endless_scrolls (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
endless_scrolls) wrote2013-05-27 04:11 pm
endless_scrolls) wrote2013-05-27 04:11 pm
Reading the Fine Print
Title: Reading the Fine Print
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: Naruto
Theme: Miscommunication [ Wordcount: 1390 ]
Character(s): Tenten, Uchiha Sasuke; brief mentions of Hyuuga Neji, Maito Gai, Haruno Sakura
Pairing(s): Hints of Sasuke/Tenten
Warning(s): SPOILERS FOR 614 AND BEYOND
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: A series of one-shots based on a plot idea originally made for the RP community ofcircleobetrayal that eventually inspired the fic 'Inheritance of Betrayal.' Theme borrowed from 30_tortures.
Dedicated to:its_game_time
"This was not part of the deal." Pacing back and forth in the small space of the cave, she could hardly find the means to address him in the usual manner of calm respect, let alone with the patience that came when dealing with a scheming prodigy. Even when Tenten had been frustrated with him, she always managed that air of respect that his authority warranted. Now, though, despite being knee deep in the secrets and sacrificing everything else in her life, the kunoichi crossed the line easily.
Anger, after all, was a powerful emotion. Sasuke understood that better than most. "This was far from it."
Because there was no way for anyone to predict things would turn down this road.
"Calm down, Tenten..." Icy cold and seemingly numb to the emotion of those around him, the young Uchiha fixed her with a heavy stare.
She knew the look well - had been subjected to it many times in the past, whether it was because the kunoichi spoke a truth he refused to acknowledge or because she had pointed out a flaw in what he believed had been a solid course of action. And Tenten had taken it and learned accept it as a warm hand of comfort, even if it meant that it would close around her throat and crush everything she fought to achieve. Now, thought, it infuriated her more than anything ever had in the past. Almost to the point of breaking.
"That was my teammate!" The speed of which her head snapped around to face him - to challenge him - would've been impressive had it been anyone else. There was a strain in the muscles at being pulled too far in the rotation, and a pinpoint lance of pain at the base of her skull that was buried in the rage. But Sasuke knew her well and had seen the weapon specialist at her best. And most cruel. To him, this was nothing.
And so, he pressed on. "Former teammate."
Whether intended or not, there were so many levels to his statement that hit upon a nerve buried inside of her, snipping a chord within her mind that seemed to be the last lingering thread of her sanity and control. That reached elbow-deep into her chest and tear at the muscle that still thumped with life. Because in the next instance, her fingers were already digging into the fabric of his robes, iron grip clenching deep and hard as it moved with a sharp pull of the kunoichi's arm until she felt his back hit solid wall.
Her forearm pitched forward into the hard cage of his chest for good measure.
With the close proximity, it was easy to tell the height advantage he held over her in addition to every other weakness she possessed in comparison. Because despite the training and the improvements she'd managed to make during her time with him, Sasuke was still leagues beyond her reach. - Something to strive for; better than the day before - Regardless, Tenten stood strong and firm, teeth gritting and grinding while she held on to some semblance of control.
But only just barely.
"Priorities, Tenten." - She snarled, ready to bite back at the hand that fed her. - "We can fight it out after this is done, if you'd like. It doesn't matter much to me."
Breath coming hard, she carefully weighed her options. There was no denying that part of her wanted to hash things out then and there while they waited on the wings of their next big move. She had very little chance of winning against him; always did. But the idea of getting a few punches in past his defenses was a tempting thought. It would be all too satisfying - all too perfect - to fight until she collapsed, bloodied and bruised in exhaustion.
Because any amount of pain she could dish out and take in had to be better than the aching hollowness she felt.
Frustrated, it was with a growl that the kunoichi gave him one final shoved into the wall and turned away, lost in thought. Lost in general. "This has gotten way out of hand. Beyond anything you ever anticipated."
Granted, it was never an easy road to begin with. But she stuck with it with a stubborn determination only a student of Maito Gai could possess. And through every twist and turn, Tenten faced the challenges head on, without doubt and hesitation. There was no place for it. There was no room for questions and second-guessing. And, in the end, she had always believed that things would work themselves out and turn out for the better. That they would be rewarded in their struggle to find absolution. Now, though...
