Don't give your potential enemy reason to suspect you're on to them… take the offered food and beverages with a smile but, don't consume them… laugh, smile, and converse when necessary…

Kagome's face hurt from the effort she was taking to keep her smile in place, mentally checking off her lift of teachings in the presence of the lord at the head of the table. She must not have looked too inconspicuous, Tōga was keeping him busy enough as they reminisced about stories of their youth and ensuring his cup was never emptied.

Under normal circumstances she'd enjoy the tales but she couldn't under the way Ryūkotsei's eyes lit up during their brief mention about her father. Tōga caught her eye briefly, his left eye closing in not quite a wink before turning back to his longtime friend. Kagome's tongue darted out to wet her lower lip, to anyone outside of his fellow shinobi it looked like his eye was twitching, those that knew him knew better.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt," her smile turned charming, glancing at the older lord through her lashes to appear gentler than she really was. "You're being so kind, Lord Ryūkotsei for opening your home to us, I was hoping I might slip away for a moment."

"Oh," a realization dawned over him without asking, flagging one of the attendants in the room to their side of the table, "please show Miss Higurashi the way."

"Of course, my lord. Right this way."

Kagome stood smoothly and followed, shoulders drooping slightly when she turned the corner from the room. She eyed the back of her escort's head, lifting her hands to cross her fingers, "shadow clone."

"Bathroom break, keep him going." Her lips barely moved with the command, sparing the clone a glance and earning a cocky smile in return. The clone's head lifted slightly, eyes returning forward, "got it."

Ducking down a hall, she watched her clone continue to follow her escort, her eyes lingering a bit longer on the swaying hair of the other her as she tilted her head, if only she were as confident as her shadow clone… maybe she'd be a better shinobi. Exhaling a sigh through her nose, she tore her eyes away and turned to pad down the hall silently. One misstep or checking one room she shouldn't and there would be trouble that she didn't want to deal with.

It took four rooms before stumbling upon Ryūkotsei's study, securing the door behind her and making her way to the desk. 'At least he's organized…' that should make it easy to find something to confirm Tōga's suspicions, if he was correct that they were still communicating. "Okay," she shook her hands at her sides in attempt to calm her nerves, she was sure the feeling was because the lord knew Tōga and she felt dirty snooping through his things, 'it's for the mission.'

Rent and tax from Ryūkotsei's tenants were on top of the stack, flipping them over to lie face down on the desk as she claimed the chair. Her tongue clicked against her teeth when her search came up empty, restacking them and putting them back in place before finding the first drawer, finding much the same as the stack on top with few correspondences between him and people that didn't help her search.

"Damn," she sagged against the back of the chair and slapped the armrests as she pursed her lips. She was going back empty handed… and now she felt dirty and annoyed… climbing to her feet, Kagome pushed the chair back into place and double checked the surface to ensure everything was in place before making her way back to the door.

A final glance around the room to cover her tracks was all she allowed herself, ducking back into the hall and straightening her vest. Concentrating on her chakra down the other hall she cancelled her clone and raked her fingers through her ponytail, dusting her hands on her pants and plastering a smile on her face and closing her eyes as she tilted her head, she knew how to look innocent when she needed to. "Sorry about that," her hand waved flippantly in the air as she moved back to her vacated seat, freezing at the glare from her sensei.

A slight movement under the table drew her eye, his finger flicking twice before her eyes shot up and she swallowed hard, hand lifting to rest on the kunai on her thigh, they'd been found out… 'it wouldn't matter if he wasn't guilty.' It was then she noticed the added people to the room, armed guards stationed strategically around the walls, a fair number to give them a challenge but nothing they couldn't beat.

"Sit young lady."

Kagome's face visibly flinched, there was something about old men, an old man she didn't even know no less, calling her a young lady that never sat well with her. "I'm good over here, thanks."

Tōga stood slowly, turning his glare to Ryūkotsei and rolling his shoulders back, "we've worn our welcome out, Kagome."

"Yes, sensei."

"Tōga," Ryūkotsei stood with him and crossed his arms, "what gave me away?"

"I've known you for years Ryūkotsei, I know all of your tells for when you're hiding something." Hurt flashed across his face before it disappeared, "where is he?"

"Let it go, it was years ago."

Kagome furrowed her brows, 'some friend.' "Maybe it had been years ago, but we're supposed to bring Takemaru in."

"You forget your place, girl."

Tōga's hand lifted to signal her to stop as she began pulling her weapon free, her hand reluctantly snapping it back into place as the guards readied their weapons. "Direct your anger at me," he commanded sharply, "we will leave peacefully."

"So you can lurk about my lands looking for Takemaru?" Ryūkotsei laughed and shook his head, his mint-colored hair swaying lightly, "I can't let you do that Tōga, I'm sorry."

"Man, I'm starving!"

"What else is new?" Sakura stretched with a wince, those few days they spent in the Land of Snow for their escort mission left her stiff.

Naruto laughed in good nature, the Land of Snow had been great but he was more than happy to be back in Konoha and even Sakura's sharp tongue wasn't going to change his good attitude. "I can't wait to see what Kagome's cooking today."

"She's probably working," Sasuke's head drifted to look in the direction of the hospital, she was always working. "Doubt she has food ready; she didn't know when we were coming back."

"She always has food ready, teme."

"Dobe."

"Alright you two, calm down." Kakashi lowered his book and peered at the backs of their heads, their teamwork had improved on this mission he would be happy to report but he was looking forward to finding out if Kagome had any ideas about Sasuke's increasing anger. "There's no reason to fight about food."

"Sasuke, we should grab something to eat ourselves." Sakura smiled wide, he had to say yes to one of her attempts.

