I've been a bit obsessed with young Anbu Tenzou fics lately, and as there sadly are not enough of them in the world, I decided to add my own. This collection will probably a little mix of friendship related angst and fluff, with the potential for some light Kakayama later on.

Tenzou will not be referred to as Yamato at all in this fic, as it takes place way before he was ever given that codename. Just a heads up.

Also, a little note on the few Japanese words I'll be using:

Senpai - senior/mentor Kohai - junior/protege Mokuton - Wood Style/Wood Release

Alright, enough of that. Now on with the fic!

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are not mine. If they were, we'd have a Kakashi and Tenzou Anbu spin off in the works.

"Oi, Tenzo!" Kakashi called, strolling into his team's dormitory room. To his surprise, it was completely empty. Making his way over to Tenzou's bunk against the far wall, he tried again. "Tenzou?"

Sure enough, the boy was nowhere in sight. Frowning slightly, Kakashi surveyed the younger shinobi's space. The bed was neatly made, as expected of an Anbu member, and unlike some of the other walls that were decorated with posters and pictures of the shinobis' families, the wall beside Tenzou's bunk was bare. The small cubby at the end of the bed held Tenzou's mission supply pouches, and his decorated cat mask sat beside them. Of course, Kakashi had already expected this; he'd checked the mission assignments and the Mokuton user hadn't been assigned any solo missions while the rest of his team was recuperating from their last assignment. So where was he?

The whole building seemed to lurch suddenly as the ground shook. Kakashi was out the door before the shaking even stopped, heading for the Anbu training grounds. That felt a lot like when Tenzou used his Mokuton...

Sure enough, Kakashi found Tenzou on one of the training fields locked in a sparring match with an older Anbu shinobi from another squad. The kid was using his Mokuton with amazing skill, manipulating sharp roots from the ground to hold onto his opponent's legs and keep him from moving. What Kakashi didn't expect was the huge crowd watching the match. It seemed like every Anbu member not currently on an active assignment was standing on the edge of the field looking on.

Kakashi made his way through the crowd to where the rest of his own team stood next to Yugao, the purple haired konouichi who spent more time hanging out with Kakashi's team than with her own. Genma and Raido nodded at him in acknowledgment.

"What's going on?" The silver haired captain wanted to know.

"Shiro's been giving Tenzou a hard time for the past few days, making fun of his hair, calling him 'the freak from the Foundation.'" Yugao explained, her eyes not leaving the field as Shiro managed to escape Tenzou's roots by substituting two branches.

Kakashi sighed. Shiro was a highly skilled shinobi and an experienced Anbu captain. However, he was also one of the older members of Anbu, consistently passing up all opportunities to join the ranks of the regular jounin and had a well known dislike for the increasingly young age of Anbu's recruits. At fourteen, Tenzou wasn't the youngest shinobi to ever join Anbu - Kakashi believed he still held that record - but as the current youngest member it had only been a matter of time before he started to rub Shiro the wrong way.

"So who challenged who?" Kakashi asked wearily.

"Actually, Tenzou challenged Shiro." Raido said, sounding surprised himself. "At breakfast Shiro was ragging on him about his Mokuton and Tenzou told him they should take it take it outside if he was so eager to see the technique up close and personal."

"So here we are," Genma added snarkily.

After escaping Tenzou's hold, Shiro reappeared right behind the younger shinobi and dropped low to sweep Tenzou's feet out from under him. Tenzou staggered to the side slightly, going down briefly on one hand before using that arm to propel himself to further to the side and away from Shrio's lunging punch in a modified black flip. He landed on a little platform of wood that grew out of the ground to meet him, then rolled off the back and ducked behind it to avoid the two shuriken and kunai the older shinobi flung at him.

"Stop hiding, boy!" Shiro growled in frustration, flipping over the wooden block himself to stab a kunai into Tenzou's shoulder.

There was no gasp of shock at the sudden use of deadly force; these were Anbu watching after all, and they'd seen their fair share of friendly sparring matches turn deadly. And this one hadn't been that friendly to begin with. Nevertheless, a low murmur went through the crowd when the kunai sunk not into flesh, but a solid wood copy of Tenzou. Livid, Shiro tried to yank the kunai free, only to find it stuck fast.

