endless_scrolls (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
endless_scrolls) wrote2012-03-01 06:46 pm
endless_scrolls) wrote2012-03-01 06:46 pm
Separate Paths
Title: Separate Paths
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: Naruto
Theme: Be careful what you wish for [ Wordcount: 1446 ]
Character(s): Tenten, Uchiha Sasuke; brief mentions of Orochimaru, Maito Gai,
Pairing(s): Hints of Sasuke/Tenten
Warning(s): None.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: A series of one-shots based on a plot idea originally made for the RP community of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
circleobetrayal that eventually inspired the fic 'Inheritance of Betrayal.' Theme borrowed from 30_tortures.
Dedicated to:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
its_game_time
Leaping from branch to branch, the kunoichi could not help but take in every little detail as it all went whizzing by. Or wonder if that stump there had always belonged next to that tree. Or if Tenten had always missed seeing that rock seated beside the stream when she used to go by this way with her team. They had to have been new, she argued. Not enough time had passed for things to change so dramatically; for her to find every sight and smell and touch so foreign and yet still vaguely familiar. But then, so much of the kunoichi's life for the past few months -- years, possibly; time and its passage had never exactly been a forefront concern while she was there -- had been filled with nothing else but training and fighting and planning. Nothing but working towards a goal that wasn't even completely hers to accomplish. And now, to have none of that, none of the things she had clung to during her time away... It was hard not to feel the world shift into an oddly different light.
After what seemed like a lifetime serving under the banner of Oto and its dictator of a legend, it felt strange to finally be heading home. What was stranger still was the fact that she would not be returning alone. Not entirely. And maybe that was enough for her to know or understand: Things would and could not go quite according to plan. But maybe that was her own fault for hoping to begin with. Then again, Sasuke may have been her teacher and companion -- maybe even her friend -- for the past few months. But the kunoichi had studied under Maito Gai for years.
She landed on the ground with a quiet thud of her feet, her approach as soundless and unassuming as any shinobi was capable. And though she would be reluctant to admit it, she had Oto to thank for it. If there was one thing Tenten viewed as a positive aspect from her time spent in Sound, it would have to be that. She was a better person than she was before entering their captivity. Less refined in her abilities. Because though the training was unrelenting and the expectations nearly impossible, there was no doubt that such methods worked sufficiently to improve her skills greatly; far more than her own sensei could do or did in the years she spent under his teachings. With that thought in mind, she lingered a few moments in her crouch.
Then again, time was not something they had an unlimited supply of, not with Sasuke within the borders of Fire.
Cold and calloused fingers reached out to smooth the dirt that had shifted from her soundless landing, clearing away her tracks. Erasing their existence, at least for a little while longer. And then in a single move, she stood and pointed her gaze upwards to the bright sun shining overhead. "Unless the schedules have changed, the patrol shouldn't be around for another hour or so."
Scanning through the foliage, the young woman squinted at the light filtering through the leaves and waited. And waited some more with a small furrow of her brows at the delay. A bird called in the distance, a closer one answering almost instantly overhead. And a few seconds later, he dropped down from his hidden perch to stand beside her, a quiet rustle of leaves the only indication of the young shinobi's decent. And with a simple and wordless look, Sasuke pressed her to keep moving. She responded in kind, moving almost on instinct at his unspoken command.
After all this time and after answering to no one else but him for so long, there was no helping it. He was still her captain. She was still his Second-in-Command until his plans came to fruition. And whether they ever admitted to it or not, they were partners in this game of truths and lies. At least, for now.
"You know, I can make it back on my own," she murmured after a moment, "And even if I did try to follow you, you're usually pretty good at avoiding that."
After all, there was a reason he was still marked as a missing-nin for more than three years. All the same, he responded in the usual manner, letting off a short and quiet breath in a scoff. But there were no objections to her claim, any of it. The young man knew better than to question her skills. It was, she supposed, the reason why Sasuke chose her to be his sparring partner, short of needing a new slab of meat to pulverize. And in return, he had promised Tenten freedom.
It was an offer she could hardly refuse, as well as one she couldn't hope to trust. And as most would under the circumstances, the kunoichi had taken his words with a grain of salt and an endless amount of caution. He had betrayed the village, after all, and deserted their cause without a second thought to it... or the team he left behind. So they say, in any case. And with the events leading up to her eventual capture, the young shinobi had made it perfectly clear that he was willing to forgo everything else for his own causes. These days, however, she would have placed her trust in Uchiha Sasuke's word without hesitation. Traitor, though he was, he was good on his promises when it ultimately came to achieving his objectives. But amid the hard work and toil of training alongside someone so determined to achieve his goals, Tenten ended up making her own promises.