Kakashi's lone grey eye filled with bordem as he peaked over the edge of his book, watching the exchange with slight curiosity; maybe Sakura could reach that part of Sasuke he recognized from himself. Sasuke turned his head briefly, indifference crossing the Uchiha's face as he regarded the kunoichi carefully, "I'll pass."

'Well… he looked at her this time,' Kakashi sighed softly and snapped his book shut, stuffing it in his pocket when the noise earned their attention. "Well done in the Land of Snow you three; Koyuki was very well guarded, the threats taken care of, and now she can rule her kingdom well. But—"

"Here it comes."

"We've still got a long way to go together," his eye lifted and drifted past their heads to the Yamanaka flower shop. He was keeping his end of the relationship deal as hard as it was, Naruto didn't know he stayed over a few times or much of anything else as requested and the jinchūriki seemed to be back in the playful young teen he was since before he discovered they were dating. "I've got some errands to run, you three take it easy."

He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, exhaling heavily at the clean break he made as he dipped around the corner of the flower shop and slipped inside. His hand lifted automatically in greeting, closing his eye to avoid Ino's sly smile, "good afternoon, Ino."

"Kakashi-sensei," she greeted as evenly as possible, controlling herself enough to not skip up to the jōnin, "you're buying an awful lot of flowers lately."

"They make my apartment smell so nice," he was lying through his teeth with that statement. He honestly couldn't stand the smell of the blooms but, oh… the smile he received from his girlfriend was worth the headache he got from them. "And I'm sure my old bouquet is long dead."

"Uh huh…" her brow lifted unconvincingly as she moved to start the arrangement, "well these will last at least a week."

"Thank you." He passed the money over happily, restraining himself from skipping from the shop. He debated with himself for the longest time about where he should go, to the hospital or the Higurashi before finding himself on the porch of the family in question. He toed his sandals off, easing the door open quietly, he'd pop into Kagome's room and drop her flowers off and disappear before he could be spotted if anyone was home.

"This is so great!"

Kakashi paused and swallowed hard, 'Sakura?'

"Kagome made a bunch before she left with Uncle Tōga."

He could hear the smile in Kaede's voice, 'where'd she go?'

"Will they be back soon?"

Kakashi leaned closer at Naruto's question, he wasn't above eavesdropping to get his answers.

"Who cares?" Silence filled the air before Souta yelped, the jōnin peering around the corner to watch the teen hold the back of his head where his sister hit him.

"What's your problem?" Sasuke mumbled.

"Uncle Tōga didn't want him," Kaede answered quickly, "hey, Kakashi-sensei!"

'Damn.' "Hey everyone."

He ignored the two pair of glares coming from his young team and settled on smiling at the Higurashi twins, "sorry to interrupt."

"What's with the flowers?" Sakura smirked and held her head in her hand, she'd have to thank Ino for her information.

"Oh these are… for Kaede."

"Me?"

"Yes, for your acceptance into the medical core."

Kaede lifted her chin with a soft 'ah', wishing Kagome was there to watch him squirm. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He finally directed his smile to his team; he really hated this agreement. "I should get going."

"Nah, stay." Souta waved his hand and tapped the open spot beside him, "we have plenty of room and food after all." He shared a secret smile with his sister and Sakura, this was too fun. Kaede shifted on her chair and tossed her hair over her shoulder, "before I forget, I think Hōjo is starting his pursuit again… I found a beautiful necklace in the back of Kagome's closet. She clearly didn't want it to be found."

A series of groans sounded from the table that knew the name, Naruto crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "No one said he's smart."

"Who's Hōjo?" Kakashi questioned.

"He grew up with Kagome…"

"and he's been in love with her forever."

"He lives down the road," Sasuke stated with ease after the twins.

'The guy that lives… down the road…' his brow furrowed, hand pausing in the air as he reached for the chopsticks in front of him, 'he's that guy…' "Does he give her gifts often?"

"When he thinks he has a chance," Naruto snorted around his food.

Kakashi's jaw clenched slightly, he didn't like that guy. "Where is Kagome?"

"Uncle Tōga came by asking if she'd go on a mission with him, no idea where but that was yesterday." Souta tapped the table in thought, leaning into Kaede's shoulder, "what were you doing in Kagome's closet?"

Kaede's face flushed, attempting a glare as she formed her answer, "I wanted to borrow her blue scarf…"

"She's going to kill you."

"Not if she doesn't find out."

Souta laughed and moved back into his own chair, "I'm telling her as soon as she comes home."

"I'll kill you—"

"Well… would you look at the time." Kakashi interrupted, casting a curious glance at the Uchiha as he watched them uninterested, he was good at hiding his emotions from his face but not his eyes. Kakashi filed that away to talk with the Uchiha as he contorted his face to look happy as he stood, "thank you for the offer but I just remember I have to feed my dogs."

"Since when?" Sasuke snorted.

Sakura gently mixed the contents of her bowl, "yeah sensei, I think they'll be fine tonight."

Naruto met Kakashi's eye and narrowed his own blue ones over his bowl before his glare lessened and he set his bowl to the table. "Well, see you later Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi inclined his head, standing and tossing a wave over his shoulder as he moved for the door. He heard the conversation picking up before he even left fully, ducking to the right and moving silently for Kagome's room.

He wasn't the type to go through her things, he actually hated that quality about people, but something about the mention of the necklace bothered him. He found it easily enough, wrapped in a pretty lilac scarf that was soft under his calloused fingers. Unwrapping it carefully, he gently picked it up and rolled it between his fingers as he brought it closer for examination, "why does Kagome have you?"

"Ha! I caught you!"

Kakashi rolled the trinket once more and closed his fist over the gem, balling the scarf in his hand and tucking them in his pockets, "Naruto."