Chapter 68 - TenTen (I want to be a Genin!)

"I want to become a ninja!" TenTen said. "I can not wait anymore." She stabbed the Kunai into the tree and turned it.

"Kaboom," the tree exploded from the inside out.

"Stop it already," Karin said. "A few more years won't hurt."

"To many years!" TenTen g.r.o.a.n.e.d.

"Just a few more years." Karin then looked to Ino for support. "Help me out here."

"No way. She won't listen to anyone but your dad at this point." Ino said stoically with one eye open before closing it again. "Speaking of him, he is heading this way from up above." Her sage markings becoming more prodiment as she looked up. "Still can't help but be envious that he can fly like that."

"Woosh," Kai stopped a little bit away from them and floated the rest of the way over.

"Woosh," Chrysa appeared not to far behind him. She however landed on the ground. One could tell she did not like flying much.

"Ok, TenTen." Kai said neutrally.

"Huh, what are you talking about papa?"

"I am going to show you and the others why I want you to wait." Placing a seal on the ground, Kai stepped forward and held out his hand for them to grab hold. "Come, it will not be pretty what you see."

"Ehhh, I do not want to go." Ino said as she looked at her aunt. "I don't have to right?"

"You do not." Chrysa answered. "But you can't be the three musketeers if you don't go with them."

"Uggh fine." Ino grumbled as she stood up and walked in with the rest.

"Bweem" the area sealed behind them. Inside was a bunch of floating spheres. A landscape of shifting colors in the background. No sun but light from somewhere up high.

"Mom!" Karin yelled seeing her mother standing in front. To the side was Inoichi as well as Pakura.

"Dad your here to?" Ino asked as she hurried over to him.

"Yes. I am. " Inochi turned to his daughter and noticed her chakra had increased yet again. 'The more times she spends with them, the stronger she gets. Not counting the sage training she has been receiving.' Turning to look at Kai, he saw the pained look the man had on. 'If he thinks this is a bad idea.. maybe we should wait. But the girls have improved so much that other clan heads have noticed.'

"This.. is the room of viewing. Couldnt think of a better name so... yeah." Kai droned out a little. His heart was beating heavy in his c.h.e.s.t but his power egged him on. "Each of these orbs contain a memory. These I have right here are to show why it is better for you to wait."

"Swish, swish, swish, swish," four orbs floated over to the front of them.

"Take your parents hand then touch the ball. Be careful and remember it is only a vision." Kai stated.

"Ready Karin?" Kari asked with her gentle smile. She held her out to her daughter to grab hold.

"Ummm yes." Karin reached out for her mother but stopped before touching the orb. "TenTen.. papa grab on to. I.. am scared."

"Is that ok?" Kari asked.

"Yes. Just a sec." Kai grabbed TenTen's hand and walked over. "Well guess we do this togethor then." the orb lit up on their eyes glazed over instantly.

"Ahh we are back here. I hate this place!" Karin said angry. Her hand gripped tighter around her mom and TenTen's hand. "Why are we here?"

"This is a past that is no longer possible." Kai said. His tone even and lacking emotion. "This is what I changed when I had your mother and you taken from that village."

in the room was Kari bedridden full of bite marks. Her body looked weak and frail. Almost a moving corpse. Skin lacking color as well as hair. Karin to the side talking to her about her day.

"You were always a little ball of energy hun." Kari said trying to get her daughter to speak. "We have changed a lot."

"I do not want to be here!" Karin said. TenTen squeezed her hand and rubbed her thumb over her fingers. "I want to go now!"

"We cant." Kai said. "Not till it ends. Not until you see what has changed."

"I already know!" Karin said. "Mama is going to die!"

"What no way!?" TenTen looked up to see Kai nod. "But why? The village will help her right?"

"The village is to small. They rather drain me dry as I have the troops recover to go out an do missions. It was better than spending money and letting me recover." Kari answered not looking away. "I was to weak to do much else. We should never had went to that cursed village."

"Cough, cough, cough," Kari in the bed started coughing as her eyes closed. In seconds she was gone.

"Waaaaaa mom wake up!" Karin cried from the side. A male ninja came in to see what happened. "You have to help my mom!"

"Get the child out of here now!" The male ninja said. A female ninja came and dragged Karin away. A few seconds later another entered behind him. "Contact that man for the sale. Tell him we have a fresh female corpse of the Uzumaki clan for him."

"Already done." The ninja said r eyes aching out to wrap Kari up for transport.

"Good. Maybe we can get a decent amount for her." Turning he looked outside and could see Karin was fighting the ninja that dragged her away. "Tch that brat is gonna learn the hard way about disobeying."

"Woosh," the view ended.

"That was sad papa." TenTen said. "But that cant happen anymore can it? They are safe with us right?"

"Yes it cannot happen." Kai said. "But the man she would have been sold to, is still out there. Right now if you were to become ninja he will be able to get her."

"Oh." TenTen answered head lowered.

"I dont like this place." Karin said. Her eyes were puffy as she looked at the other floating orbs. "I want to bury it under water." A flicker of light passed in her eyes before vanishing.

"It is ok. We are safe now. You me and your brother and sisters are not going anywhere." Kari said softly. "Let your sisters hand go. We can go talk over here." The two walked away to the side.

"Papa I.. I still wanna be a ninja." TenTen said looking up. "What else do you want to show us?"

"I think I should go next." Ino walked over with Inoichi. She more or less dragged him with her. "You two come with." They barely had a chance to grab on before the view changed.