Casting a glance his way, the kunoichi could only be skeptic of the people he aimed to enlist to his cause. Soldiers of Sound tended to hold little loyalties beyond those to themselves. "Are you sure about this?"
A pause. The usual beat of breath that passed before he answered. "They have the skills I need."
"Let me rephrase that." Brows furrowed, she stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. Turned to face him head on as she always had. And with a firm hand reaching out to grasp his forearm, she gave him little choice but to pay attention, if only for a moment. "Are you sure about them?"
"...For now."
"Well I don't."
Not that it mattered. Not that he cared that she didn't.
Sighing, she turned to continue their journey once again. Just a little further in away from the borders and they'll part their ways. A little longer and the trees will be come too thick for her to follow behind him should she change her mind or back out on their deal. Sasuke had considered every possibility. And he was never one to skip out on his half of a deal, no matter what the consequences. No matter if she was hesitant to follow through on the arrangements. Things changed. And while Tenten may have wanted this in the beginning - in the dark and dank isolation of Sound - too much had happened between now and then. Too much had been seen of the little sliver of humanity that still remained inside of that cold and black heart of his.
She could trust no one else to help him in his goals. She could trust no one else to keep him on his long path to redemption. For months, he would be on his own until her memories returned.
Sliding up the sleeve of her shirt - reaching for the faded mark etched into the skin just below her elbow - Tenten resolved to rework their arrangement, even by force and the point of a blade if it meant that he would agree to have her remain his Second a little while longer. She didn't hear the swift movement of his fingers. Didn't hear the shift in his steps. So there was no challenge in his strike; nothing to stop him from hitting the pressure point in her neck.
"...I'll make sure someone finds you before the wolves do."
And it was with a hard thud that she fell to the ground like a lump. Already, things were starting to get fuzzy and broken images she thought were clear began fading in a haze of confusion. What was once believed became doubtful. And months of living disappeared in an instance. All that was left was the dark of nothingness as her eyes slid close, the sight of his retreating back the last image she would see before it all was completely sealed away in a distant corner of her mind.
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: Naruto
Theme: Be careful what you wish for [ Wordcount: 1446 ]
Character(s): Tenten, Uchiha Sasuke; brief mentions of Orochimaru, Maito Gai,
Pairing(s): Hints of Sasuke/Tenten
Warning(s): None.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: A series of one-shots based on a plot idea originally made for the RP community of
circleobetrayal that eventually inspired the fic 'Inheritance of Betrayal.' Theme borrowed from 30_tortures.Dedicated to:
its_game_timeLeaping from branch to branch, the kunoichi could not help but take in every little detail as it all went whizzing by. Or wonder if that stump there had always belonged next to that tree. Or if Tenten had always missed seeing that rock seated beside the stream when she used to go by this way with her team. They had to have been new, she argued. Not enough time had passed for things to change so dramatically; for her to find every sight and smell and touch so foreign and yet still vaguely familiar. But then, so much of the kunoichi's life for the past few months -- years, possibly; time and its passage had never exactly been a forefront concern while she was there -- had been filled with nothing else but training and fighting and planning. Nothing but working towards a goal that wasn't even completely hers to accomplish. And now, to have none of that, none of the things she had clung to during her time away... It was hard not to feel the world shift into an oddly different light.
After what seemed like a lifetime serving under the banner of Oto and its dictator of a legend, it felt strange to finally be heading home. What was stranger still was the fact that she would not be returning alone. Not entirely. And maybe that was enough for her to know or understand: Things would and could not go quite according to plan. But maybe that was her own fault for hoping to begin with. Then again, Sasuke may have been her teacher and companion -- maybe even her friend -- for the past few months. But the kunoichi had studied under Maito Gai for years.
She landed on the ground with a quiet thud of her feet, her approach as soundless and unassuming as any shinobi was capable. And though she would be reluctant to admit it, she had Oto to thank for it. If there was one thing Tenten viewed as a positive aspect from her time spent in Sound, it would have to be that. She was a better person than she was before entering their captivity. Less refined in her abilities. Because though the training was unrelenting and the expectations nearly impossible, there was no doubt that such methods worked sufficiently to improve her skills greatly; far more than her own sensei could do or did in the years she spent under his teachings. With that thought in mind, she lingered a few moments in her crouch.
