"This isn't the eel I asked for! It's tuna!" Haruno Tanshi sighed as she stared at the open package laid out on her countertop. "It's not even high grade tuna."

Sakura smirked as she almost swept from the small kitchen. "You know what they say, if you want it done right …go shopping yourself!"

Tanshi rolled her eyes at her only child. "That's a very bad paraphrase. Something you'd have known if you'd gone to a REAL school instead of that silly ninja training place."

"The Academy?" Sakura turned with a painted on smile. "You mean the jewel in the crown of Konoha? The source of our safety, wealth and prestige? The place that trained our very own Hokage?"

Tanshi sighed heavily and re-wrapped the tuna. "Take this back and get me the eel I asked for."

"No."

The older pink-haired woman spun around, shock on her face as she stared at her daughter. "What did you say?"

Sakura lost the grin and stepped forward earnestly. "Mother, you know I have a date with Kiba, we're meeting in about ten minutes. You waited deliberately until the last moment to send me across the entire village to get this eel that just HAD to come from the farthest market. Don't tell me it wasn't on purpose to make me late."

"I don't appreciate you talking to me like that." Tanshi sniffed, admitting nothing. "Is this uncivilized tongue what comes from ninja training?"

"No, it comes from being your daughter." Snapped the irate kunoichi. "I'm running late, I'll see you later."

The knock on the door startled them both slightly as Kiba stalked into the kitchen.

Tanshi sneered slightly and sniffed, as if smelling something awful. "I see you have no manners either."

"I knocked." He growled.

"You didn't wait for us to answer the door." Tanshi pointed out as if such niceties were new information for him to learn. She turned to her daughter with a waspish look. "See what comes of ninja training?"

"Ninja training assures us that we can get into a house regardless of doors, locks, or guards." Kiba sighed. "And the only reason I didn't wait was that I wasn't sure Sakura would be here and I knew you would not answer the door for me."

"Well, such uncouth manners are just what I would expect…."

Kiba snarled and interrupted, startling Tanshi no end. "I have been on my best behavior for you. But I'm sure that the note that I sent Sakura this morning about changing the time we meet went …shall we say … a little astray?" He smiled cheekily at her. "Misappropriating notes meant for other people is far ruder than anything I've done to you."

Sakura's eyes went wide. "Mother?" She asked, staring at the other woman in some shock. "You promised not to interfere!"

"And so I won't! But I don't have to stand here in my own kitchen and be attacked like this." Tanshi sniffed haughtily and swept out of the room.

Sakura's shoulders slumped. "I'm so sorry she seems to be putting you in the middle of everything, Kiba."

The dog-ninja blew it off with a wave of his hand. "Stop apologizing for something you have no control over. I still say you need to sit down and talk it out with her."

"Oh, that is so not a good idea." Sakura blew a loose strand of hair out of her face. "So what's with the change in meeting times? I thought we were going to the movies this afternoon."

"I heard from Naruto and Ayame that the movie sucked. That it wasn't worth it at all." Kiba shrugged. "So I thought we could head out to the port town and look for a dress for Hinata's engagement party."

Sakura's smile bloomed and she nearly giggled. "Are you sure you didn't catch that fever going around town? I thought I just heard you volunteer to take me shopping."

"Yah, yah." Kiba groused. "I ran into Hinata earlier and seeing her made me think of it. By the way, have you noticed her acting strange lately?"

"Strange?" Sakura caught her breath. Did he know? Had he guessed?

But Kiba was already moving on. "I thought of it only because you keep talking about how awful the shops are here and how you wanted to check out the port town's market place. And I thought that while we were there we could maybe make a night of it. Dinner. Dancing." He paused and grinned at her. "Get a room?"

o.o.o.o.o

TenTen watched in fascination at this new side to her boyfriend. She leaned over and whispered to the red-head sitting beside her. "He told me he could cook, but I thought he just meant he could boil a basic egg."

Turning his pale-jade eyes on the brunette kunoichi, Gaara pondered her words a moment. Then he simply asked, "Why?"

TenTen shrugged lightly as she watched items flying effortlessly through the kitchen area, cream pouring slowly into a small bowl of eggs that was being stirred methodically. All while thick bread slices were being buttered for the oven and vegetables were being expertly diced for the omelets. Kankuro stood in the middle of the kitchen, only his fingers moving ever so slightly as he orchestrated the dance of ingredients and utensils around him.

