The team plus Setoguchi Ishida and Yakushi Masaki all sat around the table in Satori and Tenten's house. They all were enjoying a game of cards in hopes that it afforded them some distraction but it was hardly the usual jovial gathering. The group tried their best to laugh and have a good time but it was very difficult to have a good time while their team leader was languished in Konoha Medical. There was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Hanako said getting up.

As she was walking downstairs, she wondered who it could be. Hanako cringed. I hope it's not an elder, we don't need any more bad news."

She opened the door and gasped. It was Aoba and Kaunsera Kana.

"Hello, Hanako. How are things?"

"Good. It's good to see you, Aoba-sensei." Hanako looked at Aoba's escort for an explanation to why he was here.

"He's on outpatient status." Kana replied.

"Everyone is upstairs. They'd love to see you."

"With your permission?" Aoba asked as he smiled wistfully at Kana.

Hanako bristled at the sight of her proud team leader having to ask the younger woman for her consent, but she knew Aoba's legal status. He had obviously won Kaunsera over to some degree, or he wouldn't be here.

"Go ahead."

"Dealer takes two." Junshin said. He deftly dealt himself two cards. "Satori, it is still your bet."

"Huh? What?" The jonin had been marooned in his thoughts, and he blinked at his friend. "My call?"

"Your bet." Junshin replied. "You took one card, and you opened the betting with kings or better."

"Oh, yeah." Satori said giving his cards a desultory inspection. "I'm sorry, my mind isn't really into this tonight."

"It's okay." Tenten assured him. "Nobody's is."

Junshin cocked his head. "My mind is rather active and engaged."

"That's because you have all the chips." Tenten said. "Here, I've got kings or better. I'll bet three."

"I'll see your three." Seika said, and the betting went around the table until it came back to Satori.

"I fold." He muttered, tossing down his cards.

"Come on. You've got a good hand." Yukino said taking a look at his cards. "Sit down and play."

The jonin shook his ehad with amazement. "You seem unfazed by all this. How do you keep from worrying."

Yukino still hadn't told anyone, including Satori, about their future daughter in present day Konoha. "Don't you feel the tide turning?" She asked, brimming with optimism and hope. "I do."

"Well, I'm still going to win this hand." Seika said. "Satori, are you in or out?"

Satori shrugged and reached for his meager chips.

"My last three. My luck had better start changing or this is it." He tossed his markers into the pile just as the door opened.

"Do you have another seat?" A familiar voice asked, forcing everyone to whirl around.

"Aoba-sensei!" They all said in unison.

They all jumped up to greet their leader.

When they all tried to question him at once, Aoba held up his hand and hushed them. "I'm just visiting, as an outpatient. Counselor Kaunsera surprised me with this, so I don't really know what to make of it. My status hasn't changed and neither has yours, Satori. It's your team. I'm here by the counselor's good graces, and she's here with me. Treat her as you would a visiting dignitary."

"I think we can do that." Satori said. "Even if I didn't like her much before."

"Well, like her now." Aoba ordered, moving to grab a nearby chair. "And, remember, she's basically my superior. She has spent a week learning everything there is to know about me. That's all I want to discuss about this for now. Who's winning the game?"

"This is outrageous!" Danzo bellowed as he stomped around Tsunade's office. Hitomi considered herself very lucky that she could blend into the wall paneling as Tsunade's assistant; he didn't want this unbridled fury directed at her. Tsunade appeared oddly calm and more than willing to let Danzo blow off steam without interruption.

"You spirited him away in the middle of the night without telling any of the members of the tribunal. That's unethical, Tsunade-hime."

"I agree. You have every right to be angry. However, Aoba wasn't in my custody. Counselor Kaunsera has all the authority she needs to take him anywhere she wants, without consulting either one of us."

"We'll just have to transfer Aoba to someone with more sense and experience."

"Actually, you won't." Tsunade said. "All members of the tribunal would have to approve the transfer of Aoba and that includes me. The elders believe that Aoba would be better off to stay in Kaunsera's care. I have a statement from them, would like to hear it?"

"No!" Danzo slashed his free hand in blind anger, then took a deep breath to calm himself. "You've thought ahead, Tsunade-hime, as you always do. I don't care where Aoba is, but keep him under wraps until we conclude our negotiations with the Mist. That's all I ask."

"That was the intention." Tsunade said. "Team Aoba is still doing training exercises with their new leader and extended team members. Are we on our final offer to the Mist?"

"We're going to let them run things at Soukutsu. Konoha will have very specific missions and zones of responsibility." Danzo predicted with confidence.

"They'll turn it down." She said.

He bristled at the suggestion. "They can't do better than this, unless they want to keep us out permanently."

After the meeting with Danzo and Tsunade, Hitomi walked down the streets of Konoha. She was undecided on what she wanted to do. She did have some place she wanted to go.

I may not have my abilities much longer and Sasuke may come and take me back to my own time.

She thought she could feel it becoming harder to pull off her abilities, although in subtle ways she couldn't explain. She felt the resistance of doing these techniques was increasing. She changed from Yakumi Hitomi into Shiranui Hitomi. The changes were subtle but there were still differences made.

The question is why don't I want to tell my father and his friends that I've come to help? I told my mother and a complete stranger, but I can't tell my father that his little girl is here from the future and is here to help. Why not?

Before she had time to think of an answer, Hitomi found herself standing before Kaunsera's door. She knew she was inside, and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Kana asked.

"It's Hitomi."

The door opened and Kana rushed to greet her, brushing her glowing blond hair out of her face and tugging on her tight fitting outfit. She deiced that she must have been napping, since she had been up all night arranging the return of Aoba. She smiled at Hitomi girlishly, then seemed to recover long enough to pull her into the room and close the door.

"So this is how you really look?" She asked.

"Yes." Hitomi answered sheepishly.

Without warning, Kana moved in close and Hitomi leaned down for an exploratory kiss. She responded passionately. They were very much alike, two gifted people giving up everything for a monastic existence that focused soley on work, study and advancement. Alone together in Kana's house, the two young women sought out physical contact.

Hours later, Hitomi slipped out of Kana's warm bed and slipped on her clothes. "I've got to go."

Kana stirred and rubbed her eyes. "You'll be back?"

"Yeah, I'll be around. You also know me as Tsunade-sama's aide and I'd appreciate it if you kept my secret."

"You don't look anything like Tsunade-sama's aide." Her frown deepened. "Or do you? I don't remember what she looks like."

"That's the point." She bent down and kissed Kana and she nearly succeeded in pulling her back into bed. Reluctantly, she drew away from her urgent kisses.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." She promised.

"I'll probably be busy." Kana said stretching luxuriantly in her bed. She gave Hitomi a come-hither look and smiled at her.

Hitomi smiled back before doing a few handseals and disappeared.

Hitomi reappeared in the Soukutsu battle site. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

Aoba's team will definitely be back to Soukutsu.