun Hotel hardly suffered save for one or two usual customers. But the unintended publicity over the whole affair had brought in a slew of new faces that would more than make up for the lost accounts. In this game of wits, there was no place safer than a business that had recently been attacked. People relied on that to keep their own endeavours secured and hidden. And there was nothing they knew better than how to keep secrets.
But there was a thought that had been nagging at her ever since the incident. A realization that came as soon as they had discovered the bomb under the elevator. Far too much thought had been placed in orchestrating the threat for it to be nothing more than a blatant disregard for the delicate balance that existed among the other clans. Any move to demolish that already fragile peace would surely mark the beginning of an all-out war on the streets of the city. And this blow had been too simple -- too underplayed -- to hold such a significance.
Coming to a final conclusion, she stepped out into the first position of her next set of forms and waited for him to take his. He had come down there for a reason, after all, she knew. And it certainly wasn't for the window view. Seated at the top of his empire, Sasuke had a better view from his own bedroom window. And as calm as he would want people to think he was, Tenten knew better than to believe the facade that he would simply move on from the experience. He was far too prideful for that.
It only took him a few moments -- seconds -- to catch her wordless message. And then it was with a silent look and a soft exhale of breath that he began stripping off the heavier layers of his training clothes. As close as the katas brought them, loose clothing would only ruin the perfection of their deadly dance.
His footsteps were practically silent while Sasuke padded across the mats and took his stance mere inches away from her own. And together they began. Had it been anyone else, the sheer darkness of the room would have been too much of a hinderance, even with the light of the moon reflecting off the floors and walls to give vague details to the equipment that surrounded them. But the level of familiarity between them reached beyond the need to see and touched on a more instinctual level. Almost an all too intimate level. She could feel his breath sweeping over the curve of her cheek and neck; could sense the heat of his body and limbs while they shifted along with her. Only someone who knew Tenten well enough and trusted her senses as well as their own could anticipate the speed and timing used with each new position, moving in a way to compliment the beauty and grace of which she practiced her disciplines. And with such confidence in her character, she needed to honor that privilege with her own.
"This wasn't a strike against you or the organization," The young woman began, extending her arm out, her opened and facing upward as she did, "You know that, right?"
"Funny," he scoffed, and shifted to position one arm below hers, palm down, "The bomb in my elevator said otherwise."
"It was an introduction. The other families wouldn't do something like this, it's not their style. " Rotating their shoulders, the two switched positions and eased their weight so that Tenten had to lean more on her back foot or be mercilessly jabbed in the eye with his fingers. "If they wanted a war, they would've tried something bigger."
"Strike first and strike hard to stall the recovery and retaliation." As he spoke, he held out his hand to keep her elbow from colliding with his chin while the young girl continued her motions. And as the joints in her chest and arms cracked and strained from her next stance, Tenten could wondered briefly how it must look to those watching them. Moving as a unit like they tended to do, she supposed, it must look rather amazing. "It's what I would've done."
"Exactly." Holding her breath for an instance, to effectively bend her body backwards to an amazing angle in order to avoid being accidentally struck while Sasuke's foot extended over her head. "Think about it. If they were after any of us, why give a time limit? Why bother to tell us at all unless there was a specific reason?"
"To make an example of us."
The movements continued in a constant and similar manner, one body complimenting the other while they went through the motions of their forms and counter-forms until Tenten began to grow weary of the practiced routine and changed the order. Instead of extending her leg like he expected her to, the young woman snapped out her arm, hitting Sasuke square in the shoulders.
And thus, their spar began without a single word.
It was like fighting against a hurricane of fury and force. There was no doubt in Tenten's mind that he outmatched her in strength. She could feel the power he held over her as a kick to her crossed arms, instantly sending a jolt of pain down through her nerves without mercy. But where she lacked in force, she more than made up in with speed and acrobatics. And her smaller stature would make Tenten less of a target. But even with the advantages and disadvantages that each had, they were still fairly evenly matched. Who won would boil down to strategy and how well they could think while holding their conversation.
"We're one of the most powerful clans in the city - " Dropping down low to dodge a particularly powerful looking punch, she shot her leg out and jabbed the heel of her foot into his shin. But as effective as it was, it left her open to a palm to her cheek. " - And this guy nearly destroyed it all without even breaking a sweat."
"Well - " Bringing his hands in, he manged to catch her kick before it hit center. But that left him vulnerable and unprotected to receive a foot to his chin. " - He picked the wrong guy to screw with."
