endless_scrolls (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
endless_scrolls) wrote2011-06-16 10:45 pm
endless_scrolls) wrote2011-06-16 10:45 pm
Here and Now
Title: Here and Now
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: Naruto
Theme: 01. The stillness of now [ Wordcount: 1749]
Character(s): Tenten, Aburame Shino; brief mentions of Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama, Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke
Pairing(s): Hints of Shino/Tenten
Warning(s): None.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: Random series of one-shots based on the themes borrowed from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
20_aus although... it's more like 25 since I plan on doing the extra/bonus themes too. Written for the AU contest being held over at the ShinoxTentenFC club on dA. In hindsight, this is probably a bad idea for trimming back on the plot bunnies.
Dedicated to:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
semchance; because their cute works in any universe, I say. 8|
Useless fact: 'The red string of fate, also referred to as the red thread of destiny, red thread of fate, and other variants, is an East Asian belief originating from Chinese legend and is also used in Japanese legend. [...] The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of time, place or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. This myth is similar to the Western concept of soulmates or a twin flame.'
Five days of traveling had brought the mass group of Leaf shinobi to the heart of the Joint Army Base. All the while, it had been her belief that she and her team would have made the distance within three days or less on their own. After all, they were the fastest squad in the village, and one of the few who still remained together in the team they had started out with back in their Genin days. At least, that had been the case last week. Tenten wasn't quite sure the same could be said now. Since the formation of the Shibobi Alliance, they were no longer alone. And with the threat Akastuki placed on the entire world, they could not afford the luxury of working on their own anymore.
Looking out over the camp from her high perch, the kunoichi was hit with the overwhelming realization of what they were setting out to do; the realization of what they had already done. For the first time in recorded history of the shinobi, the Five Great Nations were joining together to fight a common enemy. That alone was enough to say of the power and danger Uchiha Madara possessed.
It would be the first Great War to occur in their lifetime; her lifetime. And it would be against a man who had survived a battle with Senju Hashirama, one of the most powerful shinobi to ever live; a man who gained control of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox before Namikaze Minato sealed his spirit into Naruto's infant form. A man who, up until the previous generation, was the sole person in possession of control over wood techniques. A man who founded the village and began a revolution.
To say that Tenten was nervous would be an understatement.
But despite that, she was a kunoichi, first and foremost. It wasn't a lack of fear that kept them strong, after all, but the ability to work past it. And with the battle beginning at the break of dawn the next day, there was only one way she truly knew how.
"Thanks for coming."
"I thought it better not to refuse, given your past... temperaments."
Glancing over her shoulder, she did little to fight the smile that pulled at her lips. Mostly because he was absolutely right, in every way imaginable. And also because she would miss the neutral subtlety that came with being in his presence. Tenten had missed it enough already. With all the preparations leading up to the march, there had been nearly no time for anything else but training, packing, and strategizing; nothing but hunting and collecting as much information on the opposing army as they could. And that meant that there had been no time to spare to deal with her own personal matters, including but not limited to the man that stood before her.
Breathing out in a soft scoff, the kunoichi returned her gaze over the valley and the joint army once more. "I always knew you were a smart guy, Aburame."
The whisper of cloth and the quiet grind of sand and dirt was the only indication of his movements. But before she could pin a distance between them, Shino's ever looming figure shifted into the edge of her vision. And without realizing it, the young woman fell into the usual comfort she felt in his presence.
"I was placed in the First Division. What about you?" And out of an old habit and tendency that Tenten hadn't quite been able to drop from her childhood., she began idly twirling a kunai between her fingers. To keep her hands busy; to keep her focus distracted just a moment longer while she waited for his response.
And unlike usual, she didn't have to wait long before getting one. "...Fifth."
"Hm, that's what I thought," the young woman said with a stiff nod in affirmation. And then after a while of listening to nothing but the faint whistle of the wind and distant murmurs of the mass forces gathered below them, she broke the silence. "So... I guess we're not as alike as you thought."
The look she gave him was playful, if not a weak attempt to make like of the situation. But the solid and unbending mask Tenten found herself facing quickly turned that small effort sour. Turned it honest. Then again, she should have expected as much from an Aburame; should have expected as much from Shino. But there were no regrets in at least trying and hoping he would give in just this once. Sometimes Tenten needed her illusions as much as the people she performed for too.
