[A/N: Wow so the number of reviews this fic has went up drastically! I've been working on the Suna arc of the story but please do leave a review of any potential things you might want me to include. The next updates might be in late Jan or Feb. ]

AYAKA

"So, the Hyuuga prodigy huh? Damn kid, didn't realise you liked them so…anal?" Genma chuckled. The little bar that had hosted Shiho's and Kiba's engagement party had only grown in popularity amongst the shinobi folks. Thus, Ayaka found herself seated opposite the infamous former womanizer, Genma Shiranui spending her coin on sake.

"You know Genma, if you ever let me know who it is that you're seeing, I could do this whole playful banter thing better."

"Ah… well, let's just say my lady likes her privacy."

Genma with his brown, shoulder-length hair hanging about his face and brown eyes could easily snag any woman. He wore his forehead protector like a bandanna, and the standard jonin outfit and always has his trademark senbon in his mouth and just exuded the resident bad boy appeal. Ayaka couldn't believe he'd been a husband candidate for her. Not that she didn't appreciate the chiseled-to-perfection body but his image didn't exactly scream husband candidate. It was amazing what kind of influence being a Jonin had on life.

"I can respect that. Well Neji's also got his quirks. He's a sucker for the rules, fate and whatnot. Plus, he's a Hyuuga. Being anal is basically a clan trait at this point."

"People say he's dangerous, Ayaka chan."

"People say that about me too," she responded, bored. Neji? Dangerous? She'd courted danger before, Neji was far from it. Neji had only ever tried to save her. She knew Genma couldn't possibly know of Hidan but if he did Genma would surely favor Neji.

"When captured birds grow wiser, they try to open the cage with their beaks. They don't give up, because they want to fly again." Genma's voice while playful held an uncharacteristic edge to it that had her raising a brow questioningly.

"You're calling me a cage? I'm hardly forcing him into anything." And she really wasn't. The Hyuuga had made the request for an omiai, which Ayaka imagined wouldn't even be necessary at this point. Ultimately, the ball had been in Neji's court first and she was sure the lilac eyed Jonin knew it.

"I've said these words to him as well, you'd be wise to heed them kid. A woman like you? The boy never had a chance of freedom," Genma swirled his sake glass, and Ayaka could help but think back on sake fuelled discussions with someone of a slightly bluer hue.

"I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, there is something I need to ask of you. A favour, if you will."

While Kisame Hoshigaki had been an infamous legend of the way of the sword, Genma was a lesser known traditionalist of a weapons expert. He didn't have as large an arsenal as Tenten did, but it didn't really matter when you could weaponize something as trivial as a toothpick on a whim. Genma often said the smartest kept themselves out of bingo books. Ayaka had done her best to live by that but there were those out there looking for her and if they found her, it would be her own life forfeit. If she didn't know who exactly was out to get her, she would select the best elite guard team she could.

"Hmmm…and whats that Ayaka chan?"

There were few shinobi that exuded confidence like Genma Shiranui did. Jashin only knew Ayaka tried but some how she felt her confidence, while poised, lacked that effortlessness that Genma exuded . Calm, impartial, collected, proud and casual these were just a few of the words that Ayaka could use to describe the man that had thought herself, Kotetsu and Izumo the art of weaponry. Although on a technicality Ayaka had been a Jonin longer than him she was wise enough to realise that Genma hadn't climbed ranks due to the lack of desire to engage with the politics that came with being a fully fledged Jonin from a civilian clan. The fact that someone as versatile with traditional weapons as Genma was would choose a senbon as his primary killing weapon was enough fact to make most weary. Senbon did require a 99% accuracy in order to be used as a killing tool after all.

She'd managed to snag the older Jonin when Neji had dared to try and leave her with Gai again for the day. It wasn't that she disliked the spandex wearing shinobi but there was only so much she could take before she stabbed something. Genma had been sympathetic enough to rescue her from his former teammate and now they were in a tavern, halfway done with a sake bottle.

Ayaka truly admired Genma. He'd taken Kotetsu and Izumo in when she'd been a baby and they just new academy students. A new Tokubetsu Jonin, he'd been expected to jump into the ANBU ranks as an assassin after Minato's death, instead in order to care for his young charges he opted to remain an elite bodyguard. Ayaka was aware that Genma may have known her late mother through his position, but a discussion on her parents was the last thing on Ayaka's mind at the moment.

"I need you, Izumo and Ko to accompany Shikamaru and I to Suna," she explained, knowing Genma would've received the mission details by now.

"I heard as much kid but the three of you haven't properly interacted with each other in some time. Seriously, I know it ain't my place to say nothing, but you just disappeared into ANBU without a word to them. They talk a tough talk Ayaka, but I know they expected you to join their cell when you got that rank." Genma swirled his sake, looking serious. Ayaka didn't want to have this conversation. However, she didn't seem to have much of a choice left now.

"Izumo has no business to judge my distance. Tell me something Genma, did him and Ko not think about my feelings at all? Sure, Izumo was the one that acted on it, but we damn well know Ko was the one that had to have thought of it," she let the exasperation she'd been hiding for years leak through.

