This chapter is kind of filler-y. I felt like I needed some extra fluff after the last couple of chapters and so now we're going to focus on building up skills and relationships! Yay! Next order of business, I want to warn you guys that there's a bit that could be trigger-y. There's some inappropriate touching from a missing-nin. It's not graphic at all, basically just a mention before Minako says hell no and does her thing. If you think it'll make you uncomfortable though, I put a bolded warning and I also marked when I thought it would be safe! Just trying to take care of my readers because I love you guys so much! Anyway, enjoy the chapter and I hope you enjoy some of the Minamaru fluff.

"You'll have to forgive me, I'm in a really bad mood today." I say to Kankuro who is standing across from me. Apparently it is the friendly thing to do to spar people who you're supposed to be allies with after they attacked your home. I mean…really shouldn't Shikamaru and Temari be planning the Chunin Exams?

"The way Shikamaru tells it, that's the only way to fight you." He says with a cocky smirk. We've limited ourselves to only taijutsu. "I'm gonna feel bad beating up a little girl."

"Don't, I'm sure it'll be just fine." I say with a predatory smile. He gulps involuntarily. I see Shikamaru shake his head

"Begin." He says, shoving his hands into his pockets. Kankuro makes the first move and I dive between his legs to confuse him. I spring up and land three hits before he even gets turned around. He looks at me, eyes wide.

"What? I'm just a little girl." I say, enjoying this way too much. "I'm sure you know this, but I often have to remind Shikamaru not to underestimate me. He says I'm a concentrated form of evil. The kind that gets into your mind and sticks there…It's almost guaranteed that a month from now you'll wake up in a cold sweat remembering just how this fight went."

"She's got him." Shikamaru says, and I see him fold his arms across his chest. Temari is watching us intently. "Especially if they weren't restricted to taijutsu right now."

"I don't see it." Temari says and I still have some of my hard feelings from the chunin exams. I attack Kankuro viciously. As I dance away from a returning blow, my hair smacks him in the face. I laugh and duck as he throws a punch. He dupes me out though and lands a pretty solid blow in my stomach. It causes me to stumble, but I regain myself and fall into a backflip. My foot catches him in the chin. This has become somewhat of a signature move for me.

"That was a good one." I say honestly as I spring back at him. "You're surprisingly quick."

"Don't underestimate you're opponent." He says, smirking at me as he deflects my blows. "I thought the Uchiha were supposed to be like psychic or something." He lands a blow in my face and I turn my cheek, I activate my Sharingan before I look back at him. I'll admit…the slight look of shock in his eyes is satisfying. We start exchanging blows again.

"Left hook, uppercut, backflip." I recite his movements moments before he actually does them and I mimic. He reaches towards his leg holster. "Ah ah, we're restricted to taijutsu only. No weapons."

"Habit." He says and I smile before I'm back on him. Since I can essentially predict his movements now, I'm much faster. "I've gotta say, I'm impressed."

"Impressed enough to make this easier on both of us?" I ask and he smirks. "Well, don't say I didn't try to save your ego." I flit around behind him, taking his arm and twisting it. He falls down to one knee and I place my foot in the center of his back. I could rip his arm off.

"Winner, Minako." Shikamaru says and I let go. "What have I said about using the psychological stuff on people you don't know very well?"

"If Sasuke can't tell me what to do, you certainly can't." I say, putting my hands on my hips. "And besides, Kankuro can handle it. Can't you?"

"Sure, but just so you know if we were using our jutsu I would have won." He says and I smile condescendingly and pat him on the shoulder.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Kankuro." Temari says as she too walks over. "I heard that she took on an S-rank criminal by herself."

"Yup, the psychotic older brother who killed off almost the whole clan." I say, rocking back on my heels.

"You've had a busy past few months, haven't you?" Kankuro asks and I shrug. "Last time I saw you, you were kicking the living shit out of your twin. Well, you'd just done it."

"That's why I'm in a bad mood." I say with a chuckle. "That and I'm on village arrest since some asshole apparently wants my body…well, Sasuke and I's collective body."

"You're not on village arrest…you're working for the Academy." Shikamaru says and I regard him dryly.

"No, you had your dad put me where you could keep a close eye on me." I say and he gets that defensive look like he normally does when we bicker. "What good is being a chunin if I can't go off and be a chunin?"

"Because you can share your knowledge with the youths of our village…they really look up to you…well..." He starts and I glare at him.

"You gonna finish your thought? I could go for another spar." I say, cracking my knuckles.

"Being small isn't a bad thing." Temari says, seeming amused. "There are probably a lot of things that you can do that I wouldn't be able to."

"That's true. It's like yelling for a tall person when something is too high for you to reach." I say and Shikamaru gets that look on his face. "You must have a death wish or something."

"Don't be so violent, I'm only joking." He says and I turn my head away, folding my arms across my chest. "You still not speaking to Sasuke?"

"I haven't uttered a single syllable." I say and he shakes his head. "You have no idea how annoying he is. He laid on the floor in my room all night just saying my name over and over again in obnoxious voices. I'm ready to kill him, I swear." It's been a month since the incident.

"For some reason, I can't see him doing that." Kankuro says and I shake my head sadly. He doesn't even know.

"Before I stopped speaking to him, we used to have debates on shuriken throwing on the moon. People don't realize just how weird he is because he's an asshole eighty-six percent of the time. That and I'm good at making people embrace their weird side. Just ask Shikamaru. I stayed at his house for two weeks and by the time I went home, it was a normal morning routine of fucking with him." I say and then I snicker.

"I'm still convinced they like you better than they like me." He says dryly and I pat him on the shoulder.

"That's okay." I say and then I see Rock Lee and I jump behind him, thinking small….like a bug. I am unnoticeable.

"It is my rival! Shikamaru Nara!" Lee exclaims as he comes over. I'm really glad to see that he's up and his surgery went well and everything…but. "Minako Uchiha? What are you doing?"

"Ah...He didn't have any rations and you know how much I like making sure that the people I care about are well fed." I say with a closed eye smile as I slide a scroll into his back pouch. "Emergency preparedness and such."

"I see! Your preparedness is very youthful! But I am not here to see you, unfortunately. I am here to challenge Shikamaru for your affections!" He proclaims and I repress my sigh.

"Not on your life, buddy." Shikamaru says, hands going into his pockets. "Minako and I have work to do."

"It will only take one moment for me to defeat you!" He falls into a stance, ready to kick butt.

"Ah Lee…actually, would you mind running and picking up a prescription for me? I can't get away right now and my ribs are really sore." I say, a hand going to hold my side. "I would have Sasuke do it, but I'm not speaking to him right now."

"Say no more! I will be right back!" And like that he is gone in a flash. I let out a sigh of relief.

"So…if I can ask…" Kankuro starts, clearly trying not to laugh. "What the hell was that?"

"A mess that I've yet to figure out how to clean up aside from getting married and skipping town." I say with a sigh. "The day of the first part of the chunin exams he was hassling my brother and so I had to be scrappy and I guess he fell in love with me. So he asked me out afterwards and I said that I was seeing someone else. He assumed it was Shikamaru because he's the only other guy outside of my team and my brother who I spend a lot of time with. And so now he and Shikamaru are rivals for my affections." I throw an arm around his shoulders. "He should be honored…someone thinking he's worthy of dating the likes of me. A wild spirit that can't be pinned down by social constructs and whatnot."

"Yeah, but you forgot to mention how I shouldered the burden of the fan club as well. Do you have any idea how many people want to fight me?" Shikamaru asks and I stare at him, wide-eyed. "You really didn't know?"

"I'm not even that pretty! Why are they all so crazy!?" I exclaim, a little frustrated. "I'd understand if I legs that went on for miles, but honestly." I shake my head. "I'm going to go lay in a hole and die."

"You don't have your brother's permission to die." He says and I flip him off. He chuckles.

"I'm going to head out. I've got a thing to do at a place." I say with a wave and then I do the body flicker technique. I head for the clearing that Shikamaru takes me to sometimes…or as I like to call it…the place where he plans on murdering me someday. As I arrive…something immediately feels off. I draw my tanto. "Who's there?" I ask to the air…and it's quiet for a moment but then a crow flies out and lands in front of me. "You know what? Fine. I'll bite." It caws again before it takes off flying. I follow it…the crow leads me out of the village…not too far away, but far enough that the patrol won't happen upon me by random. It leads me to a small clearing…not nearly as pretty as Shikamaru's, but it's peaceful. "What do you want, Itachi?"

"It is time for me to explain to you why I did it." He says and I do my best to keep my expression uninterested. "I deeply regret hurting you so badly, but if I hadn't done something then you would have ended up hurting yourself even more."

"I don't care for your apology. Tell me what you brought me here to say so that I may return to my village where I am safe from Orochimaru." I say in my no nonsense tone.