"So, it starts tomorrow," she murmured instead, "Eighteen years, and this'll be our first war..."
"...Many steps were taken to lead us down this path, not least of all, your unexpected capture and what came from it."
It would be an understatement to say that she was concerned about the outcome. They had faced up against many foes in their short life. Their short career. And though there had been some stumble-blocks along the way, nothing could have prepared them for what it will be like to fight in an all out war. The top five strongest shinobi nations would fight together against a force she could only imagine. Akasuki, after all, were no pushovers. And Madara was the biggest sort of evil they could get their hands on. Who knew what he had in store for them all.
"I'm just glad Sasuke's on our side for this."
A small little shift on the edge of her vision caught the kunoichi's attention and directed it to her companion standing beside her. He was as unmoving and unreadable as ever, with only the extra layer of his flank jacket to mark the difference. And while normally, she would have just accepted his quiet resolve and keen projected inner thoughts, there was something about it now that grated on her nerves in the worse of ways. This was not just some mission they would fight their way through to survive. There would be no reprieve if her experience with fighting Akatsuki members were any indication. This was a war. They would be tested to their brink. They would be facing a foe they knew very little about. They would be going into this war blind. And even then, we might not survive to the end...
Didn't he understand that?
We might not... ever know...
"...Shino..."
It was something Tenten hated, but could not avoid: being uncertain about the future. She hadn't hoped to believe that things were pre-determined like Neji had once preached. Nor was she so optimistic as to think that a life could be designed by the person who would live it. Everything wasn't entirely unexpected. Happy endings were as common as fairytales. What was important and what she truly placed her trust in was the idea that their choices became the driving force behind how their lives would run and how their lives would eventually end. What a person decides helps determine which road a life would follow.
With that in mind and her sometimes impulsive nature in full swing, there was nothing stopping her hand from pulling back the hood of his jacket; nothing stopping her from tugging down the zipper of his newly issued flank vest. Shino merely stood there, unmoving and still. In shock. In curiosity. In some unspoken affirmation that, yes. he wanted this too. His glasses hid the true reason, as usual, and she was not one to ask for a second opinion. And even so, as she pulled him to her in one swift motion, there seemed to be a moment -- a split second of time between their distance -- where the kunoichi saw his brows lift up just a fraction to indicate the former. The first.
...Their first.
To her, it seemed to last for eternity, years -- a lifetime -- of ambiguity and impressed professionalism built up over time coming to light as the moments flashed through her mind. Something had always been there, laying just underneath the surface. She knew that back then. But she couldn't quite put a name to it. And it wasn't until just moments before that she finally could... before she was finally willing to give it one. And from there, it was only a matter of taking that first step. That first leap. And as the few seconds of reality passed by, it was over almost as soon as it had begun.
And it... was amazing.
Slowly, she pulled back from the kiss. -- Kiss. Kiss. She just kissed Aburame Shino. -- And after a moment of quiet consideration, the young woman allowed her eyes to trail up and meet her own reflection within the darkened surface of his glasses. She could still feel his breath against her lips, the heat of his body whispering along her own. And before he could stumble out any sort of response, Tenten decidedly gave him a half-truthful explanation to his searching eyes behind tinted glass.
"I just... wanted to know what it'd feel like."
Though he didn't move, Shino seemed to manage to tilt his head in such a way that the glare of the dimming light caught across the screen of his glasses in some unspoken message she could only assume about later. Now, her thoughts were only on how right it felt to be standing here like this with him. Even if only for a single moment. And with only a faint smile to reassure them both that things were still okay, she pulled up the zipper of his collar and repositioned the hood of his jacket once more, in the same slow and deliberate manner she had undone them.
"Be careful out there, Shino."
But as she moved to pull away, the kunoichi felt his long and slender fingers glide over the curve of her wrist, gripping on using a light but very intentful hold and putting her departure to a full stop. All without a single word being said as were most exchanges with the young Aburame. But Tenten had learned to read such gestures long ago, after she returned from Otogakure with the rogue Uchiha in tow. Looking into the deep shade of his eyewear, she could see the words on his lips and in those eyes of his hidden behind dark prescription glass.
