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Chapter no.70 The Chains We Break
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Tenten stood frozen, staring blankly at the broken hilt in her hands. The shattered katana blade lay scattered at her feet, reflecting the morning light in cruel fragnts as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. Days ago, she had stood before Naruto as a teacher, guiding him patiently through the fundantals of kenjutsu. She had taught him everything—how to hold a blade, how to position his body, how to read his opponent's movents. She had expected it to take weeks, months even, for him to grasp the basics, let alone this.
It had taken him two days to refine the basics into an actual style.
Two days to not just match her, but to surpass her.
The weight of the realization hit her like a punch to the gut. Years of her life—years spent sweating in the heat of the forge, training until her muscles burned and her hands bled, pushing herself to master every technique she could find—had been eclipsed. Not by soone who shared her obsession, her passion, her dedication. No, it had been Naruto, a boy who only days ago couldn't tell a proper grip from a chokehold.
The katana had been her pride, her identity. Its shattering felt symbolic, as if the universe itself had declared her efforts aningless.
Tenten's mind whirled with doubts she thought she'd buried. What was the point of all that work? Of all those years? She had fought so hard to carve out a place for herself, to prove she could be as skilled, as valuable, as anyone else. And now, standing there with nothing but a broken hilt in her hands, she felt small. Inadequate.
The bitterness was sharp, a familiar voice whispering in the back of her mind. You're just a weapons specialist. Not Tsunade. Not soone extraordinary. Just soone diocre.
"No!" Tenten shouted, her body trembling as she scrambled to her feet. "I'm not done yet!"
Her hands flew into a flurry of seals.
"Ninja Art: Rising Twin Dragons!"
The scrolls shot into the air, spinning in perfect unison. Smoke coiled around them, shaping into twin serpentine forms that roared into the sky. When the smoke cleared, Tenten leapt into the space between the scrolls, her hands moving like blinding lightning. Kunai, shuriken, spears, and blades poured down on Naruto in an unrelenting storm. The sheer precision of her strikes was breathtaking—each weapon aid to corner him, overwhelm him, crush him under the weight of her skill.
From above, Tenten saw her weapons completely encase Naruto, forming a dense sphere of steel that left no room to breathe. For a mont, she allowed herself to feel satisfaction. She had him.
But then, a piercing light burst through the sphere, and in an instant, her weapons were blasted away by a shockwave. They clattered to the ground like scattered leaves.
Her ultimate attack was just destroyed by a single jutsu.
She landed softly, her boots crunching against the earth now littered with her weapons.
Naruto took a step forward, and instinctively, Tenten took a step back. Her heel caught on sothing, and she stumbled, falling onto her back.
"Stay back!"
Naruto stopped mid-step, his face softening as he raised his hands in a calming gesture.
"I said, stay back!"
Her hand darted to the nearest weapon—a kunai—and she hurled it with all her strength. It struck Naruto's chest plate and bounced off harmlessly. She reached for another, but her hands found only dirt.
And then he was standing over her.
Tenten's breath hitched as she squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. Her lips quivered as the frustration, the anger, and the humiliation boiled over.
"Okay, you win!" she shouted. "You proved your point!"
Her tears dripped onto the dirt below as she sniffed, unable to et his gaze. "I'm not even a weapon specialist. I'm just… a loser. I get it, okay? Just say it. Say what you're thinking!"
Naruto didn't say anything.
"Say sothing! Gloat!" she scread, her voice strained with desperation.
But instead of words, Naruto knelt down in front of her. Slowly, he removed his gauntlet, setting it aside before reaching out. His hand was warm, calloused but gentle, as he brushed away a tear on her cheek. Tenten's eyes opened, and for the first ti, she saw his face.
He wasn't smug. He wasn't triumphant. There was no pride in his expression—only sha.
"That was an amazing spar."
Tenten froze, her breath catching in her throat. "I lost," she whispered.
"Does winning an everything?" Naruto asked. "This wasn't about winning. It's a spar between friends, right? Aren't we supposed to help each other get stronger?"
