A/N: Here's the next chapter! Uploading it a bit early this morning, since I have to meet some high school buddies today.


Chapter 12: Choices (No, Not the Bad Mobile Game)


"Somehow I regret this," Tenten muttered as she, Shikamaru, and Lee hovered over a letter in Shikamaru's study. "Can I talk you out of this yet?"

"I've made up my mind," Shikamaru replied, glancing up at her. "It's too late to back out of it now. Captain Guy was already kind enough to smuggle this in from Morino for me."

"Not to mention, the two agents in old man Ichiraku's bar," Lee chimed in thoughtfully. "It would be suspicious if you didn't show up. You should do this."

"But what about Ino?" Tenten persisted. "She's going to be extremely hurt that you just ditched her, y'know."

"Wasn't she made aware of the match before I was?" Shikamaru asked pointedly, raising an eyebrow at the brunette.

At her silence, he nodded. "Of course. If I'm permitted to be mean about this, she'll have to deal with it for now."

Tenten frowned deeper. "I... I don't know..."

He ignored her and continued to inspect the letter. "At around ten o'clock, I should head out to meet with them. Obviously my parents will be expecting me to do something, but I doubt they'd expect me to defect and join the enemy."

Lee nodded slowly. "Are you okay with going alone?"

The teenager hesitated. "Well, I- I..."

At that moment, the door burst open, causing the room's occupants to jump. Shikamaru whirled around as Lee hastily tried to hide the letter as a sobbing Ino clung to him.

"Shikamaru, I'm sorry!" She wailed, clenching onto his shirt tighter. "I should've told you the moment I found out that we were getting married, but- but I thought you'd-"

"Calm down, calm down," he snapped, though with little heat behind his words. He tried to pry her fingers off, but when she proved to be too stubborn, he heaved a sigh and rested a hand on her head. "Stop crying... I'm not mad at you."

"You're not?" She looked up at him, looking absolutely wrecked. Her makeup was a mess, her eyes were puffy, and her lips were trembling. "Are you sure you're not mad?"

"No." He shook his head. "Now what's the matter? Usually you knock first."

She looked down, her cheeks reddening even more. "Well, I just- I wanted to ask you something."

"Well, ask." He was growing irritated. Of all the times to be shy and draw things out, now was the moment for her?

"Run away with me," she begged. "I don't care where, I just- I don't want to see the look on my family's faces if you were to break off the engagement! I'm already enough of a disgrace as it is because I can't get the prince to marry me! If you broke it off, I..."

Shikamaru blinked. "You... what? Eloping?"

"No, not eloping!" She sniffled, wiping her eyes. "I understand that you don't feel like that. I just... I wanna get out of Konoha, but I can't do it alone."

Tenten and Lee shared a look.

"Can we tell her?" She asked him.

"Tell her what?" Shikamaru asked. "You mean-"

"Are you already planning something?" She asked with a frown.

"Well, er- actually, yes." He sighed again, moving out of the way so that Lee could pull out the letter again. "I've come into contact with- Tenten, please shut the door."

She obliged and raced to it, shutting and locking it for good measure.

When he was sure no one else could eavesdrop, he lowered his voice and gazed seriously at Ino. "What I'm about to tell you cannot, I repeat, cannot leave this room. Understand?"

She nodded, eyes wide. "I promise."

"Okay." He gestured towards the slightly-crumpled paper. "I've recently come into contact with the leader of a faction of the rebel band Riot. I'm planning to join them tonight."

She gaped at him. "Are- are you crazy?! If you're caught, you could die!"

"I've already weighed my options," he retorted, rubbing his forehead irritatedly. "I know full well what I'm getting myself into. If you really wanna run away, then you have to choose now. I'm not bailing you out if you change your mind later."

She bit her lip and glanced from the letter to Shikamaru, and back and forth for a couple of seconds.

There's no going back, a little voice reminded her. Once you join them, you'll forever be branded a traitor. No one will ever want to marry you then. You'll have forever cast away your title as heiress to the main branch of the Yamanaka clan.

Yet... she gazed longingly at the letter. A new chance sounded fantastic. She was sick and tired of having to wait around for someone to finally take interest in her. Regardless of her title, she was a girl with big dreams for the future. Would she really be content in being some lord's wife for the rest of her life?

She hated the fact that it was forcing her to explore herself like this. Of course it wouldn't be an open-and-shut deal, she sighed to herself. Once you leave, there's no going back.

Vaguely, the memory resurfaced of a preteenage girl with stringy, dull strawberry-blonde hair and a tired smile. What would Sakura have said about this? What would she have done?

I deeply regret not trying harder, she mourned. Perhaps this is my one chance at redemption?

"Well?" Lee asked, extending a hand. "Are you in?"

She slowly looked up, a determined smile on her face as she shook his hand firmly.

"I'll do it. For her sake." She decided.


Fugaku sighed deeply as he leaned against the massive headboard, the words on the pages blurring together.

"What's the matter, dear?" Mikoto's voice made him look up, and he smiled softly at the sight of his wife standing beside the bed in a silk red nightgown.

"Nothing's wrong, Miko," he shook his head dazedly as he set the book on the nightstand. She slipped under the covers and giggled, wrapping her arms around him in an embrace. "Just... I have no clue as to what he wants with Sasuke."

"He?" Mikoto was puzzled for a moment before she nodded knowingly. "Ah. That. Well, what did Bi-san tell you before?"

"All he wanted was for me to increase his training in magic, nothing more." The king wearily rubbed his face before wrapping an arm around her, holding her close. "But now... with Riot staying silent, I need direction. They could be anywhere."

"Hmmm..." She mused, gently running her fingers across his collar. "I wouldn't worry too much about the wretched traitors, darling..."

"At this point, I must worry." Fugaku shook his head slowly, burying his face in her sweet-smelling hair. "If Bi is to succeed, I fear for our lineage... if Riot is to succeed, I have the feeling we won't be around for long enough to fear for anything."

"It's a lose-lose situation," he continued with a weary sigh. "I just hope that he won't curse our familly more than we already are."

Mikoto hummed in thought, again, and pulled away from him to gaze up into his face. He was just as handsome as he'd been when he'd married her all those years ago, just with more wrinkles and dark spots than before.

She smiled sweetly, cupping his cheek with one hand. "Don't worry, Gaku. Somehow, I have a feeling that Riot won't be as big of a problem soon enough."

The couple lay there, basking in each other's company for a while until Fugaku turned off the lights so they could fall asleep.

Meanwhile, on the table, amid a sizeable stack of books here and there, a single piece of paper, adorned with her signature, lay innocently enough, despite its grim printed warning.

"A new challenger approaches."


A/N: Contrary to what she looks like, Mikoto can be one scary motherfucker.

Please tell me what you thought, feel free to speculate, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter.