One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

With a drawn out sigh, Tenmai relaxed in the water of the bath. The water shifted around her a bit before branching out, creating miniature whirlpools around the woman's side. Temari and Sakura laughed as they whirled around them. A smirk came to Tenmai's face as she sunk below the surface of the water. The water shifted again, this time coming around her face, creating a pocket of air for her to breath. She watered her hair and grabbed the bar of soap on the ledge, lathering up her long, violet tresses. Suds broke the surface, drawing the attention of the two girls in the baths with her.
“Tenmai?” Sakura called out, looking around for her.
“Tenmai? What the....shit, she's under the water.” Temari exclaimed, sloshing over to the water kunoichi.
Said girl felt the pressure that Temari was causing and rose above the water, air bubble popping. Wiping the soap out of her eyes, she came face to face with a red-faced wind manipulator.
“What the hell? I thought you were drowning!” She exclaimed, placing her hands on Tenmai's shoulders. “Don't worry me like that.”
“Gomen ne, Temari-chan.”
“Not formalities, please.”
“Understood.”
“Mai-chan?”
Tenmai looked over at the rosette haired girl. Her emerald eyes were intently watching her and she shifted away, rather uncomfortable. She knew what Sakura was going to ask about, Gaara. Turning around, Tenmai placed the bar of soap back on the stone ledge surrounding the bath. A sound of a door opening caught the girls attention and they turned around. Temari and Sakura screeched and dove underwater as three men came into view. They were definitely not the boys. It was sickening, the looks of lust on their face, and it made Tenmai's blood boil. She turned her back to them, hand going to her towel. It wasn't where she put it. Looking up, she could see another man holding it up, the same look on his face as he gazed down at her exposed body.
Tenmai was well endowed, larger then most women and rivaling Tsunade when it came to cup size. Though she was large breasted, she was rather petite. She stood at only five feet, four inches, had long legs, well-toned physique, and a slim waist. Her silver eyes caught the attention of the man above her and he knelt next to her, petting her cheek. She was impassive. Lifting up her hand, she placed it against his temple. Suddenly he was panting and twitching, drawing his partners attention. Taking her towel out of his hands, she wrapped it around her body securely and climbed out of the water.
The man was in a fetal position, grasping his head tightly, shaking violently. It was a simple, no-seal jutsu she earned years before. It was a mind-control type that caused the victim to relive their most horrifying and gruesome memory. It also manipulated it, causing it to be far more disturbing then the actual memory. Tenmai faced the three on the other side before looking at the girls. They were huddled back to back in the center of the pool, Temari facing Tenmai and Sakura facing the men. Tenmai smiled at Temari before flickering out of view.
One of the men, the leader, blocked a fist thrown at his face and side-stepped a kick. A volley of hits came at him from all sides, until one struck home. He collapsed in pain, holding his neck where a firm chop made it's mark. He tried to gasp for breath, but his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out from lack of air. The other two looked around, trying to find Tenmai. She appeared behind one and pulled him back by the neck, placing a sleeper hold on him. He fought against her, managing to break free, but collapsed, a poisoned needle sticking out of the back of his neck. That left one.
He was sweating profusely, obviously nervous and terrified of the little girl who took out his partners. A splash caught his attention. Turning towards the pool, he saw Temari moving to get a towel. Smirking at her, he jumped to get her, only realizing his mistake as soon as his foot left the surface. A well placed punch to his chest caused him to go flying through the wall separating the men and women's baths.
Gaara, Kankuro, Sasuke, and Naruto looked up when they heard the bamboo crack. A man came tumbling through, landing in the water with a splash. He rose to the surface, couching violently. The boys looked and saw Tenmai standing on the water before the man. He shook in fear. Tenmai smirked at him and squatted before him. He unconsciously took a step back.
“I will let you live and you can gather up your friends, but if I ever see you doing anything like that again or if I so much as see you again, I will have your head. I hate how most men think that women are so inferior to them, they we are little play toys. Well, news flash,” she took him by the collar and hoisted him up to meet her eyes, his feet still in the water. “We are not all dainty flowers and most definitely not going to give our bodies to scoundrels like you and your friends. Now, get lost.”
