Blood In The Water: A Tenten Fan Fiction (#3 In Shifting Series)

Well That Was Stupid

Reno loved the feel of Tenten's lips and her taste... Oh he was in some real trouble with this one.  Of all the women to be attracted to, why did it have to be her.  He suddenly became aware of his surroundings once more and pulled back from her.  Her eyes fluttered open and he was pleased to see that she looked dreamy eyed for a moment, then as her eyes widened he realized he had made a rather big blunder as her hand abruptly connected with his cheek in a resounding slap.

"What the hell are you doing?" she snapped.

He could feel his face flame a bit as he stumbled in his brain for an appropriate response.  He had just kissed her and not just a peck but a down right bedroom only sort of style.  His cheek stung from her slap and he admitted, he had earned that one.

"Heat of the moment?" he blurted out then mentally kicked himself.  That was the stupidest thing he could have said, especially with her business in charred remains only feet away from them.

Tenten narrowed her eyes on him then shoved him away, scooting out of his reach before he tried something else with her.  Of all the low down, sneaky, underhanded....

"Hey, we caught the last guy," a Shinobi called as he ran up.  "Good job on taking out the other four.  This one will be going away for a long time!"

Reno gave a nod of his head and she spun back towards him.  She had forgotten how he had looked just before he kissed her.  Clothes and face covered in soot and blood.  Her eyes widened as she processed what the Shinobi said and the state of his person.

"How did you know..."

He gave a slight shrug and looked away.  He was obviously embarrassed and looking for a way out of the predicament he had just got himself into.  She then looked to the others that were crowded around and noticed that no one else was covered in soot or blood.  He had come after her alone, without any apparent Ninjutsu abilities and had taken out four Shinobi by himself?  She was shocked to say the very least.  She had been unable to handle them herself and she was a seasoned pro.  She eyed him speculatively.  He had to be very good at Taijutsu to have done that and still managed to save her.

She remembered how fast he had taken her down to the ground and had a knife to her throat.  If he had not had restraint, she would have been dead even before she realized what had just happened.  He was... amazing, really.

"I'm glad you're okay," he finally said in a sullen tone as he stood.  "Take care, Tenten.  Sorry about your shop."

Reno started walking away and she felt bad about slapping him.  Even though he had taken a liberty with her, she had to admit she liked it and the fact that he had saved her life... perhaps he had just been caught up in the moment?

"Reno..." she called after him.  He stopped and looked back at her, "Thank you."

He smiled at her, ducked his head, then jogged away from her.

"Tenten, we got the fire put out.  We can go inside with you so you can get out whatever you don't want just laying around."  One of the water user Shinobi's said to her.

She gave a nod and slowly stood to follow them into the building.  The ceiling had collapsed at the entrance so they had to go in through one of the broken windows.  They warned her to make it quick since the structure was so damaged.  She quickly started towards the till then stopped as she looked at one of the dead men.  He had been stabbed in the throat.  Another one was impaled.  The third one had a kunai stabbed through his chest.  As she came around the corner to get the money out of the fire box, she saw the fourth one.  A kunai buried in the base of his skull.  It looked like a warzone.  Her hands shook as she grabbed the fire box, a few of her more valuable pieces, and then went out of the building.

He had done all of that for her.  She remembered Misti's words when she had spoken to her, "Reno's a good kid but man... that boy is one hell of a fighter.  I'm surprised he didn't try to be a Shinobi when he got here..."

Why didn't he want to be a Shinobi?  His skills were incredible and that was without Ninjutsu.  He could become one of the strongest in the village if he learned how to do Ninjutsu, but why didn't he want to.  She knew that he was doing mainly construction around the village, a lot of it backbreaking work - most likely he was selected for those tasks because he was so large and strong.  So why would he turn away from what he had already been doing in his own world?

Tenten was confused as she walked to her apartment with the few items she had salvaged.  Hopefully the other less valuable items would still be there when she could go back in after the building was inspected for stability.  She unlocked her door and set everything on her table.  She needed a shower.  Sometimes that helped her to think.  She absently touched her lips, remembering that kiss.  She hadn't felt like that ever before.

As she washed away the blood, that was not her own, and the soot from her body the hot water beaded into her as she clarified.  She gasped when she came up with the only conclusion to why she was so confused.

She liked him... a lot.  Tenten the feminist had a crush on the other world chauvinist.  It had the makings of a comedy but she groaned and leaned her head against the shower wall.  Why him?  After all these years after Neji's death, she had remained closed off to everyone but after a short period of time she was starting to have feelings for that tall, blond headed stranger? 

Tenten face palmed after turning off the water.  This was going to be a problem.