Rokuro was stuck, his feet embedded into the rocks that had been solid and just beneath his feet only a moment ago. That was before he'd landed lightly, ready to spring into another assault on Yurasu, the S-class criminal formerly of the Earth Country. Then suddenly he'd found himself sunk into the rock itself, calf-deep and immobile.

A giggle escaped Hanabi even as she dodged a killing strike aimed at her and managed to deflect the blow into a nearby tree trunk, which nearly exploded as bark flew everywhere from the force of the attack. "Rocks, you're stuck in rocks!"

"FOCUS!" Michi demanded, though his lips did curve upward ever so slightly.

Yurasu frowned. The kunoichi he'd just tried to skewer had not been looking at her teammate's position. How had she noticed that the ground beneath the blue-haired shinobi had melted and re-formed around his lower legs?

Team Hyakunan was slowly gaining a reputation in this part of the region, Yurasu was well aware as he took great pains to keep updated on who was 'out there' so to speak. A young, brash chuunin team out of Suna. Demolition specialty by all accounts. A soft, nearly silent hissing sound drew his attention. Yurasu cursed and ripped the whole sleeve off rather than try to detach the burning tag, knowing it was probably prepared to detonate at the slightest attempt to simply disarm. This way he merely lost the sleeve and not the whole arm.

Hanabi's mouth turned into a sexy little pout as she jumped back, regrouping. "Aw ..."

Yurasu smirked as the tag exploded fifteen feet away from him as he flash-stepped away. "I am not a building to be demolished little girl." He chided gently as he tossed some exploding discs of his own at the immobile Rokuro. His intention was to draw away the other two in order to protect their stuck teammate.

It didn't work. Neither teammate even looked at their stuck companion. Instead they pressed him harder.

Apparently they knew the attack would fail. Yurasu raised an eyebrow as the discs appeared to stop in midair, hover a moment and then fly right back at him. He had to leap quickly to avoid his own weapons, then whistled as the weapons turned and followed him on his new trajectory. He poured more chakra into his speed and was safely far enough away when the small discs finally released their charge. Still, the blast knocked him back an inch or two.

Michi smirked and razor fine ribbons of water circled the criminal before drawing tight in order to rip the man to shreds. A quick substitution jutsu saved his skin, literally, as the log he'd used was sliced cleaner than a fine cheese into raw kindling.

"Catch this in the air." Yurasu's fingers flew. Rocks and pebbles around him began to shake and shimmy, rising into the air to fly at Rokuro. "How many can you handle?" But before they got to them they all stopped as Rocks grinned, catching all of them as easily as he had the exploding discs with his air jutsu he'd named the Tei Gyokaku.

"It's a diversion!" Michi yelled out as he stepped forward, just as three well placed strikes hit his back, embedded into the thick animal skin that held his water supply. The precious liquid that was the basis of all his jutsu flowed out and down his back in a wet rush, soaking the ground.

The fire jutsu hidden behind the rocks tossed at Rokuro grew into a huge ball of flames heading right for the blue-haired shinobi.

Hanabi watched and grinned. "Oh, this just got interesting!"

Yurasu heard her soft mutter and was a bit taken aback at how calm she sounded, as if his attacks were bound to ....ignoring what now looked like sure victory, the missing-nin jumped away in defense instead of offense, following instinct.

"Ah, Kaji ...why did you have to warn him?" Rocks muttered and then used his Tei Shinkuu technique to literally suck the air away from the flames even now reaching him. Without oxygen, the flames dissipated completely, leaving Rokuro untouched and unfazed.

"Impressive." Yurasu said mockingly, not acknowledging that the move really had been impressive. Especially for a chuunin. "But I managed to unarm one of you."

Michi grinned and the silver filigree tattoo swirling over his exposed chest began to move slightly. Yurasu's eyes widened slowly as he realized that the boy didn't HAVE a tattoo. He was wearing water ribbons as spare weapons, disguising them as body art.

The criminal had half a second to wonder if he'd miscalculated this trio when a faint reptilian form appeared made from the ribbons of water swirling above the three from Suna. Two seconds later and the shape struck out at him with a mouth wide, menacing, and filled with the swirling tentacles of razor sharp hardened water. Now he was sure that he'd underestimated them.

o.O.o.O.o.O

"Are you sure about this?" Kakashi said lightly, shaking his head as if he didn't understand the younger generation.

Kiba shrugged nonchalantly. "What's the problem? The Cloud ninja figure that a message bird heading right to Konoha is too risky. We've been sending messages through liaisons, but Naruto feels this is time sensitive information." He patted the pack that held the message scroll for the Hokage's eyes only.

