Notes: First time I've really done a scene with Kisame, so we'll see how that comes off. Also a pairing that is really nothing of the sort.

The Nature of Love

A Naruto Fanfic by

Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)

Chapter 14: A Husband for Hanabi

Wind Country Border - October

"So what are you going to do, kid?"

Naruto remained silent as he glared at the tall, BLUE man in the black and red cloak that had one arm locked around Kin's neck. He wasn't quite sure how the man had managed to sneak up on them, only that he'd woken up to this bothersome sight. Normally, that would've been enough to send him barreling at the man in a fit of rage. But there were some pretty big problems preventing that.

First and foremost, there was Kin. She didn't seem scared exactly, but something about the blank look on her face told Naruto that he needed to be careful. The man probably wasn't going to hurt her, unless Naruto did something he didn't like. But at this point, the man seemed to want a fight, so attacking him was probably the best thing to do.

But there was also the sword on the man's back to consider, or at least Naruto assumed it was a sword. The man was in no hurry to draw it, but there was no telling how fast he could do so, either. That pretty much guaranteed that Naruto had to keep his distance while fighting, once he got Kin out of the line of fire.

The man's face wasn't helping, either. He looked a great deal like a shark trapped in a human's body, or perhaps a shark demon in a human vessel. But while Naruto was sensing plenty of chakra from the man, it didn't really seem to be demonic, or at least not all of it was. And that unknown quality was even more reason to be cautious.

And perhaps the worst thing of all was that Kyuubi, for some reason, was not only staying quiet, but being surprisingly stingy with his chakra. Usually the fox would be all too eager to fight a strong opponent, so it was both weird and worrisome that he had clammed up all of a sudden.

But Naruto wasn't TOO worried. Meg had, for the most part, trained him as if they'd never heard of Kyuubi, so he still had plenty of options, but he was still somewhat limited without the huge amount of chakra that Kyuubi usually pumped out, so that was a big concern, or it would be, if this man was as strong as Naruto suspected.

"I'll assume that you're just trying to come up with a strategy," the shark man said, his long, pointy teeth flashing as he spoke, "and not chickening out and leaving the girl in my hands. But you should know that patience was never my strong point. And when I get bored, I tend to sharpen my sword on the nearest available object." He flexed his right arm a bit, causing Kin to wince slightly as it tightened around her neck.

"What do you want?" Naruto finally asked.

"A fight," the man responded at once.

"And if I refuse?"

The man snorted. "Then I kill her, and we fight, anyway. So you might as well just come at me."

"Let her go first!"

To Naruto's complete shock, the shark man shoved Kin away from him and stood there expectantly. Kin stumbled a little, but quickly caught herself and ran back to Naruto's side, keeping an eye on their opponent the whole time.

"Are you okay, Kin-chan?" Naruto asked without looking at her.

"Yeah, fine," she muttered, rubbing her neck. "I don't think you can beat him, Naruto-kun."

"Well, he never said anything about beating him. He just wants to fight, I think."

Kin stared at him incredulously. "And you believe him?"

Naruto shrugged. "He grabbed you to make me fight, and when I agreed, he let you go. I really think he just wants a good fight. I can appreciate that."

"You don't just fight somebody like Kisame because he wants to!" Kin hissed. "That's insane!"

"Then I'll fight him because he didn't hurt you." Naruto turned his head, shot her a big grin, and then ran forward, three Shadow Clones popping into existence on either side of him as he closed in on Kisame.

Kin briefly thought of stopping him, but figured he'd be at a big enough disadvantage without her getting in the way. Although if he didn't get himself killed trying to impress her yet again, she'd kill him herself.

The good news was that Kisame didn't make a move for his sword. The bad news was that he didn't seem to need it. Any clone that got within range was immediately destroyed by one of Kisame's fists. Within seconds, the only Naruto remaining was the real one, and he proceeded to do one of the most foolish things Kin had ever seen him do.

Naruto jumped into the air with his mouth wide open, apparently expecting to sink his teeth into Kisame's throat.

Kisame looked amused (never a good sign) right before he spun around and planted his elbow into Naruto's face. The added momentum had been completely unnecessary, but was probably all the more satisfying for the shark man as Naruto went sailing through the air, landing in a heap at Kin's feet.

"That was terrible," Kin sighed as Naruto slowly got up, spitting a few teeth and some blood onto the sand.

"Got him right where I want him!" Naruto replied, giving her another cocky grin.

"I'm amazed you got that out without whistling, considering all the new gaps in your teeth."

"I was just feeling him out!" Naruto insisted.

"With your face?"

Naruto scowled at her. "You know, if you don't start cheering for me pretty soon, I'm going to start thinking that maybe you don't want to be my girl anymore."

Kin turned bright red. She could never get used to Naruto calling her that. "I'm not THAT kind of girl. Just stop trying to bite him and see if that doesn't improve your chances."

"Don't I even get a kiss for luck?"

"Sure, AFTER you win."

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "It better be a wet one," was all he said before charging again.

"Jerk," Kin muttered, her cheeks burning.

"I never had anyone try to beat me by disgusting me before," Kisame chuckled as he batted Naruto aside half-heartedly. "Another minute of that mushy crap and I might've been nauseous."

"Tell HER that," Naruto grunted as he hopped to his feet. "She might actually believe you."

"It's too bad you're not going to win, though. I think I'd enjoy seeing the look on her face if she had to plant one on you."

"You could always take a dive, and I'd pay you back with some lunch."

Kisame grinned. "I like you, kid. Your jokes could use some work, but I like you. So I won't hurt you too bad in front of your girl."

"So do you just go around beating up kids, or is there something in particular you want from me?" Naruto asked as he whipped out three kunai and flung them at Kisame in one swift motion.

Kisame snorted as he turned his back briefly, deflecting the kunai with the wrapped sword strapped to his back. "Actually, a little of both recently, but they're not random kids, if that's what you're thinking."

"So you want the fox," Naruto said calmly.