Finally she just shook her head in awe. "Most shinobi I know can do basic survival cooking, but other than that …they eat out or assume the kunoichi should cook."

Gaara looked back at his brother, then over at TenTen again. "Why?" He asked once more.

She blinked at him slowly, then smiled. "Can you cook?"

Sitting back, the Kazekage shook his head lightly.

"Can Baki?" TenTen asked, naming the sibling's former sensei.

Gaara pulled a face as he thought of Baki's culinary skills …or lack thereof. "No."

"Now." TenTen smiled. "Can Temari cook?"

Gaara thought about it a moment, then nodded reluctantly. "Though she's nowhere as good as Kankuro. We always make him do all the cooking. It's a part of basic puppeteer training, he's good at it."

TenTen nodded. "But in the Leaf village we don't have puppet ninja. So I had no clue it was part of his early training. So …it surprises me."

The red-head thought that over carefully, looking at it from all sides before giving a soft grunt. "A good surprise?" He finally asked quietly.

The scent of cooking food wafted over them, making the brunette's mouth water. "Oh yeah!"

Suddenly there were more cabinets opening and things were flying faster. TenTen watched with appreciation as Gaara's eyes got bigger. One side of his mouth twitched into a ghost of an almost-smile. "He's looking to impress you now."

"Oh?"

Gaara pointed to one side of the kitchen where a sack of flour was sitting. Flour scooped out and landed on a small board as it was moving into a small mound while an egg broke over the top of it. The chakra strings Kankuro were using were invisible, but the results weren't. "He doesn't make biscuits for just anyone you know." His own mouth started to water.

That's why it was such a disappointment when the messenger arrived to tell the Kazekage that a delegation from the Earth Country were demanding he see them right away. Gaara actually looked disappointed.

Sighing happily, TenTen unfolded her napkin. "More for me." She teased, feeling bold as she peeked at the nearly stoic looking Gaara.

Startled, Gaara turned to stare at her a moment. The guard delivering the message drew in a sharp breath as he waited for the reaction, not that the Kazekage would act as he had when he'd still been a demon vessel. Still, only his siblings ever really teased him. No one else ever dared.

Even Kankuro paused a moment to throw her an unreadable look. She grinned up at him, then turned back to frown lightly at Gaara. "If you're lucky I'll save you a biscuit. But then again, I am feeling rather hungry today."

Gaara held back a moment, nonplussed. His mind raced for an appropriate light retort. Threats filled his mind, but …he was looking for something like Kankuro and Temari would say to each other …not any actual threats. Finally, his voice a bit gruff, he spoke up. "If you don't save me three biscuits, I'll have you named private tutor for the Raichikaru triplets."

TenTen mock shuddered and pulled back in an act of fear that made Kankuro grin and the guard relax. "Save me from those students and I'll even throw in some jam."

The red-head nodded a bit stiffly, though he felt more at ease finally. "Make it strawberry jam and we have a deal. And some sausage."

The kunoichi frowned and looked over at Kankuro, who was back cooking with a vengeance and pretending not to listen. "He's not making sausage."

"If he knows what's good for him …" Gaara's lips quirked into a small smile, a real one this time. "…he will." Threatening TenTen had seemed wrong and heavy handed, but with Kankuro? With his brother threats were just natural.

Where no one could see his face, Kankuro was grinning from ear to ear even as he sent chakra strings into the icebox for some sausage.

o.o.o.o.o

Sasuke sat in the hot bath, relaxing. He sighed in pleasure at the solitude, even in the public baths. It was the only place to elude the Suna fangirls. After that first disasterous day, they'd refrained from entering the male bath house at least.

The sound of someone entering the bath reached him as he frowned. He should have sensed a chakra signature before anyone got close enough to make a sound.

Kakashi smiled at him through his mask even as he divested himself of his robe and slipped into the hot water with a small sigh of his own.

Silence fell back over the area, but Sasuke was no longer as at ease as he'd been. Though it didn't show in any line, motion, or expression. Finally, he couldn't take it much longer. "Long day?"

