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Of Steel and Chakra

Chapter 1: Lost

The sun was barely visible over the mountains when she awoke. Glancing around, Tenten was unsurprised to see that she was the last one awake. Neji had taken the last watch, so he was up, of course. Lee and Gai-sensei were engaged in some ridiculous form of training involving three large rocks, a long branch, and a duck that they had procured from somewhere. It was far too early to try to make sense of the spandex-clad duo's antics.

Stretching as she walked over to the small campfire, she sat next to Neji. "Good morning, Neji," she said brightly.

"Good morning, Tenten," came the almost monotone reply. She suppressed a sigh. Ever since his fight with Naruto, Neji had been getting a little bit better about showing emotion and ignoring all that fate crap he had been so obsessed with, but he'd been backsliding a bit lately. Not too surprising, given that this had been a long deployment guarding the border, and the whole team was anxious to get home. It was still irritating, however.

After a quick breakfast, they resumed their journey, dashing through the fields at a pace that only a ninja could maintain, leaping from branch to branch on those few times when their path strayed into the woods. They were making good time, and if they kept going at this speed, they should be back in Konoha within a day or two. Unfortunately, that was not to be their fate, as Neji might say.

"Tenten, look out!" the pale-eyed boy shouted, and, not bothering to look around to see what the threat was, she obeyed the order instantly, leaping up and off to the left. She could feel the heat from an explosion on her back, the wind pushing her forward. She managed to turn the awkward landing into a smooth roll, coming up with a kunai in each hand as she looked around for the unexpected assailant.

There were at least a dozen of them, but she didn't have time to do a precise count. Though their ambush had failed, that didn't deter the attackers in the least as they rushed forward, weapons already drawn. In the back of her mind Tenten noted that those weapons were of excellent quality and kept in very good condition, hardly matching the rough appearance of the men wielding them. Except for the blades, they looked just like stereotypical bandits. But having such good steel told a different story, not to mention the boldness to directly attack a band of leaf-nin. Probably trained ninja from one of the enemy villages, pretending to be bandits for just such an occasion as this.

Two of the attackers converged on her, spreading out to come at her from both sides. Tenten suppressed a small grin as she re-holstered the kunai and instead grabbed a three-segmented staff called a sansetsukon. Though it was at times slightly irritating, it was also very advantageous that many people underestimated her because she was just a girl. Such a basic maneuver suggested her enemies had made the same mistake as so many others. And that mistake would cost them.

Tenten was not considered Konoha's rising weapons mistress for nothing. Her skill with almost any weapon was unparalleled by anyone near her age. But, of course, her particular emphasis was thrown weapons. Except for one particularly embarrassing fight with a certain wind user from Suna (that she really didn't like to think about) she never missed. And her enemies would get to see her skills in that area firsthand.

She leaped to the right, bringing her staff up in one smooth move to parry a downward slash, pushing the oncoming blade to the side, then pivoted to sweep the man's feet out from under him. As she had half expected, the man jumped up and back, disengaging just long enough to provide Tenten with a brief window of opportunity, which she made the most of.

Spinning as she grabbed a kunai in her right hand, she threw almost without looking, locating her target mostly by sound. The fact that the throw was almost blind didn't matter. After so many years of practice, she could hit anything no matter how much she spun and dodged. And, as she had expected, her aim was dead-on.

The burly man who had been coming up behind her fell to his knees, his face an almost amusing mix of confusion and shock as he brought his hands up to his throat, where the handle of the kunai was barely visible, having sunk deep into the flesh given the incredible force of Tenten's throws. The fact that she always kept her weapons razor sharp helped as well. The light then faded from the man's eyes, and he slumped over to one side, motionless.

Tenten wasn't paying any more attention to the fallen man, however. He wasn't the first she had killed, and he wouldn't be the last. She spun just in time to see her other attacker leap at her, clearly taking the fight more seriously now that he knew she wasn't the weakling he had expected. It didn't matter. She would win.