"Minako, I am going to tell you why I destroyed our clan." He says and I keep my posture rigid. He gathers that I'm not going to say anything. "As you know, the Uchiha clan was one of the main families of Konoha at its creation. That's why we were the military police force…because we held some sort of control. Father thought that we deserved more…that the Uchiha clan was being disrespected and so he and many of the other shinobi in our family began to plan a coup d'état. Seeing as though I was a member of the Anbu Black Ops, Father had me spying for the clan. If they had gone through with the coup, then many innocent lives would have been lost and the village would have been thrown into civil war. So I began to spy for the village." I don't relax a single muscle. "When Father and the others were going to carry through with their plans, I was ordered to kill them all."

"Why not just kill those involved in the plans? Did Mother really have to die, Itachi?" I ask, trying to stay calm. "Auntie and Uncle…everyone? And why did you let Sasuke and I live?"

"You two were the hope for the Uchiha clan…The third Hokage saw much potential in the both of you, as did I. I know that you loved Father…but he wanted you to be weak. He wanted to use you as a pawn." He says and the tears fill my eyes before I can stop them.

"You destroyed Sasuke." I say with a shaky voice. "You destroyed him and I had to put him back together…and then you had to come back. Why couldn't you have just stayed away?"

"Because…I need the Akatsuki to trust me. You actually helped with that." He says and I feel my eyebrows furrow together. "Big Brother is still trying to make the world a safer place for you."

"Stop referring to yourself in the third person, I'm thirteen years old." I say, looking away from him. "So you're a spy?" I don't need him to answer. "Why do you want Sasuke to kill you?"

"Because…I'm the scum who broke every single promise I ever made to the both of you." He says and I look back at him.

"I'm not going to let him do it. I hope that you know that." I say and he regards me with a look that I can't place. "Regardless of how hard you tried to break us completely, you're still our brother. I can't let him kill you. Release yourself from your guilt some other way. Don't put it on another man's shoulders."

"You've always been wise beyond your years, haven't you?" He asks, a fond smile playing at his lips. "There's something else about you…You seem to know things that you shouldn't…"

"Have I ever done what I should do?" I ask, putting finger quotes around the word 'should'.

"While that may be…there has always been something more aware about you." He says, almost seeming amused…almost.

"Well…" I start and then I look around. I don't sense anyone and that does mean a lot because I have pushed myself even further in sensing chakras.

"We are alone here." He says and I purse my lips. "And I give you my word that I will not repeat anything you say."

"You also gave your word that you would always be there to support me, no matter what." I fire back and he looks away. "I suppose that in a way you have been…But…it all really kind of started before I took the chunin exams."

"What do you mean 'really kind of'?" He asks and I purse my lips as I put my tanto away.

"I remember when I first met you." I say and he nods, silently telling me to continue. "As crazy as it sounds I remember my first breaths of life…and not necessarily the last breaths of my old one. Do you believe in reincarnation?"

"I suppose I've never really formed opinions on what happens to someone after they die. It is a possibility…since I have no reason to question your sanity." He says and I look down at my hands. "Go on."

"I…I knew that someone was going to kill everyone. I didn't know who it was and I trained really hard because I didn't know when it would happen, but I knew it was going to. Then…I knew that Sasuke was going to try and leave the village. I had a dream where I saw Orochimaru give him the curse mark and then I saw a version of my fight with him. Then Mother was there and she told me that…there were people that I was meant to save. Shikamaru was one of them and I have already accomplished that. I didn't put a whole lot of merit into the dream until the Forest of Death…when Sasuke attacked me…I'm scared, Itachi."

"Don't be afraid." He says and I look at him. "I've always known that you were special and so I've always tried to do what I can to ensure your safety. I didn't think that you would try to kill me on sight, so I've always sort of tagged along on your missions."

"I don't need your help." I say with an agitated sigh. "If Lady Tsunade thinks that I am a capable kunoichi, then I'd say I'm fine enough with my older brother following me around." I shake my head. "But anyway…I wrote down what I remember as soon as I learned how to write again. I don't remember much now."

"And so you've shouldered this burden on top of the one I gave to you for all of these years…" He says and then he hums. "I think that you have been given a gift…and I think that you are using it in the best way that you can. Since you know now, I will do my best to support you. You know that like Shisui, I have never been one to favor violence and so if you can forge a new path…"

"Did you kill him?" I ask softly and after a moment he shakes his head. "Then what happened? Because he was like…"

"I know." He says and then he walks a little closer to me. "One of his eyes was taken from him…and so to protect the other…he gave it to me and then he committed suicide. So that was not a lie. Your eyes are strong as well…and so you need to do everything you can to protect them." I give him a look.

"Do you really think I'm so stupid as to not understand that?" I ask and he smiles. "So have you given up on that stupid desire to have Sasuke kill you?"

"I don't think that it is that simple…The Uchiha has a curse of hatred upon them…brother hating brother." He says and I roll my eyes.

"That I remember. So I have a new proposal…let me be the link the breaks the curse. Let my love for you both fill your hearts and then we can all be happy as a family. Well…as happy as we can be." I say and he kisses my forehead like he used to.

"Our happy Minako…" He says before he hugs me. I feel awkward at first…because he destroyed everything I knew…he threw me into a frenzy where I didn't know myself at all anymore. "I will do my best to throw Orochimaru off of the two of you. In that time, you must prepare yourself to tell Sasuke what I told you. Maybe then, the curse can be broken." I wrap my arms around him. "Also…these may just be the remnants of my feelings as an older brother…but didn't I tell you about the Nara boy?"

"Oh my God." I say, looking to the sky as I take a step back. "He and I are just friends. He let me stay with him after you put Sasuke in the hospital. So you should be thankful…he grounds me…and keeps me from doing stupid things. Except following you out here…he probably doesn't even realize I'm gone."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." He says and then he looks over my shoulder. "He's coming right now." I hug him one more time. "Keep up with your training…you will need it." Then he's gone. Moments later, Shikamaru is there.

"Have I turned your brain into applesauce again?" I ask, turning around to look at him. His angry expression immediately softens. Oh yeah, I'm crying.

"Were you just talking to someone?" He asks and I shake my head. "Then why are you crying?"

"Well I've had a bad month and a half…I think that it's okay if I cry just a little." I say, wiping away the tears. "Weren't you supposed to stay with Temari and Kankuro?"

"I walked them to the gates and then when I realized that you were AWOL, I decided to find you myself before Anbu went looking for you." He says, folding his arms across his chest. "Let's get back."

"Alright." I say, fighting the urge to look over my shoulder. I know that he's still there…watching us.

"I think that you should talk to Sasuke again…" He starts and I regard him dryly as I walk over to him. "You're obviously miserable."

"I'm miserable because if I hadn't stopped him, I would have been all alone…or dead. I think I would have actually gone crazy if…" I start, my voice breaking a little. "The only reason I haven't is because I worry about taking care of him. I promised…"

"And you've kept that promise. If he's too stupid to realize what you do for him, what you sacrifice for him…" He says and I smirk at him.

"People are going to think that you're in love with me if you keep that up." I say and then I start running.


"Jun…put me down here, please." I say and my team mate ignores my request. "Junichi, I swear on all that is holy…"

"You're exhausted. You can't walk." He says and I huff. "You're lucky I'm even allowing you to come to this training session."

"You….allow me?" I ask and then I burst into laughter. "You do realize that Sasuke is a different kind of asshole than I am, right? He's going to be a pain in the ass to have on your squad."

"Eh, you'll give us pointers." Iza says, waving a hand in dismissal. "And after the incident, Sasuke has been doing everything to please you."

"I'll have to specify parameters…'don't be a dick' has lost its pizazz." I say and he snickers. We arrive at the training field and I see Team Ten. Sasuke is also already here with Sakura. "Sorry we're late, Junichi wouldn't let me walk so I tried to strangle him with my legs."

"I wish she were just trying to be funny." My teammate says and I laugh, whole-heartedly. He deposits me on the bench.

"If you were too tired you could have stayed home." Sasuke says, concern very clear on his tone.

"But then I couldn't watch the training session which will be like trying to herd cats if I stayed home." I say and Sasuke shudders…probably at memories of trying to capture Tora. "Anyway, I've got to facilitate this training because you don't know jack shit about team work anymore. Just because I'm tired doesn't mean I can't correct your behavior. Got that, Uchiha?"

"And in that moment, she sounded exactly like Lady Tsunade." Sakura says and then she, Ino, and I all laugh. "So your training was pretty brutal today?"

"Oh honey….if I had training today I would not be awake right now. This is left over from yesterday morning. I can't wait until your real strength training starts."

"Sounds so…ominous." Izanagi says and then he shakes his head. "Anyway, Junichi is the new Minako and Sasuke is the new Junichi. This should be fun."

"Please, Junichi doesn't have the legs to pull off this dress." I say and that gets my team laughing. "Maybe the butt…"

"Yeah right. My butt has always looked ten times better than yours." He says and I feel my eye twitch. "You're pretty, Mina, but face it…I'm the hot one in Team Kenta."

"I'll pretend you didn't say that." I say with a flip of my hair. "You guys are lucky. After some testing I have established that Sasuke is in fact slower than me."