Dropping him back into the water, she looked up to see the boys in front of her. Her eyes had darkened drastically and they noticed. Kankuro was the first to break the silence.
“Nice body, Tenmai. Mind if you give a show?” he yelled to her in a joking manner.
Not in much of a joking mood, Tenmai turned all her anger to Kankuro, glaring so hotly at him he shuddered and turned away. It was then that they all realized that Tenmai was only in a towel that threatened to fall off and reveal all she had. Naruto instantly sported a bleeding nose, turning around to avoid it getting worse. Sasuke blushed before walking away, muttering about crazy women. Gaara was frozen in his spot. This wasn't his first time seeing a women as unclothed as Tenmai, but it was the fact that he got to truly see her figure, the body of his so-called 'future wife'. She noticed his scrutinizing gaze and blushed, looking away from him. Gaara, embarrassed by what he was doing looked the opposite way.
“I'm going to go see how the girls are.” she muttered to no one in particular, walking back across the water to the other side.
It was going to be difficult to explain this event to the owner of the baths.

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Upon getting to her temporary room, conveniently located in a hotel with the whole floor she was on being reserved for the Kazekage, Tenmai changed out of her Shinobi clothes and into a simple set of night clothes, a tank top and short shorts. Standing in the center of the room, in the largest open area, she stretched out her muscles. It was a long day and tomorrow was going to be longer.
Gaara walked up to door and raised his fist to knock, but paused. He was...nervous? Excited? All sorts of emotions and thought ran through his mind. Never had someone done this to him, made him feel so many various things at once. If he was his old self, he would have eliminated her by now. She was the first person to never show fear upon hearing his name and seeing what he could do. She accepted him immediately, despite his past. Though they had just met, he....admired her, in his own way.
Pushing the thoughts to the side, he knocked lightly on her door, hearing a faint “come in” from the other side. He pushed open the door to find her in a straddle on the floor, stretching out her muscles. Tenmai looked up at the Kazekage and smiled. Gaara sat in front of her on the floor, removing the gourd on his back. Knowing, exactly, why he came, she grabbed a small stack of papers and a map off of the desk and laid in out on the floor before them.
“I have been to Suna before,” she assured him, ruffling through the papers. “And I know the village rather well. Based upon what I know and what Temari has told me, there are five main entrances into the village and several minor. I will talk with the guards of Suna personally and discuss a more strategical approach to our problem. We will also need to meet with the Elders to go over plans for both your protection, as well as the villages, and our....marriage. I have no idea when they want us to get married or where, but we need to talk to them as soon as possible. Is all of that alright with you, Gaara?”
Gaara had a far away look on his face. It was a lot of information thrown at him all at once. Tenmai waved her hand in his face for a few seconds before Gaara grabbed it.
“Got it all. What time do you wish to leave in the morning?”
“Sunrise, at the latest. If we leave then, we will make to the border of the River Lands by midnight. We could stay there, refill our water supply, then make the trek across and into the desert. Since it gets rather cool in the desert at night, we would be able to rest comfortably for a while before going the rest of the distance.”
They sat in silence for a few moments, but when Tenmai went to grab the paper's on the floor between, she realized that Gaara was still holding on to her and he hadn't noticed. The two of them looked at their conjoined hands before pulling them apart, pretending it never happened. Tenmai gathered up the papers and put them on the desk while Gaara put his gourd on.
“Good night Gaara.”
“Night....Tenmai.”
He left the room and Tenmai took in a deep breath, realizing she's been holding it since they let go of each other. The temperature seemed to rise in the room and she fanned herself, drawing in deeper and deeper breaths.
“Snap out of it, girl. He's your boss now and you can't develop any feelings for him, none at all. Now, how about some sleep?”
Tenmai gathered up all of her things, making sure she all that she needed and that it was organized, before curling up on top of the covers and falling asleep.