"Woosh," in the view was the forest of death. Ino was with Shikimaru and Choji. They were running for there lives as ninja from a small village chased them. In the front was another pair of leaf ninja. They could barely make them out as they ran.

Ino barely ducked a kunai that flew pass. It caught one of the ninja in front in the back t.h.i.g.h. The ninja rolled to the ground accidentally hitting a trap someone set. an explosion rang out taking his ally with. When the smoke cleared it revealed a Yamanaka ninja and a Akimichi.

"That's your cousin. He always had poor balance but he had great chakra control." Inoichi added. "I think he.. yes that's right. We found out he had a small brain tumor last year. He is doing fantastic now thanks to the new medical ninja."

"Yeah that's right." Ino added. She looked closer and saw why it was a bad vision. Her cousin was dead. She forgot about the other ninja. He held his scroll out to Ino to grab.

Taking it Ino shot off with Choji and Shikimaru. An explosion rang out just as the others landed to check the bodies.

"He.. he.. blew himself up to take them out." TenTen said lowly. "That was a very brave thing to do."

"I want to go back." Ino said as she stared at the ground.

"Very well. This was over." Kai said neutrally.

"Woosh," back in the room they still saw Kari and Karin talking. Chrysa stood still as her eyes were closed. Pakura was watching the orbs flowing by in trepidation.

"I want to be alone for now." Ino said as she walked away. Inochi gave Kai a nod before following but stopping a bit away.

"My turn Papa!" TenTen said with a fire in her eyes. Pakura walked over and grabbed her hand. With a jerk she pulled her back. "Ah what is it mama?"

"Are you sure want to do this?" Pakura asked. "We dont have to."

"Yes. They did it. So will I! I am there leader after all. No way I let them go through this and I dont! " TenTen said with a passion. "So let's go!" Pakura nodded and they touched the orb.

Karin and Ino heard TenTen and felt a funny feeling. They didnt know what to call it but watched. Waiting to see her come back, for better or worse.

"Woosh," in the ball was a young TenTen. She was fighting kids at the center.

"This is that place uncle would leave me at. Whenever he had work to do." TenTen said. Her voice was loosing its energy in it. "He did that a lot before you came."

"Why are you fighting those kids?" Pakura asked.

"They wanted my snacks. Most of us didnt have a lot to eat. So when we came to the center everyone always ate there snacks." TenTen looked up at Kai. "You know this already dontcha papa. Your a ninja, I know you checked on me before adopting me."

"I did not actually. I checked after about your situation. There was a lot of stuff I didnt know." Kai squatted down and looked at her. "You have not done anything I would not have done to survive. I am proud of you."

"Its cause I am the best!" TenTen smiled.

A bigger kid had broke the bread TenTen had and it fell to the ground. Upset the boy shoved her in the dirt. TenTen scrambled over the bread and ate it. The next day the boy thought he would get the drop on her.

He did did not. When he came TenTen had turned with a stick and bashed his nuts in. Taking his food she ate it and gave some to kids smaller then her. At three years old there were not that many smaller than her really.

"You were always a handful." Pakura smiled. She saw a person that looked familiar and realized it was the daycare teacher. "That woman again!"

"The old witch." TenTen said. "She made sure we had those few portions of snacks. She always bought them herself. "

"Where did she get the money to pay for all that?" Pakura asked. Kai himself was intrigued.

"The bath house in the lower area. Some times she brought us after we didnt have a bath in awhile." TenTen looked on as if everything in front was just a bad dream. Pakura hugged her tightly. "Always was her and a bunch of the Hyuga branch women. They made sure we were safe. Since it was so troublesome with the boys one right next to it."

"Was there... was it kids only?" Pakura asked.

"No a.d.u.l.ts to." TenTen looked up at her and pieced things togethor. "Dont worry mama. nothing happened to me. But a few others didnt get so lucky. But a man with a dog took care of those guys. I didnt see those two girls again though."

"Swoosh," they returned to the other room.

"I.. owe her an apology. Will correct that when we get back." Kai said softly. He watched as TenTen reached out, and grabbed the sphere and crushed it.

"This me doesnt exist anymore." She turned to the others. "I am still gonna move forward. I will not let the past define me or control my future." TenTen's chakra surged to new levels as the aspect of Determination reappeared.

"I will love forward to." Ino said. She walked over and grabbed the sphere and crushed it as well. "I will also protect my friends and family."

"I.. wo t be left behind." Karin walked over but hesitated. A few tears left her eyes as she grabbed the sphere and crushed it. "Mama is safe and here with me. I have friends and family to. I wont give up."

"That's right." TenTen said as she held her hand out in front. Karin and Ino followed suit.

"All for one, and one for all." They cheered before laughing. "Haha The three musketeers!"

"Swoosh," a large influx of chakra circled the three before leaving. A strange connection formed that needed to be checked on later.

"The last one what is it?" Inoichi asked. This place amazed him. But he knew he could never talk about. The very thought sent a deep fear in his heart. 'How many secrets does he have?'

"I peaceful one." Kai said. "Thos is for the girls only." Floating it towards them, it landed right in there connected hands. In a split second the girls were gone then back again. "You are to tell no one what you saw. Not me or any of your friends. The penalty is quite severe."

"But!" Ini said before she saw the look in his eyes. "Oh fine!" She stomped her foot a little angrily.

"Hmmm, what a weird seal." TenTen said as she rubbed her hand. "Now what?"

"You get checked by me. And tomorrow you take your Genin exam." Chrysa said with a smile.

"Woohoo!" TenTen jumped for joy. The others jumping with her after a moment. "Gonna be a genin. The best around!" The girls started dancing and cheering.

-Afterward-