The fight was brief, just as she expected. He swung the large sword horizontally, the tip of the blade at about the same height as her waist. It was an attack that would be difficult for most people to dodge, too low to go under, but still too high to jump without using chakra. Unfortunately, that difficulty didn't really apply to someone who regularly sparred with Lee and Gai-sensei. Compared to the incredible speed of their attacks, the man was moving like molasses, which gave Tenten plenty of time to react. Where most people would probably jump backward to avoid the blade, she did the opposite, rushing forward in a dive that turned to a roll underneath the sword. She left the sansetsukon on the ground, instead snatching a kunai as she pulled out of the roll and stood up. She was nearly nose-to-nose with the man when her small blade entered his stomach. She could see the pain in his eyes, but that didn't stop her. Pulling the blade up and out of the man's guts, she struck once more, this time in the heart.

Her attacker let out a small whimper, then fell.

Tenten glanced around, unsurprised to see that her teammates had been just as successful with their opponents as she had been.

"Neji, are there any others?" her sensei asked, no hint of his usual levity present.

Veins bulged around the long-haired boy's eyes as he activated his byakugan. "No, that was the last of…" he cut off that thought, instead frantically crying, "Get away from the bodies!"

Tenten was moving almost instantly, but it wasn't enough. She could feel an explosion of chakra emanating from the corpse at her feet. A rush of wind hit her, burning hot against her skin, and then a wave of cold. She landed roughly, surprised that she hadn't landed on dirt as she had expected, but rather on… snow? She had no time to ponder this mystery. The world around her spun and whirled, coming in and out of focus before the blackness that had been gathering at the edge of her vision overtook her, and she lost consciousness.

As the world came into focus, Tenten noticed two things. First, she was sore. Not just a little sore, as one might be after a day of trying to keep up with the torture that Gai-sensei called training. But truly sore. As in, every muscle felt like it had been worked to the point of uselessness. Even blinking seemed to be a chore. But, perhaps the more concerning thing was that she was cold. Freezing cold. She was shivering uncontrollably, which certainly wasn't helping the 'sore' situation. Ignoring her body's pained protests, she forced herself to her feet, trying to still her chattering teeth as she studied her surroundings.

Obviously, she had been, somehow, transported somewhere else. The unending expanse of snow made that very clear. It also made her situation much more concerning. She had no supplies but a few kunai and shuriken. And in this frozen wasteland, it didn't look like she would be finding any help any time soon. The sun was barely visible over the far distant mountains. She just hoped that it was rising, and not setting.

Her clothes were wet from lying in the snow, though even if they had been dry, the thin fabric, chosen for comfort in the temperate Land of Fire, offered little protection from the harsh, biting wind. She could feel her body temperature dropping. While she'd never been on a mission to the far north before, she knew the dangers of hypothermia. While forcing herself to stay active would help, it wouldn't be enough, especially once night fell. She needed shelter, and she needed fire.

Fortunately, despite her youth and inexperience with such a situation, Tenten was a ninja. A true kunoichi, not like those ridiculous fangirls who were more concerned with keeping their skin soft and their luxurious hair perfectly styled. A little bit of snow was not going to be the death of her. At least, that's what she kept telling herself.

Reaching down, she grabbed a handful of snow, squeezing it in her hand. She was relieved to see that it compressed well enough. Hopefully, that would mean that she could build some sort of snow fort. She'd never actually done so, but she understood the basic theory.

The bigger issue was finding wood for a fire. In the distance she could see what looked like a small clump of trees, and she began to make her way over there, going quickly to keep herself warm, but not so fast that she began to sweat. Her clothes were wet enough already. No need to add to the problem.

The snow was deep, but using the sand-walking technique that she had learned during a mission to Suna shortly after the invasion helped keep her from sinking too far. In about five minutes, she was standing in the small grove of evergreen trees, now feeling much more optimistic about her situation.

There was very little deadfall on the ground, but that wasn't a problem. She gathered what there was, then began breaking branches off the trees. The wood wouldn't burn very well, but it would be better than nothing. Unfortunately, even chakra enhanced strength had its limits, so she was limited to the smaller branches, being unable to break the thicker limbs and unwilling to risk damaging her kunai trying to cut them. Without a serrated edge, it would probably be an exercise in futility, anyway.