Kakashi grunted, but didn't pick up the conversational gambit.

Once more the only sound was the hissing of steam and lapping of the water as it bubbled around them.

Sasuke grunted and slid lower into the water. "They took me off the genin team. The Hokage gave the team to Gai and put me and Tsume together for some missions."

Kakashi's grunt was noncommittal.

"Am I still at 3 honor points?" Sasuke finally asked point-blank, tired of this game.

The copy-nin shrugged. "What have you done to earn more?"

Sasuke's expression turned dour as he stared at his former sensei. "I'm assuming that three 'B' ranked missions and two 'A' ranked ones with Tsume don't count? The Hokage thought we'd done well."

"Those are your duties, and I'll admit that your performance so far has Tsunade and Tsume tentatively happy." Kakashi allowed with a small smile beneath his mask. "Do you want a point for them? Like a puppy begging for a treat?"

Silence once more fell over them, this time with Sasuke glowering. "So, what do I have to do …"

"You get ten points for not killing the fangirls." Kakashi interrupted calmly, his voice cutting through Sasuke's emo mood.

The Uchiha settled back and nodded, then had to go for more. "It should be ten apiece. So twenty honor points."

"No." Kakashi stated simply.

"They're driving me crazy."

"In their defense, a lot of people in this village think you were crazy to begin with." Kakashi yawned lazily as the hot water lapped around his lanky form.

Sasuke nodded absently, not really caring one way or the other. "I found one in my shower the other morning. She'd tied her own sister up and left her in their apartment in order to lay in wait for me in my own bathroom."

"Really?" Kakashi opened his one visible eye, interest finally showing on his face.

Sasuke grunted, glad that the copy-nin was finally starting to see his side of it.

"Which girl?" Kakashi asked with open curiosity. "That shows initiative. Maybe there's hope for one of them at least."

Growling, the younger shinobi made as if to get out of the bath. But Kakashi's next words stopped him cold.

"You came back for a wife. Pick one of the fangirls and marry her." The copy ninja pierced him with one look from his visible eye. "Hinata is off limits. No other high-bred kunoichi will have you as I'm sure you've discovered by now. So …why not marry one of the fangirls? Didn't you say you didn't care who it was? You just wanted a family and a return to the village."

His mouth suddenly dry, Sasuke just shook his head mutely.

"Why not?" Kakashi asked, still in that irritatingly calm voice of his that made it sound like he was making fun of you and only you couldn't see it.

Sasuke threw out the first excuse that came to mind. "They're from Suna, not Konoha. I want to settle here. Not out in the desert."

"I'm sure Gaara wouldn't mind parting with one or both of them. Take your pick." Kakashi smiled blandly. "Which one strikes your fancy more?"

"Hinata."

Kakashi's smile faded as he looked at his former student. "Want to lose every point you've managed to gain so far? And not a little blood as well?"

"I've given up on her." Sasuke admitted. "Still, she's what I want."

The copy-ninja nodded as he asked a question. "Is it she herself you want? Or what is it about her that draws you? And don't give me any romantic drivel, because I won't believe you."

Sasuke nodded. "She's highly placed from a well known and respected clan. If I marry her and join the Hyuuga family main branch, not a lesser branch mind you, then Konoha will see one of their best bloodlines take me in."

"Making them forget your betrayal?"

Shrugging, Sasuke continued. "No, but perhaps taking a little of the sting of my past away. Not to mention that she's quiet. Doesn't follow me around and act like a fangirl. She's pretty. She's well off …and well endowed. She'd make a perfect wife."

"For Akimichi, I agree."

Frowning, Sasuke looked away. "I've already sworn to you to lay off of courting her. I'll keep to that promise."

"Good." Grunted Kakashi, appeased for the moment as he settled back into the heated water with a long drawn out sigh of pleasure.

"So. I now have thirteen points?" Sasuke asked as he got out of the bath water, toweling off.

"Fourteen." Kakashi said, never even bothering to open his eyes as he sunk lower into the water. "You got one just for catching that stupid cat with your genin team three times and not losing your temper." He shuddered at the thought.

A smile finally played along Sasuke's lips as he nodded. "Fourteen out of one million. I'm off to a grand start."