Then again, time was not something they had an unlimited supply of, not with Sasuke within the borders of Fire.
Cold and calloused fingers reached out to smooth the dirt that had shifted from her soundless landing, clearing away her tracks. Erasing their existence, at least for a little while longer. And then in a single move, she stood and pointed her gaze upwards to the bright sun shining overhead. "Unless the schedules have changed, the patrol shouldn't be around for another hour or so."
Scanning through the foliage, the young woman squinted at the light filtering through the leaves and waited. And waited some more with a small furrow of her brows at the delay. A bird called in the distance, a closer one answering almost instantly overhead. And a few seconds later, he dropped down from his hidden perch to stand beside her, a quiet rustle of leaves the only indication of the young shinobi's decent. And with a simple and wordless look, Sasuke pressed her to keep moving. She responded in kind, moving almost on instinct at his unspoken command.
After all this time and after answering to no one else but him for so long, there was no helping it. He was still her captain. She was still his Second-in-Command until his plans came to fruition. And whether they ever admitted to it or not, they were partners in this game of truths and lies. At least, for now.
"You know, I can make it back on my own," she murmured after a moment, "And even if I did try to follow you, you're usually pretty good at avoiding that."
After all, there was a reason he was still marked as a missing-nin for more than three years. All the same, he responded in the usual manner, letting off a short and quiet breath in a scoff. But there were no objections to her claim, any of it. The young man knew better than to question her skills. It was, she supposed, the reason why Sasuke chose her to be his sparring partner, short of needing a new slab of meat to pulverize. And in return, he had promised Tenten freedom.
It was an offer she could hardly refuse, as well as one she couldn't hope to trust. And as most would under the circumstances, the kunoichi had taken his words with a grain of salt and an endless amount of caution. He had betrayed the village, after all, and deserted their cause without a second thought to it... or the team he left behind. So they say, in any case. And with the events leading up to her eventual capture, the young shinobi had made it perfectly clear that he was willing to forgo everything else for his own causes. These days, however, she would have placed her trust in Uchiha Sasuke's word without hesitation. Traitor, though he was, he was good on his promises when it ultimately came to achieving his objectives. But amid the hard work and toil of training alongside someone so determined to achieve his goals, Tenten ended up making her own promises.
Casting a glance his way, the kunoichi could only be skeptic of the people he aimed to enlist to his cause. Soldiers of Sound tended to hold little loyalties beyond those to themselves. "Are you sure about this?"
A pause. The usual beat of breath that passed before he answered. "They have the skills I need."
"Let me rephrase that." Brows furrowed, she stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. Turned to face him head on as she always had. And with a firm hand reaching out to grasp his forearm, she gave him little choice but to pay attention, if only for a moment. "Are you sure about them?"
"...For now."
"Well I don't."
Not that it mattered. Not that he cared that she didn't.
Sighing, she turned to continue their journey once again. Just a little further in away from the borders and they'll part their ways. A little longer and the trees will be come too thick for her to follow behind him should she change her mind or back out on their deal. Sasuke had considered every possibility. And he was never one to skip out on his half of a deal, no matter what the consequences. No matter if she was hesitant to follow through on the arrangements. Things changed. And while Tenten may have wanted this in the beginning - in the dark and dank isolation of Sound - too much had happened between now and then. Too much had been seen of the little sliver of humanity that still remained inside of that cold and black heart of his.
She could trust no one else to help him in his goals. She could trust no one else to keep him on his long path to redemption. For months, he would be on his own until her memories returned.
Sliding up the sleeve of her shirt - reaching for the faded mark etched into the skin just below her elbow - Tenten resolved to rework their arrangement, even by force and the point of a blade if it meant that he would agree to have her remain his Second a little while longer. She didn't hear the swift movement of his fingers. Didn't hear the shift in his steps. So there was no challenge in his strike; nothing to stop him from hitting the pressure point in her neck.
"...I'll make sure someone finds you before the wolves do."
And it was with a hard thud that she fell to the ground like a lump. Already, things were starting to get fuzzy and broken images she thought were clear began fading in a haze of confusion. What was once believed became doubtful. And months of living disappeared in an instance. All that was left was the dark of nothingness as her eyes slid close, the sight of his retreating back the last image she would see before it all was completely sealed away in a distant corner of her mind.
no subject
I didn't realize just how much I missed your fics. :'D
no subject