Kisame paused, giving him a thoughtful look. "Not just yet. But I am starting to wonder why you don't have chakra flying out of your butt yet. From my information, you practically overflow with the stuff."

"Maybe he's shy?" Naruto guessed, sliding a hand over his belly. "You don't have some kind of fox fetish I should know about, right?"

Rage flashed in Kisame's eyes, but he caught himself as something clicked in his mind. "Ah, so that's it. Your 'friend' is smart, very smart. He must have heard of my sword."

"What's so great about it?" Naruto demanded. "And why aren't you using it?"

"I did say I didn't wanna mess you up too bad," Kisame reminded him. "And if I were to take out Samehada, let's just say you'd have an even harder time getting your girl to kiss you with half your face shaved down to the bone."

"So how are we going to have a good fight if neither of us is really trying?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Kisame snorted. "I could kill you without breaking a sweat. Right now, all I'm doing is watching and blocking."

Naruto glared at him. "You elbowed me in the mouth!"

Kisame grinned. "Yeah, well, you practically asked for it. Now why don't you show me some more, and I'll tell you if you're worthy of all this fame they've heaped on you."

Sound Desert Base - October

There was a warm, bubbly feeling in Iruka's stomach as he woke up, and for a long moment, he thought he might be sick, drugged, or both.

Tayuya cleared it up for him in her usual way.

"Wake up, dammit! Shit!"

Noticing her voice had come from directly above him, Iruka blinked a few times and tilted his head back. Tayuya was glaring down at him, her face bright red. He wasn't sure why, until it occurred to him that the soft, warm pillow his head was resting on was actually her legs.

Naturally, he couldn't help the wide grin that spread across his face.

"Stop smiling at me, you fucker!" Tayuya shouted angrily.

"Good morning to you, too, Tayuya-chan," Iruka replied, barely resisting the urge to turn his head for a better look at her.

"Just shut up and get off me!" she snapped.

Iruka blinked innocently. "I don't recall falling asleep this way, so I have to assume this was your doing."

Tayuya glared down at him. "The boss said it's supposed to help strengthen the bond, and if you're this cheeky, then it must've worked. Now that we know that, GET OFF!"

He made a show of letting out a long, fake yawn. "I'm actually quite comfortable right here... my mistress."

"Oooooh, I'm gonna get you for this, you bastard! You're supposed to obey me, damn you!"

"It's strange," Iruka noted, making himself a little more comfortable in her lap. "I do feel an overriding desire to make you happy. But for some reason, something in my head is telling me that THIS is making you happy. Now, why would I be thinking that, Tayuya-chan?"

"Fucker," she hissed, her cheeks burning. "I'll get you for this!"

"Don't be afraid to enjoy it," Iruka sighed happily. "No one has to know besides you and me. In fact, if it makes you feel better, and I'm pretty sure it would, I'd be glad to carry you in my arms when we travel."

"It's never gonna happen! NEVER!"

"We'll see," Iruka murmured, reaching up to stroke Tayuya's cheek with his finger. He noticed with a great deal of pleasure that she froze for a very long moment before finally remembering to jerk her head away. "I think I'm going to enjoy constantly following you around."

She wouldn't say so, but Iruka felt pretty confident in the knowledge that Tayuya would enjoy it, too.

Konoha - November

Of everyone present, Neji was perhaps the least surprised when Hanabi defeated her first opponent in under a minute. But even he began to get nervous when Hanabi improved upon that time with every victory, ending with her securing her spot in the finals with an impressive win of just ten seconds.

And then there was the way she was fighting. Neji had lived and breathed Gentle Fist taijutsu from the moment his father died, and the only ones who could possibly know the style better were Hiashi himself, and the clan elders.

Hanabi was using no form of Gentle Fist that he had ever seen or heard about. For one thing, she was barely using her eyes at all. Half of the time, Neji was certain she actually had them closed as she struck finishing blows. It was as if she knew where her opponent would be, and therefore only needed to aim at the space they would occupy in the next instant. Neji had been able to do much the same thing for some time now, but even that was educated guesswork, and sometimes failed against more intelligent opponents (not that there were many genin as smart as him). But Hanabi's accuracy bordered on psychic, and he had yet to see her miss even once.

Neji didn't let his concerns get in the way, though. He was out to prove that no matter what he had been labeled or branded as, he was the best in his generation. His winning times were not as fast as Hanabi's, but this was partially because Neji was not out to just win. He flattened his opponents whenever possible, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that they'd never stood a chance against him. There would be no controversy, and no disputes where his matches were concerned. He was the clear winner every time, and that was just how he wanted it.

But all of his questions returned to haunt him when just he and Hanabi were left in the tournament. Knowing what he now knew, he doubted himself. It was still possible, even likely, that he would win. But he could not be sure that the victory would be as decisive as the others. He could beat Hanabi, but she might hurt him in the process, and no matter who won, he would lose face if he could barely stand up afterwards.

Hanabi barely even looked at him as they came together on the sparring mat. She seemed perfectly calm, and that was no good for him.

"You have done well today, Hanabi-sama. I imagine no matter what the outcome of this match, you will be the new heiress."

"That may be," Hanabi replied quietly, "but I am still going to win."

Neji smirked at her. "I cannot allow that. We both know that I need this victory far more than you do, and I am willing to do anything to get it."

"I was about to tell you the same thing." Hanabi narrowed her eyes. "How can you need this more? You have already been sealed. I still have a chance to escape that fate."

"And so do my children," Neji replied firmly.

"Not if you plan on having more than one," Hanabi countered smoothly. "Have you learned nothing from watching Hinata and I?"

"I learned she could not stand under the pressures of the title. And I wonder if the same will happen to you."

Hanabi smiled. "If you are really so worried about my title, I'll be sure to make you my bodyguard so you can see firsthand how I deal with pressure. Assuming you can stand under all the pressure I'm going to put on you, that is."

"I think this match will tell us exactly who folds under pressure, Hanabi-sama."

"Agreed."

With no further warning, they attacked.