"Not by much." My brother mutters and I shoot him a look. "All I'm saying is that you had an easier path."

"Sounds like sore loser talk to me." I say, crossing my legs and raising my eyebrows. "You've got more muscle mass which makes you heavier. I'm smaller and so there is less resistance. Anyway, you can go ahead and get started. Establish what everyone can do and then make some moves up based off of that. I suggest trust building exercises."

"You'd be a lazy sensei." Izanagi says and I stand up. He flinches and I laugh as I walk over and hug him.

"I'm not your sensei. I just know that my brother is an insufferable asshole from time to time." I say and he pats the top of my head.

"Alright, go sit down. Us men have got work to do." Junichi says and I give him a look. "What? We've got to train Sasuke how to speak Team Kenta."

"Okay. I'll be over here observing." I say and then I'm sitting again. They're talking now. I can hear them, but it's just basic stuff. Talking about what sort of techniques they know. Weaknesses they're aware of. How to combat these weaknesses. All things that I know backwards and forwards.

"How do you think they'll do?" Kenta-sensei asks as he stands behind the bench. I purse my lips, watching them together. Sasuke is smiling a little and the boys are laughing.

"They'll be okay. My worst fear is that Junichi would be harsh considering the state in which they found me when they returned from their mission. But they're laughing and Sasuke is as close to laughing as he gets with anyone outside of me. The toughest part will be them getting used to Sasuke not planning things out." I say thoughtfully.

"Like you're that big of a planner." Sensei says, nudging me with his elbow. "I think I agree with you, though. They'll be okay. I see them all passing."

"I hope so." I say with a smile. "Well, I don't need to tell you how to do your job." He smirks at me before he heads over. Shikamaru sighs as he sits beside me. "How are Sakura and Ino getting along so far?"

"So far it's not been too terrible. Hopefully Asuma-sensei can keep some peace in there." He says and I snicker.

"Our babies are growing up." I say, wiping away fake tears. "Next thing you know they'll all be getting married and having children. I'm not ready to be a grandma yet."

"So we're married with kids now?" He asks, smirking. "I figured you'd at least let me know when we got married. You didn't even let me know when we started dating."

"Eh." I say with a shrug. "I suppose we could file for divorce if you'd like." He shakes his head. "You're right, too troublesome."

"You're somethin' else, you know that?" He asks and I smirk. "Temari informed me that Kankuro's in love with you."

"He is not." I say with a roll of my eyes. "How can you possibly be in love with somebody that you don't know? He might have a crush on me…but that'll pass quickly. I'm an asshole. Sasuke counts on it."

"He may be able to count on it less and less the older you get." He says and I raise an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah. You project that I'm going to be super hot." I say with somewhat of a smirk. "Oh! Imagine if I actually put effort into my appearance. I'd be a destructive force of nature."

"Probably." He agrees and I shake my head. "Looks like Sasuke pissed Junichi off." I sigh.

"This is why I hate teenage boys. They are far too aggressive to think rationally." I say and he raises his eyebrow. "It's so troublesome dealing with the boys sometimes. They get so fighty."

"You're making quite the effort to make fun of me today." He notes and I raise my eyebrow. "That's the second time in ten minutes you've said troublesome."

"I'm not making fun of you." I say, rolling my eyes. "I've just spending too much time with you. You essentially lived in that hospital room with me when I was recovering from Sasuke's escape attempt. Then you've been annoyingly watchful since we got back."

"Only because you're annoyingly selfless." He says and I chuckle. "You're going to give me gray hair."

"It'd be far less troublesome if you didn't care about me, wouldn't it?" I say and he looks at me…very seriously.

"I've told you. You're not nearly as troublesome as most girls. So like the annoying deer puns, I can look past some things. Just try not to go to the hospital so often." He says and then he's watching the training.

"Sorry…" I say softly and he lets out a breath. My stomach growls loudly then. "Hey…since we're not required to be here, you wanna grab something to eat?"

"Sure." He says and I make eye contact with Kenta-sensei who nods. I haul myself up off of the bench, sounding like popcorn popping as I go. "Jeez…"

"Shut up and come on." I say, stomping away from the bench. I'm tired of people making comments.

"What's got you so grumpy…other than the tired thing?" He asks and I glance at him. Should I tell him about Itachi?

"Why don't we have lunch at my house? I went grocery shopping this morning." I say and he looks a little surprised. I try to convey meaning with my eyes.

"Alright." He says with a nod. "Let's go." I leap onto the nearest roof and lead the way to my apartment. We don't speak…he's concerned. Once we're inside I head to my room and disarm.

"I'll be out in a second." I say as I close the door. I change into my comfortable clothes before I head out and to the kitchen. He's already disarmed.

"Is there anything I can help with?" He asks, following me into the kitchen. I hum as I get the stuff out that I'm going to need. I'm just going to be making a stir fry.

"Hmm…you could start the rice." I say and he nods before he goes about doing that. "Then once you're done with that, I always make a lot because it's good for leftovers. So you could help with chopping the vegetables." I get out a second chopping board and knife. He quietly sets about his tasks. I smile when he joins me for chopping.

"Why were you out of the village yesterday?" He asks and I purse my lips. He glances at me, mouth open to say something else but then he realizes that I'm thinking. Shikamaru would never betray me…so I can tell him…can't I?

"Can I trust you?" I ask, looking up at him. "Like…really trust you. This is something that could get us in trouble, so I need to know that I can trust you not to say anything to your dad, no matter how bad you might think it is." We're about half done with the vegetables now…he's thinking.

"Minako, you can trust me with anything." He says and by the seriousness of his tone I know that he is being honest.

"I was talking to Itachi." I say and his hand slips, causing him to slice the hell out of his thumb. With quick reflexes, I grab the dish towel and wrap it around the wound before blood can get all over the place. I lead him to the sink.

"Are you insane?" He asks, keeping his voice down, but I can tell that he's upset. He's really upset. I turn the water on and make sure it's a good temperature before I remove the towel and run the wound under it. It's not really too bad. "Minako."

"He told me why he did it." I say as I get out the first aid kit we keep under the sink. I shut off the water and dry his hand before I apply an antiseptic and bandage him up. He knows better than to argue with me on stuff like this. I grab the knife and wash it before I go over and finish chopping. "It was…a mission. Father was planning a coup and so Itachi was ordered to take everyone out." I add the vegetables in and finish with making everything. Shikamaru is leaning against the cabinet. "He wants Sasuke to kill him…but I'm not going to let that happen. I've decided. I'm going to be the link that ends the curse of hatred. That's why I was born."

"Minako…that's a really complicated situation." He says and I look at him before I fill two plates and carry them to the table. "Itachi is a criminal."

"Itachi is a spy." I say, getting the rest of the things for dinner. "It is a very complicated situation, but trust that I know that it really is my purpose to put an end to that curse." He sighs, looking up. He must be having a conversation with the creator like I always do. I shake my head, bringing the tea things to the table. "I don't feel better knowing that the village ordered him to do it, but knowing after all of these years wondering if he just went insane. All things considered, it was a sound enough reason….He stopped the village from falling into civil war. Back then the last thing we needed was a war. Father was power hungry…that's why he wanted to use me to get more people on his side. You knew all of that already."

"Yeah…that doesn't mean I like it any better." He says and then he sighs. "Just promise me you'll be careful."

"Shikamaru, I'm always careful." I say and his serious gaze softens. "And…I've been keeping my promise. I've been trying to depend on you more…It's just…"

"You're a control freak." He says and I give him a look. "Food tastes great, by the way." Smooth change of subject.

"Yeah, you'd better appreciate it." I say, glowering at him. I sigh then. "I think I'm with you on the idea of wishing for an absolutely unextraordinary life. I wish that I could run from it now."

"Too late for that. We're both already part of something." He says and I raise an eyebrow. "It doesn't happen that often…people becoming chunin outside of the exams. Not anymore, anyway. The way I see it…it's downhill from here. It's going to be so troublesome."

"Probably." I say with a bit of a laugh. "You never had a chance, Mr. Genius. Well…maybe you did. I certainly had a chance." Had my family stayed alive I probably would have given up at some point. I was resilient before, but Itachi only solidified that.

"No use in fighting it now…it'd only make it worse." He says and I hum my agreement. "But you're cut out for stuff like this."

"Am I?" I ask and then I finish eating. "It must be my ability to shut down emotions and feel them only internally."

"Something." He agrees with a nod, then he finishes. "I'll help clean up." I smirk as I stand up and grab his plate. He follows me to the kitchen. "What's that look?"

"Oh nothing…it's just...your mother has to pull teeth to get you to do anything. You actually offer to help me." I say and he makes an agitated noise.

"Because you don't nag me to do it…and I am a guest after all." He says and I laugh at that idea as I put the leftovers into a container that goes into the fridge.

"Alright. I'll wash and you can dry." I say and then we get started. We work in silence. "I think that Itachi told me because of Orochimaru. He's afraid…he didn't outright say it, but I could tell. He wanted me to know that someone outside of the village was working on the problem…even if only a little bit. I mean…there's also the obvious 'I don't want my little sister to think that I don't love her' sort of thing…but Orochimaru is a bigger problem."