"And you can get the the former Akatsuki fortress and have our compatriots there send out a message. A message bird from there would look innocuous." Kakashi waved his fingers in an offhand manner. "While a bird from here going to Konoha would be far too noteworthy. We can't risk letting the Raikage guess that Leaf has a stake in the outcome of an internal Cloud dispute."

"And even though a message from here to Leaf might not be noted, we can't take the chance." Tsume nodded, smirking. "We've got all that, puppy. He's wondering why you're taking the message. Yourself. Personally."

Kakashi nodded and shrugged lightly. "There are plenty of Cloud, or technically missing-nin Cloud ninja around who would jump at the chance to get out and be doing something rather than waiting, planning."

Kiba shrugged off the question as of little consequence. "There are a lot of other ninja at the fortress now. Rock, Grass, Sand and Leaf. They can't suspect a Cloud ninja of delivering a message to Leaf. Remember? Cloud found the fortress and was keeping it for only themselves. We're trying to keep the others from siding with Kumokagure, so we can not be seen as being friendly with even missing-nins from Cloud."

"True." Tsume said bluntly. "Though Naruto offered to go."

Kiba tightened the straps on his pack and slung it around onto his back, testing the weight because he wanted to move quickly. "Naruto is needed here with Killer Bee, he doesn't really trust the rest of us all that much. Besides, he just wants to get out of the way from between Kakashi and Sakura for a while."

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled as he spread his hands in innocence. "Whatever do you mean by that?"

The dog-ninja turned and stared briefly at the white bandage wrapped around the pinky finger of the copy ninja. "Oh, nothing much."

"Everything you say is true." Tsume smiled enough to flash some fangs, making Kakashi eye her nervously. "And yet are they your only reason for going? Perhaps someone you might want to ...catch up with?"

Kiba paused and shrugged as he whistled for Akamaru. "Sure."

"Yes?" Kakashi turned his attention away from Tsume's fangs and back to her son. "Really?"

"Sure." Kiba waved goodbye as he set off toward the Akatsuki fortress. "I haven't seen Shino in ...what is it, two years now?"

"Shino." Tsume's tone made her seem amused as she watched Kiba and Akamaru race off on their journey. "Like I believe that one."

Kakashi too watched the dog ninja disappear into the forest and shook his head. "I don't know, Tsume. It has been two years. And he's been seeing that Cloud kunoichi lately, looks intense. At least on her part, still ...he has been seen with her often."

"And the innkeeper's daughter, and the apothecary's sister, and the pretty little brunette from the kitchens, and ...." The Inuzuka Clan leader sighed. "He can't focus on any one of them."

"Wild oats. Those he's getting a bit old for that." Kakashi shrugged. "I know that you told me that he's hung up on the little code-breaker, but I just can't see it. Sure there was a spark or two off of them, but ...two years Tsume. It's been too long. Sparks die."

"The pretty little brunette came to cry on my shoulder last week." Tsume smirked. "Thinking that I might be ...approachable."

"You? Approachable?" Kakashi whistled at the sheer audacity, or possibly stupidity of the poor brunette. "Makes you question her sanity, I'm sure."

Tsume grinned and shrugged. "Seems Kiba called her another name in the heat of mating."

Kakashi's foot paused in mid-air as he stopped and turned to face the dog kunochi. "Now THAT is telling."

Tsume's grin faded and she sighed. "My idiot of a son didn't recall doing this, of course. Denied everything to the girl, so she comes to cry on my shoulder and wonders who Shiho is to Kiba."

The copy-nin laughed and shook his head sadly. "Not smooth, not smooth at all. He should have lied and told her she misheard him."

The Inuzuka Clan leader snorted and bit back a sharp laugh. "Misheard him? What could he say he was yelling out during sex? Huh? Perhaps 'Ishihou'?"

Kakashi nearly lost it as he fought to keep from laughing outright just as Sakura rounded the corner, looking for them. "Is Kiba gone yet?" The pink-haired kunoichi asked.

"Gone? Oh, he's long gone. Far gone. Done for. Kaput." Kakashi snickered as Tsume took a swipe at his ears with her sharp nails, almost talons. The copy ninja shifted enough so the half-hearted attacked missed him by a mere centimeter.

"Huh?" Sakura asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously, sure she was been had somehow.

"Ishihou." Kakashi called out as he pursed his lips and slid by the two kunoichi heading back toward the inn that was serving as home base for the time being.

The pink-haired medic sighed and turned baleful eyes on Tsume. "Ishihou? What's that? Why is Kakashi asking about medical practitioner's law? He's still mad about the broken finger isn't he? It was an accident! He should have moved faster, that's all!"

Tsume gave a bark of laughter and didn't answer as she headed back to the inn herself.