Neji had more experience and strength, but so had all of Hanabi's other opponents. She had in fact been the youngest participant in the tournament. Her body was small and compact, which translated into brief, blinding bursts of speed that had been the downfall of most of her opponents. But Neji could track her with his Byakugan, partially because he himself was faster, but mostly because Hanabi's chakra was giving off a pale, eerie glow that was all too easy to follow.

To his shock, Hanabi did not back off after the first few blows had been exchanged, with neither one scoring any big hits. Instead, she stayed with him, dodging as best she could and striking when she saw a decent chance.

Neji quickly grew frustrated. Hanabi was tiring, but not nearly as quickly as he'd expected. In the meantime, he was only landing glancing hits: Hanabi either avoided them entirely, or managed a block that felt weak to him, but somehow kept her from taking much damage. She didn't seem to be able to predict his movements, but she was prepared for them all the same.

The obvious solution was to throw something at her that she wasn't prepared for.

"You remind me of Hinata."

There it was, just as he'd suspected: a pause, and just enough to seal his victory.

Neji's foot shot out, striking Hanabi's left ankle just as she shifted her weight to it. Her eyes widened as she began to wobble, but before she could catch herself, Neji closed in and thrust the heel of his hand against her chin. Blood flew from Hanabi's mouth as her head snapped back, and though it was not entirely necessary, Neji made sure she was floored by delivering a final palm strike to her chest, knocking the wind out of her. She landed hard on her back, barely biting back a soft cry of outrage and frustration as she glared up at Neji.

Neji stared at her for a few seconds before sinking to his knees, bowing at her feet. It would not do to forget his place in front of the rest of the clan.

Hanabi slowly got up, though this had little to do with any injuries: she probably just wanted Neji bowing to her a little longer that was necessary. Once she was standing, he joined her, his face blank.

"Congratulations, Neji," Hanabi said stiffly. She had never bothered with the familiar form of address that Hinata had preferred, and now, Neji was glad for it.

He nodded respectfully. "Thank you, Hanabi-sama. I enjoyed our match immensely."

Hanabi nearly replied, but wisely kept her mouth shut as Hiashi walked up to them.

"You have both done very well in this tournament. You have shown us that there is great potential to be found in the younger generation. With that in mind, the Hyuuga clan council and I are pleased to reward you... both of you."

Traces of a frown appeared on Neji's face, and Hanabi simply stared at her father curiously.

"When Hanabi comes of age, the two of you will be married."

Neji's breath caught in his throat, and it took sheer strength of will to avoid coughing. Even then, his throat became dry, and he suddenly felt unbearably hot all over. He risked a glance at Hanabi, and was shocked to find a confused, heartbroken expression on her face. He wasn't excited about the idea of marrying her, either, but he'd expected something a little less... vulnerable from Hanabi, of all people.

He barely heard anything else that Hiashi said to him, and he knew it was the same for Hanabi. All Neji could think about was getting away, putting some space between him and this room, so he could think, and... breathe.

It was the same for the Hanabi, because the moment Hiashi was done talking, Hanabi bowed to him and then fled, as if hellhounds were at her heels.

There was an uncomfortable pressure in Neji's chest as he watched her go. He had been worried that Hanabi would end up being Gaara's mate. Based on what he'd just seen, though, she might actually prefer that to being his wife. He wasn't quite sure how that made him feel, but never in his wildest dreams had he thought that this might happen. Fate, it seemed, had a very strange sense of humor.

"It's not the end of the world, my little Hanabi. At least you know Neji. Trust me, the only thing worse than marrying someone you hate is marrying someone you've never met."

The words did not comfort Hanabi at all, and not for the first time, she wondered how harshly she would be punished for telling her mother's spirit to go to hell (or to possibly go back to it). At the moment, she was just angry enough to not care about being considerate of her dead mother's feelings, though.

"This is all your fault, you know."

"Really," Hyuuga Hotaru said, an amused smile on her lips. "How do you figure that?"

Hanabi glared at her. "You told me how to win. If I hadn't listened, I wouldn't have won, and then I wouldn't be stuck marrying Neji."

"As I recall, you demanded my help," Hotaru sighed, "and I certainly didn't have to teach you my own personal fighting style, which I invented. That, I did out of motherly pride. There's just something about seeing my baby girl beat up boys three times her size..."

"I am not a baby; I'm going to be married," Hanabi snapped.

Hotaru laughed, though not unkindly. "Oh, my darling child, you'll be my baby girl even when you have babies of your own. That's how these things work, you see, and no amount of pouting will change that. In fact, pouting only makes you cuter, which only makes you more my daughter. Of course, in my day, a cute smile was all I needed to bring the boys running. I had suitors as far as the eyes could see, and-"

"It might interest you," Hanabi said through clenched teeth, "to know that I have no desire to hear about your romantic exploits. Not now and not ever."

"Oh, sorry, dear," Hotaru murmured, though she didn't seem too sincere. "Anyway, Neji isn't such a bad guy to get stuck with. He's a little misguided, but we can fix that easily enough. At least he genuinely cares about what happens to you, and that can be a rare thing in this clan."

"I hadn't noticed," Hanabi muttered coldly.

Hotaru sighed and shook her head. "You know, I didn't have to give birth to you, my little one. At one point, it was made very clear to me that one of us wouldn't survive. I chose to give you life. I realize it wasn't easy growing up without me, but at least you had your sister. And before you say anything, she needed you as much as you needed her. You have no idea what losing both of us would've done to Hinata."

"I thought you said only one of us had to die?"

There was a brief pause, and Hotaru's seemingly ever-present smile thinned slightly. "That's right. But you must understand that there was very little joy in my life, Hanabi. I was very attached to my children. If I had lost you... well, you wouldn't have been alone for long. I'll tell you the same thing my mother told me. You can't lose a child without losing a piece of yourself. But I invested so much of myself into being a good mother, and if I had lost you, I have no doubt that I'd have died soon after. I saw it happen to a few of my aunts. They just... stopped living when they lost their children. Oh, they would call it natural death, but to a mother, nothing could be more unnatural than continuing on as if a child hadn't been there in the first place, even if it was unborn."