"Makes sense." He agrees with a nod. "I still don't like the idea, but I guess all I can do is support you."

"Thank you." I say with a smile. "And in return, I will do my best to be not as troublesome."

"Good, because I need someone to come to Suna with me in a couple of weeks." He says and I raise an eyebrow.

"Why don't you ask Choji? You know that I'm on village arrest." I say and he shakes his head.

"It's gotta be a chunin and everyone else is busy. I imagine if Lady Tsunade knows about Itachi's desire to protect you, you'll be good to go on this mission with me." He says and I think about it.

"Alright. If she thinks it's okay, then I'd love to go. This village has been stifling." I say dramatically and he shakes his head. We finish and get them all put away. "So am I the only other chunin you know?"

"You're the only one I can stand to travel with for that long." He says and I laugh. "I'm still trying to figure out how that's possible."

"Because as much as I'm an asshole, I'm also loveable." I say and he offers the fair enough look. "Wanna go get ice cream now?"

"Sure." He agrees and we re-arm ourselves before we head out. I'm down my katana and tanto because I'm with him. "We could probably stop by and check on our teams…see if they've killed each other yet."

"And we can make fun of them for not having ice cream! I love the way you think." I say deviously and he shakes his head at me. "I love the way you tolerate me."

"I'd say I more than tolerate, but thanks." He says and we head into the shop. It's my favorite…mostly out of convenience with how close it is to my apartment building. "One vanilla and one strawberry please."

"Coming right up!" The girl says as she scoops the two cones. She hands them over and he ignores my glare as he pays. We head back out and head towards the training fields. As we suspected, they're still at it.

"Look at you two." Ino pants, hunched over with her hands on her knees. "All buddy, buddy. Where were you this whole time?"

"Oh you know…off doing chunin things. You'll understand someday." I say with a wink and she grins at me. "How's training?"

"Asuma-sensei is really being a hard ass…" She says with a sigh. "But I think it's going to be worth it."

"That's the spirit! I didn't get to where I am by not getting sweaty and gross!" I say and she makes a face. "Just think of that bath you're going to take when you get home. That's usually what gets me through my training."

"I thought it was the burning desire to punch Kenta-sensei in the face." Izanagi says as he picks up his canteen.

"Well that too I guess…but really it's the bath." I say and then I sigh. "That sounds so nice, I may ditch you losers and go do that now."

"I know! On our next day off, we can all go to the hot springs together." Ino says, meaning she, Sakura, and I.

"If you think you can behave yourself." I say with a wink and she rolls her eyes. "I am not opposed to this idea." I could definitely use a chance to relax…even if it seems impossible for me.


"You'll have to do better than that, Shikamaru." I sing as I swing from the branch that I just leapt to. "I'm in such a good mood now! I never knew how much I loved traveling!"

"Slow down, we're not in a hurry." He says dryly, but he speeds up none the less. "You're going to wear me out."

"Don't I always?" I ask with a laugh. "And we are in a hurry. It's rude to keep people waiting. Kankuro and Temari have better things to do than wait for us!"

"You're just excited to see Kankuro." He teases and I glare over my shoulder at him. He knows very well I'm not interested.

"You know what I'm excited about? Actually seeing new faces! Even if I'm just here to back you up, I'm so happy to actually be doing my job again." I say and then I sigh. "I hope that Sasuke is doing alright…"

"He's fine." He says, sounding amused. "You're turning into a mother hen yourself." I flip him off. "Anyway, the rest area should be up ahead."

"Right. You pick them up and I'll scout the area ahead to make sure there aren't any bandits." I say and he shakes his head.

"I'll humor you…but only because you're cute when you're this excited about work." He says and I smile sweetly at him. "Be careful."

"Always am." I say as I speed off ahead. I don't make it too far when a shinobi lands in the middle of a clearing. I pull my chakra in and conceal myself in the foliage.

"Come on out." He says, sounding friendly enough. I know better than to trust that though. "I'm not gonna hurt ya."

"I have no issues with you." I say as I come out. "So if you don't have any issues, I'll be on my way."

"Oh…there is an issue." He says and then he's lunging at me. He's got a katana in hand now. I block his strike with my own. "I'm alone with a pretty little thing like you and we're not close enough." That turns my stomach. He knocks my katana away. I block his next strike with a kunai. I quickly grab his wrist and squeeze. The sword falls form his hand as I force it to open. He slams me into the tree and elbows me in the head three times before I duck. I'm a little fuzzy. "You're not getting out of here, bitch." He says and I smirk as I wipe the blood away from the corner of my mouth.

(It begins about here, like I said it's not too graphic but here's a fair warning!)

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing." I say and then I draw my tanto. He draws another sword and our blades clash and he smirks before he head butts me. I stagger back two steps and hiss in pain as he slices my side.

"Come on, I want you to scream." He says and that turns my stomach. "I want you to beg me to stop hurting you."

"Too bad." I say and I'm back on him with savage strikes. Our blades clash again and my feet can't find purchase. He pushes until my back is against a tree. I can't move.

"Oh the things I'm going to do before I kill you." He says with a twisted grin. He snakes his hand up my shirt and grabs me. No. I slam my head into his and he just cackles like a mad man. Forehead protector is crossed out. Missing-nin from Iwagakure.

"Shikamaru!" I scream and the man laughs, sounding even more cruel. "You're not going to touch me anymore!"

"Is that so?" He asks with a smirk. "You're one of those kunoichi who got by because she was pretty…we had girls like you in my village. You're nothing."

"That's where you're wrong. I am an Uchiha." I say as I manage to get a kunai out. I stab him in the kidney. He jumps back, his face concerned at this point.

"You're gonna regret the day you were born." He says and then he's running off. I fall to my knees, kunai in hand. I need to calm down. Calm down Minako…but I can still feel his hands on me.

(I'd say about here it's safe to continue!)

"Kankuro! Follow him!" Temari's voice sounds from behind me and then I feel an arm around my shoulders. "Minako, what happened?"

"He tried to…he tried to…" I can't form the words. She takes a good look at me and her eyes burn with anger. "Where's Shikamaru?"

"He's coming, just try to calm down." She says in a soothing voice. "What were you able to find out about him?"

"Missing-nin. Iwagakure. He didn't give a name, didn't use any jutsu that I was aware of. Stronger than an average shinobi." I say and she nods. "Damn it." My knuckles turn white around my kunai.

"What's going on?" Shikamaru asks and I can't get myself to move. He crouches in front of me. "Minako?"

"A missing-nin from Iwagakure attacked her." Temari responds for me. I'm still trying to pull it together. This has never even come close to happening before. Opponents generally ignore…

"Minako." Shikamaru says and I look into his eyes. "Let go of the kunai." I want to laugh because I can't actually. He gently grabs my wrist and presses down on the pressure point until my fingers relax and the blade falls from my hand. "What happened?"

"They talked about this sort of thing in the academy…well kunoichi classes. Ah…" I shake my head. I'm not making much sense. "Let's just say he tried to attack me and I carved his…" I look over and…actually see a kidney. I burst out laughing. "I really fucking carved out his kidney." Shikamaru finally puts it together in his mind and I don't think I've ever seen him look so angry. Kankuro returns then.

"He got away, but he was bleeding pretty heavily. Unless he's got friends out there, I don't give him much time." He says and then he looks at me. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I literally carved his kidney out." I say, wiping my kunai on the grass before returning it to my pouch. "I feel better, let's go." I push myself into a standing position. I don't actually feel better.

"It's going to storm, so we were going to stop at the inn in the next town over for the night." Kankuro says and I nod. "If we're ready…" We start moving and we make it to the next town in record time.

"Shikamaru…can I talk to you for a second?" I ask and he nods. We walk off a little ways. "I know it's weird and stuff, but I'd much rather share a room with you. I'd feel safer…"

"Sure." He agrees immediately. "No problem…and…if you need to talk-" I shake my head. "Alright. We'll go check in." We return to Temari and Kankuro and the four of us enter the inn. "We'd like two rooms."

"You're not the rowdy shinobi type, are you? I don't want any trouble here. We've had too much of that lately." The elderly man says and I smile.

"Do we look like the rowdy type, sir? I promise we won't cause a lick of trouble for you." I say, turning on the charm to soften him up. His stern face goes soft.

"Of course not. Two rooms it is. You know, young lady, you remind me an awful lot of my granddaughter. She's a little older. Recently married." He says as he starts filling out a paper.

"Congratulations." I say with a bright smile. "I've still got quite a few years ahead of me before I think about that though."

"To be sure! To be sure!" He says, smiling. "Here you are, two of my finest rooms, but at half the regular rate." He adds the last part in a conspiratory manner.

"Thank you so much, sir." I say and he hands over the keys and we walk away. Kankuro shakes his head. "What? We aren't going to cause any problems." He shakes his head again. "I can be a real girl when the occasion calls for it. Most of the time I need to be more masculine…otherwise no one takes me seriously." I say, pulling my hair over my shoulder. Shikamaru gives me one of the keys.