She glanced at the sun, noting with some surprise that it hadn't risen nearly as much as she had expected. It had only been about an hour, but surely it should have moved more than that. Her heart sunk as she realized another possibility.

Basic geography was a requirement for any shinobi, and Tenten had always striven to be competent in all areas of ninja life. The Elemental Nations were, for the most part, quite moderate in temperature. In fact, the only places where one could find snow like this were in the far reaches of Lightning and Earth countries, or the aptly named Snow country. And if she had somehow been transported that far north, it explained why the sun hadn't risen much. She was so far north that, due to the curved surface of the earth, the sun never got as far above the horizon as she was used to. She had heard that there were even some places far to the north were the sun was completely blocked for weeks, or even months at a time. With luck, her situation wouldn't be that bad, but if she really was far to the north, it would make getting back to Konoha much more difficult. Kumo and Iwa weren't on the best terms with Konoha, after all.

Though, if she really was in Snow country, that might be to her advantage, she realized. Gai-sensei had mentioned that his eternal rival had recently returned from an unusual mission there. From what she understood, Team 7 had accumulated quite a bit of good will with the local government. If that really was the case, then they would probably be willing to help a lone kunoichi get home.

Of course, she would first have to find her way to a nearby settlement. And that meant she needed to survive the night. Breakfast that morning had been quick, but filling, as was the norm among the ninja forces. It wouldn't be pleasant, but she could survive for a few days without food. More than that would be problematic, but the low temperature was the more pressing issue.

The trees around her provided some protection from the wind, but it wouldn't be enough for the whole night. She'd need a more solid shelter. Glancing at the snow around her, she sighed and got to work.

She'd never constructed a snow fort before, and her inexperience showed. It was a learning process, and several times she was forced to repeat her efforts when the walls proved to be inadequate to support the ceiling. Finally, however, she had a small cave that she could fit inside. It wasn't even tall enough for her to sit up in, but with a little effort, she was able to level out the floor enough that lying down wasn't too uncomfortable.

She piled the wood she had gathered near the entrance, then, with a few handsigns, exhaled a small stream of fire that set the wood ablaze. Her teacher at the academy had recommended the Firestarter jutsu as one of a small number that, while not useful for combat, made traveling much more convenient. She had never been so grateful that she had taken the time to learn it.

Many of the branches that she had broken off still had the needles. She could burn them, she knew, but it wouldn't provide much heat, and she had another use for them in mind. Gathering the green needles, she spread them over the floor of her little snow cave, hoping that they would provide a little protection from the snow. It wouldn't be much, but every little bit would help, despite how uncomfortable it would no doubt be.

Removing her clothes, and placing them closer to the fire to dry, she climbed into her cave. The entrance opened into the small thicket of trees, which helped to guard against the howling wind. The fire burned warmly as Tenten looked out where darkness was now falling. She had never imagined that she would find herself in such a predicament. But she was a kunoichi of Konoha. The Will of Fire burned brightly within her. And if anything could carry her through this icy hell, that would.

When she awoke the next morning, the bitter feeling of cold over her entire body was enough to convince her that the events of the previous day had not been a nightmare as she had hoped. Opening her eyes, she found herself greeted by the same frozen scenery from before. Ignoring the despair that she felt, she forced herself to get up, brushing a few clinging pine needles off her clothes as she exited the cave and stood.

Gathering more wood didn't take long, and soon the blaze was once more burning cheerfully, filling her small shelter with much needed warmth. As the feeling returned to her extremities and she stopped shivering, she turned her thoughts to other matters.

Water wouldn't be an issue here. There was plenty of snow she could eat. Of course, doing so would drastically lower her body temperature, but so long as she kept moving, that wouldn't be a problem. Food would be a bigger concern. While she could make a fire easily enough, she had nothing to cook with, nor any sign of wildlife to hunt. There didn't even seem to be any berries or nuts that she could gather. Obviously, staying here was a death sentence. A painful, agonizing death as she slowly starved. Which left her with only one option.