"If you loved me so much, why did you choose to stay with Hinata?" Hanabi demanded.

"There is a difference between neglecting a child for a time, and abandoning them entirely. You were a fighter from the start, but Hinata is still growing into that role. I knew you would still flourish if I focused on your sister. But if I had listened to my heart and stayed with you, your sister would be in the Branch House right now. And even if you never say so, I know you love Hinata too much to let that happen to her."

Hanabi said nothing to that. One of her more common nightmares a few years ago had featured Neji standing over her with the Branch House seal glowing on his forehead. But the more frightening version had him suddenly turning into Hinata. It was the only time Hanabi had ever feared her sister, instead of just being afraid for her.

"We both know why you're really upset about all this, though," Hotaru said softly, smiling sympathetically at her daughter. "It makes you doubt that vision you had, and it hurts your heart to think that you might not be with-"

"My visions have always served me well," Hanabi interrupted. "They are never wrong."

"I agree," Hotaru added at once. "Trust me, you wouldn't be able to fight like I did if they were wrong."

That much Hanabi agreed with. Her own natural impatience had made learning her mother's fighting style very difficult, since so much of it was just waiting and reacting instantly. She still had a hard time controlling the flow of information to her brain in battle: her eyes told her one thing (sometimes she would get a brief flash of insight in the middle of a fight, which was often as helpful as it was hurtful; Hanabi likened the experience to having a wall of bright light suddenly appear between her and her opponent, but she was the only one blinded by it), but the invisible chakra feelers deployed from her fingers told her so much more. It was generally easier, even mandatory at times, to close her eyes and depend entirely on the feelers. They picked up miniscule changes in the air, the slightest vibrations, virtually everything she ever needed to know, and then some. She hadn't really needed Hotaru's prior knowledge on pretty much every opponent she'd faced, but that had helped immensely, too.

Neji had been a different story. Hotaru seemed to know his moves better than anyone else's; probably she and Hizashi had been close while they lived. But knowing what Neji would do, and actually being able to prevent him from doing it, were two very different things. He'd been stronger than Hanabi had expected, and faster in some instances. It was all too ironic that he'd done the one thing Hanabi had fully expected, the mind games, and she'd STILL walked right into the trap, which ultimately resulted in her defeat.

But she didn't need a vision to know that win or lose, her father's decision would've been the same. One way or another, she would have been pushed into marrying Neji. If anything, her reaching the final round with Neji had cemented that choice.

"This doesn't mean that it will never happen for you and the one you love," Hotaru said softly, making Hanabi jump slightly. "It only means that you have to work harder to make it happen. And I know you're not afraid of a little hard work, Hanabi."

"No. I am not," Hanabi whispered, and suddenly she understood that she and Hinata were more like their mother than they had ever realized. Happiness did not come just because you smiled and pretended it was there all along. You had to be hurt to truly appreciate happiness and know when it was there... even if there was only a sliver of it amongst the overwhelming pain. That was what it truly meant to be happy in the world of shinobi: to be willing to suffer the greatest hurts for even the slightest hope of joy.

Neji felt more than a little awkward as he once again stepped into the shadow of his father (actually, the shadow of a statue of his father). He'd been doing that a lot recently, and nearly each time, he managed to uncover some minor truth that should have been obvious to him at first glance, but never was until it was too late to do anything about it.

Gaara was not a demon, at least, not all of the time. Demons didn't usually take an interest in sculpting, and those that did never paid tribute to anything other than themselves. But Gaara had created this statue of Neji's father, when his own family refused to even come up with a grave marker.

Hinata had always intended to leave. From the moment she expressed any interest in marrying outside of the clan, she had been mentally packing her bags.

Sasuke was nowhere near as troubled or crazy as rumors around town would have one believe. Or, if he was crazy, he was the type of crazy that made a scary kind of sense, in much the same way that Itachi was crazy, yet remained one of the most powerful shinobi alive. A functional, deadly type of crazy. Not surprisingly, more than a few Uchiha had displayed similar behavior throughout Konoha's history, and yet people were always surprised when they snapped. Neji had avoided such unpleasant shocks by simply refusing to trust any of them, and firmly believed he was much better off for it.

So when Hinata inevitably turned up dead under questionable circumstances one day, Neji would not make a scene. He would simply slip out of his room, quietly murder Sasuke in cold blood, and slip back in as if it were any other day. His clan would say nothing (a clear sign of support), and Hanabi would probably give him a medal. Then, they would move on. Perhaps Hinata would get a statue next to his father's, if Gaara were so inclined.

But this was the only time that Neji had actually come to his father's statue with the intent of facing a personal truth.

He found Hanabi stretched out at Hizashi's base, her hands and feet stained with grass and dirt. She was staring blankly up at the sky, her eyes red and her cheeks damp. Neji wondered briefly if the thought of being married to him was really so terrible as to keep her in tears all day.

"You must think I'm being very silly, Neji," she said quietly, her voice steady but flat.

"No, I do not, Hanabi-sama," he replied, sitting down next to her. "I expected this tournament to be life-altering, but not in this way."

"I could do far worse," she whispered, apparently not hearing him. "But that isn't the point. It should have been my choice."

Neji could understand that, but he doubted that Hanabi was this upset just because her father hadn't asked her opinion. "Would you have chosen me, if it had been your choice?"

"Definitely," Hanabi replied at once, with such certainty that Neji nearly gaped at her. "With Hinata gone, you're the only one left I can convince myself to tolerate on a regular basis. But..."

"But what?"

Hanabi bit her lip, shaking her head slightly. "It's not important."

Neji frowned. "You wouldn't have started to say it, if that were true."

Hanabi turned her head and stared at him curiously. "Are you saying that as my cousin, or my husband?"