Sakura muttered to herself. "He can't bring me up under medical practitioner's law anyway, we're ninja not civilians. Stupid sensei! Ishihou indeed. And it was an ACCIDENT!" She hollered out after the two departing jounin.

o.O.o.O.o.O

Rocks pulled the air out of the fire before Hanabi landed squarely in the middle of it, right where she'd been tossed by Yurasu. A second later she leaped free and pinned the S-class criminal with a volley of kunai, catching his one remaining sleeve as it barely missed the man's skin. He laughed as three of the blades embedded themselves in the the tree trunk behind him, and another three in the dirt at his feet.

"You expect me to fall for that? That you'd miss? Chuunin you may be, but you have a lot to learn." Yurasu jumped away from the kunai, and their hidden explosive charges, just in time. The blast knocked him back a foot from where he'd intended to land, and then a shove of hardened air pushed at him from behind. Spinning and jumping away, Yurasu dodged the lashing of Michi's water ribbon weapons and landed in the smoldering patch of ground where'd he'd just tossed Hanabi but a moment or two before. Slowly he smiled. "You children look about tuckered out. Ready for a nap?"

Hanabi, puffing slightly shook her head and tried to fight off the incipient headache from overuse of the Byakugan. Her endurance with it was better than anyone, her father included, after two years of near constant practice and use. Still, she had limits. Looking up at the setting sun through her mask, she smiled. "Time's up."

Michi nodded. They'd done their part, caused a whole ruckus of commotion and had fought with this criminal bastard all afternoon now. If the second part of their group had been successful, then they should be returning soon. "Tei?"

With a sudden sinking feeling of dread, Yurasu tried to jump clear, but it was too late. Fire erupted all around him, encasing him in his own trap that'd he'd originally tried to use against the kunoichi.

Rokuro smiled nastily. "Not only can I suck air out of a fire, but I can feed one as well." His jutsu pushed rich oxygen into the smoldering flames as Hanabi tossed in a few small discs filled with accelerators, making everything burn even hotter.

Water ribbons circled the area, writhing and hovering as their master watched the flames intently. Never once did the water attempt to stem the flames.

o.O.o.O.o.O

Temari hissed with irritation as she read the report from the guard, then took off at a fast clip. Rounding a corner she spied Shino speaking quietly with a pair of Grass shinobi. Without a word to either of them, she grabbed her husband by the back of his hood and tugged him away.

The Grass ninja clucked their tongues, but didn't comment. After two years spent here in this fortress, they knew enough of the dynamics of their Leaf counterparts not to question the blonde kunoichi when she looked that angry. They just pitied her poor husband.

Their amusement turned to ashes as she rounded on all three of them. "Did anyone invite Mist to our little party and forget to inform the hostess?"

Shino stared at his wife for a second, then grabbed the message in her hand. He frowned sharply. "Fifteen ninja approaching, all wearing Mist headband protectors."

The Grass ninja gritted their teeth as one signaled the other to go inform Rakuai, the leader of their delegation here at the fortress. "We sent no information to Mist." His tone was a shade less than accusatory, barely.

Shino shook his head. "If not Leaf or Grass ...." His voiced trailed off and he turned to Temari. "Go get Ibiki."

o.O.o.O.o.O

Bokkai's eye twitched as he looked at the charred remains. "Wood and rocks. You burned ...nothing!"

Michi's face flushed only slightly, though his eyes weren't quite as bright as usual. The sea-foam color of his gaze was clouded as he shrugged with a nonchalance he didn't feel. "He was an S-class criminal." He said defensively.

"Still is." Saeko stated coldly. "Present tense."

Rocks winced as the jounin kunoichi verbally rubbed salt into the wounds. "We completed our mission. Blew the house and covered your infiltration into Earth country ..."

"Let an S-class criminal escape and along with him, the man who hired him." Came the caustic response from Saeko as Bokkai looked too furious to comment, both Suna jounin looked to be upset.

Hanabi sighed. "We had him." She spoke bitterly, though without fidgeting. "We cornered him in his own trap."

Bokkai growled and turned away, clasping his hands behind his back to keep from strangling the erstwhile team of chuunin. "And what is the inherent trouble with trapping someone in their own traps?"

Michi sighed and volunteered the information reluctantly. "They know the trap inside and out, and how to escape."

"Give us some credit here!" Hanabi leaned against a nearby boulder, tired to the core of her being. "We fought an S-class criminal to a stand-still. He didn't win!"

Saeko shook her head, blowing out a breath. "Yes, he did. He found out more about you three than you did about him."

Michi's eye twitched and he rubbed it wearily as he caught on. "He wasn't trying to kill us, was he?"

