Ten Out of Ten- Tenten AU

2.

   Tenten awoke from a dreamless sleep. For a moment, she stretched, trying to imagine herself momentarily in her grandmother's house. A moment later, her grandmother would scold her for being so lazy and tell her to get a head start on her chores.

  Tenten opened her eyes. She was staring at an empty ceiling. Nothing. Her grandmother was no longer here.

  Tenten felt slight tears sting her eyes. Her chest ached horribly but she only rubbed her eyes and splashed water on them to get the redness away. She looked into the mirror. A small girl with twin buns on her head.

  Tenten took a deep breath, facing the door this time. Beyond it was a new life. Beyond it was danger.

  "I will become a shinobi," she murmured, curling her fists, "I will be strong, I will have power...." Her eyes stared ahead, almost empty of childish behavior.

  Her hand curled around the doorknob before it swung open with a freak and Tenten closed it softly behind her. The hideout was still eerily quiet and as Tenten made her way through the unfamiliar cave, she stiffened slightly when she saw her grandfather at the table, counting money.

  His strange green eyes shifted to her slightly before he grunted and he turned back to the money. Tenten tentatively stepped over to him and slowly took a seat beside him. Her eyes took in the vast amount of money. "Where did you get all of this....grandfather?" The honorific seemed foreign but Tenten decided that being respectful was the best path with the shinobi.

  "Bounty hunting," her grandfather muttered as his hands deftly swept through the bills.

   Tenten twisted her hands uncomfortably. "Would you like me to help?"

  Kakuzu gave her a sidelong glance. Was the girl trying to reach out for some connection that wasn't there? He was taking care of her to uphold a bargain, he wasn't here to give any delusional love and comfort.

   The girl was looking down at her lap, her eyes holding too much emotion for someone who wanted to be a shinobi. Kakuzu let out a gruff sigh before he pushed a portion of the money towards Tenten. "Don't mess up with your counting," he let out a low warning as he watched the girl out of the corner of his eyes.

  She was surprisingly good at counting. Her eyes were narrowed in concentration, her fingers nimble and swift. Tenten had much experience managing the accounts for her grandmother, who was very nearsighted. When Tenten was done with her pile, she pushed it back to Kakuzu with the sum.

  Kakuzu placed them all back in the suitcase before he closed it shut. At that moment, Tenten's stomach growled. Her cheeks reddened but her grandfather only gave her a level look and disappearing into the kitchen, he emerged in a blink of an eye with two plates of sandwiches.

   He pushed one towards Tenten who blinked and murmuring a swift thanks, she bit into the sandwich. It was surprisingly good. At that moment, Tenten caught sight of the other members of the organization. There was that strange thing inside what looked like a puppet and the strange snake man who gave her the chills. The man with the scar that she saw yesterday appeared as well, grunting as he saw Kakuzu.

  "We have a mission."

  "I know," Kakuzu said as he stood up before he stopped and turned to the little girl. "I know Konan has told you, but the Akatsuki has no place for slackers. Jūzō should be here shortly, I have requested him to train you in my absence. Got it?"

  "Yes, grandfather." Tenten meekly bowed her head.

  Kakuzu grunted before he went with his partner.