Trio’s Journey: Second Chance

{Chapter Five}

"Uzumaki Chill day!"

{Kenji and TenTen's Unexpected Meeting}

Kenji Uzumaki, dressed in a navy blue jacket with white trim over a dark gray shirt, strolled through the village with a casual air His outfit bore the Uzumaki clan symbol stitched subtly on his left sleeve, a nod to his heritage without being too flashy

A ninja pouch was secured around his waist, and his carefree demeanor made him approachable to most

Kenji brushed off their wary looks as he walked, glancing at the bustling market stalls

The aroma of freshly grilled dumplings caught his attention, and he stopped by a food stand to indulge

As he reached into his pouch to pay, a thought struck him

Grabbing two small boxes of dumplings, he wandered aimlessly through the village until his feet led him to an open training field near the academ

It was there that he saw a girl practicing her aim with a set of kunai

Her focus was unshakable as she adjusted her stance, her academy uniform — a sleeveless pink qipao and white shorts — fitting snugly against her petite frame

Her dark brown hair was tied into twin buns, emphasizing her bright, determined expression

"Huh? That's TenTen…" he thought as he made his way towards her

Kenji paused, intrigued by her precision and intensity

As she threw another kunai, it hit the target with a satisfying thunk.

"Nice shot." Kenji called out, stepping closer

The girl turned, startled, before narrowing her eyes at him

"Who are you?" she asked bluntly, lowering her hand but keeping her stance defensive

"Relax, I'm just passing through. Thought I'd compliment your aim." Kenji said, holding up his hands in mock surrender

He walked closer, holding up the extra skewer of dango

"Peace offering?" Kenji asked

The girl eyed him suspiciously but eventually relented, her stance softening

"I guess you're harmless enough," she muttered, stepping forward and taking the a dumpling

"Kenji Uzumaki, and you are?" He introduced himself with a smile

"TenTen." She replied curtly, taking a bite of the dumpling

Her expression shifted briefly to one of pleasant surprise before she masked it with a stoic look

"So, TenTen, you always train this hard, or am I just lucky to catch the show?" Kenji asked, leaning casually against a nearby post

TenTen shrugged, turning back to the targets

"I don't waste time. If I want to be a great ninja, I need to practice every chance I get." TenTen spoke, carrying herself well

Kenji nodded, impressed

"That's some dedication. You aiming to be Hokage or something?" Kenji asked

She scoffed lightly, a hint of a smirk tugging at her lips

"No, nothing like that. I just want to prove that kunoichi can be just as strong — maybe stronger — than the guys." TenTen said as she glanced at him

Kenji chuckled

"Fair point. I've seen plenty of strong kunoichi, but I think you've got them all beat with that focus." Kenji said truthfully

TenTen glanced at him, her cheeks faintly pink

"Flattery doesn't work on me." She said slightly flustered from the sudden compliment

"Not flattery, just an observation." Kenji said, taking a bite of his dumpling

TenTen raised an eyebrow at him, then turned back to her practice

"You're not like most boys, they usually just get in the way or try to show off." She said after a moment

Kenji laughed

"Trust me, showing off isn't my thing. I just wanted to see what makes you tick." Kenji said honestly

"Me?" I'm pretty simple. I work hard, I train hard, and I don't deal with nonsense." TenTen asked, throwing another kunai that landed dead center

Kenji grinned

"I can respect that. So, what's the endgame for you? Just being strong?" Kenji asked

"Not just strong, the best. I want to master every weapon, every technique. I want people to look at me and know that I earned it. No shortcuts, no excuses." TenTen said, her voice firm

Kenji watched her for a moment, her determination shining through every word

"That's pretty admirable, most people talk big, but you've got the drive to back it up." He said

TenTen paused, glancing at him

"What about you? You're an Uzumaki, right? Shouldn't you be off causing chaos with your brothers?" TenTen asked

Kenji scratched the back of his head, laughing

"Yeah, that's more Naruto's thing. I'm more of the 'fly under the radar' kind of guy." Kenji said

"Fly under the radar? You don't seem the type. You walked up to a stranger mid-training with dumplings. That's not exactly subtle." TenTen echoed, crossing her arms

Kenji shrugged, grinning

"What can I say? I like making new friends." Kenji said

TenTen blinked, momentarily caught off guard

"Friends?" She repeated slightly surprised

"Yeah, Unless you're not interested?" Kenji said, his tone casual

TenTen nodded, slightly flustered from his outgoing personality

TenTen expertly hit another target, her precision undeniable

He leaned against a tree and decided to ask something that had been on his mind

"So, TenTen, what's your specialty? I mean, you're obviously great with kunai, but what do you excel at?" Kenji asked, his curiosity revealed