"Yes, yes he was." Bokkai snarled. "If you died, he would have been happy. As it was, he learned you. All of you. Tei? He knows what you can do with air now, I suppose you used all the jutsu against him? Now that he knows what you can do, he can more effectively fight you."

Rokuro bit his tongue as his face went beet red.

"Or sell the information." Saeko kicked the ground. "Your team has been ...shall we say LESS than quiet? You're getting known. Now everyone wants to know what you can do. So not only do you show him ...but you let him get away with the information!"

Bokkai pointed at Michi's bare and now tattoo-less chest. "Mizu? You had to pull out your trump card. Now it is no longer a trump card at all! Once known, you can no longer surprise anyone with it."

Saeko nodded at the three chuunin. "Go on, head back to Suna and make your report. We'll see you in the morning."

Churlishly, petulantly they moved. Rocks and Hanabi first, a dejected Michi following behind.

Bokkai waited a good half hour after their departure before he turned to his teammate for this mission. "They fought Yurasu." His throat felt dry. "Yurasu!"

Saeko grinned and shook her head. "I had no idea he was even in the vicinity, if I'd known I'd never have left them on their own."

"You think I would have? If Baki doesn't kill us, the Kazekage surely will." Bokkai whistled under his breath. "Why do you think he really let them live?"

The kunoichi shrugged. "The man is ruthless and if he ever had morals, there's no evidence." She paused, running her sweaty palms against her leather pants. "We're lucky. They got lucky. It's a fucking miracle they're alive."

"You ...you don't think they really ...they really fought him off ...do you?" Bokkai closed his eyes and searched with his senses, but could find no trace of hidden chakra anywhere around them. "No, the very idea is crazy."

"Yurasu? Held off by three chuunin?" Saeko scoffed as if the very thought was idiotic. "He was toying with them. For what purpose, I have no idea."

Bokkai nodded. "We'd better catch up to them."

Saeko agreed. "While we try to figure out what we're going to tell the Kazekage. How we put Kaji and the others in the path of Yurasu of all people. The man is sick."

The two jounin both shuddered at the thought of what could have happened today, and wondering at what miracle had kept this chuunin team alive and intact.

o.O.o.O.o.O

Kiba and Akamaru traveled swiftly, albeit quietly. They were on high alert, not wanting to be seen by anyone. And despite all of this, all of the focus, all of the awareness and orientation to everything around them. In the back of his mind, one thing dominated his thoughts.

Shiho.

Four eyed, scrawny, weird hair and smart with a mouth that could cut a guy to shreds, Shiho. Why had he called out her name the other night while he was sleeping with Mayako? The brunette was just what he liked in a woman. Soft, curvy, loving, and didn't mind the rough and tumble. She didn't snap back at him, and didn't take everything he said the wrong way, and didn't even mind his odd hours.

"Mayako is nice, right Akamaru?" Kiba asked as they adjusted their course to avoid a group out fishing that he'd sniffed out long before anyone would be in sight.

The large shaggy white canine 'woofed' twice, but without a lot of strength.

Kiba's eyes narrowed. "She IS nice, right Akamaru?"

Akamaru gave the doggy equivalent of a shrug and a soft series of barks.

"What do you mean 'if you think so', I'm asking your opinion!" Kiba growled.

The large nin-dog appeared to think it over a moment, then yipped and whined.

Kiba sighed. "Nice enough? Now what is that supposed to mean. Pfft. Fine. Whatever. Mayako is damned nice. And nearly perfect in bed!"

Now Akamaru definitely whined.

The Inuzuka turned shocked eyes on his nin-dog, coming to a stop in the thick forest as he stared at his life-long friend and companion. "Now what is THAT supposed to mean?"

Akamaru settled down and let his tongue loll out as he panted slightly, then barked a few times and nudged Kiba's leg as he walked by him.

"I don't seem relaxed enough after I've been with her? How much is enough? Besides, I'm out of Konoha! We're away on a mission, there's only so much relaxed I can get. I have to be on alert all the damned time. All the time! That's what you're sensing!" Kiba waved his arms dramatically.

Akamaru yawned.

Kiba's stomach clenched. He'd known the moment he'd made his mistake. The name had slipped from him right as he was about to release and the very second he uttered it, he'd gone over. Shiho. What a crock! Mayako was perfect for a liaison! And he hadn't even laid eyes on Shiho in about two years. Kiba growled low in his throat as he bared his fangs. Shiho. Crap!

"Sure Mayako sometimes has a vacant look about her, and yeah maybe she can be a bit boring ...except in the bedroom of course. Still, it isn't as if I miss Shiho or anything. We've never even dated!" He muttered to himself, then looked around in shock as Akamaru gave a much stronger series of 'woofs' and barks. And his tail wagged.