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The next morning arrived quickly. Tenmai was making her way to the other bedrooms to get Temari and Kankuro up when Gaara strolled past her, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. Tenmai's face heated up quickly and she shook her head to rid herself of the blush. She didn't understand what was going on with her. Why was she blushing around him? Hitting herself on the forehead, she knocked on the door in front of her.
“Temari, time to go.”
“I'll be out in a few. Go wake up the idiot.”
“Alright.” Tenmai chuckled to herself as she walked to Kankuro's room.
The puppet master was still asleep when she walked into the room, having given up on knocking after 2 minutes of no response. Building chakra into her hands, she grabbed the edge of the mattress and flipped it over, knocking him to the ground. A grunt echoed in the room followed by a groan. Kankuro climbed out from under the mattress, anger on his non-painted face.
“What the hell was that for?”
“Time to get up Kuro-chan. We got a lot of distance to cover before nightfall.”
“But it's still dark outside. Just one more hour.”
“No if, ands, or buts about it. Time to get a move on, lazy Kuro-chan.”
“Oh, buzz off Tenmai and don't call me Kuro-chan!” he yelled as she sauntered out of the room, a smile on her face.
Gaara came out of the room next to Kankuro's and noticed the wide smile on Tenmai's face.
“What are you happy about?”
“I got to flip Kankuro off of his bed.” she winked at him. “Anyways, do you have all of your things together? I want to leave as soon as lazy ass is up.”
“I've been ready all morning.”
“Didn't you sleep?”
“Not.....entirely.”
“But I thought the Shukaku was gone?”
“I still have trouble falling asleep.”
“I'm sorry.”
“It's.....don't worry about it.” he growled as he walked away.
“You don't have to be so defensive.” she called out. “I know it's hard falling asleep, especially with the nightmares that never seem to go away, but the only way to heal is to move on, forget about the past. I understand you Gaara, I know who you are and what you were. You're not alone, no matter what you say or think. There is always someone out there who understands you.”
Gaara whipped around to yell at her but found she wasn't there anymore. Growling, he turned on his heel and headed to get his things. What right did she have to say those things, he thought to himself. She knew nothing about him. She didn't care, she was only saying those things for.....for.....who cares, he shouted in his mind.
Tenmai grabbed the pack in her room and made sure she had everything. Temari came into her room, ready to leave, Kankuro and Gaara waiting in the hall. Double checking everything, the group headed out, ready to make the long trek. Tenmai headed the front with Temari, the two girls carrying on conversations about whatever came to mind while leaping through the trees, Kankuro following behind, and Gaara taking up the back. They paused around noon to eat and sit for a little. While Kankuro and Temari were filling up the canteens at the stream, Tenmai stood abruptly, causing Gaara to watch her. Dropping her pack and weapons to the ground, she jumped into the brush. Gaara heard a grunt and a body slamming into the ground. A spike of chakra came from the area and he hurried to see what was going on. He was amazed at what he saw.
Tenmai was surrounded by Shinobi, each bent on killing him. Several were already dead. She was standing still, eyes open but not watching anything. The silver depths were now pitch black and seemed to swirl. She smirked at them all and took a kunai out of her holder, slicing open her hand. It was then that Gaara noticed her outfit was different. She wore a tight black tube top, made of the same material as the shirt from the day before, and odd black pants. The right leg went all the way down to her boots, but the left was cut off like shorts and around the thigh was a holster holding her kunai and a pair of sais. Her hair was different as well. The day before it was violet, now it was black, just like her eyes. The headband of Takigakure decorated her forehead.
The Shinobi all jumped at Tenmai, weapons in hand. Gaara made to join her side, but was held back by a black tendril coming out of the ground. The same black energy encased her blood covered, outstretched hands and held all her attackers. The tendrils turned into hands, holding the limbs of her victims. Pulling her hands towards her, the hands pulled ribbing the men apart. Their screams were short but the blood flowed continuously. Drops of the blood, from all 15 Shinobi, clung to Tenmai, dripping down her face. Her eyes were shut tight. Water fell from the skies, washing the crimson from her skin.