"Whichever can get you to trust me, Hanabi-sama. I have even less control over this matter, but I think it will be far easier to deal with if we submit to your father's wishes... for the moment."

She nodded slightly, and that seemed to be the signal for fresh tears to spill from her eyes. "Neji... this is madness. I don't love you, and I probably never will."

"I would be shocked if your father ever supported a marriage based on love, Hanabi-sama," Neji replied.

"I wish Hinata was here," Hanabi said softly.

Neji frowned again. "What could she do about any of this?"

"Nothing," Hanabi admitted. "But she would hold me, stroke my hair, and tell me what a good person you were. And even if I didn't believe a word, I'd feel better because she believed it."

Without thinking, Neji started to reach for her. He caught himself at the last moment, and finally settled for placing his hand over hers. Hanabi did not pull away, and he was glad for that, even if it was only a little thing. He was uncertain how far they would have to follow this charade through, and if he would find his feelings toward Hanabi changing as he got to know her better. But he did know it would be a long time before he could ever think of her as anything other than his cousin, and hoped that would not work against them in the long run.

6 Years, 3 Months in Konoha - February

"Why do we have to do this again?" Sasuke asked irritably. "This is time we could be training."

Gaara closed his eyes and did a remarkable job of remaining calm, considering he was just as irritated as Sasuke. "Apparently, the council lacks faith in us, or at least in my ability to lead. They want to see that we are progressing at an acceptable rate. If not, they will attempt to go over the Sandaime's head and dismantle the team."

"They can't do that!" Hinata said sharply, her eyes narrowing in anger.

"Officially, they can," Gaara replied. "Literally, they'd need ANBU to force us, and I've spoken to most of the squad captains myself. There are precious few squads willing to go against the Sandaime, so we should be fine either way. I have no doubt we can impress a bunch of old ninja. Whether they will admit to being impressed is another matter. All you need to worry about is showing them something you've learned in the time we've been together. I will take care of the rest."

"I suppose it would be counterproductive to just kill one of them," Sasuke muttered darkly.

Gaara smirked. "I happen to think that would be all too impressive. But I suspect the council will not agree."

"What would happen if they managed to split us up, taichou?" Hinata asked.

"It wouldn't matter much. You and Sasuke are married, and the worst they could do about that is force him to take an additional wife. Konoha is too short on manpower to waste resources by barring capable ninja from active duty. Their real goal is just to keep you away from me."

"But you haven't done anything wrong!"

"Not recently," Gaara admitted. "But it is less what I've done, and more who I am, that they're taking issue with. That I am unfit to command is just a convenient excuse."

"You know we would follow you no matter what happens in there," Hinata assured him.

Gaara said nothing to that. If he had questioned their loyalty seriously, at any time, they'd already be dead. Saying so would probably not inspire team unity, though, and they needed that at the moment.

The conversation ceased as the door behind Gaara opened, revealing a grim-faced Morino Ibiki (but then, his face was always grim, no matter what the expression on it). "They're ready for you," he said simply. Then, in a lower tone, he added, "If it goes bad, I've got missions lined up for all three of you. They can split you up, but they can't let good ninja go to waste."

"Thank you, Ibiki-san," Hinata said quietly.

Ibiki had been the source of over half of their unofficial missions (which they were getting more of than official ones). Hinata still thought it was a little odd that the head of ANBU's Interrogation and Torture Division had things that even he needed done off of the record, but Ibiki had given them so many opportunities that she didn't question it much anymore. Gaara trusted him, and Sasuke respected him. Ibiki had been among the first to call her "Uchiha," although lately he'd changed it to "Uchiha-chan," which only annoyed Sasuke slightly less than being called "Uchiha-kun (especially when Gaara was just Gaara to pretty much anyone without a death wish).

They exited the room in their usual fashion: Gaara in the lead, Hinata in the middle, with Sasuke bringing up the rear. Strategically, this worked out best: Gaara and his considerable defenses faced the unknown first, while Sasuke made sure no threats came from behind, all of which allowed Hinata to scout safely from their midst. Hinata was not their weakest member, but Gaara and Sasuke were simply better at fighting from any distance. On the other hand, only Gaara could now stand up to Hinata's taijutsu without lasting damage when she was fighting at full strength, but then, having to punch through his sand so often had made Hinata stronger than any of them ever expected.

The meeting room of Konoha's Council of Elders was a spacious, echoy affair, probably meant to intimidate certain types of wrongdoers who stood before them. But for a team that had spent so much time in the dark, twisting hallways of Ibiki's preferred "questioning complex," it was just large and little else.

Sasuke had never had much patience for older people, and certainly not those who tried to get in his way. So neither Gaara nor Hinata was surprised when he approached the long desk the council was seated behind, a scowl firmly in place.

Mitokada Homura frowned at the display. "Uchiha Sasuke, you have not been asked to-"

"You want to be impressed," Sasuke sneered. "I can hardly do that if I submit to you like everyone else does. Last time I checked, that was normal, and very boring. Not at all... impressive. You people seem to forget that being a ninja isn't about impressing people, it's about killing them before they can do the same to you. If you've grown so senile that you've forgotten that, perhaps we need some new leaders around here."

Hinata glanced over to where the clan heads were sitting. Her father was pointedly not looking at her, but she saw Kiba's mother smirk, clearly amused by Sasuke's open defiance.

There was a muted gasp, and when Hinata faced the front of the room again, she saw why.

Sasuke had placed Kikyou on the desk, and the snake was enlarging at an alarming rate, quickly surpassing the point where "normal" snakes stopped growing. In a matter of seconds, even coiled up as she was, Kikyou was towering over the council members, most of whom looked alarmed at the least.

"If you are not impressed yet," Sasuke said calmly, "I suspect you will be, once you learn that I have not signed the snake summoning contract."

"He's obviously lying!" an older, female council member cried.

In the next instant, Kikyou surged forward, most of the council scattering to get out of her way. She stopped just in front of the woman who had spoken and glared at her. "You are not worth the effort it would take for Sasuke-sama to lie. He has not signed the contract, and he will never need to. I am the only snake he has any need for, and if you disrespect my master a second time, I will show you exactly why."