He wondered why TenTen never used ninjutsu in the anime or attempt to learn taijustu even though in the future her sensei was Might Guy, the best taijustu user in history

TenTen paused, lowering her arm and turning to him

"Fūinjutsu, shurikenjutsu, and kenjutsu." She replied confidently, brushing a stray hair from her face

Kenji blinked

"Really? Not taijutsu or ninjutsu too?" He asked slightly surprised

Her confident demeanor faltered, and for a moment, she looked frustrated

She glanced away, her grip tightening slightly on the kunai in her hand

Kenji frowned, sensing he'd touched a nerve

"Hey, I didn't mean it in a bad way." Kenji added quickly

TenTen took a deep breath, calming herself before turning back to him

"It's fine," She said, her voice steady but softer than before

She hesitated, before continuing

"The truth is… I can't use ninjutsu. My body just isn't capable of it. And as for taijutsu… I'm not strong enough. I've always been weaker physically, so my taijutsu's… not great." She said as she glanced at the ground

Kenji's expression softened as he listened

"Hey, that's nothing to be ashamed of, you're already amazing with the things you're focusing on. Fūinjutsu, shurikenjutsu, and kenjutsu aren't easy to learn or even to master, you know." he said sincerely

TenTen looked at him, her frustration easing slightly

"Thanks, but sometimes it feels like it's not enough. Like I'll always have this… gap in my abilities." TenTen said with a sad smile

Kenji crossed his arms, tilting his head thoughtfully

"Maybe, but it doesn't mean you can't improve. Even if ninjutsu's out of the question, you could still work on taijutsu. You don't have to rely on raw strength. Have you thought about enhancing your strength with chakra?" Kenji asked

TenTen blinked, her brow furrowing.

"Chakra-enhanced strength?" TenTen asked, as her cursory grew

Kenji nodded, grinning

"Yeah. I don't know much about it, but I've heard of someone who mastered it. One of the Legendary Sannin — Tsunade Senju. They say she can shatter boulders with a single punch using chakra." Kenji said, as he remembered the anime show

TenTen crossed her arms, frowning slightly

"Tsunade hasn't been in the village for years. She left a long time ago." She said

Kenji chuckled, scratching the back of his head

"Oh, right. I guess I forgot about that. Still, just because she's not here doesn't mean you can't figure it out. You're smart. If anyone can teach themselves, it's you." He said, shrugging his shoulders

TenTen raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a small smirk

"You think I can just teach myself something a Sannin mastered?" TenTen said in disbelief

Kenji grinned

"Why not? You're already tackling things most people can't. Fūinjutsu's no joke, and your aim with shuriken is insane. Besides, even if it takes time, it's worth trying, right?" Kenji said

TenTen hesitated, his words sinking in

"Maybe, It's not like I've got much to lose." She admitted

Kenji straightened up, his grin widening

"That's the spirit! You don't have to be perfect at everything. Just keep pushing yourself. Who knows? Maybe you'll be the next great kunoichi to make history." Kenji said

TenTen chuckled, shaking her head

"You're really something, Uzumaki. You've got all this optimism, even when you don't know what you're talking about." TenTen said

Kenji shrugged playfully

"Hey, optimism's free, and sometimes it's all you need to keep going." Kenji said

TenTen glanced at the kunai in her hand, a flicker of determination returning to her eyes

"Alright, fine. I'll give it a shot. But don't get cocky — I'm still miles ahead of you with my aim."

Kenji laughed, knowing it wasn't true but he didn't want to challenge her… well maybe he wanted to

"Fair enough. Just don't forget this moment when you're breaking boulders with chakra someday." Kenji said

TenTen shook her head, but a faint smile lingered on her face

"You're ridiculous." TenTen said

"Maybe, but I'm not wrong." Kenji said with a wink

TenTen rolled her eyes as he turned back to the targets, her confidence slowly returning as she raised her kunai

Kenji watched silently, feeling a sense of satisfaction knowing he'd helped

"So, what's next on the training menu? More kunai, or are you switching it up?" He said after a moment, breaking the silence

TenTen glanced at him, the corners of her mouth twitching upward

"Stick around and find out." She teased

Kenji leaned back against the tree, arms crossed

"You've got it." Kenji said

After a few moments, his attention caught as TenTen reached for her katana

The way her movements displayed confidence piqued his interest

Without thinking, he called out to her

"Hey, TenTen! Feel like a spar? Only kenjutsu, of course. I want to see what you've got." He shouted, stepping closer

TenTen turned to him, surprised by the challenge

"Kenjutsu? You don't even have a sword." she pointed out, raising an eyebrow

Kenji smirked and unsealed a pair of glowing chakra blades from a scroll strapped to his waist