"Go ahead, we've gotta discuss something that you can't hear." He says and I nod, reading the number on the key before I go to the room. I lay my backpack down on one of the beds and grab my pajamas and the other toiletries I have sealed away in a scroll and I get into the shower. I turn the water on as hot as I can stand it and I begin to scrub. Once I feel at least a little human, I wash my hair. When I start to get dizzy, I turn the water off. I squeeze the excess water from my hair before I dry off and get dressed. Shikamaru sits up as I walk out of the bathroom and sit down on the bed I'd ditched my backpack on. "Temari's worried about you."

"I'm fine." I say, my jaw set in a stubborn line. "I processed the feelings and dealt with it. I'm fine now."

"Minako, I've seen you freak out before. I've never seen you like that." He says and I sigh as I squeeze the towel on my hair some more. I pull it off and start brushing it.

"I don't do powerless. I face adversity and I overcome it…I'm not the kind of girl who got by with her looks." I say, pulling my knees to my chest. "If I can't protect myself…"

"But you did protect yourself." He says and I frown, resting my chin on my knees. "Minako." He comes over and sits in front of me. "If there ever comes a day when you can't protect yourself, there will always be someone there to back you up."

"I just…I've been in tough situations before. I've had wounds that should have been mortal…I've had broken bones. I've faced men six times my size…but no one has ever…No one has ever really looked at me like…no one has ever touched me that way and it's disgusting. I can still feel his hands on me. I know you're really mad and don't want to hear this stuff, but I'm freaking out. I don't feel safe." I'm staring at my feet.

"You are safe though. Do you really think I'd let anything happen to you? Who else would annoy me as artfully as you do?" He asks and I look at him, mild amusement on my face. "Why don't you get some sleep until dinner?" He suggests and I nod. "I'll be here the whole time, I promise."

"Thanks." I say as I braid my hair over my shoulder. I secure it with my elastic before I curl up on my side. Shikamaru moves my backpack and my weapons to the table in the corner of the room. I close my eyes.


I wake up at the sound of a particularly loud crack of thunder. It sends my heart racing and I sit up quickly, bashing my head against Shikamaru's. He actually falls down.

"Fuck." I say, holding a hand over where they'd connected. "What were you doing? Freak." I hear stifled laughter and open my eyes to see Kankuro and Temari standing there with a takeout bag…oh yeah, dinner.

"I was about to wake you up and then you flipped out." Shikamaru says as he gets up, rubbing his forehead. "Guess your trick doesn't work for you."

"Chakra suppression? Hell no." I say and then I shake my head. "I think you gave me a concussion. That's a really shitty gift, Shikamaru."

"Let me see." He says and then he pulls my hand away from his forehead and he laughs a little. "You're bleeding. Here." He goes over to my medical pouch and pulls out the first aid kit.

"Move my stuff first so that Kankuro doesn't have to hold that bag for all eternity." I say and my best friend rolls his eyes as he moves the rest of my stuff. Temari starts taking things out of the bag. Shikamaru grabs one of the alcohol pads from the kit and starts dabbing at it. "I can head butt a guy no problem, but we bump heads and I'm bleeding. I think you're the problem, Shikamaru."

"It's my revenge since you're such an asshole." He says and I laugh. I check him over with just my eyes, he appears to be fine. "That should do it. It wasn't too bad."

"Thank you, Dr. Nara. Now let's eat, I'm starving." I say and Temari hands me a plate. It looks alright. "Thanks."

"No problem." She says and then she sits down in one of the chairs with her own meal. "So…how did you get into medical ninjutsu?"

"I was bored." I say and she raises an eyebrow in intrigue. "I was ten and the curriculum at the Academy was boring me so I got my neighbor to find me some medical textbooks and I started teaching myself. I couldn't actually do anything until about a year ago. When my Sharingan woke up, it became a lot easier."

"Mr. Nakajima? The gambler?" Shikamaru asks and I nod. "He didn't strike as the type of guy to want to help with that sort of thing."

"I remind him of somebody. He taught me how to play cards too, not that I enjoy it very much. Mr. Nakajima used to be a shinobi, but he got injured too badly to continue his career and so he lives vicariously through Sasuke and I." I explain to Kankuro and Temari.

"That's nice to hear…most of our injured veterans mostly become hermits." Kankuro says and I offer a fair enough look. That happens too. "So did he become like a dad to you?" I laugh so hard I snort.

"More like a drunk uncle. No, the only person I really associate as like a dad is Shikamaru's dad, Shikaku. He's great." I say and this idea intrigues Temari for some reason. She's trying to hide it. She likes him. I guess I should expect something like that…he is attractive and a great person. But Shikaku isn't like a dad to ME…he's fatherly in a general sense. What I think a father should be. I don't really contribute much more, but Kankuro more than makes up for it. He's pretty funny. Pretty soon they're heading back to their room. Temari looks like she wants to say something, but I don't give her the opportunity as I head into the bathroom. I turn the hot water on in the sink and let it run.

"Shikamaru…let her know that if she needs to talk to someone…someone who isn't you, to let me know. Alright?" Temari says in a low voice. Why do people always underestimate my ability to hear things?

"Thanks…but don't hold your breath. That's not how she deals with things. She'll be alright." He says and then she's gone. The water is warm enough now, and so I splash my face. I dry it on the hand towel before I turn it off. Shikamaru knocks. I open the door and hang off of the frame, blinking at him. "She's just worried."

"Yeah? Well I don't need anyone to worry about me. You, Sasuke, and my boys do it enough for everyone." I say and he sighs. I step forward, slipping my arms around him. He waits for a moment before he hugs me back. This hug is different from any that we've had before. He's gotten a lot taller and so he's the perfect height to wear my head tucks right under his chin. For some reason, this hug feels a lot more intimate. At least it is for me…with my head turned to the side so that I can breathe, my ear is pressed to his chest and I can hear his heart beat. It's slowly returning to a normal pace. "You've got to understand…I only just recently stopped feeling like a total loser when I rely on you. I barely know her."

"I hear you." He says, but he doesn't move to let go of me which is something that I'm really happy about. "What can I do to help you right now?"

"I don't know." I say even though I do. Being close to him like this is helping me to feel a lot better.

"That's a load of crap. This is one of those rare times where you'd rather be close to someone. It's fine, you can say that." He says and I pull back and look up at him, a light glower in place. "I am going to take a quick shower, though. Are you going to be alright?"

"I'm fine." I groan, releasing him and flopping onto my bed. He grabs his things before he retreats into the bathroom. I move my weapons before I crawl under the covers. When he's done in the shower he repacks his bag, so that we're ready to go at a moment's notice, turns off the light, and then he sits down on the other side of my bed.

"This okay?" He asks and I think he means if he sleeps here with me. Of course it's okay, he'd never do anything and I trust him more than I trust my own brother right now.

"This may come as a shock…but you can even use the blanket." I say sarcastically. "Shikamaru, you lived in my hospital room. You've slept beside me more than even my own squad has. Hell, the only reason you haven't slept beside me more than my own brother is because I've technically known him longer."

"Oh shut up." He says as he pulls the covers back and lays down beside me. "You ever think of saying something but then don't because it sounds kind of creepy in your head?"

"What kinds of creepy thoughts were you having about me, Shikamaru?" I ask, turning to face him.

"I guess it's not too bad…It's just that one of my favorite times to see you is when you're sleeping, but only because that's the only time where you don't look worried at all." He says and that causes my heart to flutter. "I mean, yeah, with our job it's kind of okay to be worried all the time…but I don't know."

"You're right….that was kind of creepy." I say and even though my eyes haven't adjusted to the darkness yet, I know he's glowering at me. "But I understand the feeling…Really I don't think I've relaxed in six whole years. Can you believe it?"

"Especially since you're my friend, no I can't." He says and I laugh a little. "That much stress is bad for a person. What can I do to help?"

"I really don't know." I say with a laugh. When have I felt more relaxed? Never really with Sasuke…I'm always too worried about him. My boys stress me out from their arguing but also because I'm worried. I don't get to spend nearly as much time with Ino or Sakura and so I don't know how relaxed I am around them. Shikaku helps me relax, but that's mostly because I'm focused on training or some sort of task. "I think I've felt the most relaxed around you or your family. You more so than your dad and your dad more so than your mom. Being near you is like…" How can I say this without sounding like I'm telling him that I like him? "It's just easy being near you because I know that I can trust you to take care of me if I need it, but you won't force it on me. I've never exactly addressed this with you…but I owe you for my life."

"No you don't." He says and I smile a little. "And you don't need to feel weird about anything. You relax me too…in a way that nothing else really can. Not even shogi." That makes me blush. "Is that what I think it is? Yet another win for me?"

"Shut the fuck up." I growl lashing out to punch him in the shoulder. He laughs, catching my first before I can do any damage. I take my first back and turn so that my back is to him. "Good night, Shikamaru."


