AN: A little longer than I usually keep these chapters, and not fabulously polished either. You'll probably have to read properly to get most of the little hints here and there.

I apologize for die-hard Kaka-Saku fans, but the foil plot is heating up a little too much to be ignored for a little while, so things are fairly ShikaTen orientated ATM.

Hokage-sensei

Chapter Fourteen: Beginning

Tenten giggled to herself as she thought back to her fantastic victory over her live-in nuisance, trying her best to put all guilt to the back of her mind. She knew it had to hurt, but if it got the point across, than it was entirely necessary not to mention completely hilarious.

It hadn't taken her long to get ready and leave, during which time there was no sign of him anywhere in her apartment. I hope I haven't scared him off completely... she thought to herself as she strolled lazily down the street on her way to the downtown stalls.

Before the partying started, she always made a point of looking at all of the stalls and games on offer as part of the Koyo Matsuri, as more often than not, it was the cheapest and easiest way to find what she probably should be wearing to the Momijigari. It was relaxing too, just to marvel at the rich colours of the stalls and their goods, before the drunkenness kicked off.

A loud voice interrupted her train of thought. "Tenten!"

As she turned to be greeted with the sight of the blonde running towards her, tightness flushed through her body, "Oh... Ino... listen, about..."

"Never mind that." She waved her off casually. "Have you seen some of the stalls they've got this year? They are really welcoming in the new hokage. I wonder where I'm going to find the money...?"

"Ino, are you mad at me?" Tenten persisted, having expected to be flayed alive.

"Why should I be? Anyway... they have this whole section of music over where the bigger sections of trees are in the park. A bunch of us are gonna head up to the rooftop of an apartment building over there for our own little Momijigari. We figure that the music would be loud enough up there to get some decent dancing going on." It was a tradition as old as the festival itself. Civilians couldn't so easily make their way to the top of a building, so the ninja escaped up there to let loose out of the judgemental eyes of the public, taking special advantage of the mission leave to ensure hangover recovery time.

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Well last time I checked, Hinata is going, which means Neji is going, which usual signals a new hell if you don't turn up." She laughed, linking their arms together like they were best pals.

"I should have known..."

"You don't have any other plans right? Ha... look who I'm talking to, of course you've not got any plans. Come on, I think I'm fashionably late enough by now; if you come in with me I guess it'll make me look better."

Tenten sighed, "This is not going to go well."

As they approached, her heart sunk slightly. There it was, clear as day, the reason Kakashi would live in a house of all things by himself. A simple sign, carved out of stone and half hidden by overgrown plants, hanging to the left of the doorway.

'Hatake.' it read. This was his family's home... his childhood home.

It was like she'd taken a step out of the street and walked into a life; a life he was letting her become a part of. Ordinarily, she'd say that was a wrong way to feel, but instead she was biting back a smile. This was the future she'd always hoped for.

Of course, she'd never imagined in her wildest fantasies that it would be her ex-sensei who would welcome her into his home, and she had always thought the moment she'd walk into a home like this, she'd have an arm around her waist that loved her. That sort of thing just never comes true...

She was slightly awed by the traditional dwelling. It showed an astounding level of domestic comfort. The place was all on one floor, with a stepped entrance for them to remove their shoes before stepping inside.

Never in a million years had she expected to find herself in a place like this. The whole place was just fantastical to her, although she did wonder at how Kakashi fit like a glove as he casually slipped off his sandals. He pushed them to one side of the step before offering to take her bags so that she could do the same.

The only sound was a tinkling of chimes sounding from far off across the building, which only amplified the silence between them. From the second they had left the Hokage tower, they had fallen into a condemned march, both stuck in a state of balance between fear and anticipation for what would come of this.

Without a word he began to lead her through the house on a quick tour to let her orientate herself. She noticed that nearly all the doors were slid across, as though they were just arches in the wall, giving her a direct sight into most of the rooms.

On the right was a room, empty but for a couple of small sofas, obviously completely unused for a long time. Mirroring it was a twin room, almost as empty, although one chair seemed more worn as it rested off joint to the simple table. Lighter patches on the walls told her that once this was a family home, filled with pictures and memories. Is it really too much for him, she wondered, that he can't even keep pictures of his childhood here?

"Where is everything?" She let slip, unable to contain her curiosity.

He had barely noticed she had stopped, and flinched at the sound of her voice cutting the air. "What do you mean? I don't need much."

"No, that much is clear. I meant... this is your family home, isn't it?"

"You're observant."

She shrugged. "I can't help it."