The bright energy coursed through the weapons as he held them up

"Not exactly a sword, but I'm pretty good with these. Is that fine?" he admitted

TenTen's eyes widened

"You unsealed those so effortlessly…" she muttered, momentarily caught off guard

Kenji shrugged

"What can I say? I like to practice. So, what do you say?" He said with a cheeky grin

Shaking off her surprise, TenTen nodded, gripping her katana tightly

"Alright. Let's see what you've got, Uzumaki." She said as she walked the other way

They moved to an open space, standing several meters apart

The tension grew as they both waited for the first move

A gentle breeze passed between them, sending a leaf floating to the ground

The moment it touched the dirt, they sprang into action

Kenji closed the distance between them almost instantly, his chakra blades cutting through the air with a soft hum

TenTen's eyes widened as she barely parried his first strike, the force of it sending a jolt through her arms

"Fast." she muttered, stepping back to regain her footing

Kenji smirked

"Not bad. But let's see how you handle this." He spoke before executing his combo

He launched into a rapid series of strikes, alternating between slashes and thrusts

TenTen responded with precision, her katana moving fluidly as she blocked and countered

She sidestepped one of his thrusts and spun, aiming for his side, but Kenji pivoted quickly, using one blade to deflect her strike while the other swung toward her shoulder

TenTen ducked just in time, rolling to the side and coming up with a diagonal slash aimed at his chest

Kenji flipped backward, avoiding the blade by inches, and landed gracefully

"Impressive, you're sharp." He said, his tone light as he adjusted his stance

TenTen smirked, her confidence returning

"You're not bad yourself, but don't underestimate me." TenTen responded

Kenji charged again, his movements faster this time

TenTen blocked a flurry of strikes, her katana clashing against his chakra blades with a metallic ring

But Kenji's attacks were relentless, forcing her to step back with every swing

He suddenly feinted a low strike, and when TenTen moved to block, he shifted upward, one blade aimed directly for her wrist

She twisted her body, narrowly avoiding disarmament, but the maneuver left her open

Kenji seized the opportunity, stepping in and delivering a spinning kick to her side

TenTen stumbled but recovered quickly, swinging her katana in a wide arc

Kenji ducked under the blade and countered with a quick strike aimed at her weapon

Their blades collided, the force vibrating through their arms

Kenji's eyes narrowed as he began analyzing her movements more carefully

She was skilled, no doubt about it — her technique was fluid, and her precision was admirable. But there were openings in her defense, slight hesitations that he couldn't ignore

"Not bad." he said, increasing his speed again

TenTen gritted her teeth as she found herself on the defensive, her katana moving frantically to block his strikes

His chakra blades came at her from every angle — overhead, to the side, even low sweeps meant to trip her up

She blocked and dodged as best as she could, but the sheer speed and unpredictability of his attacks left her struggling to keep up

With a swift motion, Kenji knocked her katana to the side, leaving her wide open

He followed with a quick disarm, one of his chakra blades hooking her weapon and sending it spinning out of her hands

TenTen froze, staring at her empty hands in disbelief as Kenji stepped back, his blades humming faintly in the evening light

"Looks like I win." He said, his grin widening

TenTen blinked, her cheeks flushing slightly

"You're… a year below me, and I lost?" she muttered, her voice tinged with frustration and shock

Kenji chuckled, sheathing his blades

"Hey, don't beat yourself up. You're really good — better than most people I've sparred with. But there's always room to grow, right?" He said with a matter of fact tone

TenTen sighed, shaking her head before breaking into a small smile

"I guess so. You're not as bad as I thought, Uzumaki." TenTen said

Kenji laughed

"I'll take that as a compliment." He said

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting the training grounds in a warm orange glow, Kenji stretched his arms and looked up at the sky

"Looks like it's getting late. We should probably call it a day." Kenji said as he stared at the sky

TenTen nodded, picking up her katana and sheathing it

"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks for the match… even if you were holding back." TenTen said, as she glanced at him with a smile

Kenji smirked

"Caught that, huh? Well, maybe next time I'll go all out." He said

TenTen rolled her eyes but couldn't help laughing

"Sure, sure. Just don't get cocky, Uzumaki." She said with a smile

As Kenji walked away, his hands resting behind his head, he replayed the fight in his mind

TenTen was nothing like he'd expected

On the surface, she seemed calm and composed, but underneath was a fierce determination and pride in her abilities

"She's got potential, a lot more than people probably give her credit for. Maybe even more than I thought." He thought, a small smile tugging at his lips

He glanced over his shoulder one last time, seeing TenTen cleaning her weapons

"Yeah, she's definitely someone worth keeping an eye on." He murmured to himself

Satisfied, Kenji turned back toward the village, the day's events leaving him feeling lighter

For the first time, he saw TenTen not as just another aspiring kunoichi but as someone who was steadily carving her own path