I'm really warm when I wake up and it's nice. I don't feel tension in my shoulders like I normally do. I roll over and I am surprised when I see Shikamaru. Why am I surprised though? I knew that he went to sleep with me. I guess I'm more surprised by the close proximity and the arm wrapped around my waist. I don't want to move, but I'm going to because it's wrong to take advantage of this situation. I carefully move his arm before I take my bag to the bathroom with me. I pile my hair on top of my head before I scrub my skin really well again. When I'm done, I dress in my gray shorts, my black v-neck, and my chunin vest. I secure my forehead protector around my neck before I exit the bathroom and attach my pouches. Shikamaru is still sleeping. I pounce on the bed and he gasps, hands gripping the tops of my arms.

"Wake up, I'm hungry." I say and he lets out the breath he'd taken and sighs. "I'm sorry." I'm trying not to laugh.

"Nearly give a guy a heart attack." He says, letting go of me. I sit back on my feet, still trying really hard not to laugh. "You copying me?"

"No. I'm a chunin as well and I figure that if I'm going to a foreign village, I should do my best to represent the village." I say and then I smirk. "Also, tons of pockets are great for concealing more weapons on my person which makes me feel better."

"Alright." He says with a yawn. "Give me a minute and we can go pick up breakfast." I smile and push out my senses. Temari and Kankuro are still asleep. Shikamaru hops up and heads for the bathroom with his bag. When he comes out, he's dressed in his usual clothes. I let my hair down and shake it out before I step into my low cut sandals. I figured since I was going to the Village Hidden in the Sand, I'd better be prepared for unbearably hot weather. Perhaps I should have picked a different colored shirt….oh well, too late now. We leave quietly. He's walking in a more…masculine sort of way. He's not slouched over like he normally is.

"You're especially manly today, Shikamaru." I say and he raises an eyebrow at me. "What? You're all broad shoulders and tough guy face."

"Well…I hate to have to be the one to explain this to the medic and all, but a guy who has to keep up on strength training is bound to have a broader chest." He says and I roll my eyes, smirking. We arrive at a market. "Now pick out your fruit. My treat."

"You're so sweet." I say as I pinch his cheek. I go to the cart and select a couple of perfect apples. Shikamaru pays and we go off in search of breakfast. We order enough for all four of us before we head back to the inn. Shikamaru knocks on Temari and Kankuro's door and Kankuro answers. "We come bearing food."

"My savior." He says with a hand over his heart. "Temari's in the shower, but you're more than welcome to have a seat." I smile as I take a seat at the table. I take out a kunai and begin slicing up one of my apples.

"You're spoiled." Shikamaru says all of a sudden and I raise an eyebrow at him. "What? You think Junichi and Izanagi don't give me tips on handling you?"

"Handling me?" I ask with a short laugh. Then I think on it… "Those bastards! I'm going to kill them when we get home. What the hell did they tell you?"

"Nothing I didn't already know." He says with a shrug and I glower at him. "But you're spoiled. You've got them wrapped around your finger."

"This is crazy, I know, but you don't piss off your medic…or your leader. I happen to be both. I am not spoiled." I say, my chin raising a fraction. "I have them right where I want them to be."

"Yes, and all you've gotta do is snap your fingers." Shikamaru says and I can tell he's goading me now. Making me act like my usual self. "I'm not totally convinced the Sharingan doesn't have something to do with it."

"I don't know about that, Shikamaru. I could tell there was no jutsu involved in sweet talking that old guy yesterday." He says and I smile sweetly.

"Oh no, she got you too. I swear, the only sane ones are me and her brother and I even question him sometimes." He says and I roll my eyes. Suddenly a bird knocks into the window…a crow. It looks right at me before it falls.

"I'm going to go and make sure it's okay." I say, hopping up and jumping out the window before anyone can say anything. "Wait birdy!" I call airily as I 'chase' the crow into the forest. Really, we should have been further away from Konoha by this point. Our journey will be closer to four days now. "Birdy?" I use the body flicker technique and move further away. Itachi comes out from behind a tree. "What gives? I haven't seen you in half a year and all of a sudden you or some part of you is running into the window of the team that I'm traveling with? Are you insane?"

"I have news." He says and I feel my eyes widen a little. Then he turns as he senses something. A kunai slices my cheek and I feel dread as I spot the shinobi from yesterday. What is this? Some poorly written story?

"Ita-Itachi." My mouth is dry as I try to speak. The tears are filling my eyes…I can feel his hands.

"So the bitch brought one of her boyfriends along to fight me?" The shinobi asks, licking his lips. "I guess killing two people will be okay for today. You're gonna die first, big guy. Then I'm gonna do things to her that you won't believe. I came back to finish the job, Sweetheart."

"The young lady you are speaking of is my sister." Itachi says, his voice a deadly calm. "And if my assumptions are correct in the job you are speaking of, you are currently taking your last breaths." He informs the man and then he pins him to the tree by his throat. Dead. Like that, Itachi protected me from the man. "Insolent."

"I probably would have said flaming sack of dog shit." I say and he turns to me. "I…" I fall to my knees, face in my hands. "I'm a lame ass kunoichi."

"You're not lame." He says and then I feel his arms around me. "What I'm assuming happened was a traumatic experience that should not have happened to you. The situation has been dealt with and you are now safe." I relax. "We don't have much time. My news regards Orochimaru. He has a hideout in the direction that you will be traveling. I will lead you around it safely." I nod, not questioning how he'll do it. "Look at me, Minako." I look up at him. He kisses my forehead. "Be smart."

"Okay." I say with a nod and then he helps me stand up. "Thank you for…" I start, glancing toward the shinobi pinned to the tree.

"I promised that I would protect you, did I not?" He asks and I smile. "The puppet master is about to come looking for you."

"Alright. Be safe." I say and then I return to the inn. "Birdy was okay, the beak was just a little bent. Poor thing." I perch on the windowsill.

"Minako…what happened to your face?" Temari asks and I bring my legs through the window and close it.

"It's rather unfortunate…." I say slowly, turning to face them. "I was born with the terrible misfortune of looking like Sasuke Uchiha. I've tried everything in my power to dull down the resemblance…but let's face it. If I styled my hair like him and wore stilts, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

"Funny, but I meant that cut on your cheek." She says and my hand goes to the cut that has since stopped bleeding. Shikamaru tosses me a jar.

"Nara family salve. Mom said you'd probably need it at one point or another." He says and I toss a light-hearted glower before I wipe the blood away and apply a small amount of the salve. "Now quit being weird, and let's eat."

"It's like you don't know me." I say, but comply none the less. We really need to get going. After breakfast we check out and we head off towards the Sand Village. I see a crow flying overhead. "Wait!"

"What is it?" Temari asks, looking at me with vague concern. I point to the crow circling above us.

"You'll have to forgive me…but my family is a bit superstitious and if a crow behaves like that, you've gotta follow it." I say and then I look at Shikamaru, trying to convey with my eyes. It's Itachi….come on, understand.

"It's true. She gets fidgety." Shikamaru says with a shrug. "They're a weird family, but crows seem to like helping them out. So maybe it'll be a shortcut."

"Oh alright, let's just get moving." Temari says and then I take the lead, following the crow. After about four hours of travel, the bird bursts into flames.

"Oh! A most fortunate omen." I say, continuing in the direction the crow had been leading. We're back on track to the village now. "Sorry for being so weird. I don't know what you believe about the afterlife, but I like to think that their spirits become birds so that they're free." It's not totally a lie….I don't think that everyone gets reincarnated immediately or in a way that you think. They may just have a temporary bird state that they stay in until their soul is ready to pass on to their next life, who am I to say? I sound like an airhead and it's great because I know that Shikamaru will be exasperated.

"That's actually really kind of beautiful." Kankuro says and I smile over my shoulder at him.


The border from the Land of Fire to the Land of Wind is very dramatic. It seems like it's a metric butt ton of trees and then death…or rather desert. The heat is almost a little overwhelming. I focus my chakra to help alleviate my discomfort and I'm okay. It doesn't take us very long to reach their village. We're walking through the shopping distract when I see a little girl about to get crushed by a falling crate. I don't think, I react. My arms close around the little girl and I brace for impact because I know I can't move in time, but I get yanked backwards. I look over my shoulder and see glowing blue strings coming from Kankuro's fingertips. I return my attention to the hysterical little girl in my arms.

"It's alright, little one." I say in a kind, soft voice. "Did you get hurt at all? I'm sorry I had to squeeze you so tight."

"I-I'm fine." She says, wiping her eyes. "That was j-just scary." I smile my understanding and wipe her eyes tears gently with my handkerchief. "Lord Kankuro! Lady Temari!" She squeaks and then she's bowing.

"Relax, Sora. Where's Akira at? Shouldn't he be keeping an eye on you?" Kankuro asks, crouching beside us. That's when we take notice of the kitten in her arms. How had I not noticed it?

"I had to save the kitty." She says bashfully. "I'm sorry for causing trouble. I didn't mean to." More tears are filling her eyes.