The world was still full of possibilities. They still had a chance.
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: Naruto
Theme: 01. The stillness of now [ Wordcount: 1749]
Character(s): Tenten, Aburame Shino; brief mentions of Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama, Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke
Pairing(s): Hints of Shino/Tenten
Warning(s): None.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: Random series of one-shots based on the themes borrowed from
20_aus Dedicated to:
semchance; because their cute works in any universe, I say. 8|Useless fact: 'The red string of fate, also referred to as the red thread of destiny, red thread of fate, and other variants, is an East Asian belief originating from Chinese legend and is also used in Japanese legend. [...] The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of time, place or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. This myth is similar to the Western concept of soulmates or a twin flame.'
Five days of traveling had brought the mass group of Leaf shinobi to the heart of the Joint Army Base. All the while, it had been her belief that she and her team would have made the distance within three days or less on their own. After all, they were the fastest squad in the village, and one of the few who still remained together in the team they had started out with back in their Genin days. At least, that had been the case last week. Tenten wasn't quite sure the same could be said now. Since the formation of the Shibobi Alliance, they were no longer alone. And with the threat Akastuki placed on the entire world, they could not afford the luxury of working on their own anymore.
Looking out over the camp from her high perch, the kunoichi was hit with the overwhelming realization of what they were setting out to do; the realization of what they had already done. For the first time in recorded history of the shinobi, the Five Great Nations were joining together to fight a common enemy. That alone was enough to say of the power and danger Uchiha Madara possessed.
It would be the first Great War to occur in their lifetime; her lifetime. And it would be against a man who had survived a battle with Senju Hashirama, one of the most powerful shinobi to ever live; a man who gained control of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox before Namikaze Minato sealed his spirit into Naruto's infant form. A man who, up until the previous generation, was the sole person in possession of control over wood techniques. A man who founded the village and began a revolution.
To say that Tenten was nervous would be an understatement.
But despite that, she was a kunoichi, first and foremost. It wasn't a lack of fear that kept them strong, after all, but the ability to work past it. And with the battle beginning at the break of dawn the next day, there was only one way she truly knew how.
"Thanks for coming."
"I thought it better not to refuse, given your past... temperaments."
Glancing over her shoulder, she did little to fight the smile that pulled at her lips. Mostly because he was absolutely right, in every way imaginable. And also because she would miss the neutral subtlety that came with being in his presence. Tenten had missed it enough already. With all the preparations leading up to the march, there had been nearly no time for anything else but training, packing, and strategizing; nothing but hunting and collecting as much information on the opposing army as they could. And that meant that there had been no time to spare to deal with her own personal matters, including but not limited to the man that stood before her.
Breathing out in a soft scoff, the kunoichi returned her gaze over the valley and the joint army once more. "I always knew you were a smart guy, Aburame."
The whisper of cloth and the quiet grind of sand and dirt was the only indication of his movements. But before she could pin a distance between them, Shino's ever looming figure shifted into the edge of her vision. And without realizing it, the young woman fell into the usual comfort she felt in his presence.
"I was placed in the First Division. What about you?" And out of an old habit and tendency that Tenten hadn't quite been able to drop from her childhood., she began idly twirling a kunai between her fingers. To keep her hands busy; to keep her focus distracted just a moment longer while she waited for his response.
And unlike usual, she didn't have to wait long before getting one. "...Fifth."
"Hm, that's what I thought," the young woman said with a stiff nod in affirmation. And then after a while of listening to nothing but the faint whistle of the wind and distant murmurs of the mass forces gathered below them, she broke the silence. "So... I guess we're not as alike as you thought."
The look she gave him was playful, if not a weak attempt to make like of the situation. But the solid and unbending mask Tenten found herself facing quickly turned that small effort sour. Turned it honest. Then again, she should have expected as much from an Aburame; should have expected as much from Shino. But there were no regrets in at least trying and hoping he would give in just this once. Sometimes Tenten needed her illusions as much as the people she performed for too.
"So, it starts tomorrow," she murmured instead, "Eighteen years, and this'll be our first war..."