This was the sort of battling she had thrived on for years, even before joining the organization. When she was simply a young girl playing out the lessons that her martial arts instructors had taught her in competitions and tournaments that were held every summer. She would only have seconds to anticipate her opponent's next move, counter, and deliver her own attack, all while watching and waiting for the next. And as quickly as the mind worked, there was no telling where a match would go or what moves would develop from the fast-pace rush of movement that blurred across her vision. Following a routine was easy and predictable. But thinking and developing plans at a second's notice, constantly modifying them at a split-second's notice was almost addicting.
"But retaliating - " Block a leg. Send a knee to his stomach. Get an elbow to the back of her neck. " - is exactly - " Round her foot around to hit home along his ribs. Avoid a fist to the jaw. Only to fall victim to a fist to the stomach. " - what they want." Barely miss a foot to the skull and plant a fist to his clavicle. Follow through with the elbow towards the temple to finish this only to bring her just close enough for him to get a fist full of her hair... "Someone wanted to get your attentio - ah!"
And just like that, all the movement ceased as her back hit the mat and his other hand shot out to grab one of hers. Before she could make sense of anything, he was already planted above her, his knee pressed lightly into Tenten's abdomen to keep her from struggling too much.
"It's human nature to wanna strike back, Tenten," he grounded out, his face hovering just above her own, "Especially when they violate the sanctity of my own home."
But while it seemed like she was on the verge of losing -- had already lost -- Tenten ran a quick search through her bag of tricks. Curling the first two joints of her fingers, the young woman jammed her knuckles into the sensitive muscle of his throat with what strength remained. Instantly, she felt his fingers loosen enough for her to escape. And in three quick moves while he was struggling for breath, Tenten had him pinned chest first to the mat.
"I know, I want payback too," she muttered softly into his ear, jerking his arm behind him towards where her knee was pressed down against his back, "So, I assume you have a plan?"
Both their bodies shook and shifted while Sasuke continued to cough through the initial pain. And she did nothing to stop him as a hand slipped over to rub at the still raw flesh. But despite that, she could still hear the smirk in his tone when he spoke next. "Don't I always?"
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: AU!Naruto
Word count: 2590
Character(s): Tenten, Uchiha Sasuke; brief mentions of Shizune, Yakuzhi Kabuto
Pairing(s): A tiny bit of Sasuke/Tenten... if you squint reeeeeeeally hard.
Warning(s): None
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: Randomly written fic inspired by the events and planned plots that took place at TheRisingSun. The headcanon wanted more. Who was I to deny it?
Dedicated to:
soliloquiii; ...They should just get a room already >_>With a strong twist of her body, the young woman brought her leg around in a powerful kick, feeling the rough jerk of contact before using that momentum to follow through with the other leg as well. A soft whistle of air barely noticeable to the untrained ear and a loud grunt of force were the only indications of her movements as the limb circled around from the back and collided with what would no doubt have been a devastating blow to the head. That is, if there had been a man on the receiving end of the kick to begin with. As it stood, there was only the thick padding and tough skin of the bag to feel all the strength of her rage. Only her, alone in the dark training room, to watch as it spun on its suspending chain without protest. All the while, the moon peeked out from behind the clouds in the sky and filtered in through the uncovered windows.
Tenten didn't need the light to see. She already knew the room by heart. And while the pale glow of the moon was a welcomed beauty, painting the entire world in a wonderful tint of blue that Tenten couldn't help but appreciate, she could do without seeing the phantom shadows moving about in the edges of her vision. Her nights had been filled with enough monsters and paranoia ever since the bomb threat. She didn't need more.
Careful and meticulously, the young woman continued on with her kata sets, moving fluidly across the mats with each memorized stance like it was second nature. And in a sense, it was. Eleven years studying under the disciplines and placing the moves into use nearly on a daily basis had practically ingrained the lessons into her mind until they became instinctual. Until one form melted into the other effortlessly like free flowing water. Graceful. Artful. Smooth. Powerful. And with each shift of her body, Tenten felt the tension of the day slowly fade away from her limbs. Never was she so calm -- so at peace -- than when she was stretching and straining through the familiar arts. It was her only comfort from the toils of the business. And when sleep refused to come, it was her best resistance against insomnia. Against bad dreams.
It was routine. Habit. And Tenten knew no other way of coping with the realities that surrounded her like a cage.
"Looks like you had the same idea I did."
Years of hearing the voice had accustomed the young woman with his presence. But she had not expected anyone else to be up so late other than those who were currently working to keep the hotel functioning through the night hours. Then again, it made sense, she was sure. After all, in attacking The Rising Sun so publicly, they had posed an open threat against the Uchiha. And there was hardly anything more important to Sasuke than the reputation and pride of his clan. His family legacy.
Shifting up on one foot for her crane stance, she breathed out evenly and fought the urge to scoff as the words slipped out with ease. "What's the matter? Kabuto having problems warming your bed like he used to?"
"Actually, he's working at the clinic tonight," the young leader responded, sliding out an arm in a counter-shift to her next position. And Tenten could not help but smirk at the familiar block.
He had watched her go through these motions for years, sometimes simply studying her while she moved, other times even following along while he waited for his partners and subordinates to form the line of challengers. All with the thirst and want to learn more and become better than he was. So it made sense that he would know enough to develop a complimentary kata to move with her -- against her -- like the second half of a beautiful and dangerous dance. It was, she liked to believe, one of the main qualities that helped to make them such a powerful team. And one of the little ways that she steadily became one of the most trusted people in Sasuke's small group of allies.
Finishing the last of this particular set of forms, she ended it with a fast and powerful strike to the center of the training bag, hitting a weakened layer and ripping a hole clear through. And as the sand slowly spilled out onto the floor, Tenten finally turned to glance at him over her shoulder. "He's been working there a lot lately."
"Can you blame him? That bomb threat was enough to unnerve anyone." He stood quietly at the window, almost like a Greek statue as he gazed out into the balcony, possibly towards the pool area that laid beyond. The light of the waning moon made the lines of his face deceivingly softer than normal, giving him almost a kinder and more timid expression than she knew he was giving. These days, it was a rarity to find the young man so at peace. "It was enough to make Shizune quit, and she's been working for us since back when my father was still alive."
"She was also the first one they targeted when they started making those calls to everyone," the young woman denoted, recalling the look on the woman's face when she had received the taunting message from the unknown assailant, "And the least experience in dealing with the full force of what we do, for that matter."
A thin and sculpted brow arched incredulously while he shifted to return her gaze. "Are you suggesting I get one of our guys to be my new secretary?"
"I'm suggesting that your next one should be trained to handle the consequences of what we do," came her calm correction, "Otherwise you'll be getting a new one every three years or so."
"They are pretty hard to break in..." he considered, his voice wistful while he contemplated the idea.
The sarcasm wasn't hard to miss, and she was comforted in the fact that his mind was calm enough to make such remarks. It meant that things had started to go back to normal. Business at The Rising Sun Hotel hardly suffered save for one or two usual customers. But the unintended publicity over the whole affair had brought in a slew of new faces that would more than make up for the lost accounts. In this game of wits, there was no place safer than a business that had recently been attacked. People relied on that to keep their own endeavours secured and hidden. And there was nothing they knew better than how to keep secrets.
But there was a thought that had been nagging at her ever since the incident. A realization that came as soon as they had discovered the bomb under the elevator. Far too much thought had been placed in orchestrating the threat for it to be nothing more than a blatant disregard for the delicate balance that existed among the other clans. Any move to demolish that already fragile peace would surely mark the beginning of an all-out war on the streets of the city. And this blow had been too simple -- too underplayed -- to hold such a significance.
Coming to a final conclusion, she stepped out into the first position of her next set of forms and waited for him to take his. He had come down there for a reason, after all, she knew. And it certainly wasn't for the window view. Seated at the top of his empire, Sasuke had a better view from his own bedroom window. And as calm as he would want people to think he was, Tenten knew better than to believe the facade that he would simply move on from the experience. He was far too prideful for that.
It only took him a few moments -- seconds -- to catch her wordless message. And then it was with a silent look and a soft exhale of breath that he began stripping off the heavier layers of his training clothes. As close as the katas brought them, loose clothing would only ruin the perfection of their deadly dance.
His footsteps were practically silent while Sasuke padded across the mats and took his stance mere inches away from her own. And together they began. Had it been anyone else, the sheer darkness of the room would have been too much of a hinderance, even with the light of the moon reflecting off the floors and walls to give vague details to the equipment that surrounded them. But the level of familiarity between them reached beyond the need to see and touched on a more instinctual level. Almost an all too intimate level. She could feel his breath sweeping over the curve of her cheek and neck; could sense the heat of his body and limbs while they shifted along with her. Only someone who knew Tenten well enough and trusted her senses as well as their own could anticipate the speed and timing used with each new position, moving in a way to compliment the beauty and grace of which she practiced her disciplines. And with such confidence in her character, she needed to honor that privilege with her own.
"This wasn't a strike against you or the organization," The young woman began, extending her arm out, her opened and facing upward as she did, "You know that, right?"
"Funny," he scoffed, and shifted to position one arm below hers, palm down, "The bomb in my elevator said otherwise."
"It was an introduction. The other families wouldn't do something like this, it's not their style. " Rotating their shoulders, the two switched positions and eased their weight so that Tenten had to lean more on her back foot or be mercilessly jabbed in the eye with his fingers. "If they wanted a war, they would've tried something bigger."