"You damn well know that they did kid. Kotetsu has always been outspoken but it was really not his place to speak with you or so he felt. Izumo messed up and he knows it." Genma sounded sad as he chewed on his senbon, deep in thought.

"Pretending to have affections for me to try and pry a recommendation for Jonin from my clan? All while being involved with Ko? Hell, neither of them were even ready then." Irritation cut into her voice.

"I've said this before, the boys are stupid Ayaka. They should never have tried to manipulate you. You know they were banned from any exam promotions for at least 4 years maybe more after that stunt. Shikaku wasn't impressed with you having your first heartbreak," Genma's words made her wince. The pair of bukijutsu specialists were obviously too talented to be only Tokubetsu but neither had complained in the aftermath of all that had occurred. Instead Izumo guarded the village with pride and Ko honed his social skills. Shikaku, the Jonin commander had been harsh. Perhaps too harsh.

"Yeah so I'm responsible for stagnating the careers of two talented shinobi and limiting them to Tokubetsu, " Ayaka sighed to which Genma responded with a coy smile. She paused at that look. The senbon wielder smiling wasn't unusual but in the context of this conversation it felt a bit odd.

"We could make a deal. Recommend them for the jonin exams. Then I'll make sure we accompany you," Genma stated, arms folded and Ayaka knew she was going to comply. Not because of the mission but because on paper, the pair really did deserve the recommendations. Still it didn't imply she couldn't negotiate at all.

"I'll sign as the second reference and Shikaku won't dare reject it right now, but I need you to do something in return," Ayaka began slowly, folding her arms to match her former shisou, "I need to nominate the Ino-Shika-Cho formation."

Genma whistled at at her gall. Politically it was a wise move. Having all the heirs or even spares elevated in status in the village gave them more political power, and their respective clan elders less say. If she wanted to be an heir then Ino's, Shikamaru's and Chouji's voices mattered, especially if they moved up in rank. Their political decisions carried weight and the young Jonin would be easily swayed by a Jonin as young and charismatic as her. Few of the Konoha heirs actually liked any of the councils or their decisions. It was a problem for their respective councils that could usually be nipped in the bud if they'd graduated in succession but if a large number of heirs or spares graduated together? The collective weight of their voices backing each other would send ripples through Leaf politics unseen of since the Uchiha massacre. In a shinobi village a power play with politics was a dangerous game. One she, on paper, had no business playing. Genma, for all his experience surely could see clearly what she was trying to achieve. Judging by the twinkle in his eye he approved. Civilain clan born and elite guard to a Kage, Genma hated just about all the councils he'd ever come across.

"It would be unfounded if I recommended the Yamanaka brat or your cousin. Could do Chouji, but you know Ayaka," Genma's spat his senbon, allowing it to impale the wooden wall behind her, his eyes flashing dangerously, "Chouji isn't ready yet. Neither is he a viable pawn. "

Ayaka didn't flinch. It wasn't essential that the soft hearted Chouji made it up the ranks, but his participation could only motivate Ino and Shikamaru. Ino and Shika were far more volatile pieces to throw in the political scene. She'd already secured Ino's place in the exams between herself and Tsunade's recommendations. Asuma and Kurenai had been sceptical about referring her cousin but had agreed in the end. She knew Asuma would definitely sign Chouji up if he got a secondary referral, it was just the way the formation worked. They were too set in accomplishing tasks together. It made them predictable and easy to use. Like a house of cards, once one team fell, they all would.

Kurenai wouldn't ever let her own students fall behind to Asuma's. It was just the kinda woman she was, so Hinata, Kiba and Shino were probably going to be recommended as well. Gai would easily jump on the band wagon with the spirit of youth when he heard. Despite his remaining students not having the potential political sway to cause as much chaos as the Rookie 9 did, Tenten and Rock Lee were still fairly influential in their own ways. Tenten had been adopted into a clan of prominent weapon smith's and the Lee clan, while small, did have a council vote. Rock Lee wasn't an heir but she was willing to bet his voice wasn't something easy to drown out. That just left the Hokage's apprentice and Kakashi's student Sakura Haruno. While Kakashi's other students were not viable candidates and on paper useless, Sakura Haruno was the apprentice of the Hokage and a representative of a prominent shinobi merchant clan. Ayaka wondered if the Hokage and Kakashi would dare to nominate her, in the wake of her peers referrals. She was willing to bet, if only to not have their egos bruised they would. If not, she was sure Sakura could strong arm them.

"Those are my terms," she sipped on her sake taking care not to spill any on the mint green Kimono she'd stolen from Hana. She hadn't exactly had a chance to speak with the brunette yet. However, Inuzuka's didn't really sit around talking about feelings. They'd talk, through a no holds barred battle when she returned. Shiho would surely participate as well, the blonde always got a kick out of snagging them in her traps. It had been way too long.

She glared Genma down, daring him to deny her. He glared back, daring her to walk away. She extended a bandaged hand, offering it to senbon chewer.

"Dangerous terms Ayaka chan, but you have a deal," his gloved hand met hers and Ayaka already knew, nothing in Suna could be able to take her down. Not with the team she was going to have.