The woman promptly fainted, and Kikyou made a point of hissing at the clan heads as she returned to Sasuke. He did not return her to normal size, or put her away, and she remained by his side, glaring at anyone who dared to look at him for too long.

Hinata knew it was now her turn, since they'd agreed that Gaara would go last (and be the most impressive). She had decided ahead of time what she would do, and she had been counting on the fact that her father would be present. So far, she had only tried it on Gaara, but he was confident that since it worked on him, it would work on just about anyone.

Taking a deep breath, Hinata slowly moved across the room, stopping directly in front of her father. Ideally, she would have kept her expression blank, but seeing him again stirred up a maelstrom of emotion inside of her, and it was all she could do to limit herself to a simple glare.

"Hello, otou-sama," she said quietly.

"I am not your father, Hinata," he replied just as quietly, narrowing his eyes. "Not anymore, at least."

"Then I am no longer limited by the rules of your clan," Hinata reminded him coldly. "This is how I choose to address you. I would think you would be glad that I still did so with any respect at all."

"Is it not traditional to obey one's father?" he asked without missing a beat.

"I would, if I thought you had my best interests at heart. You can't blame me for choosing to be with someone who does."

Hiashi shook his head slightly. "I feel obligated to remind you that you have been summoned here for a reason, child."

Hinata nodded. "Is there anything you would like to tell me? For example, how is Hanabi?"

Hiashi frowned at her. "You are no longer entitled to be informed of her well-being, and I have nothing more to say to you."

"Very well, otou-sama. I will now pierce your mind and learn from your memories."

"Really," Hiashi said, sounding amused. "Your Byakugan is not developed enough for that."

"If anyone here truly knew what my teammates and I were capable of, this meeting would not be necessary," Hinata pointed out with a tight smile. "And I don't recall saying I would use my Byakugan at all."

"You will never be able to-"

"Please congratulate Hanabi and Neji for me. I'm sure they will make a smart couple. But I do wish you had eased them into the idea first."

Hiashi's lips drew into a very thin line, but he remained silent.

"You can also stop worrying about where Hanabi learned those moves from," Hinata continued. "Certain things are sacred between a mother and her daughters-"

"That aspect of Gentle Fist was forbidden for a reason," Hiashi snapped.

Hinata shook her head sadly. "That is strange, coming from the Hyuuga clan head. You teach that everything of the Hyuuga is of the best quality, even to the point where you forbid the children from learning anything other than clan techniques. Now you would keep them from learning those as well? How will Hanabi become a proper heiress if she is unable to practice the style that she excels at? How can you expect any of the children to survive if you deprive them of knowledge that everyone outside of the clan has?"

"I do not have to discuss any of this with you, Hinata."

"No, you don't," Hinata agreed. "But if my sister dies, and her death could've easily been prevented with a more open-minded approach, nothing will spare you from my wrath."

Hiashi smirked at her. "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm making you a promise," Hinata replied as she turned away from him. "Threats were always your specialty, otou-sama." She returned to her teammates and almost absently began to stroke Kikyou as Gaara stepped forward.

"Most of you are here simply to see if the demon child has corrupted the heirs of your precious noble clans," Gaara stated. "Rest assured if that were the case, you would all be very dead now."

Utatane Koharu narrowed her eyes at him. "This council will not tolerate any further threats to anyone present, indirect or otherwise."

"It was not a threat," Gaara replied at once, glaring right back at her. "Or have you known Shukaku to be merciful at some point? You, who has never had to live in true fear of him taking over your mind and body? Which of us do you think best knows what he is capable of, or likely to do? You, who simply fear him, or I, who shares existence with him every single moment? Forgive me, I was not aware that one could become an expert on a demon without being forced to share a body with it for all of their days. I suppose I am close-minded that way."

Koharu remained silent, but her face was bright red in anger, embarrassment, or most probably both.

"You wish to know that Hinata and Sasuke are in good hands. Are they not alive and in good health? Is this not a rare thing for genin who often undertake missions that others their age are greatly unprepared for? What other proof could you possibly need to satisfy your curiosity? The only times even remnants of Shukaku have surfaced in my time here was when I allowed it. I do not expect you to believe that, though, so I have brought this as proof."

Gaara stretched out his arm, and in the next moment, his hand was replaced by a long, curved sword, the blade covered in glowing blue runes that pulsed every few seconds. "Meet Gosunkugi, Sword of Destruction, first form of the Tanuki Nail, the Sword of Shukaku." He lightly prodded the desk with the sword's tip, and the desk immediately dissolved into sand that devoured everything that had been previously resting on the desk (save for a few council member's arms).

A tense silence stretched over the room, and nothing moved, save for the sand that collected around Gaara's feet.

"This whole meeting has been pointless," Sasuke sighed loudly. "When are you people going to realize that when you have to answer to a demon vessel, it's extremely hard to respect a mere human, especially a group of them that are so... wise?" And it was fairly obvious that by "wise," he really just meant "old."

"He has made us strong," Hinata chimed in. "Stronger than we ever would've become alone, or left in the hands of our... families. And isn't that what every young ninja should strive for? To be strong enough to aid their village in times of need? Why should any of you, who have sworn to serve and protect Konoha, have a problem with that? He is only doing what you would do yourselves, if you had been cursed with his enormous power. The only difference is that he receives little or no credit for the great things that he does. We, at least, recognize him for what he is, and for what he has done for us. Sasuke and I will follow no one else's commands without what we consider to be excellent reason."

"And there's no telling what I might do if you try to separate us," Sasuke added. "After all, without Hinata's calming influence, and Gaara's firm leadership to keep me in line, I might just... flip out."

Sasuke was joking, of course, but he could see that almost no one else in the room took it that way... which was just fine with him.