Kiba pointed an accusatory finger at his nin-dog. "Who was the tail wag for? Which name? And you'd better be sure it isn't the librarian you overgrown rat!"

Akamaru whined and tucked his tail safely between his legs before sitting. Then he bared his teeth at his master and turned his head away in a huff.

The Inuzuka sighed and ran a hand through his scruffy hair. "Okay, okay ...so Shiho called you beautiful and defended you against Ise."

Another series of barks.

"Yes ...and Ise was a bad choice of mine, not yours." Kiba sighed. "And you were right about Ise, I'll admit it. So you can like Shiho as a friend. Sure, and maybe she and I can even become friends. Maybe. In an alternate reality or something. But Akamaru, I can't choose a mate just because she slips you an extra piece of bacon or thinks you're wonderful."

Akamaru barked and woofed, standing up to make his point.

Kiba's frown eased and he laughed outright, reaching out to hug his rather large canine companion. "Yeah, sure. Maybe Shiho will slip me some bacon and rub my belly. If she does, you're right, we could be friends." His smile faded a bit. "Akamaru, Shiho and I are not a couple. Will never be a couple. Mating for humans is more ....complicated than for canines. Trust me."

Akamaru sniffed his nose almost haughtily and turned away as he leaped forward, Kiba following as they continued their journey. Their mission to go send a message from the former fortress of the Akatsuki.

The same fortress where Shiho was ensconced. And he'd volunteered for this. Crap. Kiba squared his jaw and picked up his pace, making Akamaru look at him questioningly.

"I'm going to see her. I'm going to see her and then I'll stop thinking about her. Not that I think about her." Kiba growled. Sure he'd dreamed about her. But not sexy dreams, no ...of course not! Dreams where she'd scolded him for one thing or another, her huge blue eyes flashing with temper. There'd even been one really strange dream where her hair had hidden things in it, but he blamed that particular dream on a spicy meal before he'd gone to bed.

So what if he'd woken up turned on each time? Morning wood was nothing new to a guy. Right?

He was going to see her and put her out of his mind. That was all. Sure he'd been restless for the past year or so, maybe longer. Yeah, so he'd been pickier about the women he chose to see ...and none quite hit the mark for him. He'd been distracted. That was all. Away from Konoha. Something deep inside him must have known that he couldn't meet a future mate while away on a mission. He needed a home town girl. That was all it was. Not some need to see a librarian-slash-ninja.

Nope. He didn't need to see Shiho at all. Ever.

Kiba frowned as he rolled that over in his mind. He shouldn't have come on this mission, he should have left it to Naruto after all. But now it was too late. And maybe that was a good thing. Maybe he needed to see this girl and he'd instantly know that his boredom with the women extended to her as well. He just needed to finish this whole Cloud village mess, get home to Konoha and settle down.

"With anyone but Shiho." He muttered.

From the corner of his eye he saw a flicker of white fur and gritted his teeth. "You'd better not be wagging your tail at her name!" He growled.

o.O.o.O.o.O

Katashi watched jealously as Hinata made arrangements for she and her husband to travel to Suna. "I'd be quiet." He promised. "I wouldn't be a bother at all, and I'm getting really fast at running. You can ask Iruka-sensei."

Hinata smiled gently as she looked over at her now ten-year old baby brother. Barely ten. He'd just had a birthday last month. "You'd be no bother at all, I know."

"Then why can't I come with you to see her?" He carefully avoided saying Hanabi's name in case anyone could overhear.

Anko stepped up behind him, putting her hand on his thin shoulder. "You have classes that you can't miss." She said, then frowned as she kneaded his collarbone. "You need to eat more."

"I eat seconds on everything." Katashi rolled his eyes. "And Emi keeps sending me snacks all day long. I think she wants to fatten me up to feed me to the pigs or something." He said with disgust about the head Hyuuga chef, though he loved her and she him.

"Or something." Anko frowned and ran her hand over his head. "You're barely any taller, the girls in your class tower over you. Where does all that food go?"

Hinata smiled and shook her head in wonder. "His stomach is a bottomless pit." She commented as she folded some more travel clothes for Kankuro.

"You burn all of your energy up practicing and running around all day, you need to save some of it up and grow a few inches taller." Anko said and used his head to prop her arm on.

"Not funny!" Katashi, with all the wounded pride of a young male, shoved her away.

"Hey, hey! No fighting in my bedroom." Kankuro said from the doorway, looking travel worn and sweaty. "Wait, this still is my house, right? How did the midget get in here?"