"We've had this discussion before and you made your decision concerning it." His voice was smooth, if not clipped and tinged with impatience; almost tired as the young man's eyes darted towards her. "Live with the consequences. Or waste everything you've done and leave to follow Sakura back to the other side."
And it was like a slap to the face to hear him say that, knowing full well the sacrifices they'd both made, and where the bulls-eye of his revenge rested now. He would destroy her, too, she knew. Along with the rest of them if Tenten chose to take it all back and desert him now, after everything.
Nothing was more important to Sasuke than the pride of his clan. Not even his sanity. Not even his happiness.
Squaring her shoulders, the kunoichi prepared to let him know what she thought of that.
"I made a deal with you. And I aim on keeping it, despite whatever crap comes up at your whim," she spat out, retorting with a vehemence that the kunoichi only ever remembered feeling once before, during some raiding mission years ago in another lifetime. "But he was not supposed to be a sacrifice. No one was."
And even after all the anger and all the fury that filled her at the thought of Team Gai suffering because of the decisions she made, Tenten softened and pulled back to settle on an emotion more raw than any either one of them could ever face. Because despite the hardships and difficulties, the kunoichi had never regretted her choice to join him. To help him. Not once.
Not until now. "...No one, but me."
And that was the most terrifying realization.
For a long time, he kept his eyes trained on her, never moving to give his thoughts towards one avenue or another. And with every ounce of strength of will she possessed, Tenten held the gaze. It was a tense few minutes in which a thousand different things filtered in and out of her mind; of the mistakes waiting on the wings of her choices and the different paths she could have taken to lead her away from this fork in the road - if she had stayed home in the village instead of going after him after her memories returned, if she had let their deal only go as far as her release from the prison of Sound... if she had simply accepted starvation and a slow death instead of deciding to fight for her half-life within Otogakure's ranks.
Deep down, though, Tenten knew in her heart of hearts. There was no way she would have done differently. They would still end up here. And she would have to live with everything.
Neji's death was just as much her fault as it was his.
Finally, she watched with a heavy weight on her chest as he took a step back, breaking the lock of their eyes and turning to move further in from the mouth of the cave. And that was all the signal she needed to know that the issue was dead and buried. No more talk of doubts and regrets. There was work to be done, with very little time left to execute them. Still, there was no helping the way his last words lingered in her mind as it slowly started to poison her thoughts. Or how strongly it hit upon every single weakness she tried so hard to hide away: "...If you really believed that, then you're just as foolish as the rest of them."
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: Naruto
Theme: Miscommunication [ Wordcount: 1390 ]
Character(s): Tenten, Uchiha Sasuke; brief mentions of Hyuuga Neji, Maito Gai, Haruno Sakura
Pairing(s): Hints of Sasuke/Tenten
Warning(s): SPOILERS FOR 614 AND BEYOND
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_time"This was not part of the deal." Pacing back and forth in the small space of the cave, she could hardly find the means to address him in the usual manner of calm respect, let alone with the patience that came when dealing with a scheming prodigy. Even when Tenten had been frustrated with him, she always managed that air of respect that his authority warranted. Now, though, despite being knee deep in the secrets and sacrificing everything else in her life, the kunoichi crossed the line easily.
Anger, after all, was a powerful emotion. Sasuke understood that better than most. "This was far from it."
Because there was no way for anyone to predict things would turn down this road.
"Calm down, Tenten..." Icy cold and seemingly numb to the emotion of those around him, the young Uchiha fixed her with a heavy stare.
She knew the look well - had been subjected to it many times in the past, whether it was because the kunoichi spoke a truth he refused to acknowledge or because she had pointed out a flaw in what he believed had been a solid course of action. And Tenten had taken it and learned accept it as a warm hand of comfort, even if it meant that it would close around her throat and crush everything she fought to achieve. Now, thought, it infuriated her more than anything ever had in the past. Almost to the point of breaking.
"That was my teammate!" The speed of which her head snapped around to face him - to challenge him - would've been impressive had it been anyone else. There was a strain in the muscles at being pulled too far in the rotation, and a pinpoint lance of pain at the base of her skull that was buried in the rage. But Sasuke knew her well and had seen the weapon specialist at her best. And most cruel. To him, this was nothing.
And so, he pressed on. "Former teammate."
