Chapter 11 - Selfish

His heart rate was erratic and out of control, so much so that Tenten thought it was going to beat right out of his chest, but his face, like always, betrayed nothing. Shino's expression was calm and relaxed as he hovered over Tenten on his twin size bed. His dark eyes stared into her brown ones, as if trying to memorize each and every breath she took. “Shino-kun,” she whispered, causing Shino's eyes to move down to her parted pink lips.

Shino then slowly lowered himself down to her, their lips once again greeting each other. Shino had never know such softness before, had never know the closeness of another being such as her before. It was all so new to him and so for the first time, that he could remember, he was nervous and unsure of himself. He wondered how long she would allow him to touch her so gently and how far she would allow this to go. They were still fully dressed as they made out on his bed, although a few buttons on his pajama shirt had come undone, courtesy of Tenten herself.

Besides, Shino, had always considered himself a gentlemen, he didn't want to force her into anything that she wasn't ready for. But then again, how did one go about starting an affair? Shino pulled away for a moment as the word resounded in his ears. . . affair.

“Shino,” Tenten said, her voice full of concern, at the sudden lost of contact. “What's wrong?”

Shino hesitate with his answer. The honorable thing to do was to end this now, before either of them got too attached or did things they would surely regret later, but he didn't want to. Shino had always played by the rules, always did what was expected of him. And where had that lead him?

Nowhere, he had concluded. He lived in a tiny apartment, his circle of friends was small, and he had a creeping suspicion, out of the ones he did consider his friends, that half of them probably couldn't remembered his name. Plus there was the fact, that the one he had considered his best friend, they had just buried. And despite that, Shino had always done the right thing, for other people, so when was it his turn?

When was it his turn to do something for himself? He had been fighting it all this time when it came to Tenten. She wasn't his to have, and the right thing to do was to get up, but as she laid underneath him, her eyes focused on him and only him, he realized he had never had this before and he wasn't about to give it up so willingly.

And so Shino answered her question the only way he could. “Nothing,” he finally responded, which placed a smile on Tenten's face as her hands began to once again roam his body, touching him in ways he never knew existed. Shino then felt his body become warmer and instantly knew it wasn't his fever coming back.

Feeling more confident about what he had chosen, Shino's actions became more aggressive. He sat up and quickly shook off his pajama top, his lust filled eyes took in Tenten as she laid on her back, her long sun kissed hair skewed across his pillows as her legs rested on either side of him. “Come here,” the shinobi whispered his demand as he pulled Tenten up, forcing her to place her hands on the bed to balance as their lips once again came together and their tongues tangled with each other.

Tenten moaned softly into his mouth as she maneuver herself to her knees without breaking the kiss. Once on her knees, Tenten's hands came to rest upon Shino's chest, which was not only hard, but chiseled in all the right places. Her hands brushed his board shoulders as she went to wrap her arms around him. And as Shino wrapped his arms around her, it didn't escape her notice that his chest wasn't the only hard part of his body.

Finally needing air, Tenten was the one who finally pulled away. She took a deep breath as her lungs took in their fill. She then slightly glanced down and saw the budge in Shino's pants that long to be free. Then as Shino's hand found the drawstring to her own pants and began to untie it, the situation at hand finally hit Tenten. What am I doing? She thought in a panic.

After untying her pants, Shino rested his head against Tenten as he slowly began to pull them down. “Wait!” Tenten cried, completely pulling away from the man before her. “Shino, I- I,” she stuttered as she shook her head from side to side. “I'm sorry, but I can't do this,” she said quickly before getting out of bed redoing her drawstring.

Shino lowered his head, as if it were improper to watch her dress. “I understand,” he replied calmly.

At his tone, Tenten turned back towards him. Her shoulders fell as she looked at him on the bed. “No, you don't.” She walked back over to him were she cupped his cheek, causing him to once again look at her. “I like you,” she confessed.

Shino's skin redden at her words. “I like you too,” he confirmed.

“I know,” she said, backing away, “which is why this is so difficult.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I don't mean to lead you on or to be some kind of tease, but Neji. . .” she trailed off.

Shino, who had been standing on his knees, finally relaxed as he sat down on the bed as he closed his eyes. “Is your husband,” he finished her statement for her, which threw him at last back into the present.

“Yes,” she murmured. “And we may have our problems, but he doesn't deserve this,” she realized. Shino only nodded his head to agree. “I'm sorry, Shino,” Tenten took a silent breath, “but I don't think I can see you anymore.” The man before her head snapped up, his eyes showing his surprised. The expression, coming from Shino was so foreign that it sent a chill down Tenten's spine. She tried to explain her statement. “I didn't mean too, but I care for you,” she admitted, “more than just on a friend level.” She shook her head from side to side. “I can't betray my village like this.”

At her words, Shino slightly cocked an eyebrow. “Your village?” It was now Tenten's turn to look surprise.

“I meant, my husband, and in turn Konoha,” she recovered. “Neji's bloodline limit flows the strongest within him. It's important for him to pass that on to the next generation.”

Shino stood. “So this is about children?” he wanted clarified.

For the first time, in a long time, Shino was looked at as if his intelligence had escaped him. “Well, of course. What else is there?” she questioned.