Blinking open her eyes, she looked at Gaara and smiled. The ground shifted around them, the earth pulling the body parts down below the surface. Kneeling, Tenmai stroked the dirt, whispering a thank you under her breath before standing and walking to Gaara. Her eyes were still the black, swirling color and the tendril had yet to release him. He was wary of her until she smiled warmly, the blackness around his ankle disappearing.
“Are you alright, Gaara? No one hurt you, did they?”
“N..No.” he stuttered, shaking his head.
“That's good. Let's get back to our belongings, shall we?”
She walked past him, brushing against him ever so slightly. It was in that single moment, watching her kill those men effortlessly, that Gaara feared what she could do, what she was truly capable of. He thought of what could happen if she was the enemy instead of an ally.

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When night arrived, they had made it halfway through the River Country. Setting up camp for the night, Tenmai took the first watch, Temari and Kankuro grateful for the chance to sleep. They weren't aware of what had happened earlier in the day, with the Shinobi that had attacked Tenmai. Tenmai started a fire with the dry wood scraps around their campsite and sat before it, staring into the embers, deep in thought. Gaara came up behind her in order to sit with her but noticed something odd on her back. It looked like a scar, one similar to the scar on her face. It ran from the top of her left shoulder, down her ribs, across the lower portion of her back, ending at her right hip.
“How did you get your scars?” he asked as he sat next to her.
“Why do you care?”
“I don't. Just curious, that's all.”
“Then why should I tell you?” she snapped, glaring at the man beside her. “You don't care so I shouldn't tell you.”
“I'm sure it's not that bad.”
“Gaara, you grew up alone and hated. Admitted, you had the demon Shukaku in you, but in all honesty, at least you were ignored.” She looked back into the flames, a sad look on her face. “I grew up hated by my father. I only had my mother, until...she was taken away. The bastard who is now after the both of us killed her, before my very eyes. I came home from my uncle's house, after playing with my cousin Shibuki. I couldn't find my parents downstairs so I went up to their room. My father had my mother strapped to the bed and was beating her senseless. She was crying, begging for him to stop, but he laughed and hit her harder. My whimpers caught his attention. He laughed at the tears running down my face and hit them all off my face with a single blow. I hurried to my mother, tried to get her bonds off, only realizing a few minutes later that it was useless. She was dead. My father came at me after that, with the knife that ended her life. That's how I got my first scar, the one on my face.”
She traced a finger down the side of her face, following the scar from the corner of her eye to her collar bone. Facing Gaara, she smiled sadly, a sorrowful look coming to her now silver eyes. They sat in silence for the next few hours, neither tired. The fire crackled and a log tumbled, sending embers into the air. Tenmai caught a smouldering one on her palm, staring at it. She didn't flinch as it burned and when it finally went out, there was no burn mark on her hand.
“Fire is a curious thing. It burns, wrecks homes and lives, takes so many things away. It kills trees and animals and can burn furiously, without end. Yet, despite all that, it can also bring life. Burying ashes with a seed can help it grow faster and more bountiful. Fire is the symbol of courage and love, of passion. Fire is the essence of a Phoenix. They burst into flames at the end of their life and are reborn from the ashes. Fire stands for so many things and represents many things. The flames of love, passion, courage burn in each of us.” she faced Gaara. “So tell me, what is your flame?”
“What do you mean?”
“What do you fight for? What is your purpose?”
“I....used to fight for myself, but now....I fight for my people, my country. What about you?”
“I fight for the innocent, to protect those that need help, those that need someone to be there for them, because I know what it is like to be in their position, to be utterly defenseless.”
Tenmai gazed up at the stars, a small smile on her face. Gaara eyed the woman before him. She was a most interesting character. She is so serene and calm, but other times she could be so ruthless. He was surprised that she told him what she did. He knew that there was more but wouldn't push it. She faced him again and smiled, nudging his shoulder, causing him to smirk. They looked back up at the sky, the stars twinkling above as if winking to the inhabitants below.

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Yay! I got my first review here! Hope everyone likes the story. Let me know.

J1nx