Without any idea of what settlements may be nearby, if there even were any, her best bet was to travel south. Using chakra, she could travel quickly, and the further south she went, the more likely she was to find people. And the longer she delayed, the worse her situation would be.

With a sigh, she turned to look in the direction she thought was south. It was difficult to tell without a compass, but if she traveled towards the mountains where the sun had reached its peak the previous day, that would at least give her a landmark to navigate by, rather than getting turned around in the never-ending snowfield.

Glancing wistfully once more at the snow cave and still-burning fire, she set off at a quick jog.

Arya Stark was quite proud of herself. She normally wasn't much of a climber, usually leaving that to Bran. But with just a little bit of effort, she had managed to wriggle her way up and out through a small opening in one of the towers and position herself on a surprisingly comfortable ledge that was out of sight from most of Winterfell. Unless Mother or the Septa decided to walk along the walls in search of her, they would never figure out where she was. Even the guards passing every so often on their rounds down below were unlikely to see her, given that their attention was focused on discovering threats outside Winterfell, not mischievous girls lurking above and behind them.

From her hidden vantage point, Arya was able to look out over the winter town that spread out from the main gate. It was mostly deserted, given that it was still summer, and the people were out working the fields, but here and there movement could be seen.

In some ways, she envied the people out there. Sure, their lives may be more difficult, but they were free. They didn't have to spend all their time on stupid needlework, or learning to dance, or sing, or any of the other stupid things that stupid Sansa and the stupid Septa thought were so important. Mother always said that she should be more grateful for what she had, but it was difficult when she felt so trapped. Nobody understood her, except for maybe Jon, but given how much her mother hated him, he wasn't in any position to help.

She took a deep breath, and let out a sigh. Mother often did that when she was frustrated. It didn't really help, but Arya did it again anyway.

As usual, the lesson with Septa Mordane that morning had been a complete waste of time. Sansa was always so perfect at everything, and there was only so much 'Arya, why can't you be more like your sister' that she could take before it all got to be too much. Which is why she was out here, enjoying the solitude that could only be found on a small stone ledge high above the ground.

Even though her father was highly respected here in the north, the smallfolk usually kept to themselves rather than getting involved in the affairs of the nobility if they could help it. As such, not many people passed through the gate, and those that did were familiar faces around these parts. So when the guards gathered around a single person who had walked boldly right up to the gate, Arya's curiosity was piqued. And when that person removed the hood they were wearing to reveal a pretty girl only a few years older than Arya herself, with her hair pulled back into buns on the top of her head that almost made her look like a mouse, Arya knew that she had to meet this strange new person.

Unfortunately, that proved more difficult than she had thought. While getting to the ledge had been relatively simple, climbing up to the opening that led back into the tower was more complicated.

Eddard Stark strode quickly through the castle, Jory Cassel at his heels. Even during the summer, he was a busy man, so normally, he wouldn't be leaving his solar to greet a single, unknown guest. But according to Jory, there was enough… oddity around this newcomer that the Lord of Winterfell felt it wise to see her in person.

"And she hasn't said anything?" he asked.

"No. She might be a mute," the guard responded. "She's not deaf, though. She certainly can hear us, but she doesn't give any indication that she understands what we're saying."

Ned pondered this for a moment. While it was rare for someone in Westeros not to speak the common tongue, it wasn't completely unheard of. Of course, if she didn't speak common, the most likely reason was because she was a wildling, many of whom still spoke the old tongue. Still, it seemed unlikely that the guards would be so caught off guard by a wildling.

"Go find Luwin. If she speaks another language, he may be able to help," he ordered as he turned the corner toward the exit into the main courtyard.

Jory nodded, and trotted off down the hall.

Ned continued to walk briskly across the courtyard, slowing as a small group of guards came into view, obviously watching the newcomer closely, though none of them had actually drawn their swords yet.