Shino stepped closer to her. “There-” he faltered, not only in his speech, but in his steps towards her. “There is love.”

“I love my husband!” Tenten stated defensively. “No one should ever have to doubt that.”

“And I don't,” Shino told her as he reached up and placed both of his hands on either side of her arms. “But what you are fighting, I know it as well, and it's the only battle, in my memory, I wish not to win.”

“And for me, it's a battle I have to win at all cost,” she admitted. “I can't surrender to this. It would be too unfair to Neji and. . . and selfish of me.”

“Then be selfish,” Shino urged her, his voice sounding more emotional than he ever thought it could be.

Tenten then narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “What are you saying?”

Looking at the expression on her face, Shino slowly released her. He then walked over to the night stand where he picked up his dark shades and slide them back on. “I'm sorry,” he began, his voice taking on his usual tone. “I had no right to ask that of you.” He went and picked up his shirt off the floor and began to put it back on as he spoke to Tenten with his back to her. “You have outstayed your welcome, you should leave.”

Tenten's head slightly jerked back at the complete 360 she had just witnessed. “Alright,” was all she said before she turned around and walked towards the door as she placed her hair into a sloppy ponytail.

She reached for the doorknob and pulled it opened before quickly turning around. “Shino, I-”

“I know.” She was cut off by Shino, who still did not face her. “You don't wish to see me anymore. It's done. . . we're done. So please, say no more.”

With nothing more to be said, Tenten sighed sadly before stepping out and quietly closing he door behind her. As soon as Shino heard the soft click of the door he turned around to stare at the space that was once occupied by the other. He then lowered his head as he reached up and once again pulled off his shades, his eyes bearing a sadness he would not allow her to see.




“Where have you been?” were the fist words out of Neji's mouth as Tenten entered their home. “Your food has gotten cold,” he stated.

“I'm tried, I'm going to bed,” she dismissed him all together, but as she passed him, it was then that Neji truly took in her appearance. She looked as if she had been training since she stepped out.

“Are you alright?” he asked gently, knowing that she wasn't planned to meet up with her Genin team until the next day.

“I'm fine,” she lied as she continued on her way to the bedroom. Neji followed and watched as she let her hair down before falling lazily into their bed before climbing under the sheets.

Neji, concerned over her behavior slipped into bed beside. “Come here,” he asked of her as he held his arms out for her. A small smile came to Tenten's face as Neji held her close. As she listened to the soft steady rhythm of his heart she found comfort. “I know what's been going on,” that is until those words were said. Tenten's whole body froze as she waited for him to continue. “You think your students won't respect you.”

Tenten visibly relaxed. “Yes, that's right.” It wasn't all too much of a lie as it had been on her mind as well. “They come from different backgrounds and it seems that each has their own demon. I'm not sure if I'll be able to reach them.”

“Our Hokage is no fool, if she placed these cadets under you, it must have been for good reason. She believes in you almost as much as I do,” he let be known. “You'll find a way to make things work. You always do.” He smiled at her. “Sometimes it amazes me how quickly you come up with a back up plan.”

“I had to learn the hard way to think on my feet,” she confessed. Then it was as if a light bulb had come on over her head. “That's it!” she quickly sat up smiling brightly at Neji, who looked asking of her. “I know how I'm going to get them to act as one.” She quickly got out of bed, and went to her drawer which was filled with many scrolls.

Neji gasped as she pulled out one he had only seen her use once before. He still had nightmares about it, though he would never admit it to a single soul. “You can not be serious,” his tone was disapproving. “They're only rookies,” he pointed out. “And not even at the top of their class.”

“They'll be fine,” she reassured him. “This technique will insure a strong unit.”

“But at what cost?” Neji asked. “The chakra levels needed to maintain it-”

“Neji!” she cut him off as she went back to join him on the bed. “I'll be fine as well,” she said confidently before she gave him a gently kiss.

“Still. . . I would like to observe and have a med-nin near by.” It was no suggestion. “Just in case.”

“Fine,” she didn't feel like arguing with him. “Who?”

Neji gave it some thought before answering. “I trust in Ino's skills.” Tenten nodded her head to agree.



Team Three, which consisted of Rio, Chion, and Youji stood in front of their Jounin instructor as they anticipated their first official training exercise. It was early as the morning sun was just now cracking over the horizon. Chion's blond hair whipped in the wind as his blue eyes squinted as he tried to make out the two figures standing far up in the trees. Soon, with the help of the steadily rising sun, he was able to recognize one as his Sensei's husband and the other as the med-nin, Akimichi Ino, who had helped delivered his cousin's first child.

“The rules are simple!” barked Tenten so loudly, that Chion's felt his neck pop when he went to turn his head back towards her. “All you have to in the next twenty-four hours-” she pulled out a silver and purple scroll and with one long continues motion opened it with a grace none of her students had ever seen. She placed the scroll on the ground before doing several hand singles that went by too fast to read before placing her hand on words written on it. As soon as her palm made contact with the black letters they glowed a brilliant shade of green. Rio gasped as she witnessed her Sensei's eyes go from an earthy brown to an eerie bright green. “-is survive.”

To Be Continued. . .

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