Hinata stifled a giggle as Katashi took offense to the word 'midget'. Her eyes caressed the form of her puppeteer husband lovingly. "You're back early." She said shyly.

Anko rolled her eyes. "Peapod, you can not still be shy around the man after several years and two children!"

Hinata blushed prettily, but not like she used to do. Now instead of looking away, she smiled dreamily at her step-mother. "Go away. Please?"

The spiky-haired jounin laughed and grabbed a rowdy nine-year old. "Let us depart from where we're not needed."

But Katashi wasn't ready to go just yet, he reached out and snagged Kankuro's hand. "Tell Hinata that I can come with you guys. Please?"

"I'm not going anywhere for a while. I just got home after nearly a month." The puppeteer complained and turned big puppy-dog eyes on his wife. "Unless you're kicking me out."

Anko smirked. "You did your job Zassou, not one child but two. Talk about overkill. Now you're yesterday's news. Toast. Thrown to the curb."

Kankuro sighed as he watched Anko and Katashi disappear downstairs. He turned back to his wife. "Zassou? That's a new nickname."

"I don't think you're a 'weed'." Hinata said gently and walked over to him, taking his pack from him and leaning in for a long welcome home kiss. After several moments she wrinkled her nose.

Kankuro laughed and pulled away. "Yah, yah ...I need a bath, I know." He turned toward the bathroom and then stopped as he saw what his wife had been up to. He pointed toward the clothing folded on the bed. Her clothes and his as well. "We really are going somewhere?"

Hinata nodded and followed him into the bathroom, drawing his bath water for him as he undressed. "Suna."

Kankuro stilled, his head whipping around toward her, his shirt only half-way up his chest. Eyes widening he finished pulling off his shirt and tossed it to the hamper where it slid off the closed lid and onto the floor.

"How anyone with as great eye-hand coordination and targeting abilities as you can always miss the dirty clothes hamper, is beyond me." Hinata chided him gently and went to pick up the discarded shirt.

But the puppet master stopped her as she passed him, taking her arm and turning her toward him. "You're not kidding? We're going to Suna?"

Rising up on her toes, Hinata pressed a kiss to his lips and smiled. "We're going to Suna."

"When? Why?" Kankuro groaned and wrapped his arms around his petite wife and hugged her close. "I missed you, Hoshi." He said, using his pet name for her.

Hinata wrinkled her nose again. "We're going on a social visit, to see your family. Father arranged it all. It's been two years, no one watching will read anything into it at all." She tried to pull back, but he tightened his hold on her and growled, rubbing his face against her neck.

Laughing, Hinata pushed harder against his chest. "Ew! Now I need a bath too!"

Kankuro, having pulled this on her more than once in the past two years, grinned. His hands snaked under her top and pulled it up and over her head. "So glad that there's a nice warm bath and a huge tub built for two just over there." He tossed her shirt towards the hamper, but it ended up on the floor with his.

o.O.o.O.o.O

"All alone?" The voice was low and without inflection.

Hanabi sneered anyway. "Not anymore. By definition if someone is around to ask the question, then I can't possibly be alone."

Gaara nodded and leaned against the railing next to her.

"Going to yell at me again?" The kunoichi asked, not bothering to look in his direction.

"Turn off the Byakugan." He said and tugged at her hood. "You've got another headache, let your eyes rest. You're endurance is impressive, but not without limits."

"You're not my mother." She snapped and yanked her head back, which only increased the headache which she would never admit to having. "You're not even my kage. You're not courting me, you're not my brother, you're ...what are you again?"

"The bane of your existence." He said pithily and pulled off her hood, his hand getting tangled in the long fall of her hair. "We're alone up here, you can take off the mask."

"We're alone because you sent me up here." Hanabi pulled his hand free from her hair, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach and looked around at the view from the top of the Kazekage tower. The lights of Suna at night were pretty enough. "I'll bet the sunrise is gorgeous from up here, over the desert I mean."

Gaara stilled and nodded, knowing Hanabi couldn't have known he ....oh yes she could. "You've seen me up here with your Byakugan."

"I don't spy on you." Hanabi brushed him off as she pulled her masks from over her eyes and dismissed the Byakugan. Relief was instantaneous, though a softer ache did remain. "Now. If you're not going to yell at me about our mission again, which I still don't think we botched up all that badly, why am I here?"

Gaara frowned sharply. "Yurasu? The man is a monster, he acts sane but his actions? He doesn't leave people alive. Nor whole. How can you say you didn't botch up the mission?"

"We lived, and are whole. I thought you weren't going to yell at me again." Hanabi groused, looking put out.

"I changed my mind." Gaara snapped at her. "The moment you recognized who he was from the BINGO book you should have taken your team away from there as fast as possible. Abort the mission."

