Chapter 53: New Positions

The week went by quickly as Shisui and I worked hard to repair the Uchiha Clan's quarters. Luckily with all of the money I had piled up from the bounties we were able to get a lot done. I knew that it deeply troubled Shisui to see the place so empty of fellow clansmen and I was starting to wonder if being there was really good for him. He was standing on the path, observing the area, his arms crossed and had a sullen expression.

I walked up behind him and gently wrapped my arms around him. "Shisui-sama?" My voice was soothing as I called to him.

His tense body relaxed and his head slightly turned towards me. "Yes, angel?" His deep voice sounded a little strained.

I smiled up at him, holding him close to me. "We must go see the Hokage today. Are you ready?"

He fully turned to me with a gentle smile. "Almost." He leaned down to kiss my forehead then softly touched my cheek. "Now I am."

My heart skipped a beat and I blushed before taking his hand. "Someday...this place will be full of family and friends again." I gave him an encouraging smile. "Maybe until then, we should consider finding a nice apartment or something."

His eyebrow raised. "Why?"

My gaze turned to the ground. "I don't like seeing you this way..."

He cupped my chin and made me look into his eyes. "I'm fine."

My eyebrow lifted. "Promise?"

He chuckled and gently embraced me. "Don't worry about me so much, angel. You have plenty to worry about yourself." He released me and took my hand. "Let's go meet with the Hokage."

As we made our way, there were a lot of people who stopped to stare. It was really embarrassing and I shyly held Shisui's arm. He glanced at me with a reassuring smile. "We must make quite the couple." He teased and I smiled up at him with a nod. Shisui stopped in his tracks and I peered around him to see what caused him to do so.

"Shisui Uchiha...and Shikara Yukina..."

My eyes widened as I stepped around Shisui. "Kakashi?"

I could tell that he was smiling under that mask of his. "I couldn't believe it when I heard the two of you came back to the village...now I see the rumors are true."

"It's a pleasure to see you again..." I bowed to my previous ANBU captain.

He put a hand up. "No need for formalities. I came to escort the two of you."

I sighed in relief. The people around seemed to disperse with Kakashi's presence. "Thank you, Kakashi-sama." I saw out of the corner of my eye Shisui peering at me curiously.

Kakashi turned. "Let's go..."

We followed him all the way to the Hokage's office and entered when she was ready. Kakashi stayed with us as we entered and bowed to her respectfully.

"Good morning." She said looking up from some paperwork and putting her utensil away.

"Good morning, Lady Hokage."

She smiled and leaned forward at her desk. "I'd like to ask you two something."

We peered at her curiously.

"Where do you two see yourselves as ninja? What do you wish to do?"

I blinked in confusion and traded a glance with Shisui. He grinned at me before facing the Hokage again. "Shikara thinks that I'd be a good sensei for future generations, however I will go where you need me."

She had a slight grin before her eyes turned to me. "And you, Shikara?" My eyes dropped to the floor in thought. "Before I left the village...I had trained to be ANBU...but only under the command of Lord Third...I was to be his shadow..."

The Hokage tilted her head. "Does this mean you wish to resume your duties under myself?"

I bowed low to the ground. "It would be my greatest honor, if you would allow..."

She pondered for a moment, then looked to Shisui. "We could always use good sensei's for our young Shinobi. I will grant you to try your hand with it, Shisui Uchiha. You will have to go through a refresher course, however."

He had a light smile as he gave the Hokage a nod. "I accept, Lady Hokage."

"Good. As for you, Shikara..." her gaze met mine, "I've decided to start the new devision of ANBU that will be placed in the hands of Itachi Uchiha. They will appear as regular ANBU, however they will be my shadow as things become more tense between nations. Until Itachi has returned I will need someone to train these Shinobi to be able to infiltrate and assassinate at my command."

My eyes widened.

"You are known as the Angel of Death throughout the Land of Fire. Neighboring villages view you as a hero, as many here do as well... it would be a great honor to have you lead the ANBU Shadow Ops Devision until Itachi Uchiha has returned."

I couldn't help the grin that spread over my lips. "Lady Hokage...thank you, I'll do my best." I closed my eyes and bowed my head before I could give away my excitement.

Kakashi wasn't fooled of course. He sighed and shook his head. "You haven't changed..."

I shot him a look. "They're lucky to not have to train under you, Kakashi-sama..."

The Hokage glanced between the two of us. "I sense some history here..."

Kakashi regretted saying anything and put his hands up. "Oh...it's nothing, she trained under myself back in my ANBU days..."

My eyebrow arched. "He was a pain in the ass." Now that he wasn't my captain I could say this.

He laughed nervously with a hand behind his head. Shisui was eyeing us curiously before we all turned our attention back to the Hokage.

"Okay then..." the Hokage was amused by our exchange. "I'll send you off with more information. You will start as soon as you're ready. Please be quick with preparations. Also...Shikara...I will need you to visit our private tattooist."

My head tilted. "Tattooist?"

"Yes. As a Shadow Ops operative you and everyone else selected for the positions will be permanent until they can no longer do their duty."

I blinked. "There's no leaving the Shadow Ops?"

She smiled. "Only the most elite, trusted Shinobi of the Leaf can enter."

"I'm not just training the others, am I?"

Her smile widened. "When you've finished training them I will have you as my right hand. I can't just leave the village freely as the Hokage but if I had someone who could...it would make this job easier, knowing someone as capable as you was out there protecting the village. You will also be responsible for improving our relations with the other nations."

I bowed. "Yes, my Lady."

She nodded her head, then took some paperwork from her desk and brought it to us herself. "This is to help you refresh on how we do things as Sensei..." Shisui took the paperwork and bowed.