Tenten's lips twisted bitterly. "Friends don't humiliate each other," she muttered.
"You're right. They don't."
Her eyes snapped to his, her anger flaring again. "Then what about all of this? How is this not humiliating? You said I'm just a weapon specialist. Then you co here, to my ho, in front of my father, and you—" Her voice broke. "You defeat . You completely humiliate ."
Naruto was silent for a mont, his head bowed. Then, quietly, he spoke.
"Four thousand."
Tenten blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
"It took four thousand shadow clones," Naruto said. "Four thousand clones, sparring over and over, taking hit after hit, making mistake after mistake. And yeah, it hurt. A lot. I can still feel every single failure." He looked at her with a small, tired smile. "But you know why I could do that? Because of the basics you taught . You didn't just teach how to swing a sword—you taught how to fight."
Tenten stared at him, her mind racing, her lips trembling. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying I'm sorry."
That stopped her cold.
"I'm sorry if I hurt you," he continued, his eyes earnest. "I'm not good with words. I say stupid things, and people take them the wrong way. What I ant wasn't that you're just a weapon specialist. What I ant was… being a weapon specialist is amazing. And I thought maybe… I could help you. I thought you could be both—an incredible weapon specialist and a dical ninja. But instead of helping, I just hurt you. And I'm sorry."
Tenten's heart twisted painfully in her chest as the weight of his words sank in. She looked down, sha blooming hot and sharp as she replayed everything in her mind—the misunderstanding, the anger, the bitterness. It all felt so foolish now.
I'm such an idiot…
"Huh?"
"I blew this completely out of proportion," she admitted, lying back on the dirt road with a heavy sigh. Her gaze turned skyward as the sun climbed higher, the light warm on her face. "I jumped to conclusions. I got mad over sothing I didn't even understand. I've been so… dumb."
Naruto blinked, scratching the back of his head. "You're not dumb. You're, like… really smart. And scary."
"Gee, thanks," she muttered dryly, though a small, reluctant smile tugged at her lips.
Naruto shifted closer, sitting cross-legged beside her. "You okay, senpai?"
Tenten let out a breathy laugh, shaking her head. "I'll be fine. I just… need a minute to process how ridiculous I've been." She turned her head slightly to look at him. "And for the record, I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have assud the worst about you."
Naruto grinned, his boyish energy returning. "Hey, don't sweat it! We're still cool, right?"
Tenten looked at him for a mont before closing her eyes with a sigh. "Yeah. We're still cool, maggot."
Naruto laughed, the sound light and genuine, and for the first ti that morning, Tenten felt the weight on her chest begin to lift.
The silence between them lingered for a mont, the kind that allowed thoughts to settle and emotions to breathe. Tenten broke it first.
"Naruto," she began. "Do you think I chose the right path?"
Naruto humd, not rushing to answer.
"What if I had done sothing different?" Tenten continued. "What if I'd beco a dical ninja? What if I didn't… settle for being a weapon specialist?"
"Was it easy to beco a weapon specialist?"
Tenten blinked, caught off guard. "Easy? Hell no." She let out a bitter laugh. "I couldn't even tell you how many nights I cried myself to sleep because of how hard it was. But… I still did it."
"Then how is that settling?"
"What do you an?"
"If you worked so hard for sothing—sothing most people couldn't even imagine doing—how is that settling?" Naruto asked. "That doesn't sound like settling to . That sounds like making your own path."
The words hit Tenten like a bolt of lightning. Her eyes widened as sothing inside her clicked.
A laugh bubbled up from her chest—soft at first, then louder, until it mingled with the tears streaming down her cheeks. She cried and laughed, the release of years of frustration and self-doubt flooding out all at once.
She finally understood.
Lee had turned his hard work into talent, but so had she. She had been so blinded by Tsunade's shadow, so fixated on what the legendary kunoichi represented, that she hadn't realized her real goal. It wasn't to be Tsunade Senju. No, it was to represent what Tsunade stood for—an idol, an inspiration for young kunoichi to look up to.