Hanabi turned her nose up at him. "I'm not team leader."

Gaara sniffed in derision. "And don't think Michi isn't feeling the sting tonight."

The kunoichi winced. "You came down on him pretty damned hard. I've never seen him look so defeated. Rocks didn't look much better." She paused, reluctant to say more but not being able to help herself. "The boys didn't put me in danger, I'm a ninja too. Part of the team. And like you've said countless times ....you are not courting me."

"They should ..."

"Do their jobs! Like me!" Hanabi's temper flared as she turned on him, her pale eyes flashing with anger. "We have a weird non-courtship thing with half of Suna pushing me toward you every damned day! Michi and Rocks, excuse me ...Mizu and Tei and I are a team! A TEAM! We stand together or we fall together. I was as much a part of today's mission as they were. You even yelled at me the same as them. So why the hell did you call me up here for a private meeting and not them?"

"Your sister is coming for a visit." Gaara said softly, completely ignoring her temper.

Hanabi backed up a step and let her lips curve upwards slightly. "Really? We're finally getting a visit from home? Is she bringing the twins? Katashi? Who?" She smiled slyly at him. "Someone with fangs perhaps?"

"Not Kiba." The red-head stated baldly. "My brother and your sister. That's it."

"Oh." Hanabi ignored Kiba's name. She was long over her crush on the dog-ninja, but she kept up the appearance of it just to annoy Gaara. "I distinctly remember you telling me that you'd make sure Kiba knew I was still alive." She couldn't help poking at him with the Inuzuka.

Gaara shrugged and didn't let his irritation with her crush show. "The Hokage did not comply with my request." He looked at her in the dim light shining from the office behind him. His office. Suddenly he frowned. "Only half of Suna is pushing you towards me? What of the other half?"

Choking back a laugh, Hanabi shook her head. "Fangirls that start crying whenever I'm around or try to say mean things to me."

Sighing, Gaara shook his head. "Half of Suna is not made up of my fangirls."

"You'd be surprised." She muttered and stretched as she yawned, throwing out her arms wide.

The red-head watched quietly as her low-riding pants lowered and her top inched upwards, baring even more of her midriff. She'd changed. In the two years she'd been in Suna, Hanabi had grown up. Gaara suddenly felt uncomfortable.

He was used to a non-courtship, dancing around each other with verbal jibes and pranks. What did he do with a grown up Hanabi? Maybe Baki was right, maybe he needed to let her go.

"Gaaaara-coon?"

Turning, he widened his eyes at Hanabi as she cooed at him. Cooing from her was an indication of danger, not flirting.

"I have a daaate tomorrow night."

Like hell he was letting her go. His eyes narrowed on her wickedly gleaming eyes. "Oh?"

o.O.o.O.o.O

"A representative from the Village Hidden in the Mist has arrived with letters of introductions and demands couched as 'requests' to be allowed in as part of our endeavors here." Ibiki said, steepling his fingertips as he sat behind his desk.

Rakuai growled and objected strongly. "Grass is opposed."

Junzo of the Village Hidden in the Rocks shrugged. "We've all been here two years with little progress." He said, trying to see how much progress the other groups had been making while revealing nothing of what advances their team had discovered.

"Did you invite Mist?" Ibiki asked the Rock shinobi point blank.

"No. Not me personally and not anyone from my village or country of which I am aware." Junzo said straight out. "It could be a ploy by Leaf to limit our access and time to the library and coded scrolls. And to the whereabouts of our stolen jinchuuriki."

"Mist never had a jinchuuriki." Rakuai of the Grass snarled. "And we don't want that to change."

"Neither did Grass." Junzo pointed out coolly. "And we don't want THAT to change either. But it seems we don't always get what we want now does it?"

"Stop." Ibiki stood, glaring at the two men with frigid disdain. "Our agreements here are that the Rock village get back the jinchuuriki that was taken from them by the Akatsuki. And that Grass gets the one stolen from Cloud, so that they no longer have two. Cloud keeps the Eight Tails though, since the Akatsuki never got their hands on it."

"As long as no one offers up either of the two stolen from Iwagakure." Junzo stated outright. "And who is laying claim to the Three Tails? That one was free and not affiliated with a village."

Rakuai shrugged. "Perhaps Mist is wanting to put in a claim?"

"Or perhaps Grass is trying to take two of the demons for themselves. Or maybe more." Junzo sneered. "I don't see the representatives of the Village Hidden in the Waterfall here. They had the Seven Tailed demon. Not that they told anyone, but the Akatsuki records make that quite clear."