Whether intended or not, there were so many levels to his statement that hit upon a nerve buried inside of her, snipping a chord within her mind that seemed to be the last lingering thread of her sanity and control. That reached elbow-deep into her chest and tear at the muscle that still thumped with life. Because in the next instance, her fingers were already digging into the fabric of his robes, iron grip clenching deep and hard as it moved with a sharp pull of the kunoichi's arm until she felt his back hit solid wall.
Her forearm pitched forward into the hard cage of his chest for good measure.
With the close proximity, it was easy to tell the height advantage he held over her in addition to every other weakness she possessed in comparison. Because despite the training and the improvements she'd managed to make during her time with him, Sasuke was still leagues beyond her reach. - Something to strive for; better than the day before - Regardless, Tenten stood strong and firm, teeth gritting and grinding while she held on to some semblance of control.
But only just barely.
"Priorities, Tenten." - She snarled, ready to bite back at the hand that fed her. - "We can fight it out after this is done, if you'd like. It doesn't matter much to me."
Breath coming hard, she carefully weighed her options. There was no denying that part of her wanted to hash things out then and there while they waited on the wings of their next big move. She had very little chance of winning against him; always did. But the idea of getting a few punches in past his defenses was a tempting thought. It would be all too satisfying - all too perfect - to fight until she collapsed, bloodied and bruised in exhaustion.
Because any amount of pain she could dish out and take in had to be better than the aching hollowness she felt.
Frustrated, it was with a growl that the kunoichi gave him one final shoved into the wall and turned away, lost in thought. Lost in general. "This has gotten way out of hand. Beyond anything you ever anticipated."
Granted, it was never an easy road to begin with. But she stuck with it with a stubborn determination only a student of Maito Gai could possess. And through every twist and turn, Tenten faced the challenges head on, without doubt and hesitation. There was no place for it. There was no room for questions and second-guessing. And, in the end, she had always believed that things would work themselves out and turn out for the better. That they would be rewarded in their struggle to find absolution. Now, though...
"We've had this discussion before and you made your decision concerning it." His voice was smooth, if not clipped and tinged with impatience; almost tired as the young man's eyes darted towards her. "Live with the consequences. Or waste everything you've done and leave to follow Sakura back to the other side."
And it was like a slap to the face to hear him say that, knowing full well the sacrifices they'd both made, and where the bulls-eye of his revenge rested now. He would destroy her, too, she knew. Along with the rest of them if Tenten chose to take it all back and desert him now, after everything.
Nothing was more important to Sasuke than the pride of his clan. Not even his sanity. Not even his happiness.
Squaring her shoulders, the kunoichi prepared to let him know what she thought of that.
"I made a deal with you. And I aim on keeping it, despite whatever crap comes up at your whim," she spat out, retorting with a vehemence that the kunoichi only ever remembered feeling once before, during some raiding mission years ago in another lifetime. "But he was not supposed to be a sacrifice. No one was."
And even after all the anger and all the fury that filled her at the thought of Team Gai suffering because of the decisions she made, Tenten softened and pulled back to settle on an emotion more raw than any either one of them could ever face. Because despite the hardships and difficulties, the kunoichi had never regretted her choice to join him. To help him. Not once.
Not until now. "...No one, but me."
And that was the most terrifying realization.
For a long time, he kept his eyes trained on her, never moving to give his thoughts towards one avenue or another. And with every ounce of strength of will she possessed, Tenten held the gaze. It was a tense few minutes in which a thousand different things filtered in and out of her mind; of the mistakes waiting on the wings of her choices and the different paths she could have taken to lead her away from this fork in the road - if she had stayed home in the village instead of going after him after her memories returned, if she had let their deal only go as far as her release from the prison of Sound... if she had simply accepted starvation and a slow death instead of deciding to fight for her half-life within Otogakure's ranks.
Deep down, though, Tenten knew in her heart of hearts. There was no way she would have done differently. They would still end up here. And she would have to live with everything.
Neji's death was just as much her fault as it was his.
Finally, she watched with a heavy weight on her chest as he took a step back, breaking the lock of their eyes and turning to move further in from the mouth of the cave. And that was all the signal she needed to know that the issue was dead and buried. No more talk of doubts and regrets. There was work to be done, with very little time left to execute them. Still, there was no helping the way his last words lingered in her mind as it slowly started to poison her thoughts. Or how strongly it hit upon every single weakness she tried so hard to hide away: "...If you really believed that, then you're just as foolish as the rest of them."