Kin had been in a constant state of disbelief for the better part of three days now. Currently, she was sitting at a campfire, eating instant ramen with Naruto, her self-proclaimed boyfriend, and Hoshigaki Kisame, perhaps the most deadly swordsman that had ever lived. Kisame claimed to hate the stuff, but like most sharks, was not exactly picky about what went into his mouth, so long as there was a lot of it, and it stayed down.

As near as Kin could tell, Kisame was training Naruto. Or perhaps it was the other way around. Naruto didn't have a sword of his own, but under Kisame's guidance, he had improved his Kaze no Yaiba (Blade of the Wind) to the point where it more closely resembled Futon: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough) when he swung it. Likewise, Kisame now had a water-based version of Naruto's Wind Sphere. Naturally, Kisame's could spin his at a much higher speed, and he had taken great pleasure in teasing Naruto about that in an attempt to increase the boy's spin as well. It had worked, but Kisame still had more power and control.

Kin realized with a start that this was how many missing-nin must have survived: by learning whatever they could, whenever they could. Of course, the villages they left gave them a firm foundation to stand upon, but that would rarely keep a ninja alive against hunter-nin experienced in killing people with similar abilities. It was the new skills they gained on the run that kept them alive, and one step ahead of the hunter-nin.

She was also slightly jealous of how quickly Naruto had bonded with Kisame (especially after Kisame had spent most of that first day pounding Naruto into the sand with nothing but his bare hands). Naruto was not a missing-nin (technically, since his village had given him away, this was true), but he understood how it felt to be betrayed, or to simply outgrow one's home. Kisame depended on little more than himself and his sword, which reminded Kin a little too much of Naruto and Kyuubi's connection.

And the whole time, she did her best to quiet the little voice in the back of her head that insisted Orochimaru would have a problem with them buddying around with a member of Akatsuki. If Kisame didn't want them to leave, well, what could SHE do about it? She was lucky he hadn't killed her just to have some privacy with Naruto. Still, even though Orochimaru would be very upset to learn about this, he'd be even more upset if she tried to hide it from him. And why should she? It wouldn't take him long to figure out where Naruto's new respect for water and swords originated from.

Parting with Kisame, however, turned out to be much easier than she'd expected. He simply finished his ramen, said he needed to be going, and left. Kin glanced at Naruto, but he seemed perfectly fine with it, so she said nothing.

"So he's with... Akatsuki?" Naruto murmured slowly, as if testing how the word felt on his lips.

Kin nodded, wondering what he was thinking. She was very much discouraged to find a smile spreading across his face.

"Cool," he said approvingly, and that was the last word that passed between them until they were back in Suna.

Land of Waves - February

"Hey, Tsunami-san, who is this Gato person I keep hearing about?"

Tsunami froze and slowly forced herself to turn around. The teenage girl she'd found a month ago on the street, half-dead and drenched, was staring up at her. It amazed her, how much curiosity she could see in the girl's golden eyes whenever she was trying to wrap her mind around something. It was almost as if she could hear the gears turning inside the girl's head.

"He's... a very rich and powerful man, Yugito-chan," Tsunami answered after a moment.

"Really? I thought he was a crime boss?"

Tsunami flinched. "Well... he's that, too..."

Yugito nodded. "Oh. So you don't like him much, right?"

"Not... really..."

"He killed my father."

Tsunami and Yugito both turned to see Tsunami's young son standing in the doorway to the kitchen. His eyes were filled with cold fury, and he was trembling slightly.

"Inari, you know you can't just go around saying things like that," Tsunami scolded lightly. "What if some of his men heard you?"

"Then I guess I'd die, just like he did," Inari muttered as he stomped into the room.

Tsunami sighed and turned back to the girl. "It's a very sensitive subject for us, Yugito-chan. We don't really like to talk about it."

Yugito nodded again. "Just one more question, Tsunami-san. Does everyone know about this? Is it common knowledge what Gato did?"

"Yes... but I know what you're getting at. Gato has hundreds of hired men, most of them ruthless killers. Plus, he controls the police. It wouldn't do any good to report it. If we had a shinobi village close by, and we could afford their help, maybe things would be different. But as it is, Konoha is the closest, and their rates are too high. My father is an old friend of the Hokage, but I don't know how much help that will be. They have to charge for missions for a reason, after all."

"So no one can do anything?" Yugito asked quietly.

"It's not that we can't," Tsunami sighed. "Believe me, if I had any ninja training, I'd kill Gato myself. But this land is isolated from all others. My father is the only one who can do anything about that, and they're already seeking his life. I suppose we could leave, but I'm afraid that Gato would decide to kill all of us then. He must see this family as nothing but troublemakers."

"What good would ninja training do?" Inari snapped. "You'd just end up dead, like him! At least once grampa's gone, Gato might leave us alone!"

"Inari!" Tsunami cried in shock. "Don't ever say that!"

"It's true! He doesn't have any reason to kill us!"

"And you think that will make you safe from him?" Yugito asked. "From the sounds of it, Gato would kill you and anyone else just because he could. Doing nothing changes nothing, Inari-kun."

Inari glared at her. "What do you know? You're just a dumb girl we found lying in the street! You don't know how things work around here!"

"I know there's little difference between doing nothing and being dead," Yugito countered. "It's like you're already dead, and you're just waiting for Gato to bury you."

Inari snorted and turned his back on her. "And what do you suggest we do, huh?"

Yugito's eyes became glassy as she stared into space. "Protect what is precious to you with both arms."

Inari froze, his eyes widening. "What did you say?" he whispered.

"It's a nice saying, don't you think?" Yugito murmured, tapping her chin with a finger. "It sounds like something a hero would say. Well, some people might call it foolish, but I think it's very brave. I mean, if you do nothing but cry and complain, what right do you have to complain at all? You're not trying to fix things, so you can't be surprised if they never get better. At least, that's how I see it."

Without a word, Inari ran out of the kitchen.

"I think you may have actually reached him, Yugito-chan," Tsunami said. "But... how did you know that Kaiza used to say that?"