Very clever, Tenzou. Kakashi found himself smiling behind his mask. The older shinobi was angry and not thinking clearly, and Tenzou was using that to his advantage.

Shiro made a rapid series of hand signs as Tenzou landed in a tense crouch half the way across the field. Instantly, three Shiro shadow clones sprung up and leapt simultaneously at the younger shinobi, who performed his own set of intricate hand signs. The clones were all pierced through with sharp wooden spikes that sprung up from the ground, while Tenzou launched himself at the real Shiro to engage him in close combat. While the Anbu captain fought ferociously with a kunai in each hand, Tenzou countered with nothing but two wooden wrist guards that he grew out of his own forearms. Ducking and dodging the kunai's slashes, he managed to clip Shiro under the chin with the pointy end of one of his wrist guards. The blow sent the older shinobi flying backward.

Looking slightly shocked, Shiro pushed himself back to his feet while running through another series of hand signs. Standing on the sidelines and even without his Sharingan, Kakashi could see they were for a Windstyle boomerang jutsu. Sure enough, Shiro reached up over his head and, seeming to grab suddenly dense, fast moving air, flung it directly at Tenzou with a grunt of effort. It was one of the captain's signature jutsu's and was known to level hordes of enemies with its double-strike nature.

Tenzou, however, appeared unphased. He simply slapped his palms together, forefingers raised and pressed against each other, and the same domed wall that Kakashi had seen him use during their confrontation with Danzo sprung up out of the ground. This time, however, the wall seemed sturdier and, rather than giving way to Shiro's boomerang attack, it seemed to swell slightly, pushing back against the sharp gust of concentrated wind before the top of the wall shattered. Shiro leaped in a vain attempt to dodge his own attack, but it was no use. The mass of wind was shot back at him at an incredible speed, catching the captain in its grasp and smashing him into the dirt. The surrounding crowd raised hands to block their eyes against the rush of dirt and air that shot their way as the mass of wind dissipated. Shiro tried to raise his head but didn't get more than an inch or two off the ground before collapsing back with a gasp of pain and frustration, a large piece of wood from the wall impaled through his right shoulder.

"Th-that was amazing," Yugao breathed. The entire crowd of Anbu shinobi was completely quiet, staring at the young boy standing behind his partially destroyed domed wall, arms still up in a guarded position, breath coming in gentle pants.

The shinobi to the immediate right of Kakashi stiffened. "Damn, that kid's good."

A female shinobi standing leaned closer to the speaker. "What did you expect? That's the transfer from the Foundation."

"He must have been Danzo's pet project. How else could he have the Mokuton?" yet another Shinobi murmured.

Kakashi sighed and started to press his way through the crowd toward Tenzou and Shiro. Tenzou had been assigned to his team in part because the Hokage wanted Kakashi to keep a close eye on the kid and to make sure his Mokuton powers weren't drawing too much attention. So far, it appeared he was failing miserably.

"Alright, Tenzou, I think that's enough," Kakashi said in his usual calm, almost bored tone, walking right up to the younger shinobi.

"Kakashi-senpai!" Tenzou looked surprised not only to see his captain, but also the huge crowd that had gathered to watch his fight. Suddenly embarrassed, he nodded his understanding and with a few short hand signs, the domed wall disappeared back into the earth.

Two of Shiro's teammates had made their way out of the crowd and well helping him stand, one of his arms over each of their shoulders. To Shiro's amazement, Tenzou approached the older shinobi and bowed deeply. "Thank you for the match, Shiro-senpai."

At first a dark look passed over Shiro's face and Kakashi tensed, preparing himself for an attack. But then Shiro chuckled, his low voice rumbling in his chest. "I may not particularly like you, kid, but you're a hell of a fighter. I guess there's a reason you're Anbu after all."

Tenzou simply gave another bow. "Thank you, Senpai."