"It's okay." I say with a smile. "Kankuro sort of looks like a kitty, so he's probably very grateful for your saving one of his friends." She giggles and I smile brightly.

"Yes, very grateful." He says dryly and then he stands up. "Why don't you come back with us, Sora? Maybe Akira will turn up."

"Alright!" She chirps, standing up. Kankuro holds out his hand to me and I allow him to hoist me up. Our group is moving again.

"Minako, please try to be less reckless." Shikamaru says and I turn to shoot him a dirty look.

"I'm a medic, I've got room to be reckless." I say and he rolls his eyes. "And Kankuro had my back…village alliances and whatnot. Not to mention we saved Miss Kitty and Sora. I chalk that up as a worthy risk to take." We arrive at the Kazekage tower and we enter. A man looks up as we do and he jumps up.

"Sora? What are you…oh no." He says, sounding a little like Itachi did the time he forgot that he was going to train Sasuke and I. I take it that this is Akira.

"Big Brother!" Sora exclaims as she runs over to him. "Lord Kankuro and Lady Temari's friend Minako saved me and Miss Kitty!"

"Is that so? Why did you need saving in the first place?" He asks sternly. She looks down at the floor.

"It's no trouble, Akira." Temari says before she walks down a hall way. I guess when you're the Kazekage's sister, you get free reign.

"Akira here works alongside us in assisting Gaara." Kankuro explains as he goes over to a desk and looks over a paper before he signs it. "And so Sora spends time here, isn't that right?"

"Yup! Since it's just Big Brother and I, they let me come here after training at the Academy!" Sora chirps and I smile.

"So you're going to be a kunoichi? I think that's great. The world needs some more great ones." I say and her eyes sparkle.

"Did you hear that Akira!?" She squeals and the older boy smiles at me. "You're my hero from Konoha! Lady Temari is my hero here." She adds the last part shyly. "The other girls tell me I won't be any good because I don't have a mommy though…" That breaks my heart…in Konoha no one would have dared tell me such a thing.

"Neither do I and look at me. I am an apprentice of the Hokage's. Whether your mom is with you or not, your success is ultimately up to you. So never stop fighting." I say and the timid look on her face turns to one of determination.

"Thank you." Akira says with a smile. "Ah, if you're going to be in the village for a while we've got a spare room that you could use…to save you some money."

"We have arrangements, thanks." Shikamaru says and Akira seems surprised…like he hadn't noticed him.

"Minako, Gaara would like to speak with you in private for a moment." Temari says as she walks out.

"Alright." I say with a small smile. "Remember, Sora, never give up." The little girl nods, still determined and I head to Gaara's office. I knock on the door.

"You may enter." He says and I'm vaguely nervous as I open the door and walk in. "Minako Uchiha." He stands up.

"You wanted to see me, Lord Kazekage?" I ask respectfully bowing my head to him. I'm not a dummy.

"Yes…" He says and I stand there with a neutral expression, body in a relaxed posture. "I wanted to apologize to you."

"For what? I don't have any grudges against you…or any hard feelings really. I'm decently neutral." I say and he walks out from behind the desk.

"The last chunin exams." He says, hands folded behind his back. "I had gone to the hospital with the intent of murdering Rock Lee and you got in my way. I wanted to apologize for almost killing you."

"Like I said, no hard feelings. You've obviously changed." I say with a small smile. "You're far less scary than you used to be." There's a flicker of some emotion in his eyes. "No offense."

"None taken." He says and I smile. "That is all I wanted to say, you may go." I bow my head again before I walk out. Temari raises an eyebrow in question. I look to make sure Sora isn't in the room still. She and Akira are gone.

"He apologized for almost killing me one time." I whisper and then I smile. "It was kind of sweet, really." I'm still promoting my nonthreatening self. I'm thinking calm things, face neutral, no sudden movement. I'm in a foreign village, so I can't be too careful.

"Yes…well Kankuro can show you to the hotel you'll be staying at." Temari says, going over and sitting down at a desk. "We'll talk shop at dinner."

"Sounds good." Shikamaru says with a nod and then we follow Kankuro out. We travel quietly and he gets our room key for us.

"I'll come pick you up around eight for dinner. See ya then." He says as he gives the key to Shikamaru.

"Bye, Mr. Kitty." I say and he gives a light-hearted glower. "Oh you know it's funny and it made Sora laugh. That's the important thing."

"I guess. See ya at eight, Mina." He says and then he's gone. Shikamaru looks very grumpy as he leads the way to our room. It's a suite with two bedrooms.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" I ask as I flop down onto the couch. "You've been pissy since we got here."

"It's just annoying how every guy throws themselves at your feet." He says and I raise an eyebrow as I sit up. "Oh come on, that Akira guy didn't even notice I was there until I said something. I'm a great deal taller than you, I'm not that hard to miss."

"I'm his little sister's idol from Konoha, of course he's going to notice me first. Boys have soft spots for their little sisters." I say and then I recall the events of the other day. "Speaking of which, I owe you an explanation. He showed up…"

"He meaning your brother." He says and I nod. "Any particular reason he had a crow slam into the window? I know you aren't exactly subtle, but I thought he might be a little more…"

"He led us around Orochimaru." I say and the air leaves his lungs. I don't think he'd ever admit that he's afraid of Orochimaru sinking his creepy snake fangs into me….but he definitely is. This is a fear reaction. "That's what that was about…but before he told me about it that shinobi who attacked me showed up. That's what happened to my cheek." I say and his eyes darken, fear turning to anger. "Itachi killed him." For some reason, that sentence sounds odd to me. Maybe it's the way I said it? It's easy to talk about another shinobi killing someone in casual conversation…but talking about how my older brother killed the man who wanted to hurt me in such a way with a soft voice. It's almost in reverence. Maybe I'm astonished because he is keeping his promise after all.

"Mina?" Shikamaru is sitting on the floor in front of me, eyebrows drawn together. I blink a couple of times before I smile softly.

"It's been a while since you called me that." I say and he just looks at me. "Sorry…I'm just still kind of shaken up from that experience…and Itachi actually keeping his promise. I'm never agreeing to leave the country with you again. I must be crazy."

"Must be." He says with a smirk and then he stands up. "Don't space out like that, it freaks me out."

"I'm sorry…" I say softly and then I stand up. "I'm going to take a shower." I go to one of the bedrooms and close the door behind me. I go into the adjoining bathroom and turn on the water…not as hot as I normally would. It feels good to wash the sweat from my body. Once I finish, I dress in fresh clothes and style my hair into a bun on top of my head like I normally do on my days off.

"Hey, would you be a sentinel for the first exam?" Shikamaru calls from the living room. I walk out, eyebrow raised. "I need one more and you've got the best eyes for the job out of most of my friends."

"Sure. I guess." I say with a shrug. "This is a weird mission…I'm used to action…things blowing up next to my head. Knives flying all over the place. Keeping my boys alive…them keeping me alive."

"The hell kind of missions have you been going on recently?" He asks and I look at him, eyebrow raised.

"C-ranks mostly….B-ranks as well, but not as frequently. Lady Tsunade has faith in me and she knows that Junichi and Izanagi are skilled enough. You of all people should know the kind of situation we're in." I say and he nods. "Don't worry, your Mina will always come home. I've got an idiot brother to look after…and who would piss you off? I can't neglect my responsibilities."

"What a relief." He says dryly and I laugh before I fall onto the couch again. "And what do you mean it's been a while? I call you Mina all the time."

"No you don't. You haven't called me that in at least a year and a half…maybe more." I say, amused. "Minako." I do a perfect imitation of the exasperated way he says my name. "But it is cute when you say Mina, I must admit."

"Shut up." He says and I chuckle as I close my eyes. "You can take a nap if you want. I'll wake you up before dinner."

"What is it with you boys and trying to turn me into a sloth?" I ask with a yawn and I feel the smirk. "Shut up before I say embarrassing things to piss you off."

"I'm in a good mood, I'd like to see you try." He says and I huff because I'm too tired to actually say anything.


Shikamaru is gone when I wake up in the morning. It's not exactly weird, because he is here on a mission and whatnot. What's weird is the knock on the door. I go and open it and it's Kankuro.

"Room service." He says with a grin as he holds up a bag. I smile and take a step back to allow him inside. "I also brought a special treat." It's a bag of apples. "Shikamaru said this should last you at least a couple of hours."

"He would." I say with a shake of my head. We sit down at the table and he empties out the bags. "So I assume that Temari and Shikamaru are doing actual work while I sleep the day away."

"It's only seven." He says and I chuckle, if only he knew. "But yeah, they'll be busy until dinner. So I offered to hang out with you until then."

"Your sacrifice is greatly appreciated." I say with a laugh. We begin eating and I look out the window. "Suna is very different from Konoha…"

"Yes…and water is wet." He says and I snicker. "It's kinda funny though, because you don't look like you'd fit in at all here, yet you do."

"I've interacted with a total of two citizens of this village." I say, regarding him skeptically. "And what do you mean? I don't look like I'd fit in?"