"You won't find any old toys or anything. Everything got cleared out when my parents died." He carefully avoided eye-contact. "Anything left stays in my library."

"I wasn't even thinking of that, but thanks for revealing your paranoia."

"The bathroom has two doors." He changed the subject swiftly by pointing to the shut door just along the passage. "So just make sure you lock both."

"Is there anything else vital to know?"

He lifted a finger to point to another shut door at the end of the hallway. "That's my library. The door stays shut at all times, for a reason."

They walked passed a spacious and blatantly idle kitchen before turning into a second jointed corridor that led to the final room of the house. Sliding doors along the left wall were obviously built to open onto what she could only guess to be a garden.

He put down her bags (which she only then noticed he was still carrying) at the foot of the nicely sized double bed. "If you have anything else to ask, feel free. I usually just sprawl in the middle of the bed so feel free to pick whichever side you want, and I've not actually used the wardrobes till this morning."

"Nice of you to admit that." She smiled, still gazing around in fascination.

"Well I don't see why not to. You're completely welcome to do what you like to the place."

She turned to him in shock "Is nothing precious to you?"

The look in his eyes told her most of what she needed to know. There were still reminders here that he didn't want, the place was full of ghosts for him.

"My Library holds everything you're not to touch. Everything else... is vastly neglected without my mother here to fuss around with details. It won't do any harm to make this a home again."

"I have to say Kakashi, this place is a definite improvement on that old dump."

He let out a little laugh as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "If you are referring to that bedsit again, I know what you mean."

"You aren't protesting it being a dump?"

"No, it was. It was all I needed though in between missions."

She sighed, "Either way, it's tidier here than you said too."

"I've tidied a lot. It really wasn't suitable for anyone to live in."

"Again, good to know." She absently ran her eyes over the room again and took a seat beside him. "Is that an en-suite?"

"It is. Sorry, forgot to mention that. It's nothing special."

"Practically luxury for me... this all is actually."

"I know, I've seen what your old place is like."

"You have?" she eyed him suspiciously.

"Well, not your place specifically, that would just be weird. Genma's place is in a similar building."

"Oh, right."

He scratched his chin absently. "So, do you need any help unpacking things, or shall I just leave you to it?"

"There's not much here to be honest, so I can probably muddle through. If you want to disappear off to your library, I'll be quiet."

"Thank you. I was just going to take a shower actually, if you don't mind."

"No, that's fine. I'm not going anywhere."

She looked up to him with a smile that reached all the way up to her eyes, and he responded with one that went all the way down to his lips.

So many couples... Tenten observed with a green eye. Everyone there seemed to have made their match, so many people looking for someone to spend the increasingly colder nights with. She'd never had that luxury, and the hopeless romantic side of her wanted nothing more than to be in one of those brainless couples, stuck in each others' eyes.

Just one thing kept her back, was exactly that; she didn't want to feel brainless. It wasn't fear of rejection, or commitment, or even inevitable betrayal... it was the fear of losing herself around someone else.

She knew she couldn't escape it forever, but she'd go down fighting before she'd ever let her guard down. Being surrounded like this by people 'in love', felt like drowning to her. It wasn't even random ninja she didn't know, but people she'd worked with, trained with, fought with, which brought things even closer than she'd like.

Absolutely everyone was there; that was the trouble. On the crowded rooftop, she didn't even notice the present of her temporary roommate until she walked straight into him.

"Sempai!"

"Shikamaru!"

She soon noticed everyone around them was beginning to stare. Of course... since the rumour of us dating started, we haven't actually been anywhere together.

Shikamaru looked away nervously, "I uh..."

"You didn't say you were coming out tonight." She tried, attempting to dispel the curiosity with mundane conversation. He was acting very odd, and though she didn't really blame him after this morning, it was attracting more attention than necessary.

"You didn't ask." He shrugged.

She frowned, "You aren't drunk again, are you?"

"No, I'm completely sober tonight."

"Well, um... I'll be..." She made a move to leave, losing her patience with the tense atmosphere.

He made a move to stop her with a hand to her arm. "We should dance."

"What?" Her eyes flared wider.

Guardedly, he let his grip on her arm slip ad moved to take a gentle hold on her hand. "I mean... do you want to dance Sempai?"

"Um..."

"You don't have to, I just thought... sorry, it's stupid."

"Alright then," she gave in, "just for a while."

"One song." He grinned. "Then I'll let you go back to whoever you came with."

She was slightly offended that he'd even suggest that she would come out with someone else, although with her recent behaviour, she wasn't really surprised.