She approached me next. "These are all the Shinobi which have caught my eye. You are to choose six of them and train the ones you choose. Keep in mind that Itachi will be taking over for you later." There was a large stack of information on each ninja she had carefully picked through. Most of them were already trained ANBU. I would have to choose six that I thought Itachi especially would find suitable and that made me a little nervous. I bowed to her.

"You may be dismissed." She said before returning to her desk.

Kakashi walked us all the way to the Uchiha residence. He turned to us, "good luck with your new positions."

"Thank you, Kakashi-sama." I really was grateful to him.

"Thanks for the escort." Shisui said.

Kakashi started to walk off, while opening a book. "See you around..."

I turned to Shisui who was eyeing me with slight amusement. "I thought you only called myself and Itachi 'sama'...?"

My eyebrow raised. "You're not jealous, are you?"

He leaned towards me. "Do I have a reason to be?"

I smirked. "I can barely handle one man in my life, adding a third would be suicide." I passed by Shisui giving him a look before going over the information of the shinobi in my hands as I made my way to his home.

After making Shisui a hearty meal, I continued to study each of the twenty-four choices. I had already sat aside ten of them who I thought would not make the cut with Itachi. Fourteen of them were much harder to choose from, so I began to match them based on their skills, experience and how their skills would compliment one-another.

When I got down to the last eight I felt stumped. Removing any one option would ruin the balance that I had going on and I tilted my head with the pen between my teeth. I shifted to get more comfortable before noticing a certain someone staring at me. I looked up from the papers and smiled at the handsome Uchiha man before me.

...

Shikara had been staring at those papers for hours and barely took her eyes off of them to make dinner. He was glad to have the time to study his own information that he had received from the Hokage. He realized that Shikara hadn't eaten anything and when she excused herself from the table she went to the loveseat where she continued to study her options. Her legs were propped up and a hand supported her head. Watching her study so hard to create the best team possible amused Shisui. She appeared to be having some trouble as she stuck the pen in her teeth and shifted. She looked sexy the way she analyzed the last few with a rather unimpressed expression. Shisui moved from the table, leaving his own documents behind and crouched down before his judgmental angel.

She looked up and smiled at him. He loved her smile, though after the hell she had put him through in the last week barely sufficed his frustration with her. Up until today she had been teasing him and pushing her limits to see how serious he was about staying abstinent until their honeymoon.

Her eyebrow lifted as her analytic eyes were now studying him. "What is it, Shisui?" She blinked and that teasing stare caused his eyes to narrow.

"You're really pushing it, aren't you Angel?" He finally replied, thinking of ways to take her down a few pegs.

She giggled. "I guess I won't have to worry about it until after you've made me your wife...right?" Her eyes also narrowed with that devilish smirk of hers. She thought that she had won.

This amused him and he carefully removed the papers from her hands and set them on the end table with all the others. She eyed him curiously. Little did she know his plan had taken form. He pulled her from the couch and into his lap. He passionately claimed her full lips as he moved her legs around his waist. She sighed happily against him as she removed his headband and brushed her fingertips through his thick hair. The feeling was pure bliss. She deepened the kiss and after a moment playfully nipped his lip. Shisui's eyes peered open at her and she pulled back to smile innocently at him. The corners of his lips turned up.

Two could play at the teasing game. He took her hand and pulled her up with him and guided her to the bedroom. He laid her on the bed and the excitement was unmistakable as it gleamed from her eyes. He took his time removing her clothes and kissed every inch of her body. His hands caressed her soft skin as he met her lips again. With his tongue he parted her lips and massaged her inner walls. She was so wrapped up in how he was making her feel that she had lost control over her light chakra. The pleasure he felt from it caused him to nearly lose himself as well. He pulled her on top of him so that she was straddling his waist. He would allow her to feel in control for just a little while as he gently squeezed her breasts and drew out her sensual sounds. When their long kiss broke he allowed her to remove his shirt. He knew she was hoping to get more out of this and he would let her believe it...for now. His breathing grew more heavy as he fought to control himself as she kissed from his chest and trailed all the way down past his navel. His breath caught when she peered up at him with a seductive smile.

Shisui had to stop her before she could pull down on his pants. He sat up in time and quickly maneuvered them so that he was over her again, kissing her neck. This would distract her for a moment while he got himself under control again...barely.

...

I gasped when Shisui pulled me back up and lay over me, kissing my neck. I had to hand it to him he knew his limits which was preventing me from enticing him to stop with the whole abstinent thing already. It was frustrating but I thought that if I could keep it up maybe he would give up. I was starting to believe that it wasn't going to happen at least not without playing hard ball. When Shisui pushed himself up again to grin at me I gave him the sexiest tone that I could summon with pleading eyes.

"Please...Shisui-sama...?"

He froze for a moment with a tortured expression. He was seriously considering making love to me and before he could make up his mind I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him passionately while my legs encircled his hips, pulling him close so that I could feel him against me.

He decided to indulge me a little as he played with and teased me. Just when I was sure we were going to go the whole way he pulled back and left me in the bed completely bare. I looked to him with confusion and he had a naughty grin upon that devilishly handsome face of his.

"Goodnight, Angel."

My eyes widened as he found his shirt, slung it over his shoulder and smirked at me before leaving the room.

What the-? "Really!?"

I could hear his chuckle as he descended down the hall and into the living room.

That's...just evil...

I pouted the whole time I redressed myself in some night clothes and grumpily snuggled into the bed. He's not even going to sleep in the same bed! I puffed my cheeks in frustration before turning over and trying to get some sleep. I was so flustered from him that it was going to be insanely difficult to actually let my mind rest.

That sexy jerk...I guess this is payback. I sighed before closing my eyes. Tomorrow I'll make things even more difficult for him...