"Don't blow it now." Kakashi grinned, once more opening one eye to look at his former student as Sasuke prepared to leave. "And don't give up on finding a girl. If you won't take a fangirl off Gaara's hands, why don't you take the qualities you're looking for and make a list? Take a look around and see if anyone besides Hinata fits the bill."

"I have to get rid of those twittering Suna girls first." Groused Sasuke.

"Non-lethally." Kakashi said with a wide smile. "Or you'll go into the negative number with those honor points."

"Non-lethal? How disappointing." Sasuke smirked as he exited.

o.o.o.o.o

"So." Sakura sighed as her heart beat picked up. "You found out."

Kiba's ears perked up. Found out? Found out what? He wondered if this was what Hinata had meant earlier. Well, he was willing to play along.

"You haven't answered my question yet." He pointed out. "And of course I know." He lied smoothly.

"It's because you know that you even asked the question about getting a room." Sakura snapped at him, her nerves already frayed from the run-in with her mother. "And no, I'm not ready yet. Just because everyone else is breaking the rules doesn't mean I'm there yet!"

Kiba groaned and shut his eyes. "The fact that I want to be alone with you has nothing to do with anyone else and …wait! WHAT? Everyone? HINATA? Nooooo…."

Sakura stopped cold, her eyes closing in disgust with herself. "You didn't know." She muttered under her breath as she slowly hung her head.

"Wow. Hinata? Really?" Kiba felt shocked to his marrow as he thought about it. "Way to go Chouji!" He grinned, then realized that Sakura wasn't sharing his feelings on the matter. "Sakura?"

"Just because you're 'odd man out' doesn't mean that I'm automatically ready to sleep with you. No sex." Sakura's head shot up as she bit off each word.

"What did you say?" Tanshi asked, her face pale as she re-entered the kitchen. "No. No, and no! This ends here and now. This young man is no longer welcome in this house, or in your life!"

"You can't tell me how to live my life!" Sakura shouted, her nerves rubbed completely raw by this time. "If I want to have sex with Kiba I will!"

The slap stunned them both into silence as Tanshi stared at her daughter's slightly reddened cheek and her own open palm. It was obvious she'd never hit her daughter before in her life.

"Come on Kiba, I'm about to make your wildest dreams come true!" Sakura said but not to her boyfriend. Her eyes never left her mothers gaze. "We're going to have the hottest, wildest sex imagineable!"

"Over my dead body young lady!" Tanshi yelled, red in the face and her eyes bulging with temper and something closer to despair.

The sound of a breaking dish startled them both into silence as they both turned to stare at a fuming Kiba.

o.o.o.o.o

"This is utterly delicious." TenTen's eyes closed in nearly orgasmic pleasure as she ate her fluffy omelet filled with her favorite vegetables. "If I'd known you could cook like this I would have kidnapped you years ago."

Kankuro grinned as he sipped his orange juice. "I would have squeezed fresh oranges for you, but they're hard to come by in Suna."

"I'm fine." TenTen flashed him a burning look. "Better than fine."

The puppet user nodded and took a deep breath. It was now or never, and she was in a great mood. "TenTen? I …I have something important to discuss with you. Ask you, actually."

The brunette kunoichi coughed and sputtered painfully as she suddenly swallowed wrong and the eggs tried to go down into her lungs instead of her stomach.

o.o.o.o.o

Sasuke locked the door behind him as he shut out the voices of his two constant companions. He needed a way to get rid of them.

Briefly he considered asking Shikamaru for help, since the shadow nin had been so successful in getting rid of them in the first place. But his pride wouldn't let him bend so low as to seek help. Not from Nara anyway.

Contemplating the fangirls was depressing, so he turned his mind to another concern as he made his way to the kitchen. Nothing in there but some old left-overs from a local café that looked like mold was taking over. He sighed and shut the icebox door.

He'd go get something to eat later. After Harumi and Suzue finally gave up and left. He didn't want to have to deal with them at dinner.

"Marry one of those nitwits?" He groused to himself. "Kakashi, you are so full of it."

Still, Kakashi had a valid point. The girls who would look his way he didn't want to marry and the ones that he'd entertain the thought of marriage with wouldn't look at him. Or they're families wouldn't let them.

