A/N: Thanks for another review cathyscloud9 :) Please be mindful not to give away any spoilers in the reviews for other readers :) Read on and see if your 'feeling' was spot on the money.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. This story is purely a work of fanfiction.
Nina- is my original character (I do own her)
Chapter 84
Nina headed into the clinic shortly after waking; Kakashi was in a deep sleep and she didn't wish to wake him. Besides she had to carry out Genma's physical before they all met up at 9am for the master class.
"Ibiki, any leads?"
"Nothing yet, Nina. We're getting close those with cross referencing the victims known movements prior to their deaths."
"Okay. Let me know if I can help."
"You've done more than enough. Thank you."
Nina grit her teeth, rolling her eyes.
Rule 1. Shinobi must always show allegiance to their Kage.
Stupid master class. Pointless exercise. It wasn't likely Kakashi would even go full strength with her once he found out they'd been pitted against each other.
"Nina, the master class is an integral training display for the next generation. It's a great honour to showcase your skills for them."
"Yeah, I know it's just…"
"I'll ensure you're rostered on one of the squads as soon as you get clearance following your match."
"Thanks Ibiki."
He nodded and Nina carried on to Genma's apartment, although he was probably with Shizune.
"We've still got three hours before the …"
"Stop your whinging. By rights you should have had it yesterday. And judging by your limp I was right to assume your hip has been dislocated after … Look. Just meet me in room six, I've got to go grab your file."
She returned to treatment room six and Genma had already laid down on the table. He was still stewing over Kakashi's lie but, on a last ditch effort to give the copy-nin some credit, he thought he'd try some snooping via Nina.
"So, have you taken up pet-sitting?"
Nina looked up from his file briefly before jotting down a few minor notes. Bull was an oversized bulldog and he would have easily spotted him had he been out and about last night.
"I guess so. I'm rather fond of Bull."
She padded over beside Genma and set about correcting his displaced hip.
"Just Bull?"
"And what do you think you're insinuating, Genma?"
"Nothing at all. Got something to hide?"
Nina kept her cool but lessened the numbing component of her chakra.
"Not at all."
"I see. So, what's the go with you and Hatake?"
Nina huffed.
"Seriously? Why is everyone so interested in our damn mission suddenly? Were you apart of the bet too?"
Genma slid his senbon from side to side of his mouth and sat up, propped up on his elbows.
He'd told her? Well, in that case, the bet was forfeited.
"He told you about the bet?"
Nina froze. He? Genma couldn't possibly be talking about… Kakashi.
"Hang on. Are we talking about the same thing?"
"That depends. What are you talking about?"
"Were you a part of the bet with Lady Tsunade and Master Jiraiya?"
Genma scratched his head. "Nope." Then reality dawned on him. He'd let the cat out of the bag.
Fuck.
Before he could slip out of the room, Nina had a vice grip hold of the collar of his flak jacket and had flung him against the door.
"Genma. You're going to tell me about the bet. Right fucking now."
"Can't do that. Sworn to…"
"Don't fuck with me Genma. You know I can and will put you through all the walls of this hospital. Now talk!"
Genma was a man but Nina was god damn terrifying, and he knew she very well could and then some.
"Get out."
"But my …"
"I said get out. You'll have your medical clearance."
"Nina, it was just a …"
"Get the fuck out, Genma!"
He scampered out of the treatment room in hot pursuit of the copy-nin or better still Asuma.
He'd heard the commotion and then the roar of Nina's voice. A little disconcerting for this hour of the morning.
It'd all been a stupid fucking bet. No tears fell, instead Nina's anger boiled uncontrollably. She'd gone from the high of last night to… Did she hate Kakashi? Possibly but she wasn't sure. It had been a foolish bet, not much different to the one she assumed Jiraiya and Tsunade had made. Nonetheless he'd made the bet all the same and it made her doubt everything.
How could she trust that anything that had transpired between them was truth? And if some of it was the truth, how much of it had been? They hadn't had sex on the mission but they had come close enough.