"...Many steps were taken to lead us down this path, not least of all, your unexpected capture and what came from it."
It would be an understatement to say that she was concerned about the outcome. They had faced up against many foes in their short life. Their short career. And though there had been some stumble-blocks along the way, nothing could have prepared them for what it will be like to fight in an all out war. The top five strongest shinobi nations would fight together against a force she could only imagine. Akasuki, after all, were no pushovers. And Madara was the biggest sort of evil they could get their hands on. Who knew what he had in store for them all.
"I'm just glad Sasuke's on our side for this."
A small little shift on the edge of her vision caught the kunoichi's attention and directed it to her companion standing beside her. He was as unmoving and unreadable as ever, with only the extra layer of his flank jacket to mark the difference. And while normally, she would have just accepted his quiet resolve and keen projected inner thoughts, there was something about it now that grated on her nerves in the worse of ways. This was not just some mission they would fight their way through to survive. There would be no reprieve if her experience with fighting Akatsuki members were any indication. This was a war. They would be tested to their brink. They would be facing a foe they knew very little about. They would be going into this war blind. And even then, we might not survive to the end...
Didn't he understand that?
We might not... ever know...
"...Shino..."
It was something Tenten hated, but could not avoid: being uncertain about the future. She hadn't hoped to believe that things were pre-determined like Neji had once preached. Nor was she so optimistic as to think that a life could be designed by the person who would live it. Everything wasn't entirely unexpected. Happy endings were as common as fairytales. What was important and what she truly placed her trust in was the idea that their choices became the driving force behind how their lives would run and how their lives would eventually end. What a person decides helps determine which road a life would follow.
With that in mind and her sometimes impulsive nature in full swing, there was nothing stopping her hand from pulling back the hood of his jacket; nothing stopping her from tugging down the zipper of his newly issued flank vest. Shino merely stood there, unmoving and still. In shock. In curiosity. In some unspoken affirmation that, yes. he wanted this too. His glasses hid the true reason, as usual, and she was not one to ask for a second opinion. And even so, as she pulled him to her in one swift motion, there seemed to be a moment -- a split second of time between their distance -- where the kunoichi saw his brows lift up just a fraction to indicate the former. The first.
...Their first.
To her, it seemed to last for eternity, years -- a lifetime -- of ambiguity and impressed professionalism built up over time coming to light as the moments flashed through her mind. Something had always been there, laying just underneath the surface. She knew that back then. But she couldn't quite put a name to it. And it wasn't until just moments before that she finally could... before she was finally willing to give it one. And from there, it was only a matter of taking that first step. That first leap. And as the few seconds of reality passed by, it was over almost as soon as it had begun.
And it... was amazing.
Slowly, she pulled back from the kiss. -- Kiss. Kiss. She just kissed Aburame Shino. -- And after a moment of quiet consideration, the young woman allowed her eyes to trail up and meet her own reflection within the darkened surface of his glasses. She could still feel his breath against her lips, the heat of his body whispering along her own. And before he could stumble out any sort of response, Tenten decidedly gave him a half-truthful explanation to his searching eyes behind tinted glass.
"I just... wanted to know what it'd feel like."
Though he didn't move, Shino seemed to manage to tilt his head in such a way that the glare of the dimming light caught across the screen of his glasses in some unspoken message she could only assume about later. Now, her thoughts were only on how right it felt to be standing here like this with him. Even if only for a single moment. And with only a faint smile to reassure them both that things were still okay, she pulled up the zipper of his collar and repositioned the hood of his jacket once more, in the same slow and deliberate manner she had undone them.
"Be careful out there, Shino."
But as she moved to pull away, the kunoichi felt his long and slender fingers glide over the curve of her wrist, gripping on using a light but very intentful hold and putting her departure to a full stop. All without a single word being said as were most exchanges with the young Aburame. But Tenten had learned to read such gestures long ago, after she returned from Otogakure with the rogue Uchiha in tow. Looking into the deep shade of his eyewear, she could see the words on his lips and in those eyes of his hidden behind dark prescription glass.
The world was still full of possibilities. They still had a chance.
no subject
It's really lovely, dear. As always. ♥
who says they have to wait til after the war - OMNOMNOMNOM~~~ ♥
♥~~~