Sasuke went to turn on some music as he contemplated Hyuuga Hanabi's advice. She may only be a genin, but she was a sharp one that was for sure. He grinned as he remembered how she'd tortured him in the hospital.

But Hanabi was right. He didn't need to look at carrying off Hinata. A marriage seal was the perfect solution to marrying where he wanted. How odd that a genin would think of it before he did. Still, as a member of a clan with a specific bloodline limit, she was more used to thinking in those terms. His clan had one too, but he was the only one left so he could be excused for not coming up with the idea of a marriage seal.

Hanabi.

She was everything that Hinata was, only better. They were both strong, but Hanabi wasn't quite as retiring and shy. Sasuke snorted. Okay, Hanabi wasn't shy at all!

Suddenly Sasuke stiffened. Hanabi was everything on his list. Everything. Well, except for quiet.

His eyes narrowed as he contemplated the new thought. Hmmmm …..

o.o.o.o.o

Out on the practice field, Hyuuga Hanabi sneezed twice.

Gai frowned at her. "Catching a cold my new student? No! The best way to fight off a cold is to get stronger! Thirty more laps around the field for everyone!"

Open groans met his words.

o.o.o.o.o

TenTen finally managed to push Kankuro's hands away as he tried to help her dislodge the food caught in her throat. Tears filled her eyes as she grabbed her water glass and fairly chugged down the liquid. Finally, she nodded and wiped her eyes. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" Kankuro nodded as he watched her catch her breath and start to breathe normally again.

"No, I'm fine. Really." TenTen assured him as she smiled, but on the inside she was panicking. Here it was. The marriage proposal. THE MARRIAGE PROPOSAL! The words rung like a tolling bell in her head. What was she going to do? What was she going to say?

Kankuro caught one of her hands in his as he looked at her, settling down in his seat next to hers. "TenTen? I was …well …you've probably noticed that most of the Suna ninja have figured out that we're more than just dating."

Her dark eyes were huge and some of the moisture in them wasn't from almost choking, but from the emotion she saw reflected in his eyes. The love she saw in his eyes. For her.

Suddenly, her doubts faded away. Putting her hand gently over his lips she smiled softly at him. "I know where you're going with this." TenTen assured him. "And …and … my answer is yes. Yes!"

Surprise and joy lit Kankuro's eyes as he smiled at her and kissed the tips of each finger. "Really? You mean that?"

"We're not fooling anyone and we might as well be honest about how we feel about each other." TenTen sighed happily, waiting for him to pull out the rings. Her breath caught as he let her go to run over to his cloak, pulling something out.

She smiled, ready to be wowed by the rings he didn't know she'd already seen. They'd not been what she would have picked out, but still …it was so sweet of ….him …to …. She stared down at the object in his hand.

Her mind shut down.

"I really think moving in together is a great idea. Everyone has already guessed that we're intimate, so it's not like we're … TenTen?" His voice stalled out as he caught sight of her lack of expression. "TenTen?"

The brunette kunoichi reached out and picked up the apartment key, turning it over and over in her hands. "What happened to the rings?" She thought to herself, not realizing she'd spoken aloud until she saw Kankuro's shocked expression.

"TenTen? Did you …I mean …"

She blushed beet red and would have escaped if he hadn't chosen that moment to wrap her up in his chakra strings. "TenTen …you must have …" He groaned and closed his eyes. "The night I came back hurt."

She nodded mutely.

Kankuro bit his lip and shook his head. "Those were for Gaara."

"You can't marry your brother." She said, then winced at how stupid and inane she sounded.

"No, Gaara had them designed for Ino." Then it was his turn to wince as she screamed in his ear.

"INO?!" TenTen goggled at him, then broke out in a grin. "Really? Gaara had them … he's going to ask … oh wow!"

Kankuro smiled sadly. "I just hope she's ready for this. I mean, they've not been dating long or anything. But Gaara isn't much of one for delayed gratification. What he wants, he goes after. It makes him a great Kazekage, but can lead to trouble in other areas."

TenTen wiped away a new tear as she clutched the key in her hand. "So, we're moving in together?"

Kankuro grinned and shook his head. "No."

"But ...but ..." TenTen held up the key to his apartment. "You just gave me this."

