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 97


"What's got you all huffy tonight?"

"It's nothing."

A raised eyebrow and Kurenai nestling into his body was all it took to break him. "That sister of mine."

"What about Nina?"

Asuma tilted his head back. The nape of his neck supported by the back of the lounge. Staring at the ceiling he sighed.

Kurenai snuggled in further, giving him as much time as he needed to reply to her. It was clear he needed to vent.

He couldn't pinpoint the exact issue but on a whole he was concerned about his younger sibling. As a shinobi was as ruthless as they come but beneath all that heat was something else. Loneliness. Not that it was rare for a shinobi to experience that emotion but Nina was his kid sister. Asuma had no regrets however, he did feel a hint of guilt surrounding when he left the village to join the guardianship. Up until this point in her life, it'd not hindered her nor ate away at his subconscious like it was.

No one was without their faults; especially Kakashi Hatake. The man was a recluse. In their younger years he was arrogant and all about the rules. These days, he was a different character. A recluse still, but definitely not as steeled as he'd once been. He'd softened since Team 7 formed. Despite all that, he and Nina had always appeared to have little difficulty in one another's' company. The bet as much as it was made in jest Asuma seen potential. Sadly, as it stood currently, only one was willing to be open to it. And it wasn't his darling sister.

She seemed adamant on denying the obvious. Choosing instead to sink herself into the shinobi life. Which, honestly, was a trait she shared with the copy-nin. Well, up until recently. Maybe, it was time for a little chat as a big brother? Or perhaps, that was just playing with fire and would lead to Nina retreating further.

He twisted his head, brushing away Kurenai's fringe and gave her a kiss on her forehead. She knew Asuma wasn't going to give her a reply. She had a rough idea. It was true shinobi life was mostly one of solitude and her and Asuma had sort of been an exception but were not without their trials. For a long time they had met in secrecy and had never formally announced their relationship. When it had become obvious, of course they were required to go before the elders and, at the time, the Third Hokage. For the most part it was fairly straight forward. Other than both being teachers, they rarely crossed into each other's' lives. Kakashi and Nina on the other hand faced a multitude of situations they would and could be questioned over, regarding ethics and ability for personal matters being kept separate. However, as it stood, none of that particularly mattered when they couldn't seem to establish whether there was a relationship. So far, neither had admitted to anything more than the mission occurring and by all appearances there was far more friction than amicability between them since returning from the mission. Asuma seemed to know more than he was letting on however, she trusted him that if she was meant to know he would tell her. So, it was probably best to let sleeping dogs lie for now.

She curled into Asuma, laying her hand over his that was on her abdomen.


Out of the corner of her eye she spied the brunette hidden away in treatment room three, perusing a substantially high stack of folders. Tsunade took a few steps back and stood with one shoulder against the frame of the doorway, arms crossed, watching as her subordinate took a pen and scrawled notes over a few of the pages before making her signature on the final page and adding the completed file to a pile on her right. She gave it a few more moments before she sighed and took a few steps in, grabbed Nina's right arm and inspected it.

"You've regained some movement I see."

"Mhmm. A little."

"You're not supposed to be here."

"Mission isn't until tonight, I figured I'd help out with some of the paperwork."

Nina seethed as Tsunade filtered a hefty amount of healing chakra into her arm. Once the initial pain subsided Nina was able to talk. "You don't…"

"Enough. Anbu isn't a walk in the park and you need to be at your best. I'd be a poor Hokage if I allowed one of my best to be on active duty in the state you're in."

Her superior's words were clear and precise. There was little sense in reputing her. "Thanks."

The fifth simply gave a scoff, pulling and flexing Nina's arm to assess whether she needed to heal her any further. But she was satisfied with her handiwork. Any issues would simply be a matter of stiffness from the lack of mobility since the injury.

"Nina, being a medical ninja means you're going-"

"I know." Nina put her pen down but didn't look at Tsunade. "Life and death and all that."