"You're kidding right? You're blindingly pale." He says and I pretend to be offended. "I don't mean it in a bad way. It's just a statement of fact."

"I know, I'm just fucking with you." I say with a smirk and he looks a little relieved. "You'll have to forgive me. I've been spending too much time with Shikamaru lately and it's my goal in life to piss him off at least once a day every day for the rest of the time that I know him. I think it's because he told me that I couldn't get rid of him once. We stay because we're stubborn."

"So are you two…?" He asks and I can't help but laugh. I'd like to tell Shikamaru how I feel, but he'd probably just laugh at me.

"No, he's been my best friend forever." I say with a fond smile. "It started after my family died and he's just always been there for me since then. We take care of each other….all the while pissing each other off."

"Ah, well it's good that you have a friend like that." He says and I nod, smiling. "So after breakfast, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know…lately I haven't had any free time and so I kind of forget how to be a semi-normal person." I say and he regards me thoughtfully.

"What if I showed you my workshop? I know it's not the most interesting thing in the world…Never mind, that's stupid." He says, shaking his head.

"No, ever since yesterday I've been thinking about puppet master jutsu a lot. When you pulled be back with Sora." I say and he grins at me. "You've got to have really great chakra control for that."

"I do alright for myself." He says with a shrug. "I might be on par with a lesser medical shinobi."

"I think it'd be interesting to try and copy…though I wouldn't do that. I try not to….Heaven forbid I become the new copy-nin." I say and he looks interested. "What? I mean certainly it's been useful in my medical training, but I'd never gank any of my friends' techniques."

"You haven't copied anyone's?" He asks and I look away. "Who is it?" I cover my face. I don't want to say it. "Come on, it can't be that bad."

"Shikamaru's…it was an accident! Nobody else knows about it and I'll kill you if you say anything." I say, pointing at him. "I was watching a little too intently and it just kind of happened. I feel terrible about it, so I never use it."

"But you could." He says and I nod. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I'd hate to be the cause of a war between our villages."

"Good man." I say, finishing off my main dish before I slice up an apple. "I do a bit of everything on my own…I don't want to be lazy and just copy stuff. I work hard for my skills."

"It shows. Most girls I know don't have nearly as defined biceps as you do." He says and I rub my arms, a little self-conscious. "It's not a bad thing. It's kinda cute." I roll my eyes, but smile none the less. "I appreciate a girl who can take care of herself."

"Well, I've been keeping myself and my brother alive all these years. One of us has to do a little bit of work." I say and he smiles.

"That's kinda how Temari is with me. She thinks that just because she's the oldest she's got to be the one to take care of us…and Gaara's the Kazekage." He says and I smile.

"It's really the women of the family that keep things together. Brothers would lose their fucking heads if not for their sisters. Sasuke will tell you that much." I say with an air of superiority. "That's one thing I completely relate to Temari on…I'd do anything for my brothers."

"Even Itachi?" He asks and I look away. "I'm sorry. When you told me you fought him, I got curious and looked him up in the Bingo Book. That's rough."

"Yeah…pretty rough." I say with a laugh. "I cherished the ground that he walked on when I was a little girl. Sasuke and I both did."

"It's good that you can trust after that kind of a betrayal though." He says and I hum. "It's good that you and Sasuke had each other."

"He drives me insane with worry, but I probably do the same." I say, shaking my head. "But yeah…I'm glad he's my brother." I finish my apple. "Well I'm going to get dressed and we can head out whenever you're ready." I stand up and return to my bedroom where I close the door. I can already tell that it's hotter than Hell outside by the heat wave squiggles rising from the buildings and so I dress in brown shorts paired with my black mesh armor tee shirt. I pull on my vest before I attach my various pouches and my tanto. I step into my sandals and secure my forehead protector around my neck before I braid my hair over my right shoulder. I step out of my room and Kankuro is cleaning up.

"You ready to go?" He asks and I nod, smiling. We leave the room and head out, traveling at civilian speed through the streets. "I figured I may as well give you the grand tour."

"That and it's good for the Kazekage's brother to be seen with a very obvious Konoha-nin." I say and he shrugs. "It's okay, I understand."

"Doesn't hurt that you're cute, too." He adds with a wink and I roll my eyes. "Cute is a bit of an understatement, but it'll do."

"Thanks." I say dryly. "So, tell me, what is your favorite part about living in Sunagakure, Kankuro of the Sand?"

"Well, Minako Uchiha, I'll just have to show you later. It's not something that I can really explain." He says and curiosity has the best of me. "You'll love it."


It's dinner time…we're eating with the sand siblings and it's really nice. Gaara is offering some conversation. He has a sense of humor that most people probably wouldn't get, but I think he's hilarious. All of a sudden, Kankuro curses.

"Minako, come on!" He exclaims, standing up and dragging me by the arm out the door. I follow him through the building until we finally reach the roof. We walk to the edge and he leans against it. I see the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. "This is my favorite part about Suna. The sunset." I hop up on the ledge to get a better look at the sun descending behind the sand dune. The pinks and purples are amazing. The door bursts open, causing me to jump and my foot slips. I fall. I prepare to perform some of my sick ninja moves, but my body jerks to a halt before it gets yanked back up. Kankuro catches me and Shikamaru looks pissed.

"Really Kankuro!?" Temari shouts at the same time as Shikamaru shouting the same thing, only with my name. "You dragged her up here like it was some great emergency, just to watch the sunset!?"

"What? She asked me to show her and I almost forgot." He responds simply. "It's your fault she fell."

"I had that handled, by the way." I say, elbowing him. "But it was kind of cool. Nothing hurt."

"Good, I was a little worried that I'd missed a point. Didn't want to break anything." He says with a closed-eye smile.

"Eh, nothing I couldn't fix. Probably." I say and then we laugh. Gaara is just kind of hanging back…looking a little awkward. Shikamaru is glaring daggers at Kankuro. "Hey, settle down." I walk over to my friend and take his hands. "I'm sorry, okay?"

"You will be." He says and I raise an eyebrow, what a strange thing to say. "Can we go back to dinner now?"

"Well yeah, the sun has already set." I say simply and he glowers at me. The five of us return to dinner then and Kankuro and I sit like children who are in trouble. Both Temari and Shikamaru look pissed off still. I can't help the snark….I really can't. "Dad…am I grounded? Because that's totally not fair." The vein in Shikamaru's forehead pops out and he glares at me. "Oh come on, what are you guys so mad about?"

"You're right." Temari says, chuckling a bit. "It is kind of silly to be mad. After all, this is your first time here. Why'd you call him dad?"

"If you spend any amount of time with the two of us, you'll realize that eighty-six percent of what I do is intended to piss Shikamaru off because I'm the only person who gets him going like that and it's fun. There's about four to six percent of what I do that is unintentional. But sometimes my greatest joy is seeing that cute little vein in his forehead pop out." I say with a closed-eye smile.

"You need a new hobby." Shikamaru says dryly and I grin at him. "Remind me why I keep your around again?"

"Because, I'm as lovable as I am annoying." I say and he gives 'fair enough' look. "And besides, I don't piss you off ALL the time…otherwise your blood pressure would be way too high and I would have to remove myself from your presence…for your health, of course. As a medical almost professional, I am obligated to put your well-being before my weird hobbies."

"At least she's got her priorities in the right place." Kankuro says and we laugh again. "I thought you were kind of an asshole when we first met. You were just bossing your team around and jumping all over your brother."

"Oh dear boy, do not mistake. I am indeed an asshole, but as I said, I am lovable." I say with a grin. "And you only think I'm bossy 'cause I'm a girl. If Shikamaru had nearly the leadership abilities that I expressed at such a young age they would be called just that."

"Except you didn't express those abilities until you had to." My friend says, trying to get back at me for the jab.

"I didn't want to make my brother jealous, you saw how pissy he was when he found out I got my Sharingan before him." I say and he hums his appreciation. "And besides, I used to be terribly lazy."

"Says the girl who taught herself basic medical ninjutsu." Kankuro says and I laugh. "What? Shikamaru brags about you all the time."

"More like I'm telling you what's motivating the people in our year." Shikamaru says after he coughs. "Ino especially."

"You dominated her in your fight!" Kankuro exclaims and I wave him off. "I hated to admit that you were talented then because we were supposed to be enemies, but I appreciate a girl who can kick ass."

"Especially when she's kicked yours." Temari says coolly and I snicker. "I have to admit, I considered you a threat."

"I tend to have that effect on people." I say with a shrug. "It's because I'm a scary looking son of a bitch when I'm really into a fight."

"I remember." Temari says and I shake my head a little bit. "If there's anything to be said about Leaf Shinobi I suppose that it could be that they're pretty hard core." I shrug.

"What do you mean, 'shrug'? She told me that you had a freakin' bone sword sticking out of your shoulder. Then your brother ripped it out and then you still kept fighting." Kankuro says and I shrug again. "You're unbelievable."

"And now you understand why she is concerned about my blood pressure." Shikamaru says and that makes me laugh.