"And I'm taking it back." He kissed her nose as he tried unsuccessfully to pry her fist open to retrieve his key.

TenTen snarled at him and her expression turned mulish. "Why do you want your key back?"

"Because we're getting married instead."

Her smile faded as she eyed him. "But you weren't going to ask me to marry you. You just wanted to move in together."

"I changed my mind." He grinned evilly at her.

"What? When?"

Kankuro shrugged. "You thought I was going to ask you to marry me."

"So?" She demanded.

"So … you said yes." He chuckled as he grabbed her and hauled her to her feet for a long kiss. "You said YES!"

o.o.o.o.o

"That was part of a set, young man and you …"

Tanshi didn't even get a chance to finish that thought when Kiba howled long and hard, drowning out both women. At his feet, Akamaru dropped down to his belly and hid his eyes with his large paws.

Sakura stared at Kiba wide eyed as she caught sight of an expression she'd never seen on his face except in battle. He was beyond furious.

"YOU!" Kiba screamed pointing at Tanshi. "I have been nothing but nice and considerate to you. Hell, I even brought you flowers! I've never even done that for MY mother. But you made up your mind about me simply based on the fact that I'm a shinobi and never took the chance to get to know me."

"Kiba?" Sakura started, then stepped back as he turned his furious glare on her.

"YOU! How dare you hide things from me! Did you think that I'd turn unreasonable if I found out about Chouji? Push you for more than you were willing to give?" Kiba snarled at her. "Do you think so little of me?"

"Don't talk to my child like …"

He spun on Tanshi with a quickness that had her yelping. "YOU! You're acting like the child, not Sakura. Hiding or destroying our notes or misplacing messages? Those are things school children do, not adults!"

Tanshi swallowed hard as she looked at the raging mad Inuzuka. She flinched at the sight of his fangs, but then realized she didn't fear him using them on her. Not really.

"Calm down, Kiba." Sakura tried again, holding out her hands for him.

He ignored her gesture as he rounded on her instead. "And YOU! Offering to have sex with me just to spite your mother?! How do you think that makes me feel? Are you going out with me just to get back at her?" Kiba growled and Akamaru whined as Sakura drew in a shocked breath.

"Exactly!" Tanshi nodded, crossing her arms.

"And YOU!" He pointed a finger at Sakura's mother as his gaze narrowed once more on her. "Pushing Sakura to be anything but what she wants most! She is a KUNOICHI of the Konoha village. She is a student to one of the legendary Sannin! She is the most beautiful, most talented, strongest, and generous person I have ever met!"

"Oh Kiba." Sakura melted at his words, her insides turning all hot and gooey.

"And YOU!" Kiba turned his gaze and his finger on her, making her yelp too. "Treating your mother as if she has no opinion! Playing tricks on her like some petty toddler! That is NO way to treat an elder with respect! Can't you see that she's just scared to lose you? That she just wants you to be safe?!"

Tanshi swallowed hard and looked over at a suddenly shame-faced Sakura.

"And YOU!" Kiba turned back to Tanshi with a vengeance. "I'm not going away! I am marrying your daughter. I am a shinobi and she will be far safer with me as a husband than with some meek shop owner."

"Kiba!" Sakura looked shocked.

"And YOU!" Once more Kiba turned his glare on the pink-haired kunoichi. "I've had enough of you! I love you, but I'm damned well sick and tired of being caught between you and your mother. If you want to keep me around, you better settle down and make nice."

"Or what?" Sakura demanded, crossing her arms as she shot him a glare of her own.

"Or we're through." Kiba growled as she drew in a shocked breath.

"Can we all just settle down now?" Tanshi asked almost meekly.

"And YOU!" Kiba turned on the elder Haruno once more. "You're not getting rid of me so easily. And if you have ANY hope of ever being a part of your grandchildren's lives you'd better shape up too!"

"Grandchildren." Both Haruno women looked stunned.

Kiba looked back and forth between the two pink-haired ladies and nodded. "And that's all I have to say about that." He made a motion for his nin-dog to follow and stalked from the house.

o.o.o.o.o

Well? Reviews are always welcome!

And guess what? Somone (one of YOU) nominated my story for a fanfiction award! That really took me by surprise. The link will be posted on my account if you're interested. THANKS!