"Strike first and strike hard to stall the recovery and retaliation." As he spoke, he held out his hand to keep her elbow from colliding with his chin while the young girl continued her motions. And as the joints in her chest and arms cracked and strained from her next stance, Tenten could wondered briefly how it must look to those watching them. Moving as a unit like they tended to do, she supposed, it must look rather amazing. "It's what I would've done."
"Exactly." Holding her breath for an instance, to effectively bend her body backwards to an amazing angle in order to avoid being accidentally struck while Sasuke's foot extended over her head. "Think about it. If they were after any of us, why give a time limit? Why bother to tell us at all unless there was a specific reason?"
"To make an example of us."
The movements continued in a constant and similar manner, one body complimenting the other while they went through the motions of their forms and counter-forms until Tenten began to grow weary of the practiced routine and changed the order. Instead of extending her leg like he expected her to, the young woman snapped out her arm, hitting Sasuke square in the shoulders.
And thus, their spar began without a single word.
It was like fighting against a hurricane of fury and force. There was no doubt in Tenten's mind that he outmatched her in strength. She could feel the power he held over her as a kick to her crossed arms, instantly sending a jolt of pain down through her nerves without mercy. But where she lacked in force, she more than made up in with speed and acrobatics. And her smaller stature would make Tenten less of a target. But even with the advantages and disadvantages that each had, they were still fairly evenly matched. Who won would boil down to strategy and how well they could think while holding their conversation.
"We're one of the most powerful clans in the city - " Dropping down low to dodge a particularly powerful looking punch, she shot her leg out and jabbed the heel of her foot into his shin. But as effective as it was, it left her open to a palm to her cheek. " - And this guy nearly destroyed it all without even breaking a sweat."
"Well - " Bringing his hands in, he manged to catch her kick before it hit center. But that left him vulnerable and unprotected to receive a foot to his chin. " - He picked the wrong guy to screw with."
This was the sort of battling she had thrived on for years, even before joining the organization. When she was simply a young girl playing out the lessons that her martial arts instructors had taught her in competitions and tournaments that were held every summer. She would only have seconds to anticipate her opponent's next move, counter, and deliver her own attack, all while watching and waiting for the next. And as quickly as the mind worked, there was no telling where a match would go or what moves would develop from the fast-pace rush of movement that blurred across her vision. Following a routine was easy and predictable. But thinking and developing plans at a second's notice, constantly modifying them at a split-second's notice was almost addicting.
"But retaliating - " Block a leg. Send a knee to his stomach. Get an elbow to the back of her neck. " - is exactly - " Round her foot around to hit home along his ribs. Avoid a fist to the jaw. Only to fall victim to a fist to the stomach. " - what they want." Barely miss a foot to the skull and plant a fist to his clavicle. Follow through with the elbow towards the temple to finish this only to bring her just close enough for him to get a fist full of her hair... "Someone wanted to get your attentio - ah!"
And just like that, all the movement ceased as her back hit the mat and his other hand shot out to grab one of hers. Before she could make sense of anything, he was already planted above her, his knee pressed lightly into Tenten's abdomen to keep her from struggling too much.
"It's human nature to wanna strike back, Tenten," he grounded out, his face hovering just above her own, "Especially when they violate the sanctity of my own home."
But while it seemed like she was on the verge of losing -- had already lost -- Tenten ran a quick search through her bag of tricks. Curling the first two joints of her fingers, the young woman jammed her knuckles into the sensitive muscle of his throat with what strength remained. Instantly, she felt his fingers loosen enough for her to escape. And in three quick moves while he was struggling for breath, Tenten had him pinned chest first to the mat.
"I know, I want payback too," she muttered softly into his ear, jerking his arm behind him towards where her knee was pressed down against his back, "So, I assume you have a plan?"
Both their bodies shook and shifted while Sasuke continued to cough through the initial pain. And she did nothing to stop him as a hand slipped over to rub at the still raw flesh. But despite that, she could still hear the smirk in his tone when he spoke next. "Don't I always?"
no subject
no subject
part of me missed the Tenten violence. So I'm glad to hear that it went off well.Judging between Neji and Tenten spars vs Sasuke and Tenten spars would be difficult. Author writing style factors in, but more importantly, we must remember that both men have different styles of battling, too. Given the nature of Neji's bloodline limit, his spars could very well be considered intimate too. It just depends on the setting and the context surrounding the sparring scenes, really. But I think they have their own separate appeals.
no subject
no subject
IF I WERE ON THE RIGHT JOURNAL, I'D GIVE YOU SUCH AN APPROPRIATE ICON FOR THIS COMMENT.