"Naruto," she said softly, wiping her eyes as she reached out her hand. He took it, pulling her to her feet.
"Thank you," she said sincerely. "I needed that."
"What, to get beat up by ?"
Tenten rolled her eyes, giving him a playful smack on the cheek. "Don't push it."
They started walking back toward the shop, where her father was waiting.
"Sorry for making a scene, Dad," Tenten said sheepishly. "I'll clean this place up later."
Hiten waved her off, his smile smug and warm. "No worries. I'm just glad you worked things out with your boyfriend."
Tenten froze mid-step, her face turning bright red.
"He's not my boyfriend!" she shouted, her voice shrill with indignation.
Naruto, anwhile, looked slightly hurt. "Wait… I'm not your friend?"
"No!" Tenten exclaid quickly, flustered. "You are my friend! You're not my boyfriend."
"Wait… does that an I'm a girl?"
Hiten burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the shop as Tenten slapped her forehead in exasperation.
"No, Naruto!" she groaned, glaring at her father, who was practically doubled over with laughter.
"Then what's a boyfriend?"
Tenten sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before launching into a rushed explanation.
"Ohhh," Naruto said after a mont, his face reddening. He turned to Hiten, shaking his head vigorously. "Mr. Higurashi, Tenten and I are just friends. I swear!"
"Just friends, huh?" Tenten muttered under her breath, a little disappointed by how quickly he said it. But her father caught it, giving her a smug, knowing smile that only made her blush harder.
"Tenten!" Naruto called, oblivious to her embarrassnt.
She turned to him, grateful for the distraction—until she froze.
In Naruto's hands was a gleaming set of chainmail.
"Rember how I said I'd bring you an armor set?" Naruto said, holding it out to her. "Here."
Tenten blinked, her heart skipping a beat. "Naruto, I… I don't even know what to say."
"Try it on," Naruto said with a grin. "You can't go around calling yourself a badass swordswoman without so aweso armor, right?"
Tenten nodded, her face warm as she practically snatched the armor from his hands and disappeared into the shop.
"So… what do you think?"
Hiten smiled, leaning casually against the doorfra. "Naruto, if you include more armor and weapons in the dowry, you've got my blessings."
"What?"
Hiten burst out laughing again, his prosthetic leg clinking against the floor as he doubled over.
"DAD!" Tenten's voice rang out from the shop.
A few monts later, the tallic clink of chainmail filled the air as Tenten stepped outside. The armor fit her perfectly, the interlocking rings gleaming in the sunlight. She looked down at herself, brushing her hands over the craftsmanship.
"It's amazing," she said softly, her cheeks pink.
"Amazing enough for a spar?"
Tenten looked up, startled.
"Don't think I have forgotten, senpai. This ti, it's my turn to teach you."
Tenten blinked, caught off guard by his sincerity. She felt her face flush again but managed a small smile. "It's my honor, Naruto-sensei."
They both giggled at the playful exchange, the tension between them finally gone.
Hiten, however, wasn't done. "Naruto," he called out. "If you keep this up, I'll have to start preparing for the wedding."
"DAD!" Tenten shouted, her face bright red as she whirled on him.
Naruto, anwhile, stood frozen, his face a mix of confusion and horror. "Wait, what?!"
"It's a joke, Naruto," Tenten muttered, her palm slapping against her forehead.
"Oh…" Naruto said, his face reddening. Then, after a beat, "Wait, why is that a joke?"
Hiten roared with laughter as Tenten groaned, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation.
"Because you're impossible, that's why!" she huffed, stomping back toward the shop.
Naruto scratched his head, muttering to himself. "I don't get it…"
"Don't worry, kid," Hiten said, clapping him on the back. "You'll figure it out one day. Hopefully before my grandkids arrive."
"WHAT?!" Naruto yelped as Tenten's voice echoed from inside the shop.
"DAD!"
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[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are aweso. Now, if you're interested in supporting on P@treon, let just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P@treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 33, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.
To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comnt! Honestly, your comnts make my day, and they let know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!
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