Then Shiro was being led away, no doubt to the infirmary, by his teammates, and the crowd that had been watching was buzzing with chatter. Kakashi's ears picked up the words "Foundation," "Mokuton," and "Danzo" here and there, and knew he needed to have a serious talk with the kid about being a little more carefully about displaying his powers like that. But it would have to wait. Now that his opponent had left the field, Tenzou allowed himself to double over and brace his hands on his knees as he breathed deeply. Clearly using the Mokuton required a serious amount of chakra. Very aware of the sweat rolling down his kohai's face and the inquisitive eyes all around them, Kakashi stepped closer to Tenzou and, gripping his shoulder tightly, teleported them off the practice field.

They landed rather ungracefully in the Anbu locker room, Tenzou's weary frame staggering slightly at the sudden rapid shift and falling into Kakashi. The young jounin managed to steady them both with a short laugh.

"Maa, Tenzou, you pushed yourself too hard." Kakashi laughed, although the younger boy gave him a slight frown. "We'll need to get you something to eat, but I think a shower first would be best."

Tenzou laughed as Kakashi shoved a towel into his face. "Alright, Senpai, I get it. I stink!"

As Tenzou showered, Kakashi lounged on one of the benches in the middle of the locker room, skimming a new book. He'd never heard of this Icha-Icha Paradise Series before, but Genma had suggested to him and he figured if it was good enough to capture Genma's attention - the senbon-chewing shinobi had little patience for reading - then he might as well give it a go. As though Kakashi has summoned him with his thoughts, Genma walked into the locker room, Raido and Yugao in tow.

"I thought we'd find you guys here," Genma said, giving his companions a knowing smirk. Yugao responded by rolling her eyes.

"He's assuming we're having a team dinner to celebrate Tenzo's victory," Raido warned Kakashi, throwing an exasperated look Genma's way.

"Why wouldn't we?" Genma asked, plopping down on the bench beside Kakashi, though his exuberance didn't seem at all diminished. "That was no ordinary victory. Our little sapling defeated Shiro, the Old Man of Anbu himself! And there he is, the little stud!"

Tenzou emerged from the showers with a sheepish grin, towel wrapped around his waist and long brown hair finally freed from his face mask. Noticing Yugao was with his teammates, the young shinobi blushed slightly and appeared to try and hide himself behind his locker door as he fished for a clean uniform. Kakashi watched his reaction with amusement, and wondered what Tenzou's interaction with the opposite sex had been like while in the Foundation. He was going to assume practically non-existent.

"Uh, Genma, I think you're mixing your metaphors a bit," Tenzou laughed from behind his locker door, quickly sliding into clean undergarments and the standard issue black Anbu uniform.

Yugao, recognizing his embarrassment, turned her back to give him the semblance of privacy. "That match was really something, Tenzou. Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"Well-"

"The Foundation, of course!" Genma butted in. "I'll bet you learned all kinds of crazy techniques from that maniac, Danzo."

Raido gave his socially tactless friend an exasperated look, but he too was curious. "I've heard all kinds of stories about the kind of training they require in the Foundation. Is it true that half of your training took place in sensory deprivation chambers? And do they really use emotional suppression techniques from the Village Hidden in the Mist?"

Finally putting his book away, Kakashi frowned at his team members. As Anbu, they should've known not to press for information like that. Part of the job was that they received information on a need to know basis. As fascinating as Tenzou was as a Mokuton user and the first Anbu to transfer from the Foundation in years, Genma and Raido weren't really on the list of those who needed to know.

Leaning up against his locker slightly, Tenzou adjusted his silver face mask and tried his best to answer. "Well, it is hard to say."

"What do you mean?" Yugao interjected, looking confused. "If you were a member of the Foundation, shouldn't you know about how they train?"

Tenzou should his head, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Not necessarily. Because of my Mokuton, I was chosen to train directly under Lord D- augh!"

To the shock of everyone in the room, Tenzou broke off with a strangled cry of pain, both hands coming up to grasp at his throat. His body seemed to spasm and his jaw snapped shut with a loud snap, muffling his accompanying cry. He seemed to be struggling to breathe, his hands pulling at his throat and jaw as if he couldn't force his mouth open. Another spasm wracked his frame and Tenzou's limbs went suddenly rigid, causing him to topple over to the side.