He suppressed a small sigh of fond amusement as the door to one of the towers off to the side swung open and his younger daughter rushed out, her clothes a dirty ruin and her hair a mess that would likely have Cat near tears. Apparently, she had once more decided that adventure was preferable to her regular lessons. A part of him knew that he should be more strict with her, but whenever he tried, the sorrow and despair on that angelic little face, so like Lyanna's, was too much for him to ignore. Like his sister had been, Arya was a free spirit, a wild daughter of the north that could not be tamed.

Pushing these thoughts aside, he turned his focus to the strange girl who had come to his lands.

Even at first glance, it was plain to see why Jory had been so uncertain about the girl. She was certainly not a commoner, nor a wildling. Her clothes were rough, but despite being surrounded by armed men, and with no apparent weapons to protect herself, she showed absolutely no fear. There was a resolute confidence in her gaze as she observed the guards, making no aggressive moves, but certainly not any deferential ones, either.

That changed as Ned approached. The girl's eyes widened when she saw him, and she fell to her knees, pressing her forehead to the ground with her hands positioned almost awkwardly palm down next to her head.

The guards had been surprised by this quick movement, but given that it was a clear sign of respect, none reacted poorly, for which Ned was grateful.

After a moment, the young woman looked up at him, an almost questioning expression on her face. He made a gesture that he hoped she would understand meant for her to stand, and was pleased to see that at least some form of communication would be possible as she rose to her feet.

The young woman brought her hand in front of her, her fingers pointing to her chest. "Tenten," she said clearly.

Her name? Ned didn't take much time to ponder this thought. "Eddard Stark," he replied, gesturing to himself in the same fashion.

"Edādo Stāku-sama," the girl repeated, her brow furrowed in concentration. It was obvious that she was doing her best to say his name correctly, but her mouth was simply not accustomed to making the necessary sounds.

"Where's Luwin?" he asked, looking around.

"He's coming," came the gruff reply from Ser Rodrik as the man gestured back toward the main keep. Ned turned to see that the old Maester was indeed hurrying over, moving as quickly as the heavy grey robe allowed.

"Apologies for the delay, my lord," the old man said as he arrived, panting slightly.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," Ned replied. "Do you understand her language?" He turned his attention back to the girl, pointing to her, then miming something coming out of his mouth, and then pointing to Luwin.

The visitor seemed momentarily confused before understanding filled her eyes. "Watashi wa Tenten desu. Konohagakure no sato no kunoichi desu," she said, looking hopefully at the old man.

Her hope, unfortunately, was in vain. "I'm sorry, my lord, but this isn't a language that I'm familiar with," the old Maester responded.

Ned was slightly disappointed, but not surprised. It had been unlikely, he knew. "Well, we're not going to accomplish anything out here, and I'm certainly not going to allow a young woman to travel alone in a land where she doesn't even speak the language. Bring some food to the hall. Hearty stew and bread should be sufficient," he said, and one of the guards ran off to fulfill his lord's commands.

"Luwin, I'd like you to stay with her. See if you can learn anything about where she comes from, and her language."

"Yes, Lord Stark," came the simple reply.

Ned turned back to the girl, unsurprised to find her keen eyes studying him closely. He made a 'come here' motion, then turned and pointed to the keep. The girl clearly understood, for she followed as he walked, unconcerned by the guards that followed.

As the unusual party made their way back inside, Ned couldn't help but wonder just what strange events this mysterious girl would bring.

A/N – This isn't going to be a particularly long story. Let's face it, Tenten, or any other competent ninja, is going to be ridiculously OP in the World of Ice and Fire. She's a superhumanly strong faceless man who can walk on water or up walls and can hide her weapons in a piece of paper. No castle can possibly keep her out. And despite Ned's disapproval of assassinations, even he'll have to admit that it's better than trying to fight a traditional war against an enemy with no honor.

Also, it's been a long time since I read the books, and I'm not going to reread them until Winds of Winter comes out. So, if there are any mistakes in here where I go against canon, it's GRRM's fault for taking so long.