"Actually, I'm alone. Ino dragged me here but then kinda disappeared. I was just going to head home after I found something to eat."

"That's a shame." He held her close as they began to dance. "So... what did she...?"

"I think she's ignoring the rumour." She told him, finding herself staring at the roof lights over his shoulder. As awkwardly impossible as it was to talk to someone without properly seeing their face, she couldn't help but to revel in the comfort of his hold on her. "She... she kept dismissing me every time I tried to apologize."

"You have no reason to apologize to her sempai." He spoke in soft tones.

"I think I do. I know she's been out of line but I still feel bad about this. After all, I told her she was stupid to love you, and now I..."

"You've said, and done, far worse to me."

"I know, and I feel bad about that too. I'm sorry, I..."

"Forget about Ino. Just let this moment be for me and you."

She stayed silent, unsure exactly what that meant, but unwilling to ask him directly. After a few seconds of awkwardness, she forced herself staring at his shoulder. Why is he so supportive when I've been so horrible to him? He knows, doesn't he...? That I've been surrounded by indifference for so long my own emotions are disjointed. It feels too nice not to be ignored...

Close to sinking into him, consequences be damned, she hastily snapped her gaze back to a coloured lantern in the distance. What is wrong with me? She internally panicked. Acting like a foolish teenage girl... he'd just laugh at me if he ever found out what I'd been thinking.

She paused all thoughts of negativity though, as she felt his hand weave itself into her hair, reaching through her bangs to hold the side of her head. It didn't seem deliberate, and it was something that no one around them would notice, but he still did it, and it still calmed her from the inside out.

Her paranoia of watching eyes and crowds of peers washed right out of her, leaving only one thought to remain; she didn't want this to end, and wouldn't care if he didn't let go of her all night.

A minute later, the music changed. They were stunned out of their reverie to let their arms drop beside them. Still, they stood mere inches from each other, unwilling to move away just yet.

Shikamaru carefully kept his voice low, "I think I'll head back... I'll pick something up for us to eat."

He left her frozen with a kiss on her cheek and a bewildered expression on her features. Us...

Only a second later, the odd silence clouding the air around her was replaced by a bashing to her eardrums that almost sent her embarrassingly off balance.

"What did you do?!"

"I-Ino...?" Tenten stared blankly, "What's the matter?"

"You... and Shikamaru... what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. Shikamaru and I are dating. You know that."

"I do not 'know' that! Do I sound like I knew that?! Stop lying to me!"

"I'm not lying Ino. Why would I possibly want to do that?"

"You are trying to mock me! Do you honestly believe that will make you any more popular?"

"No, and it's not what I'm trying to do."

"So let me get this right... you make fun of me for being loopy on him and then you go for him yourself?"

"Ino, it wasn't like that."

"Oh yeah, then how was it?"

"He made a move on me first, I swear."

"Sure, blame it on the inebriate. He couldn't make a move if he was paid to. I mean, why else wouldn't he have tried one on me by now?"

"He doesn't love you!"

Ino recoiled in shock. Tenten never shouted, and it honestly surprised herself. Where did that come from?

"I meant 'like'..." she blushed involuntarily, "not that he doesn't like you as a friend, but..."

"I could have coped," Ino glared, "if he had told me he was gay... this though, this I can't accept. Whatever you did to him, undo it and give him back to me!"

Before she could control herself, she slapped the other girl hard across the cheek. "He's not yours to take back."

"You're going to regret that." Ino snarled, cradling her cheek.

"Ino, you are really beginning to become an irritation. Would you please, for once, consider Shikamaru's feelings? He may grouch and complain about you, but he needs you to be there as a friend, and it hurts him that you can't let that rest."

"Don't you even dare try to preach to me about his feelings! I've known him much longer than you have."

"So why do you do everything in your power to push him away?" She began to walk off, attempting to prevent a fight.

"Get back here!"

"No Ino, there's nothing left I need to say."

"Then don't expect to be invited anywhere again."

AN: I'm trying to get these out as fast as possible, because I got my place at University of Leeds, so in a few weeks time I am going to get super-insanely busy. I am also on Cosplay mode ATM, so I'm balancing fandom pursuits on a fine pole for a week or so trying to get things done before I move out.

Warning ahead of time: I got a little carried away the other night, so things are going to get HOT next chapter for one couple, so I'm going to have to put the rating up.

I think I have most of the plot lined up now though so once it's typed, things should get regular. Remember, I do reply personally to EVERY review I receive, so if you have something to ask, don't hold back, it keeps me busy.

Stay shiny and show the luff

XX Belizma-chan XX