He would have hit the floor had Kakashi not stepped forward and caught him against his vested chest. Maneuvering Tenzou so the younger boy's stiff frame was leaning back against his senpai, Kakashi shook him gently. "Tenzou! What's wrong?"

Tenzou couldn't answer, merely letting out a muffled choking sound as he struggled for air. His face began to pale.

Yugao rushed to join them on the floor as Genma and Raido stood over them, confused but ready to help. Her medical training kicked as she scanned him for injuries.

"Is it an injury from the sparring match?" Genma wanted to know, his tone concerned.

Yugao shook her head, her deft hands feeling along his throat and jaw line. Concentrating, she could feel the muscles in his throat tensing and tightening and his jaw was clenched shut. "No, you were there. Shiro didn't manage to land a single hit. It's almost like he's choking or something. His airway is all blocked. If his jaw wasn't locked up, I might be able to take a look at his throat as see what we're dealing with, but…"

If she continued, Kakashi never knew. He stopped paying attention, watching Tenzou intently instead as the younger shinobi's lips started to take on a blue tint, his eyes glazing over. Kakashi blinked. Oh.

"It's his curse mark," he breathed, finally remembering Danzo's parting words. Members of the Foundation have a curse mark, so they do not reveal top-secret intel. I will not remove the Curse Mark.

Yugao and his teammates looked at Kakashi in horror. "Curse mark?"

Kakashi nodded. "Every member of the Foundation has one to ensure that none of them reveal any information about the organization to friends and enemies of the Leaf alike. Danzo's name must be a trigger."

"In that case, there's nothing I can do." Yugao rocked back on her heels, hands falling limply into her lap. "Tenzou, you just have to relax. I know it's difficult, but try and breath nice and slowly through your nose. If you stop fighting it, the paralysis should wear off in a few minutes. Do you understand?"

Tenzou couldn't have nodded even if he wanted to, so instead he stared up at her and Kakashi with scared brown eyes. It was hard to believe this was the boy who showed so much prowess on the practice field less than an hour ago. He was obviously struggling to comply with Yugao's words, but his chest shook with the effort of drawing in breath and one look at the blue tinge around the edges of his face told Kakashi that if the paralysis didn't wear off soon, Tenzou would pass out from lack of oxygen.

After a few tense minutes, Tenzou's body began to relax, his muscles ceasing their cramping and twitching. His throat suddenly clear and his jaw loosened, Tenzou took a shuddering breath that turned into a harsh coughing fit. Sitting the boy up a little straighter, Yugao rubbed at his chest to increase blood flow there and help set the pace of his breathing. This seemed to help and Tenzou was soon breathing more normally.

"Thanks," he murmured tiredly, slumping back against Kakashi's chest. He blinked tiredly, trying to dispel the tears that had welled up in his eyes from the coughing.

"Sorry about that, man," Raido said, crouching down along side the group on the floor. Behind him, Genma nodded. "If I'd known you were marked, I wouldn't have pushed so many questions."

"D-don't worry about it," Tenzou replied, coughing lightly. "I just shouldn't have answered but the mark isn't usually so sensitive."

Kakashi's grip on the boy's arms tightly slightly. "Has this happened before?"

Tenzou nodded, though this time they could see he was choosing his words very carefully. "Yes, but in far… different circumstances. Normally we can discuss basic info like training but I guess my mark was made a little more sensitive after my, uh, unexpected departure."

Kakashi scowled darkly. If he hadn't hated Danzo before, he certainly did now. He didn't even want to know what circumstances had activated Tenzou's curse mark before. They would simply have to be more careful about what questions they asked Tenzou, if any. Instead, Kakashi tried to focus on the boy resting against the front of him, breathing returning to normal. "Do you think you can stand?"

Tenzou nodded and with the slightest bit of help from Kakashi from behind, managed to climb to his feet. He sent a grateful and slightly embarrassed grin at both his captain and Yugao before looking at the ground and fidgeting nervously. "Uh, Senpai?"

Kakashi looked down at Tenzou, surprised by the uncertainty in the younger shinobi's voice. Was the mark still affecting him? "Tenzou?"

"Can we still get something to eat?"