"It is NOT clear!" Rakuai stood and glowered at the other man. "Everything is in code, and we have not yet found any reference to the Seven Tails. Waterfall is not a part of this group!"

"Either your team sucks wind and is dumb as dirt or you're lying!" Junzo stood up, glaring right back at the Grass shinobi.

"ENOUGH!" Ibiki roared and the other two men simmered down, but only barely. "If you'll remember your history lessons, it was Konoha's first Hokage who caught each and every one of the tailed beasts and gave them out to the other villages. It was you and yours who could not control them and they began to run amok once more."

"And you want them all back, is that it?" Junzo hissed.

Ibiki shook his head. "I'm just saying don't bite off more than you can control."

Rakuai sat back down and shook his head. "The point is moot right now. We've only explored roughly half of this fortress, running into nasty traps all over the place. Good men and women have died trying to uncover all that this place has hidden."

Junzo rolled his shoulders, but he too settled down. "We're off topic. What do we do about Mist?"

Ibiki nodded as he sat down once more. "Let me show you the letter that Mist had delivered to us, then we can discuss response."

o.O.o.O.o.O

"There's a new movie I want to see, it opens tonight." Hanabi pursed her lips and cocked her head just so as she smiled at Gaara. "Lot's of things blowing up, it's supposed to be good."

"Tonight? I have a dinner with the head of Suna's Elder Council tonight."

Hanabi smirked. "Booooring."

Gaara silently agreed. "Who's your date. Michi? Or Rokuro?"

"Aihara Razan." Hanabi's smirk turned into a full out grin.

"Razan?" Gaara's chest seized, then he let out a long breath. "Have fun."

The kunoichi's smile dimmed slightly. "You might want to watch it, that almost sounded sincere."

The red-head let the ghost of a smile cross his face then disappear almost like it had never existed. "I am sincere. Have fun with Razan. He's a good man. Strong, capable, and an excellent shinobi. You know he's a nephew of Baki's right? Good family."

"Hot too. Did I mention that he was hot? With abs like you wouldn't believe?" Hanabi threw that out there, waiting to see the response.

"Razan took off his shirt for you?" Gaara's voice warmed up slightly. "Let me guess. Sparring match, in public. He likes to do that. A bit vain, but he's a good shinobi."

Hanabi frowned. This wasn't the kind of response she was expecting. "When the chuunin asked me out to dinner three months ago, you had him sent on a long extended mission. Now a totally hot jounin is sniffing around and you're fine with it?"

"That chuunin was sent on his mission regardless of any feelings he might have expressed toward you. His team was right for the job. That's all." Gaara's tone was bland and without inflection.

"Yeah right." Hanabi sneered. "And you didn't answer my question. You're alright with my date tonight? Not that it matters, it's not like we're a couple. So tonight is okay, riiiiight?" She poked the beast deliberately.

With Razan? Sure." Gaara walked by her, pausing to whisper in her ear. "But, and I'm only guessing here, he made it a double date with you and ....still a guess ....Michi and whomever he's seeing?"

Hanabi jerked her head, how had he known that?

"Don't get too upset when your date is too busy flirting with our water user to buy you popcorn." Gaara's ghost of a smile returned as he headed back into his office, leaving a fuming Hanabi behind. "Have fun!"

"It's still better than your boring dinner!" She called back after him, refusing to let him have the last word.

o.O.o.O.o.O

In a safe cavern, Yurasu disposed of the body of his former employer. No one could be witness to him being ....not defeated ...no ....but not a victory either. No witnesses.

Blood spattered as he whistled, chopping up the body to leave out for the wildlife in the area. Gore splashed on his bare forearm and he paused. He'd had to rip off his sleeve. Because of an exploding tag. A tag that someone had gotten close enough to him to place.

Yurasu smiled. That kunoichi had guts, he'd have to hand it to her on that point. Still. Kaji. A mystery woman. A puzzle. And he did so love a good puzzle. Hopefully she'd be worth it. If not, Yurasu hacked off another gruesome piece of his former employer.

If Kaji wasn't worth it, there was always more wildlife to feed.

Yurasu smiled beatifically and pulled out the man's heart, holding it up with a satisfied smile. He did so enjoy his work.

o.O.o.O.o.O

A short note: A lot of the team names tried out, or used, in the last chapter has been sent to me by reviewers. I want to thank all of you who made suggestions whether they made it into the chapter or not. THANKS!

Final note to reviewer SBJ ...I haven't responded to you only because FF net doesn't let you send web addresses (including e-mail addresses) through their system. They eat them. If you want a response, you can type your address out long hand version. Something like this "SBJ (at symbol) gmail (dot) com" or whatever. FF net doesn't eat those messages. Sorry!