Tsunade walked over to the window at the end of the room which had her side just about in line with Nina who was sitting down. "You did everything you could have."

"Tch."

"Nina, I looked at your notes and the reports. There was nothing else you could have or should have done."

"Why'd you ask him?"

Tsunade acknowledged that the subject of their conversation had shifted abruptly.

"Why'd you ask Kakashi -"

Nina flexed her fingers before picking the pen up and resuming working her way through the files.

"Would you have preferred someone like Raido?"

Tsunade glanced down to her side watching for a reaction from Nina however, all she got was a slight pause before she continued flicking through the pages of the file in her hands.

"How is he?"

Tsunade ignored Nina's attempt to change the subject again. "Putting the bet aside Nina, he was the best fit. You needed a break and due to the nature of the mission, Kakashi fit the bill." She picked up a fresh folder. "It wasn't meant to be anything serious however-"

"You have our reports. Nothing more than the mission requirements."

Tsunade resumed gazing out the window as the sun started to rise. "I see." She turned for the door but stopped at the door way, her fingers clinging to the door frame and tilting her head back to Nina. "Take it from an old woman, don't disregard something in the now because of something that happened in the past."

Nina kept silent and once Tsunade's steps had faded away she dropped her pen, arched back in the chair and set her eyes on the rising sun. Out of all her options when she walked out of his apartment, this had been the best she'd come up with. She was at least being productive here. Back in her apartment she would have wasted time digressing about the investigation and him. No matter how much she avoided all matters concerning the silver-haired shinobi she would have to face him tonight for their Anbu mission.

Flexing her fingers, it was nice to have all but full movement back. Her mind retraced how her fingertips had ran over his jawline. For the love of the Third she had wanted to stay, but she couldn't. This was just how it had to be; how it ought to be.

Her mind played over Lady Tsunade's final words. Is this how she had felt after failing to save Dan? If she allowed herself to love Jiraiya, to admit that she loved him, then she risked losing him. But that was the life of shinobi, wasn't it? Any mission could be your last.

Nina lent forward and picked up the pen, running it along her lips. Fear, trust, love.

Slamming the pen to the desk, she collected the pile of completed files and returned them to Ayame's desk to be filed.

She needed sleep if she was going to be in any fit state for tonight's mission.


"Join your big brother for a tea."

"Asuma I really should…"

"Oh come on, my treat."

Nina sighed, she may have been on her way home but she knew she'd probably just while away the hours so she couldn't very well shirk on a request from Asuma. "Fine."

Asuma stubbed out his cigarette and threw his left arm around Nina's shoulder. "That a girl."

Once in the café, Asuma ordered them a pot of green tea to share and rested his head on one of his fists. "So time to fess up. What's going on with you and Hatake?"

Nina groaned. She ought to have known better that her older sibling would subject her to such questioning. "Nothing."

"I can tell when you're lying, Nina. So why don't you make this easier on both of us and just tell me the truth?"

He was given nothing but silence. Something he was accustomed from his student.

"Why the sudden interest in my life, Asuma? Besides, I'm sure he gave you the details since it was all for a bet anyway."

So, she was still sour about the bet, best he clear those details up a bit more. "Nina, the bet wasn't what you thought it was."

"Hmpf."

"Genma was running his mouth and Kakashi and I figured the idiot needed a lesson. The bet was a set up to wheedle the fool out of some money."

This, Nina already knew. She watched as Asuma poured them both a cup of tea.

"And for your information, Kakashi has said very little. Which is why I'm asking you, Nina. What happened?"

Nina drummed her finger tips against the side of the cup, blowing the surface to cool so that she could take a sip.

He looked over his little sister. It was very apparent now that he gave her a good look over that she was all but at her limit. Asuma waited patiently, mimicking each time she took a sip before finally she broke the silence.

"Everything."

Oh that word was very familiar. Asuma closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and exhaled but before he could say anything more Nina was withdrawing from her seat and at his side. She lent in giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Be careful please. I promise I will solve this investigation."

And her hand slipped away from his shoulder.