"I must have heard it in town somewhere," Yugito replied dismissively. "But were you serious about training, Tsunami-san? I used to live near a ninja village, and I learned a lot. I could show you some things, if you want. Think of it as thanks for saving my life."

Tsunami blinked. "Yugito-chan, you already cook our meals, wash our clothes, and do the grocery shopping. You've done enough!"

"Do you want to learn?" Yugito insisted.

Tsunami bit her lip uncertainly. "Yes...? But are you sure about this? I mean, since you're not a ninja yourself...?"

"I'm pretty sure I got the basics down," Yugito replied with a wide grin. "You might not be able to take on all of Gato's men, but if the man himself ever shows up alone on your doorstep, you can at least handle him when I'm done."

Location Unknown – February

Uchiha Itachi was just downing the last of his sake when someone sat down beside him. Considering that even people who didn't know him on sight generally knew enough to stay away, there were only so many people who would dare to get that close to him. So he was less annoyed and more resigned when he glanced up to find his partner grinning down at him.

"You're late, Kisame," Itachi noted calmly. "And something tells me that you didn't put a good scare into the boy like we agreed."

"We agreed that you'd let me handle it, while you took some time off. Our orders were just to introduce ourselves," Kisame answered. "He knows my name. Actually, his girlfriend knew, and she told him. She'll probably tell Orochimaru, too, so it's good news all around. Just wish I could see his face when he finds out that he's not the only one interested in having the brat play for his team."

Itachi paused, turning to give Kisame his full attention. "What," he said flatly.

"Hmm?"

Itachi glared at his partner. "Kisame. What did you just say?"

Kisame blinked. "Uh. Hmm?"

"Before that."

"The brat might be interested in playing-"

"That," Itachi interrupted, "was not part of the plan. I distinctly recall telling you not to deviate from the plan."

"Aw, you're not going to get all bent out of shape about this, are you, Itachi? The point is the kid knows who I am, AND, if he sees me again, you know what he'll do? Instead of trying to take my head off, he'll probably just walk up and say lunch is on him! Now, who else in our little club could say that about their target? I bet Hidan wishes he'd done the same thing right now, wherever the hell he is."

"You can't have lunch with the target," Itachi insisted. "It just isn't done."

Kisame snorted. "This from the guy who never wants to leave a tip? You're telling me if the kid offered to buy us lunch, you'd really knock him out before he could?"

Itachi opened his mouth, frowned, and fell silent. He did hate to tip so very much. And Kisame always, ALWAYS ordered a million side items that ended up costing more than their main dishes combined…

"So my plan worked out better, end of story," Kisame concluded.

"But you do realize it would never work," Itachi said after a long moment. "We want the Kyuubi, not the boy. The power, not the container."

"Seems to me," Kisame said neutrally, "we could get both with less trouble."

"That's dangerous thinking, Kisame," Itachi warned him.

"Is there any other kind for people like us?"

"No," Itachi agreed, "but there's no need to get crazy when it's completely unnecessary."

"I liked you better when you were new to this," Kisame stated boldly. "Then, you did crazy five days a week, and then three days straight on the weekends."

"That was then."

"Then was fun."

"Perhaps," Itachi admitted quietly with a ghost of a smile, "but things are far more serious now. Hidan is lost to us-"

Kisame grunted. "He blabbed too much, anyway."

"-and the Nibi is reaching the point where she might officially be considered… problematic."

"She's a cat. Cats suck. We've been over this before. I'd bet you anything Hidan told her he couldn't die, and she set out to prove him wrong. Brought it on himself, I say. And I'll say one thing for Orochimaru: he's a pain in the ass, but if he invited somebody to kill him, he'd have a backup plan ready in case they actually did. Hidan I wouldn't even bother to drink to."

"I've never known you to turn down a drink, Kisame."

"Well, that's how much I didn't like the guy. I'd rather go dry. Although, since he IS dead, we might as well drink to him staying that way."

Itachi smirked and signaled the bartender. "Now that sounds more like the Kisame I know."

End of Chapter 14.

Endnotes:

Hotaru: firefly

Kikyou's jutsu:

Hebi Hijutsu: Douka (Snake Secret Technique: Absorption):

Kikyou is able to absorb chakra from virtually any source to rapidly increase her size and strength. She does not need Sasuke to initiate the process, though he usually does for faster results.

Hinata's jutsu:

Katsugan no Jutsu (Piercing Eye Technique):

By maintaining eye contact, the user can peer into a person's memories. The most recent memories can be observed with little more than a brief glance, but anything beyond that requires an extended stare.

Gaara's sword:

Form 1: Gosunkugi (Long Nail):

Anything that touches the sword's blade can instantly be transformed into sand.

Hanabi's jutsu:

Kaigan no Senjukannon (Enlightenment of Senjukannon):

The user extends chakra feelers from points on their body, which are able to sense the slightest shifts in the air and vibrations, including: heartbeats, footsteps, breathing, and the movement of anything large enough to be seen with the human eye. Unlike chakra strings, the feelers are purely for information gathering. The jutsu's name originates from the thousand-armed Goddess of Mercy. The sheer amount of information gained through this technique makes it very dangerous, as it can put a great deal of stress on the brain. This is especially true for younger users. There are methods to limit the amount of information received, but most of them rely on physical seals that are only temporary, and must be reapplied regularly for continued use.

Naruto's jutsu:

Futon: Erai Yaiba (Wind Release: Great Sword):

A greatly exaggerated version of the Blade of the Wind. Naruto cuts an enormous swath through the air with an invisible sword of wind chakra. For more power (at the cost of lower speed), instead of simply extending the sword from his fingers, Naruto can use his entire arm as the sword's hilt, though he then needs his other arm to aim properly. ("erai" can also mean celebrated, eminent, terrible, awful, famous, remarkable, or excellent)

Kisame's jutsu:

Same Kyuu (Shark Sphere):

A water-based version of Naruto's Wind Sphere. When spinning at a high enough speed, the sphere sprouts tiny fins that make it easier to cut through matter.