To add to her dilemma was the fact that not only her superior but her trusted confidant Master Jiraiya had also made a bet at her expense. Just like her supposed friends had. Even her brother.
Kakashi could have said no. And 50,000 Ryo wasn't a measly amount of Ryo. Maybe there was a reason or maybe Kakashi was just as despicable as Raido. Nina's head was clouded with a rush of unchecked emotions and it was in an irreversible spin. She had images of all the precious moments with Kakashi but then they were being distorted by doubt.
There was one bet left. The master class. If the Fifth wanted something to fulfil her obsessive gambling addiction she would get her Ryo's worth with what Nina was going to request, no, demand.
"My sunflower!"
Nina glared at Jiraiya who was coming at her as an almost obstacle.
"Where is she?"
"Who?"
"You damn well know who. Lady Tsunade, where is she?"
"Oh her. In her office."
"Thanks."
Jiraiya could see the fire in not only Nina's eyes but in the depths of her soul. He was in no way fire proof nor foolish enough to intercept her. However, he wanted to observe the moment she got a hold of her target. He ducked out the window, of the building, so that he could loiter outside the window of the Hokage's office.
Nina slammed on the door.
"Come in."
She marched herself in, disregarding Shikaku who practically lept out of her way as she advanced to the Hokage's desk, planting her hand sharply against the desk.
"I'm going to offer this once and only once."
"Nina…"
"Let her have her say, Shikaku."
"Lift the limits of the match between Kakashi and me."
"And pray tell me, why would I do that?"
Tsunade sifted through the paperwork on her desk not rising to Nina in any way. Knowing she was evidently out for blood.
"It wasn't a question. You either lift the limits or I report to the elders."
Nina knew she'd hit her mark, when the Fifth's eyebrow twitched.
"How dare you! You can't just waltz in here and demand such a thing."
"I can and am. What is your choice?"
"I'll have your for in subornation."
"Pfft. Can't do that if they strip you of your title for not upholding the rules of the shinobi. Let alone match fixing for the sake of an addiction."
Shikaku stood dumbfounded and fearful. He was unable to leave but didn't like being caught in the middle of these two.
Tsunade alternated between drumming her fingers against her desk and biting her thumb nail.
"This is a master class, Lady Fifth. Setting soft limits to display to the next generation who may be called into war one day seems pointless. At least give them a taste of the reality of the shinobi life."
"And what about Kakashi?"
Nina gave her superior a silent but hard stare. It gave her all the justification without a single spoken word.
"Fine. Limits lifted."
It was a reluctant resignation but she had little other choice. The idiot didn't realise that it wasn't for personal gains. Well, not entirely. A portion went back into the village. She also needed the two of them to sort out whatever the hell was going on between them.
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade."
"Nina…"
"Yes Mellady?"
"Be warned the only limit I wish to enforce, is no killing."
"Understood."
"Care to fill me in Jiraiya?"
"Not entirely sure of the whole story. However, from what little information I've collected and that little outburst, it appears there were two bets regarding that mission."
Tsunade let out a long sigh.
"She didn't seem so upset when I told her yesterday about ours. Who was involved in the second?"
"A couple of the jonin judging by the way she just bellowed at Genma."
"Tch."
"I say let them go at it. It's misdirected anger."
"Huh? She's going to kill Kakashi."
"No."
"Oh, what makes you so sure?"
"She loves him."
"How many bottles have you had already?"
"Surely you can see it?"
"Jiraiya did you just hear the same conversation?"
"Yes."
"I don't think you did. Nina just requested I lift the limits for their fight. I had to place that last limit because without it she would."
"If you say so."
Tsunade was too close to see what he saw. Nina was hurting and she was lashing out at the most important thing to her as it stood; Kakashi. It reminded him of how Tsunade had lashed out at him, when she lost both her brother and Dan. It was only natural she wouldn't allow herself to see the striking similarity between herself and Nina.
Jiraiya pushed off the wall to go in search of Nina and maybe the elusive copy-nin and get his side of the story.
